#my record for showering is 8 minutes

[yanderespamton78]

average shower experience

ok. its been 2 days since you last showered its shower time. okay so we cant stall you have things to do. we are going to get into the shower. then we are gonna wash hair and condition hair and allat. okay. we are not gonna get distracted. no getting distracted. okay time to get in okay okay stay on track rinse hair rinse hair rinse hair rinse hair rins- ooo sponge

[polarfarina]

I am really sore from work I wish riding five hours in the car didn't require having your feet on the ground

[a-teardrop-of-the-sun]

things i have learned today:

if you are biking downhill in cork city, ireland and some asshole driver is lagging alongside you while going your same speed, slow down, don't speed up to give them the space to sensibly pull back behind you on the road

because you will inevitably be cut off at speed by the driver and then bowl over onto your face while having to suddenly braking on a potholed downhill slope

chin wounds count as head wounds in terms of bleeding way more than the actual cut should justify (i'm fine but those stains are forever)

anyways i'm fine, no concussion and just a big ol bandaid on my chin and some scraped-up knees/palms! one thing that cork IS definitely good for is about half a dozen strangers immediately going out of their way to help you out and restoring your faith in humanity, if not in local drivers

[honeytonedhottie]

extra self care routine⋆.ೃ࿔*:･🍦

this 8 step self care routine is meant to be super DUPER over the top but its intended more so to make u feel like the goddess that u are and to simply pamper, and spoil urself as u should...plus you'll smell like a cupcake after 🎀

warning, LONG post ahead but thats because i tried to be thorough and clear on the steps of this 8-step routine.✨🧁

STEP ONE ; ICING UR FACE

the benefits of facial icing include more radiant skin, helps with spider lines, and blemish control. if u wanna know more about icing ur face i recommend u read this.

but typically you'll fill up a bowl with some water and ice and dunk ur face in the ice in 60 second intervals (thats how i like to do it) or you take an ice cube and run that on ur skin.

STEP TWO ; OILING UR HAIR

i personally dont recommend oiling ur hair overnight, once u apply ur hair oil into ur hair let it sit for 30 minutes - 4 hours depending on how much time u have on ur hands, but if ur gonna do the 8 step self care ritual i would assume u had some time.

use the scalp massaging tool for blood flow to ur head and MASSAGE. imagine all of ur stress seeping out of ur body. it might sound strange, but when im doing this step i imagine myself rearranging and organizing my thoughts 💀.

while ur doing this whole routine i recommend playing an affirmation tape in the background, or ur favorite playlist. 🧁

STEP THREE ; MASKS

next i'll use a spray bottle and wet my hair before going in with my hair mask, and once thats in ur hair use the claw clip to keep ur hair up and out of ur face.

now its time for the facial mask and i recommend keeping kind of an ARSENAL of masks, whether its a liquid or clay mask or sheet masks just have them on u because i usually do face masks of any sort 1-2 times a week for my LUSTROUS glow.

while u have the hair and face masks in, its a good time to do some dry brushing to remove dead skin cells and improve blood circulation. some other masks that u can do to be EXTRA are lip masks and under eye masks.

STEP FOUR ; IN THE SHOWER

wash ur hair as you would usually do, use the body scrub before using a body wash that has similar tones to the body scrub (this is called scent layering) and while in the shower i recommend to do a shower meditation.

if y'all r interested i'll make a shower meditation guide and u can record ur own voice doing the meditation so u can use it ✨

while ur in the shower make sure to be meticulous and take ur time while u wash ur body. do double cleansing so that u can ensure that you're squeaky clean.

now is also the time to shave if u like to do that and remember use a body scrub BEFORE u shave and once ur out of the shower to use a body oil to prevent ingrowns and to just have a smoother shave in general.

STEP FIVE ; OUT OF THE SHOWER

use ur body oil and ur body lotion, this kind of goes along with the before bed slugging notion which gives the SOFTEST most amazing skin in the morning so i highly recommend it.

HOT TIP FROM HONEY ; using a warmed up towel adds to the whole spa experience so i def recommend that, warming up towels/blankets/robes makes me feel so cozy and toasty 🧋✨

the formula for before bed slugging is (body oil + body lotion + a thick body butter/cream)

STEP SIX ; REPAIR AND REPLENISH

once your out of the shower and you’ve slugged ur body, use a leave in conditioner to repair and soothe damaged hair.

use a face milk

cuticle oil

now’s the time to use pimple patches

and things of that nature in general

this ensures that ur being absolutely meticulous and replenishing ur body the proper way. taking care of ur base so that u can make it absolutely GLOW ✨

STEP SEVEN ; FACIAL MASSAGE

use a gua sha and any other facial massage tools to help blood circulation and just be EXTRA. to sculpt ur face like the goddess you are.

facial massage stimulates blood circulation, promoting oxygen flow and nutrient delivery to the skin cells. facial massage helps to release the tension held in the facial muscles, alleviating stress lines and promoting a more youthful appearance.

AND if ur consistent with facial massage, you'll can enhance skin elasticity AND diminish fine lines.

STEP EIGHT ; YOGA AND STRETCHES

nothing feels better then massaging and stretching stiff limbs, especially if u have pains or aches in ur body. look up a follow along, super light, yoga routine or a stretching routine.

i think that a rly good stretch is the perfect way to end ur super duper over the top 8 step self care routine 💗🎀

[ln4bub]

Ahh that prompt list is soo good! Could I please have 43 & 44 with Lando? Like best friends to lovers, they've secretly pined for years, Max has always known and eventually brings them together. So like they confess to each other and it swiftly gets hot, like they don't have time to get a condom so Lando's like (44). Thank you!

This one got away from me... Enjoy

Word count - 1.2k

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You find yourself in the McLaren garage at Interlagos, squeezing Max's wrist so hard that he slaps you off him. "Fucking hell Y/N, what's with the death grip?" Max scoffs, rubbing his hand over his sore wrist. "I just hate watching him race, it makes me so nervous." You mumble, covering the mic of your headset. "He'll be fine, he just has to hold P2 for the next few laps, which he will." Max assures, turning his eyes back to the screen following Lando's car.

He does just that, crossing the line 8 seconds behind Verstappen. Driving up to the P2 position you watch as he deftly pulls himself out of the car, admiring your best friend. Lando comes straight to you at the barrier, wrapping his arms around you and Max, "My good luck charms!" He beams as Max slaps him on the back, congratulating him on yet another podium. You can't help but smile as you watch your best friend get showered with love, and later champagne on the podium. Max watches you, "Stop with the heart eyes Y/N or he'll notice." He laughes.

