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sly-merlin · 4 years

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HUMSAFAR - let me love you forever || lee jooheon

HUMSAFAR || companion or a fellow traveller.

• pairing || jooheon + doctor! y/n

• Ages || 32 and 30

• Genre || transition from angst to fluff to angst to fluff / almost divorced au

• Word count || ~7k

• Warnings || angst???

A/N :: this piece is dedicated to my dear SEVEN @msmadness99 , written for the @kafenetwork kafeholidays event! a little note for you at the end seven! enjoy🥳

beta readers ::my cutie @hunjins and sweetest @adamfoolcry (thank you so much for being patient and correcting me my two grammarly professors) and i hope you enjoyed your cameo aria)

Synopsis ||

At our parting neither you cried nor I

But why is it that neither you slept peacefully nor I

Even as grownups, we sometimes fail to understand how to keep going when the going gets tougher. Easiest decision? Give up. You chose it. Jooheon respected it. But with each passing day, apprehension of parting forces him to finally realise what he should have been doing before the going got tougher for the both of you!

He has a choice. Either to lead you closer to him or let you further away from him. Choosing the former, he makes you wear the binoculars to the past countering your impulsive decision with another of his own.

Without a word spoken, how would he say “Let me love you forever?”

Playlist: rainbow-sana, still falling for you, sixteen - ellie, you are the one for me - Shania, every man of mine - Shania (this one is just for fun)

At our parting of ways, neither you cried nor I

"I can’t take this anymore, jooheon. It’s not love if it suffocates you. Sign these papers so we can both move on. Please!” you pleaded.

November 29

You pleaded.

He complied.

The very next moment, he regretted it.

He was lost in the old conversations when your emerging figure broke his train of thoughts. He removed the baseball cap shadowing his eyes to take a good look at you. You looked tired. Incessantly massaging your nape, you passed his car with heavy footsteps without even sparing him a glance. Checking over his shoulder, he felt his confidence fading away as you neared your own car. His trembling fingers opened the door but his legs refused to move. The fear of facing you after two weeks settled in as shivers travelled from his hands reaching his chest but a voice in his head screamed for him to budge. Today was the day he had waited a long time for. He had been gathering the courage for two whole days and that might not be long for others but for him they were.

Inhaling a deep breath he walked around his car to approach you. From what was obvious to a stranger’s eye, you looked like you were struggling with your bags. Did she lose her keys again? Jooheon wondered.

“Lost something miss? I mean missus.” He corrected himself with emphasis.

He noticed you pausing your actions. Your back was still facing him but you were no more rummaging through your bag. When you turned around, he was met with a pair of furrowed brows.

“What are you doing here?” you asked in an ice cold voice.

“I just- I just wanted to see you.” he replied forgetting his love-speech he had memorised earlier.

“Leave! And never come here again. Anyone could recognise you here!” you deadpanned but couldn’t hide your worry for his privacy making him smile involuntarily.

“How are you?” he continued ignoring your warning.

“What exactly are you looking for joo?” He loved the way the nickname rolled off your tongue.

“You.”

“I won’t repeat again joo. Do not bother me again!”

“And why is that?”

“We are divorced.”

“Not yet!”

“It’s just 13 days joo. Then you’ll be free.”

“But I don’t want to.” You rolled your eyes at his sharp tongue.

“Papers are signed joo. I’m not sure where you are heading but save yourself the hard work and focus on your career instead. I need to go home.”

You whirled around to continue the search for keys when jooheon smoothly picked you up to place you on the car hood causing you to let out a small yelp. Holding you securely, he closed the unwanted distance to rub his forehead against yours to ease the creases on your head. Right when you were about to release the breath you held, his lips met your right cheek in a sweet kiss. His one hand cupped your chin in the softest of the manner and twisting his own face to the right, his cheek met with your lips to earn one for himself as well. Before you could decipher his train of actions, you were positioned back on your feet. Winking at your baffled face, he walked back to his car, all while smiling like an idiot.

“What are-?

“Don’t forget to eat something. I’ll see you tomorrow. Oh and check your pant pockets!” he shouted inappropriately loud for a public place.

His car left the parking lot and unconsciously your trembling fingers traced the pant pockets. The keys were in your pocket and like always, he was the one that reminded you!

Time passed but you kept staring at the empty space, transfixed by his actions.

But then, what’s this that neither you nor I slept peacefully!

The glass photo frame in your hand was stained with salty mixture of your tears and the mascara that was adorning your eyes till few minutes ago. Your fingers brushed the drops away to save the photo but the endless stream wasn't helping much. With back against the bedroom door and the chilled surface beneath, your body slightly shook at the midnight coldness. The heater managed to increase the temperature of the room yet it failed to release the warmth that your heart yearned for.

The photo you held with your dear life was taken in Rome, at the congratulatory trip you both had taken on your first marriage anniversary. You both were standing on the top of the Spanish steps when the tourist photographer had clicked you with hands interlocked and eyes trained on each other, a perfect heart-warming moment. You both considered yourself lucky as a few months after your trip, sitting on the same stairs was banned. Your fondness with this piece of glass and paper couldn't be described in mere words, at least you always failed to explain your love for it. And now this immortal memory was your solace in nights.

You didn’t clearly remember the day, month or year when you first encountered it. you didn’t remember the exact time when the loneliness you felt when he went away for weeks on tours, the desire to snatch few moments for the both of you, the love that still grew with each day despite not being close was morphed into a guilty conscience of your inability to shower him with the same amount of love and affection you desired when he was away. What started with him ended up with you? Even in med school and his rap rehearsals, you both managed to take some for each other leaving no room for complaints. But as the years passed, you got occupied but you still got by, somehow. Even when he went to endless tours you took it upon yourself to surprise visit him from time to time so he won't feel alone and for that you even started double shifts to use them for leave. You did what you could until it was impossible to give your all and finally you grew tired of it. It was a year ago when you had your first fight over the issue. Jooheon had taken hiatus and booked a vacation as a surprise but you were unable to take any leave. In his displeasure, he had thrown some harsh words at you but nothing that a sweet love filled apology couldn't fix. But that small argument developed into extended string of many.

"Let's have a baby y/n. It's been more than 10 years since we got together. I think we are ready for an addition" he had proposed, only two days after you were promoted. You were burdened and confused.

You refused.

He complied.

When few months passed you felt like a liability on the man who wanted nothing more than to have a family with you. So you proposed the end.

"I can’t take this anymore jooheon. It’s not love if it suffocates you. Sign these papers so we can both move on. Please!” you pleaded.

He hesitated but agreed. You'd be lying if you said it didn't hurt. You expected him to start another fight with you but more importantly for you!

That was a month ago and now you were lying on the cold floor crying yourself to sleep to pass another night.

Jooheon??

You had never called him that. It was always joo for you! Since you were 19? 20? He couldn't remember but it had always been joo.

Ignoring the trivial fights that stretched over for more than a year had been one of the biggest blunders of his life. For what he considered insignificant, you took as warning. The things he remained oblivious of, marked the end of a decade old relationship. As much as he wanted to stop you, he couldn't. How he could be selfish when it came to the person who had loved him selflessly almost half of his life.

He complied when you pleaded. And his heart ached at the absence of any tears.

I failed her! These words repeatedly played in his head for two weeks. Who else was to blame for the calamity than himself? He was the other pillar of the house that you both had built once. He, instead of protecting it had shattered you as well.

That was a month ago. Following a week after that cursed day, you both signed the papers and had queued your petition due to winter holidays. Year was ending and so his life.

It was two weeks ago. When he moved out of the house. You had insisted upon shifting into the hospital dorms but he refused. You complied.

But miracles happen at unexpected places. For him, it held true.

Two weeks ago, you had called him for separation of an old joint account. You had opened your wallet for your id card when he had found his hope. In your wallet laid multiple stamp sized photos of him, some old some new. He was aware that you used to get your favourite photos in stamp size just to carry around but why his! When you had curtly made it clear that your feeling for him had died down.

With chaotic mind he had reached home. The entangled mess that his thoughts were found themselves making straight queues of responses that lined up from his head to heart.

There was a chance you had lied. Why? He didn’t know. The only think he was sure of was that he loved you. And perhaps you did too! And he couldn’t let you further away from him.

Your impulsive actions would be compensated by his own!

In the eyes that hold my beloved, who else can be beheld

5 December.

“I have to attend appointments joo. You just can’t turn this hospital into a picnic spot. If you don’t want to meet the security then don’t ever show your face again!” you warned again.

From the past three days, he has been camping in your office. Though he did wear a mask and a cap, you were still afraid his fans would recognise him causing trouble for you in the hospital.

“Yo! No need to be aggressive woman. I just came to eat your homemade food. I’ll go right after that. You want to eat with me?”

His crinkled eyes were persuading you to agree but always knowing better, you shook your head and left the room after picking up few charts.

Shutting the door with a thud, you left the room. Jooheon’s palm met with the table, the loud noise coming back to pierce through his ears.

Why were you so stubborn!

All he wanted was a response of some sort that, if not a guarantee, would give him an assurance that he was indeed chasing his old y/n. not that lack of any was going to stop him, he was just getting anxious. He was already late. The only way to have you back was to crawl towards you, slowly, cautiously until you were ready for him to run to you.

Till then?

A little effort and lots of waiting!

6 December

You saw him leaning against your car. Again!

“What do you want Jooheon?”

“Go on a vacation with me?”

You rubbed your forehead in frustration, “are you high joo? You cannot ask me to trips! You shouldn’t even be here in the first place. You probably don’t remember but we are not together anymore!”

“Have you lost your mind y/n.” he mimicked. “The divorced is not finalised yet.”

“I don’t know what bit you in a month but all this is not a joke for me joo. I’m not taking divorce to go on fun holidays wi-

“Nothing is a joke for y/n.” his voice suddenly grew serious, “just two weeks is all I’m asking from you.”

“We. Are. Separating! What part of this are you finding hard to understand?”

“Separation to separating? Nice journey baby.” He snarked, standing tall, jamming his hands in his pockets.

“I don’t want to be anywhere near you.”

“You owe me few days y/n. I’m just cashing those.” He said nonchalantly.

“We both owe each other many things but you don’t find me demanding any?”

“Three weeks”

Wrapping your arms around yourself and ignoring his requests, you circled the car.

“Two weeks?”

You opened the door and threw the bag onto the seat.

“Please y/n.” you yapped at the proximity of the voice, gulping at him literally sitting on his knees!

“Joo do-

“I’m not asking for reconciliation. I just wanna spend some time with you. Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t wanna leave you with a guilt y/n. please.”

9 December

“Of all the places, why here? If this is where you want me to waste my 15 precious holidays then sorry I’m out!”

“Can’t you just shut your judgemental mouthpiece and concentrate? Kihyun is about to enter the stage.” He whispered, picking some piece of lint from your jacket.

Yes, you were on a vacation. Your guilty conscience had over weighed your screaming rationality and also because he was too persistent. But this was opposite the vacation he sounded so excited about! No offence to kihyun, you loved the elder but the operas were not your thing and certainly not with a body running on 2.5 hours of sleep and caffeine!

“Look look, there he is!” jooheon slightly jumped on his seat.

You begrudgingly craned your neck to notice the man entering the stage with other two artists. Without further ado, the world-famous opera singers greeted the audience and began singing.

Taking a look at jooheon's face, you observed how his eyes lit up when kihyun's voice reverberated in the auditorium. The seemingly incurable boredom due to the same old melody slowly dispelled as the prominent wrinkles emerged around his eyes, the deep dimples appearing as if his cheeks had been scooped out.

He was invested in the performance and you in a very particular audience. You thoroughly enjoyed the side view of the exclusive affair until you just couldn’t anymore.

12 December

For the tenth time, you tried your best to push yourself but the heavy, soft clouds forced you further into the bed. You felt snug under the warm blankets, the relief of not having to wake up and run to the hospital at 7 a.m. finally crushing you but in a warm way.

Kihyun's high notes still echoed in your head as you prepared breakfast. This was the reason you weren’t super excited over watching him being all majestic on the stage. Since college days, you never liked how his voice would live in your head for several days after only an hour of performance. As for the recent one, it was two days ago, the day you last saw jooheon. You had tried to call him the day after with the purpose of throwing a small gratitude speech regarding his gentlemanliness for dropping your sleepy self to home but you weren't lucky enough to receive an answer. You felt annoyed at first for his carelessness towards the so called vacation but your annoyance died down after a much needed 8 hour nap. Now, you were sprawled on the couch eating away the delicious food while catching up on an old show.

No sooner had you finished the food than you ran for the door.

"My queen!" He squealed, pouty lips trying to touch you before his needy arms could. You rolled your eyes, opening the door for him, turning around only at the dramatic gasp he let out.

"What?"

"That's not how you greet your guests missus!"

"Guest?" You scoffed before continuing, "since when joo?" Strolling around the living room, you missed jooheon's perplexed eyes.

"Do you wish to stand there for the whole day?" You jabbed to which his lips merely curved up in the disgustingly adorable half smile that you hated so much.

"Do you want to eat?" You offered

"No. I'm good. Just here for a pick up."

"I could've taken up the surgery Mr. Nam is doing today! You wasted my two days!" You shouted from the kitchen, pouring some juice for him.

"Looks like someone slept well. Your zombie eyes are gone woman" he looked through the glass, clearly poking fun at your swollen eyes. "And please refrain from mentioning scissors and blood for a few days. Also take an extra coat."

"Umm what are we exactly doing?"

"I'll let you know missus!" You groaned at the overuse of the title you were no longer associated with but remained silent. For the time being.

"FUCKIN SNOW TUBING! You screamed in horror as your now soon-to-be ex hubby parked the car. "You know I hate this so much. What are we doing here?"

"Chill madam. You won't die. Besides you said you wanted to try it once before dying and according to an ancient saying who has seen tomorrow so let's go."

"No thanks"

"Thank me later baby" he snickered.

"I don't want to wear those already worn tubing pants Joo! Let's just go back." You protested but he merely rolled his eyes at your weak protest and grabbed your arm, dragging you along the railing.

After obtaining the tickets, you both were guided towards the changing area. A man handed you the snow pants wrapped in clear plastic.

“Sir are these pants washed?” jooheon asked, very obviously ridiculing you.

“Yes mister. These clothes are dry-cleaned and sanitized for proper care.” The man explained politely.

Jooheon’s judging brows danced in sync before he left you alone to change. The pants were comfy but you couldn’t say same about the whole tubing thing you were going to experience. You weren’t against snow or the related activities, but the ski slopes were frightening. Even thinking about the steep run, you felt nauseous.

Wintry air blew your hair as you stepped outside of the lodge area and into the white carpet zone. The temperature seemed to be decreasing as you took slow steps for the tubing area. As jooheon took your hand in his, you knew there was no escaping.

************

"Did you take my pictures? I got to post it. Everyone needs to know I went for tubing. They are going to be shocked boy!"

You kept mumbling while sipping your hot chocolate. You were busy staring at the snowman marshmallow melting into the drink that you missed his loving gaze on you.

"Yeah of course everyone needs to know. That the scaredy cat y/n, who's afraid of slopes, after 8 years of resolution, finally went to snow tubing"

"Are we going somewhere else" you mistakenly voiced your hope but feeling embarrassed, immediately drew your eyes back on the mug.

"No. You ain't feeling it but you are pretty overwhelmed. Let’s just buy some pasta and then I'll drop you home. I forgot my glasses so I can't drive too late"

Your face instantly dropped at his open disregard for your subtle indication. Blowing on the hot drink, you tried to drown his words with loud slurping but the disappointment was evident on your face.

Jooheon took a note of that, suddenly feeling not so exhausted!

And just like that another day was over!

13 December

The car rolled along the few bungalows that lined up across the apartment building where jooheon was residing since last month. He had called you to pick him up for his car had suddenly stopped working which was quite strange considering how much he cared for his boy toys. But here you were, returning the favour of his kindness!

"What are you aiming for Joo? This is not a holiday, it's just a city tour. And now a bookstore? Why are you choosing all the boring things in the world! Do you want me to throw you out of my car? You huffed as he mentioned the next destination.

“Bookstores? Boring? For you?" His nose crinkled as if he smelled a burnt egg.

"I love reading and you know that! But these days I- I don't get enough time to finish a book. Not even in a month! I don't wanna hoard more books and then feel guilty while passing our library" hearing yourself, you understood how frustrated you were over the fact that even after building a mini library to enjoy your love for reading , you weren't able to do the same.

"Yes I know! That’s why I don't understand why you refuse to make some time for yourself. Just like this vacation. You can take some days off. You are no more under strict supervision y/n. You can use your allowed days!"

"I know I'm promoted and all but it comes with a responsibility. I just can't leave everything for juniors and seniors to handle while I enjoy a cup of coffee!"

"Don't tell me they don't get their paid leaves! When they are not considerate enough then why do you bother so much about t- stop? Stop the car right here!"

Startled at his howling, you hit the brakes and parked the car in the permissible area.

"What was that bitch! You wanna kill me or something?" His eyeballs widened into infinity as your chest rose and fell with newfound anger. For a tiny person, you sure had some Good temper.

Horrified, he sheepishly smiled at you before pointing outside with his finger. Your focus changed scenery when you looked outside, blood calming in an instant, hands smacking your own face in astonishment.

"Oh shit! This is still alive!"

"Cut the profanities kid."

Some other time you'd have sliced off his tongue for calling you a kid but all your attention was diverted to the store outside. Jooheon chucked to himself as your eyes gleamed with something he had been missing from days and he was simply satisfied.

The Renaissance book cafe!

The place you once called your home! Not dramatically but literally as all your time beyond studied was spent there!

The bell chimed as you both entered the cafe. The air smelled of the warm memories that still lived within you but the consciousness that the walled space provided wasn't something you'd have carried with you.

It was a nice cosy 2 storey building, owned by an old couple. They both used to sit on the receptionist seat together, making everyone coo at their loveliness towards each other. But nothing remains steady! The old man was sitting alone, reading some comic book, not caring about anyone's arrival.

You exchanged an understanding look with jooheon before entering further.

The aroma of gold liquid felt oddly similar.

"Came for the books and stayed for the coffee. “You mumbled

"Come for the coffee and stayed for you" He whispered in your ear before walking away. “I need some short stories to detoxify myself.” He announced, stretching his arms not glancing behind. He knew if he did he's found you stunned and glued. But instead you passed him weakly, going straight for the fiction section.

"At least someone has enough time to properly read. Unlike me!"

Jooheon's heart knew your now dulled expression was not just because of the books. The old couple had been the subject of jooheon's final graduation project but being too busy with rookie career you had happily offered to do the observational worksheets for him. Their smiles, little arguments, interactions with each other and customers had taught you more about life then you'd have had on your own. His arm outstretched on its own but he retracted. He couldn't!

"Hey y/n. Let’s go upstairs!" He said, gripping your hand tightly, dragging you along with him.

"Slow down joo."

Nostalgia warmed your body as your feet led you to the section devoted solely to the majestic 1700s and 1800s. He watched as you grinned, fingers brushing on various titles

"How much time do we have?" You queried hopefully.

"Umm." He pretended to count, “the whole day" you slightly jumped on your toes at his words before picking up your favourite classic from the shelf.

"Which one do you want?" You asked like your hands weren't on the other copy of the same volume.

"I always read same as you!" He felt offended at you forgetting the most significant detail.

"Oh ok."

Shoving his copy to his chest, you made your way to the distant two seater couches. The setting of the table was incredibly inviting. It's was situated on the corner where there was minimum light, perfectly providing you the comfort of home.

"Oh hear me out y/n. There's a superb paragraph" You shifted your gaze towards him as he sipped on his coffee. "Once upon a time there's was a 19 year old boy named as Lee jooheon. On insistence of his friends, he once visited an amazing coffee shop. The ambience of the shop was so alluring that he decided to take a stroll. No book caught his eye but a certain pair of eyes did. The beautiful maiden's captivating eyes seduced the poor man into daily visits. With each passing day, he found himself getting trapped inside those y/e/c orbs. He wished the woman would spare him a glance or two. He wished she'd call his name one day. He desired to be born as the bookmark in his next life or the book itself! For she'd stare all day lo-

"Well if the young man didn't shut his mouth then the not-so-young maiden would pour the hot coffee onto his head." You whisper yelled as he cowered away dramatically.

"Chill. I'm just trying to have some fun. It's totally cool"

You nodded knowingly before fixing your gaze on the lost words.

Only if you knew what he truly meant by it!"

His eyes had the song that I never sung aloud

16 December

"I wanna stay here. Backstage!" You pouted, pulling shownu by his arm.

"Jooheon would kill me!" He shrugged.

"Please noni don't wanna stand with those mad fangirls and besides, I have heard your songs plenty of times. What difference it'd make"

He pressed his lips together, eyes glaring at you. "Wow y/n. It's been like 14 months since you attended our last concert. Now you don't wanna even stay in the audience. Where's the y/n who loved the thrill of bass!" His spoke and went on to ruffle your hair.

"14 months?" You chuckled. “No way! Your calculation is so wrong!"

Shownu folded his arms against his chest giving you a no-nonsense look, "then care to explain why your dear husband is shouting at everyone to not cause any problem because his precious wife is attending after 14 months! Even the food delivery man knows that you are here. After 14 months. Precisely"

A wave of guilt coursed through you as you took in his words. You truly didn't remember the last time you went out to support your husband. Another breeze followed at the realisation that jooheon was actively making efforts. For what? You couldn't say but being aware of his little measures, you didn't want him to stop. Why? You couldn't say that either but something tender had made its way to your heart and thawed the ice.

Despite having the VIP seats, the commotion that was going to follow made you anxious. It wasn't that you weren't fond of the monsta's power packed concerts but fangirling over your family members didn't set right onto you or you could say you didn't feel thrill that the rest of audience dealt with. You were glad that kyun's girlfriend was present to provide you the much needed company.

The evening was about to end and you were catching up with mina when suddenly your voices drowned out among the hooting of the crowd.

"Well everyone, someone has a special surprise for you all. This is a complimentary performance dedicated to all of you. Please enjoy and merry Christmas everyone"

The lights focused on the single chair on the centre stage. After a few seconds, the spotlight was occupied by a raven haired man.

Jooheon

“What is he doing up there? With a guitar?” mina jerked her head in your direction and found you equally flabbergasted by the whole scenario.

“I don’t know.” you barely managed to whisper back.

“I never knew he could play that?”

Mina’s wonder laced look and also of everyone present in the arena was worth capturing. Because they had simply never seen that man with a guitar before. He was always the enthusiastic, wildly alive rapper on stage. His secret acoustic career had always remained exclusive for your ears. Until now. With hair down and a simple hoodie, face rid of any makeup, he mirrored the younger version of jooheon who learned guitar specifically for you.

