#might be the last family reunion I’ll go to

[sacrilegiousoul]

going up to east tn with my grandpa where he grew up to visit his family. they live so close to the smoky mountains it’s beautiful.

[urdreamgirls-dreamgirl]

what, like it’s hard?, pt. one

“it’s just that… if i want to win a seat in congress by the time i’m thirty, i need to find someone who’s serious about my career. not some little elementary school teacher that cares more about his students than what he’s wearing on my campaign stops,” tommy tells steve, as they’re sitting in quite possibly the fanciest restaurant steve’s ever step foot in. the menu hadn’t even included any prices.

“but… i’m seriously in love with you.” steve feels like his whole world is falling apart. just last week he’d been so sure that tommy was getting ready to propose. he’d introduced steve to his family—they’d spent a week out on martha’s vineyard for a family reunion at which steve had met tommy’s great-grandmother, hands laden with rings as she’d winked when tommy had asked for a private conversation. steve had been so sure that conversation was about the family ring.

“and i love you too, baby, but look. you don’t want to have to leave your students for half the year to come on the campaign trail with me, do you?” tommy asks, not even really looking at steve. he continues to just eat his stupid dinner as if he’s not ripping steve’s heart out at this very moment.

and steve can’t help but think how silly this all is, because it’s not like tommy’s actually running for anything right now. steve doesn’t even teach yet, beyond the two days a week he does his student teaching. they’re only 22, they haven’t even graduated northwestern with their bachelors degrees! but tommy’s saying these things as if they’re all real, right now.

“and i’m off to harvard next fall. it’s not like we’ll stay together while i’m there and you’re still here, right?”

and the thing is, steve had actually thought he’d be going with tommy to boston. they’re both set to graduate in the spring, steve with his degree in education and tommy with a dual major in pre-law and political science. they hadn’t really ever talked about it, but they’d been together since the beginning of their sophomore year. so yes, steve had thought they’d still be together when tommy started at harvard law.

but now steve’s starting to feel extra stupid.

“so… what? you’re breaking up with me?” steve starts to feel his chest tightening, like he might cry. he can’t believe that two hours ago he thought he’d been getting ready for a proposal.

“don’t think of it as a breakup, stevie… think of it as a conscious uncoupling. we’re just moving in two different directions. i’ll be at harvard law next semester and you’ll be…” tommy gives him a look of slight disdain—steve has never seen tommy look at him like that. waitstaff? sure. his driver? absolutely. but it’s never been directed at steve before. “well, you’ll be teaching snot-nosed six year olds. we’re on different paths.”

and that’s what truly makes steve’s blood boil. his passion for teaching and education is one of his greatest qualities and he’d thought that had been part of the reason tommy loved him. he didn’t realize that tommy loved him in spite of that. he’s not gonna let some asshole like tommy montgomery hagan iii tell him he’s no good.

so he doesn’t respond. he just takes the linen napkin off his lap and throws it on his half-eaten steak dinner and marches out of the restaurant.

tommy doesn’t even follow him out.

~*~

“oh steve… i’m sorry,” robin says to him about an hour later while steve lays his head in her lap on their dingy couch.

“it’s not even that he broke up with me,” he explains through tears. “it’s that he basically said i was worthless. like i couldn’t do anything better than teaching. as if teaching isn’t even an admirable profession! where would he be without his teachers, huh? isn’t this all about going to stupid harvard? what does he think the professors there actually do? knit?”

“is this a bad time to tell you that i always kind of hated him?” robin says, maybe trying to get him to laugh. but it kind of surprises steve. he sits up, knocking her hands from where they’ve been carding through his hair in the process.

“you did?! no, you didn’t.” he searches robin’s face for a moment and then sighs. “why didn’t you say anything? you could’ve saved me a whole lot of wasted time.”

“babe, you were so gooey-eyed for that guy, nothing i said was gonna change that. a crowbar couldn’t have pried you away from him. but you have to know he was an asshole.” when steve stares at her blankly, she huffs. “steve, he used to offer to cover the whole tab when we went out. how often did he ever actually pay, even for his own drinks? he made poor jonathan cry the last time we were all here for game night, just because jonathan asked for clarification on the rules for pictionary.” steve is still staring at her. “he tried to stiff argyle by offering him a flight on his dad’s private jet instead of paying for his weed and we all know he doesn’t even have access to the jet. dude was cheap as fuck and not even nice about it.”

steve thinks about it. it was kind of true. tommy was a horrible tipper—steve usually laid down a couple of twenties when they went to dinner together when tommy wasn’t looking. he can remember more than a few times where the guy had sent their food back even though it had looked perfectly wonderful to steve. so… okay, maybe robin had a point.

steve tells her as much, then adds, “but he was always nice to me.”

robin snorts. “are you kidding? he’s stood you up so many times i can’t even remember all of them. remember that time he said his first impression of you was that you weren’t as hot as your pictures? who says that to the person they’re dating?”

steve groans and lays his head back down in her lap.

“okay, so maybe you have a point about that too. but i was gonna marry him, rob. what do i do now?” he knows he’s whining, but he feels just a little bit entitled to it right now.

“i don’t know, babe. get over it, i guess. welcome to the world of us singles. it sucks out here.” steve can hear the fondness in robin’s voice as she says it, but still. it does sting just a little.

they sit there in silence for a while, with robin running her hands through his hair again. it’s so soothing that he almost jumps out of his skin when she speaks again.

“hey, you know what would be super funny?” she’s laughing a little as she says it.

“what?” steve had been dozing just a little and his voice sounds muffled by fatigue.

“if you got into harvard and just showed up on the first day. imagine the look on his face.”

steve laughs at how ridiculous that sounds. like he could get into harvard. plus, he’s got teaching to think about. he doesn’t have a place yet, but he knows he’ll get one soon.

but as he sits there with robin’s hands stroking through his hair, he begins to daydream about how shocked tommy would be. about how he’d have no choice but to eat his words when steve proves himself by getting into one of the most competitive programs in the country. about how good it would feel to prove the bastard wrong.

“robin?” she hums in response. “you’re a goddamn genius.”

~*~

“dingus, are you sure you want to do this?”

the spring semester starts in three days. it’s their last semester at northwestern and there’s nothing but great big darkness on the horizon of steve’s future. he hasn’t slept in two days, busy studying, thick workbooks piled around around him at the kitchen table. he knows what he must look like, over-caffeinated with bruises under his eyes.

“i’m sure.” steve has his lsat exam in one week. “i have to take the exam this week. apps are due by march first.”

“no, steve, i don’t mean taking the test. i mean applying at all. it’s clearly more stress than it’s worth. do you even want to go to law school?” robin sounds concerned and normally steve would think it’s very sweet, but currently it does nothing but irritate him.

“i could,” he responds grumpily.

robin sighs. “i just mean… is this worth it?”

steve looks up then and sees her biting her lip, clearly worried about him. he puts his pencil down and stops the timer on his phone, giving her his full attention.

“this isn’t just about tommy.” robin gives him a skeptical look and it’s his turn to sigh. “it’s really not. maybe it started out that way, maybe it was just a stupid joke to get revenge on the asshole, but now it’s more than that. it’s proving that i can do something unexpected of me.” he swallows. “no one even believed i would get into college. i was just some stupid jock in high school who’d never amount to anything. and then i got in to northwestern and i was so shocked and happy. but i found out that my dad had actually pulled a bunch of strings. so i hadn’t gotten in on my own merits. he didn’t think i could. but now…” he runs a hand through his hair nervously. he’s never said any of this out loud before. “he’s not around now. there’s no one to help me. no safety net. if i can do this, it’ll prove something to me. something that maybe i don’t really believe yet.”

he expects robin to say something about external validation being a corrupting force and identity built on academic achievement being solely a losing game, but she doesn’t. instead, she sits down across the table from him and picks up a workbook.

“okay,” she says. “what do we have to do?”

~*~

“mail here?” steve calls out when he hears the front door close behind robin.

there’s a moment that feels like a pause. “yeah, it’s here.”

steve practically sprints from his bedroom to his living room. robin holds a single white envelope in her hand. steve all but snatches it from her.

his fingers move to rip it open, but then he hesitates. he thrusts it back towards robin. “i can’t,” he tells her. “you do it.”

her eyebrows shoot up. “you’re sure?” steve nods. he watches her rip the envelope open, bouncing on his feet. she scans the page and then she’s smiling.

steve grabs the paper from her. “oh my god?!” he yells. “oh my god!”

robin practically jumps into his arms. “179, baby! harvard law here we come.”

~*~

even after such a successful run at the lsats, there’s still the little matter of actually getting in to the school. steve’s only experience with the academic application process was with undergrad and it appears that applying for anything beyond a bachelors degree is an entirely different ball game. he’s so out of his depth that he’s forced to turn to grad school message boards for advice and tips of how to get in. it seems like everyone else is applying to a hundred different schools while steve’s only applying to one. he learns this is a terrible strategy for planning one’s future, but that doesn’t really matter to steve. for him, it’s harvard or nothing.

there are so many different parts of the application that it makes steve’s head spin. there’s the statement of purpose and the personal statement—the difference between those two requires robin’s careful and slow explanation about three separate times. then there’s the writing sample and the application and the recommendations and the transcripts and and and

but with robin’s help, steve completes each component and successfully sends his materials by the day of the deadline.

steve’s never been a patient person. no one on earth would accuse him of that, so even he can tell that he’s getting on robin’s nerves every day as he practically pounces on her when she returns from collecting the mail.

and then one day, finally, at the end of april, she comes through the front door and clutched in her hand is a big, thick white envelope emblazoned with the words ‘harvard law’ in bold, beautiful crimson red.

~*~

“last chance to back out,” robin says smiling as she swings herself up into the passengers seat of their rented u-haul.

“nah.” steve returns her smile as he slides his sunglasses from his hair onto his face. “let’s get out of this dump.”

and with that, they leave their first apartment behind, headed to the coast.

[wanted to finish this completely before posting but my benadryls kicking in and i have no self control. eventual steddie, promise! no tag list for this one, sorry!! it’s giving me anxiety on the other one lol absolutely not edited, if u see a typo no u don’t. i wrote this on my phone in a feverish frenzy. also, i originally invented someone for the role of warner but then i was like ‘IDIOT!!!!! why would u not choose tommy?????’ so if there’s a name in here that shouldn’t be, no there isn’t.]

[bellarkeselection]

His Compass of Harrenhal - part 2

Part 1

part 3

Tag list - @only4thefics @superintenseart @universallyrascaldreamercookie @uniquecroissant @vavafaure1994

Tossing the covers off of my body as quickly as I could I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Daemon had a strong arm draped over my waist until I shoved his arms off of me. Stumbling out of the bed I flew to the chamber pot puking whatever was in my stomach from the dinner we ate the night before. “Y/n, what’s made you ill?” Daemon had awoken from his sleep running over to hold my hair out of my face..

“I’m not quite sure.” I croaked out once I had finally emptied the contents of my stomach and sat with my back against his chest.

Daemon rested his chin on top of my head, keeping his arms wrapped around my waist. “I’ll go find a Maester right away-“

“I’ll come with you. If this is some illness I don’t wish to pass out onto the floor while you’re away.” I snatched his wrist, halting him from going further. Together we made our way through the castle until the closest person we came upon was none other than Alice Rivers.

“You’re new wife becomes sick this morning I hear.”

Daemon grumbled still not trusting the woman before us. “I don’t have time for your words, witch. Just tell me what is wrong with my wife. You are apparently this haunted castle’s only maester.”

“Lay her on the table.” She rushed quickly clearing off her workspace before Daemon laid me down on my back and she rubbed her hand all over my stomach and lifted up my nightgown before asking me. “When did you last bleed, lady fish?”

Running a hand through my hair I couldn’t exactly recall the last time. “I don’t entirely know. Possibly two moons ago. Why?”

“If you haven’t bled recently then you’re pregnant with his wee bear growing inside your belly.” Alice points her hand at Daemon who tried to show no emotion around her.

Rolling over onto my side I grinned back at the dragon prince. “We’re gonna have a baby.”

Daemon crossed the room not saying anything before he grabbed my face and kissed me deeply until we needed air. “You will be a very excellent mother to our little dragon.” I wrapped my arms around his neck drawing him back in for another kiss until someone interrupted the kiss.

“Your grace, oh - uh forgive me.” The caretaker of the castle named Simon came into the room seeing us sharing a moment.

Daemon didn’t look at the man when he grumbled his next words. “What is it?”

“The lord of Riverrun has arrived.”

I jumped down from the table running as fast as my legs could carry me, not bothering to wait on the men behind me. I hadn’t seen a member of my family since my father had shipped me off to this place so long ago. Pushing the doors open I expected to see my very ill father but I was greeted by a young boy with curly brown hair standing in front of the large round table. “Who might you be?”

“My name is Oscar. My grandsire is Grover Tully. Praise the gods Aunt Y/n is that you?” Oscar began formally speaking until he recognized the eyes staring back at him.

I let out a half chuckle crossing the room moving closer to the boy. “Ha! So my father did mention me after he shipped me off. Anyhow, Oscar look how big you’ve grown. I remember how small you were on your first nameday. Can I get a hug, little nephew?”

“I didn’t think I’d ever get to meet you.” He flung his arms around my neck and I wrapped my arms around his neck bringing him in closer with us both laughing in enjoyment. “I’ve heard tales of the Tully daughter who decided to wield a sword despite what everyone else thinks about it.”

“Well isn’t this a happy family reunion?” Daemon sent me a smile resting one hand on the handle of his sword that he carried on his hip.

“My - my - my prince. Uh my grace - your grace.” Oscar nervously tried to address him once we had broken our hug seeing Daemon and Simon Strong enter the room.

Daemon glanced back at the Strong man. “Lord Grover is looking more hair than healthy than I expected.”

“This is Oscar Tully. Grandson to Grover Tully. He is heir to Riverun and the future Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. His grace, the king concoct Daemon Targaryen and his Lady Wife I suppose Y/n of - um forgive me my lady.”

I sent the older man a gentle smile. “He’s my nephew, Simon Strong. I’m formerly of House Tully.”

“It is an honor, your grace.” Oscar said watching the dragon remove his sword, laying it on the table and sitting down before him and only then did the nervous lad sit down too.

Daemon nodded his head in my direction. “Indeed. Lady wife, come sit with us.”

“Oh okay.” I sat beside Daemon in the next chair over.

Daemon turned his attention to the young lad. “How fair’s your grandsire?”

“Sadly he remains incapacitated. He lies in a kind of waking sleep. Unable to do much more than eat or take a drink. It is barely enough to sustain him.”

Daemon tapped his fingers on the table. “So he’s alive?”

“Yes, gods be good.” Oscar brightly smiled.

Daemon leaned forward closer to the young boys face whispering a sentence that caught us both off guard for certain. “Well my time here is short and I’m in need of an army. Perhaps you place a feather pillow over his face and speed along your inheritance - fuck Y/n!”

“What the hell is the matter with you. You’re asking him to kill a member of my family when he’s only the age of ten and five.” I smacked my husband upside the back of the head sharply.

Daemon rubbed the back of his head glancing over at me. “If he’s an old man. Why let him suffer in pain. A quick death would be better for him and his grandson.”

“I - I love my grandsire. Like a father. My own Lord father died himself a young man. Lord Grover raised me in his stead.” Young Oscar explained nervously not thinking this conversation would resort to violence.

Daemon lowered his hand from the sore backside of his head bringing the topic of war back to the table. I knew he didn't like having to wait on anything, especially when it came to fighting battles. “All very touching are you here to speak with your grandsire's voice of House Tully in the Riverlands?”

“While he still lives?” Oscar raised a brow offended at the idea. “That is not our way.”

Daemon growled in the boy's face, picking up his sword and leaving the room. “Then you're of no use to me. I can see why the Blackwoods and Brackens did not fear to start a war beneath the nose of their ledge lords. House Tully is a fish with no head.”

“Daemon.” I called his name while getting up from my chair.

He placed his sword back onto his hip only sparing me a glance before he left the room. “Summon the Blackwoods here. I require men of action to lead my host of Rivermen.”

“Daemon! Daemon, wait a minute.” I chased after the prince grabbing the back of his tunic yanking hi, backwards before he could get any further from me. “I know you don’t like to hear that you’ll have to wait but-“

He spun around on his feet getting in my face. “I hate waiting. When you’re fighting a war there’s rarely time to wait for anyone else’s help.”

“Let me get my words out before you bite my head off. Like I was saying, give my lord Father time to pass on his own time and then you might have an edge of me talking with my nephew so that he and his bannermen will follow your queen Rhaenyra. Can you do that for me hmm. Can you take a pause before you run when something doesn’t go your way?”

He grabbed my face in his hands resting his forehead down against mine releasing a breath I didn’t know he was holding in. “I suppose I’ll have to wait for our little dragon to come into the world. So this should be no different.”

“Thank you, Daemon.” Draping my arms around his neck we embraced the other in a long hug.

[lostintransist]

This Bunny Bites - Part 2

The men sat down at a busy bar two buildings down from the strip club. Soap looked like he had taken a flash bang to the face. Eyes wide and unseeing and unable to hear anything going on around him.

“Soap,” Ghost took a tight grip of his shoulder, shaking him once.

He twitched and looked at his friend.

“What the hell is my baby sister doing a strip club looking like that?” Soap’s voice cracked on the last word.

“What I would like to know Soap is how you failed to mention a sister.” Price looked him over, searching for any other hidden secrets that might rise to the surface.

Price’s anger settled over him like a cloak. He couldn’t keep his team safe if they kept secrets like whole people from him.

“I haven’t seen my sister since I ran away from our dad’s house when I was seventeen Cap. I haven’t looked her up ever, I’ll give you all my passwords, you can check.” Soap pleaded his case, a hint of panic edging into his voice.

Price sighed. He had heard Soap lie, and lie well enough, to know this had to be truth. He could see the similarities between them, it happened in their smiles.

“I believe you Soap, but if any one else has a secret family member they haven’t told me about yet you need to speak up now or I will rip you a new asshole when I find out.” Price glared at Simon and Gaz. Simon shook his head and Gaz threw his hands up in a classic ‘don’t shoot’ pose.

Price pinched the bridge of his nose, focusing on breathing through the anger he still carried. “Soap, go and get our drinks from the bar, I need a second.”

“Coming right up Cap.” Soap scooted from tabled they had secured, heading for the bar.

“We need to find a way into Jeffrey Dutson’s personal bedroom, I don’t have time to be worrying about Soap finding his long lost sister.” Price moved on to rubbing his eyebrows, focusing trying to think through all the logistics that would be required to pull off their next job.

Soap deposited all four drinks on the table before sitting back on the bench seat.

“Seems like Soap’s long lost sister could actually help with that,” Gaz took a sip of his beer.

The comment caught Soap mid sip of his own drink. He choked on it, some of the burning liquid coming out of his nose.

Ghost thumped on his back with a fist. Once Soap could breathe again he glared at Gaz.

“We are leaving Bunny out of this.”

Price leaned back, thinking over the idea. “Why? She isn’t important enough for you to keep tabs on and she fits the profile of the women Dutson usually is drawn to.”

“And what is that,” Soap snaps.

Ghost replies now, “Tall, busty, legs for days, easy on the eyes, with enough personality to work a room.”

The glare Soap sent his best friend could have scorched the table between them.

“Donnae talk about her like that,” his accent came out thick when he got mad like this.

“Actually Ghost, research her. See what she has buried. Let’s reach out and see what her price would be to help on this project.” Price took a long sip of his drink, swirling the glass slowly on top of the table.

“Of course Captain. Are we trying to press her into working with us or asking nicely?” Ghost shifts up his mask enough to capture his straw.

“Price I am beggin’ you don’t drag her into this.” Soap glares down at the table as he pleads.

“We will ask her and if we can’t find an arrangement that works for everyone I will find someone else. But the party is in three months, we need a woman working for us now if we have any hope of getting our hands on his notebook.” Price stopped the swirling of his glass. He looked at Soap until the man looked back. “Right now because she’s your sister she is our best chance at having someone we can trust.”

“That’s the thing Cap. She isn’t going to trust us, she hates me.” His voice is bleak.

“Well what a good time for a family reunion then huh?” Price lifted a brow.

There would be no budging on this topic. Soap cursed into his drink, tossed it back and stood to buy himself another one. This would blow up in his fucking face and he didn’t want to be sober when it happened.

❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋❋

Ghost started digging into the history of Johnny’s sister once they reached the hotel after the bar. He had nearly to carry Soap out of the bar. He didn’t find much, of anything really. She and Johnny shared a father and were two years apart in age. She had remained in the custody of their father after her mother died of an overdose. She had graduated high school a year early and had moved across the country on her own, ending in the port city the 141 had found themselves in. She worked at Hands Off Club and had for several years from the tax forms he had been able to dig up.

Ghost managed to crack into the local hospital records looking for anything, finding only flu shots and a tetanus shot from a few years back. So far no skeletons they could threaten you with. Good, Ghost preferred to make skeletons rather than rattle them. The last thing he found were several properties with your name listed on the deeds, but no accompanying mortgages. After digging through everything he could without breaking into anything truly classified he shut the computer down and settled into bed.

As he lay in the dark he contemplated his next move. A piece being moved across a board. Your turn.

Part 1 | Part 3

Masterlist

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

10k+ Milestone Event: ✨ After Ever After ✨

Blog event introduction story here.

(Credit for the wonderful artwork goes to tinyfantasminha!)

For 10k followers in 4 years (the same number of years it generally takes to complete high school), I thought it might be thematically fitting to do a “10 years in the future” themed event!

Here are the general rules:

For the next week (until the 14th!), I’ll be opening my inbox to take headcanon and character interaction requests.

