#like an actual train signal. usually his eyes are both off tho

[clippy]

rodney

[bus-stop-to-kpop]

Dance Team (Noh Taehyun x Reader)

Pairing: Noh Taehyun x Reader

Genre: fluff

Summary: You’re in the same dance team as Noh Taehyun. Everyone admires him and everyone wants to dance with him. Do you have a chance even though you dance a different genre?

Word Count: 2,117

A/N: This was inspired by his 7 Rings cover an it was actually finished a long time ago I just kinda forgot about it. Hope you like it tho.

~Admin J

You loved dancing. It was like an escape from reality. You recently had joined one of the most known dance crews in the country because your best friend was one of the leaders. Next to her was Noh Taehyun, also known as the dance god within the group. Everyone wanted to dance with Taehyun at least once. You too wanted to dance with him, there was just one problem though. The members of your dance group told you to do a cute concept because you were rather small and a bit chubby so you often wore oversized clothing which made you look even cuter. Even though Taehyun was also not the tallest, his sexy concept allowed him to wear heels, which also was something you admired about him. Dancing in heels was hard.

At the moment all of you were preparing for a competition, which meant you could watch Taehyun practice because he used the practice room right after you. However, his newest dance wasn’t a solo, he was dancing together with your best friend. It hurt your heart a little to see your friend dancing such a sensual song together with the guy you had a crush on but you also knew that Eunmi had a boyfriend and would never cheat on him. You really enjoyed their performance.

~*~

“You watched us that often. Do you know the dance by heart already?” Eunmi joked when you walked home together. “I guess.” You agreed on her observation. “Well you were always good at picking up dances.” She admitted. You smiled because of the compliment. Sure you were able to do dances after seeing them only a few times but you never had the chance to show it.

~*~

Practice continued for the next few days, some days Eunmi made you stay a little longer to go through the choreo of her and Taehyun’s dance. You didn’t know why she wanted you to know it but she explained that she was scared of hurting herself because she had to dance with heels so she wanted someone to know the dance. You told her not to say things like that or she would jinx herself and really would hurt herself. At that time you laughed about it, it wasn’t funny anymore when just two days later you received a call from Junhyuk, Eunmi’s boyfriend, that she had broken her ankle.

The first thing you did was visit her in the hospital. Apparently you weren’t the only one that decided to visit Eunmi, as your visit turned into a meeting of the whole dance group. “What are we doing now? We need someone to dance with Taehyun! The competition is in three days!” Yongmi announced acting like she was the leader. Before someone could answer she spoke again “Great if no one else wants to do it I will!” “Actually…” Eunmi tried to interrupt Yongmi but she spoke again. “So no one has any objections? Great Taehyun lets go practice right away.” She grabbed Taehyun’s arm and looked at him with what she thought was a cute face. She didn’t notice Eunmi opening her mouth again you did though and just shook your head signaling her that she should just drop it. You also noticed Taehyun rolling his eyes shortly before Yongmi pulled him out of the room.

The next day you wanted to stay after your own practice to watch Taehyun again but Yongmi kicked you out before you could even protest. You just walked home disappointed that you couldn’t watch Taehyun, his dancing always was the highlight of your day. What you didn’t know was that Yongmi got extremely angry when Taehyun asked if you weren’t staying to watch like usual. Taehyun had to admit he was disappointed you weren’t there, no matter how many times you had watched him and Eunmi practice you still always had those cute reactions.

The next day was the same: you trained, Yongmi kicked you out and then you went to visit Eunmi, she was home already but she had to use crutches. You told her how rude Yongmi had treated you. “Honestly I’m not surprised. She would do everything to be alone with Taehyun.” Eunmi told you. You agreed. “You know Taehyun called me earlier and told me that he doesn’t think Yongmi will be able to learn the dance.” “Why? She is a good dancer isn’t she?” sure, you weren’t Yongmi’s biggest fan but you had to admit she wasn’t a bad dancer. “Taehyun said she is angry because he asked about you.” Eunmi said while wiggling her eyebrows. “He asked about me?” you were surprised you didn’t know he cared about you. “Yeah, because you weren’t there to watch him during his practice.” Eunmi explained.

