#legit didn’t think the au would get this big

[angiemaniac]

your au makes me want to write my tav/durge fic that i thought was too self indulgent. my tav’s a bard and durge is a paladin. but it seems both our tav’s are going “i hope this doesn’t awaken anything in me” about this strange man.

Honestly! I say go for it.

I made the Durge Companion AU for a few reasons. The major ones were to explore Default Durge’s personality through the game if he were a companion, as well as his romance.

But the other one I had in mind was that I wanted more people to be encouraged to have their own story for DurgeTav stuff! Because obviously, it’s gonna be different for everyone. Some might let him embrace his nature, and others will try to fix it.

To anyone wanting to make their own writings and art? Go for it! It’s a time to be creative.

[btskitten7]

Silent Grace| chapter two: secrets & property

✎ship: Min Yoongi x Fem Reader

✎au/genre: Mafia!au

✎rating: Mature 18+

✎wc: 3.8k

✎chapter warnings: g!un mention & usage.(no one gets hurt!) Theft!

✎summary: Yoongi gets Namjoon and Seokjin to buy some property to make his 'job' look legit. Meanwhile, you have an odd encounter at work that rubs you the wrong way.

✎tagss: @shadowyjellyfishfest @scuzmunkie @baechugff @manuosorioh @sheylamc @prajusstuff

Chapter two: Secrets & property.

“You found some places already? It’s only been a week.” Yoongi asked, leaning back in his chair, and looking through the papers Namjoon brought him.

“Yes. It wasn’t as hard as we thought. On the first day, we went to get some licensing done and established a true company under the Min name. Most people were excited to give us their property while others needed some…talking to,” Namjoon explained, taking a sip of his iced americano.

“I see. I’m impressed. These homes are beautiful. Where’s Seokjin?”

“He’s currently looking for a few more homes in Japan. He flies in tonight.” Yoongi nodded.

“Well at least now, I won’t be lying to my love.” Yoongi sighed.

“Hyung, I’ve been thinking about that.”

Yoongi hummed without truly giving Namjoon his full attention.

“Why don’t you let yn run the real estate stuff? It’ll keep her occupied and she’ll be all about traveling. It will keep her distracted. She’ll be at the hospital a little less… I’m positive she’ll leave. Real estate is probably more fun and she’ll be paid a lot more than what she’s making now. Even enjoy herself more. She won’t run into our…friends for lack of a better term.”

Yoongi lifted his eyes from the paperwork and towards Namjoon. Amused. He didn’t even think of that. Could that possibly work?

“And if we wanted to go with her to handle business, it’s a good cover-up. She’ll never be dragged into our stuff because she’s doing her stuff,” Namjoon continued.

The wheels in Yoongi’s head were spinning. This was a great idea. If you were busy doing something while still in his presence, he could keep you safe and occupied. You’d be with him but you wouldn’t be out and about with him since you’ll both be in different areas doing different things.

It made sense to him.

“I think I like where this is going. I’ll talk to yn, tonight.”

The hospital had been in an uproar all morning. You’d hardly have time to sit down to chart your patients let alone have a coffee break.

“Yn we need you in three!” You heard over the radio that was attached to your hip. Quickly getting up, you headed to three where a bunch of men in black was surrounding a young man, who was nicely dressed. He was watching another young man, who was also nicely dressed but covered in blood.

“Park! You gotta hold on man. You’re better than this!” The man said frantically. You felt horrible but this was something you saw all the time. Sad to say but you were used to this type of thing.

“Sir, I need you to leave, we have to be able to work on him.” Your aid ordered, trying to get the man’s attention, but each time she would get close, the big men surrounding them would block her from getting closer.

“See? They won’t move! We can’t do anything!”

“How do you expect us to help if you’re in our way? Please we are losing valuable time,” you started, then the man turned to you. “We can help him but you have to give me some space.”

The man looked at you then back at the guy who you presumed was ‘Park’.

“How about we start with names? What’s your name? What’s your friend's name?” you said softly.

“My name…is Taehyung. His name is Jimin, but I call him Park,” he whispered. “You’re sure you can help him? Just you. I won’t let anyone else touch him” he asked sternly.

“Uh..I’m positive but as I said, we’re wasting so much time and really a doctor should be doing this, there’s only so much I can do”

That wasn’t going to do. Taehyung had no intention of letting anyone else touch his brother. If he was being honest, he didn’t even trust you. But since you were the one the others chose to come to, his life was in your hands.

“No, just you. If he dies..then his blood is on you”

You were completely shocked. How was that even logical? You just walked into the situation, you don’t even know what happened or who these people are. But with the chills you got from the look on Taehyung’s face, you just decided not to say much of anything else.

Taheyung turned away from you and waved the guys off to let you reach Jimin. You turned to your aides and told them everything you needed to save this guy’s life. You tried to keep calm, but your aides were scared out of their minds. You were too but you couldn’t show it.

It took a while since you weren’t a doctor and they weren’t letting doctors in, but you managed to get him stable with your skill set. Taehyung watched you along with all the others very closely. It was like he dared you to make one mistake, and it would have cost you your life.

So many thoughts were running through your mind. The first thing you asked yourself was, ‘What type of job needs this many people around them? How important is this guy?’

Taking a quick scan around the room, all eyes were on you. These were big men looking like at any moment, they’d take you out without thinking twice about it. You noticed a few of them had guns tucked onto their waistbands. Your heart rate was through the roof, and you swore that you were going to pass out. You’d stabilized many patients before; it was nothing you couldn’t do, but you always had a team and a doctor around to ensure the safety of the person that’s receiving the help. And you’d never been in this situation, under this much pressure. With so many eyes watching you, waiting for you to make a mistake. Your hands shook as you did your best to remember everything you’d always done. But the more the men watched on, the more everything you knew flew out the window. The pressure was suffocating as you worked, it was becoming hard for you to breathe. Too afraid to leave but too afraid to carry on. You were stuck but no matter the case, you had to do what you could, with what you had. Working without a doctor was crazy, but you needed to protect yourself too.

After a few hours, or what felt like a few hours, you finally got the man to a point where he’d be okay. Luckily, the gunshot wasn’t lethal but it was enough to send his body into shock. “Okay, I have him stabilized. You need to let a doctor come in and check how–”

“He doesn’t need a doctor. We’ll take it from here. Thank you.”

You turned towards the door. There was another guy, and man was he sharp looking in all black. A half-unbuttoned shirt displaying his chest freely tucked neatly into slacks that rested just above his boots, under a long peacoat. He looked like money and everyone around him seemed scared.

“But Sir, he could have internal damage. He needs to get checked out. I’m just a nurse, I don’t know if–”

“You don’t know if he’ll survive? I thought you did all you could?” He said, stepping closer to you. You had to admit, it frightened you, you took a step back but were stopped by one of the guards. The man didn’t stop until he was practically in your personal bubble.

“I–I–I did do a–all I could. I just think–”

“Then you have nothing to worry about…Yn.” He smirked as his fingers flicked your badge. “As I said, we’ll take it from here. Thank you for saving my friend, you’ll be greatly rewarded. You may go.”

AND just like that, his attention was no longer on you. It was on Jimin and Taheyung.

You reluctantly walked to the door, completely taken aback by what just had taken place. Maybe you were taking too long to leave.

“Is there something else? Or did you want your reward right now? I’m not much of an exhibitionist but I’ll make an exception for you,” the man said, his eyes traveling your whole body shamelessly which sent a cold chill down your spine. “I’m pretty sure my men would love the show”

You didn’t dignify that with a response, leaving immediately after that.

You thought about that encounter the whole day, even when you got into the car with Seokjin. Yoongi had texted you at lunch informing you that Seokjin would be joining you on your ride home from work. He was coming home from Japan today. You forgot all about that when your confused eyes met with Seokjin’s happy ones.

“Did Yoongi tell you I would be joining you?” Seokjin asked as you climbed into the car, sitting comfortably next to him.

“Yeah, he told me. It just slipped my mind with all the work we had today” you chuckled nervously. Seokjin hummed, he decided not to probe you for more information than what you were willing to tell.

All throughout the ride, you hardly mumbled a word. Something that was unusual for you. Seokjin has always known you to be a chatterbox, so for you to be completely silent is odd. To be frank, it was making Seokjin uncomfortable. He couldn’t stand it anymore.

“You okay?” Seokjin asked, opening your door.

Thanking him, you got out of the car with your belongings before responding, “Yeah, I just had a weird encounter today…but I’ll be okay. I’m pretty sure it’s nothing.”

You kept it short. The first person you tell should be your boyfriend, who’s super excited to see you. Your eyes met Yoongi’s loving ones as soon as you walked through the door. You tried throwing on a smile but instantly he knew something happened, frowning he asked, “What’s the matter?”

“Um. Something weird happened. I just don’t know how to take it really.”

Yoongi raised one eyebrow, tilting his head. “What happened?” he couldn’t help it but his voice became protective with a hint of worry, ready to off anyone that made you even a tad bit uncomfortable.

“Well there was this guy that came in, he had so many people with him. They wouldn’t let any doctors near him. They left it all up to me and a couple of aides to take care of him. Which was extremely nerve-wracking but I did the best I could and stabilized him. I suggested that they allow a doctor to see him since they could do more than I could. But the man said that he didn’t need one and they would take it from there. The people surrounding him were all dressed in the same black outfits, but three of the guys were dressed extremely well, also in all black. I have never seen anything like it. He wasn’t a celebrity, but you could have sworn they were the way they had so many guards around them. There was one guy that told me I’d be rewarded for my work and–” you hesitated a bit. Just from the little you told Yoongi, you saw the anger grow on his face while worry grew on Namjoon and Seokjin’s faces. You knew that if you told him the man’s little joke, it would send Yoongi through the roof.

“And what?” Yoongi asked. “What else happened?”

“H–he made a little joke that was suggesting something th–that would never happen. I left–I didn’t even respond to him or anything.” You were talking so fast that your words ran together, but Yoongi put two and two together. Real fast.

Yoongi was fuming but he couldn’t let you see that.

“Did he touch you?”

“Not me, but he flicked my badge a little–”

“Seems like I have to go to work with you, doesn’t it?” Yoongi said. He wasn’t thinking about the deeper situation, all he could think about was fucking up the prick that thought it was funny to mess with his girlfriend, missing the clear details. “What does this guy look like?”

“Honestly baby, all I can remember is what the guy I was stabilizing looked like. He had blonde hair, he had lots of earrings…” you trailed off, “that’s all I can remember though. It was a lot of pressure, I was too nervous to actually look around and examine every one.” You said defeated.

Yoongi shook his head softly as he pulled you into a tight hug. His hands rubbed your back, calming your nerves as best he could. You felt so safe in his arms, the craziness of tonight just melted away. It was like tonight never happened.

Namjoon interjected. “Yn, how about you head upstairs and relax a bit? We’ll send Yoongi up to you in a minute,” Namjoon said, patting your back in a reassuring way. Seokjin nodded. Deep down, Seokjin was worried about this encounter. Anyone would assume this could just be a celebrity, but being in this type of lifestyle, they can’t just assume. Not in this line of ‘business’.

Yoongi couldn’t react in any way. If it was just random, it wouldn’t matter. But he has to be careful just in case it was a celebrity or even worse.

Yoongi didn’t have too many enemies, but that didn’t mean they weren’t around. Seokjin knew that there were people around that really would do anything to hurt Yoongi. It’s part of the reason why he suggested he shouldn’t tell too many people about you. If it became known to too many people how much you meant to Yoongi, they would use it against him. Seokjin also knew that Yoongi would give up anything to ensure your safety. An easy ticket to getting anything you want out of a man that has everything you want.

Yoongi watched you walk up the stairs before he began to talk.

“I want to go to the hospital and see who lost their rabbit ass mind,” he mutters lowly. He didn’t want you to hear him. Namjoon shook his head.

“We’ll go and check for you. I don’t think it’ll be smart for you to go,” Namjoon said.

“What’s not smart is someone messing with what belongs to me. That’s not smart,” Yoongi bit back.

“YOONGI!“ Seokjin snaps sternly, “use your fucking head.”

Yoongi snapped his head towards Seokjin but he didn’t back down.

“You don’t want everyone to know about her right? If you go in there making all this ruckus, the wrong person is going to find out. You need to keep your cool and let us figure this out.”

Yoongi sighed in defeat. Seokjin is right. He couldn’t lose his cool.

“We’ll look into it and let you know what we find. Just go and comfort yn,” Namjoon said, patting Yoongi’s back as he followed Seokjin out the door, closing it behind him.

~~~~~

The guys walked through the hospital with a purpose. Sending chills down the spines of every person they passed. Everyone knew not to question their motives. They just knew to stay out of the way.

Namjoon noticed earlier on that Seokjin was irritated after the conversation with Yoongi. Ever since Yoongi got with you, Seokjin has been on edge. A long time ago, when he did have a relationship with his father, he remembered the one very rule that he taught him.

‘Never make yourself an easy target.’

Seokjin never listened to his father but that stuck with him. Seokjin saw how lonely his mother was, how lonely Yoongi’s mother is, and knew he didn’t want the same for you. Even though right now, Yoongi has a bit more time than his father, when the time comes that he’s the one calling the shots, he knows you’re going to feel alone. You aren’t the type to be bought either, so showering you with gifts isn’t going to replace time spent with you. Seokjin’s mother didn’t care. As long as she got what she wanted, and had the house taken care of, she could care less what her husband did. Yoongi’s mother didn’t start off like that.

After Seokjin moved in with the Min family, Yoongi’s mother took him in like he was her own. It was never awkward for him and it didn’t take him much to fit right in. Yoongi’s mother opened up a lot to Seokjin since he was the oldest and Yoongi’s father told him to watch over the house while he was gone, which was very often.

She told him so many stories.

Some of them were fun and interesting. They took Yoongi on so many adventures when he was younger and before his mother knew about the work his father got himself into. Most of them were about the lonely nights and hard times of being a “single parent”.

Maybe he was thinking too far into this, maybe he’s jumping the gun, but he saw how you felt about Yoongi and how Yoongi felt about you.

Seokjin didn’t want to drag you down into this lifestyle.

“Are you alright? You seemed kind of heated back there,” Namjoon asked, following Seokjin throughout the hospital. Seokjin sighed and turned his head to Namjoon slightly before continuing on.

“I’m alright. I just need Yoongi to get his shit together. He cannot keep losing his shit like this, especially if he’s trying to live two separate lives for the sake of yn.”

Namjoon hummed in agreement as they made their way to the security room. Upon entry, the guard immediately stood up and gave his full attention to Seokjin and Namjoon.

“Good e-evening sir, what can I do for you?” he stuttered. This guard was fresh to the Min family, he didn’t know how they operated just yet and he was fairly young. His name was Jungkook. Yoongi stumbled upon him one night trying to break into his car. To this day it’s something the guys tease him about. It was your first anniversary with Yoongi.

~~~~

“Did you really have to get yn so much? There aren't that many days in the year, she won’t be able to wear half of this stuff!” Seokjin joked, sitting back in his seat completely stuffed and satisfied with his meal. Yoongi promised them a good meal if they accompanied him shopping for you anniversary…even though he always treats them to good meals no matter the occasion.

“I like to spoil her. Also, I got things that I want to see her in. Is that so wrong?” Yoongi chuckled, taking the receipt from the waitress and signing his name before returning it to her. Namjoon chuckled along with him and sat up fixing his coat. It’s our anniversary, I have to go above and beyond.

“You do know you are gonna have to keep this up every year right?”

“Thank God I’m wealthy huh?” Yoongi smirked, taking his last shot of the evening.

While they were wrapping up their dinner, Jungkook watched their every move. He noticed them a few hours ago when they had walked out of the store with tons of bags. He saw the three men walk around with a few guards around them holding the bags, piling them into the car. It was a stupid idea but would they miss a few things? He didn’t think so..

Jungkook’s mother was having a birthday coming soon and he wanted to get her a gift worth giving like his brother did every year. His mother never made him feel bad for the gifts he did give her, but he always felt it was a competition between him and his brother. All the designer bags and clothes, tea sets, makeup, even things he knew his mother didn’t even like, his brother got her because it was expensive. It held value and over time it’ll be worth a lot. Jungkook wanted to give his mother something like that.

Jungkook didn’t have the money for that. He worked at a cafe and sometimes he would sing for parties, but nothing was enough to get something worthy for the woman who birthed him. That would end today.

Jungkook wasn’t a thief, that wasn’t his character and he wasn’t raised to be one. He came from a loving family who taught him values, but ever since his brother made something for himself, he felt everything was a competition even though his parents didn’t make it that way. But he was sneaky. He was easily overlooked. Today all that was going to change, he was going to get his mother a great gift and end this pettiness once and for all. He has been looking for someone all day to make his move on but he had a preference. He didn’t want to take anything from someone who was in the same boat as him. He wanted someone that had money, that wouldn’t miss something if it went missing. Someone that wouldn’t even notice if it was gone. That’s when he saw Yoongi and his plan was coming together.

Jungkook wasn’t poor and he wasn’t struggling to live. His family was middle class but they still didn’t shop crazily. They were comfortable. He saw Yoongi walk in and out of the stores, directing the staff to what he wanted and paying for it with no questions. Jungkook had never seen anything like it. But that deemed Yoongi as his target. He followed their every move which stopped at a restaurant.

Jungkook didn’t waste any time, he circle the car. Studying it. Stopping at the trunk, he looked closely to see if there was an easy way to pop the trunk. looking through the bags which to his surprise were full of women’s clothing. He saw dresses, blouses, and some skirts. He even came across some lingerie, but there was no way in hell he was giving his mother lingerie. No matter how expensive it was. Jungkook decided not to grab any of the clothes. They were clearly for a younger woman and he knew his mother wouldn’t wear it. Almost giving up, Jungkook noticed jewelry bags and felt relief. Jewelry is ageless and his mother would love that.

He looked through the bags and found the most beautiful pieces of jewelry he had ever seen. A fourteen-karat, white gold, tennis bracelet and a matching necklace set with interlocking links with full-cut diamonds connecting them.

“This is perfect!” he whisper-yelled to himself. He slipped from the car and quietly closed the trunk he had popped open. Jungkook was proud of himself, he thought he had it all figured it out until…

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Jungkook froze. He couldn’t turn around, he couldn’t even run. The deep voice completely shocked him but the object pressing against the back of his head paralyzed him.

“Can’t you hear? I asked you a question.” The man’s voice was gravelly and low. That sent chills down Jungkook’s spine. Out of the corner of Jungkook’s eye, he saw it was the man he had been following and his friends.

‘Fuck’ he thought to himself.

Namjoon walked up and snatched the jewelry set from his hands, lifting it up to which Yoongi turned his head to look.

“Oh? You were trying to steal from me?” Yoongi chuckled while retrieving the jewelry. His eyes never left Jungkook’s. Jungkook still didn’t utter a word.

“You don’t know how to talk?” Yoongi asked, nudging the gun again to the back of Jungkook’s head.

“I-I-I’m sorry. I-it’s my mother’s birthday a-and I just really wanted her to have a good gift,” Jungkook’s words were jumbled as he was clearly terrified.

“How pathetic, can’t afford a gift for your own mother?” Seokjin snapped. Namjoon scoffed. Yoongi remained quiet as they bagged on the kid. Jungkook just kept his head down and accepted the words. He didn’t fight back nor did he even attempt to just walk away. Yoongi noticed this. His mother meant everything to him and he would steal for his mother’s happiness too. So Yoongi did the unthinkable.

“Here, take it,” he said, holding out the box. Jungkook’s eyes lit up but he quickly refused. “I can’t pay you for it.” Jungkook rushed out again but Yoongi shook his head, choosing not to listen any further.

“Does it look like I need anything from you?” he started, “take it. Give it to your mother. Make her happy.”

Jungkook hesitated a bit but he took the box from Yoongi and bowed to him, thanking him. “Thank you so much hyung, my mother will appreciate this. Thank you so much.”

Yoongi hummed as he waved him off. “Just tell her it’s from you, we never met.”

Seokjin and Namjoon watched as the kid nodded and ran off, thanking him again.

“Are you crazy? He stole from you”

“What has gotten into you?”