You noticed how his eyes met yours for a second but darted away. He cleared his throat nervously. Not only you but the whole arena could sense the odd overwhelming feeling that he radiated. The audience seemed all ready to see him in action but you slightly chuckled at how fidgety he was being. You could only hope he won’t run away from the stage.

But instead he exhaled mightily, shifted his posture and the very familiar tune resounded in the quiet place.

“When was the last time he sang this to me?” you quizzed yourself.

As he proceeded with the song, you felt like something you treasured for so long was being exposed to the whole world. Unlike others, the lyrics spoke differently to both of you.

You’re still the one I run to

The one that I belong to

You’re still the one I want for life

Look how far we’ve come my baby.

You knew, among the sea of people, the only ears he wanted to reach were yours and you wanted nothing more than to scream on the top of your lungs that you indeed would run to him and he was still the one that you needed.

You wanted to. But you chose not to.

19 December

Your hand secured in his, he took painfully small steps to match yours as you were too busy ogling at every piece of item displayed in the showrooms. You weren’t interested in buying anything as you had told him earlier and he was pleased with anything as long as he got to be with you. Knowing that you were not keen on spending time outside in the cold, he was initially afraid of your reaction when he had suggested the idea of doing Christmas shopping. But your sparkling eyes had liberated him of the worries. Slipping into the crowd was easy but keeping a pace was getting difficult. It was an hour ago and now his one hand was crammed into his pocket and other one was holding yours. He had a Christmas presents list tucked in his shirt pocket but the warmth of your happy eyes was not something he wanted to lose at that moment. It was early in the evening so having plenty of time on his hands, he was more than happy watching you smiling like an idiot.

“Oh shit! Why didn't you remind me? We have to buy toys for ari!" You reminded him. Aria was minhyuk's three year old daughter and being the only kid in your friend circle she was more than just spoiled.

"What to get this time?" Jooheon's muffled voice got lost in his mask.

"What?"

He crouched down to speak in your ear, "I said what to buy?"

"Oh ok. Umm how about a roller coaster? She can play with it in summers and a Lego set of-

Jooheon was already looking at you when your head snapped up. "Which Lego set should we get?"

"A musical theatre"

"A hospital building"

"No"

You both cut each other and shouted, gaining unnecessary attention from a few passer bys. Slightly bowing to particularly no one, you dragged him by his elbow to enter a small antique shop.

"Why would a 3 yr. old need a hospital building" he sounded bothered by your choice.

"And she ain't going to be a musician either"

"Oh so this is about that hmm? Sorry to burst your bubble but she's going to be a rapper just like me."

"Yeah yeah we'll see-

"Do you want to buy something sir" you both turned inside the shop to find an old man smiling at you both. He bended forward forward in welcome which you both returned immediately. A glance at his face and you were already feeling awkward for barging into his shop without any purpose but before you could say anything, jooheon took your hand and pulled you outside.

"That was so rude joo!"

"Better than just standing there and looking like thieves caught up in the act" he explained and you merely nodded, getting distracted by the hamleys store in your eyesight.

"There it is!"

Jooheon chuckled at your cuteness and let himself follow your wordlessly.

"Didn't you make your list this year?" You asked, counting the sparkles on the night blanket. Of all members, including you, jooheon was always the most excited one on Christmas. He was always the one to write a list of gifts for others. That's why you were sitting on the concrete bench of the shopping centre, bags resting beside you.

You turned your head to find his eyes unwrinkled, trained on the night sky, face inscrutable under the mask. His was still just like the statue behind you, but his body radiated unprecedented sadness. But you knew him. Hesitantly, your hand reached out to break him from the bubble he had packed himself in. His shoulder trembled under your touch as he finally faced down.

"What?" He whispered.

"I was saying if you prepared a list for the gifts. We can get them so you won't have to shop alone."

"Oh!" He evaded your sight as his right hand mechanically clutched his coat just where he heart resided. You could swear you saw a flicker of something on his half covered face but didn't press any further.

"You ain't gonna get anything this time?" You asked carefully.

"No." He politely refused

You couldn't comprehend the sudden change of demeanour. He was fine in the store while surfing through the shelves so you couldn't understand the reason for his foggy behaviour. Maybe he was tired, you thought and suggested he end the day.

As you both walked the same pathway again, you couldn't help when you passed that antique shop.

Tugging at his arm, you caused him to stop.

"Umm joo, we were rude to that old man. He must have mistaken us as customers. Don't you think we can get something as an apology and maybe I'd find something good as well!" he nodded in affirmation.

"Oh yeah. We should. But hurry up it's getting colder"

You nodded enthusiastically taking a step back to enter the shop. Jooheon shook his head at your childish mannerism. Following you, he found your awestruck gaze at a wooden Christmas tree. It was a polished piece laced with beautiful ornaments. At the centre was a small golden star sparkling enough to blind someone but his gaze was fixed on something else that shone brighter than the artificial piece.

"Can we take it joo? We'll place this on the fireplace shelf, right beside your bronze mic."

The smile on jooheon's face dimmed at your words. Despite denying it several times, you were doing it too often for it to be considered an honest error.

You hummed again pestering for a response but none came.

"Joo! Can we get this?"

"I'll be waiting in the parking lot" before you could respond, he left. You were perplexed at his sudden action so you hurriedly apologized before paying for the tree.

You were breathless by the time you reached the car. Jooheon's head was resting on the steering wheel, arm limp by his side. Concern clouded your mind at his distressed state as he didn't make any move even after hearing the car window noise. Placing the gift pack on the backseat, you called his name. He immediately lifted his head only to look the other way and that's when you heard a muffled sniffle. You inched forward to rub his shoulder but he swatted your hand away as soon as it made contact with his body. It wasn't rude but still something prickled.

"Joo! Baby! Are you fine?"

"Ye-yeah. " He finally looked up but adjusted his cap to hide himself. "Let me just drop you home. Do you want to eat something? I'm not hungry so we can get something for your choice" he babbled, shifting the gears.

"What happened joo. Why are you so upset? Are you feeling sick?" A trail of questions left your lips. The more he remained silent, the more you became anxious.

"No I'm perfectly fine."

"Joo-

"I don't wanna talk about it y/n"

Irritated by his rejection, you resorted on picking your lips instead of paying him any further attention. But your attempts at ignorance went futile when he let out another choked sniffle. For the first time, you felt helpless. Your destination was near and all you could was twist the ring in your third finger, trying to distract yourself.

"I'll keep the toys with me. I'm gonna visit them tomorrow so I'll give it to them. Take your tree though"

You were already home!

"Are y-yeah I'll do that. Good night. “You remained rooted in the seat for the next few seconds but when there was no hope left, you whirled around to pick the paper bag from the backseat. Just when you clicked the button to open the door, your peripheral vision caught something on the space above the glove compartment. It was not there earlier!

Without thinking twice, you touched the paper picking it up, "is it a bill?" You were about to unfold it but jooheon acted faster than lightning to snatch it. He was swift yet failed as your grip was stronger.

"Go away joo. It'd tear!" You twisted your whole body towards the window as he struggled.

"Y/n it's mine."

He kept trying but you sneakily opened the door and jumped out of the car. You heard a loud curse but without a care for the man, you focused on the task at hand. Nothing was visible due to the natural darkness so you turned on your camera flash to look at it. Jooheon was also out of the car by now.

"Binoculars to the past?" You read out loud the words written in the centre.

"Is this some poetry joo?" If you had looked up, you'd have noticed the drained colour on his face. He was eventually going to tell you about it but he wasn't ready yet. And you kept reading out loud twisting his insides.

"Number one, sleep. Number two, meet up with hyungs, have a coffee with the old couple. Would she agree for the concert? Snow tubing to freak her out, guitar practice? Visit my parents, buy Christmas gifts? And test the waters? Withdraw the application?” your breath quickened as you recited the list.

“WI-withdraw the application joo? You also agreed to it now I don't see where the problem is-

“You can't see the problem” he interjected in a tired voice. “All this is a major problem y/n. We are divorcing and that's the problem. We'd never eat or live together and that's the problem. We'd never be there for each other and it might not be a problem for you but it is for me! I can't thin- you don't know how much I'm regretting giving in to you. I don't want to live without yo-

You didn't let him complete before you ran inside the building. He called after you but didn't follow.

But it was not over for him!

There was animosity, Indifference and anguish

The one who I was parted with had everything

But be didn't have unfaithfulness

Sprawled on the bed with the photo in hand you were missing him more than ever. The intensity of the pain you felt left you shook. You glanced at the ceiling with blurry vision. In the past week, jooheon had managed to bring the same felicity that you had known once. But with each passing tear, it flew away. You had already bid farewell to him three weeks ago. It was already over from your side so why you were still wounded. You were scared that one more day and you'd end up giving in to him. And you wanted everything but to cause him further affliction.

You winced at the constant noise of your phone. It was buzzing and there seemed no end to it. Sniffling sharply, without looking at the contact, you picked it up.

"Who's I-

"Don't leave me" the wretched sob that pierced through the phone had you dead. Pulling yourself up, you gulped against his words. He was breaking but so were you. Sounded like he had some things to say, you had too. “Please y/n. Each day is harder than the last. Please, just one more time, give me a chance to make you happy. I won’t fail you again.”

The image of his crushed face flashed through your mind and a moist hiccup shook you up.

“I’d never fight again. No arguments, I promise! I’ll change myself. Just give me a chance.”

Disbelief washed over when you heard his words. He was cursing himself for being the source while it all had started with you and not him. Your much needed explanation that followed flowed with struggle. “I- you were doing more than enough. I’m unable to return your love with the same intensity. You can find someone better t-to d-devote yourself to. I can ne-

“Did I ever say you were not doing enough? Did I- I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like that. I never meant to.”

“You didn't do anything, joo. It felt the emptiness between us. You must have too! We can both do better than this joo. I proposed divorce after calculating everything. You were not happy anymore joo. I was getting bus-

“I was happy. Very happy. I respected your decision because you said you didn’t love me anymore! You never told me that my supposed happiness was the reason.” he choked out a reply. “You co-could have talked to me. It’s not like I wouldn’t have heard you. We could have found an understanding. There were two people in this relationship y/n. You had no right to decide for me!”

His words echoed through your room. You hid your face in your knees, trying to maintain the tranquillity and he didn't speak for a few minutes, donating you the time to collect yourself.

“You were-” you began, harshly rubbing the tears off your cheeks, “you were suffering joo. You took hiatus, twice, for me and I couldn't manage some time to be there with you. I knew how it felt to be the one waiting joo. I knew how you felt when I wasn't there to share your life.”

“Half of my life, I’ve been away. You never thought about a divorce before.”

“Because I thought everything would be solved one day. But I don't know how we exchanged places. Since last year you were the one waiting for me. The days are longer when you are suddenly left alone joo.”

“And instead of asking me, you simply decided for me as well. Why did you wait for all these years?”

“I loved you joo. I would never have left you just because you were a little busy.”

“Then why can’t you expect the same from me dammit. Why can’t I spend few days, dinners and nights alone? Why can’t I return you the love you showered me with all these years?”

“You wanted a baby and I was-

“I want a baby with you! Whenever you want and even if you don’t its fine, totally fine. You could’ve said so instead of putting so much pressure over yourself over nothing. This is not the y/n I fell in love with!”

“You should go home joo. It’s getting late.”

“Why didn't you wait a little longer? Am I not worth it?”

“It’s already too late for-

“I can’t let your stupid decisions drive our future. It’s not you! It’s we! And I’ve decided to try again. First but not the last. I’m willing to do this again and again until we no longer need it. We can’t live without each other. Don’t lie anymore. Not to me, not to yourself. We can make through. We promised to love each other forever. Let’s fulfil it. Can you do that?” he asked, expecting nothing yet everything. He hated how quiet you were but it meant you were pondering as well.

You bobbed your head like he could see you. Without much thought, you hang up the phone to let him in, this time for a lifetime.

He was my companion!

4 years later, 23 December, 20:00

"Jooheon where the fuck are you?"

Despite balancing yourself on the two ladder chair, you still lacked a few centimetres for reaching the top of the tree. Star in hand, you waited for your husband but he didn't respond.

"The fuck Lee jooheon! I said put the star on!"

"Why are you cursing in front of a baby?" He cried, scrubbing his hands on the apron.

“You are so annoying. Why did you buy a burj khalifa if you weren’t gonna help!” hips jutted out, you questioned him.

“Well I have some questions too! Why are you so short? Why aren’t you using the big ladder? Why am I in the kitchen? Why is Yves eating the carpet?”

The sarcasm fell off his face when you both saw your daughter. She was lying down and was indeed chewing the side of the carpet that she held in her tiny hands. You both sprinted for the middle of the room where she was enjoying herself.

“Bad baby!” as soon as you picked her up, she wailed like you had snatched her favourite toy.

“She’s just 2! Don’t talk to her like that” he reminded as you handed her over. She was a papa’s girl after all. “Go to the kitchen! I’ll stay here.”

You pursed your lips, refusing the offer. Smiling mischievously, he circled around to hit your butt with his knee before coming back to place a sloppy kiss on your cheek. You clicked the same cheek as he ran away, making horrible plane noises to make Yves laugh. She was pleased, you weren’t.

“Lee jooheon, go back in the kitchen before I make you regret your decision.”

Your warning voice echoed through the house as you raced after them.

And you never ever regretted opening the door that day!

With sunshine and shade, there was no parting ever.

hey SEVEN! it’s candy. you can call me SIMMI ! the past month was such a happy ride with you. in the beginning i wasn’t aware of your blog but as time passed and we talked more, we found out abt our similarities, our love for jooheon and hoshi’s cheeks (this info is impo) and our interests! my sytherin sister! i’m glad you were assigned to me(this is how the message read). i hope we can continue having fun together. and thank you so much for being the sweetest person. ilysm (and this was not a typical christmas fic but i hope you enjoyed it a bit!) now i can bug you without being terrified of that stupid anon button. MERRY CHRISTMAS CUTIE PIE!

#kafeholiday20 #kafenetwork #monsta x scenarios #monsta x reactions #monsta x imagines #monsta x reader #monsta x angst #jooheon #jooheon scenarios #jooheon fluff #jooheon imagines #kihyun #changkyun #minhyuk #shownu #hyungwon #monsta x reactio #monsta x fanfic

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midnxghtsunwrites · 4 years

Text

SMOKESTACKS | 16, NO MORE SURPRISES

warning: ⚠ domestic abuse ahead ⚠

FOR THE SIXTH TIME IN TWO hours, Nadine's phone blares its annoying ringtone. She could only assume that those calls are coming from the same people she's been avoiding for the past week. Nadine has managed to take the week off of work to avoid seeing Gemma and/or Jax.

Now, she's sat in a bar on a Friday night, sipping on a gin and tonic and bobbing her head to the music playing over the speakers.

She glances at her screen to see the familiar name pop up.

Jackson Teller.

She was in her feelings when she changed his name in her phone and she doesn't see herself changing it back in the near future. Honestly, she doesn't know what to do. It seems impossible to avoid these people considering everywhere she turns, someone associated with the club is in her face.

Of course, her friendship with Lyla was the only constant and based on the fact that the porn star brings up Jax in every one of their conversations, he knows it too. Does she want to just wait it out until they're tired of trying to reach out to her or does she try to make another getaway?

She just got here and she loves her job and her kids and she already can't imagine leaving them.

Guess she'll have to suck it up.

"I really can't tell if you're drunk or just vibing," The voice belongs to a black woman who'd been sitting beside Nadine for the better part of thirty minutes. She has an eyebrow raised and a glass of scotch raised to her lips, "Or both."

Nadine shakes her head in amusement, "Definitely both." Sticking a hand out, she introduces herself, "Nadine."

"Amelia." The woman shakes the teacher's hand, "Why haven't I seen you around before?"

"That is a great question," Nadine jokes as she sips her drink. She's barely tipsy, which is far from where she wants to be. The conversation continues to flow as the woman is drowned out by Nadine's phone blaring obnoxiously for the third time in ten minutes, the teacher ignoring every call.

Noting this, Amelia tilts her head in interest, "Boyfriend?"

The teacher scrunches her face at the thought, "Nope."

"Girlfriend?"

"I wish."

"Almost boyfriend?"

At Amelia's teasing tone, Nadine rolls her eyes in amusement, "Definitely not."

NADINE WAS DOWN THREE GLASSES of whiskey before she felt the effects of the alcohol on her senses. She giggles, fruitlessly as she tries to drink from her glass only to miss completely and basically pour it down her shirt.

Amelia bursts out into laughter, drunk to her ass. The women had been drowning themselves in tequila shots — for reasons they choose not to admit. Apparently, Amelia has lived in Charming her whole life — she's an OR nurse at St. Thomas's Hospital and extremely talented when it comes to her job.

Nadine didn't get much more than that.

"Oh, crap," Nadine snorts as the woody aroma from the alcohol wafts to her nostrils.

Amelia points in amusement, her eyes squinted as a loud laugh escapes her, "You smell like a bar!"

The teacher nods and leans back on her stool, almost falling on her back, "That's 'cause we're in a bar, silly!"

Staggering forward, Nadine peers through the mirrored wall behind the shelves of alcohol — the clear space allows her to look at the rest of the bar patrons behind her. She takes note of the large spot on her grey shirt and groans, exaggeratedly as she throws her head back.

Luckily, drunk Nadine still has some sort of logical reasoning, "I'll be right back — I gotta clean this up before it stains."

Amelia just tilts the rim of her glass of scotch towards the teacher and sends her a dopey smile, "Have fuuun." She sings, joyfully.

"I willll," Nadine mimics as she throws cash for the drinks on the bar counter.

Fortunately, the dark spot hadn't dried in the time it took Nadine to go through the line of women standing outside of the bathroom. A lack of stalls seemed to be the verdict for the long queue. Standing there in the bathroom, she hovers over the sink, wiping a damp paper towel over her tank top.

The stain is almost out — the woody smell being replaced by stale tap water. She should've just kept the stain there if that's the case.

Suddenly, it's like time stops. Chills run down her back and the hairs on the back of her necks rise. Goosebumps line her arms as she furrows her eyebrows. There's a sinking feeling in her gut — so deep that Nadine is knocked out of her drunken stupor and forced to grab on to the ceramic sink.

Almost as if she could predict it, there's a knock on the door. Nadine blinks profusely and calls to the person, "Someone's in here." That doesn't make the person on the other side back off — no, instead, the doorknob that was once locked is twisted and pushed open.

So much for locking the door. She ponders.

The figure that enters is tall — and so familiar. It's too dark for her to see a face but for a moment, Nadine assumes that Jax found her. She didn't put it past him considering he has so many connections that probably tipped him off and she doesn't put it past him to break down any barriers between them.

This leads her to her beginning sentence, "You don't have to check up on me, Jax. I just need time to myself."

As the figure steps closer, Nadine's breath hitches in her throat. Fuck. Tears fill her eyes as she looks upon the man that's caused her so much turmoil for two years. The man she fucking ran away from. Ezra Moore in all his mysterious obscurity stands just feet away from her.

She tries not to let her gaze shift to the pepper spray in her bag.

The man smirks, sadistically as he steps further into the room, almost steps away from his target, "This place should really get some better locks."

As his patronizing tone, Nadine jumps towards her bag on the sink, only to be shoved backward by her assailant. Her back lands against the filthy tiled wall and he holds her there, a grimey hand wrapped around her neck.

There were times when she loved to peer into those chocolate brown eyes — they used to give her a certain comfort. Now, they're the epitome of terrifying.

"What? You thought you could get away from me, you little bitch?" He growls, leaning so close into Nadine that the palm of his hand pushes into her larynx and the stench of cigarettes and nasty beer invades her senses. "No matter how far you go, what name you use, or if you change your phone — I will always fucking find you."

"Please —"

"Shut the fuck up!" He yells into her face, spit flying to land on her cheek (the way my COVID brain just threw up). "You know you can't run from me, Nadine." His voice lowers as he jerks her head to the side and leans towards her ear. His lips wrap around her lobe, bringing tears to her eyes. His grip tightens, taking her breath from her — "You've been a little slut since you left me, haven't you? Fucking Jax Teller? That little biker I've been seeing around here?"

She can't speak. She can't breathe.

Ezra doesn't care.

"Answer me!"

Whipping her head around swiftly, she shakes her head and gapes her mouth, wanting to speak but no words can make it past Ezra's tight grip. Seeing this, he loosens it for a split second so Nadine can muster a small, "No."

That wasn't the answer he was looking for, "Don't fucking lie to me! That's all you've been doing since I met you." He forces her to look at him, frowning for a moment at the sight of tears running down her cheeks, "You're a fucking liar, you know that? And such an actress. Even right now — all these crocodile tears that you've been saving for me. For two years. All that fake love. Did you even love me?"

Nadine watches in pure horror as Ezra's voice breaks and tears begin to fly down his face. This man is insane, she sobs. Thoughts flurry through her mind as his grip loosens significantly. She's so taken aback that even her mind seems to be lagging. She wants to go home where the locks work.

"I did." She whispers, cringing as her voice cracks, "I-I do. I do love you, Ezra." It pains her to speak these lies, but she has to go and the only way to do that is to feed into his crazed actions, "I love you, baby. So much." She lifts a shaky hand to cup his cheeks, willing her tears away at the thought of touching her oppressor. "I'm sorry I left you. I don't know what I was thinking."

Her back stiffens when he falls into her, dropping his head into the crook of her neck. He sobs, savoring the feeling as she runs a hand through his scalp. It was something she did years ago to help him out whenever he had a stressful day — she used to love doing it.

Now, she feels like she needs to take a shower in acid to scrub the feeling of him off.

Her neck is sore when he releases her — surely, she has bruises.

Now is her time to get away — with that thought, she swiftly thrusts her knee up in between his legs and pushes him off of her body. He falls to the floor with a pained groan, cupping his groin.

"You bitch!" He screams at her as she shuffles along quickly to make her getaway. She snatches her bag from the sink, grabs her pepper spray and unleashes hell on the man writhing on the floor. He screams bloody murder before Nadine exits the room, closing the door behind her.

Nadine tries to wipe away the messy mascara under her eyes before heading for the exit of the bar, ignoring as Amelia calls after her.

The teacher drove home in fear that her shaky hands would make her swerve into oncoming traffic. That and her blurry vision, eyes filled to the brim with unshed tears. She's spent too much of her life crying over that man — she'll be damned if he gets anymore from her.