"Fuck off Max," You laugh, punching him in the arm before continuing to cheer for Lando.

A few minutes later you find yourself in Lando's driver room, sat on the couch whilst he strips out of his racing suit, leaving him in the skin tight fireproofs. You can't help but admire the way they contort to his muscles, emphasising his physique. You hadn't realised you were staring until Lando coughs, "Y/N?" He asks.

You shake yourself from your daydream, "Yeah? What?" You cough out, heat rising to your cheeks. Lando squints at you in confusion, "Are you okay? You were gone for a minute there." He laughs, a hint of nervousness in his tone. "Yeah, yeah I'm good," You stutter out, "Just proud of you."

"Yeah?" Lando questions and you have to suppress a groan at his smirk.

"Mhm." You squeak, biting your lip. Lando's eyes watch the way your teeth encase your bottom lip, smirk growing by the second.

He stalks towards you, placing his index finger on your chin and lifts your head to face him. "Tell me the truth Y/N." He whispers, his eyes soft.

"I can't." You sigh, closing your eyes at his touch.

"Do you want me?" He questions, leaning so close you can feel his breath fan over your cheek. He presses a feather light kiss to it, something he's done a million times before, but this one was different.

"You have no idea how much I want you."

That's all it takes for Lando to slam his lips onto yours, your hands immediately reaching for the curls you've longed too touch for so long. His tongue swipes across your lips and you grant him access all too easily. His muffled groan at the feeling of your tongue only spurs you on further, your hands roaming his chest, desperately trying to remove his fireproofs. Lando chuckles at your desperation, "God if I knew you wanted me this bad I would've believed Max much sooner."

You smile into the kiss, "That sly little shit." You mutter, making Lando smile too. He reaches down and tugs at the hem of your shirt, breaking the kiss to begin removing his fireproofs. Both of you strip in record time, panting heavily as you stare at each other half naked for the first time. You open your mouth to speak but before you can Lando pounces, pressing sloppy wet kisses across your neck and down your chest. He reaches the buttons of your jeans, flicking them open in one swift movement before dragging the zipper down with his teeth.

You're left in just your underwear, thankful you'd chosen your race day set. A papaya orange thong with matching lacy bra. Lando groans at the sight, "Jesus Christ, can I-?" He begins to ask.

"Yes, God, yes please you don't have to ask." You plead, curling your fingers in his hair once more as he licks a stripe up your pussy. You moan loudly, pushing him deeper. He doesn't hesitate, his tongue exploring every inch of you, groaning at your taste. He collects your wetness on his tongue, allowing the taste to coat his mouth. His tongue flicks at your clit, relishing in the way your stomach clenches at the action. He doesn't stop, he can't stop. His tongue dips down to your entrance, pushing into the pulsing hole.

He continues his ministrations, fucking your hole with his tongue, not caring if he gets smothered by your thighs. His head shakes in between your legs, his nose rubbing your clit with every move. "Oh my god, Lando, fuck me." You moan, grinding yourself against his face. He pulls away, "I'm so sorry but I have to be inside you, I've waited too long." He mumbles, pulling down his underwear and climbing on top of you.

He runs the tip of his cock through your folds, drowning himself in your wetness. You admire his face as he does so, goatee soaked with your arousal and lips swollen with his efforts. Just as he begins to push in you stop him, "Condom?" You ask. Lando's face falls, "I didn't think about that, fuck, I don't have any." He whines, burying his face in your neck with a low groan. "For fuck's sake."

"It's okay, fuck me, I'm clean and I, uh, I trust you." You mutter, watching his pupils dilate with your words as his smirk returns.

"I'll just have to cum inside you then." He whispers, placing a soft kiss on your lips before guiding himself inside you. He groans at the feeling of your walls wrapping around his cock, fluttering with anticipation. "You are an angel, feel so good." He slurs, slipping his cock in and out, fixated at the way your juices coat him.

"Lando, I'm so close already." You moan, his fingers moving to rub your clit. "I know baby, me too." He kisses your neck, "Wanted this so long, can't wait to fill you up." He murmurs, your heels pressing him deeper inside you. Your back arches, feeling the pit grow in your stomach with every move. "Fuck." You stutter out, your walls clenching around his cock.

"That's it baby." He urges, "Soak me." You cum around him with a moan, his hips stuttering with the sudden tightness. He rubs your clit through it, letting the aftershocks settle before dropping to his elbows. He whimpers in your ear, "Beg me to cum inside you baby, please, I need it." The desperation in his tone clear.

"Please Lando, want to feel you fill me up. Needed it for so long, I'm yours, please." You whisper, sucking soft marks into his neck. His hips slam deep into yours as his cock twitches, pumping you full. His head falls to your shoulder, sweat coating your bodies.

"Holy shit." He whispers. "Max is never letting me live this one down." He laughs.

"Expect quite the 'I told you so' when we leave." You say in response, standing to find your clothes.

"Don't you need to pee?" Lando questions, changing into his post-race outfit. You shrug, "I probably should but I'll do it when we get back to the hotel, then I'll shower, you're very sweaty." He laughs at the disgust in your tone, pressing a kiss to your forehead.

The pair of you leave his drivers' room, hair tussled and cheeks red.

"I fucking told you so." Max tells Lando in the car on the way back, suffering yet another hit, this time from his best friend.

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

[iateyourparents]

Hi!! can you write a Johnnie x fem reader fluff? 🙏🏼

red face | j.g.

pairing: johnnie guilbert x fem!reader

summary: you scared johnnie.

warnings: johnnie’s jumpscare(??), use of y/n, bad writing and grammar(i’m sorry, english isn’t my first language)

an: hi!! finally started doing older requests 🫡

The only thing you needed to be fully content right now was your boyfriend.

It was after 8 p.m., you were in your pj’s and almost done with your skincare. You were more than ready to already jump into your bed and watch some movie with little snacks.

Unfortunately for you, you would have to wait with it for few more minutes.

You just put on red serum on your face and you had to wait fifteen minutes before rinsing it off your face.

You had to admit, you looked ridiculous. In your pink pyjamas with cute dogs on the shorts, with funny dinosaur headband and red face because of the serum. But it was pretty low price for pretty skin.

Just as you got out of the bathroom to wait those few minutes in the living room, the door to your apartment opened.

You smiled excitedly, Johnnie was finally home!

You quickly made your way towards the hallway to greet your boyfriend.