Yoongi yawned and shrugged. “We steal from people all the time. It’s no different.”

Yoongi climbed into the car with a nagging Namjoon and Seokjin climbing in with him.

~~~~~~~

“We need you to show us the footage from today. We need to check something” Namjoon said, taking the seat Jungkook was sitting in to look through the cameras.

“Can you get us some coffee?” Seokjin asked, looking over Namjoon’s shoulder. Jungkook nodded and quickly made two cups of coffee.

“Are you checking about what happened to Noona?” Jungkook asked, setting the cups down looking at his new hyungs.

Namjoon continued to look through the cameras and Seokjin nodded. “Yes. She told us something that happened today, we just need to see who it was. Did you see it?” Seokjin asked.

Jungkook nodded, “May I?” he asked Namjoon. Namjoon nodded and allowed Jungkook to pull up the footage.

“Here it is.”

There the three men saw everything yn had told them. Jungkook was oblivious but Namjoon’s eyes widened once he realized who these men were.

“Is…is that?” he asked looking at Seokjin. Seokjin sighed nodding.

“It is indeed…”

[juniorig0327]

Zeus!Percy (and possible siblings)

So I was thinking about Zeus!Percy and I was thinking about his possible childhood. I actually feel like it would relatively the same since he’s a big three child. He’d probably still have to deal with Gabe and all that but I do feel like his anger issues may be a bit intensified which may lead him to be put in more military schools when he was a child and possibly more fights.

His sense to protect would be greater I feel like which wouldn’t change much, at least not in his childhood.

One thing I do actually want to change is Percy possibly killing Gabe here. Zeus is a god of justice and especially after finding out Gabe hit his mom I feel like Percy might’ve killed Gabe (albeit possibly an accident).

His powers would mostly be control of storm related activities with his two main abilities being heliokinesis (control of the sun) and Atmo/Electrokinesis.

Other aspects and epithets of his powers would be unlocked throughout his quests, with him discovering the chthonic side of Zeus in the BoTL.

So basically Perseus is like a mini Zeus lol.

I think, especially because in the AU I’m considering Thalia to be a child of Apollo (still thinking on this). People would be very afraid of Percy at first, just like in canon and would slowly open up to him, but after his abnormal powers people would sort of stay away from him in fear because it’s like “wtf a child of Zeus isn’t supposed to have these types of powers are they??”

Especially when he shows off less than heroic traits people will stay away from him in this au, although after TLO he’s officially respected, especially after he stood up to his father on the treatment of demigods.

Now as for siblings one I definitely want to do for sure is Ethan as a child of Zeus. I feel like Ethan would be the opposite of Percy. While Percy got all the cool powers and domains, Ethan got nothing besides Zeus’s sense of justice and his war like attributes. He’d feel resentful towards Percy, especially because he wasn’t claimed and he feels like because he was born without powers, Zeus didn’t deem him worthy of being claimed.

Other things I thought of:

- Blue food would most definitely still be a thing.

- Percy controlling Poison is most definitely not going to be a thing, but I am cooking up some ideas, at least for the “dark” side of his powers.

- Being as I’m making him a legacy of Apollo, he still gets the weirdly prophetic dreams which definitely I intend to go a little deeper into. With the potential of alternate futures and Percy seeing it through his dreams (there are three fates after-all)

- Percy isn’t really close with Zeus or most of his siblings, but Poseidon like absolutely loves him. He’s like “woah can I claim this guy??” Just because of how unhinged and unrestrained Percy is going to be lol (even though Poseidon has children of his own).

- Nyx has a weird obsession with him. I thought it was as sort of uninteresting Nyx was interested in Nico. I feel like it would’ve been more interesting if Nyx was interesting in Percy or like someone else, especially because of the growing darkness of Percy in Tartarus. It would also be weirdly uncharacteristic of children of Zeus and I feel like Percy is legit all about breaking the Zeus child stereotypes.

- Percy is so like Zeus in certain ways, like when he’s commanding in battle or when he gets angry he looks so much like Zeus especially in his eyes it’s uncanny.

This is just a random yapping cuz I’m at school rn but tell me what you think in the comments please 🙏

[krikeymate]

And Bleeding, I Gamble with All I have Left (Selfish Aching Memories; Turn Around, Remember it All)

Abigail AU - Chapter 1: The Dropoff

Samantha Carpenter – Sam to… well, everyone, and Ghost to… well, a certain circle – sits behind the wheel of a landscaping van – poorly wrapped, but for good reason – and for the first time in a long time, questions her life choices.

She doesn’t usually do this.

Dwell.

It doesn’t do any good. It doesn’t change anything.

Her life is what it is, there’s no point thinking about it or getting upset about it.

She usually doesn’t.

But tonight…

Tonight, something feels different.

The air feels colder, the silence seems to ring in her ears. Twitchy fingers tap against the steering wheel. A leg bounces, smacking against the dash over and over.

She shouldn’t be here – in the van. That’s not her role. That’s for Landrover – Landry. He’s the driver.

But not tonight.

For some reason, tonight it’s her.

Richie was adamant about it this time, unusually firm. All orders no answers. If he thinks he’s getting lucky later, he’s in for a surprise.

As she stares out the window, glancing around the immaculately manicured hedges and flower beds, she listens, making out the distant tinkling of running water – no doubt some ostentatious fountain or water feature, if the rest of the decoration of this proverbial mansion is anything to go by. There’s no movement, no other sounds, yet Sam can’t help but feel watched.

There’s nobody here, except– well, them.

She knows that. They made sure of it. That’s the whole point. They’re here because the house is empty, the homeowner off on vacation, staff and all.

Empty and ripe for the picking.

This wouldn’t ordinarily be the type of place the Faceless go snooping around. The rewards are big, sure, but so are the risks.

They haven’t gotten this far by taking big risks.

But tonight is different.

They were made an offer they couldn’t refuse: retrieve a package from here, take it there.

Simple. Easy.

That’s what Richie had said anyway. It would be simple and easy and they’d all get a vacation of their own once this is all over with the amount they’ll get paid.

It wasn’t a very convincing speech. Not to Sam. The others bought it of course, the idiots. They never think, never wonder.

Maybe that’s why Sam is being punished, for asking questions.

He says that’s part of the reason he loves her, because she asks questions, because she’s smart.

But how smart can she really be when she’s caught up in all of this?

Sometimes, after a job, she’ll lie awake watching the sun rise behind thin curtains and think about getting out, about going legit, of doing something with her life.

The dream never lasts long. She falls asleep and remembers that she’s nothing, that she has nothing. That this is what she was made for, all she was ever going to achieve. It’s in her blood, and it’s the way she’ll live until the day she’s caught or in the ground.

The darkest part of her hopes it’s the latter, anything to avoi–

THUMP.

The gang are back.

Enough dreams, back to reality.

She’s turning the key in the ignition when she hears more thumping from the back, grunting, a struggle.

“Oh you have got to be-”

The passenger door is ripped open and Richie throws himself into the seat, a scowl on his bloody face.

Sam’s frozen, watching him as he slams the door shut. After several seconds of no movement, he turns that scowl on her instead.

“Well?! Go!”

He sounds pissed off, angry and ready to take it out on anyone who gets in his way.

She doesn’t need telling twice. She hates when he gets in that mood.

She’s feeling a bit angry herself.

“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me the package was a person?!”

“What does it matter?!” he growls back, “what’s done is done, it’s easy money!”

“It fucking MATTERS!”

Sam breathes heavily through her nose, trying to calm the rising fury within her.

She’s always had a temper. She and Richie are alike like that. A match made in hell, and right now, her flames are ready to erupt.

Just who does he think he is!

Manhandling the gearstick into position, Sam starts to drive.

If Landry had been the one behind the wheel, he’d have sped from the estate, wheels squealing and waking the neighbourhood, like they were in some sort of heist movie and not real life.

But Sam has a brain, and drives the normal way, like normal people going about their normal business and not fucking kidnapping someone.

She can’t believe he’s done this to her. He knows, he fucking knows. About her past, about her stance, about her goddamn morals.

She could kill him for putting her in this position.

There’s a scoff from beside her, but Sam doesn’t take her glare from the tarmac. If she looks at him, she might just drive them all into a ditch, and not because she can’t keep to a straight road.

She doesn’t give Richie the satisfaction of her attention, no matter how much he fidgets and huffs in his seat.

They’ll make the drive in silence.

Okay, well Sam makes the drive in silence.

Richie is too in love with his own voice to shut up for more than five minutes. There was a time when Sam loved it too.

It didn’t last long.

Sam – ever the professional – does her job, even while the rest of the present crew decide they’re home free; she follows the pre-programmed sat nav to the drop off point, watching the mirrors for tails like a hawk, while Richie whines excuses about why she should forgive him for this deception. While he makes it out to be no big deal Sam.

Just another betrayal in a long line and a long history.

Maybe this time she won’t forgive, maybe this is her sign to make a change.

She poses the question to the sky, but as ever, it doesn’t answer back.

God had never cared for Samantha Carpenter.

On earth however, headlights flash in the wingmirror. Deliberate, a message.

They want to be seen.

The rest of the group have joined them.

From the erratic way the sleek and far too expensive to be low-key vehicle – if you ask Sam (nobody asked Sam) – behind them drives, Sam can instantly tell it’s the Princess driving, and not the Geek.

Charlie’s such a pushover.

The car speeds ahead into the dark, going dangerously fast and with no idea where it’s going.

It leaves her grinding her teeth, and she spends the remainder of the 90-minute drive fuming.

Gravel crunches beneath the tyres as Sam pulls the van down an outrageous driveway, estate just as gaudy and over the top as the last.

God she fucking hates rich people.

(She thinks of her mother. She hates her most of all.)

She makes the mistake of accidentally meeting Richie’s eyes as she slips from the vehicle. He takes it as forgiven and waggles his eyebrows at the mansion before them, as if it isn’t some grotesque display of wealth.

Sam bites her tongue, slamming the door shut and turning away instead, heading for the back of the van.

She needs to see what they’ve done.

…It’s even worse than she thought.

This wasn’t just a kidnapping, she realises, eyeing the limp body Vince is slinging over his shoulder. It’s a goddamn child!

A whistle from beside her makes her flinch.

Fucking Richie.

“Out cold, huh?”

Vince nods back, “had to tranq her, damn kid would not stay down!”

Sam feels sick.

She twists her head at the footsteps behind them, the Princess and the Geek joining them.

“That’s it?” Quinn questions, dubious. “Someone’s gonna pay 50 mil for that runt of a girl?”

Sam can’t believe what she’s hearing. Is everybody insane but her?!

“Okay, hold up!” she demands, hands rising of her own accord. “Did everybody fucking know about this but me?!”

“Look, babe–” Richie starts, but he quickly withers under her glare.

The others say nothing, eyes fixed anywhere but her, silence telling her everything she needs to know.

“What’s done is done,” Vince grunts, shifting the kid further up his shoulder and walking towards the mansion.

Ahead of them, a black SUV opens its doors.

Two men in suits and sunglasses, the very definition of henchmen, open the back and help a woman from the seat.

She’s tall and well dressed, glamourous and striking, and she and her companions walk into the building without even a glimpse towards them. Unconcerned. Confident. Knowing.

Sam wonders just what the fuck they’ve gotten themselves into.

“Hey, isn’t that the lady off the TV?” Landry chirps to his sister.

“The one you have a massive crush on?” Quinn sneers back at him.

With a final glance at the sky, Sam sends it one big fuck you, and heads inside.

[hyolks]

omg! You answered so quickly I didn’t even think you were going to respond! Thank you thank you!

Btw I do have a few questions, you never do specify if they still have alchemy or if this wastelands au has another power system but even if they do have alchemy I was wondering how Al got all fucked since I have a few ideas for that

(Alchemic) Al didn’t get his whole body taken and only most of it which definitely traumatized Ed for sure

(non-alchemic) Al got the same sickness as their mother which would actually spread through the blood slowly and once it got to Al he had enough time to chop off most of the infected parts and save his life and give him prosthetics and such

In this wasteland au they work as sheriffs if I’m not mistaken and I’m guessing mustang team and everyone else does as well and I see that this is a town where they are only present but they are part of a bigger organization where it is basically the military in canon but I’m opt for just kicking the whole military and having it be domestic life and no homunculus

But I don’t mind following canon but I have a few ideas on a different plot line that could work for the boys but tell me what you think :)

fjlgd OF COURSE!! :'O

i havent mentioned alchemy yet bc tbh I'm. still up in the air about it? some of the ideas i tossed around was like. very particular alchemy use? like ed being able to transmute his gun into another kind of gun, but not sure about that since it feels weird for them to have guns yanno? i feel like it would be a very last-measure kind of thing... i don't think they'd actually shoot to harm ppl, but like--shoot at an overhanging beam to make it fall down and pin their opponent or something

but your non alchemic idea is pretty similar to what i was thinking!! like. ed al and trisha all got this weird infection that ate away at them (not sure if its like a legit disease/infection dealio or like. similar to a chemical burn), kinda visibly similar to how transmutation occurs on skin, or like regeneration on homunculus

like this! but the skin would be like. dying or something.

and it eventually got trisha fully, and al's was getting REALLY bad and they had to salvage what they could to keep him alive!! like what you mentioned :")

i knew i wanted roy and his posse to be sheriffs/law enforcement, while ed and al were kind of bounty hunters in some way? so they would interact in the way that roy would be like pst. hey. fix this for me and get this guy. and then they would. but they would still have some kind of autonomy, separate from law enforcement, and could still get in hot shit with other town sheriffs lol

BUT YEA all in all i didn't really think about the military or the military coup too much? i tbh have very little knowledge on wild west politics n all that, so i don't even know if it could even GO as big as it does in fma, since i'd imagine it mostly be limited to small towns.

most i've thought about homunculus is like... lust being one of those saucy ladies in a saloon, but literally nothing else lol. maybe they could be. crime lords? bandit leaders? the kind of fellows who organize attacks on trains/townsfolks/carriages?

everything i've got isnt set in stone and totally up for interpretation!! i haven't even thought much about a storyline for the au other than little bits of ed and al being chaotic on bandits lmao I'm really interested what ideas you have!! 👀👀

[smallraindrops-blog]

Some wmftd and hades 2 rambles I wanted to share:

Possible Hades 2 Spoilers !

Hypnos with long hair makes me imagine y/n learning how to braid his hair to make it a bit more manageable

Also I feel like seeing hypnos with his long hair would make y/n want to try growing out his beard (achilles sheds a tear when he sees it bc his son now looks like his pa)

Rule #34 by Fish in a Birdcage reminds me of y/n and hypnos in the pirate au

The amount of angst you could get if hypnos actually does fall into a sleeping coma in the second game 💀 (reminds me a lot of the part closer to the end of wmftd)

I wonder if achilles and patroclus will ever meet odysseus in the second game (how would y/n act if he met him lol)

Imagine y/n and hypnos babysitting baby melinoe when zagreus goes on his runs 🥹 (maybe that would spark their desire for their own children ?)

The wmftd brainrot is getting stronger every day, but I'm glad I stumbled upon this blog <3

AHHHH i love these, legit making me feral rn. Same on the brainrot, my friend. I’m happy you found this blog too <3

Placing my replies and a little short story under the readmore. <3

Y/N would definitely braid Hypnos’ hair for him. Also he wouldn’t be able to cope with how pretty Hypnos is with long hair. Like he totally gets tongue tied just looking at him. He is so fucking pretty.help.

OH AND THE BEARD

I actually hc that Y/N rocked a short beard while working as a fisherman. He was shaved by the time he died because beards are often used as a grapple point during fights so he knew better than to have one.

Until they showed us Skelly I wasn’t sure if Shades could change their form like growing their hair but it looks like they can. (If Skelly counts as a shade, I am not certain where the lines between shades and undead are drawn.) 

But anyway, yeah. Funny enough, I was wondering how to show how time passed for Y/N and was considering having him grow a beard anyway lol.

Achilles would love seeing his son with a beard, Pat too. They would probably joke about him actually being a long-long family member that Pat didn’t know about.

However if I think what happens in Hades 2 actually happens, Y/N will grow the beard while apart from Hypnos. (Thanks depression! 👍)

I haven't talked about it yet but I suspect that Y/N and Hypnos will end up losing each other during the chaos and he is either trapped, helping Hermes or otherwise unable to find Hypnos. He has no clue where Hypnos is and just wants to find him.

Looked up the song, and dude that is immediately going on the playlist. Thank you for introducing me to them.

yeah, def. I’m willing to bet the Hades dev.team had their reasons for Hypnos being comatose. What I hope is that Melinoe still likes Hypnos after he wakes up ( bonus point for everyone if she actually thinks he is the funniest person around)

I hope those met up! It would be like running into that one coworker you dislike while in the dairy section at the grocery store and they won’t shut up and leave you alone. ( i love all three of them, those adorable old war criminals <3)

AHHH. Baby Melinoe!

Baby Melinoe is baby fever on crack, i adore her and will happily fight an undead army for her.

I personally think Hypnos is someone who always wanted kids, especially since he is kinda a big kid himself and would be one of those parents who could play all kinds of silly games with their kids.

Kids were kinda never on Y/N’s radar. There was his own trauma, the war then being on the run. Maybe in a lavender marriage, he might have a kid or two but it wasn’t something he seeked out. Seeing how happy it made Hypnos definitely planted the seed for him. I like to think Y/N would actually be a natural parent with kids.

I can’t articulate my level of love for her so here you go, a wholesome short for making past my rambling lol 

(The short)

The news of Princess Melinoe’s arrival was a welcome one in the house of Hades. It was as if the whole house had transformed around the little princess, there was a warmth, a sense of love, to the house that wasn’t there before.

You were going over the newly increased list of security measures that Master Hades demanded and Queen Persephone had politely requested. You had implemented countless measures leading up to the birth and more afterward but there was always more work to be done.

“Oh look who I found, Princess!” Hypnos’ voice reached your ears and you looked up to see Hypnos grinning at you, the aforementioned Princess Melinoe in his arms. At your questioning glance, Hypnos explained that he was on babysitting duty. 

“Besides, I am way more fun than your older brother, huh?” Hypnos cooed at baby Melinoe, tickling under her chin. The baby girl cooed back in delighted, high pitch sounds that only a newborn could make, little bubbles forming her lips and down her chin.

Normally Hypnos was extremely fussy about his cloak but grabbing an edge of it, he just wiped Melinoe’s drool away without complaint, his smile never fading.

Then, he lifted an expected brow at you. You looked at the baby in Hypnos’ arms, happily blabbering away. You never been around kids, not really. You weren’t sure if the little princess could even see past her small nose. 

She looked tiny and precious. And very, very fragile.

Hypnos laughed quietly. “She isn’t scary, dearest. You can tell her ‘hello’.”

”Hello.” You told her. Her eyes widen, staring up at you with wide mismatched irises. As if she was realizing you were right there. She blinked slowly. 

”Try giving her your finger.” Hypnos encouraged, and after a moment of hesitation, you obeyed.

Princess Melinoe grabbed at your finger with considerable strength and simply held on, staring at you with a surprisingly serious expression, blabbering away in nonsense. 

You made the appropriate noises like you could understand her and repeated, ‘indeed, Princess.’ along with ‘you are definitely much smarter than your brother.’

A smile formed on your face without you noticing.

You didn’t see the soft way Hypnos glanced at you, realizing the quiet hope that was forming in his chest. When it was time for Hypnos to return Princess Melinoe to her mother, you didn’t know that Hypnos was already putting together a conversation to have with you later.

You never knew.

[january-summers]

Whoopsie, More Wash centric AUs, now with OCs for extra flavour.

What if he wasn’t court-martialed until the very end of the war so he never joined PFl, and instead of David, Agent Washington was some douche named George who either legit died on the cliff with Meta, or never recovered from Epsilon.

And, David kills some people in self defence, like has to shoot his direct superior in the head very publicly to stop them from ordering his entire platoon to their very avoidable deaths, or during his slap-on-the-wrist free-with-court-martial two months prison time he kills some guys in the showers because they were trying to kill/harm him, so he ends up with *serious* prison time.

