#ish i suppose. no actual romance here

[acapelladitty]

Scriddler mood you say...? Well i would love to see them having fun with a poor hapless victim... 👀

Have some mean-spirited shite!

"Isaac Cox."

Drawling the words with a mocking lilt, Jonathan brought the newspaper in his grip closer to his face as a muffled whimper attempted to break free of the gagged figure restrained before him.

"In a tour de force performance which has taken the Gotham comedy circuit by storm, Isaac Cox stands head and shoulders above the rest as he pokes fun at everything from Bruce Wayne to Lex Luthor's latest presidential gambit. However," Jonathan paused to let every word sink in, "his crowning achievement - one which had the crowd in tears - centered on the costumed villains which inhabit Gotham's sewers and shadows."

Jonathan read with perfect clarity in a tone that dripped sarcasm, every inch the honed ex-lecturer he once was, before passing the newspaper onto the green-clad figure by his side.

"Taking aim at Deadshot," Edward picked up the review with a wide grin as his cane remained clasped tightly in his free hand, "puzzling over Riddler's sexual preferences, and making a scarily accurate impression of the Scarecrow on a bender, Cox left no stone unturned as he rampaged like a rogue in his own right. It's enough to have this reviewer feeling like we have a new fearless jester to join our resident Clown Prince of Crime. 4 stars out of 5."

Edward sniffed in disdain as he dropped the newspaper to the filthy floor.

"For such a glowing review, you think they would at least have the decency to give a full five stars. Your thoughts, dear doctor?"

"Everyone's a critic in these modern times."

Flexing the syringes of his fear gauntlet, Jonathan allowed the dim light to catch the metal and noted the violent flinch in the restrained figure.

"I won't insult you by explaining why you're here-"

"But I will," Edward cut in, "and I have to say that choosing to target such a dangerous group of individuals shows that there's not much going on upstairs in the old cranium, is there Isaac?"

To emphasis his point, Edward tapped his temple with the pad of his index finger. A smile broke across his lips as genuine dread filtered through Isaac's expression; the horror of his situation too great to allow regret any room at the table.

In the dampness of Jonathan's underground room, a perfect setting for his various experiments, the vague sound of rainfall could be heard beating against the upper building as a storm raged against Gotham. However, the worsening weather went unnoticed by all three men as their little game continued.

Edward leaned in closer, his bowler hat slipping forward an inch as his head fell to a deep angle. His voice was low and intimate, a simple conversation between a predator and its prey.

"In days gone by, the jester filled an important role to a King's court. He spoke freely but always with the healthy fear of the executioners axe should his words offend rather than amuse."

"Parallel to that, if a jester failed to amuse his king then he would often find himself a victim of hubris as he was thrown into the nearest moat to be devoured by crocodiles."

"And while we lack a moat-" Edward shrugged.

"-we do not lack the crocodile." Jonathan finished his sentence with a crooked smile. "And Waylon Jones does not take kindly to those who would dare to mock him so publicly."

The restraints creaked like old floorboards as Isaac's thick wrists wrenched at his bindings once more. His eyes widened to dinner plates as the natural fear of being eaten, having his flesh consumed by a feral beast, weighed on his chest.

"But we are fair men and so we devised a way for you to save yourself. If you can."

Pulling free the fabric gag which lay within Isaac's mouth, Edward had barely retracted his fingers when the pleas stared to break free of his panicked lips.

"Please, I'll do anyth-"

"Do not interrupt," Crane hissed as he clamped his thin hand around the terrified man's mouth, "or I will sew your lips shut just to watch you struggle more with your next task." He gestured to Edwsrd with his free hand, encouraging him to lay out the instructions.

"One who acts a fool must fill the role entirely. It seems to us that we hold the power in this exchange and that makes us your court. So your task is to make us laugh."

"What?" A question disgused within a sob.

"Make. Us. Laugh." Edward punctured each word with a cruel flick of his wrist. "You have three minutes to make either of us smile or your life is forfeit. Waylon Jones waits in the wings for a simple invitation if you fail. Consumed by a crocodile for failing your simple role. Poetic."

Jonathan watched the explanation with stony features, mercy absent from every pore as he knew he was playing a game he would not lose. Hubris was a death sentence in Gotham and this fool before them would lose more than he bargained for in payment for the unspoken challenge he had set.

Producing a small egg timer from his jacket, Edward wound it back as each subtle click tinkled away like a death rattle in its own right. He tilted forward to position it on the small table which lay between them as Jonathan moved to stand to his full, impressive height by his other side.

"Three minutes, Isaac Cox. Time for the jester to work his magic."

x-x-x-x-x

By the time Waylon Jones had slowed his brutal enjoyment of his screaming meal, the scent of blood and viscera hung in the air like a cloying fog and it was enough to make Edward's stomach lurch despite the many atrocities he could ascribe his own bloddied name to.

"A pity, really." He muttered the words with a pitiless tone. "I could have used him as a test subject for a new contraption i've painstakingly designed."

"And deny Waylon a good meal? You would be so cruel?"

Silence falling once again, both men resigned themselves to watching the smoulding display of cannibalism as a vague hope that the other would take point on the inevitable clean-up knocked curiously at their thoughts.

[happy74827]

Contagiously Human.

[Brian Moser x Female!Reader]

Synopsis: Killing was always the easiest part for him, but this… you… well, as fate would have it, that created a new problem for him. {GIF Creds: brothermoser}

WC: 1881

Category: Plot-Driven, Maybe Some Fluff/Angst…?

Someone asked me if I’d ever thought about writing Biney… and well, I decided to put my thought into actual words 🤷‍♀️

Just for some minor clarification, this is pretty much a “what if” fic in which Dexter does not end his life. This being said, I picture this taking place around season 5-6 ish.

『••✎••』

Hesitation.

The thing that makes or breaks a killer. The line that separates predator from prey. It's the pause between life and death, the time a man takes to make the decision, and whether he'll live to regret it or not.

He’s never had hesitation. Not once. In fact, he relishes in it; he finds peace in knowing that he can decide one way or another and be content with either outcome. It makes him a dangerous man, unpredictable, a ticking time bomb.

His baby brother, his blood, had the disease. The disease of being too much of a good person, feeling guilt, having morals, a sense of what's right and wrong. He was weak, he hesitated, and he wasn’t even aware of how much the disease was eating him alive until that Trinity Killer came around.

He was supposed to protect his brother, save him from himself, and show him the proper way of things. The way of survival. Of the hunt. But no, Brian wasn’t there to catch him. To stop him.

So, as all good brothers do, he’s here to fix him. To set him straight and rid him of the disease. Forever.

It's an easy task, really. His little brother is so trusting and caring that he'd do anything for the ones he loved. Why not start by showing him why he shouldn't?

Because clearly, the loss of his apparent wife wasn’t enough. He needed to understand, truly and absolutely, that the world would only disappoint him. It's a harsh lesson but a necessary one.

So, that led him to you. His brother’s friend from school. The woman, aside from Dexter’s poor excuse for a sister, that his brother actually cared about.

Just like him, you were naive. Trusting, too. Friendly to everyone, completely unaware of the monsters that hid in the shadows. His brother included.

You might’ve never killed someone, but with everything else, it was clear why his brother was so interested in you. He always loved the innocent ones.

So, the question was, how would he go about it? He could take you somewhere, but the element of surprise was an important factor. You had to believe you were safe and comfortable before he could make his move.

A Debra repeat? Or a more... Unique approach. He'd think about it, plan it out, and strike at the perfect moment.

He wouldn’t hesitate, after all.

When the day presented itself, the stars had aligned, and everything was just right; he made his move. It was noon, a warm Sunday.

You were in your little bookshop, reading one of the books in your free time. Business had been slow today, as most people were enjoying the weather.

You never saw him coming. He was the type to blend into the crowd, the type that you'd see once and forget about. The type you'd pass on the street without a second thought.

He had his ways, of course, and his way was simple. A simple, kind greeting. One that had your eyes lighting up as if you'd never seen another person before.

He was charming, handsome, the perfect man to lure you in. You didn’t stand a chance.

That's what led him here, picking up your fallen book and handing it to you, watching the smile that graced your lips.

A romance novel, of course. How ironic.

"Oh, uh, thank you. That’s very kind."

You smiled, a hint of blush dusting your cheeks. Far more tame than that Debra woman, thankfully. He didn’t have to fight back the urge to roll his eyes.

"Tea and romance? Can’t say I blame you." He pulled a gentle grin, one that had you blushing further, more so of embarrassment this time.

"It's the first of a series. A favorite, actually, I’ve been rereading it." You explained, holding the book to your chest. He didn’t miss the way your thumb rubbed over the spine, fond and gentle.

Just from that, he knew. He was going to have fun with you. “Believe it or not, I read the first one too. A few months ago, actually. It was quite the page-turner. The ending had me on the edge of my seat, I swear."

You laughed, soft and airy, and for a moment, he found himself smiling genuinely. His lie was working, and he couldn’t believe it was that easy.

"I've only heard mixed reviews on it.” You spoke, moving to place the book back on the shelf. "I'm glad to hear you liked it. Marienne’s death was hard, wasn't it?"

"Very." He agreed though it was a lie. He had to pretend he cared. "It was a shame; I really enjoyed the character."

"You did?" You raised a brow, surprised. “Most people didn’t. Given that she doesn’t even exist.”

Shit.

He cleared his throat, a slight pause. He was so blinded by the idea of finally getting to his brother that he'd forgotten.

You were a reader, an author; of course, you would know the ins and outs of the story. The characters, the plot, and every little detail. Why would you not?

First rule of hunting. Don’t get cocky.

"Alright, I admit. I've been caught." He gave a small shrug, his voice holding a hint of sheepishness. Maybe you’d fall for it. “I couldn’t help myself; I figured you wouldn’t appreciate my love for fantasy books."

"Fantasy?" You tilted your head, and he knew. You bought it. You were a sucker for fantasy; you didn't like it when others looked down on them.

"I'm a bit of a nerd. Guilty pleasure."

"I didn’t peg you for the fantasy type…” You raised your eyebrow, though a smile still rested on your lips—a look of amusement.

"Really? Most people can't seem to look past the collared shirt.

"No, it's not that. It's your aura." You shook your head, and now, it was his turn to raise his brow. What the hell did that mean?

"My aura?"

"Those books in your hands..” You nodded towards his bag, a small smirk pulling at the corner of your lips. "You're definitely not a casual reader. My guess is everything in there is a throwaway.”

"And that means...?"

"You're bullshit through and through. You don't like romance or fantasy. In fact, I think you absolutely hate it."

Oh. Oh, you clever thing. Now, he truly understood why his brother connected with you so much. You'd figured him out, and yet, you had no clue. You were clever, smarter than you let on.

"Alright,” He held his hands up in mock surrender. He was enjoying this; for once, someone could see through his façade. See his true self. It was a rush.

“If you’re so smart, what do I like then?"

"Hmm, let's see...” And just like that, you were off with him in tow. You were taking him along on a trip through the shelves, looking through the genres, searching and searching.

He was intrigued, his eyes locked on you, his ears drinking in the sound of your hums and contemplation. Your mind was running, spinning, thinking. You were truly in your element.

"Well, let's start with what I know. You like horror." You said, turning towards the horror section and picking up a book. "You seem like the type who enjoys the dark side of humanity and likes to see the bad guy win."

Damn.

He was almost impressed. Almost.

"How could you possibly know that?"

"Eyes. They tell the most about a person. You’ve seen a lot, and it shows. I could tell just by looking at you. Your eyes are... Cold. Empty." You said, and it was then that he realized you were more observant than you appeared. Naivety might’ve not been a part of your personality, but trust was. You trusted a lot. Too much. “Are you a cop, by chance? You've got the whole detective thing going on."

"Prosthetist, actually." He answered, his hand reaching out and picking up a book at random. He wasn't a fan of fiction, not really. He preferred nonfiction; it was more realistic—less pointless details.

"Oh, wow, I was completely off. I didn’t expect that." You mused, looking up at him with those eyes. You had such an expressive face; it was amazing how easy you were to read. He could practically see the gears turning. How could he use this?

"Expected an axe murderer, did you?" He joked, a smile tugging at his lips.

"Maybe. Wouldn’t that be a twist?" You grinned a glint of amusement in your eye. “Speaking of, that’s probably what you like. Thrillers. Those kinds of stories are full of twists and turns. No one is who they appear to be. Kinda like you, hm?"

"Ouch."

"Sorry, am I being too honest?"

"No, I like it. Keep going." He was having fun. With Debra, it was exhausting. She was so stubborn, so headstrong, she never listened. It took him about three coffees just to have enough patience to deal with her sob story.

But with you, you were a breath of fresh air. He didn’t have to force himself awake or hide his boredom. He could just enjoy it, relish in the moment, and the fact that you were so easy to play with.

You pulled out three books: two thrillers and one horror. A classic and a new one. "These are what I recommend. Start with Primal Fear; that’s the one I believe you'll like the most. The first one might take you a while, but if you stick with it, the sequel will be worth it.

He reached forward, his hand brushing over yours, his touch lingering as he took the book. He purposely brushed his thumb against the back of your hand, just enough for a spark to go through your veins.

He saw the way your breath hitched, and he smirked. This was too easy.

"Thank you, you've been a great help."

"One more thing before you go." You spoke, stopping him. His eyes moved up from the book to your own, and there he saw something that made him falter.

Something that made him freeze longer than he should have.

You had a fire behind those eyes. A flame that burned with a passion, a curiosity that threatened to eat him alive. A want, a need, to get into his head. To peel him open and look inside.

Your eyes weren't cold or empty like his. They were alive. Full of life.

"Books don’t impress women,” Your voice was low, a secret, something meant only for him to hear. “It’s the passion that opens their hearts. You have nothing if you can't show it."

"I think I've misjudged you." He spoke, his hand resting on the shelf above your head. He had no choice but to lean closer, and he felt the way your breath fanned across his skin.

"Oh?"

"Yes. You're a lot more than you appear, aren’t you?"

"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"

The question was left unanswered. He didn't give a response because, in truth, he didn't know.

He left that day not with his brother’s cure or even the thought of him. He left with three books.

Three books and the disease he believed to be immune to…

Hesitation.

[@numetalnerd2007] Since you asked, I figured this would automatically mean you were interested. At least I hope you were 💀

That being said, please be nice to me for this one since it’s my first time writing for Biney here (and I haven’t rewatched season 1 in forever), so his character probably isn’t 100% solid. It’s a work in progress 🙏✨

Also, for all my Joe Goldberg fans out there, did you catch the reference I made? I see a slight resemblance between Brian and Joe, so I wanted to sneak it in a little something. I think it’s the hair, honestly.

[taesanrot]

[van gogh] sungchan x f!reader | 2.7k words sneaky links/relationship, office romance ish, kind of just a slice of life if that makes sense, smut! (making out, oral f. receiving, tongue fucking .... they get freaky) syn. during the daytime, jung sungchan is nothing but another colleague at your job. to everyone's knowledge, the two of you are pretty much strangers. but in the late hours of the weekends, it's sungchan who meets you at the end of nights filled with parties and clubs. note. im back !!! after 30 million years 💗 uni has been rough sorry guys. anyways here’s another song fic hehe. this was supposed to be my first one actually but i forgot about it for like ever.

now playing: van gogh by aminé

"tell me where to go when the party 'gon close, after party shawty she don't wanna go home"

sungchan waved his drunken friends off as they clambered into the first cab they could hail. anton looked at sungchan once again, asking if he should stay with his eyes. sungchan smiled and shook his head at the younger male, checking the time on his silver plated watch.

it was almost 2 am, you were probably in the same position as him, sending your friends off back to their own apartments. sungchan had just enough luck to catch a glimpse of you in the club you were both at.

he was mesmerized by your shimmery dress, shivering as he remembered how he nearly fainted when he caught the outline of your collarbone under the flickering lights of the nightclub.

the tall male was lighting a cigarette when he felt his phone buzz in his pocket.

[1:59 a.m.] y/n: wya

[2:00 a.m.] sungchan: 9th and valentina

[2:00 a.m.] y/n: omw

sungchan leaned back against the brick wall behind him, taking a long drag from the cigarette. he knew you'd nag him when you saw the cig, complaining that the smell bothered you. sungchan smiled softly thinking of your protests. he knew you nagged him about it because you cared about him, whether or not you'd admit it.

the clicking of your silver heels caught sungchan's attention, and he whipped his head in your direction. tossing his dart on the ground, the boy gave you and half smile and walked in your direction.

now standing face to face with sungchan, you didn't miss the way he shamelessly eyed you up and down.

"pretty dress." compliments rolled off his tongue whenever he was around you; sometimes sungchan swore you cast a spell on him

he smiled down at you. you rolled your eyes, bringing your hand up to link your arm with his.

"it's new." you replied teasingly, waving an arm in the air the hail a cab. as quick as you linked your arm with his, sungchan retracted his arm from yours, sliding it around your waist so you were flush against his side. you felt his breath fan on your neck as he pressed a light kiss behind your ear.

"missed you." he whispered, smirking as he felt you shiver slightly.

a cab arrived before you could respond, and sungchan opened the car door for you, hand never leaving the small of your back until you were fully seated in the vehicle.

over your dress, sungchans fingers traced the lines of your tattoo, the one on your lower back that almost no one knew about. scooting into the car, he watched you lean forward to give the driver directions to your house. 

sungchan wondered if your roommate, giselle, would be home or if the two of you would be alone. he felt you press into his side and lay your head on his chest once you finished talking to the driver, his arm wrapping around your frame like it was second nature for him. no matter what, he always found his hand settling in the dip in your side, like it was being pulled by a magnet.

looking at your eyes that fluttered shut, sungchan chuckled slightly. you tilted your face up at him, feeling his chest rumble against you.

“tired?” he teased, smoothing down part of your hair. you pouted slightly and shook your head in protest.

“no i’m not” sungchan smiled at you again in the way that made your stomach explode with butterflies as he leaned down to leave a peck on your lips. 

