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kaitidid22 · 2 years ago

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Fanfic: Peaches (Conrad/Billie)

Summary: Billie takes Gigi for their annual peach picking trip, and Conrad shows up unexpectedly wanting to talk. (Canon-friendly & mention of Conrad/Cade.)

A/N: Don’t get me wrong, I love that we finally have forward momentum in this ship. But I wish we had seen more of Conrad’s feelings, or he and Billie outside the hospital, or at least together with Gigi.

It’s implied that Billie is super aunty always on call for Gigi Time (and kind of a defacto co-parent, if she’s picking Gigi up from school), which is so sweet and makes complete sense. I kept expecting more scenes of Billie with Gigi throughout season 5 and now 6 but never got them.

Anyway, I have all these brain worms of what those scenes might have looked like. So, I decided to write a few of them. There’s no point to these little vignettes. Just fun.

Peaches

Billie held open the bag and let Gigi drop a few more peaches into the nearly full canvas.

“We’re going to need another bag,” Gigi said seriously.

Billie patted the coat pocket where she had stowed her extra canvas bags. “I’m all over it,” she promised.

Gigi grinned before turning and darting away again. Billie watched Gigi’s sequined Uggs sparkling in the sunshine, bright hair streaming behind her as she ran down the line of trees.

We should have braided her hair, Billie realized, kicking herself for the amateur mistake.

She made a mental note to take a brush to it before lunch. She was supposed to drop Gigi at home by three, and Billie didn’t want to leave Conrad stuck with detangling the inevitable knots before he put Gigi down for a nap, or took his daughter out for whatever he had planned that evening.

Billie felt lucky that Conrad had let her take Gigi for such a large chunk of his day off. He was home and usually, if he had nowhere to be or adulting errands to run, he spent all his free time with his daughter.

Billie knew it was irrational, but she didn’t want to give Conrad any reason to pull Gigi back from her relationship with Billie. And she knew he wouldn’t because of a few knots in his daughter’s hair—she knewthat, she really did. But things were different now. He had Cade, and where once there had only been the three of them, now there were four. Billie was the odd man out, and she was still finding her feet in their new dynamic.

Maybe Cade remembers to braid Gigi’s hair, Billie’s brain said in a nasty tone.

And that was stupid and insecure and jealous because she didn’t even think Cade was close enough to Gigi to braid her hair. Conrad had mentioned Cade generally slipped out early in the morning before his daughter was even awake. It had been a point of frustration with him as he tried to integrate Cade more fully into his life.

Billie shook off the maudlin thought, not wanting to ruin her good mood. Today was special. Today was the start of peach season. Bad thoughts weren’t allowed on Peach Day.

Warm spring air pressed against her skin, the Atlanta humidity just beginning to rear its head. The beginning of peach season had been Billie’s favorite growing up. As a little girl, the time in between peach picking days—only one year, less than really—seemed to stretch out in front of her like an infinite highway. She had been just like Gigi: vibrating with excitement as the day grew closer.

That had been before everything. Before the rape. Before the birth. Before Billie and her family moved away, and she lost touch with Nic. Before her mother died and her father grew lost.

Billie knew they were just peaches. They weren’t really a time machine. But, for one day a year—when the tree branches were heavy with ripe fruit, the air was sweet with the smell of peaches, and the sun still a soft, warm kiss and not summer’s molten fury—Billie could remember what that hopeful little girl had felt like.

“Hey.”

Billie spun at the sound of his voice, the heavy bag of peaches swinging back more slowly than her body and whacking her in the knee hard enough that her leg collapsed. Conrad took an involuntary step forward, hands outstretched to catch her, as if afraid she would fall.

She didn’t. Her other leg stayed strong beneath her weight. But she cursed under her breath and reached down to rub her knee. She forced a self-deprecating smile because she was, in all honesty, happy to see him.

“Hi,” she said.

“I didn’t mean to startle you,” Conrad said.

His deep voice was always pitched low, and he rarely raised it to show emotion unless he was excited and happy. It was smoky and smooth, and Billie had to fight the way her stomach twisted at the sound. When it went gravelly, though, it meant he was worried, and she could feel the weight of it in his gaze, too. She had first seen it when he found out about the rape and Trevor—a constant watchful, searching look in his eyes. Like he thought that if he looked away, she might disappear.

Or maybe fall apart, she thought, chastising herself.

It was one of the reasons she so rarely told anyone about what had happened to her. The fear of someone not believing her had never been quite as great as the fear that they would always see her as a victim. Weak. She wasn’t either of those things.

But she hadn’t needed to worry about that with Conrad. The look had faded over the weeks that followed the medical board meeting. He had slowly reverted back to the usual teasing glances and elbow jostling when he thought she was being too serious. Plus, he had been distracted falling for Cade—though Billie hadn’t realized it at the time.

“It’s fine,” she assured him, steadying herself. She ran her eyes over him, looking for clues. “This is a nice surprise.”

A slow smile spread across his face, and he ducked his chin before glancing at her from beneath his lashes. The day she had realized that arrogant, combative Conrad Hawkins could be bashful had been the very last gasp for Billie’s poor, wasted heart.

It was just too much. He was too much. She couldn’t keep him out anymore.

Conrad reached out and gently tugged the bag of peaches out of her hands. His fingers brushed hers and, like the lovesick idiot she was, she cleared her throat to cover a tiny gasp at the contact.

Cade, she reminded herself, shoring up her spine.

As much as Billie hated to think about the what ifs, there was a distinct possibility that Cade was going to be Gigi’s stepmother someday. And Billie needed to remember that.

“I thought you were meeting Devon for lunch,” she said as she turned and began meandering down the line of trees again.

Billie scanned through the orchard for Gigi’s sequined Uggs. She had told Gigi that the one rule of peach picking was that Gigi had to stay in sight of Billie at all times. Gigi was a good kid, so Billie knew she wouldn’t have gotten far.

Finally, she spotted the boots one row over and halfway down the line of trees. Conrad followed as she changed direction.

“I was planning on it,” he said, ducking under a few branches.

When he didn’t elaborate, Billie glanced at him. “Did he get called in?”

As a surgeon, Billie was always on call. It was the nature of the job. With internists and ER doctors, though, the schedule was a bit different. The ER doctors were usually only on-call for night shifts because weekends were generally covered in full at Chastain due to the trauma center load.

She’d had a lot of experience with Conrad’s schedule over the past five years, as well as his rare, vaguely panicked calls asking for her help with Gigi when the sitter wasn’t available. She had never seen Conrad called in for coverage—sometimes for an existing patient, and many times for the Go Team, but never to cover a shift or because the ER was overloaded.

But it could happen, she thought to herself.

“No,” Conrad said, shaking her out of her thoughts.

Okay. The word drew out into a drawl in her mind.

The cagey answers were making her intuition tingle. And she was self-aware enough to admit to herself that if anyone else were sidestepping her like this, she would be irritated for a moment and then dismiss them. Few people she had ever met made her want to spend more than a few minutes in their company. But Conrad was one of them. And she was starting to get worried.

Her eyes narrowed on his profile. The bashful look was back on his face—the one that made her stomach turn somersaults.

“Conrad Hawkins,” Billie said in as teasing a tone as she could manage. “Did you want to pick peaches that badly? So badly that you crashed your own daughter’s peach date?”

He laughed but looked away, and Billie felt her stomach drop. She was close to the truth. She hadn’t hit it yet, but it had something to do with Billie and Gigi’s peach date. It wasn’t that simple. She knew him well enough to know something else was going on.

But she also trusted that he would tell her when he was ready—she just needed to wait him out. So, she pushed the worry aside as best as she could and tried to make him comfortable.

“Peach Day was my favorite growing up,” she said.

“I know.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “How?”

“Gigi told me today at breakfast,” he said. “She was really excited. I think it might be her favorite now, too.”

“She didn’t stop talking about it for weeks when we went last year.”

“Months,” he said, this time with a grin that looked easy on his face. “I swear I still have some of the peaches frozen in the basement.”

“I swear I tried to limit her to two bags, but she’s just so darn cute,” Billie said.

Conrad laughed. “She’s a menace.”

“She’s the best,” Billie said, smiling back at him.

“I can only hope she continues to use her powers for good and not evil.”

A comfortable silence fell between them as they smiled at each other. After a moment, she looked away, eyes finding the sequined boots again among the trees. God she loved this. She loved the days they were all together, when it felt like they were…family.

You’re still family, a voice that sounded disconcertingly like Nic’s said in Billie’s mind.

I know, Billie told her.

“You’re always welcome to join us,” Billie said, staring resolutely at his daughter.

“You sure?” he asked.

And there it was: whatever was bothering him. She could hear it in his tone—to anyone else the words would probably sound light and teasing, but she could hear the real question there, the seriousness he was trying to gloss over. He wasn’t quite ready to reveal the full extent of his fear, but he was reaching out anyway, hoping she would reach back.

And she did because, with him, she would always reach back.

“Of course.” She met his eyes with a smile that she knew was a little too soft and added, “Always.”

His eyes latched onto hers with that sharp searching gaze, capturing her, not letting her go. She told herself to look away, that he was seeing too much. But then he opened his mouth, and her eyes dropped to his lips, leaning forward as if to read the words he was about to speak. Somehow, she knew that whatever came out next was important, and she couldn’t miss a second of it.

“Daddy!”

Billie jerked back, putting distance between her body and Conrad just as Gigi threw herself and an armful of peaches into her dad’s arms. He caught her with the ease of a five-year veteran and straightened to his full height, the peaches safely cradled between their chests.

Gigi demanded a kiss, which her father granted with a grin. Then the little girl leaned her forehead against her father’s, armful of peaches squeezed between them. She stayed there for a moment that was no longer than the span of a breath but that still managed to twist Billie’s heart in chest, and then Gigi wriggled to be let down again.

“Give Aunt Billie your peaches first,” Conrad said. “We don’t want to drop them.”

Gigi turned big eyes towards Billie in a silent plea for help, and Billie pulled the next canvas bag out of her pocket.

“I gotcha, kiddo,” Billie said.

She reached between their bodies and gently tugged the peaches out of Gigi’s vice grip. Father and daughter were pressed close together, and she had to ignore the few times that her fingers brushed against Conrad��s chest.

His shirt, she told herself. Nothing but cotton.

When the peaches were all safely stowed, Conrad set his daughter back down on her feet. Gigi stared up at him as she leaned back against Billie’s legs, hand tangling in Billie’s coat. Billie smiled down at the top of Gigi’s blonde head, love ballooning inside her chest, pressing against her ribs like there wasn’t enough space to contain it in her body. She really had no idea she could love someone so much until Gigi. Until Trevor. She let her hand smooth down some of Gigi’s flyaway hairs, swallowing past the lump in her throat.

Billie looked up again just in time to catch Conrad’s eyes jerking away and back to his daughter.

“What are you doing here?” Gigi asked her father. “Where’s Uncle Devon?”

“Uncle Devon is at home with Aunt Leela,” Conrad said. “You made peach picking sound like so much fun I just had to come and try it myself.”

“It’s so much fun!” Gigi agreed with an excited wiggle that dislodged her from Billie’s coat. “I can show you how to find the best ones. Aunt Billie showed me last year.”

“Did she?” Conrad murmured. He glanced up at Billie through his lashes, a smile toying with his mouth.

Billie shrugged modestly. “A lifetime of practice.”

Gigi practically vibrated with energy in front of them. Billie bit her lip to hide her smile, and Conrad waved his daughter off.

“Go on,” he said. “Your old dad will only slow you down.”

Gigi rolled her eyes. “You’re not old, Daddy,” she said, but the words were called over her shoulder as she ran down the line of trees.

“Yeah, Dad,” Billie said. “You’re not old.”

“I feel old,” he said.

Conrad absently reached a hand up towards a low-hanging peach.

“Not that one,” Billie said.

Conrad looked at her, then glanced up at the peach, hand still hovering in the air. When his eyes met hers again, all humor had drained out of them. “Why not this one?”

The question meant something else to him. The shadow of seriousness had once again settled across his face. Under his scruffy beard, the corners of his mouth were turned down. His eyes had darkened to near black, his forehead had crinkled into crepe.

“It’s not ready yet,” she said quietly, eyes searching his face for any hint of what he was really asking.

At her words, his lips twitched upwards, and crinkles fanned out from the corners of his eyes. “How do you know when it’s ready?” he asked, voice gone gravelly again.

“All the green is gone,” she said, eyes trapped in his again. “And it’s just a little soft when you touch it.”

His hand closed the remaining distance to wrap around the peach and squeeze gently. His lips thinned as he pressed them together, but his eyes lightened to their normal brown.

“You’re right,” he said, eyes laughing now. “Still hard.”

“I told you,” she murmured. “I’m a peach expert.” Then she grinned at him. “That’s okay, though. There are plenty of peaches in the orchard.”

A tiny voice rang out down the line of trees, “Aunt Billie! I need the bag!”

“Coming,” she called back. She looked back at Conrad. “Try the one next to it.”

His eyebrows lifted, but he moved his hand to the next peach. She felt smug when he felt it, and she saw it register on his face. So smug, in fact, that a broad smirk spread across her face.

Something flashed behind his eyes as they met hers. Something that made her stomach dip and her toes tingle. And then he looked away, and her stomach dropped again at the feeling of rejection.

“Yep,” he said. “That’s ready.”

“Told ya,” she said over her shoulder as she walked towards Gigi. “Grab it, and let’s get a move on, Hawkins.”

“Billie.”

She glanced over her shoulder, not willing to give him all of her. But the look on his face had her turning completely back.

“What’s wrong?” she asked.

“We’re ok,” he said. It wasn’t a question.

She blinked. “Yes?” Hers was.

Determination settled over his features. She was used to this expression—had been since their first days as equally arrogant and outspoken interns at Chastain. Back when he had resented her for every breath she took and had to steel himself to even interact with her on the few occasions their patient load overlapped.

But this was a different Conrad, and she was a different Billie, and he was steeling himself for something else now.

“Last week…” He trailed off, hands finding his hips as if to brace himself. “You’ve been avoiding me,” he said instead of finishing whatever he had started about the week before.

“I haven’t,” she said.

And it was true. She had sought him out at work a few times, just wanting a chance to talk, catch up about their lives. She had picked Gigi up from daycare three times that week, and always passed her over to Conrad in the hospital lobby with light conversation and a dash of their usual teasing. Billie had made sure to follow up with him on the nightmares—still nothing new—and the cold he’d had three weeks before. They had talked. She had made sure of it.

He tilted his head, eyes calling her on the sidestep. “Outside of the hospital,” he stressed.

She hesitated. She hadn’t thought he had noticed. She had assumed he was distracted. She looked at the ground, eyebrows coming together as she wondered how to talk around this.

Despite AJ’s insistence that Conrad was in the dark, part of her was sure Conrad knew how she felt about him. He knew her too well not to have seen the change in her. They had come so close to discussing it so many times, always skirting around it with innuendo and metaphors that all amounted to the same thing: Billie wanted, and Conrad didn’t. For a long time, she had thought he was saying Not yet. But the night of Kit and Randolph’s engagement party, she had realized he had been saying You’re not the one.

Thoughts swirled through her mind. Possible answers presented themselves and then dissolved just as quickly. She was left with the truth—at least part of it. They talked about everything. They could talk about this.

“Touché,” she finally murmured. She sighed and turned to walk again. “I’m not avoiding you,” she said.

“Billie—” he started to say, with the infinite patience he had developed after becoming a father. Or maybe it had been before that, and Billie just wasn’t allowed to see that softness in him until he began letting her share Gigi.

“I’m not,” she stressed. “I just don’t know how to do this yet.”

“Do what?” he asked, voice a gentle murmur.

“You with a girlfriend,” she said.

Too close, a voice in her mind chided her. Too close to the truth.

He let out an awkward laugh. She rushed on so that she wouldn’t need to hear his response.

“It’s always been the three of us,” she said, gesturing at his daughter down the row of trees. “You, me, and Gigi.”

Gigi had lost interest in waiting for Billie to show up with the bag and was currently trying stuff a peach in the tiny pocket of her jean jacket. The little girl was going to be a sticky mess, and Billie felt a surge of affection—and gratitude that she had remembered to stash baby wipes in her glove box.

“Holidays,” Billie said. “Weekends. Movies and zoos and museums. We’ve always done it together, been together.”

“Right,” he said. “And Gigi loves that.”

“So do I,” Billie said.

“So do I,” he stressed.

On the surface, his deep voice was teasing, happy. But she could hear his confusion and frustration, too, and she stopped walking to face him.

“Conrad, it’s different now,” Billie said.

Is that too close to the truth? she wondered. But it was too late now. The words were floating between them, and the searching look was back on his face.

“Why is it different?” he asked.

“Conrad—”

“It’s not different,” he said, sidling closer to her. “Billie, you’re family.”

He moved slowly, as if scared she would shy away like a horse. And, for a moment, she hated how well he knew her. She did want to take a step back and away, use that distance as a buffer between her very bruised heart and this very sweet man. But he was being so vulnerable, and she knew it had to have been hard for him to bring this up. So, she steeled herself, too.

“I know,” she said. “You’re my family, too. But Cade deserves a chance to build a relationship with Gigi. And, if you think highly enough of her to bring her into Gigi’s life, then Gigi deserves that chance, too.”

Conrad’s mouth worked for a moment, as if this was the very last thing he had expected her to say. “And you think that can’t happen if we’re spending time together?”

Too close, she thought.

“I think us spending time together muddies things,” she said. She dropped her poker face and sighed, letting her own confusion be visible to him. “Don’t you think it does?”

He hesitated, appearing to struggle with something. She gave him almost a full minute, but no words left his mouth. She sighed again.

“I don’t know, Conrad. That’s what I meant when I said I don’t know how to do this yet.”

“You think I do?” he asked with a laugh. “This is weird as hell.”

She couldn’t help it—she burst into laughter. Delight lit up his face as he watched her.

“Are we as much of a mess as we feel?” Billie asked, turning to walk again.

“I think we have everyone else fooled,” he assured her. After a moment, he asked, “You feel like a mess?”

“Only about ninety-five percent of the time.”

“I never would have guessed.”

She shrugged, and a comfortable silence settled between them again. When they had wandered close enough, Gigi ran over, threw her armful of peaches in the bag, and ran off again without a word.

“Look,” Conrad said, voice barely more than a murmur. “Maybe you’re right. Maybe having you and me and Gigi spend time together while she gets to know Cade isn’t the right move. Thank you for thinking of it. I should have.”

She nodded. She hadn’t realized until this moment that she had been hoping he would argue with her. Hoping he would tell her that he couldn’t do that, that their time together with Gigi meant too much to him. Hoping he would tell her he had been wrong to choose Cade.

Stop it, her brain ordered.

“But Billie…” He paused to take a deep breath. “You’re her favorite person.”

She knew what he was saying and suddenly understood what his real worry was. “I will always be there for Gigi,” she assured him. “And she knows that.”

Relief eased his brow. “She does, right?”

Billie let herself press closer into him, wrapping her fingers around his forearm and squeezing gently. “She does.”

“Can we just figure it out together?”

Startled, her head jerked in response. Not a nod, but not a head shake either. Not a yes, and not a no. Just confusion.

“You’ve helped me figure out all this parenting stuff,” he said, a wry grin toying with his mouth and crinkling his eyes. “You can’t abandon me now.”

Her fingers tightened on his skin. “Never.” She tried to make the word light-hearted, but her breath caught in her throat.

“I thought…” He trailed off with a nervous laugh. He’d been laughing that way a lot recently.

“You thought what?” she asked, curious.

“That you were avoiding me.”

He was obfuscating again. That wasn’t what he had been about to say. But she didn’t call him on it.

“So you said. Why would you think that?”

“Because… you were avoiding me?” he asked.

She shoved lightly against his shoulder. “I just told you I wasn’t.”

“But it looked that way,” he said, slightly defensive.

“You’re my best friend, Conrad,” she said. “I’m never going to avoid you.”

It was the first time she had said the words to him—“best friend.” The second time she had said it out loud to anyone, actually.

“You’re my best friend, too,” he said, blowing past it and not catching how much the words meant to her. “Which is why I was in a panic and trying to figure out a way to fix this.”

“Is that what today’s surprise visit was about?” she asked him, glancing sideways at his profile.

He didn’t look at her. But she could see his lips twitch under his scruffy beard. “Maybe I wanted you to remember how much fun we have.”

Her heart skipped a beat. “We do,” she agreed. “Always.”

“Good.” He cleared his throat. “So, where are we going for lunch?”

“Oh, you’re joining for lunch now, too?”

“You’re going to make me haul seven tons of peaches around and not feed me?” he asked, eyes wide in shock. “Monster.”

She swallowed her giggle. “Fair point. I was planning to take Gigi to Cierra’s.”

“Barbecue,” Conrad said, genuine surprise on his face.

Billie rolled her eyes. “I’m not all tea sandwiches and white linen tablecloths.”

“Who are you, and what have you done with Billie Sutton?”

She bumped her shoulder into his.

“Kidding,” Conrad murmured. “I wonder if we can get Gigi to sweet talk Cierra into grilling up some of our peaches.”

Billie drew in a quiet breath and slipped her arm through his elbow. “Yes. You’re brilliant. Grilled peaches are my favorite.”

“Yeah,” he said in a low rumble. His eyes were light and happy and affectionate. “I know.”

#the resident #conradbillie #cobillie #conllie #billie sutton #billie x conrad #conrad x billie #gigi hawkins #fanfic

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sunlighttbabe · 3 years ago

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How I'm managing to organise my life and achieve my goals

A year and a half ago, I was a mess. I didn't have any hobbies or anything I was passionate about, not even my degree excited me. I failed 6 courses out of 10.

This year, I managed to pass all of my courses, achive an A1 level in japanese, start reading, painting and writing, learn programming in LaTeX and Python, and do a research project in astrophysics. I am nowhere near being brilliant or smart, but this system has helped me a lot:

1. First of all, I write all of my life goals. Everything I'd like to achive or do, from writing a book to buying a house. I write every little thing, as unrealistic as they sound.

2. From those life goals, I make a list of yearly goals. Not all of your life goals might be realistic at the time (maybe you don't plan on buying a house until you finish your degree, for example), so just write the ones that are doable for your next year. This goals have to be a bit more especific and they have to take you closer to your life goals in the long term. For example, if you plan on publishing a book, your yearly goal might be to write your first draft, or take a writing course.

3. Then, having my goals for the year, I break them down into monthly goals. Some of them might be reserved for the summer, or for a specific month. I only plan in more detail the following month. From the book example, a monthly goal could be to write a certain number of pages or write the outline of the novel.

4. Now, I write my daily and weekly goals for that next month. These ones have to be VERY specific. I first make a weekly routine, where I put everything I need to get done each day: on mondays and wednesdays I workout for an hour, on tuesdays I practice piano for 20 minutes, everyday I read for half an hour, etc. I try to make each day of the week balanced and also write quantifiable goals.

5. When you have organised your entire life, there comes the easier part: to-do lists. I use a calendar where I write for each day some other stuff I need to get done. Appoinments, uni stuff, trips, etc. For instance, I usually have a lot to do for my uni courses and I have to study daily. What I do is organise all the work in my calendar, making sure each day is not packed with stuff (if I have homework for different classes, I try to do each in a different day of the week). Now, each day you check your schedule for that day of the week AND also your calendar, and make a to-do list for the day. This way, on each day you only have to check the things you already wrote and foccus on DOING THEM, and not thinking about what you should do (which takes a lot of energy). With this small daily effort, you will get ahead on many things. Also, when I have to do lots of stuff (in exams season for example), I sometimes write my to-do's down by the hour, so that I can't even get distracted.

#sunlighttbabe #study tips #studyblr #studyspo #university #productivity #organization #school #success

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exosmutfactory · 3 years ago

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Six Phases FINALE Pt 1

Originally posted by sefuns

Who knew it nearly took 6 months to win your heart, and 6 phases for Baekhyun to lose his mind.

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 P(1) P(2) | Part 4 P(1) P(2) | Part 5 P(1) P(2) | Part 6 P(1) P(2) —– P(3) P(4) —– P(5) P(6) ||| ♬♩♪♩ FINALE P(1)✓ P(2) (also on AFF)

networks — @supermwritersnet @/bbh-net

pairing — Baekhyun x Riley (OC)

word count — 28k+ (Finale part 1 - [19k] & 2 - [9k])

genre — ceo! baekhyun, playboy! baekhyun, strangers to lovers, hurt & comfort (heaven knows they need that comfort), slow burn! kinda

[ contains: angst, fluff, smut ]

A/N: Buckle up, loves. Here comes a long one. ♡ Let’s go! (^-^)

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

⏰🌹Six Phases Tag List: 🌹⏰

@to-all-the-stories-i-love @insta1010 @sorrowinblood @bellamendoza @bbhflrt @weirdoome

I was unable to tag one of you so I’ll DM you from @candyfizzbyun 💗💗💗

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

July is upon us before we know it, bringing forth more of the summer's blazing sunlight and smothering heat. Jenny's birthday is right around the corner, merely 3 days into the hottest month of the year. There's no wonder why she's throwing a party in a venue that has both a beautiful indoors and outdoors setting. The breezy summer-style dress code for the event is a given—and I plan to crash it with my wintry flare.

It's July 3rd, 90 degrees, and I'm strutting down the stone path leading up to the venue in a two piece velvet outfit. The wine color compliments my skin, hugging my body in all the right places. Between the bra-shaped, crop top that ties in the back and my waist-high pants with high slits to reveal my nude colored heels underneath, I feel like the baddest and sexiest woman up in this bitch.

"Riley!" Jenny beams the moment I step through the door, looking stunning in her light blue dress. It's a plain form-fitting dress, but nothing is simple about her wearing it. The light blue material goes well with the ocean hue of her eyes. The sleeveless, spaghetti-strapped fabric that wraps around her beautifully is the shortest dress I've ever seen on her—and Jongdae should feel like the luckiest man alive to see her like this all the time.

Her makeup is done perfectly, highlighting the softness of her round face and sharpening the gaze in her oval eyes. She nearly runs someone over when she comes barreling my way in her black heels with a drink in her hand.

I laugh at her excitement, accepting her hug without hesitation. "Hey, Jen."

"Hey," She smiles, pulling back a little to look at me. "You're early."

A little grin forms on my face; if only she knew. "I didn't want to risk any traffic jams," I explain, smiling more. She's practically buzzing with happiness.

"Ah," She nods, pursing her lips. "Maybe I should have chose a different time-"

"Hey," I place my hand on her shoulder, giving her a look. "Relax. Everything will be fine."

She sighs but nods, her owl-shaped, dangling-earrings sparkling prettily under the warm lights. "I hope no one else gets stuck."

"They won't," I shake my head, adding cheekily, "Especially Chanyeol, he drives like a madman."

"That big oaf," She mutters, a smile back on her face. Her blue eyes meet mine before she takes my hands between hers. "Come, I want to introduce you to someone."

"Oh?" I inquire, raising a brow as she leads me further into the venue. "This isn't one of those matchmaking situations is it?"

"No. Fuck men." She immediately rebukes, fire burning in her eyes. "I'm not dealing with anyone's bullshit. Not on my day."

"Damn straight," I mumble, amused at the disgruntled expression on her face. Jenny and Jongdae are back together—if you can call their last fight a breakup. Witnessing him show up on their doorstep with her favorite chocolate and a new plant to add to their home was a sight to see. He must have done something else for her to react this way though. I can't help but chuckle. Half a year later and he is still tiptoeing around her. That Haneul must be someone significant. My lips downturn at the thought.

"Eunjung! Eunjung!" Jenny's loud voice brings me back to the present. "Ugh, where is that woman?" She grumbles, searching the extravagant room. More partygoers are starting to stream in, filling up the building with every shade of the rainbow and then some. My eyes drift over to the fruit buffet on the long tables in the back when Jenny's eyes widen. "There she is!" She smiles, leading me over to the mini bar on the other side of the room.

I follow her line of sight, my heart dropping in the blink of an eye. It's the same woman I've been seeing around Baekhyun since May. Her once long black hair is now a short brown mohawk, the curly ends perfectly framing her oval shaped face.