 On the day of the contest you were really nervous. Not only because of your solo but also because of the problems Taehyun had with Yongmi. He didn’t deserve to lose just because Yongmi couldn’t cooperate. He had practiced for so long. In fact you really were more worried for Taehyun than you were for yourself. Cute dances came easy for you so you had faith that you wouldn’t mess up. And from the judges reactions you seemed to have done well. When you went off stage you searched for Eunmi. She was somewhere in the crowd sitting in a wheelchair, not wanting to stand on crutches the whole time. You found her when Junhyuk called out your name, luckily he was tall so he could spot you easily. He waved you over and it seemed really urgent so you hurried over. When you reached the pair Eunmi held up a bag to you. “What’s that?” you asked taking it. “Yongmi quit. She said Taehyun annoyed her with talking about you all the time. And since you are the only one who can dance the part, I’m counting on you.” You nodded happily. “Quick now, you need to practice once more before going on stage.” Eunmi hushed you making a pushing motion with her hands. You turned around to go, waving back at her one last time when you heard her shout after you “Go get your man!” You shook your head laughing while rushing through the crowd. How could you have thought you would be able to hide your crush on Taehyun from her.

You arrived backstage only to see Taehyun pacing around with a nervous expression. You called out to him and he turned to you with a surprised face. “What are you doing here? Have you seen Yongmi?” he asked. How unprofessional of her to not tell him she quit. “She won’t be dancing today. I will dance Eunmi’s part.” You made sure to empathize Eunmi’s name. “OK I guess that’s fine if you know the choreo.” Taehyun took your hand and pulled you to a room that was originally for him and Yongmi. He was surprised that you knew the whole choreo, he didn’t know you had practiced with Eunmi but it also wasn’t important right now. It was weird being this close to him. Usually you watched the dance from afar suddenly being his partner was way more intimate especially since you had to pretend to be in love. You weren’t sure but you felt like he came closer to you then he was with Eunmi when you watched them practice. After you had gone through the choreo twice it was almost time to go on stage so you quickly went to change. You admired yourself in the mirror. These clothes must be some of the tightest and most revealing clothes you ever wore. And with the heels and fishnet thighs you looked really sexy but you still preferred your oversize clothing. When you came out of the changing room Taehyun was amazed. He never knew you could look that hot, actually he only ever saw you as a cute person before and well, your cuteness and the fact that you were even smaller than him had made him crush on you, but seeing you like this, wearing revealing clothes while looking up at him with an unsure face his heart started to beat faster. “Is it okay?” you asked turning around once so Taehyun could see you from every angle. “You look amazing!” he admitted to which you gave him a shy smile.

Just then a security guard came over to tell you it was your turn. Taehyun offered you his arm and you walked to the stage together. You positioned yourself and waited for the music to start you looked over to Taehyun who mouthed good luck to you. The music started and your bodies started to move naturally. It felt great to dance with Taehyun, the way he gently held your waist when you had to dance together and the longing look in his eyes. It felt so real, you could almost believe he really was in love with you. During the ending pose his lips gently brushed yours. It surprised you because he hadn’t been this close during practice. You were sure it had to be an accident he might have just moved too fast. Taehyun let go of you when the crowd started to cheer. You both bowed to the judges and left the stage together.

“Thank you for dancing with me.” Taehyun said holding out his hand to you. You shook it “Thank you for letting me dance with you.” After that you went to change back into your comfortable clothes but when you came back Taehyun was nowhere to be seen. So you made your way through the crowd to find Eunmi. “Y/N!” she called when she saw you. A few people turned around to see why she was screaming. “When I told you to get your man I didn’t tell you to smooch him in front of everyone!” Your face was red, everybody could hear her since her voice hadn’t gotten quieter. You covered your face with your hands “We did not smooch! It was an accident.” You told her. Eunmi let out a loud laugh “Trust me that was not an accident. Taehyun knows how to control himself.” “Well how would you explain it then?” you questioned her. “Girl are you dumb? He obviously likes you just as much as you like him. You remember that Yongmi quit because Taehyun kept talking about you. Also the two of you were basically eye fucking up there.” “We weren’t eye fucking!” her way of words shocked you, she had never been that straight forward with you. She snorted “Sure you weren’t.” You huffed not wanting to argue with her any longer and walked away.