“it’s okay baby, i’ll wake you up when we’re there.” he shrugged off his jacket to drop it around your almost bare shoulders. lacing a hand with yours, he let you adjust yourself slightly to rest against his shoulder.

sungchan thought you looked the prettiest in moments like this, when you weren’t thinking about anything. your lashes laid delicately on your cheeks as your chest rose up and down slowly. he reveled in the sight of his jacket wrapped around you.

even if no one in the office knew about your romance, sungchan knew you were his and he was yours. he secretly loved the sneaking around, feeling like it added a little but of excitement to your boring work days. 

the two of you would act sneaky for no reason, leaving at different times to talk to each other near bathroom or take your coffee breaks together. 

even when you went out, you’d go with your respective friend groups, meeting up after they were done migrating from club to club. 

sungchan looked down at your intertwined fingers. at the end of the night, it was him you’d come back to, it was him who’d take you home.

as the taxi came to a stop, sungchan pinched your cheek slightly. you whined at the contact but moved to get out of the car. sungchan paid the driver and the two of you stepped out together, sungchan’s hand falling back to the small of your back as you kept his jacket wrapped around your shoulders. 

the ride up to your floor was short, the two of you were at your front door within a minute of entering your complex. you shoved your keys into the lock and shoved the door open impatiently, wanting to get your dress and makeup off. 

“aeri?” your voice cut through the silence of the apartment. the lack of response and the empty hook where her keys usually hung told you she wasn’t home.

sungchan smiled and pulled you towards your bedroom, kicking off his shoes lazily. you grinned as he pushed open your bedroom door, throwing his jacket onto the bed.

pushing you against your now closed door, he lowered his face to the curve of your neck, placing open mouthed kisses down to your shoulders. his hand played with the thin straps of your dress, watching how the slid off your shoulders easily. before he could tug it off of you completely, you tapped his shoulder, prompting him to look up at you.

“let me wash my face baby, my makeup.” your boyfriend pouted dramatically but stepped away from you so you could walk over to the bathroom.

as you changed and washed off your makeup, sungchan changed in your room, retrieving clothes from the bottom drawer of your dresser -- the one that was reserved just for him.

as you were rinsing off the last of your makeup, sungchan opened the door of the bathroom, grabbing both his and your toothbrushes and squeezing paste onto them. you sat on the counter and sungchan stood between your legs as you brushed your teeth. 

you ran your fingers through his fluffy hair, stomach flipping at the way he lazily leaned into your touch. his free hand came up to rub circles on your upper thigh, making you almost choke on your spit. sungchan smirked at the way you tensed, moving his hand up to play with the hem of your shirt.

you rolled your eyes at his antics, sliding off the counter to rinse your mouth. pushing the bathroom door open, you slipped into bed, sitting up against the headboard and scrolling through your phone. you laughed at some drunk texts from your coworkers. you hadn't drank much, and the lingering buzz from earlier was slowly slipping away.

sungchan walked out of the bathroom soon after, closing the door gently and turning your room lights off. your eyes could barely make out his large frame in the dark room, the only light coming from the streetlights outside and your phone screen.

you were still scrolling through some messages and emails when your boyfriend plucked your phone out of your hands, switching it off and placing it on the nightstand next to you.

he pulled you onto his lap, not giving you a moment to react. you giggled, tilting your head at him as his hooded eyes ran up and down your skin, stopping at the curve of your neck.

"what's up baby?" you asked, grinning. you could read sungchan like a book. he hummed in response, in a daze as his hands toyed with the hem of your shirt once again. you looked down at his fingers as they slipped under the fabric, running over your sides. you involuntarily shivered at how cold they were, and you felt your stomach burn with anticipation.

sungchan's other hand held your face gently, tilting your chin so you were looking at him again. he thumbed your bottom lip slightly, watching as your mouth wrapped around the tip of it delicately.

you enjoyed watching him breathe in shakily, knowing the effect you had on him. moving your legs to straddle him, you felt something poke against your center. sungchan moaned at the sudden pressure, pulling your face so he could meet your lips with his.

you gasped into the kiss, relishing the way his tongue slid into your mouth fervently. your hands landed on his neck, fingers tugging at the hair on his nape. his mouth melted into yours as he tilted his face to deepen the kiss even more.

you whimpered, feeling his hands roam under your shirt lazily. one hand pressed against the bottom of your spine, making your back curve into him slightly. the other massaged the skin of your thigh, moving closer and closer to where your clothed bodies met.

you were already sensitive, the feeling of sungchan shifting slightly underneath you making your breathing shallow.

his fingers danced along the waistband of your shorts, while his other hand stroked up and down your thigh. his light touches and the way he bit your lip were already making your head spin.

painstakingly slow, his hand at your waistband slowly slipped into your shorts, brushing against your clothed clit before applying pressure to your center over your panties. you broke away from his lips in favor of pressing your face into his neck, moaning into his soft skin. he ran his fingertips up and down your covered slit a few times before moving past your panties to feel your slick. noting how wet you were already, he chuckled.

“all this for me, baby?” you couldn’t see the smile on his face but you could hear it in his voice as you weakly nodded against his shoulder. you were aching in anticipation, almost screaming when sungchan pulled his hand out of your shorts. you watched impatiently as he licked his fingers, before bringing a hand up to tuck a strand on your hair back.

“wanna taste more.” he groaned into your ear, making you shudder.

“lay down for me?” you happily obliged, lifting yourself off his lap and laying your head on your pillow.

sungchan moved so he was hovering over you, placing a heavy hand on your hip. the sight of you under him was something straight of out sungchan’s dreams, your hair fanning around your face and small marks decorating your neck and chest.

he lowered his face to your neck, pressing wet kisses down the side as you writhed underneath him. his other hand pushed your flimsy tank up so he could see your boobs, latching his mouth around the right one.

"you always look so pretty when we go out. boosting my ego baby."

you moaned as his hot tongue pressed against your harden bud, back arching up to meet his face. he massaged your other boob, tweaking your nipple with his finger and basking in all of the pretty sounds you were making.

"always the prettiest girl in the room. and you're all mine."

he slowly but surely moved lower, kissing and licking your stomach. his hands hooked around the waistband of your shorts, and he pulled them and your panties off of you gently.

sungchan throbbed in his pants at the sight of you, your cami pushed up and your heat all bare for him. your eyes were screwed shut in anticipation, and he had to bite his lip to keep a laugh from escaping at the sight of you all pent up for him.

you were a mess, head thrown back against the pillow. you lost the ability to think straight a while ago, barely being able to control the noises you were making.

“please.” you whined quietly. you didn’t even realize what you said, and you definitely didn’t hear sungchan chuckling at your frenzied state.

placing his hands on your hips, he leaned in to brush your inner thigh with his lips, nibbling at the soft skin lightly. usually, he’d take his time with you, starting at your knee and kissing up your legs. he’d press kisses on the outside of your folds and the edges of your heat, and watch as your grip tightened on the sheets or in his hair. however, sungchan decided that he was feeling a bit more generous tonight.

before you could even ask him to stop teasing you, he pressed a deep kiss to your clit. a moan ripped through you, thighs twitching slightly. your legs already began to close instinctively, and sungchan looked up at you briefly before hooking his arms around your thighs both to keep them apart and pull you closer to his face. he had a wicked glint in his eyes as he looked up at you, basking in all the sounds and twitches coming from your pretty self.

his lips gingerly wrapped around your clit and you grabbed the closest thing to your hand, crumpling the sheets in your fist. sungchan’s arm looped around your knee and his hand found your heat easily. he pulled the skin above your clit slightly so he could hit the sensitive spot underneath, the spot that made profanities spill from your lips.

you bit your lip and screwed your eyes shut as his mouth and kisses travelled lower, his warm tongue swiping through the wetness of your slit. you couldn’t stop your lower half from jerking upwards, and sungchan’s free hand pinned your hips down to the mattress beneath you.

as his tongue breached your wet hole and his thumb rubbed your clit mercilessly, you cried out, back arching upwards. your head was spinning and stars were dancing on the back of your eyelids, and sungchan glanced up at you, watching as your mouth opened and no sound came out. you wanted to tell him keep going, to tell him how good he was making you feel. but your mind was melting at the way his mouth felt against you, and you were lost in him.

sungchan’s tongue flexed in and out of you, just the way you liked. he flicked it upwards every time he thrusted it into you, brushing your walls with the wet muscle.

"fuck- sungchan i'm gonna-" you could barely choke out words, drowning in the overwhelming stimulation.

you felt the knot in your stomach building at a gradual pace as your legs began to tense. sungchan’s pressure on your clit increased, revolutions only speeding up until you cried out his name, vision going white. your orgasm hit you like a truck, your walls fluttering around sungchan’s tongue and thighs shaking uncontrollably. all you could see was white as sungchan fucked you through your high with his tongue.

as you came back to earth, you looked down to see your boyfriend licking his lips sinfully, eyes hungry as he moved up to hover over you. brushing a finger down your cheek, he traced your lips with his fingertips, breath stolen from his body as you slowly opened your eyes.

your hooded gaze drove him insane, his lips being pulled to yours like a magnet. you sighed into his mouth, hands unlatching from the sheets to card through his soft brown hair. sugnchan's large hand fell onto your side, fingers digging into your soft flesh when he felt you bite his lip.

whining softly, you tugged at the end of sungchan's pajama shirt, making him break away from you for a split second to pull over his head. you didn't see where he tossed it, hands immediately moving to run down the soft skin of his firm chest. sitting up slightly, you pushed him backwards so you were leaning over him, smiling as he made a noise in surprise. you softly palmed him through his pajama pants, watching his eyebrows furrow in satisfaction at the way your palm rolled against his bulge.

as your fingers deftly worked at untying the drawstrings, you smiled at your shaking boyfriend.

"my turn, baby"

[ktownshizzle]

Terms & Conditions | Chapter 5 Teaser

Pairing: Min Yoongi x female reader

Summary: Managing Min Yoongi as one of your encoders during his alternative military service should’ve been simple. He is quiet, punctual—and can apparently type as fast as he can rap! Not to mention the fact that he is easy on the eyes and keeps wanting to help you. You’ve signed an iron-clad NDA, detailing the full terms and conditions of his temporary employment, so you’re supposed to keep things professional, but what happens if neither of you wants to?

Genre: Fluff, eventual smut, co-workers to lovers, office romance, idol!au

Warnings: Purely speculative regarding Yoongi’s alternative military service and how this is really done in SK, I might include scootergate in a future chapter but please know it will be written sensibly imo and with so much love for our Yoongi (I just wanna protecc him at all costs even thru this silly story!), some cursing, boss/employee relationship sorta but there's no power play involved, reader and Yoongi are within the same age range

Chapter Warnings: office foreplay, lil bit of fingering, lil bit of spanking, lil bit of nipple play, may cause delusion and I’m not liable for it don't @ me, literally a teaser so don’t expect to finish lmao

Word count: 1k ish haha

Posting date: October 25, 2024

Notes: Now listen. I know I said no updates for three weeks, but here we are. This may not be the final version so I may still make some changes when the full chapter drops.

This teaser has been unlocked through this ask game. Congrats to @kam9404 and @jadestonedaeho7 for guessing correctly. Manbun Yoongi is my husband (real) and I will have his babies. Thanks also to @bangtannkook for guessing Ginger Yoongi, the only man I will leave Manbun Yoongi for. 

Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four | Masterlist

The office has that late afternoon hush, when most people are too buried in their work to notice anything else. It’s just you and Yoongi, tucked away in the back office closet, a space that smells like old paper and dust. You’ve been here before of course—sorting files, you know, actual work—but today, when you enter, you only have one mission: you and Yoongi are about to defile the file closet.

Yoongi stands so close you can feel his breath on your neck, his hands resting just above your hips, pressing you lightly against the Ikea file cabinet you both put together weeks ago. 

“Alone at fuckin’ last,” he murmurs.

“C’mere baby,” you whisper, arms slipping around his neck. His gaze darkens, and for a moment, everything else fades.

He leans in, kissing you slow—so slow you think you might combust. You push your tongue against the seam of his lips, a little insistent, because you really can’t take your sweet time in this ancient closet. Honestly, it could be a health hazard.

Yoongi’s fingers start working the buttons of your blouse, one by one. The way his eyes trace your skin makes every hair on your body stand to attention.

But just as his hand slips inside your blouse, the door rattles.

You both freeze. Heart in your goddamn throat.

“Yoongi, you in here?” Hyun-woo’s voice pierces through the thick air. The panic kicks in fast, adrenaline flooding your veins.

Yoongi pulls back, completely calm while adjusting his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose. How the fuck is he always so calm? He reaches out, smoothing your hair, checking that you've properly buttoned up your blouse, as if he’s done this a hundred times before. The tenderness in the gesture only makes your heart pound harder.

“Yeah, I’m here,” he calls out, voice steady, like he isn’t seconds away from getting caught with his hand halfway inside your fuckin’ blouse. “Just organizing files.”

Hyun-woo opens the door, peering in, eyes narrowing slightly.

You flash a too-bright smile. “Hi, Hyun-woo! Just teaching Yoongi with the filing. Total disaster in here.”

Hyun-woo doesn’t buy it, not completely, but the suspicion in his eyes fades as quickly as it appeared. “Right. Well, don’t take too long. That room always triggers my claustrophobia.” He pulls the neck of his shirt forward.

Yoongi replies, giving him that practiced, unbothered nod. “Just finishing up.”

As the main door to your office clicks shut, you let out a breath you’ve been holding for far too long.

“That was way too close,” you whisper, your pulse still racing.

Yoongi grins, closing the closet door again with a nudge of his foot. “Too close,” he agrees, voice low and teasing, as he leans in to steal a quick kiss. “But I’m not done yet.”

“Wha—” The question barely leaves your mouth before Yoongi’s hands are on your shoulders, turning you smoothly so that you’re facing the file cabinet.

“Remember when we were building this very cabinet?” His voice has dropped even lower now, sending a shiver down your spine.

You blink, thrown by the sudden shift. “Yeah?” Your hands are guided to grip the top corners of the cabinet, and your breath catches. What is he doing?

Yoongi doesn’t give you time to process. His voice slides closer, warm against the back of your neck. “What were you doing then?”

You frown slightly, the question catching you off guard. “Nothing?” you say, but it comes out uncertain, more like a question than an answer.

Without warning, his palm connects with your ass—firm, but playful. You gasp, more out of surprise than pain, and turn your head to find him wearing that lopsided grin that drives you crazy.

“Ddaeng,” he chimes, the word rolling off his tongue with a playful edge. “Try again.”

“I was—I was helping you,” you say, though your voice is wavering.

“Ddaeng,” he says again, the second slap sharper this time. “You did jack shit. C’mon, jagi, use your pretty little brain…”

“Fuck,” you mutter, feeling your face flush. “I was… I was looking at your hands.”

Yoongi nods approvingly, his grin deepening. “And why were you doing that, hmm?”

You hesitate, your heart thumping harder, not from nerves, but from the way he’s pushing you. You know the answer. 

“Because…” You swallow the admission heavy on your tongue, deciding to go the other way instead. “You were taking too long to build it.”

SLAP! “Ddaeng,” the third is much more deliciously painful now, your bum soothed by his large palms. “Huh, I think my jagi enjoys being spanked.” He licks the shell of your ear, making your knees buckle, and his voice comes through in a suspiciously calm tone, “lie to me again and I’m going to step out this door and leave you here dripping. I bet you’re already wet.”

“Dry as the sahara.” You jest, even as your lips tremble.

You squirm as he pins you against the cabinet, his hand making quick work of the top button of your linen pants. Things are happening so fast. His hand disappears inside, hooks your panties to the side and dips one finger shallowly at your entrance. God you wanna scream.

You squirm some more, but he’s got you pressed up, not enough to hurt you, but enough to limit your movements.

“Liar,” he chuckles darkly. In one quick motion his hand flies out of your pants and goes into his mouth, tasting you. You can literally smell the heady scent of your arousal filling the tiny space, making you needy for some relief.

“Yoongi,” you whine, trying to push your ass back against his crotch. “Baby, please…”

“Why were you looking at my hands…” he jerks back, not giving you the satisfaction, and asks again. “What do you want me to do with them?”

“I want you to put them inside me.”

“Hmm, what else…” he starts to unbutton your blouse again, not all the way, but so he can yank one of the cups of your bra to tease a nipple.

A flick from his moist finger and you’re already writhing in desperation.

“I want them stuffed in my mouth, and—shit—my pussy. I want them… choking me.”

“Naughty girl,” he tsks, pinching your nipple between his deft fingers, eliciting a moan from you. You feel his warm breath against your ear, teasing you. “Be quiet, baby. I thought we were gonna keep things professional.”

A/N: i better see y’all in the comments hahahaha ~k

Taglist: @glossdebut @kam9404 @mar-lo-pap @nnybtitts08 @granataepfelchen

@perfectiondazesworld @wobblewobble822 @yoongznme @caressesurloceanlove @rinkud

@kayleefriedchicken @jajabro @tinytan-gerine @xxbibin1208 @forevercarpediem227

@yoongicatagenda @someshinesomedont @marnz1990 @iheartshopping @confidentjus

@queenbloody @whydoeyecare @sadroses98 @curlyquennn

@sexytholland @kiki-zb @hiddlestandom @babyarmybabbles

So sorry if I forgot to tag you, please remind me again in the comments or thru an ask! :)

[taeyongdoyoung]

mind games

summary: taken away by your ex and best friend, you try to do everything in your power to survive another day... characters: reader, sunoo, sunghoon and heeseung (only mentioned in this part) genre: thriller, dark romance(-ish) warnings: kidnapping, reader is tied up (in a non-sexy way), mentions of fake blood, stalking, spitting, handwriting forgery, hidden cameras, invasion of privacy, blade, overall toxic behaviour, kissing, manipulation, biting, tracking device, trauma author's note: hii guys, the title is inspired by this iconic song and to be honest, i had a really hard time writing it due to some bad experiences in the past so if any of this is triggering to you, please proceed with caution! 🤍 part one & part three word count: 2.6k

You wake up in a unfamiliar place. You feel that your hands and feet and are tied up to a chair. Your surroundings are damp, near black and you can barely make out anything. You wonder if you are alone or if one of your kidnappers is somewhere out there, lurking in the dark.

How on earth did you end up here? You thought you were generally a good person. True, you started dating the guy you told your ex "not to worry about" three months after the break-up but it’s not like you cheated. Then again, bad things had the tendency of happening to good people. So maybe it’s not your fault you’re here. You’re right. It’s Sunghoon and Sunoo’s fault!