Taking extra precautions, she checks behind her every few seconds to make sure she isn't being tailed — even taking the long way home.

When she arrives at her apartment complex, she double checks the locks on her car before making her way up the stairs, her key already in one hand and her pepper spray in the other. When she sees another figure crouched by her door, the woman jumps. She doesn't want any more surprises tonight.

As she steps closer, arm extended with her pepper spray, her eyes catch sight of the familiar dark hair and the lit end of a cigarette. Nadine holds her breath as she realizes that that cigarette belongs to the woman she's been ignoring for the past week.

With a broken voice, Nadine freezes and whispers, "Gemma?"

smokestacks taglist: @saccreigns @gwenspacy @complacentviawattpad @rosenoirwrites @bettergetusetoit @mcj39623 @palmstreesallday @kmhappybunny @buttershea07

general taglist : @gwenspacy @saccreigns @complacentviawattpad @rosenoirwrites @random-ficreader23 @kyla-queen

let me know if you'd like to join any of my taglists! feel free to like, reblog, and comment! also, my asks are open — and im taking requests!

#charlie hunnam imagine #charlie hunnam #jax teller imagine #charlie hunnam fanfiction #jax teller fanfiction #jax teller x black reader #charlie hunnam x black reader

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baepop · 4 years

Text

Punishment

Pining for an elusive yet bewitching stranger has its advantages and disadvantages.

Word Count: 10k

Pairing: You x Taehyung

Genre: Smut, Horror, Vampire!Taehyung

There were those eyes again. Those damn eyes that followed you around the room as if you were observing the Mona Lisa. They were the most beautiful you’d seen in a good while, alluring yet mysterious, though you suspected that was attributed to the face holding them. Surely, it too, was out of a Da Vinci painting. Flawless tan skin, pointed nose, ash brown tresses that waved out of his scalp with calculated precision. Was it possible for angels to walk amongst human beings? Surely you were a believer after tonight.

Oh. He’s smiling. Of course, he has a perfect set of pearly whites to boot, why wouldn’t he? You sipped from your glass, refusing to look away as you had previously been doing all night. No, you couldn’t deny your attraction to him anymore. The prolonged eye contact was more intimate than sexual experiences you’d had in the past. They say if someone stares at you for longer than 6 consecutive seconds then they either want to sleep with you or murder you. You wanted to find out so badly which one it was, hoping more so for the former. Either way, you were his prey tonight.

You felt an incessant tapping on your shoulder, causing your eyes to rip away from the tunnel vision you two had built. Eyeing your friend in mild annoyance, she pulled you down to whisper into your ear. “Should I leave with Mike tonight?”

You sighed deeply, a rooted exhaustion you had grown quite familiar with making an appearance as if waiting on queue behind stage curtains. Your best friend and her ex-boyfriend were a five act play of their own, and you were the sole ticket holder forced to sit in an empty theatre and react appropriately.

“Babe, we’ve talked about this. You can’t keep going back to him every time you run into him at a party.” You may as well have been reciting a monologue. That dream-like stare fixated in her gaze was telling, she had already made up her mind.

He’s gone. You did a subtle scan of the room, holding your Tom Collins drink to your lips for dissimulation purposes. The penthouse hosting this party had impressive square footage, he could be anywhere by now. You spared your friend one last glance before setting off to make your move. She was already in the arms of her previously scorned beloved, painful lessons being the only thing that could save her now.

Making your way through each room, your eyes searched frantically amongst the intimate crowds. Your coworkers were littered throughout, sometimes catching your looks in passing and drunkenly beckoning you over. Most of them were people you couldn’t stand to be around, even after a few drinks, so you had perfected the “I can’t hear you” miming down to an exact science.

Could he be in the kitchen, maybe? Your heels clicked against the marble flooring, echoing against the abundant stainless-steel appliances that lined the spotless white walls. You bit the inside of your cheek, considering the possibility that he could’ve left. You plopped yourself down on one of the stools lining the island, ready to sulk with your cocktail in hand.

Work gatherings always bored you half to death. After listening to the same stories for the 10th time, they started to lose their appeal. The only excitement that came was from the random people who’d show up or get invited to dilute the professional crowd. You wondered who had invited that Adonis, you’d be sure to send them a nice memo come Monday.

“May I join you?” A velvety timbre pierced through your reverie. You swished your drink around in your cup, nodding with a smile. There was no need to look up and see who that could be, surely a voice like that could only come from the man who had stolen your attention for the night.

A slight breeze indicated him passing behind you, his thigh slightly brushing against your bare skin as he took a seat next to you. You crossed your legs as you looked over at him for the first time, taking advantage of the close proximity to rake in his appearance in its entirety. Your eyes were drinking from a sacred river, your sexual prowess finding salvation.

Your pupils followed his sinful tongue as it dragged across his bottom lip, wetting everything in its path. Your mouth swallowed involuntarily as your eyes took a road trip down the expanse of his neck and stopped at the fork in the road at his parted button up. Maroon was definitely his color.

“I take it you like what you see?” His chuckle was sinister, each contraction of his diaphragm resonating with the deepest parts of your core.

You smirked and took a sip of your drink. “That’s an understatement.”

The padding of feet running down the hallway towards the kitchen was too distracting to ignore. Suddenly your best friend’s shaking figure approached the entryway, the trauma in her eyes evident. You slid out of your seat and hurried over to her, holding her shoulders firmly as you struggled to get her to look at you.

Her lip quivered, unshed tears threatening to spill. “M-Mike…he…” She broke down into a full sob, embracing your midsection and burying her head in your bosom. A deep sense of dread grew within you. You’d never seen her distressed like this. You glanced behind you, suddenly remembering your elusive guest. He was gone yet again.

“Did he hurt you? I’ll fucking kill him.” She shook her head adamantly, looking up at you with a runny nose and smeared mascara.

“He—He’s dead!” Your lips became pale as all of the color drained from your face. You held her head to your chest, cooing and patting her disheveled hair. It was only then that you began noticing people grabbing their belongings in a hurry. The music had stopped playing after a blood curdling scream reverberated throughout the apartment. You removed your blazer and draped it over the girl, leading her to one of the stools.

“Don’t go anywhere, I’ll be right back, okay?” She nodded, unable to formulate a coherent sentence as sobs continued to wrack her entire body.

You rubbed the goosebumps on your arms, a sudden chill apparent in every room and corridor you walked through. The penthouse had cleared out quickly, yet a healthy crowd of people remained in the parlor. You squeezed past frantic party goers to get to the balcony. Just as you cleared the onlookers, a meaty hand hovered in front of your chest and halted you in your tracks. You looked up at the gentleman, unable to recognize him but grateful for his concern.

You lowered his hand and smiled weakly. “It’s okay, I can take it. I’m with his girlfriend, I need to see what happened, for her.” The man sighed, contemplating your reasoning before holding his arms out to stop other people from getting past him. You took the opportunity to exit through the glass doors that lead to the balcony. The air was below freezing, but somehow you couldn’t quite feel it, the sensation of weightlessness overpowering everything else. Your breathing became shallow as you placed your hands on the icy railing, leaning just past it to look 42 stories down.

The scene was gruesome, even from the impressive height you were observing it from. To put it simply, Mike was a stain on the pavement, surely unrecognizable if not for his distinct beige sweater vest now stained crimson. You swallowed vile as squad cars blared their horns on the way to the grisly scene splayed on the outside of one of the city’s fanciest hotels.

You hurried to find your best friend in the pandemonium that had transmuted your quaint work party. She wasn’t in the kitchen anymore, but it didn’t take long to find her near the elevator, being questioned by two policemen. She was frantic and her body language was defensive, causing the two gentlemen to exchange looks numerous times. You hurried to her side with your coats and purses in tow.

“Excuse me, I’m her lawyer. My client isn’t in any state to answer questions right now.” You helped her put her coat on as she fell silent, short of sniffling. Before leaving, you handed one of the officers your business card. “I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have. We’ll fully cooperate to any investigations underway in the future. Have a goodnight.” You were used to the exasperated look from law enforcement whenever you halted their invasive questioning.

Your primary concern for the night was tending to your best friend’s shattered state. She had stopped crying by the time you had arrived outside of her house, though you weren’t sure if that was a good or a bad thing. Her hand paused on the door as you reached out and held her forearm.

“Before you go, while it’s just us here, I have to ask. What exactly happened?” Your eyes were flooded with concern. Her nose and her eyes were crimson, her dream-like gaze now replaced with a ghostly stare. She nodded, knowing by now it was your obligation as her attorney.

“We were going to go downstairs and get a room for the night, but he wanted a cigarette first, so he went outside for a quick smoke. When I noticed he was gone a little too long I went out to the balcony to look f-for him.” Her voice began shaking, recalling the horror splayed in front of her disbelieving eyes. “H-He wasn’t drunk I…I don’t know why—"

You shushed her, rubbing her shoulder to halt her from saying any more. “That’s all I needed to hear. I’m so sorry for your loss. I know it’ll be hard but try and get some sleep. I’ll come by tomorrow morning, okay?” Your heart was breaking for her. You idled outside of her house until you saw her enter safely.

A sadness washed over you on the drive home and it didn’t quite leave you for days on end, the eerie feeling of death so close to you putrefying mundane tasks every time you remembered the current state of affairs. You had always wanted your best friend to move on from him, but not like this, not in a way that was so utterly disturbing that it’d affect her future relationships devastatingly so.

Part of you also hated the way people who died young became immortalized as saints. You held back the need to spit into the soft dirt that surrounded the plot. That cheating bastard surely didn’t deserve such a ghastly demise, but he also didn’t deserve to be honored so wholly by his faithful girlfriend. Still, you knew she needed to say goodbye to her greatest love, so you held her hand as she gave her beautifully melancholy speech in front of Mike’s friends and family.

It had only taken a couple of days to make funeral arrangements and plan the ceremony, closed casket of course. You held your umbrella with your free hand as you looked around the funeral attendees behind the privacy of your sunglasses. It seemed the sky was also intent on spitting on his grave, the brooding clouds hovering ominously above the small assembly. Most of the guests were familiar faces, but you had expected as much, the irony of the absence of his long-time frat brothers who’d conceal his disgusting behavior tugging at the corners of your mouth. There was one face you hadn’t expected to come across, however.

After dreaming of those features for nights on end, you’d recognize them anywhere. Much to your surprise, he was already looking at you, though his facial expression wasn’t as inviting as it had been that night. His expression was grave, his eyes empty and his lips set in a hard line. You wondered if he and Mike were close, and if so, you wondered why you’d never seen him until recently. You offered him a small polite smile before turning back to your best friend who was struggling to get through her speech without breaking down. You squeezed her hand, letting her know it was okay to cry, or to just stop talking altogether.

As the ceremony came to a close, and the crowd dissipated into smaller groups of mourners as they hurried to get out of the pouring rain, you couldn’t help gravitating towards your mystery man. Your best friend was busy speaking to Mike’s parents, so you decided it might be okay to leave her side even if only momentarily. You approached him carefully, not wanting to startle him from his reverie. His hands were tucked into his pockets as he stared into the grave.

After a minute, you cleared your throat, looking at the ground as well. “Were you two close?”

The man looked over at you absentmindedly as if noticing your presence for the first time. “Something like that. What about you?”

You held out strong under the immense pressure of his gaze, your knees threatening to buckle. After replaying the events of that night many times, you realized your initial feelings hadn’t been exaggerated after all. It wasn’t just his beauty that had the ability to command a room, but his presence as well. You felt the pressure around you shift, feeling oddly alone with him in the middle of an outdoor gathering.

“Hardly. I’m here for support.” You both looked over at your best friend who was hugging Mike’s mom.

“My condolences.” The man turned to you, looking down as your eyes met back up with his.

You smiled and nodded, thanking him as you turned towards him as well. “Our encounters are always so brief, and I still don’t know your name. Can I at least give you my card this time, before you go? Maybe we can get to know each other properly.” You looked up at him with hopeful eyes, watching as his irises darkened.

He drew his slender hand out of his pocket and tipped your chin up with one of his delicate fingers. “Oh, we will be seeing each other again, much sooner than you think.” An alluring smile parted his lips, showing you those perfect teeth again. You were helpless to his charm, his demeanor baleful yet deliciously inviting. You swallowed thickly, unsure of whether he was rejecting you or asking you out.

“Y/N!” You heard your name being called out in the distance like the incessant ringing of an alarm clock in the background of an intense dream. He dropped your chin as you turned to look over your shoulder. Your best friend and Mike’s parents were waving you over. “We’re leaving now!”

“Okay, be right there!” You shouted back at them, turning back to your enigmatic love interest. He was gone, as much unsurprising to you as it was vexing. You searched among the groups of people dispersing, unable to make him out anywhere. With a sigh, you trudged over to your friend, hoping that his word would come true. You wanted to see him again so, so badly.

And you did see him again, at least in the form of a fever dream later that night when you finally got to bed. The day’s events had been so taxing that you only had enough energy to strip and crawl onto your bed. You laid over the sheets, feeling the satin with your hands as you made something akin to snow angels. You hummed, your eyelids sealing shut as they bared the weight of your best friends world crashing down. The onslaught of tragic events had you so wound up and distracted that you’d forgotten how long it’d been since you felt the lustful touch of a man. Your fingers slid over your breast, tugging on your hardened nipples as they traveled further south.

When did it get so cold? I don’t remember leaving the window open.

Slowly yet steadily, you fingers crept over your stomach, then your pubic bone as they slid under your lace underwear. You hummed again as your cold fingers slid past your folds, a violent shiver wracking through your body as they made contact with the growing slick between your legs.

You thought about past hookups that were now, at best, dull memories of men without faces, indistinguishable bachelor pads setting various scenes. None of them excited you enough to get off on, that is until you thought about him.

His angelic face flashed in your mind, the devilish curl of his lips oh so telling in the things he was imagining he might do to you. You licked your lips, another chill causing goosebumps to break through the surface of your bare skin. You arched your back as you plunged a digit into your core, lapping up the juices to better lubricate your clit. Your eyes refused to open, to investigate why your room was getting so cold, but it’s not like you cared enough, not when there was a fire ablaze in between your legs.

The incessant burning began at the tips of your fingers pumping in and out of you and traveled outwards from your core. Your lower stomach twitched as the feeling of being slowly set on fire spread to your extremities. It’d be so painful if it wasn’t so delicious. You craved to be consumed, engulfed in the feeling of having your mystery man’s undivided attention. The image of his eyes on you continued to replay over and over like a film reel running on repeat. His eyes sweeping over you, blinking seductively as the filthiest fantasies shown unabashedly across his features. You were panting, removing your fingers from inside you in favor of giving in to the unknown pleasure that was taking over. A small voice in the back of your head questioned everything that was going on, but who were you to listen? You had an all-consuming need that was being tended to.

Suddenly his honey brown orbs were darkening to shades blacker than black, colder than the night you two had met. You moaned out, feeling your legs being spread apart. Your knees hit the bed and your arms laid beside your head. Surrendering yourself to the pleasure was easy. You were hot now, so, so hot that it was suffocating. Dimples formed on the inside of your thighs, his grasp staking a claim over your flesh. Your back arched as you felt his tongue licking a stripe up your sex. Sighs of relief slipped past your parted lips rhythmically. More, more, you needed more. Who was he?

Your head tossed and turned, vivid imagery of your firm party in full swing, dancing behind your eyelids. No matter where you turned, looking for your angel, he was nowhere to be found, yet the presence of his ominous eyes followed you to every room. Everywhere you looked, he was always just out of reach, both far and near. You were sick, consumed with the need to get to him, unknowing that he was with you all along. A minacious chuckle reverberated so loudly within your fantasy, you weren’t sure if it came from your mind or from within your bedroom.

His tongue was now circling inside you, making you feel full yet needier still. You couldn’t help fucking yourself against his face, the chuckle now coming clearly from between your legs. The thought of him slipping into your room in the quiet of the night excited you. You chased your high with fervor, wanting – no, needing to find your release. However, part of you knew that it was him who was pulling the strings all along, so you danced like a puppet on strings and prayed for mercy.

He was now leaning over your body, slowly circling his hips in between your legs making sure to rub your clit in the most exquisite way. His hands took hold of yours, keeping them above your head. You felt his cold fingers lace themselves in between yours, sizzling your burning flesh on the surface. His lips were at your ear speaking in that deep sultry voice you’d never be able to forget. Yet the voice came from inside your head, although you were sure you felt his distinct breath tickling your ear.

“Who am I? Darling, I’m the man of your dreams.” You hissed as he chuckled, the sound becoming deeper and deeper as you floated higher and higher into a frenzied state. You wanted to cum so badly, pleas slipping from your mouth incessantly.

“Your name…what’s your name?” You panted out, your words turning into condensation in the stale chill of your bedroom.

He leaned in, and when he spoke, you instantly came undone. You cried out in pleasure and in pain. Jolting upright, your eyes finally burst open and searched the room frantically as you came to. Your body was covered in sweat from head to toe and your fingers were wetter still as you removed them from your core, your juices dripping from your digits. You caught your breath, unable to make anything of the situation. Had you been touching yourself in your sleep? That’d never happened before.

You sighed and began stripping your soiled sheets from the bed, unable to shake the haunting feeling that emanated from within you. And those eyes, they’d kept following you even long after your fever dream had ended so abruptly. As you dowsed your body in cold water from your showerhead that night, you kept looking over your shoulder, convinced you’d see something horrifying staring back at you, the name Taehyung echoing in the depths of your thoughts like the utterances of a poltergeist.

You could no longer find peace in anything you did following that fateful night, the feeling of being incomplete always just under the surface of your psyche. Your only solace was the mountain of paperwork that awaited you at your desk every morning, mountains of mind-numbing tasks that would help you pass the time. You didn’t have to think too much when you were buried under a pile of corporate by-laws and non-disclosure agreements.

You simply loved working at the firm. While some would call you a workaholic, you preferred careerwoman. Your friends and coworkers just couldn’t understand your preference for staying late at the office instead of going out with them for drinks. The truth was that there was no one for you to come home to and therefore no excuse to limit your potential income.

Then there was the more truthful reasoning, that growing up without had turned you into someone who was ruthless. Your earlier work was nothing to brag about, though it got you the stepping-stone you needed to launch your career in corporate law. Your fresh-faced, former self newly graduated from law school would have never guessed that bailing criminals out of serving time was her ticket to accessing the kind of money that would change hers and her family’s life forever. However, you were by no means proud of it, so you tried not to think of the kinds of things all of those guilty scumbags might be up to as they ran rampant on the streets again, thanks to you. Perhaps the only thing that disturbed you more than exactly how many victims never got justice thanks to you, was your skillful knack for doing it. You had garnered a reputation, it seemed, as all kinds of shady individuals threw money at you to make their pesky problems disappear. You grabbed at the cash eagerly for some time, but as soon as a cleaner way to earn income presented itself, you found yourself spending days on end behind your desk away from all the things you were ashamed of, almost as if you could bury your past underneath all of your new accomplishments. An impossible task, you knew, but it didn’t stop you from giving it your all.

As you sat in your office and watched your coworkers leaving together by the handful, a sudden phone call caught your attention. It was your best friend, begging you to attend church with her that evening. Having too much paperwork wasn’t a suitable enough excuse as she knew all about your workaholic tendencies all too well, so you begrudgingly shrugged on your peacoat and headed for the elevators. Organized religion wasn’t your thing, but you’d make anything your thing so long as your best friend could be comforted during these trying times.

You found yourself sitting at the end of an uncomfortable wooden bench just 30 minutes later, many just like it filling the hollow room of the sacred space your best friend frequented weekly. Though the space was filled with warm bodies, there was somehow a coldness in the air that had you draping your coat over your shoulders. Everyone had their eyes closed as they whispered in unison. You took the intimate opportunity to take in the vast room and the artwork that adorned the windows. The walls were lined with mosaics depicting what ancient peoples deemed angels might look like. All kinds of barely clothed, rubenesque women holding children on their laps stared down at the congregation with apathy in their vacant stares. Your eyes swept over the intimidating appearance of the organ that sat at the head of the room, looking out at all of the devoted attendees. Amongst the sea of bowed heads, shiny brown tresses at the forefront caught your eye.

He was seated alone, dressed in a peacoat and sweater of the same black color. Your eyes burned holes into his back, wondering how exactly it was that you kept running into him. Almost as if responding to your internal beckoning, he silently rose to his feet and slowly turned towards you. You gasped, wondering if he had seen you coming in. A wide crooked grin grew lazily on his face, his dark eyes holding you in a trance. You were so laser focused on him that your eyes caught his tongue dancing behind his teeth, even from several rows behind him. He began walking out of the church, but not before stopping at your bench and extending his hand out towards you. Your heart fluttered as you looked around. No one was paying attention to the two of you whatsoever, and your best friend looked awfully busy, so you took the opportunity to steal out of the cathedral, feeling like two kids doing something you shouldn’t be. You smiled down at yourself, feeling elementary as your hand tingled in his delicate grasp.

“Shall we go for a walk?” The tall stranger gazed down at you enticingly, bearing his pearly whites. You bit your lip and nodded as he pulled you along towards a dirt path that lead to the church’s cemetery.

You watched your feet trudge along the path for a while in silence before you finally thought of what to say. “I’m starting to think you’re following me.”

The man chuckled richly, his eyes twinkling as he squeezed your hand. You couldn’t help but smile in return, feeling as if you’ve known him for a long time. “Would it be so bad if I was?” He looked back at you, his eyes lingering on your lips.

“Well, it would explain why you were so certain we’d meet again.” You two continued along the dirt path, passing stragglers in the open field. Most were making their departure in time with the setting sun.

“And here I thought we ran in the same circles.” He smiled, enjoying a private joke.

You shook your head, “I don’t think we do. I would’ve definitely remembered seeing you somewhere.”

He hummed in response. “Is that so?” You bit your lip and nodded, the sultriness in his town making your heart flutter anew. “The feeling is mutual. I actually haven’t been able to get you out of my head.” He smiled shyly as you two came to a halt in front of one of the many plots lining the path.

Your breath stuttered at his small admittance. You couldn’t wrap your head around someone like him possibly reciprocating your feelings. You hummed, wanting to tease him a bit. “Well if that’s even a little true then you have some explaining to do. Leaving a girl guessing won’t get you far, you know.”

He tsked, pulling you to him by the hand then holding you firmly against him by the hips. You gasped, his sweet scent filling your nostrils. Your eyes took their time on their ascent towards his face, drinking in his intoxicating proximity to you. His chest protruded against your palms where they laid, the black turtleneck he was sporting doing wonders for your libido.