"Eunjung, this is Riley." Jenny smiles, gesturing to me. "The wild child I've told you about," She jokes.

"Hello," Eunjung greets in a low voice, smiling warmly. She holds out her hand to me. "I've heard so much about you."

I can only shake her hand and smile back, glaring at Jenny out of the corner of my eye when Eunjung is distracted by the bartender bringing her a drink. "Nice to meet you."

Jenny takes a seat while I survey the room, making sure there aren't any heads of silver hair around. Jongin won't be coming tonight, he's busy preparing dance classes for the elementary students that he'll teach for the upcoming school year, so I keep my head on a swivel. As much as I consider Jenny one of my best friends, her ties with a certain someone cannot be ignored after what happened the last time we went to a party.

"How's Miss Eunae?" Jenny's question catches my attention, pulling me back into their conversation.

"She won second place in a dance competition last month."

"Really?!" Jenny gasps and I stiffen.

"Yeah, I couldn't make it." Eunjung smiles sadly, swirling the melting ice in her drink. "Thankfully her girlfriend could. And Baekhyun too."

"Wait," I interrupt, feeling wary when both their eyes focus on me. "You have a twin?"

"Yes. About my height, long black hair." Eunjung sets down her empty glass on the counter. "You might have seen her around before, that woman can't sit still to save her life."

"She has a girlfriend?"

Eunjung and Jenny share a brief, knowing glance before turning back to me. "Yes." Eunjung smiles.

I clear my throat, avoiding their dancing eyes. "Good for her."

"They've been together since high school." Jenny nudges me, a shit eating grin on her face.

"I'll be surprised if they marry before you and Jongdae though," Eunjung raises her hand to get the bartender's attention again. "Chaeyoung is always working overseas."

My chest vibrates. I pull my phone out of my secret breast pocket, tuning out the rest of their conversation.

Sat, 07/03 - 7:30pm

Heartbreaker 😑💔😄

Y'all ready?

Earth shaker 😝💞😊

Ready as I'll ever be!

Heartbreaker 😑💔😄

Kyungsoo?

Cake master 🤗🍰🙏🏼

You owe me for this shit

♡ ♡ ♡ R ♡ ♡ ♡

I promise to help you bake in his place

…

As long as Dae and Yeol pick up the groceries :')

Cake master 🤗��🙏🏼

Chanyeol delivers and Jongdae unpacks

I don't trust his clumsy ass anywhere near my produce

♡ ♡ ♡ R ♡ ♡ ♡

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Heartbreaker 😑💔😄

😂

Earth shaker 😝💞😊

Hey!

♡ ♡ ♡ R ♡ ♡ ♡

Ready guys?

Cake master 🤗🍰🙏🏼

Yes

Heartbreaker 😑💔😄

Yeah

Earth shaker 😝💞😊

Mmhm >:(

♡ ♡ ♡ R ♡ ♡ ♡

Let's go 🤫🎂🚚💨✨🥰

I can't help but chuckle, pocketing my phone. When I look up, Jenny is the only one sitting at the counter. "Hey," I frown, noticing the sad look on her face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," She mumbles.

"Come on," I rest my hand on her arm, trying to catch her eye. "I can't let the birthday girl mope. You can tell me."

A smile quirks at her lips. "I just…" She sighs, turning to me. "I can't believe Jongdae is busy with work today."

"Awe," mimicking her poked out bottom lip, I nudge her softly. "Well, I guess you're just stuck with me—Deal with it."

"Riley!"

I burst out into laughter, back hugging her when she playfully pushes me away. "Hey, don't lose hope, yeah? He might surprise you."

"No he won't," She mumbles, full on pouting now. "He never surprises me."

"Well," Making eye contact with a certain mischievous brunette on the other side of the room, I tap her shoulder. "Maybe that will change today."

Jenny turns her head and gasps, leaping off of her bar stool. "Chanyeol? Kyungsoo? Jongdae?!?!?!?!"

Everyone in the room watches on with smiles on their faces, but Jongdae's is the brightest of all. "Hey, babe," He beams, opening his arms.

Jenny sprints over to him, colliding so hard with his body that she almost sends them both to the floor. But Jongdae takes it all in stride, holding her close while bellowing that signature laugh of his.

Smiling at them, I quickly walk over to help Kyungsoo and Chanyeol roll in the food cart. "Hey guys, everything okay?"

"We made it all in one piece," Kyungsoo mutters, glancing at the tall dome plate cover. "The cake too."

"Three different chocolates?"

"Mmhm."

"Perfectly symmetrical?"

"Yep," Yeol chimes in.

I grin, "She's going to love it."

"She's going to love you, you mean." Chanyeol sets his shining eyes on me. "How did you even know all this?"

I give him a small, secretive smile, "I have my resources." His grin only widens. "Did the gifts come in today?"

Kyungsoo nods, "Right on time."

"The delivery man showed up just as we were packing the cake into the back of the truck," Chanyeol chuckles, nearly tripping over the edge of a carpet. Kyungsoo and I look at him with our respective wide and narrowed eyes.

"Huh," I purse my lips, nodding in approval. "Now that is some high class two-day shipping." They both hum in agreement, Kyungsoo straightening out the table cloth before they begin to set the cake onto the round table.

"You guys good?" I look between them when they succeed in placing it down. Thank god for that; if that cake falls to the floor that's all our necks.

Kyungsoo nods, "Go on." He gives me a look that's hard to identify. "He's coming too."

"Oh," My heart leaps at the thought. Oh. Shit. He's coming. I should have expected as much, but to actually hear it makes it ten times more real... Shit. "I-Imma just…" I point behind me to the backdoor, slowly walking backward. "You know."

They nod, Chanyeol's eyes holding a hint of sadness. "It's okay. We got everything covered."

"Thank you," I breathe, smiling apologetically. Spinning on my heel, I hurry as fast as my high heels allow to the door. With one last glance back to make sure Jenny is okay, I slip out into the summer night.

Music from within the venue spreads out into the backyard, but it's much quieter out here. I survey the area, making sure no one else is around. Not that I am against anyone being outside, I've just had enough social interaction for one evening… and the night has barely begun.

Sighing to myself, I walk further out onto the patio, my lips quirking up at the light blue cushions on the chairs. Jenny planned this event to the Tee, huh? I chuckle, sighing softly.

The deck is a nice light gray shade, contrasting against the black base of the table and lounge chairs. Running my eyes over them, I hum, choosing to lean against the table instead.

Pain buds in my chest when my thoughts wander. I shouldn't care—I really shouldn't but… Even after everything. Even after all this time, it hurts to think of him with anyone else. The thought of him holding someone in his arms, in his home, in his heart… It crushes me to the core. It eats me up on the inside. It keeps me up at night.

I shouldn't care, yet every time I hear his name, every time I see his face... I go back to that January night, and I regret it every single time.

No matter how hard I try, my head is constantly full of 'what ifs.' What if I stayed? What if he was willing to change? What would we be right now if I hadn't walked away?

I love—I loved Baekhyun with all my heart…

Can I really move on from this? Will I ever wake up one day and not imagine his sleeping face next to mine?

He could still have someone already for all I know, but for tonight… I rather tell myself that he is alone.

Leaning my elbows on the patio table, I watch the sunset, admiring the pink and orange hues streaking across the blue sky.

"You're staring."

"I love admiring art."

"So I'm an object now?"

The unmistakable love in his sparkly brown eyes… "You are the source," He pauses, holding my heart in his warm smile, "Of my love and affection."

My heart squeezes in earnest. God… why does this hurt so much? Why do his words linger in my mind and actions take hold of my heart? When will it end? When will it fucking end—

"Miss?" A low, raspy voice startles me.

I spin around, staring at the culprit with narrowed eyes. They widen as I take in the man in front of me.

The first thing I notice is his sharp jawline, leading up to his thin lips that curl up at the ends, reminding me a little of Jongdae. My eyes trail up further, taking in his tall nose with a rounded tip, his prominent cheekbones and narrow eyebrows. His slicked back, brown hair shows his broad forehead, and then—

His eyes…

They are the darkest shade of brown that I've ever seen, their almond shape perfectly suiting the rest of his face. They appear black in the dim light of the setting sun. Looking into them has me feeling many things, wondering what story those dark pools of molten hot coffee hold.

"Are you alright?" He asks, his low voice in a husky tone that I'm slowly getting used to hearing… until I feel the drop that lands on my cheek.

"Oh—yeah!" I inwardly curse, hastily rubbing the tear from my cheek. "I-It's just, you know... allergies."

He nods and I cringe on the inside because I know he can tell that I'm completely bullshitting him right now. "What are you doing out here?" He inquires, tilting his head. His tone of voice isn't judging or hostile, it's more… caring. And sweet. I wish I could read his eyes though...

"Needed a breather," I shrug, repositioning myself in a more attractive manner. I am not about to let some stranger see me hanging out back here like a socially awkward potato on top of everything else—I refuse. "You?"

"Business call," He murmurs distractedly, repocketing his vibrating phone.

"Oh," I inwardly roll my eyes. Right. As if I don't have enough business men in my life.

"The Tech team found a corrupted file," He sighs, checking his expensive gold watch. "They don't know how bad it is yet… The film might have to be delayed."

Film? I perk up at that. "You help film movies?"

He smiles, glancing up at me, a lock of hair falling over his eye. "I'm the director."

A very casual one at that; I note, taking in his outfit. He's decked out in a light blue denim jacket and a white t-shirt, but I know those aren't cheap. Nope, I've seen enough of Baekhyun's cotton shirts to—

"What's the theme?" I blurt out, curling my hand into a fist as I lean further back on the table. "Classified information?" I raise a brow, smirking at his speechless face.

"Aish…" He closes his mouth, smiling a little. "Something like that."

"Eh," I shrug, smiling softly. "I can respect that."

The temperature suddenly starts to drop. A chilly wind blows, ruffling the ends of his hair. The scent of something I haven't encountered before reaches my nose. Bourbon and vanilla; citrus and peach... It's hard to describe, but it creates an aroma that catches my attention.

"What's your name?" I tilt my head, my eyes widening at the sparkle that reflects in his dark eyes from the last rays of the setting sun.

His eyes widen before he points to himself. "Me?"

"Who else, silly?" I laugh, holding back a snort, a smile tugging at my lips at the sheepish look on his face. He's pretty cute, I'll give him that.

He clears his throat, looking away. "Jackson."

I fight back my smile seeing how flustered he is. "I'm Riley." A thought occurs to me for a moment… What is a business man—director doing here? This is an invitation-only event, and I helped Jenny painstakingly arrange the guest list... "How do you know Jenny?"

"Hmm?" Jackson blinks, flickering his eyes back to mine. "Oh!" He laughs, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's an old friend."

"Oh," My eyes narrow in the last rays of sunlight.

"We kept in contact after her and Yugyeom split," He explains, and the apologetic expression on his face has my eyes widening again. Did he just see through me? Uh—Wait.

"Oh my god, Yugyeom?—Kim Yugyeom?"

"Yes…" He trails off, looking me over carefully. "Do you know him?"

Do I know him? My reddening cheeks are enough of an explanation. "Not really," I laugh awkwardly, standing up fully. Alright, I've had enough human interaction for today. Between him, the discovery of Eunjung's twin not seeing Baekhyun, meeting someone who is friends with that tall guy I was drooling over months ago, and having to keep Jenny's birthday surprise a secret all week, I'm drained. Time to go—

A crack of thunder echoes across the sky, and then the bottom drops, rain drenching us in seconds.

Well shit… Did none of us check the weather for today? I rack my brain for answers, trying to remember—oh... Oh. Jenny… likes… thunderstorms…

The rain continues to pour, soaking my velvet outfit and flattening my hair without remorse. It won't melt me, but the venue is a city away from Seoul and if I don't hurry home now...

"Well!" I turn away to hide the bitter smile on my face, pushing off of the slippery table. "Time for me to go. Nice meeting you, Jackson."

"Wait-"

I puff up my cheeks, blowing the air out as my hair sticks messily to my forehead. Fighting the urge to brush it back is difficult, but if there's one thing I know about my hair when it's wet, it's the agony that comes with ruffling it up. I rather not cry while detangling it when it's air dried later—

A yank on my arm makes me yelp, my head slamming into something hard when thunder cracks across the sky again, followed by the horrifying crackle of lightning. My head snaps up, eyes squinting against the onslaught of rain. I can barely make out Jackson's face, his features twisted in concern with his hair mattered to his forehead like a mop. The sheer amount of fear in his wide eyes has me more than confused. I take a look around, my heart stopping right in its tracks.

The doorknob of the back door sizzles, steam floating from it in a cloud of smoke. The crack from a lightning bolt visible as the rain washes the spark away.

My face pales when I look back up at the man in front of me.

Jackson steps back, steading me with his hands on my arms when my knees buckle. "Sorry," He clears his throat. "I tried to warn you but-"

"Thank you," I mumble, moving away when I find my balance again. "That could have been…" My head spins at the thought, "Bad."

He nods with a concerned frown, worry written all over his handsome features.

"...Well!" I clear my throat, giving him a small smile. "Thanks again for saving me, stranger." I joke, my eyes shooting down when I feel something rough shielding my shoulders from the rain. "Oh-" They snap back up to meet his, "You don't have to-"

"Keep it." He shakes his head, placing his denim jacket fully on my shoulders. "You're shivering."

"I…" My face is so hot the rain does nothing to cool me down. "Thank you."

Jackson smiles, shoving his hands into his pockets. "No problem." He starts walking backwards, glancing up at the sky before propping open the back door with his leather boot.

"Wait!" I blurt, blushing all the way up to my ears when he looks back at me, having to raise my voice over the unmerciful wind. "H-How will I return it without your number?"

A shy yet boyish grin forms on his face. "Not here."

"Huh?" I blink.

Jackson smiles even more, holding the door open before giving a little bow and outstretching his hand to me. "Ladies first."

A dozen thoughts race through my head while looking at his waiting hand, the action so familiar my heart tugs painfully in my chest. Smiling my prettiest smile, I place my palm in his.

•••

I forgot how refreshing it is to talk to someone new. Stepping out of my comfort zone to get to know a person outside of my friend group—an attractive person at that.

Texting Jackson is a treat. He's a man of high intellect, giving me great advice with years of director experience under his belt. The most shocking thing is that he is only 24—24! Two years older than me. He breaks my dating rule of pursuing anyone less than 4 years older than me, but his maturity makes up for it. Age doesn't define maturity as I have come to realize after a certain someone.

He's super sweet too. We haven't been able to see each other in person since Jenny's party last month, but a day hasn't gone by where we haven't texted. And boy does he text—the most flustering things that is. Jackson has a way with words that makes my heart squeeze in giddiness and me hide behind my hand while peeking at my screen.

He laughs at all of my jokes; he sends good morning and goodnight texts without fail. If nothing else, he is a great conversationalist who would make an even better companion, and I can't wait to see him again. I have a denim jacket hanging up in my closet to return, after all.

A knock on my office door brings me back to the present. I blink a few times, carefully reading over the email I've been working on for the past 20 minutes. "Come in," I permit, glancing at the time. The sight that greets me on the other side of the door when it opens stops my typing in its tracks.

Ms. Kim Eun, the newly appointed book editor, steps into the room, setting off my internal warning signals. Her outfit matches the company dress code, that isn't the problem here. No, it's the sheer amount of dread, sorrow, and fear coming off of her shuffling body in waves. "You asked to see me, Ma'am?" She inquires in the most broken of tones. A fragility I know very well.

"Yes." Saving my progress on the computer, I beckon her over with a reassuring smile. "Please, have a seat."

She slowly walks further into the room, sitting down in one of the leather chairs.

"Ms. Kim," I start as tentatively and professionally as possible, lacing my fingers together on top of my desk. "It has come to my attention that you have been behind on editing the book."

"Oh..." She mumbles, fidgeting with the purse in her lap. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

"I understand you might have other obligations and factors outside of work," I continue, reading her steadily panicking face like a book, "But we don't have a lot of time to get this novel done. We're on a tight schedule here."

"C-Can…" Her eyes lift from the purse in her hands, still holding onto it for dear life. "Can you do it for me?" She whispers.

I let out a short laugh. "No." Her eyes shake as my face hardens. "You were appointed as editor 3 weeks ago, correct?"

She nods, fear glimmering in her wide eyes.

"Your job is to edit the book," I remind her, my lips pressed into a thin line. "That's what you get paid for, that's your responsibility."

"But-"

"If I could do it myself, I wouldn't need to hire you." Her bottom lip starts to tremble; she's about to break. "If you can't do the job, I'm going to need you to put in your 2 weeks," I slide the slip of paper across the desk, "In early. Unless you can get half of the book done by Friday."

"T-That's only 3 days," She gasps, her voice wavering. "I can't-"

"You've had nearly a month in advance to work on it as an Intern." My voice lowers, "I'm sure you have plenty of time to catch up in-"

"I can't!" She wails loudly, hiding her face in her hands. "I-I'm not qualified for this position. I'm just a high school graduate with inside connections." She sobs, the dam of her built up emotions spilling over. "I didn't even finish English 12 with an A."

My clenched jaw ticks. I know she isn't faking it; she's been off for the past two weeks. It's her lack of sharing this important information that is getting to me. If she isn't qualified to take over the editing position, why the hell is she—my eyes widen and then narrow. Mrs. Park.

Looking at Eun, I finally understand. Her bowed head, slouched shoulders, and quiet hiccups dawning on me as clear as day.

"My boyfriend c-cheated on me with my best friend." She croaks sorrowfully. "He said that I deserved it, t-that I made him do it from working late all the time." She runs a hand through her hair, laughing brokenly, her tears leaving a trail of inky black mascara in their wake. "My editing isn't good anyway."

Reaching across the desk, I offer her my box of tissues. "I know how you feel," I mutter, keeping my voice even. "You feel lost, broken and tossed aside as if a part of you is gone." She nods, sniffling while smearing the makeup under her eye. "You ask yourself how you will ever move on from it." Leaving the box on the edge of the desk, I meet her eyes again. "But you will move on." The conversation I had with Jongin in the studio that day comes to mind, quirking a small smile on my lips. "You will wake up one day and not think of them. As long as you want to. You shouldn't stay stuck on someone who has hurt you."

Tucking the resignation document into a drawer, I turn my sleeping computer back on. "You are worth more than how they've treated you, but you have to decide that for yourself."

"O-Okay," Eun sniffles, wiping her face. A couple tissues fall out of her hand, but her tears have stopped.

"Good." I lean back into my rollable leather chair with a stretch, smiling softly. "Let's settle this. Make me a list of your strengths and weaknesses."

Her wide eyes snap back up to mine. "I-"

"Now."

"Damn, Kyungsoo, how many of these cakes do you need in a day?" I sigh, my hands cramping up. We've been at it for hours, baking desserts at his restaurant because today is a national holiday. Funny how he let all his workers take the day off and here I am handling enough flour to make me sneeze in Jongdae's place.

Kyungsoo doesn't even look up at me, continuing to knead the dough in his hands. "I'd give an estimate but I don't want to overwhelm you."

I'd dramatically flop down into a chair if I wasn't molding a ball of my own dough, so I just groan instead. "You're killing me over here."

"Who offered to help me bake in Jongdae's place?" He raises a brow, shaping the churro in his hands with precession.

"It was all for the good of Jenny's last minute birthday cake!" I whine, starting to place a hand over my heart until I remember the torment I went through last time I got cake batter on this floral shirt. "Have you no heart?" I pout, giving him puppy eyes.

Kyungsoo slowly raises his head and I quickly get back to shaping the fancy doughnut in my hands without a word.

"So," I clear my throat, smiling sheepishly. "Did Dae and Yeol deliver everything okay?"

"They were late." Kyungsoo neatly arranges his perfectly shaped churros onto a tray, sliding them into the preheated oven. "Any later and the milk would have gone bad."

"Yikes," I wince, reaching to rub the back of my head only to pause mid-way, stopped by the wet flour sticking to my hand. "I should have helped more."

"Chanyeol would have slowed down to not give you motion sickness and then the cheese would have gone bad too." He points out.

"You sound a bit grumpy today," I note softly, glancing over at him again. "Did Chanyeol do something?" Kyungsoo starts another row of churros, staring blankly at me as he almost crushes the long sticks in his hands. "Okay, okay! I'll drop it, no need for the third degree. Spare the churro's life, please..."

"I'm going to ban him from my restaurant, I swear." He grumbles under his breath.

"At least he offered to help," I mumble, setting the last doughnut onto the non-stick pan. "How many more you got for me?" I ask, dusting off my hands.

Kyungsoo comes over to take the tray off of the counter. "None."

I raise a brow. "That's it?"

"No," He slides it in with the baking churros. "I'm sending you home."

I frown, "Why?"

"You're loud, chatty and keep dripping flour all over my floor." He deadpans. "And you're falling asleep."

Gawking at him for a few moments all I can do is huff. "I am not-"

"You're gonna get cake batter in your hair."

I flinch, putting my hand down at once. "Are you really kicking me out right now?" I mumble, blowing annoying strands of hair out of my eyes.

"You're fired." He wipes his clean hands with a towel and walks back over to turn on the sink for me. "Now go home and sleep."

"I don't even work here!"

He gives me a look.

"Alright, alright," I mutter, scrubbing flour from under my nails. "Fine. I'll be out of your hair-"

The chime on the door of the restaurant rings, capturing my attention. I crane my neck around to see who the hell is coming in here when there's obviously a "CLOSED" sign out front and it's freaking 9pm. My face pales at the black baseball cap and leather jacket figure stumbling through the door. I tug on the sleeve of the busy man next to me. Um, Kyungsoo-

They pull their hat off before they reach the middle of the restaurant, revealing a familiar flushed face and unmistakable silver hair.

Oh fuck no.

"I'm sorry I'm late, Kyungsoo," He mumbles, his head down while approaching the counter. "I got held up at the office and the traffic was-" His head snaps up just as I contemplate ducking out of view. "R-Riley…?" He whispers, his face paling. He looks like he's seen a ghost and I can't imagine I'm doing any better.

"You're late." Kyungsoo deadpans, busying himself with washing the used baking trays and utensils in the sink.

"I…" Baekhyun steps closer and I feel like I'm going to throw up. My heart isn't in my throat at this point, it's somewhere lost between my nose and my gag reflex.

"Have you been drinking?" Kyungsoo finally looks up from the spatula in his hands, his eyes narrowing at the lack of response.

Baekhyun's red face glows brighter under the harsh kitchen lights. He purses his lips, "No-"

"Where's your car?" Kyungsoo demands. "I'm not letting you drive."

"Kyungsoo, I'm fine," He rolls back on the heels of his feet, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. "You have an important client coming in tomorrow-"

"I don't care who the hell is coming tomorrow." Kyungsoo cuts him off, full-on glaring at him now. His normally calm voice growing deeper with anger by the second. "I'm not letting you drive-"

"I'll take him home," I mumble, shrinking in on myself when both their eyes snap over to me.

Kyungsoo frowns, "Riley-"

"I'm taking him home, Kyungsoo." I cross my arms, shaking my head at the disapproving expression on his stern face. "You have a huge event tomorrow, you sent your staff home, and your kitchen is covered in cake batter," I list off of my fingers, daring him to say another word. "His apartment is on the whole other side of town. I think we both know what's the best course of action here."

Kyungsoo stands there silently for a long moment, but I don't back down, merely arching a brow. "Are you sure you'll be alright?" He softens, not even acknowledging the other man in the room.

"Yeah." I smile, uncrossing my arms. "I know I'm a disaster with a knife but I know how to drive, Kyungsoo. You got to give me some credit here."

"Alright," He chuckles, smiling a little before shifting his eyes back to the man on the other side of the counter. "Don't cause her any trouble, you hear me?"

Baekhyun's dazed eyes widen, "I-"

"If you mess with a single hair on her head," Kyungsoo continues, lifting the butcher knife in his hands. "Say goodbye to your kids."

"I-I won't fucking!" Baekhyun tangles a hand in his messy hair, sucking in a deep breath. "I'm walking home."

"Oh no you aren't," I rebuke, rounding the counter.

He grits his teeth, spinning around on his heel, "I'm-"

"Yah, Baekhyun." Kyungsoo's deep voice cuts through the air.

Baekhyun freezes up, looking over his shoulder with wide eyes. "Y-Yes?-"

"Take this." Kyungsoo starts, slamming a couple bags full of food to his chest. "Shut the fuck up and let Riley take you home."

"I-" Baekhyun shakes his head, "I can still catch the bus. There's no need-" His face drains of color when he meets Kyungsoo's eyes again. If looks could kill, he'd be 6 feet under.

Kyungsoo turns back to me then, "If he gives you a hard time, call me, okay?"

"Yes, Kyungsoo," I immediately agree, fearful of his sour mood as well. Note to self: angry Kyungsoo is scarier than angry Jongin.

"Good," He grumbles but smiles, patting my arm before walking back to the kitchen. "I'll save some of the churros for you."

"Thank you!" I beam at him, waving until he walks into the backroom. My smile doesn't fade, my cheeks starting to hurt until I feel a certain someone's stare on the back of my head. Oh shit.

Slowly turning around, I drag my eyes up to look into the most beautiful puppy eyes in the world, my heart going into overdrive.

"Hey," Baekhyun whispers.

A sad smile quirks on my lips, "Hi." Sighing a little, I take a look around, hanging up my apron and retrieving my hidden purse from the back of a chair at one of the extravagant dining tables. "Let's go."

Baekhyun nods, following me out of the restaurant. I open the door and hold it for him until he reaches the doorstep. We may not be on good terms, but that doesn't mean I'll just let a door slam in his face.

…

I most definitely should have let that door slam in his face.

Shaking off my aggressive thoughts, I take a deep breath and power walk to my car, shivering in the cold wind. It's the middle of July and a tropical storm has blown in, bringing its cold rains and chilling nights with it. Trust Seoul to have these extreme temperature changes, I should have kept my ass back in the South.

Baekhyun doesn't say a word as we make it to my red Porsche. I unlock the car when we are a few feet away, rolling my keys around my fingers. "Hop in, Byun."

He climbs into the passenger seat and by now the silence is killing me, but I shove it down. I'm here to drive him home and that's it. No more, no less.

Sighing inwardly, I settle into the driver's seat. "Buckle up," I mutter, looking at him out of the corner of my eye. "You may be more likely to survive a car crash in your drunken stupor but I sure as hell am not getting a fine for your ass."

I swear I hear him mutter, "of course," under his breath.

"What was that?" I pointedly widen my eyes, looking directly at him.

"Nothing." He grumbles, keeping his eyes facing forward.

"I thought so," Making sure he's strapped securely and checking my rearview mirror, I stick the key into the ignition and pull out of the parking lot.

Driving to Baekhyun's apartment feels so surreal, for many reasons. Never in our relation—our previous relationship have I driven him anywhere. I never dared to get behind the wheel of his Audi, that car is too expensive. If I had wrecked it and looked at the cost to fix or replace it, combined with the look of pure rage that would be on his face from me crashing his baby, I would die. Bad blood or not, I rather not be on Baekhyun's bad side.

My heartbeat picks up the longer the car ride goes on. Fuck, it's getting harder to breathe. I literally have the biggest problem to ever walk into my life right next to me months after I swore to never speak to him again. Why did I agree to this? What was I thinking?

No. No time for that, I'm going to drop him off at his apartment and continue moving on with my life. That's why I left him in the first place.

"...Riley?" He speaks up a few streets away from his house, his voice the softest I've heard in a while.

Nope. Don't engage. I tighten my grip on the steering wheel.

"Can… Can we talk?" He continues, sounding sadder by the minute. "Please?"

"We're ten minutes away, Baekhyun."

"I…" The bags rustle in his lap as he sighs. "I knew this would happen."

"What?" I glance sharply at him at the next red light.

Baekhyun looks down at his hands with the most pitiful expression on his face, tears building in the corners of his eyes under the bright city lights. "I knew you would hate me."

Oh my fucking—My heart squeezes painfully in my chest. I want to roll my eyes and launch myself out of the car window at the same time. "Stop bringing it up, Byun." I mutter, focusing back on the road. "It's a thing of the past. Let it die there."