Sunghoon, you can understand. He’d always been a jealous, possessive little freak. But Sunoo? To pretend he’s your best friend and work with Sunghoon behind your back? Damnit, you should have investigated suspect number two more seriously before trusting him too much. That part is completely your fault, you admit to yourself.

"You awake?" you hear Sunoo’s adorable voice, which does little to ease your panic.

"Gee, I had a crazy nightmare, Sunnie. Dreamt that my best friend kidnapped me along with my ex. Isn’t that a good story?" you respond sarcastically.

"Listen, it would have been much easier if you came with us willingly," Sunoo pats your cheek gently.

"Willingly? How insane are you, actually?"

"Come oooon, me and Sunghoon-hyung can treat you so much better than Heeseung."

You shake your head in disbelief.

"Just tell me one thing. Were you behind the stalking as well?"

"Which part? Sunghoon took the photos of you and stole some of your clothes. But the creepy dolls covered in blood was all me."

First of all, ew. Second of all, WHAT THE FUCK?

"Where did you get the blood from?" you finally dare to ask.

"It’s fake blood, silly. It looks so real, right?" Sunoo cackles maniacally.

"You need help. Like serious, professional help, Sunoo. I’m only saying that because despite everything I still care about you. If you get me out of here, I’ll make sure you receive the proper treatment you need and-"

"Get you out?" he laughs again. "Why would I do that? We can be such a lovely family of three. Trust me, you’ll never want to leave."

You already want to leave.

Hours later, Sunghoon appears and Sunoo leaves. You suppose kidnappers still have jobs to go to whenever they’re not spending time with their victims. God, this is so wrong.

"How have you been, princess?" Sunghoon asks.

You don’t reward him with an answer and spit in his face. Very dumb of you but oh well.

Sunghoon wipes the spit with his gloved hand and squats in front of you.

"Not a very enthusiastic welcome, I see. Don’t worry, I’ll be patient. You’ll get used to us in no time."

"I’m not getting used to anything. Let me the fuck go!"

"Hmm, I don’t think so," Sunghoon wraps his arms around your legs like a fucking snake. He may not have bitten you but you feel his poison spreading further down your body. What if you’re meant to suffocate here?

"It’s only a matter of time before Heeseung calls the cops and they find me," you bluff. You can only hope Heeseung will come for you.

"He probably won’t. See, I wrote him a little letter. You remember how good I am at copying your handwriting? Well, I never thought it’d come in…well, pun-intended but handy. In the letter I tell Heeseung that you’re still in love with me so you’re leaving him and ran away with me. I’m so creative, aren’t I?"

"You’re sick in the head! Heeseung’s never gonna buy that!" you scream and you pray you’re right.

"Wanna check? I put hidden cameras at your place, if Heeseung was there, we can see his reaction."

God, this is worse than you thought. You really should have contacted the police earlier. Helpful or not, it would have been something.

And indeed, Sunghoon shows you a video of Heeseung opening said letter, reading it and then sighing deeply. Alas, he doesn't look in a huge hurry to find you. Or maybe, he's just that good of an actor...

"What are you going to do to me?" you ask Sunghoon, horrified now that your hope of Heeseung finding you diminishes by the hour.

"Nothing," Sunghoon replies simply. "I just wanna be with you. Away from him." The him in question is Heeseung, you deduce. "Forever."

The word forever never tasted so bitter.

"What about Sunoo? Why is he helping you?"

"I think he has a little crush on me. So I'm using him," Sunghoon shrugs, as if it's the simplest answer in the world.

First of all, a little crush is definitely an understatement. No one helps his best friend's ex kidnap his best friend over a little crush. Sunoo's feelings are reaching a dangerous magnitude. You don't dare imagine how far he'd be willing to go for Sunghoon's sake. And second of all, the fact that Sunghoon's using Sunoo and doesn't reciprocate his feelings might be helpful for you in the future. So, you tuck that information safely into your mind for later.

But until then, you gotta play the game well enough in order to survive. You never know when Sunghoon or Sunoo might snap and feel like killing you. Psychopaths like that are totally unpredictable. So, you make it your mission to smoothly pretend you have zero plans of escaping.

"Poor Sunoo," you sigh, targeting Sunghoon's jealousy issues. "And here I thought he had a crush on me and wants to share me with you."

"As beautiful as you are, not everyone on this plaent is madly in love with you, princess," Sunghoon laughs, suddenly amused by your words. "And if it's anyone doing the sharing, it'd be me. But I don't share."

He smirks darkly and kisses you. His lips are venomous poison. You kiss him back even though every bone in your body is telling you no. But after being so foolish before, you have to be clever enough now. Clever enough to trick him. Clever enough to live.

Sunghoon wraps his hands around the back of your neck, kissing you more deeply. Your tongue battles against his desperately, trying to convey every bit of your hatred and make him mistake it for love. He's laughing against your lips. But you're determined to make sure you have the last laugh.

"See? That wasn't so bad, was it?" Sunghoon chuckles in disbelief you kissed him back.

Yes! Y/N: 1. Sunghoon: 0.

"You taste just as I remember. Coffee."

"Your favourite taste," Sunghoon nods thoughtfully.

You don't dare tell him that lately, you like ramen more...

"You should be nice to Sunoo," you advise Sunghoon, even though it won't help you. Not immediately, anyway. "You never know when he might turn against you."

"He won't. But I'm nice enough. Or else he wouldn't have helped me in the first place."

"When did you two become so close anyway?"

"Right after you broke up with me. He would constantly call me and meet up in secret. He'd keep me posted on how you were doing. Show me pictures and stuff. He said that just because you and I were no longer together didn't mean that he couldn't be friends with me."

That sly little fox. And here you were, mistaking Sunoo for your best friend. Then again, you are no saint, either, considering you moved on with Heeseung so quickly. But after the way Sunghoon had treated you, it was only natural you were drawn by Heeseung's warmth.

"Interesting. How does he put up with your mint choco-hating ass?" you tease Sunghoon.

"He's strangely forgiving in that respect," Sunghoon responds.

You smile fondly, recalling all your mint choco dates with your best friend. You will never forgive him.

A while later, Sunoo returns, immediately brightening up the room with his presence. But now you know it's all a façade. The real him is not the sun, but the darkest sky.

"Heyyy, hyung, missed me?" he greets Sunghoon.

"So much, sunshine," Sunghoon ruffles Sunoo's hair, the action so smooth and affectionate it gives you goosebumps. You aspire to be such a talented actress.

"Did noona give you trouble?" Sunoo asks teasingly.

"Not really, she's quite docile now," Sunghoon shrugs, not suspecting anything.

"I'm right here, you know?" you roll your eyes.

"Aww, Y/Nnie, don't be jealous, it's not a good quality," Sunoo messes with you.

Pfft. If there's anyone guilty of jealousy in this room, it's definitely not you.

"As much as I hate to leave you two angels all alone, I have business to attend to," Sunghoon announces. "Take care of her, yeah?"

"Will do!" Sunoo promises excitedly.

Once alone with Sunoo, you set your sinister plan in motion.

"Sunnie, you do realize Sunghoon's only using you, right? He told me so himself. He'll never love you. He's incapable of loving anyone but himself."

"Why would I believe you?" Sunoo snickers. "You'd say anything to get me to untie you."

"Screw that, you know I like things like that," you joke. Though you prefer things like that in a safe, consensual environment, it doesn't hurt to try misleading Sunoo.

"Ha-ha, very funny," Sunoo squeezes your cheeks affectionately.

You sigh deeply. Okay, you're gonna have to try harder.

"Haven't you asked yourself why Sunghoon's always wearing gloves? So he can leave no fingerprints! Meanwhile, you're spreading your DNA all over the crime scene."

"This isn't a crime scene, we're just making a home for ourselves!" Sunoo shouts in denial. "And...h-hyung likes gloves, they're a fashion statement. They look hot on him!"

"When the police finds us, Sunghoon won't be here and he'll make you take the fall for it," you hypothesize

"What do you mean when?" Sunoo is starting to panic a little now. "They won't find us. No one knows where we are. Right?"

You smile sinisterly.

"Wouldn't you like to know?"

A while later, Sunoo leaves again and you remain alone with Sunghoon. Your worst nightmare.

"Hi, princess," he kisses you, as if what you two have is completely normal. As if it's okay. You kiss him back, as if you mean it. As if you love him back. "How have you been?"

"Oh, you know, splendid. My favourite place in the world," you chuckle bitterly.

"Ever the spoiled brat, I see. At least I'm giving you food and water, no?"

"Ah, yes, I'm living the dream," you keep responding sarcastically. But nothing too bad, you're still afraid he might snap. Also, you haven't mentioned Heeseung since you got here. You figured it would just be poking the bear or something. So, you play nice. Or as nice as you can be, given the circumstances.

"You know, this could be so much easier if you just cooperated. I could even untie you someday. We could go to Paris, I know how much you've wanted to go there. We could go back to the way we used to be. Just us two."

"What about Sunoo?"

"Well, he can tag along, I don't mind."

"What, like Bonnie and Clyde and their pet or some shit?" Except, you'd be the fucking pet 'cause you're no criminal.

"Yeah, that sounds nice, don't you think?"

It does sound nice. But you'll never agree to this. Even if Sunghoon was the last man on Earth, you still wouldn't go with him anywhere willingly. He lost not only your trust but your heart. And he's never getting it back. But you pretend anyways.

"Yeah, that sounds amazing," you lie through your teeth. "Maybe we'll get there one day."

"You can learn to love me again," Sunghoon says it not as a question but as a statement. And with such conviction it almost makes you sad. Almost.

"I can," you repeat the lie as if hypnotized. But he can't. Because this isn't love. It's obsession, dark and twisted, and you would do anything in your power to escape its deadly grasp.

Sunghoon kisses you and you bite his lips angrily in the process. He mistakes it for passion. Good. Let him be the fool. You've been playing that role yourself for too long. It's his turn now.

Hours melt into days. You know that the police requires at least 48 hours to start looking for a missing person so you try to be patient when waiting. But patience has a limit and Sunghoon is getting on your nerves more and more with every second. Sunoo, as well, with him pretending he's the sweetest bean ever but actually the devil in disguise. You just wish you could be found and rescued already. You desperately wish you could be back in the safety of Heeseung's arms. But you know it won't be that easy.

Throughout your stay here, you try your best to ensure you'll make it out alive. Sunghoon or Sunoo only untie to let you take care of your natural needs and don't take any chances so there is no opportunity for you to investigate where exactly you're located, let alone try to escape. But that's besides the point. You have a plan. And you just hope it doesn't go to shit.

"Just let me go, Sunoo, if you don't, you'll regret it, I promise you," you keep pleading with him gently.

"Why would I regret it?" Sunoo traces his blade alongside your neck. Damn, he's addicted to that thing.

"I can't tell you," you smile cruelly.

"If you don't tell me, I'll hurt you," he threatens you vaguely.

"You already did," mentally you mean. "But if you actually use that blade on me, Sunghoon won't be very happy with you. Do you want to make him angry?"

Sunoo shakes and takes a step back, dropping the blade. He's been creeping you out and yet, still...such a sweet child. God, you're conflicted.

On the fifth day, the miracle happens. Storming inside is a whole crew of cops, whom you previously distrusted (okay, lesson learned) and Heeseung comes along with them. You are quickly untied and a medic checks for any injuries (there aren't any physical ones, other than the mental trauma that comes with being kidnapped and stalked by your ex and former best friend).

How were you found so fast, one may ask? Well, you were slightly wary of Sunoo. Heeseung, you never doubted. So, the day before you waited awake for Sunghoon to arrive, you asked Heeseung to help you install a tracking device inside your skin. Your gut feeling was telling you that if something bad were to happen to you, your phone would be destroyed. A small chip, however, would be difficult to notice. The device got slightly damaged in the process of being kidnapped, so it was difficult for the police and Heeseung to catch a signal rightaway. Which is why it took five days. But still, you consider yourself somewhat lucky. Some people remain kidnapped for years...Others are never found.

Regrettably, Sunghoon is nowhere to be located. That bastard. They apprehend Sunoo quickly and he claims that he did it all by himself. Fucking idiot, why is he so loyal to Sunghoon? You insist that he worked together with your ex but the cops say that you might be so traumatized you're hallucinating another person. Why is that, you wonder? Oh, wait. 'Cause there are no fucking fingerprints of Sunghoon's, of course. Those stupid gloves of his may be the smartest thing he's ever done.

You know that you'll have to work harder to make sure Sunghoon is detained as soon as possible. You know that you'll somehow have to convince Sunoo to testify against Sunghoon. You know that your creepy ex won't give you up so easily. You know that you'll have to be smarter, more resilient and perhaps more careful who you trust.

Right now, your mind is your biggest weapon to play this sick game. But it doesn't end here. This is just the beginning.

To be continued...

[frenchkisstheabyss]

⛧ 𝙽𝚊𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙱𝚘𝚛𝚗 𝙺𝚒𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝙸𝙸 ⛧

⛧ Pairing: poly!slasher!minsung x chubby!fem!reader

⛧ Genre: slasher au/horror/angst/smut

⛧ Summary: It's Halloween 1996, you've just broken up with your toxic ex, and there's a killer on the loose. When you go to the local video store to find your next distraction, you run into your longtime crushes who have their hearts set on looking after you. But you must be careful. Not everyone's who they appear to be.

⛧ Word Count: 2.k-ish

⛧ Warnings: If you don't like horror turn back now. This isn't graphic by any means but there are horror elements! Slight sadomasichism, full blown yandere vibes, mentions of toxic ex, mention of dead body w/ tame description, shallow knife wound (you don't get stabbed. no worries), knife/blood play, a lil smut because there's kissing/fingering/nipple play, pet names (babe, baby) a threesome happens but is only referenced, slasherfucker reader, reader's kinda losing it

⛧ A/N: This is part 2 in a series. I linked the first part in the summary. Part 1 was dark and fluffy while this one is really dark and angsty. There's still romance but said romance is kinda psychotic. For the record, I'm in no way encouraging you to go out and have sex with two psychokillers. But if they're Minsung hot? I meaaaaan....

💀 <<< Rewind to Tape 1 or Keep Going to Tape 3 >>> 💀

Han laughs, bringing his arms around your waist, “Oh but sweetie, we’ve played your game. Don’t you wanna play ours now?”

Street Fighter is a game. Monopoly is a game. Minho forcing you to hold a knife to his throat in the middle of their kitchen? This is unlike any game you’ve ever played before. Against your better judgment, you throw caution to the wind and ask the million dollar question.

“And what are the rules to this game of yours?” 

Minho clicks his tongue, delighted at your morbid curiosity, “It’s simple really. If I can make my lips touch yours without the blade slitting my throat open I get a kiss.” 

“And if he doesn’t—” Han muses, “I’m down a roommate I suppose.” 

“Kiss or death, baby” Minho says, leaning into the tip of the blade so that it's agonizingly slow to witness. He stops when it pricks his skin, a scarlet drop of blood rising to the surface. Your fingers tremble around the handle of the knife, your body running ice cold at the realization that this is actually happening. 

“You’re both fucking psycho!” you shout, twisting free of them with reckless abandon. You stumble backward into the kitchen counter, the blade still in your hand. When you regain your footing you notice tiny droplets of blood decorating the white tile floor. You trace their source to the much larger cut in the side of Minho’s neck.

Han stares at you with a Milky Way galaxy of stars dancing behind his eyes, “So she does have it in her.” 

Time itself seems to come to a halt when you register what you’ve done. You hadn’t meant to do it but, accident or not, you did it. “Oh god, no, I didn’t mean it. I’m so sorry. I…I…” you stutter, tossing the knife into the sink. Minho takes a deep breath, running his fingers across his wound as he approaches you. “It’s okay. I’ll live” he smirks, applying blood to his lips like some luxurious lipstick, “Now about that kiss.” 

Minho’s close enough to you that you can feel his shallow breaths against your face. His bottom lip brushes yours and your mouth falls open without hesitation. The voice of the girl you were before you came here whispers for you to run—leave this place and never come back—but it’s far too late for that. Minho locks you in a kiss, metallic and sweet, that makes you a stranger to yourself. 

It’s not you hungrily kissing Minho, blood staining his collar as he takes greedy handfuls of your plush body. It’s not your cheek that Han cups, tilting your head to the side to steal kisses and taste that last bit of blood on your tongue. Only…it is you and you’re loving every second of it. So much that when Han unbuttons your jeans, slipping a hand inside to tease your clit, you’ve already managed to soak through your panties.

“Aah, I knew it” he whispers, lightly stroking your entrance, “I told you she was the one. That she was special.” You moan into Minho’s mouth when Han’s fingers sink into you, your cries of pleasure echoing within his cheeks. “It’s true. You’re our special girl, aren’t you?” Minho hums, his thumb circling one of your nipples through your shirt. 

The praise goes to your head in the worst way, setting a once cold body ablaze with lust. Your walls contract with every mention of how special you are—of how long they’ve waited to have you here. Han’s never had his fingers this drenched before, his mind’s already running wild with thoughts of licking your juices from them once you come. The noises you make are so melodic, so splendid, that they'd burn them into their memories if they could.

Minho’s sharp eyes lock onto yours, fingers toiling away at the delicate hooks of your bra. “Can we keep you?” he asks like a demon masquerading as a child. Innocence with something darker lurking beneath, waiting to tear you to pieces. The answer comes easily, driven by your thirst to be devoured.

“Yes,” you moan, exhaling at the relief of being freed from your bra, “I’m yours.” Han licks up the side of your neck, softly nibbling at your earlobe as his fingers pick up speed.

“All ours,” he whispers, “Forever.” 

Grainy black and white dots dance across the TV screen, casting a white glow across the bed where you lay naked cuddled up beneath the blanket with Han’s childhood teddy bear. It’s 3AM and Camp Counselor Sleepover Murder Party 4 ended an hour ago. Not that you were paying an ounce of attention to it. Your focus was placed entirely on being bent into a series of unholy positions by the two men you expect to see when you open your eyes. But when you finally do—limbs still tingling from your last orgasm—they’re nowhere to be found.

Yawning, you force yourself up in bed, squinting at the light from the TV. Holding your hand up to shield your eyes, you notice the dried up blood on your fingertips. The events of the night come back to you gradually like a fuzzy radio signal sorting itself out. Your mouth is saturated with that same metallic taste from before, the sweetness of it having long faded. Finding it too nauseating to tolerate, you retrieve your underwear from the floor and set out in search of something to wash the taste away.

