#like in any other place in this town i wouldn't be nearly as upset

[fiona-fififi]

...

[lycheedr3ams]

Situationship with Konig (part 2)

fem!reader x situationship!konig

MDNI

Part 1

y'all weren't feeling the angst like I was lol, and i did promise a fluffy fic since I've been posting depressing shit. for the record, i'd love to keep part 1 as the ending, but I know it's sad....

happy ending! drinking, angst, some mentions of smut

konig didn't intend for this to happen. he didn't want to leave you, but he felt like a coward. he always wanted you. but the voices in his head kept saying things like "you're not good enough" and "she'll never want you." and so he left.

you weren't satisfied with Soap's one-sentence answer that konig didn't want to be a part of the team anymore. you needed to hear it straight from the Austrian beast himself. but you had no way of contacting him. no burner phone, social media handle, not even an email. konig was effectively off the map. which was probably good for someone of his profession, but it did nothing but upset you. and it wasn't like you could go asking around for a scary Austrian man's phone number without arousing suspicion.

you went to Soap for help. surely there was something he could do? soap said he'd try, but made no promises. it went on like this for weeks, you constantly asking Soap if he made any contact with konig, wondering if he would come back to 141. but nothing.

you didn't think it would be tonight, a random fucking tuesday night at 7:30, that you'd run into konig again at a bar you probably shouldn't have been in. 141 invited you to go out with them, wanting a quiet night off base, and you agreed without realizing this bar was in a seedy edge of town, with tightly shut curtains behind scratched glass and neon signs that flickered or didn't work at all. but you went in with them anyway, and you almost fainted when you saw konig hunched over the bar with a small glass of vodka in his large hand. he looked like he could've crushed the glass so easily, yet his ungloved grip was barely holding the glass between his fingers. his signature hood was on, as always.

ghost, soap, and gaz went up to the bar and pretended not to watch how you went up to konig with angry tears. you stood next to him as he stared down at his lap before he noticed you. he nearly jumped out of the barstool.

"verdammt," he whispered under his breath when he saw you. "i...didn't expect to see you here," konig said as he slurred his words.

"you lied to me," you said plainly as you fought back more tears.

konig glanced at soap and the others, who were staring at you two. konig looked away from you. "i'm sorry," he muttered before slightly lifting his hood and downing the rest of his vodka.

"why did you lie to me, konig?"

he sighed and looked down at the wooden countertop. "i didn't....want to hurt you..."

You scoffed. "you didn't want to hurt me?" you repeated. "fuck you, konig!" you said angrily as you began to cry. "leaving was the worst thing you could've done."

konig's eyes grew wide when you cussed at him, and his whole body tensed when you cried.

"i liked you konig. i still do," you admitted through your tears. he was as still as stone as he looked at you. you wiped your eyes and looked at him.

"don't you have anything to say?" you asked expectantly.

suddenly, you were engulfed by two wide wide arms against a hard, toned chest. you could smell the alcohol on his breath as he leaned his head down near the top of yours. he was holding you so tightly.

"do you mean it?" he whispered on the crown of your head.

"yes, i do," you say against his chest. "i wish you wouldn't have left."

"you deserve better," konig uttered, almost to himself.

you sighed against his chest. "shut up, konig. none of that."

he gingerly placed his large hand on top of your head. if you were with him in any other context, it might've been arousing, it might've sent you to your knees like you've done for him countless times. but there was nothing but love and vulnerability in his gentle touch.

"come back to the team," you whispered.

"ok" he said before you could even finish. "only if you let me take you out on a date."

You smiled and looked up at him. "you have a deal."

[nyxyxx]

The Garden - I (part a)

technically this is sagau stuff, but it's also more focused around my daydreams so here's a bit of that. The actual sagau content comes into play a lot later.

"Cecilia? Where are we going?"

"Shh! Ask questions later! I wanna show you something cool!"

The two young children scurried off through the forest, a forest that they'd come to know so well, and eventually stumbled out of the other side. "You see that hill over there?" The young girl said, pointing to the distant mound. "Yeah...what's so special about it?" The boy asked, still full of confusion. "-And don't you think we're out a little too far? Mother will start to worry if we aren't back soon." He wrapped his arms around himself, hoping it would ease some of his uncertainty. The girl scoffed, and simply dismissed his comment.

"Just follow me." She grabbed his hand, and dragged him off towards the hill. When they finally got there, the young boy was out of breath. "Ahh seriously. How are you *pant* so fast..."

Standing on top of the hill, the two of them could just barely see past the horizon, and could just barely catch a glimpse of the world that they once were a part of. "See... over there... I think? It looks like it could be a town."

"Yeah. It does kinda look like that. Well, can we go home now?"

"Fine, fine. Geez, I thought you'd be more excited." She crossed her arms and ran down the hill, nearly falling over in the process. When the boy ran down, she caught his hand before he could tumble over, and instead managed to keep him upright.

"I don't get what's so interesting about the rest of the world. As far as I know, it's way better here anyways." He said, brushing off his clothes.

"No, maybe you wouldn't get it. That's fine though. We should head back now though, otherwise Mother might get worried." She said, facing away from the intense glare she was receiving.

"That is literally what I said."

The two made their way back through the forest, navigating through the well-hidden traps that had been placed there. The forest was oddly quiet today. There was hardly any noticeable creatures roaming around, and the birds felt like they were more distant than usual. It was an eerie atmosphere.

However, despite the strange feeling that permeated through the air, they made it back home safely. Waiting on the porch of the cottage for them was their mother, who waved to them as they walked up. "Ah! I'm glad you two are back home safe, I was really worried!" She fretted. The two were embraced gently, and then hurried inside. However all was not right, the house was dead quiet, a stark contrast to how the house usually was. Had everyone still been out? Where was everyone else?

The two noticed something was wrong almost instantly. Had the two come back together ordinarily, there'd be a very upset sister waiting at the door, ready to start another brawl. She rarely left the house at all, and especially not on her own.

"Mother, I'm feeling kinda tired, so I'm gonna go to bed early if that's okay?" The young girl blurted, trying to sound as natural as possible. Clearly she had a bad feeling about this as well.

"Me too...we went pretty far today... so I'm extra sleepy."

Mother simply smiled, and said "Alright, please sleep well, love you both."

They both met in the girl's room. Something wasn't right here. "Did you see the way she said that? It didn't feel right at all." She launched herself onto her bed, and lay there for a while.

"Usually she'd have more of a reaction? Not to mention the fact that Xin is nowhere in sight." He sat down next to her bed, and rested his head against the mattress.

"Right? Like...she'd totally be waiting for us to be all like "How dare you two go without me?" and "You made me stay here all by myself!" but she just... wasn't there."

"Something's wrong here...but I don't know what to do. Or even how we can prove that."

"Simple, we can just wait until actual bedtime, and if even still nobody shows up, then we'll know somethings wrong." The young girl sat up from her bed, and started to undo her hair. "Until then we just have to buy time."

"Yeah...but even then, what'll we do after that?" He began, climbing on top of the bed to assist his sister. "Like, if nobody shows up, then what? What will we do from there?" He undid the braids of her hair, careful not to tug too harshly, and then proceeded to work on undoing his own.

"Hm... we should probably talk to Mother then. See if she knows what's wrong."

"I think Mother is what's wrong here," he sighed. "Something's not right about her, but I don't want to be rude and ask. Let's do that then, we'll wait till the time everyone would normally be home, and then we can confront her."

"Alright. I'm gonna take a nap in the meantime. I wasn't lying about being tired. You can...keep watch or something." The girl said, promptly collapsing back down onto her bed, and quickly falling asleep.

"Seriously, why are you making me do this..." He crossed his arms and sat next to her, keeping his eyes focused on the door.

I - Part A - END

this isnt edited sighh im too sleepy atm. Maybe another time. Making up for those notification I see in my inbox and then I feel guilty that I haven't written anything in a while. So here's my slop. Or something.

[heyymikki]

lamb to the s l a u g h t e r

LOCATION: Hotel in Las Vegas FEATURED: @giovanniiricci @elliottortegax MENTIONED: @maevemacnally, @nikodimopoulos

It was done.

The article she had been working on for months was finished and had been posted both on the Tribune's website and on the front page of the print edition.

It was strange how her feelings for the town and the people in it had significantly changed since she had agreed to Dante's ultimatum nearly three years ago. A place she had never anticipated feeling any attachment to had become home, the people in it her friends and family. Now, with it all in jeopardy, she couldn't in good conscience stand aside and let it happen without putting up a fight to make up for her part in it all. What better way to stick it to the head of the organization that had blackmailed her than to use those same connections to out him for who he really was?

And yet... she had miscalculated. What she had viewed as a mercy of not pulling her friend into it ahead of time given all she was going through turned out to be the exact opposite, blindsiding her friends with the reminder of what they had lost.

Grief reared its head in all kinds of ways, but she hadn't expected the pushback. She hadn't expected the anger from Maeve and her family when she thought she was doing something to help, keeping the names of those lives lost at the forefront of the conversation -- a reminder that they hadn't been forgotten, that there were still people searching for the answers to why they had had their lives senselessly taken from them. Now, because of her own selfish pursuit of redemption, she had hurt others and possibly ruined their friendship for good.

Every day since Niko had told her of the collapse of Los Santos -- and as a result, her ring of protection -- she waited for the businessman to retaliate. There was nothing: no refuting her claims, no spinning of some kind of PR story to explain away the evidence she had found. The silence was deafening.

Still, life moved forward. She still had to go to work, put a smile on her face like she wasn't terrified of the other shoe dropping. The weekend of the music festival quickly approached, and she tried to allow herself to enjoy the idea of letting go and forgetting her cares for even a few hours, even though the last couple of events hadn't gone well. But first, she had to meet a client.

Luna had gotten a request for an evening on the Friday of the festival weekend. Niko insisted she cancel, but she figured before she had to face the ire of those in town she'd upset, she could have the distraction of a night in Vegas. To appease him, she kept her personal phone on her with her location enabled as she made her way to the meeting place.

The opulent hotel lobby shimmered in bright white marble with accents of gold throughout. It was enough to tell her that whoever her client was had a lot of money. If she did well tonight, she wouldn't have to work for a little while. She could help Niko with the restaurant, or they could go to Greece like they had talked about. It felt so long ago already, though it had only been a few weeks realistically.

"Excuse me," she greeted the man behind the check-in counter with a smile. "I was told there would be a key waiting for Luna?"

"Ah, yes, I have that here for you." He pulled out a drawer beneath the desk and pulled a keycard from inside, double checking the room number before jotting it down onto the sleeve.

"Thank you. Is he already up there?" Receiving a nod in response, she smiled and thanked him once more before heading to the elevators, heading for one of the penthouse suites. These were her last few moments alone before she'd have to put on an act for the remainder of the evening. Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath, trying to brush away the uneasy feeling settling like a weight in her chest. Just one night, then she'd be able to work on everything else later.

The elevator dinged, doors sliding open to the appropriate floor, and she searched for the appropriate room number. Usually when clients left a key at reception, they wanted things to keep things discrete, so she didn't bother to knock, using the key to let herself in.

The room was dim with only a few lamps lit around the common area, and she didn't immediately notice anyone inside. A table in the eat-in kitchen was set with two glasses of wine and two plates covered by metal domes to trap the heat inside and keep it fresh, but she caught whiffs of something earthy and sweet. "Hello?" she called. Maybe he was getting cleaned up, she thought. "Is anyone here?"

"Hello, Miss Beaumont."

Every bone in her body stiffened at his voice. She'd listened to enough interviews and campaign speeches to know the voice of Giovanni Ricci.

If only she had trusted her gut.

Giovanni casually strode from one of the side rooms, a coy smile on his lips like a cat who'd cornered its prey. She backed up towards the door but was immediately halted in her pursuit by a broad, hard chest behind her. The security guard gripped onto her arms to hold her in place as another locked the door.

"I'm so glad you could join me this evening. Please, sit." Giovanni motioned towards the seat across the table as he took his own, unbutton his suit jacket as he did so.

Mikayla was forced into the seat, though she struggled to get out of the guard's grasp. He grabbed the decanter full of red wine and poured some into each of their glasses. "You're not an easy person to get alone, you know." When she didn't respond, he continued. "I read your article, of course. It wasn't entirely accurate, but I was genuinely impressed by what you managed to uncover. I don't imagine you could have done that without help." His gaze flicked up to meet hers. "I'm curious to know who your sources were."

"I wouldn't be a decent journalist if I didn't protect the anonymity of my sources," she replied.

Giovanni chuckled. "You'd be surprised at what information even a person with integrity is willing to share when they're subjected to pain beyond imagination."

Mikki held her breath. "Is that what you're going to do to me?"

"Perhaps. It depends on you, really." He held his glass in the air, waiting for her to do the same. He raised an expectant brow, the silent tension growing every moment she delayed. Finally, she lifted her own glass and held it up, allowing him to gently tap them together. "I'm hoping it won't come to that if we can reach some kind of agreement."

"Is that all you want to know? My sources?"

"Mm, well," he started after a sip of the wine, "right now, yes, but questions beget questions and so on and so forth." He waved a dismissive hand in the air. "You know how it goes."

"No, actually. This is my first time being interrogated for information."

The other guard who had locked the door came to the table to lift the covers off the plates, revealing a filet paired with mushrooms in some sort of wine cream sauce and mixed vegetables on the side. If it had been offered by anyone else, she would have begun eating right away, but she didn't trust that none of the food had been poisoned or tampered with. That didn't stop the man from digging into his own dinner.

"It's rude not to eat," he remarked, watching her.

"It's rude to kidnap someone, too," she retorted.

"I'd hardly call it kidnapping when you came of your own volition," Giovanni chuckled again. "I suppose if you don't eat it, our other guest will."

Mikayla furrowed her brow. "Other guest?"

As if on cue, the muffled sound of a groan came from the room Giovanni had come from. Mikayla's eyes darted in that direction, her heart racing in her chest. She wouldn't put it past him to use someone in her life to get her to talk based off of everything else she'd learned about the man, but the number of people it could be had become an ever-growing list over the last few years. Who could he have grabbed without anyone else noticing?

"Ah, he's awake. Bring him here, would you?" Giovanni didn't even look up to address the guard, but the man nodded and made his way into the room, grappling with whoever was being held there.

Mikayla's eyes grew wide as a bloodied Elliott was dragged into the room and thrust into the third chair at the table. "Dad! What is he doing here? What did you do to him?!"

"I've grown tired of the traitors within my organization who believe I don't know of their disloyalty," Giovanni replied in a bored tone around the steak in his mouth. The man glanced across the table at her, face stoic. "He's been watching you and your mother for years using our resources. If only he'd done more to hide his allegiances, I might have believed he was true to the cause."