As you looked up at him, you were transfixed by his obsidian gaze, his arms around you tightening as if you’d ever dare leave. You swallowed thickly, your clouded thoughts fervently pleading for a taste of his lips.

“What ever happened to the mystery in romance?” He spoke softly as if others were around to hear you. Your lips parted as your glistening tongue laid in wait, your mind barely aware of how you two gravitated towards each other inch by inch.

“Turns out I’m not much of a romantic. I like having what I want, when I want it.” You challenged him, yet your cheekiness only served to urge him on. A low growl rumbled in his chest, a snarl forming on his soft lips.

“Oh, but you have me already.” He grabbed your wrist and brought it up to his nose, running it along the soft skin just past your bracelet. You stared at him in wonder as he panted with desire. You couldn’t be bothered being ashamed of your amorous public display in the middle of the field. You’d had enough of waiting as you resolved in crashing your lips against his, but before you did, you considered asking one last question.

“At least tell me your name.” He smiled wickedly as he leaned in to whisper into your ear, the eerie déjà vu feeling startling you. He squeezed your wrist tightly, almost to the point of pain.

“I’ve already told you my name. Don’t you remember? Or were you too busy fucking your fingers to remember?” He grinned salaciously while releasing your arm. You gasped as you felt your body become weightless in your descent towards the pit that was dug out just for you. You reached out to him for help, but he simply stood there licking his lips. Darkness surrounded you as your back hit the bottom of the plot with a thud. The only source of light was the narrow rectangle of sky above you. The impact had knocked the wind out of your lungs, leaving you gasping desperately for air. Your eyes searched frantically for signs of help, but all they observed was Taehyung squatting and peering into the grave. He tsked with pity as if in mourning.

“T…T—” You wheezed, unable to form his name or cry out for help. You grabbed handfuls of dirt around you, trying to find the leverage you needed to get up and out of the hole you had fallen in, but no matter how much time had passed, you still couldn’t catch your breath. Taehyung began shoveling dirt into the plot until it was completely level with the ground, leaving you burried under seven thousand pounds of dirt.

Clawing at your chest and panting in a sweat, you bolted upright. Your satin sheets slid off of your chest and formed a crumpled heap on your lap. Your hands clawed at your neck; the feeling of dirt lodged in your esophagus still present. You coughed and spluttered, expecting to expel remnants of your grave but coming up short. Your breath shook as tears fell hot and silent down your cheek. You were so shaken that you absolutely couldn’t go back to sleep.

You tried making a hot cup of tea and putting on some mellow tunes, but nothing could qualm the inner panic that bubbled violently beneath your dazed exterior. Your fingers shook as they struggled to find your best friend’s contact on your phone. The phone rang three times before a groggy voice greeted you from the other end.

“Hey,” You breathed the words with relief, willing your beating heart to slow down, “sorry, did I wake you?”

“No, no it’s okay! What’s wrong babe?”

She seemed alarmed, so you tried to speak in a soothing tone so as not to worry her. “Nothing! Just…wanted someone to talk to. I had the worst nightmare and I need to get my mind off of it.” You chuckled lightly but she was unconvinced.

“What was the nightmare about?”

You took a moment to think, not knowing where to start. You weren’t exactly sure what was real and what wasn’t. Had you actually met up with him? Had you even gone to church yesterday?

“Okay, this is going to sound weird…but did I go to church with you yesterday?” There was a long pause before your friend spoke, sounding thoroughly confused.

“…Yesterday? The church doesn’t offer services on Thursdays, you know that.” You swallowed thickly, a fresh wave of sweat beading on the surface of your neck. “But I did invite you last week. You told me you would come but you never showed. Is that what you’re talking about?” You furrowed your brows while searching for the date on your phone. “Was your nightmare about church or something?”

Your bottom lip quivered as you struggled to hold back fresh tears. You were absolutely sure that you had been at work just yesterday when you agreed to go with her, yet somehow an entire week had passed since then and you didn’t remember any of it. Had you been asleep that whole time? That’s impossible.

You scrolled through your messages and saw a couple from your coworkers who had texted you worried throughout the week. You had never missed a day from work before.

“Y/N? Are you there?”

“Y-Yeah! Sorry I—it’s stupid. I’ll call you tomorrow okay?”

She paused before answering, concern evident in her tone. “Well, alright. But don’t disappear like that again! I was worried when I wasn’t hearing from you these past few days. Try and get some sleep. Goodnight.”

After the line went dead, a dreadful silence ensued. You looked around your apartment, the furniture and photographs on the walls suddenly feeling so alien to you. You grabbed a blanket and wrapped it around yourself as you settled on the couch, shivering in deep thought until the sun’s rays began peaking through the cracks of your curtains. You weren’t sure how long you sat there in thought, but it was suddenly time to get ready for work, if you still had a job that was.

The day that followed your resuscitation was strangely normal. Your coworkers greeted you with concern when you got to the office, but you had been equipped with a viable excuse for your absence, conjured in the privacy of your drive to work. Thankfully, none of them decided to pry, since you yourself still had no idea what happened to you.

The first thing you did was close your door and begin googling if it was possible to be unconscious for days after falling asleep, but only studies of narcolepsy appeared in the search results. That also wouldn’t help you, since you don’t even remember going to bed in the first place. You had woken up in the same clothes you had worn to work that day as well. You pondered the possibility of having been roofied sometime after work, but that didn’t hold much merit either.

Much to your displeasure, the workday had ended as fast as it had arrived. You absolutely abhorred the idea of returning to your cold and solitary apartment but being alone at the office afterhours had also lost its appeal. You didn’t want to be alone with your chilling thoughts under any circumstances. So, when your coworkers walked past your office in a hurry to make happy hour at a local bar, you hurried to meet up with them, much to their surprise.

The bar was huge and already crowded by the time you all had arrived. Your coworkers frequented it on Fridays, since the venue turns into a club at night and hosts some of the best DJ’s in the city. You immediately understood the appeal as you all took purchase in a secluded section adorned with red cushioned love seats and a small table front and center. The section was a bit big for your party of four, so one of your coworkers texted an invite to a couple of guys that worked at another firm downtown. While they made their way to this side of town, you all didn’t waste any time getting loose with a few shots.

The warm liquor flowing through your body eased the tension present since you awoke and it didn’t take much at all before you were able to focus on stories being told and laughing along appropriately. You were starting to think you might actually be able to have some fun after all of the weirdness going on in your life as of late.

By the time the boys arrived, the DJ had already begun his set and the music was ten times as loud as it was before, making it increasingly difficult to maintain a conversation. On the bright side, no one was talking anymore as you all had started singing and swaying to the beats in your buzzed states.

It was your loudest coworker who had noticed them shuffling through the packed crowds hoarding the bar. She squealed and stood up, waving them over as you all shuffled closer together to make space for them. A blush joined the liquor glow that was already apparent on your cheeks. They were all extremely handsome, making it hard to maintain eye contact as everyone greeted each other. You took turns smiling at each one as they took seats on either side of the couch. When you reached the last face, your heart nearly stopped. It was your mystery man, adorned in a black suit and tie identical to the ones his apparent coworkers wore. You couldn’t help ogling at him, causing the boy to blush and clear his throat as he took a seat at the end of the couch.

Your friend elbowed you and whispered in your ear, “Oh my god, you’re staring! Do you two know each other or something?”

“Something like that.” You smiled at her widely. The alcohol was already dismantling your inhibitions.

A waitress appeared shortly afterwards to take everyone’s drink orders. You watched as the tanned adonis ordered for the table. The waitress giggled and bit her lip as she nodded to everything he said, hanging on his every word in a fashion that didn’t strike you as professionalism in the slightest. But who were you to blame her? You, too, were transfixed on the way his lips danced with every word that departed. You swallowed absentmindedly every time his tongue jutted out to wet his lip. You weren’t sure if he could feel your eyes on him, so when they both turned towards you, you froze. He looked at you seductively through half lidded eyes, his long fingers rubbing his chin briefly as a look of amusement arranged his facial features. He turned back to the waitress and finished his order while you tried to look anywhere else but at him, feeling slightly embarrassed for getting caught.

You cleared your throat and initiated a conversation with the girl closest to you, hoping that it’d make you seem more aloof than you actually were. However, it seemed you had nothing to worry about since you caught him staring at you a few times, easing your initial fears and serving as an ego boost. You started to wonder how or when you might be able to talk to him, since you were too far from each other to start a conversation.

When your coworker became distracted by the blonde with a dazzling smile sitting next to her, you allowed yourself to watch your angel nonchalantly. You still felt a bit guarded towards him, given the role he played in the nightmare that shook you to your core, but you tried your best to rid yourself of those illogical thoughts. It was silly to feel he was dangerous, especially as you watched him chat and laugh happily amongst his coworkers. You watched the way his eyebrows shot up during a punchline, the way his smile grew horizontally in the most adorable way, and how he’d lean back when something was especially funny. He seemed to be well liked amongst his group, and even amongst your own coworkers, and the staff here for that matter.

From what you had gathered by listening in on the conversations going on within earshot, they were all employed at a marketing firm not too far from here and were all well acquainted with the girl who invited them.

His words from the funeral rang in your ear once more. Oh, we will be seeing each other again, much sooner than you think. A small smile formed on your lips as you watched the waitress approach your section with your drinks. It had never occurred to you that he might’ve already known who you were, which would explain his confidence in meeting you again.

As the waitress placed the drinks on the table, everyone took turns grabbing theirs. You lifted the glass placed in front of you for further inspection. A Tom’s Collins. Looking up again in the direction of your mystery man, you found his attention to be on you once more. You quirked a brow at him and he winked cheekily at you, his suggestive smile refusing to go unnoticed. You grinned and took a sip. He’s got a good memory.

Soon enough, your group split up into smaller sections. Some headed outside for a cigarette while others squeezed their way through drunken professionals to get to the bar. You took the opportunity of space freeing up on the couch to get up and sit by the man who had captivated your interest.

He had taken a minute to check his phone, but instantly smiled up at you and put it away as he watched you approach him. He moved his drink over on the table and scooted down to make room for you as you smoothed your pencil skirt before plopping down. You were instantly pleased with your decision as the smell of his cologne wafted into your personal space. Not only did he look delicious, but he also smelled it too. This man was going to be the death of you.

He turned his attention to you, raking your appearance in dramatically with hungry eyes. They lingered on your legs for a beat too long, observing the hem of your skirt that rode further up along your legs throughout the night. He licked his lip as his head snapped up to meet your inquisitive stare. Suddenly you were reminded of how forward he had been the night you two first met, and it only enabled the growing dampness that soaked your underwear through and through.

“I take it you like what you see.”

“That’s an understatement.” You both chuckled at the callback and sipped on your drinks, instantly being transported to that cold night.

“So, what’s a girl gotta do around here to find a dance partner?” You smiled cheekily at him and he returned the expression.

“Your wish is my command, beautiful.” You blushed at the compliment as he swiftly stood and held his hand out to you. You took it and led him to the center of the dance floor, wrapping your arms around his neck once you found the perfect spot out of sight from ogling eyes. His hands slid around to the small of your back and pressed you up against him as you two swayed to the beat. A chill ran along your spine at the feeling of déjà vu that presented itself. Focusing on swaying your hips in time to the beat, you tried to remind yourself that it really was just a dream.

Your hands shook as they settled on his chest, just as they had before. You looked up at him, feeling the warmth of the alcohol spreading to your extremities. He leaned his forehead on yours with concern in his eyes.

“Everything okay?” You smiled in return, looking into his eyes before finding the resolve to grab onto his tie and pull him into you for a kiss.

His lips overpowered yours ravenously at first, but you soon matched the intensity as your hands held onto the back of his neck for leverage. The kiss was as wet as it was sloppy, both of you clawing onto each other for dear life and gasping for air in intervals. Your tongues tangled themselves in your mouths as his hands slid further down your back to give your ass a healthy squeeze. You broke away, the sinful moment sobering you enough to look around for any spectators.

Before you could do a full sweep, his thumb and forefinger enclosed around your chin and pulled your focus back onto him. You looked up at his blown-out pupils, the look on his face tantalizing and the massive growing bulge pressed up against your pelvis proving the power in its temptation.

You smiled and brought his ear down to your mouth. “Wanna get out of here?” He smiled and nodded in return before you led him outside. Realizing you left your car at work, he held up his own car keys much to your relief.

“Mind if we go to your place?”

“Sure, but only if you stay the night.” You smiled and bit your lip, hoping he’d agree to it so you wouldn’t have to be alone in your apartment.

“Your wish, remember?” He purred in a coquettish manner that had your toes curling prematurely. By now you had already accepted your overpowering attraction to this stranger.

It wasn’t long before you were both crashing into your furniture, a trail of clothing leading to your bedroom. You stood against the wall in nothing but your underwear with your leg hooked over your guest’s shoulder. He knelt before you on the hardwood floors in nothing but his unbuttoned white shirt and his black boxer briefs. Your eyes drank in the expanse of his tanned skin which stretched over his taught pecs and toned stomach. His bulging thighs were spread as he buried his head in between your legs. His teeth pulled on the fabric of your underwear which only served to edge you along further.

Normally, you enjoyed tons of foreplay, but it felt as if you two had began the foreplay weeks ago when you had first laid eyes on each other. Now, you didn’t want to wait any longer. You whimpered as your moistened underwear snapped back to your sex with a crack. He groaned, digging his nose into your clit and repeating the torturous act.

“Fuck, please just take them off already.”

“Feeling needy already?” He teased you further before chuckling profoundly and pulling your underwear to the side. He looked up at you and inhaled deeply, reveling in the way you squirmed and blushed over him. He wet his tongue before licking at your hole and up towards the apex of your lips. You shuttered at the overwhelming feeling of relief. You were finally getting his attention where you needed it the most. Your thighs began closing on instinct as the electric pulses that radiated from him flicking your clit became almost too much to take. He massaged your thigh with his broad hand to get you to relax while the other massaged at your entrance. You jerked your hips, welcoming his fingers inside of you. He held them just at the entrance as he looked up at you from between your legs. When he was satisfied with the view, he plunged two fingers into you and began easing them in and out of you languidly, taking his time to find your g-spot. You couldn’t stop moaning as your arousal leaked out of you endlessly. Once he found the fleshy mound inside of you that instantly made you want to scream, he stopped licking at your clit in favor of watching you fall apart for him. And it didn’t take long at all. You had immediately surrendered to the feeling of the pent-up stimulation threatening to break free. He stood up without letting his fingers cease their motion, milking you for everything you had as you held onto him for support.

He bit his lip with unadulterated lust as he crashed them into you once more. You were limp against his hard body on yours, your head still swimming from your high. In one swift motion, he brought both your legs up to his hips and carried you to your bed. Once his knees met the edge, you both fell back onto the mattress with a bounce earning a fit of chuckles from you both. He got ride of his shirt and your soaked underwear, taking his time to take in your naked body as he palmed his massive erection over the fabric of his underwear.

Your chest heaved with desire, not ready to call it quits even after the amazing orgasm you had just had. He looked like a god standing over you, even with the light sheen of sweat that shown on his chest and the dewy strands of hair that stuck to his forehead. He was absolutely perfect in every way, and the fact that his sole attention was on you had you glowing from the inside out.

He spread your legs wide and gazed at your sex then up at your face, sinking down onto you to give the rest of your body some much needed attention. Goosebumps broke out all over your skin as he trailed sultry kisses from the base of your ear, down your neck, across your collar bones and onto the softness of your breasts. He took his time licking and sucking on the engorged buds before that familiar feeling began resonating deep inside of you and causing the orgasmic sensation to build up again. You breathed shallowly and circled your hips under him, wanting to feel him rocking into you already. He ignored your needy response in favor of continuing the thorough service that your body so readily responded to.

Your stomach heaved as he planted kisses and licked some of your most sensitive spots. You watched him silently, wanting him to fuck you so badly but also wanting to see what he’d do to you next. Your eyes met each time you reacted to his touch, eliciting a smile from him and a blush from you. When he planted a kiss just under your naval, he blew on your core and thoroughly enjoyed the way it made you squirm under him. He came back up and caged your head in with his arms, brushing his lips tenderly on yours before you began kissing him eagerly. You moaned into the kiss as he began rocking his covered erection onto your clit. Your legs quivered involuntarily, welcoming the feeling of slight overstimulation that ensued.

When your walls began clenching, you broke away from the tender kiss, panting. “How long are you going to keep me waiting?” He smiled and brushed his nose along your skin on the way to your ear. When his gravelly voice vibrated on your eardrum, a full body shudder wracked your body.

“Turn around and bend over for me.” You bit your lip and nodded, excitement blooming in your chest. You knew his length was massive from the intimidating silhouette outlined on his briefs.

You obeyed his orders as soon as he got off of you, getting on all fours and perking your ass up for him. You felt his broad hand on the small of your back push you onto the mattress which elicited a carnal groan from him. His hand came down hard onto the skin of your bottom with a loud smack. You whimpered at the stinging feeling as our walls clenched once more. He grabbed at the flesh greedily, a string of curses freeing his bottom lip from his teeth. He took turns smacking and groping your ass, enjoying how the marks that bloomed on your skin became physical proof of his time with you.

When he had his fill, you felt the bed dip and groan as he got on his knees behind you. He grabbed you by the hips and pulled you against him, but this time, you could feel the bear skin of his cock resting along your slit. He moved his hips a bit, and with it, his length along your dripping sex. You moaned softly and wiggled a bit, wanting him to indulge you so badly. His hand returned to your back, but this time, it slid upwards towards the nape of your neck and grabbed all of your hair. Your head was yanked back as his fist acted as a ponytail, the curve of your back bending further at his will. Your fingers grasped at the sheets as you waited impatiently, and thankfully, he seemed to finally be taking mercy on you.

Slowly but steadily, the head of his leaking cock pushed into you, meeting some resistance from the tightness of your walls but was lubricated enough to slide in undeterred. Your answering moan was more of a cry since he instantly began pumping in and out of you with ferocity. Your knees spread to allow him better access to which he took the opportunity to speed up.

“Fuck, yes, just like that,” You sank onto the bed while keeping your ass in place for him, “fuck I’m going to cum again if you keep this up.”

You could hear the smile in his voice as his fingers tightened around your hair. “You’re a needy little slut, aren’t you?” You could only moan in response, his words getting you impossibly wetter. With his free hand, he began smacking your ass again, biting his lip as it jiggled with each thrust of his hips. “Look at you, bent over like this for some guy you barely even know. You get off on that kind of thing? Hm?” He pulled on your strands when you didn’t answer fast enough. You struggled to agree, your eyes crinkling shut at the feeling of your orgasm fast approaching.

When the pitch of your moans grew higher, he quickly pulled out and slapped his blushing shaft against your clit, sending intense pulses to your core. You turned around to face him, realizing exactly what he wanted as he licked his bottom lip and eyed you wickedly. He held his glistening cock straight out and took your chin in his other hand, leading your pretty lips to the head of his dick. Taking hold of your hair again, he watched you open your warm and inviting mouth then slowly led you down his length. With a loud groan, he tossed his head back and began fucking into your mouth, hitting the end of your throat. You moaned around his dick which only served to fluster him more.

“Fuck. You take my dick so well. And you look so pretty doing it too.” He looked down at you as he wiped a stray tear from your cheek. Your hand inched towards your core, rubbing circles on your clit as he continued to use your mouth. He was too hot for words.

When he noticed you fingering yourself, he pulled out and flipped you over on your side. Positioning himself behind you on his side as well, he hooked his arm around your thigh and lifted your leg up as his slippery cock eased into you again. This time, you both groaned in unison.

His lips were at your ear, causing your high to come back much quicker with every guttural sound that left his sinful lips. Your walls clenched around his girth each time his lips were at your ear, uttering the filthiest things imaginable to edge you further. His fingers left dimples on your thighs as his hips refused to falter in their relentless motion, a mission to get you to fall apart all over again. You relished the erotic details of his fucking you as your high picked up where it had left off.

“Mm, you’re good at this.” You closed your eyes as you both chuckled at your appraisal.

“Don’t compliment me just yet, wait until I give you something to scream about.” You moaned loudly as his fingers found your clit and began circling expertly. “Now, be a good little slut and say my name so I can let you cum.”

You quirked your brow and smiled at his cheeky command. “But you never told me your name.” You humored him with feigned innocence in your voice.

His answering laugh was a few octaves lower than you were expecting it to be, causing your eyes to snap open. Just then, the feeling of your orgasm approaching was too much to bear as your thighs threatened to close again, but his hold on you was ironclad. “Oh, but you do know it. You called out to me, don’t you remember?” He hissed as your slick walls made a vice grip on his throbbing member. His hips continued relentlessly while you hovered in a state of pure pleasure and helplessness.

“I—I did?” You panted, feeling yourself on the verge of falling apart.

“Mhm” He cooed into your ear as you recalled your infamous dream.

“Taehyung.” You whispered, faintly noticing the condensation of your breath in the air as you spoke his name. His answering ministrations had you rigorously falling apart on his fingers and his wet cock.

“Good girl.” He purred, sounding impossibly distant. Once your orgasm hit it never left as you laid on the bed in a pile of useless limbs. A feeling of drowsiness washed over you, yet you remained acutely aware of him talking to you, his deep voice sounding inside your own head. You were too lethargic to panic, instead, humming peacefully as he continued speaking. You’d never get enough of that sultry voice you had grown to love so much. ”It’s a shame, truly. I would’ve loved to enjoy this at least a few more times. But alas, I can’t help myself.” You shivered in the cold of the room, finding it odd that him spooning you brought no comfort to you. However, you didn’t have to endure for long. As Taehyung plunged his growing fangs into the crook of your neck, a blazing heat that originated from the puncture spread outwards, engulfing your body in a comforting blanket of warmth. “I have to punish those who’ve done bad things, and as sweet and beautiful as you are, you, unfortunately my dear, are one of them.” Suddenly, an array of criminals you had helped years ago began playing in your mind like a slideshow. “It was a pleasure erasing that wretched boy from this plane of existence, but I can’t help but feel sad at your departure, my dear.” You moaned weakly at the feeling of being drained. Taehyung sucked on your neck one last time before removing his mouth from your skin with a pop. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his obsidian irises expanding until they covered the entirety of his eyes. “I just want you to know,” He caressed your stiff cheek thoughtfully, “you were my favorite, okay?” You could barely muster an acknowledgement of his adieu, the timbre of his voice lulling you further into a deep sleep from which you’d never awaken from.