Stepping out into the hallway you find yourself in near pitch black darkness. The only guiding light is the glow of a lamp from the bottom of the staircase at the opposite end of the hallway. “Minho!” you call out, taking slow cautious steps down the hall. You extend your arms out on both sides, feeling around for anything you might bump into. You hold your breath, listening for even the faintest sound of his voice but it never comes. Finally reaching the staircase, you grab onto the sides and make your way down.

You call out again, this time trying another name for good measure, “Han! Where are you guys?” It suddenly occurs to you that this is the moment in slasher movies where the girl wanders downstairs and gets sliced up by some masked psycho killer. You stop halfway down the stairs, glancing up at the darkness you left behind. “Fuck that” you huff, jogging the rest of the way down the stairs to find safety in the light.

Finally you’re back in familiar territory. To your right you spot the kitchen and your heart jumps at the thought of the Halloween candy left untouched on the table. But your tooth rotting dreams are derailed by the sound of whirling somewhere to your left. You turn to spot a heavy wooden door left slightly cracked. It’d look like any other door if not for the two deadbolts drilled into the frame. Off to the side sits a black garbage bag, the kind contractors use on construction jobs, and it’s stuffed full of…something.

Hearing the low chattering of voices, you drift towards the door whispering to yourself the whole time. “Why are you freaking out? Nothing’s wrong. They’re probably just taking out the trash. Don’t be so—” You choke on your own words as you stare down into the trash bag. It is full of trash. There’s pizza boxes, empty soda cans, and crumbled up chips bags all from last night.

And then there’s something else.

The tip of something red poking out from between the pizza boxes. You lean in closer and make out deep wrinkles carved in plastic. Pinching the end of it you pull it from the trash and you feel even more nauseous than before. It’s a mask. Not just any mask. The same mask your ex had on when you saw him at the video store. A chill runs down your spine, making you let out an unexpected squeak that brings all of the background conversation to a halt.

“Hello?” Han’s voice rings out, seemingly from beneath you. You crack the door a little more, peeking in to find another set of stairs leading down into the basement. “Everything okay up there?” Minho asks, his tone oddly suspicious of you. You clear your throat, tucking the mask back into the trash bag, “I’m—I’m fine. Just got a little snack craving is all. Are you guys good?”

You’re met with silence reminiscent of the moment before Minho forced you to cut his throat. “Why don’t you come down?” Han insists, bubbling with joy, “We have a surprise for you!” You pull the door open all the way, shuddering at the creaking sound the old wooden stairs make when you step on them.

“A surprise? What kind of surprise?”

“One you weren’t supposed to see yet” Minho pouts, “But you’re here now so whatever.”

Minho’s adorable tendency to whine gives you the sense of normalcy you needed to get you to the bottom of the stairs. But when you reach it you wish you hadn’t. The basement is nothing like the welcoming warmth of the rest of the house. It’s pristine and white, the polished floor icy against your bare feet. In each corner there’s a large cabinet stocked with all sorts of medical supplies. It reminds you of an operating room in one of those medical dramas.

It is an operating room and at the center of it, in a pool of blood that leaks between the cracks in the tiles, is the partially dismembered body of your ex boyfriend. “Hi, baby” Han waves with the hand not currently holding a cordless saw. Still in his underwear, he’s dressed in a long black apron with the gloves to match. Minho’s dressed the same and both are slick with blood.

Before you can think better of it, you’re screaming at the top of your lungs and bolting back up the stairs. All the while images of torn flesh and fractured bone flash in your mind. You couldn’t stand that man, hated him in fact, but you’d never wanted to see him in pieces.

Spotting your purse by the front door, you make a mad dash for it clueless to the two figures gathering behind you. Your vision clouded with tears, you fight with the front door locks to get out. “I knew it was too soon” Minho sighs in disappointment, “We should’ve waited.” Han slips his gloves off, coming over to kiss you on the cheek.

Your body recoils, shaking in fear, “Don’t hurt me. Please.”

“Hurt you?” he scoffs, flipping the lock open, “I’d never hurt you. You just seemed like you needed a little help.”

Minho flops down in a chair near the door, messy hair falling in his face, “Take my jacket at least. It’s cold out.”

Their calmness is odd to say the least, making you reevaluate the fear that you feel. “You’re letting me go? Just like that?” Han plucks a wool trench coat from its hook, draping it over your shoulders. He pulls the door open and a slight autumn breeze blows through the door. “I told you. We don’t want to hurt you. We’re here to protect you...and maybe teach you how to protect yourself.”

His sincerity makes you uncomfortable and you feel yourself splitting in two again. This time the old you wins and throw yourself out into the night, scanning the street to find where you parked your car. The block is as dark as the upstairs hall, giving you the sense that you’re on some terrifying island all your own.

You can't make sense of why they’d let you go. Any normal person would drive straight from here to the police station. You know their faces. Their names. Where they work. Where they live. Do they want to get caught?

“You can’t run from who you are forever, pretty girl!” you hear Minho taunting. You look back to see them watching you from the doorway, smiling lovingly in your direction.

Minho winks at you, blowing you a kiss, “See you real soon, babe.” 

[hyucksos]

after rain, comes sunshine — huang renjun [preview]

pairing: huang renjun x f!reader genre: coffee shop au, grumpy x sunshine, fluff, romance, slow burn-ish preview wc: 0.6k (actual wc: 6.7k) synopsis: a thunderstorm leaves renjun stuck with his relentlessly cheerful, ever-optimistic coworker— you. you're the embodiment of everything he hates, but as the night stretches on, renjun starts to realise that the things that irritate him the most may not be all that unbearable after all. at least, not if it involves you.

There are three things in this world that Renjun hates.

Early mornings, small talk, and thunderstorms.

He must have done something super horrible in his past life, because it's barely even 3pm, and Renjun has had to go through all three of the aforementioned in that exact order.

He wasn't even supposed to come in to work today, but Donghyuck had called in sick (Renjun finds that hard to believe) and he was the only other person on the roster who knew how to make a Toasted Caramel Cloud Latte. Obviously, that wasn't a good enough reason for Renjun to willingly sacrifice his much-needed sleep, and it seemed that Donghyuck knew that too, because not only was he quick to promise Renjun to cover him for his next shift, the boy had also vowed to chip in to buy the new set of gouache paints he had been eyeing for so long.

That was what got Renjun out of bed, albeit begrudgingly.

The last thing he needed was an extra factor to contribute to his already-terrible mood, but that was what he got anyway when he stepped into the café, only to be met with you.

"Morning, Renjun!" You chirped from behind the counter as you dried down a mug, the café already prepped for opening— you liked to take your time when doing the opening duties, and you found that coming in earlier helped avoid any unnecessary rushing on your end.

Renjun didn't say anything, opting to shut his eyes as he tilted his head to the ceiling. You didn't miss the tick of his jaw as he trudged towards you wordlessly, letting his bag fall from his shoulder to the shelf beneath the cash register.

"You know how to make a cloud latte," he muttered under his breath as he put on his apron, securing it tightly with a double knot behind his back. "Why am I here?"

Despite his less-than-enthused response, you grinned. You've been working with Renjun long enough to know that he's a little bit of a grump, so you didn't take his moodiness to heart.

"Hyuck's your best friend. It would make sense for him to ask you instead of anyone else," you reasoned lightly. "Plus, having company isn't so bad, is it? You'll be out the door before you know it!"

"Citizens are advised to stay indoors..."

Renjun lets out a groan as he lets his head hit the cabinet behind him. It hurts, but not as much as the migraine that's already beginning to form in his temples. And as if to add insult to injury (no pun intended), the sky lets out yet another guttural rumble, reminding him once more of his ill-stricken fate.

"I don't think Seoul's had a downpour this bad in ages," you remark from somewhere at the dining area. Renjun couldn't tell where exactly you are; he had slid down to the floor when he decided to accept his fate fifteen minutes ago, and his only view since are the bottles of syrup and unopened bags of coffee beans under the espresso machines.

And as if to add even more insult to injury, the two of you are the only ones left in the shop. With it being a Tuesday afternoon, most of your regulars are either at work or school. Renjun has never liked working during the rush hour, but God does he wish for that to be the case now.

He looks up when he sees your head pop above the counter, raising a brow at the smile on your face. He knows how awfully cheery you are, but even in a time like this?

You must be crazy, he thinks.

[shinjisdone]

When You Have An Secret Admirer - And It's Not Them (Ignihyde; 6)

A love letter was left at your door and now you are searching for that ‘secret admirer’ - everyone wants to help you out…but have their own reason for it.

'Nobody really thinks anyone without any magic is or can be interesting, but I honestly thought you were the most fascinating person ever since I saw you...'

form of headcanons + scenario-ish

[note: reader is gender-neutral but mostly mentioned in 2. pov; a series of everyone you meet following you. headcanon will follow each char. own thoughts on the situation. mostly nervousness, slight jealousy & stubbornness]

Part 1: Heartslabyul

Part 2: Savanaclaw

Part 3: Octavinelle

Part 4: Scarabia

Part 5: Pomefiore

Part 7: Diasomnia

Alright, maybe staying in your room became too much.

Especially if you have love letters, hand-made school notes, flowers and now a flying mirror throwing you compliments all stuffed in your dusty Ramshakle room. The one place that is supposed to be a haven is now suffocating.

It's hard to digest this 'secret admirer'. All of this and all that they tell you is so flattering and so much. The majority of the students here are usually kind of pricks, like villains out of a fairytale book, so to have someone pour their heart out so unashamadly, even knocking Rook out of the park, is...shocking. Whenever they are brought up, it leaves you stumped.

You cannot deny the chaos they caused...after all these overblots, you thought the worst of the worst is over...but things at Night Raven College never seem to be still. You understand that others are upset and you don't want them to be upset...but what are you going to do? Find that admirer yourself so they can get their grande, over-the-top confession over with?

Idia Shroud

Fingers are vehemently and obsessively typing codes upon codes of the security doors - the new security doors that Idia just implemented.

AAAAAAA HE KNOWS HE IS NEXT

NO NO NO Idia is no fool. DO not take him for a FOOL! Each dorm was targeted and attacked one after another and he KNOWS he will be next!

He knows! He watched everything unfold online! Through the cameras! He counted the days on the calender! And well, he knows the majority from Ortho. The real MVP.

This is bad. BAD BAD BAD.

Some weirdo, self-proclaimed Chad Romeo is gonna barge into his dorm - or sabotage his scores - or destroy all his communication IRL - or GASP delete his steam library!

Whatever they may be, they are waaaaay over themselves! Going on some kind of Z like Zorro vengeance x romance anime genre and thinking they are the good guy.

Spoiler alert: If Idia and all he loves (his brother and his games) get hurt, YOU ARE NOT THE GOOD GUY!

Just let them give up on this weird escapade and have them confess already! Then he can be spared!

THEY BETTER GET THEMSELVES TOGETHER, OH SO ROMANITC SECRET ADMIRER, AND HAVE THEM CONFESS TO YOU ALREADY!!!!!111211!!

Oh. Wait.

That's actually not something Idia wants.

It was just a sudden brain blast idea. If the admirer just gets their confession, then surely Idia and his dorm will be spared (because he is sure he'll be next! I mean, the order is so??? obvious???) - but if they do confess...you might accept...

In fact, Idia doesn't want anyone to confess to you in the first place at all.

Not even himself!

Uh, n-n-n-not that...he wants to c-c-c-c-c-confess to you, or anything...

FML this is hard

He is sharpening up security left and right and imploring Ortho for some kind of advice on what to do. Idia is too panicked to make a decision.

The dormhead is certain he will at least get humiliated, his one weakness! If not, then surely something worse is going to happen...

Sure, he did awful things before and during his, er, overblot but ngl hasn't everyone? Why can't the admirer just skip him like an event?

Leave him alone and just focus on their goal...which is you.

The solution is right there - have the admirer confess to you already. Idia can even lend a hand with his tech-geek knowledge!

But it feels so wrong. The jealously and pettiness is eating him up, causing him to hesitate.

Idia is imagining what it would be like if you said 'yes' to a normie...and it just gives him more reasons to shut himself in.

The thought of failing to seize the moment leaves a black hole in his stomach...he's both scared, paranoid, jealous and upset.

He is just one click away from making a choice...and maybe he should try being risky for once...

Ortho Shroud

Very not against you having a secret admirer! Even when they are being very bold!

Even Ortho notes how unusually determined this admirer is. Isn't distance adoration supposed to be more delicate and...not happen so often? It's been almost a month and everybody's talking about the admirer and their anitcs! Not very "secretive" if you ask him.

It is none of his business...if it weren't for his dear big brother!

Ortho can see through him as if he were glass. It is beyond obvious on how he feels about you and your admirer. If only he wouldn't shut himself in so often and for such a long time, literally everyone could realize his deep feelings for you. And Ortho wants to do nothing but help his brother.

Hence he was so uncertain when Idia kept on asking him to tail the admirer - so far so that they were able to track them and find out who they are.

He keeps on tabs - while Idia keeps on fighting himself on what to do. It goes on and on in circles until someone decides on something.

The robot boy grows worried...and asks his brother to follow his heart rather his fear.

Well, this is strange.

Why on earth are there signs and trinkets wanting to lead you to a path as if you were lost? What is this, Hensel and Gretel?

You'd have long chucked it up as a bad attempt as a joke but all the signs were actually...holograms hovering near the walls. Only nerds or Ignihyde students would be smart enough to be able to create such things but they are also too chill to even think up any jokes. Besides, the path seems to lead to the spring, a public space. Why should anyone want to lead anyone to a usually crowded place such as that?

Peculiar that only you are here to see the holograms, too.

Certainly nothing too outrageous would happen and you'd make sure to keep your distance as you made your way there. In fact, once you came close enough (by hiding behind a pillar, you aren't taking your chances) you could make out a lone figure sitting on the spring. They seemed to hold something rather big in their hands...

This...couldn't be it, could it? The destination is a person?

You cautiously approach...only for a blue light to blind you.

Ortho Shroud

You winced as you took a few steps back, hissing like a cat.

The light dimmed down siginificantly and a figure was a bit too close for your liking.

"So sorry, Prefect!"

You blink and your vision cleared. It was Ortho!

You ask him about what he's doing here and the many holograms around. He avoids each question, pointing out how there are no holograms, what are you talking about?

He didn't almost barge into you, he was practicing bis new, updated gear! What are you talking about?

And no, you did not hear a yelp. What are you talking about?

You lean to the side, peeking to the left of the robot boy. He still tries to get your attention on him.

The silhouette is gone...

Idia Shroud

Oh god WHAT HAS HE DONE?

The good thing...? The right call...?

How is he supposed to know? Panicking while typing away and suddenly gritting his teeth and cancelling all of this!

Cancel! Cancel, cancel, cancel!

Just a moment ago he was so diligently planning everything...the signs, the locations, making sure there would be no one but you two...

No one but you two...

Just you two at the spring...three special words and Idia would no longer have to cower in anguish...

He sucked in a cold breath, as if his entire room was a hallway of death.

"Aaahhugh, damn it!"

Keyboards are swept aside as his hands bash against the screen in attempts to open up another tab.

"Screw this make-believe date! Screw this confession trope! It never works anyway and you always have to wait for the next episode ONLY FOR SOMEONE TO INTERRUPT IT ALL AND THAT CHARACTER WILL BE ME!"

Fingers aggressively tap on one word over and over again. Cancel.

"I'm nothing much but I'm not gonna be so STUPID to HELP MY RIVAL get the MC! That's self-sabotage and wallowing in pity times 100! No, 'secret admireeeeer', you will NOT get with the Prefect and maybe I will not but some overconfident, extroverted romantic-schmantic romeo is definitely NOT gonna be THE CHOSEN ONE!!!"

Idia keeps on tapping and prattling. Cancel. Cancel. Cancel.

Alas, the panic in his voice moprhed to petty anger.

He knows who they are, which dorm they are from. If anything were to happen to him or Ortho, at least he got some info...

Giddy over the advantage, the dormleader barely noticed that he was on speaker...

A message was quickly sent to him and he stops, gulping down his fear.

Ignihyde might not be spared as he wanted it to be but for once Idia followed his stupid, foolish, love-struck heart...and he feels a bit less immediate regret than usual.

[yeaaaaa Ignihyde wasnt much, there is only...1 person honestly. Ortho is like...middle schooler weenie-hut junior edition he gets no say in anything regarding love. He only loves his brother! Does anything for his big bro (>‿♥) Idia is such a shut-in that you cannot put him in many scenarios anyway...but i like the thought of him freaking out :) ]

[nokiatelava]

✿✿Orange Moon✿✿

♡✧.·:*¨༺✪⍟✪༻¨*:·.✧♡

Author’s Note - HEHEHEHAHAHA! HI YALL!! I feel like im on a literal rollll, i started writing this RIGHT AFTER Moonlight! But this is like a part three-ish to this little Awpxey series!!! If you guys want anything more to do with him girl don’t be shy to hit up my inboxxx! I actually have to check if it even works but regardless! Enjoy this please!

♡✧.·:*¨༺✪⍟✪༻¨*:·.✧♡

Summary - It is now early in the morning, the morning after you had snuck out. You are now stuck in between how to explain to your parents why you had left and never returned, and why you now have a boy with you, courting you, following you 24/7, and asking for your family’s blessing!

♡✧.·:*¨༺✪⍟✪༻¨*:·.✧♡

Warnings - nothing to crazy?, cuddling, kissing, teen romance, fluffy stuff, courting, relationship establishments, very worried parents, worried family, parent talk, jake still coming to terms reader’s growing up, mentions of mating, boyfriend vs family tension, happy family moments, family dinner, meeting parents (yes already), overprotective family

༺｡° .ᘛ𓆩♡𓆪ᘚ. ° ｡༻

A sudden loud chirp was what had woken you up from your peaceful slumber. Your ears folding down in a slight annoyance as you were so groggy.

You sighed tiredly, your nose stuffy and congested from your sleep. Your body felt so warm, you thought it was from the atmosphere of the cave.

Until, you felt the cool breath of someone from behind you.

You froze.

Who is that?

You had felt relieved once you remembered it was just Awpxey.