Her father was a part of The Enterprise? The news shook her to her core, but she did her best not to let Giovanni see it. The last thing he needed to know was another one of her weaknesses to use against her.

"If you tell me what I want to know, you both can walk out of here and you'll never have to worry about me again. And if you don't... Well." He smirked. "I'll be forced to get creative."

[thewholecrew]

@headstrongblake said: what if i told you i'm back? / nick & trin

"i wouldn't believe you," she answered back primly as she pushed past him to clear another table at the diner. adding plates to her tray she avoided looking at him and tried to harness how upset she was after he blew her off nearly three weeks ago. she understood whatever shady job he had he had to travel but he could have given her a damn heads up. instead he made her look like some love sick fool who was stood up. such an idiot, she thought about herself as she lifted the heavy tray to rest it over her shoulder as she continued walking, only pausing to pour another couple some coffee. he could apologize all he wanted it didn't matter. she knew this was bound to happen. she was just a booty call for him whenever he was in town, and ugh that was exactly why she held off for so long.

trin glared at him over her shoulder, "if you're just here for a good time and not a long time then maybe you should find some other girl and waste her time," she snapped before disappearing into the back to hand off the dirty dishes. ugh! who did he think he was! just because he was stupidly attractive and tall and those arms and blue eyes and long lashes! no! trinity, no. she was scowling as she handed the dishes off to the dish washer who looked at her a little confused. "sorry, no i'm not glaring at you," she quickly apologized before glancing over at the doors only to see nick peeking through the tall square little windows. "ugh! go away!" she huffed though with no real venom behind it as much as she tried. however, as she headed towards him, pushing the door she was uncaring if it hit him, but of course he moved out of the way quicker than that.

excuses, excuses! that's all she heard. though it was better than him actually debating about finding some other girl, better not be any of her coworkers, she'd seen how some looked at him. taking her apron off she continued to give him the cold shoulder however her insides were thrumming with anger and that stupid love she had been slowly giving into more and more. "stupid!" she grumbled to herself under her breath as she shoved her apron into her bag and yanked the strap over her shoulder. when he agreed he was as she exited the diner she turned to him finally with a heavy huff. "no! not you, me. for ever falling for you in the first place!" she all but nearly shouted, hands balled in fists at her sides as her blonde waves bounced with her movements.

she straightened then, dark doe eyes widening as her face flushed at the confession before quickly turning on her heel and hurrying away. god, how could she just say that!? why did she always say embarrassing things around him?! "ughhh!" she gave a loud frustrated groan as she stomped off into the night.

[team-heavenly]

Chapter 26 - Part 3

You know the drill by now. Part one is here, part two is here...

Yeah, so uhhh, fun fact! In all my years of playing this game, I never once tried to leave Aegis Cave apparently, because this genuinely surprised me. THERE'S AN INVISIBLE WALL. YOU CAN'T LEAVE. YOU CAN ONLY FINISH THE STORY LINE, FAINT, OR USE AN ESCAPE ORB.

And this kinda upset me because, y'know, for the first time this entire damn run, I finally had a pile of Orans and Apples and other basic things, and I wanted to drop them off in storage to make room for more.

The good news: I did in fact pick up an Escape Orb, so we said SEE YUH!

While we were back in town, I fed a Wonder Gummi to Celebi via Rotom's juicebar, and we got two surprises packed into one!

WUH- OKAY THEN.

And now, some moments that nearly gave me a freaking heart attack.

Damage runs deep </3 Hell of a line.

Also, moments that nearly make your eyeballs fall out of your head until you remember your Garchomp has Huge Power.

Speaking of, here is a non-inclusive list of the moves and abilities I remember seeing from the Unown (either in dungeon or from recruits):

Moves:

Ice Ball

Faint Attack

Thrash

Hyper Beam

Luster Purge

Lunar Dance

Gunk Shot

Dark Pulse

Extrasensory

Hammer Arm

Spit Up

Flash Cannon

Abilities:

Sturdy

Illuminate

Truant

Aftermath

Natural Cure

Serene Grace

Bad Dreams

Drizzle

Cloud Nine

Snow Warning

Heatproof

Filter

A true grab bag, which was honestly kind of fun when it wasn't trying to kill us.

Anyway, we only had to go through three times before getting all the stones we needed and then some! IYKYK.

When we return to the waypoint, we do a funky little dance just kidding, we only close our eyes.

So, here I am, entering the Nonsensical Expanse, getting pumped we get to find out who the first of the three Regis are, right?

But then I have something so unexpected happen that my 3DS nearly falls from my hands.

Wh-

WHAT DO YOU MEAN IT ISN'T HERE?!?!?!

No, but I was legitimately upset over this. I consulted my friend @exploring-the-sky to see if love knew anything about it.

Well, this is what happens when you use a build from nearly two years ago, I guess.

At every portion of Aegis Cave, I left at least once and came back, and it was always the same. There was no one to fight. So now we'll never know who Regice is! That beautiful guidepost I put together to translate every character and place from their canon counterparts? You know, my actual pride and joy? I literally CAN'T put anything down for Regice now except ??? or ERROR 404.

THANKS A LOT, GAME!!! >:l

Or just replace it with any Pokémon you want, I don't make the rules here.

Next stop: Neat Creek.

We already have C and K so this shouldn't be too painful... I hope.

Nevertheless, when we inevitably come back around, we find what looks like a letter...

Wait, did y'all actually run into a boss? DID Y'ALL ACTUALLY FIGHT A BOSS?? PLEASE, TEAM CHARM, I'M BEGGING YOU-

Ugh, well. Guess we're about to find out, anyhow. We enter the Colossal Rift and hold our breaths...

OH THANK ARCEUS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW HAPPY I AM TO SEE YOU!!

...Words said before disaster, Part 21,894-

Despite our one-two punch of Meteor Mash and Powder Snow on Celebi, Rhyhorn wouldn't go down easy. In fact, he got off some Dragon Dances , which made me kinda nervous! And Seed Flare missed, like, 4 times in a row?? Then I REALLY started to panic when he used Mirror Move! But in the end, we persevered.

Ohhhh, I see... so, Not Regice just granted us the guardian's permission pre-emptively and went "lol bye losers, I'm out"? That's the explanation I'm going with, anyway :P

When we approach the Nonsensical Trench, there seems to be no sign of Team Charm...

We picked up two E stones in the last segment of the dungeon, so all we're missing is S, T, and L.

Why, hello there! This one even gave us a stone right away :)

It turns out Unown S and T also spawn on this very first floor! I stuck it out as long as I could and, lo and behold, we didn't have to go through more than once! \o/

Okay, now you gotta do the ritual thing to move on to Part 4.

[keithsangstyass]

had a new oc idea so im just gonna rant about her in a read more because i need to put these thoughts down or im going to spontaneously combust

Basic gist is that she can see spirits/sense the paranormal. I was initially thinking of making her for a Monster of the Week character, but then I was thinking about my character Specter and HOO BOY

So Specter has rapid regeneration and I've been toying with the idea of basic immortality. In the most recent Masks game we've been playing, she's struggling with feeling like she's competent in any way since she's the only one on the team without flashy powers. So, I came up with this side thing (because it's not likely to happen in canon) where the villain abducts/"kills" her and starts draining her powers to fuel their own immortality.

In comes new OC (tentatively named "Jenny"). She's just moved from another town (in the shared universe of the TTRPG group I'm in, I think it'd be cute if she was from "Willow Bluff" which is where all the spooky/paranormal stories take place) and is basically trying to get away from using her powers. Yeah, superheroes have powers, but they aren't creatures of the night so that's better...right?

Nope! Day one, Jenny is on her way to school, and sees a spirit orb. It's not completely unusual, everywhere is going to have orbs, but this one stands out for whatever reason. She winds up following it back to the base where Specter frequented. Once there, the orb takes shape into a person, and it's obvious that they're trying to get the attention of somebody.

Jenny tries to get the team to see Specter, but they're all convinced she's dead/gone. Still, Jenny winds up winning them over, and she hangs around them while keeping an eye on Specter. In the meantime, she and Specter get closer since Jenny is literally the only person that can see her.

Of course, Specter is still upset that her friends can't see or help her, because she has some memory issues (cue angsty trying to reach out to her friends or yell their names and no one answers (': ) . She just knows that the team feels like home, but bits and pieces are coming back. Unfortunately, the more Specter learns, the harder it is for her to manifest. Jenny does what she can to help, but they both start to realize that Specter's time is running out, and that's when they learn that Specter's body is still alive.

Cue big rescue scene and bringing Specter back to life. Of course, at the end, Jenny is cupping Specter's spirit orb/soul as it flickers and nearly fades, but she gets there just in time to bring Specter back.

Specter lives again and she and Jenny fall in love and it's cute and yes ;.;

Jenny wouldn't really be much of an active super in the scenario, more she just likes the team as friends, and wants to help them get back their missing teammate (even if they don't believe her). She's usually pretty quiet and sweet, but a little stubborn when she wants to be. She's awkward because she's bigger for a teenager both in height and weight plus the otherness of her abilities. The team and Specter both help her feel welcome and loved though and aklsfdkl

I love her. Even just as a character without the little story blurb I've been thinking of.

[wings-of-life]

Oh, rest his soul. What a precious little skeleton. Null looked so happy to be invited, it nearly made Pap say 'aw' out loud. He was also relieved when the offer was accepted. That had gone over much better than expected. He supposed that was his cue though. He slowly stood up and got closer, squatting nearby and trying to still give Null as much space as possible. "Alright, I'm gonna teleport us there then. That okay? It might feel a little weird at first, but it won't hurt. Just make sure you hold on tight to Angel's hand and don't let go." He watched Null to make sure he was doing just that before taking Angel's other hand and holding it just as tight. "On the count of three then. One, two—" "—Three." And just like that they were no longer in the void. Instead they were seated in the snow in Snowdin forest just outside of town. "There we go, easy peasey."

Null tensed as Pap approached, scooting a little closer to Angel for protection. When asked if being teleported was okay Null nodded, squeezing Angel's hand tighter in response like he was instructed. It'd been a long time since he'd gone somewhere else, he wondered if it'd look anything like somewhere he'd been before. He took a deep breath and prepared himself, already tensing when Pap said two— It was so much white. That was the first thought that went through his head and he squinted his eyes against it, eventually closing them entirely. It's so alive, was the second thought. He knew there would be a lot of life force around him if he left the void, that's what'd happened the last couple times anyway, but god the sheer amount of it compared to the nothingness of the void made his head feel like an overfull balloon about to burst. He gripped the sides of his head and whimpered, trying to focus on his breathing and tune out the hundreds of thousands of different streams of lights clamoring for his attention. A branch snapped nearby as the snow on top of it grew too heavy and Null quietly gasped in pain, his finger spasming and curling like it'd been the thing that'd broken. Every rustle of leaves, every groan from the trees, it was all reflected on Null's face in tiny minute twitches and changes in his expression. It was so much. Not nearly as much as some of the other places he'd been before, but it was still such a whiplash to go from sensory deprivation to this.

She gave a gentle squeeze back and an encouraging smile. She was very proud of how well he was handling it all so far. She was about to tell him it was going to be okay when the nothing of teleportation swallowed any sound she could make. The shock of colour and cold hit her as well, though she'd been anticipating it. It was still very bright all of a sudden, and her eyes needed a few moments to adjust. She blinked a few times before she was able to fully relax her eyes and see again. Just in time to feel Null letting go of her and seeing him grip his head.

Shit.

She knew he was sensitive to life energy but hadn't known to what extent. Had she known it would be this hard on him, she would've set everything up Hotland or New Home. Shit, shit, shit, shit. Throwing the carefulness from before into the wind, she pulled the small skeleton into a hug. Praying to the stars that it wouldn't make it worse. She gently stroked his back. "Null, it's okay. You're going to be okay. Just try and take some deep breaths," she took some deep breaths herself, both for him to mimic as well as to calm down herself, "Do you want to go home? You can go home whenever you need, okay? I won't be upset."

They could relocate everything to his void. It would be a bit of a hassle, and she wouldn't be able to do everything she'd hoped, but if it would help him, she'd do it in a heartbeat.

All I want for Gyftmas

[bbugyu]

of all the views you had seen, there was little that could compare to him.

6.2k | cavalry captain!jeonghan x gn pyro!reader, genshin impact au, fluff, adventure, drinking, so much flirting, mentions of trauma, honestly this is the sweetest i'm ever gonna write jeonghan

happy inazuma release day!!! it's your local kaeya trash, because i predictably fall for gay bastards that lie straight to my face (example: jeonghan), and i'm here to give you a fic i wrote AGES ago and just polished up a bit to celebrate the release of what is likely going to be my FAVORITE region in genshin impact. i'm japanese so 😅 i have a soft spot. if there's any other gaymer carats out there, enjoy this one. if not, sorry! you can actually probably still read this and understand it for the most part, though you might miss a bit of context of the landscape and the lore.

ps. go tell @babiemingoo that wonwoo xinqiu 🤭

~

your work with the adventurer's guild was always efficient. you received your commissions, you carried them out, then returned for your reward, usually before the sun had even peaked. the rest of your day was generally spent either basking in the eternal sun of mondstadt, feeding cats in inazuma, or enjoying a hard earned meal in liyue, depending on where you decided to stay that week, finding board and paying for it with the commission you had earned that day. your tendency to wander came less from choice and more from nature - you could call yourself a nomad, but generally, you just got bored, and preferred seeing everything teyvat had to offer rather than settling in one place. adventuring was simply what you were meant to do, your mother had told you at a young age.

she, too, had wandered for most of her youth, and didn't stop just because you had come into her life. you remembered getting scooped up because you had wandered off a bit too close to the railing at wangshu inn as a toddler, playing with dogs at the docks of liyue harbor. you remembered the ludi harpastum and the first time you had ever had a sweet honey roast, and the way it made your eyes grow ten times in size before you dug in for more.

when your vision was bestowed upon you, you already knew how to use a sword. it was important, your mother told you, that you knew how to protect yourself. she had a vision as well, younger even than you had, and you had come to recognize the static in the air as a sign that she was angry - whether it was because of an altercation with someone on your journey or because you had secretly eaten the last hashbrown without consulting her first.

she used her vision and a sturdy blade she had owned since before you were born to protect the two of you on the road, but when she felt you were old enough, she taught you how to weild. a two handed weapon that was far too big for you when you were only fourteen, but when your reckless abandon got paired with a spark, you suddenly became far more dangerous than even your own mother. she scolded you for nearly starting a forest fire when you tried to pair the two skills for the first time after receiving your vision, and you both agreed that training was a beach activity from then on.

your mother settled eventually, after you were old and skilled enough to take on the road alone, pulling the many favors she had gathered in her travels to build a home in a small neighborhood south of liyue harbor, nestled in the foothills of mount tianheng, where you visited as often as your wandering allowed.

you had become much better with your vision. more careful but just as hot. quick to scan situations and strategize in the moment, hardly taking a second before jumping into action, slaying hilichurls like you were getting paid. well, you were, you supposed, but you had been doing this long before you had discovered the benefit of joining the guild. you were good at it. you were built for adventure, but revelled in leisure. there was good reason you were able to take afternoons off, and you milked every last second of it.