Please note that the characters will be aged up 10 years to fit the theme of this blog event; it’s meant to feel like a class reunion all these years later and you’re catching up on old times! (Requests that don’t fit this theme may not help accepted or will be less prioritized.)

Indicate if platonic or romantic. If you do not specify, I will NOT default to romantic, I will default to platonic.

Gender is not necessary to include; I will assume gender neutral they/them in all cases so everyone is able to comfortably read.

As the regular blog rules state, you can request up to 5 characters for headcanons.

I’d like to limit interactions and short fic requests to 1 main character (though others may be requested as supporting cast or cameo).

Any characters are fair game, including family members, RSA students, Halloween characters, NRC staff, etc.

For interactions, you can submit a request as yourself/the Reader/a general self-insert or as a canon character.

NO FAN KIDS THOUGH, PLEASE 💦 It'll just get too confusing for me to keep track of, sorry!

Note that all other writing request rules apply. This means no NSFW, no OCs, minding the specific triggering topics I have noted, etc,

Also!!

Miss Raven has changed these last 10 years too~! Maybe you should check in with her as well?

I’m also opening up interactions for Miss Raven, who is now the headmaster of NRC.

For the Miss Raven interactions ONLY, you can submit as a general Reader/self-insert, a canon character, or as your Twst OC.

If you are submitting as your OC, I would appreciate some quick background on who the OC is so I’m not going in totally blind ^^

NO FAN KIDS for similar reasons as stated above.

For select individuals (defined by myself; could be mutuals, friends, or just users I recognize), you’ll get a little something extra :DD (It’s a surprise though!! Will be delivered privately when applicable.)

[in1-nutshell]

With all the Deadloop and Red Cross nutshells, my brain has been stuck on how their reunion might go! Did either of them go back to the museum they were in to look for the other? Did they ever find out that they are both back with their faction? Maybe there’s something of history repeating itself, and Deadloop gets shot down, and Red Cross finds and saves him? (Also, what would Agent Fowler say to having a ‘con in the family?)

Thank you for feeding the Red Cross and Deadloop brain rot I have with all the nutshells!

I've had many requests for these two reuniting, so I've combined them all into one.

Hope you enjoy!

Red Cross and Deadloop reuniting

TFP

Deadloop had been enjoying his break when he was notified by Starscream to guard a hostage.

He hated having to deal with hostages.

It brought back memories of the human war.

Memories of the Fowlers.

Memories of her…

He is confused when he sees a man being suspended in the air by a couple of large chains.

It seemed too extreme, even for Starscream.

Deadloop walking over to the human.

“So, you’re the little human that’s been giving Screamer trouble.”--Deadloop

The human huffs.

“If you want the information, I don’t have it.”--Fowler

“Relax, I’m not going to shove my Granny up your behind.”--Deadloop

Fowler looks at him strangely.

“What’s your name?”--Deadloop

He glares at the Con before noticing key details in his alt mode.

“What’s with your alt mode? Cons getting a budget cut from the high-tech aircrafts?”--Fowler

Deadloop scoffs.

“I’ll have you know sir, that this alt mode was from the original model back in the day.”--Deadloop

This catches the man’s attention.

“I’ll tell you my name if you come closer to the light.”--Fowler

Deadloop humors him and walks closer while also noticing some familiar looking features on the human’s face.

The way his eyes concentrated...

The little deeps in the cheek…

Almost like…

“Your last name wouldn’t happen to be Fowler?”--Deadloop

The human’s eyes widen by a fraction of a second.

Good enough for him as takes the chains off and pops open one of his subspaces.

“Hop in.”--Deadloop

Deadloop knew that his actions would be counted as treason, but he was not going to let this Fowler get hurt on his watch, never again.

Fowler tried questioning what the Con was doing, but he soon saw that he was tkainghim outside to the flight deck.

Was this Con actually helping him escape?

They made it to the flight deck before Starscream caught wind of Deadloop’s plans.

Deadloop transformed into his baron form and took off as Starscream and some of the seekers came out.

So, it was a dog fight that they wanted? It was a dog fight that they were going to get.

It was a long fight in the air, but Deadloop was much more experienced in this art of war than these newbies.

Starscream managed to clip one of his wings good and was spiraling down with Fowler.

Luckily Fowler had called the base and had a groundbrigde sent right underneath them.

As Deadloop transformed and shielded Fowler from the impact

Deadloop wasn’t surprised to see that there were several blasters pointed at him and ordering the human to be released.

He gently placed Fowler down.

Optimus offers Deadloop his servo.

After a moment he grabs it and lets the Prime help him up.

“Listen, I don’t want any trouble. I’m no longer allowed a Con and I don’t want anything to do with this war.”--Deadloop

“And how are we supposed to trust you?”--Wheeljack

“He did save Fowler.”--Jack

“It could be a trap.”--Arcee

Raf looks at him closely.

“You wouldn’t happen to turn into a Red Barron would you?”--Raf

“Finally! A human of culture! I do in fact turn into—”Deadloop

Deadloop looks at a couple of hand grenades in a box unorganized.

“Why are all your eggs so messy?”--Deadloop

“Has anyone seen my eggs? I swear I put them—”—Red Cross

Red Cross stop in her tracks and stares wide optic at the red mech in front of her.

Deadloop just freezes in place.

This couldn’t be…

She was…

“DEADLOOP!”—Red Cross

Red Cross slams into his frame wrapping her arms around him in a fierce hug.

The red mech snaps out of his trace and hugs her back just as hard.

The medic spots some sparking near his wings and pulls back.

“Primus your hurt! Come, sit I’ll go get my kits!”—Red Cross

Deadloop gets carried bridal style by Red Cross while she mumbles about the supplies she needs.

“…what just happened?”--Fowler

Everyone is confused.

Red Cross and Deadloop tell their story to the others and their relation to the Fowler’s.

Agent Fowler does not know how to feel about this sudden news. He needs a moment to process this.

Even when she’s done, Deadloop takes Red Cross’s servo in his and doesn’t let go.

She doesn’t make any motion to get out of his grip either.

It takes one question from Red Cross and now Deadloop is now an Autobot.

This was going to be some load of paperwork when Fowler returned to his office…

[ghostofhyuck]

Under His Charm

Deity! Na Jaemin x Human! Reader 

Summary: Your mother’s hometown has always been a mystery to you. From the weird festival up to your superstitious relatives. That’s why it’s no surprise that you encountered a deity of the woods.

Word count: 4.7k

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

The trail to your mother’s hometown was a struggle. Even your family’s brand new car didn’t stand a chance against it. 

“It would’ve been better if we just went to the beach,” you complained, earning a small slap from your twin brother who only hushes you. From the passenger seat, your mother could only let out a sigh. 

“There’s an ocean here too, you can swim there if you want,” your mother said. After a few pushes, the car was able to make it through the muddy path. You watch as your father drives to the path with much ease after getting stuck on a huge rock. 

You’ve been in your mother’s hometown numerous times. It was up in the mountains but just alongside an ocean. A logic that you always found fascinating. It was a small town where everyone knows everyone. But what’s more unique about the town was that they’re very superstitious.

You and your family are spending the summer there. And as much as you want to stay in your house, everyone, even your relatives are going. There’s a festival there, and it only occurs every decade. That’s why it was also the best time for a family reunion. 

As soon as you reached your relatives’ house, you noticed that the town wasn’t as boisterous as you thought it was. Your mother only told you to go to the house and greet your relatives. 

“Oh, yn and Donghyuck, look at you two,” your great-aunt said, offering you two a hug. 

“They surely have grown,” another relative of yours commented. 

“Right! Our Donghyuck is so handsome, I bet you have a girlfriend already,” your great-aunt teased. You saw how your twin shyly laughed it off. 

“How about you yn? Do you have a boyfriend now?” they asked. 

You only gave them a smile, “no, just not looking for a relationship at the moment.”

“Oh goodness! Then be careful around here okay? God, you look even prettier, you might get enchanted!” your great-aunt warned. 

You only glanced at Donghyuck who found your relative’s warnings weird. He shrugs it off but you gave your great-aunt a smile. 

“I’ll take note of that auntie, thank you so much,” you only said. 

“Don’t stray away okay?” she said one last time before going to the kitchen.

Rather than staying inside, you and Donghyuck went to the family car where your parents are unloading your bags. You told your parents about your encounter with your great-aunt and you saw how your mother’s forehead creased. 

“Those aren’t true,” she dismisses. “But you should still listen to her, okay? The elders know this place more than us, we’re just visiting here.” 

You always knew that your mother’s hometown is a place full of mystery and enigma. You heard stories from your aunts and uncles about their encounters with mythical creatures and even ghosts. Your mother on the other hand was a skeptic, and her siblings would just tease her because she hasn’t really encountered something mythical at all. 

“Because they aren’t real,” your mother said. It was dinner time. A huge table was placed outside your great-aunt’s backyard. The moon was shining bright and the atmosphere was lively. You sat there along with your other relatives who talked about their childhood days and their encounters. 

“Your mother just didn’t encounter any mythical creatures,” your aunt whispered to you. You only stifle a laugh. 

“But she told us to still be careful here,” you replied. 

“Of course,” she answered. “There are good creatures, and there are naughty ones…it is hard to distinguish who’s who, that’s why you should be very careful.” 

After dinner, you immediately went back to your room where your family will be staying. You lay beside Donghyuck who you are sharing bed with and the moment you hit the mattress, you immediately doze off to sleep. Tiredness entering your body. 

In your dreams, you found yourself in the middle of the woods. Your eyes wide at how the moon is glowing, leaving light as if it was to battle the sun. You let out an astonished gasp as you watch the moon show the trail towards a path. You aimlessly went there, curious as if you were Alice in Wonderland. 

You found yourself in the middle of a field. With wisterias tickling your bare feet. You only smile at the paradise you found. That’s when you noticed that you weren’t wearing your pajamas, you were wearing a sundress that’s painted white and adorned with laces. It was your favorite sundress and you remember that you brought it for your vacation. Your dream felt real at this point. 

As you tried to navigate your way around, your feet went further and further from where you started. You found another light that is guided by the moon. Hastily, you ran towards it —

But you stop when someone grabs your shoulder. You turned around and were welcomed by an ethereal figure. 

“You almost jumped off the cliff,” he smiles. He stares at you for a second and waves his hand in front of you. 

And as if you were holding back your breath, you almost choke as you exhaled and grasped for air once again. Your eyes became wide. 

Your dream, it made you sleep-walked. You found yourself in the middle of nowhere. In a dark woods, with nothing but the man’s lamp as the light. 

You looked at your clothes and you were wearing your pajamas, and you were barefoot! That’s when you noticed how the rocky path scratches your feet. 

“Are you okay? Can you hear me?” the man asked once again, shifting your attention to him. 

“Thank you, I don’t know what would happen to me if I almost jumped — I don’t know, I’m confused,” you confessed, trying to process everything. 

“You’re not from here aren’t you?” he asked. You only nod. 

“Perhaps that’s why,” he gives you a soft smile. “The spirits are playing tricks on foreigners, you became a victim unfortunately.” 

“Spirits?”

“Just naughty ghosts who're bored with their life,” he explains. “It’s a good thing I was able to save you.”

“Thank you,” you said once again. “But who are — I mean, are you also a spirit?”

You watched as he thought about it for a minute. “Not a spirit, but more of a deity I guess? I’m Jaemin by the way.” 

“Jaemin,” you muttered. “I’m yn. I’m here for a vacation.”

“Oh for the festival! I know about that, it’s a tradition,” he laughs. “Well, shouldn’t you be in your relative’s room asleep yn?” 

That’s when it hit you that you’re in the middle of nowhere. You looked around and saw nothing but pitch black. Your heart starts beating fast, especially after your encounter with the spirits. 

“I don’t know where I am,” you confessed. “But thank you Jaemin, I’ll try to find my way back.”

And before you could make a step, Jaemin grabs your shoulders. 

“Don’t worry about it, I can help you,” Jaemin said. “No tricks I swear, just close your eyes.” 

And as if you were in a spell, you did close your eyes. Jaemin only smiles at you, so innocent and naive. He slowly lifts his hands, and there he mutters some words before pointing a finger on you. 

-

It was a weird dream, you think. 

“Did you sleep properly? You were like a dead log last night,” Donghyuck commented. 

You wanted to tell your parents about your weird encounter last night, but you too aren’t sure if it was a dream or something that happened in real life. The moment you wake up, you’re next to your twin who’s still sleeping. The sun was barely rising and you can already hear the busy morning of the town.

“Why was I moving too much?” you asked. 

“No, you’re just frozen in one position,” Donghyuck explained. You don’t know if that was an odd thing, you only nod before following your parents who’s busy looking at the fresh vegetables on a stall. 

The market was bustling with people. Everyone was busy preparing for a feast. You heard that people would go house to house to eat and feast with the host. You guessed that your relatives are also preparing it because your family was tasked to buy it from the market. 

“Oh I forgot to buy some eggs,” your mother said as you made your way out of the market. “Yn, can you go buy a whole tray?” 

“Yeah sure,” you only said, accepting the money and turning back to enter the wet market. 

While you find your way towards the stall that sells eggs, you notice a familiar figure standing in front of a flower stall. Your eyes widened because you felt like deja vu as your eyes locked on his back. You know that it was dark in your dreams and you saw nothing but his face, but you couldn’t help but follow your instincts. 

“Jaemin?” you called out. 

And within a second, he turns around and gives you a smile. You were frozen from where you were standing. It is him! So last night wasn’t a dream. He’s much more beautiful in real life, under the broad daylight. He doesn’t have any distinct indication that he’s a deity. Jaemin was tall, with black hair, and handsome features. He’s also wearing a plain white shirt and black slacks, that’s why one would think that he’s just a guy who’s buying flowers. 

“Oh, hi yn!” he greets with a smile. “It’s nice to see you here.” you watched as the florist called his attention again. He grabs the huge bouquet of flowers and approaches you. 

“You’re here,” you muttered. 

“What? You think I’m going to stay in the woods forever? There’s a festival and I want to join!” Jaemin excitedly said. “Oh by the way, keep it a secret about last night okay?”

You only nod. You were about to say something when you heard a familiar voice. 

“Hey! You’ve been gone for too long —” Donghyuck stops when he notices that you’re talking to someone. “Who is this?”

“Hyuck! He’s uhm…He’s Jaemin, he’s —”

“Just a florist,” Jaemin asked. “Was offering her flowers, it’s fresh and picked by hand too.” 

“Well maybe next time,” Donghyuck stated. “Come on now, mom’s waiting for you.”

Your conversation with Jaemin became short because of your twin. He pulls you away and drags you further but as you turn around, Jaemin gives you a small wave and wink before going on his way. 

“He’s kinda cute,” Donghyuck comments. “I bet he likes you.” 

“You’re talking nonsense,” you rolled your eyes. 

“What are the odds, maybe he’ll pass by our house and eat with us.”

And true to your twin brother’s words, Jaemin did drop by your great-aunt’s house. In the midst of your other relatives entertaining other guests, you quickly approached Jaemin who’s in front of the doorsteps with a handful of flowers. 

“Should’ve given you some earlier,” he stated. You shyly picked the bouquet of flowers and muttered your thanks to him. 

“Do you want to go inside? My great-aunt cooked some meals and it’s part of the tradition too,” you offered. 

“I don’t consume human food,” Jaemin answers. 

“Oh.” 

“Do you want to go out? I know that our conversation always comes to a halt but I really want to talk to you,” he asked instead.

Jaemin was right. You have a lot of questions on your mind that only he can answer. You only nod, making him smile. He offers you his hand but you only shake your head. 

“People might get the wrong impression,” you laughed, making Jaemin let out a small chuckle. 

“You’re right, but shall we get going now?”

“Of course,” you answered. 

Just like what he said last night, he is a deity of the woods. He watches over the woods which he considers as his home too. Jaemin lets people in his property. For their livelihood, and income, he understands their intention especially when the people offer prayers or ask for his guidance as a sign of respect to him. Jaemin knows too that not all people believe in myths and spirits, but all he wants is for them to not destroy his home. 

Jaemin also knows that there are other creatures lurking around the town. Some are nice and good, he can be friends and acquainted with them. While others aren’t. They’re not evil if Jaemin would think about it, just creatures that he couldn’t understand their intentions. They’re the ones who almost threw you off the cliff. 

“If you weren’t there, I would’ve died,” you muttered. “Thank you, I owe you my life.” 

“It’s nothing yn,” Jaemin said. 

You didn’t say a word and instead, you looked at the view in front of you. Jaemin brought you to the town’s pier. There were a few people around, glancing at you two but you tried to ignore it as much as possible. 

“Do they know your identity?” you asked. 

Jaemin shakes his head. “This is my first time appearing in town, so basically we’re both strangers.” 

“Really? Why?” 

“Do you really want to know the answer?” he teased. 

Your smile disappeared. Suddenly, your heart starts beating fast and you can feel your cheeks heating up. Jaemin only stares at you fondly, then he looks away, eyes locked on the ocean instead. 

“I’m just kidding yn,” he took it back immediately. “I was just curious about the human who was lured by the spirits.” 

“Why would you be curious, I’m just an ordinary girl,” you laughed. 

“You got lured in your sleep,” Jaemin pointed out. From there, you watch as he removes a ring from his finger and drops it on the palm of your hand. “Wear it, it’s a protection.”

But you only sheepishly smiled as you returned it to him. “I don’t believe in spells and protective objects Jaemin, I’ll be okay.” 

“I insist,” Jaemin gives it back to you. “What if I’m not there in the woods? It has my power, they’ll know that you’re under my protection.” 

You only let out a sigh as you looked at the golden ring. It looks old, carved like the root of a tree with a peridot gem in the middle. You slipped on your ring finger and was surprised that it fits perfectly. 

“It’s pretty though,” you only smiled. “Thank you Jaemin.” 

“No worries yn,” he mumbled, grabbing a hold of your hand. You watch as he intertwines his fingers on yours, fingers brushing over the ring. You felt your heart skipping a beat as Jaemin stares at you with a smile. Somehow, you weren’t worried about what others would say. That’s why you smiled back at him. 

-

In the midst of the busy preparation for the festival, you found yourself spending more time with Jaemin. He was sweet and gentle to you. He didn’t take any advantage on you aside from holding your hands which he seems to be very fond of. Slowly, you found yourself lured to him. His smile, and gestures, you always found yourself looking for him. 

Of course, news spread quickly. It was a small town, and people knew people. 

“Oh the florist,” Donghyuck teased. 

“You know him Hyuck?” your mother asked.

“Yeah, back in the market, he offered yn flowers,” Donghyuck. “I guess he found her pretty.” 

“Who’s this young man again dear?” your great-aunt asked. 

“His name is Jaemin, aunt,” you answered. 

“Did you ask who his parents are? Haven’t heard of his name,” your great-aunt said. Trying to recall the people in the town. 

“He’s also a foreigner here,” you answered immediately. “He’s here for the festival.” 

“Oh! No wonder,” she only chuckles. “Just be careful you two, both being strangers isn’t good here too. You know that there are evil creatures lurking around.”

“Of course, thanks aunt!” you said, grabbing your bag. “I’ll be going now!”

“Don’t forget to return tonight! The opening celebration will start at eight!” your great-aunt informed. 

You only shouted, “I will!” before running your way towards the gate where Jaemin is standing, waiting for you. 

“They thought you’re a foreigner too,” you laughed. Telling Jaemin that someone told your family about you two. 

“What did she say?” Jaemin asked. 

“She told me to just be careful of the evil spirits,” you answered. “But I don’t have to worry about it, you’re my protector.” 

“Of course I am,” Jaemin proudly says, pinching your cheeks in the process. You only let out a small giggle as you two decided to take a small picnic in the woods. 

Jaemin brought you to the exact place where you two first met. It was a wide grassfield in the middle of the woods. The sun was up, with the clouds giving a warm and cold breeze at the same time. It felt like spring when you noticed that there’s a lot of wild flowers blooming around the field. You and Jaemin sat there, you indulged on some snacks that you bought while Jaemin could only watch you, according to him, he only consumes wild fruits and herbs that can be deemed poisonous to humans. 

“I heard that the opening celebration is tonight,” you shared. 

“Do you know what the celebration is all about?” he asked, you only shake your head. Come to think of it, it never crossed your mind what the celebration is all about. You just happen to know that it only occurs every decade. 

“Well, a long time ago, a human and a non-human fell in love with each other,” Jaemin explained. He gently picks a flower on a side and gives it to you who only accepted it dearly. “But they can’t be together because they’re from two different worlds, so the non-human made a promise, every ten years when the eclipse will occur, it will provide a path for its lover to return to him.” 

“What does our town have to do with this?” you asked out of curiosity. 

Jaemin shrugs, “it was merely a myth, back then, they used to wander off a woman into the woods but now, they no longer do it. They just use it as an excuse to feast and celebrate.” 

You laughed at his story. “Well, I think it’s a lovely story, plus the whole town’s celebrating! So what do you say, do you want to join in the celebration?” 

Jaemin didn’t answer immediately. He looks up to the sky for a minute, in which you follow immediately. 

“I don’t think I want to show my face in front of a crowd, there are spirits that might lurk around and bring bad luck too,” Jaemin explained, letting out a sigh. “Plus, it is also a night where they tend to trick young ladies into the woods and prey on them. I have to do my obligation to watch over them.” 

“Oh right! You’re right,” you tried to brush it off but it saddens you that you couldn’t celebrate the festival with Jaemin. You heard that the opening celebration is lively, there is food, dancing, and even traditional activities. It is also a night of matchmaking, and there are chances that the person you danced with until the sun rises will be yours forever. 

“I’m really sorry yn,” Jaemin apologized. “As much as I want to go, I really can’t. Unless…”

“Unless what?” you asked.

“If you have spare time, you can go meet me here,” he suggested. “It’ll be just quick.”