It was time to announce the winners anyway. Taehyun was still missing and you were worried something might have happened to him. You weren’t able to search for him though because they started to announce the winners. You had managed to get third place with your solo, which was great but you felt a bit off because Taehyun wasn’t there. They went on with announcing the ranking in different categories until they came to the couple dances, which would be you and Taehyun. You had tried calling him twice already but he didn’t answer. When the judges announced third place you got really nervous and tried to call Taehyun once more. When they announced second place you heard the familiar tone of his voice mail. Then they announced first place and your and Taehyun’s name rang around the place. You were surprised they called your name instead of Yongmi and you were actually hesitant to go up to the jury but people behind you pushed you forward. Suddenly someone gripped your wrist and pulled you to the judges. When you looked up you made eye contact with Taehyun. He had a big smile on his face when taking the price from the judges. You were still confused where he had come from. A picture was taken of the two of you but you didn’t even notice. Suddenly Taehyun turned to you and held out a bucket of flowers to you “I know this is sudden but would you like to go out with me?” he asked. You gasped. Had he been away to buy you flowers? How cute of him. “Yes.” You answered his question and took the flowers. Only when the crowd around you started to cheer again you realized that you were being watched. “Oh god.” You sighed and hid your face behind the flowers. Taehyun laughed at your direction and led you out of the crowd. He took you out to get ice cream together and basically that’s how your relationship with Taehyun had started.

[atlas-of-a-human-soul]

Dancing in the dark (G.D.)

Summary: Less than an hour before their wedding, Y/N gets cold feet.

Warnings: none really, mostly fluff

Word count: 1831

I stood watching the line where heaven touched earth. My wide eyes witnessing the glowing collision. Sparks lit the sky as the glory of paradise descended further behind the seam of the world. I felt small as I glanced over my shoulder and saw my shadow slowly shrinking towards my feet. I looked back to the line, only a few bright streaks remained to signal heaven’s passing. The sun had set. The time was near. I knew I had about two hours tops to walk down that aisle to find him waiting at the alter.

It took us about five years to get here, but here we were..our wedding day. This entire day was spent in constant running around, making sure everything was done perfectly. We decided to have the ceremony and the reception in New Jersey, right in his backyard. The house was set far away from prying eyes of the public, surrounded by nature. I loved nature because it gave me a sense of freedom and peace that I could never find in the city. In nature I can be who I am, just a person.

Grayson Dolan felt like nature to me. I was always allowed to be myself, to let go of who I was and I was given courage to discover who I want to be. He was my safe haven, my home, my person.

So, here I was, standing in a room alone in silence with nothing but my thoughts. My usually unruly and unmanageable hair was in lustrous curls with a few small flowers pinned in it and it bounced as I walked across the room. The dress I chose was rather simple. It was long, but not puffy. There was a small trail behind me. The dress had long, lacy sleeves and the lace continued to wrap around my bust and my waist. I didn't put the heels on yet as I didn't want  my feet to hurt when the time for the ceremony actually comes.

I didn't like being alone this long. My bridesmaids and mother left to take care of some last minute details which was probably some kind of a disaster they didn't want me fussing about. I looked at the bouquet that laid on the table before me. I was nervous. Incredibly so. My heart started beating so fast I was afraid it might actually pop out of my chest. My eyebrows frowned in worry and impatience. I glanced at the bouquet again ready to keep well away from the plants which were still beautifully deadly. They carried an otherworldly trance. I gulped. It was nearly time and I was losing my nerve and fast.

„I can't do this...I can't. I'm going to be the worst wife. I'm selfish and impatient and I'm going to ruin everything!“ I started talking to myself, well, more like shouting as I paced the room. Remember when I said I didn’t like being alone for long? This is why...I tend to overthink things and it never goes well for me.

A knock on the door broke my train of thought.

„Can I come in?“ I heard a muffled voice say through the door. It was Ethan, I could easily tell.

Just as I was about to say no and continue freaking out, Ethan walked in. He was stunningly handsome in a navy blue, fitting suit and a black tie I knew he hated to wear. His hair was perfectly tousled to look like it was effortless, although knowing him, it took an hour to get it right. The smile he had when he came in was immediately wiped off his face as he properly looked at me in awe.

„You look gorgeous, Y/N!“ he said and walked over to hug me and that's how he knew something was up.

„Your heart is beating so fast, it's like you're thinking of running away!“ He joked, but when I didn't laugh he got deadly serious.

„Are you thinking of running away?“ he asked.

„I don't know Ethan! I'm freaking out! My mind is racing, my entire wedding party left me alone! They should know better than that! With my commitment issues I was bound to be a flight risk! I can't breathe!“ I was rambling.

„Look, just, hold on, stay here! Okay? I'll be right back!“ Ethan said as he kissed my forehead and ran straight to the door.

Meanwhile....

Ethan burst through the door of Grayson's bedroom to find his little bro' standing in front of a mirror, checking himself out.