"you're back in town?"

you grinned, leaning your sword against the wall and dropping your bag off your shoulders before settling at the bar. "for now."

rubin often served you alcohol - when you were in mondstadt, at least, however often that may be - but never questioned you deeply. he would ask how your travels were, and listen to your stories from regions beyond his knowledge, of the cultures that he had only heard of from people like you. he enjoyed them just about as much as any, if not a little more, purely because your tenacious personality brought something more to the table. he wondered, though, how long you intended to keep living day by day, sleeping in different beds every week.

"what's wrong with sleeping in different beds?" you teased, laughing into your wine glass. "if i didn't know any better, i'd think you were shaming me, rube."

rubin simply laughed, knowing your tone by now. "i just wonder if you ever intend on digging in your roots, or if you'll continue travelling forever."

"if i dig roots, you may never see me again. is that what you want?"

"what," he said. "you don't like mondstadt?"

"i love monstadt," you assured him. "but i also love inazuma. and my mother is in liyue, though she might be upset with me if i try to settle too close to her. perhaps natlan would suit me more?" you shrugged finally, the door behind you opening as you finished with "i suppose i'll settle when i've found a reason to love one place more than the rest."

rubin shook his head, a chuckle falling from his lips. "a wanderer through and through." his attention was quickly drawn to the man entering the bar. "ah, captain! the usual?"

"please," the decorated man said, quickly taking a seat beside you despite the rest of the bar being available. "would you like another, wanderer?"

you eyed him cautiously, studying what you could see if his face around the black eyepatch, gaze skimming down his elaborate clothing before looking down at your emptied drink. "sure."

"another for your wandering friend, rubin, on my tab, please." your brain swirled, considering the brief information you had been given and wondered how you had never managed to meet this regular during your past visits. "are you just drinking dandelion wine, or something more fun?"

"more fun?" you asked. "what are you drinking, then?"

"well, a death after noon, of course," he stated. "don't tell me you haven't had one."

you blinked at him. "i haven't."

you turned towards rubin when he laughed at the back and forth. "shall i make two, then?"

"definitely," your new drinking buddy said, then gestured to you. "you trust my taste, right?"

you said nothing, but he accepted your silent smile as an agreeance. "captain," you said finally, thinking of how rubin had addressed him. "of?"

the man turned towards you, his elbow planted on the bar and his cheek on a fist. despite his get up, he had a playful smirk across his lips. "you mean, my reputation doesn't precede me? you really are a wanderer. everyone in mondstadt knows my name."

"everyone but me," you corrected. "as i'm currently in mondstadt."

his teeth shone behind his smirking lips before he sat up straight. "well, allow me to introduce myself." he saluted, his arm extending from his side at an angle - a salute you recognized from the guards around the city. "i am jeonghan, the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius."

"ah, the knights," you smiled briefly, before letting your eyes wander as you thought, crossing your arms over the bar. "i don't see much of a cavalry in the city, though."

he let out an amused exhale. "so i have a bit more free time these days."

"i'm sure the acting grand master is jealous of all your free time," you teased. "poor guy, looks like he's staving off a panic attack every time i see him. you should probably help him more."

"so," he sighed, leaning against the bar again. "you know of the acting grand master but not me?"

"jihoon?" you asked. "of course i know of him. he's all anyone ever talks about around here."

jeonghan nodded once, thanking rubin when he placed two drinks before you. "people talk about me, also, you know."

your lips stuck out in a pout. "jeonghan, you said? doesn't ring a bell."

he rolled his eyes and picked up his drink, holding it out for you to cheers against. you giggled, clinking your glass against his before taking a sip. the golden liquid was sweet, but not like the dandelion wine you had grown to love in this region. it had more depth, a subtle bitterness to it, and a refreshing bubble. you stared after the glass when it left your lips, then looked over to find jeonghan grinning at you.

"i see why it's your usual," you said, taking another sip before placing the glass on the bar. "i could drink too many."

"will you?" he asked.

"not tonight," you replied coolly. "i haven't asked sana to put me up at the guild yet, and if i get there too late, i'll get a cot instead of a bed. unless rubin finally wants to come clean about something?"

the bartender laughed. "how many times do i have to tell you? we don't even have rooms to board."

you squinted at him. "i know there's something upstairs. i'll learn your secrets one day, rube."

"i wouldn't be a very good bartender if i didn't know how to keep them."

"so you're in the guild?" jeonghan asked as rubin attended to another patron. "an adventuring wanderer."

you smiled vaguely at him. "i am. i have to pay for my travels somehow."

he shrugged. "there's other ways to make money. probably more profitable, too."

you eyed his teasing smirk. "i'm not sure i know what you're implying."

"as a captain of the knights of favonius, i assure you, i'm implying nothing at all," he said, exhaling sharply and adjusting on his stool. he leaned over towards you before speaking in a quieter tone. "but as jeonghan, i think you know exactly what i'm implying."

you only laughed, recognizing the thinly veiled attempt to worm a secret out of you. "i outgrew those means a long time ago. besides, when mora gets tight, i can always board up with my mother. i like liyue enough."

jeonghan studied you as you drank again. "liyue's home, is it?'

"for her, yes," you said, looking over to him, but you found yourself looking away again when his steely blue gaze met yours. you thought carefully about how much of yourself you were willing to reveal to this stranger, especially considering how important he was in the rule of the city. "she was a wanderer, too, and ended up falling in love with liyue harbor."

jeonghan made note of the way your face softened as you spoke about your mother. "and what about you?"

you met his intent look again, thinking about how his covered eye somehow made him even more intimidating. perhaps that was its purpose. "what about me?"

"what have you fallen in love with?"

a smile crept onto your lips as you processed his question. "oh, archons, what have i not fallen in love with? the smell of the open ocean in inazuma, the breathtaking temples in sumeru - have you ever been to waterfall city?"

jeonghan merely shook his head at you, the corners of his mouth turning upwards as he put his cheek on a fist again, leaning against the bar. "beautiful?"

you exhaled, eyes wide as you thought of the towering falls and the light mist that covered the city, trying to come up with an apt description. "humbling. there's nothing like it."

he watched your expression, head tilting further. "what a wonderful way to describe a place. tell me more."

your gaze went to him, then away briefly, feeling suddenly shy as you noticed his look. "about waterfall city?"

he shrugged a fur covered shoulder, shaking his head lightly. "about anywhere. describe your world, wanderer. i'd like to hear whatever you have to say."

you wondered if the heat that ran through you was because of the alcohol or the man, but you just took another drink and cleared your throat lightly, thinking of more places you had discovered in your travels. you thought of qingce village, one of your favorite places to visit, because the people are kind and welcoming and the fields are so beautiful. you told him about a tea shop owned by an old man - he insisted you call him pops so fiercely that you weren't even sure you had caught his given name - and it was probably the most relaxing cup of tea you ever had.

"it's been a while since i've gone," you sighed. "i think i'm overdue for a chat with pops and his tea."

jeonghan was smiling when you looked at him again. "the tea in liyue is unmatched," he said, reaching for his drink. before taking another sip, he gestured for you to continue.

so you did. you told him about sakura pond, about celestia city, about the volcanic black beaches. you told him liyue had your favorite people, but inazuma had your favorite food. he clicked his tongue at you.

"what about mondstadt? do we have one of your favorites?"

you smiled, genuinely. "sunsets. the night sky is different here than it is anywhere else. i think mondstadt is the closest we can get to the stars without joining the archons."

jeonghan studied you briefly, his blue eye flicking over your face as you finished your drink. "i think that's an apt observation. it seems your eyes are always wide."

"i travel for the views," you exhaled. "i don't plan on missing any."

he thought a second. "have you been to starsnatch cliff?"

your eyes lit up. "not in years," you said, in complete shock that you could have forgotten such a place. you pushed from the bar slightly, turning towards him, and he noticed the flash of a red gem strapped to your right thigh for the first time. "my mother took me there when i was a kid, but i haven't gone since."

"it never gets old," he said, sipping at the end of his drink. "i've yet to see that view and not be in awe."

"i'll go before i leave mondstadt again," you decided.

he looked to you. "when will that be?"

you sighed. "not sure, yet."

he just chuckled. "would you like another drink?"

"oh, no," you said, standing and stretching your spine. "i should make my leave. i don't like sleeping on cots. i just came by to let my ol' pal rube know i was in town again."

jeonghan watched you pull your pack onto your back, grabbing the handle of your sheathed claymore from where it was leaning against the wall next to the bar. "perhaps i'll see you again tomorrow?"

you looked at him, a vague smile on your lips as you strapped your sword back on. "perhaps you will, captain."

"jeonghan," he corrected. "but i don't believe you ever shared your name?"

"that was by design, captain," you said, and he swore he caught a glint in your eye as you bid rubin a farewell and stepped out of the angel's share.

jeonghan spun back around on his stool, immediately looking to rubin. "do you know their name?"

"no, sir," he said, looking at the closed door. "they've never said."

jeonghan's gaze went to the empty glass you had left behind, thinking about your stories, your sword, and the signifier of your vision on your thigh. "fascinating."

you got lucky - sana had a private room for you, and said you were welcome to rent it for your stay. she said not many people were travelling to mondstadt these days, and that more often than not, the adventurer's barracks in headquarters went unused. ever since the fatui had holed up in the grand goth hotel, it had been harder for you to make extended stays in mondstadt, but it seemed that something was telling you to stick around longer than usual. you laid on the hard mattress - a feeling that was more comforting than most, thanks to your continuous travels - and thought of the charming captain that had made a night of questioning you. you wondered if he really had any interest in anything you had to say, or if he had been hoping for details about something pertinent to an investigation.

you packed a lighter bag in the morning, only bringing along the essentials as you set out for your commissions for the day. that afternoon, you wandered around mondstadt and asked questions. questions about the simultaneously well-discussed and mysterious cavalry captain that had listened to your tales of travel, and answers came easier than expected, though they didn't contain all the details you were looking for. that night, you waited up at the angel's share to brag about your newfound knowledge to the captain that never showed, and you did your best to not let that hurt your ego.

the next day, you made a detour on your way back to the city after completing your commissions, stopping by springvale to enjoy a well deserved lunch and catch up with some locals. you sat in the grass with a skewer of grilled meat, watching the windmills of mondstadt steadily spin in the distance as time passed, thinking about how rubin had asked you if you didn't like it here.

you did, you decided. mondstadt felt different than anywhere else you had been. untouched, almost. wilder. freer. despite being born in inazuma, your first memories being in celestia, or your mother being in liyue, mondstadt felt comfortable. felt like a home. you wondered to yourself what that might mean.

sana greeted you happily when you returned much later than you normally did. she told you to go ahead to the guild and come back, filing away your reports and retrieving your rewards. you dropped off your things in your rented room, quickly, practically galloping back down the steps towards the entrance of the city to continue your conversation with the adventurer guilds' mighty receptionist without your sword weighing you down. you crossed your arms on the counter, comfortably lounging as you chatted with her, having always enjoyed her conversations more than most. like rubin, she was a reason mondstadt always felt comfortable.

"fancy meeting you here," an all too familiar voice said, and you pulled your eyes from sana to find jeonghan leaning his side against the counter next to you.

"good evening, cavalry captain!" sana chirped, placing your reward - your room free already removed - on the counter and bowing politely. "can i help you with anything today?"

his icy gaze flickered from your lightly curved lips towards sana. "oh, no, my dear. i'm just coming back from an investigation near springvale"

"interesting," you said, eyeing him. "i was just there and didn't see you."

"i wouldn't be very good at my job if you did, wanderer," he grinned. "knight business, you wouldn't understand. got the assignment yesterday."

"ah," you shifted to your side to face him, making him eye the vision on your thigh. "is that why you never showed? rubin was worried."

he looked you up and down. "rubin was, huh?"

you rolled your eyes and adjusted your posture to face away from his smirk. sana looked between the two of you twice before clearing her throat as quietly as possible, making jeonghan let out a chuckle before he directed his attention to the guild's receptionist.

"how goes holding the post, sana?"

she looked almost frightened when the attention was directed back to her. "good, captain! in fact, one of our most capable adventurers-" she gestured to you, "-just returned from taking care of some of our more difficult commissions - no one else would take them."

jeonghan looked at you. "why did sana have to tell your secret?"

your eyebrows quirked upwards. "what secret?"

"that you're good at this. shouldn't you be bragging?"

a chuckle spilled from your lips, and jeonghan watched you as you looked away. "i'm not the bragging type."

he studied you a moment. "what type are you, then?"

you considered the question, wondering exactly how to answer. what type were you? if not a teller, than surely you must be a shower, but that didn't seem right either. you exhaled. "the quiet type. see you later, sana."

he laughed, pushing off the counter as you tucked your mora into your waist bag, wishing sana a good evening and following you towards the fountain. "you sure talk a lot for being the quiet type."

a smirk landed itself on your lips as he fell into step beside you. "maybe private is a better description."

"that one i can see," jeonghan said, looking over to you. he thought of how you had spent nearly an hour telling him about the best views in teyvat, yet he still didn't know the most basic information about you. "do you share your name with anyone?"

you thought. "my mother."

he scoffed. "anyone else?"

you looked to the sky. "rubin."

"wrong," he retorted. "he doesn't know your name, either."

you laughed, looking over to him as you came up to the fountain, spinning and sitting back on the ledge. "you asked?"

"of course i asked," he said, planting one foot on the ledge beside you and placing his arms on his knee. "i asked other people, too. almost everyone knows you, but they don't know anything about you. bits and pieces, but never the full picture."

you just smiled up at him from your relaxed posture on the concrete. "what's wrong with a little intrigue?"

he just smiled back at you. "nothing. i tend to keep a bit myself. did you know there's a large number of people in this city that were shocked when i said you wield a claymore?"

you hummed, dipping the tips of your fingers into the fountain. "did you know there's a large number of people in this city that consider you the most eligible bachelor in not only mondstadt, but in all of teyvat?"

his lips parted slightly as you spoke. "so you snooped, too."

