#most messages i just replied with the stop or blocked them but these two i sent snarky responses before blocking

[fairy-ganj-mother]

getting messages saying I should vote for kamala because she'll "protect Israel against hamas" and messages that democrats are too woke bc they allow trans people to exist is making me fucking SICK TO MY STOMACH

socialism 2024 please, end this two party nonsense.

[reyalvr]

SHE’S MINE | 02

-SO I HOPE AND PRAY YOU MAKE IT WORTH IT.

synopsis ┊ thrust into the spotlight, ken sato had easily become the next big thing tokyo had seen in decades. alongside his fame came the inevitable string of rumors, of which sprung forth scandals and discrediting information against his image. of course the obvious and most rational solution would be to address them like every other celebrity, but this was ken sato; nothing would ever be rational with him, which is how you wound up with a ring on your finger and the sato name in your papers. 

genre ┊ fake dating, fake marriage, idiots-to-lovers, friends-to-lovers, slight angst, chaotic fluff, mild smut

pairing ┊ ken sato x fem-PA!reader, ken sato x fake-wife!reader

warnings ┊ mild cursing, eventual smut, mentions of alcohol, all events in ultraman: rising take place a year after kenji moves back to japan

word count ┊ 3.2k

author’s note ┊ YAPPEE! part two officially out- so sorry for the wait EUEUEU… hehe hope the things that happen in this chapter make up for it being a few days late :p also, i will not be accepting anymore tag list requests! this is due to the amount of users that i can tag per post T^T … nonetheless, i hope you guys enjoy the chap! happy reading :D 

p.s. i will be blocking the people who message me (rudely) to “hurry up” with the next chapters. i understand most, if not, all of you are excited to read the next chapters, but please do understand that i have my own schedule too :,)

prev. | next

YOU HELD YOUR HEAD IN YOUR HANDS, GROANING INTO YOUR PALMS. In front of you sat the thorn at your side, Ken Sato. He had just finished reading- or rather, skimming through the files you had stayed up compiling. You peeked at him through your fingers before standing up to erase yet another column of pros and cons from the board. 

Taking a swig from the energy drink he had brought you, you shake your head as you try to figure out what to do next. Truth be told, you were just eager to leave. You had two weeks left until you could finally let these burdensome tasks go, all you wanted was for Ken to go along with your last few instructions so as to make your exit easier. 

“I don’t get what’s so hard about this, Ken.” You say, turning back around to face him. “You pick a girl, you ‘date’ her for a bit, and then you ‘split up’ amicably. Simple as that.” 

He tilted his head at you, a sarcastic smile on his lips. “Oh sure, yeah. Let me just go out with a random girl and act like I’m head over heels in love with her.”

“Yes, exactly that.” You reply with the same tone, going back to your seat. “Now you’re getting it!”

He rolls his eyes, placing the stapled papers back on your desk. “I get it, I fucked up. But I still don’t get why you’re so…” He pauses, pressing his lips into a thin line and gesturing with his hands. “Persistent in actually trying to get me to date someone for the sake of my screw up.”

“And I don’t get why I have to keep reminding you of why I need to do this.” You lean back into your chair while pinching the bridge of your nose. “You were the one who-”

“-’Told the entire world you were in love’, yes I know! You’ve only said that like, what, a hundred times over?” He cuts you off, crossing his arms. “I know what I did. But I also know that I have a choice in this matter, don’t I?”

You go to reply but stop when you register his words. You knew that, obviously, which is why you had multiple plans. You were giving him the chance to choose, were you not? The various notes and drafted project plans were proof of that. They were all laid out right in front of him, what more could he possibly want? You look at him briefly, your eyes scanning his expression before darting back to the things scattered atop your desk. 

“I’m giving you choices.” You say flatly, slowly looking back up at him. 

“No, you’re giving me options and expecting me to choose.” He counters, his hand gesturing towards the papers. “I’m talking about my choice. My plan, suggestion, whatever you want to call it.”

“So what is your plan? Because as far as I’m concerned, you don’t seem to actually have one.” You reply, brows slightly furrowing at his stubbornness. 

“And that’s the point. I don’t need a plan,” He pauses, pointing his finger directly onto one of the outlines and it towards you. “I just need to ride it out.”

You let out a scoff, stunned at how Ken was still treating this so lightly. The corners of your lips tug up a bit, and you end up letting out a soft laugh in disbelief. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Am I, though?” He leans back, maintaining eye contact with you. “It’s the choice that takes the least effort. And besides, I thought you liked it when I kept things private.”

“Oh, don’t circle this back to me.” You say, pointing a finger at him. “Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to address your little mishaps?” 

“Yes, I do. Which is why I’m trying to help you.” He says a-matter-of-factly, his eyebrows raising as if to emphasize how much he understands what your job entails. 

“No, you don’t.” You argue back, mimicking his crossed arms.

“Were you always this stubborn?” Ken says, catching you off guard. 

You feel your features scrunch up in confusion and annoyance, narrowed eyes slanting even more as this back-and-forth of yours keeps going. “You’re one to talk.” 

At that he smirks slightly, rolling his eyes as he pokes a tongue into his cheek. The audacity of this man to act annoyed. You think, all the while you continue to glare at him. You close your eyes for the umpteenth time that morning, taking in a deep breath as your nails dig into your palms. Despite wanting to calm yourself down, his words rang in your head like an unwanted mantra.

His choice.

Would it be so bad to give Ken free reign on this? Granted, he was the one who caused it. Why be the one to clean up his mess- again, for that matter? You pinch the bridge of your nose, shaking your head once more. You could never understand how his mind worked, and you figured you probably never would. You tapped against the desk with your pen, bouncing your leg as you pondered on what to do. 

Your plan? Everything sets sail smoothly, with only the liability being either party slips up. Which, in your defense, you could cover up in the blink of an eye. His plan? No plotline with room for spontaneous detail sharing whenever he pleased. More work for you, more freedom for him. You stopped tapping then, clicking your pen into place. In your moment of contemplation, you had realized then this entire thing was useless. His plan, your plan, all the plans. None of them mattered, not if the end result was going to be the same. 

Goddamnit, you hated Ken Sato. 

You flip one of the stapled pieces of paper over, drawing over the blank side. “The start of your first full season with the Giants is in less than fourteen days. By then we would need to have already released another press release- ideally before your conference.” 

Ken jumps slightly, caught off guard by your sudden return to work mode. He watches as you line up different keywords with boxy arrows, all of which lead up to the ‘end’ of his lie. “What exactly am I looking at?”

You flash him a smile, albeit a fake one, and slide the paper to him. “Your plan.” Leaning back in your chair, you make a show of stretching your arms. “You’re right, we should go with your plan.” 

He laughs then, noting the lingering hints of sarcasm in your tone. “[Y/N], what are you doing?”

“Giving you your choice.” You reply with a small shrug. 

“Yeah, I can see that.” He says, his smile slightly faltering. “But… why?”

“It’s your life, isn’t it?” You tilt your head to the side, your lips pressed into a thin line. 

Now it’s his turn to be confused and annoyed. The way he understood this, you were letting him win. You were waving a white flag, surrendering to his incessant pleading. He scrunched his brows, still trying to process your words. You continued to sit there, waiting eerily patiently for him to respond. 

“And you’re serious about this?” He questions once more, hesitant to believe that you of all people would back down so quickly. 

“Mhm,” You hum, fiddling with your thumbs. “I’m just your assistant. Well, for two more weeks, that is.” 

He felt like he was being played. He blinked at you, mouth slightly agape. The you that was sitting in front of him now was different from the you thirty-six hours ago. Yesterday, you were desperate for him to follow your plans. He recalled your words, ‘If you're actually as sorry as you say you are, you’ll do as I say.’ But now that you’re telling him to do exactly what he wants, he’s nervous. 

Nervous that he finally caused you to hate him for good. 

“If you’re done sitting there like I said something stupid, you can go. Coach wants to see the team, it’d be in your best favor not to be on his bad side two weeks before playoffs.” You say, not even looking at him directly. 

He clears his throat, licking his lips. “Right, well, okay.” He stands up, sliding himself into his jacket before walking towards the door. “See you, then.”

You only hum in response, still not looking at him as you continue fixing all of the papers on your desk. Just before he’s fully out of your office though, you call out to him. 

“Yeah?” He answers immediately, peeking his head through the door. 

“Have fun riding it out.” You say, flashing him a smile. A real one, this time.

A WEEK HAD GONE BY JUST LIKE THAT. Surprisingly, Ken had been able to keep things under control. Even his comments to street paparazzis were concise, almost as if you were the one who coached him his lines. While you had expected him to do nothing, just as he suggested, you hadn’t expected him to last this long without an intervention from you. 

You sat by your window as your body sunk into your armchair, your eyes threatening to close. The early blue hues of the morning had started to break through the night sky, the clouds slowly parting to clear the sky. You typed vigorously against the keys of your laptop, eyes following the blinking cursor to prevent yourself from falling asleep right then and there. 

You had been up for hours constructing your updated résumé, keeping all your needed information concise and in one page. Despite having a well-rounded history in regards to jobs, the lingering fear of keeping yourself afloat was an inevitable burden you were scared of accidentally fulfilling. You had family, yes, but relying on them did something to your pride. Most especially since you had been low-contact ever since you abruptly moved to the city. 

Seeking help from friends was another option that was off the table. In all your years of working in the entertainment industry, the amount of people you had let into your life dwindled as you realized people’s true intentions. You had merely three people left in your life, and that was by far more than enough to keep you sane throughout the rest of your life.

You sighed heavily, rubbing your eyes with the back of your hand. Truth be told, despite the factor of having to deal with Ken, this job has been the best in terms of your benefits. He was much like you- little circle, low-contact. Even his own team was a limited number, leaving you to deal with other jobs and tasks that would otherwise be done by different people. Yes, the workload was tiring, but the pay was enough to keep you alive ten times over. You could only say a silent prayer to whoever was listening to bless you once more once you let go of this for good. 

You sat back, finally satisfied with the way your page was laid out. You faced towards your window, closing your eyes as your breathing steadied. The birds were starting to chirp, the sun casting a foggy glow through the clouds. In this moment of solitude, you allowed yourself to relax; it was more than deserved. Not like anything could happen in your sleep, right?

WRONG, SO VERY WRONG. You groaned as you were awakened by the continuous buzzing of your phone. At first you had thought it was an alarm you had accidentally forgotten to shut off, but when it continued on, you eventually had to force yourself to wake up.

The sun was high up now, bright rays peeking through your blinds. You squinted, uncurling yourself from your chair as you got up and stretched. You yawned, scratching your head as you finally unlocked your phone. You were greeted with an endless stream of notifications, your mail app and other social media platforms pinging by the second. There was also the factor of the loud noise outside, though you made it out to be some kind of commotion or parade. 

Your screen then flashed the caller ID of an unknown number, followed by another sea of notifications. You blink yourself awake, now slightly worried at just how much texts and emails you had been receiving. Did Ken do something? Did someone die? Did Ken die?

Before you could even open any of the messages, you hear the familiar ringtone of one of your closest friends. You slide to answer, pressing your phone up to your ear. “Ami? What’s up, what’s wrong?”

She laughed, and you could practically see her shaking her head at you. “I’m guessing you just woke up? Check literally any news outlet right now, you’re gonna wanna see this.”

What the hell was going on? You mumbled something in reply, putting her on speaker as you did what she asked. 

You wished you hadn’t. In bold, bright red letters, the article’s headline read:

Extra Innings in the Press Box: Ken Sato’s Hidden Romance with Assistant Revealed! 

What you saw next nearly had you chucking your phone into the nearest wall. Attached right under the headline was you and Ken. You and Ken. You let out a curse, and you could hear the sighs coming from Ami on the other line. The picture was clearly shot from a hidden vantage point, the branches from the trees blocking the camera proof of it. Despite the distance, though, yours and Ken’s faces were clearly visible. 

“What the fuck!” You yell, now fully awake eyes wide in confusion. “When was this released? H-How did-”

“Two hours ago. Apparently some passerby sold the picture to the press, and said passerby just happened to be paparazzi.” Ami cuts you off, her tone serious yet concerned. “Trust me, if I had known something like this was going to be released, I would’ve done something about it.”

You left your phone on the kitchen counter as you paced back and forth, your hand glued to your forehead as you tried to wrap your mind around what was happening. Obviously it wasn’t true, you of all people knew that. But nobody else did, and that was the problem. 

“Ami what the hell is happening?” You manage to breathe out, still pacing. “This is all so-”

“Much? Yeah, I know.” She cuts you off again, and you can hear the bustling sounds from her office. “My own publisher is on my neck for this, God only knows what you’re going through. Are you okay? If you need help this could technically be classified as invasion of-”

“I do need help because this whole thing isn’t-” You start, but are ultimately cut off again when you hear the sounds grow louder outside. 

“[Y/N]? ‘You there?” Ami’s muffled voice calls out as you walk towards your window, peeking down to where the commotion was coming from. 

“Oh shit.” You gasp out, eyes widening even more as you realize the noises were coming from the sea of reporters and photographers waiting outside your townhouse. 

You swallowed hard, stepping back from the window with a hand to your mouth. This cannot be happening, this had to be some sick nightmare. Stumbling towards your phone, you mumbled some reply about needing to go before abruptly hanging up the call. Rude, perhaps, but Ami would understand. 

In the span of two hours of that damn article being released, eager and greedy gossip outlets had found your address and swarmed your only safe space. You held your phone close to your chest, running up to your room as you tried to catch your breath. You closed your eyes once more, breathing in and out heavily. The more you tried to convince yourself that this wasn’t happening, the more you slowly realized that it actually was. 

You opened your phone once more, muting all your socials and other messaging apps. You needed to think, and you needed to act fast. By memory, your fingers automatically scroll for Ken’s legal team. Having gotten him out of falsified defamations multiple times, acting during these types of situations was almost a second habit. But this didn’t involve just him, it involved you. You were a part of this mess, you couldn’t be the one to solve it.

A mantra of curses conjured up in your head, and you delete the previous number you had dialed in. Think, damnit. Think, think, think. You thought to yourself, nervously chewing on your bottom lip as you prayed for a solution to be presented to you. An alternative popped up into your brain then. Albeit that alternative was stupid, but it was something. 

You dialed his number, anxiously waiting as it rang. 

KEN WAS ON HIS BREAK, SITTING ON THE BENCH AS HE WIPED THE SWEAT OFF HIS FOREHEAD. Playoffs were about to start, and Shimura was working them to the bone to make sure everyone had their head in the game. He let out a deep breath through his nose, arms resting on his knees as tried to calm down after a few laps around the stadium. The rest of his teammates seemed to be reacting obnoxiously over something, though he didn’t have the energy to feign enthusiasm. 

One of his teammates teasingly nudged him then, giving him a playful grin. “Your secret’s out, huh? All this time you were with her.”

Ken laughed it off, still oblivious to the fact that nearly all of Japan now knew the face of his supposed girlfriend. He noted the specification in his tone, as if he were referring to a mutual friend of theirs. Which, again, was impossible- nobody but you knew the secret he was hiding. He gave them a nod before returning back to his own space. 

He felt his watch buzz against his wrist, and he was all but surprised to see you calling him on your day off. He sat up straight then, grabbing his phone to answer the call. He had to admit, he answered a little too excitedly. Or nervously. He couldn’t differentiate the two, not when it involved you. Ever since the start of this stunt, something in him shifts whenever you or anything related to you gets mentioned. He brushed it off as some sort of familiarity attachment, the weight of your sudden resignation still heavy on his shoulders.

Was he sad to let you go? Maybe, he wasn’t entirely sure. Aside from the fact that he had Mina, you did your job well. You knew the ins and outs of everything he liked and disliked, you kept him organized and on track. Sure, losing you would be another hurdle he would have to get over, but that doesn’t mean he would be… impotent without you. He clears his throat before he finally brings the phone up to his ear.

“Hey-” He starts, but stops when he notices the frantic panic in your voice. “Woah, hey slow down. What happened?”

“You happened.” You reply then, albeit through a shaky breath. 

“What?” He questions, brows furrowing in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“It’s exactly as I said. You happened,” You paused, taking in a deep breath. “And now I need your help. Please.”

reyalvr © 2024 … do not repost, alter, or steal my work.

tags┊@mochminnie, @rreasonablydumbb, @sincerest-one, @fruticake, @lunaryasha, @lovingyeet, @sugacor3, @arrozyfrijoles23, @fennecspage, @mmeerraa, @azryaa, @akiradailylifes, @montybooks, @mmv-ymvm, @hore4ken, @greeniegreengreen, @meikoo, @random-3455, @todaywasafairytale07, @mythicalmoa, @imafangirlofeverything, @astylos, @vynwan-cbq, @rosegiyanabing, @icedberrytea, @ken-zah, @letharue, @chi222, @flooftoof, @c4ttheart, @ymrai, @stxrrielle, @alpha-mommy69, @ewitscat, @lightsinmycity, @furblrwurblr, @ayamago, @sugururawr, @secretlyapartofthisfandom @shellspider, @oh-kurva, @noraimp

[webslingingslasher]

Unknown Sender

happy valentine's day!

MONDAY: 13:52 

‘hi.’ Peter squints at the message, then the unsaved number. He's not sure how, but it’s a scam. 

‘i’d like to have your attention, please.’ Peter rolls his eyes, swiping left to not only delete but report the number as junk. No doubt it was a bot or someone with a flair for sextortion. 

A new number. ‘that was actually so rude of you, parker.’ 

‘unblock me right now.’ 

Peter shifts in his seat, he does a slow look around the room and finds nothing off putting or alarming. 

‘Who is this?’ 

Green bubbles pop up. ‘unblock me and i’ll tell you.’ Peter was right to guess about extortion. Another swipe, blocked and reported. Peter wasn’t participating in any games. 

A new number. ‘oh, now you’re just being cute.’ 

Peter feels his heart pick up a bit, it’s a tad threatening and now he’s overthinking it a little. What if someone has it out for him? Is there a mark on his back? ‘Please leave me alone.’ 

‘no.’ 

‘can we play 21 questions?’ 

Peter’s face scrunches up, he spins his head around one more time, someone is fucking with him. He has no clue who has time for something like that in university, but he’s not a willing participant anymore, not since high school. 

‘Leave me alone. Go torment a freshman.’ 

‘i don’t like freshmen. i like you.’ Peter chews at his bottom lip, there was a second of hesitancy but he knows the truth deep down. ‘I’m blocking you.’ 

‘sure. i’ll keep texting you, too.’ 

‘I’ll change my number.’ 

‘noooo please don’t do that. i had to work hard enough to get it the first time.’ Peter doesn’t respond. He blocks the number and moves on, and they don’t try to text him again.

Until the next day and Peter knows two things for certain. There is a note in his backpack, and it wasn’t there before his econ lecture. He remembers pulling that pocket open before he started notes, then when he went to zip it up, a note. 

This upsets him. What good was any sense when someone could get that unnoticeably close to him without him knowing? Second, it’s a little frustrating not to know who this person is and how it most likely is connected to the texts he had a few days ago, and that it’s an extremely long played joke that’s mostly boring. 

‘Peter Parker- 

You’ve been secretly admired. It might not be very secret, because I think you’ve caught me staring at you a thousand times. I like you a lot. 

Hopefully liked back, 

-X’ 

But a part of him believes it’s true. He’s trying to think of who’s in his lecture, if he’s caught them staring then they’re either to the side or behind him. There are too many faces, too many times he’s been looked at, he’s almost centered, it’s his fault for choosing a focal point. 

Instead of throwing it away, he refolds the pink handwriting and puts it back into place before hitching a strap over his shoulder and sliding behind chairs. One, two steps up he glances at your face, you have a weak smile, he returns the same kind, it’s more like a polite nod. Peter’s always thought you were pretty and he thinks you're nice. 

But really, he’s wondering who left the note. 

10:30

‘did you get my note?’ Peter does his normal scan across campus, again, his fault for being out in the open. This person could be anywhere, he’s on a picnic bench with a group of friends. If he’s smart, he’d start limiting himself to contained spaces and make you show yourself. 

‘Yeah. Who is this?’ Peter’s thumbs dance around the screen waiting for a reply, it comes quick. ‘i told you. x.’ He stops himself from rolling his eyes, he doesn’t know anyone with an ‘X’ anywhere in their name. 

‘Is that an initial?’ 

‘actually, i’m pretty sure it’s british for kiss.’ 

‘That’s a wild take. Are you saying the UK is responsible for XOXO’s?’ 

‘i’d like to make you responsible for my xoxo’s.’ Peter chews his bottom lip, he won’t play into anything in writing. He doesn’t believe this for a second, everything about this feels off. Someone’s fucking with him and they’re also in his class, or they have someone in on it in his class. 

But this is too advanced.

‘sorry. i don’t mean to like harass you or anything. you’re really hot but you scare me, i don’t think you would like me so idk, maybe if you talk to me you’d like me for me or something.’ 

‘i just think i’m punching wayyyy above my weight class here and i may be making this worse because there is no doubt you think im weird.’ 

‘i am weird. i should leave you alone now. i’m sorry.’ 

Peter reads his screen four times, it’s still not clicking. He’s nothing special and he doesn’t mean that in a way to dog on himself, he’s just nerdy and quiet. It seems a little too authentic to be fake, but he’s got to make sure. 

‘How’d you get my number?’ 

‘your friend. they have been sworn to secrecy but they know what i’m doing and they are in full support. take that as you will.’ 

‘Depends on the friend.’ 

‘i’ll tell you when you find out who i am.’ 

‘I’m going to find out? You’re not going to tell me?’ 

‘i don’t think i’ve been hiding it. you just haven’t been paying attention and now i want you to.’ 

‘Oh, but you’re shy?’ 

‘i’m about to pass out on the lawn behind this fucking screen, don’t play with me parker.’ A slip, you’re around him and you just admitted it. ‘Tell me, admirer, what are you wearing?’ The more detail the better, but he could work off of just a color. 

‘nice try. but you’re looking mighty handsome in the blue.’ A glance down, he suddenly feels watched. ‘Are you stalking me?’ 

‘oh no! no no no. i PROMISE you i’m not that fucking psychotic.’

‘i’m just a “sneak a note into your backpack” level of crazy. i’m here with my roommate and her boyfriend. i saw you and just wanted to know if you got it, i promise.’ 

‘You do understand that this situation makes you seem psychotic, right?’ 

‘yes. but i am not.’ 

‘That sounds like something a crazy person who got my number from a third party would say. Especially after I blocked you six times.’ 

‘it was three and you didn’t understand my intentions but okay. you have a fair point and i extend the olive branch of brett. he gave me your number and he knows me pretty well.’ 

Brett? Easy enough, he nods his head towards him and slides his phone across the table. “Explain.” His friend scrolls through the thread, a trustworthy smile spreads. “Yeah, I gave her your number.” Her. Okay, it’s something. “Who is she?” Brett shrugs, “you know her. She’s kind of a firecracker, you just make her nervous.” 

“That gives me nothing, Brett.” His friend blinks, “she’s not crazy. She likes you a lot for whatever fucking reason and has no idea how to approach you.” Peter’s letting his words soak in, “don’t believe me? Ask her about the grilled cheese, and make sure you tell her that I told you about how she went on for five fucking minutes about the grilled cheese.” 

“What grilled cheese?” Brett slides Peter’s phone back, he’s telling him to ask you. Something tells Peter it’s enough to embarrass, or it might be Brett being the ultimate wingman.

‘I’ve been told to ask you about the grilled cheese.’ 

‘oh god. there is no need to ask about the grilled cheese, did brett tell you about the grilled cheese?’ 

‘He told me to ask you. And to specify that you went on for five minutes about it.’ 

‘five is excessive, it was more like three. second, there is nothing to speak about.’ 

‘I would like to hear about it.’ 

‘i’d prefer if you didn’t.’ 

‘But you’ll do it for me?’ 

‘i’m weak for you and you know it. it’s sicking, parker.’ 

‘i heard you talking about making one in class and you said something about the crust and i really fucking love grilled cheese’s so i had a trip to fantasy land where you made me one and how it’s probably the best thing i’ll never get to taste.’ 

‘Wow. Five whole minutes on that?’ Peter won’t admit it made him feel a little warm on the inside, the most mundane of things to have someone so squirrely makes him feel unworthy. 

‘three.’ 

‘Tell me who you are and I’ll make you a grilled cheese.’ 

‘you have no idea how much that almost worked.’ 

‘What’s the plan then, master manipulator?’ 

‘i don’t know yet. i’m hoping you show me how smart you are and figure me out, then you can do all the hard questions.’ 

‘Hard questions?’ 

‘you know, do you wanna go on a date, do you wanna be my girlfriend, do you want to take my hand in marriage and have a summer home in the french alps? that kind of stuff.’ 

‘Totally not psychotic.’ Peter tucks his bottom lip between his teeth to hide the smile that wants to spread. 

‘mostly not.’ 

WEDNESDAY: 13:57

Peter doesn’t know who X is, but they’re clever and have zero effect on his sixth sense. He doesn’t know if that’s a good or bad thing. Either way, he’s reading a note scribbled in blue pen and as he studies the words he knows it was rushed. It’s proof that he wasn’t being followed everywhere, instead you saw an empty table and an opportunity. 

‘Peter- 

You use mostly gender neutral pronouns. I think that’s very cool. Is it weird that I notice those things about you? Also- what is it that you’re always drinking from Nuthouse? Asking for a friend… 

Have a good day! 

-Your not so secret admirer, X. 

‘Not so secret,’ Peter isn’t sure about that. You’ve done a good enough job at not trying to be obviously known, he might have looked up your number last night to find dust. One was from an app, but the one you’ve been using is a burner phone. 