Like ends up on the Tartarus, serious. And naturally he makes friends with the other inmates near his cell, including someone who probably shouldn’t be there because she’s technically still a teenager and her crimes were more white collar than murder even if they were very very serious. (Hacked ONI for the lulz, they’re trying to scare her into compliance/working for them.)

Think Emily Grey but with a more limited area of hyper-focused intelligence and higher anxiety/obvious autism.

Meanwhile with the Reds and Blues, Alpha Church managed to basically eat Sigma, O’Malley and Gary, because he didn’t have anyone to Emp them out in a last stand and Meta got their hands on him so it was eat or be eaten.

And he reconnects with Epsilon who basically treats it like a backstory update and goes on being Epsilon Church (Caboose is stoked, double best friend!)

(All Churches get their therapy moment and Tex gets to decide on her own personhood, going off to self examine for a bit and meeting up with Carolina, they get to talk out their issues and decide to kill Director. Tex gets to have her “I exist now, no matter how I was made I have experiences of my own and I am my own person, not your dead wife.” moment, and Carolina gets her, “you died when mum did, and I can’t, I won’t keep chasing your ghost.” moment.)

And the Reds and Blues get to keep the rest of the AIs by virtue of not mentioning they have them to others. They all still end up on Chorus.

In the Tartarus, David figures out what Felix is planning, and even though he has no interest in working for or with him, he still grabs the bars and warns his nearby inmates what’s probably about to happen. (It’s way too easy for David to think “if I was a sack of shit what would I do?”)

By cosmic coincidence, David ends up with the old Freelancer armour belonging to KIA Agent (George) Washington. (Price recognises David and mentions later that he’d actually been on the list for the project.)

David gets to be in charge of his own little strike team, not that anyone on it is particularly interested in working for team Felix.

“Do you think the locals will let us swap sides?” Asks one of David’s men.

But David shakes his head, “not after Felix and Locus pulled their multiyear double agent crap.”

“… is it Locus or Locust?”

“What?”

“The big scary one, is it Locus or Locust?”

“Locus?” Now David is questioning what he’s been hearing, because it could easily be eith- “Wait, where’s the kid?!”

The team is one short, the hacker teen who shouldn’t have been there is missing. She should be back up on the ship, but David didn’t like the idea of leaving her unsupervised. For her safety sure, but also the safety of others.

“Spread out, find her. Don’t engage with anyone unless you have to, finding the kid is priority.”

David finds her with a soldier in… Teal? Aqua? Cyan? Blue, it’s a shade of blue.

The kid is trying to poke at a small hologram next to the soldier and David makes it just in time to stop the kid from taking a knife to the anything.

“Hey now, let’s all just calm down and everyone respect everyone else’s personal space, okay? No putting fingers or knives in others, okay?”

“Well that’s definitely not Washington in there,” the soldier says, “that guy was a grade A asshole who would love to see knives in people.”

“You can call me D.C. Sorry about the kid, she gets excited about techy stuff. So, from what Counsellor Price said, you must be Agent Carolina?”

“That’s right,” Carolina confirms like she’d like nothing more than to stick her knife in David.

“… has he always been that much of a creepy asshole?” David asks, then notices the kid’s reflection in Carolina’s visor, fidgeting with her helmet. The kid stims by chewing on things, normally her braids, David knows. “Kid, I need you to keep your helmet on for me, okay? It keeps your head nice and safe.”

*someone gets headshot in the background*

“…er, safer.” David corrects.

-

And through the power of being him, David and his team get to join team good guy. the folks on Chorus.

And all is well with the world. Until the kid and dr Grey meet and everyone has to deal with the “oh god there’s two of them” perfectly reasonable fear response.

-

Sorry for any typos in this mess of a plot bunny, I wrote it on my phone in bits and pieces during a bbq, which lead to another, competing bunny asking the tough and distracting questions: who is the best griller out if all the Reds and Blues and Freelancers, who shouldn’t be allowed near a grill, and who is a great bbq master but is someone everyone thinks shouldn’t be allowed near a grill? (And vice-versa)

This whole bunny thread was just a way to lead to the “keeps your head safe *bang* -er. safer” joke. Was not expecting the Tex and Carolina detour, but stuff it, ladies road-trip of murder and justice!

[cheemken]

Originally the hisuian zorua!Drayton AU was gonna be a 1 to 1 with canon but….with drayton being a zorua HOWEVER Ive decided to change that as I was thinking there’d be some personality changes bc the circumstances of Drayton being a zorua and that leads to canon changes, namely Drayton is still the E4 champion and Kieran takes his place as an E4 member!

Kieran’s personality shift reminded Drayton too much of a certain god obsessed merchant…..so he knew he couldn’t lose his title to Kieran of course he knows that Kieran isn’t like that someone but he still couldn’t just lose to Kieran….

Kieran’s still obsessed with getting stronger even after losing to Drayton and he doesn’t see he’s messed up Big Time until going into area zero like in canon! Drayton still asks protag for help n all that, basically the biggest main change is drayton is still champ and Kieran isn’t

Oh! And Drayton joins in on going to area zero this time! But that’s more self indulgent then anything really lmaoooo I really wanted him to join us in the games canon that however didn’t happen 😔 but it’s MY AU so I get to make the rules!!! So he gets to experience The Horrors of area zero :3 💛

Ohhh love that parallel tho hckdnd

Damn I missed Volo I remember I had such a brainrot over him he legit passed the vibe check man love his charac so much we need more pkmn characs like him that's why I wanted Geeta to be secretly evil man that would've been so dope but they're cowards!! They're cowards I tell ya!! We could've had villain Diantha too😭

Ough anyways sorry for rambling abt that I have so many feelings and Geeta and Diantha so like yeah cndmdn hahaha

Anyways anyways, that's dope tho cndmdn but pfft mood putting your faves in situations so they'd experience the horrors™ love that lmfao

But also now makes me wonder and kinda realize now is Drayton still that lazy in this au?? I mean, w all the concepts probs not?? Cause like yeah in canon he didn't wanna join the player bc he's really just lazy, but in this au he seems more,, active? Ofc him being a Zorua would probs have smth to do w that hahaha it's still interesting to think abt tho cause you said he would still be Champion in this au, which would mean he's willing to bear the responsibilities of becoming one, and even joining player and the others in Area Zero

[lucysweatslove]

I’m horribly disappointed tonight.

The gist of it: Rob’s best friend growing up, somebody insanely important to him, married an incredible Brazilian woman. Her entire family is in Brazil, but she moved to the US to be an au pair and see some more of the world. She met Rob’s friend, and they got married last summer in the US. It was a small wedding because they were going to have their big cultural wedding in Brazil.

In her culture, there aren’t traditional groomsmen and bridesmaid and the like. Instead, there are madrinhas and padrinhos- paired couples- on each side. We went to their small wedding, spend some time getting to know his new wife, and then we were asked to be - madrinha/padrinho pair. In Brazil.

I was in the process of applying to school, didn’t think I’d get in, and of course we said yes.

I did get in, and that really fucked with our plans. But we were so determined to go. We tried to find flights that could work, but getting us down to Brazil without missing “required” coursework and then back up here to take my test is… difficult. They are very long travel days. (Btw, tests are legit every single week, and they WILL NOT reschedule for ANYTHING personal- only emergencies/qualified illnesses).

The options ended up being:

we fly down Thursday and get in on Friday (possibly missing a required activity but those I care a little less about than a test that could make me fail an entire block), wedding ceremony on Saturday, we INSTANTLY leave to fly back. No reception despite that also being Saturday. Literally no flexibility.

Rob goes alone and can attend both ceremony and reception

Rob called his friend to let him know these were our options, they all suck, we are so sorry, etc. He talked to his wife, and then called back saying essentially, it sounds like it’s been a huge headache and difficulty trying to get it organized (they’re worth it, but yes), they are surprised we have put forth this much effort and money for such a small amount of time for them (we love them and are happy to do what we can without totally fucking over my education), and while either of our presented options are okay with them (option #2 would require they find another madrinha for Rob), they also gave options #3 we don’t go. It’s not a GREAT option, but it means we aren’t spending literally thousands for two partial days in Brazil.

I told rob: whatever he decides I will make work. It’s his best friend- I love them too, but like, I would make the decision if this was my best friend (Maryssa, though atm she is in the “never getting married again” camp). It’s gotta come from the person who is closest in these situations.

So anyway, we aren’t going. We talked about it, and we decided we would take that money we would’ve spent on the travel and accommodations and put it into a “fund” to take them on another trip together, some place like Tulum. Airfare and lodging paid for all four of us by us, so the only expense for them would be whatever incidentals. Issue would be finding time that works because the only time I get more than a week off (that I know about) are a) winter breaks over Christmas, and b) my dedicated step 1 time (it’s like 9 weeks of dedicated time to study for the first licensing exam, so in theory I could do something during that time period, but I would also want to spend some of that time while on vacation studying, not just playing around).

It still feels shit though. Yeah I wanted to go to Brazil to go to Brazil, but more importantly I made a commitment to people I care about, and I really wanted to be there for them.

[indecisive-dizzy]

Helloooooo :D

I’m making a bunch of ideas for our pookies + my ocs to compensate for the loss of all my notes that had all my ideas for different aus I made 😭

So have some Daisey and Eddie ideas from the High School Angst au (I NEED A NEW NAME FOR THIS AU ISTG IT CANT JUST BE THE HIGH SCHOOL ANGST AU)

They used to dance together often, maybe their parents put them in after school dance classes or something

Daisey stopped dancing after they broke up/stop being friends, and they never really danced until they made up and had a whole moment of dancing again :,3

The first time they hung out one on one after they made up, it was so awkward it hurt

Eddie tried to initiate small talk, Daisey just told him in the nicest way they could to please shut up and watch the movie (they went to the movies)

Daisey’s friends were hesitant about Eddie, but most of them didn’t really care/mind. The only person who really did not like this was Holly, but she got worn down by Wallace and eventually let him hang around

Daisey totally hangs around in the shadows, it always looks like Eddie’s talking to a wall from afar when he’s talking to them

Julie definitely befriends Daisey when she sees them hanging around in the shadows, immediately trying to bring them out and talk. Daisey isn’t that big of a fan, but they tolerate it because she seems to genuinely like them

Idk if FlowerShop happens, but it they do interact sometimes I think

This au doesn’t have a set time period, but I have a lot of 80s and 90s inspiration, so I’m putting it in like the late 80s to early/mid 90s

Also I’m definitely making a Monster High aus for my ocs cause I’m hyperfixating on the dolls and the movies rn

I also don’t know if DearDollops should happen in this au but it’s a possibility since they have the whole “having crushes on each other but not realizing it and believing it was unrequited” arc

Daisey’s crush was a lot more known/apparent (Eddie didn’t know he liked them like that until they were gone), but it was still mutual

They’re both collectively stupid. Like- they’re both very intelligent, but they’re really stupidly oblivious at the same time

Apparently one of Eddie’s favorite songs was Rockin Robin, so Daisey’s favorite song in this au is Everything She Wants by Wham! cause I love that song

Daisey legit just listens to any song ever. It can go to Metallica straight from to Dolly Parton

In the main au, it’s probably either Jolene by Dolly Parton, or Dancing Queen by ABBA

Eddie definitely experiments with his style after he befriends Daisey again, I can see him dyeing a strand of his hair to experiment but washing it out almost immediately cause he’s scared his parents would be mad

Honestly Daisey’s voice headcanon in this au is just Twila from Monster High (G1 specifically, G3 for the main au I think I’m still not sure)

She fits their personality’s aesthetic perfectly like it’s not even funny she’s just them

I’m silently suffering cause I can’t remember some of the au ideas I wrote down so I’m trying to remember so I can note them down in a journal or something

Also I made Lizzy a gf but she needs a name so I’ll make that its own post when I figure that out

Have a good rest of your day/night, Dizzy!

It’s nighttime so I’m gonna sleep soon lmao :D

My brain says they did ballet together! mostly because Eddie doing ballet lives in my brain <3

hhhh yeah I can Feel the awkward. a movie is a good idea tho,, no need to talk!

Ok I read "Daisey totally hangs around in the shadows" and went It's giving Twila ✨ and lost it when I got the bottom lol. G1 Twila my beloved,, g3 Twila my other beloved

Julie let them be dark and mysterious! /lh

*songs the monster high (g1) theme song* Hell Yeah! I love monster high aus

hmm perhaps their can be two versions of the au! one where they get together and another where they stay friends!

When I found out Eddie's fav song I proceeded to listen to it on repeat for At Least an hour. I genuinely love Rockin Robin

Daisey's got good taste! What a variety!

Eddie noo! I would love to see Eddie experiment with hair dye. let his parents be mad I'll defend him

ooh yikes good luck!! hope you can get those ideas written down!

oh girlfriend awesome!! Lizzy deserves a gf hehe

You have a wonder day yourself bestie :D

[chloeangelic]

Long overdue, I’m finally giving Vic one of my High Effort Reblogs and I thought it would be for TCC but I have to do it for At The Restaurant and then I can suck her off even more in my TCC reblog cause I have more to say.

Here’s the thing, I wasn’t really that into Din until I read TCC. I watched the show, I liked the character, but I just… Didn’t wanna fuck him, like, I just didn’t have much of a fascination with the man under there, so I think seeing him through Vic’s eyes was what I needed to do in order to get it and now I GET IT!!!!! I rewatched the show after reading TCC and I see him in a completely different light now, it’s wild. As dramatic as it sounds, I never really saw him as human until I read her portrayal, I couldn’t look past the armor somehow. I have never read a Din AU before this so I had no idea what to expect but I am IN LOVE with this Din, truly - more on that later. 

Spoiler related stuff and me being a simp under the cut cause this is gonna be long !!! 

I think everyone can agree that Vic is a phenomenal writer, and I’m terrible at formulating my thoughts about writing cause I have zero technical knowledge, so all I can offer is that her writing makes me cry and also cream my panties because she embeds so much emotion into her words, her descriptions of people and places and situations are so vivid that I can see them crystal clear in my head, and everything just feels so god damn real. Fics hit different when you can tell that the writer has a love for their characters and their stories. Vic never wastes words, ever. She has this absolutely insane range - every fic has a different tone and yet it’s still so clearly her writing, you know? I think it’s difficult to create a well fleshed-out dynamic in a one shot and capture a couple’s spectrum of emotion and experiences with each other in a such a short fic, without doing all kinds of logistical explanations, but then fics like At The Restaurant happen and it’s just this perfectly succinct story weaved into the action itself, and you’re fed their history as you go along and it’s all just so smooth and PERFECT ugh 

Vic’s descriptions of a man’s physicality will always be 10/10, no matter who it’s about. I will be on my knees, in love, mouth AGAPE for any Pedro boy she writes cause their characterizations are always so amazing. 

Sorry, my big smut speech will have to come with another RB cause this shit is gonna be too long lmfao. I also think the relationship and Din himself in this story just fucking got me more than anything, like.. hardcore got me. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely want to fuck and suck with this Din for 24 hrs straight, and I felt it in my coochie when he said “Now” so obviously he owns me but I have debased myself enough to Vic, telling her about getting a massive nut off to her fics so I’m gonna cool it this time ok 

Grogu and The Mandalorian being worked into this was absolute fucking GOLD. Legit my fav part. It was cute and creative and funny and such an amazing use of canon material, GOD BLESS !!!!! The focus, going into it, is easily gonna be on Din being a fuckboy, so I think the portrayal of him as a brother was so fantastic that no more convincing was needed that he’s actually a good guy, and that’s what makes me as the reader look back on the MC’s narrative and be like okay, maybe I judged him too quick. Learning about his parents/his family constellation in general is the point where 1) your stomach hurts, and 2) you’re like oh shit okay everything makes sense, and even so, it was still portrayed in a way that wasn’t oversimplified. 

I was feeling all demonic and hihi haha until the end and basically I feel like I got chewed up and spit out cause now I want to be a whiny part 2 commenter, begging for a crumb of them together. 

Ok that’s it for now love u bye 

Actual footage of me thinking I knew where it was going and then getting thrown by the end

At the Restaurant

Pairing: Din Djarin x F!Reader

Summary: It’s three days til Christmas, and you’ve never known want like this, and his eyes are glossy with emotion and everything he won’t ever let himself tell you or anyone else, and you so badly want to tell him that it’s only that it’s hard to be casual when your favorite bra lives in his dresser, and also that you’re in love with him.

-OR-

the Christmas situationship AU

Rating: Explicit 18+

Content Warnings: Modern AU; Christmas fic; Angst; Fluff; Miscommunication; Emotionally unavailable idiots; But also idiots in love; Toxic relaationships; Situationship; There is nothing well adjusted about any of this pls don’t come into this house if that’s what you’re looking for; Trigger warning for man with an avoidant attachment style; Condolences to all my fellow victims of The Situationship; Unprotected Sex; Creampie; Oral Sex (F!Receiving); Frankly some pretty pathetic behavior; Girl stand UP; Fuckboy Din; Plan B and Delusion as a form of birth control; Pull and pray baby pull and pray; Possessive Behavior; Jealousy; Insecurity; Trigger warning for Right Where You Left Me by Taylor Swift references

A/N: Hello and welcome to my contribution to the holiday fic pool! This is not at all what I was planning as my holiday piece, but I woke up a few mornings ago and was just completely taken hold by this. Much love and thanks and gratitude and all the kisses in the world to my friend @f0rlornmyths for all the help on the idea and brainstorming and for the gorgeous edits she made for this little story. Mai baby, this is all for you, and I know it's not the Christmas gift I promised you, but I swear, one day that too will get written.

I’m wishing you all the happiest and most relaxing of holiday seasons. I think of you all constantly and wish you all the best always, and I hope you’re taking care of yourselves during this time ❣️🎄✨

Word Count: 8.2K

Read on AO3

He gets this sparkle in his eyes when the bar’s extra busy, cheeks flushed and curls damp with sweat and this shine that speaks; that tells of all the things he does that make a woman belong to him whenever he’s giving her his singular attention. Eyes that laugh and crinkle at the edges with happiness. Eyes that tell you how much he does or does not want you at that specific moment. And he’ll laugh and blind the room into seduction under the Christmas lights, and then he’ll turn, suddenly remembering you’re here for him, and look at you all serious-like, while you sip on your tequila soda, with two limes always because he knows that’s how you like it, and it’ll be a serious, cool look for just a second before it blooms into the best smile anyone’s surely ever had in all history, and you love him. 

It’s three days til Christmas, and you’ve never known want like this. You’ve never practiced restraint of this kind either. A restraint that suffocates and kills and could probably be taken as a form of self harm were you in a righter, more clear mind, but it’s the only thing you have left against him. Din. A control over yourself that falsely feeds you the illusion of power. You never call him. Never. Any interaction, any late night fuck, any time he comes over and comes inside you, it’s always, always because he calls you, he looks for you. You never beg, not with words at least, and you never text first and you never ask him if you can see him, and it’s the only way you tell yourself you maintain even a semblance of control. And at night, when you’re alone and it’s dark and you’ve only got the cat for some sad company, or you’re crying in bed because he hasn’t called, and you know he’s not at work and he’s obviously not at home, so he’s somewhere you don’t want him to be, that false sense of control that says you’re never the one reaching out, it’s always him coming around so surely that must mean something… it’s all you have at the end of it. 

He’s not your boyfriend. He never has been. And there’s always been that excuse you use to soothe yourself with of, well, we’ve never really talked about it, and he’s not really my boyfriend, so it doesn’t really matter. Does it? Doesn’t it? You’re sure you don’t know anymore. And you tell yourself, lie to yourself, comfort yourself, whatever it is your tired heart needs in that moment, because it truly is so tired, the push and pull is the most exhausting game in the world, that if he’s coming to you it’s because Din’s choosing you. Even if just for a night, even if just for now, even if tomorrow he’ll be with someone else, he chose you for tonight, and so surely that must mean something. It’s the worst thing you do to yourself, but it feels so good in the moment. You just can’t help yourself. 

“Another one?” He calls over his shoulder with a smile.