"i was bored yesterday. it wasn't hard," you exhaled. you flicked a drop of water towards his foot. "jeonghan yoon, the cavalry captain of the knights of favonius since he was only nineteen. who loves wine and whose adopted brother runs the biggest winery in teyvat, yet they're hardly ever seen speaking. who comes from a far off land on a different continent, but has come to love mondstadt like it was his home. who wears an eyepatch but has never told anyone why."

he chuckled at the assessment and pulled his foot off the ledge to sit beside you. "so when do i get to learn about you?"

"i told you about me yesterday," you said.

"you told me about teyvat," he corrected. "and while i was able to infer some things about your character, i still know close to nothing about you."

you thought for a moment, realizing no one had ever noticed how little you truly shared despite always being willing to tell stories. "sometimes it feels like i am teyvat. it's hard to think of things that are just about me."

"you could start with that vision," he said, nodding at the strap across your thigh. you looked down at it, exhaling.

"what's there to tell? you know what it means, and that's more teyvat than me, too."

he leaned back on a hand, looking you up and down in curiosity. "how old were you."

you chewed your cheek. "fourteen. you?"

his lip quirked upwards. "sixteen."

you bumped his shoulder with yours playfully. "beat you."

he laughed. "how'd it happen?"

you paused. "you go first."

he just chuckled and looked away, watching a dog wander past the general store. "another day, then."

"no fun," you sighed, brushing your hands together as you leaned forward. "what about the eyepatch?"

he met your eyes, mouth slanted in a smirk. "another day."

you clicked your tongue. "if you wanna learn about me, you have to be willing to give up some details, too. i value a fair trade."

"then stop asking questions that you know i won't share the answer to." jeonghan noticed the color of the sky, then suddenly pulled a pocket watch out, checking it quickly to confirm that there was enough time and stood. "come with me?"

you stared up at him. "where?"

he grinned, extending a hand to help you to your feet. "you said mondstadt's sunsets were your favorite, correct?"

you generally weren't prone to following mysterious men into back corridors, but jeonghan easily convinced you with no words at all that sneaking around the sight line of the acting grand master was completely normal behavior, sushing you with a grin as you giggled, taking refuge around a corner after the two of you made it up to the second floor of the favonius headquarters. he tugged your hand with his, pulling you into a steep maintenance staircase behind a door.

"this feels like it's against some rules," you said, climbing the stairs behind him.

"nonsense," he said, looking back at you and grinning. "are you suggesting that a knight of favonius would break rules just to impress a mysterious traveler?"

you laughed quietly, wondering if he really meant that he wanted to impress you. "not most, but maybe this one."

he only thought for a split second. "if anyone asks, we're on official knight business."

he opened the door and you found the sky again, beginning to glow orange as the edge of the sun began to hide behind the cliffs. you stared in awe at the way the few fluffy clouds reflected pink and gold, then readjusted your focus when jeonghan spoke again.

"i hope you aren't afraid of heights," he said, walking over to the parapets that surrounded you. "the best view requires a bit of a climb."

you looked up at the tower, and while it wasn't much higher than where you stood, you also recognized that you were well above most of mondstadt already. "you climb up there?"

he paused, studying you. "we don't have to, we can just sit on a merlon-"

"no, we can climb," you said, walking over to where he was and eyeing the small gap between the parapet and the adjacent roof. "hop over?"

he laughed, stepping over the gap and holding a hand out for you. "watch your step."

and though you didn't need it, you accepted the hand anyways, and it stayed on yours as you walked over the roof to the tower, as if making sure you didn't misstep several stories in the air.

"would you like to go first?" he asked. "i'll catch you if you fall."

you rolled your eyes at him, dropping your hand from his grip. "you go first. i want to see where the handholds are."

he just grinned at you. "very well," he said, tugging on the wrists of his fingerless gloves to make sure they were taught against his skin before taking hold of a brick. you watched him as he took foothold after foothold, and he resisted the urge to show off by speedily scaling the wall in favor of making sure you had the chance to see where he gripped. when he reached the opening in the tower, he pulled himself up and spun around, exhaling with a grin as he seated himself at the ledge with his legs dangling above you.

"your turn."

you adjusted your waist bag as you sighed in amused annoyance, spinning it to be behind you and out of your hips' way to climb the wall. it wasn't much - a couple meters, maybe - and you had definitely climbed further, but jeonghan's presence made you slightly nervous. that nervousness, however, just fueled you to prove yourself.

you scaled the wall easily, making jeonghan whistle and jokingly call you some kind of adventurer, and your only hesitation came when his hand was in your face. despite your initial inclination to ignore it, you put your left hand in his, allowing him to help you pull yourself up on the ledge and sit beside him.

"impressive," he commented.

you laughed, brushing off your hands. "you, too."

"c'mon," he said, gesturing his head over his shoulder before making moves to stand. "the view's on the other side."

you sighed, looking over the view of mondstadt shrouded in golden light as he stood and walked to the other ledge. "never a moment of rest with you."

"if you want to miss the sunset, be my guest."

you leaned back on your hands and laughed, pulling your gaze away from the city to look at where jeonghan had seated himself on the other end of the tower, and subsequently the view of the rolling hills beyond him that were glowing golden in the evening sun. you blinked for a second, realizing you hadn't seen the sunset the night before, and quickly got to your feet to join him before you missed this one, too.

he gave you a soft smile when you sat beside him, and you briefly wondered how many he had in his repertoire. the wind was stronger higher, whipping gently through his hair and alleviating any uncomfortable warmth you may have had from exerting yourself on the way up. you watched the dregs of sunlight skip across the grassy hills and the sky turn deep orange and bright pink, feet swinging lightly over the edge of the tower.

"i was fighting with my brother," he said suddenly, causing you to look at him with a start before you realized he was telling you about his vision. there was a slight smile on his face as he looked out on the fields. "hyungwon. it was bad. he already had his - he's a pyro, like you - and we were both young and stupid and just lost our dad. we were sword fighting and it came to me when i needed it. it probably saved my life, honestly."

you blinked at him. "you think he would have killed you?'

he exhaled, leaning back on his hands. "i think if the roles had been reversed, i would have tried to kill him, too. i'm grateful it didn't go that way, though." he coughed abruptly, clearing his throat. "we're on speaking terms, and i do love him as a brother, but i generally avoid him."

you let that thought ruminate as you watched the sun sink, halfway beyond the horizon. "my father was in a gang in inazuma, but my mom ran away when she found out she was pregnant. didn't want to raise a kid in that world, i guess? we ran into him when i got older and he wasn't very understanding." you paused, remembering the detail too well. "they were going to take her vision. that's what they did to traitors. probably take me, too. they weren't expecting me to start setting fires."

jeonghan's gaze was on you as yours was on the horizon. "just a couple of survivors."

you looked over at him, a smirk on your lips. "a couple?"

he laughed waving at your implication, thinking he would have said the same thing in an attempt to fluster you just as you were to him. "like, more than one and less than four."

you only laughed back. "fortune favors the weak, i suppose. the archons saw we needed help and extended a fig branch."

"is that what it was?" he asked, a laugh on his lips. "we were both fighting people. that's hardly an offer of peace."

"look for the deeper meaning, jeonghan. we were fighting for our lives," you pointed out, and he realized it was the first time you had addressed him by his name rather than his title. "i was fighting for family. for freedom. is that not the greatest pursuit of peace?"

he watched you as you pulled your knees to your chest, putting your feet on the edge of the stonework surface you sat on. he studied the way the golden rays lit your skin and made your eyes sparkle. "i suppose so."

you paused in that moment for a long while, and jeonghan allowed the comfortable silence as the two of you watched the sun disappear beyond the cliffs of mondstadt. the sky was turning a deep shade of purple when you told him your name, and jeonghan thought that it was quite possibly the best news he had ever received, but he kept that joy to himself as he confirmed your name, and you rolled your eyes.

"are you gonna answer my other question now?"

he scoffed. "about the eyepatch? is it really that interesting?"

"not any more interesting than my name," you retorted.

"completely untrue," jeonghan insisted. "i've never been so excited to be told a secret, and i get told a lot of secrets."

you eyed his smile warily. "my name may be unknown, but it's no secret."

he sighed and shook his head lightly. "you really wanna know the reason i wear it? it's probably not as dramatic as you're hoping."

"yet you hide it?"

he laughed. "what's wrong with a little intrigue?"

you looked away, recognizing the parrot of your own words. "whatever you say, captain."

"no!" he whined and grabbed your arm, making you start and look at him with big eyes. "you just started calling me jeonghan, don't go back to captain."

you stared at him, only breaking to laugh, dropping your legs over the edge again. "you won't show me what's under the eyepatch, so i thought we weren't on first name basis."

his hand on your bicep was warm and gentle, but his gaze was piercing as he thought it over for a bit longer. you did your best to hold it, but you felt yourself shrinking when he quietly muttered, "go on, then."

it took you a second to register what he meant, and you reached out slowly, fingers hesitating before they brushed upon his cheekbone. jeonghan closed his eyes, resigning to your touch as you gently lifted the eyepatch. his eyes opened again, slowly, and you thought your heart might have skipped a beat.

"like chocolate," you commented, and a smile spread across his lips.

"that's the kindest reaction i've gotten."

your fingers fell upon his temple, brushing down gently as you inspected his singular brown eye. "since birth?"

he nodded, his eyes flicking down to your lips briefly before he spoke. "heterochromia. it's a characteristic of my family."

you studied his face. "not the one here?"

he sighed. "not the one here."

the icy blue of jeonghan's eye had always struck something in you. it made him mysterious. commanding. it felt like he saw more than you despite having one eye covered. but now, you felt warm. you felt his gentleness. there was comfort hidden away behind that black patch, and you told him that you understood why the cavalry captain had chosen to hide the eye he did.

but to you, he was willing to show anything that would keep you around longer, he said.

"why me?" you asked, studying his expression when he looked away. the sun had retreated behind the hills, leaving the sky a deep blue.

jeonghan didn't respond right away, and you wondered if he himself even knew the answer. "we're birds of a feather, you and i."

you looked out to the view again, watching the subtle movements of the wild hills. "did you travel much before you came here?"

"it was all i knew," he told you. "i was thirteen when my father left me here."

your neck snapped, your eyes on his profile when he leaned back on his hands. "left you?"

he almost laughed, a smile on his lips when his eyes met yours. "i was slowing him down, i suppose. hyungwon's father found me and took me in."

"so you stayed?"

"i didn't always want to," he assured you. "i had the itch to leave for years. as soon as i was able, i always told myself." he paused, eyes dropping. "then father died. then hyungwon turned down his position with the knights. and i was their second choice."

you pursed your lips. "you stayed for a job."

he laughed. "it's not that simple."

you smiled at him, enjoying the warmth of his eyes on yours as the sky cooled. "are you sure we're birds of a feather?"

"listen," he said, getting off his hands and brushing them off on his thighs. "i accepted the job so that i could set the story straight. i didn't want to run from the people that believed that hyungwon tried to kill me to avenge our father."

you studied him. "i'm sorry."

"don't be," he said, nudging your shoulder. "i was still planning on leaving, but then i fell in love."

you looked away, trying to sort out the way your stomach flipped. "are they still around?"

"not with a person," he laughed, then nodded towards the now dark hills. "with the views. besides, i get free reign whenever i leave for missions. i have fun adventuring, and come home to the best sunsets in teyvat. there are worse places to call home."

your eyes scanned the horizon, remembering the brilliant rays of sun you had just seen skip across it. "that is tempting."

"how tempting?" he asked.

you thought on that for a moment. "almost as much as a death after noon right now."

jeonghan laughed, slightly proud that he had hooked you on his favorite drink. "shall we go see rubin, then?"

you hummed, smiling at the captain. "as long as i don't have to sit alone again."

"that's a promise," he told you as he stood, holding out a hand that you took without hesitation, though he withheld his intention to make sure you were never alone again.

[dragon-kazansky]

Til death do us part | Helmut Zemo

Bodyguard AU! 🕶

Gender neutral reader

Collage by @realremyd

[Previous chapter] - [Next chapter]

Part 4

London. Arriving to London was much the same as when you arrived to Paris. The Baron ignored you throughout the flight, you were in the follow up car to the hotel, which once again as the exact place you would expect a Baron to stay at, and then you were situated on his floor until he was ready for his meeting.

You figured at this point every meeting was going to be pretty much the same. Maybe you would be able to come up with some fun little games to play while you stood on guard.

You might as well since this was going to be a long process.

The Baron leaves for his meeting and you all follow him. Once again it's pretty much the same as it was in Paris. A meeting in an official building where alliances and such would be discussed and they would make a deal.

You began to wonder if your mental state would be able to handle so many days of this.

However, none of this seemed to last long.

On the dawn of the second day, you all got up and positioned yourself on the hotel floor like before. The Baron got dressed, was escorted to breakfast, returned to his room for a bit, and was then escorted to his meeting as per usual.

The only difference was that Steve wasn't present that day. He had recieved a call earlier from Stark, the big boss, and had to take it. Sam had taken over Steve's postion beside the Baron that morning.

Steve wasn't present on the way to the meeting that day, but he showed up just as the meeting started. He came over to where you and Bucky stood.

"We have an issue."

You both look at him, waiting.

"They're here. I have word that the group who are after the Baron is in London and they're in the area," he keeps his voice level.

You share a glance with Bucky.

"Instructions?" You ask.

"Pay attention. I don't know where they are, where they'll come from, but if they really are here, we have to act fast. When the meeting is over, do not let the Baron out of your sight. I know he isn't too fond of you, Y/N, but no matter what he says, don't leave his side."

"You can count on me, Steve."

He knows he can. He nods at you and leaves your side, making his way over to the others to alert them. You share another look with Bucky, both of you nodding.

The nod. A silent signal. It can be a greeting, or a full on conversation. It's a solid way of communicating without words.

The meeting goes on for an hour before Zemo exists. As soon as he does, both Bucky and yourself are at his side. You let Bucky do the talking, feeling the Baron will the listen to him over you.

"We believe your life to be at risk. We have word that group are in town and may be here for you. Please do as we say and we make sure you are escorted back to your hotel safely."

The Baron, at first, looks confused, but then he seems to become more serious. He glances at you and narrows his eyes.

"They sent you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Where are the others?" He asks.

"On watch. We can't take any chances. I know you don't think I'm capable, sir, but please work with us here. I'm here to a job, and I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety, sir."

Never before have you spoken to a client like that, but your words rang true. You had a job to do and you were going to do it.

He stares at you.

You can't tell if he's upset with you for talking to him like that, or if he was just trying to think about his options, of which he didn't have many.