What left that relief short lived was the fact you had fallen asleep here, in this cave, all through the night, with Awpxey, exchanging kisses throughout the night, and you still haven’t said a thing to your parents. I mean how were you supposed to talk to them?

You were not home. And you were not going to wake them up in the middle of the night over the fact you couldn’t sleep.

But now you wish you had left some type of note. You were scared to return home. Gosh your parents are not going to be happy.

You knew that as soon as you walk through that hut entrance, your ass is as good as grass.

You’re done for. You’re gonna be on the worst punishments ever. This would be your first and very last time sneaking out.

If you even make it out of this, alive.

Awpxey’s head stirring had brought you back to reality, a deep sigh coming from his stuffy nose too.

You had stood up abruptly, your back weirdly warm due to his chest. But that was the last thing on your mind.

Guilt set in your stomach as you seen how he jerked due to your quick removal. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he was trying to look at you but rub that itch out his eyes.

“Y/n?” Oh god… His morning voice was beyond fine.

“A-Awpxey… We-uhm, we fell asleep here. I have to get home, and I’m probably gonna be in trouble.” You ramble on nervously. When you looked down towards him to see why he was so quiet you found him already looking at you, a soft smile adorning his lips.

Awpxey proposed his idea. “Why don’t we go wash up first? Then I’ll walk you to your hut, and say it’s my fault you left and never went back in the first please, yeah?”

“No. No, that’s not fair for you to just take the blame lime that. I cant do that to you.”

“I’m doing it to myself, actually.”

Gosh when did everybody just start becoming such smartasses?

“Okay then, smartass. Since you know everything, fine then. You can do whatever you want. I don’t care.” You grumbled as you crossed your arms over your chest.

He smiled at you teasingly from the floor before standing and stretching. A yawn spread across your mouth as you heard his back crack.

You were caught off guard when Awpxey was just then in front of you, and pecked your lips.

You covered your mouth with both your hands in shock. His name coming muffled from behind your hands.

He stared at you confused, his head tilted as the skin of his eyebrow was raised on one side.

“You kissed me before I even washed my mouth!” You exclaim, your shock seemed so foreign to him, why was it so important.

Your mood felt more sour once you heard that familiar laugh. He was laughing at you, in your face. His head thrown pack with one hand slapped over his stomach kind of laugh.

“Boys are unsalvageable.” You mutter the comment to yourself, or at least it was supposed to be to yourself. In your daze of being annoyed at the fact Awpxey laughed at you, you didn’t notice when he had stopped.

Hands were suddenly around your waist from your front, scaring you. And there Awpxey was standing in all his glory, his tall stature hanging over you.

“What’s that supposed to mean, sevin?” You eyes widen at the question, and at the fact he had called you pretty.

There wasn’t must time to dwell on it before he smashed his lips against yours. His hands gently holding your waist, giving it four small squeezes.

Your hands soon moved up towards his shoulders, your arms wrapping behind his neck, deepening the kiss.

The kiss lasted for almost a good minute, before you realized neither of you had washed your mouths.

“Awpxey! That’s the second time!” You jump back after you separate from the kiss.

“What are you, a germaphobe or something?” He asked mockingly while rolling his eyes. You turned back to glare at him while you exited the cave.

You were glad there was a river close to where the cave was located as you submerged yourself knee-deep into the cool water.

It helped cool down your hot skin, so you had given in to your urge and went completely underwater.

The cold water enveloped you, your hair, your clothes, your jewelry, your whole body.

When you resurfaced, a small pant evident in your chest, you turned around to see Awpxey around shoulder deep into the water.

You swam towards him, catching his attention quick. A smile on both of your faces.

“Have you washed your mouth?” He asked matter-of-factly. And you responded just the same.

“Yes I have, have you?” You were expectant for his answer as what you wanted to say was on the tip of your tongue.

“I sure did.” He said with so much confidence.

“Hard to believe…” You mutter out purposely, hoping to get under his skin. Which you had.

“What did you say?” He leaned forward to you, turning his head to point his ear at you.

You placed your mouth right in front of his ear, speaking decibels louder. “Hard to believe.”

Awpxey moved back, shock on his face. “I’m offended Y/n.” He placed his hand on his chest.

“That’s okay.” You shrugged, a smile breaking out on your face.

“You’re so mean to me, makes me wanna kiss you.” You froze at his words.

“What?” You say blindly, shock written all over you.

“You heard me. Didn’t you?” He wasn’t be serious was he? He’s just trying to bother you for bothering him that’s all.

Yeah. That’s all.

But it wasn’t when he put his index finger under your chin, lifting your head so you look back up to his face.

“I said I wanna kiss you. Can I?”

You were speechless. Not really knowing what to say back to him, but you blindly nodded anyways.

“Can I hear you say it? I gotta know you’re functioning Y/n.”

Oh Eywa.

Somebody needs to come get this man.

“F-fine. You can kiss me.” You grumbled.

“Good.” Awpxey said with a smile.

His lips then connected with yours, his hands holding the sides of your face gently as the kiss deepened.

Your hands held onto his biceps, your legs felt weak under the water. His arms were working as your extra support.

You have never felt anything more intimate in your whole life.

This is what true love felt like.

This must be what your parents feel like, your grandparents. Your grandfather who you were never able to meet.

And the many generations before that. They had all felt true love. They all had their own intimate moments such as this. You’re experiencing that moment, right now.

“Awpxey.” You said breathlessly. He felt this way too right?

“Y/n.” His voice was so soft, it was smooth and sultry. A tone like no other.

“I want to ask you something, Y/n. If you don’t have a problem with that.”

You nodded, “it’s fine Awpxey, you can ask me.”

“Come,” he beckoned, “I want to ask you while sitting down somewhere.”

You nodded, following him out the water. You watched starstruck as water cascaded down his back. Going through and then out of the crevices and dips from his muscles.

Eywa took her time on him.

Before you knew it you were sat on a patch of grass not far from the river, Awpxey next to you.

“What was it you wanted to ask me Awpxey?” You didn’t want to rush him, your parents the last thing on your mind right now.

He took a deep breath, settling his nerves before he spoke.

“I want to start courting you.”

You did everything to stay still and to just look and listen so your body language didn’t send any of the wrong signs.

You gave a small smile and a nod as you noticed he had more to say.

Awpxey turned more towards you, grabbing your hand. Fidgeting with your fingers and the rings you wore, along with your bracelets.

“This is why I want to court you.” He starts.

“You read me so well, you read everybody so well. You notice the little things and always want to help!” You nod, letting him know that he has your full attention and that you’re listening to him.

“You’re so sweet, and kind, and beautiful. You can make anybody happy. You light up rooms when you walk in and your smile brightens everyone’s day. The elders love you since you are so kind. You’re humble! And they love that, I know I do.” You laugh at his small comment, trying not to cry at his sweet words.

“And the children.. The classes that you teach you can hear them when they talk to their parents, just raving about just how amazing you are, and how you’re so interactive and I just love you.” Your eyes widen.

“I love you. And I want to show it by courting you. So, I am asking for your permission. Y/n te Sulli Neytiri’ite, may I, Awpxey te Relongtai Puo’itan, court you?”

Your eyes well with tears. His words were so heartfelt. No one had ever said they loved you but your own family. To hear it from somebody else in that way caused this feeling in your chest that was so foreign and unexplainable you didn’t know what to do.

But you did know that you loved him, you loved Awpxey. So you nodded. You nodded accepting his request to court you.

“Y-Yes Awpxey. You can court me.” You wiped your tears as you laughed, feeling a bit embarrassed at your reaction.

He tackled you into a hug. Holding you tightly before his whispered a small ‘thank you’ into your ear.

“Does that mean we’re boyfriend and girlfriend now?” You asked into his shoulder.

“I guess so, but that’s only if you want to.”

“Then I guess we’re boyfriend and girlfriend.”

You both laid there, together. Enjoying your moment, until your eyes widened, realizing that you are still out here and your family has no idea where you are.

“Oh my god Awpxey!” You exclaimed, rushing to get up.

“What? What happened?” He got up just as frantically as you had.

“I have to go home! I haven’t went home, oh my god! Awpxey I’m gonna be in so much trouble! Oh my gosh, oh my gosh.”

Awpxey was quick to be at your side, holding your shoulders to calm you down.

“It’s gonna be okay. Everything’s gonna be okay, okay? Like I said earlier, I’ll take the blame. I’ll say it was apart of my plan when I was asking to court you, alright?”

You shook your head, “I can’t allow you to get in trouble like that! I’m not doing that to you!”

You were refusing, you know how your parents could get, you did not need the only man who had shown you true love and interest in you, to be chased away by your parents who are borderline-psychotic.

“Please Awpxey, I can’t lose you.” Your eyes had gotten teary again. And that’s when Awpxey realized how serious this was to you.

“Okay Y/n, okay. We’ll figure something out, I promise.” Awpxey pulled you to his chest, brushing your hair back from your face.

“I’m just gonna tell the truth… My mother always told me that the truth sets you free, so I’m gonna say what really happened.” You were dead set on not letting Awpxey lie for you. And he could see that, so he nodded, not wanting to upset you further.

“If that’s what you wanna do Y/n, you can do that. You know your family better than I do, you know their morals and what they believe.” Awpxey still held you, his chin resting on your head.

“We should go now…” You whispered meekly. “Go and get it over with.” There was an apology at the tip of your tongue. But you wanted to hold it, just in case you might really need to say it later.

“Okay, let’s go Y/n.” Awpxey held your hand the whole way. He talked to you and helped you take your mind off things for quite a bit.

You then realized that you were at the point where you would need your ikran to go back to High Camp.

“Awpxey, we need our Ikran now.. To go back.” You had gotten sad at even the thought of returning. You were scared to see how your parents would react.

Awpxey agreed, and had noticed your hesitation, so he placed his hand on your shoulder, rubbing it gently.

When you both had finished calling your ikran, and they had both arrived, you mounted them. Riding back to your home located in the Hallelujah Mountains.

Once you were there, and had landed your ikran, the amount of anxiety and trepidation inside your stomach was unreal.

As you two walked close to where your hut was you had stopped, shaking your head.

“Y/n? What’s wrong?”

“I can’t go in there Awpxey. I can’t go in there. They’re going to be so mad at me, so disappointed I can’t do this. I can’t, I really can’t.” You rambled out, your breath shortening as you panted.

“Y/n. Y/n, you need to focus. Okay? Look at me. Y/n look at me please.” Your eyes flickered to his. “You can do this, okay? Don’t ever say you can’t. Got it?”

“G-got it.” You nodded. “I-I’m going to go now, I want you to stay out here though Awpxey. I don’t.. I don’t want them to act different if you’re in there, okay?”

He nodded immediately, understanding your situation. “I got it Y/n. If anything, absolutely anything happens, come look for me. I’ll most likely be in my hut with my parents, okay?” You smiled.

“Okay Awpxey.” You hugged him, hugged him tight to savor his body warmth because you had no idea if that was going to be your last time seeing him.

“You’re going to be okay Y/n, go. I promise.” Yo nodded, waving goodbye to him before walking towards your hut.

You walked slow, your footsteps light as to not aware anybody in the hut.

When you had finally approached the entrance, walking through it slowly, your chest heavy and your mind hazy you stopped.

All heads turned to you quickly, your parents the first to stand. They rushed towards you, both exclaiming, “Y/n!” As they ran.

Your father grabbed you, turning you around and examining your body for any injuries, he had obviously, found none.

Your mother held your hand, pulling your head to her chest as she cried tears of joy at the fact you had come home, safe, and with no injuries.

“Where have you been ma’ite? We were all so worried for you!”

“I-I’m okay mom, I swear. This is a really, really big misunderstanding.” You held your hands out.

“Misunderstanding?” You dad echoed.

“Yes, misunderstanding. I want to explain you guys what happened first before you ask me anything though, okay?” Your parents nodded, they had beckoned your siblings out, though they protested as they wanted to see you too.

Your parents gave them the promise that they will see you later.

Awpxey watched from afar as he seen all your siblings walk out the hut, incoherent protests leaving their mouths.

‘Shit.’

Once they were all gone, and your father checked the area to see that they were really gone, you all sat at the table.

As your parents faced you, you fidgeted with your jewelry, scared to even look them in the face.

“Ma’ite? What happened? Why were you gone for so long?” Your mother asked. That’s when you finally looked up.

“I-It’s a little bit of a long story? I’m going to explain everything though.” Your father nodded, giving you his undivided attention.

“Last night, I could not fall asleep.” Your parents began to nod along to your story.

“So, I decided that I would go to the forest, to get my mind off of things.” You internally cringed as you seen your fathers eyes widen.

“I know, I know that it was really, really dangerous to leave with out saying anything and with the fact Sky People are here, I know. I hesitated at first. I was scared to even go. But I followed my gut. I think it was the best decision I ever made actually.” You said with a sheepish smile after your last sentence.

Your parents’ brows furrowed as they shared a look between each other.

“Anyway, while I was out there, about to bother the fan lizards, I had found Awpxey.” The name felt heavy on your tongue, worried about how your father would feel before anybody else.

“We hung out, and then he took me to this really pretty cave that had an open top so we watched the stars.” Your cheeks felt warm as you knew you were leaving some details out.

“We watched the stars and then fell asleep after a while, and when we woke up we washed at the river then came here.” You felt bad for worrying your parents, but at the same time you are so, so glad you left.

“Nothing like that happened either, dad. We only hung out, talked and stargazed. That’s it.” Toy father put his hands up.

“I-I never said anything.” He already looked so guilty, but you know you had put him on the spot.

“I know how you are, I just want to say it to clear any thoughts.”

After about 10 seconds you noticed your mother’s ongoing silence. You peeked up at her nervously, wondering why she hadn’t said anything.

You were shocked to see she had a smile on her face. Did she know?

“I’m glad it was only positive stuff that happened ma’ite, is there anything else you want to say?”

You choked as you remembered the fact Awpxey is now courting you.

“Babygirl?” Your dad asked.

“Uhm.. Yeah. One more thing..” You let out a nervous chuckle.

“Awpxeyaskedtocourtmesoweretechnicallykindofdatingnow!” You rushed out in one breath.

“What?” Your parents said simultaneously.

You took a deep breath. “Awpxey asked to court me. So.. We’re technically kind of dating now…”

Your eyes were shut. And you wanted to keep it that way.

You peeked through one squinted eyelid, just to see your mother holding your fathers head.

Your body slumped in as you stared on in disbelief.

“Sh, sh, sh, it’s okay ma’jake. It’s okay.” Your mother patted his head.

“Wha- Mom. What is even happening right now?” You jumbled out.

You then heard a hiccup. A deep one.

Is your father crying?

“Dad?” You asked worriedly.

When his head lifted to face towards you your heart broke. You had never seen your father cry in your 17 years of living. So to see his tearful face and swollen eyes, knowing you were the reason broke you.

“Dad.” Your eyes watered, hands clenching into fists at your side to try and hold them back.

“Oh babygirl, come here.” You both hugged, he held you close to him, and you cried into his shoulder. Happy to feel the familiar parental love and warm body that used to hold you when you were young.

The sensation had felt so far away at this point. It was heartwarming to feel it again.

Feel it as if you were little all over again.

“I’m sorry dad.” You didn’t know what exactly you were apologizing for, whether it was for making him cry, dating Awpxey or both. But regardless, you knew you had to apologize.

Your mother looked at you both with a smile on her face, an idea flashing in her head.

“You should invite him for dinner.” You and your father turned to look at your mother quickly. Both talking out at the same time.

“No!”

“Really?”

You look to your father quickly, trying to catch his eye as he avoided looking at you.

“I mean, uh. Yeah, uhm yeah. H-he should come for dinner, yeah.”

Your mother came forward, patting Jake on his shoulder. “You’ll be fine ma’Jake. I think it would be nice, think about it. We can see what he’s really like.”

You nodded, “please dad? He’s super nice, and respectful! He’s like a family man.” You had made sure to add the last comment because you knew it would win your dad over.

You could see the cogs in his brain working as he actually thought about it.

“Hmm.. Okay, okay fine he can come over for dinner.”

You jumped into his arms, knocking him onto his butt on the floor. “Thank you! Thank you, thank you! Thank you dad! I love you!” You kissed his cheeks and hugged him, he smiled as he hugged you back.

“You’re welcome, and I love you too babygirl.”

“Now go, go get him for dinner. Because I will start preparing it soon.” Your mother shooed you, and you left hastily with a new excitement as she was pulling you out the hut.

You walked around for a bit, looking for Awpxey’s hut when you finally noticed his father, Puo outside, hanging loincloths to dry.

You walk up to him speaking quietly as to not abruptly disturb him. “Excuse me, Mr. Relongtai?” He turned around at the call of his name.

“Oh, Y/n. Oel Ngati Kameie.” He said, doing the hand sign’s greeting. “Oel Ngati Kameie.” You greet back.

“What brings you here Y/n?” He asked.

So Awpxey hasn’t said anything to his parents. Good, that’s good. For right now at least.

“I was wondering if I could borrow Awpxey for dinner? My, uhm, my parents invited him over for dinner.” Puo had smiled at you.

“That’s fine with me! I’ll pack him a plate to take so he doesn’t go over there empty handed! Just go look for him inside and tell him to get presentable. Don’t need my son to look ugly if I’m handsome.” He mutters his last sentence sarcastically, chuckling at his own joke.

“If I’m being honest, he has your looks!” You gave a kind smile.

Puo paused, “really?” He asked, patting his cheeks. He smiled before running into the hut, yelling, “Itxä! Itxä! Y/n said Awpxey has my looks! That means I look young right?”

You peeked into the hut, seeing Puo kneeling next to Itxä who was re-braiding her hair.

“Puo! Get away from me! Go hang the clothes like I told you!” She was nudging him away with her elbow, still skillfully braiding her hair.

“But Itxä, you don’t think I’m handsome?” Puo asked with a frown.

“I mean, sometimes. It deducts points when you drool, you know unless-” She was cut off by Puo.

“Okay! Thanks by honey see you later!” He rushed back out the hut.

You finally noticed Awpxey in the corner, cringing at his mother’s innuendo.

“Mom really? Unless? Unless what? You know, don’t even answer I’m okay.” You giggled, a hand covering your mouth.

That had caught Itxä and Awpxey’s attention. Awpxey stood with a smile once he saw you.