#bts fanfiction #bts #bangtan #bangtan boys #bangtan smut #taehyung fic #taehyung smut #vampire au #supernatural au #bts smut #punishment #punishment fanfic #baepop punishment

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artificialqueens · 4 years

Text

End of the Day (Crystal x Gigi) - Ashley

A/N: The plan was simple. All Crystal had to do was pretend to be her twin for one week: sit silently in seminars, only leave her room for her basic necessities and stick closely to the set of rules she was left with. Only the rule that stated she “mustn’t bother the bitch from downstairs” became a lot harder for Crystal to follow once she had laid eyes on Gigi Goode.

Hope you guys like this!! Think of it as Breakfast at Tiffany’s meets She’s the Man only at a Russell Group where there’s a stereotype around every corner. Sending infinite thank you’s to Meggie for being a fab beta. p.s thanks so much for all the lovely feedback for Everything Has Changed (I could have cried reading some of it)…xoxo Ashley.

“No way.” Crystal dropped the pencil she toyed with, a laugh squeaking out of her throat at her sister’s audacity.

“It’s only a week,” she pleaded over the phone, the voice that had convinced Crystal to do stupid things since they were children making its reappearance.

“You seriously want me to pretend to be you just so you can jet off to Majorca to see that creep?”

“Yes!” Elle ignored Crystal’s clear disdain. “That is exactly what I want. We used to do it all the time in school.”

“You’re crazy, actually insane.”

Crystal was used to her sister’s wild antics, but this plot may have been a step too far.

“But you love me.”

“I hate you.”

“It’s not like you have any plans.” Elle held no hesitation in poking the bear - the boundaries between the two twins almost non-existent.

“I have Depop orders actually,” Crystal snapped back, a tiny part of resentment that her sister was attending one of the best universities in the country whilst she was sitting at home making jewellery rising inside of her body but not quite breaking the surface.

“£200.”

Crystal stopped in her tracks - now she was listening.

“It won’t work anyway, people will notice!”

“They won’t. I don’t speak to anyone in my college anyway and my course friends won’t say anything, just stay in bed all day once you’ve been to my seminars. I’ll even give you my Disney+ password.”

A hint of worry rose in Crystal’s mind; she wondered how her more outgoing other half had managed to go to university and not make friends in her accommodation. Where Crystal was shy and nervous throughout the entirety of her education, Elle had never been afraid to put herself out there, always surrounded by one group of pretty girls or another. “So what am I supposed to do in these seminars then? It’s not like I have an extensive knowledge of anthropology is it?”

“All you have to do is sign in and sit there pretending to type - they don’t even pick on you I swear. And it’s the last week before we break up so everyone will be really chill.”

“£300,” Crystal responded, the idea of escaping the four walls of her bedroom whilst making three months of her usual income beginning to tempt her, cursing internally at how easily convinced she was.

“I can’t give you £300.” Crystal could hear that her sister was talking through a grin despite not being able to see her face, the grin that meant she’d won.

“Well, you can’t go to Majorca then.”

“Three hundred pounds it is,” Elle agreed. “But you better get me a decent Christmas present.”

“Deal,” Crystal responded, knowing she had already purchased her sister’s gift two months prior. “Now, tell me absolutely everything I need to know about collegiate life.”

“It’s a good job. I knew you’d say yes and already planned this part out.” Elle beamed, proud at her ability to convince her timid younger-by-ten-minutes sister to do almost anything.

***

If secondary school was supposed to be a jungle of cliques, then Elle’s college may as well have been the Amazon rainforest.

Walking through the incredibly hard to find dining hall for breakfast, Crystal could make out almost every university stereotype she could think of, each confined to their own special hold.

From the druggies to the athletes, to the Oxbridge rejects, to the girls who borrowed daddy’s credit card - they were all there and thriving. A small part of Crystal wanted to go and sit with who she decided were the artsy girls despite knowing her sister wouldn’t be caught dead doing so.

Trying not to draw attention to herself, she kept her head down as she made it to the front of the queue, Elle’s clear step-by-step of how she approached meals playing through her head on repeat, the weeks of planning for this moment all coming into play.

Only at that moment, she panicked, the child’s paint by numbers that were her instructions started to turn into a set of IKEA diagrams without captions in her brain. Wishing she’d stuck to eating a pot noodle in her sister’s room, Crystal’s body froze in a state of fear after dolloping a ladle of baked beans onto her toast. A tonne (or maybe ten tonnes) of bricks smacked her right between the eyes. She knew she wouldn’t be able to pull this off. The lack of self-confidence she always battled with ran thick through her veins, her thoughts turning to ways she could go home and return to the comfort of her hometown, willing to sacrifice her sister’s already flagged attendance and the three hundred pounds to be watching Bake Off with her mam in the kitchen.

It almost happened in slow motion, time losing its speed as the boy behind her walked into Crystal’s back, propelling her tray forward onto an unsuspecting blonde. An unsuspecting blonde who seemed the opposite of dumb.

“What the fuck?” She snapped her head around to Crystal, thick brows furrowed and pink lips pursed.

“I’m sorr-” Crystal started, beating herself up internally at how she had managed to do the exact opposite of laying low despite being only one night into her weeklong mission.

“This won’t come out!” The girl started turning her neck frantically to the back of her shirt, the white satin stained bright orange.

Her mouth opening but no words coming out, Crystal didn’t have a chance to apologise again before the girl had a swarm of minions dabbing her back with tissues.

“It’ll be okay, G.” One of them took her hand. Crystal wanted to burst out in tears like she usually did at the smallest sign of conflict, pinching the skin on the back of her hand and looking at the white ceiling lights to stop herself.

“So long as people look where they’re going.” The girl, G, cast a terrifying yet beautiful scowl in Crystal’s direction before sauntering away.

So much for laying low, she sighed before leaving the queue herself, her body tingling as if she’d hit her funny bone over a dozen times. The girl’s stare still imprinted in the back of her eyes.

Having narrowly avoided a panic attack, Crystal thought hard about her old coping mechanisms and tried her best to remain positive as she did after these situations, sitting down at an empty table and giving herself a pat on the back that she had at least passed as Elle without any doubts, ready to take the rest of her day by storm (also known as sitting in silence and occasionally nodding her head as a bunch of middle ages men discuss human evolution and diversity).

***

Having achieved three B grades by the end of sixth form and the award for ‘most creative’ in their final assembly, Crystal always thought of herself as somewhat intelligent and capable of living in the real world despite her decision not to go to university like her sister.

Yet there she stood, her face in a scowl and her fist in a ball, completely and utterly perplexed by the laundry system.

After sleeping in her sister’s dirty sheets the night before, she had arrived back to the college with hopes of resting her head on a pillow that wasn’t mascara stained and washing her face with a flannel sans toothpaste blobs (which was basic hygiene in Crystal’s opinion, but she hadn’t expected anything more from her twin). Only those dreams were temporarily dashed as she spent an entire thirty minutes pressing buttons and swiping the card Elle had left her manically against an aged machine.

Thirty-six internet searches and two desperate phone calls to her sister later, Crystal was beaming at the sheets swirling around, not a care in the world at how much of a psychopath she would look to anyone entering the room, the stress she had previously faced in getting the machine to work inducing her to stay and wait for the clothes to wash instead of leaving them like normal practice.

Elle had seemed happy on the phone, gushing to Crystal about how tanned she’d gotten in such a short space of time and how delicious all the food was - Crystal shutting her down quickly by reminding her that such a tan would only alert their mother to the fact she’d spent a week abroad visiting the sleazy holiday rep she’d fallen in love with that summer rather than in the brown-bricked, straight from a horror movie, sixties’ style complex that Crystal was currently residing in.

Crystal made a mental note to text her mam later and tell her how much she was enjoying her time “visiting her sister” - knowing fine well that talking to her on the phone would probably cause her to crumble and confess their scheme.

She had always been a family orientated person, always choosing a night in the house watching movies over playing out with friends, crying buckets the day her sister moved out and started a new chapter of her life without her. It was clear her mother wanted her to get out into the world, knowing she was capable of more than selling jewellery online, but unlike her sister, Crystal wasn’t quite ready to leave her home yet, needing that extra push to get her feet moving that just hadn’t come her way yet.

She figured that spending a week pretending to be her sister may actually be a good start.

Lost away with her head in the clouds like usual, Crystal was snapped back to surface level as her phone chimed to signal the end of the cycle, only to find herself even more frustrated when she realised that no dryers were free.

Today really hadn’t been her day.

She personally blamed the lack of lucky necklace around her neck (Elle telling her specifically during their planning stages that she would never wear such a monstrosity and Crystal following suit despite knowing it was only entrenched in their rules because her sister thought it was ugly). Her secret superstitious side kicking in, she thanked herself for bringing some of her jewellery making gadgets with her, figuring she’d have to make her own version of it, for now, it wasn’t as if she had any better way to spend her evening.

Seeing a dryer with two minutes left until it timed out, Crystal figured she’d simply wait until it had been emptied to use it, allowing her brain to return back to Pinterest for a short period of time.

But ten minutes passed and no one came to empty the machine.

She glanced at the other piles of clothes that lay on top of the machines, figuring it was normal to remove other people’s when none were free, the thought of her sheets staying wet and crinkled making her feel uneasy.

Opening the dryer, she was hit immediately by a waft of lavender, reassuring herself that it was okay to move the clothes and feeling almost proud of herself for making a leap the old Crystal would have ran from in fear of awkwardness.

Being her most careful, she picked the clothes one by one and started to fold them, her brain subconsciously admiring the mystery tartan-wearer’s sense of fashion and wishing she had the confidence to wear some of the outfits. That was when her hands met a satin blouse, a familiar satin blouse with an orange tinge on its white back.

Before she had time to process that the clothes she was moving belonged to the pretty girl from breakfast, Crystal’s train of thought was interrupted by the devil herself.

“Admiring your handiwork?” She strutted over and snatched the shirt back from Crystal’s hands.

Crystal couldn’t quite place her accent but she knew it was Southern. Her overactive imagination hearing the girl whisper dirty thoughts to her in that posh voice without being able to stop herself.

Oh, fuck.

“I’m sorry.” Crystal turned to her, not even attempting to act like anything other than the soft wimp she was inside. “I didn’t mean to.”

Crystal looked into the girl’s eyes, almost seeing her melt a little before her.

She felt the tension between them, dense and heavy in the air.

“It’s fine,” the blonde responded, losing the passive-aggressive tone she’d carried beforehand but still not sounding entirely sincere as she began to throw her clothes into her hamper.

Crystal couldn’t help but gawk a little as she began to strut away, her body swishing like a model’s as she made her way out of the room, pausing for a second at the door.

“Can you do me a favour, though?” the girl called back to Crystal.

‘I think I’d give both of my kidneys to you’ Crystal thought. Only it instead came out as an awkwardly stuttered, “Erm, sure.”

“Turn your music down, please.” She shot a sarcastic smile in Crystal’s direction. Crystal felt it burrow straight through her chest cavity and into her fast-beating heart. “I know that anthropology may be a bit simpler than most degrees, but some of us really struggle to work when all they can hear is your shit music directly above them.”

Her mouth dropping open to catch flies as the girl left the room for good, a pang of realisation hit Crystal.

Opening her phone and flicking through the dramatic guide to her sister’s university life that was now saved at the top of her notes, she found what she’d been looking for:

“12. DO NOT, under any circumstances, bother the bitch downstairs.”

Too late, Crystal thought to herself, wondering how many more of her sister’s rules she would have broken by the end of the week.

***

Crystal would be lying if she said she hadn’t been watching out for the blonde that week, whose name she had figured out (after an intensive Facebook stalking session) to be Gigi.

Yes, she was lying low, not leaving Elle’s room other than for seminars and to eat - but that didn’t stop her from taking stolen glances at the girl across the dining hall or walking up that second flight of stairs to the room just a fraction slower than she did the first flight.

Three days at university and she’d somehow turned back into a fourteen-year-old girl fantasising about the most popular girl in the class.

Except this time, the popular girl didn’t even know her real name.

She felt like Tracy from Hairspray - one look and she could hear the wedding bells playing in the back of her head.

But at the same time, Crystal knew what was at stake - leaving their interactions to intense eye contact and mumbled “excuse mes,” knowing that even speaking to Gigi again could blow her entire cover.

Yet, she somehow managed to do exactly that on Wednesday night. Or, technically, the early hours of Thursday morning.

At first, Crystal tried to ignore the argument below her, drowning out their voices with her headphones (partly because she felt like she was intruding and partly because listening to people screaming at each other, like a lot of things, made her cry). However, as the war below was still awaiting a cease-fire, snippets of conversation slid their way into the room.

“Why do you have to do this on every night out?”

“I just want what’s best for you.”

“You don’t know what’s best for me.”

She could hear the pain in Gigi’s voice heighten right before her door slammed, Crystal wincing in bed at the sound.

Expecting to hear male footsteps stomp away, Crystal was surprised to instead hear lighter ones, making their way up the stairs and past her landing, a muffled sob travelling through her door.

Looking out of the window, she squinted in the dark until she saw the red glow of a cigarette from their fire escape, the hum of an unfamiliar tune making its way through the thin walls.

She knew it was a risk, but it was one that Crystal couldn’t help but take when she thought of the beautiful girl from the laundry room freezing in the cold.

Grabbing her sister’s spare dressing gown, she made her way onto the landing, taking a deep breath before going out onto the fire escape.

Logic and speech pushed to the back part of her mind, Crystal simply made her way over to the other girl and sat down beside her, placing the dressing gown over her slim shoulders.

Even in the dark, she could see how perfect Gigi was.

The mole on the side of her cheek.

The soft pout on her lips.

Despite the mascara smudged down her face and her eyes stinging red, Crystal thought she looked like an angel.

“Hi,” Gigi spoke to her, dropping the cigarette she smoked on the floor and pressing it out with her trainers.

“Hi,” Crystal spoke back, unsure of what to say to the girl, blood rushing through her at a rate of knots, nervous filling her body and bursting through her head like she was some sort of human kettle.

“I guess you know what I mean about the music now.”

“Yeah.” Crystal nodded in the dark. “It’s noted.”

“I’m sorry about Karl…” Gigi trailed off, taking some time before speaking again. “He just gets like that sometimes when he’s had a drink. I know he doesn’t mean it. I guess you know that.”

Unsure of who Karl was, or why she was supposed to know that, Crystal began to feel like she was drowning. Only instead of jumping on the next lifeboat, she swam down deeper for Gigi.

A part of her was afraid, afraid she’d read the aura surrounding the other girl so wrong, afraid that Karl was her boyfriend.

“Mmhmm,” Crystal responded, maybe a bit more high pitched than she naturally would have.

“Don’t get me wrong, he’s my best friend. But sometimes a part of me thinks that he just doesn’t have any idea who I really am if you get me.”

Crystal couldn’t have understood any better at that moment.

All she wanted to do was tell her. To tell her how hard it was when everyone expected you to be the same as another person. How awful it felt when they never knew the real you, only a shell of the more outgoing sister.

Only she couldn’t, so she did the next best thing and placed her hand on the girl’s forearm, instantly getting a shock at how cold she felt.

“Do you wanna go inside? We can make hot chocolate,” she suggested, noting how Gigi’s body relaxed under her touch.

“He’s still in my room.” Gigi rolled her eyes. “I just can’t deal with him right now, it needs to be left for the morning.”

“You can stay in mine,” Crystal asked, squeezing her grip ever so slightly.

What was she doing?

This wasn’t part of the plan.

And it was certainly breaking some of the rules.

Potentially all of them combined.

This was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

But nothing filled her with greater relief then when Gigi finally responded: “If you don’t mind, thank you.”

***

At first, she felt awkward as she let Gigi into the room, especially considering the fact it wasn’t hers. But after two hot chocolates each she had felt the most comfortable and at peace as she had since masquerading as her sister.

She watched as Gigi’s eyes made their way around the room, a kid in a sweetie shop, gawking at the treasures around her.

“What’s that?” she spoke between sips, pointing towards Crystal’s craft box that had been haphazardly set up on her sister’s desk.

“Oh.” Crystal went to pick it up, a flutter of warmth rushing through her at the thought of someone, let alone Gigi, being interested in her jewellery. “Just some bits and bobs I make.”

“These are so cool.” Gigi held a pair of scarlet earrings up and examined them closer, her mouth opening slightly as she focused. “Like the ones you had in the other day.”

Crystal’s face turned a deeper red than the earrings, the thought of Gigi remembering what she wore sending shivers down her spine - her head telling her heart on an auto loop that no matter what she thought about Gigi, all of Gigi’s returned thoughts were instead about Elle.

“Yeah,” she choked out, nipping her skin to bring herself back to reality.

“You should sell these!” Gigi gasped as she rooted through more of Crystal’s collection. “I sell the clothes I make on Depop, we’d make a great team.”

Crystal didn’t get a chance to respond. She was too busy picking the pieces of her exploding heart from the carpet and trying to put it back together again.

“In fact.” Gigi grabbed her phone and began to search.

Crystal decided that her thinking face was even cuter than her regular face.

She was in deep. Too deep.

“I think I follow an account that does stuff like this, let me think, something to do with crystals…”

Way, way too deep.

“I’m feeling a bit tired.” Crystal blurted awkwardly, getting mad at her mother for never placing her in acting lessons as a child, ready for the inevitable week that she’d have to pretend to be her twin sister or else she’d be kicked out of university and murdered by their family. Seeing the almost defeated look on Gigi’s face, she tried again. “But you can show me in the morning?”

“I’d love that.” Gigi smiled.

Crystal wanted to rewind time just to hear that sentence again. She wouldn’t be too greedy, she’d only listen to it one more time. Two at a push.

Making sure to go into the en suite as Gigi got changed, Crystal returned to find her in bed, already asleep, her hair a sprawl of honey against the pink pillows.

She waited a second before turning off the light and getting into bed beside her, something about lying next Gigi sending Crystal into a sleepy haze despite the way her heart had been beating so fast just moments before.

She could hear Gigi breathing, snoring just a little, finding her own breathing starting to sync along.

Sleep was only minutes away from taking over her body when she heard it, the muffled cry coming from the other side of the bed.

“No.” She heard Gigi mumble as she tossed from one side to the other. “Don’t go.”

Crystal placed a reassuring hand on her arm without thought. “Are you alright?”

Gigi woke startled, her eyes beaming at Crystal like a young deer caught in the middle of the road.

“I’m fine.” She realised her surroundings and threw the quilt to one side, moving her body down to the bottom end of the bed. “I best be off.”

“Hey.” Crystal sat up, flicking the lamp on by her bedside. “It’s alright, we can-”

But before she could finish, Gigi was gone. Nothing more than the faint smell of lavender on the pillows and the dark ring of hot chocolate in the bottom of her sister’s mug.

***

Making her way back into the college that evening, Crystal waited by the entrance for a few moments, wondering if she could manage to get to Elle’s room without passing the drinks and shenanigans that were currently taking place in front of her, wondering if she could manage to make it without passing Gigi, more precisely.

Tesco carrier bags full to the brim of every comfort food she could gorge on (salami, cheese, salt and vinegar crisps and three different bars of dairy milk to be precise) as she watched her sister’s Disney+ alone, Crystal concluded that the coast was clear and made her way to the bottom of her stairs without passing Gigi.

The words of the note she had posted under Elle’s door the day beforehand were still dancing around Crystal’s mind like a puzzle that even Professor Layton couldn’t solve:

“Elle, please forgive me for this morning. I don’t know what happens when I get like that..we’re all having drinks at around 8 tomorrow if you wanna join? - Gigi.”

As much as she longed to join Gigi for a drink, Crystal knew that she couldn’t. She’d already put too much on the line, allowed herself to get too close, too emotionally invested. A short text from Elle asking if everything was okay scared her straight, there was too much at stake. Yes, she wanted more than anything to be the one who comforted Gigi the next time she had a nightmare, to make jewellery for her and kiss her forehead whenever she looked stressed. But family meant everything to her, and she knew if anyone were to find out what they’d done, the consequences wouldn’t be worth it.

About to make her way up the stairs, Crystal felt a tap on her shoulder.

“Let me help with those,” the boy motioned to her bags, his voice familiar.

With dark hair slicked back, and skin the colour of caramel, it took Crystal a second to realise where she knew the boy from, remembering his face next to Gigi’s in their corner of the dining hall.

“I’m fine, they’re not heavy.” Crystal tried to walk away but was stopped by his voice, yet again.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to come help? It’s been a little while, Elle.” He grinned, a smirk in his eyes that Crystal couldn’t quite trace.

“I’m sorry, I’ll have to catch up with you later,” Crystal responded, trying to remain calm on the outside as her insides reached peak panic mode, her brain mentally scanning her notes for anything mentioning this boy. Her search found no results.

“Oh I get it,” he laughed. “It’s one of your games. Sure, you wanna catch up later.”

That’s when the realisation hit Crystal. Her sister was having sex with this boy. And she completely failed to mention it.

Trying to think of something to say, a heavy silence lingered between them. Broken by a familiar tone that managed to scare her half to death and turn her on at the same time.

“Karl.” Gigi shook her head as she made her way down the staircase, carrying what looked like a sippy cup of vodka red bull in her hands. “Do you mind not trying to shag every girl in college for five seconds?”

“I’ll see you later, Elle.” He muttered before strutting away with Gigi, Crystal making out the word ‘cockblock’ in their hushed conversation as they left.

She knew that Elle didn’t tell her everything.

Just because they were twins they didn’t have to know every detail of each other’s lives, even though they spoke every day. Crystal always knew that. But a part of her heart stung at the thought of her sister not even telling her about a boy she was sleeping with. Is that how far apart they’d grown since Elle came to uni?

Fighting back tears, she made her way up the stairs and tried to call her sister. She knew she was being silly; a part of her had just thought she’d know when her sister was sleeping with someone. So many questions ran through her mind. Was Elle safe? Did she love him? Why didn’t anyone know?

She tried to call again, no answer.

Gigi must have known, Crystal figured - slotting together their interaction the night before with the one they’d just had. Is that why Elle didn’t like her? Why they weren’t friends? Why she’d told Crystal to avoid her?

She answered on the fifth call.

“Hey, babe, I really can’t talk right now.”

Crystal ignored her sister’s words, dropping her shopping outside the door and moving out onto the fire escape, the cold breeze hitting her face harshly.

“Who’s Karl?”

“Oh.” She heard her other half’s surprise, she could see the look on her face, high definition in Crystal’s mind. “I told you not to speak to people, for fuck sake, Crystal.”

“Who’s Karl?”

“I can’t speak about this now.” Her tone lowered, clearly someone else was in her company.

“Who’s Karl?” Crystal asked again, not even stopping to think about how dramatic she was being.