Just as you were ready to throw your arms around his middle he looked at you with a big smile, which quickly faded when he looked at your face.

Not a second later all you could hear was Johnnie’s squealing. You immediately stopped in your tracks and looked at him worriedly with wide eyes.

He quickly stopped screaming but still was inspecting your face with vivid curiosity.

“What happened to ‘hi love, great to see you, I missed you so much?” you asked sarcastically. When he didn’t say anything and still looked at you with wide eyes, you got worried again “Hi, Johnnie, what happened?”

“Y/n?” he asked uncertainly.

“Yeah?” you raised your eyebrows.

“Your face. It’s red.” he stated and then scrunched his nose and quickly went to stand next to you putting his hands on your arms “Is that blood? Oh my god, are you hurt? Come on, I’ll drive you to the hospital.”

You laughed quietly but seeing his serious face you smiled at him and rubbed your hand on his cheek “I’m alright love, seriously. It’s not blood. It’s just serum.” you assured him.

“Serum?” he asked dumbfounded and you nodded and kissed his cheek.

“Yeah, I would kiss you hello but I don’t want to smear it all over your face.” you giggled and he smiled affectionately.

“You look funny.” he laughed while toying with your headband. You narrowed your eyebrows playfully.

“Hey!” you acted offended and slapped his hand off. You turned around and planned to start walking but Johnnie quickly caught your waist and pulled you into his chest, then he kissed your head, carefully not touch the serum with his lips.

“You’re still adorable.” he assured with a giggle “I missed you so much today.” he sighed putting his cheak on the top of your head.

“I missed you too.” you didn’t even tried to continue your offended act and big smile made its way onto your face “How was recording?”

“Good, although I wanted to kill Jake.” he mumbled into your hair and you laughed.

“Let’s go to the living room, we can cuddle after I rinse it off in a moment.” you offered and before you could comprehend what happened, you were in the air.

Safely tucked into Johnnie’s arms, he transported you into the bathroom and then he placed you in front of the sink.

“Rinse it off and I will take quick shower.” he said taking off his clothes and you laughed but did as he said.

You rinsed off the liquid from your face and then wiped your face dry with paper towel. You applied moisturizer and stood next to the shower door.

“Johnnie, I will get you some clothes and prepare some snacks, we can watch something.” you said hoping he would hear you through the water.

“Okay baby.” he replied and you made your way towards your shared bedroom to retrieve his pyjamas clothes.

Soon, you two were laying on the bed, cuddling, with some snacks while watching some new movie.

Every few minutes Johnnie was placing kisses all over your face and you tried to scold him for interrupting your watching but you both knew you didn’t mean a word because of the big smile that was on your face every time he was leaning to kiss you.

Yeah, now you were fully content.

[sunflw3r]

sungchan as your bf / headcanons

idol!sungchan x non!idol male reader reader prns: he/him word count: 2k words fluff

sungchan as your boyfriend

content warnings: mentions of shirtless sungchan, i think that’s it but lmk</3

unedited</3

(masterlist)

a/n: so i just came back to tumblr after like a month and im getting back into writing!! i recently read the first part of @luvkyu ‘s sungchan oneshot and i fear my sungchan obsession is coming back so HERE have a fun gift

ps: in the little scenarios it fluctuates between a weird 2nd person + 3rd person limited so i hope that’s not confusing</3

✦he’s sooooo soft

✦he puts on a really tough act but whenever you come in the room…

✦there are stars in his eyes

✦he LOVES showing you affection in public

✦is not at all afraid to show his soft side when you’re around

“y/n!!” sungchan happily squealed, the sight of you making his heart run at 100 miles per hour. “hi chan.” y/n smiled softly, sungchan wrapping his arms around y/n’s shoulders, a bright and lovesick smile on his face.

“have i told you today how much i love you?” sungchan asked, y/n pondering about the inquiry. “i don’t think so.” he replied, a tiny grin appearing on his lips as sungchan left a small kiss on y/n’s nose. “i love you so much baby.” he whispered, y/n pulling his closer. “i love you too chan.”

“bleh.” seunghan said, passing the couple who were currently embracing, sungchan unraveling one of his arms from y/n’s to flip off the younger. he returned to y/n, soft laughter coming from the two’s mouths as seunghan grumbled while walking through the living room of the dorm.

✦loves kissing you

✦like if his lips are free they’re going to be somewhere on you, whether it’s your cheek or your neck

✦his favorite place to kiss though is the part right behind your ears

✦it feels super intimate for him

✦he can latch onto your body and bury his face in the crook of your neck and everything is okay

✦whenever he’s having a bad day, all of his worries fall away whenever he’s in your arms

“are you alright bubs?” y/n asked softly, sungchan wrapping his arms around m/n’s neck, placing his lips gently behind y/n’s left ear. sungchan felt y/n’s shoulder’s relax under his hands, detaching his soft lips from the delicate skin.

“better.” he whispered in reply, y/n smiling happily at the person in his arms. taking sungchan’s hands in his, y/n pressed a gentle kiss to the soft skin, sungchan’s breath slowing into a rhythmic pattern of comfort. “i’ll run you a bath and then you can tell me about your day?” y/n asked, sungchan nodding as a sigh escaped his mouth. “yes please.”

y/n’s gentle laughter filled the room as he pressed a light kiss to sungchan’s forehead, who moved his head so y/n’s lips trailed down his nose to meet his own. soft noises of sungchan’s happiness vibrated from his vocal chords and filled the room as their lips separated and touched again. y/n ruffled his hair, walking away backwards, his eyes locked with sungchan’s. “your bath wil be ready in a few minutes love.”

sungchan smiled, following after y/n with a smile on his face, his lips warm and heart fluttering with satisfaction as he saw your figure disappear into your bathroom.

✦LOVES talking about his hobbies and job with you

✦he set a new personal record while doing his work out? expect to see a very happy (and sweaty) sungchan bursting through the door of your apartment speaking a mile a minute about the accomplishment while you simultaneously try your hardest to get him to go shower

✦did he finally ace a part of the choreography for riize’s new comeback? be prepared to see a very excited (but extremely sore and tired) sungchan coming home with a bright smile on his face, proceeding to spend the next 5 hours of your evening together showing you the now cleaned two 8-counts

✦after he would proceed to fall asleep, his face pressed against the couch cushions while you just stand their like 🧍

“babe! guess what i just did!” sungchan exclaimed, bursting through the front door of y/n’s apartment, a bright smile on his face, contrasting the sweat trickling down his forehead. “what did you do?” y/n smiled, looking up from his book to lock eyes with his boyfriend.

