#is digging out all the emotions i never let myself feel

[mirai-e-jump]

Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger Photobook: Don't Stop the BoonBoom Main Cast Member Interviews (translations and other pages below, very long post)

Publication: February 14, 2025

Iuchi Haruhi (Taiya Hando)

-Taiya cranks up his mood without showing emotion-

Everyone wrapped up filming together. At the time, it really didn't hit me. I think it was about two days later that I actually felt it……

Over this past year, I had a routine that I set up for myself, where the day before filming, I'd reread the script for corresponding scenes, and always make sure to do a final check before going to sleep. However, I guess that's come to an end. Now that filming is completely over, I feel alittle sad, as I can actually sense that Taiya's fading away.

Regarding Taiya, when I look back, the first thing I was conscious of was raising my mental age and trying to play my role as a calm character. However, if I made him too cool, he'd be too similar to Chasshiro, so instead of expressing his emotions, I'd crank up parts of his mood……I put great value into those kinds of things while acting.

The first scene we filmed was for the first episode, where Taiya buys the luxury brand store. I remember I didn't know how to move in relation to the camera's position, and was just trying to figure it all out. Not long after that, I had the opportunity to film my Boonboom Change, and when I put on the Boonboom suit for the first time, I had the feeling of, "I'm a hero!" The other thing I remember well was post recording with Director Nakazawa's team during episodes 1-3. At first, I held back my voice in order to keep it in line with Taiya's character, but when Director Nakazawa told me to "make it much more louder," I realized that it was "okay for him to be in high spirits after the Change." That became one of the opportunities for me to broaden my perspective of Taiya Hando.

I'd been going out to eat with the other members since fairly early on, but as filming progressed, it was exciting to see the number of friends increase one by one. The first climax for the five Boonboomger members was in episodes 8 and 9, when Taiya rushed over to them and said, "This is the most…," to which the other four replied, "Cranked up." It was an unforgettable, passionate scene. I think this moment slightly changed the way Taiya interacted with everyone.

Also, the presence of Yu-kun, who joined us halfway through, was a big deal. Until then, I had always thought that the right thing to do was to act according to the image the professional Directors or Cameramen had in their minds, so I had never thought of acting based on my own initiative. However, when I watched Yu-kun, he'd constantly make suggestions like, "I wanna move like this, but what do you think?," and I saw the course of things change, as those on set would respond with, "Alright then, let's go with that!" That's when I started reading the script with the thought of, "As one of the people creating this show, I also have to get involved on set!," and my attitude once again changed alittle bit.

-A dream filled ending typical of Boonboomger-

In episode 24, I was also happy to have my special skill of playing the guitar put to good use. As a matter of fact, during our first meeting, the Producers asked me, "Do you have any special skills?," to which I answered, "I can sing and play the guitar." That's when the Screenwriter's desire to "write about Taiya's first love" was incorporated, causing the episode to materialize. The script doesn't go as far as to depict what happened to Mahiro Sensei, but I wanted to understand it in my own way, so I talked to the Director and Producers before I went into it, and I even imagined what kind of feelings Taiya would be having and wrote them down in a notebook. The subject of the story was painful, but the shoot itself was fun. Taiya's a character who I had a hard time getting into, but by depicting him during his childhood, I think I was able to dig deeper into my role.

I pushed myself to the limit towards the very end of Boonboomger and lost about 5kg, which caused some concern as my face began to look really hollow (bitter smile). Still, as a result, I was able to get into it and concentrate while playing Taiya. The scene where he conveys his feelings to the other four during episode 45 was very memorable. In the completed footage of episode 37, a flashback scene was inserted, the one where child Taiya hears sad crying in the next room, and I was there to observe the filming of that scene. I wanted to internalize Taiya's feelings, so I asked and was allowed to sit in the same spot after they filmed it. I performed the scene with the other four in episode 45 with that in mind, so I was able to convey Taiya's feelings clearly.

I liked the last scene in the final episode. I thought the reversed situation was good, as it concludes with us five who protected Earth leaving for space, and Sakito, who had said that he "abandoned Earth," staying behind. For me, it was a conclusion that I would've never imagined. I was really excited while filming our participation in the BBG, and being able to say the line "Let's get cranked up!" at the very last moment will always remain in my heart. I believe it was a dream filled ending, one truly typical of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger.

Hayama Yuki (Ishiro Meita)

-I aimed to play a role that anyone would think was cool-

For my role as Ishiro, I first talked with BoonBlue's Suit Actor Yoneoka Takahiro-san about how I wanted to "make him a cool character by any means," and so we decided to aim for a role that anyone would find cool, from his gestures and posture, to his pose when he changes into BoonBlue. Going along with that, his passionate side also came out around episode 6. The Director in charge of each episode enjoyed those playful parts and would tease me about it, so by also adding in some adlibs myself, I think I was able to broaden the range of my role. Yoneoka-san gave an energized performance in the Go-Onger episode, but by seeing that, it made me feel that although Ishiro's a spy of the underground, he was longing for something "sparkling," and I feel that it further expanded my role.

The first time Ishiro's past during his spy era was depicted was in episode 14. It was an episode that showed Ishiro's cool, cranked up appearance, but I felt that if I didn't establish a solid "foundation" here, it would affect how he was seen in the future. That's why I was so fired up to film the flashback scene. I also received tons of motivation from Miu-chan in this episode. Miu-chan has an extensive acting career, and above all else, the ways she delivered her lines were very convincing. The sequence of events that leads to Ishiro being stunned as she says, "You want to protect the place that's important to you, right?!," is a scene that everyone needs to watch. Up to that point, Ishiro had kept abit of a distance from everyone except for Taiya, but I think this was the first time he was willing to approach another member of the team.

The next spy story was in episode 29, which features a scene where I Boonboom Change while fighting against Gong Grumer, and I challenged myself to doing action, which isn't one of my strong points. Also, I was paired up with Sakito. Compared to the other three, he had a greater sense of distance from Sakito, but since they suddenly got involved right from the start, it was difficult trying to figure out how I should treat him. Also, when Sakito says, "You didn't grow up well, huh?," he responds with, "My parents did the same work I'm doing. You can figure out the rest." It's a line that expresses Ishiro's dark past, and he tells it to the person he was most distant from. It was an important moment that brought the two of them closer together.

Episode 37 had alot of action scenes, and I believe I was able to get them done with the support of Action Director Watanabe Jun-san and Yoneoka-san. I think that different people have different interpretations of the relationship between Ishiro and Naito Konomi-san's Sutea, and although we watched each other's performance on set, we never really compromised on things. I hope everyone enjoys speculating on that point. On the opposite end, Director Hayama Koichiro gave me easy to understand examples of how the fake Ishiro would fight against Taiya, which helped me better visualize his image. What's more, for the action scenes involving Taiya, Haruhi stayed with me countless times until I memorized how to do them, which was very helpful.

-If you grab hold of your wheel, things will become clearer-

From episodes 43-47, I think some of you may have been on edge watching Ishiro's actions. Still, since Taiya said in episode 37, "I can tell just by looking into his eyes," it was properly foreshadowed. Although Ishiro pointed his gun at everyone at the end of episode 43, it's important to note that Taiya's reaction at that moment wasn't captured. This was Director Nakazawa Shojiro's goal, as this detail wasn't in the script, but since he and Taiya trust each other without needing to say anything, he purposely left out Taiya's reaction. As for myself, I think that the role Ishiro played during the very end was a great one. Mira's marriage is an homage to the first episode, and his return in episode 47 along with his partner, Boonboom Marine, made me feel "cranked up" when I read the script.

The wrap up for actors was the final roll call during the final episode, and we were all able to finish filming together. Each person's name was then called out on the spot, and everyone would cry. I was determined not to cry, but when they called my name, Producer Kuji Yoshito-san and Director Nakazawa came into my sight, and I couldn't stop crying……I'm not entirely sure if I was able to speak coherently then, but I was truly overwhelmed with emotions in that moment.

The theme of Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger is to "take control of your own wheel," and while it may have looked as if Ishiro had sold his soul to the Hashiriyans during the very end, I believe that he was able to steer his way down the path of victory by taking the wheel in his own way. In reality, things may not always go as planned, but if you grab the wheel without abandoning your beliefs, I'm sure something will become clearer. For us actors, we'd be beyond happy if you could take away such a message from our work.

Suzuki Miu (Mira Shifuto)

-I tried to be conscious of "Mira's feelings" when performing in the second half-

After filming throughout the year, I did have some vague concerns in the beginning, but I'm really glad that we were able to get through it safely without any major accidents or problems occurring. Also, after a year of working with the same staff, I realized just how much fun it is to work together as "friends" to create a production.

As for my role as Mira, I was told that she doesn't "take a backseat to the main character," but is instead the first character that the viewers can emotionally attach themselves to as the story progressed. I knew that if I didn't carefully act out Mira's growth throughout the year, it would appear rushed and unconvincing, and by extension, the story wouldn't hold up. In the beginning however, Mira was presented in a fairly fun way. In the script, her screams were written as "Piyaaa!" (laughs). That was one of the reasons why up until about the halfway point, I was more conscious of how she was being seen from the outside instead of from the inside. However, in the latter half, I tried to play the role with "Mira's feelings" in mind, rather than thinking too much about "how I want her to be seen." In that regard, there may be a big difference between the beginning and the ending. I was also happy that Director Nakazawa Shojiro noticed that and said that "I had changed up my performance quite abit."

In the very beginning, it was fun being teamed up with Chasshiro in episode 6. I think Mira's someone who can be paired up with anyone, but Mira seems to be the only one who can make teasing Chasshiro look amusing (laughs). Even in the scene where we follow Jou, I had alot of fun filming and discussing the details with Yuki-kun, such as how we'd hide ourselves by retying our shoelaces and hiding behind a telephone pole.

Episodes 8 and 9 was the first crisis that the Boonboomgers faced, and the atmosphere on set was tense and different compared to the previous episodes. During all this, I think it was just like Mira to vent her feelings towards Taiya at the end of episode 8 with, "Why would you do such a reckless thing?" However, I could understand the feelings they both had, and condemning someone for something you're not aware of was pretty difficult to perform. I thought it'd be bad if she came off as being too confrontational, so I played the role hoping to convey Mira's honesty.

-I love how everyone in Boonboomger lives their lives to the fullest-

There were multiple main episodes for Mira, such as episodes 14, 20 and 31, but episode 36, in which I performed with Mori Hinami-chan, is the most memorable. When she learns that Aki, played by Hinamin, had given up on her dream, she speaks her mind by saying, "It's frustrating….that unlike how Taiya is with Boon-chan…..I can't make her dream come true." I had discussions with Director Watanabe Katsuya about that scene, and I thought about it alot myself. Mira's story began with her easygoing personality in the first episode, but up until then, there were very few scenes depicting her being worried. Mira's usually cheerful and in high spirits, so I wondered, "Would it be okay to show her being worried?," but I think it's her worries that really show the strength of their friendship.

Also in this episode, there's a scene where I Boonboom Changed without the helmet, so I also played the last scene where the mask was equipped. I was advised to pull my chin up in order to look cooler, but I was pretty scared since my field of vision was limited and I could only see my feet. Still, I ran as hard as I could, hoping that I'd look cool.

I think the major event at the end of the show was the development of Mira's decision to get married, which was depicted in episode 47. To be honest, I had something that was worrying me as the story was unfolding, and I talked to the Producers about it. Even though she became a Boonboomger in the first episode and was working hard at her part time jobs, I wondered, does Mira have any big dreams in her life? They created this development based on that. I wanted Mira to have a dream, but instead, it's Mira's strong desire to help the people in front of her that helped her grow so much. I took this as a message that the staff had prepared for my sake. During the actual shoot, after she decided to get married, there was the line, "This is how I'll grab hold of my wheel," and just looking at everyone's faces made me cry……I believe that this performance came out because I'd been building up my role as Mira and trusting everyone.

Based on the title, many of you may have thought that Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger was a cheerful and upbeat production. I myself am one of those people, but with six people, there were six different lives, and now that it's all over, I strongly feel that the appeal of this show was that "each and every one of them overcame their struggles and became stronger." For myself personally, I have always and will always love the way everyone in Boonboomger lives their lives to the fullest.

Saito Ryu (Jou Akuse)

-I was surprised at how similar I was to Jou Akuse-

When I was in elementary school, I served as class president and was known for being a rather serious type of person. However, I wasn't serious at all, as I had more of a clumsy side in comparison (laughs). That's why when I first learned about Jou's setting, I was very surprised at how similar he seemed to myself. Also, my own father is a firefighter, so I felt a sense of familiarity towards his role as a police officer, as they're also civil servants. That being the case, I thought, "If I just honestly express all the feelings I've had over the past 19 years of my life, I might be able to become Jou Akuse." During the beginning, I went into filming with those types of thoughts in mind.

Jou's real role began in episode 5, but the first scene we filmed was in the first episode, where he gets wrapped up in one of Wedding Dress Grumer's dresses. It was fun to see his clumsiness immediately come out, but Director Nakazawa Shojiro had told me, "It's fine to make as much noise as you'd like." At the time, my performative skills were still lacking, so I was abit confused. I now have the confidence that I can make things more interesting (laughs).

I put alot of effort into the fight scene against Darts Grumer in episode 5. I knew from the moment I read the script that the action leading up to my Boonboom Change was "an absolute must." During filming, Darts Grumer's Suit Actor Imai Yasuhiko-san lent me his support by saying, "It's okay to go all out," and under the passionate direction of Director Watanabe Katsuya, we filmed with my entire body getting covered in sand and dust. That day, I went home and shampooed my hair about six times, but sand kept falling from my head (laughs), and even when I rewatch it now, I can see just how much strain I put on my body. Director Watanabe also helped me out alot in the episode where I'm paired up with Mira, but I think episode 5 was the starting point for me as Jou.

From the moment we met, I became good friends with the other cast members. We didn't have many opportunities to meet until episode 4, but after episode 5, I think we were able to join up smoothly from episode 6 onwards. I was happy to finally be able to film together with everyone.

In episode 6, he immediately gets involved with Mira and Shiro Senpai, and I was also grateful for all the opportunities after that where Jou played a bigger role, such as in the Kaseki Grumer episode, the candy detective episode where he teamed up with Genba, and the baseball episode. What's more, they were all crazy episodes (laughs). Especially for episodes 21 and 23, the one in charge of them was Director Kato Hiroyuki, and he's the kind of Director who'll constantly incorporate alot of funny things, so I also had alot of fun while getting into a playful mood. In episode 21, there's a scene where I interact with Genba in my afro hairstyle, and I thought it'd turn out funnier the more serious I performed it. I took these kinds of things into consideration when I performed.

-I cried so much during the wrap up, that I was teased by everyone around me (laughs)-

Episode 40 was the episode where I myself felt a sense of accomplishment. After episode 15 aired, I received feedback from various people telling me that "it was good," but it was thanks to Director Hayama Koichiro, who brought out Jou's appeal, that I as an actor felt the desire to show off even more of my performative range. This time, episode 40 was naturally made possible thanks to Morichi Natsumi-san's wonderful script, and Director Nakazawa and Cinematographer Kamiaka Toshikazu-san's strong tag team, but I could personally feel the growth I had made up to that point, and the line, "There's no such thing as a 100% perfect hero," went viral on SNS, with the great response from those around me also giving me confidence.

Filming for the last chapter progressed at a good pace, and it felt like it went by in the blink of an eye. During this time, what surprised me was Chasshiro's betrayal and Boon-chan's defeat. I had only heard alittle bit about it beforehand, but when it was time to read the script, I was shocked and thought, "Are you serious?!" And then, Jou quit being a police officer, and in episode 46, he was confronted by his senior officer played by Takada Masashi-san……I didn't expect things to turn out this way, so I had abit of trouble trying to wrap my head around the situation. It was as big of a situation for me as it was for Jou. In the end, the five of us left for space, so I interpreted it with, "I guess he's on temporary leave for the time being?"

The Assistant Director made the necessary adjustments to our schedules so that everyone would be able to be together for the wrap up. The night before the last day of filming, I cried all alone at home due to feeling lonely, so on the very day of filming, I thought I'd be fine since I cried ahead of time. However, when I saw the face of BoonBlack's Suit Actor, Shige-san, I couldn't help but cry. I was crying so much that everyone around me jokingly said, "You're crying way too much!" (laughs). Over the past year, there were times where I was guided gently, and times where I was guided strictly, but I was truly happy on this set.

Soma Satoru (Genba Bureki)

-From being a Procurer with a detached position to becoming friends with the Boonboomgers-

When it was decided that I'd be playing the role of Genba Bureki, I was told that, unlike the other members, I'd be "playing an alien." However, since I didn't know the reason why he was always licking lollipops or the beliefs that he held, I had to make detailed adjustments all the time while thinking, "I guess it'd be alright if I did this much." It was around the time we were filming the Summer film when I learned about the developments for the second half of the story, and I thought that his feelings toward Nicola, who was invaded by Hashiriyans, were different from everyone else's, so I was conscious of those expressions in my performance.

In the beginning, I didn't have much to work with, so I was trying to figure out how to say distinctive lines such as "Seems like you're in trouble" in a way that felt right to me. There's abit of a suspicious, older feel to him, and I thought it'd be great if I could add some expressions that were unique to Genba. The first thing we filmed was the scene in episode 2, when he receives a job request from Taiya. From episodes 1-6, he had watched them from a detached position as a Procurer, so I was very happy when we were ready to film episode 7, as he joins the Boonboomger's as their friend.

In episode 10, I was able to do some action before his transformation. I was confident in my athletic abilities, but the movements done by BoonOrange's Suit Actor Ono Yukimasa-kun, who showed me some examples, were amazing, and while I felt alittle overwhelmed, I tried to do my best. Ono-kun and I would both always talk about "how we felt during this part," and I was always amazed by the action I saw during post recording.

His destined rival Disrace appeared at the end of episode 26, and he left Boonboomger in episode 27. There's a scene where he says, "That's why I'm giving up my front row seat," and as myself, I definitely didn't want to leave, but at the same time, he doesn't want to involve his friends any further, so……it was quite difficult for me to perform. After that, I didn't get to see everyone as often as I would've liked to, and there were also no good opportunities to go out and eat together. That's why when he returned in episode 33, I was so happy that I couldn't help but talk nonstop with everyone on set (laughs).

During filming of episode 33, I almost cried when I said the line, "This is the place where I belong," and I was also deeply moved when Taiya asked, "What has the Procurer procured for us?" to which I answer, "Myself, of course." The scene where all of us perform the Boonboom Change also suddenly made me feel that "having friends is great." I was personally grateful for the fact that both episodes 27 and 33 were done by Director Nakazawa, as I was able to make progress while consulting with him.

-One thing remains for Genba, that being his important mission to retake planet Bureki-

I also enjoyed being together with Sakito during the soccer episode. We're both from Shizuoka, and I'm a Shimizu S-Pulse supporter, so because of this connection, we were invited to participate in an event by Shimizu S-Pulse in September. As for the drama, he clashes with Sakito, and well, fighting doesn't bring them closer together, but because they both love soccer, it seems like they let out more unnecessary feelings than usual. They had clashed before in episode 32, but I think they were finally able to work out their differences in this episode.

I had the feeling that the "end" was gradually approaching during the final stages of filming, but in the final episode, when their transformations are cancelled during the battle with Spindo, as we were filming the scene where they stand up while conveying their feelings, the feeling that "it was finally coming to an end" suddenly hit me. Here, Genba says, "In this universe, that's what we call love," but combined with the location, which captured the sunset, and the atmosphere on set, it made me get more into it.

The ending was a beautiful conclusion, but as for Genba, he still hasn't retaken planet Bureki. Because there's still an important mission left to do, it didn't finish with a happy ending, however, they were able to defeat both Grantu and Spindo and save Earth, so it was still a big step in the right direction.

Now that it's all over, I feel alittle sad since I no longer have to spend time thinking about the next day's shoot. Looking back, I really didn't know what I was doing a year ago, but I'm here now thanks to all the fans who supported me, and over the past year, through the feedback I received at events and on SNS, I was motivated by the fact that I was involved in a production that was loved by so many people. I'll work even harder so that everyone who got to know me through Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger will see a different side of me. I look forward to your continued support!

Miyazawa Yu (Sakito Homura)

-I was able to gain experience both as myself and as Sakito Homura-

When I "encountered" Sakito at the audition, I felt that he was so similar to me, that I thought, "If I fail this, I don't think I'll ever have a chance in any tokusatsu production." Once I entered filming, I was very happy to hear that Director Hayama Koichiro said on set that he had "wanted to film Miyazawa as Sakito." When he makes his entrance during episode 16, I played the role with the impression that he was an overly self conscious perfectionist, but as things continued with episodes 17 and 18 being done by Director Kato Hiroyuki, I was able to bring out more of his weaknesses.

During the joint reading session before I went into filming, the Director and Producers said that they wanted me to "act in a childish way," but I was thinking of taking my performance in a slightly different direction, so the most important thing was being able to create Sakito on my own terms. Also, I think that by looking for places where I could be abit playful on set, I was able to gain experience both as myself and as Sakito Homura.

Episode 41 is an episode that I'm deeply attached to, as I was able to incorporate my special skill of playing soccer. The "Pulse Ace" that appears is a play on Shimizu S-Pulse, but I used to be a member of Shimizu S-Pulse's lower division when I was in middle school, and I was deeply moved by the collaboration event between Boonboomger and Shimizu S-Pulse that took place during the broadcast. The story was rich in content, with its appropriate comedic feel, our passion for soccer, and my pairing with Genba, so I think the viewers enjoyed it. Among other things, the scene where Genba and I pass the ball to each other with napalm exploding in the background had to be done in one take, so I had a fairly long discussion with Satoru beforehand. It was quite difficult even for experienced players like us, as there was gravel everywhere we stepped, and the unique shape of the Boonboom suit's shoes made kicking the ball feel different, but fortunately, we got the OK with our very first attempt. In terms of the story, his clash with Genba reminded me of the sumo episode, and I also thought it was typical of the younger Jou for being so straightforward and acting as their middle man. That scene was effective because of Ryu's careful performance, and I thought it turned out to be a very good scene where you'd naturally think, "If Jou said it, then it must be right."