What he’s really not understanding is how you’re able to get so close to him without him noticing. You had to have been millimeters away when you rested the letter on his backpack, he was gone for less than two minutes and he had zero awareness. 

Peter folds up the note and sticks it in the same pocket as the other one, his back slung around one shoulder as he moves up the stairs for the library. At the same time, you come down the opposite side, Peter gives a friendly acknowledgement. 

You choke down the lump in your throat. “Hi, Peter.” He’s already past you, it’s echoed behind his shoulder. “Hey.” It’s something. You’re trying, you’re trying to be bold for him. But he’s not going to notice, he’s never going to notice you and if you tell him who you are you’ll never live past his disappointment. 

Your phone vibrates, the other phone. Your heart picks up, Peter texted first. 

 14:02 

‘Dirty chai.’ 

‘best of both worlds. how fitting. you’re such a nonconforming king.’ 

‘I don’t even know what that means.’ 

‘But thank you?’ 

‘you’re welcome!’ 

‘anything fun on the roster today?’ 

‘Roster? Who are you?’ 

‘idk you make me nervous. blame yourself.’ 

‘Well, coach. Nothing fun on the roster, just some math. Wanna swap places with me?’ 

‘gross. i hate math so if you like it that’s good with me. one of us has to be smart and it’s not me.’

‘Smart enough to use a burner phone.’ 

‘oooooh, someone tried to find meeee.’ 

‘Can’t blame a guy for being curious, can you?’ 

‘were you disappointed when you found nothing?’ 

‘A little bit. But, you know, it keeps the imagination alive. A little unfair advantage on your side though, you already know what I look like.’ 

‘if it helps, you already know what i look like too.’ 

‘I do?’ 

‘yeah. we’ve talked before.’ 

‘Wait, so I know who you are?’ Brett said he did but Peter thought he meant you’d be familiar, not that he actually knew you. This just opened the floodgates to a million more possibilities. 

‘not really but yeah i guess. you know i exist but we’re not friends or anything.’ 

‘I’d like to think we’re friends, but okay.’ 

‘not outside the texting.’ 

‘That’s your decision.’ 

‘HATER.’ 

‘Anymore hints?’ 

‘.... no.’ 

‘HATER.’ 

FRIDAY: 12:15

You’re about to spill hot tea everywhere but it’ll be worth it to see his face. You ignore your pounding heart and stand in front of him. He’s got no clue you showed up, zoned out looking at the clock on the wall across from him. 

“Hi, Peter.” 

Full frontal attention, he’s looking at you. He’s perceiving you, he’s smiling at you. “Hi,” your eyes expand, he knows your name and it sounds so nice coming from his mouth. Sure, you’ve chatted with each other- even shared a few highlighters, but nothing serious. You’ve always been too scared to try anything else but maybe your fear has been mistaken for indifference. 

“I um, I lucked out today at Nuthouse so if you like dirty chai’s I got an extra one.” Your knees feel weak at his bright eyes, “my favorite. I’d love one, thank you.” You pass over the paper cup, your fingers brush and you think you’re about to collapse. 

“Yeah,” a weak laugh. “I had a feeling.” Peter tilts his head at you funny, you wonder if you pushed a little too far. “Okay, um, I’m gonna… have a good… lecture.” Peter nods and watches you go two rows up, he’s finally got a gut feeling. And it tells him to keep an eye out for you. 

TUESDAY: 12:10

Not that Peter was reliant on your attention, he was used to it. So when the texts stopped for three days and he was unable to find any letters he assumed you had lost interest and moved on. That felt fair to him, no harm no foul, at least he never really got to know you. 

Nevermind, there’s a folded notebook page on his miniature desk and his heart speeds up. His next task, put eyes on you. Bottom level, book and pencil in hand. He makes sure to note it’s a pencil and not the green ink that’s spread across the page. 

Peter thinks it’s a mind game, you were smart enough to know he’d look. Unless he was totally wrong on his guess. 

‘Peter- 

I ran out of minutes on my phone and I’m having a broke college kid moment. However, a friend took pity and donated a twenty to the campaign. I hope you’ve been good- I’ve missed talking to you. 

- Your not so secret admirer, X’ 

ps. stop keeping your backpack so close to you.’

It wasn’t anything personal, you just ran out of minutes. Peter smiles so wide he has to drop it, he almost clutches the paper to his chest in a thank you. Eyeing his backpack, he nudges it a little further behind him, following instruction. He’s kept it close in hopes to catch you, but instead he’s pushing you away. 

Peter’s committing the writing to memory as if he’s going to find you by the handwriting alone. A quick glance at footsteps, you’re three steps away when you smile. “Hi, Peter.” He nods, “hey.” You pause for a moment, mind racing for words. 

“Did you, um- did you do anything fun this weekend?” You’re about to crawl into a hole and die, it takes a moment to click that you were speaking to him. He went as far to look behind himself, then he spewed the answer to try and make up for the lost time. 

“Oh, uh not really. My aunt got a new bed so I had to lug the old one down seven flights of stairs.” Your eyes widen, you feel your mouth go dry and your tongue go thick. “By yourself?” Peter crosses his arms over his chest, a boyish grin swept over and you feel heart eyes form. 

“I’m a good nephew.” You want to pat his head and tell him you’re sure he is, then maybe hold him at gunpoint and tell you more stories about how he’s a perfect humanitarian. But you act like a normal human and smile back, “you sound like it.” 

Peter thanks you and you return to your seat with wobbly knees and a weak stomach, it’s silent torture to tease yourself like this with him. But you can’t help it and it’s only in effort to go after what you want. Even if it blows up when he figures out who you are. 

12:13

‘you’re looking mighty handsome today, mr. parker.’ 

‘I’m wearing a hoodie, but thank you.’ 

‘i said what i said.’ 

Boldly, ‘i see someone had another dirty chai. can’t stay away from them, can you?’ 

Another tick in Peter's stomach, he almost looks behind his shoulder at you, but he doesn’t. ‘It was a generous donation from a classmate.’ 

‘oh? pray tell, peter. pray tell.’ 

‘What? You don’t have a clue about who gave it to me?’ 

You swallow thickly, before you could get something out he sent another message. ‘No chance you didn’t see it go down?’ 

‘how could i? I was still on my way.’ 

‘... or was i?’ 

‘Tell you what, X. It one of the best teas I’ve had in a while.’ 

And you’d be damned if that didn’t make your entire chest flutter. 

FRIDAY: 15:29

“Here,” Peter’s hand clasped over the paper slapped into his chest. A hint of a syllable, Brett cuts himself off. “She asked me to give this to you.” Peter quickly read it and stared down before confiding in his friend for a second. 

‘Peter- 

Roses are red, violets are blue, all that I think about is you. 

It’s sweet in a cringy way, right? Boo on you for skipping class today, if you want, I could get you some notes. 

I hope I’ll see you Tuesday. 

-Your (really) not so secret admirer, X

ps. A pen exploded in my pocket. 10/10 chance my thigh will be stained.’

“I think I might know who it is.” 

“Uh, huh.” 

“But, she’s way out of my league.” 

“Correct.” 

Peter raised his eyebrows, “so it’s her?” He clarified with your name, Brett shrugged back. 

“I won’t be confirming or denying.” Peter knows what that means, “the lack of a no usually means yes.” 

“Bro,” Peter starts sputtering, “oh, c’mon! You know what I meant, I just meant that, I just- c’mon, Brett. Is it her?” 

“I have no idea who that is.” Peter wants to call bullshit, he has a gut feeling and he swears it’s you. You’re right, it’s not so secret. In fact, you’re painfully obvious. 

FRIDAY: 23:14 

‘you are soooooooo cute’ 

‘like your hair is so cute’ 

‘i looooove curly hair on guys and you have that!!!!!!!!!’ 

‘and you’re really funny cause like it’s so quick and witty like you have such good one liners’ 

‘also you’re really fucking hot and i KNOW you’re hiding something under those fucking sweaters and the second i see skin i WILL go feral.’ 

‘Something tells me you’re at the Kappa party.’ Peter’s pretending he doesn’t have a searing blush. If he’s got an inkling this could be you… then he might have proof for the non-believers that god exists. 

‘yes!!! are you here?? i should come see you.’ 

‘I hate to disappoint you, but I’m currently at a friend's house playing a Mario Kart drinking game.’ 

“But it’s nice to know that you’d give me your identity that quick.’ 

‘oh i can tell you who i am.’ Peter frowns at the text, he’s been doing nothing but crave the answer to who’s behind the love letters but it feels wrong. It’s not satisfactory enough for him, it’s also not what you want, you’re just drunk- and Peter’s going out on a limb here- horny. 

‘Save it for later.’ 

‘And maybe drink some water.’ 

‘i’d do anything for you cause you have the world's prettiest brown eyes’

‘Thank you for the compliments.’ 

‘you’re super welcome i try to hold them back because i’m a good girl but you’re just so cute i had to let you know’ 

‘I think you’re going to super regret this in the morning.’ 

‘false. maybe fact idk’

‘i should trust you tho because you’re super smart and you’re a nerd.’ 

‘I fear this is taking a turn for the worse.’ 

‘and that is so fucking HOT’

‘Oh. Back to compliments. Thank you.’ 

‘if you were here i’d give you a kiss’

‘IGNORE THAT!!!!’

‘I DIDN’T MEAN TO SEND THAT!!!! IGNORE IT’ 

‘Not ignored. How cute.’ 

‘screaming crying throwing up’ 

‘i really didn’t mean to send that it was a joke ha ha funny.’ 

‘Idk, sounded authentic to me.’ 

‘peter?’ 

‘Yeah?’ 

‘i’m a little drunk rn. and you should know how cute you are.’ 

‘Oh, I’m talking about record breaking levels of regret. This is amazing.’ 

‘i have to pee but i do not reget this!!!!!!’ 

SATURDAY: 09:54

‘i stand by my claim and do not regret a thing.’ 

‘correction. i regret this hangover and the way my previous texts are not very cool girl of me.’ 

‘but i would like to know if you won mario last night.’

‘also, who’s ur fav character?’ 

11:12

1. Proud of you for owning it, that’s very cool girl of you. 

2. I did not win. 

3. Petey Piranha. 

‘who tf is petey piranha.’

‘Mario Kart Sunshine. Came out in 2002. (Originally on GameCube but recently released on switch.) (Hell yeah.)’ 

Your heart thumps, he’s such a nerd and you wanna kiss the air out of his lungs. ‘out of all the characters and u choose him. why petey piranha’ 

‘One guess.’ 

‘PETEY PIRANHA.’ 

‘OH MY GOD.’ 

‘you’re petey piranha <333’ 

Peter fights a grin, ‘I am.’ 

‘you’re so cute. i love that.’ 

‘Personally, in the past 24 hours I don’t think I’ve heard enough about how cute I am.’

‘you’re insufferable and it’s sexy.’ 

‘Oo, new one to the mix. You’re making me blush.’ You really are. He’s never been considered sexy before and it feels really nice. 

‘and i bet you look super cute.’ 

‘Super true.’ 

TUESDAY: 12:34

‘white t shirt white t shirt white t shirt WHITE T SHIRT.’ 

‘You like?’ 

‘i’m about to cry i’m biting my fist so fucking hard.’ 

‘:)’ 

‘you’re so ubuibabeyia.’ 

‘Bless you.’ 

‘?’ 

‘Sorry, I assumed you sneezed.’ Peter never whipped his head around so fast at an audible laugh behind him. It was short, it had escaped without being thought about. He’s looking for you, but it doesn’t seem like it was you who laughed. You’re engrossed in chatting to your neighbor. 

On the other hand, you almost blew it by clasping your hands over your mouth. Instead you looked next to you and said, directly and with a burning gaze, “I need you to pretend we’ve been talking this whole time.” 

‘Someone’s losing their edge, you’re just begging to be caught.’ 

‘oh, i’m begging all right.’ 

‘can you hear me whimpering too?’ 

‘Easy, killer. Let’s not start sexting at noon on a Tuesday.’ 

‘are you saying there is a time for it?’ 

‘Give me a little wave and we’ll see.’ 

‘too late, i’m passed out on the floor. the only thing that can resuscitate me are those thick arms wrapped around me.’ 

‘Let these strong arms sweep you off your feet, all you gotta do is come talk to me after lecture…’ 

Peter says that, but he doesn’t mean it. He’ll definitely eat his words when he sees it’s you, then he’d be coming up with a thousand ways to back out of it. He’s so much more than you deserve, you feel so safe behind a keyboard but in person you can barely say a sentence. 

It’s stupid and a little humbling because you’ve never felt this way about a guy before. 

‘trust me, i’m better in your imagination.’ 

WEDNESDAY: 14:22

‘Peter- 

You know a little about a lot and I think that is one of my favorite things about you. Or maybe it’s your voice. I could listen to you talk forever. 

-Your not so secret admirer, X’ 

A note under his textbook, if he follows his hunch then he’d be looking for… you. Conveniently three tables away and to the right of his own, you’re not looking for his reaction, you’ve got your focus on your own textbook but he swears you’re retaining none of it. It’s a distraction, or maybe it’s a diversion. 

Peter doesn’t mind. He’s going to wait. He has all the time in the world today and he’s going to sit here with his eyes on you until you look up at him because he knows you’re going to and once you do, he’s going to have his answer. 

If he’s right, and he swears he is, he’s going to absolutely lose is shit because what do you mean you like him and are intimidated? You boldly lied when you said you were punching above your weight class. Does it make him a jerk to say he wasn’t even thinking of you as a suitor and maybe a girl with a much more average look?

 Peter counted to sixty twice, you glance up, eyes shooting to the note you left on the table. The next stop, Peter’s face. And oh, you were not prepared to have him looking right back. Panic, you shoot a wave, a desperate attempt to pretend you’re seeing a familiar face. 

Peter waves back but he looks much more satisfied than you did, you wonder if the jig is up. Did he crack the code? Was he just trying to find a friendly way to let you down? Deny til death, he has no proof it’s you. You pack your things up, a hurried scramble before you could lose your cool. 

On the way out you almost stop breathing, your forearm caught in Peter’s hand. You’re staring down at it, he’s not removing it. It burns in the best way. “Hey,” you wait, you can’t stop looking at his hand, the muscle, the subtle flex, his fingertips paler to show his grip. “Hi, Peter.” 

It’s breathless, you think you’re about to die. If he asks, you don’t know how you’ll lie your way out. 

Guess who’s got a stained pocket? The corner edge darkened with black ink that would never be washed out. Peter has his answer. You’re her. You’re X. “Thanks again for the tea.” 

 Maybe you wanted more, you feel a bit deflated when it’s all you receive.

“You’re welcome.” Your arm feels cold when he drops his touch, you linger for a second too long, you’re not sure when you’ll be this brave again. It was too much of a close call. “I hope the rest of your day is good.” 

Peter’s got a charismatic grin, he feels settled now that he knows you’re the anonymous lover in his life. Even more so when you find yourself shy and reserved in person, it almost makes him giggle to think of the stark changes in confidence.

“You too.” Your body engulfs into flames when your arm is caught again, you’re struggling to keep calm at his boyish smile. “Quick question,” you nod slightly, trying to show zero paranoia for the following words. 

“Do you have a boyfriend?” 

Short circuiting. You see black spots, you think you’re about to pass out. There is only one thing that means, no guy asks that if they weren’t interested in changing that, right? 

“No.” It’s anything but graceful. It sounds like you’ve never had a boyfriend before. It makes you sound like you’re scared he asked it. 

But, Peter doesn’t take it like that. He smiles wider, like he already knew the answer before he asked it.

THURSDAY: 16:37

A new letter, stuffed under the top handle of his backpack. Peter listened and stopped setting it next to him, in return he was rewarded. He can’t stop the small smile, you make it involuntary at this point. Peter’s never felt so special in his life, a little part of him wants this to never end. But he’d much rather look you in the eyes. 

‘Peter- 

I had a dream with you in it last night. Don’t worry, you had your clothes on. I’m not sure what we were doing but you were across from me at a diner and we were sitting in those super thick booths and our friends were there. 

I don’t know who these friends were, and I don’t think you do either. But I knew them as our friends. 

It felt really nice. I’m happy to know you, even if I just get this little piece. 

-Your not so secret admirer, X’

Peter’s been wrong a lot in his life but this time he really thinks he has it figured out. He’s much more bold now, this letter tells him it’s not infatuation, it’s love. 

You love him and he thinks he could love you too. 

FRIDAY: 20:08

‘Hey.’ Peter could be making the worst decision of his life here, he could be reading everything wrong and ruining this for himself. 

‘hi peter!’ But he really thinks he’s got it right.  

‘I really, really liked talking to you for the past few weeks but I think I should tell you that I like someone else.’ 

Gut wrenching despair. You knew it was too good to last, you knew he’d find someone more in his league. Someone who’d be willing to show him their face. There was no reason to respond because what would you say to that? 

‘thank you for letting me know that opening up to you was all for nothing!’ 

‘thanks for making me doubt love!’ 

‘hope you and her are so fucking happy together!!!!!’ 

Fuck it all and fuck Peter. He just liked the attention until it came from somewhere else. You don’t think you like him all that much anymore. You think you’re lying, too. Before you can give into the desire of hurting him just as bad, you calmly turn the phone off and stuff it in the back of a desk drawer to never be uncovered again. 

You slowly sit in bed and tug the blankets over your head. And only then, do you allow yourself to sob. 

Peter chewed on his bottom lip and waited an hour with constant phone checks before he realized a response was never coming. It really set in during the weekend but even further when he got no note or letter on monday. Not even when he left his backpack unattended for five minutes. 

TUESDAY -he was able to see you and how you avoided his eyes. How you pretended you didn’t see him send a small wave. How you had pulled back from him. 

And if he hadn’t hurt your feelings, or X’s feelings, why would you do that? 

You look up at a two fingered knock at the corner of your desk. “Hi.” You blink and ignore the white noise buzzing in your ears at the sight of Peter standing in front of you. “Hi, Peter.” 

“How was your weekend?” Bitter. Terrible. Lonely.

“Fine. Nothing exciting.” Besides you breaking my heart. 

Watching his fingertips dance on the edge of the plastic, you feel everything in you brighten. “You look sad.” There’s a burn in your stomach, he’s the reason for both the sting and the sadness. 

“Do you need something? Or are you just doing a friendly check in?” Peter bites back the grin when you snap at him, he’s so, so, so right and it feels so, so, so good. “Neither. I’m just confirming my suspicions.” 

“Suspicions?” 

“Yeah. You passed.” Your eyebrows furrow, before you could try to question further Peter was giving half a wave, saying bye, and skipping a step to his aisle. 

FRIDAY: 12:08

You stop breathing for a solid second before feeling your brain spark back to life. It could be anything, it could be from anyone, but you know there’s only one person who would’ve left a note on your desk. 

Your fingers slightly shake when you unfold the graph paper, little squares bled through with black sharpie. 

‘X-

Am I right?

Hopefully, 

-  Peter’ 

You can’t breathe, you can’t talk, you can’t move and you definitely can fucking not look at him. No, no, no. You can feel his eyes on you, you know he’s watching for your reaction. Peter figured you out and had his own fun along the way. 

You were the girl he liked. Oh, wow. Is this how special you’ve made him feel? Something just for your eyes, from him. A secret you both shared between lines. 

You spin and swear you can feel his gaze running over your back, he’s aching for the answer. You almost scream at a tap on your shoulder, a peek lets you know it’s the person you’re hiding from. 

Another note, folded up just like the other one. It’s pushed into your hand, Peter doesn’t say a word, he just offers and leaves. He’s not watching this time, he’s sitting and focused on the front, you feel air leak back into your lungs. 

Full on panic shaking, you’re so happy he’s not watching. 

Your name is addressed on the front, just like you do for him. 

‘I like you. 

I think you not so secretly like me too. 

We could talk more about it at dinner tonight. Will you let me take you out?

Circle yes or no. 

- Peter.

PS. XOXOXO now you’re responsible for mine, too.’ 

[thebeast-dennis-etcetera]

Interference Part 2

Prompt: You run to your FBI neighbor when you and your boyfriend get into a fight.

Part 1

You shut your laptop with a frustrated sigh and crossed out the last address you had written down on your pad of paper. The last two days you had been searching for a place to rent, only to be turned down due to your bad credit or limited income. You didn’t have the privilege of asking your family for help, most of them had shunned you once you got into your relationship and the few that did still speak with you were in no position to lend you money.

Your phone rang again for the 3rd time in 30 minutes, a blocked number popping up on the screen. You had ignored it the last 2 times for the fear that it was your boyfriend, but he should still be in jail with no chance of making phone calls, right?

Deciding it wouldn’t really hurt to answer it, you slid the call open and instantly regretted it once the familiar devious voice spoke to you.

“Hello bird,” he greeted with fake sincerity, using the pet name he made for you as a jab at your eating habits. The fear shot through you just as hard as the other night, rendering you speechless.

“I’m out baby. I’ll be home soon and we can sit down and talk about everything. Hopefully you were able to get the house cleaned, it was a mess the last time I was there.”

He didn’t get a chance to say anything more before you ended the call. Anxiety and fear began creeping into your body, making you scramble to grab a luggage bag from the closet before shoving some clothes, toiletries, and your laptop in it. Running into the living room, you peeked out of the curtains, hoping to see Aaron’s car in the driveway. No such luck.

So grabbing your keys, you left the house, not even bothering to lock it and threw your luggage into the backseat of your car. You tore out of the driveway and down the street like a bat out hell, unsure exactly how far away your boyfriend was. As reckless as driving 50 in a residential was, you took your chances of being pulled over and put as much distance between you and that house before dialing Aaron’s number at a red light.

“Hotchner,” he answered professionally from the other line.

“Aaron. He got out. I don’t know how, maybe his mom paid his bail. He called me and said he was on his way to me.” Your words were fast and frantic. You would've continued rambling had Aaron not stopped you.

"Y/N. Just take a deep breath for me, alright?"

The light turned green and you did as he instructed, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly, it doing very little to calm your frazzled nerves but appreciated it regardless.

"Now do you have anywhere you can go, maybe a friends house or family member? Somewhere you'd be safe?"

"No," you spoke. "I don't have any friends and most of my family disowned me when I got into this stupid relationship. The rest of them live on the West Coast."

There was a pause of silence as you felt him thinking over the phone. Most likely figuring out the easiest way to get rid of you and your problems.

"Alright. I have some down time before my meeting in an hour. Why don't you come by and we can figure out a plan. I'll send you the address, just take the elevator to the 4th floor."

A second later you felt the buzz of your phone from the incoming text message. "Ok. Thank you so much Aaron. And I'm so sorry for taking up your time." Tears threatened to fall but you held them back.

"Don't be sorry, Y/N. I want to help you. Don't worry, we'll get this all sorted out. Just text me when you arrive."

"I will," you replied before you both said goodbye and hung up. You put the address in your navigation and drove mindlessly through traffic, so many thoughts going through your head it made you want to scream.

The address wasn't too far from your own homes, arriving there in less than an hour and heading into the very drab looking building before taking the elevator, texting Aaron that you had arrived on the way up.

You had just made it to the front desk before seeing Aaron headed in your direction, giving the receptionist a small smile. "She's with me Lonnette, thank you."

You waited as Lonnette printed your visitor badge and handed it over with a friendly smile before following Aaron through the floor, passing by glass offices and cubicles. You were quiet, not really in the mood for small talk which you felt he sensed and didn't bother saying anything as he lead you up some stairs to an office that you presumed was his by the gold name plaque on his desk.

"Have a seat, please," he offered politely, closing the door and walking over to his side of the desk. "Would you like something to drink? Water? Coffee?"

You shook your head. "No thank you. I appreciate the offer though."

He unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down, moving some files to the side. "So I'm genuinely surprised to hear that he's out of jail. You said you think his mother bailed him out?"

"Yeah. I don't think she knows anything about what happened but whenever he asks her for money, she just sends it to him. I think she feels guilty for never being in his life so giving him money when he needs it helps her feel better about it." You rung your hands together, anxious about the whole situation as well as being there, talking with a man that was pretty much a complete stranger, bugging him for help.

"And he called you afterwards, telling you that he was on his way? Did he seem upset?" His tone was curious as if trying to get every piece of puzzle to fit perfectly in order to build an accurate idea of who your boyfriend was. It made sense considering his profession.

"I don't know. He's really good at hiding his anger until he snaps. He was talking like nothing had happened and we were just going to go back to normal." Your head whipped towards the open window blinds where someone was just walking by, Aaron noticing your jumpy behavior immediately.

"You're safe here. No one knows anything about what happened except you and I," he reassured you, making you relax just a little. "I don't think he'll be out of jail for long though, at least until he sees the judge for arraignment. I will personally see to that."

His words brought you a bit of placidity and hope as you still wondered why he would go through such lengths to help you out.

"I do have a small flat not far from here that I use occasionally for late nights at the office when I don't want to drive all the way home. You can stay there for now, until you find a place of your own if you'd like. Completely up to you, I don't want you to feel pressured."

Your eyes looked up from the floor to meet his, surprised by his offer.

"I- uh. I couldn't impose on you like that-

"You wouldn't be. I barely use it anymore, I prefer to be at my home with my son whenever I can."

Son? He has a son. Of course he does. He probably also has a wife or at least a girlfriend since you didn't see a ring on his finger. The thought of him with a son didn't bother you, in fact it only gave you more of a reason to trust him.

"If you're sure you don't mind," you said, trying not to sound too excited, relieved that you wouldn't have to go back to your boyfriends house. "Please let me pay some sort of rent or something though. It's the least I can do."

