#kid wanted to wash their hands in the bathroom and mom told them to come out bc she has hand sanitizer and then mom immediately started

[ierogenvy]

damn just had to listen to a kid get “their butt whooped” bc they didn’t immediately obey mom

[barcaatthemoon]

new friend || ingrid engen x child!reader ||

your meet your mom's new friend, maria.

your mom ran around the house frantically trying to tidy things up. most of your toys had to be put back in your room except for the little figures that you were actively playing with. your mom had told you that morning that she was having a friend over, someone important that she wanted you to meet. you knew that it wasn't frido or caro because she didn't get like this when they visited. this had to be a new friend, someone from your mom's new team.

"okay, i think that everything is ready," your mom said as she looked around the house. she had started something for you to eat, unsure of whether you'd like the spanish food her friend was bringing. the food was different here in a lot of ways. it had different taste, textures, and overall flavors. your mom told you that you didn't have to try everything right away, but almost every single day came a new food or snack.

"will you play with me?" you asked softly. your mom was about to sit on the couch and wait for mapi, but playing with you made her feel a lot calmer. ingrid sat with you on the floor, already knowing what game you were playing with the handful of animal figures on the floor. as much fun as you were having, your game was cut short by the knock on your door.

"maria, hi," your mother greeted. you doubted that you could have seen past your mother, so you didn't even look up from your game.

"hola ingrid," the mystery woman said. you should have expected for her to be spanish, almost everybody new was. slightly deflated, you dropped your toys, knowing that you wouldn't be able to speak with the stranger. you were good with your norweigan and german since you had been born and raised in those areas. english was still very new to you, and you hadn't even begun any of your spanish lessons yet.

"little lamb, do you want to say hello to mapi?" ingrid asked as she stepped aside. you looked up at the woman, who you thought looked a little scary. she was covered in pictures, like the bad guys in your papa and uncle's action movies. ingrid, noticing your slight discomfort, moved to scoop you up into her arms. you were a nervous child, but being in your mom's arms made you feel invincible. "she's nice, i promise. we play together at barcelona, she helps protect the goal. tonight, we're going to eat dinner together and hang out."

"like a playdate?" you asked.

"yeah, like a playdate," ingrid confirmed. you liked playdates, but all the kids here spoke spanish, so you couldn't have them anymore. sometimes, ingrid tried to arrange little trips to germany, but there hadn't been a break long enough for that yet. you missed your friends back at wolfsburg, barcelona wasn't nearly as fun for you.

you got the sense that it wasn't a playdate for you. your mom let you down, but instead of going back to your animals, you went to the coloring book on the coffee table. you had to be very careful as you colored. if you got colors on the table, you'd have to go back to the dining room table again. out of the corner of your eye, you could see your mom take maria to the kitchen.

it wasn't an overly long time that they were away from you. maria sat on the couch a little ways away from you while your mom sat right in front of you. you could smell your food, and it made your stomach growl with anticipation. it had been quite some time since she had made your special noodles for you, but since you were being brave and meeting a new person, your mom decided you had earned a plate of them.

"i need you to wash up and get your seat at the table," she said as she leaned down. you set your crayon back in the box and raced off to the bathroom. "hopefully she's a bit more chatty after dinner."

"it's good that she doesn't talk to strangers, it means she's smart," maria reasoned. ingrid had your plate set out as you came toddling back into the room carrying your booster seat. "can i sit here?"

"as long as frido isn't coming. that's frido's seat when she comes," you told maria. the spanish woman nodded as she slipped into the seat next to you. you were digging into your noodles without a care in the world as your mom returned with plates for her and mapi. "is there dessert?"

"focus on your food," ingrid told you. you huffed and pushed some of the noodles around on your plate. "(y/n), eat your pasta. you've been so excited about it all week."

"can we go out for ice cream after dinner?" you asked. there was an ice cream shop near your building that you had been begging to go in for weeks. each time, your mom brushed it off telling you that you could go later. now was definitely later to when you had asked, so there was no reason you couldn't go.

"how about this, if you can finish that plate, i'll buy you ice cream. sprinkles if you eat two." mapi placed her hand out for you to shake, and without hesitation, you shook it. ingrid looked impressed as you started eating with enthusiasm. you knew the rules about food, so you didn't go too fast. the last thing you wanted was to choke before you got to eat your ice cream.

"impressive," ingrid mouthed across the table at maria. ingrid had always been scared that you were underweight. you were an engen, and that meant you were thin and lanky. other kids seemed to hold weight better than you did, the idea of sitting and eating meals was a bit difficult for you. with maria there, you were sitting still and eating for the hope of getting an ice cream with sprinkles.

"come on, we have to play for 30 minutes before we can get dessert," you said, tugging on maria's sleeve a little. your mom started to chuckle as maria just stared at you in confusion. "come on, i'll show you how to play farms."

"lamb, english. maria doesn't speak like we do," ingrid reminded you. sighing, you tried to reiterate yourself in english, but the translation didn't come so easily. "she wants you to play farm with her while we wait for dinner to settle."

"oh, okay," maria said. she let you take her to the living room where your animals were set up. you explained it with ingrid's help and the three of you played farm together. maria wasn't very good at it, but truthfully, caro and guro were the only ones who were really good at playing farm with you.

as excited as you had been about ice cream, you ended up falling asleep on the floor while you played. ingrid tucked you into your bed and made sure to keep your nightlight on. when she came back, maria was sitting on the couch scrolling on her phone. ingrid smiled as she settled next to maria, who immediately wrapped her arm around ingrid's shoulders.

"that went very well, she likes you a lot. and i think she ate enough to sleep through the night," ingrid said. "it will take a bit of time, but i think she can handle knowing that we're dating."

"i owe her ice cream," maria said. ingrid laughed at that, not really surprised that maria was hung up on that. "do you think we could go after training tomorrow? you could bring her, then i can gloat to frido that i have a new best friend."

"and promptly get your heart broken when she runs to caro instead of you? just don't take it personally, she just met you," ingrid warned. "she likes you, but i'm pretty sure caro is her favorite over me."

[emithecharmer]

Husband!SKZ Reacting to you telling them you're pregnant

Severe baby fever while watching them with babies- so here's for all of the stays that want to be moms one day :)

Tw: Sex talk (duh, she's pregnant), Changbin wants to have sex with his wife (but they don't), fluff, some hurt/comfort

Christopher Bang

Chris and you had always talked about having a family, he made it perfectly clear when you two started dating that he wanted to be a father. You had always wanted to be a mom, learning empathy and compassion from your own mother, you'd always had a very strong motherly instinct, which is how you just knew. You had always heard of women who just knew they were pregnant but you'd always just thought that it was a myth, until you felt it. You were walking down the feminine hygiene isle, about to pick up a box of tampons when your mind immediately just said 'you don't need them.' It was like a switch had flipped and your brain chemistry was altered. So instead you walked a bit more and grabbed a pregnancy test.

Now, you and Chris had also talked about how if you suspected a pregnancy, that you would tell him, and he would stay with you and watch the test together. But that was easier said than done, as you as you got home..you choked up.

"Hey baby," He leaned forward and kissed your lips sweetly, "how was the store? Thank you for going by the way, I'm sorry I got held back at the studio later than expected." He explained, going and unloading some of the groceries.

"It's okay, it was um..interesting."

"What do you-" He stopped his sentence and that was when you noticed what bag he was going through. He turned toward you, eyes wide and in disbelief.

"Are you-? When did you.. When did we-?"

"I don't know, but I- Today in the store, I had the strongest feeling about it! And I remember you told me your mom just knew and I just- I feel like I am Chris." He practically tore open the box with excitement.

"Can you take it, please baby, take it!" You nodded and you two walked to the bathroom together.

"How long does it take to pee on a stick?" You heard Chris whine from outside.

"I have performance anxiety!" You whined back, getting frustrated.

Finally you finished the test and washed your hands before letting your, impatient, husband in.

"Hey.." He sounded serious now, making you look at him. He grabbed your hands before deciding to bring you in for a tight hug instead.

"No matter what the test says, we have to agree to take time for the two of us, I don't want us growing apart at all, okay? If we have a baby..it's going to make us stronger okay? And if we don't just yet, we'll try whenever we're ready okay?" You smiled, pulling away and nodding, brushing a small hair that had fallen into his face and glancing at the test.

"Chris.." He looked at the test and you felt you heart clench at the way his eyes sparkled when he turned back to you.

"Thank you.." He whispered, bringing you in for a passionate kiss.

Lee Minho || Lee Know

"Min, what do you think of having kids soon?" You asked, making your husband turn around and raise a brow.

"Why would we have a baby when we already have three?" He asked, smiling when Soonie walked by and brushed against his leg.

"Ah, yeah." You said half-heartedly.

"..I'm also super busy, you know with our new come back and everything that we have planned- I wouldn't get to be there." He explained, trying to give you a better reason.

"Mm, no that makes sense." He smiled at your answer and turned back to cooking, missing the way you brought your hand to your stomach and the way that tears gathered in your eyes.

Three months flew by without suspicion, you never drank or smoked to begin with, so Minho thought nothing of it, that was, until you started to experience the horrible morning sickness.

You first woke up at 3 am, rushing to the bathroom and heaving into the toilet, you were trying to be quiet before remembering that your husband has chosen to stay at the dorms that night. After you were finished you shakily stood up and brushed your teeth. When you stood up from bending over, you noticed it, Minho's t-shirt tried its best, but there was no doubt, you had a bump. You had a baby bump and when you saw it you collapsed on the floor at the realization that you were hiding your child from your husband. You sobbed on the floor, not hearing the door open and Minho call out your name. You only noticed when he entered the bathroom with his jaw slack and a look of confusion on his face.

"W-What happened? What's wrong baby?" He asked, immediately going to bring you into his arms, lifting you up and taking you to your shared bed. You didn't know if it was from pure exhaustion of the hormones, or if you were just tired of keeping it a secret, but you just blurted it out to him.

"I'm- I'm pregnant Minho. I'm so sorry! I'm sorry!" His heart broke as you wailed your apologies, he hadn't realized that he'd come across not wanting children.

"Y/n- you- Oh God, please don't be sorry, precious." He whispered, pulling you in for a hug and rubbing your back.

"I hid it from you though.." You whimpered as he shook his head.

"No, no, that was my fault, you should have never felt that you couldn't tell me anything, especially this..You're- We're going to have a baby." His smile was even wider than it was on your wedding day as he brought you in for a kiss and then peppered kisses all of your face before he tilted your head up so he could kiss behind your ear.

"Thank you, so much, honey" He whispered as he squeezed your hands.

Seo Changbin

"Changbin!" You screamed, running to your husband whom you hadn't seen for almost 3 months.

"Y/n." He said, closing his eyes as you two hugged, he wanted to breathe you in for this moment. They were on tour and you'd decided to come and join them.

"I missed you." You said, smiling as he pulled away and grabbed you two suitcases, showing you where the elevator was.

"I missed you too, baby. I can't wait to show you the hotel room, it's insane!" You chuckled at his excitement.

"And we can go see the boys in a little bit too, if you're not too tired." He offered as the door opened and you two stepped out.

"Mm, I'm not tired, I actually slept for most of the flight, so I think I'll be okay." He smirked as he entered the key into the door and opened it.

"Not tired?" He asked, making you shake your head as you looked around the room.

"It is pretty here, I like the-" You we're cut off by your husband, who brought you in for a long-overdue kiss. You felt his arm wrap around you back, caressing your spine before reaching for your shirt.

"Mm, I should warn you, the doctor said that intercourse while pregnant is okay, as long as it's vanilla." You informed him.

"Huh?" You giggled at his reaction, staying quiet as he wracked his brain for a few seconds before his eyes widened.

"But that would mean-"

"Right before you left, yeah." He frowned.

"I left you.." He said.

"Neither of us knew, and I only found out when I saw..this." You lifted your shirt to show him your stomach, which now sported a small bump.

Your husband dropped to his knees and cradled your bump so soft that it almost tickled before he looked back up at you, tears in his eyes. He stood back up, bringing you in for a deep kiss, never once letting his hand fall from your stomach.

Hwang Hyunjin

"Jinnie." You smiled at your husband as he sketched the landscape in front of you. He hummed, looking down at you as you laid on the blanket you two had laid out.

"You'll never guess who's pregnant." You said.

"..You?" He asked warily, making you sputter a laugh.

"No, my sister in law." You said, giggling at Hyunjin's sigh of relief.

"What, you don't want to have a baby with me?" You pouted in a joking manner.

"What- No! No, I do! I do, I want to have like 10 babies with you-"

"Woah bro, slow your roll." He cackled at the hand you held out to him as a sign to stop and the look of utter horror on your face.

"Just not right now, I'd want to be there, not caught up in schedules." You nodded and hummed.

'Pregnant' You had to have read it wrong.

'Pregnant'

'Pregnant'

'Pregnant' Okay one faulty test, but four? You sighed and held your head in your palms as you tried to figure out how to tell your husband.

"No time like the present." You told yourself, grabbing the four tests and unlocking the door and walking into your guest room, which was more of an art room now.

"Hey, love, you okay? You were in there for a while." Hyunjin asked as he put down his brush and turning to you.

"What are those?" he asked, pointing to your hand.

"They're-.." You took a shaky breath before continuing, "They're pregnancy tests..and they're positive." You tried to decipher the look on his face as he stood up and came to you, holding out his hand, which you put a test into. He looked at the screen, 'pregnant,' for a few seconds before he looked back to you, that's when you noticed he was about to cry.

"Aw, Jinnie." You cooed, opening your arms to comfort him.

"You're pregnant.." He said.

"Mhm."

"You- You're going to have a baby. And we'll be parents." You nodded again, chuckling at your husband.

"You're going to be the best mom." He said, eyes watering a bit.

"And you're going to be an amazing dad, Jinnie."

"Power couple." He winked, a tear falling as he did, making you two giggle.

Han Jisung

You'd gone shopping right away after you read the positive result on the small screen. Jisung had always told you that he wanted kids, and being his wife, you knew he'd make a great dad. After finding out that you were expecting, you knew you had to make telling him special. You went to the store and bought a, blank white, newborn onesie and some fabric paint, painting in small words 'STAY' on the front and 'HAN' on the back. You put the onesie and the test at the bottom of a small box before filling it with other mementos you'd collected since the two of you had started dating.

"Jagi! I'm home, and I got us some sushi!" You heard your husband announce his arrival and quickly shut the box, making sure it was ready.

"In the kitchen!" You said, smiling when your husband's face popped out from behind the wall.

"You somehow get prettier every time I see you." He said, setting down the food and kissing the tip of your nose and nuzzling into your neck, hugging you close.

"Mm, missed you." He cooed at you, pulling away to kiss you properly, cupping your cheek softly.

"I have something for you." You said giggling as you pulled away, snickering at the slight pout he momentarily had.

"Ooh!" He accepted the box from your hands, setting it down to open it.

"Woww, this is from our first date! And is this in Japan?" You nodded as he increasingly got more excited.

"That's me at your first Stray Kids concert,- wow am I hot or what?" You giggled as he kept digging. You held your breath as he picked up a set of keys that you two had kept after locking your locks on the bridge, and then picked up your wedding photo.

"You look stunning in this photo. What was this all for, baby?" He asked, kissing you again.

"There's more, babe." You smiled, pointing down at the box.

"Oh, oops!" He looked back into the box, freezing when he saw what was inside. He picked up the onesie, setting it on the counter, before picking up the test. He turned back to you, taking one look at your face, making sure it wasn't a joke, before hugging you.

"I love you," kiss, "I love you," kiss, "and I love you." He said, poking your belly softly.

"I love you." Jisung said, kissing your forehead.

"I love you more, Ji."

Lee Felix

"Practice is kicking my butt." Felix groaned, flopping onto your bed and sighing as he felt the plushness under him.

"New comeback?" You asked softly and he nodded.

"Yeah, just- need something good you know? Not that you aren't good, baby." You smiled, setting your book down and leaning down to brush his hair with your fingers. He sighed at the feeling, he'd missed your presence for a few weeks, being so held up in schedules, he'd decided he'd go back to his old dorm for the time being, just so he wouldn't disrupt your sleep schedule, you being a nurse and all.

"Can you kiss me?" He asked.

"Course, bub." You said, choosing to move up, letting him scoot up as well and sit between your legs. He leaned forward, kissing your lips and the down your neck, and then back to your lips. A few minutes later he noticed that you weren't as into it as you usually were, so he stopped.

"You okay, pretty girl?" He asked, rubbing your hip.

"I'm a little tired.." He pouted, kissing your cheek before leaning over and turning off the lamp. The moonlight outside still illuminated the room, coming through the curtains and giving the room a soft glow.

"You should've said something, baby, we can sleep."

"It's okay, really, I think it's just the pregnancy hormones, my sex drive will fluctuate a lot through pregnancy."

"Ahh, yeah that makes sense." He said, laying down with you and wrapping his arms around you, pulling you closer to him.

"Wait what." He said a few minutes later, making you burst into laughter.

"It took you that long?" You asked, watching him reach over and turn the lamp back on.

"You're pregnant? Like with a baby? Our baby, like one that we made?" You blinked at him.

"..I'm going to say yes?" He started to cry as he pulled you up to hug you, muttering thank you's and I love you's as he rubbed your back softly.

Kim Seungmin

Right when he gets home, you were going to tell him, right when he walks in, there was no stopping you.

"I just want today to be over, can no one do anything right?" Nevermind. You said to yourself as you heard the door slam and your husband walked in, slinging his coat onto the back of a chair before he took a deep breath.

"I'm sorry..I shouldn't bring work in with me, I'm sorry baby." He apologized, walking up to hug you in greeting.

"Hi Minnie." You said, nuzzling into his chest.

"You should just come in with me, just hearing your voice makes everything better." He said as he ran his fingers through your hair, kissing the top of your head every few seconds.

"Happy to be of service." You giggled, looking up at your husband, all of whose tension was released upon seeing you.

"I have to use the bathroom." He said, pulling away, making you chuckle.

"Okay, I'll start on dinner."

"Thank you, baby, I'll help you when I'm out." He promised.

"..Babe?" You turned around to see your husband holding something.

"Is this- Are you pregnant?" He asked, looking up at you, seeing your reaction, he knew you were.

"Ah- I was supposed to tell you when you came home- I kinda chickened out.." You looking down at the floor.

"Oh my gosh..Baby- Babe- Y/n- We're going to be parents." He smiled, walking over to you.

"Yeah, we are." He lifted you onto the counter, making sure you didn't hit anything before he kissed your softly, lifting his hands to your stomach and rubbing it softly.

Yang Jeongin (I.N)

"Innieeee!" You called as you knocked on Chan's studio door. Jeongin was with Chan and Jisung today going over some lyrics, but he'd texted you to come over for lunch so he could see you.

"Come in, it's only me." He said but opening the door anyway.

"Ooh, what'd you bring?" He asked.

"Cookies, but we have to eat lunch first, I brought subway." He gasped, holding out his hands as you handed him the bag.

"Thank you, love." He said coyly, kissing your cheek quickly.

"I got you two since you started working out again." You said, making him flush.

"Ah, you didn't have to." He said.

"But you wouldn't have been full if I hadn't, hm?" He nodded shyly. Despite you two being together for around two years, you still had your shy moments.

"Mkay, cookie time, gimme gimme." He said, throwing his trash into the empty bag. Chan and Jisung were back and their eyes lit up.

"Cookies?" Jisung asked with wide eyes.

"Jisung." Chan shoved his arm, making Jisung sit up straight.

"Sorry." You laughed.

"You can have some too, I got a batch."

Jeongin opened the box and shut it immediately, not even letting the boys see the cookies. As fate would have it, the rest of the boys arrived at the door, wanting to say bye before heading home, but now they were confused in the scene.

"You're a liar. You're literally lying." Jeongin accused, tears in his eyes.

"Innie, what happened?" Chan asked, trying to figure out what was happening.

"Uh-uh, I went to the doctor today to confirm." You said. Jeongin sniffled loudly as he stood up and walked to you, quite literally falling to his knees to hug you.

"So..Is everything good?" Hyunjin asked as he stood awkwardly outside the door. Jisung, the impatient man he was, had opened the cookie box and gasped, pointing at you.

"She's pregnant!" Chaos followed after the revelation that their youngest member was on the road to fatherhood.

[thatgirlstrawberry]

How to Lie to a Behavior Analyst pt. 3

In which Y/N and Spencer decide to go on vacation together… then the unexpected happens

Warnings: Smut scenes, fluff, lying, second hand embarrassment probably, dirty talking, penetrative sex, oral sex(m rec)

Spencer Reid x fem!reader

“What about Miami?” Y/N asked, hanging upside down with half of her body on Spencer’s bed.

He looked at her from the bathroom with a toothbrush hanging from his lips. “Miami’s dangerous. I’m not taking you to Miami.”

She groaned and tossed her phone up on the bed. “I wanna go somewhere with sun! And sand, and really pretty sunsets!”

Spencer nodded, spitting the toothpaste in the sink and washing his mouth out. He walked into the room when he was done and sat next to her. “We can go to Hawaii?” He shrugged.

Y/N rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t even seem like you want to go on a vacation anymore.” She said, sitting up and resting her head on his shoulder.

Spencer shook his head. “No, I do! I just want to make sure you’re happy and if you want to go to Miami, then let’s go, okay?”

Y/N rolled her eyes. “But I want you to want to go to Miami! If I want to go to Miami but you don’t want to go to Miami, then what’s the point of going to Miami?” She asked.

“That was way to many Miami’s.” Spencer spoke. Y/N groaned and he pressed a hand to her back and rubbed it. “Look, I will go wherever you want and I’ll be happy about it because I will be with you.” He spoke.

Y/N jutted her bottom lip. “Awww.” She tilted her head. “You’re trying to get your dick sucked aren’t you?”

His eyebrows raised. “I mean, that wasn’t the original motive but I could go for that.” He smiled, leaning in, kissing her slowly. She pulled away and her hands went straight for the zipper of his pants.

.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.

The two of them decided on LA instead of Miami which both of them were happy with. They were staying at a beach house for an entire week.

Y/N was so excited. She walked into the BAU with a smile on her face. She was stopping by to tell her dad that she was leaving town to spend the week at a friend’s house.

He saw her and held his arms open. “Hey, sweetheart. What are you doing here?”

She glanced around, seeing the rest of his coworkers surround them. “I just wanted to stop by and see you all.” She smiled as he kissed her cheek. “And to tell you that I’m going out of town for a week.”

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? Why?” He asked.

Y/N paused for a moment. “I’m going to LA to stay with my friend, Mia. Remember? She was my roommate in college.” She told him.

Rossi nodded. “Ohhh. Okay, make sure you bring your taser and your pepper spray.” She nodded. “Oh! And don’t forget to turn on your location.”

Y/N chuckled. She glanced at Spencer who hadn’t noticed her come in. He was reading something at his desk with the tip of his tongue poking out of the corner of his lips.

Her boyfriend was so fucking cute.

So anyway, she made a big deal out of a cough to get his attention so he’d look at her and realize she was there. “You okay, kid?” Hotch asked.

She nodded and cleared her throat, inwardly celebrating when Spencer rose from his chair and made his way over to them. He pressed his lips together and nodded at her, sticking his hands in his pockets.

She smiled at him and waved a bit before looking at her father, sighing. “Okay, well. I should get going. I just wanted to see you one last time before I leave for the week.”

Her father nodded and kissed her cheek. “Okay, sweetheart.” He paused. “Uh, I think I’m gonna have Reid take you to the airport. Just to make sure you get there okay.” He looked back at Spencer who looked confused. “Y’know, because you’re going to see your mom in Vegas this week too, right?”

