#movies watched in school that the entire class had a collective reaction to are close to my heart in a way no other movies are

[spinostarz]

gattaca fandom where are you... gattaca fandom save me.. save me gattaca fandom.....

[havethetimeofyourstyles]

in which harry doesn’t like halloween until a certain pair of trick or treaters knock on his door.

a/n: HAPPY HARRYWEEN EVERYONE! personally don’t like halloween myself, but I hope everyone has a spooky and fun day (indoors, ofc)! here’s my first halloween piece that was meant to be a blurb, but turned out a little longer than expected, enjoy!

thank you to ira @stylesloveclub​ & cait @sweetcreatureinthedark​ for reading this over! <3

enjoy 5k words of teacher/dad!harry being cute

warnings: brief mention of death, mostly fluff

LETS TALK ABOUT PEBBLES & THE SCARECROW IN MY INBOX! pls let me know your thoughts!

pls rb to share! <3

Harry wasn’t fond of Halloween, if he’s being honest. 

The thought of people putting on scary masks, scaring little kids out of their driveway is something that was so unsettling to him. The scary movies that always release around the month of October that promoted their commercials, causing him to startle on the couch because of the jump scare was not something he looked forward to every year. Especially when those said movies would have their ad on the radio, which makes it even scarier because he could only listen. He would usually have his Bluetooth on with his own music playing, but when it’s only a five minute drive, he doesn’t bother with the Bluetooth. Either way, he doesn’t like it. 

Halloween is not fun, he would say every year. 

However, the upside to the month of October was something he looked forward to because that’s when the weather really changed. September would be sunny and hot still, but then comes around October and the sun would peek behind the clouds as the weather got colder. The leaves would fall from their branches and onto the ground, loving the sound of the crunchy leaves beneath his feet, especially building a pile and jumping into them. Not alone, of course, but with his baby girl who loved to just squeal and laugh at her dad whenever he would jump into the pile of orange leaves that he collected on their front lawn. 

Wynn, his daughter, also loved the change of fall weather just as much as he did. Harry would hype it up so much because October was the start of holiday season, and he loved being in a festive mood. So, naturally, Wynn picked up on his behavior and was just like her dad; jumping up and down when he would get excited. 

Another thing that he liked about Halloween was that he got to pass out candy to the fellow trick or treaters to all the students in the school during their Halloween bash, and to the kids in his friendly neighborhood. Every year, he would buy plenty of candy for the students—sometimes buying too much because he didn’t want anyone to be left out when they would walk up to him. But if he did have extra, he would save them for later that night for the kids in the neighborhood. 

He loved seeing the students’ reactions when he would tell them that they had a cool costume. He especially loved it when the kids would compliment his own costume. Some teachers didn’t really like to dress up on Halloween as they only wore a headband of some sorts or a festive t-shirt, but Harry liked to go all out. He’s been teaching for six years, and every year, he made sure to join in on the fun. One of his favorite costumes was when he dressed up as Peter Pan and Wynn was Tinker Bell. They always coordinated costumes, and Harry hoped that once she gets older, she would never stop wanting to match with him, but he knows that’s inevitable; he’ll just hold onto these moments for now. That was one of his favorites because Wynn just loved her costume so much that she didn’t want to take it off, so seeing her so happy in her princess dress just made his heart burst. 

But this year, he thinks he’s topped the previous years. 

As he said goodbye to Wynn, dropping her off at her class, he greeted her first grade teacher. 

“Oh! Don’t you both look absolutely adorable!” Mrs. Robin, an old lady who had been teaching for years and retiring this school year, said. 

“Thank you, Mrs. Robin. Think this year is my favorite,” Harry said, looking down at Wynn as she nodded her small head at him. Harry was dressed as Fred Flinstone and Wynn was Pebbles. He thought she was the absolute cutest, and he even did her hair the same way in the morning, but instead of a bone, he replaced it with a white bow. 

“You two always have the loveliest costumes!” Harry looked down at Wynn, raising his eyebrows at her to say thank you, and she looked at her teaching, thanking her. 

“Anyways, I gotta go get my class from their line. I’ll see you later at the bash,” he told Mrs. Robin. He bent down, meeting Wynn’s eye level. “Be good, okay?” His daughter nodded. “I’ll see you later. Make sure you say hi to me,” he reminded her. “Love you, bunches.” 

“Love you, tons,” the little girl replied, and he gave her forehead a kiss before she wrapped his arms around his shoulders, giving him a hug. They’ve always been inseparable, and Harry had separation anxiety whenever they part even if it’s just a little bit. And as much as he loves how much his daughter loves him, he hoped that she doesn’t suffer from it as well—although, he thinks it’s starting to begin. He couldn’t help it—he was an affectionate person and always loved to give her hugs and kisses, to which she would give them back. 

Harry quickly walked to his classroom, putting his belongings and the bags of candy down before walking out to pick up his class. Harry taught the third grade, and they were a smart bunch. He loved how it was in between sweet and cuteness, but also watching them grow. He thinks fourth and fifth grade was when they started to become too sassy and dramatic, so he liked being in between. 

“Hi, everyone! Happy Halloween!” He greeted, and his class cheered, some of his students telling him that he looked so cool, and Harry said thank you to them as he complimented them back. “Everyone follows me in a straight line. Don’t stop walking, don’t stray, don’t turn around, and please be sure to keep all hands and feet inside of the vehicle, got it?” They all nodded. “Alright, enjoy the ride, here we go!” He started walking as he smiled. He came up with that line when he was in his second year of teaching as he wanted his class to have fun while going into the classroom, so he acted like it was a rollercoaster, and the kids seemed to love it. 

When they got inside the classroom, the kids took their seats at their desk. Harry told them that they had to do a quick lesson before the Halloween bash, earning a groan throughout the classroom. 

“I know, I know. But it’ll be quick! And then we’ll all have fun after. Unless you all would prefer I teach the lesson after the bash and after lunch?” He asked, knowing what the answer would be. Usually on Halloween, they would have a lesson, the bash, lunch, and Harry would put on a movie as he passed out treats to fill in the rest of the day before the school day ended. Their heads shook as Harry chuckled. “I figured,” he said before he started the quick lesson on reading. 

The lesson only lasted thirty minutes, just in time to head out to the bash. All the classrooms were filing out to the courts, which was the larger area of the school that could fit all eighteen classrooms. The classrooms form a single line all around the three basketball courts, and each class would walk around in a single file line with their bags in hand as the teachers would pass out candy. Music would play and some of the staff would dress into one of those big floaty costumes to jump around in and entertain the other classes who were patiently waiting. The parents were allowed to join as well if they had the time to see their kids in cute costumes; the more the merrier. 

Harry’s class stood in their designated spot, having them line up, and he walked around to check if anyone got left behind, which no one did. The music started and classroom number one was instructed to do their lap, which were the kindergarten classes. Harry was classroom number eleven, so he got his big bowl of candy ready as the first class started to walk around. He saw some really fun costumes; one student was the sun and their friend was the moon, which he thought was so adorable. Once the class before the next was halfways, the next class was instructed to go. 

It went by fairly smoothly, although he could tell that some students were bored, which was understandable. Harry waited for Wynn’s class, in which she was in classroom number six, the last one of the first grade class. He spotted her in her bright green polka dot shirt and tortoise pants—she looked so adorable. He got his phone out when her class was close enough, taking a video of her at the same time as passing out candy. 

“Hi, Daddy!” She greeted, reaching up to hug him. 

“Oh, you’re the cutest. Hi, bubba,” he said as he hugged her back. The embrace was so sweet that he didn’t want to let go, and he didn’t until Wynn said something. 

“Uh, daddy, I gotta go now.” He snapped out of it, and saw that her class was onto the next two classes. He let go of her before kissing her cheek, saying see you later. 

The rest of the Halloween day went by smoothly. It was quite cold out, so the teachers were allowed to have the students eat inside if they wanted to. 

By the end of the day, he picked Wynn up from the front before he made sure his entire class was picked up safely. 

“Did you have fun?” Harry asked Wynn once he saw her. 

“Yeah! Look at all the candy!” She showed him her bag full of sweets. 

“Wow! Alright, let’s get home and sort through the ones you want and don’t want. Gonna have to pick fifteen,” he told her and she pouted. He hated that pout, even though it was adorable, it was a dangerous pout that had Harry almost give in, but he had to be the strong parent. “Sorry, pretty. Thems the rules. Last year I gave you ten, so I bumped it up by five.” 

“Alright…” she trailed off, and Harry chuckled. 

Before they left, he quickly caught Mrs. Robin before she walked away. “Oh, by the way, Mrs. Robin. Do you mind taking a picture of us? Realized I forgot to take one this morning.” 

“Of course, dear! Harry unlocked his phone and opened the camera up before handing it to her. She pointed the camera towards them as she snapped a few pictures of them. They were smiling brightly at the camera before Harry picked Lynn up, so they were the same height. “Here you are. Have a lovely Halloween, you two.” Mrs. Robin bid them goodbye as they both waved. Harry looked at the pictures, seeing that they were blurry and some of them had her finger in the lens. Harry brushed it off, chuckling to himself as he’ll figure out how you two will get a picture later. 

They headed to the car and on their way home to continue the fun with by getting and passing out more candy. 

The cold 5 p.m evening was relaxing and quiet as there weren’t many trick or treaters out just yet, only the little ones that needed to get their candy early in order to be back before bedtime. 

And that’s what you were doing with your three year old. You asked Penelope if she wanted to go and get candy, and just the sound of candy coming out from mommy’s mouth was music to her tiny ears, so she nodded her head. 

“Go now?” She asked, and you looked at the time as it was almost five in the evening. 

“Yeah! We can’t stay long because it’s gonna be cold and I don’t want you to get sick,” you told her. 

“No, I don’t want sick,” Penelope shook her head no. 

“Yeah, me either. I’ll bring a jacket just in case, don’t worry,” you reassured her, and she smiled. 

The jacket didn’t take long to put on. Once you felt the breeze rush through you, blowing away some of the leaves from the ground as Penelope was stomping on them, you immediately put her burnt orange teddy bear coat on over her scarecrow brown dress. You left the hood off since she was wearing a pointy black hat with a sunflower attached to it, which kept falling off everytime she jumped a little too much, might you add. So, you kept having to pick it up and put it back on her. 

You two had visited five houses so far, all houses being so lovely to Penelope as they complimented how adorable she was. Now, you were walking towards the next house when you suggested you go across the street since some of the other houses had signs already prepared saying ‘no candy!’

Penelope usually went with the flow, so she agreed as you two walked across the street and decided to just complete the entire block before walking back home before it got too cold and too late. 

“Go on, baby,” you encouraged her to knock on the black door. She ended up slapping the door with her open palm because she said knocking was hurting her hand. You waited at the bottom of the stairs for the owner of the house to open the door, and Penelope waited thirty seconds before she turned around with a pout on her face. “Don’t think they’re home yet. Lets go to the next one!” You said enthusiastically, hoping to lift her frown. She walked down the brick stairs as you reached out for her hand to hold. 

As you made it down the walkway and onto the sidewalk, you heard the door open frantically, making you turn around from the sudden noise and from a man calling out for you. 

“Wait, wait! I have candy!” The man ran down the walkway in a Fred Flinstone costume with a bucket of candy. You chuckled a bit because never did you imagine Fred himself was chasing after you. He was a very attractive man and he pulled the Flinstone costume quite well. “Sorry, I, uh, was just getting changed into my costume. I’m sorry it took so long. I didn’t realize people would be out trick or treating so early,” he said breathlessly from his rushed actions. 

You giggled. “Well, this one has to before she makes it for bedtime,” you referred to the little one who was jumping on the leaves. Harry looked down as his eyes beamed. 

“Well, look at you! Aren't you the cutest scarecrow!” Penelope looked up once she heard her costume. She smiled at the unknown man, but all she knew was that he had a bowl of candy that she would like to get her hands on. “I got lots of options here. You could choose one or two if you’d like.” Harry bent down to Penelope’s height, holding out the candy bowl to her. He had full fixed candy bars and candy packs, and you thought that must’ve been expensive. 

Penelope picked the candies she knew, which were a Hershey’s Cookies n’ Creme bar and a Twix bar. You raised them up to you, beaming proudly as you lowered her candy basket for her to put it in. 

“What do you say, baby?” 

She turned to Harry again. “Tank you!” 

“You’re welcome!” Harry responded. “Oh, uh, I’m Harry, by the way.” He shook your hand, introducing himself. He smiled, dimples popping out and you felt yourself blush. 

“I’m Y/N,” you smiled. 

“And who might this be?” He bent down again at Penelope. 

“I’m Pennie!” Your daughter introduced herself, and you smiled proudly. 

“It’s lovely to meet you both. You look amazing, Pennie! Although, your mummy doesn’t have a costume on,” he teased, looking at you as he smirked, making your heart flutter. 

“Well, mommy stayed up all night putting together and sewing her costume together, so I didn’t have time to make one for myself,” you explained. You were quite proud of Pennie’s costume. It was a brown dress with long sleeves that had different fall colored squares, but it was all one piece, so Pennie didn’t have to wear something underneath besides her leggings. 

“Wow, you made this? This looks amazing!” Harry complimented, and you humbly said thank your 

“So, uh, since your Fred Flinstone, is the rest of your family dressed up too?” You asked curiously. 

“Oh, no. Just my daughter,” he chuckled, “which by the way, you need to see her costume, one second.” Harry quickly walked into the house, calling out for his daughter. You and Pennie waited on the sidewalk. After a few seconds, Harry came out with his daughter holding his hand as you thought they were the cutest pair. 

“You two are just adorable!” You squealed as you looked at them fondly. 

“Hi, I’m Wynette, but I go by Wynn,” the six year old girl smiled as she introduced herself. 

“Hi, Wynn. I’m Y/N, and this is…Pennie, please stand up.” You found your daughter laying in the pile of leaves. Harry and Wynn laughed fondly. “Sorry about that.” You got Pennie to stand up, brushing her dress off from the dirt and mud. 

“It’s okay! Wynn and I love to jump and lay in the leaves all the time,” Harry said. “Oh! Actually, do you mind doing me a favor? I know we just met, but…” 

“Yeah, of course!” You accepted. 

“Do you mind getting a picture of us? We tried getting on earlier, but it was all blurry,” Harry chuckled, taking out his phone and opening up the camera. 

“Yeah, I got you.” You grabbed his phone as Harry and Wynn both smiled and posed. You lowered down the brightness a tad bit, and took multiple pics of them from different angles, even kicking some of the leaves to their feet to add to the fall effect. After you took plenty, you handed his phone back. “Let me know if you’d like me to take more.” 

“Wow, these are perfect!” Harry exclaimed as he looked at them. “Are you a photographer?” 

“Oh, no. I just really liked taking pictures when I was younger, so I always knew how to take good pictures on an iPhone,” you chuckled, making Harry laugh. Harry proceeded to joke that you should definitely be a photographer but only using a phone, and you teased back saying that you’ll think about it. 

Meanwhile as you two were talking, you two didn’t realize Pennie and Wynn playing in the leaves. Wynn was throwing a handful in the air as the leaves rained down onto the two of them. You smiled fondly at the two, and looked at Harry who was snapping some pictures. 

After a few moments, you called Pennie. “Alright, c’mon, baby. Let’s finish all these houses,” you reached out for her hand, but she pouted, shaking her head no. “Pennie…” 

“No, no! I don’t wanna leave!” Her eyes started tearing up as she frowned. 

“Don’t you want to get more candy?” You asked softly. She didn’t respond, rather turn towards Wynn and look at her with a pout. 

“Oh, uh, I think she wants Wynn to go with her,” Harry chimed in. “Think she got attached too easily within those ten minutes.” You let out a chuckle, knowing that he was right. 

“I’m sorry. Uh, she probably won’t leave your front lawn, but you totally don’t have to come with us, but-” 

“Nonsense! We’d love to go! Right, Wynn?” Wynn nodded her head happily as she continued playing with Pennie. “We usually trick or treat later in the evening, but we’d love to go with you now. I’ll just leave the candy out at the front.” 

“But wouldn’t the kids just take them all?” 

“Hey, that’s fine by me. As long as it’s going somewhere,” Harry shrugged. “Just give me one second to get the rest of the candy, and then we could go.” Harry walked back inside of the house. Wynn stayed with Pennie as you two watched them. You noticed Pennie wasn’t crying anymore, but she was giggling with tear stained cheeks as the older girl twirled her around. 

Two minutes later, Harry walked out of his house and locked the door before putting the candy bowl down onto the steps with a sign that said ‘take one, please!’ but he knew that no one was going to follow the sign’s instruction. After that, he turned towards you, smiling. “Shall we go?” You nodded your head as Harry gave Wynn her candy basket. 

The four of you walked on the leaf covered sidewalk; Wynn and Pennie were walking together in the front as you and Harry walked together behind them. 

“So, what do you do for a living?” You started the conversation. 

“I’m a third grade teacher. Have been for six years. What about you?” 

“I run a small business, selling jewelry and clothing. That’s all I do right now, and it’s gotten pretty big, so it’s taken care of a lot,” you smiled humbly. 

“Wow, that’s amazing. I could definitely see the talent through Pennie’s costume. I’d have to check it out sometime to support.” You smiled at that, giving him the name of your shop. 

The two of you continue walking, waiting for your children as they got candy, and getting to know one another. 

“Do you live around here?” He asked. “I mean, not in a creepy way,” he chuckled nervously. 

You giggled. “Yeah, I live about a block away. We usually walk on the opposite side, but decided to come on this side.” 

“Well, I’m glad you decided to come over here,” he said innocently, but it could be taken as flirtatious. 

“Me too,” you smiled softly. He smiled back as he thought you were the most beautiful person he’s ever seen that’s not related to him. You had soft eyes that looked at him with care, and a smile that he thought was the most gorgeous; you even had dimples on corners of mouth when you would smile, and he just thought that was the cutest thing. 

Obviously, he didn’t know that you were thinking the same thing as him. You felt somewhat intimidated by the tall, attractive, and kind man beside you. And you think his daughter is the cutest. They don’t really look alike, but she probably got her mom’s looks. Speaking of her mother… 

“So, the rest of your family didn’t want to come out with you two?” You asked curiously, still waiting for the answer if he was married or taken or not. 

“No, it’s actually just Wynn and I…” you hummed, smiling to yourself. “You’re probably wondering where Wynn’s mum is, huh?” He teased, noticing your flusteredness. 

“Oh, uh-” you stumbled. 

“It’s okay. I’m wondering if you’re taken too,” he said honestly. 

You chuckled nervously. “I’m not. Haven’t been since Penelope was born, actually.” 

“Do you mind me asking what happened?” 

“Only if you tell me what happened with Wynn’s mom,” you teased. “I mean, only if you want to.” Harry nodded, softly smiling. 

“Pennie’s dad and I got married three years before she was born. Spare the details, but we got a divorce after she was born because I found out that he had another family…and he chose them over us,” you explained. 

“Oh, wow, I’m sorry to hear that.”

“It’s alright. I’m over it, and it was for the better because I didn’t want Pennie hearing us fight all the time and me yelling and asking where he’s been,” you breathed out a laugh. It seemed like the memory was just yesterday, but it’s been three years. 

“That must’ve been hard. Are you happier?” 

“Oh, yeah. Definitely. That’s when I launched my business because I couldn’t stay at home and do nothing, so I started to design.” 

“That’s amazing!” Harry smiled. 

“So, that’s my spooky story for today,” you chuckled, “what’s yours?”  

“Wel, uh…” 

“Don’t feel obligated to tell me because I told you my story,” you reassured, and he nodded. 

“Yeah, I know. But I want to tell you. Have a feeling we’re gonna be around each other a lot more often.” He pointed his eyes at the two girls walking in front of you. You smiled at the two holding hands. “But anyways, Wynn’s mother passed away when she was about two months old.” 

You softly gasped. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Harry.” 

“As well as her father too.” Your eyes widened as you suddenly stopped walking for a moment. You looked at him skeptically, studying him for a moment. Harry furrowed his brows once you touched his stomach. 

“What are you doing?” 

“Are you a ghost?” You asked seriously. His words caught you off guard that you actually thought you were imagining Harry the whole time. 

“What? No, I’m not,” he laughed. He totally understood why you thought that. 

“Okay, good. Thought I was tripping. I mean it is Halloween. Anyways, you were saying?” You gave him your full attention as you two started walking again. 

“Wynn’s actual parents passed during an accident. They were on their way back from a little date night. Her father, Alex, was my best friend, and I’m her godfather. So, after they passed, I was her guardian. But when they asked me to be her godfather, they told me the responsibilities and that if anything happened to them, to change Wynn’s last name to my own because they didn’t want her to live on with her life wondering who her real family was. So, I did as they told me. I changed it. And I’ve raised her her whole life, and she’s mine, y’know?” Harry told you, and you listened and nodded. 

“Does Wynn know?” 

“Yeah, she does. I told her last year because she wondered why she didn’t look like me, and I knew that I couldn’t just lie and hide it from her. She’s a smart girl, so I knew she would understand. She cried for a little bit—had an identity crisis and felt like she couldn’t call me dad anymore, but I told her that if she wanted to or not then I would be okay with it. Thankfully, she still does.” Harry looked at his feet as he walked, kicking the leaves around. 

“You’re a great dad, Harry. I’ve known you for about thirty minutes, but I just know you are. Wynn is the sweetest, and you’re doing amazing. But thank you for telling me all that. Know I’m a bit of a stranger,” you slightly laughed. 

“Just a tad bit, but I trust you—I feel it.” You smiled at him, nudging him as you walked, to which you earned one back. 

You all walked back to Harry’s house, and by the time you got there, Pennie was reaching up towards you, telling you to pick her up. She must’ve been tired from all the walking and jumping with her new mate, so she was getting sleepy. 

“I could drive you back, if you’d like?” Harry offered. 

“No, it’s okay! Not that far of a walk. Thank you for joining us, though! Pennie and myself really appreciated it and we had fun,” you smiled. 

“We did as well. We’ll see you around?” Harry said, and you nodded, waving goodbye. 

Harry watched as you two walked away, and he really did have a great time. He felt refreshed and relieved after talking to you, and he doesn’t remember the last time he’s had a decent conversation with someone without turning it into more that same day. 

Hopefully he will see you around. 

November 1st was your favorite. You started feeling the festive mood as it was getting closer and closer to the holidays. 

You and Pennie were out for a walk, and you offered to bring the stroller, but she shook her head, wanting to freely walk in the leaves. Taking the similar route as the night prior, you were hoping to see Harry. You were really infatuated with him, and you thought you two would be great friends, and maybe even more. 

Suddenly, Pennie let go of your hand and started running towards the familiar house from last night. She tan quite fast for a toddler, and you would have to ask her if she wanted to join track when she was older. 

“Penelope, get back here!” You chased after her, but it was too late when she slapped the door. You caught up to her and carried her. “Baby, please don’t run away from me like that again.” She said a soft ‘I’m sorry’ as you carried her off the walkway.

The door opened, revealing the familiar man. “Y/N? Pennie?” 

“I’m sorry! We were going for a walk and she ran away from me and ran here,” you said breathlessly, walking towards the front door again. 

Harry chuckled. “You wanna see Wynnie again, Pen?” Pennie’s eyes brightened at the sound of her friend’s name as she nodded. “Come on in!” 

“A-Are you sure?” You asked hesitantly. 

“Absolutely! We’re just cooking breakfast right now.” 

You two walked in slowly as Harry followed behind. You out Pennie down as she stayed close to you. When Harry shut the door, Pennie tugged on his pant leg. 

“Yes, sweetheart?” He bent down, giving his attention. 

“Can I have another candy?” She asked shyly, and Harry smiled. 

“Penelope…” you said. 

“What? H-He gives the full size candy bars!” You and Harry laughed loudly. 

“We have extra, but only if mummy lets you.” Pennie looked up at you with a pouty face, and of course, you gave in. 

“Alright, alright. But you’re only eating it after dinner, and you only get three pieces,” you chuckled. The little girl started jumping up and down happily. Harry looked at the two of you and smiled fondly, loving the dynamic between you two. 

Maybe he did like Halloween after all. 

happy halloween! come into my inbox and let’s talk <3

[zeldasayer]

I transcribed and translated Pedro’s interview from GQ Germany for all of us. I tried translating as good as possible but bear with me, English is not my mother tongue. By @sixties-loser

Pedro Pascal, the star from “Game of Thrones”, “Wonder Woman” and “The Mandalorian” talks about becoming an adult, film, fashion, corona – and a painful surgery in the exclusive GQ interview.

It seems almost eerie how empty the streets of LA are in the sunshine. Meanwhile a new normality seems to be coming to Europe, most people in L.A. are still cutting their own hair. Many have not seen their friends for half a year. The pandemic is out of control. The reaction towards it too. Inviting someone into their garden for a “distance drink” can cause the same distress as suggesting to switch spouses.

Therefore, it was particularly surprising that Pedro Pascal immediately accepted. He accepted the drink, not to switch spouses. He is one of the rising stars and newcomers this year – if it wasn’t for corona sending the whole film industry into a forced vacation, there would most likely not have been time for said drink. After having his skull crushed in “Game of Thrones” followed the lead role as a DEA agent hunting Pablo Escobar in “Narcos” in 2015 and now he is stepping towards big Hollywood films. From the 1st of October onwards the Chilean-born actor will be starring in the blockbuster “Wonder Woman 1984”. Moreover, the second season of the “Star Wars”-series “The Mandalorian” on Disney+ starring him as the lead is going to air in October this year – but he will be underneath a helmet. Well, we all are under a helmet in 2020 in one way or another. We want to meet the man who a few years ago still worked as a waiter in New York, whose parents were political refugees who found asylum in Denmark and settled in Texas and whose son one day signed up for a theatre group in High School.