He shook his head no, his expression soft and nonchalant. "Don't worry about it. You're gonna need the money for your new place. Just promise me that you won't contact him or go back to that house unless you have some sort of escort, preferably by law enforcement."

You could be my escort.

You nodded in agreement, ignoring your thoughts.

“Alright then. I can send you the address and give you the keys now. I'm not sure if the fridge is stocked but feel free to add or throw anything away. There is a washer and dryer there so you can wash the sheets and anything else you need." He pulled his keys from his desk drawer and removed a ring with a single key on it, holding it out for you.

You took it gratefully and stood with him as he buttoned his suit back up and checked his watch.

"Could I at least make you dinner or something?" you blurted, not sure where such confidence came from. "I mean, I just want to do something for you in return for your incredible generosity." You couldn't stop the blush from burning your cheeks, your words successfully embarrassing yourself.

A small smile played at the corner of his mouth, showing off just the slightest sight of dimples. "I'll be with my son tonight but maybe we could grab a coffee sometime tomorrow."

You smiled back, more than satisfied with his offer and followed him out of his office, feeling a few stares from people but avoided eye contact. Aaron walked you back to the receptionist and even had her add you as a contact so visiting would be an easier feat.

"Thank you again Aaron," you spoke, the anxiety you had been feeling for the last few hours, finally beginning to dissipate. He answered with a friendly nod and you entered the elevators. Once the doors closed and you were completely alone, you took in a deep breath. Maybe everything was going to be ok like he said.

[hotshotsxyz]

7x10 coda. beware the spoilers

Three months pass, and Eddie still isn’t used to it. It’s too quiet at home, and too awful at work, and he still grabs two bowls every morning even though he’s the only one eating.

He thinks about quitting, again. Leaving behind Captain Asshole and following Christopher to Texas. He knows he can’t. He’d promised. Eddie clenches his fists and forces himself to finish buttoning his uniform.

He sends Christopher a text, the same one he sends every morning, then shuts his phone in his locker.

“Line up in five,” Gerrard bellows from the loft. “If you’re late, you’ll be scrubbing the rig with a toothbrush, no exceptions.”

Eddie stands mechanically and walks over to the bay.

Another day, another goddamn reason to bury himself in blankets and hide until the world ends.

Buck invites him over for dinner most nights, or offers to go home with him. Eddie says no more than he says yes, but Buck… Buck’s always known Eddie better than he knows himself. He doesn’t stop asking.

“C’mon Eddie, it’ll be fun—you, me and Tommy, we can come up with ways to drive Gerrard insane.”

Buck looks at him, soft and imploring, an expression Eddie rarely knows how to refuse. But despite everything that’s happened, Buck’s managed to carve out a small sliver of happiness, and Eddie doesn’t want to drag him down.

“You go ahead,” he says. “I’m picking up half a shift at  the 136 tomorrow. Need to get some sleep.”

It’s true and it’s not. He is picking up the shift, but he doubts he’ll sleep.

He goes back to therapy, but he never knows what to say. It was all—everything was in his head, last time. It’s not, now. It’s all real, and it all hurts, and no amount of talking about it makes it hurt any less. He says as much to Frank.

“Then why are you here?” Frank asks.

Eddie looks away. “I don’t know,” he says.

That’s not quite true either.

Kim calls him, and Marisol doesn’t. She leaves voicemail after voicemail, apologizing for that night. Eddie can never bring himself to answer the phone. Eventually, he blocks her number.

He texts his own apology to Marisol, but it never goes through. It’s probably for the best—he doubts the message would’ve made either of them feel better.

Eddie needs—he doesn’t know. Before, he would’ve said time. Now though, he’s got all the time in the world, and he’s desperate to get rid of it.

Buck calls. Eddie can’t answer him, either. He lets it ring out, then listens to the voicemail.

“Hey Eds, it’s me. I uh—just wanted to check in. It’s been a couple days. Call me when you can.”

Eddie tells himself he will, but he has no idea when that’ll be.

Christopher doesn’t text him, but he does text Buck.

Eddie never asks what he says, and Buck usually doesn’t offer to tell him.

“Just—he’s okay, right?”

Buck smiles, a little bit sad, and leans into Eddie’s space. “He’s okay,” he says. “He misses you, even if he’s not ready to tell you that.”

Tears streak down Eddie’s face before he even realizes he’s crying. Buck wipes one away and pulls him against his chest.

“What if he never comes home,” Eddie whispers into the soft material of Buck’s sweater.

“He will,” Buck replies. “He will.”

Good morning, Eddie texts on the one hundred and second day since Christopher left. I love you, and I hope you have a good day.

He drops his phone on the table and tries not to hope for a response. A second later, though, it dings. Eddie’s heart leaps into his throat as he scrambles to open the message.

Morning, Dad.

[babyfoxflower]

The Hunter and the Hunted

Human! Alastor x Fem! Reader

*Disclaimer: This story is an AU and does not follow Hellaverse canon. Alastor is pretty much just a hetero, if this offends you in anyway, then I suggest you block me and go on your way.*

Synopsis: This the story of Alastor and the love of his life, his huntress, the charming Y/n Rosier. A rare beauty out on the bayou, his heart is instantly stolen by her. He’ll do anything for his beloved, even if that includes murder.

Story Warnings: 18+, MDNI, Violence, Blood, Hunting, Murder, Mentions of Child Abuse, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, 1920s Attitudes Towards Women

Prev Chapter Two Next

All week long, both Alastor and Y/n could not stop thinking about each other. The desire to see each other was so intense, it was almost like a calling. Like they were being pulled together by an unseen force.

Y/n rolled out of bed. It was just before dawn, light hadn’t even managed to reach the window. She had an interesting dream the night prior. It was her in the snow, only wearing her pink slip. Tears were streaming down her face, she fell to her knees and sobbed so hard that she couldn’t breathe.

Suddenly, someone came up from behind her, placing what felt like a coat on her shoulders before scooping her up in their strong arms. The warmth enveloped her body as she felt herself slowly calming down, when she looked up at who was holding her, it was him. It was Alastor.

The look he gave her was the most comforting she had ever seen in her entire life. She buried her face into his chest, the feeling that she was perfectly safe and protected washed over her. The feeling that she was where she belonged, and was with who she belonged to and who belonged to her in return.

“That was some dream,” Y/n smiled to herself.

Time to get up.

She got cleaned and dressed before anyone else was even awake. That was part of her duties as the acting head of the house. The rest of the morning for her consisted of hanging the laundry to dry, cooking breakfast for her family, waking her sisters up, made sure they were fed, bringing food to her mother in bed, and then finally she got to sit down and eat.

That was how it was every single morning for her. She always ate last. After breakfast, she helped her sisters get ready for Saturday catechism classes. They were held in a little school house about a mile away from their house. She packed their lunches and sent them off with a kiss and a hug.

After checking in on her mother a few more times, Y/n finally had some free time to herself. She thought back to her dream and what it could possibly mean. Part of her was hopeful that it was a message from some higher power that Alastor was going to be the one to save her from this repetitive life.

Sure, she loved her family. She loved her family more than anything. But she also felt the stress taking its toll on her.

What selfish fantasies…absolutely selfish.

Then the familiar sound of the bell came from her mother’s bedroom, snapping her back to reality.

“Coming, Mama!”

———————————————————————

Strangely, Alastor woke up that same morning from that exact same dream that Y/n had. Of course, there was no way of knowing that. Alastor laid there for a moment, missing the feeling of her small body against his.

“Mm…Y/n. Let me hold you just a little bit longer, my dear,” he groaned.

“Alastor! Wake up, Darling! It’s time for breakfast!” His mother called from downstairs.

He rubbed his temples before reaching over to grab his glasses off his nightstand, “I’ll be down in a minute, Mother!”

A smile crept on his face as he realized it had been exactly a week since he seen her. The day he planned to visit her.

I can’t wait to see her.

He got cleaned and dressed before making his way downstairs. His mother was already sitting at the table, eating breakfast.

“Good morning, Mother,” he said as he gave her a peck on the cheek.

“Good morning, Honey. Porridge is on the stove, help yourself,” she replied.

“Alright. Thank you.”

Alastor fixed a bowl of porridge and poured a cup of black coffee for himself. Then he took a seat at the table across from her.

“Make sure you say Grace.”

He sighed and clasped his hands together, “Bless us, O Lord, and these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen,” he finishes with the sign of the cross.

“The Lord thanks you,” she smiled.

Alastor almost rolled his eyes but he knew better.

“So, are you going to tell me about that girl you met last Saturday?” Her eyes met his, a brow raised.

He took a sip of his coffee, “Why?”

“Because I’m your mother and I want to know what’s going on in your life.”

“She needed help carrying a stag she shot back home, so I gave her a hand.”

“Are you sure that’s all?” His mother questioned further.

“What do you mean?”

“It’s just you were gone an awful long time. And you’ve been acting strangely since.”

He looked at her with a face of utter confusion, “Strangely? What ever could you mean, Mother?”

She paused, “I can’t quite put my finger on it, but you seem to have your head up in the clouds more. Like you’re dreaming about something or someone?”

Damn, she’s caught on to me. I swear nothing gets past her.

“I…I can’t stop thinking about her. But that’s all I say about that,” Alastor looked down at his bowl.

“Hmm, I figured as much. So, you’re going to go see her again today?”

“How did you know?” He blushed.

“Haha! I didn’t until just now, Darling. It’s cute, you have a crush!”

“Don’t say that, Momma….” He mumbled under his breath, pouting.

“Aw, you haven’t called me Momma in years! My baby has a crush! My baby has a crush!” She teased.

“Stop!” He put his hands over his ears, as his face turned scarlet.

His mother cackled, “Alright, I’ll leave it. I’ll leave it.”

“Thank you,” he said before finishing his breakfast.

———————————————————————

“Give your little girlfriend a hello from me,” his mother said from her rocker, cigarette in one hand, newspaper in the other.

Alastor ignored her comment, “I’ll be back in a little while.”

“Alastor.”

“Yes, Mother?”

“I love you.”

His face softened, “I love you too, Mother.”

The leafs and twigs crunched under Alastor’s brow leather boots. There was a chill in the air. It was surprisingly cold for October, especially in Louisiana.

Alastor preferred summer, when it was too hot to think. Because when it was too hot to think, it was too hot to remember.

He couldn’t remember that night if it was summer. But on a cold day like this one, that nipped and stung, he couldn’t help remembering that painful night.

He put those memories in the little box he kept in the back of his mind.

Not today. We’re not reliving that today.

After a while, he finally came upon that familiar cabin with the picket fence. There raking up the leaves was her. It was Y/n.

“A pleasure to see you again, Sweetheart,” he grinned as he greeted her.

She smiled brightly as she looked up at him, “A pleasure to see you as well, Sugar.”

———————————————————————

“You have a lovely home,” Alastor took off his hat as he entered.

“Oh, thank you. I try to keep it as tidy as I can. Go ahead and have a seat at the table,” Y/n closed the door behind them, “Would you like something to drink? Tea? Coffee?”

“Coffee, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble, I actually just made a pot. I like having hot coffee on a cold day.”

Alastor took a seat at the kitchen table as Y/n walked over with two mugs and a pot of coffee.

“Do you take cream or sugar?” She poured some into each of the mugs.

“Neither.”

“Good, I take mine black too,” she handed one of the cups to him.

“Thank you, my dear,” he smiled at her.

She took a seat across from him, “So, is there is a reason that you stopped by or did you just want to see me?”

Alastor raised an eyebrow, “And what if I did just stop to see you?”

Oh god, I hope I’m doing this flirting thing right.

Y/n took a sip of her coffee, “Well, I certainly wouldn’t mind, that’s for sure.”

“Then, my dear, you’ll be pleased to know that I did come by to see you.”

She blushed, “You did!? I mean, so you did?”

Alastor chuckled, “Yes. You see, I enjoyed your company so much that I wanted to converse with you again.”

“I wanted to see you again too.”

His heart skipped a beat, “I’m glad we’re on the same page,” he took a sip of his coffee.

“Hotdog! This is a good cup of joe!” He exclaimed.

“Really? I didn’t do anything special to it.”

“Sweetheart, you have a talent for coffee making if I do say so myself! This is even better than my mother’s!”

That was the highest praise Alastor could ever give anyone, when he admitted that they made something better than his mother.

“Thank you! I’m so happy you like it. No one’s ever told me that before,” Y/n smiled shyly.

“So, where are those little ones I saw last time?”

“Oh, my sisters, they’re at catechism classes.”

Alastor groaned, “Ugh, I hated those classes. They were so dreadfully boring.”

“Haha, I didn’t really like them either. But it’s a family tradition.”

“Are you religious, my dear?”

“I guess not in the sense that most people are. I believe in God but I believe it’s more of a force that gives you messages when in hard times. I do believe in prayer too. But I don’t believe in Heaven or Hell. And I don’t believe any of that nonsense that’s in the Bible,” she replied.

“That’s an interesting take. I personally don’t believe in God at all.”

“Oh, I’ve never met someone who doesn’t believe in God in way or another. Is there a specific reason? I’m not judging, I’m just curious.”

Alastor took another sip of his coffee, “I just do not understand how people can still believe in things like God when the theory of Evolution has been proven. I’m a believer in science. In things that you can see with your own two eyes.”

Y/n sat looking thoughtfully, “Couldn’t science and religion exist together? Couldn’t they both be true?”

“That’s also a good point. I’m not someone who looks down on people of Faith, my own mother is one. I just don’t understand it. There’s also the question of why? Why would a higher power let terrible things happen to innocent people? Why would they let that happen to…. I’m sorry, dear. I’m rambling,” he laughed a little.

“It’s alright, I like listening to you and your thoughts,” she smiled sweetly.

“And I enjoy listening to you and your opinions,” he returned the smile.

“But, there’s one thing I’m sure we can agree on. That creation myth is a load of bull.”

“Yes. I completely agree with that!”

“I mean, why would a creator make only a male of species? Why wouldn’t they make men and women at the same time?”

“That doesn’t make a lick of sense. You need a male and a female in order to procreate.”

“It’s basic biology!” Y/n chuckled.

Alastor noticed an old little piano in the corner of the living area, “Is that the piano you were telling about before?” He motioned his head towards it.

“Oh, yes. It is,” she turned in the direction of it.

“Do you mind if I get a closer look? I’m quite keen on instruments.”

“Be my guest.”

He stood up and walked over to the piano. She followed behind him. He ran his fingers gently over the keys.

“I haven’t played it in a while, so it might need some tuning,” she informed him.

Softly, he pressed one of key down, a pleasant sound was produced, “May I? Play something for you?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

He sat on the bench and patted the spot next to him, “Don’t be shy, Sweetheart. I don’t bite.”

Y/n’s face flushed, “How do you know I don’t bite?”

“That’s a risk I’m willing to take,” he grinned.

She sat next to him. His fingers began dancing along the keys with such beauty and grace, like a professional pianist. He played a melody that she didn’t recognize, but it sounded absolutely lovely. And that was before he began singing.

I have an ear for music, and I have an eye for a maid

I like a pretty girlie, with each pretty tune that's played

They go together

Like sunny weather

Goes with the month of May

I've studied girls and music, so I'm qualified to say

His voice was so smooth and beautiful, she was entranced. He looked at her as he played, watching her expressions with amusement. He loved to entertain. He was a bit of a ham. But it might have also been because he was showing off for the little lady that caught his eye.

A pretty girl is like a melody

That haunts you night and day

Just like the strain

Of a haunting refrain

She'll start upon a marathon and run around your brain

You can't escape she's in your memory

By morning, night and noon

She will leave you and then

Come back again

A pretty girl is just like a pretty tune

He came to a finish and she applauded him.

“That was wonderful!”

“Thank you. Thank you,” he playfully bowed to her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard that song before. What’s it called?”

“A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody by Irving Berlin. I heard it on the radio one day. I couldn’t agree more with its lyrics,” Alastor smiled while looking right into her eyes.

Y/n blushed, “Is there a reason why you chose that song?”

“Other than the pretty girl in front of me who inspired it, no.”

Y/n’s heart was pounding in her chest.

“That was gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous!” A sudden voice came from behind them.

Y/n turned around to see her mother out of bed, “Mama, you shouldn’t be out of bed! Doctor’s orders, remember?”

“Ah Mrs. Rosier, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Quite a pleasure. I apologize if I disturbed you, I was just playing your daughter a song,” Alastor stood up and greeted the woman.

“Well, play me a song now please! Talented young man!” Y/n’s mother replied.

Alastor looked at Y/n. Y/n shrugged.

“I suppose it would be alright.”

“Very well. I’ll gladly entertain you two lovely ladies for as long as you like.”

“Hold on, Mama. Let me get you a chair,” Y/n said.

———————————————————————

Alastor got home just in time for dinner.

“How was your girlfriend?” His mother playfully asked.

“She’s not my girlfriend, Mother. At least not yet,” he said that last part under his breath.

“Well, did you have a good time at least?”

“The best,” he smiled softly.

“That’s wonderful. Now, go get washed up for dinner. We’re having jambalaya.”

“Jambalaya!” He exclaimed with almost a child like glee.

“Yes, jambalaya. Go get washed up already, boy!”

“Yes, Mother.”

He practically ran upstairs, as if that would make it cook faster.

His mother shook her head, “What am I going to do with him?”

Taglist 🏷️: @chibistar45 @ghostofajinx @girl-math-aint-mathing @91062854-ka @harmfulb1tch @2dmenforme @ladyadrasteia666 @uniquecutie-puffs @vxllys

[eydi-andrius]

Sore Loser (Love and Deepspace Characters x F!Reader)

Synopsis: After a very shitty day, you thought playing Kitty Cards with him will make your day better.

A/N: Girl, I hate this damn game. Lmaoooooo!

🗡️ Xavier 🗡️

Xavier didn't mean anything from it. He was just playing by the rules of the game, using his advance cards to parry and block your attempt to stop him from freezing your turn, four times by now. He was so focused on the game that he did not notice how your face became harder, and your eyes stared coldly at the board, now filled mostly with Xavier’s number cards. His kitties were cheering for him, and you watched helplessly as your kitties cried from defeat.

“That was a good game.” Xavier smiled to himself, as he saw how the game ended beautifully for him. He saved up as many good advance cards and used them at the right moment. He was so proud of himself and he can't wait to see your face. You usually analyze how he won, and take notes of what you did wrong. However, when he looked up, his joyous face turned down, and his heartbeat quickened when he saw how cold and mad you were. Your anger wasn't directed at him, instead, you were staring at the board coldly. But he knew at that time, he fucked up.

“I’m tired of this stupid game.” The chair scraped the floor, as you stood up so fast and grabbed your coat, placed atop the top rail.

“Hey wait!” He tried to stop you from walking out but he accidentally bumped into the board, almost toppling the cups and kitties over. In panic, he tried to support the wobbling table, and sighed with relief when it stopped shaking. He tried to find you afterwards, but he lost sight of you.

It has been two days, and as his partner hunter, it shouldn't be impossible for you to meet, but you must have been so mad because whenever he asks of you, you decline his calls and only reply in messages as promptly and professionally as an HR. He tried looking for you on your table, but most of the time, you were out or doing something else, whenever he came over. He was about to give up apologizing and accept his fate that he pissed you off at a game, so bad, you decided to cut him off, when Jenna ordered all the alpha team to meet at the unicorns headquarters for a debrief.

And he was right, you were there, but you were sitting in between two hunters he knew nothing about. He wasn't listening at all, he can always check on the information later, but he was afraid that if you manage to sneak out again this time, your relationship will fall apart and he doesn't like the sound of it, even when it wasn't going to happen because he will make sure of it.

“Let’s talk.” Before you can even stand up from where you were sitting, Xavier immediately moves over in front of you, calling your attention in front of the other hunters, making you unable to turn him down.

“Sorry. I should have known you were playing to enjoy that day. I didn't mean to make you mad. I will make sure to be more sensitive in the future about your needs. I know I can be slow at times, sometimes emotionless, but I don't want to repeat the same mistake and lose your company over a silly game.” Xavier started right after the door closed, leaving the two of you alone together. He looks tired. There were visible dark bags right under his eyes. He must have been torturing himself after you gave him the cold shoulder.

You feel silly now. You were not mad at Xavier for winning. It was just a shitty day and you were just looking forward to having a good day and resting with Xavier at your side, when it seems like even the Kitty Cards were against you. Xavier keeps on getting good cards, and you keep getting the most useless advance and number cards. You sighed and closed your eyes. You shouldn't have run away from him. Now, you made it worse and made him feel like he should tiptoe around your mood, instead of enjoying each other's company in your free time.

“Please, don't. It wasn't like that. I was just annoyed about my day at that time and losing was the final straw for me. I’m sorry that I made you feel like that for days. But I wasn't sure how to confront you, especially when I was just acting like a sore loser. Have you not been sleeping well? You have a bag under your eyes.” Worried, you cupped his cheek and moved his face closer to yours, inspecting and noticing how his face looks paler, dry, and tired.

Instead of saying anything, he hums at your touch, and he moves forward, resting his head on your lap.

“Let me take a little sleep. I miss you.” He said before dozing off, and you stroked his hair while he slept.

❄️ Zayne ❄️

Zayne is bad at playing the Kitty Cards game. Due to his fatigue, sometimes he mistook some colors as the same, making his turn score nothing. But today was a bit different. Zayne keeps on winning, and he keeps on using advanced cards that will be fatal on your turn. He steals your advance cards, takes away your good number cards, and freezes your turn. Meanwhile, you keep on getting advanced cards that mean nothing when you have no good cards at hand.

“I win again, huh.” It was obvious that Zayne didn't mean anything from that, other than him wondering why he won again. But maybe you're already at your limit and hearing that made you snap.

“Well good for you. I’m going home.” It was all you have told him before you left him dumbfounded on his seat, leaving him alone at the cafe.

Whatever you did back there was just embarrassing. It was just a game but you took it personally. You're not going to wonder if Zayne refuses to talk to you now, other than being your physician, after that embarrassing display of attitude when you lose. You're not even sure how you're going to talk to him today.

It's your physical exam and it's been two days since you always kept him on read or only replies with emoji. You have to toughen up and apologize. Zayne did not deserve being treated that way.

Upon opening the door to his office, you breathed in, swallowing all the courage you needed. You walked towards the chair and sat in front of him. He was busy typing whatever on his computer, but you know, he already glimpsed on your way, because you felt his heavy stare for a second, before it went back to his task at hand. It didn't take long when he finished and stared you down. It was so awkward and it was at this moment, where you wished to be swallowed down by the earth and be gone. You gulped and opened your mouth to apologize when he started talking first.

“You didn't tell me you were injured that day.” You shivered at the icy tone in his voice. Just like his evol, Zayne can also be cold and scary. He didn't even need for you to emphasize on what he just said, because you already knew what he was talking about. A wanderer caught you off guard hours before meeting Zayne and it scratched your arm. The wound is not that deep, and you already put first aid on it so you never thought about it much, until the small wound did not heal as fast, and almost gave you a fever when it deepens. You realize now that it was the guilt of keeping you're injured to Zayne, and also, being a sore loser from the pain.

“It was very small. I don't want to bother you on your day off so….I kept it.” You squeak, when he glared at you, for being nonchalant about it.

“I don't care if it was my day off. It was my duty to take care of you. I hate it when you lie to me about being fine, when you know too well I can help you.” He continued scolding you, as he inspected the scarring wound, and offensively stared at it.

“I’m really sorry.” Was your only answer, to both, hiding your wound from him and to him receiving the burnt of your pain.

“Also, you can always ask me to switch our cards. I don't mind.” Zayne added as he patched you up.

🧜🏻‍♂️ Rafayel 🧜🏻‍♂️

Rafayel is the ultimate king of petty.

You already know that right from the start but nothing prepares you for the way he massacres you from the game Kitty Cards.

During at the last hurrah of your showdown, Rafayel finally revealed his advance cards, he uses freeze to stop you from playing, uses advance cards that will turn your cup scores into one, kicking out your highest score kitties from the colored cups, and replacing it with his, stealing your deny cards, and using it against you. It was so bad, that on the inside, you felt your blood boil on how cruel it was. If he did it the first time, you would be proud of him, but he’s been winning all the rounds, and every time, it ends up with him brutally winning. His wins hit a nerve and you finally snapped.

“Ha! Please don't cry. Losing isn't that bad.” He said proudly, as Rafayel nodded to himself. He loves teasing you and he enjoys your banter together. He knows at this point, teasing each other is a form of bonding.

He was celebrating his win when he noticed how quiet you were. When he opened his eyes, the smug look on his face dropped and he stopped in his tracks. The look on your face was devastating and he never saw that before. Your scrunched up face, eyes filled with upcoming tears. When both of your eyes met, there seemed like a switch in you, that made you burst into tears. Rafayel, who doesn't know how to handle your outburst, tries his best to console you. But he did not expect that you were still mad at him, so when he tried to hug you, you pushed him away and ran.

Since then, you have refused to reply to his texts. You even muted his calls so you won't have to answer it. Whatever you did that day was so embarrassing that you’d rather sever whatever relationship you have with Rafayel instead of relieving how sore loser you were. It was just a game, and you cried like a baby from it. There were times that you're trying to justify your tears by saying maybe Rafayel’s insults were too much that day, and it was the reason why you burst into tears, but there would be nothing so petty as pushing someone away and running due to losing from a board game.

Sighing, you just accepted that Rafayel will probably stop talking to you. It is what it is as you continue to go on with your day, when your phone blares and a notification about Rafayel being in danger popped up in bold letters. You did not hesitate as you rode your bike and flew to Rafayel’s whereabouts.

