#my only solution to this is drawing my little guy in cute outfits

[boycaca]

Very self indulgent femscaras

[dimpled-gukkie]

Call Me A Thief

a/n: Happy birthday Shay @today-we-will-survive​ !!!!! I can’t believe we’ve only celebrated two birthdays of yours thus far. It feels like we’ve been friends forever. Once again I’m going to say that I’m so thankful you’re my friend and thank you for being my rock and sometimes the only person I can talk to. I hope we can celebrate many more years together and that this is your best year yet! Love you - your ghost bestie/ whatever that really long one I never remember is 

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader / Kim Taehyung x Reader (brief mentions of Jung Hoseok x Reader as a past relationship)

Genre: College AU, e2l, idiots to lovers, angst, fluff 

Word Count: 31.3k

Warnings: mild language, minor self-hatred (more so in the form of self doubt), mentions of drinking but not descriptions, Jimin shows up tipsy, I guess name calling but it’s not that serious, a sick pet for a short minute, oc gets somewhat depressed towards the end but it’s resolved 

Summary: In a series of truly misfortunate events, a thief, a plantnapper and a muse-seeking photographer somehow cross paths on their admittedly huge (40,000 students huge) college campus. At first glance they’re just strangers but the more they get to know each other the more they realize their roots intertwine. If the universe had kept them apart for this long, surely it wouldn’t bring them together for a disaster. Right? 

You’re an idiot. Perhaps that stupidest person you know. I mean how can you steal someone’s bag thinking it’s yours? Especially when your backpack isn’t even black and yet here you are staring blankly at the black backpack that lies limply on the table in front of you. Staring at the bag you blink listlessly at it like maybe if you blink enough times the mirage will fade and your own backpack will be in front of you. And yet several silent moments later the black backpack still sits in front of you. You don’t even know who it could belong to. Your lecture consists of 400 students, the owner of the bag could be any of them. Even worse if you email your professor about it to return the stolen item you’ll be known as the girl who stole it. You’ll be a thief. Exhaling a large sigh you slump down onto the desk in front of you, a large thumping sound ringing through the otherwise silent top floor of the library, those around you unaware of the self-damning thoughts running through your mind. 

“Wake up nerd.” Jimin’s voice says and you don’t even have to look up to know he’s looming above you, enjoying the fact that he’s towering over you for once. Oh the woes of the tiny man with the tiny hands. He pushes your shoulder with said tiny hands and you’re half considering becoming weightless and letting him shove your limp body out of the chair just so the feeling of your ass hitting the hard ground will keep you from thinking about your mistake. You can’t even make fun of Jimin for being a dumb blonde now. Well, you could say he’s killing your brain cells. Your lips quirk up at the thought, placated by the idea of pinning your mistake on your innocent best friend. After all, teasing Jimin is your favorite part of the day. 

“Are you dead!” Jimin whispers and you shoot your head up just to glare at him. 

“Don’t act so excited. Plus if I were to die I would not want to go out in a library. How unglamorous.” 

“It would be rather tasteless wouldn’t it?” He pauses for a minute before his eyes widen. “Not that anything is wrong with dying in a library. I’m sure it’s cool.” He laughs awkwardly and you can’t help but chuckle. Ever since he watched that paranormal activity movie with Yoongi, Jimin is convinced that ghosts are real and that they’re listening to every word he says. Like they’d want to follow around a guy who spends his days trying to find the most incognito insoles and browsing the hair dye section at Walgreens. But alas Jimin has always been a victim of the spotlight effect and if you had to guess would view his life as some sort of reality tv show.

“Hey whose backpack is that? Are you meeting someone?” Jimin asks, nodding to the incriminating black bag still on the table. You groan and are in the midst of throwing your head back onto the table when Jimin forcefully stops you by wrapping his hands around your face. Unfortunately, he miscalculates which results in his palms slapping your cheeks while his fingers dig into your mouth that they’d mistakenly pried open. You sputter and scrunch your face in distaste, making a similar expression to that of a baby that has just tried a lemon. 

“When was the last time you washed your hands?” You screech, unaware of the eyes on you. “I can taste the day old cheeto dust. You’ve infected me!” You whine, taking a swig of your water to gurgle like it’s mouthwash. “I need to eat soap or something.” 

“I’m the victim here! Who knows where your mouth has been. Tell me, when was the last time you saw Jung Hoseok?” Jimin also screeches then proceeds to wince when you smack his arm. 

“You ass! I haven’t seen him since we broke up a year ago, you know that.” Jimin nods while pouting, rubbing the spot on his arm like your slap stung. When he sees you looking at the movement his mouth pulls into a smirk as he rolls up his sleeve to reveal his bicep. 

“Kiss it better?” He teases, yelping and jumping backwards before you can smack him again. 

“You’re insufferable.” 

“Ditto.” 

“No one even says ditto anymore.” You scoff and he just shrugs. 

“I’ll bring it back, after all I’m famous you know?” 

“Just because you got ten likes on your tweet about your ex doesn’t mean you’re famous.” 

“Say that to my 200 followers.” He runs his fingers through his hair, his own version of a hair flip, before returning his attention back to the incriminating item on the table. “So is someone here with you or…” 

“I may have accidentally stolen someone’s backpack thinking it was mine…” You mumble, hoping that Jimin might not hear you. For a moment you think he might not have until you hear wheezing coming from beside you, Jimin practically sprawled across the floor as his laughter comes out in tiny squeaks. “It’s not funny! This is the most embarrassing thing I’ve ever done! All the bleach fumes from dying your hair has rotted my brain. This is all your fault Jimin.” You whine, bottom lip jutted and brows furrowed as you take on the expression of a kicked puppy. Jimin pauses for a moment in his laughter to observe your behavior before letting out two more huffs. 

“Aww don’t pout kitkat.” Jimin coos, pinching your cheeks between his chubby fingers as he pulls them back and forth until you crack a smile. His plush lips draw into a smile of their own, his eyes creasing as he gently taps your nose. “See kitkat it’s not that big of a deal. Do you know who it belongs to?” When you shake your head ‘no’ he frowns a little before a mischievous smile pulls at his lips. 

“Well we could always look through it? To find the name of the owner of course.” Of course. Not because you’re nosey bitches or anything. 

“If I see one more skull I’m going to scream.” Jimin groans, throwing his head back against your pillows as a textbook you pulled from the backpack lays in front of him. 

“To be fair it is an anatomy textbook and a skull is part of the human body. They’re at least doodling things related to the subject.” 

“But the angst kitkat! I feel like this person only listens to MCR or something.” He whines, displeased with the artist’s choice of subject. 

“I think they’re kinda cool though. The shading’s really good and look! This one is a skull made out of butterflies.” Your fingers run along the drawing lightly, careful not to smudge the artist’s hard work but enjoying following the intricate line work.

“Besides in this notebook there’s all types of different drawings. Some marvel stuff, some succulents. I even found a cute little dog drawing!” You say, turning the notebook around to show him the little dog scrawled in the margins, its small fluffy face smiling. 

“You mean I’ve been looking at skulls for nothing?” 

“I mean I don’t know why you thought you’d find their name in a textbook but I thought maybe you were interested in the subject or something.” You shrug, ignoring the glare Jimin sends your way. 

“You suck.” He declares, sticking his tongue out at you when you look at him. You stick yours at him in response. 

“Bite me.” 

“Oh I see someone’s been watching 90’s movies lately. Tell me, do you imagine finding your own heath ledger like Kat? Or perhaps you’re more of the creepy ‘I’m gonna fall for my step-brother’ type like Cher. Though personally, I got to say I’m a big fan of the ‘childhood best friends to lovers’ trope but I digress. Hey have you found any clues yet?” 

“Well we know they’re an anatomy student and like art. I also found ‘JJK’ scribbled next to a drawing on a scrap of paper that fell out of one of the notebooks so I’m hoping that’s their initials. So we can go through the class roster and hopefully there’s an angsty bio/medical student with those initials.” Pulling out your laptop you migrate from the floor to the bed, pulling out the roster for your english class. Ever so slowly you scroll through the roster, thankful to find only two names with the initials JJK.: Jeon Jungkook and Jung Jaekwan. 

“I think we have an easy solution here. I stalk one and you stalk the other and we see which one was more likely to be in a punk band of some sort when they were in high school.” Jimin suggests, already heading towards your closet to find the best stalker outfit. 

“Or we could just find their instagrams?” You say and Jimin flicks his hand like he’s physically brushing off your suggestion. 

“Already tried, both private. That means they’re probably ugly.” 

“Hey my accounts are private!” You exclaim and you can tell by the way Jimin’s shoulders slightly scrunch inwards that he’s stifling a laugh. 

“Case in point. Anyways, what screams sexy Joe Goldberg? Like we’re definitely going full-stalker mode but like not ‘I’m going to kill you’ yandere vibes.” Jimin ignores the pillow you throw at him, continuing to babble about the perfect outfit like he didn’t just offend you. 

“This is stupid.” You grumble into the miniature walkie-talkie Jimin bought from Walmart, dressed in large sunglasses, black tights and dress, adorned with your black docs. Ever the self-proclaimed fashion icon, Jimin dressed you in every black article of clothing you owned. The sun beat down on you from above, it was rather warm for a late spring day, and you tried to ignore the way sweat began to accumulate under the black ball cap (“It’s the Joe trade mark!”Jimin exclaimed when you protested him adding that to the already questionable outfit seeing as it is almost summer). 

“And stealing someone’s backpack that’s not even the same color as your own is stupid but you don’t hear me criticizing your ideas.” He snarks back at you through the small device. 

“It wasn’t like I planned on it! I told you it was an accident!” You screech at him, only to scream as another voice sounds out from behind you. 

“What are you doing?” You turn around to face a guy with blonde hair, an old camera clutched between his large hands as he crouches down beside you. 

“What are you doing?” You parrot, mind unable to conjure up a reasonable and not weird reason for why you’re here. Here being ducked behind an overgrown bush off to the side of the life science building in hopes you’ll see Jeon Jungkook emerge from the now-finishing Anatomy 101 lecture. It’s one of four and you’re hoping that your mystery man that you’ve loosely memorized from his profile picture- although half his face is obscured by large wire framed glasses that you can’t figure out if are real or for fashion- hears your beckoning call and comes out of those double doors.

“Photography assignment.” The guy holds up the camera to justify his statement. “Are you looking for something?” He glances at the surrounding area before noticing the walkie-talkie in your hand. 

“Oh I used to love those as a kid!” Snatching it from your fingers he immediately talks into it and you face palm as you imagine Jimin’s face on the receiving end. “Houston this is starship one. We are prepared to land. Houston do you hear me?” The stranger giggles, lips forming into a peculiar grin before his eyes widen when Jimin’s voice crackles through the cheap speaker. 

“Listen dumbass, I’m out here before 2:00 pm trying to resurrect your mistake and you’re playing games with a stranger?! Do you not understand that I sacrificed my beauty sleep for this? I’m seeing Soyeon during lecture today and you know I like to look good for her.” 

Snatching the device from the stranger you hurry to appease your best friend. “I’m sorry Jiminie! But you don’t need beauty sleep, you’re already the most handsome guy I know.” 

“I’m listening.” Jimin says after your pause. 

“You could rival Aphrodite herself! In fact I’m sure that’s why she led me to steal someone’s backpack so you’d lose said beauty sleep so she could have a chance at being prettier than you!” You cringe at your own words, you don’t think you’ve ever laid it on this thick, but you need Jimin. He’s the only one you know shameless enough to help you in such an endeavor, I mean you’re literally stalking someone just to find out if you have their backpack. Plus you really didn’t mean to hurt Jimin’s feelings. 

“That was a bit too much for my taste but I appreciate your sentiment. You’ve been redeemed. Now tell your friend he either needs to go or help us.” When you turn to said “friend” he’s staring at you with pink lips parted, strong eye brows pulled together in confusion as you watch him try to process what just happened. You can’t believe someone’s witnessed the monstrosity of this whole situation, much less someone so handsome. It really would be your luck. You must be cursed or something. 

“You stole someone’s backpack?” Ahh it seems that tiny detail is what his mind has fixated on the most. 

“No not stole, accidentally took. Why would you steal someone’s bag?” 

“I don’t know, you tell me.” He shrugs, moving to stand up and you immediately scramble up after him, thoughts of finding whoever Jeon Jungkook is long forgotten. 

“You don’t understand, it was an accident! I was tired and grabbed the one nearest me before walking out. And I’m trying to return it I just don’t know who it is so I was trying to see if this guy is missing a backpack.” You ramble, too lost in your narrative to notice the way he smiles almost fondly down at you. 

“And the walkie talkie?” 

“Oh you see we have two suspects-“ You start only to be interrupted. 

“Suspects?” 

“Yes suspects, I don’t have a better word. But I’m supposed to watch for one guy and Jimin watch for another- that’s the guy who cussed me out earlier- but I got distracted and now I just missed him which means I have to sit outside this stupid hall for the rest of the day to make sure he’s not in any of the other lectures to see if he was in this one and I just realized that he could’ve missed today which means I might have to wear this stupid outfit again-“ 

The handsome stranger raises his hand to stop your word vomit and you give him a sheepish smile when your words finally stop pouring out. “While I would like to stick around and hear more about your detective work, I have class in approximately ten minutes so I need to get going.” He says and you try to hide the way you deflate a little. 

“Oh okay.” He smiles at you one final time before jogging in the opposite direction while you watch after him. Jeon Jungkook be damned, just who was that? 

After your failed attempt at locating the aloof Jeon Jungkook- not that you were really looking because your mind was clogged with thoughts of your mystery man with the pretty smile- you trudge back to your tiny apartment in hopes to get some peace and quiet. The dream is destroyed, however, when you can hear the music from your neighbor all the way down the hall by the elevators. Agitated and sweaty, you march towards their door, more than willing to be an annoying neighbor if it means you can nap. 

The cheap door rattles lightly under your heavy fists and you can’t help the satisfaction it brings you. Banging on a door is truly a great way to release tension it seems. A muffled “Turn it down so I can think!” sounds through the thin wood and the music lowers just barely. They might as well have not even bothered to fiddle with the volume at all. The door swings open and a guy with shoulders almost as wide as the doorway- you don’t know whether his shoulders are just that huge or if the door is that small, maybe both- leans against it lazily as his gaze flickers down your form. 

“You’re not Namjoon.” Is the thought that makes its way out of your brain and into the atmosphere, the four word sentence stilling the air between you two. 

“Well you’re right there sweetheart. I’m his much more handsome older brother. And you are?” He asks and you’re rather thankful that he decided to go with it rather than think about what type of idiot states who someone clearly is not. Maybe you really are getting dumber. 

“Y/n, the lovely neighbor who just wants to take a nap. Which I can’t do if your music is so loud that I can hear it all the way down the hall.” He pauses for a moment to take in what you’ve said before pressing off the door to stand straight in front of you. He towers over you and you can’t help but shrink back a little. 

“Namjoon did tell me about a nice neighbor but he never gave me a name. Though since you’re complaining about my music I wouldn’t go so far as to say you’re lovely.” 

“Hey I had a long day!” You exclaim, raising back to your full height like that will somehow get him to take you more seriously. Though with the lazy smirk he gives you, your need to prove yourself only provides him entertainment. 

“Well I’ve had a rather long day too, I’ve been babysitting all day.” A scoff of protest sounds from behind him and you try and inconspicuously look around the wide-shouldered man to see who else is inside Namjoon’s apartment. All you can see though is a random figure drowning in an oversized hoodie on the couch before the man at the door requests your attention again. Perhaps if you had looked a little harder you would’ve noticed the wire frame glasses sitting neatly on the glass end table. “Which is why I’m playing my music to relax. And drown out the incessant whining. ‘Seokjin get me water. Seokjin make me food. Seokjin do my math homework’, like I’m even good at such thing. I’m a liberal arts student.” You can’t help but laugh at the way he whines out the demands of presumably the other stranger in the apartment, his voice pitched higher than normal like he’s trying to imitate a child. 

“Well Seokjin, I have just one request. Can you please turn the music down by like a third so I won’t hear it through the wall?” You bring your hands to clasp together in front of you, cocking your head to the side while batting your eyelashes up at him. He seems like the type to like aegyo. Evidently your assumption is very much wrong as he scrunches his nose in distaste. 

“Please never make that face again. But I guess I can turn it down since you asked so nicely. Though next time you have a request for me at least buy me dinner first?” He says before waving at you goodbye through a laugh and shutting the door. The music now a quiet murmur in the hallway as you open your own apartment door. Odd, Namjoon never mentioned having roommates. 

Apparently you too have surprise roommates as a tipsy Jimin appears at your door with a suitcase behind him as he stumbles into your apartment along with his small calico cat named Kimchi who immediately jumps out of his arms when she recognizes your apartment. “Jimin?” You say tentatively, almost like if you say his name too loud he’ll snap. “What’re you doing here at 2 a.m?” 

“Mad at Yoongi. Living here now.” Is the only explanation he gives you before trudging into your bedroom, the bed creaking as he flops down on it meanwhile his suitcase still stands next to you in the living room. Kimchi pays no mind to her owner’s sad drunken form, kneading at your old couch until she finds a soft spot to curl up on. 

“Jiminie, what did Yoongi do?” 

“Told me he saw Soyeon making out with some guy in a bar yesterday.” Jimin sniffles, crawling over to lay his head in your lap when you sit down on the other side of your bed. Your fingers immediately weave through the soft strands gently similar to the way a mother would soothe her child. 

“You’re mad because he told you?” You ask. 

“Mad because he lied. Soyeon told me she couldn’t go to the movies yesterday because she had to study for an exam today. She even told me it went really well when I saw her in our com lecture. Why would Yoongi lie to me about that when he knows how I feel about her?” You can’t help the way you look down at Jimin pitifully, glad that he’s turned away from you so he can’t see the sadness in your eyes. Min Yoongi is nothing if not painfully blunt but he’s always been honest. So you know that he’s telling Jimin the truth, a truth that Jimin- blinded by his love for Soyeon that’s been growing since freshman year of college when they shared english 101- doesn’t want to hear nor accept. It’s a truth you’ve been trying to ease him into for months now, the fact that despite Soyeon knowing Jimin’s feelings she’s never made an effort to actually put effort into a relationship with him. She only drags him back in with faux affection when she can feel her hold on him begin to slip between her fingers. Jimin’s body begins to shake again as his mind drifts off to what Yoongi said again, your legs becoming slightly wet as his tears trickle onto them. 

‘Aww Jiminie,” You sigh, moving a hand to wipe at his tears on the cheek available to you. “It’s gonna be okay, you and Yoongi will still be friends after this.” 

“I just don’t know why he’d tell me that. Just thinking about her with someone else makes it feel like someone is stabbing me and cutting my heart out piece by piece. Make the pain go away kitkat. Please.” He whimpers and your heart breaks alongside him as tears fall down your own cheeks. You wish you could take the heartache away, you wish he’d never met Soyeon, that he found someone who loved him as much as he deserves. You wish that there was something you could do but sadly Jimin will have to get over his feelings on his own. There’s not much you can do besides wipe away his tears. 

“I’m so sorry Jiminie, but it’ll get better. You’ll find someone who’ll love you more than she ever could.” it’s the only solace you can offer him at the moment and while now it does nothing you hope it plants a little seed in his mind to later sprout into hope for the future. 

“Yoongi wasn’t lying was he?” Jimin says after a few minutes, voice so soft you almost miss it entirely. 

“I don’t think so bub.” You whisper, brushing his hair back from his face softly. 

“Can I still stay here? I just need some time away to think and figure out how to apologize.” 

“Stay for as long as you need.” You tell him, leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the side of his head. “What’re best friends for?” 

You wake up early the next morning to Kimchi sitting on your chest, patting your face gently with her paw. “Hi sweetheart.” You say softly and she responds by rubbing her face against yours. “You hungry?” You ask her to which she meows in response. Sitting up slowly she jumps off of you and waits impatiently for you by the door, yelling at you to hurry up. Rubbing your eyes you slip on your slippers before following her to the kitchen to make sure she doesn’t wake Jimin up. Thankfully you had babysat Kimchi earlier this year and have leftover food for her which you pour into a little bowl before moving onto making breakfast for you and Jimin. Settling on pancakes, because really who doesn’t like waking up to pancakes, you head downstairs to the nearby market to buy the necessary ingredients as well as a litter box for Kimchi. You’re not really sure how long Jimin will be staying with you but judging by the fact Jimin needs time to think about just how to apologize you can only guess the blowout between him and Yoongi was pretty bad. He’ll probably be staying for at least a week to build up the courage to even face your eldest friend. 

Pushing the shopping cart through the empty isles of the shop- honestly you should come here only in the early mornings because there’s no one to get in your way when you glide across the isles on the back of the cart- you pause in front of the small plant section in the corner of the store. They’re mostly succulents and little flowers for people who’ve forgotten anniversaries and need to pick up one last minute but you contemplate bringing home a little aloe vera plant. Jimin has always talked about wanting to start becoming a plant dad and maybe this will cheer him up a little. Just before you can grab it because yes you do need that little plant to add to the forest that is your apartment, it’s snatched up by someone’s grubby hands. You squawk in disbelief- yes sadly squawk but it’s also 8 in the morning so do you really care- blinking at the plantnapper in shock. “That’s my plant.” Similar to the not-Namjoon Seokjin incident your mouth moves before your mind has time to process what you’re going to say. 

“Is your name on it?” The thief says and you internally gag. Ugh he’s one of those guys. 

“Yes actually it’s written as ‘fuck you’ in the soil.” You grumble, crossing your arms over your chest as you stare at your plant clutched between his fingers forlornly. You don’t even bother to look up at his face, his identity shall be nothing but a plantnapper to you. 

“Are you always this pleasant?” He says airily and you almost look up at him just from hearing the smirk in his voice but refrain. He doesn’t deserve the satisfaction. 

“Are you always such an ass?” You quip and to your anger he laughs. He giggles like you just told him the funniest joke of the century and you can feel your insides heat up as you struggle not to throttle him. 

“If I recall correctly all I did was take this plant. You’re the one who started calling me names and cussing me out.” You hate that he’s right but you’ve always been known for your stubbornness. 

“I wouldn’t have said anything if you weren’t a thief.” You tell him, reaching out to grab the plant from his hands when you notice his grip slacken slightly in confusion. If only he didn’t have good reflexes as he holds the little succulent high above his head. 

“Ah ah ah,” He tuts and you finally look up at him, coming face to face with large round eyes glinting with happiness. You scowl further as you realize he won and got you to look at him. “Such a shame a pretty face is wasted.” He says, you can just imagine the ear-splitting grin hidden behind his large black face mask. 

“Give me my plant.” You deadpan, wanting to end the altercation all together. You’d lost the will to want it so badly as soon as he pointed out that he was in fact right and you had been the one to start this petty argument, but now your desire to not lose has won over and you’re adamant on leaving with the plant still trapped in his hands. 

“Say please and I’ll consider it.” He counters, unaffected by the sharp glare you send his way. 

“I saw it first!” You whine and again he giggles. 

“What is this, elementary school? Well in that case, you snooze you loose!” If it weren’t for the face mask obscuring his mouth you just know he would be sticking his tongue out at you. Just the thought irks you enough to submit to his will. 

“Fine, can I please have the plant?” You sigh hating the way his eyes twinkle. 

“Sure thing.” He says before setting it down on the highest shelf available, one you’ll have to scale the shelf case just to grab. When he notices your expression of both defeat and annoyance his eyes crinkle once more into a large grin as he pats the top of your head lightly. “Have a nice day!” He sings before walking off in the opposite direction. You flip off his parting figure before sighing and staring at the aloe vera plant helplessly. You can’t just leave it there in case he comes back to see if you’ve managed to snag the plant. If it’s still there that means he’ll have bested you three times and you can’t have that even if he is a total stranger. 

Your feet are perched on the bottom rung of the shelving as you reach up aimlessly with one hand, your mind so busy cursing out the stranger that you don’t hear the approaching footsteps of another person until a hand comes over your outstretched one and grabs the plant. Not again, you groan internally. 

“Listen-“ You begin, turning around fully ready to be faced with a smirking crinkly eyed boy only to sputter when you realize it’s the guy with the camera you couldn’t get out of your head yesterday. He has a little apron on, one that all the employees wear, and a large silver name tag that displays his name so prettily. 

“Were you trying to get this little guy?” He asks, voice warm and smooth like honey as he gently strokes his finger along one of the leaves of the small plant. His brown hair is like the color of milk chocolate, softened by the early morning sun and he’s so beautiful and warm you fully forget how to function. Like your brain short circuits and for a moment you forget where you are and what you were saying. 

“Uhh yeah.” You manage to spit out after awkwardly gaping at him for who knows how long. “Thanks…Taehyung.” His name sounds so natural coming out of your mouth- but that’s probably just because you’re secretly a hopeless romantic who gets caught up in pretty boys much too easily- and you can’t help but wish that you’ll get to say it many more times. He gingerly hands the plant over to you and you can feel your cheeks getting hot when his fingers brush your own. 

“Anytime stalker girl.” He giggles. It’s such an endearing sound. 

“Y/n, my name is y/n.” You tell him, nervously fiddling with the leaves of your little plant. 

“Need any help finding anything else?” He asks you and maybe- just maybe- you ask him to show you where the cat stuff is. But only because you don’t know- you do- where the cat stuff is and not because you want to spend more time with him- like how you ask his opinion on what food flavors Kimchi would like when she’s not even your cat and you have food at home. 

Thankfully Jimin is still asleep when you arrive home which means you can still surprise him. You were a little stressed when you realized just how much time you had spent talking to Taehyung- just the thought of him makes you smile like a lovesick fool, grinning to yourself in your empty kitchen as you unload the groceries- but it turns out the emotional turmoil Jimin’s going through is enough to make him exhausted. Kimchi watches you mix the batter curiously from the top of the refrigerator, her tail flicking gently almost like it’s swaying to the music playing softly from your phone. “Should I make bacon?” You ask her, nodding affirmatively when she meows back at you that yes, you should. 

The bacon sizzles as it hits the hot pan while you stand as far away as possible, carefully placing each strip with salad tongs. You jump when the grease pops, mind flashing back to the time Jimin almost set the dorm kitchen on fire. For someone who had worked in a restaurant during high school you would think he’d know not to put water in a hot pan of oil. Kimchi also hates the sound, her tail whacking you in the face as it flicks agitatedly. You wipe at your tongue furiously after feeling what can only be cat hair in your mouth- possibly the worst texture of all time- before making eye contact with a sleepy Jimin leaning against the hallway wall. “You’re cooking?” He asks, no stranger to finding cat hair in uncomfortable places. 

“Thought I’d surprise you.” You smile awkwardly, gesturing to the pan before flinching when the oil pops. 

“Breakfast in bed? Your future boyfriend will be the luckiest guy out there. I didn’t even have to put out.” Jimin laughs, disregarding the way you internally gag at the thought of being intimate with Jimin. It’s not that you don’t think he’s attractive because lets’s be honest, with his plush lips that could rival any bratz doll, thick head of black hair and amazing physique from dancing- you really should’ve took him up on taking classes with him- he’s a straight stunner. His sweet and charming albeit snarky personality only makes him even more alluring. If only you hadn’t known him for so long- more like took baths with him as babies- you’d probably see him as something more than just an annoying, lovable little brother. You say little despite him being older because this man really does act like a five year old sometimes. 

“Please never put that image into my head again.” You say, ignoring the way he rolls his eyes. 

“It’s your fault for imagining it. Ugh now you’re making me think about it; when will the torture end?” He whines only pausing his dramatics when you put a stack of bacon and pancakes in front of him. Immediately he slathers them in butter and syrup, completely silent as he digs in. 

“Wow thank you, Y/n you’re the best! I couldn’t ask for a better best friend.” You say sarcastically, patting yourself on the back before turning to flip your own pancakes. 

“Thanks you.” Jimin sings through a mouthful of food, standing up to give you a sticky kiss on the cheek in appreciation. 

“Gross!” You yell, wiping your cheek on a nearby dish towel before twisting it to snap it at Jimin. He shrieks in terror and you laugh manically, plating your own breakfast before sitting besides him at the counter top. The barstools creak under your weight- although what did you expect when you bought the cheapest ones available at Ikea- and you half worry it’s going to break but thankfully you don’t end up bruising your ass today. “I did such a good job. These are delicious, wow.” This time you really do give yourself on the back, proud to say that you’ve still got it. They’re fluffy, not burned, and edible. Someone needs to cast you for top chef. 

Jimin chuckles from beside you, the two of you eating in silence until Jimin notices the small aloe vera plant next to the fridge. “You bought another plant?” He says exasperated, almost like your slight plant addiction has offended him. 

“Firstly I told you the more plants the better the air quality. Plus more free oxygen.” 

“All oxygen is free stupid.” 

“Anyways, since you wanted to be a plant dad I thought you could start out with this little guy. It should be relatively easy but I can help you if you have any questions.” 

“Oh, thanks. I guess I’m a proud father of two now.” Standing up Jimin grabs the little plot, cradling it between his fingers. “It needs a name.” 

“Cherry.” 

“I hate cherries.” Jimin says going so far as to pucker his lips and scrunch his nose to show his distaste. 

“Not cherry cherries, Cherry.” You say, sighing and rolling your eyes when Jimin doesn’t understand the clear difference. “Only the best character in animal crossing, duh.” 

“She doesn’t even wear Gucci.” Jimin scoffs and you place a hand over your heart, wholly offended by the slander taking place in front of you. 

“Just because she’s not a hypebeast does not make her inferior. Besides aren’t you more of a YSL guy? Gucci is their direct competition.” 

“I just- Cherry and Kimchi sounds horrible.” Jimin sighs. 

“Please.” You plead, pulling your best puppy dog eyes. “I went through so much just to get it.” 

“Did you embarrass yourself again?” Jimin’s voice is something along the lines of a disappointed mom- the one where they just kinda sigh it out because they shouldn’t have expected you to change- and you just flash him a smile. 

“If you’re asking if I was mid-scaling a case of shelves to try and get Cherry from the very top and the hottest guy I’ve ever seen caught me in the act then yes. But I only had to scale it because this jerk wanted to flex his height and put it up there so I had to climb to get it. I mean he’s not even like super tall he’s just normal tall so maybe it’s an inferiority complex. Can tall guys have those?” You ramble, mid-tangent when Jimin raises a hand to stop you. 

“Fine we can name it Cherry. But just know when people ask me why that’s the name I’m blaming you.” 

“You act like Kimchi is not just as weird. She’s not even mainly orange.” Feeling a pair of eyes on you you turn and come face to face with Kimchi who had left her post on the fridge to make her presence known. If she had eye brows you swear she’d be glaring since her eyes have lost their typical round shape and are more angular. “Sorry baby you know I still love you.” You tell her, rubbing the top of her head until she purrs. 

“Don’t listen to her Kim, she’s lying.” Jimin whispers conspiratorially to which you gasp. Pulling her into your chest you cover her ears as you cradle her. 

“Don’t put such words in her head. I even bought new food for her!” 

“Are you stalking me?” A voice you’d recognize anywhere, Taehyung’s, says to your left and you swear you’ve never turned faster in your life. 

“Don’t flatter yourself.” You tease, chuckling to hide the way your heart races at the sight of him. HIs hair is a wavy mess today, toeing the line between bedhead and purposely but ever so sexy all the same. He’s wearing a thin, black sweater today tucked into some loose brown plaid plants and looks effortlessly good. It’s truly unfair for him to be this attractive, you’re not sure your heart- nor your stomach with the way butterflies are fluttering rampantly in your ribcage- can take it. “Besides aren’t you the one doing the stalking? After all I was here first.” 

“Very true but I also caught you in the act the other day, so I can’t be too sure.” He teases, nudging your arm with his own. “So have you found the guy you’re looking for yet?” He asks, moving to sit next to a bench a few feet away and patting the spot next to him. 

“Not yet, he’s more aloof than I thought.” 

“A buddy of mine had his bag stolen recently too. Apparently you’re not the only kleptomaniac on campus.” 

“I’m not a thief!” You exclaim, playfully slapping his shoulder as he giggles at you. 

“Alright, alright.” He says throwing his hands up in mock surrender. 

“Oh hey how’d your photography assignment go?” You ask, half curious and half itching to fill the silence between the two of you. 

“Nothing really struck my interest.” He shrugs. “You’re actually the only thing I could think of the rest of the day.” He says it so casually like he’s talking about what he ate that day, completely unaware of the way you clam up beside him. How do you even respond to that?

Laughing awkwardly because your mind has shut down and you’ve been left to follow your useless instincts, you fiddle with the rings on your fingers. “Yeah you’re pretty interesting yourself.” You want to bash your head into the sidewalk. That’s the best you could come up with?

“Want to be my muse?” He turns to you then, looking at you like you’re the most interesting thing to him. It makes you nervous, what will he do when he finds out that you’re just average? 

“If you want me to be.” You say softly, avoiding meeting his eyes. You’re mad at yourself for how shy you’ve become but you’ve never been in a situation like this before. Taehyung is just so blunt and sweet, but you’re so accustomed to loving insults that you don’t know how to respond in something that’s not sarcastic. 

“I want to catch you in your element.” He says, reaching over to take your hand in his own. Your cheeks heat up instinctively and you turn away to hide it, turning back around when you hear the familiar shutter of a camera. You didn’t even realize he had it.

“I’m afraid I’m not that interesting.” You tell him earnestly, unable to hide your crestfallen expression. 

“I beg to differ. I mean how many girls do you find that hide in bushes outside science lectures and use mini walkie-talkies?” You can’t help but crack a smile, imagining yourself from his point of view. That must’ve been quite the sight. 

“That was a one time event. Well hopefully. I’m just kinda wishing the owner of the bag will just appear in front of me.” You sigh, looking forlornly at the life science building. You just knew the owner had to be in there somewhere. 

“That’d be easy.” Taehyung laughs, his smile falling when his phone buzzes. “I have to go to class but I’ll see you again okay?” 

“Oh okay. Should I give you my number then?” You ask, fumbling with your phone to bring up the contacts page. 

“Sure, though I think through fate we’d meet again anyways. Don’t you think it means something that out of the 40,000 students on campus we found each other?” His eyes twinkle with mirth and you smile back at him, hoping that this is some kind of act of fate. Maybe you’ve even found your soulmate. 

“I hope so.” You tell him, smile growing as a boxy grin takes over his face. You’ve never met someone so adorable. He waves at you goodbye, throwing you a cheesy kiss as he walks in the other direction, leaving you to squeal by yourself in peace. 