"Very well. What do you want me to do?" He asks, looking at you. You don't have time to think about that too much.

"Remain calm as we walk you outside. The car is just outside across the road. We are going to get you inside. I ask that you keep your head down. If I ask you to get down, please get a close to the ground as possible. Barnes and I will shield you then best we can."

Zemo doesn't say anything as he looks at you. He nods. A nod of confirmation. He understood the protocol.

You glance at Bucky.

"Ready?" You ask him.

"Ready."

Bucky and yourself walk on either side of the Baron as you head for the doors. Natasha and Clint are right outside, eyes on the rooftops. Steve and Carol are right behind you. Sam is near the car, waiting.

You step outside casually. Bucky and yourself are trying to note every detail, every person who is on this street.

The silence in the air feels eerie.

You get Zemo out into the street. It's far too quiet for your liking. No other vehicles are turning down the road and that makes you uncomfortable.

You glance down the road.

You're all almost across the street. Looking at Sam, you see he has his eyes on the roof of the building you had just come from.

You don't like this.

You're nearly at the car.

A shot rings out in the air and everything happens all at once.

All bodyguards take out their weapons and keep them up as they try and pinpoint where the gunshot rang from. There was no sign of anyone. The Baron crouched down by the car, you take a knee beside him, Bucky shielding him from the other side.

You focus your eyes on the rooftops.

"I don't see anyone," you say down through the earpieces.

"Nothing," you hear Nat say.

"All clear here," Carol states.

"Clear," Clint responds.

"Don't let your guard down," Steve says.

There's another shot. It strikes the car. You swear under your breath as you look up at where it may have come from.

"Not the rooftop!" You state.

Bucky sees the open window. There's movement within, but he can't get an angle. He looks at you over his shoulder.

"I have to move, you going to be alright?" He asks.

You nod.

Zemo looks up at you, brows furrowed together.

"You're leaving me with them?" He asks, turning back to Bucky.

Bucky looks at him.

"You're in good hands."

Bucky says no more as he pushes away from the car and bolts further down the street, taking cover behind the car you had arrived in. You open the car door.

"Please get in, sir."

Zemo stares at you.

Another shot rings out, another one striking the car. He jumps slightly.

"Give me a weapon, I was military, I can shoot," he says.

"Sorry, sir, but I cannot do that. Please get in the car. I have to get you out of the area."

He glares at you, but he climbs into the car as he is told to do. You close the door behind him and stand up, keeping your back to the car. Zemo tucks himself down in front of the seats. He keeps his eyes on you through the window.

"Crazy," he mutters.

You turn to see Bucky waiting the person in the window. From where you moved to, they wouldn't be have a good enough shot on you. However, you should have remembered the fact that cars had stopped coming down this road.

Load screeching causes you turn around. A big bulky vehicle comes to a stop at the end of the street. Along with the others, you lift your gun and hold it up at the car. Nothing happens for a minute, but all at once the car doors open and several people jump out.

All of them are armed.

Helmut watches you raise your gun. It had been a long time since he felt fear like this. They were here for him.

Gunshots go off. He turns to see three of the people from the car either fall back, or backtrack to cover. The others continue to shoot at his bodyguards.

More gunfire and suddenly he can't see you any more.

Zemo moves and looks out the window properly. You're kneeling on the ground. You're hurt.

Zemo glances up and sees them getting back in the car. The windows are rolled down. He panics all of a sudden.

"Shit." He opens the car door and runs toward you. He kneels in front of you and looks down at you. You look at him, brow furrowed.

"Get back in the car!"

"You're hurt."

"No shit. Get back in the car."

You reach for your gun and hold it up toward the car. The engine revs. They're going to drive right into you if you don't move.

You fire a couple of shots, but they got you in the shoulder and it hurts like hell. You groped your gun and give the Baron a rough shove.

"GO!"

He hesitates. He looks at you. It looks like a lot of blood, but it probably wasn't. Still, he can't help how worried he feels right now.

Why was he so scared?

Maybe because this was the first time in years they had come for him, and seeing you bleeding out in front of him takes him back to that night.

Two strong hands grab him by the shoulders and pull him back. He's startled for a moment. He looks back to see Bucky pulling him back toward the car. He is roughly shoved into the back. Bucky slams the door shut and climbs into the drivers seat.

"Wait, we are leaving them?"

As Bucky starts the engine, Zemo looks outside and sees you passed out on the street. Everyone else seems too busy to attend to you and he wonders what will happen.

He wants to jump out and move you, but the doors are locked.

"Go back!" He yells as the car turns sharply and drives down the other direction.

He just left you there!

Zemo had just seen you do your job. You protected him and took a hit for him. Perhaps more than one hit.

Were they just going to leave you to die?

Zemo tries to keep his eyes on you as Bucky drives, but they're not on that street long enough for him to do so.

Through Bucky's earpiece, he hears Steve.

"Ambulance en route. The gang have reversed out of the street, stay off the main roads and be careful."

Bucky replies, "roger that."

Zemo sits in the back in silence. He doesn't know what to do or what to think. Everything had happened so very quickly.

He was also confused.

Why had guilt settled within him.

You had done your job. He had been wrong about you. He can say that now.

I was wrong about you.

@thesuitkovian @justfangirlthingies @belle82devart @zemosimp420 @anteroom-of-death @silverlambcaptain @that-stupid-head-tilt-thing @lieutenantn @daniielbruhl @awesomesauce-abbie @latenightartist-author @lazygurl05 @rumblelibrary @nonamec0s @shura-gorl @ginger-abreu @caligrl1992 @livvyshmiv @luciadiosa @vverliebt @tatooineisdry @charistory @somethingthatsaysbubbles

[tomoesrightclaw]

Broken Promises

------------------

1 Day

It's been a day sense Mikage went to town. I hope he's alright. He's never usually out this long without me.

Shrine Visits - 47

2 Days

Mikage has been out for 2 days. I'll go looking for him if he's still not back by tomorrow. I don't want him getting lost or hurt.

Shrine Visits - 42

3 Days

I went looking for Mikage today but couldn't find him anywhere. No store owners saw him either. Where could he be?

Shrine Visits - 51

5 Days

Mikage still hasn't returned. I sent letters to other gods so maybe one of them has seen him. He mustve gone to one of their places for a visit. He'll be back soon

Shrine Visits - 40

2 Weeks

I've received letters from the other gods. None of them have seen Mikage. I'm getting worried, what if he's hurt?

Shrine Visits - 38

3 Weeks

Shrine visits have started to decline. I suppose I should start writing wishes down for when Mikage returns.

Shrine Visits - 34

4 Weeks

We've barely received any offerings today. Mikage must've gone to the city by foot if his return is taking so long. I suppose he could've gotten distracted. He'll be back soon.

Shrine Visits - 25

1 Month

It's been a month sense Mikages departure. We've received a whopping total of around 500 visits this month. I hope he comes back soon...

Shrine Visits - 17

2 Months

Shrine Visits have significantly dropped this month. I've recorded them all down for Master Mikage. I should go look for him again.

Shrine Visits - 4

4 Months

I've begun to worry if Master Mikage is coming back. I doubt he would abandon the shrine like that. Right..?

Shrine Visits - 9

5 Months

I went to the Other World today to see if any other Yokai have seen Master Mikage. No trace of him anywhere. Where has he gone?

Shrine Visits - 5

6 Months

I wonder if Master Mikage ever mentioned Amy displeasures while we stayed together. I suppose he was mad at me when I called humans weak but I don't think it bothered him much. But I suppose it might've.

Shrine Visits - 5

7 Months

The shrine was looking a little rundown so I ran to town to get some supplies to fix it up. How was I supposed to know I needed to pay for stuff?

Shrine Visits - 2

10 Months

It's been nearly a year sense Master Mikage left. I hope he returns soon. The shrine needs him.

Shrine Visits - 7

1 Year

I wonder if Master Mikage hates me. Maybe he just never liked me in the first place. But, why would he help me then? Did I do something to upset him?

Shrine Visits - 3

1,5 Years

The shrine spirits insist they saw Master Mikage in town today. I hope their right. I hope he comes home soon. I'm worried...

For the shrine ofc.

Shrine Visits - 8

2 Years

He's not coming back is he...

No. He is. He wouldn't just leave like that.

Shrine Visits - 7

3 Years

He would never abandon the shrine. He cages about it to much. He'll return soon.

Shrine Visits 4

4 Years

He's still not come home yet. The shrine barely gets visits anymore. Master Mikage, the shrine needs you.

Shrine Visits - 2

5 Years

The shrine needed to be fixed up again today. But I still can't afford very good supplies. Offerings are close to nothing

Shrine Visits - 0

8 Years

Where have you gone Master..

Please come back...

Shrine Visits - 10

11 Years

The shrine needs you..

I need you..

Shrine Visits - 5

12 Years

What did I do wrong Master...

Why did you leave me...

You said you'd always be here for me...

You promised...

Shrine Visits - 1

13 Years

Master Mikage isn't coming back is he...

Shrine Visits - 6

15 Years

The shrine never felt this empty with Master here...

I miss him...

Shrine Visits - 8

17 Years

He left me.

He left the shrine.

He left his spirits.

He left his people.

He's never coming back.

Shrine Visits - 9

18 Years

I dont know why I'm still writing these. Why am I still here

Why am I still waiting

Why can't I just let go

He abandoned me

He broke his promise

I'm free

Shrine Visits - 5

19 Years

It's been nearly 2 decades sense you left Master.

How have you been..

Shrine Visits - 4

20 Years

Our land God has returned.

But it's not Master Mikage.

It's a little human girl.

She must still be in school.

She's just a child.

How could he leave us like this.

And then send us a weak human.

She has the landgod sign.

And his power signature is on her.

But she'll never be him.

She will never be my Master.

She can't.

She will never care for me like he did.

How he could he do this.

I just want my master back.

I miss him so much.

I can't believe I waitednaround for him for two decades.

I'm leaving.

I can't even look at the new girl without wishing it was him.

I wish I could hate him for leaving me.

But I just want him back.

I need him.

I'll never survive on my own.

But I have to.

I've done it before.

I don't care anymore.

He left,

So can I.

Shrine Visits -

[wcnka]

"Isn't the marshmallow infusion just delectable? And even without the extra marshmallows on top, the taste is still strong enough for you to notice. It doesn't overpower the cocoa, though! And the maple brings it all together as the perfect cherry on top! ...Except there aren't any cherries but you know what I mean."

He was thrilled she enjoyed the concoction. It really warmed his heart even on a cold night like this. Seeing how chocolate could bring joy to people was the main reason he wanted to continue what he was doing. The world, as brilliant as it could be, needed more moments like these. Willy could think of nothing better than bonding with people over chocolate.

"Sarah! A pretty name. Definitely not as silly as Willy." He nearly started singing a song about how Silly Willy Wonka could really be but paused when his gaze was drawn towards the tents not far from them. "I noticed them when I arrived but thought it might be other campers. So, the circus is in town? We should pay a visit when they're properly set up!" Would they really be upset with him for spending the night here? He could understand if he was in their way but he'd purposefully chosen this spot so he didn't interfere with them.

"I wouldn't mind moving myself along but this was the only place I could find that wasn't in town." He tended to get forced away from his chosen spots by policemen patrolling the areas. It wasn't like he intended to bother anyone but it was hard to reason with officers who saw him as nothing more than a vagabond nuisance.

"Maybe I'll see if they're in need of a caterer..." He spoke quietly, eyes once again fixing on the tents. Just because his passions focused on chocolate and candy didn't mean Willy couldn't make other things. In fact, he was a fantastic chef who often acted as ship cook back when he traveled the world.

As the cup was pushed into their hands, Sarah’s brows quirked upwards, watching the warm liquid lap the very edge of the cup. She focused hard, making sure the mug didn’t slip through her materialized fingertips. As the man shifted to let her sit, though, she didn’t move from her spot. Cautious eyes glanced over him, still confused as to how any of this was possible. 

“Well…I guess, but--" She couldn't quite get out the next part as he spoke again. Dark eyes fell back to the dark liquid in her cup, pausing for a moment. Maybe she didn't need to explain herself. If he could see her, he could see her. That was that. Though she still didn't understand how that was happening. Children would see her often, sure. In the darkness they would either be afraid or befriend her. But adults? He was old enough that she expected he would never notice her there hidden in the shadows.

Lifting the cup to her lips, she blew against the steam softly. There was a tentativeness to her movements, unsure if this would even work for her. As it touched her lips, though, the liquid filling her mouth, her eyes grew huge. The single sip turned into a prolonged gulp, melting with the joy of being able to taste something. Let alone something this...magical!

She let out a contented sigh as she licked her lips. "That's silly," she commented absently, then frowned at her own words. A shake of her head, correcting herself. "I mean I've never heard a name like that before. Except maybe stuffed animals." He did give off the vibe of some of the best stuffed animals though. Warm and magical. And very kind. "Thank you for the cocoa. It's...a breath of fresh air. I can't remember the last time I tasted anything quite like it." Or tasted anything at all.

"Oh, um..." She glanced around a little as if searching in the clouds for her own form of an introduction. "You can call me Sarah. That's...what I've taken to calling myself anyway..." And she quite liked that name. It paid homage to the first child ever to see her, to make her realize she could be seen and cared for, not just feared.

"You probably shouldn't stay the night here, though, Mr. Wonka, sir..." A finger poked toward the tents being set up just across the way. "They won't take kindly to your...'camping.' Unless you plan to go to the circus, that is." Another sip of the hot chocolate, relishing in the flavour.

[farfromsugafanfic]

Lock & Key

Genre: Best Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Angst

Pairing: Jungkook/Reader

Warnings: cursing, dirty jokes

Synopsis: When Jungkook ditches you on your birthday, your friendship looks like it’s about to crumble. Your friend group becomes tired of your bickering and decides to take the matter into their own hands. Somehow, you and Jungkook find yourselves handcuffed together.

"Have you guys found a present for Y/N yet?" Jin asked, picking up his third pizza slice and taking a large bite, the cheese stretching as he pulled it away from his lips.

"You haven't gotten it yet? Her birthday dinner is tomorrow," Taehyung said. His eyes were tired, but he'd still insisted on joining the party despite having just gotten off a long train ride, as he hadn't seen his friends from high school for months. "I got her the first two manga in that series she's been wanting to read."

"Mmm," Jin said, seeming to consider Taehyung's choice of gift. "I need mine to be really special. He finished his pizza to the crust and turned it 180 degrees and bit into the end. "Jungkook, you're closest to Y/N. What are you getting her?"

