#just saw matt/as and n/na

[magneticflower]

Rewatching sa/b just for the Crows scenes

[vanteguccir]

── ୨୧ !　𝗦𝗔𝗨𝗗𝗔𝗗𝗘

　　　　　　　　　　𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒐𝒍𝒐 x reader

SUMMARY: Where Y/N and Matt have a long-distance relationship. After months of not seeing each other, Y/N decides to surprise Matt in LA.

WARNING: None.

REQUESTED?: Yes, from @lizziesx

AUTHOR'S NOTE: That is my work, I DON'T authorize any plagiarism! | English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry if there's any grammar error.

　　　༻✦༺ 　༻✧༺　༻✦༺

Y/N sighed in relief as she left her last class of the day, closing her eyes momentarily and thanking that classes always ended early on Friday, before walking again, heading towards the Starbucks on the college campus.

A smile spread across her face when she saw her group of friends already waiting for her at their table, Julia already holding her usual, Caramel Machiatto.

"Oi meninas! (Hi girls!)" Y/N spoke with a smile in her voice, pulling out the reserved chair for herself, hanging her bag on the back of it, and sitting on the seat.

"Oi gatinha, como foi Direito Constitucional? (Hi kitty, how was Constitutional Law?)" Gabriela, who sat on her left, asked as Julia passed the drink to Y/N, who thanked her with a wink before taking a sip.

"Foi um porre, o professor adora pegar no meu pé, mas pelo menos eu tirei nota máxima no trabalho. (It was horrible. The teacher loves picking on me, but at least I got a perfect grade on my work.)" Y/N rolled her eyes, snorting at the mention of her teacher.

"Eu sei exatamente o que vai levantar o seu astral. (I know exactly what will lift your spirits.)" Anna, the third and last girl in the group, spoke as she raised her right hand, receiving everyones attention. "Achei um barzinho incrível na Vila Madalena, álcool é a solução pros nossos problemas. (I found an amazing bar in Vila Madalena, alcohol is the solution to our problems.)" She finished, a smile on her face, she was their typical Happy Hour organizer.

Julia and Gabriela smiled equally big, nodding their heads. By Brazilian tradition, Happy Hour always took place on Friday, so they were already looking forward to the idea through all day.

"Bora, amiga? (You coming, bestie?)" Anna turned to Y/N, waiting for confirmation after not seeing her react like she usually did.

"Não vou conseguir, meninas. Vou pra LA hoje. (I can't make it, girls. I'm going to LA today.)" She replied, unable to contain a smile when she mentioned the city.

"Hmm, vai visitar o boy? (Hmm, are you going to visit your boy?)" Julia said with a smile, stirring her drink with the straw.

"Sim, fazem meses que não nos vemos e não aguento mais só falar com ele por Facetime. Comprei passagem para ir hoje, e volto na segunda-feira, infelizmente. Se eu faltar mais uma aula, eu me fodo. (Yes, we haven't seen each other for months, and I can't stand just talking to him on Facetime. I bought a ticket to go today, and I'll be back on Monday, unfortunately. If I miss one more class, I'll get fucked.)" Y/N explained, taking a sip of her drink.

Y/N and Matt met on one of the girl's trips to Los Angeles years ago when she was still in her gap year, she and her parents had a house in the city and always went there on every vacation.

Their first meeting was an unusual one, but it caused the two to exchange numbers, keep contact, and, consequently, fall in love.

Because Y/N is Brazilian, lives with her mother in São Paulo and studies law at Mackenzie, she needed to travel back and forth from Brazil to be able to see her boyfriend in LA, since she wanted to finish her studies in her country.

The two agreed to continue their relationship in a long distance, and surprisingly, they handled that format very well. Their love for each other only intensified every day, and they felt like they fell in love all over again every time they saw each other in person, always reminding themselves that distance gave them a reason to love harder.

"Você vai de carro até o aeroporto? Ou sua mãe vai te levar? (Are you going to drive to the airport? Or is your mom going to take you there?)" Gabriela turned to her, seeing her shake her head.

"Nenhum, eu vou de Uber. O vôo é às 12pm e minha mãe tem plantão no hospital hoje, e eu não quero deixar meu carro no estacionamento do aeroporto. (None, I'm taking an Uber. The flight is at 12 pm, and my mom has a shift at the hospital today, and I don't want to leave my car in the airport parking lot.)"

"Eu te levo, amiga. (I'll take you, babes.)" Julia interrupted. "Depois eu me arrumo e vou direto pro tal bar que a Anna achou. (Then I'll get ready and go straight to that bar that Anna found.)"

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"Aproveita o seu boy e manda atualizações no grupo, eu quero saber tudo. (Enjoy your boyfriend and send updates to the group, I want to know everything.)" Julia spoke as she closed the trunk of her car, helping Y/N place her bags onto the airport cart.

"Eu prometo que vou atualizar vocês todos os dias. (I promise I'll update you every day.)" Y/N rolled her eyes playfully, smirking. "Obrigada pela carona, amiga. (Thanks for the ride, babes.)" She added, pulling Julia into a tight hug.

"Não precisa agradecer, só mandar o pix. (No need to thank me, just send the pix.)" Julia responded jokingly, laughing when Y/N slapped her arm.

"Idiota. (Jerk.)" Y/N rolled her eyes with a smile on her face, walking up the sidewalk and starting to push the cart with her bags.

"Também te amo! (love you too!)" Julia shouted as she got into her car.

Y/N quickly entered the airport, fishing her phone out of her jeans pocket and unlocking the screen, searching for her flight information. Her eyes read the boarding gate before putting her phone away again and pushing the cart to the check-in counter.

The process didn't take long, and soon, Y/N was able to sit in one of the chairs near her gate, taking out her phone again and unlocking it. Her thumb searched for the messaging app, opening it and seeing some chats with new texts.

The girl ignored all of them, as usual, and clicked on her mom's one, reading the latest texts.

"Honey, Matt sent me a text, he said that you haven't spoken to him all day and he is worried, thinking that you died."

"I said you had a test today at college and you couldn't use your phone during it."

"I think it's a good idea for you to send him a text before he's the one to come to Brazil."

Y/N pressed her lips together, trying to hold back her laughter. They were both so dramatic.

The girl sent her mom a brief text letting her know that she was already at the airport and assuring her that she would talk to Matt.

Her thumb clicked the back button, and her eyes quickly found Matt's chat, seeing 10 new messages and 3 missed calls. Y/N rolled her eyes, not holding back a smile. She understood why he was so worried, since the two of them talked via messages and calls practically all day long, every day, her not sending anything other than a "good morning, my love" was worrying.

But it wasn't her fault that, after class, she had to go home quickly and pack her bags, which she obviously left to pack at the last minute.

Y/N briefly looked at the time, knowing that Los Angeles' time zone was different from Brazil's, before clicking the call button, waiting for her boyfriend to answer.

"Baby?" Matt's voice sounded on the other end.

"Hi my love, I'm sorry for not talking to you today. I had a test this morning, and I couldn't use my phone during it." The girl spoke, persisting in the lie created by her mother, as her eyes traveled across the space in front of her, seeing people walking back and forth with suitcases in their hands.

"It's okay, I was just worried." The boy spoke in a low tone. The sound of objects moving in the background echoed through the line. "How was the test? I'm sure you did well."

"It was-" Y/N looked up at the flight board, seeing that hers was taking off in 20 minutes, meaning they would soon announce it, and the girl would have to board. "It was great, baby. Honey, I need to go now, Julia is here at home doing some college work. I'll call you later. I love you, bye." She spoke quickly, cursing under her breath after hanging up the call.

She knew Matt would be sad about the way she acted, but she hoped that she going to LA would be enough for him to forgive her.

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The sound of the plane pilot's voice coming through the speaker woke the girl from her sleep. Her eyes opened as her ears picked up the message that the landing would be made in a few minutes.

Y/N straightened up in her seat, her eyes going to the window on her side, seeing that the sky was almost completely dark. She took her jacket out of her purse, wanting to protect her bare arms from the cold of Los Angeles, since in Brazil was 40°C and here would be 9°C. She prepared her body for the thermal shock.

The shudder of the plane warned her that the landing was going to happen, her hands tightly gripping the arm rest as her eyes closed. She hated that feeling.

A few minutes later, passengers were allowed to leave. Y/N got up from her seat and grabbed her purse, following the line of people until she entered the airport. The girl unlocked her phone and saw that it was already 7 pm LA time. Her notification bar was full of messages from Matt, which made her heart sink. She could only imagine the anxiety her boyfriend was feeling.

Her eyes went over the last text he sent 10 minutes ago, warning her that he would film the car video with his brothers in 20 minutes. A smile spread across her face, her plan would work.

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"Matt, get rid of that ugly face right now." Nick spoke from the backseat, leaning on the side of Chris's seat as he looked at Matt's side profile.

"No can do. He's naturally ugly." Chris said, letting out a laugh followed by a yell when Nick slapped his forehead.

"Shut up, dumbass. we all look the same."

The oldest leaned away at lightning speed when he saw Chris quickly turn around with an angry expression, his right hand raised, ready to hit Nick back.

"Hey, stop!" Matt said, placing his left arm between the two of them.

"Then get rid of that angry face." Nick ordered again, leaning against the sides of the front seats, meeting Matt's eyes in the rearview mirror momentarily.

"He's like this because his little girlfriend has been ignoring him all day." Chris said as he looked at the camera, smiling when he saw Matt cross his arms and sigh deeply.

The two of them didn't know what was going on between Matt and Y/N, or if anything was going on at all, but Matt had been frowning since that morning, walking around the entire house while cleaning up all the messes he put his eyes on.

Nick had asked him what happened at one point in the day, but Matt just said that Y/N was acting weird before turning his back to his brother, going back to cleaning the video game equipment in the living room.

A knock on the window on the passenger side made the boys jump in fright; Nick let out a scream, pushing his own body onto the seat behind Chris's, while Chris bent down and covered his head with his hands, as if that would protect him from whatever that was. Matt turned abruptly towards the door on his side, moving his upper half away from it, almost lying on top of the car console.

It took a few seconds for Matt to register that whoever was knocking on his window was his girlfriend. His blue eyes widened, and his mouth opened in a perfect O, his heart racing a mile a minute as he felt his hands shake slightly.

"Are you really going to leave me standing out here?" Y/N's voice sounded muffled as she took some steps back and smiled, her right hand hidden behind her back.

"Y/N!" Nick shouted, jumping into his usual seat and pulling on his door handle repeatedly while begging Matt to unlock it.

"Y-Y/N?" Matt whispered, still in disbelief, ignoring his brother completely.

"If you don't open that door right now and give your girl a good kiss, I'm going to hit you." Chris spoke after straightening up in his seat, fixing the beanie on his head. "Go!" He spoke loudly, pushing Matt, who seemed to finally wake up from his trance.

The brunette's right hand flew to the button to unlock the doors, clicking there before pulling the handle, opening his door with a thud.

Matt had never gotten out of his car so fast, his feet running a few steps until he reached Y/N, pulling her into his arms in a tight hug, lifting her a few inches off the ground and spinning her in the air, a loud laugh escaping his mouth as he closed his eyes, praying in his mind that this wasn't just a dream, but that if it was, that he never had to wake up again.

"Baby, I... you..." Matt pulled away slightly, shaking his head as he tried to process that his girlfriend was actually there, right in front of him. His blue eyes ran over Y/N's face and body, recording her image in his mind, despite already having it drawn, painted, and stuck in his soul. "You are here." He whispered, his eyes burning with tears.

"I'm here, baby." Y/N spoke in the same tone. "Oh my love, don't cry." Her eyes filled with tears as well, and a laugh escaped her lips. God, she loved him so much.

"So that's why you were ignoring me." Matt sniffled. His right hand went up to his face, passing them over his eyes, trying to stop the tears from falling.

"I'm sorry, sweetheart. I had to stop answering you for a while so I could prepare this surprise." She spoke, feeling her heart racing and butterflies in her stomach from the look in Matt's eyes. He looked so amazed. "But I have a present for you, as an apology." Y/N said slowly before taking her hand away from her back, showing the prettiest bouquet of tulips.

"Oh my-" Matt's eyes were wide, and his mouth was open, his heart freezing for a few seconds before speeding up like never before. Tears escaped his eyes without him even feeling them, while his cheeks burned with adrenaline. "This is for me?" He asked, perplexed.

"Of course, meu amor (my love). I saw it on the way here, and I thought: "Why not buy beautiful flowers for the prettiest boy in the world?"" She said softly, her eyes scanning his reactions closely.

"Thank you so much. I've never received flowers before." He sniffed, taking the bouquet delicately, as if any sudden movement could destroy it.

"They are so beautiful together." Chris commented a little away from them, his eyes also filled with tears. What they said was real. When a triplet cries, the other two cries as well.

Nick, who was next to Chris, nodded, a giant smile decorating his face as his hands held the camera, the lens focused on the couple, capturing the cute moment.

"This is true love, Y/N came all the way from Brazil just to see this idiot, and she brought flowers!" Chris continued to Nick in a low tone, not wanting to disturb the couple.

"At least now he'll be able to film today's video properly. He was worse than Grumpy from Snow White." The oldest triplet muttered from behind the camera loud enough for Matt to hear, letting out a laugh at the dirty look he gave him.

"Yes, but he's my Grumpy." Y/N spoke up, receiving grunts of disgust from Chris and Nick and a laugh from Matt.

The brunette took his free hand to Y/N's cheeks, pulling her lightly for a kiss, the first of that night. A contented sigh escaped the girl's mouth, who instantly relaxed and brought her hands to Matt's covered waist, squeezing the hoodie over her fingers while feeling like fireworks exploded inside her.

"Ew guys, that's enough love for one night." Chris said, covering his and Nick's eyes playfully.

Y/N pulled away from Matt, unable to contain her laughter, finally turning to the other two brothers.

"I think you have a video to film, don't you?" She asked wryly, smirking as she saw Chris roll his eyes and raise his arms in surrender, as if he hadn't been crying just seconds ago.

Nick turned, walking back to the car to put the camera in its place, and Chris followed, getting into the back seat next to the one Nick sits.

"I'll demand my hug later, Y/N." Nick shouted from inside the driver seat, trying to balance himself on it as he fiddled with the camera's focus.

"What do you think about being our guest on today's video?" Matt hugged her from behind, securely holding the bouquet, while resting his head in the crook of Y/N's neck, breathing in the scent of his girlfriend's perfume that he missed so much.

The girl smiled, even though he couldn't see it, stroking his left hand that rested on her waist while nodding her head.

Their fans would go crazy.

[aqqleshiqqing-archive]

[koolkat9]

Would you take a request for non-ship Canada and America? (Or Matthew and Alfred)

Like, the two of them just being twins and doing twin stuff?

And, um, if it comes up, I like Canada as the older twin...

Sure! Love me some family stuff! I hope you don’t mind, I got a bit of NedCan brainrot when writing this so there is a little bit of NedCan at the end. 

Rating: T

Relationships: NA bros, NedCan

Word Count: 1398

Finally Free

It was summer once more, which meant regular trips up to their cottage whenever they had free time. Alfred and Matthew always kicked off the season by taking a couple of weeks off and heading up near North Bay to their cottage for some much-needed downtime. They often invited their family and friends, but the first week was always dedicated to just them as well as preparation and cleaning up. 

“But I just want to go fishing,” Alfred whined as Matthew handed him a mop. “My bosses have been cooping me up for months. Can’t we just clean tomorrow?”

“No,” Matthew replied sharply. Strangely, the normally quiet and passive man had been quite irritable the last few days. Alfred wanted to protest since he saw no good reason as to why they had to finish their cleaning today, but he knew how scary his brother could be if pushed too far. So begrudgingly, he started sweeping the kitchen while Matthew focused on loading the fridge.

Not even ten minutes in, Alfred’s mind began to wander to blue skies, fresh air, and the calming rock of the current as it pushed against him in the water. He couldn’t keep this up, angry Mattie or not. Cautiously, he looked over at his brother. Matthew seemed completely focused on making all their (Alfred’s) food fit. Without making a sound, he propped the broom against the wall and began tiptoeing towards the door. 

“Nice try Al,” Matthew called. When Alfred turned back around, Matthew still had his back to him. He couldn’t have been that loud to notify Matthew. Could he? Whatever it was, he had been caught. Maybe he could make a run for it.

“And don’t think about running. You know I can catch you.”

Alfred groaned, picking up the broom once more. 

Once the fridge and cupboards were stocked, Mathew turned his attention to wiping down the counters. Alfred continued his half-hearted sweep. Despite Alfred’s lack of enthusiasm, the two finished everything that needed to be done in the kitchen. Next was the bedrooms. “I’m thirsty Mattie. Can we take a break for drinks?” Alfred asked. 

“Fine,” Matthew agreed without much fuss and headed over to the fridge while Alfred got glasses. As they sipped their juice, Alfred got another idea. He placed his drink down and reached over to the fruit bowl Matthew had put out, but as he reached, he “accidentally” bumped over his drink, making a mess. 

“Shit, I’m sorry Matt,” Alfred exclaimed.

Matthew took a moment to take a breath before replying. “Just…Just move onto the bedrooms, and I’ll be there in a minute.”

“You got it, bro!” But instead of heading upstairs to the rooms, Alfred headed straight out the back door. 

He had almost made it to the dock when he felt someone grab his collar. “Nice try,” Matthew stated tiredly, “Do you really think I wouldn’t hear the back door close?”

“N-No…I–”

“Come on, we’re preparing the bedrooms– together.”

Alfred was dragged back into the house by Matthew, up the stairs, and into the first bedroom. He was handed a broom once more, and, dejected, he began to sweep. As Matthew put out fresh sheets and bedding, Alfred sulked around and swept. Surprisingly he finished the room just as Matthew was beginning to set up the bed in the next one. In the end, Alfred had successfully swept two of the five rooms before he felt the call of the lake once more. But how could he escape? 

As he made his way to the third bedroom, he passed the bathroom. “Hey Matt,” He called to his brother, not taking his eyes off the bathroom door.

“What?”

“I just have to go to the bathroom. The soap is out up here so I’m just going to run downstairs.”

“Fine, but no funny business,” Matthew warned.

Alfred dashed down the stairs and into the bathroom. He took a minute before throwing open the window and climbing out it. Unfortunately, Alfred had overestimated the size of the window and ended up getting stuck. He tried his best to wriggle free, but it was futile. He couldn’t call for Matthew or else he would be caught for a third time. So he kept wriggling. 

After about fifteen minutes he heard footsteps coming towards him. Matthew came around the corner with a smirk on his face. “I should be mad,” He chuckled, “But I’d rather see this as karma.”

“Just get me out of here,” Alfred cried.

“Hmm…I don’t know. You’ve kind of been an asshole since we got here.”

“Mattie!”

Matthew leaned against the wall, ignoring his brother’s plea.

“Fine! I'm sorry! I’ll clean! Just get me out of here.”

Matthew gave him a pleasant smile. “That’s all you had to say.” Matthew ran back into the house and barged into the bathroom. With a few quick tugs, Alfred was free once more. 

Alfred kept true to his word and cleaned the rest of the rooms before heading down to the living room. Matthew soon joined him, wiping down the coffee table, end tables, and mantle before heading into the kitchen once more. Alfred quirked a brow. Why was Matthew going back in there? After pondering for a moment, he figured it was probably nothing and went back to his duty. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could head down to the lake. 

Just as Alfred was finishing up, Matthew returned to the living room and began wiping down the tables and mantle again. “Matt, I’m pretty sure they’re clean,” Alfred remarked. 

“You can never be too sure. We haven’t been here for months.”

“True, but don’t you think you’re overdoing it? Who’re you trying to impress? Francis?”

“N-No…I’m done doing that.”

“Hmm…I know Arthur likes things to be clean and orderly, but not so much so that you need to–”

“Jan is coming tomorrow okay,” Matthew snapped.

Oh, so that’s why Matthew wanted to get everything cleaned right away. “Ooooh finally confess?” Alfred asked, nudging his brother’s shoulder. 

“No,” Matthew replied through gritted teeth, “That’s what this weekend is for.”