After spending the entirety of your free time spent sitting outside the life science building looking for a face you barely remember at this point you give up. You’ll just have to bring the backpack to the lost and found and notify your professor that you found a back from your past lecture and brought it there so he could tell the class. You’d also have to look for your own backpack, your mind so focused on the fact that you had someone’s bag that it completely disregarded the fact that you didn’t even have your own. Thankfully you still have your laptop so you’ve been able to complete your home work but all your notes were in that bag. Trudging through the hallway you ignore the noise coming from next-door, praying that by the time you return from this adventure they’ll be quiet, you quickly grab the bag and head out. You’re surprised to see a frustratingly familiar face however and you make eye contact with the guy standing outside of Namjoon’s door. You’d recognize those stupid big eyes and black mask anywhere. It’s the plantnapper. 

“You’re the thief?” He yells in disbelief, pointing to the backpack as if it’s incriminating. Well it is but it shouldn’t be to him. You only blink at him in surprise, still stood in the doorway to your apartment as your brain tries to process what this means. “I should figure as much after the plant incident.” He scoffs, eyes sharpening as he glares at your unresponsive form. He must know the person who owns this bag that has to be it. Or, oh no, what if he’s the guy who owns it.

Taking a moment to observe your self-declared nemesis, you take in the tattoos that poke out from his oversized black t-shirt, the man piercings in his ear, the all black (tattoos included) aesthetic. The only thing that doesn’t scream that he could like drawing skulls in his free time is the dorky bucket hat on his head. Stepping closer, you look in his eyes once again trying to imagine the ones from Jeon Jungkook’s instagram profile picture to them. It’s only when he crosses his arms at your scrutinizing gaze do you notice the wire frame glasses hanging from the collar of his shirt. Oh no, please not him. Anybody but him. 

“You’re Jeon Jungkook?” You ask incredulously not believing that he’s right here in front of you. You thought the guy who drew the skulls and small plants would be a shy emo nerd not an arrogant asshole. 

“So she speaks.” He says, reaching forward to wrench the backpack out of your hands. “Why’d you steal my bag anyways, thief?” He spits the word out and you glare at him, fists clenching at your side. 

“I’m not a thief. I accidentally took it thinking it was mine!” You say indignantly, tired of having to retell this story so many times. You wish you would’ve just thrown it away. You would’ve if you had figured out the plantnapper’s identity sooner. 

“You thought it was yours for two days? Are you stupid?” He asks and you suck on your inner cheek in irritation. 

“No I was just trying to find you to return it personally, but now I wish I’d have just thrown it away or burned it.” 

“Wait a minute…does that mean you’re missing your bag?” His eyes twinkle in amusement and he looks much too pleased with the situation for your liking. You liked it better when he looked angry because at least you knew what was coming. 

“No.” You say, though you can hear the hesitance in your own voice at your blatant lie. 

“So you’re telling me that you don’t have a blue bag covered in pins and a bunch of pink bunny notebooks?” When he notices your eyes widen because you realize he took your bag as well, a smirk takes over his already obnoxious features. “You wanna lie to me again?” He teases, grinning as he once again watches you sigh in defeat. 

“Fine yes it’s mine okay? Can I have it back since you have yours?” 

“Hmm I don’t know, I quite like some of the things you’ve written in the margins of your notebooks. Can you explain to me more about the sock puppet show?” 

“That wasn’t me it was Jimin!” Another lie, you thought your little nephew might like it for when you babysit him, but he doesn’t need to know that. You refuse to give him any more blackmail material. 

“I’m sure.” He says sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. “Do you really think I’m that stupid?” He asks and this time it’s your turn to grin. 

“Do you want an honest answer?” 

“What do you know, thief.” He scoffs and you scoff in return. Who knew someone could be so irritating? 

“You’re the one who stole- and still has- my backpack!” You yell at him, enjoying in the way he pokes his tongue into his cheek in irritation. 

“Because you stole mine first!” He whines, petulantly stomping his foot. You don’t suppress the urge to laugh to which he frowns. “Fine you want the bag? Then go get it.” Angrily he reaches into his pocket only to come up empty before banging his head on the front door rather harshly. The thud carries down the hall. 

“That was pretty loud. Is it really that empty up there?” You reach up to knock your fist against his skull just to be annoying but he swats your hand away. 

“I don’t have a key.” He sighs, before beating on the door so hard that it rattles yours as well. “Seokjin!” He yells and you take a step back from him just in case any of your neighbors poke their head out to see what the commotion is about. You don’t want to be associated with him. “Jin open the fucking door!” He yells again, his voice wavering as embarrassment takes hold. His neck and ears begin to turn red, the blush spreading to his cheeks as he pounds against the door almost desperately. If he wasn’t such a nuisance and your sworn enemy you’d probably find it endearing. 

“You don’t have a key to your own apartment?” You tease, leaning against your own front door as you soak in his misery. It’s about time he do something stupid in front of you. Victory tastes so sweet. 

“Shut up.” He snaps, jiggling the door handle like it’ll magically unlock itself. You’re actually starting to feel bad as you watch him wither inside, fully succumbing to the embarrassment of it all. 

“Hey it’s okay, maybe he’s not home.” You say softly, placing a hand on his arm to stop him from knocking again. His knuckles are red from the harsh pounding and when he turns to you with eyes somewhat watery and a giant pout on his lips your heart cracks a little. You begin to even regret being so mean to him until the door opens and he returns back to normal. 

“Finally!” He yells ignoring Seokjin’s annoyed face as he scurries towards the back of his apartment where you assume his room is. 

“This kid, moving in here without notice and then rudely waking me up from a nap.” Seokjin rolls his eyes, moving to stand aside as Jungkook’s footsteps get louder as he trudges back towards you. 

“Here’s your bag thief. Hope I never see you again!” Throwing your backpack at you he slams the door in your face leaving you to stare at it blankly. Just when you think someone isn’t half bad they have to prove you wrong. Scoffing you turn around and head back into your own apartment, blissfully unaware of the pair of eyes on you watching through the peephole. 

When Jimin arrives home you’re still brewing in agitation from your encounter with your ever so pleasant neighbor- note the sarcasm. “So I’m guessing giving the backpack back didn’t go well?” Jimin asks, flopping beside you on the couch. Kimchi immediately jumps up after him, content to lay on his lap while purring loudly. You’re a little envious that he comes back home to something happy to see him, a loneliness you didn’t know you felt creeping up on you as you now know what it’s like to come home to something. There’s only so much comfort your plants can provide. Maybe you should get a boyfriend- Taehyung pops in your mind and you instantly smile, only to scowl when the buck-toothed loser takes his place- perhaps you should just get a pet instead. 

“Let’s just say I never want to see Jeon Jungkook again.” You huff, crossing your arms as his stupid smirk appears in your head. You should’ve slapped it off him. He’s lucky you’re not a violent person otherwise you would’ve. 

“Would food cheer you up?” Jimin asks, eyeing you with a smile because he already knows the answer. 

“Is it free?” 

“Always.” Jimin laughs, taking his phone out of his pocket- careful not to disturb Kimchi too much- before dialing a number you know too well. Your local pizza restaurant is famous on campus, fancy enough that people don’t feel like they’re just eating grease like dominoes but also cheap enough that it doesn’t feel like they’re breaking the bank on literal pizza. It’s college, if people are gonna waste their money it’s for sure going to be on alcohol. 

“Hi I’d like to place an order.” Jimin says, giggling when he recognizes the voice of whoever is on the receiving end. “I’m glad you answered, I missed your voice. Maybe you could deliver the pizza too so we can spend a little time together. You haven’t taken your break yet have you?” You stare at him quizzically until you realize just what the little snake is doing. You hope to never be on the receiving end of Jimin’s flirtatious advances, especially knowing that he flirts with anybody to get what he wants. “Oh how disappointing I wanted to see you.” He sighs, going so far as to pout even though they can’t see him. “Maybe you can make it up to me somehow?” He asks sickly sweet and you only stare in awe as he flashes you a brilliant smile. The rat just got a free pizza, you know it. Hanging up the phone Jimin waggles his eyebrows at you, cackling evilly like he’s some kind of witch or something. 

“You didn’t think I’d pay for you did you? I don’t even pay for myself.” He snorts- yes snorts- entirely too pleased with himself for your liking. 

“I can’t wait till this catches up to you.” 

“Then stop benefitting from it.” Jimin shrugs and you whine at him in response. 

“But the perks are so nice. Ahh I feel like a bad person but at the same time I’m not the scammer.” 

“I am not a scammer. I’m just taking advantage of my pretty privilege.” Jimin says and you only further your pout. 

“Why don’t I get pretty privilege?” 

“You just don’t have the face for it.” He says bluntly, screeching when you smack his chest. 

“Park Jimin take it back!” You continue your assault on his chest until he grabs your hands in his own, using his strength to hold them away from his body. 

“I just mean you’re not good at flirting! You’re just mean and shit.” He huffs, watching your reaction skeptically to see if you’ll try and lunge for him again. 

“I can flirt. And besides I’m not mean, I’m an angel.” You say, taking your hands away to place them in your lap. You focus instead on Kimchi who is so unbothered by this whole ordeal that she’s fallen asleep. 

“Yeah okay.” Jimin laughs, the kinda half snort-half huff type. “And if you’re not mean why did Seokjin text me about you yelling at someone in the hallway.” 

“It’s not just someone, it was Jeon Jungkook. My rival, my arch-nemesis, my most hated person. He deserved it anyways, he called me a thief! Can you believe it?” You exclaim, irked by just the thought of your previous argument. It’s been so long since someone has surpassed your indifference and gotten so under your skin that just the thought of them makes you want to punch something. You think the last time you felt like this was in eighth grade and it’s as infuriating as you remember. You hate him. 

“I mean you did steal his bag.” Jimin says and you turn so fast he actually jumps. 

“Why does everyone keep saying that? It was an accident!” Jimin falls silent after that, finally realizing that he’s treading on thin ice. He didn’t realize that this Jeon Jungkook was such a sore spot for you, all he wanted was to tease you a little. The two of you continue to sit in silence, the only sound being Kimchi’s soft purrs and the occasional rumble from the old air conditioning system. 

You want to say something, you know Jimin didn’t mean to make you so upset but you’re not goof at explaining your feelings. Or expressing emotions. You should probably try a little harder because glancing at Jimin through the corner of your eye you can see how glossy his eyes have become. “Jiminie I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” You murmur, half ashamed and half uncomfortable with being vulnerable. It’s stupid, he’s your best friend and he’s seen you cry before but it never gets any easier. “Please don’t cry because of me. It-it hurts to see you cry.”

Jimin sniffles and you almost start crying on your own, distraught at the fact you made him cry. Despite his snarky remarks you know Jimin is quite sensitive and you’re so stupid for forgetting about that. “That was the nicest thing you’ve ever said to me.” 

“That makes me sound like a bad person. You know I love you, I just don’t say it a lot.” You chuckle, somewhat in an attempt to lighten the mood. It’s gotten much too depressing for your liking. Hastily wiping his cheeks he smiles brightly at you and your chest doesn’t hurt as much when you realize that he’s okay. 

“I love you too kitkat.” He says, opening his mouth to say something else before the doorbell cuts him off. 

“Pizza!” You cheer, jumping up and heading to the door quickly. The tension in your shoulders dissipating as you distract yourself. They rise up again when you realize just who is on the other side. “No.” You say, frowning as you’re reacquainted with his face.

“Yes.” He grins, the type that could give the cheshire cat a run for his money. “Now that’s $19.50.” 

“The pizza was free.”  

“I saw that but since it’s you…$19.50” He says and you scowl. 

“I’m not paying for a free pizza. Besides you’re overcharging, can you even do math?” 

“I’m charging for every second I have to speak to you.” 

“Shouldn’t I be the one getting paid then since I didn’t chose to come to you, you came to me?” 

“That makes no sense, my job is literally to deliver pizzas.” He says, shaking the box with your pizza like his red vest and the grease smeared across his cheek is not indicative of his job. 

“Yeah and you’re doing a really bad job at it. So if you don’t mind,” Swiping the box out of his hand you hold it close to you before giving him a parting smile. “Goodbye.” Slamming the door in his face as he had done to you earlier, you lock it just before he can grab your handle. 

“What about my tip?” He yells, banging his fist against the door. You only grin, fully indulging in the anger that seeps through his tone. Something about pissing him off gives you so much joy. Does that make you a sadist or something?

“Here’s a tip, stop bothering me!” 

“That’s not even a tip, that’s a statement idiot!” 

“Whatever you Bambi-looking headass!” You yell back, moving away from the door and presenting the pizza to Jimin like it’s a glorious prize. Jungkook is still banging on the door and do spite him further you have alexa play a song on full blast. It’s painful for your own ears but after letting it play for a minute, you turn it off completely only to rejoice in the fact that you can’t hear your nemesis outside the door anymore. 

“I have so much I want to say but I’ll refrain for now.” Jimin says and you don’t like the way he’s looking at you. It’s almost like he knows something.

“Good idea. Now let’s eat, I’m starving.”

Two days later and you’re once again in your nearby market because Kimchi has now decided that her food is no longer good enough to eat. So to avoid your niece starving- as much as you love Jimin you refuse to co-pet-parent with him- you have to return to the store to buy her more food. You make a mental note to get a dog instead of a cat if you do decide to get a pet solely because they’re not picky about what they eat. Plus they’re rather loud with their affection which you appreciate. You can’t say you’re too mad about having to return to this store so soon though because you might get the chance to see Taehyung again. You’ve been hoping that he’d reach out to you at some point but you’re beginning to think he was serious about letting fate have you cross paths again. What if fate screws you over and you never see him again? 

You almost jump in joy when you spot the back of his head- should you be concerned that you already know what the back of it looks like- unable to suppress the small squeak sound that leaves you. Why are you so embarrassing? You give him an awkward smile when he turns around, nerves calmed by the fact that he grins brightly back at you. “So we meet again.” He says and you’re pretty sure your pupils have taken the shape of hearts from how you look at him. 

“Yeah.” You breathe out like you’re in a lovesick trance- yikes your hopeless romanticism is showing. 

“Did you come just to see me?” He teases and you actually choke on your spit because embarrassingly yes, you partially came for him. He only chuckles at your reaction, placing a large palm between your shoulder blades to rub soothing circles while you cough your lung out. You understand now why you don’t experience pretty privilege; how can anyone find such a mess attractive?

“I came to get more cat food.” You croak out, throat sore and scratchy. 

“Didn’t you just buy some a few days ago?” He asks, head cocked to the side entirely too cutely as his brows draw together in confusion. You’re pretty sure you’re swooning and you look away before he can catch you. 

“Yeah but she decided it wasn’t good enough so here I am.” You laugh awkwardly. You wish the conversation flowed easier and you weren’t stuck only talking to him about either you stalking people or cat food. 

The air around you turns stale as silence settles between you and you twitch nervously. The silence is unbearable and you wish to fill it. “Will you help me?” You ask, once again falling into the trap of cat food as a topic. 

“Sure.” He gives you an easy smile, motioning for you to follow him to the specific aisle. Maybe you should just break out of this cycle by asking him out. Surely you’ll think of something to talk about besides cat food or stalking if you’re away from the places you associate them with. 

“Do you want to get coffee or something sometime?” You ask him, your words blurring together into a messy sentence as the words tumble too quickly out of your mouth. It takes him a minute to piece together what you asked and in that minute you regret your decision even more. Surely he’ll say no. 

“I’d love to.” He giggles, his boxy smile so wide his eyes scrunch a little as his cheeks push against them. Your eyes widen in surprise as you’d been preparing yourself for what you thought to be an inevitable ‘no’ and that only makes Taehyung smile wider-if possible. “You’re so cute.” He coos, tapping a finger against the tip of your nose as you continue to stare at him dumbfounded. Maybe you should have a little more faith in yourself if someone like Taehyung said yes to you. 

“Thanks.” You murmur, cursing yourself internally for being so shy. How has this man reduced you to a bashful mess with a single compliment? You’re sure if you looked in the mirror you probably wouldn’t even recognize yourself. Y/n without a witty remark? Unheard of. Maybe this is the change you need though, maybe this you is better?

“if you want to wait around for five minutes my shift ends and then we can go?” Taehung asks and you just nod, your brain trying to process the fact that you’ll be going on a date in five minutes with the hottest guy you’ve ever seen. Looking down at yourself you freeze realizing you’re about to go on a date in sweatpants and one of Jimin’s old hoodies from high school. You look like you just rolled out of bed. 

Five minutes isn’t even enough time to get to your apartment though and you sigh, resigning yourself to looking frumpy. Grabbing whatever cat food is nearest- what kind of food Kimchi would like is the last thing on your mind-  you busy yourself at the register, chatting with a guy named Soobin. He winks at you when Taehyung rounds the corner to get you, his apron gone and revealing his Celine t-shirt. “You ready to go?” He asks, coming up beside you. Nodding in response, he places a hand on the small of your back before gently pushing you forward and you fiddle with the rings on your fingers to distract yourself from the heat crawling up the back of your neck and across your cheeks. 

You instantly recognize the cafe he takes you to and smile to yourself, already anticipating seeing a familiar tuft of icy blonde hair- another one of your hair dye experiences. Taehyung- ever the gentleman- opens the door for you and you give him a soft smile in thanks. When you look back to the counter Yoongi is giving you a quizzical look and you shake your head slightly as a signal not to ask. That doesn’t deter him from scanning you and Taehyung, his eyes lingering on the way Taehyung’s arm wraps around your waist. You don’t remember him doing that. “Yoongi!” Taehyung yells and you turn to him in surprise. He knows Yoongi? Yoongi has always kept a pretty tight circle so you can’t help but be baffled by this newly discovered friendship. You’ve never heard him mention someone named Taehyung before. 

“Ahh hi Taehyung.” Yoongi smiles, this time shaking his head at you slightly. You guess it’s only fair since you told him not to ask as well no matter how much you itch to question him. You’ve always been nosey, it’s something you and Jimin bonded over. “Haven’t seen you in a while.” Yoongi continues, looking to you briefly to see if you register the bone he threw you. Ahh they must be old friends that lost touch. 

“Yeah I haven’t seen you since winter break in Daegu. You always ghosted me when I asked to hang out.” Taehyung pouts. 

“I told you I’ve been busy. I’ve had a lot going on, my roommate is always getting into trouble. Speaking of which, how is he?” Yoongi turns his full attention to you and you give him a pitiful smile as you can see the hurt in his eyes. It’s no secret Yoongi has always had a soft spot for Jimin and their fight must’ve been really hard on him too. You hope he had someone to lean on the way Jimin did you. 

“He’s reached acceptance. I think he’s finally trying to actually get over her. He’s been staying with me this whole time. You can stop by later if you want?” You offer, completely unaware of the way Taehyung’s eyes flicker between you and Yoongi to try and discern your relationship. He’s never heard about you either. Min Yoongi sure has a lot of secrets. 

“I’ll let him come to me. He might think I’m ambushing him or something if I come over.” Yoongi shrugs albeit sadly. Your heart aches at seeing him so dejected and you place your hand over his own. 

“He wants to apologize, he did the first night. He’s just working up the courage.” It’s the only solace you can offer him at the moment but you hope it’s enough to make him feel even a little better. “I don’t think he’ll take much longer, he’s probably getting sick of me.” You laugh, grinning when you see Yoongi crack a tiny smile. 

“Sounds good. Now head to the pick up counter, I punched in your drinks a while ago. It’s not like either of you get anything different anyways.” 

“Thanks Yoon! I’ll buy you lamb skewers next time we hang out.” You tell him, leaving the register with Taehyung trailing you. 

“So how do you two know each other?” Taehyung asks, sipping on his strawberry smoothie. 

“We met when I made the mistake of taking philosophy at nine a.m. a couple semesters ago. We really bonded while suffering together and then he became roommates with my best friend and we formed an unbreakable trio.” You take a rather large sip of your caramel macchiato, needing a drink after speaking probably the longest sentence you ever have to Taehyung. Progress- sad progress because you’ve never had this problem before but progress nonetheless. “How do you know Yoongi?” 

“We grew up together in Daegu. Next door neighbors and everything.” Taehyung smiles like he’s reminiscing in things you don’t know about but one day you hope to hear more if for nothing but to hear his voice- although some embarrassing childhood memories to blackmail Yoongi with would be nice.

“Yoongi’s emo phase must’ve been an experience.” You snort only to freeze when you realize you just made probably the most unattractive noise in existence. You’re pretty sure you hear Yoongi cackle at your embarrassment. 

“He actually didn’t have one.” Taehyung whispers almost like it’s a secret and you can’t help the gasp that leads your lips. 

“What?” You exclaim, placing a hand over your mouth. Your whole friendship has been a lie! “But he’s so angsty!” 

“That’s because he bottles up his feelings.” Taehyung says and you remember another reason you and Yoongi got so close. You’re practically the same person when it comes to feelings and expressing them- in fact it’s one of the reasons you can read each other so well. “I just wish he’d reveal his soft side more often.” 

“That’s why he’s my favorite tsundere.” You giggle, winking at Yoongi when you catch him glaring at you from behind the counter. You could tell he was listening in on you and Taehyung’s conversation- he was wiping the same spot on the pickup counter for two minutes-  and you know he hates nothing more than being compared to a tsundere. Though you theorize it’s only because it’ll out him as a weeb. Not that his one piece set displayed in the living room of the apartment gives it away or anything. ‘I hate you’ he mouths when you look in his direction again and you only laugh, giving him a finger heart to placate him before turning back to your date. 

Taehyung is just smiling at you, his gaze flicking to the window to try and hide the fact he was admiring you. It was nice to see that he was the one getting bashful for once as you watch roses cluster along his cheeks. He really is so cute. “You’re cute.” You tell him, happy at the way his eyes widen at your sudden boldness. It’s only brief however as he gives you a flirty smirk in return. 

“Just cute?” He asks, leaning forward to look you dead in the eyes, enjoying the way you struggle to maintain eye contact. 

“Yes.” You whisper with a final flicker of confidence, immediately regretting your poor attempt to tease him as he leans in further, his face a few inches from your own. 

“Let’s change that, yeah?” Your breath hitches at him being so close, close enough that you find yourself looking at the small mole under his eye and following it down to the mole on his nose before finally landing on the one on his lower lip. Your eyes linger on his lips, which look much to kissable for you to turn your attention away from. They’re soft and pink, moistened by his tongue that slips out to brush across his bottom lip, dragging your attention back up to his eyes that flicker from your gaze to your own lips. You pinch your bottom one between your teeth as the tension brews between you two. Taehyung reaches a hand out to fall gently on your cheek, releasing your bottom lip from its hold with his thumb. Once it’s free he wastes no time to press his lips to your own and you sigh into him. You could get used to this. 

Nothing can ruin your mood, not even a certain bambi, as you skip up the two flights of stairs to your apartment building. With slightly mussed hair and kiss swollen lips, you’re entirely too giddy for your own good. You’re in the midst of digging around in your bag for your keys when you feel something wet against your leg. Instantly you scream, jumping away from whatever just touched you and relaxing only when you notice it’s a little black Puggle. “Oh hello.” You giggle, bending down to pet the puppy. It wriggles in excitement, jumping out of your outstretched arms almost like a fish out of water. Finally managing to wrangle it into your lap you check for a collar only to find none. Shrugging, you take the puppy into your apartment, resolving to notify the office about the lost dog so they can alert the other residents and hopefully its owner. In the meanwhile though, you have a puppy to play with! An annoyed meow sounds from the couch and you cringe when Kimchi glares at you. 

“Sorry Kim, this is only temporary.” You try and console her, attention diverted when the puppy barks at you. “Hi sweetheart.” You coo, rubbing her belly as she happily melts into you. “Your owner should really invest in a collar.” You sigh, hoping that whoever they are will realize they’re missing a pet soon. As cute as you think this little puppy is you’re not equipped to care for it. 

You must play with the dog for twenty minutes before it knocks out, snoring lightly on your furry rug. Kimchi watches curiously from the couch and you can’t tell whether she wants to befriend or attack it. Your door frame rattles and you sigh, leaning your head against the couch cushion as your neighbor wakes up the sleeping puppy, “Lucy!” You hear someone yell, a slew of curses following as they run around the hall. Their footsteps are heavy enough that it startles the puppy, causing it to run to the door and bark incessantly. 

“It’s okay sweetheart.” You try and soothe, pausing as the footsteps halt suddenly followed by a frantic pounding on your door. Kimchi- fully alarmed- runs into your bedroom for cover as you stare at your shaking front door, the puppy in your arms. After taking a deep breath you calm your nerves, pulling the door open only to get punched in the face. “What the hell?” You yell, almost dropping the dog as you raise a hand to your now bruised nose. 

“I’m so sorry!” A voice, you now realize is Namjoon’s, says frantically. “I was just about to knock on the door again and I was already in motion. I wasn’t aiming for your face I swear!” 

You close your eyes and inhale- for both a piece of sanity because this is the most Namjoon thing you’ve ever witnessed and also because your nose hurts so bad you could cry- and slowly open your eyes to look at the assailer. “Hi Joonie.” Is the only thing you can say. Your day only gets worse as an annoyingly familiar figure rounds the corner. How can such a beautiful day turn into a nightmare? If you didn’t know any better you’d think you were the oc for someone’s story. 

“Why do you have my dog?” He yells in an odd mixture of confusion and irritation. 

“This is your dog?” You ask, ignoring the way your nose is throbbing. 

“If it wasn’t, would I refer to it as my dog?” Jungkook asks, his tone nothing short of condescending as he knocks against your forehead, knuckles barely brushing against the bridge of your nose but causing you to wince all the same. Jungkook pauses for a second, his hand hovering above your face as an expression you could almost discern as concern crosses his features. It’s gone in a moment, almost like a blip, before being replaced with smugness. “Did you run into a door or something? This is what you get for being a thief.” He snickers, moving to take the puppy out of your hand before you shield it away from him with your body. 

“Namjoon punched me in the face. Also your dog ran away and came to me, I didn’t steal it. And I’m not a thief, I’ve told you a thousand times it was an accident!” 

“He what?” Jungkook yells, spinning on his heels to face Namjoon in anger. His hands clench at his sides causing the veins running down his forearms to pop, his tongue pushing against the inside of his cheek. He’s glaring at the taller boy, his body almost teeming with rage. Such a shame someone so pretty has such an awful personality. 

“He ran away. You should try being a better owner so he doesn’t flee at first chance. Also have you ever heard of a collar? It’s a great way to let other people identify your dog.” You scold, scratching the dog’s head as you do so. 

“That’s not-whatever. Besides she’s a girl; her name is Lucy. And I did get her a collar it’s just a little too big right now but she’s not even supposed to really go outside before she gets all her shots.” Jungkook says, this time reaching forward too quick for you to avoid, snatching Lucy out of your hands before you can even think to counter his attack. 

“My baby!” You cry, strangely attached to the little creature even though you’ve barely spent half an hour with her. 

“I’m right here.” Jungkook winks, cackling as you proceed to gag. 

“Tell me, does your neck ever hurt from your head being shoved so far up your own ass?” He cackles again and you’re sure if you were a cartoon you’d have smoke coming out of your ears. You’ll probably have to go to the doctor after this with the way he’s raising your blood pressure. You’ve never met someone so infuriating. 

“Does your ass ever hurt from the stick that’s up it?” Jungkook retorts and you scowl.

“At least my pet didn’t run away from me.” 

“She didn’t! I wasn’t even home when Namjoon lost her.”

“You’re saying you lost her but all I’m hearing is she ran away.” 

“Whatever thief. What do you know?” He scoffs and you scoff in return. 

“If that’s what helps you sleep at night, Bambi.”

“I’m just gonna go.” Namjoon says clearly uncomfortable with the tension surrounding you and Jungkook. You almost feel a little bad before you remember he literally punched you in the face. “I can’t believe you made Namjoon so uncomfortable he had to leave.” 

“Me? You’re the one who started it.” Jungkook scoffs. 

“I did not! You accused me of stealing your dog!” 

“Because you’re a thief! How many times do I have to tell you!” 

“Whatever Bambi, what do you know?” You huff, crossing your arms over your chest. 

“Call me bambi one more time.” He growls and you smirk. 

“But I think bambi really suits you. You have bambi eyes and everything.” You grin at the way he grits his teeth, taking a step forward to lessen the gap that stands between the two of you. He’s probably less than a foot away at this point and you notice he has a mole below his bottom lip. 

“Shut up.” He says, his usually light voice taking on a deep and gravelly tone. Your mind buffers for a moment at the sound and you momentarily forget where you are. It’s like he hypnotized your or something. 

“Make me.” You press, your breath hitching as you watch something flicker in his eyes too fast for you to catch. Lucy barking breaks the two of you out of your standoff and you both turn to watch as she proceeds to pee all over Jungkook’s arm. You can’t help but giggle as he grimaces in disgust. “Serves you right.” You sing, reaching over to give Lucy a scratch on the head. 

“Whatever. At least I don’t do an ugly middle part every day.” He scoffs and you shrug. 

“At least I don’t smell like dog piss.” With the final word secured you close the door, only to reopen it for a second. “Don’t forget to clean the carpet!” 

When Jimin returns with a guilty smile and a box of taco bell you immediately grow suspicious, though you can already guess what he’s about to say. Jimin doesn’t have any hookups at taco bell so he even paid for once which means he must be moving out but doesn’t want to you to be sad. It’s a little too late for that as you immediately deflate, the loneliness you didn’t know you felt before Jimin moved in returning. “You and Yoongi made up?” You ask though it’s really just confirmation. 

“Yeah we did. I told him I’d come back later today.” Jimin’s voice drips in misplaced guilt, for he really has no reason to feel bad for moving back home. You knew this would only be temporary. 

“I’m so happy for you!” You say, making sure to raise your voice to convey a happier tone. You really are glad they worked it out but you’ll miss him. Looking around your apartment the plants seem a little less homey than normal. Maybe you should invest in a pet for real. Lucy from next door pops into your head and you smile. “I made a new friend next door so I won’t be lonely without you.” 

Jimin gasps over-dramatically, placing a hand over his heart like you just stabbed him. “You’ve replaced me with Jeon Jungkook??” He asks and your eyes widen at the insinuation. Like you’d replace Jimin with anyone, especially Jeon Jungkook. 

“Eww gross, like I’d even think of befriending him.’ You scoff. 

“You’re like a little kid thinking their crush has cooties.” Jimin snickers and you glare at him. 

“He’ll infect me with his stupidity! He’s a clown Jimin, he literally got peed on by his own dog earlier!” You exclaim and Jimin only laughs. 

He hums for a minute before turning to you with a sly smirk. “You talk about him a lot you know? Got love on the brain?” Jimin teases, cackling at his own joke only to choke when you angrily shove a soft taco into his mouth. You grin at him wickedly when he turns to you, ignoring the way he returns his own glare. 

“More like hate on the brain.” You say, taking a bite of your own taco before turning on the tv. 

“There’s a fine line between love and hate you know? Also if I go into the bathroom and find a grease stain on my shirt I’m going to kill you.” Jimin goes so far as to flick your head with his warning, probably a small punishment for stuffing his face. In your defense it was the only way to get him to stop talking nonsense. 

“You can’t even strangle me with those baby hands.” You quip, giggling when Jimin flips you off. 

“I can’t believe I’ve lived with you for this long without going insane.” He huffs, feeding Kimchi-who has been beckoned by the smell of food- a piece of cheese. She grinds her teeth happily after swallowing it whole, sticking her head into the wrapper to try and find more morsels. 

“That’s because you loveee me.” You sing, sending Jimin a heart and a flying kiss. As much as he detests it, he’s a sucker for large displays of affection. His cheeks turn a soft cherry pink as he shoves your shoulder a little too hard, making you topple over from your spot on the floor. The taco comes flying out of your hand, the remnants scattering as Jimin struggles to capture Kimchi before she can feast on the fallen taco. You sigh at the inevitable stain you’ll have to clean from all the grease but turning to the chaos that’s behind you- Kimchi is half wrapped around Jimin’s neck like a boa constrictor as he holds her to him to prevent her escape- you can’t help but miss it already. 

Returning from your trip to Jimin and Yoongi’s apartment-somehow he collected more stuff than he brought with him in his short stay at your apartment and needed help carrying everything back- you run into Taehyung. “Tae?” You ask and he gives you the same expression. 

“Y/n? You live here?” He asks equally as surprised and confused to see you. It’s a similar feeling to when you see a teacher out in public. 

“Yeah. Do you?” 

“No I was just visiting some friends of mine.” He says, shoving his hands into his pockets and rocking on his heels as the two of you stare at each other. “Hey did you know your nose is turning purple?” 

“Huh?” You ask until you piece together that you must be beginning to bruise. Thank you Kim Namjoon. “Oh yeah I just got hit in the face.” You laugh, consciously covering your nose with your hand. 

“You should ice it. Have you done that already?” Taehyung steps forward, placing a hand on your wrist to gently pry your hand away from the offending object (ie. your nose). 

“No.” You sigh because really that should’ve been the first thing you did but instead you wasted time arguing with Jeon Jungkook. Your nose is probably going to be super swollen and purple by tomorrow. 

“Let’s get some ice for it, yeah? You should really take better care of yourself.” He laughs, taking your hand and leading you towards the elevators. You don’t know if a bruised nose needs two people’s attention but it’ll be nice to come home to something other than silence. “What floor?” 

“Two, but we can just take the stairs.” You tell him, changing his direction to the stairwell on the opposite side of the building. He follows you quietly to your apartment, looking around the walls like he’s trying to find something specific. 

“I’ve never come this way before. My friends always take the elevator.” He says, pausing beside you when you reach your door. 

“Two flights of stairs isn’t too bad for me. Plus elevators make me nervous, there’s something about plummeting to your death in a tiny box that freaks me out.” You shrug, letting him inside before closing the door behind you. 

“It’s like a whole garden in here!” Taehyung exclaims, spinning in a circle to take in the various potted and hanging plants that lie around your living room. You twist your rings as you watch him take it all in, worried he might find your plant obsession excessive or weird. You just really like the look of it and it’s nice to take care of something. 

“Yeah, I might’ve got a little too carried away at the plant nursery.” You laugh, watching as Taehyung brushes his fingers along random leaves. 

“I tried to take care of a plant once and I couldn’t even get it to sprout.” When he turns to you his eyes are filled with awe and you ease up a little bit. 

“It takes a lot of work but it’s pretty calming for me. It’s nice to have something that relies on you to take care of it.” 