Only her sister had hung up before she could get an answer.

Crystal didn’t know how long she’d been out there when she heard the door open, she didn’t even know if she was still crying or not.

“Hi,” Gigi spoke, almost a whisper, as she approached her. “We gotta stop meeting like this, hey?”

Crystal watched Gigi’s face drop a little at the sight of her, looking hurt the second she got close enough to see her tears.

“Yeah, I-” Crystal started but was swiftly interrupted.

Normally in films, it happened after a moment.

The pair would talk, get deep about their issues, reach a comforting solution then sit for a moment in an all-knowing silence.

Then they’d look into each other’s eyes, letting them flicker down once or twice before meeting again, that lock not leaving until they were shut.

Next came the strand of hair, pushed away and tucked neatly behind the ear.

Finally, the kiss, slow at first then growing in passion.

Only Gigi had no patience.

It took Crystal a second to react, to realise what was happening, to press her lips back against Gigi’s, to race her hand through the other girl’s hair.

It was unexpected.

Yet it felt nothing but natural.

And right.

“I’m sorry.” Gigi pulled away, pausing to bite her tongue between her teeth, a nervous side of her appearing that Crystal had not yet seen. “I know that’s like the last thing you’re meant to do when someone’s upset but, I don’t know, you just looked so sad and-”

This time Crystal wasn’t going to let her finish.

She felt Gigi’s hands wipe the stray tears from her face before moving right down her body to her waist. Moving her body closer so she was almost straddling the other girl, Gigi pulled away for just a second to let out a breath.

Crystal moved her hands round to Gigi’s back, further and further down until she was granted a nod of permission, letting them slide over the silky fabric of her skirt.

Before Crystal knew it she was being pushed back to the ground, Gigi’s long and beautiful body towering over her, as she got to her knees and began to kiss Crystal all over.

Gently, methodically, slowly.

Crystal’s mind was carried away, far from reality and refusing to take away from the moment in front of her.

“I knew you wanted me.” She felt Gigi’s breath tickle her ear, sending hot flushes down her entire body, reaching her hands out to touch the other girl’s breasts.

“Fuck, Elle.” Gigi grinned, flicking a switch in Crystal’s body as she pushed herself backwards away from her touch.

She’d almost forgotten that part.

Looking at the other girl’s confused face, she was lost for words, pulling the strap of her vest top back in its place. She knew she couldn’t do it anymore, she couldn’t keep lying. She would have let Gigi sleep with her thinking that she was someone else. She’d become a monster. She had to tell the truth.

“What the fuck?” A voice came from the door behind them, Karl’s confused face flicking between the pair of them. “Is this a joke?”

“Shit,” Gigi muttered and stood up, but Crystal was frozen in place, her hands and feet turning numb with anxiety, the sky around them warping in time. “I can explain.”

Crystal watched as Gigi chased her friend back into the building, listening to her tell him she was sorry and she just got carried away. Listening to Karl ask if that was why she’d told him to stop sleeping with her. Listening to Gigi explain that it wasn’t it, that something had just changed recently. Listening to her life crumble around her.

And then she heard nothing at all.

Even when she knocked on Gigi’s door later that night, ready to give her the explanation she needed, Crystal heard nothing at all - eventually giving in and retreating to the cave of Elle’s room, with no plans to leave it until their train pulled in at the station.

***

Looking up at the hideous brown bricks in front of her, Elle Barge never thought she’d be so relieved to see the college in her life.

One day earlier than she was supposed to return, she hoped that Crystal would forgive her for withholding some of the stuff she’d been doing at university, thinking that they could have one fun night together before getting the train home the next day, giving at least a hint of truth to their family when they arrived back.

Besides, her holiday romance meet-up hadn’t exactly gone the way she had planned when she accidentally met up with his wife. Hence her early departure.

She figured she’d just have to chalk this one up to being a good story to tell, throwing away her sadness at the thought of having a best-selling novel about her awful love life someday.

Heck, she’d probably already have half of it written with just stories about Karl.

Walking up the stairs to her room, she rolled her eyes at the sight in front of her.

One thing she certainly had not missed was Gigi Goode braying on her door to tell her to turn her music down.

Surely, Crystal wasn’t irritating her, Elle thought to herself. The only music Crystal ever played was One Direction and she hardly blasted it.

“Ahem.” Elle coughed loudly enough for Crystal to hear from inside the room, praying she’d understand with her magic twin sense not to come out (also quickly texting her not to incase the magic twin sense failed them. Elle did not want a repeat of that time in year nine when Jackie Cox asked if they could read each other’s minds).

“Hey.” Gigi turned to face her, a strange look on her face that Elle couldn’t quite decode. Tension started to seep through the stained carpet and up the walls like lava.

“Hi?” Elle raised an eyebrow to her, more of a question than a greeting.

“I’m sorry for ignoring you before,” Gigi started, nodding her head as she got into the rhythm of her speech. “I was just scared and I didn’t know how to say it but I can now. Please just listen and wait ‘til I’m done, I have to explain.”

Minefields began exploding inside Elle’s brain.

She simply nodded.

“I’ve been fucked over in the past. And it still scares me today. You know the other night? That was it, I haven’t felt myself get close to anyone in a while. And I know it’s bad because of Karl and I’m a shitty friend to him but honestly, I think that this is something bigger than that, cause I’ve not felt it for a while. And I think you feel it too. Look, I’m really shit at this but something changed this week, I saw you in this light I’d never caught you in. I might sound mad but I think that I need you.”

Looking back at the girl in front of her with dismay, Elle spoke back the only three words that rang through her brain at that moment.

“What the fuck.”

And then her door opened, her sister’s face peeking out around the corner, clad in the same expression she used to have whenever she’d spilt juice on the carpet or smashed plate. Her hair matted and eyes puffy, Elle immediately moved to her side.

And then Gigi uttered the three words as well - only adding a “fucking” in there too for good measure.

Killing the silence that lingered for some time, Crystal spoke the fastest sentence Elle had ever heard all in one breath: “I’ve been pretending to be my sister so she could go get fucked by a Spanish guy.”

“Wow.” Elle looked back and forth between the pair, recognising a glint in her sister’s eyes that was certainly not there before.

Crystal prepared herself and walked up to Gigi, placing her hand on her arm. “I wanted to tell you so bad. I was going to but then Karl came and everything got messy. I know you probably can’t forgive me, but I saw that bigger thing too and I let myself get carried away in it.”

Gigi looked between the pair and raised a hand to her mouth, letting out a hearty laugh.

“Please don’t tell anyone,” Elle pleaded, fear rising inside her.

Silence filled the landing again, the twins standing sheepishly as they gave time for Gigi to process.

“If I’m honest I think I’m less confused now.” Gigi turned to face Crystal and grinned, showing an emotion Elle didn’t think the Barbie doll was even capable of showing. “This makes a lot more sense.”

Elle watched as her sister grinned back, seeing the genuine happiness on her face and throwing away all thoughts about whether or not she’d get in trouble.

“I think I might just be able to forgive you.” Gigi looked her up and down, pouting her lips in a joking manner. “If you let me take you out so we can talk this through over dinner?”

“Yes,” Crystal responded without hesitation.

“But first, could you tell me your name?”

“Crystal.” Elle watched as her sister reached out and shook the other girl’s hand, proud of the growth in confidence she could see - happy to see the return of the happy-go-lucky Crystal who wasn’t too scared to try anything new that she knew as a child.

“Crystal,” Gigi repeated, smiling to herself. “So Crystal, do you go to uni or just hang around at other people’s?”

“Maybe next year.” Crystal smiled back a sense of optimism in her voice. “Are we going for this dinner or what?”

Although it took her a minute to take in what she’d seen, a strange feeling inside of her as she waved her sister goodbye for a date with her bitchy downstairs neighbour, Elle couldn’t help but think that her disaster vacation had all happened for a good reason. In fact, she found herself almost shedding a tear as she heard her sister laughing at something Gigi said on their way downstairs, figuring that she might just see more of her sister than usual next term (and being nothing but happy about it).

#rpdr fanfiction #crystal methyd #gigi goode #crygi #angst #lesbian au #university au #end of the day #ashley #concrit welcome #submission #s12 #college au

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incoherentbabblings · 5 years

Text

First Date (2/9)

Tim has one more test to pass before Bruce will allow him out as Robin. Like Dick and Jason before him, he has to avoid being caught by Batman for one night. He has already failed once, and is determined to succeed this time. Determination which might not count for much when Stephanie Brown is on the run from the mob. Her mother kidnapped as a way to threaten her father, Stephanie manages to escape and run into Tim. Unable to leave Stephanie alone when she is in need, Tim decides to try and multi-task. All he has to do is rescue Stephanie’s mother, take down the mob, avoid Batman, and get Stephanie to agree to a proper date all in one night. Absolute anarchy ensues. Ao3 link here!

Tim had heard gunfire over the hub of the crowds and had decided (probably ill-advisedly) to check it out. He wanted to see if there was anything he could do in civvies to help. It seemed he was in luck as the blonde girl that barrelled through people, crashing to the floor, left leg stained red, was actively shouting for it.

He saw some guy in a cheap black suit running towards her. Everything about him, from the gun to the loose tie to the greasy balding hair, screamed that he was a dangerous loser.

Tim had punched him in a way that made him kind of wish Bruce had seen it all. It was – in Tim’s humble opinion – flawless.

When the girl on the floor had finally looked him the eye, Tim breathing halted and his jaw dropped.

Oh boy.

Objectively she was a mess, her mascara had flooded down her cheeks and snot was starting to come out of her nose from all the crying she’d done. When she turned and vomited, bits of it got stuck in her hair. The smell made Tim gag, but he couldn’t bring himself to stop smiling.

She had cheeks that looked like a hamster, high and full and blessedly clear of any teenage acne. Her lips were pouty and red, chapped and chewed and with a bloody split down the middle. He tried not to look lower than he needed to, but protruding collarbones peeked out from under her green t-shirt and brown jacket.

When she smiled back at Tim shyly, her blue eyes bright and sharp, Tim struggled to remember that she needed medical attention and quick.

Tim realised she reminded him of a little bird.

“Can you stand?”

She tried to get her breathing under control and shook her head in denial. “I need help.”

He breathed out an okay, and Stephanie’s vision blurred as she went cross eyed. His breath smelt good.

What the hell.

Kneeling in front of was a boy who simultaneously looked like someone Gotham born and bred versus someone who didn’t exist in real life. The pale skin dark hair and grey eyes were one hundred percent to be expected of a city which saw the sun twice a year – and was literally named GOTHam c’mon – but Tim also looked too soft to belong in the city. Too fragile.

He had a freckle near his jawline.

Tim turned around, kneeling in front of her. “I’ll carry you.” He said.

She pulled herself up, wrapping her arms around his neck. His arms came underneath her knees and he hoisted her up. She hissed in the initial jostle, but once he was on his feet the pain faded.

He was strong, strong enough to knock a man out in one punch and to pull his weight and another’s upwards. He didn’t look super buff, honestly he was quite slim, and short too. He couldn’t have been any taller than her five foot seven. His backpack created a barrier between her stomach and his spine. Her own bag, a tiny little black satchel, had managed to stay around her shoulder through the ducking running and falling.

Tim began to jog down the street, and Stephanie was a little gobsmacked. She watched as they left the man behind on the avenue, and realised she hadn’t caught what kind of car her mother had been taken in, or what direction it had drove off.

They arrived into A&E like it was no big deal for Tim to be carrying a human sized dead weight. As Stephanie had suspected, it was heaving with Friday night accidents, junkies, drunkards and violence.

Stephanie half expected Tim to put her down and leave her. He had done more than enough. More than anyone else had done. The minute her feet would touch the floor, the reality of her stolen mother would hit her, and she knew she wouldn’t be able to do anything to help her. Where could she even start? She couldn’t stay long at the hospital; they would quickly track her down here once they realised that guy was probably still passed out on the street corner. Her being in this hospital was putting everyone else at risk. She just needed her leg bandaged and the wound numbed.

Then she would go hide or something. She hadn’t figured that part out yet.

“We’re going to be waiting a while.” Tim said, turning to look at the door. He wanted to leave.

“You can go. If you need.” She said, shuffling on his back to make him loosen his grip. “Thank you. You saved me.” The awe that seeped into her voice was genuine, mixed with a regret that the white knight was going to leave her. The feeling of being lost was creeping in, and her voice was breaking.

He stared and stared and stared at the automatic opening and closing doors. If he lingered, Bruce would find him within the next five minutes. It would be over quicker than last time, and with it any chance to help Bruce, Dick and the people of Gotham beyond punching out a creeper chasing a girl down the street. The cooling air drifted in from outside. Tim wondered if he’s already been caught. It was not even nine pm, and he knew he was going to blow it. Robin was probably done for.

But if it was, then at least he could see helping this girl through all the way. He wasn’t quite ready to leave her alone yet. She probably wasn’t safe, though he needed to check what caused the chase and shooting.

He needed more time with her.

He stared down at the legs he was holding. She was pretty muscular for a teenage girl. Probably was into her sports.

Gosh she was cute.

Tim tightened his grip and moved to join the queue to report in, still holding her up. Stephanie stared at the back of his perfect head incredulously. Okay, maybe he wanted to make sure someone had seen to her leg before going, but didn’t he have somewhere to be? She relaxed regardless, and leaned back into him.

“Can I ask what happened?” Tim said, breaking the silence.

She pressed her face into his neck, mortified that he was staying around to help her and actually gave a hoot. Who did he think he was?

“I dunno!” She groaned, her head and arms hanging down limp. “Three freaks at the pharmacy, they grabbed my mom… I dunno what they want with her. I was just picking her up from here…”

“Is she sick?”

Yes. Very.

But that wasn’t what Tim meant.

“She works here.”

Tim nodded encouragingly, feeling an optimism that had utterly deserted Stephanie. “Once we get your leg sorted, we’ll call the police.”

She scoffed, trying not to be rude to the poor guy who didn’t know any better. “Yeah right. A criminals wife got taken, why should anyone care?”

“Criminal?”

“…My dad… He… He’s…”

“…Not very nice?”

“I learned a long time, when your dad is the Cluemaster, police don’t care much for what you’ve got to say.”

“Cluemaster?”

“You haven’t heard of him?”

“No, I have.” Tim said pleasantly. Of course, he had. God knows how many hours he had spent pouring over Bruce’s files on each and every one of Gotham’s weirdos. “You’re Arthur Brown’s kid?” He said it like he was shocked, surprised that Arthur could even produce offspring.

She exhaled, dejected. Story of her life.

“A disappointing ejaculation for him I am sure.”

Tim burst out laughing and bent over, nearly throwing Stephanie off. He quickly corrected himself when she yelped in pain and threw her arms tight around him again to steady themselves.

“Sorry. Sorry.”

“Glad I could amuse you.”

“Don’t worry about the police. If they won’t help, I know someone who will.”

She snorted again. “Better be Batman, Tim otherwise –”

A nearby nurse who was talking to a homeless fellow looked up at Stephanie’s snark and did a double take. Her mouth dropped open, “Stephanie?”

Both Tim and Stephanie jolted at the acknowledgement, and Tim silently chided himself as he realised that he had never asked for the girl’s name. No, a nurse in the unit had seemingly recognized her. Stephanie seemed neither embarrassed nor relieved to see this lady. She instead shook like a leaf. Tim tried to rotate himself to act as a wall between the two women.

The nurse tottered over, took one look at the wound on her leg, then croaked out, “Where’s your mother? What happened? She only finished her shift an hour ago!”

“Taken. I don’t know why. I can’t stay long, Betty. They’ll know I’m here. They had a lot of guns and not a lot of brains. Three guys in cheap suits shot out the pharmacy on Broad Street ‘round the corner, they’ll do the same here.”

She didn’t need to say more, as the nurse looked utterly horrified held her hands up. “Give me a few minutes, we’ll get you wrapped it up real good and quick and then you get out of here. Just this once, you can skip the queue.” She looked at Tim then, and narrowed her eyes suspiciously.

“I’m a friend,” He said before she could ask. “I can get her somewhere safe when you’re done but… could you get someone to call the police? They’ll take it more seriously if it comes from the hospital that one of their employees has been taken.”

Stephanie kept her face deliberately neutral at Tim’s little speech. She wanted to believe him, but she also didn’t want to question him in front of anyone.

They were pulled off into a small room, and a frazzled doctor looked a little relieved when Stephanie removed her jeans behind a curtain. “It looks worse than it is.” He’s said, cleaning it quickly as she laid down on a bed. Tim stood on the other side, trying to look nonchalant but constantly keeping an eye on any entrances to the Hospital. He was still visible to Stephanie, who watched him the whole time the Doctor was with her.

He had a thin neck, she noticed, and his head was shaped like an egg. Like her he had high cheekbones a pointed chin, but unlike her his jaw was wider and his nose was straighter. She continued to stare at the freckle on his jawline.

He looked a little sad to her.

The Doctor hummed ominously and made Stephanie break away from staring.

“Does it need stitches?” Stephanie asked, afraid of the answer. She already had one large scar dominating her stomach, she didn’t want another lining her leg. The doctor shook his head.

“It can be glued, less scarring that way, and it’s not too deep. Not allergic, are you?”

“No. Once got my head glued, right at my hairline see?” She pushed back her fringe and sure enough, a shiny scar ran along her forehead.

Tim was trying to be good and not peek, but he frowned at the knowledge that she had been stuck back together before. He hoped it was from something trivial like falling off her bike. He hoped no-one had hurt her.

The doctor set to work, quickly and efficiently. When wrapping up her leg, he gave the usual spiel on keeping it clean, changing the bandage as and so on, and explained that the numbing agent would take just a little while longer to set in.

“Don’t put too much more pressure on it if you can.” He said, tapping her leg and indicating she could get dressed again.

“Can I… Like shower somewhere? Or at least my hair?”

The doctor looked unamused at her chancing it and told her to go home if she wanted to get the puke out her hair.

When she stuck her nose around the curtain, Tim was still standing guard like a hawk. She tapped him on the shoulder.

“All done. Still need to wash my hair and have a mint.”

He smiled brightly, indicating he could help with one of those things, and pulled his backpack around, rummaging through it. He gave her a stick of gum. Chewing happily, she watched as he returned to his bag.

“One sec.” And then more money then Stephanie had ever seen in person was pulled out of his wallet, and Tim practically threw it at the doctor. He then grabbed Stephanie’s arm. “That’ll cover it all right?”

The doctor looked equally as mortified as Stephanie. “It doesn’t work like that…”

But the young pair were gone. They started to make their way out, but Stephanie was shuffling, the anaesthetic not totally kicking in yet. Tim immediately tugged her round and hoisted her up once more.

“What’re you—”

“Tell me when you can walk on it yeah? We’ve got a fair ways to go.”

“And where’s that?”

Tim wasn’t really sure. He figured a safe house, one that he knew the access code to. She could be left there and then Batman could take over. He’d find her mother no worries and Tim could finish his hide and seek mission no worries. Stephanie would be a good way to keep Bruce off his tail… after she was safe.

There was also the problem that the only safe house Tim knew the access code to was a forty minute drive away, and it wasn’t like he could just get in his car. No, that would get him caught in an instant. They needed to use public transport.

“Would you believe me if I said I did in fact know Batman?”

They exited the hospital, the streets now even busier then when they had crashed into each other. The noise wasn’t distracting however, and in a way the crowds provided a decent amount of cover.

Despite not being able to see her expression, he still felt Stephanie screw her face up suspiciously at his query.

“Normally I’d say no but… I dunno any guy that also punches that hard, has that much money to throw at Doctors and is so willing to be piggybacked… so maybe my point of reference is skewed.”

Tim laughed again. She was really good at that, making him laugh.

“Maybe! Listen, I know you don’t know me, but I promise I just want to help.”

She truly didn’t understand him. He couldn’t be this naïve… “Why?” She asked, all cynicism and sarcasm leeched away.

“You were in trouble.” He said it like it was ever really that simple.

“But no-one else bothered. No-one else cares.”

“Well… it’s kind of like what you said.”

“Oh? You’re not like most people?” She said, breathing into his ear. He tried not to shiver at her teasing.

“Most people can’t do what I can do. I wanted to help. So I learned how to help. That’s all.”

“That’s all?” Suspicious but also impressed, she leaned forward, and pressed their cheeks together. He smelled nice, mostly of soap, but it was better than what most teenage boys emitted with their b.o. or body spray. She probably still smelled of vomit.

He sighed happily, hoisting her up more securely.

“Honestly. That’s all.”

“Hmm.” And she pecked his cheek. Tim immediately entered cloud nine and smiled like a dork. “Thank you, Tim. But you still haven’t said where we’re going.”

“Right. Yeah.”

Maybe he was overthinking it. They had no proof that those three goons were following them. They’d had walked in the opposite direction of where they had met, so Tim was unsure if anyone was following them. He could drop her off at the Police Station, which was just a few blocks down from them, near Grant Park, but if he were honest with himself, he wanted to ensure Bruce dealt with this case himself. Tim might not have been able to see it through, at least not tonight, but he could make sure the best guy for the job could.

He paused at the top of a subway entrance and made up his mind.

“We can go to a safe house in Bristol.”

“Bristol? Safe house?”

“Told you I know Batman right?” He crowed. “The second he sees you in the safe house he’ll know he doesn’t need to worry about you. Just your mom. And who better to save your mom then Batman?”

Stephanie screwed up her mouth. “I don’t know. Bristol’s all the way across the city. My mom… she could be de—”

“That nurse called the police. I saw her. They’ll be starting to look for her. Batman would have heard the call, he’ll be searching for you both. If he knows where you are, that’s a check off his list for things to do tonight. Your mom won’t die.”

His tone was firm. No argument was to be had. She tried to believe him.

He let her down, but still offered his hand for her to walk down the stairs. She stared at it.

“You can trust me. Nothing else bad is going to happen to you tonight.”

She took his hand and squeezed it.

“Awfully big promises Tim.”

He looked behind her, seeing movement that she couldn’t, and frowned a little suspiciously.

“What?” Stephanie asked, going to look, but Tim tugged at her arm insistently, encouraging her down the stairs.

“Nothing. I hope. Let’s go.”

She nodded and began hopping down the steps. The tiles were stained yellow and were wet with a seemingly permanent combination of rain and ground water, as well as a hint of urine. It wasn’t pleasant.

They headed to the northern line. They’d have to pass through all Gotham’s islands to get to Bristol on the mainland, and even after they’d arrived, it was still a twenty-minute walk from the subway stop to the safe house.

They could do it. Even if they were being followed.