-The final scene where Sakito remains on the Earth personally gave me goosebumps-

After the soccer episode and Christmas episode, the final stages of the show had some dramatic developments, but episode 45 was the one that I put the most effort into. Bundorio stopped functioning, the Boonboomgers were split up, and Taiya was mentally out of it. During all this, Sakito and Byundi confront the Hashiriyans together……It was a hot development, as the man who abandoned Earth now fought to protect it, but in playing Sakito, I saw it as a "fight to protect his friends." If we go back to episode 18, Sakito said, "I just wanna protect my only friend and his family," but I believe that episode 45 encapsulates the change in his feelings from that point on. This episode was directed by Director Hayama, who also did the episode where I first appeared, and the scene where I pushed my way through the crowd and shouted, "You guys…didn't the Boonboomgers save you?!," was a direction given to me by the Director, so I myself also wanted to live up to the trust he put in me.

In the final episode, I felt the team's unity as they defeated Spindo, and I also thought it was wonderful that everyone's individual scenes were properly depicted. I hope that you were able to feel that high level of unity. And, the final scene where Sakito remains on Earth personally gave me goosebumps. When I first read the script, I thought, "Uwah, this is seriously good!" Living on Earth, the number of people he came to love steadily increased, and it seemed to match up with the way Sakito lives his life, so I'm satisfied with it. I felt that there was nothing wrong with the performance I had been doing, and I can only thank all the staff members for preparing and directing such a conclusion.

The last scene we filmed was our final roll call. This was the end of filming, but the show was still going on, so to be honest, I didn't really feel it. However, when the time came for them to address me, I couldn't help but tear up when I saw the large number of staff members.

I had been involved since episode 16, and was very excited to be in the position of shaking things up as the additional member, and I feel that the feedback I've gotten in regards to that has been good. The show itself will remain even after the broadcast is over, so we'd all be happy if people said, "Boonboomger was great, wasn't it?" We don't know yet if there'll be an anniversary project in the future, but I hope that Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger will remain in the hearts of all the fans forever!

Handwritten Messages

Iuchi Haruhi

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Taiya Hando over the past year?" The scene in the final episode where everyone says, "This is the most cranked up!"

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Taiya Hando)?" The parts were he wouldn't ignore!

"What part of Taiya Hando's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" The tool design of the weapons!

"A word to Taiya Hando!" LOVE

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" I'm glad it was the six of us…I had fun. Thank you!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you so much for your support over the past year! I look forward to your continued support!

Hayama Yuki

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Ishiro Meita over the past year?" Bakuage 29's action scenes.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Ishiro Meita)?" His activities as an Informant.

"What part of Ishiro Meita's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His three piece suit and necktie that would change every episode. That you could turn the Boonboom Handle with just one hand!

"A word to Ishiro Meita!" I love you.

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Ishiro had trouble fitting, so thank you for looking out for him!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your cranked up support!

Suzuki Miu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Mira Shifuto over the past year?" Episode 36's helmetless running scene.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Mira Shifuto)?" That she worked hard for the sake of someone else instead of herself.

"What part of Mira Shifuto's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" That you could hold Boonboom Handle's Rod Mode upside down (it's dangerous, so good children shouldn't imitate that!)

"A word to Mira Shifuto!" Mira being cheerful gave me tons of energy! Thank you :)

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" I was really happy with the six of us! We're forever friends!!!

"A word to all the fans!" I wouldn't have made it this far without everyone's voices of support. Thank you so much!

Saito Ryu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Jou Akuse over the past year?" My first transformation.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Jou Akuse)?" Getting dirty.

"What part of Jou Akuse's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His police uniform.

"A word to Jou Akuse!" You're an honourable man!! Make sure to zip up your fly properly!!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Thank you for the past year! Sorry for when I acted out of line 🖤

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your support over the past year! I look forward to your continued support.

Soma Satoru

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Genba Bureki over the past year?" When after leaving once, he reprocured himself through his friends.

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Genba Bureki)?" With every episode, his friends became the embodiment of ​​"taking control of your own wheel."

"What part of Genba Bureki's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" His fluttering costume made action scenes look more attractive.

"A word to Genba Bureki!" I'm glad you returned to Boonboomger!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Thank you for trusting me and waiting for me ^_^

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you so much for always giving us tons of support!

Miyazawa Yu

"What was the most cranked up scene that you performed as Sakito Homura over the past year?" The six person transformation in Bakuage 48!

"What did you think was the "coolest part" about Boonboomger (or Sakito Homura)?" Honestly gaining control of your own wheel!

"What part of Sakito Homura's "costume" or "weapons" did you think was cranked up?" All of it!

"A word to Sakito Homura!" Sakito Homura! Enjoy living a chaotic life on Earth!

"A word to your Boonboomger friends!" Claim absolute victory in the BBG!!

"A word to all the fans!" Thank you for your support in Bakuage Sentai Boonboomger over the past year! It was the most cranked up year!!

The Heroes Cranked Up Roundtable A long roundtable discussion with the six cast members who played the heroes who protected Earth. They'll talk about their memories from the past year, as well as bombshell stories that can only be talked about now?!

-The six cranked up members have gathered-

"First, please tell us about the relationship between the six of you after spending about a year together."

Hayama: In the beginning it was just Satoru-kun, but the older members were extremely reliable.

Suzuki: Yeah.

Hayama: We got so used to it, that we slowly started to develop a habit of screwing around with them (laughs).

Soma: That's right (laughs).

Hayama: Still, I think it's because they both allowed us to do that that people have come to say, "Boonboomger had some great vibes."

Iuchi: That was a big part of it.

Miyazawa: Y'know, I'm not sure if we've forgiven you yet (laughs).

Soma: Right?

Hayama: Even in this interview, we can talk about how we mess with them, so in that sense, Satoru-kun and Zawa-nii are the greatest.

Miyazawa: I suppose so (laughs).

Suzuki: The youngest members, Haruhi-kun and Ryu-kun, are both 20, while Zawa-kun is the oldest at 29 years old, so the age difference between us is the kind where you wouldn't normally have many opportunities to interact so closely. However, I still think the reason we were able to get along so well was because we were together for a year.

Miyazawa: Normally, I'd be concerned about both sides of the situation.

Iuchi: You were cautious.

Hayama: He was, wasn't he?

Soma: In the beginning, Zawa-kun didn't get involved with us at all for some reason.

Miyazawa: That's because there's a generational gap between us (laughs).

Iuchi: I felt the same way too. At first, it was the age difference, and since I went to an entertainment high school that didn't have any club activities, I rarely had any opportunities to interact with my seniors.

Miyazawa: And yet now we're like family.

Soma: We've even been asked, "Are you guys related?"

Suzuki: During the wrap up, the staff had said, "You guys look like relatives."

Miyazawa: It made me realize that even though there's a 9 year gap between us, we become friends.

Hayama: Of course, we weren't just playing around, as Zawa-kun drew a clear line when it came to work, and I really received a ton of inspiration from him. The only exception is Soma-san (laughs).

Soma: So that's how it is, huh? How strange (laughs).

"I see, so this is how you "tease those older than you" (laughs)."

Soma: Even though Hayama-kun and I go out to eat together pretty often…

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

"Did Soma-san and Miyazawa-san have to worry about anything when dealing with the younger members?"

Soma: I was the oldest of the original five, so I didn't want them to view me as "scary" (laughs). I wanted them to be able to be carefree, so I aimed to create a "Buddha" like appearance, someone who was accepting of everybody (laughs). By the way, we're being interviewed right now while eating our bentos, and Ryu just stole my tamagoyaki……

Saito: He won't get mad at all if I take it from him (laughs).

Soma: No, no, I told you tamagoyaki is my favorite, c'mon now! This is how they mercilessly tease us (laughs).

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Miyazawa: (laughs).

Miyazawa: I joined in the middle of the show, but after it was decided that I would perform, I searched up information on who I'd be working with. That's when I was like, "They're all younger than me!" (laughs).

Soma: I get that. You were shocked, huh?

Miyazawa: However, I still thought that there was only one person "below me."

Soma: Who? Ryu maybe?

Miyazawa: No, like you, I'm from Shizuoka. That's why I thought you'd be the first one I talked to (laughs).

Suzuki: Did you think you'd have a better opportunity with Satoru-kun since you're both closer in age?

Miyazawa: Yeah. It's because even Miu-chan and I are about five years apart.

Soma: That's true.

Miyazawa: Before we became friends, I wondered if we would even get along.

Suzuki: Usually, when there's that much of an age difference you're like, "Where do we start?"

Miyazawa: I've also said this elsewhere, but at the same time I was having my costume fit, Miu-chan and Ryu came running to the makeup room and excitedly said, "Uwah, so this is Violet!" At that moment, I felt that everything would be alright. Or, perhaps what I mean to say is that I was the one who took a step back (laughs).

Suzuki: That's right! In another interview, Zawa-kun had said that he was grateful for the two of us closing the distance between him, but just recently, when the topic happened to come up in a private conversation, he said, "To be honest, I was abit put off at the time" (laughs).

Saito: That's harsh (laughs).

Miyazawa: It's because of how energetic you kids are.

Iuchi: You're always saying that.

Suzuki: We're all energetic.

Hayama: Right, we tend to hear that alot.

Miyazawa: That's how it is now, but in the beginning I had the feeling of, "How should I deal with them?"

Iuchi: At first, I felt like I had to talk to them as adults, but Satoru-kun and Yu-kun were the ones to bring a stop to that. That's why I'm very grateful for them.

Soma: In our group chat, Haruhi initially used a large amount of emojis, which made me think, "Ah, he's being cautious" (laughs).

Iuchi: Ah, I didn't realize you had seen right through me (laughs).

Soma: I noticed it from the very beginning.

Suzuki: I see. He did use a large amount of them.

Miyazawa: Is that so? I would've liked to have seen that.

Soma: By the time Zawa-kun joined us, he was no longer doing that.

Suzuki: It's because you "brought a stop to that," remember?

Hayama: (he looks at Miyazawa-san) And here I thought you were a good guy.

Miyazawa: Hey!

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: To begin with, our generations are so different, that I don't know what's popular. People of my generation would do stuff like go to karaoke.

Soma: Yeah. Things like what's popular and fun among today's youth.

Miyazawa: I had no idea about TikTok or anything like that (laughs).

Soma: You know, the way people say TikTok now is with an intonation! (laughs).

Miyazawa: Eh, it's that true?

Soma:……that's how it seems.

Miyazawa: However, it was a completely different story when I entered the set. I was conscious of the fact that it was our place of work.

Soma: There was a clear distinction in the way you'd switch.

Miyazawa: Right, which is the most important thing!

"Do you have any painful or difficult stories that you can only talk about now?"

Iuchi: What's okay to say? (laughs).

Saito: Ah, I was late once.

Suzuki: Wha!

Iuchi: Do you feel remorseful about it?

Saito: I do.

Suzuki: I don't know what to take away from this.

Soma: Just let it play out (laughs).

Saito: However, I made it in time for the shoot itself.

Miyazawa: No, no, that's totally normal then (laughs).

Saito: When you've been doing something like this for a long time, you inevitably start to slack off, huh?

Suzuki: You can't say that about yourself! (laughs).

Iuchi Hayama Soma Miyazawa: (laughs).

Iuchi: What was abit difficult for me during filming was not using my bike. I didn't ride it throughout the filming period because I didn't want to cause trouble if I had an accident. Besides, with it being my first time living in Tokyo, I thought I'd be fine without a bike, as there are tons of trains in Tokyo. However, once I started living there, I found that there were many places that would take too long to get to if I used the train or bus, but could be reached pretty easily by bike. I'm alittle disappointed that I couldn't even go out and have some casual fun (bitter smile).

Saito: That was a model answer!

Miyazawa: Is it okay to talk about what was difficult for me?

Hayama: The Boonboom dance?

Miyazawa: No (said firmly).

Hayama: Not that, huh?

Miyazawa: Sakito's hair style.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma: Yeah (they fully agree).

Miyazawa: Every time I went to a shoot, it would become coarse and stiff. After filming, I would have to go home and wash my hair because of how difficult it became.

Suzuki: After filming would finish, we'd say, "Let's all go out for a meal!," but only Zawa-kun would go home and take a shower before rejoining us.

Miyazawa: That's because if I left my hair as it was, my hat would look like it was floating.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Soma: That being said, I had trouble with my hair too.

Miyazawa: What was the case for Satoru? It must've been with your Burekiian form.

Soma: Yeah, it was when I transformed into my Burekiian form.

Hayama: Putting on the makeup too.

Soma: That's right. What's more, my skin is fairly tan.

Saito: Sure is.

Soma: So, I had to apply whitening cream in addition to getting my makeup done. I also had to wear cat eye contacts, but if I blinked even slightly, they would immediately rotate. That's why it was very difficult for me to perform close up shots in that condition.

Suzuki: You wouldn't blink.

Soma: Still, they'd eventually also fall out if I didn't blink for a long time.

Miyazawa: Your contacts fell out countless times.

Soma: Yeah.

Hayama: What comes to mind for me was the action. Exercise has never been one of my strong points, and there were a few times where I just couldn't keep up. To be honest, that was really tough.

Soma: No, no, you were really cool!

Hayama: Really?

Suzuki: Yeah.

Soma: Like in episode 37, you were amazing, don't you think?

Hayama: Well, in any case, I was just desperately trying to keep up.

Suzuki: You seem to have good reflexes.

Miyazawa: And he can dance. Me on the other hand, I'm no good at dancing (laughs).

Hayama: Wasn't it quite difficult for Miu-chan to get into costume?

Suzuki: That's right. There were so many part time outfits, so I remember having to get my costume fit for almost every episode (laughs).

Hayama: You went in to get your costume fit all the time.

Suzuki: Also, my legs were very cold.

Hayama: I had a feeling you'd say that.

Suzuki: Especially during Winter (bitter smile).

Hayama: And, those weren't even the worst ones. There's the wedding dress you wore in the final episode.

Suzuki: Yeah.

Hayama: You had to have the staff help you when you moved.

Suzuki: I couldn't move without my attendants.

Hayama: "Attendants" (laughs).

Miyazawa: It really seemed like that.

Suzuki: Also, I couldn't sit on a chair, so when filming stopped, I had a blanket laid out on the floor to sit on until my next turn.

Saito: You were like a princess!

Suzuki: The dress looked like it was floating as it spread out on the floor.

Saito: She often called upon us (Saito-san and Hayama-san) and gave requests like, "Please get me some sweets" (laughs).

Iuchi: She simply couldn't move.

Suzuki: (speaking like a princess) "Excuse me, can you fetch me a drink?"

Miyazawa: She's totally a princess now (laughs).

Suzuki: Another challenging thing was that this production has shorter shots so that smaller children watching wouldn't get bored. In scenes where we convey our feelings, they weren't that long and involved a series of cuts, so we had to raise our emotions pretty intensely, which was difficult. If I had to put it another way, I think it really strengthened our responsive skills.

Hayama: That's a good way of putting it.

Suzuki: You get it though, right?

Hayama: Yeah, I know exactly what you mean.

Suzuki: Zawa-kun had a difficult time with that at first too, right?

Miyazawa: I'd usually start from one or two of my previous lines, but if I thought that it'd still be too difficult, I was allowed to start from even earlier.

Hayama: Yeah, you'd do that.

Saito: Everyone's talking about something serious…

Soma: Ryu, do you have anything else since your story about being late didn't work out?

Saito: Yeah. I play a police officer, so it was quite difficult putting on all that equipment. It was pretty heavy, and there's a proper way of putting it on, so I had to make sure to check it every time. I thought this was to be expected by all the people who actually work as police officers.

Soma: Oh, that was a good story you just gave!

-Looking back at each memorable scene-

"From here, we'd like to ask each of you to pick one person at a time and name a performance or scene of theirs that left a lasting impression on you."

Soma: I guess Haruhi should be first, right?

Hayama: I think I was the closest to Haruhi's Taiya, but when I met him as fake Ishiro in episode 37, the performance Haruhi gave was completely different from what I usually did with him, and I thought the detail in how he differentiated his role was amazing.

Suzuki: The expressions Haruhi-kun showed were really great, as his emotional range swings between the line of difficult and exceptionally good. The facial expression he made at the end of episode 24 also conveyed his delicate feelings.

Iuchi: Thank you very much.

Miyazawa: I still love the, "Let's all hurry!" line he says in the final episode.

Suzuki: That was great too!

Miyazawa: All I can say is that it's like you can see the very moment he switches.

Suzuki: It gives off a similar feeling to when your body trembles with excitement, you close your eyes, and then shoot them open, right?

Miyazawa: Right, it's like that kind of switch.

Suzuki: The scene in episode 45 where Taiya loses sight of his own wheel was really impactful. It's like he was performing with his soul.

Miyazawa: I'll never forget the one on one performance I did with him in episode 18. It made me think, "So this is the man called Taiya Hando, huh?" That scene is still fresh in my mind.

Hayama: (to Iuchi-san) Were you nervous?

Iuchi:……I was (laughs).

Saito: There was a scene that I really liked, the musical scene with Itasha was in the Christmas episode, right?

Soma: Yeah.

Saito: At that point, Taiya makes a face that's like, "Eh?," looks around, then sits down without saying a word, and that made me burst out laughing.

Iuchi: That was entirely Director Kato's direction.

Saito: It was hysterical.

Iuchi: This is especially true since Taiya's not the type of person to do something like that.

Saito: I desperately wanted to say, "Don't just sit there in silence!" (laughs).

Soma: It would've been even funnier if he responded to it with something like, "That was cranked up!"

Suzuki: Yeah, like in the Toilet Grumer Limited episode.

Saito: Yeah, that happened.

Iuchi: That's where I tried to play the version of Taiya that Mira had in her mind (laughs).

Hayama: That was alot of fun.

"Next, what do you think of Ishiro Meita's Hayama-san?"

Iuchi: My favorite scene is in episode 14, when he relies on Mira. Ishiro had always operated in his own world, but Taiya also had the desire to draw him into everyone world, so Taiya felt happy when Ishiro was able to rely on Mira, someone he had come to love. I had read the script beforehand, but when I saw the broadcast, I was moved all over again.

Hayama: That was also made possible due to Suzuki-san's help.

Suzuki: No, no, that's not true.

Iuchi: But it was just the two of you!

Suzuki: Of course, when we were filming that scene, I thought, "Yuki-kun really likes acting." In the aquarium scene in this episode, when Chasshiro shows his annual pass, I (Mira) try to take it, but he quickly pulls his hand back. He was the one who suggested we do that with, "How about if we improvise like this?"

Hayama: All while I acted like a brat (laughs).

Suzuki: I felt that I wasn't capable enough when imagining things that weren't written in the script. That's why Yuki-kun's suggestion made me think, "That could happen!"

Miyazawa: Yuki's really serious, huh?

Suzuki: Yeah, I get him.

Miyazawa: Over this past year, he'd be thinking about the character of Ishiro Meita more than anyone else, and whenever he'd talk about his performance, it was always, "Ishiro's this, and Ishiro's that" (laughs).

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: There were times when Ishiro would fool around, which I thought would've been difficult, but Yuki was able to express it in his own way. My favorite scene was in the final episode, right before he leaves Earth. He happily says, "An Informant in space, I like the sound of that.

Soma: I also thought he looked happy when I watched him.

Miyazawa: He'd been separated from the Boonboomgers for quite some time, so I think he might've felt bad about it. By doing that performance, I could really feel that he had come back as Ishiro.

Hayama: I'm grateful.

Miyazawa: It was "the best of Ishiro."

Hayama: I'm glad to hear you say that.

Soma: Personally, I liked it when Chasshiro got teased by those around him. Like in episode 40, when Itsuki-kun said, "I want to be a cool hero like BoonBlue," Mira and Jou's reaction was to look at Chasshiro and say, "Cool?" (laughs).

Suzuki: I liked it when Mira pinched his cheeks.

Iuchi: Yeah.

Hayama: That was in the final scene of episode 37.

Soma: It was fun to watch scenes where Chasshiro "comes down" from a stressful situation, as I would think, "Ah, so this is how it's being done this time."

Saito: Yuki-kun mentioned earlier that he's not good at action, and looking back at our first action practice, I could sorta sense that he was having a hard time. However, the action with Gong Grumer in episode 29 was really cool. He must've practiced alot, but it was still captivating. After that, in episode 37, he did action scenes for both Ishiro and the fake, and I felt like he had come a long way with all the moves he was able to do.

Hayama: You sound like a parent (laughs).

Saito: I'd like to mention that I've rewatched your boxing action with Gong Grumer about six times.

Hayama: Eh?!

Suzuki: Amazing, you've got a fan.

Hayama: Ryu, thank you~ (laughs).

Saito: No, I was just curious about the moves you were doing.

Hayama: I guess everyone was looking at different parts. This is the first time I've heard all of that.

Iuchi: You're embarrassed, huh?

Hayama: I am. Ryu should be the first one I treat to some gyudon, don't you think? (laughs).

Suzuki: For me, it was probably when he was paired up with Mira in episode 14. It's the scene where Chasshiro's desperately struggling to keep Reizoko Grumer from going to the aquarium. I had never seen Chasshiro with such intense passion before. Mira had already transformed, so the first time I saw him like that was during post recording, but it was Yuki-kun's acting that really got me into the mood during recording.

Hayama: It was all thanks to the Screenwriter (laughs).

Suzuki: You looked happy (laughs).

Miyazawa: He was all smiley.

Suzuki: And, I know I keep saying this, but when Chasshiro talks to Mira face to face like a normal person in that episode……seriously, his visuals were just too good.

Hayama: It was both an Ishiro episode and a visual episode.

Soma: Visual episode he says…..(laughs).

Suzuki: And, I guess he was really fired up since it was one of his main episodes, as during filming, he made constant efforts every morning to get rid of any swelling (laughs).

Hayama: You didn't have to bring up that part! (laughs).

Iuchi Saito Soma Miyazawa: (laughs).

"Now for the next turn, we'd like you to talk about scenes featuring Mira Shifuto's Suzuki-san."

Soma: Speaking of Miu-chan, she was a monster during post recording.

Suzuki: Eh? What?

Saito: He means to say "you're very skilled."

Suzuki: For real? That makes me happy!

Saito: How is it that you're always able to skillfully match up your voice?…..

Suzuki: Yay! (laughs).

Hayama: Another thing is the straightforward way in which she communicates. In episode 14, when she said, "You're so stupid, Chasshiro!," I could really feel Mira's energy just from watching the footage, and I felt that there was alot to learn when it came to making emotional outbursts like that.

Suzuki: That makes me happy.

