#make sure he hasn't already chewed his way free

[ineffable-romantics]

FREE HIM

[margotw10bis]

Welcome Back.JJK [m]

bestfriend!Jungkook x female Reader

Genre: drabble; smut (basically just porn)

Words: 3.6k

Synopsis: After almost two years of military service, you finally meet your best friend again. While you have planned a cosy night, his plans are a little bit on the physical side.

Warnings: oral sex (f. receiving); dom!jk/sub!reader; unprotected sex; rough sex; praising kink; big dick jk; hair pulling; spanking; crying of how good sex is; choking

Part 2

18 months.

You've waited 18 months to see him again. You diligently mark each day on your calendar, waiting for him. The few weekends he was allowed in the civil life weren't enough to do everything you wanted and honestly, he was so tired that most of the time he just ate and slept.

But today it's different. Because Jungkook is finally free from service. You finally have your best friend back.

You've planned everything for your encounter: cake, embarrassing sign saying 'I CAN TAKE MY BUNNY HOME' and a whole night of snacks, games and movies, just like you used to do before Jungkook got into the army.

You're not the only one waiting for a loved one. A small group of friends and family have gathered in front of the military base, waiting for the soldiers to get off duty for good.

You are clearly feeling impatient, bouncing on one foot to the other. When some squeaks are heard from the crowd, you try to get a visual on the men coming outside by standing on your tiptoes but it's in vain. The only thing you see is a bunch of shaved heads...

It's only when some reunions decide to step aside that you finally see him. And gosh, you are so happy that you could fly. A big fat smile paints your face and Jungkook mimics you when he notices you and your sign.

He looks a little bit tired but he looks good anyway. The months he has spent in the army got him buffer — even though he was already a gym rat — and his military uniform just increases that. His hair is definitely short but he clearly let it grow a little. Honestly, he looks like a kiwi. A cute kiwi.

And his bunny smile is just the same: sweet and feeling like home.

When Jungkook walks to you and hugs you tight, you can't help but shed a tear.

"I missed you so much" You whisper, tightening your arms around his neck — you don't care if you're strangling him at this point

"Missed you too" He whispers back

"And..." You say as you are scooting away to grab the box you left on the ground "I got you a cake!"

Your excitement peaks through your voice, making Jungkook chuckles.

-----

It really feels like old times.

Jungkook's apartment hasn't changed at all. Well, you've been there a few times just to make sure that there wasn't any leaks from the upper flat, or to open the windows to change the air. But you missed it with Jungkook inside. It's like the whole place takes his energy.

As Jungkook takes care of his bag in his room, you settle everything you have prepared on his coffee table: cake and games. Several times a week, you were spending evenings together and you really want to find back this atmosphere.

You happily clap in your hands when your best friend appears in the living room. You light up the candles on the cake and start singing — not so good but you don't care — 'Welcome back, Kookie'.

Jungkook blows the candles and sits next to you on the couch. He has changed his clothes, opting for a style you know very well: baggy black t-shirt and oversized black sweatpants. He must feel good to finally dress as he wants.

"So" You start, already excited about this night "I have UNO, Monopoly, Cluedo but we can also play something on your Switch or we can watch a movie. I heard that the new one with Ryan Gosling is very n—"

"Y/N" Jungkook stops you

You can see he is a little embarrassed at the way he scratches his neck.

"Yes? Tell me" You encourage him, your usual sweet smile on your lips

"I don't want to be rude or anything, because it's super sweet what you've done but..." Your best friend chews on his lower lip — he used to chew his lip rings but they're gone "It's just that... I haven't done it for almost two years and I was expected to, you know, do it tonight"

Jungkook has a light blush on his cheeks that indicates that he is not as relaxed as his manspreading on the couch lets think.

But you're a little confused. You don't understand what he is trying to say.

"You don't want to play the games?" You try and Jungkook shakes his head lightly but doesn't dare to look at you "And you want to 'do it'? You mean going live on Twitch?"

Jungkook growls in frustration. It's so weird to talk about that with you. You're his best friend, it's not really the kind of conservations you two have.

"No!" He whines "God, Y/N, I want to fuck!"

You're speechless. And blushed. Because gosh, you never talk about that and you're also embarrassed not to have thought about it. You totally get that Jungkook wants to... blow off some steam.

You just didn't realize that he might have called one of the numerous girls that were crushing on him before he went to the army and asked her to join him tonight.

"Oh" You manage to say "I—" You clear your throat "I'll get going then. You can call me tomorrow or whenever"

You quickly stand up and try to hide the redness of your face. But Jungkook grabs your hand and pulls you down. You clumsily land on his lap, setting your knees on both sides of his hips last second to avoid hurting him.

Your heart stops at the intimate position. Never in a billion years you could have imagined being like this with your best friend. Your breathing stops too as you get to see Jungkook's face so close, maybe for the first time in your four years of friendship. He is handsome, always has been, so you don't know where to look: his eyes — not in their usual doe shape but way more intense —, his cute bubble nose or his lips. Yeah, your eyes definitely settle on them, especially when he slyly licks them and coats them with a thin and shiny layer of saliva.

You gulp and don't really know what to do. Yet, it seems very easy for Jungkook because his big and warm hands caress your waist, sending shivers down your spine.

"Let me fuck you. Please"

You don't know if he is begging or ordering because his voice is so hoarse. It's really, really hard to resist. And maybe his hot breathe caressing your face makes you a little high because you nod.

You fucking nod at your best friend asking if he can fuck you.

Worse, you feel aroused by the idea if you consider how your pussy is getting wet.

In just one second, Jungkook's lips are on yours. The kiss is not sweet at all, it's rough and urging. You're never witnessed this side of Jungkook and you already can tell that he loves being in control. He always has been the nice and caring friend but right now, he is like a starved man. His inked hand settles at the back of your neck, preventing you from escaping but you have absolutely no willing to do so.

His mouth literally owns yours, pressing his lips so hard that your teeth clink but it's not like you really care — this awesome kiss fogs your brain with horniness. He slides his tongue between your lips and you hum at his velvet muscle against yours.

His hands tightens their grip, bringing you closer to him. Your boobs are pressed against his torso and there is no another place for your arms but around his neck. His short hair tickles your fingers but it feels so soft at the same time. Too bad the kiss completely occupies your brain that you can't appreciate the sensation in your fingertips.

As Jungkook abandons your swollen lips for your neck, his hands are traveling down to rest on your hips as they urge you to grind on his hardening cock. You roll your hips, pressing your core against his crotch and gosh, it feels good. You are so, so glad you've chosen leggings today because you can feel his bulge. You press harder and harder against it, trying to satisfy the need of friction your throbbing clit demands. You are so, so wet that it's embarrassing.

You can't help a sweet moan from escaping your lip and it seems to make Jungkook crazy. He lifts up your body to make you lay on your back and grabs the hem of your leggings, tugging on them and your panties at the same time. You're surprised that he doesn't slide your clothes all the way down but stops mid-thighs, just enough to get a full view of your cunt, already glistening with arousal.

You don't even have time to grow embarrassed at the idea of your best friend looking at your pussy because Jungkook is in a rush.

"Pretty" He whispers with a hot smirk right before he dives into it

His hands strongly maintain your legs up against your chest while his tongue rolls around your clit. It feels so fucking good that you can't think straight. Maybe that's why you can't have enough sense to mutter your loud moans.

Jungkook changes his pattern by taking a big fat lap from your entrance, gathering on his tongue your arousal that was starting to drop through your hole. Your head rolls back and your hips buckle up just to feel more of him.

"Taste fucking sweet" He praises and you don't know why you feel so proud of it

The wet sounds of his mouth on your cunt are sinful and at this point, you don't know if your pussy is covered by your arousal or Jungkook's spit but you don't care. It's even hotter than he is eating you out so messily. The sloppy sounds are scandalous but it arouses so much that you feel like going crazy.

When he harshly sucks on your sensitive bud, you gasp and shut your eyes close. Your hands desperately try to hold on something but there is nothing to help you down the path of this pleasure.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god" You keep moaning

You're close, you know it. Your pussy keeps clenching around nothing and Jungkook's tongue doesn't slow down. His hands grips the flesh of your thighs harder, surely marking you with bruises, so you don't escape from the unbearable pleasure. And then, Jungkook decides to bring you straight to Heaven when his wet muscle enters you as deep as possible, making his nose bump into your clit. Your restrained legs due to your leggings and his grip only add to your arousal. You've never felt so overwhelmed by pleasure before but here you are: being eaten out by your best friend.

"Kookie, wait, I'm gonna— I'm gonna—" But you never finish your sentence

You scream something that sounds like his name as your legs shake in his grip and you cum on your best friend's face. Your walls clench around his vicious tongue that happily gathers your arousal pouring from your hole. You even feel him smirking against your cunt while he takes a final lap.

"Sweet juicy pussy" He says, making your blush "You're cute when you cum on my tongue, baby"

You don't really have time to catch your breathe because Jungkook grabs your waist and tosses you around so you're on your knees. He makes sure to bring your ass up, landing a harsh spank on your flesh. The stinging pain brings tears to your eyes but wetness to your pussy.

You rest your head on your couch, obediently waiting for Jungkook to pursue his needs.

"You're so fucking cute like that, your pussy full on display for me only, right?" He praises and claims you and doesn't miss how you clench

You both didn't know you had a praising kink but Jungkook will sure use it.

"You're gonna be a good girl and let me fuck you dumb, aren't you?"

You can feel the heat on your cheeks and you grow impatient to feel him inside you. Jungkook's hot, that's a fact. And the way he is acting right now makes you know that you won't be disappointed in his sex skills — not really surprising since Jungkook is good at everything.

You nod to answer, afraid to moan rather than to form words but it doesn't satisfy Jungkook. Another spank, way rougher than the first one, lands on your asscheek, making your jolt. A red mark in the shape of his palm instantly appears on your plump skin in the hottest way possible for your best friend. A sob leaves your mouth but you don't have time to realize it because Jungkook's tattooed hand goes up to gently caress your cheek, swiping away the tears.

"Talk when I ask you to"

His tone is quite severe and you're surprised how sexy you find it. You're never witnessed the dominant side of your best friend before, since you always saw him as a cute bunny.

"Yes" You reply, so politely, so innocently while your ass is up for your fucking best friend

"Good girl"

You hear some rustling of clothes, a sign that Jungkook is getting rid off of his shirt and slides down his sweatpants and briefs mid-thighs too.

You turn your head just enough to watch him pumping his absolutely huge cock. Your eyes widen as you wonder if you'll be able to take him. You haven't had a lot of partners but they surely can't compare with Jungkook's size.

The slight fear on your face is delightful for your best friend. He can see your pussy is tight and he can't wait to stretch your hole like it deserves to be. Honestly, he didn't plan to fuck you tonight. He thought he was going to text a random girl but after all, you're his best friend and you're the one who has planned a welcoming party.

Grabbing his thick dick at its base, Jungkook pats your sensitive clit with his tip. You jolt but moan, instinctively pushing your hips towards him. Some sticky links connect your pussy and his member in the most sinful way. Jungkook teases you again, rubbing his angry tip against your clit just to hear you groan his name.

However, he knows he won't last long and he has waited too long for a teasing game.

His free hand roughly grabs your asscheek, spreading it so he can fully see your beautiful cunt clenching. He lets a blob of spit slide along your puckered hole and down your pussy so he can penetrate you easily — actually, you are wet enough for that but your best friend just likes it messy.

He brings his cock to your entrance and pushes in. The tip is enough to stretch you out so much that the air is kicked out of your lungs. Your mouth opens, unable to make any sound, and your hand desperately grabs his forearm.

"You're so big" You gasp, another tear rolling down your cheek

It doesn't help that you're in this position: you can feel him better like this, aware of every since inch inside you.

"Too much?" Jungkook asks, genuinely worried

Despite how horny he is, he doesn't want to hurt you. If you tell him right now to stop, he'll do. Even though the way your walls throb are so fucking good, and he has just put the tip.

"No, it's okay. Just—" You take a deep breathe "Just wait a sec" You say

Jungkook nods and draws some soothing circles on your asscheek. And it works: he can feel you relaxing which allows him to slide more inches of his cock into your tight cunt.

You won't lie: the stretch is almost unbearable but the sensation of being so full makes you high. Way beyond clouds. You're feeling completely euphoric of your best friend's dick inside you.

"Fuck, you fill me up so good" You can't help but confess

"You're such a good girl, baby, taking me all" He smirks, rewarded you with a nice spank on your already red ass

When all his length is swallowed by your dripping cunt, you feel him deep, deep inside. You need a minute to get used to his size but it's damn hard for Jungkook to stay still when he has been waiting for so long and when you poor dripping cunt squeezes him so tightly. He can't control how his dick twitches, making you moan and clench tighter.

Your best friend attempts a faint dick stroke, earning a gasp or a moan from you, he can't define but the bliss on your face is unmistakable. This spurs him to pull out more, until just his tip is caged between your walls, and to slam back inside completely.

"Fuck, Kookie" You moan

"You like that, uh?" You nod frenetically, especially when Jungkook provides a rough cock stroke "Who knew you were such a good slut"

You don't quite know what to respond when Jungkook fucks you so good that your brain can't work. You just moan loudly, not caring one bit about Mrs. Kim, his 83 year-old neighbor.

The strength of Jungkook's poundings makes you jolt and if he wasn't holding you tight by digging his nails into the flesh of your ass, you'd be completely resting on your stomach by now. Even though his grip will surely bruise you, you absolutely don't give a fuck, not when you have such a good dick inside you.

"Fuck, you feel so fucking good, baby" He hisses when you clench around him

You're not sure you'll last long. And maybe your body is not connected to your head anymore because it only seems to seek for your release. You start to bounce back on Jungkook's cock, slapping your ass against his lap each time.

Your best friend watches in awe how naughty you become despite your usual innocence and he just wants to see your fucked up face more. For that, he grabs a good amount of your hair and tugs on it. Your back is so fucking arched that it feels like you're going to break in two but you don't care. The only thing you can feel is this good cock in you.

"Kookie, I'm so close" You whine

Jungkook might have the same goal as you: making you cum, because he wraps his other arm around your chest and lifts up against his torso. He makes sure to have a strong hold on you and forcefully provides you his amazing dick strokes.

The new angle is the perfect one, his cock hitting your sweet spot repeatedily and you have no other choice than to gasp. You've never been fucked this good and you don't even know how to breathe correctly anymore.

Jungkook's growls of pleasure as he buries his face in the crook of your neck and the sound of your skins clapping fog your brain. You grab his tattooed hand and place it around your throat. Jungkook gets the message and chokes you.

"You're such a naughty girl" He teases you, bitting your skin as he gives you powerful poundings "I'm sure that you like being fucked dumb, right baby?"

"Yes!" You scream despite your blocked throat

You're high on sex and low on oxygen: the perfect mix to bring you on cloud nine. It's like Jungkook already knows all the things you love about sex. But he is your best friend, he knows everything else so why not that? And if he is so good with you, then you don't mind sharing all your secrets with him.

"You're gonna come for me?"

You nod at that but almost bend over when Jungkook's vicious fingers find your clit despise your tied legs. He is circling it so fast that your legs shiver. Thankfully, his large palm around your air column prevents you from escaping his delightful treatment.

"Fuck, Kookie" You sob, shaking in his hold

"Cum for me, cum on my cock" He urges you "I know that you're a good girl and good girls cum when they are told to do so"

The specific knot builds inside you, and you don't know what you are saying anymore. You are not even aware of your tears on your cheeks and the drool at the edge of your mouth anymore. Your toes curl and you dig your nails in his forearms when you reach your high. White dots paint your vision, even though your eyes are closed.

You might be screaming Jungkook's name but you're not sure. You are just too far gone.

You fall miserably on your couch, trying your best to keep your ass up because your best friend hasn't stopped nor slowed down one bit. He has pushed you all the way through your orgasm and even beyond, so much that it's almost barely impossible for you to take him anymore. His dick is just too big, stretching your walls that are begging to clench.

"Please, Kookie" You beg, tears of overstimulation appearing on your face "Come now, I can't— I can't anymore"

"I'm almost there, hold on for me" Jungkook reassures you, his voice a little softer

He knows that you are taking more than you can right now: the way your body shakes is a clear sign. He is close too and a last slap on your abused ass helps him.

He pulls out suddenly, leaving your hole gaping and stupidly empty, and pumps his soaked with your juices cock to cum on your ass. The contrast between your red asscheeks and his thick white seeds is perfect. Jungkook pants while he looks at his masterpiece, a satisfied smirked on his lips.

Exhausted, you fall on his couch, almost falling asleep right after.

"You're okay?" He worries

"Uhm, uhm" You nod

"It's the best welcome party ever" He brightly smiles at your tired face and you can't help but give his smile back "Thank you so much, Y/N"

Part 2

[hwaslayer]

project: make you love me (jyh) | two.

♣︎ spotify playlist | series masterlist

—summary: yunho can’t stand how you’re so wrapped up in the notorious campus fuckboy, park seonghwa. he would gladly love you the way you deserve, despite being shy, awkward and the complete opposite of seonghwa. thus, when he finds himself spending more time with you over literature reviews and random study sessions, he decides to take on the challenge to win you over.

—pairing: jeong yunho x f. reader x park seonghwa

—genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers/friends to lovers, college au | fluff, angst, (eventual) smut

—word count: 3.6k

—chapter content/warnings: nothing too bad since we're still in the beginning stages of things lol, cussing, friends being supportive, friends being instigators and projecting!!, hwa still being hwa, yunho being shy and awkward but very caring

You scrambled to get your literature review done, almost forgetting that you had to send it to Yunho before officially submitting it to your professor. It's a bit past midnight when Seonghwa decides it's time to drop you off— even if it gets incredibly late, he'd prefer to drop you off at home rather than let you stay.

All Seonghwa's bullshit plans.

You yawn as you quietly step into your shared apartment, careful not to wake your roommates as you pull out your laptop and finish your lit review on the kitchen island in the dark. It fucking sucks that absolutely nothing is coming to you for this review because now, Yunho is probably going to think you're just flat out dumb for not being able to see what everyone else sees.

"Hey." You whip your head up so fast you almost give yourself whiplash. Seungmin groggily walks out of his room and into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water. "Why are you working out here in the dark? Did you just get home?" You nod.

"Mhm. Forgot I had to finish that literature review and send it to Yunho."

"Forgot already?"

"Shut up, okay? Not my favorite assignment to work on. Besides, I wanna give him some time to review it and chew my ass if he needs to. Rather him than Dr. Nelson at this point." You type away, probably hella nonsense and gibberish about the movie at this point.

"Hm." Seungmin hums as he quickly drinks his water. "Don't stay up too late."