Waiting on the platform Stephanie continually shuffled from side to side. Tim hadn’t let go of her hand and she wasn’t really wanting him to. He was solid next to her, a good weight to lean on.

He was constantly watching though. Watching her, watching people come down the stairs, watching security cameras, watching down the tunnels… It was unnerving how alert he was. Did he see something she didn’t?

She tried to distract him.

“So…Why were you in the city centre on a Friday night at half eight?”

“Uhh…” It seemed he hadn’t expected her to ask that question. And it seemed he had no answer for her.

The subway arrived then, blowing Stephanie’s hair around her face. The smell of her vomit wafted up through her nose, and she twitched. Entering the cart, Tim shuffled her over to the far end, the pair unable to get a seat, and he stood in front of her, crowding her into a corner. Others piled in, loud shouting and conversations making both Tim and Stephanie almost curl into each other.

They didn’t speak for most of the trip, the noise and closeness of the other bodies made what should have been an uncomfortable ride, and despite the numbing in her leg she could still feel the tight skin underneath, and her jeans that had hardened with dried blood cracked and rubbed uncomfortably on her skin.

She noticed how sharply Tim was dressed, despite how simple the clothes were she could tell they were expensive. She should have guessed when he suggested going to Bristol, and the throwing of money at the Doctor was another massive sign.

Rich people in general didn’t care, or liked to pretend that they cared. Tim did care. There was a genuineness that flowed off him unlike many of the people he no doubt hang out with. She felt her cynicism start to crack in his presence, and she smiled at him.

He smiled back, his front teeth a little too big compared to his canines and molars. It reminded her of how young he was. Stephanie tended to smile with her mouth closed, almost like a smirk, but Tim could already tell when it was sincere, as her eyes crinkled up into half crescents when she appeared happy.

She needed a haircut. Her layers had grown out to be a bit raggedy, and her fringe was nearly at the point of crossing her brow bone. It didn’t look like a fashion statement. He could see on her t-shirt remnants of older stains. Cooking oil stains. Knowing what he knew about her parents – a non-present father and a mother who worked horrendous hours – he wondered how much she’d had to care of herself growing up, making her own food, doing her own hair, buying her own clothes… The fact that was as bright eyed as she was seemed a minor miracle to Tim.

As they continued through Gotham, the carriage gradually began to empty the further from central Gotham they got, but even after seats appeared neither moved to sit down. Instead they stood in the corner at the end of the carriage, the small open window blowing humid air down the tin can. Stephanie continued to chew the gum Tim gave her, her tongue making little popping noises with it through tiny bubbles.

Impulsively, Tim leaned in an inch.

Instinctively, Stephanie leaned back an inch, not really realising what he wanted.

No, no, nope. That was dumb. Oh God. Dumb. Dumbo.

Tim froze, and moved back, berating himself. Too soon, too soon. Who goes kissing a girl less than two hours after meeting?

He grimaced as he realised what a dumb thought that was. Lots of people kissed people they’d just met. Lots of people did way more than that with people they’d just met. But Tim wasn’t like that. He wasn’t. He continued shaming himself, while Stephanie watched, at first amused but then concernedly at his internal arguments that played out across his features. She laughed nervously and looked down the carriage over his shoulder.

In the next carriage along, she could see five men gathered at the window, peering through into Tim and Stephanie’s box. Each one was uglier than the previous. One of them she recognised.

“Oh my god.” She stuttered, hiding behind Tim. Too late, they’d seen her peeking and had begun to move.

Tim immediately dropped the self-loathing and grew worried. “What? What? Is it your leg?”

“There’s weird looking men in the carriage down from us. They’re looking at us. At me.”

“How many?”

“I saw five?”

“We’ll get off at the next stop.”

“What? No, we’re not getting off at the Bowery.”

“We have to. We can grab the monorail up to Coventry then get back on the Subway from there. It’ll be fine.”

“Have you ever been round this neighbourhood?”

“Have you?”

“No. And I want to keep it that way.”

“We can lose them easier there.”

As they bickered, Stephanie saw the men trying the door to come through and down the train. She realised she didn’t really have a choice.

“I don’t know if I can run out of here when it stops.” She confessed.

“Try. I won’t leave you behind.”

He was making so many promises it was becoming frustrating. It was one thing to punch a man unawares, it was another to get into a brawl with five men with guns.

Fingers intertwined, they both squeezed past others who had chosen to stand in order to collect near the doors. The subway began to slow down, the overworked brakes squealing. Pulling up to the stop, a crowd of three people deep was waiting to get on, which suited Tim just fine. Hopefully the men weren’t stupid enough to shoot through a crowd in the subway tunnels of Gotham.

The men managed to get the single mechanical door open to enter the carriage. One already had a gun out. One lady saw it and began to screech, and the occupants of the train began to throw a raucous at her hysterics.

The automatic doors opened then and sprinting with a speed Stephanie had no chance of keeping up with, Tim yanked her out onto the platform and into the crowd.

#tim drake #stephanie brown #timsteph #dc #my fic tag #update!

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uruhaxrukifanfics · 5 years

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Oh could you write a drabble about that Uruha taking off Gion-Rukis clothes?♡♡♡ Indulding after a stressful week or conversation with his father. And Ruki skillfully and tender taking care of him while being taken care of?

Throwing away the ashes, The white plum-blossoms Became cloudy

-Nozawa Boncho

Kouyou was a greedy man. Selfish, even. No matter what was given to him there was always something more to be asked for without fail, looking to greener pastures instead of taking the time to water his own and watch it grow. At least, that was what his father told him.

If it were up to Kouyou, he would say that he was diligent. No matter the pace he moved, his pasture was as green as any other – greener, even – because there was no other that tended to his own like he did with such painstaking detail and care, multitasking between his own and his father’s and everyone else’s.

Only to be called selfish.

He should stop these foolish games, his father said. His head was too far in the clouds, spending time and money on the chase of a geisha. There was no wrong to be found if he finally married, settled down, started a family and carried forth his father’s business as planned. Find a sweet girl. He wouldn’t find much in the arms of a geisha except empty hands and an even emptier pocket.

It burned him, still. The argument was as fresh as an open wound as Kouyou distractedly gazed elsewhere past the screen and the haze of a burning, elegantly ornate pipe his company held and smoked from. On his palate was the taste of potash, bitter and foul with a memory he wanted to drown. There wasn’t enough tobacco or sake in the world to kill it dead and here he was, ruining the sweet fragrance of Jasmine and white plum-blossoms as silken fingertips touched under his chin to gain his attention. It was a careful caress that guided him to look down into endless pools so deep he swore there was no bottom to.

He watched the way the geisha’s fine eyebrows drew together, those endless pools searching his countenance as if he could find the knot that kept Kouyou so taut.

“Come back to me,” Ruki whispered. His thumb traced over Kouyou’s lips and watch them part with ease, and Kouyou found himself at a loss, blinking his eyes to clear them from the cloud of thoughts that threatened to dampen his mood any further. It wasn’t fair – to Ruki, to them both. Not right now.

Kouyou allowed a small smile to curl the corners of his mouth after a moment. He took Ruki’s hand and raised it to his lips, drinking in the radiant glow of affection on Ruki’s cheeks that very nearly replaced open concern. “Always,” he breathed, soft and warm as a spring breeze whispering through the trees.

Candlelight flickered from nearby and shadows fell across the geisha’s unpainted face, caressing high cheekbones and kissing against a jawline Kouyou’s lips envied to mimic. His hands twitched, itching to reach out and trace the same path, but no, not yet. They were both skirting around a spot of thin ice, waiting for the other to test the give – Kouyou, not wanting to ruin the atmosphere with his foul mood; Ruki, wanting to soothe him and not knowing exactly what the best solution would be to do so.

The flush at Ruki’s cheeks deepened from Kouyou’s unexpected response. So sweet and alluring that Kouyou couldn’t resist. He leaned in close, fingers of his free hand tracing a path down Ruki’s cheek. “I meant what I said to you in my last letter… I truly did miss you.“ His mouth hovered inches away from Ruki’s; his thumb skimming slowly over plush, full lips. “Not a day went by when I was not thinking of you.”

Something shifted, and the ice finally gave.

It was Ruki that kissed him first, hot and hard and breathtakingly insistent, but Kouyou responded in an instant, pressing his palm on the back of Ruki’s neck and crushing them closer together despite their teeth clacking together in the flurry of the moment; breathing unevenly against Ruki’s tongue as it slipped in to nudge against his. The kiss was nothing like the others they shared. It was rough, gripped with stronger emotion Kouyou couldn’t name. There was no finesse, no pause for breath. Just them and their mouths tangling together, over and over again.

“Ruki,” Kouyou groaned low against the geisha’s lips. Something about the sound of his name, breathy and wanting beneath the surface, spurred Ruki on; he bit, licked and kissed along Kouyou’s throat, his fingers undoing the neat tie of his hair before drifting down, down, down to the belt. Kouyou was suddenly, desperately, aware of the scratch of fabric against his erection that was too damn tight at every stitch and the hands that tended to him.

And so was Ruki. Within seconds, he had worked Kouyou’s belt open and slid his pants halfway down his thighs along with his underwear. Leaning down, he nudged Kouyou’s knees apart and pressed lips and tongue to Kouyou’s balls; teasing him with playful kisses all the way to the tip of his cock.

Overwhelmed, Kouyou closed his eyes and exhaled shakily with a lull of his head, fingers curling blindly in Ruki’s hair. The feel of ornaments slipping as dark, silky strands gave and loosened under his hold wasn’t enough to stop him from gripping a little too tight. He expected a gentle languidness like usual, a slow build where Ruki would tease him until he boiled and burned with need. It was how he preferred it: being made to want it so badly he had no choice but to be desperate for it.

He was entirely unprepared for Ruki to take him, almost all of him, in his mouth.

“Gods,” Kouyou choked out, his eyes flying open– And he knew it to be his biggest mistake the moment he did it. Ruki’s hair was a beautiful mess. The raven locks had fallen out of the perfect coiffure, framing the curves of his face and accentuating the rosy tint staining his cheeks. But it wasn’t just the hair that had Kouyou’s gut clench, heat surging in a hot wave. It was those eyes – those deep, endless eyes that gazed up at him through long eyelashes coated in mascara and specs of stardust. And all while Ruki’s head bobbed, taking him deeper and deeper and, ah yes just like that, so much deeper.

It was far too much, too soon. He tried to warn Ruki, tried to tell him to wait, gods, stop, with his fingers buried deep in his hair yet hips rocking up, up, up despite his warns and clipped gasps to stave off the inevitable that whisked him higher and higher. But the geisha only drew his lips up and slid back down again—all the way down to the hilt—and Kouyou came with a barely hushed moan on his lips, spilling down Ruki’s throat and shuddering wildly.

For a while, Kouyou couldn’t speak. He wanted to apologize, to tell Ruki he hadn’t meant to come in his mouth or for Ruki to swallow all of him down, but he hadn’t had an orgasm so intense in quite a while and he didn’t know whether to let the sting of his full-body flush claim him or the thick silence that followed. Was it shame? No. No, it was far from that. But he could only wait for the world to stop spinning to make sense of it as Ruki sat back on his heels with his small tongue darting out to swipe over kiss-swollen lips.

“Was that all right?” Ruki murmured.

Kouyou had the audacity to nearly laugh at how outrageous the inquiry was. “It was more than okay,” he assented, deciding then and there that an apology might be more of an insult than anything else. He held out an arm and Ruki took the silent queue, leaning into his shoulder to fit in the comforting curve of his arm. “You are…” Ruki nipped at Kouyou’s earlobe, teeth scraping against skin in a way that had Kouyou’s cock twitching again in interest and his brain forgetting what exactly he wanted to say.

Grasping Ruki’s chin, he guided the geisha’s gaze to look up at him before kissing him – a soft, slightly open-mouthed kiss deep enough to steal his breath way and dip his tongue to taste traces of himself that lingered. Gods, he had made an appointment with the intention to escape the voice of his father inside his head, but it was hard to hear it now in the geisha’s presence. So, so hard when Ruki looked at him with such adoration and hunger, eyes hooded and darkened with arousal; silently telling him to stay here, with him, and never leave again.

It was unfair how much power Ruki held over him.

“What do you want?” Uruha whispered unto his lips, stroking a caress across his cheek with his thumb.

Ruki stared up at him with bright eyes – as though Kouyou had plucked the sun, the moon, and the stars from the sky and given it to him by his inquiry alone. As though Kouyou had given him the world itself. And then he leaned in close, warm breath caressing Kouyou’s ear, and said:

“Everything. I want you to fuck me. Hard.” Ruki kissed Kouyou, mouthing a mere whisper, “Fuck me until I forget who I am. I want to feel you, for now, and always.”

Kouyou’s breath rushed out and his heart skipped a beat, his brain taking several seconds to catch up to his senses. But when it did, he didn’t waste another moment longer. He hauled Ruki to the bedding, pressing the geisha into the sheets and dotting his throat with kisses until his teeth decided to sink into a spot, relishing in the quiet gasp he coaxed, the pulse thrumming against his mouth. He could taste Ruki’s sweat on his tongue, drown in his sweet, smoky scent of tobacco, Jasmine and white plum-blossoms till his throat closed and his lungs burned.

Hands grasped his and guided them to slide under the thick fabric of the obi Ruki wore, and Kouyou took the silent queue as he tried so hard to not leave love marks in his mouth’s wake. He pulled immediately at the knot, felt it unravel alongside his mind when Ruki chose that exact moment to grind hard into his crotch with a breathy little moan aimed at the ceiling.

He was going to lose his mind.

Kouyou gripped Ruki by the hips and flipped him over, tugged the loose robes down just enough to bend down and press fevered kisses down the smooth back exposed to him, worshipping every curve and each vertebra. His tongue teased against Ruki’s spine until the geisha was arching and grinding against the sheets in disheveled want, begging for him in soft whimpers.

So pliant and divine, Ruki was – a god placed on earth to incite madness in all that came across him.

It was high time Kouyou offered his adorations in offering.

Slicking his hands with the imported oil he’d gifted Ruki, Kouyou brushed his lips against bare thighs, “On your hands and knees for me.” As Ruki complied, trembling, Kouyou rose up to squeeze the round ass and slowly spread him apart before prodding his fingers at Ruki’s entrance.

“Please,” Ruki whispered, and Kouyou acquiesced, pushing a digit in and watching it sink inside, hissing as it slid in easily before joining in another; dimly aware Ruki was already worked open from early preparations.

It didn’t take long for Kouyou to find the angle he needed. He pressed in a second time, three fingers, and watched with satisfaction as Ruki’s back curved beautifully in a full bow. When he carefully pulled out, he listened reverently to Ruki mewls and soft pants smothered into the sheets. Quiet. Too quiet. He wanted to hear more – everything, just as much as Ruki wanted to feel.

Spreading Ruki open more, he prodded his cock at his entrance, light and teasing. “Tell me again,” he husked lowly in a thoughtfully mumbled drawl. “how you want it.”

“Hard,” Ruki whined, arching, but Kouyou pressed a firm hand on his lower back to prevent him from shifting any further.

“How hard?”

“Nngh, please, Kouyou, I want you– Need you–”

Gods damnit all… Kouyou bit back a moan as a shiver trickled down the base of his spine and grasped Ruki’s hips, rubbing his cock agonizingly slow against the split of Ruki’s arse. “How. Hard. Ruki?” he asked again, his voice dropping several tones. He was trembling, sweat beading on his forehead and down his temple; it took his entire soul to not roll into the enticing heat he knew would grip him like a vice the moment he sunk inside.

Ruki began to ramble, delirious with need. Kouyou could make out snatches of words, jumbles and smothered: cannot walk and so hard t-that I—

“Can’t help but scream?” Kouyou finished for him.

“Yes,” Ruki whispered breathlessly.

And then Kouyou fucked in, a prized reward for the right answer – a full, deep thrust – and, oh, Ruki was beautiful. His shriek bounced off the golden screens and painted walls and reverberated through Kouyou in a sharp buzz of desire that drove him to snap his hips; rock back in and draw out more of his beautiful voice and the lascivious sounds that came with it.

Perhaps Kouyou was selfish. Perhaps he was selfish for not wanting a life outside of the four walls that watched him make Ruki moan, beg and bite the sleeve of his disheveled robes with an overwhelmed pleasured sob; away from smoky Jasmine and white plum blossoms that made his heart skitter and lips quiver in a wordless whisper of love he breathed across Ruki’s earlobe and hitch on a desperate groan.

If he were… He never wanted to come down.

#Uruki #uruhaxruki #prompt request #I hope this was worth the wait!#Anonymous #♡

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blonde-bottlerocket-blog · 6 years

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Teagan had been texting Cherish for the first time in what felt like forever. They were friends, best of, and she'd be there anytime the girl needed her. Right now she was just getting into the life that Teagan already knew. The spot light, the public eye, the place where there was no where to hide. It happened quickly for Teagan, she took off, blew up, and lost everyone it felt like. She didn't lose all of them in the sense that if she called they wouldn't pick up, but they weren't lead roles in her life anymore. She wasn't living a movie with a full cast, she was living a documentary on a lonely girl. When she pictured where she'd be when she was older this was never it. Sure when they were promised the world in the secrets of Rosemary, she envisioned all of them together hand in hand, friends forever. However that was a fantasy, her life was a fantasy. It wasn't what people saw. Sure she had fans, sure she could get almost anything she wanted, sure she was a sought after model, and while those things were things she truly treasured, there was so much more missing. She missed late nights curled up in bed gossiping with her best friend about boys. She missed trips to the beach, and late night bonfires. She missed the life she left behind too early. The saying was right, you always miss it once its gone. Laying in bed as she stared at the ceiling she was haunted by memories she wanted to erase. She'd seen once in a movie about erasing people from your mind. The ability to truly forget someone. She didn't remember how it ended, but she understood what would prompt someone to follow through. She'd do it if she could. She'd erase the pain and move on with her life. She wouldn't stalk his facebook and see his happy life. She wouldn't see that he'd gotten everything he ever wanted. She wouldn't care because she wouldn't know. She'd forget the letters she wrote, she'd forget the good times and bad. She'd forget pulling a Meredith Grey on him as she begged him to pick her, choose her, love her. He didn't though. They never did. Teagan was filled with years of heart break. Each time a little worse than the last. Her first love was fleeting, quick, but showed her what love could taste like. She found a playmate and memories that she honestly didn't hate. Her second loss was ripped from her time and time again for reasons beyond her control, but there was always someone there to pick her back up. He was there to pick her back up, to remind her she was beautiful and deserved better, but when it came time for them it was too late. He made his choice and it wasn't her. She knew she was the blame. Maybes and What ifs could convince her that she was the problem. She should of, would of, could of, but in the end it wasn't meant to be. A fact she continues to tell herself daily. There are days she could go on and not think about him, not think about them, not think about what they could have been, but then something happens. A song happens, a text from an old friend happens, an accidental peek into his world, and she was right back where she started. How do you tell your heart to stop loving someone? How do you tell it to stop aching, that it's never gonna happen, that holding on is harder than letting go? How do you convince yourself that this is all self inflicted and if you could stop focusing on one and looked up you could see the endless possibilities? You couldn't. It was why Teagan hated social media, she hated the easy access. She hated that she could see everything going on with him. Work never made her busy enough to forgot the longing in her heart, but it was time. It was time for her to let go. It was time for her to move forward. Cherish had, she'd stopped looking back and look what happened. She was now letting the world see how amazing she was. She'd be coming out behind her mask and revealing that behind it all she was worth taking a look at. Teagan envied her friend more than she'd ever admit. She envied her happiness. She envied that she was growing into this strong woman and while she was happy for Cherish, she wanted that feeling for herself. The blonde had pushed out of bed going to the bathroom and cleaning up her face. She covered the puffy under eyes with concealer, hiding the sadness with make up. She had one thing on her mind, one thing she knew would set her free. At least she hoped. There was a part of her holding out for him, a part of her she saved for him. She wasn't sure why she'd saved it, maybe if he'd come around he'd want it, or if he decided she was the one and he found out it was gone, he'd leave again. Her whole world was based around him and he didn't even know. She needed to end the cycle and break free of his hold he had on her. She didn't bother to put on much, a black slip dress and some heels as she headed down to the bar around the corner. Something good about the city that never slept, there was always a place to find a drink, and in every hole in the wall bar there was always a guy willing to give you want you needed. The bar was empty as she walked in, her heels clinking against the concrete as she entered. The music was play, but just barely as the bartender cleaned glasses behind the bar. She was already living on a liquid diet of Pinot Grigio and water, so when she ordered a shot from the bartender it drowned out that sober feeling almost instantly. Her target was quickly spotted as she moved down the bar towards him. He was in his late twenties, good looking, but unshaven. He looked like a kindred spirit trying to numb the pain. He was a stranger and someone she'd never see again, but that was the plan. She didn't want to see him again. This was a one night thing, this was cutting strings, this was Pinocchio being set free. Her hand ran up his arm as she approached, her eyes going to his features gauging his reaction. His blue eyes found her baby blues as he took a long drink from the bottle. It was all non verbal at this hour as she nodded towards the bathroom. The stranger looked at the door, back to Teagan, and back to the door before a sly smile crossed his lips and he nodded his head saying yes. " you're not a hooker are you?" He asked obviously thinking he couldn't afford her. " No... Stop talking." she stated bluntly as she shook her head almost irritated with his voice. A woman on a mission as she moved her hand to grip his and led him to the bathroom. Locking the door behind them she didn't feel nervous, she felt numb. Losing your virginity was supposed to be this magical thing, and she was throwing hers away. The man wasted no time as if he knew she was coming and was just waiting for her arrival. His lips moved in for hers, but she turned her head as they met her neck. Leaning up against the bathroom wall as his beard scratched against her skin, leaving irritations on her skin as he sucked at the sensitive flesh. She closed her eyes for a moment and the man disappeared and someone else took his place. He wasn't a stranger at all. His face was familiar, just like she'd remembered it. "Are you sure you wanna do this?" His comforting dark eyes relaxing her as she nodded to assure him it was what she wanted. It was all she'd been wanting for a moment he was hers. Her breath was labored as her mind played tricks on her, letting her believe it was him that had her dress pulled down, his mouth exploring her chest. Him who's hands were sliding over her body as it grazed her frame. She turned on by the thought as her mouth hung open and she felt his hand slip inside her panties making sure she was ready. "Are you sure, T?" He asked again as he came to her, his body holding her to the wall, losing herself in the imaginary feel of him, because the moment he pushed inside of her, she was shaken awake. Her eyes shot open as she took a second to realize where she was and it hit her. The stranger wasn't easy, but didn't know he needed to be as her leg hitched on his hip trying to find a comfortable position as she groaned, gritting her teeth. His movements were fast, quick, and hurt more than she was willing to admit. Every bit of the pain was a reminder of why she was doing this. Her hands gripped his shoulders as he moved in and out of her tight core, feel the small droplets of blood as it threatened to roll down her inner thigh. She kept her eyes fixated on the hair dryer, closing for a moment to get back to that place but she couldn't. It was gone. He couldn't see him anymore as a tear trickled down her cheek. Panting heavily as the man thrusted hard, grunting loudly before he pulled out releasing himself on her stomach. She was frozen in place as she kept her eyes on the hand dryer. The man hunched over by the sink as he collected himself and looked to her with a pleased grin. " Thanks, blondie." and exited the bathroom. She felt dirty and sick as she finally moved off the wall. Grabbing toilet paper she rubbed her skin until it was red getting his left overs off her body. What did she just do? What did she just do? The blonde moved to the mirror seeing her reflection, black mascara tears staining her cheeks. She cleaned up the best she could before exiting, making no eye contact as she left the bar and headed back to her apartment reliving the last few moments over and over in her head. She felt abandoned by her memories of him when she needed him the most, but that was the point. He wasn't there, he couldn't be there, and she needed to realize that it would never be. It was a fantasy life her heart held onto. As she got inside she showered until the hot water turned cold and still didn't feel anymore clean. She'd tainted herself and she could feel the black mark on her psyche forming from her decision. Laying on her bed she pulled her pillow to her chest as she hugged it tightly. As if on queue her tears began to flow, soft sobs followed as she stared at the floor and he popped in her head. " I hate you." she stated to his memory as she turned her head, buried her face in her pillow and cried herself to sleep.

