#kinda sleepy today but still for sure better than I have been

[kirby-the-gorb]

[dolene]

TYING YOU TO ME!

summary: nobody knows where the invisible strings could take you to. no one could ever see the threads, but the clues were surely there. you just don't realize it.

four times charles said his happy birthday, one time y/n said it back.

anonymous requested: Hi, sooo since it's my birthday in a couple of days I wanted to request a smau with Charles Leclerc's birthday post for his gf through the years like a childhood friend to lovers kinda thing and the internet is just being obsessed with them.

pairing: charles leclerc x childhood friend!reader

author's note: this is such a sweet request from you nonny! i wish you a happiest and sweetest birthday whenever it is<3

FEBRUARY, 2019

charles_leclerc

liked by arthur_leclerc, and 467,213 others

charles_leclerc It's been a long time since you're becoming my best friend, Y/n. But unfortunately your mama doesn't trust me with your childhood pictures, so she gave me this.

But I wish you the happiest birthday, Mon loulou😉🎂

view all 274 comments

yourusername Since when did you becoming poetic like this?

yourusername But OMG thank you, Cha! I LOVE YOUUUUU

username MON LOULOU DAAAAANGGG

username i need to scream to my pillow she's so adorableeeee

arthur_leclerc Believe it or not, I have more of her embarrassing photos

  ⤷ charles_leclerc Send it to my phone now

  ⤷ yourusername You're dead

username i can't believe today is her birthday. happy birthday, y/n

username AWW TOINY Y/NNNNN

landonorris she looks so little (same as today)

oscarpiastri I've never knew this was Y/n until Lily told me it was her. Happy birthday, Y/n. I hope you can be in McLaren next time.

  ⤷ scuderiaferrari Not until we do it faster.

  ⤷ mclaren I love to see you try

username she's so adorable 😍

username I wish my best friend does this

FEBRUARY, 2020

charles_leclerc

liked by carlossainz55, and 594,355 others

charles_leclerc Wishing the happiest of birthdays to the coolest person i know my entire life🎂😄 ＠yourusername

view all 824 comments

carlossainz55 I bet that she's cooler than you

  ⤷ charles_leclerc NOBODY is better than the original.

username Shes really cool, now I know why is she called the coolest person he know

  ⤷ username she got that tiktok style

luisinhaoliveira99 Feliz aniversário!!! 😙😙

mickschumacher Thanks for cropping me off the picture 😔👍🏻

  ⤷ yourusername Sorryyyyy

username HAPPYYYY BIRTHDAAAAY

username LITERALLY OBSESSED W THEM

username racer bestie + influencer bestie

username imagine being wished every year like this by charles

charles_leclerc added a photo to their story! 3h

caption: Selfie with the birthday girl

FEBRUARY 2021

charles_leclerc

liked by landonorris, and 639,427 others

charles_leclerc She's a menace. Happy birthday baguette eater.

👤: ＠yourusername, ＠joris__trouche

view all 868 comments

landonorris ooohhhh myyyy

username is this the undiscovered dirty self of THE charles leclerc??

username BAGUETTE EATER???????

username idk who's the menace here

yourusername STOPPP😭😭😭

username I can't believe that he is this dirty sometimes

username and lando is the fastest on liking this one yet is making me cry

yourusername YOU PROMISE WOULDN'T POST THIS

  ⤷ charles_leclerc Sorry, can't help it, Arthur said i need to post this

  ⤷ arthur_leclerc THE BETRAYAL

FEBRUARY, 2022

charles_leclerc

liked by lewishamilton, and 882,490 others

charles_leclerc Still be the coolest and the nicest person I've ever had, and now she is my girlfriend. Happy birthday, loulou. ti amerò per sempre.

👤: ＠yourusername

view all 1,246 comments

yourusername anch'io ti amo per sempre😭😭😭😭😭

username Loulou pronounced lulu, that means i'm sleepy so let's sleep and be delulu

lilyzneimer Ahhh happy birthday, sweetheart!

georgerussell63 Happy happy birthday Y/n. have a visit to London, so that Carmen and I could make you some muffins 😉

carlossainz55 Happy birthday Y/n, don't forget to join me and Isa tomorrow!

isahernaez Have the happiest of birthday, Y/n

username 😭😭😭 I still can't believe they're really together

username when will i date my best friend like this

  ⤷ username DONT GIVE ME IDEAS

FEBRUARY, 2023

charles_leclerc

liked by yourusername, and 724,560 others

charles_leclerc A year has passed since the time that I asked you to be my girlfriend. Joris said that he took more, but unfortunately the camera took a swim, and that leave us with this grainy picture.

And anyways, I wish you a marvelous birthday to my beloved girlfriend, ＠yourusername. never change.

view all 899 comments

yourusername I LOVE YOU TOOOO CHARLES I'M CRYING SO HARD RN

joris__trouche 😉😉👍🏻

username i love them your honor

username parents

username MAMA Y PAPA😍😍😘😚

lilymhe Charles, I am not aware of your games

username 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

username i need to have it like them because if i'm not i'm going to explode

username EVERY 😭😭 FUCKING 😭😭 YEARS😭😭

username i wanna cry i want this so much

username poetic charles are gonna be my favorite gender fr

username joris when i catch you joris

carmenmmundt Happy birthday to you, Y/n!

nicholaslatifi Oh you Lovebirds... 🥹

OCTOBER 16TH, 2024

yourusername

liked by sebastianvettel, and 859,437 others

yourusername Who knew that this tiny man is once my best friend?

Even though I got my hair slicked back, putting up my fakest smile, and wearing the black dress you hate; I'm still amazed that you were still there for me whenever i could count on you.

And now that you're my boyfriend, I cannot be more grateful for that. Happy birthday, big boy. Je t'aime pour toujours.❤️❤️

view all 682 comments

leclerc_pascale 🥳🥳🥳

username WHO'S CUTTING ONION HERE

carlossainz55 I've noticed that you both are doing great with words now, happy birthday, Cabrón.

username a lil spicy on the eyes don't you think

username HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHARLES😭😭😭

landonorris that's cute. happy birthday

username ISN'T😭IT😭 JUST😭SO😭PRETTY😭TO😭THINK😭ALL😭ALONG😭THERE😭WAS😭SOME😭 INVISIBLE 😭STRING😭TYING😭YOU😭TO😭ME😭

username I've had enough, I need to date my best friend

username i'm not yet moved on from charles's birthday wishes to y/n, and now i'm screwed by thinking about this

lewishamilton Happy birthday, mate

scuderiaferrari Have the happiest birthday to you, Champ! ✨❤️

[ghostykapi]

Lunch

kim dahyun & fem!reader

:3 spice so kids scram

dahyun isn’t sure that this is a good idea

the cameras are rolling though, so the production staff thinks it is a good idea

twice has been booked and busy with schedules. any time to rest seems like just enough to have some sleep, so any free time for dahyun to properly spend with you is through mundane tasks and in between schedules

normally this wouldn’t be such a bad thing, but today is different.

yesterday morning she woke up to you rummaging through the drawers, only in a sports bra and shorts after a morning run. the problem of her neediness starting from there.

lunch at her favorite restaurant wasn’t any better, your y2k inspired outfit providing her eyes a feast. the fit crop top and the low rise jeans proved to be a dangerous combo. her hands wouldn’t leave your waist even during practice later that afternoon

the late dinner back at home made her frustration grew. your choice to wear only a oversized shirt making her fight the air. your innocent smile and your sleepy demeanor preventing her from pouncing on you at all

now she sits and looks at the mirror with a stoic face, trying to keep it together as her eyes wander to you. the sports bra and baggy sweat pants combo isn’t a wow eye popping combo to anyone, but when she sees the way it highlights your abs and arms and your oh so bitable neck she kinda loses it

she’s barely even listening, save for the important key phrases she heard from the choreographer, so much so that when a quick 15 minute break is in session, she’s still breathing deeply and staring at you, wondering if you’re thinking the things she wants to do to you

the cameras sitting inside of the room also like the view, with you always interacting with it, telling silly things to once that will only be heard once the comeback is in full swing

“guys” you’re whispering to the camera, so sure that the others won’t hear “dahyun looks so pretty today but i won’t tell her that, so instead i’m going to bother her”

you smile, with your sharp teeth and all, before bouncing away from the camera and to dahyun, who’s hands immediately cover you up with her jacket that she brought

“i can’t believe you” she’s barely even mad, she’s just pretending to scold you so she doesn’t get distracted

“but” you pout “you like this outfit”

“i do” her voice lowers, and it gets you thinking into something “but i don’t like sharing remember?”

“i do” dahyun barely notices it, but you’ve managed to lead her outside of the practice room and into a convenient ‘out of order’ comfort room “i just wanna look good for mommy”

that short circuits her brain, the panic visibly shown on her face and it makes you giggle. it’s then that you lock the door, push her to sit on the marble sink and kiss her, hands gripping on whatever clothing that it can hold

“baby” she’s trying to push you away, but she knows if she continues any longer than this she will not be able to focus at all in practice “baby please”

her hands, are now scratching your exposed skin, not enough to leave any marks but enough for you to whimper while kissing her

“can’t keep your hands to yourself mommy?” you’re voice is her favorite sound, but when it’s raspy and needy for her it makes her lose her very composure “i know what will help”

she tries so hard, she really does, but when you lips kiss her neck, she lets out a moan that she is quick to cut off, remembering where they are

“shhh you don’t want the others to hear you don’t you?” dahyun must be under a spell, because now you’re hand has manage to pull down her sweatpants and underwear, leaving for you to use your fingers to part her lips, simply teasing her even further “unless of course you like that mommy. you want them to see how much of a good girl i am for taking care of you hm?”

you’re evil, laughing as you get on your knees and make a show of making a one slow lick from bottom to top

dahyun prays to god for the strength she needs to stay absolutely quiet

“we don’t have time” despite how evil you can be, you know when to not push your luck today. so get to work and start eating her out, a finger teasing her entrance while you do

it doesn’t take long, your enthusiasm and dahyun’s neediness, your now pumping in two fingers at a respectable fast pace, all while you’re eating her out like you’ve been starving for days

“that’s it” with this rate of your fingers moving and your tongue, dahyun wishes she can be a bit more louder, but she settles with deep breaths and holding your hand “so good baby, you’re so good at fucking me”

you’re sure to make her weak to even practice for the next hour, because your nails are digging on her thighs, said thighs are crushing your head and her hands are desperately grasping anything other than your hair and the white marble counter to get a grip

she’s so close, the peak is right there. just within one’s grasp. she just needs to hear you say the words

“cum for me”

dahyun’s moan is cut off, the only sound both of you can hear is your own mouth on her pussy, sucking and lapping any of her cum that’s dripping out of her. she can barely breathe, and yet when she looks down at you, looking up at her with doe eyes and a lopsided smile, scattering kisses all over her thighs, her brain goes a bit overdrive

in the nick of time you manage to clean her up and help her get back her reigns, promising to give her some of your energy bar and your sports drink to keep her energy up through the day. her body leaning towards you as you both finally move to leave the ‘pit of order’ comfort room

“you want to continue that tonight?” you can’t wait for tonight, can’t wait for her to get back at you and claim what’s hers

“tonight” you let her kiss you again to seal the deal “i’ll get back at you tonight”

the thing is, as you both emerge from the ‘out of order’ comfort room, both mina and momo also emerge from the supply closet just a couple of steps down

dahyun and mina both stare at each other, faces red at the realization of the implication

you and momo simply smile at each other, happy to get a early lunch

[fictionalcharactersaremypassion]

Caught

Panic came over Fiona when she awoke that morning, finding herself in a bedroom that was not her own. Slivers of sunlight streamed in between the closed curtains, the sounds of soft breathing beside her made her instantly remember last night’s events. 

“Fuck,” she said quietly. “Fuck. Colin, get up.” He stirred somewhat, mumbling incoherently. She shoved him. “Get up!” 

“The fuck do you want?” He groaned, rubbing at his eyes. 

