#is digging out all the emotions i never let myself feel
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mintytealfox · 2 days ago
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Norton lvl: Intimate
Alice....why are you asking questions that you already know the answer to orz You've only got three and this is what you choose orz Maybe she is just trying to freak him out a little with her 'I know you did it' I feel like we took 5 steps forward and then 500 steps back oh my gosh lol
----- but he EMOTED AGAAAIINNN:
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His chat dialogue is pretty darn open and says a ton though 👀🙏 So maybe he wasn't too bent out of shape about this last 'mining accident' question pff
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The new Chat Dialogue: (He says a BOAT LOAD YALL!! LOCK INNN)
-Let's see, One, two...great, I've got four damn pennies left to my name. -How do I see the mine? It's just a grave we all dig for ourselves, 'cause we gotta survive. -You ever hear that old nursery rhyme? Two kids went to get water, one tripped and the other rolled down the hill... -Everyone's got a past they don't want anyone to know about. -If I came from your world, I'd want clean clothes too, sitting in a bright house listening to some teacher prattle on. But I ain't got nothing, so I work my ass off just to eat. -The hardest part of the job? Winter. The damn uniform's cumbersome and heavy, and the wind keeps blowing right through it. -People fear losing their wealth, but what really scares 'em is seeing a miner break free from fate. -My dream? Just to get the hell out of this miserable life. -That's enough. We've talked long enough, go find something else to do. (LOOOL) -Hmm, hey. (CUTE) -Lazy bastards just lie around drinking cat piss and eating coal dust. End up choking on it, or drunk and falling off the edge. (wait, you telling me he hates BEER?? and doesn't get DRUNK cause you ain't about to find him fumbling around and dying on accident?!) -Who the hell wants to live forever in this cold, damp, dark hole? -When I'm down in the mine, I always think every day as my last day. -I gotta climb, a little higher, just a little higher. -I can recognize a few words, but I can't stand all that whining nonsense. Folks who write stories don't know a damn thing. -Family? Don't remember much about 'em anymore. -A little sweetness can make a desperate man lose his damn mind. -Poverty, pain, lungs full of dust--yeah, that's my whole damn life. -Good weather? Hell, as long as the mine ain't caved in, that's the best weather you'll get. -If you can take the pain, pain's got no damn end. -Those rich pricks? Always making the poor suffer while they act like they're sprinkling love. -We climb in when the sun rises, crawl out when it's dark... Hell, even rats need a little sunlight. -One day, maybe I'll get myself a place with a roof, somewhere quiet, where I can sleep without worrying. (😭) -A miner's son's a miner, a poor man's son stays poor. Fate's like a damn curse that never lets up. -The bosses I've worked for? They all want to squeeze every last drop outta you, like a damn orange. -It ain't poverty that scares me, it's ending up like those old miners---dead in the mine, no roof over your head, and a squeaky old bed. -I don't expect much from the future, just getting through one day at a time is enough. -The sunset? It's like gunpowder going off in the mine. Boom! (too soon bruh LOL) -What do I like to eat? Bread, milk, tea....Uh, what the hell is foie gras? (HE LIKES TEEEEAAAAAA ;w; <3<3<3<3 and I wanted to know too lol its a "a French culinary delicacy consisting of the fattened liver of ducks or geese") -Tomorrow's another day. More work. More tiredness. More loneliness. Same old grind. ( ;A; ) -People always gotta pay for what they've done -My life? Can't say it's much different from a sewer rat's.
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damnbluewires · 1 year ago
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your mom lets you have a disorder?
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phagodyke · 9 months ago
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I love to talk but I rly do feel like we have to be talking for a minimum of 8 hours straight before I feel like I can even begin to rly broach things on my mind or that have been bothering me a lot that I actually want to talk abt without being vague or deflecting or omitting or lying and if the conversation takes a break at any point it resets back to 0 and its still nice regardless but.
#we're all just desperately chasing each other around for a semblance of connection in this cold bleak world#but unfortunately due to the relentless crushing pressures of capitalism we also have to work so no time for that#man. sorry just frustrated n miserable now. wish i was capable of feeling close to other ppl wish i could give other ppl that connection#but instead we're just ships in the night passing by or whatever#and i have to settle with not rly being known or wanted or important in other ppls lives and its forever. btw#bc even if ppl do think they know me or do want me around or i am important to them in some way.. the specific torture labyrinth i call#home is constructed in the most elegant and precise way that im incapable of believing them to be sincere anyway#so thats all on me! if I tried harder and made more of an effort to communicate with or trust ppl i wouldnt feel this way!#but i dont so better luck in the next life i guess! this is why i dont think abt this shit bc it makes me want to kms#whats even the point man#dont even worry abt me im fine just need to fucking vent bc i dont have time to allow myself to feel anything bc i have plans tmr#so i need to go to bed early. and ill just try my best to keep distracted forever so ill never need to face how pathetically desperate#i am for any kind of emotional intimacy whatsoever and also physical contact but im not normal enough to fulfil any of my own needs#yeah well. its my life that i have to live and im the one making it this way. digging my grave and lying in it innit#its fine tho bc they make repressed fictional characters that i can project onto instead of confronting any of my issues#so ill just be here in my labyrinth doing that. while everyone else gets to see sunlight and grass and whatever#im just so tired i dont want to do this i want to pretend i dont care and dont need it and maybe itll become true. its too much for me#let me know when they need me to pilot the jaeger and drift with someone and thru our mindmelding i can finally achieve intimacy and trust#well anyway. that was embarrassing. hope it works out for everyone else#hope my flatmate gets her ideal life w our other old flatmates and finds a convenient way of discarding me from that like they want#except im going to make it as difficult as possible for as long as i can for them to get rid of me bc im selfish and want what i want so.#my obligate parasite ass. or whatever. im going to throw up if i keep thinking so thats a good place to stop and go to sleep probably#.vent#dont interact im being stupid as fuck and dont care just leave me alone thanks
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mossterunderthebed · 3 months ago
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Jujutsu Kaisen Observation #4:
i do not like how well i can understand Mai. geez.
#imagine giving everything you have and doing your best to break past barriers that you dont know HOW to break#seeing other people do what you're ALWAYS short of doing no matter how hard you try must feel like a personal fault and punishment#especially when you dont feel like theyre working HALF as hard as you. not you: who is ALWAYS struggling#not you: who digs your fingers in the dirt and drags your own body forward like dead weight#not you: who has NEVER taken a break NEVER made an excuse and still the blame for your weakness crashes down on you anyway#not you: with SO MUCH POTENTIAL all this power bubbling underneath your skin and NO WAY TO LET IT OUT#and it stays and it stays and it boils you alive#and you hate yourself for letting it but what else could you have done?#what else could you have done#and the only thing you can do is let go but how can Mai let go? shes a kid. shes hopeful. shes hurt. shes angry.#she wants to go home. she wants to HAVE a home.#what else is she supposed to do? how can she ever ever let go?#that would never be peace for her. it would be death.#fork big brain moment. i think me and gege just synchronized for one magical second#so like. yeah. i get how having that person ALSO be the ONLY one you could look up to and the one who always kept YOU the weakling safe#could just. lead to a seething mass of raw and tangled emotions. and its so- so PERSONAL.#thats the kind of thing that doesnt ever just go away. no matter how much time passes.#ugh. i knew i would end up sympathizing with mai. and shes such an a-hole too. *silently sheds a tear for meself*#and the self-pitying thing shes got going on. and the helplessness. always so forking helpless.#you rage in an effort to change and look. youre still exactly where you started. you'll never be anything but this. pathetic.#OUGH#jjk#jujutsu kaisen#jujutsu kaisen spoilers#jjk thoughts#Jujutsu Kaisen Observations#Observation Series#Im gonna make this a Thing#for the amusement of absolutely no one by myself#i must derive pleasure from something okay I Am Going Insane
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frombookstoretobookstore · 1 month ago
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You Say That Like You Care
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Abbot x Injured!Reader Summary: After reader takes a punch to the face, Abbot's emotions flare as he realizes he might care a little too much.
TW: Blood, injuries, angsty Abbot, Abbot admitting his feelings.
A/N: I don't love this piece but I needed to get an angsty Abbot piece out of my head. This might be purely self indulgent. Masterlist
Y/n groans as she digs the ice pack deeper into her eye socket to ground herself. Her shift was already in tatters, and she didn’t need to look at the clock to know her official shift hadn’t even begun.
She’d been called in early to help in the ER, a resident had gone home sick. She’d swung in early, happy to help where she could. Now she wished Dana had called someone else. She felt guilt rise in her chest, if she hadn’t come in, it could have been one of the med students who’d drawn the short straw.
She’d stepped in to help with a combative patient, nothing unusual. Hell, she worked with women in labor who usually threatened her the pain was so bad, she was used to never taking anything personally. 
The patient had presented with a partially degloved leg but the meth in his system had sent him ballistic. Y/n had caught a punch to the face. She’d been dragged out by McKay as she’d tried to continue helping despite the blood draining down her face.
So, Y/n finds herself sitting behind the nurses’ station, Princess swearing as she presses gauze to her nose while Y/n ices her swollen eye. Still another hour left to wait before her L&D shift is set to begin.
“Christ sweetie, the hell happened?” Dana asks, quickly donning a pair of gloves, removing the icepack from Y/n’s face as Princess continues cursing under her breath.
Y/n groans and bats her friend’s hands away. “Just dealing with it all tonight. Apparently. I’m fine.” She grounds out as Dana pulls her glasses on to study her bloodied face.
“Did you go to CT?” Dana asks, quickly grabbing some tissues to wipe away the blood encrusting Y/n’s face and neck.
“I’m not wasting CT’s time, I’m fine.” Y/n said, tears springing to her eyes as Dana prods her nose.
“Please tell me you fell. Or lost a fight with a newborn.” Robby says, Dana moving so he could assess their friend.
“She took a hit from curtain three.” Princess says, Y/n hissing when Robby started putting pressure on around her eye.
“Princess, call down to CT and get her in line. Let L&D know they’re down a doctor.” Robby starts testing her pupil reactivity.
“No, I’m not going home. I’ll be fine. I came here to collect myself, not to distract the best workers of the ED.” Y/n says, waving Princess off the phone. She rolls her eyes as she lets Y/n usher her back to work. Robby only sighs as he crosses his arms and takes in her appearance.
“You probably have a concussion if not a fracture. Let’s get some morphine so I can pop this nose back into place. Also, I doubt your patient satisfaction scores will go up with the way you look right now kid.” Robby says, chuckling softly as Y/n tries to scoff through the wads of gauze shoved up her nose.
Y/n bats his hands away again. She stands and Robby tries to push her down onto a stool again. The four newest med students’ eyes grow big as they took in the L&D doctors banged up in front of them as they wait to check in with Robby before leaving.
Y/n groans as she notices the newest pairs of eyes on her. “Alright gremlins time for a teaching moment gather around.” Robby only rolls his eyes.
“If you’re going to be stubborn, at least let Dana come back with morphine. For my sake.” Robby says, pinching the bridge of his nose as he already knows what Y/n is going to do.
“Quickly, how do we do a nasal fraction reduction?” Y/n asks doctors King and Javadi’s hands fly up first. Santos huffs with her arms crossed and opens her mouth to speak.
“Santos you’re out of the running. Raise your hand and maybe I’ll call on you next time.” Dr. Santos’s mouth hands open slightly, clearly not used to the sharp attitude of the usually sunshiny L&D doctor they’ve all gotten used to.
“A doctor manually realigns the displaced bone and cartilage; my guess is we’re looking at a type III nasal trauma. Biggest take away is never do a realignment on your…” Abbot’s gruff words and disapproving scowl are cut off as a sharp crack is heard as Y/n manually realigns her own nasal cavity.
The med student’s faces drop and a few pale even as they watch Y/n reset her own nose, the sound sickening. Y/n bends forward, the pain blinding for a few moments. She rights herself and presses gauze to her nose as it starts leaking blood again.
“That was both the grossest and most impressive thing I’ve ever seen.” Dr. Javadi whispers, her mouth still open.
“As I was going to say before Dr. Y/l/n did one of the stupidest things, is never reset your own nose.” Abbot’s tone is gruff and sharp, and judging by the med students’ faces, he’s using that icy stare that makes everyone uncomfortable.
“Check on your patients. Go.” Y/n only catches Robby’s smirk from across the nurse’s station as the med students scatter. Abbot has her by the elbow and is dragging her into a trauma room, snapping the curtain shut.
He’s slamming drawers closed as he starts grabbing materials to pack her nose. The room is icy, and Y/n can hear her heart pummeling in her ears, feels it in her nose.
Usually, she’d steer clear of pissing Abbot off, knowing his temper is short and how cold he can get. But today? She doesn’t care, she’s exhausted and angry.
“Quit hulking out. I’m fine.” She says, hissing as her breath burns her nose.
He doesn’t answer. His shoulders are tight, his jaw set, and his hands are tense as he drops everything onto a small metal table, yanking it closer as he looks at her nose and bruising around her eye. He adjusts a light to get a better look at the bruising.
“What happened?” He growls, tilting her head back as he checks the alignment on her nose.
“Got slugged.” She shrugs.
“Last I checked you worked with babies.”
“Not all of them are happy to leave the womb.”
“Stop I might actually laugh at one of your deflections.” He deadpans as his fingers skim her skin, checking for more fractures.
“Unless you have some superpowered hands there hulk, you aren’t going to be able to feel any fractures.” She speaks.
“I know.” His eyes are still icy, his brow furrowed as he keeps giving her a once over.
“Still injured. That isn’t going to change the more you stare at me.” She huffs out.
He tips an eyebrow up before throwing away the discarded, bloodied gauze, snapping his gloves off and heaving them into the trash. He leans against the counter behind him, his arms crossed against his chest as he stares at her again. He sighs deeply and lets his head drop.
“Jack Rabbit, talk to me.” She says as she shifts on the bed. “Your silent treatment is even creepier through one eye.” He smirks as he glances up at her trying to open her partially swollen eyelid.
“What are we going to do with you tonight? Any being you deliver is crawling right back in as soon as it sees that face.” His smile doesn’t quite reach his eyes. He breathes out and runs a hand through his curls and he lets it rest on the back of the neck. His gaze finally meets hers.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like I might disappear.” 
He groans as his head falls back. “Every time something like this happens. I worry it’ll be the thing that drives you away from here.” His confession tumbles past his lips.
“You say that like you care.” Her heart swells as he looks at her, his stare full of emotion instead of ice.
“Maybe I do.” He mutters, his arms bracing on either side of him on the counter, his gaze back on his feet.
Y/n swears she can hear the heart monitor from three doors down as Abbot sits with the emotions he just showed her. She’s also sure her mouth is hanging open a bit.
“I.. I’m sorry?” She says, tilting her head towards him as if to hear him better.
“Because maybe I do care. Maybe I care if you get hurt. Maybe I care that I wasn’t called in early. Maybe I care, because I don’t want to see you hurt, ever.” He’s crossed the room in a few strides before she even realizes, close to her again.
“It was just a punch Abbot.” Her brows are furrowing as she grabs his hand as she notes that they’re shaking slightly.
“What if it wasn’t? What if it had been worse and I wasn’t there?” His eyes aren’t on her anymore, their distant.
“Abbot, it was one punch, and I wasn’t alone. Princess nearly bit his arm off, and security was in the room right after.” She laughs slightly, swinging their clasped hands between them.
“You really don’t get it, do you?” Abbot’s voice is low, almost a whisper. “It’s not about the punch or the guy who threw it. It’s about you. I care about you, Y/n. I care more than I should. Seeing you hurt, even a little, makes me feel like I’m failing you.”
Y/n’s expression softens, her grip on his hand tightening. “You’re not failing me, Abbot. You never have. I don’t need you to protect me from the world.”
He looks down at their joined hands, “That’s what I want too. More than anything. But it’s hard to turn off the part of me that wants to shield you from everything.”
She smiles gently, her thumb brushing over his knuckles. “Then don’t turn it off. Just... let me in.”
He nods, letting their clasped hands dangle between them. He steps forward, dropping her hand, before carefully tucking her into his chest. She breathes him in, smelling laundry soap and something that reminds her of leather.
They pull apart and he looks at her with an eyebrow raised. “Seriously though, I wouldn’t trust you to deliver anyone’s child.” She swats at his chest as a laugh rumbles his chest, his eyes clearer.
“Shut up and buy me dinner Army Boy, I’ve got a lot to talk to you about. You aren’t the only one caring more than you should.” His heart flutters in his chest as she stands. Before he can pull the curtain back, she’s pulling him in by his scrub top and pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth. She pulls back with a smile.
She pulls open the curtain to Dana and Robby swapping cash, their eyes wide as they’re caught by the two.
“If either of you breathes a word of this to anyone.” Y/n hisses with her hand up to stop them from running. “I’ll make sure you leave your shifts with similar bandages.” She points to her own face as she walks off, Abbot only smirking as he watches her go.
-------- This one took me FOREVER to write and I'm not sure how I feel about it. I've been watching Animal Kingdom and I needed to write angsty Abbot after. Hope y'all enjoyed it!
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ateezscupid · 4 months ago
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ATEEZ MASTERLIST / REQUEST
"I'm sorry," Yunho whispers, one hand on the back of your head and the other grasping your hip, his hips ever so slowly thrusting back and forth. Your eyes squeeze shut tighter, and your nails dig into his back. "I need you baby. Please,"
"Yunho," you moan, your voice strained with a mix of pleasure and pain as he continues his rhythmic movement, your bodies intertwined on the bed. His touch is tender yet insistent, his breath warm on your neck. The room is filled with the scent of your combined desperation and the faint sound of your heartbeats syncing to the rhythm of your passion. The soft rustle of the sheets is the only sound in the quiet apartment, a stark contrast to the chaos of emotions swirling within you.
Every emotion you've kept bottled up since your breakup began to bubble. It felt like a dam getting ready to burst. You clawed at his back, your moans growing more desperate with each stroke. "I need you too," you whimpered, your voice barely above a whisper. Your body responded to his touch in a way that was both terrifying and exhilarating. You've missed this feeling, missed him, missed the way he made you feel alive.
Yunho's eyes searched yours, looking for the answer he so desperately needed. "I missed you." The words hung in the air, raw and unfiltered. He kissed you gently, his hand caressing your cheek. His touch was a balm to the wounds of your past, smoothing over the jagged edges of your doubt.
You nodded, tears welling in your eyes. "I missed you too," you admitted, your voice shaky. His kiss grew more urgent, as if he was trying to convey every unspoken word and every lost moment through the pressure of his lips against yours. Your bodies moved in harmony, a silent conversation filled with longing and regret.
He started to move his hips faster, his hold on you tightening, never wanting to let you go. Not like before. He wasn't going to lose you. He pushes his face into your neck, breathing in your scent, feeling the warmth of your skin. "I won't let you go," he murmured against your ear, his voice thick with passion.
You felt a tear slip down your cheek as his words echoed in your mind. You wrapped your legs around his waist, pulling him closer, deeper. Your moans grew louder, mixing with the sound of his ragged breaths. The intensity of his love washed over you, breaking down every wall you had built up since he had left.
The world around you faded away as you focused solely on the sensations of his touch. The feel of his skin against yours, the way his hands gripped you like you were his lifeline, the taste of his mouth as he kissed you hungrily. It was as if no time had passed at all, as if you had never been apart.
With a final, desperate thrust, you both reached the pinnacle of pleasure, your bodies shuddering with release. You held onto him tightly, not wanting to let go, not even when your breathing began to slow and your hearts stopped racing quite so wildly.
Yunho pulled back slightly, looking into your eyes with a vulnerability that made your heart ache. He wasn't able to get a word in before you started crying, your whole body shaking with the force of your sobs. He held you closer, his own eyes misting over with unshed tears. "Don't cry," he murmured, his voice cracking. "I'm here. I'm not leaving again."
You buried your face in his neck, clutching at him as if you were afraid he would disappear. "I'm sorry," you choked out between sobs. "I'm just so happy. I-I couldn't get myself to call you or anything and I-" He rubbed circles on your back, whispering soothing nothings as you cried out all the pain and fear you had been carrying around since he left.
"I'm here, baby, I'm here." Yunho's voice was a gentle whisper, his embrace a safe haven. You felt his warmth seep into your bones, soothing the ache of your soul. He kissed your forehead, your cheeks, your eyes, tasting the salty tears. His touch was a promise that you hadn't allowed yourself to believe in for so long.
After what felt like an eternity, your sobs began to subside, leaving behind a trembling mess of emotions. He pulled away just enough to look at you, his gaze filled with a mix of love and concern. You reached up and wiped the tears from your face, feeling embarrassed by your outburst. "I'm okay," you murmured, trying to force a smile.
"Can we try again?" Yunho's voice was soft, hopeful. You nodded, sniffling, the warmth of his body comforting you like a well-worn blanket on a cold night. He leaned down and kissed you again, more gently this time, his thumbs wiping the last traces of tears from your cheeks.
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stilljuststardust · 1 month ago
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Persistence, not perfection
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Conviction is not the absence of fear, doubt, and negative emotions. Conviction is standing in the face of that and saying you have it anyway, because nothing other than what you decide matters.
Stop thinking that you've failed to make an assumption just because your heart is still racing and your stomach still hurts. Your emotions and your body are not god. You can be terrified and shaking in your boots but still standing ten toes down in your assumption
Where I think many people go wrong is the pursuit of perfection. It's the trap of "good enough". When will I be enough? When is what I'm doing good enough to manifest my fucking desire already?? You decide what's good enough, and no one else.
This idea that you have to feel good to manifest, or that you don't have control over when it manifests, the constant song and dance of "doing it right". Law of attraction still has its dirty little fingers digging around inside our hearts
Right and wrong are up to you. There isn't a secret code that unlocks the door, there's no invisible gatekeeper to please, there is only yourself. Have you decided you have it? Have you decided your efforts are good enough or are you constantly punishing yourself.
It is so easy to get lost in what you "should do". Should I be convincing myself or just deciding? Is it ok if I use this affirmation? There is no should.
Do not let shame and guilt destroy you. You should never blame yourself for what is in your reality. You should however recognize you alone have the power to change it.
Stop trying to "fix" everything and ending up spiralling over minor feelings that you can't get to go away. You don't need it to go away. You can literally just decide to keep with the assumption even if you had a stray thought or a flood of emotion. You don't have to hammer down everything that isn't exactly perfectly perfect, because it's yours. Accept that it's yours anyway. Yes I feel like shit, it's still mine. Yes I have doubts, still fucking mine. No I don't understand the "how", it's still mine.
Stop being the observer, hovering over your own shoulder to chastise yourself over every little mistake. You do not need to be perfect to be persistent.
You don't need to "figure out" anything, you don't need to convince yourself or overthink. Manifestation is when you leave all that shit alone and say "no, fuck all of that, I have it".
Trying to micromanage yourself is the easiest loa mistake to make. You end up spiralling for thirty minutes because you had one bump in the road you're trying to force down instead of just saying "sucks, still have it though".
Who cares about belief, who cares about feeling, you are god. Its up to you. I don't care if you feel convinced when you say that you have it, and neither does your subconscious mind.
I'm an insomniac who doesn't drink enough water. If I just go by how I feel I'm gonna think the world is ending. So much of our emotions get falsely attributed to "oh it must not be working" when really, you haven't your body is literally just begging you to go outside or take care of yourself and you're over here like "the universe is against me". No you haven't failed, you're just grumpy and need a nap.
The constant return to "how do I fix it" "how do I manifest" IS living from the old assumption. Deciding that you have already manifested it, regardless of how you feel, is what you need to be doing instead.
Trusting yourself is not this overwhelming influx of dopamine nor is it the complete lack of fear. Having trust is doing the damn method anyway.Having trust is saying, I may not believe it, I may not see it, but it's fucking working. Having trust is getting out of your own way and letting yourself do it without constant double checking.
Conclusion, literally say "nuh-uh!"
"Ok but I don't believe it-" nuh-uh still have it.
"But the 3D-" nuh uh, mine
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jungkoode · 1 month ago
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𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊 𝐌𝐄 𝐔𝐏 | 19
˗ˏˋ redefining stances ˎˊ˗
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"You have always put people in different categories: friends, dating and fucking. And the idea of someone redefining that makes your chest twist inwardly, because that's just not how it works. Never has."
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next | index
⋆。°✩ chapter details ✩°。⋆
word count: 15k
content: parental expectations, inner monologue, anxiety attacks, body reactions, redefining terms (friendship), fights, communicating (kind of...), subtle propositions, blowjob, handjob, embarrassment and insecurity / self-doubt (f), guiding (m), orgasm, cumming on face, hanging out plans.
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✧ author's note ✧
WHEEEEEEW. okay. hi. hello. greetings. blessings upon your crops.