"Yeah," He laughs, his voice raw with emotion. "Like my heart the night you left me."

I clench my jaw, taking a deep breath, inwardly cursing the hectic late night traffic. Come on, fuckers, I need this man out of my car asap.

"You don't even want to talk to me about it." He continues, growing more frustrated and louder by the minute. "You don't even want to see me-"

"Of course I don't, Baekhyun!" I snap, whipping my head around to face him. "After all the shit you've done I have every right to not speak to your smug fucking face again."

"Smug?" He laughs weakly. "You think I enjoyed what happened to us?"

"Yep," I chirp, gripping the steering wheel so hard my knuckles turn pale. "There's no other explanation for why you are in my car right now."

"You insisted for me to be here." He fires right back. "You break up with me, hang out with all my friends, then act like a cold hearted bitch every time you see me."

"It takes one to know one, Baekhyun." I jab right back, curling my upper lip in a cruel smile.

"Yeah," He scoffs, crossing his arms and facing the window. "I'm sure you know that very well."

"If you're going to be a whiny little bitch," I start, smiling widely at him, "I will put you out on your ass, Baekhyun."

"Wouldn't you love that," He laughs, anger coming off of him in waves. "You were always obsessed with my ass."

That's it.

Baekhyun yelps when I slam on the breaks, bracing his hands on the dashboard. "Riley, what the hell?!"

"You wanted to talk?" I make sure the curb of the street I pulled onto is clear before facing him with a grin. "Huh? You want to talk now?" Baekhyun shrinks further into the passenger seat when I lean over him. "Fucking say it to my face then, you bastard." I snarl. "Go on. Give your little practiced speech."

Baekhyun parts his lips a few times, making my rage raise even more—"I miss you." He mumbles sadly.

I blink, staring at him. "...What?" I chuckle, growing wary as he keeps giving me those kicked puppy dog eyes. "What the fuck are you on about, Baekhyun-"

"I miss you." He repeats. "I miss your voice, I miss your eyes, I miss waking up to your sleeping face next to mine." He takes a shaky breath, tears filling his eyes. "I miss your strawberry scent on our pillows. I miss your loving words. I miss you complaining about my random ramblings and shutting me up with a kiss… I miss everything about you." He drags his eyes back up to mine then. "I miss you so much I wake up every day and fall apart when I remember that you aren't there."

Sucking in a breath, I look away from him, my anger long forgotten. I… I don't know what to say. "You…" A lump forms in my throat. I have to bite the inside of my cheek to restrain my wobbling chin.

Baekhyun keeps his eyes on me, pleading with me with their sad, brown depths. He doesn't expect the slap I land on his pretty face.

"You fucking bastard," I mutter lowly, shaking in anger, the last of my sanity flying out of the window. "You don't get to come in here and say all this fucking bullshit when you couldn't even tell your fucking mother that you were dating me!" I scream, my vocal chords pulling harder than my heart strings. "You were dating me, living with me, loving me, fucking me-" I laugh, throwing my hand out to show off the car. "For a whole year. Then you come here with your pretty, pitiful little empty words and expect me to forgive you? Really? You really think so little of me?"

"Ri-"

"Did you not get it the first time?" I ask in the sweetest of tones, my Southern accent out on full display. "Huh? You told your dear mother about us then suddenly come running back after me? Did having her approval feel that good little puppy?"

Baekhyun's face burns a dozen different shades of red, but I'm not fucking done yet.

"Here comes the man who was so overcome with jealousy over my best friend that he pretended to fuck another whore at his party," I list off on my fingers, my voice growing louder with every word I fire at him."Here goes the man who accused me of fucking Jongin because I wanted to be left alone at a mother fucking party. Here sits the man—who had the audacity to cheat on me not once, but twice!" My lips curl up into the ugliest sneer, glaring at Baekhyun hard enough to kill. "And here lies the cowardly man who will lie like a pig in mud for the rest of eternity as far as I am concerned."

I'm huffing and puffing by the time I'm done, not even waiting for him to say anything before starting back up again. "You know I never and would never have cheated on you, right?" I ask, lowering the volume of my voice. "If I didn't want to be faithful to you, Baekhyun, I would have been with someone else. I don't pull stunts to be petty and shit. If you didn't know that about me now, you're a fucking idiot, and if you don't believe me, then I don't know what to tell you." I shrug, leaning back tiredly into my seat and keeping my eyes forward on the empty road ahead.

"I get that," He says quietly.

A chuckle bubbles in my aching chest. "Do you?" I raise a brow, trying to calm down. "Do you understand how stupid it is to cheat on someone just because you're feeling petty or uncomfortable in a situation-"

"I never cheated on you."

"Ha!" I bark out a laugh. "And I don't have 4C hair." Rolling my eyes, I throw my hands up. "What? So that model at the photoshoot and the lipstick stain on the collar of your shirt wasn't you cheating? Are you serious?"

"Yes."

"Really? You really are going to deny-"

"Melody tripped over a sewage drain and that model forced herself onto me." He states firmly. "Neither was consensual or intentional."

Both my brows raise. "Huh. You know, it's real funny how you have an explanation for that now." I roll down my window to cool off, leaning my elbow onto the window seal and my chin in my palm before turning to him again. "Where was this energy months ago?"

Baekhyun nods. "You're right. I am a coward," He admits, stopping me dead in my tracks. "Dumb enough to not say anything and dumb enough to think that you'd figure it out because I…" He trails off, biting his lips before those teary brown eyes lock onto mine again. Taking my breath away with the endless storm of emotions swirling within them. "With you, I'm like an open book. You always saw right through me, so I thought… I thought I didn't have to say anything," His head drops, looking down at the neat bags sitting at his feet. "And when I did, it was too late."

My eyes narrow. "How do I know you aren't bullshtting me?"

"I have nothing left to lose," He shrugs, smiling sadly.

Anger flares up in me again. "What is that supposed to mean-"

"I already lost you."

My mouth snaps shut, a feeling I haven't felt in months squeezing my heart in earnest.

"Everything you said was true," He mumbles. "All of it. The secrets, the lies-"

"And what makes you say that?"

His ears burn brighter than the red handprint on his cheek. "I'm seeing a therapist."

"Oh—Shit..." A wave of white hot shame falls over me. "Baekhyun, I-I'm sorry-"

"No." He shakes his head before bending down, the paper bags rustling in his grasp. "Don't. You said nothing but the truth."

"That still doesn't make it okay…" I rub the back of my neck, cursing myself inwardly for my anger. I hadn't meant to go off on him, that wasn't my intention—

"It's only fair," He mutters, shrugging weakly. "I've said worse to you."

"I…" I can't help but sigh, at a loss for words. "...I'm proud of you, seeing a therapist takes a lot of courage and self awareness."

"Thank you."

"I'm glad you're doing okay," I mumble.

Baekhyun stiffens up. Suddenly the atmosphere in the car shifts into something more melancholic.

"B-Baek?"

He lifts up his head, revealing his tear-stained face to me. "You think so?"

My heart clenches in anguish. "Baekhyun-"

"After everything you…" His voice breaks. "You think I'm fine? You think I'm okay?" Tears dampen the long strands of silver hair dangling in his eyes. "I haven't slept. I haven't eaten. I haven't breathed—I haven't lived since the day you left." He croaks, sucking in a breath. "So if you think that I am okay, I am not."

I have nothing else to say after that. What can I even say...?

Feeling tears form in my own eyes, I turn the car back on. My mom always taught me that if you don't have anything nice to say, don't say nothing at all. And after I slapped him and said all of those things…

I pull off of the curb, hiding my tears away from him. There's nothing I can do but take him home and hope that in the distant future… In a brand new life… He can forgive me for everything I've done to him and move on too.

The rest of the ride is spent in silence. No radio. No cars zooming past. The only thing I hear is his quiet sniffles and the cry of my wheezing heart.

"Thanks for taking me home," He mumbles in the softest of tones, mumbling more to his scuffed up sneakers than to me.

"No problem," I say softly, reaching out to place my hand on his shoulder only to pause, gripping the steering wheel again. "Make sure to take some Advil from the third cabinet on the right, okay?"

Baekhyun nods, hiding under the strands of his messy hair. He scares the hell out of me when his head suddenly shoots up again.

"Baek…?" I whisper, not sure what to do as he starts leaning in. He reveals his face to me up close for the first time in months. Heart-wrenching features that I know so well. The droopy shape of his brown eyes, the soft slope of his button nose, the cute little mole on top of his soft pink, thin lips that are pursed in concentration. For what? I have no idea. "Baekhyun-"

He slams his hand down on the dashboard, making me flinch. "Spider," He mutters, opening his hand to reveal its creepy squished body. I shiver at the sight. "I don't want you getting into a wreck. I know how you hate-" He sighs loudly, shaking his head. "Never mind…"

Yeah… I gulp, forcing a smile. Never mind.

"Travel safely, okay?" He takes his bags of food and steps out of the car, moving to close the door only to pause, meeting my eyes from under the bright city lights. "Goodnight, Riley."

It takes everything in me not to break down right there and then. "Good-" My lips wobble. I clear my throat, brushing my hair back before daring to look into his dull brown eyes again. "Goodnight, Baekhyun."

He smiles so small and sadly, making my heart weep when he closes the door and walks off to enter his apartment building.

I sit there for a few moments, staring out at the busy street ahead. It's so funny… This empty feeling in my chest. It's… It's like I never left…

•••

It's unfair… how much your heart hurts when you're stuck on someone. Realizing that no matter how many times they've hurt you, your broken heart still beats for them… and only them.

No matter how hard I try to deny it, the heart doesn't lie…

Baekhyun… is still a part of me. His scent may have faded, his t-shirts and hoodies are cleared out from my room… but the memory of him lives on in my heart. And I can't get rid of him without breaking myself completely and reforming a "perfect mold" to fit myself in.

Ha… funny how that works. 7 months of moving on has led up to this. Nothing. 7 months, 12 months, or 30 years, Baekhyun's scent can wash off of my skin, but the rest of the world won't let me break the two of us apart. If I am my brain, he is my heart. And you can't live without that muscle pumping steadily in your aching chest.

It's so unfair… because I'm trying my hardest to move on with someone else.

It takes me forever to get ready for my date tonight, and when I do… Something tells me to cancel it. But I can't. Jackson will be busy for the next month and a half. This is the only time in his schedule where he can take me out on the "proper date" as he likes to call it. Which he doesn't have to, I'm not that hard to please. I mean for fuck sake, I haven't had an official date until I was 20.

I'm not picky about these things, but I ended up agreeing in the end anyway. The sad puppy look on Jackson's face when I tried to decline going to a restaurant to just stay in and watch movies instead still haunts me. Those almond shaped, dark brown puppy eyes… Damn him.

Sighing softly, I carefully apply my eyeliner in my vanity mirror, checking over my appearance one last time and smiling at the result. My lips are the richest shade of red, dark brown, waist-length hair curled to perfection, and the crystal earrings I haven't worn in ages sparkle every time they catch the light. Perfect for my chosen dress for the night.

It's a little something that I've bought recently. A spaghetti strapped, black velvet piece with a cowl shaped neck that shows off a bit of my cleavage, form-fitting all the way down to the V shaped end of the dress. It ends high on my thigh, but I have no plans to go dancing tonight, (for Jackson's sake). It's just enough to make him a little hot under his expensive collar. Especially with the lace strings crisscrossed in the back that are the only thing holding the dress up.

A low buzz makes me jump, startling me out of my thoughts. I fish for my phone in the vibrating purse in my lap. I haven't taken it out since last night… The weight of Baekhyun's unblocked number in my phone is a heavy load... and I only have myself to blame.

My eyes widen at the caller ID on the screen: Him. And I know exactly who he is.

Biting my nails, I weigh my options: answer now and end up canceling my plans or call him back tomorrow...

…

Would it really be that bad to cancel? No—I can't. Jackson thinks I'm a punctual woman and…

"Always so sweet for me," He murmurs lowly, painting my skin with the shape of his lips.

My breath hitches, mouth going dry as more memories dance in my mind. Skin on skin, hushed whispers, champagne painted breaths...

"Mmm you're so wet," He groans, grazing my clit with his teeth. "Making a mess all over me."

A knock on my door makes me pause, staring down at the buzzing phone in my hand.

7 months without Baekhyun… and it has resorted to this.

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck—Fuck!

I power down the phone, toss it back into my bag, pull it onto my shoulder and launch myself out of my chair to open the door before I lose my nerve. The sight that greets me on the other side of the door makes my heart flutter, but…

"Hey," Jackson smiles softly, his dark brown eyes sparkling under the bright lights.

It doesn't take my breath away.

"Hi," I manage a smile, tucking my hair behind my ear.

"You look beautiful," He compliments, his eyes sparkling even more as he looks over my dress before meeting my eyes again.

My smile grows, warmth spreading over my cheeks. "Thank you," I mutter softly, laughing a little. "You're not too bad yourself."

He smiles again, gesturing to me, the shine of his thin gold bracelet reflecting the hallway lights. "May I?"

"Hmm?—Oh!" I gasp, noticing the red and black corsage in his hands. "Y-Yes," I smile shyly, my heart pounding when he holds out his hand to me.

Jackson gently takes my hand, carefully slipping the corsage around my wrist. The caress of his rough fingertips makes a shiver go down my spine, goosebumps left on my skin when he pulls away.

His outfit catches my attention. Normally I'd feel a little shameless for looking at him from head to toe, but after what happened earlier… I can use a distraction.

He's wearing a black blazer with a matching lace turtleneck shirt underneath that gives me a glimpse of his toned skin, making my breath hitch. A golden necklace with a pendant rests in the middle of his chest, making him look so attractive when it twinkles under the lights. And with the way his shirt is tucked into his stylish black jeans… Fuck me ten times over.

My eyes trail further down his body. He has on that expensive gold watch I saw the first time we met and elegant rings on his veiny hands. I forget to breathe remembering how it felt to be held in his strong arms...

Snapping out of my daze, my wide eyes dart back up to his, finding the sweetest of shy smiles on his lips and a pink hue to his cheeks. He just caught me checking him out and he's blushing. Adorable. Clearing my throat, I smile, feeling my own face heat up under his admiring gaze. "Not bad at all."

His soft chuckle makes me feel less embarrassed. Maybe he can tell that I'm nervous… but not what has me so nervous.

Baekhyun's tear-stained face has been haunting me all day and I barely managed to get any sleep last night. His small voice replays in my head and soft spoken words cover my skin. My face heats up and pales at the same time at the reminder of what I was thinking about not even 10 minutes ago. I had a memory of him going down on me for Christ sake! Looking up at Jackson's handsome face, I feel another wave of hot shame. Can the ground please open up and swallow me whole?

"Shall we?" Jackson asks, bring my attention back to him. He offers his elbow to me, waiting for me to lock my arm with his. Another smile forms on my face; I have to suppress a giggle bubbling in my chest. He's so sweet and gentle compared to all the other men in my life. Ugh, my poor heart is racing like crazy.

I lock the door behind me and wrap my arm around his, appreciating the firmness of his bicep as he leads us down the hallway. The taps of our respective shoes echo around the quiet hall while we wait a few minutes for the elevator to arrive. "I'm not taking too much of your time, am I?" I mumble, watching the floor numbers rise to avoid his gaze.

"Hmm?" Jackson hums, his alluring cologne hitting me when he turns his head to look at me.

"Your schedule," I elaborate, glancing at him from under my eyelashes. "I'm not infringing on your work time, am I?"

"No," He shakes his head, holding the metal doors open for me while I walk into the elevator.

"But you said you are in the middle of the most important part of filming and-" I stop, my eyes widening at the warmth on my cheeks.

"Riley." Jackson looks right into my eyes, his rough palms cradling my face. "You are not 'taking too much' of my time, alright?" He mumbles, brown eyes drifting over my features while his thumb swipes over the top of my cheek, leaving a blaze of gentle heat in its wake. "This night is for us."

My heart practically leaps out of my chest the longer I stare into his warm eyes. I break eye contact. "O-Okay," I whisper, smiling shyly.

Jackson smiles, taking my hand when the elevator doors open onto the ground floor. As we walk past the security guard in the lobby, I wonder how I look next to him… He's the same height as Baekhyun, more toned where the latter has softer edges. They both have sharp jawlines, but Jackson's cheeks are more chiseled than squishy like Baekhyun's sweet face—

"Ladies first," His low voice muses.

Lifting my head from my white high heels, I look into Jackson's eyes, realizing that his dark brown eyes don't hold the same tension Baekhyun's does when I am taller than him like this. My shyness aside, with my almost average height and tall heels, I'm a few centimeters taller than Jackson. But instead of finding that spark of insecurity I'm used to seeing in Baekhyun's eyes, Jackson looks at me as if I am the goddess who put the moon in the sky.

Stepping out into the quiet night, I look up at the stars, having to blink a few times when I see a pair of droopy brown eyes staring down at me. No. I shake my head, sighing in frustration. God, why do I see him everywhere I go?

We make our way to the parking lot on the side of the apartment complex. The silence between us isn't striffling like the one I've come to grow wary of over the past year. That piercing void full of held back frustration and heated glares...

A car unlocks in the distance, drawing my attention to a sleek black vehicle when it lights up. A Jaguar, stunning with it's cat-eye headlights and the way the engine purrs to life. The car is honestly mesmerizing, and it suits Jackson well, but my heart tugs painfully in my chest when he opens the passenger door for me and I don't see any red accessory detailing on the inside...

"You look stunning in that dress." He says when he climbs into the driver's seat, his low voice making me feel something deep in my stomach.

"T-Thank you," I blush scarlet, shifting towards the passenger window to hide my red face. It's been a long time since someone has complimented me so genuinely. I haven't felt like this since—

"Are you really that insecure?"

The memory hits me like a punch to the gut.

"You okay?" Jackson asks, his eyes shining with concern.

"Y-Yeah," I whisper, clutching onto my purse. My face hasn't cooled down since I left my apartment and I doubt it will at this rate. Between Jackson's sweet eyes and Baekhyun's teary ones that haven't left my mind, I'm royally screwed. "How's work?"

Jackson hums. "It's good." He keeps his eyes on the road, pulling out of the parking lot. "The movie is coming along nicely."

Taking a few discrete and deep breaths, I rest my head on my arm, focusing on the low timbre of his raspy voice. "Did the tech team find any more of those files?"

"No." He shakes his head, making a left turn. "Thankfully those were the only ones," He smiles, glancing over at me; the twinkles of excitement and affection in his eyes is hard to ignore. "Now the editing team can take over."

I fight the urge to rest a hand over my heart. "The movie won't be delayed?"

"The movie won't be delayed," He confirms warmly, focusing fully on me at the next red light. His brown hair falls attractively over his forehead, casting a shadow over his dark and expressive eyes. "We'll be ahead of schedule. Everyone worked in advance while waiting for the tech team to sort through the files."

"That's good," I smile, turning my attention to our surroundings streaming past the window.

Jackson navigates us down the long Seoul streets, the city lights reflecting in his dark eyes while he steers the wheel with both hands. He looks handsome under the favor of the moonlight, the headlights of passing cars sparkling across his thin necklace. For a moment I imagine a future—an us. How it would feel to hold his calloused hands and gaze into his adoring eyes. What it would be like to wake up to his face in the mornings. That deep, raspy voice… I shiver at the thought, praying the traffic lights don't show the red hue I feel on my cheeks.

Soft and slow R&B floats from the quiet car radio, caressing my ears with its gentle melodies while Jackson turns his blinkers on. I hum, tapping along to the beat, a smile curling at my lips. It's a perfect song for a summer night like this, adding a calming atmosphere to the intimate space of Jackson's car—

"I love this song."

Baekhyun raises a brow, his eyes focused on the road as he turns up the radio with a smile. "Really?"

"Yeah." He has such a stunning side profile, I could gaze at him for hours. "I listened to a lot of their songs growing up."

"Your parents have great taste."

"Mm." The sunlight reflecting in his brown eyes has nothing on the sparkles of happiness in his shining orbs. "I guess you do too."

I sigh through my nose, shoving down the emotions budding in my chest. No matter how hard I try, memories of him continue to play in my mind. All our romantic mid-day drives and late night talks of a future we thought we had in store… Our shared hopes and dreams that went up in flames before our very eyes.

Next thing I know, Jackson is putting the car into park, the purr of the engine cutting off in exchange for the summer heat seeping in through the pause of the air conditioner.

"You ready?" He looks over at me, the urge to brush his hair out of his eyes hitting me full force.

"Yeah," I smile, curling my hand around the strap of my purse. The giddy smile he gives me in return is so damn sweet I want to cry.

Jackson steps out of the Jaguar and it doesn't take him long to round the car. He opens the passenger door for me before I realize that we've reached the restaurant.

"Thank you," I giggle in embarrassment, placing my hand in the one he offers me with another one of those adorable smiles of his. My heart skips a beat when he presses a kiss to the back of my hand while I step out onto the asphalt. If he keeps this up I'm going to have a heart attack over this softness. What the hell, why aren't there more guys like Jackson in the world? And how the hell has he been single this whole time with him out here sweeping me off my feet like this?

His widened smile and the way his eyes drift over my features has a comforting warmth settling over my beating heart. He leads the way to the restaurant, opening the door for me like the heart-fluttering gentleman he is. He's going all out on winning me over tonight and I'm loving every minute of it.

The smell of freshly baked lasagna and garlic bread has my mouth watering as we make our way up to the counter. I catch a peek at the beautifully arranged, round wooden tables under a romantic lighting in the next room.

"Reservations for Wang." Jackson's voice sounds more firm when he addresses the lady at the counter, a flicker of his director persona flashing across his face. If nothing else, one look at him and you can tell that he's about business—even for a little date like this. A first date too. It's hard fighting my adoring smile.

The receptionist checks on the computer in front of her and looks down at her clipboard, nodding with a polite smile. "Right this way," She gestures to the next room. Her black suit, matching bow tie, and crisp clean, white dress shirt add onto the expensive air of the restaurant. The food is fresh, the atmosphere is dreamy, and every surface shines brightly under the dim candle-lit lights.

The further we walk into the restaurant, the more I have to be sure not to let my jaw drop in awe. Everything about this place is magical, from the happily conversing customers to the beautiful chandeliers in the hallway. The receptionist leads us to a table in a more secluded area, the muffled chatter of the rest of the patrons coming through the velvet walls. "Your water will be out shortly," She sets the menus on the table before taking her leave with a bow.

"Allow me," Jackson murmurs, his words caressing my ear. His cologne washes over me when he walks over to the table, pulling out a chair and waiting for me with the most charming smile on his face. I can't hold my own back even if I tried.

"Thank you," I say warmly, humored and flattered beyond belief. The proximity of his hand to my bare shoulders has a pleasant shiver going down my spine. A flush forms on my face. The man has done nothing but be a gentleman and I'm over here yearning for his touch like a giddy teenager.

Jackson's scent hits me once again when he moves to take his seat. The minty smell of aftershave and a hint of his own unique manly scent has me damn near drooling and we haven't even had appetizers yet. My stomach is building tension and I doubt it has anything to do with the menu.

"How was your day?" He inquires.

I startle out of my horny musings like a cat doused in cold water. Oh shit. "It was alright," I laugh nervously, trying to keep my voice from wavering into that annoying raspy tone it gets when I'm not careful enough. "I turned in my final assignments and am awaiting my test results for the semester."

A waiter comes to take our order, sparing me a few minutes from having to explain myself. I'm struggling to find words here. What am I supposed to say? "Oh yeah, I spent all day daydreaming about my heartbroken ex and the steamy sex we used to have." I'd die of embarrassment so damn fast. I'm appalled at myself.

"What are you studying?" His dark brown eyes are back on me when the waiter walks away. A flutter stutters in my chest under his attentive gaze.

"Business," I resist the urge to rest my chin on my palm, choosing to swirl my fork around my salad instead. "I'm working on my bachelor's degree. I want to improve my performance at work."

His eyes widen, curiosity painting on his handsome features. "What do you do?"

I smile softly. He's adorable. "I'm the Director at Park's Publishing."

"You work in a publishing house?"

"I manage the 5th floor," I share, a smirk quirking at my lips. The last thing I did this morning before going home around lunch was inform everyone about our busy schedule at the end of the month. "I miss my editing days, not gonna lie." I laugh, poking an olive. "Sorry, work kind of stresses me out."

"No," Jackson shakes his head, smiling softly, "I get it. Taking a group of people under your wing is a big responsibility."

"It's sooo difficult." Sighing, I cross my legs, the back of my heel clicking against the leg of my chair. "Since I'm not directly in charge of editing, I have to guide others and keep reminding myself that I can't do the work for them. They have to learn on their own."

"Same," He nods, swallowing a bite of Italian seasoning drenched tomato and lettuce. "I have to fight the urge to take things over that the marketing and editing teams are supposed to handle." A flicker of annoyance crosses his face, making me smile in understanding. "Good thing I'm not Ceo," He jokes.

I laugh, thinking to myself: Yeah, thank fuck you aren't one.

When the waiter brings our food, the reminder that I haven't eaten all day stirs in my hungry stomach. I take a bite of my chicken alfredo before it can growl, closing my eyes to hide how they roll back when the gooey goodness of cheese and perfectly boiled noodle hits my tongue. Holy fuck. This food right here is the shit. If I had a meal like this more often, I'd never complain again in my life.

I find myself observing Jackson while he enjoys his own meal. He chews with his mouth closed, neatly cutting his chicken with a fork and knife. The room is quiet with only the soft music playing overhead and the sound of our silverware clicking against the pristine plates.

"I want to wake up every morning to your sleeping face curled up by my side," Baekhyun murmurs, smiling shyly.The red hue of his cheeks endearing under the dim lights. "Your hair products cluttering our dresser and your toothbrush next to mine."

"You really like cucumbers, huh?" Jackson muses.

I jolt out of my thoughts, realizing to my horror that I've been leaning over the table, picking the cucumbers from his salad. "Oh! Y-Yeah," I chuckle, my face burning scarlet. From humor or embarrassment, I have no idea. Probably both at this rate. "You could say that..."

Originally posted by sefuns

August fades seamlessly into September, urging the leaves on trees to change into red, orange, and pretty yellow hues. Gone are the dog days of summer smitting everyone from above. Now the best season of all is coming out to play, and I am all for it.

Skipping down the street in my newest yellow skater dress and nude sandals, I check the GPS on my phone to search for the street that I'm on. Today I decided that walking around aimlessly for hours was the best course of action to clear my mind, and now I've found myself in a part of Seoul that I've never been to before.

The architecture of the landscape around me is something to behold. The windows are cut out squares that only allow light to be seen from within the rooms as the sun goes down, and the buildings are curved this way and that in the most intricate of ways. It surely is a view I wouldn't mind venutring over here to see again sometime. The lively chatter of pedestrians on the sidewalk is refreshing too.

Smiling to myself, my eyes catch sight of a particular building in the distance. I quickly cross the street for a closer look. It's a giant library that looks to be 4 stories tall, showcasing a huge bookshelf on the back wall from the view of the front windows. Highly intrigued, and lowkey smitten, I step inside for a closer look.

The smell of books hits me in an instant, the young and old novels arranged neatly in little bookshelves compared to that mountain of literature on the farthest wall. There's a small cafe serving up delicious muffins to my right and a huge sitting area full of the perfect lounge chairs on my left. Crowds of people make their way to and fro between the aisles without hiccup. There's so much to do that I don't even know where to start.

Walking over to the Romance section, I skim my fingertips along the book covers, aimlessly striding down the aisle until a thin, blue book catches my eye. Curious, I move to pull it out only for another hand to beat me to it. A familiar, slender hand.

I yank my hand back at once. "Dude!" Lowering my voice, I glare at the man in front of me. "Why the hell are you always everywhere? Are you following me around or what?"

"W-What?" Baekhyun's wide brown eyes stare back at me.

"I never thought you'd resort to stalking, Baekhyun." I shake my head, brushing past him, the silver buttons of his waist-length jacket cold against my sun-kissed skin.

"I'm not fucking!" He slaps a hand over his face, exhaling deeply. "I'm not following you around."

"Then why are you here, huh?" I keep my eyes forward, marching into the next aisle.