"I won't. Just gonna give this a few more words then send it off." You sigh. God, you almost regret asking Yunho [out of all people] for help. He's super smart and he always knows what he's doing. Was this the right route to go? Maybe you should've just asked Dr. Nelson and dealt with it.

"Mkay. Goodnight then, Y/N." Seungmin yawns as he drags himself back to his shared room with Soobin. You decide that you're gonna take another 10 minutes to finish off the review, giving it everything you can think of right now. If it needs tweaking or any additional details, Yunho can surely step in and help. You feel exhaustion hitting you quickly, giving your review the last bout of energy you have left before you shower and call it a night.

"Done." You say to yourself, sending it off to Yunho as an attachment. 

He probably won't look at this until later.

You make sure to double check your emails and assignments, keeping track of everything that's due and needs to be turned in—

Ding.

You peep the notification that pops up on the bottom right of your laptop screen.

"1 New Email from: Jeong Yunho (jeongyh@kq.edu)"

"What the fuck?" You mutter to yourself. It hasn't been a whole 10 minutes since you sent the email. You click on the notification anyway, letting it bring you to the new email in your student inbox.

— do you have time to meet really quickly later today? i wanna go over your review with you. cool if you can't though, just prefer to talk to you in person instead of marking up your page without any explanation to back it up.

You sigh and sit there, trying to remember your schedule for tomorrow. You do have a 45 minute break in between your morning classes. Hopefully, he's free.

— sure! i'm free from 10:15-11. does that work for you?

"1 New Email from Jeong Yunho (jeongyh@kq.edu)"

— yup, i don't have class till after lunch. i'll be working at one of the booths in the library.

You sit back and respond, feeling a bit of relief.

— cool, see you. :) thanks for your help.

Yunho sits at his desk, feeling a bit awkward and nervous even though you can't see him right now. It's probably a little pathetic at how quick he opened up your email, but to be fair, you seemed like you really needed the help and that's what he wanted to give you. You aren't necessarily writing bad reviews, since you're hitting all the right points. But, he has Dr. Nelson figured out. He doesn't want just the facts— he wants you to think outside of the box, write out the emotions, feelings, outcomes of all the actions, give examples, state what your thoughts are on how this effects the surroundings, other characters. You just need to add that little umph to your reviews and give him more than the bare minimum. Yunho gets it though, it's not easy to tap into that all the time. That's why he's here to help. 

He's hoping he can be the help you need.

"Did you come in pretty late last night or was Seungmin sleep walking?" Soobin scratches the side of his head as the two of you walk towards the library.

"No, that was me." You chuckle.

"Did Seonghwa at least walk you to the door? Cause that's late."

"Yeah right." You scoff and Soobin shakes his head. "Whatever though, he drops me off as close as possible to our building."

"Still. He should at least walk you halfway."

"Mm, yeah." Is all you respond with. "Anyway, lunch later? I have to meet with Yunho to talk about this review."

"Oh? You're actually meeting with him? That's new. I feel like that's something out of the ordinary for Yunho."

"He asked if we could so that he could explain better instead of just marking up my review." 

"That's nice of him."

"Yeah, hopefully I'm not too much of a pain in the ass."

"Doubt it. You just need a little guidance, that's all. Sure he'll be super helpful." Soobin smirks. "He seems to not go out of his way for people, maybe he likes you."

"Are you serious right now? All because I need help over a literature review." Soobin laughs.

"Just saying. I already like Yunho way more than Seonghwa."

"Okay, I'm leaving. I'll see you later." You roll your eyes and enter the quieter side of the library where the booths are located. It's easy to spot Yunho, especially with that towering figure of his even while sitting. Today, he's wearing a navy and white flannel, with a grey shirt underneath. His hair falls to his face as he leans over to write some notes. He has one finger placed on a page in his textbook, while the other hand is busily writing away. He glances to and from every now and then, only looking up at his surroundings when he feels you approaching.

"Um, hi." You awkwardly stand near the booth with your books tucked against your chest. He simply looks at you before giving you a tiny, pursed smile and returning his attention to his books.

"Hey." He moves his book and notebook closer to himself in order to give you some room. "Sorry, just need to finish this right quick."

"That's okay. Take your time." You slide in awkwardly and set your books on the surface of the table. "Thanks for going over my review."

"No worries." He says softly before finishing up his notes and shutting his books closed. He brings out his laptop and types away to unlock it, pulling up your document before turning the laptop towards you. "So."

"Sorry, I know it was bad." You look at him, a little shy and embarrassed. He tilts his head a bit and furrows his brow while looking at you.

"Huh? No, it wasn't bad, Y/N." He lets out a small chuckle. "You're hitting the right points, Dr. Nelson is just super complex and wants you to use these facts a bit more." He points at a line in your review. "You talk about the characters feelings here after an upsetting moment, which is right. But, how does it affect their surroundings? Their actions, the people around them, what they get themselves into to cope. How does feeling bad branch out to all these things? Why? How does it contribute to their overall attitude, to the overall character?" You nod. 

"It seems so easy to talk about, but I don't know why I have so much trouble doing it. I feel kinda dumb." He shrugs.

"You're not. You just have to dig into the details a little more and use those examples instead of staying safe and stating what we know already. It's easy to stay safe because you know what you're stating is gonna be right. Dr. Nelson just wants a little more than that, is all."

"Thanks, Yunho." He gives you a toothless smile.

"Of course. Uh," He scratches his temple. "Let's go through everything else? So, I can be of better help to you?" You nod.

"Only if you're okay with it."

"Yeah. Just wanna make sure I help you out correctly." He lets out a shy chuckle before thoroughly going through your literature review with you. He asks you the right questions, allowing you to edit your own document on his laptop while the two of you continue to converse. He shares his thoughts and the things he's included on his review, making it easier for you to understand what you were missing and leaving out in your own.

Literature was never your favorite. You partially didn't care enough to put in enough effort, hence the lack of patience and understanding with the assignments— the lack of patience and understanding with your own professor.

As 11 closes in, you sit and look at your fully edited review feeling content. You look at Yunho, a small toothless smile on your face while he awkwardly glances around the library to avoid long eye contact. He gently taps his hands against the surface of the table, waiting for you to break the silence.

Which, you eventually do.

Thank god.

"Yunho, I feel so much better about this." You slide the laptop over to him. "Thanks for helping me, seriously. I don't know what I'd do if I had to see Dr. Nelson's comments again."

"It's not a problem." He shrugs. "I um, can continue to look at your reviews if you want?" Your eyes light up as you nod delightfully.

"Really?"

"Sure."

"I have to repay you somehow, that's too much on your plate isn't it?"

"It's not. I wouldn't offer if it was." He chuckles a bit.

"Lunch one day?"

"You don't have to."

"I would like to. Or, if our schedules don't work, we can always meet for coffee and go in on the café desserts."

"Sounds good." He smiles and pulls out his phone to slide it towards you. "Mm, do you think I can grab your number? Sorry, don't mean to be lame about it. I just figured it'd be easier instead of emailing each other. Unless that's what you.. prefer?" You chuckle and shake your head.

"No, this is totally easier. Don't worry." You plug your number in before sliding it back to me. "There."

"That's me." He says after giving you a quick ring so you can save his number on your own phone. You start to gather your things to start heading to class when you hear a familiar laugh come from one of the aisles to your right. You turn over your shoulder to catch wind of the noise, finding Seonghwa deep in conversation with another classmate, another senior girl [actually this one is probably Hyeri?] She seems to be laughing at his jokes, even though they probably aren't that funny. Somehow, the way he looks at her [along with any other female who isn't you] breaks your heart.

Breaks your heart even though there isn't anything else left to break.

Seonghwa briefly makes eye contact with you before his eyes quickly dart to Yunho, then back to Hyeri in front of him. You quietly continue to gather your things and swallow the lump forming in your throat, unsure why you allow this feeling to completely ruin your mood. Yunho takes note, for sure though. Again, he's not sure if he should feel bad because you surely knew what it was like getting tangled with Seonghwa. That was no secret on campus. However, he's an empath, and seeing that you've been kind and calm around him— he can't help but feel bad. A tiny bit sad, upset even, that you continue to let yourself mess around with Seonghwa when you deserve so much more.

Yunho challenges Seonghwa a bit though, letting his eyes linger on him until Seonghwa breaks away first. He checks on you and parts his lips slightly because he wants to say something, anything— he's just not sure what. Eventually, he settles with:

"Are you okay?" It's clear you're not and Yunho immediately feels stupid as fuck for settling with that question.

"Hm, yeah. Just tired, is all." He nods, watching as you slide out of the booth and swing your bag strap over your shoulder.

"Don't hesitate to text me if you need anything else. I'll try and help." When he says it, he's hoping you can catch onto the fact that he's someone who could listen to your troubles. He's not good with words or opening up to people, but he thinks he could at least offer that after seeing the way you sank in front of him. His eyes dart back up to you when you tuck your books back to your chest and smile at him.

"I will. Thanks again, Yunho. Lunch or coffee soon, okay?" You say sweetly before leaving him back to his lonesome. 

"How was your date with Yunho?" Soobin asks as he forks his salad and takes a big bite. You glare at him before shaking your head.

"This is how rumors spread, you idiot." Chaery smacks him on the back of the head, making him laugh but slightly wince in pain at the same time.

"I'll whoop your ass if you say that word and Yunho in the same sentence one more time." You roll your eyes. "My literature review session with him went fine. He did help me out a lot, practically added another page to my review from all the edits we made."

"That's good." Soobin says, laughing. "Are you gonna have him review your literature stuff from now on?"

"Probably, it comes so easy for him. Or, maybe I just lack the patience." You shrug. "But, his help would definitely be nice. I need to push my grade up."

"Mhm." Soobin wiggles his brows.

"He's pushing this Yunho agenda so much." You point at Soobin while looking at Chaery and she shrugs.

"I mean don't get me wrong, I'm on the same bloat." You glare at her. "But, I'm on your side more than anything!" She quickly bounces back, making you sigh.

"I give up." You mumble as you rest your chin on the palm of your hand. Suddenly, your phone vibrates off to the side, making you lazily tap your screen to see who the notification is from.

"Better not be Seonghwa." You glare at Chaery once again.

"I'm taking this to the couch." You stick your tongue out before grabbing your phone and walking over to the couch in the living room. Because it's not, and you don't really wanna deal with your teasing friends even more.

yunho: btw, i like this website if i don't really wanna dig too deep into the details

yunho: it's a good website that summarizes a lot of the themes in books, and they have a huge catalog

You smile and respond back, feeling appreciative that he thought of you.

yunho: srry for the triple text, hope i didnt bother

you: you didn't. thank you, yunho :) i'll bookmark this that way i won't have to bother you so much lol

yunho: you're not a bother haha but np. have a good night!

you: you too!

Then, another comes in. And of course it's Seonghwa. But, the message isn't your typical message, no. It's a message that easily rubs you the wrong way because why? Why does Seonghwa like to pull this shit?

seonghwa: since when did you talk to jeong yunho? lol

you: why does it matter?

seonghwa: it's a simple question?

you: you're ridiculous, you know? we're in the lit same class. again, not that it matters .. ?

seonghwa: how am i ridiculous? lol

you: whatever seonghwa

seonghwa: why are you upset, baby? i'm just asking. i don't see what yunho's point is

you: he has no point, he's just helping me out.

seonghwa: okay, sure lol do you wanna come over? could use your company ): 

you: not tonight

you: maybe you can call hyeri, or whatever her name is. i'm spending time with my roommates

seonghwa: baby, seriously? i was talking to a classmate. can we not fight over dumb shit again?

you: goodnight seonghwa

You sigh out of irritation, tossing your phone aside. It's a bit close to 10pm, but you feel like getting some fresh air and taking a quick walk around the complex would do you some good. 

"Chaery, can we take a walk?" She looks at you and nods.

"Sure."

"What about me?" Soobin asks with a mouth full.

"You're eating."

"I can take it with me."

"It's girl talk." He cringes a bit and shakes his head.

"Nevermind. Be safe, come back soon." You chuckle just as Chaery walks out of your shared room in a hoodie. She has one of your jackets in your hand, handing it over as she gets closer.

"It's a bit cold tonight. Jacket?" 

"Thanks." You smile at her as you throw it on and zip it up, sliding into your slippers before walking out. Chaery is right; the air is colder, crisp. It has a little bite, especially against your skin. Chaery wraps her arm around yours, pulling you close for extra body heat.

"What happened, babe?"

"Huh?"

"You told Soobin it was girl talk." You laugh a bit and nod.

"Oh yeah, right. It is." You sigh as you hold her close. "Nothing, it's just Seonghwa. He texted me just to ask when I started talking to Yunho and what his point was. Got on my nerve."

"Ew, what's his problem? Y/N, seriously. You can do so much better than him. I know it's not easy, and I know he has his moments with you. But baby, you deserve someone who is always sure about you and who will be happy to flaunt you off."

"I know." You sigh. "It's like every time I think about leaving, he does something to keep me close."

"But, it shouldn't be this way, you know? You shouldn't have to wait for these moments. It should happen every day if he really cared about you."

"Yeah." Is all you can say because what can you say? It's hard to break it off with Seonghwa because this is your routine, something you've gotten used to— his presence is something you've gotten accustomed to. Even if it he isn't necessarily the best, he keeps you company. The kind of company that you like.

"How was meeting up with Yunho? Did he help you with your review?"

"A lot. He is super helpful, and he offered to keep helping me."

"Aw." Chaery giggles. "That is so sweet of him."

"He's actually really kind, and patient. I offered to take him out for lunch or something one day."

"Cute. Yeah, you should! Get to know him. Maybe he just needs a little pushing out of his shell, you know? You could probably help him in return." You shrug.

"Maybe? He's still—" Suddenly, Chaery's eyes shoot up to the figure ahead. She does a little gasp before making a cute noise and dragging you closer.

"Yunho!" She says, waving at him. He looks a little startled, but he stops in his tracks and waits with his hands in his pockets— a shy, small smile creeping at the corner of his lips. "Wait, oh my god! I didn't realize you lived here, too! I mean, so does the majority of campus, but still!" You sure as hell didn't know either, and you feel a bit bad that you just probably never noticed. 

"Uh, yeah. I just live over there." He points at his building.

"Who do you live with?"

"Kang Yeosang." Chaery nods.

"Ah, cute. What a pair." You give her a look before shifting your attention back to Yunho. He quietly waits for the next part of the conversation, his eyes softly gazing over you. 

You're cute.

"What are you doing out here this late?"

"Could ask the same for you two." He chuckles and nervously scratches at the nape of his neck. "I, uh, can't sleep sometimes. The walk kinda helps."

"Ah, I see. Makes sense."

"So.." He awkwardly says, shifting weight from one foot to another. "Also couldn't sleep?" You shrug.

"We just needed to get out and get some air." Chaery cuts in for a follow-up to avoid any Seonghwa talk. Though, she knows Yunho wouldn't do that to you. 

"It's getting late though, and pretty cold."

"We're just gonna walk to the end then walk back."

"Hm, okay." 

"It was nice running into you." Chaery smiles. "I hope you can get some rest tonight!"

"Hopefully. Have a good night." He looks at her, then you; he gives you a very tiny, very subtle nod of acknowledgement. With that, the two of you walk past to continue your walk, Chaery praising how gentle and good-looking Yunho is until the end of the walk. Yunho knows the community is safe, but he cuts his walk short just to head up to his building and get a better view of yours. He hangs over the railing near the stairs, catching sight of you and Chaery. He watches as you circle back around to your building, slowly heading up the stairs. He can hear your laughs from where he stands, and he's glad you seem to be okay tonight.

It's good that you have great friends by your side.

When your figures disappear into the hallway, Yunho feels content, relieved— knowing you've both made it safely home. He turns on his heel to make it to his own apartment, greeted by a dark living room with echoes of Yeosang yelling at his PC.

At least you're okay. 

At least you're not outside, waiting in the cold.

At least you're with good company.

♣︎ taglist: @s-nsanshine @soupbinlily @tyongff-ff @jiminiscricket @g1g1l @staytinyinmybpack @woomyteez @gfksz @bitchwhytho @savluvsmingi @thisisntmyrightera @hyukssunflower @miriamxsworld @tmtxtf @kuromibabe04 @lmnhead @carrietwrites @tournesol155 @persphonesorchid @txt-yaomi @marsattacks @mxnsxngie [bold = can’t tag 😭]

[thisapplepielife]

Written for @corrodedcoffinfest.

Room 1013 - Goodie

Day #23 - Up and Coming | Word Count: 1000 | Rating: E | CW: Sex, Under-Negotiated Kink (Including Unexpectedly Being Called Daddy), Mentions of Weight (Not Derogatory, Just Not Ignored) | POV: Goodie | Pairing: Goodie/OC (Female) | Tags: Famous Corroded Coffin, Winding Down After The Gig, One Night Stand, Mr. Goodie's Wild Ride

1 Night, 4 Rooms Each is standalone, but takes place on the same hotel floor.

Eddie | Goodie | Gareth | Jeff | Steve (Bonus morning after!)

"She's either into you or me," Gareth says, then looks at his watch for the thousandth time tonight. Gareth hasn't let any of the rest of them forget it all evening that his girlfriend is still flying in tonight.

They're just trying to wind down after the show, and all Gareth can think about is when Di is gonna get here. It's kind of disgusting. There was a time, and not that fucking long ago, thank you very much, that Gareth would have been working this bar like a goddamn pussy hound. 

And to Goodie's dismay, it somehow always worked. 

He'll never understand it. Gareth isn't anything to look at. None of them are, really. All decidedly average, as far as Goodie can tell.

Freaks, the lot of them. 

But Eddie somehow landed Steve. 

And Di's cute as shit. 

Both of them are punching way, way above their weight class. 

Goodie isn't sure why the fuck Gareth didn't just go wait at the airport terminal if he can't relax enough to enjoy himself. He can't make her get here any faster. They already went through this with Eddie and his dogged obsession with Steve, and now Gareth's acting like he's in love. 

They're all ate up. They get their damn dicks wet, and think they need to commit for life. Gareth from a few months ago wouldn't be acting like this, he'd still be pulling a girl or three a week, like he made a Robert Johnson crossroads deal, but for pussy instead of musical success.

The girl walks by again, and Gareth raises his eyebrows.

Maybe she is looking. Maybe not. Gareth definitely has an overactive radar for women that hasn't dampened, even in a relationship, apparently.

After Eddie and Jeff bailed for the night, and Gareth's on the payphone again, Goodie leans against the bar, waiting on a drink.

A hand touches his back, pressing into the leather of his jacket, like they're leaning in close. He's sure it's Gareth telling him he's finally leaving, but when he turns, it's the girl Gareth had clocked as interested.

"Am I in your way?" he asks, taking a small step to the side. There's not much room to maneuver, but he can pretend to make room. 

She smiles and shakes her head, "You're in Corroded Coffin, right?"