“Aw Mattie–”

“Don’t start. Just finish cleaning in here, and then you can go do whatever you want.” With that, Matthew rushed back into the kitchen (most likely to wipe it down again). Alfred could tell his brother was nervous. Why else would he be so crazy about cleaning? Why else would Matthew have been so tense since the beginning of the trip? Maybe he could use this to make it up to Matthew for being a pain earlier today. Finishing up his chores, Alfred grabbed the car keys and headed into town. 

—

When Alfred awoke the next morning, Matthew was just leaving to pick up Jan. As soon as he heard the car pull out of the driveway, Alfred got to work. He took the bouquet of tulips and bag of decorations he had bought yesterday to decorate the living room. He placed the bouquet on the coffee table before taking out the flower garland and stringing it on the mantle. The final touch was a new floral pattern blanket Alfred had picked up. He draped over the back of the couch and straightened it out before surveying his work. It wasn’t much, but Jan seemed to enjoy flowers, and hopefully, he’d like the little surprise. 

Just as Alfred was finishing straightening everything up, he heard the car pull in. He dashed into his room and hopped onto his bed as if he never left. He heard Matthew gasp when he reached the living room. That was his cue. As if he had just woken up, Alfred stumbled out of his room. 

“Matthew, you didn’t have to do all this for me,” Jan said as Alfred entered the living room. 

“I–”

“I told him that, but he insisted,” Alfred interrupted, failing to hide his growing grin, “You’re very special to him, you know.”

Though his expression remained ever stoic, the slightest hint of blush reached Jan’s cheeks. Matthew, on the other hand, threw his brother a not-so-hidden glare. 

“I’ll leave you two alone for a bit. I didn’t get the fishing in like I wanted to yesterday.” 

As Alfred made his way to the back door, he gave Matthew a wink before heading down to the lake. He would get his thanks later. Right now, Matthew and Jan needed some privacy.

[limenysnocket]

Japanese Denim

Summary: You're free to travel with Taika again. Where to go? Think about it. For the past year, Taika has been bingeing anime non-stop, and his closet is full of the Japanese culture. What better place... Japan.

Pairing: Taika Waititi x Reader

Warnings: Baecation- fluff, swearing.

Words: 2.1k

A/N: This is for @fineanddandy 's lovely little challenge, and I've always wanted to go to Okinawa so this is an opportunity to do some research for fun and for my amusement.

@olyvoyl @honorarytenenbaum @dandywaititi @mrtommyshelby @whatwememeintheshadows​

•○●•○●•○●•

"Thank you! And enjoy your stay at the Henn na Hotel!"

"How many times a day do you get served by a fucking dinosaur? Are you kidding me?" Taika was bouncing all the way to your room. His hand gestures only got wider by the second. "And this place is desolate. I'm starting to think the robots killed everyone for fuel."

"This isn't a Y2K situation, dumbass. It's like... the aftermath of that. And if robots actually needed to travel places," you shrugged, rolling your suitcase away from divots in the carpet.

This is where you chose to stay in Nagasaki. They called it the Henn na Hotel, where everything (absolutely everything) was ran by robots. No living staff, except for the maintenance crew. Nothing. They even gave you a little robot companion in your room that was like a moving Alexa with glowing eyes and an eerie, childish voice. It would even sing nursery rhymes if you asked it politely. But as Taika had exclaimed about when he was first booking his stay at the hotel, you had the choice to check in with a robotic raptor at the front desk. Of course, there were perfectly normal human robots, but those didn’t excite him as much.

And what could make this better? It was in the middle of a makeshift Dutch theme park called Huis Ten Bosch with nightly live performances and a walk of lights that would make you think you're on some sort of drug trip.

A lot of this was weird to you. Immediately, as soon as you got off the plane, both you and Taika had to take a safety course with a few other men and women. From earthquakes, to fires, to emergency evacuations. You were thinking your jet lag was going to be the worst part of your trip. You didn't get to go to sleep until you reached your hotel room. Which was hours later.

You woke back up at seven o'clock at night with Taika passed out right beside you. Dusk was just beginning to creep along the horizon. You walked to your window and pulled open the curtains. The sight amazed you. You gathered yourself up, throwing on some clothes, then tossing a pair at your sleeping boyfriend.

Taika woke up, completely disgruntled and still very sleepy. "Babe, what the fuck," he murmured, rubbing his eyes with a palm and clearly not ready to get up yet.

“Just shut up and get your clothes on. We’re going to have fun,” you whispered through the thin air of your hotel room. Begrudgingly, he got up and started to get dressed. Just a pair of shorts, his chucks, and a plain t-shirt. Nothing too eccentric since you did not want to draw in attention. Once he was ready, you were dragging him downstairs. Outside of your building, there was a slew of people walking around. Not too much to suffocate, but enough to know that humanity was thriving outside of your little robot-ran hotel room.

Passed all the people, Taika saw what excited you. It was dark now, and the throngs of lights coating each building you saw, were now on. The virtual reality merry-go-round was up and running, and live performances went on the little stage. People were gathered around every attraction, but Taika went to the performance first.

It was all bright dancing and wild colors. People were in front of the stage, doing the dances too with some kind of glee on their faces. It really was bizarre, since you and Taika seemed to be the only ones without eye masks on.

Taika tried his best to join in with the dancing, but really couldn’t catch on. Unless it was Michael Jackson’s, “Thriller,” or something he made up on the spot, the man cannot dance in sync. But, it was still fun to watch him try, so, you kept encouraging him, even though he was a mess. It was payback for all the times he messed with you. Like stealing your favorite hoodie.

He was ready for more of the tour when he was finished, and what you figured might be your night of taking him around, turned into his. You didn’t mind. He was taking you to the places you wanted to go anyway. Through the forest of lights, down the glowing river, and you enjoyed the night water shows that were also lit up with bright techno colors. As a treat... you even let him have a look at the One Piece ship they have floating in the harbor.

Finishing up your night, you decided to take a stroll on Umbrella street. They were lit up in a lovely blue and pink color. All the stores that lounged on the sides were closing up, and there weren’t many people left lingering around the lights. Eventually, you and Taika were the only ones left. Your arm was wrapped around Taika’s, and all you could stare at was the lights. He had one hand in his pocket, and he let you lean most of your weight on him. It had only been a couple of hours since you started to take a look around, but you were tired again. The jet lag still hadn’t completely wore off, you supposed, and it showed.

“Come on,” Taika murmured into your ear, “Let’s get back to our room.”

It was another fifteen minutes before the park was totally shut down and was no longer accepting guests. You both drowsily made your way up to your hotel room, where your tiny robot friend was waiting for you, asking what time you were going to wake up. It was annoying, but the exhaustion made it easy to ignore. You got back into your pajamas, crawled into bed with Taika, and went to sleep.

The next morning, you were up bright ad early. The little robot friend on your desk still asked what time you were going to wake up. It would take care of itself, hopefully. The park was getting ready to open, by the time you left with Taika on your arm. From Nagasaki’s airport, you took a small plane over to Naha, Okinawa, where you would spend the rest of your day, walking about in your swimsuit, until the sun set.

White sand, beautiful beaches, exquisite sushi, and odd looking statues that you had to ask the locals about. From shrines, to snakes, to boardwalks, it was all here, and you were going to take in all of it. 

Instead of staying in a lavish resort for the day, you and Taika just walked, took the monorail, or took a bike cab everywhere. Most of the time you were there, however, you spent on the beach. The crystalline waters called to you from a distance, and it just looked so blue! You couldn’t help yourself.

Taika went searching for shellfish, but he liked to spend time with you in the water. It was about twenty or so minutes in when he splashed a large amount of water at you. You spluttered, since most of it landed in your face. You wiped your eyes and caught him, holding his hands behind his back and carelessly looking around as if he had done nothing wrong. You didn’t buy his act, obviously, and you splashed back at him. To him, you had just declared war, and things were going to get serious.

Waves and waves of water were sent flying through the air, and both of you were drenched in battle. With how much you were moving, you were sure you scared all the fish away from the water.

At the very end, neither of you were sure who won, but you were both happy and tired. You took the opportunity to rest on the beach, laying on your stomach on a towel and enjoying the warm sunlight while it lasted. Taika sat beside you once he was satisfied with his search for shells. You took your time to go through some of his little collection and ended up being thoroughly impressed with his find. You found a few conch shells, but your favorite by far had to be the spider conch that he found. It was small, and could fit in the palm of your hand, but you still enjoyed the shape and color. He let you keep it.

After a long day, you decided to stop in a restaurant to grab something to eat. It was a lovely mom and pop shop that was based on soba noodles and sea food. There was floor seating, or there were tables and chairs. Taika picked fast and it was right to the floor seating. Tatami matts and plush cushions provided a much cozier atmosphere than first suggested. When the time to order food came around, you both had a lot to cover. Playing at the beach worked up an appetite. The people working were more than happy to oblige to your needs and would feed you the best food anyone could make.

With your food came traditional Sake and two tiny teacups of herbal teas. With a table covered in food, and alcohol thrown into the mix, the night would last a very long time. Yet, you still had a plane to catch by the end of it. You stayed as long as possible, ate as much as you could stomach, and drank a lot more Sake than you would like to admit, but hey, you still had an amazing time. Not to mention how much attention Taika was getting from passers by. He could get quite loud, and those who could understand or speak English were drawn to his boisterous aura.

You left the restaurant, fat and happy, as well as Taika. After gathering up your shoes and changing out of your wet clothes, you took a plane to Osaka, then took the train the rest of the way to the small town of Karuizawa. Taika had booked a pension for the night, and it would be capping off your small vacation with him in Japan.

The pension was a small, red roofed building, just outside of the shopping district. Luckily, the lights were still on by the time you made it in. The buzz of the Sake still had quite the grip on you, so you let Taika do most of the talking. It took a minute, since the people running the place had to send out for someone who spoke English, but the waiting wasn’t all that bad. You got the chance to take a look at the beautiful stone garden outside of the window.

Again, the place you were staying wasn’t fancy or as nice as the robotic one you stayed in, but it was still comforting. They gave you a king-sized bed in a big bedroom with circular windows, a living room, large bathroom, and a mini kitchen. The remnants of the complimentary dinner they had served a few hours before you arrived still wafted through the air.

After long showers and setting out clothes for tomorrow (Taika insisted he wear his denim kimono), you both sat in the small living room for some time, trying to make sense of a random game show that played on the television. Taika had his arm wrapped around your shoulders, his body still pleasantly warm from his shower and the rose petal soap he used tickled your sense of smell. His hair was still dripping with water, and little beads of it would fall onto his broad shoulders. Your hands were fiddling with the spider shell he had given you earlier, and you just looked on at the television ahead, struggling to stay awake.

“Doing okay?” Taika muttered to you, sounding quite tired himself. You gave him a low hum in response and tucked your nose into his shirt. You wrapped your arms around him, and he didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Did you have a good time?” He always liked to reassure himself with you, to make sure you were always happy and satisfied with the things he picked out. You gave him another hum, but in a more approving tone than last time. He blew a laugh through his nose and leaned his head back, resting it on the couch and staring at the ceiling for a time.

“Good...” he said again softly, “I’m glad you did...”

[procrastinatorimagines]

Okay Part 6

Fandom: Chicago Fire / One Chicago

Series: Okay

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7 // Part 8 (Final)

Pairing: Matt Casey x Halstead!Reader

Warning/s: assault, murder, kidnapping

Word Count: 1,369

Summary:  After narrowly escaping certain death you decided to turn your life around and become a firefighter, and although it wasn’t easy, you survived your first week at 51. Now, the strange circumstances of your very first fire lead you to a second, deadlier act. As you dig deeper, aided by your brothers and your new firehouse, you begin to realise just how in over your head you might be.

Tags: @alievans007​ // @louiselikeswriting​ // @killjoys-make-some-noise-na-na​

Lily may have been missing, but the world kept turning. 

Sat in Casey’s office only half way through the longest shift of your life you nervously bit at your nails, something you hadn’t done since you were a kid. You’d been in and out of Boden’s office all day, discussing what to do and comparing notes with Adam and Kim when they came to reinterview both you and Casey about everything you knew. 

The dodge charger had been found torched, no evidence left and no cameras in the area. It felt like the world was working against you. 

Casey had let you stay in his office most of shift, too distracted himself to properly focus on his paperwork in between the few calls you had. You actually wished you’d had more, at least then you could put your mind to something other than the worry that had gripped you. Why would her own father do this?

“This is a recovery isn’t it? Not a rescue,” you blurted out, the thought bouncing around painfully in your skull all night and day, unable to contain it any longer. Casey looked up from where he was trying to write out the same report he’d been filing since the last call, surprised by your out burst.

“We can’t think like that Y/N,” he shut you down immediately, turning his chair around to face you where you sat crosslegged on his bunk, probably a little too casual for your Captain’s office, but these were unusual circumstances. 

You swallowed, knowing he was right, but unable to do anything else but think like that. So you decided not to tell him that you were going to ask Jay for some time alone with the guy when Intelligence caught him. 

“I asked a friend at the SA’s office to look into the divorce,” Casey revealed, fully grabbing your attention as your hand dropped from your mouth. “Anna Valdez, she told me that the dad, Paul, was the one that filed for divorce, accused his wife of not being faithful, that Lily apparently wasn’t his.”

“What, that’s why he’s doing this? I don’t condone adultery but murder? And how would that be Lily’s fault, she didn’t chose to be born?” Your outrage was growing with each new question, probably mirroring how Casey had felt when he’d heard the news. 

“That’s the thing,” Casey continued, “there was never actually a DNA test done, it was all just his speculation and paranoia by the sounds of it, Lily’s mother got custody because he was becoming more and more... unhinged,” he explained.

“How does he still have parental rights?” You asked.

“It’s not that simple, her mom didn’t want to take it too far, she got full custody but he still had visitation rights, and he’s legally still her closest family, he just chose to move out of the state,” Casey informed you, shaking his head about the whole situation. 

A silence followed, having a lot to think about now. This was... what? Revenge? He blamed Lily’s mother for betraying him, but why go after Lily? Could a person’s resentment really be that strong? You still had a lot to learn, but you couldn’t image dealing what Jay did everyday, seeing the worst of humanity like this all the time would be too much for you.

“We need to go back there after shift, turn over every stone again-” you began, basically juat rambling your thoughts at this point, not even entirely directed at Casey, as you stared off into the middle distance.

“Y/N, the police are already on that,” Casey tried to get your attention, sympathy creeping into his voice as he looked at the bags under your eyes and the worry unmasked on your face.

“Well then we’ll go back to the scenes of the fire-” you kept going, not listening.

“Y/N-”

“-or the hospital-”

“Y/N-”

“-maybe the dad has friends in Chicago we could talk to-”

“Y/N!” Casey snapped, raising his voice and grabbing both your shoulders, making you jump as your rambling stopping in its tracks. Your eyes snapped to his, looking into each others eyes for a second before Casey continued.

“You’re tired, we both are, maybe you should focus on taking care of yourself,” he said softly, continuing as you opened your mouth to protest, practically reading your mind, “Jay will call if he has anything, you know he will.”

“I can’t do nothing,” you protested weakly, shoulders deflating.

“You’d done a lot Y/N,” Casey insisted, “you haven’t even been on this job a full two weeks yet, you need rest.” There was a silence as you took in what he’d said, breaking when Casey realised his hands were still on your shoulders, dropping them quickly and moving back in his chair as he cleared his throat.

The bell went off before anything else could be said, both of you making your way to truck, glad for the change of pace and much needed distraction.

-

You were out of the firehouse the second shift ended, barely acknowledging anyone else, even Casey, as you waved a general ‘goodnight’ to everyone. 

Casey’s advice may have been sound, but you were a Halstead.

As soon as you reached your car and sat down you paused, trying to sort out your full head of thoughts. Where would Paul go? If he blames Lily for everything going wrong in his life, maybe he’d take her to where it all went wrong? You reasoned, cogs spinning in your brain.

You reached over to passangers seat, the files for the case organised and on hand should you need them. A quick check of background information told you that there was a previous house listed, the first house they’d bought together just before Lily was born, and it wasn’t too far from the station.

Intelligence had surely checked it out, but it wouldn’t hurt to swing past, and then you swore to yourself you’d follow Casey’s advice and head home to try to get some shut eye. Try being the key word. 

One quick stop, you reminded yourself as you drove off, soon finding yourself pulling up on the otherside of the road to the property. At first you didn’t see anything, just a quiet house, and were about to pull away when you caught movement in the front window. Just a glimpse, and the flick of a light, but it was enough to make you double check the file. 

The property was supposed to be vacant.

The sun had basically set, so you had some cover of darkness, but still you made sure you were careful. Quietly stepping out of the car and moving your way slowly towards the side of the house with that genetic brand of Halstead common sense, you told yourself you’d just take a peak, just to confirm if you even saw anything, and definitely if it was Paul and Lily.

Then, then you’d make a call. Your phone was out of your pocket by the time you reached the side of the house, careful not to be seen as you crouched slightly on the otherside of the window. For some reason your mind had gone to Casey before Jay, thumb hovering over the dial button as you peered inside. 

You didn’t see anything, but you smelt it. It was that same smell, the smell that took your mind back to that basement, to Lily in her little room in the wall, a smell that had you taking steady breaths to try and keep calm as you call Casey.

It was still ringing quietly when you head a crunch behind you, whirling around just as you felt a sharp pain on the side of your head, crumpling to the ground as you phone eventually clicked on. You wanted to speak, call out for help, but all you could do was lie there as you vision quickly faded and unconsciousness took you.

-

“Y/N? Y/N? Is everything okay? Are you there?” There was only silence in response, followed by a crunch as the line went dead, an automated voice telling Casey that the number he was trying to reach had been disconnected. 

The silence that followed was deafening.

[babi-correia]

Finding Fire (Part 17)

Words: 1037 Warnings: Casey being a dumbass, I guess... Pairing: Matt Casey x Reader (at long last)

Prologue | Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16

"What? You and Jay aren't dating?" Casey's voice matches the incredulous look on his face, making you chuckle.

"No, we aren't. We're just very good friends." You assure, leaning against the door. "Now, I'd appreciate it if you dropped the bitchy attitude about me and him dating or hanging out." 

The bell sounds out, signaling the end of your shift. You grab your duffle bag and open the door, exiting into the hallway. Casey follows you quickly.

"You want a ride home?" He asks, catching up with you. 

"I have to bring Chief up to speed about what happened at the warehouse." You say, making your way to Boden's office. 

"I'll be waiting outside for you then." Casey says, turning to the locker room as you knock on Boden's door.

----

The conversation with Boden ends quite quickly and you leave his office, finding Casey leaning against the gate, waiting for you. 

"Ready to go?" He asks, peeling himself off the gate. 

"Yeah." You reply, following him to his truck. "Thanks for giving me a ride, you didn't have to."

"It's not like it's that big of a deal." He smiles at you, unlocking the car. Both of you get in and close the doors, buckling up as Casey starts the truck. "So, the Audi is in the shop because of the shooting?"

"Yeah, it is. They're supposed to bring it back by tomorrow. It sucks not having a car." 

"But you're ok, right? You didn't get hurt during the whole ordeal?"

"Yeah, we both got away without as much as a scratch, unlike the Audi. And I discovered I can be one hell of a getaway driver." You laugh. "I peeled it off in reverse, I'm sure the tire-tracks are still on the pavement." 

The truck comes to a stop in front of your house and you unbuckle your seatbelt, patting Casey's shoulder. 

"Thanks for the ride." You smile at him, hopping off the truck and shutting the door, debating internally whether or not to invite him in, ultimately deciding against it and making your way inside, basking in the silence and peace of your home. 

Casey lingers for longer than he'd care to admit before getting back on the road, dialing Severide's number and putting it on speaker as he makes the drive to his house. 

"What's up, Casey?" Severide answers the phone, sounding a bit confused.

"(Y/N) and Jay aren't dating."

"No shit. Stella and I told you that several times." Severide's voice seems almost amused. "You chose to ignore us."

Casey takes a deep breath as he parks on his street.

"I don't know what to do." He admits defeatedly. 

"Talk to her, for starters. She won't bite, and she cares about you more than she'd ever admit to anyone. You have nothing to lose."

"Her friendship, for example. Things seem to be better now, we're starting to talk like before."

"Casey. We both know that you won't be able to live with yourself if you don't tell her. Need I remind you what happened after the warehouse fire?" Severide sighs. "Go back to her house, talk to her. Lay all your chips on the table, and see where you go from there."