He cleared his throat. “Y-yeah, of course.” He nodded. Emily and JJ nudged each other.

Y/N smiled and bit her lip. “Great! Pick me up from my place tonight?” She looked around, almost gasping when she realized how it sounded. “I’ll send you my address and my flight time.” She added.

Spencer nodding, pursing his lips a bit. “Of course. I’ll see you then.”

It was awkward now. She nodded and looked around. “Okay, well I’ll see you all when I get back.” She turned to her dad. “I’ll text you when I land okay?” She kissed his cheek and they all aid their goodbyes before she left.

As she was leaving, she pulled her phone out with a smirk and texted Spencer.

To: Dick Dealer 💘

Guess who’s getting head on the way to the airportttttttttt

.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.

Spencer watched Y/N try to load her big ass suitcase into the back of his car. It was really heavy because even if she denied it, she also knew that it was true, she was an over packer.

He chuckled and moved forward to help her get it in there. She sighed and giggled saying, “You just keep racking up boyfriend points huh?”

She kissed him and slid out from between his arms and walked to the passenger side of the car, getting in.

A few moments later, Spencer got in the car with a sigh. He leaned his head against the headrest and looked at his girlfriend. “You ready?” He asked.

She was practically glowing with excitement. “Yes, I’m so ready. Like readier than I ever have been.” He chuckled.

“Y’know, since we’re going to a place where no one knows us…” She trailed off. “We could walk around town holding hands, kissing…” She smirked. “We could have loud sex in a bathroom and not have to worry about anyone recognizing us.”

“A public bathroom?” Spencer furrowed his eyebrows.

She clicked her tongue. “Yeah, probably not the best idea. Even though you did just finger me on the counter of one a week ago.” She shrugged.

Spencer sighed. “That’s also true.” She giggled. “Guess we’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” He told her.

She smiled as he started the car and pulled out of his parking space. “For now, I’ll just give you your reward for earning all those boyfriend points.” She whispered, her nails lightly gliding over his thigh. Spencer glanced at her as she pulled her hair back into a low ponytail.

“Oh shit, head two days in a row!?” He smiled excitedly. Her fingers pulled his zipper down and she glanced up at him through her lashes.

Y/N rolled her eyes with a smile and leaned over the armrest, licking her lips. “Focus on the road, babe.”

.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.

Spencer and Y/N held hands as they rolled their bags into the hotel. It felt weird to be able to hold hands in public and not be worrying about who was watching.

They looked like a married couple. Spencer had sunglasses on and Y/N wore a short white sundress with one of his Hawaiian button ups thrown over her shoulders. It was too hot to be buttoned up so Spencer snuck glances at her boobs every few minutes.

She knew it too.

Anyway, they checked into their room. It was a nice large room with a king sized bed, long frilly blinds that covered the glass doors to the balcony, a bathroom and a big ass TV.

She jumped up and down and squealed, throwing her suitcase down. She ran and jumped onto the bed. Spencer watched her jump on the bed and chuckled.

He walked over to the curtains in front of the balcony doors and pulled them open. He heard Y/N gasp. “Spence! Scratch the bathroom sex, we can have balcony sex!” She squealed.

She ran and jumped into his arms, burying her face in his neck. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.

.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.•.

After a long day of sight seeing, Spencer and Y/N returned to their hotel room. “Baby, I told you you need more sunscreen.” Spencer chuckled.

Underneath her eyes and her shoulders were a light shade of red, giving her a permanent blush. It was dark out by now, the stars in the sky shining bright.

Y/N groaned and bit her lip. “I knowwww.” She drew out.

She spun around, closing the door and stalking closer to Spencer who had taken off his shirt to get ready for a shower.

“Spencer…”

He spun around quickly. It was like he was waiting for her to call his name. “Don’t you wanna get a little extra sweaty before you get in the shower? Y’know, put it to good use.”

He nodded and walked forward quickly, grabbing the backs of her thighs and picking her up, set her down on the table behind her. His lips were on hers immediately, tongue breaking past her lips.

Her dress rode up with his hands on her thighs and her hands gripped his bare waist. She moaned into his mouth and her legs wrapped around him. One of his hands made it’s way between her legs, rubbing her clit. He felt the dampness and smiled as he licked into her mouth.

“Mm…” She moaned.

He groaned and pulled away. “I love this dress, on you baby.” He whispered. Her mouth fell open and she kicked her shoes off, licking her lips.

“You wanna keep it on while you fuck me?” She asked, looking up at him, biting her lip.

Spencer shut his eyes, keeping his fingers on her clothed clit and he nodded. “Fuck, yes. I’m gonna take these off though, okay baby?” He snapped the band of her panties against her skin.

She nodded and moaned as he pulled them down her legs and throwing them aside. She swallowed hard as her hands reached for his shorts. She helped him pull them off and she licked her lips when she saw his hard dick pressing against the fabric of his boxers.

She grabbed at him and he chuckled, pulling his boxers down. His dick sprang out and she bit her lip in anticipation. “Please, Spence! Fuck, I need it so bad.” She mumbled.

Spencer lined his dick up with her entrance and grabbed her jaw, making her look at him as he pushed into her. She gasped, her eyes widening.

His eyebrows creased as he shut his eyes an groaned. “You always feel so fuckin’ good baby.” He moaned, his hand was placed on the top of her stomach and his thumb rubbed her clit.

Her lip was caught hard between her teeth as he slowly rocked into her. “Ohhh… fuck Spence.”

His hips snapped slowly and his thumb moved at the same pace. “I’m so glad we’re here baby.” He mumbled. He groaned as she clenched around him.

“Me too, Spence— fuck, me too!” He began to snap his hips faster, going deeper into her. His thumb left her clit and he placed his hand on the side of her face. She sucked his thumb into her mouth and swirled her tongue around it.

“You’re so pretty, baby.” He nodded, his thrust speeding up a bit. He pulled his thumb out of her mouth and went back down to rub her clit.

She whined and moaned for another two minutes. “Fuck, I’m gonna come!” She nodded, her voice high pitched and breathy.

“Me too, you always get me so there.” He groaned as his thrusts got faster.

“Fuck! Spencer—“ Her moms were cut short when an orgasm raked over her body, her thighs squeezing Spencer’s.

She felt him come inside her and her chest heaved. “Fucking shit… oh my god, have we ever had sex on a desk?” She asked, feeling him pull out slowly so he didn’t hurt her.

He shook his head. “Nope. Cuz my other desk is in the BAU and you didn’t wanna get caught getting bent over my desk.” He smirked, kissing her. She kissed back.

“Do we have any ice?” She asked, hopping off of the desk, looking around the room for a bucket.

“The ice machine’s in the hall.” He said. Spencer was always really touchy-feely after sex so he was trying to guide her towards the bed instead of the ice bucket on the bedside table. He also wasn’t done for the night so he was trying to get the sexy little dress off of her.

She giggled as he buried his head into her neck. “Go start your shower, I need ice for my skincare.” She nodded, placing her hands on the arms that were wrapped around her. “I’ll join you when I come back.” She winked, turning her head and kissing him.

He groaned and pulled away from her, walking towards the bathroom. He watched her grab the ice bucket and make her way towards the door.

A few minutes later, he was in the shower.

Five minutes later, he had realized that Y/N wasn’t in the shower with him yet and that was a problem for him and his dick.

So, he got out of the shower, wrapped himself in a towel and walked into the bedroom. “Babe?” He called.

No answer.

He duro his brows and walked towards the hotel room door. It was cracked open. He ran his fingers through his hair and peeked out of the room.

He looked to the right, nothing.

He looked to the left.

There were ice chips spilling out of the black bucket that Y/N had just carried out of the room. His heart plummeted and he ran out into the hallway.

“No.” He whispered.

“Y/N!?” He called out again. “Fuck, no! No! No!”

————————-

Oooooooooooop

Dramaaaaaaaaaaa

Anyways hope you enjoyed this

Thank you tot he people who requested something like this in the comments on the last part I love ya bunches

❤️❤️❤️

[cherriegyuu]

Elevator | 02

pairing: jihoon x fem!reader genre: angst, soulmate word count: 17k sumary: in a world where soulmates exists, jihoon is faced with difficult decisions

part one | part two (final)

He doesn't know what woke him up first, the wetness on his face or how tight his chest felt - like it was about to explode. Maybe it was a weird mix of both.

Pushing the covers off his body, Jihoon tried to sit up. There was no reason for him to be feeling that way, he knew that. He didn't dream of anything, or at least he didn't remember it. In an attempt to calm himself, Jihoon got out of bed, went to the bathroom, and washed his face. 

But the tears were still there when he tried them off, the tightness in his chest and throat getting stronger by the second. He hadn't felt that way in so long and even back then it wasn't that bad…

Jihoon ran to the door before his body could fully process what he was doing. His mind moved much faster than his recently awoken body allowed him to. There was only one reason why tears would spill from his eyes without his permission, one that he was never able to control.

"y/n!" 

Jihoon hit the wooden door with all his strength, both of his hands taking turns on an unstoppable plea for you to open the door. He knew that you were the only one who could bring out that sort of reaction in him. He should have realized it earlier. It took him too long to wake up and understand what was happening.

"y/n! Please, open the door"

He didn't stop even when a neighbor came out to see what all the commotion was about. At that point, he didn't know if the tears in his eyes were only yours or if his own had gotten mixed up together. And being honest he didn't care.

Your name was on the tip of his tongue, ready to be called out again when the door was door was pulled open. Jihoon didn't even have a chance to look at your face before your arms circled his neck and pulled him close.

Not knowing what to do, he just held your trembling body close. Running his hand over the length of your hair, in a silly attempt to calm you down. It was obvious that it wasn't going to help all that much, but little was still better than nothing at all. Some sort of momentary comfort was all he could give you.

When he was a kid, Jihoon's mom would do the same to him. Not when he was simply throwing a tantrum, though his parents always caved during those times, they knew the difference between real and fake tears. 

The notch in his throat got thicker as your arms got tighter around him. 

"It's Chan," you said finally, your words muffled by his shoulder "Accident"

You said more but all of your words got lost in his shirt. Though he didn't understand the rest, what he did understand was more than enough. When both of you were stuck at the elevator, you explained it to him or, rather, gave him little information that told him everything he needed to know.

He pulled your hands away from him and took a step back. Your hair was sticking to your face, your pajamas wrinkled, and the tears left an obvious path on your cheeks. 

Jihoon wanted to protect you from the world, from himself. However, there was only one thing he could offer you.

"Put your shoes on, I'll take you to him"

Somewhere along the road, you stopped crying. The only sound coming from you was the leftover sobs that still lightly shook your body. Your eyes had been so focused on the road ahead of you, on how it seemed endless, that you didn't even notice that Jihoon held your hand, that he looked at you now and then - concern covering all of his features.

The only thing on your mind was Chan. If he was okay, what exactly had happened to him? The emptiness that filled you when you were told that your parents were gone threatened to make its appearance once again and you hated it. 

Another car crash.

Was it possible that life, universe, destiny, god, or whatever it was called, was cruel enough to take someone else from you like that? You wanted to believe that lightning doesn't strike the same place twice but it was hard to do so. No one wanted to give out any information on your brother over the phone, even when Jihoon tried calling them and playing the doctor card. 

It was completely silent. The world around you got smaller, and darker until it was hard to breathe. And there was nothing that you could do about it.

Jihoon was doing his best, driving over the speed limit, but having to be careful so both of you didn't get in an accident too. A car drive that usually took three hours became two but still felt like an eternity.

Please be okay.

You bolted out of the car the second it stopped, forgetting to check if Jihoon was behind you. Everyone looked at you with wide eyes as you rushed inside, taking notice of your pajamas, worn-out shoes, and messy hair.

"Someone called me about my brother, and said that he was brought in after an accident"

The lady behind the computer looked at you over her glasses and sighed. It was something she was used to, desperate people looking for family members. 

"Name?"

"Lee Chan"

It felt like forever had gone by while she typed your brother's name and waited for the computer to load all the information. 

"ER 3" she finally said. 

A huge hospital, with more hallways than what you thought was possible, separated you from Chan. Thankfully Jihoon seemed to know exactly where that was. His hand landed lightly on your lower back, guiding you. 

You walked inside the room frantically, going from bed to bed, until you heard Chan's voice, his laugh going around the wide room. 

Pulling the curtains away you were faced with a very happy Chan, looking at his coach like nothing was wrong in the world. A sling covered his arm and an orthopedic boot was around his left leg. 

"What are you doing here?"

All of the concern and fear you felt seconds before were replaced by anger. The purest kind of anger that exists, borderline wrath. Your body now shook for an entirely different reason.

"You were drunk and driving?"

It was so easy to pick up the smell of cheap beer and booze on his clothes. It was so strong that you were sure that he had bathed in it.

"I wasn't the one driving," he said. 

He was out of it, almost completely. His words were a slurred mess, the smell of vomit coming out of his clothes and mouth almost made you want to throw up. The scene right in front of you made you wonder just what kind of life Chan was living now that he was at college, away from you.

"Do you have any idea how worried I was? I thought you were gone too" the words were barely a whisper. You wanted to hit him, shake him until he was finally back to his senses until that goddamn alcohol left his body.

Instead, you cried. You were angry with him for being so careless but you were also thankful. You spend three hours thinking that he was dead, that because no one wanted to tell you how he was, the worst must have happened. The fear of being in a world without Chan, of being left alone, far greater than anything you've ever felt. It didn't even compare to the day you lost your parents, because then you had Chan. Without him, you weren't too sure of what would be left of you.

"So what now?" you turned to his coach, pushing the tears away.

You remember talking to him briefly before at one or two tournaments you had attended since Chan was a freshman. He wasn't exactly what one would expect of a taekwondo coach, short, bald, and fat, but your brother loved him. Whenever you talked with Chan he only had good words to say about the older man.

"Well, he's suspended for starters" when Chan complained his coach turned to him, his voice suddenly louder than when he was speaking to you "You were training for a competition, you weren't even supposed to be out of your damn dorm"

You were grateful that your brother had someone like that in his life, someone who was willing to ground him and call him on his shit, though all of it could be for show. Maybe he was just playing tough in front of you and at the end, he was like all other coaches ever, the kind that thinks that athletes should be above everything else.

"He'll also need time to heal his arm and leg. So maybe three months overall?"

That was going to be hell for Chan, you knew that. For as long as you could remember, everything he ever did was somehow related to the sport. There was no way Chan and Taekwondo existed in separate realms. 

He couldn't be older than four when you first heard him talk about Taekwondo. The two of you were watching TV and someone in the movie was doing it. The second he saw it, he fell in love with it. He said Sis, I want to do that. And, oh how he wanted it. 

For weeks he walked behind your dad begging to go to classes. I'll be the bestest boy, I promise! Until your parents finally caved. You had never seen Chan quite that happy. It was like someone that young had already found what they were supposed to with their life.

Your parents were sure that Chan would eventually give it up, that he was just going through a phase. Every kid wants to be thousands of different things while growing up and your parents were sure that Chan would be just like all of those kids. It didn't turn out that way though.

As time went by Chan was falling deeper into Taekwondo. There were days that he didn't talk much when he got home, he was frustrated, slamming doors and barely eating. But when you walked past his room you would see him training with a frown on his face and trying again and again. Some days he managed to get it right and others he failed. But never once he gave up, not even for a second.

"I'll take him home, to make sure that he doesn't do anything stupid"

You assured the coach, who seemed relieved by your words.

"As if" Chan scoffed.

You could barely see him, his coach covering most of his body, so you pushed the older man to the side.

"Oh, this is not up for debate. You're coming home with me and that's final"

He looked at you then, his eyes turning vicious, knowing that whatever he said next was going to hurt you but still choosing to go forward with it.

"You're not my mom, you can't make me" 

He was being petulant, acting in a way he hadn't since he was fourteen, or maybe fifteen. But instead of backing down, let him have the last word, you crossed your arms over your chest and held your head higher than ever before.

"I'm not Mom, but I'm the only one you've got so suck it up and do as I say"

Jihoon didn't dare to stay inside with you after he saw that Chan was fine, or as fine as he could be considering the situation. He figured it was more of a family situation and whatever he wanted, which was to stay close to you, didn't matter all that much. He reached for his phone and dialed his mom's number before he could stop himself - or even realize what he was doing.

He didn't think that his mom would actually pick up the phone. It was late, the middle of the night, but that was never a problem with Jihoon's mom. Since he was a kid she told him that she worked better during the night and that was one of the reasons why he never really cared about the time he called her. 

"Hey son" 

Of all the people he met in his life, patients, friends, and coworkers, his mother was by far the easiest-going person he ever came across. He knew that if he called her and asked about soulmates and how the bond worked she wouldn't make a big deal out of it. She would be curious about it, like crazy, but she wouldn't press Jihoon to talk about it - at least for a few weeks.

"Hi Mom, how are you?"

"Who do I have to thank for this phone call?" 

He could hear her smile. Was that a weird thing to say? He just knew when she was smiling.

"I have this friend, right?" his mom hummed at the other end, probably knowing that he was full of shit "And he met his soulmate, for a while now, and things are going sort of… bumpy. He is sort of an idiot, but she is great. Anyway… you've always said that once the bond is made and the mark is gone, the trait that connects souls vanishes. But what if it doesn't?"

"You mean it happened again?"

It was his turn to hum and his mom went silent on the other end. He heard as she moved around, the sound of books being opened and closed, pages being turned, was all he received. 

Jihoon knew that he shouldn't have called his mom but she was the only one he could ask. Talking to his dad was just too hard, he would ask too many questions and Jihoon didn't have answers that his dad would like to hear. He wasn't too fond of lying to his dad either.

"It's not impossible" his mother dragged the words out "It doesn't happen very often though. Did it happen to you?"

He choked on his saliva. He tried for a good minute to recompose himself. It was bad enough that a nurse came to check on him.

"I haven't met her yet, you know that" 

Jihoon played it off. He didn't call his dad because he had no intention of lying but he was just doing it to his mom. 

"You may not talk to me a whole lot but your girlfriend does and she tells me things"

Right then was the moment Jihoon regretted telling Mina about it. Then again, he didn't want to keep anything from her. The entire situation was bad already, he didn't want another thing to make it even worse than it had to be. Mina not knowing about you was going to hell on earth.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you" was all he said.

Was there anything else he could say? At the end of the day, it was his life and ultimately his decision. But Jihoon had always been the kind of person who talked to their parents, even when it was hard to get the words out. Like in that moment. 

He knew what his parents thought, knew that they would want him to stay with his soulmate. That's what the universe planned for you, son. There were too many things fighting him on it. It was like the universe was fighting against him, instead of with him.

"It's your choice, you don't have to apologize," his mother said softly, a hint of sadness in her voice "So this girl, y/n, cried again and you did too?"

He nodded, even though his mother couldn't see him. He felt like a child that did something wrong, who broke something expensive, and lied to his parents because he was scared to get caught. So he told his mother everything, from the day he met you to the moment he almost tore you down.

In complete silence, his mother heard everything that he had to say. Not even once did she stop him to ask anything, something that wasn't like her at all. 

Talking about it with someone was better than he expected. Though he told Mina about you, Jihoon didn't dare to say everything - not when she wasn't the one for him. How unfair of him would it be to talk with his girlfriend about his soulmate? He also couldn't talk to Soonyoung about it either. His friend was against everything Jihoon was doing. 

"Fear of death," his mother said after some time "What she was feeling was probably too overwhelming, maybe even bigger than the soul connection. The two of you are yet to fully form the bond, both of you are still holding back right now so it's not that strong yet. She was likely scared that her brother was dead and was scared because she was going to be left alone"

Jihoon's car was quite large but it felt way too small for the three of you. The tension in the air was palpable, you could almost see it. You felt the need to apologize to him but also maybe hit Chan in the head with a hammer. He had been sulking the entire time since you left the hospital and that wasn't making the three-hour drive any easier, the smell of vomit and beer wasn’t helping either. 

"Will you stop that? It's not the end of the world, okay?"

"That depends. How angry will you be if I fail this semester?" his voice was dripping with sarcasm.

You just knew that Chan was lying about it. From what he told you, and what his coach said, if Chan failed or got bad grades he was out of the Taekwondo team in a blink of an eye.

"Will you quit sport then? You can if you want but I call bullshit"

Instead of a smart comeback at your words, Chan laughed so loudly that even Jihoon seemed startled, his eyes looking at your brother through the rearview mirror. A small smile tones his lips. He was relieved that you and Chan were, apparently, on better terms than when you left the hospital. If his laugh was any indication of it, he wasn't as angry anymore. 

"Are you the one teaching her how to curse? Big Sis never did that. Should have learned some of those back in college, would have been very helpful"

You just wanted Chan to shut up. That was ages ago, long enough that you barely remembered it - or you'd like to think you didn't. But it seemed that it was still very much alive in your brother's memory. 

"That barely counts as cursing," you said

"What happened in college?" Jihoon asked at the same time.

It was the first time Jihoon said anything at all since you went inside the ER to find a somewhat drunk Chan. When you came out of the room, fuming, ready to just burst, Jihoon remained calm. The only thing he did was hold your hand, to let you know that he was there. As much as you didn't want to admit his presence had helped, it made you feel less likely to go insane at any given moment. 

But right in that second, after Chan opened his big mouth, you wished that you were on your own, that your little breakdown didn't at all reflect on Jihoon and he had remained oblivious to it. Something, you had no idea what happened and he was suddenly at your door, screaming your name at the top of his lungs and banging on the door like a madman. His voice somehow helped you to get away from the fog that clouded your mind.

Jihoon's presence had made you feel somehow a little closer to your normal self.

You were sure all of it had to do with the soulbond and you hated it all. Hated the idea that you leaned on him, the fact that even after you promised yourself that you wouldn't let him close to you, he did. And with your permission, on top of that.

Now he was getting an insight into your life when he shouldn't. It felt like you were living your life, since the day you met Jihoon, like a broken record that is stuck in the same song. You told yourself that he wouldn't get close to you again, he promised you that he wouldn't, but at the first chance you got you found yourselves near each other again. Whatever excuse you could come up with was valid enough. 

"y/n had a boyfriend in college. Real nice guy until he dumped her the second some other girl showed up"

Let the road swallow me whole, you prayed to whoever listened to you. You didn't want to go there, didn't want to ever talk about that again. Jun had hurt you, yes - quite a lot actually - but many people go through that in life and you certainly weren't going to be the last one. 

You were young at the time, thought you had life completely figured out, and believed what Jun told you. It all seemed so simple. Kids born out of bondless couples don't have soulmates; if you stay with someone for long enough the feeling is just the same as the soul bond All of it was just a huge lie, the biggest one someone ever told you. That someone was yourself.

You were with Jun for five years, from the second year of high school to the third one of college. And you believed it. His parents weren't soulmates either and you two hit it off since the first second. Other kids at school looked at the two of you in a funny way but neither of you seemed to mind. 

It was true, you didn't in the least. You were happy when you were with him and he was too, or at least you liked to think so. You wish you could say that something happened, that towards the end things were bad, but it would be a lie. Everything was fine, great actually. You had been talking about moving in together and life after college. One word that could describe what you felt, was happiness. You felt as if the world was conspiring with you,  helping you move forward in life. 

One day Jun called you and asked to meet you for coffee. You went, of course. Put on nice clothes, did your makeup, thinking you were meeting your boyfriend for a date in the middle of the afternoon. An escape, as he liked to call it. You noticed that something was wrong the second you went inside the cafe. One look at Jun was more than enough to tell that something was wrong and whatever it was, it was enough to break everything that was carefully built for a little over five years.

"I've met her, my soulmate"

All plans and dreams vanished the very second those words were said out loud. You swallowed everything, the lump in your throat, the sudden pain in your chest, and smiled. I should be happy for him. Just because it wasn't certain that you would find your soulmate didn't mean that Jun had to stick beside you.

Soo Ji was nice. Not someone you would ever picture as Jun's soulmate but the universe worked at its own pace. It wasn't your place to butt in. At first, you two, and even Soo Ji in some ways, tried to stay close. For years you stuck to each other so it was weird not to be close or in some sort of contact. But soon you understood that it didn't work quite like that.

A relationship of three doesn't work.

"It was his soulmate, what did you expect him to do?" you asked quietly.

You had that same argument many times with Chan over the years and it always ended the same way. He didn't quite understand and you always played it like it was nothing at all. 

"Stay with you. Lots of people do the same. I bet he is miserable right now, thinking that he should have stayed with you"

Chan couldn't be more wrong. Out of coincidence, you met Jun the other day. He came into the bakery with Soo Ji, a baby in her arms. You had never, not even once, seen Jun smile that brightly when he introduced you to his son. Both of them seemed happy together. It was like the things left unsaid weren't there, that there were no lingering feelings. And perhaps there weren't any on their end, maybe that was only you. You who tried to grab onto something that was doomed from the start.

Soo Ji had been the one to see that your mark was gone. You could see in her eyes that she didn't ask with malice, she seemed genuinely happy for you. For the first time, you felt the need to lie, to pretend that you were living a life that didn't belong to you. 

So you did. 

You told them about your soulmate, about how amazing he was, how happy you were with each other. You just blurted out lies about your life, about moments that never happened, of a future that wouldn't exist at all. 

"Does it make sense that you're here, sad, all on your own because he left?"

You shook your head, a sigh escaping your parted lips. Chan always had the same argument and he never really understood. 

"My soulmate is out there, I'll find him"

Jihoon stiffed by your side, or maybe he had been like that since the whole conversation started and you simply didn't notice. Your words weren't meant to hurt him, they were only supposed to shut Chan up. It was what you always said and, like many times before, it worked wonders. 

More than anyone in your life, Chan knew what your limit was and when it was time to just stop. And that was the right moment to stop, when he saw your hand going unconsciously to your left shoulder and massaged it lightly. The spot your mark was on. 

"I've met mine, you know," he said quietly, more of a secret to himself than words that were supposed to be said out loud. 

You did your best not to make a fuss over it. Like you, Chan had been certain that he would never meet his other half. Your mother's words floated around in your mind, both of you are special. You thought of it only as parent talk. Every parent says that in hopes to lighten up their kids. It just seemed that your parents were onto something when they said that you.

"What happens now?" was all you asked.

If you learned one thing about Chan over the twenty years you've known him was that his life was his and his feelings were only for himself to know about. You had to always be careful of what you said to him, how you asked things. He never lashed out at you, or your parents. The only time he got worked up over something was talking about Jun. 

Chan was always the kind of person that retreats into himself whenever things get too much and you knew that his feelings were too much. 

"Nothing. We don't get along at all, that's it"

Your eyes drifted to Jihoon for a second, to find him looking back at you.

Was it possible that both, you and your brother, were doomed when it came to your soulmates?

My soulmate is out there, I'll find him.

Your words hunted Jihoon in his sleep - or better said the lack of them. After he dropped you and Chan home, Jihoon went straight to the hospital. 

His mind was thankful for the distraction that was work. Never before had he been that pleased to work twelve hours without a break. His day had been so busy that he didn't even find a few minutes to talk to Soonyoung - which was probably a blessing in disguise.

Jihoon was certain that if his friend found out about what you said he would have been thrilled, ready to rub it in his face that he had indeed messed up. He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Jihoon couldn't do to Mina what your college boyfriend did to you. How was he supposed to walk away from Mina like nothing at all ever happened? He couldn't just leave you behind you either.

His mind went around like it was in a maze, only to end up in the same place he started. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. He was certain of one thing though: hearing you talk like he wasn't there, as if you hadn't met him at all, hurt a lot more than he expected. 

My soulmate is out there, I'll find him.

He felt that he was made of thin air, that someone could just pretend that he didn't exist. Not once in his life he felt that way. Jihoon never felt so little that he believed he could truly disappear. 

So he did the only thing he could do, he waited until morning and knocked on your door. Chan was the one who opened the door for him.

"Is your sister still at home?"

He looked at Jihoon with narrowed eyes, head slightly tilted to the said. The doctor was ready to have the door closed on his face but Chan just shook his shoulders and pointed to a closed door at the other side of the room. 

Jihoon was surprised to see that even though your apartment had the same design as his, everything was completely different. Where his place was mostly white and grey, yours was colorful. When he looked at the walls he felt that life jumped out of them, straight to his face pointing out everything that was wrong with his place - or maybe even him.

You had an entire wall dedicated to your family. Pictures of a younger version of you, of Chan when he couldn't be older than ten holding medals and trophies, of your parents and the family together. Jihoon didn't have a single picture of his parents and friends in his apartment, not even on his phone.

"Don't look around too much, the walls may fall down," Chan said from behind him.

All Jihoon did was give him a nod and knock on the bedroom door quickly before going in. You were sitting in your bed, putting your shoes on, when Jihoon burst through the door.

It wasn't at all what you expected to see in the first few hours of the day but you were certain that it would eventually happen. You hoped for it to be much later than it was but there was nothing that you could do to fight it off.

You knew Jihoon was going to ask why you said what you said. He seemed uncomfortable when he heard you but being honest you wished that he could just let it go. Those words were more to soothe Chan than anything else. You knew who your soulmate was and had already found him, you just didn't know what to do with yourself. 

You wished your life could be as simple and easy as the movie made it seem, as Jun had made it look like that all those years before. All you wanted to do was take Jihoon by the hand and run towards the sunset like everyone else. Why is it that everything seemed to be just a little harder for you? While all the people around you, not that there were many but enough, seemed to have their entire lives figured out you were still struggling to take a step forward.

You had been so naïve when Jihoon suddenly showed up in your life. Though you convinced yourself that he would reject you, you still hoped that he wouldn’t. Wanted with the strength of your body that just once things would go your way. The easy way. How easy it would have been if you could just simply follow your heart.

Buried deep down in your heart was the truth you never allowed yourself to say out loud, to even feel. Jihoon carved a place for himself in you, even if your words said the other way. He was the first person you thought about every morning and the desire to hear his voice was the last thing you felt before falling asleep. But none of it belonged to you. Though those feelings existed and were yours, they belonged in a box deep inside the closet where no one could ever have access to it.

If you couldn’t acknowledge your feelings it was better to pretend that they didn’t exist. It was best to pretend that Jihoon didn’t exist.

“Why are you here?”

You looked at him quickly before going back to tying your shoes.

“We have to talk. I wanted to tell you something…”

“I don’t want to hear it” you got up and walked past him, pulling out a coat and putting it on “I appreciate what you did, how you helped me with Chan and stayed by my side. Honestly, thank you for that. But I wish you’d keep your word and stop coming around”

He took a step back as if your words had physically hurt him. Jihoon’s face wasn’t as composed anymore. His soft features contorted into something that you couldn’t quite put your finger on.

“I know I said that but it’s not easy”

“And you think this is easy for me?” you pushed the wardrobe door closed with a loud sound. You were sure that it was loud enough that Chan was able to hear it from outside “You keep playing this game of push and pull. It hurts, Jihoon. It hurts so much because you don’t want me, but you also don’t want to let me go. I’m stuck here and have no idea what I'm supposed to do! Should I follow my heart and let this go on, even though I know I'm going to have it broken in the end? Or do I do the reasonable thing and tell you to fuck off?"

You hadn't realized that you were crying until Jihoon was in front of you, his hands on your face as his own eyes welled with tears. You hated how good it felt to have him touch you. Your skin seemed that it was on fire, your entire body reacted to his proximity.

“Don’t cry, not because of me”

You almost laughed at him. He should have said something before you spent the entire night tucked in bed doing your best so Chan wouldn’t hear a sound from the couch. He noticed that something was wrong when you walked inside the apartment. Chan became certain when you moved around like you were on autopilot, when you didn’t say anything about the accident, or even when you didn’t get close to the kitchen at all.

Before whenever Jihoon said that he would stay away you’d secretly wish that he wouldn’t. You used to think that just a little of him was better than nothing at all but as time went by you learned that it wasn’t at all like that. For your sanity, it would have been better if you hadn’t met him at all.

"Can you look at me and say we will be together? That you're going to leave Mina and be with me, as it's supposed to happen between soulmates?"

You could see it, his pain. It was evident in the way his face contorted as if showing the way his brain was working. You know that he wouldn't leave Mina and in a way, you were proud of him. Loyal to a fault. Maybe if Jun had shown you the same loyalty things would be much different.

“Let’s end this, whatever it is, right now. I can’t do this anymore”

Jihoon shook his head in protest as you pushed him away from you, trying desperately to cling onto you – in whatever way he could, for however long he could. But you were adamant about your decision. Nothing he said or did would make you change your mind.

“I’ve been rejected before and it didn’t hurt half as this. I loved Jun very much but I was always ready for the moment he would leave, he wasn’t my soulmate. I knew that it could happen but with you... It never crossed my mind, not even for a second, that something like this could happen. That I would have you this close to me and yet you were so far away. Unreachable. Please, let me go. This never really started but let’s end it anyway”

What could Jihoon say to make it okay again? He knew that there weren’t a lot of words that could do so, and none of them came to mind. Probably because he knew that nothing he said would make you change your mind. He didn’t know you all that well but one look at you was enough to tell him that nothing would.

He just stood in place, his fingers holding loosely to your sleeve. One last silent attempt. You looked at his hand for a second before wrapping your fingers around his wrist and pushing it away. You walked past him, being careful this time not to touch him in any way. Pulling the door open you crossed your arms over your chest, for protection more than anything else.

“Get out, please”

It felt weird to look at the place you had called home for two years empty. When you first moved in you thought of it as a place you would stay for years to come, until the day you managed to get your own house.

The decision to move was you being purely selfish, it was you running away. It was bittersweet, to be honest. You were trying to pretend that nothing ever happened and at the same time doing your best to give yourself a fresh start. 

It took you a little over two months to finally find a place that was of your liking and that had two bedrooms, not one like the apartment you lived in before. Though Chan no longer needed to stay with you, since he was fully recovered and had gone through his suspension, you still wanted to have a room for him. He was all grown up and could take care of himself but to you, he was still a little scrawny kid running around pretending that he was the best taekwondo athlete the world had ever seen.

“I never thought that I would have to do this again, you know. Help you move and stuff” Chan complained.

You just rolled your eyes at him. Though your brother recovered and his arm and leg didn’t bother him anymore, you didn’t let him touch a single box. The last thing you needed was to have him complaining that because of you he was feeling sore and couldn’t practice as he should.

“You’re such a baby, we did all the heavy lifting,” Soonyoung said picking up the last box.

It was surprising to still have him around after you cut off any sort of contact with Jihoon. The two of them made no secret that they had been close throughout their entire lives. You thought that by ending your relationship with Jihoon, if you could even call it that, Soonyoung would become a lost friend. It didn’t happen that way though. 

Soonyoung kept on showing up like he always did, this time he was just more careful not to say anything at all about Jihoon.

Content perhaps was the best way to describe how you were feeling at the time. It certainly wasn’t how you expected to feel after such a short time, especially compared to how you felt just a couple of weeks before. But it was better than not feeling anything at all. Your mom used to say that you should try to find happiness in the little moments, those matter a lot more than the big ones we make a fuss about.

That day, right there, with the four of you looking at the empty apartment was one of the little moments your mother talked about.

“That’s because my sister loves me very much”

“Don’t go counting on that. I just don’t want your coach screaming at me because you’re not recovered yet”

Chan dropped an arm around your shoulder and pulled you against his side, squeezing you a little too much. Yumi and Soonyoung weren't related by blood to you but whenever you looked at the two of them it made you feel that they were your family.

A small family, made of people who chose to be with each other, sounded pretty amazing.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Yumi asked for the billionth time.

It was almost funny to have her talk that way to you. Not that long ago she was the one encouraging you to go on a date. Pushing you, was a better way to put it. And now she was the one who seemed to have reservations about it. Or maybe she was just being cautious because she wasn't the one who introduced you to him, to Seungcheol.

To be honest it wasn't the first time you met him, not really. Attending your request, Soonyoung had taken him to the bakery. You knew that it wasn't the best place to meet someone for the first time but it was all you were willing to do.

That's probably why your friends seemed cautious and confused about your decision because they thought that you were mostly setting yourself up for failure. 

Partially, you could understand it. 

Yumi knew you for years, since the day you entered college with a bunny plushie that dated from when you were just a baby. She saw how you always held yourself back when meeting someone. The stories were no secrets and your future love life wasn't going to be as bright as hers or half of the world's. Instead of making you more outgoing and willing to try new things, it made you more cautious. There was also the whole situation with Jun, your parents' accident happened just a few months after that. Everything just sort of went to shit within a year.

"You seem more nervous than me" you laughed at her.

Yumi huffed and turned her back to you, carefully choosing the shade of blush she wanted to apply to your cheeks. You looked between lovely rose and glow, and finally chose the one on the right side. Why the hell not? you thought. You were the one starting this so it made sense that you were the one to put the most effort into it. Also, you knew that Yumi was going to put on glow on your face whether you wanted it or not.

"I am but then again when wasn't I? I set up all of your past dates but this feels different. I always felt more excited than you. For this though… I never saw it coming after... you know"

Does anyone ever think that they'll meet their soulmate and then simply move on, and date other people? It didn't sound plausible. But you weren't naive, you knew that it happened. You just didn't think that it would happen to you. 

"No one ever does but life happens. Now help me, I want to look pretty”

Yumi smiled at you, not a full one like you were used to but a tiny one.  It was still better than nothing at all.

“You want this”

She sounded surprised and it almost hurt you, but not to the point you got angry.

“He seems nice, doesn’t he? And handsome too, right?”

Just once in your life, you wanted to act young, probably younger than your age saw fitting, and gush about a handsome guy with your friend. And Yumi caught onto that quickly because a second later she was sitting by your side telling you all the dos and don’ts of a date.

“What is it with you? Where do you even find these guys? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you talk to an ugly guy, that was all me”

Seungcheol was, to put it in a few words, not at all what you expected. And that wasn’t a bad thing at all. 

When you first met him, knowing only the simple description Soonyoung had given you, you thought of him as someone quiet and shy. It was true that he liked to have his own time, be by himself thinking about his life and those around him. But that wasn’t all there was to him, of course.

That first date, or at least the first time you considered a date, made you feel seen in a way that you never felt before. Seungcheol gave you his full attention the entire night, never looking bored. He seemed genuinely interested in what you were saying, from the bakery that took most of your time, to Chan, who was competing at the time so you were worried about him getting injured again. 

He walked you home after dinner, his fingers brushing yours from time to time until he finally held your hand. You felt your cheeks get warm as a small smile played on your lips. 

After that first date, the two of you were inseparable. When he got off work he went to the bakery and on the days he couldn’t make it, you found yourself texting him in between one recipe and another. For the first time, you felt clingy towards someone, it was like nothing before.

During the five years you dated Jun, it didn’t happen like that. You loved him with your whole heart, planned your life with him for years ahead of time, but also knew how to be without him. You lived your own life and he did the same, only seeing each other when there was time, especially during college when both of you lived almost completely on your own. Only meeting occasionally once a week, when there was even time to do so. 

With Seungcheol even when there was no time you wanted to meet him, talk to him, hear his voice, or read his words. Whatever little pieces of him you could get at a time.

The relationship moved forward quickly, faster than what you or anyone could have predicted. And yet you were the happiest you had ever been. Complete.

“Do you have to leave for work this early?”

You smiled, turning around while pulling your hair one last time through the hair tie. Seeing Seungcheol in the early mornings was like seeing a little piece of paradise every day. From the nest of hair, the small eyes, the throaty voice. Everything about him was very dreamlike, a fairytale of your own.

"Is not my fault you live so far away from downtown"

You sat down by his side, Seungcheol's hand immediately going to your waist. His fingers slightly pushed your shirt up so they could touch your skin. Your fingers reached for the exposed skin of his chest, tracing his tattoo. One that you had grown too fond of since the first few days, the wrong spelling of the word becoming something both of you laughed at.

"If you wait a little, I can take you. It's still dark outside"

Shaking your head you leaned forward, your lips brushing his for a second before pulling back. Your other hand moved to his hair, pushing it away from his face. 

"I drove here last night, remember? Don't forget though, Chan is coming for the weekend"

"I've met Chan before, you don't have to be nervous"

Seungcheol smile at you, entertained by your sudden nervousness. He hadn't met Chan yet, not really. Yes, he went with you to one of Chan's competitions but your brother wanted to celebrate with his friends and coach so you didn't bother to stay back. As soon as it was over you and Seungcheol left. So all your boyfriend saw was you screaming at anyone who dared to hit your baby brother and Chan fighting someone.

"I know, it's just… everyone is going to be there and we've never really done this"

By this Seungcheol knew that you meant the fact that even though you had been together for almost a year, neither of you had ever made things official, in a way. Your friends knew about your relationship but no one had really seen you two together often. That dinner and Chan were just an excuse to gather all of them and finally make it official.

"Hey, don't worry. We've got this"

Dinner with Chan was just ordering some takeout from different restaurants and eating at the store after hours. It was as simple as that. All of you gathered around a table, eating to your heart's content and talking to one another.

What was truly surprising about the night wasn't your first night with Seungcheol and all of your friends at the same time. Not at all. The most unexpected thing was that Chan showed up with a girl, holding her hand nervously. It was funny to look at them, your brother had never been that nervous around you - or anyone else for that matter. 

Like a good older sister, and partially responsible for Chan, you wanted to know everything about that girl. How they met, when they met, if they went to the same school, if she too did Taekwondo. But you didn't ask any of that, your brother would have killed you if you did. Instead, you just welcomed her, offered her a drink, and answered questions she had about the bakery. 

"You can do that older sister thing, you know? I don't mind" she said from behind you.

You hadn't realized that she followed you inside the kitchen. She was beautiful. Looking at her you would never think that she and Chan would fit together but seeing them side by side made you think that they were meant to be.

Meant to be.

"Are you his soulmate?" she went quiet for a few seconds, her eyes darting all over the kitchen before settling on you again "I'm not judging you, please don't think that. My boyfriend isn't my soulmate and the one before him wasn't either. I don't know why I asked that. I'm sorry"

She smiled at you then, her eyes turning into small crescents on her face. The unsettledness that covered her face just a second before completely vanished.

"In our case, I think it's more of a curse than a blessing" she moved away from the door, helping you with boxes of food and plates "My brother hates him and so does my dad"

Your mind suddenly went back to that day, almost two years before, when Chan and you were in the car with Jihoon. The Taekwondo athlete had been the one to mention his soulmate and had also been the one to brush it off, saying that they didn't get along at all. And then he just showed up with her, no warnings or anything.

"But I'm here now, so it probably means something"

You smiled at her then, passing her a tray while you held the other one. 

"It does. It means everything"

You smiled again, happy that whatever happened between the two of them was seemingly in the past, but still somewhat worried over the idea of her family not liking him. 

She walked out of the kitchen and Chan went in, right after her. He looked behind his shoulder for a second before closing the door and leaning against it, his arm crossed over his chest.

"What?" you looked at him.

Ever since you moved from the old apartment, Chan had gotten way more protective of you. One would think that he was actually the older brother, from the way he talked to you, always asking if you were doing good, if you were dating.

You knew that he somehow found out about Jihoon and the soulmate thing, probably through Yumi. He never asked and you never said anything. 

"I missed seeing you like this," he said quietly and you furrowed your brows at him, still smiling "Happy. You look happy. It's been too long"

You put the tray down and walked to him. You put your hands on his shoulder, forcing him to stand straight.

"Chan, I'm happy" you assured him "And even if my love life was a little all over the place for a few years, I was still happy because I had you"

He mimicked your stance, his hands moving to your shoulder too. The position was awkward, making you laugh and drop your hands by your side.

"I know but I'm not talking about those years and those idiots" he rolled his eyes and pulled you in for a hug "You seem free again, like when you were a teenager. I never told you this, but I always thought you were pretty cool. Even now, that you have this lovey-dovey look on your face, you're still pretty cool"

You pinched his side, causing a laugh to erupt from him, and took a step back, a smile still on your face.

It was so easy to forget sometimes that Chan had grown up over the years and if anything being an athlete helped with that. He was more responsible than most twenty-two-year-olds, he no longer needed your help and you were sure that he only asked for advice to entertain you.

"And for what is worth, I like him" he nodded at the door "I don't think I've ever not seen you smile while talking about him, so you deserve it. Don't ever let go of your happiness, please"

"Then I guess you're stuck with me forever"

It came as no surprise to Jihoon having people in and out of your apartment, the place you once called home, thinking if they should rent it or not. 

Everything happened so fast after the day you told him to get lost, that you wanted to end something that hadn't even truly started. One day you were there and the next you weren't, like you had disappeared into thin air.

He tried asking Soonyoung about you. Jihoon knew that the two of you were still in touch so asking about you to his childhood friend seemed like a good idea. But Soonyoung wasn't willing to say anything though, it didn't matter how much he begged and whatever he could promise. The doctor was true to his word and didn't say anything at all. 

And Jihoon did his best at staying away like he promised you many times but failed every single chance. 

That was why he kept coming around when he knew that it was probably best to stay away from you. When he knew that he should stay away from you. Whenever he was away though, he felt like he was missing a part of himself so he kept coming back. Jihoon made himself believe that it was better to have you close, even if it was in complete silence than to not have you at all.

What he didn’t know was that his actions were as bad for you as they were for him, if not worse. You made a good job of making him believe that you weren’t interested at all in him, that whether he was there or not didn’t make a single difference for you. You were right in front of him and yet he felt as if you were farther apart than when the bond wasn’t made.

When Jihoon told Mina about it, about you, he wasn’t sure what he was supposed to expect. Maybe have her throw him out like it was the case with many others, have her scream at him, or have her tell him that it was okay if he walked away. He could never see it coming, the “so what? It doesn’t have to mean anything”.

That night Jihoon watched as she just turned on her side to sleep, only to wake up the next morning pretending that nothing at all ever happened. Never again Mina mentioned you. It seemed so easy for her to pretend that you didn’t exist at all. Her actions always made him wonder just when had she changed so much. If the roles were reversed and she had been the one to find her soulmate, Jihoon would have been more than happy for her.

As kids, the two of them always talked about what it would be like to find their soulmates. Jihoon coming from the way he was raised, with parents that were soul doctors and conversations that only revolved around soulmate bonds, and Mina having the natural curiosity every kid has.

It was so easy to remember her reaction when she first met Chanwoo. 

It happened during her first day of high school, she was a senior just like Jihoon and Soonyoung. When the three of them met during lunch Mina had a pink tint to her cheeks, the tray of food in her hands shook slightly as she walked towards their seat, looking behind her every couple of seconds to ensure someone was still there. From his seat Jihoon saw Chanwoo, a tall guy standing behind Mina, looking at her with the same kind of dreamy eyes she had on.

“Another crush?” Soonyoung teased when she sat down.

During their high school years, it was like Mina had completely forgotten about her soulmate, her interest being entirely focused on the guys at school and her latest crush. One would be surprised how fast she fell in and out of love but all of that could be blamed on raging teenage hormones.

Mina leaned forward, pulling the collar of her shirt to the side showing the now empty skin just below her collarbone, where her mark used to be. Unlike the one Jihoon carried on his wrist, Mina’s mark was just a simple pink glittery strip. She had always been proud of it, saying that she got lucky that hers wasn’t as horrendous as his snowflake or Soonyoung’s smiley face. But her mark was gone.

“If he is the one, what are you even doing here?” Jihoon asked.

He looked over her shoulder to see Chanwoo still standing there, staring at Mina’s back as if he had found his entire reason to live right in that second.

“Can I really do that?”

It was funny how sometimes Mina acted like a kid, who was used to asking permission for everything.

“I mean, we’ve eaten lunch together in the past, what? thirteen years? I don’t mind not having to talk about the latest fashion trend for a day”

One day turned into many and soon enough Mina was someone Jihoon only saw when passing through the hallways or when he was going home. And being honest he didn’t mind it that much. It’s not like he could simply overlook the years of friendship that the three of them shared but he was genuinely happy for Mina. When someone grows up the way they did, with soulmates being the center of their reality, it was only natural that she felt the need to stay with Chanwoo whenever it was possible.

Things only started to get back to normal during college. By then, Mina was far more used to having a soulmate and the idea of being away from him wasn’t as painful as it was at first. The honeymoon phase, as Jihoon and Soonyoung called it, was finally over. The trio then became a quartet and Chanwoo was a nice addition to their small group. Of course that sometimes it was troublesome, especially when Chanwoo and Mina got all touchy with each other. Other than that,  everything felt normal again. 

Or at least it did for a few years.

“You remember we have dinner with your parents tonight, right? It’s your mom’s birthday” Mina asked.

Jihoon looked up from his phone. He had been staring at the thing for 15 minutes without actually seeing the screen. It was open on the news but he wasn’t reading anything at all. She was in front of her dresser, looking at him through the mirror.

“Yeah. My dad wants to meet after work, though. You don’t have to run there after you finish it off at the office”

Mina smiled at him but it didn’t feel as before. When he was young seeing Mina smile made him somewhat feel happy too. Seeing his friends happy made him feel good, knowing that he had helped get that smile. But Mina's smile wasn't like that anymore, it didn't fully reach her eyes and was only there for show.

"Yeah, I'll see you then"

Working at the hospital, with kids, was the only thing that brought Jihoon some sort of solace, that made him feel more like himself. Though at times he hardly knew where the line was, between who he was and what people saw him as. Jihoon felt that in the hospital he was who he wanted to be. 

Growing up, it was clear to Jihoon that he was going to be a doctor. Whenever someone asked what he wanted to be, his answer was a straightforward doctor. Most people thought that he was simply following his parents' footsteps but that wasn't really what he wanted. 

His parents barely had contact with other people. The starting point for their research was people, yes, but to his parents, people were nothing more than data. Whatever they wanted to know could have been found through books and questionnaires, created by them but asked by others. 

Jihoon wanted the human contact a hospital doctor had. Maybe it was the way that grew up on his own, without his parents around all that much, or perhaps it was just something that he was born with. And being a pediatrician happened naturally. When thinking about which specialty he should take, the first thing that came to his mind was pediatrics. At first, Jihoon was stiff around kids, not knowing if he should talk to the kids or their parents, or how much strength he should use. Slowly, but surely, he got there.

"Your dad is in the waiting room," the nurse told him.

He was ready to leave, his clothes had been changed and his hair was wet from the shower he took. Jihoon knew that he was supposed to meet with his dad right after work but he didn't think, not once, that he would come into the hospital. His dad was a doctor, yes, but only at the title. The older man hated hospitals to the point he had to be dragged to one when he was sick.

Whatever reason brought Jihoon's dad to the hospital couldn't be a good one.

"Hi Dad," Jihoon said, awkwardly adjusting the bag on his shoulder. 

His dad wasn't a man of many words. Even when the man was furiously out of his mind, his words remained calm and very few. That's why Jihoon always thought, as a teenager, that he could get away with anything at all. All he would get from his father was a disapproving look and even more silence. As a grown man, Jihoon understood his actions as a way to get his father's attention, though it was futile because it never worked the way he planned. 

"So your mother said no to drinks before dinner but we are in charge of cake pick up, that should give us enough time"

It was so much like his dad, not even saying hi and going straight to the point. For Jihoon, it came as a surprise that his dad wanted to meet and talk. This time the initiative didn't start on his end. For once, his father was the one who started it, a text saying when and where to meet. Curiosity had been eating him alive, his mind bouncing all over the place wondering what was so important and secretive that couldn't be said during dinner in front of his mother and Mina. 

The two of them walked to the parking lot in complete silence. To be honest, it was something Jihoon was used to and a moment he found peace in. The soul doctor was a man of books and theory, Jihoon was sure he read every single book on maternity he could get his hands on before he was born and even some after. Words were never his strong suit but he always managed to show his support by being there when the moment mattered. Yes, it was true that his parents missed the day-to-day life, probably didn't see when his second and third tooth fell, and weren't home to help with school projects. That had been his nanny but his first words, first steps, teaching him how to ride a bike, graduations, any speech Jihoon had given, they were there. His mother was the more vocal one, his dad putting a hand on his shoulder and giving him a light squeeze as if saying you did good son.

And those words, even in silent form, meant more than anything else.

"Your mother ordered a cake from the bakery down the block"

Jihoon swallowed his saliva and nodded. His dad didn't have to give more information or directions to the place, he already knew it by heart. Not once had he been there after you told him to leave you alone. If you can't be with me fully then I don't want you at all. Your words hadn't been those but he understood what you meant. What you said had been carefully chosen. Even under those circumstances, you didn't want to hurt him.

After he left your apartment, Jihoon was numb - to say it nicely. During the following week of that morning, he didn't go anywhere except work. Soonyoung didn't say anything about it. When they had a chance to meet, their conversation had been minimal e nothing like the lively chat both of them often engaged in.

It felt weird to be with Soonyoung in silence. His friend had always been talkative, filling the silence with jokes and stories - at times saying the same thing more than once. Soonyoung was disappointed in him, Jihoon was certain of it.

Jihoon didn't complain and just drove there. When he parked in front of the bakery, he didn't get out of the car. The truth was that he couldn't. 

"I'll wait here"

His dad didn't fight him, he just got out of the car and went inside. As much as Jihoon tried to stop himself, he couldn't. He knew that he shouldn't but you were right there, and he hadn't seen you in two years. All we wanted to do was look at you, for a brief moment. 

And you looked gorgeous. 

Your hair was longer than before, your skin had a light tan on your skin - a sign that you had taken part in the street fair a week before -, and your smile was the brightest Jihoon had ever seen on your face. He watched, in pure amazement, as you talked to his father, laughing loudly at something he said. 

Suddenly you extended a hand to your left and a second later a man took your fingers in his hold. A weird lump formed in Jihoon's throat, his chest tightened and he felt as if he was short of air. The man snaked an arm around your waist and pulled you closer to his side and you looked up at him like he had rang all of the stars in the sky. As if he was the sole reason why you were on this earth. As if he was your soulmate.

Jihoon didn't expect to be taken over by jealousy, much less like that. He felt like he was ready to combust within his own body. He wanted to get out of there and pull you away from that man. 

You had someone and that person wasn't him. He knew that it wasn't his place, he had no right. He was with Mina, he refused to end things with her to be with you so he couldn't expect you to stay on your own. 

He couldn't say that it didn't hurt, because it did. A whole lot. And the guy by your side had the same look on his face. If he didn't know any better, Jihoon would have thought that the man was your soulmate, not him.

You said goodbye to his dad, a smile on your face as you handed him a second box. 

"Wish her a happy birthday for me!" you shouted from inside.

In the same way that Jihoon hadn't seen you, he also hadn't heard your voice. Back then you didn't talk a whole lot to him but he always heard your voice. When you talked with customers, with Soonyoung and Yumi, when you were on the phone with your brother. Your voice was a sound Jihoon didn't know he needed to hear during his entire life.

The passenger door opened and his father went inside, moving a little awkwardly as he tried to get inside without dropping both boxes on the floor.

"She's such a sweet girl, y/n. Why your dumb ass let her go is beyond me" his father sighed.

The older man's words should have made Jihoon surprised, but they didn't. Of course that if his mother knew, his dad would also know about you. He would have been childish and naive for thinking like that. How they found out who you were, was something yet to be discovered but when his parents wanted to know something they dug deep.

"Dad…"

The soul doctor held a hand up to stop his son from talking. His fingers drummed on the side of the boxes he carried. He wasn't a man of many words, he mostly let his wife do all the talking. Both of them agreed that she was better at it than he was. But he felt the need to talk for once. This time around he wanted his son to hear every word he had to say.

"You're holding onto Mina out of friendship, loyalty, guilt, and love to some extent. When you started your relationship, although we didn't show it the proper way, your mother and I were happy for you. Mina is, somewhat, of a nice girl and you've always been good friends" he sighed, thinking of what he should say carefully "Because of our research, you, as well as many others, were led to believe that it is harder, borderline impossible, to find your soulmate after you turn twenty-five but we were wrong. And you and that girl are the living and breathing proof of it. That girl inside the store, smiling at her boyfriend, is the one for you. She is the one who will complete you in a way that you never even knew you needed.

"We don't know how soulmate bonds are created and why they happened in the first place, but they exist. Something, someone, God, whatever it is, put the two of you together. Jihoon, you deserve that happiness. I'm not saying this because you are my son, because I feel the need to protect you. I'm saying this because you are a good person, someone who devotes his life to helping others."

His father sighed again, looking tired probably for the first time in years. Throughout his childhood and adolescence, Jihoon learned that his father was the kind of person to bury himself in his work until it was finally done - something Jihoon had learned to do, as well. Days would go by without his father going home and when he finally did he didn't look half as tired as this.

"I was never Mina's biggest fan, ever since she was a kid. You know that. I never hid it. She knows that if you don't leave her for your soulmate, you'll always stay by her side. Think about it this way, if the roles were reserved do you think that she would stay by your side? Do you believe that if Mina met Chanwoo now, while she is in a relationship with you, she would let him go to be with you?"

"No" Mina simply said, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind her.

For days, Jihoon thought about his father's words. Hours on end were spent, every single moment that he was by Mina's side. He analyzed every little aspect of their lives, from their childhood until now, when both were grown-ups that lived their own lives despite being a couple.

Jihoon had never given it much thought, how weird their relationship was. Even people that were just friends, that stayed by each other's side out of loyalty - much like Jihoon stayed by Mina's - seemed to have more interaction with one another. They hardly saw each other, once every two or three weeks. Texts and phone calls were barely there, and he was always the one to initiate their "meetings". All of it got even more sparse after you were gone from his life.

For a moment, as soon as Jihoon told Mina about you, she made sure that her presence was known. She wanted to come over to his place almost every day, his phone was flooded with her texts and missed calls. It was hard dodging her. It has gotten to the point where Soonyoung would also receive calls at work and the nurses always approached Jihoon saying that his girlfriend had called. She seemed to be desperate, you should call her back, they kept telling him. 

But all of it was just gone the moment Jihoon said that you wanted him out of your life. Thinking back now, truly analyzing it, especially after the conversation he had with his dad - who seemed to know a whole lot more about you than he did - the timing was just perfect. As if Mina was adapting her behavior to your presence in his life.

"Mina, we're talking about this" he tried to reason with her, following her out of the car.

It was stupid, he knew that. Mina was never the kind of person who liked to hear what others said. Her opinion was the only one that mattered. She would, sometimes, hear what Jihoon and Soonyoung had to say but only to entertain them. The final decision was hers and nothing they could do would change that.

"There's nothing to talk about. You want to break up, I said no. That's the end of the conversation"

Was it weird that Jihoon didn't know what Mina did for a living? She probably made a lot of money out of it, considering the place she lived and the kind of car she drove. He couldn't even remember what she graduated in. All he did know was that she was indecisive until the very last second.

He didn't know a lot about her, about who she was as an adult. Sure, he remembered this and that from their teenage years but he was certain that a lot had changed since then. Jihoon didn't have to go very far to see that. The reaction Mina was giving him right that second proved all of that.

"I bet she showed up again. Didn't she? That y/n" she said your name with disdain, as if by saying your name she got nauseous "She showed up again, saying this and that. Trying to get you away from me, I'm sure of it"

Jihoon just shook his head. You had nothing to do with his decision. Breaking up with Mina didn't guarantee anything. You had a boyfriend now. And by the brief moment Jihoon saw you and him together was enough for him to know that the two of you had created a strong bond, maybe even stronger than the one he created with you. 

He wouldn't blame you if you chose to stay with him. Jihoon had hurt you, more than he could have possibly imagined. His dad told him things about you - your parents, Jun your high school and college boyfriend. Knowing all of that made him feel even worse about how he left things. He didn't know how his dad had found out all of those things about you, his best guess was Soonyoung, but he trusted every single word that left his dad's mouth

"You say that but I don't believe you for a second. Do you suddenly want to break up? If nothing happened, there's no reason for this"

"Nothing has to happen. I'm just tired of this. This isn't even a friendship. We're strangers to each other. So what's the point of this? We saw each other more often when Chanwoo was alive"

Jihoon saw the change in Mina's eyes the second he said Chanwoo's name. Ever since he passed away it was prohibited to say his name, to bring up anything at all that was related to him in some way or another. He lost count of how many times Soonyoung got yelled at for it. 

"You don't get to have a happy ending when you took mine from me," she said between her teeth.

Her eyes shone with tears and anger, her cheeks suddenly turning a bright shade of red that started at the base of her neck. 

Ultimately that was where it started and ended.  

Jihoon remembered it clearly as if it was happening right in front of his eyes. Chanwoo and him went out like they did every once in a while. Mina had to work late, for whatever reason that night. They went to a bar and talked for a bit. The intention was to meet Soonyoung but he couldn't make it because his mom had called him.

Neither of them drank that night. Chanwoo said that since he still had to meet Mina, he didn't want to. She isn't the biggest fan of tipsy me and I’m driving. Chanwoo did everything in his power to make Mina happy, even things that he considered unnecessary or even wrong in some way or another. They were from very different backgrounds but those differences just vanished the second the bond was made. 

The second Mina called Chanwoo, they left. Chanwoo insisted on dropping Jihoon off at home. It wasn't far from the bar they were at and he would have to go through his block to get to Mina anyway. Jihoon sat in the passenger seat and put on his seat belt, Chanwoo didn't. While going through an intersection a car came full speed from the right. By the time Chanwoo noticed it was too late to stop the car but he tried to hit the brakes anyway, which was also a mistake. The car hit the passenger side with full force while another one hit them from the back.

Jihoon then woke up at the hospital, his parents and Soonyoung by his side. For days Mina was nowhere to be seen. No matter how many times he asked about Chanwoo, no one told him anything. His mother kept telling him, focus on your recovery, we'll talk about Chanwoo later.

The silence was what he needed to know that the worst had happened.

The first news he got about Chanwoo was delivered by Mina, who went inside his hospital room screaming at the top of her lungs. 

"It should have been you! Why do you get to live when Chanwoo is gone? Why is your life worth more than his?"

Soonyoung was quick to pull her out of the room, but not fast enough that Jihoon wouldn't hear it. His parents looked at each other before his mother took a step forward. Jihoon just shook his head. He understood why they hid it from him but that didn't mean that he had to like or be okay with it. 

A week later Jihoon was discharged and the first thing he did was look for Mina. He wanted to apologize, though he knew that he had nothing to be sorry about. He wasn't the one driving any of the cars involved in the accident and yet, he felt the need to. 

Unlike the last time, Mina seemed to have calmed down. When Jihoon entered the apartment she and Chanwoo were supposed to share, she didn't scream at him. The second she laid eyes on him, she started to cry. The ugly kind of cry, the one that comes from deep inside and takes over one's entire body. 

A year later, Mina started to ask Jihoon to go places with her. Lunch, dinner, the mall, a walk in the park, and then suddenly they were dating. 

"That's not true. We both know that"

Their relationship, as it was - or how it was supposed to be - started that like that. With both of them searching for solace in each other. It happened naturally. Neither of them had a soulmate, for entirely different reasons, but they found each other standing at the same spot.

Jihoon shouldn't have been so naive, though. He knew that Mina wasn't one to change her mind once she was set on something. He thought that what she said, all those years back in his hospital room, had been anger-driven and not close to the truth. 

"Look at you! You're right here, living your life to the fullest, following your dreams, and becoming who you wanted to be all along. And where is he now?" she pushed away her tears, enraged that she cried in front of Jihoon "So yeah, the way I see it the fact that you even exist is your happy ending"

She walked closer to him then, a vicious smile on her lips. Mina's hand reached for Jihoon's face, a sloppy and careless touch. 

"How pathetic you are. Thinking all along that I was ever in love with you. No, honey. I was disgusted every time you touched me, being around you made me sick. I was just making sure that at least one tiny bit of your life was miserable. Y/N doesn't want to have anything to do with you. Did you know that she has a boyfriend? And your parents and best friend are disappointed in you. If you leave me, you'll be completely on your own"

Her words were supposed to hurt him but Jihoon didn't feel anything at all. If anything at all, they freed him.

"Poor companies are worse than loneliness"

You dropped your purse on the couch and went straight to the bathroom. Your hands moved without any sort of thought, just reaching for the soap and throwing it inside the bathtub. The hot water would calm you, there was no mistake in that. It worked before, there was no reason as to why it wouldn't work again.

Just a few minutes to yourself, to allow yourself to think about what happened less than an hour before.

It was all set, you were ready to go home. 

You were locking everything down, turning the lights off, making sure that the gas was off. The usual routine. Seungcheol had gone to the car, taking with him the day’s leftovers. 

For once, you were looking forward to the weekend. You and Seungcheol made plans, a weekend out of the city somewhere only your boyfriend knew about. It was going to be the first time you stayed away from the bakery for more than a few hours at a time. 

Though you were worried, you wouldn't lose a night of sleep over it or call every other hour. Yumi knew what she doing, you hired someone to help her while you were gone and you were sure that Soonyoung would show up when he had a chance. Your store was in good hands. 

A weekend away with Seungcheol sounded too good to be true. You had been together for almost a year and not once you had done something like that. To be honest, you hadn't had two days off since college. Someone who owns a business, as small as it was, and who did all the baking couldn't afford to spend a weekend away. Though most of your customers were students and office workers, there was still a fair amount of people there at the weekend.

Your life, you felt, was finally falling into place. Everything was going forward exactly as you had planned years before. Chan was doing fine - he and his soulmate seemed to be working things out - the bakery was steadily growing and you could see yourself expanding sooner rather than later. You had someone you loved with all of your heart by your side. Your friends were happy, sort of.

When you first met Soonyoung you were certain that Yumi could be his soulmate. They were so much alike, though at first glance one wouldn't think so. Soonyoung seemed serious, unreachable even. His doctor persona came out before anything else. But the second you got to know him he became someone else, loud and cheerful. Always ready to make those around him laugh. Yumi was much like that, though she was a bit more aggressive in the way she showed love.

There was no mistake, at least to you, that they were a perfect fit. But suddenly Soonyoung showed up, holding someone's hand tightly saying "This is Dan Oh, my soulmate". What you didn't know was that he had known her for a while, a long one, before introducing you to her. Seungcheol knew too but claimed that it wasn't his place to say anything. You were a little hurt, of course. You felt that he was your friend, part of your family even, but he kept a big secret from you. 

It didn't matter how hurt you were, or what you felt. For Yumi, it was so much worse, her hurt was far greater than yours. She was sure that if neither she nor Soonyoung met their soulmate, they would get together. She had feelings for him. When he entered the store with Dan Oh you saw your friend wilt. Yumi looked sad, simply putting it. You started to go to her place almost every day, nursing her through her broken heart.

Having the two of them around each other was somewhat weird. Soonyoung, who was completely unaware of Yumi's feelings for him, now seemed to sense that there was something weird going on. Yumi, on the other hand, did her best to pretend that nothing happened, and tried to make Dan Oh feel welcome in your circle of friends. It's not her fault that she is his soulmate, it's mine for thinking that we could be something more.

You didn't try to fight her, just silently stayed by her side and supported her every decision. 

This weekend was supposed to be about you. Forty-eight hours worrying about no one except Seungcheol and yourself. For two days you didn't have to worry about Chan or the bakery. Your life was finally yours to enjoy to the fullest. It seemed too good to be true. And then it became just that.

You were turning the last switch off when the bell about the door rang. Turning around you expected to see Seungcheol. When it was time to close he always rushed you, saying that you didn't need to check the locks three times. This time though, it wasn't Seungcheol. You thought that you would see your boyfriend's tall figure but instead, you saw Jihoon's small one. 

No matter how badly you tried, your body just refused to obey your wishes. You should have pushed him out, screamed at him, tell him to never show his face in front of you again. But then there was a line between what you should have done and what you did. You just stood there, eyes on his face, and waited – for what exactly you were unsure of at the time.

You were seeing him for the first time in over two years and your heart was stuck. When you looked at him right at that moment it felt as if you were transported back to the very first time you spoke to him, in his apartment. You couldn’t consider the elevator meeting to be something more than it was. Back then you didn’t know so you couldn’t pretend.

When you talked to Jihoon in his apartment, though you were certain of his inevitable rejection, you thought of it as some sort of beginning. As he stood in front of you, in complete distress, you couldn’t help but think that him being there was some sort of ending.

“Mina and I broke up” was all he said.

The heart beating inside your rib cage stopped and you suddenly didn’t know how to pull air inside your lungs again. The words he said in that instant were the ones you longed to hear during the eight months you were around Jihoon. But hearing them now seemed odd, and not at all what you wanted

“I need to know that because?”

He took a step forward, and at the same time, you took one back. You shouldn’t get anywhere near Jihoon, the further apart you stayed from him the best.

“This is coming too late, I know.”

“You’re right, it is too late” you pushed the off switch and walked past him, forcing him out of the store “What makes you think that you can do this? I was ready to do everything with you. If you said the right word I was going to be by your side no matter what. But you played me the entire time, acted as if my feelings didn’t matter in the least. You made me, and everyone else, believe that you were the center of the universe and I mistreat my feelings and myself. What right did you have to do that?”

It would be a lie to say that you never thought about what you would say if you were to ever see Jihoon again. But thoughts of him were very few and far between. They never followed a constant path and that was why you usually stopped as soon as it started. Days when you thought of him were usually bad ones, in which your mind took you to dark places that weren’t cozy at all to be in. It was when you thought of yourself as someone who wasn’t worthy.

“That was never my intention, you know that”

He looked at you in such a way that it almost seemed as if he was lost. Before, whenever you saw him, you felt that Jihoon had his whole life figured out already. For the first time in three years, it felt as if you were on the right track, certain of yourself, while Jihoon looked like he didn’t know what to do next.

“It might as well have been because that was what happened, that was how I felt whenever you did that shit. But want to know what I finally figured out? That stupid mark that was on your wrist and my back doesn't mean anything, it doesn’t have to. I am my own person and I am happy, in a way I have never been. And you’re not part of that happiness, I don’t want you to be”

If you were allowed to say so, you weren't sure why you were acting like that, why you were feeling that certain way. It honestly didn’t make a lot of sense, not even to you, the person who was having those sorts of feelings.

You were inside the bathroom for hours, your body immersed underwater. There were so many thoughts going around in your mind that you couldn't focus on just one but there was one thing that was a constant amidst the craziness: Seungcheol.

He didn’t turn the lights on like he normally would, even though it was uncomfortable for him to be in the dark like that. He was never one to enjoy the darkness, not through his teenage rebellious years and certainly not as a grown man. But on that specific day, it felt like the most appropriate thing to do.

When he said yes to meeting you, he knew that he was setting himself up for a broken heart, probably the worst one he’s ever had. You weren’t Seungcheol’s first relationship, a topic that came up during your conversations more often than not, making him cringe at all the things he had said – it mostly made him regret the fact that he told you about them at all.

Going through those relationships, Seungcheol was always careful not to grow too attached to any of them. With all of his past relationships, the girls had their marks, and every single one of them was fascinated by his markless body. At his young age, Seungcheol liked it. He thought that it made him more interesting and in a way it did. But it also made him aware of where he stood and where he would always be stuck at.

From the day he was born to the day he died, Seungcheol would remain as the kid who didn’t have a mark.

He used to say that he was lucky, that he didn’t mind it at all, and that to some extent it made him happy that he was born without it. Those words were said out loud so many times that Seungcheol himself started to believe them. And then he met you. Someone who didn’t care in the least, who didn’t ask and made it seem as if it were the most important subject. And he liked that.

Being with you, even if it meant doing simple things such as going for ice cream or staying inside and watching a movie together, made him completely forget soulmates and marks. Neither of you ever made it seem like it was more than it was. Or maybe both of you made it seem like it was less than it truly was.

The life both of you led together was so simple, so ordinary, that was it so easy to lose himself in it. So easy to forget that you weren’t meant for each other, that whoever set up the souls didn’t think that the two of you were the perfect fit.

Living in a society that revolved around soulmates made it impossible for him to ignore it, impossible to wonder why he was the one who didn’t have a mark. It was like someone asking why they worked so hard and still got paid so little. So Seungcheol went ahead and got marks of his own, told people that the blue and red moon on his forearm was his mark. Suddenly he was like everyone else. But he knew, even if no one else did, that it was all a lie.

You never cared about it. When Seungcheol told you about his tattoo you looked at him as if you could understand him, as he wasn’t at all weird for doing that. Whenever you could, whenever you had the chance, when you didn’t even notice what you were doing, you would run the tip of your fingers over his tattoo. You looked at it like it held the answers to all the questions you could ask.

But in one night, a second at a time, the world both of you carefully built, the life you dreamed to have together, came crashing down. It reminded him that together you built a glasshouse, a sandcastle that could be taken down by a wave at any given moment. 

He didn’t have to ask to know who was that the man that walked inside the bakery at such a late hour. It was so obvious in the way both of you stood still in the dark store, the tension in the air powerful.

Jihoon.    

The wave that could destroy your castle had finally arrived.             

Seungcheol was many things in his life, but dumb wasn’t one of them. He didn’t have to ask, a single guess was enough. And when you didn’t say anything it only made matters worse. You were on edge the entire car ride back to your apartment, and didn’t say a single word – the opposite of your normal chatty self. The bags were tossed aside and you hurried towards the bathroom.

At first, he waited for you. Both of you were grownups and serious about each other so whatever it was, you had to talk about it - like you always did. After an hour he threw away that resolution and left. Seungcheol knew just how much of a hard time you had when you had to give someone bad news, how long it took you to build up the courage to do so.

So he left quietly, made sure to lock the door on his way out as silently as he could. Seungcheol wished he had somewhere else to go besides home, someone he could talk to. He knew that he could call Soonyoung or Yumi, a random person at a bar would do the trick too. Instead, he went home, the solitude of his bedroom was the only place he truly wanted to be.

He couldn’t sleep though, not for a few short minutes or the hours following it. It’s over, all of it. Was the only thing he thought about. No other words or memories came to mind, just those five.

“I’m sorry” Seungcheol opened his eyes but didn’t dare to move. A delusion of his mind, he was certain that it was all it was. If he moved the smallest inch then it would vanish into thin air. You would vanish “I know you’re not sleeping. You can’t when we fight. It’s not like we fought really but let’s say it’s the same thing for now”

A smile betrayed his lip. It always happened when you became witty with your words, and called him out on his shit. Instead of getting angrier, he found it amusing, enough to make him forget about what he was angry about just a second before.

“You had to think and you like to do that on your own, so I left”

You left your position by the door and walked across the room, easily taking a seat by his side on the bed. It was so easy, you figured, to be with him. Whenever you were around him, close to Seungcheol, you felt like you were at home. Everything one was supposed to feel when they meet their soulmate, you felt with him. The sweaty hands, the butterflies, the heartbeat increase, the happiness, the giddiness. The feeling of finally being home. All of it.

“I was on my own in the bathroom. Why did you leave?”

Reaching forward you ran your hand through the strands of his hair, something that you had taken a liking ever since you met him. The first time you did it was only to push his hair away from his face and then it just became a habit. You knew that sometimes, especially when you first started your relationship, Seungcheol was surprised when you reached for him, but all of it would suddenly become the other way around when he pulled your hand close to his head.

“You know why”

“No, I don’t. Please, do enlighten me”

You knew exactly what Seungcheol was talking about, he didn't have to say the words out loud. But this time around, even if it was something you had talked about many times before, those words had to be said. Just once, it couldn't be something that was in the air.

Actions matter more than words but sometimes words are necessary.

"Jihoon is back. That means you're going to leave"

The hand that was in his hair ran down to his face, your other hand came up to his face as well. Your thumbs going back and forth over his cheekbones. You intended to make him look at you, even if it was too dark to do so. It was an attempt to make him listen to you.

"I'm not"

Seungcheol nodded in your hands, his own hands going to your waist like they always did when you were by his side. For him, it was a way to keep the memory of you for as long as he could. 

"You won't be able to stop yourself. That's okay, honestly. It's the sort of life we live"

"Why are you giving up on me so easily? If you think that I was going to stay with you until the day Jihoon showed up saying that he was finally ready, you're wrong. I didn't know you would think so little of me"

He pulled away from you and sat up, leaning to the side slightly to turn the light on. Seungcheol was still wearing the same clothes he had on when he left your house, down to his jeans. His hair was a mess, caused by your hands just as much as his. 

"You know that's not it. It's not like you couldn't make it work with him. There's probably a reason the two of you are soulmates. Who am I to stand between you?"

"The one I chose, that's who you are. You're right, we could have probably made it work. Maybe because it was easy, maybe because we thought that we had to. I wish people would stop telling me what I should do, who I should be with. It has been this way my entire life, since the day I was born, because of that stupid mark. I didn't ask to be born with it and I certainly won't let it rule my life. At least, not anymore"

Maybe in a world where soulmates didn't exist, a time when a deity didn't choose who people should be with, a place where people did truly have their free will, you would be angry at him for not trusting you from the start. As he said, in the world you lived in, you could understand where he was coming from. 

You took his hand and placed it over your chest, right above your heart.

"This isn't yours because of a stupid mark, because someone said so. It's yours because I want it to be, because little by little you overtook it and made it home. I love you. Not because someone told me to, but because I want to. Don't ever doubt my feelings again, not even for a second. If they change I'll be the first one to tell you. I'll be honest like I have been from day one with you"

You could see it I'm his eyes, the desperation to believe you but he had been left behind way too many times so it was hard.

"I don't know if I ever loved Jihoon, truly," you said honestly "Meeting him, knowing that he was my soulmate brought me to this place where I felt as if I should. So I made myself picture him in my life. There wasn't a switch, I didn't meet him and was suddenly in love. It was more of an obligation, in a way. But being with him hurt me so much because all I got from him was rejection. He rejected me from the start and I always felt so little next to him"

Seungcheol squeezed your waist, his eyes searching for yours with care and adoration. So much love. You smiled, reaching for his neck, while your thumb traced his jawline, his plump lips.

"And with you… I never questioned my actions, never felt as if I was any less. I always felt like I could truly be myself with you, from that first day at the bakery. My heart skipped a beat when you said hi, when you shook my hand, and smiled at me. You might not believe me, but you had me from that moment"

You moved your hand, back to his hair. You needed him to believe you, needed that frown to leave his beautiful face. There was no version of the world in which you didn't want Seungcheol, where you'd leave him for anyone else.

"Since meeting you, Jihoon has been nothing more than an afterthought. My reaction today was a reflection of who I was while around him and I hate that, I hate that I made you feel like this” you scooted closer to him “You're not my soulmate and I'm not yours either.  But I am yours. You're the only one I want to spend the rest of my life with, that I want to have a family with. I have this dream where you're sitting in the bakery, a baby in your arms. Our baby. I am never going to leave you. By your side is the life I envisioned for myself, the life I want. And if our souls truly do live many different lives then I will find you in the next one and I will love you again, choose you again"

Seungcheol's lips were on yours barely half a second after you were done talking. His arms went around your waist, pulling you as close as you could be. Your legs on each side of his thighs.  His lips were anxious against yours as if still looking for answers. The warmth of his body was everything you need to feel assured. The way he held onto you, so desperately, was how you felt on the inside.

"Don't give up on me, even if I seem like a lame soap opera character"

You smiled against his neck, your arms circling it as you moved back slightly.

"You're not lame, just a little weird for watching it so fervently"

"A weirdo you like"

You brushed the tip of your finger over his nose and his lips.

"A weirdo I love"

hi! thank you so much for reading, i hope you enjoyed it.

[avengersfantasies]

Take it Off (Bucky x Reader)

Summary: You invite Bucky to take a hot bath with you, but you learn something you hadn't known before.

taglist: @pattiemac1 @justsebstan @winterslove1917 @crist1216 @lady-loki-barnes-djarin @kandis-mom @vonalyn @mavrellover91 @natashasilverfox @gojoismysensei @itsafamilyshow @casa-boiardi

You and Bucky had been snuggled up on the couch together for the past few hours, and the time to get ready for bed and get things ready for work the next day was approaching. You sat up.

            “Wanna join me?” you asked while you stretched and stood up.

            “Join you?” Bucky asked with a raised eyebrow. “Join you where?”

“In the shower, silly,” you giggled. “I just told you that I was going to get shower.”

“Oh,” Bucky spoke softly. “Uh…maybe another time, baby doll.”

You cocked your head. He was definitely acting weird. “What’s up?”

“Well, do you like cold showers?” he asked you – hoping that you’d say yes.

“Not particularly,” you answered. “I was planning on getting a hot bath and shower.”

Bucky nodded and looked over at his arm. “Then I can’t join.”

“Why not?”

He smacked his lips together and tsked. “Hot water messes with the components in my arm.”

“Can’t you…take it off?” you asked.

He chuckled incredulously. “I could, but then I wouldn’t really be able to wash myself, would I?”

You gave him a sympathetic smile. “No, but I could.”

His gaze softened when he realized you were being serious. “You’d…you’d do that?”

“Of course I would, Buck,” you insisted. “I love you…I want you to be able to enjoy things.”

Bucky thought for a moment. He couldn’t remember the last time he let himself enjoy a nice, hot bath. It had been since before the war. It was probably the night before he was sent to basic training. He knew that when he was a kid, he loved them, but ever since having lost his arm and learning that hot liquids mess with the components inside, he made a conscious decision to stay away from them.

“Okay,” he nodded and followed you into the large bathroom.

            When the two of you got in the bathroom, you undress yourselves, and you started a hot, relaxing bubble bath. Bucky stood there trying to convince himself to just take the vibranium limb off, but he couldn’t bring himself to do it. You had never seen him without it, and he was afraid you’d look at him differently for having one arm.

            “Buck,” you whispered – holding his left arm in your hands. “It’s okay.”

            “You do it,” he spoke softly.

You nodded. “Just tell me how.”

“Push the shoulder inwards,” he began instructing you, “twist it forwards and unlock the latch.”

You followed his directions and heard the arm power down, and the latch gave way and released it into your hands. You held it carefully and placed it on the bathroom counter on top of a towel. You guided him into the large bath and sat across from him. He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. He couldn’t remember the last time he was able to actually enjoy a bath.

“Feels amazing,” he said – using his one arm to run through the bubbles.  You smiled at his happiness and begin to cover one of the loofas with his bodywash. Gently, you start to wash him – starting with his shoulders and moving down to his chest. The act was sensual, and the amount of love you were showing him made him want you more than ever before.  “Come here, baby girl,” he spoke softly – opening up his right arm to let you move into his lap. You straddled his lap and continued to wash him. You could feel his cock nudging against your entrance, and with a soft moan, you slid yourself down on to him – never stopping what you were doing. You reached back and grabbed his shampoo – washing his long, brown hair thoroughly.

“Grab the shower head, babe,” you told Bucky – waiting for him to reach up and lower the shower head. You turned the water on and started to wash the shampoo out of his hair, and then moved on to condition it…all the while riding his cock. “Fuck,” you moaned through heavy breaths – feeling his arm snake around your waist and grab your ass.

Bucky chuckled and sucked on your neck. “You know that when we get out, and I get my arm back on, I’m going to fuck all of your holes, right?”

[sirianasims]

I listened to Myra’s slow breathing. Her mom had taken us out to dinner at a fancy vegan restaurant to celebrate Myra’s birthday and then we’d watched a movie. It was tradition. It had been a nice day until we were in bed and Myra started another tirade against the popular kids in school.

I didn’t know what to say. She still didn’t know about the party last weekend, and I didn’t want to argue with her but I couldn’t quite bring myself to agree with her anymore. She ended up giving me the silent treatment until she fell asleep.

I quietly got up and went to the bathroom. It was dark, but Myra and I had been best friends since kindergarten when her parents moved to Copperdale so her dad could work with my dad. I knew their house like it was my own.

I washed my hands and looked at myself in the mirror. Was it really so bad to want more friends? To be a part of a group? Maybe I really was just a superficial person who wanted everyone to like me. I definitely wanted Oscar to like me. We hadn’t kissed since the party but we were messaging on Social Bunny every day, and yesterday we’d locked eyes across the hallway and I had to look away before Myra noticed.

The lights were still on downstairs. Myra’s mom never went to bed before her dad came home from the hospital. My own mom did the same.

I quietly walked down the stairs and Daria looked up from her laptop.

“Can’t sleep? Is Myra snoring again?”

“No, I’m just thinking a lot.”

“Want to talk about it?”

I told her about the Spooky Day party. Somehow it had always been much easier to talk to Myra’s parents than to my own.

I did leave out the part about Oscar though.

“So since then I’ve been posting a few pictures of other costumes I’ve made. And now some people are asking for tips and I thought it would be fun to maybe make a channel and stream the process or something. Or make tutorials and post them online.”

“That sounds like a great idea! I’ve always been impressed with the stuff you come up with.”

“But what if Myra sees it as me just trying to be popular?”

“And what exactly is wrong with being popular? She should be supporting you in whatever makes you happy. Myra has a lot of strong opinions, Griffin stubbornly insists she gets it from me. But don’t let her hold you back.”

“Myra says having people like you online is dumb because they’re not real friends anyway.”

“Sometimes I think my darling daughter forgets what I do.”

Daria gestured towards her computer.

“My podcast has a couple hundred thousand listeners. Are they all my friends? No. But some of them have actually become friends, because sharing what you love with a community that likes the same thing is a great way to meet people. You can even teach others and inspire them to share their own passions. I think you would do great, and I know you’re talented. But don’t take it from me, take if from those girls at school, because I’m probably too old and hopelessly uncool to listen to.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Daria was the coolest person I knew, second only to my grandpa Conrad. They didn’t care what people thought about them, but unlike Myra, they also didn’t spend hours talking about how little they supposedly cared.

Daria was telling me all about her podcasting gear when Myra’s father, Griffin, came home.

“Evening, my love. Oh, hey Julia, you’re up late.”

“Hey Griffin. You’re right, I should probably go to bed.”

“Alright, let us know if Myra’s snoring gets too bad, we still have spare earplugs.”

He winked at me.

“And remember, we love to see what you do, Julia. So you’re guaranteed at least two followers who are also real friends.”

She stood, but then leaned down and kissed my forehead, just like she used to do when Myra and I were little.

“Goodnight, kiddo. Don’t let anyone tell you how to live your life, OK? Not even my dear daughter. Always be yourself. And if you want more tips on getting a proper recording setup, just ask me.”

beginning / previous / next

[nattinatalia]

Jack Harlow x Reader : YOU HAD ONE JOB!

You were out all day running errands with your best friends, so when you got home all you wanted to do was shower and get dinner ready.

But all that went out the window when you noticed the trash bin was still very much full.

“This man.” You groan, while tying the bag and taking it outside to the bin. You make your way back to the kitchen, wash your hands and start pulling the ingredients out of the pantry that you’ll need to make Birria tacos.

When you reach the refrigerator you notice the container filled with the churro cheesecake squares were still there. That’s when you got annoyed.

You made your way into the game room where you knew your husband and kids were.

“Oh hey baby, when did you get here?” Jack asks from his spot.

“Did you miss the to do list I left you? Things that needed to be done?” You ask him, ignoring his question.

He looks confused. “Uh what list?”

“Jack, I left you the list on the counter, the breakfast is gone so it’s obvious you saw it.”

“Ohhh, there was a paper on the counter but I accidentally spilled orange juice on it so it got wet and I missed what it said.”

“Okay, now explain why the desserts that I told you to drop off at your moms are still here?”

“Was that on the list?”

“No, I told you last night and before I left. Maggie has been waiting for them all day, she has an early meeting tomorrow and she was counting on those.”

“I’m sorry, it just flew over my head.”

“Oh so we’re Mr. forgetful today huh?”

“Baby relax, I’ll drop them off to her after dinner.”

“Dinner? What dinner? I’m not cooking. You forget to do two little things, so I’m just going to forget about feeding you all.”

“WAIT”

“MOM PUNISH HIM, NOT US.”

You turn your head and glare at your kids, “You’re guilty by association, and you have his last name, so deal with it.”

Jack and the kids look at each other. “Baby, you ok?”

“NO I’M NOT OKAY, MY FEET ARE SWOLLEN, YOUR BIG HEADED KIDS ARE PUSHING AT MY BLATTER. YOU CAN’T TAKE OUT THE TRASH AND NOW YOUR MOM WILL HATE ME BECAUSE SHE DOESN’T HAVE THE CAKES.” You yell out in frustration.

Jack gets up from his seat and heads towards you. “Y/N, sweets, take a deep breath, it’s okay.”

“Don’t tell me to relax, Jackman, you had one job.” You look at your kids. “Have him make dinner, I’m taking a shower and going to bed.” You say and walk out the room.

“She’s really mad if she’s suggesting that you cook.” Ezequiel says.

Jack glares at his son. “Funny.”

Mia chuckles, “Dad, I love you, but you can’t cook to save your life.”

“I know how to cook, what are you talking about?”

“Okay, remember when you helped Mia bake the tres leches cake? You didn’t know how to follow simple instructions from moms cook cookbook.”

“Or when you burned down the oven when you left the enchiladas overnight.”

“Mia, he can’t remember, he’s forgetful today.” Ezequiel jokes.

Jack tosses a couch pillow at him which makes Ezequiel laugh even more.

“I’ll be back.” Jack says and makes his way to your shared bedroom.

He doesn’t find you in the room so it’s most likely you are already showering.

He walks into the bathroom and sees that you’re in the shower. He can’t help but admire your figure and how beautiful you look with your growing bump.

“Do you need anything, Jackman?”

“How'd you know I was here?”

“I have Harlow senses and they were tingling, so I know whenever you or my kids are near.”

Jack laughs, “Calm down Spider-Man.”

You turn around to glare at him. “I’m still mad at you.”

“Babe, the trash wasn’t going anywhere and mom lives ten minutes away. It was bound to get done either way.”

“So you should’ve done it when I asked you too, and not act clueless when I asked about the list because I know you saw it.”

You finished showering in record time, being exhausted from walking and baby shopping all day, and coming home annoyed, made you take one of the quickest showers of your life.

“Agree to disagree.” Jack says, and holds open a towel for you.

“I’m still not cooking, so you and the kids can fend for yourselves.” You wrap the towel around you and head to your side of the bathroom and start rubbing lotion on you.

“Ok, fine. I’ll go see what we can make.” He goes up to you and kisses the top of your head, rubs at your bump. “Let me love up on my babies.”

You glare at him, “Being cute isn’t going to change my mind. I’m starting to think you only keep me around because I cook.”

“Y/N HARLOW!!! QUIT PLAYING.”

You look up at him, you feel a sack of emotions hitting you at an all time high right now. “Don’t yell at me.”

That has Jack realizing what’s really going on, so he smiles sadly at you. “I’m sorry baby, let me go cook something with the kids. I’ll be back for cuddles.”

You nod and sniffle “Don’t burn down my kitchen please.”

Jack groans, “One time baby, it was one time.” He gives you a kiss and leaves you to finish up getting ready for bed.

He’s walking back downstairs and into the living room and sees Ezequiel and Mia both looking down to their phone screen.

“What about Panda Express?”

“No, I want sushi.”

“Dad is not going to let us DoorDash and pay over a hundred dollars just for a thirty dollar meal.” Mia tells her brother.

“You got that right,” Jack tells them. “We’re making a Jack in the box run.” He grabs his keys from the side table on the couch. “Hurry, I want to get back to my wife before she sleeps.”

“You mean our mom?”

“No, I said my wife didn’t I? So that’s what I meant.”

“Yeah well YOUR wife is mad at YOU, not us, so that makes her more our mom.”

Mia rolls her eyes, “Why are you two always fighting over mom? You have serious issues, now let’s go.”

**************

“So is mom finally coming to her senses and leaving you?” Ezequiel asks, taking a sip from his milkshake.

“Oh my god Cheesy, you really need to stop.” Mia is shaking her head.

“Ezequiel, I have no problem making you get out of the car and have you walk home.”

“Do it, mom will be even more mad at you.”

“You love pushing my buttons.”

“I love how easy it is to push your buttons old man. But seriously why did mom react that way? She usually doesn’t mind when you forget to take out the trash.”

“She’s pregnant, her emotions will be all over the place. You seriously need to start paying attention when dad and mom are explaining things to us.” Mia tells him.

“Whatever.” Ezequiel looks at the cup holder and notices Jack hasn’t touched his milkshake. “Can I have your drink? You haven’t touched it.”

Jack pushes EZ’s face back “It’s for your mom.”

“She’s mad, you think you’ll make her happy with a milkshake?”

He shakes his head “Not fully no, but a milkshake and curly fries is what she’s been craving this late at night recently.”

They’re finally pulling up to their driveway. Ezequiel grabs the milkshake, and a bag that has the curly fries, and runs inside.”

“ANGEL EZEQUIEL HARLOW.” Jack yells and runs after him upstairs.

“YOU TWO ARE SO CHILDISH.” Mia yells.

“What’s with the yelling?” You ask, sitting up in bed once you see your son walking in, your husband right behind him, followed by your daughter.

“I got you curly fries and a Oreo milkshake momma.” Ez says, handing you the food and drink.

You raise your eyebrows at him. “With what money?”

“I have money.”

“No, dad and mom have money, you’re just broke.” Mia says, sitting next to you and placing her palm on your belly. “Little ones, hi.”

“Thank you bubs.” You look at Jack, pat the spot on the other side of you, signaling him so he can sit with you.

“So what am I? chopped liver?” Ez asks, glaring at the three of you.

“Sit next to your dad.” You tell him, you take a sip of your milkshake and groan. “I’ve been craving this all day. Ree and Blanca wanted Pupusas, and a agua fresca. I didn’t have it in my heart to tell them to get me a milkshake since they were driving me around all day.”

“Mom, they would’ve dropped everything and taken you to get it.” Mia tells you, taking a bite from her burger.

“How are you feeling?” Jack asks you.

“I’m okay now. I think I just needed to shower the day away. I’m sorry I snapped at you over the stupidest thing ever. I asked Clay to pick up the desserts, they have been delivered to your mom.”

“It’s okay sweets, I know this pregnancy is different for you and your body. I just want you to be okay.”

You nod, “Still, I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that.”

The four of you continue eating and talking about the day. You decide on a movie to watch as a family, having your husband and kids next to you in bed, watching tv and sharing memories has always been one of your favorite things to do.

“So mom, please next time you want to punish dad and not cook, can it only be him? We’re not at fault when he gets you annoyed.” Ezequiel says after a while.

“Oh my god.” Mia says.

“Ezequiel.” Jack warns.

“What? I was craving Birria all day and dad had to ruin it by not doing what you told him to. I had to get tacos from Jack in The Box, I wanted birria tacos.”

“I make no promises.” You answer him.

You go back to watching the movie, but after five minutes Ezequiel again decides to interrupt.

“So can you make the birria tomorrow then? Since you’re in a better mood now?”

“Eres un tonto.” Mia says, and pushes him off the bed.

“STOP ATTACKING ME.”

“Stop instigating between mom and dad.”

You and Jack smile at each other, ignoring the fact that your two teenage kids are arguing. This is what life is all about, all the silly fights, the laughs, and the cries.

All worth it if it means by the end of the day, you get to spend it with your family.

•••••••••

TAG LIST

@heavyhitterheaux @harlowsbby @arination99 @cmalass @jackharloww @minkookie95 @deannaard @jacksmoviestar @harlowcomehome @fdl305 @httpkoylinnn @xoxokiaraaxoxo @hoodharlow @automaticpeachsong @amethyst09 @aliciacat20 @allyson15 @gabbylovesreading @stefansalvatoresgf @violetdreamsworld @carma-fanficaddict @jasminxts @itsaaliyah2 @itsyagirljaz @harrycanyonmoonn @neon-lights-and-glitter

[weixuldo]

Enigma// ch 14

anakin x reader

a/n: This chapter i longer than they have been lately, so sorry for the wait!!

Things are getting a little...complicated. 

warnings: cursing, cannon disabled character, insecurity, emetophobia, pregnancy test

_______________________________

You inhaled as you opened the box-

It's all gonna be fine…

You took the test and followed the instructions, once you were done you let it sit and you washed your hands. 

You left the bathroom to check your email- because if you stayed, you would have done nothing but watch the test calculate.

After ten minutes you walked back in and nervously reached for the white stick.

Your stomach dropped as you looked at the test…two little pink lines.

Shit.

You really thought Anakin couldn’t get you pregnant, the doctors told him it was nearly impossible for him to have children. Did he lie to you?

no, he wouldn’t lie about that.

Did he even want to have kids? Even if he did, would he want them with you? 

Your head spun as you gripped the bathroom counter to steady yourself. You never thought that this would actually happen; you were betting on the fact that it was all just nerves and that you were just going to get a late period…

Fuck.

Not only were Anakin’s feelings to be taken into account, but your own as well.

You were still in college, how would you have time to raise a child? How would you afford a child? Did you even want a child? What if-

Your racing thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the bathroom door, who the fuck was that?

“Hey? Y/N, you in here? Your door was open but I didn’t see you in the room” Ahsoka’s voice rang from the other side of the door.

Damn.

You totally forgot she had a Brunch planned downtown. Quickly you wiped your watery eyes and prayed she wouldn’t notice anything. 

“Yea! One minute!” you responded as you shoved the test into one of the sink’s drawers and hid the box at the bottom of the trashcan. You splashed some cold water on your face to get rid of lingering redness before taking one last look at yourself in the mirror. 

It'll be ok… it has to.

_____________________________

The small cafe that Ahsoka chose for brunch was a cute mom-and-pop shop downtown. Seated around you were Ahsoka, Anakin, Ben, and Satine. The five of you were on the patio section at a sanded wooden picnic table with a large yellow umbrella. 

It was hard for Anakin to situate himself on the wooden bench so only you and him were able to fit on that side and the rest sat on the other.

Everyone’s food had arrived and they began eating, but suddenly yours didn’t look appetizing, instead you silently sipped on your coffee. 

Ben and Satine’s wedding was coming up in the next year so the discussion at the moment was centered around plans for the celebration.

“Do you have any bridesmaids picked out?” Ahsoka eagerly asked as she wiped some syrup from the corner of her mouth.

“Well actually that was something I wanted to ask you two, I feel like we’ve all gotten to know each other so well in the past months, and I’d be honored if you both would like to be bridesmaids” Satine smiled as Ben smiled beside her.

“I would love to!” You exclaimed.

“Same here! When can we plan your bachelorette party?!!” Ahsoka asked excitedly.

“No strip clubs, Ahsoka” Ben butted in, “we all know that would be more for your entertainment than Satine’s” he joked.

“Ughhhh, ok fine” Ahsoka dramatically rolled her eyes before giggling like a schoolgirl. 

The conversation continued and you grew more and more nauseous. At one point everyone was immersed in conversation and Anakin lightly squeezed your thigh under the table. When you turned to look at him, he looked concerned; his brows were furrowed and you could see the worry in his deep blue eyes. 

“Are you ok?” he mouthed and you nodded. 

“You haven’t touched your food,” he said. 

With the mention of food you feel your nausea taking over. Suddenly you stood up and hurried to the bathroom inside, you were going to throw up. 

Once you were inside you quickly leaned over the porcelain seat and emptied the minimal contents of your stomach. Maybe it was the nerves or maybe it was morning sickness, either way, you felt absolutely awful. 

You wiped your mouth and popped in a mint and some gum you had in your purse.

They were all going to ask about you. 

You leaned against the stall and shut your eyes; this was really happening. 

_____________________________

Outside the four friends were left wondering where you went in such a hurry.

“She barely touched her toast,” Ahsoka commented.

Anakin knew something was wrong.

“Is she not feeling well?” Ben asked.

Soon you emerged from the restraint with a pale face.

“Maker! Y/n are you ok?” Satine gasped, hurrying to bring you water.

“Yea, I'm fine. I’m just not feeling the best, I think I’m gonna go back home and take a nap.”

You got out your phone to call an Uber but then Ben asked “didn’t you come with Ahsoka?” 

“Yea, but she has a function after this with the athletes association and I don’t wanna make her take me all the way back to campus”

“It’s no problem y/n, I can” she butted in.

“No, no-“ you began but Anakin cut you off. 

“I can take her, Snips you should go to your meeting, plus I need to run a few errands on that side of town”.

“Are you sure?” 

“Yea, this bench is hurting my ass anyways” he added as he began to get up. 

The two of you said your goodbyes and headed to his car. Once you were out of sight from the table, he rested his hand on the small of your back.

“I know something’s up, what’s wrong sweetheart?” He asked, his voice laced with concern.

“It’s really nothing Ani, I just don’t feel well” you said.

“Have you been eating?” He asked, opening the door to his car for you to enter.

“I don’t know, I haven’t really been hungry” you admitted.

He entered the other side and started his car; the drive to campus was a silent one. You looked out the window, mainly focusing on keeping your emotions in check. 

You began to feel light headed, you needed food. Soon enough Anakin pulled up to the curb near your dorm and parked the car. He turned towards you and lightly brushed your cheek.

“Did I do something wrong?” He asked nervously. 

You knew he was insecure about affection and relationships; his last one seemed to be going so well but it still ended in heartbreak. Your heart twinged, you never wanted him to feel like that with you. 

“No babe, I really just don’t feel well. I promise you, you have done nothing wrong” You said as you opened the car door. 

“Would you like me to walk you to your room or-“

“I’m ok, Ani. Thank you though” you said as you closed the door. 

He nodded and you waved him off before heading back to your dorm. 

______________________________

School finally ended and you had your first appointment for your pregnancy. 

You were around ten weeks… what the fuck. 

You had to check that they were looking at the right chart because you had only missed your period once; the nurse assured you that false periods were common and that not all expecting mothers had the early signs within the first weeks. 

You were barely showing, even for being in the first trimester but she also told you that not all pregnancies showed early on.

Honestly that benefited you; you had longer to figure out what you were going to do about this and when you were finally going to tell Anakin. 

You didn’t have the best relationship with your parents, so you didn’t even bother to consult them. But you were scared. 

You were only in undergrad and had no stable income- how were you going to raise a child?

There always were other options, you could make the decision to have an abortion, or you could give the child up for adoption?

No, no. You shouldn’t be making plans without consulting Anakin first…

But that was a whole other problem…you had to tell Anakin. 

The whole situation was crazy, but you knew that he was the only person you had been with intimately since last summer… there was no one else who could be the father.

The doctors said it wasnt likely that he could have kids ...not impossible.

But he was so sure that he was infertile, would he even believe you? Or would he freak out?

You truly held him so dear to your heart; it made you nauseous to think what would happen if this pregnancy ruined your relationship. 

But no matter your worries, you needed to tell him relatively soon before you began to show.

__________________________________________

Ahsoka left town that weekend for her tournament and the rest of the group had a small watch party for her match. Anakin brought you over to Ben and Satine’s place after you decked him out in your school’s merch.

He wore a tight long sleeve that showed off his upper arm muscles nicely and a pair of gray sweats with the school’s logo along the pant leg. You wore a short tennis skirt and a cheerleader uniform top and some sneakers you painted for games. 

It was actually really cute to see your boyfriend repping your university’s colors- it made you blush.

Apparently he had never really been enthusiastic about sports but on the car ride over he told you how happy it made him to be wearing your colors (of course he was proud to rep Ahsoka too, but the fact that his girlfriend went there too was a huge bonus).

The four of you sat around Ben’s flat screen and cheered as your school scored point after point; you knew your school was good, but not that good!

Ahsoka’s team was up against another highly acclaimed school with a stellar athletic record, but they were being crushed by your team.

After a few bowls of popcorn and other game foods, Ahsoka’s team secures a sweeping victory, it was almost embarrassing how much the other team lost by. 

You and Anakin thanked the others for having you over and then went back to his place.

He flung the door open and entered the living room with your lips on his; his gloved hands pawed at your back as his breathing quickened. You headed towards the sofa and gently pushed him down.

He spread his legs as he sat and beckoned for you to sit in his lap with a needy gaze. You complied, straddling his lap with a bare thigh on either side of him; your skirt wasn’t much help to cover your ass from feeling the soft material of his pants. 

With his non-driving hand, he grabbed a handful of your ass and lightly bit at your neck. His lips felt like heaven on your skin.

“A-Anak-” you sighed as you began to grind your hips into his.

“Yea Princess?” he asked through kisses.

“Lay down”

He nodded and you helped him shift his legs onto the sofa before mounting him again. You continued to grind on his clothed cock as you ran your fingers down his chest, leaving the faintest red trails of passion.

He moaned at every thrust you dealt and shuddered when you would pass over his tip. 

“Fuck P-Princess- it f-feels so good- mmmhh” he tossed his head back in sheer pleasure.

In the moment you forgot all about the matter you needed to discuss with your boyfriend, instead only clouds of lust formed in your brain. 

You bent down and hugged him close to your chest as he began to buck his hips into your thighs. His hard member kept running over your sensitive clit…. You were close.

“Nnghh- Y-Y/N s-slow down” he said as he steadied your hips.

“Why? What's wrong babe?” you asked, still lightly swiveling your hips.

“I-I don’t wanna cum yet” he admitted. 

A mischievous grin landed on your face as you sat still for a moment before grinding harder than you had previously been. 

“Fuck!” he shouted before he wrapped his arms around you and shuddered. You could feel the warmth of his cum through his pants. 

With each small move you made, a small noise would escape the man under you. You eventually got off and lifted his waistband to see your work; his dick was coated in cum and was still twitching.

You smiled but then the dreaded feeling of doubt found its way back into your head. 

The news.

He needed to know and preferably sometime soon. 

Anakin breathed heavily on the couch as you retrieved his inhaler; once he was good he gently guided your face to his lips and gave you a loving kiss. 

“I love you so much Y/N… so so much”  he sighed.

Maker… you hoped he loved you enough to get through the news you would eventually have to tell him.

***

A/N: Stuff is heating up guys!!! Hopefully you are all ok w/ the turn this story is taking (IK pregnancy is not everyone’s favorite trope) But I havent written a pregg reader story in an ongoing series so I wanted to try it out (its good for angst heheh)

taglist : @dnamht @sxoulohvn @angeelcoree @wtf-andys @httpeachesblog @katsukiswrld @jetiikote @poisonedsultana @imarimon

[yuriko-mukami]

Her Calamity Dark 04

Beta reader: @ruki-mukami-dl

Chapter Selection

Yuriko was washing rice while Yuuto stood right next to her, watching her every move. Sunlight sparkled from the droplets of water, reminding her how sweltered it was outside. It was slightly sweaty in the apartment, too, for it was only one room, and this tiny kitchen along with a bathroom. And right now, the kitchen felt even smaller than usual since Azusa had come with Yuriko. He was now working on the second counter with a vegetable-cutting task he had volunteered himself.

“It’s not difficult. You should use fresh water and then you just keep washing until the water stays clear.” Yuriko rolled the rice over again and again by her hand while staring at it. She wasn’t the best cook – and nothing compared to Ruki – but she knew how to make a few dishes. “Kareeraisu is a convenient choice because you will eat it for several days and the taste only gets thicker later. I made it often when… when I was still living with… Keisuke. That way I could focus on… hmm… other things because I didn’t need to make meals every day.”

“Makes sense…” Yuuto shrugged. “He should have cooked for you tho. It’s a parental duty.”

“Umh… Mom always said it was a woman’s duty to make sure the family gets to eat…” Yuriko shifted. Not that their mother had done that too often. Yuriko had tried to do all possible household chores while studying in middle school and high school. She had wanted to be good. But it hadn’t been enough.

“Dontcha go there…”

Yuriko lifted her head, glancing at Yuuto. “Eh?”

“I know that face. Dontcha let that happen. There’s nothin’ you could done differently. Our parents didn’t know how to raise kids, that’s for sure. So, dontcha let it get you. You gotta keep your head up high and move forward.” Yuuto ruffled Yuriko’s hair, making her blink heavily. She wouldn’t cry now.

“Yuuto…”

“Oi, no cryin’. You’re a tough vixen who can push through, not a pup.” Yuuto smiled, making even more of a mess of Yuriko’s hair. “Didcha hear me?”

“I… I… yes, of course.”  Yuriko nodded. She turned to look at the rice again and poured it into the rice cooker – the necessity she had told Yuuto should have. “Okay… now, we need to fry the pork and then simmer it with the vegetables.”

Yuuto pulled out a frying pan and tossed the meat on it. After setting the gas, Yuriko showed him how he should constantly move the meat with the cooking chopsticks so that it wouldn’t burn into the pan.

“How do you know all this?” Yuuto scratched his head. “I mean... you said our mother didn’t teach you much…”

“I read books. The library had some about cooking too.” Yuriko handed the chopsticks to Yuuto. “You should try it now. Haven’t you cooked anything before?”

“I know how to make an omuraisu.”

Yuriko tilted her head. “Eh? It’s super difficult to roll perfectly, I always end up breaking it. I bet you’ll manage the meat just fine then~” 

As Yuriko kept her eyes on the frying pan, Yuuto worked on the pork. She was pleased to see there weren’t any problems at all. She should send the recipe later to his phone, and then he could make this dish anytime he wished. Next time she would teach him another easy dish.

“I found a cheap laundry service nearby, so that’s settled too.” Yuuto continued frying the meat. “I just need a steady job…”

“You could… ask Karlheinz-sama…” Azusa commended from his duty.

“Absolutely not. I’m not gonna ask that je–”

Yuriko gasped, clapping her hand on her brother’s arm. “Yuuto! Don’t say it!”

“Fuck!” Yuuto tensed under Yuriko’s touch, and she let go of him. “Sorry… It’s just… damn those bloo– Vampires. I still don’t like them…”

“Azusa-kun is right here…” Yuriko whispered.

“It is okay… Yuriko-chan… I know that… Christina, Justin and Melissa… will always… love me…” 

Yuuto mumbled something, but Yuriko poked him between his ribs and left him alone with the frying pan, roaming toward Azusa. She had always wondered who these three friends of his were, for she had never seen them but Azusa had mentioned them often. Since he had been kind enough to bring her here, she should make an effort to get to know him better.

Leaning her bottom on the kitchen drawers, Yuriko smiled at the Vampire. “Say… Azusa-kun… umh… about Christina-san, Justin-san and Melissa-san…”

“Yes, Yuriko-chan?” Suddenly sparkly eyes glanced at the young Kitsune woman. Azusa held the knife firmly in one of his hands while nicely cut carrots occupied the chopping board with pieces of onion. There was still one potato waiting to be worked on.

“These friends of yours… Can I meet them one day?” Yuriko tilted her head, and her curls tickled her cheek. 

If there had been sparkles in Azusa’s eyes before, now they truly lit up as if he had been waiting for this question all along. To Yuriko’s surprise, he put the knife away and started to roll up his sleeve, revealing his slender arm full of faded… Were those scars?

Azusa drew his finger along his arm. “This here is Justin…” He glanced at Yuriko and continued. “This is Christina… and this…” Azusa gasped. “Melissa… is… almost gone… I must do… something…”

Before Yuriko had time to react, Azusa had grabbed the kitchen knife again, running the blade over the barely visible scar. Crimson elixir poured on his white skin.

“Oh my gosh! Azusa-kun!”

“Fuck! Stop that shit!” Yuuto was on Yuriko’s side within a second, snatching Azusa by his wrist and forcing his hand up. Azusa fought back.

“Please… Yuuto-san… stab me…”

“Fuckin’ hell I’d do that! Now, gimme the damn knife!” Yuuto’s words made Azusa release his grip of the knife that Yuuto caught.

Yuriko whimpered, pushing closer. “Yuuto, please, don’t!”

“Huh? I ain’t gonna stab him!” Yuuto pressed the knife into Yuriko’s hands without letting go of Azusa. “What the hell is wrong with you?! You ain’t doin’ such shit in front of Sis, you hear me?!”

“Squeeze… harder… Yuuto-san…” Azusa sounded almost happy, making Yuuto’s eyes widen as Yuriko simply stared at the view. “Ruki said… I can’t ask… Yuriko-chan… but he didn’t say… I can’t ask you… to hurt me.”

Swallowing, Yuriko tossed the knife on the cutting board and took support from the counter. She didn’t understand what was going on with Azusa. Why had he cut his own arm? That must have hurt so badly, and now there was blood slithering down his arm, soaking his shirt. This was terrible. Yuriko clenched her fingers against the edge of the counter as the kitchen swayed before her. She was gasping for air, almost panting. She didn’t want to lose yet another family member. Azusa shouldn’t cut himself; he could hit a critical place and then… and then…

“Fuck! Sis! Breathe!” Yuuto snatched Yuriko by her upper arms, swinging her slightly.

“Is… she enjoying so much… that she is… out of breath?” Azusa’s face appeared closer. Two pairs of eyes stared at Yuriko, one worried, the other curious. 

“I… I… can’t lose more people…” Yuriko trembled. Yuuto pulled her closer, enveloping her with his arms. For a while, there was complete silence in the kitchen as he stroked her back, swaying her back and forth.

“No one’s gonna leave you… It was just an accident.” Yuuto’s speech was mumbling against Yuriko’s hair.

“Yuuto-san… the meat…” Azusa said behind the siblings.

“FUCK!” Yuuto released Yuriko and dashed toward the stove, lifting the pan from it, and shutting down the gas. The smell of burning danced in the air when Yuriko tried to steady her breathing. 

“Yuriko-chan…” Azusa touched on Yuriko’s shoulder.

Blinking tears from her eyes, Yuriko gaped. Azusa’s skin would heal… He wouldn’t go away because of a single wound. He was a Vampire after all; there was no reason to worry. Everything was alright. They were all safe.

“You okay?” Yuuto patted Yuriko’s head and waited until she nodded. “Listen, Sis. I’m gonna need your help. You know how to do this… So, it’s your task now to finish that dish. I’m gonna patch Azusa up in the meantime. Can you cook?”

Yuriko nodded again. “I… I… can.”

“Cool.” Yuuto grinned, turning around, and taking hold of Azusa’s arm. “You, with me.” Without further explanation, he walked the Vampire toward the bathroom. Yuriko was left alone in the kitchen, and it took a moment before she could cut the potato and start cooking again.

Yuriko poked her portion with the spoon. The atmosphere had changed after Azusa’s incident. It was clear that the Vampire wasn’t truly happy that Yuuto had wrapped a new bandage around his arm, securing the fresh wound under it. Yuriko wondered if she should tell Ruki about this later… but he probably already knew that Azusa might do something like this. At least it had sounded like that if Azusa wasn’t allowed to ask her to stab him.

Who would think such a thing beforehand without a reason? Yes, Ruki must already be aware that something like this could happen.

Shaking her head, Yuriko finally tasted the meal. Spices tickled on her tongue. She had added a bit too much but couldn’t be helped now.

“Yuuto-san… do you have… shichimi or chili?” Azusa looked at the Kitsune as if nothing had been up earlier.

Yuriko gaped. “But… but… there’s so much spice already…”

Azusa shook his head. “I could… add some more…” 

“Haa… just a moment.” Yuuto rose from the table and went to get the chili. He placed the tiny jar in front of Azusa who gladly took it. It was almost disturbing how much of it he poured over his rice and curry sauce. 

Yuriko turned her head and decided it was time to sail to the safer waters. Hopefully safer. “Yuuto… say… were you the only one with the white hair in the village?”

Yuuto was just about to push the spoon into his mouth but now lowered his hand. “Yeah. Why?”

“Umh… I wonder what they look like as foxes then?”

“Usually, the color of their fur is close to their hair. Like you and me.” Yuuto tasted the food and smiled. “Damn, this is good! You really know how to cook.”

“It’s just a simple dish.” Yuriko waved her hand hastily but couldn’t hide her smile. Still, her mind was wandering. “Are… are there other white foxes then?”

Yuuto shrugged. “Within the Yako, white’s a rare color. It occurs at times, like in our family apparently. It’s more common with the Zenko but even many of them have other fur colors too.”

“The Zenko?”

“The Kitsune in the Human World. All they do is cause trouble, so stay away from them. They kidnap the Yako children… I was in a rescue party at some point for gettin’ them back.” Yuuto frowned and explained how the Yako already had problems because the Vampires hunted their females and then the Zenko had made the situation even worse by taking some young vixens. It had been a constant fight and Yuuto had worked to get them back a few years ago. “But then Grandpa told me not to go to the Human World anymore. I did other jobs after that.”

Yuriko nodded. So, the fox she had seen could have been a Zenko. But the fox had only watched. And Yuriko was constantly with the Mukamis. So, there was no reason to worry about this matter, right?

Eating her food, Yuriko listened to the talk. Something felt off but she couldn’t quite put her finger into it. Maybe it was just because there was so much new information. Half a year ago she hadn’t known anything about the Kitsune aside from the folklore tales and now living as one had become her reality. Yet, all this talk about the Yako and the Zenko only sounded confusing. 

“Umh… why… the Yako are living in the Demon World and the Zenko in the Human World?” Yuriko pondered between spoonfuls of rice. “I mean… they are all Kitsune. Why fight? They could just get along and live in peace.”

“The Zenko took over the Kitsune Realms in ancient times and chased the Yako out there. The Founders gave the Yako a new realm, so that’s why…”

“Eh? Shin and Carla-san did that?” Yuriko blinked. “Just when…?”

“Dunno. But it was probably their parents… I mean, those jerks are surely ancient but not that ancient.” Yuuto emptied his plate, starting to fill it again with rice and sauce. “Anyway, the First Bloods were away for the longest time. I only saw them comin’ this year. Suddenly, they walked in and said they’d renew the old vows. Whatever that means. It didn’t change a shit for me. But Grandpa was all ‘Carla-sama’, ‘Shin-sama’, beggin’ for their attention… disgustin’. For me, they’re the same blood-suckin’ scum as —”

“Yuuto!” Yuriko glared at Yuuto and then glanced at Azusa, but the Vampire was focused on eating his portion in silence and didn’t seem even to listen to the siblings’ conversation. “Yuuto… Shin is my friend and he helped me to save you. He made Grandpa give your star pearl back. We… we should be grateful.”

“Yeah… yeah…” Yuuto sighed. “You surely have been busy making such friends. Vampires, Founders… What else?”

“Umh… zombies but humans too.” Yuriko pushed the last spoonful into her mouth. This could be a good chance to mention Nalia. “Actually… one of my friends would like to meet you.”

“Huh? Why?” Yuuto frowned again. “I don’t have time for silly little teen vixens.”

“Hmph, my friends aren’t silly little teen vixens!” Yuriko shoved her plate aside and started to search for her phone. “Besides, you have all the time. And she isn’t a teen or even a fox. She’s a nice human.” 

Yuriko put her phone on the table and tapped Nalia’s picture on the screen, turning the phone to face Yuuto. “She’s around your age and I can assure you she’s good company. She is looking for friends, so…” 

“Haa… dunno… I shouldn’t mess up with people. Humans. There’s enough shit goin’ on without.” Yuuto shrugged but picked up the phone, staring at the photo. “Red hair and green eyes, huh? She’s a foreigner, right?”

“Mhm. Her last name is Wagner, so yes, I think she is.” Yuriko realized that she still hadn’t asked where Nalia was from. She totally should do that —

“Nalia-san… is probably from… Germany then…” Azusa said, smiling over his plate. “Wagner is… a German name.”

“See? Nalia is a pretty human lady from Germany, and she’s interested in meeting you.” Yuriko beamed at Yuuto, wondering how Azusa knew about German names. He didn’t strike her as a person who had knowledge like that, more like Ruki could have said it. But maybe there was more in Azusa than met the eye.

“Dunno…” Yuuto sighed, starting to eat his second portion.

Yuriko leaned in, putting on the best pleading face she could manage. She stared at Yuuto with wide eyes and smiled. “Please? It would make me happy.”

“Haa… You ain’t throwin’ me with such lil’ sis’ stuff! Not a fair game!” But no matter how annoyed Yuuto tried to look, a chuckle escaped him. He lifted his free hand and ruffled Yuriko’s hair. “Fine, I’ll meet her. Tell her to come to that park nearby.”

When Yuriko had put her shoes back on and was ready to step out of Yuuto’s apartment, he grabbed her arm and nodded toward the door. “You sure it’s okay to go alone with him?” 

Glancing at the door, Yuriko frowned. Azusa was waiting for her behind it, but she was aware that he could hear them. She placed her hand over Yuuto’s and pushed to remove it from her arm. “I’m sure… don’t worry, Yuuto. I have lived with them for a while now. Neither of them is hurting me or anything like that.”

“He seems… unstable.” Yuuto sighed. “Look, I’ve seen shitty things. Some people just lose it if too much happens. Dontcha be too near to him when… Haa… if things start to go south.”

“Really, Yuuto?” Yuriko placed her hands on her hips and stared at her brother. “You… you and me… have gone through lots of bad stuff too. We… should get others a chance to prove themselves before judging.”

“He pretty much proved himself today…” Yuuto turned his gaze to the wall. “You’re much more stubborn than a little sister should be. You should listen to me more.”

“I… I… start to listen when you… umh… start to make sense.” Yuriko wanted to kick something. As much as she enjoyed having a brother, she wished that Yuuto didn’t butt in her decisions constantly. It had been enough that she had tried to be good for mother and fath– Keisuke. That hadn’t mattered in the least. Now, she would do as she wished. She would keep the happiness that had been handed to her. Even if she needed to fight for it.

“Hmph, vixens should always do as foxes are telling them…”

This again? Yuriko glared at Yuuto. That was the stupidest reason he could come up with, especially since he had learned it from their relatives who had kept him against his will in the Demon World for years.

“Maybe you should reconsider that. You wanted out of there… Now, you should play by the rules of this realm.” Why couldn’t Yuuto understand? Yuriko had imagined how they would do fun things together, how she would finally have a family member who supported her… but she had gotten an overly protective douchebag of a brother who couldn’t accept how she was living her life. “I… I… will go now. I’ll visit you again later. Maybe with Ruki that time. See you later, Yuuto.”

This time Yuriko was allowed to step out. She pressed the door shut behind her and took a deep breath. The sweltering and moist afternoon air slithered into her lungs while enveloping every inch of her skin, making her feel instantly sweaty. It hadn’t been this bad last summer… or any summer before but this year the heat was really a bother.

The walk through the city did not feel any better since the sun was scorching from above. Yuriko was relieved when they finally stepped into the park which had at least some shadows. She hurried under the trees. Maybe they should have used the limousine, but she had insisted on walking since she wasn’t allowed to go jogging in the woods while Ruki was away.

“Are you… sad, Yuriko-chan?” Azusa’s words took Yuriko aback. She glanced at the Vampire next to her, shaking her head.

“Umh… no, Azusa-kun. I simply wish that Yuuto would see how good people you all are.”

“Good… people…?” It almost looked like Azusa couldn’t quite understand what Yuriko meant. “But… are you… missing Ruki now?”

Yuriko turned her gaze to the path they were walking. Going through here would take them into the forest but perhaps that was for the best. Surely, it was less sweaty there. “I’m looking forward to him coming home, yes. And I hope everything is alright with Karlheinz-sama.”

“The Vampire king?!” The voice bounced behind the trees at the same time as a white-grey head peeked out. Amber-yellow eyes pierced Yuriko but they seemed friendly.

Within seconds, Azusa had moved in front of Yuriko. A young man stepped out, scratching his head, and laughing like he was nervous. He was only a little taller than Yuriko. She was pretty sure they must be around the same age. But the most interesting detail arrived when the wind shifted and made the scent of the man waft toward Yuriko and Azusa.

A Kitsune. Without a doubt. He smelled like Yuuto, yet a bit different. In a similar manner, the Vampires had a distinguished scent but each of them was still unique. 

Yuuto said that white fur is rare for the Yako… So, does it mean that this man is… What was the other name? Yuriko shifted, trying to see better behind Azusa.

“You are… a fox person…” Azusa lifted his hand to prevent Yuriko from dashing in front of him. 

“Yeah, I surely am.” The Kitsune grinned, flashing his canines, and ruffled his hair. “The cutest fox in the city… Though… Now, I’m not sure anymore. You have such a cutie there~”

“Emh… How do you know that I am…?” Yuriko placed her hand on Azusa’s shoulder but stayed put.

“Easy! My brother and I saw you in the cafe before… and that smell of yours. Though, there’s so much Vampire in it too.” The Kitsune stopped for a moment, moving a bit closer. “Now, it makes sense. You sure hang out with these Vampires a lot. Such a cool vixen you are! I hope the blond one didn’t give you real trouble… For a moment I wanted to jump in there but Toshi-nii said it would be too dangerous…”

Just how much did this young man talk? Yuriko tried to keep at his pace and absorb every word. Suddenly, it dawned on her. The two white-haired men in the cafe and later in the street when she had talked with Kou! 

And in the library too. But it wasn’t this man… So… probably this Toshi-san he mentioned…

“Yuriko-chan… we must go…” Azusa took Yuriko’s arm and started to pull her along the path, making sure he was in between her and the Kitsune.

“But… but… He seems like a good person!” Yuriko glanced back. 

“I am a cute person!” The man waved his hand. “Kozima Toru is the name! I’m happy to meet a new vixen in the city, but I can see you’re busy now. Let’s talk more later~ Maybe after the mating season is over!”

Kozima Toru? Yuriko glanced back again but the Kitsune had disappeared. The name didn’t ring any bells to her but at least it wasn’t Nakamura, her grandpa’s family name. Perhaps her grandfather had not sent this man after her. Men. The first time, there had been two of them.  But then… They were tailing her on their own? That didn’t seem alright either, and Yuriko was sure Ruki wouldn’t like the news. Yet, she also knew it was better to tell him when he would come back home. Keeping secrets wouldn’t do any good, right?

[virtie333]

Day 15 - Life Day Damerey Celebration

Prompt: Children

Summary: Kids say the darndest things...

Notes: Another Modern AU. I used the names of Rey and Poe's kids from My Best Friend's Weddings, but I put them in a small town instead of the small city they were in that story.

Not gonna lie, this is one of my favorites from this series!

AO3

Poe rubbed his eyes and sighed heavily. He was so tired. It had been a super busy week at work and he had been looking forward to the weekend, but here it was eight o’clock on Friday and he was sitting in the waiting room of the only Urgent Care clinic in Jakku, trying his best to keep his three-year-old son Seth occupied while they waited for his seven-year-old daughter Leia to be seen.

Rey was sitting next to him with Leia curled up on her lap. The little girl had cut herself severely on an old saw that had been in the shed. Her arm was wrapped up tightly in a makeshift bandage and her tears were mostly dry, but she still sniffled from time to time. She had taken it upon herself to ‘borrow’ the saw and cut down a tiny little pine down by the lake shore, so she could have her own little Christmas tree in her treehouse. She knew she had been naughty, and that on top of the injury was what had made her cry. At the moment, Poe and Rey were not mad, just scared. Her discipline, Poe thought, would be getting stitches.

The facility was busy on this cold December night, and while Leia was content to sit on her mom’s lap, Seth was getting tired and bored. Poe had read to him, tried to get him to watch the TV (it was the Weather Channel; not the most exciting of viewing choices), and had taken him outside more than once to walk around until they got too cold. The desk nurse had just informed them that a doctor would be available soon.

Poe leaned over to Rey. “I’m gonna pee quick,” he whispered.

Rey nodded, but otherwise barely acknowledged him. She looked as tired as he felt.

“Come on, bud,” he told Seth. As wired as the child was, he didn’t want to leave him with Rey and his sister; Rey’s focus needed to stay on Leia at the moment. He picked his son up and headed for the door of the tiny bathroom that sat just before the hall to the exam rooms. Small towns, small waiting rooms, small medical facilities.

He put Seth down and carefully locked the door behind them; he wasn’t about to have Seth open the door while his pants were open. “Do you need to pee?” he asked his son softly, knowing there were people close on the other side of the door. Might as well kill two birds with one stone.

Seth shook his head, then proceeded to spin around in a circle. Suddenly, while Poe was about mid-stream, he stopped and stared at Poe’s cock. “Daddy, your willy is huge!” he practically shouted.

Poe grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut, feeling his face heat. There was no way that hadn’t been heard in the waiting room. He finished, zipped himself up and moved to wash his hands. Seth, of course, wanted to wash his hands, too. Finally, he took a deep breath, took his son’s hand, and exited the bathroom.

Poe kept his eyes forward, intentionally not looking at anyone, but he was pretty positive a few eyes were on him. He walked over to Rey, who still sat with Leia on her lap, looking no different than when he left. Except for the tiny smile on her lips.

He sat and pulled Seth onto his lap. His son finally seemed to be getting sleepy enough to settle, and Poe happily let the boy lay against his chest. They sat silently for a while until a nurse came down from the exam rooms. “Dameron?” she asked.

Rey and Poe both stood, Rey setting Leia back on her feet, and they headed for the nurse.

But as they did so, Rey nudged Poe and said with a smile, “He’s not wrong.”

Poe’s face heated once again as more than one person laughed.

[royalwriteroftheuniverse]

Thanksgiving with Chris and Co. For the first time (choose your own Chris)

Warnings none its fluff shes nervous.I dont specifically mention names of his family members cause you can choose your own Chris I think most Hollywood Chris’ have sisters, but is just say kids and sisters but its just her meeting “his” family for the first time. I just used my favorite Chris ‘ photo

COMMENTS appreciated!! So are Rebologs . No permission to translate republish or print

My family isn't one for Thanksgiving.

So once Chris heard that he, very quickly invited me to celebrate with him and by invited I mean he was slightly pushy and by slightly pushy I mean he insisted I go and before I knew it there was a plane ticket in my inbox and me without a viable excuse . Chris and his stupid picking me up in a private yet so I can't claim to many people and covid exposure. Damn that man for knowing me so well.

When he saw me he had this sweet but smug smile with his hands out read or a hug. I put my grumbles pouty face on that I could bitin the inside of my mouth so I wouldn't break it as we both often break into smiles seeing eachother.

I passed him but he had brought me into a hug anyway.

"Hey baby" he wispered even though it was the two of us and I know there's a steward or two somewhere but they weren't around.

"Aww why so grumpy? Someone needs a kiss."

I roll my eyes. And somehow my grumpy pout had disappeared but I put it back on.

"Really?" He deadpanned.

"I'm just nervous"

"They're gunna love you."

"Chris i bet you say that to every girl you dated."

"Whats your point thats my job as a boyfriend to be reassuring."

"Great thankks."

"No I mean it though. You're sweet you eat more than a carrots so you've got my moms heart right there. You're great with kids. You can drink my weight in vidka,"

I giggled if only he knew half my shots in bars were water a little deal I work out with the bartenders when Chris and I first started dating I was worried I couldn't keep up with him.

"Yea but I'm better with kids I'd rather color then I dont know people my own age always hate me."

"I dont hate you."

"You're like 5 years older. Doesn't count."

"Sweetie if i didn't think everyone would get along I wouldn't have introduced you during Thanksgiving ok? " he stroaks my face as he helps me buckle in.

"Ok."

He gives me nose a small kiss which I can't help but smile and giggle.

After a nap a few kisses and a bad movie called "before we go" idk if you've heard of it "Ugh love sick dude no one looks that handsome must be prosthetics." I complained with a smile. I got a kiss in return "so you agree "

We get there and then we're getting out if the car to the front door i breathed in

"Ok I can't do this I this is a bad Idea ill just ill feel more comfortable at your house seriously I'm used to spending Thanksgiving like its just a Sunday and"

"Hi come on in" his mothers bright voice greets us and me by name.

I'm a bit shocked but Chris looked amused,

"Come in come in. Christopher take her coat. Ylu can wash your hands in the sink in the kitchen or the bathroom."

I look at Chris.

"I may have told them a bit about you."

Oh god what else did he say?

"Its a good idea honey. " she says.n

I wash my hands and try to calm myself and I walk into Chris when I open the door.

"You ok?"

"Yea just nervous. Really nervous."

"Come on," he offers his hand. "Dont be mad."

Oh god I wanted to throw up

"Oh god."

"No I just said you were nervous."

But they were really nice his they even asked if they could give me a hug. The kids ran towards Chris and then introduced me with someone asking Chris if I was a princess cause I was really pretty. I only knew that because Chris said

"You're are so right she is a princess and not just because she is pretty. But she is pretty isn’t she.”

Damn that man. I couldn’t help but smile. Evil. he’s evil.

The kids were tugging for us to color something I was perfectly comfortable with. To be honest it seemed like me and Chris were the ones acting like toddlers and stealing each others crayons.

One if his sisters brought over some snacks for the kids.

"You know you don't have to color right?"

"Its ok. I like it and I get to spend time with Chris and Chris gets to spend time with them and frankly kids are less intimidating."

I really need to shut up.

"Not that you're intimidating or your familt is just i just need to shut up."

"Its ok" his sister a studied me.

Not too long after an argument came about when two of the kids wanted the same color and then Chris had taken it to use to settle it which made it worse.

"Can you two share?" I asked calmly

They both said yes but both wanted it right now.

How about we split the crayon in half and you both can use it now?

They both thought for a moment and agreed. I easily split in half and sharpened both sides. Both kids were happy.

Change in P.O.V. 3rd person

Chris had been watching her in awe able to settle an argument that has left the two cousins arguing and in tears before, with a simple flick of the wrist. God he wanted to kiss her. He slid her half on his lap and kissed her on her cheek as the kids ewwwd Chris stuck his tongue out.

"Chris" she slapped his chest.

She had no idea his family had been watching until later on no other girlfriend of his was this well with kids or this calm with them. Or eatting cookies.

"Lets go outside hm" he wislered in her ear.

"K"

"Behave you two"

"You too Uncle Chris." One of the boys fired off. "I think you have an admirer" Chris said as they were walking to go out to the backyard.

"Well he has to get in line." She laughed.

When they got outside he pulled her into him surprisingly quick.

"That was so sexy" he gave her a a sweet but almost needy kiss.

"Chris I solved an argument between two kids."

"Yea but"

"While you made things worse." He rolled his eyes.

"You doing ok though?"

"Yea." She smiled and Chris' hart should be pounding from thr love he felt because she always took his breath away but it was so at ease with her. They were outside kissing for a little while and giggling like teenagers until they were interrupted.

One of the boys, he one who was obvious about his crush.

"Grandma say dinner is ready."

Chris sighed in disappoint.

"Ok"i rolled my eyes at my big baby of a boyfriend.

Chris tried to lead me inside but was stopped by the boy

"Ladies first."

"Why thank you young man. Nice to know someone in this family has manners." She winks at Chris.

After she and Chris wash up which ends up in some water flicks and giggles, he is playful anyway but had done everything at every moment to make sure she was relaxed and calm plus that smile of her was his favorite in the world second only to her giggle and slight snore as she slept.

They went to the table, while she took a seat the little boy sneaked under Chris arm and sat down.

"Well excuse me where did you come from."

"My mommy." Everyone laughed.

"And where am I supposed to sit young man?"

"Theres a spot at the kids table."

Which gave way to more laughter.

"Ookay you" Chris easily picks him up and put him down at the kids table as his girlfriend says,

"Nice to know I have options if me and Chris don't work out."

"Sweetheart you are not getting rid of me that easily." Chris said as he sat down.

"Oh ye of little faith."

There was easy laughter which set the scene for a an easy comfortable dinner.

At one point Chris mother asked for his help getting more rolls out from the oven.

"I love her Ma." He said the minute he stepped through the kitchen door.

"I know I've said I love girls before but its slightly different with her."

"I personally love how she eats like a normal person honey."

Chris chuckles "I told her you'd think that."

"But I love how happy she makes you. Your eyes are brighter. Then they have been in a long time."

"I need some help picking out rings." He said it like it was the weather but his stomach was churning.

"Well I'm sure one of your sisters can occupy her one day so the rest of us can go "

"Thanks Ma."

"I should be thanking her you seem happier and healthier than I can remember. But don't wait to long you've got some competion."

His mother moves the door slightly to point to the table and the little boy who took his chair.

He goes in the other room shaking his head "I am not even gone for 5 minutes and you're moving on."

"I did nothing he sat here."

"Young man don't make me wrestle."

"Please uncle Chris we both know I can take you." In a as-a-matter-of-fact tone. Chris had always let his neices and nephews win.

"I hate to break it to you buddy but she likes to kiss."

"Ew."

"Christopher" hwr face went bright red.

"Honey it's just the truth."

Chris clears his throat.

"Do I have to move you again?"

The little boy rolls his eyes "ill be back darling." And jumped down to the kids table.

"Oy" she said dropping her head Chris takes his pointer and moves her head up to give her a kiss.

"I am only staking my claim maiking sur when knows you are mine "

"Staking your claim? Yours hu? I don't see a ring on this finger Christopher."

She laugh little did she know what Chris was planning.

After dinner and desert they dtay the night as it was late and the roads a bit slick.

It was a snug fit in his single bed which Chris was so happy about. He loved holding onto her as she slept.

"You enjoy yourself?"

"Yea it wasnt as scary as I thought."

"You're family is really nice."

"They think you're sweet. And nice and beautiful and that I am lucky to have found you."

There was a knock in the door. It was late "who is it?"

It was that little nephew of chris'

"I think its for yiu" he teased.

The little boy handed over a picture he drew of her an adorable portrait

"This is so beautiful thank you."

"Let me know if he gets mean or grumpy."

"I will. Now go to sleep."

"Ok" he cherps.m.

She closes the door.

"Jeezy I went from favorite uncle to public enemy number 1."

She closed the door

"He is too cute."

"I think I'm going to have to have a talk with him."

"Just dont give him nightmares ok baby."

"Never." But he was going to make sure he knew who was your number 1 and two. Him and dodger hopefully in that order.

"So what do you want to watch. "

"Anything"

"Penu-"

"No"

"You said anything." He puts it on

"Besides," he gives her a kiss "I think you-" he kisses her before he finishes the sentance and is partcillay forgotten until they get too tired to kiss.

"I love you" she said nuzzling thier noses.

"I love you too" he leanes up to kiss her forehead then her nose then her lips.

"Don't start that again."

She can feel him smile against her lips.

"I dont know what you mean?"

"Hmhm. Promise you won't let me fall of the bed?"

He gripped on her hip a little more as well as the clothing underneath his hanth."

"Don't worry ill never let you go. I love you too much."

The two of them slept very peice fully next to eachother him holding her and thier smiling lips close enough that once in a while one gave the other a kiss in thier sleep .

Ahe had no idea that next year this time she'd be Mrs. Evans as Chris didnt want to wait too long and very thankful her mother-in-law would insist on hosting. But right now they just slept so peaceful in eachothers arms even his siblings who came into wake them for breakfast couldn't help but aww and then they kinda all gathered.. But, that didn't stop them from taking a few pictures- no one could deny the two of them were so in love.

@nana1000night @sapphire-rogers @patzammit @sparklybarbarianninja @hawkeyes-queen

Taglist

[dogwatch05]

Human: The Space Dog Bonus Lore 1

The recent chapters haven't exactly been the most happy for our dear Human, so I figured that I would write some bonus lore of him being happy at home. Enjoy.

I stretched my back as I sat up, every bone in my body cracking and complaining as I looked around. Taylor hadn't come back with the kids yet and it was already 16:30.

"Might as well start dinner." I said to myself, getting up off the couch and heading to the kitchen. Dinner tonight was a family favorite. Southwestern eggrolls. Chicken cooked in taco seasoning, spinach, corn, tomato, black beans, and pepper jack cheese all rolled up in a tortilla and warmed in a skillet with coconut oil to crisp the bottom and top to a golden brown.

As I prepped dinner, I wondered when my family was going to come home. They had spent the day at Taylor's mom's and I had slept in as I had just gotten off a long trip on an oil rig yesterday evening.

With everything prepped and the skillet warming up on low heat, I turned on the TV to the news and sat on the couch. My dog, an elderly husky named Luna, jumped up on the couch next to me and licked my neck while we waited for everyone to come home.

Twenty minutes later I heard the door knob rattling as it was being unlocked and my two children came dashing through the door and leapt into my arms.

"Daddy!" They both cried as they clung on tight to my neck. I hugged them both tightly as I smirked at my wife and sent them off to wash up for dinner.

I got up and walked over to Taylor. "Hello Dearest," I said as I approached her. "How was your day?"

"Just fine. The kids had a blast and Mom said to tell you that she's glad you're back."

I smiled at her and told her that dinner was ready. It just needed to be warmed up.

While the kids were cleaning up, I stuffed and cooked 6 eggrolls. Once the kids were ready we all sat around the table, said grace, and dug in with gusto.

Taylor and I cleaned the table and did the dishes while the children played with Luna. We moved to the living room and watched the children until their bedtime arrived and grudgingly, we got up off the couch to put them to bed.

Hugs, kisses, bedtime story, more hugs and kisses, a bathroom run, a water run, and one last round of hugs and kisses later, the kids were all settled down and sleeping soundly.

As we were sitting on the couch, I grinned at Taylor mischievously. She glanced at me and grinned. "What? What do you want? What's with that look?"

"Oh nothing serious, My lady."

I stood up and held out my hand to her. She took my hand still grinning at me. "Now what" she asked. I grinned back at her and started singing.

"So when you're near me, darling Can't you hear me, S.O.S.? The love you gave me Nothing else can save me, S.O.S."

Taylor laughed, a full delighted belly laugh.

I continued:

"When you're gone, how can I even try to go on? When you're gone, though I try, how can I carry on?"

Taylor responded:

"You seemed so far away, though you were standing near You made me feel alive, but something died, I fear I really tried to make it up, I wish I understood What happened to our love? It used to be so good"

I spun Taylor around in a circle and we danced around the living room, laughing at Luna's attempts to try and join us. We sung the last part of the song together laughing the whole time.

"So when you're near me, darling Can't you hear me, S.O.S.? The love you gave me Nothing else can save me, S.O.S.

When you're gone, how can I even try to go on? When you're gone, though I try, how can I carry on?

When you're gone, how can I even try to go on? When you're gone, though I try, how can I carry on?"

We waltzed around the living room, our heads resting on each other's shoulder, living in the moment and not worrying about the past or the future.

"I'm glad you're home." Taylor whispered to me.

"Me too." I responded

[adarafaelbarba]

Mistletoe

Who’s is who: Christopher, Rachel and Henrietta - Gina. Mia and Harry - Theresa. Sylvie, Colin and Marcus - Bella.

“Detective y/l/n? Someone’s here to see you.” Garry at the front desk said.

Telling him you would be right down, you told Fin you’d be right back.

Down in the lobby Garry pointed you towards the woman sitting in a chair and you recognized her right away. 

“Mia? Hey, everything okay?”

She came over to you, and the two of you shared a quick hug.

«Hey, yeah, all good. I just—you told me to come to you if I ever needed. And I wanted to ask you a favor, if you’re free.»

You motioned for her to sit and to go on. 

«I was hoping you would help me watch my siblings and cousins this weekend. Do a bit of Christmas baking? Make some cards? We could help you decorate too if you’ve not started.»

A smile crossed your face as you listened to her.

«Did you aunts and mom ask you to watch them again?»

She nodded, blushing. 

«I’ve already decorated, but I would love to have you all over. We could bake and then watch some Christmas movies?»

You’d never seen her so relieved in the short time you’d known her, and it made you smile wide.

«Please! That would be so great. I owe you!»

«Nah, I love hanging out with you guys.»

…

Saturday came soon enough and you went with Mia to pick everyone up. Much to the delight of the moms.

Gina in particular practically threw her youngest children at you. «You’re both stars for doing this!»

With the youngest of the flock strapped to your chest, and the eldest holding one kid each by the hand, you all made it back to your Manhattan apartment where everything had been prepared for the arrival.

They all got an apron on, to salvage their clothes, and later on your furniture, and then set to work. The youngest got to make some of the shapes. Mia, Christopher, Rachel and Harry were in charge of doing cutting and the oven, with strict instructions of being careful from the two eldest. 

Soft music played in the background as you all did your bit. You mostly looked over, making sure everything was okay, holding Marcus who dozed off every now and then.

«y/n, are you going to be our new auntie?» Henrietta asked, looking at you with wondering eyes. 

Everyone’s eyes fell on you.

«What makes you ask that Hen?» You hand pushing some of her curls off her face.

«You’re dating uncle Sonny—»

Henrietta’s older brother Christopher quickly jumped in, «They’re not dating Hen—»

«He just has a crush on her.» Sylvie said, as if it was obvious.

Mia and Christopher looked at you with an apologetic face.

Just then there was a knock at the door.

Rachel quickly dried her hands and ran to open. «Uncle Sonny?!»

«Whatcha doin here Rach?» He asked, sounding confused.

«We’re baking.»

She appeared with Sonny in the kitchen not too long after, and everyone cheered, while you tried to cover Marcus’ ears to keep him sleeping. 

«You’re all here—». His eyes landing on you, holding his sleeping nephew. «Need any help, y/l/n?» 

«Maybe help them get washed and ready for the movie. Mia, do you mind helping me with the popcorn and hot chocolate?»

She agreed, and you sent the others to the bathroom to get washed.

Sonny had tried taking Marcus from you, but the little boy had just held on around your neck, so there you stood, stirring the content in the pot with one hand while Mia handled the popcorn.

«He does like you though. Talks about you a lot.» She confessed, looking to you.

«Does he?» She nodded, and it made you blush.

You had been harboring a crush on him since you joined SVU a year ago. Looking for any excuse to swing by his office at the DA’s office. But you’d always thought it was one-sided.

…

Soon enough everyone was sat in the living room, either on one of the couches or on the floor.

You’d gone back to pick up a plate of the cookies you’d made when you noticed Sonny standing in the archway separating the living room from the kitchen. And that’s when you finally noticed it, the mistletoe Grace had hung up cause «You never know, you might get lucky.»

He looked up when he saw your eyes locked to it. Both frozen for a bit before you decided to at least just kiss his cheek.

«Detective?» He sounded surprised again when you placed the plate on the counter behind you. You then grabbed his shoulder to steady yourself and leaning up to kiss his cheek.

Leaning back to look at him, he cupped your face in his hands, leaning in to kiss you.

It was short and soft, but it was everything. And you felt your head was spinning.

«Maybe we can talk about this after the kids are all home?» You suggested, feeling Marcus stirr in your arms, finally finished with his nap.

«Yeah. I’d like that.» He dipped in to steal one more kiss before grabbing the plate and walking into the living room with you.

~~~

Tagging:

@thatesqcrush @storiesofsvu @plaidbooks @beccabarba @itsjustmyfantasyroom @detective-giggles @appletreesinwinter @misscharlielulu @cycat4077 @alwaysachorusgirl @im-just-a-mississippi-girl @bisexual-dreamer02 @xoxabs88xox @beatrice-san @meetmeatyourworst @bullet-prooflove

[misty720]

True Love - Ch4: 

Another late night and Chara was already asleep with Kabel in their bed this time.   Papyrus entered to find a plate for him in the fridge, but he was so exhausted that he just wanted water and a shower.  On his way to the bathroom with a change of clothes and a towel he wondered why the hell Serif had a bathroom in his room but he didn't.  Then, he decided that would be their next project.  Speaking of the oldest, by the time Papyrus reached the bottom of the stairs, out walked a half asleep Serif.  "WHAT ARE YOU DOING AWAKE AT THIS HOUR, SON?" he asked with concern.

"I heard you come in and wanted to say goodnight..." Serif yawned.

"NYEH HEH!  GOODNIGHT, MY BOY.  I LOVE YOU, STINKER."  He wrapped his free arm around his oldest who was gaining height on him.

As Serif was sauntering back to his room, he turned back with a grimace that reminded Papyrus way too much of Chara and said, "Hey, Dad...  I don't... feel so great..."

"WELL, SON, YOUR ORDER WAS FOR THREE DOUBLE STACKED HAMBURGERS WITH TOPPINGS, A BASKET OF ONION RINGS, A SIDE OF BROCCOLI CHEDDAR SOUP, AND A SLICE OF MUD PIE WITH EXTRA WHIPPED CREAM AND YOU UNDOUBTEDLY ATE ALL OF IT PLUS WHAT YOUR BROTHER AND SISTER LEFT BEHIND.  I'D SAY YOU-"

"Oh shit!" Serif shouted darting into the bathroom closest to him to throw up.

"I SWEAR IF ONE CATCHES IT THE OTHERS HAVE TO CATCH IT.  HOLD ON, SON.  I'LL BE RIGHT BACK..."  Papa Papyrus was on it with the thermometer, medicine, and a mint-ginger tea because Serif always preferred tea when sick thanks to his aunt Frisk which the other two didn't grow up living with.  "YEP, IT'S A FEVER.  YOU CAUGHT WHATEVER BUG IS GOING AROUND.  I'M SORRY, SON.  IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN GET YOU?"

"No, Dad, I think I'm gonna crawl back to my bathroom so you can shower..."

"HAHA!  YOU CAN STAY IN HERE.  I'LL JUST STEAL YOUR BATHROOM A MOMENT.  I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU IN THE FLOOR THOUGH."

"Sorry about the language earlier..." Serif apologized through a thick voice one had when sick.

"I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT THAT.  I'M WORRIED ABOUT YOU THREE KIDS," Papyrus sat in the side of the tub rubbing Serif's messy waved hair.  Suddenly he sat back up and hit the toilet again.

"Dad?..."

"YES, SON?" Papyrus answered ferfeiting his glass of water so his boy could wash the taste out along with his wash cloth to wipe his face.

"Thanks...  Dad, why couldn't we take after you?...  I hate being sick..."

"LUCK OF THE GENE DRAW, I SUPPOSE.  ARE YOU GOING TO BE ALRIGHT WHILE I WASH WORK OFF OF ME?"

"Yeah...  I'm not my siblings.  I have more wit than that to come knock if something's wrong."

"I'M MORE CONCERNED ABOUT YOU PASSING OUT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO COME GET ONE OF US."

"What is all the noise about down here??" Chara asked coming around the corner from the living room.  "Pap??  Is everything...  Oh no, not you now?!"

"HEY, HONEY.  YEAH, THE STINKY ONE IS NEXT.  CARE TO SIT HERE A MOMENT?  I NEED TO SHOWER," Papyrus greeted her.

"Have you already given him medicine and everything?"

"YES, I JUST DON'T WANT TO LEAVE HIM WHILE HE'S THROWING UP."  Chara felt Serif's forehead to find it was burning hot, sighed, and gave her husband a parting kiss before taking his seat.

"Mom, I'm really okay by myself if you want to go back to bed," Serif groaned.

"I know you are, love.  But, we don't want to leave you alone.  You're still my baby even if you look down at me now.  You'll always be my boy and we'll always want to take care of you.  There will be a time we won't be able to be there and you'll have to do this on your own.  Now is not that time, my love," Chara soothed him best she could handing him his tea to sip.  "Your dad forgot the crackers.  Though... as much as you ate, you might not need them..."

"Mom?... Can you make me broth instead?"

"Of course, love.  I'll be right back."  Once Serif was tucked back in with a bucket by his bed, Chara told him, "Don't try to climb the stairs.  Call my phone and I'll come to you, okay?  I know you're big and think you can do things on your own, and many things you can, but I don't like leaving you alone when you're sick.  Don't sleep on your back either."  Serif nodded and tried to lay down to sleep.  Papyrus kissed his temple after Chara and they headed back upstairs.  Passing the bathroom, Chara stalled.

"ARE YOU ALRIGHT, DEAR?" her husband asked with concern for her this time.

"Actually... Pap... I haven't felt great today...  I don't- Oh shit!" she exclaimed in the same fashion as her son and hit the toilet.

"WELL," Papyrus scoffed, "THERE ARE LESS RUDE WAYS FOR YOU BOTH TO SAY YOU DIDN'T LIKE MY COOKING THAN TO TOSS IT."

"Shut... the hell up... Papyrus..." Chara struggled to joke back with her head in the porcelain.  "Paaap..." she whined tossing the rest of her stomach's contents.

Kneeling down, he felt her forehead to find she was also feverish.  "WOWIE!  YOU'RE HOT, AND NOT IN THE USUAL WAY I MEAN IT.  I'M GOING TO SKIP WORK TOMORROW AND TAKE CARE OF YOU BOTH."

"No... don't... don't worry 'bout me...  I'm fine, I can take care of myself and Serif..."

"NO YOU CANNOT.  LOVE, I KNOW YOU'RE STRONG BUT YOU HAVE ALSO COME DOWN WITH THIS BUG.  BESIDES," he leaned in rubbing her back, "YOU'RE MORE IMPORTANT THAN THAT."

"What about work though?...  They need you..."

"ELODIE CAN HANDLE A DAY BY HERSELF.  THE KITCHEN WILL BE FINE ONE DAY.  I LOVE YOU MORE THAN WORK.  I WOULDN'T HAVE HESITATED TO STAY HOME WITH SYLF OR KABEL EITHER, BUT I KNOW I CAN RELY ON YOU TO TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SO I CAN FOCUS ON MAKING MONEY.  YOU NEED HELP NOW AND THAT'S WHAT I'M HERE FOR.  WE'RE A TEAM HERE AT HOME FIRST, THEN WORK.  REMEMBER?" Payrus assured his wife.

"It's been so long since I've actually needed takin' care of...  I forgot what it was like..."

"EXCUSE YOU.  I TAKE CARE OF YOU ALL THE TIME!"

"I know, Pap.  I was just teasing...  I don't feel well and was trying to take my mind off it."

"OH, I'M SORRY, DEAR.  YOU HANG TIGHT AND I'LL GET YOU MEDICINE, A TOWEL, A WET CLOTH, AND A GINGER-ALE."

"Thank you - I love you..."

"I LOVE YOU, MY DEAR, WITH ALL MY SOUL.  JUST REMEMBER THAT WHEN THINGS ARE ROCKY WITH THE BUSINESS AND WE'RE NOT TOGETHER AS MUCH."  He returned shortly with the promised items and pulled her shoulder length auburn hair out of her face.

"Papa?..." a small voice called from the doorway.  Sylfae had woken up hearing the commotion.

"YES, MINION?" he replied scooping her up to put her back to bed except he decided to put her with Kabel so he wasn't alone if he awoke.  He stepped into the bedroom to see his child had managed to stretch himself across half of the king sized bed.  "WONDERFUL..." he sighed.  "AT LEAST HE'S ASLEEP..."

"Is Momma okay?  Is her tummy bad too?"

"YES, PUMPKIN, MOMMA ISN'T FEELING WELL AND PAPA IS GOING TO TAKE CARE OF HER AND BUBBY.  THEY'RE BOTH ILL TONIGHT WITH THE BUG."

"Is-Is it my fault Momma and bubby are sick?" Sylfae asked tearing up while Papyrus covered her with her blankets.

"SHH... NO, PUMPKIN, NOT AT ALL.  EVERYONE JUST GETS SICK SOMETIMES, EVEN MOMMA," he reassured her.

"You're never sick..."

"MONSTERS DON'T CATCH HUMAN AILMENTS.  WE CAN HAVE DAYS WE DON'T FEEL WELL BUT HUMAN GERMS AND BACTERIA DON'T AFFECT US.  YOU KIDS AREN'T LUCKY IN THAT TO WHICH I AM SORRY.  NOW, LIE DOWN AND SLEEP.  YOU'RE GOING TO SCHOOL TOMORROW WHETHER YOU'RE TIRED OR NOT.  TWO DAYS IS PLENTY TO RECOVER."

"Yes, Papa.  I love you..."

"I LOVE YOU TOO, PUMPKIN.  GOODNIGHT."

"I love you more..."

"I LOVE YOU MORE, AND WE BOTH KNOW I CAN COUNT HIGHER.  SO, CLOSE THOSE PRETTY AMBER-RED EYES AND SLEEP."  Papyrus kissed her cheek and received one in turn before she rolled over and snuggled her favorite stuffed dinosaur that used to be Serif's.  After tucking both little ones in and feeling Kabel's forehead, he then ran back downstairs to check on Serif who was still battling the nausea while cradling the bucket.

"Dad?" Serif cried pitifully from the can.  "Dad, I don't feel good, I feel like crap, I want it to stop," he sobbed like small child as if he were his siblings' age again.  Hearing the distress in his son's voice broke Papyrus's heart.

"I KNOW, SON.  I'M SORRY.  I'M GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT AND TOMORROW, ALRIGHT?  IT'S JUST A TWENTY-FOUR HOUR BUG.  IT WILL PASS, I PROMISE," he comforted the boy wrapping his boned arms gently around his shoulders and petting his crown.  Taking the bucket from him to set aside, Papyrus held his oldest while he cried a moment from just feeling awful.  "HEY, IT'S ALRIGHT.  I DON'T MIND YOU CRYING ON ME IN THE LEAST, BUT IT'S JUST GOING TO UPSET YOUR STOMACH EVEN MORE.  I'M SURE YOU FEEL BAD ENOUGH, SO TRY TO CALM DOWN, OKAY?  CAN YOU DO THAT FOR ME?"  Serif nodded and wiped his eyes on his sleeve but returned to hugging his dad.

"I'm sorry, I'm not used to being sick..."

"I KNOW.  YOU WERE THE HEALTHY ONE OF THE THREE.  BUT, DON'T BE SORRY AT ALL.  EVERYONE IS SICK SOMETIMES; IT'S A PART OF LIFE.  AND, I'M RIGHT HERE, HOWEVER, I DO NEED TO MAKE SURE MOMMA ISN'T DROWING IN THE TOILET."  Serif let him go in exchange for a clean trash can.  Papyrus returned to the bathroom to find Chara curled up on the floor like the children do when they're sick, too afraid to stray from the best receptacle for purging.  No one wanted to deal with the mess of being sick and flushing it away was the easiest clean up.  "WHAT CAN I DO, LOVE?" he asked sitting on the tub wall to pat her.

"Kill me...  please..." Chara groaned.

"NOPE, TRY AGAIN."

"Use some magic to rub my back...  That always feels nice..."

"THAT I CAN DO."  Tentative husband Papyrus lowered himself to the floor and gently massaged her back with a touch of his healing magic.  Had the magic been the kind that would help a virus, he would have cured all of his household.  Unfortunately, his healing was only good for physical damage such as broken bones and cuts or burns.  He did use this trick on all of them to calm them down or bring some kind of comfort.

"How is Serif?"

"DOING ABOUT AS WELL AS YOU, DEAR.  I JUST CHECKED ON HIM AND KABEL AFTER PUTTING MINION BACK TO BED."

"Thank you, Pap...  I can always count on you...  No matter what, even if things aren't going the best... even if I'm feeling like we're drifting apart, you always come back to remind me how much you truly love me and the kids...  I'm sorry I expect so much sometimes..." she started crying too.

"I'M SORRY THINGS HAVEN'T BEEN AS ROMANTIC OR EXCITING AS THEY USED TO BE...  I KNOW I HAVE BEEN SLACKING-"

"No!  No, you are wonderful, Pap.  I'm just still childish when it comes to your attention.  I know you're just trying to provide while also being happy with how you do it.  I understand... I just... miss you sometimes... when it's ten at night and your side of the bed is cold...  I know I can't have you here and working to make a living for us...  I wouldn't mind working to share the burden..."

"I DON'T WANT YOU TO WORK!  YOU TAKE A LOT OF BURDEN OFF BY BEING HERE FOR THE KIDS!  PLUS, THE FIRST TIME ANYONE WAS CROSS WITH YOU OR TALKED TO YOU THEY WAY THEY DO YOUR SISTER, I WOULD GO TO PRISON.  HONEY, I DON'T THINK YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH I MISS YOU AND THE KIDS.  I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE THAN TO BE HOME EVERY NIGHT BY EIGHT, BUT IT'S JUST NOT POSSIBLE TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING AND NOT PROPERLY MANAGE THE RESTAURANT.  I'M TRAINING ELODIE, BUT SHE'S NOT READY YET TO BE ON HER OWN MORE THAN A COUPLE OF DAYS AT A TIME.  IT WILL BE BETTER SOON, I PROMISE.  YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH I APPRECIATE YOU FOR STICKING BY ME EVEN WHEN YOU FEEL LEFT OUT.  IT'S NEVER MY INTENT TO MAKE YOU FEEL THAT WAY EITHER.  YOU'RE SUCH A GOOD WOMAN AND A GREAT PARTNER, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO HAVE YOU IN MY CORNER.  I'M TRYING, I SWEAR.  I LOVE YOU DEEPLY, CHARA.  YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND, MY BETTER HALF, AND MY TRUE LOVE."

"Paaap... I lo-ugh... I love-"  Before she could finish her sentence, Chara hit the bowl with another bout of nausea.

"WELL, I'M SORRY MY DECLARATION OF TRUE LOVE MADE YOUR STOMACH TURN."

"Now is not... ugh... a good time for your smartass remarks..."

"SORRY, DEAR.  JUST TRYING TO BE LIGHTHEARTED TO HELP YOU FEEL BETTER.  BABY, I'M GOING TO MAKE MY BED ON THE COUCH SO I CAN HEAR YOU AND STINKER IF EITHER OF YOU NEED ME."

"Thank you... I love you... my best friend, my rock, my husband..."

"I LOVE YOU TOO.  TRY TO REST, LOVE."  It wasn't a lie.  Papyrus really did miss his family while working so much and would rather be home wrestling with his brood.  He truly preferred his lovely wife stay home and be comfortable while taking care of the other responsibilities.  But, he would also rather bust his proverbial ass at his own business, as his own boss, while doing what he loved than go back to working a mundane desk job sorting paperwork for someone else.  He loved working with his sister in law, but the politics he could do without.  He was much happier even if it meant sacrificing a little time now for more in the future because he didn't plan on going like this forever and looked forward to retiring earlier than he could if he were still with the Embassy.  His business had brought in more than enough to sustain them and provide luxuries, but only because he was so meticulously involved with it day in and day out for the six days it was open.  Papyrus had a plan for the long run and would eventually only be checking in a couple days a week or if they were short on occasion.  His passion was cooking, true.  And, he loved it, yes.  However, his true love was his family and being a husband and a father more than anything.

@papara-week

[dancerladyaqua]

I went with my mom to visit my extended relatives and I am so so happy I was not raised like them, god the stories they told and were like, OKAY with those stories... For reference, they live in the Bible Belt and are assuredly Christian(tm)

Like, when I was a kid, I only got spanked once and it terrified me, but I don't think it scarred me. But I was a good kid and my parents were kind. I think my siblings got spankings a handful of times (maybe...maybe all by my mom??? which makes a lot of sense in retrospect), but more than anything they were grounded/stood in the corner (as kids), got their mouths washed with soap (as kids), or maybe splashed with water when my brother refused to go to school for example (teenager). From what I remember my parents talked to us first except for when my mother had PTSD episodes.

But my extended relatives--the sisters and their mom--were talking about the deceased dad of the family who I'll call D. They have these great stories about how D would fix anything, worked hard, etc. etc. And the mom had stories about pulling a prank on him with painting his toenails when he was asleep and then hiding in the bathroom because she thought he'd kill her he was so mad. And the older sister talked about being too afraid to come home after wrecking the car because they were afraid he'd kill her.

Like, all their stories had this underlying fear of D. And I do remember him some, he was nice to me, but I also know that he refused to have my sister over because her children are half-Black and he was otherwise racist as heck.

And I don't doubt he was a nice man when he wanted to be or when things were going well. People are full of multitudes and not inherently good or evil. But it's just... awful to hear them so casually talk about growing up in fear of him.

I LOVE my dad. He's sweet, supportive, and talks to us. He texts me good night every night. We've had a handful of arguments and we "agree to disagree" on some issues but he supports me and my decisions and knows I'm old enough to make them. He loves that I take my experiences and make my own decisions. He's always worked, but when my mom would be gone on overnight trips for work he'd do all the chores and cook too. I don't think I could ever have asked for a better dad. And I shudder to think of how I would've turned out if I had someone like D for a dad.

I didn't grow up in the Bible Belt and I was a generation after what my extended relatives grew up in, but... still. :/