You burst through his studio door, and your eyes caught his figure slumped on the floor, leaning to his couch.

“What happened? Are you okay? Did you slip on your paint brushes again?” You asked worriedly, as you touched his shoulder, arms and legs, to see if he injured himself again. You were so worried and kept asking many questions that were meant silently, you were about to unleash the hulk at him for not answering, when you stopped on your tracks when you noticed the frown on his forehead and his glare.

“Really? Do I have to injure myself so you can notice me?” He bit down and you whimpered, not from his anger but from guilt.

“Sorry.” You apologized. You look down and twiddle your thumbs, not knowing how to dissipate the awkwardness of the situation and Rafayel’s glare.

It took a moment before you hear Rafayel’s sigh in defeat and open his mouth to talk again.

“You could have just asked me, and I will allow you to cheat by putting my kitties in different cups, or even by replacing my advance cards. All you have to do is say please.” He continued, exasperated.

All you can do is look down in shame and murmur an apology for acting so childish.

“Just….. don’t ignore me again like that, please. It doesn't feel good when the most important person in your life suddenly stops talking to you.” He added, his voice quivered a bit and you wince when you realize how your action affected him. Opening up his old wounds.

“I’m really sorry, Rafayel. I promise to be better next time.” A silence falls between you again. It took a moment before you realize despite how mad he was, he refuses to move his left hand. The air of guilt slowly turned into worry again.

“Did you injure your left hand?” You asked worriedly and slowly touched his left hand when he flinched and gritted his teeth from the pain.

“Probably sprain it when I fell.”

“You fell!?”

“It's fine, Ms. Bodyguard. I bet it will heal tomorrow. Just feed me for now.” He chuckled at your worried face and you watched him move his left hand with no worry, following your reaction from it. You just shake your head at how silly that was, and was so happy he was okay, before you stood up, helped him up, and treated him like a prince just for today.

[runningfrom2am]

leveling the playing field IX

summary: with nowhere else to go after getting caught cheating to help lucy gray, you both make some desperately stupid decisions.

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 2.6k

tags/warnings: capitol brat!reader, maybe slightly ooc coryo, idk i tried my best. do they love each other or hate each other? who knows (we do, kind of). implications and mentions of abuse, so read with caution!! also a little bit of swearing but that's neither here nor there

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a/n: here we are!! 'season' two!! thanks so much for reading it and I'm SO so glad lots of people seem to love it :) if you do, please reblog it or leave your thoughts in the replies or in my inbox! i love hearing from you and talking about it so don't be a stranger !

without further adieu,, enter buzzcut coryo <3

next part

Coriolanus's stomach twisted as he could hear your screams from the hall, even though by then he was all the way on the other side of the school. He thought that was unsettling, only for them to abruptly stop just before he left. The silence that followed was so much worse. He didn't get any sleep, sitting on the roof in Grandma'ams rose garden with Tigris all night, wondering if you were dead.

He was just sick about it, even as he left the following morning, so early that the sun was yet to rise. It was a long, painful ride, and he spent the entire thing certain that you were dead. It was his fault, he had only wanted you to come with him, so he wouldn't be alone, but now he truly is alone and he won't even have you to write to back home. Regardless, he would try.

Rather than sit with the idea that it might even be pointless for him to live another day, especially with this unflattering haircut and a uniform that challenged the discomfort of the academy one, he decided to write to you on a paper he had found bunched between the train seats to ease his mind.

Y/N/N,

I hope you're reading this. I hope this gets back to you at home and finds you safe and sound, and you're sitting over your desk with a textbook open getting ready for university in the fall. That's not what's happening though, is it? You're probably dead. I probably killed you. If you are reading this in your room, or your library, or over my shoulder as I write this because you are only alive in what's left of your spirit, I hope you know that I am sorry. I did it because I wanted you with me, because in the moment I was so sure you'd be better off with me in the districts than you would be at home with your father. I think I was wrong. But I still miss you. You meant more to me than I ever told you. I guess, more than I ever told myself either until these last few weeks.

I think I heard them kill you after I left you with the Dean. If they did, boy, did you go out fighting. I always knew you would. I can't stop writing in case I never get to speak to you again. But again, maybe you're not dead, right?

Please tell me you're not dead.

Yours,

Always yours, your Coryo

He smoothes out the wrinkled sheet as he writes, hand shaking through most of it. He doesn't know if he should even bother sending it, or if he should just fold it up and throw it out the window in hopes that the message will find its way to your ghost. No, he has to send it. Otherwise he'll definitely never know, at least not for twenty years, and he couldn't bear that.

The wind hits the trees into the windows of the train as it rolls along the tracks, demanding that the branches be heard against the glass. It reminds him of you. Then again, what doesn't these days? Maybe it was just you letting him know you had read his letter, and that you forgive him. That would give him a semblance of peace for the rest of the ride.

When you woke up, it was impossible to tell what time it was. You only knew that it was dark, and your bedroom door was locked from the outside when you got up and carefully tried to open it only to be blocked by the mechanism.

"I have half the mind to agree with you on the Avox thing." You hear your dad sigh, his voice echoing from his study just down the hall. Your eyes widen and you try the knob again. Yep, still locked. "But we could always send her to Nine or Ten as a nurse. She's not staying here, that's certain."

"I don't want to push your decision, here, but she was saying she would tell everyone. She knows more than we thought, more details." Highbottom was here too, great.

"No, that's impossible. What did she say?"

"She knows we're selling, likely that you're storing it all here somewhere, and she knows it's enough to be treason. I don't know what else she knows, but it's risky business ever letting her out of that room again. The procedure might be our best option, here." You've heard enough, quickly making for your window instead. It's locked as well, but draping your old uniform over the lever gives you enough freedom to crush it with a particularly heavy, hardcover textbook without making much noise.

You change quickly, grabbing a few essentials that you could fit into your book bag, then climb out the window and slide down the back porch column before making as quiet of an escape as possible. Adrenaline carried you a few blocks away, but now, you were unsure what to do. You couldn't return, and you couldn't be seen, and you had a tragic shortage of friends at the moment. You find your feet carrying you toward the building you know Coriolanus lives in.

You're not particularly excited to see him, but with no other options, you're sure you can find it in yourself to be forgiving just this once. You could go to Sejanus's family home, but it's not far enough away, and you're not sure what his father would say. He'd probably call your dad in a second and it would all be for naught- you couldn't risk it. So, Coryo's it was.

You enter the building, walking straight for the elevator. He was in the penthouse, so you just have to hit the very top button and figure it out from there. You've never been to his home before, but he's talked about it plenty. Enough that you could find your way there, at least.

You groan when you quickly realize the elevator doesn't work, looking over at the stairs. It's a tall building, so you've got a long way to go. You wonder how he does this every day as you climb up set after set of stairs, taking note of how the walls are basically crumbling around you.

You knew he didn't have money, that he couldn't eat, but you didn't think he lived like this. No wonder he was so thin, and no wonder he still had any muscle left on his body. It was these damn stairs. That couldn't be it though, that wouldn't explain how his shoulders just seemed to go on for miles- maybe he had some kind of workout routine you never knew about.

You're drawn from your thoughts when you reach the top of the last staircase, hesitating to open the industrial looking door in front of you. Just beyond that was the front door to the Snow penthouse, and now that you're here, you're not sure what to do. Do you knock? You don't even know what time it is.

You sit by the door, deciding to think it over for a bit. It doesn't take you long to fall asleep leaning up against the wall where it meets the dusty floor.

Waking up, you're met with a gasp. "Y/N?" You blink open your eyes, seeing Tigris crouched in front of you, forehead creased with worry. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

"Tigris, hello." You mumble, gathering yourself to stand up as she helps you. "I, uh, I didn't know where to go, so..."

"Okay, okay. Come in for a second." She nods, holding your shoulder as she guides you back into the apartment. You squint at the sunrise through the large bay windows, she must have been on her way to work. "Can I get you anything? Some tea? You must be freezing..." She says, immediately shuffling into the kitchen.

"No, no. It's fine. Thank you, though." You insist, trying not to stare at the state the apartment has fallen into.

"Okay, well, please, take a seat. Tell me what's going on."

You nod slightly and move to sit down at their dining table where she joins you, reaching out for your hand which you gratefully take. "Did Coriolanus leave already?" You ask and she nods, giving you a sad smile.

"I must admit, I'm relieved to see you." She says, taking you by surprise. "Coryo thought you were dead. He was just so torn up about it, he said it was his fault but he wouldn't tell me why. I was expecting to see your passing in the papers this morning."

"Well, my days are numbered." You sigh, looking out the window again. The view was stunning. Maybe you would prefer a penthouse to your own large, empty feeling home. "My father and Dean Highbottom were discussing turning me into an Avox as a pity punishment, and I don't doubt that my father would rather bury me than have that on his name. I didn't stick around to hear their decision."

Tigris listens intently, squeezing your cold hands between her own. "And now, I don't know what to do. I had nowhere to go, I'm so sorry to intrude-"

"No, my goodness, please. You are always welcome here." She assured you. "But... what will you do?"

"I have to leave." You nod to yourself. "I have to leave and I can't come back, can I?"

"One day I'm sure it will be safe for you to return." She says, notably trying to put a positive spin on it. "I'll tell you what-" She stands quickly, going over to a hall closet and pulling out a large fur coat. "Take this, it can hide you and keep you warm. Take the next train to Twelve, that's where Coryo went." She places the coat in your lap. "He'll be ecstatic to have you and see that you're well."

You nod, standing up and pulling it on in a hurry. It was a beautiful coat, you could tell it was real fur. This must have belonged to one of their mothers. "Thank you, Tigris."

"There's another train headed there in about twenty minutes, if you rush you can make it. I had to check the schedule last night for him. Don't buy a ticket, just climb in a transport car from the opposite side, not the platform." She instructs you hurriedly,

You dig in your bag as you both head for the door, pulling out a handful of money and rifling through it to give some to her. You'll need some, but she will too.

"Here, Tigris. Take this." You say as she holds the door for you, and she instantly is shaking her head.

"No, no. I couldn't." She smiles awkwardly, waving a hand at you. "You'll need it more than I do, Coryo will be sending us cheques."

You smile at her understandingly, holding it out to her again. "If not for your help, then for this lovely jacket. Please take it. I insist."

Tigris sighs, taking it from your hand before pulling you into a hug which you gladly return. "Tell him we love him, okay?"

"He knows," You say, chin resting on her shoulder. "But I will."

It was dark again when your train reached its final stop, and you were curled up under the coat trying to sleep. You scramble to get up, having to bolt from the train before anyone came to unload the car.

Unfortunately, you didn't get the privilege of having a place to stay when you arrived, so once you're out of sight of the train, the best you can do is wander.

You don't have to wander long before you hear music. You didn't realize people were happy here, so the sounds of laughter and shouting and dancing coming from inside what looked to be an abandoned building made you tilt your head at the idea. Maybe you would just sit outside, around the side of the building where you won't be seen and you can listen.

You don't even get the chance to sit before you hear the singing start. It's Lucy Gray. You mentally scold yourself for not thinking of her sooner as you stand again quickly, finding yourself quite lightheaded. You must be hungry. Maybe there will be some food inside, or maybe you can find talk to Lucy Gray and maybe she'll let you stay with her. Just until you get yourself situated here.

Clutching your new coat tightly around yourself you walk in after attempting to dust off and salvage your clothes. Your favourite skirt and shoes took quite a beating throughout the day, and you're disappointed, to say the least. Hopefully Lucy Gray has a washing machine, but you doubt it. Did these people even know what a washing machine is? By the look of everyone in the room, the answer was a definite no.

Sure enough, Lucy Gray was on stage, singing her heart out. You had never seen her smile so wide, of course, and the kids surrounding her onstage were just as talented as she was at all their instruments. You've never seen live music like this before, only classical or opera where everyone sat quietly and listened until the end. This environment was entirely new to you.

Not wanting to interrupt, you wait until Lucy Gray steps offstage and her spot is replaced with a little blonde girl who couldn't have been older than ten.

"Give it up for the amazing Lucy Gray Baird!" The girl shouts into the mic, gesturing to your friend before more music started to play. "She'll be back, she's just taking a little break, but until then, you lot are stuck listenin' to me."

This is your chance. You push through the crowd and step into the hall you saw Lucy Gray go down. "Lucy Gray?" You call out hopefully, watching your step as to not roll a heel. In hindsight, these shoes were not ideal for the journey you took, but your options were limited by a time crunch.

"Lucy Gray?" You ask again, turning a corner and peeling into a large open room. It's a few moments before your eyes land on her, and she turns to face you having heard you walk in.

"Oh my days, I thought I recognized that voice!" She smiles, opening her arms and running up to you. "Y/N, my word, what are you doin' here?" Her excitement fades quickly into concern as she drops her arms from around you.

"Long story..." You chuckle nervously, pulling at your coat again as she nods for you to continue. "We got caught, for the compact. And the snakes, somehow. Coriolanus put our handkerchiefs that you used in the tank so they wouldn't attack you, I guess. I didn't know. Then they pulled us out of class the next day, he told them it was me, so then I put up a fight and they sedated me. When I woke up I was at home and they were talking about having my tongue cut out and turning me into one of those servants but I'm sure my dad would rather have me dead. So," You sigh, trying to summarize it as quickly as possible. "I ran."

Lucy Gray shook her head, mouth agape in shock at all the information she just took in. "Okay, wait... So they were going to kill you?"

You nod.

"But that teacher of yours seemed so nice."

"Sorry?"

"Yeah, he gave me some money and escorted me into the train himself."

You scoff, shaking your head. "He's never liked either of us, but that's only because I have dirt on him. I don't know what Coryo did."

"Well," Lucy Gray sighs, rubbing your shoulders gently. "I'm glad you're here. That you're safe."

"You too." You smile. "Can I just say, too, we were so proud of you. We were so lucky to be your mentors."

"I count myself the lucky one." She grins. "Let's move on, shall we? On the up and up."

"Yes, sounds lovely." You grin at her.

"Can I get you some water? Liquor? What do you need?" She asks, turning at that and going over to a bench in the middle that had a few water bottles.

"I would love some water." You breathe out, joining her and sitting down as she hands one to you.

"Lucy Gray, could I ask you for a really big favour?" You say after taking your first sip.

"Please." She nods.

"Can I stay with you?"

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[marnikula]

i loved the reader who cant say no trope :') i used to be that way

CAN WE GET READER WHO IS SUPER ASSERTIVE AND HAS A THING FOR SPENCER WHO IS JUST LIKE IN BAMBOOZLES OF READER BEING SO COMFORTABLE SAYING NO AND BEING STRAIGHTFORWARD 🙏🙏

SIMP

I could not think of any way to write this well for a few days, so sorry for the late reply. Also, if you are reading this and you made a request, I promise I am getting to it, I've just been a bit swamped with work and writing this post.

Now then, no real warnings except some cringe in the way that reader relentlessly simps after Reid.

✨Enjoy!✨

Your first meeting with Spencer Reid was something he would never be able to forget, even with his eidetic memory. You waltzed up to him after one of his guest lectures with such confidence that he stood to the side, thinking that you would pass by him. But you didn't. You stopped in front of him, speaking words that he would have never had the courage to utter to someone: "Do you have a name, or can I call you mine?"

He remembers seeing the way your friends cringed behind you, the pick up line that left your lips clearly having made them uncomfortable. When he thought that you would move on after seeing the blush spreading all the way from his toes to his ears, thinking that maybe you coming to flirt with him was a dare, but you didn't. Instead, you uttered another sentence that he could feel himself cringe to as well, but you didn't seem to mind, your eyes too filled with determination to be put off by his facial expression at your request. "I lost my phone number, can I have yours?" He genuinely thought you were joking, but then you held out your phone to him.

In a stupor of confusion, Spencer entered his contact details, waiting for the punchline to come, proving that this truly was some sort of joke. Throughout the whole interaction he was wondering how someone as attractive as you would decide to come up to him of all people and used lines that not even Morgan had the guts to use to try and flirt with him.

It took a few weeks of you consistently sending him pick up lines along with good morning messages and invites to a date before he decided to ask Morgan for advice. It wasn't helpful. His friend had simply laughed in disbelief when told the story and was rendered speechless when he read the messages exchanged between you, most of them from your side. Spencer decided to go for it, after all, what was the worst that could happen, you hit him with another pick up line?

_____________________________________________________________

It was worse, so much worse. When he arrived at the designated spot to find you before going to the movies he was met with a bouquet of red roses with branches of baby's breath spread in between. It was a beautiful arrangement he greatly appreciated, but the fact that you gave it to him the moment he stepped out of his car and into your view, as well as the fact that it was a very public display of affection sent Spencer reeling into a stuttering and blushing mess.

The movie you picked out was a romantic comedy, and although Spencer laughed quite a lot, he could not really enjoy the movie itself, too focused on the fact that you held his hand the moment the two of you sat down. It truly baffled Spencer how you could be so nonchalant about how you approached him, you did things he would not have even imagined in his wildest dreams to have the confidence to do.

At dinner, you decided to take him to your favorite restaurant. It was a quaint Italian place a few blocks down from the movie theater. The whole walk there you were full of energy, talking to him and listening to him spew random facts about things that happened in the movie. Your eyes held such pure adoration he wondered if he might have hung the stars in the sky without even realizing it.

______________________________________________________________

Spencer enjoyed his evening with you more than he ever had with anyone else he had gone out with before. As he lay in bed, thinking about the kiss you planted solidly on his cheek after he dropped you off at your apartment he wondered again how it was possible for someone so bright and confident to be as interested in him as you were.

As he drifted off to sleep, Reid wondered where this unfolding relationship with you would take him, and he could truly say that he was excited to see what would happen.

[nintendonut1]

I absolutely despise making posts like these, I just turned 35 years old and have little room in my life for online drama, but this has gotten to the point where folks' actual safety has become a legit concern of mine, so I don't think I can let this go without saying something.

At this point, for everyone in the SMRPG sub-fandom, or any other fandoms, honestly, it's probably a safe bet to block Yoylecake420 wherever you see them.

I don't have time for details or screenshots, I'll just summarize my personal experience with them.

At first, I got plenty of asks from them about their hyperfixations here on tumblr. I'm busy as hell, so most of them got lost in my inbox, and the ones I saw I had little time to entertain with an answer.

Then, they joined my Discord about a month ago, where they were active in sharing their art and stuff. Then me and the mods caught wind of them sending unsolicited DMs and friend requests to various members of the server, often with uncomfortable topics. We gave them a fair warning to stop. They did not.

This repeated behavior ended in a ban from the server. During this, they were also repeatedly making a mockery of my webcomic's OCs by making uncomfortable art/captions and submitting the characters to Kiss-Marry-Kill-style blogs despite me asking them not to, so I blocked them on Discord, Tumblr, deviantArt, and Art Fight. I know this is small potatoes compared to harassing people, but it's important context for the following.

A day after the ban from my server, they joined up the Spiderforest server, knowing I'm a part of that webcomic community. I was even warned by the mods, who were aware of Yoyle's behavior as they had already been messaging the SF tumblr about my comic.

A week later, they joined ComicFury, and replied to me on the forum, complimenting my work. Like nothing had ever happened. Like I didn't have them blocked everywhere else. Like they hadn't fully disrespected me, my work, and my community.

I directly messaged them telling them to leave me alone. Their response was a slight apology, but also admitting to being obsessed with my work, having a hard time moving on, and, ultimately, wanting the attention.

So. There it is. It pains me, knowing this is giving them the attention they want, but I'm too fucking old for games like that and the need for me to look out for everyone's safety is more important.

Yoyle is a person who does not care about others' personal boundaries. If you ignore them, they persist. If you tell them to stop, they do for a day or two, and then persist again. And if you block them, they'll evade it and stalk you to somewhere else on the internet.

Of course, it's not my place to tell anyone how to interact with others, but I am suggesting a pre-emptive block if you make, at the very least, Geno fanart, and aren't interested in being harassed across multiple platforms and having your boundaries stomped on. I do not suggest interacting with them, as they are the embodiment of "give them an inch and they'll take a mile."

I've got one screenshot here from a friend of all their alt accounts (this is publicly available on their main tumblr) for any pre-emptive blocking on those sites:

[songbirdseung]

chapter closing / park sunghoon

Synopsis: a series of awkward encounters with your ex who happens to also be an idol under hybe.

Pairing: idol!sunghoon x idol!yn

Warnings: angst, break ups, second chances, being followed at night, pranks, scheming behind backs

a/n: this is a long one, I got carried away with how fun I was having while writing it.

Fate, the unfolding of circumstances outside of an individual's influence, believed to be dictated by a divine force. That's what you believed when it came to your relationship with Park Sunghoon.

In the very beginning, you thought that fate was kind to you enough that it brought you to him or vice versa. Something told you to walk the line, despite the obstacles and in the end, you were given you the love of your life but so viscously have him taken away from you.

"YN, Let me in" your boyfriend said in a hurried way, most likely not wanting to get caught by dispatch and stalkers outside your dorm. You run to the door and open it and closing it as quickly as you could. "What are you doing here, are you insane?" both of you knew that if anyone to find out, your careers would be dead, and so after, you two as well.

But let's start from the beginning, 10 months before you became a trainee, a friend of yours wanted to meet at a skating rink, it was a fun, but it didn't stop there. After dropping her home, which was only a few blocks away, you just then noticed how late it has gotten and the sun was no longer up. But the moon was giving you enough light to realize there was someone following you, the streetlights that flicker did not help the ambiance and the anxiety that was creeping in you.

You started walking faster and constantly looking back, he was still behind you. Making turns only made your suspicions become a reality. He was now walking faster and coming closer to you.

At this point, you thought to run but before you could do so, another man your age comes up running behind you. "Babe, there you are, I've been looking all over for you" the guy says louder for the other man to get the message. "don't worry, I'm just trying to help you" this time he whispers it.

Later after that, he still accompanies you on your walk home just to make sure no one follows you. He tells you that his name is Sunghoon and asks why you were out so late. "Oh really, I'm actually a figure skater, I go to that rink every day."

A friendly conversation between you two was put to a stop when you reach your parent's house. "Thank you so much, Sunghoon. I really owe you one" He denies it and tells you everything was alright, but you insist, so you exchanged numbers and he watch you cross the line, walking over to the side of the road.

Sunghoon did not expect to save a girl that night but even more, he did not expect to receive the invitation from you, to go to the cafe your family owns. A week after, when is schedule is clear and he has time for himself, he finally stopped by the cafe.

Hearing the doorbell ring, you greet the customer without looking up, as you were still making an order. "So, you don't look at your customers when you greet them?" to say you were drunk and dazed was an understatement. Sunghoon didn't reach out or replied to you, so you thought he never ever was going to show up. "My bad I didn't want to spill the coffee I was making." ending it with a chuckle.

Since then, your acquaintance with Sunghoon turned into a friendship that felt too good to be true. In a short amount of time, you let him see you in your worse and vice versa. Like the time when you got a fever, and he came over to your apartment because your parents went on a business trip. Despite your rebuttal and telling him you could take care of yourself; he missed a skating practice to be with you. "you're still pretty even when you're sick" he whispers under his breathe think you didn't hear him. "What was that?" flustered, he faces you again "Nothing, I said you look so horrible" then went back to play games on your console.

He definitely gave you mixed signals as he became very flirtatious with you and go the extra mile for you, beyond friendship. For example, when he rode a bus for basically the whole day just to find your favorite snacks that were not for sale in your local area anymore. Or when he would get jealous when another man asks you out or when you tell him about a date you went on. When asking him about it, he'd say that you just got it all mixed up. Either way, Sunghoon felt like he was sucked into a wormhole with how the first moments with you felt like an instant and intense connection, almost as if you've known each other for a long time even though you've just met.

It was hard to make that transition of friendship to relationship because you had the idea if you two were ever to break up, you wouldn't just lose your lover but a best friend. He showed up at your parents' house holding 'forget me not' flowers asking if you would go on a date with him. With that gorgeous smile, you could not say no.

He was determined to make you his, nothing made him wary, and he was set in making you believe that nothing can ruin the bond you had together, even sacrificing his safety driving in the snow in a complete whiteout. One day, you left the city to go on a short break, away from work and all. Although you had to admit that you were getting scared by the strong winds and heavy snow fall. What did Sunghoon do? drive to you and keep you company in the Airbnb, of course.

The second he finished reading your message he tamed and dashed to the Airbnb and swooped you into his arms. "Just say you missed me and wanted me here with you." being with you made Sunghoon feel like he was the upper side of life, dreaming. "Just a little bit"

Down the line, everything felt like it came straight out a fairytale, until one day when you were met with the option to go big and go home, you chose to go home and cause the first big argument you would share with your boyfriend. At this point it has been a year since the start of your relationship and 2 years since the day you first met. You two were discussing the trajectory of your relationship and how you two were going to make a big sacrifice for the career paths you both were going to take. Being a trainee in a K-pop industry is one of the strictest and maybe one the busiest jobs to have, and to have you both want to audition. Where was this relationship heading?

Everything was perfect, a blockbuster if you will. You believed the universe and fate brought you here, to him. So, why was it also the one to lead you away from him? "Babe, your attention, please?" Sitting on the opposite end of the bed, he holds your hand and tries to keep it together. "Can we just try to make it work, cause right now it seems like you just want to give up without even trying" your voiced cracked in between the words since you were crying but the emotions were controlling you than you were controlling it. You had to ask him the question if he even loved you, it was rude to ask but the situation felt like you were blessed and cursed at the same time. Getting the email that the company both wanted you two for a second audition felt like a blessing but looking at the love of your life right now felt like a reminder how the world put a curse on you.