“i just finished cleaning that really stupid part in talk saxy! i’m free now!” he cheered, y/n standing up from the couch to envelop his boyfriend in a hug, attempting to avoid the sweat clinging to his body. “congrats bubs! i’m so happy for you.” he replied, sungchan’s triceps resting under his palms. “can i show you?” sungchan asked, y/n nodding happily. sungchan sprinted to move the table from the center of the living room, y/n sitting back down in his seat on the couch.

safe to say he spent the rest of the night showing you the same moves, only falling asleep curled up on the couch once y/n left to get a glass of water.

“let’s go to bed channie, you’re really tired.” y/n whispered, putting his arms around his boyfriend’s waist. “no, i gotta show you it one more time! i reallyyyyyy got it.” he slurred, his head falling into y/n’s chest, soft breaths coming from his mouth.

“silly,” y/n muttered softly, struggling to get sungchan’s long limbs contained in his arms to take him to his bedroom, a bright, sleepy smile on sungchan’s face as y/n held him. “mmh, i love you.” sungchan mumbled, y/n pressing a soft kiss to his forehead. “i love you too. but can you wake up enough so you can walk to the bedroom because i will die trying to carry you.”

sungchan chuckled softly, his half asleep voice music to y/n’s ears. “okay.” he groaned, pulling himself up before falling in y/n’s arms, feet shuffling along the floor with his partner until they made it to the bedroom, moving his hands along to the rhythm of talk saxy. “boom, did it again. babe, you’re so lucky to have such a talented boyfriend.”

y/n smiled, patting sungchan’s half asleep cheek as he laid the tall man across the comforter. “so lucky my love. now sleep.” “mmh, i love you.” sungchan replied, falling into slumber as y/n smiled at his hyper boyfriend.

✦he’s very open with his group about you!

✦like someone will say something and sungchan will suddenly just say “oh wait y/n did this cute thing” or “that reminds me, me and y/n-“ and the rest of riize just stare at him

✦on the other hand, you’re very open about your relationship with sungchan to your friends

✦it was one of sungchan’s priorities when you started dating that if you wanted to be able to gush about him you could<3 it means the most to him that you can express your happiness even if he is a public figure

✦he never wants you to feel like his little secret! you mean the world to him and while he might not be telling the fans for your safety (the world is still too homophobic), he still makes sure you’re satisfied and heard in your relationship and he isn’t ignoring how you feel

✦if the fans ever did find out, whether it was by accident or on purpose, sungchan’s main priority would be you

✦fans start following you? he tells them off and stays by your side until they stop

✦if you ever feel upset about what they say, sungchan will take the time to comfort you, helping you in self care for the next few days until the comments stopped living in your mind

the group was taking a break after the hours of practice, shotaro talking about the hellish time he had trying to buy grocerys that week. sungchan drank happily from his boba (courtesy of y/n) before a thought returned to his mind about his recent date with his boyfriend.

“oh my god! when me and y/n went to the grocery store this week it took us like half an hour to check out! he was literally dying waiting in line at checkout for it to be our turn.” sungchan giggled softly, thinking off his boyfriend’s face while the other 6 stared at him blankly, sohee sighing. “that had nothing to do with the conversation but thanks for the information!” shotaro exclaimed, sungchan snapping out of his daze to stick his tongue out at his friend, the thought of you still on his mind.

✦’i love you’s are very much an every single second of every single day thing for sungchan

✦he never worries about it losing it’s effect on you

✦if he loves you, you deserve to know it every minute you’re together!

✦it’s one of his core beliefs in your relationship and he sticks by it

✦whenever he has to leave for work before you wake up, he makes sure (or so you’ve heard) to press a soft kiss to your head before whispering how much he loves you and leaving the house

✦if he’s really rushing, he’ll leave a note on the nightstand for you to find when you wake up<33

channie<3

i love you<33

chan :(( i love you too!

okay bye bye i rllyyygotta go now but i justwanted to let you know :)

:((( CUTIEST

haha ty! :(

✦he loves taking you on dates!

✦whether it’s a day at the beach or running a quick errand to the grocery store that ends in a picnic, he loves to spend time with you

✦his favorite type of date to have with you though are the cozy rest days you’ll have together in the country side on his days off

✦spending all day latched at the hip as you relax in the sun, running into the cold ocean in your underwear, and taking late nights all to yourselves is sungchan’s favorite way to unwind

✦one of his secret dreams for when you’re older is to buy a house out in the countryside with you and build your family together!

✦he wants nothing more than to love you for the rest of your lives and it’s the sweetest thing ever!!

“y/n, watch this!” sungchan said, y/n looking up from his sand castle to see sungchan jump into the air, making a heart above his head before he fell into the waves. laughter escaped from y/n’s mouth as he saw sungchan emerge from the ocean, a disgusted look on his face as he coughed heavily, scrunching up his nose before covering the skin with his right palm.

“ah i got saltwater up my nose.” he complained, y/n staring at his tan chest gleaming in the sunlight, his swim trunk hanging lowly to wear the dips of sungchan’s hips peeked above the fabric. “chan!” y/n called, sungchan meeting y/n’s eyes with a newfound smile. “hmm?” he replied, y/n giving him a heart with his hands in return. sungchan stumbled backwards holding his hands over his heart, falling back into the water.

“ack, my boyfriend is so adorable!” he cried, y/n laughing as sungchan was hit with a wave, causing his feet to kick up as he tried to stand. “help me y/n!” he asked, y/n running into the surf, only for him to fall down when he and sungchan collided over the sand bar.

“you were supposed to help me.” sungchan pouted, y/n pecking his salty lips. “oops.” he giggled, sungchan wrapping his arms around y/n’s waist, moving his head to bite his boyfriend’s cheek. “ahh!” y/n cried, sungchan pulling them out of the cold water and into the warm sun, his boyfriend’s bright smile making his heart flutter.

✦in conclusion, one of sungchan’s most important thing in his personal life is you<3

✦he wants no one but you as his boyfriend, and would do anything to make sure you’re happy and satisfied with your relationship together

✦he’s so smitten for you and he wants the world to know! like yes, you are the light of his life! and you’re going to hear about it!

✦and at the end of the day, he knows you’re always there for him when he needs it

✦he’s so so so happy you found each other and is grateful everyday for your love<3

✦no one will EVER compare to you and he hopes you know that!