Hayama: I learned a…alot!

Suzuki: Don't stutter at the best part! (laughs).

Hayama: (laughs).

Soma: Yuki-kun mentioned emotions just now, but I liked Miu-chan's part when we spoke our lines one by one before defeating Madrex in episode 9.

Suzuki: When I say, "That's what it means to take control of your own wheel!," right?

Soma: Yeah. Your eyes sparkled, and your line was filled with emotion, so that moment really grabbed me emotionally.

Suzuki: Everyone's injured makeup looked good too.

Soma: That combined with the atmosphere of the setting sun made it even better. Towards the end of the show, when Mira makes up her mind to get married, Me, Sakito and Jou were on the receiving end of things, but we were also greatly helped by her. It was easier to do our performance since we could understand Mira's feelings.

Suzuki: That makes me feel good (laughs).

Iuchi: My favorite Mira scene, and the one where I also thought Miu-chan helped me out, was in episode 45. They had created a rather dark scene in regards to Bundorio's shutdown, and I went into the scene worrying about how to go back to Taiya's usual self within the 30 minutes we had. However, thanks to Miu-chan's performance, I was able to bring Taiya back to his energetic self.

Suzuki: Heh~ I didn't know you felt that way.

Iuchi: Taiya saying, "Thank you, I'm glad you guys are my friends," followed by Mira's genuine look of relief on her face as she said, "You've finally regained control of your wheel," was very comforting. That put me in a better mood as we faced the final episode, so I really feel thankful for that.

Suzuki: No, no, I wouldn't have been able to cry if I hadn't seen the look on Taiya's face. I feel the same way, you really helped me out.

Soma: Are you reciprocating your love to each other?

Suzuki: That's not it (laughs).

Miyazawa: It's the result of their synergy.

Suzuki: That's it!

Miyazawa: I don't have any specific episodes in mind, but rather, when I think of Miu-chan, her persuasive words come to mind. I especially felt that in Mira's main episodes. I think it's Mira who connects the Boonboomgers together, and I think she had a big influence on the production.

Suzuki: That makes me happy.

Miyazawa: What I also thought was interesting was that when I saw Miu-chan on set, she would adjust the number of steps she took in order to match the camera's position.

Suzuki: Yeah, I did that (laughs). I'd usually be good with three steps, and then I'd just say my lines from around there.

Miyazawa: Seeing that up close, I thought of her as a very hard worker. Mira's good balance was likely the result of Miu-chan's hard work.

Suzuki: Thank you!

Saito: This might overlap with Zawa-nii, but while I think that each person had their own main episodes, Mira would be right there next to us.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Soma Miyazawa: Yeah!

Saito: When you pair up with someone like that, the explosive power is incredible. How would you describe it? Like an amino acid??

Soma: Something like an umami seasoning that makes everything taste better?

Saito: Ah, that's it! If you don't add it in, it's somewhat tasteless, but with it, I'd say it adds depth and takes it up a level. That's why I think Mira's presence was of great help to our team.

Hayama: Thank you for being an amino acid.

Saito: Thank you amino acid.

Suzuki: I did my best as an amino acid! (laughs).

"Next should be Jou Akuse's Saito-san. What does everyone think?"

Iuchi: What I'd like to mention with Jou is his injured makeup for the baseball episode. The makeup artist told me that a role like Jou's is one that's really deserving of injured makeup.

Hayama: That's true.

Iuchi: The way he got covered in dirt, was sprawled out on the ground, and yet still stood up was really cool.

Suzuki: You know it!

Iuchi: As for Taiya, he's happy to watch Jou's growth, or to put it in a slightly weird way, he likes seeing Jou get dirty (laughs).

Saito: Hahahaha (laughs).

Suzuki: It's kinda nice when Jou gets dirty.

Hayama: It's great.

Iuchi: It looks great on film, doesn't it?

Hayama: Going along with that, I guess I'd pick his first Change in episode 5. The scene where he crawls while still standing his ground is really memorable, don't you think? Boonboomger consists of a group of people who hold various beliefs, but among them, Jou possesses an honest sense of justice, and I think that was most strongly portrayed in episode 5. Watching him on set, I honestly felt like, "Ah, he's a hero."

Miyazawa: I think that out of all the characters in Boonboomger, the one who was closest to their role was Ryu, and there were countless times where I felt that he really linked up with Jou's honest character.

Iuchi: Yeah

Hayama: There were.

Miyazawa: Especially when he was trying to appeal to something. There was something about it that would just resonate with you. The same goes for the Keytarou episode, the scene with Itsuki-kun in episode 40, and the scene against the police squad in episode 46.

Hayama: Episode 40 was especially good!

Miyazawa: When it comes to tearful episodes, I think that most people would pick the one where Genba leaves, but I'd cry every time there was a Jou episode.

Saito: Eh?!

Miyazawa: No, it was frustrating how Ryu's performance made me cry.

Iuchi Hayama Suzuki Soma: (laughs).

Miyazawa: Still, it really touched my heart. I really think that only Saito Ryu could've played the role of Jou Akuse. He's also really good at action. He moves his body well.

Saito: That makes me happy!

Soma: For me, it's the part in episode 28 where he Boonboom Changes while running into the fight against Neon Grumer.

Saito: Yeah, I was filmed wearing a maskless Boonboom suit.

Soma: That maskless facial expression, and the intense passion conveyed through his lines. I guess you could call it a "feeling of hitting the right mark." Zawa-kun mentioned it too, but his honesty resonates with you as you watch him, which is exactly in line with Jou, but I think is the same for Ryu too.

Suzuki: I talk about it in every interview we do, but my pick is always going to be episode 15. His crying face at the end when he took down Kaseki Grumer was heartbreaking, and there's also the scene where Jou makes up his mind.

Saito: It was when he said, "I'll take him down!"

Suzuki: Yeah. Despite feeling conflicted, he said he'd fulfill his duty as a police officer. That was also bittersweet. It was a scene that was really painful to watch.

Saito: My performative skills were still pretty rough during that episode, so I had alot of trouble with it. I think Director Hayama helped me alot in that episode.

Miyazawa: It's usually Jou who gets caught in the middle of a dilemma, don't you think? I guess expressing that is also quite difficult to do.

Saito: Yeah, it was. Every time I'd wonder at what point the conflict between what he wanted to do, what contribution he'd make as a police officer, and what decisions he'd make as a hero would alternate.

"What are some of the most memorable scenes involving Genba Bureki's Soma-san?"

Miyazawa: What should we do?

Suzuki: There's really nothing to say, right?

Soma: Why~?!

Hayama: I guess there's nothing in particular.

Soma: Well, guess I'll head home early then (laughs).

Iuchi Suzuki Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

Iuchi: Alright then, I'll start! I also like the scene in episode 27, where Genba leaves Boonboomger, but I've talked about it in many other places, so I'll name another scene. I recently had the chance to rewatch the clip of his first Change in episode 7, and I thought the whole sequence of movements, starting with the line, "I'm gonna accelerate you guys," and then raising the Boonboom Change Axe to then pull out the Boonboom Booster was incredibly cool.

Iuchi Suzuki: It was when he said, "(speaking in unison like Genba) Let's take control of the wheel of being Boonboomgers together!"

Saito: A key point is the part where he bounces his hand alittle.

Soma: You were paying attention, huh?

Iuchi: Furthermore, in Genba's case, he isn't characterized by his quick decisions, but by his slippery movements instead.

Soma: Was that……a compliment?

Iuchi: Huh, you don't get it?

Hayama: You're saying his movements are sexy, right?

Iuchi: Right, right, sexy!

Suzuki: Genba's movements had some sex appeal to them.

Iuchi: I could feel his mature sexiness, which is exactly in line with Genba. I felt that again when I rewatched it.

Miyazawa: For me……yeah, I think it'd be the part where he's sucking on a lollipop in the opening credits.

Soma: Why?!

Miyazawa: Sorry, that just sorta came out.

Soma: That's going way too far (laughs).

Miyazawa: That was just a joke (laughs), Genba and Sakito were involved in many scenes, so I had many opportunities to talk with Satoru, and I found him to be a really passionate guy when it came to his performance. In particular, he kept the alien setting a secret. That was the most surprising thing.

Suzuki: Eh, you knew from the start?

Soma: I knew about his real identity, but details like him being an heir of planet Bureki and the Hashiryan invasion came later.

Suzuki: Eh~. Still, you knew from the beginning that he was an alien.

Soma: Yeah, I knew.

Saito: So that's how it was.

Suzuki: Did everyone know?

Hayama: No, I also didn't know.

Soma: I think I mentioned it to Taiya along the way.

Iuchi: I only overheard alittle bit about it.

Suzuki: Heh~!

Miyazawa: Not only did he keep that a secret, but he also kept a clear plan in mind and made sure to express the way Genba "should be" in each and every scene. What was particularly memorable was the expression on Genba's face at the end of episode 26 when he saw Disrace. I thought that he had really brought out the best of everything he had accumulated up until that point. I'll never forget it.

Hayama: From there, Genba left Boonboomger and suffered for awhile, but in the beginning of the next episode where he had come back, Genba had a really refreshed look on his face (laughs).

Suzuki: I noticed that~!

Hayama: I once again thought that that kind of carefree vibe is unique to Genba Bureki.

Suzuki: It was that scene, where the camera pans from his legs to focus on his facial expression.

Hayama: Right. Also, Satoru-kun's scripts were amazing. I could catch a glimpse of them from the post recording microphone next to me, and they'd be completely red. This of course varies from person to person, as I myself am the type who doesn't write many notes, but even so, I was impressed by his enthusiasm to learn.

Soma: I'm just prone to worrying (laughs).

Hayama: They were so red, that it makes me want to post a photo on SNS so that everyone can see.

Iuchi: You really pay attention to the smallest of details.

Saito: Regarding the scene in episode 33 where Genba returns, the Action Director of "Kamen Rider Gavv," who I had the opportunity to speak with at the studio, highly praised it by saying, "The expressions on Taiya and Genba's faces as they stared at each other were really good."

Soma: Eh, really? Should I move over to Gavv's set now?

Iuchi Hayama Saito Miyazawa: (laughs).

Suzuki: Please stop (laughs).

Saito: I'd like to bring up the scene in episode 15, where Jou and Genba talk. At the end, Genba mutters, "A lonely dinosaur, huh?…," and at the time of filming I thought, "What is this line?" When I look back at this scene now, the kind, lonely, and indescribable expression on Satoru-kun's face really hit me.

Suzuki: For me it'd also have to be episode 33, but it's for the scene between Shirabe-san and Genba. I felt like he poured out everything he had been holding back up to that point.

Soma: That's something I discussed with Director Nakazawa Shojiro.

Suzuki: On another occasion, the Director told me, "I told him that it'd be more like Genba to hold back there," but finding the right balance must've been very difficult, right? Mira is someone who can show her emotions, but he won't be the same Genba if he shows too much, and if he holds back too much, it'll seem like he's lost his humanity. After hearing that story, I rewatched the second half of episode 33, where he comes back to us, and was convinced as I thought, "So that's the reason." Something will make his heart tremble, but he won't shed tears, and I think that's appropriate for Genba.

Iuchi: Come to think of it, Yu-kun mentioned his identity being revealed, but is it okay if I add something quick?

Miyazawa: Go ahead!

Iuchi: At a later date, Satoru-kun told me why he only revealed it to me, that being, "I think Taiya would've already noticed." Just hearing that…no, he really thinks about the details of details.

Suzuki: That's Amazing!

Soma: Not at all.

Iuchi: What's more, at that time, the details hadn't been worked out yet, but when I read the script for episode 27, Chasshiro asks, "Did you know?," to which Taiya replies, "I had a feeling he wasn't an Earthling," so it was just as Satoru-kun had predicted.

Suzuki: I see!

Iuchi: Satoru-kun is amazing, even though it wasn't his role, he thought Taiya already noticed.

Hayama: How do you even think that far ahead?!

Iuchi: Right? It's really amazing.

Soma: It's embarrassing.

"Finally, there's Sakito Homura's Miyazawa-san."

Hayama: After all, he has the longest acting career out of all of us, so I was always inspired by him.

Iuchi: No, seriously. With that being that case, it'll be hard trying to narrow it down to just one thing.

Hayama: My favorite scene was without a doubt the one at the beginning of episode 29. I had created my performance to a certain extent and took it to the set, but then Sakito started doing moves that I would've never expected (laughs).

Suzuki: You were like, "Wait, this isn't what I had in mind!" (laughs).

Hayama: That's how I felt. Still, I thought that if I became intimidated here, I'd lose to Zawa-kun, so I tried a variety of things on my own. I think it was one of the opportunities for me to grow as an actor, and it's a scene that left a very strong impression on me.

Miyazawa: If we were at the Deliverer's garage like normal, you could imagine what you'd be like, but with filming on location, you don't really know until you get there. In my case, I was pretty much doing things in the moment.

Iuchi: When I got involved with Yu-kun, that's where I'd really learn something. If I'm not mistaken, the scene where we're all talking and having fun in the final episode was also changed on set.

Suzuki: Eh, is that true?

Iuchi: I talked it over with Yu-kun, and he asked me something along the lines of if I wanted to be the "first to respond," but with Sakito, I thought words were unnecessary, so I just tapped my fist against his chest and said, "I'm counting on you" ……I said that just before the take, right?

Miyazawa: That's right.

Iuchi: I really liked the look on Sakito's face in that scene, and thanks to that, Taiya felt like, "Now Earth is in good hands," and even though it was done on the spot, Yu-kun responded perfectly in his performance.

Miyazawa: I think I was able to respond because there was something about Haruhi's performance that resonated with me.

Soma: Even without any lines, Sakito was able to convey the message he wanted to say. That was also the case with the sumo episode, and I learned alot from watching it.

Miyazawa: I'm grateful.

Soma: Genba himself isn't a character with many lines, so when he was silent, I would just look at everyone's expressions, but even in those moments, I felt that Zawa-kun had a wide range of performative skills to draw from.

Saito: I was impressed by his interactions with Byundi. He was constantly talking with Suit Actor Takada Masashi-san, as well as BoonViolet's Tsuta-san, but seeing him talk all the time, even when the cameras weren't on, taught me how to approach acting.

Miyazawa: I'm sure this is true for everyone, but this was the first time I interacted with a Suit Character and performed a role together with a Suit Actor. With that being the case, I think we each had our own ideas of, "What I'd do if I were you," and I wanted to present a character that matched that of BoonViolet, and by extension, Sakito Homura.

Suzuki: Sakito has a childlike charm, a presence that makes everyone tremble easily, and a unique sex appeal, and while we were shown various sides of him, there's a sense of unity that made him look like a proper individual. I think that's what Zawa-kun put into consideration when playing the role of Sakito.

Miyazawa: That makes me happy. Let's all go out for yakiniku next time.

Iuchi Hayama Saito Soma: Yay!

Suzuki: We've been waiting for that!

Miyazawa: Ah! Is that what you guys were after?! (laughs).

-The six people who finished Boonboomger-

"I think it's time we conclude, but we'd like to ask each of you one last time for your thoughts on the past year."

Iuchi: It was fun.

Hayama: It was, wasn't it?

Suzuki: Wait, wait, hold on (laughs).

Soma: Isn't that too short?

Suzuki: It is!

Saito: Well, it is true that it was fun…

Miyazawa: No, stop, speak one at a time, let's do this properly.

Hayama: We got along well with each other over the past year, and I of course hope that we can continue to be friends, but when I see the five of them, I feel like I've learned so much as an actor. In that sense, what was great about being a Boonboomger was that I was able to gain some really good experience for my future acting career by working together with these five people. I realize I'm talking seriously now, but I'm truly happy that I got to meet these five actors.

Suzuki: I'm truly happy from the bottom of my heart that I was apart of these six, and I hope that even after 10 or 20 years have passed, our current relationship will continue. They're my best friends.

Hayama: If something ever happens, us five will be there for you.

Suzuki: That's reassuring!

Saito: Miu-chan summed up everything just now. I thought the same thing after finishing filming, but I think it was actually a good thing. I would've hated it if any one of us was missing, and I honestly feel that the hard work we all put in over the past year was well worth it.

Suzuki: It's kinda sad that it's over…

Soma: On the very day of the wrap up, I think I was relaxed, as I thought, "Ah, it's over~," but when we actually wrapped up, I was so overwhelmed with emotion, that it surprised even myself.

Miyazawa: It was more than you were expecting, huh? I'm surprised.

Soma: Over the past year, I really saw alot of what I liked about everyone, and it was also really exciting when Zawa-kun joined us halfway through. I really think that the balance between these six people is outstanding, and I think we became such a great team because of all the wonderful qualities everyone has. Thank you so much!

Suzuki: Encountering you all and the time we spent together was irreplaceable, and it'll stay with me for the rest of my life.

Miyazawa: I arrived along the way, where I ended up joining a team already consisting of five people, but they were five truly charming people. We got along well in the drama and in our daily lives, and there was so much that I learned from them, so I want to be the first to say how grateful I am that we were able to do this together for a year. And, while this may be the end of Boonboomger, I hope that each one of us will take the experience we've gained from this production to the next level, and that one day, when the time comes for "all these members to gather," we'll already be capable of aiming higher and attract the attention of many people. That's why I hope you'll still support us and continue to carefully watch over us.

"And now, we'd like to ask Iuchi-san for some closing remarks."

Iuchi: Is it alright if it's abit long?

Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma Miyazawa: Of course!

Iuchi: Boonboomger was my first drama job, and I played the main role of Red. Super Sentai productions are a team effort, so I didn't want to get too worked up about being known as the star or leader. However, in interviews I was often asked, "What's your enthusiasm as the leader?," and in the beginning, I'd go into the set being 90% anxious and 10% excited. Also, I'm the type of person who values spending time alone, and while I don't know if there were moments where they didn't think well of me, everyone accepted me for who I was and treated me in a really kind and friendly manner, so I have nothing but gratitude for that. Recently, I've had more opportunities to hear people say to me, "You've grown in the past year," and while I think that's only natural due to how I interacted with people on set and how the staff guided me when I didn't know anything, the most important thing was that I received so much from everyone I performed with. That said, I do think I've grown over the past year. We were all talking about it before this interview, but even after it's over, I sincerely hope from the bottom of my heart that we can get together regularly afterwards to talk about casual things and spend time together. Finally, I have a confession…….I came to Tokyo by myself for this job, and these five are the first friends I made! Let's continue to get along well!

Hayama Suzuki Saito Soma Miyazawa: That makes us happy!

[damnbluewires]

your mom lets you have a disorder?

[phagodyke]

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.

[underscorezoo]

“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?!”

[xoxo-sarah]

A Chance

My Wife part 3

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

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.”

Part 4 (TBA)

•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!]

[ateezscupid]

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.

[aceof-stars]

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.

[pirateprincessblog]

the other man

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.

"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.

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."

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.

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."

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

[bucketbueckers]

I'D RATHER PRETEND

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

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'

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

[snowysosturn]

Fire & Desire - Matt Sturniolo Part 2

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6

Pairing: Y/n x Matt Sturniolo

Summary: Y/n has always clashed with Matt. Despite working for Chris’s clothing brand and being close with Nick, her relationship with Matt has always been tense at best. While being forced to be around each other more, their animosity turns into something deeper. Can they overcome their differences, or will their fiery emotions tear them apart?

Warnings: MDNI, angst, bickering, mention of toxic relationship, aftermath of a toxic relationship, arguments, tension

I step carefully through the wreckage of my apartment, trying to see what’s salvageable so I could have a few things to live out of, staying with the triplets. Most of my things are either smashed, torn, or covered in a fine layer of dirt and glass shards. Ethan didn’t just take his belongings, he left destruction in his wake.

I sigh, kneeling down to inspect what’s left. A lot of it can be replaced, I tell myself. Furniture, dishes, even the picture frames, it’s all just stuff. But as I rummage through the mess, a sinking feeling sets in. Something’s missing.

My heart races as I scan the countertop near the bathroom. I dig through drawers, lift pillows off the bed, and even check the edge of the shower where I remember setting it.

“My locket..” I whisper.

The small, gold locket my grandfather gave me before he passed. Engraved with his writing, something I felt always brought me good luck. I only take it off to shower, but this morning, in the rush of everything, I forgot to put it back on after. Now, it’s gone.

I stand still, gripping the edge of the sink. Of all the things Ethan could have taken or destroyed, why this? I close my eyes, trying to steady myself, but the loss feels heavier than the rest of the chaos combined.

“Y/n?” Nick’s voice snaps me back to reality.

“I’m almost done” I call back, my voice cracking slightly.

“We’ll wait in the car, take your time.” Nick says, as the three of them leave my apartment.

I grab my suitcase, throwing in whatever clothes and keepsakes I can save. My heart aches as I step over broken memories, knowing I’ll never feel at home here again.

As I walk out of the apartment, I take one last glance at the space that used to be mine. Now it’s just a reminder of what I’ve lost, and what I need to leave behind.

Outside, I see the triplets waiting in Chris’s car. Chris is leaning against the driver’s door, scrolling on his phone. Matt is in the passenger seat, looking like he couldn’t care less about the situation. Nick spots me and jogs over, taking the suitcase from my hand without saying a word.

“You okay?” Nick asks softly.

I nod, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Let’s just get out of here.”

Chris looks up as Nick loads my suitcase into the trunk. “You sure you’ve got everything?”

“Yeah..” I reply, forcing a weak smile, wanting to grab the empty space on my chest where my locket would’ve lay, knowing the one thing I promised to never lose, is now gone.

Matt lets out an exaggerated sigh as I climb into the backseat. “Thank god, I’m still starving.”

The drive to their house is tense. Chris hums along to the radio, Nick tries to lighten the mood by cracking a few jokes, and Matt stays silent, occasionally scrolling on his phone. I stare out the window, trying to focus on anything but the knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.

This wasn’t how things were supposed to go. But for now, I had no choice but to figure out how to move forward.

We pull into the garage of the triplets’ house, a place I’ve been to more times than I can count. Between my friendship with Nick and working with Chris, this house isn’t unfamiliar territory. The three story house is a place full of energy, chaos, and, right now, tension.

Chris parks the car, and I step out, clutching my suitcase in one hand. Nick is already out of the car and at the door, holding it open for me like the good friend he is, while Matt trails behind us, dragging his feet like he’s walking to his own execution.

“You know where everything is” Nick says as he ushers me inside.