The next following days, in between your practice days, you found yourself locked inside your room, alone. Looking at a box of pictures of you and Sunghoon, but the one that caught your eye the most was the polaroid you took of him when he was practicing his routine for his ice-skating performance. Your own little polaroid love.

Day 2 finally arrived, and day 2 meant the second day of auditions. You were standing in line for the female applicants and adjacent to you was your boyfriend. He was silent next to you since this was the first time seeing you after the little dispute you both had the other week. But he was still holding your hand and giving you comfort since he knew you were nervous, soon enough your name was called and before you could walk away and let go of his hand, he pulls you back and kisses you on the forehead and whispers, "I'll always be your biggest fanboy."

Fast forward to when you both became trainees for Be:Lift Lab under HYBE Entertainment. You supported him when he was on I-Land, and he supported you. Both of you tried your best to make time for each other and sneak around during work hours, you though everything was fine until he brought you over to one of studios to talk.

"Sunghoon, what's wrong?" Your voice trembled, betraying your fear of the answer you already feared deep down.

Sunghoon took a deep breath, steeling himself against the pain he knew his words would inflict. "YN, we need to talk," he began, his voice barely above a whisper, as if afraid to shatter the fragile peace between you both. Heart clenched at the seriousness in his tone, at the distance you felt creeping between the two of you. "Is it about us?" He nodded, unable to meet her gaze. "I… I can't do this anymore, YN," he confessed, each word tearing a piece of his soul apart. "I thought we could keep this secret, but… but we were caught."

Tears welled up in your eyes, a silent testament to the pain that threatened to consume you. "I don't understand, I thought… I thought we could make it work."

Sunghoon shook his head, his heart breaking at the sight of her anguish. "I wish we could, YN. I wish I could defy everything and everyone just to be with you. But I can't risk my dreams, my career… not anymore."

That was it, all the effort you put into keep the future perfect, went down the drain. It was all now feeling like a paradox invasion with how you had to walk away in order to gain more.

Since then, you have been changing your efforts of "being with him" to efforts of "avoiding him at all costs". That feeling when you would take the longer route as long as you did not bump into him in the hallways and even taking the stairs instead of the elevators, so you did not have to stay in that small space with him.

One day as you were choosing a song for your monthly evaluation, your adviser gave you a song. You agreed that it did suit your voice very much and it was easy to sing but the thing was the song was basically a shout out to an ex-lover that was deeply cherished and love. Wishing that this foreshadow of a song showed up a month before, so it prepared you for the unfortunate event you faced.

Eventually, you both made your debut. Everything changed except the awkwardness between you two. And today's event did not help with that. "YN, can you on that, I need the light" your group member asks, but you weren't listening. Too busy looking at the text your manager sent you.

Manager: You'll be a MC with ENHYPEN's Sunghoon

"Oooh, being an mc with your ex-boyfriend. That's interesting" the same member looks over at you, worried. "Maybe fate wants you two to work it out?" Scoffing and replying back with a sassy answer of how fate is a bunch on nonsense and how it screwed you over last time. She chuckles and resorts to teasing you about your new MC job with Sunghoon.

One in a billion tasks as an idol, and they gave you this one? with Sunghoon? You thought as you held your cue cards, re-reading them over and over again in the waiting rooms. "YN, they are going to start filming soon so we need to rehearse with your MC partner" the staff says as she fixes your hair and leads you to the filming area.

You make the change in attitude once you saw him there, trying to not show any anxiety and nervousness. Being professional and reminding yourself that this was your life now until one of you gets too busy that they can't be an MC anymore.

He sees you as you walk onto the platform, offering you a hand to get onto the set. You take it and the feeling of holding his hand still felt the same. Immediately you stopped your feeling of familiarity and focused on your job. "It's been a while, yn"

Filming went well, and now you were at the dorms with your members who decided to show you all the comments and posts of fans that saw the episode where you and Sunghoon were the new MCs for KBS' Music Bank.

"Okay but can we talk about the chemistry between Sunghoon and YN on Music Bank? They were practically glowing together, and I can't help but ship them so hard!" "Sunghoon and YN as MCs on Music Bank? More like Sunghoon and YN as the cutest couple ever! They were so adorable together, and I can't stop imagining all the cute moments they must have behind the scenes." "I know they're just co-hosts on a music show, but Sunghoon and YN have some serious on-screen chemistry. They just seem so comfortable and natural together, like they've been best friends for years. Low-key shipping it!" "Sunghoon and YN hosting Music Bank together? Yeah, I'm officially aboard the ship. They're too cute together, and I can't wait to see more interactions between them in future episodes. #SungYN for life!"

Just bite me and kill me at this point, you thought. People were now shipping you with your ex-boyfriend. "You guys think he'll see these comments?" covering your face in distress as your members agree and nod. "Just sacrifice me now, how am I going to face him?"

Yes, Indeed. He did see them.

As Sunghoon scrolled through Weverse, he could feel his cheeks flush with embarrassment as he stumbled upon more and more comments shipping him with YN. Suddenly, his phone buzzed with a notification from the group chat. He opened it to find messages from his ENHYPEN members, all teasing him about the shipping rumors.

Jake: "Hey Sunghoon, looks like you and YN are the new power couple according to fans!"

Sunghoon couldn't help but roll his eyes, knowing his members wouldn't let him live this down.

Sunghoon: "Yeah, yeah, very funny. It's just fan speculation, nothing more."

Sunoo: "Come on, Hoonie, we all know there's no smoke without fire! Maybe you two should give it another shot!"

Sunghoon: "Thanks for the advice, Sunoo, but I think we're better off as friends and colleagues."

He typed back with a smirk, hoping to put an end to the teasing before it escalated any further.

Ni-ki: "Aww, don't be shy, Sunghoon! We'll support you no matter what. Just promise to invite us to the wedding, okay?"

At first, Sunghoon chuckled at the playful comments, finding it amusing how fans could easily create pairings based on professional interactions. However, as he continued to read through the posts, he couldn't shake off the memories of his past relationship with YN.

Sunghoon felt a mixture of nostalgia and discomfort as he came across fan-made edits and speculative theories about his current relationship status with YN. Despite their amicable breakup and professional rapport as co-hosts, Sunghoon couldn't deny the complexity of their history together.

Taking a deep breath, Sunghoon closed the Weverse app, feeling grateful for the support of his fans but also recognizing the need to set boundaries when it came to personal matters. He knew that while the shipping was all in good fun for fans, his real-life relationships were more nuanced and deserving of privacy.

But for some reason, he decided to do something. Maybe he shouldn't but he does anyway. Holding his phone and looking into his contacts until he finds your number, the contact's name still the same as when you guys were dating. Hoping you did not change your number; he sends you a text. "Seems like our fans want us together."

You don't see the text only after a few days, you're sitting on your bed, scrolling through your phone after a long day of rehearsals. As you open the messaging app, a familiar name pops up: Sunghoon.

Your heart skips a beat as you read the message, feeling a mixture of surprise and curiosity. It's been a while since you last heard from him, and the timing couldn't be more unexpected.

You stare at the screen for a moment, processing his words. The mention of your fans shipping you together brings a flood of memories rushing back—memories of late-night conversations, stolen glances, and shared dreams. Despite the breakup, a part of you still holds onto the connection you once shared with Sunghoon. But you also know that revisiting the past could reopen old wounds and complicate things further.

Taking a deep breath, you type out a response, careful to keep your emotions in check. "Yeah, it seems that way. But we both know our relationship is more complicated than fan speculation," you reply, adding a smiley face to lighten the mood. As you hit send, you can't help but wonder what Sunghoon's intentions are behind reaching out. Is he just reminiscing about the past, or is he hinting at something more? Only time will tell.

Unfortunately, the next day you have to see him again at Music Bank to film another episode. When you get there with a nervous heart, it gets worse as you meet your manager with Sunghoon in the room already. "You're going to be filming a TikTok challenge with Sunghoon." Following orders, after filming the show's interview and awarding, you two were practicing for three TikTok videos. One for his song, your song, and a random trendy challenge with a song that had a repetitive chaconne composition.

And obviously those three videos blew up, and there was more posts and comments seen and to be read by you and Sunghoon.

"OMG, did you guys see the TikTok videos with YN and Sunghoon from Music Bank? Can we please get more collaborations like this in the future?" "They make such a cute pair, and you can tell they have so much fun dancing together. Low-key shipping it 😍 #SungYN" "The TikTok videos with YN and Sunghoon are giving me life!"

As the ENHYPEN members piled into the van after a long day of filming, Sunghoon couldn't help but feel a sense of relief wash over him. The intense schedule had left him exhausted.

As the van pulled away from the studio, the atmosphere inside the vehicle quickly shifted from exhaustion to playful banter. "Hey Sunghoon, did you have fun filming those TikToks with YN?" Jake asked with a mischievous grin, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

Sunghoon felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment as all eyes turned to him, knowing full well where this conversation was headed. "Yeah, it was fun," Sunghoon replied, trying to keep his tone casual despite the butterflies in his stomach. "Fun, huh? I bet it was more than just fun," Sunoo chimed in, winking at Sunghoon from across the van. "I mean, you two looked pretty cozy in those videos."

Sunghoon couldn't help but roll his eyes at his members' relentless teasing, knowing there was no escaping their playful banter. "Come on, guys, it was just work," Sunghoon protested, though a part of him couldn't deny the truth behind their words. "Sure, sure, just work," Ni-ki chimed in with a smirk, earning a chorus of laughter from the rest of the group.

As the van hummed along the road, Jay leaned forward from the back seat, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "Hey Sunghoon, did you and YN have to practice those TikTok dances in front of a mirror for hours to get them just right?" Jay teased, unable to resist poking fun at his friend.

Sunghoon let out an exasperated sigh, knowing he was in for more teasing from his fellow members. "Actually, we did," Sunghoon replied with a smirk. "But only because YN kept forgetting the steps."

Jungwon chuckled from the passenger seat, unable to contain his laughter at the banter unfolding in the van. "Ouch, Sunghoon's got jokes!" Jungwon exclaimed, earning a round of laughter from the rest of the group.

As the van rumbled along the road, Heeseung couldn't resist adding his own playful jab into the mix. "Hey Sunghoon, do you think all this work with YN means you two are getting back together?" Heeseung teased, a mischievous glint in his eye. Sunghoon's cheeks flushed with embarrassment at the suggestion, but a small part of him couldn't help but entertain the thought.

"Come on, Heeseung, don't be ridiculous," Sunghoon replied, attempting to feign indifference, though his heart raced with excitement at the possibility. "Hey, you never know," Heeseung countered with a grin. "Stranger things have happened."

Sunghoon chuckled nervously, trying to play off Heeseung's teasing as mere jest, but deep down, he couldn't shake the hope that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for him and YN to reconcile.

As the conversation shifted to lighter topics, Sunghoon couldn't help but steal glances out the window, lost in thoughts of what the future might hold for him and his former flame.

You thought you paid all the bills life gave you, but here you were in an interview and or variety show with your group and Enhypen. Was this karma from something you did in your past life? Cause the directors, staff, and managers knew what they were doing when they sat you next to Sunghoon. Although, despite it all, filming was going great, and it was like everyone was having fun. That was until it came to the sit-down interview portion and for some God forsaken reason, the interview had to ask romance questions. "Sunghoon, if you had a girlfriend, what would be her contact's name in your phone?" He laughs it off and as he says, 'One and Only', you try your best to keep your composure and keep a straight face. Sunghoon also tries his best to not look at you and your reaction as he casually said the name he has saved on his phone for your number.

It felt like you were going to be a criminal if you still were in love with your ex. Unfortunately, everything was working against your favor. "YN, if you were to compare a relationship to a flower, what would that be?" No thinking was required because before you could answer, Sunghoon was answering for you. "A blossom" Everyone's eyes were now on you and Sunghoon, his eyes just as wide as everyone else's. "How did you know what?" the interviewer and host asked. Saving his ass, you had to make up a lie how since you two have been spending a lot of time together, working; you two just happened to talk about certain things like that.

But deep down you knew, certain people can see through your bluff. Shipping and speculation would just go more haywire and insane. After the variety show segment aired, fans took to social media to share their reactions to the tension-filled interview between YN and Sunghoon.

"OMG, did you guys see that interview with YN and Sunghoon? Talk about awkward! You could cut the tension with a knife when they asked about romance." "I can't believe they asked Sunghoon about his ideal girlfriend's contact name! And YN's reaction when he answered 'One and Only' was priceless. It's like they were trying to torture us with the shipping feels! 🤣" "I swear, that interview with YN and Sunghoon was straight out of a K-drama. The tension, the chemistry, the unresolved feelings—it was all there. Can someone please give these two their own rom-com already? #SungYN" "I'm convinced that interview with YN and Sunghoon was orchestrated by the universe to torture us SungYN shippers."

Let's just say you both did not get out of that situation without some angry words from your managers. At this point you were happy you were just a mortal, meaning you'll die and forget these things ever happened. But that didn't comfort you that until death, you'll have to deal with Park Sunghoon.

Back to the present. Good thing, now in 2024; you both were no longer MCs for music bank. Although, that did not stop the shipping and speculation since you two were still seen together often due to being under the same company. Recently you've been under fire for a solo song you have posted, and fans are thinking about the lyrics on how it's about a sad relationship break up. "Maybe if you guys can say you dated, I feel like they won't be mad, they love you both together" you member hands you back the phone showing news articles of your recent song. Which was somewhat true since any interaction you had with Sunghoon was like sweet venom for them.

But in a perfect world, there would only be nice and loving comments. Unfortunately, for you, you were still the monster starring in other people's stories. Blinded by the unspoken truth to their theories and rumors, they lean towards hating on you for even being around Sunghoon.

As you walked into the cafe section of the entertainment company, you scanned the room for an empty table, their heart skipped a beat when they spotted Sunghoon sitting alone at a table by the window.

With a deep breath, you made your way over to Sunghoon's table, their heart racing with anticipation. Sunghoon looked up as they approached, a surprised smile spreading across his face. You greeted softly, voice barely above a whisper.

"Hey," Sunghoon replied, his eyes twinkling with warmth. "Fancy seeing you here." you couldn't help but chuckle nervously at the serendipity of their encounter, feeling a rush of emotions bubbling up inside them.

"Mind if I join you?" gesturing to the empty chair across from Sunghoon.

"Of course not," Sunghoon replied, sliding over to make room. "It's been a while since we've had a chance to catch up."

Settled into your seat, you couldn't help but notice the easy familiarity that still lingered between you and him. Despite the years that had passed since their breakup, it was as if no time had passed at all.

"So, how have you been?" Sunghoon asked, breaking the silence that had settled between them. "I've been good, busy with work and life," you replied, their voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. "And you?"

Sunghoon nodded, his expression thoughtful. "I've been keeping busy too. Lots of projects and schedules to juggle."

As you guys talked, the conversation flowed effortlessly, each word feeling like a natural continuation of the one before. You two laughed, reminisced, and shared stories of their lives since you both had last seen each other.

And then, in a moment of vulnerability, you couldn't help but speak the words that had been weighing on your heart for so long.

"You know, despite everything that happened between us, I've always treasured the memories we shared," You confessed, voice barely above a whisper.

Sunghoon's gaze softened, his eyes locking with yours in a silent understanding. "I feel the same way," Sunghoon replied, his voice filled with sincerity. "No matter where life takes us, you'll always hold a special place in my heart."

Bathed in the warm glow of the cafe, you couldn't help but feel a sense of peace wash over you. Despite the ups and downs of the relationship, both of you knew that some connections were simply meant to endure, no matter what.

In another part of the entertainment company, the other boys were huddled together, their heads close as they plotted their mischievous scheme.

"Okay, so here's the plan," Jay began, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "We're going to have Jake fake confess to YN while Sunghoon is nearby. We want to see if he'll get jealous or if he still has feelings for YN."

Jungwon raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Isn't that a little mean? What if it backfires?"

But Heeseung grinned mischievously. "Trust me, it'll be fine. Besides, it'll be fun to see how Sunghoon reacts."

Jake chuckled nervously, feeling the weight of their plan sinking in. "Wait, you want me to fake confess to YN? What if it gets awkward?"

"Don't worry, Jake, you got this," Sunoo reassured him, patting him on the back. "Just think of it as a performance, like we do on stage."

With their plan set in motion, the boys exchanged knowing looks, their excitement building as they anticipated the drama that was about to unfold. As the clock ticked closer to the designated time, the boys couldn't contain their excitement. They watched eagerly as you and Sunghoon at the cafe, unknowingly walking straight into the trap they had set.

"Okay, everyone remember their roles," Jay whispered, his eyes darting between his bandmates. "We need to make this as convincing as possible." As YN and Sunghoon settled into their seats, Jake took a deep breath, steeling himself for the task ahead. With a nervous glance at his bandmates, he approached YN's table, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Hey, YN," Jake began, his voice slightly shaky. "I, uh, I wanted to tell you something."

You looked up, surprise etched on their face as you turned to face Jake. "What is it, Jake?"

Taking a deep breath, Jake launched into his carefully rehearsed confession, his words tumbling out in a rush.

"I've, uh, I've had feelings for you for a while now," Jake confessed, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "And I couldn't keep it in any longer. I just had to tell you."

Eyes widened in shock, mouth falling open in disbelief. Beside you, Sunghoon watched with a mixture of confusion and concern, his eyes darting between Jake and you.

Before you could respond, Sunghoon stood up abruptly, his expression unreadable as he stormed out of the cafe, leaving you and Jake stunned in his wake. The boys exchanged nervous glances, realizing that their plan had taken an unexpected turn.

As Sunghoon stormed out of the cafe, you sat there in shock, trying to process what had just happened. Jake, on the other hand, was left feeling guilty and unsure of how to proceed.

"I… I'm sorry, YN," Jake stammered, his voice filled with regret. "I didn't mean to upset you or Sunghoon. It was just a silly idea we had…"

But before Jake could finish his apology, you held up a hand, silencing him. "It's okay, Jake," said softly, eyes clouded with uncertainty. With that, you got up from the table and hurried after Sunghoon.

"Wow, I can't believe that actually worked," Jay commented, his eyes wide with surprise.

"Yeah, but did you see the look on Sunghoon's face? He was not happy," Jungwon added, shaking his head.

Jake, feeling a pang of guilt, couldn't help but speak up. "Guys, that was a stupid idea. I shouldn't have gone through with it."

Sunoo placed a comforting hand on Jake's shoulder. "Hey, it's okay, Jake. We were all in on it. Besides, we didn't expect Sunghoon to storm out like that."

"Yeah, well, now we know not to mess with people's feelings," Heeseung chimed in, his tone serious.

Jay couldn't resist a teasing jab. "Looks like Jake's love confession didn't go as planned. Maybe he needs some tips from Sunghoon on how to win someone over."

Meanwhile, Sunghoon had made his way to a secluded spot outside the building, his mind racing with thoughts and emotions. He couldn't believe what had just happened, and a part of him couldn't shake the feeling that maybe there was still something between him and you.

Lost in his thoughts, Sunghoon didn't notice you approaching until you were standing right in front of him.

"Sunghoon, I…" you began, voice trailing off as you struggled to find the right words.

Sunghoon looked up, his eyes meeting yours, and in that moment, all the walls he had built around his heart came crashing down. Without a word, he pulled you into a tight embrace, holding you close as if afraid to let go.

"I'm sorry, YN," Sunghoon whispered, his voice barely above a whisper. "I never stopped caring about you… I just didn't know how to show it." As you two stood there, wrapped in each other's arms, the rest of the world faded away, leaving only the two of them and the promise of a new beginning.

The car ride home was awkward as hell, best believe Sunghoon told them off. The atmosphere was thick with tension. Sunghoon's usually cheerful demeanor had been replaced with a steely resolve, and the rest of the boys could sense his frustration brewing beneath the surface.

For a while, the van was filled with awkward silence as everyone avoided eye contact, knowing that Sunghoon was seething with anger. But eventually, Sunghoon couldn't contain his frustration any longer.

"Seriously, guys? What were you thinking?" Sunghoon's voice was laced with barely concealed anger as he addressed his bandmates.

"We were just trying to have some fun," Jay attempted to defend their actions, but Sunghoon wasn't having any of it.

"Fun? That why I'm the leader of 02z and you're not, that was not fun, Jay. That was incredibly immature and disrespectful," Sunghoon snapped, his frustration boiling over.

The rest of the boys exchanged nervous glances, realizing that Sunghoon was not going to let them off the hook easily.

"I can't believe you would pull a stunt like that, especially involving YN," Sunghoon continued, his voice growing colder with each word. The guilt weighed heavily on the boys as they listened to Sunghoon's scolding, knowing that they had overstepped their boundaries and hurt their friend in the process.

As the van continued on its journey home, the silence that filled the air was deafening, each member lost in their own thoughts of regret and remorse. It was a harsh lesson learned, but one that would ultimately strengthen their bond as a group.

As the tension in the van reached its peak, Heeseung could sense the heavy atmosphere weighing on everyone's shoulders. Wanting to break the tension and lighten the mood, he cleared his throat and spoke up.

"Well, that was certainly an eventful day, huh?" Heeseung said with a wry smile, attempting to inject some levity into the situation.

The rest of the boys glanced at Heeseung, grateful for the attempt to ease the tension. Sunghoon's expression softened slightly as he turned to look at Heeseung, curious to see what he had to say.

"Who knew our little prank would turn into a full-blown drama?" Heeseung continued, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "I guess you could say we really know how to make an entrance."

Despite himself, Sunghoon couldn't help but chuckle at Heeseung's joke, the tension in his shoulders melting away as laughter bubbled up from deep within him. The rest of the boys joined in, the sound of their laughter filling the van and washing away the lingering awkwardness.

Settled into their dorm, the tension from earlier in the day had dissipated, replaced by a sense of camaraderie and warmth. They lounged around the living room, chatting and laughing as they decompressed from the events of the day.

Jake, always one to dive headfirst into conversations, couldn't resist bringing up the topic that had been lingering in the air since their encounter with YN and Sunghoon.

"So, Sunghoon, how did things go with YN earlier?" Jake asked casually, though his eyes twinkled with mischief.

Sunghoon rolled his eyes at Jake's persistence but couldn't help but smile at the genuine curiosity in his friend's voice.

"It was… interesting," Sunghoon replied, choosing his words carefully. "We talked things out and cleared the air, I guess."

Jay perked up at Sunghoon's response, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Ooh, does that mean there's a chance for a SunYN comeback?"

The rest of the boys chuckled at Jay's teasing, knowing full well the speculation and shipping that would inevitably follow their every move.

Sunghoon shook his head, though a small smile played at his lips. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, guys. We're just friends now."

But deep down, Sunghoon couldn't shake the feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was a chance for something more. As Sunghoon's phone buzzed with a new message, he couldn't help but smile when he saw that it was from you. With a quick glance around the room to make sure the other boys weren't paying attention, he opened the message.

"Hey, just wanted to make sure everything is okay after your argument with the boys. Did you manage to keep the dorm intact? 😜"

Sunghoon chuckled at your playful tone, with a few quick taps on his phone, he composed a reply.

"Hey, everything's fine. No fires, I promise 😂 Thanks for checking in though, it means a lot. Let's catch up soon?"

With a sense of warmth spreading through him, Sunghoon hit send, feeling grateful for the unexpected but welcome connection he shared with YN. As he tucked his phone away, he couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement at the prospect of rekindling their friendship, and maybe even something more.

Now we are at the point where there is no need to hide away from Sunghoon in the hallways and rooms of the company. Things seemed like they were looking up and everything is naturally easing into place.

As you step into the elevator, you're surprised to find Sunghoon already inside, holding a beautiful bouquet of orange flowers in his hands. Your eyes light up at the sight of them, but you can't help but tease him.

"Wow, Sunghoon, are those for me?" you ask, a playful grin tugging at the corners of your lips.

Sunghoon meets your gaze with a confident smile, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "Actually, yes, they are."

Your heart skips a beat at his response, but you try to play it cool as you accept the bouquet from him.

"Well, thank you, but you didn't have to," you reply, trying to mask the fluttering feeling in your chest.

As the elevator begins its ascent, Sunghoon clears his throat, his expression turning serious.

"YN, I wanted to talk to you about something," Sunghoon begins, his voice soft but determined.

You turn to face him, curiosity piqued by the sudden change in tone.

"What is it, Sunghoon?" you ask, your heart pounding in anticipation.

Sunghoon takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to say.

"I know we've been through a lot, and I understand if you're hesitant," Sunghoon starts, his gaze unwavering as he speaks. "But I can't shake the feeling that maybe we're meant to give this another shot. I still care about you, YN, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make it work this time."

You feel a surge of emotion welling up inside you at Sunghoon's heartfelt words, but you can't help but voice your concerns.

"Sunghoon, I… I want to believe that too, but what if history repeats itself?" you admit, your voice wavering with uncertainty. "What if we end up sneaking around again, only to get caught and have our hearts broken all over again?"

Sunghoon reaches out to gently cup your face in his hands, his touch sending shivers down your spine.

"I won't let that happen, YN," Sunghoon says firmly, his eyes locking with yours in a silent vow. "We've both grown and learned from our past mistakes. This time, we'll face whatever challenges come our way together, as a team."

As the elevator reaches its destination, you find yourself lost in Sunghoon's gaze, feeling a glimmer of hope blossoming in your heart. With a nod, you take his hand in yours, silently agreeing to give love another chance, knowing that this time, it just might be different.