“I get the feeling. That’s why I have Tannie. You wanna see him?” Taehyung asks excitedly, already fishing his phone out of his pocket. Nodding, you take the phone from him and observe the tiny dog practicing tricks in the video. It’s a mainly black Pomeranian, brown tufts of fur on its belly and legs with two angry brown eye brows that make you laugh. 

“He takes after you with the strong brows.” You say making Taehyung laugh. 

“You know what they say, dogs always look like their owners.” Your mind drifts to the black Puggle next door and it’s fake wire-framed glasses wearing owner. You guess they both have a rather cute boopable nose. “Now about your nose…” Taehyung says, drawing you out of your thoughts. 

“Right!” Taking ice out of the freezer you place it into a tiny ziplock while Taehyung grabs the kitchen towel hanging off the oven handle to wrap it with. 

“So you need to do twenty minutes on and twenty off. I could keep you company if you want?” You nod your head quickly at his offer, gesturing for him to make himself comfortable. 

“Do you want anything to drink or eat? I have popcorn and other snacks.” 

“How about we eat popcorn and watch a movie?” He suggests. 

“Great idea.” You’re about to grab the box of popcorn from one of the top shelves of the pantry when Taehyung’s hand on your shoulder stops you. 

“Let me do it. Don’t want you to hurt yourself any further.” He teases, ushering you out of your own kitchen. Walking back to the couch you watch him as he fumbles around your kitchen to find the bowls, giggling as he opens the same cupboard three times. You’re about to tell him its location when he finally finds it, cheering as if he’s won some kind of prize. With the popcorn made and your fridge raided for drinks he rejoins you at the couch while you pull up netflix. 

“What do you want to watch?” 

“How about a nature documentary?” He suggests and you just smile and nod despite the fact that you’re going to be fighting the urge to fall asleep for the next two hours. Oh what you’ll do for a pretty boy. 

After spending one day alone in your apartment after classes you decide you no longer enjoy having nothing to come home to. You’re not quite sure how you used to do this just fine because now the silence is almost unbearable. You could go over to Jimin and Yoongi’s apartment but all your stuff is here and you can’t exactly just invite yourself over. Well judging by how many times Jimin has done that to you you probably could but it just feels weird. You also don’t think you can sit through another nature documentary with Taehyung despite how much you like him. You could barely stay awake last time, the twenty minute alarms the only thing keeping you from drifting off. Plus you had to watch not only animals kill and eat each other- while a necessary part of the circle of life, you don’t particularly enjoy watching life leave something. And most disturbingly, there was a whole segment on spiders and you hate spiders. Which leaves you with only one option: Lucy. 

On your way home from your last lecture you go to the nearest pet store, picking out a little pink collar with cherries decorating it and a pink leash. Maybe you’ve gone a little overboard with the pink aesthetic- you may have been eyeing a pink onesie because you’ve always wanted an animal that lets you dress it- but the idea of e-boy Jungkook walking around his pink accessorized puppy makes you laugh. You bet the collar he bought her has spikes or skulls. With the presents in hand, you stop at Jungkook’s door knocking in a small tune. 

The door opens and instead of Jungkook you’re met with Seokjin. “Oh hi, is Jungkook home?” You ask hesitantly. “I uhh brought stuff for Lucy.” You bring the bag in front of you to show him like it’ll validate why you’re here. You can’t have people thinking you came just for him. 

“He just went out to meet the postmate guy but he’ll be back in a few minutes if you want to wait for him inside?” Seokjin steps aside to let you enter, ushering you onto the couch before getting you water. 

“I heard Jimin and Yoongi finally made up.” Seokjin comments and you nod somewhat sadly. 

“Yeah he moved out yesterday.” 

“Being alone again must be a little lonely huh? Is that why you’re here? Not that I don’t mind you stopping by but it’s not like we’re very close or anything.” 

“I missed Lucy.” You tell him. “But yeah it has been a little lonely. If you don’t mind me asking how do you know Yoongi?” 

“We used to TA a biology class together. And I met Jimin when I was helping them move in but I don’t see him very often. He really only asks me to bring him food when he’s too lazy to cook.” Seokjin says. 

“Yeah he’ll do about anything for free food.” You laugh and Seokjin smiles. 

“It’s nice to know that you’re actually pretty sweet. I was worried you were just a hothead after listening to Jungkook whine about you incessantly.” Seokjin laughs and you look at him curiously. 

“Jungkook talks about me?” 

“All the time. Anyways, I’m always looking for new friends so I can learn more secrets so feel free to stop by whenever. I’m sure Kookie wouldn’t mind seeing you around more often.” He winks and you’re entirely too confused to fake a gag. 

“But he hates me?” 

“That’s his charm. He has that whole ‘I want to fight you but also kiss you’ vibe. Or so I’ve heard anyways. I just get embarrassing child vibes from him personally but I’ve also seen him in a Pikachu onesie singing the pokemon theme song too many times at 2 a.m. to see him as any less.” Before you have time to even process what Seokjin has just told you the door opens and you immediately stand up startled, the bag of goodies for Lucy falling off your lap and spilling onto the floor. 

Jungkook pauses in the door way, his eyes the widest you’ve seen so far. The Wendy’s bag crunches as he clutches it tighter and the two of you stare at each other like you’re waiting for the other to make the first move. “I brought stuff for Lucy. To make sure she’s getting properly cared for.” You hurry feeling like you need an excuse to come over. Seokjin laughs under his breath from beside you. 

“First a thief then a trespasser. Am I going to have to report you?” Jungkook asks and you scowl, crossing your arms across your chest. Just who does he think he is? 

“Seokjin let me in.” You say stepping aside to reveal Jin who was watching the whole encounter unfold with a grin. His eyes glint with mischief when you turn to him and suddenly you’re afraid of his power. How many secrets does he know? Will he figure out yours? 

“I thought we agreed not to invite random people in?” Jungkook sighs, almost like he’s scolding Seokjin. You frown. You’re supposed to be enemies, does that not mean anything to him? 

“She’s not random. She’s my new best friend!” Seokjin yells directly into your ear making you wince before throwing an arm around your shoulder. You’re too busy looking at Seokjin confusedly to notice the way someone else’s eyes linger a little too long on the arm wrapped around you. 

“Whatever. Just don’t talk to me.” Jungkook grumbles stalking towards his room when you speak up. 

“But you’re the one talking to me?” You ask making him stop in his tracks and turn around to face you again. That’s when you notice the frosty in his hand that’s half melted and now running down the side of the cup and down his hand. “Did you postmate a frosty?” You ask, genuinely concerned with why he chose that when it’d be undoubtably half melted in the forty minutes it takes delivery. 

“Maybe.” He says skeptically and you give him your best ‘are you stupid?’ expression because you have eyes and it’s literally in his hand. 

“Did you not realize it would be melted by the time you got it?” You tease, a smirk pulling at your lips when he falters in coming up with a witty remark. 

“Shut up.” He groans, turning back around and opening his bedroom door. A flash of black rushes past him and straight towards you and you can only cheer in glee when Jungkook sighs in exasperation. “Betrayed by my own dog.” He whines to himself as he leans against the door frame to watch you play with Lucy. 

“Hi baby!” You coo, sitting down on the floor to hold her as she gives you as many kisses as possible. Giggling you fall back so you’re lying down, holding her up above you so it looks like she’s flying. Her little paws move rapidly as she attempts to get back to you, her tongue hanging out of her mouth as she whines. “Sorry, sorry.” You chuckle, placing her back down on your stomach. Jumping off you, the bag catches her attention and she busy’s herself by climbing inside of it. Her head pops up with the bag still attached and you can’t help but laugh as she raises up on her hind legs and uses her paws to try and take it off herself. Snapping a quick picture, your airdrop it to Jungkook and Seokjin before taking it off her head. 

“You wanna see the stuff I got you?” You ask, not sure what type of answer you were anticipating in response. You take her snort as a yes and show her the collar first. “You’re gonna look so cute in this. Plus I made sure it’s the right size.” You look pointedly at Jungkook who has moved from his position by the door to the kitchen counter where he snacks on his fries and commits the crime that is dipping them in his frosty. He looks away when he catches your gaze, face flushed a soft pink as he returns his attention to his phone. Bummed by his lack of response you focus on putting the tiny collar around her neck. The little cherry charm jingles as she shakes her head for a moment to adjust before she licks your hand in what you assume to be thanks. 

“Jin look! Isn’t she so cute?” You hold her up to your face while showing off the new collar to Jin who claps in delight. 

“I live for the pink aesthetic. She’s gonna be a doggy icon.” He cheers making you laugh. 

“Only the best for my little Lucy. What do you think bambi?” You ask, turning to Jungkook who makes an OJO face, his phone pointed in your direction. You wonder what he was doing but brush it off to just him being weird. He’s probably looking for more pokemon onesies or something.

“Not too bad thief, not bad at all.” 

When you return home to your apartment after visiting your neighbors turned new friends- excluding Jungkook who is teetering on the upgrade to frenemy because he actually wasn’t entirely awful- you feel light and airy. You’re almost as giddy as you were the day you came back from your date with Taehyung. Speaking of Taehyung you should probably text him or something, you haven’t really texted today. Though you’re feeling too lazy to text out an entirely conversations worth of words so you settle for calling him instead. 

“Hey Y/n.” He says, surprising you for picking up on the first ring. 

“Hey Tae. How was your day?”

“It was really good! I spent the whole day taking pictures of plants and stuff for my assignment. Your apartment really inspired me to capture the less sentient lives that intersect our own.” He says, voice so cheery you can practically see the smile you know he dawns. 

“That’s really cool, you’ll have to send them my way after you’re done with them.” You say, glad that you could be of some help. He did ask you to be his muse after all. 

“How’s your nose?” He asks and you pause when you realize you completely forgot about the bruise on your nose. In fact when you got ready this morning you didn’t even notice. Standing up from the couch you look at your reflection in the bathroom mirror surprised to see it’s only a small purple mark. 

“There’s only a small bruise. I actually forgot I had it so I guess it’’s pretty good.” You laugh, opting to sit on the bathroom counter instead. 

“That’s good, I was worried about it. Hey I was going to visit my friend’s dance recital tomorrow if you want to come? He’s been telling me it’s really good.” 

“Sure thing. What time should I be ready by?” You ask mind already alternating between different possible outfits. You’ll need to look extra good while standing next to Taehyung while also looking casual enough that it’s not too much for a campus recital. You haven’t been to one since your ex’s last showcase a year ago. 

“How about seven? You can help me look for a nice bouquet to give him afterwards. Since you’re a plant expert and everything.” 

“I don’t know if I’d call myself an expert but sure. I’ll meet you outside my apartment?” You start to grow nervous as you realize you’ll need to come up with conversation starters so the conversation doesn’t lull. You wish you were better at talking to him. 

“See you then. Goodnight Y/n.” 

“Goodnight Tae.” Hanging up, you lean your head against the mirror and close your eyes, focusing on trying to lower your heart rate. You hope the more you spend time with Taehyung the easier it gets. 

You’re panicking. Mostly because it’s 6:30 pm and you’re still not dressed. You hate your entire closet, nothing is good enough to wear. Your clothes are strewn across your bedroom and you’re pretty sure you could cry. You’ve at least done your hair and makeup when you were still happy with your previous outfit but after looking at it one too many times you picked it apart. A knock on your door startles you and you pray to God that it’s not Taehyung who’s arrived early. You sigh in relief at the sight of Jungkook, your nerves easing as you focus on the bright pink leash he’s holding and the squirming puppy at your feet. 

“Hey thief we’re going to get something to eat on a walk and after you nearly burned down the kitchen this morning I thought I’d invite you. I don’t feel like smelling burnt eggs through the vent for the rest of the day.” He says nonchalantly like he can’t see your frazzled state. 

“Sorry bambi but I can’t. I have a date to get ready for and I can’t figure out what to wear.” You sigh, leaning down to give Lucy a few scratches after she barks at you for attention. 

“A date?” Jungkook asks, his voice cracking a little in surprise. He clears his throat as you snicker.

“Yeah. Hey do you think he’d hate me if I just showed up in this oversized tee like a VSCO girl because I think If I look at my closet one more time I’ll actually cry.” You half joke half genuinely ask because you’re so frustrated. 

“I mean nothing you wear can make you less ugly.” He offers and you glare at him. 

“Thanks. That’s really just what I needed. I don’t know why I even bothered to ask.”  You deadpan, moving to close the door on him when he shoves his foot between it and the frame to stop it. 

“I mean- you know that mini skirt you have? Tuck your shirt into that and wear some docs or something and you’ll look uhh reasonable. I uhh saw a girl wearing something similar earlier and it was cute.” He says, his words slurring a little in his panic to redeem himself and you crack the door open a little to look at him. 

“Thanks bambi, I’ll try it. I dig the pink leash by the way, really makes you look badass.” You giggle, closing the door to drown out his shout of protest. 

Turns out bambi does have somewhat of a fashion sense because after trying on his suggested outfit you don’t hate it which is enough for you at this point. Checking the time you realize you only have a few minutes left to make any finishing touches before you need to meet Taehyung downstairs. Checking your eyeliner wings one last time and spraying on perfume you hurry down the stairs and outside, tapping your foot anxiously as you wait for Taehyung. You hope you look okay. 

“You look great.” Taehyung’s deep voice says from behind you, his arms encircling your waist as you turn around to face him. You look away bashfully once again reminded what a shy, nervous mess he turns you into. 

“You do too.” You’re not just saying that to be polite, Taehyung truly does look good. Though when does he not? There’s something so effortlessly beautiful about him that you’re envious of. You wish someone would see you like that. 

“All set to go?” Taehyung asks before linking your arms when you say yes. You wind up back at the familiar market where you and Jungkook first met. You laugh a little to yourself when you notice the row of aloe vera plants lined up on the top shelf. To your right is the flower section for those last minute bouquets and you turn your focus to them and Taehyung instead. 

“I like this one.” You pick up a bouquet of sunflowers and show them to him. The flowers are a little on the smaller side since it’s just the beginning of their season but they’re still happy and bright. “I think it just looks really joyful. Plus everyone buys roses.” 

Taehyung laughs at that, putting down the bouquet of roses he had in his hand. You squeeze your eyes closed when you realize you’ve accidentally made fun of his flower choice. 

“He’ll like it. He’s always calling himself the sun anyways.” Taehyung shrugs, heading to the register with you tailing behind. You’ve only known one person who called themselves the sun but surely it’s not him. There’s seven billion people in the world, surely it can’t be that small. 

Disregarding the hunch of who the flowers you picked out are for, you trot behind Taehyung and lace your hand with his own. He gives you a bright smile in return and a little squeeze, probably excited that he’s not the one initiating PDA for once. 

After paying he leads the way towards the campus event center which isn’t much farther of a walk. The closer you get the more you remember and it’s not that you and your ex didn’t end on a good note it’s more so just that you didn’t anticipate seeing him, much less going to his recital and picking out flowers for him. But you’re probably just jumping to conclusions. 

Getting settled into your seats, front and center, you relax a little. Taehyung’s hand is still in your own and to try and settle your nerves you focus on him- which you probably should be doing anyways since this is a date but your mind has never been good at sticking to one topic. “So how’d you get such great seats?” You ask before pressing a quick kiss to his cheek. “Thanks for bringing me by the way.” 

“Of course. Oh, my friend is captain of the dance team and is a senior so he gets the best spots in the house. I only have to buy him food for the rest of the week as payment. I didn’t feel like waiting in line and getting a crappy spot.” 

“Understandable. But if you’re buying food anyways feel free to send some my way.” You wink and Taehyung sighs. 

“Once again I’m getting used for free stuff.” He cries dramatically and you giggle. “But since you’re my muse I guess it’s okay.” He says suddenly serious, taking your surprise to press a kiss to your lips. 

“Taehyung!” You scold, lightly slapping his chest. "You can’t just catch me off guard like that.” 

“Sure I can. You’re cute when you get embarrassed.” That only causes your embarrassment to heighten and he grins, placing another kiss against your lips. 

“You suck.” You pout despite not really meaning it. 

The lights dim and you both quiet down, turning away from each other to look up at the stage. It’s a lyrical piece first to a song you’ve never heard before but it’s pretty. As the lone harp melody plays a figure emerges from the darkness into the center spotlight only to be joined by several other people as the beat hits. Their movements are fluid like water, their shadows casted elegantly against the back wall of the stage. When the performance ends you can’t help but applaud- though you really are supposed to wait until the end to avoid disrupting performances. “That was so cool!” You whisper to Taehyung who smiles brightly at you. 

“My friend choreographed it!” He whispers back, pride for his friend’s achievement seeping in his words. It’s cute. You both fall silent again as the other pieces are performed only resuming conversation once the show is in intermission.

“Your friend is really talented.” You tell Taehyung, unable to get the performance out of your head. It’s a shame it was the very first one as it’s outshined the rest for you. 

“You’ll have to tell him when we see him later. I heard they’re selling snacks out front, do you want any?” He asks. 

“I can get them if you want? Since you got the tickets and everything.” 

“Sure, I’l just wait for you here. If they have any sweets can you get me some?” He asks. 

“Sure thing. Be right back.” You smile, about to get up when he presses a chaste kiss to your cheek. 

“Hurry back.” He winks and if it were anyone else you’d roll your eyes. 

You huff in annoyance at the rather long line, texting Taehyung that it might be awhile before opening up a piano game on your phone. “I didn’t know you were coming.” Yoongi’s voice startles you and you jump back. 

“Why do you not make noise when you move!” You ask. “This really supports the theory that you’re a vampire.” 

“If you compare me to Edward Cullen one more time I will kill you.” You quiet down at that, the image of Yoongi’s Katana hanging above his bed- another symbol of his weebiness- surfaces in your mind. You’d rather not get close and personal with it. 

“Noted. Anyways what’re you doing here?” 

“I get extra credit on one of my music assignments if I come. I don’t really see the point but hey that just means I can put in less effort later since I have a safeguard for my grade.” 

“It’s extra credit Yoongi not a free pass.” You snort, sighing when the line still hasn’t moved. 

“Why’re you here?” 

“I’m on a date.” You tell him before realizing your mistake. “Don’t tell Jimin, it’s not that serious yet and I-“ 

“Too late.” Yoongi says, pointing to Jimin coming your way. “Though Taehyung is not who I expected it to be with.” 

“How did you know it’s Taehyung?” You ask. 

“Know what’s Taehyung?” Jimin asks and you give Yoongi a pleading look. 

“Her date.” Yoongi says and you flip him off.

“You’re on a date and you didn’t tell me?” Jimin asks and when you turn to look at him you can’t tell whether he’s more annoyed or hurt. Either way you feel awful but Jimin has a tendency to get too attached to your boyfriends and when you and Hoseok broke up he was crushed. 

“We’ve only hung out a couple of times, it’s not that serious.” You try and console him but that only makes him even more upset. His nostrils flare and everything!

“A couple times! What happened to no secrets?” Jimin scolds and you feel even worse. 

“I’m sorry. I just didn’t want you to get too attached if it doesn’t work out.” Like last time doesn’t need to be said for him to understand where you’re coming from and he sighs before running his hand through his hair. 

“Last time was on me but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to know every aspect of your life.” 

“You know I can see why you and Jin get along so well. Do you share secrets?” You ask Jimin and when he falls silent Yoongi decides to re-enter the conversation. 

“Wait do you?” Yoongi asks. “If you told anyone about my One Piece set I’m going to kill you.” 

“Jimin I’d be careful, he threatened me with the Katana five minutes ago.” You warn and Jimin visibly pales. 

“I’ve only been talking to him about our ship. We just want our favorite emotionally stunted tsunderes to get together.” Jimin says causing you and Yoongi to turn to each other. 

“It’s about you.” You both say at the same time only to look offended at each other’s assumption. You’re both so offended that you don’t even realize you’ve made it to the front of the line until the volunteer interrupts your bickering. 

“What can I get you?” Scanning the table you see peanut butter m&m’s- only the best kind. 

“Uhh one bag of regular m&m’s and one peanut butter please.” You say because you’ve never asked if Taehyung has a peanut allergy. That’s probably an important thing to know. 

“One pack of oreos.” Yoongi says behind you followed by Jimin yelling for sour patch kids. 

“That’ll be $10.50” She tells you and sighing- seeing as you’ve been roped into paying for those leaches you call best friends- you hand over the cash. 

“You’re welcome.” You sneer while they smile sweetly at you. 

“You’re the best Y/n! Oh and don’t think you’ve gotten out of me meeting Taehyung. Bring him to the apartment Friday night for game night!” 

“Do I have to?” 

“You bring him to us or we come to you, your choice.” Jimin shrugs. 

“Fine.” You sigh once again bested by the tiny man with the tiny hands. 

When you get back to Taehyung intermission is practically over meaning you only have enough time to get settled in and give him his snack before the lights once again dim and the show starts. You almost forget about the fact that your ex is probably who you got flowers for until he appears in the final set as the lead of a hip hop dance. His eyes widen for a split second when he sees you in his search for Taehyung but he hides it like the professional he is and carries on with his best performance yet. Hoseok is just one of those people meant to dance. You loved his passion while you were dating and admire it still even after not really talking to him for a year. 

Taehyung didn’t notice the surprise on Hoseok’s face- probably because he wasn’t looking for it- and happily drags you backstage to find him. You’re a little surprised you can just walk back here with no one to stop you but you guess they’re all working on things to fix for tomorrow’s show and are too busy to worry about the two of you. 

You find Hoseok in the middle of his dance team crowded around him, his face all smiles as he redoes his favorite move for them. You can’t help but smile fondly at the scene, it reminds you so much of when you and Hoseok first met. It was your first and only hip hop class and he was the instructor. You thought he took extra interest in helping you because you were so terrible and he wanted you to exceed which was true but he also thought you were the cutest mess he’d ever seen. “Hobi!” Taehyung yells, gathering his older friend’s attention as Hoseok leaves the group of dancers to greet you. 

“Hey Tae.” He smiles, giving him that half-hug half-slap on the back that guys do. 

“We got you flowers! Y/n picked them out.” Taehyung smiles, placing his hand on the small of your back to push you more into the conversation. You’d been standing slightly behind Taehyung not sure what to say to Hoseok, that is if he even wanted to talk to you. 

“Ahh hey Y/n. You still know me so well huh?” He laughs, bringing the bouquet to his head. “Be honest, do I still look like them?” He asks and you roll your eyes with a smile. 

“Nah you look more like the one on the bottom that’s wilted and dying. I can’t believe you’re so old now.” You tease easily falling into your old rhythm. Hoseok was always bubbly and playful, an easiness surrounded him that always made you comfortable, even now it seems. 

“Hey it’s only been a year since we last saw each other, I’m only a year older!” He whines. 

“You guys knew each other?” Taehyung asks and you pause. How do you explain to your date that his friend is your ex without it being awkward?

“Yeah we’re old friends.” Hoseok says, seeming to read your uneasiness and giving you an easy out. You give him a grateful smile. 

“Yeah we just lost touch, though it’s good to see you again. I’m glad to see you’re doing well.” You mean it. Hoseok was your first love, he was everything you could’ve asked for but eventually you two fell out of love and ended it mutually before you began to hate each other. You’ll always have a soft spot for him and it makes you happy to see he’s doing so well. 

“Yeah me too. I should’ve reached out sooner.” Hoseok tells you and you just shrug.  

“Maybe it was best we found each other again now. Though I wouldn’t mind being friends again.” 

“I’d like that. I missed my favorite tsundere.” Hoseok giggles and you groan. 

“Everyone keeps calling me that today.” You whine. 

“Tsundere? She’s much too shy and sweet for that don’t you think?” Taehyung asks completely confused about this whole interaction. You guess it makes sense because with Hoseok you were kinda like how you are with Jungkook. You’ve never been the bashful type until now. 

“Shy?” Hoseok asks and Taehyung nods. You nod in agreement and Hoseok hums looking between you both for a few moments. “What’d you think of the performance?” 

“The first one was great. I didn’t know you choreographed anything besides hip hop.” You tell him, grateful for the switch of topics. Hoseok is really saving you tonight. 

“Yeah I thought I’d try new genres and become a more well-rounded dancer.”Someone yells Hoseok’s name from across the room and you all turn to see a short girl wave brightly at him, a bouquet nearly as big as her in her arms. “I uhh gotta go but thanks for coming by.” Hoseok says with a slight blush on his cheeks before scurrying over to her. You can’t help but smile after him. You hope this one works out for him. 

“You ready to go?” Taehyung asks lacing his fingers in your own. 

“Yeah, I’m starving. Want to pick up something on the way back?” 

Taco bell in hand and a kiss goodbye you make your way back up to your apartment with a smile on your face. Today went much better than expected. Opening the door connected to your hallway you’re surprised to come face to face with Jungkook. So surprised that you take a step back and trip, beginning to fall backwards down the stairwell before strong arms wrap around your middle and bring you upright. His arm moves so one hand cradles your head and you both just stand there in shock as you process what just happened. You almost fell down the stairs and Jungkook caught you. You almost fell down the stairs!

“Don’t scare me like that!” You yell, pulling away to slap his rather firm chest. 

“How was I supposed to know you were on the other side!” He exclaims, 

“I almost died!” 

“You probably just would’ve gotten concussed but…hey I caught you! Where’s my thank you?” 

“You want me to thank you when you almost killed me??” You ask and Jungkook rolls his eyes. 

“You’re so dramatic. Also you uhh threw your taco bell and I’m pretty sure that’s a rat eating it.” 

“What?” You scream, jumping into his arms-not like you needed to though since they’re still wrapped tightly around you- hiding your face in his neck and trying not to picture that rat. You’re a bit of a hypochondriac so just the idea of what diseases the rat could be carrying is freaking you out. Jungkook only chuckles at you before reopening the door leading towards the hallway and carrying you towards your front door where you effectively release him. “You owe me dinner.” 

“Do I?” He asks, raising an eyebrow at you. 

“You made me drop my taco bell and I haven’t had dinner yet.” You pout. 

“Do I always have to take care of you?” Jungkook sighs before unlocking his own front door and pulling you inside. 

“What do you mean take care of me? I’m just a random person remember?” You quip but Jungkook ignores you as he scours throw his fridge. “Bambi stop ignoring me.” You whine which finally gets his attention. 

“Sit thief.” 

“If thief is your attempt at an affectionate pet name I hope you know I hate it.” You tell him, moving to sit at the barstool anyways. 

“All the more reason to use it. Now thief, welcome to Jungkook’s ramen shop where we only serve the finest cup ramen. What flavor do you want?” 

“If this is a restaurant shouldn’t you be wearing one of those big white hats or something? Also chicken please.” 

“Boring choice but okay. Also I’m not wearing one of Jin’s stupid hats.” Jungkook says, turning on the kettle before moving to face you. 

“So you’re telling me he has one? Here… In this apartment?” You ask, eyes glinting with mischief. Jeon Jungkook will be wearing one of those stupid hats even if it’s the last thing you do. 

“I feel like if I say yes I’m going to regret it.” He tells you earnestly but you pay him no mind as you scour the kitchen looking for said hat. It’s not in the cupboards or pantry and you’re beginning to lose interest in finding it until you come across the linen closet in the hallway. You wouldn’t think it’s in there but the way Jungkook stiffens has your spidey senses tingling. With a flourish you open in the door exclaiming ‘aha!’ as you retrieve the item of your dreams along with an apron that says ‘kiss the cook’. 

“Since you’re preparing my food I need you to wear a hat. I don’t want to find a hair that’s not mine in my ramen.” 

“I’m not wearing that.” 

“Fine.” You say with a huff, placing the hat on the counter in front of you. “At least wear the apron?” You bat your lashes at him and he concedes, putting on the stupid thing with the frilly edges. Step one: complete. 

When Jungkook is busy pouring the boiling water in the cups and trying not to burn himself you sneak up behind him, the hat clutched between your fingers as your knees bend in preparation to jump on his back. While not the most conventional method he’s annoyingly kinda tall and if you can get above him you have a better chance of securing the hat onto his head and getting him to keep it there. As soon as the kettle is placed down onto the counter you attack, yelling out a war cry as you launch yourself onto him and almost falling off in laughter at the girlish scream that makes it past his throat. Lucy is barking from what you assume to be his room and the apartment is a madhouse as Jungkook teeters side to side with your legs wrapped around your face and your fingers trying to center the hat on his squirming head. 

“Stop moving!” You yell, accidentally bonking him square on the head with your fist. 

“Ow! Stop fucking hitting me!” He yells back, once again squirming beneath you. 

“I wouldn’t have to if you just stayed still! We could’ve avoided this if you had worn it in the first place.” You’re both too busy arguing to hear the footsteps of one of the other inhabitants of the apartment emerge from their bedroom but when you both spin around you’re surprised by Seokjin causally leaning against the wall with a smirk on his face. 

“Say cheese.” He smiles, blinding you with the flash before you can hide behind Jungkook’s head. “Jimin will love this.” He snickers and like Jungkook’s hair is a joystick for him to move you pull it forward to urge him to walk towards Seokjin. 

“Don’t you dare send that! He has enough blackmail material on me already!” You yell, your grip on Jungkook slipping as you attempt to stomp the ground only to realize mid-movement that you’re not actually on the ground. Thankfully Jungkook has faster reflexes then you and catches you before you can fully fly off his body, slamming your upper half into his back while his other hand slides higher up your thigh to secure you now around his hips. It takes you a moment to register that your leg is so warm where his hand is because there’s no fabric barrier and it takes another moment to realize your skirt has probably slid up an embarrassing amount. “Okay put me down, put me down.” You say, slapping Jungkook’s arm to force him into urgency. 

“Alright, alright.” He says before ungracefully dropping you onto your ass. 

“I hate you.” You tell him before straightening out your skirt. 

“What were you two even doing?” Seokjin asks and you sigh. 

“He won’t wear the stupid hat.” You grumble and Seokjin sighs. 

“Kookie wear the hat.” 

“Yeah bambi wear the hat.” When Jungkook is still adamant he won’t be wearing the hat you look up into their ceiling light dramatically before pouting. 

“Look Kook you made her sad.” Jin says, gesturing to you still staring into the light. 

“What’re you doing? You’re gonna make yourself go blind, stop.” Jungkook says but you hold up a hand to silence him. 

“Hang on I’m trying to make myself cry.” You tell him and Jungkook only chuckles. 

“You’re ridiculous. If I wear the hat will you stop?” Immediately you look over to him with watery eyes, blinking rapidly to try and get the annoying circles out of your vision. 

“Yes.” You grin, clapping as he adjusts it to sit lopsided on his head. That’s good enough for you as you jump up in glee. You’re too blind- really those spots just won’t fade away- to notice the almost fond smile Jungkook sends you. 

“You might as well take a picture. This is the only time you’re gonna see me like this.” Jungkook tells you and you grab your phone off the counter and point the camera at you. 

“Say I love you” You tease. 

“I hate you” Jungkook says and you giggle. All is right once again in the universe.

Friday finally comes along and you have a slight problem. You’ve been so busy with Jungkook and Lucy- you have to make sure she’s getting proper care and long walks- that you forgot you were supposed to invite Taehyung over to Jimin and Yoongi’s for game night. And now you’re frantically blowing his phone up at four p.m. hoping that he didn’t make plans already. Stupid Jungkook. Like the angels above have taken pity on you, Taehyung is thankfully free and fully okay with you dragging him to Jimin and Yoongi’s place. Per tradition, they provide the place and the drinks and you provide the snacks. Though you’ve been craving fried chicken lately so you’re someone tempted to bring over a whole meal instead. You’re still deep in contemplation when Taehyung arrives at your door, a bag of chips in his hand because he didn’t want to arrive empty handed. How thoughtful. 

“Do you think I should bring fried chicken?” You ask Taehyung, grabbing a few things before you leave for Jimin’s. 

“If you want to, I certainly wouldn’t mind.” 

“Friend chicken it is. Bambi was telling me about this place yesterday and apparently it’s really good.” You ramble, slipping on your shoes by the door. 

“Bambi?” Taehyung asks, following you once you’ve locked up. 

“Yeah, a friend of mine.” You tell him, eyeing the old taco bell stain in the stairwell. You hope the rats enjoyed your five dollars worth of tacos. 

“Is that their favorite movie?” Taehyung asks and you wonder why he’s so curious. Though you guess that’s not the most common nickname and maybe he’s just trying to get to know the people you hang out with. 

“No, they just have big doe eyes. They’re kinda pretty sometimes.” You shrug, not thinking too much about what you’re saying. 

“Hey my friend has eyes like that too! Though that’s a pretty common eye shape.” 

“Yeah but I’d be able to recognize this pair anywhere. They’re quite distinctive.” Taehyung just nods, probably getting bored talking about a pair of eyes he’s never seen on a person he doesn’t know. 

“Hey how come I’ve never really met any of your friends besides Hoseok? Are you hiding them from me?” You tease though you are a little curious. Sure he’s only meeting Jimin because Jimin basically forced you to do so but you’ve never even really heard him talk about his own friends. 

“More like I’m hiding you from them. You’re just too cute; they might slip up and fall in love with you or something.” You laugh and roll your eyes, shoving his arm lightly. 

“Yeah right.” You scoff, yelping when Taehyung nudges you to the side with his whole body in retaliation to your push. “You want to fight Taehyung?” You ask him, brow raised in challenge. 

“Bring it cutie.” He laughs running down the sidewalk a bit as you attempt to check him. “No fair! You can’t just run away.” You pout, placated by the soft kiss he presses to your forehead. You take the moment of weakness to push him, giggling as you run away in the direction of Jimin’s apartment building with Taehyung hot on your heels. 

There’s something unnerving about the way Jimin is observing you and Taehyung, a critical eye he’s never had before when you’ve introduced other guys. Normally he’s bubbly and warm, already giving them a hug like they’re his long lost friend but today he’s rather distant. It’s extra odd since he suggested you meeting but maybe Jimin is just feeling like playing the bad cop today. The doorbell rings and distracts you from observing Jimin who’s observing Taehyung as the boys watch you with anticipation. You’re pretty sure you can hear Yoongi’s stomach rumble as you answer the door while Taehyung heads to the bathroom. 

“Oh hey Namjoon.” You say, not quite expecting to see his face. You haven’t really seen him since he accidentally punched you- you almost get the feeling he’s been avoiding you since. 

“Oh hey Y/n.” He says sheepishly and you just give him an easy smile. 

“You haven’t been avoiding me have you? Joonie I’m not mad at you.” 

“You’re not?” He asks incredulously. 

“No. The bruise healed already by the way, it was pretty small.” 

“I’m so glad to hear it.” He breathes out, sounding pretty relieved. 

