#it is amazing the impact a long night with friends can have on your mental state

[brainfullofbees]

.

[andillneverbethesame]

...could I ask for 'paper rings' x george weasley? 🤭

I just feel like it fits him so well 😫

PAPER RINGS

❥ george weasley x muggle!reader

❥ warnings; maybe some underage drinking, people being high.... nothing else i think

❥ word count: 1,9k

❥ a/n: i wanted to make this longer than it is but it was taking waaayyyy too long

you didn't want to go to this party, but it was your best friend's birthday and she meant a whole lot to you.

you could hear the loud music from miles away and when you arrived at her house, you could already feel your head explode even though you weren't even inside yet.

your friend greeted you the moment you walked through the door and wrapped her arms around you tightly. she was drunk already, you could tell, not only by her behaviour but also by the smell coming out of her mouth while she was yelling at you.

"i'm so glad you're here!"

"happy birthday!" you placed a kiss on her cheek. she grabbed your hand and let her lead you into the kitchen, as if she has forgotten you were there milion times before.

you looked around as you were being dragged. no really familiar faces around. you assumed that most of the people there had to be from the witchy school she's going to.

"you have to try this!" your friend handed you a cup.

you smelled it. it smelled like a regular beer with. . . butter? "what's that?"

"butterbeer. it's really popular in the wizarding world."

you took a sip. "hm." you weren't the biggest beer fan but this tasted surprisingly good. "you'll have to bring this here more often."

"y/f/n, this is an amazing party!" a girl appeared by your side.

"thank you, angie," y/f/n smiled warmly. "oh, sorry, y/n, this is angelina johnson, angie, this is my best friend y/n y/l/n."

you shook her hand, noticing her pupils were dilated. she was, most likely, high.

"there you are," said a tall ginger boy appearing behind the girl you just met. you could tell that he, too, had something to smoke.

and that's when you saw him.

trailing behind his doppelganger, with perfectly normal pupils, was him. the boy who'd change your life forever. but you didn't know it back then.

"well, well, well," he took you in, eyeing you up and down, "how come i don't know you?"

y/f/n rolled her eyes. "that's my best friend y/n. she's a muggle."

his eyes widened as if he has never met someone like you before. probably, he hasn't.

"well, hello," he handed out his hand and accepted it. "my name's george weasley ans that—" he pointed at the almost same looking boy who was talking to angelina, "— is my brother fred. you can easily tell that i'm the more handsome one."

he was more handsome than his twin. he was very handsome, in fact. you had to mentally slap yourself for thinking like that.

"hm, i actually think fred is the more attractive one," you joked.

george gave you a look and then laughed. what a beautiful sound that was. "i don't believe you, at all."

and then he turned around and left without another word.

who'd know a one minute long interraction with the boy could have such a big impact on you.

for the entire night, you watched george from afar because you didn't have the confidence to go and talk to him. you watched talk to thousands of different girls and although you wished they were all you, you thought it was better not to try at all rather than getting rejected.

after all. . . you had a boyfriend.

that morning after the party, the first thing you did after waking up was calling y/f/n.

"huh?" her voice sounded tired. you realized you most likely woke her up.

but you didn't care.

"tell me more about george," you said.

"oh, hello, to you, too, y/n."

you rolled your eyes. "yeah, hi."

"what do you want to know about him?"

"everything."

you could almost see her frowning and furrowing her eyebrows. "why?" and then, you could see her face of sudden realization. "oh, y/n, do you have a crush on george weasley?"

"shut up, y/f/n, and talk."

you heard her laugh. "alright. well, he's a gryffindor, the same house like me. he and his brother are big pranksters. but they're not, like, harmful. other than fred, he has five other siblings. uhm. . . i'd say he's more shy and less confident than fred, although, i can tell it didn't look like that yesterday."

"okay. . ." you paused for a second. "and has he go—"

"no. no girlfriend," y/f/n cut you off. "he dated angelina for a while but it didn't work out between them and she's with fred now. but it was like ages ago. no bad blood between any of them."

you let out a sigh of relief. "alright, thanks."

"no problem." you heard her inhale. "but i need to ask you, y/n. . . what about paul?"

paul. your boyfriend, paul.

you put your head in one of your hands. "i don't know what i'm doing. please, forget i've ever met george and that i asked you about him, okay?"

"but y/n—"

"bye!"

you hung up before y/f/n could say anything else.

it was the first hanging out with paul after your latest fight.

it was nothing really special (although, you'd later realize that the action itself didn't make something special, it was rather who you were with). london finally welcomed the sunny summer weather with open arms and so you two decided to take a walk, buy some pastries in your favourite bakery and eat them in hyde park.

"i'll go in, you wanna wait outside?" paul asked you and you nodded. he knew what to get, anyway.

as you watched him walking inside, waiting in the line and then ordering, a familiar voice snapped you out of your thoughts.

"fancy seeing you here." he looked beautiful like the night you first met him at the party. however, he maybe looked even more angelic inthe sunlight.

you froze, despite the hot weather.

"what are you doing here?" you asked him, your voice sounding harsher than you intended.

george looked surprised at the tone you were talking with, but he decided not to comment it.

"following you, obviously. what else?" you knew he was joking but nothing seemed funny at that moment. especially when you knew that paul is going to be back any second and he was also the most jealous boy you knew. that also explained that some boys only talking to you were the main reason of most of your arguments.

george's smile dropped at your annoying look but he shook his head and his lips shaped into that beautiful smile again.

"listen, i was wondering if you ever want to-"

"i have a boyfriend," you cut him off.

he looked around before his eyes met yours again. "well, where is he?"

"here," paul's voice filled your ears. you felt his fingers intertwining with yours. george's soft gaze turned into a glare at the sight of your hand in his.

"who's that, love?" he asked you. and you didn't feela thing when he called you that. no blood rushing into your cheeks, no internal screaming. but when george only looked at you, your heart rate raised by thousand beats per minute, your palms started to sweat and you felt like exploding.

what the hell was wrong with you?

"no one," you answered shortly. "let's go."

you two walked past the ginger boy and you didn't even spare him one last glance. not even when you could feel him watching you two walking away until you turned around the corner and dissapeared out of his sight.

for next month, two or three, you ran into george so many times you lost count. but you knew that most, if not all, of the times, it was no coincidence. he simply was where you were because he just knew. and you'd be lying if you said it wasn't driving you absolutely mad.

you didn't know what it was but something was keep pulling you towards him. like gravity — something natural and irresistable.

you couldn't deny he was attractive even if you wanted to. with his bright green eyes and a hearty laugh, it would be almost impossible not to make your heart skip a beat whenever you saw him.

like now for example.

y/f/n threw another party. no reason, just because she felt like it. however, when you asked her if george was going to be here and she replied with; "no", you believed her.

big mistake.

you watched him from a far, like the first party you met, talking to other girls instead of being by your side. you wished that he would reject them and make his way to you. however, you could only imagine that.

"you know, you could always just. . . talk to him." the voice behind you made you jump. it sounded the same as george's, but it wasn't him.

you raised your eyebrow. "talk about what? the weather?"

he gave you a look. "you aren't bluffing anyone but him. you see, my brother can be a bit oblivious to when a girl really likes him. and he's losing a bit of his hope every time you turn him down. i know it might seem endless, but he's not gonna be running after you forever. i give it another two months max before he gets exhauated and stops. you may want to let him know you're really into him before that happens."

you stared at him, speechless.

"wow, fred," y/f/n said. "you sound so wise. how much have you drunk?"

he laughed and shrugged. "i have no idea."

it took you another two drinks to pick up all your courage approach him. your hand shook as you reached for his and it set you on fire when you finally touched him.

without a word, you grabbed his hand and led him away from the girl he was just talking to. but since he didn't complain, you took it that ge didn't mind at all.

you two walked into an empty room, y/f/n's parents's bedroom. you sighed as you turned around to look at him.

"what?" he asked you as you tried to find the right words to start the conversation. it did take you a while. "look, if you're not going to say anything, i'm leavi—"

"i do fancy you," you finally blurted out. " i really do." he looked at you wide-eyed and for the first time, you saw him struggling with what to say, too. "it's just that i have a boyfriend. and i guess i don't really know how to break up with him. our relationship has always been complicated and i'm honestly quite scared about the things he could do if i end us. but you're just. . . different than him. in the best way possible. and i really want my boyfriend to be you," you rambled.

"i won't let him do anything to you. i'll beat him up if that's neccesary," he spoke and took a few steps closer to you.

you laughed as you repeated his action and soon enough, you were close enough to kiss. and you did. and you weren't scared to admit that you haven't been kissed and held like this before.

and then when you woke up next to him in the morning after a night full of (only!) talking about the all the things you can think of, you realized that you watching him breathe is something you can imagine doing every morning for the rest of your life.

[mania-sama]

Can I ask your top 10 fav fics ever (from any fandom, if you don't mind)?

Also, just curious, is there a story behind your name "mania-sama "?

Hi!! Thank you so much for sending me an ask!! I will answer the story behind my name first, and then I'll get into the fics!

mania.sama comes from a couple years back when I was making my first online persona account. I had my regular Instagram account with my real name, but I didn't feel comfortable with people I knew in real life knowing the content I engage with and want to post (fandom-related and gaming clips). At the time, a couple of my beloved friends had these Instagram accounts all starting with a mental disorder and ending with a Japanese honorific. Weird combo, I know, I don't know how the trend started, I don't ask questions around here. Anyway, we brainstormed and decided on the mania, as in the manic disorder, and sama, a Japanese honorific of high respect. I would change it since I'm well aware it's kinda cringe since I have absolutely no Japanese heritage whatsoever, but it's too iconic to change now. All of my online persona accounts have this name, and people have called me "Mania" for far too long on Ao3. I'd hate to switch it up on people. And besides, I think it's grown on me after all this time.

Now for the fic!! So, I'm going to be so, so for real right now. I only have three fics I have bookmarked publically on Ao3, and they are my only favorite fics. Three. This comes from the fact that I read mainly one-shots that I forget as soon as I read them. I don't really have the attention span nor want to read long-form works most of the time. So, I did a lot of digging to come up with the rest of the seven, but I want to list favorite three first because they are actually my favorite. They aren't ranked in any particular order, they are just above the rest of the seven (which are also in no particular order).

These following three fics are also the only fanfics to ever make me cry. I've come close to a few of them, but these, of all my years reading and writing fanfic, are the only three to manage to bring tears down my face thus far:

Come Morning Light by SharkbaitSekki -> Haikyuu | 354,105 words | 15 chapters -> Teen and Up | Completed | Locked Work -> Summary: All in life will come and go. People and places will ebb and flow. Fate's dealt cards can't be foreseen. Safety is obsolete. When a nuclear blast on the island of Japan destroys all of the families and dreams within its radius, all that is left in the aftermath is to rebuild something -anything- out of the debris. Back to back, heart to heart, it's a long way up for the kids who have seen their lives go down in flames. But once at the top, for those who have made it, there is nothing left to do but admire the view. In which all of the aspects of their future are uncertain, except for the fact that unity will always lead them home. -> Thoughts: This was the only fic I had as my favorite fic for a long time, and the only one of the three to have an objectively sad ending, though it's listed as ambiguous. There isn't a dead dove tag on here, but there should be because this fic is gruesome, horrific, and downright traumatizing. And you know what? It's amazing, every single 350k words of it. The way some of these characters died, the trauma they experienced, and the ways they didn't or did move forward. It's all so impactful, and each character has a special focus. Not a single one goes without a spotlight. It also says it has ships, but none of them are actually canon, just vaguely implied. I don't really know how to explain this, but everything they go through, all of the places they go to, and the events that occur because of the nuclear bomb itself (such as acid rain and food poisoning) are all so well done, original, and thought-out. A town where all crime is legal at night but you must remain perfectly civil in daytime (as well as not talk about said crimes committed the previous night), radio broadcasts, refugee camps, trafficking, and more. There are just so many stand-out concepts and scenes that will stick with me forever.

one hundred miles by No_one_you_know -> Dream SMP | 126,898 words | 3 work series -> Teen and Up | Completed* -> that's, like, a hundred miles | 60,444 words | 12 chapters | Completed -> he's my brother, i just raise him | 7,034 words | 1 chapter | Completed -> as long as i'm here | 59,420 words | 14 chapters | Completed -> Summary (using the first fic): Dream would kill him. Dream was going to kill him- he was going to- no, he wouldn’t. Dream was his friend- friends don’t hit each other- Dream was supposed to take care of him- Dream /was/ taking care of him. It hurt to breathe. It hurt to think. He couldn’t clear his thoughts as he stumbled to the family computer, pulling up a tab on google and frantically typing the name into the search bar. The words Technoblade Watson stared back at him, the little black bar at the end of the letters blinking slowly, mocking him. Why, of all people, did it have to be Technoblade? in short: the one where dream sucks as a parental figure, tommy runs away, and visits his least favorite family member technoblade -> Thoughts: I KNOW. I know what you're thinking. Dream SMP? Really? Listen. It was a different time, lads, and I, for one, refuse to be ashamed of my history with Dream SMP. I read and wrote fics and enjoyed it. What gives? Anyway. I chose the entire series instead of one fic because all of these fics are so good, and I feel that if you read the first one, you should read the others. This is the ultimate series of "Healing is not linear." It's a work on the failures of society, of the justice system, how life can be repeatedly cruel over and over again. All of the doubling back, the mental fight, the complex relationships, morally gray actions, and the brilliant display of the way trauma can effect children, and the way that adults can get away with so much abuse. I think about how he walked a hundred miles only to wind back in the same place again. Obviously, it ends positively (relatively positively), but it takes just as long to get there. Secretely, though, adoption fics are a guilty pleasure of mine and you can't take that away from me. EXTREMELY well written. * the series says it's not completed, but it sure feels like it is. Very conclusive ending, I don't think the author intends on ever updating again, so I think the "Not Completed" status is simply a mistake on their part.

When I Awake by wildflowertea -> Bungou Stray Dogs | 235,960 words | 23 chapters -> Mature | Completed -> Summary: Dazai Osamu has been in a coma for exactly one year, seven months, and twenty-two days. But Death still refuses to take him. Trapped in the space between worlds, and unable to die, Dazai waits, killing what precious time he may have left and hoping—praying—that his family will pull the plug and move on. He doesn't expect someone to move into his old apartment instead. Nakahara Chuuya, two-time Grammy awards winner, and freshly unemployed pessimist, has never believed in fate—much less the supernatural. But the lively—if a bit annoying—ghost of his apartment's previous tenant, might just change everything. -> Thoughts: What isn't there to say about this? I have written many comments under this fic, so if you want to hear my full thoughts, they are all there in the last chapter. I also added another comment months later, and will probably add another one in the future. This fic single-handedly changed the romance genre for me, set the bar too high, and I can't tell whether I should love or hate it for that. I'd go as far as to say this fic isn't really about romance, either; it's been every kind of relationship there is under the sun. It's about death, it's about hope, it's about tragedy, addiction, failures, and family. It's everything. I love, love the idea of the soul separating itself from the body being used as a symbol of a person at the ultimate crossroads: Should I live, or should I die? And death giving that person a second chance to make their final decision. I love this fic. Everyone and their mom needs to read it because it's truly life changing. I cried three times reading this. THREE. Not a single word is wasted here.

Here are the rest of the seven. These are all fics I enjoyed immensely and love dearly:

Running on Air by eleventy7 -> Harry Potter | 74,880 words | 17 chapters ->Teen and Up | Completed -> Summary: Draco Malfoy has been missing for three years. Harry is assigned the cold case and finds himself slowly falling in love with the memories he collects. -> Thoughts: Genuinely, this fic ALMOST made joined the other three in my favorites. The only reason it didn't is because it didn't leave the same impact that the others did. But the writing, the plot, the romance, the characterizations, are all amazing, and the fact that it could've been a fourth edition to my favorites without the additional impact should be a testament to how good everything else is. I love a good investigation fic where I have no idea what's going on, but eager to learn more. I love the way they handled Ginny and Harry's relationship, how they were both never really good for each other as lovers, but humanizing them both. Ginny isn't a villain in the way of the gay relationship (I hate that trope, as we all do). Harry was just as bad in their relationship. And there are just so many good quotes, and every time I'm in the car for too long, staring at the road, I think to myself, "What if I just kept driving? What if I didn't go where I needed to go, but instead left everything behind and kept going?" And I really think this fic is in part to blame for that. Phenomenal work.

Oyasumi by monozayn -> Identity V | 6,210 words | 1 chapter -> Mature | Completed -> Summary: Oyasumi, Oyasumi Close your eyes and you'll leave this dream. . . . Eli Clark was something. But at the end of the day, Eli Clark wasn’t Naib’s something. A short story about giving too little, too late -> Thoughts: I had a VISCERAL reaction to this fic when I read two and a half years ago. I think I can contribute most of my feelings to the fact that I myself wasn't in the best mental state at the time, so it just hurt more than it should've. I think if I were to read this today, it wouldn't make it onto this list at all, but because of the strong memories I have tied to it, it's keeping its place here. I do remember really liking the characterization of Naib, who, despite being the MC, is entirely blameless and often really comes off as creepy, especially in the beginning. It was really interesting.

Food for the Heart by SharkbaitSekki -> Haikyuu | 28,486 words | 1 chapter -> Teen and Up | Completed | Locked Work ->Summary: Enter Oikawa Tooru, the middle-class citizen who has everything he needs, but who does not eat. Enter Iwaizumi Hajime, the homeless young man who barely scrapes enough to eat every single day. One chance encounter is all they need to start turning things around. That is, if they actually do want to bring change to their comfortable, destructive routines. -> Thoughts: If I'm gonna be honest, this fic is kinda like a fever dream to me. It's actually the only fic on this list that I've read twice, that being I really don't reread or rewatch media in general outside of gently skimming or rewatching certain episodes/scenes. I always lose this fic, and it came as a surprise to me to see that it was written by the same person that wrote Come Morning Light because I did NOT know this until I found it again for this fic. Thrice I have found this fic and thrice did it escape my attention. Now about the actual fic and not the mythical legend that it truly is, it's just such an interesting take on the characters. Less so that it's a perfect characterization but a wonderful insight to homelessness and privilege, into complex relationships and eating disorders. It shows that all people are different, they can be selfish when trying not to be, that life sometimes just really rocks our shit. I've struggled in on and off periods with eating myself, so this fic really drives home a nail into face that it might not for other people.

the path to paradise by roadtripwithlucifer -> Bungou Stray Dogs | (currently) 73,250 words | (currently) 11 chapters -> Explicit | Work in Progress -> Summary:

To think that there’s a gifted in this world who can transport others to a ‘Hell.’ Not even a particularly hellish hell. For all Akutagawa had experienced in his life, this is obnoxiously tame. Pleasant, even, if he was to ignore the centaurs hunting him for sport and the fact that he’s kneeling in an open grave.Still - if Akutagawa was given such an ability, he’d have no shortage of significantly more creative punishments for creatures as loathsome as himself.

Akutagawa goes to Hell. Atsushi follows. Neither return the same. -> Thoughts: This is one that is being updated quite regularly, so I have complete faith it will be saw through to the end (as the author has seen their other longfics to the end, too). This has some of the best BSD characterizations I've ever seen, especially Akutagawa. This fic scratches a very specific itch, since it's literally a Dante's Inferno AU, and where else are you gonna find one? One that's actually well-written, no less? It satisfies my constant hunger for tragic, painful things to happen to my favorite characters without ending poorly. They find comfort in each other. I love that. I love this fic. I can't wait to see how it ends. I like the use of their Dante and Virgil as "OC's", too. I don't mind OC's in most fics, but this is one the first to truly make me like their OC's. The author also puts in a whole lot of research, and they use this cool system of endnotes (that I WILL be stealing for any future long-form projects) to express their research. I just love reading their thoughts, and you can clearly see how much passion there is here.

Tommyinnit's unbeatable method of avoiding sudden death by eneliii -> Dream SMP | 79,922 words | 30 chapters -> Teen and Up | Completed -> Summary: “I uh,” Tommy starts, not knowing how to break this to the hero lightly. He hates to be the bearer of bad news. “I think your powers are broken? It’s not a bad thing of course, but like, I swear you tried to mind control me and it like, totally failed. Which is fine, honestly, don’t feel insecure. Everyone’s power stop working sometimes… I think.”  Sheesh, this is very awkward. Why is no one else talking? Why is Philza looking at him like he grew three heads? Why is the Blade staring at him so intensely? Why is Willow still frozen? “Did I, did I hit a nerve? Yikes,” Tommy hisses, “Well um,” He steps back, bracing his legs and bending his knees, “This was like super fun, but I’m - I’mma head out.” or, in which Tommy manages to annoy the hell out of Phil, Techno and Wilbur by being both impossible to catch and irritatingly endearing. or or, a crack fic where Tommy is a vigilante and Phil, Techno and Wilbur are the heroes hunting him down. -> Thoughts: I read this fic while it was coming out. I was also in therapy, so imagine my surprise and utter devastation when those chapters started coming out (if you know, you know), because I was, indeed, reading it to make myself feel better and not be sad all the time. I haven't read it in a hot minute, so I'm not sure if the humor would match up to mine today of if it would just be really cringe but I remember always finding it very funny. If it had just been funny and random, it may not have made it on here, but the overarching plot makes it a work of art. I won't spoil, because I do think you should read it, but it's a very good plot twist that I didn't see coming because I hadn't read any of the other works. Everything in that fic has a meaning, and everything is beautiful, and everything hurts. The concept itself is something that I think about often, too, even before I'd read it. Great execution.

Spiderwebs and Secrets by fi_niamh -> Genshin Impact | (currently) 89,103 words | (currently) 14 chapters -> Teen and Up | Work in Progress -> Summary:

Albedo, usually one for blunt and quick actions, was struggling to determine how he should continue. On one hand, marking the death as suicide, as it very much appeared to be, would immediately close the case and give the bereaved family some much needed closure. But could Albedo really do that when so many things didn't line up? Sitting back in his chair Albedo let out a deep breath. He scanned down the page reading the provided boxes. ... He was really going to do this wasn't he? Picking up quill with a steady hand, Albedo marked the fourth and final box with a neat cross mark. Death under suspicious circumstances. Albedo stood, waiting for the ink to dry before gently picking the piece of paper up. Albedo had a new assignment. As head of the Knights of Favonius Investigation Unit, Albedo was not going to let the cause of Diluc Ragnvindr's death go unknown.

When Diluc is reported dead as what appears to be a suicide, Jean struggles to keep it together, Kaeya is left in shambles, and Albedo begins to uncover the web of secrets and lies that Diluc left behind. -> Thoughts: While this fic hasn't been updated in a long time (and admittedly I haven't even caught up to the latest chapters, but that's not because the updates were bad, I just have this mental block that occurs with every multi-chaptered fic I read that I always have a really hard time breaking through). Anyway, this fic has the best characterization I have ever seen of any of the title characters: Kaeya, Diluc, Albedo, and Jean. It hurts so bad and so good, and I love me a well-written investigation fic that keeps me on my toes. So, so good. Did I mention that this hurts? Because it hurts. Hurts like a knife digging into your stomach and being twisted, but you keep pushing it in because the pain is addicting.

Butterflies and Storms by Chalily -> Bungou Stray Dogs | 36,524 words | 14 chapters -> Teen and Up | Completed -> Summary: “That girl in the back! She’s getting away!” Chuuya whipped around to see that his men were right — one of their assailants was an ability user, and she was using her power to escape. Shit. Mori had been painfully clear when he’d assigned this mission. He expected no survivors. Chuuya dropped his ability’s hold on the six or seven people around him, then kicked off of a nearby wall to propel himself at the girl. She was slowly dissipating into light, vanishing upwards into the ceiling, but before the edge of her coat could vanish Chuuya shot by like a dark bullet, reached out, and just barely grabbed it. // Chuuya gets transported to the past! Watch him struggle to figure out what the hell’s happening, then enlist the help of a young Oda to get back. But with the past altered, will he return to the same future he left behind? -> Thoughts: This fic has the perfect blend of good plot, characterization, and humor. Mainly the humor part, because it's always so effortless and it astounds me how easily they were able to write it. It's so natural, and I only wish I was half as funny as they are. This fic also reminds a lot of BEAST, and I am under the personal opinion that BEAST is better than the actual manga. Because it is and I'm correct. The OC they used for this and her ability is actually a book I'd read before, so that was also an added bonus for me. Very, very enjoyable fic and criminally underrated.

Honorable Mention: I KNOW you said only 10, but I have to mention this one fic that I can't for the love of me find, but I think about nearly every time I'm writing. It's a Dream SMP one-shot. If I remember correctly, it was somewhere between 1-3k words, and it was an absolutely masterpiece. I would've booted one of the fics I have listed to fit this one, but alas, I cannot find the fic. It's about the SBI, but all of the brothers get drafted to World War I or II, I can't remember, leaving Phil alone in their shared house. It's so. Good. Whenever I write, I try to emulate the emotion that author put into their fic, the way they were able to convey the lived-in, homely feel of the family as each one of them were ripped away, as they died. They described things in such a simplistic manner, and instead of focusing on faces or words, they talked about how the knob to the cabinet door was broken, the scratch marks on the table, the squeaky tiles on the floor. Amazing. I wish I could find it again.

Again, thank you so much for asking me!!!

[uncloseted]

sorry if this is too personal, but what are some things (both material and not) that you find essential to your overall sense of peace or happiness?

what things do you think are good to help people be happy (both material and not) I know every human is different, but we are also alike in our fundamental needs, so what do you think would help most of us be happier?

Ooh! This is a really good question, and it actually has an evidence-based answer. The things that make people happier are:

Taking good care of your body. I know this one sucks, but it makes a huge difference. If you're not eating well, sleeping well, and moving, it has a huge impact on mood. In some studies, depressed participants who exercised three times a week for 30 minutes each actually had a higher remission rate than participants taking Zoloft. So do your best to eat a nutritionally balanced diet, sleep 7-9 hours a night, and exercise for at least 90 minutes a week.

Savoring. This is about being fully present in a moment and appreciating an experience as you're having it. You can savor something by sharing the experience with another person, thinking about how lucky you are to enjoy such an amazing moment, or keeping a souvenir or photo of that activity. Make sure you stay in the present moment the entire time - try not to multitask or worry about what you have to do next. You can also try reliving happy experiences in your mind for around 10 minutes, 3 times a week.

Gratitude: This goes along with savoring, but training yourself to approach the world from a place of gratitude makes a huge difference in happiness. So try to take 5-10 minutes each night to write down five things for which you are grateful. They can be big or little, but try to get into detail about why you're grateful for them, and imagine those things in your mind as you're doing it.

Meditation: Meditation is another tried-and-true way to boost your happiness. The skills that are required for meditation also make it easier to be present in the moment, which in turn makes it easier to not be anxious about the future or to ruminate on the past. Meditating just 5 minutes a day can make a big difference.

Social Connection: Inevitably somebody is going to get mad at me for saying this someone always does when I bring this up, but humans wired to be social creatures. When we're isolated for too long, it really impacts our mental health. So socializing with lots of different types of people (family members, coworkers/fellow students, friends, strangers) on a regular basis, going to a social event at least once a month, and making an effort to prioritize quality social interactions (like spending an afternoon with your best friend) can really help to satisfy that need for connection.

Acts of Kindness: People are actually happier when they're doing things for other people than they are when they're doing things for themselves. Studies have shown that people who do five random acts of kindness in one day are happier than those who don't (and also those who do one act of kindness every day for a week). Volunteering is the easiest way to do this one, but helping out your friends, family, or strangers also counts.

Using Strengths: People like feeling like they're good at things and that their talents matter. If you're regularly using four of your top strengths, you're more likely to feel fulfilled and to be happier overall. The Strengths Survey I like is from the VIA Character Institute

Setting and Achieving Goals: This kind of goes along with using your strengths, but people like to feel like they're growing and making progress. Having a goal that you're working toward, even if it's something small, can give you a sense of momentum and purpose in your day to day life.

Cognitive Reframing: As humans, our brains are wired to keep us alive. This means that our brains are constantly looking out for danger. But now, in our day to day lives, there's not really much actual danger for our brains to focus on, and so our brains use that same impulse to focus on the negatives of a given situation. By learning techniques to challenge our negative thoughts, we can train our brains to focus on the positives of a situation instead, making us happier overall.

Spending Time In Nature: Finally, spending time in nature has a sizable benefit for our mental health. I think part of this is because a lot of people are Vitamin D deficient, and that can lead to low mood in itself, but also because spending time in nature gets us away from all of the things we're worried about and gives us some perspective.

So, okay, all that said, what does that look like for me? I have a pretty steady sleep schedule from 12-8:30, and I've put a lot of effort into making sure that my bedroom is conducive for good sleep. I'm not the best at eating, but I do follow a mostly vegetarian Mediterranean diet, and I take supplements to make sure all my nutritional needs are being met. I'm also not the best at exercising because chronic illness, but I do have a 5 minute physical therapy routine that I do every morning, and I walk most places I go. I'm hoping that once my joints get a little stronger, I'll be able to start doing Pilates classes a couple times a week.

I try to practice savoring and gratitude throughout my day, and I have an app on my phone that gives me a daily gratitude prompt. I meditate for 10 minutes most days, although sometimes I end up not having time. I try to walk to a coffee shop every morning so that I can stretch my legs, chat with some strangers, and get outside a bit. I also make a point of seeing my best friend at least twice a month, I see my partner most days, and I've started subscribing to a service where every Wednesday night, I get matched with five random people and we have dinner together. I'm a fairly extroverted person, so I probably need a little more social interaction than what I'm doing right now, but even just adding in those dinners once a week has made a huge difference for my happiness, especially since I work from home. As far as acts of kindness go, I've been on the hunt to find a volunteer organization I really care about. But I also feel like what I do on this blog satisfies my need to be helpful most days.

When it comes to strengths, mine are: love of learning, fairness, judgement, creativity, and curiosity. This blog actually serves a lot of my needs when it comes to using my strengths, since I'm always researching something new and pursuing my curiosities, I get to engage with new perspectives and ideas, and I get to help people. I also read a lot, listen to podcasts, watch video essays and documentaries, and take classes to use my love of learning, and I try to always have some type of creative project going, although I struggle to maintain that sometimes because starting a new project is always kind of daunting. I'd like to take an in-person art class to satisfy my need to be creative and to get some more social interaction, but I haven't found one I'm really excited about taking yet. I'm also always working on a bunch of different projects, classes, and certifications, which helps me feel like I'm making progress and achieving the goals I set for myself.

I don't know if these examples are super enlightening or if I've just kind of been yapping about myself for the last three paragraphs, but those are some of the ways I've been trying to take a more thoughtful approach to my happiness and well-being.

Edit: I meant to mention this in my original post, but if you're interested in the science of happiness and well-being, there's a really great Yale course called "The Science of Well-Being" that's available for free on Coursera. It's where I learned most of this information, and it's made a huge difference in my life.

[capricornwriter5]

Always on time - Chapter 16a

Pairing: Jooheon x female OC

Genre: childhood friends to enemies, enemies to friends, friends to lovers, smut (later chapters), fluff, angst, slow burn, idol AU!

Warning: mentions of mental health issues, mentions of workaholic disorder, curse words

Words: 2.3k

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Chapter 16a

Julie was drowning in work... but the excitement kept her alert and walking. She was tired, but it was not a weariness in which someone feels like dying, but of which something you were proud of the things you were achieving. She knew the production was going well, there were a couple of things that needed close attention so they wouldn’t get sidetracked, but nothing out of the ordinary.

"Well, Jooheon went for the impressions we needed," Areum said as she entered the room they both used as an office. "Tomorrow we can review them and send corrections if necessary".

"Did you send Jooheon?"

"Yes, why?" Areum asked. "He is quite responsible when he wants to"

When it comes to music... Julianne thought.

"It’s just that we need them as soon as possible. The place is far away and he could get lost and not get there before they close," Julianne said.

"I don’t think he’s that stupid to get lost with a GPS," Areum replied. "Don’t worry. If he doesn’t make it, I’ll be there first thing tomorrow. In addition, as Wonho-ssi told us, Jooheon wants to work on other aspects of production. He’s quite creative, so I thought we could give him some responsibility on the stationery design part, what do you think?"

"Yeah, I guess it could work," said Julie refocusing on her work. "Maybe Ivy can help us give him something to do there".

"Don’t worry, I can handle it," Areum offered.

"You? But you already have a lot on your plate, Areum-ah..."

"Don’t worry, I have to supervise the assembly and packaging of the albums anyway, so it would help me to know exactly how they are going to look inside and out," her friend assured. "Besides, Ivy’s busy with another project at headquarters, and you, my friend, can’t even walk around the office with all the paperwork you have... If anyone has a lot on their plate, it’s you".

"Well, Areum, if you say so... but let me know if you need help."

Both friends continued working. They had been making sure that all the locations where the video would be filmed were ready and reserved. There were a couple of places they hadn’t signed the agreement with yet because the owners didn’t want to secure the place so long in advance and that had Julianne nervous. In total, they were going to have 5 different sets: 2 were outdoor locations, a traveling fair, and a beach; one was in a hotel; another was in a club and only 1 of them was going to be a recording set of Highlight Ent. At the moment, only the set, the hotel, and the beach were fixed, they had to confirm the club and the fair. What was difficult about those places was that they had to close for a period at night; that would have an impact on their profits and the owners said that what the company was offering them for rent did not cover what they earned in one night.

It was a lie and Julianne knew it, she had done her market research before making the offer, but the owners just wanted to earn more. Typical. But Julie was working on ways to convince them...

Areum’s cell phone scared them both when it started vibrating.

"Tell me, Jooheon-ah," Areum replied. "Are you lost?"

Julie lifted her head from her work and noticed that Areum was smiling. Her friend noticed Julie’s face and reassured her that it was a joke, but Julianne was not calm.

"What? Are you here already?" Areum said in shock. "Really? Amazing! We’re going down".

"Is he here already?" Julianne asked impressed.

"Yes, he says he can’t stay long because he can’t work overtime, but he came to leave us the printing tests. Come on".

Both friends rushed down to the parking lot where Jooheon was waiting for them.

"Jooheon-ah!" shouted Areum when she saw him. "You’re amazing, you don’t know how much you’ve helped us with this. I owe you dinner".

"Ohhh, careful, Areum-ah, I don’t forget that kind of promise," Jooheon replied with a smile. "I hope it helps you, Jules," the rapper said as Areum pulled some small boxes from the back of the car. "I brought it as fast as I could".

"Thank you very much, Jooheon-ssi" replied Julie. "It really helps us. We can review it today instead of tomorrow and thus gain some time".

"Today?" Jooheon asked. "Are you going to keep working? But don’t you think you should rest? You are here before anyone else and..."

"Thank you for caring, Jooheon-ah, but it’s nothing that a coffee and some ramen won’t fix" Areum assured. "Anyway, I’ll see you tomorrow".

"Ah? Ah, yes, sure, girls... see you tomorrow".

Jooheon said goodbye to both friends and went to his apartment before his manager realized he was still in the building.

"See, I told you not to worry," Areum said as soon as they got into the elevator. "Jooheon-ah is responsible, especially when the project is of one of his friends".

"Hmpf, I had a deja-vu to school... you always giving him the benefit of the doubt," Julie said with a sigh.

"Julie, what Jooheon-ah said is true... it’s late, don’t you want to go home?" Areum said upon arriving at the office.

"Well... I do... but I haven’t finished what I had to do today. If you want you can go, Areum-ah, I don’t mind".

"I’ll just go change my clothes and put on more comfortable shoes, my feet are killing me," Areum replied. "I’ll be back in an hour, okay?"

"Go, Areum-ah, I’ll finish here and see you later".

Areum went to her apartment to change clothes and eat something fast while Julie finished the presentations for tomorrow. She had to give the executive producers an update and there were still certain details she had to fix.

Minutes later, someone called her on her cell. The number wasn’t in her contacts, but Julianne answered anyway. It was a food delivery guy, bringing two plates from the Chinese restaurant near the building. When Julie told him that she had not ordered anything, the delivery man told her that Mr. Lee Jooheon had ordered the food.

Julie then went down and accepted the delivery. Then she went back upstairs with the plates to sit down to eat. Jooheon had sent them wonton soup, an order of jiaozi, and an order of spicy tofu.

It’s too much food, Julie thought. Of all the dishes, she could only eat from the jiaozi: she couldn’t stand spicy food and wonton’s soup gave her gastritis when she was stressed, so she preferred to avoid it.

She stored the food in the floor’s kitchen and sent a message to Areum telling her that Jooheon had sent them dinner.

Areum-ah [7:40 p.m.]

Really? And what did he send us?

Juliee [7:41 p.m.]

Two wonton soups, an order of jiaozi and an order of spicy tofu you like.

Areum-ah [7:41 p.m.]

YEIII! I haven’t eaten wonton’s soup in a long time... I’m gonna hurry it up so it doesn’t get cold.

At least the food won’t go bad, Julie thought as she put her phone aside and kept working.

____________________________

The next day everything seemed to go well for Julianne.

She was in the bathroom, which always needed to after a stressful presentation, but everything with the executives had been a success, she had been able to review the printing tests that Jooheon had brought them the day before and they were almost ready, she was up to date with her calls, she had chosen comfortable shoes...

"I’m telling you they’re dating," one of the youngest girls on the staff said to another. Julie heard them gossiping in the bathroom, but neither of the two girls knew Julianne was there, as the compartment door was locked. "They were sneaking around, but I guess they got tired of faking".

"But don’t you think that shouting that you love each other in broad daylight in a public place is a bit exaggerated?" the other girl said. "This is not a drama, they could be fired if..."

"Lee Jooheon is one of the main producers of the album and Kang Areum is the best friend of the creative director. No one will tell them anything".

What the hell? Julie stood still in the bathroom. She didn’t want to make any sound and the two girls realize they weren’t alone.

"Anyway, it is still..."

"Of bad taste? Of course. Nobody wants to hear declarations of love at two o'clock in the afternoon... Besides, it’s not very professional".

"And is it true that he said it? Wasn’t she the one who shouted?"

"I told you, they were both talking and laughing in the company cafeteria and when they said goodbye he said... no, he shouted that he loved her very much. She replied with a smile and they say that in the evening, as she stayed working late, he came to visit her and brought her dinner..."

"Wow... how amazing... and the others will know?"

The voices became less and less audible as the two girls came out of the bathroom and continued with their gossip outside.

Julie, meanwhile, stepped out of the bathroom compartment and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Areum-ah... and Jooheon? she thought. That’s ridiculous... No, that’s groundless gossip. For starters, they’re like water and oil. And never... never... I mean, but... let’s see, they don’t even hang out, do they? And yesterday’s food was for both of us... although it is true that Jooheon sent the dishes that Areum-ah likes... No, no, but he did not come to visit her, he came to leave us the printing tests... tests that SHE asked him to go pick up and that HE accepted even though he knew it involved driving late and... and Areum-ah has never been angry with him, not even when I told him about... and yesterday she was supporting him... And they seemed to get along very well, Jooheon even ignored me at the beginning when we went down to collect the boxes... And, come to think of it, Areum-ah offered to supervise Jooheon, was it to spend more time with him? Without anyone suspecting?... And she also spends a lot of time coming and going from the recording studio... and... and...

And Julie came into her office without realizing it. She didn’t know when she’d left the bathroom or how she’d gotten to her chair. The only thing in her head was that stupid gossip she wanted to believe had no foundation.

I mean, she kept going on in her head, Areum would have told me, right?... of course she would have told me... although maybe not if she was afraid of hurting me... but it doesn’t hurt me... it doesn’t hurt me, it just... it surprises me. But no, she would have told me, I’m sure of that... right?... and... if not?... I mean, no, we’ve been friends for years, YEARS. If she could tell me I was being ridiculous, she can tell me that she’s dating Lee Jooheon... it’s not like I’d tell anyone... it’s not like our friendship would end...

Julie had a headache and started massaging her temples. Just then, someone knocked on her door:

"Knock, knock, Jules" greeted a very smiling Jooheon. "Are you feeling all right?" he asked concerned to see his friend’s weary face.

"Jooheon-ssi, how can I help you?"

"Did you get your food right yesterday?" Jooheon asked. "I asked them to deliver it as soon as it was ready... I remember at school you always ate wonton and tofu".

"Actually" Julie corrected, "I always ate gyozas, the one who ate tofu was Areum-ah".

"Ah... true" Jooheon recalled somewhat embarrassed. "I’m sorry, I must have been confused... I hope you still enjoyed the meal".

"Jooheon-ssi, I’m a little busy, do you need anything?"

"Ehhh, no, I was just coming to say hello... although... there is something... but it may not be the best time," Jooheon said.

Did he come to tell me about him and Areum? Julie thought. Is it real?

"Tell me, Jooheon-ssi"

 "Why do you treat me so formally, Jules?" Jooheon shot without thinking twice. "I mean, we’re at work, but you feel very distant... Is there anything that makes you uncomfortable?"

Julie did not respond, so Jooheon continued:

"Look, I know I was an idiot weeks ago, but, to be honest, I hate this feeling of not knowing how to talk to you... I want... I’d like to have my friend back... just like the last few weeks in the gallery".

Friends? That’s what he came to say? thought Julie.

"Jules?"

"Well, Jooheon-ssi, you’re actually right, it’s not the best time," replied Julie, not knowing what else to say. "I don’t know what to say and..."

"You don’t have to say anything," Jooheon interrupted. "I didn’t come for you to say anything, I just... wanted to say hello and, well... I don’t know, the truth is... How about we go get some coffee later?"

"Jooheon-ah, there you are" Areum interrupted. "I was looking for you... I hope I’m not interrupting anything".

"You don’t Areum-ah," Julie said. "Go ahead".

"Okay, Jooheon-ah, there’s a meeting now at 3 p.m. about the packaging design. I was supposed to go, but Wonho-ssi needs me and Ivy to go over his promotion schedule so... could you go in my place?" Areum said. "You just have to take notes of what they say and then pass them on to me. I will tell everyone that you will go in my place, what do you say?"

"Well..." thought Jooheon seeing Julie. "Well, I think so. Yes, tell me what to do".

"GREAT!" Areum jumped out of joy. "Come with me a moment to review the information... we’ll be back Julie".

Julianne saw them leave the office and her head was about to go back into a whirlpool of ideas. To avoid it, she decided to concentrate on her work and ignore the world... at least for now.

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[libraincarnate]

hiii i absolutely adore your blog, it’s so nice to look at! i was wondering, what are your thoughts on a libra sun, aquarius moon and pisces rising? thx bunches ♡

hello, this was so long. certain placements, aspects, etc. can sometimes make me go on & on. i apologize in advance, feel free to block me.

here are my thoughts on these placements:

sensitive to the world

you might feel like you’re living in a sort of dream, life could feel a bit rushed or backwards

could have experienced suffering from a young age

you go with the flow or rely on your intuition or your spirituality to navigate your life

you have potential to create something amazing either because of your talent, your inventiveness, or both

selfless, forgiving, but may struggle with holding grudges as well even if you don’t want to

you look good as hell in black but you also have a creative style

day dreaming of love, sex, another world, a better world

your spirituality can have an important role in your life, almost as if all things begin with it, spiritual/prophetic gifts but people may think you’re weird because of this

a natural curiosity in the other worlds or realms

having experiences that are too difficult or strange to explain because they’re not tangible, simple, or common

you’re familiar with pain so you seek and value the pleasures of life and the moments of peace

could feel like you don’t always have control of your emotions & when you’re dealing with heavy emotions you may act out, go against the rules, take it out on others, do bad things, etc.

could have had troubling relationships with your parents, they may have been a source of pain and suffering, because of this you may feel closest to people outside of your family

it can feel natural for people to share their deep emotions and difficult experiences with you but you may feel misunderstood by others

could feel detached from the world but because you live in it, the suffering in the world and the way people treat others could really affect you

your emotions can feel complicated, you rationalize your emotions, your mentally process them to understand them and even though you may be emotionally intelligent, it’s hard to understand your feelings, they run deep but they confuse you

may want to be alone most of the time because you find comfort in solitude, but you also want to connect with others & establishing emotional connections may be something you desire in your relationships

trust issues may be a thing for you, in friendships too so it can be hard to form those deeper connections

may like sharing and listening to music with your friends,trauma bonding or healing from your trauma can be a part of your closest relationships or you can have a strong spiritual connection with these people, feeling like they’re your soulmates or something

you’re empathetic and have the desire to help others, especially those in need or in difficult situations

possibly seen as mysterious by others, especially if you don’t overshare too much but you’re also very knowledgeable about mysterious, spiritual, esoteric things.

the way you care for others can have a lasting & life changing impact

may get inspiration or or creative ideas from the things you sense or experience emotionally

might naturally attract people described as a bad boy/bad girl, troubled, intense, wounded, dark, creative, mysterious, etc.

probably a sweet heart, super kind, not letting your hardships change your sweet and caring nature, quite emotional and empathetic/sensitive of others, but also being able to detach

may not be the type to return the harsh energy you receive from others because you can be passive-aggressive & non-confrontational

feeling comfortable with the things people run from, you come alive in the night time

considerate and loving but there’s a dark side to you because you’re familiar with the dark side of life

may choose to play dumb to hide what you know or to hide your secrets, might be one to gossip about people but you hate when they gossip about you or share your secrets, might not be the best at keeping things private

could be involved with your dad’s finances or you have/may receive an inheritance from him

because you naturally attract people & you’re loved by others they may feel inclined to give you money

the things you want to hide about yourself may easily be seen by others or the things you want to be seen by other may be hidden to them

seeing the beauty in pain or having the power to transform your pain into beauty

could be egotistical and feed off of the attention you receive

the potential to indulge in sex but because sex can be a deep & emotional experience for you, you may save the best parts of you for someone deserving

could be into glamour magic, might be into rituals that have to do with beauty, both inside and out

may desire a passionate relationship with deep intimacy but it might also intimidate you a bit because of how serious things can get

the way you appear or what you present on the outside versus your interests/passions may surprise people because you might not "seem like the type”

you’re welcome & thank you so much <3

[sexwithamanda]

Things I wish I could tell you

Episode #876

Hello it’s been a while since I’ve been on here. I’ve had a lot of thinking lately about who I want to be in this lifetime. I see that sometimes things are not as good as they used to be. I hung out with one of my friends that I’ve had for years. A long time can go by in a blink of an eye. When I think about the first time I met this person, I was obsessed with making pigs in a blanket. I hung out with this person who dated me, took me to new places, we did different things and he lived an hour away from me. We grew up a bit and he found another girl to fall in love with. Someone who wasn’t me and I always thought he never liked me, that he was waiting for someone better to come along and in a sense that’s what happened. He moved in with that girl and she broke his heart. I think that people tend to hunt their feelings, and he was my favorite on the roster.

I had two other people I spoke to that year, and when I no longer dated him, I still had him in my sights. I still remembered the memories we had just talking and laughing in my room when I liked to do things. He would be down to try it all with me. I think that, although we didn’t continue to be dating like that, the friendship never truly ended. I always cared for him in a way that I think is ironic. He is quiet, very logical and is by far one of the kindest souls I know of. We are still friends.

One of my favorite memories is when I told him to make a blanket with me. We went to Michael’s, he helped me pick out the yarn and he always told me that I could do anything I put my mind to. He took my pictures for me, made me smile when I felt like an idiot, always wanted to give me advice. Well the funny thing about being at that fabric store, it was hard to find the actual thick yarn that they said was needed to make this specific blanket. I made that blanket and gave it to my ex-boyfriends sister. It was hand made with my tv playing k-pop music in the background and the sun shining through the golden hour it was. I had a pretty beautiful room like that, the one where it was a dream to live in the house I did. I loved every second of it that summer. It was quarantine year but it was also the year you helped me explore my city as an adult. A young one, we both were still finding each other.

I think we still are but with a little bit more experience we seem to be in the situation to meet again but you are glued to this girl. The one you left me for. It’s okay, but I hope one day you learn how truly valuable you are and life is more than just working. It’s been such a pleasure getting to know you.

You may never see this, you might not even know this is about you but my life has been impacted by your character, your conversations, and the peace you’ve given me that I have when I am with you.

I, thank you.

I’ve spent many times in my life wanting to write all of my feelings down and this blog is an outlet for all those emotions, and I’m sure I can tell you an entire story about how much love I have for the people I’ve touched not only physically but mentally as well.

Here is something I want to fully clarify with myself and with anyone who might read this,

There are people in our life that no matter what they do, no matter what may happen, what you might be doing, where you might be, those people still gave you a sense of fulfillment, they gave you love and confessed something to you in those dark nights.

To be able to fully be vulnerable with someone and even with the internet, where this place is where you might be showing of the flaws you wish you weren’t I’m here to tell you, it’s okay.

I have loved and been loved in ways that you may not understand, people have come into my life and have treated me like sunshine and have been so amazing to me in ways that I don’t understand.

I’m so blessed beyond compare and to have a set of friends that I know are there for me is by far some of the most beautiful things. And if you know who you are, you will always be someone to me that I can’t even fathom to live without. There’s just people in this world that I could never live without.

This is a bit long, I’m typing this watching the summer I turned pretty, and I’m thinking about how love is life and life is love. And sometimes loss comes with it but there’s always something to smile about. There’s always something to be thankful for. I love you for being in my life, if you know me, if I know you. I am beyond grateful for your presence.

Sincerely,

Amanda <3

P.S. Mahal Kita

[camporoyale]

Dhanaulti-Best Places to Visit in this winter 

Covered with forests of deodar, rhododendron and oak, this town is situated on the Chamba Mussoorie road. Dhanaulti has long wooded slopes, a serene environment, beautiful weather, snow covered hills in winters. It becomes an ideal tourist destination to spend holidays. This town is situated at a distance of 29 km from Chamba and 24 km from Mussoorie on the Chamba-Mussoorie road. Tourist rest houses, guest houses like Camp O Royale, Luxury Cottages & Camps and hotels are available to stay here.

If you also want to visit a religious place on your Dhanaulti trip, Surkanda Temple is located at a distance of about 8 km from Dhanaulti, which is like a paradise for trekkers. The climb to this temple is quite difficult but the place is worth visiting and full of peace. This temple is one of the most popular Shakti Peeth in India. Surkanda Devi Temple is dedicated to Goddess Parvati.

The Amazing Benefits of camping in Dhanaulti

Camping is a great way for a family or a group of friends to get away from the hustle and bustle of modern life for a weekend so that they can get together and hike through a beautiful forest or hike through rugged mountains while snoozing under a night sky full of stars while enjoying the great outdoors

Taking a trip to the great camps in Dhanaulti, whether camping or simply spending time in the great outdoors, has numerous benefits, including learning new skills, relaxing, reducing anxiety and stress, as well as enjoying outdoor activities that are free from contamination. Camping and staying under the stars under the stars is a fantastic experience. Here are some of those benefits if you take your backpack and tent out into the great wide wide yonder and stay under the stars.

Camp of Royale is the best camp in Dhanaulti, camping is plenty of fun. If you bring along a friend or family member to your camping trip, you will enjoy a unique experience that you will both remember and cherish forever. Research published in the American Journal of Public Health claims that socializing can extend your life and delay memory problems, and in addition to this, a few close relationships in your life can make your life more enjoyable. If you are planning a trip out soon, don’t forget to visit Camp O Royale Dhanaulti Camp with some friends. Enjoy the Camp Dhanaulti magic.

It is not uncommon for regular luxury camps to mention their happiness their first few days back from a trip. Spending some time outdoors can actually help balance your melatonin levels in your brain since you will be outside in the sunlight for an extended period of time. Camping can help improve your moods during and after your trip, since melatonin is the chemical that causes you to feel tired and induces feelings of depression during and after the trip.

As well as helping you cope with stress, camping can be an excellent way of coping. Stress negatively impacts your health in a number of different ways. By spending some quality time at the campsite without having to deal with it, you will put much less strain on your mental and physical faculties. As mentioned above, the lack of stress is correlated with increased oxygen levels, higher levels of serotonin, and lower levels of melatonin. It is also important to keep in mind that an emotional component is also at work in this case, since when you are doing something that you enjoy, it is hard for you to become annoyed or angry.

When you are camping, you find yourself engaging in physical activity because you are setting up a tent, collecting firewood, and taking a hike. At home, we often lead sedentary lives that do not promote physical fitness. Since you will be camping, you will be forced to engage in physical activity and raise your heart rate.

[madeforkids]

25 Best Family Board Games for Exciting family game nights in 2023

  - What is the best family board game? - What are the Top 10 board games? - Is playing board games good for family bonding? - What are the best solo board games? As a family who used to be very adventurous, going on outdoors very often, we found ourselves looking for more and more family board games to play instead due to the lockdown situation not ending soon.  So we reckon many families are facing similar situations hence our decision to review some of the latest family board games on the market and some of the much older favourites which might be loved by your families too. Board games have been around for a very long time. Even today, parents are quick to point out the benefits of playing board games with their kids, especially when they’re having dinner together as a family. But while there are plenty of board game options available now, not all of them can be enjoyed by all families. Some of these games are too violent or too complicated for younger players. Others are just not age-friendly enough. To help you find the perfect game for your family, check out these top reasons why playing board games with your kids is good for the family: Playing board games is a family activity One of the most important things you can do for your family is to play board games with them. Even if you don’t have kids, you can still enjoy playing some board games. Kids love to play with their family members, and they’re often good at learning through playing with others. This is especially true for young kids; they’re not yet aware of being competitive or trying to win at anything. Playing board games with your kids is a great way to get together and practice social skills, especially those related to communication and negotiation. Games are bonding tools One of the best things about games is that they let kids interact with their family in a variety of ways. When your kids and their friends play games together, it’s natural for them to form a bond based on that time. Board games are a great way to break the ice with new players, and they give you an opportunity to get to know your kids’ friends better too. They help strengthen the team bond One of the best things about board games is that they help strengthen the team bond between players. When a family gets together to play games, there’s an obvious need for everyone on the team to get along with one another. Kids love to play with other kids their age, and they’re often drawn to similar games. Many games are designed around collecting cards (such as an advanced version of solitaire), which are social in nature and help strengthen the team bond. Games are low-impact and stress relieving One of the best things about board games is that they’re low-impact and stress relieving. The mental and physical exercise that comes with playing a board game is relatively low-key compared to the intensity of a lot of other activities a kid might participate in. This means that the games are easy to play, and you can usually fit them into your schedule. Plus, they don’t require that much energy from you or your kids. Games can be played by anyone, regardless of age One of the great things about board games is that they’re open to just about every age group. People of all ages can enjoy playing them, no matter what their age is. You can even introduce some of these games in a family game night setting, where everyone is of a similar age and level of skill. Games that are suited to younger children have age requirements, but most of them are kid-friendly. This is true even for classics like Scrabble and Monopoly. You can even search the internet for board game groups in your area to find other families who are interested in the same games as you. Games are teach-and-learn activities One of the best things about board games is that they’re amazing for teaching kids about a variety of subjects. One of the simplest games you can play is Life, which is based on the fact that you and your opponent (or players) are trying to survive on a piece of land. From there, you can easily transition into a much more complex game like Scavenger. Scavenger is one of those advanced games that requires logic, mathematics, and a solid sense of right and wrong. Kids learn a lot about themselves when they play games like these, and they can also benefit from them in a social setting. When you introduce a game like these to your kids, they may realize that they have an affinity for them too. Wrapping up After all these reasons why playing board games with your kids is good for the family, it’s clear why you should get started today. It’s a fun activity that brings your family together, and it also gives you an opportunity to get to know your kids better. Playing board games with your kids is a great way to relax, get some downtime between meals, and spend time with your family. Plus, it’s a great way to exercise and provide stress relief. Here is a list of 25 Family Board Games starting by new releases first and then featuring the most loved ones not to be missed in 2021.     Monopoly for families Do you remember how much fun you had playing Monopoly as a kid? Well, Monopoly: The New American Edition is exactly what it sounds like—and much more. This new version of the classic game features a wide-range of new game features, as well as new ways to play. Instead of the traditional game board, Monopoly: The New American Edition features a truly American board: the boardwalk. The rules of the game have been streamlined to ensure even more family fun and educational value. Drawful for families If you’re looking for a more social game that will keep the whole group engaged, try out Drawful. This amazing game is a combination of several different popular board games: charades, pick-up, and card playing. As the name suggests, players must use their voice to vocalize wordplay, as opposed to using written language. With tons of fantastic characters, witty banter, and a great variety of difficulty levels, this is a great game for families of all ages. Mad Dash! for families Do you remember Mad Dash? This is the go-to board game for kid-on-kid car races, right? Well, Mad Dash: Over the Road Racing may very well be the most evolved version of the game ever created. No longer is it just about the amazing vehicle design, speed, and reckless driving; now we have a whole new side to the game: the riders. With upgraded equipment, new rules, and a whole new competitive aspect, this is a great family game that will keep everyone on their toes. Scrabble for families Do you remember how much fun you had scrabble as a kid? Chances are good that you loved every single minute of it, but did you know that the game had a lot of potential as a family board game? Utilizing a variety of different themes, games, and player types, there are a wide range of possible combinations that make up this family-friendly board game. Whether you’re looking for a quick game or a more social experience, there’s a Scrabble for everyone. From easy games for the whole family to more advanced games for the whole group, Scrabble has something for everyone. Bohnanza for families Bohnanza is a family game that mixes elements of an economy game, a brain-teaser, a negotiation, and a card game. The object of the game is to be the last player or team left standing. This is done by collecting as much money as possible by balancing the needs of the group (crew size, number of players, etc.) against the amount of money needed to purchase the needed equipment (boats, airplanes, etc.) If the game goes on long enough, everyone will end up with something they really want—and there will be a lot of bribing, lying, and backstabbing involved. Pandemic: The Cure for All Diseases! Pandemic is a modern spin on a classic board game that’s great for families with kids of all ages. The basic idea of the game is to prevent the spreading of diseases by inoculating everyone on your team against the illness. In this case, the illness is not necessarily a disease but a condition. The catch, though, is that you have to train the player(s) before they can step into the shoes of a doctor and actually treat the disease. On the surface, this may seem like a simple game play, but the strategy required to complete each card turn and the fact that you have to maintain a clean team make this a strategic board game. Cavers vs. Explorers vs. Skydivers vs. Snowboarders vs. Skaters If you’re looking for a more social game for families with kids of all ages, try out Cavers vs. Explorers vs. Skydivers vs. Snowboarders vs. Skaters. In this game, teams take the role of either cavers or explorers, with the latter team being the snowboarders. Both teams have three members on their roster: two members use rescue equipment while the other is a skydiver. With a variety of different games modes and difficulty levels, this is a great game for families to get involved in. Bejeweled to the Rescue! Do you love bejeweled games? If yes, then Bejeweled to the Rescue is the game for you. In this game, players take the roles of jewelers who must repair a broken pipe in order to free the trapped bejeweled animals. The rule of thumb here is that if a jewel isn’t sparkling, then it’s broken. There are a wide range of different modes and difficulties, so there’s something for everyone. Exploding Kittens to the Rescue! Exploding Kittens is anstrip card game for families that’s based on the popular TV show. In this version of the game, players take the role of kittens who must get to the nearest town before the exploding kittens in the next room cause an explosion. The object of the game is to be the last player or team left standing. This game is great for families because there are a wide variety of different variations that cater to all different skill levels. Jenga to the Rescue! Do you enjoy building legos or playing Jenga with your kids? If yes, then Jenga to the Rescue might be just the game for you. In this game, players take the role of Lego experts who must create the most complex structure possible by balancing a wide variety of Legos, power tiles, and other building blocks. There are many many different types of Jenga, each with their own distinct theme and level of difficulty, so there’s something for everyone. Let’s Play to the Rescue! With a Twist Do you like to play games with your kids on the weekend or on the couch after school? If yes, then Let’s Play to the Rescue! With a Twist might just be the game for you. In this type of game, the object is to be the first player to collect all the stars hidden in the levels. The more stars you collect, the more points you score. This is a quick and easy game to play with up to four players, making it the perfect game for a family game night. There are many many different variations of this game, so there’s something for everyone. Bejeweled to the Rescue! With a Twist Do you like to play games with your kids on the weekend or on the couch after school? If yes, then Bejeweled to the Rescue! With a Twist might just be the game for you. In this type of game, the object is to be the first player to collect all the jewels hidden in the levels. The more jewels you collect, the more points you score. This is a quick and easy game to play with up to four players, making it the perfect game for a family game night. There are many many different variations of this game, so there’s something for everyone.     Read the full article

[hornime]

hello, for the 500 inky thing (assuming it’s still open), may i request the beautiful amazing saeko + “I don’t care if it takes all night, you will submit.” + “Be a good girl for mommy.”

(i think i did that right) :)

part of my 500 event! [CLOSED]

LIVE FAST, FUCK FASTER | SAEKO TANAKA X F!READER

warnings: 18+, dom!saeko, f!reader, public(ish) sex, mommy kink, degradation, impact play

a/n: i was MOVED by this ask like my brain started sprinting GEEZ

prompts: “i don't care if it takes all night how long it takes, you will submit” / “be a good girl for mommy"

you looked down at your hands, covered in motor oil, grease, and some other mechanical fluids that you'd rather not know the names of. groaning, you wiped them on your jeans, a new pair that had already been ruined by scattered tears and the dark marks that came from working in an autoshop. you're lucky that i like you this much, you mentally tried to communicate to saeko, because this is the dirtiest i've ever gotten in a non-sexual context.

getting off your knees and onto your feet, you headed to the breakroom, fully intent on changing your clothes and getting the heck out of there. you were a relatively new hire at the motorcycle shop, and although you hated the actual work and the inevitable mess that came as a result of it, you stuck around for one reason: your huge fucking crush on the owner, saeko tanaka.

the way you swore her stare lingered on your tits and the not-so-innocent touches on your back that were a bit too close to your ass kept you coming back for more—those little interactions were much better than the barely-scraping-minimum wage that you were earning. and even so, you were a struggling college student, so you were grateful for every dollar you got, even if you entire weekly salary could easily be splurged if you didn't keep track of your expenses.

as you opened the door to the breakroom, you began shuffling out of your clothes, hoping the the bike you'd just worked on was the last one. but, of course, luck wasn't on your side, and another customer came swinging in the front door. you muttered a few curse words before putting on your best customer service face and heading to the front of the shop.

"hi there, welcome to saeko's cycles! how can i—"

"noya!" you heard saeko shriek from behind you, making you cringe at the volume of her voice.

"oi, saeko! great to see you!" the customer, noya (?), responded, practically leaping over the desk to punch her in the shoulder. he scrambled over the counter and you awkwardly stood to the side, watching the two interact.

"i thought you were traveling the world! with, uh, the big man with the bun! why're you here?"

"ah, asahi! yeah, we're back in japan just for a few days..."

"oh, that's great! have you seen ryuu..."

you cleared your throat, but the two were engaged in a very animated conversation, punctuated by loud laughter and an unreasonable amount of hitting. 

you blew your hair out of your face, pissed at the fact that 1) you were still in your dirty ass clothes, and 2) neither saeko nor her friend were paying you any attention. as you took the time to study saeko, who'd last been doing some paperwork in her office which was notorious for having a shitty air conditioning system, you decided on 3) she was wearing nothing but a strappy tank top and some shorts, 3a) that was the least amount of clothing you've ever seen on her, and which led to 3b) you were now extremely turned on.

"excuse me!" your voice came out a bit louder than you expected it to, and the three of you jumped.

"damn, saeko, who's this?" noya (?) snickered as he finally noticed you, his eyes shamelessly roaming your body. "why're you keeping a hottie like her locked up in this dingy shop?"

"watch it, noya." saeko moved to stand by your side, wrapping an arm around your waist. "back off, she's mine."

your cheeks warmed at the possessiveness in her statement, although you knew that you were probably reading too much into it. i'm hers? does that mean she likes me?

"alright, alright," noya (?) acquiesced, raising his hands up defensively. "i know how protective you get of your girlfriends."

"oh, we're not—" you started.

"only when you're around, you playboy," saeko interrupted. "always trying to get your grubby hands on my girls."

"i get it, i get it. i won't pull anything." he then turned to you, a mischievous smile playing on his face, and it was apparent that he was up to no good. "hey cutie, i'm nishinoya yuu. most people call me noya, like blondie over here. but you? you can call me anytime."

you were barely able to open your mouth to give a snarky response when saeko's grip tightened on your hip. "out, noya. i have a 'no flirting' policy for customers."

"eh, i wouldn't call it flirting, saeko. it's obvious that she's way too into you to give a damn about anyone else," he jumped back over to the other side of the desk, heading towards the door. "i've got others to see. shoyo won't stop blowing up my phone. you think you'll be there for dinner? ukai's at eight?"

your throat dried up at his implication. was your crush on her that obvious? so obvious that even this guy, this random stranger that just walked in minutes earlier, could pick up on it? then i'm fucked, you thought. there's no way she doesn't know by now.

"yeah, i'll see," she responded. "unless this one," she pointed towards you with a smirk, "keeps me busy."

nishinoya pretended to gag. "too much damn information, saeko. i'll see you whenever i do then." he gestured between the two of you, wiggling his eyebrows. "don't have too much fun, alright? and use protection!" he suddenly seemed confused. “do girls need protection? how does it—”

saeko practically shoved him out the door, laughing as she waved goodbye.

you became keenly aware of the way her hand lingered on your waist even after nishinoya had left the building, and it felt as if her touch was going to burn you whole.

"so," she began, turning you so that her back was against the edge of the desk, each of her hands on either side of your body, trapping you. the mood suddenly seemed a lot more menacing than it had moments earlier. "turns out you've got a crush on me, hm?"

you blanched. "i—i don't—"

"you see," she raised her hand to twirl some strands of your hair with her fingers, those same fingers you had always imagined playing with your pussy when you were alone with your thoughts at night. "i had an inkling that you liked me, but i wasn't sure. but noya? noya's the most observant person i know and he thinks you’ve got a thing for me, so that means," her hand found its way under your chin, pushing it up so that your eyes met hers, "you've got a thing for me."

the certainty in her voice told you there was no point in lying. "yeah, i do," you admitted, playing with the hem of your shirt, your face hot under her intense gaze. "sorry if that makes you uncomfortable or anything, i just—"

she let out a breathy chuckle, leaning closer to whisper in your ear, the slight breath that she exhaled near your earlobe making your heart stutter in your chest. "and what if i told you i had a thing for you, too?"

she pulled away and snickered at your expression; you were a deer caught in headlights, your eyes wide and mouth gaping. "you're not serious."

"but i am, baby," she purred, sneaking her hands up your shirt, her fingers spreading goosebumps around your stomach. "you're not as subtle as you as you think you are; always looking at my tits, sneaking glances at my ass... you're a naughty girl, thinking i wouldn't notice."

you instinctively glanced down at her tits, which were slowly pushing against yours, and then snapped your head back up, embarrassed, as she deviously smiled at you. "it's not like that," you protested weakly. "i wasn't—i was just—"

"save it. take your clothes off," she ordered. she pushed the fabric of your shirt up and off your chest and then reached around your back to unclip your bra, letting it fall to the floor. "gosh, you have the prettiest tits," she mumbled, letting her hands mold the soft flesh and pinch your nipples.

"saeko, wait," you said, grabbing onto her wrists, desperately trying to keep your head and not lose yourself in the pressure that was starting to build between your legs. "the shop's still open, and," you inhaled sharply as one of her hands found its way down your panties, precariously close to your clit, your pants somehow already pooled around your ankles. "and someone could walk in. we can't do this right now!"

she smacked your cunt, making you cry out in pain and pleasure. "don't talk back to me, got that?"

"but we can't—" you mustered, futilely attempting to ignore the way she was stroking your pussy, the way that you were getting wetter and wetter as she touched you.

"i don't care how long it takes, you will submit," she growled. "the sooner you realize who's in charge here, the better."

you moaned as one of her fingers pushed into your hole, and you clenched around it as she prodded at your walls, thrusting leisurely. a second finger slipped in and you whimpered as she stroked against a certain spot that had you seeing stars. "saeko," you whined. "it feels s'good, i want more."

"so greedy," she tsked. "you like this? getting fucked against the front desk like a common whore? anyone could see you, you know that?"

"i don't care," you babbled, tears pricking at your eyes in frustration of just how slow she was fingering you. you clutched her forearm, urging her to go faster. "jus' want you. want you, mommy."

"mommy?" she whispered under her breath, lust evident in the way she drank in your heaving form. "you're more of a slut than i thought. gonna be good for me?"

"yes, mommy," you mewled, wanting to hear her praise more than anything.

she removed her fingers from your cunt and you sobbed at the loss of contact, peering at her with pleading eyes. "bend over," she directed, popping her fingers in her mouth and moaning as she tasted your arousal. "chest down on the desk, ass towards me."

you complied easily, your facade of disinterest and concern crumbling, having given way to a primal desire to be at the mercy of the gorgeous woman before you. your tits felt cold against the wood of the table, but saeko's hand on the small of your back kept you from jerking away at the sensation.

her other hand trailed along your sides and you shivered as it ghosted over the sensitive skin of your hips. she kneeled down behind you, strategically spreading your legs so that your dripping pussy was right above her mouth. "stay still for me," she instructed. "be a good girl for mommy."

and, like a predator to prey, she was on you, devouring your cunt with a fervor that had your eyes rolling back in your head and your thighs trembling with the effort to stay upright. you nails dug into the wood, leaving little imprints as you helplessly clung to the edge.

"mommy oh m'god," you moaned, tongue lolling out of your mouth. "y'feel s'good. please don't stop. please don't stop, mommy."

she didn't respond with words, but with actions, lapping messily at your hole before turning her attention to your throbbing clit. she latched her lips onto the bud and you screamed, nothing but hiccups and cries pouring indiscriminately into the air.

you slightly shifted your weight, moving your body farther back into her face to get more stimulation, but she harshly slapped your ass, making you wail out an apology.

"what the fuck did i say about moving?" she snarled. "don't move or i won't let you cum."

you did the absolute best you could to follow her directions; no matter how much your muscles clenched nor how badly you wanted to clamp your thighs together, you tried to be as compliant as possible, letting her manipulate your body however she wanted to.

a swipe of the tip of her tongue along your clit forced a wanton sound of euphoria from your mouth, and you slurred a jumbled "mommy, m'gonna cum" before letting your forehead rest on the table.

"cum for me, baby," she mumbled from between your legs. "cum in my mouth. lemme taste it, baby, lemme taste you."

you let out a silent scream, every nerve in your body tense with pleasure, as you cum, body shaking with the sheer force of your orgasm. she coaxed you through it, licking up all of your slick, until you all but collapsed onto the table, limp with exhaustion.

she pulled away, tenderly massaging your thighs and working her way up to your back, before urging you to get dressed and peppering you with kisses.

"you did so good for me," she beamed, nuzzling into your hair. "you're such a good girl."

"thank you, mommy," you smiled weakly, wanting nothing more than to curl up into her arms and sleep. you slowly pulled your clothes back on, grimacing at how doing so made your muscles yell in protest.

she reached for her phone before coming up to pull you onto her lap, your neck head on her shoulder.

"wanna come to dinner with me tonight?" she whispered, not wanting to wake you up if you'd already fallen asleep.

"sure," you mumbled in a daze. a thought suddenly came to your mind and you asked sheepishly. "does this mean we're dating? or—"

"hell yeah, if you wanna."

you nodded, hoping that it didn't look too eager. “i’d love that.”

she hooked her head over your shoulder, giving you a kiss on the cheek. "i can't wait to tell everyone that i have the prettiest, hottest, sexiest girlfriend in the world."

“no, i do,” you hummed, a gentle smile on your face, quickly losing consciousness in her embrace.

she glanced back towards her phone, quickly typing out a response to nishinoya's text.

[04:36 PM] noya: yo bring your not-gf to dinner

[04:36 PM] noya: everyone’s dying to see her cus you’ve been talking about her for so long

[04:36 PM] noya: and you def weren’t lying when you said she was hot...

[04:36 PM] noya: also i feel like shit for bringing it up and then forgetting to invite her

[05:03 PM] saeko: no worries she's in

[05:03 PM] saeko: and remember hands off. she's mine

[05:03 PM] saeko: like for real now

[05:04 PM] noya: dude??? you asked her???????

[05:04 PM] saeko: yeahhhhh we're dating now

[05:04 PM] saeko: thx for your help

[05:05 PM] noya: no prob saeko. i am a killer wingman

[05:05 PM] saeko: yeah yeah

[05:05 PM] saeko: but im serious noya. dont mess w my gf

[05:05 PM] noya: yes maam!!!!!!!!

if you enjoyed, reblogs + comments are appreciated!

© property of hornime 2021. do not plagiarize any of my writing and do not repost/copy my writing onto any other sites.

[svchengss]

king of hearts | d.sc

PAIRING. dong sicheng x reader

GENRE. high school!au, fluff, slight angst, kind of e2l

WARNINGS. none (lmk if i missed any!)

WORD COUNT. 6.7k

SUMMARY. sicheng’s subtle flirts are not working effectively but it only motivates him to try and woo you more. the devil sure works hard but dong sicheng works harder.

PLAYLIST. king of hearts

TAGLIST. @floraljae @clovdless @mashiihearts @ndr1271 @kunrengui (shoutout to mashi for being a major help in the process of writing this <3)

// just to let you guys know, reblogs and feedbacks are appreciated !! thank you for reading :D

music was blaring through the multiple loudspeakers scattered around the school grounds, booths of various interests that were set-up by the clubs being swarmed by visitors and ecstatic oohs and aahs from the ones playing games can be heard intermittently. the annual school festival of redlands high, an event that is looked forward to by every single student there. or maybe not, you’re quite unsure of the self-made data.

you immediately made a beeline to the dance club booth which is managed by yangyang, the president also holding the title of your best friend. a cartoonish grin crept up on his face when he spots you walking towards him.

“so, what do you think? looks legit, huh?” he crossed his arms together, observing the design of the booth with a proud smile. the set-up is definitely eye-catching, not much decorations going on, adding to the simplicity of the white theme with gold touch-ups. you browsed through the plastered posters on the board, inviting people to sign up for their upcoming audition. looking up to the signboard hanging outside, you showed a thumbs up towards him, muttering a quick ‘perfect’.

“so what exactly is your booth doing? there’s not much… activity going on?” you scratched the non-existent itch on your left eyebrow. the boy in front of you gave you an eye roll before explaining that there will be mini dance games - or just dance as he worded. an amused sound left your lips as you bent down, dropping your signature in the guestbook on the wooden table.

“are you coming to the stage shows tonight? i heard there’s a new band performing,” your ears perked up instinctively upon hearing the words. after your sister graduated high school, nobody paid any attention to keep the band going. the zikas, a trio that made the music club strive back then. either the newer batches were too lazy to make an effort or too scared if they weren’t up to the already high standards of the school.

“i’m going if you’re going,” you simply stated, which made yangyang flash you the same grin from before. you said your simple goodbyes when people started lining up to try the just dance game at his booth. after he reminded you to wait for him by the statue, you went off to check out the food sales, eager to fill your growling stomach since this morning.

you can do this, sicheng. you can do this.

he made sure to double check the tuning of his guitar for one last time before joining the rest of his bandmates on the stage. his tall and slim physique surely left an impact, seeing that some of the audience suddenly became more invested in the performance compared to the others. he’s wearing some band’s shirt - probably green day since it’s quite similar to your sister’s posters in her room, black leather jacket and his black hair middle parted. not to miss the silver pendant necklace on his neck, sparkling under the spotlight.

the moment he struck the pick through the strings of his electric guitar, the drummer and bassist followed after, producing a melody that is pleasing to your ears. he held the microphone closer to his mouth, singing the lyrics as you bobbed your head up and down to the covers they sang - american idiot and helena are the ones you recognized since you’ve heard the songs so often. yangyang on the other hand kept on sipping the chocolate milkshake in his hand, vibing with the music as well.

the next song was a sentimental one which you assumed is a self-composed one, since you’ve never heard this song before. before you know it, the performance is over and the audience have started packing up their belongings to hang out somewhere else or go home.

“good job everyone, we did well,” yuta, who played the bass earlier, high-fived the rest of the band with a sly grin on his face. guanheng chugged the mineral water down his throat before stashing his drumsticks into the bag while sicheng was lost in his thoughts. he doesn’t know why but you stood out from the crowd, only able to see you just now. he wouldn’t say it’s a crush, not knowing anything about you but it definitely made him feel something. a trigger in his heart, not knowing where it leads to. but what he does know is that you caught his attention.

“and you know what he said? i’ll come back crawling to him just like his other exes. what the heck is even that?” you took out the binders from your locker while listening to ningning rant about her love life. since you haven’t had any relationships before, you’re not really a professional in this aspect of life so you just kept your mouth shut to avoid giving useless advice.

“that sounds so rude, he’s such a jerk,” you commented, taking the first bite of your sandwich afterwards. the tea-spilling session eventually came to an end when she reached her class first and you kept walking to mrs. walker’s, english being your first period. nothing exciting really happened in that class except someone got their phone confiscated for texting in class - just the usual things. classes later, it’s finally recess when you met up with ningning and yangyang in the cafeteria.

“first of all, cut him off. block him. everywhere,” yangyang emphasized the last word, knowing how much of an idiot the guy can be. you just scrolled through your socials, double tapping on certain posts that caught your eye. owning a cat looks fun, you made a mental note to bring the idea to your parents later. the bell rang which signals that classes are starting back soon and the same cycle of events continues before it’s time to go home.

you observed yangyang’s sharp moves, following to the beat of the song echoing in the dance room. it’s currently half past seven and he’s still here, beads of sweat running through his hair. and why would he stay in school so late, you may ask? obviously, he’s here for a reason and it being an upcoming dance tournament is the most accurate one. while you’re here, sitting on the floor, back against the mirror and legs straightened out with your phone in your hand. it amazes you how the goofy boy transforms 360°, being all serious when he’s in his element.

“let’s go home, i’m tired already,” he panted out breathlessly, using a cloth nearby to wipe his sweaty forehead. you wait for him by the glass door as he packs up his things when the lights in the music studio also switched off. you wondered it must be the band guys so you paid no attention whatsoever. of course, your predictions were right when you saw two lads stepping out.

since yangyang is taking too much time tidying up the dance studio and the music studio seems unoccupied, you decided to check it out for a bit. it’s been a long time since you last entered the room, always accompanying your sister for her extra practice when you were younger. not much has changed, except some additions of instruments can be seen. not seeing anything in the dark condition as the room is only illuminated by the faint lights from the hallway, you pushed the switches down only to be met by a gasp.

“what are you doing here?” the tall boy approached you, a stern look visible on his fine features. your eyes scrambled around the room in an attempt to find any logical excuses for your ‘break-in’ but to no avail. your tongue was dry, not a sound escaping your throat when you heard yangyang’s voice, signalling your cue to exit the room and escape from the tension building between you and the boy. he just shook his head, the black hair bouncing left to right as he finally caught on.

it’s you, you’re the girl from the crowd. and your name is y/n.

the walk home was filled with one-sided conversations where yangyang kept on babbling about how he should improve the choreography he created earlier while you only added small comments. your mind is filled with embarrassment, too much that you feel slightly mad at yourself. why didn’t you say anything earlier? now, you look like a complete idiot with communication issues in front of that boy.

“yeah, and remember that pasta? we should definitely try it again, it’s like, so good,” yangyang said, earning a nod from you when you saw the boy from last night’s music studio tragedy approaching your table. you tried to look away but it was too late.

“dude, just wanna let you know that mr. park is seeing us after school,” your grip on your fork loosens up when you realized he wasn’t talking to you. maybe he forgot about the incident? you really hope so.

“yeah, totally. thanks sicheng,” yangyang playfully winked at the latter, earning a disgusted look from him who started walking away. he glanced back at you with a smug smile on his plump lips, making you freeze up again.

he didn’t.

“are you okay, y/n? feeling sick?” ningning furrowed her eyebrows upon seeing your sudden change of demeanor. you shrugged her off and continued to consume the macaroni placed on the tray in front of you, mentally cursing at yourself for the poor life choice you’d made. well, at least you know that his name is sicheng, right?

oh boy, you’re in for a long ride.

you can’t wait to go home and snuggle under the covers, today has been a long and tiring one for you. you had three pop quizzes as if all the three teachers intended so, your class had to run multiple laps during p.e. and so on. you’re already planning your routine in your head, trudging your way to the lockers when you saw him leaning against yours, scrolling down his phone.

“crap,” you muttered under your breath.

there it is, the smirk on his face returns when he spots your figure approaching. oh, how you wish you could wipe it off his face. he moved a couple steps backwards to give you some space to arrange your things before locking it, turning your head towards him.

“i’m sorry, why are you here again? and if it’s because of last night, then i’m sorry if it bothered you or anything,” you huffed out.

“what? i didn’t really care, it’s not like you were stealing anything, right?” he squinted his eyes, eyeing you up and down suspiciously, laughing shortly after seeing you get riled up.

“damn, you really need to learn how to take a joke. y/n, right? i’m sicheng, nice to meet you.”

“why exactly are we having this meet-and-greet or whatever this introduction is?” you crossed your arms, waiting for his response. but he didn’t, immediately turning on his heels and making his way towards the stairs, probably going to the studio.

“jerk,” you cursed under your breath, walking out the school building.

“what? you got accepted? seriously?” ningning’s voice echoed against the cafeteria walls, earning surprised and annoyed glances from other students who were either satisfying their grumbling stomach or simply having conversations. yangyang softly nudged her elbows using his, asking her to lower her voice down before telling you to go on. you were quite surprised as well, the acceptance email was not what you expected to receive. when you filled in the application form, it was just a mere shoot-your-shot agenda to see if you’d make the cut. although this is just a camp, you’re still unsure of what lies ahead.

“yeah, it starts next week. but i’m so nervous though,” you sipped the iced coffee in your hands. you’ve only watched videos of people producing their own music from scratch which you start to take an interest in. however, you’ve never done it hands-on before, only having basic music theory knowledge thanks to the piano lessons your parents signed you up for when you were young.

“you’ll do awesome, i promise,” yangyang gave you a reassuring smile, making you release some tension from the overthinking you’ve had since you received the email last night.

“thanks yang.”

now, here you are on the first day of attending the internship camp. you stood in front of the tall mirror hanging on the wall, straightening your cardigan and applying some makeup onto your face as touch-ups. it’s currently 7:40 in the morning, the earliest time you’ve ever woken up on a saturday. your siblings are still swallowed in their states of sleep. you double-checked the contents in your tote bag, making sure that no important things are left behind. you totally don’t intend on leaving a bad first impression on your first day.

after bidding a swift goodbye to your parents who just woke up, you drove your mother’s old honda to the completely new destination - mbyte studios. the tall building with light grey and blue painted walls definitely made it stand out, a futuristic look catching the eyes of the passersby. taking a deep breath, you entered the main lobby before being escorted to a room on the second floor. you assume it’s a waiting room for all participants of the camp, scanning that majority of the occupiers might be college students. you thanked god that the camp takes place on weekends so your high school senior life won’t be interrupted that much.

DAY 1

your eyes widened when you spot sicheng with the same white and blue tag you’re wearing, seated on the sofa. what the hell is he doing here? you avoided acknowledging his presence, trying to make yourself as unnoticed as possible heading over to occupy the seat farthest from his. after quite some time staring at the paintings hanging on the wall, a middle-aged lady with a petite figure entered the room, making you sit up straight.

“welcome to mbyte studios! i’m the assistant director, mrs. hwang. first and foremost, congratulations on being accepted. it’ a pleasure to witness the start of your musical journey embarking here. i believe that we should know each other first?” she gestured for any volunteers. sicheng stood up from his seat, charisma evident in his stance which left quite an impression on the others. the strong confidence in the way he speaks made the woman smile amusingly.

some names later, it was your turn to introduce yourself. the moment you stood up, he immediately recognized you and you were sure you caught him making some faces. the ice-breaking session went well thankfully, mrs. hwang elaborating on the social rules and the itinerary throughout the whole six days. one that caught your attention was assisting the producers on making a track from scratch, just like you had dreamed of.

when it was finally time for lunch break, you shot up from your seat to get away from sicheng as fast as possible but to your dismay, he beat you to it, jogging up towards your standing position.

“i didn’t know you were into music, what’s the sudden occasion?”

“it’s none of your business actually,” you sneered back, obviously not favouring his attention.

“woah, relax. you’ve got quite a temper, don’t you? by the way, we’re having lunch together,” he placed his phone onto a nearby table, pulling a chair for you.

“just eat on your own, i don’t have the appetite,” you flash a sarcastic grin before disappearing into the women’s restroom. he just laughed bitterly at your response before walking towards the food counter, joining his newly made friend, jaehyun. being the same age, they’re easy to click.

DAY 2

“today, we’ll be focusing on the recording process. you’ll be assigned into groups that will have a tour of the whole department. our staff will facilitate each group,” the manager said loud and clear. you remembered his name was johnny. the tattoo on his shoulder really stands out, considering the fact that he’s always wearing a sleeveless shirt.

but what are the odds when your groupmate is none other than the guy himself, sicheng. it’s like the universe truly resented you for having to be associated with him at any event. your group was escorted to the farthest recording studio on the floor. to say that this was a great experience is truly an understatement, making you observe the gears used in astonishment. you hate to admit it but sicheng has a handful of knowledge on this particular topic, always correctly answering the questions directed by the staff. maybe it wasn’t quite surprising upon knowing that his career choice is a singer, not that you care anyways.

again, nothing out of the ordinary happened today, except that you and sicheng had lunch on the same table. of course, it’s not that you accepted his offer but he welcomed himself to the spot. being the quickly favoured participant among the rest, obviously they welcomed him with open hands. he placed himself among the two guys sitting at the right corner, eyeing you whose eyes are still not leaving the article you were skimming through. with the last spoon of food shoved into your mouth, you quietly excused yourself from the group. sicheng just watched your movements in subtle signs of annoyance.

with the final task of doing microphone check-ups, day two of the camp ended with a breeze. you can’t wait to go home, get into a warm bath and spend the night watching netflix. it was a tiring one indeed but you’re not one to complain. pushing the car keys into the ignition slot, the sound of the engine starting is still nowhere to be heard even after a couple of retries. you rested your forehead onto the steering wheel, cursing silently in your head, having to get a taxi and call your mother about this incident. you’re sure to be receiving a handful from her, not to mention her soft but stingful remarks.

“hey, are you okay?” a deep voice interrupts your stressful state of mind. looking up, it’s sicheng with a concerned look on display. you hesitantly shared your problem, making him press his lips together probably thinking of a solution.

“you know, i don’t really know how to fix your broken engine or whatever but i know someone who can. let me just ring him for a sec. and you’re coming home with me.”

and that’s how you ended up in the front passenger seat, sicheng steering with one hand and the other rested on the windowsill. the faint music from the radio can be heard, probably a song by jon vinyl. you’d steal quick glances to see his other hand dancing in the air, enjoying the rhythm of the song playing. besides that, it was silent as both of you are preoccupied with your own things - sicheng on the road while you on your phone. he tried to make small talk but you would say it’s unrequited, only replying with short sentences. after a good ten minutes drive, the sight of your brown painted gate becomes a sign for him to stop the moving car.

“your car is safe with my friend so you shouldn’t worry about it or anything. also, what’s your number? it’ll be easier for, you know the car business of course,” he reached over to unbuckle your seatbelt, handing over his phone to you after. the close proximity made your breath hitch, the dewy scent of his perfume diffusing into your nose. not too strong, he has a good taste.

“thanks and um, i’ll buy you a drink later. just for today.”

“are you asking me on a date?” there it is, the significant tug on the side of his lips making its presence once again.

“stop being so narcissistic and move along please,” you rolled your eyes before giving him a small wave, stepping into your property. sicheng stared at the numerals on his phone screen, a small, proud grin etched on before driving off the lane.

“how was the camp? met any cute boys?” the first thing you hear in the hue of the blue monday morning is ningning’s chirpy voice. sometimes you wonder how she gets all boosted up at this hour of the day. yangyang is the polar opposite, his appearance as if he just got out of bed, the hood of his denim jacket resting on top of his auburn hair.

“it was good and no, no cute boys. but sicheng was there,” you replied nonchalantly, a mischievous grin crept onto her lips. you can almost predict the words that are going to spill out of her mouth.

“what’s up with her?” yangyang yawned, his eyes lazily gaze at you. you just lifted your shoulders, having no idea whatsoever. a ping sound was heard from your phone, notifying that a new message is received.

unknown: hey sicheng here

unknown: ur car may be ready tmr. want me to drive u there?

listening to your heart, you were about to type ‘no’ but remembering the fact that your parents will be busy the whole day tomorrow and yangyang is coming home late once again, you have no choice but to accept the lad’s help.

now you’re back in his vehicle, the same spot as before. you’ve only noticed now that a musical note charm is hung on the rearview mirror, a semiquaver to be exact. you’d say that it looks authentic, gold specks shining when sun rays hit the surface. observing the interior of his car, there are quite a number of small decorations.

“can we get coffee first? my treat for the car and the ride,” you suggested, looking at him whose eyes are focused onto the road. the traffic is quite pleasing today, nobody honking mindlessly at the other drivers and flipping each other off with the famous middle finger gesture. his side profile does look charming, some type of earrings dangling from his ears. if you’re going to be honest, his appearance does seem to be your type. you’re not one to say about his persona though, always managing to bother you at any time of the day.

“sure, wanna go to the new cafe? i heard it’s good,”. you just nodded while he skillfully steered the steering wheel, moving the car to the new destination. you turned your eyes to look outside from the car window, seeing the one hundred and one manners of the citizens. a mother struggling to take her child who’s having a tantrum out of the toy shop, a young couple having their romantic meal in the french cafe. the motion of the car stopping awakened you who was being distracted by your clouded mind.

from the moment you stepped into the place, the interior caught your attention. the light brown painted walls with black furniture complementing each other perfectly, making a retro-like appearance. the funky song playing faintly in the background surely is a mood-setter, just how you like it. even the barista serving you is being friendly, making a couple of small talk in the midst of operating the machines.

you would say that it was a pleasureful day for you. the exquisite taste of latte washing down your dry throat, getting your car back without too much babbling from your dear mother and the gap between you and sicheng closing in for a little.

the last sentence baffled you for a second.

DAY 3

sicheng’s eyes shot open from the short slumber he was trying to get - failing miserably even, upon spotting you enter through the door. he pulled the chair beside him in hopes for you to get his message and take the seat. a frown made its way onto his face when you just waved at him, making your way to another spot a few chairs to the front. he scoffed, head tilting slightly before approaching you instead. you shot him a puzzled look, roughly translating to ask him what he’s doing here.

“i just want to be close to you. now focus,” he redirected his eyes onto the muscular man who just entered the room. he’s a songwriter - the best one in this company to be exact. you were focused on each point he explained, making small notes on your laptop. it’s not always that you’ll get a chance to be guided by a four-time award winning songwriter, might as well gain some benefits from it.

“another tip i have is to use all types of chords. remember, do not stick to the same ones, you’ll lack creativity. for instance, use major, minor, dominant, diminished, and augmented. i promise you, more ideas will be flowing and better quality songs will be produced. you got me?” the questioned, earning buzzing sounds of positive responses from the hall.

DAY 4

another day of group work, you’re given the task to create a melody according to the themes given - for your group, it’s love. looking at sicheng, he’s already on his electric guitar, strumming mindlessly to find the perfect note to start on. the rest of you are now juicing out some thoughts on this particular sense of human nature.

“love gives us thrill, the feeling of excitement, the feeling when you’re uncertain about something but when you have that special someone with you, you’re sure to wing it all,” jaehyun suggests, earning nods of approval from the rest of your groupmates.

“you’re a pro at this, mr. romantic,” you teased him, earning a soft chuckle. a dimpled smile is etched onto his features, rosy cheeks and his eye smile making you fawn. prince-like visual and a sense of humour? a two in one package, totally.

“not really. i guess i’m a sucker for romance movies,” he rubbed the back of his neck. your small conversation came to a halt when you heard a crooked, loud sound coming from the rough strum on the guitar strings. you turned around to see sicheng gazing directly towards the both of you, a sharp one even. jaehyun just blinked his eyes before catching onto the situation unfolding in front of him while you’re still being completely oblivious. you tilted your head in confusion, unsure of what’s gotten into him.

it’s the day that yangyang has been looking forward to since the past few weeks, his dance tournament. you’re seated with ningning on the bleachers, music from the loudspeakers echoing through the walls. with the cheers of the bewatchers whenever someone captivated them with a trick or dance move, usually the risky ones, it truly is a loud atmosphere.

“now, welcoming contestant number 43 to take the stage,” the host announced, you and ningning clapped with all your might, shouting words of encouragement as well. yangyang took a deep breath before lifting his right hand up, cueing for the music to start playing. just then, there’s the sound of someone plopping down on the hard surface next to you - sicheng. he’s looking casual today, a light yellow hoodie replacing his usual dark clothings.

“what are you doing here?” you shout whispered while ningning raised her eyebrows at you.

“didn’t yangyang tell you? i’m here to watch him dance,” he countered your question before darting his eyes back to the boy who’s busy popping on the dance floor, tinashe’s song playing in the background. he ended his routine with a moonwalk, making his way to the end of the stage. you’re confident that he’s going to win the competition, looking at how precise and clean his moves were. all the late night practices he had eventually paid off when he’s announced as the second placer. nonetheless, he’s still proud of himself, not to mention you and ningning who have been with him throughout his whole journey.

“you did well,” sicheng welcomed him with a fist bump which he reciprocated back. you didn’t know that they were this good of friends.

“i’m starving,” he rubbed his hand onto his stomach, making you remember that your stomach has been rumbling since you only ate a cereal bar that morning. you were about to catch up to yangyang and ningning who were walking fast ahead when you felt a tug on your shirt, looking down to see sicheng crouching down to tie your loose shoelaces.

“you might fall,” he placed his hands into the pockets of his hoodies, waiting for you to come along.

“um, thanks,” you muttered out before catching the glances given by your friends, later teasing you about the scene.

roars of students can be heard coherently, filling the basketball court. the basketball captain, a tall one with black charcoal hair is shooting a three-pointer. the players are then called over to their respective sides for whatever strategy their coaches will be implementing in the third-quarter. the home team is currently leading by five points, knowing that the players wearing the significant red and black jersey have been training their asses off for a while now.

but why exactly did you come to the game tonight? besides from the main event happening in the moment, the other reason is now standing in his position, strumming his electric guitar producing a funky sound that vibrates through the walls - a cue for the start of another buzzing stage. sicheng has been bugging you about watching him perform tonight and after quite some time evaluating, why not? when he finally caught you among the crowd, he flashed you a flirtatious wink. right before the band bowed as gratitude to the audience, he gave you a gesture to wait for him at the back of the gym.

“you came! but seriously, thank you,” he rested the sparkly white guitar against the wall, enveloping you into a hug. this is new, you tried to hide the flustered state of yours as you reciprocated his movement. from the corner of your eyes, you can see a black-haired guy approaching the two of you, followed by one with long, white hair and a bandana nicely keeping the fluffy strands in tact.

“ooh, who’s this?” the first one wiggled his eyebrows, later introducing himself as guanheng, the latter named yuta. to your surprise, the bond between you and them are quick to form with guanheng piloting the conversation. not to mention his subtle jokes making you giggle at times.

“well y/n, your little boyfriend here is getting jealous so we’ll excuse ourselves for now. see you whenever,” guanheng banging his drumsticks into the air while yuta gave you a quick wave before disappearing into the store room of the gymnasium. the nickname they gave sicheng surely made you a bit shy.

boyfriend?

DAY 5

you’re seated in front of the computer screen, your chin resting on the palm of your hands and the tabs of different colours left untouched. you redirected your gaze onto the projector screen, the words ‘arrange, mix, edit and master like a pro’ on it. a long sigh leaving your lips, you try to remember what the producer said earlier.

don’t make the song sound too repetitive

a good buildup promises a good melody

you can have a certain instrument playing only on one part for cinematic impact

DAY 6

“i’m hyo and you’re,” she moved the wheels of her chair to the back a bit to take another look at the clipboard resting on the desk, “sicheng, y/n and jaehyun, right?” the three of you nodded in harmony, anticipating for the next order that will be given.

“okay cool, we’ll be brainstorming first,” and she proceeded to explain what the requirements for this project are. you mouthed out the important points she gave, soft rock, heartbreak and drums. you’re on a roll today, contributing your countless ideas during the first few minutes of the discussion. sicheng just looked at you discussing with hyo, your lips pursed slightly. his gaze seems full of adoration, even jaehyun said so.

“any objections?” hyo looked over to the rest.

“i think she made some great ones. i’m sure this project will come out fresh,” jaehyun voiced out his opinions, sicheng nodding after. he went straight to handling the instruments , you and jaehyun collaborating for the mixing process. hyo eventually chimed in on some times, giving small advice whenever you seem stuck in the brain. with the hours ticking by, you’re feeling more satisfied than ever with your earphones in, listening to the final product created.

all of the participants are then assembled in the hall again, waiting for a final speech by the director which formalizes the end of the camp. sure, you’ve earned worthy knowledge throughout the six days. but if you’re being brutally true to the sound of your heart, it would be how you came to learn sicheng’s true antics. he might be the cocky guy who thinks they have the power to do anything but in truth, he’s just some guy with an honest heart, honest intentions to know you better.

summer break, your most anticipated event for the past few weeks. the moment the last bell rang, that scene in high school musical 2 kept replaying in the back of your head, the students doing a parade in front of the lockers picturing how your little heart is doing backflips in your chest right now. all the beach trips ningning planned is making you feel dizzy. you turned around to a voice calling out your name from the end of the hallway, your eyes catching the sight of sicheng jogging towards your spot. he stopped in front of you, hands on his knees catching his breath.

“are you free tomorrow night? there’s a party at guanheng’s and you know, it would be really cool if you join,” his fingers tracing onto each other, waiting patiently for your response.

you didn’t even have the time to process his invitation when ningning crashed her body against yours, yangyang following suit.

“a party? y/n would totally love to come, right?” ningning nudged your arms softly while yangyang tried to stifle a giggle. you were about to mouth out a ‘what?’ before sicheng cut you off.

“cool, you guys should come too. tomorrow at 10,” he and yangyang exchanged finger guns gestures before leaving the three of you. you just stood there in disbelief, eyeing them up and down before ningning dragged you to the parking lot. a stringful of grumbles escaped your lips, making the guy laugh obnoxiously.

“i can’t believe you guys did that,” you extended the seat belt, buckling it to the slot beside you.

“please. but you do want it, right?” you can’t deny, what she said was true. plus, you should have some fun and distress before having to go back to the usual dull routine of yours.

“how do i look?” you turn around, revealing the baby pink crop top and flare pants on your legs. it’s not your best outfit but giving the cliche excuse - you have nothing to wear, the two articles totally complements each other

“you look hot, that’s all i gotta say. right, yang?” ningning lifted her head from the headboard, glancing over at yangyang who’s going over his messages.

“yeah totally,” he lifted his hands, giving you a thumbs up. you threw a jacket onto your shoulders and grabbed the black purse on your dresser, glancing at the wall mirror one last time.

from the moment you stepped into the venue - guanheng’s place, smells of alcohol lingered around your nose, a group of people cheering ever so loudly over a game of beer pong, some already passed out on the couch. not to mention a brownish stain on the carpet - probably from someone throwing up. the mess would take a whole day to get rid off, you note to yourself. your friends are no longer to be found, both of them getting affiliated with god knows what. your eyes scanned the living room for sicheng but his presence is still nowhere to be found.

you decided to step towards the kitchen bar, pouring a drink for yourself. the mixed sweet and sour taste of it remained on your tongue for a couple of seconds. looking over at the snacks served, you grabbed a strawberry flavoured lollipop from the clear bowl. the crowd is cheering loudly for some type of incident happening at the back of the room, the music has been turned up to be a little louder than the volume before and you’re suddenly getting a little bit overwhelmed. you grabbed your purse and stepped out, inhaling some fresh air and looking up to the starry night sky.

“y/n? where have you been?” sicheng approached you from behind, making you a bit startled.

“sorry, hanging out outside can calm me. where did you go?” you popped the lollipop into your mouth.

“some jerk decided to throw up in front of me,” you pinched your nose with a disgusted expression, making him roll his eyes.

“do you want me to accompany you out here?” he offered. you just nod your head, placing yourself on the patio with him following suit. the sweetening flavour empowering your senses. it’s definitely much more calm out here, allowing you to clear up your mind. it’s not that you hate the atmosphere in the house right now, you’re just not in the mood.

“you know, you look pretty,” you turned around to meet his face. his brown eyes brimming with unconfessed love.

“shut up, stop with the jokes,” you lightly land a smack on his arms.

“what if i say i’m not joking?” he looked straight into your eyes, trying to find any emotion inside you. the sudden seriousness is making you feel much more awkward so you forced out a laugh, turning your attention right back upwards. the stars are shining brightly tonight, you can almost spot a constellation.

“i know what you’re doing, dong sicheng. just stop it already, it’s not working on me.” denial, that’s what you’re experiencing in the hot minute.

a gentle tug can be felt on your wrist, his eyes still not leaving yours.

“didn’t anyone tell you before? you’re really pretty. like, i can’t even describe it to you. you’re just,” he leaned over to caress your cheeks, “pretty,”.

what jaehyun said on the other day is true, after all.

love gives us thrill, the feeling of excitement, the feeling when you’re uncertain about something but when you have that special someone with you, you’re sure to wing it all.

your heart is beating so fast, it could fall out of your chest at any moment now. even the faint music blasting through the speakers inside the house can’t flush down the sound of your heartbeat. you’re not used to this, the sudden need of the significant skin to skin contact that symbolizes love between two individuals.

“can i?” his face in a very near proximity from yours, whispering into your right ear with his honey-like voice. you pulled the candy away from your mouth and nod, giving him the approval he needed before he dived in. heat rose from your stomach to your chest. you could only focus on how soft his crimson lips felt on yours, invading your privacy by all senses. you felt the kiss expand beyond your bodies, whirling you round, swirling you into the stars. he pulled away with a soft smile, you thought you could melt right then and there.

“wow,” that was the only word escaping your throat. your jumping heart still hasn’t settled down yet, your very first kiss still feeling surreal. you could see that sicheng is very much mirroring your emotions, his slender fingers grazing over his lips - the one that has come in contact with yours.

“the strawberry lollipop is sweet,” he commented, making the both of you laugh.

a ping from your phone awakened you from the gushy eye contact with him, unlocking it only to find yangyang’s text message. the second part of it made you fluster.

yang: yo r u coming in or what? and congrats for the kiss, we thought we’d have to wait longer for this

[robininthelabyrinth]

Sufficiently strong emotionally-charged moments of physical contact can occasionally forge long-term telepathic bonds between cultivators. These bonds are usually based on positive emotions like familial or romantic love, or deep feelings of friendship, but the emotions don’t necessarily have to be positive to forge a bond. Wei Wuxian is very upset to find out that punching Jin Zixuan in the face apparently counts as a sufficiently strong emotionally-charged moment of physical contact.

on ao3

Wei Wuxian had been obsessed with the idea of a resonant bond ever since he first learned about it.

Sure, it was a rarity. It was easier for a cultivator to find a friend, a lover, or even a soulmate than it was for them to create a resonant bond, which required not merely liking or understanding or even love but rather a single moment in time in which two cultivators were on exactly the same wavelength.

Their cultivation strength, their frame of mind, the state of their bodies, the exact way in which they touched – in that one moment, everything would be exactly the same, and the Heavens would forget for that brief moment to see the two as separate, like two separate raindrops merging into one before the moment passed, some difference introduced, and they were broken apart into separate beings again. Yet even after they separated, they would irrevocably retain some aspects of the other, a connection that generally manifested, it was said, as a mental bond that could not be broken, a tie that would keep them bound together no matter the distance.

Such a thing could not be worked towards, only hoped for; it was a matter of luck.

Wei Wuxian had never wanted anything more in his life.

The thought of never being alone again – it enticed him, it excited him. Jiang Cheng could wrinkle his nose in distaste at the idea that he might not be alone in his mind anymore, that someone would see all the stupid or terrible things he sometimes thought, but to Wei Wuxian that was the best part: that someone would see you and know you and you would see and know them, too. To have someone to accompany you through the best and worst moments of your life, always at your side…

To never fear abandonment, to never need to worry about someone going out only for a little and then never coming back.

It would be amazing.

That was what Wei Wuxian thought.

Well, that was what he thought right up until he punched Jin Zixuan in the face for insulting his shijie, his whole heart burning at the unfairness of adults who didn’t understand, at other boys who didn’t appreciate what they had, at everything all around them and at his own weakness in not being able to do more, and something just –

Clicked.

-

“Hey, wake up! Wake up! Are you all right?”

Wei Wuxian opened his eyes, only to be assaulted with what felt like double vision. Above him were Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang, hovering and looking anxious, and from the corner of his eye he could see Lan Wangji, who he so enjoyed teasing, was sweeping over to them with a grim expression – and yet at the same time he thought he could perceive different faces above him as well.

Three young men and two women, all looking down at him with smiles like sharks, ready to devour. Each one of them draped in the gold they lusted to take from his hands –

What the fuck? Wei Wuxian thought groggily. How did I end up on the ground?

Good question. I didn’t think I got punched that hard.

Wait, Wei Wuxian thought. Hold up, I got punched? I didn’t even see the peacock lift his fists!

…Wei Wuxian? Is that – you?

Wei Wuxian’s eyes went wide when he realized he hadn’t said any of that out loud, that to judge from Jiang Cheng and Nie Huaisang’s chatter they hadn’t heard either him nor the other voice. Which meant that the voice had to be...in his head. Is this – this is a resonant bond. We formed a resonant bond!

Shit, Jin Zixuan thought, because it was Jin Zixuan, wasn’t it? Shit, shit, shit. Please don’t say anything about this to anyone!

What? Why?

Please!

Wei Wuxian hadn’t even known that the peacock knew that word.

Fine, he said, feeling generous on account of the whole bond business. I won’t tell. For now.

“Wei-xiong?” Nie Huaisang asked, looking worriedly fretful. “Are you all right? You haven’t said anything.”

“I’m fine,” he said, rubbing his head and trying to think of a lie to explain why he fell over like that. “I think the peacock must’ve had a talisman or a defensive weapon or something. Whatever it is, I’m fine now.”

“Good. I’m glad you’re all right,” Jiang Cheng said, looking deeply relieved. And then, a moment later – “Because I’m going to kill you - !”

There wasn’t too much time to talk after that. Wei Wuxian was sentenced to kneeling, and then his Uncle Jiang arrived and Sect Leader Jin arrived – oh no, oh no, oh no, I fucked up, Jin Zixuan thought hopelessly, and Wei Wuxian couldn’t help but feel a bit of the same – and the next thing Wei Wuxian knew, the engagement between Jin Zixuan and Jiang Yanli was broken and he was being sent to pack up his things, to be taken home at once.

Jin Zixuan was swept away by his father, too.

“A pity about the engagement,” Sect Leader Jin remarked idly as they walked together. “Perhaps you shouldn’t have said such a thing. Your mother will be disappointed.”

Wei Wuxian could feel the way that that jabbed at Jin Zixuan’s heart like a stab with a sword.

“Still, it’s no harm,” the man continued, indifferently ignoring the impact his words had had on his son. “One could even call it a gain! You won’t be burdened down with that shrew’s daughter anymore.”

That what?!

Tune out of this conversation, please, Jin Zixuan said, his thoughts dull and sluggish and resigned. It’s going to get worse from here on out.

It did.

Sect Leader Jin commented at some great length about his views on Madame Yu’s many faults – her temper, her strength, her nosiness, her thought that she was worth anything other than a pair of legs and an inheritance – and contrasted it with some salacious comments on her positive traits – mostly the legs, with a few comments on the upper half as well – and then he started speculating about Jiang Yanli, too, in a way that made Wei Wuxian’s blood boil.

It’s not about her, Jin Zixuan told him, his voice a little desperate in a familiar way – he was used to having to defend his father, and just as obviously didn’t want to. He’s building up a defense.

What?

For my mother. She’ll be angry at him for agreeing to break the engagement, so he’ll say that it was my idea, say all this stuff, and then she’ll be angry at me for believing it, instead, even though I don’t. This isn’t what I wanted at all.

Wei Wuxian frowned. You wanted to marry my shijie? You sure didn’t show it!

No, I just didn’t want to marry anybody, Jin Zixuan said, and…okay, fine, that was a pretty respectable position. Wei Wuxian didn’t particularly want to marry anyone yet, either. I just got angry when everyone was talking about how it was a done deal, that’s all. Just one more thing that got picked for me.

Wei Wuxian had heard Jiang Cheng complain about similar enough things – how much of his life was selected in advance, how much was organized for the benefit of his sect rather than his own interests, how little choice he got. How even if he’d been as good as Wei Wuxian, or even better, he still wouldn’t have been able to go out and hunt pheasants all day the way Wei Wuxian did.

He refused to feel sympathy. Well, you shouldn’t have taken it out on my shijie!

Probably not. Jin Zixuan was silent for a moment. It probably doesn’t help, but I’m sorry for my rudeness.

Wei Wuxian hated it when people were reasonable. It made it so much harder to stay angry at them.

Are you going to tell me why I can’t tell people about this bond yet? he asked. You’d better have a good reason, I had to put up with an entire scolding from Jiang Cheng because I didn’t have a good excuse!

Later tonight. I promise.

That night, Wei Wuxian excused himself early and hid himself in his room on the boat. He knew that he was giving both Uncle Jiang and Jiang Cheng the impression that he was feeling deeply guilty about having broken the engagement, thereby making them feel bad about it, which he didn’t intend, but he really wanted to hear the reason. If it wasn’t good enough, he’d really break Jin Zixuan’s nose this time!

It really is a good reason!

Well, then? If it’s so good, don’t keep me in suspense!

Jin Zixuan sighed. Wei Wuxian felt it like an exhalation on his cheek, as if Jin Zixuan were right there beside him. You know how a resonant bond is supposed to be equal?

What do you mean ‘supposed to be’? Wei Wuxian asked, and felt something cold in his belly.

There are forbidden techniques, ancient ones, that are designed to manipulate a resonant bond into an unequal state. To make one side the master and the other the slave.

That’s disgusting!

If we told anyone, my father would find a way to get one, Jin Zixuan said, and he wasn’t guessing. His voice was utterly certain. There’s very little money can’t buy, and he wouldn’t be able to resist the idea of having a spy in the very heart of the Jiang clan.

Well, then just don’t tell him!

Just like I didn’t tell him about what I said about your shijie?

Wei Wuxian got tripped up by that. It was true, Jin Zixuan hadn’t said a word about what had happened, and yet his father had already known every last detail. How..?

One of my ‘friends’ told him, of course. Probably more than one, actually – I wouldn’t be surprised if they all passed it along. It’s what he pays them for.

He pays for your friends to spy on you?!

I already told you that there’s little money can’t buy. Why not friends?

I wouldn’t be friends with people who accepted money to spy on me. Why do you?

If it’s not this set, it’ll be another, and it’s all the same. If they won’t be bought, then I can’t be friends with them…anyway, I’ve gotten used to these ones.

All of them? Wei Wuxian asked. Even Mianmian? She didn’t seem the type…

Her name is Luo Qingyang, and yes. Her parents are sick and my father’s paying for the treatment; if she doesn’t tell him everything, he’ll cut off funds…she told me about it, though. Said that if there was ever a time that I wanted her to ‘forget’ to report something, she could do that. That’s more than most would do, and probably about as much as anyone can expect –

Have you ever had a friend that wasn’t bought? Wei Wuxian asked. I mean…ever?

Jin Zixuan was silent.

Well, that wouldn’t do.

Well, I guess you have me now, Wei Wuxian thought, with only a tiny amount of self-pity for the stupidity of agreeing to be friends with Jin Zixuan. Still, if he’d survived his efforts at being Lan Wangji’s friend, he could survive anything. No one’s going to buy me!

But –

Nope! No take-backs! We have a resonant bond, peacock. You think I’m going to waste a gift from the Heavens like this just because it’s with you? You’ve got another thing coming!

…can you at least stop calling me a peacock?!

-

Madame Yu made her displeasure clear enough when Wei Wuxian returned, ordering him to kneel all night and do every available chore and things like that, but Wei Wuxian didn’t take it to heart – he never did, really.

Like Jiang Cheng, Madame Yu’s bark was worse than her bite: for all that she hissed and spat and punished him with kneeling or holding up weights, she’d never denied him resources, kept him back from training, or even denied him the spot of head disciple to promote another less qualified in his place, which she very well might have if she were a bit pettier.

So he didn’t take it personally, even if Jin Zixuan seemed indignant on his behalf – you were defending her daughter! You’d think she’d give you some leeway for that, at least! – and at any rate it was better than Jin Zixuan’s slow meandering way home, with his father disappearing every night into a brothel or the bedroom of some innkeeper’s daughter or something like that.

It was better than Jin Zixuan’s mother’s reaction, too, which was to scream and shout and say vicious nasty things, to smash plates and vases against the walls right over his head, and then to pull him into her arms and make him promise over and over again that he would never betray her.

I think I suffered more in terms of physical exertion, but you get full points for all the emotional devastation, Wei Wuxian said after Jin Zixuan returned to hide in his bedroom. Does she do that a lot?

All the time, Jin Zixuan said. All the fucking time.

After a moment, he added, guiltily, It’s only that she loves me –

Ugh, don’t even start with that, Wei Wuxian said. Complaining about awful parent-related trauma is boring, I get enough of it from Jiang Cheng. Help me figure out what I should do tomorrow: flying kites, swimming, or hunting pheasants? Oh, or fishing!

…seriously? Do you spend any time cultivating?

Oh, come on. It’s my first day back!

That just means you have more you need to catch up on!

-

Your shijie is really nice.

I told you!

You didn’t! You just hit me!

-

Wei Wuxian loved having a resonant bond.

Sure, it wasn’t with someone useful like Jiang Cheng or even wonderful like Lan Wangji – I can hear you, you know – but it was kind of nice to have someone to complain to when it would be awkward to put it onto Jiang Cheng or Jiang Yanli.

The other half being Jin Zixuan was also not as bad as he had first thought it would be. Sure, he was just as spoiled, arrogant, vain, and deeply cynical about human nature as Wei Wuxian had thought – I can still hear you! – but he was also an awkward introvert with no social skills and an over-active guilt complex – fuck you too, Wei Wuxian – and, in the sum total of things, surprisingly tolerable. Thanks? I think?

It’d certainly made the indoctrination camp more tolerable, even if it did mean having two people talking in his ear about how he needed to think more about the consequences of his actions and how it might reflect on his sect, and certainly having Jin Zixuan confirming that the other disciples had made it out of the cave and were moving at full speed to try to get help made the days he was waiting with Lan Wangji a lot less stressful, and their ensuing rescue a lot easier.

But sometimes –

This is a terrible idea! You can’t do it!

You don’t get a say! Wei Wuxian snarled. This is my decision.

Fuck you, Jin Zixuan said. A moment later, quieter: Is this because I couldn’t make it to you in time to help?

Wei Wuxian swallowed, feeling his eyes burn. The Wen attack was a surprise to everyone, he said. Even if you were able to convince your father to let you go help with everyone you had, it wouldn’t – you wouldn’t have made it in time to do anything.

After his father had refused, Jin Zixuan had snuck out of Jinlin Tower through what he’d thought was a secret passage and tried to go anyway, only to be caught and dragged back. Wei Wuxian appreciated the effort, even if it didn’t make a difference in the end.

When they were on the run from the Wen sect, after, Jin Zixuan had encouraged Wei Wuxian to head to Lanling, swearing that he wouldn’t allow anyone to turn them over to the Wen sect, but they hadn’t gotten that far.

And now…

It’s my choice, Wei Wuxian said. You don’t get a say.

Fuck you, Jin Zixuan said again, but his voice was softer. Fine. But I’m here for you.

Wei Wuxian smiled, just a little bit, and told to Wen Qing to start.

-

I’m going to murder my father, Jin Zixuan said, conversationally. And then go to the hell reserved for patricides and be reborn as a chicken right before slaughter.

For shame, Wei Wuxian said. Not even a lamb or a goat?

No, I want to be able to bite someone and mean it, and chickens are better at that than goats.

Wei Wuxian giggled, a little hysterically. It’s fine, he said, looking around the Burial Mounds. It’s fine that he won’t let you come to my rescue immediately. Not like I’m going anywhere.

He’d thought – they’d both thought – that the resonant bond would break or maybe transfer to Jiang Cheng along with Wei Wuxian’s golden core, but it hadn’t.

Wei Wuxian had been depressingly grateful for it, for the by now familiar Lanling cadence of Jin Zixuan in his head. It made the horrible quiet empty of the Burial Mounds a little more tolerable, a little less awful.

Anyway, he said briskly, shaking off his terror at being here alone but for the voice in his head. I have an idea…

-

I feel like if I knew Chifeng-zun looked like that I would’ve made befriending Nie Huaisang more of a priority when I was younger.

I know, right? Wei Wuxian thought back. Just…wow.

A moment later, he added, a little irritably, I thought you were into my shijie again?

I am! I’m allowed to have eyes, okay?

Not if you’re surnamed Jin you aren’t.

Fuck you.

Nope. And Chifeng-zun isn’t going to, either.

He could feel Jin Zixuan rolling his eyes. I don’t even want him to, I was really just looking. Anyway, how’s Lan Wangji doing?

Lan Zhan? He’s – well, he’s always bothering me about going back to Gusu with him, talking about how my demonic cultivation is dangerous to me, but oh, you should have seen him when he joins us to fight..! You can forgive anything, really, just to watch him move – Wei Wuxian paused. Wait, why are you asking?

No reason.

Jin Zixuan! You tell me this instant -

-

Jin Zixuan was locking Wei Wuxian out of his head again.

It was a technique they’d worked on developing together – with some assistance from Wei Wuxian’s brilliance and Jin Zixuan’s ability to find and purchase extremely rare reference texts, whether on resonant bonds or just more generally, including when Wei Wuxian had needed some help figuring out some things about demonic cultivation while trapped on the Burial Mounds – as it had become moderately urgent following Jin Zixuan’s first spring dream involving Jiang Yanli, and even more so once he’d decided that he really did want to marry her, actually, if she’d be willing to have him.

There were some things Wei Wuxian did not need to know about his shijie.

Still, it was unusual for him to block him during the day. One might even call it suspicious.

I’m sorry, Jin Zixuan said abruptly. It had to be done, and you weren’t going to do it.

Huh? What are you talking about…?

“Wei Wuxian!” Jiang Cheng shouted, and Wei Wuxian turned, surprised. His shidi’s eyes were red as if he’d been crying, and he ran up and pulled him into his arms. “Wei Wuxian…!”

“What?” he asked, puzzled. “What’s this about…?”

“How could you?!” Jiang Cheng demanded, weeping into his neck. “You should have told me – you had no right to – to give me – Wei Wuxian!”

Wei Wuxian’s back went stiff. You didn’t!

It was the truth or you getting kicked out of your sect! He needed to know!

Fuck you! It wasn’t your choice to make!

I’m not going to stand by and let you get schemed against, Jin Zixuan said. Certainly not by my own father. I won’t!

I’m going to make you pay for this, Wei Wuxian said darkly, then looked down at Jiang Cheng in his arms. And possibly thank you for it. But I’m definitely going to make you pay!

-

This may sound weird, Jin Zixuan said. But I think I’m being poisoned.

Based on what I know about Lanling Jin sect and its politics, it’s not weird at all, Wei Wuxian said instinctively, then frowned. Are you serious? It’s not just baby fatigue or something?

That’s what I thought at first, too. But now I’m not so sure. He was silent for a moment. I don’t want to sound like my mother, but…

You think it’s Lianfeng-zun? I’m not saying he doesn’t have the most motive for it, but do you really think..? He seems so nice.

He is, most of the time. Jin Zixuan sighed. Maybe I really am just tired.

Wei Wuxian didn’t think so. He’d had a half-dozen years of listening to the backstabbing, vicious world of Jinlin Tower under his belt by now – had fought bitterly in the war only to fight even more bitterly for something like the right to attend his own shijie’s wedding, something that ought to have been his by right – had nearly suffered an ambush when he tried to attend Jin Ling’s first month party, with Jin Zixun attacking him and Wen Ning going unexpectedly crazy and Jin Zixuan rushing over as fast as he could to make them all stop. If he hadn’t already known about Jin Zixuan not knowing about this, if he hadn’t felt something go wrong and thrown himself in between them without thinking, Jin Zixuan might’ve died there and then on the Qiongqi path.

If Jin Zixuan thought he was being poisoned, he was probably being poisoned.

I’ll come visit you and look into it, Wei Wuxian said. We can pretend that I’m there to visit shijie.

They’d long ago confessed the truth to Jiang Cheng and Jiang Yanli, of course. For some reason, neither had looked all that surprised.

With your reputation, even if you figured something out, who’d believe you? Jin Zixuan asked. Ask Hanguang-jun if he’ll come, his reputation will bear up.

Lan Zhan? Sure! I’m always happy to work with him. But you know, he’s been ignoring me recently…I don’t know why…

Tell him about the resonant bond.

What? I thought we were still keeping it a secret.

Tell him. He doesn’t tell anyone anything.

Good point, I guess. You think that’ll help him stop ignoring me?

Yes.

Wei Wuxian generally trusted Jin Zixuan’s reading of people, now that he was mature enough not to let his personal feelings cloud his judgment. All right, I will. Can you tell me why?

You’ll find out when you tell him.

Unhelpful.

Noted and ignored.

Fuck you.

Yeah, you too. See you soon.

-

Jin Zixuan?

Yeah?

Thank you for my love life, but also, FUCK YOU.

[bratkook]

like a peach. kth.

pairing. taehyung x reader genre. fluff, established relationship warnings. mentions of alcohol, oc is sloshed and clumsy while drunk but otherwise cute word count. 2.5k note. this was requested by @pars-ley​ under #14 #57 #60 from this prompt list, i know the numbers were listed under angst but somehow this became fluffy so im sorry asksjak

The hallway in your complex is completely quiet besides the metallic clanks of your keys jingling against the door knob that echo out, your double vision making your hands miss their target as you once again try to unlock it. With a small laugh you rest your forehead against the door, lips pressed together tightly to hush your drunk giggles. 

A shaky breath leaves your mouth as you press your palms flat against the door, refusing to look at the keyhole since that hasn’t been going well, instead you feel it out, index finger guiding the key against it until it finally slides in. 

“Hell yeah,” you cheer in a whisper, turning the lock and smiling as your front door gets pushed open and reveals the interior of your dimly lit apartment. The creek of your floorboards makes you grimace, only being made worse when you lose the grip on your keys and they clatter on the ground in a sound you swear is deafeningly loud. 

You were doing an absolute horrible job at keeping quiet, clamping a hand over your mouth to stifle your laughs as you bend over and grab them, wobbling around ungracefully and unintentionally slamming the door shut once you stepped inside. 

Taehyung groans from his spot in bed in the room a few feet away, having heard you the minute you rammed into the front door ten minutes ago as you failed to unlock it, trying to block it out in order to get his eight hours of sleep needed before his shift tomorrow morning. He remains in bed though, trusting you enough to know you’d be able to get from point a to point b on your own.

Just as he flips over and tugs the sheets above his head, you enter your shared bedroom, going in totally blind in order to not turn the lights on to prevent disturbing him further. His eyes are shut as he listens to your movements, a small smile on his lips when you start to mumble to yourself as you attempt to recall the layout of the bedroom in your inebriated state. 

“Okay,” you whisper as you inch forward, mentally calculating how many steps it took to get to where you wanted to be, hand outstretched to swat in front of you to help guide you in a fool proof method. “That's the nightstand,” you decide when your palm smacks the hard surface, a small giggle filling the air before you hush yourself once more, finger pressed against your lips. 

If you were right then your bathroom door should only be a few feet to the right, close enough for you to be able to enter with ease, but seeing as you decided to throw back two more shots before leaving the bar you’re not as coordinated as you’d like to think. 

With a confident step, you’re ramming your knee into the corner of the nightstand, the pain flashing up your thigh as you bend forward to clutch the area that throbbed. “Ow fuck,” you wince, loosing your footing and tumbling onto the ground with an even louder thump, unable to conceal the laughter from escaping you full force. 

Taehyung can’t pretend to be asleep any longer now that you’re laughing in pain, sitting up in bed and flicking on the table lamp on his own night stand, the room flooding with that warm familiar glow and it grabs your attention. With a muffled yawn he’s rubbing at his eyes before looking to the side where he sees you laying on the ground in a heap of limbs, absolutely defeated as you continue laughing to yourself. 

“You okay?” His voice is laced with sleep, deep and gravely but you can hear the hint of a smile that you know is on his lips and as you lift your head up to stare back at him you see that much is true. He looks tired beyond belief, eyes squinting at you but the curl of his lips makes you smile back at him, sitting up to rest on your butt instead of sprawled out on the carpet. 

“I think my knee is broken,” you slur with a tilt to your head, eyes looking down at the knee in question, the dull throb still felt from earlier pulsing through the joint. It aches as you stretch it out, wiggling your toes to make sure you weren’t somehow paralyzed now from the force of the impact.

Taehyung chuckles at that, shuffling out of bed and stretching his arms out as he does so, his shirtless upper body out for you to ogle at without a care. If you thought your knee was broken that just wouldn’t do, not on his watch. You observe him quietly as he rounds the bed, his grey sweats hung dangerously low on his hips, bed head leaving his curls fluffed and nearly covering his eyes, looking just as beautiful as he always did.

“Did you have fun?” Taehyung wonders as he approaches you, smelling the alcohol from you now that he was closer. The glazed look in your eyes spell it out for him, the cheeky smile on your face despite the tumbles you have taken entering the apartment alone not putting a damper on the small buzz coursing through your veins, you had clearly had an amazing time.

He sighs gently as he crouches down to your level, knees bent as he softly cradles your face in his palms, thumbs soothing your face when you lean into his touch. “No,” you surprise him with your answer, bottom lip pillowing out as you bite down on it, eyes falling shut briefly as you enjoy finally being with your boyfriend.

“No?” He repeats, leaning forward until his lips met the skin of your forehead in a sweet kiss and you swear your heart squeezes in your chest at the action, more so when he takes it upon himself to start helping you get ready for bed, smiling when he hears the cute way you mumble about him being too good for you under his breath. His hands are tender as he unclasps the hooks to the necklaces you have layered on, your earrings and rings being next to slide off and be placed on top of the nightstand that was the reason for your tumble.

“I missed you too much, couldn’t stop thinking about you.” It comes out as a whine, knowing that although you did have a great time with your friends on a much needed outing, you couldn’t stop your mind from wandering, wanting to text him every hour to see how he was doing at home, desperate for any update despite how mundane it was. He appeases you always, sending you selfies as he rewatches episodes of Criminal Minds, answering your drunk phone calls just to hear you ramble about how good the salted tortilla chips you were eating tasted before abruptly hanging up when your friends handed you another drink.

“Yeah, I think you sent me around fifty I miss you texts,” he teases you, kissing you quickly before standing up to grab one of his shirts from your shared dresser for you to change into. Taehyung would never mind the abundance of messages he’d get on your nights out, preferring that to radio silence and wondering when you’d be home, the love spelled out in typo filled texts leaving him excited for your return home.

“I always miss you.” You breathe out a sigh, smiling wide when he reaches his arms out for you to grab onto, hauling you up onto your unsteady feet once more. The throbbing from your knee was long gone but the wobbling remained so he wraps one of your hands around his shoulder so you could keep yourself steady, not willing to let you tumble once more now that he was around.

“I always miss you too baby.” His admission makes those same butterflies swirl in your tummy, wings flapping so hard you think you might pass out, choosing to grip his shoulder tighter to prevent that from happening. You feel like a love sick puppy whenever you’re around him, sporting permanent heart eyes that are crystal clear despite the beer goggles strapped tightly to your face.

Taehyung has to hold in his teasing when he sees the way your eyes stay glued on him despite how your head lolls to the side the longer you stand there, allowing him to tug up your simple black dress up and off your body, unhooking it from the hand holding onto him before it fell to the floor in a pile.

With the new exposure of your skin, his eyes zero in on the slowly forming bruise on your hip, a splotch of red that was sure to blossom and spread out into shades of purple and blue tomorrow morning. He can’t stop himself from reaching forward and allowing his fingertips to prod at it, apologizing when you wince at the small flash of pain.

“What happened here?” He wonders, knowing very well that you didn’t have that on your body before you left. The only purple specks that coated your skin were nestled in between your thighs, victims of his wandering mouth, but he knew that his lips hadn’t traveled this high up.

With a confused pout you stare down at the area he was now circling softly, eyes widening in realization before you begin giggling. Taehyung simply watches in confusion as you break out into a fit of laughter as you recall how you had gotten that nasty bruise, having rammed your drunk self right into the metal pole outside of the bar. “Tequila happened.”

He just smiles in understanding, unhooking your bra for you before sliding the top of his shirt over your head, he knew very well how clumsy you were without alcohol in your system, witnessing first hand how many times you’d taken nasty falls with the help of Don Julio.

“What, were you ready to square up with someone because I bruise like a peach?” The flash of possessiveness in his face as he spotted the bruise was evident enough, your hands coming up to cup his cheeks with a dopey smile when he tries to play it off with a huff and roll of his eyes.

Taehyung doesn’t fool anyone though, the creeping smile on his face calling his bluff when his eyes meet yours once more. “You know I’d hurt anyone who left a mark on you.”

“Oh yeah?” you giggle, pressing a loving kiss against his lips, feeling him smile through it, not minding the way you taste like tequila. “Well there’s a pretty sturdy light post outside of the bar that you’re more than welcome to go punch for me you macho man.”  

Taehyung laughs now, that hearty laugh you love so much and it warms your chest as he pulls away fully, large hand coming up to cup under your chin, fingers pushing into your cheeks until your lips pucker out obnoxiously. “I’ll do that first thing tomorrow morning,” he presses a rough kiss against you, the wet smack making you snicker in his grasp. “But for now it's bedtime.”

Your lips attempt to pout in the pursed position he has them in, only cheering up when he kisses you once more, releasing his grip and continuing to help you get ready for bed now that it’s been established that your knee was in fact not broken. 

This had to be your favorite part of going out, getting to come home to your boyfriend and being taken care of like a spoiled princess, he knew how much he personally enjoyed it when you would baby him when he came home wasted and giddy, so he always took the time to ensure you were comfortable enough to not go to sleep feeling gross. You’re pliant in his grasp as he hauls you onto the bathroom counter, allowing him to peel off your fake lashes and set them aside with care, removing your makeup with a wipe as carefully as he could, taking the time to not yank at your skin because he knew you’d lecture him about wrinkles.

He only gets a small noise of complaint from you when he brushes your hair, bristles catching onto a knot that he attributes to dried up alcohol that was surely splashed onto you earlier in the night. He decides then to call it quits with that, setting the brush aside and getting your toothbrush ready for you to use, something you were adamant on doing on your own.

Taehyung can just watch you with those same heart shaped eyes you wore as you brush your teeth, eyes droopy as you stare at your reflection, foamy toothpaste escaping from the corners of your mouth and dripping down into the sink as you stick your tongue out to be brushed next.

“What?” you mumble after spitting it all out, eyes narrowed at his own reflection in suspicion before gargling water.

“Nothing, you’re just really pretty.” You don’t fight him on the compliment, always loving how he confidently shot them out to you so often you had no other choice but to accept them even when you felt anything but. He smiles as you avert your eyes and dab at your mouth, mumbling a cute thank you out to him before swiftly exiting the bathroom, cheeks burning from the alcohol and flutter of your emotions.

He allows you to escape without teasing you further, cleaning up the splash of water you had left around the sink as you make yourself cozy in bed, breath minty fresh and face moisturized. Just as you’re about to complain about him being missing he slips into bed beside you, shuffling under the sheets until he feels your skin pressed beside his, wasting no time you nuzzle against Taehyung’s body, arm slung across his stomach with your leg hooked over his hip to keep him close. 

“So, tell me again how I’m a macho man.” The laughter that bubbles out of you makes him smile as he stares down at you through the dim light the moon provides, seeing the way you bury your face into his chest to conceal the giant smile. 

“You want an ego boost at 3 in the morning?”

“Hey you started it,” he shrugs, a yawn escaping him, showing you just how tired he was, not once complaining about being woken up by your drunk antics despite desperately needing sleep. 

“You’re right,” you sigh, tightening your hold on him and pressing a kiss to his bare shoulder, “love you my macho man”

Taehyung hums in appreciation, wrapping his arms around you and bringing you even closer, a kiss pressed to your forehead making you smile the way it always did. “Love you more my little peach.”

[cherriesfineline]

Au Pair – Chapter I

It's finally here – I'm sorry this took so long, this past few weeks have been a mess but here it is, our first chapter for the Au Pair series; I kinda hate this, ngl- I always hate first chapters, a lot of introductory info and bla bla but yeah.

In the weird case you happen to enjoy this and want to be added into the taglist (starting next chapter) you can request it here.

Feedback, likes or reblogs are so, so appreciated! I'm very much new to the whole writing world so yeah it'd be really helpful to hear your thoughts about this <3

Love you all, have a wonderful week beauties!

Warnings: none specifically for this chapter – age gap.

WC: 6.6k

Masterlist

Y/N was tired, to say the least.

And it wasn’t the tiredness she used to feel after a long work shift at her previous job -where her boss was an old, grumpy lady with horrible manners- or the exhaustion felt after spending hours crying due to a fight with her mother. No, this was different. It was a tiredness she couldn’t get rid of; a tiredness no lavender smelling bath or hours upon hours of sleep could amend.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment her brain shifted in such a drastic way. Y/N could easily recognize and admit her life had never been an exciting one; a memorable one. Ever since she was a little girl it all seemed to fly by; graduations, birthdays, friendships – nothing ever seemed to leave an impact and nothing ever seemed as exciting as everyone else put it to be. She knew she struggled with allowing herself to enjoy things, but this far her life had been pretty average.

Maybe it was the fact that she was 22 years old and never been in a real relationship what skyrocketed her fear of dying alone. Now, she knew it might seem exaggerated – 22 years wasn’t a long life at all, but the pungent emptiness she’d been feeling felt like her inevitable destiny – like that’s how life was supposed to be for her.

England felt different, though. But in all honesty, her emotions hadn’t had switched into completely different ones like she’d expected to happen when she applied for this job as an Au Pair all the way back in February.

With a steaming hot cup of coffee between her cold hands, she sat down next to Coco (a very soft grey Scottish Fold) on the giant couch of her new home, scratching in between his tiny ears earning a low purr in response. Coco had become one of her closest friends so far, along with Anya, a three year old girl with cute blonde locks and a laugh so contagious it made the muscles on your cheeks ache after a long playdate.

Maybe moving away wasn’t the smartest choice. It actually might be one of the stupidest choices she had ever made, actually – moving all the way across the globe when she cried herself to sleep most nights due to her loneliness overcoming her (almost inexistent) self-awareness. Y/N liked to believe she had a wide understanding of her emotions, but it was a blatant lie.

At least she was distracted for most of the day – taking care of two kids and looking after a teenager wasn’t an easy task. It required a lot of mental presence; but by the time she was in bed at night, it all hit back again. She thought maybe this is how life is supposed to be for her, lonely – maybe it was not her brain playing her tricks but her brain making her see how her life truly was.

It’d been two weeks since the Lockehold family picked Y/N up from the airport, and on one side getting physically adjusted to this new life hadn't been as rough as she thought it’d be. She did have it easy, if she had to admit – a big room in a giant, beautiful home and a car to her disposal. Emotionally, on the other side, life was still the same.

She knew the moment she heard heels hitting the cold marble staircase Bella was on her way down with Ivy, the eldest of the three sisters, following close behind, complaining about a hangout she was apparently going to miss because they “are expecting a guest” as Bella announced, meaning neither of her parents could drive her. That’s how Y/N found herself sitting in her (borrowed) blue Jeep Renegade driving Ivy to her friend Lily’s house – who lived in the same rich, over-the-top neighborhood as her guest family, which meant the ride to and back was no longer than twenty minutes. During those minutes together, though, Y/N could physically feel the irritation running through Ivy’s blood because first, she still wasn’t too fond of Y/N because she is 16 and doesn’t need a babysitter -her words, not Y/N’s- and second, Y/N is still not accustomed to driving on the other side of the road.

Technically, Y/N had the weekends off. Living with the same people who employed her gladly didn’t mean working 24/7, but she hoped she could earn a couple of points in her favor if she took her free time to drive her around.

After a short conversation between the two (where Ivy refused to save Y/N’s number in case an emergency came up because she could always call her dad), Y/N dropped her off and drove back to the Lockehold’s. What caught her off guard, was the sight of someone in the driveway at the house next door getting suitcases out of the trunk of a black cab – there hadn’t been any movement in the old Victorian mansion since she’d moved in next door. A man, definitely very tall, dressed in a dark suit is all Y/N could decipher since it was already dark outside and she had to strictly concentrate on not switching to the opposite side of the road out of habit.

Alex was coming down the stairs when Y/N locked the front door – Bella’s husband was a very handsome man for his age, probably anyone could admit it. He was kind of scary sometimes, but was a true sweetheart on the inside; he’s in his mid-40’s and it was clear as day his family meant everything to him, he even treated Y/N like his own daughter, always making sure she’s comfortable and inviting her to most family hangouts – even though Y/N declined pretty often to allow them to have quality time as a family (and because being too socially involved drained her, but they needn’t have to know that)

“You wanna join us for dinner? We have a guest tonight. A family friend.”

“Oh, no, I'm good, you guys enjoy yourselves. I’ll say hello, though.” Y/N replied with a smile; and as before mentioned, even though she had the weekends to herself, they still loved to insist on her joining them for fancy dinners and whatnot. The Lockehold’s loved being hostesses, loved having people around (from what Y/N learned this past two weeks) but she really wanted -and needed- some time for herself after being with them the entire week, and even though she loved hanging out with them, she just wasn’t in the mood tonight.

“You sure? Bella made homemade pasta, from scratch. Her specialty.” Mouthwatering, Y/N thought. Bella was such an amazing cook, and even though she worked hours upon hours every day, she still came to her husband and kids in time to make dinner every night, not missing a single day.

“Sounds delicious, but I think I’ll pass, I’m just really tired.” And before anyone could make another comment, the loud bell ringing through the main floor of the house startled Y/N as it’s louder than ordinary – and sounded kind of old and creepy, in her opinion. By the time the constant thud in her chest lowered to a normal speed, she could recognize Bella’s voice in the foyer, meaning she was the one who received their guest, with a deep voice following after saying 'thank you for having me'.

"He's here!" Alex clasped his hands together, a wide smile appearing in his face. Y/N followed him into the living room where Bella was already chatting animatedly with a man; tall and with broad shoulders (but not excessively; just the right amount) his figure was leaning slightly forward as he listened to Bella rambling about all the 'good things he had missed while he was away'. His hands were clasped on his back and when he lifted his head, he made direct eye contact with Y/N without even having to search for her eyes. His brown curls were perfectly placed on top of his head looking extremely soft, and when he ran his hand through it Y/N couldn’t help but swallow harshly. He undoubtedly looked like someone who belonged in Hollywood next to a young Leo DiCaprio and he was definitely older than Y/N – probably already in his 30's, she guessed, but ageing like the finest wine. He had the softest looking wrinkles in the corners of his eyes – those eyes, forest green; reminded Y/N of what used to be home for her. His intense gaze held a lot of emotion, a lot of thought, unlike his face, that appeared stiff and cold, with a slight crease between his brows. His pink, heart-shaped lips were pressed in a line, a cute mole adorning one side of his chin.

"Harry! It's so good to see you, we've missed you." Alex's excitement forced him to drift his gaze away from Y/N, leaving her like a heated teenager salivating for him. Y/N honestly thought he might had left her speechless and most likely with increasing probabilities to make a fool out of herself if someone needed her to talk, as she was certain she wouldn't be able to formulate any coherent sentences.

Harry. It totally suited him, Y/N repeated his name a couple of times inside her head to check on its pronunciation. Alex reached him and pulled him in a big hug, patting each other's back, and Harry's lips broke into a huge smile making a line of pearly white teeth appear. And dimples. God, he had dimples.

This is how I die, Y/N thought.

"So good to see you, Alex." If sex was a sound, his voice would definitely be it.

"Your skin is glowing, Harry. Italy always does you wonders." Bella gushed. And she was right – his skin had this beautiful golden undertone, but it looked natural and radiant, almost like the sun itself kissed and caressed his skin with the softest touches. Alex snapped Y/N into reality when he turned to face her and grabbed her hand to pull her closer to them, starting a long introduction no one was paying much attention to, explaining how he’d missed her arrival, like he even cared, and how she was the Au Pair they’d all been talking about ever since February. It wasn’t until Alex mentioned something about Y/N and Harry probably seeing each other a lot she was suddenly interested in what was actually going on.

“He owns the school the girl’s attend.” Alex directed towards her. Now, Y/N assumed the moment she laid eyes on him he was probably rich – who wears a suit to a Sunday dinner with friends? Rich people are weird, that’s something we can all agree on; but owning a school which’s monthly fees per kid were worth three of her salaries? That was quite unexpected.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Harry." Y/N offered him her hand, trying to sound as casual as possible, even if her skin felt like it was burning under his intense gaze and her eyes were definitely betraying her.

"The pleasure’s all mine, Y/N." He shook her hand. His strong hold sent shivers down her spine; the cold rings making a big contrast against the heat his hand radiated and she couldn't help but fantasize about how his touch would feel in some other places.

The sudden embarrassment feeling hot against her cheeks made her turn around impossibly faster, feeling guilty at the dirty thoughts consuming her brain while around her bosses – and in front of him. Making a beeline straight to her room, announcing she was calling it a night, she sent Harry a quick -but quite charming- smile, and couldn’t help but soften at the sound of Anya running down the stairs yelling an excited ‘Harryyyy’ once she was past the kitchen.

She knew she got lucky with her commodities – an entire studio-like apartment past the main kitchen of the house, where the servant’s area used to be located a handful of decades ago; but she cussed in a whisper when she remembered half way through her making of a sandwich (four hours after she’d retreated to her bedroom and because she decided on skipping dinner that night, not having enough energy to cook) that her lazy ass still hadn’t bought mayonnaise. Her small kitchen had enough space to hold her snacks, along with some ingredients to make a few meals, since she only had to worry about food on the weekends. Reluctantly, she took the small plate holding her sandwich and made her way towards the main kitchen. There was no way in hell she’d eat a sandwich with no mayo – never in a million years, too dry to go down her throat.

I guess they won't mind if I grab just enough to put on my sandwich, she thought. The house was quiet, everyone probably already in bed, therefore she almost pissed herself when she found Harry sitting in one of the kitchen stools, looking down at his phone with an annoyed expression adorning his face. Almost as if he could sense someone was in the same room, he looked up to find Y/N standing at the kitchen threshold, his face abandoning any sort of emotion.

"Hey."

"Hi." Y/N walked towards the fridge on the far right of the kitchen, opposite from where she came in. "Sorry, I thought no one was here."

"Don't worry, just waiting for Bella and Alex to come back down to have some tea, they're putting the girls to sleep. Would you like to join us?" He offered. And honestly, she'd love to say yes and just listen to him talk with that deep, melodic voice, but her stomach was really hating her right now.

"I'm good, just grabbing some mayo. Thank you, though." She declined with a small smile.

"Next time." He sounded more demanding than suggesting, which slightly baffled Y/N. "Can I ask where you are from?" He asked respectfully.

"A small town in the Argentine Patagonia." Y/N replied with her back facing him as she busied herself with the mayonnaise container.

"Never been to Argentina. Or anywhere in South America, actually." And when Y/N turned around, sandwich in hand ready to go back to her room, their eyes met across the kitchen and she felt the heat creeping up her neck for the second time that night. Y/N wondered how his gaze was always this intense – she wasn’t a fan of how they’d barely exchanged a few words and somehow she felt so exposed.

"You should. It's beautiful." She almost, almost, choked on her own words and when she looked down at her fuzzy pink socks and back to him to try and calm her growing nerves down, he surprised her when she caught him looking up and down her body – in any other case she definitely would’ve felt creeped out, but there was something about him, the fact that he definitely didn’t do it with the intention of her catching him (she noticed how he shifted uncomfortably on his seat after the exchange) and how he simply added a “I’m sure it is," afterwards, she knew she was fucked right then and there – she wanted him looking at her. Was that something bad?

But then – then she remembered how she was wearing her soft cotton pajamas, and she began wondering if he was just laughing internally at her outfit instead of checking her out like she initially thought. And just like a save from heaven, Bella and Alex appeared in the kitchen discussing who was picking Ivy up from her friend's house. "Hi Y/N, still awake?"

"Yeah, got hungry. Stole a bit of mayo, hope you don't mind." She shyly held the plate up.

"Please, this is your house too." Alex waved her off.

"Thanks. Gonna go back now." Y/N pointed towards the small hallway that led to her room. "Goodnight." Turning her body to walk away, she caught Harry's eyes, again, still staring at her, but decided on simply walking away, breaking eye contact, making that small interaction their last one for the night.

&

The following week consisted of Anya and Y/N playing lots of fun games, trying to get a word out of Charlie and Ivy ignoring her for the most part. Her relationship with each of them was completely different, each trusting her at their own peace, getting used to having a stranger around. Anya seemed the only one openly excited to hang out with Y/N every day, and even though she could tell Charlie didn't exactly mind her presence, she still hadn't talked to her as much as she'd like her to.

"What are you up to, Charlie?" Y/N asked the seven year old as she sat next to her in the big playroom they had on the main floor. Charlie kept her gaze locked on her drawing with a handful of crayons on her right hand as she drew with her left. "You're left handed? That's so cool!" Bella had mentioned some time ago that Charlie had a really hard time letting people in, Y/N knew it'd take some time for her to see her as a friend -like she wanted her to- rather than someone who gets paid to hang out with her, but Bella confessed Charlie was actually really excited to meet Y/N, which felt like a small relief, knowing she actually wanted her there – unlike Ivy. Charlie spoke only when necessary and struggled with making friends but her psych pedagogue said she's just really shy and that ‘once she breaks out of her shell, she's unstoppable’. "I love the birds you drew here." Y/N pointed at some small birds sitting in a tree branch.

"Bluebirds." She murmured.

Getting a single word from her was considered progress, in Y/N’s opinion, but that’s all she got for the entire afternoon – even after constantly sending comments her way while playing with Anya so Charlie wouldn’t feel left out, not a single word came out of her mouth. Anya mentioned Harry at some point while talking about her favorite doll (which Harry had gifted her for her 3rd birthday) and the flash of captivating green eyes almost blinded her internally (she couldn’t deny she’d thought about Harry every once in a while this past week)

And it wasn’t until later that same day, after spending a long while sitting alone in a nearby park, she got the chance to see him again – even if he had scared her (almost) to death, she couldn’t help but feel an annoying flutter in her stomach.

She would like to say she loved her long walks during the most unreasonable times at night, but her reasoning behind her late night needs of distraction didn’t exactly thrill her. It was during the quietest and most peaceful times of the day when her mind seemed to speed faster than ever before; the sleepless nights and brain-wrecking thinking of how alone and empty she actually felt, along with the laziness and reluctance when it came to things that used to make her happy weighed her down like carrying a sack of potatoes on her back.

As she was walking past her neighbor's house (the one where she had seen that man with the suitcases last week) she noticed someone sitting on the large porch. Weird, she thought. She hadn't noticed any movement in the house since that night a week ago, to the point she even considered it being empty again. The silhouette seemed oddly familiar though she couldn’t quite put her finger on it.

"Y/N." She slightly jumped as she heard them call for her, in a strong and deep accent. Was that...

"Harry?" She asked befuddled. Did he live there? She watched as he stood up from his sitting position on the outdoor couch and walked across his front yard to take a closer look at him stopping at the bottom of the short staircase that leads to the porch. "What are you doing up so late?" And then something clicked in her brain – he was probably the man she saw that night, with his suitcases. It made sense, how he probably got home from vacation the same day he had dinner at the Lockehold's – the same day Bella mentioned something about him being in Italy

"Can't sleep." He simply replied, with a small sigh. He then nodded to the seat behind him, and Y/N could physically feel her brain going a thousand miles per minute. She sat on the far left of the couch as he retook his seat on the right, "what are you doing up so late?" He repeated her question.

And Y/N repeated his answer. "Can't sleep."

So they sat in silence, what felt like hours barely being a few seconds. "Didn't know you lived next door." Y/N took the time to take in his side profile - sharp and long nose, the tip curving slightly downwards when he spoke the next line.

"Never mentioned it." He replied apathetically. The unexpected switch in his tone made her immediately shut up, and even though it confused Y/N as to why he would want her joining him if he didn't want to talk, she was dreading going back to her room alone to drown in her thoughts again. She'd take uncomfortable company over being alone when her head got like this, it helped her get distracted; overthinking this situation instead of the same scenarios that constantly lived in her head.

They again sat in silence for a while, this time for longer than a few minutes, and even though it was slightly uncomfortable, there was an unspoken understanding between them. He just wanted company, and so did she. This time, however, it was him who tried for conversation. "Why did you choose England for your Au Pair program?"

"I was actually convinced I was going to choose France," Y/N shared with a soft tone, "but when I met the girls in one of my interviews I just knew I had to come here. Anya was so excited about meeting me, she thought it was already settled." She ended with a small smile on her lips. The memory of Anya smiling happily at her through the computer screen even when she hadn't had met her yet warming her heart.

It was true, the fact that she’d chosen England because of the girls. She wanted to learn French – she knew her way around the English language pretty well; but the French family whom interviewed her didn’t come close to the Lockehold’s at all – she thought maybe the experience of living in a whole different continent with a wonderful family was better than choosing a place because of the language – the experience was being experienced either way.

"Anya is a very special kid. They all are." Harry declared, the left corner of his mouth turning upwards in a small half smile.

Y/N nodded slowly before asking, "How long have you known them?" She could recall Alex saying he was a family friend – but she had no other information about him besides that.

"A while." The small conversation went for a long while, he shared the real reason as to why he was awake so late, explaining how he has struggled with falling asleep ever since he was young, but besides that comment, he kept his life very private; not sharing much information about himself during their chat, and every time Y/N reciprocated a question, he would either answer vaguely or didn't answer at all, changing the subject with another question. "It's really late" He commented, Y/N’s phone reading 1:08am.

"Yeah, I should probably go to bed." She lifted her head to look at him, who was already searching for her eyes. Y/N cleared her throat when a few moments passed by, again, with no one speaking a word. She wondered what could possibly be going through his head at the time, but he nodded, got up and said, "I'll see you around, Y/N." Her name flowed so nicely out of his lips it made her knees get weak. Locking herself in her bedroom (after entering it by the door at the side of the house – which leaded straight to her room) she laid in bed trying to understand why they’d just hang out in his front porch way past midnight when they clearly didn’t know each other very well – or at all, better said.

&

First day of classes came by in a heartbeat. The first Monday of September Y/N found herself getting up earlier than she was accustomed to, since the girl's sleeping schedule was different during the summer. 6:15am read her alarm when she lazily threw the soft covers off her body. A quick shower and minimal makeup application later, she stood naked next to her bed checking the weather app, as to know how to prepare the girl's clothes.

After putting a soft pink sweater on and a pair of flared jeans, Y/N left the warmth of her room to wake the girls up. Going for Charlie first (since she didn't need any help changing into her uniform and Ivy used her own alarm) she didn't give Y/N any work at all, waking up immediately after softly calling her name once. Picking her uniform from her closet and leaving it for her to change, Y/N left Charlie’s room to walk towards the next door.

"Morning, Anya." She whispered as she brushed some of her hair out of her face. Anya’s little nose scrunched up and a soft whimper left her mouth as she switched positions, now laying on her side, "gotta wake up, love." Y/N shook her arm softly, and she finally opened her eyes, a tired smile creeping up her face as she noticed it was Y/N sitting next to her. Y/N left her to rub the tiredness off her eyes while she picked her clothes (since her daycare was at the same school her older sister's attended -Harry's school, Y/N couldn't help but think- her uniform consisted of only a white t-shirt with the school logo along with any pair of bottoms she chose for the day.

After picking up her cute small rain boots and help her get dressed up, Y/N did a cute hairstyle on her with the small butterfly hair clips she chose, and went back to Charlie's room to do her hair, Anya coming along.

They arrived at their school; a big, period-like brick building with hundreds of students roaming around and a beautiful fountain at the front – which actually made Y/N’s childhood look like a big joke; the school she had attended was located in the middle of the mountains in a remote field.

"I'll be here at two thirty. Good luck, girls, I'll see you later." Ivy walked away sending a 'mhm' her way to let her know she heard her, and Charlie offered a small smile along with a wave and walked away like her sister. Y/N took Anya off her car seat and helped her get out of the car, her tiny backpack sitting on Y/N’s right shoulder as she grabbed the hand Anya offered her.

"Mommy said I have the penguins' classroom!" She said with excitement as they walked through the doors at the right wing of the building.

"That's so cool! I love penguins, let's search for the door which has penguins on it, shall we?" Y/N suggested even though she could clearly see their door at the end of the hallway.

"Yes! This one has elephants," she pointed at the door they were passing, "look, butterflies!"

"Like your hairclips!" Y/N exclaimed, and she giggled nodding her head. "Ah! Look what we found..." Y/N pointed at the next door.

"Penguins!" She skipped towards the door, dragging Y/N along. They entered the big and colorful classroom where they found some kids crying in their parent’s arms, others being as excited as Anya.

"Hi there! Anya, am I correct?" A woman who appeared to be around Y/N’s age came up to them, scrunching down to be on Anya’s eye level. She nodded frantically, excitement dripping from her smile. "My name is Miss Pia, I'm going to be your teacher this year." She introduced herself, Anya gave her an even bigger smile and slyly asked if she could go meet her classmates, to which Miss Pia agreed, asking her to first hang her small backpack in the rack at the back of the room, taking it from my hands and running excitedly to do it.

"You must be Y/N, then?" Miss Pia asked, getting back up to her feet. She was short with blonde curly hair sitting high in a ponytail, rosy cheeks and a cute teacher apron on top of her regular clothes.

"I am." Y/N offered her hand.

"The administration office said we would be having an Au Pair this year, they always give us a heads up with situations like these." She explained, and Y/N nodded as she continued, "we have the parents, nannies or in this case, Au Pairs," they both laughed," stay for the introduction, you can leave afterwards."

"Perfect, I'll sit at the back with the rest of the parents." Y/N ended up staying for about half an hour, smiling at Anya every time she turned to search for her when something exciting seemed to be happening. She won't be needing any adaptation, as Miss Pia said, and she was dismissed right before they had their first trip to the playground outside, taking advantage of the fact that it hadn't started raining yet.

Right when Y/N was walking out of the building, she spotted Harry at the main entrance, reading something on his phone. He was wearing a navy blue suit with a white shirt underneath, and he looked even more handsome in the daylight. She made her way towards him, walking up the marble stairs (marble stairs! In a school?), and when he noticed her, he put his phone away and slowly (and trying to be as discrete as possible – which he failed to, again) looked up and down her body. Something about him giving her his full attention made her insides burn, and she couldn’t help but bit her bottom lip to suppress a smile.

"Hi." She stopped in front of him, taking a moment to look at his eyes; they definitely looked a lot lighter now that there was natural light surrounding them.

"Hi." He repeated, "Dropped the girl's off?" He motioned towards the building with his head.

"Yes, just left Anya’s classroom." She shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"Miss Pia?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

"Yes. She's nice, looks like she knows what she's doing." Y/N shrugged. She didn't exactly know her enough to have a conversation about her – and she most definitely couldn’t be one to talk, since she herself didn’t know what she was doing half of the time. “How’s the first day back been so far?” He got cut off from his next comment by his phone, and the small crease between his eyebrows grew deeper, which didn’t go unnoticed by Y/N. "I'll leave you to it." She announced, but his eyes found hers again, and it was almost like he was asking for her to not leave him to it, but Y/N didn’t trust her instincts, not with him – not when he made her so nervous her brain couldn’t process things around him, and she was scared of misreading his expressions; he was hard to read. Not like she was expert at reading people but he was frustratingly confusing.

&

They didn't see each other again until a week later on a Tuesday evening – the same day Charlie, Anya and her decided to go for a walk and treat themselves with ice cream from a cute shop across from (what had come to be) her favorite park, Harry and Y/N found each other's eyes across his front garden, just like that night, but this time it was easy for her to recognize him as she could see his face clear and glowing from the sunset shine. His eyes were glued to her until the fence that divided their houses blocked his view, and again, Y/N wondered what could be going through his head.

It wasn’t until after dinner, past her work hours, she decided to leave the house through the door on her room with the sparking curiosity to test if she would run into Harry. Stopping on the sidewalk in front of his house, she noticed he was not sitting outside, and even though that's exactly what she had expected -he was not going to sit there for hours and hours, right?- There still was a small feeling of disappointment that rushed through her, and when she snapped back into reality, it was too late to stop herself as she knocked on his front door.

And Y/N didn’t know where to hide – not like hiding would be less embarrassing but God she did hate herself that moment. The embarrassment running through her veins was painful and made her lightheaded – she knew she had trouble sometimes with not thinking things through, but this was beyond her. He barely knew her. And suddenly his door was wide open.

"Y/N?" Of course she was not lucky enough for him to be asleep and not hearing her knock – life would’ve been too in her favor for that to happen. Of course he was very awake with a half drank cup of tea in his hand and the softest looking pair of grey sweatpants hanging low on his hips. "Are you ok? You look really pale." His voice was calm, probably the softest it'd ever been in her presence. At least he doesn't sound mad, Y/N thought.

Harry wanted to be confused, but he was more curious than anything else. For some reason, he felt very intrigued by Y/N – how she seemed confident but insanely insecure at the same time; it reminded him of himself, if he had to be honest. He just learned how to hide the latter.

"Uh, yeah- um, I was-" she nervously turned around halfway to look behind her and back at him again. He raised his eyebrows in curiosity and Y/N really tried her hardest not to step over her words. "I was about to go for a walk, uh, I was wondering if you'd like to join me?" Stupid. So, so stupid, Y/N thought.

"No, I'm good." He replied, finding oh-so-amusing the way her eyes gave her embarrassment away – he was having fun, watching her like a lost puppy trying to think through her next words.

Her mind was, of course, over speeding. She now felt even more embarrassed. Of course he doesn't want to go for a walk, Y/N conscience spoke to her, it's a Tuesday night and he's probably tired and I'm his friends' Au Pair – he probably thinks I'm this young and annoying girl who has a stupid crush and- "would you like to join me?" He interrupted her self-beating up raising his cup and she noticed the half smile adorning his face, almost like he could tell the wheels in her brain were fast-moving.

"Wouldn't want to interrupt-"

"You're not. I wouldn't have invited you in if you were. C'mon in, now. It's kinda cold out here." He disappeared inside of his house, leaving her on his porch with an open mouth and a blank brain. After closing the door behind her and taking her black vans off, she turned on her left as she guessed that was the way Harry went – and she knew she’d guessed correctly when she stepped into a big open-plan concept living room with a giant kitchen on the far back, Harry standing with his back towards her preparing her tea, "sugar?"

"No, thank you." She sat in one of the stools at the kitchen island as she took the scene in front of her. Her very cute (and much older), very hot neighbor Harry, in sweatpants and a very thin white shirt, a small patch of skin showing on his hip, making her tea. His shoulders were broad and she could see his back muscles moving as he poured steaming hot water into the cup, the little curls on his neck so inviting, if only she could run her hand through his soft looking hair just once-

"There you go. Cardamom." He snapped her out of her (probably inappropriate) thoughts, and she thanked him as she grabbed the cup from where he placed it; he stayed in his position standing in front of her on the other side of the island, with his forearms against the cold marble, sipping on his own mug, thinking about how strange it felt to have someone he wasn’t close with sitting in his kitchen after so long. "Why are you up so late?"

"I couldn't sleep."

"I figured. I couldn't either, looks like we both have a bit of sleeping issues, huh?" He sounded playful, but tired. Y/N knew exactly how it felt, being so tired but not being able to peacefully go to bed and get some needed rest.

"I remember you mentioning it before, I figured I'd check if you were up. Walking helps me relax, thought maybe you'd enjoy it too." OK, that wasn't entirely true but her reasoning to be there was quite similar – to check if he was up so they could, maybe, share a quiet night like that one a few weeks ago. None of them understood why they found such comfort in each other’s company – none of them felt like they needed to try too hard.

At some point during their conversation they moved to the couch, where they laid with a wide gap between their bodies. "Elton John's was definitely an interesting read. Lots of crazy anecdotes, you should read it."

"Probably not as good as Keith's, but I'll give it a go." He let a dimpled smile creep into his face, turning his head to look at her from across the couch and the annoying turn her stomach made obliged her to return it, just as bright as his. Finding out their music taste was quite similar made Y/N’s insides all warm and fuzzy, he showed her his vinyl collection (which was quite large) and ranted about how the modern industry was missing a rock star with some of that unexplainable essence old rock bands have – to which she respond saying maybe that something that makes them special was the fact that they were old bands... added to the fact that even though she was an old music lover, modern pop was her guilty pleasure.

Their third teacups were long forgotten on the modern coffee table by the time he noticed Y/N’s eyes were slowly beginning to close and he, as last time, said, "it's really late." And Y/N only nodded and tiredly got up from her position, with him following close behind.

"Goodnight, Harry. Thank you for having me even though I came unannounced." She shyly said, her actions still making her embarrassed even though it had already been a couple of hours.

"My pleasure. We should- do this again," He coughed into his hand, and uncomfortably continued, "I enjoy your company." That sentence alone made her heart explode with a thousand emotions, because even though they barely knew each other and it clearly pained him to admit he enjoyed having her around, his presence made her calm but anxious in a peculiar mixture of emotions. All she did in return was gift him a big smile, face hot of embarrassment (a nice kind of embarrassment, that feeling when you just want to smile really big and tightly hug whoever is making you feel that way) and slowly pushed herself up on her tiptoes to give him a sweet kiss on the cheek. "Bye." He said lastly, and closed his front door with red cheeks and dimples on display.

- Joey.

[jinkicake]

You Call Him Daddy?!

You accidentally call them daddy in front of the team.

Akaashi Keiji x Reader

Kozume Kenma x Reader

Anon, this might be a tad bit ooc in some parts.... Sometimes I picture the different ways these characters act when they aren’t seen and I like to write it like that LOL You know experiment and shit,,, Also I feel like I’m the only bitch who likes Nohebi HAHAH 

SMUT // NSFW 

WC- 2,213

~~~

Akaashi Keiji

First let me say, wow Akaashi is so pretty and done.

I feel like if you accidentally call him daddy in front of the team it’ll be such a big mess 

All the third years, except Bokuto, are going to be silent, while their captain is like ‘yo toss for me’ like the whole ‘daddy’ thing would go over Bokuto’s head. Sweet Bokuto does not kink shame, okay. The managers would be squealing and gasping in shock, sending you suggestive looks before dragging you off somewhere to beg for details HAHAH

“Keiji! I’m so happy to see you!” You exclaim softly before wrapping your arms around him, you’re at the representative playoffs and you finally get to see your boyfriend once again after the few weeks of separation

Despite living relatively close to one another, you and Akaashi were both very busy preparing for these games. While he was practicing with his own team, you were managing for yours (which always proved to be a challenge, even now)

“Oh, how is your girlfriend doing by the way?” Kuroo sneers behind you and you glance to see your own captain squaring up with the pesky cat 

“Ah, excuse me Keiji,” You pout and apologize, Akaashi gently smiles and kisses the pout off your lips before unwrapping his arms to let you go control your petty team

“Daishou!” You scold and wrap your hand around said boy’s bicep, pulling him behind you to get in front of Kuroo, you give the Nekoma captain a fake smile before turning around to face your friend “I’m trying to see my boyfriend and I can’t do that if you keep starting shit!” You whisper-yell and Daishou rolls his eyes

“I didn’t start anything-“ He lies and you narrow your eyes up at him

“Daishou stay away from them and they’ll stay away from you, okay? Save your energy for the court.” You pat his chest and gently let go of the grip you have on him,

You’re about halfway back to Akaashi before you hear the damn snake speak up again

“I broke up with her!” Your eye twitches because you know damn well Yamaka broke up with him, you send Akaashi another sympathetic smile before walking back to your teammate

The grip you have on Daishou’s collar makes him choke and you practically toss him into the wall and get in-between him and Kuroo once more, glaring at anyone who looks at you

“I am trying to talk to my boyfriend who I have not seen in a few weeks so if you both could kindly stay away from each other I would appreciate it,” You smile sweetly and Daishou scrunches his nose before opening his mouth once more 

“See you in the finals” He sneers and you quite literally pick him up by his hair

“Daishou if you don’t shut the fuck up, you’re not going to see the finals. All I want is to have a peaceful day and then go home and give my boyfriend that gawk gawk 3000 and call him daddy so if you could please help me just this once and be quiet.” You growl and drag him away from Nekoma, smiling softly at Akaashi when you pass him, you bring your captain all the way to where your team is in the bleachers and sit him down on the bench “okay, now then-“

“You call him daddy?” Daishou snickers and you narrow your eyes at him

“What the hell are you talking about?” You ask and Daishou laughs so loudly it sounds like a cackle 

“You said, and I quote,” Daishou clears his throat before speaking again, purposely altering the pitch of his tone to reference yours “give my boyfriend that gawk gawk 3000 and call him daddy so if you could please-“ 

Daishou shuts up when you sit down next to him dejectedly

“I said that in front of you and the entire Nekoma team and Fukuroudani?” You whisper and the captain throws his arm around your shoulder

“Don’t worry (Y/N)! At least you didn’t say it in front of our team…. Oh wait,” He snickers and you awkwardly face the rest of your players and coach

“Ah, Daishou, I’m going to quit” You cry and he immediately tries to calm you down 

“Wait, (Y/N), no you can’t!” 

“So, you like being called daddy?” Kuroo asks after he bumps into Akaashi. Your boyfriend can only sigh in shame and shake his head, “I-is that a yes or a no?”

“That’s a shut the fuck up Kuroo” Kenma bites and defends his other friend, trying to drag the middle blocker away from the setter

Konohana, Komi, and Sarukui simply blink before walking away, dragging Bokuto along with them so their setter can face the shame in peace 

“Oh, Keiji!” You squeak and tightly grip the bed sheets on either side of you, you want to so badly grip his silky hair but, Akaashi has rules. The dark-haired boy flicks your thigh as a warning and you can’t help the pout that appears on your face. Akaashi not allowing you to touch him is a big punishment and, needless to say, you aren’t happy about it. Akaashi continues to stare up at you from in-between your thighs, his lips have captured your clit as he sucks dutifully on the swollen bud. 

“Daddy,” The pitiful whimper slips past your lips and Akaashi smirks against your soaking cunt, his tongue flicks your clit. His warm mouth is welcoming as he continues the harassment on the delicate pearl. “I-I love you.” The endearing phrase flies past your lips and Akaashi feels his resolve soften, he can never stay harsh with you for long. 

Though, he will try.

Akaashi removes his mouth and slaps your clit with four fingers, watching as you squirm and cry at the impact. He can tell how badly you want to grip his hair and he mentally reminds himself to reward you for staying so still, well as still as you can be. He continues to tap the sensitive bundle of nerves, ranging from light taps to slaps that sound throughout the room. 

“Daddy, please,” You cry and Akaashi takes pity on you, he leans forward and licks soothing strips up against your clit. He wants to kiss the sting away because he truly cares too much about his baby and wants you to feel nothing but pleasure.

“Daddy loves you too sweet girl, I love you so much.” Akaashi coos as he kisses along your thigh, he glances up and sees you staring at him with a deep pout on your face. He just wants to kiss it off. “Don’t look at me like that.” He tries to scold but his words come out weak, your pitiful eyes play numbers on him that he will never understand. “Patience, you’ll get what you want, hold out for Daddy."

Kozume Kenma

I 99.9% believe that Kenma getting called daddy in front of the team is Kuroo’s fault ,,, LOL 

Like Kuroo knows shit and it accidentally slips and everyone is like … ‘kuroo wtf’ because nobody believes him much to Kenma’s relief HAHAH

It isn’t often that you can convince Kenma to stay after at a joint practice but when you do, you nearly regret it every time

“And then she wanted to call me daddy,” Kuroo gasps loudly like the gossiper he is and you have to refrain from rolling your eyes at the way Bokuto is hanging onto his every word “shit honestly though, it was pretty hot”

The one time…. One time you convince Kenma to stay after practice to spend time with his friends and these are the conversations you get 

“Oh, I totally believe you Kuroo” You click your tongue mockingly and the tall captain gently pushes the side of your head 

“It’s true, don’t be jealous you weren’t her (Y/N)” Kuroo throws back and you flick him off, internally smiling at the way Kenma pulls you closer to his chest and tightens his arms around your shoulders 

“Kuroo you’re literally the biggest nerd on the planet, you really expect me to believe you get pussy, much less get someone to call you daddy?” At your words Bokuto gasps and Akaashi covers the ace’s gaping mouth with his own hand

“Ask Kenma he was there!” Kuroo flicks your forehead and you turn around to your boyfriend with your hand already bunched up in his dyed hair 

“I was not there,” Kenma confirms and had it not been for his arms wrapped around your waist, you would have lunged at Kuroo

“I don’t know why it’s so hard to believe, it’s not like you don’t call Kenma ‘daddy’” Kuroo spills, stating it so simply like he’s talking about the weather. You start to mentally plan his death as Akaashi shakes his head and Bokuto begins laughs loudly

You know Kenma hates being put in the spotlight but you simply could not help yourself

“You’re telling me if you had this mf fucking you every night, you wouldn’t call him daddy?” You snap at Kuroo and Kenma tenses behind you before squeezing your hips so hard you nearly yelp, Kuroo leans back on his forearms and looks around proudly like what did I say? 

“Yeah, okay,” Bokuto wheezes and falls back on the gym floor 

“What?” You and Kuroo both snap and Bokuto laughs even harder, clutching his sides and trying to cover his loud voice with Akaashi’s jacket

“Those two virgins? Yeah right-AH” Bokuto points at you and Kenma before Akaashi shuts him up by covering his mouth once again

“How would you even know that Kuroo?” Akaashi asks while placing his other hand on Boktuo’s shoulder to keep him pinned to the floor 

“Best friends don’t overshare their sex lives?” Kuroo asks and Akaashi shakes his head quietly, Kuroo does not miss a beat with his follow-up response “Oh, I forgot you two do each other so there isn’t much to share” 

Now it’s your turn to gasp and Kenma tries to hide the audible hitch in your breath with his hand. The gym is now silent and you eagerly glance between Kuroo, Akaashi, and Bokuto while waiting for someone to confirm or deny the statement

“Come on Kuroo it was one time!” Bokuto finally gets out of Akaashi’s grasp and Kuroo gives him a pointed look, “Fine. Five times” Another moment of silence passes before “Okay, it has become a regularly occurring thing” 

“Wow,” You simply nod in amazement before sending Akaashi a proud thumbs-up, one that Kenma swats down quickly 

“So we all probably have daddy kinks…” You trail off and look around the gym suspiciously, taking in the small noticeable nods you receive while trying to subtly hide the shocked look on your face

“Well, wasn't this fun, we all learned something new about each other!” Kuroo claps amusedly and Kenma buries his head into your shoulder 

“Yeah, too much,” He mutters before nudging your nose with his ear “can we leave now?”

Of course, Kuroo happened to overhear that

“KENMA I HEARD THAT!” 

Kenma kneels behind you and he oozes disinterest as his eyes run all over your bent figure. The way he has you tied up has your face shoved into the mattress while your ass is high in the air. Kenma leans forward, hovering over you as he playfully snaps your blindfold between his fingers. 

“You’re so irritating,” He sighs and tugs on your hair roughly, forcing you to arch your back even more. It doesn’t matter how much shit he talks because you can still feel the hard heat digging into the back of your thighs. “you really wanted everyone to know your little secret.” 

Kenma trails one of his hands between your thighs, running his fingers along your slit and the gag in your mouth muffles your moans. 

“Kuroo acts like he knows everything we do behind closed doors but truthfully, he doesn’t even know the half of it.” Kenma softly rubs his palm against your ass, smoothing it over to the bottom of your spine. “Isn’t that right?” He asks and you can’t help the way you push your ass harder up against him. 

A harsh slap resonates around the room, the entire impact of it all makes your body lunge forward. Had it not been for the restraints, you would have bucked your head into the wooden headboard. Kenma quietly laughs before doing it again, letting his slim hand smack your ass once more. He watches with an amused expression at how your thighs have slightly spread for him so that he can see your drenched cunt perfectly.

“You’re enjoying this,” Kenma voices his thoughts and you nod your head, Kenma has to hold back from rolling his eyes and he leans over to release the gag from your mouth.

“Yes Daddy, I want more. Please,” You softly moan, your voice coming out hoarse due to the strain in your jaw and the dryness of your throat. Your boyfriend almost regrets taking the gag off your loudmouth. Regardless, he finds himself playing right into your game and the tightness in his pants increases tenfold. He does this all for you, Kenma lies to himself. It isn’t all entirely just for you.

“How many more do you want? How many more can you take from me?”

~ Taglist.

@yams046 @why-am-i-sad-and-sleepy @xhanjisungiex @xxashshs @chaosamu @angelkogane @augustdearly @kunimwuah  @lovellucy @osamuonigiri @pearzuko @darksxder

[envysparkler]

I have a friend who doesn’t know anything about DC or the batfam, but loves fanfic and is willing to get into the fandom. What fanfics do you recommend (yours or someone else’s) to help them get into it?

I didn't touch a single DC comic before I dove headfirst into this fandom, so you're in the right place. Or the wrong place, depending on whether you're looking for canon characterizations or not. 😂

I dropped this question into the whump server and they had a lot of opinions, but making a rec list really depends on preferences.

For example, I love enemy-to-caretaker, it's my life and soul, and I will read near almost everything that has it, regardless of fandom or character. So if you drop some of their favorite tropes/character types, I can find more specific recs, assuming that they're into whump or h/c, because I don't really read fluff.

However, I do have some blanket recs--some of these were definitely my first introduction to the batfam fandom!

Minimum Height Requirement by Drag0nstorm

Somewhere in the multiverse, there's a universe where letting his children dress up in capes and follow him into vigilantism seems like a good idea.

Bruce is determined that it isn't going to be this one . . . Despite his children's repeated attempts to convince him otherwise.

(Or: "When you're eighteen, you can do what you want. Until then, no capes.")

Good dad Bruce and a beautiful alternate take. A few morsels of whump, but this is more for batfamily feels than whump feels.

Latchkey by goldkirk

or, How Tim Drake Found A Family, Became A Photojournalist, Learned To Love Coffee, and Grew Up, not necessarily in that order.

Tim Drake is thirteen, runs the famous BatWatch blog that has spiraled hilariously out of control, has absentee parents that suit his purposes just fine, is training himself to run the streets at night, and is doing absolutely peachy, thank you.

Alfred and Jason disagree, and get Dick and Bruce involved in figuring out their weird nextdoor neighbor kid’s life. Everything goes uphill from there.

Tim-centric, and a world that feels amazingly real, where mental health is actually addressed. Again, not whump-focused, but a fantastic series.

Bury Your Sons by Romiress

Slade Wilson doesn't have a conscience. If he ever had one, he got rid of it years ago. But watching a man half his age cry every night from his nightmares is starting to get to him, waking up feelings he long ago put aside.

---

A Canon Divergence AU: What if Slade looked into the Arkham Knight's history? What if, bothered by his own family issues, he decided to help the Arkham Knight in his own way, rather than helping him continue his revenge against Batman?

Okay, this one's a little different, and it's based on Arkham!verse and not the main canon, and yes, Slade plays a major role in the story, but if you have the time to read a 1.4M word saga, this series is glorious. It's got amazing bits of whump, a great storyline, beautiful characterizations, people making mistakes but getting better, and overall, the world moving towards a brighter future. This is a world where vigilantes make an actual impact, where the Justice League helps each other out, and no matter what problems they tackle, they always move forward.

ghost story by envysparkler

Jason Todd dies in Ethiopia. Well. Kind of.

Jason Todd-centric, and a ghost story. This is one of those 'made me cry while writing it' stories, but it's one of my favorites, and it does have comfort at the end.

touch starved by envysparkler

Dick has a whole family who would rather stab him or themselves before embracing him, and he respects their boundaries, but sometimes he just wants a hug he doesn’t have to beg for.

Dick-centric, and an exploration of being someone who enjoys physical affection in a family of people that don't. I've gotten a lot of comments on how the pandemic has made this one hit particularly hard, and it's one of my favorites.

Aside from these, my bookmarks or my collections are other places to pick up good batfam fic. If you're looking for specific tropes/shorter stories/specific characters, let me know, I can give you more tailored recs! I hope these help! 💖