“It’s morning, you fucking idiot,” she whispered furiously. 

He held her thigh, still looking sleepy. “Calm down.” 

“Oh, yeah. That’s what every woman wants to hear,” she snarked. 

“Everyone’s probably still asleep,” Colin said, ignoring that. “Just go out the front door.” 

“And if they’re not?” 

“I don’t fucking know,” Colin shrugged. “It’s too damn early to think right now.” 

She rolled her eyes. Sliding out of bed, she pulled her underwear and bra on, staying as quiet as she possibly could. 

“You looked better without them on,” came Colin’s smart ass remark as she looked around for her shirt. 

“One more remark like that and you’ll never see my tits again,” she said, to which he held his hands up, smirking. “Now where the hell’s my shirt?” 

“Hey, hey,” Colin waved a hand to get her attention, then pointed at his dresser. “Over there.” 

She turned, eyebrows furrowing, spotting it laying atop the dresser. “I didn’t put this here.” 

“I did,” he said, the blanket falling down to his abdomen, “when I got up to piss.” 

She narrowed her eyes. “And what time was that?” 

He shrugged. “Four or whatever. I don’t know.” 

“And you didn’t wake me?” She said, incredulous. 

“You seemed like you needed it.” A grin spread over his face. “Plus, you get kinda bitchy when you’re tired.” 

She rolled her eyes, pulling the shirt over her head. “Fuck you.” 

They had this thing going on for a while now. A thing that neither one of them brought up to properly define. It was more fucking, for sure, but they were both wary after so many shitty attempts at relationships. Best to just take it slow and see where it took them. 

“You did plenty of that last night,” Colin said smoothly. She paused, taking in the hickeys she’d left along his bare shoulder. 

“Shit,” she said with a slight laugh. “Sorry about that.” 

“You hear me complainin’?” Colin’s gaze slid over her body appreciatively. And it didn’t feel like the way those sleazy guys at work did. Come to think of it, nothing with Colin ever resembled any of the guys she’d been with before. Fuck, is she actually fallin’ for a Milkovich? “You got work today?” 

“Not ‘till later,” she replied, buttoning her jeans. “Why?” 

He didn’t respond right away, making her look up. It might just be a trick of the light, but Fiona thought he might actually be blushing. 

“It’s fucking stupid,” he said. “Never mind.” 

“No, what is it?” she said curiously. 

Colin rubbed the side of his nose, reminding her of the way she’d seen Mickey rub his eyebrow in the few instances they were in each other’s presence. Must have been a Milkovich thing. “If you were hungry,” he said, trying to come off as indifferent, “I know this cheap diner we could go to.” 

Her eyebrows flew up. “You’re askin’ me out to breakfast?” 

The question made him uncomfortable. “You said you wanted more than just fucking.” 

“Yeah,” she said, surprising herself with how much she did want it, “yeah. I did.” 

“Is that a yes, then?” Colin asked. She saw beneath his exterior that she was actually hopeful, and that just wasn’t something she was used to seeing on a Milkovich. 

She toyed with her hair, making it look a bit more presentable and less disheveled. “Look, I would if I had the money. But I’ve got the electric to think about it-” 

“Don’t worry about it,” Colin cut her off. “I got enough for both of us.” 

“I can’t ask you to do that,” she shook her head. 

“You didn’t ask. I’m offering,” he sat up now, the blanket pooling in his lap. “And if you really want to pay me back, then you can always give me a blow job-” 

He broke out into soft laughter when she gave him an unamused look. 

“You’re a jackass.” 

“I’m kidding,” he assured her, still chuckling. “But I wasn’t kidding about paying. You can pay next time if you want.” 

“You’re already thinking about a next time, huh?” Fiona smiled, despite that nagging twinge telling her to reconsider. Sue her. She fuckin’ liked him. “Alright. Fine, you can pay. But this place better have good coffee.” 

He grinned. It was a damn good smile too. She briefly wished he did it more often. 

“I don’t know what I’m supposed to tell the kids, though,” she said thoughtfully. They’ll be awake soon enough and notice that she’s not there. 

“Nothing if you move fast enough,” Colin swung his legs over the edge of the bed, reaching for the pair of shorts closests to him. Her eyes were drawn to his bare upper half, watching the muscles in his back flex as he bent down to find a t-shirt to throw on. 

“You’re a fucking creep, Gallagher,” came Colin’s teasing voice, snapping her out of her thoughts. 

Fuck, she was busted. 

“I saw you staring,” Colin was looking at her again, smirking. “You like what you see?” 

“There’s not much to see,” she replied, going that route instead of acknowledging that his question had made her face feel unusually warm. 

“That what you’re going with, Sweetheart?” Colin stood to his full height, pushing the curtains open. 

“Don’t call me that,” Fiona rolled her eyes. She was going to start walking out but Colin had other ideas; he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, gently pulling her back. Her hair was pushed out of the way, giving him access to her neck. She pressed her lips together, fighting the urge to squirm. Fuck, he knew just where to go. “Hey, if you want to have breakfast, I’ll have go home and freshen up.” 

“Hang on,” he mumbled in between kisses. 

“I swear to God if you give me a fucking hickey, Milkovich, I’ll rip your dick off.” 

“That’s kinda turning me on, not gonna lie...” 

“Oh my God,” she muttered, and he huffed out a laugh. She lightly shoved him away. “I’m gettin’ out of here before your brothers or Mandy wake up.” 

“They won’t be up this early, trust me.” 

The two of them crept out of Colin's room. The rest of the house was silent, much to Fiona’s relief. She didn’t need anyone seeing them. The last thing she wanted to do was explain what all this was between them. 

“I still can’t believe we fucked while they were home,” she mumbled. 

“They probably just think you’re some whore I brought home,” he said with a shrug, to which she scoffed. 

“Thanks.” 

“Hey, I didn’t call you the whore,” Colin said, keeping his voice down. She snorted. “Okay, looks like they’re all sleeping. Just head out and we’ll meet back up in twenty.” 

Fiona saw something in her peripheral that made her freeze. She whirled around, figuring it to be one of Colin’s brothers, only to gawk. 

“Ian?” 

Her brother froze too, staring at them with wide eyes. “Fiona?” He squeaked out, voice noticeably a higher pitch. 

She couldn’t help but notice his rumpled clothing and the messy hair. “What the fuck? What are you doing here?” 

Ian looked a little panicked. “What are you doing here?” He yelped. 

“Did you come from Mandy's room?” Colin demanded, butting into the conversation, his protective instincts coming out. 

“N-no!” 

“I swear to God if you were fucking my baby sister-” Colin hissed. 

“I wasn’t!” 

“Okay, okay,” Fiona put a hand on his chest to calm him. Ian gawked at this momentarily, but was a little more focused on not getting murdered.“Don’t fucking touch him.” 

“I wasn’t with Mandy,” Ian said hurriedly. “I swear I wasn’t!” 

“Then why the fuck are you here?” 

“Colin,” Fiona snapped. “Calm the fuck down. Jesus.” 

“Fi-” Colin started with a sigh. 

“If you touch him, Colin, I swear to God-” 

“Alright, alright! I won’t touch him. He still owes me an explanation.” 

“And you’ll get it,” Fiona said, looking at Ian expectantly. 

“Um, well-” Ian said weakly. 

“Goddamn it, Gallagher, what’s all the noise about? Did you wake my brother up?” A new voice complained, and out came Mickey from his room, stopping dead in his tracks when he saw all of them standing there. “Fuck...” 

Ian shut his eyes, one hand covering his face. 

It didn’t take Colin long to connect the dots. “Holy shit,” he said in disbelief. 

Fiona was just as shocked. This was not what she expected to happen this morning. Although, she couldn’t help but notice the way Mickey stiffened up when his eyes landed on his brother. Not a surprise, given the Milkovich’s asshole of a father. 

“You’re a fag, Mick?” Colin said, completely caught off guard. “Since when?” 

She whacked him hard for that one. “Hey,” she said sharply. 

Colin gave her a look in return. “What? I don’t give a shit. I’m just askin’.” 

Ian tried to do damage control, which she suspected was to save face for Mickey, and blurted out, “I-I was just returning something to Mickey. I, uh, borrowed it from him and I thought I should bring it back before he punches me or something.” 

Colin snorted. Mickey looked like he was seconds away from actually punching him right then and there. 

“Do you think we’re fucking stupid?” The second oldest Milkovich said to no one in particular. Then, he asked staright up: “Gallagher, are you fucking my brother?” 

“No. I mean yes but-” Ian faltered, trying to come up with the right words. He looked at Mickey, and their silent communication lasted for several moments. Taking a deep breath, he finally said, “Me and Mickey aren’t just fucking. He’s my boyfriend.” 

Fiona felt like her mind was blown. Jesus. “How long has this been going on?” 

“A couple of months,” Mickey answered cautiously. He was still glancing at Colin. 

“Seriously?” Fiona didn’t know how she’d missed this. Wouldn’t she have known if Ian was sneaking off? 

“Hold the fuck on then,” Colin said suddenly, “I thought you and Mandy were dating? That’s what she told us.” 

“It’s fake,” Ian said quickly. “She offered to pretend to be my girlfriend at school. I keep the creepy guys away and no one suspects I’m gay.” 

Colin rubbed his face tiredly. “Jesus. It’s too fucking early for all of this.” 

Fiona definitely agreed. 

There was silence for a couple of seconds. Ian’s eyes darted from her to Colin. “Are you guys together too?” 

Mickey looked interested in hearing the answer as well. 

“We’re-” Fiona didn’t know how to explain it. What were they? They weren’t just fuck buddies. They were both interested in taking this further, but at the moment? She didn’t know what they were. 

“Yeah,” Colin took the reins and said. He placed his hand on her lower back. Fiona unconsciously leaned into his touch. 

“I stayed here last night,” she admitted. 

“That’s probably why we heard all the thuds,” Mickey said to Ian, casually. Fiona was mortified. Ian just grimaced. 

“Jesus, Mick. Don’t say things like that.” 

“Did I offend your delicate sensibilities, Gallagher?”

Ian, seemingly forgetting who he was in front of, just grinned. “Didn’t think I was so delicate last night.” 

“Okay, no,” Fiona said loudly. “You’re not going to do that in front of me. You two can fuck or be boyfriends and shit all you want, but I don’t need to know anything about my brother’s sex life.” 

Ian flushed, ducking his head. 

“Me either,” Colin added. 

“Sorry,” Ian offered an apology, and she rolled her eyes fondly. 

Her brother seemed alright, if just a bit surprised that they were both dating Milkovich’s. But Fiona had been studying Mickey for a couple of minutes now and he seemed close to fleeing or shitting his pants. It reminded her a little of when Ian came out; he’d been nervous too. She could only imagine how he must be feeling right now. 

But even in the midst of this, she saw Mickey’s eyes glancing her brother’s way, his face softening and for a moment, he wasn’t one of South Side’s notorious thugs, but just a kid that was clearly in love. 

“We should probably head out,” Fiona said, referencing to herself and Ian. “Come on.” 

Colin spoke up, “Are we still on?” 

She turned, a smile lighting up her face. “We’re still on.” 

“On for what?” Ian said curiously. 

“More fucking, probably,” Mickey shrugged. 

“Fuck off,” Colin swatted him upside the head. “It ain’t like that, dickhead. We’re going out.” 

“Your brother’s secretly a gentleman,” Fiona told Mickey, who scoffed. 

“Since fucking when?” 

“Keep talkin’, fuck head. You did plenty of shit as a kid that I’ll gladly tell Gallagher,” Colin threatened. Mickey, much to her amusement, blanched a little. 

“Technically we’re both Gallaghers,” Ian pointed out. 

“You know damn well what I meant, Red.” 

“Come on,” Fiona smirked, a hand on her brother’s shoulder. “Let’s get back before the others wake up. I don’t need Carl blowing up the house.” 

Ian nodded, his gaze settling on Mickey. “Bye Mickey,” he said shyly. “You should stop by Kash and Grab later. You know, if you want to.” 

