#it’s been my laptop background series for ages now

[entishramblings]

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Art by Ise Ananphada

[tillthelandslide]

Don't know if you would like requests like this but...

Imagine Lou gets asked to do an interview whilst on tour with the guys and she's just gushing over them... And maybe they'm can be featured?

Insufferable Arsehole: An Interrupted Interview

A/n: I absolutely love requests like these. It means I get to write something that's not within the series but relating to it and I had fun writing this. I got this request ages ago and I'm finally getting round to finishing it... This is kinda set in the middle of Chapter 1, before the fans new about their relationship.

Note: I got sent this ages ago so I aoologise for taking so long... I'm trying to sort out my drafts because I have so many so I'm finally getting round to posting it even though it's not really finished.

Taglist: @scooby-doodoo @thereisaplaceintheheart @theoriginalwhatsername @eaglestar31

Initially when Jamie had explained that companies had started to reach out, practically begging to get an interview with her, she was apprehensive to say the least. He had explained that he had spoken with Lou's manager Gregg and they both agreed it would be a good step for her.

It would allow fans of the 1975 who didn't know her very well to get to know her better and for her own fans, would provide them with content that they desperately wanted.

She was unsure because she knew she'd be asked about her and Matty's relationship. But the couple spoke about it and Matty (along with Jamie) said that whatever she decided to say or not say, was fine with them and they would deal with any repercussions as a team.

As they were on tour, Jamie managed to fit an online interview in, so there she sat, at the back of their tour bus, laptop placed in front of her as she nervously played with her hair. She could hear the guys laughing and having fun in the background and was afraid she would be missing out, but she knew she needed to do this.

She heard a quick knock on the door, 5 minutes until the interview starts, she murmurs a come in before the door is opening ever so slightly and Mattys face is revealed.

"Are you alright in here darling? We'll try to keep it down" he says, sweetly, smiling at her from his place, having not yet stepped into the threshold.

"Yeah" she says, thumbs fumbling against each other which doesn't go unnoticed by Matty. His eyebrows raise as he knows she's lying to him so he finally steps into the room, closing the door behind him and placing himself next to her, hands finding hers.

"What's up sweetheart?" He asks, pressing a kiss to her forehead. All her worries seem to drift away when he's there with her.

"Just nervous, haven't had an interview since... Well just after we finished the tour... And then 3 weeks later I was joining you... Haven't had much time to..." She pauses, thinking of her words.

"Haven't had much to think, have you love?" He finishes her words for her, and the pair nod at each other.

"I know what all of this means to me... What you all mean to me... But I'm not always the best at explaining it" she explains and he nods.

"Just act like you're talking to me hmm? Will that make it easier?" He says and she nods, smiling at him. Their lips meet in a gentle kiss before her laptop is ringing. Matty leaves the room then, telling her she'll be fine and to just think of him.

She then answers the call, smiling at the interviewer as they say their hellos and introduce themselves.

The interviewer quickly explains what they'll be talking about and then she sees the icon, letting her know it's now being recorded. She introduces the specific interview channel before introducing Lou.

"I'm joined by the wonderful Lou, who is currently touring with the 1975, how are you today?" she asks.

"I'm amazing, thank you! how are you?" She asks, a wide smile on her face.

"I'm great thank you. Lovely to have you here"

"It's wonderful to be here, over the internet" she says making the interviewer laugh.

"So you've been touring with the 1975 for over a month now, what's it been like so far?" She asks and Lou smiles.

"I am honestly having the best time, the guys are just the best and the fans are so dedicated and just lovely" she says, keeping her answer brief, not over revealing but telling enough.

"And you've known these guys, for a long time right?" She asks, Lou appreciates how casual the interview feels, she really doesn't like interviews which are too formal or have over complicated questions.

"Yeah I went to school with the guys. I've known George since I was born, our dad's are best friends. He's like furniture in my life now" she smiles.

"That's adorable. What's it like knowing them that long?" She asks, a smile on her face. You briefly reminisce on the time, smiling widely.

"I mean... They're like my family now honestly. I don't know what I'd do without them... And the truth is I haven't known anyone, apart from my family, as long as I've known them... And they're the biggest supporters of my career and always have been so it's been the best and I'm incredibly lucky to have them and to be on this journey with them" she explains.

"Now alongside knowing them for as long as you have, and being as close as you are with them, especially with George, you must have faced comments from fans and paps? Comments about relationships?" She asks and Lou nods.

"Yeah. Unfortunately that's always something I think is going to happen. Sometimes, I think especially with younger fans, they see two people as close as George and I for example, and they think they must be dating... And that's just not the case, I love all of the boys, more than I've ever loved anyone... But platonic relationships are just as important and... Real as romantic ones" she explains, the interviewer smiles at her, she looks down at her lap, presumably at her question card and her face drops slightly, she probably doesn't actually want to ask the next question but someone is making her.

"Everyone has been talking about it and asking about it, but you and Matty seem to be getting very close, as you've just said platonic relationships are very important but is there something else going on?" She asks the words with caution and Lou smiles at her, letting her know it's okay to ask.

She chuckles lightly before speaking "Um- Matty and I haven't always seen eye to eye but being on this tour has really helped that. I mean, spending every hour of every day with someone kind of forces that to happen anyway... But, he's really important to me, he's an amazing person and Um-" she smiles, and she thinks that will be enough to tell the fans what they need to know.

"Yeah he's just wonderful. I'm really loving being with him and the guys right now" she says. Her words don't fully confirm anything but they don't deny anything either.

"Great" the interviewer smiles widely before she continues talking "fans have of course been loving hearing you sing alongside the guys and hearing you're incredible solo in 'About You' but they're wondering when you'll be returning to your own band and doing your own projects?" She asks.

"Well I'll be on this tour with the guys until they don't need me anymore" she laughs "and then me and the band will discuss what we want to do in terms of touring. Obviously we had been touring and making albums since we were teenagers and all needed a bit of break"

The interviewer nods before Lou keeps talking.

"I didn't take much of break obviously because I started doing this" they both laugh "but that just explains my whole personality to be honest, I just need to be kept busy. However, I am working on songs and things whilst touring" she says.

"I'm sure fans will be very happy to hear that"

"I hope so"

"And will the boys maybe feature?"

"Maybe... I haven't asked them, but that would be cool. Our music is a little bit different from one another but I'm sure we could find some middle ground"

"Everyone's wondering about this next question, I've seen so many fans asking it, so what's your favourite song by the 1975 and is there any you don't like?" She asks and Lou smiles.

"Oh god that's hard... Honestly I don't think they've ever released a song that I didn't like... There's definitely been some ones where g has sent me the demo and I've preferred the demo" she says making the interview laugh.

"As for favourite... I'd say at the moment it's Frail State of Mind... Think it changes too much for me to say what my all time favourite is" she explains and the interviewer nods.

"And favourite to perform?" She asks.

"About you... Obviously" she then hears a loud ruckus coming from outside the room, the boys laughing uncontrollably about something.

"Sorry about all that noise" Lou laughs and the interviewer just shrugs it off, not minding in the slightest.

"One downfall about touring with this lot is they're mental, get up to all kinds of trouble" she says and she hears the door creaking open next go her, revealing both George and Matty.

"Don't let her lie to you, she's usually involved in the trouble" George shouts and Lou chuckles as she stares at the two men.

"That's George" she says to the interviewer.

"She's usually the one who starts all of the trouble" Matty then says, smirking at her, raising his eyebrows.

"And Matty" Lou says and the interviewer nods. The boys come to sit next to her, Matty placing a hand on her thigh which luckily cannot be seen by the camera.

"Hi" they both wave and the interviewer almost sits in shock.

"This was unexpected" she says, smiling at the two men as she waves back.

"Well, we were kind of missing Lou, this is the longest we've been without her so far" George says making the lady smile at the sweet sentiment.

"That's very sweet. Do you mind if I ask you two a few questions? Now you're here with us?" She asks and both the guys nod.

"Oh god. Behave" she points at both of them and all of them laugh.

"What's it like having Lou on tour with you?" She asks the simple question and George answers first.

"It's the best honestly. She's been my best friend since we were babies and where we're usually touring on different sides of the world, we don't get to see each other that much. But now I get to have her every day" George smiles "and she's fucking sick, an amazing addition to the band" George says, apologising for swearing which makes every laugh.

The interviewer looks and Matty then and his eyes shout to Lou and he smiles before talking.

"Yeah it's alright I guess" he jokingly says and they all laugh again "no it's amazing really. She fits in really well with the band which I didn't think would happen. She's just amazing really that's all I can say" Matty keeps it brief and simple and Lou appreciates it. She feels his hand squeeze her thigh gently and she smiles at him as her hand slowly (and discreetly finds his).

"What's the best part of having Lou on tour with you?" The interviewer asks and Lou's eyes flick in between both men, watching as they smile widely.

"Just having my best friend back to goof around with to be honest' George admits and it makes her smile widely and lean her head on his shoulder for a second.

"Hearing her sing and come up with her songs is pretty awesome" Matty says and her eyes find his, they smile widely at each other and Matty speaks her next words directly to her "she has this little notebook that she writes all her stuff in, and it's got all these pictures in it... Its nice to fill them with pictures of us" he says, there's a beat, a moment of silence before Matty looks back at the screen, eyes finding the interviewer who is smirking, he then and only then corrects his words.

"Us as in the band... Of course" he says and both George and the interviewer raise their eyebrows.

Of course when the interview is released fans go wild over every part of the interview, but that part sticks out and it just fuels the fire of speculation about their relationship.

[strawberrypinky]

Writer Interview Game

Thank you for tagging me @heyitszev 💕 I love yapping.

NPT: @legacygirlingreen @goodgirlgonebard @gufu-vire @nyda-the-tav @seluneschosen @autistichalsin & anyone who wants to participate 💕

This is a long one, lol

When did you start writing? I think I've been writing stories for as long as I have been able to. My first-grade teacher supported anyone in the class who wished to be creative, so whether it was writing, crafts, or painting, she supported us in our ambitions. I think I may have even read out my first story attempts in front of the class back then. I could be wrong about that, though - It was twenty years ago, lol.

Are there different themes or genres you enjoy reading than what you write? I read quite a few non-fiction books, which is something I don't think I'll ever do myself. It's just not my personal vibe or strength. I also enjoy books with bittersweet endings or even tragedies, and whilst I have tried time and time again to write a full tragedy, I always end up with a happy ending instead.

As a queer woman I'd also love to write queer stories at some point. Whilst I love reading queer stories, I haven't ever written one. I suppose that comes down to oftentimes not feeling queer enough.

Is there a writer you want to emulate or get compared to often? @heyitszev semi-recently said reading "fire & ice" was like reading an evil version of Pride and Prejudice, and I have never recovered from that. Jane Austen is my favourite author of all time. I've pretty much read all of her books, and if there's someone I look up to, it's her. I also love Thomas Hardy and the Brontë sisters, but I don't find myself emulating them as much as I do Jane Austen.

While controversial, I also do find J.K Rowling inspiring - or rather, what she has created with the Harry Potter series. While I am in no way, shape or form condoning or supporting the things she has said in regard to especially LGBTQ people (!!), I admire the fact that she has created a lasting legacy with the Harry Potter series, which has managed to bring people from all ages and all backgrounds together. To create something so universally beloved is admirable.

Shame she's a raging cunt though.

Can you tell me a bit about your writing space? I usually write on my living room couch with my dog next to me, lol. For some weird reason I cannot focus at my desk. At all.

What's your most effective way to muster up a muse? I wish I knew, lol. My ideas come to me at random. Sometimes I listen to a song and I'm suddenly hit with the best idea I've had in months. Other times I simply need an hour away from my laptop to do anything but write, and I'm back writing at neck-breaking speed.

If anyone's got great ideas to muster up a muse let me know though, lol.

Are there any recurring themes in your writing? Do they surprise you? My writing has changed drastically over the years, and I can't compare recurring themes from five years ago to recurring themes now. My stories used to focus much more on romanticism and being in love, and while I still adore love stories, I do think my focus has shifted to more complex storytelling.

Feminism, especially "first wave" feminism, is a topic I broach quite frequently lately. Women trying to challenge the entrenched structures that deny them basic rights and autonomy. Deeply personal and often overlooked struggles of women trying to define their own narratives within a society intent on silencing them. Women being controlled by the men in their lives – fathers, brothers, husbands (or, in the case of fire and ice, also a god) – and a struggle for autonomy amidst operating within set boundaries. Personal aspirations versus societal expectations. Fire & ice is touching on these subjects more intensely in the next chapters, particularly chapter seven, which is entirely from Elodie's perspective. The first chapters were entirely from Enver's perspective, a man who has been intent on refusing Elodie any choice whatsoever.

Another topic that I have written about more frequently is the question of destiny and whether or not the choices one makes can impact one's life one way or the other, for better or worse. The concept of destiny versus free will, whether the events of one's life are predetermined by some cosmic force or if one, through making different choices, can shape the course of one's existence. I often try to grapple with the tension of determinism versus agency - particularly in "fire and ice" with the coexistence of divine omniscience versus human free will and, ultimately, Enver and Elodie's different outlooks on this.

Does that surprise me? Truthfully – yes and no. I am, and always have been, an advocate for the right of a woman to choose her own path in life. I support a woman wanting a traditional lifestyle as much as I support a woman choosing to have a career that fulfils her. The debate around divine omniscience versus human free will is more surprising to me. I grew up as an atheist and never gave much thought to divinity until much later in life. I'm an Anglican now - perhaps my personal journey played into this.

What is your reason for writing? Truthfully, I have just always loved writing. As a child/teenager, it was a way for me to express myself because I struggled to do so otherwise. Nowadays, I know that's because I've got the tism, lmfao. We love a good ol' late diagnosis. I have always loved immersing myself in different worlds. It's simply a creative outlet for me - just how others draw or craft things, I write.

Is there any specific comment or type of comment you find particularly motivating? "It's like I'm reading an evil Pride and Prejudice" - @heyitszev GETS A DOUBLE MENTION BECAUSE I WILL NEVER RECOVER! EVER! Will forever yap about this. Might even get it tattooed.

Otherwise I just appreciate people telling me that the stories I write have them invested in the storylines and characters. I think that is the greatest compliment anyone could give me. If my silly little stories stuck with you in one way or the other, I feel like I've accomplished everything and more.

I also like personal highlight comments, lol. But yeah.

How do you want to be thought about by your readers? Hm, that's a difficult one tbh. I suppose if someone reads my stories I'd hope they understand I pour a lot of love, time and energy into what I publish.

Beyond that, I'd like to believe that my stories are understood to have depth beyond any romance or smut at the forefront. That anyone who reads them understands they are personal commentary on certain issues and viewpoints.

What do you feel is your greatest strength as a writer? I have been told I am wonderfully descriptive. That the way I write is beautifully illusory and that readers can immerse themselves into the story through the descriptions of sounds, smells and whatever else surrounds the characters. So yeah, I guess that.

How do you feel about your own writing? LMFAO that's subject to change like... daily. Sometimes I have the biggest god complex, but mostly I hate everything I write and would like to burn it as soon as I hit publish. It's usually kind readers who make me feel good about it, ngl.

The few moments I actually like my writing, I appreciate how far I've come and that I thoroughly enjoy being able to express myself this creatively.

I can't wait to get a MA in Creative Writing in the coming years. Maybe I should do this tag again afterwards 🤔

[forestwhisper3]

Tagged by @joyfuladorable but I don't know how to link their post. Sorry.

Share your wallpaper:

Laptop lock screen

Home screen

Phone lock screen

Just a turtle emblem on a black background

Phone home screen

As you can see, turtles are still in my brain rent-free.

Last song you listened to: Not counting the instrumental stuff I put on to help me write? YT music says it was Yasashi Kiss by Hitomi Shimatani, but before that, it was Adoro by the Broncos, The Guiding Key by Liz Robinett, Passing Through by Kadan Mackay, Feel it Still by Portugal. The Man, and a remixed version of I Love You Baby by Gloria Gaynor. I also listen to a lot of electro swring and stuff with a good bass beat, as well as jazz and classical.