Then, the cancellation! While we were in the middle of fixing up the house and the garden for the drink with Pedro and organizing the fashion shoot, which was not easy considering the safety measures in L.A., his management called with an unfortunate message: Pedro – no, not sick with corona – had to get emergency surgery because of a damaged tooth and was lying in bed with a swollen face that was hindering him from speaking and taking pictures. The sun is shining onto empty streets. And our empty garden.

A few days later he nonetheless arrived at our front door without a swollen face but still with threads in his mouth. He was not chauffeured by a limo-service but he came with his own car – he even picked up his make-up artist. He is helping her carrying all of her utensils into the house and declares: “I’ve got time today!”. What a celebrity! It seemed like we did not want to ask him how he made it to the A-List of Hollywood but he wanted to ask us how we made it to the A-list. Pedro Pascal! Yes, what kind of a celebrity?

Pedro Pascal: Sorry for messing with your plans. The surgery was an emergency.

GQ: Really? We were wondering whether the swelling wasn’t the product of a secret visit to the plastic-surgeon. Apparently, they are drowning in work because of the quarantine in Hollywood.

PP: I have to disappoint you. A few days before our appointment I was rushing to the hospital with a fractured tooth and the worst pain in my entire life – a hospital in which treats people with severe cases of corona. I was unable to reach any dentist! Right in front of the parking lot a specialist called me back. The pain was hell despite the ten injections I got. The doctor said I was not an exception because a lot of people are grinding their teeth because of all the stress.

GQ: What are you most afraid of at the moment?

PP: How the government is handling the pandemic is worrying me more than the virus itself. This shortage of intelligent management of the crisis is a moral shame. The leadership crisis in this country is turning us all into orphans – destitute and abandoned.

GQ: How did you spend your time over the last few months?

PP: I spent it with frozen pizza and sweatpants in Venice Beach. I live in a rear house that’s in a family’s garden. Actually, there are a lot of good takeout places nearby but for some reason I just love pepperoni pizza from the supermarket.

GQ: That does not really sound like movie star-lifestyle. What does it feel like being suddenly stopped from top speed to zero?

PP: Regarding what is going on around the world one should hold back one’s own mental turmoil. I would be lying if I was saying that I am not disappointed. The whole team put a lot of heart and work into the production of “Wonder Woman 1984”. We had a lot of fun on set. I wished to travel around the world and introduce the film with the same lively energy.

GQ: You come from a politically engaged, socialist family that fled from the Pinochet-regime in Chile. What do you remember from that time?

PP: My sister and I were born in Chile but I was only nine months old when we first found asylum in Denmark. From there we quickly came to San Antonio in Texas where my dad started working as a doctor at the university clinic.

GQ: Texas is not known as a socialist utopia. How did you assimilate?

PP: San Antonio is not a Cowboy-town but very diverse with big Asian, black and Latino communities. I remember it as a romantic place, culturally open. The culture shock only came as we later moved to range county in California. There the atmosphere was suddenly white, preppy and conservative.

GQ: How were you received in California?

PP: I’m still ashamed of the fact that I did not correct my classmates when they kept on calling me Peter. I am Pedro. Even if I didn’t grow up in Chile the country and the language are still a part of me. I was very unhappy in that environment. However, I was fortunately able to go to another school close to Long Beach where I felt more comfortable. Through the theater group at that school I found my way.

GQ: Were you able to visit Chile as a child?

PP: Yes, when my parents made it to the list of expatriates that were able to travel to Chile without consequences. First, there was a big family reunion and then my sister and I stayed there for a few months with relatives while my parents went back to Texas. They likely needed a break from us. They got us when they were very young, had a buzzing social life and my mother was obtaining a PhD in psychology.

GQ: Was your mother a typical young psychologist who wanted to apply her theoretical knowledge at home?

PP: You mean, whether I was her guinea pig? For sure! I remember strange tests and sittings that were disguised as games where someone was watching me react to different toys. I cannot have been older than six but I was already aware of the dynamic. My favourite thing was being questioned about my dreams. That was a wonderful opportunity to come up with fantastic stories.

GQ: Was that your first performance?

PP: Of course! My mother worried about my strong imagination because I was living in my own fantasy world rather than reality. I hated going to school. I was always categorized as the troublemaker. At one point, the topics at school became more interesting and my grades also went up. There are so many kids that are unnecessarily diagnosed with learning disabilities without considering that school can be abhorrent. Why is it so accepted to be bored in class when there are so many stimulating ways to convey knowledge?

GQ: Considering al that has happened this summer around the world: Do you believe that we can seriously demand social change now?

PP: I Hope so. After lockdown, the first time I went out was to protest for “Black Lives Matter” on the streets. The energy was peaceful and hopeful until the police provoked severe conflicts. Nevertheless, we cannot run from problems like we used to this time and we cannot distract ourselves from them either. It seems like the pressure of the pandemic led to a new clarity: We cannot go on this way.

GQ: The “Wonder Woman 1984” Trailer revives the optimism of the 1980’s. From today’s point of view, it seems almost nostalgic.

PP: That’s right. You really are happy for two hours. The director Patty Jenkins created a film full of positive messages. We shot in Washington D.C., then in London and Spain – this sounds like I am talking of a past time.

GQ: Do you miss traveling?

PP: I’m just now realizing the privilege of just packing up one’s stuff and being able to fly anywhere. An American passport used to guarantee unlimited travel. And that’s why it the small radius of our lives is actually unimaginable. Over the last years I often retreated for a break after shootings because I was constantly on the move and overstimulated. My friends were already complaining I had become too comfortable. We all took social contact for granted and are only realizing now how dependent we actually are on human contact. Over the last weeks I often longingly thought about all the parties and dinner invitations I declined.

GQ: In L.A. people spend more time at home or nature than in other metropolises that are more geared towards public life. Could this city become your second home after New York?

PP: My Real Home are my friends. I have been a nomad since I was little and I do not have a place where I have put down roots. Up until not long ago my physical home was a place in between departure and arrival. Therefore, it was something I did not want to complicate through the accumulation of stuff. On the contrary: Without having read Marie Kondo’s book I have freed myself from excess baggage over the last few years and I lived relatively minimally.

GQ: Is there nothing you collect or something you just can’t throw away?

PP: Books! I even still have the literature I read when I was a teenager and when I was in college. Recently, I stumbled upon a box full of old theatre manuscripts and materials from my time at the New York University. I also cannot part from art easily, just like I cannot part from lamps or old photos. On the other hand, I can easily get rid of furniture and clothes.

GQ: Do you remember roles that were really only completely defined through the costume?

PP: Yes, I am particularly thinking about “Game of Thrones”. At that time I understood for the first time what it meant to be supported by a look. This is thanks to the costume designer Michele Clapton. She created very feminine robes and brocade coats for my character that nevertheless looked masculine when worn and I felt very sexy in them. Of course, Lindy Hemmings power-suits and Jan Swells bleached hairstyle for the tycoon-villain in “Wonder Woman 1984” were very important as well. At first I did not really see myself in the role because the cuts and colors of the 80s do not really fit my body. I’m more the 70s type.

GQ: Do you incorporate those inspirations into your personal wardrobe?

PP: In my free time I choose comfort over a cool look these days. Sometimes I miss the times when I expressed myself through a certain style. It is hard to imagine that I went to Raves as a teenage in the 90s; I was a real club kid with ridiculous outfits: overalls, balloon pants, football shirts and a top hat, like in Dr.Seuss’s “Cat in a Hat”. Later in New York I was hanging out with a group of people that felt it was very important to have a certain style. The fact that I am basically only wearing sweatpants everyday is actually tragic.

GQ: whoever plays roles in comic book adaptations becomes a bodybuilder and eats ten chicken breasts a day. You don’t?

PP:My body would not agree with that. It is hard enough to stay in shape normally. When you’re in your mid-forties you have to live with a lot more discipline. Up until before my tooth-incident I worked out with a trainer in my garden multiple times a week to keep the quarantine body in check.

GQ: Apart from the personal trainer, are you in a steady relationship?

PP: I am not ready for that yet. Maybe at some point I will be but until then I’ll let it be. I can’t even offer you absurd corona dating stories.

GQ: What would annoy you the most if you were your own roommate?

PP: I can be quite controlling. I have to conjure all my humanity to prevent myself from going through my entire film collection. When I don’t want something I cannot keep it to myself or be passive-aggressive, I always have to take it to the frontlines. Other than that, I tend to have tunnel view: when I am not feeling well I cannot imagine to ever feel better again. I have trouble relativizing my emotions or to wave off problems. Method-acting would really not be for me. This is why I try to only work on projects that feel good, where there is mutual support and encouragement.

GQ: When we were trying on the clothes earlier you spoke of a lack of self-confidence. How does that get along with a career like yours?

PP: Isn’t it interesting how these characteristics and circumstamces relate? Self-worth comes from inside but it is also influenced by what society values because we often internalise the public gaze. I have lived in New York for 20 years, I studied there and made a living by working as a waiter until my mid-thirties because the theatre and film jobs I got did not pay the bills. There were so many times I was almost there. The disappointment of having missed the perfect role or opportunity by a hair’s width can be crushing. When should you give up and what is plan B? That is a question that is not only on many actors‘s minds but also on many others minds who struggle for a living – no matter how much potential they have or how close they seem to be to the top. We are seeing now how our narrow definition of success destroys society. At the same time, we are realizing that where we come from and the color of our skin still decide whether we can exist with dignity.

GQ: What are the positive aspects of a relatively late success as leading-man?

PP: I feel like I can decide over my own life without the pressure of having to accept projects or to have to present a certain identity on social media. This is for sure also because I am a man. Regardless of age, Women have to try harder to stand out.

GQ: Life always consists of risk management – now more than usual. For what would you risk losing something?

PP: Generally, when you never risk something you might never get ahead. That is for friendship, love, work and creativity. I have to be ready to take risks for the things that really matter to you.

[speaknowslut13]

Hello honey bunches!

I am also dead after yesterday’s announcement akdhskhska Red was not at all what I was expecting to come next but I’m so excited! Red holds such a special place in my heart ugh 🥺 which songs are you most looking forward to??

Gross, I’m sorry to hear that the fire season is already bad there. It’s predicted to be a bad one in my home state too, but it usually doesn’t come in full force until august. I do not miss the smokiness at all. It hasn’t quite hit triple digits here yet, but close, and it’s so humid, I feel like the air is sticking to me. Hopefully it cools off just a bit soon for both our sakes!!

Awe that’s so cute! 🥺🥺

Well maybe I’ll take a dive into black panther this evening while I lay in front of my fan hahaha. Oh I didn’t realize Deadpool was marvel! I love that movie, Ryan Reynolds is *chef’s kiss*

The answer is NEVER to downsize books oml 😶😶 I have four bookshelves at my parents house, one at my friends house where I lived for five summers, and one where I currently live. Someday they will all be back with me, but that day is not today sadly

Awe okay love that! I’m happy for you that you’re all close 🥰 I don’t remember if I’ve mentioned but I have one younger sister and I miss her terribly.

Ohhh interesting! Coding goes way over my head, I’ve tried a few free online courses to like learn the basics but I just can’t quite seem to get there. I love watching resin pouring videos, it looks so cool! WhT kind of stuff would you want to make?

Okay but like it’s a fun poem. And that last stanza is really touching! Honestly if it speaks to you, why not want to have it read? Ahh sonnet 130. We spent probably too much time analyzing it in my Shakespeare class but I still can’t hate it because it’s so beautiful. I just finished “The Carrying” a collection by Ada Limón that was pretty good! Quotes from her work sometimes float around on here.

Satire is good when I like it and bad when I don’t, hope that helps 😌 A Modest Proposal is always a fun one to read, and as far as contemporary stuff goes, every once in awhile reductress has something good. That’s so funny about your husbands reaction tho hahahaha would’ve loved to have seen his face.

Ohhh that ones had been on my TBR for awhile, I read Daisy Jones & the Six by that same author and loved it, so your recommendation may have just bumped Seven Husbands up on the list!

What have you been up to over the weekend? And what’s your favorite flavor of ice cream? 🍦

Thanku for the flowers omg sunflowers are my favorite 🥺 here’s some back to you 🌹🌷🌻

During the actual school year, I work part time as an assistant English teacher at a high school/English lecturer at a college, right now I’m doing online tutoring! I definitely want to stay in education long term.

Sending you big hugs! Xoxo 💖 Drew

Hey Drew my dear! I’ve had time to process red being announced. I’m a little bummed because we have such a long wait. I fully anticipate being a complete wreck when it drops. I love almost all of red. I’m looking forward most to the unreleased tracks and that ten minute song we all know is all too well.

It was funny in ironic way that she described red as a heartbroken person. I was baffled when the academy told her it wasn’t cohesive enough to win Album of the Year. I’ve always argued that they missed the point. That grief isn’t traditionally sonically cohesive and that’s why it actually is sonically cohesive. Just not in the way they expect. She said it way better than I ever could though.

Ryan Reynolds is top tier amazing. Any movie he’s a part of I instantly like. I’m pretty sure Chase and I would both leave each other for him if he asked. No questions. And we’d both understand entirely. 😂

I need to get my hands on a copy of Daisy Jones and the Six. I want to read that one. But unfortunately, the public library and I aren’t on speaking terms and going and buying a book recently hasn’t been exactly easy. I can’t wait to go into a half price books again. I’m just waiting to do all the non necessary shopping. My daughter obviously isn’t Vaxxed yet. I’m hoping they approve the vaccine for her age group soon. 🤞🏻. I’m nervous to send her back to school in August. But it’s important. She’s on an IEP. So this last year has been rough on all of us. Now the district won’t offer online again so it’s in person or not at all.

Yay America! 🙃

We spent the weekend doing errands and swimming. I have a job interview this week. I haven’t worked in years but I feel like I need to again. There’s just multiple complicated facets to my life that I’m not sure how to juggle. Hopefully I will figure it out. Or it’ll be all for naught.

So I have a few favorites. Like coffee, orange sherbert, and chocolate. But I can’t eat any of them anymore. I have to avoid dairy. I can have a little dairy here and there but milk and ice cream irritate my digestive system too much anymore.

I love food. Love it. Salsa is amazing. Pizza. Wonderful. Spaghetti and marinara dishes are my entire world. Do you know what all that has in common? 🍅 in the last couple of years I’ve not only developed a slight dairy intolerance, but a tomato allergy and a gluten intolerance! I’m sad 😞 Tomato is in everything though. It’s like I can’t get away from it. It really sucks.

I 100 percent don’t recommend chronic illness. If I was leaving an Amazon review it would be one of those “have to give it one stars but it’s really zero” reviews.

Bless you, Drew. I admire anyone who educates. It’s a skill set that I have very little patience for. So anyone who can is like a god to me.

So my little ADD brain almost forgot to talk about the resin! It’s a cute little idea we have for Dungeons and Dragons. But I’d also like just to create all kinds of different things. Plus it’s an excellent reason to acquire a 3D printer.

Chase and I are trying to learn how to play DnD. He’s always been interested and I’ll follow him anywhere 🤷‍♀️ plus character creating is fun! When it comes down to the actual playing, I don’t know if I’ll enjoy it or not. But I’ll try almost anything once.

I hope your weekend was splendid and I can’t wait to hear back from you soon!

[heartjwi]

the boy next door » zhong chenle

GENRE | neighbor!au + fluff

SUMMARY | he’s team captain and you’re on the bleachers. you watched as the perfect boy run around wishing he was yours and little did you know he was hoping for the same thing.

A/N | bro jock!chenle,,, i’m gone + this sounds like a cheesy netflix movie and i’m here for it and yes its inspired by taylor swift what about it ++ happy late birthday my dude

zhong chenle, the boy next door. 

it’s hard to hate him. i mean, why would you hate on someone who was literally sent by the heavens?

your story starts with moving into the new neighborhood. you remember it like it was just yesterday. you held your stuff that was kept in a box and stared at the tall doors in front of you. “cheers to new beginnings” you whispered to yourself. 

a boy suddenly appears within your vision. you jumped, almost dropping your box but thanks to the boy’s fast reflex, he caught the box in time. but also brushing your hands by accident. “oh! sorry about that” the boy apologises, a nervous grin plastered on his face. you let out a cheery laugh, making the boy’s ears perk up. “it’s fine, no biggie” you smiled. 

the boy smiles back and holds out his hand for you to shake. “i’m guessing you’re new. i’m chenle by the way” you looked at his hand then back to him again for a bit. it took a moment for chenle to realize that you were still holding the box. “jesus christ” he reacts, taking the box away from your hands. “thank you” you laughed, “i’m y/n.” 

due to chenle’s friendly personality, it didn’t take a while for the two of you to become friends. here he was in your room, helping you with your stuff. 

“so where does this go?” chenle asks, picking up a box filled with funko pops. “over there beside my vanity” you point towards an empty shelf. chenle scoots over to the shelf and opens the box. he let out a small gasp. you turned your attention to him, “what?” you ask.

“you have such a collection” he says in awe, taking a funko pop out of the box. you felt your cheeks redden. “uh yeah, it’s a hobby of mine to collect, what about you? what’s your collection?” you ask. chenle grins, “i collect basketball shoes. you should see them sometime” he says smugly. “will do” you giggled.

—

“is that all of them?” chenle looks down at you, wiping the sweat on his forehead. “yep, that’s all of them!” you clapped your hands excitedly. “my room is finally finished!” you squealed, satisfied with the outcome of everything. this was your ultimate dream room. “heck yeah!” you turn to chenle and gave him a high five.

“oh shit i forgot but mom told me to tell you that you and your family are invited tonight” he tells you casually, holding the door knob on the front door. “what for?” you ask. chenle rolls his eyes playfully, “well duh? to meet the new neighbors aka you” he ruffles your hair. “hey!” you slapped his hand away. “i’ll get going now since it’s time to play some hoops. i’ll see you later okay?” he opens the door and jogs out, waving at you. 

“see you” you smiled to yourself, watching chenle run back to his house. ‘i think i’m gonna like it here’ you thought to yourself after spending the whole afternoon decorating your room with chenle. 

you and your family reached the zhong household. his mom opened the door and welcomed you with open arms. “welcome to the neighborhood” she envelops you into a warm hug and leads you guys to the dining area where his dad was waiting in.

“so you must be mr. and mrs. (l/n)!” chenle’s dad shakes your parents’ hands. “and you must be their daughter, y/n.. am i right?” his dad laughs, also shaking your hand. you nod and got into your seat after your parents. “my son helped you move in your things right? he’s such a helpful kid.” his dad continues, smiling at the thought of his son helping around.

“yep. he stayed for the entire afternoon to help me move my stuff in” you smiled. as on cue, chenle walks in all sweaty in his basketball jersey. “oh hey you made it!” he grins, bouncing the ball around the kitchen floor. “chenle! what did i say about playing inside!” his mom shrieks, shooing him away after giving her a kiss on the cheek. “and go take a shower! don’t you see we have guests over?” his mom continues to scold him. 

chenle laughs and complies anyway. “sorry about that. he’s so playful” his mother laughs, places down the main dish for tonight. chenle walks in a little later, fresh showered with some sweats on. he sits next to you and starts a conversation.

“it’s gonna get boring in here in a few since mom and dad are gonna tell the history of this neighborhood or something so it’s better if we head upstairs or to the theater room” chenle whispers to you. your eyes widened at the part he says ‘theater room’

did i mention the moment you walked in his house it was twice as large as your house next door?

his mom announces that it was time to eat and a little after that, the adults started to have a conversation on their own. “told ya. let’s head upstairs” chenle whispers again. chenle stands up from his seat and excuses himself. “y/n and i are gonna head upstairs” he tells no one in particular. he grabs your hand and drags you up the stairs.

you two stop at a door with a popcorn sticker on it. “what movie do you wanna see?” he turns his attention to you. “anything” you reply. “let’s watch ‘we’re the millers’” he opens the door and inside was a giant tv screen with multiple comfy sofas.

“jesus christ dude” you react in awe. chenle smirks at your reaction. “now you can come over whenever you’d like!” he tells you excitedly. you sat in the middle row, having the seat all to yourself as chenle plops down on the bean bags right in front of the tv.

chenle grabs the remote and opens netflix. you winced at the bright screen and adjusted your eyes to it. chenle finally found the movie and played it.

—

you felt your eyes go heavy the more you watch the movie due to the cold atmosphere their ac provided and of course the ever so comfortable sofa you were lying on. you decided it would be nice to rest your eyes for a bit and with that, you fell into deep slumber. the last thing you remember was feeling someone drape a throw blanket on top of you before you were knocked out. 

chenle woke you up a little later telling you that your parents left. you sat up in the couch, mind still a little hazy after that good nap you just had. remembering you weren’t in your own house, you quickly finger combed your hair and wiped any possible drool you had. chenle laughs at your reaction, muttering “cute” before accompanying you back to your house.

“you didn’t watch the movie” chenle pouts, walking you to your house. “i already watched it a million times” you laughed. “i’m guessing you won’t be sleeping anytime soon since you just took a nap” he nudges you on the shoulder. “i guess you’re right” you grin. chenle whips out his phone and hands it to you. “give me your number we’ll be late night text buddies” 

you typed in your number and you asked him to do the same thing. you two finally reached your house. “i’ll see you in school?” chenle hopes. you nod. “goodnight chenle” you smile at him before entering inside your house. “goodnight y/n! see you tomorrow” he chirps, walking back to his place.

first day of school doesn’t sound that bad anymore

you made sure to wake up extra early for your first day in school. you prepared all your stuff the night before due to you taking a nap hours before. here you were sipping on your first cup of iced coffee for the day and going to your new school. 

you entered the school and felt eyes were on you. you were the new kid on the block after all. you got your schedule and your locker number. you managed to find your locker earlier than expected and placed your the books you didn’t need inside. 

when you closed the door, you see chenle leaning on the lockers making you jump. “jesus christ chenle” you put a hand on your chest. “hi” he greets. you looked at the people passing by the hallway and they seem to be staring at you and chenle. you looked at chenle’s outfit and noticed he was wearing a varsity jacket.

“like what you see?” chenle laughs, striking a pose. you pushed his shoulder lightly. “i was observing what you are.. and based on my observations you’re a jock” you laugh. chenle shrugs, “i guess? let me give you a tour around school” chenle grabs your hand and drags you else where.

—

thankfully you have all your classes with chenle and despite being late in class on the first day of school, your teachers gave you a pass today but for chenle’s case, apparently it was his last and final warning. now the two of you were heading to the cafeteria.

“i swear that teacher just hates me” chenle dramatically sighs, almost pulling a troy bolton in the middle of the hallway. “well maybe you’re just a slowpoke” you joked. chenle sent a death glare towards your direction. you held up your hands in defense. “chill” 

chenle then leads you towards a specific table where you see around 5 boys were sitting in. “yo chenle!” one boy calls. “WHO IS THAT WITH HIM” another yells. “jesus christ hyuck. tone it down a bit” another butts in, smacking the boy who yelled earlier. 

“don’t mind them, it’s normal for them to hit each other” chenle whispers as you two approach the table. “hey guys” chenle greets, giving the 5 boys a bro hug. “this my new friend AND neighbor, y/n” chenle introduces to you to the 5 boys. “hi” “hello” they chorused.

you memorized the guys’ names and sat in between chenle, jaemin and hyuck while jisung, renjun and jeno sat in front of you. “so y/n” renjun opens a conversation. “how was your first day so far?” he asked. you looked at chenle who was looking right back at you before answering. “well, chenle showed me around and got us late but since i was new, the teachers let me off the hook but sadly for our chenle, he was given his last warning” you explained.

the boys burst out laughing and started teasing chenle. “you guys shut up!” chenle whines making the boys tease him even more.

within one month, you managed to fit in and made a new circle of friends which consisted of renjun, jeno, haechan, jaemin, chenle and jisung. they enjoyed your company as much as you enjoyed theirs. everything was great and was falling into place.

you also learned that chenle was in fact the team captain of the school’s basketball team. you’ve been to his games and even practices during weekends. making people speculate that you two were a couple.

“are you sure you and chenle aren’t dating?” jisung asked for the nth time tonight. “again jisung, no we’re not” you affirmed, hugging your body from the cold breeze “yeah right, you’re even wearing his hoodie that he wore earlier today just before the game started” jisung murmurs. “jisung i will smack you” you threatened. jisung raises his hands up in defense, “oh i’m so scared” he mocks. 

“hello children” jaemin and jeno slides in beside the two of you. “what are you two doing?” jeno chuckles, looking at your angry face. “he said that i’m dating chenle when i’m not!” you pointed fingers at jisung. “you’re not dating him?” they exclaim in unison. you groaned, putting on the hood from chenle’s hoodie and pulling the strings to hide your face.

—

your school’s team won thanks to chenle and everyone decided to go celebrate at his house since his parents were out of town. chenle rode with his team while the rest of you packed into jaemin’s convertible and sped off back to his place.

by the time you reached his house, it was already filled with students. you all walked inside to see people drinking and chenle was no where to be seen. “okay so, for jisung and y/n, no drinking” renjun announces. “i wasn’t planning to anyway” you muttered, jisung shrugs and doesn’t say anything else. “also jeno you’re on driver duty” renjun adds. jeno whines but nods anyway. 

chenle suddenly appeared out of no where by surprising you from behind. “boo!” he grabs your waist making you scream. you latched onto jisung out of embarrassment when you realized it was just chenle. “scaredy cat” chenle teases you. you rolled your eyes at him and poked your tongue out. 

“congrats my dude” haechan comes forward and gives him a hug. “stephen curry is shaking in his boots” haechan exclaimed making everyone laugh as per usual. “well anyway, thank you guys for coming” chenle expresses his gratitude. “no, thank YOU for winning the game” jaemin slaps him on the back and makes kissy faces in front of chenle, making him cringe. “ew hyung” 

hours later, everyone in the group slowly bounced. jisung went home early since he was bored and chenle was busy talking to other people leaving you alone since jeno, jaemin, renjun and hyuck were all drinking. 

you sat by the pool area they had. since there was almost no people here which you were thankful for. it was hella noisy inside that you couldn’t even hear your own voice. you stared at your reflection on the pool and just started daydreaming.