I step inside, suitcase in hand, the stairs creaking slightly as I lug my suitcase up to the main living area. Chris floated off into his bedroom on the way in, and Matt made comfort for himself on the couch. From there, I follow Nick up the next flight to the top level of the house. My new “room” is just outside Nick’s.

The podcast room, or what used to be the podcast room, is a tiny square area tucked at the end of the top of the stairs. The artificial walls are still standing, flimsy and paper thin, painted in mismatched shades of white, pink, and turquoise. It’s like stepping into a DIY project someone abandoned halfway through. The floor is covered in black and white checkered lino, glaringly out of place against the rest of the house.

“It’s not the Ritz” Nick says, scratching the back of his neck, “but we can make it work. I’ll help you get set up.”

“No it’s fine, I appreciate it” I reply, offering a small smile. “You’re saving my ass right now.”

I drop my suitcase on the floor and glance around. The space is.. A space. Let’s go with that. It doesn’t have a door, just an open entrance directly leading to the stairs, and Nick’s bedroom door opposite me, but I can’t exactly complain. I knew this was a temporary solution.

Nick gestures to the far corner. “We can fit a bed over there, maybe a little shelf or something for your stuff. I’ll start looking for furniture now.”

“Thanks, Nick.”

He grins. “What are best friends for?”

I glance at the walls, noticing faint pencil marks where posters and soundproofing foam used to be. The room is oddly quiet, considering how thin walls are, I know on a day to day basis they aren’t much of a barrier, but they’ll give me some semblance of privacy.

I roll my suitcase over to the corner and I unzip it, beginning to pull out my toiletries, placing them on the floor beside me as I try to figure out the best way to organize everything. Toothbrush, toothpaste, skincare stuff, my shampoo and conditioner.

“Uh, Nick?” I call out, glancing over my shoulder at him. “I’m not really sure where to put my toiletries. Using your bathroom would mean I’d be going in and out of your room all the time, and that could get pretty inconvenient.. especially if you’re asleep or something.”

Nick tilts his head, considering. “Yeah, that might get a little awkward. You could always use Matt’s bathroom, I mean it’s not in his room, and everyone uses it anyway.”

I freeze for a second, side eyeing Nick. “Matt’s bathroom?”

“Yeah” Nick says, as if it’s the simplest solution in the world. “It’s easier, and you won’t have to tiptoe around me.”

I glance down at the stairs knowing Matt’s down there, already dreading how this conversation is going to go. As if on cue, Matt’s voice echoes from somewhere below. “Wait what?”

Nick leans over the railing. “I said Y/n could use your bathroom since it’s easier. It’s not a big deal.”

Matt appears at the bottom of the stairs, his expression a mix of disbelief and irritation. “Why does it have to be my bathroom? You’ve got one. Chris has one.”

“Because it’s not in anyone’s bedroom” Nick explains to him. “And it’s right down the stairs.”

Matt runs a hand through his hair, clearly annoyed.

I sigh, standing at the top of the stairs, crossing my arms. “Look, I’ll keep my stuff out of the way, and I won’t use it when you’re in there. It’s not like I’m going to live in your bathroom.”

Matt narrows his eyes, muttering under his breath, “Feels like it.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “Stop being dramatic. It’s not like she’s going to redecorate your shower.”

I shoot Matt a pointed look. “Believe me, this is just as awkward for me as it is for you. But I’m not exactly drowning in options right now.”

Matt throws his hands up. “Fine. But if my stuff goes missing or gets moved, we’re gonna have a problem.”

Nick rolls his eyes. “You’ll survive, Matt. Trust me.”

Matt mutters something under his breath before heading back to sit on the couch. I turn to Nick, who just shrugs with a lopsided smile.

“Don’t worry about him” Nick says. “He’ll get over it. Eventually.”

I sigh, rubbing my temples. “Yeah, let’s hope that happens sooner rather than later.”

Deciding that keeping my toiletries in my little makeshift room for now is the safest bet, I arrange them neatly in the corner. I’ll just grab what I need when I need it and take them down to Matt’s bathroom individually. No reason to make this situation worse, or give Matt another excuse to complain.

Nick, still leaning against the doorframe of his own room, looks up from his phone. “I just checked some spots online for a bed. Macy’s has a decent one we can go pick up today.”

Matt, who’s clearly eavesdropping from the couch below, calls out, “I’m not driving. Ask Chris.”

“You’re so helpful, Matt. Seriously.” Nick yells down the stairs.

I sigh, standing up. “It’s fine, I’ll go ask Chris.”

Leaving Nick and Matt to bicker, I head down the stairs to the bottom floor of the house where Chris’s room is. His door is slightly ajar, so I knock lightly. “Chris?”

No response. I push the door open a little more, peeking inside. Chris is sprawled out on his bed, fast asleep, with one arm draped over his eyes. His phone is charging on the nightstand, and a half empty bottle of pepsi sits next to it.

For a moment, I debated whether I should wake him up. I decided against it since I’ve just moved into the place, the last thing I want to do is make demands or step on anyone's toes. 

I turn on my heel to walk back up the stairs, Nick and Matt still bickering in the distance, I hesitate at the bottom, my hand gripping the banister tightly as I hear Matt's voice. His tone is sharp, laced with irritation.

“I just don’t get why she has to live here” he hisses, clearly unaware that I’m within earshot. “Like, does she not have any other friends?”

My stomach twists at his words, and my steps slow, barely making a sound.

“She does, Matt.” Nick retorts, his voice firm. “But she’s also my best friend, and I’m sure Chris would consider her one of his too. This will also make things easier for them both for work purposes. Like you’re the only one with an issue here.”

I stay frozen in place, torn between storming up there and pretending I didn’t hear a thing.

“Yeah” Matt scoffs, his voice dripping with sarcasm, “and I bet Chris only gave her the job because he wants to smash.”

His comment lands like a punch to the gut, my heart sinking. I stand there, gripping the railing, trying to push away the sting of his words.

Nick lets out a frustrated sigh. “Seriously, Matt? That’s low, even for you. Chris gave her the job because she’s good at it, and you know it. Maybe if you actually got to know her instead of acting like an ass all the time, you’d see that too.”

There’s a brief silence, and I think about heading back to Chris’s room to avoid hearing any more, but my feet feel glued to the spot.

Matt’s voice cuts through the pause. “Whatever, man. Just don’t expect me to be all buddy buddy with her. She’s your friend, not mine.”

I take a deep breath, swallowing the lump in my throat. I’ve always known Matt and I didn’t get along, but hearing him talk about me like that feels different.

Determined not to let them see how much it affected me, I make my way up the stairs, forcing my steps to sound casual. As I approach, Nick glances over his shoulder at me, his expression softening into something apologetic. Matt doesn’t even look my way, his jaw set and his arms crossed.

“Chris is asleep” I say, keeping my voice calm. “I didn’t want to wake him.”

Nick sighs, pushing himself up from where he was leaning against the wall. “Alright, guess that leaves us with Plan B.”

Matt immediately looks skeptical. “What’s Plan B?”

“You.” Nick says as if that was a stupid thing to ask.

Matt groans, his head tipping back dramatically. “Are you serious? Why do I have to do it?”

“Because you’re here, you have a car, and Chris is asleep” Nick counters, folding his arms. “Stop being difficult and help.”

Matt looks between the two of us, his jaw tightening. “Fine” he finally says, his tone clipped. “But if I’m driving, you both owe me food, since I never got it earlier..”

Nick smirks. “Deal.”

“And I’m not spending hours out here either, I’ve places to be later.” Matt says firmly, as he grabs his keys.

Nick, already halfway down the stairs, doesn’t even look back. "Relax, Matt. Looking for bedding isn’t going to make you miss your date later."

I glance at Matt, who scowls, his expression hardening even further. "Good. Because I’m not ditching plans to play chauffeur."

“Yeah, yeah, we get it” Nick says with a dismissive wave as we step outside toward the car.

I follow behind, trying to suppress my irritation at Matt’s attitude, silently wishing this entire situation didn’t feel so awkward, and I didn’t overhear that conversation.

As we climb in to the car, I silently promise myself I’ll try to stay out of Matt’s way as much as possible. If only it were that easy.

a/n: my sleep pattern is FUCKED so parts might be all over the place

taglist : @mattybearnard @sturn-33 @ncm9696 @yourfavsturniologirl @crazy4jewel @sodakid1234 @stupendoustreewinner @lovealwayssturniolos @matthewsturniolosss @m4ttsmunch @loveexxx @ilusa @starkeyszn @wonnieeluvvr @dylnblue @valxrieq @maggot3647 @cigarettecemetary @ribread03 @chrisstvrns @bandasaruswrx @noplaceissafeanymore @amexiass @witchofthehour @mattssgf @jetaimevous @v33angel  @ivysturnss @urmom69lol @ashlishes @watercolorskyy @sturnioloshottiekay @amelia-sturniolo3 @imjusthereforthesturniolosmut @pvssychicken @alizestvrnss @chrisstxrnsaxe @sophand4n4 @vickytaa @marrykisskilled @bxtchboy69 @yourfavsturniologirl @julisturn @sydneyylainn @sophia-77n @trevorsgodmother @sturnslutz @yourmother29 @girl24cherry @astronea @pinkdyit

[harrysgal]

I DIG YOUR CINEMA (9)

harry styles x yn aspiring filmmaker — social media AU

About the smau: yn starts posting videos on youtube and is trying to build a career as a filmmaker. Things are going pretty well for her and she starts getting more attention when she creates content about shows she goes to. She’s also a fan of Harry’s music and some of his fans start getting suspicious when his team starts interacting with her.

Disclaimer: The story it’s set in 2021 and it will follow their relationship through the LOT leg in the US. Since this is nothing but fiction, I will be following some of the real timeline but also adding my own stuff. On top of that, I won’t be basing myself on Harry’s actual posts.

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PART 8 // MASTERLIST

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I DIG YOUR CINEMA (PART 9) — BEFORE NASHVILLE

liked by bestfriend, lookitsnyoh, sisterinlaw and 65,017 others 

yourinstagram chicago, i will never forget you. had nothing but fun and did nothing but laugh. i might’ve also cried a little, but that was just to balance things out. it’s okay. you’re worth it every time. i might’ve arrived in nashville right now, but my mind is still there with you. lets do it again sometime. all my love. yn. 

view all 5,361 comments

user7 AHHH YOU’RE BACK harryfan43 GIRL WE MISSED YOU YOU CANT GO MISSING ON US LIKE THIS 😭 harryfan3 ohhh, so you were still in Chicago

↳ harryfan7 of course she was. she couldn’t leave without sightseeing  ↳ harryfan3 of course she couldn’t !

bestfriend what is this? a love letter to chicago? 

↳ yourinstagram are you surprised? ↳ bestfriend not at all lol

harryfan34 I don’t even read your captions anymore I just know they’ll say something stupid harryfan54 3rd picture is exactly the reason why I don’t like you. you’re constantly finding a way to beg for attention.   harrystyles thats interesting 

↳ harryfan19 HARRY???? ↳ harryfan21 SIR WTF ↳ harryfan29 WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE ↳ harryfan31 ??????????  ↳ harryfan33 WHAT IS THIS WHATS HAPPENING RN ↳ harryfan35 are you all seeing this comment too? or have I gone officially insane now?

user9 that quote! 👏 such a clever and classy way to tell everyone to fuck off

↳ harryfan66 so you think it’s classy to mix your job with orgasms? ↳ harryfan11 if the job involves harry styles, then yes x ↳ harryfan25 THE WAY I JUST GASPED

user27 why do you treat yn as if she’s 10yo? and why do you act as if she’s got this corporate job or something where she needs to act a certain way? please grow up

↳ harryfan56 no matter what the job is, you should always respect your superiors  ↳ user27 for the love of God you’re making me gag  

user35 why did you cry? :( harryfan15 WHY ARENT WE TALKING ABOUT THE DOGS BEING BACKSTAGE IN CHICAGO??? 

Sep 28, 2021. •

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liked by user1, bestfriend, and 47 others

ynupdates Ny Oh (Harry Styles’ band) just posted a picture of Yn on instagram! Apparently, the two of them were out and about in Nashville. She also posted a picture of flowers, which is extremely Yn coded haha 😄 

view all 12 comments  user7 ahh, I think this is the first time anyone posts a picture of her? 🥺 why does it make me emotional? lol

↳ user8 I know, I love to see them hanging out together  ↳ user9 same here!! also, I love how supportive she is by hiding yn’s face  ↳ user7 proof that you can be on social media and still remain private  ↳ user9 PREACH

harryfan5 most supportive friend following and liking pictures from this account… we like to see 

↳ ynrryfan ＠bestfriend you’re the best we love you

harryfan9 someone pls explain to me why i feel so protective of this woman? 😭

Sep 28, 2021. •

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Hey Deux! I work in a golf course here in Chicago, and I might have some info that will probably interest your followers… Last Sunday I was at work when a very famous british popstar (who had just played two shows in town and had already visited us multiple times before) showed up with a female guest. They were both very low-key and clearly not wanting to draw any attention to them, but it was very difficult when you’re someone who looks like HIM, lol. Anyway, the popstar and the youtuber spent most of their afternoon there, just the two of them. She clearly isn’t a golfer, but he was more than happy to teach her all about the sport and just have fun for the sake of it. Not a lot happened, and as far as I could see, they never held hands, nor kissed or got touchy with each other, but they were chatting and laughing a lot, all the time. So even though I can’t tell you for sure if they were on a date or not, I feel pretty confident to say that they’re clearly way comfortable with each other’s company. They seem like two people who know each other very well by now, so even if they’re not a couple, they’re definitely near the besties-zone! 

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Hey Deux, Chicago-golf-course-girl here!  Following up on my previous email, I didn’t say anything at first because tbh it wasn’t my first time seeing him, and also bc I’m used to seeing celebrities at the golf course. Besides, I didn’t know who she was so I didn’t think too much of it… But then somehow the algorithm brought her latest post to my attention earlier today, and that’s when I saw the name and connected the dots. I thought it was very interesting how she included a picture from the golf course but completely left out who she was with lol. Had I known it was her, I would’ve definitely taken a picture for you! Idk why her posts are so cryptic about what she looks like, because the girl is GORGEOUS! And funny. Harry isn’t wasting any of his time! Would’ve definitely taken her to the golf course myself, too, lmao. 

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liked by user3, loveynrry, bestfriend and 27 others

ynupdates Yn tonight! She was spotted filming Harry and enjoying his first show in Nashville. 

view all 81 comments harryfan5 HI MOM user9 oh i love this! harryfan68 You mean… She was spotted doing her job? Lmao  harryfan44 Are you kidding me? harryfan44 A whole instagram to update what exactly? The way she follows Harry around? 😂😂😂

↳ ynupdates I know it’s hard for you to comprehend that Yn is a human being with her own talent and her own job, but many of us are really interested in her career so if you don’t have anything nice to say about her you’ll simply be blocked! Have a nice life.

Sep 29, 2021. •

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— — — — — 

PART 10 — NASHVILLE (soon)

— — — — —

[nmakii]

SWAY WITH ME…

— a date with alastor didn’t go as he had planned… but, it wasn’t that bad after all…

hi!!! i saw this idea from @callmechito and, i didnt make the idea exactly the way specified. but, i really wanted to try :)!! it is late at night though, so i did not make it as long as i wanted it to be (sorry if it’s rushed!!)

acid rain. perhaps it would’ve been wiser to check the 666 news weather report before scheduling your date…

you stood by the window of your hotel room, wearing what you’d call your sunday’s bests. thousands of sinners’ skins burning on impact from the acidic rain pouring outside.

knock!

“s/o, are you decent? may i come in?” a static voice came from the other side of the door. “uuh, yeah! come in” you called back to him as he gently opened the door.

and on the other side of the door, you saw a different side of alastor that had never been seen before; a smitten yet small smile drawn on his face, wearing a red coat, as per usual (though this time, his coat is not tattered), and his big doe eyes shyly looking at the outfit you’d chosen for your proposed date.

alastor let out a quiet sigh, an overwhelming feeling filling his chest, making it hard to breath. “my dear! well, aren’t you stunning? i might just drop dead right now, haha!” alastor laughed, a laugh track joining along. “haha… it’s a shame that we have to cancel our date…” you smiled bittersweetly, quite honestly looking forward to the date. it must have been a millennia since your last date, not to mention how it is with alastor, hell’s most eligible bachelors if i do say so myself…

“well, who said we had to cancel our date?” he tilted his head. “i’d think the rain outside would speak for itself…” you muttered out. “we could just have our date here at the hotel! we could simply move the date to my hotel room, would you like that?” his fingers tapped against his staff.

“su-“”brilliant! let’s make haste now!” he smiled gleefully, taking his hand in yours and shadow teleporting you to his hotel room— the warm red tones of the hotel harshly contrasting with the cool blue and green tones of the forest on the other side.

alastor took your fingers in his hand and gently guided you to a table with two seats. he pulled one out and helped you into the chair. “just sit tight now, darling. i’ll have niffty whip something up for us.” he smiled before leaving the room.

minutes later, alastor came back— two delectable dishes in hand. he placed one in front of you before sitting down himself and digging in.

the two of you had spent your dinner getting to know each other better (more like just him getting to know you better…), talking about whatever came to mind.

not for one second had you ever doubted alastor tonight. everything coming from his beautifully thin lips had sounded as genuine as ever.

after dinner had ended, you wiped your mouth with the napkin on your lap. “alastor, i had a really good time…” you grinned awkwardly, blood rushing to your face. “i think i must go now, i have a busy day tomorrow…” you frowned slightly before standing up to leave.

“nonsense! come, dance with me for a while, would you?” he teasingly pleaded, placing a hand on your shoulder. you hesitated for a while, considering the consequences of staying up an extra few minutes. “ahh… i guess it couldn’t hurt..” you smiled as alastor walked to his vinyl record played, placing the needle onto the grooves of the CD.

as alastor placed a hand on your shoulder and hip, sway by michael bublé began playing. you copied his actions, placing your own hands on his hip and shoulder as the two of you began dancing to the soft music, alastor’s soft voice singing along to the tune.

you soaked in the soft sight of the scary radio demon, as docile as a doe. you rested the side of your head against alastor’s chest, feeling every vibration as he sang. alastor sighed softly, all of this simply being too much for him to act calmly.

all of these emotions were too much, alastor needed a way to release them… he took his hand off of your shoulder before gently gripping your chin. he leaned down a bit before kissing you.

his lips smiled into the kiss, the hand on your hip snaking up to cup your cheek.

the kiss lasted quite long before he finally pulled away, a proud yet mischievous grin decorating his handsome face.

alastor leaned down, his mouth hovering over your ear. “would you like to know something, gorgeous?” he whispered, the hand on your chin resting once more on your shoulder. “i’d say i’m the luckiest man in hell right now, on a date with a treasure like you. i might just die, again!” he laughed. though, despite his joke— when he had said that, the radio filter on his voice was gone, letting you hear his true voice.

you looked up to meet his careful gaze as you grinned lovingly “i had a marvelous time with you… you make me happy that… im in hell.” you laughed.

as the song stopped, alastor paused, thinking to himself quietly. he dropped your hand before cupping your back. “you said you must leave, didn’t you? i wouldn’t want to be the reason you’re groggy in the morning!” he smiled, walking you over to your hotel room, just a few ways down.

“i did have an amazing night with you, my dear. i hope we could do this again, perhaps again during an acid rain shower?” he teased while laughing. a calm composure remaining on his face.

and despite that poker face, he was in the best terms; burning on the inside out. his longing for you filling all of his senses. he must stay gentlemanly though… so, for now, he’ll cherish the beautiful date he had with you tonight.

[bloodmoon-bites]

Starscream X Cybertronian!Reader

18+ Minimal use of Y/N (he may be a bit OOC but i’ve never written for him before nor do i know too much about his idw version but i know him enough that i absolutely love him lol)

Word count: 10k+ (I DID NOT MEAN TO DO THIS MUCH)

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Starscream's angry words echoed through the chamber as he glared at you, his optics flashing with a mix of frustration and vulnerability. "You think you understand me, (Y/N)? You, a mere observer, dare to analyze my desire for redemption? It's not as simple as you make it out to be!" She met his intense gaze, feeling the weight of his emotions in the air. His anger seemed to transform into a raw, exposed honesty

(Y/N) stood there, her body turned towards the wall to his right but her face towards him as she stood straight with an unreadable expression on her face, his words sharp and angry, his voice loud and pained. Her jet wings were pointed in an almost defensive stance as she looked over at him, her vents becoming deep and short.

She finally spoke up, “Not that simple? a mere observer?” She turned to fully face him, “I have been by your side throughout the entire primus forsaken war Starscream! I have been here through everything! Who patched your wounds? Who stayed up countless nights watching over you?” she said with her voice growing louder. “I put my life on the line for you! I have stuck by you through every failure! Every spark breaking moment! I have never left your side! Never once have i questioned you!” She pointed a digit in his direction. “I understand you more than you understand yourself! I have given you everything and asked nothing in return! I chose you over everyone else! Even when everyone told me i was insane for sticking with you i stayed!�� she was yelling at this point with tears rolling down her face.

“You do not get to stand here and talk to me as if i’ve not stayed by your side for the last four million years!” she screamed with tears falling off of her faceplate, “I chose you above everything else! When no one else stayed I stayed! I never left you! I have just as big a hole to dig myself out of!” She said as she took a step closer. “Primus i have a larger one! I was nothing before the decepticons! Unless you forgot the absolute hell i grew up in! I understand you more than you will ever know! Why do you think i fragging stayed?!” she said as she finished, her invents becoming shaky and deep

Starscream's optics widened as he listened to (Y/N)'s passionate outburst. The room seemed to shrink around them, the weight of her words and the intensity of her emotions hanging thickly in the air. The anger and pain etched into her voice echoed in the air like a raw wound being laid bare. A heavy silence fell over them like a suffocating veil, his own emotions churned within him. His optics held a mix of awe, shame, and vulnerability. He took a few steps towards her, stopping just short of standing in front of her."(Y/N)," he spoke quietly, his voice cracking slightly.

"I...I never understood the depths of your loyalty... your dedication," he continued, his eyes flickering as he searched for the right words. "I've been so focused on my own ambitions, my own redemption, that I've failed to see the sacrifices you've made, the weight you've carried." He looked down at the ground, guilt written all over his faceplate. "You should have left me long ago... Yet you stayed, and for that, I-" he said, his voice cutting short as the lump in his throat became overwhelming.