“Just for future reference, if it’s an accident I won’t get mad at you for it.” You tell him. 

“Good to know. Oh it’ll be $12.74. Half off for friends and family.” Namjoon smiles, a big one that makes his dimples pop out. 

“You’re too kind to me Joonie.” You say, making sure to tip him 50% just because. 

“You’re too kind to me.” He parrots but happily accepts, waving you goodbye before disappearing back into the hallway. Closing the door Taehyung reemerges from the back hallway and hurries over to give you a hand. 

Setting the food down on the coffee table the boys immediately dig in, not even giving you time to grab plates. Sitting between Taehyung and Jimin, you happily munch away and the four of you eat in silence as My First First Love plays on the tv. Despite Yoongi’s claims that it’s cliche, you’ve caught him watching it every time you come over. He even teared up a little at the bridge scene. 

When the wings are picked clean you ask Jimin to help you clean up solely to interrogate him from the safety of the kitchen. “Stop looking at Tae like that.” You whisper yell and doesn’t even look at you as he’s throwing the bones in the trash. 

“I’m just trying to see if he’s the right choice.” Jimin whispers back. 

“Right choice? You say that like there’s another option.” You say only to scoff. “Besides it’s my decision anyways.” 

“But my ship.” He whines and you sigh. 

“Just give him a chance okay? He’s really sweet and I want him to actually like you if this turns into something. Plus you’re the one who asked to meet him.” 

“You’re right.” Jimin sighs. “He did think to bring chips after all. Jungkook would never.” 

“Jungkook?” 

“Who’s ready to get whooped in Mario Kart?” Jimin yells leaving you to stand alone in the kitchen, utterly confused. What does Taehyung have to do with Jungkook? Shrugging it off you head back into the living room, your seat next to Taehyung now occupied by Jimin who has decided Taehyung is his new best friend. He even gave him the matching controller, something you and Yoongi had to earn. Sitting next to Yoongi, you lean your head on his shoulder as Jimin teaches Taehyung the rules of Mario Kart. 

“You good?” Yoongi murmurs as to not attract attention from the others, 

“Yeah Jimin just confused me is all. You like Taehyung right?” You ask. 

“Of course, he’s my friend. What’d Jimin say?” 

“Something about making sure Taehyung is the right choice. Whatever that means. And he mentioned Jungkook which just confused me.” 

“I think he meant that you just act very different around the two. From what I’ve seen you’re pretty meek around Tae and while it’s cute it’s a little out of nature for you. We’re just used to you being a spitfire is all.” Your mind drifts back to Hoseok’s shocked expression when Taehyung referred to you as shy. Was the you around Taehyung really so different? Sure you were more nervous and struggled to think of what to say and were half as snarky as usual but that’s not a bad thing right? You’re just evolving. Besides Taehyung likes this version of you. But everyone’s doubts has you wondering if it’s really you at all. You’d never change yourself for someone else, right? 

You can’t get the thought that maybe you’re holding yourself back around Taehyung out of your head all night, leaving you to not enjoy game night. Every time you interact with him you can’t help but wonder if you’re being yourself or if you’re portraying an image you’re not. Because while Taehyung does make you nervous and sometimes does make you stumble on your words, the more you’re aware of how you might be changing your behavior the more you’re aware that you’re suppressing your harsher burns or remarks that you’d have no problem saying to anyone else. You wonder if Taehyung realizes how different you act with Yoongi and Jimin compared to him or just amounts it to the fact that they’ve been your long-term friends. You don’t know, you’re not sure of anything at this point regarding you and Taehyung. You wish Jimin never said anything because now you’re left second guessing. 

The thought follows you into the week and even leads you into ignoring Taehyung’s texts if for nothing but to not accidentally lie to him. You don’t want him thinking you’re a fake person and at this point you’re so turned around that you’re not even sure how you could make sense of what’s going on in your head. The more you think about it the more you’re convinced that you’re not yourself around him but the more you convince yourself the louder your doubts get because what if you’re only convinced because you think you should be. The only time you get any solace is with Jungkook and Lucy so naturally you’ve been spending time with them. Though it’s only to see her of course, never Jungkook. Which is why every day you make sure to bring her something new. Whether it’s a costume- yes you went back and bought her the pink onesie, she hated it but you got a cute picture- some new treats, toys, or even little bows you never came empty handed because that would mean you also partly came to spend time with Jungkook. And wanting to spend time with Jungkook would mean that your annoying e-boy neighbor finally broke down your walls and created a little home in your heart. It would mean that he’s finally become your friend and that’s information that can’t get out. Besides if he finds out you think of him as a friend would that change the way he interacts with you? Would you no longer be able to make fun of him and call him names like bambi just to piss him off? 

You think about this as you’re stood outside his door, a hand raised to knock on it and two coffees in hand- Jungkook had promised you to teach you all the tricks in Smash Bros so you could finally beat Jin tonight and it’d probably take a while so you needed to stay awake- paired with a pup cup from Starbucks for Lucy when the door swings open and Jungkook’s doe eyes are frantic. “I’m so glad you’re here.” Is all he says before pulling you into a hug, the pup cup falling to your feet as you struggle to hold onto the two larger drinks. He grips you like a child holding a teddy bear for comfort, his breath ragged against your neck as he hides his face in the crook there. You instantly panic because something has him obviously scared but try your best to remain calm to comfort him. As best as you can you wrap your arms around his back, careful to hold the two cold drinks away from him. 

“You okay?” You ask softly although very aware the answer is no. You and Jungkook have never gone down this road before- one of soft words and touches- so you try and navigate it as best as possible even if that means asking redundant questions. 

“I don’t know what’s wrong with Lucy, she just keeps coughing and she’s spitting out this white foamy stuff and I don’t know what to do because she’s so hot that I’m scared to carry her in case she overheats and I-“ He sobs out, pushing into you harder as he tries and hides the tears. It’s a little futile however as you can feel him shaking around you but let him collect himself before gently pulling away to set the drinks down. Gingerly you wipe his tears as he hangs his head down in shame- probably from breaking down in front of you (his frenemy)- and you gaze up at him softly. 

“It’s gonna be okay, I’ll go with you to the vet and we’ll deal with it from there. You can even hold my hand if you need to.” You joke trying to crack a smile to get him to cheer up a little but it doesn’t do anything for him. “Do you have a kennel for her or anything?” You ask and he shakes his head no, his bottom lip trembling. 

“I’m such a bad dog dad.” He sobs and you’re so frantic to calm him down you place little kisses along his face to try and stop the tears. He tenses immediately when he pulls himself out of his thoughts long enough to realize what you’re doing and you pull away embarrassed. 

“We can use a box with some thin blankets it’s fine.” You say, refusing to acknowledge what you just did. It’s something that’s better to just sweep under the rug and forget it happened. Grabbing a smaller box from recycling- you’ve never been so thankful for Costco than in this moment- you hurry to Jungkook’s bedroom where you can hear a little honks from Lucy. Gently opening the door you find her nestled in a bunch of blankets on Jungkook’s bed, the fan blowing directly on her while her head nuzzles his pillows. The footsteps behind you alert you of Jungkook’s presence and you nod to Lucy lying on the bed. 

“See you’re not a bad dog dad at all, she loves you. She’s finding comfort in your scent right now.” Stepping into the room you gingerly walk towards her as to not startle to poor puppy, setting the box down beside you on the bed. 

“Hi baby, we’re gonna go to the doctor okay?” You tell her, gently moving her out of the nest and onto the comforter as you hurry to stuff the little nest into the box. “Bambi do you have a hoodie or something that you’ve worn recently?” You ask and immediately he begins fishing for one in his laundry basket. The hoodie is just a plain grey and you feel a little bad at the inevitable stains but place it into the box anyways before turning back to Lucy. Carefully you slide one hand under her shoulder and head while the other slides under her bottom half before you carry her almost like a newborn baby into the box. It’s not the best crate but it’s the best you can do at a moments notice. Jungkook immediately takes the box from you, careful to hold it from the bottom as you hurry back into the living room and grab his keys from the rack and the two coffees- you’ll probably need them for the long night ahead of you. 

Googling the nearest 24 hour vet clinic seeing as it’s around 9 p.m you hurry into your car and head off. You attempt to play music to calm everyone’s nerves but Jungkook turns it off and instead you sit in silence as your navigation occasionally calls out directions. 

A ten minute ride later you’re once again hurrying, Jungkook sprinting through the doors when Lucy starts to gag. You follow after him, coming in just in time to see one of the Vet Tech’s take Lucy to the back. Jungkook slumps against the counter as the receptionist readies some files for him to complete and you take the clipboard from her after urging Jungkook to sit down. Quietly you fill out the information sheet for him, only occasionally asking him questions for things you don’t know the answer to. You’ve just sat down when they call for Jungkook, his hand finding your own and you squeeze it thinking he just needs a moment of comfort when he tugs on it, refusing to let go. “Come with me?” He whispers and you nod, immediately standing up to follow him with his hand still sat comfortably in your own. 

“So we’ve took her temperature and she’s running a high fever and obviously she’s coughing but can you describe her other symptoms if she had any?” The Vet Tech asks and Jungkook nods. 

“She uhh coughed up this white foamy stuff that kinda had the consistency of snot and she was gagging before we came here. She’s probably been coughing for the last couple of hours.” 

“Did she do or eat anything out of the ordinary today?” 

“She met my friend’s dog. I know she doesn’t have all her shots but I thought it’d be okay since he has all his.” Jungkook mumbles and the guy nods along while making notes. 

“We’re just going to take a few tests to make sure we have the right diagnosis and then we’ll get back to you. We’re not that busy so it should only take an hour or two at most. If you’d like to go back in the waiting room we’ll call you back when we’re ready or you can wait here if you’d like.” He says before exiting the small room and disappearing. 

“What do you want to do?” You ask Jungkook and he just sighs. 

“I don’t know. Do you think this is my fault?” He asks, his normally sparkly eyes are dull as devastation and heartbreak take full form in them. It hurts you to watch and you almost feel your own heart break at his evident pain. As much as you love Lucy you only spend a few hours a day with her so your pain can amount nowhere close to Jungkook’s. 

“I don’t think we should go there, especially when we don’t have a diagnosis. Let’s just stay here so you can nap. You look exhausted.” You tell him and he sneers. 

“You want me to sleep when my dog could be dying?” He yells and you flinch away. 

“Let’s not jump to conclusions. And she was puking up snot Kook it’s not like she was coughing blood. It’ll be okay.” You tell him, trying to be understanding and not take his yelling personal. “You don’t have to sleep alright?” 

“Alright.” He sighs, sitting back down again before laying his head in your lap. “I’m sorry for yelling.” He mumbles, turning his head to bury it into your thigh to hide his embarrassment. 

“I know, it’s okay.” You say softly, brushing your fingers through his hair. He closes his eyes and eventually his body relaxes enough that you realize despite his previous words he has in fact fallen asleep. You continue stroking his hair as he snores lightly against you, praying that for his sake Lucy is okay.

“Sorry that took so long, we had an emergency surgery and Lucy got put on hold for a little.” The Vet says as she barges in, your head banging against the wall as you startle awake. Jungkook groans from your lap, rubbing his eyes as he pouts at being abruptly awoken. 

“It’s okay.” You croak out, voice hoarse from sleep. You stretch all your limbs, your back cracking wonderfully as the Vet waits for both of you to wake up, somewhat amused. 

“We looked through the test results and it turns out she has Kennel Cough. It’s nothing too serious, it typically clears up on it’s own but since she’s not fully vaccinated we’re going to give her medicine to help clear it up faster and make sure it’s fully gone. By the time the medication is finished be sure to bring her back for her final vaccination and just don’t let her around other dogs until then okay?” You both nod and she gives you the prescription, before informing you that’d she’ll be right back with Lucy. 

Checking your phone you realize that it’s currently 2 a.m. and you wonder just how long the two of you have been sleeping on these hard chairs. The vet appears shortly later with a sleepy Lucy- apparently they gave her some medicine to make her sleep through the night- along with a crate. “Figured you’d need a real one of these instead of a cardboard box. I already put her blankets and the jacket inside so she’s all good to go. Just make sure to stop by the front desk and sign out.” With a wave goodbye and a get well to Lucy she leaves the two of you alone again. 

“Do you think the crate is free?” Is the first thing Jungkook says to you and you laugh, ruffling his hair. 

“I don’t know Bambi. If not let’s just make a run for it.” 

“Just what I want to be arrested for: stealing a dog crate.” He laughs, rolling his eyes as he presses a gentle kiss to Lucy’s forehead. “Let’s go home baby.” He says and for a moment your tired mind thinks he’s talking to you. Shaking your head of useless thoughts you lead him back to the reception desk where he pays for her care- the crate surprisingly was free- before you lead him back to your car where this time he lets you play music on the drive home. 

Pulling up to your apartment complex, you park before taking the elevator this time to the second floor, too tired to walk up a measly two flights of stairs. You’re just about to fish your key out of your bag when Jungkook’s hand on your wrist stops you. “Will you come in and help me make sure she’s settled?” He asks and he looks so nervous while asking you that you can’t say no- not that you were planning to. Nodding you follow him inside after taking your shoes off, tucking her into her bed that’s in the corner of his room. 

“Do you think I should let her up here?” 

“Your body heat might make her fever worse.” You tell him and he visibly deflates. “It’s okay you can wake up bright and early if you want to sit by her side all day tomorrow. But she’s so knocked out she probably won’t even realize you’re not next to her right now.” It’s the most you can offer him as your own drowsiness sets in and every time you blink your eyelids stick together for a little longer. 

“Do you just want to stay here?” Jungkook asks and for a split second you’re wide awake. “You just look so tired I don’t think you could make it the ten feet next door.” He chuckles and you roll your eyes. 

“I could.” You huff and Jungkook doesn’t say anything as he observes you. 

“You don’t have to though.” He says softly, moving to lay flat on his back. 

“Touch me and you’re dead.” You tell him, the bed creaking as you settle down beside him. He hums in response and you roll onto your side, letting sleep take over. 

Surprise, Surprise-when you wake up Jungkook has broken your rule. In fact his whole body is wrapped around you as his leg is nestled between your own while one arm wraps around your waist and the other has somehow slid under your neck. It’s entirely too domestic of a scene with a once sworn enemy and you scramble to get out of this position before Jungkook wakes up. Except he was either already awake or your squirming awoke him as he mumbles at you to stop moving before encasing his arms around you and rolling so you’re effectively trapped under him. It does render you motionless but it also renders you breathless since he’s so heavy. I mean really what is this kid eating? 

“I can’t breathe.” You say into a mouthful of pillow only further suffocating himself. Jungkook only hums in response, snuggling into you further like this is the most natural thing for you two to do. You manage to turn your head enough to not be face deep in a pillow and choke out, “You’re too heavy. Get off.” as he finally gets the hint that he’s been killing you softly and rolls to the other side of the bed. 

“Sorry.” He says at least having the decency to look remorseful and embarrassed by the fact that he almost murdered you. 

“You broke my rule, I said don’t touch me.” You scold him, already reaching to the side to grab the pillow. 

“But you cuddled me first!” 

“Don’t care, I have to kill you now.” You shrug before whacking him in the face a little bit harder than you meant to. “Boom, headshot. You’re dead.” You giggle, probably way to nonchalant about the fact you woke up entangled in the arms of your nemesis but if you don’t think about it, it can’t hurt you. 

“You really think a headshot could kill me, the indestructible Jeon Jungkook? Never!” Jungkook says, reaching around to grab a pillow to hit you with before Seokjin’s voice sounds through the other side of the door. 

“Jungkook are you playing with your action figures again? I told you that’s weird.” You stifle the laugh fighting to break out with your hand, taking much to pleasure in the fact that Jungkook’s face is bright red and he can no longer look you in the eye. 

“No Jin! I’m talking with Y/n.” He yells before his eyes widen at his mistake. He just outed you both as…cuddle buddies. The door bursts open at that, Seokjin being much to awake for whatever time it is in the morning with his phone pointed directly at you for incriminating evidence. 

“It’s happening!” He screams, waking up Lucy who manages something that somewhat resembles her normal bark. 

“Lucy!” You and Jungkook both scream, scrambling off the bed to check on her. Seokjin keeps his camera on you both as you and Jungkook fuss over Jungkook’s tiny puppy completely forgetting that he’s in the room. 

“Everything is falling together so beautifully don’t you think Jimin?’ He whispers and you look up for a moment in confusion having heard him but he only winks at you in response. Seokjin sure has a lot of secrets. 

You finally reach out to Taehyung feeling bad for ignoring him for a week but also needing closure. You need to see once and for all if you really are a different person around Taehyung. It’ll only have to be after the class that started it all, your 400 person lecture that is the whole reason you and Jungkook even became aware of each other’s existence despite being neighbors. You’ve asked him to meet you after class seeing that it’s the last class of the day for you and you didn’t think it was fair to keep Taehyung waiting any longer. He was a good person and he deserved to know where your head is at. You almost hope that if this doesn’t end up working that you can genuinely still be friends. 

Jungkook has apparently decided to save you a seat- which is a little odd since you’ve never made an effort to sit next to each other before- if him flagging you down is anything to go by. He did make a good choice in seats though- choosing to be in the back and near the edge of the long rows- as it means you don’t have to climb over a bunch of people just to get to him. “Hi.” He breathes like he’s relieved to have you sit beside him. You wonder if he thought you’d just turn and walk in the other direction. 

“Hi bambi.” You smile, pulling your laptop out of your bag and sticking it on the little tray connected to your chair. “Thanks for saving me a seat.” 

“Anytime thief.” He actually snorts when he watches your face drop, apparently still getting satisfaction from the old nickname. 

“Are you never going to let that go?” You sigh, slumping back into the chair and placing your head in your palm. 

“First you took my backpack, then my plant, then my dog. Is there anything you haven’t taken from me?” He teases and you huff. 

“I give you a cute nickname like Bambi and you decide to stick me with thief. Why do I even try to be nice to you?” 

“Because I’m adorable and it’s impossible not to be nice to me. But if you’re really so hard done by it I guess I can call you Thumper.” He shrugs, cackling at the disgust that takes shape on your face. 

“Gross. Matching pet names is what you came up with?” 

“It’s thief or thumper, your pick.” He has an evil glint in his eyes as he smiles so wide at you that his whole face crinkles, his shoulders rising up to shake in laughter. It might be the happiest you’ve ever seen him and you suppose if thumper makes him so happy it’s not so bad.

“Fine thumper will do.” You murmur, chucking when he high fives himself like a total loser. The professor then comes in and the class falls silent- which is a little odd since normally this class is never quiet- as he turns to face you all. 

“It’s come to my attention there is a thief among us. Last week a student reported their laptop missing from this class that has yet to be returned. If you know anything about this and have substantial proof as to where it is, you’ll receive extra credit on your next paper.” 

“Any chance it was you, my favorite little thief?” Jungkook whispers, groaning in pain when you elbow him. 

“No and like I’d share it with you. You don’t deserve the extra credit.” You whisper back. 

For the rest of the class Jungkook is surprisingly quiet, so much so that you even forget he’s beside you. When you do remember he is though you get oddly creeped out because in the time you’ve known him he’s rarely ever quiet. Even if he’s not making noise with his mouth he’s tapping his foot or fingers along to an unknown beat and yet he’s eerily silent. Turning to him in concern you watch as he analyzes the back of everyone’s head in great concentration, moving along the row in front of you slowly as to gain every detail. “What’re you doing?” You ask, ignoring the professor as he wraps up the lecture. Looking at Jungkook’s screen you notice that he hasn’t even written down a single thing from today. 

“I’m looking for the laptop thief.” He says nonchalantly like it isn’t weird to stare at the back of stranger’s heads for the past hour. 

“And you’re finding that out from looking at the back of their heads?” 

“Yes, I’m seeing who looks most like one.” He tells you and you turn to him fully to get his attention. 

“Do I look like a thief?” You ask, unmoving as the people around you quickly gather their stuff and head out of the lecture hall. 

“Yes.” He says matter-of-factly. A smile making its way onto his face as he can read the clear irritation on yours. 

“How so?” 

“It’s just something about you. One look at you and I knew you were it.” 

“That’s because you saw me with your backpack in my hand dumbass. You’re not batman with your ‘here comes trouble’ detector.” You scoff, finally moving to put your laptop in your bag. You’ve only just realized you two are about the last ones in the lecture hall and the remaining few can probably hear your conversation. You don’t need more people thinking you’re a criminal. 

“That’s- that’s not even a thing? Have you ever watched a superhero movie in your life?” Jungkook asks, like he can’t fathom the fact that you were just spitting nonsense. Honestly you had seen some superhero movies but you didn’t care much for them. 

“In my defense, spidey senses are a thing as well as a guy who literally shoots webs from his hands? How does that make sense?” You can’t help the smile that takes over your face when he groans in agitation, turning around to catch him running a hand through his hair and fixing his glasses- you were right, he only wears them for the aesthetic which is why he never has them on at home. 

“He was bit by a radioactive spider!” 

“How did it not die when being around the radiation? It’s literally a tiny spider.” You ask and Jungkook just looks at you exasperatedly. 

“People don’t die from radiation.” He deadpans, flicking your forehead for being stupid. 

“But it’s a spider. Also how did he not die from being exposed to the radiation? Wasn’t he like a scrawny guy?” 

“That was Captain America you idiot.” He scoffs, rolling his eyes as well. You knew that but Jungkook is too fun to piss off. Besides it’s only fair since you know he gets the same satisfaction from you. 

“I know idiot.” You grin, flicking his forehead as you skip away from him and towards the doors.

He chases after you a matching grin on his face as he grabs onto your hand to slow you down. “So you’re purposely being irritating?” 

“Don’t act like you don’t do the same.” You giggle, completely unaware of the third set of eyes in the room. 

“Uhh am I interrupting something?” Taehyung asks and you suddenly remember you were supposed to meet him after class. 

“Taehyung hi.” You smile at him awkwardly, taking a step away from Jungkook who drops your hand. 

“You know Taehyung?” Jungkook asks you and you nod. 

“Yeah I forgot I was supposed to meet him outside of class today.” You tell him before turning back to Taehyung. “Sorry about that by the way.” 

“So Jungkook’s bambi?” Taehyung asks though it’s more like he’s talking it through himself. “And you’re the backpack thief.” 

“That sounds like a bad rip off of Percy Jackson.” You joke, trying to displace some of the awkward tension in the air. No one laughs. 

“Taehyung how do you know thumper?” Jungkook asks, his voice teetering on actually angry. It’s not the type you’re used to hearing for the one he directs at you is normally more light-hearted and teasing. This type is deep and gravely like he has hot coals burning in his windpipe. 

“We went out a few times.” Taehyung says and you find yourself backtracking when you watch Jungkook’s face drop a little. You’re not sure why it drops but his downcast expression worries you all the same. 

“It wasn’t anything serious though. It’s not like we’re officially together.” You don’t know why you rush to reassure him, especially since Taehyung is in the room and you’re talking about him, but you can’t help but feel guilty for his sadness. You feel a little bit like Jimin did when he moved out. 

“So that’s it?” Jungkook finally speaks though his voice is noticeably weaker. 

“Yeah.” You say, hoping that’ll solve whatever problem is happening between you right now. That seems like it’s the wrong answer though as he turns around and exists the doors on the other side of the classroom. You wish you could chase after him and find out what’s wrong but you don’t know what to say. 

“Taehyung I’m sorry.” You start, after following him out to a secluded bench near the building you were just in. “I didn’t mean to say that I wasn’t serious about you. I do like you and our dates did mean something to me. I just- he looked so sad and I panicked.” 

He’s silent for a long moment and you grow antsy beside him before he decides to speak. “Do I make you feel confident?” He asks, turning to you head on so he can read your body language as you try and process his question. 

“What?” 

“I was confused by why Hoseok seemed so shocked when I described you as shy and then I saw how you reacted with Jimin and Yoongi but I amounted to it being because you’re old friends. But seeing you with Kook who I know you only met a few days before me, I can’t help but notice you’re almost a different person. So, do I make you feel confident?” 

“You…you make me feel nervous but that’s only because you’re so handsome.” You start only for him to cut you off. 

“But you should be used to my face by now. Do you think Jungkook is handsome?” 

“Of course but I don’t really see the relevance. Sorry let me rephrase, I’m not very good at expressing myself.” You ramble, mind sent into overdrive as you scramble to think of words. 

“Sweetheart,” Taehyung says softly, placing a hand on your cheek to soothingly stroke his thumb along your cheekbone. “you deserve someone who you can easily express yourself to. You shouldn’t have to struggle to find the words.” 

“But I’m like that with everyone, it’s just who I am.” You shrug but Taehyung stops you again. 

“You’re not that way with Jungkook. I’ve heard you tell him off just fine in plenty of his stories about you. You never seem to find the wrong words around him. Even when you were stressed about his feelings being hurt just now you could find something to say. Besides, I don’t think we have half as much chemistry as you and Jungkook do. He almost kissed you that day Lucy peed on him.” 

“He what?” You exclaim, pulling away from Taehyung in shock. 

“I mean this in the nicest way possible but don’t you think it’s time you wake up and realize what’s right in front of you? Jungkook hasn’t been exactly subtle about his feelings for you and I think in your own way you weren’t exactly subtle about yours for him either.” 

“So you’re telling me I like Jungkook?” You say, the words coming out slowly as you process the sentence. As odd as it sounds on your tongue you feel a small weight lifted off your shoulders. 

“I’m saying that you should re-evaluate your relationship with him. I think you both mean a lot more to each other than the other thinks and it’s pretty easy to see on the outside. I just wish I would’ve figured out who you were sooner so I could avoid hurting my best friend.” Taehyung sighs, turning away from you to watch the people around you blissfully unaware of the mess that is your life. 

“Best friends?” You exclaim. “But I never heard much about you, no offense.” 

“We lost touch a little this semester when I became engrossed in my classes. If your portfolio is good enough they’ll show it to nearby galleries to display so I’ve been quite busy. The only bit of free time I’ve spent with you.” 

“But we went to Hoseok’s show?” You say, still trying to piece it together.

“Again, time spent with you but since he’s my roommate I can’t exactly not show up to his recital. Also you and Hoseok are terrible actors, I could tell you were exes the moment you stood awkwardly behind me.” Taehyung chuckles and you slap his arm in response. 

“Hey I could’ve been shy!” 

“We both know that’s not true.” 

“Is that why you never talked about your friends much? Because I’d probably know them through Hoseok and that’d be awkward.” 

“Yeah. I didn’t exactly know you were his ex at the time you asked me out. We’d only been living together for a couple months at that point.” Taehyung shrugs and you sigh. A lot could’ve been avoided if you and Taehyung had actually talked. Though you’re starting to realize that this is the easiest it’s ever been to talk to him now that the pressure of a relationship is off. 

“Hey Tae, do you think we can try being just friends? I really do enjoy your company.” You ask, a little too nervous to look at him for his reaction. Facing rejection is never easy. 

“I think we could work something out. Besides I don’t know if you noticed but this is probably the best conversation we’ve ever had. Ironically it’s about us breaking up, if you can even call this that.” Taehyung laughs and you laugh along beside him. Funny how some things work out. 

The next task on your list is finding Jungkook. You look at the dining halls first- Jungkook’s favorite place despite the fact that everything is either soggy or undercooked- but he’s nowhere to be seen. Then you head to the library thinking he’ll go to the last place you’d think to look for him- which of course makes it your second- but he’s not there either. Your last resort is to head home and see if maybe you can find him there. Jin answers the door this time, jerking his head back towards the hallway where Jungkook’s room is. 

“He’s back there sulking.” Jin whispers, handing you a tub of ice cream and a spoon. “He won’t let anyone in but I’m sure you’ll get special treatment.” 

“Jin, am I in your OTP?” You ask. His eyes widen comically as he shakes his head side to side. 

“No, of course not. What even is that? Sorry I don’t understand you and Kook’s nerd lingo.” He rambles and your mind- ever the hyperfixator- focuses on one word. In all the time that you’ve known your neighbors, you’ve never heard Jin use the word nerd. And you’ve been here countless hours every day. But one person you know that has an infinity for the word nerd is Park Jimin who you already know shares secrets with Jin. 

“Hmm okay. Though you might want to tell Jimin your ship could be sailing fairly soon.” You wink, enjoying the fact that this time you’re the one leaving with a smirk and he’s left confused. 

Knocking softly on his door, you ignore the way he groans “go away” at you and open it, ducking just barely in time for the pillow to graze the top of your head. “Thumper?” 

“Hey bambi. I brought you ice cream.” Slowly standing up, you take in the way Lucy is wrapped up in his arms like a little plushie, a thick blanket wrapped around him as he burrows into the pillows the longer you observe him. Handing it to him along with the spoon you sit on the edge of the bed, picking at the loose threads as you try and find the courage to confront what just happened. 

“Taehyung and I broke up, if you can even call it that.” You say suddenly, the spoon in Jungkook’s mouth falling against the mattress with a soft thud. You grimace at the hard stain that’s going to form but Lucy is delighted at the sticky residue left on the spoon. Lucky for her Jungkook is boring and likes vanilla ice cream. 

“You what?” He asks, mouth hanging open until you push it closed. 

“Don’t leave your mouth open, you’ll catch flies.” You giggle. “But yeah we decided we’re better off as friends.” You leave out the part that you decided you also might have feelings for Jungkook because today has already been an emotional day for you.

“Is-is there a specific reason why?” Jungkook asks almost pleadingly and as much as you want to give him the answer you hope he’s looking for you can’t. Not until you’ve slept on it, not until you’re sure that this is what you want. He deserves that at least. 

“We just didn’t click the same. I was pretty shy around him actually. Can you believe that?” You laugh and Jungkook sighs. 

“Why were you never shy with me?” 

“You’re kind of infuriating. Besides Taehyung never pushed my buttons like you do. There was nothing to be snarky to him about.” You shrug, your mind momentarily thinking back to what Jimin said what seems like such a long time ago: you’re not good at flirting! You’re just mean and shit. While a little ineloquent for your taste it sadly does some you up. You guess you were forever destined to end up in an enemies to lovers. 

It only takes two days for you to realize you’re an idiot. It only takes two days for you to realize that you may have accidentally been falling in love with your nemesis turned frenemy this whole time while not knowing it. You’ve always been bad with feeling but surely no one is that inept: well expect you of course. You should’ve seen it coming with the way he was constantly on your mind and began inviting yourself over to his place- something you don’t even do to your childhood best friend Jimin. Or that fact that you climbed in his bed, tired but competent to know that you’d probably wake up with his arms around you. And yet you continuously pushed these thoughts away under the pretense that he thought of you as nothing more than a frenemy at best- it was probably painfully obvious like when he put on the stupid chef hat to make you happy or when thief lost its negative connotation and became a sweet nickname for you. Perhaps the most glaring reason is the fact that he gave you matching pet names but in conclusion: you’re an idiot. 

“How could I not notice?” You whine to Jimin as you walk through campus. You’re on a rather old path- one that’s less of a straight shot to the student union- enjoying the shade that the buildings provide from the sun. Summer is beginning to settle in making walking around campus your least favorite activity. 

“They do say love is blind. Did you see that whole show they created? Yoongi and I made a shot game so whenever Jessica talked about her and Mark’s age gap we had to drink and I’ve never got wasted to fast in my life.” He snorts at the memory and you almost wish you had been there but drunk Jimin was undoubtably the clingiest Jimin. He was the epitome of the “I love you” drunk and as much as you did love him sometimes it was a bit too much for you to handle. Yoongi, however, loved drunk Jimin because Jimin gave him all the attention he was unwilling to express desire for. “I can imagine.” You laugh. “But I guess I don’t really know what to say. We’re rarely not arguing.” 

“Yeah but isn’t it that ‘I want to kiss you but also punch you’ type?” 

“Just how much do you and Jin talk about us? You’re starting to pick up on each other’s diction.” 

“You should just give the people what they want and messily confess to him. It really sets the tone for your ‘i love you, I love you not’ relationship.” Jimin laughs. 

“What should I say? Should I do it 10 things I hate about you style?” You ask, unaware that you’re passing the life science building, 

“Yes! Give me an idea of the performance.” 

“It’s not a performance, it’s a confession but nonetheless,” You pause and take a deep breath to gather your thoughts. “I hate the way you piss me off like the day we first met. I hate that I can hear your infuriating voice in my head all the time. I hate the way you talk to me like a friend. I hate the way I can’t stand to simply just be around you anymore. I hate the way you call me thief or thumper.” You’re too deep in your monologue to notice the way Jimin visibly panics in front of you, shaking his head rapidly from side to side to try and warn you silently to stop talking. Yet like any shakespearean play you run too long, too deep in your own feelings to notice the dagger you aim at your own heart.

It hits home when a shoulder checks into your own, a hurt, “If you hate me so much you could’ve just said so” coming from your favorite voice and you crumble. Because just like Romeo and Juliet you killed your love before it could have the chance to truly blossom. You think for once you might actually hate yourself as you watch his figure disappear as he breaks into a jog. Your heart cracks even further when you realize it’s probably because he’s crying- the imagine of him shoving his face into your neck to hide them from you resurfacing. And then you’re crying because you just ruined what could be the best thing you didn’t know you had. You wish you would’ve just said something two days ago because you don’t think you’ll get the chance to even speak to him again even if it’s just to apologize. 

Silent tears streak down your cheeks- you thought it’d be a cool thing to learn how to do when you were younger (cry silently that is)- as Jimin leads you away from the curious eyes of the other students as they no doubtably wonder what has you crying at a little past noon on a weekday. You wonder what they’d think if they knew you accidentally broke the heart of the boy you’re in love with while planning a confession. It was a simple case of wrong place, wrong time and yet just like that he’s gone. You laugh at the irony of it all- you lost him before you even had him- and Jimin just stares at you with pity. You hate it and so despite knowing he’s just trying to help and that you’re being irrational you shrug him off you and sprint to your own apartment, hoping for solace in the silence. For once it’s nice to come home to nothing.

You can’t sleep. It’s been approximately twelve hours since you crushed Jungkook and you can’t sleep not knowing if he’s okay. He probably won’t answer when he sees it’s you- he won’t answer your texts or calls- and yet you can’t stop yourself from getting out of bed and knocking on his door. It’s asking for your own heartbreak but you figure you deserve it at this point. No one comes after five minutes so you knock again and wait another five. Not wanting to look like an idiot for standing in the hallway when no one is home- or at least willing to answer- you head back to your own apartment. 