"Because—will you stop walking away from me?!?!?!"

I freeze, the sheer desperation in his voice roots my feet to the floor. "Why are you here, Baekhyun?" I cross my arms, shivering under the air conditioner overhead.

"Hannam-dong library extraordinaire," He utters, his shadow moving closer as I tense up. "You put it on the bucket list. The one we made together." Hope pours out from his every word, his painfully slow footsteps seeming to stem from the faint memories crowding his mind. "You listed every place you wanted to go and w-we, we never…" He stops when his voice cracks, clearing his throat. "You made a copy by hand so we'd always have it," He mumbles sadly. "I guess it's meaningless now."

Emotions grip at my throat and tears threaten to fill my eyes. I slowly turn around, snatching the book out of his hands. "Give me that." Flickering my eyes up to his hurt-filled eyes, I gesture to the sitting area with my chin. "Follow me."

Baekhyun follows behind me without a word, shuffling his boots noisily on the carpeted floor. I have half the mind to tell him about it until I remember where we are—in a library and in life. Biting my tongue, I plop down into the longest couch available, staring at his nervous figure when he doesn't join me. "Come on!" I snap, throwing a pillow at him that he's quick to catch. "Sit your ass down, I don't got all day." I grumble, opening the blue book. "I came here to read and I plan to do so."

A few moments go by, nothing but the quiet chatter of visitors and the coffee pot whistling on the other side of the room fills the air. Just when my heart drops at the thought of him being gone, a weight sinks down into the couch next to me. I look to see Baekhyun in a grey sweater, his jacket left on the back of the chair. His eyes are closed and neck is bare while resting his head on the back of the couch. Silver locks of hair messily dangle on his forehead, long eyelashes caressing the tops of his cheeks. I frown at the lack of fluff I find there, his mother's words a distant whisper in my ear.

Baekhyun makes me jump when he peeks an eye open, opening the other before blinking slowly at me. "I'm listening," He murmurs softly, keeping those expressive brown eyes on me.

My heart skips a beat. Smiling to myself, I focus back on the book in my hands, flipping to the first page and beginning to read aloud.

•••

Weeks fly by once mid September hits, endless clusters of colored leaves blowing away in its wind. The sun rises later in the day and sets at a different angle at night, casting warm shadows over my bedroom window that never fail to bring a smile to my face. Everything about this time of year puts me in high spirits. The weather is perfect for my velvety outfits and the annoying ass bugs are finally starting to go away. It's a calm, homey fairytale land full of sweet breezes and mid autumn adventures.

I lean over my vanity while painstakingly applying my red lipstick in the mirror, smoothing it out with care. My makeup for tonight goes well with my newest party dress, a burgundy velvet, off the shoulder piece with a deep v neck. It has long puffed sleeves with fitted cuffs that wrap comfortably around my wrists and a matching belt to emphasize the hourglass shape of my waist. The thick material is perfect for early October, the nights beginning to get just the littlest bit colder.

Humming to myself, I carefully put on my gold dangling earrings, smiling at the reflection of my wavy hair. Just letting it air dry with curling irons in it for a few minutes ended up with the subtle result. I'm attending one of Jackson's infamous parties tonight as his date, not his seducer. Although, I don't need to get all dolled up to impress him anyway. Batting my eyelashes and looking intensely into his deep, dark brown eyes is enough.

This time around, I'm prepared for the knock on my door. Two months of various dates has sunk a certain time into my core. 10pm on the dot. Punctual as always. My red painted lips quirk up at the thought. With one last glance into my vanity mirror, I spin around on my one-inch, open-toed black heels, strutting over to open the door and whistling at the sight.

Jackson smiles, looking hot as hell in his black blazer and thin gold chain with no shirt underneath. His muscular thighs look amazing in his tight jeans, and with his brown hair brushed back with a few strands of hair attractively left on his forehead…

"You look gorgeous," He murmurs, planting a kiss on my forehead while I'm distracted by his two sets of gold earrings.

I smile coyly, tucking my finger in his necklace and tugging on it lightly. "You're not so bad yourself."

Conversations between us flow more easily over the past few months. I show him my sass and he throws it right back, making me laugh every time. His attractive mind comes up with the most astounding ideas and points of view. There are many different sides to him as well. His confident, professional way of handling business to how he likes to roll over on my couch to rest his head in my lap and look up at me with those dark brown puppy eyes.

Things are easy—that's just how it is with Jackson. It's a nice change from the complicated men in my life. He's adorable and sexy all in one.

The clicks of my heels echo across the sidewalk as we walk up to the frat house, my hand wrapped around his bicep. The party is just starting to pick up it seems; a fair amount of party goers are streaming in the front double doors.

"I want to introduce you to someone," Jackson perks up the moment we reach the entrance.

"Really?" I bat my eyes at him, stepping closer when someone brushes past us in a hurry. "Well, I'm down for that."

He smiles, holding the door open for me. I softly squeeze his bicep before letting him go, walking into his alumni house for the first time in almost a year. Last December I was crossing this same threshold with Jenny by my side, can you believe that? A lot can happen in 10 months, and I can't wait for what's in store for me.

"Jackson!" A deep voice reaches us over the loud music and growing crowd. I can barely make out a figure under all the neon lights, beckoning us over. Jackson's cologne washes over me before I feel his arm brush against my back.

"Let's go," He takes my hand in his, a smile audible in his raspy voice. I follow his lead, swiveling my head around to take in the view of the house. Just as I thought, everything is impeccably arranged. From the mini bar in the back corner to the DJ booth, it screams Jackson. Charming. Intelligent. And expensive. Even with the clumsy party attendees stumbling around.

He turns the corner on the right side of the hallway, following the medium-build figure walking down to a slightly ajar door at the end of the hall. The chatter from within the small room comes to a halt when the stranger pushes open the door.

"Took you long enough, Tuan!" A high-pitched, bubbly voice laughs, their plump lips smiling in amusement.

The man we've been following turns around, smiling while 5 other pairs of eyes land on us. "Hey, man."

"Mark," Jackson steps forward for a bro hug, clapping a hand over the raven's back. He goes around to do the same and fist bumps the other men in the room before standing next to me again. "There's someone I'd like you to meet."

All of them smile, curiosity and friendliness coming off of them in waves—except for one.

Yugyeom sits with his legs crossed in the far corner of the room, smirking while leaning his head in his hand. I make a point to ignore him, shaking everyone's hand with my most polite smile. Their compliments of my dress has me blushing all the way up to my ears. Thankfully the dim lights hide it from view.

Jackson and I take a spot on the only available couch in the cozy room, sitting between Mark and another man with sharp cat-like eyes and a barbell piercing.

"Is this your first party?" The latter asks, swirling the brown alcohol in his glass.

"No," I smile, way too aware of Yugyeom's stare burning into the side of my head. I carefully open a can of beer that Jackson hands to me, taking a long sip.

"Huh," He takes a swing of his drink while I lean my head onto Jackson's shoulder. "Why haven't I seen you around before?"

"I have," Yugyeom joins in, smirking and wiggling his eyebrows at me from over the rim of his glass. My eye twitches. Yeah, I see why this little shit and Jenny broke up.

I quietly observe everyone while the night carries on, the faint bass from the music down the hallway vibrating through the floor. Jackson catches up with his "brothers," in the meantime, updating them on the progress of his film. My eyes lazily sweep over the well-furnished room, the edges of my vision turning blurry. I make sure that the next two cans of beer that I drink aren't open when they are handed to me.

Sometime around midnight, I loosen up, the buzz of alcohol rushing through my veins prompting me to lose my filter. Between BamBam with the plush lips playful banter and the juicy tales of Jaebum's romantic conquests, I'm positively beaming, chatting without a care with my legs draped over Jackson's lap.

Mark cracks a joke that sends me reeling, nearly falling off of the couch if it wasn't for the man next to me, wrapping a strong arm around my waist. I hide my face in the crook of his neck, taking in his vanilla scent. The hint of citrus on his honey-toned skin has warmth spreading over my chest, the image of his sweet, brown puppy eyes printed behind my eyelids.

I laugh until I realize how dead silent the room has gotten. Lifting my head, I look around before tugging lightly on Jackson's sleeve. "Hey..." I murmur with difficulty, growing unnerved under their piercing stares. "What's-"

"Let's call it a night," He mutters, not meeting my eye.

Snapping my mouth shut, I nod, wondering what I did wrong while he bids everyone goodnight. I stand up with the help of his hand on my arm, guiding me over to the doorway that seems to be tilting to the side.

"Hey…" I try again, focusing hard on putting one foot in front of the other. What happened…? Did I laugh too hard? React too dramatically? Is there a piece of fruit stuck between my teeth? I knew I shouldn't have had that parfait before—

Jackson pulls aside me to an empty corner shielded by large plants in the hallway. His lips part a few times before he presses them into a thin line. "You just called me Baekhyun," He mutters, clenching his jaw.

Oh. I sober up in a heartbeat. "S-Shit, I-" The color drains from my face the longer I gaze into his disappointed dark brown eyes. I can feel tears filling my own. "I'm so sorry-"

"It's fine." His stiff posture says otherwise and I've never seen such a hard expression on his features before. "I'll drive you home."

"Wait…" Resting my hand on his arm, I brace myself with a racing heart for the backlash I'll get for what I'm about to ask. "C-Can you drop me off somewhere instead?"

•••

The car ride into the heart of Seoul is stifling. I can't recall us ever being like this… let alone having Jackson angry with me. His grip on the steering wheel has his knuckles turning white, the clench of his jaw concerning me as well. I can only blame myself, swearing inwardly for coming out tonight.

This wasn't supposed to happen… None of this was. The Baekhyun; the shy smiles; the longing. The Yugyeom; the drinking; the nerves... If I could go back in time, I never would have gone to that frat party last year. I would have stayed at Jenny's apartment, bonding over skincare routines and shitty tv shows. But no... I had to go out that December night, and now I am facing the consequences.

It's taking everything in me just to hold back my tears.

"We're here." Jackson speaks up after an hour of silence, nothing but the zooming cars and lively nightlife filling up the empty space from beyond the tinted windows. It does little to ease the tension in the car—it only seems to build when he pulls up to the curb, leaving the engine running.

A lump forms in my throat, making it hard to breathe. I can't even face him right now. By the cold look in his eyes, I know there is no use trying to talk to him. I can't even defend myself. There's only one explanation for what happened earlier, and it's the most shitty one of all...

Baekhyun.

On my mind; in my thoughts; in my heart. The way his long eyelashes brush the top of his glowy cheeks and the world swirling in his sparkly brown eyes when he looks at me. Everywhere I go, I see him, feel him, and wish he was there… From the darkest crevices of my anxious mind to the deepest depths of my beating heart.

No matter where I turn. No matter how much I try. There is only one man in the world for me in this lifetime. There is only one name my soul cries out for… and it isn't the one next to me.

I swallow hard, my heart aching for Jackson. The telling shine of tears reflected in his brown eyes can't be hidden when a truck drives past, revealing the vulnerability in his dark eyes. I hate that things are ending this way. The pounding of my head and sour taste on the back of my tongue are only reminders of how much I've messed up tonight.

Working up my nerve, I step out of his Jaguar, ducking my head back inside with a tight grip on the door.

"Thank you," I whisper over the loud crickets and crying tree frogs, "For everything." Sighing shakily, I crack one last smile as a tear rolls down my cheek. "Thank you for showing me how wonderful life can be."

Jackson turns his head, regarding me with teary, fire-filled eyes. His throat bobs and he manages a small smile in return, nodding slowly. "The pleasure is all mine, Riley."

With a pounding heart, I close the car door with care, walking onto the curb. I look back over my shoulder one more time when I reach the doors of the apartment complex, watching him drive off with a sad smile. The quiet night wraps around me, bringing me little comfort against the bitter cold that I feel inside of my heart. What if I'm making a mistake? I just walked away from the only man who treated me the way I deserve… A stable, well off man for a broken, world shattering one.

A million thoughts race through my mind while climbing the stairs to his apartment, my hand clutching onto the railing for dear life. What if he's not home? What if I'm too late? What if he's finally moved on and I'm the only one still stuck in the past? Still stuck on us?

Tears spring to my eyes, making it hard to see the wobbly steps with my blurred vision, but I carry on, one step at a time. Something tugs deep in my chest—a gut feeling. One that has me pausing from the sheer force behind it.

Baekhyun is my home, and he is waiting for me.

I break out into a run, nearly slipping on the last step before I reach the landing of the fourth floor, swinging the stairway door open so hard it collides with the wall. My heels pound against the marble floor until I trip over something, slamming my head on his door. The resounding thud echoes across the silent walls and the door is yanked open within seconds.

His wide, shock-filled brown eyes stare at me from the doorway, with his messy silver hair and a white wrinkled t-shirt.

I all but throw myself at him.

Baekhyun gasps, catching me before I fall. "Riley, I-"

"No." I shake my head, hugging him tighter, my voice wavering. "You listen to me." Looking up into his brown eyes, I cup his warm cheeks in my cold hands. "I don't care how long it takes, I don't care how much my heart breaks." My chin wobbles, salty tears streaming like a waterfall down my face, but nothing else matters. Nothing can hurt me when I'm in his comforting embrace.

"If it's not with you, I don't want it," I breathe, staring deep into his glimmering eyes. "Do you hear me? You can break my heart a million times, and I can do the same." Swiping a tear from under his eye, I cradle his face in my palm, painting his vulnerable expression into memory. "As long as we mend it back together, we will be okay." I nod, looking between his wide eyes. "We will get through this." I state firmly, melting against him when he tightens his hold on my waist. "We are in this together. Okay?" His silence is worrying me… "B?"

"Are you…" He slowly reaches up, cupping my cold cheek in his warm hand, his frantic brown eyes searching mine for answers. "Are you really here?" He whispers.

"Yes." I watch the light begin to return to his tired eyes. "I'm here, Baekhyun." I pull him closer, squeezing him in my arms, his racing heart beating in sync with mine. "I'm here." My heart drops when he pulls away.

Baekhyun shakes his head, moving his hand from my cheek to take mine into his. "I'm stubborn, insecure, and possessive." He mutters, gazing right into my eyes, determination written all over his face. "I'm… I'm annoying, overbearing, and a workaholic."

I give him my softest, loving smile. "Well, me too." Slowly reaching for him again, I paint my name on his honey-toned skin with my fingertips. "Let's be fucked up together, hmm?"

"I…" He sighs, resting his forehead on mine, staring lovingly and worriedly into my eyes. "I don't want you to regret this."

"I won't," I murmur, tracing three little words across his collarbones. "If I do, we'll fight and then have makeup sex."

Baekhyun chokes. "You're terrible." He coughs, patting his chest, the red hue on his cheeks more endearing than ever before.

I shrug, smiling at him. "When it comes to you?" Sliding my hand up his chest, I tangle my fingers in his messy hair, hovering my lips over his, "I am many things."

•••

It's funny; how easy it is to fall back into him. His loving arms and secure embrace. Every day spent with him slowly mends the cracks in my fragile heart, filling them with the most everlasting remedy of all. Love.

Time is endless when I am with him. Moments become weeks. Seconds turn into hours. Being with Baekhyun makes any taxing and mundane task into a precious activity that I'd love to do again—just because it's him.

Our dynamic has changed, even the air around us is new. We talk about everything. We face problems head on. A few arguments break out sometimes because we are two stubborn individuals, but those aren't a problem now. No big fights. No tearing into each other. I may call him an asshole and he'll rebuke with that I'm being a bitch, (which I am more often than not,) but at the end of the day. When the tension is gone and our sad eyes lock from across the room. We work things out and fall more in love with each other, no matter the struggle we've been through.

—Like right now.

"Perfect," I laugh bitterly, taking out my earrings while storming into the living room. "Fucking perfect."

"Riley," Baekhyun sighs, closing the door.

"No. Fuck this." I spit heatedly, throwing my hands up. "You always do this bullshit. Every time I go out you have something to say. What is it, huh? Why you always got to be up in my shit-"

Turning to him, I'm met by tired brown eyes, his hands falling limply to his sides. "Can we talk this out?" He asks softly, eyes pleading. "I rather hold you than fight."

Still huffing and puffing, I stare into his puppy eyes and sad pout. Without a word, I march over to him, tucking myself under his chin and wrapping my arms around his waist.

"I get it, okay? I have no problems with you going out with your friends." He mumbles into my hair, kissing my head. "I just want to make sure you are safe. Call me, text me, send me a pic to let me know that you're alright." He pulls back a little to cup my face in his hands, staring deep into my eyes. "You're my baby," He whispers, brushing frustrated tears from my cheeks. "If something ever happened to you I wouldn't be able to live with myself. Please understand where I'm coming from."

"Okay." I mumble against his shoulder, hiding more in his vanilla scent. "...I'm sorry for going off on you."

"Shh," Baekhyun hugs me tighter, surrounding me in his warmth and tangling his fingers in my hair. "I trust you, okay?" He nuzzles in my hair, sighing softly. "It's the rest of the world that I don't."

I love him. I love him with every part of me. If I had the chance to go back in time, I'd choose to meet him every time. Even on days where I have to walk out of his apartment to catch a breather. Those cold nights where I stubbornly shiver on his balcony until he comes out to place his jacket on my shoulders. And the times I ask myself why the hell I'm fighting with him over which color we should switch his window curtains into again. Despite all the good and the bad. The happiness and earth shattering agony. I wouldn't change it for the world.

"Are you cold?" Baekhyun mumbles, bringing the back of my hand to his cheek.

"I'm fine, B," I reassure, ignoring the goosebumps that erupt on my skin. From his loving touch or the cold bite of the November air, I have no idea. Most likely both.

"You're shivering." He points out, already struggling off his jacket before I can respond. "I told you it would be cold today."

"I wanted to take the risk, okay?" I sigh, smiling into the cinnamon scented fabric he places on my shoulders.

"It's the middle of November," He murmurs with a shake of his head, tucking our joined hands into the pocket of his jeans.

"Maybe," I mumble in amusement, beaming at him and batting my eyelashes. "But you love this dress on me. Admit it." Today I'm wearing a royal blue summer dress. The weather may be shifting from windy fall to bitter winter, but that won't stop me from rocking this sleeveless, v neck, shirt dress with a tie around my waist.

Baekhyun's eyes shift away from the red crosswalk light ahead to look me over, taking his time with a little cheeky smile on his face. "Well," He murmurs, mischief shining in his sparkly brown eyes. "I can't deny that."

I giggle, ignoring the warmth on my cheeks when he softly squeezes my hand, leading the way as we cross the street. I've missed this feeling: walking hand and hand—our fingers interwtined and young hearts racing as one. Not even the chilly wind can ruin the mood I'm in—I just tuck myself closer to his side.

Baekhyun hums, wrapping his arm around me, pulling me closer when a group of children come running down the sidewalk. The shrill voice of their scolding mother has us sharing a knowing look, smiling shyly. Yeah, nothing quite gets better than this.

"Riley?"

I stiffen, that low, raspy voice shakes me to my very core.

Baekhyun's brown eyes shoot to mine in an instant. "Baby?" He murmurs, a worried frown on his face as he leans to my ear. "Do you know him?"

"Um-" I avoid his eyes, holding onto the hem of his shirt for dear life. "I- Uh-"

A shadow falls over us before a figure walks around to face us, and those dark brown puppy eyes have never looked so solemn. Fuck.

"Jackson Wang?" Baekhyun blinks, sending me into an internal panic. "Hey, man," He smiles, going in for a handshake. "Long time no see. How's the movie?"

Jackson's brown eyes stare into mine before he looks down at Baekhyun's hand. "Good."

Baekhyun frowns, retracting his hand, confusion written all over his face.

"Hey, fancy seeing you here," I manage a small, polite smile, my heart racing nervously when Jackson pulls the towel from around his neck, his dark brown eyes landing back on me. "What you up to?" I tilt my head, resting a hand on Baekhyun's back.

"Out for a jog," Jackson shrugs, the fabric of his black t-shirt sticking to his damp skin. His eyes track how Baekhyun reaches back to take my hand into his. "I was supposed to play basketball with the guys," He continues sourly, "But they blew me off."

"Ah…" I purse my lips, straining another smile. "I hope you all can meet up soon."

He nods, the clench of his jaw and unreadable look in his eyes telling me all that I need to know.

"Well!" Resting my hand on Baekhyun's bicep, I risk a glance at him, unnerved at the equally hard to read expression on his features. "Baekhyun and I will be heading out now. We have reservations to make."

Jackson merely nods, his eyes burning into the back of my head as I lead Baekhyun around him. "See you around, Riley."

Cursing under my breath, I shoot him one last smile over my shoulder, urging Baekyun to walk faster. I hold my breath until we turn the corner onto the next street. "Geez what a mess," I mutter, loosening my death grip on his hand.

Baekhyun continues to securely hold onto my hand and his calm, quiet reaction has me more anxious than all the fights we've had combined. "B-Baekhyun?" I ask tentatively, trying to read his side profile. "Are you okay?" The way his silence stretches out is killing me. "B?"

"Well," He mumbles, nudging a stray rock on the ground. "Jackson is nice. He seems cool."

Uh oh. "Baekhyun-"

"No no, it's fine." He shakes his head. "I see the appeal, you know?" He looks over at me, smiling sadly. "Sharp jawline, muscular, more manly than I'll ever-"

I pull him into the nearest alleyway for privacy before facing him head on, resting my hands on his chest. "You know I only want you, right B?"

"I-I do, I just-" If the kicked puppy expression on his face was for anything else, I'd find it endearing. "He's so well put together and-"

I promptly press my lips to his, pulling back after a few moments with a raised brow. "Better?"

Baekhyun's lips part a few times, the open expression on his face cute as hell. He makes a small noise and hugs me close, sealing my lips in another kiss.

After that day, the ice has broken between us—the last wall I had built up came crumbling down. Hiding from Baekhyun isn't needed anymore. The reassurance that we can actually talk about things instead of letting tension build is all I could ask for, alongside his love and time of course. If only I could be with him tonight.

Mrs. Park wanted me to attend a press conference or whatever with her out of the blue, saying something about it being "a big deal" and "very important" that I be there. So here I am, accessing my options for the night.

Three different outfits cover the entirety of my bed, each bringing forth a slightly different mood from the last. The first one is my trusty go-to, below the knee length dress. A simple black piece of material that's flattering for my figure without exposing my wild side. The second outfit is a basic black blazer, white dress shirt, and black dress pants—the bore of all boring clothing. Nothing wrong with it, but I'm not feeling really "plain and dull" tonight.

Now, the third option is one to behold.

A dress that is a combination between the two: a long sleeved, low cut, black dress with pretty lace for the left sleeve and solid material on the right that wraps over more lace underneath. The perfect mix of femininity and authority. I think I know which outfit is the one for me.

Slipping into the warm material with ease, I grab my car keys and head out to meet Mrs. Park at the venue. The thought of sending Baekhyun a text crosses my mind while taking the elevator. Now that I think about it, I haven't heard from him all day. Where he at?? Is he still working late or did my comment about him never cooking a meal in his life hurt his feelings last night? If I wasn't piled up to my ears with paperwork all day I would have stopped by his office to have lunch…

Frowning to myself, I keep both my hands on the steering wheel, leaving my phone untouched in my purse on the passenger floor. Worried or not, I'm not even going to pull out my phone at the next red light. In a big city like Seoul, it's best not to take any chances, if any for that matter.

I navigate down the bright streets with ease, thankful that my GPS is cooperating with me today. Within an hour of traffic jams and watching out for jaywalkers on the street, I'm pulling into the parking lot of the venue. And with Mrs. Park leaning against the hood of her car, she isn't hard to find.

Making a three point turn, I back up into the parking space next to hers, not up for the hassle of dealing with gold digger assholes who will want me to hit them with my car later. Seoul or the South, the bullshitty ways of the road aren't that different.

"Hey," Mrs. Park smiles when I step out of my Porshe, dressed to the nines in her black pantsuit. She tilts her head towards the venue, the twinkle of her diamond earrings catching in the bright streetlights. "You ready to go?"

I walk around to her side to retrieve my purse from my car, tucking my hair behind my ear. "Yes, ma'am."

She smirks, a knowing look in her eye before locking her car. "Let's go."

Eyeing her warily, I follow her to the grand building, the clicks of our heels echoing across the pavement. For a moment the silence around us has me worrying if we are late until I see a red carpet surrounded by paparazzi in the far distance. What the hell?

"What exactly are we attending?" I ask carefully.

"A press conference," She doesn't miss a beat, glancing over at me. "Don't look so scared."

"I-"

"Smile," She continues, smiling reassuringly, "Just be yourself."

Sighing softly, I nod, preparing myself for anything. I trust Mrs. Park a lot, but if her cheeky son is anything to go by, I might be walking into something right now. And I have no idea what is awaiting me.

The clicks of the flashing cameras become more audible as we approach, a dozen cameramen throwing questions at us at once. I just smile, making sure all my sides are my best side while walking down the red carpet. Mrs. Park dodges their questions with ease, falling into step with me. We enter the open double doors of the venue without a hitch and the sight on the inside takes my breath away.

Floor to ceiling windows occupy the spacious hall with rows upon rows of velvet covered seats and a chandelier sparkling overhead. The stage at the far back has the first set of burgundy curtains drawn, showing a microphone stand. What kind of press conference is this? The amount of seating astounds me, let alone when Mrs. Park walks us right up to the front row.

I have so many questions to ask, but I just sit down in the seat at the end of the row, on the left side closest to the stairs leading up to the stage.

"Are we early?" I crane my neck around, watching other sharply dressed businessmen and women slowly fill up the venue.

"No." Mrs Park shakes her head as the lights dim down, smiling knowingly. "We're right on time."

Before I can reply, something shiny catches my attention out of the corner of my eye. I turn my head to face the stage, my eyes widening at the silver haired man walking out onto the stage.

"Good evening, everyone." Baekhyun's honey-smooth voice echoes around the hall. He struts over to the mic stand with a white microphone in hand, his Ceo aura and chosen outfit for the night taking my breath away.

He's wearing a sparkly black blazer with a black button-down shirt underneath, the first few buttons undone. The sleeves of his jacket have a glittery gold embroidery design shaped like a crown and there's a matching necklace resting around his shoulders, twinkling alluringly under the dim lights. His snug black jeans and heeled boots nearly have me on the floor. Pardon my French but—step on me please?

I gulp, sitting back in my seat while Baekhyun commands the stage. He has the whole crowd wrapped around his finger with every charming smile and deep chuckle he sends our way. I graciously accept a glass of wine from a waiter and cross my legs, too busy admiring him to listen to a word he says. It's been a while since I've had the pleasure to see this kind of view.

Baekhyun continues to speak to the crowd, coaxing adoring 'ah's' and the occasional applause. I lose my sense of time the longer he gives his speech, idly swirling my drink around my glass. I've barely drank half of it by the time the event starts coming to an end.

"Everyone." Baekhyun's voice rings over the murmuring crowd, clasping his hands together over the microphone, a soft smile playing at his lips. "If I can have a moment of your time, I'd like to say a few things before we wrap up."

My eyes widen to the size of saucers when he says my name, holding a hand out for me to take. I look around, narrowing my eyes at Mrs. Park's smiling figure. The wink she sends my way tells me everything that I need to know.

Everyone else in the crowd starts looking around, some of them settling their eyes onto me. I take a final sip of my wine and slowly set my glass down in the cup holder next to me. With one last breath and a weary glance, I approach the stage, the clicks of my heels echoing around the room.

The closer I get to Baekhyun's beaming face, the more my heart pounds, butterflies erupting in my stomach. But the moment my cold hand is securely in his, all of it fades away. With Baekhyun, I know I am safe.

He smiles, looking me over with affection shining in his eyes. "Everyone, meet my girlfriend." He announces into the microphone, softly squeezing my hand and facing the crowd again. "She didn't expect to be here tonight..." He trails off, smiling sheepishly. "I'll probably be getting an earful later." He chuckles, joining everyone in their brief laughter while I shoot him a look that screams 'you're damn right.' "But for now," He continues, settling his sparkly brown eyes back onto me, "I have something important to say."