Casey can feel his chest tightening as he remembers the warehouse fire and the panic he felt when he saw you go unresponsive. 

"Thanks." Casey says, hastily ending the call before pulling back into the road, back the way he came from. 

Severide is right, he wouldn't be able to live with himself, especially after the events of the day. He's at your house before he even notices it, and parks his car on your driveway, turning it off. This could be a bad idea; you could kick him out, and he didn't know if he could take another one of your fulminating gazes. But it also could work out, and you'd accept him, and maybe the two of you could start a relationship. 

Taking a deep breath, he exits the truck and locks it before getting to your porch. He raises his hand to knock on your door, fighting the nervousness as his knuckles connect to the wooden surface. 

His breath his stuck in his throat when you open the door in your pajamas, a slight look of pain on your face. His brain refuses to work and keeps taking him back to the warehouse, to you laying on the floor, to him carrying you out of the building, to how afraid he was when he dropped you off at the hospital.

"Matt, are you ok?" You call to him, pulling him inside. "You're scaring me, what's going on?"

It takes him a while to find his voice, and you don't take your eyes off of him even for a second, pulling him to the couch and guiding him to sit down. 

"I-I can't lose you." He breathes out, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes are glazed over and seem haunted, and it's breaking your heart. You grab his hands in yours.

"I'm right here, Matt. You didn't lose me, I'm here." Even though you're trying to stay calm, the worried tone on your voice betrays you. 

"If we had taken a little while longer, you probably wouldn't be." You can see as he tries to swallow the lump in his throat. "It tore me up inside, to see you like that. I thought you were gone, and all I could think about was how many things were left unsaid and how I had been such a jerk to you, I wouldn't be able to live with myself if anything had happened to you."

"Matt." You squeeze his hands, tracing small circles on the back of his hands with your thumbs. "I'm here, and other than some bruises, I'm fine. Look at me, I'm right here, I'm talking to you, I'm ok."

He looks at you and lets out a half chuckle, raising one of his hands to hold your face. You feel yourself melting into his touch, smiling slightly at him. 

"Yeah, you're here, and I'm not letting you go again." He rasps out before closing the gap between the two of you with a kiss.

-

@killjoys-make-some-noise-na-na​ | @bestillmystuckyheart​

[martellthemandalor]

Assistance - Chapter 2

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!Reader (No Y/N, reader is nicknamed)

Warnings: Swearing, violence, mentions of drinking

Rating: 15

Word Count: 3.4K

Summary: You and the Mandalorian gear up for your journey and Mando gets into a tangle with some guild members.

A/N: Told you the chapters would get longer! As always I’m open for feedback, enjoy :)

Masterlist!

You had stayed in the cantina a while longer, silently tinkering with the tech in your cuff, wiring in the tracking fob and transferring all the data across to your internal tracker. Technically speaking this was illegal within the guild, the storage of any information regarding quarry’s was strictly forbidden ever since the Dinatchi incident, but sweet maker did it make your life easier. It meant that instead of playing hot and cold across (and a couple of times beneath) the surface of a planet, you had a much easier map to follow. 

The Mandalorian was still sat opposite you, he never spoke once, just stayed patiently still, almost brooding. You had glanced up from your work at him once or twice, gauging him was difficult as you couldn’t see his face, but his posture spoke loud and clear. Leant back, arm extended over the back of worn booth, the other resting (you assumed) on his thigh, taking up as much space as possible, his chest out, open, so strong and commanding. 

And yet he was so closed off. That helmet, all shine and intimidation, shielding him from the world, cutting off senses and making him rely solely on instinct and tech. Definitely a Mandalorian through and through. Silence was good for you, and having a Mandalorian sat at the same table meant that staff and drunk, nosy patrons left you well alone, which allowed you to work fast and in peace. 

With a flick of your wrist you closed the interface, finishing your task. Slinging your bag over your shoulder you shuffled out the booth. He mirrored your movement, following you in a way that was dauntingly in sync. “Before we set off I need to go back to my ship and get together supplies, we’re going to be travelling a long distance on foot so I suggest you do the same.”

“I’ll come with you,” He stated.

You blinked a couple of times. “Okay.” Showing a complete stranger, whose face you can’t even see, your very beloved ship would’ve normally been against every instinct you had, yet here you were. You turn your back to him and go to make your way out of the dingy building, you’d made exactly two steps when something grabs your arm. Your stance changes on instinct, feet in an L shape, knees braced, fists tensed at your sides, then you freeze. You turn your head to face the wastoid who was gripping your bicep. He was smiling at you, a disgusting grin that made your skin itch. 

“Sweetheart you can’t leave with a frown like that, come sit with me and I’ll cheer you up,” his tone dripped with false charm. You flashed your fakest smile back at him.

“I’m in a committed relationship with my ride, now get your hand off me before I break it off,” You exhorted, loudly. You braced yourself ready for fists to fly, when his eyes flicked to the silent statue of armour behind you. The pressure on your arm disappeared as your assailant backed away slowly, mumbling apologies to the ground. 

Relaxing your fighters stance you rolled your shoulders, adjusting your bag to sit comfortably again. The atmosphere in the cantina had become tense, you hadn’t realised how quiet it had become in the moment. With a final glance around and a nod to the unhelpful bar keep, you resumed your exit path, the Mandalorian following close behind you.

What happened in the cantina had made you prickle, it certainly wasn’t the man who had grabbed you to blame as you usually dealt with pricks like him all the time, and had been kicked out of plenty of cantinas for doing so. It was more to do with the fact tin can behind you had bailed you out without even needing to lift a finger, without saying anything at all, and you couldn’t understand it. He followed you without a word, quietly trusting your knowledge of the way as you led him through winding streets and dodgy back alleys towards where you had landed. You were constantly aware of his presence, always a couple of steps behind, completely soundless, cape sweeping behind him as he strode after you. Stars even his steps were quiet. 

The dusty blue walls of Detsak’s outer city buildings boxed you in and when you gazed up you could just see the burning sun peeping over the apex of the surrounding roofs. One final sharp turn brings you to your destination, the rusted metal gates of the ship keep raised up in sharp points in front of you.

“Rathca! Ent vi lok sey vey” You yelled through the gates.

“You speak Datsey?” The Mandalorian asked suddenly.

“Very basic Datsey,” You responded “It was a long journey here, and it’s surprisingly easy because it’s got a lot of Huttese roots.” He just nodded at you, so you turned you attention back to the gates as a small droid rolled up to them. You produced the flat matte black disc out of your bag that had been given to you on arrival and presented to the droid. A small probe extended from its chest and poked into the hole at the centre of the disc. After some whirring the droid retracted the probe and turned to the lock on the gate, the red light flashed green and you pushed the gate open, stepping inside the compound. 

You held the gate open for the Mandalorian, expecting him to sweep in after you. Instead he just stood for there for a moment, you raised your eyebrow at him in a silent question. 

Another moment passed before he moved, “I don’t like droids,” he grumbled as he went past.

“It’s a good thing they’re not looking after your ship then,” you remarked, a teasing smile playing briefly across your lips. The gate swung shut as you released it, clanging behind you as you swiftly followed the droid. 

The big intimidating Mandalorian didn’t like droids, why? You glanced behind you, eyes skimming over his form, searching for a change in body language. Given you were now surrounded by various droids doing different tasks you would have expected a change if he were afraid of them. But nothing did. So he if he wasn’t afraid of them, what was it? 

You shook your head slightly and turned your focus back to following the droid through the compound. To say the place was a mess was to put it lightly, parts of ships were piled up in jagged metal peaks, chunks of hull leant against the walls and a rainbow of wires carved out the path you were walking along. Between the hills of metal various ships were parked, some being repaired by the droids while others just sat peacefully within the chaos. A few more steps and then you saw her, your gorgeous ship.

“Cey na vi depa mey,” (The ship is staying here) you told the droid. It beeped at you, its head jerked forward in a nod and then turned and rolled away. You turned your attentions back to your ship, typing a command into your cuff you watched as the underbelly panel disengaged and sank to the ground, a ramp extended out welcoming you home. You grinned and ran up it, heading straight up to the cockpit. The Mandalorian followed suit, and you closed the ramp up behind him. Settling into you pilots seat of the cockpit, you began manipulating the controls. “Yes honey I’m home,” You said gently to the control panel when it bleeped at you softly. You brought out a wire from the main interface and, after removing the armoured cuff from your left arm, plugged it into the port on the cuff. 

“What are you doing?” The Mandalorian asked.

“I need an updated map of Detsak transferring to my internal tracker if we want to be successful in bringing this quarry back alive, there’s also some software I need to transfer as well that will be invaluable to us, especially on this planet,” You replied “you can thank me later.”

“Why.” He must be joking. You don’t come to a planet like this without knowing what’s on it first. You stood up and maneuvered  around his frame. This cockpit had definitely not been made to fit two people comfortably. You dropped down the ladder into the hold of your ship and started putting together your supplies, food and drink first. 

You placed 6 dehydrated food packs into your bag, along with water pouches and a couple of Gethan peaches, that should be enough to keep you and tin can alive for the mission, med packs were next. You only had two med packs left, you sighed as you packed them, surely he had some as well, he must have, because you knew one of you were going to hurt more than once here. 

Finally your favourite part, weapons and trap tech. Walking to the armoured cupboard you pressed the open command and password into the keypad and stepped back as your glorious collection was revealed. “Nice stash.” His sudden presence made you jump, again, how the hell does he move so quietly?

“You really need to stop doing that,” you remarked “but thank you, I’ve put a lot of love into these.”

“You weren’t joking were you?”

“About what?” You queried.

“What you said back in the cantina. Being in a committed relationship with your ride.” The Madalorian stated.

“Is there a point to any other relationship? She has everything I need, she’s reliable and she’s gotten me out of trouble more times than any person,” You knelt down next to your bag and carried on packing quietly, aware of the fact he was wandering around the hold, taking in the various panels and items you have stored “I could have gotten out of that trouble myself Mandalorian.”

“I know.”

“Then why did you step in?”

“I didn’t, the guy must have thought I was your ride.”

“Why on earth would he think that.” you paused your packing, the two of you stared at each other for a few seconds before he spoke again. “I don’t know,” he answered, your gaze dropped from his helmet and back to your task, while his roamed the walls of your ship “what’s her name?”

“Astrid, her name’s Astrid. Otherwise named the greatest ship in the galaxy,” You told him, smile plastered on your face as you looked up as him.

“Nice name,” He took another lap around the hold before saying “I’m going to go get supplies from my ship, I realise I will need some.” You nodded, thank the stars he decided that, otherwise both of you didn’t stand much of a chance of getting out of this.

“Give me 5 minutes and I’ll come with you-“

“No.”

“I’m sorry?” you snapped

“I don’t want you coming with me. We’ll rendezvous in half an hour at the outer city gates,” he answered steadily. He’s a Mandalorian, they’re the most closed off people in the galaxy, of course he doesn’t want you to see his ship. You nod understandably and stand up. 

“Okay,” you say simply, extending your right arm to him “half an hour, outer gates.” He reaches out and clasps his hand around your upper forearm, your hand doing the same. Then he disappears.

You finish up packing and head back up to the cockpit. You unplug your cuff and secure it back around your arm, then you take your headset out of its holder, hooking it over your right ear and placing the earpiece in, then adjusting the eyepiece to sit comfortably over your eye. Pressing the button on the back of the earpiece you watched as the screen on the glass came to life, sending an initial scan across the cockpit. You looked down at your cuff and pressed the button again, watching as the sync progress bar moved quickly in front of your eyes. SYNC COMPLETE. 

Okay, change of clothes and you’ll be ready to go. You left the cockpit and headed to what you called the living side of your ship. It was kitchen, bedroom and living room all in one, with a small bathroom off to the left. You shed your armour, starting with your torso, then piece by piece moving down your body until you felt weightless from the lack of it and quickly changed ready to replace it all. You always felt wrong without your armour, all vulnerable and exposed, so whenever changing clothes speed was always a priority for you. 

You were about to grab your bag ready to leave when you caught your reflection in the mirror. You walked up to it, peering at your own face, your fingers skimmed over the white tattooed line that extended from your forehead, skipped over your left eye and finished half way down your cheek. Dots were spaced at equal points down the length of it. 

You turned your head to examine the other tattoo. A similar white line that slashed across your right cheekbone, this time lined with dots either side. The tattoos began as purely functional, but now you loved them, a unique part of you that you couldn’t hide. You smiled at your reflection, then grabbed your bag and left.

-

Tin Can was supposed to be here 20 minutes ago and he didn’t seem like the type of person who would be this late. It made you uneasy, very uneasy. After another 5 minutes of waiting you made the decision to go after him. You didn’t care if you found him and he got mad for it if nothing is wrong, but instinct told you there was something wrong and you were normally pretty sharp with this stuff. 

It was times like these you loved your tech, when you had done your forearm shake your cuff took a reading of the signals the Mandalorian’s own cuff was giving off, signals like that are unique and therefor traceable. You instructed your cuff to track the Mandalorian and started following the signal showing on your eyepiece. It didn’t take long to find him really, especially when you starting pursuing the sound of blaster fire which unsurprisingly took you right to him. 

You took a moment to take in the scene in front of you, the Mandalorian was in the centre of the chaos, three figures, on in a helmet, one in a face mask with goggles and the third conveniently covered by a hood surrounded him. He was doing quite well, he’d taken out one of the assailants as evidenced by the limp body lying a few feet from you, but even for him three on one is tricky odds to beat.

A mass of blast fire and punches blurred as you shed your bag to the floor and began to run towards the fight, producing you blaster pistol in one hand and drawing your favourite blade in the other. You beelined towards the guy who was about to spear the Mandalorian with an electro staff, with a sweep of  your leg you knocked his foot from under him, swiping your knife in his direction and digging it into his shoulder as you turned your gaze and blaster to the hooded figure running towards you, firing three shots in his direction. 

You see it hit his arm as a blaster shot whizzed past your ear, causing you to flinch away as the guy you had just stabbed made a run up with his staff. Dodge, dodge, blaster shot, knife swipe, kick to the floor, you lined up your final blaster shot as a dull pain exploded across your left bicep, the force of it knocking your knife to the ground. 

You rounded on the masked attacker, discharging shot after shot at him, he was fast, faster than you at dodging, but not fast enough to dodge all the beams, one struck him in his shoulder, incapacitating him long enough for you to turn back to shoot the hooded man as he was starting to get up. The blast cleared his chest and you watched as he slumped against the floor, staff skidding away from him and powering down.

 There wasn’t any time to breathe before a fist was flying at the side of your head, swinging your forearm you struck the fist away and landed two punches to his gut with your other fist, sweeping his leg he knocked you to the ground, blaster slipping from your grasp and sliding away across the cobbles of the street. Shit, when did he pick up that staff? You jerked your head to the side as the electrified end slammed into the ground mere inches away from your face. You kneed up into his crotch and pushed all you force against his chest shoving him off you, and rolling over you pushed yourself off the ground and ran for your blaster. 

Your fingers closed around the handle and you swung it round to point at masked man now charging at you. Heat flared next to you, a stream of hot licking flames extending just shy of your face. Fear shot into your stomach, crawling over your skin and weakening your knees, causing you to collapse to the ground. Looking in the direction of origin you saw the Mandalorian, arm extended, flames spewing from his wrist. 

And behind him- fuck. A bloody figure drew up and pointed his blaster at the back of the Mandalorian. A shot. Yours, skimming past the silvery armour of the Mandalorian and striking the dark helmeted figure behind him. The flames stopped and both of the final assailants crumpled to the ground, unmoving.

Your breathing was heavy, your arm ached and your stomach felt tight. The Mandalorian was sat on the ground too, you were both studying each other, watching and catching your breath. The adrenaline was slowing dissipating from your body’s and as the high dropped, so slightly did your guard. “You really need to watch where you point that thing,” You joked shakily.

“Yeh well, I don’t normally have people I’m not supposed to hit,” he observed.

“You’re welcome, by the way,” you added, cocking your head.

“I didn’t need your assistance.”

“Yeh it certainly looked that way,” you snapped, rolling your eyes and jumping to your feet. You holstered your blaster on your hip, glancing across at the Mandalorian who was rising to his feet as well. You scanned the ground for your dagger, grinning when your eyes landed on the silver and gilded gold blade. It was lying next to the masked guy, whom you approached and bent down next to in order to pick it up when something caught your eye. 

On the man’s belt a little red light flashed up at you, blinking steadily. A tracking fob. First placing the knife back in its holder on your armoured calf, you reached and unhooked the tracker from the body. “I need to check something, head to the outer gates, I’ll be there in 5,” The Mandalorian stated. 

You looked up at him to see him walking away from you. Stars above Tin Can, he better not make a habit of this. You began to walk towards your bag, when a thought hit you. If one of these bodies had trackers on, then the rest of them could as well. And when you searched each of them, you found you were, as usual, correct, all four of them had trackers, all blinking at exactly the same rate. They were all for the same person then. 

You popped the backs off each of the trackers and deactivated them manually. Once wiped trackers can be sold on for quite a few credits, and right now you needed all the credits you can get, so you put them in your bag and started your way towards the outer city gates. So that’s why he can’t go to the guild, he’s being hunted by them.

You had reached the gates before him, you watched for him approaching. When he appeared he had a bag slung over his shoulder and it looked like he’d polished his armour, it was glinting away under the hot sun. Even you had to admit that it did look good, it must be fairly new, except for the fact it didn’t bare his signet. He nodded to you as he drew up beside you, “Ready?” he asked.

“Let’s go.”

Next Chapter

[marvelundercover]

Reveals are here! 

We are so excited to reveal the authors and artists for this years fest! In total, we received 29 incredible submissions. We want to thank everyone who prompted, reblogged, liked, wrote, beta’d, read, art’d, commented, and kudos’d. You’ve made this years fest great.  That’s all for 2020, we’ll see you in the next year with a new theme!  Without further ado, the masterlist! 

ART

Title: Turn Around, Look at What You See Artist: ShimizuAimee Pairing/Characters: Sharon Carter/Natasha Romanov Rating: T Medium: Digital Art Prompt #: S1 Warnings: N/A Summary: In her face, the mirror of your dreams.

See it here!

Title: Domestic Artist: ShimizuAimee Pairing/Characters: Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau Rating: G Medium: Digital Art Prompt #: S2 Warnings: N/A Summary: “But I got the blues, I wanna slow dance with you.”

Carol and Maria might be getting a little distracted.

See it here!

Title: Clint Artist: cruria Pairings/Characters: Clint Rating: general audiences Medium: art Prompt #:A20 Warnings: none Summary: Clint + his relation to music after losing hearing

See it here!

Title: What Do You Want From Me? Artist: ShimizuAimee Pairing/Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Rating: T Medium: Digital Art Prompt #: S50 Warnings: N/A Summary: Every night starts the same: Steve's thinking of him while his eyes unconsciously close and he slowly drifts off into another restless sleep.

"What do you know?"

See it here!

Title: Bucky Artist: cruria Pairing/Characters: Bucky Rating: general audiences Medium: art Prompt #: A14 Warnings: none Summary: Bucky + therapy through music

See it here!

Title: Making Up & Breaking Up Artist: Call_Me_Kayyyyy on ao3/everything else, @call-me-kayyyyy​ Pairing/Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Rating: E Medium: Digital Art Prompt #: S62 Warnings: Explicit Sexual Content in Story Summary: So, in a spontaneous decision, he took a quick shower, dressed in something other than oversized hoodies and sweatpants, and left his house, determined to sit in a bar for at least 30 minutes before he would go back home.

That’s how he ended up in The Tipsy Cow, nursing his beer in the back, staring at Steve.

See it here!

FIC

Title: Coast to Coast Author: digthewriter (AO3) | @stevedigsbucky​  Paring/Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes 

Rating: NC-17 / E Wordcount: ~19,200 Prompt #: NA. Self prompt. Warnings: Action. Angst. Drama. Betrayal. Mention of homophobia. Switching. Summary: Everyone he ever cared about is dead. Betrayed by someone on his own team and filled with a memory of a song he doesn't know anything about, Bucky lives in a cabin near Mount Chase, Maine. A stranger comes knocking on the door and as much as Bucky doesn't want to trust him, he isn't able to hide his attraction to him, either. Some questions are answered, but some answers don't make any sense. Is it too late to face your past and make amends?