So first of all, I must humbly report that the new goal system (Tumblr and Wattpad having to align like twin stars) is working beautifully. It gave me a luxurious (dare I say scandalous) nine-day window to edit, tweak, breathe, and cry. And I only did one of those things on the floor (take a wild guess). I’m keeping it for now, besties. Let’s see if it continues to save me from myself.
Now. This chapter. Yeah. She’s 15k. And I would say “I don’t know how that happened,” but I would be lying through my teeth. Ask Koopsy. The BJ scene alone was 3k at one point. And then I had time. And we all know what happens when I have time. I rewrote it. And suddenly it’s eight. I regret nothing. It’s unhinged but like… in a deliciously purposeful way.
I especially loved dragging some vulnerability out of our girl—Y/N’s still that stubborn “keep it all inside or die” kind of girlie, but you’ll see her starting to leak, emotionally. And the way Jungkook isn’t being mocking when she cracks a little? When she masks her insecurity and he just sees her? HELLO. I giggled. I kicked my feet. I twirled my hair.
Also?? This chapter really digs into how fundamentally opposite they are when it comes to emotional frameworks. Like, Y/N hears “friendship” and sees expectations, accountability, people expecting her to care back. Hard pass. Meanwhile Jungkook is like “let’s label this so we can safely not fall.” LMAO. It’s giving defensive strategies 101. It’s giving textbook avoidant-anxious overlap. It’s giving both of you need therapy immediately and maybe a hug.
BUT. You’ll also see a little growth. A spark. A whisper of a maybe. She doesn’t fully shut down. She doesn’t say “no.” She’s simmering. And as someone with trauma? That simmer is progress. That’s real. That’s human. That’s our girl doing her best with a backpack full of emotional grenades.
Anyway. This is your 4x VERY slow emotional slow burn reminder. If you’re here hoping they’ll acknowledge feelings soon—first of all, who are you? Second of all, no. Third of all, this is not a customer service inbox. You don’t get to file complaints. You get to suffer. That’s the deal.
Enjoy the chapter, scream in my inbox, or join the crying circle on Tumblr where the rest of Kiki Nation gathers to chant “girl what the hell” in unison.
Welcome if you're new. Godspeed if you’ve been here.
Kiki out.
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Pancakes smell like rain and roses and a home you can't go back to.
The smell is soft at first, curling around the edges of your consciousness as you blink against the morning light filtering through the blinds. Warm and familiar, it drags you back—not to this kitchen, not to this apartment, but somewhere far away. Somewhere softer. Somewhere safer.
Pancakes always smelled like home. Like rainy mornings where the sky was a patchwork of grays and blues, stitched together by streaks of silver rain that blurred the world outside the window. Mom would hum as she worked, her voice low and steady, blending with the sound of batter hitting the pan and the hiss of butter melting into golden pools.
She never measured anything—not really. Just a spoonful here, a dash there, warm milk poured straight from the carton into the bowl without hesitation. She’d laugh when Dad complained about her ‘eyeball method,’ but he never said no to her pancakes. Not once.
The kitchen always smelled alive on those mornings—like butter and sugar and coffee mingling in the air, weaving through the faint floral scent of the potted roses Mom kept near the window. She swore they dulled the smell of food, but they never did. The pancakes always won, their buttery sweetness overpowering everything else until it felt like you could taste them just by breathing.
You loved those mornings. Loved how they made the house feel lived in for once—like more than just walls and furniture and people passing each other on their way to somewhere else. On rainy days, it felt like home. Like something worth staying for.
Maybe that’s why pancakes were your favorite. Not because of how they tasted (though they were always perfect—soft and fluffy with just enough sweetness to make you grin through a mouthful), but because of what they meant. Because they were more than breakfast; they were a memory stitched together with rain and roses and laughter that echoed long after the plates were cleared.
You close your eyes now, letting the smell wash over you like a wave, pulling you under until all you can think about is that kitchen—the one with the chipped tiles and mismatched chairs where Mom would stand with batter-stained hands and Dad would sip his coffee too loudly just to annoy her.
And for a moment—for one fleeting second—you’re there again.
Home.
The problem with perfect memories is they're usually lies.
And then it's gone.
The mirage of home evaporates like morning dew on grass, leaving behind the acrid aftertaste of something that never really existed. Not like that. Not with the softness your mind painted over the jagged edges.
Those pancake mornings? They always came with conditions.
‘Straight A's this semester, honey? Pancakes on Sunday!’
‘Piano recital went well? Let's celebrate with breakfast tomorrow.’
‘SAT prep finished early? I'll make your favorite in the morning.’
Always a reward. Always a transaction. No matter how much vanilla extract Mom added to the batter, you could still taste the expectation underneath—bitter and metallic, like pennies on your tongue.
Makes sense why you can't enjoy things without earning them first. Why everything has to be deserved.
The scent wafting through the apartment shifts now. No longer just butter and sugar and rain-soaked roses, but something sharper. Something that stings the back of your throat and makes your stomach twist.
Guilt.
Because who the fuck resents pancakes? Who looks at a mother standing over a hot stove, humming while she makes your favorite breakfast, and thinks: this isn't enough?
You do, apparently.
You who had everything—the nice house, the private school, the parents who ‘just wanted what was best.’ The ungrateful daughter who still squirmed under their touch, who counted down the days until college like a prisoner marking time.
You don't have the right to feel trapped by love. You know that.
People would kill for what you had. For parents who showed up. For a home without holes in the walls. For pancakes on Sunday mornings.
So entitled. So privileged.
The voice in your head sounds like Mom when she's disappointed—soft and somehow, sharp at its core. She never raised her voice. 
Never had to. 
Just that quiet, ‘I expected better from you,’ that cut deeper than any scream.
Your teeth grind together, jaw clenching so hard it aches. 
There's a pressure building behind your eyes, hot and insistent, but you refuse to let it out. 
Not over fucking pancakes.
Not over the way Dad would look at your report card before he looked at you. 
Not over the way Mom rescheduled your life without asking, because ‘Yale doesn't accept students who waste time on sketching.’
Not over the way they both pretended your opinion was valued while systematically stripping away every choice that mattered.
‘We're just guiding you. We're just helping. We're just doing what parents are supposed to do.’
The smell of pancakes is suffocating now. Cloying. Sweet in a way that coats your tongue and makes you want to scrape it off.
And still, there's that whisper, that insidious little thought that's been following you since you left: Maybe if you'd been better—more grateful, more deserving—it wouldn't have felt like a cage.
Because that's the real fucked-up part, isn't it? You miss them. Miss the security of those Sunday mornings. Miss knowing exactly what was expected, even as you chafed against it.
Miss feeling like someone cared enough to map out your entire life, even if they never bothered asking which direction you wanted to go.
The guilt surges again, stronger. 
What kind of monster resents safety? What kind of daughter hates being loved?
The kind who runs away to New York and still wakes up in the middle of the night, heart racing, thinking she's late for a lesson she never wanted to take.
The kind who changed her major three times before settling on English, just because it was the one subject Dad thought was ‘impractical.’
The kind who buys her own groceries and pays her own rent and still can't shake the feeling that she's doing everything wrong. That somewhere, someone is keeping score, and you're failing.
The kind who smells pancakes and wants to cry.
Not because you miss home.
But because part of you is afraid it's following you here, to the one place that was supposed to be yours. Just yours. With no expectations attached.
The smell is coming from the kitchen. Someone is making pancakes in your kitchen.
And you don't know whether to smile or scream.
Your fingers clutch your phone, because the pressure building in your chest has to be channeled somewhere. 
The numbers glare back at you, accusatory.
8:00
8:00
8:00
Panic bubbles out of you.
Late. You're late. You're always fucking late. Dad's voice in your head, that disappointed sigh. ‘Time management reflects character, dear.’
You bolt upright, heart hammering against your ribs, and then—
Nothing is right.
The sheets aren't yours. Too dark, too soft. The wall is wrong—black, with one accent wall in deep red that you've definitely never painted. There's a carpet beneath your feet when you swing your legs over the edge. Your water bottle isn't where it should be. Your clothes aren't where you left them, you’re naked.
This isn't your room.
This is Jungkook's room.
Jungkook's bed.
And suddenly last night comes rushing back in fragments that make your skin heat up.
Not the usual—not the snarky comments across the kitchen table or the silent treatment when you're pissed at each other. Not the avoidance of the last four days where you both pretended the other didn't exist.
No, last night was... talking. Just talking. Both of you just... existing in the same space without trying to burn it down.
And then—
Jesus Christ.
You press your palms against your eyes, but that doesn't stop the memory. Him between your thighs, making those sounds like he was the one getting pleasure from it. The way he looked up at you, eyes almost black in the low light. How he touched himself while tasting you, like he couldn't help it.
And then after, when you both should've retreated to separate corners to lick your wounds and rebuild your walls—you didn't. You fucking climbed into his bed. Told him to stay. Like it was nothing. Like it was normal.
What the actual fuck is wrong with you?
You can't even blame alcohol. Two glasses of wine over the entire evening doesn't equal drunk. Doesn't equal stupid decisions. Doesn't equal... whatever the hell last night was.
So what was it?
You drag your hands down your face, feeling the heat in your cheeks. 
Are you really that easy to disarm? One decent conversation, one night where he's not being a complete ass, and suddenly you're sleeping in his bed like some kind of...
Like what? Not a girlfriend. Not a friend with benefits, because friends actually like each other. 
Just... a girl who got confused. Who let her guard down. Who maybe wanted, just for a night, to not fight everything and everyone.
Including yourself.
You grab one of Jungkook’s discarded black T-shirts (oversized ones, because he thinks he’s cool or something) and some clean boxers to entertain your thoughts. 
But it’s no use.
Your fingers dig into your scalp, tugging at your hair. You want to bang your head against the wall until these thoughts scatter, but then you remember—again—that it's not your wall. It's his. This entire space belongs to him, and you're the intruder here.
Except he didn't say no, did he? When you suggested, he didn't really hesitate. Much. Just huffed, carried you and then plopped right next to you. Like maybe he wanted it too.
And for one brief, stupid moment last night, curled up in sheets that still smelled like him, you thought… maybe this could work.
Maybe you could actually be friends.
Real friends.
The kind who talk about shit that matters. Who know things about each other that have nothing to do with sex or power plays. The kind who don’t pretend silence is neutrality and eye contact is war.
But friends means caring. And caring while fucking is a road that leads straight to complication city, population: you, crying on the bathroom floor at 3 AM wondering why you weren't enough.
Fucking is one thing. Dating is another.
Being friends? That’s a whole different monster.
And you’re not naïve enough to believe people can safely be all three at once—not without bleeding somewhere.
Sure, people who date usually start as friends. And yes, most people who date also fuck.
But you?
You don’t date. You detonate.
And Jungkook? He’s got matchsticks for fingers and a mouth that knows exactly where your fault lines are.
So, no. He doesn’t get to be all three. Doesn’t get to orbit your life from multiple angles. Doesn’t get to slip into your day like heat and leave like regret.
He’s not dating material.
But he is fuckable. Dangerously, addictively, ruin-your-life fuckable.
So that’s where he stays. Logically.
You check your phone again. Still 8:00 AM. But it’s Saturday, which means—
Your new job. Barnes & Noble. 10:00 AM.
The panic recedes, leaving behind a hollow sort of relief. 
You're not late. You have time. Two whole hours to figure out how to look Jungkook in the eye without thinking about his mouth between your legs or the way his voice sounded when he talked about his ex or how he looked when he seemed actually, genuinely concerned.
Two hours to rebuild all those walls that somehow, without you noticing, started to crumble.
You're not sure it's enough time.
The heel of your palms dig into your eyes as you let out a sigh that feels like it's been trapped in your chest for days. 
Fucking pancakes. The whole place reeks of them, sweet and buttery and—
Pain slices through you, vicious and unexpected.
"Fuck—" 
Your body curls in on itself automatically, a reflex you can't control. It feels like someone's taken a rusty knife to your insides and decided to twist. Your hand flies to your lower abdomen, pressing against it like that'll somehow help. Like you can hold yourself together through sheer force of will.
The IUD. Has to be.
It's been nagging at you for days now. Little pinpricks, the occasional twinge that made you wince but was easy enough to ignore. 
But this? This is something else entirely. This is your body throwing a full-scale revolt.
You sink back onto Jungkook's bed, chest doubling over toward your knees. 
Breathe in. Breathe out. Just like Mom taught you, back when panic attacks would hit in the middle of the night before big tests. Back when your chest would get tight and the world would spin and everything felt like too much.
‘In through your nose. Hold for four. Out through your mouth.’
‘Good girl. That's my good, brave girl.’
The memory of her voice is so clear it's almost like she's here, sitting next to you on this bed that isn't yours, in this room that smells like someone else. Guiding you through the pain like she always did. Always so calm. Always so sure.
Even when you hated her methods, you never doubted she knew what she was doing.
The pain ebbs, receding like a tide that's bound to come back. It leaves you empty and oddly fragile, staring at the dark gray carpet between your bare feet. The urge to slide back under Jungkook's covers is almost overwhelming. To just hide there until the world feels less overwhelming.
Something soft and warm brushes against your ankle.
Griffin looks up at you with those unblinking amber eyes, his tail a question mark behind him. He makes that little chirping sound that's not quite a meow, more like he's asking if you're okay in the only language he knows.
"Hey, buddy," you murmur, reaching down to scratch under his chin where he likes it best.
He leans into your touch, purring loudly enough that you can feel the vibration through your fingertips. 
Such a simple thing. Touch and response. Need and fulfillment. No conditions, no expectations. Just connection.
It makes your throat feel tight in a way that has nothing to do with pain.
Griffin bumps his head against your palm, demanding more attention. Typical. Exactly like his owner—always taking more than he's given.
The thought makes you snort softly. 
You stand, slower this time, wary of another attack from your rebellious reproductive system—yet nothing happens. Small mercies.
When you open Jungkook's door, the smell of pancakes hits you like a wall. Rich and sweet and somehow wrong. Not like home. Not quite. Different ingredients, different hands.
And there he is. In a fucking Sonic the Hedgehog T-shirt and matching pajama pants. Hair a mess, like he styled it with a fork and an air fryer. Flipping pancakes like he’s got his life together.
Standing in the kitchen with his back to you, shoulders moving slightly in time to whatever's playing through those expensive headphones. Completely in his own world. Completely unaware that you've been having an internal crisis in his bed for the past twenty minutes.
Completely, infuriatingly normal. Like last night changed nothing.
Maybe it didn't. For him. 
Maybe it didn’t. For you.
Or maybe it did. 
You sigh, dragging yourself toward the kitchen because someone needs to make sure he doesn't burn the whole fucking place down. The security deposit is half yours, after all.
Jungkook doesn’t show any sort of acknowledgement, headphones clamped over his ears, head bobbing so violently you're genuinely concerned it might detach from his neck. 
Like his brain doesn't have enough problems already without the potential concussion.
Now that you're closer, you can actually hear him—not just humming, but full-on rapping? along. 
Or trying to. 
The tinny leak from his headphones gives you just enough to recognize that god-awful song that's been all over TikTok lately. 
Gang Baby, NLE Choppa.
Of course that's what this idiot listens to while making breakfast.
He spots you in his periphery and doesn't miss a beat, turning just enough to start mouthing the lyrics directly at you. His eyebrows do this ridiculous waggle when he gets to the part about let me B-A-N-G and let me fuck some.
You curl your lip in disgust, which only makes him snort and rap more enthusiastically.
"Real classy, Rogue. Nothing says 'good morning' like misogynistic garbage at—" you check your phone, "—8:12 AM." 
He pulls one side of his headphones away from his ear. 
"Sorry, what? Couldn't hear you over this absolute banger."
"I said," you position yourself next to him at the counter, peering at whatever he's mixing in that bowl, "you have the musical taste of a horny fourteen-year-old who just discovered his dad's Playboy collection."
"Hey, don't hate. NLE Choppa is a lyrical genius."
"Oh yeah? What's next on your sophisticated playlist? 'Me So Horny'? Maybe some 'My Neck, My Back'? Real breakfast ambiance."
"Those are classics," he grins, completely unashamed. "But I reserve those for special occasions. Seduction purposes only."
"Has that ever actually worked on anyone with more than two brain cells?"
"You tell me, Nix." His voice drops half an octave, eyes flicking down to your lips for just a second before he turns back to his bowl. 
You make an incredulous sound. 
“What the fuck are you making, anyway?"
"Protein pancakes, babyyyy!" He drags out the word, lifting the spatula like it's a trophy.
Your face must show exactly how you feel about that because he laughs.
"What? Gotta maintain these gains." 
The fucking idiot actually flexes then, one arm curling up while he continues to stir with the other.
You swat at him, connecting with his bicep. 
Firm. Solid. Warm. 
You pull your hand back like you've been burned.
"God, you're so fucking stupid."
"Stupid hot, maybe."
You ignore that, moving toward the coffee maker. The one thing in this apartment worth waking up for.
"Ah ah," he tsks, reaching behind him. "Already made you some."
You pause, watching as he passes a mug over to you. 
Your mug. The dark blue one with the chip on the handle that somehow ended up being yours even though you can't remember buying it. Steam curls from it, carrying the rich scent of coffee—strong, with just a hint of hazelnut. 
Exactly how you like it.
You bite the inside of your cheek, wrapping your fingers around the warm ceramic. 
“Thanks," you mutter, the word almost painful to push out.
"So," he says, pouring batter onto the griddle, "you're eating some pancakes, aren't you?"
You purse your lips, hesitating. 
On one hand, protein pancakes sound like something a gym bro invented to justify eating dessert for breakfast. 
On the other, your stomach reminds you it's been empty since those chips you inhaled around midnight.
"Come on," he pushes, "you need protein to maintain that ass, Nix."
Your jaw actually drops. "Excuse me?"
"What?" He grins, ducking his head when you swat at him again. "I'm just saying, would be a pity to throw that to waste. You've got an amazing—"
"Ughhhhh, okay! I got it!" You cut him off before he can finish. "I don’t wanna hear it at this hour. I'll eat your stupid pancakes, my god."
He looks far too pleased with himself, flipping a perfectly golden pancake like he thinks he’s an actual chef or something. 
"They're not stupid, they're nutritionally optimized."
"Is that what your protein powder labels call them? The ones with the half-naked bodybuilders flexing on the front?"
"Hey, don't judge my fitness journey."
"Oh, I'm judging everything about you, Rook. It’s my whole brand.”
He just chuckles, sliding the first pancake onto a plate and pouring more batter. The domesticity of it all is somehow ridiculous.
It feels too normal. Too easy. Like you've done this a hundred times before.
Like maybe you could do it a hundred times more.
Dangerous thought. Very dangerous.
You take a long sip of coffee, letting the bitter heat scald away whatever the hell that feeling was.
Jungkook slides a plate toward you, two perfectly golden pancakes stacked and steaming. 
And honestly; they actually smell... decent. Not like the protein chalk you expected.
"Bon appétit," he says with a ridiculous flourish of his hand. "Try not to fall in love."
"With you or the pancakes?" You grab a fork from the drawer, sitting on one stool and poking at your breakfast suspiciously.
"The pancakes.” He says with a smirk, joining you in the adjacent stool. “I’m too much for you to handle.”
You roll your eyes, taking a reluctant bite. Fuck. They're good. Like, actually good. Not gritty or chalky or tasting vaguely of chemicals like most protein-enhanced food.
His smug grin tells you your face has already betrayed you.
"Don't," you warn, pointing your fork at him.
"Don't what?" He leans forward, one elbow propped on the table. "Don't mention how your eyes just rolled back in your head? Or don't point out that I'm right about something, and that's clearly causing you physical pain?"
"Don't be insufferable before 9 AM." You take another bite, speaking around it. "I haven't had enough coffee to deal with you at full throttle."
"What about last night? You seemed pretty happy dealing with me at full throttle then."
"Seriously? We're doing this now?"
"Doing what?" He stabs his own pancakes with his utensil. "Having breakfast? Talking? Being... you know, normal?"
"Normal. Is that what we're doing?"
"Well, yeah. I mean, last night was..." He shrugs, taking a bite of pancake. "Nice. You know? We actually talked. Didn't try to kill each other. Maybe we could do that more."
Oh god. This is exactly what you were afraid of. This weird, awkward morning-after attempt to redefine things. 
He's going to want to put a label on it now, isn't he? 
Turn your convenient arrangement into something messy with expectations and feelings and other terrifying shit.
Friends. Or friends with benefits or whatever stupid idea he’s about to come up with. 
No. Absolutely not.
"We talked," you say carefully. "We also fucked. Let's not make it weird."
"How is it weird to suggest we could be, I don't know, actual friends?"
And there it is. 
"Friends." You stab at your pancake with more force than necessary. "Right. Because that's what people who've seen each other naked are. Friends."
"I mean, yeah? Friends who fuck. It's a whole thing. People do it all the time."
You look up at him, fork frozen halfway to your mouth. 
“And how's that worked out for you in the past, Rogue? These fuck-buddy friendships of yours—all solid, drama-free arrangements, were they?"
His eyebrows furrow. "I'm not suggesting we start braiding each other's hair and sharing deep dark secrets. Just saying maybe we don't have to pretend we hate each other 24/7."
"I don't hate you," you say automatically, then immediately regret it.
He scoffs. "Progress."
"Don't get excited. I don't like you, either."
"Sure you do." He grins around a mouthful of pancake. "You like parts of me, at least."
"Your modesty, definitely. That's my favorite part."
"Not what you were saying last night."
You throw a napkin at him. It flutters pathetically halfway across the space between you. 
Stupid napkin. Stupid Jungkook.
“Can we just—can we just eat? Without dissecting our relationship status?"
"What's there to dissect? We live together. We fuck sometimes. We talk sometimes. We don't hate each other. Seems pretty straightforward to me."
"Nothing's ever straightforward. Sex is one thing. Friendship is another. Put them together, and it's a disaster waiting to happen."
"Why? What's the issue? You really think if we start being decent to each other, suddenly the whole arrangement falls apart?"
"No, I think if we start being 'decent' to each other, suddenly there are expectations. Suddenly I'm supposed to care if you're having a bad day, or listen to your problems, or worry about your feelings when we're fucking."
"Wow. The horror." He rolls his eyes. "God forbid you acknowledge I'm a human being and not just a convenient dick."
"That's not what I meant—"
"Then what did you mean? Because from where I'm standing, it sounds like you think I'm too fucking stupid to understand boundaries. Like I'll immediately start writing your name in hearts or some shit just because we've upgraded from roommates to friends."
"I didn't say—"
"I don't want to date you, Nix. I don't want to be your boyfriend. I just thought it might be nice to not act like we're in some cold war every time we're in the same room. But if that's too much emotional labor for you, fine. We can go back to pretending the other doesn't exist unless we're naked."
The sting of his words surprises you. Why do you even care? This is what you want—no messy emotions, no expectations. Just the convenience of living together and occasionally hooking up. Clean. Simple.
Except now it feels anything but.
"You're twisting what I said."
"Am I? So you're not freaking out about the terrifying prospect of actually being friends with the guy you've been sleeping with?"
"I am not freaking out." You are absolutely freaking out. "I just think it's... cleaner. If we keep things the way they are."
"Cleaner." He snorts. "Right. God forbid anything in your life gets messy."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you've got your shit locked down so tight you're about to snap in half." He stands up, grabbing his mug of coffee. "You think I don't see it? How hard you try to control everything? How fucking terrified you are of anything that doesn't fit into your perfectly organized boxes?"
Your grip on the fork tightens. "Oh, please. Tell me more about myself, Rook. You've known me for what, one month? Clearly you're an expert."
"I may not know shit, but I see enough. I see you'd rather cut someone out completely than risk them having any kind of power over you.”
"Fuck you," you spit, but it comes out weaker than you intended. 
Because he's not wrong, and that's the worst part.
"Yeah, we've established that part works great." He drops his plate on the sink and it clatters noisily. “Look, forget it. You want to keep pretending we're strangers who occasionally fuck? Fine. Works for me. Less work anyway."
"That's not what I said." You stand up. "I just don't see why we need to redefine everything. Why can't we just... let it be what it is?"
"Because I don't even know what the fuck it is! Am I your roommate? Your fuck buddy? That guy you hate but tolerate because the rent is cheaper split three ways? What the hell am I supposed to tell people when they ask about you?"
"Why are people asking about me?"
"Jesus Christ." He throws his hands up. "That's what you focus on? Not the point, Phoenix."
"Then what is the point? Spell it out for me, since I'm clearly too stupid to get it."
"The point is, I talk to you more than I talk to most of my actual friends. I see you every day. I know how you take your coffee and what you look like when you come. So excuse the fuck out of me for thinking maybe, just maybe, we could drop the whole 'we're just roommates who tolerate each other' act and admit we might actually be friends."
You stare at him, chest tight with something you can't name. 
Can't or won't. 
This is exactly what you've been avoiding—this messy, complicated conversation that blurs all the neat lines you've drawn.
