#it reminds me of cold cold nights at the park waiting for my sisters to finish buying something in the shop while I waited with my dad

[sketchinfun]

Had another Disneyland day yesterday! Mainly did a lot of picture taking and went on a couple rides. I also had a fun impromptu pic with a First Order stormtrooper in Batuu as I was taking another photo. It was super cool, and I’ve never experienced that before! Definitely one of those “Disney magic” moments haha Overall it was a wonderful day!

[paigesbasketball]

Under Oath

Chapter 1: I Give You Mercy, Not Forgiveness

Paige x oc black!lawyer warnings: none I think

The fresh, cool air of UConn hit my senses as I stepped out of the car. If I’m being honest, I didn���t want to be here. But for the sake of being a good friend, here I am. I pulled into the guest parking spots in the lot, the last place I wanted to be today. I grabbed my phone and called KK to let her know I’d arrived.

I didn’t tell her about the dark part of this place, though. I never went to school here—never had the chance to. And even if I had, it wasn’t my story to tell. So, I decided to keep it quiet. Besides, KK loved this place. Who was I to tarnish that?

I adjusted my tan two-piece suit, the dark brown jacket hanging off my shoulders. If I was going to do the lawyer thing, I might as well do it in style. I stepped out of the car and headed toward the campus buildings, the weight of the job starting to settle on me. But something told me that whatever I thought I was walking into was only the beginning.

I walked through the familiar gates of UConn, trying to remind myself I was here for KK, not for anything else. She had reached out to me in a panic, telling me about a contract breach she and her team had gotten tangled up in. She didn’t mention who was involved, and I didn’t press her. Honestly, I didn’t care who was on the other side. My loyalty was to her.

But as I approached the gym, I felt a strange, sinking sensation in my chest. I couldn’t quite place it, but something in my gut told me I was about to walk into something bigger than a simple contract dispute.

KK was waiting by the court’s entrance, smiling brightly as she waved me over.

“Thank you for coming, Caty!” she said as I reached her, throwing her arms around me in a tight hug. Her excitement was infectious, and I couldn’t help but give her a small smile in return.

“I’m here. Let’s handle this,” I said, trying to sound confident, though I could feel the nerves beginning to bubble up.

KK led me inside, and my eyes instinctively scanned the room, not sure what to expect. Then, as if everything shifted in slow motion, I saw her.

Paige Bueckers.

She stood near the back of the room with her teammates, her blonde hair pulled back into a tight ponytail. The moment my eyes locked with hers, everything around me seemed to fade. Betrayal. Deceit. I could feel it all in the pit of my stomach.

For a moment, I thought about walking away, telling KK I couldn’t do this. But before I could make a move, KK turned to me, pleading.

“Caty, please. You have to help us,” she said, her voice soft but desperate. “This could ruin Paige’s career. You can’t let that happen.”

I clenched my jaw, still seething with anger as my gaze stayed fixed on Paige. The memories came rushing back. I wasn’t ready to face her. I wasn’t ready to forgive her.

“You’re asking me to help her?” I snapped, the bitterness in my voice unmistakable. “After everything she’s done to my sister?”

“Caty, please,” KK repeated, stepping closer to me. “I know it’s hard, but we really need you.”

I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. But I can’t help her, I thought. Not after what she did.

KK looked at me with concern, sensing the tension. “Why do you hate her so much, Caty?” she asked quietly, her tone more thoughtful than I expected.

I turned away for a moment, trying to suppress the anger that had been bubbling inside me for years. It wasn’t easy to talk about. Not with KK, and definitely not with Paige in the room.

“When we were younger,” I started, my voice cold as I relived the painful memory, “Paige invited my sister, Alexis, to a football game. We thought it was a date. She was so excited. But when she came home that night, she was crying. She told me it was all a setup. Paige didn’t really like her. It was just a joke to her.”

I took a shaky breath, the anger bubbling up again. “I didn’t believe it at first. I thought it was some kind of misunderstanding. But when I confronted Paige at school, she just ignored me. She ignored us. And I knew then what happened. She humiliated my sister. Left her heartbroken, and didn’t even care.”

KK listened quietly, her eyes wide with shock and sympathy. But I wasn’t finished.

“What made it worse,” I continued, “is that years later, both of them ended up at the same college. Alexis called me, crying again, telling me Paige had pulled this nasty prank on her. Another one. Something mean-spirited. I don’t even know the details, but it didn’t matter. I promised Alexis I would never speak to her again. And I haven’t.”

KK looked at me, her expression softening. “Wow, Caty, I had no idea…” she whispered. She paused, processing the story before she spoke again. “But... do you really think she’s that same person now? I mean, she’s here, playing for the team. She’s probably changed.”

I didn’t know how to respond. I didn’t want to believe that Paige had changed. Part of me wanted to stay angry, to keep the walls up. But seeing her again, hearing KK’s words, made me question it. Still, the hurt ran deep.

“I don’t know if she’s changed or not,” I muttered, looking away from KK and back at Paige, who was now looking at me with something that seemed like... regret? “But her ignorance toward me and her disrespect toward Alexis tells me everything I needed to know.”

KK took a step closer, her eyes pleading again. “Caty, please. I know this is hard, but I need you. We need you. We can’t get through this without your help. I swear, I’ll make sure this doesn’t bring up any of that old stuff.”

I stared at Paige for a moment longer, still seething. But KK’s words kept echoing in my head. This wasn’t just about Paige anymore. This was about my friend. And I wasn’t about to abandon her when she needed me most.

“Fine,” I said, my voice low but firm. “I’ll help with the team’s case. But Paige has to find someone else.”

KK hesitated, a mischievous look crossing her face. “Please, Caty. Please help her too. Who knows? Maybe you two can work things out... talk things through.”

I shook my head, still unwilling to forgive her. “I haven’t seen Paige in years. I’m sure she’s still the same. Maybe worse.”

But before I could argue any further, my eyes found hers again. Paige was standing there, still as beautiful as ever, her blonde hair gleaming under the gym lights. And I couldn’t ignore the pull I felt, the flicker of something different in her gaze. It was the strangest sensation.

I snapped back to reality as KK shouted with excitement. “Guys! She said she’ll help us!” she called out, bringing the attention of the whole team to me. They all started thanking me, but my eyes remained locked on Paige.

When we finally came face to face, I felt my stomach twist. She was even more attractive now than I remembered. What was wrong with me?

“Hi, Caty,” she said softly, a tentative smile on her lips.

I met her gaze, icy and unforgiving. “My name is Catayela to you, Ms. Bueckers,” I said coldly.

She flinched at the correction. “Fine. Thank you, Catayela, for taking our case. Does this mean… you forgive me?”

I couldn’t help but laugh in her face, the bitterness in my laugh startling even me. I stepped closer, whispering in her ear, just loud enough for her to hear. “I give you mercy, not forgiveness,” I said, stepping back and watching as she blinked, a soft pink blush staining her cheeks.

Something about that moment threw me off—her flushed cheeks, the way she seemed to absorb my words. It was strange, and I didn’t like it. Did I?. But the one thing I did know for sure? This was far from over.What really threw me off, though, was the company they had signed with. Tell-Time Stories. The name hit too close to home.

Hey guyssss catyy here. hope yall enjoyed the 1st chapter the second chapter should come out sometime this week

[winwintea]

ᴍᴀʀᴋ ʟᴇᴇ ᴠꜱ. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ↬ 5. tea time!

“Can you stop pacing the fucking room like you’re getting ready for the damn fitness gram pacer test?” Ten drawled from the bed in their tiny shared apartment, one leg dangling off the edge. He gave Mark a pointed look, “If you’re this obsessed with her, maybe it’s time to dump your fake high school girlfriend, don’t you think?”

Mark kept pacing, barely registering Ten’s words. His mind was tangled up in thoughts of you, spinning faster with each step. “I’ve never been so sure about anything…” he mumbled, almost to himself.

Ten sighed, tilting his head back dramatically. “Yeah, then you should break up with your fake high school girlfriend,” he repeated, louder this time.

Mark only half-heard, his brow furrowing in confusion. “What was that?”

Throwing his hands up in surrender, Ten slouched back onto the bed. Clearly, Mark was in too deep to hear reason. Ten picked up his phone, his fingers tapping out a quick message to the one person who might snap his roommate out of whatever the hell this was.

Moments later, Mark’s phone buzzed with an incoming call. He barely had time to check the screen before his sister’s voice pierced the air.

“Are you seriously thinking about juggling two girls?” Chuu’s voice was a mix of disbelief and exasperation, loud enough to make Mark wince.

“Not even!” Mark groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “It’s not like that!”

“Well, then you should break up with your fake high school girlfriend,” Chuu echoed Ten’s advice, hoping to hammer the point home.

Mark’s pacing faltered. “Wait—how did you even know about that?” 

“Ten told me, obviously,” she replied, as if the answer couldn’t be more obvious.

Mark turned to his roommate, sprawled out on the bed, already knocked out cold with his phone still clutched loosely in his hand. “He’s not even conscious!” he exclaimed, eyes widening in disbelief.

“Whatever,” Chuu said breezily. “Anyway, you of all people should know what it’s like to get cheated on.”

“Don’t remind me,” Mark muttered darkly, the memory making his jaw tighten. “And shouldn’t you be working right now?”

Chuu’s tone suddenly brightened, as if she’d just remembered something important. “Oh, shoot! You’re right. I’ll text you later. And Mark—try not to do anything dumb, okay?”

Before he could respond, the line went dead, leaving Mark standing there, phone in hand, and the weight of Chuu’s words lingering in the room.

Too bad Mark had a date in a few minutes, leaving him with little time to care about anything else. 

He glanced at his phone, hoping to see your name lighting up the screen. But instead, a message from an unknown number greeted him. Frowning, he opened it and began to read aloud, “Dear Mr. Lee, it has come to my attention that we will be fighting soon. My name is Park Jisung, and I’m ‘blah blah blah,’ fair warning, ‘blah blah blah,’ yada yada…” He trailed off, already bored, and rolled his eyes. “This is boring! Delete!”

With a dismissive tap, he hit "Delete." Mark had more pressing matters, like his date with you—the real priority for the evening.

Pocketing his phone, he grabbed his jacket and headed for the door, a grin spreading across his face. Tonight was going to be the best night of his life, and no random text was about to ruin it. 

—

Mark spotted you at the top of the stairs, your silhouette outlined against the fading twilight. “Why are you just standing there?” he called out, his breath puffing in the cold air.

You glanced back, “Dude, I’m totally waiting on you.” You checked the time pointedly. “Five minutes late.”

Mark winced, glancing at his own watch as if to confirm the accusation. “Sorry, I just figured you were too cool to be on time,” he said, his tone apologetic.

“Well. You assumed wrong.” There was a hint of amusement in your eyes, and your tone was almost mocking.

As you both began making your way down the winding park pathways, the crunch of snow beneath your boots filled the silence. The chill seemed to seep through your jackets, each gust of wind sending a shiver down your spines.

“So, how’d you end up in Toronto?” Mark asked, his voice casual but his curiosity hard to disguise.

You shrugged, exhaling a cloud of steam into the frigid air. “Just needed to escape, I guess.”

“Oh yeah?” Mark repeated, his interest piqued despite his efforts to sound nonchalant. 

You hesitated, then continued as though you hadn’t heard the question. “Chenle always said Toronto was one of the great cities, so…” Your words trailed off, as if there was more left unsaid.

Mark's brow furrowed as he stole a glance at you. The way you looked ahead, your eyes distant and thoughtful, made him wonder what exactly you were running from—or who. “Is Chenle… Is he your boyfriend?”

You turned your gaze into the distance, unsure of what to say, “He’s… a friend,” you said carefully.

Mark couldn't help but press further. “Was he your boyfriend?”

You stiffened slightly, your breath hanging in the air as you weighed your response. “Do you mind if we don’t get into that right now?”

Mark scoffed lightly, but the forced chuckle at the end was a bit too loud, a bit too strained. “Yeah, no, totally. I mean, it’s not like I’m dying to know or anything,” he said, trying to sound indifferent. “So not interesting to me.”

The two of you decide to sit on some swings. You kicked at the snow with your boots, and Mark glanced at you before the inevitable question came up. “So, what about you? What do you do?” you asked, genuine curiosity in your voice.

Mark winced internally. That was exactly the topic he’d hoped to avoid. “I’m… between jobs,” he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

You tilted your head, eyebrows raised. “Between what and what?”

He chuckled, a bit sheepishly. “My last job’s a long story... filled with a lot of sighs.”

You nodded, your gaze drifting upward towards the sky once again. “I know plenty of those,” you murmured, seemingly nostalgic.

“Is that why you left California?” Mark asked, his tone softening, as if careful not to push too hard.

“Pretty much,” you replied, shrugging. “It was time for a change, somewhere a little more… chilled.”

Mark laughed, gesturing to the snow swirling around them. “Well, it’s certainly chilled here.”

You smiled, a genuine one this time, and the look in your eyes seemed to soften a little. “Yeah, I guess so,” you said, and for a moment, the distance between you seemed to shrink.

Mark wasn’t sure what came over him, but before he could stop himself, he blurted out, “I’m totally obsessed with you.”

The words hung in the air, escaping his lips faster than he could reel them back in. His eyes widened, and he gripped the chains of the swing, unsure if he should backtrack or just jump into the snow and disappear. But you thankfully respond before he could backtrack, “I didn’t mean to get you obsessed.”

“Well, I just haven’t been obsessed with a girl for a long time. It’s... weird,” he admitted.

“That’s probably because you sleep with a guy.” 

Mark blinked. Wait… What?

You grinned, clearly enjoying his reaction. “I mean, I was guessing based on your apartment situation, but you totally do, don’t you?”

His hands flew up defensively, trying to defend himself from the homosexual allegations probably running through your head. “Whoa, no, it’s not like that! We’re just poor, okay? We can’t afford two beds! We’re not—well, actually, Ten is... he’s pretty gay.” The words tumbled out faster than he could organize them, his face reddening as he stumbled over his explanation.

You burst into genuine laughter, doubling over as the sound echoed in the crisp night air. “Relax, dude. I believe you. Trust me, you’re way too desperate to be gay.”

Mark ran a hand through his hair, shaking his head. “I feel so stupid right now.”

“Aw, don’t worry,” you teased, hopping off your swing and extending a hand toward him. “You’re probably not that stupid.”

Mark accepted your hand, letting you pull him to his feet as he tried to muster some dignity. “I’m mostly… stupid,” he confessed, his smile sheepish.

“Well, you’re definitely stupid if you want to go out with me,” you said, turning to continue down the path with a sly grin.

Mark nodded, falling into step beside you. “Exactly, yeah.”

The snowfall seemed to get heavier with each step, “This is ridiculous,” you muttered, brushing a layer of snow off your shoulders. “Isn’t it, like, April?”

Mark let out a weary sigh. “That’s Toronto for you. One minute, it’s spring, and the next, it’s a snowstorm. I can barely even see you anymore,” he added, squinting through the white haze. “This whole thing is turning into a disaster.”

You shrugged, glancing over your shoulder at him. “I’d say ‘act of God’ is a pretty solid excuse for a lousy date.”

Mark’s ears perked up at that, a grin tugging at his lips. “So, this is a ‘date,’ huh?” 

You spun around to face him, your expression playful. “Did I say ‘date’? Must’ve been a slip of the tongue.”

“Tongue…” Mark echoed absentmindedly, his brain short-circuiting on that word for a beat too long.

You raised an eyebrow at him, amused. “Anyway,” you continued, letting him off the hook, “the night’s not over yet. Wanna come over for some tea? I promise it’s warmer than standing out here.”

Mark’s breath hitched slightly, a mix of surprise and anticipation. “Sure?” he replied, trying to sound casual.

—

“What kind of tea do you want?” 

Mark looked at you as you began slipping out of your coat and draping it over the back of a chair. The warmth of the apartment was a stark contrast to the biting cold outside, but Mark was still shivering slightly as he sat at the dining table, rubbing his hands together for warmth. “There’s more than one kind?” 

You walked over to the pantry and began scanning the rows of tea, listing them off with an exaggerated singsong voice. “Let’s see… we have blueberry, raspberry, ginseng, sleepytime, green tea, green tea with lemon, green tea with lemon and honey, liver disaster—”

“Liver disaster?” Mark interrupted, a skeptical look forming on his face.

You continued ignoring his question, “Ginger with honey, ginger without honey, vanilla almond, white truffle, blueberry chamomile, vanilla walnut, constant comment, and Earl Grey,”. You reached for a blueish-gray tin. “I’m going with sleepytime.”

Mark chuckled, “Did you make some of those up? ‘Liver disaster’ doesn’t exactly sound like a best-seller.”

You shot him a playful look over your shoulder. “You’d be surprised. Some people really need it.”

“I’ll have sleepytime, too,” As you measured out the tea leaves, the soothing aroma began to fill the room, but Mark still felt chilly.

“Let me get you a blanket.” You say after placing down two mugs of warm tea down on the table. 

“That would be actually… really awesome.”

Author’s Note: author went insane writing this next bit so don’t take it seriously but also take it seriously at the same time because it’s the plot I was just in a goofy mood while writing.

You’d only been out of the room for a few minutes when Mark’s curiosity—or impatience—got the better of him. Everyone say it with me now: What the fuck, Mark. But hey, Mark did it anyway. He wandered upstairs, hands shoved in his pockets.

As he reached the landing, he noticed a half-open door and peeked in. And, wow, shocker—guess what he saw? There you were, standing in front of your closet, wearing just a bra and a skirt.

“Uh, dude, I’m changing?” You turned to look at him, not embarrassed or flustered, just visibly annoyed by the intrusion.

Mark's brain short-circuited for a second before he slapped a hand over his eyes. “Sorry, I’m just… cold!” he blurted out, as if that somehow justified his sudden appearance upstairs.

Let’s be real here: What did he expect? Really not entirely sure guys, I’m just the narrator here. But don’t worry, folks, Mark’s got morals. He kept his hand firmly over his eyes, not daring to peek. 

“Here, does this help?” Your voice was suddenly much closer than before, soft and warm in the dimly lit room.

Mark’s eyes fluttered open to find you wrapping your arms around him, pulling him into a hug. “That’s… very warm,” he mumbled, his breath hitching at the unexpected closeness. “What is that?”

“It’s me, obviously,” you teased, but your tone was gentler than before. 

“Ohhh…kaaayyy” The two of you stood there, inches apart, and something shifted in the air between you. The moment stretched, and then, without overthinking it, Mark leaned in, closing the distance in one swift motion as your lips met in a slow, heated kiss.

For a few seconds, the rest of the world disappeared, replaced only by the warmth and the taste of each other. When you finally broke apart, Mark felt like he was in heaven.

“Were you… just planning to bring a blanket from your bed?” He asked, glancing at the blanket thrown across your bed. 

“I guess…” You replied, extremely casually.

“Maybe… maybe we should both get under it,” He suggested, his eyes searching yours. “Since, you know, we’re still so cold.”

You swallowed hard, feeling a mixture of anticipation and disbelief. “Well… what about our tea?”

“I can… skip the tea,” he whispered, his eyes still captivating your own.

And just like that, the room seemed even warmer than before.

Even though the atmosphere was perfect and the two of you were tangled up on the bed in what Mark could only describe as the most amazing makeout session of his life, everything came to a sudden halt when you pulled away, sitting up, breaking the flow.

“I changed my mind,” you said, your tone calm but firm.

Mark blinked, his breath still a little uneven. “Changed it to what? From what?”

You lay back on the bed, turning onto your side and gazing up at the ceiling. “I don’t want to have sex with you, Lee. Not right now.”

“Oh… okay,” Mark replied, his mind racing to catch up with the sudden shift.

“It’s not like I’m gonna send you home in a snowstorm,” you added, curling up closer to him. “You can stay. Sleep in my bed, even. And just so you know, I reserve the right to change my mind about the sex later.”

He took a moment to process the situation, letting out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. It wasn’t what he expected, but as he glanced over at you, a wave of relief and contentment washed over him. After all, here he was, lying in bed with someone who an hour ago seemed completely out of reach.

“This is cool,” he said, a smile tugging at his lips. “Just this. It’s been a really long time since… well, since anything like this. I think I needed it. Whatever ‘this’ is. So, thanks.”

You turned your head toward him, a soft smile lighting up your face. “You’re welcome.”

—

“I have to work.”

Mark was jolted awake, blinking against the morning light as he saw you standing by the bathroom door, wrapped in a towel. His heart skipped a beat in relief—you were still here. “Work?” he echoed, his voice groggy.

“You have to leave,” you repeated, already moving across the room to gather your things.

Moments later, the two of you were dressed and out the door. You tossed on a pair of roller skates, gliding effortlessly toward the front gate with Mark walking alongside you. The sight was almost surreal—here you were, rolling away, while he stumbled through the fog of his half-awake thoughts.

“Hey,” he called out, jogging a few steps to catch up. “Can this not be a one-night stand? For one thing, I didn’t even get any—” He stopped himself when he noticed the look you shot him. “Kidding! That was a joke. Totally a joke.”

You raised an eyebrow, the faintest hint of a smirk on your lips. “What exactly did you have in mind?”

“Uh…” Mark hesitated, trying to come up with something. Then it hit him. “Come to the first round of this battle of the bands thing,” he said, sounding more confident than he felt.

You looked at him, unimpressed. “You have a band?”

“Yeah, we’re… terrible. Please come.”

You lingered at the gate for a moment, considering it. Then you gave a small nod. “We’ll see,” you replied, skating off down the sidewalk with a casual wave over your shoulder.

Mark watched you glide away, a goofy grin spreading across his face despite the early morning chill. It wasn’t a yes, but it wasn’t a no, either—and that was more than enough for him.

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SUMMARY ↬ mark has never wanted anything in his life. the lead bassist for 'dream on', unemployed, and quite literally a loser, mark expects he's hit rock bottom from here. that is until you, the girl of his dreams quite literally skates out of his dreams and into his life. mark has never wanted anything more. but is love really worth the emotional baggage when you have seven evil exes, who each possess superpowers and are intent on defeating him?

GENRES ↬ social media au (smau), fluff, angst, drama, fantasy au, band au, scott pilgrim au, explicit(?), gay people (ten) help mark find true love

AUTHOR'S NOTE ↬ god mark lee. writing this version of him makes me wanna kms. HE IS SUCH AN ASSHOLE BUT ALSO... loser mark... he really has my heart too. poor haneul though. dw guys y/n is also a red flag that's why they're perfect for each other. was also gonna add music for this chapter, i'll add it later i was too lazy.

TAG LIST (open!) ↬ @lyvhie @ldh0000 @aquaphoenixz @galacticnct @spiderm444rk @nerdsungie @nanaxwi @lotties-readings @nessaassen02 @alethea-moon @222brainrot @kittydollzz @n0hyuck @dudekiss3r @wony1e @whr4nakin @chenlesfavorite @onlyhyunjin @peterm4rker @anglswon @itsashley127 @morkiee @lotties-readings @syatchy @starfilledgaze @bee-the-loser @p-d1ddy @polarisjisung @nctrawberries @luluvhs @zuzu-the-simp @mystverse (if your username isn’t in blue/grey, please check your visibility settings so i can properly tag you <33)

[riahlynn101]

Just wanted to say how much i appreciate your art and works. You write really, really well, and I’m no expert on that, but yes I can surely say this even as an amateur. You’re able to characterize the ones you write just in point, it’s as if you know them in real life, as if they were your friends or something. Please, keep doing what you do, I’m pretty sure there are a plenty of other people that enjoy your writing as much as I do. It’s so rewarding when I go to bed after a hard day and have one of your one-shots to read, it’s like I’m in another reality. Sorry if that sounds weird, I’m afraid I might sound a little crazy but I really like to encourage people, especially when it’s art related. Your art does touch people! And forgive me for any grammar mistakes, as English isn’t my first language

By the way, if that’s possible and if you would want to, would you ever do an schmelly one-shot about an “only one bed” prompt? It’s my favorite, I’d really like to see how they’d act. I know you don’t write smut, and I don’t want it either, so as long as you’re comfortable writing it, I’d really appreciate it 🥹

(AWWW <33 THANK YOU :D!! I really do appreciate that. I know I say it in a lot of my author’s notes, but I am really, truly grateful for all your guys’ support!!)

Sometimes I worry that my writing is trash. The plot makes no sense, or there are too many grammar mistakes, or the characters are…well….not in character. So, hearing that you like my writing makes me super happy :))

And it’s super kind of you to support/lift up artists and writers. There are too many people in this world that like to tear others down, so kudos to you for continuing to be kind and supportive <33

(And just as a little extra note: I think your English might be better than mine, and I say that as a native English-speaker. I mean that positively :D!! And I 100% guarantee that you write/speak English better than I could write/speak in your language, so take pride in that :))!!)

As for your request……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Word count: 1,417

Trigger warnings: implied/referenced kidnapping, implied childhood trauma - but both of those things aren't the focal point of the story.

Summary: What do you get when you add a snowstorm, a (nearly) booked out hotel, and Mike and Vanessa needing a room?

Answer - a hotel room with only one bed!

--

Snow as far as the eye can see. It comes down in clusters and catches on the wind, blanketing the ground in white. This isn’t abnormal for this time of year, and usually Mike and his sister waited for the first snowstorm with great anticipation. Her because it means Christmas is right around the corner. And Mike because it reminds him of Christmas’ past. 

This year, however, he’s stuck driving in it. A last-minute trip a few hours away and a surprise blizzard don’t really mix. Maybe if he would have checked the weather channel one more time this could have been avoided.

“We should stop for tonight,” Vanessa says, always the voice of reason (for the most part). “I think I saw a sign for a hotel just up the road.”

Mike squints his eyes, leaning forward. He’s going ten under the speed limit, and that’s the only reason his pile-of-junk car hasn’t slid into the ditch. “Okay, I think I see it.”

Somehow, they make it in one piece into the motel’s tiny parking lot. It’s crowded, and it takes him a solid five minutes to find a spot. Apparently they aren’t the first people to need a room for the night. 

“Do you think they have any rooms available?” Mike asks, gripping the steering wheel. The thought of bearing the cold is already making him chilly. 

Always optimistic, Vanessa smiles. “I’m positive they can squeeze us in somewhere.”

-x-x-x-

“You two are in luck,” the receptionist-the stereotypical midwestern soccer mom-says, looking at her computer screen, “we have one room left.”

Both of them sigh in relief. The idea of trekking back out into the cold was daunting,  and the idea of finding a different hotel is downright scary. 

“We’ll take it,” Vanessa pipes up. 

“Okey-dokey then. I just need you to sign here and date there.” 

As Vanessa signs the logbook, the receptionist passes over a key for the room. “Are you two married?” She asks, conversationally. Though, Mike knows growing up around these types, that she’s just being nosy. 

Vanessa shakes her head. “Oh, uh…no. Just friends.” 

The woman laughs. “That’s what they all say.”

Face turning red, Vanessa scurries away from the desk, keys clutched in her hand. Mike follows behind her, not trusting himself to not glare at the woman. 

They step into the elevator. “You okay?” He asks. 

Vanessa’s face is still red, but she seems otherwise calm. But he wouldn’t be a good friend if he didn’t at least try. She clears her throat, shrugging her shoulders. 

“I’m fine.”

The elevator doors open.

“So, what’s our room number?” 

Vanessa holds the key up. “Uh….says 204. And judging by the positioning of the light, the direction of the wind, and my knowledge of the polar vortex it’s down the hallway to the right.”

He stands there, dumbstruck. “Wow, you actually know our room number from all that?”

She stares at him for a solid minute, not saying anything. “Yep. I definitely didn’t listen to the lady downstairs, and didn’t read the sign right in front of our faces.”

Mike turns slightly, and sure enough there’s a sign directing people to their rooms on the wall. 200-220 to the right and 221-241 to the left.

“Huh,” he says. “Well, I never said I had good reading comprehension skills.”

Vanessa smiles at that, but quickly turns away. “C’mon, I’m really tired.”

Thankfully, the rest of the trip to their room is uneventful. The hotel is eerily quiet, which is weird given that it’s full tonight. But with their luck, the minute they try to get some sleep, everyone and their mother will be causing a ruckus. 

“This is it,” Vanessa says, indicating to a number plate on one of the doors. 

Mike sighs. “Thank god. It’s been a long day.”

The room is pleasantly warm and smells of mothballs. It’s kind of small, not that they were expecting much. A bathroom that lacks a shower or bath, a closet that’s full of cleaning supplies, and a TV stand that lacks an actual television. 

But the thing that gives them pause is none of those things. Instead, it’s the bed in the center of the room. The single bed. 

Single as in only one. 

They stand there in complete silence. Standing and staring. And then, staring some more. 

“Well…” Mike starts, “I can…take the floor.”

Vanessa shakes her head. “No, the floor’s probably filthy. I’ll take the chair over there, and you take the bed.”

He scoffs. “I’m sure I’ve slept in worse places. Besides, you paid for this room. So, you get to sleep in the bed.”

“But….you drove us all the way to Utah and back, so really I owe you.”

They face each other.

“But the reason we went to Utah was for me, so really I owe you.” Mike hates the idea of sleeping in the chair or the floor for that matter, his back has enough problems without adding to them. But he also has the advantage of being imbued with an unholy amount of stubbornness. 

Unfortunately, his opponent is Vanessa. 

“Well, I’m not sleeping in the bed,” she says, throwing her hands up. “So, if you don’t, then I guess it’ll just go to waste.”

“I guess so,” he shoots back. 

Vanessa rounds the bed, presumably to go sleep in the chair. (Another thing that there’s only one of.)

“What if…” he pauses, feeling a bit uncomfortable with the idea. Vanessa looks at him. “What if we shared the bed?”

“Share the bed?”

“Like I sleep on this side.” He points to the side closest to him. “And you sleep on that side?”

“Would you be okay with that?” Vanessa asks. 

“It doesn’t matter,” he says, waving off her concern. “I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m fine. It’s not a bad idea, but I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Mike shrugs. “I mean as long as you’re okay with it, I’ll be fine.” And he would be. A lot of his discomfort comes from sleeping somewhere unfamiliar. Sure, he’s slept in a lot of different places, but never this far from home. After Garrett was taken, he grew to fear being away from his parents (and later Abby) for long periods of time.

“Okay,” she says, slipping off her shoes and climbing under the covers. She looks up at Mike expectantly. “Well?”

He takes a deep breath. “I have to call the house. The babysitter is probably expecting me back soon, and Abby will be upset if I don’t say goodnight.”

She nods, snuggling deeper into the covers. 

-x-x-x-

Mike slinks back into the room. Thankfully, both the babysitter and Abby understood his predicament. Abby told him goodnight - which was sweet. And then, she started teasing Mike about his apparent “crush” (like he’s in middle school or something), to which he hung up.

He loves his little sister, but sometimes she drives him up a wall.

He slips into the bed, curling up. The blankets are scratchy and the pillows are lumpy, but Mike would be lying if he said he wasn’t half-asleep by the time his head hit the bed.

Next to him, Vanessa giggles. 

“What?” He mutters, eyelids drooping. 

“Nothing. Goodnight, Mike.”

“Yeah….goodnight to….” Before he can finish his thought, Mike is fast asleep. And not long after, Vanessa follows suit. 

For the first time in a long time, their dreams are pleasant. 

-x-x-x-

Mike is used to waking up with someone hanging off him. It’s a natural part of being a big brother. First with Garrett-who he shared a room with-and then with Abby, who always preferred his company, even before mom died and dad left. 

What he’s not used to is the other person being taller than him, and having their chin rest on his head. 

He panics, jerking backwards. Sadly, the bed's not big enough for the amount of panicking his sleep-addled brain is doing, and Mike very nearly tumbles to the floor. At the last possible second, a pair of arms save him, pulling him back. 

Vanessa looks at him. He turns on his side, staring at her. 

Without another word, they go right back to snuggling. Sure, it might be awkward in the morning, but that would be the future-them’s problem. 

They fall asleep, curled up right next to each other. If their fingers wind up intertwined, or they end up snuggling in their sleep, well then, that’s no one else’s business but theirs.

[ornii]

My Broken Little Sister

Eleven X Male Brother Reader

The Long Road, Under the Moonlight and Darkness

Destitute from most things, and only trees as far as one can see and a lone road leading and wrapping around the world. a single car races by, rubble echoes as the run down vehicle drives along, a pair of aviator glasses hang on someone's face. He taps along the side as music bellows into his Buick GNS, Blinding Lights by this new Sound, The Weeknd. He drives along the road as the synthetic beats radiate though his ears.

I've been tryna call

I've been on my own for long enough

Maybe you can show me how to love, maybe

I'm going through withdrawals

You don't even have to do too much

You can turn me on with just a touch, baby

I look around and

Sin City's cold and empty (oh)

No one's around to judge me (oh)

I can't see clearly when you're gone

I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the lights

No, I can't sleep until I feel your touch

I said, ooh, I'm drowning in the night

Oh, when I'm like this, you're the one I trust

The driver peers into the mirror and then back to the road, he drives further down the endless span of road, and then sees a Sign.

"Hawkins" the sign says.

"Perfect" he utters and speeds up, he slows down and begins to drive more civically as he leads himself into the small quaint town, the radio booms on and begins to play a song from the Hawkins radio. He checks his watch, one PM. The man slowly pulls into an apartment complex not far off near its High school, he parks and exits it. Wearing a pair of Boots, Denim jeans and jacket with a button up Hawaii colored shirt. Grabbing a bag and a box from his backseat, he heads inside. He's lead to a room by a sleazy man.

"Rents due on the first." He says, the man turns and nods.

"I really appreciate this opportunity you—" the man turns and walks away, leaving the young blood standing there, looking dumb, he shakes his head and heads inside his apartment room, admittedly it's lackluster, a basic bed, beige walls and a small bathroom shower, a TV and small couch. He sits down and opens up the box, it was files and lists of things, old that dated back to the 70s, he pulled up a file and began to read. The information begins to sour his face, and it reminds him of a memory, a conversation of him and his mother.

"This.. this is what dads doing?" He asks.

"It's what he was always doing, (Y/n)." His mother said, lying in a hospital bed. "I refused to let your father turn you into, one of those things too.." She continued, (Y/n)'s brow furrowed.

"Things?.. there are more like me?" He said, and the woman sadly nodded.

"Hawkins.. the, that's where the base is.. I couldn't watch my baby be turned into one of those Psychic things... so I divorced him, never looked back." She continues. "I know I can't stop you from going to Hawkins, but please.. be careful." She says, and the memory ends. Sitting there, he puts the file away, and rubs his wrist. He stands up and checks into bed, preparing himself for the investigation next morning.

The Morning sun beamed though his blinds and catches him in the eye. He awakens and wipes his eyes, preparing for the next morning, and with his one lead. Outside the Hawkins school he waits, and leans against his Car, a Ace blue car peels in next to him, he doesn't say much and he turns to the driver, who exits as well, in all denim, long blonde hair with an attitude that could kill. He and (Y/n) share a nod and go back to their waiting, and (Y/n) sees four Kids dressed as the Ghost Busters walk by, he ignores the slightly our of place kids and to a young kid with black hair.

"Excuse me. Troy?" He says to the Kid. And the boy looks at him, with a cast.

"What do you want?" He says, and (Y/n) approaches him.

"I just wanna talk, that's all." He says, the boy looks around and steps back.

"What's in it for me?" He asks, (Y/n) reaches into his wallet and digs out a ten dollar bill.

"This. I just wanna ask a few questions." He says, the boy looks wary but takes the money.

"What do you wanna know?" He asks, and (Y/n) looks around.

"So what happened to your arm?" He asks, and He looks around.

"I got broke.."he says, and (Y/n) raises an eyebrow.

"By?" He says and the kid scoffs.

"By Mike and his little band of gay little fairies." He says, with a lot of Harboring hate.

"Mike beat you up?" He says and the kid shakes his head.

"No he got his crazy little girlfriend to do it." He says, and (Y/n) picks up on it.

"A girl did that?" He asks and Troy gets more upset.

"Yeah but she had these crazy ass powers." Troy says, and (Y/n)'s interest is on high.

"Powers?" He says and Troy nods.

"Yeah; nobody believes me though, not even the police chief." He says, and (Y/n) looks around.

"This girl, she got a name?" He asks and Troy shakes his head.

"No, I don't know it.." he replies.

"Okay, what does Mike look like?" He says and Troy laughs.

"Weirdo dresses up like the ghost hoppers or whatever." He says, and (Y/n) looks around to see if he could find the ones he saw, but they're already gone. (Y/n) curses to himself and gives the kid a nod. "Anything stand out about any of em?" he asks and Troy points to his teeth.

"Yeah, one of the Losers got no front teeth, Dustin Hederson, Weirdo." He begins, and (Y/n) nods.

"Appreciate it." He says and walks away now with new information. He gets in his car and drives off. Getting back to his apartment he walks in with the new information and begins to piece it All together.

"So... this girl must be one from Hawkins, and Mike is the key to get to her. Now it's just getting to this Mike will be the issue..." he says to himself and checks more files. A single word keeps coming up, Brenner. He slams the book shut and begins to reel though the phone book, searching and gets it! The Hederson household! He checks the address and writes it down and heads to bed, two days later, (Y/n) is pulling up to the Henderson home, he keeps a fair distance. He watches as a kid steps out in, what seems to be gear for hockey? He sees another car pull up and a young man steps out from it with a spiked baseball bat.

"Why does he have a... this town is fuckin weird." He says, the two get back into the vehicle and drive off, (Y/n) puts his in drive and follows, eventually they continue into a road near off the train tracks, five to ten minutes pass and the car abruptly stops. (Y/n) does as well and takes a deep sigh.

"Ah shit.. here we go." He says, the boy with the Bat steps out of the car and (Y/n) does as well, and he approaches. (Y/n) takes a deep breath and prepares.

"Hey, Weirdo. Want to explain to me why you're following me?" He says, and (Y/n) shrugs.

"I.. need to talk to the child in the car with you." He says and he raises an eyebrow.

"You want to talk to Henderson? Yeah I don't think so, you're weird compared to the shit I've seen." He says and (Y/n) shakes his head.

"Okay.. well, I'll just apologize in advance for this." He says, he puts his hand up and the guy looks confused, until a flash of lightning hits him, knocking the boy down and out. (Y/n) walks over to the down man who's sizzling a bit and his hair frizzled.

"I'm.. really sorry about that." He says and walks up to the car to a terrified kid.

"Did.. did you just kill Steve?" He says, with a lisp.

"No, didn't kill him... I just wanna talk." He says, and the guy attempts to radio help, (Y/n) concentrated and flashes a bolt of lightning that zaps the radio.

"Now, calm down... I'm just looking for a guy called Mike? Says he knows a girl with Powers, powers like mine." He says, and Dustin begins to piece it all together.

"You.. you know Eleven?" He says, and (Y/n) stops, (Y/n) leans into the car

"Eleven, is that her name? Where is she?!" He says, and Dustin shakes his head.

"W-we don't know, she disappeared after she killed the Demagorgon! After that she's gone." He said, and (Y/n) frowns.

"Demagorgon?..." He says, he thinks and looks back at Dustin.

"Did she have a number tattooed on her wrist?" He asks and Dustin nods. (Y/n) shakily sighs and then be pulls up his, showing a number, three Zeroes.

"You're one of them too... Zero." Dustin says with shock and (Y/n) nods, and he opens the door and looks dustin in the eye.

"Eleven.. she, I guess you could call her my sister." He says, and Dustin leans back a bit.

(Y/n) and Dustin stood across from each other as Steven awoke, he groggily opens his eyes as he quickly gets up and grabs his back.

"Get back dustin!" He screams and prepares to swing, (Y/n) just stands there as Dustin calms the situation.

"Calm down! He's not with the Government! He's Elevens Brother." He says and Steven slowly begins to lower the bat.

"The Girl with the super powers?" Steve says as he lowers the bat.

"Yeah. That's her." (Y/n) says, "And since she's gone.. I guess I don't have any business in Hawkins, sorry to waste your time and, electrocute you, I do feel sorry about that Mister Harrington." He says, and Steve looks at him.

"It's.. Just Steve." He says.

"Oh, Sorry," he replies and walks off, Dustin reaches out.

"Wait." He says, (Y/n) halts and turns to him.

"This might be dumb to ask you for help but, we're tracking something from the Upside Down, the door eleven Opened. You could find some answers if you help us." He says, and (Y/n) thinks, and shakes his head.

"It sounds like you just have a lizard problem.." he says and Dustin groans.

"It's not a normal lizard." He retorts back.

"And how do you know that?" (Y/n) says back and Dustin answers.

"When his face opened up and he ate my cat." Dustin replies, (Y/n) stares and nods to himself.

"Yeah that's Uh.. that's not normal.." He says, and looks at them.

"But Demon Aliens from another dimension sounds a bit, far fetched?" He says and Dustin and Steven frown.

"Coming from the guy who can shoot lightning from his hands." Steve says, and (Y/n) gives in.

"Okay, Fair point. Alright I'll help." He says and Dustin gets in between them.

"Good, Steve, this is (Y/n), (Y/n), this is Steve." Dustin says and (Y/n) and Steve look at each other, and have a, tiny bit of an understanding. They get in their vehicles and drive off, (Y/n) unaware of the situation he's getting himself into.

Chapter 2: Dart.

The trio walk down a railway inside a forest, (Y/n) watches as Dustin and Steve toss bits of meat out of a bucket. (Y/n) walks slightly behind, listening to them talk, and Dustin tries to use his radio.

"Guys, this is Dustin again. Does anyone copy? This is a code red. I repeat, a code red! I really need someone to pick up here. Hopper's MIA, and I've got a code red. Code red! ....All right, it's Dustin again.

Seriously, I have a code red." He says and a voice comes back.

"Could you please shut up?" The voice says and (Y/n) walks up next to Dustin.

"Erica? Erica, is Lucas there? Where is he?" Dustin asks and (Y/n) peers over.

"Erica?" He asks.

"Don't know. Don't care." She says, (Y/n) could taste the sass radiating from that comment.

"Is he with Mike?" Dustin asks, gripping the radio.

"Like I said, I don't know and I don't care." Erica replies again coldly.

"Please tell him it's super important. Please tell him that I have a code—" Dustin says and Erica cuts him off

"Code red?" She says and he nods.

"Yep, code red. Exactly."

"I got a code for you instead. It's called code shut-your-mouth." Erica cuts the radio and there's nothing but static. (Y/n) looks over at Dustin.

"That girl sounds like a terror." He says and the. To Dustin.

"I guess she was no hell?" He asks and Dustin turns to him.

"Son of a bitch. You're really

no help at all, you know that?" Dustin says and (Y/n) shoots back.

"Then why the hell did you ask for my help?" He says and the three continue tossing meat, but another voice comes on.

"This is Lucas. Do you copy? Dustin?" Lucas says, Probably Erica's sibling.

"Well, well, well, look who it is." Dustin said with a smirk.

"Sorry, man. My stupid sister turned it off." He explains.

"Well, when you were having sister problems, Dart grew again, he escaped, and I'm pretty sure he's a baby Demogorgon.

"Wait. What?" Lucas asks and (Y/n) also adds in.

"You never told me what this Demagorgon does." He adds in and Dustin shushes him.

"I'll explain later.Meet me, (Y/n), and Steve at the old junkyard.

"Steve? (Y/n)?" Lucas asks obviously confused,

"And bring your binoculars and wrist rocket." Dustin says and hangs up. They get a few yards from the junkyard and are almost out of meat as Bait.

"I don't know. I just feel like you're trying too hard." Steve says.

"Well, not everyone can have your perfect hair, all right?" Dustin shoots back as (Y/n) smells the meat.

"Yeah, You and you dumb perfect hair." He adds in, Steve glares at him for a moment.

"Look, It's not about the hair, man. The key with girls is just...just acting like you don't care. It drives them nuts." Steve says, (Y/n) frowns a bit at this advice. But he doesn't say anything and just keeps tossing the bait.

"Then what?" Dustin asks.

"You just wait until, uh...until you feel it." Steve explains, but keeps most of it fairly ambiguous.

"It's like before it's gonna storm, you know?

You can't see it, but you can feel it, like this, uh..." Steve attempts to explain it, but it comes off as nonsensical.

"electricity, you know?" Steven says, finding the right words after looking at (Y/n).

"Oh, like in the electromagnetic field when the clouds in the atmosphere—" Dustin says and (Y/n) comes in.

"No no, i think Steve means like a, Romantic energy... when a girl likes you and you like her too, this feeling it's like it, like it runs though your bones." He says, and (Y/n) and Steve turn to each other.

"Like a sexual electricity!" They say at The same time, Dustin watches their two brain cells rub against each other on that one. (Y/n) turns to Dustin

"You're not falling in love with this girl, are you?" He asks and Dustin shakes his head.

"Uh, no. No." He says.

"Okay, good. Don't. She's only gonna break your heart, and you're way too young for that shit." Steve says, there's silence between the three.

"Fabergé." He says, (Y/n) and Dustin look at Steve

"What?" They say.

"It's Fabergé Organics. Use the shampoo and conditioner, and when your hair's damp not wet, okay? When it's damp... You do four puffs of the

Farrah Fawcett spray. You tell anyone I just told you

that and your ass is grass. You're dead, Henderson.

Do you understand? Goes for you too mystery man." Steve says and Dustin nods.

"I'm not a mystery man, you just never asked anything about me." He says, Dustin and Steve get a bit quiet and Steve asks.

"Okay. So, where do you come from?" He asks.

"Ohio. Heard from a good source about a Lab here, ran through some leads and that lead me here." He says, the trio slowly come to the scent of rust and the burning sunlight, they reach the junkyard. Housing rusted vehicles and old busses.

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, this will do. This will do just fine.

Good call, dude." Steve says, they dump the rest of the meat and stand around.

"I said medium-well!" Lucas yells, they turn to see Lucas a Short African American kid, and a ginger girl standing next to him.

"Who's that?" Steve asks, Looking at the girl.

"Who's that?" Lucas asks, looking at (Y/n).

"You told her?" Dustin asks as they approach,

"So what?" He says and Dustin gets pretty upset.

"So what?" Is that all you have to say?" He says.

"You wanted to tell her, too." Lucas retorts.

(Y/n) and Max look at each other, he offers a handshake.

"(Y/n)" he says.

"Max" she says back, the two share a short hello and go back to listen to them argue.

"But I didn't, all right?" Lucas says, and then turns to (Y/n).

"You told this guy." He says and (Y/n) chimes in.

"For the record I kinda already knew some of this, I just didn't know about the Demagorgon and Upside down universe part." He says, and Dustin defends him.

"He wanted to know what happened to Eleven, she's His Sister." He explains, Lucas Turns to him a bit mesmerized.

"Can you move stuff with your mind too?" He asks and (Y/n) confidently shakes his head.

"No, watch this." He says, (Y/n) turns to face a old car and it's window, much like his younger sister, he raises his hand and focuses, blood pours form his nose but streaks of electricity form down his arm and to his palm, he focuses and looks straight at the window.

"Boom."

In a flash, a bolt of lightning bursts from his hand, it blasts a hole though one window of the car and then to the other. The others stare in amazement and shock, Dustin, Max and Lucas rush to the window to see the melting glass dripping off the window.

"Holy shit." Dustin says as they gaze at the hole.

"You really are a superhero." Lucas says and turns to (Y/n), who's taking a few deep breaths.

"Yeah.. I guess I .. guess I am.. Uh, you guys have like a car battery or something? I'm a little, little drained." He says, everyone looks a bit worried as he walks over to see a power pole. He extends his arm and lightning comes from the pole, hitting his palm it begins to transfer to him, almost revitalizing his body. He looks a bit more rejuvenated and he turns to the group.

"So, How's that for Superhero?" He asks, they look pretty surprised. Later, Dustin and Lucas are talking behind a car.

"And you haven't heard from Mike?"

"No."

"Or Will?"

"No."

"Hopper?"

"No! No one is around. Why do you think I'm

with Steve Harrington and (Y/n)... Uh, (Y/n)—"

"It's Walker!" (Y/n) yells.

"Right, Steve Harrington and (Y/n) Walker" Dustin Finishes his sentence.

"Something's...Wrong." Lucas says and Dustin nods.

"I agree. Which is why we need as much help as we can get." He says, the two turn to Max who's helping bait and trap the junkyard.

"She didn't believe me anyway." Lucas says sadly.

"You probably didn't tell it right, That must be it." Dustin says.

"So, we good?" Lucas asks, they nod and Steve shoves Himself into their conversation.

"Hey! Dickheads! How come the only ones helping

me out is this random guy and girl? We lose light in 40 minutes. Let's go. Let's go, I said!" Steve yells and the two sulk and follow.

[pacifymebby]

t r o u b l e // chapter six

A peaky blinders modern au balletcore story

Chapter List

Sonya

I lay awake listening to the quiet which remained after Ada had soothed little Karl and set him down to sleep. I knew she wouldn't be sleeping, I knew she'd be somewhere in her wing of the house, growing more agitated by the second. Sitting with her rage and stewing. She would feel just as we did, caged. Helpless to do anything and yet desperate to get as far away from this place as she could. From the evil world our brothers moved in.

I'd been trying not to think about what I would have been doing had I been at home in the flat I shared with Sylvie. It was 4:30am and I'd have been in the shower, fighting off sleep, thinking about the short tube journey into school. Rerunning the steps I'd been trying my best to get to know so well that I no longer had to think. Only had to relax into them and move as if strings were tied to my head, my wrists and my feet.

.I'd been trying not to ask what was going to happen when I didn't show for class, when I didn't show for my rehearsals later that day, but it was difficult not to because in that moment I felt like my whole life was caught on a precipice. Tommy was about to push me off.

In the end I gave up trying to sleep.

The sun was rising somewhere beyond the peaks and my body clock was so atuned to early rising that I saw no point in trying to change in now.

The house was silent, the family finally settled. Whatever disputes had been quietly raging all night were waiting now for the morning when Tommy and Ada would no doubt clash again.

It was much bigger than I'd noticed the night before when John had brought us straight to Tommy's study and then lead us straight to our room, but now that I was treading lightfoot down the hallways slender carpet past numerous doors I was beginning to realise that my brother was far richer than even I could have imagined. It was no secret of course, I'd always known that our family were much better off than we'd been when we were living in that tiny flat in poverty stricken watery lane. It had been obvious that my brothers had social climbed further than any of us could imagine when their names began to circulate the tabloids. When people had started filming Sylvie and I every time my brothers schemes made the news.

But this was a different kind of wealth.

Our "cottage" conversion in the country was palacial and beneath the quaint thatched roof there was money in every vintage church pew, painting and statue that lined the hall.

I trailed my fingers down the banister as I descended the stairs taking each step at a time, still a little sleepy and now hazy in awe of the house I found myself in, knowing that it belonged tp our family. My brothers had been born in a caravan on some trashed car park, but now they owned houses like this and I understood why it was known as Shelby Manor.

I wasn't really looking for anything in particular, simply hoping to get to know my new "home" whilst there was nobody else around. Whilst it felt empty and I had free reign over the halls, rooms and hopefully, the little nooks and hideyholes I would be able to escape to later when everyone else was at one anothers throats.

So, when I slipped through another doorway to find a darker, thinner hallway, the floor of which was made of stone rather than the polished hardwood in the majority of the house, my curiosity was piqued. Not least by the cool draft which hot hit my cheeks gently, it had that earthy damp smell that reminded me of exploring woodland with my sister when we were smaller. So I stepped through the door, gasping though I should have expected how the stone was cold against my bare feet.

It was dark but not pitch black, small fire safety lights making a path along the cieling that I could follow, one hand always trailing the cool stone wall. It felt as though I had stumbled across a secret passage in an old mannor house, the kind of tunnel that should lead out to Narnia or somewhere similar.

I wouldn't have been completely surprised if it had been a secret passageway, an escape tunnel that lead out of the house. That was the kind of thing our Tommy was probably into these days. Still, if it was supposed to be secret it wasn't exactly well hidden, the door left open as if it had wanted to be found.

It didn't occur to me that it had been left open on purpose, though had I though perhaps had I known my brother a little better I'd have worked that out when I reached the exit. A door which opened out into an overgrown garden, long dry grass grown up to my waist, the pollen brushing off on my pyjama shorts as I stepped outside.

The ground was dry and crumbly and as i stepped I felt pieces of snapped grass between my toes. But I wasn't the first to walk through the field that summer because there was a well trodden path already there for me to follow and as I did I realised that I wasn't in anybodys garden at all.

I was at the edge of the manor grounds, where the river which ran the perimeter of the Shelby land opened out into the mouth of a lake which stretched wide and early morning orange sparkling in the sunrise.

I remembered my brother telling me about it once, in one of our brief conversations. Not long after he'd bought the old farmhouse and begun converting it. He'd told me he was going to clear the lake for me so that I could go swimming in it like the lake our mother had taken us to when we were tiny children and she was still alive.

I couldn't help but smile as I lowered myself to crouch on the bank and peer down at the water curiously. He'd done as he'd promised. Perhaps the only promise he'd ever made to me that he'd kept. The water was clean and clear but for the reeds which broke the surface and whispered all wind in the willows peaceful. Daydreamy and alluring.

And so I couldn't resist. Slipping out of my tshirt and shorts into only my underwear, shuffling along and then down the little slope to dip my feet and ankles into the cool water. And it was cold, not icy but cool enough to shiver up my spine and draw a little gasp from me when the water lapped up around my waist. Still it was a good kind of shiver, a good kind of cold and, as I pushed off away from the bank I felt my body cut through the water gracefully, the water swallowing me up to my neck, my legs moving slowly as I kicked and swam smoothly. As I swam I felt the tension of the night before ease a little, washed away by the cool water and the sunlight which dappled and glimmered in warm shades.

I cut a slow moving stroke through the middle of the lake and when I was out far enough away from the bank that I felt a pleasant sense of isolation, I turned onto my back and let myself float, looking up at the clouds in the whispy sky. It was then that I let myself close my eyes, a soft smile on my lips as the water held me and I felt, for the first time in a little while, truly at peace. Truly free. And even though I knew that freedom and peace couldn't last long at all, I was happy to hold onto it and treasure it then for the little time I had been given.

That was until I heard movement somewhere on the bank behind me. My ears prickled at the sound of a foot scuffing at the side of a rock. Shoes being kicked off. The clunk of something heavy hitting the floor.

I jumped, startled, spinning round with a snap, my eyes wide when I saw a lad, shirtless, standing at the edge of the bank, apparently oblivious to me.

At least he had been, and I'd have preferred it to stay that way, until my startled splash had drawn his attention to me.

Now he stood watching me, just far enough that I couldn't read his expression, couldn't make out the colour of his eyes or their truthfulness.

I hovered in the water, a little shaken. Remembering why my brother had brought us back to the manor in the firstplace. Remembering that the outside world was dangerous now, that strangers were enemies as far as anyone sensible was concerned.

So i watched him cautiously and when he raised his hand in a slow wave I didn't return it.

And when he called out across the water to me I didn't reply straight away.

"Hello?" he called out to me, his hand still hovering by his dark curls.

I didn't call back, watching him hesitantly because although he didn't seem hostile he wasn't wearing a peaky cap and I didn't recognise him as anyone Tommy kept close.

And when I didn't respond he lowered his hand and without any warning at all he launched himself into the water in an elegant dive, his body swallowed whole by the water, the white splash frothing and bubbling as he disappeared below the surface.

I froze. Watching the bubbles as he cut through the water and burst through the surface. His slender frame cutting towards me at a much faster speed than I could have managed. Even if I was a quick swimmer, he moved like a fish, his body lithe but strong and powerful and I knew that if he was intent on catching up to me he would.

So i remained still, knowing that if something happened to me out here my brothers would only be angry I'd been out here on my own. That even Ada and Sylvie would want to know why the hell I hadn't put up a fight.

But when he slowed and stopped, treading water about a meter from me he was smirking, the kind of boyish smile worn by a harmless teenager.

"I don't think you heard me before..." he said, his cocky smirk getting under my skin a little as he trod water before me, his eyes flickering over my face and my shoulders, the little of me above water level. "I said hello."

When still I didn't say a word, only held his gaze coldly, stubborn not to show my nerves, he spoke again, still trying to be cheeky, still with a confidence I was sure he didn't deserve. "You're in my lake you know..." he added a little quieter, his smirk undeterred by my unamused pout.

"You're not a Shelby," I said as coldly as I could, my words causing a soft chuckle to ripple from him though I could see in his eyes that I'd caught him off guard.

"So?"

"So its not your lake." I said swimming backwards towards the edge of the lake, watching him watching me. I wasn't rushing, I wasn't "fleeing" but I was pushing quickly through the water, my heart beginning to race when he swam to catch up.

"You seem pretty sure about that for a lass who's never set foot on this riverbank before today..." he called after me, stopping at the bank a second after I did with a smile that would have been contagious had I not been so determined to be as Sylvie would have been had she been caught out like this.

When still I didn't relent he shook his head, half a laugh down towards the water as he leant on the grassy bank with his elbows. He ran his hand through his wet hair and left it sticking up a little scruffy, droplets trailing down his arm and splashing off the water onto me. "What if I told you I had Thomas Shelbys blessing?" he asked, teasing me his eyes twinkling with sarcasm, "would that put your conscience at ease miss?"

The whole time he'd been talking I'd been trying to place his accent. Almost Irish but not quite, familiar to me but only distantly. A part of my past hardly recognisable now.

"You're gypsy..."

"Don't think you're allowed to call me that anymore lass, ain't the 1920s anymore now is it..." he grinned, a caught out grin, a slight pinkish hue in his cheeks, "an I'd think you'd be a wee but more concerned about that an all if you're who I think you are..."

"Gypsy, traveller, romani... Its all the same to me," I shrugged as nonchalantly as I could, knowing that if Ada or Aunt Pol had heard me they'd be furious. That even Tommy and my brothers who still used that word whenever they wanted to put someone else in their place, would have scorned to hear me say that.

"Well," he said, lowering his voice a little, still softly spoken, still teasing, "well now I know you're lying to me Miss Shelby..." he said leaning in a little closer, knowing eyes glowing so that although he didn't look humbled, still looked as though he believed himself to have the upper hand - and he did have the upper hand - he looked a little softer. Enough to ease my fears a little. The knowledge that we were more alike than I'd anticipated putting me at ease, because there wasn't a travelling family in the whole of the midlands who didn't answer to my brother these days.

"You know I'm a Shelby?" I asked edging towards the grass myself about to push myself up onto the bank until I remembered that I was only in my underwear, that my pyjama shorts and tshirt had been abandoned somewhere the other side of the lake.

When he laughed I couldn't tell if he was teasing still or really just laughing at me. My apparent naivety.

"Aye little lass, reckon I know which Shelby you are an all..."

I held his gaze despite myself then, doing my best to remain cold and stubborn, doing my best not to reveal how vulnerable I felt. But my cheeks were heating up, an indignant blush revealing me completely.

"You can't possibly, we've never met."

"You're Sonya," he shrugged pushing himself up onto the verge, looking down at me, his legs still in the water, kicking them gently too relaxed for someone who should have been at least a little wary of a Shelby girl. Then again, he knew exactly which Shelby girl he was talking to, and if there was a Shelby lass not worth fearing I knew it was me.

"Eh don't look so sad," he flashed me another smile, one which riled my temper because I didn't like being teased by strangers who should have feared me. I wasn't used to it either.

In London people had feared me for a collection of reasons, some for my family, most for mt reputation. I was one of, if not the, most talented ballerina of my age. One not to be sniffed at. Someone to gaze at in awe. To be grateful to have met.

"That was just a lucky guess..." I said eyeing him suspiciously.

"Was it yeah?"

"Yes." I said finally, narrowing my eyes at him before backing away, "so, you know who my brother is, close your eyes if you know whats good for you."

I wasn't expecting him to do as I'd said but he did, quickly too. His hand shot up to cover his eyes and he made a point of turning away, laughing at me with a smile that lingered.

"Well I'll be seein yous Sonya," he said his voice light as ever, still teasing, still laughing. Too comfortable. Almost infuriating me so that I couldn't reply, could only hurry back to the trodden in path I'd followed, grabbing my clothes and scarpering as if it really had been me trespassing after all.

Next Chapter

[ketso]

Episode 26

Senzi and I are leaving KZN today. My mom let us use her Maserati to travel. It’s so comfortable and we both enjoy it so much. Bab’Khotso said Senzi and I should keep the car and that he will buy another car for my mother. I actually looked at Senzi and told him to take notes. That’s what a husband does. He just laughed.

We leave Mtubatuba at 6am because I want to go to Gateway in Durban first. I want to go and get a wig installed. Senzi keeps asking me what he’s going to do while I install my wig. I told him that he will just wait for me. So as we are driving now, I hear him talking to his brother, Ntuthuko, that they will meet at Gateway.

He actually has a good relationship with his brothers - Ntuthuko and Akwande. Akwande is young. He’s still in school. He’s younger than Lefatselabarena. But they are all close so I’m also quite close with them. Mam’Refiloe is also quite aggressive in involving herself in our lives. She phones me every day. Like… every damn day. Not even my mom phones me like she does. She wanted us to go shopping together for Morafe’s wedding. First of all, I’m a bridesmaid. And after spending a night at my mom’s house, Senzi is dropping me off at Morafe’s home then going to sleep over at his dad’s house. All my outfits and all that other jazz is already sorted. And she’s always disappointed when I decline her offers to do stuff together. She really doesn’t need to try this hard. Senzi appreciates it though. He keeps saying that I shouldn’t be annoyed with her, she’s just trying to make the best out of a weird situation.

I am most proud of Senzi and how he lets his father and brothers in. Senzi’s dad tries every day to connect with him and Senzi lets him. I think Senzi is most appreciative of how Bab’Shaka embraces him. He’s even asked us to move to the kingdom. Imagine! And Senzi is actually considering it. But I also had to remind him that he needs to close the loop with his mother. He really does. His mother phones my mom and sends her text messages on a regular. I even spotted her at Senzi’s ceremony in Mtubatuba. But she kept her distance. Senzi was so cold towards her, and she was genuinely hurt.

Senzi has a sister who lives in LA. Her name is Luhle. We met her for the first time when we had the ceremony in Tholoana Kingdom - at Senzi’s dad’s house. I found her to be very rude. Very rude. At first, I thought it’s because Ntuthuko would not stop calling her sdudla. I mean, she is quite gifted in meat all around her body. But she doesn’t look like the typically confident big woman who embraces her giftedness. So, being called sdudla would just trigger her. Yoh but she wasn’t only rude to Ntuthuko. She was rude to Mam’Refiloe, to me, to Akwande and she was the most rude to her father, Bab’Shaka. Yerrr… she looks like a walking ticking time bomb. She would probably bomb all of us one day. Then she went on and on about how she no longer needs anymore siblings. Her father doesn’t know how to be a dad to anyone who’s not birthed by Mam’Refiloe. She even calls her Refiloe straight to her face. She’s really tense. Then when she takes it too far, Ntuthuko would just gaslight her and say, “you are too fat to be this passionate. What will we do if you have a heart attack and faint? Who’s going to carry you? Do you see how big you are?!”

Yoh, girl threw a glass at him and it cut some skin off his shoulder. It was just a lot. She was just a lot. She doesn’t know how to be with me. I don’t give her a place ukuthi angihlanyele. So, she and I are just cordial. Bab’Shaka and Mam’Refiloe have just given up on her all together nje.

We finally arrive at Gateway. We park the car, hold hands then make our way to the salon that I have my appointment at. Ntuthuko is at the entrance of the mall already waiting for us.

“Small”, Ntuthuko greets Senzi.

“Grootman. Ugrand?” Senzi says to him.

“Ngishup. Ngiyafa nje indlala. Yerrr!” Ntuthuko.

“Let’s go leave Wandi at her salon then we will go and eat.” Senzi.

“Mfazi kabhuti… ugrand?” Ntuthuko greets me.

“Ngiyaphila. Ushup wena bhuti?” Me.

“I’m good. You know people glue hair in the kingdom as well, right? We don’t have to do that here specifically.” Ntuthuko.

“I know. Kodwa I’m literally going to have one day to chill. After that, I’ll be within bridesmaid duties. This is the only time that I actually have to do my hair. “I explain myself.

“Manje doesn’t the glue melt? Yaz, I’m interested. So ivele ihlale nje ithi nca until you are tired of it?”

Senzi actually laughs. I don’t have the energy to engage on this topic.

“You must ask the hair lady who will be doing my hair when we get to the salon”, I say.

But he keeps the questions coming. Wow! And this guy will be with us at the wedding because Senzi doesn’t want to be alone while I be a bridesmaid at the wedding. Kusazoba interesting.

…

I relaxed my hair first before doing the cornrows then “glue-d” my hair as Ntuthuko puts it. Now we are leaving Gateway and are headed to the kingdom. I’m sitting in the backseat because Ntuthuko is sitting in the passenger seat and Senzi is driving. I actually plan to sleep. I even bought a headscarf after doing my hair so I can keep my hair neat while I sleep. I have a fleece blanket with me.

The drive is nice. The two brothers are talking absolute nonsense. I’m lying down at the back with my eyes closed, but I’m not asleep because their conversation keeps making me laugh.

Ntuthuko: “You must see my banking app. It looks like the payroll of some company. It’s my baby-mamas lined up for payment every month as well as whenever they run out of shit or shit comes up mid-month and they didn’t budget for emergencies. Yerrr.”

Senzi: “Kanti how much do you pay them a month?”

Ntuthuko: “Much more than what our parents used to raise us every month. I pay them 12k a month.”

Yoh!

Senzi: “Ndoda, that’s a whole salary.”

Ntuthuko: “You see why I could never move out of dad’s place? I don’t have the luxury of being able to afford a one-bedroom nyana.”

Senzi: “Manje where do you tap them?”

Ntuthuko: “At their houses. At hotels. Or I sneak them into dad’s place. But they know that they have to leave before uMaphumulo avuka. He’d murder both the girl and me.”

Senzi laughs. I just chuckle under my breath. Yaz uNtuthuko is a character and a half.

Ntuthuko: “How did you and umakoti meet?”

Senzi: “At a party”.

Ntuthuko: “You party? Wena?! Kanti ndoda, aren’t you umfundisi?”

Senzi: “Manje? I’m still a human being and I still like to have a good time like the next person.”

Ntuthuko: “So at parties, you don’t just stand in a corner and judge people or pray for people. Like you actually pick up huns and fuck them ngoba igazi liyagijima?”

I don’t like this question.

Senzi: “I have a good time at parties without picking up people and having sex with them. I respect my wife.”

Good baby!

Ntuthuko: “So you’ve never cheated on her?”

Hai bo!

Senzi: “No.”

Ntuthuko: “Like ever?!”

Senzi: “Ever!”

Ntuthuko: “So in the last how ever many years you’ve been with her, she’s all you’ve ever had?”

What’s Ntuthuko’s problem?!

Senzi: “For the past seven years, I’ve only ever been with Wandisa Xolile Buthelezi.”

Ntuthuko: “Ndoda, don’t you see other women?”

I’m very uncomfortable now. Maybe I should wake up so the conversation could stop.

Senzi: “I’m a man. Of course, I see them. I work in aviation. Flight attendants throw themselves at me all the time. Those girls at church throw themselves at me all the time. But my biggest fear is Wandi cheating on me because I work so much. Phela when I do international flights, I’m sometimes gone for three weeks straight. When I come home and I find my wife just there waiting for me, happy to see me… I know she’s worth it and I recommit myself to never being an unfaithful and untrustworthy man to her. Ngiyamthanda uWandisa. I honour her. I love her the way that God loves the church. I want to be her answered prayers and nothing less.”

Now I’m moved. I just want to wake up and kiss him.

Ntuthuko: “You made this decision for a girl you met at a party? How well was she twerking on your dick, bafo?”

Then there’s Ntuthuko ruining the moment.

They both laugh then Senzi says, “we had decided to go clubbing… my classmates and me. It was our final year at aviation school, and we just thought it was cool to go out in our aviation jackets because the girls would go wild when we stepped in. We outplayed the regular guy any day in a club.”

Ntuthuko: “You guys were basically the gusheshe of the place nje.”

Senzi laughs then says, “Something like that.”

I even chuckle under my breath here.

Senzi continues, “I remember this one girl making her way to the bar to order a drink. Yerrrrr bafo… time stood still. My eyes were so glued to her that I didn’t even notice another girl twerking on my dick the minute I stepped into the club.”

They laugh. Even me, I chuckle a bit.

Senzi: “I stood next to her at the bar, hoping to get her attention. She gave me none of it. I even paid for the drink that she had ordered. She said thanks and disappeared into the club again.”

Ntuthuko: “What?! Uyanya! Ubhadale idrink yakhe?! She doesn’t even leave you with a name nyana? Number? Zero?”

Senzi: “Nix. I didn’t even have fun that night, bafo. I kept looking for her nje. I’d keep going to the toilet to try see if I’d bump into her. Nix. Ah, at 2am, we had to bounce. And as we stepped out of the club, she was there. Upset. And waiting for an Uber. That was my chance. I just had to. I stood next to her. She just looked at me. I asked her if she was okay. She told me she was leaving because a guy tried to rape her and that she still had a drug in her system. So, she wanted to go home so that by the time she lost her senses, she’d be in her own bed.”

Ntuthuko: “The fuck?!”

He’s not lying. That’s the night my trauma almost relived itself. I would have died if Senzi didn’t find me that day.

Senzi: “Amanye amadoda are an embarrassment to humankind. But anyway… I told her I’d take her to a hospital. I told her she could take my picture and send it to her parents if she didn’t trust me. But I wasn’t going to hurt her, and I gave her my word. She trusted me. She let me take her to the hospital. I slept there next to her hospital bed all morning. The doctors managed to get the drug out of her system. Then the police came to take her statement. When she described the guy, it was one of the guys that I had arrived with from the aviation school.”

Ntuthuko: “Hhayi Ndoda! Manje uyishisile lentwana to the cops?”

Senzi: “Yeah! I have no mercy on that kind of behaviour! Sies! When she got discharged from hospital, she took me out to lunch to thank me for helping her and for not hiding my friend. After lunch, I took her back to res where she stayed. She was also a student at the time. First year student. I got her number and her name that day. Today she’s my wife.”

Ntuthuko: “Manje intwana yakho eyaboshwa?”

Senzi: “He got arrested. But his parents paid a lot of money to make the case go away. But he wasn’t allowed to finish and qualify as a pilot. Then he killed himself”.

Ntuthuko: “Hai wena! Mos he could’ve just driven a taxi. Why is a plane so special?”

Senzi laughs aloud. I also almost laugh aloud! Yoh! Ntuthuko is an unmatched character shame.

I eventually fall asleep because they start talking about football. The juicy stuff is done.

…

I wake up as we drive into the Maphumulo mansion. We are dropping Ntuthuko off first then we go and sleep over at my mom’s place. Yoh, I miss her.

I phone my mom to update her while Ntuthuko smokes outside and Senzi stretches. The call takes about five minutes then we head into the house. I don’t know what Ntuthuko does with his zol.

We greet Mam’Refiloe, Bab’Shaka and Akwande. They are all sitting in the kitchen. Mam’Refiloe is cooking and the two men are just sitting with her chatting up a storm.

“Nihambe njani?” Bab’Shaka asks us.

Senzi is the one who expresses that the trip was good, but we all just want to sleep now because tomorrow they are taking me to Maja Perre.

“Can I go with you this time?” Akwande says.

“Sure. Mara siyahamba bese siyabuya.” Ntuthuko.

“Hai guys, you’ll end up in an accident or causing accidents. You need to rest! I’ll book you into a hotel, nilale then come back the day after tomorrow”. Mam’Refiloe says.

Senzi and Ntuthuko nod their heads. I see Bab’Shaka smiling at them.

Luhle walks into the kitchen and the mood is instantly TENSE!

Can Senzi and I please just go?! Please?!

“Sdudla, sawubona nakuwe. Asilalanga nawe.” Ntuthuko.

Listen… she already looks like she’s in a bad mood. Why is Ntuthuko gas-lighting her?!

“Hi”, she says and carries on with whatever she’s doing.

Mam’Refiloe looks like she’s about to cry. I wonder what happened before we got here.

“Luhle, when are you going back to LA?” Bab’Shaka.

“Yini?! I’m no longer welcome here?!” She replies with hectic attitude.

“You don’t look like you want to be here. All you do from the minute that you wake up right up until you go to sleep is piss people off and make us uncomfortable in our own home. You seem very pressed to leave so I’m wondering ukuthi uhamba nini.” Bab’Shaka.

This is so uncomfortable.

“Ngoba uRefiloe uyakhala nyana, kumele –

“LUHLE!”

We all jump in shock.

“THIS IS MY HOUSE! REFILOE IS MY WIFE! NGEKE SIZWE NGAWE LANA! UCQOKA THINA! ULALA THINA! UDLA THINA! THEN YOU DISRESPECT US LIKE THIS, YOU UNGRATEFUL CHILD! Do you think you are that entitled to my money?! That no matter how much you disrespect my wife and I, I’ll never cut you off?! Umdala ungaka you can’t even look after yourself! Uziphatha ngathi uyintanga ka-Akwande!”

“If you cut me off, I’ll never speak to you again.” Luhle the brave.

“Oh please! You can’t even make a dramatic exit without my money. You’ll leave that car in my driveway, leave the very clothes on your body and leave with what you can afford - NOTHING!”

“Then I’ll kill myself!”

Hai bo!

“Go for it! You’ll save me a lot of headaches and money. I’m paying for a house and a car in LA. You still ask me for an allowance for I don’t know what because you can’t keep a job for longer than five minutes. So, who do you think will benefit the most from your death?!”

“Shaka!” Mam’Refiloe tries.

“Thula wena, Refiloe. Why are you acting like you don’t enjoy what’s happening because this is exactly what you want!” What’s wrong with Luhle?!

Bab’Shaka now has a gun against Luhle’s head. I’m holding onto Senzi because I’m shit scared. He’s holding me. Ntuthuko stands in front of Mam’Refiloe, almost defending her from the scene before us.

“Baba, you are pulling out a gun on me? Me?! What would my mother say, Baba?! What would your true love - the love of your life, Kenosi Maphumulo, say about your shooting me because of some skank who has recklessly come into our family to destroy our bond?”

Lord, please save me from stepchildren such as this one. No one deserves a stepdaughter like this unless they are the wicked witch of the west herself. And Mam’Refiloe is not that. She doesn’t deserve this.

Bab’Shaka cocks his gun. I feel my blood coldly running through my body.

“Shaka, sthandwa sami… please.” Mam’Refiloe tries to stop what we are all very scared to witness.

Luhle is now shit scared. We even see her pants getting wet. I think she’s pee-ing in her pants.

“Apologise to my wife, right now!” Bab’Shaka.

Luhle is so scared she says, “Ngiyaxolisa.”

“Uxolisa kubani?” Bab’Shaka.

“Ngiyaxolisa Sis’Fifi.” Luhle.

Bab’Shaka removes the gun from her head.

We all release a sigh of relief.

“Ntuthuko… Senzangakhona… Akwande… get this person out of my face and out of my house. When you come back to this house, she better be on a plane back to LA. And wena Luhle, you’ll move into an apartment and out of that house that I’ve been paying for eyikuhlanyisayo. I’m also taking your car away. You want luxuries in life, you can work for them. Umdala mawungaka. You have hands that work and feet that can carry you anywhere. I’m only paying for that apartment for one year. After that, uzobona ukuthi uphuma njani.” Bab’Shaka says.

I’m wondering what I’ll be doing in the meantime.

“Baba-

“Sengiqedile ukukhuluma, Luhle. Uzohamba kahle.” Bab’Shaka says then makes his way upstairs.

I’m so shook.

What version of discipline is this?!

…

Ntuthuko and I are on our way to the airport with Luhle and Akwande. We are going to drop Luhle off. I don’t even know if she has a plane ticket or what. We are using Ntuthuko’s BMW black X6 - the M-Performance version. It’s a nice car. I can’t even ask him about the specs of this car because this ride is tense. Akwande just has headsets on. I wish I were him. But something tells me that I don’t have the luxury of putting headsets on. Ntuthuko is driving. I’m not sure what my role is here. And I’m not sure if Wandi is comfortable where she is.

I’m still confused about my dad carrying a gun - never mind pulling one on his only daughter. That man is intense.

But right now, I’m going to address the one elephant in the room because no one seems to be addressing this.

“Luhle, do you have a flight ticket?” I ask her.

“Cha. Ubaba didn’t buy me one.” She says. She’s sobbing.

I’m going to assume that she probably doesn’t have cash to buy one herself.

“Would you like me to organise one for you?” I enquire.

“I’d be very grateful, bhuti.” She says. She’s still sobbing as she says this.

I get on my cellphone and start organising a ticket for her. Thank God for my staff discounts because a ticket to LA is not cheap.

I manage to get her a flight for tonight. I tell her and she says thank you.

We get to the airport and Ntuthuko parks at the drop off.

“Are we not going to walk her in?” I ask him.

“As old as she is?” Ntuthuko. Why do people treat her like this?

“Hai bo, Ndoda. Asingene naye.” I say.

“Ngeke alahleke lo muntu”, Ntuthuko.

“Ja, but I need to go swipe my access card so she can get her ticket and at least get into the slow lounge so she can eat and have a drink before she boards her flight.” I say.

Ntuthuko looks annoyed, but he goes to park his car and we make our way into the airport. I hold her luggage and give Akwande her carry-on luggage. Ntuthuko is not involving himself. Luhle won’t stop crying. Yoh, I should’ve stayed eMtubatuba.

-

We get back to the house just after 8pm. Wandi told me, via WhatsApp, that we were bulldozed into sleeping over. Apparently, my dad has the “Wandi is the makoti, I’m not Phuthi’s makoti” mentality. In the spirit of building a relationship with him and his wife - especially after what we had just witnessed, Wandi just agreed that we’d sleep over. I wish she didn’t. And I would have definitely said no. Wandi misses her mother. The past month has been all about me. She has been so selfless. She slept everywhere my dad told us to sleep and had no complaints. She followed every single rule there was for her to follow - even when I didn’t agree with that shit - and didn’t complain. Now she can’t even get one day to go home and be with her mom?! This is rubbish and this is one thing I’m not going to tolerate. No one is going to treat my wife like that and I don’t want Shaka Maphumulo to get too comfortable in that mentality when it comes to us. Angidlali naye. Not when it comes to my wife. He can even shoot me if he wants to. But I promised Wandi I’d be chilled about it. She begged me to not fight it. I’m not happy but hey.

“Nihambe kahle?” Mam’Fifi asks Ntuthuko, Akwande and I.

“Sihambe kahle, Mah.” Ntuthuko.

“Did you guys buy her a ticket or did you just leave her there?” Mam’Fifi.

“Bhut’Senzi used his pilot connections to buy her a ticket and access to the slow lounge so she could eat and drink before boarding her flight”, Akwande.

“Thank you so much, Senzi.” Mam’Fifi.

“No problem, Mah.” I say.

I hug Wandi, kissing her even. I don’t care if I’m being inappropriate.

“You good?” I ask her.

“Yeah, I’m good. Wena?”

I kiss her then say, “Just tired. But I’m good.”

We hug.

“Yaz, I need to find a wife. Nami, I want to be loved like this.” Ntuthuko says.

We all laugh.

My dad walks into the entry room that we all find ourselves in.

“Oh, nibuyile?” My dad.

“Babuyile. And Ntuthuko is telling us that he wants a wife.” Mam’Fifi says.

My arms are wrapped around Wandi and we are swinging from side to side, looking at everyone else.

“You do need a wife. Hai le nto yakho yokuthi uzale okwekati.” My dad says.

“Eish baba, it’s not easy. Abafazi baphelile. Sekusele laba nje that you can’t marry.” Ntuthuko says.

“Khona getting married is a big decision. But if someone is not good enough to be your wife, how do you find her good enough to give you kids? You’ve got nothing good to say about any of your baby-mamas”, my dad.

“Senzi will hook me up with a flight attendant”, Ntuthuko.

“Those ones are worse. The wife materials are all taken. The rest are just trying to get a meal on an international trip, so they handle themselves in very questionable ways.” I say.

“There has to be someone, bafo. There has to be.” He says.

“I’ll hook you up with someone. But if you hurt her…” Wandi.

“Who baby?” I ask her.

Even Ntuthuko is interested. My parents are laughing. I’m not sure where Akwande went.

“Tamia”, she says.

“Oh ja. Yaz I didn’t think of her at all.” I say.

“Yeah. I mean naye she’s ready to meet new people. She’s coming to Morafe’s wedding. We will blind-date them there”, Wandi.

“Is she nice?” Ntuthuko enquires.

“She is. She’s very beautiful. Igama lakhe lesintu is Nonkanyiso. But she studied overseas and no one could pronounce her name, so she’s just used her second name ever since. She’s a corporate attorney. She doesn’t have any kids. She lives a decent life, likes to travel and is full of life nje.” Wandi.

“Manje how would she feel about being an instant step-mother? And not just to one child. Ntuthuko has four children with four different women.” My dad.

“Ai baba, lapho ke uNtuthuko kuzomele azikhulumele and show her that he’s worth it. She doesn’t have an issue with kids, kodwa idrama is her deal-breaker. Drama and infidelity. So if I introduce you, Ntuthuko, wazi ukuthi isikhathi sokudlala siphelile.” Wandi.

We all look at Ntuthuko. He’s not too sure about this.

Wandi shows him a picture of Tamia. He smiles at the picture.

“So? Must I organise?” Wandi.

“Okay.” Ntuthuko.

My parents are honestly in stitches.

Wandi and I are in my room now. Everyone is asleep. We are having sex. It’s nice. It’s beautiful. Our hearts and souls have always been in sync. I love this woman with all of my heart. There’s no room for anyone else in my heart.

She climbs on top of me and she serves me sexually. I can’t help but close my eyes because whatever is happening to me is a prayer… a song that is being written. Something that only Wandi can bring out of me. I’m in love. I really am. I’d say yes to Wandi over and over again. I can’t wait to marry her.

We finish happily and satisfied with each other. Now we lie next to each other. I spoon her. We lie here naked and euphoric.

Her cellphone rings.

She reaches for it. I’m kissing her back.

She shows me her cellphone.

It’s my mother.

“I’m answering”, she says.

I nod my head.

She answers and puts the cellphone on loudspeaker.

Wandi: “Hello Lady Laura”.

My mom: “Wandisa, where’s my son? And why isn’t he taking my calls or even calling me? What have you done to my son?!”

Wandi is so stuck and shocked. I was actually beginning to feel bad about taking a break from my mother. Now she’s just extended my need to take a break from her.

Me: “Mom, hello.”

My mom: “Senzangakhona! I understand that you’ve just found out about your father and you are going through everything there is to go through with such things. But I think you’ve more than had your time to be dramatic now. I’ve given you all the space that you need. Now you need to come back and resume your duties in the church.”

I actually laugh. She has some nerve.

My mom: “I want you back here first thing tomorrow morning!”

Me: “I’ll be back when I’m ready to be back. You are lucky I’m not quitting. You have some nerve bullying my wife and me like this after everything that you’ve done to put us in this position. You don’t get to tell us or give us a deadline on how or when we should deal with what you put us through.”

I hang up.

Wandi and I look at each other.

“Your mother really hates me neh?! I mean what does she think I’ll do to you?! I love you.” Wandi says to me.

Before I can even respond to her, there is a loud bang on the door downstairs.

Wandi and I get dressed then make our way down the stairs. My dad, Ntuthuko and Mam’Fifi are already here… facing my mother who is looking very… “Senzangakhona, I’ve come to fetch you. Siyahamba manje!” My mom.

“I’m not going anywhere with you! And I told you this. Why are you here?” Me.

“You think this man is better than me? Huh?! You think him and this pretty little thing on his arm are better parents than me?! Did he tell you what he does for a living?! How this house and all his wealth is built?! How even our very church is a multi-billion organisation?! Did he tell you all of those things?!”

I look at my dad.

“Laura, I’m warning you!” My dad.

“Uzokwenzani?! Uzong’bulala?! In front of my son?! I know you are very capable wena. It’s one of the many things I found to be sexy about you - leaving your wife so we could make our handsome son together. Unapologetically so.”

My dad is restraining himself so badly. You can just tell that if we were not here, my mom’s life would be hanging on a thread.

“I want my child, Shaka! I’m not leaving here without my son!” My mom barks.

“He’s a grown man. That decision is his to make.” My dad.

“Fine. But let’s put all the cards on the table here so he knows that if he stays with you, he’s staying with an animal. There’s a reason that I kept you away.” My mom.

“Apparently it wasn’t reason enough for you to not beg him for a child”, Mam’Fifi says.

“Excuse me?! Who do you think you are talking to?!” My mom, charging towards Mam’Fifi.

“I’m talking to you! You come into my house like a demon and cause havoc for no reason. Ucabanga ukuthi ngizokuyeka? Kukwami la!” Mam’Fifi says.

My mom tries to slap Mam’Fifi but Mam’Fifi catches her hand as if she was expecting that slap. My dad is impressed. Honestly, so am I.

Mam’Fifi physically drags my mother, kicking and screaming, out of the house. Then she shuts the door in my mom’s face. She turns around and stares at us. We all look at her.

“Back to bed! Everyone! Shaka, you keep your baby mamas out of my house or else… ho tlo nkga ho sa bola!”

Then she storms off.

[justanotherstarlightmonger]

No one else for me- PJM

Pairing: YANDERE! Park Jimin x fem reader.

Word count: (I'll be adding my Word counts from now on) 4.7k words.

A/N: I was writing something for Helsinki and suddenly this stupid little idea hit me like a ton of bricks. What if MC had managed to escape her yandere, but quickly found there was no one waiting for her outside. How'd she go back to him? Because isn't the feeling of being loved and belonging somewhere strong enough to override the sense of independence in the best of us? I'd love to know what you think about the matter.

Warnings: (Buckle your seatbelts) NSFW, smut, yandere, obsessive behavior, MC is definitely sick mentally, so is Jimin, marking, use of sex toys, degradation, oral M receiving, orgasm denial, crying during sex, toxic relationship, rough sex, creampie + unprotected sex, breeding kink (unexplored).

Feedback on my works is alwayss appreciated. Send in an ask, leave a comment or let's talk in reblogs 💜

Find my MASTERLIST.

To read the teaser for my latest WIP, press here.

Shout out: My wonderful @bebejungkook for reading this through when I was half asleep and probably didn't even remember what I'd written. What would I do without you?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You couldn't believe you were back here again. The driveway you had run down barefoot, stubbing your toes and cutting your feet, stretched in your vision now, at the end of which the pretty little house sat, it's lights twinkling. Warm and inviting.

Safe.

You had always been safe with Jimin.

So why had you taken the risk and brought down the entire wrath of Hell upon yourself and run away from him?

Run back to what?

Your sister Lisa? Who had inherited whatever funds your parents had saved for both of you and gone to Europe, all in the span of the three months Jimin had kept you here?

Your best friend Tannie? Who you had called the second you had succeeded in borrowing a phone from an older man at the bus station, and she had slammed the phone in your face, claiming it was a sick prank call and that you were dead, she was sure of it?

Or did you perhaps run away to find Kai again? The man who had wooed you once, with empty promises and massive claims. Claims of love and devotion. Whose lingering kisses were what you had felt every time Jimin had pecked your lips. Whose fleeting hands were the memory that had kept you sane when Jimin's hands had roamed over the same places.

Only that, Kai was engaged now.

To a woman you had never seen, never heard of, never wanted to know.

The two nights you had slept on some park bench or the other had gifted you many things. Back pain, beautiful black circles under your eyes, with bags and swelling to match, and a devastating ache to just be held in those strong arms again. To be claimed by those fierce lips that never hesitated to mark you as his every time he felt you needed reminding. To the safety of the four walls of Park Jimin's house.

Because the world had forgotten and forgone you.

Nobody cared about you. Especially not the people you had risked your life for. Hell, even the little kids that had walked past you this morning on their way to school, had offered to treat you to some ramen, which was much more that your best friend "forever" had bothered to do.

And so, the gatekeeper's wide eyes didn't faze you as you stood in front of him. "Is Jimin home?"

He merely nodded. You weren't asking for much more.

"I'll find my way to him myself, thanks." You mumbled, entering the property, a fool's hope for forgiveness in your heart.

4 knocks in quick succession.

Silence from the inside.

You heard the intercom beep from the kitchen.

The gatekeeper was probably telling him about the sick excuse of a human the cat seemed to have dragged in.

A shuffle of footsteps.

The door opened.

There he was.

Jimin.

But he looked different too.

His arms were folded across his chest. His eyes were cold and indifferent.

Or maybe they'd always been this way?

No they hadn't. Not to you. Never to you. He loved you...

Right?

"Jimin..." You half whispered, the tears swiftly rising to your eyes.

There it was. The crack in his ice.

When his hands reached for you, for the first time ever you reached back. When he pulled you inside and slammed the door behind you, you didn't wince. When his lips slammed down on yours, you kissed him back with the same fervor, shaking in his arms, refusing to believe you were back here.

Your tears wet his cheeks, causing him to growl and pull back. He cupped your cheek, a hair too harsh maybe, but as possessive as ever. "Where did you go off to, my sweet girl?" A murmured question.

"Jimin, I- I..." There were no words to justify your betrayal, the way you had hurt him, and you knew it.

But to him, your lack of words only confirmed that you hadn't betrayed him on your own accord. You would never leave him like that. You were his sweet girl, his little pet, his ray of sunshine.

His angel.

He'd burn the whole world that had wrecked you to the woman that stood in front of him. After he had spent so much effort to make you the prettiest doll he had ever had, seeing you this battered sent his entire body burning in the hottest flames of anger.

The tears never ceased. The sobs refused to quieten.

You hugged yourself, even more scared now that Jimin wasn't saying a word, now that his hands had dropped to his side.

Your back hit the wall, and you slid down it, body shaking, and lungs screaming for air.

"They've all forgotten me. They don't love me. They don't love me..." You repeated to yourself, more to drill it into your own head rather than his.

You looked up at him, with glistening eyes, "No one loves me."

He knelt down to your level, easily taking your hands in his own, a sick satisfaction settling into his gut at your words, and the ease with which he was able to touch you just now.

"Don't say that pet." He wiped your tears.

"It's true." A shudder ran through you.

His hand roamed lower, now resting against your neck. "I do. I love you. I've been telling you for so long haven't I?"

"You still do?"

Your innocent, soft question had his dick twitching in his pants. It was a question that surrounded all your insecurities at that moment, and he was well aware of it.

"Do I still love you, after you hurt me like that? Tell me y/n, do you deserve to be loved after stabbing my back like that?"

It was a rhetorical question.

Of course you didn't.

Of course he hated you now.

Of course you had lost the last seclude you had.

You shook your head no. You understood what was happening.

Park Jimin wouldn't take you back.

You were actually, utterly alone in this world now.

You bowed your head and took a step towards the door.

Jimin's vice grip closed around your forearm in a flash and the next thing you knew, you were being slammed against the wall, his hand at your throat, his face just a breath away from yours.

"No you don't. But you know what? I'm a stupid idiot. I'm such an idiot that I still want you. Even though I spent the last two nights crying at your betrayal, and even though I haven't had a bite to eat because you weren't at the table with me, I still want you." He growled, his chokehold on your airway tightening deliciously, possessively.

Your heart tore at his words. You felt even worse, knowing that you had caused him that much suffering. When all he had ever done for you was keep you safe, loved and tended to.

Of course Jimin was lying through his teeth. He knew you'd come back to him. He had made sure of it. But you didn't need to know that.

"I'm so sorry Jimin."

"Sorry won't cut it doll. Do you want me?" He asked, matter of factly.

" Yes" you whispered, " I want you, if you'll still have me"

The erection in his pants was straining against the fabric by now. His sickest fantasy was being fulfilled just like that. He had finally broken you. You had finally, willingly admitted that you wanted him, and more than that you had asked if he'd still have you.

Did you really have no idea what you did to him?

He let go of your neck, and pulled back.

So he didn't want you?

Your breath left you. This was the proper end wasn't it?

And then his hands were on your waist, and you were held against his chest, your lips claimed, your breath stolen and the soul breathed back into your limp body.

Wordlessly, Jimin pulled you towards the bedroom, slamming the door behind him.

"Strip." His command was short and authoritative.

And you were only willing to comply.

You pushed your shirt off, making quick work of the trousers you were wearing, leaving you effectively half naked under his gaze in the span of half a minute.

"My good girl, come here." He beckoned.

He slipped the straps of the bra off your shoulders littering little kisses over the slowly fading marks he had left on your soft skin the last time he had taken you.

And then he pulled it harshly, the clasp in the back breaking and the piece of clothing falling to your feet. You gasped.

"On the bed."

And on the bed you were.

"You're being so good aren't you love..." He said absent mindedly, drinking in the image of you leaning on your arms, waiting for him.

You nodded meekly, the only thing occupying your mind being the thought that you had to please him.

Jimin made his way to one of the drawers in his dressers. Your heart thudded, knowing what was coming.

Soon enough, you saw the little devilish device in his hands.

It was one of the more intricate sex toys Jimin owned. The curved C shaped silicone device had two heads, one that would go inside you, and the other one that would rest on your clit.

He had used it just once before on you, and you had thrashed and begged him to stop. He had been trying to get you to break that night. But today, here you were, already broken and eager for him.

"Will you let me take care of you then?" He asked. "Will you let me see just how sorry you are?"

"I'm so sorry." You repeated, your hands outstretched to him.

He bent over you, kissing your forehead as his palm cupped your sex. "Show me how much." He whispered against you.

You bucked your hips against his hand and he hummed appreciatively.

"Take off your panties."

And so they came off. There was not a resistive bone in your body right now. What Jimin wanted, Jimin would get.

"Spread your legs for me."

He gently prodded your clitoris, the shock of his movement rushing through you exhilaratingly.

"Ohh" you gasped.

That was all the consent Jimin needed to begin the abuse his fingers were capable of, to your pussy.

In almost no time, you were soaking his fingers in your juices, your lips pressed against each other and chest heaving.

When he was content with how wet you were, he withdrew his hand, just for a second before landing a sharp smack straight on your sensitive, swollen lower lips.

A cry tore out of your chest.

"Such a bad girl, running away from Daddy like that."

"I'm sorry."

Another slap that had your arching your back. "How sorry?"

"So, so sorry Daddy. It was a stupid thing to do."

He hummed in agreement. "Yes it was doll. Why did you do it?" His hands weren't just good at delivering slaps, they were also giving such heavenly soothing touches to ease the torture he was putting you through.

"I thought I had someone to go back to." Your tone was void of emotion, causing Jimin to almost swell in happiness.

"And was there?" A finger eased into you.

"No." You whimpered.

"It seems like my princess's adventure taught her many things. But haven't I been telling you the same things all along? Shouldn't you have listened to me?"

You whined, the unsatisfying stretch of a single finger buried inside you, making it hard to focus on his words. You nodded.

"Did you see that piece of shit you said you loved?" Suddenly he sounded cold and distant. He took his finger out of you and pulled you to sit up and look into his eyes. "Did you see how easily he decided to marry someone that was not you?"

A fresh stream of hot tears made it's way down your cheeks.

"How could he settle for a cunt that wasn't yours. How could he miss out in this sweet pussy and marry someone else if he loved you?"

You had nothing to say to that. You only listened to his mocking, dying inside.

" I bet his bitch isn't even half as good as you. I bet he'll wish he took you at the chance he had...but it's too late. You don't love him anymore, do you angel?" He cooed.

You shook your head. But then what were these tears?

" DON'T cry for another man in front of me you little slutty bitch!" Jimin yelled, pinching your clit so hard, you flinched and curled in on yourself, whining like a hurt dog.

" My baby, my baby... My precious, precious girl." And just like that, Jimin was pressing kisses against your lips and mumbling sweet words into your mouth, graciously granting you two soothing fingers into your aching hole.

" Jimin" you whispered against him. He pulled away, cocking his brow. " Please fuck me." You requested, your cheeks blazing hot.

" No baby. You need to be punished." He said decisively, " Come on, get on your knees." He scooted to the edge of the bed, ignoring you till you had followed what he said, busy undoing his belt buckle.

But then he remembered something. "Wait...come stand in front of me, let me look at you."

You stood up, and stood awkwardly in front of his keen eyes, that were focused on the wetness against your thighs.

"You'll let me use my little toy on you today right?" He asked, though it wasn't even a question, both of you knew it, because his thumb was already parting your wet folds and his other hand held the contraption close to your opening.

The overload of all the emotions and sensations had you trembling, but Jimin thought you were scared. "It won't hurt sweety, just part your legs a little and trust me."

Soon enough, the little bulb was sitting inside your pussy, your walls sucking in the cool silicone.

The sensation was a little triggering, but you bit your tongue and waited for Jimin to adjust the second part to his liking.

"Such a good girl for me." He praised, kissing across your pubic bone. You felt yourself relax. He wasn't all that mad was he?

But as soon as the little head sat right on your bundle of nerves, there was a shift in the air.

"Okay, back on your knees." He commanded, pulling out his erection and pumping himself a couple of times.

You didn't like giving head. You hadn't been especially fond of the idea ever, but in the early days of your captivity, Jimin had made you suck him countless times, so the act was especially traumatic.

But for now, all trauma was chucked out the window. The only man in the world who actually cared for you, needed your mouth. And so he'd have it.

You opened up, slipping his dick inside your mouth.

Jimin gasped in satisfaction at the willingness and the warm, wet, welcome feeling.

Soon enough you had found a rythm, bobbing up and down his entire length, your tongue caressing all the angry veins along it, as if you were trying to soothe the anger you knew he held inside him.

You had almost forgotten the device that sat inside you, but Jimin wouldn't let you forget. He had the remote right in his hand, and as soon as you closed your eyes and hummed around his dick, he turned it on to it's lowest setting.

Even though the vibrations weren't strong, the shock of the unexpected movement had you letting out a muffled squeal against his cock.

"You're not gonna take your pretty mouth off me. If you do, I'm not gonna fuck you. You don't want that,do you?" His tone was sickly sweet.

You shook your head vehemently. You didn't want that at all.

And so, you forced you wits to gather, and breathed through your nose and continued sucking his dick, until his hand came and cupped your cheek, then landed a little slap against the bulge of his cock against your cheek.

" My eager little slut aren't you?"

You hummed in agreement.

He laughed. "You look so pretty like this baby. My dick stuffed in your mouth and your eyes all big and pretty like that"

A spike in the vibrations to your core, and you clenched around the toy, aware of the wetness dripping down your thighs.

" Are you wet?"

You nodded, holding his eyes as you stopped your movements for a second to look at his blown out pupils. His eyes looked fucked out yet his face was firm and stoic. Ever the dominant.

"Will you feel yourself and let me see how wet?"

Without hesitation, you led your fingers straight to your gushing core, and gathered some arousal on them. You held up your gleaming fingers for him to see, kitten licking his tip softly as you examined his reaction.

Jimin wordlessly took your hand, licking your fingers clean and humming in satisfaction. The hand he had in your hair, gathering it away from your face, now came lower and rested on your shoulder. "Keep going" he whispered and shut his eyes, leaning his head back.

You added both your hands to the equation, pumping him and making a sloppy mess with your mouth as deep, pleased breaths left his parted lips.

He looked heavenly. Raven hair ruffled by the hands he'd run in it, eyes closed and lips parted slightly and you thought just how good he must feel if the rock hard member in your mouth was anything to go by.

But one thing did bother you. The weak vibrations that were doing nothing for you except make you a leaking mess.

You called for him, the words muffled with the way your mouth was occupied.

His hands cupped your chin, looking straight at you and easing you off his dick. "What do you wanna say so bad little pet?"

"I- need to feel you. I need something..."

"My little fucktoy needs something to fill her holes?"

You nodded, cheeks blazing red at the names he called you, but also at the admission you gave him.

"Aww baby. So needy. But this is about me. This is you making up for making me sad." He said, the evil glint in his eyes lost to your misery.

Exactly then, Jimin increased the level of the vibrator a couple notches. You jumped, a new gush of arousal leaking out of you, a soft scream of surprise to match your wide, big eyes.

Jimin laughed.

"Make me feel good, and I'll fuck you so good you'll forget how to breathe. I promise."

If there was one thing about him that was permanent, it was the fact that he kept his promises. Stomach doing back flips at the promised pleasure, you cupped your breasts and brought them closer to his twitching dick. He watched in anticipation, as you placed it between your breasts, cupping them together and began sliding them up and down his length.

"Oh God..." Jimin leaned back again.

You let him fuck your tits like that for long enough that you felt your arms starting to tingle. Jimin was uncharacteristically quiet too. A chill ran up your spine. Were you doing something wrong?

"Jimin...?" You called.

"Yes love?" He raised his head, his face quite the opposite of what it had been earlier. His eyes were soft and his little smile was warm.

"Can I kiss you?" You ventured.

A confused little frown formed on his forehead. He still couldn't believe you were being this good.

But in reality, you really wanted his lips on yours again. Suddenly, it felt like his kisses were a drug and you wanted to envelope yourself in it. He'd make you feel okay.

You'd be okay with him.

You'd be loved with him.

And so you had to kiss him. You had to.

He leaned forward, tantalizingly close to you. You wasted not a second longer, raising a shaking hand to dive into his hair and pulled him lower, capturing his lips in a grateful sigh.

Soon, he had taken control of the kiss, but also of the little remote, his wild fingers twisting it all the way.

You gasped, unable to understand the strange tightness in your gut suddenly and unable to pull away from him. Struggling a little you finally pushed his chest and whimpered, "It's too much. I-- can't...ohhhh fuck" you gasped, painfully aware of the double stimulation the device gave you.

Jimin didn't respond. He knew you'd take it. You had to take it. You were his little pet, you'd do anything he wants.

And right now he wanted to make you cry again.

The familiar but unwelcome tingling crept up your spine as you curled into yourself, the strange pleasure coarsing through you, aware of the orgasm that was rushing to you like a freight train.

"Jimin, I'm gonna cum" you breathed, holding yourself, his pleasure forgotten.

No you weren't. He'd edge you till you sobbed.

And as soon as your thighs clenched and your eyes rolled back in pleasure, he turned the vibrator off.

A wave of disappointment racked your body as you shook with the force of the release that never came.

"No!" You cried out.

"Did I fucking tell you you could cum?" He asked, his tone deadly.

Shit. You fucked up.

"I-im-" you gasped.

"Yeah, yeah you're fucking sorry, get on the bed" he rolled his eyes.

Eager to comply, you scrambled up.

Jimin lifted you and placed a pillow under your hips, thrusting your pussy upwards towards him.

His fingers carded through the soaking lips.

"This pussy...is mine. Okay?" He looked at you sharply.

You nodded.

And then the device was back on, straight to the highest setting eliciting a scream of oversensitivity from you.

You clenched around it, the contraction pulling the device in slightly.

The high you had just recently lost came almost rushing back.

"Oh my fucking Godddddd!" You screamed.

" That's right, let me hear you scream." Jimin sounded pleased.

You bucked your hips upwards, craving some friction to the overwhelming pleasure you were drowning in.

"Jimin, Jimin…Jimin please" you gasped as the coil in your stomach twisted and almost came undone.

Almost.

Because the device was switched off at that moment.

"No, please!" Tears leaked past your lashes.

"I thought I just said this was my pussy. And nothing will make you cum if it's not me." He sounded wounded, as you looked up at him through your blurry vision.

"You won't fuck me though" you ran an exasperated hand in your hair, "I want to cum, please Jimin please just fuck me. Please let me cum."

Oh he was having the time of his life!

"Oh baby" he cooed. "All you had to do was ask" Before he unceremoniously ripped your legs apart and yanked the device out, making you whine and shiver in sensitivity at the loss.

He lined himself up to your opening.

"You're mine okay? Anytime you wanna be filled with cock, you come to me. Got it?"

You nodded, not trusting your voice.

And then he was inside you. His thick cock ripping you open and remoulding you again behind it. The stretch that had felt foreign and forced all this time felt like Heaven. Your mouth dropped open as the deepest moan left your chest.

"Fuuuuuck!" You groaned.

He seemed to not be in the mood to set any pace. Instead, he just rammed into you at speeds that made the fucking vibrator look like child's play.

Your swollen clit screamed for attention but you were so focused on simply breathing through the whole thing that there wasn't much you could do.

His thrusts were pushing you up on the bed, and for that, he grabbed onto your hips, his fingers harsh, his force bruising.

"Look at you, bouncing on my dick like the brainless little whore you are!" He grunted, his nails clawing down your thighs.

You arched your back, every sensation amplified.

Moans of his name fell from your lips like some sick prayer and twinkled in his eyes. He was loving this so much.

" I'm close…so close" you grunted and immediately he slowed down a little.

"No Jimin, please!" You cried

"Patience little doll, we have a lesson to teach you." He drawled.

You looked at him, tears brimming past your eyes, expectant and aching.

" You're not stepping out of this house again unless you're on my arm." He said.

You nodded, immediately. You weren't planning on it.

"You're never thinking about leaving me like this again." He rocked his hips against your sensitive walls. You whimpered.

" No, I won't." You agreed

"What a princess." His pace increased a little.

"Whose princess are you?" He asked.

"Yours." You said lowly.

"What's that?" He rammed into you forcefully, grabbing at your ass.

"Oh God!! Yours!" You said much louder.

"Who makes you feel so good?" His hips were almost fluid in their assault.

"You do!" Tears fell onto your cheeks. It was true, you felt so good.

His thumb came upon your clit, playing with it lazily, as if he wasn't ruining your pussy at the same time.

"Let's repeat that lesson huh? Whose princess are you?" He punctuated each line with a blow to your cervix it felt like, sending forth a gush of your juices with a squelch. It was straight up filthy.

"Yours!" You replied, your orgasm finally across the corner again.

"That's right!" He bent over you, hitting a whole new angle, making your shut your eyes and arch your back, your tits rubbing against his chest. "Mine! Mineminemineminemine!" He grabbed your chin, "Say it!"

"I'm yours Jimin, I'm all yours. There's no one else for me, please please I'm yours please let me cum" you cried just as he wanted.

A bruising bite was felt just above your nipple and you knew your body was about to become his canvas again. But it had felt good.

"Cum for me." He ordered.

You nodded, a little immersed in the whispered praises he was kissing and sucking into your skin.

And then he bit your nipple, his thumb coated in your slick, vibrated furiously over your pearl and his dick rammed into all the crevices of your pussy that was made for him.

And you were cumming so hard, that you felt your breath stop, just as he had promised.

Your mouth hung open as your body thrashed and shook, clearly in the battle between life and pleasure.

Jimin's soothing hand flicked your hard nipple. "My little pain slut, all mine, all mine forever" he reassured himself before he crashed onto your mouth, invading the space like it was his property, which it was, and in a few moments, he was spilling his thick, hot load straight into your womb.

He held you against him, because he needed to feel you just as much as you needed his comfort.

"I'll take care of you baby. I love you, I always will. I'll love my little y/n, she doesn't need anyone else" he mumbled, half knocked out, into your hair.

You, who were just as exhausted if not more, nodded, still gasping at the little flutters your walls would do around his dick, still in you, holding his seed inside you.

[officialaemondtargaryen]

Age Of Consent [part nine]

Summary: Dustin’s older sister thinks Eddie Munson could be a bad influence on her younger brother due to their history. Can he change her mind?

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Henderson!Reader

Word Count: 1,708

What you’ll find in this series: big angst, wholesome fluff, sexual content, drug use, tobacco use, alcohol use, and a lot of profanity. This is a slow burn- buckle up, buttercup.

A/N: Internal screaming for y'all to read this one.

Read Part Eight

It had been three weeks.

For the most part, your life had seemingly fallen back into place.

One of the girls from work was on maternity leave, so you were picking up all of her shifts to make some extra cash and keep yourself busy. It had helped somewhat in keeping Eddie off of your mind. It took Dustin a few days, but he eventually got the memo that under no circumstance did you even want to hear the name Eddie Munson ever again.

You had been hanging out with Robin and Steve more often, which was nice. The best part was that, with them, you didn't even need to remind them to not ask about it- they just knew. Despite the fact that you weren't big on having company other than yourself, you really had begun looking forward to movie night with them, and sometimes after work you would all grab pizza from Antonio's.

"Y/N!" You heard your boss call from behind the counter. "Phone call on line one!"

You furrowed your brows and sat down your price gun before heading over to the cash registers.

"Hello?" You asked, answering the phone.

"Do you think you could give me and Mike a ride home tonight?"

"Dustin," you replied flatly. It was Thursday, the typical day for a certain after-school activity. "I know what you're doing, I'm not stupid."

"I'm not doing anything, Y/N," he replied. "Mom has bingo tonight, Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler are taking Holly to the movies, we asked Steve but he's working, and Nancy said no. We've asked everyone, come on, please!"

"Okay, I'll come and pick you dweebs up. But, listen to me very clearly, Dustin, I don't care what your precious little Dungeon Master says, you are in my car by 8:00 PM or I will dethrone him, do you understand me?"

"Yep, totally understand, thanks sis!"

You heard the phone click and rolled your eyes before placing the phone back on the hook. You sighed, knowing that you should just make them walk or bike home, but it was cold and it had been raining all day. Your mother would never forgive you if precious Dustin got sick because you forced him to find his own way home in the rain.

By the time you got home, your mother was already gone to bingo. There was a note on the refrigerator reminding you that there were leftovers and that she would be home by 9:00. You pulled the cold dish of lasagna out of the fridge and cut yourself a small piece before placing it into the microwave. It was only a few minutes past 5:00, which meant you had a few hours to kill.

Around 8:00, you went ahead and left for the school, just in case the club had conceded earlier than normal- you didn't want to leave those little shits out in the rain without a ride. Parked under a street lamp in the parking lot of Hawkins High, you waited, getting through a few chapters of your novel.

When the clock hit nine, you closed your book and tossed it up on the dashboard. You craned your neck to look over at the double doors, fingers impatiently tapping on the steering wheel as you did not see any nerdy kids exiting the building.

"Five more minutes," you whispered to yourself wanting to be fair.

But five minutes came and went, then ten, then twenty.

You threw open the car door and slammed it shut behind you; annoyed, pissed, and ready to cause a fucking scene. You rounded the corners of the hallways, damp shoes squeaking with each step you took towards that God-forsaken classroom.

"Alright you fuckin' losers, let's go." You came through the door only to be met with silence. The room was empty, save for Eddie who was sitting on top of the table where he usually had the game set up. "Where's Dustin and Mike?"

"They got a ride with Lucas after school," he replied as he slid off of the table. You scoffed. Another set-up. "Look, can we please- just talk to me, hear me out."

"I don't want to talk to you, Eddie." You inhaled a sharp breath and exhaled slow. "I want to get over you."

"I was studying," was his reply.

"What?"

"I was studying," he repeated. "That day in the woods with Kelly. I was out there studying to get some peace and quiet. And yes, she wanted some pot for a party she was having, but I stopped bringing it with me." He was closing the gap between you. "I'm doing everything that I can to get out of here so that you and I-" he took your hands and placed them on his chest. "All I care about is being with you and not fucking it up again."

"Eddie," you said sternly as you pulled your hands back. "I don't care what you were doing. I knew this was a bad idea and I'm done playing this game. I just want to move on from this, okay?"

You turned and began to head out of the classroom but Eddie's voice stopped you. "But you can't move on, can you?"

No. Fuck.

You didn't answer, just stood there for a moment with your back to him before you had the courage to take a step out of the classroom. You didn't turn back to look at him, didn't say anything else, just left. Once again. Just like the first time you had seen him again after two years. And just like then, you should have never been here. If you had only listened to yourself the first time.

It was starting to rain again when you got to the parking lot. It wasn't pouring, but it was drizzling and your breath could be seen in the air. It was dark, the two dim street lamps didn't provide much light as you hurried to your car to not catch pneumonia.

"Hey!" You heard from behind you, the doors to the school slamming open. You stopped, just then reaching your car, and turned around, ready for another argument. "You know, the last few times that we were in this situation I just let you walk away, and last time I stood there in that fucking room and I told myself that I should go after you, and I didn't. I tell myself every time and every time I end up regretting it."

"Eddie, what are you-"

"I knew you were going to try-" He pointed a finger in your direction as he continued to stomp towards you. "I knew you were going to try and walk away. And why? It's because you expect me to just let you, isn't it?" He was closing in quickly and before you realized what was happening he was standing directly in front of you- hands on either side of your face. "Yeah, that's not happening this time."

He kissed you with all of the regrets that he had been holding in for two years. You could feel his heart like a hammer in his chest as he pulled you into him. Your lips and tongue moved in tandem, dancing with a partner they could never forget. No matter how hard you tried, there was no escaping that you loved him. You had always been in love with him.

Breathless, you pulled away; looking up at him with his doe eyes- hair damp from the drizzling rain, the water droplets illuminated in the light like a goddamn halo.

"I didn't come after you at graduation because I didn't deserve you," he said quietly. You went to speak but he continued. "No, I know I didn't. It's a goddamn fact. I was selfish. I pushed you away. But now? Fuck, if I wouldn't do anything for you. I mean, you say 'jump', and I'm- I'm nosediving off that goddamn cliff."

"And I meant what I said about counting the fucking days- every day- for two years. You were burned in my goddamn head. Everywhere I looked, you were there; sitting in the library, the hallway between classes, waiting for me at the picnic table outside of the fucking trailer." He stopped and pinched the bridge of his nose with a heavy sigh. "But you weren't there, you were just-" he tapped the side of his head. "In here."

"Now you- you gave me a chance to show you that I was different- that I wasn't the same, stupid kid." He said. "And I know I succeeded. You want to know how I know?" You raised an eyebrow. "Because you ran. You ran, and you did it because you're scared. You're so fucking scared of love. Well, guess what, sweetheart? So is everyone else! I'm standing here, scared shitless and still confessing my fucking love for you like some goddamn idiot."

"Eddie?"

"Yeah?" He said as he geared up for the disappointment.

"You're right."

"I'm sorry, what?"

"You're right," you said once again a little louder this time. "I love you."

"Hold on," a smile crept to his lips as he cupped his hand behind his ear. "Can you say that one more time, I'm hard of hearing- all those years playing in a metal band, you know." He joked.

"Eddie Munson," you announced loudly. "You are right and I fucking love you!"

"Oh, I knew that!" He was grinning ear to ear. "Did you guys know that?" He jokingly looked around at the empty parking lot. "Everyone knew that, babe."

You gave him a light shove, but he pulled you back into him just as quick; his lips enveloping yours once more.

"Just say it one more time," He asked softly.

"I love you."

"Oh," his lips mumbled against yours. "I don't mean to keep bringing up the past, but I'm pretty sure the last time I saw you, you said you were coming to visit your boyfriend for lunch." His smile was uncontainable.

"Yes," you rolled your eyes. "That is what I said, please don't make me regret it."

"Not a chance in the world, sweetheart." He replied with a sweet kiss. "You're mine for good now."

Tags (closed):

@fangirling-4-ever, @nojamsonmytoast, @munson-burner, @slvdsjjk, @kiszkawagnerwhore, @bitterplacebrokendreamsmaegan, @katxn15, @itswormtrain, @itsallnonsens3, @aashy723, @buginktsworld, @in-this-minute, @peachyxholic, @colbychu, @bilbobag9ins, @cat-mak20, @bumpbeaded, @liv4193, @thisisntmyrightera, @chloepart03, @creativedogs, @simp4fictional, @serrendiipty, @equuleus86, @morganasimp26, @evewithluv, @1980shorrorfillm, @you-makeme-crazier, @icareabouteverythxng, @cyberneticfallout, @eddiemattress, @bethii1, @immybx, @sortafictional, @bbyharlow, @persona-lreference, @michaelfuckinglangdon, @cvmtitss, @1800-fight-me, @brain-of-nekoma, @eddiesgoodgirl, @eddie-swhore, @16bruises

[thissortofsorcery]

This is a snippet of that social media modern!AU I wrote about a month ago! I’m not working on it officially, just letting the ideas flow for now.

-

Billy rehearses what he wants to say about a hundred ways in his mind all day. He doesn’t really pay attention to any of his classes, keeps circling back to ways to convince Harrington to take him up on his offer.

It doesn’t help that people keep turning around in their seats to shoot him looks and whisper shit in class. It’s been a week since Hagan posted the TikTok saying that Billy beat Harrington up, and the gossip is still hot, what with the thing going fucking viral. Everyone and their mother made a duet giving a score to the bruising on Harrington’s face.

Like Billy needed to feel any more like a piece of shit.

He turned his phone off during first period. He couldn’t stand it going off in his pocket every fucking minute, reminding him his popularity was going up because of something he fucked up.

So he was going to talk to Harrington today. Make it up to him.

Billy waits to talk to Harrington after school, in the parking lot. They’ve had to wait for the dweeb brigade at the middle school often enough that Billy knows they’ll have some time to talk before they show up, so Billy just tosses his bag in his car and leans on the hood to wait for Harrington to show up.

Sure enough, just a couple minutes later, the sound of Harrington’s BMW unlocking rings out, and Billy walks up to him. He’s only a few parking spots down.

His face still looks bad, but it looks worse when he scowls, and Harrington’s got his phone out and is looking down at it with a face like he wants to drive over it. Not off to a good start.

“Hey, Harrington,” Billy makes sure to call out a couple paces behind. He doesn’t want to spook him or whatever.

Harrington’s been pretty jumpy lately, and Billy doesn’t want to think about why.

Brown hair flops around like a shampoo commercial, caught in the fall wind, and Billy smells apples. Harrington turn his scowl to Billy.

“Hargrove. What do you want?”

Billy stops a couple steps away from him, takes a drag of his cigarette. He figures asking for permission to talk to him isn’t going to go well, and it’s a pussy move besides. Billy Hargrove is no pussy.

“I’m sorry. About the TikTok. I asked Tommy to take it down but he’s being a dick about it,” Billy says.

Steve’s got a half smile on his face, but it’s not a nice one. “You asked him?”

“What, did you want me to beat him up?”

Harrington raises his eyebrows and points at his own face, incredulous.

“A little surprised you’re capable of words, actually.”

Billy huffs, looking away. His cigarette’s burned down to ash, and he flicks it to the ground. Billy figured Harrington would be difficult about it, he figured he’d have to keep his temper in check. So far, so predictable. His chest’s already feeling warm under his shirt, armpits sweating.

“Look,” Billy says, after a deep breath. “I’m sorry about how shit went down that night. I took things too far. I should’ve stopped once you were down.”

“You should’ve stopped once I was down?” Harrington all but yells, and he steps closer to Billy, that King Steve fire flaring up in him again. The heat in Billy’s chest answers, spreads, warms his neck.

“You lied to me about my sister being there, Harrington. You deserved at least one hit,” Billy gets up in Steve’s face, nostrils flaring. “And you threw the first punch.”

Harrington’s face is tight under the bruising, scowl deep and punishing, like he’s judge and jury of everything that’s fair in the world. Like he gets to be the judge of Billy Hargrove.

“Are you going to throw it now, Hargrove?” Harrington asks, mouth a flat line. His face is right up against Billy’s, noses almost touching. “Right in the middle of the parking lot? Gonna make another video with Hagan?”

Billy feels his face drop like someone’s flipped a switch on him, his chest goes cold. The back of his neck feels clammy. Billy takes a step back, then two.

“Fuck,” He rubs a hand over his face. “Fuck.”

Billy grabs another cigarette with a shaking hand. Steve watches him light it and take a long drag. He doesn’t say anything and his expression doesn’t change, he just follows Billy with his eyes as he smokes sense back into himself. He almost lost it again.

“I came here to apologize,” Billy says, once he gets himself together. “And to make you an offer.”

“An offer,” Harrington repeats, voice flat.

Billy hesitates. Bites his lip. Here goes nothing. “Yeah. Look, my account’s doing better since Tommy’s video went viral. Your Insta, too, I checked.”

“So, what? We lean into it?” Harrington says, incredulous. “My content’s family friendly, man, I can’t do that.”

“No, dipshit,” Billy snaps. If Harrington can just let him fucking speak. “We could start making some content together. Start showing up on each other’s social media. Youtube vídeos, streams, instagram. We can get your channel to how it used to be.”

“My channel’s doing fine, Hargrove,” Steve looks offended, looks angry. His fist is balling up where he’s holding his backpack.

“It will be helping me too, Harrington,” Billy admits, much as it pains him. “I can’t exactly make surfing content from fucking Indiana. I need material.”

Steve shakes his head, “Thanks for the offer, but I’m doing alright on my own.”

“It’ll make the story blow over if we look like we’re friends,” Billy almost shouts, stepping forward when it looks like Steve is about to back away towards his car. He doesn’t know why he wants this so badly. He should cut his losses and back off. “Hagan can’t push anymore videos if we show up online looking like buddies on each other’s channels. We can control the story. I don’t know about you, but I’m in hot water with a sponsor about this shit.”

Steve actually pauses. He looks Billy up and down, frowns at him with his entire body, it seems. Billy would give more than a penny to know what Harrington’s thinking, what he thinks of Billy in that moment. Billy doesn’t like making himself this vulnerable, can’t shake the feeling of wanting to curl his limbs back into his clothes like they’re a turtle shell and hide from everything, but he crossed a line and he fucked up. Now he’s gotta put it right.

“Alright,” Steve tucks his hair back behind his ear, a gesture that looks oddly vulnerable after the aggressiveness of the conversation. “Okay, we can try it out. But we back out before we actually kill each other.”

“Done,” Billy agrees, and he had to actually try to keep himself from smiling. “We gotta meet up to come up with some ideas. You free this week?”

Steve pulls out his phone and swipes through it for a bit.

“Yeah. Um, Thursday? After school? We can meet at the diner.”

“Yeah, I can do that,” Billy nods. He feels awkward now, having said what he wanted to say. He should go, but he oddly doesn’t want to. “I’ll drop Max at home and meet you there.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

And that’s too much for Billy.

“Well, see you around, amigo,” He says, and turns right around and heads back to the Camaro. He lights another cigarette on the way.

That was good, he thinks, climbing into the front seat to wait for Max. If it works, he can make up for his mess and maybe salvage his TikTok at the same time. It won’t be the same, but it won’t be years of his life wasted either.

He smokes his cigarette like it’s a lifeline, and turns on the radio in his car. He can’t mess this up now. He can’t mess this up. It’s just a little over six months until he can hightail out of here and back to California, where he can get his life back.

He can last that long.

[cipheress-to-k-pop]

A Sister's Love

Pairing: Platonic Damian Wayne x Al Ghul!Reader

Warnings: Injuries and blood. Drugging, Trafficking and sexual assult but these are not the main themes.

Word Count: 4.9K

Summary: You realize you have a lot to learn about yourself outside of your little brother, Damian's, shadow.

A/N: Was originally gonna make this a Dick Grayson x Reader but realized it would be weird cuz of mixed families and stuff. And I don't wanna be pushing the boundaries of incest.

Growing up in the League of Assassins meant a lot of things for you. It meant that you were raised to be powerful and commanding. It meant you knew how to kill a man in 47 different ways and counting. It meant that you were raised to rightfully think that you were the best.

Although for every good thing there was always cons. Your schedule was rigid and your peers were unfeeling. Your mother most of all, but that didn't stop you from trying to win her affection. It was the reason why when your little brother was born you felt threatened.

That was until you met little Damian. Your mother had handed him to you with a smile of pride that she never showed you and you hated him. But then you saw his precious little face, a nose tinier than a button and adorable lips that were curled into a pout. He was so beautiful.

Since then, you put any differences you might have had with your mother behind you. According to Ra’s it would have been a mistake to show Damian such tenderness, to teach him about loyalty to your heart, instead of without it.

But Talia couldn't ignore the tug she felt in her heart seeing you and Damian together. You still worked hard, harder than she had ever seen before, now determined not to show that you were weak and have them take your brother from you. Damian followed your example, training to her approval, however taxing it was for him.

And more importantly, Damian loved you. You were the first woman he had ever loved and he was smart enough to know that would never be a mistake. You were his shelter in a storm, his fire in the cold. You were the best sibling that anyone could ever even dream of.

But then you had to part. At age 10, Damian went to live with his father, Bruce Wayne. You had never met the man when he was with your mother and you assumed you wouldn't need to, he wasn't your father.

Both you and Damian didn't want to leave each other. You'd miss your little brother and you'd miss the feeling in your chest whenever you'd look at him. Damian would miss home; he would miss your presence and he would miss the familiarity. But he couldn't stay.

That's something you learnt at the League. Damian couldn't stay, with you. He was meant for bigger things than you.

Another thing you learnt was that you didn't have to stay either. You wanted to see the world, see what everything else had in store for you. And your mother, bless her, gave you her blessing.

Of all the things the league taught you, there were things they missed out on. And a part of you was thankful for that. Because you enjoyed the feeling of wide-eyed wonderment when you stepped into a train station for the first time ever.

You had never tasted a chocolate muffin before, you realized as you stuffed your face at a local bakery. Coffee and chocolate muffins went well together. You liked sweet things better than spicy things, you noted when you didn't enjoy the tteokbokki you bought at a Korean food stall.

People were kind, not foolish. They smiled at you when you came in and genuinely asked you where you were headed. Like the woman you met on the tram who was heading to Washington DC. Even through the short ride, the two of you had bonded and she had left you with her phone number and a promise that if you were ever in DC, you would ring her up. Diana was trusting, too trusting. You could have assumed it was because she was stupid, but you wanted to believe it was because she was smarter than even you.

Some people were kind like her but of course, some were impolite and pig-headed. You of course didn't waste any time putting them in their place. Maybe that was why you shouldn't have any faith in humanity.

But isn't humanity just the thing you should be putting faith in?

It was fun at first, discovering new things, seeing how people really lived outside of books and things taught to you back at the League. You knew everything, you weren't naive enough to be oblivious but reading about something was miles apart from actually experiencing it.

After a while however, you got lonely, it was a huge world with people constantly moving and you've come to realize that unless you're with somebody, you can't really move from your place. Instead, you'd be stuck watching all of them. So, you sought after your brother.

It was easy enough to track Bruce Wayne, he lived in a house large enough to be seen from outer space. Getting to Gotham took longer than you expected. Time passed so easily when you didn't have a purpose but now that you had somewhere you needed to be, the train couldn't go any slower.

Gotham City was less gloomy than people made it out to be. The sun was shining and the city was bustling. In some ways, it seemed a little homey. Maybe that was because you didn't have to worry about someone hurting you. If anything, they should pray that they don't choose you as their next victim.

Of course, you could've gone to Wayne Manor and introduced yourself civilly but you wanted to see Damian more than anything and didn't want to delay it any longer. And more than that, you wanted to see Damian is his cute little school uniform.

That's what led you to wait outside of the well-reputed Gotham University, waiting patiently for the bell to ring and students to file out of it. You already knew that they wouldn't come out singing like in the movies but a very small fraction of you still hoped.

Your heartrate increased with every passing minute, excited to meet your brother after nearly a year of being apart. Eventually, the bell did ring and students began trickling out of the doors, looking like bumble bees, excitedly zipping around and talking to their friends.

'Would this have been my life if I was never born in the League?' You wondered, looking at a girl who was animatedly chatting with her friend, arms interlocked as they moved towards the parking lot where their parents were waiting.

When you finally saw Damian, you suddenly felt out of place. Like an outsider watching someone else's brother when you saw his eyes lock onto someone in the commons. Even though you weren't on the school campus, you could still recognize who it was.

Richard Grayson, oldest son of Bruce Wayne, waiting to pick up your little brother on a motor cycle.

And for the first time in your life, you experienced insecurity, watching them greet each other like brothers. The feeling was sour and you wondered if it was a mistake coming here, thinking that you still had a place here.

It was true, people didn't move from their place unless they had someone to go with. You hadn't felt fulfilled like that since your brother stopped being at your side. He was everything you knew. It was just your mistake for thinking that in the year apart your brother wouldn't have found anyone either.

***

"Drake, pull up the security cameras from today at my school parking lot." Damian ordered, stepping into the Batcave.

"No 'Hello', no 'How you doing?', it's always 'Tim, do this' 'Drake, do that'," Tim commented sarcastically but still pulled up whatever he needed, "And then as soon as I give you what I want, you're going to forget me again. And not even visit the kids."

Dick spared him a laugh at his dramatic scene, ruffling his hair as greeting and then turned his attention to the screen. The footage was played at double the speed until Damian's eyes locked onto just what he wanted to find.

It was just for a second, when Dick's motorcycle had zoomed past but that was all he needed. Damian had seen your face and it wasn't any mistake, he'd know you even if he was blind. Even though he was so sure it had been you, he still couldn't hide the way his body froze, eyes wide when he saw your face.

It was the same face he'd see every night before he went to bed and the very first person he wanted to see every time he woke up. Your image was what came into his mind when he thought of being nurtured, when he thought of being safe.

There was a time when he was younger, too young, there was a thunder storm. He doesn't remember much from the night, just hiding his face against your chest and you wrapping a blanket around him. His mother trained him even harder the next day, until he almost dropped but he'd never forget curling up to your warmth. Not even now, when he knew that thunder storms were the least of his fears.

It was as simple as that. With his father and brothers, he didn't have to worry about looking weak, he didn't think of love as a weakness, rather he considered it as the fuel behind strength. Yes, his father taught him well. And now he would show you just how much he's grown. So, you can be proud of him.

"We need to find her."

"Why? Who is she?"

"My sister."

***

Of all the things you wanted to experience, visiting a bar was one of them. Was the air really enough to intoxicate you? Were you really going to lose all sense when you stepped into it? Would be able to drink your troubles away?

You were sorely disappointed. The alcohol didn't taste good, it burned when you swallowed it and made your tongue feel fuzzy. The music was so loud that your brain began throbbing against your skull to the beat of the song.

Men were picking fights and women were having fun but even then, you couldn't find it in yourself to get up and actually have fun. I mean, how were you supposed to? How was cosying up against a drunk man supposed to make you feel better? How was getting lost in throngs of sweaty people who didn't know what personal space was meant to improve your mood?

If anything, it just reminded you of just how pathetic your life was.

You were realizing you had no purpose. Damian was all you had known for years now, knowing only to protect him with your life and love him with your heart. Who were you without him? What did you like? What made you happy outside from your duty at the league?

A man knocking into you brought you out of your thoughts, which had been happening all night. Except this man stopped in front of you and gave you a smile that turned your stomach upside down.

"Sorry about that pretty lady, let me buy you a drink to make up for it." He spoke with a voice that was trying to be smooth but instead sounded like metal scraping over each other.

"No, thank you." You said sharply, not yet done with your Manhattan anyway. You were barely enjoying your time here as it was and you were sure another drink wouldn't change your mind.

"Not a fan?"

You shook your head at him, choosing to humour the man.

"Then let me buy you another one, if you don't like it then you have nothing to lose."

You pretended to giggle at him and he swelled with pride. Did he think he was winning?

"One Boulevardier." He told the bartender who nodded and began preparing the drink. Until it was ready, you indulged the man in front of you who reeked of cigarettes and alcohol.

He placed the drink in front of you and if you hadn't known that it would burn going down and turn you into a shell of yourself, you might have been curious to what it tasted like.

"You see that dude over there?" He nodded to a man standing in the other corner of the bar and you turned to look at him. Another man, covered in tattoos who didn't look any different than the one standing behind you.

"He's my pal, owns the bar. Ask him and he'll hook you up with free drinks tonight. For a price, of course."

You turned back around to face the man and out of the corner of your eye saw something dissolve into your drink. It was only for a second but you saw the last remaining grains turn invisible and you definitely noticed the way the once steady drink was now swirling into a vortex in the middle.

"Drink up, princess."

You smirked. Tonight, might be fun after all.

***

This was boring.

You had been pretending to be unconscious for about 40 minutes while these men drove you to some undisclosed location. Their conversations were unbelievably dry and it's not like you had anyone else to talk to. Everyone else who might have been even mildly interesting were knocked unconscious.

Eventually they pulled up to some sort of holding facility and if your assumptions were correct then this would be a midpoint before they sold all the girls here to some sort of pimp.

Once they lugged you off the truck and threw you into a room with so many other people, you could hear their breathing did you open your eyes. It seemed like this was some sort of abandoned butcher or meat factory, judging by the ominous hooks hanging above your head and the metal walls. The door had been bolted shut, the only way to look through it was a small glass window.

Only after you finished taking in your surroundings did you even look at the other women who had been trapped in the room along with you. Your stomach turned.

There were so many unsuspecting faces who looked like they didn't sign up for this. Half of them looked under the influence of something, sweating profusely even in their sleep, faces scrunched up in pain. The other looked like they were forcibly taken, bruises covering their skin, hair and clothes in disarray and more than half of them had either a black eye or a swollen lip.

Maybe it was their fault for not being trained, that's what someone at the league would've said. But isn't it their captors’ fault for misusing their training, their strength, for something as vile as this?

You decided to wait, you couldn't assume that this small group of girls was the only one in the confines of the building. How many more were here?

You weren't feeling overwhelmed, not at all, not with the weapons that were littering you. A kunai hidden is either of your boots, throwing stars in your pockets hidden underneath your vest and a war fan in your pocket. You could handle these clowns without even looking up.

But it wasn't your life you were concerned about. It was the lives of these underaged, vulnerable girls who had fallen prey to these monsters.

While you were waiting a couple of the girls started to wake up. Some were still heavily drugged, still groggy when their eyes fluttered open and unable to focus onto anything. Others shot up straight as an arrow and began crying, screaming, begging for them to let them out.

They were ignored, by both their captors and you. Why try and reassure then when you weren't sure what was going to happen. More importantly, why throw off the monsters lurking outside the door that there was one woman who hadn't been phased.

Instead, you just stared blankly, trying to get comfortable and hear anything through the walls. Eventually, you heard the sound of footsteps coming towards the room. You covered the lower half of your face with a scarf, making sure that anyone who left here alive today, wouldn't be able to remember your face. Whether it be as a saviour or their punisher.

The girls whimpered and curled into one another, crying quietly and you felt sympathy. There was no way they'd be able to move forward from this without having fear stab at their heart with every step they took. You could only hope they had something in their life that would make them feel safe.

For tonight, you'd be that for them.

A few men opened the door with a cruel smile, stepping inside for a second before bolting it shut. They flaunted guns and other weapons to the girls, finding pleasure where there should be compassion and worry. You were disgusted watching their smirks twist maniacally when the girls cried harder seeing them brandish their weapons.

One of the men stepped forward and grabbed the girl closest to him who begged and cried to spare her. His disgusting hand might as well be made of acid because you almost felt the sick burn when it snaked between her legs and copped a feel while she sobbed and screamed, trying to fight him off.

You grabbed one of your weapons and returned their sick grins with one of your own.

It was going to be hard to cop a feel when he can't feel anything.

You were going to break each and every bone in his hand to ensure that.

***

"Can I borrow your phone please?" You asked the bloody and broken man by your feet. He glared at you and spat blood on your boots, unable to do anything else. You sighed and faked a pout.

"Is it here?" You wondered, holding the dirtied boot over his ribs and his eyes widened, catching drift of what you were about to do. You rammed your foot into his broken ribs, courtesy of yourself, and he screamed bloody murder. Music to your ears.

"Apparently not. Want me to check your pants?" You asked, raising a brow and he frantically shook his head, using whatever strength left to pull out his phone from his pocket and you smiled, thanking him quietly.

"Now, let's hope that one blow is enough to put you out of my misery." You sang, punching him right in the face and he passed out. Lightweight.

You took a look around the place, seeing bodies littered over the place like confetti. Blood was scattered on the ground and you're sure if people looked hard enough, they'd find someone's teeth. You on the other hand looked fine.

You sat on the floor, crossing your legs comfortably, tired after the fight and dialled a number onto the phone.

"Hello, police?"

"Yes, how can we help you?"

"Well, there's a sex trafficking scam going on at my location. Quite shoddy but they have a number of women trapped here and it would be nice if you could send backup to have them escorted home safely."

"A sex trafficking scam?"

"Well, it could be just a regular trafficking scam but I'm not too sure."

"All right, I'll have someone check it out."

"Good, and I realize you might get a lot of calls like this but please don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. Tell your people to send a couple of ambulances as well, you'll need them."

"Of course."

You could only hope the person on the other end of the line would eat their words when it was on the front of the newspaper. For now, your work was done.

In the meantime, how were you going to get anywhere from here? Where even were you? Was there anyone even conscious here who could give you directions? Or would you have to call the police again to find out where to go?

Not that you'd wait long enough for them actually arrive here. You'd return to the bar way before that for another drink. Maybe now you'd actually be able to enjoy one.

Just as you were about to leave, you heard a creak coming from the other end of the warehouse. It echoed through the halls and you leapt to your feet, soundless moving to hide in the shadows and pulling out a kunai.

The footsteps that followed it were light and airy, barely even touching the ground. They were trained, whoever they were. You kept your ears open in order to hear something.

"Whoever was here was trained." You heard someone comment.

"Are you really that stupid, Nightwing? It's obvious that my sister was the one who took out this ring and reported it." Came the snappy reply back and your breath caught in your chest. Make no mistake, that was your brother's voice.

"We must find her."

He was actually looking for you? He knows you're here? You're not entirely surprised, you haven't exactly been careful or stealthy when it came to concealing your face around Gotham. A mistake on your part but you couldn't have been more relieved.

You still remained quiet, not wanting to disturb the flow, not wanting to interrupt. You had the mind of a soldier but when there was no one to follow you seemed more like a sheep. It made you feel slight shame, that you were unable to stick up for yourself despite being so many things.

Maybe, the league wasn't the best thing for you.

Immediately you scraped the thought from your mind, berating yourself for even thinking that. The league had given you everything, everything you were today was because of them. You were strong and calculating, the leagues proud soldier.

You were proud of your roots, thankful that you grew up to be the person you were. They had given you everything, and your brother was just one of the gifts that you had been blessed with in your life.

"Damian." You spoke softly, stepping out of the shadows. His head snapped towards you, eyes widening when he took in your form. It really was you. His sister.

Damian wasted no time in bounding towards you and you knelt down to meet his eye level, catching him with open arms. A part of your heart sang when you realized he was still small enough to fit in your arms. He still held you close. He still loved you.

"I've missed you, Ya Amar." You spoke softly, cradling his head that was buried in the junction of your neck.

"I as well, Okhti."

***

Damian was ecstatic that you were in Gotham. Of course, it didn't look like it to anyone but everyone who knew him well could tell that he was happy that his sister was home with him. He didn't wait for even two seconds when you got to the Batcave (much to Bruce's surprise) to show you all his pets.

The next few days would be considered the best of his life.

Damian wanted to be as close to you as possible, sitting near you during meals, training with you, talking with you, even going as far to sneak into your temporary bedroom at night for cuddles. He certainly got more comfortable showing affection since the last time you were around.

He showed you his hobbies like painting and sketching and you were impressed. He had the skills to be doing something like this? Damian had picked up many new talents and many new stories since you last saw him and he was eager to share them all with you.

The next few days would be considered the worst of your life.

You had found Damian now, so why didn't you still feel fulfilled? Why did you feel like something was missing? Like this wasn't meant for you? Why weren't you satisfied?

Why did you feel envious that Damian got to experience so many things? Why did you feel resentment against him when you realized you never got the same things he has?

Your life felt like it amounted to nothing.

You loved your brother but so far you had just been living for him. And now that you realized there were parts of the world that you wanted to see. There were thoughts in your mind that were of your own and desires that you didn't have to explain to anyone. As long as it made sense to yourself.

And you realize one thing with an aching heart.

You couldn't stay here in Gotham.

"Does Damian know?" Bruce asked you one day when you had asked him a favour. Bruce so far had been a little cold and unfeeling ever since you had met him in the Batcave uninvited. His feelings towards you got more negative when you gave an offhanded comment about how you thought he was taller. But he was the only one you could ask for a favour. He was the father to your beloved brother and you could only hope he would offer you the same consideration.

You had asked him for a flight to Washington, to see if Diana really meant what she said. To take a leap of faith for the first time in your life.

You shook your head no, "Not yet. I'm hoping he will take the news well. It's not like I'm leaving forever. I just—I need to—" You trailed off, unable to find the right words.

Bruce nodded, "I understand. Just tell him before you go. I don't think I've ever seen him this happy before."

"It makes me feel worse." You admitted, feeling a little guilty. How could you not feel happy at your brother’s happiness?

"You need some time to figure out that your world is yours. No one else should determine how you feel about yourself."

"You are very wise," You said softly, "Thank you."

***

"I love you dearly, Damian." You tried to coerce him from his room where he had locked himself in only 5 minutes ago. No doubt he was sulking since he found out that you would be leaving for DC in two days’ time.

"If you did, you wouldn't be leaving!" His voice was muffled, as if his face was buried in his pillow or even Titus. You had been trying to coax him into open the door for 20 minutes now and had multiple offers from Grayson, which you turned down.

"Oh, for the love of—Damian Wayne, you open this door right now!" It was silent for a moment before you heard the lock click open and took that as the indication from him to step into his room.

It was large and from the moment you stepped in, it was easy to tell the space was his. There were swords mounted on the wall, paintings on the wall adjacent to it. His desk was tidy and in the corner of his room, there were multiple easels and sketch pads.

Damian was sulking on his bed and you sighed, feeling guilty. You sat beside him and ran your fingers through his hair. Even though he was upset with you, he still sank into your touch, feeling comforted by mere contact.

"It's not forever, Damian. Wherever I'm going, I'm going to come back. I just need some time to myself." You tried to explain.

"But why!"

"The league taught me well, Damian. But it taught me to live like a soldier, but not as a person. There are so many things that I don't know about myself. What do I like? What do I want to do with my life? And I need to figure it out for myself."

"Why can't you do that here?"

You gave him a pained look and realization dawned on him, "Because of me."

"Damian, in the time we spent apart you learnt so many things about yourself. That you like animals, that you like art. There are so many blanks in my life and I need the distance to figure it out. I need to understand myself." You explained wistfully.

It was true, there were so many blanks in your life. You didn't even know what food you liked better, what hobbies you enjoyed. You wanted to experience new things, without the influence of Damian, without relying on him. And more importantly, you were scared you would put Damian above yourself time and time again.

It was all you knew. Damian was worth more than your life, worth more than your heart. But if that was true, you wanted to know at least what your heart was worth to you. If you didn't hold any value to yourself, it would be foolish to think you would to anyone else.

You needed the distance. You needed something new. You wanted to dive into uncharted waters and figure out the magic for yourself, without anyone to help you.

"It's not forever," You reminded gently, "I'm going to come back, I can promise you that."

Damian began leaning until his head was settled in your lap and you chuckled, gently scratching his scalp and he nestled into your belly. Hard to believe this was the same boy who left only a year ago. You wondered if you would change as much as he did or if you were stuck in your ways now.

"Okay," He said, voice muffled and you smiled, "I hope you find what you're looking for."

"Thank you for your blessing, Ya Amar. It means the world to me. I love you; you know that."

"I do." He said, now wrapping his arms around your waist, "I love you too."

Forever Taglist:

@simonsbluee

DC Taglist:

@emmacata

@p--e--a--c--h--e--s

@sometimeseverythingsucks

@sokkas-honour

@unstable1902

@lostgirlheart

@missdisapear

@tadpole-san

[waitimcomingtoo]

Red

Pairing: Arvin Russel x Reader

Warnings: fighting, swearing, southern dialect (not really a warning lol)

Masterlist

“Hey Arvin.” Leonora smiled as she climbed into her brothers car. “Sorry it took so long. I got my dress caught on a locker.”

“I don’t mind waiting, long as those hillbilly boys ain’t bothering you.” Arvin stated in his low southern drawl.

“They left me alone today thanks to Y/n.” Leonora sighed in content as she situated her bible on her lap.

“Y/n?” Arvin furrowed his eyebrows. “Who’s that?”

As if on cue, you opened the back door of Arvin’s car and got into the backseat.

“Hi.” You waved at the two of them with a cheerful smile. “Sorry I’m late.”

Arvin looked at you in the rear view mirror and cleared his throat, nervously taking off his baseball cap and smoothing his hair down before looking away. You had your hair in banana curls that came to your shoulders, the front pinned back to give a better view of your face. Your cherry red lips matched your skirt, which was a nice contrast to your bright white blouse. Arvin was taken aback by the girl in his backseat, feeling like you were much too pretty to be in his beat up old car. For the first time in his life, he cared about his appearance, fumbling nervously with the brim of his hat.

“There she is.” Leonora looked back at you. “This is my friend Y/n. She’s gonna come with me to visit momma today.”

“Nice to meet you. Awful nice of you to drive us. I don’t know anybody with a car.” You spoke with excitement, as if being in Arvin’s old car was a fancy excursion. He held eye contact with you in the mirror, nodded at you to acknowledge your greeting.

“Nice to meet you too. Name’s Arvin.” He tilted his hat to you. “You have somebody buried up there too?”

“Kinda. My dog is buried under the big oak tree in the back.” You explained. “It’s her birthday today.”

“We’re gonna say a prayer for Bessie and momma. We won’t be too long.” Leonora told him as he started the car.

“Bessie?” He wondered, looking to her for answers. The name ignited nostalgia in him for a song he had never told anyone about.

“That was my dogs name.” You said, a light flush appearing on his cheeks as you spoke directly to him.

“Nice name.” He commented, thinking of his dog Jack. “What breed?”

“Jack russel.” You answered, as if you read him mind.

“She likes Russel’s.” Leonora commented, causing you to jokingly slap her on the shoulder. Arvin’s jaw tightened as he looked at you in the mirror again, curious to know what his sister meant by that.

“Shut up. Least I’m not crushing on a preacher.” You playfully teased her.

“Just teasing.” She laughed as you pulled up to the church. “You can park here, Arvin. We don’t mind the walk.”

“Thanks for driving us, Arvin.” You smiled brightly at him. He finally turned to look at you, face softening when his eyes met yours.

“No trouble missus.” He nodded curtly at you, fighting the urge to break his permanent frown with a smile.

“See you later.” You waved goodbye to him as you left the car, linking your arm through Lenora’s once you were out. Despite your back being to him, he waved back, blowing out a nervous breath as he watched you leave. He wasn’t one to have his head turned by pretty girls, his grandmother worried if he even cared for girls at all, but something about you left a pink tint in his cheeks. He looked at his backseat where you had been, smiling a little at the thought of you. The smell of you flowery perfume lingered in his car, replacing his usual smell of cigarette smoke. It was a nice and welcomed change, one he wouldn’t mind getting used to.

Before long, Arvin heard a knock on his window. He looked up and saw you holding your book bag over your head with an apologetic look of your face. He quickly rolled the window down, blinking a few times in surprise.

“Hi. Leonora wudden done yet and it’s starting to rain. You mind if I wait in here?” You asked like it was a tall order, but he was more than happy to fulfill it. He hadn’t even realized it had begun to drizzle, too wrapped up in that thought of you to notice his surroundings.

“Go ‘head.” He nodded as he unlocked the door. “You don’t have to sit in the back if you don’t want . Front is just fine.”

“Thank you.” You smiled at him as you sat in the passenger seat, shaking the raindrops out of your hair once inside. You tossed your bag over the seat and let it sit in the back before rubbing your arms from the chill of the rain. Arvin wordlessly took of his jacket and laid it over your shoulders when he saw the goosebumps on your arms. You smiled gratefully at him and held the jacket tighter around you, taking in the smell of it.

“Thank you. Rain came out of nowhere.” You laughed breathlessly as you looked at him. Too shy to speak, he gave you a nod in response and looked out the window.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” You asked suddenly, making him look at you again. You had a coy smile on your face, a smile he was growing awfully fond of.

“Don’t got much to say.” He shrugged, just happy you were taking an interest in him.

“Shame.” You chuckled shyly as you looked down at your red fingernails. “I would’ve liked to hear whatever you had to say.”

Arvin’s jaw dropped a little at your statement, immediately coughing to cover up his shocked expression. It was the first time he had ever been flirted with and it showed. He rubbed his hand on his shirt to smooth it as he shook his head, unsuccessful in hiding how flustered you made him.

“You mind if I smoke in here?” He changed the subject before he could embarrass himself further.

“Go ahead. I like the smell.” You shrugged as he pulled out his lighter.

“You do?” He looked at you curiously with his cigarette between his teeth. Most people he knew hated the smell, but you were continuously proving you weren’t like most people he knew.

“Yeah.” You nodded. “Reminds me of my daddy.”

“Me too.” He chuckled softly, finding himself on common ground with you once again. “You smoke?”

He held out his box to you to offer you a cigarette, making you bite your lip as you contemplated it.

“I never tried it before.” You spoke shyly, as if it was something to be embarrassed about.

“Here. I’ll give you a light.” Arvin smirked as he took a cigarette out of the box. You opened your mouth and held eye contact with you as he placed it between your lips, red lipstick staining the base. He lit his own cigarette before leaning forward and lighting yours with his own.

“It’s gonna burn at first, you might start coughing.” He warned you as you took a short puff.

“Whew.” You took it out of your mouth and coughed. “That’s something different.”

“You don’t have to finish it if you don’t like it.” He assured you as he took a long drag of his.

“Never said I didn’t like it.” You winked at him before taking another drag. Arvin looked away as he smiled, rubbing his tired eyes with his free hand.

“My grandmomma hates it when I smoke in here.” He began to open up to you. “Said it makes the seats smell like a factory.”

“Then I won’t tell her.” You drawled. “Secrets safe with me.”

Arvin found the confidence to move his arm to rest on the back of seat, almost close enough to be around you. You took the hint and scooted closer to him, excitement evident in your eyes. He smirked a little before he took his cigarette out of his mouth and blew the smoke in your face. You leaned into his cloud of smoke, holding his gaze as you inhaled. He leaned forward as well, planning to meet you in the middle until you heard the backdoor open.

“Hey guys.” Leonora bumbled as he got in the backseat. “Rain came out of nowhere, didn’t it?”

You and Arvin shared a disappointed look before your turned in your seat to look at Leonora.

“Hi, hun.” You greeted her kindly. “You all set?”

“Yeah. Thanks for coming with me.” She put her hand on your arm and squeezed it in appreciation.

“Anytime.” You told her, sneaking a glance at Arvin as he put his key in the ignition.

He kept quiet on the ride to your house after asking for your address, so you busted yourself by keeping light conversation with Leonora. You didn’t live too far from the church and found yourself in your drive way sooner than you’d like. You unbuckled your seat belt and collected your books, looking at Arvin wistfully before getting out.

“Thank you for driving me home, Arvin.” You thanked him. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“A lady should never walk alone. Specially not in the rain.” He nodded curtly. “Here, I’ll walk you to the door.”

“Are you sure it’s no trouble?” You gazed at him innocently through your lashes. You wanted him to walk you to the door, you just didn’t want him to know that.

“No trouble at all, doll.” He assured you as he got out. You said goodbye to Leonora before Arvin opened your door and helped you out.

“If your grandmomma don’t like the smell, maybe we could smoke outside sometime.” You suggested as you took slow steps to your front door, coming up with any way you could think of to see him again.

“I got the feeling you didn’t like it all the much.” He chuckled as he fidgeted with his cap.

“I could learn to.” You said, almost sadly as you looked at him. You stopped once you got to your front door, silently sliding his jacket off your shoulders and giving it back to him.

“How about we do something else? Something you like to do.” He suggested as he accepted the jacket. Your lips curved into a smile when he showed the same interest in you as you had in him.

“I’m pretty boring, Arvin.” You shrugged shyly as you dug your toe in the dirt. “Alls I do is go to church and do schoolwork.”

“You ain’t bored me yet.” He smirked as he shoved his hands in his pockets. You bit your tongue between your teeth and giggled, timidly tucking your hair behind your ear.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Arvin.” You held your hand out to him for him to shake. He took your hand and kissed your knuckles, never breaking eye contact.

“See you. You have a nice night now.”

You watched him the whole way back to his car, pressing a cold hand to your burning cheek to calm yourself down. Only once he and Leonora had pulled away did you go inside, leaning your back against the door and sighing once you did.

“How come I never seen you with her before?” Arvin asked his sister as he drove towards their house. He knew his sister didn’t have many friends, of any for the matter. And he definitely would’ve remembered seeing you before, considering the way you were stuck in his brain like an old song.

“We just met today. Chuck Greenwood was picking on me this morning but she stopped him. She told me she saw me at the graveyard every day and asked if she could tag alone to see her dog. She’s nice, isn’t she? My first friend.” Leonora smiled proudly as she brushed off her bible, never being one for making friends.

“She’s alright.” Arvin played down his feelings towards you. “How’d she stop Greenwood?”

“She asked him to take her to the drive in. I never seen a boy look so red.” Leonora bounced in excitement. “He forgot all about me and started following her around all day. Shame though, I heard him telling people he had his way with her behind the school busses.”

“That true?” Arvin clenched his jaw, feeling white hot jealousy corse through his veins.

“Course not. Shes not like that.” Leonora said, giving Arvin some peace of mind.

“Good.” He grumbled, turning the corner as his car rattled.

“She’s so pretty.” Leonora gushed. “She told me she could do my makeup for church this Sunday if I like. You think I should?”

“I don’t know. What does the Bible say about lipstick?” Arvin cracked one of his rare jokes.

“Nothing.” Leonora rolled her eyes. “She looks so pretty with it though. Reminds me of momma.”

“She did look pretty.” Arvin mumbled. “Nice color on her.”

“You like her, don’t you?” Leonora’s jaw dropped as her brother showed an emotion other than anger for the first time.

“You mind your own business now. Was just being nice.” Arvin stated as he looked at her in the mirror.

“You ain’t nice to nobody.” Leonora scoffed. “You like her.”

“Shut up.”

“Don’t worry. I won’t tell her nothing.” Leonora smiled in satisfaction.

“You better not. Now hush up before I make you walk home.” Arvin warned.

“Just saying.” Leonora added slyly. “I think she likes you too.”

Arvin looked at her in his mirror to see if she was serious, and she was. He grunted and adjusted his cap, hoping his sister wouldn’t see the smile on his face.

~

“Can you pass me the sugar?” You asked Leonora in her kitchen the following day.

“Here you go.” She handed you the bag. “Thank you for helping me and grandmomma. I don’t know what she was thinking trying to make all this food on her own.”

“I’m happy to help.” You shrugged as you measured the sugar in a cup. “I love cooking. Makes the whole house smell good.”

“Well I appreciate it anyhow.” Leonora smiled at you as she poked your side.

“Something smells good.” Arvin announced as he entered the kitchen, stopping in his tracks when he saw you. “Hi, Y/n.”

“Hi Arvin. We’re making a pie for tonight. You wanna help us?” You turned to face him while resting the bowl of ingredients on your hip. You had an apron loosely tied around your waist and a streak of flour going across one cheek, looking as beautiful as ever.

“Not much of a baker.” He shrugged with a soft smile. “‘Less you like eggshells in your crust.”

“Could you set the table, then? 5 places, Y/n is staying.” Leonora asked him over his shoulder, missing the hopeful look on his face when she mentioned you staying.

“Hope you don’t mind.” You smiled apologetically at him while stirring the bowl with a large wooden spoon.

“Don’t mind at all.” He nodded, moving towards you to get the plates out of the cupboard behind you. “Pardon me.”

“Sorry bout that.” You stepped out of his way, shoulders brushing as you moved.

“No apology needed.” He shook his head as he collected the plates. “See you at dinner.”

You waved to him with your free hand as he left the kitchen and headed towards the table.

“He likes you, you know.” Leonora instigated once her brother was out of earshot.

“Don’t be silly. That boy dudden like anything in this town.” You chuckled, flustered at her implication. “We’re all just something for him to scowl at.”

“He does too.” She insisted. “I seen the honey glow on his cheeks when I mention your name. He thinks you’re pretty.”

“He said that?” You gasped, making Leonora laugh in delight.

“Uh huh.” She poked your side again. “Told me himself on the car ride home. You should’ve seen him, all red and blushin’. I bet he’ll put his plate next to you tonight.”

“If he does, I don’t want you making eyes at me all night.” You teased as you playfully bumped her out of your way with your hip.

“I won’t.” She said innocently as she picked up the basket of bread. “I’ll gonna bring this to the table. Maybe I’ll see your boyfriend while I’m there.”

You hit her on the butt with a dish towel for her comment, her laugh echoing through the house as she went to the table. You began to hum the tune of the Little Bessie song you knew from childhood as you poured the pie filling into the crust.

“My momma used to sing that song.” Arvin’s voice came from behind you, making you jump a little. “It was one of the last things I ever heard from her.”

He joined you at the counter and gave you a half smile, wordlessly holding the pie tin steady as you poured.

“I was awful sorry to hear about what happened to your family. Leonora told me, hope that’s all right.” You spoke softly as you looked at him with sympathetic eyes.

“S’all right.” He shrugged, signaling that he didn’t want to get into it. “She’s told me a thing or two bout you as well.”

“Like what?” You wondered as you took out the uncooked strips of pie crust.

“Like you telling Chuck Greenwood you’d let him take you to the drive in.” Arvin stated, a mixture of disappointment and anger hardening the boyish features of his face.

“She told you that?” You asked in disbelief as you laid the strips in a delicate pattern.

“Yes ma’am. She also told me he started a rumor that the two of you meet up behind the school busses everyday, doing God knows what, after school. That true?” He asked roughly. Leonora has already told him it was false, but he needed to hear it from you.

“No.” You laughed like it was absurd, popping the bubble of jealously that had formed in Arvin’s stomach since he first heard it. “He can say what he wants. Everyone knows he’s full of it.“

“Well if that’s how you feel, why are you going on a date with him?” Arvin gripped the counter and hunched over as he stared at you. You cracked a smile, seeing what Leonora meant by all the times she called him overprotective.

“Oh, Arvin.” You giggled, finishing the pie crust. “I’m not going.”

“But you said yes.” He stood you straight, his face twisted in confusion.

“I know. I said yes so when I don’t show up, it’ll hurt him like he hurt Leonora. Maybe then he’ll realize it’s not nice to mess with people.” You explained as you put the pie in the oven. Arvin was taken aback by your reasoning, standing there dumbstruck as you set a timer. He always thought it was his job and his job only to protect his sister, only to find out there was somebody else looking out for her too. The boundaries of his protection ended where the schoolyard started, and that had always been something that troubled him. Now that he knew he could count on you to keep an eye on her, he felt a weight taken off his shoulders.

“You let that candy ass talk about you like that to protect my sister?” He asked lowly as he took a step towards you. He brought his calloused thumb to your cheek and and wiped the flour from your face. Your breath hitched in your throat as you gazed into his dark and tired eyes.

“She’s my friend.” You stammered. “She’d do it for me.”

Arvin’s lips tweaked into a smile, approving of your answer. He dragged his thumb down your face, pulling your bottom lip down for a moment before it bounced back.

“If that Chuck Greenwood bothers you again, you tell me. All right, doll?” He murmured.

“Why? What are you gonna do about it?” You tilted your head and gave him a sultry smile.

“Kill him.” Arvin said simply, making your heart stop.

“I’m only kidding.” He followed up. “I’ll just set him straight, is all.”

“Thank you.” You said under your breath, too starstruck to speak at full volume.

“Speak up now, darling. Don’t mumble.” He commanded you. You cleared your throat and stood up straighter, hoping that would give the facade of confidence.

“I said thank you.” You repeated.

“No need to thank me. Any friend of my sisters is a friend of mine.” He tipped his hat to you and backed away, grabbing a dish towel to clean his hands.

“So you and I are friends now?” You asked, disappointment making a home in his heart now that he wasn’t in your personal space.

“Don’t have too many of em.” He shrugged. “One more cant hurt.”

He went to leave the kitchen so you quickly untied your apron and followed him.

“Since I’m not going to the drive in, I have nothing to do Friday night.” You began, sighing ostentatiously.

“Oh, yeah?” He smirked at you, taking the hint.

“Yeah.” You continued your charade of looking forlorn. “Leonora has bible study so I’ll be all alone.”

Arvin stopped in the hallway, taking your arm gently between his hand and turning to towards him.

“I could take you somewhere, if you’d like.” He offered as if he had just thought of it, but it had been weighing on his mind since your first encounter.

“I would like that very much.” You nodded, biting back a smile.

“Is it all right if I sit next to you tonight? Uncle Earskell chews pretty loud, it grosses me out.” He chuckled shyly as he scuffed his shoes on the floor.

“Sure.” You giggled, secretly thrilled that Leonora had been right. “I promise I don’t chew that loud.”

Arvin looked up and smiled softly at you, shrugging a little as he scratched his nose.

“I don’t supposed I’d mind all that much if you did.” He said quietly and you understood what he was implying.

“Speak up now, darling.” You repeated his own words. “Don’t mumble.”

Finally, you got a toothy smile out of the stolid boy. He grinned from ear to ear at you rendition of what he said before, feeling oddly proud that it had resonated with you. Before he could act on his feelings, Leonora appeared in the hallway.

“There you two are.” She sighed. “Pie is just about done. Y’all ready to eat?”

You and Arvin nodded repeatedly, both hoping she hadn’t seen anything before she interrupted it. You followed her to the dinning table, blushing when you felt Arvin’s hand on your back to guide you.

~

Friday night, right on time, Arvin pulled up to your house. He didn’t strike you as the kind to be punctual, in fact, he normally wasn’t. He just knew his reputation proceeded him and he didn’t want you thinking he didn’t care. He did care, very much in fact. He cared so much that when he saw you coming out of your house in high waisted shorts and a strapless top, he forgot how to breathe. You had a bandana tying your hair up, red like the color of your lipstick. To Arvin, you looked like a dream come true.

“Hello miss.” He greeted you as you climbed in his front seat. “Where to?”

“Anywhere you wanna take me.” You beamed as you buckled your seatbelt. He grinned wickedly as he started the car, feeling the wind whip through his hair as he pulled off.

He made small talk with you as he drove to a nearby lake, telling you about his new job laying down tar. Though you didn’t care much about the particular subject, you hung on to every word. You got the impression that he had a lot to say at all times, he just didn’t think anybody cared to listen. It wasn’t long before you pulled up to a still body of water, parking right before the shore.

“I like coming up here when the weathers nice.” Arvin told you as he kept his eyes straight ahead. “It’s quiet.”

“People who look for quiet places usually have pretty loud thoughts. What are you thinking bout?” You asked as you turned your body to face him and leaned your head on your hands. Arvin chuckled and fidgeted with his cap, looking anywhere but you.

“Only thing I’m thinking bout right now are those little shorts of yours.” He answered honestly, making you flush.

“You like em?” You smiled as you smoothed your hand over your shorts. “My momma made em. She works at the fabric shop in town.”

“She did a good job.” He finally looked at you. “Look real good on you.”

“What about you? Do you ever wear anything but white shirts and beat up old baseball caps?” You teased as you shook the brim of his cap.

“No ma’am.” He pursed his lips to fight off a smile. “Can’t say I do.”

“Good. Cause I ain’t seen anybody rock a jean jacket as good as you.” You told him. “Looks real good on you too.”

“Why, thank you.” He nodded his head before looking out his window so you wouldn’t see him turning red.

“You blushing?” You laughed, cupping his chin in your hands and making him look at you.

“I blush when pretty girls say I look good.” He defended himself as he playfully shooed your hands away.

“So Leonora was right.” You bit your tongue in amusement.

“About?”

“She said you thought I was pretty.” You sighed dramatically as you checked out your manicure. “Didn’t believe it until now.”

Arvin reached forward and took your chin between his rough fingers, holding it in place so he could get a long look at you. You sucked in a sharp breath as you held his gaze, entirely under his spell now.

“Now how could someone as beautiful as you not believe it?” He drawled, eyes darting between your eyes and your lips.

“I guess I don’t hear it all that much.” You whispered, not wanting to disrupt the moment.

“Let me ask you something, doll.” He began. “Anybody ever kissed you before?”

“No.” You shook your head as much as you could with his hand still attached.

He half smirked. “You ever want somebody to?”

“Not until now.” You breathed.

“Me too.” He gulped before leaning in the rest of the way. His hand was sprawled over your cheek, big enough to cover the entire side of your face as he kissed you hungrily. You accidentally knocked his hat off as you grabbed his face, trying to get as close to him as possible. He laughed as it tumbled onto the seat before reconnecting his lips to yours. He pulled you into his lap and pulled the banana out of your hair, immediately tangling his hands in your messy curls. He brought the banana around your neck and used it to pull you closer to him, if that was possible. You gripped the seat behind him, leaving crescent moon marks where your nails dug into the leather. He pulled away only to catch his breath, leaning his head back in bliss as he panted heavily.

“You gon’ be the death of me, darling.” He groaned as he blew out a breath towards the roof of his car. You took his face between his hands and tilted it down so he was looking at you, brushing your thumbs along his ever bruised cheekbones.

“Well then I hope you rest in peace.” You smirked before kissing him again.

~

The memory of your night in Arvin’s left a lingering grin on your face all weekend, still present on Monday during school. You walked with Leonora to her brothers car once the school day had ended, barely able to hear her over your loud thoughts of Arvin.

“Shoot.” You stopped in your tracks on the way out the school doors. “Forgot my math book.”

“You want me to wait?” Leonora asked kindly.

“No, it’s fine.” You waved your hand in dismissal. “I’ll be quick.”

“Alright then. See you in the car.” She waved goodbye, despite knowing she’ll be seeing you again in a few minutes. You waved back before heading to your locker and collecting your book. Since you were closer to the back of the school, you went out the back doors to walk around. Your heartbeat quickened as you clutched your books to your chest, knowing you’d be seeing Arvin in just a few moments. Your state of bliss was interrupted by someone putting their hand over your mouth from behind and yanking you backwards. All your books fell to the ground as you were harshly pushed up against the brick wall of the school building. Your attempt to scream was muffled by someone’s hand over your mouth, so you just shut your eyes in fear.

“There you are, you little whore. You missed our date on Friday.” Chuck Greenwood said through gritted teeth as he pinned you against the wall. Your eyes flew opened upon identifying your attacker and you impulsively bit down on his hand. He yelped in pain and let go of you, shaking his hand out to relieve the sting.

“Ow! You bitch.” He barked and shoved you again.

“Get off of me.” You shoved him back. “I’m no whore. I just didn’t want to slum it with a no good hilly billy like you. I had better things to do.”

This really set Chuck off as he grabbed your face and held you against the wall, restricted your breathing with his grip.

“Oh yeah? Like what? Know you wasn’t working. I drove by all the most popular street corners but I didn’t see you.” He growled as he got in your face. “Now I’m gonna get what I wanted, and you’re gonna keep quiet.”

His hands moved to your waist and you gasped in fear.

“I wouldn’t if I were you.” You blurted to distract him. “And for your information, I was out with an actual gentlemen.”

“Who?” He took the bait and tilted his head.

“If you’d like to meet him, he’s right behind you.” You smiled a little, gasping for air when he let go of your face.

“What?” As soon as Chuck turned around, his face connected with Arvin’s fist. You couldn’t help but cover your mouth and laugh at the fact he practically walked into the punch, knowing that had to hurt ten times as bad. Chuck hadn’t yet recovered from the first punch when Arvin swung again, knocking him in the nose this time. Chuck covered his bleeding nose with his hand and looked up in time to be kicked in the stomach by Arvin. He fell to the ground and Arvin knelt down beside him, gripping his face the way he had just been gripping yours to make him look at him.

“You think picking on girls is fun? Huh?” Arvin yelled when Chuck didn’t answer the first question. “You think making em fear you makes you less pathetic?”

“Get off of me.” Chuck cried as he tried to roll away. “You’re crazy.”

Arvin grabbed him by the shirt with both fists, lifting him a little off the ground.

“You listen to me.” He growled. “You’re gonna find everyone you told about you and Y/n and tell em you were lying. Tell em you made it up and you’re sorry. You hear me?”

“Yes.” Chuck whimpered. Arvin pulled him up by his shirt and pushed him forward, towards you.

“Now get your ass up and apologize.” Arvin demanded as Chuck stumbled towards you.

“What? I didn’t even get to do anything.” Chuck turned around to complain to Arvin. Arvin raised his eyebrows in amusement before grabbing Chuck by the back of his neck and getting in his face.

“I said apologize.” He bellowed. “You apologize for spreading lies about her, being aggressive with her, calling her a whore, and you damn best apologize for that comment right there. If you know what’s good for you, you won’t make me wait.”

He lifted Chucks head up and forced him to look at you, tightened his grip when he hesitated.

“Ow.” He whined and looked at you. “I’m sorry.”

“For?” Arvin yelled in his ear.

“I’m sorry for calling you a whore.” Chuck apologized.

“And?” Arvin continued.

“And for telling people we did stuff behind the school busses.” Chuck added, flinching ad Arvin leaned in again.

“What else?” He snarled right in his ear.

“And for grabbing you. Honest to God, I’m sorry.” He cried loudly. “I did it. Let me go.”

Arvin let go of his neck and aggressively turned him around to face him as he gripped his shoulders.

“If I ever see you around my sister or my girl again, I’ll kill you. You hear me?” Arvin shouted as he pointed a finger in Chucks face.

“Yes sir. I mean, yes.” Chuck stammered, eyes full of fear.

“Now get out of here.” Arvin shoved him and Chuck went running. Arvin watched him go, not satisfied until he was out of sight. His breathing returned to normal as a sudden flush came over his face, realizing he just lost his temper in front of you. He looked at you timidly, worried you’d be scared by what you had seen. To Arvin’s surprise, you had a dopey smile on your face as you approached him.

“Your girl, huh?” You giggled as you took his hand in yours, examining it for serious injuries. The handkerchief in your pocket made itself useful as you used it to clean his wounds.

“Sorry you had to see that.” He spoke softly as he searched your face for signs of regret. “He won’t be messing with you no more.”

“Don’t be sorry. Nobody ever got their knuckles bloody for me before.” You brought his hand to your lips, kissing his red knuckles as you looked in his eyes.

“I’ll get em as bloody as I have to to keep you safe.” He promised. “You’re my girl now. Nothings gonna hurt you again.”

“I like it when you call me your girl.” You smiled as you slowly intertwined your hands with his, careful of his cuts.

“Well good.” Arvin put his hand on the back of your head and pulled it towards him, giving you a kiss on the forehead. “Cause I like saying it.”

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The Ties that Bind: Discovery of Self

AN: I have gotten some great recommendations from people for this story of what people would like to see! And I am loving them!!!! This one goes out to the anon who suggested a heart to heart between Spencer and the reader. I think there will honestly be several of them throughout the series, but this is certainly a big one.

Master List 

“I just . . .I don’t get it. A few months ago you were talking about possibly going to medical school or into research. You wanted to find a cure for schizophrenia and now. . . you want to join the FBI.”

“I think it will let me do a lot of good in the world.”

You take in a gulp of air at that. Spencer is an adult. He’s twenty two, has four PHD’s, and he’s taller than you now. But his tall and lanky form reminds you of a kid still, and eighteen years of co-dependency is hard to let go of.

“I just . . . I don’t get it.”

He shrugs and doesn’t look you in the eye, “You don’t need to. If I get it, that’s what matters.”

It feels like you’ve been slapped. Spencer has ALWAYS cared about your opinion. He’s always asked for your advice. You take a deep breath and count backward from ten in order to stave off the freakout you can feel coming. “Spencer, the FBI is dangerous. And what you’re talking about . . . it’s all serial killers and horrible people. You won’t even watch IT.”

He scowls, “I won’t watch it because I’m afraid, I won’t watch it because I’ve read the book, and I don’t need my version of the characters replaced by actors. I want to do this. I need to do this.”

“Why?”

“I can’t explain. I just do.”

You cross your arms against your chest, “And what if you get hurt?”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

Your take a deep breath, “Fine. Then we’ll go. Virginia and Maryland both had reciprocity with California, I can get my license transferred and . . .”

“No.”

The word is like a bucket of cold water, “What?”

Spencer’s face is set in a stubborn line, “I’m doing this on my own. It’s my thing. I don’t need my big sister holding my hand. I’m an adult. It’s time for you to let go and let me do my own thing.”

You don’t get to say anything in response as Spencer flees to his room. You do your best to hold back your tears, you really do, but when you realize they’re coming no matter what, you grab your keys and head out the door.

You wait until the car is locked to let it out. The sobs wrack your whole body, and it’s hard to make them stop. When you can’t cry anymore, you suck in air. You try to find something to ground you, but you have nothing. That hits you harder than you would like: without Spencer you have nothing. William had walked away over a decade ago, you’d been forced to commit your mother nearly a year ago and she had refused to see you since, you’d didn’t have any old friends to turn to because you’d been so focused on Spencer, and your studies and now . . . you didn’t even have Spencer. He was leaving you just like everyone else.

You start the car and just drive. You’re not sure where you’re going, but you need to go. For once you need to be the one leaving. It’s spring break which means you have nowhere to be tomorrow, and that is both depressing and encouraging all at the same time.

You make your way out of the city and just drive. You drive for hours, with only your thoughts to keep you company; there’s nothing good on the radio at this time of night anyway. You eventually find yourself at a beach. You’re not sure when you decided on the beach, but you do know you’re in time for the sunrise.

You park and head out to the sand. With the exception of some early morning surfers you’re the only one around. You plop your butt in the sand and just stare out at the water. You feel lost, so very lost.

“You okay?”

The voice shakes you out of your thoughts and you look up to find one of the surfers looking down at you. He’s handsome, that’s your first thought. The second thought is great accent. Your third thought is he’s stranger you’ll probably never see again.

“Not really.”

He plops down beside you, “Want to talk about it?”

Your lips twitch, “Do you care?”

“Not really. But I don’t mind drowning out your venting if you’d like. I’m told I’m very good at it.” The self deprecating joke is made with a smile.

Aww hell, why not? “Have you ever been left behind? Like the people you love leaving you and not looking back?”

“Ohh breakup?”

“Kind of? Not really. It’s complicated.”

“I’ve got a little time.”

“My brother wants to join the FBI.”

“Okay.”

“He’s twenty-two and a certified MENSA level genius. He already has four PHD’s. He could do anything he wants and he wants to get away from me.”

“You two have a fight?”

You shrug, “Not that I know of. But he doesn’t want me going with him. He wants me to stay in California while he moves to the other side of the country.”

“So he’s leaving you behind? You’ll never speak again? Never see each other again?” It’s said with a teasing glint in his eye.

You look out at the ocean, “It’s happened before. Lots of times.”

He takes on his first serious look in the conversation, “What do you mean?”

“I don’t want to unload my baggage on you.”

“You’ve already started. Keep going.”

And with that permission it flows out; never knowing your birth father, William leaving, your mother’s schizophrenia, raising Spencer, taking custody of Spencer at eighteen, getting the hell out of Nevada, committing your mother. Everything just tumbles out of your mouth. You expect a look of horror instead you see understanding.

He smiles at you, and leans in a little closer and says, “You’re done.”

“What?”

He nudges you with his shoulder, “You did what you needed to do. You became a mother at nine years old. You took on everything, things no child should have to take on, and you excelled. You graduated high school, you got your degree and a job you love from the sound of it. You raised your brother. You made sure he was safe, loved, and taken care of. And from the sounds of it he has excelled. You did it. You’re done.”

That sends a wave of cold through you, “I don’t feel done.”

He shrugs, “From what I hear parents never feel that way, but your brother is grown. It’s his choice, and it sounds like he’s made it. Let him go and have his adventure, and in the meantime, go find one of your own. Live for yourself for once, make friends, do everything you’ve neglected to do. Take care of you.”

You bite your lip, close your eyes, and admit, “I don’t know how.”

“Of course not. You’ve been in survival mode for most of your life. You need help. I know a few good therapists, I’m happy to recommend one.”

“Is one of them you?”

He laughs, “No. I’m a surgeon.”

Of course the cute guy, with the great accent is a surgeon.

You smile a little sheepishly, “I’m not insane. I swear.”

“I know. You just need a little help figuring out who you are and what you want.”

You think about it for a minute. “Maybe you’re right, but if I do it, I’ll do it on my own.”

He smirks, “I think your first session should be spent going over why you don’t have to do everything on your own.”

You roll your eyes, “I’ll take that under advisement. But for now, I’m going to watch the sunrise.”

He doesn’t say anything, and by the time the sun is in the sky the man has slipped away. You stop at a box store and pick up some necessities, and check into a motel to get some sleep.

You make your way home a day later. You enter through the front door to find a pacing Spencer.

“Where have you been?”

You close the door gently, “I was figuring some things out.”

“You should have called or let me know you were going.”

“Well, you were acting like a brat.”

The statement makes him freeze. You’ve never said anything like that to him before. “I . . .I . . .”

“You dropped a bomb on me. You made a choice which you have every right to do. You’re an adult. But you did it wrong Spencer. You were defensive, didn’t validate any or my legitimate concerns, and when I started to freak out a bit you stormed out of the room.

“Yes it was wrong to assume I would go with you. I’m not used to you not needing me, but you’re right, you’re an adult, and if this is what you want I say go for it. Now excuse me, I need a shower.”

You don’t say anything else as you head into your room to grab fresh clothes and then into the bathroom. The water is heavenly, and thanks to the driving you’re ready for bed, but you know you won’t sleep.

When you come out, Spencer is back in his room, and you take advantage of it. You grab a bag of chips, plop on the couch, and turn the TV on to Law and Order. You watch with interest, and eventually the couch dips beside you.

A second later Spencer’s head is on your shoulder. He’s the first one to speak, “I’m sorry.”

“I know.”

“I should have told you in a better way.”

You hit the mute button, “I’m sorry I freaked out. I don’t like the idea of you being anywhere near serial killers. I also don’t like you being around guns. I love you kid, but you’re not athletically inclined.”

He shrugs, “Profilers aren’t required to carry a gun, but I’m still going to try for my certification.” There’s another moment of silence before he asks, “You’re going to be okay, right? By yourself.”

“I’ll have to be.”

“If you really wanted to move . . .”

“I don’t.” The admission shocks you, but it’s true. You look at him, and admit, “I’m scared of losing you Spencer. You have been my life for so long, and I’m not quite sure what to do with it now. But I love it here. I have no desire to move. And thanks to a random guy on the beach, I think the space will be good. It’ll let me figure out who I am on my own and what I want out of life.”

Spencer blinks owlishly at you, “Guy on the beach?”

“I went to the beach during my processing time. I met a random guy on the beach. Hot as hell, great accent, and an orthopedic surgeon. I unloaded everything on the poor guy, and he was just helpful. Shame I didn’t get his name.”

Your brother makes a face, “You’re lucky he wan’t a serial killer!”

“Yeah. . . well.”

He groans and then the two of you burst out laughing. When it’s done he asks, “We’re okay, right?”

“Always, but I think this is going to be good for us. You know, so it doesn’t end up just the two of us in some creepy house with a hundred cats.” Spencer laughs, and you can’t help but think you’re really going to miss that sound.

The next month is spent doing a variety of things. You have to buy things for Spencer to take with him, while he basically absorbs the FBI’s training manuals and class information. He starts trying to conquer the physical side of things, and your fears about him being around guns are reinforced.

You start seeking out a therapist. You see five different people before finding one you like, and once you start talking, it’s hard to stop. She gives you different tasks like joining your coworkers for drinks on Fridays, and trying new hobbies. She encourages you to embrace new people. It’s hard, and you find yourself holding a lot back. She assures you that’s normal and encouraged. Until you really know someone, you don’t need to share your entire history with them. You send a thousand apologies into the universe and hope they find your beach guy.

The day you take Spencer to the airport is HARD. You’re rather quiet on the drive, and you can feel his eyes on you the entire way. You consider walking him to security but he rebuffs that suggestion. Instead you unload the car and stare at him for a second.

He’s the first on to speak, “You’re going to be okay, right?” His voice breaks a tad on the last word.

“I’m going to be okay. I’m going to miss the hell out of you, but I’m going to be okay.”

He nods, and then swallows, “I don’t have to go.”

You take a deep breath, “Yeah. You do. You need to chase your dream, and I . . . I need to figure out who I am as someone other than Spencer’s big sister.”

“How about the most important person in my life.”

You force yourself to tease him a bit, “You say that now, but watch you find some awesome guy or girl in DC. You’ll fall madly in love have ten kids and forget all about me.”

He snorts, “Two kids at the most, and I could never forget about you. My kids are going to need a fun aunt.”

You let out a little chuff, and stuff your hands in your back pockets. Spencer has you in a hug a second later. You wrap your arms around him, and squeeze extra tight. You can hear the tears when he asks, “Does finding yourself mean you can’t do a weekly phone call with me?”

Now you’re crying, “Finding myself requires a weekly phone call. You can talk me out of the bad choices I never got to make.”

He laughs, “Yeah, like making sure random guys you meet aren’t serial killers.”

You pull apart, “I promise I’ll ask next time.”

He laughs and you both swipe at your faces, and you give him a smile, “Go.”

He nods, grabs his suitcases and takes a few steps, he pauses and you know what he’s about to do, “Don’t look back Spencer. Just keep going forward.”

He doesn’t say anything, he just starts walking. You stay there until you can’t see him anymore. He never looks back and you’re proud of him for it. You’re proud of him for taking this step and finding his independence.

You leave the airport just in time to hit rush hour traffic, but for once you don’t care. The idea of an empty apartment isn’t very appealing at the moment. You’ll have to face it eventually, but traffic is a good excise for now.

When you finally break away from the traffic, you make one more stop: a little bar some of your teacher friends had taken you to last week. You claim one of the seats at the bar, and order a martini. It sits in front of you as you study it.

You’re jolted out of your thoughts when a voice says, “The last time I saw you so focused on something, it was a sunset.”

Your head whips around to find, “Beach guy.”

He smiles at the moniker, “Beach guy?”

“Well, I never got your name.”

He holds out his hand, “Joel Goran.”

You shake and you introduce yourself and he takes the stool next to you. “You look better than when I saw you last.”

You shrug, “I took your advice.”

His eyes go wide, “Can I get that in writing? No-one ever takes my advice.”

“I found someone to talk to, and I made up with my brother. I actually, just finished dropping him off at the airport.”

“And how do you feel?”

“Sad, but a normal amount? Excited about being a little selfish for once.”

His hand slams down lightly on the bar, “That is what I’m talking about.”

“What about you, what are you doing in my bar?”

He raises his eyebrows, “Your bar?”

You shrug, “I’m claiming it as my own. It’s been my favorite one I’ve been to so far.”

“Are you going through your clubbing stage?” He teases.

“After work drinks with my teacher friends.”

“Small children, that would encourage drinking, wouldn’t it?”

“You didn’t answer my question.”

He leans forward, “I just took a job at the local hospital. Head of Ortho.”

You lean forward too, “So you’re new in town?”

“And looking for a friend.”

“Well, what a coincidence, so am I.”

Tag List:

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@lieswithoutfairytales @lilli4107 @fandoms4ever97 @amatswimming @honeybug-victoria @shaynapineapple @life-is-insanity

[heecyon]

Enhypen Little Angels Series: When they find out their s/o is pregnant

warnings: cursing, mentions of miscarriage and hospitals, collapsing, vomiting and couvade syndrome (for Sunghoon and Sunoo)

this happens before the og enha little angels

taglist: @skyaura-koo @serendipityclick @en-sun @envirae @exulansis-eun @gamezzzz

Pls tell me if I forgot anyone from the taglist and I'll fix it immediately.

I'll try to fix any grammar mistakes. Sorry for the delay

word count: 1,523 words

Lee Heeseung:

“Heeseung... What if i'm really pregnant?” Mina said bouncing on her feet.

Being nervous wasn't the words that she would use to describe how she feeling at the moment.

“If you are pregnant, then that means that our child will have the most amazing mother and the most amazing father.” He set his hands around Mina's waist, then accommodated his head on her shoulder.

“I'm not talking about that.” She sighed, looking at the ring on her finger.

“You mean... the loss?” Mina nodded, her gaze was sad and her eyes were glossy.

“It wasn't your fault jagi, and I know that you fear that the same thing will happen again, but I promise you that everything will turn out for good.” Heeseung placed a soft kiss on his wife's lips, then unified his forehead with hers.

“I think... I'll go check the test.” Mina said before placing a kiss in Heeseung's cheek and going to the bathroom to see the results.

He waited a few seconds and then...

“Heeseung, I'm actually pregnant!”

Park Jongseong

“How many times do I have to tell you that I'm fine?” Bella said looking at IV hooked on her hand.

Jay kept walking around the hospital room, he was a little bit mad, he thought that Bella hadn't taken care of herself as he told her to.

“As many times as you want, because it's not gonna work for me, or make me feel better.” He kept pacing around back and forth, trying to keep himself calm.

“If you keep rambling nothing will be solved.” Jay huffed, as he pinched the skin of his left arm.

“And if you keep dismissing your health nothing will get solved!”

Bella groaned, sometimes Jay could be way to stubborn.

“How many times do I have to tell you that I've been taking care of myself.” She pouted.

“It doesn't seem like that to me.”

Just in time the doctor appeared on the room.

“What is it doctor? Is she healthy?” She smiled at Jay and then at Bella.

“Well, there isn't any problem... Except that you have high levels of HCG.”

They both looked at the doctor completely confused.

“This high level of HCG only appears on pregnancy. Congratulations, you are pregnant.”

If they were confused before then, I don't know how to describe how they felt by the moment.

“Huh?!”

Shim Jaeyun

“Do you think is something bad?”

Jake shook his head, while looking around the doctor's office. He was way more anxious than what he showed, but he tried his best to stay calm for Teagan.

It had been days since Teagan started vomiting and having nausea, to the point that she spent most days locked in the bathroom and nearly fell down the stairs because of how dizzy she felt.

“I'm done! I'm taking you to the doctors!”

Teagan looked at him dumbfounded. Why did he wanted to take her to the doctors so suddenly.

“But I feel fine.”

“Being fine is not nearly falling down the stairs because of dizziness.”

Teagan hated hospitals with all her might, and always tried everything to avoid them, but guess who still drag her to the hospital? Jake!

The doctor finally entered the office, making the couple turn their gaze to him.

He gave them a small smile, before saying:

“I already have your lab results...”

Jake grabbed his wife's hand, trying to calm himself down a little and also reassuring her that everything will be okay.

In the best case he thought you had a stomach bug. In the worst case you could some kind of terminal illness.

... But gladly those weren't the cases.

“It seems like you have high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin.” Teagan looked at the doctor with a dumbfounded gaze.

“What those that mean?” Teagan looked at the doctor and then looked at Jake who was in shock, but then spoke.

“It means... that you are pregnant.”

Park Sunghoon

... It started when Sunghoon started having symptoms. Hyeyoung noticed how tired Sunghoon was does days and how he started having cravings... A lot of cravings.

“And can you please add an extra order of fries please?” “Thank you.”

He hanged up on the call while Hyeyoung looked at him weirded out.

“You sure you are okay?” She walked up to him, seating beside him on the sofa.

“Yeah, why wouldn't I be?”

“Well... because you are acting like a pregnant woman.”

Sunghoon giggled a little, before he realised that...

“Hyeyoung? When was the last time that you had your period?” The girl looked down for moment, and then she finally realised what was going on.

Now they were both looking at the positive pregnancy on their hands.

“Oh shit!”

“OH HOLY SHIT!”

Kim Sunoo

Another case of couvade syndrome...

“Ah! Noona! Sunoo-Hyung just fainted!” Aera ran to the studio and saw the boys fanning Sunoo to make him feel better.

Sunno saw Aera's worried expression and then smiled at her to ease her up.

“I'm fine jagiya. I'm just tired.” He stood up with the help of his oldest members.

He walked up to Aera, who changed her expression suddenly, she started feeling way to dizzy and all off the sudden she lost her balance and collapse on Sunoo's.

The rest of the members started shouting worriedly and asked the staff to call medical help.

“I guess we have the same condition or something.” Sunoo spoke when they where both in the doctors office waiting for both of their results.

“It's probably the flu, or a cold is kicking our butts.” Aera chucked and Sunoo giggled a little.

The doctor entered the room, with the results on his hands.

“Well it seems like Sunoo is pretty healthy and there is no reason for your collapse, except that you have couvade syndrome.” He frowned at the doctors words wanting a clear explanation.

“It's when a partner presents the same symptoms as their pregnant partner.” Aera was the one frowning at that moment. Was the doctor saying what she thought he was saying?

“I'm sorry, but my wife is not...”

“The fuck?! She's pregnant?!”

Yang Jungwon

This boy rushed to the hospital the moment that he got a call from her mom, saying that Mirae had fallen down the stairs.

He freaked out, but when he got there Mirae explained him that she had blacked out and that made her fall down three steps of stairs.

“Are you sure you don't feel pain or anything?” Jungwon played with her hair, while he sat on her hospital bed.

“Wonie, I'm fine, it's just a small bruise”

“And a concussion.” Mirae's mother blurted that out of nowhere. Which made the girl murmured a "Mom" angrily.

“Ah! I guess I'll stay up with you all night.” He said rubbing her shoulders.

“I also have something else to tell you...” She grabbed a strand of hair and started playing with it.

“Hmm?” Jungwon payed all his attention ontu her.

“The doctor did a few tests... Everything's okay, but...” She passed and stayed quiet for while.

“What's wrong Rae, you can tell me anything, remember?” Jungwon smiled showing his cute dimples.

Mirae sighed, inhaled... Then exhaled.

“I'm pregnant.”

Jungwon seemed in shock by what she had just blurted out, but then started laughing immediately.

He was happy, obviously he was... But then he paused.

“When did I made you a baby?”

Nishimura Riki

They where both visiting Niki's parents in Japan, they where on vacations so they used that to pay a visit to them.

Mei Lin wasn't feeling that good throughout the whole way to her in laws house, she felt like throwing up the ride in the plane, but she thought it was just motion sickness.

“You sure you are okay? If you don't feel well enough, we can stay at the hotel and go tomorrow.” Niki wasn't that sure of what to do at the moment, but he thought it would pass in a few hours.

“No, I think I still feel bad because of the flight, but it'll pass in a few minutes, I promise.” She said patting Niki's head before calling over a taxi.

They got home pretty fast and had dinner. They were both enjoying their time, but something about the food just made Mei feel nauseated. So she covered her mouth and nose with her left hand.

The family noticed pretty fast and Niki's sister was already looking for a pill to calm Mei's stomach down.

While Niki was rubbing her back, his mother commented.

“You know, this reminds me of the symptoms I had when I had a few weeks of pregnancy with Riki.” She laughed it off, but something about just made the rest of the family including Mei freeze.

“I think... I'll just go get a pregnancy test.”

Everybody's eyes widened and the thought of their daughter in law being pregnant was kinda shocking.

An hour later, a positive pregnacy test was on the couple's hands.

Niki and Mei were both in complete shock, they were happy of course... But still shocked.

“I wasn't expecting you guys to take me seriously when I said «I want grandchildren as soon as possible.»”

[krreader]

loving you is a losing game | the aftermath.

pairing: park jimin x sister!reader ; kim taehyung x actress!reader fandom: bts  warnings: actress!reader ; language genre: angst ; fluff word count: 4k+ previous: x

summary: all that jimin ever wanted to do was protect you. this time, however, he failed you and his best friend, taehyung.

a/n: I told y’all I wouldn’t let you wait this time haha. I’m super glad to see all your feedback though, all your messages were wonderful and I love you all <3

Jimin had left that night when you and Taehyung had broken up. He couldn't bear looking into his eyes, knowing that he caused all this hurt to both you and him.

But when he walked back into the apartment the next day, he quietly sat down next to Taehyung for the first time since he found out about you and him and found Taehyung smiling at him.

Despite that, Jimin could tell that it didn't reach his eyes.

Throughout the next weeks, their relationship got better again. Still, he caught Taehyung stare at his phone so often and whenever the message from that special someone didn't come, he put it down and closed his eyes, visibly disappointed and sad. Jimin never mentioned you to him in those weeks, not knowing how to even bring it all up, but Taehyung didn’t seem like he wanted to talk about you anyway.

Simultaneously, Jimin tried calling you multiple times, but was never able to get a hold of you.

It was only when his mother finally called and told him that you had come home that he decided to drive up to Busan in hopes of mending the relationship with you... if that was even possible at thit point.

You weren't there when he arrived though. 

“Where is she?” he asked his mother as soon as he stepped foot inside the house.

“I don’t know... she went out a few hours ago and hasn’t come back since,” his mother fidgeted with the kitchen towel in her hand, “I’m worried, Jimin.”

Jimin knew were you were. 

Where you always were when you were upset and couldn’t stand being at home.

It was only a 10 minute walk to a secluded area at the beach where him and you used to spend all your childhood at. You often knocked heads with the family and whenever you did, you came here to think. The only one that you ever told about this place was Jimin, the only one in the family that you always knew you could lean onto. 

Funny how times had changed.

And indeed, there you were, sitting in the sand, staring out at the beach, not moving a muscle when he sat down next to you.

That’s a good start, right?

Jimin tried to find the right thing to say, but he couldn't. Nothing made sense when it was all his fault, when he was simply too proud to see you and his best friend dating, thinking that it was somehow wrong.

But what was wrong was you and Taehyung feeling this way because of him. He had only seen Taehyung, but he saw how heartbroken he was. He could only imagine what you must feel like, as Taehyung was the one that broke up with you... for Jimin.

“I looked up to you my entire life, you know? Way before you became an idol, even. Every time someone would ask who I wanted to be when I grew up, I answered Park Jimin. People would laugh, but I didn't care, because you were my biggest hero. You were the one person that always made people happy, were always happy to bring smiles into people’s faces and where always there when I needed you. And I was always so proud to call you my brother,” you turned your head to look at him, him looking right back at you with wide eyes, “Now I wish I didn't even know you.”

“You don't mean that,” he said quietly, but his voice broke nonetheless. 

“I guess it doesn't really matter anymore.”

“It does,” Jimin instantly grabbed your hands, “Please, listen to me. Let me explain why..-”

“BigHit was very kind and introduced me to someone from Marvel. They offered me a role in their newest movie,” you interrupted him mid-sentence.

BigHit? Jimin was taken aback at first, but then his blood instantly started to boil, knowing damn well they did that because they wanted you to leave for Jimin and Taehyung to mend their relationship, even if it meant further breaking that of him and you.

They couldn’t care less about your relationship with Jimin.

“I'm leaving next week and if things go well, I might stay. Being a Hollywood actress surely isn't so bad.”

“(Y/N), listen to me,” he shook his head to get BigHit out of his thoughts, “I just want you to..-”

“No, Jimin,” you got up, him instantly doing the same, “I don't think you realize just how much I meant what I said before.”

“But we're family! Stop saying these things, they don't make sense,” Jimin was a very emotional person. He couldn’t hold back his tears when he realized you were slipping out of his grasp fast. You were still staying strong though, “You're my baby sister. The one I'm always supposed to protect, the one that I can't lose...”

You gulped down hard, knowing the impact of what you said next, “You already have.”

You walked away after that, not being able to see the dispair in his eyes, before he slowly crumbled and started sobbing.

And even though you wanted to be cold, when you walked away, a few tears escaped your eyes, knowing that you just lost the love of your life and brother in a matter of weeks. 

But that was ultimately the reason why you had to leave. The loss of such important people, where everything reminded you of both, you wouldn’t be able to function anymore. So you decided that leaving was the best option.

Your mother must have known about this beforehand, because when Jimin walked back into the house, she instantly opened up her arms for him, her son cradling against her chest and crying into it like he was a young boy again.

“It’s going to be okay... she’ll forgive you,” she whispered into his hair, gently rubbing over his back, “Just give her time. Time and space is what she needs most right now.”

He knew that she was right, but not doing anything and just letting you leave was so fucking hard for him. He ended up staying at his parents the entire week, not knowing what to do with himself otherwise.

And it was only when he came home a week later and you had already left for the US, that he looked right into Taehyung’s eyes and knew he had to be the one to tell him that you were gone.

“Hollywood,” he repeated, a small smile spreading on his face. Jimin couldn’t see his eyes, but he assumed that it didn’t reach them, “She always dreamt of that.”

“Yeah... she did,” Jimin gulped down hard and continued to stare at Taehyung, because he could tell that he wouldn’t hold out for much longer.

And indeed, within seconds, he started sobbing, so hard, that Jimin instantly pulled him into his arms and tried to calm his shaking body best friend down.

And once again, all that Jimin could think was: this is all my fault. I destroyed their lives... their future.

In all these months that you were gone, Jimin didn't give up, even if his mother told him that it was no use. He kept trying to text and call, not caring that you never responded. The only way he could see was through promotional photos from set, through interviews and the only way to really know what was going on with you was when his mother told him about it. 

With each and every day you slipped more and more away from him, until one day he realized that he completely lost you, yet Taehyung was right at his side, holding his hand at a concert and smiling at him, showing him that he was still here... because he chose him.

Taehyung chose him over you.

And as Jimin was looking into his best friend’s eyes, filled with tears, Taehyung instantly knew what he was thinking about... or rather who. 

Not wanting ARMY to catch on, Taehyung pulled him into his arms and held onto him firmly.

“It's my fault,” he whispered into his ear, “We lost her... because of me.”

And unfortunately, he was right.

That night, Jimin and Taehyung sat down together on their balcony at home and talked about the entire thing for the first time... ever.

“How did it start?” Jimin asked.

Taehyung was hesitant at first, but then he started pouring his heart out, seemingly happy that he was finally able to share this story with someone, “It was when we had a concert here years ago. She came to watch it and I was having a really bad day. I locked myself in a room and just cried... or at least I thought I locked the door. She walked in on me having that mental breakdown. And you know her... she worried like crazy,” he let out a laugh, “She always worried about me. Right from the start.”

“She got that from our mom,” he said with a small smile.

“She stayed with me that day until I stopped crying, held my hand and told me that things would get better again. And the next day, she texted me this entire paragraph about how good I was doing and how proud she was, not just of me, but of the band. I felt... really bad about her worrying so much over me, so I asked her if she wanted to have dinner with me. She agreed, but then we couldn't agree on a restaurant and ended up eating Ramen at the Han. We talked all night long... just talked...”

Jimin listened tentatively, but his eyes became sadder within each second again, especially when he saw how much this still affected Taehyung. The more he talked about you, the more his eyes lit up, but then that flame quickly disappeared again when he realized this was all in the past.

“We did that once a week, then. Just meeting up to talk. We did nothing else for four months. And then one day I looked at her and I realized that I had fallen for her... without me even having noticed it. It just hit me right in the face. Like... wow. I really love that girl, you know?”

“Did you tell her?”

“Couldn't. I felt really bad for even having these feelings. Because... you know,” he looked at Jimin, but he didn't say that it was because of him, “I hid it for months until she called me one night, completely drunk and asked me to pick her up. I did, drove her home, got her into bed and that's when she began crying, poured her heart out and told me that she had fallen in love with me, but hated herself for it, because she knew that loving me would hurt you. And she couldn't hurt you, not when you meant the world to her.”

Great, he thought this couldn't get any worse.

“We put the cards out on the table a week later and realized that we only had two options. End it before it even began or try and keep it a secret so that you wouldn't get affected by it. We picked the second option and promised to not tell you until we warmed you up to the idea. But... that obviously hadn’t worked out.”

Jimin gulped down his drink in one go, swirled it around in his mouth for a moment, then quietly said after a moment: “Why'd you choose me when you loved her so much?”

A question that he had always wondered about.

“I thought it was the right decision.”

“You thought?”

Taehyung looked up at the stars, “You did so much for me in the past... I wouldn’t be here as the person that I am if it hadn’t been for you. So at the time, it made sense. But now that I see my empty future... I see that I fucked up. Because she was my future.”

Jimin didn't reply, just lowered his head in shame.

“I even bought her a ring, you know?” Taehyung laughed, though only to hide the hurt, “But that's on me that I didn't give it to her. I thought I still had time.”

“Maybe you do.”

Taehyung looked at his best friend, the sad smile back on his face, “It’s easier to forgive a brother than it is to forgive someone like me. And I can’t even blame her,” he pulled out the ring from his pocket, a beautiful ring that looked a lot like an engagement ring, but Jimin didn’t ask any further questions, “I’d pick her any day now over everything and everyone. But I don’t have that chance anymore. So all I hope for now is that you and her will be happy again.”

Jimin sighed deeply, “If I could turn back time, I would. I would do things differently, give you my blessing and tell you that I'm happy for you.”

Taehyung just leaned back, still playing with the ring as he continued to look up at the stars, “I know you would.”

You had successfully avoided your family for a while now, always putting your career first and not looking at anything other than. Your parents were often angry, up until you literally flew them out because there was no way you’d step foot into Korea again so soon.

But while you were now one of Hollywood’s upcoming actresses due to your hard work, your oldest brother had found love and was getting married. And well... this one, you couldn't get out of.

“Thanks for coming,” your brother hugged you when you finally arrived at the venue, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too,” you smiled, “And I'm so happy for you. I can't wait to finally get to meet the lucky woman.”

“Ha, you're just saying that, you'll tell embarrassing stories about me the moment that you meet her.”

You just wiggled your eyebrows, then smiled even brighter when you heard your mother let out a loud squeal and pull you into her arms, your father hugging both of you, not wanting to wait any longer for his daughter to be in his arms.

“Finally, my beautiful daughter,” she leaned back a little, tears in her eyes, making you and your brother chuckle.

“Mom, you're not supposed to cry yet.”

“Ah, stop it,” she hit your brother and then turned him around, “What are you even doing here, you need to get ready. I'll help you. And you? Don't run off, alright? I want to spend some time with my daughter.”

“I won't,” you chuckled and watched them disappear, your father just following them with a chuckle.

And of course, there was one person missing in the mix. Should have known that he’d show up sooner, rather than later.

“You look beautiful,” the voice made you take in a deep breath, then let it out once you were looking at him.

He wasn't the confident man that you once know standing there. He was unsure, nervous, sad, but at the same time, happy to see you.

“Thank you.”

“I wasn't sure whether or not you'd come. If I had known..-”

“Don't be ridiculous, you're his brother too.”

“I wasn't talking about me.”

A second later, Bangtan joined him, Taehyung immediately stopping when he saw you.

After all this time, you thought that you were over it. You thought that if you were to ever see him again, you’d just keep your cool, smile and be graceful about it, but your heart seemed to break all over again.

If it hadn’t been for Jeongguk, you maybe even would have started to cry as all the memories were flooding back in. Especially the ones about the break-up. 

“I saw your movie,” Jeongguk beamed, “You were so cool!”

“Thanks,” you shook your head a little, now focusing on the youngest member so that you didn’t have to look at either Taehyung, nor Jimin anymore, “I should.. probably go inside and say hello to everyone.”

Jimin took a step forward, his hand reaching out, but then he quickly dropped it, just like his shoulders did.

None of them were affected by you, only Jimin and Taehyung. Both of them were left standing there, even though the others followed you inside.

Taehyung was the first to speak: “I shouldn't be here. I'll only make her uncomfortable.”

“No, please. Please, stay.”

It was the desperation in his eyes that made Taehyung nod, ultimately.

Still, he didn't feel like he belonged here anymore. Not when he broke your heart and ruined so much in your family.

And throughout the entire wedding, he couldn't focus on anything but you. And as if you could feel his eyes burning into the back of your head, he often found you turn around to look at him, Taehyung quickly averting his gaze to look somewhere else instead.

On a more positive note, the celebration was beautiful, your brother's wife was glowing and he was the happiest you had ever seen him. Even if you had wanted to leave early... you couldn't. You had missed this, missed him, missed your mother and father, missed the memories all these three brought you.

And if you were being honest... you even missed Jimin. 

A conversation that you had with your mother a while ago came back:

“He visits a lot these days, you know? Jimin, I mean. He always goes up to your room and makes sure that it’s cleaned... just in case you’re coming back anytime soon.”

“I won’t,” you said plainly.

You heard your mother sigh on the other end of the phone, “You know, (Y/N), I will never presume to know what it must have felt like, your brother doing this to you and your partner betraying you like this. But do you want it to be like this for the rest of your life? Do you want to hate Jimin forever?”

“I don’t hate Jimin,” you hadn’t even thought about it, were even surprised when you said it, “I just.. don’t know how to forgive him.”

“You won’t know until you talk to him again, my love. You can ignore him for the next years to come, but you won’t come any closer to forgiving him. So if that is truly what you want... then talk to him.”

And so after you gulped down your champagne and took a deep breath, you walked outside and joined your brother that was standing on his own.

“So, you'll be the next to get married?” Jimin was so surprised when you started to talking to him as he was getting some fresh air outside, but you didn’t look angry. Maybe unsure of how to talk to him, but not hostile.

“What? With whom?” he laughed nervously, “I haven’t had a girlfriend in years.”

“Ah, I'm sure mom has a few girls that she's eyeing. What was that one girl’s name... the daughter of the baker.”

“Please, don't. I still have trauma from that awkward date that she forced on me,” you both snorted and suddenly the atmosphere between you felt like what it once was. And Jimin hated to ruin it, but he had to know: “Are you okay? I mean.. we haven't talked in a long time and I only hear what mom tells me.”

“You know how it is when your career is at its peek. A lot of stress, but a lot of rewards too.”

“I wasn't talking about your career, I was talking about you.”

You pondered over your next words for a moment, then you said: “I had a lot of time to think about everything. About my life,” you began to smile, even if only just a little bit, “I don’t know when I’ll be able to look at you and not feel hurt. But... when I look at you now, I also realize that I’ve missed you. And if my heart tells me that, then I can’t really hate you, right? So I would like to... I don’t know. Talk. A little. Maybe.”

And his entire stance changed instantly. His shoulder slumped, he began taking in a sharp breath of air and he was on the verge of tears.

“No, don't cry,” you shook your head, even let out a little laugh, “I’m just saying that I’d like to try again. You’re my big brother and... mom is right. I don’t want to spend my life trying to hate someone that I still love. Deep down.”

“I'd like that,” he said, pressing his fingers into his eyes when he couldn’t control the tears anymore.

You just smirked.

The wedding was slowly dissolving. The first guests had left hours ago and now it was only the family left, but even those were beginning to say their goodbye’s.

At a table, Bangtan was sitting with your brother, laughing wholeheartedly.

But one person was missing.

You walked back into the room where your brother and his wife had gotten married and found him standing at the altar, staring at it.

It was hard for you to come up with something to say, so you just waited until he finally noticed that you were here.

“Always thought I’d see you in a hall like this with a wedding dress on while you’re walking towards me, you know?” Taehyung said with a sad smile.

“It probably would have been like that if you hadn’t chosen my brother that night,” you approached him, to Taehyung’s surprise.

“Yeah, I don’t think he looks as pretty as you would in a wedding dress.”

This caught you off-guard. So much, that you actually began to laugh.

He always knew how to break the ice.

“Did you know that he used to wear mom’s dresses and play teaparty with me when we were kids? I thought he looked really pretty.”

“That’s very valuable information that I will bring up at the right time, thank you very much.”

Given your uncomfortable and awkward hello earlier, he hadn’t expected you to talk so casually with each other, but... maybe time healed some wounds.

Taehyung wanted to take a step forward to be closer to you, but he wasn’t sure if you were okay with that, so he just stayed right there.

“I regret it every single moment of my life, you know? Every waking moment I think of you and hate myself for what I did to you. For what I did to us.”

You didn’t reply, just gulped down the clump in your throat.

“If only I had made the right choice that day... if only I had tried to convince Jimin that I was good for you and that you would be safe with me... then maybe it would have been us standing here today.”

In regards to Taehyung, you also had a lot of time to think. Whereas you always just felt hurt in the beginning, you tried to put yourself in his shoes eventually.

What if it had been Taehyung’s sister that objected so much to your relationship that you knew it was either her, your best friend, or Taehyung? Would you have picked him and thrown away a year-long friendship?

Would you have picked him over the girl that knew your deepest and darkest secrets? That walked through hell and back for you? That loved you unconditionally and would forever, no matter what?

The answer to this question was the reason that you were the one to take a step towards Taehyung.

“But it is you and me standing here today.”

His breathing got uneven, even more so when you took another step towards him.

“How can I fix this, (Y/N)?” he whispered, “I’ll do anything... I swear, anything.”

You reached out until your hand cupped his cheek, your thumb brushing over the softness of his skin, “I don’t know how long it would take...”

Taehyung wrapped his hand around your wrist, making sure that you didn’t pull back.

“You have my life, (Y/N). I don’t care how long it takes, I will do anything to convince you that I’m not making the same mistake twice.”

It wouldn’t be easy, forgiving him, nor Jimin was something that you could do in a matter of minutes. But you wanted to try, so that your heart could finally get rid of all the hurt and hate.

So you wrapped your arms around him and hugged him, breathing in the scent that instantly brought back memories, but this time, all the good ones.

And so you smiled, Taehyung pulling you closer and burying his face into your neck.

“I’m so sorry, beautiful.”

And while the two of you were standing at the altar, hugging, Jimin was standing in the entryway with a smile and let out a happy sigh.

“Please be happy together... because I love you both so much.”

[whaleofatjme1920]

please scenario where him and his s/o have been besties with toby since they met as proxies when they were young and when they meet up later in life they confess 🙏🏻🙏🏻

Parking Lots, and Surrounded By Your Group and His

[Ticci Toby X GN!Reader]

[Warnings: mentions of death? Nothing major though.]

[AN: I changed the prompt,,,, ever so slightly,,,????]

When the crickets sing in the grass and the breeze is warm and gentle, Toby can’t help but be reminded of a simpler time when he would spend his afternoons catching bugs and eating ice cream on the front lawn with you. He can still hear your laughter as the sun begins to slowly sink below the horizon before the fireflies begin to make their appearance.

He used to spend hours on said front lawn catching them with you, listening to you speak and interjecting with his own jokes. The two of you always had such a grand time together, even when his father would angrily call him back into the house.

Toby didn’t know what love was when he was young, but only that he had it. Every little touch you gave him, the smiles and giggles, they were all small micro expressions of some kind of love - as much love as a child could give. Toby didn’t know how much he adored you. Growing up, the two of you had grown closer and closer. He saw you blossom into a young adult alongside him. Well, he didn’t really blossom, but more so choked his way into being a young adult. And you were by his side for it all, even the hardest, darkest days.

When he lost his mother and sister, he called you in a panic, his voice rough like sandpaper and creaking like wood. He was frantic, unable to form proper sentences. You threw out your evening plans and hopped in your car, driving like a mad man over to his house, ready to console him. The air felt still, cold and slightly clammy as you drove nearer and nearer to his house.

There, on the front porch waiting for you, head in his hands and tears drenching his form was Toby, unable to process the world and everything and everyone in it. He looked so broken and downtrodden as he clutched at his clothes tighter, rocking himself and hugging what physical part of him he could.

Your heart tore into pieces as you parked, then rushed out of the vehicle to hold him. “Toby, Toby!” You called out, tears welling in your eyes as you bounded up to the distraught boy.

He furrowed his eyebrows and blinked away more tears, letting out a strained sob as he picked himself up off the rickety wooden porch, meeting you part of the way. He felt the breath leave his lungs as you crashed into his arms, burying your face into his chest.

“I’m so sorry,” you mumbled like a mantra into his chest, letting him hold you tighter and tighter to the point you couldn’t breathe.

Toby didn’t let you go that night.

The last time he saw you was in the parking lot of your high school. Toby had been grieving the loss of his mother and sister, becoming more and more withdrawn into himself. He’d honestly been withdrawing from you as well, and that concerned you more than anything. So, to remedy this, you took matters into your own hands and forced him to meet you in the parking lot after school.

The two of you sat down on the hood of your car, talking about the world and its wonders and the things that are better left unsaid until late, late in the night.

Toby felt so at home in your presence that he was able to block out the voices for just a little longer. He reveled in the sound of your laughter and the presence of your being. He was just… Lighter than air to be with you.

But all good things must come to an end, and unfortunately, your parents desiring you home had brought the time the two of you shared together to an end.

“I love you, Tobes, you know that right?” You murmured as you hugged him for what you didn’t know was your final time.

“O-Of course I d-d-do,” he whispered back, nose burying into your hair. “I l-love you,” he said, tears threatening to spill once more.

The two of you remained in each other’s embrace before you parted from him, and he let you go for the final time.

And Toby felt alone, oh so alone.

So alone that he burnt down the village to feel its warmth.

There’s only been like, three moments in Toby’s life when he’s been surprised. The first being meeting you as a child, the second being the loss of the two most important women of his life, and the third? Being taken into the arms of the Operator.

He’s a proxy now, does his job well, and is with a group that sometimes tolerates him. He’s in a better place than when he was a child under his father’s roof.

“We’re going to work with another group tonight,” Masky says, a slight sigh lingering on his lips.

“W-Who are they?”

“You know Wallace, don’t you?” Hoodie suddenly cuts in.

Toby nods. He likes Ruth and Nyein, the other two he can live without.

“They got a new proxy,” Masky continues. “And they want us to take them for the evening. So, I guess we’re only working with their runt,” Masky finishes more to himself than anyone else. He brushes his fingers through his hair and pats his pocket for the car keys. “C’mon, might as well head over. Gonna be a bit of a drive.”

Toby glances over his shoulder at Kate, who is watching reruns of Judge Judy and slowly nodding off. “And s-s-she gets o-off scott f-free?” He teases lightly as he stands up, pushing his chair in across the checkered floor. He cracks his neck loudly before walking over to the sofa, his gloved hand rustling Kate’s hair.

She sleepily laughs. “Have fun and be safe, boys.”

“Get some sleep,” Masky chuckles, watching as Hoodie rustles her hair just as Toby did before heading out.

Toby zoned out a bit on the car ride to wherever the meeting place was. He always tended to zone out, but he couldn’t shake some weird buzzing in the back of his head. Something about the way Masky and Hoodie are talking about Wallace’s newest runt…

He doesn’t often remember things from his life before he became a proxy. The Operator made sure of that so he wouldn’t be too heartbroken to continue his job. But he’s always been able to remember you - more or less. Little glimpses, the feelings associated, you were never easy to get rid of.

Instead of mentally traumatizing him further, the Operator allowed him to keep his thoughts and feelings associated with you. Most days, Toby’s dim love for you spurred him forward.

“Time to go meet a runt,” Hoodie says, voice only slightly amused by the way the word ‘runt’ rolls off his tongue.

Masky parks the car and then shoves the keys into his pocket, nodding that it’s okay for everyone to get out of the car.

Toby stretches briefly in his seat before sliding out of the car, taking in the crisp night air. He takes a gander at his surroundings for a moment before locking eyes on a group of people. Wallace and his group - Toby narrows his eyes at the two men before catching Ruth and Nyein. His favorite proxy that’s not part of his group and his favorite independent other than Jeff and EJ. How nice.

Masky begins to walk over to meet the other group leader with Toby and Hoodie close behind. He looks tired, which is usual for him, but happy to see that Nyein is excitedly waving. “Heard you had a runt for us?”

“Sure do,” Theo says, looking over his shoulder. “C’mon out, they’re not going to bite you.”

“What, are they scared of us?” Hoodie chuckles as he puts his hands into his pockets. He glances past Theo to see a dark shape moving in the backseat of the car.

“It’s like, their first day working with people that aren’t us,” Wallace attempts to explain. “And from what we can gather, they only entered this life because of-”

“Toby.”

The name that pours from your lips sends Toby’s head and heart spinning. “E-Excuse me?” He barely manages to choke out as you step forward, pushing aside Wallace and Theo, looking at the much taller man with stars in your eyes.

“Oh my gods, Toby, is that you?” You whisper, still walking forward to meet him like a dream.

Toby’s eyes widen as he looks at you, no, stares you down. You look so much different than when he let you go as a teen - you’re all grown up now! Some things have changed about you, but other things have stayed the same.

Both your group and Toby’s give each other confused looks as if to ask the other if they knew about this before you rush forward, face planting into Toby’s chest.

He takes in a sharp breath and embraces you, laughter bubbling up from his throat. He takes in your sweet scent and picks you up, moving you from the group as he begins to twirl you and babble on about how much he missed you.

You giggle, tears falling like drops of rain from your eyes before you feel yourself planting back down into the parking lot, your attention focused on him and no one else. Your stomach is fluttering with butterflies as you look up at the teary eyed man. “How have you been?” You ask quietly, closing your eyes as Toby leans down slightly to rest his forehead against yours.

“Never better.”