 You’d had a little bit of a… well, you don’t really know what to call it. A falling out, perhaps, because the two of you never have fights. You never fight, you never discuss the things the two of you should discuss, like feelings or anger or resentment or boundaries and wants and needs. Nothing. Nothing that indicates anything that might define what it is the two of you’ve been doing for two years with each other now. Fights are something couples do, and you two are not a couple. But up until three days ago, you’d not heard from him for two weeks. Two weeks of nothing, of hearing from your friends that they’d seen him out with his friends and other girls who you know probably mean nothing, even less than you do, but still. It’d made you insane. A little bit irrational, and so when you and your friends had gone out over the weekend, picked up a group of guys at the new bar you’d chosen for the night, since Din’s bar was off limits at the moment, and brought them back to your apartment at your roommate, Bo’s, insistence, well, you’d thought you’d give him a taste of his own medicine. After a slightly tipsy, teary eyed rant, explaining to your new friend for the night, a one Toro Calican, who had a very nice smile and very pretty eyes and not at all bad arms, all about your terrible situation with this man who you were not really in a relationship with, but who you have sex with, and only with him, regularly, unprotected, enthusiastically, but who is still not your boyfriend and not even anything close, he’d arranged himself very nice and cozy-looking in your bed with your twinkly lights sparkling in the background and your pink pig stuffy which Din loved to make fun of you for, and you’d taken a very tasteful, in your opinion, picture of him for your Instagram story. Again, a taste of his own medicine. 

Din had been at your front door forty five minutes later, angry. Angrier than you’d ever seen him before, and not at all trying to hide it. Pushing past you and into your apartment all tall and broad and wearing your favorite dark blue hoodie he knows you love, curls mused as if he’d been pulling his fingers through them in agitation. There’d been a sneaky, smarmy little devil inside of you doing a happy dance at that moment, and his eyes when he’d turned to glare at you after giving poor, Toro – casual, entirely unbothered, Toro with his big smile stretched across his handsome face as he’d looped an arm over Bo’s shoulders where he’d been sitting beside her on the couch – a look that said Din had half a mind to take him outside and wipe the floor with him. But your new friend had laughed him off, taking Din’s terribly cocky onceover, the sort he liked to set people down with, in stride. All arrogance and the sort of self assuredness only a man who knew what he was made of and how to take care of himself could possess. He was too hot for his, or your, own good. 

And when he’d turned and pushed you into your bedroom, a little tipsy, a lot desperate and pleased and wet, because yes, finally you were getting exactly what you wanted, exactly as you’d asked for it, and he’d flipped your skirt up and ripped your panties down and buried his face in your cunt from behind, all: this pussy’s mine, what the fuck was another dude doing in your bedroom? You’d been nothing but pleased giggles and hiccupy little moans as you’d come on his tongue just as he’d demanded of you. 

It was wrong. The two of you were wrong and maybe even bad for each other, but also, and this was only your own personal, fanciful discernment, addicted. A mutual addiction. The way he fucked you, hard and deep and possessive, like you belonged to him. Tugging you up by the hips and pulling you back onto his hard cock, the wet slap of your pussy dripping for him so that it surely echoed through the thin door of your shitty little apartment for the man who’d threatened what Din saw as rightfully his could hear exactly what was happening in here. You should have cared more about this ridiculous display of a pissing contest. You should have been bothered by it. You absolutely were not. And when he’d gone harder than stone, shoved deeper than you could comfortably take him so that you were coming around his cock one last time from the stretch and sting of it, and he’d filled you to leaking without even asking, you’d not even blinked at it, had been nothing but contented sighs.

It was all wrong, wrong, wrong.

Even worse, you’d never been on birth control. It made you sick, tired, moody, and the two of you worked around it… sometimes… kind of. Condoms when you remembered, usually ripped off mid fuck, pulling out… also sometimes. Never very responsible or dedicated to the practice of safe sex and level headedness, more focused on how fucking good it always felt when he was inside of you like this all bare and wet and hot and his. And if he fucked other girls, well, you tried not to think about that. Got tested, told yourself you were the only one he didn’t use protection with because you were special when they were not. And if there was, that last horribly misguided whisper that said, well, if he’s taking this risk with you, then obviously that means something too, right? Then so be it.

Again, like you’d said, bad for each other. 

But he always gave you so many reasons to be stupid, delusional, like the way he’d kissed you before he’d gone the morning after, while you were still sleepy and warm and a little sweaty from where you’d been pressed together so close through the night, wet and sticky between your legs from his come. He’d wrapped his arms around you and pressed you so, so close to his chest, nipples bare and tight against hard muscle and wispy hair. The musky sleep smell of him as he’d started at your shoulder, mouth slow and damp, kissed and nibbled his way up your collarbone, your throat, your jaw, settled at your ear to taste that soft place behind, pressed his tongue there to feel the echo of your pulse moving through your whole body, the flutter of his long lashes against your skin because he’s just that close. Your toes had curled and spasmed, little and cold, bracing against his hairy shins and big feet, hard cock nestled between the warmth of your thighs. And he always makes the best sounds, you know, deep and rumbly and all man. Familiar sounds that you’re able to replay again and again in your mind afterwards when he’s gone, sounds that make it easy for you to pretend he’s yours because you know them so well, and you want to keep him so bad it makes your stomach hurt. Gotta go get the kid, he’d said, by way of explanation for why he wasn’t pushing up into your come soaked cunt and having you one more time again, but he’d stayed and kissed you. And when he’d finally found his way to your mouth, sipping on you, tasting behind your teeth, along the wet of your tongue, that was all that really mattered anyway. 

Sometimes, he kisses you like he loves you, and it makes you hate him. 

He hadn’t called in the three days since then, but he’d been kind enough to DoorDash you a Plan B and a bag of your favorite Dove dark chocolate bites, and you want to hate him and maybe even run him over with you car, you really do, but then tonight, out of nowhere while you’d been at home telling yourself you weren’t going to cry, tired and sweaty from lying under your duvet for too long, fingers slippery between cunt and cotton, too many unsatisfying orgasms and a tear worthy film already chosen as your excuse for later, he’d sent a: come to the bar tonight, baby, I want to see you. And well, he’d come looking for you, right? He’d texted first. So really, this was all him wanting you and choosing you.

You need help, electroshock therapy, a lobotomy, anything. But you’d gotten your butt up and dressed, begged Bo to come out with you, and now here the two of you sit, good friend that she is, waiting for him to finally come over and say more than three stringed together words to you. Shaved, lotioned, perfumed, pathetic little ass sitting at the end of his bar in a too sticky, too uncomfortable stool waiting for him. Always waiting for him.

You shake your head no at him and his proffered next round. No you don’t want another fucking drink. What you want is his attention. 

And the worst part is, probably the worst, for there are so many bad parts to this, is that you don’t truly think he’s a terrible person, Din. He’s just so… he’s just– you don’t know. Sad, busy, exhausted, selfish, overwhelmed, so many things. But not bad, not actually a bad person. You’re sure of it. And it might look so differently from the outside, like you’re nothing, like he uses you, and sure, in ways, he does. You’re not so stupid or naive to not see this for what it is, because if there is one thing that is crystal clear here, it’s that you’ve always known what this is and what it is not. But you also see him. You also know him, as hard as he’s tried to keep you at arms length, to not let you see, to not let you in, you’ve weaseled your way inside anyways, or, better said, and something you don’t let yourself dwell on too much for the things it makes your stupid brain and heart feel, he has never been very good at not letting you see him. Because despite all the truths of how this thing between the two of you is, or is not, there is also something, as small as it may be, that is real here. 

So no, Din is not bad, or not all bad. And it’s easy to call them excuses, but you’re not so sure that’s the only thing they are, the ways in which you justify his behavior or yours. Because there is also context to him, and his life, and the things that drag his attention away from you when you so desperately need and want it, why you know he won’t commit to one single thing because he knows how easily lost a good thing can be. 

You take a pull from your straw, paper, and it’s already coming apart in wet flakes on your tongue because this dumb bar he works at pretends to be swanky, and paper straws are obviously a signifier that it’s not the cheap, shitty dump it actually is. Mean, but you’re in a bad mood tonight. Peli, the owner, had him string up multicolored lights and decorations everywhere for the holiday season, and it sort of looks like Santa threw up in here, but it’s also nice. Cozy or comfortable or welcoming, something happy and cheerful about the crowd surrounded by the sparkle of the holiday and loose from the heavily poured liquor. Or maybe it’s just that you know he put up the decorations. That he’d been good and patient and helpful as the older woman, eccentric and curly haired and a little stern and potty mouthed as she is, but always kind to him, had directed him as she pleased. Giving orders so that the bar could look as lovely and warm and cheerful as it does now. He always looks at her with such care and warmth, and you alway see it, as much as he tries to hide it. 

He’d added a splash of sweet grenadine and a maraschino cherry into your drink tonight, and called it your slutty Shirley Temple, said you looked like you needed something sweet followed by one of those cocky little winks he thinks make him look hot, they do, but you tell him only make him look like an asshole. All of which you know is only his way of telling you, without actually telling you, that he’s going to be shoving his cock down your throat later tonight. Something sweet… yeah, sure. There’s nothing sweet about him. 

He always tells you so many things neither of you want the other to know with his eyes. The stupid things, the silly things, the real things, it doesn’t really matter. He can’t ever help it. 

The first time he’d told you about his parents, you’d thought: this is it, this is something real. The come down had been a singular type of devastating you don't think you’d recovered from to this day. They’d died in a home invasion, a robbery gone terribly, terribly wrong, when he’d been two months shy of eighteen; left him with too much responsibility and too much grief for a boy of seventeen to bear, to ever be able to grow into without growing a little bit skewed in the process. When he’d introduced you to his little brother, the first time, you’d been better prepared, better in control of yourself and your expectations. But still, still you’d let a small, small part of you let it mean something. Grogu, Greg, but they used to watch this cartoon together about this man, a warrior, a space cowboy of sorts, who finds a little green baby, more frog looking than baby looking, called Grogu and takes him in as his own, bringing him along on all his adventures through the big, wide galaxy. They’d always joked that Greg looked like the frog baby, and so, Grogu. 

The first time he’d asked you to come over, you’d forced yourself to not throw up as you’d seen the text come in, had to force away thoughts of this has to mean something, please, please, let this mean something more. And the kid had been asleep already anyways when he’d smuggled you inside, quick and quiet, locking the door to his bedroom behind you, messy and lived in and Din, Din, Din everywhere, pressed you into his rumpled mattress, and fucked you til you’d cried and bit your tongue until you’d tasted blood to keep in all the things you had inside to tell him. And in the morning, when he’d made you a cup of coffee and oh, isn’t he nice for that? The kid had stumbled out of his bedroom, dinosaur pj’s and sleep rumpled curls the same warm mahogany shade as his older brother’s turned pseudo father, and he’d had his waffles while you’d sat there between the two of them as Din’d clucked around making lunches, sipping from your mug trying as best you could to be a good girl and not whip around and scream at the man that this has to mean something more, please. 

The kid had eyed you skeptically, as if you’d had two heads, little fuzzy brow cocked high up towards his curl covered hairline while he chomped loudly on his waffles. More syrup than bread, but who were you to judge? 

“Are you Din’s girlfriend?”

And rather than drop dead on the spot or bear the devastation of hearing the refusal come out of his older brother’s mouth, the second you’d seen Din’s own eyebrows shoot up towards his hairline, mouth falling open to probably tell him no, absolutely not, she’s nothing even close to being my girlfriend, you’d said as easy as you could manage, “No, we’re just friends.” Even added in a fake, tepid smile as you’d said the words. And now, as time’s passed since then, when you think back on the memory, you tell yourself that you’d imagined the frown and scowl that’d pulled Din’s face down into something that looked a little like annoyance or anger or confusion. He’d never done anything to make you think you were anything otherwise, and so what good did it do to dwell on the maybe false memory of his look of disappointment at your words? None at all, surely. 

But you’re pretty sure you’re the only girl that’s ever been let into their space like that.

He’s at the other end of the bar now, engrossed in a conversation with someone who’s too sparkly and too pretty and too blonde to be anything but trouble for you. His tall, deceptively lanky form that you know beneath the dark baggy, long sleeved tee he’s wearing is strong and muscled and warm as a furnace, curved over the lip of the bar to lean further towards her. They’ve been talking for about five minutes now, yes, you’ve been counting, and your heart is doing that horrible thing it does where it hurts so bad it feels like it’s ripping in half all on its own. You want to look away, especially as you watch the long, gorgeous form of his hand, big, strong hands that you know exactly what they feel like wrapped around your throat, clutching your breasts, lift slowly towards the glowing Christmas lights necklace the girl’s got hanging around her neck, the cheery red and green lights nestled deep in her cleavage. He plucks at the necklace, giving it a little tug and says something to her that has her throwing her head back, and she sparkles, she really does, with those sort of laughs that tinkle like bells or something equally fucking ridiculous.

“We should just go, babe,” Bo says from beside you, glaring down at him so intensely you’re shocked he hasn’t keeled over dead at this point. 

“Just a little bit longer, Bo, please.” 

“God, I can’t watch this shit anymore.” She pushes up and out of her stool with a roll of her eyes, but passes a loving hand down the back of your hair as she goes. “I’m gonna go try and pick up that red head sitting in the back. She’s been eyeing me all night,” she smirks at you. 

“You cannot date another ginger. That is too much ginger for one household.”

“Oh, shut up. You’re in love with the devil, I can do whatever I want. And I can’t watch him anymore, I don’t have the stomach for it.”

You try and protest as she walks away from you, tell her that you’re not in love with him, that he’s not the devil, that you don’t have the stomach for it either, but she’s gone before you can muster your lies. When you turn back towards the bar he’s abandoned his Christmas lights blonde and is pouring drinks for a group of frat guys, checking I.D.s and making easy, charming conversation. He’s strange in that way, quiet and reserved by nature, which you know now because you know him, but he puts on a face in here, in Peli’s bar in front of the customers and the pretty girls and the people expecting him to perform for them, making nice and pleasant. It’s just one more thing that feeds your delusion, the fact that you see his smile for what it is, the too handsome, too shiny version you know isn’t the real one. 

You know that despite the fact that Bo loves you, she also thinks you’re a little sad, a lot weak, when it comes to him. Maybe even, and you know she’d never say this because she’s a good and loving friend, but maybe even a little pathetic or desperate. And maybe you are, or definitely, you don’t really care about the details of it at this point, but maybe there’s also something about him that’s slightly desperate too. Desperate for love or attention or companionship. Maybe that’s why he always feels the need to search for it in so many different places. Maybe he wants it so bad he’s scared of it. Or maybe he’s just easy. Maybe he’s just a whore. 

You don’t know if the why’s of it all really matter anymore. 

He serves the group their shots and beers, all of them clinking their glasses together loudly, hooting and wishing each other a Merry Christmas, and you want to snap that it’s not Christmas yet, it’s still the twenty third, it’s a special day that should be remembered, but you turn away. Try to swallow the heat in your face and throat, take deep breaths. Bo’s right, the two of you should go, but when you turn to search for her, she’s deep in conversation with the red head, gorgeous, strong and tall and just her type. Their two heads huddled closely together beneath the red lights that turn their hair both brighter shades of auburn. And you know you can’t interrupt. At least one of you should have a good night tonight. But when you turn back around, ready to join the frat bros in on their shots, he’s there. 

You swivel in your stool, catching yourself on the lip of the bar, digging your nails into the wood grain until it hurts, staring at him in silence. 

“What?” he asks with that slightly provoking smile he forces on you when he knows you’re bothered and refuse to open your stubborn mouth and just speak up. 

“Nothing.” Stubborn, sullen. Terrible.

He hums, laughter dancing in his eyes that pisses you off. He knows you’re bothered, knows you won’t say anything about it either. “Want another?”

“Sure.” You might as well get drunk if you’re going to have to watch him be a jackass all night long. 

He starts to move about, gathering the things for your cocktail. “You like the grenadine I added?”

“Yeah, it’s good.”

He looks at you with a half smile and a cocked brow as he measures the shot. He never makes your drinks as heavy handed as the others, says you’re a bad drunk. Whatever. “Yeah? You like the Christmas decorations?”

“They’re nice.” He hums again at your sullen tone. And you want to be nicer, happier, peppier, whatever it is that would be enough to make this all right and better between the two of you, inside of you, but you just can’t. You can’t force yourself into a shape that’s okay with being without him, and it’s getting harder and harder to pretend it’s something you’re capable of. 

He adds your two limes and tops the drink off with a Santa printed mini umbrella Peli had gotten an order of in bulk, pushing the glass into your hand. He braces his hands against the bar edge, watching you as you bring the drink up to taste, peering over the edge to keep your eyes on him. The lights twinkle over head, washing him in a glow of greens and reds and warmth, and his eyes do that terrible sparkle you hate in return. 

Sometimes you think he likes it when you’re pissy. Turns him on or something which sickly, stupidly, in turn, riles you up, knowing he’s turned on by your anger. 

You take a long pull of the fizzy, mildly sweet drink, licking your lips of the tang and bubbles when you pull it away, and watch as his eyes go a little hazy, glassed over as he watches the wet of your tongue peek out to lick up the drops of sweet liquor. You watch a swallow pass through the strong column of his throat, and his gaze is still on your mouth when he cocks his head at you. “C’mere,” he murmurs, eyes shifting to take in the crowd, the customers and the status of their drinks before he’s tugging at your hand over the bar, drawing you out of your seat and along the length of it from the other side. 

“To where?” You whisper at him, nerves of excitement, of want, fluttering in your belly and throat all fizzy and sweet. He tips his chin at the cracked open door of the stock room, the warm glow from within peering out, and then back again once over at the crowd before you’re at the end of the bar, and he’s tugging you inside after him. You tip your chin over your shoulder just before he kicks the door shut behind you, taking in Peli’s knowing look and the laughing shake of her head, and then it’s just the two of you. Hungry and hurried as he’s pulling you into himself, big hands immediately cupping your ass to tug you up into him with a cracked groan. “Want to fucking kiss you so bad,” he licks into your mouth, tasting like the coffee he drinks too much of and the cinnamon gum you know he’s always chewing. 

“Din–” and you’re about to protest, say that everyone’ll have seen the two of you come in here, Peli, the blonde Christmas light girl, that the whole bar is going to think he brought you in here for a quick fuck, but you and he both know you don’t really care if anyone thinks that. That probably, if you’re really honest, you’d be glad for everyone to think you’re his that way. So you kiss him back. Arms looping around his neck to hang off of him, fingers twining in the thick curls at the nape of his neck, the hair there so silky smooth, cool at the ends but warm and damp at the roots. And this is what you were talking about, when he kisses you like he loves you which makes you hate him. All tongue and teeth and desperation. His mouth sliding against yours, spit slick and heat heavy. Big hands kneading at your ass, clutching at the short skirt of your dress, pulling it up so he can shove his palm between the nylon of your tights and your warm skin and cup you over the wet mound of your cunt. 

“Fucking warm and soft for me, baby.” He kisses his way down your neck, licking at your cleavage, tugging at your ear. “You smell so good,” and he squeezes you against himself, dragging his palm back and forth over your pussy as best as the constricting tights let him. “I can’t wait to fuck you later.”

“Me either, Din,” you say because there’s nothing else to say besides, I love you. Please, love me back. He groans into your mouth, pressing you back into a little arc hooked over his arm, something frenzied and a little sloppy about the way he kisses you like he wants you so much he can’t control himself. And when the two of you stumble out a few minutes later, hair tousled and flushed with heat, the shine of your lipgloss transferred onto his own lips and those sparkly eyes of his cranked up to blinding so that the whole bar can see what it is the two of you have been up to in the stock room, there’s nothing but sweet, fizzy pleasure suffusing your belly. Even if it isn’t real, everyone else thinks it is, maybe for tonight that can be enough. 

-

“The tree’s really cute,” you say as he helps you out of your coat, unwrapping the scarf from around your neck, round and round until he lets it slither from his hand onto the messy floor of his bedroom. 

“Yeah, well, G wanted a real one so… my ass went out and got him a real one.” 

You reach up to card your fingers through the floppy curls falling over his forehead, pushing them back to twist in your fingers and pull his head down towards yours. “Good brother,” you murmur against his mouth. You want to ask him if he remembers what tonight is; wanted to ask him all night but kept your mouth shut for fear of that utterly vacant look in his eyes when he’d have no idea what you were talking about. 

He settles into your kiss, knees bent to come down to your level, sighing deep and long as he licks at you slowly, sucks on your bottom lips, a gentle nip. “Looked so pretty for me tonight,” he says, and he’s such a good kisser, and all you can say is a breathless thank you, trying to swallow the immediate lump in your throat back down because the only other thing to say would be you’re right, it’s all for you, or I hate it when you say these things to me, I hate it when you’re nice to me and then turn around and act like I’m a stranger, like I’ve never meant anything to you at all. You press up higher, insistent, on your tiptoes, trying to get closer, more of him. He runs his hands up the length of your spine, one arm banding around your waist, the other coming up to twist in your hair, tugging your head back sharply and pulling your mouth from his. 

“What do you want, sweet girl?”

And what a cruel, terrible question. You, is what you should say. Ruin the moment or the false magic, glass shattered on the white cloth. And so, “Fuck me,” is all you say instead because that’s all this is anyway. He peers down at you, fathomless look on his face, no more bright sparkle in his eyes, something more like an ember. You think you like this look better, it’s more for you, and there's something satisfying about that. 

“Okay, baby. Whatever you want.”

He pulls your clothes from you slowly, and he can be so tender sometimes, slow and precise in the things he does, the way he moves. Sometimes he fucks you hard and fast and sloppy. But not always. Other times he does it in a way that is much, much worse. Slow and deep and intentional. He lays you out across his messy bed and spreads you open for himself. Starts at your feet, kissing the soles and the creases and marks over the arches and around your ankles from your tights and boots. Up the slope of your calf, teeth dragging sharply, a little too hard over the muscle. He kisses the backs of your knees, a place only he has ever thought to kiss, and you won’t cry, but you’d like to. His tongue along the soft of your thighs, stubble chafing and tickling, and when he finally gets to your cunt, soaking wet, glossy with your slick for him, his tongue drags up your slit slow and teasing one second, deep, fucking inside of you the next. He makes you come on his face twice before he even thinks of being nice and letting up. Sucking on your clit, taking each soft lip gentle, gentle between the edge of his teeth and tugging so soft you almost don’t feel it. He licks and licks and slurps up your wet, and you know he enjoys this because of his own sounds. When he rips his t-shirt over his head because he’s steaming with sweat and want, the zip of his jeans ringing so that he can get his fist around his cock and jack himself while he licks up the splash of your second orgasm. 

He kisses you everywhere when he’s had his fill, twists and turns you this way and that, groping and kneading and taking every inch of you in so that no spot of skin is left uninspected or untasted. Pulls you up and under his arm so he can peer down at you from behind, lemme look at that little asshole now, he says all nasty the way he gets sometimes, and spreads your cheeks apart. You brace yourself against the column of his throat and hold on to the bulge of his bicep and try and breathe through your mouth and pray for control and temperance and the will to not spill all your truths to him. Difficult, when he manhandles you like this, when he pets and licks and kisses you all over and tells you how pretty all your holes are for him. 

His cock is so hard when he finally settles on his knees between your spread thighs, on your back again so that you can see his pulse in the tiny, subtle beat of his erection as it stands up, curving towards his flat belly. No condom, and you want to say thank you for letting you feel him like this. 

He pushes your knees wide and grips his cock, twisting his fist around the sticky glossed head, flushed red almost purple. You love it when he’s this hard, when you know it’s all for you, when you know you’re the only one in this moment that can fix it for him. 

“Get it wet for me,” he nods his head at your slick cunt, parted and bared to him just like he likes. You dip your fingers into the well of wetness, play in it, watch the shiny string of slick stretch between your pussy and fingers, and no one makes you as wet or as desperate as he does, and like he can read your mind he tells you, no one makes me as hard as you do, and you do not tell him that that isn’t something you want to hear, that that isn’t something that makes you feel good. The reminder that there are others. 

You wrap your slippery fingers around his cock, coating him in yourself and when you pull him towards you, notching him at the mouth of your cunt, and finally – finally, I’ve been waiting for this all night, and you can’t even tell who says it – it’s so fucking good that all the rest of it is worth it for this singular feeling right here. 

He pushes in, in, in, heavy balls pressed against the wet curve of your bottom, and you’re so soaked it’s slid down between your ass, marked his sheets with you, swings his hips back all smooth and wet and shoves back inside. His mouth is at your tits, folded over you, caging you in, biting and sucking on bare, tight nipples he tells you belong to him, cunt he fucks hard and deep he tells you also belongs to him.

He pulls an ankle up over his shoulder, changes the angle and drills into you hard and fast, other knee hooked over his elbow so you’re pressed and folded and presented to him just how he likes and needs, and he makes you say his name over and over, tells you exactly how he wants you to come on his cock just for him. His pelvis bumps your clit on every push forward, too thick cock wedged inside your cunt so that you’re stretched around him and no matter how many times you do this, it always hurts just a little. Like everything else the two of you do together. 

“You feel so fucking good,” he groans. “You take it so fucking good. Don’t come yet– don’t come. With me– wait for me. I want it together.” And you do cry at that, when he changes the angle once more and shoves in hard against your g-spot, the fat tip of his cock punching against it over and over so that there’s heat pooling at the base of your spine, stars flashing behind your closed lids, your breasts going hot and heavy and tight, stomach clenching with the effort to stave off your orgasm and do as he asks. He breathes into your mouth, and it’s all hot and damp skin and your sweaty limbs sliding against each other, open mouth to open mouth. 

“Now,” he says, pulls you onto him deeper with a tight grip on your ass, long fingers wrapped over the curve so that he can feel the wet, stretched place where he takes you, makes you his. “Take the whole fucking thing,” he whispers against your lips, and as your cunt goes tight as a knot, painful in that way that only he can make it, that’s so good, that way that always keeps you coming back for more, you finally start to cry real tears. Not just from his cock but from the whole of him, from everything he does to you. Your heart beats fast, fast, fast, and you count the days in the month til your period, the little game you like to play with yourself when the two of you are bad like this, and then decide you don’t really give a fuck as he starts to fill you with the heat of his come.

He stays inside of you for too long after the last throb of his cock. Rubbing his lips all over your neck and shoulders and tits, tasting you and giving you too much time to memorize the pattern and cadence of his breathing. And when he pulls out and pulls back to look at the slick, puffy sight of your cunt full of his come, he bends to lick you clean like he always does. Gives you one more orgasm, the last nail in the coffin or your heart. 

Sated and spent, you glance at the clock, and it’s officially Christmas Eve. You know he goes all out for Grogu, milk and cookies for Santa, stockings and gifts, the works. He is an exceptionally good brother, all a child could need in a father figure, and there had never really been any chance of you doing anything else besides loving him. 

When you pull the gift from your bag, heart in your throat and halfway to regret but more resolve than you’ve ever had in his presence, you tell yourself that if this brings on the end of everything, that you’ll find a way to be okay with it. If you’ve gone too far, done too much, you’ll accept it, count your losses, and what great losses they’ll surely be, but you’ll move on as best you can. 

You’d picked some pretty, baby blue paper with little red robins on it, a soft gold ribbon tied around the package. The sight of it makes you want to cry. You’d tried so hard, you really had. 

He’s quiet when you put it into his hands, staring down at it like it’ll reach out and bite his head off if he blinks even once. Swallowing several times before he says, “You didn’t have to get me anything.”

“I know. It’s– it’s for the both of you, kind of.” Him and his little brother.

“I didn’t get you anything.”

“No– that’s okay. I know. You didn’t have to.” Your voice comes out all breathless and full of nerves. You should’ve put your clothes on before you did this, made for a quicker, easier get away if necessary. 

He pulls the wrapping apart slowly, gently untying your ribbon, long fingers carefully picking at the little pieces of tape at each end so that he doesn’t tear the paper and disturb the robins. 

“Where did you get this?” He says when he’s finally unwrapped it, his voice telling you instantly that you’ve made a terrible mistake. 

“It– it was in your drawer. I–”

“You went through my stuff?” He says, eyes snapping up to yours, finally looking away from the photograph you’d copied and framed for him. A picture of him and Grogu and his parents. Grogu, a baby, Din, a boy of maybe eight, gap toothed, cheesy grin and messy curls between his smiling parents. They looked, very much, like a deliriously happy family, and you’d thought it such a shame it was stuffed in his sock drawer when you’d found it, left to be forgotten. You’d only wanted to do something nice for him. 

“N–no. I mean… not intentionally. I was looking for my extra clothes – the ones you told me to leave here – and I–” your lashes flutter, overwhelmed. He suddenly looks so angry. “I saw it in your drawer. I didn’t mean– I didn’t mean to… I’m sorry, I–” You don’t know what to say. All of your falsely held control in tatters at your feet and tears in your eyes as you take in the horrible look on his face. Shocked, angry, hurt, but his gaze leaves the photograph again, shifts back to your face at the crack in your voice. 

He presses forward, as if to reach for you, realizing you’re about to cry. “It’s fine.” I’m sorry, Din, you murmur again. “It’s just–” He shakes his head, a frustrated noise in his throat, his voice all graveled and cracked like yours. He seems so much like a boy in this moment. A child confronted by a past he was too young to lose when he did, forced into the shape of a man too soon. “You know that this–we–” He motions between the two of you.

“Yes. I do,” you cut him off quickly. Assuming what he’s going to cut down here between the two of you before he gets the words out. He doesn’t need to say it, not out loud. He doesn’t need to be that cruel. The strength it takes the both of you to bite your tongues in that moment, as you take each other in, swells to a near painful pressure, and there is something so sick here between the two of you. His eyes are glossy with emotion and everything he won’t ever let himself tell you or anyone else, and you so badly want to tell him that it’s only that it’s hard to be casual when your favorite bra lives in his dresser, and also that you’re in love with him. 

“Thank you,” he finally says quietly, and you can’t answer, looking away out at the dark night through his murky paneled window. It looks like it’s about to snow, all the ingredients for a perfect Christmas at play. The room is so warm and his bed is so comfortable, and you feel so full of fragile and soft things inside. “You’re going to see your family tomorrow?” He still has the picture frame in his hands, fingers smoothing methodically over the edges, thumb swiping gently over the happy faces inside. 

You clear your throat, “Yeah, tonight. I’m going to my parents house, spending the night there.” And it’s on the tip of your tongue to invite the both of them to come too. You know your parents would love to have them, you would love to have them there, him, but the words stick in your throat with the fear of his rejection, and the two of you fizzle awkwardly into a heavy silence. 

You look out at the window again, too much of a coward to look into those bright eyes, but you can feel his gaze on you, singing the side of your face, and suddenly you feel him scoot over towards you. Deep sigh, dragging the duvet with him, wrapped around his bare shoulders all messy hair and flushed cheeks still steaming from your sex. No one should look like he does. No one. It’s the most unfair thing that’s ever happened to you in your whole life. He grips you around the bend of your bare knee, pulls you halfway into his lap, and your eyes are still fixated out on the night, the dark much safer than anything that lives inside this room.

“You remember when we met?” He says. The tears are back. “It was tonight.” Two years ago.

You tip your chin at the window. “At the restaurant…”

“...Down on eighty seventh street. Two years ago.”

“Yes.” You finally look at him. “I remember,” you whisper. Your mouth feels so dry, your heart so flinty.  

“The place had all those string lights put up, and we sat at that table outside in the back behind that group having their Christmas work party. You remember?” Of course you do. You only can't believe he remembers. He’d been wearing an olive green half zip sweater, and he’d smelled of laundry detergent and whiskey and cinnamon gum when he’d kissed you for the first time. 

“I had the best old fashioned I’ve ever had at that place. We should go back. And it was so cold, you remember? You never stopped shivering.”

“Yes, Din. I remember.”

“That was a good night.”

“Sure it was,” and it comes out with a bite you can’t help, for so many reasons you can and cannot explain. 

He gives one of those non committal hums he loves to provoke you with, that little glint back in his eyes. “Sure it was? What?”

“Nothing.”

“Is there something you wanna talk about?” The white elephant in the room, come to ruin everything, shatter all the glass, disturb the dust in your hair and break your heart. 

He tips your head back by your chin, two fingers holding you there, never letting you go. You shake your head at him caught up in his grasp like that. “No. I don’t want to talk about anything.”

And he gives you the strangest look, and for one second you wonder suddenly if that look you’ve always taken as provoking is not so much teasing, but more pleading, more knowing. “No…” he says, chews on his thoughts, strong, scruffy jaw with the heart shaped patch moving side to side. “I know you don’t,” and leans forward to press one single soft, chaste kiss to your open mouth. “You know what you are?” He says then, and the look is now entirely unknowable, confusing. 

Your eyes flick back to the window. “What?” Back to him again, breathless. 

“You’re my girl.” And out of the corner of your eye, you can see that there, finally, is the Christmas snow.

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Genshin Volleyball Dream Team [Volleyball Team AU - Inspired by Haikyuu!] Introduction Headcanons

Notes: Guess who started watching Haikyuu! FML As if I didn’t have enough things to do I decided to fall in love with like 5 different volleyball teams with an average of 10 players. 

I couldn’t get it out of my head. I’m sorry.

Scenario: What if the Genshin boys were a volleyball team?

In the next part: How would it be working as their manager? What if someone hits on you? What if some girl fans bully you? Also, how would it be to date a Genshin volleyball superstar?

Other works in the Volleyball Team AU Series: Click Here

If you’re not familiar with volleyball (or Haikyuu) here’s a link explaining what each position in the team does.

Team Genshin

Team Colours: Blue

What the team banner reads: Spike them out of this world!

#1 Zhongli (Captain/Wing Spiker/Ace)

The rock and pillar of the team

Has a strict looking face but amicable most times. Except for when you’re late for training then run. Just run.

Anyone who skips training will feel his wrath in the form of extra 10 laps around the gym

If you joined the volleyball team, to him, you’ve basically signed a contract to COMMIT to the volleyball team. No questions asked. Sissies aren’t allowed here.

If anyone in the team is misbehaving e.g. teasing another team he’s the one who pushes your head down and apologizes for you. “Apologies about this one, he gets way too excited,”

Doesn’t let failure stop him. Tries to keep it together for the team.

Obviously has a lot of fans but they’re too intimidated to approach him.

#2 Diluc (Vice Captain/Wing Spiker/Defense Specialist)

strong but silent type

serious about the game

doesn’t talk much but his volleyball game is STRONG

because he doesn’t look like much, opponents are SHOOK when he spikes with a big loud SMACK

Doesn’t brag a lot. His victory cheer is just a simple fist pump.

Will call the shots and sets if needed

Socially kinda awkward

Also has a lot of fans, everyone in the team has a lot of fans but he gets the most love letters in the locker type of thing.

Nicknamed Silent Burn cause of his intense stare and passion while playing.

#3 Kaeya (Middle Blocker)

Diluc’s totally opposite brother

Not as serious as Diluc in the game but has a particular talent for it

loves to tease and talk crap about other teams (Zhongli reels him in almost every time)

Don’t let him fool you though, his block game is an iron wall and there’s no getting past him unless you’re quicker.

Possibly the one that skips training the most

Nicknamed Ice Wall cause you think you got the ball past him, you see the cracks, but he pushes back two times stronger

Got the type of fans that are SQUEALING his name and he fuels them by waving back at them.

#4 Albedo (Setter)

Genius. A formidable addition to the team.

Has precise calculations of where he should direct the ball and to whom.

Silent type, a bit like Diluc, but talks more because he likes discussing with others what was wrong with his set and how he can improve it.

Experiments with the other members on different types of sets and attacks.

What he lacks in height he makes up for with intelligence.

Doesn’t have a lot of fans because he looks arrogant but the ones he have are pleasant ones that just lurk around the gym and doesn’t say much. Maybe snapping a picture of him but okay I would too.

#5 Tartaglia (Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

Probably the one that’s most energetic and shouts whenever they get a point.

You have to wonder where the hell his energy and drive is coming from.

The one that shouts praises to his team “Nice one!” “Gotcha!” “Take that!” and also the one that provokes the opponents a lot. “Come get it!” “Come on, you can do better than that!” Zhongli is always hovering around him cause someone has to CALM this man-childe down.

Obnoxiously confident.

Is tall so makes a good middle blocker but he’s fast as well.

Loves competing. Like, he LIVES for the competition.

Fans are basically the same as Kaeya’s, loudly cheering for him.

#6 Kazuha (Decoy/Middle Blocker/Wing Spiker)

The first thing that everyone notices about him is that he’s SHORT. How did he make the volleyball team?

Bitch he can FLY. His jumps rivals that of a middle blocker’s height.

Surprise attacks are his thing cause the opponents don’t see or think he’s coming at all.

Possibly the quickest in the team, him and Xiao. The wind is on their side.

Looks calm and collected all the time but inside he’s yearning for the game. Giving up is not in his dictionary.

Has fans that will give him chocolates but he’s the type to only say thank you and bow politely and nothing else. Maybe a small smile.

#7 Xiao (Libero)

Also short, but his reflexes are top-notch, making him a powerful libero.

When you think all is lost and the ball is about to hit the ground Xiao’s there to catch it. 90% of the time. He’s still training the 10%.

Looks up to the captain A LOT. Like he’s Xiao’s role model and possibly the reason that he tries and trains so hard.

Takes it hard when he can’t catch a ball and has a high sense of responsibility. Even if the team keeps on saying it’s not his fault.

Stoic face but the exhilaration he feels during a game sends him off to a high.

Possibly has the most fans out of everyone because all them high school girls love the bad boy look and attitude. Possibly also has those fans that chase him around and when he says “Don’t get in the way,” the fans legit squeal and love him more.

Does not understand why he has a lot of fans. He just loves the game.

#8 Tohma (Pinch Server/Middle Blocker)

Sweet, sweet boy. Boy-next-door type of vibes.

Can talk to anyone. Doesn’t matter if you’re a rival or an opponent he somehow manages to talk everyone up and make friends everywhere he goes.

Because of that his fans also love talking to him and he doesn’t know how to turn them down.

Joined the volleyball team late so he hasn’t had as much practice as the others but works hard on it.

Motivates the team. Good at boosting team morale even though the score is really crap. 

Will keep cheering until his voice is hoarse

Overall 10/10 perfect nice guy

Not tagging anyone cause this may not be your thing. But I’m planning to make a series of headcanons that revolve around this AU :D

Please do consider supporting me at my ko-fi! I’ve fixed the payment link so I think you can love me more now <3 (haha jk, it’s optional, but it would greatly help and make me happy!)

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[xpeachesncream]

lowkey (jjk) | 02.

⦿ boo’d up in the daytime

⦿ mackin’ & hangin’ in the nighttime

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summary: in order to pass organic chemistry and pay off your car damages from an accident, all you have to do is help the nerd, jeon jungkook, with a few things: pretend to be his girlfriend and teach him the ways of dating.

pairing: popular!reader x nerd!jjk

genre: college au, fake dating au, friends (with benefits?) to lovers au | fluff, angst, smut

words: 3.2k

warnings: cussing, implied sexual content/mature language, kissy-kissy koo, mentions of a boner, mention of sex and cum, seokjin’s still toxic

note: posting this chapter a little early since it’s butter weekend, plus the last part of liquid courage should be up sat/sun. still sticking to my schedule in my faq though, srry loves! i’ll do my best to update as soon as i can. 💗

tags: @taegularities​ @jimidol​ @miinoongi​ @bluesharksandfish​ @ggukkieland​ @unicornbabylover​ @thebeebi​ @preciouschimine​ @ladyartemesia​ @moonchild1​ @jikookiekosmos​ @marcoazz2​ @kootaes​ @wearenot7withu​ @codeinebelle​ @bigbootyjoonie​ @thisartemisnevermisses​ @maichiverse​ @ppeachyttae​ @fairysunooo​ @secretlycrazyhummingbird​ @yukiehyukie​

"I heard you were in an accident last night, babe. Are you okay? I'm so sorry I got mad at you yesterday." Seokjin comes towards you, cupping your face to look at every inch, every detail. You move away from his hold, backing up to give yourself some space.

"Seokjin, I told you to stop calling me that. Jesus. I'm fine. Don't need you to check up on me."

"Are you really gonna keep that up? I said I was sorry."

"Okay, and? I heard you."

"Really, that's it? Y/N, why are you being like this? What's the real reason?" He follows after you as you make your way to the library. To say Seokjin was persistent is an understatement— he was persistent for the wrong reasons. Like, keeping you close so he had you to fall on when things went wrong with another chick, his safety net.

"Because this is done, I don't know how many times I have to tell you. I'm tired of you doing this so, please. Just go." You slightly turn towards him as you climb up the stairs.

"I wanna work this out with you. Don't push me away. Let me help." You don't respond. He watches as you adjust your bag strap and wave at Jungkook. Seokjin chuckles and grabs your wrist gently, making Jungkook suddenly hop on defense as he balls his fists. Like he could do shit. Seokjin would probably wreck his ass with those broad shoulders.

Still. He hated how much of an asshole he was to you.

"Wait, what the fuck?" Seokjin laughs his rare, deep laugh that he uses when he's caught off guard. "You're hanging out with nerds, now?"

"And if I was, that would be none of your business." You snatch your arm away while glaring at him. You shake your head and continue walking towards Jungkook, relieved Seokjin finally left you alone today. Probably off to tell Namjoon, Yoongi and his friends how much of a bitch you've been and that you actually left him to hang out with a nerd.

Sunmi knows you're being tutored. However if that wasn't the case, she would question you, but she never take their side on shit. She remained loyal to you, and always supported you through whatever. That's why she's remained your bestfriend until this day. The senior chicks Seokjin and them hung around with though? Questionable. As long as Sunmi was by your side and you by hers, you both didn't care much for getting close to them.

"Hey, sorry you had to see that." You say as you sigh and set your bag down alongside of you on the long table.

"It's alright." Jungkook replies softly. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Thanks." You give him a tiny, tightlipped smile. "So, should we get right into tutoring, or should we talk about the details of our deal? I have all afternoon." Luckily, it was quite loud in the loud section of the library. No one cared much to listen in to your secret deal with Jungkook, nor did anyone care because it was Jungkook.

"I do too. I guess, whatever works for you?"

"Let's get this tutoring over with first then iron out the rest." He nods.

"Sure." He pulls out his notebook. "Tell me, what are you struggling with?"

"Everything." He does a small head tilt.

"I doubt that. I'm sure you understand some things."

"No, you don't understand Jungkook. I'm legit drowning. I don't know what I'm doing wrong or where I'm lacking." Jungkook simply looks at you, lips pressed together before he nods. You're not lacking anywhere, he thinks. You're really not. The subject is just shitty and the spawn of the devil.

"That's okay. Well, can I go over some basics? Throw in some tips?"

"Yes, please. Lead the way. I need you." You chuckled, but it makes the heat rush to his cheeks. He hopes you don't catch the rosy tint creeping up on them, so he instantly grabs at the whiteboard near your table and starts to go over the very beginning, the very basics of this semester's OChem class. Maybe a bit from last semester, but last semester wasn't entirely that bad compared to this one.

He didn't expect you to be all that engaged for some reason, but he should have known you'd ask questions left and right, taking the black whiteboard marker from his hand to practice what you've learned with him watching and guiding you from your side. You were always focused, always so determined. You were incredibly smart. Incredibly beautiful.

Honestly, Jungkook go on for days.

The both of you hadn't realized it was nearing close to 5PM and neither of you had really eaten much since lunch. You sit, feeling pretty good about your first session with Jungkook. You feel a little bad having kept him for so long over OChem, realizing you still had things to iron out with him.

[sunmi] 4:34pm: hey babe, not gonna be leaving for a bit. i forgot i had to work on this psych project with jennie. you okay with leaving around 6/7?

"Crap."

"What's the matter?" Jungkook glances at you as you continue to stare at your phone and scroll away.

"Sunmi isn't leaving until later. I'll probably be stuck here for a little longer after you leave." You put your phone down, now resting your chin against your palm, nails slightly digging into your cheek.

"I-I can give you a ride, if you'd like? Plus, we still need to talk.. about stuff." He shyly says.

"Jungkook, that's too much to ask for."

"It's really not a big deal. How far do you live from campus?"

"Maybe a 10 minute drive, the next exit off the freeway." He shrugs.

"I'm going in that direction too."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive. We can just talk on the way home."

"Would you be willing to stop by for dinner? We can talk then. Maybe it can be considered our 'first date.'" You joke with a small giggle.

"Oh, sure. Yeah." He gives off a tiny, nervous laugh. "Where did you have in mind?"

"Can we get.. hm—" You hum. "Fire Wings? Down the street?" He almost feels intoxicated watching how your eyes gleam under the light, how they brighten and widen when you mention food. You were cute, and you didn't even know it.

"Only if you tell me what flavors you get." He tries to get smart, which makes you laugh. He made you laugh.

"Is this judgment day? Gonna see if you should call quits on our deal before it even starts?"

"Maybe." He goes along with it.

"Okay. Garlic Parmesan and Dragon." You pack up your things before shooting him a look.

"Okay, solid flavors." He nods. "I guess we can continue on."

"You're funny." You giggle as you both throw your bags onto your backs. You stay in your position until Jungkook comes to your side so you can walk by him. You don't know much about him, but he has a soft demeanor and he makes you feel comfortable. You had only seen him a couple of times across campus, not really noticing him much in class either. You feel a little bad knowing you didn't even try being that he sat behind you, but better late than never I guess? Maybe there was a reason for all of this happening. The way he tutored you today was insane, too— he was super smart, but broke it down perfectly, was patient. He was patient.

No wonder Dr. K loved his ass.

"What about you?" You picked up the conversation.

"I usually go for a dry rub and Garlic Parmesan."

"I haven't tried any dry rubs."

"You can try one of mine later."

"Okay." You suddenly remember to shoot Sunmi a text before she comes looking for you everywhere on campus. Jungkook stays silent beside you, allowing you to do your thing without being too overbearing or nosy.

But, he honestly can't help but glance a few times.

[y/n] 5:11pm: sorry just saw this, hitching a ride with my tutor. don't worry about me! ty ily, have fun working on your project.

[sunmi] 5:13pm: tutor, as in jeon jungkook?

[y/n] 5:15pm: yeah, he offered.

[sunmi] 5:16pm: okay, that was nice of him. if he tries anything tho i'll beat his ass. text me when u get home?

[y/n] 5:17pm: don't worry about him, he won't lol i will.

[sunmi] 5:18pm: kk love u b

"Sorry." You say, tucking your phone into your pocket. "Had to text Sunmi."

"That's okay. You two are really close, right?"

"Yeah, since high school."

"Cool." At this point, Jimin, Taehyung and Hoseok are coming out of the café at the same you two are passing.

"What about you, where are your friends?"

"Um." He sighs, trying to avoid his friends obnoxiously waving and calling him from the distance. You glance over from behind his figure, chuckling a little bit. "That's them."

"Cute. You all are really close, too?"

"Ya, I've known Jimin the longest though." You smile and wave at them, causing them to gasp and whisper amongst each other with huge smiles on their faces.

"I'll need to meet them if we're gonna do this thing for real. Do they know?"

"Yeah kinda."

"That's okay. We should probably work on keeping it between us though." He nods.

"Okay, but. Can we save meeting them for later? They're a bit.. much." You smile.

"Sure."

"D-do I have to meet Sunmi?" You nod.

"If you wanna make this believable, yeah."

"She's kinda scary."

"Jungkook, she's not gonna bite your head off. She just has that look, but I promise she's sweet." That look, that resting bitch face. Really, you could be biased because it's Sunmi. She really only had issues if she felt disrespected. Other than that, she meant well. Same with you— you've been accused of being intimidating and having the same look but you don't mean any harm by it.

"Okay." Jungkook unlocks his black 2016 Honda Civic and pops his bag in the trunk. You do the same, while Jungkook goes to open the passenger door for you.

"Thanks." You smile sweetly at him. He climbs into his seat, hitting the button to start the car and sighs. The music in the background starts to play, and it sounds mellow, soothing— like it came straight out of a fairytale. His eyes widen as he rushes to lower the volume before shyly looking at you.

"Sorry."

"What, no. Don't be. What is this?"

"A Final Fantasy lofi mix." He begins to drive off as you turn the volume back up.

"It's nice. Pretty relaxing."

"Ya, it's nice to listen to after a long day." He pushes his glasses up at the light.

"Do you have family here?" He nods.

"I do. My mom and dad live about an hour away. I'm the only child. What about you?"

"Same. They're probably 30 minutes up north."

"Do you live alone?"

"Yeah, I live in a studio. It's actually my coworker's. She bought the space to rent it out. She lets me rent it for pretty cheap though."

"That's nice."

"You?"

"I live with Jimin. Our parents are close."

"What about your other friends?"

"Hoseok is dorming, and Taehyung would rather live back home with his family and commute. He's close to them. He'll crash at ours or Hoseok's from time to time."

"Are you close to your family?" He nods as he turns into the plaza lot.

"I suppose, yes. I'm just really quiet overall, so they think it's hard to read me sometimes." He parks and you watch as he shuts the car off with the same button. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm really close to my mom. Dad, a little questionable."

"Why, if I may ask?" He comes to open your door again, causing you to give him a small smile.

"He, um. Just got into some stuff." He watches as your body tenses while you fiddle with your fingers waiting in line.

"It's okay, don't think about it. I won't ask again."

"It's okay, Jungkook. Really. Maybe another time?" You look up at him and he nods. He stands way taller than you, almost at Seokjin's height, if not the same. He likes to wear baggy, dark clothing and doesn't do much to fix or style his hair.

He's simple, but in a good way.

You both order your food with Jungkook going first so he can grab a table afterwards. Before he could pay though, you offer to cover him for dinner as your way of thanking him for driving you home. You make your way over to the table he snags, Jungkook silently sitting at the high table with his legs pressed together and his hands clasped tightly on his lap.

"You okay?"

"Ya, why?"

"You look tense."

"Sorry. It's not everyday I have dinner with Y/N." You smile.

"Stop, relax." You watch as he slightly eases up. "So, this deal." He nods. "A month?"

"Yeah, I suppose."

"We have to convince people it's real or else people will know something weird is going on." You look at his hand, now resting on the table. "You're gonna have to hold my hand and kiss me, you know?" He swallows the lump in his throat. Shit, he thinks. Don't know if I can actually pull this off?

A kiss?! Fuck.

"Y-yeah."

"When was your last relationship, Jungkook?"

"8th grade." Your eyes widen.

"O-oh, now I see."

"What's that supposed to mean? It's terrible, I know but I—"

"No, no, no. You're good. It's totally okay, it doesn't matter. I'll just have to teach you to make it look realistic and not.. awkward." You perk up again. "Not saying that you are though, okay."

"I know."

"So, are you.."

"Am I..?" He cocks hid head to the side in confusion.

"Like.."

"Just ask Y/N."

"Are you a virgin?"

"I don't know." You furrow your brows.

"Huh?"

"Look, this is gonna sound really embarrassing and I don't know if I'm even ready to tell my fake girlfriend about it."

"Just say it. We have to know things about each other." He sighs.

"I— ugh." He groans. "I did it with my girlfriend at the time. Or I guess my ex because we had broken up and this was sometime during freshmen year in high school and she came onto me out of nowhere at a mutual friend's pool party. But it was weird because we were just hormonal kids and I was just curious so I slipped myself into her only to slip back out right after because—" He's rambling, but you're doing your best to keep up.

"Because?"

"I-I, ugh. Y/N." He shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose. "Are you really gonna make me say it?"

"Jungkook." You lean a bit to try and catch eye contact.

"I came right away." He says just as the worker puts down your food and takes the number from your table.

"Ohhhhhhh." You say as you nod slowly. "Okay."

"You can just run now." His head hangs low as he slowly slides his chicken over in front of him, causing you to chuckle.

"I'm not going anywhere. It's okay. Stop that."

"It's pathetic."

"No. Besides, I know you'll get better overall, and you'll find someone who will rock with you till the end. We'll work on this."

"Thanks." He says, feeling comfortable around you. You were quick to reassure him and smile at him, he felt himself melting in his seat. Yeah, you were too good for Seokjin.

"You'll have to come to parties with me. Club events. Events in general. It won't look right if I'm always going without you."

"Okay. Can I bring my friends?"

"Sure." He nods. "What do you do in your free time?"

"Play video games and listen to music. Read comics, manga. Build lego sets with the guys."

"Cute." You smile.

"You?"

"Hang out with Sunmi, or just watch movies on my own at my place. Read. Eat by myself. Explore by myself. I value my alone time."

"It's nice." Jungkook's familiar with it. Even if he had his friends around, he truly liked being in his own peace when allowed. "What about outside of the public eye?"

"Hm?" You hum.

"Do we hang out?"

"Yeah we can." You nod.

"Cool." He smiles.

"Is my car gonna be a lot of work for you?"

"Don't worry about it, it'll be good soon. Just might take a bit cause I need some parts to make it look brand new again."

"I really can't thank you enough." He shrugs.

"Only trying to help my girlfriend out." He boldly says, causing you to laugh.

"Confidence is peeking through already, are you sure you need me?" You joke. The rest of the evening, you continue to talk to Jungkook about pretty surface level shit— what you like, dislike, overall experience in high school and college so far. It was a nice, harmless conversation, one where you were starting to see how warmhearted Jungkook really was. How real and laid back.

None of the shit in Seokjin's group. It was refreshing, a breath of fresh air.

Once dinner had finally finished, Jungkook was on his way to drop you off. He had parked in an empty guest spot, offering to walk you up just to be sure. At the door, he took a peek at how clean your studio was, mainly soft colors of white and cream taking over, with plants scattered around your living room area. The hallway in was sandwiched between your kitchen area and another wall, Jungkook assuming your bed was on the opposite side of it. He awkwardly stands at the door, afraid of overstepping.

"Well, goodnight Y/N. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Hey, wait." You smile and come close to him. He swallows, his mouth suddenly feeling dry when he feels your breasts press against his chest. "First lesson— give me a kiss."

"Right now?"

"Jeon Jungkook, we're doing this tomorrow. People are gonna have to see this at least once while we're together." He nods and presses a quick kiss against your cheek. "Not bad, but a little longer?" He complies and presses another kiss, leaving his pillowy lips against your cheek for a little longer before pulling away. "Perfect. Now here." You point at your lips before crossing your arms.

"Y/N, I—"

"Don't be afraid, just do it. I won't kick you in the balls or anything."

"It's not that. I just don't think I'm a great at this stuff."

"Okay." You tippytoe and gently grab his jaw while you lean towards his face. "Just relax, okay? Don't think too much of it." He stays silent, doe eyes constantly on you as you continue to inch forward.

Sparks. Just sparks everywhere for Jungkook.

He feels your soft lips against his and he relaxes, moreso because he feels like he's lost all senses being this close to you. Taking in your scent. Kissing you.

"There." He stands still, still trying to process the kiss. "Not bad. We'll get better over time, but at least that looks believable. Just—" You put his hands down as they were about to fall onto your hips during the kiss, but they fell short. "Let it happen and hold me, okay?" You smile. "Night Jungkook."

"N-night." He stutters as he watches you close the door. "Fuck." He whispers to himself when he realizes he's now sporting a boner. "Jungkook, what the fuck is this?!" He continues to whisper to himself as he waddles down your hallway.

[shina913]

Scions, Ch.3 - Taehyung | Kim Line + JHS

Scions, 3 - Taehyung

sci·​on | \ ˈsī-ən \ Definition: (1) a descendant (2) a shoot or twig, especially one cut for grafting or planting

✼Scions Masterlist✼

Pairing: Taehyung x Fem!OC; Fem!Reader Sister + Taehyung

Rating: M (🔞)

Genre: Siblings!AU; Marriage!AU; FWB!AU; exes to ?; angst; smut; fluff

Warnings: Career insecurity; friends with benefits; vaginal sex; hints of oral sex (f-receiving); breast play; protected sex; excessive cussing; Taehyung with kids (not a legit warning but it's just super fluffy); some vulnerable confessions; pining; ghosting; alcohol consumption; a wild Jungkook appears!

Word count: 6,717K

Summary: Four grown siblings return to their childhood hometown after their father is declared to be terminal. They are forced to live under the same roof for days, along with their overbearing mother, to say their final goodbyes. It starts off nostalgic until some unresolved family issues along with an assortment of spouses, exes, and might-have-beens make things even more interesting.

A/N: This chapter was written as part of @btswritingcafe's Specialty Coffee Anniversary Event. There were three categories that featured various B-side tracks whose lyrics were meant to be the basis for the fic. For this particular chapter, I have chosen "Whalien 52": An endless signal will reach someday.

“Taehyung-ah.”

He looks up from his bowl of cereal to find his dad walking through the kitchen. Taehyung had spent the holiday weekend at his parents’ house.

“Hey, dad. Morning,” he gives him a boxy smile.

“I see you didn’t head over to the restaurant with your Jin-hyung today.”

He inhaled through his teeth. “Yeah…I just didn’t want to get in the way, you know. He seems to have everything figured out already. I would just be messing up the flow of things.”

His dad chuckled at him. “You spent a day with him–that’s hardly any time to learn about the business.”

Taehyung shrugs. “I brought up a couple of ideas to him–”

His dad’s eyebrows lift, intrigued by the sound of his youngest having ‘ideas.’ “Oh?”

“Yeah. I just noticed that the dine-in dispatch process gets mixed up with online orders. I pointed it out to him but he told me that it’s worked fine for them for the last couple years. I just said that maybe it would go smoother if they had a designated corner by the entrance for pickups, you know? Then the host wouldn’t have to go back and check on the status. It would make things more efficient.” He finishes off by spooning more cereal into his mouth.

His dad grins at him. “I think that’s a great idea,” he says to him, after pouring himself a cup of coffee.

“Eh,” his mouth twisted. “I guess if Jin-hyung has made it work this whole time, who am I to disrupt his whole system? He’s been doing this for years.”

“That doesn’t mean there can’t be room for improvement?”

“I don’t know. Jin-hyung said that nobody’s made any complaints about it so…maybe I was just talking out of my ass,” he says as he pushes the mushy pieces of cereal around his bowl.

His dad chuckled after taking a sip of coffee. “Well, your hyung goes with what works. He takes more of a ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’ approach to things. I don’t think he meant it to be dismissive.”

Taehyung nods his head. “I know that,” he says with a deep sigh.

His dad straightened his back and tilted his head at him. “Are you alright, adeul?”

He laughed. “I’m fine,” he said as the word ‘fine’ went up an octave.

Now it was his turn to laugh. “You know you’ve got that same look on your face when we went to that waterpark–and you didn’t meet the height requirement so you had to sit on the sidelines watching your siblings go on the big slides all afternoon?”

Taehyung hummed. “It wasn’t too bad because you stayed and played with me at the kiddie pool. And then noona came back to hang out with me.”

“Still–I knew how disappointed you felt, wishing that you were just an inch taller so you could go with them.”

When he was silent, his dad prods again. “Tell me what’s really going on, Taehyungie,” he says softly.

Taehyung threw his head back then blew out a puff of air up to the ceiling. “I’m feeling…a little stuck, I guess. Like,” he paused to clear his throat, “You know how the restaurant is Jin-hyung’s thing, Namjoon-hyung’s has his music. And then noona has her own business online. Me?” He chuckled bitterly. “I’m having trouble figuring out what I’m good at. Or…maybe I’m not good at anything,” he says sardonically.

“Is this because of the whole ‘job hunting’ thing? Because it’s taking longer than usual?” He asks while he sits on the stool next to Taehyung.

“I mean, I have jobs. I get gigs all the time–some art commissions here and there. Sometimes I’ll work catering events. It’s pretty good money and I work flexible hours.” He explains.

“Oh, trust me. I’ve heard about all of your career pursuits. Namjoon has filled me in,” he laughed softly. “Have you asked him if he knows anybody who can, I don’t know…give you an apprenticeship or–”

“Dad, I make rent every month. I’m not starving. I can even afford to get the occasional beer with my friend, Jungkook. I’m not struggling,” he argues.

“Well, I guess it helps that you’re home almost every other weekend. And your noona cooks for you when you watch her kids. I’m only suggesting that–maybe Namjoon knows people, or he can talk to Victoria to get you connected with her people?” His dad offers. “I’m only throwing things out there since…it seems like the restaurant is out of the question.”

Taehyung pursed his lips, his eyes downcast. “Yeah, I’ll consider it,” he says to placate his dad.

His dad softened his expression. “You’re a smart man–-and very resourceful. It will come to you when the time is right…kind of like an endless signal that will reach you someday. You’ll feel it…then you’ll know,” he says, patting his shoulder for assurance.

Taehyung gives him a crooked smile. “Are you sure that’s not Irish coffee you’re drinking, dad?”

They both break into laughter. His dad ruffles his hair up, just like he used to when Taehyung was a little boy.

“Ah! Not the hair, dad!”

“Serves you right,“ he says with a chuckle, starting to walk away with his mug. “Also–I put a little ‘lunch money’ in your backpack.”

Taehyung rolls his eyes. “Dad, you have to stop doing that.”

“Oh yeah? Make me!” He yells out from the side-door that led to the garage to work on his car.

******

“Hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” She greets him as they both exit their respective apartments at the same time.

“Early start today?” Taehyung asks.

“Yeah. Piles of paperwork after a long weekend. You know how it is,” she says.

He hummed. “Did you have a good weekend?”

“I did, thank you,” she smiled. “You?”

“Mm-hm,” he responded. “What did you end up doing?”

Her lips curved into a playful smile. “Wouldn’t you like to know?” She says teasingly.

“Just curious, that’s all.” He says as they near the elevator.

She scoffed. “Curiosity killed the cat.”

Taehyung furrows his brows slightly but hides his disappointment. “Alright, alright,” he relents. “I know…no personal stuff.”

“See? There we go,” she says to him as they step into the elevator silently.

He slowly sidled up to her. She held back a smile once she felt his breath behind her ear. “So…am I going to see you tonight, Eunhae?”

She all but moans her response. “Same time, Taehyung.”

The elevator dings to their building’s lobby. Taehyung walks two steps behind her but moves up slightly to hold the door open for her. She mouths her thanks as they go their separate ways.

Taehyung walks to his car, eager to get started at work. The quickest he can finish out the day, the faster he can get home to straighten up before Eunhae comes over.

And she does come over later that night…only because she was the closest person that he could call to pick him up from the hospital, after he gets into an accident on his bike while working his regular route.

******

Two and a half weeks later…

The doors open and YN walks out of the elevators and onto her brother’s floor. Just then, a woman is rounding the corner yelling out to hold the doors. YN does and the woman smiles and mouths her thanks before pushing the button for the elevators to descend.

She knocks at her brother’s door and is greeted by his slightly disheveled self.

“Wow. You look like hell.”

“Geez, thanks, noona,” he grumbled. “It’s hard enough to do things one-handed.”

“Well, it’s good you have helpful neighbors to look in on you,” she said as she set down some groceries on his kitchen counter.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t get to you, Tae. I was at a retreat and by the time I got home, my sitter couldn’t stay any longer. And then it was just one thing after another—“

“It’s okay, noona,” he smiled. “I’m alive, see?” He holds up his casted arm.

“I know that Namjoonie-hyung was out of town,” he says quietly.

“Uhm…yeah, he still is. He’s really hunkered down to get this new album mastered,” she said. “I heard mom came through though?”

Taehyung nods while he settles by his small dining table across the kitchen while she bustles around the kitchen, pulling out utensils and pans from his cupboards, which she stocked herself.

“Did she point out that you need a new decorator or something?”

He laughed. “In so many words. She means well, though. I think she might just be bored at home.”

YN shrugged. “I don’t know. By the sound of it, she seems to love it. She’s trying to plan another trip for her and dad soon.”

“That’s nice,” Taehyung answers. “Hope it’s somewhere warm because dad’s looking a little pale these days.”

YN agrees then suddenly, in the midst of unpacking groceries, something bright on the floor catches her eye. After a few seconds of deciphering what it was, she grabs a paper towel and bends down to pick it up. 

“Wow, Taehyung-ah…I didn’t realize that hot pink was your color,” she said as she cringed while holding the thong up for him to see.

Taehyung grimaces. “Oh shit—noona…” He abruptly gets up from his seat and quickly yanks it from her hand.

“S-sorry,” he says embarrassingly.

“Hey, no need to explain. You’re an adult…and single. You’re entitled to whatever romantic and physical pursuit of your choice.”

He scrunched his face. “Well…we’re not exactly dating so, it’s ’physical’ minus the ‘romantic’ part.”

She blew out an exasperated breath. “Oh, Tae…” He couldn’t bear the look of disappointment that she gave him.

“A fuck-buddy? Seriously?”

“Fuck-buddy is such a harsh term, noona. We are actually friends—“

She groans. “Good god, that’s even worse, Taehyung-ah!”

“We’re just having fun, noona. It’s not a big deal.”

“Are you being safe, though? You know…since this is all casual and shit?”

“Yes, noona,” he assured his sister. “We’re fine–we have an understanding. Plus, who needs labels anyway?”

His sister chuckled. “You know who says that? People who actually need labels.”

Taehyung laughed. “Noona, you don’t know Eunhae and I. We just work, you know? We just like to keep things open and…” he sighed. “Feelings just ruin things.”

Now it was her turn to laugh. “Oh, Taehyungie–I have never heard of a friends-with-benefits arrangement that has not ended up with one or both people catching feelings.”

“From the outset, we’ve established that neither of us were really ready for anything long-term, noona. Not with me being in-between jobs and her with her…life,” he mutters. 

She scoffed. “Taehyung…it’s dating, not marriage.”

“Still, though. We’re just having fun,” he shrugs.

“Well, in the future…when you decide to ‘have fun’ again, would you mind at least cleaning up–” she motions to the piece of underwear still in his hand, “You know, before I get here?”

He gives her a boxy smile. “Sorry, noona. I promise next time.”

While she started to unload the groceries, she switched topics. “So, what’s going on with the job hunt?”

He lifted a shoulder, noncommittal. “It’s alright. I’m keeping my options open for now.”

“Hm. I see a recurring theme here,” she mumbles while she starts chopping vegetables.

“I just feel like I have way too many things that I’m into. I’m still trying to figure out what I am most passionate about. Besides, the point is, I’m able to make rent, pay my bills with all of my gigs. It’s working out pretty well, for the time-being.”

“Right, but–don’t you want anything stable eventually?” 

“At some point, yeah,” he says, recalling his conversation with their dad.

She sighed heavily. “Okay and how long has it been since you moved out here? This whole bike-messenger thing–it looks like it’s starting to become a hazard for you,” she says as she eyed his injured forearm.

“This is nothing, noona. And honestly, the bike messenger gig allows me to socialize and get to know people in big companies. I think of it as networking,” he smiles proudly.

“Mm-hm, if you say so,” she says apprehensively. “You know there’s nothing wrong about asking your siblings for a little help. Shit, you do it to me all the time,” she teases.

She looks up from the cutting board and sees him frowning slightly. “Oh, god, Taehyungie–I’m only teasing, you know that. You know that I’ll always support you. You’re my baby brother.”

“I know, noona. That’s why I rarely talk to Jin-hyung or Namjoonie-hyung these days. I just don’t want them to be disappointed in me,” he says, hanging his head.

“Tae, we’re all just looking out for you. They just have a slightly different approach than I do,” she says in consolation.

He nods silently. “Thanks, noona.”

She hums.

After a beat of silence, she pauses her chopping once more. “So, are you still good for Saturday? I mean–given your situation, I’m totally fine canceling–”

“Don’t be ridiculous, noona. Of course I’ll watch the kids! Doctor says I’ll get the cast taken out in a couple days so I should be good to drive,” he smiles. “Besides, you need a break every now and then.”

She sighed. “Thanks, Taehyungie.”

******

“Hey, do you want to hang out this weekend?”

Taehyung was too busy looking at her ass while she bent over to pick up her shirt.

“Hellooo?” She waved her hands around to call his attention.

His eyelids lazily look up to meet hers. “What was that? Did you say something?” He smiled.

She giggled, crawling up to him on the mattress. “I said,” her lips were barely touching his, “Do you want to hang out this weekend?” She repeats slowly, then darting her tongue out to lick his lower lip.

When he tries to kiss her, she pulls away quickly–like the brat she is, all while snickering.

A low growl escapes his chest. She kindly offered to drive him to the doctor’s office to get his cast taken off. But when they got back to his place, one thing led to another–next thing they knew, she was bouncing up and down his dick–but not before he made her cum hard while sitting on his face.

He still had a bit of muscle weakness on his injured arm but Eunhae was happy to put in some extra effort.

“Would it be incredibly greedy of me to ask you for one more round? Please,” Taehyung purrs.

“I don’t know…you kind of made me work for it a little bit back there,” she chuckles.

He groaned. “Sorry, I couldn’t help it…I couldn’t put too much pressure on it yet,” he says. “Plus, you could have said ‘no’,” he says, cocking his eyebrow at her.

She rolled her eyes exaggeratingly then tilted her head to the side. “Somehow, you make it difficult to do that.” Nobody ate her out as good as Taehyung did–he drove a hard bargain.

“So–this weekend?” she asked again.

As Taehyung was about to speak, he squeezed his eyes shut, suddenly remembering something. “Ah, shit. I can’t–I told my sister I’d watch my niece and nephew for a few hours,” he says. “I can’t cancel on her.”

“Oh,” she says, slightly crestfallen. “Are you sure you’ll be fine watching them alone? You know, so soon after getting your cast off?”

She wasn’t sure why she asked him that. Plans have fallen through before and there were times when they couldn’t sync up their schedules. They just dropped the subject and moved on.

He waved her off. “I should be fine in a couple days. I just need to do those strengthening exercises that the doctor mentioned and I’ll be fine. I’ll be ready to horse around with them,” he smiled.

“I could help, if you want?”

His eyebrows lifted at the sound of her offer. Truthfully, she was shocked as well but she was trying to be nice.

“I like kids,” She grinned.

Taehyung let out a laugh which made her frown at him. “What’s so funny about that?”

“I just,” he shrugged, “Didn’t figure you to be fond of kids.”

She scoffed at him. “I’ll have you know that I was a nanny in my first year in the city.”

“Wha…really?” He said in astonishment.

“Uh-huh,” she says smugly, crossing her arms over her chest.

He hummed at that.

She hummed back, mocking his tone. “That’s all you’re going to say?”

“I don’t know what else to say, Eunhae,” he laughs softly. “But…I’ll admit, I might need some help. I was thinking about calling Jungkook to back me up. Maybe…I can ask noona if I can bring you over instead?”

Her eyes widened. “Oh–I’m meeting your sister?”

Taehyung caught his lips between his teeth. “Not like that–I mean, I figured she’d like to know who else was going to be around her kids. She knows Jungkook.”

She swallowed hard. “Oh…right. Y-yeah,” she says hesitantly.

“I’d introduce you as my friend, of course. But if you’re uncomfortable, just let me know and I can call Jungkook–”

“You know what? I’m just overthinking shit–which I shouldn’t be,” she smiled. “Yeah, I still want to help you. I think it would be cool to meet your niece and nephew…and your sister.”

Taehyung wasn’t exactly sure why, but suddenly, he looked forward to Eunhae meeting YN.

While he pulls up his sister’s contact information from his phone, Eunhae continues to get dressed.

“Hey–where are you going?” His brows furrowed. “You’re not staying over?”

“Taehyungie, I have a big day at work tomorrow and I need to get up early,” she says as she shimmies into her jeans then zips them up. “Besides, even though morning sex with you is incredibly tempting, I can’t afford to be late,” she says with a laugh.

Taehyung pouts playfully at her.

“Hey, lighten up! We’ll still get to hang out on Saturday,” she says. “Just let me know what your sister says. If not–we can just do a raincheck.” 

After she rakes her fingers to tame her just-fucked hair, she walks over to him on the bed once more to give him a quick peck on the lips. “Well…you know where to find me,” she says. And with that, she heads out the door and back to her apartment across the hall.

******

Taehyung and Eunhae showed up to YN’s door at 6PM, sharp. He glanced at her and saw that she seemed a bit restless, shifting her weight uncomfortably on his sister’s front porch.

“Hey.”

The way her head snapped up to look at him, he confirmed that she was nervous. He wasn’t sure why though.

“Don’t worry, my sister doesn’t bite…not like I do,” he jokes, trying to break the tension. She lets out a small chuckle, easing her nerves a bit.

After he rings the doorbell, he sighed, feeling incredibly relaxed this evening. This wasn’t supposed to be a big deal. It was just his sister, for crying out loud! It wasn’t like he was introducing her to his parents.

Although, maybe on the next three-day weekend, he would consider bringing her to his hometown.

He brushes the thought aside when YN opens the door. “Hi!” She greets them both enthusiastically and invites them in. After Taehyung gives her a quick hug, he introduces Eunhae.

“YN-noona, this is my friend, Eunhae. Eunhae, this is my sister, YN.”

YN smiled then tilted her head at Taehyung’s friend. She vaguely recognized her the day she came to see him as she was coming off the elevator.

“Hi, it’s so nice of you to come,” she smiled.

“Thank you for having me,” Eunhae responded. It didn’t look like she recognized her that day so YN didn’t push for it. She also tried not to think about that neon pink thong that she found on the kitchen floor.

“And thank you for helping. I wasn’t 100% sure if he was going to be okay by tonight. I really could have canceled, Taehyungie–”

“Noona! Stop. Go have fun–Eunhae and I can handle it. She used to be a nanny,” Taehyung remarks.

“Oh wow, fancy that!” She said. Seconds later, Joobin and Jooni barrel to the doorway.

“Uncle TaeTae!!!” Jooni squeals as Taehyung crouches down with arms wide open to catch her.

“Jooni-yah–you have to be careful! Taehyung’s arm hasn’t fully healed yet,” YN cautioned her daughter.

“I’m fine, noona,” he waved her off before turning to his nephew. “What’s up, little man?” He holds out a free hand to Joobin for a high-five.

“Are we playing Super Smash Brothers tonight, Uncle Tae?”

“Of course we are!” He tells his nephew immediately.

“Not before we play Cooking Mama,” Jooni whines. “I practiced slicing and mixing today,” she says with her little voice. Eunhae endearingly watches as Taehyung enthusiastically listens to his niece and nephew talk about their agenda for the evening. His mouth is agape from the big smile plastered across his face.

“Okay, okay–that all sounds really fun. But do you think we can make room for one more player?” He peers up at Eunhae who smiles at both kids.

“Hi,” she crouches down to meet them in the eyes. “My name is Eunhae. What’s yours?”

“I’m Joobin,” he says bashfully.

YN smiles at their exchange but is interrupted by a phone call. She excuses herself and takes it in the other room.

Jooni smiles sheepishly at Eunhae while burying her face into Taehyung’s chest. “Are you shy, Jooni?” he asks his niece sweetly.

“That’s okay,” Eunhae says warmly. “She’ll say ‘hi’ when she’s ready.”

From a distance, they hear YN hang up and rejoin them in the living room.

“Taehyung-ah? Can I have a quick word before I head out? I guess I have to drive to the restaurant now,” she says with a huff. She then turns to her son with a small smile. “Joobinie, would you like to show Eunhae your new LEGO set?”

“I can show her my LEGO pet shop,” Jooni says shyly, while pulling away from Taehyung.

“I can’t wait to see it!” Eunhae says to her. Jooni tugs at her hand and leads her to the living room. She looks back at Taehyung and YN while they walk off along with Joobin.

Taehyung gets up from his position and YN doesn’t mince words. “Okay, dude–” she keeps her voice low. “No funny business while I’m out, do you understand?”

He bulged his eyes out then cleared his throat. “Noona, I won’t–”

“I know that you would never dream of it. My babies love you and I trust you with their lives. Just…please don’t be distracted, okay?” She says quietly.

“I promise, noona. I won’t.”

“Good.“ She glanced at her clock on her phone. “Fuck, I’m running late. Thank you…again,” she said to Taehyung and Eunhae, her tone was relieved.

He nods. “I’m happy to help out, noona. Have fun tonight,” he says.

She groaned. “Yeah, we’ll see about that.” She then calls out to her kids. “Guys, I’m leaving!”

They both run to her and give their mom kisses and hugs. “Please be good to Uncle TaeTae and Eunhae, huh? And no fighting, okay?”

After they both nod obediently, she was off.

******

Several rounds of Super Smash Brothers and dishes in Cooking Mama, three and a half bowls of mac-n-cheese, two sets of brushed teeth, and several potty breaks later, Jooni and Joobin passed out, a third of the way through Moana, under their giant blanket fort.

“It’s so cute when they fall asleep with their mouth hanging open,” she gushed.

Taehyung laughed. “Yeah, it means they had a really great time.”

After they tuck both kids into their beds, they plop themselves on the couch. 

“Boy, am I glad that you were here,” Taehyung huffed out. “I forgot how much energy those two had!”

She laughed. “Don’t mention it. I’m a bit out of practice but good to know I can still hang with a preschooler. It took her a minute but I’m glad she warmed up to me eventually.”

He chuckled. “Yeah. That was odd—Jooni is usually loud. She’s usually the first one to come up and say ‘hi.’ My brothers and I always said she’d make a great politician one day.”

“That’s alright. Maybe it’s the whole stranger-danger thing. You don’t want to force these things. Kids are entitled to boundaries, too,” she says, leaning her head back on the cushion.

Earlier, Taehyung watched Eunhae try to settle Jooni into her bed. She was half-asleep, whining and wouldn’t let go of her. She laughed softly while gently unfurling Jooni’s tiny fingers to release her shirt from her clutches until she was able to safely set her down.

Taehyung smiled at the thought. He then takes a second to check his watch for the time. It was almost 30 minutes past YN’s expected return.

“Guess noona decided to actually have a good time after all.”

“She seems nice,” she remarked. “Your noona.”

He nodded and sighed. “Yeah…she’s usually my first call...for practically anything. I mean…my dad, sometimes. But more often than not, it’s her. She’s my best friend.”

She smiled. “My yeodongsaeng is my best friend, too.”

His eyebrows flick up at the small piece of personal information that she shared.

“She’s still in school and I’m helping my parents out with that. I try to come out there as often as I can but,” she sighed, “Thinking about airfare costs and all that…Figured they could use it more with other expenses,” she says ruefully.

Taehyung regards her intently. They had shared many serious conversations in the past but never personal. It was all part of their agreement. For it to work, they avoided sharing things about their life which would cause them to be attached…or care too much. Taehyung was apprehensive at first because it was against his personality. He liked being able to relate to a friend…but then again, Eunhae was not an ordinary friend.

“I miss home a lot, too,” he says quietly. “I was just there a few weeks ago. My dad’s health has been iffy but he looked well the last time I saw him. He’s happier that my mom’s not traveling as much anymore or being away for months at a time working on a movie.”

“Movie?” She asks incredulously.

Taehyung chuckles. “My mom is–or was an actress.”

Her jaw fell open while she sat up. “Wow! Was she in anything I’ve seen before?”

“Hmm…have you seen ‘Cradle and All’? It’s pretty old but–”

“Oh my god–your mom is Young Lina?” She gasps.

“Yep,” he says, popping the ‘p’ sound.

“Holy crap! My parents love her…I love her!” She exclaims then glances at Taehyung. “Ooh, now I see the resemblance,” she mumbles.

“Yeah…” he sighs.

“I-is that why they killed her off on ‘Broken Marriage Vow’? Because of your dad?”

“For the most part, yeah. And she’s had a great career. She’s always said that she’d rather go out on top...”

“Or with a bang,” she says, referring to his mom’s final episode on the show, where her character sets off a bomb in her own house to sacrifice herself by killing her daughter’s abusive husband.

“Yep, she had a lot of fun with that role,” Taehyung says wistfully. They both sighed and looked at each other. This was the most personal conversation they’ve ever had–it wasn’t forced or awkward. It just flowed freely.

Taehyung lowered his voice. “Does this mean you’ll only sleep with me now just because my mom’s a famous actress?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” She let out a soft laugh. “When have we actually slept?”

He licked his lips while she bit hers. As they slowly close in on each other, they hear the garage door open.

******

His hands were all over her the instant he unlocked his apartment door. They clumsily stumble through but their mouths remain sealed to each other. Her hands rake through his hair, tugging at the strands, eliciting a low growl from him.

He palmed the swell of her ass with one hand while the other was up her shirt, caressing her back. They stagger into his bedroom, falling onto the mattress almost simultaneously, with her on top of him.

She pulls away for a moment, wasting no time to reach over by his nightstand to retrieve a condom. 

He caught her, pulling her on top of him. He tips her back over his arm then pulls her shirt and bra up to suck on her breast. His cheeks hollowed with the force of his sucking, her core clenching in rhythm. Her spine ached with the strain but she was more overcome with arousal–to the point of madness.

Fidgeting with his pants, she unzips them and pulls him out. He was already hard for her. She rips open the foil packet with her teeth then slides the piece of latex down his length.

She lifts herself slightly and he guides her while she sank onto him, slowly. They moan in unison while her tender tissues gripped his cock. Grabbing her hips with both hands, he lifts her once more, pausing for a moment, his breathing loud and ragged. Then he shoved inside her.

He rolled his hips and claimed that last little space inside her, his cock tunneling deep. She squeezed every inch of him, pulsing around him in frantic pleasure.

“Okay?” he bit out, his fingers kneading into her flesh.

“More,” she breathed. Digging her own fingers into his biceps for support, bucking her hips to meet his movements. He caught her mouth and gave her a long, deep kiss. Reaching in between them, he rubbed her clit in slow, hard circles coupled with each thrust of his hips into her.

He pulled away from her lips and nudged her jaw upwards to get better access to her neck and suckled at the skin between where the base of her earlobe and curve of her jawline met.

That did her in. Through the roaring of blood in his ears, he heard her groan his name while she came, spasming around him rapidly. His cock swelled and lengthened, jerking as he followed her climax with his own orgasm. 

Taehyung kissed her collarbone, his breath gusting hot and fast over the bare, sweat-slick skin. His chest heaved, his bruising grip on her hips easing. His hands began to stroke and soothe.

It wasn’t as if it had been the first time they had fucked…far from it.

As their heartbeats slowed, they kept their gazes at each other. Dark brown eyes staring back into a pair of black pools. He didn’t know it yet but that look scared the shit out of her.

Without breaking contact, Taehyung raises his finger to gingerly brush a few errant strands off her face. After he tucks them behind her ear, his palm lingers to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes and leaned into his touch briefly.

Whatever rules they had agreed upon before were fading rapidly…much like the breaths they were desperate to catch.

They drifted off to sleep together. In the morning, he awoke and she was gone. All that was left was a single stand of her hair on the pillow that she slept on, and her scent, that would ceaselessly haunt him for the next few days.

******

“I thought you had ghosted me, bro,” Jungkook says with a playful pout while he sipped on his beer.

“I’ve been a little busy at work. Plus, I had that accident a few weeks ago. Had to be laid up for a bit which meant I had to hustle to recoup some lost wages, you know?”

Jungkook laughed. “Right. As if you couldn’t just ask your parents for some cash to get you through,” he says sarcastically while he moves the controller’s joystick to select the next course that they would play.

Taehyung meandered through the kitchen with a bowl of furikake trail mix that YN dropped off the other day. He passed his front door, pausing to look through the peephole to check across the hall. He glanced at his watch, it was about that time when she usually got home from work.

He was hoping to catch her but she’s been evasive for over a week now. No late-night texts or random knocks on his door about needing ‘sugar’ for her coffee.

Every now and then, she would respond, saying that work’s been busy but no more than that. 

He didn’t understand. He felt that they had a breakthrough that night after they got home from YN’s house. He could have sworn that he saw the same look in her eyes.

Finding that the hallway was still empty, he continued on. “Nah, you know I have way too much pride for that. Besides, I still had a bit saved up so, it wasn’t like Struggle-land up here,” Taehyung says quietly before putting the bowl on the coffee table then settling on the couch next to his friend.

Jungkook’s eyes widened at the snack presented to him. “Ooh, I love when noona makes this,” he says as he takes a handful of mix and drops it in his mouth.

“She made you a bag this time,” Taehyung motions back to the kitchen. “Just so you wouldn’t have to steal my stash again,” he added.

Jungkook cackled. “Took you a while to catch on to that!” He laughs again. “Ah, please tell her thank-you. Maybe I can get the recipe from her so I can just make an endless amount of it at home. I get really sad when I get to the bottom of the bag and there’s no more.”

“I’m sure you do,” Taehyung deadpans then takes a gulp of his beer.

“Are you alright?”

“Hm?” Taehyung glances over at his friend. “I’m fine,” he says immediately.

Jungkook laughs softly. “You don’t usually call me during the week to hang out.”

“I just assumed you were free, that’s all,” he said. “Besides, I didn’t want to keep two extra bags of snacks. Sharing is caring.”

Jungkook stares at his friend for a few seconds. “Bull. Shit.” 

Taehyung cocks an eyebrow at him. “Excuse me?”

Jungkook grins like a Cheshire cat. “Something’s up with you and Eunhae.”

“Now, why would you—“

“It just fits!” He concludes. “You’ve been all mope-y ever since I got here.”

“I am not mope-y…or whatever you call it,” Taehyung denies.

“What? Did she decide that she’s had enough of the whole friends-with-benefits thing? Did she turn into a Stage-5 clinger? See, I thought she was too cute to be all-business about it,” Jungkook babbled on.

“It was none of that, okay? Just pick the fucking game already—“

“Or!” Jungkook says loudly. “You caught feelings.” He narrowed his eyes at Taehyung to gauge his reaction. When his lips narrowed into a thin line, Jungkook laughed again. “I fucking knew it! I fucking called it!” He slaps his hand on the couch cushion.

“You didn’t call shit,” Taehyung grumbles.

“Bro, I’ve known you for three years now, since you moved out here? You’ve had one girlfriend that entire time. Then Eunhae moves across the hall months ago and BAM! You agree to this no-strings situation. I didn’t think it was going to be long before you cracked. You’re the type of person who can never not do something like that without getting attached.”

Taehyung snorts. “Thanks for the analysis, Dr. Jeon. Are you going to bill me for that later?”

Jungkook scoffed. “Whatever, dude. You know I’m right,” he says, before finally selecting a course and proceeding to the next menu option. “Now that she won’t fuck you anymore without you making heart-eyes at her, you invite me to your pity party. But I appreciate the snacks and drinks, though,” he laughed.

Before he could argue Jungkook’s point, his phone buzzes incessantly over the coffee table.

When he picks it up, he sees Jin’s name on the caller ID.

He furrowed his brows. Jin knew that Taehyung preferred texting so he found it odd that he would start calling him now. He was tempted to send him to voicemail but something compelled him to pick up instead. 

******

Jungkook offered to stay but he told him that he didn’t have to, saying that his other friend should be making her way back with his car about now and that he would leave the city as soon as he could.

By the time he called YN minutes ago, she already had her SUV packed along with the kids. He turned down her offer to swing by to come get him.

While waiting alone, he couldn’t stop pacing in his apartment. Overcome with emotion, he went to the first place he thought he could find some solace.

“One sec, I’ll be right there!” He hears her yell out from the far corner of the apartment.

He’d been knocking on her door nonstop for close to a minute now. It was bordering on annoying…which she found cute sometimes. But not tonight.

He stops when she abruptly opens the door. “Taehyung?” She doesn’t open her door the whole way and instead steps out into the hallway with him. “Wh-what’s up? Are you okay? You look like you’ve been hit by a bus,” she remarks.

“Uh, hey…I was, uh…I was just waiting for Ani,” he stammered. “She borrowed my car for a gig and I kind of need it to get out of the city tonight as soon as she gets here,” he says, trying to hold back tears.

Eunhae’s brows knitted. “Get out of the city? What for? What happened?”

Taehyung wasn’t quite sure how to explain it. They had just begun sharing about their personal lives until Eunhae started to ignore him after that last night they spent together.

“Do you think I can come in for a bit? I just feel like I need somebody to talk to,” he pleads.

“N-now’s…not a good time, Tae,” she says awkwardly.

“What do you mean? Were you sleeping? I’m sorry–”

“No, uhm–I…kind of have a friend over,” she says quietly. She was fidgety…something was up.

“A friend?” Taehyung repeats.

“Yeah. Uhm, kind of…like a date.” She finally came out with it.

“Oh,” he says, sounding crestfallen.

“If you want, you can take my car instead? If it’s an emergency or something–”

Taehyung’s heart sinks. He didn’t think it would weigh any heavier than it already did after he received the call from Jin.

“N-no. That won’t be necessary,” he shakes his head and forces a smile. “I’m sorry for holding you up. I’ll just call Ani again–her gig should be wrapping up soon.” He turns to start walking back to his apartment.

“Tae–” she calls out to him.

He looks over his shoulder and back at her.

“I’ll call you tomorrow, okay?”

He nodded wordlessly then shuffled back to his door. As soon as he shuts it, he leans his back against it. He bangs the back of his head against it–hoping he had done it sooner so he wouldn’t have had to feed into his delusions in the last few days.

He didn’t want to admit it but YN was right. Nothing good ever comes out a fuck-buddy situation.

Just then, his phone pings with a text from Ani, telling him that she was on her way back with his car. Taehyung took a deep breath, squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. He exhaled, the same time he opened them again.

Within that short walk between her door and his, he’s decided within himself that maybe it was smart of her to pull away first. Taehyung knew deep within him that he couldn’t keep up the charade of detached feelings.

He had deluded himself into thinking that he could do it. But YN and Jungkook were right. In a way, he’s always felt connected to Eunhae even though he had talked himself into thinking that he didn’t.

His father always told him that when the right choice came along, a signal would reach him–he didn’t think it would be in this context.

For now, it was imperative that he rush to his family’s side. He would resist that pull coming from across the hall–and hope that this time away would help dull the feelings that had already broken through the surface.

◤Previous | Part 4◥  | Main Fic Masterlist

Thank you for reading!

If you loved it and/or curious to learn more, please comment, reblog, or send me feedback! 📩. I love hearing from readers! If you didn't like it so much, I would still like to hear about it 💜

Tagging: @internetjunkdrawer @deepseavibez @joeybeanxbts

[luxusdollhouse]

Its really interesting actually irt old au vs what we got now is that i had actually developed luxu a LOT more, originally what i was gonna do when i DID decide to start writing was i was gonna have two fics which is what we got now and then ANOTHER fic that was the same timeline wise but was from luxu’s POV and it also would’ve ended very abruptly on account of her. Yknow. Resting in peace. But i chucked that idea out of the window like a few chapters in (this fic is probably gonna be still going after I graduate because i take months to update and my chapters are slowly getting longer + i have no idea how many chapters im gonna write exactly . I do have the last 2 chapters fully written already tho (i write heavily out of order)) because it didn’t feel… appropriate? I think thats the correct word . Like i didnt wanna write that and no one needed to read that.

But bc of that i also chucked a lot of luxu’s character and now shes kinda like… half developed? But honestly im completely fine with that because it honestly works with the story, like her being so young when she disappeared and never getting to develop into her own person before everything happened so it works, like legit with my friend charlie we had a big characterization conversation irt gloria and then Luxu (if you wanna hear about gloria characterization stuff LET ME KNOW!!! Because it’s definitely not gonna be seen a lot in the fic) but I literally couldnt think about anything luxu would like or what she would do with her friends . Like she liked watching aced fix clocks and watches at the dinner table and playing board games and that was preeeetty much it, she didn’t have the chance to be ABLE to explore new hobbies yknow

Also there’s so much character STORY going on in the background that isn’t shown at all in the fic and so even tho im not gonna write the two parter fic anymore i AM gonna write little side stories for the fic because they’re important to me, especially Blaine’s like i wont say what his deal is (yet. I am currently writing the chapter where he’s introduced into the story so look out for that soon i’ve got a three day weekend coming up 👀 LMAO) but it is. Hough.

And even things im not gonna write about i still have developed! Like luxu’s familial history about her grandma being a holocaust survivor and freida and talia fleeing the iraq-kurdistan region to escape persecution and then talia being a field nurse and even eden!!! Eden being this very stubborn and strong willed woman during her youth and then being a factory woman during ww2 and dealing with raising children during it all and just how similar her and gloria TRULY ARE, even if Gloria would never in a million years admit that

I definitely have “over developing back stories” disease but i dont CARE its so interesting to think about all these stories and little histories and how that can influence someone who never even Went through that but their parents and grandparents and ancestors went through things and SURVIVED IT and now YOURE here!!!

OKAY. Sits in front of you . So no to me i dont think it veers to close into spoiler territory because it was SO different to what we have now so im okay with sharing :)

So originally this au was actually supposed to just be a personal art project bc when i first started having ideas for it i was having a lot of mento illness bc someone i knew was murdered + i was becoming interested in missing persons cases (kinda as a result? Not really) and i kept seeing all of these different cases where these kids just disappeared and were never seen again and to this day have never been found and it made me really sad like i wanted closure for their families so, as i do, i made a story about getting closure to cope with it

Something really funny about this au is that actually the very early stages of it were canon compliant, but somewhere along the line i changed it to be a mod au, then I changed it again to take place in the south in the 90s, but then i changed it to Missouri (my home state! I’m sure i’ve mentioned it before but Potosi is a real town in Missouri that i’ve visited multiple times and is an area i love, the creek that i mentioned luxu/gloria being dumped in is an actual creek called Breton Creek, here’s a photo of it! (Idk if i’ve mentioned it before, either, but Ira/Bia’s church is the Breton Creek Baptist Church, here’s their facebook page))

Another thing is that i originally didn’t have Ira doing all the silly bullshit that theyre doing now, i think i made an offhand joke about it to matt ONE time and i actually really liked the idea so i made it canon LMFAO, a lot of ira’s character came to me like that, i didnt think of them as being cajun until a bit in

Thats just SOME stuff about it but yeah i’ll bounce off you when you respond so i dont send like a 5+ paragraph essay about my au LMFAO (also the walmart iraced go to is real but i’ve never been to it sadly so thats an iraced landmark me and matt have to make the trek to)

I thought I remembered you saying something about the story originally be made to cope with things! Man, though, that sucks to have to go through; hopefully the story's helped with getting a little bit of closure, at least.

Oh, interesting that it used to be more canon-compliant! What were the original thoughts for how that'd play out? And were the ideas for the modern AU similar to what ended up actually being written or still pretty different?

Haha, characters...really are just like that sometimes. "Wait, that's what we're doing? ...Okay I guess that's what we're doing." Interesting that so much of Ira's character ended up being like that!

[infinitehyperfixations]

Modern AU Rex Headcanons

I know I said I would give you guys more Modern AU Wolffe stuff but my midterms are this week and I wanted to write a one-shot series about Modern AU Wolffe. That will take a minute so I will do that after this week. I’m giving you these headcanons in the meantime because they don’t take that long for me to write.

Also, I got carried away so this is hella long.

Note: F! Reader, fluff

Warnings: none (I think but let know if I should add something)

****Not my gif****

Like Wolffe, Rex is a retired commanding officer from the military.

When Rex retired, he started to work for a private security company as a head strategist. He approves security plans for big companies and he even oversees big events that need a security detail

He basically thinks about what the bad guys will do before they even do it. He is always at least four steps ahead of them. No one is getting past him and his strategic planning.

I just want to see this man in a suit don’t come at me

His job pays nicely. He is not by any means rich but he lives comfortably. He has a nice car - a nice BMW I would say - and a new apartment that is close to the city that he works in.

And best of all, it is right next to his favorite café

He goes into the café so much that his morning coffee is just waiting for him. He legit has a tab that he pays at the end of the month without fail.

And the staff genuinely like him. After all, he is their best customer. He tips very well too

One time Rex got sick - like he couldn’t get out of bed without passing out sick - and he didn’t go to the café to get his morning coffee and breakfast sandwich and the café called him (yes they have his number) to make sure he was still alive.

They were very relieved when he answered

That café holds a special place in his heart. Not because of the coffee or because of their food. It’s where he met you.

You’re a social studies teacher at a local high school. Your job may not pay well but you love doing it.

You do wish that your job paid a bit more because you would really like a new computer (yours is about to die) and a new car (poor thing breaks down all the time). Not to mention you have crippling student debt :)

You’re fine. Everything is fine.

One day you decide to go into the café on your way to work. You desperately needed coffee and Starbucks was wayyy too expensive for you (also yes to supporting small businesses).

Rex was in there getting his usual. He was about to leave when he saw you walk through the door

He stopped in his tracks as he watched you (respectfully) walk up to the cash register to place your order. He was in awe - infatuated with you really.

The barista behind him thought they got his order wrong until they saw him looking at you as if you had entranced him and they immediately went to grab their other co-worker to watch a love story start.

Meanwhile you were running on approximately four hours of sleep and you were too busy thinking about if your heart would give out if you drank 10 shots of espresso to notice that Rex was staring at you

You could only order a drink but you were starving. You woke up too late to eat breakfast but you knew you only had enough money on you to buy a drink. You figured you could just eat your lunch early.

When you reached into your wallet to grab your money, you realized you left your money back in your apartment. (You don’t use your card because you have a strict budgeting system that only allows you to use your card for gas and groceries.)

“Fan-fucking-tastic,” you mutter under your breath before you look up at the cashier with a defeated sigh. You were already mentally preparing yourself to teach with an empty battery. “I’m so sorry, I forgot my money at home.”

You were about to walk to the door when a blonde handsome stranger suddenly appeared next to you. Your eyes nearly popped out of your head when he said, “I’ll cover it. Just put her order on my tab.”

You were trying to form a semi-coherent sentence as you stared at Rex in shock. On top of what just happened, your brain had to process how damn good he looked in his suit.

And he has a fucking tab in a café?????

“Wait, sir, you don’t have to-”

“Don’t worry about it. I’m happy to cover it,” Rex smiled. “Would you like a breakfast sandwich? Their sandwiches are good.”

Before you could say no, your stomach growled.

“Add my usual sandwich, please.”

“Wait-”

“Can I have a name for the order?”

(Listen, guys. This barista didn’t have to take your name because you were the only other customer in the store besides Rex. They did it so Rex could learn your name because they are the ultimate wingmen.)

You paused for a moment before answering. The determined look in his eyes made you believe that he wasn’t going to let you convince him to not pay for your food.

When you tell the barista your name, Rex mouths it, smiling.

“That is a very lovely name,” He says with a faint red dusting across his cheeks.

(Meanwhile the barista’s are losing their god damn minds as they watch their favorite customer talk to you.)

If your face wasn’t already red, it was now.

“Thank you,” You manage to stutter out. “And thank you for paying for me. You-You didn’t have to do that. I-I can pay you ba-”

“You’re welcome, but don’t worry about paying me back, (Y/N).”

Listen, you pride yourself on a lot of things and being a strong, independent woman was one of them and you were sure as hell paying him back.

“No, please let me pay you back, Mr.-”

You realize you never got his name. “I’m sorry, what is your name?”

“Fett. Rex Fett, but you can just call me Rex.”

“Alright, Rex I will be paying you ba-”

Before you could even finish your sentence the barista gave you your order and Rex was already at the door and holding it open for you.

You thank the baristas (who are still losing their fucking minds) and walk out the door with Rex following you.

You realize that you’re running late for work so you quickly rummage through your purse for your car keys while looking up at Rex

“Thank you for covering my order, but mark my words I will be paying you back.”

You want to kiss to slap the smug ass look Rex had on his face.

“I’m looking forward to it, (Y/N).” He chuckled

Once you part ways and get into your car, you scream because holy fuck that happened. You wonder if your life became some 14 year old’s wattpad story before speeding off to your job.

Meanwhile, Rex was also freaking out in his car because his hands were trembling the entire time. He hoped you hadn’t noticed. He had no fucking clue how he managed to keep it together in there. Pure luck was his guess

He couldn’t wait to see you again. Maybe next time he’ll have the courage to ask for your number