„Dude, you need to come with me now! You need to talk to Y/N!“ Ethan said as he started pushing Grayson out the door.

„Whoa, wait! Ethan, I can't see her before the wedding!“ Grayson pushes back, resulting in a little fight between the brothers.

„If you don't get your ass moving, there won't be a wedding!“ Ethan whisper-shouted.

„What do you mean?“ Gray questions.

„Your bride is freaking out and you need to talk to her. I have an idea, just follow me!“ Ethan orders and they both run to Y/N room.

Back to the bride...

The door swung open scaring me half to death.

„Ethan, what the hell?!“

„Just stay right in that spot and don't move, okay? Grayson is here. He wants to talk to you.“ Ethan says making my jaw drop.

„You know he can't see me before the wedding!“ I exclaim.

„He won't see you, okay? You and I both know he's the only one that can calm you down enough for this wedding to actually happen. I mean, he managed to talk you into accepting his proposal, this shouldn't be that difficult. Just trust me.“ Ethan says, turns off the lights and the darkness engulfs the room.

„Y/N?“ I hear his voice calling my name.

„Gray?“ I ask even tho' I knew it was him.

I hear his footsteps coming closer and I take a few of my own in his general direction to meet him halfway.

I yearned to be in his arms. It's been days since we last saw each other. In the darkness I feel his hand take mine and I smile even if he can't see it. He pulls me closer and wraps me in his arms.

„There you are, pretty girl.“ He says softly making me melt.

„You can't even see me in the dark, you big dork“, I challenge.

„I don't need my eyes to tell me you're beautiful when my heart already knows it.“ He answers.

I lean into his steady silhouette and only then do I feel my shaking body start to relax. I was safe. He was here. My Grayson was with me.

„So, I heard you were nervous?“ he chuckles.

„I'm terrified.“ I reply quietly.

„Dance with me“, he says abruptly.

„What? There's no music!“ I point out.

„So, what? It never stopped us before“, he replies making my heart skip a beat as a memory comes to life.

„Remember when you proposed?“ I ask as I place my arms around his neck and start swaying slowly. His hands find the small of my back and soon he joins me.

„How could I forget?“ He says as his face leans closer to mine.

„We were walking on the beach, just as the sun was setting on the horizon. I remember being so nervous I didn't even register what you were saying. I just tried to memorize every single detail. How the sand was still warm, the waves that crashed on the shore and occasionally caused you to jump up as the cold water touched you. I remember how your hair moved with the wind and you laughing wholeheartedly. I stopped and turned to you and asked you to dance with me.

I didn't care about the people around, nor did I care about the lack of actual music. I wanted to dance with you.“ He trailed off.

„And so we danced“, I continued.

„Then I got on one knee and asked you to spend the rest of your life with me.“

„And I almost passed out“ I chuckled remembering how I was caught off guard.

„But you still said yes, and now here we are. Dancing in the dark.”

Grayson was quiet for a moment: “Do you regret saying yes?“ He asked.

„Never. Not even for a second.“ I reply honestly and almost instantly.

„If you want, I can call it all off. Send everyone home and we can just Netflix and chill with a bunch of junk food“, he offered with sincerity in his voice.

I looked up in shock. I couldn't see his face, but I knew this was breaking him.

„You'd do that for me? You wouldn't be mad?“ I ask quietly.

„I'd do anything for you.“

„Don't you want to marry me?“ I question, worried that he was the one backing out now.

„I'll always want to marry you babe, just not at any cost. I love you and if this whole thing is causing you anxiety and stress...Well, marriage is more than just a ring worn or a signed piece of paper. It is supposed to be about the union of two hearts beating as one, each that would sacrifice themselves for the other's happiness and well-being. I have that right now and the whole wedding thing would be just to make it official so no one can steal you from me.“

„When did you become the wise one in this relationship“ I laugh as I stand on my tippy toes and lean in. Our lips met in a loving kiss that made all the nervousness fade away. I knew I was ready for anything as long as this man was standing right next to me.

"Thank you," I say in barely more than a whisper.

"For what?" He replies, his voice low and husky.

"For being you." My voice wavers, exhilarated from the tension between us. I gently lean in and kiss him again. Feeling him smile into the kiss I slowly pull away, our foreheads touching still.

„Let's get married.“ I say this time with confidence.

Right on time, Ethan comes back and starts dragging Grayson away.