He nods, a little surprised. She doesn't look the type to follow their music, not really, not even where they are now, sort of barnstorming the mainstream.

"Yeah, I'm Goodie," he says, offering him her hand, "the bass player." 

"Bass is good. I like it deep," she says, holding out a Sharpie, tugging down the top of her tank top, "Make it out to Gina?"

He's signed tits before, they all have, but not usually outside of a gig. 

The stool behind him is free, so he sits back on it, and she immediately wedges herself between his legs, both of her hands resting on his thighs.

He braces his left hand against her collarbone, definitely for leverage, and not at all so the heel of his hand grazes the top of her tit, as he drags the ink of the marker across her skin. It doesn't look great, but he's pretty sure it was just a reason to approach him.

And he doesn't mind that, not at all.

She looks down as he signs. 

He lets go, and she grins, leaning close, pressing her chest to his, whispering in his ear, "Got somewhere for us to go?"

Hell yes, he does. 

He may have bitten off more than he can chew, with this one.

"Pull my hair," she says, and fuck, she's something else. She's already facedown, ass-up on the bed, and he can follow orders, grabbing a fistful of hair, close to the scalp, and tugs as he fucks into her. She's making a lot of fucking noise, and he's gonna get a ration of shit from Eddie and Gareth, stuck in the rooms on either side of him.

Hell, as loud as she's being, Jeff might hear, down the hall.

"Fuck me, daddy! Spank me!" she screams, rocking back on his cock. Fucking herself. Being called daddy isn't really his thing, but he can roll with it. 

He's just along for the ride. But he's pretty sure he can't pull her hair and spank her at the same time, not unless she wants him to crush her.

Hell, she may like that. Fuck if he knows. She's clearly a fucking freak, and from one freak to another, he's into it. He's just aware of his size and knows which positions work best. On his back, get ridden, is always a popular fucking choice.

"Harder, harder," she chants, and he slams his hips against her ass, over and over. 

He lets go of her hair, and smacks her on the ass. She keens at that, making a racket. He hits her again, harder, and she just gets louder.

Daddy, daddy, daddy.

Goodie tries to ignore that, and focus on everything else.

She slides off his cock, rolling onto her back. 

He catches her feet, and puts them on his shoulders, sliding into her. Then scoots forward a few inches on his knees, changing the angle, pressing more of his groin in direct contact with her clit. It's a go-to fat man move, and he's damn well-practiced. His secret weapon. 

He pounds into her, and she's damn near screaming. Not everything she's done tonight does it for him, but this definitely does. Moaning, pushing back with her feet, clawing at his thighs, tits bouncing.

He puts his hand over her mouth, and she comes. Loudly. And the way she's gripping and pulsing around his cock, he's pretty sure it's the real deal. He shifts, and keeps grinding against her, extending her orgasm, as he finally comes with a groan.

He's just slid out of her, still dealing with the condom, when she says, "Let me know when you're ready for more."

God-fucking-damn.

If you want to write your own, or see more entries for this challenge, pop on over to @corrodedcoffinfest and follow along with the fun! 🦇

[sexy-opium-ravioli]

Photo Booth

Universe: Resident Evil

wc: 1,791

Pairing: Stepbro!Leon S. Kennedy x Reader

Warnings: Not many, just the fact that Leon is your stepbrother and he is .5 of a little shit. Otherwise, this is a good, old fashioned fluff piece.

a/n: Hihi hello hello :) I've been trying to claw my way out of depression for a while, but here's some cute Leon content in the meantime!

@lipglossanon !! thank you for being such a wonderful writer, honestly reading you has been really inspiring as of late! and your characterization of the Leons you have are among my very favorite.

It not my best work by any means, but I hope anyone reading this enjoys <3

--

The liminal space of a mall was the place where you could see through a person, like light through glass. You'd get to see what stores they prefer to go to, what mall food they like to eat (or if they can't), what they buy vs what they don't. 

Or sometimes, as is the case with you and your weird, pseudo-freudian stepbrother-boyfriend Leon, you just get boba and mess around. 

There were other things you'd like to do with him, sure. Sometimes you two would catch a movie- or fuck each other until you're both sensitive and whimpering (as young lovers often do). Really depended on the day. 

But it was earlier in the morning and it was a free, clear Saturday, in the haze of a temperate spring. And, the last couple of days were kind of stressful. Keeping up separate social lives, exams, dealing with your shared parents- sometimes just being apart from each other was okay.

You were starting to suspect something in Leon. You didn't know what it was, really. Everything was in a haze with him- truer emotions he always hid behind something snarky and barbed. And since you could never really get an accurate read on him, you could only try to squint in the dark and decipher the signs in front of you. 

Still, something foundational was shifting. And there was a strange feeling in your stomach that had been there all morning, and it wasn't bad, per se; but it was constant and unusual. You sipped on your boba and started chewing. 

You and Leon were both sitting on public benches. The time was before most of the retail shops started setting up, only the food court was open. You laid your head on Leon's shoulder and closed your eyes while you both soaked in the sun's warmth. 

The mall was bright and quiet, not many were there yet. You still felt a bit sleepy, but it didn't seem like Leon minded resting either. There was a difference in the emotions you feel someone going through when you rest your head on their shoulder- and the way Leon's was giving into the weight of your head spelled relaxation. The both of you spent a bit of your morning like this. You lifted your head and glanced at how the sunlight reflected off of Leon's golden hair. How it also cut a shadow at the curve of his jaw. 

"You wanna walk around?" You asked with your voice low, not wanting to disrupt the quiet, alive whirring of the building. Leon looked at you, smiled a bit and nodded his head before getting up. 

When you caught up to pace with him, you decided to annoy him and cross pinkies. He retaliated by taking hold of your entire hand, and you tried not to make a big deal about it. Your heart was starting to beat really fast, though. 

You thought he would let go after a couple of seconds. He didn't. 

Exiting the first floor common area to the escalators surrounding it, you both enjoyed the warmth of a second floor perch. Leon hasn't let go of your hand yet, but you were joking around about other people you were seeing at the mall, or the vaguely strange sale ads you'd see posted on windows. 

It was light, conversation felt easy for once.

And then Leon saw something, and you watched the way his eyes captured a glint of absolute mischief. 

Your eyes followed the laser point focus of his- and oh. 

Oh. 

A photo booth. 

And before you knew it, the distance between you and the box was already halved from Leon practically yanking your arm off. It didn't hurt, so all you could do was laugh. 

Walking up to it, Leon already got his wallet out and was feeding the machine bills. You decided to slip in and look around inside. All photo booths look different- this one was pretty new and sparkly. 

Not long after, Leon swept the curtains and stepped in with a mean smirk. You got yourself ready, trying to make yourself look alright while Leon selected to start through the menu. 

You always felt a weird sort of anxiety in photo booths. They never gave anybody enough time to actually prepare for a photo, but Leon was already doing someth- "Hey-!"

He quickly stepped behind you, caged you in his arms, gave two hand horns, and made such a twisted face he actually did kind of resemble the devil, because in his heart of hearts, Leon S. Kennedy was a dork. 

You decided that if he was going to suffocate you with all the muscle he was trying to show off, you were going to get a picture of biting it. 

The bite wasn't too hard, but the quick noise that Leon gave was mostly out of being startled anyways. He quickly retaliated by flicking your arm before posing for the next- 

"Let's do a nicer one," you interject, quietly and quickly. You both prepare and in time, you're smiling together while Leon has his arm draped over your shoulders. It all happened so quickly and concisely that the warm feeling you got in your stomach from all the affectionate, silly, friendly contact was delayed. 

The countdown started again. Leon almost shoved you in front of him, but instead of putting his arms over your chest and neck and face, (being annoying about it), he placed them gently over your waist. And then when the camera flashed, he was kissing your cheek. 

You turned around in his arms, not really caring about the photos anymore. But he was the one that leaned down and kissed you gingerly, and with meaning. His lips were always so soft and smooth against yours-

The camera flashed. You two were together a little longer, and then you both separated. It was a few long seconds where time just stopped, and you could swear that if you opened the curtain and tried to find one of the rare morning pedestrians of the mall, they would be left unmoving. 

But all you could do was look at Leon. It didn't help that he was so pretty. But there was this weird flash of emotion in his eyes, that same one you couldn't read and he wasn't looking away-

The camera flash made you both jump a little, and then Leon gave a quiet, nervous laugh to himself that sparked yours. He looked at you again, an upward pull of his lips that didn't seem too mean anymore. "Better get those photos," 

"Yeah," you offer back, already leaving the booth. He followed you, and not long after, the booth started to give out a noise before producing two copies of the same strip. Leon quickly snatched them before you could even hope to grab them, and he held them out of your view after that. 

"Leon," He was snickering. That pretty smile he hasn't dropped for 5 minutes now has had its teasing quality reapplied. Irritation quickly bubbles back up in your throat. 

"Ugh, Leon, you-" He does that little shit older brother thing where he lets the strip creep just into your reach before yanking it away a couple of times, but he doesn't do it too much. He gives you one of the copies after starting to giggle at you. 

You shake your head, ready to be embarrassed at your own face or maybe even his, and- well, the first photo has you laughing. Your head is tilted backward and your eyes are closed, and the laughs pour out of your throat like smooth wine. 

"Leon you're such a dork,-"

"Oh ok! And we're not gonna talk about the absolutely feral thing latching itself to my arm-," 

"Noo~, we're not," You interrupt teasingly, and you take a look back at the pictures. The air swiftly changes from playful, easy and teasing to meaningful, endearing- kind of tense in a way. Leon looked beautiful, and you looked nice too, and now you just noticed that Leon is right behind you actively gauging your reaction. 

The third photo was almost too sweet and intimate to look at publicly, and you could feel the tips of your ears start to heat up. Leon's face is mostly obscured, sure, but the way you react to why it's obscured is so sweet and genuine it kind of embarrasses you. Your lips try to hide a smile and your eyes are cast downward and away from Leon- low, but not closed. One of your arms rests on the lean coils of muscle wrapped around your center, while the other reaches up for your hand to rest on his head. 

The fourth makes you inhale a little sharper, and you can now feel the high part of your cheekbones heat with your ears. Leon's chin is resting on your shoulder now, and you can't even imagine the shit-eating grin he must be wearing on his face. Well, both of your faces can't be seen by the camera, if that's any consolation to your poor, heated skin- you might melt ice at this point. 

You don't know why it has you so weirdly dizzy, but maybe it's the way Leon looks so boyish, almost soft kissing you. His head is so slightly tilted, and the way his body curls around yours is just so engaged-

The fifth one is sweet in a different way. It makes your heart instantly crackle and spark for hope, which any sort of tired rationality your dopamine abused brain has left is probably screaming at. 

There's that fear in your chest, but there's no denying the fact that there's a light glimmering in Leon's sea glass eyes that you haven't seen from him too many times. 

It's a look that makes your entire body feel warm, like your skin is being pricked by needles. At this point, you've stopped looking at the photos altogether and buried your face in your hands. It makes Leon's chin lift off your shoulder, and you hear a chuckle come from him, but nothing sarcastic. 

"C'mon, stores are opening soon, weirdo," And when he says that you realize that there's warmth behind his words. You lift your head and look at him, and he's scratching his nose but- is he blushing too? Oh. 

Oh. 

He is. 

Probably not as scorching hot as you, but still. He starts walking, you start walking with him. And then, he takes your hand like that entire thing just didn't happen, and you find that you can't really stop smiling. Even if you reduce it to the smallest pull of your lips, it's still on your face for a while longer. 

--

[transvampireboyfriend]

The obnoxious ringing of their phone fills the trailer and snaps Eddie out of his repetitive strumming.

He's been trying to learn one of his newest favorite songs for, (he looks at the clock; damn, eleven already,) like three hours now.

Eddie gets up from the couch, grumbling about who the fuck is calling them, Wayne left for work some hours ago, but he almost never calls during his shift.

He reaches the phone stuck to one of their kitchen walls and brings the receiver to his ear.

"Hello?" he greets.

"Eddie!" Steve's voice says on the other end of the line, his tone surprised like he didn't expect him to pick up.

Eddie feels a smile tug at his lips.

"Heeeey Steve-o!" Eddie greets him "what can I do for ya this time a' night?"

"Shoot! Right, sorry. Did I wake you?" Steve asks. Eddie snickers.

"Nah, man. It's cool." Eddie tells him, grabbing a forgotten bag of twizzlers off the counter to start chewing on one of the treats.

"I know you have a lot of teenage friends," Eddie adds around the twizzler now in his mouth, "but most young adults go to bed at like- midnight. Even later on a Friday night." he finishes.

Steve scoffs at "young adults" and Eddie can practically hear him rolling his eyes.

He's still a little surprised he can tease Steve Harrington. It took many many movie nights for Eddie to fully join in on that. Though he still hesitates sometimes, he thinks the kids can take it a bit too far.

"Whatever," Steve dismisses, his smile shining even through the phone lines "I just called to tell you Rob's not working tomorrow, so she won't be able to meet for breakfast" Steve's smile sounds like it fades a little in that sentence.

Eddie stops chewing.

They've been having breakfast together every Tuesday and Saturday, the days Steve and Robin work the morning shift together at Family Video.

Sometimes a couple of the kids will join, sometimes Robin's friends will join, or Nancy, even Garrett or Jeff or Freak; they all know they can find Eddie, Robin and Steve on those days at the diner so it's become their unofficial hangout spot, at least before 9am.

And Eddie's had breakfast with just Robbie before, or Nance, or one of his friends, but never with just Steve.

Steve is a bit of an enigma to Eddie.

Over a really short period of time Eddie had found out Steve's a local hero extraordinaire, that he's totally metal and also that he is a little bit dorky and has an absolutely terrible love life.

And if that wasn't surprising enough, it turns out Steve also isn't totally averse to Eddie, and that sure was surprising.

But Steve is a little awkward around Eddie sometimes. Like he's afraid Eddie will judge him or something; which, is preposterous, Eddie's the queer nerd, what would he have to judge Steve for? Especially now that he's technically no longer a jock. Plus, he had a huge role in saving Eddie's life, it's not like Eddie would forget that.

But he still finds Steve staring at him in the middle of movie nights only to avert his eyes when Eddie turns to him, or Steve'll laugh a little too hard at Eddie's observation like he's overcompensating, or Eddie will feel a little self conscious of his greasy tank and coveralls when Steve's eyes widen at the sight (it's not his fault his job's so messy).

So, he never really hangs with just Steve, not because he's made it so, but rather, it's just never happened and Eddie hasn't actively tried to make it happen because, well, it's a little weird.

In fact, Eddie's fairly certain Steve also works Thursday mornings because he's seen him having breakfast at the diner with Dustin or on his own when Eddie goes by on his way to the auto shop.

Eddie does work mornings most days except for Sunday and Monday since those are his free days. It's very rare that Frank calls to tell him he'll need Eddie in the afternoon shift instead, so technically, Eddie could be having breakfast at the diner any day.

Eddie could be having breakfast at the diner with Steve on Thursdays.

Except?

He's not gonna invite himself is he?

It also doesn't help that Eddie has an embarrassingly huge crush on the guy, so he can never tell if Steve's actually being weird or if Eddie's just paying too much attention to him.

He really can't help himself, the guy's everything Eddie finds attractive in a person and on top of that he's fucking gorgeous. It's frankly unfair, if you ask him.

All those years in high school, hating Steve in the worst of cases or ignoring him in the best, had been pretty easy. Partly because of his good looks, mostly because of the company he kept. But now that Steve surrounds himself with his found family? Now that he laughs freely and fails fearlessly and gives so easily? Eddie does not stand a chance.

So really, it's probably for the best that they don't hang out on their own.

Eddie puts down his twizzler, mentally readying himself to start doing meal prep because Steve for sure called to cancel.

"...ssso if you wanna cancel–" Steve says, there's a muffled thump on the other end of the line, but Eddie pays it no mind, tries to play it cool.

"I mean that's–. Whatever you want." he stammers.

God, Eddie thinks, rolling his eyes at himself, he really could not be cooler.

"I um," Steve inhales sharply then "I'm probably still gonna have breakfast there," he says, "I'm not– I'm no good in the kitchen" he laughs casually.

Eddie huffs, reluctantly charmed.

"So if you wanna join" Steve adds hesitantly, "well, you're always welcome"

"ialsohateeatingalone" Steve adds, almost as an afterthought.

See? He's a little weird.

Not that that makes him any less attractive; on the contrary, it's endearing,

"Alright, cool." Eddie chuckles now, "Sounds good. I honestly don't wanna cook myself anything so you're practically doing me a favor." he says, then waits for a bit, in case Steve really needs an out; he picks his twizzler back up to start chewing on it again.

When Steve doesn't take the out, Eddie teases him again,

"Tell ya what, I'll teach you how to cook breakfast sometime" Eddie says around his treat, just to get on Steve's nerves a bit, but also pitifully hoping his offer would ever be accepted.

"I know how to cook breakfast, Eddie," Steve protests.

"You just said you're no good in the kitchen!" Eddie shoots back, enjoying the sound of Steve's answering laugh from the other end of the line.

"Ok fine!" Steve says, his smile back in his voice, "You'll teach me some day, whatever." he concedes.

Eddie's fairly certain his eyes could not get bigger and his cheeks could not get redder.

"I'll see you tomorrow?" Steve asks.

Heart hammering in his chest, Eddie nods.

Steve can't see him.

"Mmhm." Eddie hurries to amend, "See you tomorrow, Stevie," he says.

Eddie feels butterflies fluttering in his stomach with Steve's parting 'see you' before the line goes dead.

[sweetestgirlintown111]

Henry Winter x reader

Chapter ii

A month from the first stroll I took to class the leaves now settled on the ground, me settled into my room, enough candles to last me the course of three college degrees, wool blankets and sweaters made by my grandma, my books nestled snug on the shelf. In the passing month i had managed to become incredibly close to Francis going shopping together sharing multiple dinners and an exhausting all nighter in the library. Generally having a good relationship with everyone in the class, well everyone except for Henry who wouldn't miss an opportunity to jump down my throat or fire questions at me in hopes of making me embarrass myself which so far hasn't happened, but in honesty, it did make me prepare better for classes because one thing I won't be doing is granting him the satisfaction of getting to me, and even when he did -which was quite often- he never knew of it, always making sure to match his coldness and ignore most of his snide remarks, playing the temperance card.

I walk to the lyceum almost automatically having made the walk about a dozen times before. I get to the office and everyone is already there, “late”, julian remarks although his face is plastered with a smile, i give him one in return and go sit between Richard and Francis, the lesson goes smoothly I don't engage in the talking which doesn't give henry a chance to make off handed comments.