Read it here!

Title: Whistle I'll Be There Author: titC @titconao3​ Pairing/Characters: Matt Murdock/Foggy Nelson Rating: Teen and up Wordcount: 8493 Prompt #: S38 Warnings: no archive warning apply, canonical past traumas mentioned Summary: Matt's not sleeping well or enough and will not admit it, and Foggy worries and takes measures.

Read it here!

Title: We Fell in Love in a Hopeless Place Author: Purple_ducky00 @jamesbuckystark​ Pairing/Characters: Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark Rating: Teen Wordcount: 1956 words Prompt #: S34 Warnings: Homophobia, Homophobic language Summary: Tony never thought he'd spend the night in jail. He never thought he'd fall in love there, either.

Read it here!

Title: Our Family, Unpacked Author: HogwartsToAlexandria @hogwartstoalexandria​ Pairing/Characters: Carol Danvers/ Maria Rambeau Rating: Gen Wordcount: 1223 Prompt #: S2 Warnings: Food-related discussions Summary: Food is more important than whatever the tabloids will ever have you think. Which is why there's no tabloids in the Rambeau-Danvers' house.

And also because the three ladies living in it made it their mission to cook and eat, and talk to food as often as they could, and always as a family.

Or Monica wishes her mothers would get up already.

Read it here!

Title: when we all fall asleep where do we go Author: steverogerstrash @ceilingventclintbarton​ Pairing/Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Rating: not rated/g Wordcount: 1016 Prompt #: S50 Warnings: none Summary:But he can’t stop thinking about the blond man. The man from the helicarrier that had called him a name, had told him that he wouldn’t fight.

the winter soldier tries to convince himself that they're just dreams. james barnes isn't so sure.

Read it here!

Title: Where Words Fail, Music Speaks Author: HanukoYoukai @hanuko​ Pairing/Characters: Peter B. Parker/Wade Wilson Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Wordcount: 2615 Prompt #: S8 Warnings: No major archive warnings apply. Tags: Rock Band AU, No Powers AU, Fluff, Flirting, Misunderstandings, Hurt/Comfort, Mild Sexual Content

Summary: "The next day, his twitter had blown up. Picture upon picture, tweet upon tweet, all showcasing the masked band during the last concert. During the ballad, Wade Wilson gestured emphatically towards Peter, who stood there and did nothing. Their fanbase was making him out to be some kind of a frigid asshole for ignoring Wade, only to be silenced by a tweet from their lead singer to “leave my boo alone.”

What the actual f***?"

OR

Wade can't seem to stop flirting with Peter onstage.

Read it here!

Title: something out there Author: marvellingyou @marvelling-you​ Pairings/Characters: Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Rating: E Wordcount: 7,217 Prompt #: S20 Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: He immediately opened it to a picture he got from the museum. It wasn't as if there was anything special about this picture in particular. It was one of thousands. Anyone could get a picture of Captain America. But he wanted a reminder that maybe, just maybe, he was more than a ghost story. Maybe he mattered.

Or, in which Bucky Barnes tries to piece himself together and at the end of the day, everything comes back to Steve Rogers

Read it here!

Title: You’ll Never Know Author: bastet_lives @bastet-lives​ Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/ James “Bucky” Barnes (allusions to other Pairings) Rating: T Wordcount: ~ 10100 Prompt #: S59 Warnings: N/A Summary: Five times Bucky sang for Steve as they danced together without realizing they are both in love with each other. And the one time they sang to each other while being fully aware of their love.

Read it here.

Title: Breaking Up and Making Up Author: chilibabie07 @chilibabie07​ Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Bucky Barnes Rating: E Wordcount: 6245 Prompt #: S62 Warnings: None Summary: So, in a spontaneous decision, he took a quick shower, dressed in something other than oversized hoodies and sweatpants, and left his house, determined to sit in a bar for at least 30 minutes before he would go back home.

That’s how he ended up in The Tipsy Cow, nursing his beer in the back, staring at Steve.

Read it here!

Title: Thank the children Author: bastet_lives @bastet-lives​ Pairings/Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes/ Steve Rogers Rating: Gen Wordcount: ~3000 Prompt #: S22 Warnings: N/A Summary: Asking out people on a date is scary, especially if the guy you want to ask out is cute and your niblings' music teacher. It takes his niblings and sister's interference before Bucky manages to.

Read it here!

Title: Almost Left Behind (series: High Notes, part 1/3) Author: titC @titconao3​ Pairing/Characters: Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios Rating: Teen and up Wordcount: 4120 Prompt #: Self-prompt (Cindy Lauper, Time After Time) Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, canonically (presumed) dead character, or not, ghost, Ice, Cold, Falling Through Ice, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Good Samaritans, technically not hypothermia but you get the idea Summary: It's a harsh winter in New York, and Daredevil falls into a frozen-over lake...

Read it here!

Title: Je te promets Author: NachoDiablo @nachodiablo​ Pairings/Characters: Carol Danvers/Maria Rambeau, Monica Rambeau Rating: T Wordcount:  1063 Prompt #: A38 Warnings: None Summary: Carol and Maria bring Monica home.

Read it here.

Title: Only You Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/James 'Bucky' Barnes Author: articcat621 @articcat621​ Rating: Teen Wordcount: 1106 Prompt #: S26 - "Sway" -> Other dancers may be on the floor, Dear but my eyes will see only you. Warnings: Slash M/M, Implied FemSlash Summary: Peggy gives Steve and Bucky the little push they need.

Read it here!

Title: I Hunger For Your Touch (series: High Notes, part 2/3) Author: titC @titconao3​ Pairing/Characters: Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios Rating: Teen and up Wordcount: 4526 Prompt #: Self-prompt: The Righteous Brothers (and others), Unchained Medoly, Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, (probably) canonically dead character, ghost - Freeform, Whump, Hurt/Comfort, Foggy is a good friend, Sensory Overload, Cold

Summary: Matt tries to go on with his life after his encounter with Elektra's ghost.

Read it here!

Title: put her love down soft and sweet Author: @lattelyy​ on Tumblr, @lattely on AO3 Pairings/Characters: Sharon Carter/Natasha Romanov Rating: Teen Wordcount: 1656 Prompt #: S1 Warnings: none apply Summary: Natasha is impossible to look away from, whether she moves or sits still, every bit as graceful and alluring as the swan she plays. In her long-sleeved black leotard and dark leg warmers, fiery hair slicked back into a severe bun, she looks like the ballerinas Sharon saw in her storybooks as a little girl, full of awe at the glamorous women balancing on their tiptoes in tulle and satin.

Read it here!

Title: I Want to Dance with Somebody Author: ohstars @oh--stars​ Pairings/Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanoff Rating: Teens and Up Wordcount: 9062 Prompt #:S27 Warnings: No Warnings Apply Summary: Steve does not dance. In fact, he can't dance and everyone in his life knows it. So when the time comes where he has to fill an important role in his sister's wedding, he has no choice but to learn. He's absolutely sure it'll be a miserable experience, with Natasha as his teacher, until he catches sight of the mysterious pianist in the corner. Maybe things won't be so bad after all...

Read it here!

Title: I want you around Author: chilibabie07 @chilibabie07​ Pairings/Characters: Sam Wilson/Steve Rogers, James "Bucky" Barnes Rating: T Wordcount: 1,985 Prompt #: S61 Warnings: No Archive Warning Apply Summary: “Hi,” Steve mumbles where he, as always, is hiding his face in Sam’s neck.

Sam clings to him just as much, arms tightening a bit now. “Hey, Stevie,” he whispers back.

Read it here!

Title: Adrift in a World of my Own (series: High Notes, part 3/3) Author: titC @titconao3​ Pairings/Characters: Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios Rating: Teen and up Wordcount: 6808 Prompt #: Self-prompt: The Great Pretender sung by The Platters or Freddie Mercury, Matt Murdock/Elektra Natchios Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, canonically presumed dead character, a little whump Summary: Matt suspects Elektra isn't quite your regular kind of ghost...

Read it here!

Title: After All These Years Author: xxDustNight88 @xxdustnight88​ Pairings/Characters: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark Rating: Explicit Wordcount: 3,132 Prompt #: #S47 Warnings: Male Slash, Explicit Sexual Content, Angst Summary: When Tony decided to step back from a public life, going off the grid saved his sanity. How will three words change everything?

Read it here!

Title: everytime you smile I feel tremors in my heart Author: Thunder_cakes Pairings/Characters: Sam/Steve Rating: T Wordcount: 3076 Prompt #: S44 Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: Steve finds himself immersed in Sam's music collection. Turns out he and teenaged Sam have a lot in common.

Can a box of mixtapes, an old crush and a handful of tootsie rolls bring our boys together? (yes.)

Read it here!

Title:  the end is the beginning Author:  anniemar @anniemar​ Pairings/Characters: Bucky Barnes/Darcy Lewis Rating: T Wordcount: 1,544 Prompt #: A14 Warnings: memory flashback, mentions the death of jim morrison Summary: Sometimes the most random of songs can bring Bucky back to historical events that the Winter Soldier was witness to. He tries to let it flow instead of fighting it.

Read it here!

Title:  I Want to Hold Your Hand Author:  Deb Walsh @debwalsh​ Pairings/Characters:  Bucky Barnes/Steve Rogers Rating: G Wordcount: 2K + Prompt #:  S57 Warnings: None apply Summary: The first time Bucky Barnes extends his hand to Steve Rogers, Steve hesitates only a moment to take it. After that, it's a given.

Read it here!

Title: RISE Author: bangyababy @bangyababy​ Pairings/Characters: James “Bucky” Barnes/Steve Rogers Rating: M Wordcount: 12.2K Prompt #: Self Warnings: No archive warnings apply, mentions of vomiting Summary: “I don’t need you to be sorry!” Steve shouted. “I need you to love me and fight for this.”

Bucky’s smile was watery. “I do love you Steve, but I can’t fight for this, not anymore.”

Or: In order to come together, you have to fall apart first.

Read it here!

[mytsukkishine]

I love reading about Damien X reader, so I have a favour. Can you please write about Damien having crush on girl he never talked with, because she's new in the city, works in a different sector of Smosh and at the beginning he don't have any ways to start a conversation? Then he'll start to try to talk to her etc.

a/n: okay hi anon. so funny story first, i accidentally clicked post so I didn’t see this ask and i was looking for this for daaays. now i am done tho hahah thank you for your request and i hope you would like it! I am having fun writing this kind of fictions eheh

a/n2: I kind of changed the story. This would be written in Damien’s view. So sorry about that if this won’t be the thing you might expect. 

summary: Damien thought he had seen an angel, with the complete choir in the background and all. Now Damien has made it his mission to know the name of this gorgeous girl that he can’t seem to forget. 

enjoiii

wordcount: 1,449k

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

“We could go play after this,” Shayne suggest and Damien

just nodded. They had just finished shooting a ‘Try Not to Laugh’ challenge and they have nothing else to do, so they had decided to just play at Shayne’s apartment.

“Would you guys like to eat out first?” Courtney interjected

along with Olivia and it turned into a discussion on where to eat. Damien was just dead tired. He had just finished a stream a while ago before he went to work and it was a bad idea.

Damien looked around the studio as people started to clean up the stage and everything. Then he spotted someone.

It was like angels were singing, a light focused her even though there was no opening on the roof. She looked like she came out of a commercial. Hair bouncy and eyes sharp and focused.

Everything was a blur except her.

“Whoa…” Damien muttered to himself as he saw that person walked towards one of their producers and proceeded to talk about something.

Now, Damien has been here long enough to memorize the faces of the staff around here but this was the first time he saw her. She was just so gorgeous it made him stare—

Then their eyes met for a moment before she turned around to leave.

“Dude,”

“Okay, Olive Gard—”

“Dude!”

“What, Damien?” Shayne asked, a little annoyed for being cut off.

“I think I saw an angel,”

“Come on Damien, let’s just eat,” Keith commented and the rest of the squad laughed.

They had made up their mind to go to Olive Garden and Damien made up his mind that it would be his mission to know who that person was.

~

It was a little stressful because Ian was on a vacation for 2 weeks and Damien was assigned to help out Matt a little in planning for the upcoming Smosh Summer Games. Actually, there were all assigned, Damien just loved stressing himself out. He was thinking of a theme in the break room when suddenly, just very suddenly like the heavens took pit on him.

It was her!

Miss Gorgeous- unknown name!

Damien cleared his throat but it seemed like she didn’t hear him because she just went to the fridge to grab something then left.

Damn, she smelled like vanilla when she passed by.

Damien’s heart calmed down a little as he stared at the closed door.

He gotta know her name.

 ~

 “Hey dude, do you notice anything new?” They were hanging out in their office, the rest were doing some of their errands and only Courtney, Shayne, and Damien were there. Shayne was playing with his Switch and Courtney was typing something in her laptop.

“What new?” Shayne managed to ask back as he gripped the console while biting his lips in the process.

“New… like someone new,”

“Care to elaborate mo-YES!” Shayne cheered, console up in the air and eyes never leaving his game.

“No dude,” Damien sighed. “Like, we almost know all the staff here right?”

“Almost~” Courtney interjected, eyes still on the screen. “I don’t know some people in the Sales dept,”

Damien nodded at the new information.

“I don’t know some in the HR Department, but~” Shayne paused for a while and Damien waited, “I know Rex from the copy room,”

Damien just groaned, felt defeated as the two of their friends were of no help.

 ~

“You going to Matt?” Noah asked Damien, both guys holding papers that seemed to be about the upcoming summer games. “Yeah,” Damien nodded as they entered the building, greeted some people along the way.

It was a Saturday and Damien was called to the office because later on, they would have a shoot with Matt, and since he would be seeing him, he thought it would be a great idea to pass him his ideas right now.

Noah and Damien talked animatedly while they wait for the elevator door. Seconds later it opened and Damien lost his grip of the papers he was holding.

“Sorry!” A girl's voice squeaked and Damien found himself picking up his papers along with her.

Miss Gorgeous.

Well, it was mostly her that was doing the picking because Damien was kind of busy ogling her. It was the first time he had looked at her up close and it was taking his breath away.

“I am really sorry,” She said as the two of you stood up and the papers were now back in your hands. “I’m sorry,” She repeated,

“N-no,” Damien finally managed to utter out a word, “It’s f-fine, really,” He just smiled sheepishly at her and Damien felt a little desperate.

“I-I wasn’t looking—uhm—what’s your na-”

Then her phone rang. How many times does she have to say sorry? She gave him an apologetic smile before running out of the building like she was in a hurry.

Hurry for what? Damien doesn’t know but he sure was dumbfounded again by her… presence.

“You okay?” Oh, Damien didn’t realize that Noah was there.

His eyes widen as he glanced at Noah. “Do you know her?” He questioned, hoping Noah could know.

It wasn’t like Damien to be this confident in asking for a girl’s name. Hell, he would be super embarrassed with even just talking to a new girl but something about her attracted him.

Like he can watch anime with her.

So this one time he walked past the marketing team department and he saw her there, she was laughing along with a girl and her smile was just adorable and Damien’s heart skipped a beat.

He tried to walk by again the next day to the marketing department but she wasn’t there.

“Unfortunately, no…” Noah pouted and Damien just closed his eyes and nodded. His heart was still beating like crazy, his adrenaline still high but they need to go to Matt right now.

They entered the elevator and Noah patted his back.

“This is actually the first time I saw you so speechless,”

Now Damien was blushing already, and Noah was amused by how red Damien can be. He gave out a small chuckle as Damien told him all about this mysterious girl.

They exited and walked over to the conference room where they knew the others were already waiting.

“Maybe she’s new?” Noah suggested and opened the double doors.

“Maybe…”

“Maybe what’s what?” Sarah asked as the two boys sat down. They were waiting for Matt, and only Shayne, Courtney, and Kimmy were present.

“Are you talking about that mysterious girl?” Shayne smirked and Damien gave him a little glare whilst blushing.

“Damien likes someone and he’s being shy,” Courtney teased back then patted Damien’s hand. “Ooh, do give the tea,” Sarah giggled and Damien wanted to be swallowed by the earth below him.

“I wanna know who managed to make the Damien Haas surrender,” Sarah added and they all talked about Damien’s ‘angel’.

Part of Damien regretted sharing his stories with them but part of him was a relief because he can talk to someone about it.

“Speaking of, was that the girl we bumped?” Noah interjected and the rest was intrigued by what happened.

Soon. Damien thought. Soon he will stop her and ask for her name.

A knock resounded through the room and all of them straightened in their seat as Matt entered. “Hi, guys. Meeting would be held for a moment because Ian would be coming in a little while,” The rest of them resumed to their personal activities, with a little talk about the upcoming summer games.

Then a knock again before Ian entered with—

“It’s you…” Damien murmured, eyes wide and mouth opened as he saw the girl, the girl that was on his mind since the first time he saw her, walked behind Ian.

“Hey guys, sorry for the delay, we had to do some errands but here I am!” He waved and Damien felt Noah’s hand on his shoulder. The rest of the squad seemed to have connected what was happening and Shayne released an ‘Oh God…” followed by a quiet laugh with Courtney and Sarah.

“Why? What’s funny?” Ian asked and Sarah shook her head.

Matt looked at his team weirdly before greeting the girl behind Ian. “Hi, care to introduce her to the team, Ian?”

“Oh yeah, guys this is Y/N. She’s my cousin’s niece, making her my niece. Say hi Y/N,”

“Hi everyone,” She waved and looked at everyone before her eyes locked on Damien’s.

“Oh,” Her gaze stayed a little longer before giving Damien a sweet smile, “It’s you!”

And Damien swore he had seen this kind of moment in an anime, and he was loving it.  

-

excuse the wrong grammar.

do tell me what ya’ll think. lovelotss

[daggerzine]

GONERFEST 16:  9/26/19- 9/29/19, Memphis, TN (all photos by Slim Hiney unless otherwise noted...the good ones were by other people).

Why did it take me so long to get my ass down to Memphis and attend Goner Fest? I have no idea. The last few years my pal and I went out to Cropped Out in Louisville, KY and since that wasn’t happening this year we decided to do Goner Fest and that, my friends, turned out to be a great decision.

 We got lucky with a cool air bnb in a midtown spot right n the middle of all the action (walking distance to one of the venues).

We missed The Limes at the opening ceremony at the gazebo (spittin’distance from Goner Records who, of course,  are the fine folks who put this festival together……we made two trips to Goner to record shop, most excellent shop! Killer selection and friendly, helpful staff).

Thursday night at the Hi-Tone started with between band DJs Anthony Bedard and Mitch Cardwell revving the crowd up. Minneapolis’ Green/Blue, a band made up of folks from top-notch bands like The Soviettes and The Blind Shake, got the party started and their energy jolted me out of my sickness (my scratchy throat had just started…it was to get worse over the weekend).

Green/ Blue

Madison, WI’s, The Hussy, who have a new record out on Dirtnap, blazed through a set of hi-nrg tunes and were certainly having fun doing it. I met head Hussy Bobby later in the night and he was a most righteous chap.

Sweet Knives were up next and this band features Memphis legend Alicija Trout who’s got lots of charisma. Not my favorite band of the festival or anything but did enjoy most of it.

Louisiana’s Trampoline Team very well may have been my favorite band of the festival. A chant/ jitter punk growl that  sounded like the same song over and over. A totally freaking GREAT song so even if it was the same song I sure didn't mind. Don’t miss these folks if they blow through your town.

Trampoline Team 

Canada’s early 70’s psych band Simply Saucer (featuring Cleveland legend Craig Bell) bored me….well at least for the first half of the set then really turned it on and the 2nd half of the set and burned.

 At 1:00 AM I was still standing upright and thank god ‘cos the King Brothers took the stage and proceeded to ….well, dump a garbage can full of all kinds of muck all over the unsuspecting show goers (or maybe they were suspecting). They growled and grunted their way through set with the singer mostly in the crowd standing on hands and shoulders. These guys were insane.

King Brothers insanity 

 Friday 9/27/19

Of the afternoon bands at Memphis Made Brewery the ones I really enjoyed were New Zealand’s Vincent HL (Crazy Horse meets VU said I), Tucson’s Lenguas Largas (a few folks from Resonars) dripped and oozed rock and roll blood. Kelley Sanderson, who used to be in Those Darlin’s (a DAGGER fave) played a nice folksy solo set.