The next morning you wake up early in hopes to catch a glimpse of him going on his morning run- he always goes just before 8 a.m. so he can come back, shower, and then fall back asleep before he needs to leave for class- and yet his figure never emerges. Concerned you knock on his door and to your surprise Namjoon answers. Unsurprisingly he’s not happy to see you. “Go home Y/n.” He sighs. When he sees your dejected expression he pauses in closing the door on you. “Did you mean it?” 

“No, he wasn’t supposed to hear that. I was um practicing confessing.” You murmur, looking down at your hands awkwardly as you reveal your true intentions to Namjoon. You feel much too vulnerable. “Have you ever seen the movie 10 things I hate about you? She confesses in a similar monologue to what I was attempting but I didn’t make it to the end when he heard.” 

Namjoon hums for a moment before nodding like he’s come to a resolution. You wish he’d tell you what it was. “Give him time okay?” You nod solemnly before ducking back into your own apartment. 

The next day you resolve to buy him a succulent plant, a little aloe vera one from the market Taehyung works at. The plant is what started this whole hatred turned friendship turned…whatever this is. If you hadn’t argued over one stupid little plant you’d probably have never spoken after you awkwardly returned his bag. You’d have no reason to. So you hope that while it’s not a big gesture, it’d at least be a small place to start. Quietly you sneak to his front door and place it on the welcome mat, knocking quickly before ducking inside your peephole. You watch in anticipation as the door cracks open before closing again, the little succulent still on the mat. You heave a sigh, wondering what else you could do.

The next month passes by slowly and every day you stop by the store to buy another succulent. You’ve started to associate them with Jungkook, picking one up for every day you think of him. Each one is named something different, tied with a different memory you have of him. Lucy: for obvious reasons. Frosty: for the first time you started to see him as something other than a frenemy. Bambi: for the man of the hour himself. And your personal favorite, thumper: a fuzzy little cactus that resembles a rabbit’s tail. Thumper also marks the day that started it all, the chain reaction that led to you discovering just how much your e-boy neighbor meant to you. 

“Holy shit.” Jimin says, stepping into your apartment for the first time in a month. You’ve become a bit of a recluse, though you did apologize to him for shrugging him off when he was just trying to help you that day. The only time you do interact with people is when you go to class, the market or Jimin and Yoongi’s for game night. Other than that you just stay here alone, brewing in your self-made despair. “It’s like planet of the plants in here or something. Do I need to worry about you being a hoarder?” Jimin asks and you shrug.

“My mind kinda hyperfixated on succulents and the succulents remind me of him so I’ve been collecting them.” 

“Have you tried talking to him?” Jimin asks.

“He wouldn’t pick up my calls and Namjoon said he needed time so I stopped trying. I tried giving him an aloe plant like Cherry but he didn’t accept it.” You sigh, picking up the plant he discarded and brushing along its leaves. Bonjour-dubbed the word sprawled across the welcome mat- wilts a little when you touch it and you wonder if your sadness is infecting it. 

“This blows. Especially since it’s all over a misunderstanding.” 

“Has Jin mentioned anything about how he’s doing?” 

“I don’t think he’s faring much better. Jin has to take Lucy on her morning walks now because he barely wakes up in time for class. Apparently he’s taken up an interest in herbology though and is growing spices, wonder who he’s trying to remember.” Jimin nudges your shoulder and you roll your eyes. 

“He’s probably doing it for Jin as a birthday present or something.” You’d rather not get your hopes up. He’d have talked to you by now if he missed you right?

You evidently get your answer as a harsh pounding on your front door wakes you up and half-asleep and a little uncaring about who’s on the other side you throw it open. Sleepily you rub your eyes while wondering why whoever was so desperate to talk to you is suddenly silent when the haze in your mind clears enough to register Jungkook stands before you with a 10 things I hate about you dvd case clutched in his hand. His eyes are red-rimmed and his cheeks are tear stained making you instantly reach up to wipe them away before you retract. He probably doesn’t want you to touch him. “Did you mean it?” He croaks out and you stare at him confused. 

“Mean what?” 

“When you said what you hate about me did you mean it?” Your eyes flicker to the dvd in his hand and it clicks.

“I love you.” 10 things I hate about you be damned. You’re done with dancing around your feelings and painting them in fancy words. Sometimes as you’ve learned from Taehyung it’s better to just be blunt. 

“You- what?” 

“I love your smile and the way your eyes crinkle when you laugh. I love the little things about you like the mole on the bottom of your lip or the way you’re always humming a random tune. You tease me and piss me off but I’ve never wanted to kiss someone in my life more than you. This past month has been awful without you and I don’t think I can stand another minute without you. So call me a thief, call me thumper. Call me whatever you want as long as I’m yours.” He’s silent for a minute before the dvd case falls to the ground, his hands instead reaching up to cup both of your cheeks as he brings his mouth down onto your own. His lips are softer than you expected, fitting easily against your own as he presses them to yours tenderly despite the urgency behind his actions. Gently he parts your lips open to deepen the kiss and you sigh into him, pressing your body into his own wanting to feel his warmth. He only parts when you both need air, the two of you panting as you still stay close together. 

His breath fans your face as he places three gentle pecks to your lips, his head resting against your own. “I love you too thumper. I don’t think I’ve ever loved someone half as much as I love you.” 

“I’m sorry I hurt your feelings. I wish I would’ve spoken to you sooner. And you know, for stealing your backpack.” 

“Aha! So you do admit you stole it!” He laughs, grinning as you attempt to shove him away only to pull you closer. “But I’m sorry too, I should’ve heard you out sooner. And I’m sorry for always calling you a thief.” 

“I already told you that was fine.” You laugh, leaning back to kiss the tip of his nose. 

“Yeah but I know you hated it. I only kept calling you it though because you stole my heart.” 

“Gross.” You fake gag, bending over to pretend to vomit. He giggles at your behavior, wrestling you closer to him as you try and turn around to walk away. “Who knew my boyfriend was so cheesy?” 

“Stop pretending you don’t love it.” He says, finally looking up and noticing the terrarium that is your apartment. “Why do you suddenly have so many plants?” 

“I got a succulent for every day I think of you.” You say, squealing when Jungkook attacks your sides. 

“And you said I was the cheesy one!” He screams, chasing after you to tickle you further when you finally break free. 

“Jimin our ship has finally sailed!” Seokjin whispers into the phone from next door. You and Jungkook had left your front door wide open, giving him a prime view as the two of you chased each other around, very much stupidly in love. 

[stilesxeveryone]

The Rewatch, pt2

Feel free to message me about any of my dot points! Ultimately this is just for me, so I can remember all my thoughts the next time I do a season or episode specific fics, but I greatly encourage discussion!! None of my friends watch teen wolf so I can’t discuss things with them :(

Season 1, episode 7

Stiles: I’m not scared of you!

Peter: and I took that personally

To be honest I don’t think I’d ever take a werewolf fight to my high school, like everything is gonna be locked and oh god there are so many stairs and nowhere to hide

I will still never understand why Scott threw Derek under the bus in this episode? Like I feel like saying Derek is the murderer that’s behind everything just raises way more questions than answers and would cause more problems than solutions

Stiles punching Jackson? Valid and wonderful

Okay I’m gonna be honest here, there was a big old chunk of this episode that was just dramatic tension and no dialogue so I did not follow a single part of that because I’m also drawing dinosaurs at the moment

Also I find it interesting that Peter (the big bad alpha) seems to want Scott to kill his friends and join him as pack member. Why does he decide that one pack member is better than turning the others and forcing them to join as well? Maybe he believes it will create stronger loyalty, but in my opinion I feel like numbers are more important at this point in time

Season 1, episode 8

Oh no I hate this episode

Scott and Lydia kissing is actually one of the worst things I’ve ever seen (and why I hate this episode), and wow asshole move from both of them

Watching this episode makes me feel less bad about the fic I half-finished where Scott major attacks Stiles on a full moon because uhhh, it’s kinda accurate to the asshole ways of early Scott

Werewolf - now with added visual hallucinations? (Also I still hate their beta shift faces so much, especially Derek’s)

Okay but yes to a canon divergence AU where Chris and Kate Argent think that Stiles is the second beta werewolf instead of Jackson

Season 1, episode 9

I really wish they put in like any effort at all to make the photos that Scott sends to Allison actual photos? Instead of just screenshots from previous episodes? Like where are my cute couples selfies or sneaky candid photos during study dates and shit

Jackson dos a really good job at being absolutely creepy, like I hate it but also good shit

Stiles, at literally every interaction with Derek, saying he’s not afraid of him and being confident and then immediately being frightened by him (and the same happening with Peter in the high school) is character consistency and I appreciate that

I wish people wrote more Stiles and Danny friendships tbh (as well as relationships to be fair), I just really enjoy all their scenes together

“You must be Stiles” yes bitch!!! I always find it funny how fucking soft Peter says that line, like his voice is so gentle even though he’s meant to be the big bad wolf and all that

I’ve been meaning to say this since episode one but I love the music they use, as in the actual songs and such, but I literally hate the instrumental stuff they use. Very rarely does it build tension the right way and it almost never sounds nice

Season 1, episode 10

I still continue to not at all understand why Peter needs Scott

“You’re way too pretty to be out here all by yourself”

Okay but Allison/Lydia power couple (Lydia looks so good with red lipstick)

The whole scene of Stiles’ father being drunk and saying “I miss talking to you, and I miss your mum” is so soft and sad and personal and I love it

Oh my god I totally forgot about the part where Peter takes Scott’s mum on a date, that’s so weird

Also “you have incredible skin” is so serial killer-y, I can’t believe Melissa let him get away with that

Jackson really needs to listen to his gut more, like stop trusting the scary wolf men and go do some homework (also wow Derek really ripped into him about the fact that no one cares about him)

Season 1, episode 11

My god, Derek deserves to kill Kate. She’s so gross and he deserves a little revenge

Allison getting Lydia to go with Stiles to the dance! I forgot about that! As always, give me Allison/Stiles sibling/best friend relationship or give me death! Also Stiles/Lydia friendship is very good as well

Did Peter just say that Allison should go for a lighter dress? While she’s holding a black and white dress? Sir this makes no sense (also Allison looks great in dark outfits)

Also there’s no way teachers don’t immediately notice Jackson giving alcohol to some of the other kids, they’d be watching the drinks like hawks dude

Jackson goes through so much this season (and the next), it makes me feel so sorry for him

The CGI for Peter’s fangs extending is honestly so gross and I hate it

“Because you’re the clever one, aren’t you” if only more people understood this

Season 1, episode 12

Peter making a period joke is so,, absolutely unnecessary and weird and I hate it

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Allison’s mum is a snake and I hate her

Also Allison basically has to decide on whether her boyfriend is a monster or if her aunt (and family in general) are monsters and that is a tough decision, especially with how manipulative Kate is. I don’t remember what exactly she does in season 2 but idk how much I can blame her for it

Parking garage scene!! My favourite to read canon divergent scenes about

In defense of Scott, some of my passwords do in fact involve the name of my significant other, but in argument against Scott, I’m a little more creative than just his first name

I wish this show gave me the classic wolf howls instead of the weird, low, grumbly sound that makes no sense to me

I tried writing a parking garage AU once and it went horribly, but I think I’ll be coming back to it soon! Having some very fun ideas right now

Stiles and Chris scene! God bless Stiles just straight up not taking any of his shit and putting him in his place about the Hale fire

Also I don’t think it gets mentioned enough that Jackson witnesses this entire scene of Stiles standing up against the big bad hunter

I honestly really like that the code is “we hunt those who hunt us”, I think it’s valid and it’s more about self defense, even if Kate and the others don’t treat it like that

They really set Peter on fire again, huh, definitely not adding to his trauma and major pain or anything

Overall I do enjoy this season, I mean there’s a reason I continued watching it and am back here again for another rewatch. I think there are definitely some issues with the writing, of character morals and motivations not always aligning with their actions and that kind of thing. I really hope that as the show continues I see improvement in Tyler Posey’s acting, because until now I’ve never really paid too much attention to him honestly (which is a concern since he’s the main character).

I do really wish that they didn’t set Peter on fire, and I find it interesting that Stiles and Jackson were more involved with Peter’s death than Scott was. Although if Scott (or anyone other than Derek) killed Peter we would have avoided like all of season 2, but I do enjoy season 2.

I really enjoy seeing the characters interacting with each other honestly, especially Stiles interacting with any of the “bad guys” and the bad guys (Chris, Derek, Peter) and I really wish we got to see him talk with Kate, honestly.

[ellewritesathing]

Ten Things    IV

Summary: If there’s one thing you have to know about Harvey Kinkle, it’s that he rarely thinks things through. So when he meets (and falls for) Sabrina Spellman on his first day of Baxter High and finds out that she can’t date anyone until her tempestuous sister does, it seems like the obvious solution is to get someone to date her so he can go out with Sabrina. A not so obvious choice for the challenge is Caliban, but, hey, it’s not like Harvey thought that far.

Masterlist Prev. | Part 4

Word-count: 4.5k+

A/N: pls listen to Wish You Were Sober in the background whilst reading this part + whatever coming of age music you like (bonus points if you choose Ribs by Lorde and/or Strawberries & Cigarettes)

It seemed that when it came to Sabrina Spellman, Harvey would always be nervous. He had these lame little butterflies whenever she tutored him (that spiked when she’d take his hand to correct something). He almost threw up before their next meeting after the head-kissing debacle. And now he was supposed to pick her up for the costume party. 

Three costume changes, a near heart attack, and fifteen minutes spent brushing his teeth and fixing his hair later, and Harvey stood outside her house. Her very creepy house. He'd just reached for the door knocker again when it swung open. 

Ambrose stood there, giving Harvey a very knowing smile as he looked him up and down. “Afraid she’s not here, friend,” he said, not sounding too disappointed or afraid. “Though in an outfit like that I can’t imagine why.” 

Harvey looked down at his jeans, dark t-shirt, and leather jacket and suddenly wished he’d gone with Tommy’s old Captain America costume even though his hair was the wrong color. He reached up and adjusted his hardhat. “It was kind of last-minute,” Harvey admitted awkwardly. “Anyway, uh, what do you mean she’s not here?” 

“That she left with one Nicholas Scratch about fifteen minutes ago,” Ambrose said. He nodded gravely before continuing, “Though my other cousin is here if you-” 

“No, I’m good thanks,” Harvey said quickly. Ambrose raised an eyebrow and Harvey felt he had to explain, so in a quiet voice he added, “She kinda scares me.” 

“Oh, Harvey, you don’t have to suck up to me,” you said with a very mischievous smile as you walked around Ambrose. Harvey went through the four stages of shock as he took in your outfit: A blue and gold cheerleading uniform (weird enough) with the letters DK on your chest and your hair and makeup perfectly done. Sabrina must have done the hair and makeup because you looked like an entirely different person like this, except that your mouth was covered in blood and you wore white-out contacts and a pair of fangs. “She doesn’t listen to me anyway.”

It took Harvey a second to realize that he was supposed to answer you, and, in that second, you and Ambrose let out matching (almost evil) laughs and started cracking jokes about how innocent Harvey was. It was hard to think of innocence when fake blood was running down your neck. At least, Harvey hoped it was fake.

“So, uh, do you need a ride?” Harvey asked in an attempt to recover from the millions of conflicting thoughts he had and his earlier social blunder. 

“You’re offering to spend time with me in an enclosed space?” you asked, looking slightly taken aback. Harvey nodded almost immediately. “Wow, you must really like her, huh?” 

“No, that’s not what- well, I mean, yeah, I like her,” Harvey stammered. Your smile got a bit wider as you and Ambrose shared some side-eye at his expense. “But that’s not why I’m offering. I just- you know, I’m already here. And the environment is in shambles. So carpooling is, like, the responsible thing to do-”

You laughed and untangled yourself from Ambrose to grab your things. “You’re cute, Harvey Kinkle.” You waved at Ambrose and started closing the door as you stepped outside, ignoring his cries to play nice with Harvey. “I get what she sees in you.” 

“Thank you?” 

---

This costume party was all Sabrina had thought about for the entire year, and now that she was here all she could think about was Harvey. What was that about? She was here with Nick. Her Nick. She should be having the time of her life listening to him talking about his latest modeling gig, not wondering if Harvey was going to show up. Or what he’d be dressed as if he did. Or- 

“Hey, are you even listening to me?” Nick asked teasingly, grabbing her hand and pulling her closer to him. 

“Of course! You were talking about how your agent thinks you could get that underwear deal,” Sabrina lied. That was almost all Nick talked about, so it wasn’t that hard to guess. Harvey would have been more difficult to lie to, but Harvey would’ve drawn her flowers and laughed her distraction off. “And they’d be idiots not to take you,” she said, stumbling into Nick’s arms after he pulled her closer. 

“Thank you! That’s what I said but my agent …” Nick carried on talking through their rather forced slow dance, but Sabrina stopped listening when she saw Harvey walk in. 

He looked so handsomely awkward in his miner outfit as he said ‘No, but thank you’ to all the girls offering him punch and dances. His dark eyes looked so hopeful as he scanned the room and it broke Sabrina’s heart when that hope went out as their eyes met. 

She hurriedly separated from Nick, almost tripping over her feet in her rush, but Harvey was gone by the time she did. And when Sabrina looked back at Nick, he looked annoyed and confused. 

“If you didn’t want to hear about what Estelle said, all you had to do was say,” Nick said a deep-set frown. 

“It’s not that. I just thought I-” 

Nick shook his head and started walking away. “Whatever. I’m gonna go get a drink.”

Sabrina let out a breath, suddenly feeling very alone and exposed in this crowded room. Her spirits lifted when she looked around and saw you outside with a very attractive blonde guy, and - better yet - you weren’t telling him to piss off. He must have been Caliban, but he looked very different in his flowy white shirt and blue jeans from your description of ‘he looks like an asshole, but the kind you want to makeout with just to get him to stop talking.’ 

At least one of you was having a good night. 

---

“So what exactly are you dressed as?” you asked, taking a sip from your solo cup in an attempt to come off as cool and not annoyingly flustered by Caliban. Saying something mean would get you out of this mess for sure. “Because you look like one of those idiots from the cover of a trashy lady novel.”

“While I wasn’t going for idiotic, that’s exactly what I am,” Caliban said with a smile. He took the cup from your hand and took a sip, eyes twinkling mischievously as he did. “You seem surprised.” 

You shrugged, chiding yourself for thoughts of Caliban’s lips on the spot where yours had been five seconds ago. “I didn’t have you pegged as a romance novel kind of guy.”

“And what kind of guy is that?” 

His question was innocent enough, but it was the way he asked it that made your heart skip an irritating beat. Caliban was distracting enough with half his chest exposed and pretty white lace constantly drawing your attention to it. And, if that wasn’t enough, his dumb blonde curls had framed his face when he leaned in to ask you. 

“The kind of guy who carries around a lighter because he likes to burn things,” you said, taking your cup back and taking the last sip to spite him. 

Caliban looked amused in the corner of your eye as he drew back. “Well, we can’t all be demonic cheerleaders, princess,” he said. “Assuming that’s what you’re dressed as.” 

“You’re close. I’ll give you a hint,” you said and turned back to him. You held out your hand and asked for his lighter. Caliban didn’t say anything as he placed it in your hand, but he didn’t break eye contact. You uncapped it, lit it, and held it up to your mouth. The flame got dangerously close to your tongue before you blew it out. In your best Jennifer Check voice, you said, “I’m a god.” 

Caliban started laughing as you capped the lighter. “Well, if anyone is going to make killing boys nearly as attractive as Megan Fox, it’s you,” he said. “Though I don’t remember the white contacts.” 

“I took some creative liberties,” you said with a small shrug. You reached for his hand and gave his lighter back to him. 

After you pulled your hand away, Caliban shook his head and held the lighter back out to you. “You should keep it. Far more attractive when it's with you.” 

“What about all the pretty things you like to set on fire?” you asked. 

Caliban took a step closer and lifted his hand to tuck some hair behind your ear. He took his time, keeping his eyes on his hands before looking at your lips and then finally meeting your eyes. “They’ll have to take the backseat to another pretty little thing.” 

“I’m going to get another drink,” you blurted out as you took a step back. Not your smoothest move, but you needed to get the hell out of there before you did something dumb like kiss him. “Stay here.” 

You could hear the smirk on his face when Caliban said, “Whatever you want.”

Luckily, it only took a few frightened looks from the underclassmen to renew your confidence. The contacts were doing their job of unsettling people perfectly, and it made your night to see people who were checking out moments before start squirming. Until you reached Nick Scratch. 

Despite the fact that you knew he was afraid of you, he didn’t squirm. He just looked at you with that smug face that made Sabrina fall for him. You hated him.

“And what are you dressed as tonight, kitty cat?” Nick asked, deliberately emphasizing the old nickname. It made your skin crawl. 

You started answering when you looked up at him and pretended to be shocked. “Wait, Nick- was that … did your hairline just recede?” You pointed at his hairline and grabbed two cans of soda while he checked. 

Nick didn’t try to follow you when you started walking away, but he did start talking loud enough for you to hear him over the music. “You know, your sister likes my hair just fine. She even-” 

You turned around and gave him your harshest glare as you stomped closer. “Stay away from my sister.” 

“Woah-” Nick held his hands up in surrender. “I’ll stay away from your sister,” he promised. He took a step closer and lowered his voice. “But I can’t guarantee she’ll stay away from me.”

He bumped your shoulder as he walked past you, and you would’ve thrown something at him if he didn’t get swallowed up by the crowd of people racing towards a fight in the other room. Instead, you opted for cursing Nick out with every profanity you could think of as you slammed the sodas down and started looking for something a little stronger. 

An over-eager junior was offering you something to drink from his tray of assorted bad alcohol when you saw Caliban again. He was still annoyingly attractive, but he was very clearly pissed that you'd ditched him. Oh well. 

“What is this?” he asked as you downed one of the drinks. It tasted disgusting but you refused to pull a face in front of him. “I’ve been looking all over the place for you.” 

“Maybe you should go look for someone who actually likes you,” you said without looking at him as you downed another drink and the junior cheered you on. You grabbed another drink, despite Caliban’s protests, and disappeared into the masses.

---

Of all the ways Caliban saw this night going, you ditching him for a bottle of cheap tequila and Harvey looking like someone kicked his puppy hadn’t been his most likely pick. Apparently, Sabrina had blown him off for Nicholas, but Caliban wasn’t listening to Harvey's tragic story so much as he was trying to track you down. He left him with a very surprised vampire named Theo and focused his attention on finding you. 

“Hey, James Dean!” Nicholas yelled as he slapped Caliban on the back with unrequited fondness. If he had any awareness at all, it wasn't picking up on the glare Caliban gave him. “How did you get her to do it?” 

“Do what?” Caliban asked, promising himself that he could punch Nicholas in the mouth after he made sure you weren’t throwing up in the bushes. 

“Act like a human.” Caliban would have to table that promise because Nick was going to- “Oh, yeah!” 

The music started blaring from the dining room and Nicholas took off to see some girl dancing on the table. Only, that just wasn’t some girl. That was you, doing a very non-PTA approved cheer for the people around you. 

Caliban rushed to get to you, but all you did was grab the drawstrings on Caliban’s shirt and run one of them across your lips before standing back up and continuing your dance, ignoring his repeated requests to come down. The only time you looked at him was when you stepped too far back and fell off the table, hitting your head on the chandelier as you went down. 

Caliban caught you and looked at him with the saddest look in your eyes he’d ever seen. You were so uncharacteristically vulnerable after who knows how much alcohol and a head injury.  “You know, you’ve got a bit of gold in your eyes, Sparky,” you said softly, lifting your hand to the side of his face. 

“Hey, what about our show?” Nick hollered from the safety of his pack with Billy and the other idiots. They made a few more comments as Caliban carried you out to the garden to get fresh air. 

You kept trying to push him away, but as soon as Caliban set you down on the low brick wall, your hands tightened around his shirt. “Don’t go. I just need to lie down somewhere.” 

“If you lie down now, you’ll fall asleep,” Caliban said, prying your fingers off his shirt one at a time as you argued that sleep was good. “Not if you have a concussion, princess. Can you-”

“Hey, we need to talk,” Harvey interrupted. He was surprised when you latched onto his sleeve and let him know that his hat was askew. 

“I’m a little busy right now, Harvey,” Caliban said through gritted teeth as he untangled you from Harvey. You didn't want to let go, and you were just as stubborn when you were smashed as when you were sober. 

“I see that but can you give me like one second?” Harvey asked. 

“Aww, go talk to him!” you hiccuped. “I’m fine. I’ve got these hydrated-" You frowned. "These hurgerated-” 

“Hydrangeas?” Harvey asked, still confused. 

“Hydrangeas!” You beamed at him, which looked slightly terrifying with your smudged makeup and bloody face. “Thank you! I’ve got these hiiigh-drangeas to keep me company.”

Reluctantly, Caliban sighed and walked a few feet away with Harvey. He was still making sure that you were upright when Harvey started babbling. 

“It’s off. The deal’s off, okay?” Harvey finished. “Sabrina never liked me. She liked Nick this whole time but I thought that, you know, after all this she’d give me a shot but she didn’t and-” 

Caliban cut Harvey off before his head exploded and you fell over. “Harvey, do you like her?” 

“Yeah…” Harvey said, sounding confused. 

“And is she worth all this trouble?” 

“Well, I thought she was. I mean, of course, she is. But you know-” 

“Either she is, or she isn’t.” Caliban put a hand on Harvey’s shoulder and Harvey somehow looked even more confused by the touch. “First of all, Nicholas is not half the man that you are. He's an asshole. And secondly, don’t let anyone ever make you feel like you don’t deserve what you want.” He put his other hand on Harvey and shook him slightly as he said, “So go for it.”

Before Harvey could respond, Caliban saw you falling into the hydrangeas in his peripheral vision and dashed to save you from another head injury. 

You laughed as he held onto you and twirled the strings of his shirt around your finger before getting very quiet. The same vulnerability shone through as you looked at him. “Could you take me where the music isn't too loud?” 

“Of course.” 

Caliban helped you to your feet and almost carried you through the crowd of people to get out to the front, shooting Harvey a not so subtle glance to make sure he made up his mind. He helped you the neighborhood playground across the street while you mumbled about how opprobrious it was to have to be carried out of some high school party. 

“Opprobrious,” Caliban repeated, shaking his head. “Leave it to you to use big words when you’re smashed.”

“If I were smashed, could I do this?” you asked, promptly untangling yourself and falling down into the grass a second after you tried to show off. “Ow,” you said in disbelief. 

Caliban bent over to help you up and you pushed him off with one hand and pulled him closer with the other. As a result, Caliban came crashing to the ground. He did his best not to crush you as he landed, which you found extremely funny. 

Your mouth was tilted up to the sky as you laughed. The street lamps lit up your smile and Caliban couldn’t help but notice how pretty it made you look. You caught him looking at you and fell quiet again. You turned to look back at him, not saying anything at first. 

“Why are you being so nice to me?” you asked softly, tucking one hand under your head and - tentatively, gingerly - reaching out with your other. 

Caliban looked down at your outstretched hand as you started playing with his shirt again. He found himself wishing you reached out for him and not his shirt. “Because you have a drunken concussion and someone needs to look after you.”

“Why does it have to be you?” you asked, frowning at the knot you'd created. “It’s not like you care if I never wake up.”

“Of course, I do,” Caliban said, leaning closer like he was going to tell you a secret. “If you didn’t wake up, I’d have to start talking to girls who actually like me.” 

You scoffed and threw his shirt back at Caliban. “Like you could find one,” you said as you rolled to your feet. 

“See, who needs affection when I have blind hatred?” Caliban asked as he followed you to the swing set. He wrapped his hands around each of the chains of your swing as he leaned down to speak to you. “Why would I want someone else’s affection when I have your prejudice?” 

“Just let me breathe for a second and then I’m gonna say something so mean that you-” You frowned and shook your head, looking down at the ground. “I just need a minute, alright?” 

“Alright.” 

Caliban took a step back and let himself think for a moment. As rocky as this night had been, he thought it was going fairly well until he found you three drinks in with a junior. He didn’t have time to dwell on why you ditched him, though, because you were falling backward and he had to dive forward to catch you. 

You started laughing as you righted yourself and Caliban swore. He sat in the swing next to you and took a deep breath when he was sure you weren’t going to fall over again. “So what did Nicholas say to drive you to drink?” he asked, nudging you with the toe of his shoe. 

You rolled your eyes. “Nick just has to open his mouth to make me want to drink,” you mumbled. 

“But usually you resort to a witty comeback and not tequila,” Caliban said as quietly snarky as he could. “What made this different?” 

“I just … I hate him,” you admitted. “And my sister …”

“Your sister?” Caliban asked, turning back to face you. You’d already started leaning on your chain with your eyes closed. Not only were your eyes closed, but you were seconds away from falling on your face. “Oh, shit. No, no, no, I need you to wake up. Hey, look at me. You need to wake up.” 

“Mm hey,” you said quietly, looking up at him and smiling. “You know, your eyes-”

You cut yourself off by vomiting on the grass just in front of his shoes. Caliban pulled a face and tried not to sound too disgusted as he said, “Have a bit of gold in them?” 

“Yeah, how’d you know?” 

---

Sabrina stood with Prudence while the party died down. She hadn’t seen you since your table dancing incident but according to a quick text from your phone, Caliban made sure you got some air and took you home. With you gone and her mad at Nick for how he acted with you, that left her without a ride. 

“Hey, a few of us are going to Jarrett’s,” Nick said. He put one arm around Sabrina and the other around Prudence. “You ready to go?” 

“Oh, thanks, but I have to be home in twenty minutes or my aunts will have my head,” Sabrina lied.

“Well, I don’t have a curfew or overprotective family,” Prue said slyly. Her smile shifted from Sabrina to Nick. 

Nick shot a glance at Sabrina and she shrugged. “I can’t tonight,” she said. 

“Damn …” Nick sighed and looked over at Prudence. “Well, do you wanna go?” 

“I’d love to,” Prudence said, sliding her hand into Nick’s and leading him away. Sabrina would have argued if she cared about him or thought it would make a difference. When Prudence wanted something, she got it.

The only thing Sabrina did care about was how she was going to get home. Her options were slowly dwindling and her aunts would ground her for life if they saw the kind of party she was at. 

“Having fun tonight?” Harvey asked as he walked past her, still glum from earlier. 

“Yeah, tons,” Sabrina said with a sigh. Harvey kept walking so she rushed to keep up with him. “Hey, Harvey, I know … I know I don’t deserve it but do you think you could give me a ride home?”

Harvey let out a breath and turned to face her. Sabrina braced herself for what he’d say, for the moment that gentle, sweet Harvey would turn out to be no better than Nick. That moment didn’t happen. 

“Sure,” he said with a shrug. “Come on, my truck’s parked down the street.”

Sabrina didn’t know what to say as they walked to the truck, so she just didn’t say anything. Her hand brushed Harvey’s a few times and it broke her heart when he yanked his hand away. She deserved it, though; she broke his heart first. 

They didn’t speak as Harvey drove, and it took them a few seconds once the engine was off to say something. 

“You never really wanted to go out with me, did you?” Harvey asked, looking at the steering wheel instead of her. “It was always Nick, wasn’t it?” 

“It used to be Nick,” Sabrina admitted. “But he’s not very nice to me anymore. He just … I don't know.” She looked out the windshield and shrugged. “And you drove me home after I blew you off. I don’t deserve how nice you are to me.”

“No, you don’t,” Harvey said. He turned to face Sabrina and she knew that this was the moment. “Just because you’re beautiful and smart doesn’t mean that you can treat people like they don’t matter. I- I really liked you, you know? Even when people said you were selfish. Or that you were using me.” 

Sabrina sucked it up and turned to look at him. It didn’t surprise her that people said those things, and it didn't surprise her that Harvey defended her. He was the kind of guy who did that for people he cared about, not that he'd be doing it for her again any time soon. “I’m sorry.” 

Harvey was quiet. His jaw tightened for a moment and then he looked away. “Yeah, well, it doesn’t really matter. It’s not like you liked me much, to begin with.” 

“I do like you, Harvey,” Sabrina said. She resisted the urge to reach out to him. “I like you a lot. That’s the problem.”

“Oh,” Harvey said quietly, frowning. “I’m sorry.” 

Sabrina laughed and leaned over before she could talk herself out of it again. She cupped his face and pulled him into a kiss, which he returned after a second of hesitation. It was sweet, clumsy, and over too soon. 

“Don’t apologize,” Sabrina whispered when she pulled away. She gave him another smile and gathered her things. “Thanks for the ride.”

---

“Here we are,” Caliban said as he parked the car in front of the old house. “Home sweet home.” 

You pulled a face at the mortuary sign and turned away from the window. “Ugh, don’t you just want to keep driving?” you said. “Maybe to the ER? I’ve heard alcohol poisoning is a real bitch.”

“That it is but considering you puked your stomach contents all over my shoes, I think you’re safe,” Caliban said with a smile. Though he knew he’d take you wherever you wanted if he knew it wasn’t just the residual alcohol in your system talking. You just shrugged without saying anything. “Why don’t you want to go inside?” 

“My family is … complicated,” you said. You started picking at the sleeves of your cheerleader outfit instead of looking at him. “My parents died when I was little and my aunts took us all in. They’re great, really, they just want me to be someone I’m not.” 

“Like who?” Caliban asked. 

You sat straighter in your seat and put on a dashing smile before imitating your sister. “I’m Sabrina. I get good grades and don’t punch people even when they deserve it.” If the voice was accurate, it had nothing on the imitation laugh. It was downright creepy with all your smudged demonic makeup, but then you deflated into your seat and started mumbling profanities and Caliban knew you were back to yourself. 

“Well, no offense to your sister, but I think the whole people-pleasing act is overrated,” Caliban said. “There are better things to do with your time.” 

“You really think so?” you asked quietly. When Caliban looked over at you, all your snark had faded away to your familiar drunken vulnerability. “You’re not just saying that?” 

“I really think so,” Caliban said. “Why do you think I like you so much?”

“You like me?” you asked, seemingly caught off-guard. 

“I wouldn’t have let you throw up on me if I didn’t.” 

Caliban wasn’t sure what he expected you to do, but leaning in to kiss him wasn’t even on the top ten most likely options. It made his heart race, but he knew it wasn’t right. As much as he wanted to kiss you, he didn’t want to kiss you like this. 

“Maybe we should do this another time,” Caliban said, turning to face the steering wheel before you could kiss him.

You frowned at him, sinking slowly into your seat. You looked at him but you were strangely quiet as you did. Then, with speed Caliban didn’t know you had in this state, you got out of the car and slammed the door shut. 