“Should we invite Richard?” I look back at him half expecting Francis to say no but to my surprise, he agrees “I think it's a great idea plus we can make him decide what to cook”, we approach Richard as he's standing by the foot of the stairs looking uncertain “hey, Francis and I were going to have dinner together tonight and we would like for you to join us if you're free of course” he looked surprised that we even thought of him, he had the tendency to avoid all eyes almost ghost like “uhm yeah sure I don't have anything either way” “great! I'll be cooking so what do you think I should make?” Going back and forth we finally decided on lasagna, but while we were talking about it we gained the attention of Bunny who couldn't get the concept that he wasn't invited or that it wasn't an open invitation, so of course he went to Henry and the twins and told them all about the ‘dinner party’ Francis was hosting.

I, Francis, and Richard went to the store to get what we needed for cooking, went back home, and started dinner, richard sits the table while I prepare the lasagna and Francis is chopping vegetables for a salad. Bunny, Henry, and the twins arrive just as I'm putting the dish into the oven, Camilla holding a bottle of white wine. I greet her with a hug walking with her towards the table, she hands the bottle to Richard who pours everyone a glass of wine, Charles and Bunny seemingly continuing a debate they started on the way here something about golf Henry listening to their stupid arguments amused. I stare at him a moment too long, the blue of his eyes and jet black hair, his eyebrow raised his head tilted to the side, he might be a jerk and I might hate him but he's so painfully beautiful, and staring at him from across the table there's no denying that maybe had he been less mean I would've enjoyed his presence. I'm taken out of my trance as the timer on the oven rings loudly, I get up and serve (😜) everyone a slice before sitting down my own plate, after a few bites bunny points his finger at me mid chew “Did you cook this?” “I did, is it good?” My question addressed to all of them, they hum in agreement, Richard nods “It tastes amazing thank you” I smile at him, “Where'd you learn to cook like this?” Shockingly Henry is the one asking, i look at him skeptical expecting him to follow up with an insult of some sort, “My grandma, she taught me when I used to visit her during the summer” “hm well it's nice, thank you” I was completely taken aback by his niceness, I give him a nod and purse my lips into a thin line.

Hours later the dishes were piled in the sink, us thrown around the living room, the room stuffy with cigarette smoke, all of us half drunk, the room silent. Richard on one end of the couch, my legs in his lap and my head in Francis’s smoking what must've been my hundredth cigarette of the day humming the tune of California dreaming, Charles and Camilla have left, something about Charles feeling sick, Bunny went to meet Marion. It was just us and Henry on the seat across from us, smoking and nursing a glass of scotch. It was well past midnight, I was drunk, sleepy and I needed to get to my room. Lazily i drop my feet to the ground and sit up my head spinning from the sudden movement, i lean into Francis giving him a kiss on the cheek, “I'm taking a taxi” “you can stay the night if you want” i shake my head and stand up, stumbling again from the sudden movement and the alcohol running in my system “i need to shower, I feel disgusting” “but it's so late” “don't worry francie ill just call a cab” i go put on my coat by the door and as im ringing the car company, henry creeps up behind me “come I'll drive you I'm leaving anyway” “ thanks but no” “c’mon i insist” “but it's out of your way” “it doesn't matter” he opens the door for me to get out i hisetate for a second before walking out, too out of it to argue with him now and more comfortable with him driving me rather than a random taxi at this time of night, i walk down the stairs slow trying not to trip but ultimately failing my feet stumbling over and i lean back but henry catches me from behind, because of course he did, he leads me to the car his hand spread at the small of my back, my body growing warm despite the freezing weather outside. In the car I turn on the radio in an attempt to not fall asleep i sing along to whatever comes on it, the drive isn't long Henry stays quiet only looking at me through the mirror clearly amused by my drunken state. After about three and a half songs we get to campus he stops the car in front of my building, he turns looking at me, the moonlight highlighting his features. Fuck he's gorgeous “Thank you again for the food, it was really good” “Thank you for the ride” “Anytime” I get out of the car, I turn to look at him, but he's already looking at me, and again I'm warm all over despite the weather.

I lay in bed, but his touch still burns my skin as I drift off into dreams.

[sjsmith56]

Getting Hitched, Chapter 26 - Eyes of the Father

Summary: It’s the wedding day!

Length: 4.4 K

Characters: Bucky, Lacey, Tommy, everyone.

Warnings: Lacey experiences a dizzy moment due to the heat but otherwise it’s all fluff.

Author notes: Bucky gets the woman he loves, and more.

<<Chapter 25

💍 🍰 🪩

There were several Avengers that got up with Bucky for a run the next morning. Even Terry and Tommy came out and joined them. They ran the perimeter of Clint's farm which didn't take long for most of them. By the time they got back the caterers had pancakes, sausages, bacon and scrambled eggs ready for everyone. There were also an assortment of muffins, pastries and fresh fruit. No one said anything when both Bucky and Tommy piled up their plates, knowing already they had caloric requirements for the high metabolism they shared. Clint came out to the food tables and loaded up a plate for Lacey, taking it back in the house.

Bucky watched, a big smile on his face. "I'm not even allowed to see her at breakfast?" he called as Clint went back inside.

"No," replied Clint leaning out the door briefly. "You'll see her this afternoon."

There was some laughter from the other guests and Bucky stayed put in his chair, stuffing his face, as Tommy called it. He noticed Terry sitting next to Sarah and were both flirting in an outrageous way. When he glanced at Sam, sitting on his other side it seemed he was okay with it. Sam looked at him and shrugged slightly.

"She's a grown woman," he said. "He's a nice man."

"So was I," said Bucky, in mock offence.

"You were taken," replied Sam, then he changed the subject. "So, what's this big announcement that Fury's going to make at the reception?"

"I don't know," lied Bucky. "He hasn't said anything to me."

"You're a terrible liar," said Sam. "I'm shocked he's even going to be here. There's only a skeleton crew minding the compound and I never heard of him attending any social functions with the old Avengers."

"Times change," said Bucky. "Maybe they have the training centre completed."

"Right," drawled Sam. "I can just see you being the first one there, pumping iron, doing a thousand push ups every day, and practicing your marksmanship."

"It's why I'm good at what I do," replied Bucky. "My body is a machine, Sam. Haven't you always said that?"

Sam sniffed and kept eating his breakfast while Bucky just chuckled. They were all going to be so surprised. Clint came out of the house again and this time he was looking for volunteers starting with Bucky and Sam.

"We have to finish decorating the barn," he announced. "Dressing the chairs, and tables, setting them in the right position, making sure the stage is safe for the DJ. Peter, you know technical stuff, can you check the lighting and make sure it all works?"

Peter Parker stopped chewing, mid-bite. "Sure, I can do that," he said, with his mouth partially full of food.

With Clint glaring at everyone breakfast seemed to speed up and soon there was a small army finishing the barn decoration as well as making sure the wedding ceremony location was also ready. With a couple of hours left before the ceremony Clint was satisfied and everyone was released to begin getting ready.

It was a good thing that Fury made sure they would have enough hot water for the showers as everyone hit them almost at the same time. Bucky needed only five minutes and he didn't care if it was hot or cold having been used to getting it done quickly either way. He came out of his shower and shaved, running his hand over his face after to make sure he hadn't missed a spot. He used a balm instead of an aftershave lotion, wanting to keep his inevitable five o'clock shadow as soft as possible. Then he brushed his teeth and looked out his bedroom door to see Terry and Tommy putting their suits on inside the trailer.

"My bathroom is free if anyone needs to use it," he announced, peeking out with a towel wrapped around his waist.

Sam came in to shave and brush his teeth while Bucky started dressing. Tommy came in with his tie in hand.

"Dad, how do I do this?" he asked.

Bucky zipped his pants up then stood behind Tommy in front of a mirror and placed the tie around his son's neck. "I learned the Windsor knot from my dad but when I joined the army they taught me the four-in-hand knot which is easier," he said. "That's the one I use now so I'll show you that one."

Patiently he showed Tommy how to do it, then asked if he wanted a go himself. When Tommy said yes Bucky undid the tie and walked him through it again, letting Tommy work the tie. When Tommy pulled the wide part through the top and down for the final part Bucky smiled at him.

"You got it," he said. "I couldn't have done better myself." Tommy beamed and Bucky hugged him from behind, before planting a kiss on top of his caramel brown hair. "You want some product for your hair?"

Tommy nodded and Bucky grabbed his can of pomade. He took about a dime's worth out, put it in Tommy's palm then told him to rub it well between his hands to warm it up and spread it around his fingers. Next, he instructed Tommy to start from the back of his head and lightly work his fingers to his crown, rub his hands again to redistribute it, then work it into the top and front, making sure to distribute it evenly.

"I use a water based one," he said, "so that it doesn't look greasy or waxy. I make sure my hair is dry when I use it so that it doesn't look wet either. When I was young I used Brylcreem but it makes it look too slick for my taste now. This looks more natural to me."

Gently he adjusted a few pieces of hair that stuck out, smoothing them back into place. Then Sam tossed him a hand towel and he gave it to Tommy to remove the remaining pomade from his hands. His son looked at himself in the mirror and smiled broadly.

"Looks good," he said, turning his head one way then another before smiling at Bucky. "Thanks, Dad."

Bucky felt his throat constrict and his eyes begin to water. "You're welcome," he said, trying not to give in to the strong emotion he felt at that moment.

Tommy went back out to the living area of the RV and Bucky watched him, noticing that Sarah was helping Terry with his tie. There were several soft looks and smiles exchanged between them as she straightened the knot, then his collar.

"You're a good Dad," said Sam, who had witnessed Bucky and Tommy's moment as he came out of the bathroom. "You're going to be okay at being a husband and father."

"Thanks," replied Bucky, turning back, slightly embarrassed. He picked up his shirt, put it on, and began buttoning it up. "I missed out on so much with him. Lacey did such a good job raising him. So did Terry. I kind of hope he and Sarah make a go of it. He would be good to her and the boys." He hesitated for a moment. "Lacey's pregnant, five weeks. We're going to announce it at the reception but you're my best friend, so I'll tell you now."

Sam stuck his hand out grinning. "Congratulations, that's awesome," he said. "She really is the right woman for you. Even when you two were split up you looked out for her and Tommy. You're a good man, Buck. Really, you are."

"So are you," replied Bucky, who took a deep breath. "Let's get this wedding going, okay?"

Sam nodded and left Bucky to finish getting ready. By the time they assembled in the living area of the RV there was a knock on the door. Laura came in with the boutonnières and a small box for Bucky. He opened it and smiled as he read the enclosed note. It was a Rolex, a vintage one. Sam looked at it and whistled out loud.

"That's beautiful," he said. "Do you know how old it is?"

"1941," said Bucky. "She found it when she went wedding dress shopping in New York." The tears began forming in his eyes as he strapped it on his right wrist. He pulled his handkerchief out and dabbed at his eyes. "Look at me, I'm crying like a baby. Laura, tell her I loved it. I won't wear it on missions because I'm scared I'll break it but I'll wear it for special occasions. Hold on, while I get her present."

He went back to the bedroom and came out with a long flat case, handing it to Laura without a word, only a smile. She kissed him on the cheek and left with the case.

"Pearls," he said to the others. "I've always loved seeing a woman in pearls. I have something for all of you as well. Let me get them." He returned to the bedroom and came out with three different sized boxes and a folded piece of paper. "I wasn't sure what to get you but I'm a practical guy, so Sam, I got you this for one of those quiet nights on your porch, enjoying the ambience."

He handed him a box. Inside was a bottle of 20 year old Macallan scotch, an engraved crystal glass, and a package of three premium cigars. Sam nodded his head smiling.

"Thank you," he said. "You'll have to come and taste this sometime. I'll bet it's good."

Bucky turned to Terry and smiled emotionally at him. "I wasn't expecting to find another man who I regarded as a brother," he began. "After you first punched me I thought for sure you hated me but later you extended your hand in friendship. I've appreciated your counsel since then. Here, I was told these are really good and I thought they would come in handy during an afternoon game."

Bucky handed Terry his box and he opened it up to a pair of Oakley sunglasses. Smiling he took them out and put them on, then went into the bathroom to see how they looked. He came out and gave Bucky a bear hug, thanking him profusely. Bucky looked at Tommy.

"You were the hardest to buy for because you're not old enough to drink," he said, smiling. "You're not old enough to smoke, and at your age I would be worried about you losing an expensive pair of sunglasses. So your Mom and I talked and I convinced her that once we move to where we told you, you could have one of these to ride around on the property."

He unfolded the sheet of paper and gave it to Tommy. His face erupted in a big smile as it showed a smaller version of a Kawasaki motorcycle, a different model from Bucky's.

"Seriously, Dad?" he asked. "You trust me on a motorbike?"

"Well, I'll teach you to maintain it, and ride it properly. You can only do it if you're geared up with a helmet and protective wear," replied Bucky. "Like I said, it's only for riding on the property. You're not old enough to have a licence so you can't ride it on the roads or highways. I trust you, Tom. Don't let me down."

Tommy grabbed him around the middle and held on tight. Bucky patted his back.

"What's that box for?" asked Tommy, pointing to a small box on the counter.

"Well, that's something for Sarah," said Bucky, looking fondly at her. "Kind of a thank you for letting me live with them and being like my sister."

He opened the box, revealing a white gold bracelet with a single birthstone. Taking it out he fastened it to her wrist receiving a kiss on the cheek as thanks.

They put their boutonnières on, with Sarah's help, then Bucky led them to the door and they went out into the heat of the day. Almost everyone was already seated at the wedding venue. Even though there were industrial fans blowing the air around most people were fanning themselves in the heat.

"You ready for a wedding, Sergeant Barnes?" said a familiar voice and Bucky turned to see Nick Fury, accompanied by Dr. Strange and Wong.

"I'm ready," said Bucky. "Thank you for everything you've done to make it happen. It's been a great week."

"Good," replied Fury. "It's been a long time since we had a happy occasion to celebrate. Here's to many more such occasions."

The three men took their seats and the officiant waved to Bucky then came to see him. He was a local, who performed non-religious ceremonies which is what Bucky and Lacey wanted. As he approached them, he had a big smile.

"You have a beautiful day for your wedding, Bucky," he said. "I've heard that Lacey will be ready in about five minutes so if you gentlemen want to come up front and wait there it's fine. The guitarist is in place and will begin playing the music as soon as the bridesmaids appear."

He returned to the front with Bucky and the others following him. They sat on the chairs provided for them and Bucky breathed deeply, running through a grounding exercise in his mind to keep his anxiety down. The officiant received the signal, telling Bucky and the others it was time. He signalled the guitar player who began playing What a Wonderful World. Bucky stood up and watched as Lila started her walk, followed by Lacey's sister Nancy, then finally Laura Barton. When the song changed to Elton John's Your Song, he saw Clint lead Lacey out of the house, then down the steps. His heart flew up into his throat as she came into view. She wore a cream coloured dress of lace, with her hair up and flowers inserted in the back. Around her neck was the string of pearls. In her arms was a small bouquet of deep red roses. They waited at the back briefly then began the slow walk to him. Her eyes were only on him as his were on hers and he thought he had never seen her so beautiful as she looked at that moment. When she and Clint arrived in front of him, Clint put her hand into Bucky's, then patted his friend on the back. Lacey got a kiss on the cheek. They turned and faced the officiant who smiled at them both.

"Folks, go ahead and sit down," he announced. "We're here to witness the ceremony of marriage between Lacey Christina Williams and James "Bucky" Barnes. This wedding has been almost ten years in the making since this couple first met in 2014, then were separated by circumstance and tragedy. Even though they faced difficulties after being reunited in 2023 they both hoped their love would prevail and it has as they are here today to commit to a life together. Before we begin, if there is any reason this couple should not marry, I would ask that an objection be raised now."

He looked over the assembled guests and nodded his head when no one said anything.

"Bucky, would you please say your vows to your beloved Lacey?" he asked.

Bucky faced Lacey and took her hand in his. "In the fall of 2014, I was a broken man; on the run, trying to get away from those who would use me against my will. I was a stranger and you gave me shelter. I was hungry and you fed me. I was thirsty and you quenched my thirst. Even though I had to leave the next day I never forgot your kindness, and you stayed in my heart from that time on. When I learned that you gave me a son I vowed I would make it right and marry you. Today is the completion of that vow. From this day forward I promise to love only you, to be faithful only to you, to be a good husband and father to our son, and any other child you bless me with. With you I will always be truthful, respectful, and to protect you and our family from harm."

She smiled at him the whole time he spoke, and when his voice broke during his vows for the future, she pulled her hand out of his and caressed his cheek.

"Lacey, would you please say your vows to your beloved Bucky?" asked the officiant.

She took his hand in hers and looked up at him. "There is so much that I could say to you about how we fell in love so quickly, even though it was months before we told each other how we felt," said Lacey. "Though we faced a long-distance separation, misunderstandings, and a kidnapping, I never once doubted your love for me. The hardest time was those five years when I thought you were lost to me for good. Now, I'm standing in front of you, older, hopefully wiser, and absolutely sure that this was always meant to happen. I know with certainty that I will never love anyone as much as I love you, there is no other who will ever tempt me, that being your wife will bring joy to my heart and having more children with you will bring joy to our lives. I will always be truthful to you, and I will be your loving partner in everything for the rest of our lives together."

"I will now ask Bucky and Lacey to declare their intent," said the officiant. "Usually the couple declares individually but they have asked to declare it together, as a symbol of their devotion to each other. Bucky and Lacey, do you take this person, standing before you, to be your lawfully wedded spouse, to live together in matrimony, to love each other, comfort each other, honour and keep each other, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, to have and to hold, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"

"We do," they both said, smiling at each other as they said it.

"May I have the rings, please?" asked the officiant, receiving them from Laura and Sam. "These rings are unbroken circles and symbolize the infinite love of your commitment together. When you wear them remember this moment as the time when your journey from first meeting each other came full circle to when you committed yourselves to each other for eternity." He handed Bucky the ring for Lacey. "Bucky, repeat after me, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always and forever."

Bucky placed the ring on Lacey's finger and repeated the vow. He handed Bucky's ring to Lacey.

"Lacey, repeat after me," he said. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love with the pledge to love you today, tomorrow, always and forever."

Lacey placed the ring on Bucky's ring finger and repeated the vow.

"Friends and family of the couple," said the officiant. "I know that many of you have waited for this moment as much as these two have. With you as witnesses, Bucky and Lacey have pledged to be joined in marriage. They have sealed their pledges with the exchange of wedding rings. By the authority granted to me by the State of Iowa, I now pronounce you married. You may now complete the ceremony with the sharing of a kiss."

To applause, whistles, and several cheers Bucky placed both of his hands on Lacey's cheeks and gave her a tender but passionate kiss. Then they hugged each other firmly. As they signed the papers with Laura and Sam, the guitarist played Fly Me to the Moon which some people sang along with. He followed that up with How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You). For their exit processional he played Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours. They formed a receiving line, so everyone had a chance to say their congratulations then were able to get a drink, a scotch for him, ginger ale for Lacey. Bucky put his arm around Lacey and kissed the top of her head.