Vincent H.L. 

Kelley Anderson 

Back at the Hi-Tone on Friday night the DJs were Siltbreeze’s Tom Lax and Feeding Tube Records’ Byron Coley a few guys who know a thing or two about music. Good music.

We missed Mall Walker but caught Richard Papiercuts et Les Inspecteurs and I think I like the recordings a bit more than seeing them on stage. His Scott Walker meets Joy Division sound is certainly unique but again, gimme the records.

Paul Caporino has been doing the M.O.T.O. (Masters of the Obvious) machine for many years with a hundred hit songs and they played my fave “Dick About It.” Lots a energy and hooks and  rapid fire tunes.

Good-natured Aussie folks Thigh Master delighted the crowd with their wiry n’ wired pop sounds and they were among my faves (excellent, new record out on Goner). 

Thigh Master

The last time I saw Nots, was when they blew through Denver about 4 or 5 years ago as a quartet but think they’ve been a trio for quite some time and certainly delivered on this night with 30 minutes of pure RAWK (new rekkid out on Goner as well).

Nots  (photo by Dizzy Dean) 

Headliners on this night was Oblivians (the band featuring Eric from Goner) and hey, having Quintron on keyboards was like getting extra whipped cream on your ice cream. Another one of my favorite sets at Goner as these gents barely had 4 walls and a ceiling left by set’s end.  

 Saturday 9/28/19

Of the afternoon bands on Saturday the ones that converted me were the high energy of Opossums and New Zealand’s two-piece Na Noise (featuring one of the gals from Vincent HL) who plunked out a clutch of excellent songs. What can I say, I’m a convert.  Canadian punk band Priors seemed like they came to do two thinks, drink beer and play some great punk rock and succeeded in both (singer was a total character) while the Dixie Dicks gay take on country was hee-larious and loads of fun.

Tucson’s Resonars have been a fave of mine for a long while and they did not disappoint at all. Leader Matt Rendon has too many good songs to count and played many of them on this night while closing out the afternoon gig was Oblivions/Reigning Sound’s Greg Cartwright & the Tip Tops  doing a lovely set of gravelly/soulful tunes. Still love his vocals.

Resonars

Greg Cartwright & the Tip Tops

Priors (photo by Dizzy Dean) 

 Back to the Hi-Tone for Saturday night and the DJs were The Mummies’ Russell Quan and Bazooka Joe (Slovenly Records) and these cats had a bonafide dance party going on!

DJs Russell Quan and Bazooka Joe

We only caught the last tune or two by Teardrop City (featuring Laurie Stirrat) but got front and center for Australia’s Parsnip and while I like their new record (out now on Trouble in Mind) the live set was even better. Lots o’ energy, charisma and fun, catchy songs.

Not sure why I expected to not like Giorgio Murderer in a live setting but really liked their set. Two guys on synths and a drum machine (at least from where I could see in the back of the club).

Memphis faves Hash Redactor drilled holes with guitars all night (the band also featured 2 Nots and one Ex Cult) and it was another one of my fave sets. Do not miss if they fall into your town.

Tommy and the Commies hail from the great white north and brought their mod fun down for a quick but catchy set while the kings of budget rock, The Mummies hit the stage at 1:00am (with a short film beforehand) and played all the hits (including their cover of Devo’s “Uncontrollable Urge”). What a night.

The Mummies (pretty sure Rob Yazzie took this photo)  

Sunday 9/29/19

Closing ceremonies in the sun was a nice way to end the festival with the Sharde Thomas & the Rising Star Fife & Drum Band who had the crowd raising their hands and shaking their feet.

 Gonerfest is a top notch Grade A. Eric , Zac and their team put on an excellent festival and the folks who attend really love and  appreciate it (ie: no dicks at all, everyone was cool). I got my ass out there this year so next year it’s your turn (and I plan on being there as well).

....a few more pics

Lenguas Largas

Back shot of Greg Cartwright & the Tip Tops

NA Noise 

Opossums 

The Mummies (I believe this was snapped by Bobby Hussy......great shot!)

[icarus-imagines]

Len Kagamine X Fan!Reader -Part 2-

Request from an internet friend~

Word Count: 1,555

Category: Vocaloid

This took quite a bit of work. Putting in not only the dancing motions but also the lyrics. They not only had to be in English but in Romaji! Hopefully, I did it correctly so you can understand what is going on!

-Mod Icarus ଘ(੭ºัᴗºั)━☆ﾟ

~My Idol~

"Wow," you whispered out in pure awe.

"I know right!" Your best friend (BF/n) shouted in excitement.

Truthfully it was a bit too noisy for your liking, but you easily put up with it for the reason being you were in the very front row. An added bonus was that you were in the direct middle.

The shouting of thousands of girls multiplied as Len and Rin entered the massive stage full of neon lights with a digital background, Vocaloid's signature style. You smiled softly as Len and Rin waved ecstatically to the ginormous crowd. They blew a few kisses and did a few moves riling up the crowd as they were ready to begin.

Then something you had never thought would be witnessed by yourself happened. The crowds cheer hushed to a small hum. If a pin dropped you would have heard it everywhere. You could even hear peoples breathing as the lights dimmed momentarily, sibling its start. Then all at once, it started with a growing bang of thrilled voices and dancing.

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　& 

UP　SIDE　DOWN　A　B　A　B　B　A　B　A　A　B　A　B 

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　B　A　B　A

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　& 

UP　SIDE　DOWN　A　B　A　B　B　A　B　A　A　B　A　B 

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　B　A　B　A

You could see the small, yet bigger than normal, tv in the middle signaling the lyrics of 'L R L R'. On the right, you could see Rin with a video game controller over her face while Len on the left had a remote control over his.

The hush that filled the entire stadium was back in full force as they sang, none of them missing a single beat for many of them knew it by heart, just like you..

Kore ga watashi wo rimo-to kontoro-ru suru kikai desu

Sukoshi hizuna katachi shiteorimasu ga, tsukaemasu.

This is my remote control device.

It’s a little broken, but it’s still usable.

R

It started off as usual as she stood up, the device still in front of her face. As she sang it came off, people yelling louder, her then pointing to it as it is outstretched.

Mou chotto de soto ni derareru nonina

Douyatte mo umakuikane.

Madamada tarinai Foooooooo!!!

I should spend more time outdoors.

How will that turn out?

It’s still not enough.

You grin widened as you slowly started to move to the rhythm as you gained confidence. Watching as Len and Rin began dancing together. You honestly thought it was a funny dance, but it fit them perfectly as twins.

Suwaru suwaru oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

Fi-dobakku ni karada azukete

Meguru meguru oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

Unari wo agete , mo-ta- joutai

Odoru Odoru oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH!

Masshuappu demorenaku agaru .

Koe wo (Foooooooo!!!) Ageru oh SINGIN' NOW YEAH!

Anoko yorimo umaku utaitai.

Sit down, sit down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

Entrust your body to the feedback

Turn around, turn around, oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

The motor is roaring now

Dance, dance, oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH!

Rises in full in the mashup

Come on, raise your voice, oh SING IN' NOW YEAH!

I want to sing better than she ever did

As they continued to dance you couldn't help but admire their teamwork and flawless match.

Korega boku wo rimo-to de soujuu dekiru kikai desu.

Setsumeisho wa funshitsu shiteorimasu ga tsukaemasu.

This is the remote that can move me

I lost the manual, but it’s still usable

Rin repeats her lines as she stares at her own remote and then back at Len who is watching the tv.

Karakatteru mitainai tsumono kao

Kyou wa kanari honki daze?

Horasugu kime ruze

Even though my face always looks like I’m joking

Today I’m quite serious

Soon, you can decide for yourself

You can see the distress on Rin's face as she messes with her remote. But her face then lights up as she figures out how to control it.

Suwaru suwaru oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

To-kubakku wo atama ni sashite

Mawaru mawaru oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

Chotto matte , sutanbai joutai

Odoru Odoru oh DAN CIN' NIGHT YEAH!

Jasutofitto na rizumu wo dashite

Unari (Foooooooo!!!) Ageru oh SING IN' NOW YEAH!

Aitsu yorimo takaku utaitai

Sit down, sit down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

Talk back going on inside my head

Turn around, turn around, oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

Wait a sec, we’re going on standby

Dance, dance, oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH!

A perfect rhythm comes out

Come on, shout it loud, oh SING IN' NOW YEAH!

I want to sing higher than that guy ever could

Even as Rin controlled Len and made him move in random directions you could see a smile plastered on his face, having fun with the dancing. You tugged a (H/c) hair strand behind your ear as you anticipated the next lines.

Horeta hare tano nanairo samurai

Arai zarai shuchou suru sonzai

Omoichigai ga suke eru anbai

Kowai kuraino wktk joutai

Kini shinainoga anata no porishi-?

Nayan deitemo hara wa herushi

Nandakanda de seken wa herushi-

Okiwo tashikani nurumayu danshii!

(iiiiiiiiiiiiii....)

uhhhh.. WOW!!!

A rainbow samurai fell in love

And laid claim to everything in existence

The misconception was a transparent seasoning

A scary state of wktk*

Don’t you care about your policy?

Even if my suffering was reduced

Somehow the rest of the world is just fine

Don’t do anything rash, you lukewarm youth

Your lips silently moved along with Len's as he began to sing his first solo words. Your heart skipped a beat as Len's eyes caught and locked with your own. His eyes softened as he sent a small wave towards your direction. A few girls around you swooned thinking it was for them, but you knew better and blushed as you waved back, both of you still singing.

Mouchottode sukima umaru nonina

Douyatte mo umakuikane.

Ah, mou jikan ga tarinai

Buried just a little bit deeper

How will that turn out?

Still, time isn’t enough

You watched as Rin in her chair fake laughed at Len as he dropped to his hands and knees in exhaustion.

Mou chotto de soto ni derareru nonina

Douyatte mo umakuikane .

Mmadamada tarinai Foooooooo!!!

You couldn't help, but laugh at this too. His acting was good and helped the audience get into the right mood.

Suwaru suwaru oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

Fi-dobakku ni karada azukete

Meguru meguru oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

Unari wo agete , mo-ta- joutai

Odoru Odoru oh DAN CIN' NIGHT YEAH!

Masshuappu demorenaku agaru .

Koe wo (Foooooooo!!!) Ageru oh SING IN' NOW YEAH!

Anoko yorimo umaku utaitai.

Sit down, sit down, oh SIT DOWN PLEASE YEAH!

Entrust your body to the feedback

Turn around, turn around, oh TURN IT AROUND YEAH!

The motor is roaring now

Dance, dance, oh DANCIN' NIGHT YEAH!

Rises in full in the mashup

Come on, raise your voice, oh SING IN' NOW YEAH!

I want to be a human like her

You sighed a bit realizing these were the last words before the last chorus to the end of the song. But your hopes were still up as they sang with more enthusiasm the more it went on. The blush was still on your cheeks and it had stayed there as he would always catch your eyes every so often as he sang.

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　& 

UP　SIDE　DOWN　A　B　A　B　B　A　B　A　A　B　A　B 

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　B　A　B　A

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　& 

UP　SIDE　DOWN　A　B　A　B　B　A　B　A　A　B　A　B 

L　R　L　R　STOP　&　Dash　&　L　R　L　R　B　A　B　A

The song died down and you could only clap and whistle the loudest you could hoping Len could hear you over many of his fans.

It worked when you saw him look down at you. His mouth formed into a bright smile blowing you a small kiss.

Such a flirt, you thought.

You pretended to catch it, throwing Len a bit off guard making him blush at your actions.

Rin and Len bowed together, standing up to bask just for a few seconds in the light and noise of their loyal fans.

Exiting the stage you leaned against the gate as another Vocaloid entered the stage. This time it was (Y/c). Which happened to be (BF/n)'s idol. You giggled seeing them jump up and down waving to their idol who was onstage.

Your idol was such a cute person

[mininky]

The Water Cooler

Summary: Life works in mysterious ways. Really shitty ways too, might you add. After a series of unexpected incidents you find yourself living with your office enemy.

Pairing: Office Worker!Kihyun x Reader

Genre: Fluff, crack/comedy, romance

Warnings: Cussing, some sexual mentions but no graphic scenes, drunk Minhyuk loves to pole dance, Changkyun hates hikers, cheating

Word Count: 9.9K

     There are a lot of ways that you could describe Yoo Kihyun. Obnoxious. Nagging. Uptight. Know it all. Arrogant. Self-serving. Pretentious. Annoying. Loathsome. Short with an even shorter temper. Smug. Cocky. An insufferable pain in the neck. God how you wanted to just break his fucking neck. You aren’t sure how exactly your disdain for the tiny man started, but you did know that he’s currently testing the one last nerve you have before you snap and murder him and have Minhyuk help you hide the body. Hyungwon would probably help too as long as he didn’t have to expel any energy on that matter, at the very least he would root the two of you on.

 You can feel the vein in your forehead pop and throb as he continues to talk about his oh-so-perfect reports that will probably land him a promotion. You’d bet your measly savings that Yoo Kihyun was also a former teacher’s pet. “You know what Kihyun, I hope you do get a promotion.” Everyone in the breakroom turns to look at you with confusion. Wonho almost chokes on his coffee before shouting about it burning. Hyungwon actually stops chewing his bagel to give a look of pure horror at you.

 “Really, thanks (y/n). You know I always knew-” Kihyun is giving a pompous smile at you as he speaks and you feel that last nerve snap like a twig.

 “And I just really hope that it involves a transfer to the middle of nowhere so I never have to deal with your Napoleon complex ever again.” Minhyuk is giving a high pitched wheezing laugh, he’s doubled over in the back shaking as he tries to squeeze out an unintelligible sentence in reply to you.

 “Na-napoleon complex?! I’m not even that short! I’m average height!” Kihyun is crushing the water bottle in his hands and you feel your headache abate at the rage you’ve inflicted on him. Serves his smug ass right.

 “And so was Napoleon for his time. For someone who deems himself all knowing you would think that you would have already known that. Well anyways, as pleasant as it was listening to you kiss your own ass for thirty minutes I have some papers to work on. Oh and Kihyun, don’t let the door smack you on the way out to that promotion.” You pick up your fresh cup of coffee and blow a kiss at him as you walk back to your cubicle and laugh under your breath as you begin sifting through the spreadsheet from hell you’re currently working on.

 Working in a painfully boring office was not how you imagined your life, it’s certainly not how you intended to use your degree in psychology but considering that you only have a bachelors the best use that you have for it is as an overpriced decoration in your cubicle that collects a copious amount of dust for the sake of making Kihyun shudder each time he sees it. Thank god for that minor in accounting or it really would be completely worthless. Life is just that way, sometimes things just don’t work out as you planned. Still, it could be worse. At the very least you have a decent paying job and for the most part, you enjoy the people you work with (the main exception being Kihyun although when Minhyuk goes full dolphin mode he too is in the doghouse with you) and your boss Shownu was one of the sweetest people you’ve ever met.

 All in all, things weren’t that bad. Boring, monotonous, a bit like groundhogs day sure. But at the same time, you had bills to pay and adult things to do like pay said bills. Oh, how the capitalist system sucks for everyone but the filthy rich. But once again, on days like today when your temper has flown out the window, you can’t help but wonder how you got here. In a long-term relationship with a guy who you live with who still looks at you like a deer in headlights the moment anyone brings up the word marriage, committed to a job where you deal with numbers and papers and other tedious tasks every day. This certainly isn’t the fabulous life of jet-setting and hanging out with hot cabana boys that feed you grapes that you’ve envisioned for your life.

 The rest of the day goes by painfully slow and unfortunately, it’s just as dull as you figured it would be. The most interesting part of the day had been your earlier tussle with Kihyun and watching Hyungwon almost unhinge his jaw as he tried to fit the largest burger you’ve ever seen into his mouth because Jooheon dared him to do it. But it’s Friday, and that means that you can be out of this humdrum hell for two days so when the clock hits five you’re quick to save your work and get the hell out of dodge.

 Changkyun is already standing in the elevator when you fly into it. “'Sup (y/n). Got any plans for the weekend?”

 “Nah, not unless binge-watching Netflix in my underwear counts. You?”

 “Sexy. Eh, I’ve got a date with this chick from tinder but I dunno man. She’s into nature and shit and those hiking people usually give me hives you know. Its like, calm down man you can see all that shit on Instagram why be so active? Plus they get all holy about it, they act like your couch is a den of evil. But she’s pretty hot so I’m willing to risk it.”

 “Well, I hope the risk is rewarding for you. Best of luck kid.” You spring out of the elevator and out of the building with more energy then you’ve displayed all week. It’s true, you don’t really have any plans for this weekend except for meeting up your boyfriend for dinner right now but my god, you get to sleep in and isn’t that all that really matters?

——————————————————

 You’re contemplating picking up the glass of wine you’re clutching to and hurling it into Matt’s face. Or maybe you’ll take the steak knife and drive it through his heart. Or take the candle sitting on the table and light him on a tiny fire before cramming it up his ass. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I heard you right. Did you just say you want to break up with me?”

 “Listen (y/n), it’s not me it’s you.”

 “I’m pretty sure that it’s supposed to be the other way around.” You grit out the words with venom. God, what did you ever see in this loser?

 “Oh, yeah right. I always forget how that goes. My bad. Listen, it’s just you know I need something else in my life and well things have just gotten kind of boring. Like, I’m glad you finally let me try anal and all but you know I just think it’s time we go our separate ways. We’ve had a good six years and all, but you know I mean…I think we’ve pretty much done everything now. You’re a great girl, I’m sure you’ll find someone decent. And we’re still young I mean we’re not thirty yet! Anyways, listen I’ve already packed up most of your things for you so-”

 “You’ve packed up my shit? Let me get this right you’re breaking up with me and you want the apartment?” You can feel the entire restaurant turn to watch as you raise your voice but you couldn’t care less. Your life is already crumbling before you so why not give a few spectators a free show to it?

 “Yeah, well you know I mean it’s just so close to my work and it’s really hard to find a place with so much natural lighting for my garden.” Seriously, you slept with this guy for six years? This guy? This was the guy you were actually thinking about settling down with? Good god, you needed to see a shrink because clearly, your measly bachelor’s degree in psychology didn’t cover your own neurosis.

 “You have a succulent garden, they actually don’t do well under direct-no you know what. Fucking fine, I’ll figure something out.”

 “Great, great. Well, now that that’s settled I’m just going to see myself out. You know (y/n) I just want to say-”

 “Save whatever you’re going to say and shove it up your fucking ass Matt.” You glare at him as he gulps uncomfortably, his hand sticking out awkwardly as if to give you a consolation handshake before he finally runs his hand through his hair and walks out of the restaurant. Indignation and bitterness consume your thoughts as you chug down your wine and grab the glass he didn’t even touch before chugging that one down too. The food hasn’t even arrived yet and you know that soon you’ll be feeling the effects of the alcohol but really, right now you need to be a bit drunk to get through all of this.

 An exasperated sigh leaves you as you see someone slide into the seat where Matt just was. You slowly look up to see Yoo fucking Kihyun in all his glory having the audacity to look concerned. “The fuck do you want?”

 “Hey, woah, calm down. I just…well I saw how that whole thing played out and I was wondering if you’re okay.” You take a moment to glare at him. His hair is slightly disheveled after the long day at work, white button-up sleeves rolled up but still buttoned all the way to the top, his eyes scream ‘I pity you, you sad sack of shit.’ Of course one of those people who had to watch everything burn just had to be him. Why not also have Matt come back to tell you that your dog died too? (You didn’t actually have a dog, but somehow it would be fitting.) What more could possibly be added to this? God, when will this day end? “Ouch, listen I mean I get that you don’t want anyone to see that. I know I wouldn’t but I mean, you look like you need someone to talk to and I’m here for you. I mean it, I’m just trying to help.”

 “How much of that did I say out loud?”

 “'Of course one of those people who had to watch everything burn down just had to be me.’ That part. You know, I’m just going to take this, I think you’ve had enough.” Kihyun reaches for your glass but you guzzle back the remnants before giving him a childish smirk. “Or not…” You watch him chew on his bottom lip for a moment before he speaks again slowly as if afraid he’s speaking to a wounded territorial animal. “Do you…do you have anywhere to go? Any friends or family in town?”

 “Nope, I moved here to the city last year for Matt’s transfer.” God seriously, what were you going to do for a place. If you walked back into your apartment you’ll be wearing an orange jumpsuit for the rest of your life and buying protection from a woman named Bertha so clearly that isn’t an option right now.

 “Yeah I don’t know about that Bertha part, but I mean I don’t think murder is the solution.”

 Great you spoke out loud again unless… “Are you a mind reader? Nah…nah if you could read my mind then you would know that Hyungwon and I have entertained the notion of giving you those awful diet aka laxative teas before.”

 “I…I’m never going to drink anything you ever give me. Or Hyungwon for that matter.” You relish in the sheer horror that runs through his face. Yes, you’re petty and yes for whatever reason the office hamster is trying to be kind but really you just want to bludgeon your head on this table in peace and away from prying eyes that might report your mental instability to HR.

 “Wise choice little man. But we still have our ways.”

 “Back onto more pressing matters…so you don’t have anywhere that you can go?”

 “Does sleeping under my desk count?”

 “Of course not!”

 “Then no.”

 Kihyun looks like he’s in physical pain as he wrestles with some internal monologue that he’s unfortunately too sober to say out loud unlike you. With a weary sigh, he looks up at you. “My roommate just moved out yesterday, and I don’t have anyone else lined up. You can stay at my place until you figure something out.”

 “Why on god’s green earth would I do that? Are you trying to get me to kill myself? Is it not bad enough that I was just broken up with publicly but now you want me to live with you?”

 You watch his eye twitch before he gives a deep breath to calm down. “Do you want to be homeless?”

 “Good point. Fine, I’ll do it. Save me Kihyun! Oh, my knight in shining armor! Oh, my tiny tiny savior!”

 “Great-WAITER!”

 “What are you doing?”

 “Getting your food to go and hoping that I don’t regret my life choices more than I already do.” You tamp down on any snarky remarks and just look at him instead, the wine allowing you to do so with no shame. You hate to admit it, but Kihyun is attractive. From the small nose, tiny pout to his lips, flawless skin, meticulously groomed eyebrows. It’s a shame really, that he has to be such a complete and total stickler because otherwise maybe you’d-nope, gross that’s totally never going to happen. Ever. EVER. You watch the waiter scurry over and nod as Kihyun speaks before pulling out a check and handing it over before running back away.

 “Here.” You fish out a handful of cash and wave it when he just gives you a pointed look.

 “Listen, you’ve dealt with enough crap tonight. Just let me get the food. Besides, I’m eating whatever that asshat ordered.” Kihyun pulls out his card and places it back just as the waiter runs back over with a bag of your food. It only takes another two minutes before you’re stumbling out the door with Kihyun gripping at your elbow. Drinking two large glasses of red wine on an empty stomach was clearly not the smartest of decisions, and by the slight acidic churn you’re feeling you’re sure that you’ll regret it more than you already do soon enough. You’re grateful that Kihyun allows you to make the trip back to his apartment in silence, leading you slowly on the short trip with a steady arm. The only thing he says is that he doesn’t live very far and it’s just a short walking distance away.

 By the time you reach his apartment you’re already feeling a wee bit more sober, and now you’re not sure if that’s a good thing because it just makes the weight of everything come crashing down. You feel like a complete and total fool, and you feel like a major bitch for how you treated Kihyun for trying to be decent, but most of all you just feel like a failure. Nothing in life can ever seem to go the way that you planned. Your eyes are glued to Kihyuns feet as he pads through his apartment and starts setting down the food at his coffee table.

 Not surprisingly his apartment is immaculate. Everything seems to have its own place and you’re pretty sure that you could safely eat off the floor. Various photographs, ones that look professional more than personal, line the walls. His furniture is leather and looks lived in but still in great shape. Clearly, he has a knack for decorating by the way everything is perfectly color coordinated in the room. There are pops of navy blue floating around the living room found in pillows, throw blankets, rugs, and candles. HGTV worthy in a way that you could only dream of but never be able to fully recreate. Seem’s like the office maid is also a mini Martha Stewart.

 “Are you gonna come eat or not?” Kihyun is gesturing over to your food before he starts cutting into his steak.

 Slowly and cautiously you make your way through the room and stare down at your fettucini alfredo for a minute before twirling it around your plastic fork. “Thank you…Kihyun…” Your words come out small, wobbly, uneasy before you shove a too large forkful of noddle into your mouth and try to blink away the tears threatening to form.

 Kihyun stops chewing for a moment, and you hate that he gives you a heartwarming smile. Its a smile that says, ‘of course I’ll help you, you big pathetic buffoon, someone has to do it.’ He chews slowly, head tilted slightly as he gazes at you and while normally you would shrink away from someone staring at you so intently and obviously analyzing from you instead you just let him. You’ve been through enough tonight and exhaustion has stripped you of your defenses. “What did you ever see in that guy?”

 “I’d like to know that too. You know, I really thought that maybe he and I would get married someday? We met in college and I knew he wasn’t everything I wanted but I think I just settled anyways. And the older we got the less of a chance to find anything better than each other. It was stupid, we should have broken up a long time ago, but I was too afraid.  I don’t think I’ve been in love with him for a long time if I’m honest.” You don’t even look up at Kihyun as you speak, shoving another pile of pasta into your mouth and chewing quickly before you continue. “I’d like to lie to you and say he wasn’t always this bad, but he pretty much always has been. He never grew out of his douchey frat boy phase like I hoped he would. And then I just started getting scared you know? Who would want me? I didn’t feel good enough for more than him so I figured, fuck it I’ll make it work. But neither of us were really happy. I’m actually not even mad about the breakup, relieved really. I’m just mad about the way how he did everything.”

 “Yeah, telling you he’s taking the apartment is a supreme dick move.” You shoot a smile at Kihyun before breaking into a fit of giggles.

 “You know, you know he seriously thanked me for letting him try anal? Like that was his consolation to me. ‘Sorry I’m breaking up with you but thanks for letting me do your butt but now there’s really nothing else for us.’ Like what even?” Kihyun is roaring with laughter after he chokes down his steak.

 “Oh my god, who the fuck does that? Seriously?? Wow. You know, a woman like you can get a hundred guys better than him! No-don’t give me that look, I’m serious (y/n)! That guy will just be something you laugh at in the future. One of those ‘why did I ever think I needed to settle on that idiot’ moments. You’ll find someone else, someone better. And if you ever try to settle for a dick like him again I’ll tell you that he’s not worth your time. I can go all angry dad mode on him for you and be like ‘excuse me sir but I’m not afraid to go back to prison for my little girl.’” You know he’s trying to make you laugh again, but instead, you feel tears starting to spring to your eyes. Kihyun, the man you torment on a daily basis, is being genuinely kind and is just trying to help you get through this. He’s a better person than you, that’s for sure. Surprisingly Kihyun just lets you cry, he doesn’t try to stop you. He does occasionally pat your head and rub soothing circles on your back, but other than that he makes no mention of your clearly crumbling pride.

 He flicks on his TV and settles on pulling up Friends and after a couple of episodes and consuming nearly your weight in carbs you’re starting to feel a bit better. You’d make sure to pay Kihyun back for all of this. Quietly, of course. In a way that wouldn’t be grandiose or hurt your rapidly shrinking pride. After the third episode, Kihyun is suddenly up on his feet and silently walking around the apartment. You can hear doors opening and shutting, rustling echoing through the otherwise silent apartment before he comes back with a few things in his hand.

 “Here, you’ll need something to sleep in.” He almost looks timid, bashful you might say, as he places the clothing next to you on the couch.

 “Thank you.” The words come out just a whisper as you pick up the t-shirt and sweatpants and hold the soft material in your hands tightly. Where would you be right now had it not been for Kihyun? Some shitty motel with a cheap bottle of wine for your sole company? Maybe crying loudly at the table at the restaurant still? “Thank you.”

 Kihyun just gives a soft smile at you, scratching his head for a moment before nodding his acknowledgment. “No problem. So the bathroom is the first door on the left and your bedroom is right next to it. I’m going to go ahead and get to bed, but if you need anything just let me know. Feel free to watch whatever you want on Netflix.”

 You listen to his footsteps walk away, misty eyes still glued to the white t-shirt your clutching. “Good night Kihyun.” You’re almost certain you spoke too softly to be heard, but you hear Kihyun stop for a moment.

 “Good night (y/n). Get some rest.”

———————————-

 You wake up with the feeling of your skull trying to split itself away from your brain, the headache dulling your senses. You stared up at the white ceiling as the panic sets in until the crashing realization of why you weren’t home settled in. You’d really have to thank Kihyun, especially for the extra toothbrush and toothpaste he’d set out for you along with an entire arsenal of luxury skincare. With a groan, you rolled yourself out of bed and looked over at your phone. At least you always carried a charger in your purse, but you’d have to go back to your apartment today to start picking up everything that the idiot (you refuse to even think of his name) had packed for you. Slowly you made your way through the apartment, following the dulcet noise of what had to be Kihyun singing.

 You found him singing into the spatula like a microphone over the omelets he just placed on two separate plates. Clearly, by the sheer enthusiasm and volume, he hadn’t yet noticed you. His face was scrunched up in concentration, little dimples under his eyes showing as he finished off the song. “You have a great voice.” You watched the spatula fly out of his hand and clatter into the sink as he jumped a few feet in the air.

 “You scared the shit out of me!”

 “Okay, Jooheon.” He glared at you, mumbling something about how he wasn’t ‘that bad’ before opening the fridge and grabbing a bottle of Gatorade for you.

 “Drink this, I’m sure you’ll need it.” You stare dubiously at the drink before slowly opening it and taking a swig.

 “Why are you being so nice to me?” You slowly make your way over to the stool at the kitchen bar, hungrily looking at the cheese covered eggs before sinking into it.

 “Because I’m actually a nice person?”

 “Unlikely. Based off of all the calculations I’ve done on you in the last year that doesn’t match up.” Kihyun shoots a pointed look at you as he sits down next to you.

 “Well, your calculations were wrong. Besides, even if you don’t think I’m nice, which I am, by the way, I’m not some heartless monster who would watch a friend…albeit a bitchy one…get her heart stomped on and just leave her there to fend for herself. And don’t even pull that tiny savior shit again, it’s too early for that crap.”

 You snort but hold your tongue for a minute. “Friend huh?”

 “Yeah. I mean, sure we don’t hang out outside of work and we’re usually at each other’s throats but I mean, we’re friends, right? I mean, you never did actually give me that laxative tea so that’s gotta count for something.”

 “I can’t tell if you’re just really sweet or really naive.”

 “Probably both.” There’s a bitter note to the words, and it makes you want to force him to elaborate but you sense that it’s something he’s trying to keep covered up.

 “Yeah, but that’s not so bad. It’s better than being a bitch who was stuck in a shit relationship for six years to a complete moron out of fear. You might be sweet and naive, but I’m just bitter and tired and afraid.”

 “You know if you combine us we might make a decent dark chocolate recipe.” You can’t help but laugh, guzzling down the rest of your food in comfortable silence before picking up your plate and washing it.

 “Well, I suppose I should head out to my apartment in a bit. Do you have a copy of the key by any chance so I can just let myself in?”

 “Oh, yeah.” Kihyun grabs a key off a hook on the wall and tosses is it over to you. Unfortunately, he misses and it falls somewhere in between the fridge and the cabinet. “Fuck, I am so sorry. I need to get better aim.”

 “It’s okay, I suck at catching anyways.” You start rooting around on the floor, blindly searching for the keys before finally fishing them up. God, even the crack in between his fridge was spotless. What does he do, move the fridge to clean it once a week? Probably. Oh lord, how you pray he doesn’t make you clean that much.

 “Hey, if you want I can go with. I have a car anyway, so it’ll help make the move easier.”

 “You have a car?”

 “Yeah?”

 “You live right by the station though! Wouldn’t it be cheaper to just take the subway to work every day?”

 “Probably, but I enjoy having a car. It’s nice to be able to just go when I want to go without relying on some form of public transportation. So, what do you say? Want me to come with?”

 You fiddle with the key in your hand for a moment. “I don’t want to interrupt any plans you have.”

 “Nah, I was just planning on cleaning and shopping today so no worries about that.” You blink up at Kihyun, twirling the key around before finally nodding.

 “'Kay. Well, let me just take a shower first and then we can head out.”

——————-

 The drive to your apartment…former apartment…has your stomach in knots. Anxiety has consumed you and twisted you into a nervous mess. You probably should have texted the idiot but fuck it, who cares if you’re ruining his plans? He can deal with your intrusion and kiss your ass if he doesn’t like it. Oh god, oh god what are you going to do?

 “Hey, calm down. It’s going to be okay.” Kihyun gives a small pat to your head and you fight off tears at the soothing touch. To think Yoo Kihyun would be of comfort to you. The world is a cruel, sad, obscure shit show of a place.

 Your hands tremble for just a second as he pulls into a parking spot in front of your apartment before your willing yourself to move. It’ll be fine, it’ll be totally fine. After all, what more could possibly go wrong? You take a deep breath as you stand in front of the door of the apartment and knock rather timidly before Kihyun just gives one sharp wrap after you. The two of you wait in silence for a minute before Kihyun’s impatience gets the better of him and he tries the door handle. “You brought your keys right?”

 “Yeah, give me a second.” You fish around the bottom of your purse through a sea of papers, loose lipglosses that fell out of your makeup bag ages ago, and a handful of pens you’ve swiped from the office before you finally find your keys. You look up to see Kihyun staring at your purse dubiously before you shrug and open up your apartment. The first thing you notice is the two sets of shoes sitting at the entrance. One of the shoes you recognize as the idiots. The second set is clearly a female’s with ridiculously small feet and a penchant for pain judging by the wafer-thin stilleto. You’re not sure what hits you first whether it’s nausea or rage but it’s clear that animosity takes a hold of you the most once you start moving again.

 You step through the apartment swiftly, the sound of the idiot and the unknown woman are drowned out by the blood rushing through your ears as you kick open the bedroom door. She’s pretty and young and she’s also the intern you’ve met at his company Christmas party last year. “Really? Really? This bitch?” Your voice comes lashing out in thick dark waves growing in decibel.

 “What the fuck? What are you doing here?” The idiot is scrambling under the bed sheets, the girl is staring at you with terrified doe eyes.

 “Picking up my shit you nit-wit!” Kihyun rounds the corner at this exact moment, a low whistle coming out as he takes in the sight.

 “You were fucking someone else?” Matt, no wait the cheating idiot (he no longer deserves a name), has the audacity to bawk at the sight of Kihyun and it’s around that time that you almost black out in rage.

 “You think you have the right to say that to me? I never fucking cheated unlike you, he’s my friend you lying sack of shit!” You throw the painfully expensive flat screen onto the floor before going through his closet and grabbing a fist full of ties that you toss into the toilet. In the midst of all your chaos, everyone is standing (well Kihyun is standing the two idiots are still laying in bed) stock still when you stand back in the center of the room panting. “Fucking help me Kihyun!”

 “Right!” Kihyun looks around the room before dashing out to the living room where you hear multiple loud crashes that sound suspiciously like the breaking of electronics and glass followed by a few manic cackles.

 “Kihyun, I meant grabbing my boxes!”

 “WHAT?” You hear his footsteps before he turns back into the room, she who will not be named and the cheating idiot are still unmoving in a state of shock as you hand Kihyun two of the boxes you found in the closet.

 “What did you do with all of my makeup?” The idiot points to a box sitting by the bathroom door that you swiftly grab before adding that he hasn’t had time to pack up any of your books. He watches nervously as the two of you make trips back and forth to the front door with more boxes until you’ve gathered just about everything. She who will not be named tries to slink into the bathroom as you grab the last box.

 “And you! You can do so much better than this cheating sack of shit! Don’t waste your time on him. And you, you complete fucking moron,” You turn on your heal to see the idiot shrinking under the blankets like a small child trying to hide from the monster in the closet “it’s not fucking normal to cum that fucking fast all the time! That’s right, for six years I fucking lied because I’m a nice fucking person but let me tell you cumming after entering is only normal for fucking virgins!” With that, you stomp out of the apartment with Kihyun chasing after you.

 The two of you organize everything in the trunk before making a drive back that’s nearly silent with the exception being Kihyun humming. Normally his humming at the office makes you want to strangle him, but for once it’s nice. There’s no pressure to discuss any of whatever it was that just transpired back there, and it’s almost soothing to listen to his voice melt with the road noise. It takes a minute to register that you’ve finally parked, both of you still sitting in the car without a word.

 “Um, Kihyun, thanks…you know for helping. Also, good work on destroying the x-box and coffee table.”

 “The coffee table was an accident. I told you, I have bad aim. You don’t think he’s going to call the cops on us, do you?”

 “Nah. He’s a lot of things, but not a narc.”

 “Oh thank god. I got all caught up in the moment, it was just so addictive!”

 “You wanted to clean everything up right after didn’t you?”

 “…yes…”

 “You need help.” You shoot a smile at Kihyun, ruffling his hair before stepping out of the car to grab your boxes. Had you stayed a moment longer you might have seen his lips twitch into a grin as his hands touched his hair.

————-

 The weekend was spent with you unpacking the necessities and watching Netflix with Kihyun. There’s a lot that you’ve learned about him over the two days. For one, he sings constantly. And you wouldn’t complain about it if it weren’t for the fact that it gets stuck in your head every damn time. Another thing that you’ve learned is that he cleans constantly while grumbling the entire time. He’s also a damn good cook. And you’re happy to say that unlike at work, he’s pretty chill at home. He’s not constantly bragging or boasting, and he’s a bit of a couch potato like you. He’s also kind enough to not bring up the breakup for the rest of the weekend, and when you break down randomly he just hands you random sweets and a blanket. You’re pretty sure you’ve wiped out his entire candy stash at this point.

 By the time Monday rolls back around you’re actually excited to get to work, something mundane and normal. As you settle into your cubicle with a fresh cup of coffee Minhyuk is swiftly spinning his chair over to you. “How was your weekend?”

 My entire life is falling apart. The man I thought I was going to marry not only broke up with me but he was also cheating on me. Oh and I now have to live with Yoo fucking Kihyun and I’m actually starting to think he’s not that bad of a roommate. What little bit of sanity I have is being glued together by coffee. “Boring.” There you go, a lie is so much easier to spit out. Also, you won’t be chucked in a looney bin.

“Same. Oh, but man listen to this. So Wonho and I went out to that new gay bar and we scored like 10 free drinks from this totally cool bear because Wonho took off his shirt. You should come with us the next time we go out! Oh and get this-” You glaze over, nodding randomly as Minhyuk continues to speak a million words a minute before Shownu finally comes out of his office to politely remind Minhyuk that he has three different projects he’s behind on.

—————————————-

The rest of the week tends to amble on much the same way as Monday, monotonous and tedious. And you’re starting to itch with each repetitive conversation. You need something different, you need something to change. Granted, you’ve had a lot of change in the last week. But it’s opened up your eyes to something, the realization that you were just living for the sake of living. Wake up, shower, eat, brush your teeth, go to work, commute home, watch TV, go to sleep. Really what was even the point anymore? You’re beyond apathetic. Too old for this emo shit, too cynical to fall for the hippie-dippie idea of just ‘do what you love.’ Now you’re stuck somewhere in between. Rather lost and craving something, anything, to make you feel alive again. As long as that anything won’t be too expensive. Or too dangerous. Or too annoying. Or too physically exhausting. Which is exactly why when the entire team went out for drinks on Friday you decided to join for once.

You should have known that it was a terrible idea from previous horror stories Hyungwon has told you. He comes solely to watch the world burn as his coworkers all turn into drunk mutants. Everything had seemed fine until you reached the second bar of the night. At this point, Jooheon is speaking only in English and is constantly trying to find ways to rhyme orange. Wonho has lost his shirt or tore it on the dance floor, you aren’t really sure what exactly happened. Minhyuk has been dancing on a column as if it’s a pole and Hyungwon has been discretely pocketing the money that keeps being randomly thrown in Minhyuk’s general direction. Shownu has been in various competitions with strangers, all of them varying in degrees of physical difficulty including the longest headstands that promptly got you kicked out and sent to the third bar.

You’ve lost Changkyun somewhere in the madness, and you’ve been screaming for him as if he’s your lost child until you finally find him hitting on a poster (you’d like to add that the poster was of some foreign film with no people in it) with only one shoe on. Wonho is now clinging onto Kihyun as he sobs about ramen with so much strength you’re afraid Kihyun might not be getting any air. Jooheon has been playing Gucci Gang on repeat while Minhyuk has been trying to blast The Internet over it until the noises have morphed together into some unintelligible and painful to listen to concoction. Hyungwon has somehow found his way behind the bar and is now making drinks for people, none of the other bartenders have noticed that he’s infiltrated yet.

You have a raging headache and your feet are in blisters from all the running around you did to find Changkyun. You feel vaguely out of body as you begin to start screaming for everyone to stop at around the time that Minhyuk starts trying to give lap dances. (You have to admit, he was in the wrong career field. Boy could make a killing off of being a stripper.) Unfortunately, all of them are too far gone to pay attention with the exception of the also painfully sober Kihyun who looks like he’s going to stab Wonho if he doesn’t let go of him.

It just takes Kihyun mouthing ‘help me’ for you to finally make your break. “This rounds on me guys!” You slam down a couple of twenties and use the diversion to grab Kihyun and run out of the bar. Sweet, sweet freedom is obtained at last.

“Thank you! Oh my god, I thought that Wonho was going to smother me!”

“You know, a lot of gals and guys would die happily that way. So, where to now? Do you just want to go home?” You start looking around for some cabs as you speak, wandering down the street slowly now that you’re far enough away from the bar to not be caught.

“Eh, I mean, the night is still young. Besides, I was too afraid to join their league of mutiny to even drink. I know this bar right across from my place. We’re just a couple of blocks away from it right now. What do you say?”

The blisters on your feet say no. The thought of possibly convincing Kihyun to do a couple of shots has you saying, “Sure, why not?” Perhaps you could get him drunk enough to give you an arsenal of secrets to use at your disposal. Then again, you’ve both survived war this evening so by the time you’re finally sitting at the bar with a strong cranberry vodka in your hand you decide to give him a break. (You will never, ever tell Minhyuk and Hyungwon know of this momentary lapse of kindness though.)

“I’d like to lie to you and say that the guys aren’t always this way when we all go out, but…honestly, I’ve seen things get even crazier. It was really nice though to not be the only sober-”

“Kihyun?” Both of you switch your attention over to the woman staring at Kihyun. You see a flash of shock morph into a bitter rage as his jaw clenches. You’d bet your measly savings that the girl was an ex. And a bitch. But the last part is personal conjecture. You want to blame the alcohol for what you do next, but you don’t have enough liqueur in you for it to be the real cause.

“Kihyun, baby, who’s this?” You wrap your arm around Kihyun’s shoulder and give a pointed glare at the other woman.

“Baby? You’ve already moved on? It’s only been, like, three fucking weeks.”

“Well, at least I didn’t move on by cheating on you with my roommate.” Kihyun’s words are angry, and suddenly things start falling into place. That’s why he needed a roommate. That’s why he had been so good at comforting you. That’s why a few weeks ago for the first time he had been late. (Not that you pay that close of attention to him. Nope. You just so happened to notice, and you just so happened to remember.)

“Wow. Wow. You’re such a-”

“I’d step off bitch before I break this glass over your head. Come on baby, let’s go home.” You tug on Kihyun’s hand and leave the bar with her still shouting insults at the two of you. You make the trek back to the apartment in silence, and it isn’t until you actually step through the doors that you realize you’re still holding hands. “Um, sorry about that. I know I just kind of inserted myself in there, but I mean…I get how it feels. We’ve…been through basically the same thing at around the same time. And I just-”

“Thank you.” Kihyun ruffles your hair before suddenly stopping and stepping in closer to you. “I…” His words die out, choked up in his throat with emotions you can’t quite pinpoint swirling just beneath the surface.

“No worries, that’s what friends do right?” You’re not sure if you’re saying that to him or more as a reminder to yourself. He’s just a friend. Right? Right?? His face almost seems to fall for a moment, but it must have been your imagination because suddenly he’s smiling and nodding back at you. Awkward silence ensues and you’re not sure why but you feel a need to break the moment by pulling him into a tight hug and then stepping back. “You know, if you ever want to talk to me about anything, I’m here for you.”

Kihyun nods silently again and gives another small pat to the top of your head before he takes off for his room. Well, that was odd. Then again, that was probably the most normal thing you’ve witnessed all night. Note to self, never go out with the guys ever again.

——————————

Months go by and you’ve fallen into a comfortable routine at Kihyun’s. At first, you tried looking for other places, but rent in the city is painfully expensive and well if you’re honest…living with Kihyun isn’t that bad. In fact, it’s wonderful. And much to Minhyuk and Hyungwon’s dissatisfaction, your new friendship with Kihyun has stopped you from pulling as many pranks on the office hamster. It’s not that you don’t still, it’s just that you’re not out for blood anymore.

You’ve learned a lot about Kihyun. About the type of music he listens to. About how he’s a perfectionist even when he plays games. And how his skin care routine is at an almost religious level. And how when he cleans he mutters the entire time to himself until you join in. And how he’s a dog enthusiast who melts any time there’s one nearby. But there’s still one thing you don’t know much about and for some reason, it constantly plays in the back of your head. Why did that girl cheat on him? How could she not see how good of a guy Kihyun is? And why isn’t he trying to get back out there? A catch like him doesn’t come around every dynasty.

You’ve come to understand why your relationship with the idiot failed. You know that he was horribly wrong for cheating and that he should have left and just said he wasn’t happy a long time ago. But you’ve also come to the conclusion that you hadn’t been working on your own happiness in the relationship enough. You had just at some point stopped trying at almost everything. But Kihyun? Well, he’s certainly not that type. Sure he goes between being either really hard on himself or thinking too highly of himself, but he’s got a heart of gold. He knows his worth, and he treats women like queens. (At least if his interactions with his mother over the phone are anything to go by.)

You’re pulled back out of your thoughts by Kihyun walking back into the apartment and the smell of food wafting over. “Ooh, takeout! Did you get me anything?”

“At first I was going to torture you and get something for just myself, but then I realized that my meal would be ruined by you complaining loudly the entire time. I got you some curry.”

“Awesome, thanks babe!” Both you and Kihyun freeze at the nickname. Perhaps you’ve gotten too comfortable once again. Yep, that’s all this is. An innocent mistake caused by being comfortable. Yup. Nothing to see here folks. Nothing at all. “Uhh, I’m not sure why I said that…I’m uh…”

“Nah it’s uh, it’s all good. Babe.” Kihyun cackles loudly before you see him disappear below the kitchen counter. You’ve noticed that when he’s embarrassed he just kind of…runs out of eyesight. It’s endearing, but right now you’re too mortified by your slip of the tongue to even laugh with him. Babe? Really, babe? God, you needed to get out there before you start seeing Kihyun as a possible interest. Nope, never ever going to happen. Absolutely not. It was just a mistake. It meant absolutely nothing.

Dinner goes by quietly after that, the two of you making awkward small talk while pretending to pay attention to some show in the background. By the time dinner is over you’re taking a deep breath and finally setting up a tinder account. Clearly, you need to start moving on, doing something more with your life. You deserve better than that shit show of an ex, and you also deserve some fun. Life has become too routine, and you refuse to turn into a spinster cat lady with a hamster as a roommate.

——————————

A week later and you’re meeting up with a guy you met on tinder, praying you aren’t going to get murdered by some psycho. You’ve never used dating apps, and while you were kind of leery about the situation the conversations you’ve had with him have seemed pretty normal. Albeit boring, but you were never the best at making small talk so you’ll take some of the blame for that. He’s good-looking, you’ll give him that. But as the night wears on it becomes painfully apparent that that’s all he is. He’s good looking and he’s got a stable job, but the best way to describe his personality is monotone.

“Yes, so anyway, enough about the bank. What is it that you do again?” You take a large gulp of your wine before speaking, and you don’t miss the way he cocks his eyebrow as if to say ‘are you really going to drink like that?’

“Oh, nothing special. I’m an accountant for a salon and spa software company.”

“Does that make good money? If you’re an accountant we could actually use someone like you on our team and I’m sure it would be better pay…” Blah blah blah, your eyes glaze over as he keeps talking. What’s this guys name again? God, you can’t even remember. You forgot after six years of being with the same guy how boring dates could be. Well, to call all dates boring isn’t exactly fair. You’re sure that not every guy would be this boring, or hell, turn into some sort of weird job offer. Kihyun would be a lot more interesting. You’d probably be out doing shots and karaoke by now. Or maybe you’d go to a cooking class with him. Or you might be out at that fried chicken place he swears is heavenly. Or maybe he’d be animatedly discussing the best cleaning products with you. Okay, so that would suck, but you’re pretty sure he would never discuss that on a date. Unless it was with a maid or cleaning lady. Wait, why are you thinking about Kihyun right now? Oh…oh fuck. Fuck almighty, you like Kihyun.

You try to pay attention to the one-sided conversation, but really he’s so busy talking about himself he doesn’t even notice you zoning out. How long have you liked Kihyun? Probably longer than you care to admit. Maybe the first time you met him. Maybe that’s why you always found a way to poke fun at him. You always were shit at being honest with yourself. How pathetic though. You keep saying you’ve grown after a terrible six-year relationship, but you’re still just as pathetic at being honest with your own emotions. Blunt sure, but honest? Well…honesty requires vulnerability and courage. A potent mixture that you can barely handle. And that’s why you stayed around some dude you weren’t that interested in. But what about now? Will you be honest? Will you go for it?

You grab your phone as it buzzes, just some app unfortunately and not a getaway ticket. But your date doesn’t know that. “I’m so sorry, but it looks like my cat just went into labor and I think she really needs my support.” You pull out some cash and slap it on the table before he can respond and try your best to run out of there. You’re pretty sure he’s saying something to you as you leave, but you’re moving too quickly to hear him for long. Cat going into labor? And she needs your support? Jesus, you need to get better at lying.

By the time you’ve finally reached your apartment, you’re in near hysterical giggles. Of all the things you could have said to get away from the date, I mean that’ll go down in history as the strangest lie you’ve said. It’s at least entertaining enough to keep the sinking realization that you like Kihyun at bay. Until you finally step foot in the apartment and come face to face with him that is. He’s lounging on the couch, reading a book. His hair is still slightly damp from a shower and the scent of his body wash lingers in the air.

“Oh hey, I was going to…” Kihyun looks up and stops speaking as he analyzes you. His jaw tightens slightly before he gulps and continues speaking, “I was going to ask you to pick up some food but I wasn’t sure what you were doing.”

“Trying to flee a really awful date actually.” You fling yourself onto the chair next to him and kick up your feet on the coffee table, ignoring the look of disdain he gives you at your action.

“That bad?” You don’t miss the way his words sound a little clipped, slightly agitated.

“Bad enough that I told him my cat went into labor and then ran away.” You can’t help but join him as he starts to laugh, his annoyance melting away. It feels so nice to be home with him. It feels so normal and so right. But it kind of hurts, your heartaches and stomach drops as you gaze fondly at him. Kihyun has been such a good guy to you, and you’re pining after him. And you didn’t even notice it until you went out with some schmuck from tinder. How lame could you get?

“How bad could the date possibly have been that you went with that half-baked lie?” He wasn’t you. It’s just that simple, that’s why I gave him that half-baked lie.

“Well, …he was a banker. I think that’s enough said, right? At least he wasn’t a lawyer though. You know the weirdest part about the date though was that all he did was talk about work, and when I explained that I work in accounting he tried to offer me a job. It felt more like I was at an interview than a date. And here I thought tinder was for random flings.” You hate the way your heart flutters at the smile he sends your way as he ruffles your hair in consolation for your bad date. You hate the way that his touch feels so right, so natural. But you mostly hate the way that you can’t stop dwelling on it and how you know that you’re being a coward by not coming clean. But what exactly were you supposed to say? Hey Kihyun, being roommates isn’t enough anymore I’d like to hold your hand and tell you that you’re super cute and maybe screw your brains out? Yeah, probably not going to go down well. Both of you just got out of relationships. You work together. You live together. The last thing you need is to make things awkward.

At the same time though, you know you like him. You’re both grown adults. If things don’t work out then you’ll move on. But if you just allow these feelings to keep festering it’ll become unbearable. So you take in a deep breath and you finally say it before you can chicken out. “You know, Kihyun that isn’t actually the real reason why I left the date though. I mean, I’ve been on worse ones I could’ve stuck it out till the end but I didn’t exactly give him a fair chance. You see, I kind of already like someone.” You can’t make eye contact with him as you speak, but you can hear him shift on the couch presumably to move closer to you. It’s now or never. “Maybe I’m a complete idiot to not realize it sooner, but the entire time I was on that date I kept comparing him to you. And I kept thinking about what we would’ve done on a date, and how you wouldn’t have taken me to some pretentious French place only to talk my ear off about something as lame as work. And how you definitely would’ve called me out for saying some lame excuse. And I…”

“You like me?” You’re staring pointedly at the ground, still too afraid to look up. Your bravery can only go so far, and actually seeing his reaction might just kill what little of your fragile ego you have left in you. “You…like…me?”  There’s a pregnant pause before you suddenly see him in your line of vision, crouched down in front of you and his hands cup your cheeks gently. “You don’t know how happy that makes me. I really really like you (y/n). I mean I think I have from the moment you first sassed off to me. I actually got into a fight with my ex once because when I first started working with you I kept talking about you.”

“What? You didn’t hate me? I was a total bitch to you!” God, what kind of masochistic shit is this? You always knew he had a few screws loose, but I mean, is this his version of some kind of a sick joke? You’re pretty sure it’s not based on his expression. He’s looking at you so fondly, so happily. It’s the same face he makes when he sees dogs, pure joy.

“Well, sure. But it was funny the way how everything I did set you off. And it was awesome how you didn’t back down. I mean you never took my shit, you always threw it back at me. But it was never malicious. It was always very honest. Blunt and to the point. I think the thing I appreciate most about you is that you always say what’s on your mind. I don’t have to guess with you, you just come right out and say it. And it’s refreshing. And then when we moved in and I started to see the softer sides of you I knew I was a goner. I knew you had me wrapped around your little finger. I’ve just been hoping that maybe, somehow, you’d like me as much as I like you.” Silence fills the room, but it’s not uncomfortable. The two of you are just gazing at each other, basking in warm serenity.

“Well, what are you waiting for? Kiss me already you fool.” You love the way he laughs, it sets off butterflies in a frenzy before he finally pulls you into a soft kiss. His beauty routine clearly extends to exfoliating his lips because wow, they’re so soft. So perfect, so warm. At first, it’s feather light, but when your hands cup his face it moves into something deeper. His tongue swipes your lower lip and you taste a hint of peach as they tangle together.  His hands weave into your hair and push the two of you closer until finally, you fall in a pile of tangled limbs on the floor, both of you refuse to break the kiss as hands roam each other in a greedy frenzy before he finally pulls back slightly sheepish.

“Sorry, I got a little carried away there. I guess before I do anything else I should probably officially ask you to be my girlfriend shouldn’t I?”

“God, you’re such a dork. But I guess you’re my dork now aren’t you?” Your breath hitches slightly at the grin he gives you as he moves your hair out of your face gently. He’s so beautiful. His cute little mole, flawless skin, sharp jawline. You trace over his features silently as your brain tries to wrap around everything. He’s yours. You're his. And it just feels right. If a few months ago someone would’ve told you that you’d be hopelessly in love with the office hamster you would’ve laughed in their face. But the world works in mysterious ways, and you wouldn’t have it any other way.

There’s a lot of ways that you’d describe Yoo Kihyun. An insufferable nag. Confident. Handsome. Great singer. Pretty good cook. A bit of a Napoleon complex. Ridiculously kind. A total softy. A fantastic kisser. The love of your life. Yeah, that’s Yoo Kihyun for you.

——————

A/N: I know the ending is kind of rushed, sorry about that. I’ve actually had this in my WIPs for a couple of months now and I just really wanted to share it. I hope that you enjoyed it! This was a lot of fun to write.

[kimonobeat]

Kano Lyrics: evergreen

English translation and romanization below the cut. Thank you Nena A. for the coffee! :)

ENGLISH

Could you please tell me How much more happiness this tree will bear, And how many I’ll be able to take from it? You think I’ll be able to reach it easily? I’m sure I won’t be able to help myself from crying sometimes And I’m sure I’ll be delighted by small things sometimes, too Which will help it grow

You know, I can pour as much love on it as I want But things still won’t always go the way I want them to No matter how pretty flowers are when they bloom, They’ll still eventually wither away I wish I could neatly divide my heart Into the pain I’ll never ever forget And the memories I never ever want to forget

I used to be scared of breaking it If I grabbed onto it too tight Pelted by the rain, it creaked and fell Its foliage slipped through my hands

We’re searching for something that’s important to us But spend all our time looking at our feet “Why? Why?” we wonder Underneath such a pretty sky

Even when you saw me looking confused I still felt like I could do just about anything And even though you keep telling me, “Hold on, how come?” I’m still putting on a brave face I do that anytime we’re together Hey now, that’s what I do all the time I laugh it off and say, “That’s just the way things are”

No one’s admirable enough to smile Even when they’re having a hard time So I hope I notice When I’m hiding my pain I need to go ahead and let you know That I’ve wondered if I could be like that That I’ve wondered if anyone like that is out there

When something ends, Something else begins, again and again Much like how tiny little buds start changing color again In the sun after the rain end

You can look all you want But you won’t find the same exact thing anywhere We all wonder to ourselves, “Why? Why me?”

The tears you shed, unbeknownst to anyone else And the mistakes you overlooked Aren’t all bad So don’t forget about the feelings that’ve sprouted in you

Sometimes I’ll get tired from being lost In my search for something that’s important to me  But I'd like to look up at the pretty sky and cry And fall in love again

Much like how the sky is clear and blue, Much like how I’ll be able to smile about it tomorrow, I’m going to take off running when they say “Go!” To the place I’ve been picturing in my head I’ll do that anytime we’re together Hey now, that’s what I’ll do all the time I’ll laugh it off and say, “That’s just the way things are”

ROMAJI

nee oshiete kudasai kono ki ni wa ato dore kurai no shiawase ga nari ato ikutsu toru koto ga dekimasu ka umaku te wa todoku kana kitto dou shiyou mo naku naitari kitto chiisana koto yorokondari sonna fuu ni shite hagukunde iku ‘n da ne

nee dore dake no ai wo sosoidemo omoidoori ni wa ikanai ‘n da ne donna ni kirei ni hana ga saitemo yagate kareru kara zutto wasurerarenai itami to zutto wasuretakunai omoide to kokoro wo umaku warikiretara ii noni ne

tsuyoku tsuyoku nigirishimetara kowareru no ga kowakatta ‘n da ame ni utare kishinde ochita konoha wa te wo surinukete iku noni

taisetsu na mono sagashite ashimoto bakari mite’ru bokura w konna kirei na sora no shita doushite doushite tte omou ‘n da

tomadoi misete’ru toki ni datte nandemo dekite’ru you na ki ni natte matte, nani de tte iwaretatte tsuyogatte’ru dake issho ni iru toki ni wa itsudatte nee donna toki mo sou yatte sonna mon da nante waraitobashite

tsurai toki hodo egao miseru you na daremo ga sonna rippa janai kara itami wo kakushite’ru toki kurai wa kidzuketara ii na moshimo sonna hito ni naretara toka moshimo sonna hito ga itara na toka omotta koto wa tsutaete okanai to ne

nanika ga owaru toki ni wa mata nanika hajimatte kurikaeshi ameagari no hidamari no shita chiisana me ga mata irozuku you ni

dore dake sagashite mitemo onnaji nante doko ni mo nai shi dare datte jibun bakari ga doushite doushite tte omou ‘n da

hitoshirezu nagashita namida mo minogashite shimatta machigai mo warui koto bakari janai kara mebaeta kimochi wo wasurenaide

taisetsu na mono sagashite mayoi-tsukareru koto mo aru kedo kirei na sora wo miagete naitari mata koi shitai tte omou ‘n da

sora ga aoku harewataru you ni ashita kara wa waraemasu you ni yo-idon de egaku hou ni hashidasou issho ni iru toki ni itsudatte nee donna toki mo kou yatte sonna mon da nante waraitobasou

[lulacinderella]

The Clouds and The Ghost (雲と幽霊) - Lyrics and English Translation

ヨルシカ - 雲と幽霊 / Yorushika - Kumo to Yuurei (The Clouds and the Ghost ) Lyrics, composition, arrangement: n-buna/  ナブナ Vocal: suis From the album「夏草が邪魔をする」/ “The Summer Grass Is Getting in My Way” Translation by EJ/Bluepenguin (https://ejtranslations.wordpress.com/)

The last song of the album! With this, the whole album is finally translated! Yay! This one is connected to “Say it.”, from the perspective of the other person. This one literally made me bawl, just try listening to the song while reading the lyrics after watching “Say it.” The name “Yorushika” comes from this song, according to this interview. It’s from this line in particular

夜しかもう眠れずに yoru shika mou nemurezu ni Now at night I only sleep

This song is my #1 favorite song of the album. It’s so good, and I don’t think n-buna has made something like this before. It’s a slow and serene song with ambient sounds like water drops and telephone ringings incorporated in it. You can hear n-buna’s signature guitar in the chorus but it doesn’t detract from the “different” feel of the song at all. It’s there to remind you that this is still a n-buna song, even with the different tone and style. A perfect song to end the album,  in my opinion. Ah, I’m making this post while listening to the song and I feel like crying again.... 

幽霊になった僕は、明日遠くの君を見に行くんだ その後はどうしよう きっと君には言えない yuurei ni natta boku wa, asu tooku no kimi o mi ni yuku n’da sono ato wa dou shiyou kitto kimi ni wa ienai I’ve become a ghost, and tomorrow I’ll go to see you, far away where you are And then what shall I do? I definitely can’t tell you that

幽霊になった僕は、夏の終わり方を見に行くんだ 六畳の地球で　浅い木陰のバス停で yuurei ni natta boku wa natsu no owarikata o mi ni yuku n’da rokujou no chikyuu de asai kokage no BASUtei de I’ve become a ghost, and I’m going to see the way the summer ends On this studio-apartment-sized earth*, at a bus stop in the pale shadows of the trees

夜に涼む君の手　誘蛾灯に沿って石を蹴った 街の薄明かりが揺れている yoru ni suzumu kimi no te yuugatou ni sotte ishi o ketta machi no usuakari ga yurete iru You kicked pebbles alongside the light trap** in the cool night air The faint lights of the town waver

何も見えなくたって 何も言わなくたって 誰も気付かなくたって それでもわかるから nani mo mienakutatte nani mo iwanakutatte daremo kidzukanakutatte sore demo wakaru kara Because even without seeing anything, Even without saying anything, Even without anyone noticing, I still know

君と座って　バス停見上げた空が青いことしかわからずに kimi to suwatte basutei miageta sora ga aoi koto shika wakarazu ni I only know that at the bus stop where I was sitting with you, the sky I looked up at was blue

雲が遠いね　ねぇ 夜の雲が高いこと、本当不思議だよ kumo ga tooi ne nee yoru no kumo ga takai koto, hontou fushigi da yo The clouds are far away, see? See? It really is unbelievable that the clouds at night are so high

だからさ、もういいんだよ dakara sa, mou ii n’da yo So you see, it’s all right now

幽霊になった僕は、あの頃の景色を見に行くんだ 遠い街の海辺　子供のとき見た露店街 yuurei ni natta boku wa, ano koro no keshiki o mi ni yuku n’da tooi machi no umibe kodomo no toki mita rotengai I’ve become a ghost, and I’m going to see places from my past The beach in a distant town, the shopping stalls I saw as a child

歩き疲れた脚でそこらのベンチでバスを待って その後はどうしよう 何で歩いてたんだろう arukitsukareta ashi de sokora no BENCHI de BASU o matte sono ato wa dou shiyou nande aruite’ta n’darou With feet tired from walking, I’ll sit on a bench nearby to wait for the bus And then what shall I do? Why was I walking?

何も知らなくたって 何も聞けなくたって いつか君が忘れても それでも見ているから nani mo shiranakutatte nani mo kikenakutatte itsuka kimi ga wasurete mo sore demo mite iru kara Even if someday you forget Without knowing anything Without hearing anything Even so, I’ll be watching you

夏の陰に座って　入道雲を眺めるだけでどこか苦しくて 空が高いよ　ねぇ natsu no kage ni suwatte nyuudougumo o nagameru dake de dokoka kurushikute sora ga takai yo nee Just sitting in the summer shadows, staring at the storm clouds, is somehow painful The sky is so high

このままずっと遠くに行けたらいいのにな 夜しかもう眠れずに kono mama zutto tooku ni iketara ii no ni na yoru shika mou nemurezu ni I wish I could go far away just like this Now at night I only sleep

君と座って　バス停見上げた空が青いことしかわからずに kimi to suwatte BASUtei miageta sora ga aoi koto shika wakarazu ni I only know that at the bus stop where I was sitting with you, the sky I looked up at was blue

雲が遠いね　ねぇ 夜の雲が高いこと、本当不思議だよ kumo ga tooi ne nee yoru no kumo ga takai koto, hontou fushigi da yo The clouds are far away, see? See? It really is unbelievable that the clouds at night are so high

だからさ、だからさ 君もさ、もういいんだよ dakara sa, dakara sa kimi mo sa, mou ii n’da yo So you see, so you see Even for you, it’s all right now

幽霊になった僕は、明日遠くの 君を見に行くんだ　その後はどうだろう きっと君には見えない yuurei ni natta boku wa, asu tooku no kimi o mi ni yuku n’da sono ato wa dou darou kitto kimi ni wa mienai I’ve become a ghost, and tomorrow I’ll go to see you, far away where you are And then I wonder what I’ll do I definitely won’t be able to see you

Notes:

[*] Literally “six-tatami-mat-sized earth”–the number of tatami mats it takes or would take to cover the floor is an alternate measure of room/apartment size in Japan, used in apartment listings and such. Six tatami mats is not terribly large.

[**] A light that attracts nocturnal bugs and, in commercial uses, generally kills them. Where I grew up we called these “bug zappers,” but that’s not terribly poetic, is it?

[procrastinatorimagines]

Okay Part 7

Fandom: One Chicago

Series: Okay

Part 1 // Part 2 // Part 3 // Part 4 // Part 5 // Part 6 // Part 7 // Part 8 (Final)

Pairing: Matt Casey x Halstead!Reader

Warning/s: fire, attempted murder

Word Count: 3,033

Summary: After narrowly escaping certain death you decided to turn your life around and become a firefighter, and although it wasn’t easy, you survived your first week at 51. Now, the strange circumstances of your very first fire lead you to a second, deadlier act. As you dig deeper, aided by your brothers and your new firehouse, you begin to realise just how in over your head you might be.

Tags: @alievans007 // @louiselikeswriting // @killjoys-make-some-noise-na-na // @sesamepancakes​

By the time you woke up your head was pounding and your mouth was dry, your ankles and wrists chafing against the ropes that tied you to a beam in the room you were in, where ever that was. You weren’t sure how long you’d been out, but as your eyes slowly focused in on your surroundings you noticed a small window on the opposite side of the room you were in, the night sky partially visible through a crack in the newspaper that had been used to cover it up.

This was bad, very bad, you thought, panicking as you tried to desperately to free yourself from your restraints, which actually seemed to do more harm than good. Taking a very shaky breath you tried to focus, breathing in and out of your nose slowly...

This had happened before, it had all happened exactly like this before. Only, this time, you weren’t alone in the dark.

When your vision began to focus and the roaring in your ears subsided slightly, you saw a figure out the corner of your eyes, looking to see Lily. Your breath immediately caught in your throat; she was as pale as a ghost, eyes red and face wet with tears and snot. 

“Lily,” you whispered, drawing her eyes to you from where they had been fixed in the distance. She looked to you, shaking uncontrollably, but you saw it then, something in her eyes. Hope? Did she think you were going to help her? 

You were, you were supposed to help her, that’s why you came here in the first place. Breath Y/N, you told yourself, focus, think, you needed to stay under control for her sake. “Hey Lily, where’s Paul? Where’s your dad?” You asked her as calmly as you could, not wanting to alarm her anymore than she was, if that was even possible.

She opened her mouth to reply when the door to the basement banged open, making you both jump as a man stormed down the stairs. He was erratic, mumbling to himself as he waved around a gun, pacing as he reached the bottom of the stairs and ignoring you both completely. 

“No supposed to happen like this... all her fault...” you caught him say, “all your fault, all Jennifer’s fault!” He aimed the gun at Lily, raising his voice as she flinched back as far as she could while restrained. 

“Hey!” You snapped at him, unsure of where such a steady and powerful voice came from inside of you as Paul jumped, apparently only just realising that you were also in the room. “Do not point that gun at her,” you demanded, catching him off guard as he looked between the weapon and his daughter, a moment’s pause gone as quickly as it came as he turned it to you instead. Far from ideal, but the better alternative.

“Listen to me, I’m a firefighter, okay and my brother Jay he’s a cop, he could help-” you began, rambling slightly, not really thinking about what you were saying as you tried to convince him to put the gun down.

Mention Jay seemed to be a bad idea, you realised it the second the words were out of your mouth, Paul’s grip tightening on the gun as he eyes flared with panic. “Cop, cop, no, no cops...” he repeated, very much appearing to have had some kind of mental break. Could he even be reasoned with?

Looking around as he began pacing again, more on edge than before, you noticed the canisters of kerosene along the wall by the stairs; he was going to burn this place down, with you and Lily in it.

“Shut up! Just shut up and let me think!” Paul yelled at a still crying Lily, and outburst that only made her cry harder.

“That’s enough, she’s a kid for god’s sake, your kid,” you tried, grating your teeth and hating how powerless you felt. You’d failed her hadn’t you? 

“We were happy before she came, she isn’t even mine, she ruined everything...” he told you, his logic making absolutely no sense to you. Still, you had to try and get on his level if you had any chance of de-escalating the situation. You’d learned that much from Jay at least.

“Okay, but how is that Lily’s fault? She did do anything, you don’t have to do this, it’s not too late,” you took a shaky breath as his eyes flicked towards the cannisters, only half listening to what you were saying. His mind had been made up when he lit that first fire, maybe even before then, it was like reasoning with a brick wall.

“Yes, yes it is,” he said with way too much conviction.

“No, wait, let’s talk about this,” you tried desperately, pulling on your restraints in vain as he wandered towards the cannisters, gun now slack at his side. 

That was when you caught it, a sharp pain in your hand as you winced, moving your hands slower to feel a now wet nail sticking out of the beam you were tied to. Your hand was bleeding, but you could barely feel it, shifting slightly so that the nail was rubbing against your restraints. Stall, a voice in your head screamed, stall.

“Talk? So you can buy time until your boyfriend can come save you?” Paul laughed in a vaguely unhinged sort of way, thankfully not noticing the confusion on your face as he continued, “is that who you were calling? Because it didn’t say - what was that name? Jay? - on your phone screen.”

You schooled your features as much as you could before he could turn around and wait for your answer. Matt. You’d called Matt. He’d know, he’d know you were in trouble, right? You hoped he would, he had to suspect you wouldn’t have gone straight home, and that that call was strange. 

Stall. You worked through the aching in your wrist, the nail catching your flesh more than once as you powered through, working the rope with everything you had.

“No, I mean, yes, my boyfriend, but he has nothing to do with this, I swear-” you hoped that sounded convincing. You’d already made the mistake of mentioning your cop brother, but if you told him you’d had a fire captain o nthe other end of the line you didn’t know how he’d react. You had to put all your faith in Casey right now, hoping to hear sirens at any moment.

“Daddy...” Lily sobbed, voice small and strained, raw from the crying as she tried to get her dad to look at her, but even when he glanced in her direction, he never met her eye. Your heart was breaking even more than you thought was possibly, stabbing pains shooting through you like the nail in your hand, but you persevered, your sheer anger and stubborn determination numbing the pain and quietening your own panic and fear.

“I have to do this, have to do this now,” he seemed to decide, nodding to himself as he put the gun in his waist band, your eyes draw to him as you worked at the rope, you were so, so close... But not close enough.

Paul took a couple of cannisters at a time, opening the caps and dumping them all over the floor, your feet jerking back as the strong smelling liquid splashed near you. “No, no, please you don’t have to do this,” you begged him.

“It’s done, I’ll finally have justice,” Paul said, your nostrils flaring in rage as you tugged harder at the ropes, your blood on them making them harder to keep steady.  Bastard, you growled to yourself

Paul turned without another word, taking the final cannister and pouring it up the stairs behind him. He took a packet of matches out of his pocket once he reached the top, the first attempt at striking it snapping the match.

Your mind was tugging you back to that other basement then, your senses slipping there too as your vision doubled and the all too familiar smell of kerosene filled your lungs. You’d cheated death once, and now he was coming to collect...

“Daddy please!” Lily cried out, cutting through you like a knife, hauling you back to the present as you willed yourself to focus, scrunching your hand into a fist. You dug your nails into the large cut on your palm, the pain keeping you tethered to reality as the second match flared to life. 

Then, well, then everything happened so fast you could barely process it. Your hands snapped free of the ropes just as the match fell from Paul’s finger tips, the top of the stairs lighting immediately as you clamoured towards Lily, ignoring the pain as you forced her restraints free. 

You looked to the already fast approaching fire as Lily stood, grabbing your leg with her arm and hugging you tightly. You didn’t have long, you knew, the poorly ventilated room already filling with smoke. 

There was only one this for it, you realised, what Casey would probably call your Halstead instinct kicking is as you threw off your jacket. “Lily, Lily look at me,” you said hurriedly, crouching down and wrapping her in it so it was over as much of her body and head as you could make it, her terrified eyes meeting yours. “I’m going to pick you up okay? Whatever you do, keep your head in my shoulder and do not let go, okay?”

She nodded quickly, sensing the urgency as you drew her into your arms, her small ones wrapping around you. There were no good option, but Lily had the best chance this way, and she mattered more. 

Here goes everything, you allowed yourself a split second to prepare yourself, and then you ran.

The stairs were still standing, for now, but they wouldn’t be for long, the fire dancing down the railing and walls as you pushed yourself, step by step, you ran up the stairs. 

Paul hadn’t bothered to shut the basement door, why would he? So you bolted for it with everything you had, you body absolutely screaming at you in fear and pain as you maintained an iron grip on the child in your arms.

And then you were out on the otherside, stumbling but forcing yourself to keep steady as you oriented yourself, the fire still all around you. You put Lily down quickly, patting her down as well as yourself, making sure you weren’t on fire. 

You needed a door, or a window, you didn’t really care. Taking Lily’s hand you looked to her. “We’re going to run, okay?” She nodded, taking your hand with a vice like grip.

A noise to your left drew your attention, making your way down the hall, barely staying up right as the burning in your legs flared up your body. You looked down as you felt your feet nearly slip on a substance, more accelerant?

This had taken place over a matter of seconds, a minute at most, and Paul was still here. You found him in the main hall, pouring the final drops of a kerosene by the entrance. There was a moment, when your eyes locked, both of you realised the other one was right in front of you before either of you sprung into action. 

You’d dropped Lily’s hand at the same time as Paul had dropped the cannister, his hand reaching back for the gun you knew was in the back of his waistband. He was fast, but damn if you weren’t faster. 

The fire had reached up from the basement and into the hall, you wouldn’t have long before it connected with the kerosene currently soaking your shoes, and then this place would go up like an inferno. 

Paul had just pulled out his gun, drawing it around his side, when you reached him, catching his wrist before he could point it and slamming his hand back into the wall. He shoved you back, definitely having the upper hand in terms of strength. “You shouldn’t be here, this is all wrong,” he told you, taking a swing at you with his gun still in hand.

You ducked, the swing wide and uncontrolled as you threw a sharp punch in his gut, building on your momentum and his loss of balance to aim another tap into his throat, kicking him back straight afterwards into the opposite wall. 

“That might be the first thing we agree on,” you snarled, moving quickly as he tried to hit you again, his gun hand twisting around, a suprised cry of pain escaping his lips as you expertly flung him over your shoulder, wrist so twisted he lost his grip on the gun. 

Sure, he was stronger, but you were a Halstead. 

He hit his head on the wooden floor and went down, Lily’s cry drawing your attention as you noticed the smoke filling the hall. 

You kicked the gun away and released Paul, who didn’t appear to be getting up any time soon, rushing back to Lily and yanking her arm, dragging her away from where the fire was fast approaching you.

That’s when you heard it, that glorious sound that made you feel like your chest was cracking open in relief. Sirens. There were sirens approaching. 

Pulling Lily forward you both scrambled towards the exit, the fire reaching the kerosene on the hallway rug as it flared to life with new found direction, hungry to consume everything in it’s path. 

The front door was right there, you could make it. Throwing open the front door you practically pushed Lily out, nearly tripping as her feet met the concete, breath in fresh air. 

Police cars were coming down the street, as well as fire engines and an amulance. 51. 51 was here, and so was your brother you guessed. 

Fresh air hit your face as you took a breath of freedom, and then you paused. Something tugging at you deep inside. Looking back over your shoulder you saw Paul, still lying on the floor as the fire quickly approached, devouring everything in its path. 

It would be too late, you knew, by the time 51 had arrived and put on their gear, the fire would have consumed him. The fire that he’d let consume the lives of two other innocent people, the fire he’d tried to turn on his daughter repeatedly, the fire he’d tried to use to end you, too. 

Every fibre of your being was screaming at you to leave him, but you knew, you knew you couldn’t. So you ran back into the burning building, hearing Lily scream as you reached Paul, grabbing him under his shoulders and hauling his with as much strength as you could manage. 

You’d gotten him outside onto the porch as truck pulled up, Stella barely stopping, let alone putting it in park, before Casey jumped out the door, barrelling towards you with a sense of pure urgency,

“Y/N!” He yelled, practically crashing into you as you dropped Paul, who was just beginning to stir. His hands found your upper arms, looking you over and breathing heavily.

“I’m okay,” you tried to tell him, your breath ragged as he led you away from the burning house, two other firefighters and a paramedic coming to take Paul, along with three officers. 

“I was so worried, I thought...” he trailed off, unlistening, one hand going to the side of your head, still worried. 

“Casey... Matt, I’m fine, I’m alive,” you grabbed the hand on your face, giving it a squeeze as you saw relief wash through him. 

“Y/N!” A small voice called, Lily rushing towards you both and she wrapped you in a big hug, buring her face in you as Casey took a step back.

“I’m okay Lily, we’re both okay,” you knelt down, ignoring the pain in your legs as you wrapped her in a big hug, picking her up as Foster signaled you to bring her over to treat. 

Boden was already giving orders to truck, seeing that Casey was too preoccupied as he followed you and Lily to ambo 61, the air getting clearer as you passed the small girl over to your friend. Foster gave your hand a squeeze, nodding to you as you nodded back. 

As soon as she was out of your arms you nearly collapsed, Casey steadying you as you sit on the edge of the ambulance, signalling Sylvie to come check on you.

“Oh my god Y/N,” she gasped, grabbing her med back.

“I’m fine,” you repeated, but she shook her head.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” she said with an authority you weren’t going to argue with as exhaustion washed over you.

“How is she?” Casey asked Sylvie, eyes not leaving you.

“She needs to get to med, she has a potential concussion, serious burns on her legs and she definitely needs stiches on these,” Syvlie said, wrapping up your hands as you winced, coming down from the addrenaline that must have kicked in as you started to feel everything.

Casey opened his mouth to say something but he was interrupted. “I’m riding with her,” a voice cut in, Jay, appearing at your side. Casey took a respectful step back as Jay gave you a hug so tight you couldn’t breath, “I’ll let Will know you’re coming in, god Y/N, we were so worried, what the hell were you thinking?” Jay breathed.

“Sorry, I’ll try not to get kidnapped... again,” you replied, but he didn’t seem to appreciate your attempt at humour. 

“I’ll meet you at the hospital,” Casey told you with a smile, eyes lingering on you for a moment before he turned to walk away.

“Hey Casey,” you called, pausing in his steps as he looked back at you, “we got him.”

Casey smiled, eyes full of pride, “you got him Y/N,” he told you, nodding to you before heading back to truck, something unsaid hanging in the air. 

Sylvie made you get into the ambo, Jay by your side the whole ride. 

You’d got him, Lily was safe, it was finally over.