Not quite the way Caliban saw this night ending. 

Part 5

Tagged: @t-a-i-l-o-r-m-a-d-e​  @miss--moose​  @marrypuffsstuff​  @harryscarolinaa​  @igorsbby​​  @foji2000​​  @hxlalokidottir​  @artaxerxesthegreat​​  @thxmagic​​  @strawberriesandknives​​  @xealia​​  @hotmessindisguise​  @acciomaximoff​  @reheated-coffee​​  @shelby-x​​  @perseny-blog​​  @millie-753​​  @luneerius​​  @shizzybarnaclee​​  @lettherebelovex​​  @throughparisallthroughrome​  @ietss​  @thebookwormlife​  @mechanicalanimalz​  @mariamermaid​  @nqbmf​  @caliban-is-my-girl  @shephard17895​  @music-movies  @clockworks-world-to-fandoms​  @luquincy  @marina468​  @olivia-west-allen  @drrramaaaqweeen​  @roxytheimmortal​

[thatsaweirdwaytospellundead]

Cosmetic Syndrome 9/11

Summary: Izumi drops by Guy’s bar to have a drink when she meets someone from a cosmetics company who asks Mankai to perform at his company’s event. With the brilliant make up skills of Azami, the troupe prepares for their make-up themed performance....

This is a 10 part story with an epilogue.

[part 1] [part 2] [part 3] [part 4] [part 5] [part 6] [part 7] [part 8] [part 9] [part 10]

Epilogue “Surprise Present”

Yuki

We’re back.

Guy

We have returned.

Izumi

Welcome back you two!

Azami

I’ll do your make up now. Looks like we’ll be just in time.

Tsuzuru

Yeah, that’s good.

Citron

Finally, you useless piece of junk! Bring your phone next time you decide to leave!

Guy

Apologies..

Izumi

I got the message from Yuki, is that little girl alright?

Yuki

Yeah.

Guy

We were able to reunite her with her mother without a problem.

Izumi

Oh, that’s great.

Tsuzuru

Good job, you two.

Banri

Okay with that settled where is that super important plushie that caused all this commotion?

Homare

Did you guys not end up finding it?

Yuki

Oh, we did, but we gave it away.

Tsuzuru

YOU GAVE IT AWAY?

Azami

What’s the story behind this?

Guy

Apologies. It’s a long story that we will save for later.

Yuki

But now my lines won’t make sense without the plushie, I don’t know what we should do.

Guy

—

.. Director, where did we put that thing from yesterday?

Izumi

What thing?

Yuki

Alrighty, got it.

Tsuzuru

Who would have thought those rabbit goods we got the other day would come in handy at the last minute.

Banri

I’m glad we had left the bag in the car.

Izumi

I already told the park’s supervisor that we were going to use this plushie for the time being, but he actually ended up thanking us for promoting the park’s merchandise.

He said we are free to use this plushie in our performance as well.

Homare

And it all worked out in the end.

Citron

Despite the road blocks, we were able to prepare our make up and costumes just in time! Good timing, ne!

Guy

It is all thanks to everyone’s hard work. Thank you.

Azami

So then, let’s head off.

Guy

Yes, let’s head to the stage.

Izumi

Good luck everyone!

Violet (Guy)

“It seems like everyone is here.”

Peppermint (Tsuzuru)

“Yes, we’re all here.”

Violet (Guy)

“Great. Our master will be leaving for the Fairy Realm in a few days.”

“She has been debating on what sort of make up and outfit she should wear.”

“As her servants, she has asked us to give our recommendations.”

Rose Quartz (Yuki)

“Yes! If you are looking for recommendations, let me recommend my colour, rose quartz! You can pair it with a matching outfit too.”

“I think master would look beautiful with an elegant rose look. You could sparkle just like the fairies.”

“Look, even Mr. Rabbit here agrees, you can leave it to us!”

“By the way, I wanna go to the Fairy Realm too. Hey hey, master, take me with you.”

“Don’t you wanna frolic around the Fairy Realm with me and Mr. Rabbit with our matching rose quartz ensemble?”

Cassis (Banri)

“No surprise this little brat is as immature as always.”

Rose Quartz (Yuki)

“Heyyyy!!! What’s that supposed to mean, Cassi? Don’t go stealing my thunder!”

Cassis (Banri)

“.. Anyway, master, how about you try out my colour? It’s a beautiful Cassis.”

“It’s trendy and versatile. You can wear it with a cute outfit too or easily pair it with something a bit more cool.”

“What do you say? Don’t you want to look cool and pretty like me? I can show you how to wear this colour.”

Rose Quartz (Yuki)

“Well aren’t you the narcissist out here calling yourself cool. Hey hey, right Mr. Rabbit?”

Cassis (Banri)

“Huh? What’s this about?”

Violet (Guy)

“Please calm down, you two.”

Lime (Citron)

“Master, I recommend my colour, lime!”

“It’s a colour that captures the freshness of green leaves, a colour so bittersweet it makes your heart race.”

“Look at my eyes and you can see! Hehe you can also see the beauty in my wink ☆ see it?”

Sunset (Azami)

“Hmm. That’s all nice, but let me show you my colour. Don’t you think sunset would be nice too?”

“It’s a colour that reflects the charms of the afternoon and evening. With such a wonderful colour like this, you are sure to draw the attention of all who look upon you.”

“A colour with a little sense of mystery, don’t you see it?”

“So what do you say? this colour would definitely suit you.”

Lime (Citron)

“You’re as out of touch as ever.”

Peppermint (Tsuzuru)

“I think everyone’s colours are nice, but master look over here! Don’t you want to try peppermint?”

“It’s a lively colour and a little bit different from all the rest. I think it is definitely a fun cololur!”

“You can sport it at a part or even when going out with a friend, it’s a versatile colour!”

Wine (Homare)

“Wait just a minute.”

“Sir, have you forgotten my colour? Wine is a mature and beautiful colour.”

“A colour of excellence and high class, this colour would be perfect for a night on the town.”

“So rich, so elegant..! Come now, you should choose wine, Sir!”

Violet (Guy)

“Master, may I recommend my own colour, violet?”

“I am sure master’s beauty would shine paired with this charming and high class violet colour.”

“What do you say? Would you like to try out a more mature look?”

“Each colour has their own charms.. Are you still lost?”

Rose Quartz (Yuki)

“Heyyy, come on, choose my colour already!”

Violet (Guy)

“Well seeing how we all have strong feelings about this, maybe the best solution is to try out every colour for yourself?”

Cassis (Banri)

“Hmm, you know that’s not a bad idea.”

Wine (Homare)

“Hm? So after all this, are you implying we should all accompany master to the Fairy Realm and all go out.. together?” 

Lime (Citron)

“Sounds good. Yeah, we would happily accompany you.”

Sunset (Azami)

“I guess that’s the only solution, we’ll go with you.”

Rose Quartz (Yuki)

“Wow this suddenly got more interesting! Hey, master!”

Peppermint (Tsuzuru)

“How exciting. I am glad you like all of our colours!”

Violet (Guy)

“I will be by your side no matter what. So then, shall we all head out?”

To be continued... Read part 10 here!

[tc-obsessed]

july tc challenge

this blog is most likely just for me to talk about him because i really can’t talk about this with nobody else, so i am actually doing all the question at once cause I don’t have that much time to do it once a day

this challenge is made by @baeby-tc

1. describe your tc’s physical appearance.

He is taller tan me, has a curly hair he lets it grow to his ears and a little long so he can handle it, I have always seen him with it thrown to the back, he has brown hair and brown eyes, he is a bit full but I think it makes him cute

2. what was the first thing you’ve ever said to your tc?

He said my name to know if I was in the class and I think I said like, “That’s me” and he proceed to smile like always.

3. is your tc single or taken? Or are you unsure? And are you single or taken?

So far as I know he is single, we met after I broke up with a toxic ex, and now I actually am in a relationship, which its kind of hard because its not a serious one and he also knows I am in love with H.

4. is your tc more of the athletic type, the nerdy type or the artsy type?

Super duper artsy, he is my teacher at an art college, and also super nerdy he is like such a geek for like games and stuff I really don’t have a clue.

5. if you and your tc were in high school together, do you think you’d be friends?

Not really, I don’t think he would be able to handle or want to even be near me, I was really depressed and was super mean, and he is an easy going guy who doesn’t barge in somebody else’s problems, also he is super into cute girls and I am totally the opposite

6. name one song that reminds you of your tc and explain why that song reminds you of them.

The song is one that I love, and H kind of didn’t like much but since we heard it together he always pops into my head when I listen to it, its Graduation by Hyukoh. I think its one the moment I appreciate of him cause we were just naming random songs we liked and he literally grabbed his computer and started showing his songs as I said which ones I liked, we started with like two more classmates then just the two of us, until he left.

7. is your tc fashionable or are they more of the simple type? what is one outfit you’d love to see them wear?

Fuck no, like he is such a bad dresser, I am so interested in fashion and he always wears this ugly orange jacket, I swear to god I would kill to see him in something more for his age, like I think it’s really nice how he likes but he has such a bad style, I think if we ever come to be together I would go out to shop for him and try to find other color that its definitely NOT orange.

8. would you be willing to become a teacher and teach your tc’s subject if it meant you two could be together?

Not really like a teacher, but I would be so down to be his assistant, though he already has one.

9. does your tc drink or smoke?

No, I have seen photos of him drinking but now he always avoids it. And he doesn’t like the smell of cigarettes.

10. name one item that is always on your tc’s desk.

It used to be like a mug with coffee or a coke, now its just water. And I like to think it was because of me, but that’s an story I’ll leave for another update.

11. has your tc ever done anything that has either thrown you off, annoyed you, angered you or bothered you in any way? if so, what did they do?

Its unfair cause he is really nice, he has never said or done anything, I just get plain angry or sad when I cant see him, and that isn’t his fault.

12. does your tc have any past jobs that you know of, before becoming a teacher?

None that I know of.

13. does your tc have kids or siblings? if so, how many?

I am sure he has a few brothes.

14. are you taking your tc’s class next year?

Unfortunately I cant, he only teaches first and second years, and I am already a third year, if I could I totally would do it.

15. has your tc ever met your parents? if you were there, what was the meeting like?

Thank god no.

16. has your tc ever given you detention? if so, what was it like?

Nope, we don’t have it at college.

17. has your tc ever failed you? if so, how did you react? if not, how would you react?

No, and I think I would just accept it, like he is a teacher for a reason, if he thinks I didn’t understand and I need another year learning, so be it.

18. what are your tc’s hobbies/interests? are they similar to yours?

He is into like a really nerdy rp podcat/talk show? I am so into tv shows, he draws characters form the rp, and I just focus on drawing homework and ocs. So not really, but we both enjoyed game of thrones.

19. have you ever spoken on the phone with your tc? what did you talk about?

I have texted him before, never called, and mostly is for my new animated project or things for the student council, once or twice we talked about something not related to college, but that’s also a thing I plan on explain into detail later.

20. if you had your tc’s class during quarantine, what were your zoom calls like? if not, have you spoken to your tc since quarantine?

No, and I don’t know if its good or bad, because I definitely want to see him, but its not like its private so I guess I would be really sad for not having his attention. And yes, we have talked, I asked him for advices in my new proyect, he is really sharp and has a good, and then he responded two of my ig stories, so I am happy he actually talked to me first.

21. if you had the chance to go anywhere in the world with your tc, where would you go? what would you do?

So, I know he has gone to japan a few times, and I would actually enjoy to go with him there, like, imagine him saying his experiences and helping me with things he had to learn.

22. does your tc have any nicknames for you?

Sadly no, he is really professional, so if he ever gave me a nickname it would be kinda wrong, tho he calls me by my name when he is talking about work and by my nick name (everybody at my uni calls me by that), when we ran into each other at the u. sometimes he switches it up.

23. have you ever cried in front of your tc? why? how did they react?

I been close to it, but he actually passed by and I turned around so he wouldn’t see me.

24. have you ever walked/drove to/from school with your tc?

No, sadly. I am always early and he is always late. But we have bumped into each other on the stairs.

25. do you know which teachers your tc is friends with at school? if so, do you like those teachers?

Yes, I mean most of them know each other, and they are all so friendly.

26. why does your tc’s voice sound like?

Hard to describe, he has like a confident lowish voice.

27. do you like your tc as a teacher? are they a good teacher?

He super professional and like strict, and soo picky, like he can give you so many advices and at the same time try to make room fot you to think about it and have a solution yourself, he is great.

28. does your tc prefer books, shows or movies?

Shows I think, he likes how a character grows from his past mistakes, but he likes reading too.

29. is your tc stern or easy going, in class?

Kinda both, like he is really nice and easygoing until he needs to be stern.

30. how would you describe you and your tc’s relationship?

Weird, like we are friendly, but he has always this way to push me away, but at the same time we always makes things that caught my attention or he talks to me like nothing.

31. do you address your tc by their first or last name?

Yes, its actually normal, everybody calls him by his name or a nickname, i personally call him his name with a rhyme

[vexedtonightmares]

with great power (elu spiderman au)

eliott has been saved by spiderman quite a few times for absolutely no reason. hopeless romantic that he is, eliott accidentally starts falling for spiderman somewhere along the way and doesn’t know what to do about it. obviously, there’s only one solution. he and his good friend lucas should pretend to date to make spiderman jealous. there’s no ulterior motives here, of course, just lucas helping a bro out.

aka eliott’s falling in love with spiderman, lucas is in love with eliott, and lucas is spiderman.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

ao3

no. 8 “We should talk.”

They hadn’t talked about how their PDA around their friends would change now that they were officially dating for real, but considering the looks they were getting, they probably should have. Yann, of course, knew everything, so he accepted it with a conspiratorial wink, but Arthur and Basile kept pretending to vomit and looking at them like they’d each grown an extra head. 

Maybe they could lay off the PDA a little, but truthfully Eliott didn’t care all that much. He wanted everyone to know how much he loved Lucas, and he hoped Lucas felt the same. Scratch that, he knew Lucas felt the same, and still couldn’t believe his luck.

He was currently sitting with Lucas and the girls in the foyer, Lucas’ head in his lap as they talked about whatever plans Daphné had concocted for some weekend coming up. Eliott didn’t know if he and Lucas would join, but he stayed somewhat engaged with the conversation, zoning out every once and a while to play with Lucas’ hair. 

“Why don’t you do that with my hair?” Daphné pouted, turning to look at Manon and resting her head on Manon’s shoulder. As Manon laughed and dropped a kiss onto her forehead Lucas sat up so fast Eliott barely had time to register his absence. 

“Why doesn’t who do what with what now?” Lucas asked, looking back and forth between the two of them. Eliott bit back a smirk, meeting Imane’s eyes across their group. A new development, apparently, was that Manon and Daphné were now dating. Eliott only knew about it because he’d been the first to show up at the foyer, well, not the first technically, because the two of them were already there making out. He would have told Lucas, but in the end the three of them agreed it would be funnier not to. 

Manon sighed melodramatically, crossing her legs. “That’ll be the last time I show any sort of PDA with my girlfriend, then,” she said, and Eliott couldn’t help but laugh. He’d almost forgotten that’s how Lucas decided to tell their friends that they were (fake) dating. 

Lucas opened his mouth in shock, then narrowed his eyes when he realized Eliott didn’t look shocked at all. “You knew?”

“Not mine to tell,” he said, miming zipping his lips.

Lucas scrunched his nose up and huffed. Eliott fell in love all over again. “Just for that no kisses until after school.”

“Nooo…” Eliott pleaded playfully, knowing Lucas’ resolve wouldn’t hold up under his best attempt at puppy dog eyes. Lucas looked away with another huff, crossing his arms. Eliott poked his head around and continued with the puppy dog eyes, because really he just had to be patient. Lucas was a stubborn little shit, but he always caved to Eliott, even when they were just friends. Eliott saw the corner of Lucas’ mouth start to lift and he knew he won. 

“Fine,” Lucas said, “But only because you’re so cute.”

Eliott grinned cheesily, squinting his eyes and scrunching up his nose. “Oh, fuck you,” Lucas whispered as he leaned in for a kiss, continuing when they broke apart. “You can’t do shit like that and expect me to not want to rip your clothes off right here, right now.”

“Do shit like what? Smile?” 

“Yes.”

Eliott smiled again, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. Lucas rolled his eyes half heartedly, leaning back in for another kiss, clearly forgetting he claimed resistance not so long ago.

“Ugh, we get it, you guys are as annoyingly adorable as Manon and Daphné. Now can you please either get a room or wait until I rinse my eyes with bleach to continue?” Emma groaned, shoving her face into Alexia’s shoulder, who patted her head sympathetically. 

Imane pointed between the two of them. “Don’t you two go hooking up now, I can’t deal with three sets of disaster gays.”

Emma laughed into Alexia’s shoulder while Alexia shrugged, pretending to consider. “No promises,” she said, “But only because you don’t swing my way Imane.”

“Hey, who said I do?” Emma asked, poking her head up. 

“Literally all of us,” Manon answered, everyone in the group nodding in agreement. Emma seemed ok with this, simply shrugging and laying her head back down on Alexia’s shoulder. 

Daphné cleared her throat then, clearly trying to bring their attention back to whatever they had actually met there for in the first place. Lucas settled his head back into Eliott’s lap and Eliott turned his attention to her, pretending it was possible for him to think about anything other than the beautiful boy looking up at him with such adoration.

“Next weekend,” Daphné continued, blushing lightly as Manon folded their hands together, “Party of the century!”

“Do explain,” Alexia prompted, bolstering Daphné’s confidence. 

“I mean, it’s been a while, hasn’t it? Since we’ve had a good party?” When none of them answered Daphné sighed, pouting. “Yes, Daphné, it has been a while, please tell us your idea,” she said to herself, glaring at each of them in turn. 

“Yes, Daphné, it has been a while, please tell us your idea,” Manon repeated, allowing Daphné to soften. Did Eliott look like that all the time around Lucas? He was almost certain he did, and probably had longer than he realized. 

Daphné sat up a bit straighter, spreading her arms wide. “Secret. Foyer. Party.”

“Secret… foyer… party,” Imane clarified, with much less enthusiasm. 

“Come on, guys! I thought you’d be more excited!” Daphné exclaimed a bit angrily. 

“Whooo!” Lucas raised his fist and pumped it in the air. “Secret foyer party!”

“Thank you!” 

Eliott dropped his eyes and caught the end of Lucas’ shit eating grin. He jostled Lucas’ head with his knees, nodding in Daphné’s direction. She was not someone to be messed with, even though she looked soft and sweet. Lucas just laughed and pulled Eliott’s face down for another kiss. Eliott wasn’t upset about it.

“I’m thinking the theme will be ‘infiltration’,” Daphné said, clearly proud of herself. 

Manon narrowed her eyes. “You have an ulterior motive.”

Daphné scoffed, drawing her hand back and crossing her arms. “I do not.”

“Yes, you do,” Manon argued, still smiling serenely. “I know you Daph. Quite well, I might add.”

“Ewwww gross, Manon,” Lucas whined jokingly.

“You literally have your head in Eliott’s lap.”

“And what about it?”

“Guys!” Daphné clapped. “Infiltration!”

Emma humored her. “What exactly does infiltration entail, Daphné?”

“I thought you’d never ask!” Daphné paused dramatically, making sure everyone’s eyes were on her. “Since it will be a secret foyer party, we’ll all be dressed in masks and espionage themed outfits. Plus some neon, because I bought a blacklight, and I won’t let it go to waste.”

As far as themes went, it wasn’t the worst one Eliott had ever heard, even if it was a little out of nowhere.  

Alexia leaned to the middle of their makeshift circle and stage whispered, “She chose this theme because she wants Spiderman to come.”

“Alexia!” Daphné gasped angrily, but Eliott’s attention wasn’t on her. It was on Lucas, who tensed, jaw clenching in a way that couldn’t have been comfortable. Eliott wondered if he harbored any ill will towards Spiderman, given that he’d been the object of Eliott’s desire in the first place. 

“Spiderman is not going to come,” Imane said boredly, yet sternly. 

“He might,” Lucas said with the same blasé tone. 

“He won’t,” Imane said, even more adamantly, and Lucas rolled his eyes. Eliott felt like he was missing something, and he could tell the rest of the girls felt the same way. 

“So, what do you need us for?” Manon cut in cheerfully, breaking up the tension that had somehow built up. Eliott really hoped it wasn’t there because Lucas hated Spiderman or something. Sure, Eliott didn’t like him like that anymore, but he was still a pretty cool dude. 

Daphné bit her lip, shrugging. “I don’t know yet. I still haven’t figured out how we’ll be able to get in here over the weekend.”

“Ah, leave that to me,” Alexia said, not elaborating further. Daphné seemed to decide to take her word for it and she moved on turning to, of all people, Eliott. 

“You’re an artist.” It was a statement, and Eliott didn’t know what response she desired. 

“I am…?” 

Her eyes brightened again. “Can you make a cool mural or something that will glow under blacklight? Something ‘infiltration’ themed, obviously. But like, discreet enough that the headmaster won’t realize it’s for a secret party?”

He considered this, though it wasn’t like he could really say no. Maybe he could rope Lucas into helping him. “Sure,” he decided.

Daphné clapped excitedly. “This is going to be the greatest party ever!”

Eliott sure hoped so, but if not at least he could escape somewhere with Lucas and have an even better time. He recalled the last party the two of them had gone to together and how even then he’d felt a bit overwhelmed with the urge to kiss Lucas, not understanding why. At least now he wouldn’t have to hold back, and he knew exactly why he wanted to do it. 

🕷🕷🕷🕷

Eliott was trying really hard not to be worried about Lucas. This was the third time he’d flaked on their plans, which wasn’t a big deal because they had just seen each other all day at school, but Eliott was still uneasy. It was either this or he would randomly have to leave in the middle of hanging out, but Mika and Manon were none the wiser to his whereabouts either.

Eliott checked his phone again, wondering if he watched it long enough he would get an explanation. As if summoned by his thoughts, a text from Lucas came in and he read it right away. 

Lucas: Sorry for being The Worst

Eliott: shut up dummy 

Eliott: as if you could ever be the worst

Lucas: I’ve just been so flakey lately, and I’m sorry :(

Eliott: just give me extra kisses tomorrow and all will be forgiven ;) 

Lucas: I’ll do you one better

Eliott: ???

Eliott only had a moment to wonder what Lucas meant before he heard a tap on his window. Lucas’ stupid beautiful face was sticking his tongue out at him from outside, and Eliott rushed over to open the window.

“What the hell?” he laughed as Lucas clambered through the window. 

Lucas shrugged, grinning goofily. “I figured I’d spice things up.”

“Climbing four floors up the fire escape isn't my definition of ‘spicing things up’, but to each their own,” Eliott said, pressing a kiss to the top of Lucas’ head.

“Hey,” Lucas said, when Eliott walked back over to close the window. He turned around, question in his eyes. “I love you,” Lucas continued, and Eliott had no choice but to take long steps across the room and sweep Lucas up in his arms. 

He pressed kisses to Lucas’ hairline, his temples, his forehead, his nose, and finally his lips. “You’re so beautiful,” he said between kisses, “And I love you too. More than you know.”

Lucas shook his head, wrinkling his nose up at Eliott as if he wasn’t enjoying every moment of affection, and it only made Eliott want to kiss him even more. Eliott knocked their foreheads together gently, arms resting on Lucas’ shoulders. “Want to make copious amounts of popcorn and watch the greatest movie of the decade?” he asked.

Lucas raised one eyebrow. “And which movie is that again?”

“La La Land,” Eliott answered, because the answer should have been obvious. Granted, this wasn’t the first time he and Lucas had watched ‘the greatest movie of the decade’, because Eliott’s favorites changed rather often.

“The musical?” Lucas clarified, distaste written on his face. 

Eliott scoffed in offense, releasing his hold on Lucas and going over to grab his laptop. “Yes, the musical, but that’s not all it is. It’s a story about love and chasing your dreams!”

“But they don’t end up together,” Lucas complained, going into the kitchen and putting a bag of popcorn in the microwave.

Eliott whipped around to face him. “Who told you that?”

Lucas giggled, looking completely unfazed that he’d been spoiled for the ending of the movie. “You did?”

Oh, well, that was Eliott’s bad then. Now that he thought about it, he was pretty sure he remembered coming home from the movie for the first time and calling Lucas immediately, dying to talk about it with someone. He’d seen a lot of himself in both Mia and Sebastian, but he’d seen a little bit of Lucas in them too. All the small— but at the same time glaringly obvious— signs he’d been in love with Lucas all this time kept showing up, didn’t they. 

“I’m certain I didn’t tell you everything, though,” Eliott countered, even though he very well might have. He’d never really expected Lucas to listen when he talked about things like musicals and cinematography.

The timer went off on the microwave, and Lucas poked his head out of the kitchen to gaze at Eliott so softly Eliott’s heart contracted in on itself. “Even if you did, we both know I’m going to watch La La Land with you and I’m going to love it despite pretending I won’t.”

“Have I mentioned recently that I love you?” Eliott asked sincerely, despite Lucas’ answering snicker. 

“Once or twice, maybe,” Lucas said, followed by a sharp curse as he likely burnt himself on the popcorn bag trying to pour it into a bowl. Eliott smiled to himself, because this happened every time Lucas made popcorn for the two of them, somehow never learning from the past. A second later Lucas appeared with a massive bowl of popcorn and a wild smile. 

“Where to?”

Eliott nodded towards his bedroom, and Lucas blushed, despite the fact they’d been there together a million and a half times. It wasn’t like there was ever any pressure to do anything, but the opportunity was always there, hovering above both of their heads. It used to be unattainable, but now all they had to do was reach out and touch. So, Eliott did, brushing his fingers against the back of one of Lucas’ hands before making his way to his bedroom, looking over his shoulder with one eyebrow raised. 

A few kisses later, the bowl of popcorn sat between the two of them on the bed, serving as a buffer of sorts. It wasn’t that Eliott didn’t want to forget about the movie and kiss Lucas senseless, but he had to practice some form of self control. Plus, he was going to get Lucas to like La La Land even if it was the death of him. 

Still, the air was charged, and Eliott was pretty sure he spent more time watching Lucas than the movie. He couldn’t help himself, it was like he was discovering all these new things, loving each one more than the last. 

The blue of Lucas’ eyes had always been his favorite color, little oceans determined to make Eliott lose his balance until he fell overboard. His hair was a little bit longer than it had been in a while, but Eliott loved it, fingers dancing as they remembered the way the silky strands felt in his hands while they kissed. Lucas was also way more muscular than Eliott ever remembered him being, which wasn’t a bad thing, just surprising. Though Lucas had said he’d been going to the gym more often, so he supposed his efforts were paying off. If Eliott was being honest, he found it kind of hot even if it did make him feel a little inadequate.

“For someone who wanted to watch this movie, you’re not doing much watching,” Lucas hummed, still looking at the screen, but he had a knowing smirk on his face. 

Eliott was unperturbed by the fact Lucas had caught him staring. “I can’t help it when you look so beautiful.”

He saw Lucas’ breath catch, even though he knew Lucas would go on as if Eliott’s words hadn’t affected him in the slightest. As predicted, Lucas sighed, continuing, “I’m beautiful all the time.”

“Oh you think this is a one time thing?” Eliott asked with a small laugh. “Good luck ever getting me to stop staring at you and your beauty.”

Lucas groaned, but he didn’t seem too upset. “Romantic fuck,” was all he said before moving the (now empty) popcorn bowl out of the way and pulling Eliott to him. 

Between kisses Lucas shook his head, sighing again but this time in a lovesick sort of way. Eliott thought it was so adorable he could hardly breathe. “I’m the one who’s been pining all this time, I should be the one with the grand romantic statements,” Lucas complained, and Eliott giggled.

“You remember who I am, right? No one can out romance me,” Eliott said, brushing strands of Lucas’ hair behind his ears as he held either side of his face. 

“Is that a challenge?” Lucas asked, voice barely a whisper as he pressed his lips to Eliott’s once more. Eliott merely hummed in response, deepening their kiss and moving his hands from Lucas’ face to his chest. Lucas grinned into Eliott’s mouth, meeting Eliott’s hands with his own and using them to pull his shirt off. Eliott’s own shirt was quick to follow and suddenly Eliott was on top of Lucas, pushing him down onto the bed. Lucas’ hands trailed down the bare skin of Eliott’s back and Eliott nearly shivered as Lucas’ fingertips brushed his spine.

His hands fiddled with the button on Lucas’ jeans when Lucas opened his eyes abruptly, as if someone had shocked him. All the hairs on his arms looked like they were standing on end. Eliott sat back immediately, eyes searching Lucas’ face.

“Is everything ok?” he asked. They’d gone farther than that before… he hoped Lucas wasn’t uncomfortable. 

The panicked expression on Lucas’ face softened a bit, and he brushed a hand down Eliott’s cheek. “Yeah, yeah, sorry, it’s not about you, or this, I just… I have to go.”

“But you just got here,” Eliott said, confused. 

“I know.” Lucas twisted his lips, biting the inside of his cheek. “I don’t want to leave, but there’s something I have to do.”

The warmth in Eliott’s chest went away as quickly as it had come, and he rolled off the bed, finding Lucas’ discarded shirt on the floor and tossing it to him. “Ok. Um, see you tomorrow? Painting the mural?”

A million emotions flickered over Lucas’ features, too quick for Eliott to discern any of them. “Yeah, tomorrow,” he agreed, pausing with his shirt in his hands. “I’m really sorry.”

“It’s fine, Lucas,” Eliott assured him, because it was fine, he was just confused. If it wasn’t anything he’d done, what was the problem? Lucas looked at him, love in his eyes, crossing the room to pull Eliott into a blinding kiss that, by the time Eliott recovered from it, Lucas was gone.

He was gone without a trace it seemed, and when Eliott left his bedroom to see if Lucas was at the door all he saw was an empty flat, draft coming from the open window. He must have forgotten to close it when Lucas came in. When he tried to close it, his hand brushed against something sticky and he retracted it as if he’d been burned, leaning down to inspect.

It looked like a spiderweb… Great, he definitely needed spiders roaming about in his apartment. It was ironic that he’d had a minor crush on Spiderman when he hated actual spiders more than anything, but Spiderman wasn’t an actual spider, so. 

The night breeze felt kind of nice, actually, so Eliott stepped out onto his fire escape, admiring the city from this point of view. He wished Lucas was still there to admire it with him, but he’d settle for a joint at the present moment. Luckily, he had one handy, so he lit it with the lighter Lucas had gotten him on a whim one time because the one he’d had forever had stopped working and let his thoughts mull around in his mind. 

They strayed to Lucas, because Lucas had been a permanent fixture in his mind for years, but their new relationship had expanded that tenfold. As long as Eliott had known him, Lucas had never been one to forget plans or bail early with little to no excuse, so his forgetfulness lately confused Eliott a little bit. Sure, everyone had things going on, but the secrecy and lack of explanation was a bit suspicious, if Eliott was being honest with himself. He didn’t know if Lucas didn’t trust him, or if he just left without explanations because Eliott never demanded one. 

He blew smoke through his nose, stubbing out the joint after only a few hits, too in his head to enjoy it properly. It wasn’t like his plans for the night had been ruined, because he hadn’t had plans until Lucas showed up at his window with that goofy, intoxicating grin of his, but now he couldn’t help but be a little disappointed regardless, wishing Lucas was there so they could ‘accidentally’ fall asleep together and cuddle all night long. 

He stumbled back into his flat through the window, wondering how Lucas had come in so gracefully and went straight to his fridge as if it may grant him the answers to the universe. It didn’t, but he did realize he was out of milk, eggs, and beer, so he decided there was no time like the present to run out to the store and stock up on those essentials. 

On his way out he realized he was still missing his favorite brown jacket, the one he’d lent to Spiderman all that time ago. He wondered if he’d ever get it back, wondered if he’d ever even see Spiderman again. It wasn’t a problem if he didn’t, but it was a bit strange how after they’d kissed Spiderman had seemingly dropped off the face of the earth. Or out of Eliott’s life, at the very least. He was all over the city from what Eliott had seen on social media and the news. Hell, he’d probably even show up to Daphné’s party. 

The store was only about a block away from Eliott’s flat, so the lack of jacket wasn’t too noticeable, but there was still a chill in the air he hadn’t felt in its entirety out on his balcony. There were quite a few people hovering around the store, many more than Eliott saw on a regular daily basis, and Eliott wondered why. 

People were whispering to one another, passing phones and trying to get a better view over one another and Eliott caught the barest hints of their conversations as he wove his way through the throng of people.

“Did you see—?”

“That was insane!”

“How did Spiderman get here so quickly?”

Eliott stopped where he stood, turning to the person that had just spoken. “Did you say Spiderman?”

The girl in question smirked, raising her eyebrows. “Where have you been? Spiderman just came out of nowhere and stopped a robbery in progress inside the store. I don’t know how he knew so quickly… he’s so fearless, too, the robber had a gun on him and he just dodged every bullet without breaking a sweat. Well, maybe he did break a sweat, but with the suit you can’t really tell…” she trailed off, and Eliott stopped paying attention, pushing back through the way he’d come. A sense of urgency had overtaken him, and he figured Spiderman might still be close by so they could at least have a conversation. Maybe it wasn’t the best time, but Eliott was tired of waiting.

He almost ran past his building when a blur of red and blue caught his eye from the fire escape. He skidded to a halt, blinking up at the figure looking through his window. “Spiderman?” he called out, then realized he should lower his voice a bit. “Spiderman?”

That unreadable gaze turned to face him, and Spiderman froze like he’d been caught doing something he shouldn’t have. Eliott went to the base of the fire escape, but Spiderman jumped down with ease before Eliott could even begin to ascend the many stairs. 

“What are you doing here?” Eliott asked.

“Stopping a robbery,” Spiderman said, completely casually, as if he hadn’t just been peering through Eliott’s window. 

Eliott sighed and rolled his eyes. “Yeah, I know that. I meant what are you doing at my flat?”

Spiderman shrugged, leaning against the building. “I was in the neighborhood?”

“Hilarious, L,” Eliott said, massaging his temples with one hand.

Spiderman stumbled, masked voice coming out a bit shaky. “What did you just call me?”

Eliott furrowed his brows, then blushed as he realized his slip of the tongue. “Sorry, I don’t know where that came from. Well, I do, it’s the nickname I have for my boyfriend, but I don’t know why I just called you that. Habit, maybe.” He shrugged apologetically. “Sorry.”