“Y/n. Are you okay? Did everything go good?” He approached you, a nervous look in his eye.

You nodded happily, “yeah, everything went good. Really good actually. They want you to come over for dinner.”

Awpxey’s eyes widened. They wanted him to come over?

“R-really?” He was shocked, very shocked.

“Mhm! And I’m sure it’s with good intention! My mother proposed the idea and my father even agreed!” You fiddled with a bracelet on your arm.

“Mrs. Relongtai, is it okay if Awpxey comes over for dinner at my house?” You ask, knowing it would be rude to not even acknowledge her.

“Yes please, don’t even ask! It’s good he goes out. Or just gets out.” She adds quietly.

“What? Mom!” He turned to her, her head facing the wall to not look at him.

“What? I didn’t say anything!” She rolled her eyes. “Make sure you take a plate of food to offer to the Sully’s! Don’t even think you’re going over there empty handed slugging your shoulders.” You laughed, covering your mouth as it accidentally came out to loud.

“Y/n? You’re laughing too?” You placed your hand on his chest, still covering your mouth, shaking your head.

“No, no I was just, uhm..” You mumbled from behind your hand as you tried to think of an excuse.

“You’re hurting my heart Y/n.” Awpxey said walking away, going and packing a plate of what his parents had made for dinner.

“You’ll be fine, and make sure you tell the Sully’s I said hello, Awpxey!” Itxä called from the floor.

“I will, bye mom, love you!” Awpxey said as he started to leave the hut, you in tow.

“Bye, love you too!” She called back. As you walked by his father, he also said his farewells.

“Bye dad, love you.” He said as he intertwined his fingers with yours.

“Bye Awpxey, see you later, correct?” His dad teased. Awpxey pursed his lips in embarrassment.

“Yeah dad see you later.” Awpxey grumbled.

“See you son, love you.” Puo said before turning back around, continuing to hang up clothing items and other pieces.

“Love you too.” Awpxey then pulled you a long with him, walking to your hut.

“Awpxey?” You call for him.

“Hm?” He hums back in response.

“How do you know where I live?” You genuinely question. You weren’t trying to press him on anything personal, you just wanted to know.

“Y/n..” He says, his face was almost in a form of shock. “What?” You respond confused.

“Almost like everybody knows where you live… You’re a royal Y/n, even then, everybody knows where everybody lives. And your hut gets a bit rowdy with your siblings. Though it’s definitely not the biggest household.” You nodded in agreement at his last comment, you always wonder how the Ipexti Family is doing.

And wonder how they even managed 14 kids.

“Yeah that makes a lot of sense. I’m sure my brother kind of just lets everybody know doesn’t he?” You said with a small laugh.

You didn’t notice it, but Awpxey stared at you, looking at your smile, and all the features on your face.

Eywa took her time on her.

He had thought, he shook his head continuing to walk towards your house.

As you got closer, you slowed as you noticed your brother, Lo’ak, standing in the entrance of the hut. His arms crossed over his chest and his foot tapping impatiently on the ground.

“Oh God…” You mumbled as you seen him.

“Is that Lo’ak?” Awpxey asked, his eyes squinting as he smiled.

“Oh my God. Just walk by or something, cover your face so he doesn’t see us.” You muttered as you placed a hand to cover the side of your face.

“Y/n!” A voice suddenly yelled out. You did not turn your head as you knew exactly who it was.

“Y/n Sully!” Lo’ak continued to yell.

Now you see why everyone knows where you live.

You walked even slower towards your home. Awpxey laughed, seeing how you felt embarrassed.

Once you were finally near the entrance, you had noticed Neteyam stand up from the table and stand behind Lo’ak. Once you were in front of Lo’ak, he squinted his eyes to Awpxey.

“And who are you?” Lo’ak sneered at him.

“Lo’ak!” But your call had fallen on deaf ears.

Awpxey opened his mouth to answer, but was silenced when a hand rose up towards his face.

“Save it. I want to know what you’re doing with my sister. And why you’re here, holding her hand.” Lo’ak poked his chest, his eyes trained  solely on Awpxey.

“Lo’ak.” You let out a low warning, Neteyam seemed to notice how serious you gotten. So he reached forward and placed a hand gently around Lo’ak’s elbow.

Awpxey raised his hands in surrender, balancing the covered plate of food in his other.

“I come in no harm. I’m here with your sister for this dinner and to meet your family.” Awpxey explained.

“Meet us for what? Are you trying to mate her?” Lo’ak jabbed his finger back into Awpxey’s chest, and his eyes widened at Lo’aks question, not even the gesture.

That’s when Neteyam pulled Lo’ak back by his elbow, turning him around and pushing him into the hut.

“That’s enough.” He said to Lo’ak, still gripping onto his arm. Lo’ak pulled his arm back, walking to the table and sitting down.

“I apologize for his behavior, he doesn’t usually act like this.” Neteyam said, facing Awpxey with an apologetic smile.

“That’s alright, I can see why he’s upset.” Awpxey smiled.

When Neteyam had finally looked away, you turned to Awpxey, “I’m sorry about him. Don’t let him make you upset he does that to everybody really.”

Awpxey laughed, “it’s okay Y/n, I really don’t have have a problem with it.” He said with a smile.

You nodded, giving a nervous smile back. When you faced back towards the hut, grabbing his hand gently. You were shocked to see how everyone in the hut had a stiff face.

Your mother and father included.

What happened to the happy go lucky moods they had earlier when they told you to invite him?

You sighed, already feeling defeated in some way.

You just hoped he didn’t want to leave you.

Approaching the table, you sat in your usual spot, making sure that there was enough space for Awpxey before looking at everyone.

No one was batting an eyelash at you, everyone was looking at Awpxey. Their faces serious. It shocking to you to see even Tuk staring at him with her face hard from next to you.

She grabbed onto your arm, hugging herself around it and resting her head in your bicep, your hand instinctively coming to the top of her head.

You couldn’t see it, but Tuk smiled to the other side of the table. To your siblings that sat on the other side, expectant.

They must have not taken the news of you bringing a boy home too kindly.

The tension in the air was so thick, and you could see it was working Awpxey’s nerves as he rubbed his hands up and down his thighs.

Though he was the first to break the silence, “I brought a plate of fwampop, I helped my mother make it for dinner. I don’t know if any of you like that, so I apologize if you don’t. I’m sure it should still be warm.” He pulled the wrapping off the top of the plate, showing the seasoned meat, steam elevating as the barrier was released.

“Fwampop is fine.” It was Kiri’s voice who cut into the air next. You noticed her posture and realized how intimidating she actually looked. Her arms crossed over her chest as she looked at Awpxey, the usual warm expression she wears, gone.

“Yeah, thank you.” Tuk said as she leaned forward, making sure to be in his line of sight as her tone wasn’t the most, welcoming.

Your mother gave an expectant look towards your brothers, making them flicker their eyes to each other before looking back at Awpxey.

“Thank you.” It wasn’t exactly rude, but it wasn’t nice either. You’ve never heard them sound so passive aggressive.

“It was very nice of you to bring us something, Awpxey.” Your mother broke her characteristic silence, her voice calming and comforting as she nodded her head Awpxey.

“Now, how about we eat, yeah?” Your dad asked, placing his hand around Neytiri’s waist, pulling her closer.

You all hummed and nodded in agreement.

When you all began to serve yourselves, saying a quick prayer before eating, you took the time to look around. Seeing that the atmosphere had lightened up somewhat, they were making their own conversations. In their own little worlds.

So you took that as an opportunity to talk to Awpxey.

“Hey..” You whisper, bumping his knee with yours. He turns his head, responding in a quiet “hm?” As he finished the food he was chewing.

“You okay?” You continue to whisper, keeping your head as straight as possible while still attempting to look at him.

“Yeah I’m good.” He whispered back, nodding.

“Good.” You nodded, giving him a smile before returning back to your food.

Once you all began to approach the end of your meals, you noticed everybody start to sit up straighter, clearing their throats.

Oh God.. The questions were to start now…

“So Awpxey..” Your father started, Awpxey already had his head up, his eyes and ears focused on your father to catch every word he said.

“What do you do? For the clan?” He finished.

Awpxey cleared his throat, “I am a Warrior.” Your father’s eyes widened for a split moment.

“Warrior?” Awpxey nodded. “Yes sir, I am.”

“How come..” Your father’s eyebrows were furrowed. “How come I’ve never seen you?”

Awpxey smiled, “I guess I’m not that important, or just unnoticeable.” You wrapped your fingers around his, your face scrunching in confusion.

His smile.. He looked so dejected, his eyes having a dog-tired look swirling in his irises.

You didn’t care if anyone at the table got mad at you for showing some type of ‘affection’ towards Awpxey.

Neytiri looked at the both of you, a smile on her face as she noticed the slight movement under the table.

“You work along side your father?” Your dad asked, wanting to change the subject as he as well noticed the expression on Awpxey.

Awpxey nodded, “most of the time, unless we’re assigned apart to different groups.” Your father hummed and nodded.

Neytiri cleared her throat quietly, bringing the attention of everyone to her.

“I made kalin paste. If anybody wants any?”

Everyone around the table quickly nodded. Your mother looked towards Jake, pointing her chin to the pot that held the paste.

“And don’t eat it all while you’re over there.” Your fathers ears twinged purple in embarrassment.

“I won’t..” He muttered, his lips pursed as he walked to the steaming pot.

Minutes later, you all had your own servings of the kalin paste. Lo’ak with the most on his plate.

As you finished up your plate, you took the time to look around at your family.

Neteyam, he was in his own world, Lo’ak, he was still scraping for scraps of the paste on his plate, Kiri, she was fiddling with something in her hands, your parents, who were talking with their hands in front of their face as if they were gossiping like teenagers.

Which they were.

Now on your right, closest to your parents was Awpxey. And you were unprepared when you turned your head to look at him to find him already staring at you.

“Hey..” He whispers, a smile on his face.

“Hi.” You whisper back, the same smile mirroring onto your face.

“Can you tell your mom that her kalin paste is the best I’ve had? It’s really good, please tell her.” You smiled, your hand coming to cover it as you nodded in agreement.

“What are you doing?” As he asked, you hesitated in answering, but you had already decided.

“People Watching.” You say with an embarrassed smile.

“People Watching?” Awpxey echoes curiously. You were relieved when you didn’t hear any type of disgust or disappointment in his tone or face. He was genuinely curious.

“It’s where you kind of just, uhm, you know. Watch people? But it’s not that simple. You- you mostly actually observe them. And think, think a lot about what they’re like, or what they can be like. What they could be like. You evaluate them, study, but on a emotional and physical note? When you People Watch, you aren’t supposed to judge, because all it is, is an observation, and thinking.” As you end your rambling, you bring a hand to your mouth and squeeze it tightly, not even for a second.

It was an unfortunate habit you developed young when you realized you talked to much.

Awpxey noticed, and in an attempt to distract you, he grabbed your hand gently. Intertwining your fingers together.

“That’s really cool.” He squeezes your hand, a toothy smile adorning his lips.

“You think so?” Your eyes search his, looking for any type of sign that could show he’s lying.

“Of course! How long have you been doing this?”

“My whole life. It’s actually like a hereditary thing. Mostly between the females in my family. My grandma, her mom, my mom, my late aunt, my sisters do it too, only sometimes. And my brothers.” You roll your eyes at the me ruin of your brothers, thinking of mostly Lo’ak. He stares at people. Little weirdo.

You hoped, hoped that this genetic trait didn’t scare him away and make you look even more like the weirdo you are.

It doesn’t, it really doesn’t.

All these little things you tell him, these details. He eats it all up, saving it to his memories and saving it to learn more about it later.

He was planning to try and do this “People Watching” trick when he got home, or when his stomach wasn’t as full.

Maybe he could try it with his parents? His friends while they train, or just strangers around the clan.

Though nobody in this clan is really a stranger.

“I wanna try it,” he frowned. You laughed, “why are you frowning? You could try it now if you want? With my parents and siblings? But you might be too tired, kalin paste is heavy on the stomach.” He nodded in agreement.

“Can I do it tomorrow? I really wanna try it.” He slouched.

You smiled, “you can do it tomorrow. I think you’ll enjoy it.”

Awpxey smiled, looking at yours. His eyes trailed your face, looking at your lips.

It was as if his surroundings melted, Awpxey was stuck in a white space with just you. His hand squeezed yours tighter, eyes moving across your face in a triangular motion.

When he began to raise his hand to try and caress your chin, everything rushed back to him.

He’s still in your family’s hut, still sitting at your dining table, still with your family.

“Oh, uhm.” He stumbled, his hand slowly coming back down, lightly slapping against his lap.

You let out a small chuckle, wondering what was going through Awpxey’s head at this exact moment.

“Awpxey?” You mutter quietly, a small giggle escaping your mouth as you see him come back to reality, blinking a bit too hard.

“S-sorry Y/n..” He stuttered, you began to nod in response, opening your mouth to say something before something brushed against your back, skin brushed against your back.

You turn your head to look behind you, only to be met with a swaying Tuk, a drowsy weighed-down look on her face.

“Tuk?” Your sister took your attention from Awpxey. Though he had no problem with that with how questionable Tuk’s state was.

“Is she okay?” But Awpxey’s voice only echoed in the back of your mind, right now, the only thing you can think of is Tuk.

“Tuk? Tuk what happened?” You grasped her cheeks in your hands, turning her face towards you. You could tell she was mumbling something, but you could not see what.

“What are you saying Tuk? What happened?”

“A-ate to much… Ate to much kalin paste.. Stomach hurts and I’m very tired…” She mumbled.

You felt a bit relieved as you realized it wasn’t anything serious, but the fact she was in pain made you sad.

“Okay then Tuk,” you laugh. “I’ll go put you to bed, okay?”

All Tuk was able to offer back was a simple nod.

You stood up, scooping Tuk up in a bridal style. She was obviously very, very tired by the way she snuggled her head closer to your chest, curling up in your arms.

When you reached the sleeping mats, you placed Tuk on her respective mat, tucking her in, saying a quick prayer before you placed a kiss on her forehead and left.

When you arrived back at the table, your parents had asked you what happened with Tuk, which you explained.

“She ate to much kalin paste and got dizzy? But she was swaying and said her stomach hurt, oh, and that she was tired. So I just put her to bed.”

Your mother smiles and nodded in appreciation, you always made things a bit easier for her around the house.

You loved helping out, it would make you feel complete when you were always able to help people.

Awpxey watched you, he watched quietly as he seen you walk back to the table, an empty spot now behind you where Tuk was previously sat.

“Sorry about that. I just get really worried about my siblings.” You rub your hand against your forearm embarrassingly, not noticing Awpxey’s smile.

“Don’t apologize for it, it’s okay.” He messed with his loincloth. You smile, flashing a tired smile.

Awpxey had noticed, seeing the small bags under your eyes. “Hey, do you want me to go now? You look pretty tired.” Your eyes flicker to his, now at the fact it was pointed out, you started to feel sluggish. Your eyes struggling to keep themselves open as the kalin paste started to push down on your stomach.

“You know what? Now that you said that, I actually feel super tired.” You rub your eye, holding back a yawn in your throat. Awpxey smiled at you, “I’ll tell your parents.”

He turned towards your parents, who were still in their conversation, trying to find a part to speak to them without interrupting.

“Excuse me Mr. and Mrs. Sully?” Your parents stop, looking towards Awpxey, “yeah honey?” Neytiri says with a smile.

“I’m going to be heading home now, Y/n’s very tired and I don’t want to hold your family up any longer.” Neytiri and Jake both smiled, nodding their heads toward Awpxey.

“Okay Awpxey, be careful and make it home safe, okay?” Your mom said. Awpxey nodded, “I will Mrs. Sully! Thank you for having me for dinner, it was very good, and your kalin paste is the best!” Neytiri and Jake laughed together, your father nodding in agreement.

You smiled, getting up to walk Awpxey to the entrance of the hut. But what you didn’t know was that Kiri had also gotten up, following you both out the hut.

Right when you were about to wish Awpxey a goodnight and send him off, your sister, Kiri had rounded the corner coming to a stop at your side.

“Kiri? Is something wrong?” Your sister shook her head, looking forward to Awpxey.

“I wanted to bring him this, here you go Awpxey.” Your sister pushed an object into Awpxey’s hand.

Awpxey looked down at it, holding and feeling the smoothed surface of the object, not being able to tell what it was straight away.

“It’s a Lepidolite, a peace stone, it brings good luck. I’m giving it to you now that you are in a relationship with my sister, so you are both stable enough to take care of each other.” Kiri said with a sincere nod. Awpxey smiled, “thank you Kiri. That’s very thoughtful of you.”

You watched with smile, seeing how Awpxey fidgeted with the polished surface of the lilac-gray crystal.

“Goodnight guys, see you in the morning Y/n.” Kiri waved the both of goodbye, walking back into the hut and heading towards the sleeping mats.

You waved her goodbye, turning back towards Awpxey, feeling shy.

“Too quiet to say goodnight to me now too?” Awpxey teased as he leaned down to your face, trying to catch your eyes.

You giggled, “be quiet Awpxey.” Your cheeks burning as you smiled hard.

You turned your head up in his direction, smiling as you tried to hold back a laugh and make eye contact with him.

“Goodnight Awpxey, get a good nights rest, okay?” He nodded, reciprocating. “You too Y/n, sleep well..”

You both stood in a small silence, it was comfortable and not awkward. Awpxey was the one who made the initiating move and leaned forward, planting a small kiss on your lips.

You were quick to kiss him back, making sure not to leave his lips stranded for too long.

When you both parted, a small ‘smooch’ sound indicating that your lips separated, you stood with your hands clasped together behind your back.

“Goodnight Y/n.”

“Goodnight Awpxey.”

After finally saying goodnight, Awpxey walked back home, smiling all the way back to his hut. Happy to see his parents together in their sleeping mat.

When you were done recollecting yourself outside of your hut, you walked back inside. Shocked to find all the plates put away, hanging to dry.

When you walked toward the family room, looking to see where everyone went. You were not shocked to see everybody already asleep, tangled in their own bedrolls.

You were happy to see your parents together in their sleeping mat.

Getting into your mat and tucking yourself in, you reflected on your day. Thinking about how it was a really good day and how your family accepted Awpxey.

You yawned, turning on your left side as your eyes began to shut due to your tiredness.