His wings lowered in a gesture of both humility and surrender, and he let out a shaky exhale before meeting her gaze once more. "I don't deserve you, (Y/N). I never have. Everything I've done, all the pain I've caused... But now that you've given me a glimpse of your own wounds..." He stepped directly in front of her, looking deeply into her optics, his own optics flickering with a mix of admiration and vulnerability.

"Maybe we're both just broken bots trying to find redemption," he said, a hint of a humorless smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "But maybe, with each other, we can help each other heal." With that, he reached out a trembling hand towards her, hesitating for a moment before gently touching her cheek as if she was made of fragile crystal.

Her optics fell closed the moment his servo landed against her cheek and she leaned into his touch. The gesture so soft and reassuring but also so out of character for the normally arrogant and narcissistic mech she knew. She knew he had his moments where he’d let down his walls… but it didn’t make them any less important to her.

She opened her optics before moving to lean her head back up before placing her servos on either side of his face, “As much as you get on my nerves, as much as you can be insufferable and an asshole… i’ll keep choosing you… i’ll always chose you… And i don’t regret a thing…” She said as she looked into his optics her own searching the sea of red in his. “I know how much you’re hurting… i’ve seen the abuse you’ve been through… I know what that can do… but star i’m right here… i’m just as bad off as you are, but i’m still here, just as i’ve always been…” she whispered softly as she let out a soft sigh.

Starscream's spark seemed to swell with a complicated mix of emotions as he absorbed the weight of her words. The cold, hard steel of his usual facade began to crack and chip away as he gazed into the depths of her optics, seeing not just the bot who had stood by his side for so long, but a mirror to his own pain and trauma. He couldn't deny it anymore, not when she was standing in front of him, bearing her own wounds and yet still choosing to stay. He let out a shaky breath. "(Y/N)…" he said in a voice barely above a whisper.

"You... have no self-preservation. You're an idiot," he said with a half-hearted, self-deprecating smile. He brought his servos up to rest on top of hers, his grip steady but gentle, like a man holding a delicate bird without crushing its wings. "You could have, should have, walked away a million times by now. But you didn't. You stayed. Why?" His gaze burned into hers, intense and demanding, as if the reason for her loyalty could somehow heal his shattered spark.

She let out a huff akin to a laugh, “Because i see myself in you… i see my anger at the world for treating me how it has. I see the pain of repeated loss, of abuse thrown out at me for the smallest things… I see the internal struggle just to get through the day. I see the struggle to trust, to truly believe someone wants to stick around, that they won’t hurt you…” She whispered. “I’ve seen you work yourself half to death just to try and get some sort of recognition. I’ve done the same. I’ve stayed because of how much you remind me of myself. Painfully so.” She said as she closed her optics and pulled his head down a bit to rest his forehead against her own before she opened her optics again to look into his before letting his head go back to how it had been.

A mixture of disbelief and understanding washed over Starscream's faceplate as he listened to her words. The raw honesty in her voice stirred something deep within him, a recognition of the shared pain they both carried. As she nestled his forehelm against hers, he closed his optics, letting her words sink in, feeling the weight of her pain and vulnerability intertwine with his own. A heavy exhale escaped his parted lips as he opened his optics again, the intensity of his gaze locked with hers. "You see me," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You see the broken, tattered mess that I am. And yet you stay... I..." He trailed off, unable to find the words. A part of him still couldn't accept her loyalty, her belief in him. It went against everything he'd believed about himself, about the universe. But there was something about the connection they shared, the shared pain, the deep understanding of each other. It was as if she had peered into the darkest corners of his processor and wasn't repulsed. Instead, she saw him, truly saw him, and chose to stick by his side anyway.

She smiled softly as she took in his words as she slowly slipped a servo down to the middle of his chest, where his spark hid deep inside. She looked at where her servo laid. The ‘i see you’ saying was typically reserved for after spark bonding, used to strengthen the bond. But she didn’t care as she looked up at him. “I… see… you…” she whispered each word one at a time as she looked up into his optics, her own a reflection of understanding and acceptance. They had seen the deepest darkest corners they could of one another, sure there were still truly dark things they kept hidden, but they had bared their sparks and souls out to each other in countless conversations over the past 4 million years.

Starscream's optics widened in shock and surprise as she pressed her servo against his chest, where his spark lay hidden. The words 'I see you' struck him like a blaster bolt, sending a shockwave through his internals. As her optics met his, filled with a depth of understanding and acceptance that he had never seen from anyone before, his spark thrummed in response. He felt vulnerable, exposed, and yet...understood. He struggled to reply, his vocalizer glitching as he tried to find the words to articulate the emotions coursing through his circuitry.

It was as if a part of himself he had long ago suppressed had suddenly been uncovered. The desire for acceptance, the need to be seen for who he truly was, beyond the failed leader, the arrogant seeker, the traitorous pawn. He reached a trembling servo up to lightly place it on top of the one currently on his chest. His optics darted between her face and his own chest, a thousand emotions swirling within the sea of red. Finally, after a moment that seemed to stretch into an eternity, he spoke up, his voice trembling slightly. "You really mean it?" he asked quietly, his optics searching her face for any hint of insincerity.

He had to be sure. He had to know that this wasn't just some kind of trick. His trust had been shattered so many times before. But there was something in the way she looked at him, the way she said those words. It made him hope... against all logic, against all he had learned about the universe, he dared to hope.

“I… See… You…” she repeated softly, the words almost unheard between the two of them with how softly she spoke, “Every flaw… every perfection… i see you…” she said as she kept her optics on his, her servo splayed against his chest with his over holding hers against it. He saw her too and she knew it. They were two broken people, who found solace in the darkness of one another, in the reflected pain and the understanding. The two having become so close that they were practically two halves of one whole without truly being that way. They were so similar to one another that they were able to find comfort in one another.

The words repeated like an echo in his processors, each one striking a chord within his spark. Every flaw… every perfection. He could hardly believe it. Someone had not only accepted his flaws but also seen his good qualities for what they were. Not out of some obligation, but willingly, out of choice. A deep, guttural sob escaped his lips, the sound raw and pained as the weight of her words hit him like a tsunami hitting the shore. His knees trembled and gave way beneath him, and he sank to the ground. She followed him, falling to her knees with him as she looked into his optics, her other servo staying firm on his face as her other returned to his chest, feeling the beat of his spark beneath it. She focused in on the way his spark felt under her palm, the way hers began to sync up to the rhythm now that she held her servo against his chest.

She leaned forward and laid her forehead against his again and repeated her words once more, “I… See… You…” She said as her optics fell closed. She knew how significant those words were, she knew over and over every time she said them that the way she was using them were reserved for after spark bonding but damnit she meant it. Maybe one day she’d get to use them with someone she was bonded with, but for now he was the closest she had.

His spark felt like it was going to burst out of his chest at any moment. Between the proximity of their frames, the repeated words with undeniable meaning, and the way their sparks seemed to resonate in unison, he was nearly overcome. He let out another shuddering sob as he buried his face in her shoulder, his optics falling shut as he tried in vain to contain the flood of emotions coursing through him. Her presence, her words, her *acceptance*... it was overwhelming. He grasped at her, his servos trembling and uncoordinated, grabbing handfuls of her frame and pulling her closer. Every sensor in his body heightened, every processor seemed to only focus on her presence. Her touch, her voice, the pulse of her spark, the feel of her against him.

He couldn't speak. He couldn't think. He could only hold onto her as if she was the last fragment of solid ground above a bottomless, endless pit. After what felt like an eternity, he managed to find his voice again. His vocalizer crackled with static as he tried to force the words out, his vocalizer catching on each syllable.

"I…" he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. He could barely think straight with her this close, sparks practically dancing between the tips of their wings. "I…" he repeated, unable to finish the sentence, overwhelmed. He tried again, managing to force the words out as he held her even tighter against him. "I see you..." he said, the words choked with raw, unfiltered emotion. He held her like a drowning mech holding onto a lifeline, his hands digging into her plating. His spark pulsed wildly in his chest, resonating with hers in perfect sync. He had never felt so vulnerable… so exposed… and yet... so alive.

She immediately moved to wrap an arm around him as me moved to bury his head into her shoulder. She could feel as he clawed at the her back, grasping onto what he could and not letting go, grounding himself in her very being. His breathing trembled and so did his body. She laid her head to the side to lay against his.

As he spoke her optics opened wide as he repeated it back to her. She was almost breathless as her servo ran over the plating of his chest. She knew this was usually done while interfacing… but this moment seemed more intimate than interfacing could be. She sighed as her chest plating opened up, revealing the soft pink glow of her spark. She closed her optics praying to primus she wasn’t making a mistake. Starscream froze as she opened her chestplates, revealing the soft pink glow of her spark. His optics widened in surprise, taking in the sight of her spark laid bare before him. The raw intimacy of the moment hit him like a physical blow.

His breath caught in his throat as his own chestplates parted, revealing his own spark, its brilliant red glow a stark contrast to her pink one. They looked different physically, but they shared the same light. His hands trembled as he raised his servos to gently rest on either side of her spark chamber, afraid to touch, afraid to break this fragile, beautiful moment. Their sparks seemed to reach for each other, their tendrils swirling around one another, the edges of each spark gently brushing together.

A strangled noise escaped his vocalizer as the connection between them seemed to grow stronger, deeper. She looked into his optics as his servos moved away from her spark, tendrils of pink and red mixing together as she sat up on her knees and wrapped her arms around his neck as she lovingly pressed her lips against his, her lips moving softly against his.

She laid her servo against the back of his head as she leaned closer, their chests touching, very little space between their sparks as they kissed. She could feel the bond forming, she was taking a dive into his mind, every memory he held being shown to her and everyone of hers shown to him. They were diving through every inch of one another’s souls. Becoming intertwined for eternity. Starscream gasped into the kiss, the overwhelming wave of sensations washing over him, both physical and mental. He could feel their sparks connecting, the tendrils intertwining, the edges of their consciousnesses beginning to merge.

As their lips moved softly against each other's, he reached a servo up to gently cradle the side of her face. His mind reeled as memories, emotions, thoughts, and sensations danced between their connected sparks. They were becoming one. He wrapped his free arm around her waist, pulling her even closer, wanting her as close to him as possible. Their sparks glowed brighter as the connection grew stronger, the tendrils swirling together, their minds bleeding into each other.

He could feel every single thought, memory, and emotion that coursed through her mind. He saw the pain and loss, the resilience and strength. And she saw the same in him. They were no longer two separate entities. They were one being, sharing a single soul. She kissed him as she drank him in, every move of their lips against one another’s becoming more and more addictive. She continued her soft hold on the back of his head as they kissed. Their sparks slowly parted and slipped back into their chests as their chest plates slowly slid closed as she slowly pulled from his lips.

She kept her forehead against his, her lips only centimeters from his as she panted softly, trying to regain air as well as process the new found bond and being able to hear him in her own mind. The newly formed bond taking a toll on her, on both of them. However she had never felt so at peace, sitting here on the floor in his arms. He felt like *home*. Starscream's optics fluttered open as their lips parted. He found himself unable to look away, his gaze locked on her face. His own processor reeled as he felt the new bond settle, a constant presence in his mind. He could feel her thoughts, sense her emotions, just as she could surely sense his.

He leaned his forehelm against hers, his optics shutting once again as he let out a slow, shuddering breath. He felt safe. He felt seen. He felt... complete. "I…" he started, his vocalizer still crackling with static. He stopped for a moment, trying to find the words he so desperately wanted to say. He felt it in the bond between them, could see it in the look in her optics. It was the only thing that made sense now.

"I love you…" he said, his voice shaky and unsteady, but filled with raw sincerity.

She slowly moved her servos to either side of his face as she now practically sat straddling his lap, looking down into his optics as her thumbs gently rubbed over his cheeks as her breathing slowly began to even out, “I love you too…” She whispered softly as she tilted her head to kiss his nose before laying her forehead back against his.

Now she could finally say it to strengthen their new found bond, “I see you…” She whispered softly as she looked into the sea of red in his optics, feeling the sheer love he had for her in the back of her mind. She could feel how much he needed her, how much he truly cared for her even if he had never been able to express it. Starscream couldn't help but feel a lump form in his throat at her response, her voice so soft and full of tenderness. He could practically feel the love she had for him through the bond, the reassurance in her words settling over him like a warm blanket.

He reached up to gently take hold of her servos, his thumbs caressing her fingers as if trying to memorize the shape and feel of them. He was holding himself back, a lifetime's worth of experience telling him he didn't deserve this... but how could he not believe it when he could feel her love. He was about to speak again, but the words froze on his lips. The bond between them felt… different. Stronger, more concrete. He looked up at her, confusion and realization flaring in his optics.

"Did we just..." he whispered, his vocalizer still crackling with static, "Spark bond?"

He looked up at her, the reality of the situation sinking in. They had done the most intimate act a Cybertronian could commit. They were bonded, mind, body, and soul. She nodded softly against his forehead as she could feel the almost happy disbelief through their bond. She chuckled happily as her chest shook with each laugh, “Yeah… Yeah we did…” She said as she ran her servos over his cheeks and chuckled again as it settled in to her mind as well.

The weight of what they had done,

now two halves of one body, soul, and mind. They were mated for life, a fully bonded pair. Sure their bonding had been a bit unorthodox without doing whilst interfacing, without that act of exploring every inch of one’s body, of being in the midst of mind numbing pleasure… but that moment had been so intimate she wanted to do it then.

Besides, they could always have slow and intimate interfacing later with a bit of sparkplay, with allowing their sparks to intertwine once more. Starscream felt the laughter shake his own frame, his spark fluttering at the joyous sound. It was unbelievable. He had never thought he would ever find a mate. He had thought himself not worthy of such happiness. But here he was, bonded to the most beautiful being he'd ever laid optics on, the connection between their sparks flaring with new depth and intensity. His spark practically sung in his chest, singing only for her.

He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her to sit fully atop his lap, the contact against her frame sending a shiver up his frame. Now that they were bonded, it was like a switch had been flipped, and the full force of his emotions had been unleashed. He let out a shuddering sigh as he ran his servos over her frame, almost reverently touching every inch of her. She was his. And he was hers.

He pulled her against him, holding her tight in his arms. The feeling of her against him, the bond between their sparks singing in his processor, the knowledge that she was his- all of it combined to make him feel like he was on cloud nine. And he still found himself wanting more. He needed more. He needed to show her how much she meant to him. He needed to worship her like the goddess she was. He ran a servo up the side of her back, following the contour of her wings as he buried his face in the crook of her neck. He pressed a single kiss against the sensitive wires there, his frame shuddering against hers as he moved to nip softly at the edge of her wing.

She let out a soft inhale as she was pulled into his lap before she smiled. Her optics slowly closed as he moved to place a feather light kiss to the crook of her neck as his digits began to run over the backs of her sensitive wings. She reached up to do the same with his, her digits running over his wings as he placed a light nip against the upper edge of her wing. She let out a shaky sigh before she turned her head so she could whisper into his audial. “I don’t think your office is the best place to continue this…” She said with a soft sigh as she continued to trail the tips of her digits over his wings as he did with hers Starscream shuddered against her, the sensation of her servos running over his wings driving him mad. He let out a shaky breath before he spoke, his voice filled with unbridled desire.

"Agreed."

He pulled her closer against his frame as he slid his servos to her hips, lifting her from the floor as he got to his feet. He kept his arms encircled around her, the need to have her against him as much as possible almost overwhelming. "My quarters are nearby." She nodded as she slowly stood up with him, “Walk there or me teleport us?” she asked softly as she moved her servos back to his face, her digits mapping out as much as she could as she held him in her servos, her red optics on his.

Starscream paused for a moment, his processor briefly considering each option. He took a moment to relish the feel of her servos on his face before speaking. "Teleport us," he said, his voice thick with desire. "Quicker. Less chance of being interrupted." He tilted his head to press a kiss against the palm of her hand, his optics meeting hers, already brightening with anticipation.

she nodded as she quickly zapped them inside of his quarters just by his door. She opened her optics back as she looked at him, her servos slowly moving down and over his neck, and to his shoulders, making out every piece of him she could reach as she looked down at where her servos were.

She knew they were going to take their time, to learn every inch of one another. So she took her time letting her digits trace over the seams over his plating, looking at where her digits rolled over, mapping out every piece of him with her touch and optics as she watched as her digits continued to trail over him. Starscream groaned as she ran her servos over his frame, every movement of her digits sending sparks of pleasure skittering through his circuits. He could feel the bond between their sparks flaring to life, their minds now so deeply intertwined that he wasn't entirely sure where he ended and she began.

He tilted his head to the side, his optics shuttering as he allowed her to touch and explore him. He'd never let anyone have this much access to him before. But now, he would let her in ways he'd never allowed anyone.

Her digits moved to his chest, moving with feather light touches as she leaned forward and placed light kisses against his shoulders, a few on his neck before she moved to continue to trace her digits over his chest before moving to his arms, her servos going to one at a time as she held his arm in one servo and the digits of the other traced over every seam before doing so with the other.

She slowly leaned down a bit to kiss over his chest as she let her digits fall to his abdomen as she began tracing over it. She slowly sunk down to her knees as she placed a soft kiss to the middle of his abdomen, leaving a small trail of kisses as her digits moved down to his thighs. She knew once she was finished he’d get his turn to do the same. She moved to place a kiss to the front of his right thigh before letting her digits trace over the seams on the inside and outside before they moved down to his calf, then she moved to his left leg and did the same.

Starscream tried to hold himself together as she kissed and touched his frame, but his control began to fray as she slowly traced her servos over his frame, gently exploring his seams and plating, learning every dip and curve of his frame. He could barely form a coherent thought, sparks dancing through his neural circuitry and leaving him trembling, desperate for more contact, more touches, more *anything*. He swallowed a moan as she moved to kiss his abdominal plating, the sensitive metal quivering beneath her touch. He felt both weak and powerful at once, a paradoxical mixture of desire and vulnerability.

She slowly rose to her feet as she grabbed hold of his face and placed a soft kiss to his lips before walking back behind him. Her digits continued to trail over the back of his helm and down to his neck and shoulders before she placed a soft kiss to each wing, feeling as he shuttered and let out a few soft sighs as her digits trailed over the sensitive metal. She slowly sunk to her knees against as her digits moved to his back tracing over delicate seems as she placed soft kisses to the small of his back, her servos running over his sides before running over the back of his thighs. She was worshiping his body as he was soon going to do to hers before she slowly stood up and walked back infront of him as she laid her servos on his cheeks and placed a quick and soft kiss against his lips and let him do the same worshiping she had done.

His spark fluttered in his chest as she slowly started making her way back upwards, planting gentle kisses and leaving a trail of sensations in her wake. He found himself trembling as her servos traced over his wings, the metal quivering under her touch.

She then slowly sank back down to her knees, and he almost lost control right there when she kissed the small of his back. He let out a strangled gasp as he felt his legs go weak beneath him, his processor swimming with sensation and desire. And then she was standing in front of him again, her servos gently holding his cheeks, and he found himself staring into her optics with a look of raw desire and need. She had almost brought him to his knees with just those few simple touches, and he was itching to return the favor.

Slowly, almost reverently, he raised a servo to cup the side of her face, his touch gentle yet trembling with anticipation. He pulled her closer, their frames nearly pressed against one another as he leaned down to press a kiss against the sensitive cluster of wires on her neck. He slowly started to kiss his way down her neck, his lips trailing a path over her plating, caressing every seam, every edge, every dip and contour. He wanted to taste every inch of her, to memorize every bit of her frame like a prayer, like a litany of devotion.

He sank down to his knees in front of her, moving his lips to her chest as his servos moved to rest on either side of her waist. Slowly, he mapped out the delicate metal of her abdominal plating with his servos, his lips following after, leaving behind a barrage of kisses and nips. He continued to slowly make his way down her frame, savoring the taste and feel of her under his touch, and he soon found himself at her thighs. His servos gently caressed her legs, and he slowly planted a trail of kisses up and down one thigh before mirroring the gesture on the other side.

He took a moment to simply kneel there, his servos gently holding her hips, his face pressed against her plating, every part of him wanting to be as close to her as possible. He felt lost, like he was sinking in a sea of sensation and desire. But he wouldn't trade it for the universe. She let out soft sighs as she watched him slowly begin to worship her body, kissing over every inch of her plating as his digits and servos ran over her body, sinking to his knees how she had done with him. She looked down at him with pure love and adoration in her optics as she watched him hold her sides as he placed kisses to her abdomen once again.

She watched as he let his forehead lay there and she laid her servo on the back of his helm before she watched him stand and he slowly walked behind her to begin the process over again, her optics falling shut as she processed every feeling over every touch he gave to her, every bit of attention he payed to her frame. Starscream slowly ran his servos up and down the sides of her back, his touch light and almost worshiping as he continued the journey of his lips and fingers over her body. He couldn't get enough of the way she trembled and shivered under his touch, the sounds of her sighs and the flutter of her spark sending waves of pleasure through his chest.

His servos continued to travel, mapping out the lines and planes of her back, his lips leaving a trail of kisses along the edge of her wings and down her spine. He took his time, relishing the feeling of her sensitive wings quivering and fluttering under his touch, the way she let out a particularly shaky breath when he placed a kiss between her wings, the sound making his spark flutter in his chest.

He felt as if he was drowning in sensations, all of his processing power focused on the goddess in front of him, on the way her frame felt against his lips, how her spark flared in time with his, the feeling of their minds dancing together through their bond. He continued the journey, his lips slowly moving down the length of her back, each kiss and touch filled with need and desire. He paused when he reached the small of her back, his servos gently holding her hips as he laid a kiss there, before continuing downward.

He moved down her legs, slowly mapping out the sensitive metal with his lips and servos, every inch of her frame feeling like electricity under his touch. And when he was once again at her feet, he slowly moved back up her frame, his servos gently gripping her hips as he rose to his feet, his helm still bowed against her back. He felt as if he had just offered a prayer to a deity, leaving his spark bared and his desires laid in an offering as he pressed a soft kiss to the nape of her neck.

She let out a soft sigh as he finished and place a soft kiss to her neck, his arms wrapped around her waist as he held her. She slowly broke away as she turned around grabbed his servo as she slowly walked backwards towards his berth and once the backs of her legs hit it she wrapped her arms around his neck, the back of her left servo moving to run over the side of his face. She looked into his optics with a loving look in her half lidded optics, spoken ‘i love you’s’ being sent through their shared bond as they gazed into each other’s optics. She took her time to just gaze into his optics and enjoy the mech who gazed back.

Starscream's processor was nearly swimming with sensation, his whole being overwhelmed with love, desire, and a deep sense of *rightness* as he held her there, their bodies pressed together and their minds tangled through the bond.

He let out a shaky breath as he looked into her optics, that deep red now swimming with emotion. He returned her silent ‘I love you,’ his own words echoing through their connection. His servos gently caressed her back, his touch needy and tender at once. He wanted to stay like that forever, drowning in her presence, drowning in her touch. Nothing in this universe compared to her, no feeling, no sensation matched what he felt now. Slowly, gently, he lowered her back onto his berth, his frame following as he pressed his body against hers, his lips against her neck once more.

She slowly laid back against the berth and she turned to go back against the berth until her helm laid against his pillows as he followed her, his body hovering over hers as he leaned down to place a soft kiss to her neck. He was settled with his left leg between her legs and his right on the outside of her left.

She ran her servos over his chest and down his abdomen before slowly making their way back up and she wrapped her arms around his neck, one servo on the back of his head as he placed kisses to her neck. Starscream groaned softly against her neck, his frame shuddering against hers at the touch of her servos on his plating. He continued to kiss and nip at her neck, one of his servos holding himself up on the berth beside her while the other traced a path between her legs.

He was already starting to lose what little restraint he had at the feeling of their frames pressed together like this, and he fought to keep his desire in check. He pulled away from her neck for a moment to look into her optics, his own optics dark and burning with need. He wanted her, needed her, more than anything he'd ever needed in his life. But he wouldn't rush this. He would go slow, worship her slowly and properly like the deity she was. He wouldn't ruin this with haste or impatience.

He gently rolled his hips against hers, the metal between his legs rubbing against her plating, sending shivers of sensation up his frame. She let out a soft sigh as she felt his servo slowly begin trailing down the middle of her body and between her legs. Her right leg moved so her foot was planted against the berth and her knee in the air as he panel slid open. She sighed softly as she felt two of his digits slowly roll soft and slow circles into her bud.

She closed her optics and laid her helm back as she let out a small sigh of pleasure. The way he seemed to worship her as if she were a goddess was doing things to her, making her feel as if she was the only femme in the universe, as if she was truly worth something. Starscream's sensors were flooded with the knowledge that she was ready for him, the feeling and sight of her panel opening for him like an offering. He groaned softly at the feeling of her bud on his digits, the taste of her pleasure and anticipation filling his processor.

He took a moment to adjust himself above her, his frame settling in the space between her legs, his servos on either side of her helm as he looked down at her laid out on his berth like the most beautiful of gifts. His servos gently grabbed her arms and placed her servos above her helm, pinning her to the berth as his lips moved to her neck once more. He wanted her at his mercy, at his complete control, completely at his mercy as she was now, ready and waiting for him.

He pressed his body against hers, still moving slowly, still taking his time worshiping her, but he could feel the last fraying threads of his restraint beginning to snap. His frame trembled with need, his cooling fans running full throttle as his lips continued to move over her neck and his servos slowly roved over her frame. He couldn't get enough of her, couldn't feel enough of her, and he suddenly needed to taste her, to feel her against his lips.

Without warning, he left her pinning and moved back down her frame until he was between her spread legs, his optics burning and his vocalizer practically hissing as he looked up at her. She gasped as he pinned her wrists above her head, his lips working against his neck before he suddenly let go and slid down the berth so he was in between her legs. She looked down at him as she bit her lip, watching as he pulled her legs over his shoulders. She was careful of his wings, making sure to lay them just under his wings.

She slowly let her optics fall closed as she felt his glossa against her anterior node, softly laying kitten licks against it before leaning in to softly suck on it before pulling back as he leaned down and licked at her entrance and she let out a soft moan with every lick of his glossa and kiss placed around the inside of her thighs. Starscream heard the sound of her gasp as he settled his frame between her legs, and it was quickly followed by the sound of her moan as his glossa slowly worked against her sensitive node.

He felt himself teetering on the edge of restraint and he fought to hold himself together a little longer, his servos gripping her legs and his lips and glossa working against her sensitive areas. He felt a rush and power as he tasted her, as her frame shuddered and quivered against his touch. He continued to taste her, his glossa teasing and exploring her, his servos moving across her thighs, leaving behind a trail of marks and kisses wherever they went. He found himself drowning in the sensations and the taste of her, in the sounds of her moans and the feel of her frame beneath his lips and servos.

He felt the last fraying threads of his restraint beginning to snap, the rush of power and need overriding any and all control he had left in him. He leaned back, pulling himself up onto his knees, still between her legs, his servos grabbing her hips and lifting her slightly off the berth. She let out a sharp gasp as her optics flew open as he moved to his knees and grabbed her hips, pulling her up. She looked down at him, her legs down dangling against the berth below her, not high enough to stand but now low enough to be on her knees. She laid her servo on his helm as she let out small moans as he ate her like a mech starved.

She began rolling her hips into his mouth as she practically rode his face, feeling the tip of his rose against her bud with every roll of her hips, moan after main soft falling from her lips as her head tilted back and she let herself get lost in the pleasure he provided. The feeling of her hips rolling into his mouth, the taste of her against his glossa, the sounds of her moans and gasps filling his audio processors drove him even further towards the edge of madness. He felt like he was drowning, overwhelmed by her, lost in the pleasure and need he felt for her.

His servos tightened around her hips as he continued to taste her, his grip probably leaving marks on her plating, but he couldn't bring himself to care right then. He felt her servo against his helm, and he almost wanted to purr in satisfaction at the feeling of her touching him, her touch only adding to the sensations bombarding his processor. He wanted to touch her, taste her, take her in every possible way, and he was rapidly losing what little control he had left.

It didn’t take much more of his assault and the rolling of her hips before she overloaded with a louder and shaky moan as her legs twitched and her thighs instinctively closed around his helm as her frame trembled with pleasure. Her optics were closed as she let out shallower moans following each after shock of her overload. She felt his servos go to the small of her back before he slowly leaned forward and placed her back against the berth once more as her thighs slowly released his helm from the grasp. her optics were closed as her vents came in shaky and quick as she tried to recover.

Starscream was lost in the feeling of her overload, the taste of her on his mouth as her frame trembled against him. He felt as if he was drunk on her, his servos shaking as he moved them to the small of her back. He slowly laid her back on the berth, his frame hovering above hers as he saw her chest rising and falling with each shaky breath she took. His servos slowly moved from under her to lay over the front of her thighs. He was consumed with need for her, his processor swimming with a thousand desires.

He slowly moved up her frame, each inch of his plating coming into contact with hers like a prayer, his servos slowly roaming over her body like a blind mech trying to memorize his surroundings, like a mech worshipping at his patron goddess's altar. By the time he finally reached her optics, he felt as if he was drowning, the sheer amount of desire and need he felt for her almost overwhelming him. He gently cupped her helm between his servos, his voice coming out in a deep, lust-filled hiss. "Need you," he said, the words more a plea than a demand.

She looked up into his optics as she was finally able to open hers as she felt his servos move to cup her cheeks. She reached slowly to hold onto his wrists as her legs moved off of his shoulders and back to being on either side of him, her feet against the berth and her knees by his hips. She gazed lovingly into his optics as she gave him a nod to let him know to go ahead and she gave him a loving smile.

She heard as his interface panel slowly slid open and his spike pressurized. She leaned up and laid a soft kiss against his lips, tasing herself on them before she laid her helm back against the pillow as she watched him look down as he moved his right knee and thigh under her leg before slowly pushing into her. She let out a small moan as her optics fell closed at the slow stretch as he slowly pushed inside of her valve. She could feel and every bump and ridge on his spike and it only added to the slow pleasure.

His systems were almost overwhelmed with sensation, her touch, the feeling of her lips against his, her valve enveloping him as he slowly pushed into her was bringing him undone faster than any other experience in his life. He felt like a drowning mech, lost in her, completely at her mercy and he only wanted more of her, needed more of her, more of her in every possible way. He leaned down and laid a kiss on her neck, his voice coming out in a low, needy hiss. "Only you," he said, his voice thick with overwhelming emotion.

He continued to push forward, his helm burying against her neck as he went deeper. She was all he could think about, all he could feel, all he could smell or taste. He was lost, drowning in her, drunk on his need for her. He kept his mouth on her neck, his glossa tracing a path across the metal as he slowly rocked into her, one of his servos moving to rest on her hip as the other moved to grab her servo and intertwine it her digits with his as he started thrusting at a slow pace to get her used to him.

She held onto his servo as she felt him begin to slowly move, his whispered words only fortified the love she held for him. The unspoken words of love that traveled through their bond as he slowly began to move his hips, pulling out slowly before slowly pushing back in. She felt as he slowly began to build up his pace. It was neither slow and soft but neither rough and fast. It was somewhere in between, thrusts deep and sensual as he kissed and sucked at the cables of her neck. nipping at certain spots, feeling as his glossa would run over the spots he’d sink his teeth into.

Starscream was already lost in her, every circuit and sensor in his processor overwhelmed by her, consumed by her as they moved together. He felt like he was drowning, lost in the sensations of her and the love he felt for her. He felt the love coming from her through their bond, and it only fueled his need for her. His lips and glossa continued to kiss and nip a path across her neck, his pace picking up slightly as his need for her grew. He could feel her frame beneath him, the way she held onto his servos, the sounds of her pleasured moans in his audio receptors. It was overwhelming, more than he'd ever experienced in his life. And it was all her, all her causing him feel to this way.

He found himself slowly picking up the pace, the pleasure becoming too much for him to go slow any longer. He found himself moving deeper, harder, his servos gripping her hips tighter. His lips continued to find any patch of metal they could, kissing and nipping at it before he pulled back slightly. She was starting to loose herself in the mind numbing pleasure, her processor slowly going blank as she lost herself. She practically couldn’t tell where she ended and he began. She could feel his pace quicken and she let out a string of louder moans as she slowly opened her optics to look up at him as he pulled away.

she could feel herself being pushed towards another overload extremely quickly as her legs moved to wrap around his hips. Every thrust of his hips against her own driving his spike back inside of her and his hip plating sliding over her anterior node. She reached up with her free servo and pulled him into a kiss as her chest plating opened up once again to reveal her spark to him. His processor was nearly shut down, every thought, every circuit, every servo now centered on her and the ecstasy he was feeling. Every circuit, every sensor, every spark beat of his screaming for her, needing her, burning for her.

He didn't hesitate in returning the kiss, his mouth hungrily claiming hers as his own, his glossa slipping into her mouth to claim it as his own. He could feel the sensation of her legs wrapped around his waist, her anterior node rubbing against his plating, her spark exposed and open to him. He pulled back from the kiss, his chest plates opening up to reveal his own spark as he lost himself completely. He was completely lost in her, drowning in her, consumed by desire and the need to be connected to her in every way.

He leaned forward, leaning his frame over hers so that they were pressed as closely together as possible. His servos moved to the back of her thighs, gripping them tightly as his pace picked up even more. She heard his chest plating slide open as he pulled away, leaning down against her, his helm leaning into the crook of her neck as his servos hooked under her thighs, untangling them from around his hips and pressing them down towards her, almost folding her in half as his pace quickened further.

She could feel his spark pulling at hers, her consciousness diving back into his very soul and being. Their pleasure being reflected back at one another until they both were on the edge of their overloads before he thrusted into her one last time before he began filling her with his transfluid. Their sparks connecting, the pleasure bouncing back and forth between them, almost consuming them. He felt like he was being set aflame, his consciousness drowning in hers. The only thought, the only sensation, the only thing that existed right then was her, her being, her very self. She was everything to him, everything he ever wanted, everything he needed.

He heard a low, throaty moan rip from his vocalizer as he thrusted one last time into her, feeling his transfluid fill her. His cooling fans were on high, his frame shuddering against hers, his servos gripping her thighs almost painfully. He couldn’t think, he couldn’t speak, he couldn’t do anything but feel her, feel every part of her. He was drowning, lost in her, completely and utterly lost in it all. She moaned with him, her back arching up to press her midsection against his, their chests already pressed together. Her head had fallen back and was pressed hard against the pillow beneath it before she finally began to come down from her overload, her body resting back against the berth.

She could feel his borderline painful grip on her thighs before he finally started to leg of them, letting them fall back gently against the berth as he panted against her shoulder. She moved her arm to lay it over her optics as her cooling fans ran on the highest setting trying desperately to keep her body from overheating at the exertion. He continued to pant softly for a few moments, his systems still rebooting and taking a few moments to come down from the overload. He managed to raise his helm and look at her.

He felt like he was in a daze, as if he'd just woken up from the best dream of his life. His body was still shaking, his fans still loud as they went into overdrive trying to cool him down. He looked down at her, and he thought she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. He slowly raised himself up off her, still panting as he tried to get his fans under control. His servos gently let go of her thighs, slowly running down the length of her body as he tried to come down, tried to recover.

He took a few more deep ventilations before he laid himself down next to her, feeling completely wrung out as he looked at her, his expression one of pure awe and adoration. Once the pair calmed down from it all she removed her arm from over her optics as she heard him shuffle, hearing his chest plates closing as well as his interface panel shutting closed as he moved to lay down on his chest next to her. She opened her optics and turned her helm to the side to look into his.

She could feel his exhaustion through the bond and she could see the pure love in his optics as he looked at her laying beside of him, his arms crossed under his helm. She couldn’t help but smile at him as she weakly moved her arm over to lay a servo against his cheek. He closed his optics and leaned into her touch, the feeling of her servo against his cheek like a soothing caress after the storm they had just gone through. He felt complete and utterly wrung out, but happier than he could ever recall being in his life.

He opened his optics again and looked into hers, the expression on his face filled with a soft look of love and contentment. He reached out and laid his own servo on top of hers, gently holding it against his cheek. He lifted his helm slightly, turning his mouth towards her servo and gently laying a quick kiss against the metal as he gave her a soft smile. He lowered his helm back onto his outstretched arms and just laid there, looking into her optics and holding her servo against his cheek.

No words could adequately convey all the things he was feeling right then. His spark was full of love for her, his entire being consumed with it as he looked into her optics. He did however speak up, “Do you want me to go get you some energon?”

She smiled as he grabbed her servo, gently holding it against his cheek after placing a soft kiss against it. She let her her optics fall half lidded before they opened back up all the way as he spoke. She slowly retracted her hand and gave him a small nod before speaking up her voice a bit hoarse, “If you wouldn’t mind…” She gave him another soft smile as she laid her arm over her chest as her vents grab evening out and her cooling fans slowly began to slowly slow to a to a stop once she started reaching a better temperature.

He nodded softly as he slowly sat up, his frame protesting slightly at the movement after the activities of the evening. He moved to stand up, but stopped once he was sitting on the edge of the berth. He looked over at her, still laid out on the berth, and he couldn't resist the urge to reach out and gently run his servo over her cheek, unable to keep his servos off her for even a moment. "I'll be right back," he said quietly before reluctantly standing up and heading out to the main room.

He walked into the main room, immediately moving over to the energon dispenser on the far wall and pouring two cubes, one for himself and one for her. As he watched the liquid energon fill up the cube, he thought of her laid out on the berth, of the things they had just done together.

He felt happy, he felt content, he felt at peace. A feeling he was still somewhat unfamiliar with and had certainly never experienced before meeting her. He walked back to the berthroom and he finished his drink quickly, setting the now empty cube on the table next to the berth. He laid down on his side, his helm supported by his servo, as he looked down at her. He could see exhaustion starting to creep into her optics, and the knowledge that he had been responsible for it brought a faint smile to his face.

He laid his free servo on her abdomen, gently rubbing his thumb against her plating in a soft, soothing gesture. She watched as he disappeared out of the door to the his berthroom and she slowly pushed herself up on her servos and slowly scooted back and stretched her neck and arms a bit. Her legs were a bit sore and unstable but she was otherwise pretty okay. She looked up when she heard pedesteps and she smiled as she saw her now sparkmate with a energon cube in hand.

She reached out as he neared her and took it in her servos as he moved to may down on his side, his wings moving to accommodate him. She slowly brought it to her lips and took a long drink of it. She drank about a quarter of it before taking it from her lips and she turned to look at him as he laid a servo on her abdomen. “hmm… i love you…” She whispered before bringing her energon cube back to her lips and drinking it down to half the cube. He smiled softly at her words, his spark singing happily in his chest as he heard her proclaim her love for him.

He rubbed his thumb gently against her plating once more, gently circling his digit across the metal in soft, soothing motions. “I love you too,” he replied quietly as he continued to look down at her, his optics filled with love and adoration. She brought her energon cube back to her lips and drank down the rest of it before twisting away for a moment to set it down on the nightstand beside of her before she settled back down in the berth next to him with a small smile as she watched as he sat up and laid down on his back. She chuckled before she weakly crawled ontop of him.

She settled comfortably with her helm tucked under his. She let her optics fall closed, just enjoying the feeling of his warmth beneath her, the best of his spark in her audial, it was like a soothing balm to her mind and was slowly beginning to coax her exhausted body into recharge. He chuckled softly as she moved ontop of him, his arms automatically wrapping around her frame as she settled against him. He found himself almost reluctant to move, her warm frame on his was the most amazing feeling he'd ever experienced in his life.

He let out a soft sigh of contentment as he settled back against the berth, his servos gently running up and down her back in a soothing motion, his own optics slowly beginning to shut down as he relaxed. The beat of their sparks syncing in a slow, reassuring rhythm, lulling them both into recharge.

[prettygirl-gabi]

Not Ready

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+

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🎀✨️

[cornyforjk]

Drive you crazy | Day 5 | jjk

⤷ SUMMARY In which you are stuck living with an arrogant rookie racer who thinks of you as an obstacle, ready to ruin your glory, but things get heated when he has a pervy smile hidden under that pretentious attitude. Emotions that are complicated. You could never fall for your enemy! He's sabotaging you.

Pairing: racer!jk × racer!oc

Genre: angst and pure filth smut

Warnings: trash language

taglist: @tatamicc @jwnghyuns @nono13bnd @hagridshaircare @tatzzz-25 @suashifts @kyuupii

A/note: I hope you guys enjoyyy😙😙 And do leave your comments and feedbacks so I can learn from my mistakes and get better at writing 💕

___________________♡____________________

"Breakfast?" "Check."

"Extra water bottle?" "Check."

"Leather gloves?" "Check."

"Helmet?" "Check! Let's go!!!" I exclaim, walking in circles around Jungkook who emotionlessly stares at his phone with a checklist on it.

Suddenly tripping on my feet I flee towards his broad chest, the phone in his hand dropping to the floor. I clutch his shirt with scrunched eyes, my thoughts hazed by skinship.

These days I have this force of attraction towards his chest and end up with my face planted there.

Fuck my karma- my manifestations do work. I just keep asking for the wrong thing at the wrong time.

With a frustrated sigh, I breathe onto his shirt, grabbing his shoulder blades and trying to hold myself up."Y/n..." he starts, with a hint of annoyance in his voice. His hand looms around my waist as he tosses me on the edge of the bed like a coin tossed into the wishing fountain.

My face heats up, I try looking away. My eyes trail back to him when he crouches down in front of me.

I looked away when he glanced my way from the gaps in his eyelashes. Never letting out orbs lock together again.

"You didn't tie your shoe dimwit." He hisses, pulling my leg forward earning a yelp.

"I never learnt." I sheepishly confess, his shock visible in the orbs of his glinting eyes.

Tying the lace in a cute bow, he clears his throat looking ahead, ignoring my curious gaze, "Thanks." I smile genuinely.

"You wore your good luck socks." I nudge him with a teasing tone, his toothy grin in view as he shyly nods. For the first time. I noticed a smallmole under his lip, the lip-biting making the cute dot on his skin visible.

My finger tingles with the desire to touch it but I force myself to grab his hand with frustration, feeling my heartbeat rapidly.

I inhale, "don't be nervous."

"Is it that visible?" He rolls his eyes, pulls me to my feet, walking out of our room.

"Maybe, maybe not," I reply, looking forward to my first race. My purpose for being here. To prove where I belong.

I grabbed Jungkook's hand, locked the door behind me, and walked past other racers, reaching our pits which were bustling with trainees, racers, reporters, and cameramen all over the place. Placing my hand on his one last time I barely squeezed it, nodding.

"Oh-ho-ho, did we interrupt something important?" Jimin comes over with the rest of the gang following, Hobi circling his arm around me."Seems like the sugar mallows worked." He whispers, I wink at him shooting finger guns, giggling at the success.

"I knew that bitch was easy to bribe with cereal." Namjoon towers over, smiling with a snort.

"Are you guys taking her side now?!" Jungkook defends himself, at the quirky group huddling together around me. They nod in unison. "Don't tell me you revealed my favourite cereal to her!" He whines, meeting my awkward smile that stretches further with the eyebrows. They nod again, together. Silently celebrating with high-fives at the back.

"Argh-" He walks away, hands digging deep in his pocket.

___________________♡____________________

JUNGKOOK

Hopefully, they didn't see my smile, or else I would never hear the end of it.I walk towards my black Volkswagen, crouching to check over the tires. A helmet drops, causing me to jump as I turn around, hitting my calf against the tires.

"And what entertainment are you here for?!" I grimace when the blue-eyed jerk runs his scrawny fingers on the bonnet of my car.

"I just came here to warn my old friend," His friends snickered. "Leave, Alex." My jaw tightened slightly.

"Are you going to support the girl who is waiting for the perfect chance to outrace you? Who will innocently overtake you in front of your eyes?"

I stopped thinking. His words sink in.

An unspoken communication between eyes brought me back to reality. I slowly gaze upon Hyung talking with y/ n, having the brightest smile they could muster up. That's just who they are. Maybe meeting y/n made me forget who I am. What I am here for.I promised someone I would win this race.

"Think over this rookie, she is sly like a fox." He pats my shoulder taking his leave with his groupies.

Alex's words settle down in my brain, a surge of anxiety rushing. Suddenly making a choice feels hard.

'Are you going to support the girl who will outrace you?'

'Open your eyes.'

'Her smile is fake.'

'Her words are fake.'

'She is fake.'

"I am sorry Y/n, but screw you," I murmur at last. Finally breaking my eyes away from her soundly laughter.The race finally began with a bustle, engines roaring to life with the fierce look of racers scattering all over the track.

___________________♡____________________

YOU

The countdown started with each number decreasing and my heart grew less steady.

Believe.

Retrieve.

Survive.

Strike.

Win.

Win this race like a white man playing bingo would.

The flags finally rose as a sharp whistle screeched in the air, the crowd cheering for their favoured teams with enthusiasm in their lungs.

Thick rubber wheels dragged across the racing track, the smell of burnt rubber reaching my nose.

How good it felt to be back where I belong.

The chaos between merciless racers who would run over anyone in their way.

As much as it sounded villainous it was refreshing and rebellious in our ways. I found it my way to deal with life, skilful indeed.

As I increased the speed Jungkook's black ride was visible next to me, I shot him a small salute but in return, my car was rammed into a metal railing, sparks of fire igniting at the bonnet of my car. The side mirror seemed broken.

I quickly slow the speed cautiously without any more damage, slowing down to a lap behind.

How could he- Was it his plan all along?

Jungkook misled me. What was the next game he might play with me? Iwas naive enough to fall for it. But not for long.

Watch your back, Jeon.

I speed up to the maximum speed, finding my way between two cars and overtaking them as they crash into each other. Finally making up for the lost lap that left me behind.

Back at my speed behind Jungkook's car, I stay steady, every trick I would throw on him he would see it coming. That was until...

His tire punchers as it loses its balance and he slows down towards the designated pit stop leaving me to win back what was mine.

''And this race's winner is KIM Y/N!''

I bow deeply at the audience cheering, grabbing my helmet to take my leave and congratulate Jungkook as well. Even though he had an inconvenience, he managed to win 2nd place, Alex running up as 3rd winner.

Catching a look at my wrist watch I start to rush in between the crowd,pushing away as the reporters try chasing me.

Well, good luck with that.

Just then a bunch of brown hair swoops past my view, that seemed like Jungkook rushing to the rooftop. But why?

I made my way up the stairs following as quietly as I could, knocking on the divider twice before stepping in to find his back facing me and a cloud of smoke surrounding his face.

"Jungkook...are you smoking?!" I stutter, "that's kinda ew."

"Why are you here?"

"I wanted to talk. Well done though, it was a great match."

"Go away Y/n."

"Why?"

No answer. Pure silence took place with low breaths of puffing the contagious and foul air that he blew out of the cigar. Jungkook never turned to glance at me. Hell, he ignored me in any way possible."Talk to me, Jungkook," I whispered. "Go. Fucking. Away."

"I won't!" I stuck to the ground, stamping my foot in annoyance, whirling around at the sound of low claps and snickers followed by a group of familiar people.

"Sweetie, when someone asks you to leave then you leave and not wag your tail like a slut. Mhm?" Alex grinned sarcastically, pushing me aside as I crashed into his groupies who weirdly tried getting a hold of me. They almost tried touching me.

A shiver ran down my spine, all I wanted to do was leave, but not without Jungkook under such bad influence.

I stay right there waiting for him to turn, look at me and walk away from those foul people. He never did...

"Guys, you all were right. A slut never learns." He says and then takes another puff out of his lowly lit cigar.

A slut?

"So am I just a slut to you after all?" I stutter, trying to word my thoughts straight. "Just a slut..." tears blurred at the corner of my eyes, his back that faced me with pride slowly growing haze. The cry that stopped at the pit of my throat came out as a silent sob.

"Why Jungkook...? Why."

___________________♡____________________

Day4 | Day6

DM me or just send an ask if you wanna be added to the taglist.

[nervousdiythesimspsychic]

The fox and the treasure hunters

part 8: building trust

pairing: ateez x fox fm reader

genre: mystery, thriller, adventure

warnings: violence, dark themes, Psychological Trauma, Psychological Stress, blood and gore, Physical Danger, Suffering, Emotional Growth, Trauma,

summary: (y/n) has been on the run her whole life. She is accompanied by the spirit of a fox, which was placed in her mind by a witch. Over the years, she has learned to work alongside the fox, but the trauma of her youth runs deep. Because of this, she is wary and trusts no one. One day, eight men walk toward the village; her instincts tell her that they are here for her. Can these men earn (y/n)'s trust and pull her out of the darkness while they search for the treasure, where (y/n) turns out to be a key player in ways they never expected?

xxx Ziezo

previous - masterlist - next

chapter 8: building trust

The stew was finally ready. The scent of spices, braised meat, and freshly baked bread filled the hut, creating a homely feeling—something they all hadn’t felt in a long time.

"Alright, everyone, dig in before Seonghwa eats everything," Yunho joked as he scooped himself a bowl.

"Hey!" Seonghwa protested indignantly. "Why am I always the one being accused?"

San, who was dipping a piece of bread into his stew, shook his head. "Maybe because you literally eat everything that’s put in front of you."

Jongho, taking a hearty bite of his bread, spoke with his mouth full. "If you guys don’t hurry up, I’ll eat everything myself."

Yeosang grinned and shrugged. "Well, we definitely can’t compete with that. Enjoy your meal, Jongho."

Laughter filled the hut as the men filled their bowls and enjoyed the warm meal. It had been a long time since they had eaten so peacefully. The cold outside was forgotten, the threat of hunters and their mission pushed to the back of their minds. For now, they were just a group of men sharing a meal.

Wooyoung stirred his spoon in the stew, stealing a quick glance at San, who ate slowly, his exhaustion still visible in his eyes. A playful smirk tugged at Wooyoung’s lips as he scooped up a piece of tender meat with his spoon.

"Hey, San," he said casually, holding up the spoon. "You better eat faster, or there’ll be nothing left."

San glanced at him from the corner of his eye and sighed. "Wooyoung, I’m not a child. I can feed myself."

"You say that," Wooyoung grinned, "but you’re looking at that food like it’s your last hope in life. Come on, here—" He slowly moved the spoon toward San as if feeding a child. "Open up. It’s good stuff, personally selected and served by yours truly."

San rolled his eyes, but instead of swatting the spoon away, he let out a deep sigh and leaned in slightly. His lips briefly brushed against the wooden spoon as he took the piece of meat and began chewing.

Wooyoung’s eyebrows lifted in surprise, not expecting San to actually go along with it, but soon a triumphant grin spread across his face. "See? That wasn’t so bad."

San gave him a sleepy look and swallowed his bite slowly. "Shut up, Wooyoung."

The others burst into laughter, filling the hut with warmth. Yeosang shook his head. "Well, if that’s not love, I don’t know what is."

Mingi grinned widely. "Woo, do you want to feed me too? Or is San the only one getting special treatment?"

Wooyoung scrunched up his nose dramatically and waved a hand. "You don’t have the charm, Mingi. At least San is cute when he’s stubborn."

San muttered something unintelligible as he focused on his food again, but the warmth on his cheeks gave him away.

Every now and then, one of them would glance at (y/n), who was still lying motionless. Her breathing was steady, her face relaxed as if she were deep in sleep.

"Shouldn’t we wake her up?" Yeosang asked, looking up from his meal.

Hongjoong shook his head. "Let her sleep. Maybe she’ll wake up on her own from the smell or from our chatter."

Mingi sniffed the air. "If she has a nose as sharp as a fox, she should have been awake by now."

Wooyoung glanced at (y/n) and smirked. "Maybe she’s just stubborn and refusing to wake up because we’re having fun without her."

San chuckled. "Wouldn’t surprise me. She seems like the type to make a dramatic entrance."

The conversation drifted to all sorts of topics—memories from past missions, jokes about each other’s bad habits, and even a short discussion on who had the most annoying sleeping habits.

"Hongjoong snores like an old man," Mingi stated seriously.

"I do not snore!" Hongjoong protested.

Yunho took a sip of his drink and looked at him dryly. "Bro… you snore so loud, I thought there was a bear in our tent."

Hongjoong looked offended as the rest of them laughed.

Meanwhile, Jongho continued eating silently until he casually reached out and, almost unnoticed, snatched a piece of bread from Yunho’s plate.

"Hey!" Yunho cried out indignantly, his fork frozen halfway to his mouth.

Jongho looked at him with an innocent expression and slowly chewed on the stolen bread. "What?"

Yunho stared at his plate in frustration, then back at Jongho, who simply shrugged and took another bite. "You… You already have a whole bowl of food!"

Seonghwa shook his head with a laugh and patted Yunho’s shoulder. "You need to keep a better eye on your food, Yunho. Apparently, you’re not sharp enough."

"I thought you were the responsible one, Seonghwa. Why are you letting this happen?" Yunho grumbled, pointing accusingly at Jongho.

Hongjoong took a sip of water, watching the scene unfold with amusement. "It’s a jungle out here, Yunho. Food stealing is just part of survival."

Laughter filled the hut again as they continued their meal. The relaxed atmosphere felt almost surreal.

=====

The remnants of their meal still lay on the wooden table. Despite the warmth of their gathering, they all knew they couldn’t stay idle for too long.

"We can’t stay here for too long," Hongjoong began, running his fingers over his chin. "(y/n) needs to rest, but we also need to figure out our next steps."

"The hunters know she’s alive," Seonghwa added. "And if they really suspect what she is… there’s a good chance they’ll come back."

A tense silence lingered in the air. They all knew they were in a difficult situation.

Yunho leaned against the wall and looked at Hongjoong. "We need to map out our route. We can’t just leave without a plan once (y/n) is able to walk."

"Alright," Hongjoong nodded. "Here’s what we’ll do: San, Mingi, and I will scout the possible routes. We need to find the fastest but also the safest one."

Mingi nodded and stood up, already calculating in his head how long it would take before they could move again.

"What about us?" Wooyoung asked, tapping his spoon against the edge of his bowl.

Yeosang stretched briefly and glanced at Wooyoung. "I made an herbal salve last night for (y/n’s) wounds. She needs to be rebandaged. Luckily, her fever hasn’t gotten worse, but she still needs care."

Seonghwa nodded. "Alright. Wooyoung, Yeosang, and I will stay here. Jongho and Yunho, maybe you two can do something useful, like gathering more firewood or keeping watch outside?"

Jongho rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I get it. We get the boring tasks."

Yunho grinned and playfully nudged his shoulder. "Who knows? Maybe we’ll find something interesting."

As part of the group left the hut, Yeosang, Seonghwa, and Wooyoung remained behind. The air inside was warm but not stifling. The fire crackled softly in the background. (y/n) still lay motionless in her spot, her breathing steady but her face exhausted. Her skin was still a bit pale, and her hair clung to her forehead.

Seonghwa knelt beside her and sighed. "We need to wake her up. It’s time for her to eat."

Yeosang nodded and pulled out the herbal salve he had prepared earlier. "I’ll clean her wounds first."

Wooyoung crouched on the other side and gently tapped (y/n)’s cheek with his fingers. "Hey, sleepyhead, time to wake up."

No response.

He raised an eyebrow and tapped a little harder. "(y/n), wake up. We have food."

She stirred slightly, a faint frown appearing on her face. Her breathing shifted, and her eyebrows drew together. A soft mumble escaped her lips, but her eyes remained closed.

Seonghwa looked up. "Try harder?"

Wooyoung smirked. "I have another tactic."

He leaned in a little closer and whispered in a playful tone, "If you don’t wake up now, I’m eating everything. And trust me, I won’t leave a single crumb."

Slowly, (y/n)’s eyes fluttered open. At first, they were unfocused, still clouded by sleep, but when her gaze landed on Wooyoung, she suddenly seemed to realize where she was.

She blinked a few times and let out a soft groan. Her voice was hoarse when she spoke. "Do you even know how annoying you are?"

Wooyoung laughed. "Welcome back to the land of the living."

Seonghwa held out a bowl of water for her. "Drink this first."

(y/n) turned her head away. "Not thirsty."

She wasn’t used to this—this feeling of helplessness. Normally, she was the one in control of her own situation, the one who could deceive or keep others at a distance. But now? Now she was lying here, completely at the mercy of these men who both irritated and intrigued her.

And the worst part was that she had no way out.

"Alright," Yeosang said calmly, rolling up his sleeves and loosening the bandages around her leg. "I’m going to treat your wounds again. It might sting, but it has to be done."

(y/n) bit down on her lip as the rough fabric came away, her skin pulling painfully with the movement. Her breathing quickened slightly, and she had to force herself not to flinch away from him.

"Stay still," Yeosang muttered without looking at her. His tone was professional, almost distant, as if he were working on an injured bird rather than her.

"Easy for you to say," she bit out, her voice tense.

Before Yeosang could respond, Wooyoung let out a low whistle and rested his elbow on his knee. "What’s this? The great, fearless (y/n) scared of a little medicine?"

(y/n) shot him a deadly glare. "I’m not scared."

"No?" Wooyoung’s grin widened. "You’re practically shaking."

She hated that he had noticed. Wooyoung had a sharp eye for weaknesses, and now that he was back to his usual self after his earlier anger, he was clearly enjoying the chance to tease her.

Seonghwa, who was casually leaning against one of the wooden beams, observed her closely. His keen gaze moved over her face, down to her tense posture, and finally to her fingers, which were gripping the thin blanket beneath her.

She was nervous.

Seonghwa glanced at Wooyoung sideways and sighed. "Enough. You’re not helping."

Wooyoung shrugged indifferently. "I’m just saying what I see."

(y/n) scoffed and looked away, her jaw tight with restrained frustration. Wooyoung was just as irritating as ever, despite being less hostile than before.

When Yeosang finally removed the old bandage completely, she could no longer control her breathing. Her stomach twisted at the sight of the wound. The dark scar, still red and raw from the burn, was a painful reminder of how close she had been to death.

And of how these men had made the decision for her.

She felt her throat go dry, her fingers clenching the sheets again.

Yeosang dipped a cloth in water and carefully wiped around the wound to clean it. The cool touch made her shiver, but she tried to keep her face neutral.

"It’ll take a while before it really starts healing," Yeosang said, more to himself than to her. "But the herbs should help against infection and aid recovery."

(y/n) gave a short nod, but the fear kept gnawing at her.

What if they were deliberately keeping her weak? What if this was a way to make her dependent on them?

Her gaze slid to Seonghwa, who was still watching her. She knew he was analyzing her. He saw it. He saw how weak she was now.

"Do you really think we want to hurt you?"

His voice cut straight through her thoughts.

She looked up and saw Wooyoung gazing at her with a questioning yet playful look.

"Because that’s exactly how you’re acting," he continued, tilting his head. "Like we could betray you at any moment."

(y/n) opened her mouth to snap back, but for the first time… she had no words.

Wooyoung grinned. "Ah. So you don’t even know yourself?"

Seonghwa rolled his eyes again. "Enough, Wooyoung."

(y/n) shut her mouth and looked away. She hated even more that he saw it.

Yeosang applied the ointment, his movements still methodical and patient. When he was done, he began wrapping the wound again.

"Almost finished," he said calmly.

(y/n) nodded slowly and tried to steady her breathing.

"See?" Wooyoung said lightly. "That wasn’t so bad, right?"

(y/n) shot him a deadly glare. "If you don’t shut up, you’ll be the one sitting here next time."

Wooyoung laughed loudly. "I’d like to see that."

Seonghwa let out a deep sigh, shaking his head. "I swear, you two are more exhausting than fighting those hunters."

Yeosang tied the bandage securely and checked his work one last time. His fingers rested on the knot for a moment, as if debating whether to say something, but in the end, he just sighed softly and stood up.

"That should do for now," he said, tidying up the leftover bandages. "I’m going to help Yunho and Jongho outside."

Yeosang cast one last glance at her. His expression was hard to read, as cool as always, but there was a hint of hesitation in his eyes. As if he wasn’t quite sure what to make of her.

"Get some rest," was all he said before gathering his things and leaving the cabin.

The moment the door shut behind him, a tense silence lingered.

(y/n) held her breath. Now, she was alone with Seonghwa and Wooyoung.

"Alright," Seonghwa finally said, his tone lighter than his expression. "Now that that’s done, it’s time for the next thing."

(y/n) raised an eyebrow. "Next?"

Wooyoung leaned casually against one of the wooden beams, holding a small bowl of food in his hand. "Eating and drinking."

She tensed.

Seonghwa noticed her reaction immediately. She clenched her jaw, her fingers instinctively gripping the sheets like she was bracing herself for something.

"You need to eat something," he said patiently, but with an undertone that made it clear this wasn’t a debate. "You lost blood, and your body needs energy."

She looked at the bowl in Wooyoung’s hand, already feeling her stomach twist at the thought. Her mouth was dry—she knew that—but something in her refused to simply accept what they were giving her.

"I’m not hungry," she muttered.

Wooyoung scoffed and sat on the bed, a little too close for her liking. "Yeah, that’s cute, but no one asked if you were hungry."

The girl shot him a deadly glare. "If I say I don’t want—"

Wooyoung suddenly shoved the bowl into her hands. "Eat."

(y/n) looked at the liquid as if it were poison. Her muscles were tight with tension, her gaze flickering briefly to Seonghwa, who was watching her calmly.

Wooyoung tilted his head slightly. "You don’t seriously think we’re trying to poison you, do you?"

She didn’t answer.

Wooyoung smirked mockingly. "Oh my god, you actually do, don’t you?"

He had leaned closer to her now, resting his elbow on his knee, watching her with an amused smirk. "Listen, princess, if we wanted you dead, we would’ve done it already." Wooyoung shook his head briefly, letting out a dramatic sigh.

(y/n) remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together. She didn’t look up, her fingers still rigidly gripping the bowl.

Seonghwa noticed the tension in her jaw, the subtle way her breathing had become just a fraction faster.

She doesn’t trust us, he realized. Not even a little.

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow and rolled his eyes. "You know what?" he said finally, and before anyone could react, he snatched the bowl from her hands and took a big bite.

(y/n) froze.

Seonghwa watched as Wooyoung chewed obnoxiously slowly, his gaze locked on her. "Mmm, delicious," he said mockingly. "Unbelievable how we survive our own poison."

(y/n) stared at him, waiting for any sign that he was feeling unwell.

Wooyoung, enjoying the dramatic effect, turned to Seonghwa and held out a spoonful of food. "Here, you have some poison too."

Seonghwa sighed but opened his mouth and ate without hesitation. He knew this was their only chance to reassure her.

A few seconds passed.

Nothing happened.

They weren’t poisoned.

Wooyoung swallowed dramatically and patted his chest. "Wow, still alive. Incredible."

(y/n) frowned at them, and while she didn’t immediately give in, the panic in her eyes seemed to lessen slightly.

Wooyoung held the bowl out to her again. "You’re smart, we all know that. So let’s look at this rationally: If you want to escape, if you really think you and your fox don’t belong here, then you need to be strong enough to do that. And for that, you need food."

Seonghwa nodded slowly. “Wooyoung is right. No one is forcing you to trust us, but you have two options. Either you eat, or you stay weak and vulnerable.”

(y/n) looked between them.

A long silence followed.

Her fingers gradually relaxed, her breathing steadied.

Reluctantly, she took the bowl back.

And took a small bite.

Wooyoung grinned in satisfaction. “See? That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

Seonghwa noticed the tension in her shoulders easing just slightly. She was still wary, but this was a step in the right direction.

Maybe they hadn’t broken down her walls.

But they had won something.

A tiny bit of trust.

(y/n) ate in silence, her movements small and cautious. Every bite was taken with care, as if she still wasn’t entirely convinced the food was safe. The stew was warm and hearty, and the taste surprised her.

This was… good.

Too good.

She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, that she was only eating because she needed to get stronger, but something about it felt strange.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung didn’t even seem to be paying much attention to her as she ate. She could feel their watchful eyes on her, but they weren’t treating her like a prisoner.

“You think Yunho and Jongho caught anything decent?” Wooyoung asked Seonghwa with a playful grin. “If it’s anything like a few weeks ago, we’ll be stuck with just some tiny fish again.”

Seonghwa chuckled softly. “Well, Yeosang knows his way around herbs. He can make anything taste good.”

Wooyoung pulled a dramatic face. “Yeah, but I want meat.”

“You always want meat.” Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “Maybe you should learn to appreciate what you get.”

“Oh, I do.” Wooyoung smirked. “More than some people here.” His gaze flickered briefly to the girl, but his tone wasn’t sharp.

(y/n) frowned.

Why were they suddenly not treating her like an enemy?

Was it because she was weak now? Because the fox was nowhere to be seen? Or… were they trying to confuse her on purpose?

She had cursed them, insulted them, made it clear she hated them—and yet, they were here.

As if none of that had happened.

She didn’t understand.

Lost in thought, she barely noticed Wooyoung reaching for her bowl and scooping another large spoonful of stew into it.

She stared at him, surprised.

“You eat slow, but at least you’re eating,” Wooyoung said casually. “So here, have some more.”

Seonghwa and Wooyoung didn’t give her time to feel uncomfortable in the silence. They simply continued their conversation while gathering the dishes and utensils, their tone light, their posture relaxed.

(y/n) observed them for a moment—how they cleaned up together without tension, as if this was just part of their daily routine. As if she wasn’t a prisoner they needed to guard.

Wooyoung placed a bowl of water in front of her and took a large sip himself before sliding it toward her. “Drink,” he said simply. “You look like you need it.”

She hesitated.

He had just shown it was safe. Still, something in the back of her mind whispered that she should stay alert.

Seonghwa noticed her hesitation but didn’t comment on it. Instead, he turned slightly toward Wooyoung, a playful glint in his eyes. In a low voice, just soft enough that (y/n) wouldn’t hear, he murmured, “Where is this gentle approach coming from? Wooyoung, are you getting motherly instincts?”

Wooyoung made a face and lightly punched his arm. “Piss off.”

Seonghwa smirked. “Well, I’ve seen you be meaner.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes and leaned against the counter. “Mingi said something…”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow. “Oh?”

“He said I let my pride get wounded.” Wooyoung shrugged. “And you know what? Maybe he was right.”

Seonghwa regarded him in silence, as if letting the words sink in.

Wooyoung sighed. “I’ve decided to befriend her.”

Seonghwa paused, frowning. “You?”

“Yes, me.” Wooyoung grinned. “The (y/n) without the fox needs friends.”

Seonghwa glanced briefly at the young woman, who was still sipping her water slowly. Her eyes were distant, lost in thought, but he could see the way her shoulders were just slightly less tense than before.

“And the (y/n) with the fox?” he asked finally.

Wooyoung’s grin faded slightly. “That… I’m not so sure about.”

Seonghwa nodded in understanding, a small smile tugging at his lips. “Well, good luck with that.”

Wooyoung laughed. “I know, I’m amazing.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes and went back to cleaning up.

As they finished washing the dishes, their earlier conversation lingered in the air, like smoke that slowly faded but left a faint scent behind.

Seonghwa rinsed the last bowl and let the water run over it in silence. His gaze was fixed on the wood, but his thoughts drifted back to the young woman sitting behind them. He knew she was watching them, even if she tried not to show it.

“You might be right,” he said eventually, without looking up. “About the (y/n) without the fox.”

Wooyoung glanced at him, one eyebrow raised.

Seonghwa set the clean bowl aside and dried his hands with a cloth. “That girl needs friends.” His voice was thoughtful, as if he wasn’t just speaking to Wooyoung, but to himself. “And I’d really like to know why someone is so afraid to accept food and water.”

Wooyoung frowned, turning fully toward him. “Now that you mention it…” He cast a glance over his shoulder at (y/n), who was holding her empty bowl quietly, her fingers lightly gripping the rim.

His gaze swept over her. She still looked wary, even after eating. Even after he and Seonghwa had made it clear there was no danger.

“Yeah,” he muttered. “That is worrying.”

He leaned against the table and crossed his arms. “But you know what might be even more concerning?” His tone shifted, becoming more serious. Seonghwa looked at him questioningly.

Wooyoung tilted his head, speaking in a hushed voice, as if he didn’t want to say it too loudly. “There’s no sign of the fox in her.”

Seonghwa’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Nothing,” Wooyoung continued. “No light in her eyes, no posture that suggests the beast is lurking in the background… It’s like it’s gone.”

Seonghwa was silent for a moment before turning back to the bowls. He picked one up and slowly began to dry it, but his mind remained on Wooyoung’s words.

If the fox was truly gone… what did that mean?

Was it temporary? A result of her injuries?

Or was something else going on?

He cast a brief glance at (y/n). Her head rested against the wall, her eyes half-closed, her breathing still a little too heavy.

(y/n)’s breathing slowly evened out, her body relaxing bit by bit. With her stomach full and her thirst quenched, she slipped into the darkness of sleep, as if her exhausted body had finally decided it was safe enough to let go.

But the way she fell asleep… was anything but comfortable.

Seonghwa and Wooyoung observed her for a moment, both wearing the same mix of mild annoyance and amusement. Her head hung forward slightly, her arms loosely folded over her stomach, and her legs were positioned at an awkward angle.

“Seriously?” Wooyoung sighed dramatically, placing his hands on his hips. “Why are you sleeping like this?”

Seonghwa raised an eyebrow and smirked slightly. “Are you seriously asking that to someone who’s unconscious?”

“Maybe she’ll answer,” Wooyoung muttered before kneeling beside her. He slowly shook his head. “She’s going to wake up with a stiff neck, and then we’ll get blamed for it.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes. “As if we don’t already get blamed for enough.”

Still, he knelt down as well, and together they carefully repositioned her. Seonghwa placed a hand on her shoulder while Wooyoung adjusted her legs so they weren’t bent at such an odd angle.

(y/n) stirred slightly in her sleep, mumbling something incomprehensible. Wooyoung held his breath and glanced at her face.

Nothing.

She remained asleep.

Seonghwa watched as Wooyoung carefully brushed a strand of hair from her face and adjusted the thin blanket over her. A small grin appeared on Seonghwa’s lips.

“I think this is supposed to be my job, Wooyoung.” He shook his head and slid a pillow closer to (y/n)’s head so she would lean against it if she moved.

Wooyoung frowned. “Huh?”

Seonghwa gestured briefly toward the girl. “I’m the one who’s usually the caring one. You…” He raised an eyebrow meaningfully. “Not so much.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes. “I don’t have motherly instincts, if that’s what you’re implying.”

Seonghwa chuckled. “No? Then what is this?”

“I’m making friends.” Wooyoung sat up straight and flashed a triumphant grin. “I’m good at that. Look at how I charmed all of you.”

Seonghwa gave him a dry look. “You didn’t charm us. You were just a persistent nuisance we eventually couldn’t ignore.”

Wooyoung scoffed. “That sounds like love to me.”

Seonghwa sighed, laughing, and patted him on the shoulder. “Come on, let’s get some rest before the others come back.”

Wooyoung cast one last glance at (y/n), who was now sleeping deeply and peacefully, then nodded.

Making friends, he reminded himself.

That was all.

For now.

=================

The door of the hut swung open, and a fresh gust of cold air filled the room as Yeosang, Yunho, and Jongho stepped inside, their arms full of the day's hunt and a stack of firewood.

“We’re back,” Yunho announced as he carefully set his catch aside.

Yeosang scanned the hut, his gaze briefly settling on (y/n)’s sleeping figure before shifting to Seonghwa. “How did things go here after I left?”

Seonghwa leaned against the table, looking at the three men who regarded him with curiosity. He glanced at (y/n) before exhaling a weary sigh. “Well, it wasn’t exactly easy.”

Yunho raised an eyebrow and settled in more comfortably. “What do you mean?”

Seonghwa crossed his arms and shook his head. “I’ve seen people be stubborn about food before, but this was different. She didn’t refuse because she didn’t want it. She refused because she was terrified.”

Yeosang, Yunho, and Jongho stared at him in surprise.

“Terrified?” Jongho repeated in disbelief.

Wooyoung nodded, immediately jumping in. “She thought we were trying to poison her.” He threw his hands up and turned to Seonghwa with an exaggerated expression. “And you thought I was difficult about food.”

Seonghwa ignored his comment and continued, “She barely moved, kept her body tense, and held the bowl like it was a trap. Every time we urged her to eat, she had that same look… like she expected it to be her last meal.”

Yunho frowned, slowly shaking his head. “That’s… really concerning.”

Yeosang remained silent, deep in thought. Jongho scratched the back of his head. “But in the end, she ate, right?”

Wooyoung immediately beamed and puffed out his chest. “Of course! Thanks to me, obviously.”

Seonghwa rolled his eyes and shot him a brief, amused glance. “The best news of the day is that Wooyoung has found a new passion.”

“Oh no.” Yunho instantly looked wary. “What is it this time? Acrobatics? Poetry? Or are you planning to open a restaurant in the middle of the forest?”

“Very funny.” Wooyoung crossed his arms, pretending to be offended. “Listen,” he began enthusiastically, “I saw that she would never take a bite if we kept just encouraging her. So I did the only logical thing. I grabbed a spoon, took a bite myself, swallowed it, and showed her that I wasn’t dropping dead. Then I gave Seonghwa a bite too, just to prove he wasn’t dropping dead either—”

“As if I were some kind of test subject,” Seonghwa commented dryly.

“Doesn’t matter, it worked,” Wooyoung said triumphantly. “Then she had no excuse left and started eating.”

Yunho raised his eyebrows at Wooyoung and slowly grinned. “Wait… you literally showed her the food wasn’t poisoned, like some kind of servant drinking from the king’s goblet first?”

Yeosang smirked and shook his head. “That must have looked ridiculous.”

Wooyoung waved a hand dismissively. “Who cares how it looked? It worked! She ate, and guess what? She’s still alive. So if you ask me, I’m a genius.”

Seonghwa shook his head with a small smile. “If this is your definition of genius, we need to lower our standards.”

Jongho chuckled. “I have to admit, I wish I had seen how you pulled that off.”

Yeosang turned back to Seonghwa. “And how was she once she started eating?”

Seonghwa glanced at (y/n). “Calm. But… confused. Like she didn’t understand why we weren’t being hostile anymore. Like she wasn’t used to people acting normal around her.”

His words left a brief silence between them.

Yunho was the one to break it. “Well,” he said, “I don’t know what happened to her, but if you and Wooyoung are now her personal trust-builders, then good luck.”

“But what’s this new mission of yours?” Jongho asked dryly.

Wooyoung crossed his arms and answered seriously. “I’m making friends.”

A brief silence.

Then, all at once, Yunho, Yeosang, and Jongho burst into laughter.

“Wait, wait,” Jongho gasped, leaning against the wall for support. “With her?” He nodded toward (y/n).

Yeosang wiped an imaginary tear from his eye, feigning seriousness. “The girl who hates us and tried to escape? Wooyoung, how hard did she hit your head against San?”

Wooyoung huffed and shot Seonghwa a glare. “This is why I never tell you guys anything.”

“Because I tell the truth?” Seonghwa asked with an innocent smile.

“Well, now you have to explain,” Yunho said, crossing his arms. “Because I believe this about as much as I believe that Jongho would ever share his food.”

Jongho raised his eyebrows in offense. “Hey! I—” He stopped when Wooyoung shot him a knowing look. “… Okay, fair point.”

Wooyoung took a deep breath and turned to the group. “Look, I thought about it… and maybe Mingi has a point. The (y/n) without the fox—” he nodded at the sleeping figure, “—she’s different. She needs friends.”

Yeosang studied him sharply. “And the fox?”

Wooyoung was silent for a few seconds, glancing at the floor before meeting Yeosang’s gaze. “I’m not sure yet.”

The laughter slowly faded from the group. Jongho and Yunho exchanged a brief glance, while Yeosang looked at (y/n) thoughtfully.

Seonghwa finally broke the silence. “We need to stay alert. But…” he turned to Wooyoung, “if you want to be friends with her, go ahead. As long as it doesn’t get us into trouble.”

Wooyoung grinned and casually threw an arm around Seonghwa’s shoulder. “Come on, I’m great at making friends.”

“Or at forcing yourself onto people,” Yeosang remarked dryly, raising an eyebrow.

“Same thing.”

Jongho shook his head and started organizing the pile of firewood. “I just hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, Wooyoung.”

“Don’t worry.” Wooyoung glanced briefly at (y/n), who was still fast asleep. “I’ve got everything under control.”

The day passed in a slow, relaxed rhythm. Outside, the sky was clear, and a soft breeze drifted in through the half-open windows, mixing the stale scent of wood and herbs with the fresh outdoor air. The hut was filled with the quiet murmur of conversation, the scrape of knives against wood, and the occasional crackling of the fireplace.

Yeosang had settled on the other side of the room with a bundle of herbs and fabrics, working intently on grinding and mixing different medicinal plants—something he always did when he had the chance. Yunho and Jongho had rekindled the fire and were preparing a pot of soup, a dish that would be easy to reheat over the next few days.

Meanwhile, Seonghwa and Wooyoung kept an eye on the girl. She lay still, her breathing steady, her face less tense than it had been that morning. Occasionally, she shifted slightly in her sleep, her brows briefly furrowing as if she were dreaming, but she remained deeply asleep.

Wooyoung tapped a spoon against a bowl and looked at Seonghwa. “Your turn.”

Seonghwa sighed, took the bowl of water, and sat beside (y/n). “She’s asleep,” he pointed out.

“She’ll wake up if you say her name,” Wooyoung replied, leaning against the table with a playful grin. “You’ve got that serious, authoritative voice—like you’re interrogating her.”

Seonghwa shot him an amused look and shook his head. “Maybe you should call her, since you’re the one who wants to be friends.”

Wooyoung shrugged. “Good point, but I’m lazy.”

Just then, (y/n) shifted slightly and opened her eyes. She blinked a few times, her gaze hazy and drowsy. Seonghwa gently tapped the rim of the bowl. “Here, drink some.”

(y/n) stared at him for a moment, not quite awake yet, but when she saw the water, she slowly took the bowl and sipped cautiously. Seonghwa watched her closely, while Wooyoung observed with satisfaction.

“So obedient,” Wooyoung teased with a lopsided grin. “You’d almost think you’re starting to trust us.”

(y/n) shot him a tired, narrow-eyed glare but said nothing, handing the bowl back to Seonghwa. She turned her head away and drifted back to sleep.

Wooyoung glanced at Seonghwa and grinned. “See? Friendship in progress.”

Seonghwa sighed and stood up. “Call it whatever you want.”

The rest of the day passed in a calm atmosphere. Jongho and Yunho had begun cutting meat, while Yeosang occasionally moved between them, adding herbs and spices. The hut smelled amazing, and even Wooyoung seemed content as he leaned back lazily, munching on some fruit.

Every now and then, Seonghwa or Yeosang would check (y/n)’s forehead to make sure her fever hadn’t returned, but her temperature remained stable. Wooyoung had unofficially become the designated water carrier, making sure she drank something each time she woke up.

By evening, as the sun hung low and the shadows stretched long, the men had just finished their own meal when footsteps sounded outside. The door creaked open, and Hongjoong, Mingi, and San stepped inside, their clothes dusty, their faces sweaty from the long day.

“We’re back,” Hongjoong announced, dropping the sacks and rolled-up maps they had gathered onto the floor beside him.

San stretched and grinned at the others. “Smells good in here. Did you guys have a day off or something?”

Yunho chuckled and patted one of the pots. “You have no idea what an amazing meal you just missed.”

Mingi glanced from the pot to Wooyoung’s unusually relaxed posture and frowned. “And? How did things go here?”

Seonghwa looked at (y/n), who was still sleeping, then turned back to the group. “Quiet. She ate, drank, and slept all day. No fever. No fox.”

Wooyoung grinned and leaned against the table. “Oh, and I have a new mission.”

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow. “I’m almost afraid to ask.”

“Becoming friends with (y/n),” Wooyoung declared proudly.

A brief silence followed.

San, Mingi, and Hongjoong stared at him in disbelief.

“…What?” Mingi was the first to speak.

“You heard him,” Yeosang said dryly. “He’s officially on a friendship mission.”

San broke into a wide grin and clapped Wooyoung on the back. “Well, good luck with that. Hope you don’t get your heart broken.”

Wooyoung scoffed. “I’m charismatic. She won’t be able to resist.”

Hongjoong chuckled, shaking his head as he sank into a chair. “I don’t know if I want to place a bet on this.”

Jongho and Yeosang began filling bowls with the steaming soup and handed them to Hongjoong, Mingi, and San. The three men, clearly hungry after their long day, accepted them gratefully and started eating as they discussed their findings. The atmosphere was relaxed, filled with conversation and teasing remarks about their exhausting journey.

On the other side of the hut, Wooyoung and Yunho were focused on (y/n). Wooyoung filled a bowl with stew and let his spoon rest inside, glancing at (y/n), who sat against the wall, her shoulders tense. Her eyes darted around the room, scanning the men who had now all returned.

She had eaten and drunk all day without much resistance, but now that the hut was full, the voices of the men surrounding her, she had slipped back into that hyper-aware state. Her breathing was shallower, her gaze restless, as if she was ready to spring up at any moment.

Wooyoung noticed it immediately.

He lightly tapped his spoon against the rim of the bowl and held it up. “Hey, it’s mealtime again. You did well today, let’s keep that going.”

(y/n) didn’t react. Her eyes remained sharp, her shoulders tense.

Wooyoung raised an eyebrow and tried again. “(y/n), come on. You know it’s not poisoned, I showed you this morning. You trusted me then, right?”

Still no response. Her gaze stayed wary, as if she hadn’t even heard him.

Yunho, standing beside Wooyoung, glanced between them and cleared his throat. “Maybe we should try something different?”

Wooyoung sighed and pulled a chair closer. “Yeah, I guess my tricks don’t work when there’s too much of an audience.” He turned halfway toward the rest of the group and called over his shoulder, “Can you guys do something else for a moment? She won’t eat if she feels watched.”

Hongjoong, Mingi, and San, who had been silently observing (y/n), exchanged glances.

San let out a short chuckle and leaned back. “I’m not even looking at her, but fine.”

Hongjoong, noticing how (y/n) only tensed more under their attention, set his spoon down and nodded at the others. “Alright, let’s stop staring at her like we’re about to eat her. Go on with your mission, Wooyoung.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes and focused on (y/n) again. He leaned in slightly and gave Yunho a light tap on the arm. “Your turn. She doesn’t trust me enough yet, so now we’re bringing in Yunho.”

Yunho blinked in surprise. “Me? Why me?”

“Because you’re big, warm, and non-threatening,” Wooyoung said without hesitation. “You’re the only one who automatically makes people feel safe. If anyone can get her to eat, it’s you.”

Hongjoong, Mingi, and San, pretending not to watch, couldn’t suppress their grins. San even let out a short laugh. “Now he’s dragging others into his friendship mission. This keeps getting better.”

“You’re my assistant now,” Wooyoung declared, handing the bowl to Yunho. “We’re going for the gentle approach.”

Yunho sighed, took the bowl, and looked at (y/n). Her eyes were now on him, still wary, but he also saw confusion.

He smiled warmly and moved a little closer—but not too close. “I know this might be hard, but you need to keep eating, (y/n). Your body needs it. And don’t worry, we’re not watching. We just want you to regain your strength.”

He lifted the bowl slightly and waited patiently.

(y/n)’s eyes flickered to Wooyoung, then back to Yunho. She was clearly nervous, but something about Yunho’s calm demeanor didn’t put her completely on edge.

“I’ll try it first,” Yunho said softly. He scooped up a spoonful, blew on it lightly, and took a bite himself. Then, he held the spoon out to her again.

A long silence.

(y/n) stared warily at the spoon Yunho was holding out. Even though she had just seen him eat, her body remained tense, as if her instincts were warning her against it. Yunho noticed her hesitation and smiled gently.

“It’s really okay,” he said softly. “Take your time. I know it’s overwhelming with everyone here, but it’s just food. Nothing more.”

(y/n)’s fingers clenched briefly around her blanket before she slowly reached out and took the spoon. She took a small bite, her eyes still alert, but Yunho kept his expression warm and relaxed.

“That’s good,” he encouraged. “You don’t have to eat everything at once, but every bite helps.”

She chewed slowly, her gaze drifting to the others in the room. They were still talking among themselves, but no one was openly watching her anymore.

Wooyoung, who had just been confidently orchestrating the situation, turned back to them. “Look at that, teamwork! This is exactly why I picked Yunho.”

“Picked?” Yunho asked, offering (y/n) another spoonful.

Wooyoung held up a finger. “Yes, because you’re the ultimate gentle giant. No one trusts me right away, but you? Everyone trusts you. Even (y/n) is giving in.”

(y/n) swallowed her bite and raised an eyebrow at Wooyoung. “That probably just means you have a bad reputation.”

It slipped out before she could stop herself.

For a few seconds, there was silence. Yunho raised his eyebrows at her, and Wooyoung blinked in surprise.

Then, suddenly, Wooyoung burst into laughter. “Well, well, look who’s talking.” He patted his chest proudly.

Then, hesitantly, (y/n) finally took the spoon and started eating on her own.

Wooyoung triumphantly threw his hands in the air. “Ha! See? I’m a genius.”

Yunho shook his head, laughing, and glanced at Seonghwa. “This is a really weird day.”

Seonghwa, who had been watching quietly, smirked and took a sip of his tea. “I have to admit, this is the most creative I’ve ever seen Wooyoung.”

Meanwhile, Mingi couldn’t resist whispering to San, “Wanna bet how long this lasts before we lose her trust again?”

San chuckled. “I’d say at least a week.”

But as the group exchanged amused glances, (y/n) kept eating—still visibly tense, but compliant with the way Yunho and Wooyoung handled things.

And even though no one said it out loud, everyone in the hut knew it was a victory.

Wooyoung, still grinning, took the empty bowl from her hands and tapped it playfully. “Anyway, mission accomplished. And I hear it already—time for bed, Little Fox. Tomorrow’s a new day.”

“Little Fox?” (y/n) repeated, confused.

“Yep,” Wooyoung said cheerfully. “You’re officially under my care now, so I’m giving you a nickname. You can thank me later.”

The rest of the men laughed again, and (y/n) wasn’t sure if she should be irritated or just confused. She was so used to hostility that she didn’t know how to react to this playful atmosphere.

With one last glance at Yunho, who still had a calm smile, and Wooyoung, who looked at her like he had already won, she decided that maybe—just maybe—these two could be trusted.

The hut was quiet. Outside, the occasional bark of a night creature echoed, and the wind rustled softly through the trees. Inside, the men were scattered around, some on bedding, others just using their jackets as pillows. The fire had died down to a small smoldering glow, just enough to keep the night’s chill at bay.

Seonghwa sat leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching (y/n)’s sleeping form. Her breathing was steady, her face more relaxed than it had been all day. But still, he had the feeling that even in sleep, she was alert, as if she could wake at any moment.

On the other side of the room, Hongjoong moved soundlessly until he settled next to Seonghwa. “You’re still awake.”

“So are you,” Seonghwa replied dryly.

Hongjoong ran a hand through his hair and sighed. “San, Mingi, and I mapped out the route through the swamp today. If we want to reach the treasure, we have to go through it. There’s no other option.”

Seonghwa nodded slowly. “And? How bad is it?”

Hongjoong glanced at the sleeping men around them before continuing. “Bad. The swamp is deep and unpredictable. The ground beneath your feet can disappear in an instant, and some areas are nothing but pure quicksand. San discovered that in certain parts, toxic gases linger. Birds flying over those areas just drop from the sky.”

Seonghwa frowned. “That doesn’t sound like a shortcut I’d recommend.”

“It’s either that or spending days circling the mountains and taking a route that’s even more dangerous because of bandits and wild animals,” Hongjoong said, resting his chin on his hand. “We’ll have to be careful. But I think we can do it—if we prepare properly.”

Seonghwa considered this for a moment before slowly nodding. “If anyone can do it, it’s us.”

A brief silence fell between them.

“And (y/n)?” Hongjoong asked eventually. “How was she today?”

Seonghwa ran a hand through his hair and glanced at her again. “Different,” he finally said. “The fox is gone.”

Hongjoong turned to him, eyes narrowing. “Gone?”

Seonghwa nodded. “Not hiding. Not lurking. Just… gone. Everything about her—her posture, the way she speaks, even how she defends herself—it’s like we’re not even looking at the same person we met at the inn.”

Hongjoong studied (y/n) thoughtfully. “Do you think it’s temporary?”

Seonghwa shrugged. “I don’t know. But I do know that this girl—” he nodded toward (y/n), “is different from the fox we knew. And I’m starting to believe she needs more protection than we thought.”

Hongjoong hummed softly. “Then we need to be careful with how we handle her. And we need to see if the fox comes back… because if she does, we need to be ready for it.”

Seonghwa nodded slowly. “Exactly.”

A cold gust of wind slipped through a crack in the hut, and both men stared silently into the darkness. The dangers of the swamp ahead were great. But perhaps the most unpredictable factor wasn’t the swamp, nor the treasure—but the girl lying in their midst.

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