“Yeah, sure. Whatever,” Mickey said like he didn’t care. 

Colin snorted. “Some relationship you’ve got there.” 

“Shut the fuck up.” 

Fiona made a bold move of taking Colin by the hand, pulling him towards the door. “You can go on,” she told Ian, who didn’t need to be told twice, so now it was only three of them. “Bye Mickey,” she called. 

Mickey grunted, and went back to his room, slamming the door shut. 

“Make sure you talk to him,” Fiona said, realizing that she was still holding onto his hand. 

“About what?” Colin said, slightly confused. 

“About him being gay,” Fiona said carefully. 

“Why the fuck do we have to talk about it? I don’t care where he sticks his dick.” 

“That’s not the point,” Fiona sighed. “We both know how Terry is. He needs to know you aren’t going to kick his ass over it.” 

Colin met her eyes. He nodded, understanding now. “Okay. I’ll talk to him.” 

“Make sure he’s okay,” she added. “And don’t pressure him to tell Iggy or Mandy. It’s his choice.” 

“I know that,” he said, looking serious. “I’d never do that to him.” 

“Good,” Fiona glanced down at their still conjoined hands, and let go. “See you in twenty?” 

“See ya, Gallagher.” 

Fiona walked back home with a grin on her face. Unlike the other guys in her past, she had a good feeling about Colin Milkovich. 

[car-sounds]

Midnight Loneliness

Solomon x (GN)reader

546 words

Summary: MCs feelings about the past versions of the brothers make them unable to fall asleep. Solomon helps them with that and talks them through their feelings. The story takes place early in Nightbringer.

Late at night Coutus hall

Solomon is still up working on a new spell, and Mc is still up, struggling to sleep.

The loneliness of the brothers and everyone else not remembering you has gotten to you.

You’ve spent god knows how long trying to fall asleep but your thoughts keep you awake. The only solution you’ve come up with is going to find Solomon to cure your loneliness.

You can see the light spill out from under the door of his room. Once you knock, he gives you permission to enter. “MC, usually you're asleep by now. Is anything wrong?”

You shuffle into his room holding your pillow “I’m feeling kinda lonely. Can I hang out with you for a little while?”

“Of course”

You make your way to an armchair in the corner of his room and curl up on it making yourself comfortable. He goes back to his experiments but this time his focus is split between his work and you “Are you missing the brothers?”

“Yeah…It’s so weird seeing the same people I’ve made connections with over those years not knowing who I am.”

“I understand what you mean, I hope to get us back to the timeline as soon as possible…even though this arrangement is in my favor.”

“Thanks for being here with me in this timeline, I don’t think I would know what to do without you.”

“I’m sure you would have handled it well on your own, you are my talented apprentice after all.” 

“Whether that’s true or not I’m still glad you're by my side. Not only to guide me through the past but to keep me company, it’s been nice living with you!” Your tone brightens for a moment before the thoughts of your right timeline come back. “Glad we feel the same way about this new living arrangement.”

“Even if we get back to the right timeline, what if I miss the past version of the others?”

“They are still the same people, they are just a little different, for better or for worse. You know we can’t stay in the past forever so it’s not like there is any choice to make.”

“I know, I know. I just can’t help but feel guilty. I know I’m going to have to leave them at some point, and it feels wrong getting close to them when I know it’s going to end soon.”

“We have to do this to get back to the right timeline. Even if you can’t stay forever I know you’ll have a positive impact on the brothers in this timeline nonetheless.” His words comfort you, your doubt is still there but the validation that you’re doing things right was just what you needed.

“Thank you, Solomon.” Your voice has gotten softer than it was a couple of minutes ago. Solomon decided to finish his experimenting early tonight and offered you a place next to him in bed to make you feel not as lonely, and you accepted his offer.

The warmth of him and his bed fills you with the comfort you needed today. You finally feel the sleepiness taking you away. The doubt may come back another day but for now, you’re confident in the choices you know have to be made.

Masterlist

[rvlwrttn]

Reaction: Red Velvet - You Can't Fall Asleep Without Them

Idol: Red Velvet

{ Fluff }

Requested: Yes!

- - -

Note: Thank you to the anon that requested this! And to other people that requested, I'll write as many as I can. Enjoy~

Irene:

When she came home after a long practice session with the girls, she found you curled up on the bed, humming mindlessly to yourself.

Her heart warmed at the sight and warmed even more once you spotted her, inviting her into your now open arms.

“I’m home.” She murmured softly, settling herself against you.

“Mmm, finally, I can sleep.” You mumbled into her shoulder, before closing your eyes and tightening your hold on her.

Irene felt her heart fill with joy (no pun intended) and she drifted off to sleep herself, secretly loving the fact that you needed her.

. . .

Seulgi:

Seulgi sat on the couch, basically on the edge of her seat and mussing her hair constantly as she watched the last few episodes of her favorite drama.

“No no no! He was dead, wasn’t he?!”

“Seulgi, pleaseee.” You whined for the third time. “Let’s go to sleep, I’m exhausted! Work was horrible today.”

“One second, Y/N. There’s just 2 more episodes to go.”

“But I’ve told you, it’s really hard for me to fall asleep without you there.” You yawned. Seulgi quickly paused the episode.

“Wait, really? You can’t sleep without me?” Seulgi cooed.

“Mm-hm.”

“Okay, then. Let’s go to bed. I don’t want you to be too sleepy tomorrow.”

. . .

Wendy:

It was 11pm and Wendy still hadn’t returned from the kitchen. You sighed, deciding to go see what your girlfriend had gotten herself into at this late hour.

You couldn’t say you were surprised to find her mixing a bowl of some kind of pastry dough. Wendy usually made sweets whenever she was under stress.

Wendy took one look at your tired face and confessed her worries.

“Our new choreo is so complicated. Which is a good thing because our Luvies have always wanted better for us!” She rambled on. “But at the same time, I’m worried I can’t keep up with the members. They’re just such good dancers and our comeback is in 2 weeks and-“

She was interrupted by the feeling of your arms hugging her from behind.

“Wendy, I’m sure whatever you’re making is delicious and normally I’d help you finish it. But I’m really, really tired and…I have trouble sleeping without you.”

“Your best is enough, Wendy. I know you’re gonna kill this choreo. And all the fancy vocals.” Wendy leaned back into you, before letting out a sigh of relief.

“I know you’re right, Y/N. Here, let’s put this in the fridge and go back to bed, since you know, you can’t sleep without me.” She gave you a cheeky smile.

. . .

Joy:

“I’m home!”

You looked up from the book you were trying to read, smiling at your girlfriend. She seemed bouncier than usual, and you suspected it was because of the numerous shopping bags she had in each arm.

“I see you went shopping. Did you go with the girls?” You asked, trying to suppress a yawn. The sun had gone down hours ago, and you’d had a long shift at work.

“I did! But you shouldn’t have waited up for me if you’re this tired. Didn’t you work overtime today?”

“Yeah, but..” you yawned. “I kinda have a hard time going to sleep without you.”

Joy was quiet for a moment, before tossing all the bags onto the couch and speedwalking her way to you.

“Let’s get you to bed then.” She cooed, her arms around your waist and her head on your shoulder. “I can’t let my love be too sleepy for our date tomorrow.”

. . .

Yeri:

“To be or not to be, that is the question!”

“What…I thought we were rehearsing for your drama?” You laughed, and soon Yeri began to laugh with you. You’d been up helping her for her latest drama, which would begin to shoot the following day.

“I know, I know! I just wanted to see if you were paying attention.” Yeri gave you a cheeky smile. “You seem pretty tired.”

You yawned. “A bit, but the more I help you rehearse, the faster we can get to bed.”

“That’s very sweet, but if you’re this tired I can practice by myself?” Yeri put an arm around your shoulders, stroking a finger against your arm.

“I could try, but I can’t really fall asleep without you there with me.”

Yeri’s face lit up.

“Really? That is so cute.” She pinched your cheek. She stood up, taking the script from your hands and putting it aside, along with hers.

“There, I think I’ve rehearsed enough. Besides, I’m really craving some cuddles right now.”

[mins-fins]

star.

&&. there's nothing better than coming home to your partner, especially after a tiring day.

pairing: lee donghyuck x m!reader

genre: fluffy fluff

warnings: none!

word count: 0.6k

notes: merry christmas everybody 😊!!! i hope your all having a good day and got gifts you liked (and if you didn't it's okay let's cry together), so i made this thing with absolutely nothing but haechan haechan haechan in my mind, take this writing from the shelf of my heart ❤️

when donghyuck comes home, it's quiet.

on most days, that's usually how it goes. y/n's classes almost always end much later than his, expect for on friday's, which, wouldn't you know, is today. so when it's quiet as he enters his shared dorm, and that's what's confusing to me. "y/n?"

no response, donghyuck doesn't push it, because he's tired, and maybe y/n just didn't hear him. so, he takes off his jacket and sets down his stuff, locking the door behind him.

"y/n?" he calls again, louder this time. when he doesn't get an answer again, he starts to get just a little worried. is y/n home? it's friday.

instead of calling his name again, donghyuck walks down the hall, and comes face to face with the closed door of y/n's room. he knocks once, no answer, he knocks twice, no answer again.

donghyuck opens the door, peaking from behind it, and that's when he sees it.

the reason y/n hadn't been answering his calls is because he's sleeping! donghyuck sees him at his desk, computer in front of him, snoring quietly as he lies in his arms. he closes the door softly and steps into the room.

he's sleeping so peacefully, and donghyuck can tell he definitely didn't plan on sleeping because of the way his computer is still open to youtube, he sees his notebook wide open with notes on the page, not even finished.

he was tired from classes all day and decided to take more notes? donghyuck doesn't really know why some of the stuff that goes through his head goes through his head.

he doesn't immediately wake him up, just steps beside him and runs his fingers through his soft hair. y/n just always looks so peaceful whilst sleeping, and donghyuck's not creepy he just finds himself watching his partner sleep a lot, that's all.

"mmh.. hyuck?"

donghyuck smiles, and y/n shakes his head just a little bit, slowly opening his eyes. "hi".

"hi" y/n gives a tired smile.

y/n rubs his eyes, then slowly sits up, looking up at his boyfriend. "how long did i sleep for?" he asks, donghyuck assumes a long time, because he looks much more well rested than he did at the beginning of the week.

"oh i came back just now.. i'm not sure how long you've been sleeping".

"ah" y/n's eyes begin to shift again, and he looks like he's about to go back to sleep. the week has been tiring, full of studying, exams, and pressure to keep up his grades, he's exhausted.

"you work too much" donghyuck tells him, he tucks y/n's hair behind his ear, and he closes his eyes, enjoying the feeling of his boyfriend's hands playing with his hair.

"you always say that".

"it's true.. look at you" donghyuck whispers, he continues playing with y/n's hair, pretty much coaxing him back into sleep. y/n is getting sleepy all over again, and all thanks to donghyuck just playing with his hair. "my hardworking baby" he giggles, cupping y/n's cheeks.

"okay stop.." he mutters, lightly pushing him away. "if you put me back to sleep i won't be able to sleep at night which i kinda need to do".

"why? it's a friday".

"work tomorrow".

donghyuck just then remembers, and a pout graces his face. y/n recognizes that face, because he sees it every morning when crawling out of bed to go attend his morning shift. "don't give me that look".

y/n, after years of sitting down, contemplating the idea, finally stands up, still tired. he yawns, and looks over at his boyfriend, whose still pouting. "stop".

donghyuck snickers, throwing his arms around his partner. "your always leaving me" he whines, burying his face into his partner's neck.

"let go of me, hyuck!"

"no!"

he indeed, did not let go.

[littledollll]

🕊️me again with another prompt for you dear🕊️

Prompt~ I need a sleepy whiny r that wants their luci and luci is busy and try’s to send someone else in to placate r and they try everything, stuffies, colouring, soothing music, blankies etc but she just gets worse. So now she finds her way to luci despite them being busy they drop everything for their exhausted angel once seeing just how bad r is.

This is purely self-indulgent of me. Todays been rough and I’d actually die just to have that level of care and comfort directed at me. Don’t rush with these prompts I’m just sending them when I get a free moment:) ~shy anon🕊️

#shyanon🕊️

Sleepy tantrum

(Little angel universe, side fic)

Lucifer Morningstar x little!angel!reader

A/n: my mood just got fucking murdered by something that happened and I’m writing this mid anxiety attack in hopes it’ll make me feel better🤺 pt 3 of the little angel series is gonna break hearts btw so I’m pre-paring (get it? Pre- preparing?) some comfort for that☝️

update: this honestly made even me feel tiny so I’m so proud of it I love it alot:(

Warnings: nothing horrible just some tantrums, crying, kinda separation anxiety, and that’s basically it

You’ve taken to wandering around the castle while you’re regressed, anyone Lucifer invites in is trusted enough to see you and when that’s not the case Lucifer makes sure that the meetings are secluded and quick, of course they also give you a heads up.

So here you were, Emery in one hand and blanket wrapped around you and dragging on the floor wandering around with no particular destination when you spot Luci and run to hug them, attaching yourself to their leg. They were busy, sat talking to Mazikeen about something you could probably care less about, so their hand made its way to your hair, giving you headscratches as they talked but other than that made no move to acknowledge you.

Their soft voice and soothing touch was making you even more sleepy than you were, your head rested on their knee as they talked, you felt yourself drifting before two pats on your shoulder made you shake yourself awake. “hm?” Luci smiled at you. “I think it’s time for bed tiny, I still have some work to get done but I’ll join you shortly okay? Mazikeen will stay with you until I’m back and I’ll get you ready for bed then.”

You went to complain but soon enough you were (gently) thrown over Mazis shoulder. “Wait wait wait-!” She ignored you and walked back to your room. As she dropped you into bed you tried to make a run for it out of the room before she grabbed you yet again and sat you on the floor with her. You huffed. “Meanie.” She tilted her head at you. “What was that?” When you stayed quiet she let the scary act drop. “They will be here soon enough, just be patient.” She said as she handed you another stuffie and your coloring book.

You whined and threw the coloring book at her. “Don’t be a brat.” You huffed and turned your back to her. “I thought you wanted to sleep, are you seriously throwing a tantrum right now?” You nodded and threw the other stuffie at her as well (which you quickly regretted and made a mental note to apologize to them later).

Had it been anyone else they would’ve lost their head. But it was you. Adorable, sweet, helpful, Lucifer’s partner, you. That last one did most of the convincing, but she knew you were only whining because you wanted Lucifer and not her, so she went softer on you. “Sweetheart you have to stay here.” “well you hav to leave m alone!” She sighed. “You are most certainly a handful. Let’s see.. we’ll have a coloring competition and whoever wins gets to tell the loser what to do next.”

Stubborn as you were u were also very competitive, how could you turn that down? Kicking your legs in excitement you nodded and handed maz another coloring book. “How kno?” She thought about it for a second. “We’ll do the fastest, but! You have to stay inside the lines.” You gasped, offended. “cheatin!” She shook her head smiling and handed you your crayons.

After a few minutes of coloring and your pouting Maz spoke again. “Done.” You whined and dramatically laid on the floor. “Unfairrrr!” “Nope, little darling I won fair and square. You are going to sit here with your toys and behave until Lucifer gets back and then you’re their problem again.” You pouted and climbed into bed hiding under the blanket. When you peeked to see what Maz was up to you saw her cleaning up the mess you had made.

Quietly you made your way out of the room and begun your search for Lucifer. After checking a few rooms you found them in the main throne room talking to who seemed to be Azazel. You thought you were being sneaky until you heard a voice behind you. “And just what are you doing out of your room at this hour, little angel?” you jumped and squeaked in surprise before jumping into Lucifer’s arms.

“I stay?” You mumbled into their chest with your eyes closed. Lucifer sighed, looking at your exhausted body language, your pouty face convinced them. “Yes, little dove.” You heard Lucifer and Azazel talking for an extra second before you felt Lucifer started talking back in direction of your room, you started crying. Making Lucifer abruptly stop. “Sweet one what’s wrong? Did something happen? Are you hurt?” your arms wrapped around them so tightly it would’ve been concerning if they were human.

“Tiny?” you only responded with a hum. “please tell me what’s wrong.” you sniffled, rubbing your eyes. “don go” they breathed a sigh of relief once they noticed what was going on. “I won’t little dove, not again, I’m staying with you, it’s all okay.” Lucifer continued walking as their hand gently rubbed your back, calming your sobs.

When you came back to your room it was all clean and Mazikeen was gone. Lucifer got you ready for bed in seconds, and placed a kiss on your temple before whipping your teary eyes. Their voice was barely above a whisper when they spoke now. “Luci’s not leaving now, sweet one, I’ve got you, my heart.”

[cuddlepilefics]

Who decided ice cream is “sick people food“?

Fandom: Stray Kids

Sickie: Felix

Caregiver: Seungmin

Prompt: @sicktember

No one’s POV.:

A cold had been passed around the group recently and just when Felix thought he had managed to evade it, he was the last member to come down with it. It wasn’t so bad when he first woke up, noting how his nose felt blocked on one side and his throat itched. Figuring he just needed a drink to soothe the dryness in his throat, Felix rolled out of bed and was hit by a wave of vertigo, that made him plop back down on his bed. It took a minute for his head to stop spinning before he could make another attempt. “Oh, you’re up early”, Seungmin commented, when the Aussie joined him in the kitchen. Nodding, Felix mumbled: “Needed some water.” They both looked shocked at how croaky his voice had come out and Seungmin quickly poured him a glass of water. “Are you sick?”, he frowned, brushing the backs of his fingers against Felix’ forehead while the older sipped his water.

Felix set the glass down on the counter and cleared his throat, humming: “Didn’t think I was. I dunno. My throat kinda hurts.” – “Yeah, you still don’t sound so great”, Seungmin agreed, “You don’t feel warm but I wouldn’t be surprised if you started to run a fever later. A sore throat and shot voice were how it started for most of us.” – “Ugh, I really hope I won’t”, the Aussie muttered, massaging his throat, “We got stuff to do.” Having stuff to do had rarely been enough to convince fate not to hit, so Felix shouldn’t have been so surprised when he already grew sleepy again once he got in the car. His mind has been hazy all morning and Seungmin probably had a point. Still, Felix hoped he’d be able to hold out a little longer before the cold did him in.

Knowing how unrealistic it was that Felix should be the only one evading the group’s germs, Seungmin slipped a few packs of tissues into his bag. If his predictions were right, the Aussie would need them sooner rather than later. Good thing he did because Felix woke up from his unintentional nap to a completely blocked nose, that started to run like a faucet as soon as he got out of the car. “Oh dear, it finally got you too, mate”, Chan greeted, taking a single glance at his dongsaeng. The younger hadn’t even needed to say a word, that would’ve given away the rough shape his throat was in. Nodding defeatedly, Felix breathed: “Could’ve disregarded it as a fluke this morning but it’s getting worse. I’ll just see how long I can last.”

Though they would’ve liked Felix to rest, Chan knew there was little he could do or say to convince the younger and he didn’t want to pull the leader card. At least, not yet. He could just keep an eye on Felix and make sure he took it easy today. If he developed a fever, it should make it easy to get him to stay home the next day and since the rest of them had just recovered from the same cold, Chan could just pretend to be tired himself, so that was why they needed to take more breaks. The leader sold it almost convincingly but eventually, Changbin caught on. Well, it was rather hard to miss when Felix muffled cough after cough into the crook of his elbow, the sound low and painful. “Sip this slowly”, the rapper instructed, handing Felix his water bottle. Steadily rubbing his dongsaeng’s back, Changbin hummed: “Do you wanna sit down for a bit? You look wiped.” – “If I sit down, I don’t think I’ll get back up again”, the Aussie croaked, tears stinging his eyes, “Worst is my throat anyway and that won’t get better by sitting.”

“Perhaps not by sitting but maybe if you suck on a cough drop?”, Jeongin offered, holding out his hand. He still had a bunch in his bag but didn’t need them anymore, at least not as badly as Felix did. The Aussie accepted it and popped it between his chapped lips. All the mouth breathing he was doing was drying out his lips. For the moment, it did soothe the irritation in his throat a little but that didn’t last long and the further the day progressed, the worse the pain got. Eventually, Chan decided to send the younger home because he could barely talk and his eyes had finally developed that feverish gloss. Felix wasn’t particularly pleased with the decision but knew there was no point in arguing. The entire group had been through this cold, all of them taking at least one sick day, so why should he be the exception? He’d need to rest and wait it out just like everyone else.

On the way to his dorm, Felix started to shiver. Yup, the chills were most definitely setting in. More of a reason to take that nice hot bath, he had been contemplating. He had the time and really wanted something to clear up the congestion, so he’d dig out the eucalyptus bath salt his mom had gifted him once and enjoy a nice long soak. Hopefully, it’d soothe his achy muscles too.

Chan had also instructed him to have some soup for nourishment and because he figured that being typical ‘sick people food’, it’d soothe Felix’ sore throat but he hadn’t considered, just how little appetite the boy might have. Besides, the dancer felt in no mood to cook and he didn’t like the canned soups Seungmin kept on hand at their dorm, so while he had promised Chan that he’d eat something, it was unlikely going to be soup. Resting his head against the edge of the bathtub, Felix closed his eyes and took a deep breath, relieved that it slowly got easier. His nose was running a little now but he didn’t mind, at least his sinuses were clearing up. At first, the warmth of the water had felt odd and uncomfortable against his skin, sensitive from the fever, but it grew comfortable as he got used to it and his muscles finally relaxed.

Felix had a hard time not accidentally falling asleep in the tub because he knew that was dangerous but it was so comfy that it made him drowsy. The only thing the bath hadn’t improved in the slightest, was the bothersome headache still thumping behind his temples. Maybe some painkillers didn’t sound too bad but what could he possibly convince himself to eat. Anything he could think of would hurt his throat and it didn’t seem worth the pain. Ugh, he’d also have to get out of the tub if he wanted to get food and medicine. He should’ve thought this through earlier. No way he had the energy to get out now.

Turns out, he did find the energy somewhere in him but only because something had loosened in his chest and he kept coughing. A drink suddenly sounded far better than staying in the warm water for longer. Bundled up in a thick sweater, with a pair of fuzzy socks on his feet, Felix shuffled to the kitchen and poured himself some water. Sipping it slowly, he went through the different cabinets and drawers in search of something quick but relatively pain free to eat. Nothing looked appealing at all, so he grumpily checked the fridge and perked up when he reached for the freezer. If the Aussie remembered correctly, they still had some ice cream. That’d be smooth and the cold would numb the pain in his throat, so it had to be perfect right?

It was almost perfect. Smiling happily because they indeed had some ice cream, Felix grabbed a spoon and made his way over to the couch, already shuddering because the bowl was so cold in his hands. Well, one more instance in which he was glad that they always kept a fluffy blanket draped over the back of the couch. Placing his ice cream onto the coffee table, Felix wrapped himself in his fluffy blanket and huddled on the couch before he continued eating.

Worried about his dongsaeng, Chan decided to accompany Seungmin home after their schedule concluded, so they could check on Felix together. The dancer had taken his medication after he finished his scoop of ice cream and even managed to take a little nap once it kicked in. Now that it was wearing off though, Felix had to consider his options. There was one small serving of ice cream left, so he could have that now but what then? He’d have to figure something out for the upcoming days because he doubted his throat would be any better by then. Possibly even worse if this cough kept tearing it up.

Deciding that his future self could worry about that, Felix pulled the fluffy blanket tighter around his shoulders and padded to the kitchen. He didn’t even bother to scoop the ice cream into a bowl this time. There was so little left, he could just eat it out of the tub. Once again, the first few bites sent shivers down his spine but he sighed in relief because it numbed the back of his throat a little, the oain temporarily forgotten. Just as Felix was finishing off the last bite of ice cream, Seungmin let Chan into the apartment and kicked off his shoes. Spotting the younger in the living room, Chan waved and smiled: “Hi there, Lixxie. How’re you feeling?” – “I’m okay”, Felix rasped, placing the empty container onto the coffee table before rubbing his arms to quell the chills. “Now, who decided ice cream is ‘sick people food’?”, the leader questioned, walking over to help the dancer fix the blanket. Glaring at his hyung, Felix snapped: “Shut it, Christopher! My throat’s killin’ me and this helped. We ran out though, so if anyone was willing to get me more tomorrow, that’d be highly appreciated.”

With the way Felix’ voice had given out towards the end, nobody doubted his statement and Seungmin volunteered to head to the mini-market and pick up some more ice cream. Chan took a seat next to Felix and pulled him into his arms to warm him up, softly explaining the arrangements he had been able to make to his schedule, so he’d get the time to rest and recover. He felt a little guilty for teasing the younger about his meal choice because he still remembered how inflamed his own throat had been not even two weeks ago. That didn’t mean that he didn’t cherish Seungmin for also bringing home a few bags of frozen fruit for Felix to blend into smoothies as it would no doubt be the better alternative long-term if they wanted their friend to get the vitamins he’d need.

With how feverish Felix still was after taking his dose of medicine, it was apparent that he’d have an early bedtime. Chan wasn’t too concerned about catching the dancer’s cold after just having gotten over it himself, so he didn’t hesitate to climb into his dongsaeng’s bed after him. Just one of those sad puppy-eye looks was enough to make the leader go all mushy and Felix knew it. Obviously, he’d use that to his advantage if it meant someone would hold him through the chills and confusingly vivid fever dreams.

[tmblrcolouredpaper]

Fuck You

Bang Chan/ Reader

established relationship; argument; mental health issues; angst and cuddles

wc: 2809

'Fuck you!'

'Fuck me? Sure, sure, it's me who screwed up here.'

'Who else if not you?'

'You can't be serious.'

'Do I look like I'm joking?'

'Just fuck YOU!'

He basically yelled the last word to emphasize how done he was with your behavior.

It all started with a mild disagreement about how you  did not handle a comment by one of your mutual friends well. 

In Chan's opinion it was nothing to freak out about. 

Lee Know just observed and expressed that you preferred comfortable clothes when he saw you sitting down at the table in the restaurant wearing bigger clothes than you usually would.

There was no judgment in his statement, but still, it made your mood turn 180 degrees, leaving a sulking quiete you back there.

Once Chan entered the apartment with you following some steps behind him, you went straight to the bathroom, taking a shower and going to bed. 

He did his night routine, trying to take his mind off, but he felt kinda restless, neither wanting you to go to sleep in a bad mood nor wanting himself to be unaware of what was going in your head. 

So he stepped inside the shared bedroom after he was done and simply spoke into the dark room that he would like you to come to the living room to talk. 

He plopped down on the sofa, always looking behind him to see when you would come. 

Some minutes later you sleepy figure approached him saying:'I'm tired.', but still proceeding to sit next to Chan. 

You talked about the incidence.

He explained to you his point of view and clarified that there was no bad intention from Lee Know.

It bothered him how you were not aware of that, since you knew the younger one.

You somewhat saw where he was coming from, but you were stubborn and annoyed of the fact that people had to comment on such a silly thing like clothes in the first place. 

That was when the calm talk about a minor misinterpretation started to shift. 

'It's not about him saying something about your outfit. It's about the fact that you're starting to hide again.' 

'How am I hiding by wearing a casual outfit to a casual dinner with friends?'

'It's not just that. But it's one of the things you started doing again, you know. If you would have been fine with your outfit choices, you wouldn't have been that bothered by his comment.'

'One of the things I started doing again? Chan, I was wearing comfortable clothes, don't make a big deal out of it.'

'You have plenty of other comfortable clothes that aren't extra baggy.'

'So you wished I was choosing prettier clothes?'

'I don't care what you're wearing.'

'Obviously you do care. A lot if it makes you that upset that you prevent me from sleeping when I'm tired after a long day.'

'Don't do this. I just want to clarify what happened, because you were obviously affected by his words.'

'So what am I supposed to do? Dress better so that people stop commenting on my looks?'

He sighed in frustration. He did not want the conversation to be like that. All he wanted was to tell you that you were perfect the way you were and that you did not have hide yourself from the world, that you did not have to be ashamed of yourself in any sense. 

'I saw the clothes that you put out before you changed your mind and went for the bigger clothes.  I saw when you got really excited some days ago when the others talked about the new Spiderman movie, but then you completely shut down and didn't dare to say a word. It's not just the outfit today, but considering that you enjoy putting a different kind outfit together, it just seems like another aspect of where you're hiding again.' 

He looked at you, hoping you now understood that it was about much more than just today's dinner. 

'So you're saying I'm not trying hard enough? I'm literally always working on getting over that shit, but how dare I to not be fully confident here and there.'

'I didn't say that-'

'It's just clothes, it's just a movie, it could be so much worse, why do you have to bring that up now?'

'Because you are clearly bothered.'

'So what. Happens.'

'I told you, don't do that.'

'What?'

'Being so fucking emotionless.'

You looked at him. He did not just say that, did he? 

'Fuck you.', you said not looking at him, done with this bullshit of a conversation.

'Fuck me?', he could not believe that you were being so immature right now.

'Sure, sure, it's me who screwed up here.', he continued sarcastically, angry at you for not even considering the idea that he just wanted to help you.

'Who else if not you?'

A rhetorical question. You were so pissed that he always had to be so nosy, not letting you be and sort your stuff out by yourself, he always wanted to be part of it.

'You can't be serious.', he stated in complete disbelief.

'Do I look like I'm joking?', you asked. If you hated something more than not being left alone, then it was not being taken seriously.

'Just fuck YOU!', he yelled, hurt by your ignorance.

It was silent after that. 

You fucked up and you knew it. 

He was always soft and caring, he did not yell at you, so when he did just now you were not angry anymore, you were not absorbed by your own insecurities that slowly got the best of again, making you lose focus on anything around you and even Chan's feelings.

You did not feel sorry, you did not feel much, not having the capacity to do so, but you knew you were wrong for acting the way you did.

'Chan?', you asked in a low voice, glancing over to him.

He sat there with straight posture, both hands placed on his knees, eyes focused on something only he could concentrate on somewhere in front of him, not moving an inch, maybe still in shock of what just happened.

'I'm sorry.', he whispered. 

'No, Chan, I-', you tried to bring out words to calm him down, but you knew he was strict on himself and he would be hard on himself for yelling at you. 

You scooted over to him and laid your arms around him, engulfing him in a hug. 

He did not move, but eventually after some minutes in silence and deep breaths of shock, he let his body melt into yours, followed by his arms that he quickly circled around your shoulders. 

'I'm so sorry.', he sniffled.

'I know, Chan.', you said, caressing his head in a soothing manner. 

'I'm sorry too.', you told him.

'Do you mean it?', he asked.

'Not really, I don't really feel it, but I am sorry if I made you frustrated. I don't want to make you feel bad in any way.', you confessed.

He tightened his arms around you, pulling you even closer.

'How bad is it again?'

You knew he referred to your mental state, without particularly naming it.

'I don't know.', you sighed.

'I-... Sometimes-', you looked down, shaking your head, unable to express yourself. 

He placed a kiss on your temple. 

'It's fine. You wanna try talking about it now or calm down first?', he asked, searching for the most comfortable option.

'Now.', you said. 'I just don't know where to start, I don't know if I can explain it to you well enough.' 

'Whichever words feel right to you. I will give my best to understand, okay? I'm here.', he assured.

Silence.

He saw you looking around the room, as if you were searching for something.

'Was there a reason why you went so quite when they were talking about the movie?', he tried giving you a topic to start with. 

You leaned into his embrace a bit more, as if you were hiding from the world. 

'I wanted to watch the movie in the cinema. I couldn't bring myself to actually do it.'

He hummed in anticipation, caressing some hair out of your face.

'It's not a big deal, I know it. I'm not even scared or anything. I just didn't go and then I was disappointed that I didn't.', you explained. 

'But you didn't panic or anything?', he asked in confusion.

'No. I didn't even try.'

He caressed you back up and down.

Silence.

'Chan-'

'Hmm.'

'I don't wanna talk. It doesn't make sense.' 

'What doesn't make sense?'

'This.', you said, pushing away from him.

'What do you mean?', he asked, remaining the confusion.

'I didn't feel like anything was up. I was only annoyed of that comment today. The movie thing is more like I didn't prioritize my own wish for watching it. 

Nothing is up. Everything is fine. Just you trying to make a point by analyzing my psyche based on a few interpretations-... I-... I was just scared because you yelled. You don't just yell. I thought if you're that frustrated that you start yelling, it must mean you actually think something is wrong and I trust your feeling for that, but now talking about it-... I don't think it's getting worse. Everything is fine.',  you explained and threw in big gestures unintentionally. 

'Maybe I misinterpreted things.', he said and you nodded, still sitting up straight, not leaning into him to have a better position for reading his face. 

You truly believed that the points he brought up were not indicators for a worsen health condition of yours and you felt relieved that the conversation seemed to be over, you just wanted to go to sleep.

So you just sat there, on the sofa next to Chan.

You  waited patiently for him to do something, maybe to get up and do his night routine, anything, it did not matter what, you just waited for him to initiate any change of the current situation you were in. 

You were not hiding nowadays, you were passive.

You were present without putting yourself out there as much as you would become the center of attention for even a second.

Considering that exactly that happened today, it was no surprise that the comment that drew attention to you had a bigger impact than it would have had normally. 

Chan did not move away to do anything else, but stayed in the same position.

You were unaware of him observing you closely.

He meant it when he surrendered and said he might have misinterpreted your behavior, but the feeling that you did not feel a hundred percent did not leave him.

He knew you and sometimes it was easier to see what was going on from the outside by just going through the list of signs than experiencing struggles yourself that overwhelm you until you were almost completely numb.

'Let's go to bed, shall we?', he asked. 

'Yes.', you answered in relief that you were allowed to leave the situation. 

Once you were back in the dark bedroom covered by blankets and snuggled into Chan's body you fell asleep. 

However Chan was still awake for a long time. 

Too much was on his mind: The guilt he felt for yelling at you, he would never do that again, never, his own stress got the best of him as well, but he would not excuse his actions in any way;

the worry about your health that was obviously worse compared to some month ago and the fact that you said yourself that you did not feel anything much made obvious that you needed more support again;

besides those two point there was also his constant fear of finally being rejected by you after all, because he knew he was a lot and maybe too much and at the same time not enough. 

What if you would break up with him? Who would be by your side helping you? How was he supposed to catch any sleep again without you calming him down? 

'Chan?', you grunted half asleep.

'Yes?', he responded in surprise. 

'Stop worrying andjustsleep.', you proceeded to mumble falling asleep again while talking. 

'Okay.', he whispered and nuzzled his head in between your shoulder and neck in an attempt to distract himself.

He felt much more relaxed when your warmth surrounded his senses and he pressed his eyes together to not let any tear slip out that wanted to stream down his cheeks. 

The try of regulating his breath to become slow and more even was interrupted by your hand combing his messy locks. 

Your weight shifted as you rolled on your back.

'Come here.', you whispered and tucked on the black hoodie your boyfriend was wearing to signal him to lay down on top of you.

He quickly sat up and pulled the fabric over his head and threw it on the ground before he let himself rest on top of you without forgetting to grab the blanket that covered both of you again after some seconds of the position change. 

'It's comfier like this.', he blurted out and made you giggle.

He felt your hand on his bare back, first drawing circles then going up and down slowly. 

'I love you.', he heard you whisper and then felt your lips on his forehead that was close to your chin as his head rested on your upper body. 

It was the last straw and he let his tears escape.

'Chan, no, it's okay.', you cooed, holding him close. 

'I just-... It's sooo hard to- to se you going through it again. And I- I', he stuttered, 'I am so scared of losing you, I know I'm not doing well enough, I'm so so s-s-sorry... please just- just, please-' 

'Chan', he heard you saying, interrupting his mumbling.

'You are doing well. You're just overthinking, don't stress yourself like this, okay?', you tried to assure him still caressing his skin.

'I can't lose you.', he whispered as if saying it out loud  and clear would make it become reality in an instant. 

You interrupted the steady movements on his back and places your palms on both side of his head what caused him to look up to you.

With a deep stare in his eyes you said: 'You don't. You won't. I promise.'

He pushed his body up and freed himself from your touch transitioning to hovering above you without breaking eye contact once.

The sudden move surprised you and you just laid there looking at him, not sure what to say or do.

He believed you, he wanted nothing more than trusting in your words and he knew he could do so. 

However it did not stop his worries just like that.

He shifted to the side and sank his lower body onto the mattress while keeping his upper body up with the weight on one arm.

Carefully he adjusted the blanket that fell to the side due to his movements. 

Once you were covered again, he pushed some strands of your hair to the side and caressed your cheeks. 

He saw the goosebumps creeping over your skin.

'I just want you to be happy.', he whispered and looked down on you with nothing but adoration in his eyes. 

He saw how you reached out to grab his hand and went along by taking yours. 

He wanted you to be closer, but at the same time he wanted to see your face. 

It broke his heart a little when he saw how absent you looked like. It was beyond the tiredness of the end of a day. 

He felt your grip tightening around his palm and you whispered:

'I'm trying-' 

He saw you closing your eye and taking a deep breath. 

'I don't know how- I- I'm sorry.'

He knew he could not do much. As much as he wanted to give you the whole world, he knew it would not help.

He could just be there and hope that was at least something. 

So, he robbed closer and gathered your body in his embrace that you immediately welcomed by snuggling into him.

He closed his arms around you and dropped down on the bed. 

'There is nothing to be sorry about. You're working so hard to get better, I know. It must be frustrating, hm?'

He felt you nodding. 

He knew it was not about him here. It was not about getting his desire to help satisfied, it was about you feeling better again. 

'How are you feeling?', he asked and caressed your head.

'Tired. Just tired.'

'Wanna talk about it tomorrow?' 

'Yes, please.' 

'Okay. Anything I can do for you now?'

'You're here. That's already more than enough.' 

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

[magalidragon]

hands of fate | chapter 4 teaser

And you all thought I abandoned this fic didn’t you? Hee hee. I’m almost done with the smut and once it is done I will post. Just two and a half scenes. Thought I would post the teaser now to help me finish the rest.

Jon propped his head on his folded arms, over the top of the couch. He smiled gently, his eyes narrowing. "Are you wearing my clothes?"

"Hmm, yes." She skipped over and jumped over the couch, falling into his arms, hers going to loop around his neck. She murmured over his mouth. "Got a problem with that?"

"Quite the contrary."

She had never felt so bloody giddy after spending the night with someone before. This was truly a surreal experience. Least of all because it was the holidays and she really had been planning on being a mopey grinch the entire season. Jon was quite the surprise. She nuzzled her nose against his, whispering. "Well that's a good thing, because this is a very comfortable shirt."

"Keep it, it looks better on you than me."

"Hmm, flattery and coffee will get you everywhere."

"Even back in bed?"

She swatted his chest lightly, leaning backwards and twisting to get to the coffee he'd set down for her. She straightened up, his mouth gaping stupidly. She tapped his nose and flung her leg back over his thigh so she was seated beside him, tucking her feet under her. "Close your mouth Jon Snow." Feeling playful, she stuck her tongue out, wagging it at him. "Or I might just have to fill it with something."

He laughed, rasping. "I think that might be preferred."

"Hmm," she giggled. She sipped the coffee, sighing in relief. It really was unhealthy how much she was addicted to the stuff, but gods, it sustained her. She leaned against his shoulder and he lazily tossed his arm over hers, as she cuddled against him, incredibly comfortable, the most natural thing in the world, to be this close to someone so soon. It was unheard of for her. She hummed over the top of the cup. "So what are we going to do today?"

"You're not working?"

"Nope."

"Need to check on your dragons?"

She clicked her tongue. "Yes, I do. They might have eaten each other by now. I always leave dry food for them, but of course they hate it."

"Of course."

Dany gazed around the living room, noting the half-lived in space. It was really his, despite still missing certain things. Empty spaces on the walls, no knickknacks. He was spartan, that was for sure. Save for those gorgeous paintings by his mother. She rubbed her foot on Ghost's belly, the massive dog at the other end of the couch, eager to get scratches.

It was so bloody domestic, she could vomit, she thought. Who would have pictured her in a scene like this? Gods, even when she was with her previous two long-term love interests she never felt as calm and collected as she was right now. She briefly wondered what was <i>wrong</i>, when that other shoe would drop.

And she thought of what Davos might say to that: Why go looking for a reason to ruin it, Daenerys, when you could be in the moment? Isn't that what this is about? Living life as full as you can?

Yes, she thought, nodding aimlessly to herself, sipping her coffee, while she heard the heartbeat of the man behind her who almost didn't have one for some time, and her feet buried in his massive dog's fur. She was going to enjoy this. She rested her head a little further down on his chest, turning slightly so she could hear it again.

Thud...thud...thud.

His fingers idly caressed her hair. "Kind of creepy, you're listening to someone else's heartbeat," he murmured.

She smiled, lifting her eyes up and meeting his-- they weren't the sad, haunted dark tunnels she'd first noted when they met that evening in the group therapy. They were teasing, relaxed in the corners, almost sleepy. He had reason to be sleepy, she thought lecherously, folding her hands over his heart and dropping her chin to them. "Kinda' creepy, you playing with my hair," she tossed back, but smiled. She liked it; it was relaxing.

He grinned. "I like your hair. It's not blonde, but it's not silver...but it's not white or gray."

"It's Targaryen," she said.

"That's why I like it. It's you.”

[nervouscloudtheorist]

April 27th 2024

Dear Diary,

I MISSED IT. I MISSED WEEDING DAY. I AM SO UPSET WITH MYSELF.

Okay so I was feeling extra sleepy and not too well yesterday so I kinda slept in...for the entire day. I know I know, because when I woke up it was 6:00am TODAY. Uggghhhhhhh I am so upset. I wish there was a way for me to turn back time so that I didn't miss it. I couldn't even go into Leif shop today because I don't want to even talk about it. I was hyping it up to you, to Clay, to Chrissy, to Dierdre, to everyone really and when the day came I was the only one not there. So disappointing,

I don't even really have a good reason for it either. I was practicing my art skills so that I could better design clothes for Sable's sewing machine... I didn't even get far in it. I have nothing to show for missing Weeding day except my tears.

Back to my daily stuff before I continue with the self loathing....

Dierdre invited me to her birthday party on May4th which is awesome because mine is the very next day! Also it's the only birthday party I've been invited to so it's gonna be extra fun. I have to make sure I get her a really good gift. Probably something mermaid related?

Also T-Bone is leaving. I have a hard time being sad about it since I didn't really talk to him all that much but I hope that he finds a place where he can try all the food he wants like he was talking about.

I can't help but feel like a bad mayor...not just because I missed weeding day but because everyone keeps wanting to leave it feels like. I know I may sound super confident in my skills but deep down I'm worried I'm not doing great. I try to visit and talk to everyone but there are just some people I don't click with and I feel like as Mayor that should be kept to a minimal as possible. But much like how I can't go back in time, I can't change what has already happened. I guess like mom says, I can only move forward.

I checked on my turnip prices today and they were 111 bells. I remembered what Joan said about how they only last a week so I made sure to sell them and I want to believe that I made a profit but I cannot remember how much I bought them for. I will need to make sure that I keep a note of that tomorrow when I buy some more turnips cause you know me, I am all about making that bread. Not today though, I am pretty sad.

I spent a lot of time in the museum looking at the fish and realized, I still don't have that many fish here. I should really work on that if I want a place to sit when I am sad. I mean I have outside on the beach but that's not the same as watching fish swim by...

ALSO where is the club that Shrunk promised? It still hasn't been built. I wonder if he told me that it would take longer than normal projects and I just tuned it out because I was thinking about capturing that golden stag beetle. I was also thinking about buying a diving suit but that really doesn't help me when the ocean is still cold on the mainland.

I aldo found a few more Gyroids today. I think I'm on a roll with finding them now. I don't know why it took so long but it seems pretty fantastic to me. However, when I was going around looking for them, I fell into a pitfall. Sly was right there when I fell in so I feel like my suspicions that it is him are completely justified. It may have also been one that I personally planted but I'm not sure because I planted a few. He then asked me to get a cherry for him to eat after he didn't even help me get out of the hole. It is because of these things, I am confident the pitfall seed planter is Sly. Granted Ribbot walked by with a shovel...but that's not important. I am sure he was looking for Gyroids to give to Clay as well...

Regardless, I am going to run a full fledged investigation on Sly starting tomorrow. He can't keep getting away with this!

We will see what evidence I “dig” up.

-Finn

P.S. You know that was funny.

[marisramblings]

Thief! (Fem!Dokja x Fem!Joonghyuk)

Kinda forgot to post here about my Fem!Dokjoong/Joongdok anthology. It’s an update when I have inspo thing so I’ll take any requests.

Warnings: very, very slight nsfw

Dokja throws her hands up in frustration. She’s emptied out her drawer, closet, and laundry basket, but she can’t find her tls123 shirt. Sooyoung’s book signing is today and her only request is for Dokja to wear the shirt. Does Dokja want to go? Absolutely not, but Sooyoung’s paying and she needs extra money for her girlfriend’s birthday gift.

Joonghyuk’s birthday is in two weeks and Dokja’s been saving for the new switch. Joonghyuk’s really been into Omori, and she wants to buy the accompanying art book. It’s $70 before taxes and shipping. Her monthly salary is not enough for these gifts and her portion of the bills.

Dokja goes through everything one more time. She puts everything back before storming into the living room with a frustrated groan. Joonghyuk looks up from her perch on the couch. Her curly hair has been wrestled into a crooked braid, courtesy of Mia. She’s watching some cooking show and writing down the recipe.

“What’s wrong?”

Dokja sighs as she collapses onto the couch. “I can’t find my tls shirt. Sooyoung told me that I have to wear it or she won’t pay me.”

Joonghyuk places a hand on Dokja’s head and pats it. Her gaze remains on the tv.

“I can just give you money.”

Damn. Dokja thought she had hidden her uttering motivation better. “I’m a capable adult. I can make my own money.” Does her girlfriend make more from a single stream than she does in two months? Yes, but it’s the principle, not the practicality.

“Hm.” Joonghyuk opens the blanket just enough for Dokja to wriggle beside her.

Dokja looks at Joonghyuk. Her gaze is uninterested, as usual, and she’s wearing her gaming jacket. She’s always cold or never hot, and Dokja has yet to figure out which. Something peaks out from the fabric and she carefully pulls it to the side.

“Are you wearing my shirt?”

“Hm,” is all Joonghyuk says, but Dokja can see the hint of a smile.

“You are!”

Joonghyuk deftly dodges Dokja’s grasping hands. “I guess you’ll just have to stay home then.”

“Are you serious? I need the money—“

Joonghyuk pulls her in and gives Dokja a quick kiss. Smirks at her shocked face.

“If it’s for my birthday, I’m fine. Dumplings, you, and games are all I want anyway.”

“Should I feel flattered or offended that I’m second on the list?”

Joonghyuk shrugs. “What were you saving for, anyway?”

“I was going to get the new switch and the Omori art book.”

Joonghyuk stills. Her eyes narrow in a look Dokja is intimately familiar with.

“Give me the shirt, Joonghyuk-ah.”

“Fine, but tell Han Sooyoung that she’s a conniving snake.”

Dokja rolls her eyes. “I’ll miss you, too. It’s only a few hours.”

***

Dokja quietly slips into the house. She got held up a lot longer than she planned. It’s long last Mia’s bedtime but Joonghyuk would’ve stayed to make sure she eats dinner. The new manager at Minosoft was a taskmaster, and Dokja is seriously considering being Sooyoung’s agent. Well, maybe not that.

She pads over to the living room to set down her bag. The television flickers with a late night program. Joonghyuk is curled up on the couch, fast asleep.

Dokja smiles and kisses her forehead. She’d have taken a photo, if she wanted to die.

Joonghyuk shifts around before blinking. She squints in the low light and wrinkles her nose. Dokja stifles a laugh at the little curl sticking up.

“Hmm, your dinner is in the kitchen.”

Dokja turns off the tv. “Nice to see you too. You can head to bed, I’ll be there soon.”

Joonghyuk sighs and stands, folding the blanket before setting it in the couch. The shirt she wears hangs above her waist and rides up revealing her toned stomach. The logo folds along her chest and she clearly isn’t wearing a bra. Dokja’s mouth runs dry and she’s grateful the darkness hides her blush. Sleepy Joonghyuk with messy hair and a shirt that leaves nothing to the imagination is short-circuiting her brain. Dokja has work tomorrow, and Joonghyuk won’t let her do anything before eating. She looks at the logo again because the shirt looks familiar! Not for any other reason.

Actually, the logo is familiar.

“Is that my shirt?” It’s an old tee from her university.

“Eat your dinner.” Joonghyuk gives her a sleepy glare before leaving.

***

Dokja steps out of the shower, towel wrapped tight as she dries off. Joonghyuk has a stream tonight, so she resolves herself to catching up on her to-read list. Joonghyuk gets in “the zone,”even for chill gaming, and Dokja knows not to disturb her. She puts on her favorite socks, and digs around for her comfiest hoodie, the one with a hyper-realistic squid that Jihye claims looks like her. Dokja left it on her side of the bed, but it’s gone.

“Again?” This is getting out of hand. Joonghyuk is five inches taller and more muscular. She’s going to stretch out her clothes. Dokja walks over to Joonghyuk’s office/game room and knocks.

“Come in.”

Joonghyuk is still setting up for the stream. The cat ear headphones Sooyoung bought her are slung around her neck and she’s wearing Dokja’s squid hoodie.

“I already made you a snack or are you in another comment war?” She fiddles with her glasses.

Dokja almost smiles, but she can’t get distracted. She takes a small breath.

“Joonghyuk-ah, why do you keep stealing my clothes?”

“Why are you asking dumb questions?”

Dokja steps closer. Joonghyuk only gets defensive when she’s close to figuring out a secret. Her aura is screaming danger, and what else can Dokja do besides push?

“That’s not an answer, uri gangaji.”

Joonghyuk hunches as the tips of her ears turn pink. She pretends to clean her glasses.

Dokja cups her face and gives Joonghyuk her best puppy dog eyes look.

Joonghyuk sighs. “It…”

“Hm?”

“I like that it smells like you. It helps my anxiety.” Joonghyuk is fully blushing and she looks to the side.

Dokja fights the smile threatening to overtake her face. There are some nights where Joonghyuk holds her like a lifeline. Days where a sudden noise can set her on edge. “Okay then, but I can’t have you stealing my stuff. I’ll start taking some of yours.”

Joonghyuk looks back. “Fine.” She bends down and hugs Dokja.

“Now get out. You’re a distraction.”

[belphegor1982]

Sam’s chapter this time! As usual, link to the AO3 version in the reblogs if you prefer to read and/or comment there ^^

Jigsaw Pieces

Chozen, uneasy

Daniel, adrift

Amanda, sleepless

Sam, shaken

Johnny, fixing things

Daniel, not alone

Sam spent much of the plane ride home asleep, despite the anxiety gnawing at her guts. All Mom said was that Dad was attacked and got hurt, which was barely enough to go on with and clashes with everything she knows about her dad.

Apart from sparring, she’s only seen him fight a couple of times, and she’s never seen him lose. His official ‘rematch’ with Johnny was the main event and it ended in a double knockout. Before that, there was the morning of the school fight, when she was at Johnny’s apartment thoroughly hungover and Dad barged in and both men traded blows; and then after that, the night of the home invasion, when she raced after Dad to the strip mall in front of the Cobra Kai dojo and found him and Kreese standing in the middle of broken glass.

The last two hardly count, though. The second time only lasted until Sam and Robby both took a hold of their respective dads and broke up the fight.

As for the third…

It should have been over by the time she and Miguel run out of the car with the engine still running. It looked over. Kreese was down, looking actually scared, and Dad was on his feet in front of him, still in a fighting stance.

The cuts on Dad’s face and the blood on his shirt – standing out against the stark white – spooked Anthony afterward. What spooked Sam was the way Dad was shaking imperceptibly for a while after he backed down, and the expression on his face, like someone who just slipped off a mountain trail and caught themselves just before they fell into a ravine. Like if she hadn’t been there, if she hadn’t shouted at that very second, he might have fallen. Sam really, really doesn’t want to go into the implications of that.

The point is, Dad doesn’t just lose – not a fight, anyway. She’s not a little kid anymore, she’s way past the ‘my dad can do anything’ stage, but if there’s one thing Dad is consistently good at, it’s karate.

So what happened to him that made Mom do such a one-eighty and immediately book them a plane home leaving at four in the morning?

It looks like Anthony has been wondering the same thing, because as they get out of the plane and wait for the luggage he asks her in a low voice, “Do you think they had, like, knives or guns? I mean, it’s Dad. There’s no way he just lost, right?”

“I don’t know,” Sam whispers back so their mom doesn’t hear. And because she’s the big sister – and she wants it to be true – she adds, “But I’m sure he’ll be okay.”

The look Anthony shoots her for a second is equal parts relief and scepticism. Then he shrugs with a quick lopsided smile that looks just as fake as her reassurance ended up sounding.

“Yeah. Totally. Hey, uh… I was thinking of trying to make a pancake or two for breakfast when we get home. Key word ‘trying’, obviously, but… Do you think you could help? Be my spotter, kinda?”

Sam can’t help a snort, amused. Her brother has changed while she wasn’t looking, from a mouthy little asshole to… Well, he’s still a sarcastic little shit, but he can be awkward and quiet and even kind when he tries. And he is trying. Case in point: this, him wanting to make Dad’s pancakes when he used to be the one scarfing them down without a word of thanks for so long.

Also, well. At his age Sam was changing too, from the awkward geek who used to be into karate into a coward who’d do anything – even throw her best friend under the bus – to trail after Yasmine like she was Regina George. If Anthony is indeed changing, he’s changing for the better. She likes this new version a lot more than the old one.

As it turns out, today is not the day Anthony is making his big pancakes début. Instead they get mochas and sandwiches from the nearest Starbucks with other sleepy, rumpled people waiting for their connections.

And then it’s into an Uber and straight to the hospital.

The ride is almost completely silent. Maybe that’s what unnerves Sam the most. If Mom can’t bring herself to smile and say something gently snarky that’ll translate to It’s okay, it’ll be all right, if Anthony keeps his phone in his pocket and doesn’t say a word, either, then things are not all right. Not by a long shot.

Not that she needed that spelled out.

It has to be Cobra Kai, she thinks, so loudly she’s irrationally afraid the thought will tumble out of her head somehow. It has to, because who else could it be?

Chozen is waiting for them when they get to the hospital. Mom leaves Sam and Anthony with him and goes on ahead to ask about Dad.

In the beginning Sam didn’t know what to make of Chozen Toguchi. Anthony said he heard Mom call him an ‘Okinawan assassin’ once, but she didn’t believe it – no way Dad would’ve invited him into their house if the guy really was some kind of killer. Either Mom was joking or Anthony heard wrong.

So a couple of days after he arrived, she confronted him, sort of. Strike first, like Johnny said, but (a belated realisation) the way Aisha meant.

“How’d you come to know my dad, exactly?”

Chozen smiled. It was a really good thing the smile reached his eyes, because otherwise he would’ve looked kind of scary.

“We fought to death when about your age.”

Which… was not the sort of conversation Sam expected to have over breakfast cereal, but there you go. It was her own fault for not picking a better time and place, anyway.

“Are you serious?” she asked, staring at him across the table like she could burn the truth out of him with her eyes somehow.

Chozen stared back for a few seconds. Then he laughed. His whole face looked softer for it.

“Very serious,” he said, mirth still dancing in his eyes, before sobering up. “I was coward back then. Man without honour. But also proud, stubborn. Your father accidentally exposed my cheating, so I attacked him. Challenged him to duel – and lost.”

“But why?” Sam insisted, still staring, this time out of disbelief rather than suspicion. Did Dad seriously spend his teenage years collecting karate rivals like Pokémon cards?

Chozen shrugged.

“I had head pretty far up my ass then.” (That surprised a snort out of her.) “Daniel-san showed me mercy, though. And last year, we met again and we became friends.”

“Okay,” said Sam slowly. “Also, I meant to ask, uh… What do you do for a living? I mean, my brother seems to think you’re some kind of hitman. Don’t tell him I said that,” she added swiftly.

This time it was Chozen’s turn to snicker, but his smile stayed up in his eyes.

“I teach karate back home, in Okinawa.”

“You’re a sensei?”

“Hai.” Quiet pride in his voice. “Miyagi-Do. Miyagi-san and my uncle learned karate together, long time ago. Now, my turn to pass knowledge.” His eyes twinkled. “I am no hitman, Samantha-san. Just here to help good friend.”

Sam nodded, a big part of her relieved, a small part disappointed.

“So you’re not gonna fight Cobra Kai.”

Chozen’s eyes hardened. “We see about that.”

They haven’t talked much since then, but there’s something about him Sam can’t help but like despite her initial misgivings. Maybe it’s the accent; it always seems to tap into some of her earlier memories, of being tucked in Mr. Miyagi’s lap while he reads her picture books and calls her Sam-chan, even before he and Dad started teaching her karate. Or maybe it’s because she’s curious about what kind of sensei he is. The only karate teachers she’s known were Mr. Miyagi, Dad, and Johnny, after all. Now that she’s made her peace with her decision to get back into it – maybe even teach Anthony a few things if he’s serious about learning – she wonders what Chozen’s teaching would be like. He has both more and less chill than Dad and Johnny in different ways, so that’d be interesting.

Right now, though, Chozen doesn’t look chill. He’s clearly worried behind the would-be reassuring façade some adults are better at than others.

“Terry Silver,” he says when both siblings ask him what happened at the same time.

Anthony frowns, looking confused, and Sam asks sharply, “What?”

“Terry Silver lured Daniel-san into trap and defeated him in combat.”

“Wait wait wait,” says Anthony, “the giant dude with the white ponytail?”

Chozen nods. Anthony blinks.

“But… he’s just one guy,” he says in a small voice. “I mean, sure, he’s tall, but… there’s just one of him.”

He looks subdued and lost and Sam’s heart breaks a little at the hint of disappointment in his voice. He was so convinced that the only way Dad could have lost a fight was for a whole team of ninjas to jump him or something.

“How’s Dad?” Sam asks, gripping the strap of her bag very tightly.

It’s a question she probably should have asked first instead of What happened, but she dreads the answer to this a lot more.

Chozen pauses. She can’t tell whether it’s because he’s hesitant about telling them or because he’s trying to be as precise as possible.

“Not good,” he says finally. “He has concussion, sprained shoulder, lesion to trachea. Lot of bruises, too. But that’s not what—”

“Okay,” says Mom, materialising behind Sam and making her start a little. The long night and the worry are getting to her: she looks pale and drawn, especially without her usual makeup, and her eyes are too bright. “The good news is, Dad’s going to be all right. He’s in bad shape, but nothing… well, nothing life-threatening.”

“And the bad news?” Anthony asks, still looking as rattled as Sam is feeling, brows knitted together.

Mom’s mouth does that thing she does when she wants to wince, but also doesn’t want to show it.

“They want to keep him under observation for a couple of hours more, just in case. We’ll take him home around ten.”