Baekhyun takes a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be standing here today." He squeezes my hand again, flickering his eyes back open to stare into mine. The warmth and undeniable love swirling within them sends my heart into overdrive. "If it wasn't for her patience, care and timeless, endless bounds of love." He sighs softly, smiling so sweetly while wrapping an arm around my waist before turning us both to the second set of curtains. "I wouldn't be here to present the newest clothing line."

The curtains go up and my jaw drops at the sight.

A huge glass container stands in the middle of the stage, showcasing mannequins wearing various articles of clothing. Soft looking blue sweaters, comfy jogging pants, black leggings with white embroidery flowers on the ends, and short jean shorts. There are over a dozen different clothes on display with the letter 'R' scripted on the front in beautiful cursive, but what really captures my attention is the red dress. Front and center.

The backless, sleeveless burgundy mermaid dress covered in sparkly jewels from start to finish, twinkling prettily under the dim lights while spun around on its high-rise platform.

"This goes out to Riley." Baekhyun hugs me close, making me grateful that I'm facing away from the crowd when tears spring to my eyes. He smiles shyly while gazing at me with those warm brown eyes. "The woman of my dreams and love of my life."

I stare right back into those deep brown pools of love, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my chin from wobbling. Not able to take it anymore, I cup his glowy cheeks in my hands, pressing my lips to his.

•⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •⇔♦ •

A/N: This was a mouthful, don’t mind me, I’m formatting the other 9k 😭💗

#baekhyun smut #bbh-net #supermwritersnet #baekhyun angst #baekhyun fanfiction #baekhyun fluff #baekhyun romance #Six Phases #let's go heartbreak and smutty town #with a surprise within ;)

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fanficsandthings · 3 years ago

Text

Through the Years, Ch. 7

A George Weasley Fanfiction

A George Weasley x Slytherin reader story.

Each chapter shares events in one year of George and reader’s life together.

Word Count: 6.1k

Author’s note: i know i’m like 3 months late on posting this chapter, but i promise i haven't abandoned this fic.

Year 1, Year 2, Year 3, Year 4, Year 5, Year 6

Year 6, Part 2: Fireworks

The heavy rain soaked through your clothes as you made your way into King’s Cross. It had been raining hard since early that morning, and the heavy gloom that hung over London was starting to take hold in your chest. The events of two weeks prior were impossible to purge from your mind, and on days like this the memories slowly crept their way forward. You swore that green skull could illuminate the sky again at any moment, so instead, you forced yourself to think about other things.

You uncle and dad had been talking for weeks about an event happening at Hogwarts this year, but they wouldn’t give anything away. All you knew was that you needed a fancy dress, which you bought a week ago at a second hand store. It now sat in the bottom of your trunk, its intended use unknown to you for now.

You no longer needed the motivation to run through the brick wall that separated platforms 9 and 10, like you did in your first year. You and your father casually waited by the wall, wringing the water from your clothes, as you watched the muggles pass by. When all was clear, you casually leaned against it, disappearing suddenly to anyone who might’ve cared to notice.

The steam from the scarlet coloured engine filled the platform, the people rushing about looking more like ghosts than corporeal beings. You searched briefly for a family of redheads, but quickly gave up and turned your attention to the items you had brought with you.

You checked quickly on Minnie, whose carrier was concealed under your rain jacket on top of your trunk. She was dry, just a little perturbed at all the movement happening on the trip here.

“You packed the camcorder, right?” your father asked. “And the extra tapes?”

“Yes,” you told him, “they were the first things I packed.”

“And you’re sure you know how to use it?”

“Yes, I’m pretty sure we went over it about 100 times.”

“I just don’t want you to get there and then not be able to capture anything,” he said, looking around at the people on the platform. He lowered his voice a bit to speak the next part. “It’s going to be a very fun year. I don’t want you to forget any of it.”

You let out an exasperated sigh. “Will you please stop being so secretive, and tell me what’s going on?”

“I’m sure you’ll find out soon enough,” he told you.

You were about to protest and beg for more information when three more people came through the platform portal. Ron, Hermione, and Harry appeared before you, squinting through the steam.

“Oh, look!” your dad cut you off, ignoring the annoyed look on your face. “Friends! Now, go get on the train with them. I might see you sooner than you think.”

You said a very quick goodbye before turning to the three newcomers. They were still looking through the steam, trying to orientate themselves before heading to the train. You snuck up as quietly as your trunk would allow, thankful that the train engine was letting off some noise.

“What’re you looking for?” you shouted, right in between Ron and Harry’s heads. It caused all three of them to jump; the owls in the cages they were holding hooted frantically as they got tossed around.

“Please don’t do that,” Hermione voiced as she clutched her chest.

“Sorry,” you said, smiling, “I couldn’t resist.” You turned your head to look at the brick wall briefly. “Where is..”

“Your boyfriend?” Ron butt in. He turned to Harry and made a fake gagging noise. Harry let out a laugh, amused at his friend’s actions.

“Right behind you,” a familiar voice said. You turned to see Charlie, Fred, and George. George was smiling brightly at you. “We just passed your dad on the other side of the barrier.”

“Charlie!” you exclaimed, giving him a quick hug. “I expected you to be back in Romania by now.”

“Do we even exist?” George whispered to Fred.

“Apparently not when Charlie’s around,” Fred answered.

You rolled your eyes as you turned to the twins. “I’m gonna see you two constantly for the next 10 months. I rarely see Charlie.”

“I took extended time off,” Charlie said, answering your question, “because I’ll be working a little extra in a couple of months.”

Ginny, Bill, and Mrs. Wealsey made their way through the wall behind the twins.

“Hello,” Mrs. Weasley greeted upon seeing you.

“Molly, it’s so good to see you. I was a little disappointed that I didn't get to see you at the Quidditch Cup,” you told her, giving her a hug.

“Quidditch isn’t really my thing, dear,” she informed you. “But I might get to see you all again soon.”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?” you asked.

“It’s nothing,” she said, pushing you back towards Fred and George.

“We should get going,” you said to the twins. “We need to find Lee and seats”

The twins said goodbye to their family, and you all headed off through the steam towards the train. You found Lee, who had already boarded and was saving a compartment for the three of you. You stuffed your trunks above the seats and put Millie’s carrier in the seat next to the door.

It was a weird feeling, purposefully sitting so close to George on the train; him next to the window and your head leaning on his shoulder so you could watch the countryside pass by. Really, it’s not like much had changed from being just friends to dating. You had always sat close to each other before, even holding hands when the situation allowed for it. Something seemed to change over the last couple months, though, and now you felt more comfortable than ever resting your head against George.

Maybe it was the fact that you could hold hands now without people whispering in the background and speculating about you. Or the fact that you could run your hands through his hair, which he had let grow a little longer over the summer, and not be worried about accidentally looking into his brown eyes and having to hide your embarrassment over the matter. You could freely count the freckles splattered across his face and name the constellations you made in them. Freckles that would always remind you of the falling snow on the night you first kissed.

At some point, you let Minnie out of her carrier, letting her roam freely around the compartment, careful to make sure the door was securely closed. She eventually found a comfy stop on the seat between Fred and Lee. You watched as she curled up into a ball, her tail carefully covering her eyes, as if to block out any light.

As the train rolled on and the rain outside got heavier, the windows fogged up, making it impossible to see outside. You turned your full attention to the conversation happening. Lee was talking about what he did over break, and brought up the Quidditch World Cup.

Your eyes moved briefly to the window, thinking you might see the bright green light shining through the rain. George saw your movement and squeezed your hand in reassurance, a small smile on his face. You smiled back at him, telling him that you’d be alright.

Lee mentioned that his father had been cheated out of money over a bet he made with Ludo Bagman at the Cup.

“That dirty little cheat!” Fred yelled at the mention of Bagman’s name, causing Minnie to startle beside him.

“He took our money, too,” George added on. “He paid us back in leprechaun gold.”

“That’s exactly what he did to my dad,” Lee said.

“You bet all the money you had saved, didn’t you?” you asked Fred and George.

“Yeah,” Fred sighed.

“We’ll have to find another way to open the shop now,” George said.

“I still have some money saved up,” you told them. “About 20 Galleons when converted from muggle money. It’s not much but maybe we could find something to invest it in.”

“We couldn’t ask you to give us your money,” Fred said.

“Yeah, I’m sure there’s other things you could use that money for, right? ” George inquired.

“Not really,” you told them. “I’ve always planned to help you with Weasley Wizard Wheezes one way or another. Whether that be through money or inventing inventory.”

“Oh,” George said rather quietly beside you. “Thank you.”

You leaned up and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. “Anything for you, Georgie.”

“And you know I’m always here to test out products,” Lee chimed in.

“Oh, speaking of which,” you voiced, “did you finish those Canary Creams in the last two weeks?”

“Not quite,” George told you. “There’s still some kinks to work out, but give us a few weeks and some of Snape’s potion supplies and we’ll get them done.”

“But!” Fred said, pulling a small, wrapped treat out of his pocket. “We did nail down the yellow hair color.”

“Now we have all the house colors down,” George finished.

“And I think we should take advantage of that,” you said with a grin. You grabbed the sweet from Fred’s hand. “This one’s yellow?” He nodded. “And you guys still have a beef against Cedric for winning the quidditch match last year?”

“We should’ve gotten a rematch,” all three of them said in unison.

“I know, I know,” you said, faking sympathy.

The rest of the train ride was spent slipping sweets into other student’s train compartments and hiding in the hallway until you heard a couple screams. Cedric didn’t really seem to mind too much; being more embarrassed of the attention his friends were giving him because of it, opposed to being mad. You did manage to slip a pink one into Draco’s compartment, but one of his oversized bodyguards ended up eating it instead.

You found Adrian Pucey, who was trying to rekindle your friendship a little bit. He had written to you over the summer a few times. You gave him a blue haired sweet just because you wanted to see if the color would look good on him. It really didn’t, as the Ravenclaw blue didn’t mix with his complexion very well. You made him promise to sit next to you at the welcome feast, and you’d reverse the effects then.

Overall, you were very happy to be going back to Hogwarts where you’d be able to hang out with your friends again.

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

The term seemed to pass too quickly with all the Tournament excitement going on. You had been concerned for Harry ever since his name was pulled out of that blasted goblet, but ever since he won the first task, he seemed to be in a much better mood.

You had snuck out of the castle the night before the first task with Fred and George to meet up with Charlie. He had excitedly shown you the dragons they had brought from Romania, their fiery breaths keeping you warm in the cool November air. You had never seen creatures like this upclose before, and they intrigued you enough to think for just a moment that maybe you wouldn’t mind working in Romania with Charlie.

A month after that, you found Hogwarts covered in snow, the winter chill finally settling in the castle corridors. Fireplaces blazed in every room, warming you ever so slightly as you sat by them. The fireplace in your dorm room did little to help fight the cold of the Black Lake. Again, just like last year, you spent most of your nights in the Gryffindor common room, curled up next to George by their roaring fire.

Minnie took to spending her nights in George’s room. She seemed to be making friends with Crookshanks, as you would sometimes find them cuddled together in the common room.

At times you felt bad for the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. Their carriage and ship didn’t seem like the warmest of homes. You’d look across the school grounds and see them covered in ice and snow, and it would send a shiver down your spine every time.

Christmas Eve came, and the entire school was filled with excitement over the Yule Ball the next day. You were excited too, but there was one more thing you needed to do before that day came.

You had told George to meet you in the Astronomy tower in his pajamas at 10pm on Christmas Eve, a surprise all planned out in your head. You had stolen the radio from the Slytherin common room for the night. It had taken you and Adrian over a week to figure out how to get muggle radio stations to play on it, but eventually you got past all the magical interference and were able to listen to muggle music for the first time in almost four months. It wasn’t that you didn’t enjoy The Weird Sisters, but sometimes you just missed the music your mum would listen to at home.

You set up your camcorder in one corner of the tower by the stairs, getting as much of the room in frame as you could. With no one else in the room to film, it would be the best shot you could get with the camera.

You met George at the base of the tower five minutes before 10, confusion etched on his face.

“I see you wore the pajamas with a little lion embroidered on them,” you teased him, reaching for his hand. “My cute little Gryffindor.”

He blushed at your words, but he took your hand nonetheless and let you lead him up the stairs.

“You’re literally wearing the same ones but with a snake embroidered,” George said.

“Hey, your mum made them, and I love them,” you told him. You squeezed his hand as you both laughed.

Music from the radio played softly from the top of the tower, a song that neither of you had heard before. When you reached the top of the stairs, you paused briefly to press the record button on the camera. This caused a confused look to make its way onto George’s face, but you reassured him that nothing harmful was going to happen.

You pulled him to the middle of the room, the chill from the winter night just barely reaching you. Pulling him close to you, you wrapped your arms around his shoulders. George instinctively put his arms around your waste. You started to sway to the slow song coming from the radio.

“We haven’t been up here in a while,” George whispered.

“Not since fourth year when we flew right into the middle of Professor Sinistra’s nighttime class,” you said, laughing.

“Hey, we both expected her to have a midnight class that night,” George said, “not an 8pm class.”

“I didn’t even mind the detention we got from it,” you told him. “I was just happy that I beat you in the race up here.”

“I remember you cheating to beat me up here,” George said, wrinkling up his nose to tease you. “You and your old money Malfoy broom nearly knocked me into the castle wall.”

“All’s fair in love and war, Georgie,” you said. “I was just using the speed that broom gives me to its full potential.”

“If I didn’t love you so much, I’d still be mad about it.” He leaned down to kiss you on the forehead. “I still can’t believe you finally let me kiss you a year ago now.”

“You can thank Charlie for that actually. He gave me a little pep talk before I came outside that night.” You rested your head against his chest, listening to him hum along to the music. “Do you know this song?”

“I’ve heard you play it before while you were at my house. I quite like it.”

You pulled yourself as close to George as possible, trying to absorb his body heat. You hadn’t really thought about the open balcony and the winter weather when you planned this out. You leaned against him and swayed with the song, only really listening to his heartbeat through his chest. When the song was over and a more upbeat one came on, you pulled away just enough to look at his face.

“Do you think Dumbledore really got The Weird Sisters to play tomorrow night,” you asked.

“I hope so,” he said with a small laugh. “It’s all everyone’s been talking about the past few days.”

“Speaking of the ball,” you started, “Did Fred ever ask that girl he likes to go with him?”

“He asked Angelina a few days ago,” George told you. You wrinkled up your face in confusion. “What? They’re going as friends.”

“But what about that Hufflepuff girl that he talks about constantly?” you asked. “I expected him to ask her, and I thought Lee and Angelina would go together.”

“Lee’s going with a Ravenclaw fifth year, actually,” he informed you. “One of Cho Chang’s friends. Cedric actually set them up.” He seemed to have a hard time admitting that Cedric could do something nice for someone. George and Fred really held a grudge when it came to quidditch.

“Cedric’s a good person, you know?” you said. “He wanted to have that rematch. But back to Fred; why is he being an idiot about his crush?”

“Because he is an idiot in general,” George said laughing. “He asked Angie just to prove to Ron that he had a date. He didn’t think it through.”

You let out a sigh. “He’ll never learn.”

The next song started with a familiar tune. “George, I think you’ll love this one!”

You pulled away from him and grabbed his hand. There was no rhythm to your dancing, but it was fun nonetheless. George left all his worries behind and danced with you, not caring that you two definitely looked like idiots. He did really like the song that was playing, and he enjoyed it even more knowing that you loved it.

You turned your camcorder off after that song, saving room on the tape for the next night too. You walked with George to the balcony, braving the cold to look over the snow covered grounds. Hogwarts really did look beautiful at this time of night. The moon reflected off the white snow and shone brightly over the Black Lake. The ship and the carriage looked like mere children’s toys from this far away.

You rested your head against George’s shoulder as you both leaned against the railing. “Thank you, George.”

“For what?” he asked.

“For being my best friend, I guess,” you said. “It means a lot to me to have someone like you in my life.”

“I’m glad I have you too,” He kissed the top of your head.

You moved your head to kiss him properly, his body heat warming your face as you leaned in. The smell of potions clung to his skin, as he had been working on new products the entire last week. You caught the scent of a rather sweet one, and breathed in deeply. You pulled away reluctantly, but the cold was getting to you and you needed to head inside.

George picked up the camera as you grabbed the radio, turning it off. You walked quietly down the stairs, hoping not to run into anyone at the bottom. He offered to walk you to your dorm, but you knew that Gryffindor tower was a lot closer than the dungeons, so you walked him there.

“Keep the camera for tomorrow,” you told him. “Record whatever mischief you get up to in the morning and then put it in the Great Hall.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tomorrow night.” He leaned in for one more kiss. “I love you.”

“Love you too.”

You hurried off down the hall as he climbed through the portrait hole. Sneaking down to the dungeons at this hour required a bit of stealth and luck, but you had done it enough to basically know the patrol schedules. You made it to the common room after only one near run in with a teacher, but you ducked behind a statue, just barely avoiding them.

There were a few students left in the common room, so you casually put the radio back in its spot on the table. Hopefully no one had missed it too much.

You made your way to your dorm room, opening the door quietly to not wake your roommates. The last embers of the fire were still burning in the fireplace, and they gave you just enough light to be able to see your way to your bed. The light from the moon didn’t reach this deep into the Black Lake when there was a layer of ice on top of it, so your windows remained pitch black.

You laid in bed, pulling the quilt from last Christmas as close to you as you could. You breathed in the earthy smell and let out a content sigh. Sleep found you easily that night, and your mind raced with dreams of what tomorrow might be like.

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

The buzz and excitement in the air was contagious as everyone got ready before the ball. You had spent the morning in the common room with Adrian, trying to get him to tell you who he was going with, but he refused, saying that you’d find out in a few hours anyway.

“Why won’t you just tell me?” you asked, leaning forward and narrowing your eyes at him.

“Why does it matter so much?” he asked in return, ignoring the look you were giving him.

“Because I want a picture of us and our dates,” you said, “and if I don’t know who your date is, then I can’t force them to take the picture.”

“I promise you’ll get your picture,” he said. “I’m meeting up with him in front--”

You nearly sprang to your feet, but kept yourself in your chair when you saw the look of embarrassment on his face.

“So it’s not the seventh year Ravenclaw girl that has a crush on you,” you said, putting your hands over your mouth to think a bit. “I really thought it was her.”

Adrian looked flustered, his cheeks turning red. “What? No, no, she doesn’t have a crush on me.”

“She does,” you told him bluntly. “She asked me if you had a date about two weeks ago. I told her yes, but seeing as you won’t tell me who, I couldn’t give her more information.”

Adrian sank back into the couch, wishing this conversation would end. You looked at him, still thinking about who he could be going with.

“The Beauxbatons boy who wouldn’t stop staring at you on their first night here?” you pondered, but he remained quiet. “The fifth year Hufflepuff who ran into you in the hall last month? He’s cute and rather shy. I remember him apologizing profusely. I noticed him ducking his head away from you when we’d pass him in the hall after that.”

You watched him for a reaction that would give you a yes or no answer, but all you noticed was his face getting redder. Adrian never really talked about crushes and who he liked. This conversation about people who maybe liked him seemed to be a little much for him.

“Alright, one more guess,” you said, “and then I promise I’ll drop it until tonight.” He looked at you out of the corner of his eye. You took it as a sign to go on. “It’s not one of your dorm mates, is it? They’re rather all kinda assholes.”

You finally got a laugh out of him at that. “Absolutely not. I know them all way too well to ever want to go on a date with any of them.”

“Good, just checking to make sure you were still sane,” you said, standing up. “I’ll see you in a bit. Meet back here before we head up?” Adrian gave a small nod as you headed towards your dorm.

You got ready while the rest of your roommates chatted around you. The dress you had picked out just before the school year started hung from a hanger on your four poster bed. The purple fabric of it was accented nicely by some small gold details. You had added a little bit of magic to it over the past few months, making it more your own, rather than just a second hand find.

You found Adrian a few hours later, sitting in the same spot you had left him; his casual clothes now swapped out for dress robes, and his hair neatly styled.

“You look nice,” you told him, causing him to look up.

“Thanks.” He stood up, scratching the back of his neck. He looked at you, taking in your dress. “You look great. Did you get the sparks to work?”

“Yes!” you said excitedly, looking down at the gold details. “Technically not sparks, but you’ll see. Wait till George can see them too. Can you carry this?”

You handed him your disposable camera, and he quickly put it in his pocket. He held out his arm, and you easily linked yours in it. You headed out of the common room, ready to meet up with your dates.

Walking up the stairs from the dungeons, the first person you saw standing in front of the Great Hall was Ron in his interesting dress robes. He was staring angrily at two people as they walked into the hall. It took a second to realize the girl was Hermione, having never seen her with her hair done like that before. You recognized the boy as Viktor Krum when he turned to greet one of his friends as he walked past them.

Viktor’s friend turned in your direction, and his face lit up with a smile as he saw you and Adrian. You turned to Adrian, who was smiling just as brightly back at the Durmstrang boy.

“A Durmstrang boy?” you whispered to Adrian as you made your way over to him. The boy was tall, at least a few inches taller than Adrian, and his long dark hair hung to his shoulders. When he reached the two of you, he turned his attention to you and took your hand, kissing it softly. His green eyes looked into yours briefly.

“Adrian has talked a lot about you,” the boy said, dropping your hand. He looked back over at Adrian, the softest expression on both of their faces.

“This is Georgi,” Adrian introduced you. You looked at him, trying to hide your expression of slight shock.

This is exactly why he wouldn’t tell you the name of his date. He knew you would tease him about going to the ball with a boy who shared a name so similar to your boyfriend. In all honesty though, the two boys were almost nothing alike. Georgi seemed a little more subdued and quiet, opposed to George who, though quieter than his brother, was still too loud for his own good.

While making polite conversation with Adrian and his date, you were also trying to find the twins in the crowd of people. You noticed them coming down the stairs with Lee and Angelina, Lee soon hurrying off to find his date.

You nudged Adrian in the side and gestured towards the twins. “I’ll be right back.” He nodded at you, and you set off through the crowd.

“George!” you called as you ran up and hugged him. He and Fred were wearing matching outfits, probably passed down from their uncles to them.

“Hello.” George pulled you back from the hug, looking at you fully. “You’re beautiful.”

You ignored his statement, trying to hide the heat rising on your face. “Come on, I want you to meet Adrian’s date.” You looked at Fred and Angelina. “You too. I want a picture.” You pulled George’s hand, leading the group back through the crowd.

“You put the camcorder in the Great Hall, right?” you said over your shoulder.

“Yeah,” George confirmed. “About an hour ago. You’ll just need to hit record.”

Meeting up with Adrian again, you gestured to George, introducing him to the Durmstrang boy. “George, this is Georgi. Georgi, George. My boyfriend.”

They stared at each other for half a second before Fred butted in.

“Well, isn’t that fun,” he said with a grin.

You just grinned at Adrian, a smug look on your face.

You introduced Fred and Angelina and chatted for a bit before pulling another student over, who you knew was muggleborn, to take a picture of the six of you. Adrian nudged you and pointed to your dress. You looked down at it before realizing what he was suggesting.

“Oh,” you said, catching the attention of the group. “I almost forgot. I added a little magic to my dress. Adrian, do you mind doing the honors?”

He pointed his wand at your dress, and a translucent, almost invisible smoke came out of the end. Tendrils of smoke reached out, attaching themselves to the center of each little gold detail and then disappearing into the dress. Each gold detail began to shake, as if filled with an immense energy. Suddenly, the details exploded across the dress, mimicking fireworks to the best of their ability. After a moment, they settled into their original shape.

The group was staring at you, transfixed on what had just happened.

“I’ve never seen a spell like that before,” Georgi finally said, a look of wonder on his face.

“That’s because Adrian and I invented it, just for this,” you told him. You smiled as you looked over at Adrian. “We’ve been working on spells and such all of term in our free time. So far we only got the radio to work, and now this. This one isn’t perfect though. The smoke isn’t supposed to be there; it’s supposed to just be an immediate effect.”

George could tell that you were rambling now. He could see that your ramblings were bringing your excitement over the fantastic job you did down into doubt about how it didn’t work exactly how you wanted it to. He reached out and grabbed your hand.

“It was beautiful,” he said. He looked into your eyes, trying to bring your attention to only him, trying to calm you down. “You know I love fireworks. Maybe they could be a part of the uniform at our shop.”

You smiled at him, giving a small laugh. “That would be wonderful.”

You turned back to the group and noticed Angelina standing by herself, Fred nowhere in sight. “Where’s Fred gone off to?”

“He said he needed to talk to someone,” Angelina said, pointing towards the stairs that led towards the kitchens.

You turned, expecting to find Fred putting a firecracker in someone's robes, but instead found him trying to get the attention of the Hufflepuff girl. She was standing close to another Durmstrang boy, but looked rather uncomfortable at the whole situation. She kept trying to scoot closer to Cedric, but every time she did, the Durmstrang boy would scoot with her. Cedric said something to her before he took Cho by the hand and led her into the Hall. Fred called her name again, but she continued to ignore him, instead saying something to her date before they too walked to the Hall.

“Why didn’t he just ask her?” Angelina asked beside you. “I would’ve been fine going with someone else.”

“Because he’s an idiot,” you said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“You’re not wrong,” Angelina agreed.

The entrance hall was getting emptier as everyone filed into the Great Hall. You took this as the cue to follow suit. You stood in the large crowd, pressing play on your camcorder as the school champions were ushered to the dance floor. The dancing started, and George almost immediately pulled you to the dance floor as more people joined in.

The night went by quickly, but you would always be able to watch it back thanks to your camcorder, and look at pictures that you took.

Your favorite picture by far was one of Adrian squished in a hug between the twins, their red hair and gold vests standing out extravagantly against his all black outfit. Adrian and the twins were still not the best of friends, but over the past few months they had all agreed to try to get along for your sake. The twins liked to show their progress through aggressive acts of friendliness.

The videos were another story. They showed the night in motion and sound, something you were eternally thankful for. You could never give enough thanks to your dad for buying the camcorder for you.

The video of the school champions dancing showed Hermione being the happiest you had ever seen her. It was quickly interrupted by you laughing as George pulled you onto the dance floor, followed by Fred grabbing Angelina to dance with him. It even caught a bit of McGonagall dancing with Dumbledore, a surprising sight, as you had thought you would never see either of them dancing in your life.

You caught a video of Percy, zoomed way in on his grumpy face as he watched his ex-girlfriend dancing with someone else. Penelope looked happy with the boy she was dancing with though. You knew in a few years, hopefully, Percy would be able to laugh at his emotions too.

You got Fred and George pulling Percy, Ron, and Harry out of their seats as The Weird Sisters started to play. Ginny joined their group to dance with her brothers; the three excited Weasleys trying their best to dance the grumpiness out of the others. You set the camera down on a table, facing the group and ran to grab Adrian and Georgi. Passing Angelina and Alicia on the way back, you told them to come with you too. Your large group now took up much of the dance floor, but no one seemed to mind as you all jumped around to the song the band was playing.

The next video had the band playing a slower song in the background. The camera just sitting on a table, having been accidentally turned on by someone. It showed the Hufflepuff girl sitting at a table with Percy. They were talking, but the music drowned out any words that they were saying. Percy looked a little happier than he did earlier. Fred came into frame, sitting next to Percy, but putting his whole attention on the girl. She said a few short words to him, but when it was obvious she didn’t want to talk, he got up and walked towards the camera. He must have noticed it was on, because he mumbled a few words at it before the video cut off.

There was a short video of you and Adrian walking outside in front of the castle, lights sparkling around you. George and Fred were a few paces ahead of you, talking about something you couldn’t hear. Georgi had offered to record for a bit, even though he wasn’t quite sure what he was doing. The video cut off abruptly when the camera was dropped.

The last video on the camera was George recording you as you were leaving the Hall for the night.

“How was your night,” he asked from behind the camera.

“I had a great night,” you told him, walking backwards. You were holding up your dress so you didn’t trip. “Better than some people.”

The camera panned over to Fred, who flicked it off. He had a smile on his face, though, so you knew he still had a wonderful time. George moved the camera to catch Angelina in frame.

“Did you still have a good time,” he asked her, “even though your date was kinda a drag?”