Jungkook turned, wide-eyed towards Jin. The younger's face was already a bit flushed from the beers and from the mention of your name. "I'm paying for her part of the meal tomorrow and I got her tickets to that musical that's only in town for one night."

"Woah, that's gonna be hard to beat," Jimin said, "Y/N hasn't stopped talking about that musical since they announced it. Remember how she went crazy over it in the group chat?"

"I'm sure Y/N will like whatever you get her," Jungkook said. "She isn't very picky and she'll appreciate it because it came from you."

"I know. I just have something special planned and I want it to be perfect." The six other guys looked to the eldest expectantly. Jin sighed. "Gosh, fine, I'll tell you. I plan on confessing to her tomorrow."

"What? You like Y/N?! Since when?"

"Woah, congrats man!"

"You'll make such a cute couple."

The group fell to chaos, but Jungkook was notably the least excited. At the mention of Jin's plans, he sunk back against the wall and took a large bite of his pizza, followed by a gulp of beer.

"I'm not sure when I started liking her," Jin said. "I just kind of realized that I do. I figured we are friends and I'll regret it if I don't give it a shot."

"Are you sure her birthday is the best time to confess?" Jungkook asked, finally piping up. "What if things don't go well and you ruin it? Are you going to do it in front of everyone?"

"I thought about it and I'm going to wait until after the meal. Maybe I'll be able to steal her away for a few moments after she opens our gifts."

Jungkook's nose wrinkled and he was obviously unsatisfied with the answer. Yet, he dropped it and reached for another slice of pizza. "Why does it matter to you Jungkook? It's not like we all still won't hang out or that you'll never see her."

"Y/N's been hurt before. I'm sure you remember how upset she was after Minsung. I had to sleep in her bed for two weeks because she'd wake up crying. I never want her to feel that hurt again."

"Jungkook, I won't hurt her. She's more likely to hurt me. Why do you care so much about her heart being broken anyway? You're not the one who broke it and you aren't responsible for fixing it. Y/N's a big girl, she can handle herself."

Jungkook pouted. "I have to pee," he said, standing up and leaving the room, carrying his pizza slice with him.

vVv

An array of appetizers were spread across the table, a few bites taken from each. You were just waiting on the last three to show up: Jimin, Taehyung, and Jungkook. You expected them to come together as they had been nearly inseparable in high school. As Jin finished off one of the appetizers, you spotted Jimin and Taehyung walking in. You got up and rushed towards them.

"Happy birthday!" Jimin and Taehyung said, nearly tripping each other as they ran to hug you. "It's been too long, Y/N!" The two boys had moved out of the city for college and you rarely got to see them. You didn't know what you do if Jungkook--your best friend--had gone with them.

"I'm so glad you guys could make it! Come on and sit down, we're just waiting on Jungkook."

The appetizers were gone and the missing chair at the table remained. Worry grew in your throat and you glanced down at your phone for the umpteenth time to see if he had texted you. Even, just a simple "Running late!" or "Stuck in traffic!" would calm your nerves.

"Have you guys heard from Jungkook at all?"

The other guys all shook their heads and gave you sympathetic looks. You'd put off ordering, but it'd been nearly an hour since most of you arrived and you didn't want to keep the staff waiting any longer. "All right, let's order."

"I'm sure he just got stuck in traffic or something, Y/n," Jin said, reaching out and tapping your hand.

Your heart dropped as you read his last reply. You felt tears stinging your eyes, but you pushed them back before the other guys could notice.

"He's not coming," you said.

"What?" you heard someone ask, but you were too focused on not allowing your spiraling thoughts ruin your birthday and holding back tears to register who it was.

"He said he got a date or something. I don't know, but come on, we can enjoy this without him."

Due to the solemn looks on their faces, you knew they saw right through your facade. You and Jungkook had been best friends since elementary school where he accidentally trampled you when he was racing his friends. Despite ending up with a badly skinned knee and a couple of bruises, you were fine, but Jungkook had insisted on taking you to the nurse's office anyway. He pretended to sprain his ankle just so he could sit and keep you company.

What had happened since then? You'd never felt like your friendship was dwindling when it came to Jungkook. Whenever either of you dated, it didn't make a difference. High school graduation didn't separate you. Not even when Jungkook forced you to a haunted house in high school and laughed when he saw the stain on your jeans and realized you'd peed your pants in fright.

Despite ignoring for Overwatch or coming to your apartment just for the free food, he always ended up doing small things to make up for it. You often found chocolate bars stashed in the odd drawer or cupboard to make up for all the food he steals. After he finished laughing, Jungkook allowed you to wear his sweatshirt to cover it and bought you new jeans. You still had that sweatshirt stashed in your closet somewhere.

vVv

The tears stopped by the end of dinner, but now anger ran down your spine. How dare he skip your birthday for someone he just met? He'd never done anything like this before, he was the one person in this world that you could depend on, and now he's not. You feel a pang of sadness in your stomach and reach out for your portion of the bill, which Jungkook had promised to pay for.

"Stop," Jin said, reaching for the bill you'd just barely wrapped your fingertips around. "You're not paying. We'll split yours." You nodded, powerless to the eldest's tone.

After the bill was paid, everyone got up and starting readying to leave. You had taken a taxi, expecting Jungkook to take you home afterward. Jin seemed to notice, his brown eyes melting when they met yours.

"Hey, come on, I'll walk you home."

You nodded and waved goodbye to the other guys as you all walked in opposite directions or climbed into taxis. You didn't catch the other guys thumbs upping Jin and giving him reassuring smiles.

"Thanks for coming," you said. "Even though it kinda got ruined."

"I'll always come, Y/N."

"Oh, when I get a hold of his bunny ass--"

"Go easy on him, Y/N. I'm sure he has a better reason than he told you."

"He better be on his death bed then."

Jin let out a snort, which caused you to smile, but the smile soon faded and so did the fake happiness the anger made you feel. Now you just felt hopeless and felt the tears stinging in your sinuses again.

"Do," you said, already your voice faltering. "you think I'm still enough?"

Jin stopped. "What do you mean?"

"Am I still enough for him? Maybe he found a better friend," you said, your gaze painting the sidewalk. "I mean, I always rely on him. He's always my shoulder to cry on. Maybe he finally got tired of it. Got tired of me."

Jin placed a hand on your shoulder. It felt odd, as Jin wasn't one for skinship, but his touch was comforting, even if you were imagining it was Jungkook's. Except you couldn't, Jungkook's touch was old, familiar, warm. Like the fireplace at your grandparent's house or when your car is completely heated on a snowy day. Jin's--sure, it was warm--but it wasn't Jungkook.

"No, no, of course not," Jin said, moving to hug you, your cheek hitting his chest. "That could never happen. You and Jungkook have been friends for years. If he was gonna get tired of you, he would've already."

You scoffed, half in laughter and half in fear. "Thanks."

"Okay, but seriously, Jungkook cares about you. A lot." Jin paused and sighed. You looked up, noticing his eyes weren't on you, but rather he was looking up. His eyes looked glazed, but you didn't remember him having any drinks. "He wouldn't allow himself to lose you, Y/N. Trust me."

The rest of the walk was filled with a comfortable silence. It was only a few more blocks from where you'd stopped, so you reached your apartment in just a few minutes.

"Thanks for walking with me," you said. "Sorry, I got kinda sad halfway through."

Jin shook his head and reached to move a piece of your ponytail that had escaped from the hairband and fallen roguishly over your head.

"You don't need to apologize for your feelings, Y/N. Just promise me you won't kill the kid. I'm sure this is all just a misunderstanding."

You nodded, although you weren't convinced that Jungkook didn't now hate you for reasons you didn't know.

"Thanks," you said. "For everything."

Jin nodded. "You're welcome." He turned and walked into the night and you turned your back before he disappeared.

vVv

"How did the confession go?" Jimin asked, as soon as Jin walked into the small apartment he shared with Yoongi, which was now cramped with six bodies.

"It didn't."

Jimin and the other faces in the room all contorted in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I didn't confess."

"But, why? Wasn't that your plan? Don't you like her?"

"She loves someone else," Jin said, his voice deeper than usual, his heartbreak captured in the back of his throat. "And, someone else loves her."

vVv

Two Days Later

You hadn't heard anything from Jungkook since the night of your birthday and you weren't sure what hurt more--the fact that he didn't care enough to explain himself or that he had seemingly replaced you. His Instagram was full of stories and posts of him with the girl you assumed was the one he skipped your birthday for. She was beautiful with large dark eyes and curly hair. His arm was around her shoulders and then eventually her waist. He must really like her because you remember how it took Jungkook nearly two years just to feel comfortable placing an arm around you.

You huffed and threw your phone onto your bed as you ran your hands through your hair. You were still mad, but you didn't want to lose your best friend. You remembered Taehyung mentioning how all the guys were getting together for Overwatch.

You hardly thought as you headed towards Jin's and Yoongi's apartment--the largest of the apartments belonging to those in your friend group.

You didn't bother knocking as you entered the apartment. You found the seven guys all crowded onto two couches and watching Taehyung and Jungkook. They didn't notice you until you slipped in and placed your hand  on Jimin's shoulder—who jumped at your touch.

"Y/N!"

All seven heads turned to look at you. Most breaking into smiles and friendly greetings and offering you snacks.

"What are you doing here?" Jungkook asked, his voice breaking through the revelry. He was normally so soft-spoken, but at this moment, his voice grated through the air.

"I was hoping we could talk."

"You weren't invited here."

Your stomach turned. He'd never spoken to you like this, ever. Jungkook was normally the happiest when you showed up unannounced.

"Since when do I need an invitation, Jungkook? This is Jin and Yoongi's place, not yours."

Jungkook didn't respond but instead unpaused the game. Taehyung barely had time to close his mouth from watching the two of you that he fumbled with the controller as he realized Jungkook had restarted the game.

"Oh, so you're just gonna ignore me then?"

You rolled your eyes at how typical this was of all your ex-boyfriends. Towards the end of the relationship, they always ignored you for something else. Sometimes it was someone else, others it was their job. And yet, others, it was video games.

Jungkook had been there with you for all of these failed relationships. He said you deserved someone better, someone, who would never leave you or ignore you. You thought he was the only constant in your life, the one person who would never leave you, but now, he was just like all the rest.

Tears stung your sinuses. You dug your feet into the carpet and grabbed onto the back of the couch, trying to focus on the game. The guys had gone back to talking amongst themselves, eating, and watching the game. Yet, the air felt different, you caught concerned glances flicking your way and Jin silently offered you a slice of pizza which you declined, only eliciting another puppy-eyed look from the eldest of the group.

Jungkook was close to winning and the tears were soon beginning to simmer and your hands balled into fists. Before you could think or stop yourself, you marched around the couch and reached for the cord that was connected to the Xbox. The screen went black and all the eyes in the room shifted to you.

"Y/N?! What the fuck?!" Jungkook said, his voice rising. "I was about to win!"

"Jungkook, we need to talk and you're being an asshole."

Jungkook's ears were red and his eyes hard as steel. "This is ridiculous, Y/N. You came here uninvited to talk to me and when I go back to playing games because that's what I'm here for, you unplugged the system and demand I talk to you. And, I'm the asshole?"

You wanted to scream and pull your hair out. Yet, the thing you wanted most was to cry into Jungkook's oversized, black T-shirt because you knew it smelled of his cologne.

"Jungkook, you skipped my birthday party and you said we could talk about it, but it's been two days and I just want my best friend back."

"Y/N, why can't you just take the hint you're not wanted? This was supposed to be a guy's night and now you've had to come in here and ruin everything. You're way too clingy, like, this is why they always leave you."

"Jungkook!" Jin said.

You barely registered as the other boys chastised Jungkook as your vision blurred from the tears. You swore you saw his face soften before your eyes were totally filled with tears, but you couldn't be sure.

"Y/N," Jin said. You felt his hand come to rest gently on your shoulder. "Come on, I'll take you home."

vVv

A few days later you found yourself standing outside of Jungkook's apartment. You knew Taehyung and Jimin were staying with him, so you secretly hoped one of them would open the door.

The hallway was silent and dimly lit. It felt like midnight despite being noon. You softly knocked on the door, the sound--while quiet--seemed to echo down the hallway. You weren't sure what you were going to do or say when he opened the door. You were only sure that you missed the way he used to show up at your place at midnight with ice cream sandwiches or the way he let you borrow his sweatshirts when you were cold or couldn't sleep.

Thirty seconds passed and you knocked again. Firmer this time, each knock ringing out in the empty hallway.

"Jungkookie," you said softly.

You heard footsteps on the other side of the door. They were faint, but you recognized them from when he slept over at your apartment when you were sick or going through a rough time.

You listened as the door unlocked and slowly opened. He only opened the door a crack, just enough to peak out, as if you were an unknown person knocking on his door. As if you didn't know the layout of his apartment or that he kept all his mess concentrated to the common areas and his bedroom immaculate.

"Y/N...what are you doing here?"

His voice was softer than the last time you spoke. You knew Jin had told Jungkook how much you cried as he took you home and how you didn't answer his texts all night.

"I just wanted to see you," you said. "We don't have to talk or anything. I just miss you."

Jungkook didn't say anything. His eyes scanning over you. Your hair was unwashed and pulled into a bun and you wore sweatpants and a T-shirt. Dark circles outlined your eyes and even though it had only been a few days, your face looked thinner and your skin languid.

Another set of footsteps approached and the door swung open wider. Taehyung stood there in just his boxers and munching on a piece of toast. His eyes widened when he saw you and he glanced over at Jungkook, who's eyes were looking down at your feet.

"Hey, stop being a dick and let her in."

"Put on some clothes then," Jungkook said, his voice quiet and low, almost a growl. He swung the door all the way open and disappeared into his apartment.

Taehyung met your eyes and shrugged. He offered a small smile as you walked into the apartment. You hadn't brought anything with you, not sure exactly what would happen.

"I won't stay long," you said. "I just wanted to see him."

"At least have breakfast with me," he said, dropping two pieces of bread into the toaster.

You nodded and fell onto the couch. You'd done this countless times. At 4 in the morning after a night out, you'd collapse on Jungkook's couch still in your heels and your makeup slowly wearing off. You usually woke up the next morning in Jungkook's bed, your heels set by the door and your makeup at least mostly wiped off. At 6 pm as you leaned against Jungkook's shoulder as the movie started, your hand diving into the popcorn bowl in his lap. Most of your favorite memories happened on his couch.

"I hope you like Nutella," Tae said, handing you a piece of toast.

You laughed. "I love it," you said. "How do you stay so fit eating like this?"

Taehyung was still in his boxers. While he didn't have a six pack, he certainly wasn't hard to look at and the slight toning of his stomach showed he was putting in some effort.