You became quiet for a minute. “I mean, I’m okay with that but I’m scared that I might get lost.” 

Jaemin only smiles at you. He grabs your hand and kisses the ring that you’re wearing. “Don’t worry, I’ll guide you. Just follow your instincts okay?” 

“Okay,” you breathed. 

You returned back to the town around afternoon. As you reached the town center, you noticed that it’s becoming busier than the first day. People are busy preparing for the field where the celebration will occur. They’re setting up tables, chairs, and even decorations. The whole field is filled with different flowers that are in bloom, there was music, classical music that you found odd yet it serenades the air with a bright atmosphere. You felt excited about the celebration, but what you’re looking forward to most are the few minutes with Jaemin. 

“Hey, where’s your loverboy?” Donghyuck asked while you two prepared for the night. You watch as he wears his casual polo shirt while you’re still applying makeup. 

“He's doing something that’s why he can’t make it,” you said, technically you weren’t lying too.

“That’s sad,” your twin sarcastically said. “What if someone offered you to dance with them?” 

“I’ll reject it of course,’ you rolled your eyes. “I hope someone offers you a dance.”

“That, I’ll reject too,” he said, making you two laugh. 

After a few finishing touches, you wore your summer dress. The one that’s white and adorned with laces. And if it wasn’t enough for you, you tied your hair in a low ponytail and placed a ribbon on it. You found yourself staring at the mirror and you could only smile as the bubbly feeling of meeting Jaemin excites you. 

Your relatives showered you with compliments, they were sure that you’ll be the most beautiful girl during the celebration. They asked you about Jaemin but you gave them the same excuse. They found it a shame that he might not be able to attend, especially when a matchmaking is about to happen. 

Night came and the moon was in its gleaming glory. There were a few lights around the field set up by the townspeople. From a far you can hear that the celebration is starting. There was music, food, and boisterous laughter.

Your whole family, led by your great-aunt was welcomed with warm hugs and greetings, you and Donghyuck were introduced to strangers who are acquainted with your relatives. You only give them a smile and a shy laugh whenever they give you a compliment. For the duration of the night, you only sat along with your family, munching on the heavenly food the town prepared. You and Donghyuck gossiped and judged some people for a quick while, sharing laughter with each other. 

The music suddenly went abruptly. From the speaker, the music changed into something more mellow. More old-fashioned as if you’re straight out of a fairytale story. You watched as different people, especially those around your age started to approach each other. They were holding hands as they walked in the center where an iron pole stood tall. From above, a flower wreath is placed. 

“I guess they’re starting the tradition,” Donghyuck said.

That was your cue. You stand up from your seat, earning a glance from Donghyuck. 

“I’ve got to go,” you said quickly.

“Wait, where are you going!?”

You didn’t even bother answering Donghyuck. You immediately left the place, running as quickly as possible towards the woods. 

The celebration slowly becomes mute to your ears. You stopped when you found yourself in front of the tall trees that were once friendly during the night. You stared at its emptiness, and for once, you wanted to back out. 

But Jaemin, he’s waiting for you there in the field. You never know when you two will ever see each other again. You knew deep inside that he’s a deity. A non-human. But if there’s someone who you wanted to dance with until the sun rises, it’s got to be him. 

So with a brave heart, you took heavy strides towards the woods. Following your instincts and hoping that it’ll guide you to the right path. 

And your minutes of wandering took you to the right path. You only gasped as you exited the dark woods and entered another paradise. You felt deja vu hitting you. You felt as if you’re in your dreams again. Flowers tickling your feet as you walk right through it. The grass was as gentle as ever and the moon was gleaming. You stared at it, any minute the eclipse will occur and you only stood there, scanning for Jaemin. 

“You’re here,” you turned around and smiled. 

“I’m here,” you said with glee. 

You watched as Jaemin walked towards you. Unlike the usual clothes he wears, he’s more divine in his clothes. A white sleeved blouse that’s almost see-through tucked comfortably in a black slacks. He has a black coat trailing from his back and you can see that he’s adorned with jewels. 

As soon as you’re facing each other. No one says a thing, both eyes looking at each other lovingly. As if each other’s gaze was enough to tell each other that they’re happy to see the person in front of them. 

“You look beautiful,” Jaemin said. 

“You as well,” you complimented. Earning a chuckle from him. 

“So,” you looked up in the sky. “The eclipse is about to happen any minute now. Do you know about the matchmaking tradition?”

“Matchmaking?”

“They say, if you danced with someone from the start of the eclipse up to when the sun rises,” you muttered, holding his hand in the process. “They’ll be yours forever.” 

Jaemin only smiled at your words. He gently lets go of your hands and cups your cheeks instead. 

“Do you swear with your words?” 

You only smiled at him. “Jaemin, I don’t care if you’re not a human. I want to be with you forever.” 

You watched as Jaemin’s smile turned into a small smirk. “Then who am I to reject your wish?”

Slowly, Jaemin leans into you, making you close your eyes as his lips gently touch yours. It was sweet and soft, you were frozen by his action but you found yourself deeply under his spell. 

“Shall we dance, my love?” Jaemin said, offering his hands to you. 

You let out a small chuckle as you accepted it, “of course.” 

Jaemin was a great dancer. He holds you gently, his hands wrapped around your waist while the other one guides your hand. His steps were slow but he changes the pace from time to time, like the way he twirls you around or lifts you all of the sudden. You could only laugh at his silly gestures, blissfully unaware that it’s just you and him there. Unaware that time has passed by and the eclipse has passed. 

It’s just the two of you there, alone in the field. The strong aura of Jaemin’s power cast a spell around the area. To trap you there forever, and to prevent any, even mythical creatures from separating you and him forever. 

-

“Hyuck, where’s yn, I haven’t seen her,” your mother asked with a worried tone. 

“She said she’ll be going somewhere,” your twin brother shrugs. “She was in such a hurry, maybe she went to the restroom or something —”

“What!?” your mother shouted, earning the attention of your relatives. They rushed to her immediately. 

“What do you mean, where’s yn!?” your great-aunt asked once again. 

“Auntie!” a guy shouted, everyone’s attention shifted to the teenager who’s catching his breath.

“What? What is it?” your great-aunt asked, heart beating fast due to her nervousness. 

“Do you know who owns this? We found it near the woods,” he said, placing something from the palm of your great-aunts’ hands. 

“That’s yn’s!” Donghyuck quickly said, pointing at the dirty ribbon that fell when you were running in hurry. 

“Where? Where is my daughter!?” your mother shouted, tears forming in her eyes. 

“You said it’s near the woods right? We should rescue her, who knows what wild animals might attack her —”

“There are no wild animals out there,” your great-aunt said with a cold tone. Earning a look from your parents. They watch as she lets out a sigh, placing the ribbon on your mother’s hands who could only cover her mouth, preventing herself from crying. 

“We must do something!” your father said. 

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” your great-aunt sternly said. She glances up to the sky, the moon is in its full brightness. The eclipse is over. 

“She’s chosen by the deity to be his lover. If there’s one creature that you don’t want to anger, that’s him,” she stated. “He can easily kill your daughter in a split second if we interfere.”

“But what about yn?” your mother asked. 

“Let’s just hope that she’ll be fine in the hands of the deity.”

[lightlycareless]

I saw this and it made imagine Y/N recording Naomi with Naoya and her fam 😁

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLvtBbFA/

It’s so cute!

Hello anon!!

Awww this is so, so cute. lkgashgjksahjkgI I had to write something about it + a lil extra hehe. It’s one of those things that can either be very, very funny… or highly upsetting if we’re being realistic🤣.

warnings: fluff. you have a daughter with Naoya named Naomi. and the mention of your family, you know, hinata, ren, eiichi...... 🫣

Enjoy!

“Come on, we should do our own version of that video we saw the other day—you know which one, the one where the little girl picks her favorite relative?” you’d tell your brother.

“I recall it being the least favorite…”

“You know which one, then!” you grin. “Wouldn’t that be fun?”

But Ren, far from enthusiastic as you hoped him to be, instead appeared to be… skeptical. If not disapproving of your idea.

“I don’t know, Y/N. This sounds like a recipe for disaster.”

“Why? It’s going to be funny; I just know it!”

“Alright, if you say so. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when someone ends with their feelings hurt.”

But you pay no mind to his warnings, opting to instead arrange a small family reunion (with extra guests, such as Gojo—though he always invites himself over regardless of if he’s considered or not) over at your clan’s estate, the perfect place to perform this seemingly humorous yet innocent game.

“Alright everyone, gather up!” you beamed at the sight of your lovely Naomi running to you as soon as you uttered those words. Already old enough to run, she always took the opportunity to show off her newly acquired skill—one of the many reasons that convinced you even further into making this test.

“Mama, mama!!” Naomi grins, jumping as her chubby little hands reached for yours. “I’m here mama!”

“I know, mochi. Now we just gotta wait for the rest to come over…”

“What is it?” Hinata asks, mouth full of the nearby snacks—you always, endlessly told her to stop doing that. At first for your personal distaste, but now mainly because of Naomi, for she’s at the age where she copies everything she sees and the last thing you needed was her mimicking bad habits!

“Do you need help, Y/N? With Naomi? Or something else?? Let me know and I’ll—” Your father begins to fret; in the usual anxious way he always did whenever it involved his family. Another habit you wished to keep far away from your daughter, though you won’t deny that his enthusiasm to be the best grandfather in the world is very endearing to see. Especially since the paternal one tends to keep to himself.

“No, no, that won’t be necessary. I just called you all to play a game!”

Naomi’s eyes sparkle at the prospect.

“I wanna play mama!!”

“We will, but we still need your papa and uncle for that. Where are they…?”

“Sorry, Y/N, we’re here now.” Naoya breathes, having rushed to you after dealing with a… senseless discussion. You’d later come to know that the reason for such altercation and subsequent tardiness was caused by the innocent mistake made on the order he’d place for Naomi’s cake. (He asked for chocolate, was given strawberry. How could that even happen?!)

And while it was insignificant, easily fixable in the grand scheme of things, to Naoya whose perfectionism only worsened when it involved his family… well, this was nothing but a grave transgression.

Either way, this issue soon became a thing of the past when Ren appeared, silent as he was still disapproving of your plans, but still willing to participate. After all, who would want to pass an opportunity to tease his brother-in-law when he isn’t chosen as Naomi’s favorite?

“I CAME TO THE RESCUE, Y/N-CHAN!!!” It would be Gojo this time around, running towards you and Naomi in a way you’d think there was a fire going on. “YOUR HERO IS HERE!”

But if there’s someone Ren would love to see kicked down a notch or two more than anyone else, it would have to be Satoru. As of lately he’s been urgently needing a reality check, and this just might do the trick. He’ll make it work either way.

“Well, now that everyone’s here… I guess I’ll start explaining the rules of the game we’re going to play!” You proceed, having long accepted that the best way to deal with Gojo was… not to. “So essentially, today we’re going to learn who Naomi prefers the most. And naturally, the least.”

“The most?” Hinata repeats, raising an eyebrow. “That’s an obvious answer—”

“—me.” Everyone responded in unison, making it clearer why this game needed to happen.

“What do we need to do?” Naoya asks, and not because he’s eager to know the answer, he’s confident Naomi will choose him before anyone else; but rather because he wishes to see the poor soul she’d choose last. His heart points to Satoru, or even Hinata. He can already envision their distraught faces… ha!

“Just stand in line, one next to the other in front of Naomi. From there, I’ll ask her to run towards you and that’s it! Pretty straightforward, no?” You explain, eventually looking over Naomi. “Heard that, princess?”

“Yes, mama!” Naomi grins. She didn’t really pay much attention to the ulterior motive behind this game, after all, all that she cared about was playing and having a good time!

After your explanation, everyone took their respective positions, with the line up ending the following way: Hinata, Gojo, Ren, Naoya, and your father.

“You’re not playing, Y/N?” Eiichi, your father, asks.

“Nope, I’m going to record it.” You explain. “Besides, I know I’m going to be chosen first, so where’s the fun in that?”

Unsurprisingly, no one disagrees with your statement. Perhaps Satoru a bit; but he always loved to stir the pot.

“You shouldn’t be here.” Hinata would whisper at Gojo, giving him a subtle side-eye he responds with a mocking grimace.

“I could say the same about you, Hina-chan. You’re just going to embarrass yourself, like always.”

She frowns, ready to scold him.

“Stop it you two!” Eiichi murmurs. “There’s no reason to fight. We all know the answer anyways.”

“Do we?” Ren teases.

“Yes. As the one that loves her the most, she’s going to choose me first.” He responds.

“Ha!” Naoya laughs loudly, a reaction that has him apologizing immediately after for he held nothing but respect for your father. “I mean—”

But when it comes to war…

“No, I get it, son. It’s easy to grow arrogant in comfort.”

Your husband smirks. Who would’ve known. “Is that so? We shall see then, father.”

“Now, Naomi—remember: just run to whoever you want to go with, ok?” you whisper at her ear. She giggles, nodding along. “Alright, baby. Go stand in your place.”

And once Naomi was ready, phone prepared to record whatever ensued, you count to three—starting the moment everyone waited for with your daughter’s bubbly laughter as she dashed towards them, completely ignoring their silly attempts of persuasion, solely guided by her heart.

An effortless win is handed to your father who joyfully picks up your daughter in his arms as soon as she’s in range, hugging her tightly as he boasts his victory! While the others lament.

“Huh?!” Hinata gasps, mouth agape as she struggles to accept her outcome. “How—why—?!”

Naoya could ask the same, had all the means to so too, but instead he decides to enjoy the undeniable happiness Naomi’s relationship with her grandfather brought him, how elated he was to see his daughter being unconditionally loved. It was all too obvious, Eiichi spoiled her even more than her own parents and without the responsibilities of one—of course she was going to pick him!

Though what he could not appreciate so earnestly was coming in third in this alleged competition, her uncle being chosen right after her grandfather, who peppered her face with kisses as soon as she bumped into him. As if officially cementing he was her second favorite person in the whole wide world, rubbing it in Naoya’s face with a mischievous smile. So much for someone who didn’t want this to happen!

“Doesn’t feel that nice anymore, huh?” Hinata states with a sly smirk, rubbing salt into the wound.

“Don’t get cocky, I’m next.”

“Told you feelings would get hurt.” At the bickering of your husband and sister, Ren teases you. You playfully smack him, gesturing him to keep quiet.

Naoya would be chosen soon after, and while your husband was happy that he was still above your sister and Gojo, he still couldn’t let go of the sorrow his position brought him.

And yet, he managed it so much better than the so-called loser, a distraught Satoru dramatically threw himself to the ground to cry and complain of the supposed fraud that occurred right before his nose! Denouncing the blatant preference shown by the innocent Naomi, who curiously, and later incredulously, stared at him as he continued to throw his tantrum.

“It’s not fair!! It’s not!!” He cried. “I’m supposed to be the coolest one! The one everyone loves!!!! There’s something wrong about this—about this game!! You bribed her, didn’t you— you bought her vot—”

“Oh, shut up already!” Hinata smacks him. “Get a grip, Satoru!”

There’s a sliver of regret settling in your heart when seeing Satoru, alongside your husband and sister, somewhat affected by Naomi’s decision, but at the same time, regardless of the outcome, you knew your baby girl loved everyone alike.

Obviously there would be preference towards those she sees almost every day, but at the end of the day she’s your bubbly, adorable little mochi that harbored nothing but love for those that loved her as well.

“Did you have fun, sweetie?” you smiled, walking over to her and gently shuffling the top of her head.

“Yes, mama!” she looks up to you, toothy grin as she holds your hand.  “What do I get for winning???”

Naoya laughs at his daughter’s witticisms, her quickness to get the most out of a situation—surely, she got this from her father.

“I have a cake in the way, mochi. Would’ve been here already if they didn’t make a mistake…”

“Chocolate?!”

“Just how you like it, princess.”

“I should have the strawberry one as compensation for this—” Ren smothers Satoru before he could say anything else. “Or—or at least a slice!!”

“No! I want mama to have that cake! So only mama and I have one!” Naomi refutes Satoru, making Naoya smirk and your heart soar at the acknowledgement you’d always come first in her affection.

Unless…

“Hope I’m not too late to the party” It was the last guest of the day, the one you expected the least since he rarely entertained your invitations: Suguru, accompanied by Nanako and Mimiko whom carried two small bags, gifts for the little girl whose eyes widened, cheeks burning red, at the sight of who many would call her first love.

Coincidentally, the only other person that could give you a run for your money when it comes to Naomi’s attention.

“Hi, Geto-kun…” she’d shyly greet him, hiding behind you while doing so. It kind of reminds you of how you were with Naoya back in the day, when you finally acknowledged your feelings for him—undoubtedly, she got this from you.

“Hello, Naomi-chan.” He smiles back, leaning down to her level and unwittingly making her heart pound even faster. “I’m sorry for being late, but I brought some gifts to compensate. Think this will be enough forgive me?”

“Do you want cake? You can have mine!” Naomi smiles, and that’s when you knew it was serious for she rarely enjoyed sharing her things. Did she not reject Satoru just a few seconds ago?

“NAOMI-CHAN THAT IS NOT—!” How Satoru managed to escape your brother’s grasp was something you’ll never discern, not that it mattered much since he was subdued soon after.

Though there was one thing you were certain of, and that was how glad you were for Suguru’s tardiness, because had he been part of that silly game earlier on, Ren’s warning would’ve only become a graver premonition, leading you to deal with all of your family’s sorrow. Perhaps even hurt you as well!

…

Hmmm, no. You don’t think so. For everything that came from your daughter you could only love.

Naomi liking Geto because I mean WHY NOT. It's just a silly crush, one of those things that she'll quickly grow out and then deny it when you bring it up.

I stated before that Naoya would be upset about it hahaha because you used to like Geto back in the day too. Can't blame anyone tho, he's... ah, so dreamy.

Anyways, I hoped you like this little drabble 🥺I love writing Naomi being such a happy, loved child akghjsakghajksghjakshgjikaghjkajikga 😭😭😭😭😭😭 domestic stuff is my WEAKNESS. Probably even more than the highschool au................................................................................................. thankfully, I have more things to write hehe.

Until then, thank you so much for sending in this ask!! keep them coming 🤭 take care and hope to see you soon!!!

[spookyscarydemonbabe]

Just Friends

A/N- i didn’t realize how long it’s been since i’ve posted a fic with all the boys in it!! i really miss getting to write for all of them 🥹

Summary- During a catch up with the boys after summer break, they learn of the unfortunate reason why you broke up with your most recent ex.

Genre- Fluff (?)

Warnings- Bad boyfriends doing bad boyfriend things 🙃

Tag List- @thatsthewaythechrissycrumbles @munsonology

(my tag list is always open, let me know if you’d like to be added 🖤)

Word Count- 2.1k

The first summer after high school always felt like a weird one.

Wether you had college waiting for you at the end of August or a job lined up for some quick work, catching up with the people you knew best was always so refreshing. Especially after not seeing them for nearly two months.

You walked into the bar you’d snuck into for one of their shows so many times before. You were grateful the owner let it slide whenever he caught you sneaking beers, especially when you stayed after to help clean after a set. Your eyes scanned the room, searching around for them and smiling once you saw Jeff waving his hand for you.

The boys were all smiles, and as you quickly made your way to the table they stood up one by one to give you a long awaited and much needed hug.

“Hi!” You exclaimed excitedly, “It feels like it’s been forever.”

“Two months is forever.” Jeff said with a smile as you hugged one another, Grant standing up after him.

“Why’d you leave us here to fend for ourselves?” Grant laughed as his arms went around you.

“It’s not my fault my family decided the reunion was gonna be out of state,” You rolled your eyes, “if it was my decision, we wouldn’t have had a reunion at all.”

“Reunion?” Eddie said as he stood to take Grants place, “So we’re not family anymore?”

“You shush.” You smiled, “My family’s cool with us smelling like weed and watching horror movies in the basement, my EXTENDED family is not.”

“Well it sounds like they don’t know how to have a good time.” Gareth was last up, laughing to himself.

“Clearly!” You agreed, sitting down in the empty chair they had left for you and grabbing the one still-capped bottle of beer. “Enough about me, how was it up here without me? Anything change with you guys?”

Eddie spoke up first after a sip from his bottle,

“I got that job at the body shop a few miles outside the park.” He said with a smile, shrugging it off as if it was no big deal, “Pays been pretty good, and it’s full time too.”

“That’s awesome!” You cheered, “I’m happy for you Eds, i know you’ve been checking that place out for a while.”

“Yeah, it just sucks when it cuts into stuff for the band, y’know?”

“Well yeah, but that’s just how grown up jobs work.” You shrugged, taking a sip from the bottle in your hand.

“True.” He shrugged, taking another sip before Jeff cut into the conversation.

“Me and Gareth were able to get some classes in at that local community college. They’re supposed to start next Monday.”

“That’s great! Are you just trying to get the gen-ed’s done, or do you think you’ll stick around?” You asked them.

“I’ll definitely be sticking around.” Gareth chuckled, “Mr. Honor Roll over there wants to get the gen-ed’s done so he can get into state.”

“There’s nothing wrong with a community college degree, i just want to make sure that i get the required stuff out of the way IF i go off to state.” Jeff said to Gareth, “And the only reason i said i’d go to state in the first place was because my parents were listening. If the choice was mine i’d stay here.”

“Still, it’s good that you guys were able to get in there. Do you know what you’re majoring in?”

“I’m going undecided for right now,” Jeff said after a sip from his bottle, “but i think Gareth is going for History?”

“Yep, U.S. history.” Gareth nodded with a smile, “I mean i think it’s already pretty interesting, i might as well get a degree in it.”

“Good idea. Good for you guys though, i might see if they have any classes open to get a few more credits while i’m at work. Grant?” You looked over to him across the table, “You said your dad was able to get a good word in for you with his union, did you hear anything back about that?”