✦he’ll make sure you stay together forever at each other’s sides, living your life with eternal happiness and joy

there’s SO much more i could put in here but i’m stopping for my mental stability

[uns4lted]

↬ ᴍɪꜱꜱᴇᴅ ᴄʜᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ, ꜱᴛᴏʟᴇɴ ɢʟᴀɴᴄᴇꜱ.

ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀ: ʀᴇᴏ ᴍɪᴋᴀɢᴇ (ʙʟᴜᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴋ) ᴘᴀɪʀɪɴɢꜱ: ʀᴇᴏ ᴍɪᴋᴀɢᴇ x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ, ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛ ɴᴀɢɪ x ꜰᴇᴍ!ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ ɢᴇɴʀᴇ: ʜɪɢʜ ꜱᴄʜᴏᴏʟ!ᴀᴜ, ꜱʟɪᴄᴇ ᴏꜰ ʟɪꜰᴇ, ꜰʟᴜꜰꜰ, ɴᴏᴛ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ꜰᴏʟʟᴏᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴀɴᴏɴ ᴠᴇʀꜱᴇ ᴏꜰ ʙʟᴜᴇ ʟᴏᴄᴋ, ʀᴏᴍᴄᴏᴍ, ᴄʀᴀᴄᴋ, ꜱʟᴏᴡʙᴜʀɴ ᴛᴀɢꜱ/ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢꜱ: - ꜱʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴘʀᴏꜰᴀɴɪᴛɪᴇꜱ - ꜱʟᴏᴡʙᴜʀɴ (ᴀɢᴀɪɴ) - ʀɪᴅɪᴄᴜʟᴏᴜꜱ ꜱᴄᴇɴᴀʀɪᴏꜱ ɪɴ ᴛʜɪꜱ ꜰɪᴄ ʟɪᴋᴇ ʙʀɪᴇꜰ ᴍᴇɴᴛɪᴏɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ᴄʀᴜꜱʜ-ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴏʙꜱᴇꜱꜱɪᴏɴ (ᴄᴏʟʟᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ɪᴛᴇᴍꜱ ʀᴇᴏ ᴜꜱᴇᴅ) - ᴍᴏꜱᴛʟʏ ꜰᴏᴄᴜꜱᴇᴅ ᴏɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ'ꜱ ᴘᴏᴠ - ʀᴇᴏ ᴀɴᴅ ɴᴀɢɪ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ᴇᴀᴄʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ʜᴇʀᴇ - ᴀ ᴠᴇʀʏ ᴄʟɪꜰꜰʜᴀɴɢᴇʀ ᴡ/ ᴀ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴛᴡɪꜱᴛ ᴇɴᴅɪɴɢ!

a/n: credits to @/chachachannah for the divider! also, here's my reference to keep you guided from the story! <33

word count: 4k+

You woke up to the sound of your alarm clock blaring at full volume, jolting you from the last shred of sleep you were trying to hold onto. With a groan, you slammed your hand down on the loud thing, desperately wishing for five more minutes—until the realization hit you like a truck.

Late. For the third time.

"Ugh, not again!" you moaned, sitting up and rubbing your eyes. There was no getting out of it now, so you stretched your arms above your head with a yawn, trying to shake off the sleepiness still clinging to your bones. You grabbed your alarm clock, and your eyes went wide—7:56 AM.

“Oh, come on!” you yelped, tossing the clock back onto your nightstand. With your class starting at 8:30 AM, and knowing how your track record was with morning rushes, you were in trouble. A third tardy meant community service, and you were so not looking forward to that.

You scrambled out of bed, taking a quick shower, threw on your school uniform, grabbing socks you could find and barely caring if they matched—then ran through your usual morning routine like you were on fast forward. A quick glance at the clock told you it was already 8:12 AM as you dashed out the door, backpack slung over one shoulder, a half-buttered slice of toast hanging from your mouth like some sort of bad cliché.

By the time you made it to school, your lungs were burning, and you half-jogged, half-limped down the hall to your class. You practically threw yourself into your seat, heart hammering in your chest, only to hear the dreaded words that made your stomach sink.

“You're late again. Ms. (L/N),” your teacher announced, staring at you over the rim of her glasses.

You let out a defeated sigh, sinking deeper into your chair. There was no point arguing. With a heavy heart, you accepted the inevitable. Five minutes later, a bucket and mop were shoved into your hands, and you were sent to clean the basketball court, which looked as massive as it felt unfair.

The gym was buzzing with noise, and you immediately noticed a group of guys playing basketball at the far end. Thankfully, they were mostly sticking to the main court, so you shuffled to the sidelines, hoping to stay out of the way. Grumbling under your breath, you dipped the mop into the soapy water, determined to get this over with as quickly as possible.

Scrub. Scrub. Scrub.

Lost in the monotonous rhythm, you almost forgot you were surrounded by other students. That is, until something, or rather, someone—caught your attention.

You looked up, pausing mid-scrub, your eyes widening at the sight of a boy with lavender-colored hair tied back into a small, messy bun. A few loose strands framed his face, swaying as he moved with ease across the court. He was laughing with his friends, clearly enjoying the game, and for a moment, you were completely starstruck.

He was… handsome. No, stunning. Actually, more like gorgeous in that “doesn’t even try” kind of way. The sight of him had you frozen, mop still in hand, staring like a deer caught in headlights. It was only when something hard smacked against your forehead that you snapped back to reality.

"Oof!" You yelped, stumbling backward and landing square on your butt. Your mop clattered to the floor, and you clutched your forehead in shock, rubbing the sore spot where the ball had hit you.

A shadow fell over you, and you looked up—right into those same lavender eyes. The boy was standing over you, a look of concern creasing his features as he crouched down to your level.

“Oh no, are you okay?” he asked, his voice a mix of worry and relief. Your heart did a weird little flip in your chest, and you could only manage to stutter a response.

“Y-y-yeah, I’m… I’m fine!” you blurted, flushing a shade of pink that was, frankly, so embarrassing. He gave you a quick once-over, clearly skeptical, before his expression softened into a smile that made your insides go warm and fuzzy.

“Alright,” he said, “but you might want to avoid cleaning while there are people playing. Wouldn’t want to get hit again, yes?” He chuckled, offering you his hand. You took it. Mind absolutely blank and he helped you to your feet like it was no big deal.

"Thanks," you managed, still rubbing your sore head. He raised an eyebrow.

"You sure you're okay?"

"Yes, yes!" you insisted, probably a little too loudly. "Thank you… for, um, helping." You had never been so aware of your own voice cracking.