As months passed, your relationship with Sunghoon secretly blossomed beautifully. You found comfort and joy in each other's company, navigating the highs and lows of life together with newfound confidence and trust. Despite the occasional challenges, your love for each other only grew stronger with each passing day.

One evening, you found yourselves attending an award show together, surrounded by the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry. His eyes lit up with anticipation as the lights dimmed and the stage came alive with a dazzling display of lights and music. And when your turn to perform finally came, fans in the crowd could see the pride and admiration shining in Sunghoon's eyes as he watched you take the stage, giving it your all with every dance move and note sung.

As the night progressed, fans shared their excitement over the award show, particularly Sunghoon's enthusiastic support for YN's performance. Fancams of Sunghoon's delighted reactions began circulating online, sending waves of joy and admiration through the fandom.

"OMG, did you guys see Sunghoon's reaction during YN's performance? He was literally glowing with pride and excitement! 😍" "I love how Sunghoon can't contain his happiness while watching YN perform. It's so refreshing to see idols supporting each other like this! 🥺" "Sunghoon's smile during YN's performance is giving me life! Who knew idols could be so openly supportive of each other? This is the kind of energy we need in the industry! 💖"

As the award show continued, fans were quick to notice YN's undeniable affection and admiration for Sunghoon as he took the stage to perform. Fancams capturing YN's reactions to Sunghoon's performance began to circulate on social media, sparking a frenzy of excitement and adoration among fans.

"OMG, YN's love eyes for Sunghoon during his performance are everything! I can't handle the cuteness! 😍" "YN is all of us watching Sunghoon's performance. The way they can't take their eyes off him is the ultimate ship confirmation! 🚢 #SungYN" "I swear, YN's smile during Sunghoon's performance could light up the entire room. It's the most precious thing ever! 💕"

Even when it came to each other's live streams, they would be filled with the other's name. As you settled in for a cozy livestream session on Weverse, chatting with your fans and sharing updates about your day, you couldn't help but feel a sense of excitement bubbling up inside you. The familiar hum of the chat box filled your screen, the messages from your fans scrolling by in a flurry of emojis and enthusiastic comments.

But as you read through the comments, one in particular caught your eye. "Did you see Sunghoon's latest Instagram post? You guys would make such a cute couple! 😉"

Without thinking, you read the comment out loud, your cheeks flushing with embarrassment as you realized your mistake. But before you could backtrack, the chat exploded with questions and speculations about your relationship with Sunghoon.

"Wait, are YN and Sunghoon dating?!" "OMG, my SunYN heart is screaming right now! 😱💕" "Please tell us if you're dating! We need to know!"

As the questions continued to pour in, you felt a knot forming in your stomach. You hadn't intended to spark rumors or speculation about your relationship with Sunghoon, but now that the cat was out of the bag, there was no going back.

With a nervous laugh, you tried to deflect the questions, but the curiosity of your fans was relentless.

"I… um… we're just friends," you stammered, your voice barely above a whisper. "Nothing more."

As you struggled to address the flood of questions and speculations from your fans about your relationship with Sunghoon, a familiar notification popped up on your phone screen. With a quick glance, you saw that it was a text from Sunghoon.

Curious, you opened the message, your heart fluttering with anticipation. "Having fun with your livestream, YN? 😜"

A soft chuckle escaped your lips as you read Sunghoon's teasing words, you didn't realize that your reaction had sparked even more curiosity among your fans. Before you knew it, the chat was flooded with messages from eager fans, all desperate to know who had sent you a text.

"Omg, who was that? spill the tea, YN!" "Was that Sunghoon? Are you guys texting each other right now?!" "Tell us who's texting you, we won't stop until we find out!"

As the messages continued to pour in, you couldn't help but laugh at the frenzy your fans had whipped themselves into. It was both amusing and overwhelming to see their excitement over something as simple as a text message.

With a mischievous twinkle in your eye, you decided to tease your fans a little more. "Hmm, I wonder who it could be? You'll just have to keep guessing 😉"

It was a funny little game you and Sunghoon liked to play with your fans.

"Sunghoon, did you see YN's livestream? Are you guys dating?!" "Tell us the truth, Sunghoon! Are you and YN secretly in love?!"

Sunghoon couldn't help but laugh at the barrage of questions, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment at the sudden onslaught of attention. But he knew he had to address the elephant in the room.

"Alright, alright, calm down everyone," Sunghoon said with a chuckle, trying to regain control of the chat. Sunghoon did his best to answer their questions with a mix of humor and sincerity, knowing that his fans were simply curious and excited to be interacting with him.

-

"Hey, Sunghoon," Jungwon began tentatively, drawing Sunghoon's attention away from the game he was playing on his phone. "I've been thinking… do you ever worry about accidentally revealing your relationship with YN?"

Sunghoon furrowed his brow in confusion, his mind racing as he processed Jungwon's question. He hadn't given much thought to the possibility of accidentally revealing his relationship with YN, but now that Jungwon had brought it up, he couldn't deny that the idea made him uneasy.

Jay, who had been listening in on the conversation, chimed in with a concerned expression. "I mean, it's not like we're just worried about our careers or anything. We just don't want anything to happen to you and YN because of a slip-up, you know?"

Jungwon nodded in agreement, his eyes filled with genuine concern for his friend. "Exactly. We just want to make sure you guys are okay."

-

With a contented sigh, YN snuggled closer to Sunghoon, resting her head on his shoulder as they gazed out at the breathtaking view. In that moment, surrounded by the beauty of the city and the warmth of each other's presence, they felt a sense of peace and tranquility wash over them.

Sunghoon couldn't help but smile as he wrapped his arm around YN, pulling her close and pressing a gentle kiss to the top of her head. In that simple gesture, he conveyed all the love and affection he felt for her, the depth of his feelings shining brightly in his eyes.

YN glanced up at Sunghoon, her heart swelling with love as she returned his smile with one of her own. In that quiet moment, as they watched the world pass by below, they knew that they were exactly where they were meant to be: in each other's arms, surrounded by love, and ready to face whatever the future held, together.

[report-rqs]

Step-by-step: Let's report a radqueer for inciting violence

This is a tutorial on reporting. Don't find this user, don't contact them, don't harass them, etc - I am showing how you should report these posts instead. Content warnings: Radqueers, murder, torture

Here is our post in question:

"transtorturemurderer: a transharmful term for one who wishes to or identifies as having commited torture murder"

Archive the post.

Report the post to Tumblr.

Block the blog and everyone in the notes of the post.

Tutorial on each step is under the cut:

Archive The Post

When a radqueer advocates for violence, child abuse, animal abuse, abuse of a corpse or actual CSAM material, it's very important that you archive the post. Saving evidence of radqueers promoting harm is important, especially if this user later comes back after their account is removed.

(It is important to note that I am specifically saying "advocates for" as in in real life. If a radqueer coining post doesn't specify, it can be reported to Tumblr as IRL. I'm noting "IRL" here because so many people think that fictional child sexual abuse material (and similar things) are perfectly fine, although I would like to note that I do not support/endorse "fictional CSAM" and it is recognized as being equally harmful to IRL CSAM/CP by places like MissingKids.com (organizations dedicated to stopping child abuse). But I'm not dedicating this space to arguing about that - Do not derail this post by arguing with me about this. This is a tutorial for something specific.)

You have two main options for archiving:

Archive.Org

Archive.Today

I tend to use both archivers, but if you only want to use one I suggest Archive.Today. Open the main page and copy-paste the URL of the RQ post into the field. Press enter, and it will store an archived version of the post. (Sometimes this takes longer than other times, this is based on how many people are using the site at once.)

If you plan to do a lot of reporting, install the Firefox extensions for Archive.Today and Archive.Org, they let you archive your current page with one click.

If a page has been archived before, you get this message. If it looks like a post has been edited or there are new replies in the notes from radqueers encouraging it, I suggest archiving it again.

Now you've got your updated archived URL. Hold onto this URL.

Report Them To Tumblr

You'll need to view the post in dashboard view if they have a custom theme. Custom theme URLS go like blogname.tumblr.com, and dashboard view is tumblr.com/blogname/post122121212121212121.

Once in dashboard view, click the hamburger menu (the three dots), and you'll see the red option that says "Report blogname."

This takes you to a basic categories menu. Select "Report something else."

That takes you to a sub menu which lets you pick from the following options:

Copyright violation

Trademark violation

Harm to minors

Privacy violation

Impersonation or Non-Genuine Behavior

Suicide or self-harm concern

Hate speech violation

Suspected terrorism

Sexually explicit material

Gore, mutilation, or bestiality

Violent content or threat

I’m being harassed

Unlawful uses or content

Spam

Election Integrity

I bolded the options which radqueer posts will most likely fall into. For the post I'm reporting, I am selecting "Violent content or threat."

You'll enter Tumblr's permalink (the post url), enter a name, your email, solve a captcha and most importantly describe how it violates Tumblr's Community Guidelines. Since I'm reporting this for violence, let's go right to the Community Guidelines on Tumblr:

What Tumblr is not for: Violent Content and Threats, Gore and Mutilation. Don't post content which includes violent threats toward individuals or groups - this includes threats of theft, property damage, or financial harm. Don't post violent content or gore just to be shocking. Don't showcase the mutilation or torture of human beings, animals (including bestiality), or their remains. Don't post content that encourages or incites violence, or glorifies acts of violence or the perpetrators.

You can use the way a website's phrased their guidelines as a sort of base for writing your report. However, on Tumblr remember that it needs to be fairly short because there's a character limit. So, questions to answer:

Does this include violent threats towards a person or group? Is this a label/"pride flag" about committing violence against a person or group?

Does this encourage violence - is it telling people to commit acts of violence?

Is it glorifying acts of violence or their perpetrators?

In this example, this is a pride flag, which denotes pride, and it says "one who wishes to or identifies as having commited torture murder" That is reasonable enough cause to call this post glorifying violence. So, here's what I'm saying in my report: (Changed phrasing slightly from the screenshot above)

This user is posting "pride flags" for people who "identify as" and "wish to" into murderers and other violent perpetrators. In this post, they made a "transorturemurderer" pride flag, for people who wish to commit torture murder. This is very concerning, this blog seems to be completely serious. Please take this blog and other radqueer blogs down.

If a user has many posts right on their blog that violate the Community Guidelines, you can say something akin to "More examples: (Link)" and link to the archived post/s.

Once you're satisfied with your report, you can click submit and Tumblr will say "Got it" and let you know it was received.

Block the blog and everyone in the notes

If you still have the post open, quickly go through the notes and block everyone interacting positively. (Don't spend time looking at these blogs, it will likely be upsetting/disturbing)

Closing Notes

I could've phrased the part about removing other radqueer blogs better. My reason for adding that is that I want Tumblr to start becoming aware of what radqueers post. I believe firmly that once enough people report radqueers for their content, Tumblr might respond to future petitions or requests to ban all radqueer content.

Don't reply to radqueer posts. Don't reply to radqueer posts. This can be tempting, but I don't think it's a good idea. Even if you've got good intentions or make some great points, radqueers like to screenshot anti radqueer posts and post them as examples of "antis harassing them". Your post could even be shown to someone who is questioning being radqueer, grooming them into the community with a sort of "Look! See? All of those mean antis will never accept you, all they do is harass people for disagreements!" air.

I'm autistic and can't read tone well, and I also have OCD that makes me overexplain my intentions. If parts of this post were hard to read, please help me make them shorter.

Tagging some relevant blogs for visibility and critique on this post: @anti-radqueer-zone @radqueer-repellant @radq-blocklist @antiradqueer

[flowerandblood]

ONE YEAR OF FLOWER&BLOOD

✨🎉🌙✨🎉🌙✨🎉🌙✨🎉🌙✨🎉🌙✨🎉🌙

Exactly one year ago I posted my first chapter of the My Best Friend series. Nowadays I think it's something awful and I don't even try to edit it because I'd have to write everything from scratch, but I've left it for people who feel attached to the story. I remember getting about six likes and one comment on the first day and that huuuuge interest made me eager to create chapter 2 and then all the others.

I remember the excitement with which I waited and then replied to comments, not believing that people were actually waiting for the next chapter. At the time I was literally not following anyone, which was good because I wasn't comparing myself to anyone.

Eventually I felt I was ready to try writing other series and a few were successful enough that I decided to stay here permanently and create because it made me happy. Up to that point, everyone had been very kind to me and I started following more and more blogs, wanting to feel part of the fandom, to make friends with everyone. Now I know that was the biggest mistake I made.

Seeing things that didn't interest me, fanfic's whose way of writing couldn't draw me in, I felt frustrated, while at the same time fearing that if I stopped following someone, that person would see it as an affront. At the same time, The Impossible Choice, my biggest project until The Fall from the Heavens (which I'm currently editing and re-editing, while inserting on AO3), began to be written.

Just when I thought I had reached the pinnacle of my abilities (which wasn't true), I also started to clash with anonymous hate messages, probably the worst of which were those vilifying me and my husband, and those regarding my one-shot with Micheal Gavey. I know now that taking it personally and getting involved was my big mistake, and the fandom was shaken by drama that got out of hand.

I was a few steps away from deleting my blog at the time, but my husband talked me out of the idea (thankfully, as my stories aren't saved anywhere else − I'm only now moving them to AO3).

That's when I first realised that some people here I don't even like, and they probably don't like me. I wondered, why are we following each other then? Why are we pretending to have any courtesy? It was only later that I realised that to be considered someone's friend, you have to reblog their work and preferably agree with them even when they write hurtful things.

Since I've depleted my circle of those I follow to about 20 people, since I've blocked dozens of people and tags, there's been blissful silence (with the exceptions of when I write about behaviour in the fandom that I find toxic and someone accuses me of causing drama, but I'm used to it now). I've also never written happier than I do now.

Ideas come to me on their own, I don't feel uptight about what other big people will think of me, whether they reblog it, approve of it or not. I don't give a shit and life is beautiful! Although I can be emotionally unstable, I'm only 70 people short of crossing the next milestone of 3,000 followers, and that's BIG for me. It amuses me that I keep getting messages that someone is going to block me or stop following me, and you guys keep coming. It's gratifying.

I'm going to keep writing for you guys, and I'm sure during season two you'll also see my posts describing my impressions after the episodes in which I hope to involve my husband. I'll also keep you updated here on how I'm doing with my book I'm creating in my private life.

Apreciation

@ewanmitchellcrumbs

Ange. I know that sometimes I'm fucked up, but I want you to know that you've made this place so much more bearable for me that I can't imagine it without you. What I appreciate most about you is that you can talk and discuss, that you always try to understand the other side, that you are empathetic, warm and kind. I feel that, like friends in everyday life, we can also tell each other about things we disagree about, and there are not many people like that here.

On top of that, you are very talented and your stories are always a pleasure to read, even when they are short, you are able to build the plot and atmosphere perfectly, something I have always admired. Thank you for every kind word and understanding.

I still remember your first message to me via ask, referring to the fact that I didn't want to write a pairing with a mermaid because someone else was writing about it at the same time. My heart melted then, it was so nice!

@targaryenrealnessdarling

Liz, Queen of Angst! Your calmness and composure puts me in awe. You're disgustingly talented when it comes to writing and you have a super-sweet personality. When you started following me I began to squirm with delight, and when you started reblogging my stuff? My goodness!!!

@persephonerinyes

You've been engaging and reblogging my stories for as long as I can remember. Always involved, your thoughts make me smile. Thank you for being with me for so long!

@zenka96

You've been here with me since the dawn of time. You know that I love you. Your support from the very beginning really makes me feel like I have a friend here.

@huramuna

I am so proud of you! I remember your asks when I wrote Glass Cuts Deepest, your illustrations for me and your uncertainty about whether you should start writing yourself. I'm so happy for you and that you are so successful! You deserved it.

@black-dread & @aegonx

You are my favourite gif makers. Your work always leaves me in awe, you are amazing! I know how much work you put into it and somehow you make even the worst lit scenes look wonderful!

@summerposie; @0eessirk8; @melsunshine; @immyowndefender; @bellaisasleep; @kckt88; @thedamewithabook; @happinessinthebeing; @queenofshinigamis; @travelingmypassion; @mefools; @fan-goddess; @toodlesxcuddles; @ammo23; @troublesomesnitch; @mariahossain; @out-of-life; @apothe-roses; @heavenhatesme; @whitearemydarkestnight; @liv-cole; @blackswxnn; @echos-muses; @watercolorskyy; @at-a-rax-ia; @tssf-imagines; @snh96; @hiatuswhore; @exitpursuedbyavulcan; @darylandbethfanforever9; @the-dendrophile-bookdragon; @opheliaas-stuff @zaldritzosrose

Your comments and reblogs make me want to keep writing. You make me laugh, you comfort me and you support me. I know I'm definitely forgetting someone, but I want you to know that I love everyone who comments on my stories and there is nothing better for me than responding to your reactions and questions! I have known some of you for so many months that I truly consider you my good friends!

lottie-blue-star; aveatquevale-; aemondtargaryenwifey marvelescvpe; alphard-hydraes-blog; herejusttostan; li0nn3stuff; alexandrawho; vilmakamunen; angelinap09; theloveablestargirl; rose-blue-19; xxxkat3xxx; flosaureum; mandiiblanche; librawh0re; jasminecosmic99; ivvypg; rojocarnation; killmanduh; tokkiiidoll; wolfdressedinlace; angelofvivianne; nina2697; starwarsgirlsimmer1; katsucker; ipostwhtifeel; aemondsdelight; ilswemoon; tigrigri; pasta-rask; roselibrary; lystargs; gemini-mama; nikstrange; tempo-rary-fix; coffeeobsessedtrencher; gwuinivyre; dreamerbythewayx; diiickbrainn; mothmankit

And everyone else I missed and whose icons I would recognize from afar. I know that you have been with me for many months, often in silence or communicating anonymously. Your silent support and presence is something wonderful for me, knowing that you have been with me for so long and read all my posts!

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!!!!

[thefallennightmare]

Just Pretend-fifteen

*gif created by me. feel free to use, simply give credit*

Parings: Noah Sebastian x Musician! Reader

Warnings/Tropes: language, angst, fluff, smut, star-crossed lovers, right person/wrong time, cheating, talks of mental abuse.

Summary: “I can wait for years, heaven knows I’m not getting over you.” A story about two star-crossed lovers, that always find their way back because their souls are entwined. The universe desperately attempts to bring them together, no matter what the cost.

Authors Note: it so mf late and I have to work tomorrow. so y'all better enjoy my loves!

Collaborating With: @thescarlettvvitch(better give her all the love as well)

Tags: @thescarlettvvitch @ozwriterchick @waake-meee-up @notingridslurkaccount @niicoleleigh @sammyjoeee @xxrainstorm @dominuslunae @notmaddihealy @malice-ov-mercy @crimson-calligraphyx @iknownothingpeople @writethrough @thebadchic @blackveilomens Claudia on Tumblr @tobe-written @blacksoul-27 @loeytuan98 @loverofagoodbeard @comfortcharactercraze @lma1986 @plutonikchaos1 @spicywhenspeaking @lyschko666 @somewhere-diamond @hi-fancy-seeing-you-here @koskeepsake @bngurngheart @shilohrosechicken

READER

My heart hammered in my chest as I took the next right, the familiar neighborhood coming into view. I peered to my right, making sure the gift basket was still buckled in place, and the excitement of seeing him again made my stomach flutter. My flight landed less than an hour ago but instead of going straight up, I loaded up my car with all of my bags and came straight to his house. The talk with my father was still loud in my mind.

My father and I had a long talk yesterday. He could sense something was causing my inner plagues. He caught on quickly; he knew the slightest changes in my demeanor.

Oie vie, that sounds familiar.

We discussed everything that happened, from top to bottom; even the veil of intimacy- I was modest, using a simple statement of course, this was my dad. But, I couldn’t lie to him- he put his hand on my shoulder and said.

“I’m sure you think that I don’t understand what you’re going through, but I do. It’s just that sometimes, our future is dictated by what we are in our most current state, as opposed to what we want and actually need.”

We talked more after that; it was opening the curtain that was in front of my eyes. The curtain of Noah and I- the one I only peeked through this whole time. The curtain needs to open.

“What are you going to do?” He asked, pulling back from a gracious hug. We were standing in the large airport, my flight minutes away from being called.

There was a long pause as I mewled the words over my tongue.

“I don’t know,” I finally answered.

We stood together for another minute, just holding each other.

“Follow your heart, Y/N. Break the chains that bind you.” My dad held my face with both of his hands and I could see his eyes glisten.

Was he emotional? I couldn’t be sure.

We hugged again, and I laughed. “Who knew you were a poet with words like that.”

He mocks gasped. “Where the hell do you think you get from?”

“True.”

Less than a block away, my phone buzzed and as I pulled up to the stop sign, I glanced down at the new message.

Chase: sweets, we need to talk to you. Call us when you can.

My heart dropped a little, worry filling me, but I didn’t want whatever he had to talk about ruining my plans so while still stopped, I quickly typed a reply.

ME: I have pretty shitty service where I’m at. What’s up?

As I drove again, my heart began beating loudly in my chest as his house came into view, his car sitting in the driveway.

He’s home.

Pulling to a slow, I reached for my phone ready to text him but the new message from Chase gave me immediate pause; my stomach dropping straight down to the pits of my stomach.

Chase: Noah went out on a date. He’s seeing someone.

My car idled in the middle of the road as I read the message repeatedly, the words like a dagger through my chest.

No, it can’t be true. Maybe it was a mistake, a misunderstanding.

Chase: sweets??

A loud horn jarred me from my froze state and with a choked sob, I pulled over the car to the side of the road, two houses down from his.

Tears burned in the corners of my eyes but they didn’t fall. My fingers hovered over his contact, debating whether I should call him. Maybe if I told him I was coming to see him, he would explain everything.

“Coming up next on Octane,” the loud voice from the speakers made me jump, heart still beating hard in my chest as my teary eyes stared at the radio on the dashboard. “A brand new single by Virginia native band Bad Omens. Here is Nowhere To Go.”

Fuck, I almost forgot about their new song.

“Why's this always gotta happen to me? I should have known. I never fail to never learn from mistakes, still throwing stones. Blood signed we made it a pact. Yours dried out, you took it back.”

I choked on a sob as Noah’s words dug the knife deeper into my chest. Tears still pooling in my eyes but not yet falling.

“Hear me out, I'm sorry, but I'm a little less than sold. I've been around, heard all the stories you said you never told. You're used to speaking in tongues to feel like you're in control. Now you've got nowhere to run, now you've got nowhere to go.”

The emotion in Noah’s voice made me rest my head against the cool window, letting it ease away the burning warmth that spread through my skin.

“Tell me what's mine and tell me what's yours. Why I never got a say, never got a choice? Tell me what's mine and tell me what's yours. Why I never got a say, never got a choice? Tell me what's mine and tell me what's yours. Why I never got a say, never got a choice? Tell me what's mine and tell me what's yours And why I never ever got a fucking say? Oh.”

Now the tears fell freely into my lap as my body shook with sobs, it falling silent against Noah’s strong voice, his emotion, hurt, and anger blasting through the speakers.

“Are you ready? I'm in the driver's seat now. Oh, oh.”

“Mother fucker,” I cursed myself through sobs as I smacked the steering wheel not once, not twice, but three times.

I never meant to not give him a say, I never meant to not allow him a chance, it was never the intention to blindside him; it was a shield, a mask I wore the night I left that hotel room, and clearly; one of the biggest mistakes of my life. Noah was right, I had nowhere to go. As I sat in the driver's seat, grieving over the consequences of my fearful and irrational actions, the song ended, and I sat in silence. I heard the air conditioner hum, the humming almost hid the sound of my beating and broken heart.

You did this, stupid girl.

While driving over to Noah’s, I didn’t know the outcome of what would happen as I practiced what I planned on telling him. But now, as the tears and makeup dried to my face, I knew only one thing; I fucking love Noah, and I waited too long.

Chase: Y/N, please let me know you’re okay.

With shaky hands, I clicked on Malcolm’s contact name, the ringing of the phone echoing throughout my small car.

“Buttercup, where are you?”

At hearing the sheer panic in his voice as he rushed out the words, I broke down in sobs yet again.

“I fucked up, guys,” I cried.

“No, sweets. You didn’t.” Chase sighed.

I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. “Yes, I did! Did you not hear their song? He’s seeing someone else!”

“Why are you there, Y/N? It’s only going to hurt you,” Malcolm said.

Through blurry vision, I stared up at Noah’s house as a light upstairs turned off and I couldn't help but wonder if that was his bedroom.

“I-I don’t know. I just thought that maybe,” the words came out in a jumbled mess and I did my best to compose myself with a deep breath.

“Come home, sweets. We miss you. We can sit on the couch in front of the fire and you can tell us about how the rest of your trip went. Salem misses you, he hasn’t stopped meowing at your door.” Chase suggested.

I peered over to the gift basket on my right. It was filled with a variety of gifts I brought back for Noah with a handwritten note taped to the front; one that will go unread now.

“Okay,” I said, defeated. “I’ll be there soon.”

After hanging up with them, I let out a few shaky breaths to compose myself as I stared at myself in the mirror, wiping away the tears.

Get your shit together.

With a longing glance toward Noah's house, I quickly typed out a message to the Hollow Omens group chat before pulling a U-turn and heading back home.

Me: The new song is amazing! I’m proud of you guys! Can’t wait to hear what else you have up your sleeves.

JOLLY

As I ascended the stairs, phone in my hand, I read the thread in the Hollow Omens group chat.

Malcolm: We’re throwing a welcome back bitch party at our place Friday night for Y/N. All you have to bring is yourselves. We’ll provide everything else.