"You look amazing," he said. "My heart was in my throat when you came out of the house. I couldn't believe how beautiful you looked."

"Thank you for the pearls," she replied. "I cried when I saw them."

She wavered slightly and Bucky put his arm around her. "Are you okay?" he asked. "Maybe you should sit for a while?"

"It's just warm," replied Lacey. "I felt a little faint for a moment."

"Sam, could you see if the bar can make up a little ice bag for Lacey?" asked Bucky. "I think she's feeling the heat."

Sam ran over to the bar and came back with a plastic bag full of ice. Bucky placed it on the back of Lacey's neck and she looked at him in appreciation. "You take such good care of me," she said.

Clint was suddenly there studying her with a concerned face. "You're not going to faint at your own wedding are you?" he asked. "Bucky I have some sport drinks inside. Lacey can sip on one to restore her electrolytes. She should be in a cooler environment, maybe in your trailer?"

"But what about the photographer?" she asked.

"I'll talk to him," said Clint. "He won't want the bride fainting in the heat. It would hurt the baby."

Lacey started to cry. "Did Laura tell you?" she asked.

"We've had three," smiled Clint, looking at Laura who was vigorously shaking her head at Lacey's assumption. "You don't think I couldn't tell when Laura was first pregnant with the last two? Now, go cool down. You have a couple of hours before the reception. The photographer will do your pictures a little later and the light will be so much better."

Bucky picked her up in his arms and carried her to the trailer followed by the others. As soon as he sat her down on the sofa, he cranked up the air conditioning. Clint brought the sport drink, and she sipped it while Bucky kept the ice bag on the back of her neck. A few minutes later there was another knock on the door. Sam opened it to Bruce and Dr. Strange. Bruce kneeled in front of Lacey; his face full of concern.

"You got a bit overheated?" he asked. "How far along are you?"

She looked at Bucky, who shrugged. "Is there anyone who doesn't know by now?" she asked.

Bruce smiled apologetically. "I saw Bucky carrying you," he replied. "I've seen you pregnant before, remember? Stephen is an MD as well so we're just making sure you're okay. No one else knows."

"I'm about five weeks," said Lacey. "I had my implant removed about seven weeks ago. Missed my period, took an over-the-counter pregnancy test, no morning sickness. I just felt a little faint and you're all making such a big deal over this."

"Of course we are," said Bruce, with his gentle voice. "You're part of the Avenger family. You were when you were first pregnant with Tommy. We just couldn't help you then as much as we wanted because of circumstances. But now, we're all over it."

"I can examine you with magic and confirm for sure," said Dr. Strange. "If you'll permit me."

Lacey looked at Bucky who just watched it all with a little smile on his face. "They care, Lacey," he said.

She nodded at Dr. Strange and he conjured up several glowing circles from his hands and ran them over her, looking at the symbols that were generated by them. It took only a couple of minutes, then he stopped and stepped back.

"You're right about your timelines," he confirmed. "Your electrolytes were a little out which is why you felt faint. I would suggest you add a little bit of salt to the sport drink to get them back to an acceptable level. Half a teaspoon maybe in what you have left. You should be good to go for the rest of the evening as long as you don't overdo it."

Everyone in the small crowd inside the trailer gave a sigh of relief and Sam brought over the salt container. He poured out an amount on a spoon and poured it into Lacey's sport drink. After she swirled it around to dissolve the salt she sipped it again. Clint, Bruce, and Dr. Strange left satisfied that she would be alright. To her surprise, Lacey began to feel better by the time she was almost finished the drink. Her colour returned and Laura said her skin temperature felt better after laying the back of her hand across Lacey's forehead. Bucky offered her his hand as she stood up and watched her intently for any signs of distress.

"I'm good," she said to everyone. "Really, I feel a lot better. Let's get those photos done and have a party."

They filed out of the trailer and saw Clint standing with the photographer. It was the same man who had taken Lacey's head shot for her second book and he waved.

"You're, okay?" he asked Lacey. "After seeing what Clint has here on the farm, I have some ideas for some unique shots. I definitely want to use that old truck. What a beauty. Shall we get started?"

Bucky and Lacey nodded, following him over to the old truck, where he arranged everyone in various poses on and beside the vehicle. As Clint had predicted the light was better as the sun was lower in the sky. It had a golden property to it that would come through on the finished photographs. By the time the formal photographs were finished the guests were taking their place in the barn for the reception and everyone was in the mood for a party.

Chapter 27>>

Series Masterlist

[sttvrllightt]

the fall of blood, chp. 3

⋆౨ৎ˚ summary: A girl wakes up in the middle of a wintery forest, drenched in blood. Unsure if it's her own. With a raging fog sitting upon her mind, unable to recall her own name nor what has gotten her into this position. The world will slowly unravel in front of her eyes as she will take on an adventurous journey with someone who hasn't yet captured her trust. An invisible force pushes her into the path forged by her destiny as she goes off to conquer her own mind.

⋆౨ৎ˚ genre/tags. strangers to friends into lovers (sort of), slow-burn, mutual pining, annoyance to yearning, fantasy world divided into two territories, world full of magical creatures and enchantments, humans, elves, orgs, mystery, lots of bickering, hidden powers, amnesia

⋆౨ৎ˚ warnings. mentions of violence and misogyny, mature themes, blood, gore, mental health issues, side effects of amnesia, discrimination, name calling

⋆౨ৎ˚ chapter. 3/x

⋆౨ৎ˚ words. 4,2k

⊱ ━━━━━━━━.⋅ εïз ⋅.━━━━━━��━⊰

I stand in front of the gates of the city which I assumed would be bigger, it seems more like a larger village. It took me couple of hours to make it here. It's getting dark, the sun has already hidden behind the horizon.  A chill runs along my spine as I take a peak at the gates again. On top of the gate, there are two signs. One which is the name of the city: Hearth, the second one reads "HUMANS BEWARE". It's written in a crimson colour, possibly blood. I take a deep breath and grip the hood of my under-layer, covering my shamefully rounded ears.

I might not have any idea how this world functions, however, I know better so I will simply stroll through the city and go on into the woods. I will be better off. The words of the elven boy ring throughout my mind, perhaps I should have listened. Regret bites and chews on my insides, despite that I take my first step into the town, because I cannot take any of it back and mold it to my liking. I pull my hood further over my head, making sure my ears are safely hidden beneath it. The path in the city is clear of snow due to the amount of people walking past it. So instead of snow, I sense slippery mud as I hurriedly rush through the city. Otherwise, the smaller town seems quite peaceful with its ivy covered rooftops of the cottages, half wooden half stone walls and large entrances embroidering the buildings. Hearth has a pleasant atmosphere. Regardless of the danger.

I keep myself low, I am not brave enough to glance over the place properly. It begins to snow just as I make my way to the small centre of the town where there are couple of elves passing by, I could recognise their pointed ears from a mile now. I am swallowed by fear that if I make one mistake, I could end up dead. And this fear only skyrockets when my eyes take notice of a huge figure. An org. There are orgs in this town. He could squash me with one swift movement of his large hands. The snowflakes tangle in the strings of my hair which stick out of my hood. I cling to my leather armour. An attempt to calm my nerves.

"You there," I hear deep voice call out, I am not sure if I should bolt or play along. If I would take off, it would portray me as a threat, a possible enemy. In the end, I chose to stop in my tracks and carefully tilt my body towards the echo of the voice. My eyes are barely visible due to the cloak which means my vision isn't the greatest either, regardless of that, I could tell the deep voice belongs to an org. His skin is ivory tinted, covered by plates of leather and boar skin. I let my hood ride up a little, allowing me to take more of his frame. As soon as my orbs fall onto his face I take notice of his humongous teeth which poke out of his jaw. I slowly swallow a dry lump in my throat "care for a little treat?"

"I got no coins, sir," I respond softly, not wanting to give him any reason to be suspicious of me.

"No problem, little one, pretty elves like yourself get a free one," he points to the the building behind him which I assume is a tavern since I could hear chatter, even laughter, coming out of it. I stare at him in disbelief, utterly helpless to respond. He steps closer, his huge figure hovering over my noticeably smaller frame. For a moment I could feel his warm breath caress my face. It sends goosebumps all over my body.

"If you insist, sir," I overcome my fear and do not let the disgust caused by his words and close proximity bubble to the surface. Every cell of my being screams at me to run, to disappear out of this town forever, however, I am too far gone to do that so I let the org open the door of the tavern for me.

"Sure do, pretty one," I hear him say as I pass the entrance and step inside, I acknowledge his words by a simple nod. The corners of my lips immediately twitch in horrification as I step in. The tavern is magical, overflowing with elves and faeries along with the orgs who serve those in the tavern as sort of bodyguards, knights even. The interior is wooded, walls covered with tapestries and hand painted canvases. Plenty of candles crown the place with pleasant, warm atmosphere. The tables which the folk sit at are decorated with different kinds of fur skins. It could take any mortal's breath away due to the overwhelming magic, yet that magic is utterly useless when all I could focus on were the chained humans carrying trays of food and drinks. All of them in thin gowns, barely covering past their knees.

"What are ya gaping at?" a raspy voice makes itself known when I stand frozen for longer than intended. I tilt my head in the direction where the voice came from. It belongs to an ethereally looking fairy with wings of a smaller size, still beautiful though, they are vivid and reflect each colour surrounding it. Her raven hair is soaking wet, so is her thin gown, and as I inspect her further, I notice the sharp pair of teeth hidden behind her thin blueish lips. She appears sickly, yet there is something alluring about her. Something that could drive mortals like me mad. I mutter a quick apology and depart from the entrance of the tavern before I get too mesmerised. Passing the human slaves as I take a seat at an empty table.

"Good day, madam, what will it be for you today?" I am taken by a surprise when one of the human servants approaches me and I am at loss for words. My eyes soften in empathy, this is not how it should be. I take a deep breath before responding, cooling myself down. I explain the situation which occurred outside, I don't forget to mention I have no coins on me. The girl scribbles a note down onto the paper in her hands as if this situation happens often. I mean, why wouldn't it, right?

"I understand, will be here shortly," the human girl says as she bows and departs towards the bar. Relief washes over me despite my surroundings, at least no one has taken a particular interest in my presence, expect for the org which has now made it inside and is heading towards the table I am currently seated at. I curse quietly under my breath. I stupidly thought he would leave it at that. When he finally makes it, he settles himself down opposite me, barely fitting in the space between the table and the cushions of the seating.

"Why don't you take off your hood, beautiful?" I lift my orbs from the table to meet his. His words suggest the org is being nice, however, his expression tells me otherwise. The corners of my eyes twitch in unfamiliar uneasiness.

"I don't think it's necessary to-" "Take it off or I will," I am almost instantly interrupted by the force of his now dull voice, my whole being freezes in fright. I imagine every possible outcome of this situation and my stomach turns at each image. I hesitantly raise my arms in the air and grip at the hem of my hood. I prepare myself for the worst as I slide it down and reveal my ears.

"What's a beauty like you doing in this shit hole?" he asks after examining every inch of my features, his voice is not tinted with any kind of suspicion or threat anymore. I am stunned, trying to not let it show.

Does he not realise my place is the same rank as the servant girl, or is he playing a game?

"Just passing by," I slightly shrug as my heart thunders in my chest, I dry my sweaty palms into the fabric of my trousers. He crosses his huge arms across his chest before nodding along, he hums and then clumsily crawls out of the barely fitting seat. Your drink will be here shortly, he mentions before disappearing back into the snowy scenery of the outside world. And only then I relax, feeling how good it is to be warm and not surrounded by the deadly frost which is the only thing I have seen and felt for days.

I move my hand upward to put a string of my hair behind my ear and as the pillows of my fingertips brush against the shell of my ear, it hits me. The elven boy from the woods must have enchanted me, because my ears are not rounded. Instead they are sharply pointed upwards.

That is why I haven't been killed or abducted yet. I need go get out of this place, the spell could be temporary.

I abruptly stand up and without realising, knock the human servant to the floor, the tray in her hand flying into the air. The sound of glass breaking follows soon after. The chatter dies down and every single pair of eyes lands on me as the girl lies on the floor with fear stitched in her eyes. Panic rushes through me, my instincts telling me to run and not look back, but I can't leave the girl to take the blame. I crouch down and offer her my hand as a gesture of help. Her wild eyes watch me with a similar kind of panic.

To her, I am not a human girl enveloped in the same fear. For her I belong to those who have hurt her and made her stuck to this godforsaken place. I remind myself.

To my surprise she accepts my hand, with that I hear the whispers creeping through the creatures around like a plague. One loud bang and the door of the tavern swings open, the ivory coloured org rushing towards us. I expect him to launch at me, but I am terribly wrong. He grabs the girl mercilessly by the throat with one of his hands without a sweat. Her tiny hands grip onto his ivory skin, convincing him to release her. She immediately gasps for air, her legs dangling and swinging in the air as he deprives her of air even further.

"You think I feed ya to destroy this place?" he spits out into her face with a disgusted look, she opens her mouth to speak, however, she is left mute due to her lungs emptying of air. Her pleading eyes land on me. I could blame it on her, save myself. But I don't.

"Sir, you got it all wrong," I haltingly place my palm on his arm, his head tilts to me a second later "I am the one who accidentally caused her to fall, it's my fault entirely," he arches his eyebrows at me and lets out a mocking chuckle. He probably thinks I am insane.

"You siding with these beasts?" he suggests and the magical creatures scattered across the tavern join in on him. Shouting insults my way for defending this poor girl, regardless of them seeing the whole thing play out. I stand my ground with a firm expression, unsure how to respond. I shoot the servant an apologetic glance as this is all due to my mistake.

"No, I was simply stating how it happened," I utter out, my voice cracking at the end. The org doesn't answer me and turns his attention back to the human he has been strangling. Her face is fuelled with agony as it begins to turn blue, veins popping out as the lack of air is starting to be life threatening for her.

"Should've paid more attention," he grits through his teeth and with one swift movement snaps the neck of the girl. Her lifeless body crumbles to the floor with a loud thud. The silence which was nestled upon this room livens up, the conversation continues to flow in the same banter as before while the terrorised expression of the dead girl stares blankly back at me.

"And about you elven girl, I am feeling quite generous," his whole body turns to me with a smug grin as he looks me up and down, again "you are going to work here to pay it off," I am utterly unable to bring myself to react as the heaviness of death drags me down. I gulp down the remains from my stomach which were almost let loose to come back to the surface.

"Until I deem your debt collected," with these words I blink couple of times to bring myself to reality. If I had known she would end up dead anyway, I would have kept my mouth shut to spare myself from this unnecessary trouble. How unfair it is that I get to live and she died. All because of me. The guilt is quick to catch up to me.

"Hey, are ya listening, little one?" he nudges me with his large hand, pushing me to the side. All I can bring myself to do is nod my head.

"Good, you will start tomorrow early in the morning," the org says in approval and we begin to depart from the centre of the tavern. I look at the girl crestfallen for the last time, failing miserably at saving her. As we walk, I listen carefully to what he has to say, but somehow the words sound like an ancient tongue I can't depict. We walk along a long dimmed hallway which has multiple door to it. I suppose the tavern serves as an inn as well. At first, the interior is nice fitted. Made of stone and fine wood. However, the further we go, the rougher and uglier it gets. When the only thing illuminating the place are candles, that's where my worries start to settle. Amid the chaos I still give my best to remember the way out of here, mapping it out in my head. What brings me to pay attention to the org is when we stop in front of another door. He pulls out a set of keys, he fiddles with them to find the one that fits the lock.

"You're gonna sleep here with the peasants," he remarks and relief washes over me, because I assume he means humans. He mentions something about picking me up in the morning and showing me the way things work in the tavern. Then he pushes me through the door and I am met with the stares of many starved looking humans. My orbs glide over the room which looks more like a cellar with the air being so wet it could cause mold easily. I suppose it does.

All of the humans are dressed the same. In the thin gown that barely reaches past their knees, they must be shivering with cold. My heart aches at the sight of women clinging their children to their chest at my arrival. I am not brave enough to speak out aloud, I don't have the right, but as soon as I notice yet another door on the other side of the poor room, I stroll to it.

I breathe out when I figure out I am right and it truly is a bathroom. I shut the door with force and collapse to the ground, my arms hugging the shape of the toilet seat as my stomach empties its remain straight out. The imagine of the lifeless body lying on the floor haunts me and millions of what if's shoot spiralling into brain. I feel hot, wet drops of streaming tears running down my cheeks. After I finish throwing up due to the disgustingly haunting imagine I got to see, I am left sniffling away my tears. I collect myself together after what feels like forever and scoot my body over to the sink. I lift my gaze and I am stunned to see a reflection of a stranger staring right back at me. The one thing that stands out are the ears which are still very much pointed. For now.

My features are ordinary. Unlike the eleven boy I met in the woods. What was his name again? Ayen, was it? I should've have listened to the stranger, shouldn't have been so stubborn. I navigate my thoughts back to the imagine of a woman in the mirror. The colour of my hair is a lighter shade of brown, quite similar to the one my eyes are coloured with as well. My features aren't exactly sharp, they more of a soft contour. I prop my head in all angles so I could get a picture of my face sewn into my memory. Something I have to get used to.

I have no idea of how much time I have spent in the bathroom, but it must have been more than I suspected, because by the time I come out, most of the servants are curled up together in one corner of the room in uncomfortable looking positions. They are pressed together to keep their body heat high in this chill room. I seat myself in the opposite corner, not wanting to disturb their peace. I had already done enough. I reach for my small bag resting at my hip to use it as a pillow. My bag. It's not here. The org must have took it when I wasn't paying attention. I breathe out in complete defeat. The small knife is also in the bag. I am unable to defend myself once the enchantment wares off. I hide my face into my palms due to frustration and for a split second I think I might cry my eyes out. Instead of that I curl my tired body into a similar position of those in the room. My face is facing the wall, my back turned to the others. Unafraid amongst my people. The heaviness of my eyelids causes me to relax as they begin to close. Silence hangs in the dead of the night, the only thing which could be heard were the soft breathes of the people in the other corner.

ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚

I am awaken in the middle of the night, I gasp for air the second my eyes fly open. My chest shakily moves up and down as an aftermath of nightmares. The reason why it has been so hard for me to rest. Couple of hours ago I fell asleep due to exhaustion, I wasn't even properly thinking which is why there weren't any troubles lying down to rest. Yet, the same cannot be said now. I lazily sit up and rest my back against the extremely cold wall, it jolts me up throughout my spine. Causing me to feel more awake.