Currently reading: nothing specific at the moment, just different fanfics, haha. My sister really wants me to start reading one of her favorite series, but I can't ever seem to dredge up the willpower to do it.

Last movie you watched: The whole way through? The Mario movie. I've seen bits and pieces of others since then whenever my mom's watching one, but not the whole thing.

I'm not counting the Rise movie since that's just a permanently open tab on my laptop now.

Craving: Frozen yogurt. Or a bacon avocado cheeseburger. Or steamed buns. Or all of them. It's been a while since I've had them, and I want some.

What are you wearing right now: Stitch pajamas when I started this, but work clothes right now since I'm at work.

How tall are you: 5'3"

Piercings: I guess my ears? Pretty sure one or both of them have closed over by now, though.

Tattoos: None. At most, I've done those fake paper ones that used to come with packs of gum, but nothing permanent. Don't really plan to, either.

Glasses? Contacts?: Both. Since middle school. Used to hate glasses, but now I love them. Only thing I don't like is the poor vision that comes with it, haha. Contacts are for work or trips to places like theme parks where I'm afraid they'll fall off on a ride or something.

Last drink: Water. If we're talking alcoholic...I don't even remember. I'm not a big drinker.

Last thing I ate: Pizza for dinner. And breakfast since I was too lazy to make anything.

I don't even know what toppings were on these but they were delicious.

Last show: TMNT, specifically, "The Real World" from the 03 series. I need my reference video.

Favorite Color: Red and purple. Green is nice too.

Current obsession: I think it's pretty obvious, lol. TMNT.

Unrelated obsession: ... I'm not sure what to put here. Fluffy things? Cute things like penguin stickers? ...Pokémon?

Any pets: 4 cats, 2 dogs, all rescues. We are very much a "You're coming home with me" family.

Crush on anyone?: No one that's real, lol, and my fictional "crushes" are said more as a joke more than anything. Am I opposed to the idea of romance and being in a relationship? Not at all, but I'm not gonna go out of my way to find one or stress out about it either. If it happens, it happens, and if not, that's cool too.

Favorite fictional characters: Now these I have a lot of. Yusuke Urameshi, Yagami Taichi, Gary Oak, Roronoa Zoro (although I love all the strawhats really), Michelangelo (though again, I love pretty much all the ninja turtles), Knuckles, Tails, Professor Layton, Donald Duck, Sora, Cloud Strife, Vincent Valentine, Zack Fair, Maes Hughes (and most of the FMAB cast), Luigi, and many more. These are just some of the first ones that come to mind, but it would take too long if I did all of them, lol.

Last place you traveled to: ...What is this traveling you speak of?

Joking aside, probably Tucson, Arizona, to visit my brother. Not counting that? Mexico, but that was ages ago.

Tagging...uh...*checks to see who actually interacts with me on here* @klonoadreams and @eldritchgray I guess?

[youngerfrankenstein]

frare hiii! can i get 3, 27, and 28 for the video game ask? :D

Hi Hi Shyd!!!

3. 1-3 games you’ve played in the past 12 months that you really enjoyed

*Desperately tries to remember what I’ve played in the last year.*

Well, while I still haven’t finished it because my laptop SUCKS (can’t believe I bought it *grumbles*) I did really love what I played of Psychonauts 2. Backed it way back in the day due to loving the first one and just never got around to playing it. Really glad I did! Even if I will probably have to restart on PS4 to finish it :/

I mostly did really enjoy my time with BOTW! Partly due to the game and partly due to being finally able to play something a friend had been raving about for years! But I will say that I was more than ready for it to be over by the end. Still! Most of the experience was enjoyable, even for someone who doesn’t much care for open world games.

I have been trying on and off to FINALLY get back and finish Dragon Age Origins. The first attempt was cut off by computer failure and the second I SWEAR I’ve just put it down for a little while.

…Wish I could give better answers on this one but time is an illusion and my memory sucks.

27. A game you love the atmosphere of

Oh good! Another reason to talk about the Professor Layton games! Because really half the success with that series is due to the atmosphere. It manages to be both weird and comforting. Creepy and homey. The often muted colour palette, silly character designs and bizarre plots come together with an accordion in the background to create a weird yet wonderful world. I love it.

28. Pick a series you like. What was the first game you played for it? Was it a good starting point? Would it still be a good starting point now?

Uh, when I try out a new series I usually just start at the first. I guess I’ll go with Fire Emblem here? Started with FE7 (which… is the first released in North America) Was a pretty good starting point I think, the GBA games helped solidify a bunch of the Fire Emblem staples. I would say it’s still a good starting point with an asterisk. Good if you’re playing on Switch or an emulator, not so much an original cartridge. Partly for having to track one down and partly for being pretty clunky with some weird unexplained stuff. I would probably recommend Sacred Stones (easier, fewer hidden maps, grinding opportunities, though the tracking down a cartridge would still suck if you wanted to play it that way) or Awakening (a lot of modern conveniences, even if I think it’s one of the weaker games it’s still a really good jumping on point) as a starting point before I recommended FE7.

[ell-vellan]

Get to know the blogger

Tagged by @anneapocalypse ! I utterly missed this earlier, but thank you! I'll happily play despite the fact that I am terribly, terribly boring. Apologies.

Share your wallpaper: I just got a new laptop because my old one died, and I haven't customized the wallpaper yet, so it's just a cool default picture of space. Previously though it's been the cover of a thing I worked on which I'm obsessed with

Last song you listened to: Work Song by Hozier (because I can NOT get enough of the line "no grave can hold my body down, I'll crawl home to her")

Currently reading: Burn by Jolie Vines (I preordered it but haven't gotten very far yet, though I tore through all the other books in the series), like a dozen fanfics (oh god I'm sorry I promise I'll get to them), and I left off the second book of ACOTAR whose name escapes me. I should probably finish something eventually, but I've been in an awful attention-span rut. I tend not to get into a book while I'm writing because my brain can't switch tracks like that very well

Last movie: I literally have no idea. I can't even remember lol. Wait! Maybe the new Lady Chatterley's Lover on netflix! It was okay? Didn't live up to the hype for me

Last show: I've watched nothing but Bluey on repeat for the past 72 hours. It's become background noise. The last grown up show I watched was Shadow & Bone but somehow I just can't finish it no matter how much I really really want to!

Craving: a full 12 hours alone in my house. please, God

What are you wearing right now: Red t-shirt from my hometown and pink shorts

How tall are you: 5'4"

Piercings: Ears, which are probably closed because I haven't worn earrings in ages.

Tattoos: Zero. I have a thing about something on my skin that I can't wash off, and it would drive me crazy.

Glasses? Contacts? Glasses 99 percent of the time unless it's a special occasion. My eyes rejected contacts years ago and it makes me sad.

Last drink: Water because I am a BORING BORING ADULT

Last thing you ate: Chicken margherita pasta

Favorite color: I've always said blue, but lately I think I'm shifting to a specific shade of mint somewhere between green and blue

Current obsession: I'm really deep in my work right now so I guess I can say that? I really am super into it though! It does unfortunately mean I'm between hyperfixations :/ The Dragon Age brainrot has definitely roared back to life in this past year though.

Any pets: A fat white & orange himbo and a crabby dilute calico/tabby mix

Favorite fictional character: Limiting this to just Bioware characters because I've had a lot in my lifetime: The Iron Bull, Zevran, Fenris, Alistair, James Vega, Javik, Shale, David Anderson, Lace Harding, Inquisitor Ameridan, Legion, Joker, Thane

Tag time! @thegoblinwitchqueen @meanestmeanie @beastofmoss @thebookworm0001 and anyone else who'd like to play.

[rainmustfallts4]

Rain Must Fall (Commentary Ed.) ◇ Episode 1: it has begun

⊶⊰Information & Index⊱⊷

◇ Note: Hello and welcome to the commentary version of Rain Must Fall, my playthrough of the Super Sim/100% challenge! I really struggled with trying to decide if I wanted to post this series as a full on story or just commentary. See, I struggle a lot with committing to things, even things I love, so I worry I’ll struggle with the story aspect.

Because of that, I have made the choice to do both. My main focus will be the commentary version where I explain what’s happening and my thoughts during the series, including random bugs and glitches. Meanwhile, I can take my time working on the story version in the background and not feel rushed to get them out c:

─────────────⊶⊰◇⊱⊷─────────────

It has been ages since I got to play the Sims 4 because my laptop didn’t have enough space for both S4 and WoW. I was actively playing WoW at the time and now I have once again returned to S4! I revamped this blog and re-did all the checklists and I’m ready to get rumbling!

I decided to try out San Sequoia since I just bought the Growing Together pack and have yet to try it out.

The house is pretty neat, though it came with several kids rooms that I didn’t need. Thank you for the free money c:

My favorite part is the water behind the house. It’s so pretty! Though the fishing spot is quite far from the house. I feel like they could have added a couple more.

Oscar does not like the TV lol

First thing I did was make her do her homework because I wanted her to do well in school. It takes ages to complete, though, and feels much longer than before.

The evil fruitcake >[ For this transgression, I refused to invite them inside lol and the fruit cake was left outside by the door when they left. It’s safe to say I threw it away.

Her first skill! 😀 The challenge has officially begun.

I was a bit worried about the way Oscar looks. It’s the first time I’ve painted a pet, but I’m quite happy with the way it turned out c: It looks nice.

So, this town may look pretty, but it’s so feckin’ baren. Like, there is TWO collectibles in my neighborhood – a rose bush by the house and a frog on the other side of the water. Who signed off on this??

I went to the rec center thinking there would be collectibles in this area. And again, it looks really pretty –

But there are NO COLLECTIBLES. How am I supposed to make money gardening if I can’t find anything to plant? This place sucks.

─────────────⊶⊰◇⊱⊷─────────────

[saintrocklee]

Hiii can I have ❛ do you think i’d let anything happen to you? ❜ with kakuzu pls 🙆🏻‍♀️

💰 kakuzu x reader 💰 supernatural (ish) AU part one | part two | part three warnings: again, nothing crazy. mentions of an abusive relationship, kakuzu being a creep and cranky and kinda mean but that’s why we like him.

this is part two of my kakuzu prompt series. i recommend reading part one (linked above) before indulging.

you'd expected something to change, after making the deal with kakuzu. something to feel different, to alter in your life - but nothing happens. there were warnings, about how dealing with demons could affect you - make you feel heavier. darker. but nothing happens.

except for what he promised.

the threatening messages from your ex stop immediately. you are no longer followed, your phone isn't blown up by strange unsaved numbers, your bank account goes untouched. it happens in an instant - you wake the next morning, the dread of what you'll find suffocating you, but when you finally leave your bed and check your cell - there's nothing.

it takes you a few months, to get used to the quiet. the nightmares are ever present, the paranoia sticks to you like a brand - but days turns into weeks into months and there's ... nothing.

the relief that hits you one day is blinding.

you move, finally saving up enough to cross state lines and end up in a studio apartment; cheap and old but yours. you find a job and you start out quiet, the urge to make friends and build relationships buried under the age old habit of avoiding people - but after time you make a friend. and then two. and soon, you have a social life.

a job, an apartment, and friends. it's hard - to juggle it all. you've never had so much before; you've never had to deal with bills, deal with talking to people, and balancing out everything. you make mistakes and get frustrated and cry and get angry - but there's never any punishment that comes with it. you're free to do what you please, make mistakes, and while that alone is confusing - when have you ever been able to do what you want? - it's exhilarating.

you think about kakuzu every day.

your monster. your savior. your ... something.

you tried googling him, funnily enough. he wasn't a demon - not the kind you had spent months preparing for. "human hearts" and "magic thread" quickly took over your search history, but you always came up blank.

you had no idea what he was, or why he dealt in hearts - not souls.

and then one night you're wine drunk, scrolling on your busted up laptop, snorting to yourself while an old episode of the office plays in the background.

"you're probably laughing at me, huh?"

silence meets you, save for the sound of your tv, but it doesn't bother you. he never talked back when you spoke to him in strange moments like these. he probably never heard you, no doubt hanging out wherever he lived ... far away from you. from earth, even.

was he a god? you’d never been religious but unexplained things happened all of the time and you always believed in the supernatural. spirits and the like. strange legends always fascinated you but in all of your research you couldn’t find a single piece of information that matched your devil. your monster.

who now had claim on your heart.

you’re certain it’s not romantic - so he must need it for something. to eat, maybe? he needed consent for it, had to wait for you to sign the dotted line … maybe he drew power from it. a monster who needed human hearts to live.

there had to be some irony there.

you fall asleep after awhile, head cocked awkwardly against your couch, empty wine bottle on your coffee table. your laptop is on the floor, next to an empty bowl of popcorn - and your tv plays on, filling your living room with sound. you couldn't fall asleep to silence anymore, silence invited trouble and cast a sense of dread around you, and the wine in your system lulls you into a deep sleep. you're dead to the world, chest rising and falling peacefully, when kakuzu appears, eyes trailing over your form. he takes in the alcohol, the junk food, and curls his lip.

idiot girl, he thinks to himself. you thought him to be long gone, no doubt just waiting for you to die so he could collect what was his and discard the rest of you.

humans were truly ignorant.

you belonged to him, now. you wouldn’t be rid of him so easily. taking care of his half of the contract had been easy - and now he was tied to you, until you expired. you gave him access to Earth, to roam amongst the humans - and he’d gotten bored of all of it immediately.

he was minutely amused, that you desperately tried to find out what he was. there were no books about him, no mention of him in history. he hadn’t been to Earth in centuries and he never interacted with mortals.

the exceptions to his rule beat a steady rhythm in his chest, his five hearts once again syncing up to beat in time with yours. five hearts, five humans, five contracts.

and now, six.

he’d never admit it, but he’s excited by you.

hearts were a powerful thing, in more ways than one. souls were flashy, and gave their controller power, but only in short bursts. souls were only useful in quantity, and kakuzu had no need for fleeting power.

but a heart? a human heart, given away with consent? more powerful, more useful than a thousand souls.

he was agitated though. he thought you would expire quickly, like the humans before you, but Earth had changed and now he finds himself waiting.

he found, to his dismay, that humans lived longer now. no more rampant plague and disease to wipe you out, and you lived in a relatively safe area, no threat of war looming over you. he was certain you’d have a good chance of living until you were old and wrinkling.

it’s annoying, how he has to wait for you to die naturally.

kakuzu watches you sleep, unable to block out the beating of your heart. it’s an enchanting tempo - the way it calls to him. his own hearts mix with yours easily and he finds himself standing there, longer than he meant to, just letting the rhythm lull him into a trance.

his eyes dance across your chest, your neck, landing on your pulse point - watching it beat steadily. he feels his threads pull towards you, and straightens - the sudden need to leave gripping him violently. he turns, casting one last glance behind him, before disappearing.

life goes on and two years later you find yourself ... content. not happy per say, the rampant paranoia and anxiety still crippled you at times - coupled with your PTSD. you’d found a therapist though, a lovely woman who was helping you build confidence and create coping mechanisms. you had friends, just a couple, and you were promoted - now earning more money than you ever had. it’s not a lot, but it’s still all yours, and you’re ... content.

you think about your monster everyday.

he didn’t consume your thoughts anymore, but his name would flit across your memory and you’d be thrown back to that night in the woods. you also talked to him daily, when you were alone. it was cathartic, it made him feel real, and you were positive your words fell on deaf ears.

until one day they didn’t.

you were on your balcony, watering your plants - your boombox on low as you mouthed along to some song on the radio. being surrounded by so much green had you thinking of kakuzu and his eyes and you smile to yourself.

“i wonder - will it be you that kills me or do you have to wait until i’m dead, to come collect my heart.” you murmur out loud. it had been a question on your mind for the better part of a week now. you wished you had some clarity, that night in the woods, to ask these questions.