„I'll see you at the alter“, Grayson manages to say and just before they close the door I yell „I'll be the one in white!“

I lean against the wall and place my fingers over my lips where I could still feel the tingly sensation where his soft lips were moments ago. I realize my alone time is over as the whole bridal party walks in and starts rushing me to the door.

„Are you ready, dear?“ My father asks with a smile on his face, trying to cover up the fact he'd been crying the whole day. His red, slightly puffy eyes were a clear tell.

„I'm ready“ I say and place my hand on my father's as I start the walk that will lead me to the rest of my life.

[chaosbcrne]

@blucpincushicn (x):

🌀   The speedster chases away his lingering nerves and the old but fond memories of exploring haunted mansions and castles with his team as he comes back to reality. How young then, he’d felt. Eyes wide and full of rebellious spirit, so much has changed since then. The last of his nostalgic thoughts slip away when Sonic’s focus returns back to the screen, ears raising back up at attention.

       Ah yes. Jack’s Lament had begun, Sonic noted with a tiny smile. He knew all these songs by heart, although this one was always one of his favorites. It was certainly quite the performance, even after all these years. It was simultaneously bouncy and dramatic, with a tune that was ever so catchy even if the mood was somber. Once again the blue blur was reminded by how much he enjoyed musical numbers.

      He has to resist the urge to hum along, in fact. Shoulders tremble a bit again while Sonic watches the animated character dance across the screen, the glow from the movie casting an otherwise gloomy wash on his azure painted fur. For a moment he even forgets his previously fluttering thoughts over his companion. The hero silently follows along to the song, easily reciting the lyrics from memory alone.

…But who here would ever understand? ♫ That the Pumpkin King with the skeleton grin, ♫ Would tire of his crown, if they only understood… ♫ He’d give it all up if he only could~ ♫

…Oh, there’s an empty place in my bones, ♫ That calls out for something unknown~ ♫ The fame and praise come year after year, ♫ Does nothing for these empty tears… ♫

     The music softened as the song came to a close, signaling that it was moving onto the next stretch of plot points. Sonic lets out a small sigh with a puff of visible fog, ears drooping slightly, gaze somewhat glossy and distant. What a classic.

     And of course, with the lament coming to an end, so did his focus on the movie. green eyes silently wander over back to Shadow, his train of thought once again delving back into sap territory.

     Sonic wouldn’t of anticipated the sudden shift in Shadow’s own attention as he’s suddenly met with that piercing ruby gaze and- oH

     Crap. CRAP. Look away, look away!!

     Sonic reacts a bit too slow, ears folding backwards and his fur all but poofing out on every inch of his azure coat as he tears his attention away from the agent. Oh no. Ohhh no. Shadow definitely saw that. Eye contact was made. Gaia damn it this is bad this is baaad-

    ❝ Huh? ❞ Is all he can respond with, the pitch in his tone a little higher than he intended. Glancing back, he watches Shadow rid himself of his jacket and lean over- what was he doing?!

It takes Sonic a second to register the cozy fabric being draped over his form, leaving him blinking several times before he realized what was happening. He unlocks his arms from around his knees and grabs onto the hems of the coat, staring in awe at the article of clothing he’d just acquired.

     Shadow gave me his coat??

     Oh. Oh dear. Sonic hadn’t even realized how chilly it’d gotten out. His body had been responding to it- come to think of the slight trembles of his shoulders, but he’d been so distracted by thoughts he hadn’t even picked up on the signals his body had been sending him. Was this why he was feeling so jumpy?? Surely his emotions had contributed to some of it, but…

    And clearly Shadow noticed. He’d noticed before Sonic even noticed. Gee… he really was just a mess tonight, wasn’t he? Still, it certainly didn’t stop the bloom of warmth and butterflies that took off in his chest as the faint scent of coffee hits his nose. Okay… Rein it in, Sonic. Keep it cool. Act normal. Pretend like you totally didn’t just get caught staring.

   ❝ H-heh… Y’know I’ve survived sub-zero temperatures way outside the stratosphere, right? ❞ The hedgehog teases quietly, shooting the agent an amused look as he stretches up and wriggles his arms into the sleeves of the coat so he could comfortably hug his knees again. It a good humored jab, certainly not one Sonic made intending to start anything. He further solidifies that point by continuing before Shadow can get a word in.

