#its follow up Strangers. well be still my beating heart‚ because he's back and he's only brought George Bulman himself‚ Don Henderson along

[mariocki]

New Scotland Yard: My Boy Robby? (2.13, LWT, 1973)

"Why?"

"It's the hearing in the magistrates' court tomorrow. They wanted to frighten you. Show you they were serious."

'But they must have known that I'd phone you?"

"People who live in their sort of world often miscalculate the effects of violence and threats on those who live outside it."

[multi-fandomfuckboy]

Stranger Than Fiction

Part 28: Games

Billy Hargrove x Reader (Slowburn)

Part 1,... (Masterlist)...Part 28, Part 29 (Coming Soon)...

AN: lol I'm back on my bullshit. Word Count: 3,874 Warnings: allusions to abuse

It’s a short ride. Neither of you speak, allowing the music to fill the space between you. It’s comfortable. You listen to each song as the cassette plays through the specific mix curated by its maker. Max had shown you a few of these ‘mixtapes' Billy had made the day you waited with her. You don’t fully understand how he’s able to get each song to seamlessly blend into the next despite the variation in artists and rhythms. 

Then a song comes on that grabs your attention. It’s the same loud tune, a guitar continuously strumming along with the beat of drums and bass. The thing that stands out to you are the lyrics. 

“People think I’m insane,  because I’m frowning all the time…  I need someone to show me the things in life that I can’t find I can’t see the things that make true happiness,  I must be blind.”

“Who sings this?” You ask, glancing sidelong at Billy. 

“Black Sabbath.” He tells you, keeping his eyes ahead. “It’s one of their older songs but it still holds up.” He explains pulling to a stop in front of his house. When he moves to cut the engine your hand reflexively grabs his wrist, stopping him. 

“Wait. I want to hear the rest.” You tell him, using your other hand to turn up the volume.   Billy doesn’t fight you, watching you in silence as you listen to the rest of the song. 

“Make a joke and I will sigh And you will laugh and I will cry Happiness I cannot feel And love to me is so unreal… I tell you to enjoy life I wish I could, but it’s too late”

Your heart gives an uncomfortable squeeze for a beat as the song ends. There is a tense moment before the next song begins where you notice Billy's pulse under your fingertips. You don’t know why you're squeezing Billy’s wrist so tightly. You slowly uncurl your fingers, sitting back in your seat. The lyrics bounce around in your mind as you sit there. Billy finally cuts the engine, ending the music as well. 

“You okay?” Billy finally asks, lifting a brow. You nod.

“Yea, it’s just weird. How something can sound so loud and angry but under it all it’s actually really sad.” You explain. “Like a cry for help.” Billy’s lips quirk up slightly.

“Maybe that’s what they were going for?” He says. “Music is just another way to tell a story. I’m surprised you’re not more into it.” He tells you, moving to exit the car. “If you thought that was good I’ll have to show you some Bon Jovi.” He goes on as you follow him out of the car and up the steps towards the house. “I’m assuming you have no idea who that is.” Billy says with a smirk. 

“Yea yea, save it. Max already thinks I’ve been living under a rock for the past 17 years.” You reply with an eye roll. Billy huffs a laugh. 

“That little shit wouldn’t know dick about music if it weren’t for me.” He says, pulling out his keys. His words are harsh but there is no heat to them. 

“Well this is a first.” You quip as he unlocks and opens the front door, stepping to the side to let you enter first. “A whole different experience than coming in though the window.” You joke, stepping into the house. 

“We can always go around back if you’d feel more comfortable.” He jokes back, following you in. You take a moment to really look around as Billy closes and bolts the door behind you. You’ve never been in this part of the house, only glimpsing at it through windows. It’s not a large space and it’s clear that 4 people occupy the small domicile. Bits and pieces of everyones lives are scattered around. 

“I think I’m good.” You reply. You notice that there is a clear clash in interior design through the house. The free weights contrast with the decorative rug under them. Beer cans stacked next to decorative shell decor on the mantle. Someone had tried to make this house a home, but there was something off. It felt like two personalities were struggling to mesh into a comfortable middle, it was unstable, chaotic. 

Billy moves around you to lead you deeper into the house but before you can move any further Max’s voice calls from her room. 

“Billy, I need to go to the arcade! Where did you-oh.” She stops short seeing you in the living room. For some reason it feels like you’ve been caught doing something you shouldn’t, a pit of anxiety taking root in your stomach. 

“Hey Max.” You greet, giving her a half wave. She just watches you skeptically. Her narrowed eyes dart between you and Billy. 

“What’s your malfunction?” Billy snaps after the silence lasts a moment longer than is comfortable. 

“Are you two dating?” Max asks bluntly. 

“What?!” Both you and Billy ask in unison. You share a confused glance before turning back to Max. Your face heats exponentially. 

“Mind your own business you little shit.” Billy bites at the same time you try to explain. 

“He’s tutoring me in history.” A smirk, eerily similar to Billy’s, spreads across Max’s face. 

“Is that what they call it these days?” She asks, crossing her arms and leaning against the wall, a taunting lift in her brow. 

“If you want a ride, I would shut the hell up.” Billy says sternly, narrowing his eyes at the redhead. 

“Jeez, learn how to take a joke.” Max huffs with an exaggerated roll of her eyes. She ducks back into her room, leaving you and Billy in the living room. Billy just shakes his head, clenching his jaw as he heads for his room. 

“I swear if her attitude gets any worse Neil is going to lose his shit.” He mumbles, pushing his hair back from his forehead. “Be ready in 20 minutes!” He yells after her. The only confirmation that she heard him comes in the form of a dramatic groan. 

“That’s how all kids are at that age. I was so argumentative my mom and I didn’t have a pleasant interaction for weeks at a time, and don’t get me started on Hopper. I’m pretty sure I took years off his life with my attitude.” You chuckle fondly at the memory of your painful growing years. 

“Sometimes being a kid isn’t a good enough excuse.” Billy replies calmly. Your stomach twists uncomfortably remembering how Neil had looked at his own son that night not so long ago. 

“Neil and Susan are in Indianapolis Christmas shopping, so I’m playing chauffeur for the day.” Billy explains, entering his room and heading straight for the bed, flopping down on it. 

“I don’t mind helping watch her.” You offer without much thought. You hover in the doorway, suddenly nervous about being in his room alone with him. It’s not like you had never been in his room alone before, you spent many nights sitting across from him on the bed pouring over history lessons, keeping your voices low to not wake anyone else in the house. But something about being here in the daylight, not sneaking around, it makes your stomach swirl. You glance around, his room looks the same as it always does. Bed half made, cigarette butts stamped out in the ashtray next to the cassettes on the nightstand. You do notice that there is now a small dent in the wall next to the mirror, but you can’t be sure that it wasn’t always there.

“Neil would kick my ass if he knew I pawned my responsibility off on you.” Billy explains, propping himself up on his elbow to see you. You absentmindedly skim your fingers over the outside of the doorframe.

“It’s not ‘pawning’ them off on me. We would do it together.” You reason with him. Your fingers catch on something cold and metal on the outside of the doorframe. Leaning back to glance at what you’re touching you see the latch of a lock. Glancing at the outer side of the door you see the other half of the latch. Something cold prickles down your spine.

This isn’t just a teenager wanting privacy, the way this latch is set up, it would function to lock the door from the outside. Why would anyone need that? Your mind struggles to make sense of it. 

“He wouldn’t see it that way.” He tells you flatly. 

“Then don’t tell him.” You say simply, stepping fully into the room. “I’ll help you out today and I’ll be gone by the time they get home. “ you explain, sitting gently on the edge of the bed next to his legs. “Just like when we painted the porch.” You remind him. You watch something dance behind his eyes at the memory from this summer that feels like a hundred years ago. “Consider it part of my tutoring payment. I know the food isn’t a fair trade.” You insist. When he finally nods, giving in, you have to smile. 

“Fine. But only because the idea of dealing with a prepubescent she-devil by myself makes me want to stick needles in my brain… and leaving her alone is not an option.” He tells you, sitting up next to you. His thigh presses against yours, and the proximity sends sparks over your nerves. 

Remembering the promise you made yourself before leaving home you try to scoot away to put some distance between your bodies. Billy notices the movement immediately. 

“Oh sorry, am I making you nervous?” He asks, leaning in even closer, one of his arms going behind your back. He’s not touching you, but he’s close enough that you can feel him if you lean back even slightly. You struggle to hold his gaze.

“No.” You say simply, not trusting your voice to say more without shaking. 

“You sure?” He asks, lifting a brow. You feel him lean in even closer, you swear you can feel the heat coming off of him. You force yourself to hold his gaze and remain still, fighting the urge to pull away. Like a game of personal space chicken.

“I’m fine.” You practically whisper, your voice sounding too loud with how close he is. When he chuckles you can feel the warmth of his breath against your cheek. His eyes shift between yours. You can see the flecks of green in his sky blue iris. Your breath mingles with his and you smell his last cigarette mixed with spearmint gum. You swallow thickly, gritting your teeth together in defiance. 

“You can tell me if you’re not.” Billy insists, his voice just as soft. He’s flirting but you can hear the seriousness laced in his tone. He’s making sure you know he’ll stop, if you ask. Something about that knowledge eases the panic in you. Shifting slightly you tilt your chin up, watching him the way he always looks at you.

“I’m okay.” You say more confidently. You see his adams apple bob as he swallows, his eyes seeming to darken. His gaze flickers to your parted lips so quickly you think you imagined it. Your mouth suddenly goes dry, your stomach flipping at the memory of what his lips felt like against you-

“Right, that’s what ‘not dating’ looks like.” Max’s voice calls loudly from the doorway. You feel like a bucket of ice water has just been poured over your head as you pull away from Billy. Embarrassment floods through you as Billy leaps from the bed lunging towards the door. 

“Fuck off!” He yells, slamming the door closed. 

“I still need a ride!” Max yells from outside the door, pounding on it for emphasis. Billy’s shoulders are tense as he stands with his back to you, his arms braced against the door. You see him take a deep breath, then another, bowing his head as he lowers his arms, slightly adjusting the waistband of his jeans. 

“You sure you want in on this shit show?” He asks, turning to lean back against the door. Max pounds on the door again, shaking its frame. You manage a dry laugh, trying to shove all the mortifying shame you feel into the back of your mind. 

“Oh this is nothing. Try telling Mike Wheeler a campaign needs to end early. Kid turns into a gremlin.” You tell him, pushing yourself off the bed. Billy lifts a brow. 

“I’m more surprised that you know what a gremlin is.” He admits teasingly. You roll your eyes. 

“I do have a life outside of this room you know.” You tell him. You won’t admit that the only reason you know the plot of gremlins is because Steve insisted on catching you up on all the big hits you had missed while you were in the hospital, not that you had actually seen it in theaters. 

Billy watches you approach with a healthy dose of skepticism. 

“Come on Hargrove, put on a brave face. I hear they can smell fear.” You joke, clapping a hand on his shoulder. 

“I’m going to be late!” Max yells, pounding harder. 

“Be my guest Loca, I always knew you had a death wish.” Billy says with a smirk. Your heart pounds at the memory of your first meeting. It feels like a million years ago, like you were an entirely different person, and looking at Billy’s confident smirk, the teasing glint in his eyes, you wonder if he’s a different person now too. 

Without another word, Billy whips open the door to reveal a very agitated Max.

“Finally!” She exclaims, turning on her heel striding towards the front door, her bag already slung over her shoulder. Billy shoots you a look over his shoulder before following after her. 

“Hey, Max?” You call, slipping in front of Billy to catch up to her. She only glances at you, still heading for the door. “Do you mind if I tag along to the arcade?” You ask. Your words cause her to halt, turning to face you with the full force of her scrutinizing glare. You feel Billy come to a stop behind you, her eyes dart to him before returning to you. 

“Did he ask you to babysit me?” She asks indignantly. 

“No!” You say, throwing your hands up. “I just thought you could teach me some stuff. I’m not very good and I hear you kick the boys' butts on a regular basis.” You explain, hoping it comes off as genuine. She studies you for another beat, seeming to weigh the pros and cons of allowing you to come with her. Finally, she shrugs. 

“Fine. But don’t try to talk to me while I’m playing. It throws me off.” She instructs, turning for the door. When her back is turned you quickly give Billy an enthusiastic thumbs up, earning another eye roll. 

The three of you climb into the car, Billy turning the volume up to his usual bone shaking level as he whips out of his spot, speeding down the road. It’s a short ride into town, especially with how Billy drives. When he comes to a stop outside the arcade you climb out, pulling the seat forward to allow Max out. 

“I’ll meet you in there.” you tell her. Needing no explanation, Max jogs to the doors slipping into the dimly lit building. You can see the boys' bikes already lined up outside. “You coming?” you ask Billy, leaning back into the car. 

“Hell no. I can babysit just fine from here. You couldn’t pay me to go into that dork pit.” He scoffs. You roll your eyes at his stubbornness. 

“Oh come on, tough guy. Where is your sense of adventure and whimsy.” you ask, only receiving an unimpressed look in return. 

“Whimsy?” He asks, his lip curling at the word. 

“I’ll buy you a coke.” you offer, hoping that bribery will soften his resolve. Billy’s lips press into a firm line, you can see his jaw tick as he grinds his teeth. 

“Fine.” he says after a moment. “But I have to run an errand real quick.” He tells you. Thinking this is some kind of trick to get out of coming in, you narrow your eyes. 

“You promise to come in when you get back?” you ask, extending your pinky to him. He lifts a brow, a dry laugh escaping him.

“What are you 12?” He asks. When you don’t show any signs of joking he heaves a sigh, linking his pinky with yours. “Fine, yes. I promise I’ll come back and watch you be terrible at dig dug, dork.” He promises with a teasing smirk. 

“Good.” you smile, letting his pinky go and stepping back. “And I’m not that bad.” you clarify, closing the door and allowing him to pull away from the curb. 

It turns out that you ARE that bad. 

Max allows you to take the first turn, even offering you pointers, but by the end of your third turn she takes over explaining that she can’t stand watching you throw away quarters like that. You’re a sorry excuse for a gamer, your brain having trouble communicating quickly enough with your hands on the controls. It’s alright though, you have more fun watching Max and the boys take turns trying to beat each other's scores. 

The longer you observe the group of adolescents the more you note the change in dynamic among them. Max and Lucus are openly interested in each other but don’t seem to know how to navigate this new realm of relationship. Mike appears distracted, constantly glancing at his watch. You assume he’s anxious to see El. You know that Hopper has started allowing the two to hang out at the cabin and though you’ve pushed for El to have more social time, Hopper's old habits die hard. His paranoia is persistent. You can’t say that you don’t understand where he’s coming from. 

Dustin and Will seem more irritated than anything with the new shift in priorities within the group. 

After roughly 30 minutes of watching Max wipe the floor with the boys scores, you venture to the opposite side of the arcade. You want to give the group space but also stay close enough to keep an eye on them. You scan the games, searching for one that you can play without too much instruction. Ms. Pac-Man seems to be simple enough, and it’s located in a spot that allows you to watch your group bounce from game to game. 

Inserting your first quarter you begin the game. You’re able to keep up at first, but when the ghosts start to speed up you can't seem to evade them quick enough. After your 4th quarter your pride is stinging. 

“Fuck…” you curse to yourself as once again you are cornered by the little red ghost. Before you can insert another quarter, you feel someone approaching from your left, coming too close to just be passing by, tensing your hand itches to lash out but you stop yourself when you realize who it is.

“Hey.” Keiths’ monotone voice greets you. You know him from school, and to your knowledge the two of you had never actually spoken to each other. 

“Hi Keith.” you reply politely. You aren’t sure why he’s approaching you. You know that he works here so possibly you were doing something wrong. “What’s up?” you ask. Kieth seems to swallow past something in his struggle to speak. 

“I see you around sometimes.” he tells you, unable to meet your eyes. You don’t know what to say to that.

“Yea, I babysit so I come in to keep an eye on my kids sometimes.” you tell him. 

“That’s cool.” he mumbles “You know I could help you with some of the games if you want. Are you alone today?” He asks. You know he doesn't mean for it to sound as creepy as it does but you can’t help your slight cringe. 

“No, I’m actually with-” you move to gesture towards Max but are cut off when Billy appears next to you, casually draping an arm over your shoulders. 

“Me.” He finishes for you, keeping his eyes on Keith who looks like a deer caught in headlights. 

“O-oh, cool.” Keith manages to mumble, taking a step back. “Nevermind then” he manages to get out, obviously resisting the urge to turn and run. Understandable with the way Billy is glaring daggers at him.

“I’ll see you around.” you offer Keith a kind smile. He only nods sheepishly before retreating further into the arcade. Sighing, you swat at Billy’s side, causing him to drop his arm from your shoulder with a chuckle.

“What was that for?” he asks, doing his best to look genuinely confused. You see right through it to the self satisfaction he's really feeling. 

“Did you have to mad dog him? He was just saying ‘Hi’.” you tell him. Billy scoffs, moving to lean against the game. 

“Yea, right.” He says, sarcasm dripping from every word. “You didn’t see how he’s been eyeing you, trying to work up the courage to come ‘say hi’.” he tells you, throwing air quotes around your words. 

“And how long were you watching that?” You ask, crossing your arms over your chest. Billy shakes his head, his curls falling across his forehead.

“You’re missing the point.” He tells you, deflecting the question. 

“What point is that?” You ask, shaking your head as you dig a quarter out of your pocket and lean over to place it into the game. When you straighten up Billy has taken a step into your space. You could take a step back to give yourself some room, but you don't. You stand your ground, tilting your head up to meet his stare head on. 

“The point is that you’re playing a game you don’t know the rules of and guys like that-” he jerks his chin in the direction Keith had run off. “Will take advantage of that.” he tells you, his voice low. You know he’s too close. That you should take a step back. That the way he’s looking down at you is too personal. That either one of you could close the distance between you with a breath. 

“I’m not really good at games.” you admit, feeling the heat rushing to your face. Still you can’t seem to look away. Billy’s sharp gaze seems to soften slightly at your admission. 

“I know…” He says softly, his eyes shifting between yours. “I just watched you die 4 times and not even make it past the first level of Pac-man.” He says, his teasing smirk overtaking all the gentleness that had once been in his eyes. Finally, you pull back shocked.

“You stalker!” you accuse, Billy just chuckles turning to face the game. “And I was multitasking.” you try to defend your abysmal performance, gesturing to the group now huddled around galaga. 

“Sure, sure. Let me show you how it’s done.” he says confidently, starting the queued up game. 

“Hey! That was my quarter!” You protest. Billy only chuckles again.

“I’ll get the next one, crazy.” he tells you, keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.

AN: sorry this took so long... again!

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[alltheirdamn]

Killing Me Softly | (Joel x teacher!f!reader)

Chap. 9 Act 1, Scene 1

Summary: Time passes, but the memories remain. Rating: 18+ Word Count: 6.7k Warnings: **THIS CONTAINS SERIES SPOILERS** angst, language, mentions of alcohol, brief mention of vomiting (tw for anyone with emetophobia), slight duel pov A/N: Well... the imposter syndrome has hit me HARD. I'm extremely discouraged by this chapter, but i hope its a decent enough follow-up to what y'all read last :/ bear with me, the last two chapters will MORE than make up for it. i promise.

Masterlist | Ko-fi

Time didn’t exist anymore. 

You woke up. You went to work. You came home.

Over and over, the cycle went, and the days passed with no significance. You didn’t eat much, your appetite dwindling just as much as your motivation. It started to show in the way your clothes hung on your body and how your face thinned out. If you cared, you would go to the store and actually buy food, but the possibility of running into Joel kept you away. 

Joel.

Two weeks had passed since parent-teacher conferences—two weeks since you had hidden the book far away. You considered re-writing your lesson plans for next year; you never wanted to teach Romeo and Juliet again. You weren’t strong enough to analyze a story you had shared so intimately with someone you now considered a stranger because that’s what Joel was now: a stranger. A stranger you could still pick out in a crowd of a million people, a stranger whose lips were still imprinted on your skin even after countless hours spent in the shower. 

He was a stranger, and you hated him.

You were perched on the couch with a glass of wine—as most nights went now—when your cell phone buzzed on the coffee table. You didn’t reach for it initially; it was most likely your mom. She had tried calling a handful of times since you had hung up on her weeks ago. You never once called back, but you listened to the voicemails when you were drunk enough. Your dad had been discharged last week and started physical therapy for his hip. Stella and her boyfriend were moving in together somewhere in downtown Boston. And Beth…your mom never once uttered her name. She knew better than to do that. 