"I'll gain five pounds just from eating this," you said, and despite your words, you took a large bite.

"Then you should have another," Jungkook said from the other side of the room. You hadn't noticed him there, he must've slipped in when Taehyung distracted you with the toast. "You're getting too skinny."

"I didn't ask you, Jungkook," you said. You crossed your arms over your chest and sat back, your toast abandoned on the arm of the couch.

"I'm just worried about you."

"Since when? When you stopped texting me? Or, when you ditched my birthday party for someone you just met?"

Jungkook's eyes turned soft in the way that would usually make you melt. But, you kept your eyes off of his and your spine straight.

"Y/N..."

"Listen, Jungkook, I might've come here cause I missed you, but that doesn't mean I've forgiven you."

Jungkook didn't say anything. Silence filled the apartment and after what felt like an eternity, he left to his bedroom.

"Are you okay?" Taehyung asked.

You nodded. "I think I just need a nap or something. I'm getting a headache." You looked around the apartment. There was only one bedroom and both Taehyung and Jimin were staying with Jungkook during their visit. "Where are you sleeping?"

Taehyung nodded and gestured toward the couch. "There," he said.

"Oh," you said. "Can I borrow it for an hour or so?"

"Be my guest. But, you know, even though you two are fighting and all, I bet Jungkook would let you have the bed."

You shook your head. "No," you said. "I'm not asking him for any favors and the couch looks more comfortable anyway."

Taehyung shrugged. You laid down and turned your back to him, missing the knowing smile as he cleaned up. You listened as he cleaned up and got dressed before leaving the apartment. It wasn't long before the tears came and you sobbed into the couch cushion as quietly as you could. The last thing you wanted was for Jungkook to emerge from his bedroom and find you like this.

He'd seen you cry dozens of times and you'd even held him as he sobbed into you. You didn't mind crying in front of him, but you knew it would destroy him to see you like this and to know he was the cause. Even if you mad at him, even if you were losing him, you didn't want to crush him.

You didn't remember falling asleep, but when you awoke, his scent was everywhere. You pressed your face into the pillow and stretched out your legs comfortably. You sighed until a thought crossed your mind. Pillow?

You opened your eyes and found yourself in Jungkook's bedroom. It was dark and the covers were pulled up to your chin. Jungkook wasn't in the room and from the empty feeling in the air, he wasn't in the apartment either. Your phone was next to you on the nightstand and plugged into Jungkook's charger.

You glanced at the time and realized your nap had lasted three times longer than you anticipated and you sat in bed as you realized that you probably needed to go home. However, before you could pull your eyes away from your lock screen, a text notification from a couple of hours ago caught your attention.

vVv

"Hey, sorry, I'm late," Taehyung said, walking into Jin and Yoongi's apartment where the other five boys were already crowded on the twin couches. "Y/N showed up at Jungkook's and I needed to see what happened."

The others all looked at Taehyung expectantly. "Jungkook doesn't know about this, right?"

"We didn't tell him."

Taehyung nodded. "Well, they're definitely in love with each other. Jungkook was jealous as hell and Y/N's heartbroken. I could practically see Jungkook splitting in half when he realized how upset she was."

"Well, didn't you all notice how when she started crying after he got mad at her for unplugging the Xbox, how he just broke? I don't think he cared about the game anymore, but then Jin swooped in and stopped it before he could apologize."

All eyes swiped towards Jin and he shrugged. "What? She was to the point of crying. I didn't know what he was going to do and I didn't want to upset either of them more."

"Does he know that you never confessed?"

Jin shook his head. "He never asked."

"Jin!" all the guys said at one.

"That would change everything! He probably thinks you and Y/N are together."

"It's pretty obvious we're not."

"I don't know the way you intervened during the fight and walked her home. It could be seen as you protecting her."

"Well, whatever, what's the plan? We have to get them to make up somehow. And confess, cause they're gonna drive us crazy pining after each other." Jin looked around at the other faces and all of them were, in turn, watching him.

"Well, we need to force them to be alone somehow," Namjoon said. "We could try locking them somewhere, but that's gonna be difficult cause the party is here and none of the doors lock." Eyes wandered as they tried to find a solution and eventually, Jin's eyes fell on the TV where a cartoon cop was catching a criminal, the handcuffs snapping down on the culprit's wrists.

"I think I might have an idea."

vVv

Taehyung and Jimin were taking the train back to their college town in the morning, so that meant you'd all spend the night before getting drunk and gorging yourselves on all the pizza you could.

Jin and Yoongi offered to host the party and a few of their neighbors offered up their apartments so everyone could spread out. You all invited your extended friends and neighbors if everyone came, you didn't doubt the party would probably get out of hand, but that was half the fun.

As you brushed on your blush and primped your hair for the final time, you felt butterflies in your stomach. Jungkook was going to be there. There was no way he would miss out on a good party and the opportunity for free food and drinks.

You wore a short white dress that was admittedly a little shorter than you would normally wear. But, with Jungkook ignoring you, you wanted attention and you didn't really care who it was from. Plus, you liked the way it hugged your curves and how when paired with the perfect heels, made your legs look longer.

You arrived a few minutes early to the party with the expectation of helping set up, but the party was already in full swing. When the elevator opened, people crowded the hall with cups in hand and music blasting from Jin and Yoongi's apartment. At this rate, the cops would be called in a couple hours, unless Jin and Yoongi had talked to all their neighbors beforehand, but you highly doubted it.

You waded through the bodies and found your friends all invested in a game of beer pong. The younger three on one end and the older four on the other. The older ones were currently winning and you smirked as you remembered just how good Yoongi was at the game.

"Need help?" you asked, placing your arm around Taehyung's shoulders, the heels allowing you to do so easier, although it still looked slightly awkward.

"Ah, finally! Someone who can rival Yoongi!"

You laughed, trying not to allow your eyes to wander over to Jungkook who was standing closer to you than he had for weeks. "Who's turn is it?"

"Yours if you want."

You nodded and walked up to the table. You angled your arm and aimed for one of the back cups, even if you missed, it may still land in one of the front cups that remained. You tossed the ping pong ball and it sailed perfectly into the cup.

"Yes! Drink up, Min Yoongi!"

Yoongi smirked and took the cup and downed it. You two had played this game countless time, both won and lost countless times, to the point that it was no longer about winning, but rather, who could get the other drunk quicker.

Yoongi aimed his shot and tossed it flawlessly into the cup right in front of you. You took out the ball and downed the cup. The beer was pretty much tasteless which meant it went down easily but left a bad taste in the back of your throat.

After a few shots back and forth, you had drunk twice more and Yoongi once. You were aiming up another shot, intending to tie it up when you felt a hand on your shoulder. You looked behind you and caught Jungkook's eyes.

"Are you gonna let us play?"

"Do you want to win or not?" you said, turning back and aiming up your shot. You were already a little tipsy and your head ached as you concentrated.

"Y/N, it'll be no fun to get drunk so early," he said. "Come on." His voice was soft and familiar. He'd done this dozens of times. Prevented you from getting too drunk or going home with the wrong guy. He brought you back when the alcohol began to take over. This time--however--you turned away and aimed the ball. Missing.

Yoongi tosses the ball in what appears to be a haphazard fashion, but it sinks straight into a cup. You pick it up and bring it to your lips, but before you can drink, the cup is being knocked from your hands and the beer spills almost entirely onto your dress.

You see Jungkook staring at you wide-eyed--the obvious culprit--his hand still gripping the cup.

"Jungkook!" you yelled, people turned in your direction, but your yell was soon forgotten as the music continued. All but your small group turned back to their own conversations. "Would you stop trying to be my friend? You made it quite obvious you no longer wanted our friendship and you just keep screwing everything up!"

"Y/N, I..."

Tears were beginning to fill your eyes and the only thing you wanted to do was get drunk and forget this night happened. You stepped forward to push through the crowd when someone grabbed your wrist. You knew from the touch that it wasn't Jungkook and when you glanced back, Jin's lips were upturned in a small smile.

"Wait, Y/N," he said. "I'm really sorry about this."

You cocked your head in confusion, but before your lips could form words to ask Jin what he was apologizing for you felt something click onto your wrist and found a handcuff locked around your wrist and you noticed the other was locked to another wrist. You followed the chain and met Jungkook's dark, confused eyes.

"Have fun, kids. We aren't unlocking you until you talk everything out."

vVv

Ten minutes later you stood in the kitchen as Jungkook tried to work a kitchen knife into the lock. The beer was slowly making your dress more and more see-through and you glanced around the room.

"Jungkook, can we try this somewhere else?"

He looked up at you with his brows furrowed in confusion. You hadn't managed to say anything before his eyes widened and he quickly shrugged off his flannel. It caught on his cuff and he struggled to get the sleeve over the handcuff and chain.

"Fuck it," he said, taking the knife and cutting into the seam where the sleeve met the shoulder.

"Jungkook isn't this a bit drastic? We can just go into the bathroom or something."

"No, it's okay. I can just cut off the other one later."

He brought around the uncut sleeve and brought over your shoulder and brought the cut sleeve over the chain and up your arm. The way the flannel hit it ended up covering your entire dress and draping across your bare thighs.

As soon as you were covered and comfortable again, he once again tried to unlock the handcuffs and your hand was at his mercy as he moved the knife point back and forth in the lock.

"Jungkook, this isn't going to work. You're just gonna end up hurting one of us."

Jungkook sat the knife back on the counter looked down dejectedly at your cuffed wrists. You couldn't help the pang of hurt in your stomach. Jin had handcuffed the two of you so you would talk and all Jungkook could focus was on how to get the handcuffs off without talking.

"Maybe we can break the chain," he said. "If we both pull, our combined strength might be enough."

Your wrist was already starting to become red and raw because Jin had accidentally snapped the cuff on a little tight, but before you could protest, Jungkook began pulling on the chain.

You immediately yelped in pain and your wrist attempted to escape the pain, causing your body to fold in on itself. You found yourself crouched and leaning against the counter, your arm almost straight above your head to remain close enough to Jungkook's so that it didn't dislocate the joint.

"Y/N?" Your name was barely audible over the music and the people around you many of which shot odd glances or coy smiles your way.

"It's tight, Jungkook. Jin accidentally locked it too tight. Can--can we just go talk and get these things off?"

Jungkook nodded, seeing your teary eyes from the pain and helping you to your feet. His free palm came to rest on your shoulder and his handcuffed hand grasped your wrist and he slipped two of his fingers between your skin and the cuff. It was the first time he'd touched you since before your birthday and you felt your knees go weak and something shifted in you with his touch. The plate tectonics of your heart shifting suddenly and with no warning.

"Let's go to the bathroom, first."

You were confused as he pulled you into the bathroom and situated you against the counter. He reached into the cupboard behind you and pulled out some lotion and squirted it onto his handcuffed hand. He rubbed it softly onto your wrist where the handcuff had rubbed the skin red and raw.

"Better?"

You nodded and looked up at his face which hovered not far above yours but was focused down on your wrist. His jaw was clenched and his features were stiff. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the sleeve he'd cut from his flannel.

"I think if we roll this down we can put it between the cuff and your wrist. It might make it feel tight, but it won't hurt you so much."

He rolled the sleeve down under it was a single cuff which he carefully slipped over your hand and under the cuff. It did work, your skin feeling relieved from the lotion and the cloth, although it did still feel slightly too tight.

"Thanks," you said. "But, maybe we should get out of here. I don't want your girlfriend to get the wrong idea."

Jungkook met your eyes. "What? Girlfriend?"

"The girl you went on the date with?"

"Oh, it uh, didn't work out."

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Don't be."

There was a long pause as Jungkook continued to adjust the cuff to ensure it stayed. His eyes were focused on your wrist.

"I'm sorry," he said. "For saying you were clingy and bringing your exes into this. I'm sorry for everything."

You looked down at him, your free hand coming to play with the hairs that grew around his ears. His hair was longer than you'd ever seen it and you smiled as he seemed to lean into your hand.

Jungkook finished adjusting the cuff and looked up at you. "I think Yoongi's room is empty. He didn't want people in there, but I bet he won't mind if it's us."

You nodded and followed closely behind Jungkook as you walked through the crowd to Yoongi's bedroom. It--like Jungkook had said--was empty. The two of you flopped down on the bed and despite laying a foot apart your fingers continued to brush against each other as you adjusted your wrists in the cuffs.

"I can't figure out why Jin handcuffed us," Jungkook said. The music was just a series of thumps now and even though it was still loud, you could no longer make out the lyrics and could hear Jungkook's voice without him having to raise it. "I thought he wouldn't want us to hang out anymore."

"What?" you asked. "Why would Jin care if we hang out?"

Jungkook turned and looked at you. His hair was wet from sweat and his hair curled in thick tendrils over his forehead. "Aren't you and Jin dating?"

"What? No! Jin and I are just friends. What makes you think that?"

"Jin told me he was gonna confess to you at your party."

Jungkook pulled his gaze from you and focused up at the ceiling. You thought back on that night. Jin had been acting more generous and gentlemanly that night, but you just chalked it up to it being your birthday.

"I didn't even know he liked me. Is that why you've been avoiding me? You thought I was with Jin and you didn't want to interfere?"

"That's part of it."

"What's the other part of it?"

His eyes came back to yours and you felt his fingers brushing against yours. But, it wasn't just the millisecond brushes as he adjusted. No, his fingers were practically intertwined with yours.

"Y/N, we've been friends so long...I don't want to ruin it..."

"Jungkook, it's already ruined."

There was a long tense silence between the of you. His fingers fully intertwined with yours. It was far from the first time you'd held his hand, but it felt different. It was softer, yet more intense at the same time. As if your hand were porcelain that could break at even the slightest touch.

Jungkook moved so quickly that you have no idea how he came to hover above you. His free arm resting above his head and the one handcuffed to you still intertwined with yours to the side. "What would've happened if Jin had confessed to you?"

"Kookie?"

"What would've happened?"

"I-I would've turned him down."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm in love with someone else."

His lips were on your before you even finished the sentence. He was gentle but urgent as if he'd been waiting two thousand years to kiss you.

"I'm still mad at you for skipping my birthday party," you said when he pulled away. "I don't care if you're in love with me, your cute ass still has a lot of making up to do."

Jungkook smiled as he leaned down placed a small kiss on your neck. "Well, I never got to give you my gift."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out two tickets. You grabbed them from his hands and you smiled as you realized it was for the musical you'd been dying to see.

"It's tomorrow," he said. "Pretty good first date, yeah?"

"Hey, don't get cocky yet!" It was hard for you to hide your smile and you didn't want to give him the satisfaction, so, you just leaned up and kissed him.

vVv

You woke up the next morning enveloped in Jungkook's arms and his one-armed flannel. You looked up to see him scrolled through his phone, but when you squirmed, he looked down at you.

"Good morning, baby," he said.

"That sounds so weird."

"What, baby?" He smirked and giggled as you reached up and playfully hit his shoulder.

"Wait," you said, looking at your unbound wrist. You looked down and found the handcuffs on the bed. "They must've uncuffed us last night."

"I hadn't even realized," he said. A blush appeared on his face. "I didn't want to let go of your hand."

"Aww," you said, reaching up and ruffling his hair. "You're such a softie."

Jungkook smirked and grabbed your wrists. "Hey, I'm not completely a softie."

He held your wrists and glanced down at the handcuffs. "Maybe, we should keep these."

[totally-a-different-person]

saloonatics tomjuan drama! Can you imagine? It’s so sad Juan would sacrifice his own happiness in order for Thompson to be safe. Juan mostly likely snuck off in the night to Thompson quarters to try and call off whatever they had going on. More heartfelt moments happen when Thompson panics and grabs hold of Juan to stop him from leaving. Things then get heated for the two next thing you know they wake up the next morning. Bonus headcanon: Sheriff Thompson is a bit rougher than his counterpart and less patient! Guarantee it comes to him as a shock to learn had never down anything up until now!

ok I wanna address your headcanon first, because it's not a headcanon it's just canon and I keep forgetting to talk about it but yeah sheriff thompson pretty much completely lakes Tom's gentle approach, he's still just as intimate but way way more likely to put Juan in his place in bed and probably wouldn't be nearly as nervous about Juan wanting him

But god it hurts me in the soul man that shit stings so bad, Tom probably would have been happy to see him at first until he saw that Juan was obviously upset, shit breaks my heart bro, Juan would tell him he doesn't want Thompson to get in trouble and Eduardo has already threatened to rat on them, so he thinks they should stop. Obviously Thompson kind of tries to argue with him, more like trying to reason with him and say they can work it out, but Juan doesn't want doesn't want to hear and tries to go, Tom gets frustrated with Juan not listening, grabs him and pushing him against the wall, not really thinking about it. He just wanted to get his attention, but the noise Juan made and the way he's looking up at him now are giving him other ideas, the hanky panky happens and afterwords Thompson tells Juan that he makes him happier than some any Job ever could, if he got chased out of town they could just move, he just wanted it to be with Juan

[soulventure91]

🌎 , 🤷‍♀️, and 😍 for both Diriy and Tor

time for some funtiems

[ 🌎 ] are there any aus you have for your muse? what are they like, and how is your muse different in them? Per Discord, Diric has an AU where he runs away from Blackthorn at around age 75 (in normal verse he enlists in the army at age 101, a little past the Drow equivalent of 18) and joins a circus! He learns the bard's trade (a bit of a glampunk rock boi) and his psionics become very handy for targeting specific audiences. This flavor of Diric is very much about getting into someone's head and making use of their secrets to get ahead. Will Sell You To Satan For One Corn Chip, And You Might Even Thank Him. DDB sheet here!

No AUs for Tor, unless you count his original form in Myridos as Diric's nephew (Iliran would be Dir's half-brother in that scenario).

[ 🤷‍♀️ ] how does your muse approach strangers? how does this compare to how they interact with close friends or lovers? Diric is extremely reserved around strangers; his literal introduction to the Talisman was nearly copy-paste of the Hobbits meeting Strider. He'll only approach if he gets a sense of a job, or some other interest - example, he had a staring contest with Zinnan before spotting Maahes, who looked VERY out of place in a tiny mining town's tavern. Once he opens up, he can still seem reserved and even awkward; Diric is still learning some flavors of social interaction, so often he'll be too blunt or direct about his opinion or other thoughts, which can be unsettling and upsetting for even the people he trusts most. He has terrible timing when trying to joke around and wears his heart on his sleeve. The epitome of a Dork.

Tor, by contrast, is a very social boy despite his recent stint of study at Candlekeep and work with the Harpers. When he was on the prizefighting circuit of Faerun, Tor was regularly at the center of attention and partied very hard - of course, part and parcel of burying the trauma of his family's torture and murder. His addiction recovery and solace in Candlekeep have made him retool his persona, and Tor often still struggles with offering his new outward personality to people, especially when he's with folks that he might've had great fun with in his prizefighting days.

[ 😍 ] does your muse believe in true love? why or why not? I wouldn't know if Diric believes in true love, or at least he wouldn't say as much - but he does believe in love. He knows he's had very little of it in his life, and that he's found someone to experience it with. Of course Diric got involved with someone who is his complete opposite in so many ways that a sensible being would've ended it even before it got serious but not Diric. Because he sees someone that sees the world so differently from him and he wants to get a glimpse of it and understand it - then do the same in return, sharing his perspective and being understood. That, for him, is love. His mother doesn't understand him, and try as he might to understand her Diric can't bring himself to it - too charged with his own feelings. But he loves the Talisman, can understand them to some degree and feels they might understand him. He's content with that.

Tor is still a relative baby by Drow standards, and his trauma makes it hard for him to tightly bond with people again. I think he wants to believe in true love, but Tor doesn't have the emotional will yet to truly invest in it and seek it out. Buddy still thinks he's on the outside looking in sometimes.

[joshua-flipping-washington]

EllieDina Week - Day 7: Infinite.

Oh man, I can't believe that- Well, yesterday was technically the last day! But I still can't believe that the week is over. I had such a blast, getting to write something for an entire week. One thing for each day, it really brought back my motivation. And- It showed me how creative and talented the community truly is! I was introduced to so many phenomenal new artists and writers because of this event.

Rating: Teens and up.

°○•●

Ellie was stood up at the front of the church in Jackson, she grimaced at the feeling of her palms sweating and she wiped them off on her pants. She had no clue why she was so nervous, perhaps it was because she wasn't religious and she was going to marry Dina in a church? That couldn't be the reason, that would be dumb. She'd be over the moon even if their wedding was held in a dumpster, as long as she got to marry the woman she loved, it didn't matter at all.

They had been unable to find Ellie a SUITable tux for the wedding, so she was wearing her best looking flannel and a pair of brand new jeans. Ellie hadn't had the chance to see Dina yet, apparently it was some kind of rule before Outbreak Day. And for some reason, everyone in Jackson was insistent on her following that to a T. Ellie had grumbled under her breath, not to pleased about having not seen Dina in over sixteen hours.

JJ had popped by when Ellie was getting dressed, she had smiled upon seeing his arrival. " Hey, Spud! What have you been up to? " She said as she scooped him up and spun him around. He giggled and squealed in excitement, though he was happy when he was set down. Ellie reached out and grabbed his shoulder to steady him. He grinned and happily shared with her what he had been doing, and where he had been. " I was visiting Mama! Aunt Maria says you aren't allowed to know how she looks. "

JJ seemed very puzzled by the entire thing, but he had excitedly spent time with Ellie until he was called out to get ready for the wedding reception, he was going to be their ring bearer. And he had been taking the job very seriously, practicing all the time leading up to the date of the wedding.

Ellie tugged at the collar of her shirt, man was it surprisingly hot for the time of year it was. She turned her attention to the center isle, watching as some of the kids excitedly rushed up, tossing flower petals as they went. Stopping to stand on their respective sides.

The kids of the town had been so excited about the news of Ellie and Dina getting married, so of course Dina and that big heart of hers couldn't say no to the children asking if they could toss the flowers. God, Ellie loved her with every fiber of her being.

Ellie's heart rate accelerated as everyone in the church pews began to stand up, her green eyes grow wide in awe and her jaw nearly drops, her throat feels raw with emotions as she takes in the sight of Dina, who is smiling brightly like the goddess that she is- Walks down the aisle, being lead by Jesse's father.

She's wearing a burgundy colored dress, with black and gold accents. Ellie had never even thought about that color combination looking so good, but seeing Dina in it convinced her. Dina was absolutely stunning, that sparkle in her brown eyes as she stops in front of Ellie says it all. " Hey. " Dina says softly.

Ellie cleared her throat and smiled at Dina. " Hey, I missed you, babe. You look- Fuck me, you look absolutely stunning. " Dina was the only one who could pull words like that out of Ellie's mind.

Dina smirked in amusement and teasingly winked at Ellie, finding absolute joy in the way her face grew flushed. " Oh, in a rush are we? We still have to get married, goober. But let's save that talk for later. "

They both grew quiet at the sound of their sons little feet, tearing up the isle with a string of giggles. The rings bouncing wildly as he comes to a halt in front of them. " Mama! Mom! I got the rings! " He announced in a delighted tone, earning a few chuckles from the congregation.

Dina laughs softly and smiles down at him. " Good job, bud! You are such a smart little guy. " She ruffled his hair, watching as he goes and stands where he was told, still beaming with pride.

The wedding commences right on time, the pastor going through the motions of what had been discussed with him. There is a mixture of Jewish traditions, like the breaking of a glass. And some things that were apparently common in a wedding back when people still had them.

Ellie crouches down slightly, taking the rings carefully from the pillow JJ was holding. She smiles as she hands Dina hers, her mind is racing and her heart is hammering heavily.

They both slip the rings on one another's finger when they were given the go-ahead, they didn't exchange any vows. Not in front of people, they didn't need to prove that they loved and cared about each other in front of everyone else. All that they had been through signified that, how far they had come.

" I now pronounce you, wife- And, uhh wife. You may now kiss the bride. " The pastor said, clearly not ever having married two women before.

Ellie chuckles softly, gently cupping Dina's cheek with her hand. She leans forward slightly, her breath tickling Dina's nose as she whispered. " Don't mind if I do. " She pressed her lips to Dina's, sharing a passionate kiss with her wife. Ellie wrapped her arms around Dina and dipped her, unable to hold back the laugh that escaped her mouth at JJ's enthusiastic clapping, his claps actually covered up the applause from all the others.

Ellie picked Dina back up, a fond smile on her lips, her arm wrapped around Dina's waist. " Y'know, I like him like this. He isn't yet disgusted by our love and affection for one another. "

Dina smiled and gently brushed her hand over Ellie's cheek, pushing a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. " Yeah, we are still lucky for now it seems. Unfortunately, he will probably grow out of that and get embarrassed of us. "

Ellie snickered to herself. " JJ is going to have a hell of a time bringing people around when he gets older, guaranteed. " She just meant that they would one hundred percent embarrass him with their love for each other when he attempts to bring a crush home with him.

Dina lightly slapped her wife's arm as JJ came rushing up to them, they both crouched down and pulled him into a tight hug. " You did so awesome, Spud! Proud of ya! " JJ beamed happily, his toothy grin brightening up their world. " Now we are a family. " He said softly, nuzzling his head against his mothers'.

《 》

The dinner and party that is held after the wedding goes on for quite some time. Everybody is laughing and singing, chatting and dancing. The music is soft, yet loud. And it reminds Ellie of the night her and Dina shared their first kiss. The same type of lights are strung up, illuminating the dance floor.

Ellie stands near the counter, her gaze almost blank as she stares straight ahead. Her mind begins to run as all the events that followed began coming to life in her mind. She dropped her head with a gasp, and placed her hands over her ears. No- She hadn't done this in a long time, this was supposed to be their new beginning, she was supposed to be making new memories.

Dina had been talking with Maria, JJ latched to her side like a little monkey. When she glanced around the room for a second, her eyes zeroed in on Ellie, hands clasped over her ears, eyes glazed over and wet with tears. She excuses herself and rushes over to Ellie's side. Gently placing a hand on her face. " Ellie, Ellie I need you to come back to me. Come back to me, El. Our son wants to dance with his mom. "

She gently brushes her fingers through Ellie's hair, whispering softly to her until she was able to pull her out of it. " El, you are home, babe. With me and JJ, we are here. We love you and you are safe. " She repeated this as long as she had to, until the light returned to Ellie's eyes and she dropped her hands slowly.

Ellie looked at Dina with guilt written all over her face. " I'm… I'm sorry, Di- I don't know what… I've been doing so good, that… Hasn't happened in months. " Dina can see that Ellie is on the verge of tears, so she gently takes hold of her hand. " Ellie, I'm not upset with you. These things- They happen sometimes. To the best of us, it doesn't mean you've undone every single ounce of work you've come through. I'm so proud of you, and I just want you to be okay. " She placed a gentle kiss to Ellie's lips.

Carefully pulling her by the hand, she leads her out of the church after saying a quick thank you and goodbye to everyone as a whole.

Ellie looked at Dina with confusion, she really had screwed things up. They were supposed to dance and enjoy the wedding party. " What are we doing? What about- "

Dina shook her head and handed JJ over to Ellie. The other woman grunts slightly from the sudden added weight. " Ellie, we can dance together as a family. "

It's hard to argue when your wife looks so excited at the thought, who cared if it wasn't in front of a crowd. Wasn't that how she preferred it, anyway?

《 》

They soon reached their humble little home, it was no farm house. But it had two stories, and was just the perfect size for their family of three.

Ellie set JJ down on his feet as soon as they stepped inside the house, the boy excitedly followed after Dina as she went to the record player and put on a record for them to dance to.

Ellie smiled faintly at Dina as she grabbed hold of JJ and started dancing with him. He was practically bouncing up and down in excitement as they grooved their way over to her. She gasped as Dina grabbed onto her hand and pulled her into a loving embrace, gently swaying to the music that didn't fit at all. JJ stood on Ellie's converse clad feet, and swayed with them. Her hands holding onto his small one's so he wouldn't fall.

The three of them danced until they couldn't dance anymore, and what that meant was they danced until it was time for JJ to go to bed.

" I'll put him down, babe. " Ellie said as she scooped up a tired JJ from on their couch, she carried him upstairs and helped him get ready for bed. " I love you, mom. " He said softly, drifting off to sleep easily, very worn out from the events of the day.

Ellie slowly walked back down the stairs, surprised to see Dina standing in the middle of their living room, gently swaying to the music and humming to herself. She smiles as she approaches Dina, and wraps her arms around her from behind. Swaying to the music with her, their bodies in sync.

A smile grows on Dina's face, and she turns around in Ellie's embrace. Bringing her own hands up and wrapping them around Ellie's shoulders, letting her head rest against her chest as they swayed to the music. Her brown eyes were filled with so much love for the girl in front of her. " I think that this- Right here, is the start to our forever. I love you, El. "

Ellie's eyes well up with tears and she laughs softly, pressing a quick kiss to the top of Dina's head. " I… I believe that you are right, this moment… And all the one's after. We are stronger together. I love you, Dina. Thanks for allowing me to prove myself, time and time again. "