He nodded and gave a lighthearted laugh, shaking his head, then jogged back to his friends who were already teasing him for playing like a “hero”. You watched him go, feeling like a complete idiot for forgetting how words worked.

Your mop was dripping onto your shoes by the time you remembered what you were supposed to be doing. With a sigh, you picked it up, threw a last glance over your shoulder at the boy with the lavender hair, and dragged yourself out of the gym.

As soon as you were out of sight, you burst into giggles, replaying the moment over and over in your head. It was only then that you smacked your forehead with your palm.

“How could I forget to ask his name?” you muttered to yourself, feeling both giddy and frustrated. You just hoped, hoped, you’d see him again. It was a big school, sure, but fate had to be on your side.

With that thought, you headed to the storage closet to return the cleaning supplies, barely noticing the goofy grin that refused to leave your face.

You made your way back to your locker, still buzzing from the unexpected (and embarrassing) encounter in the gym. The dull clang of locker doors and the chatter of students filled the hallway as you spun the combination on your lock, half-distracted by your own thoughts. You couldn’t get that lavender-haired boy out of your mind, the way he’d smiled and laughed after the incident that happened earlier.

With a quiet hum, you opened the locker, grabbing the textbooks you’d need for the rest of the day. You were just about to shut it when, out of the corner of your eye, you noticed him—the lavender-haired guy. He was coming down the hall, heading straight for the lockers like you weren’t even there.

Your heart skipped a beat, and in a panic, you ducked behind your locker door, holding your breath like he might somehow hear your rapid heartbeat from a distance. Peeking through the narrow gap between the door and its hinge, you watched him walk closer, your curiosity getting the better of you. He was focused on his own locker, not sparing a glance in your direction. You could feel your face heating up, but you couldn't look away—he was even more handsome up close, and the way the sunlight from the hallway windows caught the loose strands of his hair made him look… almost unreal.

You bit your lip to stifle a smile, hiding your face behind the door as you stole a few more glances. God, he is so handsome, you thought with a quiet huff, shaking your head at yourself. He rummaged around his locker for a few moments, grabbed a few things, then slammed it shut and turned to leave. You let out the breath you were holding, watching him go, when suddenly, you noticed something fall from the stack of books he was carrying - a small, thin card fluttered to the floor.

Before you even thought about it, you were moving. You stepped out of hiding, heart thumping in your chest, and picked it up. It was some sort of ID card. When you turned it over, your eyes widened, and you almost squealed right there in the hallway.

Reo Mikage.

His name is Reo, you slightly gasped, barely able to contain your excitement. Your face split into a grin, and you quickly slipped the ID into the pocket of your skirt, your fingers tingling with glee. You didn’t even care if this technically counted as snooping—you finally had a name to put to the face, and for some reason, that made everything feel a little more real.

With your new discovery tucked away like a secret treasure, you closed your locker and hurried off to class, making it just in time. You slid into your seat at the back of the room, right next to the window, and exhaled a sigh of relief. The teacher was already droning on about something boring and unrelated to your current fascination, but you barely paid attention. Your mind was spinning with possibilities.

I can’t believe I know his name now! Reo Mikage… The words rolled around in your mind like a song you couldn’t stop humming, and before you knew it, you were sneaking out your little diary and a puffy, glittery pen from your backpack. Thankfully, you were tucked away behind a sea of students who were actually taking notes, so you didn’t think the teacher would catch you.

As quietly as you could, you opened your diary to a fresh page, the paper crinkling slightly under your excited fingers. You pulled the ID card out of your pocket, glancing down at Reo’s photo. He looked just as charming on the plastic card as he did in person, and you couldn’t help but smile. It was so stupid, but the idea of returning his ID made your heart race. Maybe it would give you a chance to talk to him again—properly this time, without a ball bouncing off your head.

Giggling softly to yourself, you started writing in the diary, the puffy pen making little sparkly loops and swirls as you jotted down the morning’s events:

| August 4th: - I MET HIM!!! Well… kind of. I don’t even know if “met” is the right word, but it counts anyway :P His name is Reo Mikage, and he’s… honestly, he’s even more handsome up close than I thought he’d be. I can’t believe I got hit in the head with a ball in front of him (that was so fucking embarrassing), but he was so nice about it. I found his ID in the hallway, and I think… I think I’m going to return it after class. I just hope I don’t mess it up this time…

You underlined his name three times, adding a little heart next to it before you even realized what you were doing. Your face burned, but you were too silly to care. You closed the diary with a soft snap and hid it away in your bag, casting a quick glance at the teacher to make sure you hadn’t been caught. Luckily, they were still focused on whatever dull topic they were rambling about.

For the rest of the class, you kept sneaking glances at the ID card, memorizing every detail—his name, the small school emblem, even the tiny scratch near the corner of the plastic. Your fingers twitched with excitement at the thought of returning it, imagining how he’d look at you, hopefully with that same warm smile.

Okay, you got this. You cheered to yourself, your eyes drifting to the clock. Only a few more minutes, and you’d have your chance. You tapped your foot against the floor, anticipation bubbling up inside you like soda fizz.

Finally, the bell rang, and you shot out of your seat with a grin, feeling a rush of adrenaline as you tucked the ID safely back into your skirt pocket. You were going to find Reo Mikage, return his ID, and maybe - start getting to know him a little better.

It felt like the start of something, and you couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

The day was finally over, and you found yourself lingering in the hallway, practically glued to the spot near the lockers where you’d last seen Reo. His ID card felt like it was burning a hole in your pocket, and you fidgeted with the hem of your skirt, glancing around nervously. You told yourself it was no big deal. just return the ID, thank him again, and that’s it. But your heart wouldn’t stop hammering in your chest.

Minutes felt like hours, and you wondered if you should just give up and head home when you saw him. There he was, Reo Mikage, walking down the hallway with that same easygoing smile, chatting on his phone as he approached. You ducked to the side, behind a pillar, and pulled out your lip balm, hurriedly applying it. You checked your reflection in the glass of the trophy case, making sure your hair wasn’t doing anything weird, then smoothed your uniform blouse for good measure and even adjusted the necktie.

Okay, this is it. You took a deep breath, steeled yourself, and stepped out into the hallway, ready to walk right up to him and hand back the ID like a normal person.

But the universe had other plans.

Just as you were about to call out his name, a group of his friends suddenly appeared, coming out of a classroom like they’d been waiting for him. They crowded around him, all loud laughter and friendly teasing, and you felt your stomach drop. Your confidence crumbled, and you spun on your heel, turning sharply back the way you’d come before any of them could spot you.