“i will come just as you draw your last breath, girl.”

you spin, nearly knocking over the plants you were caring for, inhaling a gasp to scream. it lodges itself in your throat, and you shudder a panicked breath when you see him, standing inside of your apartment, just on the other side of your open sliding door.

he looked the exact same, tall and huge, and it’s funny - he barely fits in your living room. his eyes, so bright and green, track your movements - landing to watch your chest as it stutters. his voice was still so low, so dark, and you blink in surprise.

“what are you -” you start, and swallow when his gaze reaches to meet yours, agitation clearly resting on his shoulders.

“you asked.” he drawled, and realization hits you.

“you ... you heard me?” you ask, and kakuzu grunts.

“every damn day, girl. you and your incessant questions.”

oh.

there’s a lick of embarrassment at your heels but you straighten your spine.

“i didn’t know.” you reply and he says nothing in return, gaze fixed on you unblinkingly. it’s silent between the two of you before you feel the urge to speak again, unable to handle the crackling energy in the air.

“can i ... ask more questions?”

again, you receive nothing. it’s starting to get uncomfortable, but you realize that this might be his way of accepting you. he was ... something - a god a devil a demon - he could leave, if he wanted. he could silence you, if he wanted.

so you sit in the small metal chair on your balcony, and you ask your questions. he rewards you with shortly worded answers that have you fighting a smile.

“how old are you?” “old.”

“where do you live?” “elsewhere.”

“why human hearts?” “i enjoy them.”

“how can you hear me?” “i hear many things.”

“do you make deals with humans a lot?” “i do not make deals.”

“fine. contracts.” “no.”

“why me, then?”

he pauses at this and you straighten in your seat, nerves suddenly tingling. he’d avoided giving you any real answers, replying back easily, but this question stumped him. you think you might get something tangible out of him but then -

“maybe next time, girl.”

and with that - he was gone. you blink at the empty space in front of you and smile.

next time.

a few weeks later you find yourself walking back from the small market around the corner - mindlessly scrolling through your phone. some of your friends from work wanted to get together when they got off and you were thinking about going. you wait for the crosswalk sign to turn green and start to cross the street, head bowing to look at your phone again - when suddenly you hear screaming.

you look up and see a woman pointing at you, screaming for you to move, and then you see it - out of the corner of your eye. a car, clearly out of control, was careening toward you -

and you freeze.

the headlights are almost blinding and you tense your body, ready for the impact, when something thin and strong wraps around your waist and tugs - ripping you from your position and carelessly throwing you onto the sidewalk. the car crashes into a pole and you can see the driver was knocked out, or dead, causing the car to spin out of control. people start to run over, and you open your mouth to say something - when you feel the same chord around your waist, tugging at you impatiently.

you look down and see thread. long, black thread.

you blink in shock.

“get up.” a voice snaps behind you, lodging itself at the base of your spine and making you stand clumsily. you try to turn, to confirm what you’re hearing with your eyes, but you’re pulled back - this time by an arm. it’s large and heavy and you let yourself be manhandled, still in shock. you’re walked backwards into an alley and find yourself pushed against brick - kakuzu looming over you. your hands are pressed into his chest awkwardly and you can feel your heartbeat pulsing frantically in your ears, making you dizzy.

“how did you -” you try but you’re cut off when he pushes his face closer to yours. he’s still covered, so you only have his eyes to look at - and the intense way he’s regarding you has your tummy twisting with knots.

he was angry.

“stupid little girl.” he snarls and you blink.

“i don’t -”

“you could have been killed.”

your brain stops and you inhale sharply.

“isn’t that the goal?” you whisper back, body trembling from the adrenaline, and kakuzu makes an inhuman noise that sends shivers down your spine. you’re still oddly not afraid of him - just confused. and once again, grateful. he’d saved your life ... for some reason.

“i will not have you damaged.” he growls, and you finally notice that he’s got his arms on either side of your head, trapping you against the wall. they’re uncovered and huge, muscles bulging around you - and you see stitches - holding his flesh together. the threads, you realize - the same ones that had pulled you from the street.

what was he?

“i didn’t know it mattered.” you respond and there’s another growl. this one you feel under your palms, from where your hands meet his chest. he’s covered in that cloak of his and you can tell it’s thick but - you can feel something, just underneath it. your gaze travels down, as you watch your hands twitch against him.

“idiot girl, you belong to me. do you think i’d let anything happen to you?”

the breath that leaves you is sharp, painful, and you flex your hands at his tone. there - you felt it again. you push harder into his cloak, emboldened by his words and the fact that he pulled you from the street. you would have been killed and he’d have your heart and it would all be over ... but it wasn’t.

thump.

you freeze and your head snaps up - meeting his cool gaze.

thump.

“you have a heart.” you whisper, and he pushes off the wall, away from you. you sag against the brick, the rough edges cutting into your skin and grounding you. he stares down at you for a moment before speaking, making your knees weak.

“i possess five.”

your mouth parts, wanting to ask more questions, but you’re silenced when thick thread comes to press against your mouth. it’s strong, resting in the middle of your lips and pressing down, silencing you completely.

“you will do well to remember this, girl. your death will come when it is time, not a moment before. and when that moment comes, i will be there to collect what is owed to me. until then - you will remain untouched.”

you blink, mind turning. you didn’t remember any of this in the contract, there was no mention of him saving you or preserving you, but you can’t argue. the thread against your mouth is unrelenting and you freeze when you feel another strand, curling around your neck. it was loose, soft, and rested against your pulse point.

you both stood in silence until you nodded, and something flashed across kakuzu’s eyes. he pulls his thread back and you inhale a breath, wanting to know more, but he was gone in an instant - leaving you alone and shaking - his words on a repeated loop in your brain.

[storiesforallfandoms]

sweethearts ~ devon bostick

word count: 1446

request?: yes!

“I’m not sure if you do this but can you do a Devon Bostick imagine where they met on the set of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and they’re still together till this day? Possibly like them being asked about their relationship in a interview or something. Thank you so so much :))”

description: in which they’re teenage sweethearts, and everyone finds this fact absolutely adorable

pairing: devon bostick x female!reader

warnings: swearing

masterlist (one, two)

Landing the role of Jessie Jones in the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid movie was a massive deal for me for many reasons. First, it was my first starring role - I was playing a family friend of the Heffley’s and would be featured heavily in the movie. Then there was the fact that this was a movie adaptation of a very popular book series, a series that I had also been into at the time.

Walking onto set that first day I was shaking with nervousness. There were so many people - cast and crew - and they all looked so professional and used to a film set. I felt so out of place and I wondered if I should’ve been there.

“Hey!”

I looked up to see a boy around my age approaching me. I tried to swallow my nerves, but I found them just becoming heavier with someone actually talking to me.

“Are you our Jessie?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah, that’s me. I’m (Y/N).”

“Devon, I’m playing Rodrick.” He shook my hand. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“Yeah, you too.”

I felt so awkward and I was so sure Devon could feel that. I just wanted to melt into a puddle on the ground and have the awkwardness be over with.

“Have you been to costume and makeup yet?” he asked. I shook my head. “Well, I have to go to costume now, I can show you where it is.”

I sighed with relief. “That would be great.”

“Follow me.”

He led me from the set to the group of trailers outside. I tried to peer at the signs on the trailer doors to see what they were, but we were walking so quickly I didn’t really have time.

“Is this your first movie?” Devon asked.

“Kind of,” I said. “I’ve had mainly small roles or background work. What about you?”

“A few bigger roles. I’m in the Saw movie that’s coming out this year, actually.”

“That’s awesome! Although I am a massive pussy so I think I’d skip on that one.”

Devon laughed. “I don’t blame you. They’re scary movies. I don’t even know if I’m allowed to watch the movie.”

Our conversation was interrupted when we arrived to the costume trailer. We were both whisked away to get ready. I didn’t see Devon for nearly an hour, but by the time we reunited we were preparing for the first scene of the day.

It didn’t take long for me to lose my nerves. Within a few minutes of shooting I got into the character and almost forgot about the cameras and the crew watching me. At the end of the day I didn’t even want to go home, I just wanted to keep filming.

Devon found me as I was waiting for my ride home. “Hey, great job today rookie.”

I chuckled. “Thanks. It helps to have such great castmates.”

“You seem pretty professional as is, but maybe we could hang out and run lines for tomorrow’s shoot. If...if you want?”

He seemed so shy and awkward, the exact opposite of how he had been all day. It was kind of cute...okay, really cute.

“That’d be great actually,” I said. “Where did you have in mind?”

“There’s a fast food place not too far from here. We could walk there.”

“Sounds good. Lead the way!”

~~~~~~

10 Years Later

My giant husky, Heimdall, came bounding into the room and onto my lap as I was talking to the talk show host on my laptop. I let out a groan as I felt the air being knocked out of me.

“Well, this is a pleasant surprise,” the talk show host chuckled.

“For you maybe,” I joked. “I don’t quite enjoy my big dog thinking he’s still a puppy or a lap dog, but I can’t really pretend like this is something new for him.”

Heimdall licked at my face as I scratched his head. Devon appeared in the doorway moments later, a guilty look on his face as he tried not to be too much on camera.

“Sorry, I didn’t realize the door was open,” he said.

“It’s okay,” I said to him.

Devon whistled for Heimdall to follow him out of the room, which led to the giant dog digging his paws into my stomach as he jumped off of me. I groaned again, playfully glaring after him as he trotted out the door.

“Interesting interlude there,” the host teased. “Was that Devon Bostick we heard in the background there?”

“It was indeed. He took Heimdall out for his daily walk while I’m in the interview. I’ll likely get tackled by the big brute again when I leave the room.”

“How often do the two of you get asked about Diary of a Wimpy Kid and your relationship starting there?”

“Not as often anymore. It’s been nearly 10 years since we started dating and eight since the last movie in the trilogy, which I wasn’t really in. I’ve been asked every now and then about it, but not as often as you would think.”

“Pardon my brief gushing, I just think the two of you are adorable. I mean, you were both teenagers when you met on set and started dating shortly after, and you’re still together all these years later! Most high school sweethearts don’t make it this long as it is, let alone being in the public eye for basically your entire relationship.”

“Well that’s the thing, we haven’t really been in the public eye all that often. We kept pretty lowkey when we first started dating, which wasn’t hard cause neither one of us was all that famous. Once our careers got bigger and we started getting noticed we had basically figured out how to hide from paparazzi and cameras and all. We don’t post about each other on social media all that much either, just a picture every now and again. We’re not sharing our day by day lives with the world basically, which I think is the best way to keep a relationship private and to navigate through being two celebrities dating.”

It had worked thus far in mine and Devon’s relationship. Even after confirming that we were dating just before the release of Rodrick Rules, neither one of us posted the other on social media at all. It wasn’t until the first set of breakup rumors started swirling that we decided to make tiny posts about each other when we felt like it, which was mainly on birthdays and holidays really.

Although, even if we were super public with our relationship, I didn’t think anything would pull us apart. As cheesy as it is to say, I did think Devon was my soulmate. We clicked so quickly after that first time hanging out (which we decided had been our first date years later), and I had never felt so confident that I was meant to be with someone. I wasn’t surprised that we were still together all these years later.

I continued with my interview for a while more before saying goodbye to the talk show host and leaving the video call. I sighed and stretched my back out, feeling the tensed muscles from sitting for so long popping. As I expected, the moment I opened the door, Heimdall came running for me.

“One of these days you’ll realize you’re not such a small dog anymore,” I told him, kneeling down to pet him. He licked at my face in response, which I figured meant he would never realize that.

“Did we derail the interview too much?” Devon asked, coming to join me on the floor.

I shook my head. “Not much. We talked about our relationship a little bit, but we moved on almost immediately after that.”

Devon smiled. “Yeah? What were you talking about?”

“Oh, the usual: meeting on set, keeping our relationship lowkey, when you’re gonna put a ring on it.”

He gave me a playful look. “You say that as if you’re not the one who said you’re more than okay with just being common law married until we’re 30.”

I nudged him. “Yeah, whatever. Let’s go take this oversized baby and watch some movies downstairs.”

Devon nodded and leaned forward. I gave him a quick kiss before pulling away and shoving the massive dog towards him. While he was incapacitated, I took the opportunity to run down the stairs. Heimdall was to his feel and chasing after me, Devon following closely on his tail.

I couldn’t imagine a better life than this, with my teenaged sweetheart and our fur baby. The perfect happily ever after if you asked me.

[ggukkiedae]

Happy Miya Day! 💜

vlive 211213, 11:25pm

yoonmi goes live for the last 35 minutes of her birthday (ft. enhypen and jungkook)

italic conversations are spoken in english, see my notes at the end for what’s possibly next to come for posting ajsjdhfj

this is the playlist she plays in the background

the live starts with yoonmi fixing her hair in a her bedroom, a big 21 in balloons hanging on her wall above her bed and some party hats on her plushies

she’s sitting in silence while waiting for people to come in. she’s scrolling through her phone in silence

after two minutes she smiles and looks at the camera

“hi, everyone! woah, so many people watching already? it’s only been a short while. anyway, do you guys know why i went live today?”

she pretended to think before laughing and tilting out of the way to show her background

“tada! it’s my birthday! i’m officially 21! for those who follow international age, though, i’m 20 today! oh hold on”

she leans to the side and comes back with two bento boxes

two little cakes! she lights the candles on them

“the oppas sent me this one with the bear. this other one is from friends i’ve been talking to a lot more often recently, the 01z”

she presses a button on her laptop and you hear a lot of voices not synchronized but singing happy birthday. she laughs but sways along to it then blows out the candles once it ends

she claps and looks back down to her phone to see comments

what was that?

“oh, i recorded it earlier! channie oppa arranged an online party for my birthday with my close friends and family! i’m still self-quarantining right now. i’m actually alone in the dorm since i don’t have my own place like the oppas”

she looks around and laughs but she obviously looks a little upset

she clicks around on her laptop and puts on a pretty chill playlist

“i hope you don’t mind while i indulge in this playlist. i’ve been playing it for the past hour, and i kind of want to keep going. i’ll end the live when this ends”

she nods her head and quietly sings along while going through the comments. she reaches below the camera and her hand comes up with chips and dip. she’s munching while reading comments

i thought you were on break? why go live?

“i thought maybe i could spend my birthday with you guys, too, so here i am. oh, i see all the birthday greetings in the comments! thank you so much!”

who was the first person to greet you today?

“definitely yoonseollie! i was on call with my brother starting around 11pm yesterday, so she greeted me the moment the clock struck 12”

who are the 01z?

“oh? i’m pretty sure beomgyu mentioned this on his live already. it’s me, him, seri, enhypen’s heeseung, stray kids’s jeongin, and justb’s lim jimin. funnily enough, we were two separate friend groups but beomgyu got frustrated and added me and seri to the group chat with jeongin and jimin”

there’s a smile on her face while she’s talking about this. she stood up and walked out of frame. a box lands on the chair. from inside she pulls out a giant bear paw

she pushes her chair away and steps back to properly show the big paw

“the 01z sent me this! it’s a big white bear paw that’s actually a small floor cushion type chair! heeseung and beomgyu apparently left this outside my door last night, but they only messaged me to get it this morning. oh let me set up on the floor so i can use this”

she steps back and you can see her walking back and forth across the camera while bts’s home plays in the background

around a minute later, she moves the camera down and adjusts it to catch her on the chair with her plushies and snacks. the end of her bed was the backdrop of the video

“mi casa, with you imma feel rich”

she laughs while singing along

“i really do feel rich with all the things people sent me today. my friends and family are all really nice, and i don’t know if i deserve half the things they sent as presents”

there’s a few minutes of quiet snacking on her chips and even a slice of cake while she read comments

what did you get for your birthday? what did mark get you?

she laughed at that

“i don’t think you guys would want to sit through me going through every single thing i received. but i can tell you that mark oppa sent me a very large bouquet of roses like he always does and usb with something he wrote. please understand that i’d like to keep its contents between us, thank you. oh! speaking of mark oppa, it’s irreplaceable by the dreamies! let me go grab the bouquet to show you guys while this song plays”

she disappears off cam. seconds later, flowers fill up the screen. she’s just in giggles while she tries to settle on camera without blocking herself.

eventually the bouquet is settled on her bed and she has the bento cake from her members on her lap

“i’m going to have to split this into many vases later. anyway, this is really good cake. i don’t normally like cake, but i guess the oppas knew me well enough to get me a cake i’d really like. i miss them.”

she looks through the comments after eating a bit of cake

have you spoken to the other members?

“of course i do! everyday, actually. my day isn't complete without speaking to at least three of them. also i talk to ggukoo oppa everyday, you should see how bored he is in quarantine. we were on call for i think six hours earlier today”

all of a sudden, her phone rang. her eyes widened and she picked up her phone. she smiled

“it’s my baby ari! you guys know my baby ari? let me pick up”

she pressed a button and before she could say anything there were multiple voices singing happy birthday to her

it was loud enough to be heard even if it wasn't on speaker

she laughed and cheered with them when they finished then put them on speaker

“thank you guys! is everyone there?” “yes unnie! we wanted to be the last to greet you happy birthday before the day ends. it was heeseung oppa’s idea” “that’s sweet of you, seung. oh, i’m live right now, by the way” “noona, we know. jay hyung and jake hyung were watching your live”

the last comment from who sounded like ni-ki made her laugh. she shook her head amusedly and said thank you once again before removing the phone from speaker and holding it up to her ear

“hold on for a second guys, i just have to talk to ari real quick”

she’s off camera for a while until the somg switches, and it’s almost halfway through girl of my dreams by juice wrld and yoongi when she comes back

“i missed the start of the song! anyway, listen to girl of my dreams. it’s a really nice song”

she sits back down and looks at comments

how’s it like having instagram? did you know you have 56 million followers

“what? no way, guys, that’s literally not real. hold up”

she opens her phone and looks through it for a bit before gasping and covering her mouth

“you aren’t kidding! wow! than you so much i didn’t think that many people would be interested in my instagram? i literally still only have three pictures on there. i’ll post another one in a few days as a thank you!”

as soon as the song switches again, she jumps a little

“it’s ggukoo oppa. he wants to video chat. oppa, say hi to army! may i show you?” “yeah, go ahead”

she turns her screen and shows a smiling jungkook on video call with her. he waved and yelled a hi before yoonmi turned him back to her

“oppa, was six hours not enough for you?” “i saw the enhypen kids called you, i can’t let them be the last to greet you today. put me on the bed so they can see me, i’ll sit through your live and eat your cake with you” “you have cake?” “i ordered one too”

she laughed at him but did as he said. they did a virtual cheers with a spoonful of cake before coming to an agreement that jungkook would read her questions from the comments

“oh, here’s one. what did jungkook buy for you? i got her a bag and i painted it, but it’s with yoonsung hyung for now because health safety reasons” “i thought you’d ask me questions?” “right, sorry”

they both just burst into a mini laugh fit for a minute

“oppa, we’re halfway through the next song, pick a question!” “yeah yeah”

silence between them while jungkook looks for a question and yoonmi eats

“ah, how were the concerts?” “oh amazing! i can’t explain how happy i was to be able to be on stage with army in front of us again.” “it felt surreal, didn’t it?” “for sure, yeah. i don’t think there was one day of permission to dance where i didn’t cry whether during or after.”

they talked about the events they could remember like megan being tall, their viral moment from the AMAs, filming crosswalk musical, and when they snuck out of their hotel

pretty much just army thirdwheeling jungmi on their little reminiscing session

eventually, the cake was mostly eaten, and the playlist was coming to an end with my universe

“oppa! you were supposed to ask me questions!” “i think they enjoyed our stories, though. are you gonna say bye now?”

yoonmi turned to the live and gave a sheepish smile “just in time. it’s almost the end of the playlist, and it’s two minutes until tomorrow. thank you for celebrating my birthday with me. i love you army”

jungkook sang her one last happy birthday, to which she giggled and swayed her head to. she waved

“bye! sleep well! oh! and be sureto greet jinki oppa because it’s his birthday tomorrow!”

-end-

c’s notes: yoonmi honestly never goes live without a plan aksndnf anyway now that this is up, expect the next things i post to be seri’s birthday greeting to soobin, hannah’s outfits for nct 2021, mama and mma tweets for the three, and ptd cons/la tweets for yoonmi~

taglist: @sunflower-0180 @seaoffangirling @yourwonderbelle @1-800-enhypenbibi @kamiiyou @strwberrydinosaur @uraveragefangirlsposts @caratinylyfe @1-800-minji @woopetals @kimhyejin3108 @starlighthwa @akshverse

[fuckyeahgoodomens]

Was doing Staged a big decision, because it’s so personal and set in your homes? Georgia Tennant: We’d always been a very private couple. Staged was everything we’d never normally say yes to. Suddenly, our entire house is on TV and so is a version of the relationship we’d always kept private. But that’s the way to do it, I guess. Go to the other extreme. Just rip off the Band-Aid.

Anna Lundberg: Michael decided pretty quickly that we weren’t going to move around the house at all. All you see is the fireplace in our kitchen.

GT: We have five children, so it was just about which room was available.

AL: But it’s not the real us. It’s not a documentary.

GT: Although some people think it is.

Which fictional parts of the show do people mistake for reality? GT: People think I’m really a novelist because “Georgia” writes a novel in Staged. They’ve asked where they can buy my book. I should probably just write one now because I’ve done the marketing already.

AL: People worry about our elderly neighbour, who gets hospitalised in the show. She doesn’t actually exist in real life but people have approached Michael in Tesco’s, asking if she’s OK.

Michael and David squabble about who’s billed first in Staged. Does that reflect real life? AL: With Good Omens, Michael’s name was first for the US market and David’s was first for the British market. So those scenes riffed on that.

Should we call you Georgia and Anna, or Anna and Georgia? GT: Either. We’re super-laidback about these things.

AL: Unlike certain people.

How well did you know each other before Staged? GT: We barely knew each other. We’ve now forged a friendship by working on the show together.

AL: We’d met once, for about 20 minutes. We were both pregnant at the time – we had babies a month apart – so that was pretty much all we talked about.

Did you tidy up before filming? AL: We just had to keep one corner relatively tidy.

GT: I’m quite a tidy person, but I didn’t want to be one of those annoying Instagram people with perfect lives. So strangely, I had to add a bit of mess… dot a few toys around in the background. I didn’t want to be one of those insufferable people – even though, inherently, I am one of those people.

Was there much photobombing by children or pets? AL: In the first series, Lyra was still at an age where we could put her in a baby bouncer. Now that’s not working at all. She’s just everywhere. Me and Michael don’t have many scenes together in series two, because one of us is usually Lyra-wrangling.

GT: Our children aren’t remotely interested. They’re so unimpressed by us. There’s one scene where Doris, our five-year-old, comes in to fetch her iPad. She doesn’t even bother to glance at what we’re doing.

How was lockdown for you both? AL: I feel bad saying it, but it was actually good for us. We were lucky enough to be in a big house with a garden. For the first time since we met, we were in one place. We could just focus on Lyra . To see her grow over six months was incredible. She helped us keep a steady routine, too.

GT: Ours was similar. We never spend huge chunks of time together, so it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. At least until David’s career goes to shit and he’s just sat at home. The flipside was the bleakness. Being in London, there were harrowing days when everything was silent but you’d just hear sirens going past, as a reminder that something awful was going on. So I veered between “This is wonderful” and “This is the worst thing that ever happened.”

And then there was home schooling… GT: Which was genuinely the worst thing that ever happened.

You’ve spent a lot of time on video calls, clearly. What are your top Zooming tips? GT: Raise your camera to eye level by balancing your laptop on a stack of books. And invest in a ring light.

AL: That’s why you look so much better. We just have our sad kitchen light overhead, which makes us look like one massive shiny forehead.

GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael.

There’s a running gag in series one about the copious empties in Michael’s recycling. Did you lean into lockdown boozing in real life? AL: Not really. We eased off when I was pregnant and after Lyra was born. We’d just have a glass of wine with dinner.

GT: Yes, definitely. I often reach for a glass of red in the show, which was basically just an excuse to continue drinking while we were filming: “I think my character would have wine and cake in this scene.” The time we started drinking would creep slightly earlier. “We’ve finished home schooling, it’s only 4pm, but hey…” We’ve scaled it back to just weekends now.

How did you go about creating your characters with the writer Simon Evans? AL: He based the dynamic between David and Michael on a podcast they did together. Our characters evolved as we went along.

GT: I was really kind and understanding in the first draft. I was like “I don’t want to play this, it’s no fun.” From the first few tweaks I made, Simon caught onto the vibe, took that and ran with it.

Did you struggle to keep a straight face at times? AL: Yes, especially the scenes with all four of us, when David and Michael start improvising.

GT: I was just drunk, so I have no recollection.

AL: Scenes with all four of us were normally filmed in the evening, because that’s when we could be child-free. Usually there was alcohol involved, which is a lot more fun.

GT: There’s a long scene in series two where we’re having a drink. During each take, we had to finish the glass. By the end, we were all properly gone. I was rewatching it yesterday and I was so pissed.

What else can you tell us about series two? GT: Everyone’s in limbo. Just as we think things are getting back to normal, we have to take three steps back again. Everyone’s dealing with that differently, shall we say.

AL: In series one, we were all in the same situation. By series two, we’re at different stages and in different emotional places.

GT: Hollywood comes calling, but things are never as simple as they seem.

There were some surprise big-name cameos in series one, with Samuel L Jackson and Dame Judi Dench suddenly Zooming in. Who can we expect this time around? AL: We can’t name names, but they’re very exciting.

GT: Because series one did so well, and there’s such goodwill towards the show, we’ve managed to get some extraordinary people involved. This show came from playing around just to pass the time in lockdown. It felt like a GCSE end-of-term project. So suddenly, when someone says: “Samuel L Jackson’s in”, it’s like: “What the fuck’s just happened?”

AL: It took things to the next level, which was a bit scary.

GT: It suddenly felt like: “Some people might actually watch this.”

How are David and Michael’s hair and beard situations this time? AL: We were in a toyshop the other day and Lyra walked up to these Harry Potter figurines, pointed at Hagrid and said: “Daddy!” So that explains where we’re at. After eight months of lockdown, it was quite full-on.

GT: David had a bob at one point. Turns out he’s got annoyingly excellent hair. Quite jealous. He’s also grown a slightly unpleasant moustache.

Is David still wearing his stinky hoodie? GT: I bought him that as a gift. It’s actually Paul Smith loungewear. In lockdown, he was living in it. It’s pretty classy, but he does manage to make it look quite shit.

---

Omg the mug’s origins :D

‘GT: Also, always have a good mug on the go [raises her cuppa to the camera and it’s a Michael Sheen mug]. Someone pranked David on the job he’s shooting at the moment by putting a Michael Sheen mug in his trailer. He brought it home and now I use it every morning. I’m magically drawn to drinking out of Michael. ‘

[butwhyduh]

Holiday Party

Damian Wayne x reader

He’s about 16 yrs old here.

Warning: Christmas? Kissing

Christmas series 4

You were early. Damian looked out his door to see no one around and he rushed downstairs to meet you at the door. You were being dropped off by your older brother who gave Damian a look from the front seat of his car that all but said he’d mess Damian up if he hurt you. Funny to think about your brother trying to beat him up but he would never consider it. Damian opened your car door for you.

“Beloved, you’re early,” he said with a grin. Your brother gave a rough hey and Damian’s face dropped and he gave a curt nod. “I’ll have Alfred drop her off so you won’t have to pick her up,” Damian told him. Your brother nodded again before leaving.

Damian barely held your finger with his own as he walked you up to his room. He didn’t want his brothers to see him being affectionate. He pulled you into his room and engulfed you in a huge hug. He wasn’t short little Dami anymore but had been hit by puberty like a bus and was almost 6 foot tall. He smelled like cologne and his sweater was so freaking soft. You felt the fabric on his chest with your hand and he stiffened and coughed a little. Oh yeah, he could feel that. You flushed.

“So you want to watch a movie?” Damian said pulling away.

“Yeah. Sounds great,” you said sitting on his bed pulling your shoes off. You slid up the bed to lay on his pillow as he grabbed his laptop.

“Drake doesn’t know but I’ve set it up that every film he downloads, I get a copy too so I’ve got a bunch. Though his taste is pretty sappy for some of these,” Damian said wrinkling his nose.

“Probably to watch with his girlfriend. Or maybe he’s a sap,” you laughed. Damian climbed on the bed and laid the laptop on the other side of you. His arms temporarily caged you against him and you couldn’t help but think of him on top of you. Damian laid back as the film started playing. He put two pillows behind his head to watch from behind you. You laid on your side and he wrapped an arm around your waist loosely.

The film was probably great. All you could think of was how close your boyfriend in the softest boyfriend sweater was right beside you. You slid farther back until your back hit his chest. He inhaled audibly but didn’t move. Damian cursed himself. You had definitely heard that.

You ran your hand along the arm of his sweater as the movie went on. He smelled a little like soft cologne and spiced tea. Everything was fine until there was a sex scene. Nothing graphic but enough to where you were both very aware of your situation. Damian slid his body a little back from you making a little space between you and him.

You turned to look at him and he couldn’t help but brush his lips against yours. You slowly turned in his arms until you were making out while laying on your side. Damian held your face softly with one hand. Your fingers slid into his hair. His tongue slipped into your mouth gently just exploring you.

The door to his room opened.

“Master Damian, your father needs you in his study at your earliest convenience. Also... do take care with your visitors. You are only 16,” Alfred said, looking pointedly at the ceiling before leaving. Damian flushed on his tan skin. you covered your mouth and giggled, embarrassed.

“At least it wasn’t your dad,” you said. He nodded as he stood up.

“I won’t be long. Just watch the movie and I’ll be back as quick as I can,” Damian said and you noted that his lips were pink and maybe even a little swollen from kissing.

“Yeah, no problem.”

It took all of 1.7 minutes for Bruce to notice his son’s lips. His eyes narrowed a little and he looked critically at Damian who was staring at the computer screen.

“Damian, you are of the age where sexual education is important. You are practicing safe sex, yes?” Bruce asked in an even tone as if almost casually but really he wanted to seem calm. Damian twisted so fast to look at his father.

“I am not,” he said quickly.

“You aren’t??” Bruce asked shocked. “That’s very dangerous-“

“I’m not having sex. At all,” Damian said completely red. Bruce calmed.

“None? Because condoms-“

“Father, I’ve been taught. And if I do have sex I will be safe but I’m not now,” Damian said. He refused to look anywhere but the screen. “How did Alfred tell you so fast?” He complained.

“Tell me? Is there something to tell me? You know what? Don’t answer that. I trust you. There is a bowl of condoms under the sink in the bathroom off my study. All of the boys use it and it stays full. No questions asked. And the family doctor is very discreet for any questions you might have,” Bruce said delicately.

“Okay. I got it. Thanks. But please stop. Tell me about the case,” Damian practically begged.

——————————

It was not a few minutes but a full 2 hours later that Damian came back to his room. You were asleep. A movie played in the background and you hug his pillow. Damian smiled a little before waking you. It was almost time for his brothers to arrive. You sat up quickly. You’d never fallen asleep at his place.

“Sorry I was so long. Family stuff,” he said vaguely. He did that all the time. “It’s almost time for the party.”

“Oh I need to get ready,” you sat up. You’d planned to get started a little earlier. You didn’t dress fancy around Damian; he didn’t care. But his family’s Christmas was fairly formal.

“Is this okay?” You asked 20 minutes later. Damian nodded with a little smile.

“You look beautiful in anything, beloved. But this is exceptional,” he said and you flushed. His way with words. “It’s time to go down stairs.”

Damian took your hand and you walked downstairs. His eyes lingered on you longer than necessary. Somehow Tim and his girlfriend and Duke had beat you both downstairs. Damian pulled out a chess board and Tim and Bruce once again dragged work into every room they entered.

“I won’t go easy on you,” Damian warned. He was far better at strategy but your moments on the board were incredibly erratic to the point that he couldn’t predict your next move.

“I wouldn’t expect anything else. If you did, I’d expect a body snatcher,” you said and he hazarded a small smile. Damian didn’t want to appear too pleased. Bruce was watching him while maintaining conversation. You understood his weird stoic family dynamic enough to ignore it.

Damian won 3 out of 4 games. You could admit that your win was more luck than skill but you took it. Dick and his girlfriend arrived and the party moved to the dining room.

After a few minutes, a man you had never seen showed up humming to introduce himself and his date. The butler seemed very happy and for a minute you wondered if it was his son. No, this was the mysterious brother who was always fighting with the family.

“Dami, who is that?” You asked whispering.

“Jason Todd, one of my father’s wards. And I suppose his girlfriend,” Damian said. You nodded and watched as they sat down. Later in the evening, the eldest, that Damian had even called his brother, proposed to his girlfriend.

You were given a small glass of champagne and you looked at it quietly. Did they forget you and Damian were 16? Not exactly legal. But you didn’t say anything and you both drank the tiny amount of alcohol with everyone else. Damian squeezed your hand and gave you a tiny smile.

The party moved to the parlor with a billiards table and a dart board on the wall. The adults were served more alcohol and pudding was served informally. A tasty sticky cake that you dare not asked the ingredients was quickly eaten. You and Damian sat on a loveseat in the corner where you could watch the others play billiards and other games. Tim and Jason played a heated game of 9 ball. Jason was a natural. Tim was all strategy.

You leaned against Damian’s shoulder as the storm raged outside. You were full and the room was warm.

“It’s far too dangerous to drive out tonight. It’s turned into a blizzard so you all will stay here. There are plenty of rooms and beds for everyone and anything you could need,” Bruce announced to the group. Jason sighed and Damian opened his mouth. “I’ll call her parents to let them know. Don’t worry Damian.”

Damian relaxed and wrapped an arm around your shoulder. You began to doze as the pool games played. He ran his fingers along your outer arm and watched from the corner of his eyes as you fell asleep. He enjoyed your body warmth and soft sweet scent subtly.

An hour later you woke as you were slowly being moved. Strong arms cradled you and you could smell Damian’s pleasant unique scent strongly. You gripped his arm as he carried you out of the room. He hushed softly to let you go back to sleep.

“You got him shot?!” One of the women in the room yelped and you jolted awake.

“It’s okay. Go back to sleep, beloved. Don’t mind my stupid brothers,” Damian said quietly. He gently laid you on his bed and pulled you in the covers. His soft sheets quickly lulled you to sleep.

While you slept, he grabbed blankets and settled on the floor. Half an hour later, right as Damian was falling asleep, Bruce opened the door quietly. He saw the boy on the floor, nodded, and shut the door.

[migilini]

Hi!! Can you do another request for Charlie Gillespie? Can it be the 5 times he tries to propose and the one time he actually does? Thank you!!

Fifth Time Works A Charm - Charlie Gillespie

a/n: I loved writing this, especially because I’m procastinating to write the next Chapter for my Luke ff. I hope you like it as much as I do.

Requests are open!

Words: 3k

Masterlist

------------------------------------------

He knew from the moment he kissed you goodnight on your second date that you were the one he was gonna marry one day. He loved the way you always complained about back pain, yet you never sat normally in any chair and the way you still paid attention to him when he talked about a topic you had no clue on. The spark in your eyes and the curve of your lips when you laughed at one of his awful jokes. Every Morning he woke up next to you was a good one and he loved you more and more everyday. He was totally and completely whipped for you that wasn't the hard part, finding the right moment to propose was. 

1

The two of you were on vacation in Hawaii at the same resort the two of you accidentally met a couple years ago and learned that you actually only lived 30 minutes away from each other. You were laying on the beach, the soft towel brushing your skin slightly, a big sun hat shielding your eyes and face from the hot sun. 

Cold drops of water hit your exposed stomach “Baby look, the water is so nice!” more water hit your warm skin. Screeching you sat up and saw your boyfriend standing over you, with a big smile while he wrenched out his hair, letting all the cold water hit you. 

“It's cold.” you giggled. “And you're warm!” He dropped on top of you, instantly cooling you down with his cold skin. You tried to protest but he was faster and stronger than you are. Putting his elbows around your face, he lifted some weight off of your chest then he stared at you. 

“Hmm? What are you staring at me for?” you asked, amusement evident in your voice. “You just look very beautiful right now. You look relaxed.” 

Blushing, you cupped one of his cheeks and responded “Thank you handsome. I am relaxed, really needed this getaway.” He smiled and leaned down a bit to kiss your forehead, your nose and then your lips. You savoured the saltines that lingered on your lips for a second longer before he pulled away. He got off of you and rested on his own towel. 

Sitting up a bit more, you pulled out your book and read for a bit, when suddenly something made your toe wiggle. Looking over the border of the book, you noticed that Charlie wanted your attention. You looked at him for a moment, taking in his small smile. 

“I have something planned for tonight.” He said and buried your foot in the sand. “Yeah? Care to tell me what it is?” 

“Nope that's gonna be a surprise! Let's get back to the room and get ready.” 

He told you to get dressed casually yet fancy so you wore your hair up in a bun, light makeup with a bold red lip and a flowy maxi dress. You were sitting on the hotel bed when you heard someone vomiting.

“Babe? You okay?” you questioned and walked to the bathroom door. “Did you eat something weird?” the door opened and you were faced with a pale Charlie. “Oh baby.” a small frown sat on your face when you saw him. “Let's stay in. We can do your surprise tomorrow when you feel better, okay?” Pouting, he shook his head “No. I feel fine, let's go.” he went to grab your hand but you took a small step back.

“Charlie, you're sick. There's no harm in staying in today. Health first, adventures second okay?” His shoulders dropped in defeat, there was no way he could convince you to still go out, so he nodded and followed you back to the bed. But before, in a second that you went to grab a water bottle, he pulled a small black box from his pockets and stuffed it back into his suitcase.

Unfortunately he was sick for the rest of your trip.

2

You and your boyfriend Charlie were chilling on the couch in the living room. Charlie was responding to some emails while you scrolled through instagram. The radio was on in the background, filling the room with soft music. It was late evening and you put some candles on and turned up your little lights that were scattered all over the place to make it cozy.

Your ears picked up the familiar tune of ‘It's been a long long time by Harry James’ and a big smile spread on your lips. You jumped up, throwing your phone somewhere on the couch and started pulling on Charlie's arm. “Dance with me.” 

“Baby I’m working.” he said with a grin, already closing his laptop.

“Please just dance to this song. It's our song babe! Then I won't annoy you the whole day.” you pleaded, jumping from one foot to the other, while still pulling on his arm.

“Okay. Just this song. I know how much you love it.” He stood up, his arms finding your waist as you interlaced your hands behind his back. Your manicured fingers immediately start playing with his longer hair. The two of you swayed to the music, he was humming along to the music, while you closed your eyes. He dipped you, waking you laugh. Then you twirled him around your arm. The song came to your favorite part and you wholeheartedly sang along, beaming up at your boyfriend.

‘Kiss me once’ You gave him a kiss on the shoulder and he kissed the top of your head, pulling you closer into his chest.

‘Then, kiss me twice’ You stood on your tiptoes and kissed his forehead and the tip of his nose.

‘Then, kiss me once again’ finally you kissed his lips. Charlie hummed in approval, tightening his grip on your waist.

Slowly the song came to an end when your phone started to ring. Charlie looked at your expectantly, waiting for you to pick it up.

“If it's important they'll call again.” you muttered with your face pressed against his shoulder. Sadly for you both a second later it began to ring again. Groaning the two of you left your little bubble as you picked up your phone.

“Oh hi grandma. How have you been?” You excused yourself with a swift kiss on his cheek and left the living room, leaving behind a lonely boyfriend.

“We got a special request to play this song today.” The radio host announced “I hope she said yes man!”

3

You just finished your last exam of the last semester of college. You were done. Finished. Now you only have to wait and see if you're actually gonna graduate or if you have to repeat the semester. Still, you felt like celebrating. Charlie had interview after interview scheduled for today so you didn't tell him right of the bat. You spent the day doing some mundane household tasks and grocery shopping. The moment your boyfriend was finished for the day, he ran out of your office to search for you.

You laid on the couch, watching a new netflix series when you heard footsteps approach. “You’ve done it baby!” he pulled you off the couch and twirled you around. Giggling you answered “I haven't graduated yet.” 

“And? You will, I'm sure of it because I have the smartest girlfriend in the world and she just finished her last test. This needs celebration!” he left small kisses all over your face. 

Due to the pandemic, you had to stay in the appartement to party. You didn't care though. Charlie ordered something from your favourite italian place and you pulled out the wine from your kitchen cabinet. Somehow the food took ages to arrive and to pass the time you decided to open the bottle.

Wine always had an interesting effect on the two of you, especially on an empty stomach. Charlie got very needy and you always blacked out during the night (He does too but he won't admit it). But the one thing both of you had in common was the touchyness. It wasn't like you two were not always touching when you were sober, it was just that wine drunk Charlie and you took it to a whole other level. By the time you were on your third glass, you wondered if Charlie even ordered the food.

“Could I have this dance with you ma lady?” Charlie held out his hand and bowled a little. You put down your now fifth glass of wine and stood up, taking his hand in yours.

“Oh, yes of course.” This dance was different from the dance you had a couple of nights ago. It was more of a makeout session than a dance. At some point he picked you up, so your legs were wrapped around his torso, yet he still swayed to the non existing music. 

“I love you.” You murmured against his lips. 

“I love you more.” he said and pulled away slightly.

“No way that's possible.” 

“Oh really?” he raised his eyebrow. 

“Marry me then.” he whispered looking you in the eyes with a spark in his.

“Yes! I do!” You slurred and kissed him harshly. A smile spreading on both of your lips.

You woke up the next morning with an aching headache and practically no memory of the evening before. You turned over to see Charlie sleeping next to you. You slowly traced the outline of his face. He opened his eyes and smiled at you.

“Hi” he croaked out in his morning voice that still made butterflies rise in your stomach. “Hey. How much do you remember?” You asked him sheepishly. He pulled you in with his arms, hiding his face in the crook of your neck. 

“Not much to be honest and i'm guessing you don’t either?” You only shook your head. 

“I remember that our food somehow didn't arrive.” 

Next time Charlie should really read the text of the restaurant he orders from, because there was a perfectly cooked meal waiting in front of your door.

4

Charlie missed his best friend and you knew this. So you arranged a little get together with Owen and Jeremy at Owen’s new apartment. Your plan was to drive down from Canada, make a quick weekend stop at Owens and then make your way to your apartment in LA.

Currently it was a monday morning and you were still at Owens. His guest bed was just so comfortable it was harder than normal to get out of bed. On this particular morning, you woke up to an empty side of the bed and some talking from the living room.

Lazily, you put on one of Charlie's hoodies, some cozy socks and a beany. You shuffled to the living room where you assumed the boys would be sitting, not realising that you interrupted a conversation. 

“I don't know man. Everytime I have something planned it goes wrong.” 

“Look Char, In my experience the chance will… morning y/n.” Jeremy was quick to notice your figure shuffling towards them, your eyes scanning your phone. The boys tensed up and quickly tried to do a normal activity. 

“Morning everybody.” You smiled at them. “Am I the last to be up?” you asked and only got noods in return. Still too sleepy to notice the atmosphere, you made your way over to your boyfriend, who was standing at the kitchen aisle, wrapping your arms around him from behind and nuzzling your head into his back. Your hands instantly go under his hoodie and on his bare skin to warm your hands. 

“Kofe…” you mumbled into his back, barely audible.

“What?” Owen asked, confused while he sat on the kitchen counter, eating a toast.

“She wants some coffee.” Your boyfriend translated with a smile. 

“Oh.. I just used the last capsule... I’m so sorry” Jeremy apologized and offered you the last sip of his cup of coffee. 

“I’m fine, I'll survive thank you though Jer.” You yawned, releasing yourself from cuddling Charlie, knowing you're not gonna be fully awake without a cup of coffee. Your boyfriend also knew this and eyed you closely, then he leaned over to whisper in your ear that he's gonna get you a coffee after his workout. He looked at you lovingly and pressed a kiss to your temple.

“Jesus Christ man, you're whipped. Just ask her.” Owen said while rolling his eyes. The second the last words left his lips all the boys looked at eachother with wide eyes. Owen went to cover his mouth with his hands. 

“Ask me what?” You asked in a soft tone and turned to your boyfriend who had a really panicked look on his face. 

“I- I-uhm…” he stuttered, fiddling with his fingers.

“Charlie here wanted to ask you if you would mind staying one more day.” Jeremy came to the rescue and sent Owen a mad look, while he pulled one of his arms over Charlie's shoulder, who gave him a thankful nudge.

Your face softened “Of course bubby! If it's okay with Owen it's okay with me, we have no hurry to head to LA. I love spending time here. Gotta teach Owen a few tips and tricks of living alone.” you sent a wink in the blonde boys direction.

5

At this point Charlie nearly gave up on asking you to marry him, maybe it was a sign from the universe that the two of you weren’t ready for that commitment yet. You were both still so young and just started with your careers. 

He looked over at your mess of curls that spread all over the pillow case. The peaceful up and down from your chest and the small smile on your slightly opened lips as you slept. He had to ask you to marry him, there was no way he wouldn't. 

The sunlight peeked through the curtains and illuminated the bedroom on this sunday morning in a pretty yellow. You opened your eyes as you heard something shift beside you.

“Where are you going?” You asked, squinting your eyes that still needed to get used to the light. 

“Just for a walk baby. Go back to sleep.” He pushed some hairs back that touched your face. Pouting, you put your much smaller hand on his hand that laid on your face. 

“Noo. Don't go. Come back to bed.” you whined, leaving kisses on his hand. He sat there for a while, contemplating if he could say no to your face. In the end he sighed and you felt the mattress next to you go down. 

“Thank you for staying.” you whispered and pulled him closer, letting your head rest on his chest. His arms wrapped around you and he shifted in a comfortable position, so that you were basically laying on top of him. With the tip of your fingers you drew little constellations on his chest and he played with the strands of your hair. 

“Charlie?” You broke the silence and went to look at his face, propping your chin on your hand.

“What's on your pretty mind?”

“When will you ask me to marry you? Or should I ask you?” You finally asked the questions that have been running through your mind for months now.

He stopped breathing for a second, stunned at your declaration. A wide smile broke out on his lips and he started laughing. You furrowed your eyebrows in confusion. 

“Is that such a funny concept?” You asked, slightly hurt. “I thought you wanted to do it in Hawaii but then you were sick and I also heard you and the boys talking about something. Plus I found the ring.” you admitted. 

Charlie shifted again so you were both sitting up and facing each other. “You found the ring?” he asked quietly. 

“Yeah I put some of your stuff into the drawer and it fell out. I didn't look at it though! I still wanted that part to be a surprise. But you never asked, so im gonna do it, fuck the gender norms. Charlie Jeffrey Gillespie will you...”

“Oh my god. Baby no.” he chuckled and cupped your face, making you stop in the middle of the sentence. “I had so many different ideas planned but something always came in between me actually asking you. So let me do it right.”

He got up from the bed and pulled out the little black box from one of the drawers in your bedroom. 

“Uhm… could you maybe stand up?”

You obliged eagerly, your hands shaking like crazy.

And then it was finally happening. Your boyfriend got down on one knee and looked up at you with tears in his eyes.

“This wasn't at all how I originally wanted to do it but now thinking about it, it's just perfect. I knew pretty early on that you were gonna be the girl I marry one day. I know we’re both still very young but I couldn't imagine myself spending my life with anybody else other than you. You're the person I want to wake up next to every morning and the person I miss the most when I’m away. So would you do me the honours and make me the happiest man alive by marrying me?” he took out the ring with shaking hands, while you tried to stop the sobbing. You got on your knees as well and cupped his face, whipping away some tears.

“Yes! One million times yes!” You kissed him softly, afraid that this was all a dream. Charlie pushed the ring on your finger and lifted you up, kissing you again and again with a tear soaked face and a smile that hurt his cheeks.

[puckngrind]

Leave Her Wild: chapter 3 - N. MacKinnon

Summary: MacKenzie heads to Washington and cashes in her bet with Nathan.

Warnings: swearing, fluff and stuff

Word count: 2,565 (swear they will get longer)

Series masterlist / Puck ‘n Grind’s masterlist

Washington.

The two texted back and forth over the week. Mostly randomness with a splash of real life. A friendship was blooming with the text conversation but what else could come of it? Neither one seemed to want to touch the subject. Kenzie wasn't even sure what to make of the attention from Nate. She threw herself into work as she normally would.

MacKenzie spent a few days in Colorado Springs for work but took advantage of her time off by hiking the Garden of the Gods. She was was halfway through Palmers trail when she feels her phone and decides to stop for water and take in the view plus check her phone thinking it was work. She laughs to herself realizing it was in fact not work.

Nate: how’s Colorado Springs?

She snaps a picture of her view and sends it.

Kenzie: gorgeous as always

Nate: holy shit are you hiking alone?

Kenzie snaps a selfie where you can see she’s alone and sends it.

Kenzie: don’t worry not anything too dangerous today. Lol

Nate: ok… not worried. Anyways, thought maybe dinner could be in DC since we will both be there next week.

Kenzie thinks about it and starts walking again. She realizes dinner out of town may in fact make things less awkward.

Kenzie: depends on my schedule but that should work

Nate: good. Enjoy the rest of your hike.

MacKenzie did just that. One thing most people knew about her was she loved adventures and trying new things. She rarely goes to the same vacation spot twice. Always wanting to try new restaurants and really only frequents Gus’s place in Denver. She liked to be free which drove her mother insanely crazy but MacKenzie didn’t seem to care. Her dad was her biggest supporter. Constantly sending her wanderlust Instagram posts after she taught him how. At least her mom had home in Kenzie’s brother, Cameron. Cam was doing everything he was expected to do including recently proposing to his high school sweetheart which Kenzie thought was dumb as seniors in college. His life was his life that was for sure, well and maybe their mother's life too. She couldn't control Kenzie which meant Cam got all of her energy.

The flight to D.C. was a breeze but busy would be an understatement as MacKenzie met her client at the end of the week. The demands were insane in the time frame. She spent almost all weekend in her hotel room working and talking with her team back in Colorado.

Nate: would you want to come to the game? I have tickets.

Kenzie: I would love to but I don’t even know if I can do dinner I’m so swamped

Nate: you need to eat right?

Kenzie: I mean, yeah. I’ll order in

Nate: how about you come to my hotel, we have an amazing restaurant here. You can work and eat

MacKenzie thought it over as she looked out her window. Walking the block and a half to Nathan’s hotel tomorrow night seemed doable. He had a point that she needed to eat and could work while they ate. It would complete their wager from the card game in the same instance. Wondered if Gabe or one of the other players would be around to ensure the dinner happened. MacKenzie thought she wouldn’t have the awkwardness of it feeling like a date this way. Plus, she wanted to try the restaurant out since last time she was in town and another client mentioned it. Mosi was all for the dinner when she called ensuring Kenzie her condo's mail was indeed checked. She thought this was the perfect arrangement and MacKenzie couldn’t find a reason to say no. Thinking Nate would already be at the arena for the game she sent a text.

Kenzie: Yes, to dinner at your hotel if you are still up to it after the game

She starts typing away again and laughs when the ping is almost immediate.

Nate: Perfect. I'll text you when we are back on the bus.

MacKenzie decided to turn the game on while she worked. She normally would have something on as background noise while she worked. She knows she can get lost in work and wanted to make sure she knew to pack up her laptop and such waiting for Nathan's call. She hears his name and looks up to see him score with less than a minute left. The Avalanche was already been leading but that goal ensured their win. She decided to change then couldn’t decide if she should pack up her work yet. “How sure how much time would he take between the game and the bus?” Kenzie asked her reflection. She texted him nice game to see if he would respond. He did a few moments later so she packed up slowly. Kenzie walks down to the street turning to head over to his hotel, humming to herself trying to not over think this very simple dinner. She slows down as she sees the charter bus in front of the hotel. Fuck.

"MAAAAC! Good to see you!" Gabe's voice comes booming out of the bus with some others chiming in as the stepped off the bus. MacKenzie awkwardly smiles at the team and then catches Nathan out the side of her eye. He’s staring at her as he walks down the step.

"Did you walk?" Nathan looks down at MacKenzie puzzled.

"Well, hello. Nice game. And yes. Just two blocks." MacKenzie pulls at her loose curl and then slides her finger down her messenger bag.

"Ready for dinner? I see you brought your work." Nathan taps her bag with his knuckle. MacKenzie nods and follows Nathan into the hotel. She awkwardly stops and he realizes it. “Whatcha doin’ there?” Nate walked back so he was standing in front of Kenzie.

“Isn’t the restaurant that way?” She points in the direction of the sign she stopped next to.

“Yes but they deliver to the room and I’d rather change into sweats and let you work in comfort.” He pulls at his tie. “Less eyes too. Come on.” Nathan placed his hand briefly on MacKenzie’s lower back to lead her to the elevator.

“I normally take the stairs.” MacKenzie looks around Nate for the steps.

“My room is on floor 12 and I just had over 20 minutes of ice time. Can we please take the elevator?” Nathan looked into MacKenzie’s questioning eyes.

“Fine. You have a point.” She smiles but gets lost calculating if that time is high or low for him.

They make their way to Nathan’s room. MacKenzie is surprised how nice it is. She’s not sure what she expected but it wasn’t this. Nathan’s suits neatly hanging up. Sweats sitting in his open luggage next to the closet. She realizes he hasn’t moved from behind her.

“Everything okay?” He moves to grab a pair of shorts and shirt.

“Yeah. Just not what I was expecting. You literally live out of suitcase don’t ya?” She watches him take off his suit coat and gulps at how his shirt is sticking to him.

“Some trips it feels like that. This one we won’t be home until the 26th… then a home stand with a few games on the road… and I’m boring you. Set up wherever you want and I’m gonna go change then will be right back.” He heads to the bathroom shut the door softly.

MacKenzie stares at the uncomfortable looking desk chair in a moment of indecision wanting to be set up so she’s working when Nate returns, she decides the bed was a better option for her to sit. Getting out her laptop Kenzie starts typing as soon as she hears Nate opening the door. He smirks when he sees Kenzie on the bed and moves to the desk to find the menu. She cannot help watching him. His muscles easily seen in the shirt and shorts he picked. He hikes up his pant leg exposing his thigh. Kenzie coughs focusing back on her work again.

"Here it is." Nathan turns around and walks towards MacKenzie handing her the menu. She stares at the menu then her finger lands on a cheeseburger and fries. Nathan moves to the other side of the bed, sitting to call in the order. He hangs up and starts to move.

"You can stay here. That chair is horrible looking." MacKenzie looks over at Nathan and he stops moving then looks down at his feet before swinging them up and adjusting to sit on the bed.

"Thanks." He looks over at her screen. "So what exactly do you do?"

"Simple description... I am a social media consultant." MacKenzie giggles. "Speaking of... your social media..." "Is non-existent." Nathan finishes her statement.

"Yeah, only two posts. That’s shocking for someone your age. Nate, do you know how you could amplify your earnings post career?" MacKenzie moves her computer and shift so look at him. He rubs the back of his neck and rotates on his hip to look at her better.

"Yeah. No, yeah. I get it. Just not my thing but you looked at my socials?" He bites his lip.

"I did after we ran into you at the bar post-game. Would've felt funny giving you my number if you had a girlfriend." MacKenzie admits.

"No girlfriend. So did you say you watched the game?" Nate changes the subject which Kenzie made a mental note of.

"Background noise while working. You can turn the tv on now or just talk to me. You scored." Kenzie looks over at Nathan.

"Empty netter but yeah. Nice win." Nathan says softly. The knock on the door stops their conversation. "Oh, dinner!" Nathan pops up and answers the door.

Dinner was delicious. The two shared backgrounds such as where they were from, college for MacKenzie, boarding school and early days of hockey for Nathan. They were laughing at each other's stories which lead to both laying on their stomachs watching a video for MacKenzie's work on her laptop.

"Kenz... Kenzie. Wake up!" Nathan whispers and MacKenzie's groggy self pops up and lands on Nathan's naked torso.

"Holy fuck!" She yells out. Nathan's hands steady her.

"Hey." Nathan backs up and bends to look her in face. Panic written all over her face. "You okay? We fell asleep talking." He looks at her.

"Why didn't you wake me? What time is it? Fuck. Sorry. I'm on a schedule." MacKenzie pulls away and looks for her bag realizing Nathan plugged her computer in at some point.

"It's 6:30. We just slept. I sleep shirtless and, uh, must've taken it off in my sleep. Sorry, should've put in on before I woke you. Hold on." Nathan moves to the other side of the bed and throws his shirt back on. "Let me call you an uber." He grabs his phone.

"I can walk. I don't have a meeting until noon so I'm fine. Thank you." MacKenzie points to the bathroom and Nathan nods.

She stands in front of the mirror for way too long just looking at herself. Pinches her cheeks and starts ranking her fingers through their loose blonde curls making them manageable enough to put up in a high ponytail. She grabs Nathan’s toothpaste and brushes her teeth with her finger.

“Well, Mac. This will have to do.” She bobs on the balls of her feet to psych herself up. Returning to the room she notices that Nathan had changed and slipped on some shoes. “Whatcha doin’ Nate?”

“I’ll walk with you. I wanted to grab coffee from down the street before we leave for the airport.” He grabs his wallet.

“You don’t have to.” Kenzie whispers as she heads to her bag.

“I don’t, but I wanna.” Nate smiles at her. She notices those soft eyes again. Almost gray but then again blue.

They head out of room to the steps. MacKenzie took a deep breath not realizing she was holding it until they got to the door.

“Why good morning you two!” Gabe’s voice comes from around the corner with a bag and coffee in hand.

“Mornin’” Nate answers and pushes the cross walk button.

“Glad to see you Kenzie.” Gabe nods and starts whistling while heading back to the hotel.

“Don’t mind him.” Nate breaks the silence after crossing the street.

“I’m assuming he’s thinking you got lucky last night.” MacKenzie tries to control her racing heart.

“I’ll talk to him.” Nathan assures her. She stops and looks up at him.

“Did you want to?” She puts her hand on her head not sure she really said it out loud.

“What?” Nathan stops and looks at her confused.

“Did you want to sleep with me?” She looks to see if anyone could hear her.

“No. Well… damnit. Hi. Let me start over.” Nathan looks deep in her eyes and cups her face.

“Go ahead.” She’s not sure if the words actually could be heard or not.

“I like you. You are easy to talk to. In the short time I’ve known you I’m constantly wanting to know more. I’m just bad at dating.”

“Why do you say that?” She moves closer to him without thinking.

“I’m not romantic. Plus my job isn’t the easiest for most of the year to maintain a healthy relationship. Plus, there is those who just want me for what I could give them.” He drops his hand to her hip. She sees his chest rise and fall.

“Who says you aren’t romantic?” MacKenzie questions.

“Every girl I’ve dated.” Nathan grumbles. This makes Kenzie laugh. “Well, they have.”

“I like you too, Nate. You intrigue me.” She feels the heat in her cheeks.

“So to answer your original question, yes. I would very much like to be physical with you but I also want to date you. Like not to fuck it up by…” She stops him by pushing herself to her tip toes to softly kiss his cheek.

“Well, saying all that is a start in how not to fuck it up.” She smiles at him. “Let’s get me back to my hotel then we can visit this whole dating thing when you return to Denver.” She starts walking and he quickly grabs her hand to walk with her.

“Here we are.” He stops at the doors of her hotel. “So, I’ll see you in two weeks, Kenzie.” Nathan drags out the two while contorting his face.

“It’s not that long plus you will be busy and I have this plus another project to finish before then.” She rubs the back of his hand with her thumb realizing how large his hand was in comparison which could crush her hand if he wanted. “Thanks for dinner Nate.”

“Can I?” He starts and gulps. MacKenzie watches his Adam’s apple bob. “Can I kiss you?” He asks with a quiver in his voice. She nods her head yes. Nate brings his hands up to her jaw holding her face up while he leans in pressing his lips to hers. Kenzie kisses him back and cannot remember a first kiss quiet like that. He releases while sucking in a deep breath.

“I…” Kenzie touches her lips.

“Well, see you soon Kenzie.” He kisses her forehead then turns quickly to head back down the street leaving Kenzie wanting more.

[saturnsummer]

i don't mind forever.

AU: When Sol is handed a case, she doesn't realise how big the case gets. Luckily for her, her best friend is here. (AU of lawyers at Hankuk Law Firm.)

notes: all credits go to @thenerdywriter !! she gave me this prompt just days after i joined tumblr, and i’ve been working on and off on it ever since. my first au series, so please go easy on me! i know i’m practically killing myself for doing two series at once, but i’ll deal with it later. as always, big love to everyone! any grammar mistakes and all will be taken fully responsible by me!

ao3 link

words: 4035 words

one.

Sol scrunches her hair in frustration. She twists her long, wavy light brown hair in a bun, fixing it with a jab of her white, long chopstick hairpin. She adjusts her bangs for good measure and resumes with her report. She reaches over to her coffee mug, only to find it empty. Great, it’s the third coffee she had today, and it wasn’t even lunch. Hearing her colleagues nagging on drinking too much coffee in her head, she stands from her desk and pushes the glass door of her office to the staff pantry. Her heels click against the marble floors as she strides across, filling her cup with iced water before retreating back.

It would have been a normal day at the Hankuk Law firm, but it wasn’t when she had such a pressing case.

It's been weeks. A client of hers has pressed charges against Lee Man Ho, claiming that he scammed her life savings. Lee Manho was a convict that was charged for raping multiple women and on several occasions, sexual harassment. He had been on good behaviour after his release for a couple of years, with no complaints and no news. Only now did his name resurface. He was snarky in his speech, manipulative and quick with his tongue, but most of all had a sinister smile that sent shivers.

Sol, being Sol, couldn’t say no to the poor woman. How could she? She experienced her fair share of poverty from growing up in a single-parent family that made enough to get by. She sympathised with her feelings, knowing just how stressed this poor mother must be when she can no longer afford to pay rent for her home, even less so the necessities for her toddler kids. Because, too many times, Sol was found broke and skipping meals so she could have her younger sister, Byeol, be fed instead.

With the help of the local police, she found more victims to be scammed, all similar in their scenario. Manho would call under the alias of a financial aid consultant, sometimes an insurance agent or bank teller. Then, he would extract their bank numbers from them, effectively draining their money away. By the time they victims tried to call back, the number would be out of order, or picked up by another voice, evident that he used another number to cover up his.

None of his victims had anything in common. Some were rich, some were poor. Some were female, some were male. And Manho had long disappeared in the wind the moment he got out of jail. He was said to be sighted once and when the police placed eyes on him, they lost him that same day.

His digital footprint was an utter headache as well. The police had other things to matter, and figuring out his digital footprint was the least of their concerns when they had important murders and urgent matters to solve.

But two could play this game.

Seungjae was a good friend of Sol’s. They were close acquaintances in school and kept in close contact. He, unlike Sol, was a whiz with computer codes and had his fair share of hacking experience. She remembers how he would hack into the system during school events and broadcast short music videos on the school televisions during breaks. Despite their age gap, he was always courteous, nice and kind hearted in helping others.

Seungjae eventually found a job with the police force, using his skills to legally hack criminal networks and dark nets. He was essentially part of a task force that identified suspicious activities like mass radicalisation, fake news and essentially tracking down internet hackers. It was a no-brainer that Sol would approach him, even though she knew that he could only legally hack under his work orders, not for personal favours.

Well it’s best she at least try.

She called Seungjae, who was fortunately free, and agreed to meet at a cafe. The sun was out, warming them from the autumn breeze that chilled them. Sol grabbed her coat and placed a post-it on her door, informing her colleagues of her business. Sol, while dressed in a warm coat, was undoubtedly freezing from the breeze. If only she could go back to law school, where she wore jeans and sweatshirts all day. Instead, she had a light blue long sleeved blouse, a knee length pencil skirt and a midnight blue blazer, and her only coat she had weakly shielding her from the cold.

“Sol A, what gives me the feeling that you aren’t calling for the purpose of catching up, but for a favour?” Seungjae asks as soon as his ice coffee arrives. Sol is amused at his habit, that he still calls her Sol A to differentiate her from Sol B, her colleague just working next door to her. But in response, she gives a small frown.

“Oppa, please? You have to help me with this. This case is driving me nuts!” She says in frustration as she stirs her ice tea. “Look, he’s off the grid, like properly off. I can’t even track his number or his email accounts. When the police placed plainclothes on him, he was like a ninja and they lost him within the first hour.”

Seungjae’s frown deepens. He knows of people who are good on the internet, but for an ex-convict to be running this alone? Furthermore, a convict who had no criminal record of scamming, conning and IT based crimes? There was definitely more to this.

“Sol A, do you think that he’s working alone?” Seungjae asks, stopping Sol in her speech. She tilts her head, the way she does normally when she puts the puzzle pieces in order. From her bag, she takes out a notebook and scribbles down the facts, then pushes it to the centre of the table.

“Okay, so we know that Lee Manho was convicted of rape and sexual harassment long time ago. Now, he’s running scams, and has no known background of coding or conning people, yet somehow the money appears in his bank account and it disappears the next moment.” Sol states as she circles her notes with a pencil and Seungjae nods.

“I think… I think you’re right, oppa. He’s definitely not working alone. And he could just be the middleman bringing the cash from one place to another.” Sol breaths out, realising how big the case has gotten. She’s not just going after Lee Manho, but she’s going after an entire team.

“You said that you can’t track his whereabouts, people he communicates with and where the money is going to?” SeungJae asks. Sol nods.

“Looks like someone is covering up the transfers and his tracks.” Seungjae concludes. Seungjae furrows his eyebrows. Sol recognises his thinking face and tries to plea once more.

“Please, oppa? You helped me check out and verify Yeseul’s boyfriend, which saved her life! Please, oppa…” Sol pleads with him. Seungjae knew how much Sol was going to dedicate to this, and besides, he was legally going to hack. He was fighting for those who couldn’t fight. What difference would it make? It felt wrong to ignore such a desperate plea.

“Fine. But you have to let me use a laptop that isn’t mine. I can’t have my superiors know I’m hacking into a case that wasn’t submitted to me again. God, Yeseul’s ex-boyfriend case got me a bloody earful from the captain.” He finally agrees, getting up from his seat and grabbing his coat. Sol lets out a relieved sigh and picks her coat too.

“Thank you, thank you!”

“Save it for later, when I’m done hacking. Let’s head back to your office for now.” He says and walks to the door. At that moment, Sol’s phone rings, and she picks up, knowing who will call at this time of the day. If it’s lunch, it has to either be Yeseul or Joon Hwi.

“Are you joining us for lunch, sunbae?” Sol takes a moment to close her eyes in frustration. This man is going to drive her insane.

“Yeah. Are you all ordering?”

“That’s right. Extra pickles?”

“Always. Add one more jjampong and kkampungi, too.” The receiving end goes silent.

“Who’s joining?” Sol gives a knowing smile as she unlocks her car.

“An old friend of ours.”

-----

“Wah, it’s been a long time since Seungjae-hyung could eat with us!” BokGi says, as he passes out the chopsticks and Yebeom unpacks the meals. Seungjae only gives a small smile while helping out with the food.

Despite the cold weather, the odd group of friends found pleasure in eating outdoors as opposed to their office pantry. It was too noisy some days, too quiet on some, and knowing how chaotic the group can get during lunch, it only made sense to have their meals downstairs at some benches. Besides, they could use a break from being stuck in their offices all day and look at trees changing their colours to shades of red, oranges and brown.

“Thank your noona here, for convincing me to come.” He says as he nods his head over to Sol, who is busy unpacking her pickles and noodles. Joon Hwi gives a smile as he stares at the delight on her face when she sees those yellow pickles on a plastic saucer.

“Hyung, what are you here for?” Joon Hwi asks, as he unpacks his noodles.

“This lady here has enlisted my help once again for a case she is working on. But it has to be off the books. Thus, my presence here instead of my cubicle back at my headquarters.” Sol chokes and she quickly takes a sip of her tea.

“Oppa, why do you make me sound so law breaking…” Sol grumbles. Yeseul, sitting next to her only gives a small smile and squeezes her hand.

“Seungjae-oppa did help me bring Yeongchang to jail. So I would consider his work, whether under his boss orders or not, to be lawful.” Yeseul quips quietly. The table grows silent for a moment, knowing how this topic took a mental toll out of them, but Yeseul was hit the hardest.

When Yeseul first started dating Yeongchang, everyone didn’t mind it. Only when Sol witnessed how Yeseul would be frightened to pick up his call and spotting bruises on her arms did she get Seungjae to dig into his personal life. Lo and behold, not only was he abusive, he was seeing two other women and they were treated badly, if not, worse.

Yeseul’s heart broke, this being her first love and the man she envisioned marrying. But with her friends' support, she took it upon herself to press charges on him, for the women he tortured and for herself. Representing herself and the women that he had failed to protect and taken advantage of, it wasn’t easy for her, having been so blind in love and still harbouring feelings.

The group stood by and silently supported. They accompanied her trials, no matter how busy they were. Sol remembers Jiho running from one courtroom to another on one occasion when he had to immediately attend a court hearing for a client he was defending. Sol had Yeseul stay over at her apartment during the entire situation, while Yeseul searched for an apartment nearby after moving out of his house. Even Sol B, who was usually cold, bought her meals and stayed to eat when the girls spent late nights in silence and drinking.

Finally, the judge ruled that Yeongchang was to be charged in jail. For the sexual, mental and physical abuse of these women, including Yeseul. It has been months since then and time can only tell how much she has healed. The rest can only give their silent support and be there for her.

“I didn’t mean to make the mood bad. Come, let’s eat. Also, what is the case about, unnie?” Yeseul quickly breaks into a smile, an attempt to let everyone know she’s okay. Sol gives a brief description of her case to everyone while she slurps her noodles and pickles.

“This is going to be difficult. If you guys are right, you might be dealing with something bigger than just Lee Manho.” Sol B states and Sol gives a nodded reply.

“Please don’t tell Superior Kim or Superior Yang about this. I really need to break this case and Seungjae-oppa is my only way to.” Sol informs her group. They give half hearted murmurs, not wanting to be meddled into Sol’s affairs. Well, all but one.

“Yah, why didn’t you come find me? I have my own contacts in the police as well.” Joon Hwi asks, a slight frown on his face. From anyone else looking, it would have been easy to miss. But for Sol, she knew that he was upset, interpreting his complaints as “Why didn’t you come and tell me about this first?”

“Because, Mr. Second Round Judicial Exam Pass, you have been too busy! Do I really need to remind you to eat every damm moment? You drive me crazy some days!” Sol argues. They launch into a light hearted argument, as the rest of the lunch group watches with equal fervour as they eat their meals.

“Guys, stop arguing, my ears hurt.” Jiho said, his tone in slight annoyance as he dove straight into the kkampungi and tangsuyuk. Sol finally gave up fighting, earning a teasing smirk from Joon Hwi. They continued their noisy meal, chatting and catching up with Seungjae. Seungjae gives them some updates of his pregnant wife and some interesting cases.

After their meal, they separated their trash neatly. The sun now hides away in the clouds, leaving little warmth against the chilly breeze of autumn. Sol brushes her coat and rubs her hands and arms. If only she could afford a better one than this old coat she’s been using since her first year in university.

Joon Hwi notices her trying to warm up against the cold and takes his coat from the chair, layering it on her. He honestly didn’t feel cold, but he knows he has always been the stronger one to resist against the cold. For Sol, it must be freezing.

“Take mine.” He simply says, taking the packs of plastic from Sol. If Sol had a hint of blush, he pretended to not notice.

“Oh, thanks.” She said as she took wipes from her bag and wiped down the mess on the benches and tables. “But I don’t need it. We’re heading back to the office anyway.” She shrugs his coat off and drapes it over her arm, returning it to him. He pushes it to her, and leans in closer to her.

“Help me carry it, so I don’t have to, sunbae.” He teases with a smirk, sending Sol in a fit of frustrated squeaks, chasing him as best as she can in her heels. Sol knows Joon Hwi gets a thing out of his teasing, and sends him annoyed glares as she continues to clear the tables. Jiho manages to sigh and Sol B rolls her eyes as she dumps the trash in the bins.

The group grabs their bags as they head back into the office, where Sol checks Seungjae in as a visitor at the reception. The receptionist hands him a blue lanyard with a visitor pass as Sol leads him to the elevators. Jiho and Bokgi are off to meet clients, and Sol B is headed to court for a hearing. Yeseul stops at another floor to her office with Yebeom, who needs to pick up some reports from a colleague.

Joon Hwi follows Sol to her office with Seungjae, despite his office being upstairs. Sol grabs her personal laptop from her bag, which is separate from her desktop computer and passes it to Seungjae, who takes a seat opposite her and starts programming the computer to begin hacking.

“What, did you just let him use your personal laptop?” Joon Hwi asks in concern as he takes a seat on a spare chair.

“Let him do it. Don’t you have your reports to do?” Sol asks as she turns to her own reports before typing in her findings for the new Lee Manho case. Joon Hwi doesn’t reply, and Sol sends an annoyed glance. He’s not going to leave unless he knows all the information of this case.

“Okay, I got it.” Seungjae says after a series of clicks and turns the screen to show Sol what he has found. Sol leans into a chart of bank transfers.

"From what I can tell, it seems like the money enters his bank account and is transferred to an offshore account. I can't trace where the money goes from there anymore." Seungjae explains as he uses the cursor to show them. "I can't tell who owns the account either. If I could take a guess, it's probably the mastermind of this."

"Wait, look. Lee Manho is getting paid a constant amount every single time before a large sum comes in and leaves." Joon Hwi points. Sol grabs her printed papers as she matches the amounts that her clients have given here. They match exactly to the large sums, but have no relation to the constant amount that he gets every scam.

"He's getting paid to scam? Tch, God, I hate this crook." Sol says through gritted teeth. Joon Hwi sighs and observes the anger rising in Sol. He places a hand on top of her clenched fist for comfort and her fist stops clenching as she sighs in response.

"Sol A, I can't track his location with your laptop. It's not exactly ideal, since it can be tracked back." Seungjae says, eyes darting while continuously typing. Joon Hwi could sense the disappointment in Sol's face, but it can't be helped. It was too dangerous from her location and IP address.

"Oppa, thank you for helping. I owe you one." Sol says as Seungjae scrubs her laptop clean from hacking traces. Seungjae returns her laptop and stands up. "You should go back, oppa. You've been gone too long."

"I'll keep you updated." He says as Sol guides him out of the office. Once she shuts the door, she pulls the hairpin from her hair and crunches her hair in frustration. She has the information on where the money is going, but it's no use when she can't find out where he is. Joon Hwi takes a seat opposite her.

"Don't stress." He says softly, and Sol bites her lip in frustration.

"Don't stress? How can I not? The police aren't giving me any information on him, delaying his location tracking! I can't even find him! How am I supposed to get evidence to charge him, if he can't even appear to show up to court?" Sol angrily spills, her hands flailing. Joon Hwi sighs but grabs a hold of her wrist.

"Don't get swayed by your emotions." Joon Hwi firmly says, sparingly into Sol's anger-filled eyes. She pulls her wrist back, taking a deep breath before gathering her hair up again.

"Fine." She grumbles. "Get out of my office, Prosecutor Han. Don't you have work?" This earns a soft smile from Joon Hwi. As he heads to the door, he turns back before he leaves.

"Don't... Don't do anything stupid or impulsive, you hear me?"

Sol clicks her tongue and gives a half-hearted nod. She turns back to her report and updates her findings and tries to diffuse the thought of asking Seungjae to hack with her laptop to find Man Ho's location.

For Kang Sol A, such thoughts don't leave easily.

-----

"You sure?" Seungjae asks, seated in Sol's car. Sol takes a deep breath in and nods.

It was a few days after Seungjae visited the office. Sol called the police as much as she could, but they always left her on the line or just said "we're working on it." Thus, Sol told Seungjae to meet her at a park, before driving to a random alley and passing him her laptop.

"Yeah, I'll take my chances." She replied. Seungjae sighs and begins typing away.

"You know you're putting yourself at risk?" He asks, eyes never leaving the screen.

"I'll put myself at risk for the justice of my clients." She says firmly. A few minutes pass as Sol stares out of the car and watches the bright moon and the clouds floating by in misty swirls.

"Got it." Sol turns her attention to Seungjae. On the screen is a map and a blinking red dot of Manho’s location. Sol reads the map and puts her car back in drive before turning out of the alley.

"Woah, do you know where you are going?" Seungjae asks, grabbing onto the overhead handle for support and his hand securing the laptop.

"Seungjae-oppa, don't tell anyone about this, okay? Especially not Joon Hwi." Sol ignores his question as she speeds up the car, turning into a drop-off point of a train station.

"Sol A, you're-"

"Sorry, oppa. But I need to find him. I can't sit and wait for the police anymore. I promise you, I'll be safe." Sol says. Seungjae couldn't say no. He knows how stubborn Sol is, how when she decides on something, she will commit to it wholeheartedly.

"If he's armed, you could get yourself in danger." Seungjae exasperatedly sighs. It was too big a risk to see the junior he treats as a little sister put herself at risk.

"I'll be fine. Look, you're on my speed dial. You know that I can handle myself. There's a reason why I took years of self-defence classes." Sol tells him. Seungjae nods his head unwillingly.

"You better call me after you're done." He says as he opens the door and gets out of the car. "Please, please stay safe." Sol nods and gives a small smile.

"Thank you, oppa." Sol drives away immediately, leaving Seungjae to pinch his nose bridge in frustration and concern. Silently, as he boards the train, he prays for Sol's safety.

-----

Sol knows the area well. As she parks her car at a carpark, she checks to make sure Manho is still at the bar. The blinking dot stays stagnant at the bar, not moving ever since she dropped Seungjae off. Getting out, she tightens her coat around her and thanks herself for the long trousers she's wearing. At least she isn't wearing a skirt, if she needs to beat someone up.

Entering the bar, she naturally takes a slow walk around. But hidden by the corner of the bar tables sit a lone man, with a cap, dressed in black button up and holding a glass of golden whiskey. She knew that was her target.

Taking a seat next to him, she orders a glass of soda water from the bartender. Man Ho chuckles next to her as he sets his glass down. Turning his head, he faces Sol with sly eyes, lips curled at the corner.

"Prosecutor Kang, you're quick." She hears him say and a chill goes down her spine. She lets her eyes meet the cold stare of Manho.

"Oh, you think I don't know you? You're the one after me more than the police are for the past weeks." Man Ho sinisterly says, a sick grin on his face. Sol grits her teeth and takes a deep breath to soothe her anger.

"Why are you doing this? You think it's fun?Watching my clients suffer?" Sol says through her gritted teeth. He only scoffs.

"My, my. Don't want you getting agitated now, don't we? We just started." He says, sipping from his glass again.

"Answer my question." She says with force. Man Ho sips on his glass, swirling the golden brown liquid against the large square cubes of ice as he exhales.

As the words fall from his mouth, Sol grows as cold as the glass in her hand. Her hands slightly shake as she hitches her breath. When her shaky eyes turn to Manho’s, his eyes are sly with a mocking grin. No, he can’t know.

"You’re just as feisty as your sister, aren’t you?”

[star-lemonade]

School reunion (1/3)

A.C.E Junhee x Reader

Cw: bulling, kinda angsty, Junhee is a sweet heart though

Rating: T (Series R)

Word count: 3.6 k

Summary: You hire someone to accompany you to your school reunion.

I can’t believe I’m actually doing this. The laptop sat on the kitchen table and the page in the browser was taunting you. You stared at the screen from your spot against the kitchen counter. The empty boxes waited for you to fill in your information. Should I really do this?

You sighed and filled some water into the kettle just to delay having to make a decision. The other thing on the kitchen table was not better. It was an invitation to your school reunion. The reunion was scheduled for the Saturday of the following week at your old school. School. Even the address on the paper brought a bad taste to your mouth.

“You’re so ugly, who would ever date you?”

“I dare you to kiss her.”

“Yak not even for money”

You shuddered. No, no, there is no way I will go there alone. You sat down at the table and began to fill in the form. Name, address, phone and age. On the next page they asked about the occasion or event and you typed: school reunion.

Time? about 3 hours. I won’t stay there for too long.

Gender preference? Hmm I don’t actually care. ‘Don’t care’ was not an option, so you chose ‘man preferred’ over the ‘man only’, ‘woman preferred’ and ‘woman only’ options.

Age preferences? 25-35. I can’t show up there with an 18 year old.

Your finger hovered over the enter button. The shadow of your school days was still haunting you and made your hand heavier until you finally clicked check out.

You had officially rented a plus one for your school reunion.

A day after you had filled out the form you received a message from an unknown number.

“Hello, this is Junhee. I will accompany you to your school reunion next week. Would it be okay if I asked some questions so I can prepare?”

“Hi, Junhee. What do you want to know?”

“How should I introduce myself?”

You chewed on your lip. As you typed the next message your face felt warm.

“As my boyfriend.”

It felt so sad to ask this of a total stranger and you prayed he would not judge you for it. Please don’t question this, please don’t question this.

“How long have we been together?”

I guess that is a valid question someone could ask. You thought about it for a moment. It should not be too short but also not too long. The fact that you did know much about each other would make it not believable that you are together for years.

“A few months maybe?”

He asked a few more questions like “where and how did we meet?” (“at work while getting coffee”) and you answered them with whatever struck your mind.

“Okay. I think this is enough for me. Thank you!”

You sighed. This was actually more complicated than you had anticipated. At least now it felt real as opposed to just a scam to get money from people. Three dots appeared on your screen again.

“One last thing. This is also in the terms of service, but we all must remind our customers about this: I am not a hooker and you did not book sexual favours.”

Your face burned when you read that. Surely no one had asked for that before, had they?

“Of cause not, I just don’t want to go alo-”

Before you really thought about it, you had accidently pressed ‘send’ instead of backspace. Oh no. OH NO.

“Shit.”

My escort knows how pathetic I am. ‘As if he did not know before’ another part of you interjected. Your phone vibrated again.

“It’s okay, I will do my best to keep you company :)”

You did not know what to answer and just send:

“Thank you.”

As the reunion neared you found yourself thinking about it more. A sort of dread had settled in your chest. After all these years you would finally face your bullies. The people who had belittled you for not been pretty enough and made you believe that you could never find anyone who loved you. The worst thing was it seemed that they were right. You were single and you even had to hire someone… no. No, you would not let them get to you. The past years had been the happiest you had ever been. You had friends, even if they were not many, and you did well at your job. There was nothing not to be proud of. Even if you were single now, that did not mean you were unlovable. It just meant that you had not met a person that fit. You would walk in there, head held high and show those petty bitches you were not afraid of them anymore.

Your mood oscillated between confident and anxious for the whole week. You did not want to give them the satisfaction of knowing you were still so affected by them, that their mere presence could make you stay away. No, you had to go. Like this you killed the time to the day of the reunion.

You had rented a dress from a rental service. It was not too fancy but you simply did not own that many dresses and the ones you had did not seem appropriate. Someone on the organizing committee had decided that nice dresses and suits were what they wanted to see. You had messaged Junhee to wear something appropriate for that dress code.

“In a few hours it’s over.”

Your mirror image was not convinced by this but it was all you could do now. Backing out last minute would make you look bad, even if you really wanted to. All of this seemed like a bad idea. What if they found out that you had hired someone to play your boyfriend? You would be the laughing stock of the whole school and this after you had not been in school for years. For a moment you considered just taking off the dress, putting on some sweaters and sitting down on the couch. Your phone made a noise. A new message had arrived.

“At 5 pm at the station, right?”

Junhee.

“Yes. See you there.”

As if it was mocking you, the sun shone from a bright blue sky. The people on the street smiled more than you had seen in some time. On the other hand it was maybe your imagination. Now that you were walking to what could be the worst night of your recent history, everyone seemed in a better state than you.

You arrived at the station.

“I’m wearing a red dress.”

Maybe the dress was a bit much. It had seemed like a good idea. Wearing red would make you stand out. Now, however, that was the opposite of what you wanted to do. Fading into the background, turning invisible and just straight up going back home was what you really wanted right now. The only thing that was that held you back was the thought of the money you had spent upfront for your plus one.

Two young women stopped next to you. One of them sat her backpack down and tried to stuff a paper bag into it.

“Should I help?”

Her friend watched her struggle with amusement. Despite her offer she did not help backpack girl but looked around instead.

You shifted your attention to your phone. Junhee had seen your message. Good. I hope he will be here soon. So we can get this over with.

“Jeez, I wish my boyfriend looked like that,” the girl said as her friend proclaimed: “I’m done. Let’s go.”

Backpack girl dragged her friend away. At least she had a boyfriend. It was not like you needed a man in your life but it would be nice sometimes. Next week I will try tinder. From past experience that was not likely but the thought alone seemed to pacify your mind for now. Getting a boyfriend was future-you’s problem. Present-you had to worry about that goddamn school reunion.

Someone said your name.

“Hmm?”

You were not sure which part shocked you the most: the crisp black suit that hugged the man’s body perfectly, the curly dark hair that looked straight out of a romcom, the beautiful lips and handsome face, the million dollar smile or the soft voice that said your name. It was hard to choose.

“Ehm?”

“Hi, nice to meet you. I’m Junhee.”

“ID please.”

You showed it to the sour faced student behind the supermarket counter. He nodded and you paid. Buying hard alcohol in broad daylight was highly suspicious but this situation called for it. You definitely could not do this sober. Junhee had sat down on a bench not too far from the supermarket. The black suit and white dress shirt fit him perfectly. It was as if watching a photo shoot for the next wedding catalog. Oh, this is a catastrophe. You unscrewed the bottle and took a good mouthful. The cheap alcohol burned in your mouth and all the way down. No one in their right mind would believe he is my boyfriend. It could not be more obvious that you had hired him. Junhee watched the cars go by. The sun made his hair seem more brown than black and the light breeze moved the soft locks. You took another gulp and stuffed the bottle in your handbag. Did I accidentally book a model? There had not been an option for that of course. I should have asked for a photo. You left the store and walked over to Junhee. Maybe I should just send him home and go drink at a bar.

When he saw you, Junhee stood up. His charming smile filled you with dread. This is a car crash waiting to happen.

“Did you get everything?”

You nodded. Soon the alcohol would hit your brain. Maybe then you would care less about everything. You could not bring yourself to send Junhee away. He had come here, looking sharp and you had paid money for him to be here. Your stinginess won against better judgment, so your only option was the original one: go to your old school.

It felt like there was a black cloud of doom that thickened as you got nearer. The bad experiences from the past made every step you took towards that hell hole more difficult. You wanted to run away.

“Can I take your hand?”

Junhee. You had almost forgotten about him. He had not said anything for the past ten minutes or so. Maybe he felt that now was not a good time to talk. You offered your hand. He interlaced his fingers with yours. It had been some time since you held someone’s hand and it made your heart beat faster. Or maybe it was the liquor.

You turned the corner and there it was. The building looked the same as in your memory. Whoever had the idea of starting the evening here before instead of going to a restaurant directly, did not have your gratitude. Walking through the front door stiffly, you clenched your hands. Your whole body was tense. You were ready to fight or flee at any second.

Voices were coming from the gym. Next to the open door stood a table. On it were pens and stickers. As you approached a woman came through the door and smiled at you. It was the most fake smile you had seen in some time.

“Welcome! Please make a name tag for yourself.”

She made a swiping gesture to the table. You let go of Junhee’s hand and wrote your name on a sticker. The woman watched Junhee as he made a tag for himself. You had never been the jealous type but right then wanted to claw her eyes out.

“Have fun.”

You almost felt her looking as you entered the gym. The hall was filled with bar tables groups had formed and all eyes were on you. At one of the empty tables you stopped.

“I will get something to drink. What do you want?”

You barely heard your own answer over the ringing in your ears. The ceiling had been decorated but it made the hall seem more shabby. As if the paper garlands were only there to hide the cracks in the grey concrete. You looked around.

They looked back at you from the other table, pointed and smirked at each other. Your bullies. They looked old. The ten years since graduation had carved lines into their faces but they tried to hide it by applying too much makeup.

You felt sick.

“Hey.”

A hand landed on your shoulder and you jerked. Junhee pulled back his hand. He studied your face.

“Do you want to leave?”

You looked up. Leave? Leaving meant giving up. They won if you left. No, no you were strong. Your hand strangled your purse. You would not run away from them. Junhee‘s brown eyes watched the tremor in your hand.

“Let’s go,” he whispered and took your hand. Your skin was cold and sweaty against his as Junhee dragged you out. You were so shocked, you did not even say anything until you had left through the front door.

“Stop!”

You ripped your hand free from his grasp.

“You should not stay there any longer.”

“That is not your call to make,” you snapped at him.

His face flushed.

“No, but it is the right one.”

Before you could talk back he continued in a calm tone: “You don’t care about any of those people and they don’t care about you.”

He waved his hands.

“I don't know what happened in the past but you are not here to meet some old friends.”

Your eyes burned. Don’t cry. Don’t cry. It’s humiliating. You tried to blink the tears away but your vision blurred.

“Not here.”

Junhee grabbed your shoulder and led you away. The tears fogged your vision, so you just followed wherever he was going. Your feet moved on their own accord and you were thankful for it. Holding back an undignified sob took up all your mental capacity.

“Sit.”

You collapsed on the bench. There was nothing holding the tears back now. You looked like an idiot in front of everyone. Your bullies had seen you turn up with an escort only to run away the second they looked at you. And now you cried on a bench in front of said escort. How pathetic had your life become? You had not felt this bad since leaving school.

Get a grip. There was nothing to be done here. You did not feel better by telling yourself this, but at least one of these could be fixed. Try to stop crying.

You concentrated on a point on the ground. The concrete was cracked there and something green had started to push its way to the surface. Plants are amazing. They can even exist in these places.

Your eyes still burned and your nose was all clogged up, but you had stopped crying.

“I’m sorry, Junhee.”

You looked up. There was no one around. When did he leave? You sighed and your eyes burnt again. I guess it is just that kind of day. Going home sounded like a good idea but you could not bring yourself to get up. The weight of your sorrows kept you on the bench. You could not even blame Junhee for leaving either. Usually you were very composed and rarely had outbursts of any kind, but today was just not your day.

“Here.”

A bottle of water entered your field of view. Your gaze followed the arm that was holding it up until you met Junhee’s eyes. You took the bottle and almost cried again because he was still here. For better or worse he had not abandoned you on a bench.

The water was cold. It had clearly been in a fridge not too long ago.

“Thank you.”

Junhee sat down next to you and waited while you drank the water. This day, although it was not over, was already a train wreck. Very carefully Junhee asked: “Can we get something to eat?”

You nodded slowly. Food was not a bad idea. You had skipped lunch because you had not been hungry at the time.

“Sure.”

Junhee stood up and looked around, hands on his hips. He turned to you and asked in a hushed tone:

“Where do we have to go?”

There was nothing funny about it but you laughed anyway. Junhee looked like a lost puppy and when he saw you laughing, he pouted. Now this really was funny.

“The station is that way.”

Junhee looked at his phone. He took off his tie and pocketed it.

“Technically I’m free to go now.”

You raised an eyebrow. “We just got here and ordered food and you want to go?” was what you wanted to say but swallowed it. You were still embarrassed and grateful that Junhee was there with you. He had made dumb jokes all the way to your favorite restaurant. It was almost on the other end of town but it was the only place you wanted to be right now.

“So, you wanna leave?”

“Leave? No, no!”

He waved his hands frantically.

“I … meant I’m not here because of work now.”

The soju had painted Junhee’s cheeks a rosy red. It looked good on him.

“What do you do when you don’t do this?”

You gestured vaguely at you and him sitting together in your favorite restaurant. Surely it had to be model or something like that just based on what you had seen so far. Technically you were not supposed to ask personal questions but your contract was done. Technically.

“I’m a student. I study computer science, but I will graduate soon.”

He took a sip from his drink. That rang a bell in the back of your mind. Computer science? Someone was talking to me about that not long ago. Who was it?

The waiter came and set your food on the table. He opened the lid of the barbecue that was mounted in the table.

“Have a good meal.”

“Thank you.”

When you left the restaurant, the sun had set. You felt a little awkward. It had been nice spending time with Junhee even if you had been very distressed earlier. Before you could really think about it, the words fell from your mouth.

“Thank you for spending the day with me. It was nice.”

You did not look at him. It felt unnatural but you meant it and had to say it.

“It was nice for me too.”

Junhee’s hair was not as neat as earlier. The waves had flattened and the way he always combed it left it looking disheveled. His cheeks were flushed from the food and the drinks.

You were not sure what to say. “Goodbye for ever” seemed a bit odd.

“Good luck with your studies. See you around.”

“Goodbye.”

You left Junhee at the restaurant and walked home. It was not too far so you could walk. The night air was refreshing after the stuffy restaurant. It also cleared the dryness of your eyes and nose.

Your apartment was dark and empty. You took a quick shower, put on your pyjamas and went to bed. The day had been emotionally exhausting and you were drifting into the fuzzy precursor to sleep. Your mind drifted through some memories and thoughts but nothing was clear. It hit you. You were wide awake because your brain had found the answer to the question. You grabbed your phone from the nightstand. The light from the screen nearly blinded you.

John, a name he had chosen because none of his overseas clients could pronounce ‘Seungmin’, was the CTO of a company that had their offices in the same building as your company. Without thinking much about it you sent Junhee John’s number.

“He is looking for some computer science people. Maybe that’s something for you. Anyways good luck and best wishes.”

You tried not to think too much about that day. It still felt like a defeat even months later. You had run away from your bullies. They had looked at you and you had folded. It was a bitter memory. The logical part of you noted that it was not worth your time, that you should focus on the tasks at hand and live your life.

You spent time with your friends and on your hobbies. Indeed your spirits lifted slowly. The less time you spent ruminating about the past the more time you could spend on other things.

“Let’s get lunch. I’m starving.”

You agree with your colleague. You grabbed your phone and keys. Your colleague was already at the elevator and held open the door.

Two floors down the elevator stopped and the door opened.

“Hey!”

John and some of his staff entered. You waved and smiled. John was a man in late 40 or early 50s, you had never asked, but he gave off the youthful energy of someone who loved his job. A ‘ding!’ announced the closing of the doors but John jammed his leg and arm between it.

“Hurry up, newbie! We can’t have you starve on the first day!”

Steps echoed in the hallway and the newbie flew into the tight space. The young man had dark hair and wore round glasses. With the dark blue sweater and the jeans he gave off the youthful vibe of a university student. He was very handsome and your face burnt.

Junhee.