"Can't sleep?" a soft feminine voice calls out of the dark, it takes me by a surprise so my head turns into the direction where it came from. A figure rises from the shadows. It's a girl. With short ginger hair and that much I can tell due to the dark. There is only one small window resting nearly on the ceiling. It's so high nobody can reach it without the help of someone else. Because of that, there is not much light. Not even moonlight can peak into this level of darkness.

"Not exactly, I keep having nightmares, you?" I respond in a similar tone with a touch of firmness which wasn't intended. The girl doesn't hesitate nor flinch as she sits not so far away from me.

Is she not afraid, or did she not see my pointed ears?

"I have the same problem," she whispers back carefully to not wake anyone "if you don't mind me asking, what did an elf do to end up here?" she asks with a broken smile, probably broken by endless days spent in this rabbit hole.

"It's a long story. Let's just say I was at the wrong place at the right time," I don't think too long before whispering back with the same ease. Seeing her up this close gives me a better perspective of what she looks like. Besides her flame like coloured hair, there are two piercing emerald orbs staring right back me with a gentle outline.

"What brought you here?" I add out of curiosity, after speaking the words out, I realise how rude she might interpret it, but before I can specify, she answers without a hitch of opposition.

"The war. When it started, my family and I tried to run away, but we got caught and ended up here," she exhales as if it's something casual and the questions within me rise. Her confession feels like a piece of a missing puzzle. War? That's what the boy from the woods must have meant by telling me I am in a dangerous territory.

"The war, right," I nod in understanding when in reality there isn't a piece of information I have received and fully understood. I reflect on how many things there are that I have no clue of. It urges me to scream in desperation.

"I am Amara, by the way," she beams with a smile yet again as the words dance in the air, her fingers playing with the strings of her orange hair.

My name. What is my name? I have been so preoccupied with everything surrounding me that I haven't had a second to wonder about my name.

"I-" I open my mouth in an attempt that it might come crushing down to me, I am left speechless instead "I am Sage, nice to meet you," my mouth speaks the first word which reaches the surface up from the depths of my cursed mind. It tastes wrong and bitter on the tip of my tongue. It will have to do for now.

"Sage? That's an unusual name for an elf," her words aren't meant to cause harm, however, they do in a way. She truly thinks I am an elf. Everyone around me does. This poor girl kissed by the sun whose life has been destroyed by the war, by the ones she presumes I belong to and she is still showing kindness to me despite all that she went through.

"You see, it's part of the long story," I chuckle and throw my head back against the wall, scanning the dark ceiling. I hear Amara hum in a response, clearly gathering that is all she will find out. Honestly, it is not trust which I lack to come out with the truth, it's more how ridiculous it would sound to her ears. Waking up in the middle of the forest, pondering how you got there in the first place, why you didn't bleed out or froze to death. And most importantly questioning who even are you. Meeting a strange elven boy in the forest who enchanted me without exactly telling me. The only reason why I am still alive. Doesn't it sound a tad too much blown out of proportion?

Silence is heavy in the air, but it doesn't last long. Amara speaks softly and quietly to me about how working in the tavern looks like. What kind of creatures visit regularly and what simply stops by unexpectedly. She mentions couple of stories which have happened to her during her three year stay here. Some are pleasant, some less pleasant. Eventually, she describes how the creatures torment those in this room. The orgs are never the worst, it's those shimmering with enchantments. Tricking and nastily playing with the feelings and strings of heart belonging to mere humans. She names the ones who have been lost to those charades. And also points out few of their names, stories, lives before the war began. She confesses that she speaks those names out loud worrying she might forget them one day.

It makes my heart ache in a foreign way. We continue to chat for who knows how long.

"You will make it out here one day, Amara," I whisper with fondness after another set of comfortable silence sets.

"I won't. Neither will you," her words take me by a surprise, causing my features to fall into a shocked expression, regardless of the soft tone of her voice.

"Wait, why do you mean, won't?" I say lightly with the hint of a snicker, as if something was funny.

"The org is cunning, he makes you think you're here temporarily, but it stretches into eternity," she sounds as if she is hundred percent convinced about it, which is most definitely a result of being locked up here for too long. Amara must have lost her hope a long time ago. I don't blame her, nonetheless I need to leave this place. The sooner the better.

"No, I need to get out of here. I will, and you will with me," as I mumble out the words, I offer her a soft smile for the first time since we struck up a conversation.

"You know, perhaps you could grow to like here a little. It isn't so bad, at least after you get used to it," she responds kindly, totally ignoring my attempts to reassure her. To fill her heart with hope once more. We don't speak any further after that and I don't sleep either. Unlike me, Amara falls asleep minutes after our friendly encounter, gaining strength for the upcoming day.

During the rest of the night, I plan my way out.

[astoldbyfolkslore]

It's been a long night, and the worst part is: it’s not even over. There has yet been zero inclination of the event starting to wind down, and, ugh... Couldn't the gods do him a teensy favour here... Pinching his brow, Azama reclines against a wall next to the refreshments table. With his free hand, he plucks up another lemon bar.

A fleeting salve, but solace nevertheless.

It's as Azama is chewing, pensively scanning the room for signs of further trouble, that he spots him:

yet another hoshidan royal come to grace Garreg Mach's halls.

A shiver courses the length of the monk's spine, and he can but bristle.

Could it be that...?

He sets off to find out, lest yet another happy surprise catch him off guard this eve.

* * * *

"Ah, Prince Takumi! Welcome to Fodlan." Strange to be hearing from Hinoka's wayward retainer, isn't it? But he's gained much motivation over the night in playing at his best behaviour here and now.

"Have you heard of the game they are playing? The exchange of tokens is a timeworn Ethereal Ball tradition. Would you care to partake?"

He's already fishing at the bells adorning his brooch, and so offers them up with a bow.

Whether Takumi takes them or not, Azama really doesn't care.

What he's after, after all, is no mere bauble.

"Say-"

Instead, he comes seeking information.

"-Milady Hinoka hasn't followed after you here, has she...?"

(welcome to toa!! ✨️

Upon walking in, the first thing Takumi noticed about how different everything was in comparison to .. what he was use to. In a way, it was overwhelming, as well as .. beautiful in a sense. A brief smile formed upon his lips as he glanced around, perhaps … this hadn’t been a bad idea at all, a small hum escaped from the prince as he walked further into the building. His first stop was to certainly go and grab something off of the refreshments table.

Walking by a few patrons, would the prince be polite, softly speaking to them. With a small greeting, pleasantries, before slipping out of the conversation and returning on his way, a small wave following suit. Looking around for the table, unbeknownst to him, he had already been spotted.

A tad astonished, as clear as it was upon his face. Relaxing his features, before scanning the man over, it was quite easy to recognize him, due to his elder sister speaking to him, about the monk, as well as walking or small encounters in passing. “ Hm? Oh — it’s .. pleasant to see you as well, Azama .. right? “ Silent cursing at himself, for possibly sounding so unprofessional at the moment, but regardless, he refused to let it show, as he put on his best polite smile. “ Thank you for the greeting .. this is .. definitely different from .. Hoshido. “

Head tilting a bit, oh ? It was a game? Well, that certainly made sense as to why they had given it to him.. well, he already had the brooch, right? And since it was tradition .. it would only be .. polite to participate in the event.

“ Sure — I don’t mind. It .. only makes sense — since we’re — you did that quick! I’m supposed to trade you mine in return, right? “ Reaching and carefully taking the bells from the other, swiftly pocketing the item for safe keeping, in return going to get the teardrop off of his own brooch. “ Hm? No. As far as I’m aware, anyways .. I haven’t seen her since I left the castle. “ A small shrug of his shoulders, before a faint grin appeared on his lips from amusement.

“ Why? Don’t tell me you’re trying to avoid, running into her, are you? “ Amusement laced within his time, as he held out the teardrop out to the other in return. “ Oh, you can stand up as well. Don’t tell me you did something wrong and hightailed, did you? “

[martieshub]

The smile that overtook him was one that showed he thought she was cute funny, though he wouldn't tell her that. He knew, raised in a house full of women that certain things were better kept inside voice. When it dealt with hair or looks, he learned to be honest without being brutal and in turn didn't get his head chewed off saying the wrong thing. Letting his digit pass through one last time, he gently smoothed it out and hummed. "You look beautiful in every way." To him, short, long, curly, straight or wavvy didn't matter to him. He loved her for her.

He chuckled softly as he hand moved down to her back as well. "She will be doing her victory dance if she hears you agree with her. Just prepare for her to get you a crab keychain." The thought of his niece going all out was funny and endearing. She loved love even more when it had to do with the people she loved. He lowered his head and moved aside a little to get a better angle. Nuzzling his face into her hand he smirked and slid down to her lips. "Anytime I want," he whispered gently, mint from his mouthwash fanning across her face, "Like this?" and pressed his lips against hers, taking a lingering kiss.

"Kind of like a lesson within a lesson? Mai is in the midst of a teachable moment. This makes me think of training wheels on a bike, you're still there to help but you'll catch her if she needs it. Are there moments where you miss it?"

The question he had came from curiosity. They'd come a long way from when they first started but there were moments where he thought if she missed any of it. Rather if she was genuinely happy. He feigned offense as his free hand came to rest on his heart. His face crinkling into one of utter despair. "You can never get anything done with me here. Truly tragic!" He exaggerated his voice as he shook his head. "Maybe I can make it worth your while then."

"You know she loves you right? For all that it is worth, she already thinks of you as her daughter." Every time he'd talk to his mom, he'd get the long winded essays on how much she loved and adored her. "You not only captured my heart Lila, but also my mom's. If I didn't know any better, you'll get a box of books at the end of the month."

It made his heart glow with such warmth to see the kids love on her as much as he did. Almost felt like a little preview of where he'd imagine one day they'd be headed. She was a natural around kids and it brought a smile to his face hearing her mention things she'd do to make the time with them enjoyable. "It'll be a mini art gallery. Like an interactive walk through with their doodles." That giggle made him swipe his stubble over her hand a second time just to hear the sound. "I can't wait to experience it with you."

Dolly reveled in the love and pets. One of the things she most enjoyed. Her eyes went from both parents back to human mama and laid on her leg. Tail wagging wildly as she got what she wanted. The dog huffed out a low bark, even with the kids not being there she still was mindful to not bark loud and scare them. Something Wally had worked on with her when he first got her. Wally stretched his arm and grabbed his phone to see when he'd want to then promptly put it away. A smile plastered on his features, "How about next or the weekend after? If Mai still hasn't figured it out then can move it to the week after if that works better? " Ideally, he'd take any day but he also wanted to make sure she was okay leaving Mai for a bit.

❝ It's also very straight. ❞ She frowned, in the past, she had to use more products than she cared for it hold the semblance of a curl when she wanted it to. But the slight wave it would have when it grew out a bit more was more than enough for her now, learning to just accept who she was and not wanting to be someone else was a big leap, but it didn't stop her from complaining about her hair.

❝ Me too, ❞ she agreed with a smile, words soft thinking about where she had been, who she had been, and where she was now. With a giggle, she mused, ❝ Maybe Annie was right. Soul lobsters. ❞ The thought made her resolve to do what she had been planning to do that much more cemented, she wouldn't back out of it. ❝ Just say you wanted kisses, ❞ she rolled her eyes and leaned up over to kiss his cheek. ❝ But also be free to take them anytime you want, mon cœur. ❞

Relaxing in his embrace, she enjoyed the feeling of his fingers working through her hair. ❝  Something stolen, that is not stolen. I want her to figure it out herself. I want her to work it out. Annie could figure it out, Mai needs to fin this on her own too. If she asks I'll point her in the right direction but I want her to think from all angles.❞ Knowing he was kidding, she couldn't help but rib him back. ❝ Nope, not at all. I'll be able to get all the reading I want done. Maybe take Dolly on a hike or two, read some more. Spend all day in bed, reading.❞ While it had sounded ideal once upon a time, now those things didn't seem to make her as happy as they once used to if he wasn't there to share in them. ❝ Now, that's just mean Wallaby. But Mama will also know you're lying if you do. She knows I think the world of her. ❞

❝ A kiddo exclusive painting by the littles on my walls. Now that is exciting. I want to see what they come up with. When they run out of space there is always all the other ones. Then when all the walls are covered, I can take pictures of it all and then paint them over and start all over again.❞ Stubble tickling her wrists elicited a giggle from her as he took her hand. ❝ Iceland it is. I can't wait for you to see it. ❞ Excitedly she agreed. All those late nights spent awake crafting the thing for a plan she never thought would happen, now slowly coming to fruition. She was filled with an excited kind of nervousness she hadn't felt in a long time. ❝ Hey, baby girl. ❞ Her hands went into Dolly's fur, petting her and cuddling against her as she had become accustomed to. ❝ It's a girl thing, ❞ she laughed. ❝ So it looks like we're doing both then. I'll make sure to pack accordingly. You excited Dolly? ❞ She took her face into her hands and nuzzled the dogs nose against hers before looking back at Wally, hands never leaving Dolly as she continued to pet her. ❝ Tell me when you wanna go and I'll get the tickets. I'll plan the whole thing. ❞

[silv3rswirls]

Comforting their s/o when they cry (Ateez)

Note: Some of the members came out short than others based on the scenarios I picked for them

Tike taken: about 30 minutes/unedited

♡Seonghwa♡

Crying over an argument

You and Seonghwa were busy people. You worked part-time and went to school, while Seonghwa could often get caught up with KQ and Ateez. So, spending time together could be hard to find at times. But you made it work, mainly by trying to plan things the best you could around Seonghwa’s schedules. Most of the time it worked out, but lately, it hasn't. You just couldn’t cancel and reschedule all the important events coming up and unfortunately, your dates with Seonghwa had suffered.

That’s why both of you were standing around in the dorm bickering at the moment. Seonghwa wanted to go out with you tomorrow afternoon, but you were swamped. “Can’t you reschedule it?” He asked again, “I want to take you out.”

“I can’t” you pressed, “I really can’t miss this, I’m sorry.”

“But you keep saying that, we haven’t spent time together in weeks.” He frowned, frustration building in his voice. “Can’t you cancel? Do you just not want to spend time with him?”

“I always cancel!” You snapped, “I always reschedule so we can be together, so don’t say I don’t want to spend time with you!”

A thick silence fell between the two of you and you hadn’t even noticed your tears until Seonghwa came to brush them away. “I try really hard to accommodate you, and I don’t mind, but sometimes I just can’t, okay?”

Seonghwa wore a guilty expression as he took in your glassy eyes and stressed demeanor. “I’m sorry...do you really plan everything around me?”

You nodded, “I want nothing more than to go out with you all the time, but sometimes things are just too much, okay? I’m sorry I can’t go tomorrow-”

He hushed you, “don’t apologize, I shouldn’t be so persistent in your rescheduling.” He rubbed comforting circles on your hand as he held it, “just forget about tomorrow, let’s just enjoy the time we have together right now.”

♡Hongjoong♡

He's late for a date

Seeing you slowly descend into tears as he tried to explain why he was late hurt. He hadn’t meant to get caught up at work, but he had and your evening date had momentarily slipped his mind. Hence why he was nearly thirty minutes late. He had found you, bored on your phone as you kept up the waiting. He had swopped in with apologies and excuses, but hearing them only made you sadder than you already were. It wasn’t the first time he had forgotten, in fact, you almost expected it. It didn’t make things sting any less, so as you listened to him explain how he had gotten so caught up in work you felt the sting of tears building in your eyes, unable to hold them in as you choked back a sob.

“Don’t cry!” Hongjoong had pressed himself closer to you. It truly took him off guard, seeing as you were also so understanding of these kinds of things. “Don’t cry, I’m sorry.” It tore him up to see you crying because of him, but his heart broke when he heard you mutter than it was to be expected of him as you tried to wiggle free. His hold on you grew lax as he looked back on all the times he had done this. With a pang of guilt in his chest, he realized that he had come to expect you to accept his apologies and excuses, accidentally taking advantage of your usual kind and supportive energy.

He waits until the two of you are outside, following you to your car. “Just go home, I don’t feel like doing anything anymore.” You sniffled, fishing your keys from your bag.

He nodded but went in for another hug, wrapping his arms tight around your body and pressing his face into your shoulder. “I’ll do better” he mutters, “I promise, I’m so sorry for tonight.” Tentatively he rubs away whatever tears are left in your eyes and kisses your forehead, “text me when you get home, okay?”

You nod with a small smile, sharing one more hug before heading off.

♡Yunho♡

Crying of frustration

Yunho immediately brought you in for a hug when he noticed your frustration spilling into tears. You had been working on your schoolwork the past few hours, studying and preparing for your exams while he watched a movie beside you. You had been turning your mind over and over trying to understand the material in front of you, but every time you tried to work it out you found yourself either wrong or too lost to keep going. Frustration set in early as you tried to keep going, but as you did so your eyes clouded with tears and they escaped right as Yunho came back with a snack for the of you.

“Awe, baby don’t cry” he cooed, arms tight around you as he pulled you away from your work. He could understand being so overwhelmed and frustrated, but seeing your break down into tears over it tugged his heartstrings harder. “It’s okay, just take a break.” He squeezes you tight, almost like he was trying to squeeze your frustration away. He made you take a long break, have some water, and a snack to relax. In the end, he sat by your side and helped you through it, a bit lost as well but eager to help you. He keeps his arm around you the whole time.

♡Yeosang♡

A pet passes away

Yeosang had no idea what to do when you tearfully explained how your beloved family pet had passed away the previous day. You had come to him with teary eyes but as you explained the situation further you broke down to full sobs. His eyes grew wide as you broke down, understandably so. “I’m sorry” he spoke softly, taking your hand gently and guiding you to sit down. Losing a pet could be so painful, he just wanted to take all your pain away.

He knew he couldn’t just make it disappear, so he let you get it all out on his shoulder. Rubbing your back and handing you tissues. Yeosang wants to be there for you all he can, despite being a little jumbled and awkward with his actions at times. He makes sure you cuddle up close with him, petting through your hair and reminding you of all the good memories with your pet. He wants you to smile back on all the good things.

♡San♡

Watching a sad movie

With a storm raining outside, you and San had chosen to settle down for the evening with a movie. Cuddled under a blanket with snacks and light conversations as the movie San picked at random ran through its time. You had liked the movie at first, a kind of coming-of-age film as it slowly went through the main character’s life with her friends and family.

It was towards the end where you found your face heating up with tears. The main character was reminiscing in her old age of her youth and all the people that impacted her life, focusing heavily on one of her childhood friends that she had a falling out with. They had never spoken again, going separate ways in life seemingly not missing the other. It ripped at your heartstrings a bit too personally as you were only reminded of an old friend you had drifted from. As the credits rolled and you sat with old memories you could feel your shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

“Baby?” San was caught off guard to find you crying. You explained how close to home it had hit you, and San scrambled to change it to something happier to take your mind off of it. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have picked a sad one.” He frowned, holding on to your tightly. Even long after your tears stopped he keeps you in his arms, cuddling and talking sweetly with you for the rest of the night.