“Yeah! I actually started all the training and schooling for it last month,” He said with a smile, “in another two months i’ll be an iron worker.”

“That’s great! I’m so happy for all you guys, it sounds like it’s been pretty eventful without me here.”

“What about you, (y/n)?” Gareth asked, “Anything interesting happen for you?”

“Not really.” You smiled and shrugged, thinking back over the last two months, “Same old, same old. I’m still gonna be working with my mom at the office, it’s been pretty stable thus far and if i make it to a year they make it fairly easy to move up so i’ll probably stick with that for a while. And while i was at the reunion a few people were asking about you guys.”

“Really?” Eddie asked, “Who asked about us?”

“A lot of the younger cousins. They wanted to hear all about my friends and their super cool band. And i showed some pictures to grandparents and aunts and uncles, they said we look like a pretty happy bunch. Oh! And i almost forgot, you guys remember my cousin Carlee and her shithead boyfriend?”

They nodded in unison, remembering how you always told them the stories of her boyfriend being anything but.

Never taking her out on dates, never buying her flowers, and of course who can forget the time he said he didn’t have enough money for their water bill but he absolutely had enough money to buy himself a whole new stereo system for his car.

“He proposed. And she said yes.”

They all groaned,

“Really?! Does this girl have no self respect?” Jeff said before you all tipped back your bottles. After something like that, a drink was definitely needed.

“Guess not.” You laughed, “Oh well, not my circus, not my monkeys.”

You all drank from your bottles, and you were about to mention how at the reunion her boyfriend couldn’t stop eyeballing a few of the other cousins all while Carlee was attached at his hip, but Gareth beat you to it,

“What about that guy you told us about a few months ago?” He asked, quickly jogging your memory to the guy you’d been talking to for only a few weeks at the time, “What’s his name?”

“I think it’s Randy, or Roger, or something?” Eddie asked, “Definitely something with an R.”

“Russel?” You said.

“Yes! How’s he doing?” Eddie asked as they all moved to listen about how you and this new guy were doing, especially when they weren’t around to hear all the juicy relationship details.

You smiled to yourself and stifled back a little laugh,

“Oh, he’s long gone.”

“What?!” Jeff exclaimed, “I thought everything was going good with that guy? I remember we met him one time after a show, he seemed like a nice guy.”

“Yeah, seemed like it to me too.” You said with an eye roll, taking the last swig from your bottle before setting the empty onto the table.

“What happened?” Grant asked.

You sighed and thought back to that final day seeing Russel,

“Well, because he was my boyfriend at the time, my parents said he could come along with us to the reunion. He drove me up there with him and everything seemed normal, we were talking just fine, and then we got to a truck stop close by and i saw a payphone and i remembered i had to call you guys…” You cleared your throat, sitting up as the boys were on the edge of their seats. They may be boys, but no one loves gossip like they do, “And as soon as i told him i wanted to call and check in with you guys he just seemed kind of… off? We got to my aunts house for the reunion and he pulled me off to the side and said he really didn’t like how close i was with you guys.”

“Really?” Eddie questioned.

“I’m not finished.” You smiled, “He said that he knows how guy friends are. That all you guys were hoping for was to see me naked, you didn’t actually care about me, and he would know because he said he’s only been friends with girls to try and hook up with them.”

The collective gasps of the boys only made you giggle more.

“That asshole!” Jeff shook his head.

“He said that if i wanted to keep seeing him then i had to stop being friends with you guys. So i told him he can go fuck himself and have a safe drive home.”

“You made him drive all the way back?!” Gareth laughed.

“Absolutely! I’m not going to let some guy tell me who i can and can’t be friends with, and he’s lucky i didn’t put sugar in his gas tank and leave him stranded there.”

Grant laughed, finishing off the last of the beer in his bottle,

“Fuck, well i’m sorry we got in between that.”

“What’s there to apologize for?” You asked, “You guys didn’t do anything wrong. If i date a guy who can’t understand that i’m JUST FRIENDS with all of you, and you’re cool with that, then that’s their problem and not ours. Besides, i’m not going to cut off every guy i know just for some loser.” You giggled with an eye roll.

“I don’t know,” Eddie shrugged, “I just think it’s funny that he said that after we met him. He kept trying to turn the conversation into talking about you? Like he was baiting us into saying something we shouldn’t about you.”

“Did he?” This was news to you, “What did he say? And why did you not tell me?!”

“I remember me and Jeff talking to him and he kept turning and looking at you while you were with Eddie and Grant and he kept trying to get us to look at your ass.” Gareth said with an uncomfortable look on his face.

“And he also kept trying to pry information out of us, and he seemed irritated that we didn’t have anything to tell him.” Jeff said.

“Information like what?” You asked all of them, seeing them exchange glances with one another.

“He asked us if we ever… did anything with you.” Grant said, leaning in and quietly saying the end of his sentence to keep it private from the other patrons in the bar.

“Yeah, he said something really weird to me.” Eddie got the shivers as he remembered the conversation, “He was saying something about you two, definitely not going into detail, but alluding to some mature thing you guys were doing, and he asked if we ever got to experience that side of you instead of this front you put on.”

“Front?” You questioned, getting more and more irritated with your ex the longer this conversation went on, “What did he mean by that?”

“I think he also assumed that since you were friends with us that meant you had… intentions.”

You groaned and leaned back in your chair, not being able to help the laugh that rose up from your lungs,

“What an asshole! And why didn’t you guys tell me?”

“You seemed like you really liked the guy!” Eddie argued.

“We didn’t want to ruin your chances with him,” Jeff said, “You we’re telling us all about how nice he was and when we met him we figured it was just him having word vomit cause he was nervous meeting us.”

You sighed and smiled to yourself, holding your face in your hands.

“Ok, fine, i’ll cut you some slack. But if you guys ever meet anyone i date, or i have the potential to date, and they’re doing weird stuff like that i want you to tell me. Deal?”

“Deal!” They said in unison, the rest of the boys finishing off what was left of the beer in their bottles and placing the empties onto the table.

“Alright, we’ve had our drink,” Eddie stood, stretching his arms over his head, “you guys wanna come back to the trailer and hang? I know Wayne would be happy to see you after so long (y/n).”

“Yeah! It’ll be like old times.” You stood with the boys and smiled, walking out with them as they wandered off to their cars in the lot.

Seeing the boys after so long felt like such a breath of fresh air, and it was nice to know that they always had your best intentions in mind. Even when guys you brought around them were being a little strange.

No matter what, no man could replace those boys’ places in your heart.

[grapehyasynth]

young royals fic rec, 25/?

i’m (slowly) working my way through the wilmon tag on ao3 and thought that as i go i might shout out some fics i enjoy along the way! i've tagged authors where i knew their tumblr url, but please feel free to tag folks or dm me if you know ones i've missed!

see all my rec lists here

1. Dear lover, I’ll fight whoever is in your locker by @piebingo - The girls are tired of seeing Wille and Simon dance around each other without doing anything about it. They decide to take be matchmakers and matters into their own hands, asking both boys out for them to go to the ball together, through a series of love poems. What could possibly go wrong?

2. my hand was the one you reached for by @prncewilhelm - on their third valentine's day together, wille and simon discuss their first.

3. We exist in each other's memories by @cupofteainme - Simon and Wilhelm haven't seen each other in four years. Felice hosts a Hillerska reunion party. Old feelings rise to the surface.

4. We're Not Made of Stone by @princewillesothermom - As Wille and Simon navigate Christmas break and their return to Hillerska, they learn more about not only each other, but also what it means to be themselves in the face of grief, family, and love.

5. Right Here by @earlgrey-lateatnight - That’s what this weekend was about. A last chance to hang out and relax and make love before everything had to change.

6. tell me what you'll do by @purplesimme - Playing cool his crush on Simon is one of the hardest things Wille has ever had to do, and he's a Prince, for Christ's sake. He should be better at pretending, but he fell so hard and so fast it all feels out of his control.

7. a crown prince's tear-stricken guide to life by boytoast - In the dead of night, when he becomes insomnia’s favourite victim, he tries to imagine the same sensation by wrapping his own arms around his shoulders. It only works for a second.

[joekeeryswife]

Hi girl!!

I had an idea for a while now and I thought you might want to hear

It’s kind of a two paragraph thing

Reader and Joel are married and she is Sarah’s mother and also pregnant and she planned to tell Joel the day after the outbreak but doesn’t get to it. The day of the outbreak she was working late and never got home. Joel is sure he lost his entire family but reader (and the baby) made it through.

Twenty years later in Jackson a woman in her early fifties and a twenty year old young man/ woman (your call). After confirming they are not infected and have no bad intentions they meet Tommy , that leads to a beautiful and emotional family reunion.

Thank you🫶🏼🫶🏼

Apocalypse - J.M

hey honeys! first Joel imagine.. changed it slightly to instead of y/n being Sarah’s bio mum to her step mum but been with her practically her whole life🫶 i kinda made this like y/n’s friends where trying to protect her from hearing what was going on and ive also kinda not specified how y/n got lost until the end. i love a good angsty imagine!!! I ACTUALLY HATE THIS SORRY! I PROMISE MY NEXT JOEL IMAGINE WILL BE BETTER! enjoy reading xx (Joel is 36 and reader is 27 at the beginning)

(join my taglist🫶)

September 26th 2003

“i promise i’ll be home early today. i’m only on a half day so try not to be late as well yeah? i have something to tell you” it was 6:30 in the morning and Joel didn’t have to get up for another two hours. you felt him nod and with you both sharing ‘i love you’s’ and a quick kiss on his cheek you were gone.

being a midwife was hard, especially when it pulled you away from your family. today was Joel’s 36th birthday and every year you would usually all spend the day together but this year, you and Joel had been pulled into work. you were meant to both be off but someone had called in sick and you had been persuaded into going in.

you had been excited for this day, you had found out last month that you were pregnant, 12 weeks when you found out, and you wanted to wait for his birthday to tell him. you had planned to tell him at dinner with Sarah. you had been in Sarah’s life since she was 5, she was 12 now and ever since she had met you she begged you and Joel for a brother or sister.

honestly you were excited, you had been with Joel for seven years and now was finally the right time for you and him to become parents. you had discussed it a few times in the past and one thing led to another and you both decided to start trying and as luck would have it, third time lucky you got pregnant. you had your first scan at work and decided to keep the gender a secret for now but being a midwife meant you could possibility find out the gender just by looking at the ultrasound picture so you hadn’t looked too closely.

-♡-

when you finally clocked in at work you already felt tired. being pregnant, nauseous with a headache did not help you whatsoever but money was money and you needed to start saving for your baby. “hey mama, how are you?” your co-worker and best friend Julia said as you entered the staff room. you sighed at set your bag and coat down on the table before sitting down.

your shift hadn’t even started yet and you were already ready to go home “hey, i’m alright. you been on the floor yet?” you tucked your hair behind your ear and rubbed a hand over your face. “no not yet but i’m sure when we go on we will be dealing with most of it” what she said was true, most of the staff here didn’t listen to instructions so it was up to you, Julia and a few other staff members to clean up their mess.

there were a few other co workers in the staff room with you, most of them eating their breakfast but it was practically silent except the two of you talking. “let’s go, i just want to get this day over with” and with a nod you both stood up to go to the delivery floor.

“you finally telling him tonight?” Julia asked you as she looked through a patient file “yeah, him and Sarah. she’s been begging for years so it’ll be nice to tell them at the same time. i was going to pick her up from school and tell her before but you know, duty calls” you joked. the two of you laughed and started making your way to a patients bedroom.

-♡-

you had been at work for eight hours before you finally got a break and sat down. it had been hectic and all you wanted to do was go home but your head of department had let you know that you would be staying at work way past the time you were meant to go home. three more people had called in sick and he thought because you were here you were supposed to stay.

you got your phone out of your scrubs pocket and dialled Joel’s number. it took a few rings before he finally answered. “hey sweetheart” he said in his thick Texan accent. “hey honey, happy birthday” you replied as you smiled, all you wanted to do right now was go home and cuddle with Joel. “thank you baby, how’s work?” you scoffed.

“that’s what i wanted to talk to you about. David is making me work till late, says there’s too many people calling in sick so i have to stay on” you heard him sigh

“you booked this day off months ago and they make you come in and they can’t let you leave at the time you’re meant to? that’s bullshit baby” you could sense that he was rolling his eyes.

“i know, i’m sorry. i begged him to let me come home but he wouldn’t budge.” you felt awful, letting him down on his birthday because of your stupid job.

“i’m gonna try my best to get home before 9 i promise, i want to spend at least an hour of your birthday with you” you said, trying to lighten the mood.

“don’t stress yourself too much baby okay? we always have tomorrow to celebrate. you said about telling me something this morning, is everything alright?” you opened your mouth to answer but Julia came into the staff room looking for you, a panicked expression on her face.

“y/n i’m so sorry but i need your help” you sighed, feeling deflated. you couldn’t even have a full break. your whole body was aching and you wanted a moment to just sit down and talk to your husband.

“i’m guessing you’ve got to go” Joel said making you laugh and roll you eyes. “i’m sorry, yeah i do. i’m okay though Joel, i’ll talk to you when i’m home okay? i love you” before he could answer you quickly hung up and followed Julia.

-♡-

“that was a weird conversation” Tommy said as he peered over at Joel who looked confused. “she sounds stressed. ain’t had a fucking day off in three weeks. barely see her now” he knew you loved your job but he also knew how much it stressed you out.

“maybe there’s a reason she’s been working so much?” Joel scoffed “she’s been tryna get a day off for ages and her boss is a fucking asshole, don’t give two shits about anyone except for himself”

“she’s gonna try get home a bit earlier but i doubt it, gonna do something together tomorrow if they allow her the time off” Joel wanted to have one day where you could all spend the day together, or even just a day that you and Joel could be together without worrying about anyone else.

“hey, old man, turn up that radio for a second” Joel chuckled and rolled his eyes, Tommy wasn’t even listening to a word he said but nevertheless he turned up the radio.

‘there has been suspicious activity in Indonesia, people are acting strange which has spread through many different countries. the government is advising that people stay indoors-’

“what a load of bullshit that is, turn it back down” Tommy scoffed and got back to work and Joel turned down the radio, what had that been all about?

“why don’t you finish early today? i know you told Sarah you’d be back late but you should go home”

“i gotta get this job finished, i told her latest ill be back is 9 now shut up so we can maybe get this finished quicker” with that, the two of them got on with the job.

-♡-

it was now 12:30am and there was no way you were leaving work yet. everything was just going wrong, so many people coming into the hospital to give birth (which was a given) but the amount of times the alarm had went off in the main hospital ward was ridiculous.

every 20 minutes like clockwork the alarm meant off meaning something violent was happening or a lot of people were not responding.

“i just want to go home” you said to Amy, the front desk worker as you stood in front of her, your head falling on the desk carefully. “go home, seriously” you looked up at her and saw her with an expression you’d never seen on her face before, pure panic and seriousness.

“are you kidding? David would fire me if i went home, besides there’s too many people off sick and i need to-" she shook her head and cut you off “y/n. go home. there’s been some weird shit on the radio, people going crazy, you’re pregnant and you need to be safe so go home”

your body filled with anxiety, you’d never seen her like this ever. you nodded “yeah uh, okay, i’ll go home now. you stay safe Amy yeah?” with that you quickly rushed to find Julia to let her know you were going.

you didn’t know why but the way Amy spoke sent a shiver down your spine. was Joel and Sarah okay? was your parents okay? were your family okay? you felt nervous and worried.

you quickly ran to the staff room and grabbed your stuff before searching for Julia. “Emma, have you seen Julia?” Emma was another midwife who worked with you. “yeah she’s at front desk, why have you got your stuff, did David say you could go home?” you ignored her and ran back to the front desk.

“y/n go home, what are you still doing here?” Julia asked as she saw you jogging towards her “i came to find you to tell you i’m leaving. Amy said there’s something going on but i didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye to you”

you didn’t know why the two of them were being a little secretive. Julia felt her eyes water slightly and she hugged you “i’ll see you soon okay? get home safely and look after that baby” you hugged her back. “i will, i promise” with that she let go of you and with that you left the hospital.

as you were driving home all you could hear on the radio was ‘an outbreak has happened, get home and lock your doors’

you felt sick, what type of outbreak? you quickly got your phone and called Joel, you were scared, terrified even and you needed to know he was okay.

“Joel, i’m 20 minutes from home, what the fuck is happening? they look like they’re blocking the highway off, i’m just pulling into town now” you could hear Tommy in the background telling Joel what to say “baby listen carefully okay? don’t go home, go to straight to town, don’t talk to anyone, don’t stop the car for anyone just try get there” his voice was filled with panic “Joel what-”

he cut you off “i’m going to get Sarah and we will meet you there as quickly as we can, i will find you there i promise. i love you okay? if i don’t get-”

you looked at your phone which had abruptly cut the call. “Joel?” you dialled his number again but the call went straight to answer phone.

you hoped whatever was happening that Joel, Sarah and Tommy would make it out safe and you prayed that you found them before whatever this virus was destroyed everything.

-♡-

“get in the truck, right now” Joel shouted as he got out of the truck with a wrench in his hand. Joel pushed Sarah to the truck but stopped when he saw Mrs Adler.

Joel froze in fear as he saw the usually quiet old lady who sits in her chair run toward them, screeches coming from her. in the time he had lived in that house he had never heard a single sound from that lady yet here she was running.

“what are we doing Joel?” Tommy lifted the gun up, fear laced his voice. Mrs Adler was coming closer and closer by the second and without thinking Joel hit her over the head with the wrench.

she fell to the ground and stopped moving. what the fuck had he just done? he dropped the wrench and quickly turned to look at Sarah who looked terrified.

he put his hands on her cheeks carefully “you killed her” Sarah said, her voice breaking slightly. “baby i’m so sorry” he pulled her in for a hug, his hand cradling the back of her head.

“Joel, we gotta go” Joel pulled away from Sarah “it’s not just the Adlers okay? but we are gonna be brave and we are gonna get out of this” the three of them got into the truck and drove off.

“they’re saying it’s some kind of virus, a parasite” Tommy said as he drove quickly down the road toward the town. “are we sick?” Sarah asked, her eyes filled with tears as fear overtook her body.

“no, course not” Joel quickly said, trying his best to reassure her. “how do you know we are not sick?” Joel turned to look at Sarah then back at Tommy.

“they said it’s mostly people in the city. that’s why they’ve got most of the highway blocked off” Tommy glanced over at Joel then focused back on the road.

“what about mum? she works in the city? is she sick? where is she?” she asked, her eyes darting between the two men.

“mum is fine, i spoke to her before i got you. she’s not sick, she’s in town and we are going there right now okay? she’s fine” to be honest Joel didn’t know if you were okay. it had been thirty minutes since he last spoke to you and he had no idea where you were. he just hoped you were somewhere safe until he could find you.

-♡-

November 12th 2023

20 years. it had been 20 years since Joel had last saw you and he was sure you were dead. he had promised you he would find you, keep you safe and he failed to do that. he felt like he had failed you and failed Sarah and he wanted nothing more then to be with you.

when they got to town is was destroyed, fires everywhere, cars flipped over, people dead in the road and there was absolutely no way he would have been able to find you.

he would have nightmares every night. the nightmare of Sarah dying in his arms the same way over and over again but with you, he had no idea how you died. he had dreamed every way imaginable that you died and it was awful. he felt disgusted with himself every single day for not being with you.

he would think about how different life would be if the outbreak didn’t happen. the two of you would have had two kids, both girls, moved into a bigger house more in the countryside and lived together forever, but then he’d realise what had happened and images of that night came crashing back.

Joel had decided to move to Jackson after the whole ordeal with Ellie realising that that was what was best for her. Jackson was safe, secure, nothing could happen to her and he felt somewhat free from the world outside those walls.

they had been in Jackson for six months at this point and life had finally started to feel somewhat normal again. he was grateful Maria gave him a chance to turn his life around after feeling his stopped because of what happened to you and Sarah. he wanted to be better for Ellie now, she was his main priority.

it was a Sunday and usually the whole of Jackson would have a day off (except from patrols) and Joel and Ellie had decided to take a walk through Jackson. it was snowing but it was nice to walk through the streets and see families be happy together.

Tommy had been helping the builders by the front gates when they opened meaning the patrollers had come back from their shift. he looked up briefly and saw two new people on the backs of Maria’s and Michael’s horses.

he didn’t know why but he felt the need to go over there and greet them, coming into somewhere like this could be scary for some who hadn’t been in this sort of environment for a while so he wanted them to feel welcomed.

the patrollers stopped and everyone got off their horses. Tommy had a warm smile on his face as he saw the younger woman out of the two lace her arm around the older woman’s.

as he got a closer look he couldn’t believe what he saw. a woman who he thought he’d never see in his life again was standing right in front of him. his heart swelled with joy and he didn’t know why but he felt his eyes fill with tears.

“Tommy?” before he could even talk the woman spoke making his assumption correct, it was you. you looked a little older, you had a few scars littered around your face and your hair which used to be quite long was now shoulder length but suited you so much.

“y/n, it is you oh my god” he rushed toward you and wrapped his arms around you. you couldn’t believe it, Tommy was here.

your brother in law who you thought had died was here, did that mean Sarah and Joel were here too?

“i thought you had died, i didn’t think id ever see you again-” Tommy was cut off quickly when he heard his brothers voice behind him.

“Tommy who the hell are you hugging?” Joel and Ellie had walked toward the gate when they realised there were a few new people. you pulled away from Tommy and your eyes immediately made eye contact with the ones you used to love staring into.

Joel’s heart felt like time had stopped. there was no way he was staring at the woman he loved right now, there was no way, it had been 20 years and he thought you were dead. “Joel” he heard you whisper.

you quickly made your way toward him and wrapped your arms around his shoulders. “y/n” he pulled you in closer and kissed your forehead. “my god i thought you were dead” his voice cracked as he spoke, both of you had tears in your eyes.

“i promise i tried to find you but there were people everywhere-” you pulled away slightly, shook your head and kissed him passionately. he hadn’t felt anything like this since the outbreak, happiness. you were here, you weren’t dead, he hadn’t failed you. 

“you would have never of found me. don’t beat yourself up over it Joel” his eyes scanned your face, you still looked as beautiful as ever. you noticed the young girl stood next to him confused, where was Sarah?

“where’s Sarah Joel? is she here? i bet she’s gotten so much taller” his face softened “she died on the day of the outbreak” you felt your heart drop, you sweet Sarah was gone.

“oh Joel, i’m so sorry” your hands went to his cheeks, stroking it softly. “it’s okay, i think i’ve finally come to terms with it” he turned to look at Ellie who was just watching the two of you.

“Ellie this is y/n, my wife that i told you about” you turned your head to look at her too. “i realised with all the kissing and hugging the two of you did” her voice was filled with sarcasm which actually made you giggle quietly.

“it’s nice to meet you Ellie” she just gave you a small smile and a nod. “i, uh Joel” you pulled away and turned around to see Margot stood awkwardly behind you. “this is Margot” he looked at the young girl, she looked about 20 years old.

dark hair, dark eyes but her face looked almost identical to yours. Margot walked closer to the two of you “she’s your daughter” he frowned “what?” he unwrapped his arms from around you “i know it’s a lot to take in-”

he quickly made his way to Margot and hugged her close “hi dad” he heard her say, voice filled with anxiety. he was just as anxious as her “hi baby girl”

you watched the two of them with teary eyes, you never thought that this was where you would be 20 years into the pandemic. in a safe haven with your daughter and your husband finally happy once again.

[classic-maya]

I really loved your view on when did Brian fall in love with Justin and I saw how happy you were about a qaf ask, so here I am:

when do you think britin reunited after the finale, specifically how long do you think they lived apart for AND how do you they reunited? (I couldn't bring myself to watch that episode because this is gonna break my heart) OR do you think they are not together?

I love this fandom and I love you. I’ve been wanting to write some more fic for them for a while and haven’t had the motivation, but this might spur me along.

In the meantime…I’ll start with the last episode and why I have an unpopular opinion about how it ended and then get into how I envision their reunion. 

Finale

I know there is a lot of hate for S5 finale, but I honestly love the “It��s only time” speech that Brian gives and it’s so so special to me. I feel like it is one of the most romantic lines in the show because in Brian Kinney-speak “It’s only time” is "I will always love you. I will love you just as much tomorrow as I love you today and the next day and the next and the next. I will die loving you. I will love you if you come back to me and I will love you if you never come back to me because time doesn't matter, you are the person I love and that will never change.” 

Not joking, QaF fundamentally altered my view on romantic love. I previously only thought that familial love could be unconditional, but it was such a believable representation of unconditional romantic love that it shifted my perspective. They both truly just want what is best for the other, even if that means they cannot physically be together or at times are not in a relationship. It took my breath away.

All that being said, I definitely do not think of their last scenes together in S5 as a break-up, maybe just a break. They needed to exist separately and apart from each other for a little bit. I think Brian is fairly conscious of their age gap and he never wants to hold Justin back from anything because of their relationship. We see him struggle with this throughout the series, remember him encouraging Justin to make some friends his own age, “Enjoy your youth…I sure have ;)” as well as his many attempts to get Justin to go to and finish college. Even when Justin was with Ethan, of course Brian was hurt because of the cheating, but he also didn’t hold it against Justin because he ultimately wants him to have everything he wants and desires and Brian recognized that he couldn’t give Justin that at the time (let’s Brian’s struggles with low self-esteem aside for the purpose of this conversation). On the other side, Justin loves Brian exactly how he is, and I think Brian’s sudden change of heart (i.e. declaring his love, proposing marriage, turning down opportunities to hook up with tricks etc.) scared Justin.

The two of them went through yet another extraordinary trauma with the attack on Babylon and I think the rush to get married was an extension of that, but I don’t know if either of them were actually ready for marriage. In the same way Brian is afraid Justin will wind up resenting him and their relationship if it were to keep Justin from reaching his full potential as an artist, I think Justin is afraid that if they do get married, Brian will later resent it because he was only caught up in the fear of once again losing the love of his life. But no matter what, something big did shift in a very real way for both of them and made Brian feel freer to express his love for Justin. Reunion

I think Justin moves to New York and has the exact experience he was looking for. He struggles for a bit and he hides it from Brian and his family because he wants to prove to himself that he can do it, that he can take care of himself and Brian lets him. He supports and loves his independence. I think they see each other frequently and are madly, passionately, exuberantly in love even though they live in different cities. I think Brian flies to New York every few weeks and Justin takes the bus to the Pitts every chance he gets.

The first time Brian visits, Justin picks him up from the airport and they can’t stand another moment not touching each other, so they don’t even make it home and end up having a quickie in the airport bathroom. Then Brian takes them to a hotel because he is not sleeping on Justin’s ratty second-hand mattress and letting his roommate hear them fuck their brains out for the next 48 hours.

Eventually, Justin’s art starts selling and he stops struggling. He makes a name for himself and is being flown across the country for different shows and speaking engagements. Meanwhile, Kinnetic becomes the top ad agency in Pennsylvania and begins to gain clients throughout the northeast and in New York to the extent that developing a satellite office in the city only makes sense. Brian moves to New York, not because he is following Justin, but because it has always been his dream. He sells Britin and swaps it for a penthouse in Manhattan that he puts in both their names. Justin moves in without either of them talking about it.

I see them getting married about 7 or 8 years after we last see them in the show, and this time it feels right. They go back to Pittsburgh and their chosen family, the gang and some new friends, are all there to celebrate them. I do not think they will ever choose to have a monogamous relationship. It is not what either of them want nor do they see it as a way to show their devotion to each other. Their non-monogamy looks a lot different than it did when they were younger though. They are both more intentional about the partners they choose and it’s more like the trick of the month vs the trick of the night (or even hour if you’re Brian Kinney). More often than not they wind up in threesomes or moresomes together rather than seeing someone separately. They allow the exchange of names and numbers because they feel more secure in their relationship with each other. The prohibition on kissing anyone else remains.

They don’t have kids together, but they both are in and out of Toronto with enough regularity that Gus sees them as de facto parents who helped his moms raise him. Gus often goes to New York to spend long weekends with them and in high school and college he will spend entire summers in New York with Brian and Justin.

They are the consummate New York power couple; they help each other’s business and are always attending each other’s events. They travel separately for work but always make time to leave the country and vacation together a few times a year. Eventually, they move from the penthouse to a beautiful Brooklyn brownstone and at some point, they (cover Brian’s ears) grow old together.

[cuddl3s4shur1]

•𝐁𝐎𝐗𝐄𝐃 𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒•

𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆:Earth 1610! Miles x F! Y/N

𝐌𝐀𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐋𝐈𝐒𝐓,’𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓 𝟏:REUNION

𝐒𝐂𝐄𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐎:Your old bestfriend moves in with you for a while , during that time you gain feelings

𝐀\𝐍: This a little cute or whatever

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆:I dont know its a little angst but it gets happy an lovie dovie

Your room was like heaven in your eyes. It had most things you loved in ONE room. Your favorite books, your tv, your pc, And lastly your personal space. No one ever telling you about what you’re supposed to do in your room.

And yet all of them would come crashing down on one random day in June.

——————————————————

You would get up to your room taking another way to get up there instead of just coming in through the front door. You would get to your room like you always do. You were about to start your after-school routine, listen to music, and do your homework.

You open the door to see your room split in. Emotions would all come at you at once. You didn’t know what emotion you wanted to feel. But one that practically took over all the rest was confusion.

Why was it two twin beds instead of your queen, why were all of your beloved precious items pushed to one side while the other had items you never saw before,

“Mamá, ¿por qué mi habitación está a la mitad? ( Mommy, why is my room in half) “ you yell to her dance downstairs

You run downstairs, and in the process, you definitely felt like you missed a step, your mom was in the kitchen working on a meal.

You saw her recipe cards on the table.

Was family coming over you thought to yourself? your mother would only pull her recipe cards out if she had invited people over and wanted to impress them.

“Mama what’s going on first my room, Ahora tarjetas de recetas ( now recipe cards) . “you ask her confused about everything

The doorbell started to ring, she dusted her hands on her cooking apron. She would then remove the apron and head to the door . “ looks like the surprise came earlier than anticipated “ she would say.

“ You look at her confused, what surprise, and who on earth was at the front door?

“Honey this might be a little different for you, but remember Miles your childhood best friend, “ she asks you.

That’s when you knew exactly what was happening: she probably invited him over, but little did she know that you guys fell out a year ago.

“Sí, mamá ( yes mama) “

“Well I ran into his mom at the store, and You know Jeff is on a business trip, so u said they could stay with us... Isn't that great “ she says?

You begin to force a smile on your face “Yeah it's great “ you tell her.

“I was hoping they would come later so the food would be done, it's good there here now so they can get used to the home, “ she says, she answers the door.

You were trying to decide if you wanted to you upstairs or stay downstairs and introduce them to the house. You chose to stay downstairs you knew mama rio would want to see you.

“Ah, mi chica, mi chica (Ah my girl, my girl) “Mama Rio goes in for a hug with your mom

. “Te echaba de menos (I missed you) “ you mom whispered to Mrs. Rio

“Where’s my baby Y/n, I haven't seen her in forever, “Mama Rio says.

You walk close to the door and hug her.

She starts to squeeze you tight in her arms “I missed you too mama “ you hug her.

“Cariño, ¿dónde has estado? No te he visto desde el año pasado (Baby where have you been, I haven't seen you since last year ) “ mama Rio asks you.

“I've been busy you know “ you tell her

“ Mi chica, necesito que vengas a verme más ( my girl, I need you to come see me more)”she demands to you

she tells you “I’m sorry, I promise I’ll see more, “You tell her

, Miles brushes past you and starts to head upstairs. With bags in his hand . You go upstairs also and follow his lead . He places 2 bags in the room next to yours .

Mama rio was going to sleep their

Then he went into the room that you guys were going to share . He places his bags and go back downstairs. You were confused on why . You left it alone and went to your PC and started to work on your computer .

“So how’s life been “ miles try’s to break the silence you turn around while staying in your chair .

“Well and yours “ you ask him.

“I understand we're not really on speaking terms with each other but just so you know I still care about you, “ he tells you.

“Then if you care so much why did you start acting different and ghost me, “ you ask him “It's hard to explain, “ he says.

“just tell me the truth , when we fell out you made me seem like I something wrong like I made you go away “ you told him

“Thats not it y/n , i can’t tell you why “ he tells you , your mind goes confused.

“ok, thats fine, when you want to ... Then you can talk to me, “ you tell him and go back to doing what you needed to do.

He felt his heart beating fast like it was aching to tell you the truth.

He let out a sigh “You know Spider-Man “ he asks you, you turn around “ ofc, I mean you should know I love spider-man” you tell him

“Right right, we’ll let’s just say you know I know him, “ he says, you start to smile.

“Like really know him, Spider-man is me “Y'all both go silent, and a stare-off starts. You let out a tiny scram of excitement, he pulls you in his arm with his web shooter. He covers your mouth with his hand.

“Shh,” he tells you, “Y/n are you good “ your mom yells

He removes his hand from your mouth “Yes I’m good, it was a spider but Miles killed it “ you lied to your mom.

You guys both look at each other, you looking up at him, him looking down at you. His arm still on your waist .

“You can let go of my waist now, “ you tell him

. He removes his arm and you back up.

“Well uh that’s cool, I’m going to you know listen to music and do my work “

You say awkwardly and sit back down.

He was happy, he got his best friend and some new feelings for her Also.

[softichill]

The Sounds of Nightmares unofficial transcript

Chapter 4 - Two of a Kind

(As always, made with the help of @queen0fm0nsterz!!!)

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

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

[CLICK]

[Something is booted up] 

OTTO: Duality. A notion essential to psychology. We all contain a multitude of personas and change proverbial masks to match our present situations. [Shifting] The body is the container for this legion within, allowing us to maintain the important illusion of a singular self, the very basis of human experience. In Noone, there lies both the innocent child and the disturbed traveler. Both fight for control. But what happens when the duality is not only in the mind?

[Click]

Recording of NOONE: “T…Two breaths. Why could I hear him breathing? Why could I feel them breathing? My body was sh–”

[Tape is cut off with a click]

OTTO: Given her vanishings, I fear it is not only her inner self which has become subject to division, but her body as well. One child, torn between two worlds… Either I have lost my marbles, or we tread ever deeper into territories beyond the boundaries of rational thought. 

[Click, tape rewinds]

[Intro plays]

[Click can be heard twice. Young voices scream joyfully in the background, muffled through a wall] 

NOONE: Otto? What is this place?

OTTO: The reunion room. 

NOONE: Is that cake they’re eating? May I have some? Can I go in there?

OTTO: I’m sorry, you may only watch. My colleagues don’t allow inpatients to mingle with outpatients. …Those who are ready to go home to their families, I mean. Sit tight, and I’ll get you some cake. 

[Otto walks away] 

OTTO, distant, fading: Get me a piece of cake. Piece of cake? Get me a piece of cake… [Door closes]

[Otto walks back in]

OTTO: There! A fine chocolatey slice.

NOONE: They’re not waving back…

OTTO: Ah, it’s a two-way mirror. We can observe them but they can’t observe us. …(inhales) I’d – like to ask about last night. 

NOONE, eating: Mh? Last night?

OTTO: You were in bed with the brain activity monitor on. One moment you were there, and the next – gone! Where… did you go?

NOONE: I don’t understand… 

OTTO: (inhales) I watched you myself so I know you didn’t get up and leave the room. 

NOONE: Wasn’t I asleep? I don’t recall any of this. 

OTTO: ...You vanished, Noone. 

NOONE: Huh? 

OTTO: I – I thought I might have been mistaken at first, but the E.E.G. readings persisted, as if you were still there. Several minutes lapsed, then you reappeared. 

NOONE, distressed: That makes no sense!

OTTO: This wasn’t an isolated event.

NOONE, even more distressed: What do you mean, I can’t just — [raising her voice] people just don’t disappear! [breathing heavily] You’re supposed to help me! You’re supposed to understand… 

[Noone breathes hard in the background, on the verge of a panic attack] 

OTTO: And yet neither of us do! It’s a major event, a bonafide anomaly. That’s why you must be sure that –

NOONE, interrupting: Is there some kind of trick?!

OTTO: It’s alright. [Noone is still breathing hard] Look at me. Focus on my eyes. Breathe. Noone, slowly. 

[Noone’s breaths slow down slightly] 

OTTO, under his breath: Breathe, two, three… Hold, two, three… Out, two, three…

[Noone follows his instructions, breathes slower] 

OTTO: That’s it. That’s a girl. 

[Noone stops breathing hard]

OTTO: Better?

NOONE: … Why did you take me here, Otto? 

OTTO: I know solitude can be hard, and visualization is essential to developing beliefs that will –

NOONE: It’s being alone I hate. It’s being lonely.

OTTO: And I’m showing that, one day, you’ll be in the reunion room too! Just as relieved as those children, sharing cake rather than eating it by yourself. But you have to trust my process, even when it’s difficult for you to grasp. 

NOONE: (Sigh) I understand more than you think.

OTTO: … Yes. I suspect so too. Hidden somewhere in your head. Come along! We’ve got preparations to make before tonight’s session.

NOONE: …Can we stay here? A minute longer?

OTTO: (Sigh) Alright. Just until you finish that slice. 

[The recording stops momentarily and picks up mid sentence] 

NOONE: – o many wires! T-They’re everywhere!

[Strapping, Otto preparing the machine] 

OTTO: It’s the same E.E.G. machine I use to monitor your sleeping brain, only now I’d like to acquire readings during wakefulness, during your retelling to compare results.

NOONE: My last doctor made me do things like this all the time. [Otto prepping] Tubes into my stomach… I– I don’t much like being awake for tests and proddings. 

OTTO: [hums] These electrodes may feel strange on your scalp, but there’s no pain. Nothing to worry about. If anxiety rears its head, take deep breaths. Same as earlier, yes?

NOONE: I– I’m not sure –

OTTO, interrupting: (slightly strained) Trust, remember? 

[Shifting. The machine boots up, activates and Noone winces] 

OTTO: Not so bad, is it? 

NOONE: Can we get this over with?

OTTO: Of course! Begin as you like. 

NOONE, narrating: I spun out of a dark place, and brilliant lights sparkled around. Then, far off laughter, and screams. But… screams of joy. Gathering my head, I… I saw other kids sitting on wooden crates nearby. As I approached, they were surprised to see me, but introduced themselves one by one. 

[Quiet music begins, machine can still be heard]

NOONE, narrating: They were performers, they said. Each with different skills and talents. Juggling, fire breathing, trapy-something… 

OTTO, correcting her: Trapeze?

NOONE: Trapeze! That’s what he said. (narrating) The boy called Rusty, he – he walked tightrope too. There were caravans all around: wooden ones, big yellow wheels, and all these colorful fabrics. I noticed the lights again. Fairy lights, shining down into the puddles from the rain that cleared before I’d arrived. Their reflection, swirling in the murky water, like a ballet. It was… beautiful.

NOONE: (sighs) As I lost focus, the others went on talking, fast and loud as teenagers do.

OTTO, interrupting again: Teenagers? And how long have they been there, performing in this place?

NOONE: Please, Otto! Let me get through it.

[Shifting. The carnival grows louder and distorted speech can be heard]

NOONE, narrating: From the way they looked, they’d been there a long time. But they were confident, or tried to be, and kind. As the clouds parted, Rusty asked if I wanted to go on a ride.

RUSTY, in the background, ov. with Noone: “Wanna go on a ride?”

NOONE: He said,

RUSTY, bg., ov. with Noone: “It’s the best one, because it lets you see clearly.”

NOONE: So, I said yes, feeling… a part of their gang. I’ve never had that before.

[Carnival games and music, steps]

NOONE: We passed by games and silly booths until we came to… the giant wheel. [The ferris wheel creaks] We climbed into the seats in pairs, me and Rusty taking the last cart. 

[Sitting, the wheel creaks again]

NOONE: It went so high up that… I could see the whole carnival. It was… unnaturally high, like – like we were in the sky itself. [Wind blows, music quiets] Rusty pointed to these tall wooden polls, like- masts on a ship, as if that answered where we were, but… how could a ship be in the air? Rusty saw my face full of questions and said,

RUSTY, ov. with NOONE: “Look down, not out. You won’t feel sick that way, and we haven't much time.”

[Wind blows]

NOONE: I… I remember feeling, for a moment, things were OK. On the giant wheel, for the first time in such a long time I… I felt… happy. But, Rusty… he suddenly seemed so sad. His voice shifted and he continued, 

RUSTY, ov. with NOONE: “That massive tent there, that’s the Big Top.”

NOONE: He said we’d be going there soon because him and his friends had a show to put on. I already knew the answer, but I asked anyway: “You don’t like performing, do you.” He looked glum for a moment before replying: “I hate it.” When I asked why he does it, Rusty mumbled to himself, 

RUSTY, bg.: I…

NOONE: … But I couldn’t hear with the wind so loud. Finally Rusty turned and said, 

RUSTY, ov. with Noone: “They force us. And whatever they say, goes.”

NOONE: I didn’t know who “they” were, but a bad feeling came over me and… I understood why we were really on that wheel. Because, all the way up there, he could say what was in his heart without worrying about being heard. 

[Creaking wood] 

NOONE: As the wheel came around, he began explaining very fast how him and his friends had been planning. Rusty wanted me to be part of a special show, where they would try something they’d never done before. He told me that my job was to be lookout. That if… I saw a man in a purple suit, I needed to give him the sign while he walked the tightrope. I asked, “Is this the man who makes you put on shows?” Without really answering, Rusty kept talking. 

RUSTY, ov. with Noone: “In the spotlight, some glow, while others shrivel into shadows. We glow, and do as told, or…”

NOONE: He didn’t finish the thought, but, I understood. The times I was on TV, I’d have done anything to avoid all those lights. So I said, “A simple sign won’t do. I’ll have to shout. A code only we’ll understand. How about… Big Top?” He agreed it was a good idea and I realized he didn’t tell me what they were planning, but… when I saw him staring out at the clouds, I asked, “You mean to escape, don’t you? The carnival?” And he quickly said, 

RUSTY, ov. with NOONE: “This entire… rotten world.” 

[Silence. Narration stops.] 

[Machine whirring]

OTTO: Was the boy expressing knowledge of a world beyond this carnival?

NOONE: I hadn’t thought about it until now, but… I guess so. And, I felt that too. 

OTTO: Then – All the places you’ve been are one and the same?

NOONE: Sort of. It’s like how this basement is connected to the upper floors, but don’t work- together.

OTTO: Why didn’t you ever express this before?!

NOONE: What’s so impo– 

OTTO, interrupting: You’ve sensed that the dreams you visit hold a tangible, sustained existence?! That these spaces are objective!? Physically… there?!

NOONE: I — uh, I think so? I don’t know how it works, but… it feels that way, yes. …Do you finally believe me?

OTTO: Giving the mere thought validity would have my license revoked! Yet I admit there’s potential that what you say is true. It offers some explanation of your… spiriting away, last night. 

[Pause, machine running in the background]

OTTO: …I’d need to see it for myself. 

NOONE: See it yourself?! You’re supposed to help me avoid going there!

OTTO: I need to reach it with you! To find that… quidity of consciousness we spoke of!

NOONE: Why would you want that?

OTTO: …

NOONE: How can I trust you if you don’t answer my questions sometimes?! It isn’t fair!

OTTO: (Sigh) …I… I lost someone dear to me, you understand? A long time ago. …Part of me believes that they may be there. 

NOONE: (Upset) So that’s the reason you’re so fascinated by me, isn’t it?! [Starting to breathe hard again] That’s why you have me do- all these tests and experiments, to find them!

OTTO: Now you’re the one being unfair. 

NOONE: Well, you can’t even get there!

OTTO: Why not?!

[Noone’s breathing quiets, still upset]

NOONE: …it’s Nowhere. 

OTTO: Nowhere? What do you mean??

NOONE: It’s a place… that Is… and Isn’t. 

OTTO: Did the boy, [stuttering] Rusty, say that? The Candleman??

NOONE: Neither. 

OTTO: I can’t help you if you hide things from me. 

NOONE: I tell you everything! You know what’s in my brain- more than I do!

NOONE: [breathing harder] There’s things on my head. 

OTTO: Breathe, Noone�� breathe…breathe. Deep. Follow my rhythm. 

[Noone and Otto take deep breaths, pulsing notes rise in the background]

OTTO: Alright, okay. If the theatrics are done, we must press on. 

NOONE: I want to stop. 

OTTO: The sooner you finish, the sooner we’ll be free. 

[Noone pauses, takes a few more deep breaths]

NOONE, narrating: We went to the Big Top. Rusty, and the others got all dressed up. In- amazing costumes. Black and white with sparkles. And another in… a fancy red coat. 

NOONE: Rusty lead me round to the towering stage, placing me in the front, saying,

RUSTY, ov. with NOONE: “Best seats in the house.”

NOONE: I felt… so special. [distant music starts] Until, Rusty looked around, with that worried face again. Without another word, he went backstage, as the crowd started pouring in. 

[Distorted speech]

NOONE: These… “people”... were the wrong shape. Faces like… bad drawings come alive. [thunk] One sat down in the seat to my left, eating… [crunching] a candy apple. It… it stank horribly [Dream!Noone gags] and, the center was mushy and raw.

NOONE: These… plump bodies filled the seats, too big for them, crushing and… spilling into one another. [Crunching and chewing] At the same time stuffing their faces with- rancid snacks, all grisly and chewy. I thought to throw up, but, as the lights dropped, [lights shutting off] everything went still. 

[Pause, light turns on]

NOONE: Then… [drumroll, faint trumpet] a spotlight [cheering] illuminated the stage, and the kid in a red coat walked to the middle. He put on amazing magic tricks, [whoosh] that almost made me forget where I was. For his final trick, he waved around the swirling cloak, smoke spilling out, and topped off with a bang! [sparkles pop, cheering] 

NOONE: When cloak dropped, he had disappeared, [whooshing] and in his place, were two different kids. They had sticks near their mouths, blowing fire. That did it for the crowd. [Distorted cheering gets louder] Then I remembered– I was playing lookout! But I saw no man in a purple suit, and I was distracted as the firebreathers finished and, jugglers came on. 

[More cheering]

NOONE: They took the flaming sticks from their friends, and threw them so high in the air, [Dream!Noone cheering] I… I found myself cheering with the crowd! [Dream!Noone clapping and cheering] And then the lights went down again, [click, drumroll] marking the final act. 

NOONE: (Quiet) The spotlight blared again, shining at the top of the tent. Way up… standing at one end of a rope between two ladders… was Rusty. The others stopped, staring in complete quiet. He started walking… slowly… then with more confidence. The silent went on too long, like we were all under a spell. And… that’s when I noticed… [quiet breathing] something beside me, in the seat that had been empty a moment ago. 

OTTO: (incredibly distant) The man in the purple suit?

NOONE: I heard him before I saw him. [breathing] T…Two breaths. Why could I hear him breathing? Why could I feel them breathing? My was shaking but, his attention was on Rusty. 

[Cheering, Dream!Noone gasps]

NOONE: Noticing that I wasn’t cheering, the man turned. He had no eyes. But I felt him look at me. How can someone with no eyes look at you?

[More breathing, cheering picks up again]

NOONE: Then, I saw a smaller man in his lap. [A smaller, faster set of breathing starts] A- dummy, only… he wasn’t made of wood or plastic, and had hair atop a lumpy face where… a wider mouth had been carved out. Unlike the man, the puppet had eyes, staring at the spotlight above. 

NOONE: Suddenly the crowd burst into a cheer, [cheering] as Rusty reached the middle of the rope, but, the dummy’s face crinkled, full of hate- wanting those cheers for himself. I was the only one not clapping, and he turned to face me. I’m not sure if they spoke, or- if it was in my head, but with a smile, they invited me to be part of the show. 

NOONE: [Cheering gets louder] That’s when I shouted “Big Top! Big Top!” But the crowd was booming! Rusty made it across the rope, but… but instead of climbing down the ladder he began climbing towards a small cut in the fabric at the top of the tent. I turn back… and the man was still there, limp, but his dummy… his dummy was… [Noone’s breathing picks up] gone, right near- Rusty–

NOONE: [Breathing heavily now] “BIG TOP!” I tried to scream– tearing my throat, but– I had no breath!– And then– [Attempts a deep breath] I saw the dummy– It’s lumpy face peering out from the shadows– at the top of the tent– Waiting for Rusty. 

[Ambience become more intense]

NOONE: The man beside me grew shy– both loving the praise, and– regretting the attention. [Noone’s breathing gets faster, ambience picks up] I can hear him breathing again– between breaths– (unintelligible)*– I tried and tried to shout but– it was too late!– Rusty was finally out of the spotlight!– And the tiny doll man lunged!– And– Rusty!– Rusty–

OTTO: [Dream ambience suddenly stops, loud machinery] Did he escape, did he manage?

NOONE, not narrating: Get this thing!– off my head!!

OTTO: Was Rusty able to get away?!

NOONE: [Hyperventilating] NO I DON’T LIKE IT! Rusty!!–

[Noone continues hyperventilating, machinery gets louder]

OTTO: Okay- okay okay- alright, alright, deeep breaths. Deeeep breaths, follow me. Like this now, one-

NOONE: AAA! TWO!! BIG TOP!!

[Otto attempting to get Noone to breathe, Noone having a panic attack]

OTTO: Slow down, slow down, slow down- breathe. 

NOONE: RUSTY!! TWO!!! TWO!!! 

OTTO: Just breathe-

NOONE: BIG TOP!! THE BIG TOP!!! 

OTTO: Two… three… One… two… 

NOONE: Deep breaths– One– One body**–

[machinery suddenly shuts down]

OTTO: Noone? [suddenly standing up] Noone! Noone!

[Shifting, moving furniture, crashing. Audio cuts]

[Pause]

[Click, audio starts] 

OTTO: Mercifully, the only irreparable damage this evening was the wound cut in Noone’s confidence towards me. (Inhale) What concerns me more is the lack of detail in her retelling. A step backwards, which may be the result of her preoccupation with the testing equipment. 

OTTO: Her body dysmorphia was exacerbated. That celebrity doctor’s to blame, whatever he put her through. And all those poor children… but it’s causing her to become furtive. 

[pen clicks, paper rustling]

OTTO: I’ve exhumed the journals published by my outer circle of colleagues, with whom I’ve lost touch. [pages turning] While I previously entertained the possibility of a multitude of realms, a singular space seems more probable, and in line with their transcendental musings. 

[Closes paper]

OTTO: While their studies are conjecture, I can no longer deny the empirical signs pointing towards such peripheral existence! Why then, are my senses unable to perceive it whatsoever? There’s a veil up. Ha! Yes, like a two-way mirror. Only I’m the one stuck on the side of blind, deaf, and dumb ignorance. 

OTTO: (sigh) And the lurking presence of the Ferryman. While he may be a master of dream manipulation, he’s no denizen here. Noone said it many sessions ago: He does not belong in our world. And yet, he’s the connective tissue. I am determined to find his arcane hinterland- to cross into the place she calls… “Nowhere.”

[Outro plays]

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

*It's really hard for me to hear what she says here, sorry!

**Take this with a grain of salt, I'm not entirely sure I heard right

[silver-hwaberry]

NINETEEN: fears and reunions

Warnings: mentions of bipolar disorder, mental health and OCs fears around it, does not go into explicit details

Word count: 11.2k

Summary: It is the morning after the previous night's events, Seonghwa and Hongjoong have a conversation about Luna's condition. After some thought, Hongjoong decides to talk to her directly. Luna has a heart-to-heart with her mother before returning to the apartment, where everyone has come back from visiting their families.

(AN: this entire chapter is in 3rd person, I appreciate all the feedback on the different format and have decided to focus mainly on 3rd person now with Lunas 1st person POV during certain periods. Again any feedback on this is always appreciated! Thank you to everyone who has read, liked and reblogged so far!)

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

“How was she this morning?” Hongjoong asks, a note of concern in his voice

“I don’t know. She left the apartment before 7am. I thought she was just on her regular morning run but when she still wasn’t back by 7.30am, I checked her room and her work things were gone.” Seonghwa replies. “I know she has a lot of work at the office today and maybe just wanted to get there as early as possible but it’s just worried me a little bit that she left so early.”

Seonghwa had messaged Hongjoong the night before to give him a brief rundown of what had happened. This morning he had got up early, planning to speak to Luna before she left for work. See how she was feeling after a nights sleep but she was already gone. It was now 9.30am and Hongjoong had called him after reading his messages when he woke up.

“When she told me about her bipolar, her main concern was that we would treat her differently. I wish I had been there last night so I could have reassured her.” Hongjoong sighs on the other end of the line

Seonghwa stiffens slightly at the implication, "Are you suggesting that I didn't do enough to reassure her?"

"No! That's not what I meant! You did your best. It's just...I feel so helpless!" Hongjoong exclaims, frustration evident in his tone. "I shouldn't have left Seoul. I should've stayed."

"You're our team captain, but even captains need rest. You couldn't have predicted this," Seonghwa says softly, trying to soothe his friend’s guilt. "Besides, Luna wouldn’t have let you stay even if you tried. Don't beat yourself up over this."

“You are right.” Hongjoong replies. “My dad is driving me back to Seoul in an hour or two so I will be home soon. Maybe I should get him to drop me off at the office instead so I can check up on her.”

“Do you think that is wise to do? Given how Luna hates being fussed over, she might feel cornered.” Seonghwa cautions

“I’m just worried.” comes Hongjoongs reply

"I understand your concern," Seonghwa reassures him. "Look, Luna's a fighter. She's been through so much, yet she remains resilient and strong. If you're set on seeing her before coming home, I won't stop you. Just tread carefully. We don’t want to push her away."

“I’m honestly unsure on what to do. As we get closer to Seoul I’ll see what my gut tells me. And you are right, she is an absolute fighter.” Hongjoong agrees “I am glad you were there for her last night. Do you think she’ll make things up with her mom?”

“Her dad assured me that this can be a common thing between them. Luna can’t suppress her feelings anymore and snaps, her mom gets more protective and Luna pulls away from her. He told me that they will patch things up either today or tomorrow but if it takes a bit longer, not to worry.” Seonghwa says as Hongjoong relaxes a little. He didn’t want a rift between mother and daughter when he knows how close they are and it is obvious how much her family, especially her mom means to her. “He also told me to reach out to him if we have any questions or looking for ways to support her without it being overbearing. He included the others in this.”

"That was considerate of him," Hongjoong remarks with a small smile, "Especially since they see you as her boyfriend and us as just coworkers."

“I don’t think he sees you all as ‘just coworkers’. He knows we all live together and I think Luna has been telling him little things about us all. He said he is thankful that we all look after her.” Seonghwa replies

“What are her parents like?” Hongjoong finds himself asking

“They are genuinely wonderful people. Her dad is really tall! A bit scary at first obviously but he is funny, down to earth and kind. He isn’t the scary old school military guy I had imagined in my head! Luna gets her caring nature from him.” Seonghwa answers with a small smile

“And her mom?” Hongjoong presses further

Seonghwa continues, “The same as her dad. Funny, laid back and really kind. She is tiny though, shorter than Luna but they look so alike. Obviously she can be pretty intense. She's fiercely protective of Luna, sometimes to a fault. But it all comes from a place of love. She wants the best for her daughter and can be a bit overbearing at times, but it's only because she cares so deeply.”

“It sounds like Luna is lucky to have such supportive parents.” Hongjoong reflects thoughtfully, “We just need to make sure she knows she can rely on the two of us, until she is ready to tell the others.”

“We will!” Seonghwa assures him, “We will be there for her as much as she will let us be.”

“Anyway, I should go make sure I have everything packed up. I’ll be back in Seoul soon,” Hongjoong sighs lightly

“I’ll see you when you get home and don’t worry about Luna.” Seonghwa replies before the pair say goodbye and hang up.

As Seonghwa gently places his phone on the sofa, his eyes shift towards her partially open bedroom door. Through the gap the early morning sunshine floods the room with warmth, casting a soft glow that extends into the little alcove between the lounge and her room. His heart sinks a bit, hoping that she is truly okay this morning.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Hongjoong instantly feels relaxed the second he opens the door to his studio. It was his safe place, his little sanctuary. Spending 4 days without work was hard for him but he was determined to keep his promise to Luna that he would spend his break resting, enjoying time with his parents and his older brother who was also visiting them at the same time. He actually found that he was coming back to Seoul with a clear head though, the time away from his studio and work laptop gave him some clarity regarding the music he was currently working on, and he was excited to get started on it again.

He places his suitcase in his studio before leaving the small room and walking to the door next to his. Inside he can see a light shining through the frosted glass of the little window, a small smile creeping onto his face as he knows Luna is in there.

As he raises his hand to knock, a familiar voice calls out from behind him. Turning around, he sees Maddox, a close friend and fellow musician, approaching with a steaming mug of coffee in hand.

“Looks like I surprised you.” Maddox teases him with a grin. “I wasn’t expecting to see you until tomorrow morning at the very least!”

“You know me!” he laughs shrugging his shoulders. “I can’t stay away from here!”

Maddox raises an eyebrow in playful curiosity. "Don't tell me you have an English lesson with Luna on the same day you came home?"

Hongjoong quickly improvises, thinking on his feet. He couldn't possibly reveal that his sole purpose for stopping by the office was to see Luna. "Nope, not today! I just wanted to drop by my studio for an hour. But when I saw the light on in Luna's office, I can’t resist saying hi."

Maddox takes a sip of his coffee, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Ah, I see." Something in the playful look in his friends eye made Hongjoong feel like Maddox was seeing through him.

“How was your break? Did you work nonstop like usual?” Maddox asks

Hongjoong shakes his head, a slight smile forming on his lips. "No, not this time. I even left my work laptop in my studio."

Maddox lets out a laugh. "Miracles do happen! So, you're here, probably itching to get some work done now that you're back."

“Caught red handed!” Hongjoong jokes, playfully holding up his hands

“Well I better go. I am doing a live in 10 minutes. I’ll see you next week as the team has the final meeting on the new bands album.” Maddox says

“Gosh, their debut date is so close now!” Hongjoong smiles, fondly remembering his own with Ateez. “See you next week!”

As Maddox walks down the corridor and disappears from sight, Hongjoong's attention returns to Luna's door. He quickly scans the area to ensure no one else is around before knocking gently. A moment passes without any response, so he knocks again, this time a little louder.

A loud groan comes from within the room, followed by some mumbled swearing in English. Hongjoong's stomach tightens with worry, fearing that he might have interrupted her from important work. Suddenly, the door swings open, revealing a frustrated looking Luna. But as soon as she sees him, her expression softens and she pulls him into her room by his hand, swiftly closing the door behind them. Luna wraps her arms around his shoulders tightly.

"Joongie!" she exclaims blissfully.

Hongjoong is momentarily taken aback by her sudden display of affection but quickly recovers, reciprocating by wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her just as tightly. Her head buries into his neck and he can feel her warm breath on his skin.

“I missed you so much, Joongie!” she mumbles

"I missed you too," he replies, a genuine smile tugging at the corners of his lips. The sound of her calling him by that nickname sends a flutter through his heart. He takes a deep breath, inhaling her familiar scent of vanilla and coconuts. “I didn’t interrupt you, did I? You sounded a little annoyed when I knocked a second time.”

Luna pulls back slightly, looking up at him with affectionate eyes. "Of course not. I had my earphones in, and the loud knock startled me. I jumped and accidentally hit my knee on the desk."A faint blush colours her cheeks at the fact he heard her swearing.

“Is your knee okay?” he asks concerned

“It is fine! My own clumsy fault.” she replies “Why are you here? I thought we were meeting back at the apartment tonight.”

Hongjoong smiles and caresses her face gently with one hand. "I kept my promise to you - no work while I was away. I had decided to leave my laptop in the office and I wanted to pick it up before heading home."

Luna feels her heart swell slightly at the fact he had went so far to keep his promise to her.

“Plus I wanted to see you too.” he adds.

"Check up on me, you mean?" she teases gently. "I know Seonghwa would have told you what happened last night."

"Yeah, he did," Hongjoong acknowledges, worry etching his features. His voice carries a plea for understanding as he says, "Please don't be mad at him."

Luna recognises the worry in his eyes, mirrored from last night when Seonghwa asked if she was okay and when he told her he agreed with her mother about the big changes in her life. It was worry with a hint of fear in the eyes. It isn’t the first time one of them has said the words ‘don’t be mad/upset’ to her either.

"Hongjoong, do I make you feel uncomfortable sometimes?" she asks, searching his eyes for the truth.

Confusion flickers across his face as he asks, "What do you mean?"

"I've noticed in the past few days that sometimes you all seem a bit on edge around me," Luna explains. "It's like you're afraid to tell me something or voice an opinion like I'll fly into a rage or get upset."

Hongjoong hesitates before answering, searching for the right words. In that moment, Luna knows that her fears are not unfounded.

“I don’t want any of you to feel that way!” she tells him earnestly “I know I can be moody and hard to be around but I don’t want you all to be scared to talk to me or ask me how I am.”

Hongjoong's voice is gentle as he responds, moving one hand from her waist to cup her cheek. "Hey, you aren't moody or hard to be around. You make each of us so happy just by allowing us into your life. We're not scared of you; we just worry a little about upsetting you."

“I realise that I made a big deal about not wanting to be fussed over. However I don’t want any of you to be afraid of how I’ll react if you do. I know my condition will make you and Seonghwa worry twice as much, but I promise I won't get upset if anyone fusses over me.” she says, “The reason I said I didn't want to be fussed over is because of my moms over-protectiveness. I know it is because she loves me but I have to hold back so often with her, bite my tongue a lot that when someone else fusses over me, I tend to snap easily. I just didn’t want to take my frustrations out on any of you.”

Hongjoong nods in understanding, his dark eyes soft and sympathetic. "I understand, Luna," he says softly. "And I can only imagine the added stress and strain you must feel by concealing your bipolar disorder from the others."

Luna takes a deep breath before continuing, her voice trembling slightly. "That's why I've decided it's time to stop hiding and be honest with everyone about my bipolar disorder. I'm tired of living in fear, constantly worrying my sleeve will ride up or hiding when my medication like a dirty little secret. It's exhausting." She meets Hongjoongs gaze.

“Are you truly ready to do or do you feel you have to?” He poses the question to her, his voice gentle but probing.

Luna looks away for a moment, gathering her thoughts, before leaning back into his embrace once again. His arms encircle her protectively, and he starts rubbing soothing circles on her back.

"No," she whispers vulnerably, "I am nowhere near ready." She takes a deep breath and continues, "But I wasn't prepared for Seonghwa to find out and today I feel a little lighter. I told him everything, more than I told you about the scars, and there was no judgement. Neither of you have judged me."

“Baby, I'm glad you feel that way, but it's important for you to be truly ready." he cautions. “I don’t want you to do it and then regret it because it was too soon for you. Seonghwa and I will support you completely until that time comes, so do not worry about that.”

"I honestly don't deserve you," Luna sighs, her voice filled with gratitude. "Thank you."

They linger in each other's embrace for a moment, relishing the rare moment of solitude.

“Oh I had a meeting today. Whether it is good outcome or not I’ll let you decide since it involves you!” Luna beams up at him

Hongjoong recognises the mischievous glint in her eyes, prompting a smile to spread across his face.

“I am sure it will be good!” he chuckles, tucking some of her hair behind her ear

“The CEO has asked me to work with you all for the Japanese track. It’s mainly to ensure the Japanese lyrics and vocals are on point.” she says “Not that he doesn’t trust your Japanese!” she quickly adds, realising how her words might have sounded to him

“Are you kidding me? I think this is amazing news Luna!” he grins, feeling his stomach bubble with excitement

“I was hoping you’d be okay with this, me being a part of that process.” she returns his level of excitement. “I don’t know anything about making or producing music, and lord knows I am a terrible singer so should not be involved in any of that stuff!” she laughs before continuing “However I am very fluent in Japanese as it was the second language I learned as a child alongside Korean and I am confident in my skills in that regard. Eden has already given me the songs that will have a Japanese version and I am working on translating them now.”

"We're all pretty basic when it comes to Japanese." Hongjoong admits with a smile. "We usually bring in someone new for these tracks, someone we've never met before but it will be amazing to have you there, something we fully trust."

"I just hope I can contribute and not hinder anything," Luna replies.

With a gentle smile, he reassures her, "You will be incredible. We usually do vocals individually in the recording studio, given our busy schedules. I'll make sure it's just us and whatever member is doing the vocals at that moment, one on one to make the process easier for you." He reaches over to caress her cheek, his touch warm and comforting. "I'm excited to have you in the studio with me. It will be a great experience," he adds with genuine enthusiasm. “And getting to spend some time alone with you will be an added bonus.” his voice takes on a low, husky tone that sends butterflies dancing in her stomach.

His eyes drop to her lips, Luna noticing and instinctively tucking her lower lip between her teeth as his fingers thread through her soft dark hair. Her usual wavy hair is poker straight today, her long bangs perfectly framing her delicate face. With a slight tilt of his head, Hongjoong leans in and their lips meet.

It was the first time they’d kissed since their first one in his studio weeks before but also the first time they had been alone. Both being busy with work and like ships passing in the night. In this moment of pure solitude, Hongjoong promises himself to make more time for her.

The kiss is slow and comforting to them both. The outside world around them fading away as they get lost in one another. After what seemed like an eternity, Hongjoong pulls back slightly, his dark eyes searching hers for any sign of hesitation or doubt. “I really missed you.” Hongjoong whispers softly.

Luna's feel a warmth spread through her chest at the way he is looking at her, his eyes filled with affection which she has never seen before from him. She brushes her fingertips against the side of his face. "I missed you too," she replies softly. She leans forwards to capture his lips once more but a firm knock at the door causes them to pull apart harshly. Hongjoong taking a few steps backwards and while Luna quickly fixes her tussled hair from his fingers before saying as calmly as possible, “Come in!”

Both Hongjoong and Luna look towards the door to see Hyunshik walk through the door. His usual mischievous grin on his face as he looks at Luna before spotting Hongjoong at the other side of the room looking at a textbook from Lunas desk in an attempt to look nonchalant.

“Oh hey Hongjoong! Didn’t know you were back at work!” he greets him

“I am not, I came to pick up my laptop then going home. Just wanted to say hi to Luna before I left.” Hongjoong explains

“Ah right.” Hyunshik nods. “Luna, reception called up, your mom has just arrived in the lobby. Ilsung is bringing her up as she has a lot of bags!”

“That will probably be food for everyone!” Luna chuckles. “Thanks for letting me know.”

“I have a meeting to go to so let me know if there is any leftover food!” he replies laughing too

“Oh you can bet on it! I’ll message you first!” she says

“That’s my bestie!” he grins holding his fist out for her to bump

“I got your back!” Luna replies with a smile reciprocating the fist bump

Hongjoong observes their interaction closely, his eyebrow arching slightly at the exchange. Hyunshik gives him a smile before leaving the room. Luna tilts her head, catching the subtle change in Hongjoong's expression. Sensing an unspoken question hanging in the air, she decides to address it directly.

"Is everything alright, Hongjoong?" Luna asks

Hongjoong's demeanour softens as he meets Luna's gaze. "Oh, everything's fine," he reassures her with a small smile. "Just observing the ‘besties’ in action."

Luna chuckles lightly, “Hyun is the only person I’ve made friends with in this place. He keeps bugging me to join the staff hangouts after work but it’s not really my scene.”

“Why not?” he asks

Luna ponders for a moment before responding. She doesn't particularly want to mention that there are certain colleagues like Chaeyoung and Iseul whom she can't stand. Although they don't attend these post-work gatherings, there are some who do that are friendly with them and she doesn’t fully trust them.

“I have enough friends. And with my relationship with you guys I don’t want more people involved in my life. I am a private person in general. With Hyun, we get along. He was the first member of staff to actually talk to me, we have the same sense of humour and I know I would have been friends with him if we’d met elsewhere.” Luna responds. “Does it bother you that we are friends?”

“No!” he answers instantly. “Not at all! I love that you’ve got a friend here! I just wasn’t aware you had been a close friend yet as you don’t really talk about your friendships with members of staff. It didn’t even cross my mind, which I know is bad and comes across like I don’t care.”

“Oh Joongie, I know you care, even when you are busy with work,” Luna reassures him, smiling warmly and reaching for his hand. “I notice the little things you do for me, like filling up my tub with fresh strawberries every day.”

“I didn’t think you knew it was me doing that.” Hongjoong replies, his cheeks blushing.

“I caught you doing it one night when you came home late. I was on my way to the pantry for a midnight snack and saw you in the kitchen.” Luna reveals affectionately.

Hongjoong goes to respond but they hear a noise outside her room door and he quickly lets go of her hand. Ilsung and her mom walk in. Hyunshik wasn’t kidding when he said she had a lot of bags! Ilsung has 6 giant bags of food while her mom is holding 3.

“Apples were my saving grace during my morning sickness with the twins.” her mom shares with Ilsung “I was lucky with Luna and didn’t have any of those symptoms but the twins were a very different story!”

“I’ll definitely pass that on to my wife. She’s tried everything, but the nausea really takes a toll on her at work, and I feel utterly helpless hearing how her day is being affected by it all.” Ilsung responds, a tinge of guilt clouding his tone.

“It is different for all women but giving the apples a shot won’t hurt.” she advises with a warm smile

“Thank you, I’ll grab some on my way back tonight,” Ilsung replies gratefully. “It was truly delightful meeting you, Eunbi.” He flashes a smile at her as Luna and Hongjoong observe quietly.

“You too, Ilsung. I wish you all the best for the future too!” she says “Make sure you take those bags to the others.”

Ilsung bows to her and nods towards Hongjoong before leaving. Luna looks at her mom and feels a bubble of nerves in her tummy. She knows they would talk and sort things out, like they always have done in the past but she was always nervous to have these talks.

“Oh he is such a lovely young man! His poor wife is suffering so badly from morning sickness, such a shame!” her mom says to Luna and Hongjoong

“Hi mom.” Luna says, rubbing at her arm

Hongjoong notices this from the corner of his eye. He longs to reach out and take her hand for reassurance but holds back due to her moms presence. His struggle between desire and restraint becomes apparent to himself as he grapples with his newfound feelings for Luna and his typically reserved demeanour that never allowed him to be openly affectionate – until now, that is. The days they spent apart made him realise how deeply he cares for her.

“Ah Hongjoong! It is lovely to finally meet you!” Lunas mom smiles at him

“You too.” he replies bowing to her

“I brought some food for you boys as well.” she says holding one bag to him “Nothing fancy, just some home cooking I did this morning.”

Luna can’t help but smile. She knew her mom would have been up at the crack of dawn cooking this. One thing she took great pride in was taking care of people and one way of doing that is through cooking. It was one of the many traits Luna got from her mom.

“They are still on holiday, Mom. Joongie was just picking up his laptop.” Luna explains

Her moms eyebrow raises, Luna instantly feels her heart skip a beat at the nickname slipping out. Hongjoong feels her body tense up from beside him and quickly takes the 2 bags from her moms hands.

"Thank you, Mrs. Lee. I'm sure the others will appreciate it," he says with a warm smile. “I am heading back to the apartment now so I’ll make sure the others eat and there will be leftovers for Luna when she returns home tonight too.”

“I’m delighted to see you have such a caring friend Luna! Someone who clearly cares for you.” she smiles as Luna nods trying to remain neutral and hide any hint of her true relationship with Hongjoong from her moms great detective skills. “And please call me Eunbi! My husband is Sam too! Make sure to tell the other boys as I am sure our paths may cross at some point and I hear enough of ‘Mrs Lee’ from my students and Sam hears plenty of ‘Major Lee’ at his job too!!” she adds with a light laugh to Hongjoong

“Of course Mrs L… Eunbi.” he says with a slight wince on his face as he bows again. Luna hides a smile as she knows Hongjoong will be hating calling her by her first name. Lunas mom also picks up on his face and gives Luna is playful wink. “It was lovely to meet you, but I should be going now. I’ll see you tonight Luna.” he adds moving towards the door

“Bye.” Luna says as he walks through it

Her moms voice echoes through the room, mischief lacing her tone. "Bye Joongie!" The door closes behind him just as quickly as her words had left her lips.

"Mom!" Luna protests, a soft laugh escaping her as she lightly nudges her moms shoulder. "That was mean!"

“I live with your dad! I need to get my kicks where I can!” she laughs opening the food containers as they sit down at Lunas desk.

As they settle down to eat, Luna feels another wave of nervous anticipation wash over her. The thought of discussing last night's events twists knots in her stomach.

“You and Hongjoong seem close.” Eunbi observes softly, breaking the silence

“Hongjoong’s been there for me. He has become a… very dear friend to me already.” Luna replies taking a sip from her water bottle.

She looks at her moms expression carefully, uncertain if she is hinting at something more than friendship or merely making an observation.

“He seems to care for you a lot and I like that he does.” Eunbi says with a fond smile “I know you have your core group of friends with Seojun, Nayeon, Jieun and Dasom, and they are wonderful kids but it is nice to see you letting more people into your life.”

After a pause, her mom looks at her with a serious expression. “Luna,” she begins, causing the knot in Lunas stomach returning. Has she saw through her facade of Hongjoong being a friend only? "I owe you an apology for my words last night. I should have approached you privately. I was under the impression that Seonghwa was aware.” she says

"I hadn't found the right moment to tell him yet," Luna admits, her eyes downcast as she focuses on the food in front of her. "I needed more time."

Her mother's voice softens with regret. "I'm truly sorry for forcing you into revealing something so personal before you were prepared."

“I should have told you beforehand not to mention it. But honestly, I didn’t think you would.” Luna says. “However, it was okay. Seonghwa wasn’t freaked out by it.”

“Why would he be?” Eunbi asks, her eyes full of concern as she looks at her daughter

"I’m not ashamed of my bipolar disorder… it just frightens me sometimes," Luna confesses, blinking back impending tears.

“Oh honey!” Her mother immediately sets down her utensils and rounds the table to envelop Luna in a comforting hug. Overwhelmed by emotional exhaustion, Luna sinks into the embrace, releasing all her pent-up emotions.

“It’s okay to be scared from time to time, but never forget how brave you are every day.” her mom says gently, brushing a strand of hair behind Luna's ear.

After taking a few moments to compose herself, she pulls back slightly and looks up at her mom with tear-filled eyes. The sight of her firstborn daughter in such emotional turmoil tore at Eunbi's heart. Like all mothers, the sight of her child in pain was unbearable. Yet, this was a pain she could not erase for Luna, no matter how much she wished she could.

“I don’t like people treating me differently,” Luna admits “and I don’t want to be defined by it.”

Eunbi smiles caringly, dabbing Luna tears away. "You are so much more than any label. Those who truly love and care for you you will understand that."

Luna sniffles, grateful for her moms reassuring words. "I know, Mom. I just... it's hard sometimes."

“I know honey, I know.” she replies stroking her head, “And I know I can make it harder for you, I am overbearing and smothering at times. I am so sorry for that.”

“I know why you are though.” Luna says looking at her mom, “You care a lot and just want the best for me but please just trust me. I understand that is hard given the hell I put you and dad through last year and you’ll probably always worry about me but I know how to look after myself now. I take my medication everyday at the same time, I see my therapist regularly, I practice mindfulness, I talk to my friends when things are tough and go for my morning head clearing runs. I am aware of things now and I am in such a happy place in my life with my job and with… Seonghwa.”

“I can see that. I know that he cares for you deeply, I could see that the second I saw him look at you last night. Hongjoong does as well.” Eunbi says, “Talk to them the way you do with your friends, let them in and allow them to help.”

“Hongjoong knows about my diagnosis but I don’t know how to tell the others. I’ve built up such a protective wall around myself regarding my diagnosis.” her voice falters slightly, “First thing I said to them when I moved in, was not to fuss over me with my allergies, don’t ask me how I am, or treat me different and speaking to Hongjoong this afternoon, I realised that I’ve made them all on edge with that. They are too worried to do those things now. I want to let them in, be closer to each of them but I don’t know how to without being guarded.”Another stray tear falls from Luna eye as her lip wobbles.

Eunbi looks carefully at her daughter, seeing the conflict in her face but also picking up on the way she is mentioning to the others. It is clear to her that Luna cares for more than just Seonghwa and Hongjoong.

“You have been little Miss Independent since you learned to walk! Wouldn’t let your father or I help you.” Eunbi smiles gently “Your health conditions have made you more guarded, which is understandable. However, don't let it prevent you from opening up to all of them and allow them to be there for you.”

Luna shifts in her seat, the hesitation evident in her voice as she takes a deep breath. “What if they see me differently? As a weak fragile person.”

“Oh my dear Younha,” Eunbi's words are filled with affection, speaking her birth name with a softness that catches Luna off guard but reassures her deeply, “opening up doesn’t make you weak. It takes strength to be vulnerable, to trust others with your heart and I know they will take care of you, all of them!”

Luna feels more tears welling up in her eyes as she looks at her mom, thankful for her. "I don't want to push them away," Luna admits, her voice barely above a whisper.

Eunbi smiles and replies, "Then don't. Let them in one step at a time, at your own pace, show them your true self - vulnerabilities and all. They care about you more than you realise, and together, you can all support each other through anything life throws your way."

A sense of peace washes over Luna's chest as she nods slowly, a glimmer of courage shining through. Luna knows her mom is beginning to understand the depth of her relationships. “Thank you mom!”

“I love you so so much honey.” Eunbi says kissing the top of Lunas head and hugging her once more.

“I love you too mom.” Luna replies

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Luna walks through the door and instantly can hear the buzz of activity in the apartment. Her face breaks into a smile; it's good to have everyone home. She takes off her coat and hangs it up before slipping off her sneakers. Suddenly a pair of strong arms wrap around her from behind, lifting her effortlessly off the ground. Surprised and delighted, a playful scream escapes Luna's mouth. She feels warm breath against her neck, accompanied by a tender kiss that ignites a spark within her. In that moment, she knows exactly who it is.

"Wooyoung!" she giggles, turning to face him with gleeful arms wrapped tightly around his shoulders. His cheeky grin mirrors her own excitement.

“Miss me?” he asks playfully

Luna smirks, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Not really," she teases, barely able to contain her amusement. "I barely noticed you were gone!"

“Oh wow, that hurts!” he says pretending to be upset “Maybe I won’t give you any kisses then!” he grins

“Ha! I’d like to see you try to go a night without trying to kiss me!” she laughs in reply

In truth she missed him and he had missed her too. They all had but playful banter and teasing were Luna and Wooyoungs first instincts with one another.

“Just you see me succeed with that!” he replies

“Okay Mr Jung! Lets see how long you last!” she says, pulling away from him “I wonder if San is home yet…”

“Oh hell no, he isn’t getting kisses before me!” he pouts, holding onto her arm and pulling her back into his body again. “Not when I’ve been waiting by the door for nearly an hour for you to come home!” his lips capture hers as she lets out a muffled giggle

She throws her arms around his shoulders once more and kisses him back, happy to have him close to her once again but also secretly enjoying that he didn’t even last 10 seconds. His hands slip down to her rear, gently squeezing it as he pulls her even closer.

“Did you miss me though?” he asks, pulling back. Luna can see his eyes are serious.

“Of course I did Woo.” she replies softly. “A lot!”

“Good!” he smiles, placing another kiss on her lips. “As much as I want to pick you up, take you to my room and keep you all to myself for the rest of the night, we should go see the others.”

As Wooyoung and Luna walk into the kitchen, Seonghwa and Yunho are in there. Seonghwa is cleaning the cooker while Yunho is sitting at the kitchen island. Luna goes straight to Yunho and hugs him causing him to smile and pull her onto his lap sideways. He places his lips on hers while leaning her backwards, holding onto her tightly so she doesn’t fall as she laughs lightly. Luna is pleased to see how confident he is being at showing affection for her in front of the others now and she knows their night together has definitely made them closer. He gently pulls her upright, pulling back from the kiss but still keeping her close to him.

“Someones in a good mood.” she teases playfully as her hands play with the fabric of his hoodie.

"Just happy to have you home," Yunho replies contentedly, savouring the soft kisses she plants on his cheek, a chuckle escaping his lips.

Luna settles comfortably into Yunho's lap, feeling his warm embrace around her. But as she leans against him, she senses a presence lingering nearby. Turning her head, she catches sight of Seonghwa standing a few feet away with a gentle smile on his lips as he looks on at them. Sensing Luna's silent acknowledgement, Yunho eases his hold on her, silently granting her permission to approach Seonghwa if she desires. Grateful that Yunho has picked up on this, Luna pecks his cheek before gliding over to Seonghwa, who meticulously removes his cleaning gloves.

“How was your day?” Seonghwa asks leaning down to hug her

"Surprisingly good," Luna replies happily looking up at him, a shadow of her previous night's weariness erased. Seonghwa notices the visible transformation in Luna, putting his earlier concerns to rest.

"That's what I like to hear, darling." A warm smile plays on his lips, reflecting his genuine relief. She goes on her tip toes to place a kiss on his lips before resting her head on his shoulder.

As Luna and Seonghwa share a moment, everyone can hear the loud footsteps of someone rushing down the stairs. Luna pulls away from Seonghwa, turning her head towards the sound. Her eyes light up as she recognises the familiar figure stepping into the room.

“Ah my princess is finally home!” Mingis deep voice booms through the kitchen as he enters. Seonghwa lets go of Luna so she can go to Mingi as he watches on fondly.

“Mingi!” she smiles widely. As Mingi lifts Luna into his arms, spinning her around, she giggles and murmurs into his ear, "I missed you today."

"Missed you too," he replies gently, setting her back down on the floor and planting a kiss on her forehead. "Brought me any treats today?"

Luna feigns indignation, rolling her eyes playfully. "What do you think?! Of course I did! I got you cookies today."

As Mingis eyes light up at the mention of the cookies, Wooyoung chimes in “Hey! What about me? Am I not getting any treats?” he pouts

“You just got kisses, isn’t that a treat?” she laughs poking his side

“I mean kisses are great but a man needs his snacks too you know!” he replies, grabbing her waist and tickling her gently

“Woo, don’t!” she shrieks with laughter trying to get away from him

Luna's heart races as she tries to escape Wooyoung, who chases her around the spacious kitchen. Their laughter echoes around the room as Seonghwa, Yunho and Mingi look at them with smiles on their faces at the playful scene. As she runs around the kitchen island her soft socks causes her to slip on the hardwood flooring. Wooyoung tries to grab her to stop her while Yunho who was second closest to her jumps from his seat on the bar stool to catch her. However their attempts are in vain as Luna hits the floor with a loud thud.

“Oh shit Luna, I am so sorry!” Wooyoung says the first to reach her

Lying flat on on her, Luna can’t help but laugh again as she looks up at the ceiling with the 4 men surrounding her on the floor. At this point Hongjoong enters the kitchen.

“What happened?” he asks, a smile on his face at hearing Lunas joyful laughter

“Luna fell over.” Yunho replies

“Oh god!” he says, his smile dropping. He rushes over, nudging Wooyoung out the way to get to her side.

“Are you okay?” Seonghwa asks Luna, concern in his voice

“I am fine!” she manages to reply, trying to suppress her laughter.

“Are you sure?” Mingi asks, his eyes big and round as he looks down at her

“You fell really hard, little one!” Yunho says reaching out to help her

“Really guys, I’m fine!” Despite her assurance, Wooyoung stands off to the side biting his lip nervously, guilt weighing heavily on him. Mingi and Yunho help her up while Hongjoong supports her arm. "I'm surprised it took me this long to fall in front of you all! I am super clumsy on my feet."

Out of the corner of her eye she notices Wooyoung lingering in the background, his face clouded with worry. Guilt hitting him that his actions could have really hurt her. Instantly her laughter stops and she moves from Yunhos hold to go to Wooyoung.

“Hey.” she whispers, cupping his cheek, “I am okay, I promise you!”

"I could've hurt you," he mumbles, not meeting her gaze.

"But you didn't. My clumsy self has fallen over countless times before, so I think my body has developed some kind of resistance to injury by now." She tries to lighten the mood with a joke.

A small smile tugs at Wooyoung's lips as he finally looks at her, relieved that she's alright. Luna can’t resist leaning forwards and hugging him, feeling relief when he hugs her back tightly.

"I fall over my own two feet, I have a habit of dropping things, and sometimes I possess the ability to break objects just by casting my gaze upon them.” She looks over at her other boyfriends. "I've been trying my best to contain it around you guys," she continues, "but I think it's safe to say that Clumsy Luna has finally made her appearance. Brace yourselves for what's to come!"

Yunho chuckles, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "So what you're saying is we need to baby proof the apartment?"

Luna's laughter mingles with theirs, a token of gratitude for their light-heartedness in the face of the situation. Wooyoung leans in, his lips brushing a soft kiss against her temple, sending her heart into a flutter. Turning to him, she finds a gentle smile meant only for her. Drawn to him, she meets his lips in a tender kiss.

"San, Yeosang, and Jongho have collected the food," announces Hongjoong, glancing at a message on his phone.

"We've almost finished setting up. Mingi and I need to grab some drinks from the store quickly," Seonghwa adds.

"I'll get changed," Luna replies, gently extricating herself from Wooyoung's hold. He places a parting kiss on her forehead before releasing her. "Hongjoong, Seonghwa, can we talk privately?" she adds quietly

“Of course. Lets go into the lounge.” Hongjoong replies

The trio retreats into the lounge as Yunho watches them leave. Curiosity tugs at him, but he respects Luna's need for privacy.

“I wanted to thank you both for being so understanding.” Luna begins as they sit on the sofa, Luna in the middle of them. “The last 24 hours have been a lot for you Seonghwa. Your support and non-judgement means a lot.”

“There is no need to thank us darling.” Seonghwa says

“How did things go with your mom this afternoon?” Hongjoong asks, showing concern

“We talked it out, things are back to normal again.” Luna answers, “I’ve decided not to tell the others yet. I know I said to you earlier that I would but honestly, last night was hard enough. Not ready to go through that again so soon with 6 other men.” she continues, "If your offer to support me until I'm ready still stands, I'd be grateful."

“Of course it is, baby!” Hongjoong reassures her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pressing a comforting kiss to her cheek.

Seonghwas eyes widen slightly at the sudden display of affection Hongjoong is showing. It isn’t something he has seen from his oldest friend and leader, nor has he ever seen him be affectionate with a woman ever! It was a running joke within the group that as soon as a female is in close proximity Hongjoong will be as far away as possible.

"We'll both be here for you, as much as you'll let us," Hongjoong promises.

"That's what I wanted to discuss too. I'm going to allow you all to fuss over me, for those who want to," Luna says, managing a smile.

"Really? We don't want to make you uncomfortable," Seonghwa cautions gently.

"There's a difference between showing concern and being overbearing. I think I was conflating the two. I want us all to have an open relationship—that includes letting you all care for me." Luna abruptly adds, "I want to tell Yunho about my bipolar."

"Are you sure?" Hongjoong asks, his hand cradling her cheek with care.

“The hiding has caused me gut-wrenching anxiety and Yunho’s noticed. I know he is worried about me.” she answers, “The other night we opened up to one another and I want him to know.”

She feels a small heat flash across her cheeks, wondering if Hongjoong and Seonghwa know what she truly means by that. Seonghwa had a sense their relationship had progressed to this stage, due to Yunhos recent displays of affection and now Lunas words only confirmed it for him and he is genuinely happy for them both.

“Do you want to do it now or leave it until later?” Seonghwa asks in a gentle tone

"It's better to do it now before everyone else returns. We won't have another quiet moment like this for a long time.” she says with determination

Hongjoong nods in agreement before slipping away to fetch Yunho from the kitchen. Luna seizes the moment to snuggle into Seonghwa, who warmly welcomes her embrace.

“How are you holding up?” he asks softly

“Good.” she smiles

Moments later Yunho and Hongjoong come back into the lounge, both sitting on the sofa beside Luna and Seonghwa.

“Is everything okay?” Yunho asks calmly, his voice reassuring.

“There is something we need to discuss before the others get home.” Hongjoong discloses as Yunho nods

Before Seonghwa opens his mouth to tell Yunho what is going on, Luna starts to speak. She knew it had to be her to say the words.

“Yunho, I have bipolar disorder. I was diagnosed at the beginning of last year during a very dark period of my life. My recent heightened anxiety has been caused due to the pressure I was putting on myself to keep it hidden from you all.” she says. Yunho nods and taking a moment to process the information. “Hongjoong has known for a while and Seonghwa found out last night from my mom. That is why we returned home earlier than expected.”

"Is that why you were so quiet last night too?" he asks gently, to which she responds with a nod. The way Seonghwa was looking at Luna, she was so quiet and subdued when they got home, not her usual bubbly self then falling asleep so suddenly - it all made sense to Yunho now.

“I am sorry for keeping it from you…” she begins

"No need to apologise. I'm just glad you trust me enough to share this with me," he reassures her, reaching for her hands which she gladly accepts.

“I feel bad dropping this on you out the blue and not being able to talk properly about it but I promise you we can talk more in depth tomorrow, or another day if you want. I will answer all of your questions,” she says, “yours too Seonghwa.” she adds looking back at him as he smiles in return.

“All I need to know tonight little one, is if you are okay.” Yunho says, his fingers tenderly squeezing her hand

"I truly am. Our talk the other night, Hongjoong and Seonghwa's reassurance today, and my talk with my mom this afternoon has lifted the crushing weight that has been on my chest for weeks.” Luna takes a small deep breath before a gentle smile lights up her face making Yunho heart skip a beat, “I feel like I can finally breathe."

Hongjoong observes Luna's change in demeanour with a smile. “I am glad.”

"Also Luna has now given us permission to fuss," Seonghwa interjects with a playful grin at Yunho.

“Finally!!” Yunho breaks into a smile, “Just wait until Wooyoung and San find out!”

The room fills with laughter as relief washes over them all.

"I should change out of these work clothes," Luna announces after the laughter subsides, still glowing with happiness. "Thank you all for everything! If only I could hug all three of you at once!"

"No need for wishes—group hug time!" Yunho declares, pulling everyone into an embrace despite Hongjoong's protests, causing Luna to laugh.

After the laughter subsides, Luna extricates herself from the group hug, her face still flushed with joy. “Alright, I really need to change now,” she says, her voice filled with warmth

With a quick smile she’s off, leaving the room with a sense of lightness that belies the pain beginning to creep into her side. Once safely inside her bedroom, she takes a deep breath and rubs her hip where a dull ache lingers. She's managed to hide her discomfort, not wanting to worry the others—especially Wooyoung. There was no need to let them know, she was only slightly sore, nothing major. She collects fresh clothes before retreating into her bathroom to wash away the remnants of the day and enjoy her night with her boyfriends.

In the kitchen Wooyoung and Hongjoong are sorting the plates and cutlery. Hongjoong can sense Wooyoung still feels bad about what happened. As worried as Hongjoong was when he found her on the floor and hearing she had fell over, he knew it was an accident and he wasn’t mad at Wooyoung.

“Luna’s tougher than she looks.” Hongjoong says casually, trying to ease his worries but not make a big deal about it.

“I know, but it is still my fault she fell over. I was playing around with her.” he sighs, remorse clear in his voice as he opens the cupboard door and begins to retrieve the glasses. “I am responsible for her fall.”

“She wasn’t injured though.” Hongjoong says

Wooyoung nods, knowing he is right but still feeling a sense of unease lingering within him. “I just want her to feel safe with me,” he admits quietly, “not frightened that I might harm her.”

Hongjoong feels his stomach drop a little at hearing this, he places a reassuring hand on Wooyoungs shoulder. “She won’t feel that way! Luna understands accidents happen and she has told us how clumsy she is. She is a tough little cookie, she can handle a tumble now and then.”

“Thanks Hongjoong. To be honest I was bracing myself for a scolding from you, I wasn’t expecting this.” Wooyoung says with a small smile of relief on his face as they move into the lounge

“Captain mode will be activated tomorrow!” Hongjoong laughs lightly, glad to see his friend is feeling less burdened.

As they continue to set up the coffee table Mingi and Seonghwa return from the store. They have bought extra snacks with the drinks. At the same time Luna emerges from her room dressed in a pair of cream sweats with a long lilac coloured sweatshirt. Seonghwa can’t help but notice how content and comfortable she looks tonight. Immediately she goes to Wooyoung and hugs him close, wanting to give him extra reassure for earlier. He relaxes into her embrace, his arms loosely wrapping around her waist.

“I’m truly sorry about earlier.” he whispers into her ear

“No more apologies.” she smiles softly pulling her head back from his neck to look at him, her fingers running through his soft black hair. “Now where are my Woo kisses?” she asks with a playful glint in her big brown eyes that cause him to melt a little

“I’ll give you all the kisses you want, lil cutie.” he smiles back at her before capturing her lips

The warmth of Wooyoung's lips against hers sends a shiver down Luna's spine. She melts into his embrace, her heart racing with joy. One of his hands slowly travels down her back, before sliding under the soft fabric of her sweatshirt to feel the warmth of her skin beneath it. Luna smiles softly into the kiss as she tastes the light minty flavour on his tongue from the gum he must have been chewing earlier. As their lips separate Wooyoung leaves a series of playful pecks along her jaw and into her neck as she giggles lightly.

From the doorway, Hongjoong observes the intimate scene with a satisfied smile. He feels a wave of relief seeing Luna's radiant happiness and the dissipation of Wooyoung's worries. His eyes meet Seonghwa's as he passes by en route to the kitchen.

“He is whipped for Luna.” he says lowly, nodding his head towards the pair causing Hongjoong to chuckle.

“Aren’t we all!” Hongjoong simply replies following him

The mellow chime signalling the arrival of San, Yeosang, and Jongho with food pulls Luna and Wooyoung from their bubble. With playful cheekiness, Wooyoung lightly pats Luna's rear and disentangles himself from her.

“You should go see San, I know the mans been eager to see you since he came home.” he smiles at her

“You sure?” she asks him as he nods, wanting to make sure he was okay with her going to San. “Okay, save a spot for me beside you!”

“I’ll make sure I get us one of the corners so we have more space then can go into the corner of the sofa when we are finished eating.” he replies, feeling a flutter in his stomach at Luna wanting to be beside him for the rest of the night.

“Could you go into my room and get my blanket for us to cuddle under?” she asks as San and Jongho come into the lounge with the pizza boxes and food containers. “It is on the chair at my desk.”

“Of course I will.” he replies, pecking her lips before letting her go

Luna makes her way over to San who quickly puts the boxes on the coffee table before grabbing her into his arms. It was clear to see by Wooyoung and Mingi who looked on that San had missed Luna a lot, as she had with him. Wooyoung goes into her bedroom to collect her blanket while the others start to come into the lounge.

“It feels like I haven’t seen you in forever, sunshine!” San smiles lifting her up into his arms

“We face timed this morning when I got to work!” she laughs

“Not the same as seeing you, face to face, being to cuddle you,” he hums “ and kiss you again.” he mumbles quietly looking into her eyes

A smile tugs at Luna's lips as she leans in to give him a tender kiss. "I missed you so much," he murmurs against her lips.

"Me too," she replies with a content sigh, happy to see him and that everyone is back home again.

San gives her another kiss, carefully putting her back on the ground, his hands moving to her waist to keep her body close to his, pressing his forehead against her with his eyes closed. Luna's delicate fingers glide through his blond hair, the golden strands starting to reveal darker roots underneath. Wooyoung returns with the blanket in hand, a soft smile playing on his lips as he watches the scene unfold.

“Is everyone ready to eat?” Jongho says coming back into the lounge, his eyes resting on the couple.

“Absolutely, I am starving!” Yeosang says coming in behind him

San and Luna pull away from one another, San letting go of her waist. Before making her way over to Yeosang she softly kisses Sans cheek. It seems kisses were on the cards for everyone at this point as Yeosang is next in line. Jongho can only watch on as he goes to sit on the floor, wanting to hug her too but feeling too awkward.

“It is so nice to have everyone back home again!” Seonghwa says sitting beside Jongho, his legs stretched out under the coffee table and his back resting against the sofa

“Oh I am so looking forward to this tonight!” Luna smiles as she sits on the floor beside Wooyoung. He instantly pulls her onto his lap, wrapping her blanket over them both and puts his arm around her. His nose nuzzles into her neck, kissing the skin making her smile more.

“Before we get fully settled into our night, I have some good news for you all.” Hongjoong says as he comes into the lounge

His announcement commands attention. The room falls silent as everyone turns to face him, curiosity piqued.

"Once we return from LA, we'll begin working on our new Japanese song and album," he reveals, "Luna will be joining us for the translations and pronunciation!"

The room erupts into loud excitement as Luna can only blush and hide her face into Wooyoungs chest.

Mingi grins broadly. "I was hoping you'd be part of it!"

San adds his own praise. "We couldn't ask for a better translator or pronunciation guide for this album."

Luna peeks out at the others from Wooyoungs chest. “Thanks guys. I honestly shouldn’t be anywhere near a recording studio or associated with it in anyway as I sound like a dying cat and I am completely tone deaf! However, languages and translations are my speciality so I will work extra hard for you all.”

“Just be yourself, don’t stress yourself out over it. You are amazing at what you do and we have complete faith in your skills.” Seonghwa says

“I spent most of today doing the song translations from Korean and Japanese and over the next week I’ll be working with Hongjoong and Mingi on their lyrics for the new song.”

Mingi gasps dramatically. "So you already know which songs are on the album?"

She nods, amused by his reaction. "Based on your surprise, I'm guessing you didn't?"

Jongho interjects eagerly. "Which songs?"

"Cyberpunk and New World," she reveals, then frowns slightly. "You guys really didn't know? Was I not supposed to tell you yet?"

"Don't worry, Luna. I'm sure Eden planned to tell us tomorrow." Hongjoong laughs easing her concern she had revealed something she shouldn’t have “We will all just act surprised when he does!”

“I am slightly nervous as I’ve never translated something so important before but I am also excited to see the whole process. See you all recording too.” she says

“We are thrilled to have you working with us on our music. But even if you weren’t involved in a professional level, we would still have wanted you there for it.” Jongho says from the opposite side of the sofa. His gaze holds hers, a genuine smile on his face that makes her heart flutter.

“Absolutely!” Yunho agrees, “Now lets dig into the food before it gets cold!”

The guys begin to open the pizza boxes as Luna feels Wooyoungs arm around her tighten, his fingers playing with the fabric of her sweatshirt. “It is going to be awesome, jagiya.” he whispers kissing her softly

“Dear god Wooyoung, let Luna breath! You’ve had your lips attached to hers since she got home!” Mingi teases with a chuckle

Grinning mischievously, Wooyoung fires back, "Oh please, Mingi. You're just jealous that she wants my lips tonight and not yours!" Laughter fills the room.

“I had lots of Luna kisses while you were away!” Mingi replies with a smirk

“Oh my god!” Luna groans dramatically, rolling her eyes but unable to conceal the smile tugging at her lips.

“Guys maybe we should take it down a notch,” Yunho interjects gently, mindful of Luna's comfort. After she confided in him about her insecurities, he was extra cautious not to escalate any teasing that might make her feel uneasy. Concerned that the route the conversation was going down could lead to that situation, he wanted to slow it down now.

“It is cool.” Luna says smiling over at Yunho, letting him know she was fine with the current level of banter. “Woo just needs extra attention tonight, isn’t that right little baby!” she adds playfully looking at Wooyoung as he pouts back at her causing her to peck his lips as the others continue to laugh

As everyone begins to start taking the food and pouring drinks, Jongho's gaze remains fixated on Luna and Wooyoung, who seem to be lost in a little bubble of their own. He observes as Wooyoung leans in close and whispers something into Luna's ear, earning a sweet giggle from her before she gently hits his arm playfully and places a tender kiss on his cheek, and Jongho can't help but envy the easy intimacy between them.

His chest feels heavy, aching to embrace her closely like Wooyoung is, to share whispered conversations that light up her face with joy, and to feel the warmth of her lips on his cheeks

He felt the same way when he saw San kissing her, Yeosang too. It wasn’t jealousy he felt towards the others, far from it. Just a sense of longing that fills his heart as he yearns for a connection like theirs – to hold Luna close, whisper into her ear, and make her laugh effortlessly. The accidental closeness they shared last night, when Luna fell asleep on his shoulder, only amplified these desires.

Just as Jongho contemplates his own desires for Luna to reciprocate his feelings, their eyes meet. His head screams to look away, fearing that she might see the intensity in his gaze and feel uncomfortable by it. However he finds himself incapable of turning away, captivated by Luna's radiant smile and the adorable scrunch of her nose as she winks at him. In that moment of a shared moment between just the two of them, the heavy weight on his chest evaporates into a comforting warmth that spreads throughout his entire body. Unable to resist, he returns her smile, recognising the unspoken connection they are having.

“Luna, we went to that vegetarian place you told me about the other day so we could get you the tteokbokki you love.” Yeosang says handing the food container to her

“Ooooh!” Hongjoong exclaims, his eyes widening at the sight of it. Memories flood back of Luna bringing him some tteokbokki on the day she visited his studio for lunch, and how delicious it was.

“You want some?” Luna asks him with a grin on her face

“N-no!” he stammers, “That is your food. The guys got it for only you.” but Luna catches his longing glance at the food

Luna rolls her eyes playfully and picks up an empty bowl, she tips some into it and leans over Wooyoung passing it to Hongjoong who is sitting beside him.

“Just take it or I will get annoyed with you!” she says with a hint of teasing in her voice as Hongjoong shakes his head at the offering

“Thank you Luna.” he smiles appreciatively at the sharing of her food

“What exactly does vegetarian tteokbokki taste like?” Wooyoung curiously asks

“According to my friend Nayeon, who hates anything vegetarian it is exactly like proper tteokbokki. Obviously I can’t confirm that since I’ve never had it with fish cakes or fish sauce.” Luna answers holding a rice cake up for him to eat

“Well I can confirm it does and it is amazing!” Hongjoong smiles passing it around the others to try

“Wah! It does!!” Wooyoung exclaims in surprise and enthusiasm after trying the dish.

The others all chime in, quickly polishing off the portion Luna has passed to Hongjoong.

"BBT sent us some clips of the choreo they’ve been working on for the tour," Yunho beams. "It looks really good!"

“I took a quick look at it earlier. It is definitely going to be challenging, but we will nail it with practice.” Mingi replies, nodding in agreement

"Cyberpunk is shaping up to be quite the spectacle from that sneak peek!" Yeosang grins. "I think it will leave a lasting impression!"

Luna’s ear prick up at this, wondering what he could mean by it. She chews slowly on the pizza in her mouth as she ponders it.

“Yeah, the surprise element in this choreography will for sure blow everyone away! I can’t wait to see the full routine tomorrow and get started on it.” Wooyoung exclaims eagerly

Luna couldn't contain her curiosity any longer and blurts out, "What kind of element?"

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and see, little one! I have a feeling you in particular will appreciate it!" Yunho teases with a sly grin, causing Mingi to chuckle and adding to Luna's intrigue.

"Make sure you swing by the practice room after lunchtime so you can witness it firsthand." Wooyoung joins in with the teasing pulling her closer

“Okay, I haven’t watched the clips yet but now I want to know what this is too!” Jongho interjects, his own curiosity setting in as the others laugh

The group continues to chat as they eat all the food until they were all full. Luna stayed on Wooyoungs lap the entire time, happy being close to him and not feeling awkward around the others either. Sharing her fears with Yunho, receiving reassurance from Yeosang the next day, the previous day's events, Seonghwa's supportive response and the heart-to-heart with her mom, Luna finally feels completely relaxed and unburdened. She knows that the day will come really soon where she needs to reveal her bipolar disorder to the rest of the guys but she is no longer scared for that moment now.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: .☽ . :☆ﾟ. ───

Taglist: @kiwibaekie @fudgeflyssworld @kodzukein @elk-1998 @khjcoo @pepperony-7 @ateez-babygirl @starillusion13 @stephy-nicole13 @truthbehindthereflection @livingdeadlisa @stayteezdreams @atinyapple1117

[nomsfaultau]

thank you so much for writing mandatory family reunion. i just reread it for the eighth time. i think im going to dedicate my life to life to reading your other sbi fics until you update again. also; do you have any tips for committing to fics and not leaving them half-finished?

ahhhh that’s so sweet glad you enjoyed! As for writing fics, having it be your special interest really helps. But for more general advice on finishing:

-Don’t stick to just one story. Which seems counter intuitive! But inevitably you’re going to hit a snag in one story. So instead of stopping writing at all, switch projects. Writing involves a whole bunch of thinking, and stuff needs time to percolate in the back of your head. But having a small project to work on in the mean time keeps you engaged in the writing process, gives you practice, makes you feel like you’re making progress, and allows time to work out the other story. I personally have 1-2 main projects, Fault and MFR, and then rotate a couple back burner stories that I work on whenever I get inspiration and fully expect to have very slow progress and possibly never finish. Short stories, one shots, hell even just writing little one off scenes that don’t go anywhere. It’s a way to keep writing fun and thus you’re more likely to continue working on the stuff you’re trying to complete. Don’t feel bad if there’s breaks between working on your main project. Writing involves a lot of thinking and it takes time to do that.

-Devoting time to do that thinking also significantly helps. When you’re falling asleep can be a good time to rotate stories in your head. Could also be if you’re walking from place to place, or brushing your teeth, or other little gaps in the day. Even if you’re not physically writing, it’s still part of the process and can make it easier when you actually sit down to write because you know what scene you’re most excited to work on. Also, talking over your story idea with a friend is a great way to stay motivated if you can get over the mortifying ordeal of being known. You can bounce ideas off them, and other people’s investment in a project can be a great motivator to finish. Like legit a single ao3 comment once stopped me from my plan to abandon a fic. Reminding yourself why you (and other people) like the story makes it easier to want to continue.

-Keeping a rough outline of what you envision for the story can give you a road map to how close to done you are and where to go next. Just like you can hop between projects, I find jumping around the plot time line to write what scene I’m most interested in atm keeps me going instead of writing everything in order. Though, all writers have different degrees of plot planning, so that depends on your style.

-Art! I’m an artist, and while writing definitely fuels what I draw, I find doodling cool scenes I want to write really inspires me to keep going. This sorta falls under the same category of continuing to think about the story and motivating you to finish. -I found keeping a writing journal has improved how I view my writing. Basically, I’ll jot down a bullet point list of scenes worked on that week/month. Writing is a very slow process, so seeing a timeline of actual progression on a story makes it feel like I’m actually getting more out of my head and onto paper. I also jot down what ideas for scenes I came up with since that’s also part of writing, and might include a chill no stakes writing goal for that period, like work on X or Y project, or a particular scene. Sometimes my goal is just ‘write at least one sentence’. I give it lots of leeway, and accept that the muse may just be somewhere else that week. And if the goal isn’t met, no sweat! Life can get busy at times and it’s more important that you aren’t beating yourself up if it’s been awhile since you last touched a project. Forcing yourself to write a scene that isn’t ready won’t result in a good scene or an happy writer. Switch projects, give yourself time to think about it, take care of yourself, etc.

And, legitimately, don’t be afraid to abandon a piece. Maybe you’ll come back to it, maybe you won’t. It can feel disheartening to feel like you can’t seem to finish a project, but unfinished pieces also do a lot for you: they hone your craft, allow you a creative outlet, give you scenes that could potentially be reworked for later pieces, and most importantly were hopefully fun to write! Story crafting is a hobby that should bring you joy, not frustration and shame.

Like, I have stories that will never see the light of day and are just so I can have fun and poke it with a stick occasionally. I’m 100% confident in saying that every author will have tenfold the number of unfinished wips compared to complete works. That’s just part of the creative process: exploring different worlds to find the one you want to write.

Perhaps a fic might never get finished, but in the wise words of Technoblade: “if you enjoy it, it’s not time wasted, no?”

(Now, I think he was talking about murdering people, but the point still stands.)