“Shit,” you muttered under your breath, hurrying back down the hallway. Your cheeks burned with embarrassment, and you didn’t dare look back to see if he’d noticed. There was no way you could approach him with his friends around. It’d be too awkward, and you’d probably just fumble your words again.

You went back to your classroom, feeling a mix of frustration and disappointment. Your backpack was still slung over the back of your chair, and you grabbed it without a second thought, not even bothering to check if you’d left anything behind. You just wanted to get out of there, away from the humiliation of your failed plan.

The bus ride home was a blur. You barely remembered the walk from the stop to your house, and before you knew it, you were in your bedroom, collapsing face-first onto your bed with a groan.

“Why does this have to be so hard?” you mumbled into your pillow, rolling onto your back. You pulled out Reo’s ID, holding it up above you and staring at his name. A part of you wanted to laugh at how dramatic you were being, but it was hard to shake off the sting of disappointment.

That was my chance, you sighed, flipping the ID over in your hand. And I totally blew it.

You dropped the ID onto your nightstand, feeling a wave of frustration. This was not how you imagined it going. You wanted to say something to him, to make a real connection, but instead, you ended up hiding like a coward just because his friends were there. You sighed, but this time - it was a heavy sigh, staring up at the ceiling and feeling sorry for yourself.

But you weren’t about to give up. There were plenty of school days left to try again, right? You had to believe that. Reo didn’t seem like a jerk, and the way he’d helped you earlier made you feel like he was approachable. At least, when he wasn’t surrounded by his friends.

Rolling off your bed, you grabbed your bag and fished out your diary. Sitting cross-legged on your bed, you opened it to a new page, twirling your puffy pen between your fingers as you thought about how to start. The pen’s tip hovered over the paper before you began to write, feeling a little better with every word.

| August 4th: - Today was supposed to be the day I gave Reo his ID back, but of course, things didn’t go the way I planned. I saw him!! He looked even cuter though, but his friends showed up before I could say anything. I had to bail. I just couldn’t do it with all of them around… It felt too awkward. Maybe I’m overthinking it? Ugh, why is talking to a cute guy so hard?!!!

You paused, doodling a small frustrated face in the corner of the page, then continued:

- I brought his ID home with me. I know it’s weird, but I guess it’s a good excuse to talk to him again. I just have to get the timing right. There’s always tomorrow… Or the day after… There’s no rush. I mean, we’re in the same school!!!

You underlined the last sentence twice, trying to convince yourself that you still had plenty of opportunities. With a sigh, you closed the diary and put it back in your bag, feeling a little more determined than you had earlier. It wasn’t the end of the world—just a minor setback.

You stood up and stretched, glancing at Reo’s ID one last time before carefully tucking it back to the small pockets of your bag. Tomorrow would be different. Tomorrow, you’d have a plan. A real plan.

For now, you decided it was enough to just dream a little.

The library was quieter than usual, the kind of silence that made you aware of every little sound. You stepped lightly between the towering bookshelves, scanning the spines until you found the ones you needed. Your teacher’s assignment had been boring at best, but at least it gave you an excuse to slip away from the noisy hallways. After gathering a few books, you finally spotted an empty table tucked away in the corner and made your way over, dropping your books down with a soft thud.

Settling in, you opened the first book and absentmindedly flipped through the pages. It wasn’t long before you felt the hair on the back of your neck prickle, a strange sensation that made you look up.

There he was. Reo.

Sitting just a few tables away, with his back to you. He was hunched slightly, absorbed in whatever he was reading, and his purple hair was the first thing you noticed, pulled back loosely but with a few rebellious strands framing his face. You froze, your breath catching in your throat. You’d hoped for another chance to see him today, but you hadn’t expected it to happen here, so soon.

Quickly, you dug into your pocket, fingers brushing against the cool plastic of his ID. Your first thought was to return it, but then an idea struck—what if you didn’t just return it? What if you confessed when you did? Your heart skipped a beat at the thought, and you couldn’t help but smile, a warmth spreading through your chest.

If I’m going to give it back, I might as well tell him how I feel.

You got so lost in your thoughts that you didn’t realize how long you’d been staring at him until, suddenly, he shifted in his seat. Before you could react, Reo turned halfway around, his eyes scanning the room—almost like he’d sensed you looking. Your heart practically jumped to your throat, and you ducked your head, burying your face in the pages of your book and scribbling down random words to look busy.

Oh my God. Did he just catch me staring?!

Your fingers gripped the pen a little too tightly, the ink smudging on the paper as you tried to steady your nerves. You snuck another glance upward, just to see if he was still looking. Thankfully, he’d turned back to whatever he was doing, completely unaware of your panic. You let out a shaky breath, slumping back in your chair and trying to calm your racing heart.

You felt ridiculous, sitting there like some kind of lovesick cliché, but you couldn’t help it. The way his hair caught the light, the curve of his shoulders, the calm focus on his face as he read. It was impossible not to stare. You watched him for a little while longer, but this time you were more careful, only daring quick glances between turning the pages of your book.

When it seemed safe again, you allowed yourself a tiny, relieved smile. Not today, you told yourself. But soon. You tucked his ID back into your pocket, making a promise to yourself that the next time, the next time for sure—you’d say something. For now, you were content just being close, even if it was only from the other side of a library table.

But little did you know, Reo had actually noticed. He’d caught you staring, and a small chuckle slipped from his lips as he looked away, amused by your flustered attempt to hide.

It was lunchtime, and the cafeteria buzzed with the familiar sounds of laughter and chatter. You sat at a table with your friends, enjoying your meal while they talked about everything from weekend plans to the latest gossip. You joined in, trying to keep your focus, but your gaze kept drifting toward Reo.

There he was, sitting a few tables away with his friends, their laughter contagious. It was hard not to admire the way he carried himself, he's so charming and full of life. Your friends were busy chatting, but you couldn’t help but steal glances at Reo, your heart fluttering each time he laughed.

As luck would have it, Reo and his friends soon finished their lunch. They got up, trays in hand, and made their way toward the exit. Just then, your eyes caught something shiny on the table. An opened sachet of ketchup, likely left by Reo himself!

A wild idea popped into your head. Without a second thought, you excused yourself from your friends. “I’ll be right back!” you said, trying to sound casual. You tiptoed over to the table, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. After all, you were about to commit a minor act of ketchup theft. With a quick, triumphant swipe, you grabbed the sachet and tucked it into the pocket of your skirt, feeling like a secret agent on a mission.