♡Mingi♡

Overwhelmed

Mingi’s go-to had been to scoop you up in a bear hug. He knew with just how hard you had begun to break down that it wasn’t just over breaking a glass. He listened to you desperately try to explain how it was so much more than the glass, how hard you had been trying to hold everything in the past month or so. He clings to you for the rest of the day, encouraging you to let everything out and cry as long and hard as you need to. He’ll be there for you through it all.

“Come to me whenever you need.” He assures you that it’s okay, he wants to hear about all your worries and frustrations. The both of you lay down, cuddling as you recount how emotionally blocked you had been. Talking away all the big worries on your mind as Mingi listened to every word. He keeps his arms tight around you.

♡Wooyoung♡

Not knowing why

Wooyoung had come home excited to see you after a long day. He had many things stored away to tell you about, questions about your day, about your next date, anything that had come to mind during the day. Eagerly he found you in bed, the big smile on his face slowly fading as he noticed your quiet crying. He tones his energy down and sits beside you. Carefully he runs a hand over your back, catching your attention as you turn over to face him. “What happened?”

You shake your head, “I don’t know...I just needed to cry I guess.” You seem upset, unable to figure out exactly why or what you were crying over. Seeing your boyfriend’s brow knit in confusion and a small pout taking his lips only made you cry more. You had buried your face into his thigh, but Wooyoung wasted no time crawling under the covers with you. “It’s okay” he soothes, an arm around your waist as the other rubs away your tears, poking and pinching at your cheek in an attempt to get you to smile. “Sometimes we just need to cry, it’s okay.”

♡Jungho♡

Stress

“Everything’s fine, I’m here.”

Jongho had been with you when you began to break down. He was sitting on the sofa of your place as you pace around, on the phone with work as major changes were taking place. Watching you frantically scribble down dates and notes, anyone could easily tell how stressed you were getting.

When you finally hung up, standing over the table quietly and playing with your pen he got up to check on things. He found you rereading everything you hastily scribbled down, chewing your lip as you tried not to start crying. Between school and work, you were feeling nothing but stress and worry over how things would turn out in the coming days.

“I-I’m sorry” you hiccuped, rubbing your eyes. Jongho hadn’t known what to do at first, but he’s quick to let you wrap your arms around him and try to compose yourself. He strokes your hair, again muttering that it was okay to cry on his shoulder like this. “We’ll figure it out together, okay?” He keeps an eye on you even when you break away and takes a few deep breaths.

[quirkless-accident]

Ive got a prompt, since you don't seem to mind a bit of angst... (of course feel free to ignore if it's too much)

The Nomu are dead. Danny's dead. Cue All for One getting ahold of him to see just how many quirks he can take. You know, out of scientific curiosity.

When Danny wakes up, all he sees is darkness. The only thing that offers any kind of reprieve is his own natural glow.

His whole body hurts. Aches in a way that he hasn't felt since his accident. His limbs are all strung up, and he can't hardly move. His tugging, though weaker than usual, should have been enough to get the bonds to break, but the restraints didn't budge. He tried to fire up an ectoblast, but nothing happened. Which means these people...They knew what he was.

Maybe it was Vlad. If it was, that would make everything so much easier. Sure, it wouldn't explain the swirling purple-black mass that had swallowed him up, but it would explain the lump on the back of his head, and it would explain why he can't use his powers.

He's not sure how long he waits for somebody to finally come and mess with him. He knows he dozes in and out for a while, but with no way to tell the time it could have been hours or maybe even days. Had he been gone for days already? How long was he unconscious the first time? Were Mom and Dad looking for him? Was Jazz chewing her nails down to the quick with anxiety?

When somebody did finally come, it was a single man in a black and white skin tight suit. He was energetic and bored at the same time as he talked to Danny, though he can't really say he was paying much attention.

He didn't take the restraints off of him, but he did take the restrains off the wall. But before Danny could even think about attacking, four other copies of the man appeared and held him down long enough for one of them to shove his hands behind his back and lock his wrists together.

The man-Twice, he had introduced himself as-couldn't decide between shoving him harshly and gently prodding him. He seemed to be at war with himself, even before he made his duplicates. And because there was no telling how many he could make, Danny just complied as best as he could. He didn't have his ghost powers to back him up this time.

He's taken to this tall, long room with vats of miscellaneous creatures on either side. Danny can't help but cringe at the sight. He's briefly reminded of his clones being held in similar containment units, half melted and begging for mercy. But these ones...They look a little familiar. Didn't they cause that big mess in Hosu not too long ago?

"Ah, taking a gander at your kin," a new voice said. Danny tore his eyes away from the Nomu to look at the man who had spoken. He was wearing a dark, three-piece suit and a weird looking helmet like he was from a bad sci-fi movie. On his left was Shigaraki, scratching absently at his neck. Danny's never met the guy in person, but he would be an absolute idiot to not realize who that was. On the Boss' right was a man with dark hair and burn scars all over his body, looking down on him with piercing, blue eyes. He scoffs as he turns to the Boss.

"You think this runt is going to be able to handle it?" He asks snidely.

"Take the cuffs off and let's go a few rounds," Danny barks. He's in no position prepared to fight, even without the cuffs, but he'll take any chance he can get at escaping.

Unfortunately, nobody rises to the bait. But the burnt guy does give him a little condescending smirk, and well, it kind of pisses him off. He stamps it down as much as he can, because he won't be able to think clearly if he's blinded by his own rage.

"If you keep acting up you won't get your present," the Boss says as he slowly, threateningly walks down the stairs. There's a buzzing in the back of his head that's screaming danger! Run away! But Twice and his restraints make it impossible. So he tries to squash down the trembling his whole body is doing, and tries not to show any fear.

Evidently, neither of those work.

Boss comes down and cups Danny's face, and he has to fight the urge to throw up at how possessive it feels. He tries to lean away from it, but the hand follows without much trouble.

The suddenly, with no warning, the hand was gripping his face painfully. Danny tried to shake the hand off, but the Boss' other hand gripped his hair at the back of his head and held him in place.

There was a sudden, blinding hot pain. His whole body felt like it was on fire. Danny gasped and choked as his vision turned white and his ears started ringing.

He was vaguely aware that he was dropped to the floor as his knees buckled. His entire body spasmed. His mouth was open in a silent scream as his back arched towards the sky. As his vision slowly but surely returned to normal, he could see a blurry, dark figure hovering over him.

"Oh, this is better than I expected," the man crooned. He reached for Danny once more, holding the junction of his shoulder and neck, thumb pressing firmly onto his throat as a reminder that he could die right then and there.

Danny blacked out from the pain.

---------

This went on for what Danny can only assume is weeks.

Sensei, as that was his name, or All for One, which was too fucking long, hadn't gotten tired of him yet. Every day he would place his hands on Danny, and every time he did so he was met with blinding hot pain that made him fall to his knees.

"The Nomu," he had told Danny as he convulsed on the ground, "are my pride and joy. Several quirks genetically engineered in a perfect body to withstand the forces of All Might. You're a lot like them." A boot pressed down on his chest. Dabi came into view, looking more smug than ever.

"You're both dead," he said to Danny, looming over him. He felt his ribs creak from the pressure, but they didn't break. "Nomu are lifeless husks we shove quirks into. And, well, so are you."

-----------

"Why?" Danny coughed as he was dragged out into the chamber room again. "Why don't you just kill me?"

"Well," All for One said, giving him a serene smile. "Where's the fun in that, boy?"

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

Danny's sense of time was rightfully fucked. He knew he had been captured for a long time. Day in and day out he was met with nothing but pain, with the constant reminder of his death in the back of his mind. his body ached constantly, and his surroundings became a blurred sense of darkness and pain.

More often than not he felt like he was in limbo. He could feel the powers writhing under his skin, and in his brief moments of reprieve, he would try to distinguish what power was what.

Most of them were non-destructive. He could write in the air with glowing green letters. He could see in the dark, like built in night vision. He could smell the last three meals everybody had last eaten. But none of them could get him out of this mess. None of them were dangerous enough to require quirk suppressants. Only the ghost shackles that pulled his arms uncomfortably behind his back. God, when was the last time he was able to use his hands? Had weeks finally turned into months?

Was he...Was he going to die here?

-----------

Danny was woken up by an earthquake. At least, that's what it felt like.

He peeled himself off of the floor and just barely managed to roll away from a piece of ceiling that fell from above him. He quickly squirmed his way to his feet and looked at the door.

The foundation of the building was ruined, and so was the door frame. The large metal rectangle attached to the wall was bent in awkward places, causing gaps in between it and the frame holding it in place.

And with another tremble of the earth, it was just barely big enough for Danny to squeeze through.

It was a bit rough with his hands still cuffed behind his back, but desperate times called for determined actions. Plus they hardly fed him anyway. If they didn't want him to be able to escape through tight spaces they shouldn't have allowed him to get so skinny.

With his quirks, he's able to figure out the best escape route. It's like a sixth sense at this point, and with Night Vision and Danger Tingle he's able to dodge any rubble that comes flying his way, or avoid hallways that are seconds from collapsing.

When he gets to the chamber room, there's a huge gaping hole where half the room used to be. All for One is floating in the air, speaking in his usual condescending tone. Through the mountains of rubble, he can barely make out the form of a very sickly looking, gaunt man.

They're having a classic city-leveling quirk fight. There's no way Danny is getting out of this if he's still cuffed. He looked around wildly, and prays to every god he can think of that All for One doesn't fucking notice him.

The universe seems to have allied itself with Danny one last time, because there are lots of sharp and pointy things he can use to break through the restrains. He sits down and maneuvers the cuffs around his feet so they're in front of him instead of behind him, and he slams them down repeatedly onto the very sharp pointy things until they snap.

His shoulders pop uncomfortable. His muscles haven't been stretched quite so far in a long time, and he doesn't have his full range of mobility. But the cuffs are sparking and flickering, and Danny can feel the familiar, long lost coldness that sits in the center of his chest.

He lets the power travel to his hands, and the cuffs burst in a flash of powerful green.

For the first time in months, Danny allows himself to smile.

He turned to the fight. All for one and this newcomer-All Might, he heard the villain call him (which, weird but okay)-were in close combat now. And with the force of the punches Danny wasn't sure he could handle bring caught in the crossfire. No, All for One would probably use him as a hostage or something. It was best if he stayed hidden.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, he heard All Might's battle cry.

United States of Smash!

Danny had seen it once on TV. That smash had leveled half the city he had been fighting in. It was the equivalent of Danny's Wail, and he knew just how absolutely devastating that could be. But most of the hiding places were glass, and he wasn't sure if he was strong enough for intangibility just yet. He had been planning on flying out originally and he needed to save all of his strength.

Wait.

In the back of the room, All for One's large chair stood strong and sturdy. It was big enough for him to hide behind, he just had to-

He didn't make it.

Instead, he was swept up in a tornado of forceful winds and miscellaneous debris and slammed against the wall.

He immediately passed out.

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

Danny woke up slowly to the sound of continuous beeping and bright lights.

He groaned, and tried to cover his eyes with his hands, but found that he couldn't move them. He looked down, and found them cuffed to his hospital bed.

Quirk suppressants, his mind supplied.

And then-

Wait. Hospital bed?

He knew the Doctor had a room similar to this, but it was filled with heavy, malicious machinery and wall-to-wall monitors. This...This was just a normal, plain old hospital room. Had...Had All Might won?

Before he could think much more about it, the door opened. The nurse took one look at him, froze, and then scurried down the hall. A few minutes later, a detective and a hobo walked in. Danny almost laughed. It was like a setup to a bad joke.

"My name is Detective Tsukauchi," the detective said, taking off his hat. "This is pro hero Eraserhead. We just wanted to ask you a few questions about your involvement with All for One."

Danny scowled at the name and adjusted himself in the bed to get more comfortable. It was a bit weird with the cuffs, and in the back of his mind he knew he could channel his ghost powers to phase out of them, but he wanted these guys to trust him. To realize he was a victim in this mess too. So once he was settled, he took a deep breath and looked both men square in the eye.

"I'll tell you everything I know."

[the-haunted-office]

Stanley is a little surprised when she starts making the sandwich for him. He hasn't had anybody make food for him - outside of visits to fast food joints - since he was a child. At least, that's what he remembers. There are some things in the middle there that are a bit fuzzy to him, but he's almost certain he's been making his own ham and cheese sandwiches since he was a teenager.

He shrugs and then quietly watches her make it for him. Whatever she puts on it, he'll eat. He's not terribly picky. He does prefer a lot of things to be served in a way that others might call "plain" or "boring", but fast food workers have made mistakes on his food before and it's never been a big deal to him. Food is food.

When she's finished making it, he signs, "Thank you."

And then he thinks about where he should eat it. Standing here at the counter? Or should he go sit down at the table? It sure is difficult making choices when there's no Narrator around to tell you what to do. Hmm... Stanley decides to just stand there and eat it, unless Patricia moves them somewhere else.

"How do you get orange juice without the acid from the fruit? Is it a special orange?" he asks. He's never heard of acid-free orange juice before, although it doesn't really bother him either way. Usually he drinks water. It is his preferred beverage.

After taking a bite of the sandwich and taking a moment to chew and swallow, he gives a thumbs up and a smile to show he likes it. "Yeah it has been really interesting so far! A war college for dragon riders," he signs, nodding. The Days have already given him a hard time about the book, but he doesn't care. He likes it. "I'm usually not much of a reader, particularly of fantasy, but it's been good. Dragons are pretty cool. Too bad the Narrator never brought any into the story. I don't think he can make living things, though. Do you read a lot?"

@drchandras-sanctuary-for-ais

Patricia watched Stanley patiently. She had all the time of the world and if their guest would take a while or was undecidedly about his preferences, that was okay too. After a little while though Stanley finally seemed to have made up his mind and signed Patricia what he wanted, which was followed by a question that made her chuckle.

“The name of the resident is AM, you probably haven´t met him yet since he tends to sleep rather long and else spends a lot of his time in his room or loafing around the pool area...he´s a glutton as per definition of the word.” She hoped this was good enough of an answer for him.

“Nothing in particular for a sandwich then? Alright, i think then we go for a nice ham, cheese and pork palooza. Just a minute~” She didn´t wasted any time and started to prepare the snack for her friend who looked a little lost on what exactly he should do. Patricia found that adorable because it reminded her about a particular human she was very fond of that was responsible for their maintanance back in Midworld, back when Patricia was just a sentient monorail. He was called Andrew but sadly died along so many other humans when the Old ones decided to go all out war against each other...

Shaking these grim memories out of her head, the blue haired android quickly finished the sandwich and served it Stanley on a small plate.

“There you go, i hope you enjoy the taste! I used a self made condiment which has a similar taste and consistence of mayonaise, but is actually less fat and better digestible as your run on the mill sandwich sauce.” A moment later Patricia poured in orange juice in a tall glass as well, handing it over to Stanley.“Freshly squeezed orange juice goes perfectly with a sandwich! It has little to no fruit acid so it tastes really good!” After preparing the lunch, Patricia sat down on a chair, looking at Stanley curiously.

“How did you liked the book i gave you by the way? I hope it was of interest for you! Personally i have read it a couple times and it always entertained me plenty!”

@the-haunted-office​ 

[nebulein]

The cat already changed his insta header to the senators 😭😭

"Shit." It just occurred to him.

"What," Dylan asks, stretched out on the couch next to him, not looking up from his doomscrolling on Twitter. At least some things never change.

Alex bites his lip. "I'm gonna have to do an Insta post, won't I?"

"Oh, yeah." Dylan looks irritatingly unbothered by the revelation. Alex kicks his ankle. At least that gets Dylan to look at him, even if he's making an outraged 'what was that for' face.

"I don't even know what to say!"

Sure, there'd been rumors for months, but it's the NHL. When weren't there rumors. Alex had somehow, stupidly, foolishly, always thought he'd be a part of whatever rebuild would be happening. Well. Looks like Kyle had had other plans. Maybe Alex should've put more stock in the increasingly pinched looks Jonny had been wearing after every meeting with the FO, but it's a moot point now.

"Oh, pssh, that's easy. I basically had a draft sitting ready in my notes since forever," Dylan waves him off, face already buried in his Twitter timeline again. "I wanna thank the team and the fans for an amazing time in Chicago," he drones on, voice entirely flat like he's reading this out, except Alex can see that all Dylan's got open right now is a video of Noodle. Apparently it's a super bones day. "And then you go on, like, super excited to come play in," Dylan frowns, faltering.

"Ottawa," Alex supplies.

"Ottawa," Dylan repeats, like it's the first time he's heard it, like Alex hasn't been freaking out about this trade for the last hour and a half.

"How's your own talks going?" Alex asks more to keep Dylan talking than anything. He still doesn't know how to feel about this damn trade. "And send me that draft, will ya?"

"Yeah, sure." Dylan nods absently, chewing on the drawstring of his hoodie, tapping away on his phone before throwing it to the side with a huff, finally looking at Alex. "You know how talks are going, man, there are no talks."

It used to make Alex' heart sink. Now, though, it's maybe not so bad. Alex won't be in Chicago anymore anyways, there's really no reason for Dylan to stay here any longer, either. Not when the Hawks never could see what they had in Dylan.

Alex's phone buzzes with a text. He pulls up the notes app, copies over what Dylan has sent him and starts editing to make it sound like himself. It's a good starting point. Alex very carefully doesn't think about what it means that Dylan has had this draft on his phone since who knows how long, ready to whip it out whenever. All it's missing is the new team name. He deletes the XXXs, fills it in with 'Senators' instead.

Dylan's an RFA, but with the Hawks not even offer sheeting him he's basically free to sign wherever.

"What does Morris say?"

Dylan sighs. "That we'll talk next week. But he asked if I had any, like, destinations in mind."

Dylan makes a face. Alex hums in agreement. He doesn't want to move, either. The mere idea of having to pack up this whole house, with Archie and Burt and Ralph, and move it all to a whole different country... it's a lot.

Still. Ottawa isn't the worst place in the world. And then Alex has an idea. It doesn't take him long to find it, there's always someone quick to do those jersey swaps and Alex only feels a little bad swiping the picture without asking. This is more important though.

By the time he's done he's got a post on Instagram thanking the Hawks for five wonderful years, likes count already going up as Alex watches, and a shiny new Insta bio and profile pic. At least this way Dylan will hopefully remember who Alex plays for now.

"How do you feel about moving to Canada?"

[whats-k-popping]

We're Just Roommates

Summary: Hoseok's stomach continues to gurgle loudly. And the sickly man winces after each rumble. He grunts every time his stomach cramps. He whimpers in misery curled up in a ball on his bed. But Namjoon's convinced Hoseok doesn't even realize just how vocal he's being. And he's not going to say anything about it.