"I don't do friends with benefits," you finally say, voice quiet, your plate joining his. "It never works. Someone always ends up hurt."
"Who said anything about hurt? It's not that deep, Nix. We're not in a fucking rom-com."
"No, we're in real life, where things get complicated and messy and people have expectations they don't even realize until they're disappointed."
"The only expectation I have right now is for you to stop overthinking everything for five seconds."
"I'm not overthinking. I'm being realistic."
"You're being paranoid. And kind of insulting, if I'm honest. Like I'm some lovesick puppy who can't handle a casual arrangement."
“I’m paranoid? That’s rich coming from you, Ro. Real fucking rich."
His eyes narrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you're a fucking hypocrite." The words tumble out, hot and fast. "You want to talk about being friends? About opening up? That's hilarious coming from the guy who deflects every personal question with some stupid joke."
"I don't—"
"You absolutely do. Every time." You step closer, jabbing a finger in his direction. "Ask about your financial situation? Oh, it's fine, just selling a kidney next week, ha ha. Ask about your ex? Turn it into some bullshit story about how she 'graded' you after sex, like it's all a big fucking joke."
His jaw tightens, a muscle jumping beneath the skin. "That's different."
"How? How is it different? You want me to be all open and friendly, but all you do is deflect and crack jokes.”
"I didn’t say anything about being all open and—”
"Then what are you saying?" You throw your hands up, frustration making your voice rise. "Because it sounds like you want all the benefits of friendship without any of the actual vulnerability. You want me to be your friend when it's convenient, but god forbid I ask about anything that matters."
"What do you want to know, Nix? What deep dark secret are you dying to hear? How I'm drowning in debt because my ex fucked up my credit? How I can barely make rent some months? How I wake up in the middle of the night panicking about money? Is that friendly enough for you?"
The sudden honesty knocks the wind out of you. Your mouth opens, closes, opens again like a fish gasping on land.
"That's what I thought." He tilts his head, motion clearly angry. "You don't actually want to know that shit. You just want to point out that I don't share it to win an argument."
You both stand there, breathing hard, like you’re studying each other.
But then Griffin rubs against your ankle, completely oblivious to the emotional warfare happening above his head and you…
You, honestly, feel tired.
Bone-deep tired. 
It's too early for this much... whatever this is.
"Look," you sigh, the fight draining out of you. "Maybe we're both right, in our own way. And maybe we're both being assholes."
He blinks, clearly not expecting the shift. 
After a moment, his shoulders drop a fraction.
"I’m listening.”
"Last night wasn't terrible," you say, choosing your words carefully. "Talking. Whatever. Maybe we don't need to define everything right now?"
"Revolutionary concept." His voice has lost its edge, that familiar sardonic tone creeping back in. "Not immediately labeling every interaction. Who would've thought?"
"Shut up." 
You pick up your coffee mug again, taking a sip to hide the relief washing over you. 
Crisis averted. Boundaries preserved. 
For now.
"So what are you saying?" he asks, leaning back against the counter. "We just... see where things go?"
"I'm saying maybe we don't have to be strictly roommates or strictly friends. Maybe we can just... exist in the same space sometimes without trying to kill each other. And if it turns out we don't hate it..."
"We can revisit the friend thing?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Maybe." You shrug, aiming for casual. "If you manage not to be completely insufferable."
"Tall order." He's almost smiling now. "I'll have to suppress all my natural charm."
"If that's what you call it."
You roll your eyes, relieved to be back on solid ground. 
This you can handle—the banter, the back-and-forth, the careful dance around anything too real. 
This is safe.
Under control.
"Just eat your protein pancakes, Rogue. Don't you have gains to maintain or whatever?"
"Can't skip arm day," he agrees, flexing dramatically. "These biceps don't maintain themselves."
"God, you're insufferable."
"Yet here you are, eating my pancakes, drinking coffee I made you." He gestures at your mug with his own. "Almost like you tolerate me."
"Stockholm syndrome, obviously."
"Obviously." He hums thoughtfully for a moment. "So, we're good?"
"We're..." you search for the right word, "...fine. For now. Let's just take it a day at a time, okay? No pressure, no expectations."
"I can do that." He nods, looking almost relieved himself. "One day at a time. Starting with today, where you admit my pancakes are fucking amazing."
"They're edible."
"They're incredible and you know it."
"They're protein powder with extra steps."
"They're a culinary masterpiece that your taste buds aren't sophisticated enough to fully appreciate."
"My taste buds are perfectly sophisticated, thank you very much."
"Says the girl who eats chips at midnight."
"At least I don't drink protein shakes for dessert like some kind of psychopath."
"Don't knock it 'til you try it. My midnight chocolate protein shake would change your life."
You make a gagging sound. "I'll pass, thanks."
"Your loss." He shrugs, then glances at the clock. "Don't you have to be at work at 10?"
"Yeah, but it's only—" you check your phone, "—8:30. Plenty of time."
"If you say so." He moves towards the space between the entryway and the couch. "First day, right? Gonna sell some books to the masses?"
"That's generally what happens at a bookstore, yes."
"Well, don't let your sparkling personality scare away the customers."
"I have excellent customer service skills, I'll have you know. I can fake being nice for hours at a time."
“You sure ‘bout that? Haven’t seen you be nice for more than thirty seconds."
"That's because you don't deserve my niceness."
"And the customers at Barnes & Noble do?"
"They're paying for it. You just get the real me."
"Lucky me," he snorts. "So, you nervous? First day and all?"
"It's a retail job, Rogue, not brain surgery. I think I can handle scanning books and saying 'have a nice day' without a panic attack."
"Just asking." He takes a sip from his mug. "Making conversation. Like normal people do."
"Yeah, well." You shift, suddenly uncomfortable with how... normal this feels. 
Like you're actual roommates having an actual conversation. 
Like maybe this friend thing isn't so impossible after all. 
"I should probably start getting ready."
"Right, sure." He nods, glancing at his room. "Wouldn't want you to be late for your first day of shaping young minds through literature."
"It's Barnes & Noble, not the Library of Alexandria."
"Still. Books. Knowledge. Power. You know."
“Has anyone ever told you that you talk a lot of shit for someone who reads, like, one book a year?"
"Hey, I read." He looks genuinely offended. "I just finished that one about the guy who—"
"If you say 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad,' I'm going to throw this mug at your head."
"I was going to say 'The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck,' actually."
"Of course you were." You can't help the laugh that escapes. "How original. Let me guess, you also have 'The 48 Laws of Power' on your nightstand?"
"Whatever, man." He shakes his head, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth. "Suck my dick."
The words come out light, amused—a casual dismissal that’s not angry or bitter, just a throwaway line, the kind of thing he'd say to Yoongi or any of his friends when they're giving him shit.
But something about it—the vulgarity or maybe the signature shitty and playful challenge in his eyes—makes you reckless.
"Okay."
You tuck a strand of hair behind your ear, eyes sliding to the side as the word slips out. 
Casual. 
Like you just agreed to pass the salt, not... that.
Jungkook stops dead in his tracks. His body goes rigid, one foot already pointed toward his bedroom. He turns his head slightly, just enough for you to catch his profile.
"Huh?"
You cross your arms, teeth worrying the inside of your cheek. A shrug lifts your shoulders—noncommittal, like this isn't making your heart hammer against your ribs.
Your eyes drift back to his. Meet and hold.
"I said okay."
He turns fully now, coffee mug dangling forgotten from his fingers. 
"Okay... what?"
"Sucking your dick." 
You watch his throat bobble, the muscles in his neck working as he swallows. Like he’s processing what you just said. Like you just suggested something completely alien, something that requires a full system reboot. 
And okay, fine, maybe it wasn’t the most casual thing to drop into conversation. But still. 
You arch an eyebrow, scowling at him because why is he overthinking this? Does he not want you to do it? Don’t all guys want to get sucked off? Isn’t that, like, a universal truth or something? What’s with the hesitation?
The longer he stands there, frozen and dumbfounded, the hotter your frustration burns. It’s not like you even want to do this (okay, you do, but that’s not the point). 
The point is he’s always the first one to be like “bet” whenever you throw out some reckless suggestion. 
Pushy without being pushy—he knows boundaries, sure, but he’s still the guy who’ll smirk and say “you won’t” just to see if you will. 
And now? The one time you actually offer something? He’s looking at you like you’re speaking Simlish.
You move toward him, until you're face to face. 
His mug wobbles in his grip, coffee sloshing dangerously close to the rim.
You look up at him through your lashes. 
"I said I can suck your dick if that's what you want."
A shaky exhale escapes him, warm against your face.
"Nix..." His voice has dropped an octave, rough around the edges. "Don't fool around. That's not nice."
"I'm not fooling around."
Slowly—so slowly it feels like time has stretched into something thick and syrupy—you sink down to your knees.
The kitchen tile is hard, and really, it should be uncomfortable. Should snap you out of whatever madness has possessed you.
It doesn't.
Jungkook bites down on his lower lip, the sharp edges of his teeth digging into the flesh like he's physically holding back a curse. You can see the evidence of his interest already straining against his pajama pants.
His fucking Sonic pajama pants.
Because of course. Of course this would happen while he's wearing cartoon hedgehogs. Of course this
moment—where you're on your knees in front of him, heart pounding, breath shallow—would come with this absurd detail that makes it real in a way that's almost uncomfortable.
Your hands come to rest on his thighs. 
Strong. Solid. Warm. 
"I mean, we've been hooking up for a month now. Almost." Your voice sounds different to your own ears. Lower. A little breathless. "You've eaten me out multiple times, but... I haven't sucked your dick. Not even once."
Your eyes drop deliberately to the bulge straining against ridiculous cartoon fabric. It should be funny. 
It's not.
"Is it because you didn't want me to?"
He shakes his head. Fast. Emphatic. A jerky motion that tells you everything you need to know.
"So why didn't you ask me?"
He doesn't answer. Can't, maybe. 
His throat works again, adam's apple bobbing. His pupils are blown wide, dark and hungry as he stares down at you.
Your fingers play with the waistband, slowly—so fucking slowly—pulling it down just enough to reveal his hip bones and the trail of dark hair that disappears beneath the elastic.
"Have you thought about it at all?"
"Yes." The word comes out strangled, like it fought its way past whatever restraint he's trying to maintain.
Your eyes snap up to his.
He curses when your eyes lock onto his again—the control you have, even down on your knees.
"Yeah?" 
"Yeah." He exhales, surrender in the sound. "Yes, I've thought about your beautiful plump lips wrapped around my cock, Nix. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Heat blooms in your cheeks, spreading down your neck, across your chest. 
You hadn't expected him to be so... explicit. So honest.
"Maybe." Your thumbs brush against the skin just above his waistband. "What else have you thought about?"
His mug clatters onto the counter beside him, abandoned and his now-free hand comes to your face, thumb brushing against your bottom lip. 
"Thought about how you'd look," he murmurs, voice pitched low enough that you have to strain to hear it. "On your knees. Just like this. Those big eyes looking up at me while you take me in your mouth.”
Jesus. 
Your body responds instantly, a rush of heat between your thighs that makes you press them together unconsciously.
When did Jungkook get so... articulate?
His thumb presses slightly against your lip, just enough to part them. "Thought about how warm your mouth would be.
How good it would feel. How you'd sound."
"How l'd sound?”
A smirk tugs at the corner of his mouth, confidence returning as he watches your reaction. "The little noises you'd make. The way you'd moan around my cock when I pull your hair."
Oh.
Your hand moves higher, finding the hard length of him through his pajamas. He hisses through his teeth when you palm him, fingers wrapping around his shape.
"Like this?" you ask, squeezing gently.
His hand moves to your hair, fingers tangling in the strands at the back of your head. 
Not pulling. Not yet. Just holding.
"Getting there." His voice is strained now, tight with need.
"But in my head, there's a lot less talking and a lot more—"
"Sucking?"
His laugh is half groan. "Yeah, Nix. A lot more sucking."
"Hmmm" you murmur. "Where's all that big talk from earlier?"
"Temporarily relocated," he manages. "Blood flow issues."
That startles a laugh out of you, breaking the tension for just a moment. Trust Jungkook to crack a joke while you're literally about to have his dick in your mouth.
Your hands pause, giving his bulge another soft squeeze before—
“Wait—couch.” He grabs your wrist, stopping your motions. “Let’s do this properly.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah? Better for your neck and knees and all that. Let’s go.”
You roll your eyes but follow as he then drops onto the couch, sprawling like he owns the place—which, technically, he does, but still. His left elbow hooks over the cushion rest lazily, and his knuckles come up to rest against his cheek as he leans into it. 
The picture of nonchalance. 
Except for the way his hips shift slightly, rolling upward in a small, deliberate motion as he spreads his legs wider.
Your eyes narrow. 
That little buck of his hips? The way his thighs stretch out as if to frame you? It’s not subtle. 
Neither is the look he’s giving you now—those half-lidded bedroom eyes that always seem to appear when he’s horny. His lips curve into something smug, and god he’s so obvious it’s almost embarrassing. Like one of those guys in bad romance novels who lounges around shirtless, flexing for no reason except to remind everyone they have abs.
“So?” His voice is low, dragging out the single syllable like a challenge.
You cross your arms tighter over your chest, glaring at him because—what? Is this supposed to be seductive? Is this his idea of foreplay? 
“You’re already making me regret this, you know that?”
He snorts, the sound sharp and amused as he tilts his head slightly. “I don’t know why I doubt that.”
Your only response is a scoff—short and derisive—as you step closer. The floor feels uneven beneath your feet, though you know it isn’t. It’s just your nerves playing tricks on you. 
Because this is real now. This is happening. You’re about to suck cock. Rogue’s cock.
You want this. You do. You’ve been curious about this for longer than you’d care to admit—curious about him, about what he likes and how he reacts and whether he’ll look as smug when he’s falling apart under your mouth. 
But still… You haven’t exactly done this much before.
David—the forgettable high school boyfriend who thought foreplay was optional—had pretty much stuck his dick in you and called it a day. He didn’t even know girls could orgasm until you brought it up once during an argument (and even then, he seemed skeptical). 
Your life hasn't been that tragic since then, thankfully.
A few hookups here and there have shown you that men aren't a total lost cause after all—some of them even know what they're doing! But sucking dick?
That's... different. It's not something you've done often enough to feel confident about it.
Sure, you know the basics—you've read enough spicy books and fanfics to have a decent idea of what works (English majors don't judge; they research). 
But knowing what works in general isn't the same as knowing what Jungkook likes. 
And this is his cock you’re talking about—his stupidly perfect body and his stupidly perfect everything else.
And now here you are, kneeling between Jungkook’s thighs while he looks down at you with that stupid smirk of his.
You glance up at him expectantly, hoping for some kind of cue or instruction or… anything really. Like he always does, talk shit with that big mouth of his. Dirty talk or whatever. 
But all he does is blink at you for a moment before he hooks his thumbs into the waistband of his Sonic pajama pants and starts pulling them down.
His cock springs free, standing there like it owns the place. 
And okay, yeah, you’ve seen it before—plenty of times, actually. 
You’ve had it inside you, for fuck’s sake. 
But this? This is different. This is up close and personal, inches from your face, glossy and flushed and looking way too proud of itself.
Beautiful isn’t the right word. It’s a cock. A literal penis. 
There’s nothing beautiful about it—it’s just a piece of meat, veiny and slightly curved and standing at attention like it’s waiting for applause or something. 
And yet... you can’t look away. 
Why is it so glossy? Is that normal? Does he always look like this when he’s hard? You don’t know why your brain is spiraling into a full-blown analysis of his dick right now, but here you are, mentally beefing with it like it personally insulted you.
Be so fucking for real right now.
And again—there he is. Silent. Watching. Not saying a single goddamn word.
Which is weird because usually, Jungkook doesn’t shut up during sex. He’s all about the dirty talk—filthy little comments that let you know exactly what he likes, what he wants, what he’s thinking. 
But now? Nothing. Just this expectant silence that makes your skin prickle with self-consciousness.
You hate him for it.
Your hand wraps around him before you can overthink it anymore. Because okay, fine—you might not be an expert at this, but you’re not completely clueless either. You’ve sucked cock before (not a lot, but enough to know the basics), and you know how jerking off works. 
So that’s what you do: start slow, your hand moving down his length in a steady stroke.
He hisses softly at the contact, his hips shifting slightly against the couch cushion. When you glance up at him from beneath your lashes, he’s already looking down at you—his lips parted just enough to catch your attention as his tongue darts out to wet them.
And still, he says nothing.
“What?” You grunt the word out before you can stop yourself, frustration bubbling up in your chest.
“Nothing,” he says quickly, too quickly—like he wasn’t expecting you to call him out.
You narrow your eyes at him suspiciously, but his face gives nothing away.
“Okay,” you mutter under your breath, pulling back slightly as doubt creeps in around the edges of your confidence. “I’m doing everything wrong. Forget it.”
You start to stand up—because honestly? 
Fuck this. 
Fuck him and his smug silence and his stupid perfect dick that’s making you second-guess yourself when you were perfectly fine five minutes ago.
But before you can fully retreat, his hand shoots out to grab yours—not rough or demanding, just firm enough to stop you in your tracks.
“Hey,” he says softly, his voice low and almost... gentle? “Hey, no. Don’t do that.”
You stare at him for a moment, then look away because suddenly eye contact feels like too much.
There’s a beat of silence before he swallows audibly, like he’s pondering what to say. 
“Do you want me to…” He hesitates for half a second before continuing, his tone careful but curious. “Verbally tell you what I like?”
You purse your lips tightly, the edges pressing together in a way that’s almost painful. 
Because somehow, saying yes to that—admitting you need him to tell you what to do—feels like losing. And you don’t want to lose. Not here. Not to him. Not when he’s sprawled out like some kind of smug king on the stupid couch, looking at you like he’s waiting for you to figure out how to solve a puzzle he already knows the answer to.
He doesn’t push, though. His hand stays on yours, warm and steady, as you let him pull you gently back down. 
Your knees hit the floor again, and the carpet feels rough against your skin, grounding you in the moment even as your brain screams at you to get it together.
“Okay,” he says after a beat, his voice soft but probing. “What’s up?”
Your eyes snap to his, narrowing slightly at the question. “That’s what I should be asking you.”
He raises an eyebrow at that, clearly unimpressed with your deflection. 
“C’mon. Usually you’re so mouthy. You literally made me beg yesterday just to eat you out. I don’t get this sudden prude thing you’re pulling.”
Damn him. Damn him and his ability to read you so well it feels like he’s got a script for your every thought and reaction.
“I’m not acting prude,” you snap defensively.
“Really?” His lips twitch upward. “Because you’re staring at my cock like you’re mad at it.”
Your jaw tightens as embarrassment flares hot in your chest. 
“I’m not mad at it,” you mutter through gritted teeth.
“Then what’s the problem?” He tilts his head slightly, genuinely curious now. “Tell me.”
You blink at him, caught off guard by how simple he makes it sound—like voicing whatever’s swirling in your head is the easiest thing in the world. Like it’s not tied up in knots of insecurity and doubt and whatever else is making your throat feel tight right now.
Because he’s right. You could just tell him. That would solve everything, wouldn’t it? But somehow, the thought of saying it out loud—of admitting that maybe you’re not as confident about this as you’d like to be—feels like stepping off a cliff without knowing if there’s anything to catch you at the bottom.
Why does it feel like losing? Like humiliation?
His brow furrows slightly when you don’t respond right away, and then he asks—carefully, hesitantly—
“Okay… have you done this before? A blowjob?”
The question makes your stomach flip for reasons you can’t quite explain. Your eyes drop to the floor as heat creeps up your neck and into your face. 
“…Yus,” you mumble under your breath.
“Yus?” He repeats incredulously, leaning forward slightly like he didn’t hear you right.
“Yes,” you say louder this time, still staring at the carpet like it holds all the answers to life’s mysteries.
“But not often,” he guesses—and fuck him for being right again.
Your head snaps up at that, ready to fire off some kind of retort about how that’s none of his business or how he should shut up because clearly he’s not an expert on everything either—but then he laughs.
Out loud.
And it stops you cold.
Because it’s not mean or mocking or anything close to what you expected—it’s just… laughter. Light and genuine and almost disbelieving in a way that makes something inside you loosen just a little bit.
“What?” You demand sharply.
“Oh my god,” he says between chuckles. “Phoenix—is that what this is about? Why didn’t you just tell me?”
You glare at him because what else are you supposed to do? Admit he’s right? Again? Absolutely not.
He notices anyway—of course he does—and his grin softens into something closer to understanding as he leans back against the couch cushions.
“Bro,” he says lightly, shaking his head like this is all so obvious now. “It’s totally chill.”
You scoff quietly, looking off to the side because meeting his eyes feels impossible right now.
“I mean it, you want to try, right? You want to experience it or whatever? Nothing wrong with that.” He pauses for half a second before adding with a small smile: “Let me help you, aight?”
You don’t say yes. Of course you don’t. You never say yes.
You run your tongue across your upper lip instead, slow and lazy like you’re tasting the tension, and shrug—shoulders stiff like maybe it costs you something to agree. 
Which, okay. It kind of does. Dignity’s already dangling by a thread.
But he reads it. Of course he does. Like you’re a fucking cartoon strip and he’s already memorized every panel. 
He just grins—guffaws, really, because apparently this is hilarious to him—and tilts his chin toward his cock like that’s normal. Like this is a fucking TED Talk on Applied Dick Science.
“Spit.”
You blink. “Huh?”
“Spit on it.” 
Like it’s nothing. Like you’re asking him if he wants oat milk in his coffee and not literally hocking a loogie onto his dick.
Your face does something between a grimace and a snort. “What are you, a porn algorithm?”
“Relax. It’s not a kink thing. Just helps with… y’know. Glide.” A shrug. So casual. “Friction’s not your friend, Nix.”
You squint at him. “So now you’re a physics professor.”
“Professor of good head,” he says under his breath, eyes twinkling like he thinks that’s clever.
You exhale slowly through your nose. Not quite a sigh. Just enough to say fine, sure, without actually giving him anything. 
Then your eyes flick down, then back up.
And maybe you don’t mean to hold eye contact for as long as you do, but whatever. Your gaze locks on his, and his mouth hitches slightly at the corner.
One of those small, lazy smirks that says he’s watching everything you do. Which he is.
You drop your eyes again. Shift forward. Palms to thighs. Inhale once through your nose, just to clear whatever mental fog is still clinging.
Then you lower your face toward him, mouth hovering just above the head of his cock.
And okay. It’s a little intense up close like this.
Flushed dark pink at the tip, that little bead of precum catching the light. Skin taut where it stretches up and around the curve. 
And yeah, it’s pretty? Like, stupid pretty. Which only pisses you off more because it’s a dick. You shouldn’t be thinking aesthetic right now. You should be—
He hisses.
Literally just from your breath.
Like, your breath grazes the head and he inhales sharp through his teeth, a low sound punching out of his chest that he probably didn’t mean to make.
Your eyes cut up automatically.
And you absolutely, one hundred percent bite back a smirk. Can feel it twitch at the edge of your mouth, creeping in before you catch it.
He doesn’t say anything, but there’s a flicker of amusement in his face. A slight arch of his brow, a ghost of a grin that says ‘don’t get cocky’, which is rich coming from him.
You don’t let the moment stretch too long.
You glance down once more, tilt your chin forward, and—
Let spit fall from your lips.
Slow and steady.
A warm trail that splatters right onto his cockhead with a soft, wet noise you pretend not to react to. The drool stretches in a thin line as it drops, catching and sticking in places before sliding down the shaft, slick and messy in a way that feels weirdly intimate and way too graphic for how not romantic this is supposed to be.
You hear him exhale again—less sharp this time, more like a breath he didn’t know he was holding—and when you glance back up, your eyes meet his.
Big. Wide. Intentional.
Because yeah, you’ve read enough porn. You know this trick. Know the effect eye contact has. 
Especially from down here. Especially when your lips are half an inch from his dick and your saliva’s still glistening on it.
And okay. Fine. Maybe it’s a little performative. 
But he does it, too. Every goddamn time he’s between your legs, he’s watching you like it’s a sport. 
So maybe it’s not just for you. Maybe it’s projection.
It definitely is.
Because the second your spit hits his cock and your eyes stay locked on his, Jungkook makes this—noise.
Not a grunt. Not a moan. Just this tiny sound, like a choked-up breath dragged out of his throat against his will. The kind of sound you’d miss if you weren’t listening for it. 
But you are. And you do. 
Your fingers wrap around him without thinking. Automatic, almost. Like your hand just knows what to do now. It’s not a tight grip, not at first—just enough to feel the weight of him, hot and heavy and fucking ridiculous in your palm.
You give him one slow pull. A test run. Casual. Clinical.
And his head tips back instantly.
“Ahh—god, yeah,” he groans, voice pitched low and raw like it just escaped him.
You blink. Stare. Something tightens low in your stomach, unexpected.
But before you can fully process the way that noise slithered into your spine and curled up there like it pays rent, he’s looking down again. Immediately. Because apparently the view of your hand jerking him off is not something he’s willing to miss.
His gaze drops to the contact like it’s life or death, pupils blown and mouth slightly parted. He looks wrecked already, and you’ve barely done anything.
Kind of gratifying. Not gonna lie.
So you keep moving. Slow. Measured. A couple more strokes, just to test what rhythm feels natural. Your hand adjusts automatically, finding that friction-slicked spot between too loose and too tight. Thumb brushes the underside near the head, not on purpose, but—
“Yeah,” he breathes. “That’s—”
Pauses. Swallows. Licks his lips like he’s trying not to rush it. 
“That’s good, but… here.”
His voice is soft now, like he’s trying not to scare you off. Like if he speaks too loud you might slap his dick and walk out. 
And then his hand’s there. His actual hand.
The tatted one.
It swallows yours whole like it’s got a god complex. His fingers are longer, rougher, his palm calloused from guitar strings or camera work or something equally shitty—and it lands on top of yours like this is how. Like he can’t not touch. Like the need to guide is stronger than the need to just sit there and enjoy.
And okay, that’s kind of hot.
He doesn’t even do it weird. No pervy whisper, no ‘lemme show you, baby.’
Just—grips your hand, adjusts the angle, and starts moving it the way he would. His pace. His pressure. His exact rhythm.
He’s demonstrating. Demonstrating. The way he does it.
Which—Jesus. Okay. That’s a thing you’re watching now.
You track everything. How he drags you up to the head and tugs just a bit harder when you get there. Not painful, just… firmer. Intentional. Then down again—not all the way, not to the base. Just past halfway. Controlled. Like there’s a limit he doesn’t cross.
You assume it’s a sensitivity thing or maybe it just doesn’t feel good that far down. Maybe it’s one of those ‘my dick isn’t a joystick’ scenarios. 
You don’t know.
But you clock it. Catalog it. 
Mental note: no base. No excessive tug. Got it.
He lets go of your hand after a few strokes, slowly, and leans back just an inch—enough to say ‘your turn’. Still watching, though. Like a perv. Like a mentor.
Like both.
You copy what he showed you. Try to mimic the pressure, the pace, the not-too-tight but not-too-flimsy grip. Try to keep the motion smooth even though your brain’s busy yelling ‘are we seriously learning how he jerks off right now? is this real life?’
Apparently yes. It is. And it’s working.
Because he makes this sound. This little hhuhh in the back of his throat, barely audible but very much real. Not exaggerated. Just… a reaction.
You hold back a grin. Barely.
Pride hits low and hot in your chest like you just got an A on a test you forgot to study for. 
Not because he said something—but because he didn’t. 
That little exhale? That shift in his hips? That subtle fuck, yeah cue without words?
Validation.
Your eyes flick up. You want to see it. Read him.
But he’s not looking at you.
Still staring at your hand. Brows drawn, mouth slack.   
And then—
His front teeth catch his bottom lip. Plush, pink, a little too soft for how filthy he is, and he bites. Not hard. Just enough for it to dimple inward and make something flicker behind his lashes. 
The kind of flicker that screams overthinking, like maybe the feeling’s a little too good, and he’s trying to ground himself with pain or pressure or… whatever the fuck goes on in his chaos brain when he’s like this.
Then comes the sound.
Somewhere between a hiss and a grunt, like his body can’t decide if it wants to breathe through it or fuck into it. 
Rough at the edges, low, weirdly conflicted.
His head dips again.
“Also,” he breathes out, voice crackly and uneven now, “do… do this. Look.”
His hand comes up before you can ask what this is.
Big, again. His palm wraps around yours like he’s your goddamn training wheels. Not even pretending it’s not a tutorial anymore. 
His fingers press lightly into your skin, adjusting your grip—less on the full stroke now and more—
“There,” he mutters, repositioning your thumb, sliding it higher. 
Right to that spot beneath the crown. Soft little groove. Just barely noticeable unless you’re paying attention.
Which, apparently, he really fucking is.
“You feel that?” he says, voice dipping. “Right under. The… fuckin’—yeah, that. That’s the spot.”
You nod a little, but your eyes don’t leave your hand, now with your thumb angled like a pressure point. Like you’re disarming a bomb with one finger.
His voice drops again.
“Okay, now when you stroke—” his hand moves yours with his, slow and controlled, “—pull up like that, and when you hit the top, tighter there—yeah, squeeze just a little—and your thumb… drag it with you.”
He does it again. Once. Then twice. Demonstrating like this is a team sport and you’re in pre-game drills.
That spot.
That frenulum, or whatever the technical term is. 
Doesn’t matter. What matters is how his breath stutters when you pass over it, how his mouth goes a little slack while he watches.
“That’s the shit, Nix,” he says, almost like it’s to himself. Like he’s taking mental notes on his own cock. “That right there.”
Then he lets go again. Fingers slip away from yours, slow. 
And he licks his lips as he leans back into the couch, arm flopping over the top cushion like he’s trying to play it cool again, even though he’s still watching you like a fucking hawk.
So. You try.
You mimic the motion exactly. 
Same rhythm. Same pressure. Same thumb glide up the underside, and—
“Fuck.”
That one’s not breathy. Not soft. Full-bodied groan. Low and honest, punched out of his chest like his lungs just gave up the ghost for a second.
You do it again. And again.
Thumb dragging against that spot every time you pull up. Your grip tightening near the crown, loosening at the glide down.
He melts.
That’s the only word for it. 
His whole body sinks into the cushions like gravity just tripled. Thighs open wider, neck drops back over the edge of the couch, mouth hanging open now like he’s past the point of pretending he’s unaffected.
“Fuck, yeah—that is…” he pants, lips parted, eyes fluttering before he forces them open again, zeroing in on your hand like it’s holy. “That’s fucking perfect, Nix. Jesus Christ, you’ve got magic fingers or some shit.”
Your smirk barely hides itself.
He’s a talker. You knew that. But this? This is next level.
“Fuckin’ knew you’d be good with your hands,” he groans, eyes flicking from your fingers to your face and back down again, tongue dragging across his bottom lip like he’s trying not to say more but can’t help himself. “Just like that, just like that—shit, that’s so fucking good—”
Your thumb twitches tighter without thinking, and his hips flinch.
And it’s so fucking dumb, the way your stomach flips at the reaction. Like you’re the one being touched. Like you got your nerve endings scraped raw by one tiny squeeze.
But there it is—his hips flinching, a twitch so fast you might’ve missed it if you weren’t laser-focused on every damn micro-expression crawling across his face. 
His mouth opens for half a second like he’s gonna say something, maybe crack a joke, maybe tell you to go harder—but then—
He chokes a breath.
Like it gets stuck somewhere between his ribs and throat, all tangled up in want.
It is shaky, and it hitches like it costs him something to let it out. 
Like just existing through this is work.
And you see it—the way his pupils expand even more, ink bleeding into every millimeter of brown. 
He’s not blinking. He’s not moving, not really. Just chest rising and falling way too slow, like he’s afraid any sudden motion might snap this thread thin tension.
You lick your lips before you can stop yourself. Because he’s staring. Still. At your hand, yeah, but also your face now. 
Like watching you react is part of the pleasure. Like your mouth is more interesting than porn.
And okay. Maybe you’re a little into that.
Maybe that’s why your hand tightens again. Just a little. Not even on purpose this time, more like instinct. Your thumb swipes over that spot again, light and smooth and mean, and his chest fucking jerks.
Then—
A noise. Escapes him. Not a groan. Not a moan either. It’s like a stuttered-out puff of sound that crackles in his throat on its way up, all gritty and broken, like it got caught in static.
And right after that, so soft you almost miss it, he says:
“Your mouth.”
You freeze.
Your pulse jumps like you’ve been caught doing something wrong. Even though you haven’t. Not really. Just… hand stuff. Just skin and muscle and spit and heat.
But his voice? It’s not filthy when he says it. It’s awestruck. Like he’s seeing a fucking shooting star. Like it’s something to be whispered.
Your mouth.
It echoes weird in your head. Bounces off all your internal walls.
You blink up at him, eyes dragging from the handjob, and you look at his face.
And the expression there?
Jesus. He looks like he’s praying.
Not to God. Not even to you. To the feeling. To the moment. To the idea of your mouth on him.
And for some reason, your voice is already moving before your brain can catch it. “What do you want from my mouth?”
You don’t say it cute. Don’t coo. You’re not flirting. You’re daring. Like if he says something you don’t like, you’ll bite down instead of suck.
He blinks. Laughs, almost. Not like it’s funny—more like it surprised him. The way you said it. Like you slapped him with your voice.
Then, low and kind of incredulous: “What do you think I want, Nix?”
And he grins when he says it. Real slow. Not smug. Not sleazy. Just… real. Like that’s the stupidest question you’ve ever asked and he’s giving you a minute to catch up. To get there on your own. Like maybe you’re the dumb one for asking when the answer’s right there, hard and twitching and shiny in your grip.
You glance up through your lashes because fuck it, might as well lean into the trope while you’re down here. Might as well make it mean something.
And you swear to god—something inside him glitches.
Like his whole respiratory system shorts out. You hear it, barely—a tiny gulp, some micro sound buried deep in his throat like a trapped hummingbird. 
Fragile and desperate. 
Faint little flutter.
But it’s real.
Like a ‘fuck’ slips out of the space around you. Not even from his mouth. Just—exists.
As if the universe itself groaned.
And you know he felt it too because he looks at you like you just made the sun blink.
His hand lifts again, slow.
Fingers curl gently around your face, brushing the hair out of your eyes—not rough, not fast. Just… precise. Like he needs to see you. Like eye contact is currency and he’s suddenly flat broke.
You don’t move. Just let him. Let his thumb skim your cheek. Let his gaze drag over your face like it’s got weight behind it. Like you’re something he doesn’t want to blink away from.
And then—his voice. Low. Warm. Calm in that way that feels like it’s trying to keep a leash on something unhinged underneath.
“Suckle the crown a bit while you keep your hand moving. Up and down. Not fast, just… keep rhythm.”
You blink. 
That phrasing. 
Suckle.
What the fuck is he, a medieval warlord?
Still.
Your pulse stutters.
Because he says it like he’s thought about this. Like it’s not just a ‘hey, mouth on cock now�� moment, but something he’s imagined. 
Something he’s replayed in his head with specificity.
“Focus on the tip. You don’t gotta go all in yet. Just use your tongue. Like… tease the slit a little. Then suck around it. Not too hard. Gentle. Like you’re figuring it out.”
Your brows twitch up just slightly, but you nod.
Because yeah. Okay. That you can do.
And your hand’s still on him—hasn’t left. Just slick and steady, lazy little drags up and down his shaft with your thumb gliding right under the head like he showed you.
You shift forward. Let your lips ghost over the tip. Let him feel your breath first. Not teasing, not on purpose. Just… checking the temperature.
You feel the tension ripple through his thigh when you finally close your lips over him—soft, just the crown. Mouth warm and wet as it envelops the head, not too much suction yet. Just heat.
And then—yeah. You suckle. Gentle at first. Not a full draw, more of a tug.
His reaction is immediate.
Lips part. Chest jerks up half an inch.
One of those sounds again. Low. Raspy. A curse swallowed before it could hit air.
Your hand doesn’t stop. You keep it moving—slow pumps that glide down, then back up, thumb still catching that spot he likes every time you reach the top.
“Yeah,” he breathes out, voice low and rough around the edges. “That’s it. That’s—fuck—that’s the perfect pressure. Mmhm. Yeah.” 
His words come in stilted bursts, like they’re being dragged out of him against his will. 
“Keep… keep moving your hand while—ughhnn—keep sucking the tip.”
You do as he says because what else are you supposed to do? You’re not about to stop now—not when he’s making noises like that, not when his cock twitches every time your tongue flicks over the slit. 
But there’s this nagging thought in the back of your mind, this tiny voice that won’t shut up: 
Why isn’t he telling you to take the whole thing already?  
Isn’t that what most guys want? The whole deep-throat porn star routine? You’ve read enough smut (done it a couple times too) to know how this is supposed to go—or at least how it usually does. 
But Jungkook? 
He seems… content. Like he’s not in any rush to shove himself down your throat.  
Maybe he doesn’t want to rush it? Or maybe he’s just weird like that?  
Your eyes flick down to your hand. Analyze the movement. The rhythm. The way your fingers wrap around him, snug and slick, dragging up and down with just enough pressure to make him twitch but not enough to push him over. 
You remember how he did it. The angle. The squeeze. The way his thumb skimmed that spot under the head like it was a fucking button.
You mimic it again. Just to see.
And that’s when he exhales. Soft. Controlled. Like he’s trying not to let it out but can’t help himself. 
The sound drips from his lips like water hitting a rooftop—quiet, but sharp. A little hiss of breath that makes your thighs clench.
Then—
“Look at me.”
It’s not a command. Not barked. Just… said. Low and even. Like he’s asking for something simple. Like it’s no big deal.
But you don’t.
You kind of… ignore him. 
Not on purpose, really. 
It’s just—you’re embarrassed now, okay? 
You don’t want to look up and see his smug face while you’ve got his tip in your mouth like some idiot who doesn’t know what she’s doing. So you keep your eyes trained downward, focusing on the task at hand (and mouth).  
“Nix,” he says again, more pointed this time. “C’mon. Eyes up.”  
You want to bite him for that tone alone—like he’s daring you or something—but reluctantly, you glance up through your lashes. More of a glare than anything else because fuck him for making demands right now.  
He huffs out a laugh at your expression, shaking his head slightly like you’re hopeless or something equally annoying. 
“No, not like that. Like… big. Wide.” He pauses for half a second before adding with a grin: “Make your eyes pop.”  
You pull off his cock with an audible pop of its own because what the actual fuck is he talking about now? 
Your brows knit together as you scowl up at him, and he looks back at you with those stupid boba eyes of his—round and inquisitive like he doesn’t realize how ridiculous he sounds right now.
“Make them pop?” you echo, incredulous. “What the fuck does that even mean?”
He looks at you. Blinks once. Then shrugs, like he’s just now realizing how stupid he sounds.
“I don’t know, man. Just—make ‘em all wide and cute.”
You stare.
Then scoff. Loud. Disbelieving.
“You want me to look dumb and innocent while I suck your cock? That’s what you’re into?”
His eyes widen. “No—Jesus, no. Not like that.”
You raise an eyebrow. “Seriously? Because you sound like a creep.”
He groans. “God, you’re always so fucking blabbermouthed.”
“And you’re always so fucking vague,” you shoot back.
He glares at you. “I don’t mean, like—virgin vibes, okay? I mean that look you get. When you’re being a little shit. When you’re pushing buttons and pretending you’re not. That’s what I like.”
You blink. Your mouth opens. Then closes again.
He leans forward slightly, voice dropping. “I want you to suck my fucking cock like it’s all you want, while pretending you’re not sucking my soul through it. That’s what I’m talking about. Not some weird creepy thing.”
“Oh.” 
You blink once before pursing your lips thoughtfully again. 
“…Okay.”
Because okay indeed. You know what he means.
You hate that you know what he means.
He rolls his eyes, but his cock hasn’t softened. If anything, it’s thicker now. Heavier. The head flushed a deeper pink, veins more prominent. Like he gets off on arguing with you. Like this whole back-and-forth is foreplay.
And maybe it is. He’s already said twice he likes it when you’re mouthy.
Is this what he wants? You pretending you don’t know what you’re doing while you absolutely do?
You take a deep breath before shifting forward again—this time making a conscious effort to widen your eyes as much as possible while looking up at him through your lashes.
Big and round and innocent or whatever. Like you have no idea what effect this is having on him—even though the way his breath catches in his throat tells you exactly what kind of power you hold right now.
And yeah… maybe this is what he wants: you, pretending not to know exactly what you're doing while totally knowing anyway.
So that’s what you give him.
Wide eyes locked on his face as your lips part once more—and then slowly close around the head of his cock again.
And then, your hand moves faster.
Not sloppy. Not rushed. Just—more. More pressure, more rhythm, more confidence. Like your body’s finally synced up with his. Like you’ve figured out the exact tempo that makes him twitch and grunt and grip the couch like it’s the only thing keeping him tethered to earth.
And he’s feeling it.
Hard (okay that was kinda funny, don’t deny it). 
You can tell by the way his thighs tense under your palms, muscles flexing every time your fist glides down his shaft and back up again. By the way his abs jump when your thumb flicks under the head. By the way he’s breathing now—through his teeth, through his throat, like he’s trying not to make noise but losing the battle.
You keep your mouth soft around the tip. Suction just enough to make it wet and warm and tight. Tongue moving in slow, deliberate waves underneath—right there, under the crown, where he’s taught you he’s most sensitive. 
And it’s funny, because you can feel it. The way he jerks every time your tongue drags across that spot, the way his cock pulses in your mouth like it’s trying to say yes, that, again, more.
And you don’t stop.
You keep eye contact, too. Big, wide, innocent. Like you’re not doing anything special. Like you’re just here, hanging out, casually ruining his life with your mouth.
He looks down at you, and his face is—fuck.
Wrecked.
Brows scrunched, mouth half open, eyes glassy like he’s buffering. Like his brain’s trying to load the next thought but keeps getting stuck on your lips.
Then he groans.
Low and guttural and sharp, like it got dragged out of his chest with a hook.
“Oh my—fffuckkkk—”
His voice breaks halfway through the word, like his throat just gave up. His hand shoots out, grabbing the back of the couch, knuckles white.
“Fuckin’—god, Nix—”
You swirl your tongue again, slow and mean, and he whines.  Actually whines. Like a kicked puppy. 
“I’m gonna—” he pants, hips twitching up into your fist, “—I’m gonna bust a fat nut, I swear to god—”
You snort around him. Can’t help it. The phrase is so fucking stupid, so him, and so hot in the dumbest possible way.
He hears it. Groans again. Throws his head back against the couch cushion and drags a hand down his face like he’s trying to physically hold himself together.
“Don’t laugh at me, you little—fuck, that tongue—”
You do it again. That wave motion. Just to be a menace. Just to see if he’ll break.
He does.
"Y-you have no idea," he pants, Adam's apple bobbing frantically as he swallows between words. "No fucking clue what you do to me when you—hnngh—when you stare up at me with those goddamn eyes while my cock's in your mouth."
His voice is all over the place now. Cracked. Desperate. Like he's trying to keep it together but you're not giving him a single inch of relief.
"Angel," he breathes, and okay, that’s a first (but at least it’s not ‘baby’, ew?) "You're gonna make me cum so hard. So fucking hard I might black out."
Your tongue flicks again—right against that sensitive bundle—and his whole body jerks like you've touched a live wire.
"Christ,” he hisses through clenched teeth. "I can't—I can't even—"
You keep going.
Hand stroking faster. Tongue teasing. Mouth suctioning just the tip, just the crown, just enough to make him lose his mind.
"Nix," he warns, voice strained and desperate. "I'm right there. Right fucking there. You're about to make me—"
His cock pulses against your tongue, the tip growing impossibly harder, slick and hot and heavy in your mouth as his whole body gets visibly ready to detonate. 
“Nix,” he pants, voice raw and desperate. “Nix, I’m—I can’t—fuck, I’m gonna—”
His breath catches. Swallowed back like it’s too big to spit out. His whole chest stutters with it, like the air’s too thick to pull in, like the pressure’s building faster than he can handle.
“Y’tongue,” he gasps, barely coherent, hips twitching up into your fist. “Stick—god, god god—stick it out f’me. Stick that pretty tongue out f’me, Nix. C’mon—”
You don’t hesitate. You just do it. Mouth popping off the head with a wet little tsk, tongue sliding out slow and flat, glistening with spit and still tinged with the taste of him. 
You hold it there, just like he asked.
And he groans.
“Look at—” he starts, but you’re already there. 
Already staring up at him with those same wide, round eyes he asked for. 
Tongue out, lips parted, face tilted up like you’re waiting for it.
He jerks forward, one hand flying to his cock, wrapping around himself and taking over. 
Fast. 
Rough. 
Desperate. 
Like he’s been holding back too long and now he’s got seconds left before he combusts.
“Yeah—ahhh—shit—ah—ah—fuck—”
And then—he breaks. Makes these little grunting, bitten-off noises—like he’s trying to hold them in but can’t. Like every spasm punches another sound out of him. Cums. Hard.
Hot, thick ropes strip across your face—cheeks, lips, chin. 
Some of it hits your tongue, sticky and salty and obscene. 
It drips down your jaw, slides over your skin in messy, wet streaks, and he’s still going. Still twitching. Still jerking himself through it like he’s trying to drain every last drop.
“Oh my god—” he chokes out, voice cracking. “Oh my fucking god—”
His head tips back, eyes blown wide and mouth slack with disbelief.
“You have the prettiest fucking eyes, Nix.”
And he sounds so, so wrecked while he says it, that you can’t help but believe him.
Like it’s the filthiest thing he’s ever said. Or maybe the most honest. 
You don’t know why your chest twists into knots. 
You don’t know why his eyes, hazed, dizzy, looking down at you is suddenly one of your favorite views. 
But you did it. You excelled at it. 
And Jungkook liked it. 
That’s what matters. 
He gives his cock a few lazy strokes, working the last drops out like he’s wringing water from a sponge, chest rising and falling in slow, heavy breaths.
Your eyes catch on the faint sheen of sweat on his collarbone and the way his lips are parted just enough for his tongue to dart out to wet them.  
“Fuck…” he mutters. “Fucking hell.” 
Another breath, deeper this time, like he’s trying to find his footing again. 
“That was fucking amazing.”  
You smile—small, sly, the kind of smile that doesn’t need to try too hard. 
“That easy, huh?”  
He snorts, running a hand through his hair, pushing it back from where it’s fallen into his eyes. 
“When you’ve got a mouth like yours? Yeah.”  
The compliment shouldn’t make your cheeks warm. It’s just Jungkook being Jungkook, all cockiness and shameless flirting. But still, you feel a flutter of… something. 
Pride, maybe. Or just the lingering high of having him completely at your mercy.
You push yourself up from your knees slowly, legs stiff from being on the tile for too long. There’s a moment where you think he might reach out to steady you—his hand twitches like it’s considering it—but he doesn’t. Just watches as you stand and brush your hands down your thighs like that’ll somehow make this whole thing feel less messy.  
“Gonna clean this mess up,” you say, already turning toward the bathroom before he can respond.  
“Want me to help?” His voice follows you—soft but not hesitant. Like it’s just something he’d offer anyone without thinking twice about it.  
You pause mid-step, glancing over your shoulder at him. 
He’s still seated on the couch, pants and boxers shoved down his hips, shirt rumpled and sticking to his skin in places. He looks ridiculous and hot at the same time—like someone who just got thoroughly wrecked but hasn’t quite figured out how to pull himself back together yet.
And for some reason—maybe because he asked so easily—you feel your throat tighten awkwardly.
“Uh…” You hesitate, fingers brushing against the edge of the doorway as you try to find the right words. “No. No, I’m fine.”  
He doesn’t say anything at first—just purses his lips slightly and nods like he’s accepting your answer even if he doesn’t entirely believe it.  
It should be awkward, but it’s… not. Not entirely. Just unfamiliar. 
New territory you’re not sure how to navigate.
“…But thank you,” you add quickly before darting into the bathroom like a coward.
When was the last time you thanked Jungkook for anything?
You lean against the door for a moment, eyes closed, trying to process what just happened. Not just the blowjob—that part’s easy enough to compartmentalize—but the rest of it. 
Not the banter either, you do that too. 
The almost-friendly moment afterward.
It felt… nice. Easy, even. 
Like maybe being friends with Jungkook wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world.
Maybe that’s why you step out after cleaning your face, instead of hiding in your room like you normally would. 
Maybe that’s why your eyes search for his as you enter the living room.
He’s already sprawled out like nothing happened. One arm stretched across the back cushions, legs spread wide in that annoying way men always seem to take up space. He’s even cracked one of the floor-to-ceiling windows open, letting in a cool breeze that’s slowly clearing out the lingering scent of sex.
Griffin’s curled against his side, purring loudly as Jungkook absently scratches under his chin. The cat gives you a lazy blink when you appear, like he knows exactly what you’ve been doing and is judging you for it.
You clear your throat, crossing your arms over your chest. Your eyes drift to the TV—some car restoration show you don’t recognize playing—before finding their way back to him.
“So,” you start, the word hanging awkwardly in the air between you. “Do you have plans this afternoon?”
He looks up, one eyebrow quirked in mild surprise. “After you get off work, you mean?”
“Yeah.” You shift your weight, suddenly feeling awkward. “I’m done at five.”
Why is this awkward? You just had his dick in your mouth, for fuck’s sake. Asking about his schedule shouldn’t feel more intimate than that. 
“No plans.” His fingers continue their gentle scratching behind Griffin’s ears, the cat purring so loudly you can hear it from where you’re standing. “Why? You offering something better than my thrilling agenda of watching YouTube guitar tutorials and ordering takeout?”
You roll your eyes, but there’s no real annoyance behind it. “There’s this new exhibit at the MoMA I’ve been wanting to check out. Photography thing.” 
You shrug like it doesn’t matter either way. Like you’re not actually inviting him to do something that doesn’t involve getting naked. 
“Thought maybe you’d be into it. Being a film major and all.”
“Phoenix wants to hang out with me? Voluntarily? Without the promise of orgasms? I’m shocked.”
“Forget it,” you mutter, already turning toward your room. “It was just a thought.”
“Hey, no—wait.” He sits up straighter, disturbing Griffin who gives an annoyed meow. “I’m in. The photography exhibit sounds cool.”
You pause, glancing back at him. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.” He nods, and for once, there’s no teasing edge to his voice. “I’ll meet you after work? We could grab dinner after, if you want.”
“Sure.” You try to sound casual, like this isn’t the first time you’ve made actual plans together. “There’s this place in the East Village I’ve been wanting to try. Nothing fancy, just… food.”
“Food is good. I’m a fan of food.” He grins.
“Great. I’ll text you when I’m done.” You head toward your room, needing to get ready for work. 
“Sure, Nix.”
As you close your bedroom door, you can’t help but wonder what the hell you’re doing. This feels suspiciously like the friendship you’ve been so adamantly avoiding. 
But maybe—just maybe—it wouldn’t be the end of the world to actually enjoy his company with your clothes on for once.
Besides, you need to keep him occupied until eight. Yoongi had been very specific about the timing when he texted you this morning about Jungkook’s surprise birthday dinner.
Keep him out until 8. Taehyung and Hobi are setting up. Don’t mention ramen.
And yet, he hasn’t even spoken about his birthday to you. 
What kind of person doesn’t mention their own birthday? 
The same kind who makes protein pancakes and pretends everything’s fine when it’s clearly not, probably.
You check your phone. 9:15. Plenty of time to get ready for work and figure out how to navigate this strange new territory where you and Jungkook do normal people things together. 
Like friends.
The word still feels foreign, uncomfortable. 
But not entirely wrong.
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underscorezoo · 5 months ago
Text
“Easy,” I murmur, “easy.” I show her what a deep breath looks like, trying to steady her growing panic. Her body shakes, her blue eyes wide, sweat glistens across her forehead. I rub my thumb against her knuckles, her hand gripping mine like life depends on it.
“It hurts,” she whimpers, eyes closing with a hard wince. My other hand closes around her jaw and I softly blow hair into her face to cool her down.
“I've got you, darling.”
She shakes her head in refusal, a cry bubbling up her throat, “oh. Oh.”
“Tension isn't helping our baby, please relax.” She gives me a look that makes me want to bury myself alive to recover from it. A hopeless scared gaze that makes me want to claw out my eyes on top of being five feet underground.
“Help me,” she whines, “get him out of me.”
I flash a look at the royal healers around me, their eyes mildly impatient. I give them a cold stern look that has them shifting into action to avoid my ire.
“I'm still convinced it's a little girl,” I smile, brushing her hair that's matted onto her forehead.
“There's nothing little about her then,” she groans and shifts away from me, her body locking up, “no, not again,” she cries and her fingernails dig into me. I have several of these wounds now but I can't even register it with the way I've been watching her so intently.
“Breathe,” I remind her quickly, “breath in and out. Relax your jaw.”
Her teeth are bared to the world, the entirety of her rigid, airless.
“Breathe,” I bark, my worry crawling up my mouth.
She does but the sound that leaves with it is enough to drive me over an edge. My hand leaves her face and falls onto the swell of her stomach, bare to the room, our child begging to escape it. A blanket covers her lower half and I'm tempted to tear it away to see if there is progress. A healer beats me to it, bending my wife’s knee up and opening her legs like a butterfly, blanket falling away.
“That's the sound we were waiting for, your majesty,” the midwife coos gently. “You’re ready to start pushing. It’ll all be over soon.”
Terror strikes me like a hard fist to the jaw and I sit there in stunned silence. My wife on the other hand starts a tantrum, limps a chaos as she tries to leave the bed. None of us expect this but with her so bloated, she barely makes it before I'm holding her still, pinning to the mattress. Her eyes are crazed and dazed with pain and anger.
“I am not pushing,” she hisses at me as if I was the one who suggested it.
“Are you saying that because you're afraid of the pain or because you don't think you can do it?” I challenge, raising an eyebrow. I dare to let my hand travel down between her legs, my fingers breaching the now expanded opening. I almost groan, “darling,” my head slumps towards her with near relief, “you are so close.” I feel the spot of thin hair, the curvature of a baby’s head. Our child.
“Get your fingers out of me,” she groans, whimpering.
“First I've heard that one,” I smirk. She flashes me a warning look that I eat up.
She again seems to be primed with a retort when both hands furiously find the bottom sheet. Giving my hand, wrist, and arm a break from her piercing touch. A terrified little yelp breaks from her mouth and one leg loses grip on the bedding and kicks out.
“Oh please,” she heartbreakingly pleads. So unlike my vicious wife. “Make it stop.”
I instinctively brush my knuckles to her cheek, my other hand resting low on her stomach. “You need to push, darling,” I press on her skin, “and hard. You're going to be just fine if you do that.”
She says something incoherent, a blubbering mess of raw emotion, exhaustion, and pain. Still she does what we all hoped, pushed. Her face tight with determination, chin to her chest, the sound of an animal in full heat coming out of her. She's never looked so beautiful.
“That's it,” I encourage softly and twist, getting a cold cloth for her forehead and neck. She relaxes instantly, tears streaming down her face.
“I can't do this,” she says, voice breaking.
“Of course you can,” I say softly.
She shakes her head in defiance of my words. Head tipping back against the pile of pillows behind her. My wife shrieks, her body shaking violently. “No, please, no,” she begs.
“It comes, your majesty, push,” the healer beckons.
My focus waivers between how vulnerable and how strong my wife is in this moment that I too am breathless for a spell before I am smiling, staring down at the peek of dark hair.
“I see her, darling, push oh please push.” Our ‘please’ is so contrasting that I laugh. She follows my suggestion and cries out again, this time her hand finding my forearm and holding tight. She looks at me, a face full of unabashed fear and loathing, “you did this to me.”
I still can't wipe the joy from my face so my, “I know,” comes out manic.
She whimpers, tears cascading down her face and mingling with sweat. She swears colorfully. That head of dark hair moves forward and now holds her folds open and taut. She's screaming loud enough to break the windows and I'm there, holding her head against mine, getting closer and closer. “Shh, it's almost over, you're doing so well.”
“Small pushes now, blow out, stretch wide,” the healer mimics the breathing she wants to achieve but my wife just lets out the most pathetic of whimpers.
“Hurts,” she mumbles.
“You're amazing. I'm so impressed,” my lips brush into her sweaty hair.
“Don't say that like you're surprised,” she huffs at me.
I chuckle, leaning back to take in her burning blue eyes. “I'm not surprised.”
“Just a few more pushes,” the healer coaxs.
I watch the head pop out with a bit of liquid and a shrill cry from my partner, who now pants wildly, eyes lidded with weariness. “Pull it out,” she demands, narrowing her gaze to menacing.
“You'll push in a minute here,” the healer amends for her.
“Just take it out,” she begs and then groans deeply, eyes closing quickly, “ohhh nooo” I watch in fascination as the baby starts to rotate slowly.
“Hold on, dearie,” the healer tugs the cord up and over our child’s head eliminating a threat against its life already. “Open these legs wider for me, there you go. Push, push, push.”
Thankfully my wife follows her orders. Her face bright red, and voice raising as more and more of the child emerges. Unceremoniously the screaming is replaced by the baby who now flails around in her mother's arms. Her. Our daughter. My wife and I lock eyes, her face split with adorable shock as if she hadn't just gone through all the work to make this happen. I slump towards them both, my adrenaline wearing off and I'm realizing my own hand has left crescent moons into my flesh from concern. I relax my body and take a deep breath.
“Thank gods,” I murmured to no one in particular. I look up timidly to my wife who wipes our baby with a towel and scrunches her entire chin towards her neck to get a better look at the purple screeching face. Our daughter finally has a lapse in annoyance and her eyes open, stormy gray eyes forming a perfect mirror to gaze into. My wife drops back, a lifeless laugh forcing out of her, “all that only for her to look like you.” She sounds both bitter and proud.
I grin, “she will no doubt be a stunner like me then.”
She huffs loudly but matches my smile, content with such a notion.
“The next one will look like you.”
Her jaw drops open. “The next one?!”
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xoxo-sarah · 4 months ago
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A Chance
My Wife part 3
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Part 1 | Part 2
↝pairing: Season1!Daryl Dixon x wife!reader
↝warning: things are rough between Daryl and Reader, death, cursing, arguing, walkers, ect. The usual twd stuff, angst, reader wears Daryl's clothes ( but as a big girl myself, we can just ignore how he's a twig and that's most likely unrealistic 🫡), not proofread
↝⎙ 1.30.25
|| Disclaimer: I do not own Daryl Dixon, or any character from The Walking Dead. I only own y/n and any characters I create with my own brain. ||
Daryl Masterlist | Main Masterlist
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Daylight broke and Andrea hadn't moved.
Daryl grumbled about Amy turning, but you quickly shot him down each time. People grieve in different ways. Andrea knew what she had to do when the time came.
"Y'all can't be serious." Daryl huffed, watching Andrea through squinted eyes, "Let that girl hamstring us? The dead girl's a time-bomb." He seethed.
"Daryl," You glared up at him, rubbing the scratch on your upper arm. "Don't be insensitive."
"We ain't got time for this." He seethed, glaring back at you.
You stood, "She lost her sister, not her smarts. She knows what to do."
He stepped closer, putting his weight on one leg, slightly slouching to be eye level with you. Maybe he was trying to be intimidating, but it didn't work. You had seen the dark, sad parts of him. He will never be able to scare you or berate you with actions or words. "And if she don't?"
"What do you suggest?"Rick questioned Daryl, stopping the oncoming argument.
Daryl stepped closer to Rick, bringing his fingers to his temple, "Take the shot. Clean, in the brain from here. Hell, I can hit a turkey between the eyes from this distance."
"No," Lori spoke up, "For God's sake, let her be."
Dary scoffed before walking off. In turn, you eyed the back of Andrea's head. She knew what she had to do, right? You hoped so.
Pulling your eyes away from her, you looked around at all of the bodies. Most were people who you had just seen, laughing and eating. Others were the dead that had wandered from the city.
Shutting your eyes, your hand automatically went to your wrist, the tightly woven thread helping to ground you. Your fingers traveled down to your left hand, the wedding ring soothing against your fingertips, a contrast to the thick thread of the collar/ bracelet on your wrist.
Daryl looked up as he helped drag a body across the ground. He watched you, watched your movements; a desperate search for comfort.
- time skip -
Daryl stomped away, not understanding why Amy and Jim were not being taken care of. They were "ticking time bombs". They were liabilities. In the new world, there was not time to grieve. Sneering at the thought, he yanked the tent flap back, watching you jump, immediately wiping under your eyes.
His eyes trailed over you in the silence of the moment. You needed comforting. He wanted to comfort you. He really did. But he had a feeling those tears were his doing. He shouldn't have taken his frustration out on you, knowing you had witnessed something horrific.
The tent opening fell down as he walked away.
Your hands instantly went back to your face, muffling the sobs that raked your body.
-
Sweat had mixed with the dirt and grime, caking your skin as you helped bury the bodies. The bright sun beat down, causing you to squint.
Daryl kept an eye on you from a distance. Neither of you had uttered a word to each other since the morning. You were both too stubborn.
Backing his truck up, bodies in the bed of it, Daryl caught sight of you looking up through the side mirrors. Just as quickly, you looked away and got back to digging, ignoring Rick and Shane's argument to your left. Turning the truck off, Daryl jumped out, slamming the door.
He made his way to where you, Rick, and Shane were digging holes for the friends you had light the night prior. "I still think it's a mistake not burning these bodies. It's what we said we'd do, right? Burn 'em all, wasn't that the idea?"
"At first."
Daryl scoffed, "The Chinaman gets all emotional, says it's not the thing to do, we just follow 'em along? These people need to know who the hell's in charge here- what the rules are."
"And who the hell's in charge, Daryl? It sure as hell ain't you."
Daryl scoffed again, watching as you glared at him, waiting for him to reply, from where you had jumped down in a freshly dug hole.
"There are no rules." Rick countered Daryl's statement.
"Well, that's a problem." Lori walked past Daryl's truck, children and their mothers behind her. "We haven't had one moment to hold onto anything of our old selves. We need time to mourn, and we need to bury our dead. It's what people do." With that, she turned and walked away, not caring to hear what anyone thought about that.
-
Feeling disgusting, you had made your way back to the tent. Not having any clothes, you opted for something of Daryl's. His cut shirts weren't ideal, but they were cooling and non-restricting. His old work pants fit loose, but that's not anything string couldn't fix.
Buttoning the second to last button of the dingy shirt, you heard the opening of the tent begin to unzip. You moved to cover yourself, but ultimately relaxed when Daryl stepped in. He looked up, scanning your body before glancing behind himself, making sure nobody had seen you changing from over his shoulder. He zipped the flap back up, before simply standing there. He was slightly hunched over, as were you, thanks to the small tent.
It was silent.
Your fingers went back to the button, as you ignored your husband's presence.
Daryl moved closer, standing behind you. The air around you two changed. His head fell to your shoulder, his own grime mixing with yours. He stayed there, vulnerable. This was his way of apologizing.
Your body relaxed further, sinking back into him. His arms snaked around your middle, holding you close.
"It's okay." You whispered, only loud enough for him to hear, and not to disturb this newfound peaceful atmosphere. He nodded, moving his hands to your hips, turning you around. His fingers made quick work of buttoning the last button for you.
-
The next morning, everyone was getting ready to leave for the C.D.C. Rick was out in the field, talking to a man named Morgan, the guy who had saved Rick’s life. Lori, Carol, and the kids were helping to load everything into cars. You helped Daryl load up his truck. Hopping onto the tailgate, you helped pull Daryl’s bike up, gently laying it on the truck bed.
“Are ya willin’ to put your life in his hands?” Daryl helped you jump down, glancing at Rick in the distance. Daryl was looking to you for answers. You were always the more level-headed of the two. Daryl would follow you into fire, he’d follow you to the end of the world. And you just might be doing that.
“I think you have to hope there’s a safe place out there. If we don’t hope for it, then we won’t get it. Hope is all we’ve got.” You patted his chest, before walking by him. He watched you, before slamming the rusted tailgate closed.
-
The wind blew through your hair, cooling your face. Daryl drove, one hand on the steering wheel, the other near his mouth as he nipped at his fingernails. The leg that was not being used for the gas and brake pedals slightly shook, a trailer to his nerves. You rode in silence.
“”M sorry–‘bout yesterday.” He spoke up first, biting his thumb nail. You turned your head, looking at his side-profile. He didn’t dare to glance at you.
“I know. I am too. We were both on edge; said some things. It’s alright.”
He nodded, pulling his thumb from his mouth. “Ya think Merle’s alright?”
You thought about it. Daryl had told you what they found on the roof and what they had run into.
“I think he’s a tough fucker to kill.” Daryl let out an entertained huff, “He had enough energy to steal the van, so there’s a high chance he’s okay…maybe.”
Daryl let your words marinate. Letting out a deep exhale, he swapped hands on the wheel, placing his right one of your knee. You moved closer to him, placing your hand over his.
-
Guilt was eating at you.
You had all left Jim under a tree. Sure, it was per his request, but that didn’t stop the shame bubbling in your gut. Even miles from where he sat, you had a frown on your face, thinking of him. The turning was inevitable. But the thought of him having to sit there and deal with the feeling of his bones being made of glass, cutting into him with the slightest move, having to deal with that all on his own, hurt you.
Daryl felt the tension in the truck. You sat closer to the door, hands in your lap.
His hand moved toward the radio, before cursing himself. That wouldn’t work in the apocalypse
Grumbling, he leaned over, opening the glove box and blindly digging through. Pulling a cassette tape out, he plucked it into the truck, twisting the volume knob.
It’s what Jim wanted, you kept reminding yourself. But it didn’t make you feel any better about yourself. You just hoped he wasn’t in pain for much longer.
-
Daryl tapped your arm, watching you blink awake. The melody had settled you to a light slumber. Still groggy from sleep, you took in your surroundings. For a moment, you forgot that the world went to shit. The sky was turning a dark orange, sun setting in the distance. But as you sat up in the seat, you could see the bodies on the ground, bugs buzzing above them.
“Wanna get out?” Daryl stared at you as you looked at the huge building through the windshield. Even more bodies laid in front of the building, flies swarming them. Some bodies were mindlessly wandering around.
This was the C.D.C?
Without giving a response, you opened your door, jumping out. Daryl followed, grabbing his crossbow and a shotgun from the floorboard. Walking around the truck, he pressed the gun to your side, getting your attention. You grabbed it and began following everyone to the building.
The stench alone almost had you hurling.
“Alright, everybody,” Shane began whispering, “Keep moving. Go on. Stay quiet. Let’s go.”
The constant buzzing of flies and the horrible smell of decay just might be your own personal hell.
Finally, you were a few feet from the building. Rick and Shane beat on the roll-up doors.
“There’s nobody here.” T-Dog swayed on his feet, turning to look over his shoulder every few seconds.
“Then why are these shutters down?” Rick was holding onto hope; he had to.
“Walkers!” Daryl pulled you by the arm, putting you behind him.
Children screamed, guns cocked, feet shuffled.
“You led us into a graveyard!” Daryl turned, making his way toward Rick. His nostrils flared. Fury behind his eyes.
You stepped in front of him, separating him and what he wanted to do out of anger and frustration.
“He made a call!” Dale interjected.
Daryl rounded you, “It was the wrong damn call!”
Shane stopped Daryl. “Just shut up. You hear me? Shut. Up. Shut up!” He pushed Daryl back, pointing at him.
You quickly walked over, grabbing Daryl’s shoulder before the whole thing could escalate.
Shane turned, walking back to Rick, who still stood at the shutters. “Rick, this is a dead end.”
“Where are we gonna go?” Carol held onto her daughter, but was ignored.
Night was blanketing the sky–fast. You could barely see where the cats were parked from where you stood.
Shane continued, “Do you hear me? No blame.”
Lori acknowledged Carol, “She’s right. We can’t be here, this close to the city after dark.”
“Fort Benning, Rick-still an option.”
“On what?” Andrea stepped forward, glowering. “No food, no fuel. That’s 100 miles.”
“125. I checked the map.” Glenn corrected.
Carl clung to Lori’s legs. She stared at her husband, “Forget Fort Benning! We need answers tonight, now.”
“We’ll think of something.” Rick tried, not meeting his wife’s eyes.
“C’mon!” “Let’s go!” “Let’s get out of here!” Everyone began to make their way back to the vehicles, “Alright, everybody back to the cars. Let’s go, move.”
“The camera– It moved!”
“You imagined it.”
“It. Moved.” Rick didn’t think anything of Dale’s words, walking closer to the camera near the doors. “It moved.”
“Rick, man. It’s an automated device. It’s gears, okay? They’re just winding down. Now come on. Man, just listen to me.” Shane grabbed Rick by his upper arm, trying to drag him away. “Look around this place. It’s dead, okay? It’s. Dead. You need to let it go, Rick!”
Rick pushed Shane off, going to the shutters and beating against them again. He stared up into the camera.
“Rick! There’s nobody here!” Lori yelled.
Rick ignored her, “I know you can hear me!”
Shane began ushering everyone back to the cars. “Everybody get back to the cars, now!”
Rick didn’t budge. “Please, we’re desperate. Please help us.” He begged, “We have women, children, no food, hardly any gas left.”
Lori thrusted Carl onto you, seeing as you were the closest to her, and ran over to Rick. She grabbed him. “Rick-”
“We have nowhere else to go-”
“There’s nobody here.”
Rick continued to pound on the doors.
Carl clung tighter to you.
“Keep your eyes open.” Shane ordered.
“If you don’t let us in, you’re killing us! Please!” Rick yelled at the top of his lungs.
Shane went over, pushing Lori away and grabbing Rick by his shoulders. “Come on, buddy. Let’s go.”
Carl pushed himself closer to you, hearing his father so desperate but to no avail.
Rick fought against getting dragged back, still staring into the camera, “Please help us.”
People shouted. Carl’s tears soaked into your /Daryl’s/ pants.
“You’re killing us! YOU’RE KILLING US!”
Shane shoved Rick away, watching his face crumble.
“You’re killing us.”
Your eyes widened, holding Carl closer, as a bright light nearly blinded you. The shutters opened, rolling up slowly. A hissing echoed. Everyone gawked, not knowing what to do.
“Daryl, you cover the back.” Shane ordered. Carl let go, running to his mother.
You cocked your gun, joining Daryl. He glanced at you, a questioning gaze set on you. You simply blinked at him, in shock.
Everyone walked toward the light, looking around and gawking at the interior. It smelt clean, a contrast to the horrid, rotting smell outside.
“Hello? Hello?!”
“Close those doors.”
“Watch for walkers.”
“Hello?”
A gun cocking had the group readying themselves, wildly looking around for the source.
A man stood in the shadows, gun in hand. “Anybody infected?”
“One of our group was. He didn’t make it.” Rick answered the unknown man.
“Why are you here?” The man stepped forward, “What do you want?” He put the gun down, looking at all of your grime-covered faces.
“A chance.”
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Part 4
•2021-2025 by xoxo-sarah on Tumblr•
•My work is not to be translated, copied, modified, and/or reposted on any other site without my permission. [I do NOT give permission!]
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bucketbueckers · 5 months ago
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I'D RATHER PRETEND
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South Carolina was on an undefeated streak in the 2022-2023 season until Tess Kennedy suffered an ACL tear in the third quarter and Iowa upset South Carolina in the Final Four. The tournament loss combined with the fact she may never get to play basketball again (recovery depending) is enough to send Tess into a deep, weeks-long depression spiral. Tess's alcohol dependence, Twitter brawls, and general out-of-control behavior forces the South Carolina women’s basketball staff and counselors to make changes before Tess loses her basketball scholarship – or worse, herself. It will take months of damage control and image repair along with Tess’s counseling and physical therapy, but what better way to fix her tarnished reputation than to match up two basketball dynasties and make Tess fake date Paige Bueckers? This agreement was supposed to be mutually beneficial, but soon enough, it starts feeling a little too real, and Tess and Paige must figure out if their public images are truly worth these complicated emotions.
MASTERLIST
prologue one two three four five six seven eight nine
extra 1 extra 2 extra 3 extra 4
PLAYLIST
american wedding - frank ocean 'M-R-S dot kennedy, she signed her name in pen'
transform - daniel caesar, charlotte day wilson 'it's never over until life ends'
i'd rather pretend - bryant barnes, d4vd 'tell me, is this real to you?'
dispose of me - omar apollo 'it don't matter if it's 25 days, it was real love'
feel like home - foushee 'let's bite the bullet, fight this war together'
like real people do - hozier 'why were you digging? what did you bury?'
sierra leone - frank ocean 'this shit feelin' different, shit feelin' too good to me'
delicate - taylor swift 'my reputation's never been worse, so you must like me for me'
halley's comet - billie eilish 'silly me to fall in love with you'
nobody gets me - sza 'how am i supposed to let you go? only like myself when i'm with you'
sorry - halsey 'i failed to see it from the start, and tore you open til the end'
peace - taylor swift 'all these people think love's for show, but i would die for you in secret'
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general content warnings: language, injury, mental health, alcohol not really warnings but: angst, trope-typical fake dating miscommunication, tess might be kinda unlikeable for a minute, author makes a mockery of modern medicine, abuse of redshirting rules, time is a concept and i refuse to be restricted by a calendar, journalistic integrity is sacrificed for the greater good
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aceof-stars · 11 months ago
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One thing I love about Miles Edgeworth is how realistic and practical he is, more than he is moralistic. As much as Miles cares about justice and doing what he thinks is right, he’s not fueled by belief the same way, for example, Phoenix is. And this is one of the things I feel like gets ignored or brushed aside when Miles's character is softened too much.
Both pre and post redemption, Miles puts a lot of emphasis on reality and the bottom line of what people can do in a situation.
In Turnabout Goodbyes, the first thing Edgeworth says in response to Phoenix asking him why he became a prosecutor instead of a defense attorney is: "… I couldn't let myself deny reality like you."
He also doesn't truly believe that every defendant he prosecutes is guilty, contrary to popular belief. In Turnabout Sisters, he says this: ""Innocent"…? How can we know that? The guilty will always lie, to avoid being found out. There's no way to tell who is guilty and who is innocent! All that I can hope to do is get every defendant declared "guilty"! So I make that my policy." Miles is disillusioned with finding the truth and trusting people that he settles for doing all he can hope to do.
And when you think about it, his motivation of finding the truth is an extension of his realism. After all, the truth is quite literally the most objective, realistic thing ever. In 1-3, after helping Phoenix convict Dee Vasquez, he says: "Will Powers was innocent. That he should be found so is only natural… not a miracle." The truth as a motivation is probably a grounding force for him.
When Miles comes back in Farewell My Turnabout, he calls out Phoenix's flawed motivations for becoming a defense attorney by offering realism: "We aren't some sort of heroes. We're only human, you and I. You want to "save someone"? That's something easier said than done, wouldn't you say? You are a defense lawyer. You can't run away from that. You can only fight. That's all you can do." Miles isn't saying Phoenix can't "save someone". Miles is saying that Phoenix shouldn't be so focused on saving someone that he forgets that his job as a defense attorney is only to fight for them.
Side note, I love the way Miles comforts people, he isn't exactly "nice" but he's incredibly kind. His blunt honesty digs at the heart of the matter, and he gives them an extra push because he respects them enough.
And then there's, possibly, my favorite Miles Edgeworth line: "It doesn't matter how many underhanded tricks a person uses… The truth will always find a way to make itself known. The only thing we can do is to fight with the knowledge we hold and everything we have. Erasing the paradoxes one by one… It's never easy… We claw and scratch for every inch. But we will always eventually reach that one single truth. This I promise you." This directly parallels the line he says in 1-2, and it makes me emotional every time I think about it.
The fact that Miles Edgeworth never lost his unwavering realism, in both quotes he acknowledges how untrustworthy people can be, but gained a new purpose.
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pirateprincessblog · 1 year ago
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the other man
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𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: READ PART ONE HERE, also not completely proofread because i've been so tired and bloated these days i have no energy :( feel free to message me about mistakes!
𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫.: after finding out you were used by your brother to get rid of someone he simply didn't like, you go on a break. every time you see that place or the man, you get reminded of another one who hugged your legs while on his knees, before he was dragged to his downfall. just why can't you escape it, no matter how hard you try? 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠: song mingi x f!reader, ft yunho 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 8.5k 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: prison theme, criminal!mingi, prisoner!mingi, doctor!reader, evilbrother!yunho 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐬: semi public oral (f!receiving)
𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: gore, v*olence, swearing, stalking, m*rder
𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐫: 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐲.
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"no! no, god, no! please!"
"get off me."
"please, please! yunho, please!"
"get" smack "the fuck" smack "off me!" smack.
you fall on the floor, knees hurting from being dragged across the floor all the way to his office, and cheeks red from all the hitting. you don't let go of his shirt yet, the fabric securely scrunched between your fingers.
"i'll do anything," you wipe your tears with your elbow, "anything!"
"anything?" he raises an eyebrow, lowering his hand that was about to land on you one more time.
a glint of hope appears in your eyes, and you straighten your posture. still on your knees, you put your palms together, ready to beg more. "yes, anything."
yunho is silent for a few moment, looking at you with an unreadable expression. and it kills you, that he can mask emotions so well. he crouches, getting down to your level. he cups your jaw in his big hand, and you suddenly feel shivers running down your spine.
"come with me."
his gentle touch turns into a painful one, his hand moving from your face to your hair in a split second. he drags you across the hallway, into the elevator, and throws you against the mirror wall. you barely have time to reach for the little pole to hold onto, he grabs you by your shoulders and lifts you so that you stand up.
"listen to me."
"please-"
"listen to me!" he grabs your face again, fingers digging into your cheeks and making your lips purse. "you act like a whore, you'll get treated like one. hell, i'll let everyone have their way with you, if that's what you want. but do not interfere with my work. never, ever again."
"but i-"
"have i made myself fucking clear?!"
"yes, yes!"
he finally loosens his grip, making your body slide down the wall and find peace on the floor. he punches the floor number, then leans on the elevator door. you look up at him, disgust and resentment painting your face. you hope the doors open and he falls head first on something sharp.
"don't look at me like that. this isn't my fault."
if only you could say something back, but fear has swallowed you whole. so you stay there, resorting in only sending him glares.
"frankly, it's not mingi's fault either."
"don't say his name, you don't get to-"
"it's your fault."
"it's not."
"oh, but it is. see, i warned you, little sissy. but you just don't know how to listen."
the doors open, luckily for him. you stand up, following him down a poorly lit hallway. you pass multiple metal doors, with a small window on top of each. until you stop by one right at the end. you gasp, then scream, along with the person inside. it echoes through the hallway, bouncing off the walls and torturing you.
"no, no!" you scream, trying to turn around. but yunho holds you still in front of the window, making you watch as mingi gets sat on a chair you thought you'd never see in real life. "god, please, please!"
"i said i'd make you watch."
"mr jeong!"
"watch."
"mr jeong!"
the voice gets closer, and mingi has more belts holding him with each second that passes. one of the guards stands aside, waiting for the final belt to be secured across his chest, before putting a metal electrode cap on his head.
"mr jeong!"
"what, what, what?!" he yells, letting go of you and turning towards the young guard running towards him. "do you wish to fucking join him?! how dare you interrupt-"
"inspection, mr jeong."
yunho takes a step back, breath halting for a moment. your fingers hopelessly scratch at the tiny window, eyes burning with tears as you watch the strapped man stop struggling and accept his fate. he doesn't look at you, but you know he hears you. he grimaces at your wails, avoids your gaze, and silently cries.
"fuck! go back to your position, tell barnes to start protocol b."
"what about protocol a?"
"are they in the building already?"
"yes...?"
"then, it's too late for that. protocol b starts now. block the doors as soon as the execution is done, and get rid of the evidence through the gate f." yunho then grabs you by your elbow, throwing you into the guard. "take her to elijah, let him escort her to my house. no witnesses."
the young guard nods, then guides you away from the doors. yunho opens the door, for a split second letting mingi's pained moans and wails escape the room of torture. it shatters your heart, weakens your knees, and makes you want to vomit right there. the ground sways under your feet as you try to reach the exit, the sign section Z being the last thing you see before collapsing.
when you open your eyes again, it feels like your lungs are on fire. you have been crying in your sleep, dried lines on your cheeks being proof of that. you remember waking up for a few seconds, elijah making you drink a sip of water before helping you into your bed again.
now, it is almost four in the afternoon, and you feel as if you dreamt the whole thing. but when you see elijah's note on the nightstand, you are reminded of the grey reality. the note states that yunho has ordered you lunch, and that it is in the fridge. barefoot, still in yesterday's clothes, you walk downstairs to the kitchen. you open the fridge, finding a plate of steak with grilled asparagus and mashed potatoes, along with a little bottle of orange juice. how kind of him to order you his favorite meal.
you scrunch the paper in your hand, anger making your vision red. you take the plate out, then set it on the kitchen counter. as you cut into it, you realize it is rare, blood dripping from it and soaking the mashed potatoes. it is like irony, red staining the yellow just like mingi's blood stained your dress in the cafeteria. is it some sort of a cruel joke coming from yunho? did he want you to feel sick and not eat? you slam the knife into the steak multiple times, ruining it and sending red drops of liquid everywhere. you slam your fist into the mashed potatoes, then take the asparagus and throw them at the white wall. the juice bottle shares the same fate, the knife piercing through it and letting the yellow juice drip on the marble tiles.
before you know it, the kitchen is coated in the sticky liquid, walls are poked with whatever your hand could grab, and the living room became the new victim. the recently bought leather couches were ripped open, cozy cushions no longer cozy, but only balls of cotton and feathers, and the glass coffee table was only a skeleton now, the glass shattered and digging into the rug.
you sit in the middle of it, pieces of collectible vases, statues and painting surrounding you. the sight is an invitation for yunho to strangle you right then and there. but you don't give him a chance. you gather clothes into your backpack, hygienic things and his spare wallet, then take his most favorite car out of five of them. you don't leave before keying the other four, despite the weird glances your neighbors throw you. you only smile at them, then nod your head as a greeting. they must think you are crazy. you can't wait until they tell yunho on you.
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you have found peace in a cozy little hotel in a town nearby. you don't use his cards, in case he tries to track them down. he has enough cash to keep you there for at least a year. besides, you're already looking for a new job. working in a coffee shop seems promising. the fact that you know nothing but an espresso and hot chocolate doesn't seem to bother the manager. your eagerness to learn is enough for her to consider you a candidate.
if yunho has tried reaching out to you, you don't know. you got rid of your old phone, immediately upgrading to the newest one, with a fresh number. you didn't try finding out about him either. you don't care. you only hope elijah didn't get punished for your actions. after all, he only brought you home.
the hotel room is a bit cozier now that you've added your little decorations. from fake vines and fairy lights you bought from the dollar store, to expensive books and posters you got from the bookstore down the street. it is only temporary, until you decide exactly what you wish to do with your life. you've lived in yunho's shadow, having him decide for you and write out your future without asking you. and you never questioned it, really. did you dislike it at times? yes, you did. did you dare say anything? no, hell no. now that you have freedom, you are lost. yunho was always the one guiding you, and now you were alone.
"you're hired!" you hear the very next day, as you sit drenched in nervous sweat.
you breathe out, relief washing over your body. finally, a start. the first paycheck has you almost crying. people really live like this? the second one isn't a complete shock like the first one, but it could be better. by the third one, you have already accepted that you cannot live lavishly anymore. so you stop visiting the bookstore, stop buying pastries after your shift, and start cooking yourself. you didn't know it would be this hard. but it is too late to back down now. there is no way you're going back to yunho, not if you want to live.
"hey, can you help me out? it's like everyone made a decision to sit in my section today!"
your coworker is drowning in tickets, loose strands of hair falling out of her once perfect bun, and her apron is already smudged. you nod, hurriedly running over to the tables that have just sat down, again, in her section. your section is quiet, mainly because the sun is hitting it and it is way too hot to sit there.
three tables are done, and you have only one left. the man sits alone, typing something on his laptop. hopefully he didn't notice how long he had to wait. you finally approach it, eyes not leaving your notepad. "i am so sorry for the wait, we didn't expect the rush so early."
"no worries, i understand."
time stops around you, only the two of you stuck in a bubble. your fingers hold the notepad, losing colour in the tips from how hard you're gripping it. you gulp, audibly, before lowering the pad and locking eyes with brown ones. you almost run, seeing the bone chilling smile on his face.
"yunho." you gasp, fear swallowing you whole.
"iced americano, please."
you clear you throat, and finally write it down. "right. anything else?"
"no, that would be all." he goes back to typing on his laptop.
you are scared to pass by him, but remember that you are in a crowded space. he wouldn't do anything here, would he?
"oh, right."
"y-yes?" you turn around.
"a pistachio doughnut to go."
"right away."
shakily, you prepare the order. even the manager gives you a side eye, not used to that behaviour. but she doesn't say anything, assuming that you are just tired since it's almost the end of your morning shift.
"hey, could you please give this to table-"
"oh my god, i'm so sorry, but i can't. i have like four tables waiting for me, and i still haven't brought out that cookie for table six."
worth a try. you approach the table in the corner, trying to sneak a glance at the laptop screen. but yunho slams it just in time, depriving you of nosiness. you set the cup on the table, along with the paper bag with the doughnut in it.
"thank you." he says, handing you a big bill. "keep the change."
"uh, this is too much-"
"it's fine. you look like you need it."
with that, he sends you another smile and stands up, and if you didn't know him, you'd think it's genuine. but you know it's dripping with venom, and if you were alone with him somewhere, he would snatch you in a split second and have you in that very chair you keep having nightmares about.
"have a good day, miss...?"
"edwards."
"right, miss edwards."
you watch in terror as he exits the shop, not sparing you another glance. fifteen minutes ago, you just couldn't wait for the end of your shift. now? you're dreading it. up until the moment you hang the apron in your locker and gather your things, your hands don't stop shaking. not even when you exit the shop, head frantically turning in search of two brown eyes. walking to the hotel, you have time to think. he hasn't changed much, except a healed scar line near his eye. you wonder what happened. you wonder if the inspection managed to find anything. you hope they did. in revenge for mingi.
"good day, miss edwards." the receptionist greets, a smile always on her face.
"good day, rita."
"ah, that visitor of yours is so cute. is he single?"
you turn abruptly, head almost turning like an owl. "what visitor?"
"oh, the cute one! brown hair, brown eyes, very tall? he was so nice to me, even gave me a tip."
your legs have never been faster, bringing you into your room in under a minute. you barge in, like you were expecting to find your partner with a lover. you drop your work bag on the floor, approaching the unmade bed that you distinctly remember making. there is muddy footsteps all over the floor, and a familiar paper bag on the nightstand. you leave the door open, just in case, before approaching the bed. you take the paper bag in your shaky hands, eyes skimming over the written note on it.
for miss edwards, from her dear brother. miss you. x
the door slams shut, and you jump. the bag drops on the floor, and you squeal, turning around. but nobody is in the room. once you make sure you really are alone, you open the bag. you find the very doughnut you packed. you plop on the bed, scanning the food. it does look like originally packed one, so you bite into it, thinking about your next move. you can't stay here, now that he knows where you are. just how did he find you, anyway?
you take another bite, but this time your teeth stumble upon something hard. you let go after struggling, realizing it is not bits of pistachios, but something more dense. your eyes drop on the pastry, and when you can't decipher what it is, you pull it out, only to throw it on the floor with a scream. it is a chopped off finger, the small fix on tattoo on it very familiar to you. you gasp, hand flying to your mouth to stop a sob from escaping. how cruel, sick and twisted does someone's brain have to be to think of and pull something like this?
not even a week after the incident, you receive a call from your work that a costumer keeps leaving tips for you even when you're not here. the description fits yunho, but you haven't seen him at all. he knows that his name alone is enough to terrify you. this is worse than what you initially thought he'd do if he found you. it is slow torture, and you can't escape it.
you ask for a break, knowing damn well that you are safer there than you are in the hotel. but you keep messing up people's orders, spilling their drinks, and there's always missing cash from the register. your manager almost squealed with joy when you asked her for a few days off. you use the time to start thinking about alternatives. do you move towns again? do you go back to him? do you call police?
all three seem stupid and useless. for now, you'll focus on eating healthy and having some self care days. one thing is clear, if jeong yunho has made it his goal to harm you, he will do it; one way or another. he might be delaying it, toying with the prey before killing it.
you don't go back to work for another week, desperately searching for a way out. but you are bombed with random flowers, presents, and similar things waiting for you when you come back from your daily run. it has become a habit, for you to enter the room and immediately toss the unwanted gift into the hallway. you keep the severed finger in a tissue on the nightstand, each night patting it sleepily and saying good night in your head. crazy, but it is the only part of him you have left. and it makes you feel a little more at ease now that you know he is resting, not in pain. and at least you get to have proper sleep, since yunho never seems to disturb you during the night.
but universe loves to prove you wrong, because you get awoken by the door opening. you sit up straight, still halfway asleep. the person in your room halts, flowers secure in their hand and a hood over their head. you barely have time to react, because the person is quick to put a hand over your mouth. you don't see the face, from the dark and the hood, but you recognize that touch and smell anywhere.
"hush, doctor."
tears roll down your cheeks, horror and relief fighting for dominance in your body. you feel four fingers over your lips, the pinky missing. the very pinky you have in the tissue, now drained of colour.
"it's just me," he whispers, taking the hood off with his free hand. he still holds the flowers, not letting go yet.
you are overwhelmed by emotions. from relief, to fear, to sadness. you jump into his arms, without thinking. but there isn't much to think about. you only need to look into his eyes, to know that you are safe.
"mingi," you finally exhale, head buried into his neck.
"my doctor," he coos, hand rubbing your back as you cry into his hoodie, "my pretty little doctor."
now, you are confused. if mingi is holding the flowers, does it mean he was the one entering the room and leaving you presents? what about the doughnut and the finger? did they run into each other? do they work together now? what if there is a bigger story behind all of this?
"i can hear you thinking, doll."
"i'm sorry, i just-" you sob mid sentence, "i just don't know-" hiccup, "what's going on?"
"come on, lay down with me."
mingi sets the flowers right next to the scrunched tissue, then lays down and opens his arms for you. hesitantly, you lay on his chest, allowing him to wrap his warm arms around your shivering body.
"it is too much for you to handle, i know. you saw me on my death chair, and now i'm here. how about we go to sleep, and i'll tell you all in the morning?"
"no, i can't."
mingi nods, understandingly. "then, i better get to explaining.
when you fainted, yunho was called over, and it was too late for the execution. apparently, they never do it without him. sick bastard likes to watch. so, once again, i was saved by you, unknowingly."
you scoff through tears, hitting his chest gently. "right."
"i managed to fight them off and escape, and yunho had no time to deal with me because he had the inspection at his throat. he found me a little later, tried to kill me, but i managed to flee again. i cut him pretty bad, don't know if you've noticed. i was pretty proud of myself for that."
"near the eye?"
"bingo. glad to know that he has a reminder of me on his stupid face now. just like i have one." he looks down on his injured hand.
"were you the one leaving the presents for me all this time?"
"all this time? how long are we talking?"
"weeks."
mingi stills underneath you. so it isn't him. you let out a shaky breath, trying to stay sane.
"yunho found me."
"oh."
"he gave me your finger."
"he what?!" he sits up straight, visibly distraught. "he fucking what?!"
silently, you reach for the tissue, handing it to him. he takes one glance at it, then at his hand. his expression is unreadable, something between hatred and disappointment. you've never seen him like that.
"he has been terrorizing me since he found me, leaving me creepy presents and stalking me. i don't know what to do."
the man sighs, also thinking. "we could run away."
"where?"
"anywhere. just you and i. to start fresh."
"but you're an escaped convict."
you regret saying that, seeing a hurtful expression on his face. "i was wrongfully imprisoned."
are you finally getting his story from a first hand source? is this the right time to be excited about it? "why? didn't you kill your sister's boyfriend?"
"he deserved it. he was hitting and raping her."
"you aren't the one to decide who gets to live or die."
"and your brother is?"
you move away from him, jaw dropped. "he is not my brother, and you know that."
"you know what? you're the same as him. only using people when you see benefit in them." he spits, getting up from the bed and taking the flowers back.
"how dare you?!"
"watch your tone." his voice is no longer warm and cozy, but cold and stern. he looks at you with ice cold eyes, his posture different. "do not yell at me again, i am warning you now."
"what the hell is wrong with you? it's like you're an entirely different man-"
"i am. i am a free man. away from wrongful convictions, away from the abuse. i am a different, better man."
he steps closer to you, causing you to step back. your back hits the door, hand desperately searching for the door knob. he stops in front of you, mere inches away.
"but you don't want that, do you? you want the vulnerable mingi, the mingi that kneels in front of you and begs for your affection. guess what? things are different now."
this is what yunho was warning you about. and you see it just now. mingi is a criminal. a prisoner. an escaped one now. oh, how you would love for yunho to barge in and save you. but you fucked it up. you had it good, and you didn't even know it.
"that bastard deserved to get his head blown up, and i won't hesitate to do the same to the person that continues terrorizing you. you're mine, you said so yourself."
"i- i thought that was only-"
"what? dirty talk? no, no, my sweet little doctor. you are mine, and mine only." he takes your jaw into his hand, thumb caressing your tear stained cheek. "nobody can have you. nobody but me."
his other hand reaches behind your back, finding the doorknob for you. but instead of opening it, he locks it, then puts the hand on your waist.
"mine." he growls, before pressing his lips against yours.
it doesn't feel right. he is rough, not loving and warm at all. but you go with it, not having any other option available. he doesn't fight you on it, seeing that you aren't as enthusiastic as him. he pulls away, finger still cupping your face.
"come, you need some sleep."
and you listen. you go back to bed, getting into his embrace once again. only this time, it isn't anything like the first time. you fall asleep, scared to death, knowing that you now have two men who are a great danger to you. lovely.
in the morning, you are awakened by kisses on your neck. you rub your eyes, adjusting to the lighting.
"morning, darling."
"morning," you mumble, stretching.
you look down at the man, expecting to find the same possessive and cold gaze from last night. but his eyes are back to soft, and his tone is caring. what in the world?
"sleep well? i hope i didn't kick in my sleep. i tend to do that, since i'm used to sleeping alone and had barnes as my roomie."
"uh, no..." you say, puzzled. does he not remember what happened last night? or does he choose to ignore it?
"i ordered us breakfast. hope you're in the mood for waffles."
"mingi-"
"here," he adjusts your pillow against the bed frame so you can sit up straight, "i'll bring it to you."
you think this is a joke. a trap. is this the calm before the storm? if yes, how do you escape it? seeing mingi set the wooden tray on your lap so carelessly, as if you didn't fall asleep last night startled to death, makes you wonder if you should give yunho a call. would he even take you after the stunt you pulled? you eye the waffles, topped with various berries and honey. a glass of cranberry juice sits in the corner, as inviting as ever. but you don't touch it. you're too busy calculating in your head, even mingi notices your hesitation.
"what? want me to feed you?" the man in front of you jokes, popping a blueberry in his mouth.
when he sees your further lack of reaction and only your focused face, his smile drops. you gulp, hoping that last night won't happen again.
"i get it, i'm acting too normal for the situation we are in. but that's sometimes my only way out; to act like everything is fine. but everything can be fine, if you would just come with me."
"where would we even go?" you dare ask.
"anywhere you want." he replies, reaching for the knife and making you jolt. if he notices, he doesn't react. instead, he plays with it while thinking of his next words. your eyes follow as the tip of his finger runs down the sharp edge, as if determining whether it's sharp enough to use it. "just name it."
"with what money?"
"we'll figure it out. from the looks of it, you aren't doing too bad. i'm guessing you treated yourself with yunho's possessions?"
"you think nobody will recognize you?" you push. "you think yunho hasn't already sent out your photos and-"
"what the fuck is wrong with you all of a sudden?!" mingi roars, flipping the tray of food over and spilling the cranberry juice all over the white sheets. you shriek, then cover your ears as your body drowns into the mattress and beneath the covers. "answer me, dammit!"
his hand grips your wrists, pulling your hands away from your ears so he can yell at you more. you can only close your eyes, in hopes of making him disappear just for a split second.
"i came here knowing the risks, i'm offering to protect you from your awful brother, and i want to love you!"
"mingi please-" you beg through sobs, hands desperately trying to find their place back on your ears.
"why won't you let me love you?!" he then grabs you by your shoulders, shaking you. "answer me!"
the door swings open, hitting the wall with force and shaking your recently decorated shelves. books fall on the ground, but jeong yunho couldn't care less. he steps over them, grabbing mingi and landing a punch on his face. mingi stumbles, but regains his stability and wastes no time in giving yunho a taste of his own medicine. their faces soon match the colour of the spilled juice on the sheets, both of them wiping red trails from their lips and noses.
"get away from her." yunho demands, not having to raise his voice in order to make himself look intimidating. his calm expression as blood runs down his chin and onto his white shirt is scary enough. "now."
"i'm not letting her go back with you. not in that shithole."
"and i'm not letting her go with you."
you sit still on the bed, not moving a muscle and afraid to breathe. both of them look at you at the same time, causing you to squeal and jump out of the bed, legs carrying you to the door. yunho grabs you before mingi can, and for the first time in a while, you feel safe in his hands. you waste no time in wrapping your arms around his waist, burying your soaked face into his ruined shirt.
"i think it's pretty clear where she wants to be." yunho spits, protectively putting a hand on the back of your head and using the other one to push you further against him. "leave now, and i will leave you alone. you won't hear from me ever again. from either of us."
"no. i don't trust you one bit. doll, come back to me." mingi calls, putting his hand out for you to take.
you only glance at him, still in yunho's embrace and eyes full of tears. you shake your head, causing his face to drop. he frowns, then straightens his posture. something snaps inside of him, you see it. and you are grateful to have someone here, otherwise who knows what might've happened. something similar to the previous night, only worse?
"very well. that might be the stupidest decision you've made in your life."
with that, he passes by you, hitting yunho's shoulder in the process and causing you to jolt. but yunho doesn't budge. instead, he waits for the other man to leave before finally pulling away from you. you are overwhelmed by the situation, sobs finally leaving your mouth loud and clear as you try to process what just happened within a day.
"look at me," yunho says, voice soothing. "you're okay. he can't hurt you anymore."
when you only respond with a new fit of sniffs and sobs, he sighs and pulls you into a hug again.
"it's my fault."
"huh?"
"back in the elevator. it's not your fault. it's mine for keeping him alive."
"don't say that."
"you can't possibly- after what he's done to you? you still protect him?" the dark haired man scoffs in disbelief.
"no, i just- i don't like hearing you speak that way. can i just- have a day of not hearing anything about dying or living?"
yunho nods understandingly. "what do you want to do now?"
"what do you mean?" you ask, busying yourself by collecting the ruined sheets and avoiding his gaze.
"do you wish to come back and continue living with me?"
you halt your movements, trying to figure out if he is genuine or not. your eyes find his, and you try to read them as best as you can. but yunho maintains his poker face, causing you to step back.
"no prison, no anything. you can find a different job, i'll help you." he offers, seeing you put your walls up again.
"really?" you ask, not yet convinced.
"really. it's the least i can do." he looks down on the floor, admiring his shoes. "after everything i did to you."
you truly hope he is genuine. if not, well, there's nothing much you can do about it.
"okay."
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the house looks the same as before your little renovating process. same pillows, same coffee table, same wallpapers. you forget how filthy rich he is. in contrast, your room was left untouched. messy, just how you left it when packing hurriedly. yunho didn't ask for his wallet or car back. he let you keep it all, even brought you job applications from nearby coffee shops on his way back from work.
"would you like to open your own?" he asks one morning, casually eating his cereal.
"what?!" you shout, causing him to flinch. "sorry, i just- what?"
"your own coffee shop. do you want it?"
"i'm not sure i'm ready for that. it's a lot of responsibility. besides, you'd buy it for me just like that?"
"yes. why not?"
you think about it, comfortable silence enveloping the two of you. you hear light crunching coming from his side of the table, the spoon gently grazing the bowl and milk dripping into it. it is the calmest morning you've had with him, and you can't help but feel grateful. you watch as he eats, wearing a simple nike set and fuzzy slippers you bought him when you were still a teen. he looks so... normal. like he doesn't torture people for fun during his working hours. like he didn't aim a lamp at your head and serve you a human finger. like he is your normal brother and this is a perfectly normal setting.
"what's on your mind?" he interrupts your thinking. "mingi?"
"yeah," you admit. "it's so weird. he was so nice in the cell, and when he came to my room... he was nice, then mean, then nice again. i'm confused."
he finishes his cereal, then brings the bowl to his lips and slurps the remaining milk. you roll your eyes, seeing the liquid drip down his chin and onto the table.
"yunho-" you cringe, watching him wipe it with his sleeve.
"i'll clean it up." he waves his hand, then reaches for paper towels to wipe his creation. "you were saying?"
"right," you clear your throat, gaze dropping on your own empty plate. "it's just- his behaviour is weird. he is so nice and loving, and the next second he is yelling at me and grabbing me like that. i've read his file, doesn't say anything about it. i've looked after him in his cell for months, he never had a rage fit. he never showed a hint of anger, let alone tried to do something to me."
yunho sighs. you look at him, eyes squinted. there's something he isn't telling you.
"yunho?"
"he has a personality disorder."
"what? why isn't that written anywhere? why didn't doctor maslow tell me?"
"listen, we made a deal, didn't we? me telling you this is my own free will, and i will tell you as much as i want."
you remember the deal, the one you've made the day you came back to the house again. if you're not going to work at the prison anymore, you don't get to interfere or ask him about it. and you accepted, gladly. you don't want to be connected with that place in any way.
"he has a personality disorder, i didn't inform you for my own private reasons. but since you came along and decided to help him, he was different. no more rage fits, even barnes was getting irritated because he had no reason to beat him."
but he still did, you want to say. and yunho knows, because he chuckles at your disgusted face.
"at first, he didn't remember the incident at his house. he was completely numb when we managed to enter the house, and was very much confused during the interrogation. even we were lost, because he was genuinely trying to help us figure out what happened. and then, when he heard a guard making a comment about his sister, we all figured it out. mingi jumped on him, bit his ear off, and that explained to us what's going on."
"oh."
"and that also explains what happened at the cafeteria, and why he was talking about protecting you. he was reliving the same story, and he couldn't contain himself."
you sit in silence, memories flooding back in. the prisoner with his throat bitten off, yunho holding mingi down, your dress soaking up the blood from the floor, all while mingi looks at you and doesn't fight back, only makes sure that you are okay.
"that's..." you huff, overwhelmed with the information you just found out, "...quite messed up. all of it."
"i know."
"if you see him again, will you bring him back?"
"no." he simply says, and with that, takes the bowl to the sink and approaches you. he plants a kiss on your head, something he hasn't done in... ever. "don't you worry about those things anymore. open a coffee shop, find a cute nerd and get married already."
"already? i am only-" you hit his shoulder, and he ruffles your hair.
"yeah, yeah. i'm leaving! don't wait for me, i won't be back until late tonight."
"yunho?" you call, voice small.
"yes?" he doesn't turn around, busy discarding his fuzzy slippers and putting his sneakers on.
"am i supposed to forget the lamp and finger incident?"
he halts his moves for a second, but pretends to be unbothered. you manage to see a frown on his face, no matter how much he tries to hide it. "that's behind us."
"i'll forever remember it." you admit.
"okay."
and with a door slam, he leaves you alone in the house. okay. it's not okay. not one bit. that part of this whole situation is still not resolved, and it is bugging you. will he do it again? is that why he isn't acknowledging it? you sigh, then make your way to bed. you rot in there all day, doing nothing but eating sweets and drinking cans of soda, your favorite show rolling on the wall tv. as the sun goes down, your eyes grow tired and irritated, and no matter how hard you try to stay awake, your body gives up.
you wake up in the middle of the night, drenched in cold sweat. you keep dreaming of cells and mingi's screams, and it doesn't help that yunho isn't home most of the nights. everything is scarier when it's dark and yunho isn't here. especially tonight, when you reach for the bottle of water on your night stand and instead touch something soft. you turn your head, sleepily rubbing your eyes before taking a good look at the item.
a bouquet of tulips, with a note attached.
your heart stops, head frantically turning in search for a familiar figure hidden in the room. the window is wide open, a sign that you aren't or weren't alone. with shaky fingers, you reach for the note, using your phone light to read it.
𝒊 𝒂𝒎 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕, 𝒅𝒐𝒄. 𝒈𝒐𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒅𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘? 𝒊'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒃𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚.
𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚, 𝒎𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒊.
you rip the note in tiny bits, then throw it in the trash and mask it with spare junk around the house. yunho can't see that. especially because you really plan on going.
fixing your favorite dress, taking your pepper spray just in case, and putting your newest sandals on, you make your way to the city library. you quietly walk among the shelves, like you once used to walk among the restricted sections. you pick a few books along the way, to look less suspicious. your heart pounds inside your chest, threatening to jump out. one part of you hopes he isn't here. you're not sure if you're ready for that encounter. the other part is getting disappointed with each section you pass, his figure not appearing yet.
you didn't quite think this through. frankly, you never do recently. how do you approach him? what do you say? what do you do?
you reach the end of the maze of shelves, letting out a disappointed, yet relieved huff. now what? the back of the note said ten in the morning, and it is now almost eleven. turning on your heel, your gaze remains on the random books you've picked.
"princess?"
you stop, head raising to find the source of the voice. song mingi stands in front of you, hands in his pockets and a hood over his head. words are lost in your throat, struggling to come together and leave your mouth. you step back, unsure of what to do. mingi steps towards you, and you continue like that, until your back hits the wall covered in shelves and massive history books.
"say something."
you fail to, only gulping and staring at him instead. his hands cup your face, thumbs caressing your cheeks as his eyes scan your features.
"please." he whispers.
"hi." you say, stupidly.
he chuckles, then presses his lips on yours. it doesn't feel wrong this time. it feels familiar, and sweeter than ever. he plants small kisses all over your face, from your cheeks, to your forehead, and then on your neck.
"mingi-" you stop him, dropping the books on the floor and putting your hands on his chest.
"i've missed you. please."
"you wanted to meet so you can fuck me?" you ask, disbelief evident on your face.
he pulls away immediately, but his hands stay on your face. "no, of course not. i wanted to talk to you, but now that i see you... i remember how much i miss you."
"this was a bad idea. i have to go."
you try pushing him away, but he grabs you by your waist and pushes you against the shelves. he drops down on his knees, hands sliding down your clothed hips and down to the bottom of your dress. you shiver as his cold hands touch your bare legs under the dress.
"mingi..." you say again, each time less convincingly.
"just... ten minutes. give me ten minutes."
his fingers find the outline of your panties, and you don't protest. remembering the last time his hands were all over you, you give yourself to him. his head disappears under your dress, hot breath caressing your clothed clit. he licks a strip over the panties, causing you to squirm. his grip on your legs hardens, spreading them in the process and making you stay still. your hand grips his hair as soon as he pulls your panties aside, hot tongue teasing the tip of your clit.
you shudder, body getting used to the foreign feeling of pleasure. mingi devours you like a starved man, sucking on your clit, licking up and down your folds, and teasing your entrance.
"you taste as sweet as you look." he pulls away just to say that, then wastes no time in picking your body off the floor and putting your legs over his shoulders.
you gasp, losing control of your body. "what if someone- ah! sees?"
"let them."
his fingers find comfort in your tight walls, scissoring and stretching you. the noises alone make you even wetter than you already are, mingi's hums combined with the slurping and squelching making you dizzy with pleasure. a knot forms at the bottom of your stomach, his fingers toying with your sensitive buttons and helping you reach the peak.
he doesn't silence you, instead, lets you moan his name as you grind your hips against him, riding out the last bits of orgasm. he licks up the remaining liquid, before putting your panties back in place and setting you down on the ground.
he finally takes his hood off, and all the pleasure and bliss you were feeling up until now disappear. his face is more wounded than ever, purple and red spots scattered on it.
"what the hell happened?!"
"yunho's men found me last night after i left your house. tried to kill me. again."
"oh my god," you put a hand over your mouth, not believing your ears. who do you even trust at this point?
"run away with me, doctor. please."
"i- i don't know." you avoid his gaze, looking at the long forgotten books on the floor.
"nobody will ever love you like i do. nobody knows you like i do. so please. make this easy for both of us and come with me."
you want to. you really do. but yunho-
"yunho is a bad man. i know he's your brother, but he is a monster. maybe you don't know, or maybe you do, but i wasn't the only one who had to endure that torture. countless of us, but only i found a way out. well, the way out found me. you found me."
you never thought about it. you only ever saw and heard of mingi, but who knows how many of them there were.
"how about this? i'll take you to my house, and while i finish some business, you can think about it. if you really don't want it, leave while i'm gone, and i'll never look for you again. however, if you do want it, there's spare clothes and a suitcase. you know what to do. that sound good?"
you nod, grateful that he is giving you time to think. he plants a kiss on your forehead, then takes your hand and leads you out of the library. you don't question where he got a car from, you like peace(lol). the house is almost an hour drive away from the library, and soon enough, you realize that it is the very same house you saw in the files back in prison. you walk the same path yunho has probably walked, only unarmed and with the person he came for.
the inside of it is mostly empty, besides a sofa in the living room and empty kitchen cabinets. there's multiple packets of cereal on the counter, and two or three unwashed bowls in the sink. is that what he has been eating since he got out?
he notices you staring at the place, a question mark almost visible above your head. "neighbors raided the house as soon as they moved out."
you hum, not sure what to say. he offers you a can of coke, which you politely take, but don't open yet. he sighs, seeing your hesitation.
"i'll be leaving now. feel free to explore, i have nothing to hide."
that was a lie, because as soon as you see him disappear down the street, you raid the house. everything seems normal, except a picture frame on the wall. you tilt it, noticing that it hangs weird. and indeed, you find something he is hiding. a hole in the wall, with a few weapons and bullets, stacks of money and jewelry. above it, a picture of you and your brother, with a knife stabbed into his face. you immediately figure out just what kind of business mingi has to finish.
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yunho closes the door to your room, sighing. you texted him this morning, saying that you were meeting up with a friend. but you are not back yet, and his calls aren't reaching you. he has sent both barnes and elijah to look for you for almost an hour now, but all he has is we are close to her, sir.
he walks into his bathroom, ruffling his hair. his light blue silk sleepwear is suddenly uncomfortable, knowing that you are somewhere out there this late. he wishes you could only send him a message that you are fine. he wouldn't demand that you come back immediately, you are an adult. just to let him know that you are okay.
the man splashes his face with cold water, grief eating him inside out. every time he closes his eyes, he sees yours full of fear looking at him. as soon as you come back, he'll apologize. for everything. he will admit that he doesn't know why he did what he did. the power must've consumed him, he can't find any other reason.
he opens his eyes, looking at his drenched face and eyebags. he hasn't slept well in ages, but he is so close to it. little by little, he is working on making the prison what you wanted it to be; a place of rehabilitation, not torture and punishment. he sighs, reaching for the towel and burying his face into it. the scent of the fabric softener calms him, along with the soft texture of the towel. folding it neatly and setting it down, he glances at himself one more time. a hooded figure stares back at him, right behind him.
"FUCK!"
yunho jumps, hand grabbing the first thing he could. he shudders, for the first time ever in front of someone, when he sees the gun pointed at him in contrast to the electric toothbrush in his hand. he gulps, then glances at the open door. he runs into the dark room, hand reaching for the drawer where he keeps his weapon. but no matter how much yunho tugs, it stays shut. that bastard.
the other man catches yunho off guard, turning him around and hitting him with the weapon. yunho stumbles back, nose and teeth in incredible pain.
"fucking hell, i thought i killed you!" yunho says, spitting blood on the floor.
the hooded man in front of him only smiles, still holding the gun up. he tilts his head, somewhat creepily, sending yunho shivers up his spine. he takes a step back, realizing just how unsafe he is in his own home.
"third time's the charm, right? you failed the first two, even when you had the upper hand. now that we are even..." the hooded man tosses a spare gun on the floor, then kicks it yunho's way, "...let me see you. do your own damn dirty business."
"where is she?"
"safe from you."
"where the fuck is my sister?!"
"TAKE THE DAMN GUN AND FIGHT LIKE A MAN." mingi booms, having enough of the man in front of him.
yunho takes it, wasting no time in pointing the gun at mingi, finger hesitating to pull the trigger. mingi only laughs, not showing fear at all. yunho steps back, as if that's going to save him. he only hopes that you didn't willingly go with mingi. that no matter how bad it sounds, you went against your own will. he would be very disappointed if the first thing is true.
"pull the trigger, yunho."
something is not right.
"go on, that's what you wanted."
he is too calm.
"think about your little sister."
no, not you. he can't die and leave you behind.
"pull the damn trigger, jeong yunho!"
and yunho does, except, no bullet comes out. the weapon only clicks, and yunho barely has time to think of his next step when he hears a gunshot. he doesn't feel pain. he only feels weak, body threatening to fall. is this what it feels like to die? you don't feel anything? you just get dizzy and fall asleep?
"doc-" mingi gasps, and yunho finally looks at him. "what have you done?"
his eyes fall on your figure at the door. you hold a gun in your hand, shaking. mingi falls on the ground, and you run to yunho, handing him the weapon.
"i'm sorry, i'm so sorry," you sob, hiding behind your brother.
"it's okay," yunho says, shielding you from mingi.
he doesn't really have to, because mingi coughs on the ground, blood spilling from his mouth and down his chin. why, he repeats, eyes piercing yours. you want to help him, even though you brought him to that state. but yunho stops you, keeping your body behind him as he points the loaded gun at the wounded man.
he doesn't need to shoot again. mingi lets out a final cough, hand slipping from his wounded chest and on the floor. his head falls to the side, eyes still locked on you, lifeless. you sob, loud. you now have someone's blood on your hands. not just anyone's, but blood of the man who your promised to heal. instead, you killed him. but it was either him or yunho, and you didn't have much choice. keeping both alive was impossible, and you didn't want to lose yunho. not your only family. family that is finally starting to feel like one.
yunho drops the gun on the floor, turning to hug you. you wail into his chest, fingers gripping the silk and tears wetting it. he hushes you, hand rubbing your back as he shields you from the unpleasant sight.
"it's finally over. you're safe now."
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taglist: *i tagged everyone who wanted a part two, if you want me to remove you, please dm me :)
@mingitheii @biancaness @dionysushyung @pearltinyy @jeon-ify @staytiny23 @vantediary @mingiswifeyyyy @aricebxmb @jadenance @seoft-for-seo @sunrins @mimisamisasa @nini4m @kyolovescats
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cosmicalily · 1 month ago
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'bending to your heart' ot8 skz headcanons by @cosmicalily | skz as segments from my poetry
"a souvenir i gave to everyone i love, the walls of my heart are like museum corridors, the love that i gave you was art in my form" - 'marble arch' by erin lecount
author's note: my poetry is something i've been curating and writing for a long time, primarily as an emotional outlet and a secondary artform. these are segments from pieces in one of my collections titled 'asap* (*as softly as possible)' which i'm hoping to publish at some point in the near future as a physical book! ALSO TUMBLR IS FUCKING WITH THE FORMATTING AND MAKING SOME LETTERS BIGGER AND IM GONNA CRASH OUT AND CRY warnings: angst (discussions of mental health issues, primarily anxiety and depression)
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chris as . . . 'medicine'
Even though they weren’t my problems, You became my problem, my scar to heal. Your prescription has ended, my love. You’ve been hurting me without noticing, Without meaning to. I’ve grown scared of you. I will miss you, although you may not miss me. But I look forward to relief.
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minho as . . . 'tsuki (my moon)'
I can’t ever touch the moon With bare fingertips, But it’s always there, watching me. When the sun sets, I search for you. At night, I feel more fragile, More anxious, But your presence comforts me, From a huge distance away.
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changbin as . . . 'bear'
Please don’t put on your armour, Tense your fists, Walk away. You’re still so soft, So loving. Do not let the people And things that hurt you Turn you into someone Who hurts others.
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hyunjin as . . . 'starfish'
Oh, my love, You’re the brightest clementine on my tree. A little further back than the rest, But I’ll drag over a chair, Climb a branch, Dig through the velvety leaves just to find you. My starfish, You carry so much peace. As I sit by your side briefly, my head on your shoulder, I remind myself how much I treasure you.
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jisung as . . . 'to float with my stars'
For whilst a night sky is beautiful, You can never count all the stars and You can never be certain of The multitudes it contains, Of what it has experienced, Of what colours it may explode into, When least provoked and When least wanted.
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felix as . . . 'a thousand paper bows'
Delicate, yet so strong when knotted tight. Known for its flexibility, but not its permanence. Unlike ribbon, paper can tear. Paper does not fray the way a straight-cut ribbon does; But tiny rips can build, And a small tug or twist can undo everything. These tears cannot be fixed invisibly; A piece of clear tape is subtle, but still noticeable. Glue will dry with a residue; or dampen the paper.
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seungmin as . . . 'the bus stop'
Subconsciously, I still wait for you, Even though you have long passed. I left the house too late, Spent too long tying my shoelaces, But you also came too early, And didn’t slow down when I ran, Chasing you. I’ll sit here for a while, Maybe pause every time I pass this bus stop, Just in case you come past again, Just in case this time is right.
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jeongin as . . . 'chuu (kiss my cheek)'
But thank you for building my house, For decorating my home. For creating the blueprint that I added to, Allowing me to make this space my own. Thank you for the shelves to store my trinkets, For the cherry trees in my garden, For the hugs you give me in the kitchen, When the day hasn’t been as kind to me The way you always are.
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taglist: @hyunjiiza @velvetmoonlght @s3ungm1nxxl0ve @btch8008s @heartsbyani @ellemir2404 @bellarellasstuff @starsinagreenskyxx @ashtxrie @pigeonseatmayo @modesttiger @woozarts @zelinkcrossing @urlocalmultigroupfan @shuuporanglinos @lezleeferguson-120 @r1nstaaa @bibibahngg @jessxxxfwd @koiiqqqq - comment, dm or send an ask to be added :)
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wisteria-blooms · 3 months ago
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sunburns & dragons (charlie weasley & reader) (13/15)
CHAPTER DIRECTORY
TAGLIST AT BOTTOM! PLEASE LET ME KNOW IF I MISSED ADDING YOU TO THE TAGLIST. A/N: Thank you guys for your patience and kind words. I've been in a writing slump that's for sure, so this was hard to write and tbh, I'm happy with it. BUT, there will be smut next chapter (it is extremely conducive to the plot... I say to convince myself).
CHAPTER 12: Your time with Charlie at Hogwarts ends with a moment of reckoning. And a chance to do it all again. (5.2k words)
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CHAPTER 13: LASTING IMPRESSIONS
You’d never believed in parallel universes until now. The seismic shift in your belief system was caused by the version of Charlie who’d returned after his call. He was a sunny day shattered by sudden thunderstorms, and you were the one caught in the crosshairs of the storm. Yes, this was what it felt like. 
You gazed at him nervously as you sat in the Great Hall in anticipation for dinner. He remained silent, arms crossed, slouching back on the chair, and barely looking at you. His usual penchant for filling the empty air with conversation had disappeared faster than a cloaked thief in the darkness. 
“Are you alright?” you asked him after five minutes of unbearable silence. “Charlie?”
“Of course, (Y/N),” Charlie responded. He was physically here, the timbre of his voice still rich but his words felt hollow somehow. 
“You’ve been unusually quiet.”
“Oh?” A surprised look graced his face. “Have I?”
You nodded slowly, eyes narrowing at him because he was either lying or just oblivious to his own emotions.
“Well.” Charlie pushed against the long table with his palms. “I suppose I’m just pondering tomorrow’s examination.”
“What of it?”
He adjusted his collar. “I’m feeling a bit nervous.”
“I don’t believe for a second something like that could make you nervous.”
“It’s my first time getting involved in something like this,” he explained with a faint smile. “Loads to be nervous about. Has to go well.”
You flinched. “Right.”
Though you believed absolutely nothing he was saying, you didn’t press him further. If anything, you were going to say something stupid and ruin the rest of this trip. Dejected, you slumped back into your own chair, your own mood significantly dampened. Whatever was bothering him was bothering you now, too. 
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The rest of the night persisted in the same manner. Charlie spoke only when necessary and very sparsely. He showered and then settled on the opposite side of the couch. You watched him through brief, pinholed glances as he sat writing something. Your book rested on your lap with its pages barely turned because you were so fixated on him. You were just a twitch away from trying to perform Legilimens on him. He never looked so guarded and you wanted nothing but to dig into that pretty head of his. Dammit! What could possibly he be worrying about?
You bit down on your lip to swallow the urge to call out his name. Charlie’s hand swiftly tied up the parchment before he pushed himself off the couch. You quickly turned away and pretended to read. Page five. Yep, that was where a whole twenty minutes got you. Your hands clenched the top of your book, nearly crinkling the pages, as you watched him strut to the window. He handed his letter to an owl and exhaled deeply in the cold air.
Whatever was bothering him, you really wished he’d consider you privy to it.
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It wasn’t the sound of an alarm clock or a running shower that roused you the next morning. Instead, it was Charlie’s voice layered over a crackling fireplace.  Where was he? Cautiously, your right hand crawled over to his side of the bed. It was cold meaning he’d been up for a while now. After a few more moments, your brain finally caught on to the fact he was having a conversation with someone. 
“...No, it’ll be fine,” Charlie said. “You’ve never disappointed me before.” He chuckled. “As long as it works out next week. No idea how I’m going to convince her again. But don’t worry about it. I’ll talk to you later.”
The familiar whoosh of the fireplace that signalled the end of the conversation prompted you to resume what you hoped was a convincing slumber. Charlie then began walking. Your breath hitched when you realized his trajectory was back towards the bed. Shit.
“Hey, (Y/N), time to wake up,” Charlie sang. “We’ve got an exam to run.”
You pretended to open your eyes. “Right,” you murmured. “Good morning to you, too.”
“How are you feeling?” Charlie asked. You saw him smile through half-lidded eyes. “Ready to take on the day?”
How did you feel? Was he serious? You felt like total shit. Like you hadn’t spent all of last night stringing theories like a madman about why Charlie was upset, but you weren’t ready to play conspiracy theorist to his face. “Like I don’t want to get up.”
Charlie laughed. “I know.” The bed dipped when he suddenly dropped his weight on it. You bounced up slightly, jolting awake. He slipped one of his hands under the covers. “I really didn’t want to get up either. It looked cold out there, and you were so warm here.”
Without a warning, he tossed the covers off. The cold air iced your skin immediately which caused your mood to foul. “Ugh,” you let out an exasperated sound, “ I wish we could stay here all day.”
“We? Here?” Charlie tilted his head down, eyes looking up at you suspiciously with a stupid, teasing grin on his face. “We could make that happen if there weren’t an exam in the way.”
“I mean, I wish I could—” Your words tumbled in all the wrong directions. You prayed the red wasn’t visible on your cheeks. “How long have you been awake?” you asked in a desperate attempt to redirect the conversation. 
Charlie pulled his mouth side to side, thinking, blue eyes staring at the ceiling. “Two hours or so, maybe longer.”
“I assume you didn’t get much sleep.”
“No, I didn’t.” Charlie creased his eyes, accentuating his undereye area. “I missed out on some serious beauty sleep. But regardless, we’ve got an exam to run, so”— he took hold of your wrists and pulled your body up in one smooth motion, letting your face get dangerously close to his —“let’s get to it.”
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“It should be decently easy, this whole thing,” Charlie assured as he opened the door to the examination room for you, revealing perfectly-arranged rows of tables. “Now, let’s go over some ground rules.”
As you listened attentively to his instructions, there was one thing that stood out to you: Charlie was in much better spirits this morning. Did it have anything to do with his conversation he had before you’d woken? You replayed the words in your head. 
“You’ve never disappointed me before.”
“As long as it works out next week.”
“No idea how I’m going to convince her again.”
What did any of that mean? What was happening next week? And who was he talking to and whom about? 
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”This is (Y/N) Malfoy. She will be invigilating your examination,” Charlie explained when his students filtered in. You waved with a slight smile. One girl turned back to whisper to her friend. Charlie sat atop the table, the soles of his shoes flush the floor. “I’ve made the rules very clear last week, so don’t even attempt any funny business. (Y/N) had a large part in the products sold in my brothers’ shop in Diagon Alley. I’ve told you about them—troublemakers through and through.” The class laughed. “If you require proof, her name is embossed on the back of the Skiving Snackbox.” His last line, again, elicited a chorus of laughter.
“Is that true?” a boy with glasses quipped from his seat.
“It is,” you answered with a nod. Your head caught halfway, wondering if you should’ve clarified that you were friends. You hadn’t spoken to Fred or George in weeks. Your name might not even be on the box when these kids get there for the holidays. 
“And there’s a celebratory Quidditch game after, or you can do some time trials with Madame Hooch if you prefer,” Charlie announced. “I’ll see you all on the field later.” He held up a hand to signal his goodbye. Before he left, he placed a hand on the small of your back and whispered in your ear, “You got this, (Y/N).” 
His actions drew some obvious ire and fresh curiosity from some of his students. “I’ll see you down at the field after. You remember what to do with the papers, right?”
“Of course. Thank you, Charlie.” You straightened your back and tried to maintain your composure. When Charlie left, you commanded the attention of the class. Respect was earned, not asked for. “You have an hour starting now. I will remind you of the time in 15-minute intervals.”
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The hour ended without a hitch. Relieved, you collected each and every exam paper and dismissed the students. They ran out in celebration—guess the exam went well. Out of curiosity, you flipped through one just to see what kind of questions Charlie was going to torture his students with. The amount of passion he had for beasts, you had to imagine he was going down to the nitty-gritty. 
To your surprise, even you knew most of the answers. How curious of him indeed. 
You stored the papers in a protected compartment and triple-checked the enchantments. When all your tasks were done, you slipped your coat on and made your way down to the field. 
There was indeed a series of Quidditch games taking place on the field. It was mainly supervised by Madame Hooch and loosely by Charlie who was either chatting with her or a student. At this moment, he was listening attentively to what a female student in sport robes was telling—or complaining, it sounded—to him. Awkwardly, you shuffled towards the stands, ensuring you were well behind Charlie. As much as you enjoyed the insinuation of being Charlie’s something, you had to take a literal step back. Trying to understand Charlie’s intentions was like saving yourself from quicksand. There was no use in fighting for it—you just had to lay back and hope to make it out alive. 
By this point, Charlie had concluded his conversation with the student and turned back to Madame Hooch. 
“You had a rare talent in Quidditch,” Madame Hooch complimented, her voice carrying over the loud cheers. Probably a much needed habit of hers. “I still haven’t seen anything like it since you left.”
Charlie shrugged. The sight of his large shoulders made your knees weak. Good thing you were already seated. “I don’t know, Bill was pretty good.”
“Bill was good, but not as good as you.”
Charlie laughed. “Finally, something I’m better at.”
”Is it true that he’s a father now?” Madame Hooch asked. 
”Word travels fast, doesn’t it?”
”I heard it in the faculty room. We remember his wife from the Triwizard Tournament, of course.” Then, Madame Hooch paused. Your breathing paused with her. “Sincerely, I would delay my own retirement if it meant teaching your children. Of course, if that’s in the cards.”
“Mhm,” Charlie vocalized, followed by a long silence that killed you. “I wouldn’t bet on it, Madame Hooch.”
“Really?” she laughed, her arms still tightly crossed against her chest and eyes on the field. “You were always… well, I always thought it’d be that Evangeline girl. You were prone to flying off somewhere after class. Seemed like you liked her the best out of all of them.”
“I’m embarrassed you still remember it like it was yesterday.”
Your chest tightened and your hands clenched inside your mittens, your fingernails digging crescents into your palm. 
“Of course I would,” Madame Hooch responded. “I was the poor faculty member on the broom trying to reel you back to the school grounds. You got as far as Feldcroft that day.”
The cold air that had built up in your lungs became impossible to push out, leaving your insides feeling bitter and frigid. This was your punishment for your indulgence, of listening to a conversation that wasn’t yours to engage with. You shut your eyes and tried not to let your brain get the best of you. 
“You look a little old to be here.”
You quickly turned to your right. A young girl with large, round glasses and a book tucked under her right arm sat beside you, half-heartedly looking at the pitch. Her curly brown hair poked out violently from under her hood. 
You smiled. “I suppose I am.”
“You’d look a little better if you turned your frown upside down. That’s what my parents always tell me.”
You softened your features. “Better?”
“Yes.” Then, she squinted at you. “Were you our invigilator today?”
“I was.”
“I thought you looked familiar. My name’s Lucinda, by the way. But you can call me Lucy.”
“Nice to meet you, Lucy. I’m (Y/N).” When Lucy showed no signs of going back to her book, you deduced she wanted a friend to talk to. So, you shifted your knees towards her. “How are you finding the class so far?”
She perked up at your interest. “Well, I don’t even like magical beasts, but I took the class to get out of my comfort zone. My parents say that it’s important to do that sometimes. I was expecting to hate it but it turns out that Mr. Weasley is a pretty decent teacher, one of the best, really. So, I was happy with my decision.”
You thought back to his no-frills exam. “He is, isn’t he?”
She furrowed her brows, confusion wrinkling her young flesh. “Well, out of everyone here, you should know. Aren’t you his wife?”
“What—” You almost choked. You squeezed your eyes shut for a second, resisting the urge to squeeze your temples. “No, but that seems to be a common misunderstanding.”
Lucy sighed. “I have to tell Clarissa to stop spreading rumours again. She's always wrong. But you can convince anyone of anything if you sound confident enough.” An adorably smug smile lit up her face. “I could tell she was wrong right away.”
“How so?”
“He’s not wearing a ring. And neither are you.”
You looked down at your hands. Though gloved, there was no bulge of metal poking out. “That’s very astute of you.”
“So I’ve been told. And speaking of observations, here’s another one I made. I told Clarrisa on our first day of class that I reckoned Mr. Weasley didn’t really want to be here. It seemed that we both shared fake enthusiasm for this class. She didn’t agree, but I’m pretty good at seeing through people. And I'd rather just say what's on my mind and not worry about what other people think. If they disagree, maybe they weren't my friend in the first place.”
“Is that so?” You urged her to go on, but in your heart, you knew she was wrong. She wasn’t the one who’d seen Charlie when he first returned to England in September three months ago. He had been there, right in front of you, exuberant and all engines on. 
”Yeah, but over time, he seemed to genuinely enjoy being in the classroom. As did I.”
”Why do you think that is?” you laughed. 
“Who knows.” Lucy shuffled back and forth in her seat. “I just know I wouldn’t want Mr. Weasley’s real job. It seems so terrible and dangerous.”
“Where do you want to work?” you asked.
“With the Ministry like my parents. At a desk where it’s safe. I don’t want any of those near-death experiences Mr. Weasley’s described to us. ‘Oh, that dragon was going to take off my head this time, I was sure of it, but I walked away with a slight scratch.’ Do you reckon he wears a four-leaf clover around his neck? Clarissa and Niamh think it’s so brave and cool, but I think it’s reckless.”
“I work at the Ministry,” you offered. “But sitting at a desk all day is not what’s cracked up to be.” You stretched your legs out. “Sometimes, I reckon I’m going to get a clot from how much I sit.”
Lucy grimaced. “Gross.” Then, she pushed up her glasses with her pointer finger. “But I’m sure it’ll suit me fine.”
Just then, the final whistle pierced the air, putting an end to the festivities. 
“Well,” Lucy said, dusting off her skirt. “I guess that’s it for me. Nice to meet you, (Y/N). I like having someone to talk to, especially someone older.”
“I enjoyed it, so thank you.” Maybe Lucy was right. It was nice to talk to someone to get your mind off Charlie. 
“Bye then!” 
You watched her run off towards two girls who’d just stepped out from the field. “Lucy, where’d you go?” one asked. You were close enough to hear the first part of Lucy’s brave retort: “I was seeking the truth, Clarissa. In which case, you’ll be disappointed to know…”
The snow crunched rhythmically behind you. Someone was approaching and now hovering over you.
“I’ve been looking for you. Were you making friends with my student?” Charlie asked. The delectable, deep notes of his voice tickled your ears. 
“I did,” you affirmed, turning around and trying to hold it together. “Lucy is very bright and precocious.”
“She is,” Charlie agreed. “For someone who bluntly admitted they weren’t going to take the class after this year, she sure did well on the practicum.”
“I got that feeling myself.”
“You know, she reminds me of you.”
“Really?” you questioned. “Because she took this elective against her will? She seems to be having a much better go at this than me.”
“No, but—” Charlie slipped his hands in his pockets. “As you said, she’s very smart, very outspoken and amusingly truthful.” He inhaled sharply before screeching: “Mr. Weasley, you know I really admire you, but I hate purple toads! Why would you do this to me? It’s my birthday this week!” 
“Is that what you think of me?” you asked. “That’s… sweet of you.”
Charlie leaned in closer. “On second thought, I don’t know much about truthful. You always look like you’re hiding something.” His blue eyes latched onto yours. “Are you?”
Hand on his chest, you pushed him back slightly. “Don’t be silly. I’m an open book.”
“If you had anything to say, you’d just tell me?”
“Of course I would. Would you?”
“I couldn’t imagine a moment where I wouldn’t be speaking my mind.”
“You know what they say, Charlie,” you started, eyes narrowing playfully. “Every accusation is a confession.”
“Who taught you that? Your dad’s barrister?” 
You groaned which caused Charlie to laugh. “You’d have to pay me to stand in the same room during that conversation,” you said. “I’m falling asleep just thinking about it.” 
Charlie outstretched his arms. “Fall away, (Y/N). I’m right here.”
You contemplated your next step. Fuck it, you could be a damsel in distress for once in your life. You dramatically placed the back of your hand on your forehead and stumbled towards him. The cold air that was situated in your lungs finally escaped when you laughed. How quickly it disappeared. You felt warmer, lighter now that Charlie was back to his normal self. 
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“Did you have a good time?” Charlie asked. 
Two days had passed in the blink of an eye. You and Charlie were back on the train, in the same compartment that had brought you here. 
“I did.”
“Much better than being in your stuffy cubicle at the  Ministry?” Charlie asked earnestly.
You tapped your shoe on the floor and waffled on your answer. “I suppose it’s nice. I actually get to stand, get some fresh air, and feel a sense of adventure. I told Lucy that I was going to get a clot from working at the Ministry. She recoiled.”
“We have very different thresholds for excitement, it seems.”
“So how do you feel about it?” you queried with a smile. “Being here and not in Romania?”
Charlie stretched his arms over his head, almost grazing the shelving. If he was putting on a display of muscle for you, then you were absolutely falling for it. “If I’m being honest with you, it’s refreshing. I feel very well-rested. You forget how much of a toll handling dragons takes on you physically. But to be clear, I still prefer my job in Romania.” He flexed his bicep (just for you?). “Though I reckon I’ve lost a lot of muscle just sitting around all day with mum feeding me.”
You shook your head. “It doesn’t look like it to me.”
“Ah, so my suspicions were correct,” Charlie beamed. “You have been ogling me.”
“What?” You leaned forward quickly. “This was just a general observation. I was being nice—!” 
Charlie glanced at his arm. A crooked smile spread across his face. For a brief moment, you imagined straddling his lap again. The seat’s headrest is a headboard, his sweater is nothing, and the metallic walls of the train are the soft curtains of a four-poster. This mantra was such a dangerous rhetoric and you just might never view a train seat the same way again. “(Y/N), you know you can just ask to touch me. I would say yes.”
His words stirred temptation but you need to prove your resilience. You instead let out a scoff. “For what reason? “
“You just look like you really want to.”
“Keep dreaming, Charlie.”
“Hey, if you want to keep spending time with me, come back with me next Friday,” he suggested. 
You thought about the amassed pile of paperwork burying Angus. “I can’t take every single week off,” you countered. “My coworker would die a slow death without me.”
Charlie twisted his mouth to one side. “I’ll make you an offer: come back just one last time before I head back to Romania, and you’ll never have to see the damned school again.” 
You blinked at him. “Won’t…all the students be gone next week?”
“They’ll be leaving when we get there, yeah.”
Your heart rate picked up. You’d be lying if you said you weren’t excited at the prospect of spending more alone time with Charlie, especially the part where you just had to sleep in the same bed as him. The horror. “So what will we be… doing?”
“Whatever you want,” he said. He grinned when he realised he’d caught you off-guard. “But in all seriousness, grading the exams, clearing out my office and classroom, and keeping me company while I complete my administrative work before I get back to Romania.”
Your excitement was quashed by the mention of Romania. You had blissfully forgotten that he was returning after Christmas. 
“Think about it, okay?” Charlie suggested. His tone was gentle, almost pleading in nature despite giving you the illusion of choice. “Anyway, Mum asked us to come over. Says she’s got a beef stew on the pot.”
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So, it was decided. You’d head to Molly’s before settling back in at the apartment. In the end, you decided to take Charlie up on his offer of dinner. The reminder of his being gone by the end of month stressed that you needed a smidgeon of time more with him to ascertain how you felt about him. As Charlie opened the door for you, you wondered if it was futile either way. He clearly preferred being in Romania than in England and would go back regardless. There was no way he’d change his life trajectory because you fancied him. 
You passed by Percy on the couch. The glasses on his face moved every time he scrunched his nose over some unsettling news in the Daily Prophet.
“Hey Perce,” Charlie greeted, patting his shoulder. 
“Hello Charlie,” Percy responded without much of a glance upwards. “(Y/N).”
“Hello, Percy,” you responded rather quietly. 
Charlie led you into the kitchen. There, Bill was leaning against the wall and talking quietly with his mother. Your eyes widened at the sight of the room. Molly’s kitchen had lost its domestic charm and was now a war-time assembly line. There were pounds of carrots and potatoes on the cutting board, on the stove, and baby bottles and caps strewn near the sink. The amount of stew on the stove could feed Charlie’s extended family… and yours, too.  
“Hey Charlie, (Y/N)!” Bill bounced off the wall. “How was Hogwarts? How’d the exams go?”
“Wonderful,” you said. “I was a bit nervous at first, but I’m happy it went well.”
Charlie’s hand found your shoulder. “(Y/N) was the perfect invigilator.”
Bill smiled at Charlie, his eyes quietly communicating something you couldn’t decipher. “Anything interesting happen?” Bill was now looking expectantly at you, the curve of his mouth urging a response. What did he want to hear? You looked back at Charlie for clues, but face revealed nothing. He was as still as a statue.  
You were grateful it wasn’t entirely silent. Molly was working away in the background, the clash of metal on metal giving you something else to focus on. 
“I.. managed to tame a flobberworm?” you responded. 
Charlie cracked up from behind you. “Good one.”
Bill hummed. “Shame, I was hoping for something more exciting.”
“Have you gotten a chance to hold Victoire with mum around?” Charlie joked. 
“Not a chance,” Bill laughed, arms folded. “I haven’t seen my daughter at all today. You better watch out if you’re next.”
Amusement crossed Charlie’s face. “She can have them,” he suggested. “Would take a load off my shoulders.”
“Be a darling and bring this up for Fleur, would you now, Bill?” Molly handed a tray with stew and toasted bread to Bill. Smiling warmly, she looked at you and Charlie. “Fleur has to eat to keep her energy up. Victoire is always hungry just like her father.”
Bill groaned. “Oh no, not this story again.”
“What story? The one where you had to be fed twenty times a day?” Charlie recounted. “But I share the blame. You and I ate all the rations, that’s why Percy’s so… slender.” 
A very cross-sounding grunt sounded from the living room. 
Bill placed a kiss on his mother’s cheek. “Thank you mum, you’ve been so wonderful to us.”
“Oh, you know I’d do the same for any one of you,” Molly hummed, her cheeks a pleasant pink from Bill’s compliment. She stole a quick glance at Charlie. “I’d be willing to do double-duty, too, you know.” The implication was deadly and heavy on her lips.
Charlie, without missing a beat, placed his hands on his mother’s shoulders and steered her away. “Why don’t you take a break and daydream quietly on the recliner instead? I’ll take care of the kitchen for you and get everything set up before everyone else comes.”
“Fine,” Molly conceded, ushering Charlie away with a huff so she could untie her apron. “I might have said this one too many times, but I so enjoy having you at home.” Apron slung across her arm, she planted a firm kiss on Charlie’s cheek. Charlie muttered something akin to ‘embarassing’ and ‘not six years old anymore’. When she strode past you, she beamed at you, and made sure to add: “And you too, (Y/N). You are welcome anytime, with or without Charlie.”
You nodded politely. Once again, the implication was heavy. Was it right to continue to play along, intertwining yourself further in a lie, into a knot that couldn’t be undone? Why couldn’t you just tell Molly that you weren’t with Charlie? Wait, why couldn’t he do it for you? And who were you too scared to shatter the illusion for—Molly or you?
Charlie dusted his hands as he walked back to the kitchen. You peeked past him, past the overloaded wooden shelving on the wall. Molly had really taken Charlie’s advice and found comfort in the recliner, no doubt resting her worn feet. 
“Well, that’s mum off my—our backs,” Charlie hummed. 
“Right,” you responded, his wording sending a fresh wave of confusion and anticipation through you. Our backs. “I’ll help set up for dinner. How many people are we expecting?”
Charlie counted with his fingers. “You, me, dad, mum, Bill, Perce, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Gin, Harry… have I got them all?”
“You have!” Molly called from the other room.
Fred. George. Your skin turned cold. A vision consumed your line of sight. Fred and George would walk through the door for dinner and you’d say nothing to each other beside a forced ‘hello’. Then, you’d be forced into an awkward reunion over the dinner table. 
It was best to remove yourself from the situation before it could actually happen. 
With impressive speed, you laid out the rest of the plates. “I just remembered, I have… something to do back home,” you stammered. 
“What’s that?” Charlie asked, putting his final plate down and looking at you with furrowed brows. “You’re leaving already?”
“Yes.” You racked your brain for a passable excuse. “Something in regards to the… Christmas… party. Right, the luncheon with the minister. I’m helping my father with the seating arrangements.” So what if you weren’t exactly in charge of it? You were due to submit your seating request so it wasn’t technically a lie. 
“Do you even plan to go?” Charlie asked. He was nothing if not confused. “ It sounds so…stuffy.”
“I promised to help and now it’s so close to the actual date, but we’ve been away and I—”
“Alright, alright, you go on then,” Charlie relented. “But you’re missing out. Can I bring something back for you? A spot of stew?”
”That’d be great, thanks Charlie.” You walked quickly towards the door again, eyes darting out of the window for any sign of Fred or George. “Bye Percy, bye Mrs. Weasley. I’m sorry about this.”
If déjà-vu had a faultless definition, then this was it: you, running away from something that made you uncomfortable. When did it happen last? You combed through the places you retreated to prior to this: a dingy motel because of your blow-up with Fred and George and then to manor due to your meltdown over Mallory. 
Mallory.
The past few days washed away—for better or worse—the reason you were upset in the first place. You’d been swimming in the ever-changing current that was Charlie’s ocean. And now you were drowning.
Charlie took you to the highest of highs and let you down to the lowest of lows. He flirted with you from the get-go, wrote to you constantly, kissed you in front of your parents, and let your feelings swell into one big, hopeful bubble. Then, with a needle, he popped it. Drinks with friends, he'd said. In hindsight, maybe you shouldn’t have gotten so wound up about it. You had no pact to be faithful to one another for obvious reasons. And you didn’t even know what had even transpired at the bar that night.
Whatever had happened, you swore off falling for Charlie’s schemes ever again until he charmed you back after an outing with your cousins. He was almost on his knees, asking you to please please please go to Hogwarts with him just to invigilate an exam. And your tender, naive heart couldn’t stomach saying no. 
Resentment abandoned, you let him shamelessly feel you up on the train, listened to him spill his guts to you at midnight in the Astronomy Tower, hopped into the same bed with him without so much as a fight, and agreed to dinner with his family. A family that was convinced you were together. Why was it so hard to remember to stay mad at him? Why were you so desperate to be tethered to him despite the end being so foreseeable?
You were a coward. But you couldn’t help it. It felt good to be able to run. 
NEXT CHAPTER>> (coming soon)
CHAPTER DIRECTORY
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prettygirl-gabi · 3 months ago
Text
Not Ready
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Pairing: Paige Bueckers x Reader
POV: First-person (Paige)
Fandom: UConn Women’s Basketball
Summary: Paige always thought love was supposed to be enough.
Word Count: 1.3k+
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I never thought goodbye could taste so bitter, like the remnants of a goodbye kiss that never landed, hanging in the air between us. The room is dim, lit only by the warm glow of the bedside lamp, casting long, aching shadows across the walls. I stand by the door, my duffel bag slung over my shoulder, my fingers gripping the strap like it’s the only thing keeping me steady.
I’m leaving.
She sits on the edge of the bed, her hands clenched into fists on her lap, nails digging into her skin like she’s trying to keep herself from breaking. I know she’s trying not to cry. And I hate that I’m the reason she has to.
I exhale sharply, bracing myself for the final blow. “We both don’t want to do this, I know. But you have to understand that we need this.”
She shakes her head, biting the inside of her cheek so hard I worry she might draw blood. “That’s not true,” she whispers, voice raw, fragile. “We don’t need this. You think we do, but—” She stops herself, swallows back a sob, and shakes her head again. “I don’t.”
The words hit like a punch to the gut, and for a second, I almost falter. Almost let the weight of them knock me off my feet. But I can’t. I have to stand my ground, even if it hurts.
“You think I want this?” My voice is thick with emotion, barely holding steady. “That this isn’t killing me, too?”
“Then don’t go.” Her voice cracks, splintering between us like the fracture in my chest. “Stay.”
My breath stutters, but only for a second. Then I shake my head. “You know I can’t.”
She lets out a bitter laugh, running a hand over her face. “Why? Because we fight? Because we don’t always get it right? That’s what love is, Paige! It’s messy and it’s complicated, but you don’t just walk away from it because it gets hard.”
I close my eyes, my jaw tightening. “It’s not just about the fighting,” I murmur. “It’s about us losing ourselves in it. We’ve stopped being good for each other, and I love you too much to let us destroy what we have left.”
She shakes her head and stands up abruptly, stepping closer, desperate to close the gap I keep forcing between us. “That’s not fair,” she says, voice trembling. “You don’t get to decide for both of us that we’re done.”
I open my eyes, finally meeting hers—really meeting them. And it wrecks me. Because I see the hope still lingering there, the hope that I’ll take it all back, that I’ll tell her I’m wrong and that we can fix this.
But I can’t.
“I’m doing this for us,” I say, and I hate the way it sounds like a lie, even though it isn’t.
“For us?” Her voice rises, and I can see her chest rising and falling faster, her heart slamming against her ribs. “How is breaking both our hearts for us?”
I look away, gripping the strap of my bag even tighter. “Because if we don’t do this now, we’ll only end up resenting each other.”
She shakes her head violently, stepping forward until she’s close enough to touch me—but she doesn’t. Her hands tremble at her sides. “Paige,” she whispers, voice breaking. “I’m not ready to lose both a lover and a friend in one night.”
My breath catches, and for a second, I feel everything—every crack in my resolve, every unspoken word sitting heavy in my chest. But I can’t give in to it. I have to walk away before we ruin this even more.
So I lift a hand, letting my fingers barely brush her cheek before I pull away, afraid that if I linger, I won’t be able to go through with it. “You will be,” I whisper, my voice shattering against the silence. “You just don’t know it yet.”
She lets out a shaky breath, her eyes searching mine like she’s looking for something to hold onto. But I have nothing left to give.
I turn toward the door, reaching for the handle.
And then, just like that, I’m gone.
The silence that follows is unbearable. I know she’s still standing there, probably staring at the door like she’s waiting for me to come back. But I don’t. I can’t.
I tell myself this is the right thing, that one day she’ll understand.
But as I step into the night, the cold air biting at my skin, I know I’m wrong.
Because how do you ever prepare for losing the person you love most?
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                 -Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶
                             -prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️
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