Sam glances behind her mom like that’s all she needs to do to see her dad. A reflex. He’s rarely not been there when she’s needed him.

“Can I see him?”

“He’s asleep right now, honey,” Mom says softly.

“I won’t wake him up, I promise. I just…” She stops, purses her lips, and sets her jaw. “I just need to see how he’s doing.”

Mom gives a quick smile and reaches to gently tuck a loose strand of hair behind Sam’s ear. It’s a small gesture, fairly useless (that strand of hair is never staying put), but even on edge Sam recognises it for what it is: comfort, unobtrusive. She’s grateful for it.

“Okay. Come on.”

When Sam looks through the window before she’s allowed into the room, she’s relieved to find that Dad looks almost normal compared to the picture her brain’s been building up for hours in spite of herself. There’s no blood, no stitches, no bandages. He’s breathing on his own, too, which is a relief after what Chozen said about his windpipe getting damaged.

…but then, as she tiptoes around the bed, she spots the bruising around his throat and on the other side of his face, and she grits her teeth. The anxiety churning in her stomach since Mom woke her up last night hits her again, full force.

Somehow, it gets even worse when Dad wakes up and gets discharged. He limps badly, like he’s having all of his bad knee days all at once, he moves wrong – as if just one misstep will be enough to knock some bones loose – and he doesn’t talk at all.

And that’s scarier than the bruises.

Sam has seen her dad loopy on painkillers when he had his tonsils taken out. She’s seen him grumpy and listless with fever the last time the flu hit him badly enough he had to take a few days off from work. And she’s seen him break down and sob after Mr. Miyagi’s death. She knows he can be tired or angry and also a bit of a dork, and she’s well aware he’s not invulnerable. But… Dad is also the one who would pick her up and set her on his shoulders so she could be taller than everyone. He’s the one who taught her how to put her whole heart into what she does, how to take a fall so it doesn’t hurt, and how to get back up when she’s down, even when it’s hard, even when she’s afraid. He has six full inches on her and although she knows he’s not a very big guy, in her mind he’s always stood tall and strong, like a tree.

She never thought he could look so breakable.

The house is unusually silent. Mom takes Dad upstairs to rest in their bedroom. Anthony foregoes the pancakes and shuts himself off in his room. Chozen absconds to the home dojo, and Sam doesn’t know if that’s because he needs to work out some stuff or because that’s where the only objects approaching weapons in the whole house are stored – the sais, the staves, the nunchucks – and he’ll use everything he can to protect their family. Everything, everyone is scattered, like someone kicked the board and half the pieces got lost.

And Sam, still feeling like the world’s been turned upside-down, not knowing what else to do, sits on her bed and wishes she weren’t so helpless.

[f1shbonez]

"You don't have to keep on checking on me." (@vastayan--vigilante )

Now that Scar was back, life was boring. 

No missions to plan, not even a revenge one!

No weapons to build. No high-stakes life-or-death games. Nothing. 

Everything was sleepy and peaceful and good and it made Jinx feel sick. Tinkering with gadgets and fixing up the gear from the Prigg’s job was boring. She’d fixed a MILLION hoverboards. It got old pretty fast. Besides, what was the point in fixing things when you couldn’t immediately go out and use them or make them do something different and better? 

There was nothing to play with. 

The reception of the Firelights to their old prisoner had taken a visible swerve, too. Nobody seemed to be watching Jinx as closely now, as she milled around unsupervised in the base. It was almost like they trusted her, liked her, even. That was weird. 

Everyone was busy. Or at least, they claimed to be. It would have been one thing if they were busy with activities that were fun, but not today. Maybe they were all just pretending to be boring so she’d leave them alone? That was rude. 

But there was one person who was never busy, at least, not really. He understood what it was like to feel useless too, now. Old Scarface had gone from fearsome deputy to a big, fuzzy kinda pet that lived in the Timeout Tunnel. It was pretty fun, actually, feeding him snacks, watching him throw up, taking him for walks…

Yup. If nothing else, Scar still knew how to have a good time. Plus, visiting him totally counted as helping. Of course, lately, Scar had been doing his best to be boring too. Sure, withdrawal sucked. Ekko sure didn’t like being on the frontlines to his buddy’s suffering. The retching, the need to keep microdosing, the need to insist the doses had to STAY micro, blah blah blah. It was enough to drive a wedge between any Pet Scar and their would-be helper. But not Jinx! Nope. Scar made for even better company when he was broken too. 

The problem was, Scar didn’t always feel like playing. Or talking. Or walking. Or eating. Obviously, he needed a distraction. Something - or someone- that didn’t know what ‘no’ meant. A grin split Jinx’s face as she skipped towards one of the small coloured houses, humming an idle tune as she went. 

Moments later, the heel of her boot collided with the large metal door of the Timeout Tunnel, bursting it open. Just a friendly game of Scaring The Crap Outta Ya, no biggie! That was allowed, wasn’t it? They were friends now, after all. 

“Knock knock!” The play at permission was brandished with a laugh as Jinx stepped into the tunnel, ignoring how dark and gross it was. 

Ahri gurgled from where she was slung under one of Jinx’s arms, a string of drool hung from the baby’s lower lip as electric green eyes mapped the unfamiliar space. A short while ago (on one of her ‘good days’ Jinx had come to the decision that the tiny, toothed creature was actually, quite good. After seeing the baby fire a snot-filled sneeze onto Ekko’s beloved coat (and spending the entirety of the day laughing about it), Ahri had shown that she was definitely worth keeping around. She was kinda cute, in a disgusting, obnoxious kind of way. Sort of like a Scar-shaped doll. It was fun to play with her, to make her snort and giggle. She was so small. It almost felt like the kids' insides were cotton stuffing, rather than blood and guts. 

And now Scar could play with Ahri too. Wasn’t that neat? That would TOTALLY get him up and about. It should at least get him talking, right? ‘Where? How? Why?’ Blah blah blah. It was the same obvious answer- one that she’d used before. I’m borrowing her. Without permission. But that was still borrowing, wasn’t it? It was Zee’s fault, really. People were weirdly bad at staying vigilant in their own homes.

 "You don't have to keep on checking on me."

At the sound of her father’s voice, Ahri let out a shriek of delight before wriggling against the air above Jinx’s hip.

 “What else am I ‘sposed to do?” Jinx replied flippantly, swinging Ahri up into the air (earning a giddy squeal) and catching her with a hand under each chubby arm.

[alsjeblieft-zeg]

254 of 2023

A Achievements:

I came back to my work after brain incident, kept the same job for the last 9 years, got the university degree, got married.

Age:

I’m still 32, about to be 33 next month.

Are you planning something right now?

No, I came back home, it’s evening.

Arizona or Alaska:

I don’t care about the US.

B Birthdate:

1990.

Build:

My body? I’m long and narrow. Kinda slender.

Babies, do you have any?

Do our cats count as babies?

Blonde or Brunette:

I have dark hair, but shit happens.

C Childhood sweetheart:

I didn’t have any.

Current mood:

Content, but a bit tired.

Children, are there more in your future?

There are none in my furure, past and present.

Coke or Pepsi:

Coke, but I honestly can’t taste the difference.

D Dad’s name:

Stefaan.

Dating anyone:

I’m married.

Do you plan on having lots of money?

WTF. I’m happy with what I have and proud to be (upper) working class.

Dogs or cats:

Miauwtjes. I’m definitely a cats person.

E Elementary School:

Lombardsijde.

Eye color:

Grey.

Ever going to China?

Why would I?

Early or Late:

Early.

F First Crush:

Probably Jay, but I’m not sure anymore.

Fears:

Death, failure, losing.

Future goals:

To be happy and healthy.

Funny or Serious:

You’d better know when it’s time to be funny and when it’s time to be serious. It’s called emotional maturity.

G Grandparent’s names:

Sofie, Joris, Stephanie and Johan.

GPA:

Belgium doesn’t do GPA. We have percentage scores here.

Going anywhere this weekend?

I go somewhere almost every day.

Giver or Taker:

I’m more of a giver, if that’s the question.

H High School:

Our education system doesn’t work like that.

Hair color:

Brown.

Hate anyone for life?

Nope, it’s stupid.

Hairspray or Gel:

Hair wax.

I In 8th grade, who was your best friend?

Our education system is entirely different.

Is ignorance bliss?

No, ignorance hurts others.

Is there anything you wanna share?

I’m sleepy and I’m saving a back up from my phone.

Ice Cream or Cake:

No, thanks.

J Jumped rope for fun:

...and?

Junk around you right now?

I don’t know how about you, but I keep my space fairly clean.

Joining anything anytime soon?

No? Weird question.

January or July:

July, the best month of a year, together with June.

K Killed anyone:

This question is so dumb I’m not even gonna answer it.

Keeping a secret?

Doesn’t everyone in some way?

Kicking someone off your top friends today?

Lolwut?

Kiwi or Apple:

Neither.

L Lost anyone close to you:

Yes, my beloved grandma died of lung cancer 12 years ago.

Last kiss, when and who:

An hour ago, my husband.

List 3 people that you’ll love forever:

My parents and my sister.

Lover or Fighter:

Both, in some sense.

M Middle School:

Our education system doesn’t work like that.

Marital Status:

Married.

Mom’s name:

Ellen.

Music or TV:

Music.

N Northernmost state you’ve been to:

I’ve never been to any state.

Nickname:

Jelle.

Name your future boy and girl:

No children, thanks.

Naughty or Nice:

I don’t really understand what this choice is about.

O Opened a piece of mail that wasn’t yours?

No, it’s awful.

Occupation:

Rail electrician.

Owe anyone money:

Not that I know of.

Outgoing or Shy:

Why are these always put together?

P Place you most want to be?

My hometown.

Purposely destroyed someone’s life?

What kind of person are you? This is disgusting.

Planning a major trip?

To my parents soon, I hope.

Pink or Black?

Black, but sometimes it goes well with pink.

Q Quit a class:

Once or twice.

Quickly…the first word to come to mind:

Godverdomme.

Quitting your job soon?

Why would I quit a job I love and I’m very good at?

Quiet or Loud:

Quiet.

R Riding in an airplane:

What about it?

Ride, tell me about yours:

I take trains every day.

Running for any political office in the future?

You kidding me. I’m not even remotely interested.

Rain or Snow:

Neither, omg. I’m sick of rain already.

S Siblings names and ages:

Julie, 28.

Shoe size:

European, it varies between 41 and 43, depending on the brand.

Shave daily?

Every other day, to be precise. I’d rather have a smooth face than show my stupid facial hair.

Shower or Bath:

Shower, it’s quicker.

T Turning 21 was (will be):

21 isn’t any milestone in Europe.

Texas, ever been?

No, never been to the US.

Think you’ll live to be 100?

I’m not overthinking it.

Tame or Wild:

In between.

U Unique quality about you:

My handwriting.

Underwear on?

No. You asked for it.

Under your bed lies:

Travel suitcases.

Under or Over:

WTF is this question about?

V Virgin?

No, I’m not.

Vacation time left?

It’s barely April.

Voting in the next Presidential election?

Lol I live in a kingdom.

Volleyball or Swimming:

Neither.

W Went white water rafting?

What is that even?

Wearing right now:

Black hoodie, black wide leg trousers, black platform boots.

Write a sentence about you:

Mijn naam is Joeri en ik hou van jullie allemaal.

West Coast or East Coast:

I’m European.

X X-Rays in the past month:

None.

X-Mas plans:

Visiting my parents.

X, does it mark the spot?

...what?

X-Tina or Britney?

I couldn’t care less.

Y You lost “it” when?

With consent, at the age of 24. Without consent, at the age of 12. This is the reason of all my self-disgust.

Your favorite song:

Shared it in many surveys already.

Your favorite place on Earth:

Middelkerke <3

Yes or No:

Yes, but no.

Z Zodiac Sign:

Taurus.

Zodiac Sign:

You didn’t hear well enough?

Zippos are neat, agree?

What are they even?

Zoo or Circus:

Neither.