   ❝ …Thanks tho’. I appreciate it, I really do. Not a huge fan of the cold, if’m honest. ❞

It really was… kind of the agent. Not something Sonic would have expected, yet somehow he didn’t feel as surprised as he should be. After everything he’s witnessed from his companion tonight, the speedster honestly wouldn’t be surprised if Shadow leaned over and put his arm around Sonic and maybe tilted the hero’s face up with a hand, leaned down and-

      ……..Yeah okay, we’re not finishing that thought. Whatever happened to platonic?? Sonic was trying to be a good friend, not get caught up in…whatever that train of thought was leading to. He really needed to get a rein on his feelings tonight or he wasn’t gonna make any actual headway. Sonic didn’t wanna just be a sitting, stuttering duck the entire time.

     So, he thinks of a diversion, if only from his own stupid feelings as the movie led up to it’s next musical act.

     ❝ Hey… what’d you end up getting from the convenient store? ❞ Sonic whispers, completely pretending like he wasn’t using this as an excuse to glance at Shadow again. Not at all.

      Yeah, I was there for some of it, in case you forgot. The words never left his mouth for there were too many implications tied to them to consider in a moment’s notice. For one thing, he knew all too well the speedster had had countless adventures without him, and far be it from him to exaggerate his importance in those he did take part in. For another, none of the ones that applied here were among those Shadow was particularly proud of.

     The first time, the two of them were enemies, and the second, well - he didn’t remember. Not who Sonic was, not what had led up to that moment, not the last time he’d been there. And now that he did, it was even more conflicting to think back on.

     They hadn’t exactly been on the same side, that second time around - it had really been more of a... temporary partnership, along-for-the-ride kind of deal. Yet Sonic had never stopped being nice and encouraging, and most of all, he had tried to get him to remember. And he’d been the only one, out of everyone Shadow knew.

     Why ?

     The question died on his lips though, as Sonic quickly moved on to thank him for the coat, effectively pushing him off that specific train of thought. “Yeah...” he uttered slowly, forcing his mind to get back to the present time and place. “There’s a notable difference between living and surviving though, wouldn’t you say ?” The semi-rhetorical question was punctuated with a scoff - as if proving his point before Shadow had even voiced it, the speedster hadn’t wasted any time properly putting on the garment. It seemed it was even more welcome than the agent had guessed.

     “I can imagine,” he said with a widening grin, as an actual response to Sonic’s confided sensitivity to cold. “What with how little fur you’ve got growing there.” He just had to get a little jab in there, however objective. It made things feel a bit... less strange, and more like they usually were between them, he thought as he let his gaze linger maybe one too many second on the bundled up hedgehog. It was a pretty cute image...

     Chaos, stop being so weird, Shadow urged himself, snapping his attention away from Sonic and back to the screen a tad too suddenly to look natural. His heart had leaped a minute earlier when they’d unexpectedly made eye contact, and it still felt out of sorts now, after he thought he’d figured out such a perfect distraction. He leaned back some, planting his hands against the ground to try and quell this odd trembling that had overtaken them. And it wasn’t from the cold, that much he could tell.

     Maybe he was getting a little too friendly. Not by anyone else’s standards, for sure, but by his own - this was likely further than he had been planning on letting it go. Far out enough of his comfort zone that his own body was responding where his mind couldn’t, sending him signals that he was overdoing it. But then, why did this behavior come to him to naturally ?

     “Hm ?” Ears and head both turned to his companion as a reflex when he spoke up again. So much for paying attention, Shadow thought to himself, almost rolling his eyes. He’d been so caught up in his reflections he’d completely lost track of what was going on for a minute - both in the movie and right by his side. “Same as you,” he said after a brief delay, shifting his weight onto one hand so he could reach into his bag and pick out the snack in question with the other.

     Of course, it being a discount plastic bag, it just had to get hung up on the ring of his wrist and tumble over when he pulled his hand back, effectively revealing his other pick that he’d more or less forgotten about already. “Oh, and this,” he added, dropping the first item to pick up the bag of salted dried meat and bringing it up the other’s attention. “Some coworker got me addicted to this stuff. It’s not junk food enough to be forbidden on duty.”

     He let out another quiet laugh. It was the excuse he’d heard when no one made a fuss when said coworker had shown up with the snack in question, but he’d come to know better as time went by. It was just awful food all around for most people, too salty for some, too chewy for others, or too odd of a taste. It didn’t distract people like most other junk food did because no one wanted it. It was no surprise, in hindsight, that Shadow would develop a certain affection for it.

     Which led to an interesting question...

     “Wanna try ?” he offered in turn, ripping the bag open and handing it out to his rival with a weirdly curious expression on his face.