#teagantrafficante me mywriting

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artificialqueens · 4 years

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Stupid For You, Chapter 7 (Crygi, Jankie, Jaida x Nicky) - Metaluna

Fic summary: A cliche lesbian AU. It’s the summer before Gigi goes to college, and she decides it’s time to take a job at a local amusement park. There, she meets Crystal, a beautiful girl that she with bonds over the anxiety of the service industry. Almost immediately, Gigi gets it BAD for Crystal. Meanwhile, Jackie definitely ISN’T gay. She likes men. Only. Men. What happens when a beautiful girl named Jan comes into the picture? And lastly, Nicky flirts with anything with a pulse. Jaida falls for anyone who gives her attention. This is going to be one interesting summer

Chapter summary: If anyone knows how to party, it’s the staff of Paradise Isle. When Brita turns 21, she’s determined to have the biggest party Paradise Isle has ever seen.

A/N: Hi everyone! I officially outlined the rest of the fic so it’s going to be 10 chapters total, three more to go!!

By the time Gigi made it down the exit ramp, all she wanted to do was leave. She heard Jan behind her, but kept moving forward. Her heart beat was pounding in her ears and she began to feel warm tears form in her eyes.

“Gigi, wait!” Jan called.

Gigi didn’t listen and instead kept walking. Jan managed to chase her all the way into The Landing until Gigi stopped dead in her tracks, rested her face in her hands and started crying. Wordlessly, Jan went up to her and wrapped her in a gentle embrace. Once Gigi broke away, Jan led them to a bench, and stayed quiet. She knew Gigi was about to explode at any second.

And she was right.

“How could she do that? What the hell? If she didn’t want to see me, she could have just fucking said something! I have no idea what the hell I did to her and why she’s acting the way she is, but I guess fuck my feelings! Right? Just fuck them!” Gigi threw her hands up in frustration before crying into Jan’s shoulder.

“Shh, it’s okay,” Jan cooed rubbing Gigi’s hair. She knew Gigi’s mascara was staining her shirt, but it was something she could worry about later.

“How could she?” Gigi’s voice was barely above a whisper.

“I don’t know, baby. There’s no way to know what’s running through her bizarre little head.”

Gigi wiped her eyes, trying to salvage what was left of her makeup. “I’m overreacting.”

“No, you aren’t. You need to feel whatever it is that you’re feeling. Your feelings are valid and you’re entitled to them,” Jan said firmly.

“I want to hate her.”

“Why?”

Gigi sighed. “I want to hate her, because that means I wouldn’t be in love with her anymore.”

“Wow,” Jan began. “I didn’t realize you were in that deep.”

“Jan, it’s bad.”

“Sounds like it.”

“If I could just hate her, I could be done and move on. I hate that when I see her pictures on Instagram with her shitty boyfriend, all I can do is think about how I wish it was me. I hate that she’s the first thing I think about when I wake up, and the last thing I think about when I go to bed. I just want to hate her.”

“Do you honestly believe do any good?” Jan questioned.

Gigi mulled it over and sighed. “No. What am I going to do?”

“I wish I knew what to tell you, Gigi, but I don’t. But, we can figure out what we’re doing tonight. Do you want to leave, or do you want to keep hanging out with everyone? After the look I gave her and what I said to her, I don’t think she’ll come anywhere near you anytime.”

Gigi looked stunned. “Jan what the hell did you tell her?”

“Don’t worry about it.” Jan winked.

“I’m not going to let her ruin my night.” Gigi’s tone was determined. “Let’s go.”

–

Nicky and Jaida were awkwardly left behind in the queue. Since they were next, they ended up going on the roller coaster. Jaida had to admit, a roller coaster was a lot less fun when one of your friends was experiencing emotional trauma, even if you were in the front.

“Should we go find them?” Nicky asked as she grabbed her purse.

Jaida thought for a moment and said, “Honestly? I don’t want to make it worse. Gigi trusts Jan and I want Gigi to talk through all the emotional shit she’s feeling.”

“Good point.”

Jaida and Nicky made their way through The Backlands. Jaida knew that she had feelings for Nicky that Nicky didn’t share. Jaida also knew that every time they slept together, she felt herself falling a little harder. As much as Jaida didn’t want to break her own heart for her final summer at the park, she swore something felt different about Nicky.

As they walked, Jaida swung her hand forward making contact with Nicky’s to test her response.

“Sorry,” Nicky mumbled putting her hand closer to her side.

The response is not the one Jaida was looking for, which caused her to sigh.

Nicky slowed her pace. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Jaida forced a smile. “Just tired.”

“Gotcha.”

Jaida wondered how dense Nicky could be. Even though Jaida couldn’t be mad that Nicky didn’t return her feelings, it still frustrated her. While Jaida knew it was a horrible idea to keep going with their fling, she liked Nicky so much that she’d rather have her physically than not at all.

Or did she?

This wasn’t healthy for her mental state. Jaida had enough on her plate already. Between writing essay after essay for law schools throughout the country as well as working six days a week, Jaida was nearing her limit. As much as she tried to tell herself that her fling with Nicky helped her decompress, she knew that wasn’t the case. It made everything much, much worse. Before she could think on it further, she was interrupted by her phone vibrating with a text from Jan.

so I honestly cant tell if gigi’s more hurt or pissed at crystal and honestly it really doesnt matter but she did say she wants to keep the night to keep going so I say let’s do it! we’re at the landing rn, where are you??

Quickly, Jaida reiterated to Nicky the situation, and texted back, Okay, good! We’ll meet you there.

The rest of the night was filled with memorable selfies, laughs that were mostly at the extent of Jan’s inability to ride roller coasters, and by the end of the night, Gigi felt great, and was determined to not let one person ruin what was already an incredible summer.

Following National Roller Coaster Day, Jaida, Nicky, Jan, and Gigi bonded even further, and became inseparable. Through hanging out with Jan, Gigi also developed a very close bond with Jackie. Gigi never had a group of friends before, and was thankful she had such an amazing group of friends.

Gigi formed such a close bond with her friends that she all but forgot about Crystal. At times, they ran into each other in the break room, and every time, they didn’t so much as look at each other. While the environment was tense, there was never any negativity. No one was outwardly mean to each other. In fact, everyone but Gigi maintained being friendly with Crystal. Gigi couldn’t allow this to upset her, since they were all adults and could choose their friends. At times though, it did feel like a punch in the gut when Gigi was on her breaks and saw Jan stop to talk to Crystal.

One day, Gigi sat in the breakroom. As she at her lunch, Brita sat across from her.

“Hey, Brita,” Gigi greeted.

“As you know, my birthday is drawing near.”

All Brita talked about was how she was going to turn twenty one in a couple of weeks. Everyone knew it was Brita’s birthday, including people who didn’t even know Brita.

“So I’ve heard!”

“My parents are actually going to be out of town. So, I’m going to have a party. Not just any party. No, this party is going to be so big and so memorable that they’ll be talking about this like five summers from now.”

Gigi raised an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

Brita nodded. “I’m inviting literally everyone I know who works here…”

Gigi caught on to what Brita was saying. Even the people who weren’t well versed in what happened between Gigi and Crystal knew something was wrong. “That’s fine, Brita. I’m not going to let my relationship, or lack thereof, with someone ruin your birthday.”

“Good. It’s this Wednesday, starting at 10. That way everyone has time to get ready after work. Thank god for shortened park hours.”

The scheduling gods smiled upon Jaida, Nicky, Gigi, and Jackie. Somehow they all ended up with the same days off, one of which being Friday. It helped that Jaida always sweet talked the scheduler, and the scheduler knew who her friends were. Jaida wasn’t about using her feminine charm to get what she wanted.

The girls all agreed to get ready at Gigi’s, because she had the largest space. Getting ready with others was much more fun for Gigi than getting ready alone. Although, she had to admit it was a different feeling when she and Crystal got ready together for Heidi’s party. She forced that thought out of her head as she put on an 80’s playlist. Deciding what to wear to a party was Gigi’s favorite part of getting ready. Even if she didn’t want to admit it, she wanted this party to be the exact opposite as the previous party. Because of this, Gigi opted to wear a tight orange halter top with an blue high-waisted shorts, which was the exact opposite of her black and white outfit.

“You look like your room,” Jan teased eyeing Gigi’s room decor.

Gigi rolled her eyes. “It’s not my fault that my two favorite colors look amazing on me.”

“Fair,” Jaida mused as she rummaged through her bag. “Shit. I forgot my eyelash glue.”

Nicky, who was sitting cross-legged on the ground blending out a smoky eye tossed hers to Jaida. “Here.”

“Thank you,” Jaida smiled sweetly expertly applying an eyelash.

Jackie looked on incredulously. “I have no idea how you do it.”

“Lots and lots of practice,” Jaida said as she batted her eyelashes in Jackie’s direction.

“Do you ever wear more than mascara and eyeliner in your waterline?” Nicky questioned, admiring her appearance in a hand mirror.

Jackie shook her head. “I just… don’t know how to do anything else. One time I tried to do wings and it looked like a drunk toddler did them. No wait, a drunk toddler would have done better.“

Jan’s face brightened. “Can I please do your makeup? Please?”

After hesitating, Jackie said, “What the hell. Why not?”

Jan squealed as she made her way over to Jackie, who was sitting in the chair at Gigi’s desk. Watching Jan do Jackie’s makeup made Gigi feel a pang of jealousy. All through high school, she’d never had the desire to date. Of course, she definitely didn’t want a boyfriend. But, she never thought about having a girlfriend either, and only knew that she liked girls. She also never had a friend group like the one she had now. She also never thought she’d have a group of friends she could trust as much as she trusted the friends she made. For once in her life, Gigi felt safe enough to come out. Other than her family, Jan was the only person who knew, and the only reason she’d told Jan in the first place was because she was about to have a mental breakdown. But, it was time. Gigi paused the playlist.

“Everything okay, Gigi?” Nicky questioned.

Gigi took a breath. “Yes, but there’s something I have to tell all of you.”

Jan locked eyes with Gigi, already knowing what she was going to say.

“What is it?” Jaida asked setting down her brush.

“I like girls.”

Jaida ran to Gigi to give her a hug. “We love you.”

Jan laughed. “Welcome to the club.”

As Gigi unpaused the music, she breathed a sigh of relief as she topped her nude lip with gloss.

“All done!” Jan announced as she brushed powder off of Jackie’s face.

Once Gigi saw Jackie, she exclaimed, “Oh, wow.”

Jackie was already an extremely beautiful girl, but Jan’s handiwork enhanced her features. Because she knew that Jackie wasn’t one for the extravagant, Jan stuck with neutrals that gave Jackie the most effortless no-makeup-makeup look. Gigi knew that Jan was a talented makeup artist, but the makeup she did on Jackie proved it, because it was the exact opposite of Jan’s colorful halo eye she did on herself.

“Holy shit! I look good.”

Jan rolled her eyes. “You always look good, baby.”

“Thank you,” Jackie said as she kissed Jan on the cheek.

“We must commemorate this momentous occasion,” Jaida said dramatically as she signaled everyone to come in for a group photo.

“You have to take it,” Nicky said. “You have the longest arms.”

Jaida rolled her eyes. “Always.”

Once there were a few photos they were all satisfied with Gigi looked at her phone. “If we need to make a liquor run, we should probably leave now.”

Everyone piled in to Gigi’s Jeep, the group was enthusiastically discussing the night ahead. On the way to the liquor store, Jaida, who was already twenty one, made a list of what she had to purchase.

“Y’all are gonna make me look like I have a drinking problem. You best be Venmo-ing me interest,” she teased.

“We don’t have interest in France, I don’t know what that is,” Nicky joked.

Jaida playfully hit her. “You’ve lived here for over ten years.”

Nicky shushed her. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Jesus Christ, just kiss already,” Gigi teased as she pulled into the liquor store’s parking lot.

Once Jaida was inside the store, Jan spoke up. “What’s actually going on between you two?”

Nicky shrugged. “Just something for us to blow off some steam.”

Jackie hesitated. “Nicky, you realize that Jaida’s never had a girlfriend before.”

“Yeah, and?”

“She also falls really hard really quickly.”

Nicky exhaled. “She never told me that. She told me that she was good keeping it casual. She tried to bring it up a while ago, but I just thought… I feel terrible.”

“It’s not your fault, honey,” Jan said.

Before Nicky could respond, Jaida returned to the car.

“That was fast,” Gigi said.

“I’ve been to that store so many times, I know where everything is.”

Gigi had heard from other people that Brita had a large house, but she didn’t expect it to be quite so big. The driveway which was lined with cars spanned the length of most people’s front yards. The house looked to be three stories and was a modern build, which was a contrast to the other ranch-style houses in the area. The music could be heard from outside of the house, and Gigi mused about how Brita was lucky that she had no neighbors.

“Damn,” Gigi said as she shut her car door.

“Yeah,” Jaida began. “Brita’s parents are fucking loaded.”

“Clearly,” Jan said.

The inside of the house was just as grandiose as the outside. Gigi thought that it looked like the sample rooms inside of furniture stores. She didn’t realize that people’s houses actually could look like that. The living room was decorated with fairy lights and streamers, and in the corner were two gold balloons that said 21. The party was already abuzz, the entirety of the first floor was full of people, most of which Gigi didn’t recognize, and was almost certain Brita probably didn’t either.

Brita greeted them at the door, pulling them into a hug. Gigi could already smell the alcohol. “Hi, babes!”

“Happy birthday, bitch!” Jaida exclaimed handing Brita a fifth of Everclear.

Brita’s laugh was loud enough that it could be heard over the music. “You rotted bitch.”

“On our first season together, Brita drank way too much Everclear and got super hungover, and had to call out the next day,” Jaida explained. “You best be getting that drunk again tonight. If I see you at work tomorrow, I’m going to be pissed.“

“I have tomorrow off,” Brita said smugly.

“You’re going to need it,” Jan teased.

“Thanks! So over there we have a photobooth, beer pong in the dining room, the pool’s available if you want, too. Oh, and if you need a place to get down and dirty,” she looked at Nicky and Jaida. “Just don’t use my bedroom.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jaida said, rolling her eyes.

As everyone was about to explore, Brita screeched, “Wait!”

“What?” Gigi asked.

“Let’s do a shot of this.” Brita raised the bottle of Everclear.

“Oh dear, God,” Jackie said making gagging noises.

“It’s my birthday, bitches!”

Since nobody could argue with that, they went in to the kitchen. In the attached dining room, an intense game of beer pong was going down with Widow and Heidi against Crystal and some boy Gigi vaguely recognized as being one of the team leads in games. Trying to stay casual, Gigi waved to Heidi and Widow who smiled in return. Thankfully, Crystal’s back was turned to Gigi, and by the time she turned, Gigi had her back turned to take the shot.

“I’m already too drunk to pour the shots,” Brita slurred.

Jaida rolled her eyes as she took the bottle and expertly poured shots.

“To Brita!” Gigi said raising her glass.

“To Brita!” Everyone repeated as they toasted, set the shot on the table, and took the shot.

Gigi thought she was good at taking shots. But, Gigi had also never had Everclear. Convinced that its reputation preceded it, she didn’t properly prepare herself. She thought she was just taking a shot of cheap vodka, not a shot of rubbing alcohol.

“Merde!” Nicky exclaimed.

Jackie set her glass down as she winced. “That was so bad, Nicky forgot how to speak English!”

Because she couldn’t get the taste of shitty vodka out of her mouth, the only thing Gigi could do was to drink something else. The Whiteclaw Jaida bought for her tasted like juice in comparison, so much so that Gigi drank it a lot faster than she should have.

As Gigi felt the alcohol hit, Jan said, “Let’s go take pictures.”

Most of the time, Gigi found photobooths to be tacky. They were a staple of boring weddings and basic-ass graduation parties. But, because she already had a nice buzz going, she gladly posed with oversized sunglasses.

Everyone sat on a red leather couch as they began drinking. Jan and Jackie shared a bottle of rum that they chased with Diet Coke. Jaida was chasing her Jack with ginger ale. Nicky, on the other hand, was shooting whiskey like there was no tomorrow. Gigi felt lame that everyone else wad drinking liquor but her, but she didn’t care. She wanted to enjoy what she was drinking.

When a Madonna song began playing, the girls screeched and made their way to the dancefloor. Gigi had decent rhythm, but tonight, as far as she was concerned, she was killing it. As she dropped low, she almost fell, but kept her balance as she made her way back up. While she watched Jackie and Jan dancing closely and watched Nicky grind against Jaida, Gigi couldn’t help but feel like a fifth wheel. She remedied the situation by cracking open another Whiteclaw.

“I need a break,” Nicky announced when the song ended.

Jan whispered something in Jackie’s ear before saying, “We’ll be back!”

“May I have this dance, Ms. Hall?” Gigi asked holding her hand out.

“Oh, bitch, you know it.”

After a few songs, Gigi announced, “I’ll be back!”

It was the time of the night that Gigi needed to break her seal. Unfortunately for her, there was a line for the bathroom. She dramatically jumped up and down until she made it to the bathroom. Once she finished, she was greeted by a sobbing Jaida.

“Jaida, what the fuck is wrong?” Gigi asked leading her into a bedroom upstairs.

“Nicky,” Jaida managed.

“What about Nicky?”

“I went to go find her to see if she wanted to dance or something, but then… I saw her… and I saw Brita. On the couch… making out.”

It was very clear that Jaida had too much to drink. For a while, Gigi was convinced that this year would break the streak of Jaida getting her heart broken. Even though Gigi wanted to give Jaida some tough love and tell her she and Nicky weren’t exclusive, she knew it wasn’t the time for that. Instead, she wrapped her in a hug.

“Hey,” Gigi said stroking Jaida’s hair. “It’s okay.”

“I knew that she didn’t want a relationship. Why does this hurt so much?”

“Because you like her, clearly a lot.”

“Why does this always happen?” Jaida wailed.

Gigi knew she wasn’t good at comforting people, but decided to try her best. “I don’t know. But Jaida, your makeup is far too pretty to cry it all off.”

Hoping that Jaida would find her comment funny, Gigi tried to laugh. This only made Jaida cry harder. Fuck. Gigi knew she wasn’t any good at any of this, but she knew who was. She needed to find Jan before Jaida lost her mind.

“I’ll be back,” Gigi said leaving a sobbing Jaida in the bedroom.

Gigi searched the entire first floor for Jan with no luck. Eventually, she ran into Jackie.

“Gigi, what the hell is happening? Jaida’s apparently crying, Nicky left… What’s going on?” Jackie demanded.

“I guess Jaida found Brita and Nicky making out.”

Jackie groaned. “Of course Because why would she be able to make it a summer without getting her pretty little heart broken?”

When Jackie and Jan made their way back in the bedroom, Jaida was right where Gigi left her.

“Do you know where Jan is?” Gigi questioned as Jackie was hugging a very distraught Jaida.

“I think she’s outside.”

“If anyone knows how to handle this, it’s her,” Gigi said as she walked downstairs.

Gigi realized just how drunk she was as she stumbled around trying to find Jan. Eventually, she found her comforting some random drunk girl. To Gigi’s horror, the random drunk girl ended up being Crystal.

“Uh, I need you,” Gigi said awkwardly walking to Jan.

Jan looked at Gigi and mouthed, “Help me,” as she broke away from Crystal. “What’s up, gorg?”

Crystal awkwardly stood next to Jan, swaying back and forth. Gigi couldn’t help but wonder how much Crystal had to drink.

“It’s Jaida.”

“Oh my God, I haven’t seen Jaida in ages,” Crystal slurred.

Jan shushed Crystal. “What’s wrong with her?”

“She found Nicky making out with Brita,” Gigi explained.

Jan groaned. “This is bad.”

“That’s really not good. Are they fighting?” Crystal tried as hard as possible to not slur her speech. “Fighting is bad.”

Rolling her eyes, Jan said, “Yes, honey. Fighting is bad. Really bad.“

Crystal stumbled toward Gigi. “Gigi, I’m really sorry we’re fighting.”

Gigi ignored her. “Jan, can you do that thing where you comfort people when they’re crying?”

“I can try,” Jan said.

“Gigi! Stop ignoring me. We’re fighting! And I don’t want us to!” Crystal pouted.

“Crystal, we can discuss this when you’re sober,” Gigi said firmly.

“I’m sober enough!” Crystal said jumping up and down. She then stopped and put one hand over her mouth and one on her stomach.

“Crystal. No!” Gigi screeched.

It was too late. Crystal lost all the alcohol she’d consumed. Jan reacted quickly enough to take a step back, but Gigi wasn’t that lucky. Gigi screamed as her favorite boots became covered in vomit.

"What the fuck?!” Gigi screamed.

#rpdr fanfiction #gigi goode #crystal methyd #jackie cox #jan sport #jaida essence hall #nicky doll #crygi #jankie #jaida x nicky #lesbian au #slow burn #stupid for you #metaluna #submission #s12

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