But the continuous buzzing of your phone began to irritate you, and you reached for it with an exasperated sigh. An unknown number flashed on the screen, igniting a sudden burst of anxiety inside your chest. Setting your glass down, you inhaled and answered the phone.

“Hello?” You cautioned.

Your name filtered through the receiver, a voice you weren’t expecting to hear.

“Bennett?” 

“Yeah, it’s me,” he sighed. 

“I didn’t think you’d reach out,” you said. “I tried to see you in the hospital, but Natalie…” You let your voice drift off. 

“I know. She’s not big on the idea of talking to you at all.”

“I’m so sorry again, Bennett. Joel shouldn’t have done that. I really don’t understand why it got to that point. I—.”

“I deserved it,” he said, cutting you off mid-sentence. 

You shook your head, your fingers knotting through the tangles in your hair.

“No, Bennett. No, you didn’t. He could have killed you,” you argued.

“He’s a man of his word, I’ll give him that,” he laughed. 

It was odd to hear Bennett talk so casually about this as if Joel hadn’t pummeled him into the ground. He should be mad, so why wasn’t he?

“Should I be waiting for a call from your lawyer soon?” You asked wearily. 

“If I wanted to come after you or Joel legally, I would be the one to do it. But that’s not happening,” he sighed. “It's too messy of a situation, and I really don’t want to go through the hassle. Natalie says otherwise, but she doesn’t really understand the situation.”

“The situation,” you echoed. “Joel told me his side of things after they took you to the hospital.  I still don’t remember anything, Bennett. Even if I did, I wouldn’t have been able to reach you. You left. You disappeared completely and broke my heart.”

There was a beat of silence. You took the opportunity to down the last of your wine, the beginnings of a light buzz coursing through your veins. Don't get angry, you told yourself. You didn’t feel much of anything anymore, but anger was never too far out of reach. Sitting with that emotion and festering in it was easy if you let yourself. Bennett deserved your anger just as much as the rest of them, but you needed answers more than you needed to feel anything.

“There’s a lot to explain,” he finally said. “I’m not sure if you even want to see me again, but I can drive up to Austin this weekend and tell you everything. Or at least everything from my side.”

Seeing Bennett again would unfurl so many unchecked emotions: heartbreak, betrayal, grief. But it would be something you needed. Joel wasn’t the one you were with those two years following the accident; he wasn’t the one you had walked down the aisle expecting to see. Bennett had been with you through it all. You wanted to hear it from his mouth. You wanted an apology and an explanation.

“Okay,” you exhaled. “We can do that. Will Natalie have an issue with it?”

“Natalie won’t know.”

“You’re going to lie to your wife?” You laughed bitterly at his admission. He was still the same person through and through. 

“She’s fine,” he huffed through the phone. “She doesn’t understand any of this anyway.”

“Whatever you say, Bennett. We can meet at a coffee shop this weekend. Don’t abandon me again. I deserve an explanation.”

“I won’t.”

The guilt in his voice was thick, and you relished knowing he was suffering. Everyone, not just you, deserved to suffer for what they did. 

You quickly ended the call with Bennett and returned to the silence surrounding you. Knowing you’d see him in just a few days was unsettling and uncomfortable. The lingering grief he had left still hollowed out your heart. No amount of apologies would fill it, but it could sew up the remaining holes. 

What couldn’t be filled was the gaping hole Joel had left within your heart. Secrets wrapped in scar tissue and carnage that could never be fully healed, and it still infuriated you that your love for him still festered inside. It buried itself deep under the confines of your numbness, but sometimes, when you lay awake at night, you could still feel it. You ached for him in growing unbearable ways, but you had to continue with your life. 

You hadn't prepared yourself to see Bennett the first go around, and you had since thrown out the shirt still stained with his blood. Now, you were standing amid a pile of clothes strewn around your feet, your hair still wet and wrapped in a towel, and a face that screamed insomnia. You looked beyond amends.

After another hour of procrastination and a ticking timeline, you threw on the most basic T-shirt and jeans and left your hair a wet mess.

It was only Bennett.

It wasn’t serious.

Nothing was these days. 

You pulled into a spot in front of a cafe a little ways into town, your car sitting idle as you stared at the storefront. You could faintly make out Bennett’s silhouette sitting in the window, yet your body wouldn’t move. You were feet from all the answers, but the anxiety bubbling inside you made you immobile. Did you actually want this? Was it better to be blissfully unaware? 

Would the answers hurt you more than help you?

Before the constant questions led you to flee, you opened your door and decided to face the truth. Walking into the cafe, your eyes connected with Bennett, and your heart sank. Even from a distance, the scarring on his face was horrible: a thick, red, jagged line stretching down his temple and ending at his cheekbone. Another raised scar creased his left eyebrow, dragging down the arch over his eye. 

Joel did this. 

Inhaling, you met him at the table, sliding into the chair without a word. Bennett’s lips curled into a smug smile, one you still hated, and his eyes glazed over your body. 

“You look like shit,” he stated. 

“You’re one to talk,” you shot back, rolling your eyes. 

He shrugged, leaning back comfortably in his chair. Your eyes flicked down to the ring on his finger, the gold shimmering through the sunlight hitting the windows. 

“She really has no idea you’re here?” You questioned, nodding your head towards his hand. 

Bennett glanced down at his wedding band, his fingers twisting around the metal mindlessly. 

“No, she doesn’t. She thinks I’m out of town on business.”

“And where’s home for you now?” You asked. “I never really found out since you up and left without a trace.” You tried to swallow the bitterness coating over your words. 

“I live in Houston now. I found a firm seeking out a junior partner and settled down in the city,” he explained. “Trust me, I didn’t want to leave my life here, but it was the only option.”

You studied him momentarily, watching any signs in his body language that would frame him as a liar. But you found nothing to fault. 

“What do you mean it was the only option?”

Bennett leaned forward, intertwining his hands together.

“What exactly did Joel fill you in on?” Bennett asked, cocking an eyebrow.

You shifted in your seat. Bennett’s words hit a nerve inside you, one that was buried deep within the numbness and itching to revive itself on a spark of anger. Was there more Joel had kept from you? How much more heartbreak could you take before you completely withered away?

“He said you and I broke up after we moved to Austin,” you started. “That’s when I met him, and we started dating. I don’t know specifics or much more, but Joel said that when I woke up in the hospital, I asked for you, and that’s when my parents decided to reach out to you and cover up my memory.”

“He left out… a lot,” he emphasized.

“Oh.” 

“So, where do you want me to start then?” 

You chewed on your lip, glancing outside as the cars drove down the main road. If you had told yourself two years ago you’d be sitting in front of your ex-fiance learning about a life you never knew existed… you’d laugh. You’d laugh and tell yourself you’d gone crazy. 

“From the beginning,” you sighed. 

Bennett leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms behind his head. His eye twitched, the tight scar scrunching the skin around it. You averted your eyes, dropping your gaze to your hands as they fidgeted in your lap. 

“Obviously, you remember us moving to Austin,” he started. “It was probably a month or two after that when we started arguing a lot. You were always mad at me for working too much. You complained all the time that I wasn’t present or whatever.” You deadpanned him when he said those words; it was the same as the arguments you remembered during the engagement. Bennett shrugged off your glare and continued. “Anyway, you finally got fed up with everything and called it quits. You moved in with your teacher friend, whatever her name is… I don’t remember.”

“Maria,” you grumbled. “Her name is Maria.”

“Right, yeah.” Bennett quirked a grin as if he knew the buttons he was pushing. “So, you moved in with Maria and must’ve met Joel shortly after that. We didn’t keep in touch during those two years, but I missed you—a lot.”

Now, it was your turn to hit him with a rueful grin. He was so full of shit, just like you remembered. 

“I don’t believe that for a minute,” you scoffed. 

“Believe whatever you want, but I did miss you. Even with all our fights, I loved you,” he admitted. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you, so after a while, I decided to reach out. I asked if we could go to dinner and talk, you know, work things out. I didn’t expect you to agree to it, but you did. And you know what happened? You laughed. You laughed at everything I said. You told me you were finally happy and in love and that you’d never consider the chance of getting back together. You sure do know how to hurt a man's pride.”

“You probably deserved it,” you said, shrinking back into your chair. 

“Yeah, probably,” Bennett exhaled. “Doesn’t matter now, though. Anyway, after dinner, you left, and that’s when the accident happened. I had no idea until your parents called me to the hospital and explained it all to me. Looking back now, I can see how incredibly fucked up it all was, but I wanted a second chance. Joel wasn’t happy with the plan at all. As a matter of fact, he punched the shit out of me right when I walked into the room.”

“What?” You balked. 

Bennett laughed dismissively, running a hand over his jaw. You tracked his moments, imagining what Joel must have looked like when he saw Bennett that night. An unwelcomed pang of guilt swarmed inside your chest, not for Bennett, but for Joel. You still hated him, but you couldn’t image the pain he had felt knowing he was losing you. The guilt subsided as you reminded yourself he had a choice to step in, but he allowed it all to happen anyway. He was an accomplice to your parent’s plans. He didn’t fight for you, and that realization stung. 

“You alright?” he asked, tilting his head to study you. 

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you faltered. “Just—just keep going.”

“Okay,” he cautioned. “I agreed to go along with your parent's plan. I knew it was fucked up, and I knew it would bite everyone in the ass one day, but I did it because I loved you. I wanted a do-over with you, and it felt like the perfect opportunity.”

You nodded slowly, letting his words sink in. If this conversation had happened weeks ago, you would have reacted differently, but there was no anger left to exhaust. You couldn’t be angry at Bennett, at least not for this. You were still allowed to resent him for what he did during the engagement and for leaving you at the altar, but this? This wasn’t something he did; he went along with everything because he loved you…supposedly. That was still arguable. 

“So, you got your perfect opportunity and decided to fuck it up.” 

Bennett inhaled sharply, drawing his lips into a thin line. There he was, the asshole you remembered. He didn’t like when you called him on his shit, and that’s exactly what you were doing. 

“I tried to make it work,” he argued. “I mean, I tried the best I could. I didn’t want to lose you again. So, yeah, I might’ve tried to prevent the chances of you getting your memories back, but it was because I loved you. Then I just got sick of trying. I got sick of you always asking questions and me having to lie. It was exhausting. And then you started saying Joel’s name in your sleep, and I just—.”

“Wait,” you interjected, holding up your hand. “I—I said his name in my sleep?”

Bennett laughed, running a hand over his face. There was a shift in his demeanor, a mixture of anger and sadness. 

“Why do you think I slept on the couch most nights? I couldn’t fucking stand it,” he grumbled. 

“Bennett, I didn’t fucking know I was doing that!” You shouted. A few people turned their heads at the rise in your voice, but you didn’t care. The anger was awakening inside you again, pounding to get out of the cage you had locked it in. 

“Yeah, I know,” Bennett said, rolling his eyes. “I still hated it. I hated knowing that even when you slept, you still loved him. I was never going to be the person to make you happy.”

Tears stung your waterline, and you swiped them away before they could fall. 

“That’s why you left.” It wasn’t a question. It was a realization. 

“I called Joel the night before the wedding,” he confessed, cringing at the admission. “I told him how I felt, and he told me to leave. Well, he didn’t tell me… It was more like he threatened me. He told me that if I didn’t, he’d find me. We both agreed to stay out of your life, and I think you can piece together the rest.”

You sat before him, speechless. You knew it all along; you were the reason Bennett was unhappy. Instinctively, you always knew it. But hearing it aloud? That was a pain you weren’t ready for. Everything was your fault, from beginning to end. Bennett couldn’t love you, Joel couldn’t fight for you.

Why were you so unloveable? 

None of this was your fault, yet everything pointed directly back at you. 

You had nothing left to say to Bennett, so you shoved away from the table and fumbled for your purse. He said your name cautiously, grabbing your wrist before you could turn away. You tried to free yourself from his hold, but he squeezed tighter. 

“Stop!” You snapped. 

“I’m sorry, okay?” Bennett pleaded. “I really am, whether you believe it or not. I fucked up a lot, and I regret the way I left. It wasn’t fair to you.”

“This apology would have meant a lot more two years ago, Bennett,” you cried, still trying to free yourself. 

“I know it would have, but I’m doing it now. Alright? I’m sorry for everything I put you through, and I know none of this has been easy for you—.”

“You don’t know shit,” you seethed. 

You finally wrangled yourself out of his grip, rubbing your wrist to alleviate the pain from his touch. Bennett stared at you, agonized. You had walked in here hoping for an apology and got it. But it wasn’t enough. What was the point in all of this if nothing healed the pain inside you? 

You stumbled out of the cafe with blurry eyes, the cage bars inside you breaking piece by piece. It was only minutes before the anger fully consumed you, and you needed to leave before you let it wreak havoc on everything around you. You needed silence. You needed solitude. You needed a hole to crawl into. 

Before you could open your car door, Bennett called out your name and tore you away from the swirling thoughts inside your mind. You tried to ignore him, but he was relentless. Whipping around to face him, you came face first with his chest as he pulled you into an embrace. 

“I’m sorry,” he whispered, tightening his arms around your ridged body. “Hate me all you want, but don’t hate Joel. I can have my own grievances with him, but he loves you more than I ever could.”

You slumped into his chest, letting the anger overwhelm you to the point of complete defeat. Crying in Bennett’s arms was the last place you ever expected to be in, but here you were, sobbing into your ex-fiance’s chest. He held you through each wave of emotions, remaining solid and silent. 

“Hey,” Bennett whispered, pulling away. “Obviously, I don’t know shit about what’s going on with you, but it’s going to be okay. It’ll take time, but you’re going to be alright. I hope you get those memories back one day. I really do. You deserve to remember the things you lost, and I’m sorry for ever getting in the way of that.”

“Thank you,” you mumbled, wiping away the tears streaming down your face. 

Bennett gave you a soft smile and said his goodbyes. You watched him as he retreated to his car, waiting for him to drive away. As you turned toward your car again, you glanced up at the hardware store across the street, meeting the eyes of someone familiar. Someone you didn’t expect to see. 

Joel’s brother, Tommy. 

The resentful glare in his eye was deadly, and you couldn’t hide from it. He saw you with Bennett. He would tell Joel, even without knowing what had just transpired. For a brief moment, you wanted to rush over and explain everything to him, but you stopped yourself. It didn’t matter what he told Joel—at least, that’s what you told yourself. You could only shy away from Tommy’s scrutinizing stare and duck into your car. 

You had been gone too long from your numbness, and you missed it. It was time to bury yourself in your sadness once again and continue trying to unlove Joel Miller. 

**

Joel dumped his tools on the dining table with an exasperated sigh. He immediately reached for the fridge, grabbing a beer and popping it open in one fluid motion. As he leaned against the counter with the bottle at his lips, Joel heard the garage door slam shut. Peering around the corner, he tracked Tommy’s movements as he walked into the kitchen. 

“What crawled up your ass?” Joel grumbled. 

Tommy shrugged off his button-up and tossed it over a dining chair. He ran a hand through his greasy black curls before glancing at Joel. Joel shifted uncomfortably, trying to make sense of Tommy’s demeanor. 

“Seriously, Tommy,” Joel huffed. “Spit it the fuck out.”

“I saw her downtown,” Tommy finally said. “She was with that ex-fiance. The one you almost killed.”

Joel swore he felt his heart stop beating. Tommy must have seen wrong; it wasn’t you. It couldn’t have been you. You wouldn’t seek out Bennett, not after everything. You weren’t even seeking Joel out, even after two weeks of earth-shattering silence. 

“Are y’sure it was her?” Joel asked through clenched teeth. 

Tommy nodded, his eyes drawn to the floor. 

“Yeah, it was her. Not sure what was goin’ on between them, but I saw them huggin’ and all that outside of a lil’ cafe,” Tommy explained. 

“Probably doesn’t mean nothin’,” Joel shrugged, trying to let denial take over.

If he could deny it, then none of this was real. You weren’t with Bennett again—that wouldn’t happen. You wouldn’t do that. Bennett wouldn’t do that. Maybe Joel should have killed him. It would have torn you apart, but at least Joel could sleep at night knowing Bennett would never be in your life again. 

“Joel,” Tommy said, pulling him from his vengeful thoughts. 

“It doesn’t matter!” Joel yelled, slamming his beer bottle onto the counter.

The glass rattled between his fingers, and a slow trickle of liquid began seeping out of the crack he created. Joel glanced down at it, unbothered. 

“She’s not comin’ back, man,” Tommy sighed. “Y’gotta start movin’ on.”

“Go fuck yourself, Tommy,” Joel snapped.

He shoved off the counter and began to retreat down the hall, but not quick enough for Tommy. Tommy sidestepped in front of him, arms folded and a scowl twisting his lips. Joel knew Tommy hated everything about this situation, but he wasn’t the one experiencing the pain. He was just a bystander in all of this; he didn’t lay awake every night tossing over your words inside his head. 

I will never forgive you for this. 

Joel wasn’t losing you. He already lost you. 

“Listen, Joel. I know this is hard on you, but y’gotta face the truth. She’s gone, man. I know you tried your best to get her back, but it’s just not gonna happen. She deserves to make her own decisions for her life.”

“I know,” Joel sighed. “Doesn’t mean I don’t love her, still.”

Tommy’s brown eyes softened as he looked at Joel, his head dipping in agreement. 

“No one said y’had to stop lovin’ her,” Tommy offered. 

“I don’t think I ever will,” Joel said. 

Joel didn’t sleep much that night. Tossing between the sheets, Joel couldn’t steer away the thoughts of you in another man's arms—let alone Bennett’s. When Joel had seen you at parent-teacher conferences, he wanted to fall to his knees and beg for your forgiveness. He knew you had taken the news rough, but seeing you so physically distraught was another type of pain he hadn’t been prepared for. You were a hollow shell of the woman he loved; your voice held so much bitterness when you spoke to him. Your eyes didn’t look at him with love…it was his own personal Hell. Parting ways with you like that nearly killed him, but not knowing what was going on in your life killed him more. Joel had spent two years in limbo after your accident, always wondering what life would be like if he had you back. And then he had it. He had three beautiful months with you, albeit they were spent wearing rose-colored glasses, but he had you again. 

In the blink of an eye, in one messy series of events, he lost you.

He lost you, and he knew you’d never come back. 

**

~Six months later~

You thought time would heal the wounds left inside your chest, but you were wrong. Days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months, and nothing felt better. You stopped talking to your family altogether, and the phone calls stopped coming after some time. Beth never tried to reconcile with you, nor did you try to fight for answers. Having your heart broken by Joel and Bennett was one thing, but having it broken by your sister was a different kind of pain. It was visceral. It was a betrayal so brutal you still had yet to recover. Thinking of the things she had said to you in Boston only left you with debilitating headaches; her words festered deeper than anyone else’s. 

The truth is that you are a fucking idiot. And on top of that, you’re a coward.

You weren’t the coward; Beth was. She chose to hold onto those secrets for the last few years and weaponize them against you. You weren’t the idiot; you were the victim. You were the victim in all of this, yet everyone wanted to pin the aftermath on you. 

You were a mad woman, haunting an empty house with no one to confide in. You cut off all friendships with other teachers, especially Maria. You became a hands-off teacher, only going as far as in-class readings, quizzes, and occasional tests when necessary. The students adapted to the shift in your mood, and while you lived with the guilt of becoming that teacher, it was the only way you could survive the work days. The less effort you put into things, the less risk you had for disappointment or frustration. 

Sarah avoided you at all costs during class. She no longer participated in class discussions—which were far and few—but kept her head low and her grades satisfactory. Sometimes, you’d catch her watching you during class, her hazel eyes swimming with concern. You couldn’t stomach looking at her for more than a few seconds. You weren’t sure if she ever reported back to Joel about you, and honestly, you didn’t care. Well, maybe sometimes you did. It didn’t happen often, but there were fleeting moments of unwelcome flashbacks to your time with Joel months ago. Flashes of his hands on your body, his crooked smile, his deep voice. They wove through your mind at the worst moments, and everything hurt again. 

The school year had finally ended, and your days were filled with endless bouts of nothing. You exhausted everything: plucking weeds in your front yard, rearranging your kitchen cabinets (for the seventh time), building a new bookshelf…You found anything you could to keep yourself busy and the wandering thoughts at bay. 

The Texas heat was becoming unbearable, so you opted to spend the weekend indoors, siphoning through your closet. Heaps of clothes cluttered the ground around you as you tore apart each shelf, miscellaneous keepsakes piled in the corner. It wasn’t until you were elbow-deep in the crevices of your closet that you found the book. 

Romeo and Juliet.