Spiderman didn’t say anything, and Eliott wondered if he was thinking about how Eliott had technically ‘cheated’ on said boyfriend when the two of them had kissed. He debated setting the record straight, but now that he wasn’t pining after Spiderman anymore, he didn’t really see the point, it would only confuse things more. 

“So… long time no see,” Eliott tried, never knowing how to break the ice on an awkward conversation, especially when this one was so far out of anything he’d ever experienced before. 

“Yeah,” Spiderman agreed, settling back against the wall again. “Sorry about that.”

Eliott shook his head. “Don’t be, I just wanted to see you one last time, to clarify things.”

Spiderman cocked his head to one side. “Oh?”

“When you kissed me, I was more shocked than anything,” Eliott admitted, “And sure, it was a good kiss, but I need you to know that I’m very, very, in love with my boyfriend.”

“I’m sure he’s fantastic,” Spiderman agreed, and Eliott didn’t quite know if he was being sarcastic or not. 

Eliott coughed, offering, “We can still be, like, friends, though. If you want. You’re still a pretty great person. Or spider-person, or whatever.”

“What would your boyfriend say about that?” Spiderman asked.

Eliott laughed, thinking about Lucas’ reaction in his mind. He was pretty sure that they were confident enough in their feelings for one another that it wouldn’t matter. He was also pretty sure Spiderman wouldn’t hang around him as much now that there was nothing between them, so it wouldn’t really even be a problem. Something told him that Lucas would like Spiderman, though, if they ever met.

“I really don’t think he’d be too worried about it. We can all hang out together, if you want,” he suggested, knowing that was probably pushing it a bit far, but wanting to show Spiderman how serious he was about his relationship with Lucas. The look Spiderman gave him was somewhere between belief and disbelief, or maybe he was just reading too far into things given what he could discern from the mask. 

“Eliott,” Spiderman said, taking a step towards him, “I’m sorry.”

That was not what he had been expecting. “Sorry? For what?”

“All the things I want to tell you,” Spiderman said. He looked down at his hands, at his suit. “Your boyfriend is one lucky guy.”

He started to walk away, but Eliott stopped him, placing a hand on his arm. He was too confused to just let him walk away again. “You can tell me anything, I swear I won’t tell a soul unless you want me to.”

But Spiderman just shook his head. “You’d never forgive me.”

“I bet I would.”

“Don’t say that, please.” Spiderman tore his arm from Eliott’s grip, pausing and looking up at him. “I’d say ‘see you around’, but I think it’d be best if we both forgot about each other.”

“What are you so afraid of?” Eliott asked genuinely. He knew where he stood with his feelings, and even if Spiderman maybe liked him, it was clear to both of them that was never going to happen, especially when Spiderman wouldn’t even remove his mask fully to kiss Eliott.

Spiderman laughed, like the question had been funny. “Oh, El. Everything,” he said, shooting a web to the top of the building next to Eliott’s apartment and swinging out of sight before Eliott even had a chance to respond. Instead, he stood in the alley alone, more confused than ever.

L🕷U🕷C🕷A🕷S

He’d been stupid, going back to Eliott’s place, but every decision he made was stupid when it came to Eliott, so he hadn’t thought it through at the time. Now he couldn’t stop overthinking every word he’d said. Eliott had looked so puzzled, so lost, and Lucas knew that his words were probably coming from a million different directions and causing more confusion than closure.

He’d called Eliott El, and Eliott had called him L, but he prayed the former had gone unnoticed. There was a part of him that worried Eliott still yearned for the hero that he thought Spiderman was, that he’d leave Lucas in a heartbeat if there was a chance of something more between them. 

(He knew this was stupid, that he was Spiderman, and Eliott couldn’t very well leave him for him, but Lucas rationalized that Eliott could, in fact, leave him for the idea of him.)

As he’d sat with Eliott, watching a movie that pretty much encapsulated all the things Eliott loved about cinema, and realized that this was real, they were really together, he’d wanted to stay in that moment forever. But, of course, when his ‘spider senses’, as Yann called them, tingled and he knew that something wasn’t right, the moment was broken. 

He wished he’d never been bitten by that stupid spider, and immediately felt guilty for wishing so. How selfish was he, that he’d sacrifice such an amazing thing that could help so many people just for the chance at being Eliott’s forever? 

Eliott hadn’t texted him at all after he’d left, both as Lucas and as Spiderman. Lucas didn’t know how to feel about that, and he hoped he hadn’t messed with Eliott’s thoughts too much. The last thing he needed was for Eliott to tell him that he was in love with Spiderman again.

He still felt guilty for leaving, too, even though he’d known he had to. There had been a possibility that something really bad could have happened, and how could he claim the title of ‘superhero’ if he’d ignored it? Granted, he hated the title of superhero, but if he had to wear it he may as well live up to it. 

Things had been a bit precarious as of late, since he’d found Eliott in that abandoned building. The building had disappeared overnight, which shouldn’t have been possible, and he couldn’t get the image of the faceless man out of his mind. It felt like something was brewing, something bigger than him, and he was about to get caught in the crossfire. He didn’t sign up for this shit, he didn’t sign up for any of it, really, but movie supervillains come to life were not what he’d been expecting when he’d first donned his mask and suit. Was the world really so bad that when it gave someone the power to make a positive change it also created someone hell bent on doing the opposite? Did the man he’d fought at the eiffel tower have something to do with all of this too? 

Lucas pushed the thoughts from his mind, not willing to entertain them any longer, especially on his way to meet Eliott. He’d talk it all over with Imane and Yann later, they were much better at this whole thing than he was. If Imane was Spiderman (or woman, he supposed) Lucas was nearly certain that she’d never have made this many messes, and if she did, she’d know just how to clean them up.   

The worst part was that he’d really been so good at keeping Spiderman and Lucas separate (at least for the most part, upside down kiss aside) but the more time went on the more lines blurred and he didn’t know how long he’d be able to keep this up, all the secrecy. It was one thing to lie to millions of people you didn’t know, it was quite another to lie to the one person you loved more than anything.

Yann kept telling him to tell Eliott the truth, and Imane kept threatening to tell Eliott the truth herself if he didn’t get his head out of his ass, but he knew she would never actually do something like that. He also knew that they were both right, but what constituted the correct circumstances to say such a thing?

Eliott was already in the foyer when Lucas opened the door, completely lost in his thoughts. Lucas hardly registered Eliott’s presence until he was greeted by a soft kiss on the forehead, something that was pretty unusual given his new abilities. It was hard to surprise him anymore, but he did have a lot on his mind, and his guard was always down around Eliott. 

Eliott still didn’t seem like Eliott, though, and it worried Lucas. Normally, he would have rattled off a list of ideas for the mural right off the bat, but instead he went back to stand in front of the wall in silence, looking pensive. Lucas shrugged off his jacket and shoes and went to stand beside him. 

Honestly, it was a wonder Eliott had never taken his height difference with both Spiderman and Lucas into account when he was searching for Spiderman’s identity. Then again, Lucas didn’t even know if Eliott had ever actively sought out Spiderman’s identity. He knew that he would have, but he knew that Eliott probably cared more about respecting Spiderman’s wishes than discovering who he was under the mask. Lucas wasn’t sure how that made him feel. On one hand, it was nice to know how caring and considerate Eliott was, how respectful he was of others even when it didn’t benefit him. On the other, would Eliott really have been satisfied with a love like that? Sure, love was blind, and Lucas would have had to tell him eventually, but did he really not care who was under the mask, did he really think it wouldn’t make a difference? 

“We should talk,” Eliott said, and Lucas stiffened involuntarily. There it was, everything was about to come crashing down.

Lucas couldn’t bring his eyes to meet Eliott’s. “About what?”

“I, um, had a run in with Spiderman last night,” Eliott said, and Lucas did his best to look confused.

“Oh?” What else was there to say?

From the corner of his eye, Lucas saw Eliott lift his hand to his lips, running his fingers back and forth across his lips, a nervous habit he’d always had. “It was kind of confusing, if I’m being honest,” Eliott admitted, and Lucas squeezed his eyes shut.

“If you’re going to break up with me, Eliott, just do it,” he said defeatedly, not wanting to drag things out longer than necessary. He risked a glance at Eliott and saw that he looked completely taken aback. 

“Wha— Why would I break up with you?” Eliott asked.

“Because you love him more than me.” Because you love the fearless, heroic version of me more than the one you’ve known for years. The one that’s shared every vulnerability, every flaw. 

“Lucas—” Eliott reached out to him and Lucas took a step back. Eliott looked hurt, and Lucas didn’t know why. He was the one that should have been hurting. “Lucas, I’m not breaking up with you.”

Now it was Lucas’ turn to blink in surprise. “What?”

“I love you,” Eliott reminded him, but Lucas’ insecurities had taken the better of him, and he’d dug himself into an impossible hole. 

“Yeah, for now. But a week ago you were in love with Spiderman. How do I know I’m not just the person right in front of you, the one you love because you think it’ll fulfill you until the superhero is yours for the taking?” Lucas asked. 

Eliott rolled his eyes. “Are you serious? I don’t half ass love, I could never.”

“That’s what you think, but—”

“Well, what about you, huh?” Eliott demanded, going on the offensive. “When we’re together, it’s everything, and I feel every bit of love you have to share, but then you leave, you leave, and you leave. Or you don’t show up. Or you’re god knows where with god knows who at all hours of the day and night and I’m just expected to sit back and say nothing because it’s your life, but I’m a bigger part of that now, whether you like it or not, so when you leave and don’t show up and disappear I don’t know what to do.”

Well, fuck. “Well sorry for not telling you my location every second of the day, last I checked you were my boyfriend, not my father.” Well, double fuck. Why did he never know when to stop talking? 

“You’re impossible,” Eliott said, shaking his head and looking away. He’d said it a million times before, usually accompanied with a laugh or a fond look. Never this cold, never this serious. Lucas didn’t like fighting, especially with Eliott, but he’d been holding back so many things recently, keeping so many secrets from so many people, that he got needlessly defensive to avoid spilling them all.

He was scared that he would say something he’d regret, or spill a secret he wasn’t ready to spill, so he clamped his mouth shut, dipped his brush in paint, and flung it at Eliott. 

Eliott stumbled back in shock, and Lucas hoped his added strength hadn’t made it hurt at all. Eliott’s fingers traced the paint that now adorned the left side of his face and shoulder, and his expression turned from shocked to indignant. 

Lucas saw it coming, not only because of his spider senses, but also because he knew that when he reacted, Eliott exhibited an equal or opposite reaction, just like Newton stated. This reaction was going to be equal. 

Sure enough, he got a swipe of blue paint right across his forehead. This probably would have been sexy, under other circumstances, and Lucas hoped that a parallel version of himself got to have a sexy paint fight with Eliott rather than this petty one. 

They both completely disregarded the task at hand, even dropping their brushes and grabbing as much paint as their hands could hold before throwing it at each other. In the back of his mind, Lucas knew that he could have just apologized, that he should have just apologized. 

Though, he had to admit that a paint fight was an excellent way to release pent up tension. He thought he saw a little spark of light in Eliott’s eyes, like maybe he wasn’t actually mad, but it only made Lucas throw the paint a little harder. Fuck Eliott for being so perfect all the time.

Paint was flying from every angle in every color, and Lucas also knew that, frustrated as he may have been, Eliott’s brain was taking it’s time to appreciate the art in what they were doing too, the ways the colors mixed and how they landed and blended on skin, clothes, the floor beneath them. If he had been more artistically inclined, Lucas probably would have been appreciating it too.   

“What the hell is going on here?” someone screeched and Lucas and Eliott both froze mid throw, turning to the door with wide eyes. Daphné was looking at the two of them in utter dismay, the rest of the girls behind her. 

“Lucas started it,” Eliott said.

“Eliott’s being a dick,” Lucas said.

“Eliott was trying to have a conversation.”

“Lucas doesn’t give a shit.”

“Maybe Lucas should give a shit.”

Despite knowing that the girls were all standing there watching, Lucas lifted a paint can with ease, dumping its contents on Eliott. Eliott wiped his eyes, looking a little bit more angry now, but before he could retaliate, Imane ran in and stood between the two, holding her hands out and giving them each a disapproving glare, Lucas especially. She probably knew that this argument had stemmed from Lucas unwillingness to be truthful with Eliott. 

“Don’t make me,” she hissed under her breath to Lucas, not having to say more than that for him to get the point. She said something to Eliott too, but Lucas couldn’t hear it. Whatever it was Eliott deflated, anger leaving his eyes. He dropped the paint can he’d been holding with a loud thud, shaking his hair slightly to get rid of excess paint before grabbing his shoes off the floor and storming out of the room. 

Lucas was tempted to do the same, but Imane leveled him with another glare. “Not so fast. You’re not leaving until this mess is cleaned up.”

“Eliott got to leave,” he whined indignantly.

“Don’t test me, Lallemant.” She pointed a finger at him, shaking her head.

Lucas sighed, but obeyed her instructions. He owed her, Daphné, and Eliott that much. He and Eliott both probably needed a little bit of space, anyway, because apparently the two of them trying to talk ended in paint wars. 

Maybe his life would be better if he just shut up for a change. A lot of people’s lives probably would be, Eliott’s included. Funny how he could be a hero and a disaster at the same time. Hopefully that disaster wouldn’t start trickling into his heroic façade, that really would just be the icing on top of the cake, wouldn’t it?

[thefun41]

Next up is Lesbian!Maya This one was definitely a challenge! I’ve drawn Maya a few times but I think this one is the best so far!

I’ll be blabing under the cut but in the meantime look forward to Gay!Klavier (hopefully) on Wednesday!

Edit: I have been informed that this is not the flag currently used. :/ I was wondering why kept seeing a pink one, just not where I was looking.

(Warning : rage and bitching below)

*deep breath* OH BOY! OH GOLLY AHH JEEZ Like DAMN was this a challenge. This took me an entire week!!! Other then Sebastian (because of that jacket) all of the pride requeswts have taken 3 days or less. During those 3 days I research an outfit, make a sketch, normally have a goofy side image to post before it because my brain is hyperactive, obsess over how to pose them and make the final image. Not this time!!! Even though this was an incredible struggle there was a lot that was learned by this… experience. 

So let’s break it down. 

Struggle #1 : Which flag are we using again? On the Ace Attorney Amino, the requester requested a Lesbian Maya. Here is the issue, in my research I have found a lot of lesbian pride flags and narrowed it down to 2. The lesbian pride flag which is  purple one with the black triangle and the battle axe (which was used) and lipstick lesbian, which is this pink one (see above). Now this bodes the question : What’s the difference? Well as far as I can tell, The purple one came first and is generally an umbrella flag for lesbians, while the pink one was made spicifically for a lesbian subculture : lipstick lesbians. There is a stereotype that lesbians are “masculine”, lipstick lesbians are very comfortable with their femininity, in fact very “girly” and seemed to be underrepresented sooooooo they have their own flag and subculture, kinda like the opposite of gay bear that we covered last time.  It seems like the Pink flag overtook the purple one in popularity OR whoever made the pink one was just better at marketing, who knows. Now the requested went with “a regular lesbian” so battle ax flag it is. Also battle axes are cool, so there’s that.  

Lesson learned : the LGBTQ+ community is waaaaaaay bigger then I thought with subcultures and whatnot. Knowlage is half the battle! 

Struggle #2 : Fashion is hard guys.  Picking the outfit took at least 2 days, and then I changed it at least a half dozen times. there are 3 issues I had (lists within lists, listception) : Maya’s limited style,  using the colour pallette with my messed up, self-restricted viewpoint, and Maya’s age. First Item, off the top of my head, I believe Maya is only seen in 5 outfits, her usual outfit, iris outfit for a moment, a waitress outfit for an hour, a red dress in that one promotional image where the case is super fancy, a white suit outfit thing for soundtrack stuff and a conductor uniform??? Out of the ones I can rememer, mostof thesse are dresses. When debating on weather or not I should put her in a dress I decided no because (as far as I can remember) she’s always ion a dress. and then my brain went nuts with questions.

Why is she always in a dress? is that sexist? It is a problem? What’s wrong with with her always being in a dress? Why do I want to really get her out of a dress? Am I sexist? why do only women were dresses? Is it the hips? Why don”t men wear dresses? Can they? They don’t really have hips so they can’t really wear skirts. Wait a minute men do kinda wear dresses, I mean kilts and kimono’s exist. would the bulge be an issue? Would men emphasize their bulge like women emphasize their breasts? Can men look good in dresses? Can any man look good in a dress? Can I put Edgeworth in a dress and make him look good? I’ve seen a ton of Phoenix in dresses but why not Edgey? … So yeah a lot of useless questions taking up my time for no reason. The point is I purposely designed an outfit with pants … this obviously did not happen. I had this idea of a cozy look in a cute sweater but this leads to the next issue. The issue with this cozy look? It’s too simple.Yes that look is cute but it’s not for me, it’s for the person who requested it. Any it’s entirely possible that this person may have seen the other works from this pride project and the outfits I made for them and then they just get Maya in a sweater? It’s a cute sweater but it didn’t seem fair. A similar issue happened with Phoenix but the solution to that was just to open his shirt and BOOM, extra layers and thus a more complex look. Now maybe the the OG requester wouldn’t mind but I just couldn’t do it, I feel like I needed to give her an outfit with more effort into it. And thuys Maya went back into skirt, now this lead to the third issue : Maya’s age. I found a lot of nice outfits, outfits that would look great on Maya! … When she was a teenager. Now maya is most definitely a full grown women and not a child. Now weather or not I pulled off the 28 year old Maya will be discussed later but nonetheless, all of those cute outfits I found? Out the window. I was so indecisive that I just asked my brother to pick one. Honestly? I really liked what he picked, and I confirmed with my dad that, yes, you can put this outfit on a almost 30 year old. The scarf ended up being omitted in favour of her magatama, otherwise we ended up with the same problem as before, it’s too simple. this time with a few days of work under our belt so there was no way I was going to start over. The solution to this was a nice floral pattern based on a cherry blossom. this makes it more visually simple. I think it looks pretty! After all that work I do like the end result. 

Lesson learned : Stop. Over. Thinking. Things. And for the love of god sketch it out. Just looking on google and imagining on the character  sometimes will not cut it. If I don’t get it relatively quickly, doodle, draw and scribble some more.  

Struggle #3 : Why can’t I draw women?? I am one?!?! Like seriously, why, it makes no sense. Well actually it does make sense because I am fairly sure I can count the amount of women I’ve drawn with one hand. It’s a simple measure of practice. I was foolish to think that simply drawing human’s would be enough. sadly that is not the case. Men and women are built differently and of course I failed to accommodate… many many times. The amount of times I have modified maya and changed her proportions is unreal. One thing I do all the time is make the abdomen too long and I have no idea why this is. Her face! I have no cluw what went wrong the first dozen times but it just didn’t work! I wish I could explain why but it just didn’t look right. you”ll notice that she doesn’t have lips even though she does in her new design, It’s because I have never been able to draw lips. Ever. Not once. Does she even look like an adult? I can’t even tell anymore. She is a little thicker then her concept art but making her look thinner just didn’t work out. Her arms, I had to hid them since the preportions were all off, the hands were held together in front of her checkl and they were too lanky and there was nothing I could do to make it look good and don’t get me started on her hands please don’t. If I didn’t cut off her legs I would have issues with that too. Her breasts, how on earth do you shade those??? Does not compute. DOES NOT COMPUTE!!!  So yeah the struggle is real. The solution? Trial and error. Just keep trying until it looks good. Play with your strengths. A friend of mine told me that she reminder her of Tina from Bob’s Burgers… ok? Sure. So after all that while I do like the end result I also see what can be improved, and sadly we have reached the limits of my skill at this time. 

Lessons learned : Practice practice practice. I don’t draw enough women, I need to draw more women. I can’t quite comprehend how cloths fall on the chest area and obviously looking the mirror is not a solution. What is the solution? Drawing naked people. … No seriously. Once I learn proper anatomy and human proportions and how muscles distribute over the body not only will I have a lot easier time drawing these characters I will also be able to figure out how clothing would fall on their bodies and i’ll have a easier time shading. Right now I’m drawing and shading clothing without knowing WHY it’s folding like that or why the light is hitting this area. Of course I’ll be doing this for both men and women because as started before, they are built differently. do you know what I also can’t draw? Children. I am NOT applying this to the kiddies. That’s weird and gross. The kids will have t deal with being freaks. I’m cool with that.

Struggle #04 :  Life How did we break 3 fuses at my house while I was at work? Why did it effect half my room upstairs, the computer setup that is downstairs and the WiFi on the main floor when the thing used to blow the fuse was in an upstairs room across the hall. why did no one fix it until the next day? Why just leave it like that? Why did I sleep in until 1 when I’ve been consistently waking up at 9? I had things to do what gives? Why did I accept a split shift the next day when I’m exhausted? Why do I get super stressed out when I set an alarm that I can’t sleep? Why am I spending 3 hours writing this when I never bothered to put this much effort in school work? How have I not punched someone yet?

Lessons learned : Don’t rely on anyone but yourself. Do what you can with the time allowed. Pat yourself on the back for not resorting to violence. How to change fuses. Writing this is very therapeutic.  Did you last this long? Who knows! All I do know is that yes this was a struggle but I plan on learning from this. Next up is Gay!Klaver and I’m REALLY looking forward to it!

[stargleeksil-blog]

Criminal Minds S07E02 ��Proof” review

Episode 02 – Proof

So I am so fucking excited about this season.

I just hope my lovely, cutie Morgan can find it in his ginormous heart to forgive Prentiss, because my heart will literally break if I have to see another scene featuring that offended face of his.

So ....

Let’s see what happens.

So that guy is a homicidal Pinocchio? Gross.

“So you finished the course?”

“And completed my case rotation.”

“Hotch says he’s never seen a rookie profiler analyze and write up cases as well as you.”

Wait, so JJ is officially a profiler now? AWESOME!

“He said that?”

You bet, babe.

“Yeah. Well, after all the cases you presented over the years, I’m not surprised.”

“Hey, where have you been? I wanted to do brunch this weekend.”

“I had to deal with some stuff with my mom. Have you seen Garcia?”

Poodle, I’m about to whoop your cute little butt, what the fuck?

“Uh, she’s with Rossi.”

“He hates me.”

“He was just busy.”

Oh Emily, you cutie BFF, you’re the best.

“Let it go.”

I love her.

“Okay, you can be honest. I can take it.”

“Okay. I prefer my pasta al dente, and the pancetta was a little weird.”

“Oh. That’s ‘cause it’s tofu.”

“Tofu? I give you my recipe and you do an improve?”

I’m with Rossi all the way. I love my veggie goddess, but I love my meat more ... sorry.

“No, no, I followed it down to the micron, aside from the pig.”

“Look, master of all things Italian, I am having a Fellini festival at my house this weekend and I must serve the beautiful food of his country.”

“Maybe you should show a Disney film and stick with burgers.”

WHAT?! Oh my sarcastic Italian stallion.

“You know, Rossi, you could always give Penelope a cooking lesson.”

“Oh, my gosh, that would be amazing.”

Oh my god, Rossi’s ‘thanks for throwing me under the bus, bub’ face makes me smile.

“That would be like – that would be like the Iron Chef meets the BAU. And we could do ait at your house.”

“I don’t have a house, I have a mansion.”

Of course you do XD

“All right, let’s get started.”

Oh my god, JJ handing over the remote to Penelope is the cutest!

“Oh. All right, mes amis. You are jetting to Durant, Oklahoma, because in the last three days, two women have been found dead after being sexually tortured and then blinded with a sulfuric acid solution.”

Yikes.

“Abby Elcott is our first victim. 19-year-old art student. She was headed to campus for an advanced drawing class. She’d been missing for two days. Same goes for our second victim, Beth Westerly, 17. She had just finished her coffee shop shift and was on her way to a bar method class.”

Whew, that’s brutal.

“Both low-risk victims.”

“And physically similar. How close are the two abduction sites?”

“Five miles apart at bus stops. Abby’s cell was found near one, Beth’s scarf near the other.”

“Where are the dump sites?”

“One in an alley, the other in a field.

“So he stapled their eyes open, then he blinded them. It’s about power and control.”

GROSS! Pinocchio, stop it!

“Maybe he didn’t want them to watch while he hurt them.”

“Or it could be about shame. Perhaps the unsub is disfigured himself.”

“Blinding the victims leaves them helpless, lost, totally dependent.”

“It may be a manifestation of how he sees himself in this world.”

“It is a form of enucleation, just without the scalpel. His face is the last they see before darkness.”

“The rest of us, ,wheels up in 30 minutes.”

Mark Twain: “If it is a miracle, any sort of evidence will answer. But if it is fact, proof is necessary.”

“Victimology is very similar. Blond-haired, blue-eyed teenage girls. We believe they were each abducted near public transportation stops.”

“When was this photo taken?”

“Beth was caught on a bank surveillance camera three hours before she disappeared.”

Whoop. Seriously, those bank surveillance cameras are creeping me out.

“That’s a recent photo of Abby.”

“So she wasn’t found in the same clothes she was abducted in.”

“Maybe he changed them because hers were burned by the sulfuric acid.”

“It’s possible. Sulfuric acid can turn human flesh into soap.”

“Garcia, any recent similar cases in the surrounding area?”

“Actually, yes. Two months ago a prostitute and a runaway were both found raped and killed and they had stab wounds to their eyes.”

“So maybe he practiced on high-risk victims first. And then advanced to chemical enucleation.”

“Isn’t that a rare paraphilia?”

“Well, the chemical part is. It would exacerbate the pain.”

“Like Ed Kemper, he’s probably practicing on surrogates before going after the real object of his rage.”

“Dave, you and I will talk to the parents. Morgan and Prentiss, go to the disposal sites. JJ, you and Reid go to the abduction sites.”

Awkward.

“It’s amazing on one witnessed her abduction.”

“Emily was buried six feet under and wound up in Paris, so I guess anything’s possible, right?”

“So that is what this is about.”

Yup.

“Maybe our unsub’s a little bit like Bundy. He feigns injury in order to get her to help him.”

“Look, Spence, if you want to talk about this …”

“Maybe he tried other tactics, like ‘Wow, you’re really pretty’. ‘You should be a model. I can take your photo’.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Either one would disarm her.”

“Charm is quite the killer.”

“So are tears.”

Whoa, what the fuck, Spence?

“You smell the urine?”

“I thought that was air freshener.”

XD

“It’s a homeless corridor.”

“This guy’s either homeless or appears to be. He most likely has a car, to get them from the abduction site to here.”

“Just because you’re homeless doesn’t mean you’re careless.”

“It could explain why he chose high-risk victims at first. They were all around him.”

“I know this is difficult, but I need you to look at the clothes that Abby was wearing when we found her.”

“Do you recognize them?”

“Do you find anything odd about Beth’s clothing?”

“You sure?”

“You’re sure?”

What are they trying to make sure of?

“In addition to the blinding, taking their clothes further robs them of their identity.”

“He’s either keeping their garments as souvenirs or re-dressing the victims as a forensic countermeasure.”

“Dressing them in these outfits could be part of the fantasy.”

“Churches, thrift stores. We need to rule everything out.”

“Reid and JJ went to the local thrift shop and found Abby’s clothes.”

“So he sold them.”

Yup.

“Or traded them for the eighties clothing.”

“The sales clerk said the clothes in the crime scene photos were of that time period, and he confirmed that they were purchased from his store.”

“So if he’s getting rid of his souvenirs …”

“What’s he using to remember his victims?”

“And why is he fixated on this era?”

“What do you got?”

“The brutality the victims experienced was immense. Multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest, plus wounds to the genital.”

“Frustration and overkill.”

“The same chemical damage on the skin is also around her nostrils.”

“And that would destroy their sense of smell, yes?”

Yup.

“He burned her tongue with the chemical this time.”

“So he removed her ability to taste.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Maybe she offended him.”

“I wonder what that’s like.”

WHOA.

Poodle, you are pissing me off here.

“Her lips are extremely chapped.”

“She was probably forced to repeatedly participate in some sort of kissing fantasy. And when things go awry, he takes the offending sense away.”

“He tortured her in these clothes, which means the eighties are essential to his delusion.”

“Maybe that’s when his rejection occurred and he held on to the clothes all these years.”

“But why start now?”

“Something probably triggered it, and instead of dealing with it, he’s acting out.”

“We believe the unsub or unknown subject that we’re looking for is a white male in his 40s. This is someone who’s reacting to rejection by a woman when he was teenager in the 1980s.”

“The unsub’s fixation on this woman is now all-consuming. It’s caused him to develop obsessive love disorder.”

“He most likely has tunnel vision and believes that she holds the key to his happiness.”

“And it’s only a matter of time before his rage and anger causes the unsub to go after her directly.”

“Spence. Look, we gotta talk about this.”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“I get it, okay? You’re disappointed with the way we handled Emily.”

“Listen, I have a lot going on, all right?”

“You know what I think this is?”

“What?”

Ooh, pissy poodle.

“You’re mad that Hotch and I controlled our micro-expressions at the hospital and you wouldn’t be able to detect our deception.”

Seriously?!

“You think it’s about my profiling skills?”

“Jennifer, listen, the only reason you were able to manage my perceptions is because I trusted you.”

“I came to your house for ten weeks in a row crying over losing a friend, and not once did you have the decency to tell me the truth.”

Shit.

“I couldn’t.”

“You couldn’t? Or you wouldn’t?”

Um ...

“No, I couldn’t.”

“What if I started taking Dilaudid again? Would you have let me?”

“You didn’t.”

“Yeah, but I thought about it.”

“Spence.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s too late, all right?”

Whoa.

“Reid.”

Yikes. This is going to be hard.

“It would have had to have been a woman very close to the unsub to make him react this way.”

“Then why go after surrogates?”

“I don’t think we’re dealing with a typical homeless person.”

“He’s good with chemicals, owns a car.”

“I think the only mistake in our profile was assuming there was something wrong with his physical composition, reducing him to some sort of stereotype.”

“You think it’s only his mental state?”

“I think this guy might be smart enough to use his disability to his advantage so he comes across as harmless.”

“Then when he’s alone and the victim rejects him, he goes off.”

“What if he doesn’t live on the street?”

“What if he’s in a halfway house?”

“Garcia, I need a list of halfway houses and mental health centers in the unsub’s comfort zone.”

“Okay. Five are being sent to your phones.”

“Which of those were around in the eighties, Garcia?”

“There are two in your area.”

“Morgan and Prentiss, take the first. David and I will take the second.”

“What about us?”

“Stay here and check ViCAP for similar MOs and signatures.”

“Reid.”

“If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at me.”

“I can’t. I didn’t come to your house crying for ten weeks.”

Oh, my honey baby.

So she has a list. Damn.

“All right, we’ll need a list of those names.”

“Hey, Morgan.”

“What do I do about Reid?”

“Emily, there’s a lot about you being back that’s unresolved.”

“Are you pissed at me, too?”

He better not be.

“Come on, now. How can I be?”

“You’re here.”

“Thank you.”

“Because I know what you went through. Grief counseling. You carried my coffin.”

“Yeah, I sure did.”

“What was in that thing, anyway?”

“I don’t know.”

I WANT TO KNOW!

“Thank you very much.”

“Look, just give Reid some time. He’ll be fine.”

“Thanks.”

“Yeah, Hotch, it’s me, Morgan. Listen, nineteen people entered this house in the eighties who were let out in the last five years.”

“We got eleven from the one we visited.”

Damn.

“Send your names to Garcia. Have her cross-check them against jobs that use sulfuric acid.”

“All right. We’ll start reaching out to the extended families.”

“How’s Reid?”

“He’s angry and frustrated.”

“I’m surprised everybody isn’t.”

“Some of us had an inkling.”

Rossi, you little Italian cupcake.

“What? I’m good at what I do.”

“So, are you gonna get psychological counseling for the team or handle it yourself?”

“No, I think that if we all just got together, maybe a cooking lesson and at the home of one of our founders …”

“Oh, no, not you, too.”

“It could boost morale?”

“Is that an order?”

“No, it’s just a … it’s a very tempered suggestion.”

“Tempered suggestion.”

LOL.

“So we interviewed the nineteen people released from the group home. None of them fit the profile.”

“Dave’s still trying to locate the families.”

“Where are her parents now?”

“They’re at the house. We’re bringing her friends in for questioning.”

“You head over there. We’ll start the interviews here.”

“So kids spill out of the motel towards the cars.”

“If Tammy walked this way, how could she disappear without anyone seeing her?”

“Someone would have heard her scream.”

“That’s if she screamed.”

“Unlike the last three abduction sites, this one is nowhere near public transportation. Maybe she knew the unsub.”

“Or thought she did.”

“What if … what if Tammy was the target all along?”

“That would explain the change in MO.”

“So whoever did this knew she was coming here.”

Calling gorgeous goddess.

“Hi, hi, hi.”

“Hey, baby girl, I need you to work that magic for me.”

“Anything, my sweetest.”

“I just opened up Tammy Bradstone’s computer. I want you to check her emails, web searches, and anyone she may have Skyped.”

“Okay, typing at the speed of thought.”

“Thanks, mama.”

“We’re gonna try, little man.”

This man is seriously the most amazing thing to ever grace my screen.

“Listen, uh, did your sister dye her hair recently?”

“Are you sure that Tammy hasn’t been behaving differently lately/”

“Your daughter seems to cherish hanging out in groups, so there’s no way she would run off with someone unless she knew them.”

“What about her computer?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary, and Hotch cleared the boyfriend.”

“Do you know anyone who is transient or mentally ill?”

“What’s his name?”

“On the halfway house list, all I got was a Ben Bradstone.”

“Where does he live?”

“His frontal lobe damage is one of the indicators of serial killers.”

“Has Cy ever acted inappropriately toward Tammy?”

“Okay, so he sleeps here sometimes, and his head is on this side.”

“That puts the TV out of his sight.”

“Well, it just gives him a full view of the kitchen.”

“Does Tammy cook for him?”

“Ma’am, what’s your relationship with Cy?”

“He makes you uncomfortable, doesn’t he?”

“Did you have blonde hair in high school?”

“Sir, your daughter just dyed her hair blonde.”

“You allowed her to wear your dress.”

“I’m just thinking it may have triggered something for Cy.”

“What happened with you and Cy that made him so angry?”

“And what happened next?”

“How did he behave after that?”

“How he talked, how he smelled?”

“Does Cy know about your recent marital problems?”

“And then he probably started making advances towards you, which you had to reject.”

“Okay, so as long as Tammy doesn’t do anything to antagonize him, we may have a chance.”

Yeah, like that’s gonna happen.

“How do you know he’s here?”

“So then you head to the front door.”