Y/N: no, no party. Please.

Chase: too bad. It’s already been decided.

Folio: fuck yea, we’ll be there! Nick and I are flying in Thursday night.

Me: We missed you, Y/N. Can’t wait to hear all about your trip.

As I was passing by Noah’s shut door, his text popped up in the chat. He returned home from hanging out with Bailey a little while ago and immediately held up in his room.

Noah: bringing my date, that cool?

Y/N: 🆒

I ran a hand over my face at how stupid Noah was being. It was one thing to ask Malcolm or Chase separately, but asking in the group chat where he knew Y/N could see was a new low. Orie was passing by the hallway so I pulled him to a stop, filling him in on what happened.

“He’s a fucking idiot,” he shook his head

Still, in front of his door, I went to knock on the door but I froze; soft music playing through the wood.

“Is he listening to Cher again?” Orie wondered with pulled brows.

“He loves Cher,” I reminded him.

“Noah is playing back time on again.”

My head snapped towards Orie to correct him. “That's TURN BACK TIME. That’s the title.”

“Oh excuse me,” he held up his hands.

“You’re lucky I was the one to correct you and not him. Noah is serious about Cher.” I snorted before knocking on the door.

The music stopped. “Come in.”

Noah spun around in his computer chair and nodded towards us. “What’s up?”

“Have you lost your mind?” Orie asked.

“What are you talking about?” Noah shook his head, confused.

“How do you go from dumb to dumber this fast?”

Now he looked towards me. “Excuse me?”

“You could have texted Chase or Malcolm to ask about bringing a date. But in the group chat where Y/N could see, why the fuck would you do that?” I questioned.

“Why not?” Noah shrugged nonchalantly.

He’s your brother. You can’t hit him.

“I don’t know if you’re trying to make her jealous or what, but if this blows up in your face,” Orie shook his head while leaning against the wall.

“It won’t, like I told you guys before, I need to at least attempt to move on,” Noah turned back towards his computer, loading up Twitch.

“Okay but, I don’t think-,” I started.

“Let it go,” Noah spoke over his shoulder, not bothering to glance my way.

“This isn’t an attempt to move on. You’re doing this on purpose and it’s messy, Noah.” I examined.

“Dude- don’t, I don’t need a lecture. It’s just casual. Bailey and I are just hanging out-that’s it,” he explained before motioning towards his door. “Can you close the door behind you?”

With a long breath, Orie and I shared a look before retreating out of his room.

READER

The sudden commotion coming from down the hall gave me pause as I stared at myself in the mirror, wondering if it was worth walking through my door to socialize. I compiled a list of excuses to use to get out of this little welcome-back party tonight but every single one Chase and Malcolm saw right through.

“My painting class ran late. I might not make it.”

Malcolm was there at 6:30 to pick me up; right on time.

“I’m on my period and the pain is terrible.”

Chase snickered. “You had your period last week.”

“Salem isn’t feeling well, I should take him to the vet.”

As Salem was doing his usual evening zoomies around the house as he played with one of his many toys that littered the floor throughout the house.

In the end, my excuses did nothing to keep me from this party tonight so much to my dismay, I forced a fake smile on my face. It wasn’t going to be easy tonight knowing that not only would Noah be here, me seeing him for the first time in almost two weeks, but also knowing he wasn’t alone.

He brought a date.

Good for him, I told myself. He deserves to be happy.

But you wanted it to be with you.

Forcing the thought to the far depths of my mind, I took a deep breath to steady myself then left my room to follow the commotion of the noise.

Holy shit.

The living room was packed with more people than I expected, music playing in the background. Besides Chase, Malcolm, Byran, Matt, and the guys of Bad Omens, there were a few unfamiliar faces.

“What happened to a small party?” I teased Malcolm as I took a cup from him and took a small sip, the alcohol burning down my throat. “Oh, shit. What the fuck is this?”

The liquorice-tasting booze lingered on my tongue long after.

“Ouzo. Brought by Jesse Cash,” Malcolm nodded behind me.

My eyes widened as I turned around, eyes immediately connected with the guitarist and clean vocalist of Erra. My heart beat faster, my inner fangirl trying hard not to break free. I’d been a fan of theirs for years.

“Holy shit,” I stammered. “I’m not shitting on your alcohol choice. It’s great.”

Jesse smiled. “I hear you’re big into Greek mythology and thought it would fit to bring a popular Greek drink.”

I raised my cup to him in thanks before taking another small sip, this time the burning eased its way down my throat.

“So, you live with Noah and Jolly?” I asked Jesse.

“Yeah with Michael and Orie,” he answered just as two other unfamiliar faces appeared on either side of him.

I recognized Orie’s name as the one who directs their music videos the other I wasn’t completely familiar with. As we exchanged hello’s, Michael informed me he’d been a friend of Noah’s for a while and was in another band. After a while when Jolly and Nick joined the group, I began telling them about my trip to Japan until I felt a burning gaze to the side of my head.

My heart broke at the sight in front of me.

Noah was leaning against the wall, a small brunette standing up against his chest as her fingers played with the beads of his rosary, twirling it in her fingers. Whatever she was trying to talk to Noah fell on deaf ears as he bore his eyes straight down to his feet. Almost as if he knew I was watching, Noah gazed up towards me and when our eyes locked, he gently pried the rosary out of his date's hands, pushing her away slightly.

I coughed, embarrassed for being caught staring, and turned towards the couch sitting next to Chase.

“Are you okay?” He asked, ice-colored eyes peering over his cup towards Noah.

“She seems nice,” I spoke low while messing with a loose strand on the ripped part of my jeans.

Chase hummed low in his chest. “She’s practically throwing herself on him in front of everyone. It’s weird.”

Playfully, I smacked his chest then finished my drink with a wince, setting the empty cup on the table in front of me just as Michael sat on the other side of me.

“So, Hollow Souls in your band?”

I nodded with a small smile. “Yeah; me, Chase, and Malcolm.”

“I listened to your first two albums but can I say how excited I am for your new stuff,” Michael leaned against the couch, resting his arm across the back of it.

“We are too. There’s a new way we want to go, musically and lyrically, that’s going to differ from how we used to be.”

We continued to chat for a long while, Chase jumping in every once in a while, until someone sat on the couch across from me, his long legs stretching out to brush against my calf. Noah gave me a small smile.

“Hi,” he said.

I forced my best smile, ignoring the girl who sat next to him with her hand on his thigh.

“Hey.”

“You look good,” Noah nodded towards me. “Have a good trip?”

“Yeah. I love my dad and had a lot of fun but I was ready to come home.”

Noah's eyes glinted. “Missed us?”

I shrugged while crossing my legs over at the ankles as I leaned back against Chase. “I missed Chase terribly. I don’t know how I went on without him after he left.”

A rouse of laughter echoed throughout the living room but the girl next to Noah watched with curious eyes.

“Hi, I’m Bailey,” She sat forward while extending her hand towards me. “It’s lovely to finally meet you. I’m a huge fan. ”

Noah and my intense gaze never broke until the hand shook in front of me again, almost reminding me to shake it. Breaking away reluctantly, I smiled at Bailey.

“Oh, hi. Nice to meet you as well,” I carefully shook her hand.

The burning gaze drilled into me as I let go of Bailey’s hand, subconsciously rubbing my palm on my thigh. Noah watched the two of us with intense eyes, darting back and forth with such speed.

“This guy talks a lot about you,” Bailey squeezed Noah’s thigh, making him stiffen.

I cleared my throat, blood draining from my face. “H-he does?”

She nodded with a smile. “Noah is a huge fan of Hollow Souls. I saw you guys on this last tour and needless to say, I was jealous that I couldn’t see him fill in with you guys those last few nights. I bet it was amazing performing together, having Noah’s great vocals with you. I mean, not saying yours are bad. But Trey’s always overshadowed it with his lyrics.”

My shoulders went rigid for two reasons; Trey and his lyrics.

Chase clicked his tongue before drowning down the rest of his drink. Malcolm, who stood behind the couch, reached over and squeezed my shoulder, knowing how deep I was about to go with this conversation.

“I write all the lyrics for Hollow Souls,” I informed Bailey.

Her eyes widened, still not removing her hand from Noah’s thigh. “I didn’t-. I read things online that said it was all Trey.”

I bit my lip, knowing that it wasn't her fault and she shouldn’t face my wrath. But it could have been because Trey was still such a sore subject for me or the fact that her hand was now grazing up and down on Noah’s thigh. Dr. Poulos told me I was running, and even Noah told me subliminally I was running. They were right and now look where it got me. Me, staring at another woman touching what was rightfully mine.

It didn’t work because the words slipped through my lips before I could stop them.

“Do you believe everything you read online?” I raised a teasing brow.

The tension in the room was thick, something everyone but this poor girl picked up on.

“No. I’m really sorry if I offended you, Y/N. It wasn’t my intention. I’ve just been a fan for years and always thought Trey wrote the songs,” Bailey said.

My jaw clenched but before I could retort, my phone rang, silencing all my words.

“Hello?” I sighed into it.

“Hi dear. Why so somber?”

My face broke out in a large smile at hearing my dad's voice. “Hi, dad. How are you?”

“Good, just got back from a run and wanted to check in.”

Malcolm smacked my shoulder. “Put it on speaker. I want to say hi.”

Rolling my eyes, I clicked the speaker button. “Dad, Malcolm wants to say hi.”

As the two of them talked, I dared a glance over to Noah and Bailey, and my stomach drop at the sigh; they were having their own deep conversation, her hand still resting against his thigh. Blinking away the tears that stung, I let out a shaky breath as my dad’s voice caught my attention.

“Dear, how did things go with what’s his name? Did you tell him the truth? Oh fuck, I can’t remember his name. OH! No-?”

Quickly taking the call off the speaker, I jumped from the couch and darted into the kitchen.

NOAH

Everyone tensed as Y/N scurried out of the room with her phone pressed to her ear. Even though Bailey was rambling my ear off about some topic I wasn’t paying attention too, I missed why Y/N abruptly left the room.

“Where’s she going?” I nodded toward the spot where Y/N previously sat.

Nick cleared his throat. “Her dad was calling to check in.”

“Why are you just sitting and zoning out then?” Bailey giggled. “What’s with the tension?” 

Jolly shook his head with a smile. “There’s no tension. We’re all trying to figure out what song to listen to. Any requests?”

Something wasn’t adding up so after excusing myself to grab another drink, Bailey’s hand finally detached from my thigh. As I walked into the kitchen, I noticed Y/N was leaning against the counter, back to me and phone pressed to her ears. Her eyes were pinched closed by her fingers.

“No Dad, just leave it alone…. She seems nice, I can’t do that to him, it was a silly thing to even consider.” 

My brows furrowed as my heart beat rapidly in my chest, wondering who she was talking about. I shouldn't eavesdrop, the gods know how much I hate that shit, but I couldn’t move. My feet were frozen in place as I stuffed my hands deep into my pockets.

“Look it’s not worth it now. I waited too long.”

Waited too long? For what?

Y/N talked for another minute then hung up with a sad sigh, slowly turning around with a shocked expression as she noticed me standing there.

“Noah! Hey! How long have you been standing there?” She shifted on her feet.

“Just walked by,” I lied. “I needed another beer. Everything alright with your dad?”

“Oh yeah, totally.”

We stood there in an awkward silence; something that wasn’t common between us.

“What’s that?” I wondered while pointing behind her.

Y/N raised a brow as she peered over her shoulder to the dining room and let out a small chuckle; my heart coming to life at the sound.

“Chase’s fish tank. The thing is fucking huge and why does it need to be seen through, I don’t know. But it’s his hobby and I’m not one to make fun of someone's hobby,” she said while walking over to the large fish tank.

It was one of those that you could look through and see whatever or whoever was standing onto the other side. A variety of colors, sizes, and kinds of fish swam slowly back and forth. In the awkward silence, I stared at the mustache of the catfish my eyes gliding over the tank, looking at it instead of her. Peering back at me was a pair of the most exquisitely beautiful pair of eyes.

Those angelic eyes. I accidentally pushed my face closer to the glass, she chuckled a little. We were still silent, not sure what to say exactly. She was ethereal, truly, on the other side of the tank. We now realize it was just the two of us at this moment. It was then that I noticed the large basket on the table behind her; a piece of paper with my name tapped to the front.

“Is that for me?” I asked while standing straight.

Y/N followed my gaze, staring at the basket for a long moment before snatching the paper off of it.

“Yea. Just a few things you wanted me to bring back for you.”

Her eyes never met mind as she fiddled with the paper between her fingers. I never got the chance to ask what was so important about that flimsy paper because Bailey’s voice called out for me.

“Noah! Can you grab me a beer on your way back?”

JESSE

I had to admit, privately in the corners of myself of course- Y/N was absolutely stunning. Even I couldn’t deny that. The first few minutes of speaking with her, she definitely had an allure. I could see why Noah was so captivated at first.

But to say I was perplexed was an understatement.

I knew my friend; I knew his little quirks, habits, his way around words, and lack thereof. He knew how to get off scot easy. I observed Noah and Y/N, the awkward moments that only selected of us knew.

Fuck.

The elephant was only getting larger with one passing moment. I wanted to get up and start yelling “Cut the shit! You love each other!”

I hated this mess that was sitting on the left of me.

Noah’s actions were almost mirroring hers. It was painful to watch. The twitching, the shifting of eyes, the touching of hair. Noah’s hair was so long- he would touch the strands and twirl it and when she laughed too hard with Michael, I almost thought Noah was going to rip out a strand.

A few other things I noticed? Bailey filled up her drink twice. Y/n watched her like a hawk, and Noah watched her watch Bailey.

What a fucking hellhound of a night.

Bailey was a nice girl, but even I could see her head was too blown up into Noah land to realize she was a mere plot device, a way of distraction from the one across from her. Poor naïve thing.

Not being able to take it anymore I glanced at Noah intensely, taking off my glasses. He looked back; he knew what I was getting at. I shook my head, direction to the hallway “

We need to talk my eyes said.

Noah sighed before slipping away from Bailey, who was staring down at the contents of her drink, body swaying slightly. But when she noticed Noah was leaving, she grazed his back while he did. Noah froze for a moment before shrugged his shoulders, her touch falling from his back.

I quickly looked to Y/N and realized she was watching the two of them over the rim of her cup, usual bright eyes dulled from the alcohol and the sight of Noah with someone else. He never left her vision- even if she thought he did. And she was the same. That shrug was small, but it did its job.

Once out of earshot, I crossed my arm over my chest. “Noah-.”

“Jesse,” he cut me off with my name. “I can’t deal with any more bullshit lectures tonight. Seriously, I’m a grown man.”

“Are you?” I raised a brow while pointing back to the living room. “Because the shit is extremely uncomfortable for all of us. You’re acting like some teen throwing a toy around, waiting for a reaction.”

“That’s fucked up,” Noah’s eyes narrowed.

“Well, am I wrong?” I shot back.

He sighed and I could tell he was tired of it. He was tired of the constant telling him what to do, and what to say; from all of us, but he was so fucking stubborn. Noah had to have been one of the most intense friends I’ve ever encountered. I love him, but, this was even breaking me down mentally.

All I wanted was for my friend, and my new friend to wake the fuck up.

“Look dude,” I sighed while running a hand over my chin. “I won’t say anything. But this is just uncomfortable, please understand that?”

“I do, but it doesn’t have to be. I’m trying to test the waters. I’m sorry for dragging you all into this.”

I patted his shoulder. “We’re here for you man, we know what this is doing to you. We know Baley isn’t where your head’s at. But I have to ask; you already know about Y/N’s condition and why she walked away. What’s the point of this?”

Noah rested his hands on his hips as he stared down at his feet before lifting to meet my gaze. “She won’t talk to me. I mean Y/N talks to me- but she won’t let me in. She doesn’t trust me enough to tell me the truth. And that fucking hurts, Jesse.”

“This isn’t it brother, come on, you’re better than this,” I tried to reason.

“Am I?”

My shoulders fell at the Scorpio's stubbornness. “Yeah, you are and Y/N knows that. She’s distraught out there, Noah.”

“I just need her to tell me herself,” Noah opened his arms wide to the side before they fell, slapping his thighs. The sound bounced off the walls of the hallway. “I need her to need me.”

With a deep sigh, I eventually nodded before wrapping an arm around his shoulder, leading us back into the living room where Noah’s eyes immediately caught Michael and Y/N standing far off in the corner of the room, talking amongst themselves.

It was about to be a fucking zoo soon.

NOAH

I stared at the floor, my shoes, and anywhere that was avoidant to her gaze. I was avoidant of the woman in front of me. She was throwing herself at me, that much I could tell. Angel looked so beautiful, it’s all I could think of. Her beauty was unparalleled, it couldn’t be outshined by anyone.

She was glowing; the trip did wonders for her, and I was happy to see it. I wasn't, however, happy with the situation I was in, Bailey on my left- that was one thing. Michael was telling Y/N a joke, something about Japanese mice, I couldn’t fucking tell.

I was counting to 10, something my therapist, Dr. Poulos suggested I do when I find myself in situations I can't control.

“I don’t see what’s so funny,” I grumbled into the rim of my beer bottle.

“I didn’t say anything funny,” Bailey answered.

A low noise rumbled in my chest as I continued to watch Michael and Y/N. I wasn’t worried about Michael- so why my jaw clenched and my tongue kept moving I wasn’t sure.

No, I fucking knew. I wanted to stand across from her, encasing around her space. I wanted to be the one who told Y/N jokes.

I began twisting my hair with my fingers-a strand was sure to snap off if it didn’t already.

Michael chuckled while glancing at me, noticing my twisted expression. My beer was tight in my hands, I kept fiddling with the paper on the bottle; a distraction is what I kept running into- always a fucking distraction.

Michael lifted his arm to cough into it, a silent way of telling me he knew I knew.

It was innocent; I wasn’t even mad at him. I just yearned for the comfort of Y/N’s laughter directed at me. Bailey chuckled at something I said a little ago but it did nothing- not even an artery moved. I only felt one emotion; guilt.

I stood there thinking it didn’t matter. Y/N was the one I wanted, all I ever wanted but knew I need a fucking miracle.

“Oh, fuck yes!” Malcolm cheered while reading something on his phone, catching all of our attention. “My House is being released tomorrow!”

“Shut the fuck up, really?” Y/N quickly left Michael's side to jump over the couch in between Chase and Malcolm.

I couldn’t help but smile seeing Michael standing there alone.

“I thought the label wanted to wait at least another month,” Chase said.

Malcolm shrugged. “The email said that with the successes of Bad Omens new single, they wanted Hollow Souls to release one.”

“You’re welcome,” Folio raised his beer in the air.

“My House?” Bailey said. “I’m stoked you have a song ready to be released out into the wild already. Damn! What are the chances you and Noah’s band have songs out during the same time, it’s like you wrote it at the same time or something.”

Everyone in the room, besides Bailey, shifted uncomfortably, and I finished my beer in two long gulps.

“I like the title,” I said.

Y/N gave me a curt smile before giving her attention back to Malcolm, who had his phone poised ready to record a video.

“Hey everyone, it’s Malcolm from Hollow Souls. I’m here with some friends.”

He peered the phone towards Chase, who threw up a peace sign, then to Y/N who gave a small wave. “Hi! We just wanted to come on Instagram to let you all know that our new single My House will be released tomorrow night. It’s going to be different from things we’ve released in the past but we’re still so excited for you all to hear it!”

Chase was next to pull out his phone before Y/N’s electric voice began playing through the speaker.

I feel you in these walls. You're a cold air creeping in. Chill me to my bones and skinI heard you down the hall but it's vacant when I'm looking in. Who let you in?

Shit. My entire body and essence became electric upon hearing the new vocal range from Y/N. The rawness of her voice told us everything we needed to know.

“Alright, that’s all the sneak peek you guys get. Listen, tomorrow on Octane at eight to hear the whole thing,” Chase pointed to the screen.

Once they finished their video for Instagram, Bailey was on them before they even had the chance.

“I love the lyrics, Y/N. What’s the meaning behind them?”

I gently grabbed her hand, already having a feeling I knew what this new song was about. “They probably don’t want an interview right now, Bailey.”

“No,” Y/N spoke with confidence. “It’s fine. The song is about taking your life back. When something is toxic and hurting you, you need to let go of it, no matter how hard that can be. Almost like you’re not trapped under that person’s gaze anymore when they judge you when they tell you what you want or what you can and can’t do. It’s about kicking them out. I had help, but it’s been freeing.”

She rested her head against Malcolm's shoulder while linking fingers with Chase.

My eyes immediately locked with hers as I took a deep inhale and then a low exhale. You could almost hear a pin drop it was that quiet.

“Fuck, that’s so good, Y/N! I’m happy for you.”

My hands shook at my sides as Jolly turned his attention towards me, sporting his typical Dad Omens expression.

“Told you,” he mouthed.

Pushing off of the wall, I stalked into the kitchen for another beer; my third one in the last 3 hours. However, I walked right past the fridge to grip the sink, letting my head fall as I let out a shaky breath.

You’re such a dumbass. Always overthinking shit that has nothing to do with you.

I screwed my eyes shut tight, forcing the thoughts out of my mind before they burrowed themselves deep.

Soft footsteps echoed behind me as I felt her familiar presence at my back. “She’s really sweet.”

My face jerked as I winced, still facing the cabinet so she couldn’t see my face. The guilt for once again overthinking a situation that could have easily been fixed with a simple conversation.

“Yeah, she’s okay,” I admitted.

I sucked in a breath as I turned to face her, realizing how close she was. The familiar pull of the string that bound our hearts together glowed brightly. I felt it pulsating deep within my chest.

“Just okay? Where’d you meet her?” She wondered.

I cleared my throat. “The record shop.”

Y/N hummed while gazing up at me through lashes and I hoped she couldn’t hear how loud my heart paced against its cage in my chest.

“What did you think of Nowhere To Go?” I asked in a low voice, fingers itching to reach for her to pull her close, closing the last little of bit empty space between us.

Her jaw ticked, something I noticed right away. “It was fantastic.”

I raised a brow, testing the waters because I wanted to know how she truly felt. “Yeah?”

Y/N’s fingers played with the end of my rosary necklace and I shuddered a breath, not daring to let her know how bad her presence was affecting me.

“Noah, I need to-.”

“Y/N! Salem got stuck in the closet again!” Chase called from the living room causing her to jump back in surprise.

“Uh, shit. I should go,” She threw a thumb over a shoulder, a red hue covering her face.

I nodded. “Ye-yea. Sure.”

There was only one thing on my mind as I watched her retreat into the living room.

What the fuck was she going to say?

NOAH

We all piled into the studio, waiting patiently for eight pm. Orie, Michael, and Jolly were taking up space on the couch in the room while both Nicks sat on the floor, playing some card game. I was too preoccupied to care. Jesse sat with me at the computer, watching me as I almost counted down the minutes. My knee bounced with anticipation. We spent the entire day recording our next song, hoping to have it released within the next few months. My phone blew up with texts from Bailey but I ignored each one of them, not wanting the distraction.

Jesse smirked while eating a bag of chips. “Excited?”

I threw him a sideways glance. “Fuck off. Feelings aside for her, this is big for Hollow Souls. It's their first song without what’s his face. It could make or break them, but we know it’ll fucking make them.

“Shit, Noah!” Nick all but yelled. “It’s eight! Turn it on.”

Quickly turning to Octane, we heard the DJ’s voice blare through the speakers in the room.

“Alright, are you guys ready for some new music? This comes from LA’s own Hollow Souls; which became a three some recently. A lot of fans were upset with the departure of Trey but unlike those fans, I’m fucking stoked to hear this new direction they’re going. Here is My House!”

“I feel you in these walls. You're a cold air creeping in. Chill me to my bones and skin. I heard you down the hall. But it's vacant when I'm looking in. Who let you in?

Once again, Y/N’s voice brought chills all over my body and I leaned forward to rest my elbow on the desk in front of me.

“Never thought that I would feel like this. Such a mess when I'm in your presence. I've had enough, I think you've been making me sick. Gotta get you out of my system. It's my house and I think it's time to get out. It's my soul. It isn't yours anymore. It's my house and I think it's time to get out. Yeah, I think it's time to get out.”

I danced in my seat to the music; the drums resonating deep in my bones. I knew Hollow Souls were worried about the change in the band, instrumental-wise since Y/N was taking guitar lessons from their guitar tech. But since she wasn't quite ready for the release of this song, their guitar tech filled in. Regardless, it was fucking perfect.

“You walk around I can hear your pace. Circling my bed frame. Now we're face to face. Head on my pillowcase. But darling, you can't stay.”

“Don’t even try to overthink that line, Noah!” Jolly spoke from behind me. “It’s clearly about Trey.”

I flipped him the middle finger, not letting his words wipe the proud smile off my face.

“Haven't you heard? I'm not yours anymore. I'm not yours anymore. It's my soul, and I think it's time to get out. Haven't you heard? I'm not yours anymore. I'm not yours anymore. It’s my house.”

“That’s my angel,” I rested my chin in my palm, still sporting the brightest and widest smile.

I was so engrossed at the end of the song that I didn’t catch the shared look between Jolly and Jesse, them each sporting their own smiles.

My fingers worked fast to type out the new message.

ME: Hey, that song is great! angel, see!? What the hell were you even worried about. You are the heart of the band, I knew you and the guys would kill it!

Y/N's response was almost immediate, and I couldn't help but wonder if she was waiting for me to text her.

Angel 🪽: Thank you, mochi. That means a lot coming from you. 🖤

ME: Always.

For the next few minutes, I chatted with the guys as we thought about ways to make our next single a step head of Nowhere To Go. But I couldn't stop staring at my phone, needing to talk to her again.