Warmly, you let your body succumb to the drowsiness you felt.

Oh my gosh you guys. This is longggg… I feel like almost all of my stories are long, maybe to long. Because I just write when I have the time and I don’t have like an active word count, so i just write. I apologize if it’s to much for you! Also I just want to mention @creamboba ! I didn’t know if you wanted to be tagged, I’m sorry if you didn’t! Oh my gosh please excuse any spelling mistakes I try my best to proof read but I get tired you guys. But anyway, thank you for reading 🤍!

[neuroticbookworm]

FRIENDS. FRIENDS.

Cooking Crush is undoubtedly one of the best shows airing at the moment.

Today's episode gave me so much life that I don't even know where to begin, but I'm gonna try my best to pull two (2) coherent thoughts out of my melting brain.

1. The Three Must-Eat-eers Conflict and Resolution:

Last episode had set up such a perfect conflict that's rarely handled well in any media: the bruised feelings of the single friend when the rest of the gang gets into committed romantic relationships. Most of the time this scenario shows up in media, one party will be framed as selfish and/or jealous. None of that nonsense here; Cooking Crush has always taken the friendship of its characters very seriously, especially Prem, Dynamite and Samsee. Samsee’s feelings were hurt not just because of his own fears of being abandoned by his friends, he was also (rightfully) mad that he ended up as the only friend who was kept out of the loop of knowing that his best friends had boyfriends now. But Prem and Dynamite did not intend to do this, and they were also right to set their own pace in making their relationship public, but it’s just that the string of accidental reveals happened in an order that made Samsee feel like a third-wheeler in his own home, twice over.

Cooking Crush treats its characters with a lot of kindness and empathy and it shows. Prem and Dy wanting to keep their relationships under wraps for the time being is valid. Samsee feeling hurt and lost, and opting out of the competition is valid. This episode begins with the drama of the cooking competition and works its comedy (thank you for the chuckles, wildly gesticulating White Man) and romance (my poor heart swooned all over my rib cage when Ten helped Prem into his chef clothes). And when the time came for the big reconciliation, the show does not sweep away Samee’s very hurt feelings just because Prem and Dy struggled without Samsee for most of the first round of cooking. He apologizes for ditching them and Dy was having none of it.

(Dy, my perfect child, oh how I love you with my entire heart)

Perfect resolution. and a well-earned, most adorable group hug to bookend it. I truly could not be more in love with this show. Or can I?

2. Miscommunication? Nah.

Well, this episode also featured the Annoying Asshole Chef dude who’s determined to pursue Prem even though it is very clear that Prem is not interested and would reject his advances, if only he stuck around long enough to actually get rejected and not run away from him like a goddamn coward. I was furious when he positioned himself as an actual option for Prem to Ten in this episode, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment Ten chose to call him out on his bullshit.

But y’all. The very inappropriate hug. The well-deserved punch to his stupid face. The storm-off. All of it had me very concerned that this is all barrelling towards a classic miscommunication moment.

BUT NO.

THE SHOW SAID THERE WILL BE NO STUPID MISCOMMUNICATION.

NOT IN THIS HOUSE.

My problem with the miscommunication trope is that it ultimately positions the couple we are supposed to be rooting for as a weak team. Honest communication and vulnerability in a new-ish relationship is not easy, and it takes a lot of courage to take that step to be the one to spell out the facts, and trust that the other person likes them well enough to keep an open ear, and believe them when they say a meddling cowardly asshole is trying to get in the way of their relationship. Ten’s bravery was perfectly contrasted with the sliminess of the Annoying Cowardly Chef (I refuse to learn his name, he is not worth my braincells).

Oh but Ten wasn’t done yet!

I absolutely adore how he moves the conversation away from that pesky little pest of a human towards something that matters more: his desire to make things official with Prem. The Annoying Asshole Chef was not the focus of the conversation, Ten and Prem are. And it all culminates in an incredible kiss and a camera swoop that already has a permanent little shrine in my silly little head.

TAKE MY HEART, COOKING CRUSH. TREAT IT WELL.

[cinderella-ish]

My evolving thoughts on who Yuki should've ended up with, and fanfic's role in changing my mind

So, I want to talk about Yuki Sohma.

Yuki is the member of the main trio in Fruits Basket with whom I most identify. I have little in common with both Tohru and Kyo, and it took me several watches and read-throughs to start to understand their characters/arcs. (I love them, don't get me wrong! I just didn't fully appreciate the depth of their characters/arcs until maybe my third time through the series.)

Yuki, on the other hand, not only had many external qualities in common with me, but the way he grew mirrored some of the ways I changed in early adulthood. His arc felt true to my life, and so he was my favorite character from my first exposure to Fruits Basket.

When I started reading fanfic, I initially limited myself to canon compliant or limited canon-divergence fics, but eventually, I dipped my toes into some alternate pairings. Interestingly, while I truly can't see Tohru with anyone but Kyo, and I can only see Kyo with someone other than Tohru in very specific circumstances, Yuki seems to work with almost everyone he gets paired with. I mean, Yuki and Machi are my OTP, yet I have probably read (and bookmarked) every Yuki/Kakeru fic on Ao3, and some of the most beautiful fanfic I've ever read is Yuki/Kyo.

This confused me at first. Deeply. If Yuchi is my OTP, why do I devour every Yukeru and Yukyo fic?

Well, I think that's because Yuki's arc is, among other things, one where he rejects compulsory romance. This is made explicit in the Cinderella-ish story (why yes this is my favorite part of Fruits Basket, why do you ask?), where he quite literally rejects the role of the prince - the role that's been put onto him by others through the series. I think his arc would have been complete without him ending up with Machi, but there are things about their relationship that make his ending so much more satisfying. In stories where he ends up with Kakeru or Kyo, Machi almost always appears as an important friend for him. I think, for him, having strong bonds outside the Sohmas that he forged on his own was the point, rather than ending up in a relationship.

Anyway, with that out of the way, here are my thoughts on the five most common Yuki pairings on Ao3!

Yuki/Machi

Yes. I love them. 1000/10.

Okay, so the one criticism I have of Yuki/Machi is that Yuki is strongly gay-coded throughout the series, and it would've been awesome to see that play out in the way it was set up. I think that's a huge part of why I connected with Yuki - his arc definitely reminded me of my own experience coming to terms with my own queerness. For more on this, see this exceptional post by @yunsoh

But there are so many moments between them that make me swoon. The chalk scene, first and foremost. I used that scene to talk to my partner about how to support me when my OCD or ADHD is bad. Then there's scene where Yuki figures out why Machi destroys things, then asks to make footprints in the snow together (and tells her he's proud of her! and sees how hard she's worked!). The way he bought her Mogeta memorabilia or figured out she likes red or understood her intent when she chased him around the school to give him a flower and just ended up getting angry at him. The way he understood she bought Tohru a bath set because it's what she would want, just because Kakeru made a similar remark. The way he lit up when he saw Machi's trashed apartment - "the sea of despair."

And the way Machi understood and empathized with Yuki. The way he lit up and started laughing when she called him an airhead. The way she said it took someone like him to notice someone like her. The way she opened up to him and always sought him out. The way Kakeru shipped them. The way he knew she would miss him if he were to disappear, and the way being a support to her was something he needed for himself. The way she accepted him as he actually was, and not the way he thought he was supposed to be. The way she broke the door down with a chair when Yuki was trapped in the storage room. The way he teased her!

They've both been put in seemingly desirable positions within their families, yet those positions are responsible for so much of their pain and trauma. They get each other at a deep level. There's a mutuality to their relationship that Yuki desperately needed. I love them so much!

PS: if you also love Yuki/Machi, come find me on Ao3! I'll be posting some Yuchi content later this week!

Yuki/Kakeru

They have a fantastic and fun dynamic, and they are always touching each other. Kakeru is Yuki's confidant and someone who makes Yuki feel safe in being himself, flaws and all. They help each other grow - Yuki helps Kakeru be more empathetic, and Kakeru helps Yuki become more comfortable with himself. I think this pairing would have also been a satisfying end for Yuki, full stop. I love them, and I will read all your Yukeru fics, please and thank you. (Also, lots of Yukeru writers are just really good writers, so there are some gorgeous works for them.)

Yuki/Kyo

So, I didn't get why this ship was so popular at first, but then I was reminded that Yuki's first thought when he met Kyo was "pretty!" They both secretly admired each other, they're written as foils for each other, and there's a reason enemies to lovers is so popular (and it's called sexual tension).

There's a Yuki/Kyo fic that I'd credit with showing me what fanfic can really do - especially in the ways it expanded the universe, found its own way of handling the curse, and developed the relationship between the two boys in a way that also grew their characters. That fic is The Pursuit of Repeating History by @mistergrass

I do think that Yuki ending up with someone outside the Sohmas is more satisfying for his character arc than someone from the Sohma clan, but his relationship with Kyo is such a key part of his arc that this could be satisfying in its own right.

Yuki/Haru

I absolutely love the relationship these two have in canon. I love how Haru looks out for Yuki, and I love how he drives Yuki a bit crazy. I love how Haru tells Yuki the things he needs to hear, like that it's okay for him to focus on himself for a while, and I love how Yuki braves the Sohma estate to check on Haru. I also love the way Haru can read Yuki like a book.

Haru's words to Yuki about finding someone who will appreciate his fragility and kindness are always so touching. Haru is almost a mentor to Yuki, in a way, or a fairy godmother. (Or a long lost sister?) The fact that he was the one who got Yuki out of isolation at the hands of Akito, or that he was the one person who would check on him just speaks to the strength of his loyalty to Yuki.

I take Haru's statement of "Yuki was my first love" seriously, because he tells Yuki he is serious when Yuki warns him people will take him seriously when he says that. I know there's an argument to be made that Haru is just being his weird self, but that gives me and they were roommates vibes.

Unfortunately, most of the Yuki/Haru fics are dubcon with Dark Haru, which is not something I enjoy reading. What I'd really love to read is an AU where they're together in high school or later, or something that explores Haru's early feelings for Yuki, or just something that explores interesting sides of their characters that are brought out when they're together.

I don't think this would be a terribly satisfying end for Yuki, but I do really love their dynamic.

Yuki/Tohru

Okay, so, full disclosure: I was #teamyuki when I first watched Fruits Basket. Yet now, they're the only pairing on this list that I don't like. Why? Well, as I said above, Yuki's arc is much about rejecting this specific compulsory romance.

Compulsory how? Well, from the beginning, the series seems like it's setting up a love triangle, but kind of tells us (more and more explicitly as the series goes on) that things are not what they seem.

I think the series does a phenomenal job of making the reader/viewer complicit in placing this compulsory romance onto Yuki. A brief aside, making the reader/viewer complicit in the thing a story is criticizing is one of the most effective ways to criticize something, IMO, because it doesn't let the reader/viewer off the hook. We don't get to say, "Look at them, they're so foolish!" We're forced to examine our own expectations and acknowledge that we were made a fool of, too.

I totally got tingles at the spa scene (pictured above), even though upon rewatch, it's obvious how much of an act it is on Yuki's part, and how uncomfortable it makes Tohru. In fact, many of their most "romantic" moments, where the shojo bubbles appear and everything, are when Tohru is acting in an explicitly motherly way to Yuki, and he awkwardly tries to flirt because he's either misinterpreting his feelings or in denial about them.

I also thought his line, "that isn't what I want!" when he tells Kakeru about his true feelings for Tohru is one of the most powerful moments in the series. It's the moment he's finally letting go of being the Princely character and choosing to be himself, for himself, because he deserves to be known and accepted - something he'd never fully believed until that moment.

I think part of why I was initially #teamyuki was because I came to Fruits Basket through the anime first, where much of the development of his relationship with Machi was cut. Also, as I said above, I didn't really get the characters of Kyo and Tohru right away, and I think that prevented me from seeing the power of their romance. The True Form arc was a key moment that I truly didn't understand until several viewings/readings later.

So, all of that is why I don't care for this pairing. I get why people do, but I do feel it undermines Yuki's agency and his character arc. It's a pairing that makes me sad when I see it, as if this character I love has taken a step backward.

(Incidentally, I've been wanting to write a fic where the True Form arc plays out differently and Yuki takes longer to realize the nature of his feelings for Tohru. I truly wonder how he would've come to that understanding without witnessing her running after Kyo. Would he have tried dating her? Would it have been a total disaster?)

Other pairings and larger relationship structures

Out of the other pairings I found, the only one I'm genuinely curious about is Yuki with Saki Hanajima. I'll have to go read those fics. They are each the "cold" half of a "hot/cold" duo (the "hot" halves being Kyo and Arisa, who are basically the same person). I'm very curious what led people to pair them in the handful of fics about them!

(Interestingly, I think it's possible to read Saki and Arisa both as having a bit of sexual tension with Kyo, but not with Yuki.)

The others include Akito, Ayame, Hatori, and Shigure - all pairings that would have a noncon/dubcon element due to Yuki's age, and that's before you get into the specific traumas that these characters have inflicted on Yuki, or the inherent power dynamics between them, or the close familial relationship with Ayame, etc...

The trio relationships are all intriguing and full of possibility. Yuki/Tohru/Kyo? Obviously. Yuki/Kakeru/Kimi? Potential for lots of wackiness. Yuki/Kyo/Haru? Could be the next Mabudachi trio.

(No shade to anyone who enjoys fics with the pairings or tropes I don't like! This blogger believes in "don't like, don't read.")

[frozen-waters]

General Johnigail/Marston family hcs?? <3

ofc ofc yay yay yay!!!!!!! sorry for making John a little lover boy whenever I write johnigail and there are also a few angsty-ish hcs in here

More Johnigail and Marston Family hcs!!!

• John loves when Abigail plays the piano (canon but it makes me giggle)

• John also watches Abigail sew new clothes or mend old ones. I don’t mean this in a weird way but he likes watching her sew without her knowing. in like a sweet way. she looks peaceful to him

• I’m not sure how to explain this but the Marston family (or mostly Jack) is a few The Smiths songs to me

• speaking of The Smiths modern Jack would listen to them

• after Abigail died, Jack wished he had read to her more in his tween/teen years

• even as Jack gets older, he still laughs sometimes at the stories Uncle tells

• Jack also kept all of Abigail’s dresses that she had after she died. he didn’t really know what he was gonna do with them but he couldn’t stand getting rid of them. he did the same with John’s clothes but he kept them so he could wear them

• in modern when Abigail has to go to work in the morning or something John will wake up before her and turn on the car for her so it’ll be warm by the time she’s gotta go

• John and Abigail dancing together!!!!!!!!!!!!!! idk when but maybe if Uncle still plays the banjo or overhearing music is Blackwater!!!!!!!!!!

• modern John had a gamecube when he was in highschool but the only games he played were like. sonic, eternal darkness, and resident evil. dug it out of Hoseas garage or attic when Jack became a teen and "gifted" it to him -> has it in the livingroom and John plays it and Jack will watch him sometimes -> John also thought Jack was insane when he didn't know what he was supposed to do w a gamecube. to him its The Gift

• in modern when Jack was like 7-10 he'd infodump for an entire dinner about a book or show he read or watched in excruciating detail

• Abigail loved dressing up Jack and his sister

• the Marston daughter used Johns shirts and basketball shorts as pajamas for like. five years straight in modern

• mosquito's were Jacks worst enemy in his tween years

• Abigail loves the horses they keep on Beechers Hope. she likes keeping them all pretty and clean

• John buys Abigail jewelry sometimes. it takes all his brainpower to find something that will look nice with an outfit of hers but its worth it when he sees her get giddy over a necklace he got her

• John bought Mary-Beth's books for Abigail since they were mostly romance and he would read them to her. after John died Jack would read the books to her on her and John's anniversary along with taking her to the movies. or he'd read them to her if she asked

• in modern I know deep in my bones John had some weirdass senior quote

• in modern the Marston daughter was afraid of the dark and had a horrible habit of going into John and Abigail's room and accidentally scaring them

• modern Jack wants to have a bunch of little nick-nacks and cool stuff in his room but everything he finds he feels like it doesn't fit the "vibe" he wants

• John does recognize Jack's empathy towards the animals on the ranch. not that he knows what to do or say about it. tried sugarcoating some sickness among the animals to Jack once but eventually had to tell him what was actually happening and Jack was very sad about it

• Abigail did teach Jack to sew a tiny bit

• John would give Jack "relationship advice" (as if he fucking knows anything) when they'd go into Blackwater to sell the ranches goods

• every year for John and Abigail's anniversary he'd take her into Blackwater and take her to see a movie

• Abigail always notices when John wears a gift she got for him no matter how long ago its from

• when Abigail's sick John tries to keep the house nice and tries to cook for her even though they're both fairly bad cooks

• Jack absentmindedly tells Uncle about the book he's reading when they sit on the porch together and Uncle comes up with some story he witnessed similar to the book

• John also takes Jack to see a movie for his birthday. the first time he did Jack does that thing where he gets excited and cant really talk straight and John was proud of himself

• Jack does occasionally like helping Abigail cook or gather things in the garden

• as Jacks hair gets longer he braids little pieces of it without thinking sometimes

this wasn't as long as the last one whoops

[readingwiththestars]

₊˚⊹♡ RECKLESS

["it's a good thing you're not here, because i still havent found my courage."]

| ✮ 4.5 stars |

THOUGHTS ° ᡣ𐭩 . ° . [spoilers ahead]

okayyy let me just start off with WHAT THE EVER LOVING FUCK WAS THAT ENDING LAUREN???? i'm not okay because of it. like nuh uh get lost. u had no right to do that (im saying this as if it didnt get spoiled for me and i didnt gaslight myself the entire book read that it wasn't going to happen)

i would like to straight up say this seemed like a filler book. just a set up for the next one, it didn't really have all too much plot-wise aside from pae and kai's romance. it was less on the fantasy side and more on the romance but i still enjoyed it a lot. and obviously since it was a filler book there was less character development (for some- im looking at you paedyn)

kai and pae were really cute in this book honestly (and as it mostly focuses on the romance ofc they were) the banter and everything was so wonderful to read i was giggling and kicking my feet wayyy to much. the romance was romancing but also not romancing at the same time (im not even gonna try to explain that just use vibes)

i do feel as though lauren's writing has definitely improved from powerless. she has this whimsical magical style of writing that i love it really takes me into the world of the book (mostly). other times the long sentences were too much in moments. like lauren. we did not need to know the colour of the bricks in the market at this certain moment in time when you'd already explained the colour two pages ago-

CHARACTERS ° ᡣ𐭩 . ° .

paedyn - ok i love her. i really do she's such a good fmc BUT for me in this book she was boring-ish. and hella indecisive like girly pop if i had kai talking to me like that i'd be folding so damn fast- but yeah it felt like she didn't have too much character development aside from finding out her dad was actually her dad. also i idk who the fuck she was trying to fool with her 'i hate you' to kai, like be fucking for real bitch no you dont.

kai - ok bye i could write a whole rant on why i love this man. like im sat. this book felt more like kai's book (as powerless felt like pae's) imo we got more on his backstory and i think his character (and povs) were more interesting for me to focus on. also his flirting and little one liners had me giggling and shit my sister actually woke up to me grinning like an idiot under torch light-

kitt - bye idek why i made this section for him. this is going to entirely be hate fr. OKAY WE GET IT DUDE UR A GHOST WHATEVER. OH MY GOSH U MISS UR DAD BUT IN THE NEXT POV U DONT LIKE BITCH CHOOSE A SIDE IDC ABT UR WHINY ASS. ALSO U CLEARLY HAVE AN OBSESSION WITH PAEDYN LIKE FUCKING HELL DUDE SHE IS UR 'MUSE' OR WHATEVER GET OVER YOURSELF. EUGH AND THEN PROPOSING TO HER?? YEAH SURE BUDDY "YOUR FEELINGS FOR HER DIED" MHM YUP OKAY TOTALLYYY *clears throat awkwardly* can you tell i hate him?