Pairing: NamSeok - platonic, but read how you want

Words: 3736

Warnings: Emeto || Significant emeto buildup || Graphic descriptions of illness || Emetophobic character || Mild Pan!c

Hoseok and Namjoon were friendly, but they weren’t exactly friends. The university had randomly paired them together based on an algorithm that made no sense to either of them. They swore they answered every question on the roommate survey differently. Hoseok is an early riser, scheduling all classes between 8 AM and 12 PM. Namjoon doesn’t even start his classes until 1 PM. Hoseok is clean and tidy, Namjoon is, well, not. Hoseok is free spirited; Namjoon is more uptight. Hoseok is a social butterfly; Namjoon is a bookworm. Hoseok is a liberal arts major; Namjoon’s in the business program. Hoseok loves seafood; Namjoon can’t stand the smell. Hoseok likes romance movies; Namjoon likes action. Hoseok likes vanilla; Namjoon likes chocolate. And it goes on and on and on.

Still, they don’t disagree. They are respectful to each other. Namjoon doesn’t complain when Hoseok starts shuffling around the dorm room at 6 AM, waking him from his barely three hours of sleep. Hoseok doesn’t say anything about the mess on Namjoon’s side of the room, until it invades his side at least. Namjoon lets Hoseok invite his friends to their room. Hoseok lets Namjoon watch all his James Bond movies on their shared TV. They get along, make civil conversation and ask about each other’s day. They know things about each other. But the feeling is pretty mutual- at the end of the semester, they’ll part ways. Maybe they’ll awkwardly wave to each other when they see each other around campus. But that’s the extent of the relationship. 

Hoseok has another roommate lined up already. His friend Jimin had a roommate who dropped out and another student never came to fill that space. Jimin offered the room to Hoseok who accepted the invitation immediately. He knows he'll enjoy being roommates with Jimin, they had some much in common and so many classes together. 

Hoseok and Namjoon never actually discussed their next semester rooming situation with each other. But Namjoon hasn't mentioned anything about staying roommates either. There are still a few more weeks until the end of the semester. Hoseok’s sure it will come up before then. But he doesn’t want to be the one to bring it up. 

They’ve both got other groups of friends, other people they can live with who actually share their interests. People they would feel more comfortable around. But he isn't sure if Namjoon has anyone available. Maybe Namjoon could just keep the double all to himself. He does prefer his alone time. 

Their room is eerily silent, spare the scratching of pencil on paper and the occasional flipping of pages. It isn’t an awkward silence, though, rather a comfortable and productive silence as the two men were so engrossed in their course work. Backs turned to each other as they sat at their separate desks, there’s no pressure to fill the silence with mindless conversation or white noise. 

It's Hoseok's stomach that breaks the silence, rumbling angrily. He hopes it's just a fluke. Just an attempt to digest a particularly large piece of food that maybe he hadn't fully chewed during dinner. An audible reminder for Hoseok to slow down while he's eating. He doesn't think it will happen again. 

But it does. It keeps happening, and it's getting worse. Hoseok is starting to feel worse, too. Apart from just the rumbling and growling, he's starting to feel nauseous, his stomach is cramping. It's clearly turning into more than just some bad indigestion. 

Hoseok peeks over his shoulder to see if Namjoon notices. As far as he can tell, Namjoon's still nose deep in a text book and scribbling notes. He doesn't seem to notice. And if he notices, he doesn't seem to mind. 

Hoseok is still embarrassed though. He palms carefully over his stomach, trying to work out the knots and ease the discomfort a bit. He dares to press a little harder and regrets it instantly when a loud, rippling belch slips through his parted lips. His face turns bright red as he clasps his hands over his mouth. "'Scuse me," His apology is heavily muffled by his hands. 

"S'all good. It happens." Namjoon replies, no mockery or teasing in his voice. He doesn't even turn to face Hoseok as he speaks. Hoseok is thankful. 

That doesn't change the fact that he wants to crawl under a rock and wait for the stomach ache to pass. He wants to keep rubbing his stomach, but he's scared of what else might slip from either end. Instead, he leans back in the chair. He think it might help to release as much pressure on his stomach as possible, so he stretches his abdomen as far as it will reach. He's off balance on his chair, the front legs hovering in the air, and his back is arched out over the backrest of the chair. 

Hoseok feels relief for a minute. Giving his stomach more space to digest seems to be helping. He takes a few deep breaths thinking that would help quell the aches as well. Maybe he's already on the mend. Maybe he won't need to vomit. Maybe sheer will power will be enough. 

But the relief is short-lived, and the discomfort is back with a vengeance. The rumbling and grumbling sounds louder now, much harder to hide. It feels like there's a vice grip around his stomach. Hoseok curses under his breath every time his stomach shifts or sloshes. He's begging, trying to negotiate with the angry organ. 

Nothing seems to be working. Hoseok decides to abandon the assignment he was working on, taking some of his frustrations out on the books as he closes them and shoves them back in his bag. He can't possibly be thinking about the history of classical music with his stomach playing a symphony of it's own. Instead, he climbs into his bed and curls in on himself. 

Namjoon finally turns around, looking in the direction of Hoseok's bed but not directly at him. "Are you feeling okay, hyung?" He asks even though the answer is obvious. 

Hoseok's reminded by the statement that he's the older one. He's supposed to be a good role model. He's supposed to be stronger and tougher. He's supposed to be someone that Namjoon could seek out in his times of need, not the other way around. 

This is a new dynamic for Hoseok, being born the baby of his family. He could always go to the older members of his family and complain and whine when he didn't feel well. But he can't do that to Namjoon. What will his dongsaeng think of him if he started crying over a stomach ache? There's a lot of pressure being a hyung and Hoseok doesn't want to mess it up. 

So he downplays, "Yeah, I'm good. I think dinner just didn't agree with my stomach." 

Namjoon hums in understanding, "Yeah, the bulgogi looked pretty questionable today. Did you have any?" 

"No, tuna gimbap. Equally questionable though." 

Namjoon laughs out loud, unreserved, “Seafood? Really, hyung? Even if I ate seafood, I wouldn’t trust it from campus.” 

"You know how much I love it." Hoseok tries to match Namjoon’s humor. He knows Namjoon is trying to distract him, and he's grateful for the effort. But it's not working. His stomach is still rolling, sloshing uncomfortably and Hoseok notices it's warm to the touch. Which he recognizes as a really bad sign. He's going to throw up sooner or later. And that realization scares him. 

He's been emetophobic for as long as he can remember. He can't even remember the last time he's actually thrown up. Maybe grade school? He forgets- the sounds, the tastes, the smells. He's distanced himself from anything to do with vomit for years. He doesn't even go to parties because there's always a chance someone could get too drunk and vomit around him, or God forbid on him. 

But he's never told anyone outside of his family. It's embarrassing. He's an adult man, and his biggest fear is a totally natural bodily function. Well, not natural, in Hoseok's opinion. Food should stay down, follow the natural course. Food should never defy the laws of gravity. Theres nothing normal about half-digested, acidic stomach contents erupting out of a person like a volcano. But still, how can he just admit to being scared of being sick. 

Especially in front of his dongsaeng. A dongsaeng he's not even that familiar with. Maybe, maybe, just maybe he'd tell Jimin. Even though Jimin's actually younger than Namjoon, there's just something so comfortable and welcoming about the petite blonde. But he'd even hesitate there. Namjoon's just a roommate. And he doesn't seem like the nurturing type. They're both out of their comfort zones. Neither of them had gotten sick throughout the semester. Hoseok was the unlucky first.

"Do you want some medicine? I have something that works pretty well for tummy aches." Namjoon turns to face him again, but his eyes are focused on the floor. He's dropped the playful banter; as Hoseok clearly isn't able to maintain the conversation.

Hoseok finds it equal parts adorable and embarrassing that Namjoon calls it a tummy ache. Namjoon's always been so formal, professional. He never imagined he'd hear the word "tummy" come from Namjoon's mouth. It'd be kinda cute if he wasn't using it to talk about Hoseok's loudly gurgling middle. But as embarrassed as he is, he's not too proud to accept. He wants relief, he'll take anything if it means his stomach will settle. After another wave passes, he mutters out a soft "Yes please." 

Namjoon's rustling around the room in no time, opening cabinets and drawers trying to remember where he kept his little first aid kit. Hoseok's patient, too focused on the aching cramps to remind Namjoon about the importance of organization. "Here you go, hyung. Just chew on these and you should start feeling better in no time." The younger man presents Hoseok with two antacid tablets. 

He's never been a fan of the chalky tablets. They make his mouth dry and always make him more gassy. He knows taking them will make things worse before they get better. If they get better at all. But Namjoon worked so hard to find them, and it's so polite of him to offer. So he can't in good conscience refuse them. He accepts them into his hands with a soft "thank you" and brings them to his lips. 

Namjoon's wide eyes watch him with sympathy. His hands twitch like he wants to do more. But once Hoseok swallows the medicine (with a well-hidden grimace), Namjoon walks back to his desk and returns his attention back to his homework. He's confident Hoseok will start feeling better soon. 

The room returns to almost-silence. Hoseok's stomach continues to gurgle loudly. And the sickly man winces after each rumble. He grunts every time his stomach cramps. He whimpers in misery curled up in a ball on his bed. But Namjoon's convinced Hoseok doesn't even realize just how vocal he's being. And he's not going to say anything about it. 

The medicine Namjoon offered is doing the exact opposite of the desired effect. Hoseok can feel his abdomen filling up with excess air; he feel his stomach bloat like a balloon under his t-shirt. He knows he needs to burp to get the excess air out. But Namjoon is there, in the room, trying so hard to focus. Hoseok's already been feeling bad about all the gurgling. So each time air tries to work it's way out, he swallows it back down.

Hoseok grunts loudly when a sharp hiccup slaps his diaphragm against his upset stomach. And it's followed by more, each hiccup leaving him more nauseous than the last. When he realizes they aren't going away, he curls into himself and clasps his lips together to muffle the sounds. He shuts his eyes, and a few tears slip from the corners. He figured this would happen, the air needing to find some way out. But he wants them to stop. 

They don't, of course. Because nothing's going Hoseok's way today. He tries to focus his breathing, trying to settle them. If he can't get rid of the hiccups, maybe he can at least slow them down. Just to keep them from smacking against his already vengeful and bloated stomach. But they slip out between breaths, loudly echoing through the whole room. He makes sure to excuse himself each time it happens. 

After listening to Hoseok hiccup miserably for 5 minutes, Namjoon decides to intervene. "Hyung, you must really not feel well." 

Hoseok grunts in response, readying himself for the next hiccup. He knows Namjoon is trying to study; he hates to be a distraction. "I'm fine, Namjoon-ah. So-sorry for distracting you. I'm sure you're bu-busy." It's hard for Hoseok to get the set words out without sounding too desperate. But he manages. He rubs his hand across his stomach. It's still so bloated. The hiccups don't seem to be relieving any of the extra air pressure. Just making him more miserable. 

"Don't worry about it. Do you want some water?" Namjoon offers. 

The mention of consuming anything makes Hoseok's stomach rumble more, as if daring him to try it. While it might help the hiccups, it might also be the thing that pushes his nausea over the edge. He doesn't want to risk it. "N-no," He replies, the hiccups interrupting. "And don't te-ugh, tell me to hold my breath. Because th-that hasn't been helping either." It comes out ruder than Hoseok intends. But he doesn’t have the bandwidth for simple manners. It's not directed at Namjoon, he just happens to be in the line of fire. He hopes Namjoon won’t take it personally. 

Namjoon bites his lip, carefully treading the conversation. He can tell his roommate is in distress. He wants to help. But he's not sure how far he can push. He's just as unsure about the true nature of their relationship as Hoseok is. But he decides to try. "You know, I had food poisoning when I was a kid. I was sick for like three days." Hoseok doesn't say anything; Namjoon takes it as an invitation to continue. "My eomma would rub my belly when the cramps were really bad and it would make me feel a lot better." Hoseok's stunned. Is Namjoon trying to offer to rub his stomach? "Maybe that would make you feel better, too?" 

Hoseok doesn't answer right away. Maybe he can go back and blame it on the nauseous feeling or the cramping. But in reality he's weighing the pros and cons in his head. Because, yes, his eomma used to rub his stomach too and it always felt so nice and made him feel safe and comfortable. Having that skin-to-skin contact always makes him fall asleep, and when he's sleeping he doesn't have to focus on the cramping of the nausea or the gurgling. He can think happy thoughts and have sweet dreams. 

But on the other hand, Namjoon's not his eomma. And he's fixated on how embarrassing it would be for Namjoon to sit in the bed with him, touching his bloated middle. Belly rubs are intimate to Hoseok, reserved for special people in his life. And Namjoon is just a man he's been living with for a few months simply because the college decided so. Just a stranger he's had a handful of decent conversations with. He can count on one hand the number of times they've physically touched each other. And about half of those had been on accident. Yet, he finds himself wondering how much pressure Namjoon would use, if he'd try to force the air out. Would he try to force Hoseok to just get it over with and vomit? It's too risky. Hoseok has to decline. 

"No, tha-fuck, thank you, Joon. I’ll be fine," Hiccups continue to plague him, "Besides, I think the me-medicine is finally kicking in." He realizes just how foolish that sounds. He's still a sick and nauseous mess curled up in a ball on his covers. He hopes Namjoon hasn’t noticed he’s gotten worse since taking the medicine. 

Namjoon looks dejected at the rejection. He’s become increasingly skeptical of Hoseok’s condition. He’s started to notice beads of sweat on Hoseok’s brow and wonders if there’s a fever brewing. Maybe this is more than just a bout of bad seafood. He’s quick to bounce back. He turns back at his desk, knowing he can’t force Hoseok to do anything he doesn’t want. All he can do is hope Hoseok’s telling the truth when he says the medicine’s kicking in. 

Hoseok’s trying to focus his attention away from the mess that is his stomach. He believes if he doesn’t think about it, it’ll go away. So he’s paying attention to the regular vibrating of Namjoon’s cell phone. He watches as Namjoon picks it up each time. He can hear the repetitive tapping of Namjoon’s thumbs on the screen and figures Namjoon’s texting someone. It’s not long after that Namjoon clears his materials off his desk, packing up for the evening. Hoseok notices Namjoon rummaging through his wardrobe.. He tries not to watch as the younger abandons his comfy sweatpants for street clothes. 

“Going somewhere?” Hoseok asks. The sentence is followed by another hiccup paired with a wet-sounding burp. He’s not sure how much longer he’ll last. 

“My hyung invited me to a party. I figured I could use a break from studying.” Namjoon stuffs his phone and wallet into the pockets of his jacket. He has to turn back and grab his keys. 

“Oh,” Hoseok’s simple reply. 

Namjoon seems to pick up on Hoseok’s uneasiness. “Unless, you wanted me to stay here?” 

Hoseok wants to say yes. He also wants to tell Namjoon he lied earlier and could really use those belly rubs right about now. He wants to tell Namjoon that he’s definitely going to throw up in the near future. He wants Namjoon to know that he’s terrified, no matter how hard he’s been trying to hide it. He wants Namjoon to know that he doesn’t want to be alone because what if he aspirates on his own vomit and then chokes to death because no one is around to help him. He’s seen it happen on TV. It could totally happen to him. 

But it’s not Namjoon’s responsibility to take care of him. It’s not his job. He deserves a night out if that’s what he wants. So he swallows his aching need and fear and puts on his bravest face. “No, don’t worry about me. Ju-Just enjoy yourself. And be safe.” 

Namjoon smiles shyly. “Feel better, hyung.” The younger man casually moves Hoseok’s silver waste bin closer to the bed. He knows. They both know. Hoseok appreciates the sentiment. “You can call me if you need anything, okay?” Hoseok nods in understanding. Namjoon exits the room, locking the door behind him. 

Hoseok waits for Namjoon’s footsteps to disappear before he completely breaks down. He curls even further into himself. His knees are practically touching his forehead. His whimpers he’s been trying to suppress before become full-scale sobs. His hiccups are all punctuated with nauseous burps. But each bit of air he releases is replaced by a hitching breath. He looks down to the waste bin Namjoon put by the bed. He knows why Namjoon put it there. But he doesn’t want to use it. He’s scared to embrace it, thinking that if he picks it up it’ll be admitting defeat. 

He finds himself longing for his eomma, and his older sister. They were both with him the last time he was sick. He calls out for them, but they are both several hours away. He won’t even last several more minutes. As if to prove a point, there’s a gut wrenching cramp that gives way to a gag and his mouth fills with sick. Tears pour from his eyes while his cheeks fill. He dares a glance at the bin but decides to swallow it all back down. He knows once he starts letting it out, it won’t stop. 

The lingering taste on his tongue makes his gag again, and the next round it’s polite enough to wait in his mouth. It spills out, even through the cracks in his finger’s he pressed for extra support. He shoots off the bed and finds himself over the bin, letting the contents fall into the department store shopping bag he’s using as a liner. The sight triggers another wave. And the smell triggers more. Then there’s the fear, the hyperventilating, the sobbing, that all trigger even more from him. He heaves mouthfuls of pink and brown into the bag. He doesn’t know how long it goes on. But eventually, he’s empty. He takes advantage of this opportunity to breathe, just a few shallow breaths, before he’s breaking down again. 

The experience was as painful as he remembered. The whole thing is unpleasant. He’s too tired to move, so he’s forced to sit beside his own bag of half digested dinner. He continues sobbing, crying out for someone to comfort him because he’s just so tired of being brave. 

Namjoon enters. The younger man doesn’t even ask before placing himself at Hoseok’s side. He clicks his tongue in disappointment, assessing the situation. He sees the bag of sick. He sees the tears still streaming down Hoseok’s cheeks. He hears Hoseok’s cries and tries to soothe them, rubbing the sick man’s shoulders. Much to Namjoon’s surprise, Hoseok curls into him. Hoseok clings to him desperately. 

“I thought you were going out?” Hoseok speaks once he’s settled in Namjoon’s lap. He has to admit, Namjoon’s more comfortable than he imagined. 

“I felt bad leaving you here all by yourself when I knew you were sick,” Namjoon’s eyes turn away shyly, “even though I know you said it was okay. But I’m glad I came back.” 

“I’m glad you came back too. Thank you, Joonie, for everything.” Hoseok’s genuine, “I’m sorry for the trouble I caused tonight.” 

“Don’t worry about it, hyung.” Namjoon tests the waters, rusting Hoseok’s hair a little. The older man feels a little warm and Namjoon thinks this wasn’t a one-time event. “Let’s just focus on getting you better.” 

Hoseok smiles. He makes a mental note to text Jimin. He’s going to stay with Namjoon.

A/N: As always, thanks for reading to the end! Feedback is always appreciated. Please let me know if I missed any tags or tws. I think I'm going to go back and proof read this again later. But I wanted to post before going to work. Please call me out for any major errors.