ME: Hey again

Angel 🪽: lol hi again.

ME: Just really wanted to say I’m proud of you, Angel. I’m glad I saw you last night.

Angel 🪽: Thank you, mochi. Again! Truly. Always a pleasure seeing your face.

I stared at that reply for what felt like minutes. She was tiptoeing around me, and this time it was my fault. I think I’m fucking this up.

[amsgrey]

Need Help?

kaz brekker x reader

synopsis: Kaz helps you get ready for a job, lost in the moment he forgets his anxiety and stays present.

warnings: other than bad writing? not much.

authors note: I have had terrible writer's block lately, so here is this terrible story that has been in my drafts for weeks. I will be doing my best to fix it but man it is not easy.

Kaz woke you early one morning, knocking sharply on the door. He knocked once, waiting for any sounds behind the door before he struck again.

You sleepily opened the door, ready to tell Jesper to get lost. Realizing it was your boss, not the sharpshooter, you stuttered over your words.

"I need you and Nina for a job."

You followed his instructions, waking up Nina and forcing her to join you on the job to Little Ravka.

Before you had left the slat Kaz had ordered the two of you to not get sidetracked, with no stops on the way to Little Ravka and no detours on the way back. Nina had quietly mumbled about Kaz being no fun and you knew then you would spend the time steering her away from food vendors.

Walking down the Ravkan market had been the hardest. Nina had told you about this place, but seeing it for the first time was nothing like hearing about it. Like Os Kervo's markets, Nina had told you. She had explained the time she spent there in-depth, the afternoons walking through the markets with her friends.

Nina let out a tiny gasp, snatching your hand and dragging you along behind as she approached a stall. You could see what she was fixated on, a pastry dusted in sugar.

Nina ignored your protests, ordering two of the desserts and paying the vendor quickly. The girl handed one to you, nodding for you to try it.

“Why are you so obsessed with these?” You asked as you walked back through Ketterdam.

“Because they’re brilliant,” Nina said like it was the most obvious answer.

You laughed, watching her brush icing sugar off her nose.

“They are good,” You agreed, “I see why you love them so much.”

Nina beamed, “And Brekker said stops weren’t worth it.”

Kaz would not be happy. You knew when the two of you strolled into the slat the boy would see the crumbs - no matter how many times you would brush down your clothes - and chastise you about the detour.

At some point halfway through the Zelvar district, you decided you didn’t much care. Kaz was sour about many things, he would act annoyed for a while and then see how you grinned in defiance and let it go. Besides, you all knew this errand was hardly one of high stakes.

You were surprised to walk into the slat and see Kaz not at all surprised at your lateness. He took one look at the two grinning crows and rolled his eyes.

“Enjoy yourself?”

“Yup,” Nina replied, planting herself in the chair next to Matthias.

You sat on Kaz's right, looking over the map of the Financial district Kaz was scrutinizing.

“Why do you need a tailor?” You asked, thinking about the message you and Nina left at the cafe in Little Ravka.

Kaz spared you a glance, taking in the furrow of your brow as you studied the map.

"For the job," Was Kaz's blunt reply.

“What did Nina convince you to stop for?”

You turned to Wylan, "I would have stopped too."

Nina’s face broke into a grin, “No one can resist sweets.”

“What is it like?” Wylan continued.

“It’s pastry,” Kaz replied, fixing Wylan with a glower.

You laughed, “It’s not just pastry, Brekker.”

Nina launched into an explanation while you looked back over the map. You brushed off some of Wylans pencil shavings from when he completed it.

“What are you thinking?” You asked Kaz, trying to see what he was scrutinizing.

Kaz looked from the map to you, muttering about his plans.

You and Kaz didn’t realize that the conversation had lulled around them, the other crows watching the two sit close together hunched over the map and scribbling notes.

Inej tapped Jesper's shoulder, no one had realized the wraith had even appeared, “Scheming face.”

Jesper laughed, breaking You and Kaz from your concentration, “Definitely scheming faces.”

You pouted, “I don’t scheme.”

Kaz corralled everyone into his office later in the evening of that day. He let everyone know the building that was on the map was holding a Gala that night, and there was a target you needed to reach.

As always, Kaz's plans had layers and twists that he didn't reveal to everyone. Trying to follow along with what he wanted everyone to do was sometimes impossible, so you were glad he explained it slowly for everyone.

"Whose going as a guest?" Jesper asked, having been already assigned fake driver duty.

"Matthias and Y/N," Kaz replied.

You started to protest, but Kaz didn't listen.

"You will be posing as Mr and Mrs Mjelde. You two look like them."

You and Matthias looked at each other, wearing matching frowns. You hadn't worked with Matthias before, but you trusted Kaz enough to have faith in his plan. Kaz explained how you both could pass as the Frejdan-Kerch couple, mostly because of the resemblance you had to the couple. When you had asked why Nina couldn't be Mrs Mjelde, Kaz waved it off with "I need her somewhere else".

After Kaz had given everyone their assignments and explained the target, you remembered the job he had sent you and Nina earlier that day.

"So why do we need a tailor?" You asked.

"Mrs Mjelde has shorter hair than you," Kaz replied, "I thought you would rather tailor yourself to look different than cutting your hair."

Your chest constricted, Kaz had put extra care into making you feel comfortable on this job.

"Well too bad there aren't any available Tailors in Ketterdam," Nina sighed, already hearing from her fellow Grisha that the only slightly knowledgable tailor had left the city a week ago.

Kaz frowned, trying to come up with an alternative plan.

"I can just cut my hair," You said.

"You love your hair," Jesper replied.

You shrugged, "No harm in a change every now and again."

Everyone seemed slightly surprised, but no one said anything to challenge you. Kaz ordered everyone to prepare for the job, Jesper and Nina had to slip away to get the disguises for the night, leaving the rest of you to prepare in the Slat.

You had borrowed the scissors Kaz used to cut his hair, the same ones you used not two weeks ago to cut his hair. You sat in front of your mirror, it was perched haphazardly on your small dresser. You stared at your reflection, trying to work up the courage to cut your own hair.

"Need help?"

You could see Kaz in the reflection, standing in the doorway like you had not long ago. You felt suddenly self-conscious, breaking eye contact and running your fingers through your hair to try distract yourself.

Kaz stepped into your room, closing the door behind him. Your tiny room felt cramped with only you in it, now it felt claustrophobic. Kaz leant his cane against your bedframe, coming to stand behind you. You felt unease build in your chest, unable to say a word. You felt at ease in Kaz's room, lazing on his bed or bothering him while he worked. But now that he was in your room, it felt strangely more intimate.

Kaz slipped his hands out of his gloves, placing them in front of you on the dresser. He held his hand to you, waiting for you to give him the scissors.

"We don't have all evening," Kaz said, rather bluntly.

You laughed, a stupid smile greeting Kaz in the mirror. You didn't much mind Kaz's bluntness, in fact, you had grown to love it. Once you learnt he never meant any harm - to you most specifically - you grew to appreciate how he cared little about sugarcoating anything. At times he was cruel, but never with you.

You let Kaz take the scissors from you, he turned them over in his hands. Once. Twice. You watched him in the mirror, as he finally decided on his action. He ran his fingers through your hair like you had done to him. His fingernails raked along your scalp, pulling fly-away strands from your face. He began to work on your hair, combing it away from your face with his fingers then cutting it slowly, methodically.

You were both silent as he worked, you could only watch in awe as he took such care. His brows were furrowed, much like they always were. But his eyes weren't piercing or angry, they were gentle and kind. He was so concentrated on what he was doing that his mask fell. It was the first time since that night in his room that you saw Kaz Reitveld again.

When Kaz was almost done, you finally shifted your gaze from Kaz behind you to your hair. Jesper was right, you did love your hair and you had been reluctant to change it. It felt a little easier knowing it was Kaz who was cutting your hair, Kaz who was helping you change.

Kaz stayed close when he was done, running his fingers through your hair again. His fingers ran through your hair, then rested on the bare skin of your neck. It was like you were both stuck in a trance. Making eye contact through the mirror. Kaz was taking deep breaths, not removing his hands from your skin.

You looked away, "I should go see Nina."

Kaz nodded, watching you stand up from your chair and brush down your clothes. He took a small step back, entranced by the way your hair now perfectly framed your face.

You looked up to see his staring, a faint smirk on his face.

"See something you like, Brekker?"

Kaz chuckled, "Maybe."

He took another step forward, reaching up and tugging on a strand of your hair. You smiled, offering your thanks for his help.

Kaz nodded, silent while he looked over your face. You could feel his breath over your cheek. From this close, you could see the flecks in his irises. You glanced from his eyes to his lips, the silent question hanging between you. You both knew that Kaz wouldn't be the first to instigate a kiss; you had been close before but never as close as that night in his room.

Kaz felt like he couldn't breathe, watching you look at him with so much faith, so much devotion. He hadn't seen anyone look at him like that since Jordie died. In The Barrel, it wasn't like people were willing to get close to him, not that he ever let them. Kaz trusted you, too, as a crow and someone he could love. He had a hard time showing that, in fact, he never showed it.

You ignored the doubts running through your head, leaning forward and pressing your lips to Kaz's. You pulled away quickly like a child having their first kiss. The last thing you wanted to do was overwhelm the man before you.

Kaz snaked his fingers into your hair, pulling you closer and kissing you again.

You were struck by how sweet Kaz tasted, like Hopjes. He cupped your cheek gently, pulling away hesitantly. He smirked, enjoying being close to you without the debilitating panic that usually forced him away.

"Y/N!' Nina knocked on the door, "Saint's sake, have you finished yet?"

Kaz pulled away, both of you snapping out of the trance and fumbling around the other. You had to slip past Kaz to get to the door, trying to ignore how close the two of you were. You threw the door open to see Nina, standing impatiently with the dress for the job tossed over her arm. Nina could no doubt see Kaz standing behind you in your room, his face no doubt flushed as it always was when the two of you were caught close by another crow.

With everything finally in place, you forced yourself down the stairs to greet the crows. The ridiculous shoes you had to wear made climbing down the stairs harder than you liked, you had to rely heavily on the ballestraid so you wouldn't fall down.

At the bottom of the stairs, Matthias was scowling at Jesper and Wylan, who were making fun of his formal attire. He looked as miserable as you, constantly adjusting the collar of his shirt and blazer to try get comfortable.

"Hey gorgeous," Jesper greeted, throwing his arm over your shoulders and pulling you into a side hug.

You jabbed your finger into his ribs, getting him off you. "Don't call me that when I'm dressed like an idiot."

Jesper rolled his eyes, "That was rude."

Kaz finally joined you all, leaving his office and pausing a few paces away from you all. You could see how he took in what you were wearing, the subtle makeup covering your eyes and the fake jewels resting on your collarbones. You tried not to flush when you noticed his gaze linger on the buttons of your bodice.

Nina was staring at you, giving you a knowing look. You waved her off, pulling your cloak around your dress.

"Everyone knows the plan?" Kaz asked.

There was a chorus of yes'.

"Then let's get to it."

[kangshxrtie]

ch. 17 ⤍ best gamer

"i'm so stressed! neither wony nor kkura are texting me back! my two most famous friends ditched me" you ranted to your chat as soon as you started stream.

"so i am still playing with kazuha, eunchae, and yujin today no matter what. we might just end up playing a different game than planned"

you were about to say more but your phone lit up indicating you had a message, "wait they both texted me back"

"okay, i was stressed for no reason; they're both on their way now," you informed your chat, setting your phone down before joining the discord call, where kazuha, eunchae, and yujin were already waiting.

"wony and kkura will be a little late, but we can play something while we wait," you suggested to the group.

"fall guys?" yujin proposed. you immediately agreed, recalling the fun you used to have playing together. but during the first game, you quickly remembered just how much of a troll yujin could be.

"ok, the three of us are here, just need one more," you announced as i crossed the finish line with kazuha and eunchae.

"yujin, get up!" you yelled after seeing her rolling around on the ground when you switched to spectator mode.

"too easy," yujin said when she finally finished.

"was it?" eunchae chuckled.

"i was just letting other people get spots," yujin explained.

"i'm first; we're winning this!" yujin cheered as she went up the course.

"no, i'm winning the crown," kazuha declared from behind her.

"honestly, zooming," yujin remarked.

"this shit's mine; i'm the rightful heir to the throne."

"no, wait, kazuha, let me!"

"you're not getting it!"

"no! i'm right here!"

they both missed the jump and grab for the crown.

"how were both of y'all there, and we still lose!" eunchae exclaimed.

"listen, we both tried our best," kazuha replied.

"sometimes you just get unlucky," yujin added.

"i swear i pressed the button though," kazuha said.

"that was so sad," eunchae commented.

"it's fine; it was the first game, and we got to the finale. that means we win the next one," you reassured the group.

in the next game, a part of your group actually made it to the finals.

only you and eunchae were left; the goal was to be the last one with the tail.

"eunchae, i'll hold them back; you just run," you instructed the younger girl.

"okay, i trust you," eunchae replied.

yujin and kazuha guided her chaotically throughout the whole thing, providing tips on which way to go and how to dodge the other players.

she was getting crowded towards the end, but she jumped at the last second, keeping her tail and winning the crown.

we all excitedly cheered for the younger girl, knowing that a win for her was a win for the rest of the group.

"we can't just end on a win; we have to keep going," eunchae spoke up.

"we'll stop when sakura and wonyoung join," you said.

"let's just stay on this side and play offense," kazuha suggested as the round started.

"i'm going for their ball!" kazuha bumped the other ball, keeping it on the other team's side.

"pass me the ball!" eunchae yelled at kazuha when she was wide open and practically inside the goal.

"defense!"

"intercept!"

"counter attack!"

"put it in the hole!"

"kazuha, you can't just be yelling out random soccer terms," you teased.

"but it's working," eunchae mentioned.

eunchae headbutted a ball into the goal, scoring another point for our team.

"cleanest head bump i've ever seen," yujin said.

kazuha waited in the middle of the court for the next ball to spawn and hit it at the right angle, bumping it right into the goal. "long shot!"

"another one!" kazuha yelled, doing the exact same thing.

"yellow's getting so fucked right now," yujin observed.

"i got more!" kazuha jumped again, but this time, it went a little more to the right when the other team blocked it. you quickly moved your character to bump the ball into the goal, scoring a point for our team.

"they're not getting a single point off of us," you declared.

"no points," eunchae repeated.

"the best thing to do here is to stay relaxed and don't panic—bruh, get a fucking life, you degenerate motherfucker!"

"what did you just say about staying calm?" eunchae laughed.

"what did i just join into?" wonyoung asked as she finally joined the call.

"finally, we've been waiting for hours!" you exclaimed.

"sorry, my shoot was so long, and they would not let me leave until everybody on the staff team made sure it looked good," wonyoung apologized.

"i'm in!" kazuha cheered.

"i'm almost there if these people would stop grabbing me," yujin groaned.

"these are definitely wonyoung fans griefing us right now," you remarked to the group as a random person grabbed you.

"oh yeah, for sure," yujin agreed.

"i'm not even playing right now. don't blame my fans because y'all can't win," wonyoung teased.

"because it's my go-to whenever i'm losing," you told her.

"i got hit," yujin said.

"wait, i fell," kazuha said.

"can y'all please get it together?" you playfully scolded.

"where even are you?" yujin retorted.

"i'm in front of all of you; that's why you can't see me."

"i really don't remember how to play this," eunchae admitted. "okay, i lied. i finished."

"oh my god, i just threw," kazuha said.

"kazuha threw. kazuha threw," you repeated.

"we should just back out at this point," kazuha suggested after another failed attempt.

"i'm in!" yujin exclaimed.

"now let's leave" kazuha suggested again.

"no stop we can win this," eunchae declared, determination ringing in her voice.

"are you guys winning?" sakura's voice echoed through the call as she finally joined.

"nice of you to grace us with your presence," you teased sakura.

"i've been watching them lose for the past 20 minutes," wonyoung chimed in.

"well if both of y'all would have gotten here on time this wouldn't be an issue," you pointed out.

"why are you flying backward, y/n?" yujin's puzzled voice broke through the chatter.

"alright, let's leave!" you announced, not keen on the group witnessing your struggle against the wind any longer. "let's switch now that sakura and wonyoung are here."

you closed out of the game, swiftly changing the title on your stream. opening up the next game, you sent invites to everyone in the group. once they all joined, you all decided to do introductions so everyone's chat knew who was who.

"i'm pink," sakura announced, moving her character.

"i'm orange," kazuha declared, making her character jump.

"i'm blue," yujin chimed in, her character bouncing around.

"i'm red," wonyoung said, moving her character from left and right.

"i'm yellow," eunchae introduced.

"and i'm grey," you finished.

the initial part of the level was spent trying to figure out the game's mechanics.

wonyoung managed to grab the key and hopped onto the moving platform.

"who just went through the goddamn door?" sakura exclaimed.

"wait, i'm sorry, i didn't mean to," wonyoung apologized.

"do we just lose there?" yujin questioned.

wonyoung quickly exited the door and returned to the platform.

"ahh, so everybody has to be on," sakura realized.

kazuha and yujin kept jumping off the platform, you were definitely regretting inviting them to the same lobby. of course, the people who loved to troll you the most would get along.

eventually, we all managed to regroup and proceed to the next level.

as soon as the new level popped up, you knew you all were fucked. our characters were tied together by a string, forcing us to move together to avoid getting tangled.

"this is gonna be a disaster," wonyoung remarked.

at one point, eunchae found herself on top of sakura, hindering her from opening the door.

"wait, move so i can put the key in," sakura pleaded.

"just open the door," eunchae teased keeping her character still.

frustration bubbled up as sakura tried to maneuver her character, but eventually, eunchae relented, allowing us to progress to the next level.

you all continued up the stairs and the first person in line, kazuha happened to miscalculate the jump and went straight down the hole.

"ah, help! pull me back up!" kazuha screamed while laughing.

the group held down the backward key to pull her back up, and kazuha eventually got over the hole.

"everybody just walk my way, i can hold you all up," kazuha suggested, brimming with newfound confidence.

following kazuha's lead, spamming the jump and forward keys making your way across the hole.

"everyone just walk to me, and i'll pull," sakura chimed in, her voice a beacon of hope amidst the chaos.

"one person is supposed to dangle," sakura reminded the group, her words lost amidst the frantic jumping and scrambling.

as sakura leaped onto the top platform, the rest of us dropped down below, much to her confusion. "why are you all down there?"

sakura tried to pull the group back up with some desperate attempts of button mashing. but in the end, despite her best efforts, she ended up falling down too, forcing the level to restart.

"just press all the buttons," sakura instructed the group, noticing that every time a button was pressed, time was added.

"yujin, i saw you going the wrong way," you pointed out as she veered off course from her designated path.

"you saw nothing," yujin retorted.

"why's this level lowkey easy?" kazuha remarked just as the group approached the door.

"get in! get in!" everybody rushed toward the door, but you accidentally pressed the wrong button, moving to the left instead of entering, eliciting a chorus of groans from your teammates.

"who is grey? what the fuck were you doing?" you asked, hoping nobody noticed your mistake.

you tried to move up but got blocked by yujin, causing the round to be lost.

"y/n?" yujin questioned.

"you literally body-blocked me."

user1 this game is gonna end friendships

"wait, who's yellow?" you asked.

"me, why?" eunchae answered.

"oh, never mind, it's okay," you said, making everybody laugh.

"if it was kazuha or yujin, there would have been some problems," you joked.

sakura was still laughing at the previous comment as the next round started but ended up running into a wall. "who's pink?" she immediately stopped laughing to ask.

"kkura... i hate to break it to you," wonyoung said with a chuckle.

wonyoung, sakura, and kazuha executed their jumps flawlessly, and it was your turn next. as you jumped kazuha unexpectedly blocked your path, causing you to fall into the lasers.

user2 such a great team with great chemistry 💀

"i'm actually about to cancel our plans, kazuha," you said.

"wait, i'm sorry," kazuha apologized between fits of laughter.

"i feel like you don't actually mean that," you replied.

a few levels later, you found yourselves on the famous "don't push!" button section, and you were currently ten attempts in.

"i have yet to push a button," wonyoung boasted as she made it over two buttons before accidentally pressing one.

"where's the yelling now, y/n?" yujin teased immediately after.

"wonyoung is fine; she can do no wrong," you said with a hint of sarcasm.

"i didn't even really press it; it was like a small tap. that shouldn't have counted," wonyoung defended as the level started over.

"my record is still clean," eunchae chimed in once the group hit the halfway point in the level.

"you're definitely pressing one now," kazuha predicted.

just as predicted, eunchae was the next person to press a button.

"honestly, everybody just needs to stop talking," you said, feeling the frustration mounting.

"why the fuck did you jump on my head!" you exclaimed at yujin.

"you were in the way!" yujin retorted.

yujin then accidentally jumped on sakura, causing her to be unable to jump. "yujin!" sakura yelled.

"there is actually no way," eunchae laughed, shaking her head.

"yujin is inting as always! who invited her?" you exclaimed, half-jokingly.

"you did!" yujin responded with a playful grin.

"did i?" you asked, genuinely confused.

"do you actually not remember?" yujin laughed, amused by your forgetfulness.

"alright, that's it. i'm gonna stay next to yujin to make sure she doesn't jump on any buttons," wonyoung declared, taking charge of the situation.

the group was once again in sight of the door, and sakura, who had the key, went to open it. once the door was open, kazuha was next in line and undershot the jump, accidentally pressing the button.

"who did it, for the love of fucking god?" wonyoung sighed in frustration.

"zuha!" eunchae yelled out, pointing an accusing finger.

"somebody in my chat said i should've just stayed at my shoot when they saw the game we were playing, and i brushed it off thinking it couldn't be that hard. i was wrong," wonyoung grumbled.

"honestly, it's not that hard," kazuha insisted.

"it's not, just annoying," wonyoung agreed.

just as wonyoung replied, eunchae accidentally stepped on a button.

"eunchae!" kazuha yelled out, shaking her head in disbelief.

"i don't wanna hear shit from you, zuha," eunchae said, feeling a bit defensive.

finally, the end of the round was in sight, and almost everybody had made it in except for you and yujin.

"yujin, i'm not doing a fucking stand-off with you," you said, feeling exasperated.

yujin stood in front of the button, blocking your path. "what? i'm just reminiscing on all of our past attempts," she teased.

"we live in the same house; if you wanna hang out so bad, just come into my room," you told her.

"yujin, please move out of the way," wonyoung pleaded.

"if you don't move, i'll just press it," you warned her.

"if you don't move, and y/n presses that button, i'm never talking to you again," wonyoung threatened.

"please, end the suffering," eunchae begged.

with a final push from wonyoung, yujin reluctantly stepped aside, allowing you to make it through the level.

user5 button push counter kz - 35 yj - 33 yn - 7 wy - 5 sk - 4 ec - 3

"seriously, it's like they were in a contest to see who can press the most buttons," you remarked, rolling your eyes at kazuha and yujin's antics.

a couple of levels later, kazuha spits eunchae out onto the disappearing box, causing her to fall onto the lasers.

"i just watched a murder happen," wonyoung commented.

"kazuha just killed me!" eunchae exclaimed between fits of laughter.

in the next round, your character was just standing by the wall when kazuha sucked them up.

"kazuha just sucked me!" you announced before muting yourself in the call to talk to your stream and, add, "not in front of the child.

"i got it," kazuha assured, picking up the box.

"yeah, let kazuha do the drop. i trust her," i said.

"oh—" kazuha's voice trailed off after dropping the box way too early.

"i was let down,"

kazuha tried for three more rounds, each ending in failure, although she was getting closer each time. eventually, you decided it might be better if someone else took over.

"that's it. let sakura do it," you suggested.

"no! let me, i swear i know the timing now," kazuha pleaded.

we all agreed to let her try again, and this time actually she dropped the box on time. however, we all made the mistake of getting off when the slider reached the end, even though there was no key.

"oh, we messed up," yujin groaned.

we redid the round, and this time kazuha dropped the box with perfect timing. we made sure to stay put so the slider could go back for the key.

"my brain is so fried right now," eunchae muttered.

"i need both yujin and kazuha to pay for my therapy after this," wonyoung agreed.

"so, we're done?" sakura asked, hoping she could finally be free.

as soon as everybody agreed, you closed the game, went to your steam library, and clicked the uninstall button.

user2 THE QUICK UNINSTALL

user3 i don't wanna say who the worst players were but why was it yujin & kazuha

"it was definitely yujin and kazuha, but not because they're bad. it's because these motherfuckers are the biggest trolls i've ever played with," i chuckled.

"eunchae's not even that much of a troll!" you exclaimed.

_yujin_an blue was pretty good

"of course you think you were good"

zuhazana i think we were both pretty good. we made the game fun

_yujin_an they just don't get it

"no. you two are not doing this in my chat right now. i will ban the both of you," you threatened.

zuhazana nooo babe zuhazana pls don't revoke my chat privileges 🥺

"i might actually do it because of that" you joked.

_yujin_an not again. i just got unbanned

"and you need to be mindful as to why you were unbanned"

_yujin_an YOO GAEUL MADE FOOD COME DOWN HERE

"so looks like that's the end of the stream. i'll probably be back tomorrow or the day after that, just depends on how i feel," you said the rest of your goodbyes before clicking the end stream button and heading downstairs.

ALL CHAPTERS !!! | NEXT CH !!!

this chapter is dedicated to my roommate who took me to vegas for the twice concert even though she doesn't listen to k-pop 🥹🥹 (she does now, i recruited her). love her frfr 🫶🏽!