—

chenle was entertaining almost everyone in his house. each person congratulating him for his winning shot but something still feels empty within him. he suddenly remembered that he hasn’t talked to you all night and suddenly feels guilty about it.

he looked around his enormous house to look for you but nothing. he can’t call jisung since he knows he left earlier cause he was bored. he can’t even ask his four hyungs since they were all drinking downstairs. feeling defeated, chenle walks back to the kitchen to grab himself some punch where he was approached by minhee. 

chenle was minhee’s long time crush. she liked him since third grade and the fact that their families were already close friends to begin with, it was hard to avoid her. it was obvious that minhee likes chenle but chenle just likes to pretend he never knew about her crush on him.

“hey lele” minhee smiles widely at chenle. chenle stands awkwardly while pouring himself some punch. ��hey min” he greets casually. “congrats on the game by the way, i was watching the entire time” minhee starts a conversation. chenle nods slowly, looking at the window, wondering where you were. “so i was thinking if you could accompany me to the movies tomorrow? to watch the latest movie out” 

chenle cringes knowing it was her way to ask him out. “oh, i’m sorry min but i have things to do tomorrow” chenle declines as nice as possible without hurting her feelings. minhee, feeling dejected smiles sadly. “oh.. okay” 

chenle suddenly sees the back of your head by the pool, instantly he felt relieved seeing you still around. “i’ll get going now minhee. see you around” chenle waves goodbye to his friend before making his way to the pool.

—

you felt presence behind you. you turned around and see it was chenle. “what are doing out here alone hmm?” he smiles down at you, before sitting right next to you. “it’s quiet here, it’s peaceful” you reply, smiling to yourself. chenle hums, “well, i was looking for you” your heart skipped a beat when you heard him say that. “well, you found me” 

after talking to chenle for awhile, you started feeling sleepy, you rested your head on his shoulder making him freeze. “congrats by the way” you murmured. chenle didn’t say anything but he rested his head on top of yours. 

“let’s get you home okay?” chenle mumbled, pulling you up with him. “okay” you giggled. chenle leads you out of his backyard and walks you home again.

after that night, you and chenle were closer than ever.

you started going to school with chenle. his parents finally allowed him to use the car and now chenle picks you up and drops you off everyday. 

“did anyone drop you off last saturday night?” jaemin, being the mother figure he is, was concerned for your well being. “yeah. chenle walked me home” you inform him. everyone in the table stopped eating and eyed you and chenle suspiciously. “what” chenle blurts.

before anyone could react, minhee suddenly sat beside chenle. “hey” she greets everyone. everyone’s attention turned to minhee at that very moment. “uh hello?” renjun eyes her down. “what are you doing here?” jisung asked. minhee looked at him like he was crazy. “can i not sit here?” she claimed. 

“we’re not even your friends” hyuck murmured, loud enough for you to hear making you burst out laughing. “what’s so funny?” minhee looked at you and hyuck specifically. “nothing” you say quickly, making her raise her brow at you.

“oh i haven’t met you yet, who are you?” she asked yet again. ‘does this girl even stop asking?’ you thought to yourself, blowing a strand of hair away from your face. “i think you haven’t. i’m y/n” you introduced yourself. “oh, i’m minhee if you didn’t know.” she holds her hand out for you to shake which you blatantly ignored.

“i’m chenle’s girlfriend by the way” she suddenly claims making everyone in the table stop what they were doing. your heart sank to your stomach and without a second thought, you stood up and walked away with jisung following close behind. 

chenle spat out his drink alongside everyone else in the table. “what the fuck did you just say.” hyuck screams before erupting into laughter. “minhee, what the hell i don’t even like you” chenle stands up. at this point by standers were watching the entire thing go down. minhee also stands up and tried to hold chenle’s arm but he just swatted her away.

“you fucked up big time, minhee. let’s just get this straight. i don’t fucking like you” chenle defends himself. it was hard not to hurt minhee’s feelings but he needed to set things straight with his childhood friend. minhee scoffs and runs away in embarrassment. 

chenle sits back down and releases the air he’s been holding in. “wait.. where’s y/n and jisung?” chenle notices two empty spots around him. jeno points towards the open cafeteria door. “fuck” chenle mutters before running after the two of you. 

—

“i don’t like him.. i really don’t..” you paced around the hallway while jisung was watching you like a madman. “but why am i so hurt at the fact he has a girlfriend” you rambled on. you turned to jisung and shook his shoulders. “tell me, this is normal right? i just care for him hehe” you tried to convince yourself you didn’t like chenle. 

“listen, it’s so painfully obvious how much you two like each other. with the whole neighbor scenario too like you fall in love with your cute next door neighbor. i used to read that back in the day but i didn’t expect for it to happen to my own friends. so just do us all a favor and confess your feelings to him” jisung advised, rubbing your shoulder in a friendly manner. 

you pushed his hand away and buried your head to his chest. “but- do i like him or do i like like him.. this is hard” you whined. “he has a girlfriend too”

“she’s not my girlfriend” chenle butts in your conversation. you snap your head towards his direction. “told you” jisung huffs. you shushed jisung and didn’t dare to make eye contact with chenle. “okay that’s good to know” you laughed nervously as you hear chenle’s footsteps get closer.

chenle moves you away from jisung and gives you a hug. “just for the record, i like like you too” he whispers into your hair making your face red as a tomato.

[nightmare-hennessy]

as if a second self

pairing: adam parrish/ronan lynch

summary: three times ronan says i love you and one time adam says it back

read on ao3

chapter 1: the first time

The first time it happened, it took Adam completely by surprise. 

It was one of the days between Christmas and New Year's — Adam honestly couldn't tell which one. He'd lost track of time completely ever since Christmas break began and he didn't have to scribble the date at the top right corner of the sheet of paper he used to write his notes on during Latin class. 

It was a relief, honestly. Finally, Adam didn't have to pull his thoughts away from Ronan, Ronan, Ronan every five minutes to instead focus on whatever subject at hand. 

Everything was so quiet; so still. Mornings started with late breakfasts turning into early lunches and ended with crappy movies playing on tv while nobody paid any attention to them. At night, they made a habit of sitting on one of the barn's roof, fireflies swarming around their heads while they stared up at the stars.

The Barns had quickly made it to the list of Adam's favorite places. Granted, that list was short. It consisted of Cabeswater (which didn't exist anymore) and, well, the main barn at Singer's Falls.

It wasn't so much the Barns themselves with their cozy rooms and lovely roofs to spend warmer nights on, or all the food cooked from fresh vegetables from dream plants that grew all year round, or the collection of knick-knacks on the shelves that Adam loved every single useless piece of, but Ronan. This was Ronan's home and Ronan had become Adam's home.

Over the past weeks, Adam had become gradually happier and happier. Even though most times, he still woke up on his mattress above St. Agnes church (it really was better to spend the nights away from Ronan during school time, otherwise there would be no studying happening — ever), feeling paralyzed for a moment of guilt because he turned on his family; of shame because now that Cabeswater was no longer, he was nothing more than Adam Parrish with the second-hand school uniform; of knowing that for everything he wanted, he would have to work twice as hard, there was always this little sun burning just left off center in his chest. It warmed the doubt that being happy meant only for everything to crash down again at one point away.

Now, Adam felt warm.

Now, Adam was stretched out on the couch in the living room of the main barn he'd fallen asleep on after lunch. He'd done nothing but eat today, and it felt great. He felt great. 

Except he didn't.

The warm feeling he thought originated from the content feeling in his chest turned out to be the heat coming from the fireplace as well as the person lying behind him with their arms wrapped tightly around him. Yes, it was cozily warm at first, but soon after appreciating that, there were beads of sweat forming on Adam's forehead and he wished for a window to be open.

Ronan's breath was hot against his neck, not really helping the situation. Adam tried to bring distance between them, but he didn't want to wake Ronan up. Ronan definitely slept more than usual nowadays, but he still had long, insomniac nights that he usually spent tinkering around the Barns or on the phone with Gansey. So instead, Adam started wiggling his feet, attempting to strip his socks off without using his hands. It was more difficult than expected.

"What the fuck're you doing, Parrish?" Ronan's voice was muffled against Adam's neck. Automatically — he always did this when he sensed the danger of Adam moving away from him — he wrapped his arms tighter around Adam's torso, refusing to let go. The first moments after waking up were always his most vulnerable. That was when he didn't yet have time to build his walls up for the day.

"I'm warm," Adam whined because slowly but surely, he felt like he was melting — and not in the good way like when he sat on the kitchen counter and watched Ronan, usually without a shirt on, fry bacon and eggs in the pan for breakfast, eyebrows furrowed as if it took all his concentration.

"Mhm," Ronan made, still muffled, "You could always take your shirt off, you know."

Adam made a pff sound. "Unfortunately, I can not, as I have someone's chest glued to my back."

Adam felt Ronan's hands slide all the way down his chest and over his stomach. Despite the heat in the room, he felt goosebumps creeping up his arms. He stilled against Ronan's chest, waiting. Waiting for him to skim his hands under the hem of his shirt, waiting for another snarky remark before lips found one another.

Nothing of that.

But a push.

Adam didn't have time to react or catch up on what was happening because it was happening way too fast. First, Ronan's arms around him loosened up completely, then one of his hands disappeared from where it was traveling toward less innocent regions, and then — 

And then he pushed Adam off the couch. With a fucking chuckle.

If Adam hadn't been pushed and shoved his whole entire life, he'd probably hit the ground with his face instead of reflexively jutting his arms out and catching himself — more or less. He still landed with an inelegant thump.

"Bastard!"

Ronan's chuckle evolved into a full on barking laugh.

"Asshole," Adam muttered but couldn't help the quirk of his mouth. He scrambled to get up, but was shut down almost immediately by Ronan rolling off the sofa as well. He did a far better job at catching himself — probably because he wasn't caught off guard — and now sort of hovered over Adam in a pose resembling a finished push up.

"Say that again, will you," Ronan said close to his ear.

Adam's eyes fluttered shut and his mouth finally formed a smile; the seeable equivalent of the sun shining so bright in his chest. "You're an asshole, Lynch."

Ronan started pinching his sides.

There was a lot of scrambling and more playful shoving and wrestling on the ground. Adam pulled Ronan out of his plank and managed to roll him over, so now they were both laying on the wooden floor. They were both laughing, giggling. It was ridiculous.

Eventually, Adam hitched a leg up and pushed all of his weight against Ronan, so he rolled onto his back and Adam straddled his hips. For a moment, Adam saw the surprise in Ronan's eyes. He was always taken aback at how physically strong Adam could be when the situation called for it.

Adam liked that look of surprise. 

He liked it a lot. 

So he decided to do him one better.

In a quick, swift motion, Adam grabbed Ronan's wrists and pinned them to the ground above his head. It was very easy. Mostly because Ronan didn't see it coming, but also because when he caught on, he didn't fight it. 

Adam's face was now close to Ronan's.

Ronan, without breaking eye contact with Adam, wiggled his hands a couple of times. Adam knew he could do better; Adam knew Ronan liked this.

Nonetheless, Adam grinned. "I'm stronger than you."

"I wouldn't hold my breath for that," Ronan said before lifting his head up from the floor to capture Adam's lips in a kiss. 

It was a strange paradox Adam couldn't seem to understand; how he felt so still around Ronan, but his heart was still thundering in his chest. He was at peace, felt safe, but simultaneously, he felt a strange thrill as if he was committing a sweet but dangerous crime. Adam didn't think he would ever figure out how that could be.

With the distraction of the kiss, Ronan wiggled his hands again, causing Adam's grip to loosen. He didn't do much more though because, again, Adam knew he actually liked it.

Adam felt Ronan's breathing hitch when he brushed one of his thumbs over the other boy's palm, down to the wrist. His fingers caught on the string of leather bands Ronan always wore.

Adam knew what they were hiding.

He skimmed his fingers over them, but then he felt a strange sort of urge. He broke the kiss and opened his eyes to watch his index and middle finger slipping underneath the bracelets. 

Ronan held his breath.

Adam felt the raised skin of the scars. He knew they were there. He'd seen them before. He understood this about Ronan. He didn't expect for this to be the most intimate touch they would ever share, but yet it was.

Adam's fingers were still trapped against Ronan's wrist when he looked back down. Ronan's eyes were all pupils with a thin, bright blue ring around them. There was no surprise in them now, no bewilderment or uncertainty.

"I love you."

If Adam hadn't seen Ronan's lips form the words, he would have started and looked over his shoulder to see if someone had entered the room. But he did see, and he did hear, and there was no place for misunderstanding.

As his immediate reaction, a thousand thoughts came to mind at once, none of them fully formed.

Adam hadn't expected it. He hadn't even thought about it. Which was probably stupid. He should have thought about it, he should have been freaking out about this ever since he noticed the looks Ronan gave him and the looks he was giving in return.

Truth was, Adam never expected to ever hear these words. From anyone.

All of his life, he'd been called a burden, an unfortunance; had been told no, had been told It's not gonna be you, Adam; had been pushed, had been shoved, had been hit, hit, hit.

Ronan's lips were still slightly parted, that last word still lingering on them. You. You, you, you. You, Adam.

Adam watched him swallow, watched him hold on to the certainty in his eyes, watched him not regret the words.

Adam had never believed in being at a loss for words. He'd always trusted that if one had enough wits, there'd always be the right words at hand. But now there was a lump in his throat — or maybe it was just his heart — and he couldn't speak. Even if he wanted to, even if all his wits hadn't just spontaneously left him, he wouldn't be able to get any words out.

There was not a trace of disappointment on Ronan's face.

Of course, Adam's brain told him to look deeper into it, to doubt it, to dig until he found the hurt expression because he physically wasn't able to say the words back. His brain instructed him to scramble back, get up from where he was sitting on top of Ronan, get out of the house and give Ronan a reason to finally wake up and realize that it couldn't be him. It was never going to be him.

Ronan shimmied his hands until they were free of Adam's. 

Adam's stomach sank and sank and sank and his heart rose and rose and rose until it was pressing against the lump in his throat so hard, he felt like he was going to throw up.

Then Ronan's hands were on his face, pulling him closer. They were kissing again, and it was the warmth and familiarity of that kiss, and the harsh brush of the leather bracelets against Adam's jaw, that muffled the doubt. 

Adam's heart pushed past the lump in his throat as he deepened the kiss. There was no space for words anymore, but he still tried to match Ronan's gesture. Adam didn't think he really believed Ronan, or at least, he didn't understand it. Why would anyone love Adam Parrish?

"I get it," Ronan spoke into his mouth. At first, Adam wasn't sure if he'd actually spoken or if it was another one of those instances where he could hear what Ronan wasn't saying. But he'd felt his lips forming the words.

I get it. 

The words had flavor. They exploded with their meaning. Adam didn't have to look deeper into them to understand it. I get it. I get you. I know you, Adam.

There was hesitation, of course there was, and Adam felt silly for it — Hadn't he been through enough with Ronan? Hadn't he been sure about all of this? — but he finally met Ronan's eyes again. They were still all pupil.

He was sure about all this. There was no doubt about it.

"I know you," Ronan said, and those words felt almost as charged as the ones that scared Adam. There was a pause, but not a long one, before Ronan added, "Like a second self."

Adam kissed him again.

chapter 2

[arecomicsevengood]

More Quarantine Movies

Going to put up this log of what I’ve seen now, as some of the stuff I liked the most is leaving The Criterion Channel at the end of the month. I really don’t know if anyone gets anything out of these posts, these are mostly synopses and they’re maybe spoiler-heavy. Let me give you the gist of it now: Otto Preminger’s a really good filmmaker whose movies are really interesting, Jean Arthur’s a great actress who enlivens everything and is also in a bunch of good-to-great movies. Also, I didn’t write about it but I rewatched Death Race 2000, that movie rules, feels relevant to today’s politics, and is leaving Criterion Channel at the end of the month.

The Pawnbroker (1964) dir. Sidney Lumet

Based on novel by Edward Lewis Wallant, whose The Tenants Of Moonbloom was reprinted by NYRB Classics with a Dave Eggers intro. Also some of the earliest nudity in a mainstream American film. About the misanthropy of a holocaust survivor, living in New York City, and interacting with black people who vaguely feel like racist caricatures, in part because it’s a movie about a misanthrope told from his perspective. A ton of movies about race from this era feel dated, this feels legitimately edgy, which is a term that gets thrown around somewhat ironically now or viewed as a pejorative, like something trying to offend, this does feel like a genuine attempt to be honest and push things forward (I really was not expecting that nudity) but also doesn’t feel totally successful, definitely not particularly enjoyable.

Shockproof (1949) dir. Douglas Sirk

I haven’t seen Sirk’s later melodramas, this one intrigued me in part because the screenplay was written by Samuel Fuller, and it’s sort of a pulpy noir thing. A woman, fresh out of jail, ends up living with her parole officer who is trying to keep her on the straight and narrow and away from her criminal ex, but they end up falling in love. There’s a thing where the male lead’s younger brother talks about how the lady is beautiful that I sort of wish wasn’t in there, feels creepy to me. There’s a bit of a shift in the narrative with the third act, where the lovers end up on the run, the once-upstanding man now a criminal on account of love, but they are having the endurance of their love tested by circumstance, is one of those things where a story which felt somewhat unique over the course of its telling shifts into something more recognizable.

…And The Pursuit Of Happiness (1986) dir Louis Malle

I have watched most of Louis Malle’s feature films at this point, I believe, and had a vague curiosity about what his documentaries were like. This one, made shortly after he’d moved to the U.S. and married Candice Bergen (something that comes up in Susan Seidelman’s Smithereens, in that some prostitutes read aloud from a fashion magazine that discusses it) he made a film talking to various recent immigrants. He covers a lot of ground, covering people working as doctors, large communities living in housing projects and causing racial tension with black neighbors (who both resent the smell of the food they cook but also suspect they don’t know their rights as the property developers plan to evict everyone and have the projects demolished). By and large everyone spoke to believes in the notion of the American dream of working hard to get ahead. Malle also speaks to anti-immigration think tank people and border patrols. Nothing too surprising but a lot of ground gets covered in a short amount of time. If I didn’t learn anything I at least admired that it felt non-didactic. Anything with more of a point of view or an argument would probably be disingenuous were it to present itself as enlightening.

The Baron Of Arizona (1950) dir. Samuel Fuller

Based on a true story, although with fictionalized elements, about a dude (played by Vincent Price) who becomes a master forger to falsify land grants and claim the entire state of Arizona as his own. Not a great movie, though that’s an interesting story. I bet I could guess what elements were made up for the sake of making a movie out of it, it has this tension of being interesting and unbelievable (although unbelievable by way of rote moviemaking formula), but also the story takes place over an extended period of time and so has some of the structureless feeling of a biopic.

House On Haunted Hill (1959) dir. William Castle

I’m going to confuse this with The Haunting Of Hill House for my entire life, that’s just the way it is. This stars Vincent Price, who’s always great, doing the famous premise where a group of people meet up to spend the night at a haunted house to win money. Vincent Price has a contentious relationship with his wife, who’s openly contemptuous of him and wants his money. There’s a moment where everyone at the house party is given a gun, each in a coffin. There’s a few “twists” all sort of being of the “there was a rational, non-ghost reason for everything” although any of them individually sort of strain the limits of credulity as something that works as a hoax. Vincent Price is basically not the villain, so much as his wife is, although he’s such a ham that loves being creepy that this again strains credibility in that the conclusion of the movie plays against the style with which the previous action has been presented. An enjoyable viewing experience.

My Name Is Julia Ross (1945) dir. Joseph Lewis

This one’s about a woman, looking for work, who falls into a scheme that kidnaps her and puts her up in a mansion, where she’s kept drugged and basically is told to assume the identity of a woman who was killed. I found this one pretty nerve-wracking, as it’s pretty nightmarish, basically about psychological torture. I found this one under Criterion Channel’s Columbia Noir collection, but before these films were considered noir, they were thought of as melodramas, but it’s also sort of a horror film about being gaslighted. There’s a part where they remove a stairwell and try to trick her into falling down? What’s funny is that one of the things that sort of separates this from horror is how quickly it resolves, whereas later work would I think give the audience the satisfaction of seeing the villain be punished in some way, the ending that just goes “then everything worked out alright” ends up making the structure feel more like the whole movie’s reason for being is just to see the protagonist suffer.

God Told Me To (1976) dir. Larry Cohen

Did I write about this already? I watched that a few months ago. Pretty wild basis in seventies grit about people going crazy, committing murders, then goes to a weird/confusing place involving some sort of holy entity in human form, the police procedural aspect butting up against this strangeness which doesn’t feel entirely thought through, and is in fact sort of incoherent, makes for a movie that is, in fact, still pretty good and worth watching although a bit tedious by the end.

Zombi Child (2019) dir. Bertrand Bonello

This I guess just came out in America this year, to the extent that anything came out this year, in theaters, it coming to streaming is basically its release. The zombies in this are of the old-school voodoo sense, taken seriously as a system of belief juxtaposed against French colonialism, as a Haitian teen feels at odds with her circle of friends, flashbacks to Haiti occur. When you watch a bunch of older movies new movies just seem to be not as good. Bonello’s not a bad filmmaker though, he’s able to capture a sort of sensual aspect of particular moments and moods, just not in a way where they then coalesce into a narrative of shifting emotion.

Anatomy Of A Murder (1959) dir. Otto Preminger

This movie is close to three hours long.  It has a Law And Order procedural quality, taking up much of its second half with a courtroom drama, where Jimmy Stewart does a proto-Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer routine. He’s protecting a man accused of murdering the woman who raped his wife. The subject was surely shocking for its time. It becomes pretty clear, extremely quickly that the husband is an abusive piece of shit, but the main thrust of the narrative is still tasked with following the lawyer trying to get him off. Lee Remick, from Experiment In Terror plays the beautiful and doomed wife, who flirts with Jimmy Stewart. Some of these interactions feel weird from a modern perspective, because Stewart’s reaction is like “Yes, you’re a beautiful woman and any red-blooded American male would enjoy looking at you, but it is my duty as a lawyer to paternalistically insist you cover up!” Preminger is sort of known for pushing the envelope, and this one has a lot more talking about sperm and Lee Remick’s vagina than you’d expect. One of the things that’s meant to be a “quirky character detail” is that Jimmy Stewart is into jazz- The score, by Duke Ellington, is great, but there’s also a pretty corny cameo by Duke Ellington where Jimmy Stewart sits in with him, a second pair of hands on the piano. Still, I guess it’s better that he physically appears in the movie than there just being a scene where it implies Duke’s music is played by Jimmy Stewart, as the music is way too good to just be a lawyer’s quirky hobby. George C Scott, from Hardcore, plays the legal expert on the other side. After being pretty long, there is this sort of abrupt, (although well-foreshadowed) downbeat ending, where the jealous and abusive husband flees town to avoid paying his lawyer and to go somewhere quiet he can beat his wife to death, but said ending is played for this “you can’t win them all I guess, shame about the lower classes” quality from Stewart, who is dead broke all movie but seems like he just enjoyed being able to do work for once, even if it’s for a total shitbag. Good movie! Feels thorny and interesting.

Bunny Lake Is Missing (1965) dir. Otto Preminger

This is even better. Great Saul Bass credits sequence too. A psychological thriller where the disappearance of a child gives way to the police not being able to confirm the child is real, and doubting the mother’s sanity, becoming pretty nightmarish, dreamy, and exhilarating by turns. Gets to a place of “huh, I wonder what is going on” and then when that finally resolves there’s a pretty extended sequence of silent escaping/hiding, which is, one of those things that films do really well and is super-satisfying. It plays out amidst this background filled with interesting supporting characters, who all, for the first half of the movie, feel like moving parts in this somewhat inscrutable narrative machine.

The Man With The Golden Arm (1955) dir. Otto Preminger

This one I don’t like. Stars Frank Sinatra, who I find annoying, as a recovering heroin addict who relapses again. While I normally like the sort of scenery-chewing supporting cast that shows up in Preminger things, I really didn’t Sinatra’s nerdy best friend, or his wife with Munchausen’s syndrome. While with the other Preminger movies there’s this feeling of a slow reveal of what the plot is with this one I feel like as soon as you know that Sinatra is out of rehab (which you learn pretty quickly) you can guess the movie will be about how he relapses and then tries to get sober for real.

The Human Factor (1979) dir. Otto Preminger

Preminger’s final movie, based on a Graham Greene novel, featuring Iman making her film debut. Movie is mostly about intelligence agencies seeking out the mole in their mist, with intentions to kill whoever it is once they’re certain. It stars Richard Attenborough, as the source of the leaks. Halfway through the story becomes interspersed with flashbacks about Attenborough and Iman’s romance upon meeting in Africa. Continues the habit of ending on a moment that maybe feels like it should be expanded upon or made more resonant.

Bonjour Tristesse (1958) dir. Otto Preminger

This stars Jean Seberg as a teenager being raised by a single father, David Niven, who’s kind of a cad/ladies man who’s very permissive with his daughter, who seems likely to grow up rich and spoiled and find another rich man to take care of her. Deborah Kerr plays the woman who Niven ends up falling in love for real with, and the conflict is then between this woman taking on a maternal role and a daughter who is resentful of this. Deborah Kerr is in Black Narcissus, a movie I love, and here she comes off as smart, the voice of reason. Seberg destroys her father’s relationship by taking advantage of his sort of innate desire to flirt and be liked by women, driving Kerr to commit suicide, and the whole film is then told in flashback by Jean Seberg a year later, as she flirts with boys but has a great sadness and emotional distance about her, which is both inherited and self-inflicted. I’m partly just writing these plot summaries as my way of remembering what these movies are about, but this one is nice because I get to account for complicated characters who are both pretty eminently understandable. I keep getting hung up on the fact that movies today now have a much dumber idea of what a female character is. Maybe it’s something as basic as the fact that, as people read less, it’s rarer for literary novels to be adapted? As I talk in terms of “less good roles for women nowadays,” which is a cliche, it’s obvious enough that bad roles for men follow, as everyone is only as good or interesting as who they’re playing off of.

It’s also funny to think, in this era of “comic book movies,” that very few artists can make a character come to life with body language and facial expression the way an actor can. “Literary” cartoonists like Dan Clowes or Tomine play into the mask quality drawing creates, generating inscrutability as part of their effect. Many of the biggest names in “noir” comics are removed from the melodrama elements of actor’s performance in favor of an aesthetic based on paperback covers, which makes for something far less lively. Meanwhile, Blutch is an amazing artist who would probably do a great job telling lively character studies in a genre form, but he’s way more preoccupied with these Godard-style interrogations of film’s cultural meaning.

Separate Tables (1958) dir. Delbert Mann

From the same year as Bonjour Tristesse, and also featuring David Niven and Deborah Kerr. Deborah Kerr’s good in this- while she is sort of uptight in a maternal way in Bonjour Tristesse, here she’s sort of crippled by repression her mother imposes on her. It’s a totally different character, but she remains defined by various manifestations of repressed energy; I would say she’s most known for playing a nun in Black Narcissus. She’s again opposite Niven in a sort of romantic context, though Niven’s character is meant to be a neurotic freak and he’s not really convincing in that capacity. I couldn’t really work out what the deal is with Niven’s character, he gets arrested in a theater, seemingly because he takes his dick out to show women? Or that’s how I interpreted what was being discussed, but he’s mostly defended by everyone except this lady you’re supposed to hate for how domineering and judgmental she is so maybe it’s something less bad. I honestly couldn’t figure it out because it seemed like the thing I was guessing they couldn’t talk about. This movie also features Burt Lancaster and Rita Hayworth as a couple that broke up once before and are reuniting now. This movie is pretty dull in a way I didn’t know whether to attribute to it being British or it being based on a play, as it feels extremely both.

Seance On A Wet Afternoon (1964) dir. Bryan Forbes

This one’s British too, and features the quality I recognize from British television, where the stars are not attractive, which always feels surprising. This one’s got a pretty great title, and a great premise. This woman, a professional psychic, convinces her husband to kidnap a child so she can comfort the parents and get publicity. The cinematography’s great. I got pretty nervous watching this, I think I am feeling more sensitive to movies as of late, way more willing to find things upsetting and nerve-wracking than usual. I can partly attribute this to the feeling of taking something in from a different cultural context, that leaves me unsure what to expect, but it’s also true that nowadays I sort of constantly have this feeling of “I don’t know how bad things are going to get” about the world in general, and it makes sense that I would apply that to films.

Only Angels Have Wings (1939) dir. Howard Hawks

Jean Arthur’s amazing in this - saw her the first time in The Devil And Miss Jones and then there’s this whole Criterion Channel featurette video running through what her whole deal is: This vulnerability/innocence crossed with an attempted toughness that really is very charming. Here she plays an entertainer just stopping briefly in town who gets hit on by some pilots, and develops feelings of impossible love for a man (played by Cary Grant) whose insistent toughness and refusal to show fear (despite having a dangerous job, of a pilot, that makes everyone who cares about him fall to pieces with nervousness). It’s this very universal type of entertainment, where there’s all these special effects shots of planes flying and a drama of men being men that’s nonetheless anchored by this love story, carried by the fact that Jean Arthur is very real and complex. She’s also a legit comedic actress, which I think makes her feel richer and more watchable than someone without a sense of humor would be. Rita Hayworth plays Grant’s ex, a woman who couldn’t take his daredevil ways but is now married to another pilot who has to do dangerous flights essentially to make up for an act of cowardice that got someone else killed. She’s got her own charisma obviously (and Cary Grant’s equally solid, in this sort of old-Hollywood glamor way) but Jean Arthur feels very alive in a way that carries the movie.

The Talk Of The Town (1942) dir. George Stevens

This one also stars Jean Arthur opposite Cary Grant, but it’s less interesting, partly because of a domestic setting and some stale-seeming comedy. Cary Grant plays Lionel Dilg, (great name!) who breaks out of prison and hides out in Jean Arthur’s attic, with a hobbled ankle, while a preeminent legal scholar moves in. There’s a love triangle between the three of them, and a friendship between the escapee and the scholar. Grant’s been unfairly framed for arson for political reasons by his boss for pointing out the factory where he works is a death trap. The people of the town are easily turned against this sort of leftist agitator  by a last and biased judge. Insanely enough, there’s a movie called “The Whole Town’s Talking” also starring Jean Arthur but it has no relation to this one.

The Ex-Mrs. Bradford (1936) dir. Stephen Roberts

Upon realizing that many of these Jean Arthur movies were leaving the Criterion Channel at the end of the month, I started taking more in. This is a murder mystery, with screwball comedy accents, and again I’d say it’s really good, although the “comedy” premise wherein a woman sort of plows through the life of a man with no real respect for personal boundaries is the sort of thing that works in a movie even though it seems totally nightmarish when looked at from a certain angle. She writes mysteries, he’s a doctor, people are getting murdered. He is played by William Powell, from The Thin Man movies, which maybe these resemble. I guess the bickering couple that solves mysteries is a trope but it’s one that I don’t think has had any currency in popular culture since Moonlighting, which was in my lifetime but before I would have had any awareness of it. (I would probably enjoy it up until the point where I got bored of the formula.) I thought this was great and would make a good double feature with L’Assassin Habite au 21.

History Is Made At Night, 1937, dir. Frank Borzage

This has Jean Arthur in it too, but the reason I became aware of it was Matt Zoller Seitz tweeting about it. Partly this is because the description on the Criterion site is so bare-bones it barely seems like anything, but it turns out this is because the plot is completely insane and has a ton of twists and to talk about them very quickly veers into spoiler territory. It is, in brief, a love story. The first totally insane in it is the handsome male lead does the “drawing a ventriloquist puppet on his hand” thing and the woman’s totally on board. An element that doesn’t spoil the plot, but does seem somewhat incongruent with the tone, is there’s a French chef character for a comic relief. It’s really good. I’m pointing out the lightest element but the story’s villain is believably sociopathic.

Secrets (1933) dir Frank Borzage

Not nearly as cool or good. While History Is Made At Night feels like a cohesive story that’s just pretty crazy, this one feels divided into acts that have nothing in common with each other. First act is romance, between a rich man’s daughter and his banker. They run away together. I’m basically unsure of when this movie takes place timewise, the rich lady is wearing massive layered gowns I know would’ve been out of fashion by 1933. The second act is a western where they make a home together and have to fight off bandits! But the action is shot in a a pretty disinterested manner. Third act, I’m pretty on edge and bored, but the banker is now the governor of California and is having an affair with another woman, and they’re at a party together, and then the ending feels epilogue style as they’re both old as hell and they have fully-grown children and they’re talking about how they’re taking their leave of the kids to discuss their secrets. Female lead is Mary Pickford in her final film role. I guess this is a remake of a silent film, which was itself based on a play. Yeah this movie sucks basically.

Bitter Moon (1992) dir. Roman Polanski

Sure, I’ll watch a sex criminal’s erotic thriller that’s way too long. Hugh Grant is a married guy on a boat who has a French dude talk about all the sex he and his wife have because he knows Hugh Grant wants to fuck his hot wife. Said wife is played by Emmanuelle Seigner, Roman Polanski’s actual wife since 1989. This is a bad movie by pretty much any metric. It kinda feels like the social function of erotic thrillers is not to be a more socially-acceptable form of pornography, but rather to be pervy enough to remind the audience why you shouldn’t talk about sex publicly and have that be your whole thing. The French, of course, misunderstand this.

The Burglar (1957) dir. Paul Wendkos

Another noir, written by David Goodis. This one is a little formulaic, in terms of what you think of crime movies as being “about.” A burglar, who learned the trade from his adopted father, works with that man’s daughter to commit heists. His gang doesn’t like her. Once the two of them are separated, a corrupt cop seeking to steal a burgled necklace for himself tries to pursue a relationship with her as a means to an end, while a woman allied with him works on the burglar. A drive to New Jersey gets stopped by cops, violence quickly escalates to make the situation more dire. Members of the gang die. Not a bad movie but by no means essential.

My Brother’s Wedding (1983) dir. Charles Burnett

Criterion Channel removed the paywall for a bunch of Black-made independent films, this is one of them, Burnett’s follow-up to Killer Of Sheep. Seemingly starring non-professional actors, it’s about the conflict a guy feels as his brother is planning to get married to a rich woman he resents, and the loyalty he feels to a guy who just got out of prison who everybody hates. The main character is a good dude who wants to help out this pretty dangerous friend the best he can. The film captures his pride and resentment.

Dial M For Murder (1954) dir. Alfred Hitchcock

A few iconic-seeming shots of Grace Kelly in the role of a Hitchcock blonde, i.e. her standing at a phone while someone looms behind her about to choke her, and later standing traumatized. Suffers a bit from clearly being based on a play, with a ton of dialogue, particularly in the second act. The first act is able to provide this very particular type of satisfaction, where someone outlines a “perfect crime” in dialogue and then we see it play out and it falls apart and happens completely differently. It’s funny the criminal gives themselves away due to mistaking one key for another, because this sort of structure really does feel like a key fitting into a lock, things perfectly designed for one another, parceled out at the right time.

[kihuis]

{02} Not so Secret Santa

Kihuis’ days of Christmas series: Na Jaemin x Reader

Day Two: Reader’s best friend rigs the Secret Santa since they know Reader has a crush on Jaemin.

Word Count: 4.5k Warnings: slight angst? just a tad emotional.

“It’ll be fun! It’s a way better idea than the white elephant game and you know it,” you’re friend tells you as you walk to your next class. You can’t help but roll your eyes again at the idea of spending money you should be saving for a random person. Granted, they aren’t random people. You’ve been part of the same friend group for years so you know everyone who would be involved but it’s just not your cup of tea. Plus, you’ve never been really good at gift giving anyway.

“I told you, I don’t have the money. I’m saving up for college, you know this,” you tell her again.

“That’s why there’s a budget. No one is supposed to spend more than ten dollars, that’s the deal. It’s not like you have to buy someone a watch or new phone or something,” Somi says as you both round the corner. The door to your Algebra class is in sight now meaning she’ll be parting ways with you and you won’t have to listen to her beg for you to join in the Secret Santa she wants to host for your friends.

As soon as you get up to the classroom, your eyes land immediately on the the pink tuft of hair at the back corner. Jaemin waves at you with a smile, your heart beat already speeding up just at a glance.

“At least promise me you’ll think about it. I mean who knows, you may even get Jaemin and you could get him something special,” Somi says, nudging you with her elbow.

“I was already planning on getting him something,” you tell her with another roll of your eyes.

“Even better, you can get him two things. Think about it.”

With that, she takes off down the hallway towards her own class. You shake your head, not willing to hold onto whatever empty promise she might have thought you gave her. 

You make your way towards the back of the room to take your usual spot next to Jaemin. He’s currently doodling something in the margins of his math notebook next to equations and formulas. You can’t but smile at how cute he looks, although he always looks adorable.

“Sup nerd,” you say as you take your supplies out of your backpack.

“Creep,” he replies, not looking up from his doodles. Even from his side profile, you can see the hint of a smile that plays at his lips while he shades what looks like a drawing of Snorlax.

“You into the Secret Santa thing?” you suddenly ask, turning your nose up as a sign that you’re not into it.

“I think it might be fun but I don’t really have money,” he replies, looking up at you. The moment his eyes meet yours, you feel your heart skip a beat as it normally does. How does one boy have such a huge affect on you? “I want to do it, though.”

“Really?” you ask with a face, showing your clear disinterest in the activity. It’s not that you want to be a Scrooge, you just don’t see the point. Gifts are supposed to be meaningful and deep. If you were to draw a name of someone you’re not as close with, it would be nearly impossible to get a gift that has significance.

“Why not?” He grins at your expression. “You don’t like the idea?”

“I just don’t see the point I guess,” you mumble with yet another eye roll. Soon, they’re going to get stuck up in your head. “Why don’t you get back to your Pokemon, weirdo?”

Jaemin giggles at your teasing and does as you suggest, turning back to his tiny drawing before the teacher begins his lesson.

As you always do, you manage to zone out of the classroom and instead let your mind wonder to Jaemin. Having been friends with each other for years, it’s not out of the ordinary that you two spend a lot of time together but somewhere between the time that you met him and now, you’d fallen for him. His smile was enough to light up your life and his laugh put you on a new kind of high. You don’t know when you’d developed your crush on him, but it was the scariest thing you could hold onto.

You wonder if he has any inkling of an idea that you like him, maybe even love him, especially considering almost everyone else in your friend group knows. Somi got it out of you one night after the three of you hung out for a movie. It was like a movie within itself, the moment you reached for the popcorn that was in his lap at the same time he did. You’d jerked your hand away where he just smiled at you. Somi had see the reaction you had and questioned you about it, where you confessed.

Suffice to say, she wasn’t too surprised.

Sneaking a glance at Jaemin, you wonder if he’s going to do the Secret Santa with your friends anyways even though he said he doesn’t have the money. He’s the type of person you know is going to get everyone a gift either way but would join in just for the fun of it. 

Then you think maybe you’d get lucky and get Jaemin as your Secret Santa. You know what you’d been planning on getting him anyways so maybe it would just be easier to have him as your Secret Santa. If you got Jeno or Renjun, picking something out for them would be easy enough. You’d just get Jeno the new x-box game he’s been wanting and get Renjun another Moomin plushie.

Obviously, Jaemin’s present has already been thought out for quite some time. 

When you were both little, your mom and dad had a tree house built in your back yard. You’d always loved that tree house and Jaemin loved to come over and the two of you would go up into the tree house at night and keep your collection of mason jars full of discoveries you two had made. There were some with multiple colored and shaped rocks that you found and there were some that had treasures you’d found when you helped your mom with the garden, things like old coins and a piece of an old smoking pipe.

You’d decided to raid your attic at the house you live at now and look for one of the jars. Luckily, your dad hadn’t thrown them all out and you found one that was full of sand and sea shells from the time both your families went down to the beach for a couple days. Jaemin spent the entire time collecting the shells in the sand. At the time you’d made fun of him for it and just to be silly, he’d let you keep the shells. You decided to put them in a mason jar and keep them with your collection, loving them anyways for the simple fact they came from Jaemin.

When you retrieved the shells from your attic, you cleaned them all off and arranged them into a new, smaller jar to make a simple paper weight or decoration. Jaemin likes to collect little trinkets and knickknacks and this one was obviously special.

Should you not get him for Secret Santa, you’ll be bummed, but there’s no way you’re not gifting this to him this year.

Somi shakes the Santa hat around, shuffling the little pieces of papers that have names written on them. When Jaemin declared he was in fact interested in participating in the Secret Santa, you immediately gave in, later telling her that you’re in as well. Due to your late entry, almost everyone else has already chosen names but Somi was quick to let you know that she’d put your name in the draw anyways because she knew you’d do it anyways.

You shake your head as you reach into the hat, grabbing onto a small slip of paper. “Who’s gotten who?” you ask before removing your hand.

“I don’t know, that’s the whole point,” she replies deadpanned. “Just look who you got already!”

She seems way too excited about your choice, random as it is, but you feel your hands begin to sweat when you open the paper and see Jaemin’s name written on it. You instantly picture him in your mind, his sparkling eyes when he’s under the moonlight, his crooked lips when he talks through his excitement. Everything about him plagues you every day, every little quirk about Na Jaemin captured in your mind and heart.

“Who’d you get?” Somi asks cutely, nudging you in the ribs.

“You don’t know, that’s the whole point,” you echo, tossing Jaemin’s name into your locker before shutting it. “So when are we handing out these presents?”

“Next week after school. Your dad said we can meet at your house,” she tells you as you both start off towards the cafeteria. 

“You already talked to my dad about it?” you ask incredulously, but unable to keep your smile at bay. Of course your dad would be okay with your friends coming over and it’s clear Somi had guessed you were definitely going to agree to part take in the Secret Santa.

“Just be glad you said yes when you did. He was my last resort,” she says.

“You bribed my dad into getting me to join your Secret Santa?”

“I didn’t have to bribe. He was happy to do it,” she finishes with a sly grin. “But I knew you’d give in, you know. Especially with Jaemin doing it too.”

You shush her quickly realizing how close you already are to the table full of your friends, Jaemin obviously included. Luckily, no one heard her remark considering Haechan is in the middle of telling some story about Mark as usual, everyone immersed in his flashy movements as he describes an embarrassing encounter Mark had with a girl.

“I swear, she looked terrified,” he’s saying. “We all knew pick up lines weren’t his forte, but it was possibly the worst one he’s had to date.”

Mark buries his head into his folded arms on the table, groaning at the memory. Renjun slaps him on the back, sputtering that he isn’t all that surprised while Jaemin laughs, theatrically throwing his head back while clapping. The second the harmonious sound reaches your ears, every nerve ending in your body catches fire.

“How do you mess up that badly?” Jeno laughs, shaking his head.

“Yeah, yeah, Mark’s a loser. Okay everyone listen up,” Somi interrupts. “Who hasn’t chosen a name for Secret Santa?”

“I don’t think Jisung has yet but he’s not here today,” Jaemin says. He looks up at you with a smile before scooting to the right a bit, giving you enough room so sit between him and Renjun.

Somi settles across the table beside Mark who’s sulking after the name calling and story telling. “I’ll give him the last name tomorrow. Let’s discuss the gift exchange details.”

“Ten dollar budget. Y/N’s house next Friday. No revealing Secret Santa’s until after gifts are open. We know how it works, Somi,” Haechan rattles off, picking the pickles off his hamburger.

“Who’d you get?” you hear beside you. Jaemin leans his elbow onto the table and rests his cheek on the palm of his hand as he turns to face you, a cute smirk on his lips.

“If I told you, it wouldn’t be a ‘Secret’ Santa now would it?” you respond cocking your head to the side.

Jaemin chuckles, raising his brows once to tease you. Can he be any cuter than he already is?

“I’ll tell you who I got,” he says slyly, biting his bottom lip. “You’re curious, right?”

“No,” you declare, trying to hide your smile, but ultimately failing. “I for one am actually good at keeping secrets unlike you Nana.”

The nickname has always so easily flowed from your lips and you love to use it because it flusters Jaemin, usually making him smile wider and blush a bit. Your other friends sometimes use it too, but you’ve always noticed it doesn’t have the same affect on him when anyone else says it. That may be in your imagination though.

Like always, his ears begin to glow red as he rolls his eye in mock annoyance, but smiles nonetheless.

You can’t wait to give Jaemin your present.

The week doesn’t seem to go by fast enough. It’s like a normal countdown to Christmas, but really it’s just you wanting to see the look on Jaemin’s face when he opens your present to him.

The tree at your house officially has every present underneath it. Everyone dropped them of on their own time as to make sure no one knew who had what gift. Your dad was a big help in all of it, making sure you were out of the room when someone brought a present. Apparently he was very excited to be hosting such an event even though it was Somi who put him up to everything.

Finally Friday rolls around and you’re finishing up the gingerbread cookies for the evening. Haechan and Somi are already here, both licking at the leftover dough that didn’t fit on the baking sheets.

“What recipe is this?” Haechan says before shoveling a spoonful of cookie dough into his mouth.

“It was my mom’s,” you answer with a smile, taking the last batch out of the oven. “She loved to bake.”

“She was very good at it then. This is so good.”

You smile at the memory of your mother. It’s been a hard few years without her here but you and your dad are still happy despite everything you’ve been through. He’s even started dating again.

“She made Y/N’s ninth birthday cake, too. The one with three tiers,” Somi recalls. She sticks her finger into the bowl of dough and scoops some into her mouth. “You know, I think you got the baking genes from her because he’s right, this is really good.”

“Jaemin’s here!” you dad hollers from the living room. Somi and Haechan both look at you with knowing expressions, raising their eyebrows suggestively. You give them both a glare before turning back to the cookies shaped like trees and gingerbread men to transfer them onto a plate. 

“Something smells good,” Jaemin says as he trots into the kitchen. You can’t help but notice how good he looks in his blue sweater and black scarf, making his pink hair stand out in the best way it can.

“Y/N’s cookies,” Haechan says through a mouthful of dough.

“Mom’s recipe,” Jaemin assumes with a questioning look. You nod, your heart fluttering at his memory of your mother. He knows how much you thought of her and when he mentions her at all, you can’t but feel like he knows he makes your insides turn to mush.

“Are we going to frost them?” Somi asks excitedly.

“These don’t need frosting,” Jaemin asserts, grabbing one from the plate despite that it just came out of the oven. “Believe me, I’ve had them before.”

“I probably don’t make them as good as she did, though,” you mumble.

After taking a bite, Jaemin shakes his head before he nods it. “You do everything as good as she used to,” he praises.

If he has no idea the way he makes you feel, he definitely will now with your face heating up at the compliment. From the corner of your eye, you can see Haechan and Somi snickering to each other. You fight from sending them another glare and just brush off the comment.

“Mark is here!”

After everyone shows up, you all sit in the living room with cups of hot chocolate, or in Jaemin’s case, coffee, and snack on cookies while sitting in front of the fire. You can’t help but keep glancing at the tree, seeing all the presents underneath it and watching your gift to Jaemin as if it plans on sprouting legs and running away. When your dad helped you wrap it, he cried at the memory of your families on the beach, your mom in the ocean with little you on her hip. He told you it was the best memory she got to share with you before getting sick.

“I think he’ll love the present,” he told you before taking you into a hug. “It’s meaningful for everyone.”

Now you just want to run over to the tree and hand him the gift, but Somi has you all on a schedule. Right now you’re playing the ‘Two Truths, One Lie’ guessing game, Christmas edition. The person who’s turn it is has to tell the players three Christmas gifts, two of which they have actually received in the past and the last one something they haven’t. You’ve almost gone completely around the room and it’s Renjun’s turn. He’s the last player, thankfully.

“Okay. A bike, a bag of jelly beans, and underwear,” he rattles off.

“Easy. No one would get you one bag of jelly beans,” Mark says. “And every kid gets a bike at some point.”

“And Jeno literally got you underwear last year a joke,” Haechan comments before taking a sip of his drink.

“Anyone else?” Renjun asks, looking around the room. Everyone agrees on the jelly beans making him shake his head and laugh. “Well, you’re all wrong. Two years ago, I got a bag of those beanboozled jelly beans in my stocking.”

“That’s a cop-out, you can’t count what came in your stocking,” Somi complains.

“That wasn’t in the rules,” he voices.

“It’s common sense,” she snaps back.

“Wait, you’ve never gotten a bike for Christmas?” Jaemin asks. “That’s like, a childhood ritual.”

“I got one when I was five, but it was for my birthday, not Christmas.”

“Whatever, next,” Somi grunts, standing from her spot on the sofa. “I guess Injunnie wins since no one guessed his right, even though he pretty much cheated.”

“It’s called a loophole. Stocking have gifts in them you know?”

Somi rolls her eyes and hands him the twenty dollar gift card prize that can be spent anywhere of his choosing. He thanks her as he takes it, earning him a scoff. “Now that we’ve finished with games, it’s time for the Secret Santa exchange.”

Your heart rate picks up as you watch your friend approach the tree, grabbing a present at random. It’s not yours unfortunately.

“Jeno,” she says, handing him the first gift.

Jeno smiles with his eyes, as he always does, as he unwraps the gift. Just like you had planned on getting him had you chosen his name, his Secret Santa got him the new x-box game he’d been on about for weeks.

“I pretty much kept bringing it up so I didn’t have to buy it myself,” he says as he flashes the present to everyone.

“Don’t guess who got for you yet, we’ll save that for the end,” Somi tells him, heading for the tree again. She picks up another present, again, not yours to Jaemin.

After Mark, Chenle, and Haechan has open their gifts, a maple leaf beanie, a bag of chocolates, and wallet respectively, Somi picks up a small box. She glances at the tag and reads out your name.

Why you’re so nervous to be receiving a gift as well, you don’t know, but when she smiles and hands you the box, your breathing becomes heavy. You feign a smile and pick at the bow on the top, untying the ribbon that was placed around it to keep the lid on. Once you take the lid off though, you feel your heart almost stop.

What’s inside is a heart-shaped locket. But it’s not just any locket. It’s the same kind of locket that you mother used to wear. The one you dreamed of owning one day. The one she kept a baby picture of you in when she was still here. The one you’d been devastated to lose when your dad had no choice but to sell it when you’d been tight on money.

“What is it?” Chenle asks curiously.

You don’t even realize you’re crying when you look up to your friends, a single tear rolling down your cheek. The smile you wear now is real as you wipe it away and look back down at the locket. Opening it, there’s a small picture now of your mother. “It’s a replica of my mom’s locket. My dad got it as a wedding gift after they got married,” you manage to say, your voice growing hoarse a the sight of her beautiful face.

Silence fills the room as you continue to stare at the necklace. Somi probably got it for you, she’s always been one who knows exactly what to get as gifts.

“Thank you,” you mumble into the room at no in particular. “I love it.”

“Alright,” Somi says cutely to lighten the mood. She stoops to pick up another gift and you’re too distracted by the locket still to see she finally picks up your present to Jaemin. When you hear his name, you look up to watch him open it, wanting to remember his reaction.

He removes the packing tissue from the bag you’d put it in before removing the jar, his eyes immediately finding yours before breaking out into a smile. It doesn’t surprise you he knows exactly where the shells came from and that you were his Secret Santa.

“Sea shells?” Haechan asks, clearly not impressed with the gift, but you’re not offended considering he doesn’t know the sentiment.

“Not just any sea shells,” Jaemin tells him, looking at you again. “They’re special. Thank you Secret Santa.” He doesn’t even try to hide who he thinks got him the gift.

Somi, Jisung, and Renjun finally open their presents, finishing the gift exchange. You all go around the room to guess your Secret Santas. Somi guesses Mark correctly, Jeno guesses Chenle, and Renjun guesses Haechan. Jaemin is next to guess and before he says a word, he looks up to you and smiles, sending your heart soaring as always. You can’t help but smile back.

“Y/N is my Secret Santa,” he declares. You nod your head, confirming that you are. While the next few guess, you keep stealing glances at Jaemin, each time you do, he smiles back, lowering his face shyly. 

You’re shocked to hear Chenle guess correctly that Somi was his Secret Santa, leaving Jaemin as the only gift giver left when it’s your turn to guess. Your smile turns into a look of shock as you look over at him, his own smile more sincere than ever. He’d gotten you the locket that meant so much to you at one point in your life.

“How did you two get each other? What are even the odds of that?” Jisung asks. Somi chuckles at the question, but you hardly notice.

“Thank you,” you whisper, looking right at Jaemin. You wonder if he can even hear you from across the room. You’re having trouble even hearing yourself with how loud your heart is beating. He must have at least read your lips though, because he nods his head once, his eyes shining in the light of the Christmas tree.

The words of everyone for the rest of the night up until people start to leave are pretty much drowned out. You don’t even hear your dad tell Somi that her dads are here to pick her up. All you can focus on is the necklace, the mason jar full of sea shells, and Jaemin.

He’s the only guest left when your dad begins to clean up the kitchen, you and Jaemin cleaning up the trash in the living room. The locket is already secured around your neck, your mother right next to your heart where she always has been.

You’re both silent as you clean up empty plates and torn wrapping paper. Your heart is still beating harder than ever, practically slamming against your throat. It’s not abnormal to be alone with Jaemin, but right now, your friendship has so much more meaning than it did before.

“It’s not a replica,” he says suddenly, not looking up from the trash bag as he throws a plate into it.

“What?”

“That’s really your mom’s locket,” he states quietly. You absentmindedly reach up to touch the necklace, feeling your eyes fill with tears as if you haven’t done enough crying over it already. “When your dad sold it to finish paying your bills, he was so upset and talking to my mom about it. I decided to go to the pawn shop and buy it the next day.”

Jaemin doesn’t look up from what he’s doing when he says this. “I wanted to give it to you sooner but Christmas seemed like a special time to do it. I debated waiting until Valentine’s Day but I couldn’t wait any longer.” Finally, he looks over at you. You haven’t moved from your spot by the fireplace, a dirty plate in hand while Jaemin told you all this. 

“Why Valentine’s Day?” you ask. It’s an oddly specific day for such a present, the day people celebrate love. Sure, it would be worthy of the occasion but couples are usually the only ones to exchange gifts that day.

Jaemin smiles his shy smile that you’ve seen him wear so often before stepping toward you and taking the plate from your hand, tossing it into the trash bag. He can’t meet your eyes when he speaks again. “Because I was going to confess to you.”

Your breath catches in your throat as he looks up at you, his dark eyes shining when they meet yours. You don’t know what to say in return even though ‘I like you too’ seems like a good option. Instead, you just break into a smile, answer enough to his confession. Jaemin smirks and steps even closer to you, his eyes flicking once to your lips.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he says, pointing up at the mistletoe above you. You can only giggle in response and he leans down to press his lips against yours, everything coming together and playing out just as you’ve imagined it would. Your stomach erupts with butterflies and you swear you can hear fireworks as you kiss. Jaemin reaches his hand up, cupping your chin with it and swiping away at the new tears falling down your cheeks.

When he breaks the kiss, he rests his forehead against yours. “Somi was doing something right when she rigged the Secret Santa,” he says with a laugh.

Your eyes widen, only a little surprised at this revelation. “Did she know you like me?”

“I’m pretty sure everyone did,” he replies. “But you.”

You roll your eyes at him before placing your arms around him in a hug, your cheek squishing up against his chest.

“Thank you,” you tell him for the nth time tonight. “So much.”

“Thank you, too,” he whispers before placing a kiss on top of your head.

This is a Christmas for the books.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #238

“crimson calligraphy written on the trees, creature from the grave, headless and hellbent for me.”

Have you ever played golf? Like, mini-golf. Is there a lake near your house? No, but there's two small ponds down the road. Have you ever made your own pizza or pasta dough? No. Have you ever watched an entire season of a tv show in one day? Uhhhhh how long are the first few seasons of Supernatural? Because Jason and I fucking binged it, and I honestly think that's partially the reason I don't even enjoy TV anymore. Like I liked the show, but jfc it became torture at some point. Not his fault at all, I just never pointed it out. BUT ANYWAY, it's definitely possible we did. What did you have for dinner tonight (or last night)? A ham and cheese hot pocket. Do your parents do things that ‘embarrass’ you? This is so mean, but my mom makes the cringiest jokes and such imo that gives me mad secondhand embarrassment. Do you like any Bon Jovi songs? Yeah, a decent handful. Who was the last person you were in a car with? Mom. Do you give people second chances? Ha, more than "second." How’re things between you and your most recent ex? We're totally great. Really as if we didn't even break up, considering I mean... nothing emotionally has changed. We just know that being together right now isn't the wise decision. It's frustrating as hell, though. We've already established we're not going to "wait" for each other, but neither of us are actively looking for a new partner, either. I want her, and from what I can tell, she wants me, too. We kinda just... don't talk about how unfair it all is anymore because we both get too upset. I was even supposed to go up there with her and her fam for her birthday and Christmas, but that's changed because she and I agree it's too soon after splitting, making it only more difficult to be around each other. We'd want to cuddle and kiss and such by instinct, so we're trying to wait until the wound isn't as fresh. Though honestly, I don't know how visiting period would go consider as said, there has been zero change in romantic attraction. Ugh yeah I just hope she figures out what she wants and all and we can get back together. Have you been to a wedding this year? No. I'm going to my half-sister's next year, though. Are you an aunt or uncle? Yes, and another niece is on her way. :') Do you expect to be married in the next two years? Probably not. What season is your birthday in? Winter. Have you ever been hunting? Fuck that shit. How often do you walk around barefoot? Always in my own house + in other houses if I'm allowed to take my shoes off. When you eat take-out, do you just eat it out of the containers provided? Usually, but it does depend on what food it is. Ex., those little boxes that have rice in them from Chinese places? I'm using a bowl. From the container is just messy. Would you need to sleep with someone before considering marrying them? Nah. Do you carry condoms? No. Would you date someone who has a hearing aid? ... Yes...? "No" is just... so rude?? Like that is something the person absolutely cannot help, nor is it a HUGE thing. It's just a hearing aid, dude. How organized are the files on your computer? Pretty decent. Folders and such. Could be better still, probably. Have you ever been to a strip club? Nah, not my scene. Have you ever brought home a stray animal? Pleeeeenty of cats. Are you physically strong? No, especially not my legs. I've got a newborn fawn's legs, jc. Still working on building the muscle back up. Would you date someone with braces? Oh my god, fuck off. Yes I would. I was the person with braces dating someone without them, so 1.) I obviously can't say shit, 2.) they're taking care of their goddamn teeth, and 3.) I dunno, wearing braces has no goddamn impact on personality???????????? Does scuba diving interest you? Not to an incredible degree, but it'd be cool. Would you ever ask your parents for relationship advice? Maybe for certain topics. Do you think people look up to you? Y'know that "oh no hunty WHAT is u doin" meme??? That's me if someone does. How often do you have trouble sleeping at night? *blinking* There are people who don't??????? Do you blush easily? Ohhhhhh yes. Do you get angry at yourself or at others more often? Hm. Not sure. Can you name five current world leaders? AHAHA nope. How many times have you had the flu? Zero. Do you think imagination is valuable? Oh hell yes. We would be NOWHERE CLOSE to where we are as animals without it. Who or what are you most impatient with? I don't know. When was the last time you mowed a lawn? Never. Have you seen all of the Star Wars films? No; seen only the first three with a friend and saw zero appeal. He didn't either. How about all of the Harry Potter ones, so far? I haven't even seen one. Jason and I started the first one together but. Paid way more attention to each other than the movie lmfao. What part of the newspaper do you typically enjoy reading? None. I collect my school's papers now though 'cuz I'm the photographer for it. :') Have you ever made a website, even a simple one? Four that I remember. The ancient and now-defunct ones were back when I think this site called Wetpaint was a host for simple sites, and a lot of us RPers posted our mob info and stuff there. I had one for Talons, one for Connrads. Ha, out of curiosity, I think I looked for them not all too long ago since I never actually deleted them, but I think the site itself was re-purposed. NOW, I have a Wix site for my photography, and then Kalahari Manor is a ProBoards-hosted site. Which was better: your childhood or your teen years? Jfc, childhood. Teen years were a chaotic and rancid cesspit in terms of mental health. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? I truly imagine that realizing I was *in love* with Jason surpassed what a high probably feels like lmao. What does it take for someone to win your heart? I'm actually putting thought into this one and I think what appeals to me in a person most is just being friendly with a good sense of humor and obvious, shameless concern for others. AND JFC, HAVE EMOTION. Don't be a brick wall with me. Lacking an emotional side, positive or negative, is such a turn-off to me. I'm not attracted to robots. Being a gentle person is important, and for me personally, you need to actually act like you're into me. Not just between us. Do not make me a secret. AND BE CREATIVE AND WEIRD AND FRESH!!!!!!!!!!! There's nothing wrong with more "vanilla" people, but just for me myself, I need someone who stands out for some good reason. lol okay this answer's actually getting kinda long, I'll stop. There's a number of ways. What is one thing you would rather be doing? Ha ha yo real talk, Sara and I are getting all emotional and deep into our relationship, platonic or romantic, and I want me and her in her bed right now tearing each other up alsdkjfla;kwejre I love her a lot ok. When was the last time you changed your mind about something? OKAY SO I started a new birth control, right? It. Sent. Me. BACK. With my PTSD. How? Idfk, but I was suddenly obsessing over Him again, badly. I stopped that shit, and wha'd'ya know, two days later, I'm like "lol wtf I don't want him why did that just happen hunty was u ok????????". SO YEAH, that was a trip. Do you know anyone with a lisp? I'm not sure. Possibly. How much weight can you lift at once? No clue. Not a lot. Do you ask guys out, or wait for them to ask you out? I've never asked a guy out, but I wouldn't say I wouldn't. Do you like the last person who showed interest in you? I love her. Describe the last person you stared at? I have no idea. Do you like dating one person at a time, or multiple people? I'm personally monogamous. Have your experiences made you more or less sympathetic to others? MORE. Do you find smoking unattractive? I do. Have your parents ever searched your personal belongings? Mom has. Where did you get your last bruise from? ... Well. This is uh. Awkward. Tying into when I was on that medicine that made my libido fucking uncontrollable (thank the fucking lord I'm back to normal), my breasts are lookin rough, sister. Are you looking forward to anything? Nothing in the VERY near future, I think. A bit further off, Christmas. I can't wait to see the kids so excited again, and for once, we come together as a true family. Plus my #1 wish is to have my Mark tattoo improved at an amazing parlor, and I'm pretty sure that'll be happening, just obvs. not on Christmas Day itself. I'll just be fuckin STOKED when I *know* it's happening. Do you have a good relationship with your parents? Yes. How much money did you spend today? $1.25 for something from the vending machine. I didn't have breakfast, so I was really hungry. When you’re bored in class, what do you usually do? Try to not doze off. If we're not doing anything, then I'll play around with my phone. Have you ever had a song stuck in your head for more than a day? Oh, definitely. Ever walked into the guy’s bathroom? HA as a stupid elementary school with her friends, we sure did during a work day (my mom used to work with special ed kids at school). We thought we were soooo rebellious. How many wives or husbands do you want? One. What happens if you fall in love with your best friend? Ha, did. I still am, and we hope to be back together someday. Has a teacher ever flirted with you? Not that I know of. Thankfully. Is it okay for friends to kiss each other, as friends? It's not my thing, but sure, if it's consenting and both are aware it's platonic. Do your wishes ever get granted in the worst way possible? Probably in some way at some point I don't recall. How do you feel about your naked body? NONONONONONONONONONONONONONONO Have you ever been called obnoxious? I don't think so, anyway. Do you wish you had a bigger family? No. Which friend would you kiss full on the mouth, no questions asked? Sara. Can you do a split or stick your foot up next to your ear? Nope. When was the last time you complained about something? I was venting some mild frustration to Sara earlier tonight. What is your favorite color combination? Favorite is probably pastel orange and light blue. Love it. Then there's pastel pink and purple. Okay pretty much any combination is about the pastels When was the last time you spoke in front of a group? A month or so back when I had to do my Lifeline presentation in FYS. Do you like group projects, or do you prefer to work alone? I strongly prefer working alone. There's no disagreements, compromises, incompetent partners, etc. Have you ever been told you were going to Hell? Yup! (: Indirectly, but. How did you respond? I don't recall, but I wish I did. Who is the most argumentative person you know? She's not in my life anymore partially BECAUSE of that shit. Do you know anyone who is crazy about proper grammar? Yes, but she has OCD as a valid reason. I'm pretty particular about it too to a degree. Who was the last person to make you feel special? Oh my gosh, my therapist told me she was so proud of me and the progress I was making that I just entirely lit up and became a total beaming ball of giggles and "thank you"s. Would you feel funny if you kissed somebody of the same sex? No, I'm bi. If your best friend grabs your hand, what do you automatically do? Squeeze it. What’s something you can cook or bake like a pro? Cheesy and spicy scrambled eggs, man. Also known as the only thing I can properly cook lmao. Do you tend to flirt a lot, even when the person isn’t single? Fuck no, if they're not single. I'll flirt with my s/o when I see it appropriate or relevant, and in a case where we're both single, I'd be very subtle about it because shy. What’s something that you think is really cute? Off the very top of my head, the Ewoks from Star Wars, oh my fucking god. They were the only thing I enjoyed in the movies. What’s a pretty bird? I mean... pretty much all of them. BUT, can we take a moment to appreciate the bearded vulture? like???? they're fucking BADASS???????????? Besides sleeping, what do you do in bed? Almost... everything. It's the reason I endured/am still recovering from muscle atrophy in my legs. Have you ever hacked into somebody’s account? Playfully, back when that was a thing for friends to do and post lovey-dovey stuff about them everywhere. Megan and I, and I believe Mini and I as well, did it to each other. Possibly more. Is having to pee really badly worse than being really thirsty? Oh hell yes it is. The former can get to a point of hurting. Have you ever touched a Qu'ran? No. Do you love animals more than most? Oh definitely. Why do you eat fast food? It's easy to grab when on the run, and Mom has almost zero time to cook. Then we both have school. Most often I just warm things up in the microwave or grab something substantial enough in the fridge. Is there always going to be that one person you and a friend makes fun of? I guess you could say indirectly, yes. Just something she said in a certain way became an inside joke. Her as a person, no, I wouldn't do that. What is a bad habit of yours that you’re actually trying to fix? Having terrible eye contact. I have a very hard time maintaining it, but I've been trying to keep that weakness in mind when talking to people. Do you write out your feelings? That's one reason why I take these surveys, yes. Do you have bills to pay yet? It's embarrassing that I don't. Not saying like, I want to pay bills, what madman would, but I do want to feel more like a proper, independent adult. Will you be changing your hair any time soon? Not the style, but one thing I'm asking for Christmas is a professional to dye my hair silver. I say pro because my hair does NOT hold color, and because of the bleach needed, Mom's concerned I'll damage my hair if I put my trust into anyone less qualified. Does your mom have a celebrity look-alike? I don't think so, but she looks UNCANNILY like her firstborn daughter. It is SCARY. Is there something you wish you could learn to do? There's loads of stuff. Probably above all, cook. Or stop procrastinating. If you could be amazing at ONE thing, what would it be? Drawing precisely what I see in my head. Because of how important they are to me, I would pay BIG FUCKING BUCKS to get how my 'kats look onto paper. What do you wish people would pay you to do? Complain about my weight. :^) I'd be able to just pay for surgery to fix that within a day. Do you take good pictures? I personally think I do. I mean I wanna be a professional photographer. How would one go about impressing you? It depends on the subject and difficulty of whatever. What probably impresses me most would be someone maintaining a mature, peaceful attitude when there is reason to act otherwise. Self-control, that's it. Do you automatically apologize if you walk into somebody? Duh? Tell me a memory of this summer: It was fucking scorching and I hated every minute of it. What’s something that you don’t need, but really want? Hmmmm. OH, HELL YES. IF I had the proper body to even remotely pull them off, I. Would wear. NOTHING. But corsets. Jesus FUCKING Christ they are so hot. What do you draw more than anything else? Just about all I draw is meerkats. What’s the most favorite class you’ve ever had? The Digital Photography course I took in high school. Or Art Honors my junior year. I really enjoyed the stuff I made. For each person you’ve kissed, describe your feelings in one word: Jason: melancholy; Tyler: dramatic; Girt(?): loyal; Sara: ideal. How do you react when you trip or stumble? Gasp and carry on. If it was a more serious trip, I look around at who saw. Are you good at “biting your tongue”? NO. Why do you love the one you do? She's been there for me without fail, has undying faith in me, supports me through everything, is honest, she's funny and very unique, her adoration for animals shows a great level of compassion, she trusts me so much despite her history, she stands extremely firmly for what she sees as right and wrong... okay I can honestly write an essay on why I love her. Would you rather get [another] tattoo or piercing? GIMME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1 THE TATTOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1111111111111111111 Do you have long or short legs? I'd say they're normal, idk. When do you listen to Nickelback? *shrugs* When I wanna? Would you rather make the first move, or your crush? Them. I'm shy.

[dir-khummel]

Touch Faith || PARA

Who: Kurt & Dante ( @dantes-got-jazz )

Where: Dante’s Dorm Room

When: February 14th, 2020

Notes/Triggers: NSFW. The pair of ex-fiancés run before they learn to walk.

It was well into the night by the time Kurt decided to make his way to Dante's door. It wasn't that he didn't think he could get home on his own, but he just didn't want to be alone. He was in a panic, and being by himself did not sound like a good idea. Instead, he wandered and watched as the Valentine carnival died down, the tents and venues started to the close, and the scents started to fade. And with all this, Kurt started to do think to hard. What he just did with Harlan was so, so fun; it was much more fun than Hunter said things like this would be. But, he could feel a bundle of guilt starting to ball up, threatening to explode. Kurt never, ever did things like this. He never did one night stands, he never did the things he did tonight with Harlan- hell, he did things with Nikkolai tonight that he had never done before! Turning him down, then turning around and sucking Harlan off- Even thinking it made the buzzing words in his brain start to hurt. It wasn't fair to Nikkolai, it wasn't fair to Harlan- And to top it all off, it wasn't fair to Dante. Whatever they were doing, whatever they were together, their lack of a label- it was all weighing down on Kurt. Dante clearly still loved him, even offering a place to stay for the night. For all Kurt knew, Dante had seen everything he had done tonight, all after Kurt pushed him away. He did that on purpose; seeing an ex-fiance on Valentine's Day, acting so sweet, clearly wanting to do something together, only to turn him down and go be with someone else- Kurt felt filthy. He didn't regret that he did it, he had fun! But he was clearly leading Dante on, and he needed to fix that. Kurt made it to Dante's dorm, knocking softly.

Dante's evening was enjoyable, but uneventful. He won the date auction for Nikkolai, but besides that, his evening was tame. He retired early, heading back to his dorm. All the sugar and festivities, not to mention the cups upon cups of coffee on top of packs of gum to keep himself from smoking, had him wired. To keep some semblance of his sleep schedule, he had to pull an all-nighter. So, much like the al-nighters he would pull in high school, he logged into Star Wars; The Old Republic. No al-night venture was complete without aimlessly playing an MMORPG. He sat down to play, content in placing more of his aimlessly collected yet valuable loot in his guild treasury when a knock came on his door. He gave an away-from-keyboard prompt before standing from his desk, walking over and opening the door. His eyes went wide, opening the door further when he saw his guest. "I will be honest, I was not expecting you to arrive tonight. I assumed, after what occurred with you and Harlan, I would not be receiving a visit from you."

“How do you- Oh. The bidding.” Kurt stepped inside, arms wrapped around himself. He paced a few times before suddenly turning to Dante. “I did something, Dante, I did a lot of somethings and I am not sure how to handle them or if I even should-“ Kurt stated, his fingers tapping his arm in nervousness. “Nikkolai confessed his feelings to me. He sang to me, he wrote such amazing things in a letter, and I... I shut him down. Gently, I think, but right after, I...” He paused, looking at Dante with the panic from easier. “I know this isn’t what you, off all people, want to hear, but I have no one else. I can’t talk to my brother, he is just now living his true self, I can’t weigh him down. And Rachel- I ditched her tonight! I abandoned her! I’m a terrible fucking friend, holy shit...” Kurt rubbed at his eyes, trying not to cry.

Dante had closed the door after Kurt stepped in, knowing better than to stop Kurt when he was rolling on. Kurt was dancing around his problems, again, but considering Dante’s lack of knowledge, he let Kurt prattle on. His eyebrow raised; so, Kurt was Nikko’s crush that broke his heart. It was a sick irony that Dante ran into him when he did. The two of them had much more in common than he thought. “Woah, hey,” Dante exclaimed, coming over to Kurt and taking his hands when he started to sob. “Take it easy. If something is wrong, if you are hurt, I will listen. Just tell me what happened.” Dante looked Kurt over, a worried look on his face. “Are you injured? Nikkolai’s brother is very unstable, did he attack you?”

“What? No, he didn’t attack me- I don’t even know him!” Kurt brushed Dante’s hands off, only to grab them, put them back, then take them away again. “I’m sorry, I just-“ Kurt shook his head, sliding his fingers in his hair. “I-I did a thing I said I would never do, and now it’s done, and I feel so guilty about it because I had fun, but it is all twisted and gross, I feel like shit, but I also feel really, really good all at once. But I ran, I ran away because I thought of you and how I’m not being fair to you, and it’s fucking Valentine’s Day and-“ Kurt reached out, gripping Dante’s shirt. “Promise me you won’t be mad. I-I’m gonna say it, it is gonna hurt, but you need to not be mad at me”

Dante was not sure how to process all of this. Kurt came to him for help; not his brother, or his friends, but him. Sure, they were on good terms, but well enough to Kurt to feel safe around him like this? Dante was elated. He took Kurt's hands, removing them from his shirt, holding them softly. "I promise. Fair or not, I do not own you. Whatever you did that you think could offend me may just be you over reacting.”

Kurt was shaking in Dante's hold, his blood itching under his skin. "A-after I turned Nikko down, I went to Harlan's dorm and blew him." Kurt spat out, in a rushed sentence, clearly said quickly to not hesitate midway through. He let it settle, before continuing. "I-It wasn't that I showed up and just fell on my knees! We were flirting all night, and he asked if I wanted to see a movie with him. I said yes, and things just... happened." Kurt looked up at Dante, eyes welling up with tears. "T-That is why it isn't fair to you. We aren't together, but we never really said if we wanted to be. This whole 'label-less' thing- It is only making this more complicated. The more we drag this on, the more we do stupid things- We're going to end up hating each other." Kurt placed a hand over Dante's mouth. "And don't say you could never hate me! If I can feel the way I feel about myself right now, I know damn well you could, too!"

Dante froze. A lump formed in his throat. Kurt was sexual with someone else. Someone that, for all intents and purposes, was the exact opposite of Dante. He was a dark city kid with a love for high class. From what Dante knew of Harlan, he was a country kid, filled to the brim with hometown manners and hospitality. And his dick was in Kurt's throat. Dante was about to argue, start to debate, but Kurt's hand over his mouth made him rethink his first reaction. Kurt did have a point. They weren't together, at all. So why was Dante feeling so utterly betrayed? He reached and took Kurt's hand from his mouth, waiting a full minute before speaking, looking Kurt dead in the eye. The moments of silence were deafening. "So... What do you expect me to do about it? Hmm? How am I supposed to fix this problem, one entirely of your own creation? Because it sounds to me like you want me to excuse your actions, you are looking for validation out of me."

"What? No, I just want to be honest with you, so I don't string you along!" Kurt backed away a few steps, dread building in his gut. "You said you wouldn't get mad- and I thought we agreed on this! We agreed to not label what e are to explore and see if we wander back together. This is what you wanted!" Kurt's hands started to shake, the cold splash of reality Dante just tossed hitting him like a a tidal wave. He shook his head, crossing his arms again. "This was a mistake, I should of just gone home." Kurt spat, making his way toward the door. "Sorry for bothering you, just forget it. Forget everything, we can just end it here."

"What, you are just going to run away, like back in New York?" Dante snapped, pointing at Kurt from behind. His voiced was shaking, not in anger, but a deep, regrettable sadness. "I am not fucking around, Kurt. You want my opinion? You coming in here and telling me you were with someone else was to goad my reaction, to see just how jealous I would get. Congratulations, you manipulative bitch, I am jealous." Dante placed his hands on his hips, biting his lip a moment. "But this isn't about me, is it? You could have fucked a thousand guys tonight, yet you still wandered in here." Dante took several dominating steps forward, placing a hand on the door to keep it closed, leaning over Kurt, nearly trapping him in place. "After being a prude your entire life, you are finally cutting loose and doing what you were always scared to do. You're guilty because, just like everyone else that does what you did, you feel empty afterword. So, you go chasing after the one person that can dick you down like the dirty whore, but adore you like the prince." Dante stopped, lifting Kurt's chin so they saw eye to eye. "Am I right?"

Kurt gasped as Dante ranted and raved, his tone of voice so dark and harsh, and it made Kurt shake even more. He coward to the door, feeling so small under Dante's overbearing form. Kurt didn't reach for the door handle, though. He just stood there, taking the verbal lashing with his head down. Dante was right, he was looking for some sort of reaction out of him. It really wasn't Dante's business, yet Kurt dragged him in anyway. Kurt's eyes went wide when Dante lifted him chin up, forcing him to face the problem head on. Kurt has so unsure what else to do, no amount of words could apologize or take back what he said to Dante here, riling him up like he did. With such a lack of space between them, he did what he thought would answer the question, and more. Kurt closed the gap between them, and with a sound that can only be described as a kitten's mewl, he kissed Dante.

Dante was not surprised that Kurt kissed him when he did. They were mere inches apart, and he was clearly frustrated with himself. Kurt needed an outlet, and for whatever reason, decided to come to him instead of staying with Harlan. Dante quickly took control of the kiss, sliding his tongue into Kurt's mouth, remembering all at once the hundreds of other times they had done this. Like a dam breaking under it's own pressure, so did Dante, grabbing Kurt by the waist and pulling him closer in, away from the door. He slid a hand up Kurt's back, under his shirt, breaking the kiss to lean to his ear. His breath was hot and desperate, begging for more in unspoken heaves of his chest. "You walk out of here, this never happened. If you stay, I will make it so you cannot walk till morning."

Kurt melted into the grabbing, the hold, the fiery hand snaking it's way up his bare back. All of this was familiar, yet gut-wrenching at the same time. By coming here and saying what he said, Kurt had yet again placed Dante's head on the chopping block. Dante was slotted in the guillotine, with Kurt holding the rope. It was the proper ultimatum he robbed of them years ago; now or never. Kurt closed his eyes as Dante spoke directly into his ear, his proposition ringing in his head over and over. He could cut clean, break it off here, the proper way. They would be done, and this guilt in his gut would have no reason to exist anymore. Kurt let the tears that held on for too long free, resting his cheek against Dante's. He let out a strangled laugh, moving Dante's hands so his finger tips were barely slipping under the waist of his jeans, inches from his ass.

Dante growled, animalistic and possessive, when Kurt laughed in his ear. He lifted Kurt as if he weighed nothing, bringing him to his bed and tossing him in. Dante practically pounced on him, locking their lips, reclaiming what was once his with tongue and teeth. Dante's hands took Kurt's wrists, pining them above his head. It only took one of Dante's large hands to pin both of Kurt's, his free hand gripping the back of Kurt's hair. His hold was not tight enough to hurt, but enough to get the other man's attention. "I am being serious. We can either keep chasing each other for eternity, or you leave and start over with someone else.”

Kurt yelped in surprise when Dante grabbed him, lifting him off the ground. he couldn’t help but break into a smile at the way Dante was acting; he was like an animal, primal and fearless. Kurt accepted the kiss, feeling like each second here was another stroke of a pen on a hidden contract, signing his soul away. It was filthy, it was hot, it felt way too good to be under Dante again. He was making yet another mistake, making things complicated, but kissing Dante, fully prepared to let Dante have his way with him. When the other man stopped again, Kurt gave him a desperate look. He tried to move his arms, but Dante had them pinned, unable to move. The yanking on his hair made him yelp, his vision clouded in the building passion. Kurt licked his lips, listening to Dante's cry for clarity, for simple terms, but Kurt was not a simple person. He loved complicated, the masochist in him making him smirk. He understood clearly what Dante meant. "I get it. Do you?" Kurt lifted his leg, rubbing his thigh against Dante's growing erection. "Be mine, Valentine?"

Dante laughed at the terrible joke, sucking through his teeth as Kurt's thigh ran over his erection. He was unable to keep the intimidating face with Kurt so ready underneath him. Without another word, Dante let go of Kurt's wrists, tugging his shirt off and starting the project of removing Kurt's clothing. "Damn it, rule number one, less of this." Dante motioned to the numerous buttons, trying to be respectful and unbutton them all properly, but the urge to just rip the clothing off Kurt was growing. He finally got to the last button, done with dealing with the clothing. He unbuckled Kurt's belt, flipping him onto his stomach and lifting his hips up, sliding his jeans down so they were around his knees. Kurt would be fully naked in time, but Dante was done waiting. He leered over Kurt, reaching around to stroke Kurt's hard cock. He found it already leaking precum, making his chuckle darkly in his throat. "What, did blowing him turn you on?"

Kurt shook his head, moving his thigh up and down as Dante tried undressing him. His stomach was on fire with a violent passion, and he could tell he was beyond hard in his jeans. A part of him wanted this to be slow and gentle, but the louder part of his brain wanted Dante to hurry up already. "It's part of the fun, the antici-" Kurt was cut off when Dante flipped him ripping his pants down. Kurt looked back at Dante, a smirk on his lips. He wiggled his hips a moment. "-pation, oh!" Kurt squeaked at the end, feeling Dante's large hand take hold of his cock. He knew he was hot when sucking Harlan off, but he didn't know it was this bad. Damn skinny jeans. Kurt groaned, leaned back so his bare ass pressed to Dante's clothed erection. "S-so what if it did, he had never gotten one from a guy before! He was like putty in my hands!"

Dante rolled his eyes, reaching for his night stand to find his bottle of lube ad Kurt recounted his encounter with Harlan. It made him snarl in jealousy- No matter, he'll have his cock in Kurt's mouth before morning light. Dante will wash him clean whatever hands had been palming him all night, with sweat and tears of passion. He leaned back and looked at Kurt, smirking at the sight of his hips swaying, his ass swinging back and forth. "You do realize you look ridiculous like this." Dante could tell what was happening. Like finding an old hoodie that still fits perfectly, they were sliding into their old banter, their old dirty talk from way back when. The sarcasm, the joking, the laughter mingled with moaning; so much for the plans of carnivorous passion. Their unique way of doing things was resurfacing again. And even though Dante still planned to keep Kurt up all night, it was less in a sense of revenge or malice, but their simple passion. Dante flipped Kurt back over, showing him the bottle of lube. "Last chance." he said, his free hand slowly stroking Kurt's member up and down.

Kurt grunted when he was manhandled, yet again, looking at what was in Dante's hand, his hips bending upward when Dante took a hold on his cock again. At this point, all the safety checks were annoying him. He sat up, leaning forward and taking Dante's lips again, sneaking his tongue into Dante's mouth to make sure the message was loud and clear. He pulled away, his lips a bit bruised now with all the making out he had done that day. He slid his mouth to Dante's ear, biting the lobe before letting it go, one of his hands sliding down to Dante's crotch, palming his cock in his boxer briefs. "Just because I was called Porcelain in high school doesn't mean I am made of it. I want you to fuck me. Is that direct enough for you?"

Dante was surprised at the sudden kiss, but took it in stride, letting Kurt explore his mouth, tasting all he could. His breath was hot when they disconnected again, Dante chuckling when Kurt bit his ear and spoke softly into it. "Got you." He said, his words punctuated with the opening of the cap off the lube, shivering under Kurt's touch on his member. He spun Kurt on his stomach again, this time showing he finally decided on position by sliding his newly lubed fingers between Kurt's plump cheeks. It was a dance he knew well, he had done this to Kurt so many times, but it was no less exciting. He felt like he was achieving a victory, like his saved time was finally being paid off. His heart was nearly imploding; he had Kurt in his bed, actually begging to get fucked. This was indeed a victory. Dante decided to quit with the inner monologue, leaning over Kurt again and carefully sliding a finger into Kurt's puckered hole. Familiar warmth, familiar tightness, familiar position. He watched for any discomfort as he slid the digit in and out, slowly.

Kurt moaned out when, finally, Dante got out of whatever headspace he was in and started to actually work Kurt open. This was nothing like blowing Harlan earlier. Then, he was nervous, second guessing every movement, every pause, every breath. But here, he was desperate, nearly begging for Dante to hurry up. He keened at Dante's first finger; he hadn't done this in years, not even by himself. Yet, Dante's body over his, his scent on the sheets, he hands on him- Shit, he was sure this was the same brand of lube they used. Everything was like retracing steps, relearning how to ride a bike. Kurt started to move his hips in time with Dante's fingers; something in his stomach aching for more. Without speaking, Kurt's motioned asked for faster, harder, and was given it. His eyes went wide when another finger was added, looking down to peak at Dante. "D-did your fingers get bigger or am I just going crazy?"

Dante let out a single laugh, working his two fingers in and out. "You are willingly letting me fuck you. That qualifies as crazy. And tight." Dante added a little more lube to his fingers when we moved to add a third finger. He wanted to coax more sounds, more moans out of Kurt's precious mouth. "Come now, darling, do not hold out on me. You used to sing symphonies for me, let your voice out." Dante thought a moment, smirking just out of Kurt's view. He turned his hand downward, curling his fingers in a soft swirling motion, watching Kurt's reaction intently.

"W-what, do you mean, I am practically a steam engine here, if I huff anymore I'll- Ah!" Kurt stopped mid-sentence, feeling just what Dante was aiming at. He found it, with ease. His fingers curled directly against his prostate, the strength in his arms failing as his face pressed into the pillows. The noises coming out of him were attempts at words, lost halfway out of his mouth, resembling broken mewls and missing moans being let free. "Y-You jerk," Kurt got out, just enough to bury his face into the pillow, hiding his vibrant cheeks and neck.

A self-satisfied chuckle signaled Dante's purposeful playing, removing his fingers when he felt he had done enough. Finally, Dante dropped his boxer briefs to the floor, his cock standing hard and tall. He took the time he needed to cover his cock in lube to admire is handy-work. Kurt was a mess, and Dante was not even halfway done with him. He returned to the bed, placing one hand on Kurt's waist, and the other holding his cock just outside Kurt's entrance. "I'm coming in.”

Kurt waited. And waited. And waited even more as Dante readied himself behind him. He was about to ask him to hurry when he felt his large hands on him. Kurt nodded when Dante started to push in, so blissed out from his expert fingering he could hardly form a sentence. He was clearly further along than he thought; once's Dante's cock slid deeper and deeper in, Kurt keened. As if on queue with Dante bottoming out, fully seated inside, Kurt's back arched, his first orgasm softly rippling through him in a slow, rhythmic wave. He chased it, like a dog chases a rabbit. He carefully move his hips back and forth, settling down a minute later, reaching back to grab Dante's wrist when he gained some of his sanity. "N-not a word out of you."

Dante watched in fascination as Kurt came on his cock, ignoring the fact they forgot to put something over his sheets to protect them from such a feat. He was watching Kurt practically use him like a toy to chase it, Dante unable to stop himself from laughing in absolute joy when Kurt demanded he not speak. "You are kidding, right? If it is still this easy to make you cum, I am going to exploit it. Now," Dante, with one hand on Kurt's hip, the other on his upper back. "Just relax and look pretty. Maybe I can get another out of you." Dante teased, starting his thrusts, in and out, methodical and slow in speed. He watched as Kurt's hole gripped his cock, a sight he admired since their first time. He was silent, not much of a moaner, not wanting to cause any noise pollution that could hinder Kurt's luminous sounds.

Kurt was still shivering from his first orgasm when Dante started thrusting, drawing further gasps and moans out of him. There was no way he could speak in that moment, overcome with the pleasure from Dante's consistent pace. It was a constant drag in and out, against parts of him so secret. He still had a hold on Dante's wrist for stability if nothing else. His brain was flying, thinking about everything and nothing. Blowing Harlan, then how he was in Dante's bed. Then thinking about how taboo this was, then not caring anymore when Dante angled his hips just right. Caught up in how probably was going to regret this in the morning, then hoping they were still doing this in the morning when a particular nerve had him moaning out again. Thinking about how busy his head was, then going utter blank all in a matter of moments. He had no clue how long they had been at this, but soon enough, a coil in his stomach started to curl, along with his fingers gripping the sheets. "D-Dante, I'm gonna-"

Dante, as much as he would hate to admit it, was out of practice. This first roll in the sheets was going a lot faster than he hoped. He had not been with anyone since Kurt left, and no amount of masturbation could prepare anyone for just how unique Kurt was in bed. His little mewls and cries encouraged Dante to do better, but at the same time were his weakness. Dante could tell Kurt was approaching his second orgasm of the night when he clenched down on Dante's dick, which was not helping with his own state. He was letting out periodical grunts, a sheen of sweat on his skin from the physical excursion. Dante draped his body over Kurt's back, reaching around again to take hold of Kurt's cock. "T-together, darling. With me." Dante rasped out, his pace increasing in tempo.

It wasn't Kurt's concern if they came at the same time; he had no choice in the matter. Dante's hand on him weeping cock, paired with the ravaging of his ass, and he was gone, eyes rolling in the back of his head with a weak whimper. He had no body strength left, collapsing to the bed, residing to let Dante do the heavy lifting. He had stars in his eyes, and sweat everywhere else. He was sticky, and honestly could not imagine anywhere else he'd like to be, coasting the ride of his orgasm. When he could feel his toes again, he tried to move, only to find he was pin underneath the other man. He tried to turn his head to see, but only saw the black mass of hair as a welcome. He smiled, tapping the crown of his head twice. "You're still in me." he said casually, his voice raspy an hoarse from all the moaning he had done already.

Dante lost the feeling in his legs when he finally came, collapsing on top of Kurt. There initial burst of pleasure slowly faded, Dante tenderly placed kisses to Kurt's shoulder as the aftershocks raced through him. The tapping on his head had him looking up, smirking softly. "Really? I could not tell," Dante joked, thrusting in one more time for good measure before pulling out and rolling onto his back. He brought Kurt with him, chest to chest. Dante cupped Kurt's cheek softly, his eyes overflowing with admiration. He let out a breath of heartfelt disbelief. "Be your valentine? That is your inviting line?"

Kurt let Dante turn him over, Kurt now using Dante as the mattress, considering their size difference. He rolled his eyes. "I was trying to shut you up!" Kurt teased, leaning his face into Dante's hand. It was blissful, for all of a few seconds, before his relaxed smile faded into a concerned frown. He lifted his head, raising his upper body on his right arm so his body weight was no longer relying on Dante for support. He looked at the bed, the mess they made, their lack of dress, the sweat on their skin; he just fucked his ex. He manipulated his ex into sleeping with him. His heart rate started to pick up, finally looking Dante into the eyes with a new look of shock and horror on his face. "We just... We, ah..."

"No, no, you dare not." Dante exclaimed, able to see right away what was going on in Kurt's head from the swiftness of his eyes, to the vanishing smile on his face. Dante lifted himself onto his forearms, moving his head to get Kurt's attention. "I can see what you are doing. You are going to start rationalizing and coming up with excuses for what just happened. Fuck that." Dante, took Kurt's left hand, holding it tightly. "You wanted this, I asked you over and over if this is what you wanted. You said yes. You wanted to have sex, Kurt. It is completely natural. Better yet, you skipped out on someone else to have sex with me." Perhaps it was the post-coital bliss, but Dante was on the moon, overflowing with happiness and love for the man currently on top of him. "We had fun, Kurt. I love doing this with you, I love giving you what you want. There is no need to think so hard, just enjoy yourself."

"But it has to be more than that! it is so much more complicated than where you put your dick!" Kurt argued, his shoulders shaking in scared realization at what they did. "T-Things were already on thin ice with us, we only just got onto speaking terms, and I used being with someone else to get with you- I used you to get off! Doesn't that piss you off? Aren't you mad at me?" He looked Dante over, seeing his blissful smile, the lack of stress in his body language, making his own shoulders slump. "...Why aren't you mad at me?”

Dante shook his head, moving Kurt so he sat on the bed, able to sit up properly and look him dead on. "I am not mad because after waiting for years, literal years, I just had sex with the love of my life." Dante waved his hand away, as if to shoo away some invisible bother. "Humans manipulating each other happens all the time, it is part of our nature. And yes, I got pissed, I am jealous. I would really like it if you didn't do it again, but I also understand that I don't own you. We aren't together. I wish you finally would see that we can try again, and finally use those labels we are avoiding, but I will settle for now with knowing I had the pleasure of sharing your evening." Dante ran his fingers in Kurt's hair. "Besides, if you manipulating me means I get you in my bed, please, do it more often.

Kurt let out a crushed breath as Dante let out his reason for such irresponsible happiness. 'Love of his life.' Kurt didn't deserve that title, yet here they sat, covered in each other's fluids, behaving just like they did years ago, all because Kurt put his prudish behaviors aside for a single night. Dante's fingers in his hair were a stabilizing force, cracking a smile at Dante's last line, covering his face in shame and disbelief the man would say such a thing. Again, Kurt found himself unable to find words, instead leaning forward to taking Dante's lips in a sweet, tender kiss. It was hurting at this point to kiss, the sheer number of how many he shared today able to outshine his past two years combined, but he didn't care. He pushed Dante back onto the bed, finally peeling off his boots and tugging the jeans that were trapped around his ankles onto the floor, breaking the kiss when he was properly straddling the other man. "Is this manipulating enough?"

Dante took the kiss at Kurt's pace, letting him lead their dance for now. It was soft yet powerful, much like Kurt himself. Dante laid back onto the bed at Kurt's push, watching with a chuckle in his throat as Dante's forgotten task to actually get Kurt completely naked was completed. Dante ran a hand up Kurt's chest when the other man towered above him, a devious smile growing on his face. He tossed his hands up in fake defeat, still beside himself this was even happening at all. "You've got me."

[dixielis]

An Interesting Turn of Events [2/?]

Pairing: Jotaro Kujo x Noriaki Kakyoin Summary: There were three things Jotaro Joestar was completely certain about: One. 80’s rock was the be-all end-all of music. Two. The movie Jaws wrongly portrayed sharks as evil and blood-thirsty, and he did not stand for it at all. Three. Being an alpha while also part of the Joestar-lineage was an absolute curse. Warnings: Omegaverse with omega!Kakyoin and alpha!Jotaro Dio is in this and he’s pretty creepy A/N: Chapter 2! weep woop

Read on Ao3 here: LINK

He did partially blame all the moving around on why he didn’t end up having any friends at any of these schools. Sometimes other kids would try to make small talk with him or invite him over to play with them. Kakyoin would however always turn them down. What would even be the point? He would eventually have to move away anyways. And if he didn’t get attached to anyone it was always a lot less painful to do so.

Today was his first day of his latest high school. This had to be the fourth or fifth one he would be attending. He had honestly lost count at this point.

Kakyoin went about his first day as he had done many times before. Go to the principal’s office, collect his schedule and a map over the school grounds, head over to homeroom and introduce himself to the rest of the class. It wasn’t anything he hadn’t done before.

His first day, thankfully, passed uneventfully. Aside from a few questioning glances nobody tried approaching him. Kakyoin instead spent the day homing in on the conversations going on around him, trying to learn as much about his school as possible. About what was currently going on, and most importantly, about who to avoid.

At his lunch break he decided to sit close to a group of mostly omega girls who were chatting loudly with each other. He always found that these sorts of groups seemed to have all the latest news and gossip, and that they would discuss it loudly enough for anyone to hear.

“We should all make a pact. About who we will ask to the dance”

“That is still four months away”

“You can never get started too quickly. I call Jojo!” The other girls let out noises of clear distress at this.

“Not fair! You can’t just call somebody like that”

“Well, I just did!”

“Jojo as in the tequila-smuggling one?”

“Yes!”

“Then I want the other one!”

“Not if I ask him first”

Kakyoin realized that he had quickly lost track of their conversation. Not that it seemed to be very interesting for what he was after in the first place. Whoever were considered the hottest alpha’s on campus wasn’t really anything he needed to know. It wasn’t like he was searching for one anyways.

“I was already asked to the dance actually” one of the girls exclaimed proudly.

“No way! Who was it?”

“That weird French beta. You know, the one with the weird hair?”

“Oh, what did you say?”

“I told him no. I don’t really want to go to the dance with a beta”

“You probably only did it because he has bigger boobs than you”

“He does not! I said no because I’m going to ask Dio”

“But I was going to ask Dio!”

“You can take the Frenchie instead since you seem to like his boobs so much!”

Kakyoin decided that it was time to officially zone out from their chattering. He felt like he has heard enough unrelated gossip to last him for the rest of the month.

The next couple days continued in a similar fashion. Kakyoin simply kept his head down and tried to avoid attracting any unnecessary attention. Whenever somebody spoke to him he would act polite, but always try to keep himself unmemorable. He wanted to be practically invisible.

This worked surprisingly well until his fourth day. The unexpected groupwork in biology class did however end up breaking his lucky streak. Since he doesn’t know anybody in the entire school he has no choice but to let faith decide who he will partner up with.

And faith apparently decided that he deserved to suffer that day. Because of course his first official group member had to be the kind of douchey alpha that he would prefer to avoid at all costs. And of course said alpha had to start making inappropriate suggestions at him as soon as he sat down.

Kakyoin was too busy refreshing his memory of every ancient torture method he could think of to even notice the other two people taking their seats nearby. It wasn’t before Mia decided to cut of the alpha in the middle of one of his especially lewd comments that Kakyoin noticed that they were no longer alone.

The beta would then continue talking, pretending as if nothing had been going on. Kakyoin felt himself spacing out as he took a proper look around at his designated group members. Mia seemed alright, at least. The two other alphas on the other hand gave off very different vibes. Kakyoin could almost taste the tension between them in his throat. The blonde one still had an underlying scent of disgusting want coming off him. Kakyoin could see him still trying to make eye contact with him, and opted for observing the dark-haired alpha instead.

The majority of his face, his eyes included, were obscured by the brim of the cap he is wearing. His arms were crossed over his quite well-defined chest. Kakyoin silently curses himself out for even noticing the others build.

The alpha definitely gives off an intimidating aura. He is everything an ideal alpha should be after all, at least look-wise. But he also seems to be calm and secure, the exact opposite of the light-haired alpha seated in front of him.

Kakyoin’s thoughts are suddenly interrupted as the dark-haired alpha suddenly speaks up. Apparently they are now splitting up into pairs, which Kakyoin embarrassedly realizes he had completely missed while he was busy eyeing up the man in front of him.

Kakyoin gave a quick prayer to any gods that may be listening that he would end up working with the beta. But as usual, faith has other plans. Plans that end up with him forcing to pick which of the alphas he would rather work with. Which in and on itself is a very easy choice. The alpha known as Trent has returned his hands to Kakyoin’s desk, one of his fingers stroking up his wrist slowly.

God, he can’t wait to get those hands away from in.

His mind races to make up an excuse to not have to work with Trent. Lying about his father’s job might not be the smartest idea, but at least it gets the job done. Trent immediately let’s up on him, a strong sour scent now coming off him in waves. Kakyoin can’t help but smirk slightly to himself at the others change in mood.

Then Mia and Trent end up leaving, and he is all alone with the alpha who is apparently known as Jojo. Kakyoin silently cursed Trent out from under his breath. He couldn’t help but feel a sense of relief washing over him as he watches him walk out of his line of sight.

He turned his eyes towards the remaining alpha and suggests that they should get going as well. He only received a grunt in reply, and Jojo immediately stands up and starts heading off as well. Kakyoin quickly shoved his things back into his bag and hurried after him.

He could feel the burning hatred and jealousy coming off a group of omegas as they pass them. Their attention is clearly pointed towards him. Kakyoin only shoots them a dirty look in response. It wasn’t his fault that he ended up being partners with Mr. tall and handsome, like they clearly all yearned after so badly. Kakyoin still remembers the conversation he overheard a few days earlier, which lets him know that the alpha he is currently following is quite sought after by a large chunk of the local omega population.

They soon ended up alone in one of the spare rooms just down the hallway. Kakyoin quickly learned that the alpha doesn’t seem to say a lot, neither with his words or with his expressions. His eyes are still hidden underneath that godforsaken hat of his, making him even harder to read.

Kakyoin almost started to regret his decision of pairing up with him when he notices the dolphins covering one of the alpha’s notebooks. He bites back a smile at the revelation. A bad guy wouldn’t have sparkly, bright blue dolphins doodled on his notebook, would he?

As they start talking Kakyoin quickly realizes that Jotaro is not what he thought he would be. He doesn’t seem to mind Kakyoin’s teasing and his apparent interest in starfish is quite endearing.

When they eventually get properly started with their assignment Kakyoin finally gets the chance to take a proper look at the alpha in front of him. His hat has been angled away from his face and Kakyoin can now properly see his eyes.

They are a striking emerald green colour, and Kakyoin can immediately feel himself drowning in them. His long eyelashes and thick, slightly furrowed brows also don’t help one bit. Kakyoin immediately understands the other omegas’ reactions towards him.

Kakyoin silently curses himself out as he feels his own cheeks heat up. This was not according to the plan at all. He tried to calm his now rapid heartbeat.

He refused to fall for an alpha he had known for a total of twenty minutes.

Kakyoin jumped slightly as the bell suddenly rang, signalling the end of class. Jotaro looked up from his books and their eyes met for a split second. Kakyoin can feel his heart start racing again.

Fucking omega biology.

He quickly made up an excuse about his next class being on the other side of campus and hurried off. Hopefully Jotaro hadn’t noticed how stirred up he had become. He could feel his heartbeat returning to normal as he hastily made his way down the corridor.

He was fine. None of that necessarily had to mean anything.

He quickly checked over his schedule. Art was going to be his next and final class for the day. He let out a breath of relief at this. In art class he could hopefully just take a seat in a corner and ignore everyone around him. People wouldn’t even think there was anything strange about it, and would hopefully just believe that he was just another passionate art student.

Kakyoin arrived at the classroom a good few minutes before the class is about to start. The room consists of a number of larger tables, that they are obviously supposed to share.

Great. Not even here he could be alone.

Kakyoin silently scanned through the people already seated. He knows that people from all years are mixed together, so he is even unsure of which students are in his grade.

Most tables are already seemingly full, people chatting loudly among each other. He noticed that one of the tables however still had just one occupant. An omega who was already bent over a sketchbook, doing quick confident strokes over the pages. He seemed to be completely engulfed in his drawing and doesn’t even look up as Kakyoin takes the seat opposite him. Kakyoin however doesn’t mind this one bit, enjoying the few moments of silence before the rest of the seats around the table inevitably end up occupied as well.

Just as he predicted, a few more people are soon seated as his table. Luckily none of them are paying him any mind either.

“You mind if I sit here?”

Kakyoin turned his head and looked up at a blonde beta dressed in an interesting mix of sky blue and bright pink. He had a polite smile on his face as he gestured to the seat next to Kakyoin.

“Oh. Sure, no problem” Kakyoin replied, shifting slightly to the side as the beta sits down next to him.

“You new here? I don’t think I’ve seen you around before?” the beta asked as he looked him up down.

“Yeah, I just transferred here a few days ago. Name’s Kakyoin”

“I’m Caesar, nice to meet you” the other boy offered, holding out his hand, smiling brightly at Kakyoin as he shook it. Caesar then starts making small talk with him, telling him stories about various things that has happened around campus.

“Could you please keep it down, some people are trying to work here” an unfamiliar voice hissed out. The boy across from them who had previously been caught up in his sketching was now glaring straight at them.

“Shut it, we’re not in a fucking church” Caesar replied curtly, like he they had this conversation several times before.

“Doesn’t mean that you have to shout!”

“You’re the only one shouting here, you know”

“Shut up!”

Caesar let out a snort at the others clear irritation. He then turned back towards Kakyoin.

“That’s Rohan, don’t mind him he’s just a fucking gremlin”

“Stop calling me that you fucking bottle of mediocre dressing-” Rohan was suddenly interrupted by a new voice being added to the mix.

“Gentlemen, there’s no need to fight” the voice was almost alarmingly calm and practically dripping with the semblance of alpha. Kakyoin quickly turned his head over his shoulder to regard the newcomer, who is standing right behind him.

His hair was a similar shade to Caesar’s, but that seems to be the only thing they have in common. This man is a lot broader, and taller, and immediately gives of a strong aura of alpha. Kakyoin’s eyes snap up to look at the others face, only to find that he is already looking straight at him. His head is slightly cocked to the side, a clear look of interest hidden somewhere deep in his yellow eyes.

The alpha breaks their eye contact to sit down in the vacant seat next to Kakyoin.

“Nobody said that you could sit down” Caesar said coolly, clearly not happy about the alpha joining them. The alpha however ignored him, instead choosing to keep all his attention fixed on Kakyoin.

“So, what’s your name?” he asked, his eyes not leaving Kakyoin’s for even a second.

“It’s Kakyoin. I’m a new transfer student”

The alpha hummed in approval, the sound low in his throat. He reached his hand out towards Kakyoin’s ear. Kakyoin felt himself freeze up as Dio gently poked at his earring.

“Kakyoin, huh. It suits you”

Kakyoin immediately decided that he did not like the way his name sounded coming from those lips. Not one bit.

“I’m Dio Brando, a pleasure to make your acquaintance”

Kakyoin recalls the discussion that the omega girls were having a few days earlier. Dio had been one of the names thrown around in their conversation. So he was clearly someone that most people knew of. Kakyoin was not very surprised at this, as he understood why Dio would seem desirable to an omega. At least to those that didn’t spend a lot of their waking time actively trying to avoid such people, like Kakyoin himself did.

But before Kakyoin had time to come up with a reply their teacher had entered the room. Kakyoin felt as relief washed over him. There was a certain coldness in Dio’s eyes that he didn’t like. And Caesar’s reaction toward him joining them worried him as well.

The assignment of the day was to do some simple sketches of different types of landscapes. The room was quickly filled with a low buzz of voices as people begun talking among each other while getting to work.

Kakyoin and Caesar immediately hit it off, discussing which upcoming games they planned on purchasing. Kakyoin found him to be surprisingly easy to talk to. Every now and then Rohan would throw in a word about how annoying they were, but Kakyoin quickly learned to simply disregard it.

“Favourite final fantasy game in three, two, one”

“Seven”

“Ten”

“But seven is so good!”

“Have you even played the tenth one?”

“I have but it comes nowhere close to-“ Caesar suddenly trailed off as a splatter of paint without warning come flying straight at him, coating him in the dark green substance.

“Rohan, what the fuck?!”

“I told you to shut up” Rohan replied calmly, giving Caesar a slight smirk before turning his attention back to his sketchpad. Caesar cursed him out from under his breath.

“An important lesson to learn, Kakyoin, is to never wear your best clothes to art class. Because Rohan will undoubtedly fuck them up because he can’t stand people talking like normal human beings” Caesar let out an irritated huff at the end of his rant.

“I’ll be right back, I just have to get this shit out of my clothes before it stains” Caesar then quickly walked off towards the closest bathroom.

Kakyoin looked over at Rohan, who shot him another sharp glare, clearly warning him that he would be next if he didn’t lower his voice. Kakyoin only let out a snort at this, and went back to sketching at his current drawing of a desert, adding in a few palm trees.

“You’re pretty good”

Kakyoin nearly jumped out of his seat as Dio’s voice sounded directly into his ear. He could feel the warmth from his breath ghosting over his neck. Kakyoin felt a sense of uneasiness wash over him.

“Oh, thank you, Dio” He replied, deciding that he should probably at least attempt to stay polite with the alpha. Dio hummed slightly.

“Any particular locations that inspired it?”

“Well, I went to Egypt with my parents a few years back” Kakyoin disclosed, and tried to ignore the feeling of Dio’s breathing against his neck as he kept on drawing.

“Beautiful place” Dio agreed, leaning forward a bit. “I lived there for a few months a while back”

“I see” Kakyoin replied curtly, unsure of what to say. He simply continued to draw, while discreetly watching Dio from the corner of his eye. He noticed that Dio had given up on watching him sketch and was now looking directly at him again. But he didn’t say or do anything. He simply sat there, almost hovering over him but never actually touching him.

“Shouldn’t you be working on your own piece, Brando?”

Kakyoin turned his head towards Caesar, who had seemingly just returned from the washroom. He glared down at Dio with slightly narrowed eyes.

“I was simply admiring Kakyoin’s work” Dio replied sweetly, but backed off none the less. Kakyoin looked between the two men as Caesar took his seat again. The tension between them felt so strong you could cut it with a knife.

And in the blink of an eye everything seemed to turn back to normal again.

“Guess who managed to save his shirt” Caesar clapped his hands together excitedly as he smiled brightly at Kakyoin. “In your face, Rohan”

Caesar and Kakyoin quickly got back on track of their previous discussion. They did however try to keep their voices down, so they wouldn’t warrant any more hissing noises from Rohan. Before Kakyoin knew it the bell had rung, signalling the end of the school day. People around him started to pack up and head out off the classroom, and Kakyoin did the same. Just as he was about to stand up, Caesar grabbed hold of his shoulder.

“Hey, you wanna swap numbers real quick? I want to send you the video of that speed-run I told you about earlier”

“Eh, sure” Kakyoin said hesitantly. “Let me just grab my phone”

He started to rummage through his bag, finally finding it at the very bottom of it, hidden underneath a whole days’ worth of textbooks. He fished it up and turned towards Caesar, whose earlier carefree expression had turned sour. Kakyoin quickly looked around and noticed that they were now left alone in the room.

“Listen, Kakyoin” Caesar begun, and Kakyoin turned his attention back towards him.

“You should watch out around Dio. He may seem charming eunough, but it is all an act. He is absolutely ruthless when things don’t go his way”

“Why?” Kakyoin asked wearily. “What has he done?”

Caesar let out a deep sigh and pinched the bridge of his nose.

“It’s a long and complicated story, but he has these really sick ways of seeking revenge on the people that he feels have wronged him. One of my friends are one of those people, he actually ended up getting stabbed because Dio couldn’t handle not being the best at everything”

Kakyoin’s eyes widened at this.

“Is he okay?” Caesar just nodded in response.

“He’s fine. But there’s been lots of other rumours of things he’s done going around. But his family are all lawyers, so they usually succeed in keeping it on the down low. That’s why you’ll probably only hear people around here praising him” Caesar fell silent.

“I see” Kakyoin replied, an unnerving feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. “Thank you, Caesar. I’ll keep that in mind”

Caesar gives him a slight smile. They stand in silence for a few moments.

“Right! Could I still have your phone number? I wasn’t kidding about that speed-run”

Kakyoin happily agrees and they quickly swap numbers. Caesar then picks up all of his stuff and heads towards the door.

He hesitates just as he is about to walk out of the room, and turns back to face Kakyoin again.

“Please do be careful around Dio. I’ve hears rumours about the… things he has done to omegas’ in particular”

“I’ll be careful. Promise”

“Good. I guess I’ll see you later then” Caesar lifted his hand in a wordless goodbye and walked out the door. Just as Kakyoin was about to pick up his stuff his head poked around the doorframe again.

“And if he tries anything always punch for the throat” Kakyoin let’s out a quick laugh at this.

“I know how to fight, Caesar”

“Just making sure. Bye then!”

And then his head once again disappears, and Kakyoin can hear his footsteps moving away down the hall. Kakyoin throws his bag over his shoulder and follows out into the hallway. The school is almost entirely empty by now. Which wasn’t very surprising, very few people enjoyed being in school enough to actually stick around after the day had ended.

Kakyoin made his way towards the main entrance, and out into the slightly cool afternoon air. The sky had begun to darken ever so slightly. He should probably get a move on if he wanted to make it home before it turned completely dark. He started digging through his pockets for his headphones, as he began walking, turning down onto the road toward his house.

“Kakyoin”

He instantly froze in place.

That was without a doubt Dio’s voice. Kakyoin turned his head slightly as he watched Dio confidently march up to him, both hands deep in his pockets.

“What took you so long, I was beginning to think that you had gotten lost somewhere” Dio smiles at him.

“Ah, Caesar just wanted to show me something before we left” Kakyoin fiddled with his thumbs nervously. “Why are you still here, Dio?”

“I was hoping to get some company on my walk home. Luckily it seems we both live down the same road” Dio flashed him another smile. His eyes however still looked as cold as they had been back in the classroom.

Kakyoin could feel his mind spinning as he tried to come up with an excuse that would keep him as far away from Dio as possible.

“I wouldn’t want to bother you, you must be pretty tired-“

“Nonsense, you are far from being a bother, Kakyoin” Dio paused as he looked Kakyoin up and down. “Shall we?” He nodded slightly, signalling for Kakyoin to keep walking. Kakyoin’s mind is at a blank, and he simply does as suggested. Dio picks up his own pace as well, walking close by his side.

“Besides” Dio continued “It would be unfortunate if you were to walk home all alone and run into someone, troublesome”

At the last few words he looked straight into Kakyoin’s eyes. Kakyoin could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand up.

“I know how to take care of myself, just because I’m an omega doesn’t mean I’m helpless” he countered. His words would hopefully be enough to make Dio back off.

Dio raised his hands in defeat and let out a slight chuckle.

“I’m sure you can, but it is always better to be safe than sorry, isn’t it?”

Kakyoin just stayed quiet. But Dio didn’t seem to mind his silence. Instead he started telling Kakyoin about his studies, every now and then asking Kakyoin a question, which he in return replied to as curly as possible.

Dio however did not let this faze him, as he kept on talking until Kakyoin could finally spot his own house appearing in the distance as they turn a corner.

He let out a slight sigh of relief as he stopped to a halt in front of the gate. Dio abruptly cuts off in the middle of his sentence.

“Oh, this is where you live?” he asked, his eyes still refusing to leave Kakyoin’s form.

“Yep. Bye then” Kakyoin replied dismissively as he turned to walk up to the gate. Dio’s arm quickly shot out in front of him, stopping him from moving away.

“I live just a few blocks down the road, we’re practically neighbours” Dio smiled at him.

“That’s nice, but I really should get inside-“

Kakyoin is once again cut off as Dio shifted to stand right in front of him, effectively blocking Kakyoin’s view of the front door. One of his hands comes to rest at the slight curve of Kakyoin’s waist, and Dio leans forward slightly.

Kakyoin stood frozen in shock.

Dio’s other hand moved up to tuck his wavy bang behind his ear, before lightly grabbing a hold of his chin. Kakyoin could feel Dio’s breath on him as he leaned downwards slightly. His stomach turned.

“I wouldn’t mind if you were to come over to my place for a bit, Kakyoin” Dio’s voice is nothing more than a whisper.

Kakyoin’s mind suddenly goes clear and he springs into action, giving Dio a sharp push, resulting in him taking a few staggering steps backwards.

“I’d rather not” Kakyoin said coldly, hoping that his voice won’t betray him as he can feel a slight tremble in his hands.

Dio looked taken aback for a moment, before he quickly slipped back into his previous confident smirk.

“I see-”

“And I would prefer it if you were to back off from now on”

They stand in silence for a few moments, Kakyoin only focused on keeping his breathing even.

“I’ll head off then, it was nice meeting you, Kakyoin” Dio said in an indifferent was, bowing his head slightly. He gave Kakyoin a final short glance, his expression unreadable, before he turned around and continued on down the road.

Kakyoin watched him until he finally turns a corner and is out of his sight. He willed his heart to calm down as he quickly opened the gate and slipped in through the front door. He immediately made a beeline for his room and threw himself down on the bed.

All he had wanted was a quiet, uneventful day.

But he had gotten anything but.

Faith had apparently decided that it was time to introduce a series of new assholes into his life. First that douchebag Trent, and then that absolute creep Dio who made his skin crawl. He felt thankful towards Caesar for at least warning him about the guy. At least he had been kind towards him today. Maybe they were even close to becoming friends. They had exchanged numbers after all.

And then there was Jotaro. The past hour of activity had been quite effective in keeping him off his mind. But now that he is back home and safe in his own room his thoughts started floating back to those bright green eyes of. That were almost tender, and were missing that aura of coldness that Dio’s emitted.

Kakyoin let his eyes shut for a moment. His brain too tired from the day’s events to do anything more productive. He slowly felt himself be lulled to sleep, dreaming of emerald green eyes and dark, messy hair.

[manggojooz]

Bad Timing (Part 3)

Prompt: i was too overwhelmed by my own feelings to see someone else’s feelings 

pairing: Taehyung x reader

word count: 1.8k

genre: angst

warnings: none again generally; minor exceptions - adoption of a rescue dog, jimin aegyo (if that’s a trigger xD)

comment: a Taehyung perspective

Have you ever had that feeling? Wondering why the entire world before you was shaking. That is until you realise, you were the one that was shaking in the wind.

It has been two days since you dashed out of that movie theatre. Taehyung still couldn’t seem to get over the image of your back-view hurrying down the theatre stairs. As he was staring at your leaving form, Hyejin had asked him if you were alright and whether you were always that aloof. He shot her a side eye but the truth was that he was equally curious about why you left that way.  

He mulled over it a long time before deciding to text you the day after, “Hey you ok? You left in such a hurry yesterday...” to which you simply replied, “Yeah I’m fine, see you tomorrow in school”. So here he is, sitting in his corner of the classroom stealing glances at you, who were sitting further down the row, continuing to wonder if he should be probing into why you ran off on Saturday. Did something bother you that day?  

Earlier this morning as he walked down the corridor, he saw Joy and you coming towards him and he flashed his usual boyish smile at you. Joy said jovially “Hey Taehyung”, while you also smiled back at him. In that one second in which he was struggling to decide whether to stop you to have chat, you had determinedly walked past him with Joy following close behind you. Before he could call out your name, Jimin’s voice came from afar, “Ya! Kim Taehyung! Stop staring at girls and get your stupid ass over here! Why the heck did you change my wallpaper to a hobbit!!!”  

You two did not generally interact much during school time other than the text message exchanges or during some occasional class activities. Taehyung usually hung out with his friends and you stayed with yours. It shouldn’t be a problem that you just breezed past him but somehow a bout of perplexion hounds him.  

Lunch time finally came and Taehyung was just sitting around fumbling his phone, he had just walked past the table where you sat with your friends and you were laughing brightly the same way you usually would. He is generally not a person who would probe into things, especially when he can sense the other person is not prepared to share it, but curiosity is literally killing him. You were never considered aloof in his mind, so was it abnormal for him to feel like a conversation was required about what happened on Saturday or was that literally how you generally exited social events?

Amidst the chattering of his friends, Hyejin who was sitting opposite Taehyung excitedly exclaimed, “Guys, don’t you think we should ask our classmates if they want to attend our concert? Taehyung, why don’t you ask Y/N and friends to come?”  

“She doesn’t like such things, I asked her once and she said she wasn’t interested in hip hop stuff...”, Taehyung must have detected the increasingly awkward glances he was getting and quickly added, in twice the original speed he was talking, “and I think Joy doesn’t like noisy places so I don’t think they will want to come”, ending the conversation while clearing his throat a little.  

Jimin must have sensed this was the chance to take revenge on Taehyung for changing his wallpaper or something, “Well, let’s see if you are right in saying that...”, with that he pranced up to your clique’s table and unabashedly asked “Hey guys, would you all like to come watch our concert this Sunday? It’s a hip-hop dance concert and wouldn’t it be nice to come support your classmates~? Y/N, Taehyung said you don’t like the hip-hop kind of stuff, and err Joy I was told you don’t like noisy places, not sure what that means, but I think this would be fun, and I would be there!”, he continued as he cupped his face with both his hands in an attempt to appeal. Jimin had this natural air of ‘aegyo’ going on and it was difficult for your friends and you not to smile at his pandering pitch.  

On the other hand, it took him a while to snap out of his daze but Taehyung eventually jumped up and dashed towards his idiotic friend, almost falling over in his hurry and then crashing into Jimin’s back. As he was frantically trying to drag Jimin away, you said to Jimin “Yeah sure, I think I can go for the concert on Sunday...” and you turned to the rest querying “... who else wants to come?” Joy replied in a rather sarcastic tone “Never knew I didn’t like noisy places, but I think I can handle a school concert...”, and finally a few of your other friends also chimed in that they will be happy to go too.  

Taehyung sharply looked in your direction, that same feeling of perplexion sets in again. “What’s with her?”, he thought, “Didn’t she say that she is not into such things?” And then he turns his attention to his friend struggling in his choke hold, “Or was it because this guy was asking?”

The rest of the week went by rather uneventfully, at least on the surface, between Taehyung and you.  

Then came Friday, Taehyung was tentative about whether he should skip one session of dance practice to go with you to the shelter or to ask you to excuse him for this week.  

“Dude, you really aren’t coming to the practice when we have a concert in two days’ time? You go to that shelter every week anyway, what’s with missing it for one week?”, Jimin was visibly a little exasperated given that he probably will have to wait for Taehyung to come back so that they can practice their routine together.  

“Jimin-nimmm, I am sure you can give me these few hours off, I promise I will come back as soon as possible and make up for the time I missed. One of the puppies is getting adopted today and I really want to go say bye before the new owner comes to get her. They told me hobbits were supposed to be kind...”, Taehyung said cheekily with a little pouty face and deservedly earning a punch from Jimin-nim to his stomach. “Ok fine, sometimes I really question why we are still friends, man.”  

Taehyung took a quick look at the time on his watch and it was a little past the usual time he would meet you at the school gate. He seems to be starting to understand why you were this religious in your weekly visits to the shelter. “I thought you weren’t coming today because of dance practice, I was just about to text you to ask”, you said to a panting Taehyung who clearly ran here. “Wouldn’t want to miss meeting the new owner of our little Lula today”, Taehyung replied.  

Said new owner was a nice lady, Suzy, and Lula displayed her usual cautious-friendly nature but was quick to warm up as this was her second time meeting her owner-to-be. Taehyung and you took turns at helping Suzy out with the adoption procedures as well as giving her tips on Lula’s behaviours and habits. Eventually, it was time to go home and as Lula was barking towards Taehyung and you in the leaving car, Taehyung could see tears collecting in your eyes, and somehow he could tell there was both happiness and worry.  

As you two were leaving the shelter, Taehyung was going through a difficult time shaking off the endless questions in his head. “Why were you cowering in fear in a corner of the vet office the first day Lula was brought to the shelter? What about last Saturday, when you ran off after the movie? Why did you agree to go to the concert when you said you were not interested the last time he tried asking? Was it because Jimin asked you this time? What's the real reason you were so devoted in helping these shelter dogs, the reason which you seemed to always cover with the excuse that you just liked doing this? Why are there so many questions he wants answers to yet he is incapable of asking them?”

You must have noticed the uncharacteristic silence from Taehyung and interrupted his mulling by asking, “Are you heading back to school for dance practice?” Taehyung was a little startled, “Err... yeah I am. Jimin was already upset that he has to wait for me so I guess I’d better go back, fast.”  

“I’m sure Jimin must have whined a lot for having to wait for you”, you said with a chuckle and Taehyung turned to look at your reaction curiously.

Almost as an afterthought, you asked “But what about your dinner, there’s probably nothing in school now, do you want me to get something for you from outside?”  

You two have now almost reached the school gate again and Taehyung stopped walking and was staring at you, he was pretty sure he was willing his mind to answer your question but it was wandering off into other thoughts.  

“Erm, maybe if you think Jimin will be hungry too since he’s been waiting for you, I could get him something as well, what do you guys usually have?”, you continued asking and Taehyung continued trying very hard to control his mind.  

“It’s ok, you don’t have to. Jimin isn’t the only one waiting, Hyejin, Soohyun and the rest will be there too. We usually grab supper after practice anyway. But if you want to come and watch us practice, I think Jimin will be more than happy.”  

“Huh, why would he be...”,

Before you could even complete your question, Taehyung hastily continued his monologue, “Since you agreed to come to the concert for him, right... I will make sure he gets your friends and you some good seats. He's the guy in charge of our club anyway.” He was just trying his best to string up his sentences so that whatever that was blurting out of his mouth would even remotely make some sense.  

A beat passed between Taehyung’s short but confusing rant and your reply, “I think I’ll go off first, all the best at practice”, somewhere during the conversation your eyes had left him and started staring at random objects in the surroundings. “See you all on Sunday then”, you finished as you gave him a brief last look, quickly blinking your eyes to look away again. Taehyung, on the other hand, was still confused by the turn of his own conversation and was searching for a hint that you understood what it meant even though he did not.  

As you turned to walk off, Taehyung watched your almost-evasive silhouette, a second time, “Why? Is something bothering her again?” Until he realised, it was something bothering him.  

[looshk-blog1]

It’s so romantic in Paris Chapter 3

Demyx tried his best to keep busy on the long flight. He watched movies and played games on his Switch in an effort to keep his mind from Xigbar and his infidelity. He tapped his pocket, he could feel his engagement ring in there, he had no intention of ever wearing it again, but he couldn't bring himself to leave it behind either... He took of the silver chain around his neck and slid it on, then refastened it around his neck and put it under his white t shirt. The air hostess came through and handed Demyx another glass of champagne, he could feel himself getting pretty tipsy. Maybe I should get some sleep... He tilted his seat back and unfolded the cosy woolen blanket that had been left under his seat, he popped his headphones in, put on his sleep mask and drifted into a cosy sleep. He dreamt of Xigbar apologising, begging for forgiveness... He forgave him... His trust was in need of mending but he dreamt he was willing to do it all for him. He put his engagement ring back on, they kissed. Xigbar told him he loved him and couldn't live without him... Just as their lips were about to meet he was startled awake by the plane hitting the tarmac. He looked around himself alarmed pulling off his sleep mask, to realise they'd landed. The intercom jingle played. “Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Charles De Gaulle Airport. The local time is 9 am and the current temperature is 11 degrees celsius. For your safety and comfort, please remain seated with your seat belt fastened until the Captain turns off the Fasten Seat Belt sign. This will indicate that we have parked at the gate and that it is safe for you to move about. Cellular phones may only be used once the Fasten Seat Belt sign has been turned off. Please check around your seat for any personal belongings you may have brought on board with you and please use caution when opening the overhead bins, as heavy articles may have shifted around during the flight.

If you require assistance, please remain in your seat until all other passengers have disembarked. One of our crew members will then be pleased to assist you.

On behalf of  Destiny Airlines and the entire crew, I’d like to thank you for joining us on this trip and we are looking forward to seeing you on board again in the near future. Have a nice day!” “Mesdames et Messieurs, bienvenue à l'aéroport Charles De Gaulle. L'heure locale est 9h et la température actuelle est de 11 degrés celsius. Pour votre sécurité et votre confort, restez assis avec votre ceinture de sécurité attachée jusqu'à ce que le commandant de bord éteigne le panneau Attache de ceinture de sécurité. Cela indiquera que nous sommes garés à la porte et que vous pouvez vous déplacer en toute sécurité. Les téléphones cellulaires ne peuvent être utilisés que lorsque le panneau Attacher la ceinture de sécurité a été désactivé. Vérifiez autour de votre siège si vous avez apporté des effets personnels que vous avez éventuellement apportés et soyez prudent lorsque vous ouvrez les coffres à bagages supérieurs, car des objets lourds pourraient s'être déplacés pendant le vol. Si vous avez besoin d'assistance, veuillez rester à votre place jusqu'à ce que tous les autres passagers aient débarqué. Un des membres de notre équipage se fera alors un plaisir de vous aider. Au nom de Destiny Airlines et de l’ensemble de l’équipage, je voudrais vous remercier de votre participation à ce voyage et nous espérons vous revoir bientôt. Bonne journée!” Demyx stretched his arms out and got up once the fasten seatbelt light had been turned off. An air hostess fetched his bag for him and wished him a pleasant stay. He walked through the plane and off into the tunnel attaching the plane to the airport, stepping aside to let people pass him as he turned his phone back on. He popped his phone into his pocket and walked towards baggage claim, he looked around himself as he went listening to conversations taking place around him in French... The blonde sighed dreamily, he had no idea what they were saying, but damn if he didn't love the sound of it. His phone buzzing alerted him back to reality, he pulled it from his pocket and answered it. “Hey Axel!” “Hey! You landed safe?” “I did, I'm just in the airport now walking to baggage claim. I'm beat, it was a long flight, but i did manage to get a few hours sleep so that's something.” Axel nodded sleepily. “I'm glad you're safe, have fun okay? I'm going back to sleep. It's 3 am here but I just wanted to check you were okay!” “Thanks Axel, sleep well!” “Bye!” He hung up, but there a message from a weird number on his phone. Huh? Bonjour, bienvenue à Paris! J'attends dans les arrivées pour vous chaque fois que vous êtes prêt! Je m'appelle Zexion et je serai votre guide pour les deux prochaines semaines! Demyx looked at his phone confused and quickly got up google translate. Je suis désolé je ne parle pas beaucoup français.

His phone beeped again. Sorry, force of habit, welcome to Paris. I'm Zexion, your guide for your stay here. I'm waiting in arrivals for you whenever you're ready. Take your time. Demyx looked at his phone blankly. I got myself a guide for the two weeks? He laughed to himself looking over the message again. Drunk Demyx doesn't half ass things... He strolled towards baggage collection, looking at the signs in French and English trying to pick up a few basic words. So bathroom is toilette or salle de bains, exit is sortie, I know hello is bonjour or salut and thank you is merci. He approached the conveyor belt and waited for his bag to appear. His mind was drifting and his hand gripped the ring on his necklace absent mindedly. I wonder what... No. Stop thinking of him... You are done. He cheated on you, he decided through his actions that you are over... There is no going back... He nodded in agreement with this thought as his bright blue bag rounded the corner of the conveyor belt. Demyx pulled it off and walked out the automatic doors to arrivals. He scanned the crowd for his name and his eyes came to a stop on a man not much shorter than himself. His hair was a mixed grey blue colour, it was cut into an intricate style with a side fringe that covered one eye. Wow... I hope all the guys here are THAT hot... He looked back and forth looking for someone, Demyx looked down to his sign out of curiosity and realised with excitement and horror that this was his guide. Oh my God... Zexion's eyes met his gaze and a feeling like lightning shot through him. He smiled and pointed playfully at his sign cocking his head. Demyx nodded feeling stupid and dumbfounded as Zexion walked forward and grabbed his hand in a handshake then pulled him forward and kissed both of his cheeks. “Bienvenue à paris mon ami!” The blonde flushed and pulled his hand free quickly looking down at his shoes wide eyed, Zexion balked at his reaction. “Uhm... Are you ok?” He looked up still red faced. “Are... Are you that friendly with everyone?” Zexion was straight faced for a moment. “Well... Yeah actually... I mean it's Paris... That's how we say hello around here...” Demyx paled wondering if he was ready to be that physically friendly with complete strangers, when Zexion started laughing. “Je blague! Je blague! I'm joking!” The blondes shoulders sagged in relief. “You Americans are so... cute.” Zexion caught his eyes for a moment too long before grabbing his case. “Okay, you have everything?” The blonde nodded. “Great, let's get going!” They walked towards the car with Zexion wheeling Demyx's case. “So we're not too far from Paris... You should be at your hotel in roughly an hour.” He pulled the case to his car and popped open the car boot, Demyx ran to help him get the heavy case into the trunk, but he lifted it in with ease and closed it. He's stronger than he looks... He found his eyes tracing Zexion's frame wondering what might lie under those... “Hop in!” Demyx popped out of his daydream like he'd been caught doing something bad. “What?!” The blue haired man eyed him oddly for a moment. “Hop in?” The blonde shook his head feeling stupid desperately trying to grasp at his memories of French class in high school. “Sorry, uhm... Je suis derriere l'avion...” Zexion looked at him funny. “You're behind the plane...? What... Oh you're jet lagged.” He nodded. “Sorry my French is, basically non existent.” The grey haired man pushed his hair back from his face giving Demyx his first full view, he grinned across at him. “Good thing I'm here then!” He revved the car to life and screeched the car out of their space shouting unknown obscenities at the driver behind them. “So what brings you to Paris?” Demyx shrugged nonchalantly keeping himself carefully in check with each word he said. “I've always wanted to come here. I decided seeing as I'd been working so much overtime lately that I'd come and see the place.” Zexion weighed up his words carefully. “So just a leisure holiday... Solo... To the most romantic city in the world?” The blonde gulped. He's onto me... “Admirable... Braver than a lot of other people who come here... You have no idea how many people come here all romantic, like cannot bear to be alone here... I love my job and I love this city, but some people love to make you feel like a third wheel you know?” Demyx nodded his thoughts creeping back to Xigbar. “Yeah... Nothing worse.” He looked over at Demyx smiling. “Right? So if you look straight ahead you'll see we're about to drive around the 'Arc De Triomphe'.” Demyx sat up and looked straight ahead. “Wow...” Zexion smiled. “Welcome to Paris my friend...”

[isakwon]

MALEVO

Pairing: Reader x Got7’s Kim Yugyeom

Genre: Angst 

Warning: Violence and swearing

Word Count: 2k

     Yugyeom was only a baby already living the best life he ever had. Sometimes his father would take him to work while making sure his son had fun working in an office all day. His mother would teach him floral cake decorating and he would eat sugar cookies if he behaved.  He liked picking flowers for his teacher and the librarian just for doing their job. Elder women who lived next door given him the nickname “Gyeomie Bunny” because he resembled one apparently. He loved everything about his life as much as the person next door. He was adorable as he was harmless so the nickname stuck around him.

When he was a little boy, he skipped on the pavement leading to his home. His parents their youngest son’s little hands. Tonight his relatives are coming over and he was excited to watch his parents cook for them while he set the dinner table. When they arrived, Yugyeom ran directly to hug them. His aunt took him aside crouching down to match his eye level and takes out a goodie bag

 “Yugyeom, what do you want when your grown up?” She asked him.

Yugyeom said brightly, “I wanna work with Dad and look after Mom.” 

His heavily touched parents adore over their sympathetic toddler, smiles and awes follow.

“And where are you going to live?” She asked again.

    “Here. I wanna live here forever and ever.”

Young Kim Yugyeom loved climbing the rooftop to watch the sunset before bathing.

That was before he ran away quickly before light shone on him.

He loved running down the street with neighborhood kids holding sparklers high.

But that was before running down the street hiding behind corners trying to catch some air.      

Too many people looked down onto him, and they had their own right justified. They said he needs to be locked behind bars. That he needed some good beatings. They assumed he wasn’t raised properly, rumors spread about him and none were  true. They said police should shut them down. On some occasions, they were right.

People who think, behave, speak like him are your least favorite. So why did you keep caring about him?

.....

Because he’s your childhood friend.

You were a transfer student starting the second Junior high school year, and the week before, you sprain your ankle. Walking and using the stairs weren’t as easy as always with crutches especially lunchtime but Yugyeom offered carrying your tray until your ankle heals.

  “Are you still going to want to sit with me after my ankle heals?”  

“Nobody wants to sit with you anyways.” He smirks. 

You reaction was a released chuckle because hell since you didn’t know anyone, you sat all alone. 

 ....

Soon later your friendship was incomparable with past ones. The two of you were inseparable like peas in a pod and sometimes people teased about one day you’d end up falling in love, but that was never the case. Your parents met through your 17th birthday party for the first time at last. He laughed while you apologize for your Dad’s behalf, who was offering his parents every booze under the basement. handing you his birthday gift. You went complete shocked. “Gyeom...how did you know?”

The collection album covered with your favorite music idols tore the wrapping paper away to get held firmly like the bouquet full of daffodils.

“You talked about how much you were ‘dying to have it’. What friend wouldn’t listen to you?”

You throw arms around him hugging each other and smiling. Crossing his arms over your shoulder blades as you whisper beside his ear.  

“Thank you so much.”

 …

One day Yugyeom walked beside you through the street the way to his house during summer picking snow cones with the spoons.

“Hey Kim Yu!”

There was an older man seemed to be in his thirties waving at you smiling while wiping down his car. He began to walk towards the spot where you were as Yugyeom shares his childhood memory of the man teaching him and his group mambo. He increased the music volume and told the then little boys basic steps which eventually turned a dancing circle with neighborhood children.

Out of nowhere two loud bangs roared almost muffling your hearing. Some mysterious maroon car sped the scene revealing the man who was walking towards your spot, present with blooded wounds diagonal across the back. You stare over the body, frozen in horror unable to move until Yugyeom rushes you inside the house.

 Shortly after one life was lost, Yugyeom stopped coming to school nearly losing contact with anyone including you. Although he gave you his new phone number Yugyeom has been seen less and less anywhere. Teachers ask how he was and the answer was you hadn’t heard from him because the daily calls were decreasing by months.

You stood still grasping your fingers, weary before knocking the door again. No one was home but the cars were in the driveway so someone at least must’ve heard you however when you knocked on the door again, nothing. “Excuse me mam, have you seen Kim Yugyeom?”

The elder woman pauses her knitting, “Oh he’s no more here. His parents left the house with him and came back without him. That also the last time I had seen them.”

So they have moved away but why was Yugyeom silent about that? Together you had been through thick and thin whether the situation was chance getting held back because grades were dropping or nerves shivering before ditching class parties simply because neither enjoyed being there. Was he just worried about what you’d think? How far is the location, you could still make the friendship work. Even the bestest friends disperse using distance keeping them away, however you and Yugyeom loved each other so much. You were like the sister he never had and boys don’t often wish having a sister.

“Are you his girlfriend?” The woman ask out your pacing thoughts.

You shake your head. “No no, his friend, we met Junior High. We spend lots of time together especially here.”

If moving away was the case how come they still have their cars parked in the driveway? Yugyeom left with them how come they came back without him? Where was he? How come they didn’t move together? Who allows minors leave the house before his parents the month before graduating and nobody have seen the parents?

This puzzled you.

 “You shouldn’t ever come again. Walking freely over here won’t be happening again, thankfully I don’t have much time to live.”

  Your jaw drops, suddenly feeling slight discomfort and saying sorry for the best thought up response.

“Don’t be, this place had always been my home for many years until outskirt problems are slowly making their mark here. I’ll be safe in paradise with JoIn without actually getting hurt.”

  The woman leaves the spot beside the fence grasping the yarn cloth and knitting needles with her. You scan the worry-free neighborhood where residents considered safe and private place. Your parents wanted to move here. Nobody complained about being poor they didn’t need millions of dollars. This place having problems can’t be true.

Distance took time separating those who were once friends.

“He escaped from the girls he dated plotting to fight him for being a player.”           

  That’s not true.

“Is he still alive?”         

     Of course he is, at least hopefully.

 One day a fellow student caught him at gas market and they said, “He wore this rain jacket that looks like it cost two hundred, maybe he got a good paying job and left school.”   

 And he did.

He was no longer seen much around the building anymore because he was working full time for the worst job possibly easy to get. The salary came easily, largely, late, on time, and put bread on the table.

….

  As you stretch your arm muscles, you looked forward cuddling with blankets for hours, watching your favorite movies while eating ramen and chips before falling your head back down into the pillows. During early college years, you thought working five days each week would earn you enough money, but the more days working the more fatigue you become. “Bye Y/N, enjoy your night!”

You and your boss wave good bye, and you take your keys and phone out your pocket unlocking the screen being aimless scrolling through messages between you and Yugyeom. The messages dated almost an entire year since he disappeared before moving away. Sometimes you forget neither stands beside one another opposing having no idea where he went. All that you had was his new number working for some time, yet whenever you asked when you could meet, he always said the same response.

There must’ve been an excuse for Yugyeom to stopped messaging like losing his phone. As much as you denied it, the friendship was going extinct on his behalf meanwhile you thought about him so much, it worries you.

....

He knocked on the door using the secret rhythm doing the same delivery tonight for his least best client, none were the best clients. None of them trusted him and he could care less he didn’t trust them either with all rights. Every afternoon Yugyeom wakes up regretting this job so much he wanted to be saved since the moment things around him working their way to crush him. Since the moment the people he trusted the most turned their backs.

“Open the fuckin’ door man.”

He squeezes through the creak looking the peeping eyes’ owner head down to toes slapping and shaking his hand, meeting his face reflecting exact blank narrowness. Three more men with women under arms hung around the room, the more buffed looking one leaned back against the couch closing his legs. Their faces held as emotionless all observing Yugyeom coldly revealing bit of his eyes flicking his visor.

“You good Rabb?” He dipped his head in a nod as he stood still scanning the walls covered with mold, dirt, torn holes, graffiti gang signs which were also written on the door. Their television set decorated with collectible almost empty beer bottles and shot glasses lacing around leading on the nearest side table. Some couch pillows were slouched covered with thin quilts, tears, unidentified stains visible in the dimness, white smeared lining remains on the armrests and coffee table. ‘Girl A’ wore an oversized jacket probably must’ve took some “candy” he last delivered before arriving, dangling her leg while sitting on the other, flicking baldie’s ear slumped against his side.

“What’s up Yu, did you bring the soda?”

  “The candy’s the only noun welcomed here. You don’t give two shits about me without it. And we’re in private just call it what it is.”

  His already uncomfortable aura matching the atmosphere and occupiers lounging over the couches, except Yugyeom never supposedly forgets anything. And today he would be expecting his deserved payment already past deadline.

“Delivery man is just as important since he’s the one bringing the stuff to us.”

The taller leaner man said. “Of course we know you’re too close minded to trust us.”          

Yugyeom pulls a crumble brown paper bag from his inside pocket, hunched above the table scattering ziploc bags filled with dope in different measurements. Trust rolls their tongues like honey as if that were their lifestyle motto When these buyers cared for drugs only unlike others who put pressure on Yugyeom to trust them.

Yugyeom never tried hitting dope nor considered trying, he saw how addicted users get. If it weren’t for the news presenting grotesque slideshows with photographs of effects from drug use, he would have died the even stupider way. Whether he used dope or not, dealing came with a huge amount of violence putting lives on the edge of line.Yugyeom could lose his life anyway any day and he’s lucky enough having lived more than some newbies. He outlived those always doubting he’d live long enough before turning twenty-one. Few dealers are actually five times smarter and five times wealthier than their customers. Most smarter than others who were keeping the dopamine for themselves and not having some escape route in case the fuzz was coming.

Baldie shrugged his supposed lady going into another room as she’s clouded in bleached Isobutane lingering the couch she sat on, she definitely had eaten the leftover dopamine in small amounts. She says very drowsily, “Hey...you smell clean?”

“Bitch, look at me then look at you. I’d be walking around wearing nothing but that sweater to be higher than you. Get off.”  

“Okay hey don’t be like that..like all ruthless or something.” She says, sitting back down, crossing her legs, exposing black boy shorts and messing with the cushion beside her.     

Baldie comes back holding a handful of cash rolled with a rubber band and a bottle in the other hand. Yugyeom wished delivering dope and driving where he stayed money in pockets were as easy and quick as making deals on apartment parking lots during the day. Unfortunately, dope dealing was a secretive job that started taking longer getting it done as long as money. And unfortunately as he’s counting the rolled up cash, there wasn’t enough.  

 “You want some toke Rab? Maybe feeling little anxious, one time my girl Chae came up with her own-”   

“Not from these little strawberry thotties you have business with while they’re blacking out.” Yugyeom moves away the other lady attempting to massage his shoulders, “What I want is my fucking money, where’s all the money you owe me?”  

    The girls face each other being taken aback how someone could talk against their customers the way Yugyeom did. Baldie backed away for the taller man to stand directly eye to eye with Yugyeom who lifted his chin.

“The fuck are you being so goddamn disrespectful in my household man?”

“Aye you already disrespected this house turning it into a drugged brothel. You’ve already been left off past due payment and you think I’m just gonna let a weekend's worth slide?” Almost raising his voice.

He glimpses the corner of his eye where the sounding double clicks coming from barrel shotgun gripped by the snarling girl called Chae. Behind Yugyeom he hears another click that can mistake for curtains bending, but doesn’t look.

“Yeah, coasts clear.”

The guy who opened the door looms behind Yugyeom trying to raise tension onto him however he stayed cool as ice. A twenty-two pistol gets seven centimeters closer as Yugyeom’s eyes never leave the taller man’s who are locked on Yugyeom, huffing thick weed clouds through his nose, smelling like burnt cardboard.

 “The bottom line is we’re still short. So you’re gonna have to let this one slide the entire month.”  

  In the beginning, this terrifies a younger Yugyeom when he showed late and accidentally messed up a large delivery. Despite accompanied during the deliveries as ‘Training Godfather’-as newbies were liked to be called- hiding crouched down beside the passenger door before escaping had been the day he realized he just became a new target. He fears for his life every morning and hesitates before grabbing the doorknob.

 “Yeah? Every house I’ve been to always have some secret stash next to their own stash, I know you have somewhere above short back there. Mind if I take a look?”  

Threatening situations no longer froze him, he’s getting more used to them. “You really wanna go there?” He turns the pistol off safety

“You welcoming me there looks like.”

  Only two seconds pass when cardinal whistles breaks tension off, probably their watchman Yugyeom saw on top the roof before entering. The taller man tugs the curtain to peep out one of the windows stepping aside from Yugyeom, his eyes sharp and ears open wherever the sound of truck’s running engine is heading. “Oh shit, the fuzz are coming! Hide everything!”

Before they knew it, everybody stays behind scattering around cursing under their panicked breaths, stuffing their drugs beneath the floor, walls and ceilings. The guns hid behind the canvas paintings, the refrigerator was filled with beer, water and little dope bags. The men were yelling and the women panting going everywhere, ducking from flashlights and getting more anxious when they hear dogs barking. Yugyeom raced toward the back the house hanging flat back against the wall waiting for the spotlights to pass, once they were gone the window was wired so he couldn’t get out. He acted quick as he could, holding his breath, scanning the halls, before the oncoming tank rammed the house with their battering. Not caring whoever he pushed the door on, twas all one man for himself. “Shit.”

As soon as he finds another, Yugyeom wastes no time kicking the window hard as he can. Meanwhile, the clients continue stuffing all their stuff down bathroom sink pipes and into the air vents. Backup cops snuck around the opposite side of the house blowing fire extinguishers off into the bathroom. And judging by the sudden midnight thunder and following grunts, the tank already tore the entire living room down, giving someone a damaged back. Shouting instructing voices draw closer. “Shit.”

It takes three kicks more to free Yugyeom and jump the same direction shattered glass fell. 

   He skidded one way then the other, the dog barking vigorously behind him hopping rooftop after the next. Not even the cops could spot him since the night was still mostly dark and his full on black outfit was the most helpful camouflage. He may have failed to earn delivery payment but he succeeded escapement for survival once again, winning against weapons, tanks crushing him, and risk from getting arrested had been now Yugyeom’s life. But this life, this persona wasn’t who Yugyeom truly was and it never will be. 

He finds hiding right on time disappearing into the crack of dawn.

| Read MALEVO 2

[justanotherdumpingground]

Chapter Reviews: December 25, 2018

High School Story: Class Act Chapter 12:

Ugh, I'm so mad at Danielle right now! I underestimsted her at first because I thought she was too impulsive and jealous. Turns out she's capable of framing my MC. Seriously, how petty, immature, and pathetic can she be? If I were the MC, I would call her out on her passive-aggressive behavior, stop "claiming" Rory for herself, and realize that life is more than just being with Rory.

Regarding those who believed in Danielle, I'm mad at all of them too, though I still feel compicated towards Ajay. I mean, I'm mad at how unprofessional and impartial he behaved, but he was ultimately a victim of deception. I'm somewhat reminded of RCD Book 1 Chapter 12, particularly the incident where Victoria reacts angrily at MC. At the same time Victoria and Ajay's reactions feel different. While Victoria had sadness and anger mixed together, Ajay didn't. There was just plain old disappointment, and that's making me like him less.

Thank goodness Skye and Erin didn't believe in the false accusations. These two are true friends, and I'm starting to consider pursuing Skye in the end.

About time I finally get to see the white dog I adopted. He's been absent for too long. And of course it had to be a premium option to attend a party with the original trilogy gang. Sorry, Joe my boy. Another time when I can afford the diamonds.

Rory's mom dying of cancer? That's a serious revelation. I mean, I have my suspicions even though I never wanted to think about it, but the fact that she's stressing out over it instead of the false accusations against me gives me hope that she believes in MC.

Desire and Decorum Chapter 2:

Isn't it hilarious that taking Luke Harper's hand gives me a manner point? Picking that choice in a heartbeat was no surprise, but getting a pleasant surprise? That was better.

So Sutton wished that I didn't go to London, eh? Well, I've watched YouTube videos where she's glad at the MC's appearance. I'm guessing relationships carry over to this book. On the bright side, this means Edmund Marlcaster has my back.

I couldn't afford to listen to Henrietta's story, but from what I've watched from YouTube, her grudge against Duke Richards personal because she seized her first husband's lands after his death. I wonder whether Duke Richards killed her first husband. Nevertheless, it still doesn't excuse her actions towards her stepdaughter, though I'm all up for her having humanizing qualities, as her characterization in Book 1 was more like a caricature. I'll just keep a close eye on her because I don't fully trust her.

Great. Another collection in this book. As if we need another one of these. And it implies that the struggle against the duke will span the entire book.

This chapter is pretty interesting that it gets me hooked, especially in regards to Henrietta's grudge against Duke Richards for seizing her first husband's lands. Meeting the queen and keeping my cool around Duke Richards also gives me more opportunities to delve into the intrigue. Here's hoping it doesn't resort to formulas like in TRR.

The Heist: Monaco Chapter 4:

This chapter is fun and great. Rescuing Eris by disguising as a janitor with Uppercut Jones by my side was fun, not to mention an opportunity to flex my mind if I don't pay diamonds. Seeing the dynamic between Jones and Sybil was fun as well, especially as they grow to become friends. The part where Jones compares Sybil to a ghost in a Japanese horror movie is just hilarious. Not to mention Anton continues to be of great help.

Eeeeee... I get to kiss Eris for free! And she likes it, no less. It's rare moments like this that make me smile.

Great. I broke Eris out of jail, only for my MC to end up cornered by Sonia. A part of me thinks she'll leave Ansel in favor of me, but it's gonna be a long, tough road, kinda like with Alana.

[hiitshannahbananah]

(MCU) My favourite voice | Peter Parker

Spiderman x OC (Anwin)

Warnings: Violence

 This was requested by one of my best friends waaay too long ago. I’m trying to work off my request list and hope I find the time and inspiration for this.

 As Peter entered the small café close to his school, the first thing he realized was the high noise level which was typical for New York. Groups of teenagers who talked overly loud of their days and laughed even louder. People around those teenagers tried to talk over those voices so their friends would understand them and in the corner was a couple fighting about the barista who apparently flirted with the guy. And in all of that chaos Peter found his girlfriend, nose buried in a book, not bothered by a thing that happened around her. A smile appeared on his face as he saw her oblivious to her surroundings. It happened so often that she was in her own little world he became concerned every time she was walking the streets alone, worried she would run into trouble without even looking up.

 “Hey, beautiful” He greeted as he approached her table, but nothing. “Anne? Annie? Anwin?” No reaction. A boyish grin appeared on Peter’s face as he bent down and kissed her cheek, making her jump. Her widened eyes looked up at him before she relaxed as she realized it was her boyfriend. “Oh, hey Peter. Sorry I didn’t see you” She smiled apologetically at him as he sat down in front of her. “I noticed. I called your name like 4 times” Anwin felt her cheeks warm up as she realized how out she had been. Peter smiled even wider at the sight of his flustered girlfriend. It was basically exactly how they met a few months ago. She was walking down the streets, a book in her hands as she had run straight into his standing form. He had fallen immediately for the girl who was able to shut the entire world out and knew he had to get to know her. So he had been waiting at the corner of the street where they met every day at the same time just to meet her again. Which sounded quite stalkerish he realized.

 “So, how was school?” Anwin asked she put her book in her bag and concentrated fully on her boyfriend now. “Like always, I guess” Peter smiled and reached out his hand to hold hers. They went to different schools and he was needy for some attention and contact from her, as was she and so she caressed his soft skin with her fingertips. “And yours? Got detention again for reading in class?” “That was one time! And the movie was really, really and I mean really boring” Anwin defended herself passionately. “But it was good. I got an A on that science assignment you helped me with, so thank you” “Anytime, Annie”

 ***

 A few days later Anwin was on her way home from her part time job at the cinema close to her and her parent’s apartment. Her family was something you would call middle class and even though she didn’t necessarily need to work, she liked the feeling of having her own money to spend it on books, clothes and other things. The only downside of it was that she came home Friday night quite late and it was already dark and despite her promise to her boyfriend to concentrate on her surroundings, especially at night, she texted her friends on her way home, not noticing the two men leaning against the wall of her apartment complex. Again she was so sucked into her world, she didn’t realize they were talking to her, which made them angry.

 “Hey, we are talking to you, missy!” Anwin’s heart started to beat faster as the man who spoke grabbed her arm harshly, pain shooting through her body. “W-What?” “I said, we were talking to you. It is not respectful to ignore someone who’s talking to you” The man growled as the other one ripped her backpack of her shoulders. The teenage girl was terrified of what would happen. She just hoped they would realize she didn’t have any money or valuable things with her and would let her go. “S-S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to be rude” She stammered in a low whisper, which made the man who held her chuckle. “Aren’t you one polite thing?” “Junk, Junk, Junk. She got nothing” The other man who devoured her bag, throwing everything on the wet concrete, ruining her beloved books she was carrying with her. “Pity, I guess we have to teach her a different lesson then” The man who held her pulled her closer to him in a harsh motion, throwing her against the wall, her head colliding hard with the surface. “I don’t think so” A new voice said but Anwin’s head was spinning from the blow to it and she didn’t realize what was happening until the two men were covered in webs and laying unconscious on the pavement.

 “What…” Anwin was still confused but couldn’t speak when she saw the red and blue in front of her. “Spiderman?” She asked as she tried to collect her thoughts. Her head still hurt a lot. “Can you stand up?” He asked with a familiar voice and held out his hand so he could pull her up. “Yeah, just a little dizzy” The young girl mumbled and watched how Spiderman himself picked up the wet books, cursing over it. “Thank you. For saving me. My boyfriend told me to pay more intention to my surroundings” Anwin said awkwardly, not sure how to handle the situation. “Does he? Well, your boyfriend sounds like one smart guy” That’s when you recognized the voice. Your favourite voice in the entire world. And the figure. The height. It all matched. “Peter?”

 Peter froze as he heard his name. How did she know? His voice! “Uhm, Peter? Your boyfriend?” She asked, deepening his voice, trying to cover up. “Here, your books” He quickly put the ruined books in her arms, making a few steps back right after, feeling like she could hear his heart beating hard against his chest. “Yes…I…how…” “Gotta go. Keep out of trouble…kid” He said to her, still in his deepened voice before he shot webs out of his wrists, swinging away, leaving Anwin standing there, clutching onto her books.

 “Peter…”