The flimsy spine and dog-eared pages taunted you. You sat motionless with your hands hovering over the book, torn between flipping through the pages and setting it on fire. Minutes passed, though they felt like hours, and you remained paralyzed, stuck in limbo between the past and present. You’d tell yourself it was a moment of weakness, but you grabbed the book and let your hands move through the pages. 

“Under love’s heavy burden do I sink.

And, to sink in it, should you burden love;

Too great oppression for a tender thing.

Is love a tender thing? it is too rough,

Too rude, too boisterous, and it pricks like thorn.

If love be rough with you, be rough

with love;

Prick love for pricking, and you beat love down.”

The words hit you harder than you expect. Staring at the margins of the pages, scribbled with your words and thoughts, you blinked back tears. You thought you were strong enough for this. Tossing the book halfway across the bathroom, you succumbed to the tears that pooled in your eyes. Laying on the messy floor, you wrapped your arms around your shins and stared at the book as it taunted you from across the room. Your eyes caught onto something peeking out of the pages, and you slowly tilted your head. 

That wasn’t…

No. 

You couldn’t pull yourself to your feet, so you decided to crawl to where the book lay. As you got closer, you started to make out the grainy features of Joel plastered onto a Polaroid. With shaking fingers, you lifted it into the light, your eyes growing wide. Basked in the hue of sunset sat Joel, his broad torso dressed in a white shirt, with the biggest smile plastered on his face captured in a moment of laughter. Something sparked inside your chest as you stared at it longer, your eyes memorizing every softened feature of Joel’s face. He still had that patchy beard you were so familiar with, the sparse spots along his jaw no different than they were now. Creases around his closed eyes proved that his laughter in the photo had been genuine. 

You missed his smile. 

Shaking away those tender thoughts, you tried to pull yourself to your feet, only to have your ankle caught in a strap of a dress, sending you crashing to the floor. Your arms tried to brace for impact, but you didn’t catch yourself in time. Your body smacked against the corner of your shower door, your head taking most of the impact. 

And everything went dark. 

“Sarah, you’re a mess!” You laughed. 

Her curls were caked with mud, and half her clothes were soaked. You, Joel, and Sarah had decided to drive into the small town outside the campground for dinner, and of course, you got caught in the rain. As you all made a beeline for the diner, Sarah tripped into a huge puddle between cars, splattering rainwater and mud all over herself. Joel couldn’t contain his laughter, and neither could you. 

Joel took a seat on the beach outside the diner, trying to catch his breath from laughing, but every time he glanced up at Sarah’s messy face, he lost it all over again. You scrambled through your backpack to find your Polaroid camera, snapping a quick picture. 

“Hey!” Joel laughed, grabbing you by the waist and dragging you down to the bench. 

“What?” You asked innocently. “It was the perfect opportunity! Plus, you look extra handsome right now.”

“Handsome, huh?” He smirked, peeking you on the cheek. 

You shook the Polaroid as it developed, presenting him with the proof. He was handsome. So fucking handsome. Joel reached for the camera in your hands, turning it quickly on you. You stuck out your tongue, trying to hold back another fit of laughter. 

“Perfect,” he grinned before turning toward Sarah. 

“Alright, kiddo. Smile!”

“Dad, stop!” Sarah wined. 

But Joel was too fast, the camera shutter going off right in time to capture Sarah’s big pout. 

Each of you had a Polaroid now, picture proof of a happy family. 

Pinpricks of pain stabbed into each side of your head as you finally roused from your sleep. You squinted through the harsh light of the bathroom, letting your eyes readjust to your surroundings. Everything was foggy, but you remembered. 

Oh God, you remembered everything. 

The nausea was quick to hit you, and you scrambled to the toilet. You weren’t sure if the fall was to blame for the sudden disruption to your body or the memories slamming back into place, but you were helplessly stuck with your head over the toilet. Flash after flash, like the shutter of your camera, everything fell back into place. 

“Oof! I’m so sorry!” You said, rubbing your nose.

You had turned the corner too quickly and smashed right into the solid chest of a student’s father. 

“S’all my fault, miss.” 

The voice alone sent shivers up your spine, but they multiplied as you gazed up into a pair of deep brown eyes. You lost all the words in your vocabulary as you took in the sight of the most handsome man you’d ever seen. He was too rugged and masculine to call ‘cute’; handsome fit him so much better. With dark scruff covering his jaw and creases around his eyes, whoever this man was…he was stunning. You were captivated.

“I really should have looked before I turned the corner,” you rambled. 

“Don’t go apologizin’,” he said, offering you a kind smile. “I coulda got outta the way.”

“Do you make a habit of taking up an obscene amount of space?” You joked. 

“Depends on the hall,” he countered, extending his hand. “Joel Miller.”

You told him your name, then shook your head. 

“I should probably keep it professional. You can call me Miss Smith.”

“Nah, don’t need all the formalities here. Your name is just fine.”

“Is your daughter enrolled here?” You asked. It was hard to maintain the color creeping into your cheeks. 

“That she is,” he said proudly. “Goin’ into third grade this year. She’s a real good kid.”

“I bet she is. I’m only student teaching while I finish my Master’s program, but I’ll be taking on a position with middle school students next year. Maybe she’ll be my student one day.”

“I reckon she’d be pretty lucky,” he offered. 

“Yeah?” Now, you were definitely blushing. 

“Yeah,” Joel smiled. “Somethin’ ‘bout you makes me think you’ll be one of the best teachers in the school.”

“That’s a bold statement, given the fact you hardly just met me.”

“I wouldn’t hate it if I got to know you more.”

Your eyes shifted down the hallway, watching for any teachers that might be coming. You weren’t sure what the policy was for flirting with a student’s parent, but it was hard to stop when he was so enticing. 

“I don’t think I’d hate it, either.”

Another wave of nausea hit you, and you groaned. The room was spinning, your body ached from falling, and countless memories continued to pile up inside your mind. 

You were overwhelmed. 

Those two years of nothing became everything in the span of minutes. 

Dragon Tales was playing softly in the background as you curled your body around Joel’s. His hand was tracing circles around your shoulder as you both “watched” the TV. Something electric pulsed between your bodies, an unavoidable shift that had continued to unfurl over the last several months. You didn’t know how to verbalize your emotions—at least, not without knowing if he felt the same. 

“Joel,” you whispered.

His eyes were already on you when you finally glanced up. It was written all over his face. It was the proof you needed; he felt the same. 

“Yeah, baby?”

“I really like you,” you confessed. “Okay, well, maybe I really, really like you.”

“Maybe I really, really like you, too.”

You peeled yourself from his warm body, turning to face him completely. 

“I’m gonna say something,” you warned. “Please don’t freak out. It’s okay if you don't—.”

Joel’s lips were pressed against yours before you could finish the sentence. You melted into his touch, your hands coming up to tangle in the messy curls at the nape of his neck. He held you firm to his mouth, his tongue dragging over your bottom lip. 

“I love you, baby,” he mumbled. “So much.”

You reeled him in for another frenzied kiss, all your efforts to contain your smile going down the drain. Oh, God. He loved you. 

“I love you, Joel.”

You sagged onto the bathroom floor. The throbbing in your head was growing stronger and stronger with each memory. You wanted to tear your brain from your skull and flush it down the toilet, but that wouldn’t help anything. This was what you wanted, wasn’t it? All your memories were coming back, and yet, you desperately wished they would fade away again. 

You loved Joel. 

It was a fact you already knew, but remembering the exact moment you admitted…. You were going to be sick all over again. 

“Y’look so pretty in my t-shirt, baby,” Joel hummed.

He lay up against the headboard of the bed while you paced the room. You gripped the binding of your copy of Romeo and Juliet, your mind racing a thousand miles a minute. It was hard to focus when his bare chest was on display, the spattering of dark chest hair swirling down his torso and disappearing under the waistband of his boxers.

Focus. 

“Don’t distract me!” You pleaded. “Okay, you know how I was talking about how Romeo is just head over heels for Juliet? Get this: they kiss right away in the first act! He’s so bold with how he speaks to her, and then he just kisses her. And Juliet’s response is basically telling Romeo that all of his sin is on her lips now.”

“And what happens next, baby?” Joel asked, quirking a smile. 

“Romeo says, ‘Give me my sin again’, and then they kiss… again!” 

“Ain’t he just a romantic,” Joel chuckled. “Now, can y’get your sinful ass in bed?”

“What? This one?” You teased, flipping up the hem of his shirt. 

Joel’s eyes dropped to your backside as you exposed your naked body, and he nearly went flying across the foot of the bed to grab you. You shrieked with laughter as he tugged you onto the comforter, flipping you onto your back. 

“C’mere, baby,” he growled.

His lips trailed down your neck, sucking marks into the skin just below your collarbone. You let out a small whimper and helped guide the t-shirt off your body. Somewhere along the way, your book had dropped to the ground, but you didn’t care. You’d much rather give into the sin of Joel’s lips on your body. 

It felt like an eternity had passed when your stomach finally settled. You managed to drag yourself from the floor, staggering your way into the bedroom. The migraine behind your eyes had still yet to subside, so you threw yourself into bed and buried your body under the comforter and pillows. You had everything back—everything you wanted—but why wasn’t it enough? 

The images of Joel swam through the pressurized ache inside your mind; his smile refracted in the blinding light of a constant camera shutter. Snapshots of the past dissolved from the darkness, fragmented puzzle pieces slowly molding into place. 

Another flash, another memory. 

A frustrated scream erupted from your mouth, muffled into the pillows surrounding you. Every thought started and ended with Joel. Joel. Joel. Joel. Was this how it felt to go crazy? 

It was clear that sleep was evading you; it ran from the thought of Joel quicker than you could. Pulling yourself from the bed, you emerged into the bathroom once again and began rifling through the piles of clothes. 

What the hell were you supposed to wear to see someone who was no longer a stranger?

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

the breakfast

lilac, chapter two

a/n: when my love, @chvoswxtch, asked me to bring the horny energy of miss patty from gilmore girls, of course I fucking did it, I'm not a criminal, that's what we all deserve

summary: “well, hello stranger.” 

warnings: lumberjack!frank castle x reader, lumberjack AU, pete castiglione era, past domestic violence, crazy ex trope, slow burn, wholesome villagers being adorable

word count: 2373

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The Lilac Inn wasn’t just an inn to the citizens of Dunbrook. It was its beating heart, a hub for the small community to gather. 

As the town’s only culinary establishment, the residents had always made a habit of eating a fair amount of their meals in the inn’s dining room, the door to the kitchen often staying wide open so that Harvey wouldn’t have to leave the stove in order to catch all of the juicy small-town gossip that had people blabbering. 

“Dad, did you turn off my alarm?” you snapped as soon as your scurrying feet carried you into the bustling kitchen.

Not lifting his eyes from the loaf of bread he was currently slicing, your dad simply countered with a jovial, “well, good morning to you too, sleeping beauty!”

“Dad,” you sighed, jaw clenching at his usual demeanour, the paralysing dream you’d just roused from not setting you up to be in the right mood for such a level of positivity. 

“You just looked like you could use the extra hour or two,” a smile still warm on his lips, the middle-aged man defensively raised his hands.

“But I’m supposed to help you out,” your eyes followed his movements as he trotted towards the stove, “I can’t do that if I’m asleep.”

“Exactly,” your dad passed by a hook full of tangled textiles and tossed you an apron, “that’s why I let you go a little longer so that you wouldn’t doze off on me before lunchtime arrives.” 

“I wouldn’t have dozed off…” you mumbled pettily as you tied the linen around your waist. Exhaling lowly as you watched him crack two eggs into a sizzling skillet, you asked, “what can I do?”

“Well for starters,” he tossed the shells into a small scrap bowl to his side, “these were the last eggs, so if you could go get some more out by the front desk, that would be superb.”

“Why do you have eggs on the front desk?”

“Because Otto’s chickens are laying a lot right now and so he told me he’d give me some today when he swung by for breakfast.” 

“Wait, Sheriff Nilsen has chickens now?”

“Yeah, has for a long time,” the decade of you not living here grew palpable, “he usually just drops the extra ones off here, so they should already be there because I just took his order two minutes ago.”

“Alright,” you disappeared through the back door and snaked down the narrow corridor, ending up behind the messy reception area. 

Your eyes didn’t have to search for long before you noticed the petite basket, brimming with beige eggs, resting on the top of the counter right beside the small rolodex that displayed what date it was. Grasping it in your hand, your vision momentarily drifted down to the small, framed photo nuzzled behind the ever-open logbook. Sitting on the swing that still hung from one of the sturdy trees out back, head adorably posed in a tiny palm, there a 7-year-old version of you sat, forever frozen in that singular moment, beaming up at the camera. 

“Ah!” a sharp voice boomed as you heard the front door swing shut, “oh my goodness, oh my god! Y/n!”

Raising your chin, your eyes grew wide at the rotund woman beaming at you from the doormat, “miss Rays!” you hurried around the front desk, “oh my god, it’s been so long!” 

Capturing you in a hug, she pressed your form into her bosom, “darling, we’re not in bed together, call me Donna.”

Pulling back with a light chuckle, your eyes fluttered over her features, “you haven’t changed one bit,” her lipstick still a fiery shade red and hair still short and feathery framing her plump cheeks.

“You however have,” she clasped your free hand in hers, guiding your figure to give her a good view, “oh, do a little spin for me,” you bashfully obliged with a giggle, “yes! Honey, who is this woman, what have you done with the adorable little girl I used to tutor?”

To your knowledge, Dunbrook never really had a proper school, but for as long as you could recall Donna had always operated as a teacher to the handful of children that called the reclusive mountain village their home. Even though it was just run out of her living room, she had still been the best teacher you’d ever had, her patient way rivalling any of the professors you had to endure when you went off for college. As a matter of fact, she had been the person who’d pushed you to send in the application, praising that you were too clever not to go out and change the world. 

“Oh, stop it,” you sighed light-heartedly, a chuckle still bubbling out of your chest as you shifted the subject away from your own appearance, “so, you still come here for breakfast?”

“Of course, I do, you’ve tasted your father’s cooking,” readjusting her purse, she hooked her arm in yours, “a real shame that he’s never accepted any of my offers of becoming your stepmom,” she leaned in to add as you crossed over the threshold into the dinner room, “I could have been served all my meals in bed like some Egyptian queen!” 

“I’m sure you can easily find another fellow that can handle himself in the kitchen,” the click-clack of her heels came to a stop by one of the small round tables, her eyes briefly taking in the other patrons before a slight crease appeared betwixt her polished brows. 

“Oh, darn it,” her vision stayed glued to the table in the corner as she lowered herself onto her seat, “he’s not sitting at his usual table…”

“Who?”

“The eye candy over there,” she tilted her chin in the direction of the broad, muted flannel-clad back of the man sitting by the window furthest down at the bottom of the room, “you see, I asked your dear father to always reserve this spot for me just so that I can have a great view, if you know what I mean…” gulping down the rest of his coffee, the man’s head tilted enough for you to recognise whom the rugged looking visage belonged to, “oh boy, I tell you, if I was 30 years younger…”

Haven assumed that you’d never again run into the stranger who’d helped you just the day before, a warm flutter suddenly trickled down your spine, “like that’s ever stopped you before,” you pointed out, snapping your eyes out of their trance, “so, uh, do you know what you want to eat or do you just want some coffee or something while you think on it?” you took two steps towards the oblong table where mismatched teacups where stacked and the steam of a few thermoses, all containing a different hot beverage then the next, billowed out.

“Some coffee would be lovely,” she smiled as you with one hand snatched up a mug and the decanter labelled as such, “and some oatmeal if you don’t mind, sweetie.”

Promptly pouring her a cup, you then signed off with a wink, “you got it,” before your vision landed upon the latest of Donna’s abundant infatuations once more. 

Attempting to make the short journey seem spontaneous and effortless, you bounced from table to table, topping off people's cups, before reaching the final one. 

Drawing in a deep breath, your embarrassingly giddy voice then found his ears, “well, hello stranger.” 

Eyes flickering away from the newspaper sprawled out before him, a look of shock washed over his gruff features as he glanced up at you, “oh, hi.”

“Pete–, it is Pete, right?” you checked, slight mortification beginning to brew within your belly. 

“Yes, ma'am,” his head nodded ever so slightly.

“Do you want a refill, Pete?” you savoured the taste of his name on your tongue. 

“Sorry?” his brows furrowed at your offer. 

“Your coffee,” you pointed with the hand that clutched the handle of the thermos, “do you want some more?”

“Oh,” he breathed, though the puzzled look didn’t seem to fade, “yes, always.” 

Leaning in slightly over the newspaper, you filled up the drained mug, only a murky ring at the bottom indicating what it had previously contained, “and can I get you something to eat as well?” 

Eyes narrowing, he stared up at you, “is your vacation really already so boring that you got a job here or what?”

“Oh,” you couldn’t help but breathe out a light chuckle as you answered, “I’m not on vacation and I guess, kinda,” staring back into his eyes as you attempted to repeat your question, “so, do you want any–,” though before you could finish the sentence, out pranced your father, a plate of food balanced in his palm. 

“2 eggs sunny side up and some sourdough toast, as per usual,” he sang as his long arm came down to slice the air between your forms, placing the dish upon the table. 

Briefly catching his eye, Pete then offered a polite nod of gratitude, “thank you,” folding the paper up and scooting the meal closer. 

Feeling the small basket of eggs disappear from your grip, you blinked back at your father as he softly requested in your ear, “honey, could you give me a hand in the back when you’re done out here?”

“Sure, dad,” you flashed him a smile before watching him disappear once more. 

Feet still glued to the floorboards right by Pete’s table, your vision then returned to him as his deep voice washed over you, “so, you’re Harvey’s kid, then?”

“Yep, that’s my dad,” your balance briefly shifted as you rocked on the balls of your feet, “thank you, by the way, for yesterday.”

“Oh, it’s no problem,” his fork punctured one of the golden yokes, “how’s your car looking?” 

“I don’t really know yet. The local mechanic is taking a look today, so fingers crossed it’s not anything too catastrophic,” you felt your palms begin to sweat as he simply stared up at you in silence, “anyhow,” you averted your gaze nervously, “I’ll stop bothering you, let eat in peace,” you nearly bumped into the chair behind you as you backed up towards the kitchen, the near accident not managing to draw any words out of him, only the hint of a smile twitched at the corner of his lips, “see you around, I guess…” 

“Hey, dad?” 

Briefly raising his eyes from the logbook cracked open on the wooden counter, he glanced up at you as you bounced down the wide staircase, “yeah, pumpkin?”

Hand tracing the railing, with the aid of the grip, you swung your form around the last post as you ascended the final step, “did you know that the hot water doesn’t work? Like at all.”

“Yeah, that and about a million other things around here,” he sighed, vision returning to the ledger as you rested your folded-up arms upon the top of the reception, “this is a beautiful historic building… and what I mean by that is that there are too many things that either don’t work the way they should or at all. I am not a millionaire, honey. If I was, then the issues wouldn’t be piling up the way that they are…”

Bottom lip snug between your teeth, your mind raced a moment before you quietly theorised, “exactly how long is that list?”

Eyes racing to find your eyes, your father joked, “why? Did you become a contractor while living in New York or something?”

“No, but I was always the handy one out of the two of us,” you noted before your shoulders raised in an innocent shrug, “how hard could it be?”

“Let me get this right,” he raised a palm up between you as his eyes crinkled even further, “you’re telling me you wanna try and patch this place up?”

“Well, it couldn’t hurt the business side of things. When was the last time you booked out more than two rooms at a time here?”

“Oh, no, no,” the moustachioed man then began to shake his head, “you’re not turning this place into some fake, glossy tourist attraction.”

Swinging around to his side of the counter, you assured him, “hey, I’m not saying let's flood this place with tourists, but maybe just a handful more?” tilting your head in an attempt to catch his gaze that had now returned to the open book, “just enough to make ends meet, perhaps also enough to at some point hire someone else so that you won’t work yourself to death…” 

Eyes frozen on the page before him, a long exhale then flowed from his lungs as he deliberated. 

“Alright, fine, yeah, I guess that wouldn’t be that bad…” he tried to downplay the smile that blossomed upon his lips.

Spine pressed against the edge of the front desk, you then braced with your palms and hauled yourself up onto the spot that was just clear enough for you to sit there without knocking any knickknacks over. 

“So,” you drew out, searching for a new topic to explore, “Donna seems to be quite set on that guy Pete to be her new husband, huh?”

“Oh, yeah,” Harvey chortled, “but you know her, she’s like a dog spotting a pheasant every time she sees a new man. I think genuinely I might be the only person in town who isn’t either terrified of him or has some desire to sleep with him.”

“How long has he been here anyway?”

“Eh,” he glanced up at the stained glass adorning the front door as he thought, “maybe a year or two? He mostly keeps to himself, lives up in a cabin in the woods and only really comes down here to either provide some firewood to whoever needs it or have some coffee,” vision landing on you, he then noted, “you however seemed to have broken through to him quite quickly. Took me like 5 months to get anything more than a grunt of recognition out of him.”

“Oh,” you couldn’t stop your eyebrows as they promptly rose up, “well, he kinda helped me the day that I got here. He was the guy I caught a ride with…”

© 2023 thyme-in-a-bubble 

[kitkatscabinet]

Jealousy never looked so good

Pairing: Dean Winchester x gn reader

Prompt request from @crash-and-live: "Hey, is this asshole bothering you?"

Summary: Celebrations following a completed hunt take a turn when Dean gets a little protective.

word count: 1.8k

warnings: oral (m! receiving), slightly sub Dean, cringy smut

The noise filtering through the bar was comforting. Not obnoxiously loud but still lively enough to remind you that the people surrounding you enjoying their night were alive. Free and careless in their mirth, unaware of the dangers that lurked in the dark that they couldn’t even begin to comprehend. 

It was exhausting sometimes, being surrounded by the ignorance of the general populace. But on nights like this one, when you’d finished a hunt and were celebrating a job well done, you could allow yourself to enjoy it. Even Sam hadn’t been opposed to spending an extra night in town, promising to be the designated driver for you and Dean. 

Leaning against the bar you flagged down one of the bartenders, only to recoil in disgust at the stickiness of the wooden tabletop. Grabbing a napkin you dabbed somewhat clumsil, courtesy of the four drinks coursing through your blood, at your arm. Frustration threatens to overwhelm when you can’t seem to get rid of the lingering stickiness and you quickly turned to watch disinterestedly as the man behind the counter poured Dean’s beer. Scrunching your nose up in slight disgust at your friend’s drink of choice. 

“Not a fan of beer?” The masculine voice suddenly speaking up from your left startled you slightly, some remnant nerves from the hunt making you a little jumpier than usual. 

“Not at all,” you snorted, turning back towards the bar and hoping the curt response would give the stranger next to you a clue. Unfortunately, as was common with men in bars he didn’t seem to catch the hint, sliding in even closer to you. 

“You know I’ve seen you around, this past week,” he stumbled over his words a little, rushing to elaborate when you’d raised a brow at his somewhat creepy statement. Your initial outlook on him changed slightly then, and you allowed yourself to turn and face him fully. He was cute, not at all your usual type. Not Dean.

You quickly banish that thought from your mind. Traveling with the two brother’s for so long meant opportunities like this were few and far between and well, beggars couldn’t be choosers. 

“Yeah, its uh, my last night here actually,” you smiled flirtatiously, leaning on the bar once more this time ignoring the lingering sticky feeling on the skin of your bare arm. 

The man faltered a little at that news but quickly regained his nerve, leaning in so there was hardly any space between the two of you. “Really? Guess I better make the most of it then.” You aren’t given the chance to respond, the flirty retort dying on your tongue when a muscular arm wraps around your shoulders, tugging you into his side so you can smell him. 

“Hey, this asshole bothering you?” His words are punctuated with his signature smirk that you both want to knock right off his face and kiss. Dean’s apple green eyes are gazing over your face, not even bothering to look at the now floundering man standing opposite you. He’s trying to be casual but you can feel the tenseness of his warm body against your side and his usually mischevous eyes are painted just a little too dark to be lighthearted. 

“Hey man -” the stranger, who’s name you hadn’t even gotten, was abruptly cut off by Dean finally turning his now deadly glare towards him. The two stare each other down and though you should be offended by the alpha male bullshit show happening in front of you, you can’t help the way your heart beats furiously against your chest because Dean’s the one doing it. 

“You still here?” Dean scoffed and you watched with just a little bit of sick amusement as the man quickly scampered away, evidently not willing to get into it with the larger man. 

Suddenly coming back to yourself you turned with a raised brows, “Um, what was that?”  Dean simply shrugged, grabbing his beer and attempting to eturn to the booth where Sam was waiting but you weren’t willing to let things slide that easily. Grabbing his arm you spun him back around to face you, arms crossed and eyes narrowed like you were scolding a child. “Dean?”

“I didn’t like the way he was looking at you,” he grumbled, still barely looking you in the eye and you scoffed in disbelief. 

“The way he was looking at me?”

“Like you were just a piece of ass.” You rolled your eyes so hard at his hypocrisy that you were afraid they’d fall out of your head. 

“You look at people like that all the time!” 

“Well sorry for trying to look out for you.” He turns away, starting to walk back towards Sam in what you know will be his attempt to pretend the conversation never happened. You know how he works far too well and you’re not willing to back down and let him weasel his way out of this. 

“Right because that’s what you were doing. Looking out for me? Not being an annoying cockblock?” He spins around, fire in his eyes and a nasty sneer on his face that you’d never once seen aimed your way. He stalked back towards you and just as you fear he’s going to continue this ridiculous argument he takes your face in your hands and kisses you. 

Your brain stalls for a few seconds, eyes wide and staring at Dean’s unfairly pretty lashes before he pulls away just as quickly. "I don't like when people touch what's mine." He looks at your deer-in-headlights gaze before smirking so cockily that the urge to smack him rises once more. 

If it was anyone else, you probably would have. Jealousy had never been a trait you'd found attractive in a partner. But like most things, you let it slide, hell you enjoyed it because it was Dean.

Channeling all your pent-up frustration and longing, you pull his face back down against yours and mash your lips against his violently. His hands make quick work of grasping your waist, squeezing just a little as he smirks into the kiss once more. Even after wanting him for so long the action pisses you off even more, and you reward him by biting down on his bottom lip hard. 

Suddenly there’s a hand clasping down on your shoulder and pulling you back from your lip locking shenanigans, “Ok. I think it’s time to go.” You want to cuss Sam out for taking over the role as the family cock block but Dean beats you to it. 

Nonetheless, you follow Sam out to the car like a dejected puppy, which in turn makes Dean follow you, one of his large hands wrapped around your own. When you slide into the backseat the older Winchester follows and you let out a displeased grunt when he squishes you beneath him. Though your displeasure quickly turns into a laugh as he manoueveres you until you’re practically sat atop of him. 

From the drivers seat Sam gags a little, though your pity for him quickly evaporates when Dean pulls you into another kiss and you forget everything else outside the feel of Dean’s lips against yours. 

Luckily for everyone involved, the drive to the dingy motel was short and you barely notice Sam’s hasty exit until the impala door slams shut. “Finally,” Dean groans against the skin of your neck, you’re not entirely sure if he’s talking about Sam leaving or the fact your hands are working on freeing him from his jeans, but you don’t particularly care right now. 

His own hands are making quick work of your clothes, a satisfied grunt escaping him when he finally lays eyes on your bare chest. Mouth dipping to nip at the new expanse of skin on show, “gorgeous, fuck, wanted this for so long,” he pants between kisses and bites. 

“Oh yeah? How long?” High on the power his words have given you, you don’t really give him a fair chance to answer before your hand wraps around the base of his cock. You stroke him leisurely for a few seconds before stopping, heat pooling in your gut when he practically whines. “I asked you a question baby.”

“Fuck.” He whimpers into your ear, hips bucking up into your hand until you force him to stay still with your free hand, “years, since I first saw you in those tight ass jeans.” 

“Guess we better start making up for lost time.” It’s somewhat awkward given the lack of space in the back of the impala, of which Dean’s bulk is taking up most of, but you drop to your knees and take him in your mouth with no warning. 

Dean throws his head back so hard he smacks it against the window but it hardly deters him from letting out a broken moan. “Oh, fuck yes. Just like that baby,” he starts to babble, one hand gripping the front seat of the impala like a life line as the other snakes around the lay on the back of your neck. 

Suddenly his hips buck up once more, causing you to gag and pull back, your hand once again pressing down on his waist to keep him still. At the loss of your touch his eyes fly open, looking down at you in desperation. “You wanna cum? Then be a good boy and stay still,” you command. 

To your surprise he nods frantically at your words, “promise. I’ll be good. I’ll stay still, just please touch me.” There’s a slightly pathetic need in his laboured words that has you impatiently taking his cock back into your mouth, suddenly desperate to pull more of those noises from him. 

You can feel him struggling to stay still below you, his thighs trembling as you bring him rapidly closer to the edge. Swirling your tongue over the tip of his throbbing dick, you take notice of the way his body suddenly tenses, pulling back a little as he cums on your tongue. 

Your hands massage his thighs gently and you give him a few seconds before you pull away, swallowing as Dean watched the action with wide lust blow pupils. The impala reeks of sweat and sex already and is filled with sound of you both attempting to catch your breath. 

Suddenly Dean’s pulling his jeans back up and you only experience a few seconds of confusion and hurt as he awkwardly opens the door. Though he’s quick to assuage you as his hands tug insitently at yours, trying to pull you towards the motel door even faster, “bed, now.”

You don’t fight against that and you definitely don’t fight when he all but shoves you onto the mattress in your temporary room, ducking to his knees before you and tearing your pants down your legs like a man possessed. 

You’ll apologise to Sam for the noise in the morning.

Taglist: @ghostslillady @dumb-fawkin-bitch @jumpofmyclif

[h0nology]

A Long Walk

Let's take a long walk around the park after dark, find a spot for us to spark

warnings: not proofread. wrote this at 12am, half asleep but its been on my mind for too long. fluff, kissing

You exit out your office, hurrying down the steps, eager to get home and start your long weekend.

Thump!

Your briefcase hits the ground as your body collides with another. Without even looking at the person in front of you, you reach for your briefcase but they beat you to it, picking it up and handing it to you.

“In a rush to get home, huh?”

When you looked up at the man, you weren't expecting to be met by such a beautiful face and familiar too but you couldn’t quite put your finger on where you’ve seen it before.

“I need every second of this weekend.” You let out a soft laugh, still mesmerized by the man in front of you.

He looked at you for a second, his eyes scanning over your face as a smile crept up on his. "Ah, I see," he chuckled. "Is this your office?"

You look back at the beautiful building that you are lucky to call your office. It’s been a long time coming, but you're grateful that your writing career has brought you here.

“Yes it is, actually.”

He clicks his tongue, looking up at the building before shoving his hands in his jacket pockets as a cool breeze passes. "Hey, uh, would you like to go on a walk with me?"

“A walk?”

Wasn’t really in your weekend plans but you couldn’t seem to say no to the handsome man in front of you.

"I'm Pedro, by the way. Sorry, I should've started with that." He says, pulling his hand out of his pocket to shake yours.

You gladly shook his hand, telling him your name in return. "Yes, Pedro, I'd like to go on a walk with you.” You replied with a smile.

He smiles back, surprised that you had actually said yes as you two began to walk side by side.

“Do you always go on walks with strangers or am I special?”

“There’s a first for everything.” You shrug, looking up at him.

"True," He agrees. "So, big fancy office. What is it that you do?"

“I’m a writer.” You tell him

“Oh really? What do you write?”

This was your favorite question, you loved talking about your writing.

"Anything my heart desires, really. My range is as vast as romance to sci-fi.” You reply.

“Is that what you’re working on right now?”

"Well, I wouldn't say working on...writer's block has been a pain in the ass.” You admit.

“Writers block…” He chuckles, “That’s a new one.”

“Enough about me, though.” You wave it off, “What is it that you do?”

Pedro was honestly in shock that you didn’t know who he was, but also in awe. He had finally found someone who he could click with, without it feeling forced or uncomfortable. He wanted to ask you ‘You really don’t know who I am?’ but then he’d be the jerk.

“Well, I act.” He tells you, “I’m an actor.”

You were expecting a photographer or a bank teller, anything but that. You admit it's a bit sad how out of touch you are with the internet. You don't really follow the latest shows and movies because you're usually nose deep in a book or writing your own.

“Do you find that hard to believe?” Pedro asks after you don’t respond.

“No! No, not at all.” You laugh, “What are you in?”

“Have you heard of Narcos?”

You wish you could say yes. You didn’t want to downplay his accomplishments of what he has acted in but you really have never heard of it.

“I’m lame, I’m sorry.” You shake your head, chuckling a bit.

“You’re far from lame, trust me.” He says, “Plus, it’s good to know this could be something genuine.”

“This?”

“Us.” He clarifies.

“So there’s an us now?” You ask, looking at him, “Get a girl a drink or something first.”

You just happened to be walking up on a smoothie shop, you swear you hadn’t seen it until Pedro smirked at you, doing a weird and overly dramatic gesture towards the sign. You laugh, walking in as he held the door open for you. The two of you entered the small and crowded space, placing your order and waiting for the blended goodness to come out. You took a seat as Pedro stood and waited for the smoothies, mindlessly you took out your notebook, jotting some thoughts down that had came to your mind as you studied the room around you.

“Inspiration flowing?” Pedro’s voice snapped you out the trance you were in.

“Yeah, that couple there reminds me of my characters.” You point your pen at the couple sitting down, the girls head resting on her boyfriend’s shoulder as he typed on his computer.

You hear Pedro chuckled before speaking, “Cmon, I want to show you something.”

You finished up your jotting, closing your notebook before standing up and following him out the shop, letting him lead the way to wherever he wanted to take you. As the sun began to set, casting a warm glow over the sky, Pedro eventually hooked his arm with yours. The sky was painted in hues of pink, orange, and gold, and you couldn’t stop the thoughts for your book from coming in.

You two stopped in front of a pond, the sun reflecting on it beautifully. There was a bridge in the distance, the sun slowly but surely setting behind it. The gentle breeze whispered through the trees as you two stood there. You had finally turned towards him, looking up at him with his beautiful brown eyes.

“So why’d you want to show me this?”

“I wanted to show you something as beautiful as you.”

He's full of surprises. You didn't expect that at all, trying to hide the smile creeping onto your face. Your eyes dart between his eyes and lips, as his do the same, before he leans in and kisses you.

Your lips met tenderly, like two delicate petals brushing against each other. Time seemed to stand still as you savored the moment. It was a gentle exchange, filled with warmth and affection.

“Maybe you can put that in your book.”

[thebiggestfuckgiven]

a lil prompt for the few dp x marvel gremlins around. i see you and ily.

Be Like Danny:

-> get contacted by the X-freaking-Men to try to get you to join their school for mutants

-> say no because you can’t explain that you’re technically not a mutant, just half-dead

-> live a normal (Fenton standard normal) few months afterwards

-> get kidnapped from your own school by evil scientists (that surprisingly are NOT the GIW)

-> escape facility using your sheer wits (being annoying) and ingenious fighting strategies (screaming and blasting)

-> run away across rooftops from the guards hunting you down while being injured (and holy shit are we in new york??)

-> get distracted by trying to spot the empire state building

-> get shot with a tranquilizer by aforementioned guards

-> painfully fall down into an alleyway, without seeing the empire state building (boo)

-> begin passing out but not before you see some red guy with literal horns (satan??) fight off the baddies after you

-> wake up hours later in satan’s lawyer’s (???) office, confused, dazed, and a little scared

-> pretend to still be passed out while desperately thinking up how to explain why guys with guns were chasing you down in the middle of new york without getting dragged off to the police

-> hope for the best

Random Excerpt-

Matt didn’t feel comfortable leaving the tranq’d (and fully knocked out) teen out in an abandoned alley. Very few people would, out here in Hell’s Kitchen. He also didn’t feel like bringing in a potential new problem into his home, so he decided on the next best place: the office.

Needless to say, Foggy was scared near shitless when Matt burst into their office in full Daredevil regalia with an unconscious boy in his arms. In Matt’s defense, Foggy wasn’t supposed to be here. He sent out a small thanks to God that at least Karen was nowhere to be seen. Heard. Semantics.

“Is that a kid? Oh my god, Matty, are you carrying a dead kid around? Is there a dead kid in our office?”

Language, Matt bit back.

Foggy’s heart beat a violent staccato as he followed Matt into their conference room, breathing stuttering when Matt laid the kid down on the table and his head turned limply to the side, his hair softly shuffling against the metal.

“Matt!”

Foggy waved his hands around wildly, the sound fluttering in Matt’s ears. Without a word, he grabbed Foggy’s arm and dragged him out of the room.

“Please keep calling me by my name in front of a stranger,” he hissed out, annoyed.

“In case it may have passed your attention, that stranger is unconscious. Or dead, for all I know! Because you haven’t said a damn word since you slammed your way in here by the way!” Foggy was whisper shouting, staying close to Matt’s side. He could almost see how Foggy’s eyes were wide, if he tried hard enough. Listened closely enough.

“He’s not dead,” he let out before walking to the front door to lock it and make sure no one was around.

There was a light slap sound as Foggy raised his hands in a pointless gesture and brought them against his legs.

“Oh, yeah, that’s reassuring,” he said to himself, but not bothering to hide it. Matt heard him walk back to the conference room. He held back a sigh, ignoring it for the time being. There hadn’t been anyone following them, but he’s been doing this long enough to know that some people knew how to keep their distance well, or even knew how to disguise their heart beats (God forbid the Hand had any involvement in this). They could even have a tracker on the kid.

Taking all of this into consideration, he would rather be safe than sorry. He was standing by the locked door, listening intently for any odd sounds outside the building or on any surrounding roofs. Like the same footsteps going by, feet shuffling as though someone was waiting, heavy breathing, the smell of gunpowder, or the sound of a bullet moving into its chamber.

He waited, hearing no signs. It was one minute before he heard the exact moment Foggy found the kid’s pulse.

“Matt,” he heard Foggy’s voice, a whisper. “He-he’s dead. He- oh my god, I’m going to be sick.

The kid’s pulse, or to anyone checking by regular means, lack thereof.

Matt waited one more second before moving away from the door to save himself from the stench of throw-up.

“I said he’s not dead.”

[ikjun]

AL'S DRAMA RECS VOL.1: these recs will solely focus on the writing of the shows, which to me comes down to two things: how well does the plot accomplish what it set out to do in the beginning? and how compelling are the characters written, no matter if their character arc means they become better or worse through the story or even remain who they are? my favourite dramas usually succeed in giving us a satisfying answer to both questions and these are the ones you will see on this list!

★★★★★ dramas (aka the greatest hits):

SECRET FOREST / STRANGER (2017-2021): the pinnacle of all dramas. follows the duo of no-nonsense prosecutor hwang si-mok (the acting star turn of he century by cho seung-woo) and police detective han yeo-jin (the ever-exceptional bae doo-na) investigating a murder case that blows open several scandals in the prosecution. season 2 follows several cases leading to an internal investigation on police bribery. it just does not get better than this and i fear it won't ever will. this drama has the understated styling of nordic noir, the classic shenanigans of an unlikely leading kdrama duo, and one of the tightest scripts ever seen in any tv show ever. | genre: thriller, melodrama, crime procedural

MY LIBERATION NOTES (2022): following the yeom family's three siblings living in the small town of sanpo on the outskirts of seoul, and the stranger moving into the house next door to theirs, this story navigates questions of sibling-hood and family, the purpose of life, as well as the sacrifices we make for the relationships in our life as well as our own happiness. this show earned its hype from the central love story between mr. gu and yeom mi-jeong (son seok-ku and kim ji-won acting the house down) but every one of the three main storylines is well-paced, gives the main actors moments to shine and grow, and ties neatly into the overarching plot to render you either moved or comforted, or even both. | genre: slice of life, melodrama

VINCENZO (2020): at this point are there still followers on this blog who haven't at least seen me talk about vincenzo? the writing of this show is maybe the peak of genre-blending done in kdrama, a culmination of years refining this skill to sharp perfection in a biting black comedy. vincenzo cassano (song joong-ki), consiglieri of a mafia clan he got adopted into, goes back to south korea to recover a frankly unholy amount of gold and fights a gigantic conglomerate (babel) to get there. if you watch past episode four, you will finish this drama, because everything ensuing from then on is just one iconic story beat after another. | genre: black comedy / satire, crime, romance

HOSPITAL PLAYLIST (2020-2022): a medical drama beyond reproach. this show is on this list for the way it wrote its characters and achieved the most satisfying character arcs in any kdrama, maybe, ever. a group of five friends in their fourties all working at the same hospital and navigating their professional and private lives, this drama doesn't shy away from eclectic backstories (and the leads all playing music together in a band) as well as truly heart-tearing moments of friendship and romance. never have i seen character growth done as well as i have seen it in the characters of yang seok-hyeong and kim-jun-wan. | genre: medical, slice of life, rom-com

D.P. / DESERTER PURSUIT (2021-2023): d.p. to me is a no-notes kind of show. it depicts the work of the military police pursuing army deserters through freshly enlisted ahn jun-ho (jung hae-in playing years below his age and leagues above many his actual age) who ends up empathizing and working to help and save the deserters he and his team partner han ho-yeol (an exceptional koo kyo-hwan) are meant to bring back to the army instead of incriminating them further. d.p. is much better for its tone, its writing and the risks it takes in its no-nonsense approach than some of the drivel revered solely for being more flashy and showy in this genre. | genre: military drama, action

★★★★☆ dramas (aka near-perfection):

PRISON PLAYBOOK (2017): the perfect prototype of the bromance as romance formula and one of the best found family dramas that really focuses on that. star baseball player kim je-hyuk (park hae-soo in his career-defining role) loses his career and lands in prison after he assaults the ex-boyfriend of his younger sister to protect her. the show centers on je-hyuk's time in prison, where he reunites with his childhood best-friend-now-prison-guard lee jun-ho (a supreme jung kyung-ho) and assimilates himself with the people he meets in his cell. this show hits all the beats so well from a stellar supporting cast to a great comeback kid narrative for je-hyuk from his time in prison to being released. glaring flaw: the age-gap / childhood friends romance, the conclusion of hanyang's story arc, who gets the short end of the stick while being the one out gay character in the show. | genre: black comedy, found family, slice of life

GOBLIN: THE LONELY AND GREAT GOD (2017): the defining kdrama for many. it may be the one drama that really delivers in answering its plot's defining question twice over and then some. goblin kim shin (gong yoo), cursed to immortality, gets his life upended once a grim reaper (lee dong-wook as wang yeo, a performance never to be seen or repeated again since) and the young woman (kim go-eun as ji eun-tak) who turns out to be his fated bride enter his life. an immortal man resigned on life finds purpose while knowing he will fatally die once the woman he falls in love with cures him of his curse. glaring flaw: the age gap romance between eun-tak and kim shin. could she have not been in college at least? | genre: melodrama, romance, fantasy

CRASH LANDING ON YOU (2019): the romance drama that could, and did. based on a real life incident, ceo yoon se-ri (son ye-jin, an acting veteran near beyond reproach imo) accidentally crash lands in north korea after a paragliding flight gone wrong. there she meets active duty soldier captain ri jeong-hyeok (hyun bin, thank you for your service) and has to stay with him and his military company. the fated love story starts there, but neither of them know they have met before, and already changed the courses of each other's lives before doing so again. minor flaw: is this drama romanticising the military? or is depicting of that on screen just that and nothing more? that is up to you to decide. | genre: melodrama, romance

HOMETOWN CHA CHA CHA (2021): the series remake of a korean rom-com film of the early aughts, this remains my favourite romance drama over all. dentist yoon hye-jin (shin min-a blessing our screens) moves to rural gongjin, a seaside village where nothing happens at all, after her professional life in seoul goes up in flames. it's not all sunshine in gongjin either as ye-jin meets hong du-sik (kim seon-ho),a handyman who is called chief hong by everyone and fixes all the big and small fires in the village. the two start as enemies that eventually fall in love. the romance is well-handled and paced and the second lead (lee sang-yi) is the best i have ever seen in a show, especially because of the arc written for him. minor flaw: the plot is not as tight as the respective character arcs, so sometimes sacrifices are made for the sake of a more emotional scenes. | genre: rom-com, slice of life

THE GLORY (2022): when you put the revenge in revenge drama, this is what you can get. song hye-ko returns to small screen brilliance in an incomparable performance as moon dong-eun, a woman who decides to infiltrate the lives of her school bullies and take them down one by one. this show delivers on plot even more than on characters, following through on every step of moon dong-eun's revenge without shying away from how gruesome or painful that path of vengeance can be. dong-eun gets help from plastic surgeon joo yeo-jeong (a delightful lee do-hyun), and the main cast is rounded out by lim ji-yeon and jung sung-il as dong-eun's grown up tormentor and her reluctant husband respectively. minor flaw: the show does spend a big chunk of its time on the group of school bullies and their interpersonal relations, which sometimes takes time away from the main plot. | genre: psychological thriller, revenge drama

♡ more specific genre watches (beware: usually crime):

LIFE (2018): written by the writers of secret forest, life is another thriller with understated direction and a more sombre tone. i would have put it in the greatest hits category, but watching it with other people made me realise how niche it actually is in genre. a corporate hospital thriller, the show revolves around the newly-minted ceo of sangkook university hospital, gu seung-hyo (a once again flawless cho seung-woo) and a dedicated ER doctor (lee dong-wook, stellar as ever) who depict the two sides of the patient care vs. profit conflict in the hospital. i can't even say more about the show because every other plot point is basically a spoiler. sharply directed and written, this is one of the best genre pieces i have ever watched, and is mildly reminiscent of hbo prestige television of the decade before. | genre: medical drama, corporate thriller

THE WORST OF EVIL (2023): are you even surprised? this was the drama of 2023 for me, one of the most stellar scripts i have seen. the worst of evil is very firmly a noir show and you have to treat what you are watching as such. it is heavily entrenched into its genre tropes and arcs, even more than most crime shows i have seen, and that can be off-putting for people unfamiliar with the genre, but if you are up for it, you will not be disappointed. opportune violent crime detective park jun-mo (ji chang wook, korea's finest new gen action actor) infiltrates a drug ring lead by jung gi-cheol ( fantastic and emotional tour de force by wi ha joon) and the lines begin to blur when neither of them knows if what they bargained for is actually what they want. the show lets its main plot dictate the pace, focusing on park jun-mo's descent into crime, and it is all the more better for it. | genre: noir, crime thriller, action

BEYOND EVIL (2020): the story about dejected and grieving small-town detective lee dong-sik (baeksang-awarded veteran actor shin ha-kyun) being partnered with elite detective and spinster seoulite han joo-won (child actor prodigy turned actor to watch du jour) has made its waves online for its very apparent gay subtext, but to reduce beyond evil to this would be a crime in itself. following lee dong-sik and han joo-won as they are tasked to solve a reoccurring serial killer case, the framing plot then fans open the age-old wound of dong-sik losing his twin sister and being blamed for her disappearance with joo-won having taken an obsessive fascination with the case. the two crime cases are exceptionally interwoven and the stories of the people in the small town of manyang, and how they all somehow tie back to dong-sik, is the perfect example of turning the small centrepiece of a plot into the binding force of every thread. | genre: procedural, psychological thriller

OUR BELOVED SUMMER (2021): i put this into the genre-piece category because obl is majorly focused on its main trope. romantic dramas can easily be trite to me, as this obvious list of crime shows doesn't tell you, but our beloved summer is one of the few that did everything right. it plays out the best trope ever done - exes to lovers - and does not back down from embracing the whole shebang to the nth degree. high school / college sweethearts choi woong (known beloved actor on ye-xiu tumblr dot com, choi woo-shik) and kook yeun-soo (the ever great kim da-mi) have to unite to replicate, or rather continue, the viral high school documentary they filmed years ago. the show shimmies its way from one moment of reconnection to another, culminating in the best kdrama kiss to ever be put to screen, and concludes in one of the most satisfying and, yes, romantic endings ever. the things a show can do when it just sticks to its main narrative, huh. | genre: rom-com, coming of age

[mmuffncakes]

Tell me about your 3 original fiction stories!!! Are they all horror? The names sound like it but I wanna know more!

so because i answered a little bit prior about Owl Falls i'll give a snippet for this one! (This is unedited)

Dakota’s mind stopped when he saw it.

                In the cockpit, nearly hidden by shadows but lit enough by the dim flicker of the flame, was a mask. But not just any old mask… the mask of the most wanted criminal in North America. It was off-white from age and old blood, a streak across the nose and forehead from what looked like a gruesome kill. It was flat, the nose pointed down, made to look like a beak, the eyes wide. The Owl. His heart skipped a beat, maybe two, as he pushed himself away from the body.

                Standing back, he could see the oh so very slow rise and fall of the man’s chest. Not just any man. The Owl. How many kills were under his belt? How many times had Dakota heard the code name crackle through the radio? And here he was, laying in a pile of slush; pale, bloody, injured, broken, on the brink of death… breathing.

                Dakota wasn’t sure how long he stared at The Owl, watching him breathe. He couldn’t figure out his thoughts. Leave him to die? Dakota could already feel the trauma of letting someone die and rot in the woods, no matter how rotten of a person they were. Bring him back? Heal him up? Let the authorities take him? Would he even confirm his identity? Wouldn’t he try to escape? Well… not with that ankle he wouldn’t.

                The turmoil in his head was getting overwhelming.

                And despite it all: Dakota refused to leave a man to die. No matter the atrocities he committed.

The Untitled Slasher one, I beeeliiiieeevvveeee !!! you actually saw me draw the main character for it way back when in the server: Shane. But this one is still just a concept. But it's heavily inspired by Freddy 2, actually. In the concept of how much are the murders the main character and how much of them are the Slasher behind the mask. It would follow Shane, who is a cryptid hunter/camp counselor in the 90's as he's helping to clean up camp and reset it up between camp sessions. It's here he comes across a masked man in the woods that he grows a soft relationship with. And during this time, he starts to lose his mind over things people are saying, what theyre doing, and its a slow descent into him thinking he's waking up with blood on his hands when one of his fellow counselors is found dead or goes missing, and the constant control thats leaking into him from the masked man. its a *concept* rn. it defo needs some passes, and defo needs some work.

The Black Box is actually a cyber-punk sci-fi short I wrote that I wanted to develop more into something a bit more. It's defo out of my comfort zone for what I normally write in genre's, but I still enjoyed the characters I created for it (Rook, Stranger, and Tiger Othello). That one focuses on Rook, a hired thief by Tiger Othello to obtain a black box. Once she has it, she starts getting hunted down by Tiger Othello's men, realizing this was a set-up. In her escape, she meets Stranger, an interesting mind inside of a robotic body that she's yet to figure out. But they have secrets and information about Tiger Othello and the two team up to get unframed while uncovering some deeper secrets. I beliieeeve you've also seen the art of that one!

[shadowonwater]

Pokemon Scarlet playthrough part 10: fish buddy comedy, plans to break into Area 51, and the completed path of legends.

Playthrough Masterlist

So I finally headed down to see the "False Dragon Titan". And I will say, I got confused because I went to where on the map it said it was but I sure as hell didn't see anything but a bunch of those sushi fish. I assumed that this island only spawned the sushi, I later realize there is a reason they are there.

So I ended up exploring some of the other islands because I didn't know what to do. I ended up finding not just one, not just two, but three more yellow stakes. I have found many yellow ones but I still don't really know what they're for yet.

I went back to the island. And then I realized something. I didn't get into a battle by touching the sushi fish, and also that they had text boxes. So at first I thought I had to defeat all the fish to make them disappear and by the time I saw the Big One, I had already defeated most of the fish, so I figured I might as well take out the rest of them first.

So when I saw the big one, I was "whoa that's big" and "that's the one I'm supposed to fight isn't it?" It was even saying "titan" pretty much. So just as expected when I fought it the boss battle began. Just as I expected, but didn't know for sure, the giant catfish was the titan.

So when I beat the first phase and it swam off I followed. It took me a second to find where it had gone, a rather sneaky one, isn't it? Well it's little buddy ran into the cave and the herb. And they powered up together.

Arven shows up, and I don't know how he got here. Did he swim? Ride his Cloyster? Is there any sort of water taxi service like there is for flying?

I'd say he was genuine help this time in the battle. I first used my Kilowattrel for catfish and then used my grass cat for the sushi fish.

I'm very happy his dog got all better! The whole line about playing ball with him again hit me in the heart. Hell yeah, you get your dog all better! Let's gooooo! Also Kori can now climb vertical rocks! Is there no where he can't go to now? The world is Kori's oyster!

So the professor messages me while Arven is there. Kinda wild that that was the first time he had heard her voice in years. Hurts a bit she's been talking to some stranger (me) over her son, I imagine. So yeah she wants Arven to unlock the door to her lab for me.

He's clearly not happy his mom and all, very valid. He's fine with opening the door, but not for her, it's for me. So I fly down there and he opens the door, we go in. Place is super dusty, looks like there hasn't been a soul here in years.

We get a video message where she's like "Hey I need you to break into this extremely dangerous place for me and bring that Scarlet Book." She's specifically talking to me but she's fine if Arven comes too. I really do wonder what the deal is with this book.

Interesting to hear that he's been to Area Zero before. It makes sense that it was were his dog got hurt. It explains why only the mystic herbs could help him. He decides that if I'm going in, he's going to go with me, very brave of him considering what happened to his dog.

I looks around the dusty lab. Find a couple more Occulture articles. And suppliances that haven't been used in a long time along with food past its expiration date.

Me and Arven battle. I think I might have been a bit underleveled considering he had Pokemon who were level 60, and my highest was 55. I was still able to beat 5 of his Pokemon with just my Flamingo, goes to show how kick ass it is.

I tera it at the start (It's a fighting Tera) I do pretty well with double kick. I choose it because I remembered he had some grass types as well as a normal type, I also knew he had a rock. I figured Fighting/Flying covered beating his team up pretty well and it did. His last Pokemon, the big dog himself, gave me a lot more trouble.

Sure I was a fighting type facing a dark. But the dark type had a psychic move and a fairy move. I tried using my grass cat next, while he may be weak as well to fairy, he also had a fairy move. my Play Rough hits and I only need to fit one more time. I miss. He hits me but grass cat toughs it out at 1 hp. Play Rough misses again. Grass Cat faints. and I finish it off with a different Pokemon.

So he says to me if we want to sneak in to what is basically Pokemon's equivalent of Area 51. We need a Champion and also a Hacker. I see that we need Penny and Nemona for the mission. It feels like we're in a heist movie getting a team together for a big operation.

I figure we need to complete the other paths to get them on the team. And that maybe they might have their own motives to get in there other than helping me. Next I'm heading north to where the last things are. I'll see you then.

[faebriel]

Hi! Just read the hadestown au piece and I just wanted to say it was so gorgeous and heartbreaking at the same time.

I was wondering if you could say a little more about the au? Maybe some stuff about how everything plays out following where the fic ends (I know how Hadestown ends, just mean in the au terms) and obviously the walk out of the underworld (and Wilbur’s reaction)

O/

hi anon!! first of all i am so SO glad you enjoyed the fic <3 thank you so much, and thank you for the question as well!!

as for the rest of the au - well, the recap in the notes kind of summarises the first part. and niki finds wilbur, and fights schlatt, and gets dumped outside the walls, and goes to sleep.

the person who finds her, actually, is ranboo - for someone so goddamn lanky they're not bad at finding their way around hadestown unnoticed, and they've heard about niki from techno and phil back in the pit. he's the one who wakes her up. niki is still despairing and angry when she wakes, and turns to go - but ranboo, hopefully, asks her if she's the person techno and phil told them about, if she is the crack in the wall.

and niki is furious and hurting, still, but she doesn't entirely have the stomach to leave when ranboo is staring at her like this -> 🥺

so she follows him as far as the fighter's pit. and passes more people who recognise her, and whisper, and stare - people who heard about her the same way ranboo did, or people who saw That Fucking Display on the railway. not only did she care for the strangers here, but she stood up to schlatt (emotionally and physically lol). not only was she brave, but she was kind, too. and when guards pass, people offer to hide her. and people wish her well on her journey.

she reunites with techno, and, god damn - look around. techno really does think that with the people behind them, with quackity behind them (he could recognise a god's handiwork anywhere, and niki's guitar is so obviously mended by godly hands), they might actually have a chance at tearing schlatt down long enough to escape to freedom. forever free from governments what have you. and niki is bitter about wilbur, but she is still twice as furious with schlatt - so sure. gather the people, free the end. beat him at his own game. they charge the centre of the city

meanwhile, quackity and schlatt are getting into an absolute shitfit about this whole thing. ohhhh you're betraying me for some stupid mortal country why don't you like MY country huh WELL maybe if you weren't so AWFUL TO ME i would LIKE SPENDING TIME WITH YOU etc etc etc. and quackity looks outside and he hears the distant sound of guitar and he's like oh. oh, shit. oh, thank god. they actually did it

while all this is happening, wilbur is continuing his no good very bad afterlife on the railway line, right in the centre of the city. wilbur is not really great with manual labour to begin with, if we're totally honest - he can build a house, or an office, but it's not how he likes to spend his time, and especially not in a place so grey and featureless and devoid of feeling or, well, life. and he's feeling quite horrible about the fact that not only do his friends mourn him, just as he hoped they might not, but niki came all the way down here for him. and she got hurt, because of him. it's a nightmare, but one in which he has signed over absolutely any power he had to affect the outcome.

phil finds him. security is getting kind of lax around hadestown. they talk about life, and death, and getting demoted from being the messenger between those two worlds because you got a bit too mouthy with the boss. it kind of puts things into perspective.

wilbur still doesn't regret sending niki away, because he knows he's trapped, but he regrets pretty much every other wasted second.

fortunately for him, niki is currently swept up in the crowd making its way straight to the heart of hadestown. techno is living up every second. oh, he has missed revolutionary action. techno is the righteous anger, ranboo is the soft-spoken follow-up, and niki is both. oh, wow, the four of them really make a charming matched set, don't they. almost like a syndicate okay i'm not gonna be coy look it's the syndicate

they make it to the heart. schlatt's really not happy. but man, he's in the mood to emotionally crush some hippies so - you want to sing and dance your way through my country? quackity sure thinks that little anthem you lot keep twittering on about is something special. so sing a song for me! make me laugh! make me WEEP! go on, if you think you're so special. sing it.

so niki sings the anthem.

okay. niki plays the anthem, and she sings it too, but she's one person and she hates this much scrutiny and her voice is failing even as she sings - and then, a voice pipes up from the crowd, someone who already knows all the words.

and wilbur sings it like he believes it, too. and in that moment, niki (tells herself) that she forgives every awful thing that happened between them since he took that train.

the melody is not hard to pick up. two voices become a dozen, become a hundred. (techno hums obligingly because okay, he doesn't love the symbol of the revolution being a country's anthem, but these things are kind of hard to change once they get rolling and he can sit most of these people down for a class on anarchism later - )

and schlatt gets emotional over this for three whole seconds. oh, three seconds is enough for wilbur and niki to reunite with more hugging and more tears and more apologies this time, and for quackity to reminisce about their pasts, and for him to think more about his country than he has in the last thousand years combined. and then he hates niki even more for it. oh, he respects the hustle. but also he despises the hustle.

so, fine: you want to get out of hadestown so badly, then? well. let's not make it easy for you. here is the age-old catch - wilbur can leave. but niki must walk ahead, and cannot look behind until the two of them have returned to the mortal world.

oh, he adds, and, wilbur - of course, if you change your mind, you're welcome back in hadestown. shit, you might have just earned yourself a promotion back here. if spring is coming again, i might just need someone to help lead down here.

and wilbur scoffs, as if i could ever do that!

and niki holds her breath beside him.

because leading hadestown - a domain over a country of citizens who cannot starve, and cannot die. without having to worry about mortal things ever again. isn't that exactly what wilbur would want? and he already left for less. he already left her for less.

so hadestown gathers. oh, yeah, they're coming too - they heard l'manberg's anthem, of course (or some of them heard techno's anarchist diatribes against governments and are quite excited to lead a life without rulers. it depends). there is niki, there is wilbur behind her, and she walks for a while and he walks for a while and they all walk for a while, and after that while niki calls out to him, but there is no response.

brief pandemonium.

schlatt's rigged it, you see - niki can't see wilbur. but now she can't hear him, either. can't let them go without one last trick. the crowd will have to guide her instead.

Niki takes a trembling step forward. "Got eyes on him, Niki," Techno calls from behind. A quiet laugh ripples through the crowd.

so they keep walking.

and walking...

and eventually, the crowd falls silent too. and doubt comes in.

it's been hours - beyond hours, beyond days - and niki hasn't heard a thing. there is no music, no bubbling of voices behind her, no shuffling of feet. for all she knows, wilbur turned back and left. for all she knows, everyone else gave up and followed him. why wouldn't they? they don't know where they're going. she barely knows where she's going. right back into the cold, and dark, right at the edge of winter - and who is she to lead them? niki isn't a god, or a muse's son, or a president or a tyrant - she's a baker, for gods' sake. her best friend died and her heart is still broken because of it. is that the kind of person who can lead a country's worth of people out of hadestown? it can't be. it can't be.

and none of that matters, because who cares who would and wouldn't follow her out of hadestown - wilbur wouldn't. he couldn't. he couldn't even follow her home when the alternative was literally dying. of course he would take up schlatt's offer. it's perfect for him. he already made his choice. he already chose his side. and he didn't choose her.

Niki staggers over the next crest, outlined in the bronze and gold of sunrise - painting a sharp, bright glow round every stray strand of hair, round the guitar scuffed and restrung across her back, round the shape of her trembling fists, pressing themselves tight against her sides. And she stops. "Does she look okay to you?" Technoblade mumbles, at Phil's shoulder. "It's a long walk," Phil responds. He is entirely too quiet for Wilbur's liking. Technoblade looks just as displeased with the answer as he is, and turns to Wilbur. "She normally good at walking?" She doesn't look well. She shakes - Niki, solid, steadfast in Wilbur's eye, never trembles. Her shoulders sink, and for a moment that rends his heart from his chest, Wilbur thinks she might be crying, and he's driving his nails into the flesh of his palms in matching fists before he can stop himself (because there is nothing he can do, silent, even if it's the exactly what Niki would scold him for). But all he hears are sharp, laboured breaths. Her boots rest at the edge of shadow. Niki stares down at them, edges blurring and warping, the sunlight crawling towards the tips of her toes - so, so close. She sang the song. Spring is almost here. She is almost home. But she can't bear walking home alone. Is he there? is all she can think. Is he - And she turns.

not to break the immersion, but - in hadestown, orpheus cannot bring himself to trust hades, and thus he turns. here is a bit different. niki doesn't trust schlatt, but she turns because she can't bring herself to trust wilbur anymore.

the crowd surges forward into the sunlight. surrounded by the flood of people, all niki can do is stare at wilbur - who, mere steps behind her, looks just as exhausted and filthy and heartbroken as she does.

and then he's gone.

-

i could never really decide how i wanted this fic to end.

the foundation is there. the people of hadestown swarm past niki, into the sunlight. quackity steps off the train. niki sinks to her knees, and phil puts a hand on her back, and techno and ranboo stand there hovering beside her because something really bad just happened and they don't know what to say.

tommy, tubbo, fundy and jack emerge from the ravine, shouting in glee as the crowd reveals itself as friend, not foe. tommy searches desperately for niki in the crowd. finally, he finds her, knelt on the ground. he knows before she turns to him, face streaked with tears. tubbo follows, and then shakes himself out of whatever grief-induced stupor his brain is trying to slip into - president of l'manberg, he turns to the nearest gangly teenager and starts ordering him around with piles of quilts for the country's newest residents. fundy and jack crowd around niki, and niki holds them as close as she can.

many ex-residents of hadestown settle into the ravine - the very one that niki spent hours carving rooms and gardens and homes into, in that slim space of time between losing l'manberg and losing wilbur. the others wander. i don't think niki stays. i think she fumbles around the ravine for a while, helping people settle in, but she doesn't feeling like she's really doing much. she's made a minister of the new government, but she can't bring herself to care.

i could never decide if i wanted l'manberg to go down with wilbur. it was already besieged enough without setting two godly anarchists (and their bffls) on it. and this time, i really do think niki would be the one to turn away. it wouldn't be surprising if it didn't survive another winter.

it feels a little cruel, but orpheus' story is cruel, too. do wilbur and niki meet decades later, in a peaceful afterlife? i don't know that either. i'll leave that part for you to figure out.

and here's a link to the fic if anyone missed it 🌹

[fanficfanatic000]

Eddie x female reader

18+ warning

Kinda goes with stranger things s4

Spoilers ahead probably

Chapter 3 (f#@!) Story name (i just moved to hawkins)

" I know where we should go" Eddie kept paddling The wind making me cold as hell I'm soaked with lake water the sky darkening as he paddled that dude dead and I wasn't Eddie or me it was something else "Eddie? Was that what happened to chrissy?" "Yeah… it is…." He gulped. You could tell that Eddie is on edge the boat hit the land then Eddie jumped on land and had his hand out to assist you from the boat. You grabbed his hand it felt like electricity zapped through your body just from his touch. "Thank you eddie" He looked at you with a boyish playful grin. "Y/n follow me skull rock isn't to far from here then we could dry off" You nodded " yes" You walked up a hill for 10 minutes Meanwhile

Dustin max Robin Steve and Nancy pov They just showed up to the shed where you were supposed to be. "Where did they go" Dustin said as he searched around the shed for anything "They left their walkie-talkie and the food " Hmm where could they be…. outside Dustin looked outside and saw blood on the sand of the lake. The boat was gone and foot prints and Dustin knew what was across the lake up the hill.. "skull rock!!!" "Skull rock?" Max asked in confusion "why would they go to skull rock?" "Wait" Steve said rushed. He ran to the front of refer Rick's house and found "Tire tracks! Someone was where someone who wanted eddie" the whole group thought it through Dustin knew "jason it was most likely jason since chrissy and jason were dating and everyone thinks eddie killed her…. but lets go to skull rock i know thats where they went".

(Your pov ) We finally made it to skull rock still soaked. I wonder if the others will find us And I have a headache damn. "Y/n watcha thinking about?" He tilted his head with a grin on his lips but he was also very concerned. "Nothing much just how it sucks to be sopping wet." "Well why dont you take your clothes off and let them dry" Realizing what he just said he started to blush red and so did you "sorry that sounded kinda weird i-i I'll turn around and we could go back to back " "No eddie its okay i trust you not to take advantage of me or anything like that..just take it easy on me okay" He looked at you with confusion You were nervous.. really nervous You've always been insecure about your weight and your body. All the things he could say running through your head You pulled you wet band t shirt off and Your arms shot up to your chest and you removed your jeans and shoes leaving you in Nothing but your matching bra and underwear with your layered necklaces Your arms covering your stomach And you notice eddie staring "Sorry! Sorry…..i didnt mean to be a creep…. are you uncomfortable?" "No im not uncomfortable" "Then why are you covering yourself?" "Because you probably dont want to see my body its not like other girls " "What your body is…." "Is what? Ugly?" "NO its beautiful" Eddie's face as red as yours your eyes wide open your heart beating fast "Eddie its not your just being my friend i have stretch marks from growing to fast And i have a muffin top….. im ugly… stop lieing eddie" His face blushing but his brown eyes glossed over "Y/n your not ugly" He says moving your arms from your stomach "you're beautiful" He smiles with reassurance "if you dont feel comfortable with me staring at you all night here my leather jacket is kinda waterproof so its dry-ish" You put Eddie's leather jacket on still warm from him and you immediately felt better Then he walked around skull rock until he found a ledge in the rock where he hung your clothes to dry and he takes off his shirt and his Many jackets to dry. And he puts your and his shoes hanging upside-down from a tree branch to dry Then you saw him his bare chest and stomach slightly toned and his v-line in the moon light. Is a sight you would never unsee. you would never want to unsee. "Hey sweetheart eyes up here" "sorry" You blush a light cherry pink "No need to apologize maybe we should get some sleep" " yeah some sleep sounds nice" You crawl next to skull rock in the almost cave like part and you laid down Then Eddie laid 1 foot away from you trying to give you some personal space "Eddie i-im cold" Eddie looked at you and grinned he was also cold. "Princesses you could come lay by me if you want" You smiled at his words "yeah that would be nice " you moved closer to eddie his brown eyes watching you you moved to where you were almost touching but not Then Eddie grabbed you by the waist and pulled you close really close his chest touching yours his smell of pine-tree and cigarette smoke with a hint of gasoline was making you feel light as a feather your blood rushing to you cheeks making you blush red. "Is this okay sweetheart?" He said softly and deeply. "Better than okay" His skin was warm like a campfire his heart was pounding so loud you could feel it then you fell asleep.

[notnctu]

jaehyun: the charming

━ welcome home to housemating smut series :)

☆ click the link above to read background info about this housemate!

☆ GENRE: smut, pwp ☆ DETAILS: fem!reader, college!au, housemate!au ☆ WARNINGS: explicit language, nicknames, dirty talking, possessiveness, rough sex, praise kink, oral (giving and receiving), spitting, choking, unprotected (wrap up yall!!) ☆ WC: 4.1k ☆ SYNOPSIS: A harmless game of Truth Or Dare with your housemates reveals Jaehyun’s true desires and has him eyeing you the entire night.

☆ AUTHORS NOTE: this is the only part for jaehyun ! sorry for the long wait,, i started this during my writing hiatus and did not have much motivation to finish it since its been really difficult to write smut lately :/ regardless, i hope you can leave me some feedback if you liked it <3 doyoung’s part will be the next in the series once i get to it !

“If you could kiss anyone in this room right now, who would it be?” Johnny beckons his drink to Jaehyun, who blinks at him with knitted eyebrows and a quizzical expression.

It’s one of those rare nights where all your housemates are home and Doyoung is actually out of his room to participate in everyone’s foolishness. All six of you sit comfortably in the living room as the fifth round of Truth or Dare commences. 

You share the large couch with Jaemin and Haechan, sandwiching you in between them happily. Doyoung, Jaehyun and Johnny are seated in their own respective chairs that circle the tiny coffee table in the center. 

And if your housemates could be any more distracting, Jaehyun sits laid-back without a shirt on and grey sweatpants that fit loosely on his legs, manspreading as if he has all the space in the world. His soft hair falls messily around his face from constantly running his hands through it and his abs flex without him needing to do much.

It’s hard not to stare, but no one in the room calls you out for doing so. They’ve all stared at you plenty enough times on other occasions, so it would be hard for any of them to give you a counterargument. Jaehyun simply looks good enough to devour, and he can say the same for you as he steals sly glances your way.

Every subtle connection of smoldering eye contact sends a thrill down your core, and the smirk paired with his dotted dimple has you swooning for him over and over. Jaehyun knows every way to drive you wild without needing to say or touch you.

It’s unbelievable how that man has only allowed you to see his intimacy once with the way he whistles whenever you walk down the stairs in a cute outfit or how often he compliments your butt just for the pure satisfaction of you having one. Despite having the highest body count in the entire house, he has great self control and never comes off as being too needy. 

And every time he is needy, he already has another girl in his room to satisfy him. So, this never gave you another opportunity to sleep with him as much as you wanted to. If you weren’t so bashful, you might’ve had enough courage to just walk into his room and ask. 

Nonetheless, here you both are: sitting across from each other during a slowly escalating game of Truth or Dare and eyeing each other every chance you can get.

“Shouldn’t you ask y/n that question?” Jaehyun mumbles, finding Johnny’s question rather ridiculous since the ratio in the room is 1 girl to 5 guys and finds no curiosity to know how bad of a kisser the rest of his housemates are. “I think you’d rather know her answer than mine.”

You clear your throat when every attention is drawn toward you, expecting you to give a truthful response when it isn’t even your turn. “What if I didn’t pick truth?”

“You want a dare?” Jaemin rests a hand on your bare thigh and turns delightfully toward you with a dark mischievous gleam in his eye.

Gulping, you try your best to diffuse the situation. “It’s not my turn.” 

“I’ll give my turn to you.” Jaehyun smiles and proceeds to gesture toward you to speak.

Bewildered, you’re looking to Doyoung to protest about such unfair grounds of switching the rules. However, he doesn’t say a word, shrugging it off like it’s not a big deal. “You’re all unbelievable.” You scoff sarcastically.

“C’mon, it’s just a friendly game. Everyone wants you to go.” Haechan clicks his tongue out of impatience, the anticipation practically suffocating the whole house.

“Ask me when it’s my turn.” You stand your ground and send Jaehyun a quick glare. 

The tension drops instantly from the stiff atmosphere. Haechan’s groan erupts beside you as he sits back against the couch with his arms crossed. 

“Okay, buttercup. I’ll answer Johnny’s ridiculous question, but know that I have a good one for you.” Jaehyun leans forward to rest his elbows on his knees with his hands clasped together loosely. “I’d kiss y/n.” 

Your breath hitches, but no one else is actually surprised by his answer. “Yeah, I’d kiss y/n too if this was my selection pool.” Doyoung remarks with a roll in his eyes.

“I mean,” Jaehyun sits back coolly in his chair, hands stretched behind his head and every muscle flexed in view. Every movement has your mouth watering at his impressive body on display. “Even if we were playing with other people, I’d still choose y/n.” A dimple smile causes your heart to beat rapidly.

Johnny scoffs, “if we circled up all your flings, you’d still choose y/n?” 

Jaehyun ponders the hypothetical for a second, but his eyes land back on yours and every hesitation disappears. “Yeah. She has the softest lips.” He says, very matter of fact.

Your fingers unconsciously graze against your lips briefly, before you clear your throat and shake away the power of his arousing words. “Okay, okay. Let’s move on?” 

“Okay, y/n. Truth or Dare?” Jaehyun picks this open opportunity to bring the attention back to you. Your housemates wait patiently for your choice, with eyebrows raised in the thick tension that this simple game has built up.

With shifty eyes and a dry throat, you mutter. “Dare.” 

There is a notable sparkle in Jaehyun’s dark lustful orbs. “I dare you to kiss the person that you think is the hottest in this room.” 

“Well, it would be difficult to kiss myself.” Rolling your eyes, the edge in your tone is enough to make the rest of them snicker. 

“I’m done after this round. It’s always the weirdest twists whenever we play games like this together.” Doyoung crosses his arms, throwing a small fit at the request. 

Johnny smirks, “because you know y/n wouldn’t kiss you?” 

Doyoung’s mouth opens to protest, but he falls short of a defensive response. He takes his defeat and slumps back against the chair, pouty and grumpy. “Just get it over with and kiss Jaehyun.” 

With a turn of events, you get up from your spot on the couch. Jaehyun follows your every move, your stare never leaving his own. Like a lost puppy, you lead him into thinking the kiss would be for him. However, you lean forward and hold Doyoung’s chin gently, planting a soft kiss on the equally shocked boy. 

“I think Doyoung is the hottest because he treats me with the most chivalry.” The sweetness that taints your mocking words has Doyoung turning red and Jaehyun turning into stone. The charming smile that lights up your darkest parts is gone, and Jaehyun blinks back at you with a tight jaw. 

Jaemin and Haechan read the room too well, excusing themselves before the tension reaches its peak. Doyoung gulps, glancing between you and Jaehyun, and awkwardly makes his way back to his room. Johnny chuckles at the abrupt end of the night, patting Jaehyun’s shoulder lightly before also heading up to bed. 

Every next move is crucial. With your weight barred on your left leg, you cross your arms with as much attitude as you can to push Jaehyun’s buttons further. “Jaehyun, if you really wanted a kiss, you could just ask me without wasting a turn.”

“Where’s the fun in that, buttercup? You clearly like testing your limits.” His voice drops at the end of his sentence. Jaehyun stands up, approaching you slowly. “But if you want my attention, you could just ask me without trying to make me jealous.”

His boldness catches you off guard, leaving you a bit speechless to formulate a proper explanation. Your hesitation gets caught in your throat when Jaehyun lightly places his hand on your waist. “It’s late, we should probably get to bed.” His raspy baritone cadence rumbles your chest.

Fingers graze his arm softly, but he pulls away before you can get a hold of him. “Are you actually going to sleep?”

Jaehyun walks to the bottom of the staircase, motioning you to walk first. “No, I’ll be up thinking about you.” A smirk finishes his sensual taunt and you cautiously head up the stairs. 

He follows directly after you and a whistle escapes his lips. “Have I given you your daily ass compliment yet?”

“Got one this morning.” With each step, Jaehyun is quick to match. 

“Well, you look amazing everyday.” He meets you at the top of the steps and when you’re ready to part back into your room, he stops you. “Where’s my kiss goodnight, baby?” 

You can’t possibly count the numerous times you’ve rolled your eyes being around him. “In my room, if you dare wish to enter.” Though your statement was clearly sarcastic, Jaehyun raises an questionable eyebrow. 

“I’ll only come if you let me in.” His innocent eyes do not match his sinister tone and his hidden innuendos. 

“I guess I always go into your room, it would be nice to have a change.” Taking his hand, you lead him down the hallway. The doors of your other housemates are oddly closed, but you figured they wanted some privacy. His warm hand feels rough against your palm and your heart drums as you two inch closer to your bedroom.

Jaehyun gently closes your door and examines your room as if he’s never been inside. “Don’t be a stranger.” You say, dropping his hand and sitting at the edge of your bed.

“Do you leave your underwear drawer open for all your friends to see?” He snickers, his pinky holding your special red lace panties up in the air. Your eyes go wide as you quickly yank the material out of his possession and shove the cabinet closed.

“I wouldn’t have figured you were the nosey type.” You grumble, but he takes this close proximity to pull you into his bare chest. His firm hand gives your ass a soft squeeze.

“It was quite obviously on display.” His dark whisper sends a chill down your spine and butterflies to swirl in the pit of your core. The faint smell of his body wash suffocates you all around and his sultry stare has you melting in his hands. It is so difficult to resist him, you want everything that is Jung Jaehyun.

Your words are quite possibly caught in your throat, but the hesitation does not show in your expression. Lightly, your fingertips trace the outline of his biceps and his dark stare follows every drag. Admittedly, Jaehyun will find any excuse to grab your attention. Call him possessive for no good reason, but something inside him bubbles with envy whenever your other housemates even leave a lingering stare.

Although he’s not the type to be vocal about it, his facial expressions speak volumes. May it be his competitive nature, but he can’t let the others have you. You have unknowingly become off-limits to the rest, but frankly, you don’t care all too much. Your prize is already in front of you.

“Are you going to kiss me or do I have to wait all night again?” With every will, you try your best to control the nervous tremble in your bold rhetorical question.

Jaehyun wastes no more time; soft lips crash into your own and you feel like you’re floating. Only he can make you feel this way. Hands in hair, the tug on his fresh locks has him moaning through the kiss. Jaehyun loses himself in you, rubbing his semi-hard cock against your thigh and gripping your ass harshly in his hand.

Every drip of saliva is swapped in the mess of your connected mouths and you’re reminded of how rough this man enjoys to be. Your knees buckle at the thought of him and Jaehyun is quick to hold you up, placing you strategically at the end of your bed. 

Pulling away, he stands in front of you with the largest dick print against his sweatpants, along with a small wet spot. There are no bashful words exchanged as the room is filled with heavy breathing and sultry looks. Jaehyun guides your hand to his waistband, silently waiting for you to free him.

Looking up at your beautiful boy, the neediness of release almost ruins his perfect charming look. Hair is tousled wildly across his eyes and his bottom lip escapes underneath the top row of his pearly teeth. He just looks so fucked out already, you can’t imagine how much he was holding back earlier.

You pull down enough of his pants for his dick to spring up right in front of you, not expecting the lack of underwear. Your small gasp cause him to chuckle, pushing the back of your head forward toward his hard cock. “Surprised?”

“You weren’t wearing underwear the entire night?” You question him as your hands cup his balls. A sharp intake of breath is his only response before he can compose himself. 

Through gritted teeth, Jaehyun stutters, “Like you were?” He throws his head back when your warm tongue flicks against his throbbing red tip. Every vein in his arm and neck pops on display as he grabs a hold of your hair.

“You wouldn’t know.” You snicker, running your tongue up and down his shaft. Jaehyun looks back down at your piercing eyes and his dick right above your cheek.

A smirk grows devilishly, “I’m about to find out.” Pushing your shoulder back gently, your back lands comfortably on the mattress. Your heart is racing as Jaehyun gets down on his knees, situating himself in between your open legs.

“May I?” He asks, warm hands on your inner thighs as he patiently waits for your answer.

“Yes.” Jaehyun pulls your shorts down to reveal your favorite comfort cotton panties that have faded from their original color. Naturally, you grow embarrassed and quickly slap your legs closed before Jaehyun can process. 

He blinks at you questionably, quite taken aback by the abrupt motion. “Are you okay?”

“Let’s just say I wasn’t completely expecting to sleep with anyone tonight. I’m not quite prepared down there.” Your gaze drops and you anxiously fist your sheets in your sweaty hands.

Jaehyun nods, understanding your implications. “I don’t care about those things. You are…” landing a quick peck on your bare knee, he rubs reassuring circles with his thumb. “.... the prettiest baby ever. And if you’d let me, buttercup, I want to make you feel good.” 

He has always been suave with his words, as if he knows the handbook to get butterflies fluttering in your stomach. Slowly, your legs open back up before him and the slightest groan rumbles from his throat.

The wet patch on your panties is hard to ignore and he’s mesmerized, to say the least. He peels down your underwear and uses his thumb to spread your lips. Leaning forward, Jaehyun lightly licks at your erect clit and your twitch in response is enough to feed into his ego. 

He dives hungrily, eating you out until your eyes roll to the back of your head and your back is arching off of the bed. He flattens his tongue against you, pushing in and out of your dripping hole in a rhythmic motion. His nose is deep in your skin, intoxicated by your arousal, and his eyes are drinking up your uncontrollable reactions.

It’s as if electricity shocks through your lower half. The pleasure that comes with every lick and sweet suckle has you panting for more. His name echoes from your tender lips while Jaehyun inserts two fingers to stretch you out. The initial ache subsides into an indescribable pleasure; it’s the feeling of being full of anything mixing with the sensitivity of tongue against clit that has you practically on the verge of release. 

Jaehyun isn’t going to give it to you that easily. The moment your moans grow bolder, your legs begin to shake, your hand putting a little more pressure on his head, he pulls away and gets up. A desperate sigh crushes your chest as the build up leads to dissatisfaction. Jaehyun wipes his chin with the back of his hand, his two fingers glistening before being shoved into your own mouth. 

“That’s my good girl, give yourself a taste.” His hot words cause you to flood a bit more, the feeling of wetness pooling at your core. However, you two toy each other with no end as he is provoked by the way your tongue sensually swirls around his digits and how your hips keep squirming closer to the edge. “How badly do you want to get fucked?”

His firm hand holds your moving hips into the bed and you’re aching to be filled with his dick. He’s so hard that it slaps against his abdomen, red tip and spewing precum. Nonetheless, his self restraint is quite strong as he notices the defeat in your expression. Enough teasing, your body wants him endlessly. 

“Jaehyun, I want you to give me all that you got.” At the end of your request, he enters you slowly with a breathy moan. The stretch is much more than his two fingers, causing you to squirm and wiggle. Inch by inch, Jaehyun fills you to your brim and pauses for you to adjust to his size. 

“Fuck, it’s been awhile since we’ve slept together. I almost forgot how tight you are.” How could this man possibly smile with so much innocence while saying such foul things? The next action causes you to go a bit dizzy as he spits down at your clit and rubs it lovingly with his thumb. You practically see stars on your mundane ceiling. 

He starts moving his hips, deep long thrusts pulling out to only sharply fill you up again. Jaehyun is relentless as every thrust forward has you moving more and more up the bed. Your legs are pressed against your chest, folding you over to hit your sweet spot. When his tip grazes upon the greatest feeling ever, your grip on the sheets grows tighter and he’s smirking at how your mouth hangs open in pure ecstasy and shock.

“You’re so good at taking my cock.” He pants, moving faster than before. “My baby hasn’t been fucked properly in a while, has she?”

You’re at a loss for words at every drag and push. Regardless of you wanting to speak, no words seem to make its way out. Jaehyun narrows his eyes at you, dark grin and a menacing taunt in his low voice. A chuckle begins his sentence, “I know… it’s hard to talk when you feel so good right, buttercup? I can feel you getting more excited down there.”

Placing your legs around his waist, he leans down over you. His sneaky hand travels up your torso, giving your boobs a light squeeze through your shirt. Then, he wraps his hand around your neck gently and carefully, only applying enough pressure to drive you wild. 

He breaks his rhythm, reverting back to the previous slow pace. Something about the way you feel around him, hot and tight, needy and wet. Jaehyun just loves how your body reacts.

The feeling of soreness occupies your lower half and you’re more than certain it’s going to be rough tomorrow morning. Every thrust is agonizing, yet powerful enough to be felt in your guts. Jaehyun never fails to leave an impression.

Through your moans, you manage to stutter out his name. “Please, harder.” Jaehyun picks you up, hands supporting your butt and pressing your back against your door. Placing your legs down, you’re standing up right facing him with a confused expression at the change of location.

For a brief moment, his lustful glare is warm and friendly. It’s the same look that greets you in the car when he drives you two to campus. It’s the one he often looks at you with across the dinner table, usually accompanied with his robust laughter. Jaehyun looks at you as if he’s only ever seen you.

However, his next words are far from romantic and his hand finds its way to your throat, pinning you up against the cold door. “I want them to hear how good I fuck you.” Them. The rest of your housemates. Knowing that the house is far from soundproof, Jaehyun wants everyone to know how enthusiastic he makes you feel. 

“But--” As you begin to protest, he drives his hips up and nestles into you. His free hand grips your waist steadily as he barely pulls out, fucking you deeper until you feel him at the pit of your stomach. There is no ability to hold back your pleasure, moans just naturally fill the room and bounce off every wall.

“Cum for me, I know you’re close.” Jaehyun has no intentions to stop, the feeling of both releases being at the tip of your tongues. “Be the good girl that you are and cum for me.”

The small bubble inside of you is ready to burst. Jaehyun sucks on his fingers to coat them with saliva and reaches down to stroke at your clit. Like a switch, your internal light bulb explodes and every spark of electricity fuels your every vein. 

Your orgasm electrifies you, causing every limb to shake uncontrollably and sporadically. Jaehyun keeps thrusting up, helping you ride out the intensity of your high. 

“There you go, baby.” A small kiss on your shoulder, he pulls out and the emptiness is felt immediately. Getting on your knees, you take his cock in your mouth to help him finish. He rests his fists on the door, hovering over you as his abs flex beautifully under the fluorescent light. Hollowing out your cheeks, your throat invites him deeper and this causes him to mindlessly thrust into your mouth. 

Jaehyun sounds breathy above you, whining about how close he is to cumming. Silence in the room has been replaced with his heavy pants and soft groans, the sound of suckling and slick saliva droning out anything else.

“Fuck, y/n.” He says, as he holds your cheek in his palm and maintains eye contact with you through his brown locks. The view of his dick being swallowed up in your mouth is more than enough to drive him to his edge, strings of cum coating the back of your throat from his release. The saltiness immediately hits your palette.

Jaehyun tosses his head back until the satisfaction dissipates. Slowly pulling himself out, he moves quickly to find you a tissue. For a moment, neither one of you speak as he silently dresses himself and you wipe the remaining spit off of your lips.

He helps you up from the floor, lightly dusting off your bare knees for you. And he says something to break the slightly awkward atmosphere, “are you kicking me out like you do with the rest of your hookups?” Jaehyun laughs, wide smile and dimples deep in his soft cheeks. The glow in his skin radiates in the dimness, he’s a sight that’s too difficult to look away from.

“Did you want to stay?” Tossing on a pair of fresh underwear and pajama shorts, you have a vague memory of Jaehyun holding you after your first fuck together. 

Though Jaehyun is your friend before anything else, he responds like every other hookup unsure about the next steps. He shrugs, turning around and tapping his back for you to hop on. “I’ll take you to the bathroom to wash up.” 

Jumping on his back and wrapping your arms around his neck, he carries you down the hall to the shared bathroom. “You didn’t exactly answer my question.” Your voice is barely above a whisper, knowing how embarrassed you are going to be the next morning when facing the rest of your housemates.

“I know you’re just going to come into my room anyways, right?” He sets you down and the door to the bathroom swings open to reveal an equally surprised Haechan. 

“Shit, you two scared me.” The dramatic boy rests a hand on his chest to calm his startled heart. “You might want to air out the bathroom before doing anything in there.” Jaehyun and Haechan share a laugh as you groan, irritated by the putrid fumes that cursed the poorly ventilated bathroom.

“You’re so gross.” You say, punching Haechan jokingly on the arm.

“Says you.” Haechan pauses to poke at Jaehyun’s bare chest, “and you. We are never playing Truth or Dare ever again.” 

“Don’t hate the players, hate the game bro.” Jaehyun snickers.

Haechan pays no more attention to the two of you, back turned and hurrying into his dark room. “I do hate the game now!” He yells in a whisper, shutting his door to end the conversation. You sigh out of relief that Haechan didn’t press for more details or jokes.

Housemates, you never know what adventures you’d run into with them. Nonetheless, you don’t mind and getting to see a shirtless Jaehyun parade around the house is always a treat.

[amakumos]

lie to me － yang jungwon.

synopsis: you’re well aware that you’re falling out of love with yang jungwon. your heart doesn’t beat as fast as it did before when you’re around him, and the little i-love-you’s that used to be truths turned into lies. it isn’t until jungwon coughs out the flowers that he gave you on your first date together that he realises that you don’t love him anymore, and he’s dying because of it. genre: angst, hanahaki au, lovers to strangers pairing: non- idol! jungwon x gn! reader word count: 2.1k warnings: mentions of death & blood authors note: yuns back w another hanahaki fic LMAOOO but this is my part of an angst collab i did w @venusmir !! i am sorry in advance if this one hurts </3 and i am also sorry if this one is bad because after writing lucky charm … all my angst writing skills kinda flew out the window T_T let me know what u think tho !!! enjoy <3 permanent taglist (send ask to be added) : @soobnny @c9tnoos @ja4hyvn @jaywon @shinsou-rii @sqnwo @seeuntonin @primorange @ryuflix @bearseulgs @baekhyunstruly @jalnandanz @yanqsfairy @yizhoutv @acciomylove @w3bqrl @yenart @woniedaze @missmadwoman @floverful @fairyofriki @annoyingbitch83 @itzxvaxella @wonjaems @oreoisa @soobzao @son9oi @ily-cuz-i​ @lumixen​

There was a time where you loved Yang Jungwon.

You remember when he handed you a bouquet of primroses with a nervous smile on his face, and your face feeling hot as you accepted the flowers. You remember when he kissed you on your front doorstep, and you still don’t quite know why, but the faint smell of roses had wafted through the air. You remember when he asked you to be his, and you had accepted, your heart doing somersaults as a relieved grin made its way onto his lips.

There was a time where you really believed that Jungwon was the love of your life - your soulmate, even.

However, time runs out.

You’re well aware that you don’t feel the same way anymore. First loves are never bound to work out, and you were naive to think that it would in the first place. Your heart doesn’t skip a beat when you see him anymore, there’s no butterflies in your stomach, nothing.

But you lie.

You lie to Yang Jungwon.

You lie about still loving him. You lie about the ‘forever’ that you promised him. You hate yourself for doing so - all you feel is regret and guilt when you slip your hand into his, pressing a kiss to his cheek, and whispering an I love you into his ear.

Jungwon tells you that he loves you too, and you know it’s genuine.

You know from the way his eyes sparkle with joy, and how he tries to stop the small, giddy, lovesick smile from spreading across his lips. It’s been a couple of years, and Jungwon is still as in love with you as he was before, maybe even more.

He tells you this, but instead of you telling him that you think you don’t love him anymore, you tell him that you feel the same way. You don’t know why, either. You somehow just can’t bring yourself to tell him that you’ve fallen out of love.

So you don’t.

You tell him you love him, over and over again - despite your heart telling you otherwise.

Your heart tells you that you loved Yang Jungwon.

Past tense.

Jungwon notices that he hasn’t been feeling too well.

He first realised that something’s wrong when he bends down to pick up a chopstick he dropped on the ground. A tiny, uncomfortable prick in his chest. Weird, he thinks.

But then, the pricks get worse as each day goes by.

Sunoo gets more worried day by day - Jungwon shakes it off and tells him that it’s probably just a cold. You stop by, bringing him a bowl of warm soup as he’s snuggled under his covers, a soft smile gracing his lips as he listens to you talk.

“I love you,” he says, even if his throat feels like it’s on fire.

You lie once again when you tell him that you love him too.

Suddenly, Jungwon feels like something’s stuck in his throat.

He jumps out of bed and sprints to the bathroom, locking the door as you jolt up from your seat, following him. Jungwon feels absolutely horrible - he coughs multiple times, attempting to get whatever’s stuck in his throat out.

“Won? You okay?”

Jungwon knows the answer is no, but he attempts to say yes, or at least something that sounds like the word despite how he feels like ripping his throat out.

Jungwon coughs once again, and something lands in the palm of his hand.

A flower petal covered in his own blood.

He recognises this flower petal. They’re from primroses - your favourite flower, and the ones that he got you on your first date.

It’s then when he realises that he has hanahaki, the fatal disease caused by unrequited love. He’s confused at first - unrequited love? But he’s with you, shouldn’t that mean something?

It hits him right there and then - you don’t love him anymore.

He then remembers all the strange, guilty looks that he’s seen on your face but brushed it off like it’s nothing. He remembers you talking on the phone with someone, voice barely a whisper as you sneaked small glances at him - it made him feel suspicious, but not enough to the point where he’d actually question you about it.

You’ve been lying to him this whole time, and Jungwon thinks that hurts more than him coughing up flower petals. He doesn’t know when, or why you fell out of love, all he knows is that you don’t love him, and he’s dying because of it.

He crushes the petal in the palm of his hand as tears well up in his eyes before throwing it in the dustbin. He practises a forced smile in the mirror as he washes the blood off his hands, and when he twists the doorknob, he meets eyes with you.

If you can lie, so can he.

Jungwon is wrong.

He can’t lie.

Every symptom gets worse over the next couple of days, and he’s found himself in the hospital. He won’t stop coughing up flower petals, and he has to weakly grab Sunoo’s hand just to make sure that he doesn’t call you and make you come over to the hospital.

He doesn’t want you to see him in a state like this. The doctor told him that if he doesn’t get the surgery, he’ll die in two days.

“Jungwon.”

Jungwon looks at Sunoo, and he can tell that Sunoo’s been crying. He hums, motioning for Sunoo to talk.

“I think you should get the surgery.”

Jungwon immediately shakes his head no. “Are you insane?” he weakly chokes out. “I can’t forget about them.”

“You’re the insane one here, Jungwon - now forgive me from sounding too harsh, but I can’t just sit here and watch my friend slowly die in a hospital bed, all because his significant other can’t get the courage to tell him that they don’t love him back!” Sunoo spits out, and Jungwon can tell that he’s furious.

“Sunoo, please don’t get mad.”

“I can’t help it, Jungwon. I know you love them, but it’s the only way,” Sunoo sighs. “You’re my best friend - I can’t just let you die when I know if you get the surgery, you’ll live.”

Sunoo has a point, but Jungwon doesn’t want to live in a world where he doesn’t know who you are.

“If I get the surgery… do you think (Name) will be happier?” Jungwon murmurs, and Sunoo presses his lips together in a thin line as he formulates an answer.

“Do you want me to be honest?”

“Does it look like I want you to lie?”

“Well, I think so. Yes. This sounds harsh, but Jungwon, they don’t love you anymore. If you get the surgery, you forget about them, the relationship’s over, and they can be happy.”

You don’t love him anymore.

Jungwon knows it’s true, but it doesn’t make it hurt any less. He coughs up more flower petals suddenly, all petals of a primrose flower. Primroses signify young love - you’re his first love. But, they’re also given to show someone that you can’t live without them.

Maybe he took that too literally, seeing as he’s lying in a hospital bed, because you’ve been lying about loving him for at least a while now.

If he gets the surgery, you’ll be happy, he’ll be happy. Well, that’s what Jungwon assumes, considering that he won’t remember anything about you.

“Sunoo?”

“You were silent for so long. Gosh, I thought you’d died. I was just about to call the nurses over.” Sunoo gasps, clutching his chest as Jungwon just blankly stares at him.

“Really funny, Sunoo. You can’t get rid of me this easily. I think I’ve decided. I’ll… get the surgery.”

Sunoo gives Jungwon’s hand a tight squeeze, and he smiles. “I’ll go tell the doctors.” Sunoo says, and Jungwon nods. “Oh, can you pass me my phone?” Jungwon’s voice is soft, barely above a whisper - if he spoke any louder, he’s sure he’d cough out more petals.

Sunoo hands Jungwon his phone before he leaves the room to go talk to the doctors, and Jungwon dials in a number that he’s memorised by heart.

“Hey, Won? How are you?” your cheerful voice rings in his ear - you seem blissfully unaware of the fact that he knows you’ve fallen out of love with him, and not to mention, he’s coughing up flower petals because of it.

“Good.” he croaks out. “Um, I just wanted to tell you something.”

“Go for it.”

“I love you.”

He says that to you for the last time, and before you can say anything back, Jungwon ends the call.

You haven’t heard from Jungwon in a couple of days, and you’re starting to get worried.

You might not be in love with him like you were before, but you still care for him. Ever since that random phone call where he told you he loved you, you haven’t heard from him since. You dial Sunoo’s number, and you don’t get a response either. It’s all just radio silence.

You sigh as you get up from your table at the coffee shop, slinging your purse over your shoulder as you exit. It’s then when you spot Jungwon talking with Sunoo from across the street.

“Jungwon!”

The boy looks around, wondering who’s calling for him. Sunoo tugs on Jungwon’s jacket, telling him to turn around.

You’re fast enough to make your way over to the two boys, and you grin. “Won! Where were you?” you ask, and Jungwon looks at you, a confused expression on his face.

“Excuse me, do I know you?”

You can tell Jungwon’s not joking from his expression, but you’re utterly confused as to why your boyfriend doesn’t remember who you are.

“You’re my boyfriend.” you say, and Jungwon just gives you a funny look. “I don’t know who you are. Maybe you have the wrong guy. Do I know them?” he asks Sunoo, who only sighs.

“Give me one moment, Jungwon. I need to talk to them.”

“So I do know them?” Jungwon’s eyebrows are furrowed in confusion as Sunoo pulls you aside. “Sunoo, what’s going on?” you ask.

“I know you aren’t in love with Jungwon anymore. You’ve been lying to him for a while now, haven’t you?”

You freeze at Sunoo’s words. You thought you’d been keeping that secret pretty well.

“How’d you find out?”

“Jungwon got hanahaki. Because of his unrequited love for you.”

You think your heart shatters. After hearing those words, all you can think about is how you almost killed Jungwon. You shouldn’t have lied - you should’ve told him in the first place. He’d still remember you, and maybe things could’ve been at least a little bit more like the way it used to be.

“He got the surgery. Which is why he doesn’t remember you, (Name). You don’t have to pretend anymore.” Sunoo explains, putting his hands into his pockets as he offers you a weak smile.

You should be happy. Not happy with the fact that you were the reason why Jungwon got hanahaki, but at least happy with the fact that you don’t have to lie to him anymore. This is what you wanted. You wanted to stop playing pretend.

But why does everything hurt?

You take a look at the boy who you once called your boyfriend, and he’s looking at his phone - not even sparing you a glance. “Oh. Okay. Um… he will be fine, right?” you ask Sunoo, and he nods.

“He’ll be alright. Don’t worry about him.” Sunoo says, and he gives you a pat on the shoulder. “Sunoo! Are you done yet?” Jungwon’s voice rings out.

“Yeah! I’m coming!” he yells back.

“I know this is a lot to process, so if you wanna talk to someone about it, just talk to me. Don’t call Jungwon, or anything. It’d just confuse him. He wondered why he had a contact called ‘my love’ yesterday and asked me questions about it for half an hour.” Sunoo says, and you nod. “Okay,” you manage to breathe out. “Tell him… that I hope he’s doing well.”

“I will.”

You watch as Jungwon and Sunoo cross the street, and for some weird reason, there’s tears threatening to well up in your eyes. You notice how they walk past a flower shop. Not just any flower shop, though - it’s the flower shop where Jungwon had bought you primroses.

But he doesn’t remember that now. He doesn’t remember you.  

Two weeks later, you start coughing up petals. Specifically, the petals of primroses - you don’t know it, but they’re the same petals Jungwon coughed out. But what you do know, is that they’re the flowers that he gave to you on your first date.

You were wrong - you still love Yang Jungwon.

Present tense.

[nikrangdan]

lovestruck!enhypen x reader

pairing: lovestruck!enhypen x reader

genre: FLUFF fluff Fluff

description: how enhypen would be if they became lovestruck by the reader ☹️☹️ this is such an adorable request!!!! itll vary for each member ur relationships so you’ll either be strangers or already dating etc.

a/n: idk if all of them are lovestruck exactly bc i just got carried away with the fluff for some of them and idky maknae line revolves around sleeping BUT IDC sleepy!enhypen is the best 😁

———————

HEESEUNG

u worked at a pretty popular clothing store

and well well well heeseung had shown up dressed very much your style so u were like

Wow who is this guy....

he was alone just looking around

and there were like 10 other people in the store but u wanted to talk to him so bad so u went up like

“hi, welcome! are u finding everything okay?”

he was looking through a rack of shirts and turned around when he heard u but WOW

when this man turned around he looked even better in person u couldnt believe it 😫

BUT IT SEEMS HE FELT THE SAME BC U SWEAR HE BECAME SO FLUSTERED WHEN HE TURNED AROUND

his eyes got so wide u almost laughed it was so cute ☹️

he stuttered and was like “oh um im okay”

Aw man

but u said “okay then! let me know if you need any help finding anything or if u wanna use a dressing room!” and u sent him ur nicest smile u could give

his eyes were still kinda wide open and u gave him one last look before turning around😢😢

BUT THEN HE SAID SOMETHING

“w-wait! actually.. um....uh.. do u.. do u guys have sweatpants..?”

u giggled to urself on the inside bc u knew he just made that up on the spot

“we do! here, follow me”

while u were showing him the clothes u guys had exchanged names and had some small talk

and that was the start of something very Beautiful

and since then he has been coming almost everyday to visit u at work 🤗🤗

JAY

jay swore he found new things about u to love every single day

and today wasnt an exception!!!!

u knew jay had been really tired and just worn out from work recently so u had decided to make him his favorite meal for dinner

a nice little surprise for when he got home ❤️

and also the anime he was watching ready on the tv for u two to watch together :(

u had literally been preparing all day and u even decided to go out and buy dessert too

AWESOMEST PERSON EVER U ARE!

it was 8pm already and jay should be getting home now

u set the table all neatly and put on one of his sweaters

AND WOULD U LOOK AT THAT HE GOT HOME AS SOON AS U WERE DONE

Fate 🔥🔥

romantic stuff like this wasnt really ur forte so this was out of the normal for u

but u wanted to do something for jay because he did stuff like this for u alot

the table isnt in view when u walk into the apartment so he wasnt able to see his dinner yet

“hi” you smile brightly and go up to hug him and give him a little kiss

he had his bad slung over one of his shoulders and he was taking his shoes off in the doorway after he closed it

“hey.. it smells pretty good in here” he gave you a tired smile while one of his arms was wrapped around your waist

“really? it smells normal to me” you giggled before walking to the kitchen area together

he stopped and looked at u with LITERAL HEARTS IN HIS EYES when he saw the table

jay: ❤️_❤️

“y/n..”

“surprise!!! you know im not good with words but i wanted to show you that i can cook” you laugh “and that i love you very much and im so proud of you”

jay doesnt say anything but instead drops his bag on the couch and gives u the Biggest Hug Ever

ur face is practically smushed in his chest and his hand is resting lovingly on ur hair :(((

he loves u so much im so sad

JAKE

“layla!!! layla where are you?” jake was yelling quite loudly in the massive park he was in the middle of

yeah jake lost layla.. uh oh

quite a coincidence you found the cutest dog you’d ever laid eyes on

and she seemed to love u very much

the dog had made u topple over and now she was excitedly playing with you while you were sat on the ground laughing to your hearts content

after a minute of playing you had got up because you knew she was somebodys lost dog and her owner was probably looking all over the park for her

“okay.. lets go find your owner before they have a heart attack” you giggle

just as you said that though, you heard a boys voice yell “LAYLA!!!!”

the dog next to you looked in his direction, tail wagging and tongue out, but she didnt move an inch from her spot next to you

it made me you laugh out loud

as you were watching the boy run up to you, you noticed how cute he actually was

Omg..... ur heart started beating a little faster

“hi..” the boy hunched over with his hands on his knees breathing very heavily “you have my dog”

“uh yeah” you laugh “sorry about that, she ran over to me a couple minutes ago and i was just about to go find her owner”

“its okay, thank you..” he trailed off to find out your name and finally looked up to meet your eyes

“y/n” you told him

“y/n” he repeated with a small grin on his face “im jake”

“hi jake” you lightheartedly give him your hand to shake and he chuckles before taking the offer

“and it was nice meeting you layla” you crouch down to meet her level and she licks your face making you fall on your butt

you laugh and jakes quick to help you up

“layla! thats not very nice” he jokingly scolds her and pets her head

after u got up u bid goodbye to the two before jake invited u to continue walking around the park AND HE EVEN BOUGHT U AN ICE CREAM

Is This A Date, Jake? 😫😫❤️❤️❤️❤️😳😛😛

SUNGHOON

“you should be more careful” you scold the boy sitting with you standing between his legs

sunghoon had apparently gotten elbowed in the face by his friend and scratched by his friends cat on accident????

“it wasn’t my fault! he turned around and i just happened to be in the way. and i didnt even do anything to the cat!” he whined

“i didnt say it was your fault. i said to be more careful.” you tried to sound stern

u knew ur logic was making no sense but u just thought it was so fun to mess with him

he let out a sigh and gave up, slouching over again

you were stood between his legs, wiping the blood away and applying ointment

“im just kidding, you’re so cute” one of your free hands comes up to rub his hair

a small grin pops up on his face and his arms come to rest on your waist

he looks up at you while you focus on tending to his wounds

and u guessed it WITH LITERAL HEARTS IN HIS EYES

❤️_❤️

“you know y/n” he begins

you hum in response, letting him know you’re listening

“im gonna marry you one day”

you freeze in your place

it took you a minute to collect yourself because you felt like your heart almost leaped out of your chest

“who says?” you joke

he leans up to give you a quick kiss on the lips before sitting back down

“me.”

SUNOO

you noticed sunoo had been really tired lately and u just wanted to make him feel better :((

the boys were going out and invited you two obviously but you could tell sunoo was iffy about going

“uhh..” you trail off and look over at sunoo who was laying on the couch

“you know what guys? i think me and sunoo are gonna stay home today.. you guys have fun though!” you bid goodbye to the other boys and they all understood and left

you dont even know if sunoo knew they had left already because when you walked over to him his tired eyes were glued on the tv

“hey” you leaned against the couch and looked down at him

“y/n? are we going soon?” his eyes move to the top of his head to look up at you

you start laughing and he literally goes 🤨???

“silly, they already left! so what do you wanna do?” you plop down next to him and he was in the process of sitting up

“what? when did they leave...” his mouth drops open

“like 2 minutes ago” you giggle, leaning back to rest your head

sunoo had sat still, pondering for a moment

“why did they leave us?” he turned to look at you

your eyes met his “well i figured you didnt wanna go... you didnt, right?”

he slowly shakes his head “how did you know?”

you give him a sneaky smile and jokingly push his arm “because i know you so well”

he laughs at this and leans his head on your shoulder

“wow y/n.. im impressed” he grins, snuggling into your arm

your other arm crosses over to pat him on the head, leaning your head to rest on top of his

“but thank you y/n..” his eyes slowly close to rest “im thankful for all the little things you notice about me”

u literally go 🥺

your hand goes down to squeeze his and he falls asleep peacefully on ur shoulder ☹️☹️☹️❤️

JUNGWON

“y/n..what is that” jungwons eyes can barely open as he tries to comprehend whats going on while hes waking up

you haphazardly tap around the bedside table trying to turn off the new alarm you set last night

and that new alarm was jungwon singing 🤗

“its you, dummy” your eyes were still closed but you turned to face jungwon and snuggled closer to him

“wha- where did you even get that???” he was almost fully awake now, staring down at your half asleep figure

you yawned before answering in your i-just-woke-up-and-i-should-probably-drink-some-water voice “remember when you sang me to sleep last week? yeah i was secretly recording you. no biggie” you pat his chest twice and leave your hand there, content with life at the moment Lol

“y/nnnn” he whines “change ittt i dont like it”

“you’re kidding.” you deadpan, shocked he would say such a thing!!! “jungwon you sound like an angel threw up on a field of flowers full of puppies and kittens! okay thats kinda weird maybe not that”

jungwon giggles a little and sits up so he can sit against the headboard while your head rests on his lap

“you like my singing that much?” you can hear the smile in his voice as he asks you

you finally pop one eye open to look up at him, a goofy grin in your face

“i love your singing”

his hands run through your hair and you let out a sigh at the feeling

jungwon doesnt say anything

all he does is admire you

you can feel his eyes on you so you open your eyes again (both this time🙏🏼) and meet his eyes

“i can feel you staring straight into the depths of my soul, jungwon”

he laughs at this, bring his other hand up to pinch your cheek

“i’ll sing for you whenever you want me to y/n”

NI-KI

“shut up sunghoon, hes sleeping” you whisper-scolded the boy

ni-ki was currently asleep on you

literally SPRAWLED all over your body and you were basically mummified

by nishimura riki

his legs were tangled in yours, his head shoved into your neck, and his arms were bent around you in ways you didnt know were humanly possible

“you literally have an alien taking a nap on you y/n” sunghoon deadpans before walking out the room

“when you’re asleep sunghoon i will send you into a spacecraft for the rest of your life so you can go see aliens for yourself”

“wowww im so scared y/n” the boy remarks and shuts the door

you half laugh and half scoff before turning your attention back to the ipad screen sitting on the bed infront of you

well

kind of infront of you because ni-ki’s acrobatic position was basically blocking the view

you were having a decent time watching the show playing, definitely not the most comfortable person on the planet at the moment

until you felt the body on top of you.. rumble?

you knew that feeling

ni-ki was laughing

HOW and WHY the hell was he laughing ?!!?!!?!

“what the hell?” you look down at him and his face is shoved near your shoulder but you caught a glimpse of his big smile

his laughter gets louder and you still dont have answers yet

“why are you laughing???? i thought you were sleeping?????” you try to push him off you but he was persistent in laughing in your shoulder (??)

after a couple minutes of you just letting this happen

ni-ki finally speaks!

“you’re so funny y/n” he finally pulls away from you and wipes his tears

“what are you even talking about... and how long were you awake, you sneaky kid” you poke his chest

he leans down again to hug your waist and start cuddling you again

“10 minutes”

“so you’re telling me i could’ve freed myself from that god awful demon EMBRACE you had me in 10 minutes ago???!!”

ni-ki starts laughing again and looks up at you

“thank you for threatening to send sunghoon to aliens for me y/n” he grins

you laugh, finally understanding what the boy had been going on about

“sunghoon deserved it”

[1-800-sope]

The Melody Of A Broken Heart (Chapter 2)

pairing: bts x reader

Rating: M

genre: soulmate!au, Angst, romance, Strangers to lovers, college, Mafia!, slowburn, fluff, enemies to lovers!! (tiny bit of yandere if you squint), “You’re the only thing that matters, I'll burn the whole world down for you” type of love

States: ongoing

Warnings: heartbreak, toxic relationships (outside of main relationship/ not bts and reader), drugs, violence, murder, blood, gang related activities, underground fighting.

Summary: Can one hear the melody of the heart? Surely when we meet the ones we were made for we can hear the melody of the heart. How the heart beats for one another, seeing them everything fades and the only thing that you can focus on is them it’s like you’re in a daze and nothing else matters. You can only hear the pounding of a heart and that right there is the melody.

But can you hear a heart that has stopped beating? Can you hear a melody that’s stopped playing?

Chapter Summary: “What a plot twist you were.”

Chapter 1 - Chapter 3 

“You did well again Kid.” Jungkook’s manager said, patting him on his back covered with sweat. “That first punch you pulled I knew it was already game over and your opponent knew it too.” He stated, sitting down on the couch with an envelope in his hand watching Jungkook as he tidied up.

Jungkook only nodded not one to talk after a fight or in general he was the silent type and that made him a mystery to the thousands of people who came in every Friday night.

“Well I’m sure you're taking a big one home tonight so treat yourself to something good.” He spoke up, placing the thick envelope down on the bench as he stood up fixing his suit and walking out. 

Jungkook nodded again as he threw a shirt and some sweatpants on. He'll wash up later when he gets home.

Jungkook didn’t mind Mr. Smith, sure he was annoying at times, but Jungkook found almost everyone annoying.  Jungkook chose Mr. Smith as his manager to keep the underground fighting-related things under control, he was in charge of things that Jungkook didn’t have time on his hands to do himself.

He tolerated Mr. Smith because he didn’t ask questions and didn't get greedy, Mr. Smith wasn’t one to stick his nose where it didn't belong and Jungkook liked that. 

Jungkook signed as he placed his hand on his shoulder rubbing it while taking a look down at the thick envelope filled with money from half of the open bets tonight. Sure his opponent wasn’t on his level but he still put up a good fight.

He sighed again knowing he was not going to get a good night's sleep. Walking out of the shabby building and into the dark alley Jungkook nodded at the men that stood guarding the back entrance. 

“Here is all the money, sir.” One of them spoke, handing him three large black duffle bags filled with cash. Jungkook grabbed them and made his way over to his car with the two guards following him while keeping a lookout. 

It was when Jungkook got in and drove off he relaxed a little bit, looking out the window a faint smile grew on his face at the thought of finally going home.

“You know, I don’t appreciate you invading my sanctuary like this.” You joke as you step out of the bathroom, towel laying around your shoulder. A chuckle was heard from the living room along with the quiet sounds of the voices playing from the tv. It was past eight pm so the adult swim was on and at its full prime.

“Don’t act like you don’t like it when I come over.” Sam replied, his eyes glued to the Tv screen, a bowl of fruit lying on his lap. You got up from leaning against the wall making your way over towards him with a small smile on your face.

“I don’t mind you coming over but I do mind you eating up my food.” You said taking the bowl of fruit from him which he responded with a whine. “Hey!”

You rolled your eyes making your way over to the kitchen that was connected to the living room, Sam hot on your trails. “How was date night?” you asked putting the bowl down on the island table before opening the fridge looking for something to drink.

“Oh you know, nice as always, we just danced, did a puzzle, and watched a movie while cuddling.” Sam breathed out. You turned back around and watched him, you watched as he looked down fidgeting with the ring on his finger, his body language was slumped and a grimace expression was on his face. “So in other words, it sucked?” You chuckled with a raised brow. 

Sam was one of those who were very easy to read not because he wore his heart on his sleeve but because he was shit at lying and he couldn't mask his expressions at all, when he was sad you knew.

“I don’t know what happened.” Sam groaned, throwing his head back, you smiled as you watched him ramble. “It was fun and nice the vibes were there and the feelings were there too, he kissed me on the cheek that was the first time he’s ever kissed me but… but.”

“You weren’t satisfied?” You finished handing him a tub of ice cream. Sam looked back at you with a faint smile. “I love how you can tell what I’m feeling without me physically saying it.” The two of you giggled. “I wish I could do the same with you, you’re so hard to read y/n.”  At that you chuckled and made your way back to the living room sitting down on the couch Sam followed while holding onto the ice cream.

You turned up the volume of the Tv and watched the cartoon that was playing, laying your head back with the couch blanket covering the both of you. Time passed filled with giggles here and there when something funny happen and sides comments when something dumb happened.

“I think it’s a bad thing.” You said softly. “What’s that?” Sam turned around looking at you. “I think it’s a bad thing to be easy to read.” You mumbled glancing at him. Sam didn’t say anything so you continued, “Being easy to read means you’re vulnerable, and something about being vulnerable is so….uncomfortable.”

“But aren’t you being vulnerable right now? With me?” Sam asked as he leaned up, the show on the Tv long forgotten the sounds faded into background noises as the both of you focused on each other. “By saying and showing me how you truly feel, expressing your thoughts and feelings, doesn’t that make you vulnerable?” Sam looked you in the eyes, his body was now completely turned to you. It was silent as the two of you faced each other. 

It was still dark out the time hitting midnight, your apartment curtains were drawn open and a beautiful view of your neighborhood could be seen but what made this moment special wasn’t the scenery, it was the person sitting down next to you sharing one tub of ice cream while having a deep conversation.

“No, it's different.” you said turning away looking back at the Tv. “How so?” He asked doing the same. “Because I can’t be vulnerable around somebody I trust.”

Sam smiled a feeling spread through his chest as he watched you close your eyes, he brought his arm out pulling your body towards him so your head laid on his shoulder. He loved you and that was a fact, not the type of love you would have for someone in a romantic way but the type of love that you would have for a person that always made you feel better, it’s stronger than a love you would give your best friend, you were his family and he was grateful to have you in his life.

You stared at the body lying down lifelessly on your dark green couch loud snoring and drool falling onto one of your favorite pillows and that annoyed you. Sam is attractive be he’s also one ugly sleeper

Lifting your leg up you pushed your foot forward kicking him in his side. “Get up and Get out, I have to go to work.” You spoke as the other ground in pain. “Y/n why can’t you wake me up like a normal human being?” He coughed. “Well, when you start coming over like a normal human I’ll start treating you like one.” You responded heading towards the bathroom to get ready.

“Can I at least eat first?” Sam shouted as he watched your figure turn the corner. “Clean up after yourself” You shouted back, closing the door behind you.

When you were done getting ready you walked out of the bathroom and were greeted by the smell of warm coffee and delicious breakfast walking into the kitchen you didn’t see Sam but another uninvited guest.

“You guys just keep coming uninvited huh?” You said walking through the living room. “Good morning to you too.” Jake chuckled his attention on the food. “You know Sam can’t cook to save his life.” 

“True.” You responded by turning the news on. “How was your night?” You asked, leaning on the counter, eyes on Jake’s back as he cooked. “Ok.” He answered by grabbing three plates from the counter. 

“That’s good.” You mumbled grabbing your phone. “Something smells good.” Sam sang through the apartment a bright smile on his face, brighter than the morning sun if you were being honest. you watched as he walked over to Jake he placed his head on the other shoulder watching him cook

You brought up your phone, snapping a quick picture of the two. “Ok, food is done.” Jake announced as he started setting up the plates, the three of you sat around your small wooden table and began to eat.

After eating breakfast with each other the three of you went your separate ways from the apartment you going to work and the other two doing whatever they do on a Sunday.

You work at a small bookstore/music shop in the middle of town. It’s the type of store that people would call a “hidden gem” or “underrated.” Like a thrift shop for example so not very popular but enough customers to keep you guys up and running for a few years.

You honestly loved your Job. It was like a second home to you and the guys, a nice place to chill in silence, filled with books and music, and the fact that a coffee shop was right next door topped it all off. On busy days Sam would come in and help out when he had nothing better to do, on slow days like this both Sam and Jake would stop by Jake would sit in one of the couches in the corner as he played some tunes from his bass Sam would stand behind the counter where you worked messing around with ginger the stores orange cat.

But both of them had things to do so you were left alone on some days you wouldn't mind but the fact that Ginger wasn’t around either made you hope for the slow day to be done with. So you decided to pass time in the back.

“Excuse me?” A voice called out as the bell from the door rang. “I’ll be right with you!” You yelled, putting the boxes of newly arrived books down. You quickly made your way to the front counter. “Hello, what can I get-” You paused as your eyes took notice of the familiar face you faked coughing “for you”. 

“I’m looking for this book.” He spoke showing a picture on his phone to you. Your eyes widened in surprise as you looked at his phone, he didn’t look like the type that would be into this type of book or books in general. You looked back up to see him staring at you with the same intimidating eyes from before. 

and just like last time your body started to heat up as the beating inside your chest got uncomfortable. 

“Ah, sorry.” you chuckled nervously looking away from his eyes. “We don’t have this book in stock.” You spoke nervously, whipping your sweaty hands on your jeans before bringing them back up. He watched you.

His eyes were trained on your every move as he listened “I see.” He mumbled turning away.

Heart pounding faster in your chest you nervously called out to him “Wait!” He turned his head looking over his shoulder and at you raising his pierced eyebrow. 

“We do have a shipment coming in next week and if you let me check the book may be on the list.” with a nervous smile you started to type away on the computer.

What was up with you today? You never get all fidgety and nervous around customers but then again he’s not a customer, you took a glance at him as he started looking down at his phone, you took this opportunity to acknowledge his beauty. 

How could somebody be this attractive? especially in your age group? it was kind of offensive.

Him feeling your stare he looked up at you. You smiled “It’s coming in next week, would you be interested in giving me your name and number so I can put it on hold for you?” You asked, grabbing a piece of paper and pen.

He stood there thinking for a bit he looked around the store then back at you, once he made up his mind he spoke. 

“Sure.” 

He gave you his name and number as you wrote it down along with the book title “Thank you.” He spoke before walking off leaving the store.

You nervously bite your lip as you look down at the paper reading “Jeon Jungkook.” Putting it with the rest of the requested books forms you released a deep breath fanning yourself 

“We seriously need to get the air conditioning fixed.” You mumbled making your way back to the back to finish unloading.

As you finished up work for the day and headed home. You still couldn't get the thought of Jungkook and the title of the book he was looking for out of your head. 

Walking over to your mini bookshelf surrounded by your plants you started scanning through the names until you found it 

Grabbing it you looked down at the front vibrant book cover  “Cigarettes and Daydreams out the window” in bolded words faced back at you.  And you couldn't help but think again 

Why would Jeon Jungkook be interested in such a book?

You were never one to judge a person’s book taste but since you knew Cigarettes and Daydreams out the window like you knew the back of your hand due to reading it almost every hot summer night on your apartment porch you knew that Jungkook didn’t look like the type to be into this book 

The book was about love, it goes into depth about all the different types of love there is and its stages while it builds the readers up and breaks them down with a heartbreaking ending.

It’s a perfect book for hopeless romantics and Jungkook didn’t look like a hopeless romantic. To put it in simple terms this book screamed Sam’s name Jungkook and Sam were complete opposites.

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