“I had a wonderful time,” Angelina said as she put her arms around Alicia and Katie, who were walking beside her. “I still had my best friends to lift the mood.”

“And what about you,” George turned so now he was walking backwards, camera pointed at Adrian and Georgi. They were walking hand in hand, Adrian’s head resting on Georgi’s shoulder.

“It was alright,” Adrian said, smiling up at his date. Georgi squeezed Adrian’s hand.

You had now reached the base of the stairs that led up to the Gryffindor common room. Everyone stopped walking to say their goodbyes.

“One more thing,” you said to the camera. “I wanna get my spell on record.” You grabbed out your wand and pointed it at your dress, setting the fireworks in motion.

“Beautiful, as always,” George hummed behind the camera. “I think this is where we part ways.” He took your hand in his. “Goodnight, love.”

“Goodnight.”

The video stopped as you leaned in to kiss him.

#george weasley #george weasley fanfic #george wealsey x reader #george weasley x you #george weasley x slytherin!reader #harry potter #harry potter fanfiction #harry potter fanfic #slytherin #slytherin reader #weasley twins #fred and george #fred and george weasley #george weasley fanfiction #through the years series #my writing

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leafs-lover · 3 years ago

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If He's Lucky I'll Let Him Join

Part 6: Things shift

Series Masterlist

A/N: Sorry for the delay on this, hope you like it. I only plan on 2 maybe 3 more parts of this.

Warnings: Swearing, smut (oral female receiving) unprotected sex (wrap it kids), voyeurism, 18+

Word Count: 6600

April 8, 2021

A: Hey want to go for a walk with Felix and I?

You stare at your screen for a few minutes, the message sitting on read. Since giving Auston your number a week and a half ago he has text you three times. Two were pictures of Felix, and the third was a meme.

The Leafs had a few days off during that stretch, you saw Fred a little but you haven’t seen Auston since you left his house. You also haven’t told Fred about Auston, and since he hasn’t brought it up you don’t think Auston told him.

It’s not that you did anything wrong or cheated on Fred; you aren’t in a relationship, with either man. You haven’t talked about what you are, or where this is heading, if anywhere. The season is almost half over and you have no idea what will happen after that. Last time the season ended you barely heard from Fred for three months, and Auston almost 4.

When you agreed to sleep with Auston, you never specified it would only be with Fred, only in threesome situations. You never discussed the dynamics of you and Auston, and what the boundaries were. You know all of this.

Yet something feels wrong. Like you shouldn’t have done that behind Fred’s back and you shouldn’t keep doing it without with Fred knowing. That you should talk to Fred before you and Auston sleep together again, assuming you do sleep with him again. You don’t even know if you want to sleep with him when it’s just Auston. Not that you had a bad time, it was far from it. You just don’t know what it means, if anything.

There is so much you are uncertain of, all you know is how you felt about Fred last year. Things were going great, and you talked about summer plans. They were loose plans like being his plus 1 to a teammates wedding, going up to the Muskoka’s for a weekend with Mitch and Steph. He even mentioned a five day trip to Iceland, though that seemed unlikely to happen given the amount of planning required. But everything was heading towards a relationship until the world stopped.

And now a year later, the world is spinning. People are getting vaccinated everywhere except Canada; but they say they are coming, and the countries with vaccinated people are easing restrictions. Everything seems to be heading for a new normal, but where does that leave you and Fred?

Some nights you feel like a set of holes for him to use like target practice. But other times you wake up to Fred gently brushing your hair, legs tangled beneath the sheets placing soft kisses on your forehead or shoulder and you feel like so much more.

Intimate dinners.

Sex.

Cute text messages.

Sex.

Lazy Sundays.

Sex.

Bubble baths together.

Sex.

So much back and forth, it’s very confusing. And that’s just with Fred, you can’t even begin to understand the dynamic of Auston.

He has been a roller coaster, and not just the way he throws you around in bed. The first time he was dominant, but ended it with a soft kiss. The kiss lingered on your lips for days, your mind was swirling from it. Sometimes his eyes are dark and full of fire, but other times you get glimpses of him and that kiss.

Sure you had some feelings for Auston last year, but you told yourself they were feelings of lust. Completely, 100% sexually driven. But they were just feelings of sex right? Just the heat developing in your core from being around him fogging the sense and reason of your brain.

Auston finds moments to wrap his arms around you, placing soft kisses on your forehead or your lips. Doesn’t matter if Fred is in the other room or 5 feet away he will do it. While he drives his hard dick into your walls, he’ll have eyes dark with hunger. But after they are soft, and he doesn’t hesitate to lay soft and passionate kisses on your lips while Fred is lying inches beside you.

He exudes so much dominance, both men do. You are actually surprised it doesn’t turn into a pissing match with them, but they direct it all to you. They let you think you are in control, but the first chance they get they take over. Spilling words of venom, pulling orgasm after orgasm, juices coating their cocks and fingers.

The sight alone is enough to send you home with an ache between your legs. They are patient while you are with the other one, knowing their turn is coming. Not too patient though. But through all of it they don’t fight or get jealous of you.

Until last week ago that is, running into Auston in the elevator.

When he was hovering over you, kissing along the marks Fred had left earlier in the day, you got the feeling he was jealous you had spent time with him. You don’t know if it’s because he wasn’t there or that he didn’t like that you were sleeping with someone other than him, but he seemed bothered by it. But he would be naïve to think you and Fred only sleep together with him right?

An hour before that he was mumbling in your ear while cuddling on his couch. He looked at you like he wanted to hold you tight to his chest and never let you leave. Maybe it’s just a part of who he is, how he plays girls. You know he has a reputation around Toronto, besides his performance on the ice. There are rumours that over his first four seasons he has a revolving door of women while on road trips.

Obviously this year with Covid he has been much more mellow, no rumours or stories. But you don’t know if there is any truth to the rumours, you don’t know if he’s sleeping with other women. Not on road trips, the league has strict protocols in place for road teams. But at home they are supposed to follow local health guidelines. He could easily have another girl, and you are just someone he uses when called upon.

Maybe you are just a piece for him to bide his time with until restrictions are loosened, just an easy solution with the leagues COVID protocol’s. Or maybe he sees you as something more. Either way it’s all very convoluted.

Fingers hovering over your screen you mull over everything. Just before you go to type three little dots pop up as if he can sense your hesitation. You decide to wait before replying and are met with a selfie of him and Felix cuddling in bed, tattooed arm fully on display due to his lack of shirt. A “please play with me Y/N” text obviously supposed to be from Felix coming in immediately afterwards.

You can’t help the way your legs snap shut, rubbing together in search of friction. Or the involuntary groan that tumbles out as you stare at over his arm and down to his abs. But it’s the big beady eyes of Felix that win you over and without a second thought you quickly reply with a yes.

“Miss, I think you dropped your keys,” you hear someone call out. Ignoring it you pan around the somewhat busy street. Car horns are sirens are heard on the streets, wind howling between the buildings making the air crisp against your face. A hand gently touches your arm and you quickly spin around on your heels, wide eyed. “Sorry,” he chuckles seeing the shock on your face “I called out but I don’t think you heard me. Are these yours?”

He holds up a keychain in your view and you sigh slightly, “yes, thank you.”

When getting ready you decided to leave your purse at home, they aren’t the most convenient while walking a dog. You threw your debit card, TTC pass, phone and keys into your pocket. Arriving out front the coffee shop a couple minutes ago your hands were cold so you reached into your pocket for your gloves.

“No problem,” he smiles.

Scanning over his face you immediately notice his bright blue eyes grazing over your face. Thick flowing dark brown hair sticks out under his Montreal Canadians ball cap, a short scruffy beard on his chiseled jaw. He looks familiar but you can’t place it.

He is tall, similar in height to Auston and Fred. Even through his black peacoat you can tell his shoulders are just as wide. A red scarf gently popping out under the collar of his jacket. “I’m Josh,” he says, and you see him smile once again, instantly you think that it is just the best smile you have ever seen.

“Hi, I’m Y/N,” you smile back.

“Can I buy your coffee? “he asks glancing to the shop behind you. “I assume that’s why you’re here,” he chuckles. “It’s not free though, it’ll cost you a half hour of your time through the park.”

You chuckle slightly, if you weren’t supposed to meet Auston in a few minutes you would struggle to say no. His wide smile and soft eyes are drawing you in, but on top of that he seems nice. Someone you would actually have a good afternoon chatting with. “I’m actually meeting someone,” you reply.

“Oh that’s a shame, I’m leaving Toronto in a few hours. Think I can get your number; take you out when I come back?”

Before you can answer you feel Felix brush against your legs and let out an excited bark. He jumps up on you almost knocking you over and you immediately feel Auston’s hands on your hips and Josh grip your elbow, holding you upright. Auston mumbles some bullshit to Felix about manners, but you ignore it. Trying to focus on the eager pup, when in actuality you feel fire ignite where their hands connect to you.

“Hey man,” Josh says to Auston releasing your elbow.

“Hey Josh,” Auston says politely stepping beside you. You immediately sense the tension, Auston puffing his chest keeping on hand on the small of your back. Josh’s gaze flicks between you and Auston a little, realizing this is the person you are meeting but he doesn’t seem too bothered by it. You take a harsh swallow, the cold Toronto air burning your throat.

Tick tock, tick tock.

You have no longer how long you all have been standing there, likely only a few seconds but time feels like it has stopped. The only sound besides passing cars is the excited whines and yelps Felix lets out while he circles around your feet. Shifting awkwardly you stare between the two men not wanting to be the first to make a move. Finally Auston clears his throat glaring at Josh, pulling you in tighter to his chest. So close you can smell his cologne.

“Well I’m going to grab my coffee. Nice meeting you y/n,” Josh smiles, stepping around you to go through the door.

“A Hab really?” Auston jokes kissing your cheek, following Josh with his eyes until the door shuts behind him. His lips are warm on your cool skin, eyes look slightly heavy from the previous night's game, and dark curls pop out under the toque he’s wearing that barely covers his ears.

“What?” you ask confused, bending down to pet Felix who is still enthralled by your presence.

“Josh,” he nods inside and you shake your head shooting him a puzzled look. “That’s Josh Anderson. He plays for the Montreal Canadians.”

“Oh that’s why he looked familiar,” you say glancing back inside briefly, you watched the game last night and you remember him. He looks a little different without the equipment or covered in sweat, but his thick hair and smile is what stood out to you. Felix takes the opportunity to kiss your cheek causing you to laugh and look back at Auston. “You watch him for a sec so I can get our drinks?” Auston asks, handing you the leash.

Josh comes out first saying goodbye to you and giving Felix a few pets before making his way down the street. Auston is out not too long after, 2 paper cups in hand. You try to hand the leash back, but he tells you to keep it, feeding you some line about Felix being happy to see you. You know Felix doesn’t care who holds his leash, he is just happy to be on a walk but you aren’t going to object.

It’s only been two days since you saw him. Fred watched him for the Leaf’s short road trip and you spent some time over there during it. While Fred went to physio you would take him on long walks, walks too long for Fred and his knee right now. Fred joked about how close you were thinking it’s the first time you met him.

You took naps on the couch and played with him. He followed you around everywhere, whining and clawing at the door when Fred locked him out for an hour. When you finally opened the door he almost tackled you with his excitement. That night when you went to go to bed he climbed between the two of you resting his head on your chest while you fell asleep, gently petting the top of his head. Every time you saw him Felix would be more excited than the last.

“Thought you Canadians are inferior to the cold,” Auston jokes when a strong wind gust blows from the lake and through the streets. Shivering you pulling your zipper up further, pulling your toque further down your ears.

“Lets go warm up, my place is only a couple blocks away,” he puts a hand on your back to guide you. It’s the smallest contact, a slight brush against your back before his hand falls into his pocket for warmth. But through your jacket and sweater your skin burns from the ever so slight touch.

Stepping into the lobby you instantly feel the warmth of his building hit your face. “You had a good game last night,” you smile knowing he can’t see it through your mask.

“Woah you actually watched,” he teases, pulling his mask over his face.

“Yeah, you know hanging around hockey players all the time figured I should watch a game or two,” you joke. “You know with not teaching I have some spare time.”

“I’m glad you find time in your busy schedule to watch me on TV.” You give him a playful nudge hitting the button for the elevator. “How is it going with work? Find anything yet?” he asks, bending down to give Felix some pets for patiently waiting.

“No, all schools in Ontario go 100% online Monday so there are a lot of us in the same situation right now across the province. I’m sure something will come along I’m not too worried right now.”

“You’re smart, you’ll figure something out,” he says looking up at you. His black mask is covering half of his face, but from the creases beside his eyes you can tell he is smiling at you. Before you can reply you hear the doors creak open and turn your attention to it.

You notice a body in the elevator who shifts into the corner to make space. Taking a step in you are met by a tall man with broad shoulders, hood of his Nike sweater pulled over his red hair, mask covering half of his face. But you immediately recognize the eyes, stopping you in your tracks.

Auston walks into your back not realizing you stopped and Felix jumps up at his feet. Fred stares at the two of you for a second with a look of confusion, blinking a few times. Like he doesn’t believe it’s actually you behind the mask; but his eyes soften and he turns his attention to the eager pup. You shift uncomfortably, eyes darting between Auston and Fred. Auston looks unphazed a small smirk tugging on his lips.

“What’s going on?” Fred asks standing up, still petting Felix’s head.

“Just grabbed some coffee,” you say quietly.

“Yeah just hanging out,” Auston adds in. “What about you?”

“Just getting home from the rink, was gonna see if you wanted to hangout.”

Auston glances over at you briefly before back to his friend, “yeah for sure man,” Auston replies. Stepping off the elevator on Auston’s floor the three of you head towards his apartment. The two of them chat about something from the game last night, almost oblivious to the fact you are there while you trail a few steps back.

Once inside Auston takes of Felix’s leash and wanders to the kitchen to get him some fresh water. Fred lingers once his shoes are off watching you remove your jacket and boots. Once you hang up your coat Fred’s hands are on your hip backing you against the door, handle digging into your back, “you two having fun.”

His words hang thick in the air, stepping closer he pushes you in further, his breath hot on your neck. When you don’t reply he squeezes your hips, driving the handle further into your back causing you to hiss out a yes. His musty cologne and hot breath has moisture pooling between your legs, the only thing holding you up is his nails digging into your skin.

“Hmm,” he hums as you take a few uneasy breaths. “How long has this been going on smuk,” he places soft open mouth kisses on your neck waiting for you to reply.

“Uh...” you stutter, voice catching in your throat when he nips your skin. “Just the,” you mumble groaning, “one other time

“Cute,” he mumbles placing a kiss to your cheek, the edge of his lips brushing the corner of yours. Pulling back slightly he smirks at you and turns his gaze down the hall, smugness plastered on his face while he locks eyes with Auston who silently watches the exchange.

Your chest heaves and you swallow dryly taking a minute. Without another word he leaves you trying to catch your breath while he walks down the hall. Craning your head slightly you see Auston at the other end watching the entire interaction. Expressionless he follows Fred to the couch, as you try to compose yourself.

You don’t know why but you contemplate walking down the hall and saying you aren’t feeling well and heading home. But that seems obvious. And Fred didn’t seem mad did he?

The three of you sit on the couch, Felix circling, constantly bringing someone a toy or whining for pets. It’s a lazy afternoon and easy, the boys watching some golf tournament that you have no interest in. Fred mindlessly runs circles over your ankle while they chat, your head resting on his pillow.

His touch is soft but soothing. Every circle he draws you feel your blood pressure drop before you finally are at ease. Fred is smiling, Auston laughs at something he said. Everything seems fine, like you worked yourself up over nothing.

“So y/n has the hots for Josh Anderson,” Auston says part way through golf which immediately catches your attention, turning your gaze from Felix to the boys. Auston has a smug look plastered on his face while he winks at you, and Fred has a dark mischievous grin.

“Oh yeah,” Fred grins as you feel your cheeks heat up.

“Apparently we aren’t doing a good enough job,” Auston grins and your eyes go wide. You hear Fred laugh lightly squeezing your ankle tightly.

“Never said that,” you whisper, so faintly you aren’t even sure you spoke. Fred’s hand on your ankle tightens and he pulls you so you’re back is flat to the couch. Quickly his body is on yours, pinning your wrists to the couch at your side.

“Is that true baby? Are me and Auston not satisfying you? Not fulfilling your needs?” he murmurs eyes locked down at you. His chest presses into you, the air around you shifting. You try to swallow, but your throat is dry being starved of saliva.

“Pretty sure he asked you a question princess.” You didn’t even notice but Auston moved across the room, his mouth is millimeters from your ear.

Tilting your head slightly, you feel a hand on your jaw holding you in place, forcing your gaze up to Fred. You aren’t even sure whose hand it is until you feel the leather bracelet brush your neck and immediately know its Auston.

“What do you say man, should we take her to your room? Show her how good she has it,” Fred doesn’t pull his eyes away, while his comments are fully directed at Auston. Another display of his dominance over you making the slick between your legs build even more. “Make her regret even mentioning thinking of him”

You practically can hear the smugness oozing off the man beside you, only answering a quick but firm, “yes.”

Fred’s body is off yours as fast as he was on you. In an instant he easily throws you over his shoulder, carrying you down the hall to Auston’s room. Once back on your feet they begin to remove your clothing. Fred on your right, Auston on your left, both sucking on your neck working in unison; articles of clothing littering his bedroom floor, leaving you in just your matching underwear. If it wasn’t for the two hot bodies pressed against you goosebumps would be popping all over your body.

Auston unclasps your bra, sliding his tongue along your collarbone. Fred sucks on your neck when you hear fabric ripping, your underwear being torn off of you. Fred smirks against you, knowing you have been on them for all the shredded underwear they have left you with over the last three months, but neither seems to care.

Auston’s hand makes work of your breast, massaging and pinching the nipple. Gently rolling it through his thumb and index finger while Fred manipulates your legs apart, thrusting two thick digits inside of your folds. The unexpected nature causes you to whine while both men chuckle against you.

“Most women would be happy to have one man and you have two” Auston murmurs.

“Let’s make sure she never thinks about him again,” Fred sneers. Your head falls back and you begin to moan louder, his fingers quickly thrusting in and out of you. Auston’s other hand roams your back, sliding down to your ass, giving you firm squeezes to roll your hips forward further onto Fred’s digits.

If it wasn’t for both men on either side practically supporting your entire body weight, your knees would buckle. Fred pulls away slightly to get a better look at you, to watch you fall apart over his fingers. Your gaze meets his and his pupils are dilated, black with lust.

Increasing his fingers, thumb finding your clit you know you won’t last much longer. Incoherent thoughts are all you can manage, whimpers and curse words falling from your lips.

“Hear how wet you are princess?” Auston’s mouth is pressed against your ear. One hand cupping your breast his other firmly squeezing your ass. “Freddie’s hand is coated because of you,” he mumbles, you head a chuckle from the man on your right.

“This is nothing,” Fred asserts, but before you can process the weight of his words your orgasm crashes over you. Knees trembling, walls fluttering; blood pulsates through your body causing you to groan loudly.

As soon as you come down the boys release you and you almost fall over. Walking like a newborn deer on ice, you make your way to the bed while both men quickly strip. There must have been a silent exchange because Auston is quickly sitting in the middle of the mattress pulling you towards him.

Your back is to his chest and you can feel his hard erection pressed into your back as he brushes your hair aside exposing one side of his neck for him. “How many do you think it’ll take princess?” he hums his voice soft in your ear. “How many until you can’t even remember Josh’s name anymore?”

His words go right to your core, vibrating through your folds. Your chest heaves and your body shudders thinking of his statement. You know the question is rhetorical, but even if you had a number it wouldn’t be enough.

Fred stands at the end of the bed, eyes switching between yours and the slick dripping between your legs. Every time his eyes drop they stay a little longer, licking his lips at the sight. You begin to feel like a piece of meat and both men have been starved of food for weeks. You move your legs to close them, but Auston’s hands quickly grip your thighs holding you open for him.

Fred shakes his head while Auston rasps, “you know better than that princess,” in your ear; digging his thumbs into your flesh. Your entire body shivers and you take an uneasy exhale, knowing you are in for it. Quickly Fred crawls onto the bed, making his way towards your heat while someone, you aren’t sure who, bends your knees. Fred places soft kisses on the inside of your thigh and knee. The thought of what he will do has you dizzy. Flattening his tongue he licks up the mess from before, your entire body jolts but Auston firmly grips your legs open holding you is place.

“Such a good girl,” he mumbles as Fred laps up all your juices. A few more licks and Fred thick fingers find your heat, curling back inside you “taste so good hun” he adds.

Throwing your head back against Auston’s shoulder you groan “fuck,” but all it does is give him a better view.

“Look at you taking Fred’s fingers,” Auston hums as you feel Fred’s mouth attach to your clit. Auston’s voice is hot and heavy, Fred’s fingers hitting your g-spot with every thrust and soon your second orgasm is building deep inside you.

“Oh fuck,” you hiss while Fred’s tongue circles your clit, swirling in a figure eight on a continuous loop.

“You gonna cum again princess,” Auston says in your ear. “Coat his face?”

Incoherent sounds fall from both sets of your lips. You’re so wet that the obscene sound of his fingers fucking in and out of you makes your entire body heat up. Between both of their sinful mouths, Fred’s attached to your cunt and Auston’s whispering a string of filth on your ear, you are right back on the edge. Your heels dig into the mattress and it’s only a matter of time. Auston’s mouth purring in your ear, Fred’s tongue carefully circling your clit is more than you can take.

Your second orgasm rolls through you, little fires exploding in your hear. Fred slows slightly to draw it out while Auston holds you firm against his chest and you tremble in his embrace. His dick twitches against your back watching as white spills out. You sag against Auston’s chest, body tingling as your juices coat Fred’s face.

Pulling away from your heat your fog begins to settle. Fred has a dark smile, his beard coated in your slick heat. “What do you think does she need one more? Or should we fuck her ‘til she can’t walk anymore?” Fred says to Auston.

“She definitely needs one more,” Auston replies, hands digging harshly into your thighs keeping them spread apart.

“Ungh,” is all you can whimper in response, closing your eyes to take a few uneasy breaths while your legs relax, falling back to the mattress.

There must have been an exchange between the two or maybe you are still coming down from your high and don’t hear the question, but you do hear Auston say, “all you man I’m really enjoying the view.”

A hand is on your throat pulling your face away from Auston’s shoulder. Next a pair of lips are on yours, in a hot and hungry way. Immediately you know it’s Fred; not from the facial hair but the taste of yourself on his tongue.

Fingers are thrust back inside you, but your groans are swallowed by Fred’s mouth. Auston throws his calves over your shins, keeping you spread for his friend while his hands trail up your body. One finds your breast, the other finding your clit, thumb concentrating on pressing harsh circles into it.

Your pussy quivers at the contact it all becoming a lot. It’s almost too much. And then you feel Auston’s mouth on your neck and you know its game over. Being sandwiched between these men, fingers and tongues all over your skin has you pulling away from Fred for some much needed air.

“Holy fuck,” you moan, your eyes rolling into the back of your head, beads of sweat are rolling down the valley of your breasts. Your scream gets ripped from your throat and your vision goes white, wave after wave of euphoria rolling through you. Both men groan as your warmth spills around Fred’s wrist and onto the bed.

“God you are so beautiful when you cum,” Auston groans in your ear.

“Bet Josh would never make you feel like that,” Fred mumbles, finally pulling his fingers from you. Grabbing your jaw he forces your mouth open, shoving his fingers inside for you to lick clean. You have barely caught your breath and almost choke, but quickly work to clean your slick from his finger.

“Fuck, baby, just like that,” he purrs. Pulling away he lands beside you on the mattress, Auston quickly crawls out from behind. Falling backwards landing on the mattress, Fred brushes your sweaty hair from your forehead mumbling something to you in Danish.

Before you can react Auston in between your legs, hands on the back of your ankles pulling you closer, his throbbing tip pressing against your entrance “Remember the word,” Fred asks.

“Yeah,” you barely manage to say, throat incredibly dry.

“What is it,” Auston asks, waiting to continue.

“Yellow,” you manage to whisper through some uneasy breaths.

“You okay,” Auston asks, and you turn your head to stare up at him with a nod, tears resting in the edge of your eyes.

“You have to say it,” Fred says softly.

“M’okay” you say smiling at the softness of the two men, no matter how dominant or aggressive they are they always make you’re okay.

With that Auston thrusts inside your walls, Fred’s handiwork providing an easy lubrication so he gives you no time to adjust. Snapping his hips he sets a fast pace eyes dark and staring between your legs, watching his thick cock slide in and out of your sopping cunt. Pulling your bottom lip through your teeth you whimper, warm tears now rolling down your cheek.

“Just be thankful he is letting you off easy by being on top,” Fred winks rolling onto his side gently pressing his lips into your shoulder.

Wrapping your legs around his waist he snaps his hip, “figured she could use a minute,” he grunts. “But only a minute,” his hands are on your hips and he forcefully pulls you back increasing his pace causing you to cry out.

“Y/N,” Auston calls forcing you to whine as your head turns. “I think you should say thank you to Fred for taking such good care of you earlier,” he nods down to Fred’s hard member resting beside your hand. You honestly don’t think you could do much even if you tried, but when you slowly turn to meet Fred’s gaze he smiles at you.

“It would be nice if you said thank you skat,” Fred mumbles, sucking on your sweet spot beside your ear. Reaching out you wrap your hand around his length giving him a few slow tugs.

“Faster baby,” Fred mumbles, his words vibrating through your body. You try to set a fast pace, but Auston quickly has you distracted. Every thrust is hard and deep, brushing your g-spot before he pulls back. He knows exactly what he wants, each thrust calculated as he drags his cock along your walls. Every time he pounds into you your hand stutters around Fred’s length, but he’s loving it, smirking against your neck.

Each time Auston hits your g-spot you squirm and he is getting off on it. His eyes getting darker and darker, a grin tugging on his lips a little more each time. Fred continues to pepper your collar bone with kisses before working his way down your chest and back up again. His mouth is everywhere when his thumb attaches to your clit.

“Fuck Fred,” you jolt from the contact.

“Pretty sure it’s Auston making you feel this good,” Fred mumbles in your ear. “He’s the one with his dick buried inside you right now.”

Every statement is accompanied by harder faster circles on your bundle of nerves. Nails gripping your hips harder, cock sliding in and out faster. “He feel good baby?” Fred hums. “He feel good stretching you out? You’re taking him so well, you gonna cum all over his cock?”

“Fuck she’s close,” Auston announces as if you and Fred didn’t know. Releasing your hand from Fred’s cock you feel your body erupt around Auston’s dick.

If you thought the first three were intense, the fourth is pure fireworks. Every extremity is tingling and you feel lightning bolts erupt inside. Your walls flutter and both men groan as you disintegrate under Auston, melting into the bed. Neither man stops and soon you are met by Auston’s sticky warmth flooding your walls. He grunts and slows his hips, a few shallow thrusts and he spills everything he has inside you.

Fred pops his head up and looks towards your cunt, watching his friend coat your insides white. Momentary confusion crosses his face before turning back to you. Apart from the first time which Auston didn’t mean to, he has never once spent inside of you. Always spilling on your ass, tits or sometimes thrusting his cock inside your mouth so you can swallow it down. He doesn’t know when you and Auston fucked last week you told him can doesn’t need to pull out. He doesn’t know how every time over the past three months you have a moment of disappointed when Auston pulls out of you. How you are excited for your pussy to overflow with a mixture of both men’s cum.

Auston pulls out and falls beside you and Fred’s face softens. He smiles at you, a smirk tugging on the corner of his lip as he takes in your face. Absolutely fucked out and flush, hair a mess, splayed across the bed, makeup likely smeared down your cheek. Licking your lips you pull Fred’s face down for a searing earth shattering kiss.

Your hand tangles into his roots, his thumb drawing circles just below your ribcage. Tongue sliding into the others mouth and you tug harder trying to pull him on top of you but he doesn’t budge. Instead he falls onto his back pulling you on top of him.

“We all can’t go easy on you,” Fred winks while adjusting you over him. A mixture of sticky white fluids spill out and onto Fred while he lines himself up.

“Got one more in ya princess? You gonna cum for Freddie like you did me?” Auston asks and you shake your head, body barely functioning at this point.

“Oh baby we all know you do”

“Umph,” you mewl as he easily pulls you down, Auston’s cum spilling out around his girth.

Your hand quickly lands on Fred’s stomach, his abs covered in a thin layer of sweat. Your breath hitches when he bucks his hips while you try and take a minute, slowly grinding your hips, trying to compose yourself as best you can.

“Cocks not gonna ride itself,” Auston chortles from beside you.

Your eyes go wide and Fred smirks, shooting you a wink, you start rising and dropping around him, Fred bucking his hips to press deep inside you. Feeling his tip almost in your belly a slew of curse words fall from your lips. With every thrust you can feel more of Auston’s cum spilling out. A part of you thinks Fred thrusts up and pulls your hips down so harshly to fuck it out of you, but either way you are heading back towards the edge.

“That’s right take me deep baby,” Fred praises his back arching off the bed slightly.

You can tell he is enjoying watching you squirm above him. Your overly sensitive cunt barely able to take any more. Luckily the time you spent with your hand wrapped around him earlier means his high is close too.

“You’re taking me so well, baby girl,” Fred praises.

“You gonna cum for him like you did for your me, huh? Milk his cock for all it’s worth?” Auston asks, drawing your gaze to his dark brown orbs. You had almost forgot Auston was there, you are barely able to focus on Fred the pound driving up into your cervix let alone the man beside you catching his breath.

“Mmgh, I don’t… I don’t think I can,” you keen helplessly into thin air.

“Yeah you can, princess,” Auston urges gently.

Auston sits up pinching your nipple and you hiss from the friction his hand is causing, mouth grazes along your throat, his mustache brushing it ever so slightly. You don’t need him, Fred’s cock driving into your throbbing pussy with every thrust. Fred will get you there, but Auston’s mouth on your neck, hand on your nipple sends you catapulting over the edge.

Fred’s hands dig into your hips and Auston’s arm catch your body as you tremble above his friend. Auston spews filth in your ear, Fred mumbling Danish praise below you, but you hear none of it. Vision whiting out, ears filled with a high pitch ring as Fred fucks you through your high. Wave after wave of ecstasy overwhelms your body, Fred gives you a few more sloppy thrusts before painting your walls white. The two men support you while Auston slowly lowers you onto Fred’s chest while you catch your breath.

Auston leans on his elbow beside you, brushing your hair drenched with sweat from your forehead. Both you and Fred are breathless, clammy with sweat as his dick softens inside of you.

“So you learn to keep other guy’s names out of your mouth,” Auston sneers .

“I was obviously joking,” you groan while Fred brings a hand up to lightly draw on your back.

“Wasn’t very funny,” Fred adds.

“One Andersen is more than enough,” you try to push off of Fred put he tightens his grip wrapping his arm around your back, pulling you back down to his chest.

You hear Auston’s feet on the wood floor, and he returns a minute later with some water and a damp wash cloth. Fred gingerly lifts your body, sliding his cock out as some cum spills out. Once off him, Auston hands you the glass and Fred the towel who gently wipes between your legs while you whimper from the contact.

Auston having found some boxers, pulls a t-shirt over your head and pulls you back into the bed with him. Lying on your side you curl into his arm, using his tattooed bicep as a pillow, your hand lying on his chest. Fred crawls in behind you, hand on your hip, warm breath on your neck.

You hear the click clacking of Felix’s nails on the wood floor as he gets closer. The bedroom door finally open, he lets himself in jumping onto the bed and curling up between your legs and Auston as you all quickly fall asleep.

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adventuresindolls · 4 years ago

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May Photo Challenge!!

Our next photo challenge, #Daisies and Daffodolls, will begin on May 1st! It’s a creative, for fun, non-competitive daily challenge for you to share pictures of your doll(s). There will be a new prompt each day, listed below to give you a month to prepare, and you can participate in as many or as few days as you’re interested in. There is no judgement whatsoever, so please share regardless of how complex your props are, and don’t worry about posting a prompt late.

First of all, thank you so much to @desertdollranch for helping with the prompts, especially those surrounding AG birthdays and holidays, and for getting this whole photo challenge thing started back in September! And a huge thank you to @lesbianelizabethcole for designing all 5 banners!

The ground rules are the same as in October and December, but I’ll reiterate them for anyone that might be new. Tag all of your prompt posts with #daisies and daffodolls - all three words, complete with spaces. This will allow us to better find and share each other’s posts. You can organize your own posts however you want, but I recommend including the day’s prompt somewhere for context. Also feel free to post on other social medias if you want.

This is not a competition, and there are no prizes, but it should be a lot of fun. Feel free to use any size and brand of doll that you have! American Girl is very popular on doll tumblr, but all other types are welcome as well, including both established (historical or modern) characters and OCs. This could range from 18-inch dolls to Barbies to handmade dolls or porcelain dolls or even paper dolls.

I’ll reblog this post weekly until the beginning of May, and then begin each week of May with the prompt list for that week. Please find a list of all prompts below the cut.

5/1: The first day of each photo challenge is traditionally for seasonal fashion. Does your doll have a favorite spring outfit? Is it cool and light, or are they still bundled in a sweater for the chilly mornings?

5/2: Spring is all about new beginnings. Is your doll learning a new skill or trying a new activity this spring? Or maybe they just met a new person who became important in their life?

5/3: Today is National Textiles Day. Kirsten’s friends gave her a quilt they made after she missed school to help her family. Does your doll have any clothes or other items that are handmade? If not, do they make any textile items themselves? This could be something sewn, knitted, crocheted, or quilted.

5/4: May the 4th be with you! Does your doll like Star Wars? Who is their favorite character? What about other stories? Pick a hero from any movie, show, or book that your doll loves and have them act out a scene as that character.

5/5: Friends are forever. Who are your doll’s closest friends and what do they do together? Maybe they like to play board games or go to the mall or play pretend. Or maybe your doll is planning something special for their friend.

5/6: As the weather gets warmer, it’s the perfect time to head outside. Does your doll play sports, or do they prefer casual games with their friends? Maybe they like picnics or quiet hikes through the woods.

5/7: Happy birthday, Maryellen! Maryellen often feels overlooked in her large family, and she works hard to stand out and show her unique personality. What makes your doll special and unique?

5/8: It’s career day! What does your doll want to do when they grow up? Show them dressed up for and/or acting out their dream job.

5/9: Happy Mother’s Day! Addy and her mother escaped to freedom together, Caroline’s mother ran a shipyard, and Kirsten’s mother encouraged her not to lose heart. Does your doll have a special bond with their mother? How do they celebrate Mother’s Day? If they don’t have a mother or don’t have a good relationship with her, consider today a free space to show us something you really want to but that isn’t included in these prompts.

5/10: Bugs are everywhere! We might avoid some of them, but others are welcomed. Lightning bugs, ladybugs, bumble bees, and dragonflies are a few happy spring bugs. Show your doll doing something bug-themed. They might take a net out to catch bugs or draw a picture of a bug or hold a ladybug they found. Be creative!

5/11: Parties are always fun! Is your doll going to any birthday parties or sleepovers this spring? Maybe they’re attending a wedding or some other celebration? What are their favorite party activities?

5/12: Spring weather can be a relief after the cold and darkness of winter. What is the weather like where your doll is? Foggy? Rainy? Bright and sunny? Show your doll interacting with their local spring weather.

5/13: Everyone needs mentors and heroes. Who does your doll look up to? What have they learned from them or how do they honor them?

5/14: It’s the last day of the school year. What’s your doll’s favorite extracurricular activity or aspect of school that they’ll miss until next fall?

5/15: Happy birthday, Luciana! Luciana loves learning about space and wants to be an astronaut and go to Mars one day. Getting to space involves studying many different things, particularly various fields of science. Show your doll doing something related to space or science.

5/16: Today is National Do Something Nice for your Neighbor Day. What does your doll do that helps others or makes the world a better place?

5/17: Let’s try something different today! If your (OC or non-AG) doll had their own American Girl-style book series, what would be the central theme? What sort of things would happen to them? Show us at least one scene from this hypothetical series.

5/18: Beaches and swimming are iconic activities as the weather gets warmer and people have more free time. Rebecca and her family went to Coney Island for a picnic. Does your doll enjoy picnics, sunbathing, or sandcastles on the beach? Maybe they like to swim for exercise or hang out at the pool with friends? (I do not recommend putting your doll in a public chlorine pool)

5/19: Happy Birthday, Kit! Growing up seeing the effects of the Great Depression on people around her, Kit is determined to report on important things happening to real people. How does your doll relate to current events? Are they involved in activism or spreading awareness? Is there an important social issue that affects them personally or that they feel is very important? Or is there something good happening in the world that they like to think about?

5/20: Spring is a great time for tea parties. What’s in your doll’s teacup? Maybe they’re drinking a fancy tea, or maybe they prefer a refreshing glass of juice.

5/21: Spring is full of baby animals. Show your doll interacting with some sort of baby animal. (Safely! Please don’t grab a real squirrel or bunny!)

5/22: In December we celebrated Pretend to be a Time Traveler Day. I’d like to reprise that, but with a twist: this time, we’re headed into the future! The amount of time and what your doll finds in the future is completely up to you. What do they do while there?

5/23: Cakes and pies and ice cream, oh my! What is your doll’s favorite dessert?

5/24: There may be fewer holidays in spring than in December, but that doesn’t mean there’s nothing to celebrate! Does your doll celebrate Passover or Easter? Or maybe they prefer a more obscure spring holiday to liven things up? Show them participating in whatever celebration you like.

5/25: Yellow is the color of flowers and sunny days and ducklings. Show your doll wearing or using something yellow.

5/26: Happy birthday, Samantha! After her birthday party, Samantha hears Aunt Cornelia speak at a suffragette meeting in New York City. What is a cause that is important to your doll? Show them with a sign supporting or protesting something close to their heart. As an added challenge, use a cause unrelated to the current events prompt.

5/27: It’s summer vacation! What are some of your doll’s favorite activities now that they’re free from school? Alternatively, what are some of their favorite hobbies to do anytime?

5/28: Happy birthday, Cecile! For her birthday, Cecile’s brother Armand gave her a beautiful porcelain doll that looked like her. Does your doll have a favorite doll or toy?

5/29: Late spring and early summer is a great time to go on a road trip or vacation. Where is your doll traveling to, and what are they doing there? Or maybe their family chose a staycation this year - what new fun new things are they discovering close to home?

5/30: Today is National Water a Flower Day. Show your doll interacting with flowers or other plants.

5/31: What is your doll planning for this fall? What are they looking forward to when school starts again? Is a big change approaching as the seasons and leaves turn? What does the future hold for them?

#Daisies and Daffodolls #American Girl Dolls #Our Generation #dollblr

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zeppelin-and-unicorns · 4 years ago

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Post Season 8 fanfic recommendations

Hey! So, I’ve been working on this for a while. I’ve read so many good Hyde/Jackie stories, and I feel like it’s a waste not to share them.

I tried to separate everything in categories, but some fics fit in more than one category and honestly it was just a mess. So I've separated them the best way that I could. I’m going to post the categories separately, and after I’m done I’ll make a masterpost with links to each of the categorized posts, as suggested by @springsteenicious and @those70scomics (thank you both for the help!).

Even though this is only one category, it’s still a long post, as I’ve said before, I’ve read many fanfics. I don’t know if I should edit this and add more stories as they’re out (for instance, I have a post season 8 story that I’m planning on posting soon) or if I should just leave things this way. Please let me know if you think I left out a good story or if you have any suggestions.

I’ve read and enjoyed ALL of these stories, they’re all very good. All the stories mentioned here are post season 8 stories. I’ll post stories that take place during season 8 next. I hope everyone enjoys it!

20 Questions by ShanghaiLily

Just after New Year's day in 1980, Jackie Burkhart decides to disappear from the basement to save her sanity. When Christmas rolls around and the Formans beg Jackie to attend their party, she ends up involved in an elaborate game of 20 Questions with Hyde that could change both of their lives.

This story is almost entirely T rated, but there is smut in some chapters. The author placed a warning in the notes of the chapters that contain steamy scenes, so you can easily skip it if it makes you uncomfortable.

This story is complete.

71k words, 21 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna and Kelso/Brooke

After the End by araleebo

Who's to say what happens after the end? Jackie finally thought she could get her happily ever after with the guy of her dreams in the new decade. For a while, she was right. Then, the worst few days of her life happened.

This story is complete.

34k words, 6 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

All That I Got by AdriDee

After being an asshole to her during most part of 1979, Hyde decides it’s time for redemption. And to win Jackie back, he must work on himself first.

Their journey in this story is beautiful, and amazingly written. The story is complete.

122k words, 22 chapters.

Rated M for smut in some chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke, Fez/Laurie, Red/Kitty

Back to the 70’s by Wicked Chocolate

The 80s had barely begun before they start to crash around Jackie, maybe an Angel can grant her a trip back to the 70s and give her a second chance with Hyde. How will the events we know unfold now that Jackie has the knowledge and opportunity to change them?

Trigger warning: Major Character Death, kind of.

73k words, 10 chapters.

Rated M.

This story is not complete, but it’s worth the read.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna.

Also available on AO3

Back to Their Roots by Hart-of-Tree-Hill

Who doesn’t love a friends with benefits story?

Jackie and Hyde decide to have a no strings attached relationship after everything, but we all know those don't work.

This story is not complete and it makes me sad :( I still have hope that the author will update this someday. It kind of ends on a cliffhanger so it’s totally up to you if you want to read this or not.

13k words, 4 chapters.

Rated T, surprisingly

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Before The Summer Ends by 107derwent

Summer is stupid. It makes you act stupid. Makes you stupid ,

This story is complete.

4k words, 3 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Catch the Bouquet by heatherlea75

Fate has been unkind to Jackie Burkhart for too long. She has a plan to change that, and to obtain what is rightfully hers a glorious wedding. Though she doesn't know it, she needs a little help, and a surprising person is perfectly willing to offer it.

This story is complete, and it has an adorable sequel, called Pop The Question.

6k words, 2 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Charm Bracelets and Lighters by Aaliamad

Set three years after the series finale. Jackie’s been living a new, fabulous life in Chicago, what she didn’t know was that Hyde was also living in the same city as hers.

They eventually run into each other in a nightclub and have a special reunion. Can things be different between them this time?

Rated T.

This story is complete.

72k words, 36 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

Chasing Windmills by c00kiefic

Four chapter short story about their journey back to each other after season 8. To be honest I love all the stories by this author, but this one is definitely one of my favs.

This story is complete.

11k words, 4 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Daddy’s Home by Hyde’s Bride

Jackie moved to Chicago after she had nothing left for her back in Point Place, but after two years, something awful happened to her. A certain burnout wants redemption but she finds herself in the middle of a pretty complicated dilemma.

Trigger warning: rape.

39k words, 14 chapters.

Rated M.

This story is complete.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke, Red/Kitty, Fez/Laurie

Date Night by SwanseaGurl

Hyde has been trying to get Jackie back for a while now, but after everything that happened between them, she's not willing to give him another chance. But he's also not willing to give up on her.

One day, a drunk and lonely Donna tries to make a move on Hyde and Jackie witnesses everything, will it change things between them?

Donna's not a really cool person in this fic, so be warned.

Rated T.

This story is complete.

11k words, 5 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Everybody Must Get Stoned by ShanghaiLily

After new year's 1980, huge fights break out between Eric & Donna and Jackie & Hyde. Both feeling the need to escape their problems, Jackie & Eric drive the VC to Mexico. Who gets shot? Who flees the country? Who comes out of the closet?

This story is amazingly written. I always appreciate a good story with amazing Jackie/Eric friendship moments. It’s complete.

129k words, 29 chapters.

Rated T, with some M chapters. The author placed a warning before the sexy scenes in case you’re uncomfortable with it.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna. And if you have a soft spot for Jackie/Eric, you might like the beginning of the story.

Everyone Thinks I Dodged a Bullet by MonDieu666

When Hyde and Jackie are the only ones to see a murder, they're placed into witness protection. Living under the same roof is one thing but lines begin to blur when they're forced to pretend to be married and memories from the past begin to resurface.

This story is amazing and it makes me smile. And it’s complete.

69k words, 16 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Fatherhood by varietyofwords

The birth of Betsy and Kelso taking on the role of father has gotten Hyde thinking about fatherhood.

This story is absolutely beautiful. And it’s complete.

10k words, 6 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Fire in the Light by Noducksinpond

The eighties are almost ending and a certain couple is reunited.

This story is complete.

31k words, 14 chapters.

Rated M

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Kelso/Brooke, Eric/Donna

Heart Like Yours by PoetDameron

This is the first That 70s Show fanfiction I’ve ever read, and it’s absolutely beautiful. It’s based on the book “If I stay” and it’s amazing.

I’ve also read all of the other t70s stories by this author, and I highly recommend them.

Trigger warnings for drug use.

Rated T.

This story is complete.

139k words, 22 chapters total

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke

Also available on AO3.

Keep Me by 107derwent

Jackie and Hyde managed to be friends after all the crap that happened in season 8. She’s there for him when he needs her the most. Will that rekindle old feelings between them?

This story is complete.

20k words, 10 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Like a Rolling Stone by elphabacan

Ashleigh 'Ash' Burkhart is a typical teenage girl. She never knew her father, and never cared to. Until she stumbled upon a new record store in a Minneapolis Neighborhood....

Beautiful writing. This story is complete.

50k words, 16 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Mamma Mia! That 70s Show style by love.devil.movies

Inspired by the classic Mamma Mia movie. Jackie is in Hawaii for Eric and Donna’s wedding and she finds herself between three of her exes.

This story is complete (and it’s a super fun read).

26k words, 13 chapters.

Rated T

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna and Red/Kitty

Mired by Tandy

Five years after she moved to California, Jackie goes back to Point Place to attend an important event. She ran into someone special and it turns out that a trip down memory lane is not as simple as it sounds.

This story is complete.

22k words, 7 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Never Tear us Apart by MinaSeraphina

Unlike 90% of the stories I’ve recommended so far, this one focuses on the entire gang. Each chapter is focused on one of the characters and they all have their own storylines.

This story is complete.

14k words, 6 chapters.

Rated T

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke, Fez/Laurie

New Resolution by c00kiefic

Jackie is getting married and Hyde is not the groom. What happens when Hyde and the gang decide that they need to stop this wedding?

This story is complete.

16k words, 4 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Not a Thing to do but Talk to You by Willofthewisp

This story is not focused on Jackie and Hyde. It’s focused on the entire gang, and it’s beautiful.

It alternates between present time and flashbacks, but season 8 did happen in this story, that’s why I placed it in this category. It’s complete.

53k words, 30 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke

November Rain by luvcali

After a torrid encounter on Halloween night, 1984, ex-lovers Jackie and Hyde spend the next month reevaluating their past.

This story is complete.

373k words, 33 chapters.

Rated M for sexy scenes.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Brooke/Kelso and Fez/OC

Nowhere But Lost by Zenkindoflove

Hyde is cynical, depressed, alone, and would really like to keep it that way. But what happens when something inside of him resurfaces and is more than unhappy about his current living arrangements?

This story is complete.

52k words, 13 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna

One More Time by CarouselUnique

Jessie Forman thought she knew a lot of things; who she could trust, who her parents were, even what was possible in the world around her. One snowy night, all three of these things change. Now, stuck back around 1978 - she's left in the worst situation possible to figure out where to go from there.

This story is a WIP, it’s been a while since it was updated, but I’m pretty sure the author is coming back to this story one day!

14k words, 4 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, past Jackie/Eric

Reelin’ In The Years by JoyfulHeartEO

I placed this story on the post-season 8 category, but there are some small differences that made me kind of lost in what category to place this. Season 8 happened, but Sam never left and Jackie and Fez never happened. It takes place on New Years.

Rated M.

This story is complete and it has a sequel, it’s called Crazy Love.

89k words, 20 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke, Red/Kitty

See Me, Feel Me by elphabacan

Hyde wants Jackie back, Jackie wants nothing to do with him after everything that happened. The boys find out about Jackie’s secret love for The Who, and while Fez and Eric fantasize about it, Hyde sees it as an opportunity.

This story is complete.

10k words, 4 chapters.

Rated M. Very much M. You’ve been warned.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Second Chances by Flowers_For_Flamingos

Hyde's life has snowballed since Jackie's death. He moved back in with the Formans, Donna and Eric live far away, Fez was who the hell knows where, and Kelso....Hyde didn't think about Kelso. But one cold rainy night, while Hyde is drunk he causes an accident that sends him spiraling back in time to almost ten years ago, when everyone still liked each other. When Jackie was still alive.

This story made me cry so hard. It’s beautifully written, please read it.

It’s a WIP (work in progress, which means it’s being updated).

32k words, 15 chapters for now.

Trigger warning: Major Character death

Rated T

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

She’s The Devil by starfalls

It’s Halloween 1980, and the gang takes an ill-fated trip to a party that leads to some major revelations between Jackie and Hyde.

I could literally picture everything happening in my head while I read this story and I laughed so hard during some parts. All the characters are on point.

This story is complete.

30k words, 2 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna.

Stages by c00kiefic

I love everything this person ever wrote. Seriously. EVERYTHING.

Hyde’s there for her when Jackie goes through hell.

This story is not complete and it pains me. It has SO MUCH potential. Every now and then I reread it because it’s so good. I think it’s worth the read.

7k words, 2 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna and Red/Kitty.

That’s My Baby by kezztip

Jackie focuses on her career after the disaster that was 1979, and moves to Chicago after getting an amazing new job. Before she left, Hyde convinced the whole gang to throw her a surprise party for her, so he could try and make amends. Jackie ends up leaving the party angry as hell, what she didn’t know was that she left the party with a special souvenir inside of her.

This story makes me laugh SO HARD. The author managed to write all the characters perfectly. Please read this.

This story is complete.

68k words, 23 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, Red/Kitty, Brooke/OC.

The First and Only Mrs. Hyde by The Queen Of Wallflowers

As it turns out, Sam is Hyde's second wife. He married his first when he was six. Mrs. Forman has the pictures to prove it. Now he just has to make it legal.

Donna’s kind of a bitch in this story, so if you don’t like stories like that, this might not be for you. But I do think this is an excellent story.

This story is fluffy and just perfect in general. Please read it.

It’s almost complete, and I still have hope that someday the author will actually finish this.

32k words, 12 chapters so far.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Also available on AO3

The Morning After by ShanghaiLily

Sequel to the one-shot Resolutions. Jackie wakes up in Vegas laying in bed with her very sexy ex-boyfriend and a tacky wedding band on her finger.

This story is complete.

59k words, 10 chapters.

Rated M for smut.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Fez/Caroline, Eric/Donna

The One with the Tee Shirt by c00kiefic

In which Jackie tries to get closure, Hyde's in denial and Donna plays middlewoman.

This story is complete.

18k words, 5 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

The Secret of Katherine by heatherlea75

Jackie and Hyde are keeping a secret from their daughter, one they fear will hurt her. When someone decides to tell her that secret, will it destroy her relationship with her parents?

Rated T.

This story is not complete, but it’s worth the read.

23k words, 8 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

The Sweetest Gifts by zeppelinandunicorns (myself)

It’s a known fact that post season 8 stories tend to be angsty, but this one is not.

This is a fluffly story that narrates Jackie and Hyde’s journey through parenthood. It will be part of a series, I got too attached to this universe, lol.

Rated T.

This story is complete.

26k words, 3 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

The Wall by Tayi

The new decade begins and Hyde finds himself alone in the basement listening to the latest Pink Floyd album, and the song "Hey you" suddenly has a new meaning. Now as the days turn into weeks, it feels like the whole album is haunting him until it helps him fix the mistakes of the past few months .

This story is complete and it has a sequel, that it’s updated constantly. Its called Over The Hills and Far Away.

14k words, 16 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Things Change by shy1214

Jackie's life wasn't going well, she was alone and her friends were no longer actual friends. She had lost the love of her life and everything else, especially her once incredible confidence. A new strange friend might help her find it, and give her hope again.

This story has plenty of OC’s that crawled their way into my heart.

Donna is not a nice person in this story.

112k words, 28 chapters.

Rated T

This story is complete AND it has a sequel, it’s called Lock, Step and Gone.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde. And that’s pretty much it other than the pairings between the original characters.

Voulez-vouz by zeppelinandunicorns (me)

To celebrate her birthday, Jackie convinces Hyde to take her on a romantic trip, but Las Vegas wasn't exactly where she wanted to go, and she definitely didn't want to take the rest of the basement gang with her. Frustrated, Jackie thought that the trip was ruined, but Hyde's willing to make it unforgettable. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, right?

This story is complete.

13k words, 5 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke

Also available on AO3

War Stories by Jenny7

It's 1980, and Hyde is more lost now than ever. When Hyde gives into the man and joins the Army, against all he's ever believed in, it will take friendship, family, and a love stronger than distance and time to get him through.

I was reluctant to read this at first, because c’mon, it’s Hyde, he would never willingly work for “the man”, but as I started to read it, everything made sense, and I fell in love with it.

This story is complete.

31k words, 24 chapters.

Rated T.

Pairings: Mainly just Jackie/Hyde

Welcome to Jackie’s by TeaTimeAllOverTown

Jackie moves to Chicago shortly after season 8 to live out her dream. But when a happy, confident Jackie returns to Point Place will her past upset her future?

This story is complete.

38k words, 8 chapters.

Rated M.

Pairings: Mostly Jackie/Hyde

What Lies Beneath by SophiesRoses

THIS STORY IS PERFECT AND YOU SHOULD READ IT RIGHT NOW.

Seriously.

This story deserves way more recognition, it’s one of my favorites of all time.

Trigger warnings for alcoholism, heavy drug use

Rated M because there are a few sex scenes, but don't let this discourage from reading the story.

This story is not complete, but I still recommend it. A lot.

119k words, 28 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/OC, Kelso/Brooke, Donna/OC, Fez/Laurie

Yet Another Season 9 by elphabacan

Picking up on New Years Day, the group has eight months before Donna and Eric leave for Madison. New faces, new stories, and many MANY changes are in store.

Rated T.

This story is complete.

94k words, 25 chapters.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Eric/Donna, Kelso/Brooke, Fez/OC, Red/Kitty

Post Season 8 one-shots:

Be Hers by c00kiefic

Hyde and Jackie talk while they’re on the road.

Rated M.

4k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

Burn War Snapped by SkittleLvr79

Can an ultimatum from their friends lead to the end of a long, bitter feud?

Rated M. Very M.

3k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Canada by angelwithawand

They agreed not to talk about marriage in The United States. Luckily Canada is close.

Rated T.

418 words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Could’ve Been, Should’ve Been by propelled

Sometimes coming back home means facing the reason why you left in the first place.

Rated T.

5k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Deja Vu by 80sUnLoveChild

Takes place right after the season finale. The countdown is on, but who is kissing who at midnight and why does it feel like this has happened before?

Rated T.

3k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Fragile, Handle with Care by JadedAngel

A simple confrontation between Jackie and Hyde lead to, maybe not the perfect solution, but at least get them a step in the right direction.

Rated T.

6k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

How I Spent my Decade: Steven Hyde by 177istaken

Are memories enough? How Hyde spent the 80's dealing with his favorite chick.

Rated T.

1k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Just a Small Glimpse by AdriDee

A small one-shot about Edna’s thoughts when she sees Hyde and his family. I wouldn’t call this a sequel, but it’s the same universe of All That I Got, a multichapter story written by the same author.

Rated T.

1k words.

Pairings: Background Jackie/Hyde

Karaoke by 80sUnLoveChild

It's New Years Eve 1979, and as usual the Forman's are having their New Years party. Why oh why did Bob bring his Karaoke and why is Eric so insistent that Hyde sing?

This story is funny as hell, I love Eric.

Rated T.

5k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Eric/Donna

New Years Day by legally_blonde

Takes place right after the series finale. Jackie and Hyde are cleaning bottles on New Year’s day.

Rated T.

2k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Reversed by SkittlezLvr79

Set in 1986. Hyde finds himself in a somewhat familiar situation but this time, he's on the opposite side of things from where he usually stands.

Rated T.

1k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

So far, this is all.

Stay by FreyReh

Everyone gets together again for Kitty’s 50th birthday and old feelings stir between Jackie and Hyde.

Rated T.

7k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, background Red/Kitty and Eric/Donna

Stoner’s Nightmare by Bunny1

What if season 8 was just a nightmare?

Rated T.

581 words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

The Force by 107derwent

Eric’s back and the whole gang is back together, but some things are still missing.

Rated T.

1k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

The One I Love by c00kiefic

“He’s been on Jackie’s bad side for so long that he’s forgotten what it’s like to be on her good one.”

Hyde sees the love of his life getting engaged to someone else and decides he’s not going to let that happen.

Rated M.

4k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

The Princess and the Rebel by ForTheLoveOfFanFiction

Much of the damage of 1979 has been repaired; all except Jackie and Hyde. A trip in 1980 to see 'The Empire Strikes Back' makes Eric and Donna wonder if there is still hope for everyone's favourite princess and rebel.

Rated T.

1k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde, Donna/Eric

Zozo: A Journey to Understanding by zpplnchick

"You don't deserve a real tattoo. But if I were to get one, I'd show it to Fez before I'd ever show it to you!" Ironically, that's pretty much how it happened.

Rated T.

3k words.

Pairings: Jackie/Hyde

Oh, just one thing, speaking as someone who writes, it would be really cool if you guys decide to leave a review (or a comment, if the story is on AO3) in the stories you read, especially the unfinished ones. It really motivates the authors, and receiving a compliment is always a mood lifter. I’ve seen some authors updating stories after years because of nice reviews, so... yeah, this is just an idea.

Next category: Stories that take place during season 8. I’ll post it soon.

#jackie x hyde #jackie and hyde #zenmasters #fanfic #that '70s show #that 70s show #fanfic recommendations

78 notes · View notes

baepop · 4 years ago

Text

PRIVATE // 12

You crash Jennie’s wedding rehearsal.

Word Count: 6k

Pairing: Jungkook x You x Jennie

Genre: Angst

Tag List: kooshousemaid (send me a message if you want to be added)

A/N: Sorry this update took so long! I already have the rest of the story outlined so the next part should be out soon. Please pray for me as I write part 13’s smut. It is inciting an unprecedented level of gay panic

At first, you were in disbelief, asking them to go over it again and hoping it made more sense the second time around. Yoongi sighed and put his fork down, explaining the plan again but this time using his hands to make the explanation more visual for you. You fought the urge to roll your eyes.

The four of you were at Jisoo’s apartment helping yourselves to a lavish assortment of breakfast dishes she had no hand in making. Her apartment was grand, like Jennie’s, but decorated much differently. Jisoo’s place had a more clinical feel to it, an environment so sterile that an unfortunate doctor might not hesitate to do surgery in. It had made you uncomfortable the second you stepped in.

You pushed your food around your plate, taking a moment to process everything. When you had woken up this morning, your only thoughts were of Jungkook and how warm the bed was, finally being able to relax and feel as if everything might be okay after all. A few hours later and your hard work was all undone. You were thinking about Jennie again, or rather stressing over her again.

Her wedding was in less than 2 weeks. You’d all have to leave as soon as possible in hopes of getting some alone time to be able to talk and say everything that needed to be said, that’s even if she was willing to listen. Memories from the day she left echoed in your mind, her determination to break up with you protesting your aspirations. She was gone because she wanted to be. You wouldn’t be going there to rescue her, you’d be going there to mess with her plans. Was it possible to change her mind and make her want to come back after all this time?

During these past few months you’d already thought of everything you ever wanted to say to her, everything you should’ve said even before the day she left. You were hesitant about being on board with the plan, but you had to admit that you two needed a proper ending, if you two were truly going to move on with your lives. You didn’t want to spend the rest of your life wondering what if. You owed it to everyone to go to Korea and lay everything out on the table before burying your romance with Jennie for good.

You sighed, finally looking up from your plate. “Okay. Fine…when do we leave?” You looked at everyone around the table. Jungkook placed his hand on your thigh and gave it a squeeze to show he was there for you, knowing this wouldn’t be easy at all. He’d had a front row seat to the aftermath of your breakup with Jennie, so he of all people knew what going to Korea could entail.

“In a few days. I managed to work it out with my coach and Raphael, so we only have a short amount of time to pull this off.”

Your hand paused as you were about to spoon some oatmeal into your mouth, “Since when do you talk to Raphael?”

“Since I stopped by the shop one day to see if you were at work. We got to talking. He loves me.” Jungkook beams you his famous crooked smile and you couldn’t help but smile in return but not without rolling your eyes. The image of grumpy old Raphael smitten by Jeon Jungkook was a funny mental image. But you couldn’t imagine people not taking an instant liking to Jungkook, he had a special way of quickly becoming one’s favorite person. Well, except for Jennie of course. She was always the exception.

The rest of the meal was spent hammering out the details of your trip. You’d be staying at Yoongi’s parents’ house with Jungkook, and you’d be crashing the wedding rehearsals in hopes of getting a moment alone with the bride-to-be.

You weren’t exactly sure what the plan was after you saw her. You knew your friends couldn’t help you there, so you were nervous about facing her alone after all this time. With the distance she had put in between you two, not just physically but also emotionally, was there even anything left to say that would make a difference?

You supposed the most important part of the trip was to get closure for you both, to not leave anything left unsaid so that she knew she had a choice apart from walking down the aisle. You silently worked hard to extinguish any flame of hope inside of you that suggested she might come back home with you.

You stared at your engagement ring that was catching the light in the room and reflecting it dazzlingly so, turning it around and around on your finger as you thought about your own impending wedding.

If Jungkook hadn’t proposed, would Jennie still be here? Or would she have left eventually? Her words rang clear as a bell in your head: I can’t stay here and play girlfriend forever.

You sighed as you looked up from your hand just in time to catch Jisoo’s fleeting gaze. She had been staring at your engagement ring before you caught her. Instead of saying whatever was clearly on her mind, she turned away and decided to take her plate to the kitchen. You quirked your brow, finding it odd of her not to have anything to say for once, so you took this opportunity to follow her under the pretense of washing your own plate while Jungkook and Yoongi were busy talking.

Her back was turned to you in front of the running faucet. You joined her by the counter, making it obvious that you wanted to talk.

Clearing your throat, “I know Jungkook told you about our engagement. He tells you everything. Honestly, I was prepared to bring pepper spray to work afterward in case you showed up there again.” You didn’t expect her to laugh at your joke, a scoff maybe, but total silence was eerie coming from her. “Did you…tell his parents?”

She shook her head, taking your plate out of your hands and running it under the water. Your eyebrows shot up. Briefly, an image of Jungkook lecturing Jisoo about not being problematic ran through your mind. That seemed too good to be true, however. Something was wrong.

“What, that’s it? No snarky remark? No speech about us making a mistake? The last time we spoke you were trying to convince me to leave him and now we’re engaged, figured you’d want to stab me with your heel first chance you get.” When she didn’t respond, you shut off the faucet so she couldn’t pretend to ignore you anymore.

The slight girl sighed and finally turned towards you. “Fine. You want to talk? Let’s talk. Of course I think you’re making a huge mistake. Anyone who would tell you this is at all normal would be flat out lying. But I don’t know why you need me to tell this to you because you know it’s true already. You both do. I’m only playing along with this ‘happily engaged’ charade because Jungkook is going to need someone there for him once this all blows up in his face. But who will be there for you?”

You stared at Jisoo long after she stopped talking, even as she dried her hands and walked back into the dining room. You were already conditioned to not harp on whatever hurtful things she had to say about you and your relationship with Jungkook, but one thing you noticed that she never did was lie. She may be overly opinionated, but never intentionally deceitful that you knew of. So when she went out of her way to keep quiet about your engagement, a small seed of suspicion grew inside you. You had a feeling something was up, and after listening to what Jisoo had to say, it only made your fears grow. You both do.

Had Jungkook confided in her that he was having cold feet?

You scoffed and leaned back into the counter, looking down at your knees as you tried to think back to any moment where Jungkook might’ve seemed off. If you were being truthful with yourself, you weren’t sure you could be the best judge of that seeing as how you were only just now starting to be present again and not wasting your days away in bed.

You gnawed on your bottom lip trying not to get worried over nothing. This was Jisoo, after all. Anytime you and Jungkook were on bad terms, most of the time it was because of her. She was always in the way, stirring up drama. Maybe it was time for you to stop giving it the time of day. You looked at the back of Jungkook’s head, wondering if his feelings for you had changed at all once summer ended.

The next few days were a blur as you all prepared for your trip oversees. You turned your apartment upside-down trying to find your passport, and when you finally did, you were so glad it was still current.

You hadn’t left the country before, so you had no idea what to pack and what to leave behind. When Jungkook peaked at your luggage the night before leaving he couldn’t help but chuckle, seeing you pack 8 different pairs of pajamas and only one pair of jeans. When he asked you where your outlet converter was you almost threw yourself onto the bed and had a meltdown, only making the boy laugh harder.

And now that the day of your fight had finally arrived, you were nervous the instant you had gotten into your seat. This was all suddenly becoming much more real to you. You were several steps closer to seeing Jennie again, and the mere thought of meeting again had your heart racing and palms sweating. You were definitely on edge to say the least, which is why you really couldn’t entertain Jungkook’s jokes as the flight prepared to take off. You suspected he might’ve been trying to lighten the mood, seeing as how you were gripping the arm rests for dear life, but you couldn’t focus on him, not when you were on a flying death trap hurling you all 7,000 miles away from home and toward the woman that broke your heart.

After a short while, you felt the plane stop shaking. Everyone let out a collective breath before hushed conversations sprouted across the compact area. You felt Jungkook’s thumb rub circles into the back of your hand which also helped to soothe your nerves. You looked over at him and smiled. His eyes were large and curious, probably realizing he’d never seen you this nervous before.

“Sorry,” You smiled at him sheepishly, “I’ve never flown before so…” Jungkook’s eyes widened with realization.

“Aw don’t worry. If we die, at least we’ll have died together.” You quirked your brow at him in a way that said not helping. He smirked and leaned his head back against his seat, his curly hair falling along his forehead and his earing swaying back and forth. His eyes became half lidded as they drank in the features of your face for the millionth time. When he spoke, it was just soft enough for you to hear and no one else. “You know what neither of us have yet to do then?”

“Die in a plane crash?” You remarked dryly which made the boy’s smile turn crooked.

“Other than that.”

You hummed in thought, already having an inkling as to wear this conversation was going with the way Jungkook was watching your lips instead of your eyes. You leaned your head back against the seat and waited for him to tell you what he was thinking.

“You see, there’s this club. A very exclusive club.” Jungkook pretended to look around to make sure no one was listening in on this top-secret conversation which made you giggle uncontrollably. He was so good at making you forget where you were.

“Ah, I see. And uh, how did you hear about this exclusive club if it’s such a secret?” You challenged him, though your eyes were alight with humor.

“Well, I have connections. The point is,” He leaned in and wiggled his eyebrows, “I think you and I should join this club.” You rolled your eyes and shoved him a bit, unable to bite back your giggle at his theatrics. He smiled and tugged on one of your loose curls, letting it spring back to your face playfully.

“You wouldn’t be referring to,” You looked over your shoulder quickly before turning back to the boy whose eyes were now crescent moons with how wide his smile had become, “the mile high club??”

Jungkook shushed you dramatically. “So, you’ve heard of it?”

“I’m very well connected too you know.”

Jungkook hummed, most of the humor leaving his features, “I could think of a way for us to connect right now.”

“Jungkook!” You slapped a hand against his chest and laughed. God he was so cute even when he was being a pervert. You loved him so much.

Jungkook caught your hand on his chest with his and laced his fingers through yours, playing around with it as you contemplated what he was asking of you. You thought about how to go about it. It was already nightfall, so most people would be asleep in under an hour. You could tip toe into the bathroom at the end of the aisle and have him meet you in there. It looked like a tiny space, but you could make it work. Heaven only knows you’ve fucked Jungkook in worse places.

You bit your lip at the idea, your eyes raking over his body. It’d been a long while since you two had made love. He had probably been trying to be sensitive and give you the time you needed to grieve your relationship with Jennie, which you greatly appreciated, especially since it seemed he was dying to fuck you with the way his eyes were already undressing you. The fact that his jeans were already straining with your playful banter was proof of your theory.

Maybe it was time to show him how much you missed him and were craving his touch, but something gnawed at the back of your mind, clawing its way to the forefront of your thoughts until it had you hesitating to get up from your seat. Jungkook noticed your change in mood and a quirked a brow at you. After thinking for a moment, you slipped your hand out of his grasp and placed your palms on your lap, playing with your fingers nervously.

“Jungkook…did you…tell Jisoo you were having second thoughts about us?” With your eyes still trained down at your lap, you waited to hear his response, and when he stayed quiet, the feeling of dread inside you finished prying its way out and filled your entire body with a weight almost too much to bear. You looked over at Jungkook who had turned his head toward the ceiling and away from you. His expression was unreadable, so you waited for him to either blow up or fess up. After a moment, he sighed, turning to look at you with worried eyes as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

“What exactly did she say to you?”

“I knew it.” You crossed your arms and shook your head, turning away from him in disbelief.

He sucked his teeth and ran a hand through his locks in exasperation. “Why do you always do this!? Why do you let her get inside your head and cause problems between us?”

Your eyebrows knitted as your head snapped in his direction. “This isn’t about her!”

“Then what is this about?”

“This is about me and you! About you feeling the need to confide in her that you have doubts without even talking to me!”

“How could I talk to you?! You wouldn’t talk to anyone for months!” Jungkook sat back in his chair, pure frustration painted on his angelic features.

“That’s no excuse for me to have to hear about that from your cousin!”

Jungkook groaned, shutting his eyes for a moment. Your conversation had gotten louder, already attracting the attention of people surrounding you.

“I was scared, okay?? You were so depressed, and I had no idea what to do! I couldn’t help thinking that this wasn’t how it was supposed to be right after I proposed…” Jungkook softened his tone when he turned back to you. “But, I mean, things are better now, or at least they’re getting there. Can we please not fight??”

Jungkook tried taking hold of your hand again but you jerked away from his touch. “I told you marriage is a huge commitment that you couldn’t possibly be serious about, but I believed you when you said you knew that. And now at the first sign of trouble, you run to tell someone who hates me that you’re regretting this whole thing!?”

“I never said—” You get up hastily before Jungkook could finish his sentence. The boy threw his head back onto the seat and groaned with his eyes crinkled shut as you made your way down the aisle toward Yoongi. Your best friend had gotten a seat just a few rows behind yours and when he saw you standing next to him he ripped his headphones out of his ears, noticing the upset look on your face.

“Can we switch seats? Please?” Your voice broke when you begged him to get up. Although he wondered what the hell could’ve transpired in the first hour of this long flight back home, he knew better than to stay and ask questions.

Yoongi nodded and gathered his things, getting up so you can sit next to a man who was already lightly snoring. He shuffled up the aisle, throwing a worried glance at you over his shoulder before he found your empty seat next to Jungkook.

You prayed for sleep to find you quickly so you wouldn’t have to wallow in self-pity the entire flight. Luckily you managed to sleep until the flight attendant nudged your shoulder hours later to tell you you’d be landing soon. You were groggy for the rest of your trip which comprised of a bus and then a taxi until the three of you finally got to Yoongi’s parents’ home. Jisoo had ridden first class and secured her own way home, much to your relief. You were too tired to argue.

Yoongi’s house was homey. It was late when you all arrived, so his family wasn’t up to greet you all. Yoongi set up a cot next to his bed in his room for you and Jungkook to sleep on, and as soon as he left you two alone to go shower, you felt a cloud of unease settle over you and Jungkook. Neither wanted to speak, so you settled on unpacking silently and claiming your respective sides of the bed. You instantly regretted sleeping through the entire flight because now you were wide awake and there were still many hours of sundown left.

So as soon as Yoongi came back into the room, toweling his wet hair as his flip flops slapped against the hardwood floor, you got up quickly and rushed into the shower in the hopes that everyone would be asleep by the time you got out so you wouldn’t have to deal with the awkward silence for much longer. Luckily that’s exactly what happened, but it wasn’t much of a relief as you laid there for hours in the crushing silence. You hadn’t felt so alone in such a long time. Even when Jennie had deserted you, at least Jungkook had been there the whole time. Now you were on bad terms with them both, in a foreign country preparing to lay your heart on your sleeve in just a few hours.

The next day, as the afternoon sun hung at the center of the sky, you all climbed into a car and drove to Jennie’s wedding venue. The trip was long since she was having the wedding in the countryside, far from Seoul’s cityscape. The farther you all drove out, the more you began to see large expanses of uninterrupted land with the greenest grass you’d seen in forever.

You tried to remain calm and not think too much about what you’d say to Jennie when you finally saw her, hoping the perfect words would come to you when you needed them most.

As soon as the car turned down a dirt path after what felt like hours, you were able to spot a large chateau surrounded by all kinds of shrubbery that could only be seen otherwise in a Disney film. The view was magnificent, and you instantly knew it was up to Jennie’s standards. You smiled, picturing her bossing around the staff inside. And no sooner than you’d had that thought you were proven right. The second you all stepped onto the grounds, it was as if you were totally unseen with the way everyone bustled around you all trying to get everything done before the big day.

You all split up as soon as you realized just how massive the venue was, in hopes of finding Jennie quickly. The only person who had been invited was Yoongi, after all, so your mere presence would cause a scene, especially after the way you crashed the proposal dinner.

You took your time walking towards the back of the establishment, appreciating the way the sun shone on the endless fields of flowers and vegetation splayed as far as the eye could see. A few people in uniforms hauled different pieces of expensive furniture past you, and you suspected that if you followed wherever they were coming from, you’d likely find a petite brunette dishing out orders.

As you turned the corner to the back area where the reception would undoubtedly take place, your breath hitched in your throat. You laid your eyes on the most elegantly decorated field you’d ever seen. Jennie’s favorite flowers adorned every inch of the garden surrounding the venue, even invading the inside of the open atrium facing the garden. You smiled to yourself, remembering how she once gushed over Hyacinths because they were not only beautiful but also represented her birth month. Lucky for her, they made the perfect wedding bouquet flowers at well. You walked up to a table and picked a single flower from the arrangement, rolling it around in between your fingers then tucking it into your curly hair.

You turned on your heel and headed into the large open floor plan where the ceremony might take place. Several more people shuffled past you looking too busy to point you in the direction of the bride-to-be, but once they cleared your field of view, that was no longer necessary. Your eyes instantly landed on the girl who was standing at the end of the aisle speaking to a guy holding a clipboard.

Her hair was cut into a short blunt bob that hovered at the middle of her neck, and she was dressed impeccably in a tweed Chanel two piece. Your lips parted as you took a moment to drink her in. She seemed entirely different than the Jennie you had shared an apartment with not long ago, a duplicate vision of her mother before you, yet as you stared on you were sure she was the same woman you loved.

You stopped walking, stopped breathing, only able to stare. Your mind went blank of all the things you wanted to say. You’d have been content to stand there and watch her carry on with her tasks all day if it weren’t for the large flower arrangement crashing into your side. One of the staff members bumped into you while carrying a large vase that blocked their vision, sending you both along with the Hyacinths tumbling onto the marvel flooring. You squeezed your eyes shut and rotated your shoulder to make sure you weren’t hurt too badly then accepted the hand that was extended to you from the very apologetic staff member. Suddenly it dawned on you that the vase hitting the floor made a loud crash, so your head snapped in the direction of Jennie and surely enough, your eyes met for the first time in months.

You stood up as the staff member scrambled to gather the flowers from the floor and hurry off into the garden. Your mouth gaped and your fingers twitched at your sides. You weren’t sure whether to wave or yell a greeting, your heart beat steadily rising in your chest.

Jennie’s stare was cold and vacant, piercing through you as if you were a ghost. It seemed as though your spectacle was a nuisance seeing as how she couldn’t be bothered with any distractions. She turned away all too soon to finish briefing the man who had also been staring, though her eyes lingered on you for a beat longer.

Your scalp prickled and your breath accelerated, feeling more disconnected to her than ever before. Was this all you’d get? You didn’t want to squander the opportunity to talk to her again, but as soon as you took a step in her direction she walked out of the atrium through a set of double doors, her heels clicking against the marble and echoing through the large empty space.

Once the doors swung closed behind her, it felt as if the wind had been knocked out of you. She saw you came and didn’t care enough to greet you. Things were really over between you two. I shouldn’t have come.

You turned on your heel to sprint out of the grand space, wanting to be anywhere but there.

Yoongi whistled throughout the corridors, stopping to look at obscure paintings on the walls every once in a while, before continuing on his search for Jennie. His stomach rumbled fiercely as he checked what felt to be an endless number of hallways before deciding to take a break and get some food. There had to be something to eat around here somewhere.

The boy stepped into the atrium and let out a long whistle as he took in the grand pillars and gold objects that adorned the hall. His eyes were drawn to the double doors, wondering if that might be where the kitchen was, so he set off to help himself to some food to reward his efforts thus far.

But as soon as he let himself into what was, in fact, the kitchen, he stopped in his tracks, immediately recognizing Jennie sitting by the heuer d’ouvres with her cheeks crammed full. Yoongi failed to hold back his smirk at the sight of her stuffing her face, but he would most definitely hold back his comment about her looking like a chipmunk. He wasn’t in the mood to die on an empty stomach, so he took a seat next to the girl and began helping himself.

Jennie swallowed what was already in her mouth then proceeded to smack Yoongi’s hand away from the food.

“Ouch! What was that for??”

“These are for the guests!”

“Well I’m invited aren’t I?” Jennie pursed her lips as he reached for another, groaning as her face fell into her hands.

“I take it you’re the reason she’s here?” She spoke into her hands so her words sounded muffled, but luckily Yoongi was fluent in Jennie.

“You didn’t speak to her?”

Jennie groaned again and placed her elbows on the table, her balled up fists bunching up her cheeks. “No, we didn’t speak. I have nothing to say to her.”

“Jennie don’t be like that. She came all this way, just hear her out.” Yoongi spoke softly as he eyed Jennie carefully.

The girl sat up straighter and crossed her legs, suddenly remembering who and where she was. “I’m not being any type of way. If she has something to say to me then she’ll say it. But I hope you two didn’t show up here expecting anything of me. I’ve moved on and so should she.” Determined to prove her point, she continued speaking and ignored Yoongi’s doubtful stare, “How’s Jungkook doing, anyway? He must be so happy I’m gone.” Jennie snorted towards the end of her sentence, but it ended in a squeak as Jungkook himself piped up from behind her.

“I’m not, actually.” The boy had walked in through the double doors and paused as he saw Yoongi and Jennie hovering over a large plate of appetizers. “I know, hard to believe.” Jungkook approached her side of the table warily as the girl’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of him.

“I see the whole posse decided to take a field trip.” Jennie spoke in a bored tone but refused to make eye contact with Jungkook.

“Jennie, I know you’ve always hated me, but please don’t hate y/n. Please, just find her and talk to her. She hasn’t been the same since you left. I… we need you,” After a second, Jungkook ran his fingers through his hair in defeat, “I need you. Please.”

Jennie turned towards Jungkook, speechless that he would ever be so vulnerable around her let alone beg her for anything. She grew curious about what might’ve happened between you and Jungkook after she left, not having the slightest clue but figuring it couldn’t have been good. She looked in between Jungkook and Yoongi, taking a moment to let herself feel what she was truly feeling deep inside.

The truth was that when she saw you splayed across the marble flooring not long ago, her heart soared. She had refused to take her eyes off of you, wondering if the stress of planning a wedding was making her hallucinate. But when your eyes met, a spasm of fear shot through her. She had finally come back home and began getting her shit together to be the woman her family needed her to be, and the confusion your presence was causing her was too much to deal with in the moment. Never in a million years would she have thought to see you on this day, or ever again for that matter. She had convinced herself you were back in the states enjoying your engagement to fuck boy and living your happily ever after, so she had catapulted herself into her old life, determined to find her happily ever after too, even if it was a lackluster version compared to the one she had envisioned with you.

Your presence in this fragile world she had built in her glass house posed a threat, hell just seeing you for a few seconds had already caused her to bolt into the kitchen to stuff her face. She couldn’t allow herself to falter and feel the emotions she had buried down deep months ago. It was hard enough leaving you the day Jungkook had proposed to you and she wasn’t sure she could survive something like that once more.

Still, to hear Jungkook plead with her this way, she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t moved. She so badly wanted to believe that after all this time she was strong enough to face you and hear what you had to say.

Jennie bit her lip and looked down at her knotted fingers. Eventually she sighed and nodded, getting up from the stool and smoothing her skirt before hesitantly exiting back through the double doors.

You were hunched over in between a couple of bushes with your head in between your knees taking deep breaths.

Breath in 4 seconds, hold it for 7 seconds, exhale for 8.

You did this for a while, feeling yourself begin to calm down. The image of Jennie staring through you played over and over again in your mind involuntarily.

Breath in 4 seconds, hold it for—

You gasped lightly as a couple of crooked slender fingers tapped you on the shoulder.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you…” The tall gentleman took in your ragged appearance and thought twice about his greeting. “Are.. you okay?”

You squinted, the sun beaming fiercely behind him as you tried to figure out who he could be. “Yeah, I’m fine…sorry have we met before? You look strangely familiar.”

“I don’t believe we have.” The man smiled kindly and offered you his hand which you gladly took, pulling yourself up with it and brushing off any grass that might be sticking to your ass. “Kim Seokjin, and you are?”

You shook his hand as he greeted you, your eyes still squinting as the memory of meeting him before crept closer into your consciousness. He was much taller than you and extremely handsome. You smiled back shyly, sliding your hand out of his grasp when you realized you were still shaking it. He chuckled, deciding you were slightly quirky.

“Leaving, actually.”

“It’s nice to meet you leaving actually.”

You groaned and scrunched your nose. “Dad jokes? Seriously?” The man chuckled some more, not seeming to feel any bit of shame in his wholesome humor. “If you’re the groom, Jennie must hate you already.”

The man laughed heartily. “You’d be surprised actually, I have a way of winning people over.” He flashed you his million-dollar smile and you believed him at once.

“Well, you have your work cut out for you my friend.” You clapped a hand onto his shoulder while making eye contact to convey the gravity of your words.

He nodded appreciatively before replying, “What gave it away?”

“Excuse me?”

“How’d you know I was the groom?”

“You’re handsome as hell and your watch looks like it costs more than my entire wardrobe.” You deadpanned at him as if these things were common sense.

Seokjin smiled widely. He’d feel bashful if he wasn’t so used to people saying that to him all the time. “I take it she has a type?”

You thought for a brief second, but ultimately knew that was untrue given she was into you of all people. “Mm, not really. But her mother does.”

“Speak of the devil…” Seokjin mumbled as his eyes shifted past you.

You turned around to see what he was suddenly staring at, just in time to see Jennie’s mother walking towards you both. She was smiling brightly at her daughter’s fiancé, a smile that quickly faded once her eyes landed on you.

“Mrs. Kim, it’s been a while!” You blurted out your greeting, not knowing what else to do. Even after all this time she still made you nervous as all hell.

The older woman sneered at you. “Not long enough apparently.” She turned away from you to address the beau as if you were no longer there, “Jin, come join us at the front, the sculptures just arrived!”

Seokjin smiled at you politely and bowed before walking away arm in arm with Jennie’s mother. You stared after them for a moment, squinting your eyes again as you observed the back of his head. Guy at the farmer’s market!...No, that’s not it either. You kicked at a few pebbles under your feet before trudging back towards the atrium in deep thought.

You considered leaving and making it seem as though you were truly just an apparition, but the sight of someone coming into your peripheral interrupted the thought. Your head snapped in their direction and you instantly stopped in your tracks.

“Jennie…”

The girl regarded you warily from beside a pillar, offering you a tentative smile as she approached you slowly. Your mouth became dry and your hands grew clammy the closer she got, so you wiped them off on your clothes continuously. You were grateful when she finally spoke.

“Come on, I want to show you something.”

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