“When you open it, what do you smell?”

“Are you sure that’s all you smell?”

“What does he do next?”

“Where’s it from?”

“Is there a name on the cup?”

“Okay. He probably stops there every time he comes here.”

“What days would those be?”

“Which means he’d be coming today.”

“I need you to leave a message for him there.”

“Any luck?”

“He hasn’t been to either of the mechanics’ shops in the past two months.”

“But the one on Fourth said a bunch of car batteries had gone missing.”

“Wait …”

Gorgeous goddess calling.

“Yeah?”

“Morgan, it’s from a payphone near a coffee shop.”

“It’s him.”

Boom.

“Okay, go ahead. Just like we talked about.”

“You and Prentiss stay with them. Morgan and I will get the front.”

“Cy Bradstone! FBI!”

“Let me see your hands!”

“On your knees, now!”

“Get up.”

“Stop moving. Stop it!”

“We need to know where Tammy is, Cy. We’ve looked in your car. There’s no sign of her.”

“We know this isn’t about Tammy. This is about your love for Lyla.”

“You and Lyla had a pretty good secret all these years. How’d she get you to shut up about it?”

“Is that where you, uh, did it, Cy?”

“Is that the same place you took Tammy?”

“We know you saw her in that dress, it made you think of Lyla.”

“Tammy’s not the one you want to hurt, Cy. Lyla’s the one who should be punished.”

“She’s the one who made you feel like a freak.”

“A reject, a weirdo.”

“Tell us where Tammy is, Cy, and we can be done.”

“Finished?”

“Now, where’s Tammy, Cy?”

“Cy, just tell me where she is.”

“What did she say, Cy?”

“Where do you have her?”

“She’s got a pulse.”

“I need a medic in here!”

“Oh, jeez.”

Scott Adams: “Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.”

“So, the surgeon said he believes he can restore feeling to Tammy’s hands.”

“Good. We got there in time.”

“I heard Mr. Bradstone wants to watch the tape.”

“People have an innate curiosity to see things in order to confirm them.”

“Oh, that explains why I’m going to Rossi’s tomorrow night.”

“I want to see if he really can cook.”

“You coming?”

“I don’t know. I’m not sure I can make it.”

“Look, Reid, I know you’re made at us because we didn’t tell you what really happened, and I understand that.”

“But I promise you, we had no choice.”

“You mourned the loss of a friend.”

“I mourned the loss of six.”

“This whole thing gave me an ulcer. Please don’t give me another.”

“Are you gonna go to Rossi’s tomorrow?”

“We’ll see.”

Oh, Prentiss.

“Cooking is the most sensual art form. And these are my paints.”

“So your hands must be brushes.”

“Don’t interrupt.”

I love this show so fucking much!

“In a pot of boiling water we cook our spaghetti until it’s al dente, firm to the touch.”

“Here you go.”

“Everybody pass it around.”

“See/Feel the texture.”

“There we go. Okay.”

“Now …”

“In a large pan, we fry up our pancetta.”

So fucking cute!

“Keeping a sharp eye that the edges are crisp.”

“Be careful not to burn the onions.”

“Bravo, Aaron!”

XD

“We sauté until translucence.”

Ding dong.

“Uh … I got it.”

“Grazie mille.”

So cute.

“Now, we mix in the eggs … the parmesan … the spaghetti … and parsley.”

“You see, it’s all about timing and rhythm.”

Busted.

I’m with Penelope here XD

“And if you don’t feel yourself doing it properly, please, order a pizza.”

“Sorry, I’m late.”

“Yeah. And this is why I cook alone.”

He’s so freaking cute!

“So, uh, when do we get to drink the wine?”

“Almost there.”

“Okay. We start at the beginning.”

“You eat what you cook, I’ll supervise, but we’re gonna do this all together, just like a family.”

“Okay now?”

“Now.”

“Salud!”

“Salud!”

“I’m reaching!”

She’s so cute!

Oh my freaking goodness! This episode was perfect on every possible level!!!!!!

It had the usual grossness of the case and the un sub, slight humor even though I wanted to bash Cy’s head in the wall. It had the internal drama surrounding Prentiss’s return, which will only serve to further the season’s plot and I’m so excited about it. It had humor with the whole Rossi trying to keep the team at bay and not let him in, which will never work so long as Penelope is part of the team. And it had emotional value with Reid, and of course my gorgeous Morgan being cute towards kid and finally forgiving Prentiss. And then the whole wrapping it up with the perfect dinner at Rossi’s, I just love the writers and producers of this show.

As ever, so freaking grateful that you guys take the time to like my stupid brain vomits. THANK YOU!

And, as ever, here is a series of Reid/Morgan-licious photos.

[coffee-and-kpop]

First Date with SF9

@itshuneeh - Sorry these took so long to do!!! It took me a while to really get to know SF9 so I could do this request properly~ Also I’m doing this request based off a First Date outfit request PeachJin did before and you can find it here! Thanks for requesting!

Inseong:

He felt confident as he walked over to the place you two decided to meet up, but the second he saw you, he became nervous and his mind went everywhere. It was a pretty hot day so he took you out for some ice cream. He would stutter a bit over his words when asking you what flavor you wanted. After ordering, you both sat down at a small booth by the windows and talked about anything and everything. When you found out her could draw, you asked him to draw a quick sketch of you on the napkin. He saw how amazed you were over his small hobby and it gave him more confidence. After talking some more and finishing your ice cream cones, he walked you back home. At night, right before you went to bed, you got a text from him saying,

“I really hope you enjoyed our date. Let’s go out again soon!”

Youngbin:

Youngbin would be super excited about your first date. He thought it’d be best to take you to watch soccer match. He had just gotten the tickets and thought it was a perfect opportunity. Both of you sat on the stands and watched the players run around and score goals here and there. You would watch him scream and jump up his seat when his favorite team would get close to making a point. The sight made you laugh as you saw his childish side come out. It made you happy to see him be himself when he was doing something he enjoyed. While walking you back home he grabbed your hand in his and held it until you both reached your front door.

“Today was the absolute best! Especially because you agreed to go with me. Next time I get more tickets let’s go together again. Deal?”

Jaeyoon:

Jaeyoon had no idea where he could take you for your first date. That is until Inseong came walking into the room with two concert tickets in hand asking if anybody wanted them. Jaeyoon jumped straight up and grabbed the tickets from Inseong and quickly sent you a picture so you could see them. Luckily the tickets were for a concert the very next day. He met up with you at the entrance of the venue and handed you a ticket. Once inside, it wasn’t long for the opening band to start playing and then the main act to continue after. Every now and then Jaeyoon would pull you closer to him. The venue was small and crowded. He did not want to risk losing you in there. He walked you back to your house and gave you a bright smile, showing his dimples. He thanked you for going out with him and began his walk back home.

“Maybe I shouldn’t have screamed so much. The boys are going to kill me if I can’t sing properly during practice. Let’s go on a quieter date next time!”

Dawon:

You were very curious. A normal date at a cafe was far from Dawon’s usual spontaneous style. So when you sat down at the table with him across from you, you could’t help but give him a weird look and asking what he had planned. However, he only shrugged and gave you a cute smile asking if you were ready to order. You both placed your orders and while waiting you two talked. Although the date was still normal, Dawon’s usual high energy and jokes were always present. A few minutes later her excused himself to the bathroom and left you waiting at the table on your own. Right after, the waiter began to walk in your direction. Except, in his hands wasn’t your order. It was a huge bouquet of varying flowers. Dawon walked towards you right after the waiter left and brought your orders with him. You smiled at him and thanked him for the flowers before beginning to eat.

“You know, I don’t even know the names of these flowers. I just thought they were pretty and got them for you. I’ll learn the names of the flowers for our next date though.”

Zuho:

It wasn’t Zuho’s first time roller skating. It was just his first time in a very long time. Zuho had suggested going to an arcade and then a movie for your first date. However, you really wanted to check out the new roller skating rink that had opened near your home. And that’s how Zuho found himself looking at the skates on his feet, unable to stand up, in fear of falling down. Although he was scared, looking at your happy and excited expression eased his fear a little. You both stood up, you grabbed onto his arm, and you both waddled together to the rink. The second Zuho step foot onto the rink and began to skate, his old rusted skill came back to life. Zuho skated like a pro. Meanwhile, you were the opposite. You held on to the railing and slowly moved forward while guiding yourself with the railing. Zuho came over and grabbed both your hands and pulled you away. You were slightly scared, but with Zuho helping you skate it was fine.

“Okay, I know I fell three times, but you fell more than ten times so don’t laugh! Let’s stick to the arcade and movie next time, yeah?”

Rowoon:

Romantic boat ride? Yes please! It was well into the afternoon when you and Rowoon got on the boat. You both sat down near the window watching the sky, the clouds, the water, and the sun as it began to set. You both talked and enjoyed each others company. It was a cute and simple date and you loved it. You couldn’t have asked for anything better than that, especially since you were with Rowoon. You looked at him and smiled before looking out the window again. However, the sight had made you gasp suddenly and Rowoon asked you what was wrong. You shook your head and pointed out the window. It was amazing how only a few seconds had passed, but the sky was now decorated with different shades of blues, pinks, purples, and oranges. It was the most beautiful sunset you had ever seen. Luckily you were distracted and did not notice when Rowoon snapped a quick picture of you looking out the window, but you saw the picture when you were scrolling through your social media apps.

“She thought the sunset was beautiful, but I thought she was more beautiful. I can’t wait for our next date.”

Taeyang:

You had been nervous. Going on a date with a super cool and handsome guy was something you really weren’t prepared for. Though, halfway through the date you has completely relaxed and enjoyed bike-riding with Taeyang. You both were slowly biking along a small path in a park. You guys exchanged stories of how you first learned how to bike. The relaxing ride was filled with many laughs and different stories of your first time doing things, like, your first time going on a roller coaster, your first time jumping off the deep end of a pool, and your first time walking through a haunted house, plus many more. You were both in the middle of laughing when you noticed your bike slow down. Your eyes widened realizing your back tire had a gotten a flat. Taeyang helped you take it to the nearest repair shop. However, now you had no way of getting home. He quickly offered taking you on the back of his bike. Seeing no other solution you agree and stepped on. You were nervous again, and he told you to wrap your arms around him so you’d be safe. When you did you could see the tips of his ears become red. He dropped you off at your home and stopped you before you walked inside.

“How about, after our dates, I take you home on my bike? I know it’s not the best ride, but it was fun taking you home like this. I’ll see you soon!”

Hwiyoung:

When you both got to the aquarium, Hwiyoung shyly asked you what you wanted to go see first. You didn’t really have a specific place in mind so you suggested to just walk around for a while and then decide from there. Both of you walked through the many areas that held numerous amounts of fish and other sea creatures. Hwiyoung would often make very loud sounds of awe and surprise, as well as push his face very close to the glass to look at the fish inside. Although he was very shy and quiet sometimes, he didn’t hold back his excitement and happiness from seeing all the different fishes. You took a picture of him making at kissy face at one of the fishes when he was trying to mimic how the fish looked. When he noticed you laughing at him he became shy again, but showed some aegyo to save himself from further embarrassment.

“I’d rather take a picture with you, and not with the fish. Next time let’s go on a date to the zoo! There are really cute animals there we can take pictures with!”

Chani:

Chani decided that talking a walk through a park trail would be a nice first date. After meeting up with you at the entrance, you both began talking about how nice and calming it felt to be around all the trees and plants. It was refreshing to have a change of scenery from always being surrounded by tall buildings and many shops. It wasn’t very cold out but there was coolness that lightly nipped at your skin every now and then. However, as soon as the sun slowly started going down, the temperature also started to drop. It was getting a little bit colder than you were used to and you began to shiver. Chani noticed almost right away and took off his jacket and put it on you. He also grabbed your hand in his and placed your intertwined hands inside the jacket’s pocket.

“It was a bit cold out right? I’ll make sure to check the weather properly next time we go on a date. How about a picnic on a warmer day?”

I hope you like it!!! ♡

-Admin SugaMint🍭

[julmar123]

My Hero Academia

It’s your time...you will be the best hero to come out of UA high school. And you won’t let anyone beat you or get in your way. Not even the cute boy with fire and ice powers

You notice Shoto isn’t hesitating and starts to carefully walk across. Behind you Bakugo takes advantage and uses his quirk to boost himself ahead of you towards Todoroki. “Oh, how I hate his over powered quirk” you whisper under your breath. You decide to come up with some sort of solution, maybe if you were to use your speed hopefully you could out do the bombs, but you realize that’s not an option the bombs are spaced together so you would still be caught in the cross fire. You could levitate using water but then you would overuse your quirk since you have been using it throughout the obstacle course, and no doubt you would need it for the remainder of the sports festival. So you do the same as Shoto carefully walking across making sure not to detonated any of the mines. You keep yourself focused on what’s infront of you but you can here Bakugo yelling at Shoto. Out of nowhere you hear a loud explosion behind you. “What the heck?” You stop and look behind you, you notice everyone has stopped as huge purple cloud of smoke engulfs the obstacle entrance. Above it a flying Midoriya. “Oh no! I won’t be last” You yell at yourself you notice the ground is frozen no doubt from Shot trying to get ahead. You step on and runn keeping your balance enough so that you won’t slide off. Unfortunately you see Mydoria landing infront of Shoto and Bakugo. As you try to run towards the arena entrance you notice confetti and the loud cheers of the crowds. You can see Midoriya’s face on the huge screens. You arrive in 4th place. You can feel the anger and disappointment boiling your blood and as a way to avoid eye contact with anyone, you hunch over taking in deep breaths. As you rest the other students make their way back into the arena. Shoto looks pissed while Bakugo is seriously about to murder Midoriya, he’s more ticked than you are.

Once everyone has made it back, Midnight shows us who is all allowed to enter the 2nd round. “This is bull” you mutter to yourself noticing Shoto came in 2nd place in the obstacle race. You look towards him his stoic demeanor and aloofness was really starting to get under your skin. You missed the old him caring, soft spoken. Now he’s just as cocky as Endeavor. Midnight announces the rules for the next round a Cauvery battle, everyone rushes to be in teams with friends. You stand there looking for Momo but notice she is talking with Shoto. No doubt he would want to pair up with her, her creative quirk could come in handy during this obstacle race. You look around and see Midoriya and Ochaco. “Bingo this will work” you tell yourself. “Hey you guys need speed and force. I notice Iida is taken by Shoto so I’m your gal! No doubt they will be gunning for you Midoriya” you say joining them. “Yes this will work” he says excited. He is quickly pulled by a girl with goggles “Hey winner of the last round let me be on your team!The names Hatsume and I’m in the support course. I’ve got lots of gadgets we could use” she offers. You look around noticing the teams around you forming. “This isn’t going to be easy” says Ochaco worried. “No it’s not but we can pull this off all we need is” You say looking around. “I know who we need” says Midoriya walking towards Tokoyami. “Yes his dark shadow will be a great alley.” You add excited.

The first half of the Cauvery battle was easier than expected, using Hatsume’s inventions you’ve all been able to avoid the other teams. However Shoto, Momo, Iida and Kaminari trap your team. “This isn’t good Kaminari’s lightening quirk is dark shadows biggest weakness” says Tokoyami worried. “Not good! Midoriya what’s your plan?” You ask him just as worried. “We can do this we just have to” He starts to say, unfortunately Iida’s quirk is far more developed than you had expected. “What now?” Asks Hatsume. “What if we go for the others?” Asks Ochaco. “No way it’s far too late, let’s take it back” you say angrily. “She’s right we have to take it, now or never” says Midoriya focused on Shoto and his team. “Y/n can you take us there?” Asks Midoriya “Yeah piece of cake. I’ll use my water to blind Kaminari that way his quirk won’t harm dark shadow” you offer. They all nod in agreement. You ready your feet on the ground running as fast as you can take the team. You weren’t capable of full speed since the teams weight was a bit more than you could manage but you were able to get in close. You use geyser to shoot At Kaminari’s face. Making his head tilt back from impact. You were so involved that you completely missed Shoto using his left side, however you felt the heat. “Got it guys!” Yells Midoriya I’m excitement. “Yeah!! No look again” you say as your heart begins to break. In Midoriya’s hand a headband worth 70 points “Once more” you say desperately trying to do what you could. “Not so fast! Who has it!” Yells Bakugo as his team breaks through the ice. You all take towards Todoroki. Present mic’s loud voice brings you and the rest of your team to the verge of tears. “Times up!”. “In first place team Todoroki, in second place team Bakugo, in third place team Shinso” he starts to say. “I’m so sorry you all trusted me but I wasn’t able to get us the win” says Midoriya disappointed in his actions. “Hey Deku, Tokoyami has something for us” says Ochaco noticing your’s And Midoriya’s face of defeat. “I took this from his head where he was defenseless, thanks to you two for creating an opening dark shadow was able to snach it” he says showing us a headband. “In fourth place team Midoriya” Yells Present Mic. You look at the screen totally lost for words your team will advance to the final round.

You all gather around as Midnight introduces the final part of the sports festival. “We will take a brief lunch brake and then continue towards the 3rd round. “Hey let’s go get lunch” says Momo taking your arm in hers. As you all walk out the arena you see the rest of your classmates. “Hey Iida!” You call out for him. “Yes y/n?” He asks confused. “Thats some powerful boost you got there” you tell him. “Thank you I apologize for not telling you all about it” He says waving his hands in the air. “Hey don’t sweat it” you tell him patting his back. “Where’s Midoriya?” You ask him and Ochaco. “I’m not sure he and Todoroki left. “Oh okay, I’ll look for him. I’ve gotta thank him for the Cauvery battle.” You say waving goodbye. “Hey what about lunch?” Asks Momo “go on without me!” You call back. As you walk around the arena you come across a hallway with him and Shoto. “Y/n?” Says Midoria surprised by your sudden appearance. “Hey did I interrupt anything?” You ask. Midoriya’s looking at Shoto as the two stare at each other intensely. “No we finished our conversation” says Todoroki . “Good....I wanted to thank you Midoriya for allowing me in your team” you say giving him a hug. “Ah um it was nothing you offered to help so thank you” He stammers. “Well anyways I have to go meet up with Iida and Ochaco.” He adds as his cheeks blush. “Yeah okay” you say waving him off. Shoto is about to walk off but you call him. “I think we should talk” You call for him. “Okay what do u want” he says looking at you. “You used your fire, back there you used it against Midoriya” you tell him angrily. “You broke your promise.” You add. He crosses his arms and looks at you without saying a single world. “Fine silent treatment, I don’t deserve this Shoto. For as much as you hate your father...you seem to have a lot in common” you add. You look at him really taking in his face he looked to be really pissed. “This doesn’t involve you” he says sternly “Whatever, do as you wish I’m not going to give up on you.” You say before leaving him behind.

After lunch you all returned to the arena. “I can not believe we have to wear this” you say walking out along side the other girls dressed in cheerleading outfits. “Hey wait a minute we are the only ones wearing them” points out Jiro. “Oh that little creep, Mineta I’m going to destroy you! You little perv!” You yell at him. He an Kaminari giggle. “I can not believe he tricked me again, I even used my quirk to make these outfits.” Says Momo defeated. “Well how about we make the most of it after all I really like them” says Hagakure. “Yeah your right they are rather cute” you add. “Welcome back folks let’s see how the first round of the final part of the festival will turn out” Yells Present Mic “You will all draw slots to decide who you will battle in a 1on 1 . This last round will be held in an ilimination bracket style tournament”says Midnight excited. You look around trying to figure out how many students were advancing. “Excuse me I would like to withdraw from the final round, I don’t remember how I got here and this is not how I want it to happen I think it’s only fair I withdraw” says Ojiro. You look at him surprised. As your fellow classmates try to talk him into participating another student from class 1B decides to withdraw as well. In their place two students from class 1B” Yells President Mic. “This is how the first round will be held” says Midnight pointing to the giant screen above us. “We have set up a couple challenges for those who didn’t make it to the final part of the festival. Those in the tournament can either hang out in the locker rooms and prepare for your fight or choose to participate in the challenges, the choice is yours” she says. On the screen you noticed your first fight would be Auyama and you would go second. And if you managed to defeat him and advance to the second round you would either fight Ochaco or Bakugou. “Alright let’s clear the area so we can prepare for the 1 on 1 matches” says Midnight. “Sorry ladies I want to prepare for my fight I have to go back to the locker room.” You say shrugging as you pass the ladies. “Oh well good luck!” Says Hagakure giving you two thumbs up. “Thanks ladies” you say heading inside. After Shinso and Midoriya’s fight you change into your gym workout gear and started to warm up. “Alright next up we have Auyama from class 1A and Y/n from the same hero class.” Says Present Mic introducing your fight. “Your going down Sheri” says Auyama in his fake French accent. “Yeah okay” you say trying to keep focused. “And begin!” Says Midnight full of excitement. Auyama quickly blasts his naval laser. You dodged using your speed. You use water geyser to push him out of bounds. “Auyama is out! Y/N advances to the second round!” Announces Midnight . You walk by and help Auyama to his feet. “Alright you let’s get you to the nurse” you tell him as you pull him up.

After taking Auyama to see the nurse you walk towards the locker room. Around the corner you notice Todoroki and Endeavor talking. “It’s not the best time to walk by.” You tell yourself. “You are different from your siblings your my greatness masterpiece.” You hear Endeavor say. “Is that all you have to say to me you bastard? I’ll win this using only moms quirk I won’t give you the satisfaction of seeing me use yours.” You listen to Todoroki. “Even if that works for you here, you will soon know the limits to using that quirk also as she agreed to join us for her internship?” Asks Endeavor. “No. I know what you are planning and it won’t happen. I won’t let you take advantage of her’.” Says Shoto angrily. “Shoto you have to be smart son. Y/n’s quirks and yours will create a stronger quirk” Adds Endeavor. “All you care about is surpassing All Might, you don’t care how you do it” says Shoto. “What does he mean by mine and shoots quirk creating a stronger quirk” you think to yourself. “Never mind that if I stay here they will know I was listening” you tell yourself, you start to walk off out side to see the rest of the fights.

“Hey nice job out there” says Midoriya as you catch up to him. “Thanks are your fingers okay?” You ask him pointing to his hand . He hides it almost embarrassed. “Ah yeah I’ll be fine” he says blushing. “Hey you two! good job!out there your just in time to see Kaminari’s fight.” Says Iida waving at you two. “Hey Deku we saved you a spot!” Says Ochaco. You take a seat next to Bakugo. He ignores you and continues to pout. As Kaminari losses you shift in your seat. “You can hear Midoriya muttering something about the fight as he writes about it in his notebook. After the countless matches you notice Bakugo get up and leave. You were nervous for Ochaco. Bakugo is ruthless and his quirk is something else. In the mean time you watch Kirishima and the guy from class 1B Tetsutetsu punch the living hell out of each other. “Now what?” Asks Sero noticing that both guys were out cold. “It’s a draw the match will continue once Tetsutetsu and Kirishima wake up in as a simple arm wrestling.” Says Midnight. “Next up Bakugo and Ochaco” Yells Present Mic. You watch the apparent massacre of a fight unable to stay calm as your nervous rise. You notice Todoroki leaning on the wall. As you hear explosions coming from the fight. You notice he is paying close attention to the fight you can hear everyone is booing Bakugo. And suddenly Mr Aizawa is on the mic, followed by a shower of stones and broken concrete. Bakugo’s loud explosions brings you back to reality. “This is crazy strength” you say out loud instead of in your head. “She is K.O Bakugo advances to the 2nd round. With that the first round is complete we will take a quick brake and then be back with more matches” says Present Mic. You get up walking towards Todoroki but he is no longer there. “Hey good job out there” you say to Bakugo as he walks by. “Whatever ” He says ignoring your comment. You walk back into the locker room to focus on your match against Bakugo. You open the door and see Todoroki sitting down. “Hey you. good luck out there against Midoriya” you tell him as you take a seat. “You should quit” He flat out tells you without looking at you “excuse me?” You ask him surprised. “You can not beat Bakugo” he adds ruthlessly. “And how are you so sure of that?” You ask him pounding the table with your fist. “Did you not see the last match” he says raising his voice “first off I’m not Ochaco, and secondly what is going on with you? look whatever your going through, whatever your dad’s planning for us. None of that matters to me” you say using air quotes on the word “us” he looks at you with wide eyes as he realizes that you were listening to he and his dads conversation. “You were there?” He Asks you, his voice lower than before. “We will talk about this later for now go beat Midoriya” you tell him. Pointing to the door. He simply nods and goes out the door.

One match after another you wait for your turn. “You walk out the locker room straight for the arena. “Alright now for some explosion we have Bakugo and Y/N!” Says Present Mic excited. “Begin” says Midnight waving around her wip. “I’ll beat you infront of everyone” says Bakugo. You shoot hims with geyser, But he uses his explosives to dodge. You run towards him but he uses an explosion to keep you away from him. The crowd cheers in excitement. You fall down hitting the floor hard. “You are so going to pay for that” you threaten him. You get up and run full speed hitting him in the face with geyser the impact causing him to fly back, but he picks himself up before he is out of bounds. The crowd screems in excitement “Not yet!” He yells Shooting you with a huge explosion you use water to keep his quirk from hitting you. A huge cloud of steam takes over the arena. The crowd goes silent waiting for the outcome. You run around him in full speed to distract him somehow cutting his quirk however his quirk is far more powerfull than you expect and he has quick reflexes. You get in close hitting him again but that’s not enough he gives you another huge explosion. The heat from the fire making you move back. “Y/n is out of bounds. Bakugo advances to the final round!” Says Midnight. As the smoke clears you can see that your clothes are charred. You notice the floor is damp and Bakugo is completely wet. You walk off to meet recovery girl. The burns on your arms and legs stinging as you try to walk and your wet clothes begin to stick to you. “Hey...you did better than I expected” you turn around seeing Todoroki. “Ha I almost had him.” You say as you continue to walk. “Here” He says picking you up off the ground bridal style. “You really don’t have too” You tell him. “I want to plus those look pretty bad” He say his face stern. He takes you and once inside you see Midoriya. “Is she okay?” He asks concerned. Recovery girl has Todoroki lay you on a bed. “She takes a pair of scissors cutting the material to expose your burns. “Boys if you could please give us some privacy” she asks. Todoroki looks at you concerned “Shoto!” You take his wrist. “I’ll be fine.. we will talk after you beat Bakugo” you tell him reassuringly. “Fine” He says walking off. “Well well Well never realized you and Todoroki were close “ says Recovery girl teasing you. You simply wince in pain as she exposes all your burns.

[drink-n-watch]

Genre: Romance, adventure, supernatural

Length: Short (2 – 10 hours)

Developer: Date Nighto

  Maybe Raistlin will know what I’m talking about, but when I was a kid, I read a book in which a character said: 

“I’m small because I was meant to do small things. If you look at all the big things in the world closely, you’ll see that they’re really made up of small things all joined together.’ That big dragon down there comes to nothing but tiny drops of blood, maybe. It’s the small things that make the difference.”

I’m quite little myself so I’ve held that quote close to my heart, like a motto and a shield. The little things do matter, they make all the difference in the world. Hustle Cat is a game that gets all the little things right! 

it’s the quiet moments you end up rememering

I bought Hustle Cat almost as soon as it came out 2 years ago. I had been following Date Nighto’s crowdfunding efforts and was delighted when the project was finally completed.

The premise is fairly simple. You play as Avery Grey, a recent graduate trying to figure out how to get this life thingie started. To that end, you decided to go crash at your aunt’s house in the big city while she’s out of town and even manage to get yourself off the sofa long enough to look for a job. Go You! You are getting things Done! Well kinda. You pretty much gave up when you stumbled across a seriously adorable cat café that happens to be hiring! 

yup – me…

  Ok so it’s minimum wage and the owner is a little odd, but he’s really nice and you get to spend the day surrounded by cute cats and even cuter coworkers. What more could you want? If the answer is mystery, magic and adventure – you’re in luck!

As far as dating sims go, this is a fine little outline. Nothing that out of the ordinary but sweet enough. It’s recognizable to us otome fans and blends eastern and western sensibilities quite well. But the big picture isn’t where it’s at. The real magic of Hustle Cat is in the details.

for the longest time I thought those were huge earrings

First off, let’s talk main character. Avery is fantastic. A supremely relatable character, a little lazy, a little scattered, with a good heart, and, very rare for an otome, a great head. You will relate to Avery, I’m sure of it but you will also be proud to be Avery. Not once in the whole game was I screaming at the screen or wondering why Avery was acting that way. Not once was I faced with choice options that forced me to pick the lesser bad. Avery is a good person who I would honestly like as a friend. Simple taking the time to develop a bit the MC and make the act rational, was brilliant and heighten the play experience considerably. It may not seem that important…

I managed to write an entire paragraph on Avery without giving too much away but let’s delve a bit deeper. You actually get the chance to personalize a bit Avery’s appearance. This is still very rare in Visual Novels so the feature is a huge plus already, but the personalization is done in the smartest possible way. Although the cosmetic choices you have are very limited they cover all your bases. Essentially you can choose short cropped hair or a longer shaggier do, and you have the option between 3 skin tones. That’s it. However, limited those options may seem they actually allow for more diversity and representation than I have ever seen in such a game. What’s more, your chosen appearance is carried over to every single CG. Such a simple touch was incremental in allowing me to form a strong bond with Avery as associate with them on a deeper level. CGs didn’t take me out of the fiction since they were all in line with the world I had created in my mind. 

I love that t-shirt

And representation was also included in the narrative. You cannot change Avery’s name and personally I’m just fine with that. Not only am I horrible at naming things, I really love the name Avery Grey. You can however choose your preferred pronouns, as in: He/Him; She/Her and They/Them. As such, your chosen gender is reflected in all the dialogue and narrative. It really doesn’t limit your romance options or affect the routes in any substantial way but this small detail made Avery feel like a true representation of me. A little sloppy, a little confused but trying their best.

What I just spent way too many words trying to say is that Hustle Cat has a great MC. An MC I was proud and just happy to embody. But what’s a dating sim without some juicy dating options? Boy does Hustle Cat have you covered.

Once again, You get a pretty diverse range to choose from in both appearance and personality. They ae in fact all great characters. I’ll give you a taste but a summary doesn’t do them justice, just like your profile doesn’t do you justice I’m sure!

I want to make fun of your outfit…but I can’t!

Graves Serling

The mysterious and slightly chuuni owner of the Cat’s Paw. He seems a bit loopy but is very kind. His somewhat dorky affectations have the very pleasant side effect of making him very old school gentlemanly and polite with everyone. He remains fairly absent and mysterious in most routes, leaving you aching to know more.

people that can draw are seriously cool

Reese

He comes off as overconfident and slightly arrogant but soon reveals himself to be friendly and surprisingly dependable. Quick with a snarky retort and adorable when at a loss for words he somehow manages to be the most responsible and most immature character at the same time.

always best girl

Mason

Let’s face it, I can’t give you an objective idea of Mason because I think Mason is just ridicahawt. One of my all time favorite otome waifus. She’s the strong silent archetype. Rarely have I ever been so moved by seeing an imaginary character let down her guard. There might have been some tears…Some might have been mine…

wish I was there

Hayes

Shy, quiet, timid little cutey pie. Hayes is the little birdie you coax out of his shell. You know those birds with shells… Possibly the most divisive character, he seems to be meant as the cute one, but everyone’s pretty cute, so it’s hard to tell. If you have no patience for shy, scaredy cat (ha!), characters, he may be a bit difficult to take but I found him precious.

fantastic fashion sense

  Finley

Aww, my bestie Finley. Finley is the tongue in cheek, reference dropping, hashtag spouting, popular girl. She’s also hardworking and patient. In all honesty, if I met someone exactly like Finely in real life, I would immediately want to be their friend. I love it when the story actually makes me understand why a character is popular rather than just telling me they are. Her route was also absolutely ridiculous, making me laugh out loud regularly.

he cleans up decently

Landry

I guess you could say Landry is the most generic of the bunch (unless you do his route). The nice big brother type, always ready with a smile and a diplomatic solution. He’s the first person you meet and a bit of a mentor character. His route revealed a much more balanced and complex person, with a satisfying conflict to resolve.

The game is careful to be gentle with the characterizations. Even supremely eccentric Graves gets a fairly rational treatment. No big overblown personalities here that turn people into caricatures. Everyone is very real feeling. They have concerns and problems which may be mundane compared to the usual otome fair but are recognizable and real. They have strengths, not super powers. Flaws that are manageable but can add up. They are made up of dozens of little quirks, foibles, idiosyncrasies and characteristics that add up to actual fully formed personalities. It may not be extravagant but it’s certainly gratifying.

This said, as much as I appreciate all the characters, and there are some equally well-developed side characters and antagonists, what I was the most impressed by is the impressive balance in the routes.

oh it’s gonna scratch up my face isn’t it

No matter who you chose to pursue, you will end up with a relationship built on mutual respect and understanding. You are there to help each other not save or be saved. Every single one of these guys are better than you at something and worse at other things. There isn’t a hint of abuse or non-consent to be seen and the obvious age gap in the Graves route is addressed seriously and with careful consideration, rather than brushed under the rug.

I don’t want to go too much into the story as there are a few surprises and twists which are fun to discover for yourself. Suffice it to say the narrative is light and peppered with humor. As a fairly short Visual Novel (VNDB says 2 to 10 hours but I really don’t see how you can finish this in 2 – I think 5-15 is much more reasonable even if you’re skipping over most of it) you can easily complete all routes without feeling like you’ve been rereading the same thing for weeks on end.

every morning they have breakfas together – office goals!

One quick note, the universe here isn’t expansive. You are essentially confined to your aunt’s small apartment, a few alleyways and the Cat’s Paw café. You live in a small bubble with most of your traveling being done virtually through the internet (like most of us). However, the actual design of the Cat’s Paw is fantastic! If ever the graphic artists at Date Nighto get tired of their gig, they should go into interior design. Along with the breathtaking Time of Eve, this is one of my favorite virtual coffee shops ever!

  Hustle Cat isn’t grand. It’s a small adventure full of people just like you and me. It doesn’t take itself too seriously but it’s earnest and well-intentioned. It’s gentle and careful and pays attention to the little things. Because the little things matter.

If you’ve played it, let me know what you think. If you haven’t you can get it on Steam. I’m not getting paid for these guys, I just really liked it and I want these guys to make another game.

Hustle Cat – It’s the Little Things Genre: Romance, adventure, supernatural Length: Short (2 - 10 hours) Developer: Date Nighto Maybe Raistlin will know what I’m talking about, but when I was a kid, I read a book in which a character said: