#my friends and i call him nutella

[khianavy]

nutella man

[hvnlygrl]

hii can u do rafe cameron

can u pls do soft!rafe cameron or soft!jj maybamk where reader and him get into an argument and then he storms out and then the next morning reader gets her period, and when he comes home he just sees her lying on the bed eith a heating pad so he decides to make her a cookie skillet with nutella in it and ice cream on top of it and when he gives it to her she immediately starts sobbing and covering her face with the back of her hand telling him how shes so sorry and that she wished she never foughr with him and then he just comforts her and helps her eat while they watch a movie

i take it all back.

pairing — rafe cameron x fem!reader

word count — 1.3k

warnings — lotta cussing, reader gets a little mean, argument between rafe/reader, hurt/comfort.

synopsis — after a fight with rafe due to your hormones during that time of the month, he goes out of his way to make you feel better.

notes — sorry i kinda went in a little bit of a different direction with this i hope that's okay! but the general idea is still the same... thank you for the request! it's such a sweet idea <3

it had never bothered you before, the sound of rafe on his game in the spare bedroom, but for some reason the loud sounds of him on the headset with his friends were driving you up the wall while you tried to watch your show in the living room. 

you sighed out in annoyance when you heard him for what seemed like the 20th time in 5 minutes, “GO! WHAT ARE YOU DOING??? TOPPER GET HIS ASS!” 

you clicked the volume up on the t.v. in front of you, head beginning to ache from the loudness of the show mixed with the loudness from the game room. you were unsure of how to handle the situation. you didn’t want to ruin rafe’s fun on the game, and you surely didn’t want to start an argument with him but you couldn’t take it anymore. 

you paused the show, stood from the couch and stomped your way down the hallway. you didn’t bother knocking on the door since you knew he wouldn’t hear it, instead opening it as soon as you reached it. “rafe,” you called out. no answer. he continued clacking at the keys on the p.c., shouting orders at topper and kelce over the headset. “rafe,” you called out again, quite a bit louder this time. still no answer. 

at this point you were fed up. you were unsure of where the blind rage came from, but before you knew it you yanked the headset from his head. 

“what the-y/n? what the fuck are you doing?” he shouts at you, his eyes flitting back and forth between the computer screen and your angered expression. 

“can you shut the fuck up, dude? i’m trying to watch my show,” you grumble at him as if it's obvious. 

“woah,” he cocks his head back at your statement, “chill out.” 

now you’re really pissed. “don’t tell me to fucking chill out!” 

“babe, it’s not that serious,” he continues clacking at the keys on the game. 

“it is that serious. you try watching your favorite show and listen to me hooting and hollering from the next room. it’s fucking aggravating and i can't take it anymore right now.” 

rafe rolls his eyes. “i don’t know what you want me to tell you, y/n, it’s really not that serious. i’m doing my thing and you’re doing yours. you don’t see me busting through the door to get on your ass about the t.v. being too loud.” 

you can hear the oohs and ruh-rohs coming from the headset, only adding fuel to the fire. 

“oh my god, dude, can you just act like a fucking adult for five minutes? you don’t have to play fortnite every single night with your gay ass homeboys. maybe you could spend time with your girlfriend instead of being on the game from the second you get home until hours after i fall asleep.” 

“that is so not true and you know it, bruh.” 

“if you’re gonna play the game and not even interact with me, then just go do it at your own damn apartment. i’m not fucking dealing with this right now. i have a migraine and i don’t want you here tonight.”

rafe can't ignore the pang that shoots through his heart at your words. “seriously? you’re kicking me out?” 

“yeah,” you mutter softly before leaving the room and heading back to the living room. cramps begin overtaking the muscles in your stomach, only adding to your agitation. you breathe out shakily, your throat beginning to tighten as you watch him grab his bag and storm out. 

once the door slams behind him, a wave of guilt washes over you, your eyes watering as you smack yourself for kicking him out. all you wanted was for him to stop being so loud and now he’s on the way back to his apartment, pissed at you for embarrassing him in front of his friends and for sending him home.

you lie down on the couch, allowing the tears to stream freely as your thoughts get darker and crueler toward yourself. you sob deeply, arms wrapped around a pillow until you finally fall asleep. 

about an hour or so later you wake up, shuffling into the bathroom, you notice your appearance in the mirror; cheeks puffy and eyes swollen from crying. the sight only makes you feel worse. you sit on the toilet, letting out a harsh sigh when you notice the blood that pooled in your favorite pair of panties. after already feeling like a piece of shit both physically and mentally, here was mother nature three days early, ready to screw you over even more. 

you couldn't help but tear up again at the inconvenience, suddenly realizing what happened tonight. you wanted to slap yourself for being so stupid and not noticing the signs, but you knew that it was too late now. after heading to your bedroom to find a new pair of underwear and shorts, and spotting the dirty pair before throwing it into the wash, you head back to the living room. 

your heart beats in your throat as you pull out your phone to text rafe. 

after the conversation with him you felt a lot better about the situation, but you were still feeling pretty upset. you rummaged through the kitchen, checking the cabinets and the fridge and freezer for any type of food that would satisfy your cravings. of course, you had absolutely nothing that would help. you sighed as you shuffled back toward the living room, opting to just lie on the couch and watch your show until you fell back asleep. 

you knew the thought was dramatic, but you couldn’t help but wonder when your life turned into this; alone in an apartment that was too big for you with nothing you wanted and no one to share it with. 

and then you heard a knock on the door. despite it being his signature knock, you couldn't stop yourself from checking the peephole, heart fluttering when you saw the blonde on the other side of the door.

you quickly opened it, a soft smile on your lips. “what are you doing here?”

“did you really think i was gonna let you be alone on night one?” rafe raises a brow at you before revealing two grocery bags he’d been hiding behind his back. he had made a run to the local store for all your favorite sweets, chips, icecream, drinks, and anything else he could think of. he even bought you a heated stuffed animal that could be thrown into the microwave and used as a heating pad.

“baby,” your lips curl down into a frown, eyes watering at the gesture, “you’re too nice to me.” 

“of course i am,” he chuckles as he sets the items down on the coffee table, “you’re my girl.” 

you watch in awe as he grabs your favorite cup, fills it with ice and pours your drink into it. then he grabs the stuffed turtle (your favorite animal) and heads to the kitchen to throw it into the microwave for a couple minutes. 

“get comfy, babe,” he calls out to you, “get your show set up, do whatever you gotta do.” 

you smile at him sweetly. “you didn’t have to do all this, rafe.” 

“i know,” he shrugs nonchalantly. “i wanted to.” 

“thank you,” you whisper when he brings the warmed turtle over to you. you moan happily when you stick it onto your lower abdomen, the sensation immediately easing some of the pain. “i don’t deserve you.” 

“sure you do,” rafe huffs as he kicks his shoes off and gets comfy next to you, “how many times have you taken care of me? saved my ass without me even thinking to ask you for help?” 

you nod, “yea, i guess you’re right. i’m sorry about what i said earlier baby, i take it all back.” 

“don’t stress,” he holds his hands up, “water under the bridge, my girl.” 

you smile at him, admiring his features before turning your gaze back to the t.v. and snuggling in closer to him. “i love you.”

“i love you,” he parrots back, hand rubbing at your lower back in the spot that he knows typically bothers you. 

-> back to masterlist

taglist — @lanasb0ngwater

[pucksandpower]

Ruin the Friendship

Max Verstappen x best friend!Reader

Summary: you and Max refuse to confess your feelings for each other in fear of ruining your friendship. Naturally, Max chooses to ruin every date with another man you go on instead

You can’t remember a time when Max Verstappen wasn’t your best friend.

The two of you grew up together, playing in the streets of Hasselt since before you could walk. Your parents joke that you learned to crawl just so you could keep up with him.

As you got older, your friendship only grew stronger. You were inseparable, there for each other through all the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence. When Max’s karting career took off, you were his biggest supporter, traveling all over Europe on weekends whenever you could to cheer him on at races.

After he moved to Monaco when he joined Red Bull, Max begged you to come with him. “I can’t do this without my best friend by my side,” he said. You didn’t hesitate — there was nowhere you would rather be than with Max.

Now you live together in his apartment in Monte Carlo. Mornings are spent on his balcony overlooking the glistening Mediterranean, drinking coffee and chatting about everything and nothing. Evenings are filled with video games, movies, and dreams of the future.

You know everything about each other, from favorite foods to secret fears. You trust Max more than anyone else in the world. He’s your person, the other half of your soul. Sometimes you think you love him as more than a friend, but you’d never risk what you have. If you lost Max, you’d lose yourself.

Today is like any other day. Max is sitting next to you on the couch, focused intently on crushing you in Mario Kart. You’re trying your best, but he’s just too good.

“Yes!” Max pumps his fist in the air as he wins yet again. “Too easy!”

You roll your eyes and shove him playfully. “Whatever, I let you win.”

He laughs. “Sure you did.” His smile makes your heart skip a beat.

You’re about to suggest another round when Max’s phone rings. He grabs it off the coffee table. “It’s Christian,” he says. “Probably wants to go over strategy for the race this weekend. I better take this.”

“No problem.” You stretch your arms over your head. “I’ll make us some lunch while you talk to him.”

Max answers the call as he makes his way out to the balcony. Through the glass door you see him pacing, one hand waving animatedly as he talks. You smile and head to the kitchen.

As you rummage through the fridge, you think about the race this weekend. You couldn’t be more proud of Max and everything he’s accomplished. But you’d be lying if you said you didn’t worry every time he got into that car. Still, you know racing makes him happier than anything else in the world. And his happiness is what matters most to you.

You find the ingredients for Max’s favorite sandwich — nutella and banana. As you start spreading nutella on slices of bread, you hear Max call your name from the next room.

“Y/N! Come here, I need your opinion on something!”

You poke your head out of the kitchen. “Can it wait? I’m making lunch!”

“No, it’s urgent! Just come here!” He’s smiling like he has a secret.

You laugh, wiping your nutella-covered hands on a towel. “Alright, I’m coming!”

You make your way out to the balcony, wondering what Max wants your opinion on. With him, it could be anything.

“Ok, what’s up?” You ask.

Max grins and takes your hand, his eyes twinkling. “How would you feel about being my date to the FIA Gala this year?”

You stare at Max, stunned. “Your … your date? To the FIA Gala?”

He nods, still grinning. “Yeah! It’s next month in Baku. I could really use my best friend by my side for moral support on the big Red Carpet.”

Your mind is reeling. The FIA Gala is the biggest formal event of the Formula 1 season. All the top drivers and teams come dressed to the nines to celebrate the end of the championship. Rumors always swirl about who will bring the hottest date.

And Max wants you to be his.

“Are … are you sure?” You stammer. “Wouldn’t you rather bring a model or something?”

Max scoffs. “Please. You know I hate those stuffy events. But with you there cracking jokes and making fun of everybody with me, it might actually be fun for once!”

You can’t help but smile at the thought of being on Max’s arm. “Well, when you put it like that, how can I say no?”

“Yes!” Max pumps his fist. “This is going to be epic. I’ll have my team sort all the details. All you have to do is show up looking gorgeous.” He winks.

You blush slightly. “I think I can manage that.”

Over the next few weeks, Max’s stylist comes by the apartment for dress fittings. You settle on a couture emerald gown with a daring slit up the leg. The perfect blend of classy and sexy.

Max lets out a low whistle when you emerge from your suite the night of the gala. “You look incredible,” he says, staring at you in awe.

You smooth down the front of your dress self-consciously. “So do you.” Max cuts a sharp figure in his black tuxedo.

He offers you his arm. “Shall we?”

Your stomach flutters as you take it. You still can’t believe you’re Max’s date tonight. Part of you wishes it were real instead of just for show.

As predicted, jaws drop when you walk the red carpet on Max’s arm. Cameras flash furiously around you.

“They’re gonna think you’re my new girlfriend,” Max murmurs in your ear.

You laugh. “Let them think what they want.” But secretly, you wish the rumors were true.

The night flies by in a blur of champagne, dancing, and laughter. You and Max stay by each other’s side the whole time, laughing and judging everyone’s outfits. It’s the most fun you’ve had in ages.

On the ride back to the hotel, Max rests his head on your shoulder. “Thank you for coming with me tonight,” he says. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

You kiss the top of his head. “That’s what best friends are for.”

But as you fall asleep that night, you can’t help but wonder if Max will ever see you as more than just his best friend.

***

Not long after coming back home, you’re getting ready for your first date since the FIA Gala. After seeing you all dressed up with Max, your friend Julian finally got the nerve to ask you out. You said yes, partly to stop constantly pining for Max.

You’re meeting Julian for dinner at a nice restaurant downtown. As you put the finishing touches on your makeup, Max lounges on your bed.

“I can’t believe you’re going on a date with Julian,” Max says, scowling. “That guy is so boring.”

You toss a pillow at him. “Stop it, he’s cute! I think it’ll be fun.”

Max catches the pillow and frowns. “What if I took you somewhere way better tonight instead?”

You pause your makeup application. “Wait, like a date?”

“What? No!” Max avoids your eyes. “Just as friends.”

You feel a twinge of disappointment. “Oh. Well, I already made plans with Julian.”

“Fine, go on your lame date,” Max grumbles. “But when Julian puts you to sleep talking about accounting, don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

You finish getting ready then head out to meet Julian. He greets you with a bouquet of flowers. “You look beautiful,” he says.

“Thanks!” You reply. The date starts off nicely. Julian is a perfect gentleman over dinner. But as the conversation wears on, you find yourself growing bored. Max was right, Julian is really dull.

Suddenly, you get a text from Max.

SOS come quick! Emergency at the apartment!

You frown, instantly worried. “Sorry Julian, I have to go. My roommate needs me.”

Julian looks disappointed but nods in understanding. “No problem. I’ll walk you out.”

You hurry home, anxious to make sure Max is okay. You burst through the apartment door. “Max! What’s wrong? Are you alright?”

Max looks up casually from the couch. “Oh hey Y/N. What’s up?”

“What’s up? You texted me that there was an emergency!”

“Oh yeah, we ran out of gummy bears,” he says, waving an empty bag. “I was hungry.”

Your jaw drops. “Are you serious, Max? I was on my date!”

Max grins. “Oops, my bad! But I saved you from dying of boredom with that guy. How about we order a pizza instead?”

You want to be mad at him for ruining your date. But looking at his smiling face, you can’t help but laugh. “You’re impossible,” you say, plopping down next to him.

Max just winks and hands you a controller. “Now come on, let’s see if you can actually beat me in Mario Kart this time.”

And just like that, you forget all about Julian and your ruined date. Nothing is nearly as fun as spending time with your best friend.

***

A few days later, you’re getting ready for another date, this time with a guy named Levi who you met online. He’s gorgeous with tattoos and an edgy style, totally your type.

When you tell Max about the date over breakfast, he nearly chokes on his eggs. “You can’t be serious. That dude looks like a complete tool.”

You roll your eyes as you grab your purse. “Don’t pretend you know anything about him. I think he’s hot and he seems cool.”

Max crosses his arms. “Well I don’t like it. How do you know this guy isn’t a total creep?”

“I appreciate your concern,” you say, “But I’m a big girl. I can handle myself on a date.”

Max opens his mouth to retort but you hold up a hand. “Nope, I don’t want to hear it! I’m running late as it is.” You give Max a quick hug. “Don’t wait up!”

You meet Levi at a trendy speakeasy bar downtown. He looks even hotter than his Tinder pics, with arm tattoos peeking out from under his leather jacket.

“Hey gorgeous,” he says with a crooked smile. He leans in for a lingering kiss on your cheek.

You blush. “Hi yourself.” Maybe Max was wrong about this guy.

You have a great time with Levi. The drinks are strong and the conversation is easy. After a few hours, Levi asks if you want to get out of there.

“I’d love to see your apartment,” you say with a flirtatious glance.

Levi grins. “I was hoping you’d say that.”

He pays the tab and you start walking to his place. As you turn a corner, you run straight into someone, nearly falling over.

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorr-Max? What are you doing here?”

Max steadies you with his hands. “Y/N! Fancy running into you!”

You stare at Max in disbelief. “Did you follow me?”

Max avoids your gaze. “What? No, of course not. I was just in the neighborhood.”

You cross your arms. “I find that hard to believe.”

You stare at him in disbelief. Levi pipes up from behind you. “Uh, do you two know each other?”

“Unfortunately yes,” you reply tightly, not taking your eyes off Max.

Max finally meets your stare, his jaw clenched. “I was worried about you, okay? This guy looks like bad news.”

You scowl at him. “That’s not your call to make. I’m allowed to go on dates without you ruining them.”

Max’s shoulders slump. “I know, I’m sorry. I just care about you and want you to be safe.” He glances at Levi again uncertainly.

You soften a bit, seeing the genuine concern in Max’s eyes. You put a hand on his arm. “I appreciate you looking out for me, but I’ll be okay. See you at home later.”

You turn to Levi, who looks understandably confused. You loop your arm through his. “Shall we keep going?”

But as you walk away, the playful mood from earlier is gone. Levi tries to make conversation, but you’re preoccupied thinking about Max and the sad look on his face.

Levi invites you up to his apartment still, but your heart’s not in it anymore. You make an excuse and head home, feelings conflicted.

Max is on the couch when you storm in. “Hey! How was the date?”

You don’t answer, just grab a pillow and start smacking him with it.

“Ow!” Max holds up his hands, laughing. “What was that for?”

“You know exactly what it was for, you sneaky jerk! Sabotaging my date again.”

Max grins up at you impishly. “Maybe I just happened to be in the neighborhood.”

You keep hitting him with the pillow, but end up collapsing on the couch next to him, both of you breathless with laughter.

“You’re the worst,” you say between giggles.

Max drapes his arm around your shoulders. “Yeah but admit it, you love me anyway.”

You sigh and nestle against him. “Unfortunately yes, I do.”

And you know that no matter how many dates Max sabotages, he’ll always be your number one.

***

After the last two disastrous dates, you decide to take a break from dating for a while. But your coworker Jess convinces you to give it one more shot with a guy named Liam she met at her gym. Reluctantly, you agree to meet up with him.

The day of the date arrives and you get ready halfheartedly, already anticipating Max’s attempts to sabotage it. Speaking of Max, you realize you haven’t seen him all day, which is odd.

You find a note on the kitchen counter:

Had to fly to Milton Keynes last minute for work. Will be gone all weekend. Have fun on your date.

<3 Max

You’re surprised but also a bit disappointed. While his meddling is annoying, you’re so used to Max being a constant presence in your dating life. It will feel weird doing this without him.

You push that thought aside as you head out to meet Liam at a burger place. When you arrive, you’re pleasantly surprised. Liam is handsome, charming, and easy to talk to.

After lunch, you go on a walk through a nearby park. You’re having such a nice time, you don’t even think about Max. At the end of the date, Liam asks to see you again.

“I’d love to,” you say with a smile. Liam leans in for a sweet goodbye kiss.

As you turn to go, you hear a familiar voice yelling your name. “Y/N! There you are!”

You whirl around to see Max jogging towards you, slightly out of breath.

“Max? What are you doing here? I thought you had that work thing.”

Max shrugs nonchalantly. “Oh, it got canceled last minute.”

Liam looks between you two, confused. “Wait, is this the dude you live with?”

Before you can respond, Max strides up and vigorously shakes Liam’s hand. “Max Verstappen, nice to meet you! I’m Y/N’s … boyfriend.”

Your eyes nearly bug out of your head. “My WHAT?”

“Yeah babe, your boyfriend,” Max says, draping an arm around you. “Sorry I couldn’t make our date today, got held up at work. But who’s this guy you’re with?”

Liam stares wide-eyed at Max’s arm around you. “Uh, I should get going. See you around, Y/N.” He scurries off.

You shove Max away from you, fuming. “What the hell was that? Why did you pretend to be my boyfriend?”

Max shoves his hands in his pockets sheepishly. “I just couldn’t stand the idea of you dating that dude.”

“So you LIED? You scared him off forever!” You poke Max’s chest angrily.

He grabs your hand. “I’m sorry! I don’t know why I did that. I was jealous and I wasn’t thinking straight.”

You search his face and see real remorse in his eyes. Your anger starts to fade.

“Jealous? Why would you be jealous, Max?” Your voice comes out barely above a whisper.

He takes a shaky breath. “Because the truth is, I’m in love with you. As more than a friend. I have been for a long time. Seeing you with those other guys made me realize I couldn’t stand not being with you myself.”

You stand frozen, stunned into silence. Max rubs the back of his neck nervously. “Please say something.”

You finally find your voice again. “Took you long enough, idiot.”

And you grab his shirt and kiss him deeply. Max grins against your lips, wrapping you in his arms.

“No more sabotaging my dates,” you murmur.

“Deal,” Max whispers. “As long as I can be your one and only from now on.”

You answer by kissing him again under the setting sun. At long last, you finally have your dream guy.

***

The next morning, you wake up in Max’s arms, still unable to believe the incredible turn your relationship has taken. Last night after the park, you came home and talked for hours, admitting your true feelings while cuddled up on the couch. You kissed and kissed until you both finally fell asleep tangled together.

Now in the light of day, your worries start to creep in. What if this ruins your friendship? What if you’re not meant to be more than best friends?

You untangle yourself from Max’s embrace and go to make coffee. He finds you a few minutes later on the balcony overlooking the sea.

“Good morning, beautiful,” Max says, wrapping his arms around you from behind. He kisses your shoulder.

You turn in his arms to face him. “Can we talk about this?”

He frowns slightly. “Talk about what?”

You gesture between the two of you. “This new aspect of our relationship. I’m just worried it will mess things up. Maybe we should take a step back and think things through?”

Max’s face falls. “You’re having second thoughts?”

“No, not second thoughts exactly. I care about you so much Max, as my best friend. I don’t want to ruin that.”

Max caresses your cheek. “You could never ruin our friendship. It means everything to me too. But we both deserve to be happy, and I know we can make each other happy in this new way as well. I’m willing to take that chance if you are.”

You search his earnest eyes. He’s right — your connection runs so much deeper than just friendship. And you trust Max. If anyone is worth taking this risk for, it’s him.

You take his hand and intertwine your fingers. “You’re right. I want to make this work.”

Relief washes over Max’s face. He leans in and kisses you softly. “I promise you won’t regret it. I’ll be the best boyfriend ever!”

You laugh. “Well in that case, take me on our first official date tonight!”

“It would be my pleasure.” Max strokes your hair. “Thank you for taking a chance on me. On us. I know we’re meant to be, schatje. I’ve loved you all my life.”

“I’ve loved you all my life too,” you whisper. And you know that no matter what happens, your bond with Max will never break.

The future has yet to be written, but you’re ready to face it hand-in-hand with the man who has always had your heart.

[theetherealbloom]

IT COULD HAPPEN TO YOU - CH.2

Chapter Two: God, I’m Actually Invested

Summary: You find yourself sharing a hotel suite with Pedro Pascal while working on the set of Fantastic Four: First Steps. Despite your different roles—he’s the star, and you’re behind the scenes. Nothing could ever happen between you two… right?

Paring: Pedro Pascal x F!Reader

Warnings: Age-Gap Romance (Not Specified), Eventual SMUT, Crush, FLUFF, Slight Angst, Trope(s), Swearing, Anxiety, Lots of Cliches, Cheesy Dialogue, Romance, Kissing, Real People Fiction, Cameras, Paparazzi, Social Media, Swoonworthy, One-Room Trope, They were roommates, Strangers-to-Lovers, Actors, Hallmark Tropes, the reader can sing and play guitar, the reader is shorter than Pedro, the reader has hair, Alternate Universe, Awkward!Reader, Shy!Reader, Fan Girl!Reader, Cringe, Embarrassment, Starstruck,

Word Count: 5.3k

A/N: This chapter has hella fluff and super funny/awkward moments. See you in the next one!

Side note: I’m dyslexic and English isn’t my first language! So I apologize in advance for the spelling and/or grammatical errors. As always, reblogs, comments, and likes are always appreciated. Thank you and happy reading!

Song: Risk by Gracie Abrams

Previous Chapter → Next Chapter | Series Masterlist |Main Masterlist|

PINEWOOD STUDIOS — DAY  

The shuttle hummed along the narrow roads, and you found yourself squished between Archie and Rebecca, who were already up to no good.  

"So," Archie began, a smirk tugging at his lips as he leaned closer. "How was breakfast with your roomie?"  

Rebecca chimed in before you could answer, her tone dripping with faux innocence. "Yeah, did Pedro enjoy the toast you so lovingly made for him? Or was it the Nutella that won his heart?"  

You groaned, burying your face in your hands as your cheeks burned. "Guys, please."  

But they weren’t letting you off that easily. Archie grinned, elbowing you lightly. "Oh, come on. You’ve been living a rom-com dream, and we’re just trying to get the highlights."  

Rebecca nudged you with her shoulder, her voice lowering conspiratorially. "Did he do the smolder? You know the one. The gaze that makes people forget how to breathe?"  

You laughed despite yourself, though it came out as more of a nervous squeak. "I don’t even know what you’re talking about."  

Archie gasped dramatically. "Oh, she knows! She definitely knows."  

By the time the shuttle pulled into the lot, your friends had teased you so mercilessly that you wanted to sink into the ground and never resurface. As everyone filed out, you clutched your bag tightly, muttering under your breath, "I’m never speaking to either of you again."  

Rebecca shot you a playful wink as she headed toward her department. "Sure you won’t. See you at lunch, Nutella Queen!"  

The chill of the morning air hit you as you walked toward the security checkpoint, clutching your ID badge. The sprawling Pinewood Studios stretched out before you like a labyrinth, its towering sound stages and bustling crew already alive with activity.  

"Badge, please," the guard said, snapping you out of your thoughts.  

You handed it over, feeling a mix of nerves and excitement flutter in your chest. Once cleared, you stepped inside, the sheer scale of the operation hitting you all at once.  

The first thing you noticed was the controlled chaos—carts loaded with equipment whizzing by, crew members calling out instructions, the smell of fresh paint from recently constructed sets. It was overwhelming in the best way.  

"Alright, team! Let’s get started," Jess Hall, the First AD, called out as she clapped her hands to gather everyone. She had a warm but commanding presence, her headset slung casually around her neck.  

You fell into step with the other production assistants, taking in every detail as Jess led the group on a whirlwind tour of the set.  

"This is the main soundstage," she said, gesturing to a cavernous building where scaffolding and green screens loomed high above the floor. "Props go over there. Catering is outside, past the trailers. And wardrobe is down that corridor—try not to get lost."  

Daniel, the head of props, gave you a quick nod as he walked by, holding a clipboard. "New PA?"  

"Yes," you managed, straightening up.  

"Good. Hope you’re ready to hustle," he said, his tone brisk but not unkind.  

You spent the morning darting from one task to the next—hauling equipment, labeling props, delivering coffee orders. It wasn’t glamorous, but there was something thrilling about being part of the organized chaos.  

At one point, you found yourself standing off to the side, flipping through the day’s call sheet. The sheer number of moving parts was dizzying. But when you glanced up and saw Pedro casually chatting with a director by the monitors, a soft smile on his face, the whirlwind slowed for just a moment.  

Your heart did a little flip.  

"Alright, focus," you muttered to yourself, shaking your head as you quickly returned to your tasks.  

The rest of the day passed in a blur of movement—helping manage background extras, untangling a web of cables, even holding up a light reflector when the gaffer was short-handed.  

By the time lunch rolled around, you were exhausted but strangely energized, a sense of accomplishment settling in as you sat with your friends in the cafeteria.  

Archie plopped down beside you with a tray full of food, grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "So, how’s your first day as Pedro Pascal’s shadow?"  

You shot him a glare but couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped. "I’m not his shadow. I’m just… a very busy PA trying to survive her first day."  

Rebecca raised an eyebrow. "Sure, sure. But he noticed you, didn’t he?"  

You felt your cheeks warm, and your silence only made them laugh harder.  

"God, I hate you both," you muttered, though there was no real malice behind it.  

As you took another bite of your sandwich, you couldn’t help but glance across the room, where Pedro sat with the director and a few cast members. He caught your eye briefly, offering a small, almost imperceptible wave.  

Your stomach flipped again.  

And just like that, you were back to square one—completely flustered and wishing for the ground to swallow you whole.  

After lunch, you found yourself tucked into a quiet corner near the soundstage, the faint hum of set activity surrounding you. Propping the script against your knees, you scanned the pages intently, trying to map out how the scenes being shot here in London would flow before the production moved to Spain. The script’s intricate details and stage directions blurred slightly as you tried to piece it all together, scribbling quick notes in the margins.  

“Hey.”  

The voice startled you, and the script slipped from your hands, fluttering dramatically to the ground. You turned quickly, clutching your chest like it might stop your racing heart.  

“Jesus, Pedro!” you exclaimed, your voice a little too breathless for your liking.  

He grinned, that easy, boyish grin that made your stomach do flips. “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you.”  

“Oh, hi,” you mumbled, stepping out of the way instinctively, thinking he was just passing by. Your gaze darted down to the script at your feet, but before you could bend to retrieve it, Pedro was already leaning down to pick it up.  

“You okay?” he asked as he straightened, handing the slightly crumpled pages back to you. He was already dressed for the scene, hair and makeup done to perfection, though you knew the team would fuss over touch-ups throughout the day.  

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine,” you said quickly, brushing your fingers over the script as though smoothing it out would erase your flustered reaction. “Just, uh, reviewing the scenes for today.”  

Pedro tilted his head, curiosity sparking in his warm brown eyes. “Doing your homework, huh?”  

You nodded, trying to keep your voice steady. “Just trying to keep up. It’s my first day, and I don’t want to mess anything up.”  

He studied you for a beat, and the weight of his gaze made your cheeks flush. “You’re not going to mess anything up,” he said, his tone gentle but firm. “You’re doing great. Everyone can see it.”  

You let out a soft laugh, though your throat felt tight. “You’ve barely seen me all day. How would you know?”  

Pedro’s smile softened, and he leaned slightly closer, lowering his voice as if sharing a secret. “Because you’ve got that look. The one that says you care about getting it right.”  

Your breath hitched, and for a moment, you were painfully aware of how close he was. The faint scent of his cologne—something warm and woodsy—lingered in the air between you.  

“I... uh...” You trailed off, your brain scrambling for a coherent response.  

Pedro straightened, easing the tension with a light chuckle. “Don’t overthink it, okay? Just take it one task at a time. And if you need anything, you know where to find me.”  

“Right. Thanks,” you managed, clutching the script a little tighter.  

“See you out there,” he said with a wink before turning to head toward the set, leaving you standing there with your heart pounding and your thoughts in a complete jumble. 

As he disappeared around the corner, you exhaled sharply, trying to pull yourself together. “Get it together,” you muttered under your breath. But even as you said it, a small, traitorous smile tugged at your lips.

Matt’s voice cut through the buzz of the set as he called for quiet. The shift was immediate—crew members hushing their conversations and finding their marks. You moved to the side, watching as Pedro, Vanessa Kirby, Joseph Quinn, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach stepped into position. The air seemed to hum with anticipation as the cameras rolled, capturing the scene that unfolded before you.  

It was surreal, seeing them all perform together, their chemistry so natural it blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Pedro, in particular, commanded the screen with ease. His movements were deliberate, his voice carrying an emotional weight that made it impossible to look away.  

But then there was Vanessa.  

You hated how your eyes lingered on her, how that knot of jealousy twisted low in your stomach. She was magnetic, the way she played her role as Pedro’s onscreen wife. The way they exchanged glances, their body language speaking volumes—it was all part of the script, you knew that. Still, it didn’t stop the bitter sting of envy that crawled its way into your chest.  

Get a grip, you thought, forcing yourself to look away. This was her job. This was his job. And you? You were here to do yours, not to indulge in ridiculous fantasies. Pedro wasn’t your boyfriend, or your close friend. He wasn’t yours.  

You plastered on a neutral expression, the kind you’d perfected over the years, and focused on your work. Daisy, Lucy, and Omar were scattered across the set, handling their own assignments, while you found yourself helping out with props. It was tedious but grounding, giving you something to pour your restless energy into.  

“Cut!” Matt’s voice echoed across the soundstage.  

The tension broke, and the cast relaxed, the scene’s intensity giving way to casual chatter. You busied yourself with resetting the props, carefully arranging them for the next take.  

That’s when you noticed Coco Ullrich, Pedro’s hairstylist, stepping in to adjust his salt-and-pepper hair. She worked with practiced ease, her hands quick and efficient. Pedro leaned forward slightly to make her job easier, a soft laugh escaping him as they exchanged a few words you couldn’t quite hear.  

You smiled faintly, almost to yourself. Coco was excellent at her job—there was no denying that. And damn, did she make Pedro look good. Too good. You tried not to dwell on it, focusing instead on the task in front of you, but the image of him sitting there, that effortless charm radiating off him, lingered in your mind.  

As you finished resetting a prop, you felt a presence beside you. Turning your head, you saw Daisy, her eyebrows raised and a knowing grin tugging at her lips. “Caught you staring,” she teased under her breath.  

You rolled your eyes, heat creeping into your cheeks. “I wasn’t staring.”  

“Sure,” she said with a soft laugh. “Totally believable.”  

“Shouldn’t you be working?” you shot back, trying to steer the conversation away from yourself.  

Daisy only shrugged, her grin widening. “I am. Observing human behavior is part of the job.”  

You huffed, but there was no real malice in it. “Get out of here, Daisy.”  

She winked before walking off, leaving you standing there, your thoughts once again circling back to Pedro.  

Professional, you reminded yourself. Keep it professional. But the traitorous smile pulling at your lips made you wonder how long you could keep up the facade.  

By the end of the day, exhaustion weighed heavily on you and the rest of the crew. The once-bustling set now buzzed with the quieter sounds of people packing up equipment, stifled yawns, and the occasional joke shared among friends.  

Daisy and Omar were tugging at a heavy camera dolly, grunting dramatically like it weighed a ton, though it clearly didn’t. “Are we sure this thing isn’t secretly an ancient artifact?” Omar huffed.  

“Definitely cursed,” Daisy deadpanned, her voice dripping with mock seriousness.  

You laughed, stepping in to help steady the dolly as they maneuvered it into place. “If it starts glowing, I’m out of here.”  

“Deal,” Daisy said, winking. “But you’re buying snacks if we survive.”  

With everything finally put away, Lucy tossed an arm around your shoulder. “We’re heading to the shuttle now. Don’t take too long, or we’re leaving you behind.”  

“Wouldn’t dream of it,” you replied, giving her a tired smile.  

As they made their way toward the bus, you stayed behind to gather your things, your movements slower now that the adrenaline of the day had worn off. You double-checked your clipboard, tucked your pen into your bag, and clocked out, ready to head to the shuttle when you heard it—your name, carried over the cool night air.  

You froze, frowning slightly as you turned toward the source. The voice was unmistakable, even from a distance. Pedro.  

He was standing near the trailers, surrounded by his castmates and friends. Vanessa was there, laughing at something Joseph said. Ebon stood casually with a coffee cup in hand, and Coco was still fussing with Pedro’s hair, though it seemed like more of a friendly habit than a professional necessity at this point.  

Pedro’s eyes were on you, a warm smile stretching across his face as he called out again, “Hey! Come here! I’ve got some people I want you to meet!”  

Your eyes widened in shock, your mind immediately racing with possibilities. He means someone else, right? You turned your head slightly, glancing behind you, half-expecting someone else to step forward. But there was no one.  

You pointed at yourself, mouthing, Me?  

Pedro nodded, his grin growing wider. “Yes, you! Come on!”  

Your stomach flipped. You opened your mouth to respond, but nothing came out. You stood there, gaping for a moment before realizing you couldn’t exactly ignore him. Taking a deep breath, you steeled yourself and started walking toward the group, your palms inexplicably sweaty despite the crisp evening air.  

As you got closer, the chatter among the group quieted slightly, their attention shifting toward you. Pedro’s gaze didn’t waver, and it was both reassuring and unnerving.  

“Hey, everyone,” Pedro said as you arrived, his tone casual but full of warmth. “This is the PA I was telling you about. She’s been a lifesaver on set today.”  

Your cheeks burned, and you glanced down at your bag, gripping it tighter. “Oh, uh, I’m just doing my job,” you managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper.  

Vanessa smiled at you, her expression kind. “Pedro’s been singing your praises all day. It’s nice to finally meet you.”  

Your heart stuttered. Singing my praises? You glanced at Pedro, who shrugged nonchalantly, but the twinkle in his eye betrayed him.  

“You’re really making me look good here,” you said quietly, trying to keep your tone light, though your nerves were anything but.  

Pedro chuckled, leaning in slightly as if sharing a secret. “You don’t need my help with that.” 

And just like that, your stomach flipped again, but this time, it wasn’t entirely unpleasant. 

“So, um, what’s going on?” you asked, your voice steadier than you expected, though your nerves still lingered just beneath the surface.  

Pedro tilted his head toward you, his grin softening into something more casual. “Well, we were just talking, and I had an idea. Since we’re heading back to the same place and you’re my roommate, why not ride with us? It’d save you time, and you wouldn’t have to deal with being the last one dropped off on the other shuttle.”  

You blinked at him, your mind racing to catch up. “Oh, no, no. I wouldn’t want to impose,” you said quickly, shaking your head.  

Before Pedro could respond, Vanessa waved her hand dismissively. “Impose? Please, it’s not imposing. You’re coming with us. No arguments.”  

Joseph chimed in, a teasing lilt in his voice. “Yeah, you’ll make our little carpool a lot more fun. Pedro can’t keep us entertained on his own, you know.”  

“Hey!” Pedro protested with mock indignation, his hand resting dramatically over his heart.  

Ebon smirked. “He’s right, though. You’d be doing us all a favor.”  

Your cheeks warmed under their collective encouragement, and you couldn’t help but let out a small, nervous laugh. “I don’t know…”  

Coco stepped forward, her voice gentle but firm. “Seriously, it’s no big deal. We’ve got room, and it makes sense. Plus, Pedro already vouched for you.”  

You glanced at Pedro, whose expression was a mix of amusement and something else—something softer. His eyes met yours, and the look he gave you was so earnest it nearly knocked the breath out of you.  

“See? Everyone’s on board,” Pedro said, his tone coaxing but playful. “It’s settled.”  

Still hesitant, you glanced at the group again, their smiles and easy camaraderie somehow making you feel like you belonged. Finally, you exhaled and nodded. “Okay, fine. If you’re sure I’m not a burden…”  

“You? A burden?” Vanessa said, laughing. “Girl, please.”  

Pedro grinned, clearly satisfied with the outcome. “Great. Let’s get going, then.”  

As the group began moving toward the car, you found yourself walking next to Pedro. Your nerves hadn’t completely settled, but there was something about the way he glanced at you, the corners of his mouth twitching in a barely contained smile, that made you feel a little lighter.  

“You okay?” he asked quietly, just for you to hear.  

You nodded, the corners of your own lips curving upward despite yourself. “Yeah, I think so.”  

“Good,” he said, his voice low and warm. “Because you’re gonna have a great time with us. Promise.”  

And for a moment, you let yourself believe him.

The large black van hummed softly as you climbed in, sliding into the seat by the window. Pedro followed closely behind and settled beside you, his arm brushing yours in the close quarters. You murmured a polite greeting to the driver, Luis, who nodded warmly in return, his easy smile a comforting contrast to the whirlwind of emotions currently swirling inside you.  

As the rest of the cast filled the van with their chatter and laughter, you sat rigidly, your back pressed against the seat. The reality of sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Pedro—and a group of celebrities you’d only ever admired from afar—was almost too much. You gripped your phone tightly, the faint glow illuminating your slightly shaky fingers as you sent a quick text to your friends:  

You: "Don’t wait for me. Got a ride with Pedro and the cast." 

The group chat exploded almost instantly, messages popping up one after the other:  

"WHAT?! 😳" 

"OOOOOHHHHHH" 

"Pics or it didn’t happen!"

You barely had time to cringe at their excitement before Pedro shifted beside you, leaning just enough to catch a glimpse of your screen.  

“Group chat drama?” he teased, his voice low and amused.  

Your cheeks burned, and you quickly locked your phone, clutching it tightly in your lap. “It’s nothing,” you mumbled, staring determinedly out the window.  

Pedro chuckled softly, clearly unconvinced but kind enough not to press. “Sure, nothing.”  

You said nothing in return, choosing instead to focus on the passing streetlights outside. They blurred together, golden streaks in the night, as the van glided smoothly through the London streets. The gentle hum of the engine and the occasional burst of laughter from the group provided a soundtrack to your inner turmoil.  

Every nerve in your body was acutely aware of Pedro’s presence beside you—the way his shoulder occasionally bumped yours when the van turned, the warmth radiating from him despite the evening chill. You wanted to relax, to laugh along with everyone else, but the overwhelming awareness of where you were and who you were with kept your pulse racing.  

“You okay over there?” Pedro asked softly, his tone laced with concern now, his earlier teasing gone.  

You glanced at him, startled by the question, and saw his brow furrowed slightly, his gaze steady and sincere.  

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you lied, offering a small, tight smile.  

Pedro didn’t look convinced, but he let it slide. “You sure? You look like you’re about to bolt out of here any second.”  

That earned a genuine laugh from you, albeit a quiet one. “I’m just... not used to this, I guess.”  

“This?”  

You gestured vaguely to the van, the people around you, and finally, to him. “All of this.”  

Pedro smiled, a slow, disarming smile that softened his whole face. “You’ll get used to it. And if you don’t, I’ll make sure to keep you grounded.”  

His words hung in the air between you, and for the first time that night, you felt the tension in your shoulders ease, if only slightly. The streetlights outside continued to blur, but now, your focus lingered on the quiet presence beside you—the warmth, the humor, and the unspoken reassurance he offered without even trying.  

CHILTERN FIREHOUSE HOTEL — EVENING

The hotel restaurant buzzed softly with the hum of conversations and the faint clinking of cutlery against plates. The warm, golden light illuminated the room, casting everything in an inviting glow. You had planned to make a quiet escape after dropping your bag off in your room, hoping to have a solitary dinner away from the star-studded company you had spent the day with. But Pedro had other plans.  

You’d barely made it three steps toward the elevators when you felt a familiar warmth against the small of your back. “Not so fast,” Pedro murmured, his voice low and teasing as he leaned just slightly into your ear.  

“Pedro, I—” you began, only to be met with his wide, unapologetic grin.  

“Come on, you can’t bail on us now. We’re starving, and it wouldn’t be the same without you,” he said, his hand gently guiding you toward the restaurant where the others were already gathering.  

You hesitated, but the sincerity in his voice, paired with the warmth of his touch, left you little room to argue. “Fine,” you sighed, though the butterflies in your stomach betrayed how little resistance you’d actually put up.  

The long wooden table in the center of the restaurant was filled with chatter and laughter by the time you arrived. Joseph and Ebon were in the middle of some animated story, Vanessa leaned in with a knowing smirk, and Coco was shaking her head with an exasperated smile. When Pedro led you to an empty seat beside him, all eyes turned toward you.  

“Look who finally decided to join us,” Vanessa said, her tone teasing but not unkind.  

“Had to drag her here,” Pedro chimed in, his grin making the table erupt in laughter.  

You sank into the seat, cheeks burning. “I wasn’t trying to escape,” you lied unconvincingly.  

“Sure, sure,” Joseph teased, winking at you from across the table. “Pedro’s got a sixth sense for these things, doesn’t he?”  

“Like a bloodhound,” Ebon added, making everyone laugh again.  

Despite your initial nerves, the warmth of the group quickly put you at ease. The conversation flowed effortlessly, ranging from behind-the-scenes mishaps to favorite restaurants in London. At one point, Vanessa and Coco started playfully debating whether Pedro’s hair looked better tousled or slicked back for the shoot, dragging you into the conversation.  

“Well?” Vanessa asked, eyes gleaming with mischief. “What do you think?”  

You nearly choked on your water. “Oh, I, um...” You glanced at Pedro, who was leaning back in his chair, clearly enjoying your discomfort.  

“Go on,” he prompted, his eyes twinkling with amusement. “I can take it.”  

Finally, you sighed, trying to suppress your smile. “Tousled,” you admitted, earning a triumphant cheer from Vanessa and Coco.  

Pedro mock-gasped, clutching his chest dramatically. “Betrayed! By my own roommate, no less.”  

“Hey, she’s got taste,” Joseph said, raising his glass in a toast to you.  

The playful banter continued, and by the time the entrees arrived, you were fully immersed in the group’s easy camaraderie. Pedro made sure to refill your glass whenever it was low and nudged the breadbasket toward you without a word when he noticed you eyeing it.  

At one point, you caught him watching you as you laughed at something Joseph said. His expression was soft, fond, like he was memorizing the way you looked in that moment. You tried to ignore the way your heart skipped, focusing instead on the warmth of the room and the laughter surrounding you.  

When the desserts arrived—indulgent, towering plates of tiramisu and molten chocolate cake—you couldn’t help but sigh contentedly. “Okay, I’ll admit it,” you said, leaning back in your chair. “This was better than eating alone.”  

Pedro’s grin was slow and knowing. “Told you so.”  

The night stretched on, and by the time the group began to disperse, your cheeks ached from smiling so much. As you stood to leave, Pedro fell into step beside you, his hand once again finding the small of your back.  

“See? Not so bad being part of the group, is it?” he said softly, his voice low enough that only you could hear.  

You glanced up at him, your heart fluttering at the closeness. “No,” you admitted with a shy smile. “Not bad at all.”  

After dinner, the group, full from good food and endless laughter, made their way to the elevator. One by one, everyone headed off to their respective floors, each exit marked with cheerful goodnights and playful teasing.

“You two behave!” Vanessa teased as she stepped off on her floor, her smirk lingering even as the doors slid shut behind her.

The elevator continued its ascent, and soon enough, it was just you and Pedro left. The quiet settled between you, comfortable but charged, the kind that made you hyperaware of every breath, every shift.

“Guess it’s just us,” Pedro said, his voice warm, his eyes flicking to you with a teasing glint.

“Guess so,” you replied softly, clutching the strap of your bag tighter.

When the elevator dinged on your floor, Pedro followed you out. It wasn’t unusual at this point—you were, after all, sharing a room—but somehow, tonight, the knowledge made your chest tighten. You fumbled for your keycard as you both walked down the hallway, your steps in sync.

“Still weird sharing a room with me?” Pedro asked, his tone light but laced with curiosity as he glanced at you from the corner of his eye.

You shot him a look, trying to hide your flustered state. “Not weird,” you said, unlocking the door. “Just... different.”

He grinned as you pushed the door open, stepping aside to let him in first. “Different how?”

“Different as in, I don’t usually share my personal space with someone famous,” you quipped, hoping to steer the conversation away from the real answer—how utterly nerve-wracking it was to be so close to him.

Pedro chuckled, tossing his jacket onto the back of the chair in the common area. “Relax, I’m not that famous,” he teased, kicking off his shoes as he settled onto the couch with the ease of someone used to this.

You scoffed, setting your bag down on the small dining table near the kitchenette. “Says the guy whose face is plastered all over my TikTok For You page.”

He paused mid-stretch, eyebrows shooting up in surprise. “Oh, really? Your For You page?”

You groaned, regretting saying anything. “Don’t get a big head about it,” you muttered, trying to sound casual as you rifled through your bag for your phone charger.

“Oh, this is rich,” he said, leaning forward with a mischievous grin. “What kind of edits are we talking about? Romantic montages? Thirst traps? Tell me everything.”

You glanced at him, narrowing your eyes. “I’m not feeding your ego, Pedro.”

But he was already grinning like a kid at Christmas. “You definitely watch them,” he teased. “Don’t lie—I can see it all over your face.”

You tried to glare, but the warmth in his tone made it impossible. “I’m not talking about this,” you said firmly, grabbing your charger and heading toward your room in the suite.

“Fine, keep your secrets,” he called after you. “But I know.”

Shaking your head, you plugged in your phone on the nightstand. The suite was nice—two separate bedrooms connected by the shared living space. But even with the privacy of your room, the knowledge that Pedro was just a few steps away left you feeling... unsettled in the best way.

When you reentered the common area, Pedro was stretched out on the couch, flipping idly through TV channels. He glanced up when you walked in, his grin softening into something warmer.

“Just Pedro,” you murmured, the words slipping out before you could stop them.

He tilted his head, intrigued. “What’s that?”

You hesitated, sitting down on the armchair across from him. “It’s just... you say it like it’s supposed to make things easier. Like, ‘I’m just Pedro.’ But it doesn’t. It makes things harder.”

Pedro sat up then, his attention fully on you. “Harder how?”

Your hands twisted in your lap, nervous but too deep in it now to stop. “Because it makes it harder to pretend this isn’t a big deal. Sharing a space like this with you.”

The room fell quiet, save for the faint hum of the heater. Pedro’s expression softened, his dark eyes searching yours.

“Good,” he said simply, his voice warm and steady. “Because I don’t want you to pretend.”

You blinked, your heart racing at his words. “What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I like this,” he replied, leaning forward, his elbows resting on his knees. “I like having you here. Even if it’s... different.”

Your lips parted, a response on the tip of your tongue, but nothing came out. The way he looked at you—steady, unguarded—made your chest ache.

“Me too,” you finally whispered, your voice barely audible.

Pedro leaned back with a satisfied grin, the tension easing as he grabbed the remote again. “Well, since we’re both stuck here, how about a movie before bed?”

You laughed softly, shaking your head. “Fine. But nothing loud or action-packed. I need calm.”

“Deal,” he said, smirking as he flipped through the channels. “But if I fall asleep halfway through, it’s your fault.”

And just like that, the weight in the room lifted, replaced by something quieter, something softer. The shared space between you felt a little less daunting, a little more like something you could both hold onto—whatever this was, whatever it could be.

End Notes:

Ya'll apparently like this fic! Thank you so much for the support huhu T^T

I’d like to give a shout out to google and reddit for aiding me in my research for this fic LMAO

I know little to nothing when it comes to production. I know the basic stuff cause of my course. (We had a class on how to plan events and stuff. I figured it’s somewhat similar.)

I’m having a blast coming up with possible scenarios with these two, the possibilities rn seem endless.

Based on research and testimonies from people who have worked with Pedro, they all mention how down-to-earth he is and how he cares for everyone on set and tries his best to know the crew. What a sweetheart 🥹🤍

TAGLIST: @comfortzonequeen @christinamadsen @liciafonseca @greenwitchfromthewoods @iqr-x @southernbe @maryfanson @brittmb115 @klajmekk @taytay0403 @whimsiwitchy @zymiii @sarahhxx03

[chrolloluvr]

💰Things you do that make Mammons heart flutter 💰

Note: Female!Reader 🩷🩷, not proofread!!

Warnings: Cussing, mammons got a HUUGE ego but i love him🥺

Calling him cheezy nicknames. Things like Mamm, Mammy poo, big daddy (his favorite), MooMoo, sugar daddy etc. Its embarrassing for him, especially when you call him these in public. Because he wants to come off as powerful, but when you say these to him, it is guaranteed to give him a noticeable pink hue to his cheeks

Giving him an imnense number of compliments. Or in particular, purposely pandering to him. Lets say you compliment how good of a partner he is, or how he treats you so well. He will be taken aback by your overly suckle comments towards him. He knows he treats you well, but by you telling him just fuels his already large ego, and proves that you truly see how much effort he puts into you.

Wearing or using his merch. If this man ever catches you wearing any of his merch, he will be like a happy, doting 9ft tall puppy. He will say how absolutely irresistible you look. 'Jesus, y/n. Cmon, do a little spin for me, yeah? M'baby looks so fuckin' cute.' He most likely will make you wear Mammon themed panties around the house.

Wearing his clothes. Lets say he gets home from a long day of planning and saving, and he sees your adorable self, covered in his giant clothes, especially big on you, covering your body. He will go absolutely feral. He thinks you are already the most stunning woman in hell, but when he sees you in his jingley clown hat? He feels his heart beeting out of his chest. And my god, what a woman you are. He will grab your waist with both of his hands, and snuggle the shit outa you. And he wont let go.

The size difference. It. Is. So. Obvious. People point it out all the time in the media and on Sinstagram. He's probably at least 10ft tall, so your basically shorter than him. He absolutely lives for it. He will constantly tease you for it. And he loves that it makes him feel more dominant. He loves that you have to literally break your neck to look up at his face, or that he has to reach down to give you a smooch. He will put things on higher shelves, just to see you struggle and ask him for help

Speaking of so, he adores when you ask him to help you with things. Such as asking him for help opening a Nutella jar, all the way to asking for help unclipping your bra. It shows you need him. And that churns out a feral side to him. 'Babe whats with all the ruckus- ohhh your trying to reach the top shelf? You're so cute, always needin' my help' Sometimes, he purposely wont help you, just to see your precious reactions he is always so greedy and eager to see.

Carrying you. His favortite ways to carry you is over his shoulders, under his arm, and facing him, with his hands under your plush thighs. He loves holding you close to him, because I, ( along with other authors ) believe he is naturally cold. So holding you close to him lets him tear his walls down for a bit. You feel like a small flee while being carried by him. If hes carrying you over his shoulder, he will slap your ass, and listen for the sweet sound of your squeaks every time he does it.

Resting your head between the nook of his neck. He loves when you do this, and you know he does. Sometimes, you will whisper in his ear how much you love him, and how he is the best thing to come in your life, and watch as you swear you can see his eyes soften and look at you lovingly. You are probably the only person to ever see that from him. He also has a thing for sniffing you (which I get into in my future hcs), so he likes to smell your hair, as he grabs the back of your head. He would never usually be that vulnerable around you, so you must know his weaknesses extremely well.

Hearing you brag about him. He knows you show him off to your friends, as well as the rest of Hell. But let's say he walks into your shared master bedroom, and your on the phone. 'Sarah, I'm being serious. Mamm treats me well, stop worrying about me. Im fine, yes. Yeah he a bit of a control freak, but who isnt? I love him for him. Im not joking, no-' He is in utter shock. you are talking about him, and your defending him? Yeah, be prepared for a looooong night. He will never forget about you saying that. And he will never bring it up, since he doesn't want to come off as a wuss. You genuinely love him. The fact that you said that and you didn't know he was in your vicinity is wild to him.

If you look up at him with your big doe eyes. God, you better stop it if you don't want to be manhandled and praised. You just look so innocent and cute, and he just wants to come up and squish your puffy little cheeks like the gif below ⬇️ .His heart feels like it's running laps, but he wont let you see that. He keeps his cool demeanor, as he tells you 'Babe, you think that shits gonna work ok me? Really fuckin' smart arench'ya?

[azrakaban]

Theodore nott fluffy dating head canons please 🥺🥺🥺🥺

AGH YES YIPPEE I LOVE WRITING THESE I HAVE SO MANY IDEAS

Theodore Nott Headcanons <3

Let's get right into it with some basic Theo headcanons, and then some dating ones too!

- Deffo has a Bernese Mountain dog back at home tbh, his mum loved them and got one before she died, and he loves that dog because it's all he really has left of her presence in his home

- Besties with Mattheo since they were both really little

- His mum died when he was eight, in childbirth, when giving birth to his little sister.

- his family is the Slytherin equivalent of the Weasleys, but reversed. He has four older sisters, and two younger sisters.

- Forces Mattheo to help him babysit his sisters

- Lapses into Italian when he gets tired

- Deffo sleeptalks in Italian, and when you first started dating you probably got so confused 😭

- He's really irritating when teaching you Italian, he'll throw in a word into his sentence and then make you look it up in a dictionary

- For sure loves dancing, whether or not you're good, if you're alone and there's music, call yourself Ginger Rogers

- Big fan of hand holding, he likes the feeling of having you that close.

- Hilarious when drunk, drunk words sober thoughts fr. He'll insult Draco's bleach, but then look at you and be like "Amore mio! guarda Matteo, guarda com'è bella! Aspetta, cosa stai facendo? Smettila di guardare la mia ragazza!" (My love! Look Mattheo, look how beautiful she is! Wait, stop looking at my girl!)

- Definitely a cat person besides his Bernese, and would adopt a black cat ASAP

- Would totally be an animagus, probably a black cat or a wolf

- If wolf, he'd maybe let you ride on his back. Only if he was in a good mood though.

- His music taste: Classical, specifically Beethoven, chase Atlantic, Coldplay. Guilty pleasure is Ariana Grande.

- Love language? Teaching you Italian for sure. Although does give presents randomly if he feels like it, but not too often.

- Definitely ambidextrous, and will help you write your homework. He learns how to mimic your handwriting so that if you don't feel good, he can do your homework for you

- convinced he sleeps with so many blankets that trying to find him in that MESS of a bed is impossible 😭

- actually apologises to your teddies if they fall of your bed

- reads poetry to calm down and will write it about you (you'll never see it though)

- definitely the designated driver most of the time 😭

- he's got snacks stashed all over the castle incase you two get hungry but you'll never know where he's hiding them 😭

- he has a resting bitch face until you're in the room

- queen of accidental photo bombs and there is not a single cute picture of you two no matter how

- pookie CANNOT swim. Don't even get him to try 🤡

- he's an ambivert, so mainly introverted with people he doesn't know, but is actually the clown of the group (him and Mattheo)

- He can play cello and double bass, but only plays for you if you ask

- actually the biggest hopeless romantic, Mr Darcy type shit

- Insanely good singer, and will sing to you in Italian

- good at herbology, took it for OWLS and NEWTs and became friends with Neville through it, they partner every day

- his favourite colour is navy

- Will speak Italian to Mattheo, who can speak it too, just to be funny. Like he'll be glaring at Draco and saying to Mattheo:

"So you think firewhiskey is worse than Muggle tequila?"

"Uh yeah, why are we glaring at Draco?"

"I want him to think we're shit talking him. So do you eat crackers when you drink or not?"

"No, gross. Nutella pancakes."

"Sounds... surprisingly good."

- He cannot wink, so he'll pass you a note in class and try but it looks like he's got something in his eye because both his eyes start twitching 😭

- He thinks pick up lines are shit, and won't use them. He will however ask you out politely and take you on a date or a few before he asks you to be his partner.

Hope this is what you were looking for! Love and thanks for the request <3

[dana-chan-the-control-brain]

FINALLY. CHATHARSIS.

Sweet CHATHARSIS.

(slurps it up like a dying man in a desert)

I know I haven't been the biggest fan of Earth lately. Especially with her hypocrisy and often twisting a lot of emotional therapy sessions to be about her.

But she was so real for this. I wish it came damn earlier. But this is one of the best god tier episodes in awhile.

They finally address the complaints that a lot of handful of fans.... (Okay. Me. Me. Its me.) Have had about Lunar and Moons behavior.

And that Earth also remembers the good that Nexus did do when he did care.

Someone FINALLY addresses how Sweet Nexus used to be and mourn the loss of what he became. He deserves to remembered in a charitable light.

And the feeling that the last time you ever saw someone, you had an argument with them. That's so real.

Calling out Lunar for doing the bare minimum with Dazzle then going back to watch his Nutella porn all day.

The apathy with the two Moons in this family is unnerving and simply uncompassionate.

Tsams however: I was not impressed by

Sure. Moon is being there.

But why is he acting like being there is a fucking chore?

Not to get to personal on a stupid Sun and Moon post, but when my dad died I had an online friend who drove for 8 hours from the next state over when we never met in person just to comfort me and be there and provide a welcome distraction from the oppressive atmosphere in the house.

Moon acts like being there for Sun is a huge inconvenience for him. And it sucks because we have N!Moon to directly compare it to when Sun killed Bloodmoon and was experiencing hallucinations. N!Moon prioritized Sun's wellbeing over his own so much to the point as Nexus he twisted and resented him for it.

But basically my point is, you aren't there for your loved ones because it's a chore.

You're there because you love them and want to be there for them.

Moon is doing the bare minimum. And it feels like the very act of loving his brother is a burden.

Tldr

Laes: god tier.

Tsams: nothing burger.

[madame-fear]

what about lucerys realizing he is in love with his bestfriend? 🩷💐

꒰ 𝐋𝐔𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐘𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 | 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐁𝐁𝐋𝐄. ꒱

ೀ amira speaks! : BELLA MY LOVE thank you so much for participating! I hope you enjoy this, and it’s what you hoped for, my lovely 💕 ˗ˏˋ ꒰ summary : request above. ♡ ˗ˏˋ ꒰ word count : 500

˗ˏˋ ꒰ genre : drabble, fluff, friends to lovers (maybe?). ˗ˏˋ ꒰ pairing : Lucerys Velaryon x Best Friend!Reader.

At first, it’s something that would be very, very slow to realise for him. Maybe something like a slowburn for him. The thought never sinked in properly until you were both in your late teens.

You are graceful, delicate — you stand by his side no matter what, defend his claim to inherit Driftmark, help him with insecurities, and wholeheartedly defend him. You once nearly get into a physical fight with a stranger that had the audacity to call Lucerys a bastard; how could he not admire you?

His whole family knows, and he gets teased for it — with Rhaenyra occasionally forcing situations for the two of you to be together, alone. Lucerys doesn’t want to admit it.

His heart beats loudly when you’re around, can’t take his eyes off of you, he smiles and blushes to himself when he sees you? That’s surely a normal thing to feel around a best friend. He feels a burning jealousy when another Lord or Prince makes you laugh? He’s simply being overprotective over his best friend. He thinks about both of you cuddling and even kissing? Those are just silly intrusive thoughts. That is almost, but not quite enough to convince him of his love for you.

What does make him realise just how head over heels for you, is when you took care of his wounds after Jace was a bit too rough with him during swordtraining. Not only you root for the young Velaryon Prince, seeing him struggle with his own sword training, but you also care for him afterwards.

Your hand gently tenders for his scars and wounds, with a concerned look on your face. Lucerys feels a bit timid while you’re doing so, but he can’t deny the fact that he adores the way you delicately touch him — wincing only occasionally at how some scars and bruises hurt, and you are so focused on treating him carefully.

“You did good today at swordtraining, Luke.” you whispered, praising him gently as you offered him a smile. He felt weak under your stare, and touch. “But Jace should be more careful with you. I promise I will talk to him about this, so he can be more patient and careful around you, dragon prince.”

The nickname was something you were used to calling him playfully, and it was a pet name he adored to hear rolling off naturally from your tongue. But what truly made him melt, was when you leaned down on his arm; pressing your lips against a scar on his skin, provoked during his training with his brother. You kissed not only one, but several of his scars and bruises so tenderly.

Realisation slowly hit him as his breath hitched, fighting back to hold a lovesick grin, as his heart pounded faster against his chest, and a rosy hue spread across his pale cheeks; you were so beautifully endearing with him. Lucerys not only was in love with you, he was absolutely dumbfounded by you.

♡ taglist : ♡

@jacesvelaryons @jjamieberry @anemicroyalcore @countsmoon @beeebo234 @manuholland6 @capellaadara @kyuupidwrites @tchatso @dopepersonacloudllama @phantasyy @tasty-nutella @mstxdes @valeriecash @cookielovesbook-akie @zzz000eee @bellarkeselection @feliuuuksks @visenya-reigned @maria699669 @mariaelizabeth21-blog1 @sweethoneyblossom1 @jamiemydeer @snowprincesa1

[hwashotcheeto]

𝑩𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅'𝒔 𝑴𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 (9)

Best Friend's Mother Masterlist

Chapter: Nine

Milf!Park Seonghwa X gn!reader

Summary: The Christmas party is finally here, and you get to meet the family. The good and the bad.

WC: 8k (I'm so sorry 😭)

CW: Fluff, party antics, all of the Ateez members are here, mentions of eating a lot of food, alcohol consumption (not done by the reader), angst, arguing, screaming, crying, comfort, hugs, kisses

AN: I knew this would be long but not THIS long, I'm so sorry about that, and I'm sorry this took so long, but it's finally here. 🥰

Disclaimer: The bio mom in this story is NOT based on anyone irl. Her character is made up and her name was chosen at random.

With that said, this might be a triggering chapter for some of you who have dealt with abusive parents, but that content is towards the end of the chapter. Please keep that in mind as you read.

With that being said, most of the chapter is still fun and fluffy, and as always, I hope you enjoy. 💜

Tag List: @hyunjinsjeans @malldreamprincess @unlikelysublimekryptonite @becauseilovedyou @kittkat44 @babyxhoiz @asleepylilcat @mxnsxngie @rxnexxi @mommahwa1117 @acciocriativity @anxiousskylar @h3arteyes4mingi @jus2passtime @asjkdk @soso59love-blog @i-love-ateez @cb97s-laptop

Wooyoung came to your side at the decorative table that Seonghwa had by the Christmas tree, carrying a plastic bag of assorted candies. Some of them were the usual Christmas themed ones, like Christmas Hershey kisses and M&Ms. But there were a few you didn’t recognize. 

You pulled out a box that had a small tray of what looked like Neapolitan ice cream on it. Next to it was a kid with a green hat eating some of it. The word “Duvalin” was written in big yellow letters above the candy and the kid.

“What’s this?” You asked, looking over the box again. Wooyoung looked up from where he was laying out the other candy in fancy glass plates and bowls. 

“Oh, Duvalin. It’s kinda like pudding, but thicker.” He took the box from you and opened it, offering one to you. “Here, try it.” 

You took the small tray from him and peeled off the plastic. Like the box, it had the three flavors of “pudding” laid next to each other. You were about to dive in when Wooyoung offered you a small stick. 

“If Eomma sees you eat it like that, he’ll have a heart attack.” 

You looked over Wooyoung’s shoulder, seeing Seonghwa in the kitchen working on setting the food up in the kitchen. He paid no mind to either of you, he was busy making sure everything was set up for when people would be arriving. 

(Even though they wouldn’t be here for another hour)

You still took the spoon from Wooyoung and scooped up a generous portion of the three flavors before you took a bite. And it tasted like Neopalitan ice cream, as you expected. But it was sweeter, and the chocolate tasted more like Nutella. 

Wooyoung went back to his chore when he saw you nod and continue to happily eat the candy. “My friend introduced me to that, and a few others.” 

“Do I know this friend?” You asked, going back for another scoop. 

“No, she’s from high school. She went to another college, so you’ve never met her.” 

“Is she coming to the party?” 

“I asked her.” Wooyoung poured the Christmas M&Ms into an intricate glass bowl before he put the lid on top. “But apparently she’s with her own family right now, and she said that they probably would let her leave.” 

You were befuddled at the idea of an adult visiting their family would suddenly have their rights revoked like that. But then you realized that your parents probably would’ve done the same to them if you still talked to them. 

“I’ll introduce you someday.” Wooyoung looked up at you and smiled. “You’d like her.” 

“Wooyoung!” Seonghwa called from the kitchen. “Please come here, I can’t hold all these things at once!” 

Wooyoung quickly ran off to help Seonghwa, and you were left there by the front door with your cup of Duvalin. You were surprised when you felt a little hurt that you weren’t asked to help. 

As you stood there slightly stunned, there was a knock at the door. 

You stared at the door like a deer in headlights for a few moments before you finally shook yourself. Just answer the door, you thought, but you couldn’t. You were stopped by questions you didn’t have answers to. Questions that needed to be answered. 

How did you introduce yourself? You and Seonghwa hadn’t discussed if you were going to tell his family that you were “together.” 

But if you didn’t tell them now, and just introduced yourself as Wooyoung’s friend, when would Seonghwa tell the others? How would they take it after knowing they’d been sold a lie? 

How would they accept the relationship at all? Would they? Would any of them approve of a relationship between someone much older and younger? 

What if- 

“Why are you frozen?” Wooyoung asked, walking past you to the door. You shook yourself out of your thoughts as he went to open the door. You did your best to swallow back the anxiety and put on your best fake smile. 

Then you remembered your cup of Duvalin, and you quickly put it aside on the candy table. 

Wooyoung pulled open the door, and his eyes lit up with stars. “Hongjoong!” He threw his arms around the man standing there, who returned the hug with one arm, a warm smile on his lips. 

“Hi Young-ah,” he said, and his voice was higher than you expected, but he sounded safe. Even just from that, you knew this man was safe. 

Wooyoung pulled back and led Hongjoong into the house, where he stopped and smiled at you. Now you got a better look at the older man, who wasn’t much taller than Wooyoung. 

He wore a flowy white shirt and black dress pants underneath a brown fur coat. The top of his shirt left open to show off a little bit of his chest. His blond hair was combed back away from his face, but there were a few strands left out to frame his face. 

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t blush a little. 

“I’ve never seen you before,” Hongjoong said as he slipped his shoes off, looking at you as he spoke. Anxiety pumped inside you as you tried to figure out the correct words to introduce yourself. 

“Oh, I’m Wooyoung’s friend,” you said simply, adding your name afterwards, flashing the best smile you could. Hongjoong nodded as he slid the coat off his shoulders, a warm smile still on his face. His comfort and ease made you relax a little. 

“I’m Hongjoong.”He bowed to you, which left you a little confused before you remembered to return the gesture. Hongjoong came back up and smiled at you. “We’ll talk more in a moment, I just need to talk to Seonghwa first.” He turned to Wooyoung the next second. “Is he in the kitchen?” 

“Yeah, he’s dealing with the food.” Wooyoung was holding onto Hongjoong’s coat, looking for the moment he could yank it away. You bit your lip to keep the laughter in. 

Hongjoong caught it too and smiled, pulling away the coat. “Thank you, I’ll go talk to him.” Wooyoung pouted as he watched Hongjoong hang his coat up in the closet before he went to the kitchen. 

“I wanted to do that,” he whined, and you finally laughed. 

“It’s a jacket, Woo.” 

“And I wanna steal it.” 

“Good luck with that!” Hongjoong called from the kitchen. Both you and Wooyoung burst into laughter at that. 

Not long later, you and Wooyoung were setting out appetizers on the dining table when there was another knock on the door. Wooyoung ran over to open the door again, and there were two men instead of one this time. 

The blond one was only slightly taller than the brown haired one. They were dressed similarly to Hongjoong, but they wore knitted sweaters instead. The blond’s was cream colored, and the brown haired one’s was black. 

They both looked up at you and smiled. “Wooyoung, who’s this?” The blond one asked, motioning to you. Wooyoung looked over his shoulder and waved you over, to which you smiled back as you walked over. Wooyoung put his hand on your shoulder as you stood next to him. 

“This is my friend, they came with me this year.” 

“You’re not spending Christmas with your family?” The brown haired one asked, sliding his coat off. The blond haired one took it and started putting both their coats away, but not without a disapproving look. Wooyoung’s hand tightened on your shoulder. 

You panicked for a moment, because you expected this question, but you weren’t sure how to answer it. You didn’t need to tell all Seonghwa’s friends all the reasons why you didn’t talk with your parents, but you knew some people would still press for answers. 

But what came out was simple and to the point: 

“No, I’ve been with Wooyoung and Seonghwa since Winter Break started.” 

The brown haired one looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but the blond grabbed his hand and squeezed, giving you a sweet smile. “Well, we’re glad to have you.” You smiled back and nodded in thanks. “I’m Yunho, this is Mingi.” 

Mingi smiled now and nodded too. “Or you can just call us “uncle”, since that’s what Wooyoung calls us.” 

Looking at the two men, they looked nothing like Seonghwa, and Wooyoung looked nothing like them. You deduced that they were uncles in the “friends with your parents” way. You just nodded, knowing you very well might forget their names. 

Your eyes drifted down and you noticed a band of gold on Mingi’s left hand. Your eyes flicked back to the men’s joined hands and saw a matching one on Yunho’s finger. 

To be honest, you could sense it from the moment you saw them. 

“Eomma’s in the kitchen,” Wooyoung blurted, breaking the short silence. 

“Alright, we’ll go see him,” Yunho said as he smiled at Wooyoung, ruffling his dark hair. He added a short sentence in Korean as he and Mingi made their way to the kitchen, which made Wooyoung shoot something back as he laughed. 

“What was that?” You asked as Wooyoung turned back to you. 

“He told me to behave and not drive Eomma crazy.” 

“And you said?” 

“I said no promises.” 

“I don’t expect any less from you.” 

You both burst into laughter all over again. The four men in the kitchen couldn’t help but smile at the lovely sound. 

“Wooyoung’s never brought a friend home for this long,” Mingi said as he leaned back against the counter, crossing his arms. “Are you sure they’re “just a friend”, or are they more?” 

Seonghwa bit the inside of his cheek, knowing the obvious answer, but he wasn’t ready to tell his friends he was involved with someone about half his age. Even though Wooyoung was okay with it, the relationship itself was still looked down on. 

His friends hadn’t judged his relationships, his lifestyle, the way he dressed, or his job. His friends had been incredibly supportive of him, and Wooyoung too. 

But he wasn’t ready to tell people yet. 

“No, those two aren’t together,” Seonghwa said, leaning on the kitchen island on his arms. 

“How are you so sure?” 

“Because Wooyoung wouldn’t be able to keep it hidden.” 

The four men laughed to themselves. But with that revelation, anxiety prickled across Seonghwa’s skin. Hopefully Wooyoung wouldn’t accidentally let anything slip about you and him. 

“He can’t keep secrets to save his life,” Hongjoong added, leaning back on the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. “Once when we were still dating, I told Wooyoung I had a surprise for Seonghwa, and we hardly made it five minutes before Wooyoung said something.”  

“Did he outright say it?” Yunho asked, leaning against the counter next to the sink. Mingi was next to him, his arm around the other’s waist. 

“No, he didn’t directly tell him, but it was obvious enough that Seonghwa figured it out.” 

Seonghwa smiled as he thought about it. Hongjoong had surprised him with a date night, where they’d go to a restaurant and then the newest Star Wars movie at the time. 

Wooyoung, who was coming with, couldn’t stop talking about the movie for the rest of the time between when he got home with Hongjoong and the time Seonghwa got his surprise. 

Hongjoong stopped telling Wooyoung his plans for surprises after that. 

“I still enjoyed it,” Seonghwa smiled at Hongjoong, to which Hongjoong returned it. 

Sometimes, Seonghwa considered trying again. Opening the door back up and seeing if they could make it work one more time. 

But Hongjoong had found a girlfriend a year prior. And now Seonghwa had you. 

The four looked towards the living room when they heard Wooyoung’s voice again, along with a few new ones. Seonghwa stood up and excused himself to go see Wooyoung’s friends, two of whom he knew already. 

But as Seonghwa reached the front door, he met the one he was unfamiliar with. He was taller than Wooyoung by a few inches, with broad shoulders and massive arms. He stretched out the material of his dress shirt thin when he put his arms around Wooyoung to hug him. 

He had dark, slicked back hair, with sharp facial features, and eyes that could kill. 

Honestly, he was incredibly intimidating. 

But then he watched you and Wooyoung take turns hugging him, and all the intimidation melted away. He spoke brightly, with his dark eyes turning to little slits when he smiled, and little dimples on his cheeks. 

“Wooyoung, who’s this?” Seonghwa asked as he walked up to his son. 

You looked up and ducked out to talk to Yeosang and Jongho as they were putting away their coats, but all of you were watching the three of them out of the corner of your eye. 

“Do you think he knows?” Jongho whispered, in reference to Seonghwa knowing about Wooyoung and San. 

“How could he not?” Yeosang whispered back, side eyeing the two boys. “It’s not like they’re very good at keeping the ‘secret’.” 

You and Yeosang tried to stifle the giggle that threatened to come out by covering your mouths, but Wooyoung heard it, and shot you both a dirty glare before he turned back to Seonghwa with a smile.

“Eomma, this is San. San, this is my mom, Seonghwa.” San smiled brightly at Seonghwa, his eyes turning to slits again before he gave a small bow. Seonghwa returned it, as he began to see his son’s taste more and more. 

And he was approving of the man he chose. 

“Thank you for letting us come to the party,” San said as he came back up. 

“Of course, you’re always welcome here.” Seonghwa put his hand on San’s shoulder, and that was the moment that San realized that Seonghwa knew. 

As if Seonghwa couldn’t tell from how San’s arm was still around Wooyoung’s waist, or how Wooyoung had his arm on San’s shoulder. The way Wooyoung looked at San with stars in his eyes and the sweetest smile. 

“I trust you with my son,” he said softly before he pulled back. 

Wooyoung’s eyes went wide before his face turned tomato red. San’s cheeks began to turn red and he looked away, his arm tightening around Wooyoung. Seonghwa still just smiled as you were giggling with Yeosang and Jongho by the door. 

The tension in the air disappeared. It was warm instead, as it should be on Christmas. 

And then Wooyoung interrupted. 

“How did you know?!” 

All of you burst into laughter. The three men in the kitchen were laughing too. 

With all the joy and laughter, with the happy arrival of your friends, with meeting the uncles, you managed to relax. In the comfort of your friends, everything seemed bright and happy. 

So much so that you almost forgot that the night was far from over. 

Seonghwa had excused himself to change into something more fitting for the party. And when he came back, you nearly fell to your knees. 

He wore a strapless, floor length, red velvet dress. The bodice was similar to a corset, with jewels over where the boning would be, and all over the waist line and top of the dress. The skirt was form fitting, hugging his body just right and showing off everything. 

He’d done his hair and makeup too, letting the dramatic looks out for once. He’d curled his hair, but put half of it into a ponytail, letting the rest fall free.

He’d worn red sparkly eyeshadow with large eyeliner wings, with glossy red lips to match and a little bit of pink on his cheeks. 

He looked at you with his eyes half closed and smiled softly before he went to greet some of the guests that had arrived when he was gone. 

You could’ve shattered the glass of the drink you were holding. 

You wanted nothing more than to grab him and hold him so tight, to kiss his stupid shiny lips and tear the gorgeous dress off his body. Wooyoung was giggling beside you as you loosened your death drip on your glass. 

“What are you laughing at?” you spat, looking at him instead. 

“You, idiot. You look like you’re about to explode.” 

You smacked his shoulder, which only made him giggle more. “Maybe I am,” you mumbled before you took a sip of your drink, 

Wooyoung had changed too, but he just wore a big blue and white striped sweater with nice pants. You were wearing something similar, valuing comfort over fashion tonight. Seeing Seonghwa’s outfit now, it felt like you both were underdressed. 

The party had been amazing otherwise. Wooyoung had introduced you to the other aunts, uncles, and cousins that had come to the party. Thankfully, most of them didn’t ask why you weren’t with your own family. 

Wooyoung dragged you along to talk to Hongjoong, Yunho, and Mingi as well, which you were hoping to do anyway. 

You hung onto Hongjoong’s every word as he talked about the many artists he’d worked with, the songs he produced, and he even let you and Wooyoung hear sneak peeks of some unreleased projects. 

Yunho and Mingi were both lawyers at the same firm, but they both insisted that they’d rather talk about anything else than their job on Christmas. So you talked about a great deal of things, and even eventually asked how they met each other. 

The two gave each other a smile before they looked back at you. “We were on opposite sides of one case,” Yunho began, with a storyteller type tone, far off and dreamy. “We ended up meeting each other after it was settled, and the rest is history.” 

“Who won the case?” Wooyoung asked, already knowing the answer, but wanting to hear the answer again anyway. 

Yunho sighed as Mingi smiled proudly. “Mingi did.” 

Mingi reached over and squeezed his hand. “It wasn’t an easy win.” 

“Of course not, I worked my ass off for that case!” 

You and Wooyoung couldn’t help but devolve into giggles like little kids. 

But for most of the time, you stayed with San, Yeosang, and Jongho. You all naturally gravitated back towards each other when you were pulled away, so you all ended up sticking together. Laughing, yelling, messing with all of Wooyoung’s family, stealing the food. 

Then Seonghwa came back and nearly turned you into a puddle in front of everyone. 

You were trying to clear the redness from your face, Wooyoung still giggling beside you, when you heard a knock at the door. 

The part you’d forgotten about. The catch to everything. The rain for the parade. 

You almost didn’t hear it over the chatter of the party, but Wooyoung definitely heard it. His face instantly fell and body went rigid. 

You put your drink down and grabbed Wooyoung’s hand. He shook himself out of his frozen state to look at you, and you saw that scared little boy again. The same one from those weeks ago when he opened up to you about the villain who was on the other side of the door. 

You’d promised him many weeks ago that he wouldn’t be alone. You’d be by his side, you wouldn’t let him go through it alone. Especially not now. 

“I’ll go with you,” you said softly, squeezing his hand. Wooyoung squeezed your hand back. 

“Okay,” he mumbled, staring at the floor, his shoulders drooping, his hands growing slick. 

You knew this feeling all too well. This internal battle. This anxiety that threatened to consume you completely. You began to feel your heart pounding against your ribs. You were hoping you’d have more time before you had to confront something like this again. 

But you’d do it for Wooyoung. You’d shove your fear aside to support Wooyoung. 

You walked with him to the front door. You kept your fingers laced with his as he hesitated to open the door. You squeezed his hand again, and he squeezed back. 

You could hear your heartbeat in your head now. Breathing was growing more difficult. 

You both took a deep, long breath. And then the door was open. 

At first glance, she didn’t look like much. She was shorter then Wooyoung, about your height, with long dark hair done in a braid down her shoulder, with a dark green knee length dress. 

But everyone knows this song and dance: Looks can be deceiving. 

“Wooyoung!” The woman squealed, throwing her arms out to hug him tightly. Wooyoung used his free arm to hug her back, still keeping his hand locked with yours. “Oh, I’ve missed you so much! It’s been months!” 

“Yeah, it’s been a while,” Wooyoung said flatly, patting her back. 

The woman hugged him a few seconds too long before she finally pulled back and came inside the house. “Oh, who’s this?” She asked, her tone teasing, clearly hinting at more as she saw your joined hands. Instinctively, you wanted to pull your hand back and tell her it’s not what she thought. 

But you shoved that aside as you just smiled and squeezed his hand. “I’m his friend. I wanted to spend Christmas with him this year.” 

“Not with your own family?” She cocked an eyebrow as she looked at Wooyoung, as if he’d somehow have the answer. He just looked at you. 

You could’ve said a lot. You were already thinking of venomous retorts you could throw at her. Her, who you knew despite her pretty face and sweet voice, was exactly like the people you’d escaped years before. 

But all you said was: “Nope.” 

Wooyoung’s mother blinked in confusion, expecting more, but when she realized you weren’t going to say anything else, she forced a smile. “Alright, well, I hope you’ve had a good time with him.” 

“I have,” you said simply, giving her the same fake smile she gave you. 

You were already growing exhausted of this facade. Your heart was pounding so hard, you could hear it in your head. Your hands were slowly growing slick. 

She simply nodded before she bowed only her head. You returned the gesture. “My name is Hajoon. Yours?” 

You gave her your name. Begrudgingly. 

“Well, it’s nice to meet you,” Hajoon said dismissively before she turned back to Wooyoung. But you stayed beside Wooyoung, holding his hand that was tightly gripping yours. 

“Woo, honey,” she cooed, reaching up to hold Wooyoung’s cheek. It took everything in him to not flinch and not move away from her hand. “You haven’t answered me in months. Is everything okay?” 

“Yeah, everything’s fine,” he said. He shifted his weight around and swallowed, his throat bobbing. “I’ve just been busy this semester.” 

“Aww, my poor baby.” Hajoon pouted. “You can always ask me if you need help, you know.” 

“I know, but I have help already.” Wooyoung raised his hand which was joined with yours. “If I didn’t have their help, I would’ve been kicked out a long time ago.” 

Hajoon looked at you as you looked away, a blush creeping into your cheeks. He was giving you a little too much credit, but it wasn’t a complete lie. He did need your help sometimes, and you were willing to help. 

“Isn’t that sweet?” Hajoon gushed with a big smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m glad you have help, baby, but I’ll still be here if you need it.” 

Wooyoung nodded once. “Okay, I’ll keep that in mind.” 

Hajoon stayed silent for a moment, but when she realized Wooyoung had nothing else to say, she just nodded too. 

She hugged him again, and like before, Wooyoung just patted her back with one hand. She pulled back and pressed a kiss to his cheek before she let go. “I’ll go say hi to everyone else, and then we’ll talk more, okay?” 

Wooyoung mumbled an “okay” as she walked away. As soon as she was far enough away, he rubbed his cheek with the sleeve of his sweater. 

You let out a huge sigh of relief as you finally let go of Wooyoung’s hand. You both wiped your hands off on your clothes before you turned to each other. 

“That was exhausting,” you said as you watched Hajoon make her way through the people with that goddamn fake smile. 

“Exactly.” Wooyoung took a deep breath before he hung his head. “I just hope she doesn’t start anything.” 

“I’ll be here.” You rubbed his shoulder. “You’re not alone.” He still didn’t look up at you, but he nodded. 

She took everything out of him. It was only a little over a minute, but Hajoon just being here exhausted Wooyoung. You felt it too. The exhaustion from just being stressed that this person might do something, from keeping up the mask that you tolerate this person. 

Your heart ached when you saw it. But it was a different ache. It was painful. It hurt so badly. 

You pulled Wooyoung into a hug and held him tight. He hugged you back instantly, leaning his head on your shoulder. 

“You’re not alone,” you said softly, rubbing his back. Wooyoung nodded again. You couldn’t see it, but he was fighting tears. 

You’d say it until you couldn’t anymore. You’d be there for him. You’d be at his side tonight. 

He wasn’t alone. And he never would be. 

Seonghwa saw the two of you locked in the hug and went over, putting his hand on Wooyoung’s back. Wooyoung pulled back and looked up, wiping his eyes. 

“If she says anything to you, I’ll take care of her,” Seonghwa said softly. Wooyoung nodded, blinking back the rest of the tears. You reached up and rubbed his arm, leaning your head on his shoulder. 

Seonghwa leaned in and pressed a kiss to Wooyoung’s forehead. Wooyoung returned the kiss with one on his cheek before Seonghwa pulled back. “You know, Hongjoong was telling me he had some artists you’d probably like to meet before you go back to college.” 

Wooyoung’s face lit up and his smile melted away any of the tension that was there. “Really? Where is he?” 

“He’s on the couch, I told him I’d go get you.”

Wooyoung took off running for the couch, leaving you and Seonghwa alone by the door. He looked at you, and you looked at him. 

As badly as you wanted to hug him and kiss his Christmas red lips, you’d have to restrain yourself until the party was over. 

“Are you enjoying the party otherwise, dear?” Seonghwa asked, his mother voice coming in thickly. You gave him a small smile as you nodded. 

“Yeah, I’ve been having fun.” 

Seonghwa smiled back. “Good. I hope it stays that way,” he added, trailing off. You could only nod in answer, hoping for the same. 

If only you knew. 

It’d been only an hour after Hajoon arrived, and everyone already wanted her gone. 

Not because she was fighting with anyone, but because everyone knew her “rot your teeth sweetness” was a bald-faced lie. 

She stayed close to Wooyoung most of the time, being touchy and huggy, talking about herself more than talking with him about anything else. 

You were with Wooyoung through it all, and you were both bored to tears hearing about her jobs, her friends, her latest ex boyfriend. It’s like she was gossiping like a teenager, but she was in her forties. 

It didn’t help that Hajoon was the biggest drinker there. She was already halfway to hammered by the time the first hour was over. 

Her conversation topics started becoming more nonsensical and inappropriate. Most of the time, neither you nor Wooyoung had any clue what she was trying to say. 

It was mostly tame until Seonghwa came up behind you two. You were sitting on the couch, and Hajoon was sitting in one of the chairs. She scowled as he put his hands on Wooyoung’s shoulders, but he ignored the look, focusing on you two. 

“You can eat dinner now if you’re hungry,” Seonghwa said, looking between the two of you. “Some people have already gotten theirs, so it’s not as crowded.” 

“Thanks Eomma-” Wooyoung started, then instantly shut his mouth before he spoke again. “Dad.” 

But Hajoon heard it. 

Wooyoung tried to cover it up and flash a sweet little smile, but his death grip on your hand told you otherwise. 

“He’s not your eomma,” Hajoon slurred, her words barely discernible from each other. “You never call me eomma, Wooyoung.” She was trying to be serious, but the slurred speech just made her sound ridiculous. 

“Hajoon, go eat something, you’re drunk,” Seonghwa spat, more forcefully than you or Wooyoung expected. 

And that was the moment you both realized that it was time. The event you were both mentally preparing for, this was it. 

You both braced for Hajoon to spit back at him, but she just stared. But if looked could kill, Seonghwa would’ve been dead and buried. 

She kept up that stare for a few seconds before she got up and stormed into the kitchen. 

You and Wooyoung looked at each other in bewilderment. Even Seonghwa was stunned. 

“Take it and don’t say anything,” you whispered. Wooyoung and Seonghwa both nodded in agreement. Don’t push her, don’t say anything else that might piss her off. 

She was already a bomb with the fuse lit. But the length of said fuse wasn’t anything the three of you knew. 

“Why don’t you two wait a minute, then go get food, okay?” Seonghwa offered. You and Wooyoung nodded, to which Seonghwa nodded back before he walked away. 

The two of you sat in silence the minute you waited to go get food, your hands still interlocked. Why hadn’t Hajoon said anything? It was the perfect excuse for her to go off, but she didn’t. Why? Did she think it wasn’t worth it? 

Wooyoung knew her far better than you did (obviously), and he knew that in all Seonghwa and Hajoon’s years of being broken up, she’d always take a chance to start a fight or say something to him that she didn’t need to. 

She wasn’t always the instigator though. Sometimes, Seonghwa would start it. If Wooyoung happened to overhear or be present, he’d apologize for it. But the point of the matter is that the two had countless spats over the years. 

So why Hajoon stayed silent was a mystery to him and Seonghwa, and you by extension. 

You didn’t need to know their history to know that an abusive narcissist loved to fight, especially if they thought they were correct. Especially when she was drunk, no less. 

Whatever the reason, it made you both tense for whenever she would actually start something. 

You both tried not to think about it as you went to grab food. By that point, you were the last two besides Seonghwa who had to eat. Thankfully, because of Seonghwa’s wonderful planning, there was still plenty of food for you to grab. 

You loaded your plates up with as much food as you could, as you both hadn’t eaten for hours. Wooyoung especially was stacking food on top of itself. 

“Are you sure you’re gonna eat all that?” You teased. Wooyoung just gave you a sly smirk and said nothing. 

You were both ready to make your way back to the couch, but as you were ready to leave the kitchen, San, Yeosang, and Jongho were already at the dining table, calling you both over. 

Wooyoung happily went to sit with them, and you were about to follow, but Seonghwa gently grabbed onto your arm. You didn’t even realize he’d come into the kitchen. 

You looked up as he pulled you back a little, smiling warmly at you with half closed eyes. “Stay back with me for a second, please? I need some help with something.” 

You knew by the look in his eyes that he didn’t actually need anything. 

Except for you. 

You set your plate on the kitchen counter and let him lead you to the back of the kitchen, to a walk-in pantry, of which Seonghwa pulled you into and closed the door behind him. 

“We’re not going to-” You started, but Seonghwa was already shaking his head as he pulled you into his arms. 

“No, not now,” he murmured against your hair, holding you tight against his chest. “I just wanted to hold you.” You gladly melted into his arms and hugged him back. 

You’d been waiting for a moment where you could sneak off with Seonghwa and be with him for just a few minutes. To be in his arms, to just be you two again away from everyone else. Being around other people and pretending he wasn’t anything to you was torture. 

But now you two were alone, and now you were wrapped up in his arms, just like you always wanted to be. 

“You look gorgeous,” you said softly. Seonghwa couldn’t help but smile as heat rushed to his cheeks. 

“Thank you, jagiya. You look adorable.” You smiled bigger and nuzzled into his chest. His velvet dress felt wonderful against your skin, so soft, just as you imagined it would feel. 

You both needed this. Just a couple minutes alone, relaxing in each other's warmth. 

You knew you were going to be back in Seonghwa’s bed by the end of the night, but you couldn’t wait that long to hug him again. 

You wished you could’ve been by Seonghwa’s side all night. His arm around you while you were pressed against him, leaning on his shoulder. Your gorgeous boyfriend, keeping you with him, showing you off as his cute little partner. 

Maybe someday, you’d get there. 

You pulled back and looked up at Seonghwa, giving him your own half closed, loving gaze, similar to the one he always gave you. He held you even tighter as he came up to hold the back of your neck to pull you into a soft kiss. 

His gloss tasted like cherries. 

It was meant to be a soft and quick kiss, but one kiss turned to two, three, four needy ones before you knew it. 

Four turned into who knows how many, with you both gripping onto each other desperately, Seonghwa’s tongue pushing it’s way past your lips to deepen the kiss. You were addicted to his soft moans and heavy breaths, the way they were swallowed up by your kisses. You ran your hand down his body to keep them going- 

“What the fuck?!” 

You both jumped away from each other at the screech, You whipped your head to the door and your heart sunk to your feet. 

It was Hajoon. 

Seonghwa quickly stepped in front of you and held his arm out to keep you back. “Hajoon, this is none of your-”

But she cut him off, screeching like a wild animal. “You’re disgusting! Forcing yourself on someone your son’s age!” 

“He wasn’t forcing-” You tried to interject, but Seonghwa pushed you back a little more as Hajoon continued. 

“You couldn’t find anyone else our age to tolerate you, so you’re going after our son’s friends?! Were you just gonna go down the line and take your pick?!” 

You reached out and held onto Seonghwa’s hand. It was hard to get air in, like your lungs had shrunk. Your heart felt like it was about to explode. Your clothes were clinging to your body with sweat. 

“Hajoon, enough.” Seonghwa’s voice had dropped lower and his head was tilted down, staring at her through his brows. “You don’t know everything-” 

“I don’t need to know anything, I can see it all right here!” 

“Hajoon-” 

“Pretending to be a woman wasn’t enough for you, now you’re a predator?!” 

Just like that, the fear disappeared, and white hot anger washed over you. 

But as you opened your mouth to tear her to shreds, another voice popped up. 

“You do NOT get to call him that.” 

Wooyoung stormed up to Hajoon and stood in front of her, staring her down, his eyes dark and devoid of anything else but pure rage. 

But she just stared at him with the same anger she had for Seonghwa. 

“Oh, so you’re defending this?” She spat, motioning to you and Seonghwa as the this. “You’re okay with your father forcing himself on your friend?!” 

Wooyoung’s hands were clenched into fists at his sides, shaking a little. His jaw was clenched tight like a vice. 

You’d never seen him more infuriated. 

“He’s not forcing himself on anyone,” Wooyoung all but growled out. “You don’t know anything about this, Mom.” 

“Why would I need to?! This is wrong! What if I started dating one of your friends, would it still be okay then?” Despite being shorter than Wooyoung, Hajoon still seemed like she was larger. Like an unstoppable force, an immovable object. 

Wooyoung stared at her for a few moments, turning the words over in his head before he finally spit them back out at her. 

“No, because I wouldn’t want my friends to date someone as bitchy and abusive as you.” 

There it was, the spark that finally set off the bomb. 

“How dare you?!” Hajoon screamed, then began to sob. Your hands shook with anger as memories came up again. “It’s not true, but you keep saying it! What did I do that was so cruel to you, what made me so abusive?!” 

But despite her crying, her begging, her drunken, wild craze, Wooyoung didn’t flinch. There was no sympathy in his eyes. There was nothing. 

“Do you really want a list?” He asked flatly. Hajoon wailed again. 

“You’re such a liar!” She cried, wiping away some of the crocodile tears off her cheeks. “What made you like this?” She started to reach out to hold his face again. “What happened to my sweet Wooyou-” 

He stepped away before she could touch him. Hajoon doubled over as if she’d been punched in the stomach, and she let out a painful sob with it. 

You and Seonghwa finally stepped out of the pantry now that you had space to. Everyone was standing in or just outside the kitchen, thanks to Hajoon. Shame washed over you and Seonghwa, but everyone was more focused on Wooyoung and Hajoon. 

“You did,” Wooyoung ground out. “YOU happened to me, Mom.” His voice cracked as his eyes filled with tears. “You taught me that screaming at people was a good way to get them to listen, you taught me that apologies don’t matter, you taught me EVERYTHING YOU NEVER want to admit to!”

The tears spilled down his cheeks the more he spoke, until all his words were just sobs and gasps. The scared little Wooyoung was back. 

The scared little boy who just wanted to be loved. 

But Hajoon didn’t see it. “Wooyoung, I have never-” 

“Hajoon,” Seonghwa interrupted, his own voice now shaky. “Leave my house.” 

She looked up at him in bewilderment, hoping he wasn’t serious. But he was giving her a similar cold look to the one Wooyoung gave her. But Seonghwa’s was more desperate. More tired. 

“Seonghwa-” 

“Don’t ever come back.” 

You squeezed Seonghwa’s hand. He finally squeezed back. 

With one final cry, Hajoon stormed out of the house, pushing past everyone else to grab her things and slam the front door behind her. 

No one said a word. The house was filled with a tension so thick, it was suffocating, like it was invading your lungs and forcing out the air. 

There was a lot that needed to be said. Looking at everyone’s confused and worried faces, there was an imminent and long conversation that needed to be started, but you didn’t know what to say. 

But you looked over at Wooyoung, who’d pulled himself back against the wall with his face covered, trying to stop crying, and you couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over yourself. 

You pulled away from Seonghwa and nearly ran to Wooyoung, throwing your arms around him and pulling him into a tight hug. He hugged you back instantly, and you both cried in each other’s arms. 

“You did good,” you whispered, not being able to speak any louder. 

Wooyoung tightened his arms around you. “I’m a mess.” 

“That doesn’t matter.” Your throat closed up and another sob shot from your lips. “You did good, Wooyoung.” 

You didn’t know it at the time, but your words meant more to him than you knew. Wooyoung’s heart swelled hearing the words, and thankfully, he believed you. Even if he did look like a mess, he believed you when you said he did good. 

Because he did. From the way they spoke, it sounded like Wooyoung had tried to confront Hajoon, or make her see how she hurt him. 

But he properly stood up to her this time. Even if she didn’t take a single word of his and think about it, he got it off his chest. 

Wooyoung did it for himself. 

Hongjoong stepped through the crowd of people and walked over to Seonghwa, and his hands began to tremble. 

Seonghwa fully expected criticism from everyone. From not being told up front to how disgusting his current relationship was. Countless lectures and people talking down to him, telling him how wrong he was to pursue someone his son’s age. 

But Hongjoong’s eyes were sympathetic, and his body was relaxed. Seonghwa looked behind him, and Yunho and Mingi were at the front of the small crowd, with the same sympathetic look. 

San, Yeosang, and Jongho were right behind them. San was looking at Wooyoung, his face contorted into pain like he was being stabbed. 

“Do you want to tell us the truth, and not what Hajoon said?” Hongjoong asked, his voice soft. Seonghwa took a shaky breath before he nodded. 

“Yes, I’m in a…relationship of sorts with them,” he started, his eyes falling to the floor. “It’s been going on for a few weeks. I didn’t force them into this, everything, I made sure they consented.” Seonghwa’s vision grew blurry as his throat closed up, cutting off his words. 

Even as he spoke, he couldn’t get the thoughts out of his head. He couldn’t stop hearing Hajoon’s voice. Predator. 

It’d been his fear since the beginning. Isn’t that what he was? An older man pursuing someone much younger? A predator? 

“I believe you,” Hongjoong said softly, putting his hand on Seonghwa’s arm, sliding down to hold his hand. “Did you initiate this because they’re younger?” 

“No,” Seonghwa instantly spit out. “No, never.” His eyes drifted over to you. “At first, it’s because I found them attractive. But they’re sweet, and funny, helpful, respectful, patient, understanding...” He trailed off and looked back at the ground. “And they didn’t want me as just a perverted sex doll.” 

A whimper left his lips as he finished his sentence, his hand coming up to try to keep the rest of the tears inside. Hongjoong’s eyes grew heavier as he held Seonghwa’s hand tighter. 

“Then you’re not a predator, Seonghwa. I know you’re not. Please believe me when I say you’re not.” 

Seonghwa didn’t want to think he was. He didn’t want to believe he was. 

But hearing himself talk about you, and never bring up your age once made him realize it. 

He didn’t want you because you were younger. He wanted you for you. 

You pulled away from Wooyoung as your crying tapered off. You both wiped your faces off with the sleeves of your sweaters as you turned to Seonghwa. 

Neither you nor Wooyoung hesitated to hug him. The tears turned into full blown sobs as he hugged you two back. It was his turn now. 

And just like you’d known the night before, you three were together. You were still together. 

The ache in your heart was back, all over you, in every part of you. It made you squeeze Seonghwa tighter as you pressed your face back into his velvet gown. 

Unbeknownst to you, Seonghwa was feeling it too. But so was Wooyoung. 

That moment solidified to you that you really had found a family. A family who cared. A family who would protect you. 

A family who loved you. 

Seonghwa closed the door as he said good night to Hongjoong, then turned back to you. 

Thankfully, everyone else was mostly accepting of the revelation that you and Seonghwa were in a relationship, but it killed the mood of the party, so everyone instead finished their food, exchanged their gifts, and agreed to call it a night. 

A lot of them agreed to help clean up, those being Hongjoong, Yunho, and Mingi, mostly helping clean up the kitchen. You and Wooyoung worked with San, Yeosang, and Jongho to freshen up the living room and dining room. 

“You two are really dating?” Yeosang had asked. You just nodded. He looked at Jongho, who looked back at him, and then at you. 

“How do you even start that?” Jongho added. 

Wooyoung piped up then when he grabbed your shoulder. “When you can’t stop drooling over the other.” 

The boys started laughing as you tried to smack Wooyoung, your face burning up remembering your first night. You were grateful that they were accepting too, but now that meant you’d get teased about it endlessly. 

But you’d rather take that over no friends at all. 

Because it was late by that point, the boys decided to stay the night (and definitely wasn’t because Wooyoung convinced San to stay first), so after clean up was done, Wooyoung took them upstairs to show them to their rooms. 

So here you were, alone again with Seonghwa. 

“I should’ve been more careful,” Seonghwa said softly. “It wasn’t a very good spot to hide.” 

“Don't beat yourself up.” You walked over to him and slipped your arms around his waist to hug him. He hugged you back, holding you tight. “You didn’t know she was going to follow us.” 

“I still regret it.” 

You knew you wouldn’t be able to convince him otherwise, so you didn’t try. You just squeezed him instead before you looked up at him. 

“Let’s go to bed,” you offered. Seonghwa nodded, and held your hand as he led you back down the familiar route to his bedroom. 

You quickly changed into an oversized t-shirt and shorts, like you usually did, and were going to wait in bed for Seonghwa to be done. 

But you still wanted to be with him. So you went to the bathroom, where he’d already changed out of his gown and into a small pink robe, and was preparing to wash his makeup off. 

“I wanna help,” you said softly as you grabbed onto his arm. Seonghwa looked at you and couldn’t help but smile. That might’ve been the most adorable thing you’d done since you’d gotten here. 

He sat down on the toilet, and guided you through how to take off his makeup and wash his face before bed. You were gentle in everything you did, going over his face like he was made of glass. 

He gratefully leaned against your hand when you held his cheek, smiling in a tired little daze as he thought about how lucky he was to have you. 

You, who was so gentle and sweet to him, who wanted to spend so much time with him, who helped him unasked because you wanted to. You wanted to help him. 

It’d taken so many years for him to find someone again who actually wanted more from him than sex. And he found it in the most unexpected way. 

Once you were done, you both went back to bed and curled up under the covers, holding each other like you had every night before. 

You didn’t know how you were going to sleep without his steady heartbeat anymore. Without his arms holding you tight. 

You didn't want to think about it, especially as your eyes were falling closed from exhaustion. You were spent, and you were finally willing to listen and give in to the tiredness. 

Seonghwa pressed a kiss to your head as he slowly rubbed your back. “Good night, jagiya,” he whispered, closing his eyes. 

“Good night, Mommy,” you whispered back, finally succumbing to sleep in Seonghwa’s arms.

Thank you for reading! Please reblog if you enjoyed! 💜

This is a work of fiction written by me. This does not represent the idol(s) in any way. Any re-upload is not allowed and will be reported.

[nyoomfruits]

ELLIEEEE! 🧡 8 & A for the drabble please 🥰

omegaverse au + “what do you mean it was an accident? how can that be an accident!”

“What do you mean it was an accident?” George’s voice howls down the line. Lando winces, holds the phone away from his face. “How can that be an accident!”

“I don’t know, it just fucking happened, didn’t it?” Lando mutters, wedging the phone between his ear and his shoulder again. “It’s not like I was planning on mating my fucking teammate.” He glances over to the kitchen, where said teammate is puttering around, making breakfast.

Oscar’s been weird, ever since Lando’s heat had subsided. He’s clearly blaming himself for what happened, angry and frustrated, but not at Lando, never at Lando. He has been nothing but the perfect Alpha to him, gently nudging Lando to take a shower and changing the sheets on his bed while he was gone, putting him on the couch wrapped in a blanket with a bottle of water after. And now he’s in the kitchen, making Lando breakfast. To provide. For his Omega.

And fuck. He’s Oscar’s omega. They are in so much shit.

“-bite guard?” George says, when Lando tunes back in.

“Slipped out,” Lando says. At the silence Lando shakes his head. “George, no, you know him, he wouldn’t. You should’ve seen his face, when he realized. Fucking mortified.”

George hisses at that. “Shit, do you think he would-“

“No,” Lando says. “No, he wouldn’t break the bond, he knows what would happen to me if-“ He swallows. “He’s not a bad guy, George. He’s making me pancakes.”

“Yeah,” George says. “But forever, mate. That’s a long time.”

Lando glances up. In the kitchen, Oscar is plating the pancakes. When he feels Lando watching Oscar looks up, smiles. It’s a brittle one, weighed down by the consequences of their actions. But. But maybe. He’s seen the way Oscar looks at him sometimes. The way he’d take an extra deep breath whenever Lando was near, like his scent was comforting.

The way he came, immediately and without question, when Lando called him in the middle of stress induced heat.

There’s many things they still need to work out. They’ll need to tell their parents, for starters. The team. Their friends. They’ll have to face the media, face the scrutiny from the world.

But, Lando thinks, they’ll do it together. And as Oscar places a plate of pancakes in front of him, thick fluffy ones topped with Nutella, just the way Lando likes them, he thinks. Maybe.

Maybe they’ll be okay.

[piratefishmama]

Nest | Part 4

A Steddie A/B/O ficlet

Eddie hadn’t skimped on ‘personal’ items. His bags were full to the brim, not of things for him to wear, but of other people’s clothes. Other people’s things.

He had sweatshirts, he had shirts, he had an old pair of jeans, some hoodies, he had pillowcases and extra blankets to throw over the scentless nest building ones provided.

He was prepared to fill his nest with comforting scents. Yet there wasn’t a single alpha scent among them.

Steve felt… comfortable there. He wasn’t intruding on anyone’s rightful place, the alpha in him felt like it belonged in that spot when Eddie finally decided he’d had enough of layering hoodies and shirts generously donated by his bandmates and friends and settled himself back next to Steve, laying in that spot where he’d just taken a momentary break, hands tired.

So it was kind of a surprise when Eddie came out, after a moments silence, with “I’m missing something.” Like it wasn’t that big of a deal if he didn’t have it, but it wasn’t there, so he needed to make it known.

“I can have one of the staff call your emergency contact if you want, see if they can get it for you?” Robin would still be at the front desk, she wouldn’t mind.

“N-no… no i—I don’t think Wayne would be able to get what I need. It’s… dumb. It’s dumb, I don’t need it, it’s okay.” Steve shifted so he was on his side, elbow propping his face up as he looked down at the omega.

So, he was pretty. He was very pretty. He was a goddamn pretty omega at that angle, how had Steve just never noticed before?

Had he really been that blind in high school?

“Eddie… whatever it is, it’s not dumb, think of it like this… pregnant omegas will ask for the weirdest shit to eat, like… the weirdest combination of foods, apparently my mother? She always asked for Celery covered in Nutella, and tuna with beef pâté on this fancy herb bread my Nonna bakes” the expression, yeah Eddie was very cute. Too cute actually. “I mention this, because it’s important to cater to those weird requests, cause that’s your body basically asking for whatever nutrients comes from those things. That’s your body saying I need something that’s in those things, combine them for quicker consumption. It’s the same sort of concept, you’re in pre-heat, that little omega part of your brain is asking for something it needs, it’ll be stressed without it making this whole thing less effective. So what is it?”

Steve had done his training, he'd spent hours, weeks, months, years of his life learning this shit so he could be better, so he could help people like Eddie.

So he could be there for someone who needed him, because so few had needed him while growing up.

So he could tell that Eddie was obviously conflicted. Brows furrowed, his bottom lip captured between his teeth worrying at the plush skin reddening it and— okay stop focusing on his lips, Steve.

“You won’t judge me?” God could those eyes get any prettier? Any bigger? Any shinier?  

Steve just about managed to catch the little whine at the back of his throat, caught it before it escaped, critical hit right there. He needed to get himself under control. “Eddie…”

“You were such a judgy bitch in high school, Steve! You cant blame me for being hesitant now.”

“Okay. I’ll give you that.” He was judgemental. He and Robin had spent many hours judging people from the reception desk, never the Omegas but definitely random staff members or people who brought their family members in, those who were fair game basically “I can be judgemental, you’re right, it’s in my nature, but never here, you’re safe here, I swear.”

“So like… a customer service smile?”

Steve grinned, all teeth, eyes shining with amusement in a way that made Eddie feel good, it gave him fuzzies.

“Exactly like a customer service smile, only with you—” Steve had the audacity to boop his nose just to watch the adorable little scrunch it garnered. Eddie couldn’t even be mad, his whole being just kind of tingled at the minimal contact. An alpha touched him. He wanted more. Steve was right next to him, close enough to curl into, that broad chest of his close enough to burrow into and snooze for a while. “I mean it.”

So he did just that. He rolled inwards. Decided Steve’s chest was exactly where he wanted to be and if Steve let him, which he did, the alpha merely letting out a soft, surprised sound, before wrapping an arm around Eddie’s body to hold him there, Eddie would stay. Comfortable. Practically purring in contentment.

He had the best alpha in his nest. He was going to enjoy it dammit!

“I’ve… never had anything of an alpha’s in my nest” he finally admitted into the soft fabric of Steve’s shirt. It made sense. He’d never had an alpha in his life, of course he wouldn’t have had anything of an alpha’s in his nest. “I was just—I just thought that maybe… it’s stupid but—maybe you’d give me something?”

It must have been the right thing to say, because the sweetest smell of cinnamon buns, toasted marshmallows, and the most delightful rumble of a sound seemed to just burst from Steve’s whole being.

The Alpha was pleased. His Alpha. His. Steve was his now. No returns.

Steve squeezed him. Squished him into his chest in a hug. His Alpha was damn near euphoric, it was the right thing to say, right thing to do, and it got him a wonderful hug too. God, Steve had such perfect arms. Perfect chest too, Eddie just wanted to bury his face between those pectorals and stay there.

Which was good because Steve didn’t seem to be keen on letting him go. Good.

“Anything” Steve answered him, tilting his head down to press his face into all those fluffy curls and just breathe. The Omega in his arms crooning softly in delight “I’d give you anything, Eddie… anything you want, it’s yours.”

Steve. He wanted Steve. It felt like such a good time to ask too. Anything, Steve said anything, and Eddie was an opportunistic little shit when he wanted to be, he could ask for anything and Steve would give it to him. Was this what it felt like to be wanted by an alpha? To feel his whole body alight with warmth? It wasn’t even sexual, he just… he felt good.

An immense amount of pleasure that had nothing to do with sex, it was just… like he’d found his spot and didn’t have to leave it. Home. He’d found home.

“Then… can I have you?”

Part 6

[theallianceofcelestials]

How would the SEA family react to the Witching Hour gang?

Ah, Withcing Hours my beloved. I have plans for that AU

Imma just put another read more thingy down and go down by SEA character list

Eclipse

So WH Eclipse is the one eclipse I wrote who pays the most attention to his looks, getting clothes made entirely for him (as is era-wise correct), and even using makeup, and he's not impressed by SEA Eclipse's clothing choices. They're also both weirded out by the other's position in their family. Like what do you mean there's a witch version of him who's adopted Lunar and Bloodmoon and they call him mom? Unbeliavable. After a while WH Eclipse would take this 'kid' under his wings, trying to teach him about stuff. They'd eventually settle into gossipping with each other, and become the mean girls they were both meant to be. Only soft to their family.

WH Bloodmoon would act bashfully around him, trying to earn his approval, basically treating him like a second mom. He doesn't know how to handle that. He's not sure he feels comfortable being referred to as a parent, let alone as a mom. Especially when he has a brotherly relationship with his Bloodmoon. Ultimately they get into an uncle-nephews relationship, where he half-mentors the kids under the guidance and blessing of their mom. He lets them get away with some mischief so long as they don't try using blood magic in his room.

WH Lunar would also have the same problem, although more accidental than anything. They too would develop a nephew-uncle relationship, though WH Lunar would be weirded out by the fact this Eclipse is not a witch, and he has a Lunar who looks different from him and is his brother. Like his own mom being a witch is such a deep part of who he is he just kinda can't see it being differently. SEA Eclipse being a magicless individual is just weird. Eclipse is just kind of staring at this random kid sometimes dropping the most terrifying shit ever without even noticing. Like the fuck you mean they were living on the streets for years starving? His daycare attendant programming would murder him.

Killcode

WH Eclipse and him have a rocky start of, seeing as WN Eclipse hasn't seen his own father in a while. It's a bit full of crying, which would freak Killcode out a bit, but they ultimately would develop a friendly, if awkward relationship. They'd absolutely fight each other over the kitchen tho. It'd be the magical equivalent of a fistfight. Like that's both of their domain, and they won't give it up just because some random fucker decided that sharing is against their personal code.

WH Bloodmoon would be in awe of an actual Killcode they can see. They'd want to know everything about this one, and would be disappointed once their mother tells them this isn't like his father. After that they'd be sulking until Killcode offered them some sort of snack, and then all bet's are off. Killcode would become a playground sclimbing structure.

WH Lunar would be terrified. He'd try to be brave, try to act normally, but he'd ultimately just squeak and clam up. Killcode somewhat finds this amusing. An offered nutella pastry puts them on the right path though

Solar Flare

Now this is where things get a bit weird for Solar Flare, because this Eclipse reacts with fluster to it. WH Eclipse has never met his world's Solar Flare before, and he doesn't see it as family. He finds it more charming, but he doesn't do anything with that opinion. He just kinda becomes excited to meet his world's own, curious about the relationship they may develop, whether that be familial, friendly, or something entirely else. Solar Flare is just convinced the family should go shopping so Eclipse can get some dresses too, because it wants to draw its brother in them and WH Eclipse seems so comfortable in them it's kinda convinced that might just be an Eclipse thing. They'd end up becoming fast friends who hold book clubs in the end.

WN Bloodmoon would be weirded out by them, and they would be eternally amused. It'd be declared as a challenge the twins need to overcome, so he'd help them train their physical abilities. They'd have a friendly relationship, especially because WH Bloodmoon is a bit more mature at this age than its brother was.

WH Lunar and it would not know how to interact, and they wouldn't go past awkwardness. They'd both try and fail to get along, until they just both decide it isn't for them. Still, Solar Flare feels like it has failed somehow.

Bloodmoon

WH Eclipse would try to parent them, and they'd hate it. It'd ultimately, and miserably, fail. Their relationship would be fixed only when Eclipse eases up finally, and they can start developing a friendship on more traditionally equal terms. After that they'd like to hang out in the woods together, both enjoying nature.

Just like with WN Bloodmoon, they'd take WH Bloodmoon under their wings. They'd show them how to loosen up a bit more and impart their wisdom a bit more easily. So instead of a more prankster duo, they'd become more of a mentor-mentoree pair. It works out for them both.

WH Lunar would think seeing an adult version of his brother is the coolest thing, and Bloodmoon would take that as a compliment. They'd try drawing this kid out of his shell too, bringing him to hang out in the forest and teaching him Scrabble, because he is a bit more receptive than their own Lunar.

Lunar

Seeing a witch Eclipse would be cool at first, and then comes the awkwardness of the different relationships with their own dimension's versions. WH Eclipse would try parenting and Lunar would awkwardly accept it. They're uncomfortable around each other until Lunar snaps and just decides he's going to play a horror game with this fuck and scare him to death. It backfires, because instead of getting scared, he gets offended at the incorrect depiction of certain mythological creatures. He'd end up ranting about how no, wendigos don't have antlers, and whoever thought of that was stupid and dumb. He'd be especially offended over the HP franchise once Lunar stops laughing enough to show him it. Needless to say, Lunar's going to have fun with this guy

WH Bloodmoon is just a bit more boring version of the brothers he remembers from childhood, or maybe a bit more reserved is the right word. They'd get along like a house on fire, with Bloodmoon feeling happy to see there's another version of their brother out there who's happy and healthy.

WH Lunar takes one look at SEA Lunar and decides he likes what he sees. They'd constantly get into trouble together, and SEA Lunar would take this kid under his wing too. A little mischief never hurt anyone after all

Sun

WH Eclipse would have no idea how to react to this guy, and Sun would just think he has style. They'd ultimately end up becoming buddies, and gush about their pets to the other. They'd have little pet dates too, where Star, Tux and Midnight are just left to play together while they gossip. WH Eclipse also gives great advice with how to run your own household, and Sun helps him learn to knit

WH Bloodmoon would remind him of his nephews, so he'd obviously take on his usual uncle role. They accept him, pestering him with questions about his own model, because surely there're some similarities between their mom and Sun if they look so similar? So Sun would share all the dirty secrets about how to scratch at the rays so their mom can relax more easily.

WH Lunar would be a bit more wary, but ultimately decide he's cool. He likes the cats, and he likes the treats Sun can make and he likes playing games with him too. Though not against him. He's kind of terrifying when he gets going.

Moon

WH Eclipse and him would have a frenemies relationship, where they tease and bully each other, but are ultimately friends. They don't have quite as much is common, what with WH not being in the same era as them and thus lacking in electronics, but they make it work. Magic and science are two sides of the same coing after all. So they'd just be a science-magic nerd club, where they invite SEA Eclipse and Killcode too. Club meetings are on every friday afternoon :) Moon also thinks WH Eclipse makes killer pies too

WH Bloodmoon are much more pleasant for him than his own nephews were as kids, even if he feels shitty thinking about that. Like he loves his nephews, but they were a lot as kids. These ones are a bit more mature though, and quieter. Traits that make Moon feel more at ease around them. He'd also act more uncle-ey, which WH Bloodoon would accept too. They wouldn't be too close though

WH Lunar is another second nephew in the coming, one he feels a bit better with too. Yet again, he loves his nephews but they were a pain as kids. He prefers them as adults. He's not fooled by the puppy eyes anymore though, having experienced them way too much with his nephew.

[danihow]

Anatomy

Choi San x GN!Reader

Summary: Studying anatomy for tomorrow's test with your friend, who you have a crush on, should've go relatively calm.

Word count: 3k

Warnings: medstudent! san and medstudent!reader, suggestive, confessing, fluff, teeni tiny bit of angst, fluff, San being flirty.

A/N: I started this exactly a year and a half ago and left it there until today, I am NOT going to proofread it because i will hate it if i do, i know. And and and, I am trying to get back on writting so as you all know, any feedback is appreciated, hope you all have a great dayyyy.

"'Kay, so, we already got irrigation down, and innervation too, we reviewed the muscles on last Monday’s extra hours, sindesmiology will go by what god's wants, what do we have left?" You recall, the cap of the whiteboard marker going off with a pop as you mark off the last cavities topic you just covered over.

"Maybe, just maybe, we can have a rest." San says over from the couch, full on manspreading as his head is resting on the back cushions, visibly tired from all the studying you've been doing.

"Or..." His head snapped up as fast as he could upon your voice, a death glare over to you, daring you to continue. "We can take over osteology real quick and call it a night, test isn't until 2 p.m. tomorrow anyways." You say happily, or in an attempt to sound like it, excited by the vacations you had around the corner after two exhausting back to back semesters.

"Please y/n..." he whined, his mental exhaustion taking over. "At least let me rest my mind ten minutes, give me back my phone for five minutes and then we keep on." his voice was raspy, eyes tired with bags under them, a puppy look on them that made you cave in, oh how you hated him and his perfect eyes.

"Alright, but, 10 minutes, no more, preferably less, and we keep on going." Your words caused such a brightening effect on the man, eyes tiredly becoming smaller as a smile took over his face, arms stretching and hands signaling for you to give him his phone.

"Thank you..." his singsonging voice cheered, phone in his hands and back flopping back into the couch. "You know how much I love you right?" He said, looking for less than a second over to you before getting up to go to the kitchen, muttering something along the lines of assaulting your fridge, to which you were unable to pay much attention, heart thumping so hard into your ears.

Your eyes followed the figure of the man disappearing into your kitchen, the sound of the fridge opening falling on deaf ears.

Choi San was going to be the death of yours one day with that stupid mouth of his.

Along with his stupidly beautiful face.

Not that he knew you thought that, nor the way your heartbeat sped up every time he gently placed his hand on the small of your back to guide you through crowds, how he rested his head on your shoulder in the middle boring classes, or he just barely smiled at you.

All the little things of him made your heart rush ever since you met him, quite some time back when you two went to the same tutor for your admission test; and then reconnecting when you two decided to change your individual career paths into medicine.

And this little crush of yours was driving you insane.

"And we're ready!" He exclaimed from the kitchen, a bowl of fresh cut strawberries in one hand and the Nutella in the other, two bottles of water maneuvered under his arm and a stupid smirk painting his defined features.

"I had strawberries on my fridge?" You ask rather confused, but relieved to find him less tired.

"You have a bunch of weird stuff on that fridge." The bowl of strawberries placed in front of you on the coffee table, a bottle of water right at your face. "Shall we continue?" A small smile of his face as he hands you the bottle, maybe the exhaustion in your head making you imagine a fond look in his eyes.

"S-sure" You stuttered, forcing you out of the trance, trying hard to drown all the butterflies invading your body. "How should we study osteology?" You ask, you were awful in osteology, having tried almost every method your professors suggested.

"I usually point them in a cadaver or in myself?" He says strawberry in his hand. "It’s really useful."

"It is?" You have to ask, never occurring to you to use your own body to it.

"You've never done it?" He asks rather surprised, it was a method he had known to be used a lot between your classmates. "How do you study osteo?"

"I do have done it, but it never worked. I just... look at images for hours but all the names get scrambled at the end." You admit, a bit ashamed.

"Maybe you are overthinking it way too much." He mutters, sitting down beside you on the floor. "Let's try it again, and if it doesn't work, I owe you a meal."

"What do you mean?" You ask, heart beating a bit faster every second that passed. His whole presence closer to you, enough for you to feel his body heat irradiating from his, his knee barely grazing your thigh.

"I often study hard subjects in a reward system." He starts, voice a tiny bit lower and a ton smoother, and suddenly it seemed like the room got quieter, and the cold from outside suddenly diminished. "Maybe if you try it with someone else you don't like... sabotage yourself into looking up the answer or something." He says, taking in his hand the list of structures for the practical test.

His gaze looked up from the papers up to you, looking deeply into your eyes, a warm feeling spreading around his body as his eyes looked around your face, the warm light of your living room lamp giving your features a beautiful glow that accentuating all of his favorites parts of you.

To San you were always mesmerizing, to him it didn’t matter if you were all tidied and ready to go out, or if you were tired and in pajamas like you were right now. The aura you always had around was more than enough to keep him captivated ever since he met you, he was wrapped around your finger, and you weren't even aware of that.

"We can try." You said barely above a whisper, San snapping back to reality, missing the faint blush that made you cheeks feel like burning.

"I'll start pointing and you have to tell me the accident and the bone." He says, grabbing a pencil from your pencil case. "Is it okay?"

"Yeah" You wouldn't dare to say no to him, not that you were able to when he was looking at you like that.

"For each one right you'll get a really sweet strawberry." He smiles in a way you for sure knew not even the sweetest of the strawberries would ever come near.

"Did you took all of my strawberries?" You ask, nerves coming up your throat.

"Yeah, but it doesn't matter." He brushes it off, the tip of the pencil point to your ankle. "Which one is this?"

"The fibula"

"Which accident of the fibula?"

"The... uh, I don't remember, the lateral something."

"The lateral malleolus." He says, eating himself the strawberry. "And up here?" He drags the pencil up to below the knee, moving to the inner side.

"The, um... T-the medial condyle of the bone tibia." You curse at yourself for stuttering, the small smirk on San's face even more clear, making you feel embarrassed.

"That's sound about right, yeah." He nods, smiling, handing you your first strawberry and making the zoo in your stomach roar at the gesture, his hands holding the strawberry up to your mouth, waiting for you bite it.

San's smirk just grows much to your dismay at how flustered you look right now, his stomach all giddy with butterflies, the red decorating your cheeks making him want to confess to you right then and there.

And you kept going, far too deep into the rabbit hole to quit it, and liking it far too much to say no to him, pencil long forgotten as his finger was the one pointing, soft touch to your skin but you were far too focused into pretending to not notice how he got a tiny bit closer each question he asked. To the point he was siting no more than two inches away from your side, upper body leaning slightly towards you.

You could see every single detail in his face, his long eyelashes, his nose bridge, his slight smile lines and the crinkles by his eyes each time he ever so giggled.

"Seem we ran out of strawberries now." he says, hand resting on your hip bone, fingers still grazing your skin ever so slightly over the fabric of your sweats.

"You've literally eaten half of them." You say, trying really hard not to stutter again, if he ever so smirked again, you were sure your heart would stop beating. A simple nod was his answer to your words, eyes falling from your pupils to your lips, stopping on them to just admire them, not even daring to move in case you would disappear from his hold, in case his mind was tricking him.

"We can keep on going without rewards, it’s okay." He mutters, mind coming a bit back to his senses and forging him to lean away from you for a while, deep in his mind knowing that if he kept on looking at you from so closely, he wouldn’t be able to keep on studying. "Or maybe we can change the type of reward"

"What do you mean?" You ask in a small voice, not trusting yourself to talk louder, more than sure he could hear you clearly by how close he was.

He feels a spurt of confidence flowing through him, maybe biased to his own feelings as he interpretates your body language, but he feels like risking it all at this very moment, in front of you. "What about... a kiss, whenever you get right?" He mutters, voice wavering towards the end of the question, sudden hesitance. "If you don't want, we can forget that."

"W- whatever you like the most." You mutter, nodding surely to him, not missing the way his lips curve even more upwards. "I don't mind."

"What about here then?" He says, finger pad delicately grazing over your hip bone. "Can you tell me what this is?" He asks with so much honey in his voice you could feel it.

"Iliac.... something from the Ilion bone." You say, unsure about what even is left of the list, eyes unable to stray from his.

"Anterior superior iliac spine, love, I need you to concentrate, can't have you failing all of these on purpose." He teases, hand moving up to you ribcage, slowly, thumb rubbing against the skin of your waist, taking advantage of you slightly riled up shirt.

He places his hand on your ribs, point finger settling to sign right in the middle of your torso. "Here?"

"Xiphoid process of the sternum." You say, his smile widening as you talked, a small that's right leaving his lips as he got closer to you, taking you by surprise as he got lower, leaving a soft kiss right on the spot he previously touched over your shirt, a small airy gasp leaving you. You were going to die in the next couple of minutes if he kept this up.

Missing like 7 structures, his hand moves upwards, eyes never leaving you as he signaled where you collar bone met the sternum. "Sternal end of the clavicle, isn't it?" You say, and without any words he got closer again, leaving a soft featherlike kiss right there.

You were totally sure he could feel and hear you r heartbeat with how close he was and how silent everything became, his other hand had moved to draw little innocent figures on the skin of your stomach, under your shirt. In a moment of realization, you forced yourself to put a hand on his chest and push him apart.

"San?" You call up to him as he parts away, not missing the way his eyes dropped to stare at your lips as you said his name, probably in the most beautiful way he has ever heard it being said, your eyes doing as his and looking at his lips for a few seconds, a soft and deep hum coming from his. "Stop leading me on." You have the courage to muster, his eyes looking back to yours in confusion, your hand never leaving his chest.

"Leading you onto what?" He suddenly whispers, out of all the ways you could've tell him to stop, this was not an option in his mind, and he didn't knew how to decipher your words.

"You talk too beautifully San, I can't keep on falling for you and your pretty words, just how all those other girls do too." You say, your mind betraying your heart by playing memories of all those girls you have seen San hang up with and never talk to again; you knew he wasn't like that to you, you were only his friend, but you still could not take ending up as someone else.

"There are no other girls y/n, what are you on?" His voice became so clear not, no more whispers falling from his lips, straightening a bit as he heard you, a bit of hurt flashing through his face making you regret your words.

"Why are you being so flirty now? Why now San? If you are just playing around stop, please, I... I don't my heart could manage being played by you." You mutter in a whisper, feeling your insides drop to your feet just by saying those words, outing your feelings.

"What are you even saying y/n?" He asks, looking between both of your eyes as you talked. "I like you, I like you way too much to even think of something so cruel." He says heart clenching in his chest at the thought of you thinking something so vile. "I like you, y/n, fuck, for all I know I could even be falling in love with you."

"Do you mean it?" You ask, hand in his chest trailing slowly over to his shoulder, stopping right where it met with his neck. "Do you really mean what you are saying right now?"

"I never meant anything more in my life as I do right now, y/n."

"I like you too, I've liked you so much for so long." You finally confess, feeling like you could cry right now just by the way his eyes light up slowly, hands going around you waist to bring you closer once again.

"I hope you mean that as much I do, love." He mutters, bringing you so close your breaths mixed together once again, his eyes lidded and admiring all your features. "If you want me as I, do you, take me, take me however you like but let me be more than just your friend." He says, a fond feeling settling inside of his chest, overwhelming him in the best way possible.

"I would be more than pleased to be more than your friend, Sannie." You say, bravely pulling him by his shirt until your noses touch. His smile so wide his eyes almost disappear as he chuckles, making you smile from so deep in your heart, feeling it beating in your ears the second he leans in to close any distance between you.

His lips on yours bloom so many thing inside you, feelings you couldn't even think could exist, butterflies flying merrily in your belly as your hands tangled around his neck just the way his muscly arms hugged your waist. Lips dancing over the others in a symphony, the way they mold against each other making you smile against him, accidentally granting him access to kiss you more deeply until the lack of oxygen forces you apart, foreheads pressed together, and eyes closed, taking in the other's feelings.

"I feel like I'm dreaming, please tell me I'm not" He says softly, making you giggle, pressing a kiss on the tip of his nose. "

"You are not dreaming, Sannie." You whisper, eyes opening only to find his already staring back, so many emotions in them you felt like laughing with happiness.

"I can't believe you truly thought I could play with your heart, if anything you are the one that could play me, but I wouldn't mind at all, you can play me all you want if it means I get to be close to you, I'm all yours." He whispers against your lips, bringing a soft smile out of you, eyes so sincere on each other's, not many words necessary to explain all you were feeling while being in each other’s arms.

"I don't think I can even come up with the idea of letting you walk out of my life now, San, much less play with your feelings." You whisper back, nose brushing his playfully, fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. "We should really keep studying." You say, bringing a groan out of him before kissing you again, so fondly and full of love you are forced to discard the idea.

"You missed quite a bunch of stuff earlier tho..." You mutter, the collar of his shirt between your fingers.

"I did?" He says a playful smirk in his lips his hand playing with your hair.

"Yeah... why don't we to a quick check up on how much you really know of them huh?" You ask in a mutter, your hot breath fanning his ear, goosebumps trailing his spine and cheeks growing red by the second.

Anatomy definitely was San's favorite subject.

[mattybstqrn]

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫 (𝐏𝐓.𝟑) - 𝐂.𝐖

Female Reader x Cole Walter

~Flashback. Four months ago~

Today was the day that you and Cole found out the gender of your baby, Katherine wanted you guys to have a gender reveal, but you decided against it because none of your family would be there and you didn't want any of your friends (Grace and Skylar, obviously) to go because if they came, then they'd know and you didn't want them or anyone else to know.

So, you and Cole drove to the hospital, when you guys arrived you sat in the waiting room until the called your last name, leading you down the hall to the room where she started the ultrasound, they looked at the screen seeing their beautiful baby.

You stared at the screen in awe, once again, it was habit, staring at the pictures, you were just still so shocked at the fact that you were even pregnant as was Cole. He looked down at you smiling, he was mesmerized. 

"Would you like to know the gender?" the doctor looked at the two waiting for the answer, "Yes please," you excitedly nodded, "It's... a girl!" she smiled, your heart dropped, you and Cole were having a baby girl, the gender didn't matter to you but now that you knew, you were excited to be the mother a baby girl.

Cole tightly held your hand smiling at the screen and kissing your forehead. 

And that was the day they found out that they were having a baby girl.

Cole had kept his promise, he had been helping you throughout everything, holding your hair back as you threw up, made you food (especially your weird cravings), gave you foot and back massages (your personal favorite) and forehead kisses. He was like the perfect boyfriend, it was as if you were living a fairytale life, you just didn't have a big castle, a tiara, and big pretty dress, but you didn't care for any of that stuff, you didn't need any of that stuff you were happy with family you had with Cole.

The Walter's, Katherine especially had been there for you whenever you needed her, she'd call off of work just because you needed something, which you appreciated, but you felt as if it wasn't necessary, the only time you ever really needed her was when your water broke while Cole was at school.

You see you weren't at school anymore because after a few months of being in school, you decided it would be better to pull out of school and do online, you didn't want to go to school while pregnant and get made fun of, so you sat home and did school, you didn't go out much either, not wanting to see people from school and them question you about what happened. The only ones who knew were the Walter's and their kids and your aunt.

~Flashback of a few days ago~

You came upstairs from the basement craving some Nutella and as you grabbed a spoon you felt water running down your leg, looking down at yourself confused, you thought that maybe you had peed yourself, that happens to some people when there pregnant but then you realized that wasn't the case. 

You immediately called Katherine, who rushed back to the house. You then called Cole; you knew he probably wouldn't answer since he was in school, but you prayed that he did. When it stopped ringing you heard his voice, "Y/n, hello?"

"Cole. Cole! oh my god, Cole," your breathing was uneven as he spoke, "Are you okay? What happened? What's wrong?" he worriedly asked in a whisper, "My water broke," you breathed out, you heard Cole speak but it wasn't to you and then it was, "We'll be there as soon as possible." he promised, you started grabbing everything you needed and called George as instructed, he was outside with the horses and when you called him he immediately grabbed everything you guys needed and started driving you to the hospital, he tried to calm you down, you were panicking, you needed Cole to be there to calm you down but he was at school and you prayed that he'd hurry.

COLE'S POV

"I have to go, all of us do," he looked back at Danny who looked at him confused, Cole jerked his head to the front of the class as he spoke to his teacher telling her that he needed to get home, Danny followed after the boy as he ran out of the classroom, "Text Alex, Isaac, Nathan, and Lee, we need to go. Now."

Danny was confused but he could tell Cole was panicking and did as told and texted the four telling them that Cole was freaking out and that they needed to go, Cole started the car waiting for the four, "If they're not here in ten seconds, I'm leaving," Cole told his brother as his thumbs nervously tapped the wheel, "They're here," 

The four hopped into the car and Cole immediately started reversing and speedily drove, "Can you slow the fuck down?" Isaac questioned, Cole was driving like a maniac, and they were all holding on to something of out fear, Cole ignored the boys and continued to drive like an idiot, "Okay, can you tell us what the hell is going on?" Isaac asked, Lee nodded in agreement as did Danny, Alex and Nathan, "Y/n's water broke," 

The boys swarmed him with questions asking she was okay, "I! I-I don't know," his voice was loud and then it was barely above a whisper, the boys were shocked by his sudden outburst, but they understood where he was coming from since he was panicking.

Y/N'S POV

You had reached the hospital and was immediately taken into a room; everything was going by so fast that you barely knew what was going on but that all stopped Cole arrived with all of the Walter's excluding the younger kids. You didn't remember anything other than him telling you that he loves you before the big push.

You fell asleep soon after (about 15 seconds after), you were so exhausted from the push that you fell asleep leaving Cole with the baby. But you were soon woken needing to feed her. "Do you have a name?" Katherine asked the two as you and Cole, you looked down at your daughter and then Cole who spoke, "Lakelyn May Walter," 

(this name was requested)

It was a different name something Cole had suggested and at first you didn't like it but then you slowly grew fonder and fonder of it and decided to use it, "That's beautiful," she smiled as George placed a hand on her shoulder.

"You can hold if you want?" Katherine's face light making grabby hands as I handed her my baby. Watching as my mother-in-law held her.

A few hours later the Walter's excluding Cole had left, you needed to rest, and you couldn't sleep with everyone there and wanting to hold Lakelyn, everyone had gotten the chance to hold her, and you and Cole had sighed the birth certificate.

Before you drifted off to sleep with Cole right beside you, tightly wrapping his arms around your waist he spoke, "I love you and this baby so much and I promised you that I'd be there for you and Lakelyn, and I plan to be there forever, if you'll let me?" you looked at him confused, "What are you saying?" your tone was tired and you were out of it, "Will you marry me?" you thought you were dreaming but when asked again thinking you hadn't heard him the first time, you looked up him shocked, but you would be a fool to say no.

You sat there pretending to think about it for a minute, you looked down at Lakelyn and then thought about the Walter's and how you felt like you were already apart of the family, and then you turned to Cole, pulling him into a kiss, he kissed back and you responded, "Well, I do like the sound Y/n Walter, so I guess," you playfully shrugged, he laughed at you and pulled you back into the kiss, "I like the sound of that too."

[chrolloluvr]

Hello! Can I ask for general relationship headcannons with Mammon from helluva? I know he's toxic but I just love this bastard and his australian accent lol.

General Mammon SFW Relationship Hcs pt.1

Note: YESS TYSM FOR REQUESTING THIS!! I love this dude idc what anybody thinks, also i might do a pt2 if this gets enough traction!! This is also a Female!reader, but if you squint it can be Genderneutral!reader

Warnings: Some cussing, use of pet names, some creepy behavior 💀

Starting off, Mammon would probably love to show you off. At his clown pageants, royal meetings, and basically anywhere important. If he's going somewhere, you will most likely be there, with his hand on one of your hips, or carrying you on his shoulder. However he won't let anybody get to know you, or even get their grubby hands near your precious body. Most of his fans speculate that if they see you somewhere, Mammon is always somewhere near you, or he at least has his servants follow you. I also imagine he also brings you to interviews.

He just loves to talk his head off about you. When it comes to his little lady, he just can't keep his mouth shut. I swear this man will be talking to Beelzebub or one of his business partners, and be like “Yeah that's nice and all dickhead, but Y/N is better at that by a long shot.” HE WILL BRING YOU UP AT THE MOST RANDOM TIMES! He will also twist his words in a way that involves you.

Loves and lives to buy you things. He feels obligated to get you luxurious items, even if you don't want them or feel bad. He knows he's one of, if not the most wealthy man in hell, so just let him spoil you, because he won't take no for an answer. If you don't like something he buys you, he won't be mad at you, but the people who made it. You're his pride and joy, so anything he buys you is very luxurious and one of a kind. When you go out to events with him, the press and 666 news will go crazy over the latest new necklace he bought you. If you just look up at him with those big doe eyes of yours, he will move heaven and hell for you.

He knows your weakness is his boisterous voice. He notices every detail about you, including the way your knees lock and your demeanor softens when he does that deep, Australian accent. He likes to grab your cheeks, and say in a low husky voice how you're so cute babe, my perfect little woman. Or when he calls you or leaves voicemails, he will talk innocently about something, but you never fail to take his voice and imagine it in, well, other ways.

I feel like Mammon would give you nicknames all the time. He rarely calls you buy your real name, unless hes upset, but he is never truly upset with you. He will call you babe most of the time, misses, my little lady, sweetheart, princess, my queen, woman, babycakes, and my little money maker (sometimes). He will call you these things, but also when he wants something from you like a warm hug, or to rub his shoulders, or to bring him his morning breakfast. He doesnt call you by your real name often, because he thinks its too serious, and in his eyes, you arent serious,you are just his little innocent woman, oblivious to the dangerous underworld.

There is an obvious power imbalance between the two of you. There's Mammon, a powerful deadly sin, the king of greed, and loved by billions of demons. And then there's you, a lowly demon/sinner who in his eyes, can barely do anything by yourself, hell, you need him to open a nutella jar for christ sake. He thinks of himself as your big strong protector, and also your king who you should bow down to, who you should be thankful for, because millions and millions of girls would die to be in your position.

When you two date, he want complete control over your life. Your social media, friends, people you talk to, family, etc. He most likely implanted a tracker somewhere on your body while you were sleeping. He controls all your socials, and most likely put “Account ran by the handsome king of greed” im your Sinstagram bio 😭. He also deleted any hate comments. One time somebody put “Miss girl is getting that little dick every night” And he got so butthurt, so he blocked them and personally killed them. He also wants you to stay innocent.

He loves to touch you. whether it be groping you, or slowly dragging his gloved fingers over your skin. He does not care about your size too, whether you are chubby or skinny, he loves you for you and that only applies to you. It does not matter how big or small your boobs are, he will guaranteed grab them atleast twice every day randomly. His favorite part of your body is most likely your belly and your boobs. But he loves everything about you, dont get me wrong.

He will never, and I mean never, let you down. He wants to see your pretty smile. If your going on a flight? First class. A show? Front row. You two are staying at a hotel? Presidential suite. He has you covered. Hes the sin of greed for crying out loud. He uses his status to get you the best of the best. If he sees you upset, he is upset at the people around him, and throws a big temper tantrum. In his eyes, he always needs to be the person to make you happy. If he ever sees you laughing at another mans corny jokes, he makes a mental note to personally handle them, and show them that he is your man, not some low class, vile excuse of a man.

[randomized-sims24]

To Save The Sun

Astrophel nervously paced back and forth, muttering to himself that Supernova was going to be fine, Monty was gonna get him, it would be fine.

He had to be.

He stopped and looked up when he heard the door open, but his stomach dropped when he didn't see any signs of Nova.

"Monty...where's Nova?"

Monty was silent, setting his shotgun down and sat, his head in his hands.

"Monty. What happened." Astrophel asked again, voice low and starting to shake as he began to imagine the worst.

Finally Monty spoke.

"I'm sorry, Astro. I got there too late. Bastard dragged him through his portal as I got there. I got a few shots in Nexus before he vanished but...I couldn't get Nova..."

Astrophel felt himself shaking, starting at his hands and quickly spreading across his body.

Even if Supernova was taken alive, he didn't know how long Nexus would keep him that way.

He sat down, gripping at the chair arms to try and ground himself enough to try and think of a plan.

He'd been so lost in his own panic and thoughts that it took him at least a minute to register Solar knelt in front of him, holding his shoulders and calling his name.

"Astro, God damnit, do you hear me? Come on, talk to me, say something...!"

Astrophel blinked, also noting the tears down his face. He reached up and wiped them away.

"Yeah...I-I'm here, Solar..." He hung his head, lightly taking hold of Solar's wrists since the arm chair wasn't working- he figured something more alive would help ground him more.

"Ok good, finally. You good to start talking?"

"Monty can tell you more, I had him go get Nova."

Solar stayed by Astrophel and looked to Monty.

"Astro called me, told me Nexus was with Nova and asked me to get her. I got there just as Nexus took her through. I shot him a few times but I couldn't get Nova back in time."

Solar listened and sighed.

"Ok. Well, at least we know you can damage him. How did you, exactly, actually?"

"Star powered shells. Got some from Nebula, and the gun might explode if I shoot off too much, so I'll need a few more to make sure the job gets done."

"Star power huh? Might have someone that can give us some extra help then." Solar thought aloud.

"Lunar?"

"Yeah. If he's able to that is, but that should be fine to handle."

"Alright. He' downstairs. Monty, you wanna talk to him or should I?"

"I will." Monty said as he stood. "You stay with Astro." He headed downstairs.

Lunar was sitting on a beanbag watching TV and eating Nurella, looking up when he sensed Monty.

"Hey, what's up?" He paused his show.

"Hey, little guy. Question, can you ask one of your Astral friends if you can use your power against Nexus?"

"Uh...yeah I can ask, why?"

"Uh, well...he kidnapped Nova and I injured him with star power infused shells from Nebula."

Lunarbpaused mid bite of Nutella, eyes locked straight ahead as he processed what Monty said.

"He did what."

"He kidnapped Nova. I tried to save her but I was too late..."

Lunar set his Nutella down and stood. He could feel electricity sparking all across his body, then took a deep breath to calm down and not electrocute the house before he stepped outside.

"Gemini! Taurus!" He shouted.

It didn't take long for the two (three?) Of them to arrive. Taurus commented first.

"Your power and energy seem to have spiked, little puck."

"Yeah, what's going on Lunar?"

"I need a favor. Nexus kidnapped Nova and I'm VERY pissed off. He can be damaged by positive star power. He's a threat to my family, this world, this whole dimension due to his abuse of negative star power. Do I have permission to use my power to it's current fullest extent to deal with him once and for all? After all he's basically a dark star being now, and that'll be my job eventually right? Dealing with things like him?"

Gemini and Taurus looked at each other, then stepped aside to briefly discuss, and it didn't take long before they turned back to him and nodded.

"You are correct. I suppose, then, you may consider this your first real mission. You have my permission to do what you must and put an end to this threat once and for all. And before you ask, yes, you can charge your power into weapons." Taurus said, gazing down at Lunar.

Lunar nodded, electricity running along his body again. "Thanks Taurus." He headed back inside.

"Ok guys. I got the all clear to use my powers on him. When do we leave?"

"I gotta prepare my guns first. Then we make a plan and we're off."

"I can get you some more guns, Monty." Astrophel said, sitting back in his seat and now more calmed down. Still upset and worried, but no longer in a panic now.

"Solid. Alright. Let's get started."

Nova groaned softly as he began to wake up, trying to move but he couldn't. Looking around he found his arms and legs restrained by ropes of purple energy and saw he was in some sort of facility.

Then he heard footsteps and a voice.

"Are you finally awake yet, dear brother Nova?"

He jolted slightly as Nexus' voice met his ears, and he tried to look at him.

"What do you want? I already told you I'm not going to help you!"

"And I told YOU that you don't have a choice in the matter." Nexus growled, grabbing some cables and forcing Nova's head down as he started plugging them into the back panels.

Nova squirmed, trying and failing to get away from Nexus before he stepped back and started typing away on his computer.

"What are you-" Nova was cut off as waves of electrical shocks shot through his head and throughout his body, making him tense up tight like a seizure, a loud cry of pain tearing from his throat.

"Oh yeah, I forgot to mention this is probably gonna hurt." Nexus said with a twisted grin as his computer began to scrub through Nova's system trying to find any of the info he wanted, how or why Nova can sense the shards, or where the ones he had already found were stored, anything.

And if he had to he'd force Nova to be his compass. It was the only other use he had for him.

It didn't take long for the computer to ping with an alert.

Nexus quickly turned to the screen and pulled up the compiled note file it had made for him. "Well that was fast...guess I-"

He was cut off by an alarm going off in his sector of the facility. Pulling up the cameras he saw Monty, Astrophel, Lunar and Solar.

"Well, well, looks like someone came to save you. Let's see if they can find you in time."

Nexus pressed a button, changing the intervals of the shocks to endless, each wave shooting through her body, making her cry out in pain again as Nexus left.

The four of them had split up. Their main goal was to find Nova and finally do away with Nexus for good.

If they ran into Equinox or Solstice they'd also be dealt with.

Astrophel was with Monty, briefly freezing up when they heard screaming from somewhere deep within the facility.

"Hey, Astro. We're gonna find her. She'll be ok."

Astro nodded, but his anxiety kept telling him she wouldn't be.

They rounded the corner and stopped.

Standing just ahead of them in the hallway were Solstice and Equinox.

Solstice put his hands up as Monty raised his gun.

"Easy, I'm not here to cause any trouble this time. If anything I'd like to help you."

"Why? Why would you?" Monty asked.

"Because everything Nexus has done up to now is causing me problems and frankly I'm tired of it. His plans are interfering with mine."

Astro and Monty looked at each other.

"As for why I'm here," Equinox began. "I plain and simply put do not care for Nexus whatsoever. If you can put him down then I will do what I can to help you do so."

"What do you think? Should we trust them?" Monty asked Astrophel.

Another scream echoed through the halls, making Astrophel jump and shut his eyes tight, trying to ignore the "worst case scenario what ifs" before he sighed.

"We don't have time to question it. If they can help find Nova, I'll take it. But if either of you are lying-"

"I promise we're not. On the Graves of my friends, Astrophel. I swear on nothing less." Equinox said as they began to walk.

Astro and Monty fell into step behind them.

The screaming got louder.

They were getting closer.

Nexus returned to the lab he had Nova trapped in one last time to finish what he started.

There were faint marks on Nova's body now where the electricity ran through her.

Oh well. It wouldn't matter in a few short minutes anyway.

"Y'know, I probably could have been helped before all of this happened, but no. None of you tried enough. And now your blood is on their hands."

She managed to look up at him, not noticing the shocks had stopped.

"We did try, Nexus. You didn't let us help. You didn't tell Earth about your breakdown the last time we did family therapy. I didn't tell her because I didn't think you'd want me to tell her."

"She wouldn't want me to tell her your private business like that, no matter how much it would do you good. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to go behind your back. You weren't fine, Nexus. None of us were, but you were worst. We did try to help you. You just didn't want it."

Nexus listened, only half-heartedly and not really caring for what she said, before he growled and punched him.

"Shut up. I'm done listening to you and your bullshit excuses."

Nexus stepped away, his back to her. Part of him, buried and hidden away deep inside, knew she was right.

That in his grief he unintentionally sabotaged himself, dooming himself to his actions and the following outcomes.

But the person he was now would never admit it, never address it. And dealing with Nova would ensure he never thought about it all again.

With his back to her still he raised a hand, a ball of purple energy swirling into his palm.

"Nexus...? What are you-"

"Goodbye, Nova."

Nova felt the panic rise in her body as she began to frantically try one last time to get himself free, closing his eyes when he didn't and braced for the impact of the attack.

Except it never came.

Hesitantly he opened his eyes, his eyes widening at the sight before him.

Lunar stood before him, a shield put up and deflecting Nexus' blast, throwing it to the side, hitting and destroying a part of the wall.

Nexus stumbled back slightly as he stared at Lunar, almost in shock.

"Lunar? What are you-"

"We came to get you back. What, you think we're just gonna leave you here?" The smaller animatronic looked at him with a grin, which fell when he saw the marks from the shocks and bruising from Nexus.

He turned back to Nexus.

"How did you find me so fast?"

"Did you forget I'm an Astral? A youngling maybe, but still an Astral. I can feel your dark star power almost anywhere." He began to approach Nexus.

Nexus backed away, throwing another bolt of energy at him, then another, and another and another.

Lunar deflected each attack.

"W-what do you think you can do to me, anyway?"

"Monty hurt you with some shells, right? Star power infused. Positive energy is like poison to you, doesn't feel very good." Lunar charged up a quick attack, throwing a bolt of lightning at him.

Nexus barely managed to deflect it.

"What the-"

"My emotions and powers are connected, remember? And right now I'm VERY pissed off. You tried to kill my sister, you sent one brother into a heavy depression spiral, and you kidnapped and hurt my other brother. So yeah, I'm pretty pissed. But I won't kill you." He approached until Nexus was backed against the wall.

"No. I'll let them handle you. But if you ask me, even that's too good for you."

Taurus and Gemini appeared behind Lunar.

Taurus snapped his fingers, trapping Nexus in blue energy ropes.

Nexus tried to use his powers but couldn't.

"What the hell did you do to me?!"

"Anti-matter and anti-star power bindings. Your powers are now rendered useless."

Nexus struggled against the bindings still. Taurus turned to Lunar. "Go to him. We will deal with this one."

Lunar nodded and hurried over to Nova and unplugged the cables, then started untying the bindings.

Taurus, Gemini, and Nexus vanished just as Astrophel and Monty arrived.

"Nova!" Astrophel ran over as Lunar got her free and she fell forward into Astro.

"Woah, hey easy, I got you. It's ok, you're safe now." Astrophel held him close.

Nova clung to him tightly, burying his face into his shoulder.

"What did he do to you? Where did he go?"

"He plugged me up to these cables that were constantly shocking me, trying to find my Wither Shard connection thing in my system. He left me here to be shocked. When he came back he almost killed me if it weren't for Lunar. Taurus and Gemeini took him away."

"They're most likely gonna have a trial for him like they did with me. Except they might end up just killing him."

Nova looked away. "I'm guessing there isn't much we could do about that?"

"Probably not for him."

"Even after all this time, everything he's done, you still want him to live?"

"Whether he wants to be or not he's still my brother..." Nova said as Astro helped him stand.

"Sometimes I think you're too nice." Astrophel shook his head.

"Heh. Maybe I am..." Nova muttered before she suddenly collapsed against Astrophel.

"Woah, hey, Novie? Nova!?" He paused and knelt down with her, checking her over briefly to make sure he was alive.

"I think he's fine, just finally passed out from everything." Solar said, scanning her as well. "Electric damage mostly. Nothing that can't be fixed."

Astro sighed and picked Nova up, carrying him out with the others.

They were met with Equinox at the entrance.

"What are you doing now?"

"I'm leaving this place. Nexus is gone, Solstice has no use for me anymore. So I'm leaving."

"And where will you go?"

"I don't know. But rest assured, for the most part, I am out of your lives." Equinox said with a shrug.

"Hm...alright then. Let's head home, guys." And with that, they headed through the portal to go home.

-end-