QUOTES ° ᡣ𐭩 . ° . [its like all kai... im not even sorry about it either]

"you are my proof of paradise." - kai

"call us even. call me crazy. i don't care. just... just call me yours." - kai

"under different curcumstances i promise you im much more fun tied up." - kai (WHEN I TELL YOU I SCREECHED AND STARED AT THE PAGE. MALAKAI AZER-)

"just pae and kai." - kai

"she was supposed to be my forever. now i'll watch her become someone else's. because the beast doesn't get the beauty." - kai

jahsdgj i can't wait for the next book hehe

[spaceorphan18]

Ranking the Bridgerton Books

Well. I have finished all eight novels in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton series (yes - I know there are a bunch of spin-offs, and that's great -- I have no desire to read those.) And of course, I have thoughts...

Before I jump into the rankings, though, I a few overall thoughts... I liked the series much more than I thought I would. Look, I'm rarely a romance reader, and really have no desire to read most historical fiction. But these books aren't as bad as I feared they would be. They're fun and light and you could probably read them all over the course of a week if you were dedicated to it. I don't know that there's anything (to me) that makes them really stand out, but other than being rather dated, and depicting some historical-ish things, I don't think there is anything too offensive about them, either.

I also... don't love Julia Quinn's writing style. These books -- are literally all the same structure of book. Some of the plot details, and the character tropes are different. But if you read one, you've read all of them, so you either have to get on board with that, or not. I also have to quibbles with the writing -- first of all, the men, omg, are usually pretty terrible. Most of the time they're prone to anger and they're just kind of asshats all the way around. The second thing is a writer-y thing. Quinn lets a scene go on and on and on for way too long without really doing anything, which caused the books to drag a bit. These books could have worked at half length, but ah well.

I think also, one thing that I wrestled with throughout, is that I think my favorite aspect of all the books -- was more about the Bridgertons as a family, and sibling dynamics, etc, than the actual romances. I don't know if any of the actual romances really worked for me, ultimately. None of them moved me emotionally the way I think they were supposed to. And that's fine. (No, I don't have a heart of stone - I just relate to romance stories in a different way than these books are presented, I suppose.) Idk - this thought may get another post.

That all said... The thing about ranking these is this -- all of it is incredibly subjective. Because I think the fact that they all use such different tropes, everyone is going to feel differently towards each book? And some things are going to resonate with certain people, while other people are going to enjoy aspects of other books? So - this is just tuned into my own tastes, and less about looking at how the books were written (because, honestly -- I'd rate them pretty much all at the same level) and more about how I felt when reading them.

8. When He Was Wicked (Francesca and Michael)

I know, I know, I know I'm starting off with a controversial choice. When I was looking into the books, there were so many people who put this near and at the top. And I do get it -- this might be the most solid love story of the bunch; Michael is one of the best leads in that he is the least problematic, this book definitely has the spiciest smutty scenes, and their arc to each other probably makes the most sense.

But my god, did I find this book utterly boring. Here's the thing -- a lot of this book is tied up with death, grieving, hurt, and comfort. There's a lot of tragedy in Francesca's story -- and I these kind of thematic elements resonate with a lot of readers, and I get that! It's just not for me. They aren't the tropes I seek out when reading romance, and I didn't find myself caring all that much.

Add to that the fact that Francesca probably has the least connection to her family, and Michael's yearning just doesn't do it for me as it does other people, and this book just doesn't work (for me). So, it's at the bottom.

7. The Duke and I (Daphne and Simon)

I was actually pleasantly surprised when I read the book that I didn't hate it, because (and I'm so sorry) I don't really love their romance on the screen. With the exception of the incredibly problematic moments (you know which ones...) this book is by no means bad. I just found it, like When He Was Wicked, a bit boring at times. (I don't think it helps that I've seen the show enough times that I know the plot pretty well, and this book is adapted rather well for the show.)

My biggest issue is that Daphne is a rather blank slate -- ready for you to fill her in with your own experiences because she is almost a stand in for the reader more so than an actual character. And Simon is going to kick off a long line of male characters who have daddy and anger issues. But it also is the book that feels the most historical? I felt like we were in Regency England -- as opposed to pretty much all the rest of them feeling like generically historical.

Again, it's decently written for what it is, just feels a bit bland, which is why it's near the bottom.

6. To Sir Phillip, With Love (Eloise and Phillip)

I honestly expected to hate this book based on its reputation for being at the bottom or nearly at the bottom of every rankings list I sought out before I jumped into these. And... I didn't hate it. Is it the worst written one? Probably. Is Phillip Crane just a terrible person? Oh, absolutely. Is it hard to go to this Eloise after loving show Eloise so dearly? You bet!

But I didn't hate it -- and, even if there are definitely elements that are truly terrible, it kept me more engaged than the previous two books. I read somewhere recently that this book is also, kinda, a Beauty and the Beast retelling and I'm like -- huh, that makes a lot of sense. I can totally see it.

This book gets bumped up, also, for having one of my favorite sequences in the entirety of the series -- when Eloise's four brothers end up showing up at Phillip's doorstep to defend their sister. It's kind of hilarious, and as someone who really likes the sibling dynamics of these books, really works for me.

There's actually some fun things going on in this book... if you can overlook some of the more problematic aspects of it (and yes, it definitely has a lot of those, which is why it's near the bottom.)

5. An Offer From A Gentleman (Benedict and Sophie)

Hey, it's the Cinderella story -- and my god, it's literally Cinderella... in the first third of the book. And you know, I actually did like the first half of this book pretty well. I think Sophie is probably one of the sweetest characters in these books. And I think the story, overall, hangs together pretty well.

Which is why I have it here in the middle. The unfortunate thing is that half way through, things take a real turn, and Benedict -- who is mostly a blank slate at best up until this point -- becomes possibly one of the worst male characters in any of these books. He's raging and possessive and is just kind of a jerk, which makes the second half of the book unpleasant to read.

Which is a real shame, because I think I like the overall ideas in the book; the fairy tale angle, My Cottage, the fact that Sophie starts working for the Bridgertons... there are a lot of really good and interesting plot points going on, and the only real thing weighing it down is the fact that Benedict is an asshat...

4. On The Way To The Wedding (Gregory and Lucy)

It is kind of funny that this book ends up as high as it does, because it's almost by default. I struggled with the first half of this book. Really, I did. It suffers from being somewhat bland and boring in the way the bottom two books on this list suffer. But man that second half...

It's just kind of a bonkers wild ride that throws everything at the wall. There's actually some action going on (other than sexual, these books don't see a whole lot of action) and the characters become a bit wacky. Maybe that's due to Quinn being at the end of the line with this series, but man, I appreciate these characters kind of breaking out of their expected molds.

And Gregory and Lucy are likable enough. I don't know if I fully buy their romance, Gregory switches on a dime from one girl to the next, but honestly, they're more enjoyable to spend time with than many of the other couples on this list, so I'll take it.

3. The Viscount Who Loved Me (Anthony and Kate)

You know, I toyed with this being number one for a while, and I honestly see why it often tops a lot of lists. It really was a fun book to read -- the whole enemies to lovers, Taming of the Shrew stuff really works. Plus, both Kate and Anthony are well drawn, engaging and interesting characters. I think some of the best actual character of the series work is done in this novel, and it might be the romance I think works the best? (Kind of? I think it might be the romance that Quinn manages to portray the best? idk...) Plus, the story just remains engaging all the way through.

I also think this is some of the most fun, broader world stuff going on. The sibling dynamics are great, the pall mall stuff is a lot of fun, they get the best second epilogue when the family gets together again, and there's some great stuff with Penelope!

I guess what's holding me back from actually placing it on top is the fact that I wasn't a huge fan of the last third(-ish) of the novel. The way they're forced into marriage is just kind of dumb (seriously - no one would believe the bee sting?) and it just felt like Anthony took a little too long to settle into his marriage.

But this book is really good -- and if I were to recommend only one book to new fans, it'd probably be this one.

2. Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Colin and Penelope)

I've really had to sit and think about this one, and have been back and fourth about its placement for a long while. And... it kind of comes down to this...

Penelope is one of the best characters in this whole series (even if she really is only in the first four books). She just is; and I really love her and her story and despite the fact that I have issues with this book (and my god, I have issues with this book) I think my love for her as a character kind of transcends that. The Lady Whistledown stuff, too, remains one of the most interesting elements of these books (and it's a damn shame it disappears after this book). And that is why I have this one so high.

Because, my god Colin. Okay. So here's the thing that really hurts, though --- Colin in every other book I absolutely adore. I really do, he's hilarious and charming and fun and a good guy. And the problem in his own book is that Quinn tries to force him from being the easy going, fun one into crazy angry guy like Simon, Anthony, and Benedict before him -- and it makes him come off as a mentally unstable asshat as he swings between those two character types, and I think with better characterization, had Colin not swung so hard in that angry direction, I would have fully loved this book.

I would have even said this is a great book.

So, I don't know, maybe I love the possibility of this book more than the actual book itself, maybe I just have fallen in love with the characters so much in the last four months I'm giving this one a pass, maybe because I like the characters outside this book, too, that I'm giving it some room, but I just feel it goes here. And, i mean, there truly is a lot I do like about the book, too, don't get me wrong. but it's not perfect, it's not the best, and I get that. But it means something to me, and I suppose that's what matters.

1. It's In His Kiss (Hyacinth and Gareth)

Hyacinth is a goddamn delight, and this was the only book of the series that I truly enjoyed the whole way through.

And I think, in a way kind of opposite of Francesca's book, there are a bunch of tropes all working together that are a bunch of my favorite tropes. It's a funny book -- Hyacinth is a true joy in pretty much all the books she is in, and she gets to be fun and banter-y here with Gareth. This book is a comedy, in some ways, and that's great. She and Gareth go on sleuthing and solving mysteries together, which of course I love. And the two of them fall in love as they become friends and grow closer together through the shared interest of the mystery. And I mean, yeah, I am here for all of that.

Like all of these books, it's not perfect -- Gareth suffers (on a milder level) of the angry, daddy issue male lead thing. And there are times when I'm like, good god, Julia Quinn, why....

But after really thinking about it, and thinking about which books I'd really like to have and/or read again, this one just kept bubbling back up the list. Because besides RMB, this is, possibly, the only one I have a desire to read again. Because it was a delight.

And... there we go! All the Bridgerton Books Ranked. :)

[kazumist]

EPISODE 7 ★ FUZZY FEELING

FAKE IT TILL WE MAKE IT — A SCARAMOUCHE SMAU

masterpost / prev ep / next ep / timestamps don't matter

scaramouche must have been crazy.

seriously? a date? it was the last thing you expected! however, if you were going to pretend to be a couple, going on dates is actually a given. and like you said in your message to him:

we both have to suck it up.

even if that means having your first date with the guy you hate.

luckily enough, the awkward ride to the aquarium ended faster than you expected. but now that you’re here, how does one enjoy an aquarium date anyway? or what does one even talk about on their first date in general?

these were the questions running through both of your heads as you mindlessly wandered around.

“hey,” scaramouche starts.

“hmm?”

“this fish looks a lot like childe for some reason.”

when you turned to look at what he was looking at, you seriously had to hold back a loud laugh. because why does the fish actually look like childe? “that’s a clownfish, right?” you ask him.

“you know about these things?”

“not really; i just watched finding nemo back then as a kid.”

“oh wait, here’s the description. yeah, it’s a clownfish, and it seems like even their description fits childe even more,” scaramouche says, pointing his head at a podium nearby with his hands inside his pockets.

“clownfish are active and territorial fish with an erratic swimming pattern who sometimes appear to be doing acrobatics while defending the area around their anemone," you read aloud. “see? it fits him perfectly.”

“are you saying childe seems to do acrobatics sometimes?”

“no, i’m saying that he’s way too hyper for his own good.”

“isn’t that supposed to be venti, though?”

“they’re practically the same kind; does it really matter who is who?”

you laugh at his response. 

maybe this isn’t so bad. just maybe.

with the sun almost setting, your little trip to the aquarium ends, and you both decide to stop by a cafe on the way home.

but unfortunately, the awkward tension comes back.

what now? are you supposed to say, “hey, i had fun today,” and just move along? are you supposed to ask, “so how did the date go for you? did you have fun like i did?” you couldn’t find the right words to say, but you couldn’t stand this awkward atmosphere either.

“i… kinda had fun today.”

can this guy read minds or something?

"likewise."

time flew by faster than you expected, and now you were walking out of the cafe with scaramouche. “thanks for today, even though i was kinda against it at first,” you said.

“i hope you realize that we have to do this often if we really want to be convincing.”

“yeah, yeah, i get it. give me a break. who would’ve thought that i would be going on a date with you, of all people?”

“why do you sound so icked by the thought of going out with me?” he rolled his eyes.

“because i am icked by it, smart ass.”

“says the one who equally enjoyed the day like i did?”

“sorry, my pride is too high to make me admit that i actually enjoyed your company.”

he shakes his head at your response. how very… likely of you to say such a thing.

“i guess this is goodbye, then?” scaramouche asks.

“yeah. why? do you not want the day to end?”

“don’t put words into my mouth.”

“you didn’t really deny it, you know.”

“why are you like this?” 

“why shouldn’t i be like this?”

from your peripheral vision, you could see a familiar sight of blue-ish white hair as well as a blonde walking nearby. since they didn’t really know that this wasn’t real, you acted out of impulse. but what did you do exactly?

you kissed scaramouche on the cheek and waved him goodbye, just like that.

extra notes.

i didn't expect this chapter to be so long uhm idk im 50/50 on the narrations bc deadass it was hard 2 write for me ... OTL

theyre kinda getting close! emphasize on kinda though

more silly little romance in the next chapter haha pls stay tuned

synopsis.

what happens when scaramouche, your rival since the first year of highschool, had some annoying admirers on his back? easy—he (fake) dates you to shoo them off. nothing can possibly go wrong with faking a relationship with the guy you hate, right?

spoiler: apparently, a lot can go wrong.

taglist (open): @niiheng @yinyinggie @ilyuu @veekoko @motherscrustytoenailclippings @the-ghost-0f-t0m0 @akairaindrops @kichiyoshi @lxkeeeee @user11918163805279 @sketcheeee @yukiipc @kyouzki @quokkatss @ynverse @yuyumaru @danhenglovebot @sheep-from-rad @gekkow @aeongiies @scararaw @beriiov @thenightsflower @simpforsubmissivemen @sakurapeach @akxtagawaxryxn0sxke @naheana @supernova25 @mitsu-moshi @yelleloww @kiyomi-hoku @kazemiya @theblueblub @lazy-sanns

[olderthannetfic]

Just wanted to share an interesting musing: a friend and I at one point bemoaned how hard it is to find niche unhinged flavors of fanfic in newer fandoms (like "I spawned a crack treated seriously/horny af/goblin idea and I made it your problem" kind of writing) because it always feels like a lot of fanfic feel weirdly hallmark movie-esque (repressed? sanitized? family friendly?). And they wondered if its because of the rise of puritan/morality/censorship ideas in fandom. I had a lightbulb moment and said maybe it's also because fanfic tend to be posted in Big Main Sites (ao3, ffnet, wattpad?) instead of scattered into archives (or even personal blogs) that once existed. Could go on with the possible effect of having social media as your first internet thing and not grasping the concept of archiving and your own personal internet space (as social media doesn't reward you for that). But yeah, do kind of wonder if the weird hallmark vibe we get is both because of a fear of being accused of evil and the urge to be seen and praised in a one-sided competition against an ocean of writers.

--

Musing on fanfic anon pt 2: Also just generally that having nearly everyone yeet their fic in Main Fanfic Sites (in which! I am not complaining, as someone who has seen LJ and fics getting deleted but-) makes it just hard to sift through what you really want, even if you're using search functions in overdrive. Anyways musing over.

I think you'd have to define what goblin ideas you used to see more clearly because I can't tell what you're actually describing here.

I haven't noticed any particular change in the kinds of fic that astolat's buddies write. A lot of oldschool types, me included, always aspired to write basically sff novels but with more gay or romance novels about our blorbos. You know: professional-ish prose, coherent plots, etc. They might also be horny af and if our kinks are "weird", then the fics will be weird, I suppose, but only someone who's having trouble believing that anybody could really like that kink is going to see them as crack.

I used to see more "LOL, I wrote this on a sugar high!" type author's notes, but they were never big in the part of LJ that built AO3 and so they're not big on AO3 either.

The "I like hobbitses, especially when they touchessss each other" type fic is still mixed into the oldschool LJ stuff, just in the small proportion it always had. (Yes, I saw you all clicking on that in 2005 and pretending you didn't find it hot.)

I guess it really depends on what kind of unhinged you're looking for.