When you returned to your friends, you played it cool, sliding back into the conversation as if nothing had happened. They didn’t suspect a thing, and you could barely contain your glee.

After school, you hurried home, a bubbling excitement within you. The first thing you did was pull out your diary, feeling like this was a moment worth documenting. You took the now-cleaned sachet of ketchup from your pocket, holding it up like it was a rare artifact.

“Okay, time to unleash my inner artist!” you declared to no one in particular, grinning at your reflection in the mirror.

August 7th -Today, I officially became a ketchup thief! I might have stolen a piece of Reo’s lunch, and I have the evidence!!!!

Carefully, you took out some tape and stuck the sachet onto the page, making sure it was secure. You then drew little hearts around it, writing beneath it:

-This ketchup once belonged to the coolest guy in school! It's none other than Reo <333

With each word, you felt a sense of joy and silliness wash over you. You couldn’t help but laugh at how ridiculous this all was. You added some doodles of ketchup bottles and even a little Reo caricature, complete with his lavender hair.

Days had slipped by, and you still hadn’t made a single move towards talking to Reo. Tennis practice for your PE project had completely taken over, leaving you barely any time to catch a glimpse of him. You hadn’t seen him in what felt like forever, and each day without a Reo sighting only added to your restlessness.

But today was different. It was the day of the tennis match, and this one was graded, so you had to give it your all. The gym was buzzing with energy as both your section and another were joining together for the event, and as luck would have it, that other section was Reo’s. You could barely hold back a smile at the thought of finally seeing him after days of missed chances.

The first match got underway with the initial groups, followed by the second group—your group. When it was your turn, you felt an extra surge of energy, mostly from the thought that Reo might be watching. You were surprisingly good at tennis today, maybe because every time you looked up, you caught sight of Reo, and it pushed you to play your best. Sure enough, during a break in the game, you found him in the crowd, watching intently, which only made you play harder, maybe even a little showy, if you were being honest with yourself.

After your match wrapped up, you sat on the gym benches, catching your breath and taking a long sip from your tumbler as you watched the third group—the one with Reo. And wow, he was good, really good. Every swing, every serve, was effortless. Your heart was practically doing somersaults just watching him, and you found yourself leaning forward, totally captivated.

Once his match finished, you sat back, sipping from your tumbler, mind still hazy from both your own match and his. As you were trying to play it cool, Reo unexpectedly plopped down beside you on the bench. He had his drink in one hand, scrolling through his phone with the other. He took a long sip through his straw, eyes on his screen, but then, out of nowhere, he glanced up, catching your eye. And just like that, he gave you a small, casual smile. It was nothing—just a friendly look, really, but your heart skipped like it was the first time anyone had ever looked at you.

You managed a smile back, trying to keep your cool, but inside you were a mess of fluttering feelings. He stood up, almost immediately, his phone pressed to his ear as he answered a call and began pacing a little ways off. And just then, a ridiculous, maybe even bold, idea crept into your mind.

Carefully, you glanced at his drink. There it was, the straw, just sitting there in his cup, practically calling your name. With one last look to make sure he was still focused on his call, you reached out, holding your breath, and snatched the straw from his drink in one swift, stealthy motion. You stuffed it into the pocket of your polo shirt and slipped away as quietly as you could manage.

As you exited the gym, you couldn’t help but look back. Reo had returned to his seat, reached for his drink, and paused, looking down with a confused expression. “What in the…?” Reo murmured, staring at his drink with the now missing straw.

Suppressing a giggle, you made your way out of the gym, heart racing, hands practically shaking as you patted your pocket, feeling the slim outline of the straw. It was the most random, ridiculous souvenir of your little crush, and you couldn’t wait to tape it into your diary as a memento of today’s small funny victory.

As soon as you got home, you plopped right down at your work desk, feeling that restless excitement still bubbling up. You dug into your bag, pulling out your diary and—of course—the straw. Reo’s straw. You giggled to yourself as you taped it to a new page and started writing down all the moments from today, from the match to that tiny, electric smile he gave you. Every little detail went in, making you smile even more as you remembered it all.

But as you wrote, an idea crept up on you, a mix of nerves and courage. Maybe you should just go ahead and confess to Reo. You were getting crazier about him every day, so why not? With a new burst of energy, you grabbed a fresh piece of paper, writing a short but sweet confession. It was simple: you told him you liked him, mentioned that you’d found his ID, and said you wanted to give it back to him with a little something extra—your true feelings.

Once the note was done, you slipped it into a small pink envelope along with his ID. To make it special, you sprayed a touch of sweet vanilla perfume onto the envelope, then sealed it with a shy smile. Before slipping it into your bag for tomorrow, you gave the envelope a tiny kiss, hoping that would add just the right touch. With a mix of excitement and jitters, you spent the rest of the evening in a daze, waiting for tomorrow.

The next day, as soon as you got to school, you felt that familiar mix of butterflies and determination. Today was the day. Clutching the envelope, you scanned the hallway until you spotted him—Reo, standing at his locker, skimming through his notes. You took a deep breath, steadying yourself as you made your way toward him.

But just as you got closer, fate threw in a twist. From around the corner, a tall, white-haired guy appeared, eyes glued to something he was playing on his phone. Before you could stop yourself, your gaze locked with his for the briefest second. His eyes were striking, intense, and something about him seemed to pull you in, leaving you momentarily stunned. But he was the first to look away, walking on like he hadn’t even noticed.

Caught off guard, you looked back over your shoulder, watching the white-haired guy disappear down the hall, and for a second, you couldn’t help but feel a strange flutter in your chest. You didn’t even notice when your hand loosened, and the pink envelope slipped quietly from your grip, falling to the ground.

By the time you snapped out of it, the white-haired guy had vanished, leaving you standing there with an odd sense of curiosity and excitement. You didn’t even realize the envelope was gone as you slowly wandered down the hall, following where he’d disappeared.

Meanwhile, back at the lockers, Reo had glanced up, looking around like he’d sensed something. He spotted the little pink envelope lying on the floor, curiosity piquing as he crouched down to pick it up. As he turned it over, he caught sight of your name written in neat handwriting: “From: (Y/N) (L/N), To: Reo Mikage”.

For a moment, he scanned the hallway, his eyes searching, looking for you…but you were already gone. He held the envelope in his hand, unsure of what it might mean, the hint of a smile just barely tugging at his lips as he wondered what you’d left for him.

You’d never even know if he’d read it at all.

a/n: proofread this for like 10 times now.

likes, reblogs, comments are appreciated!

[ash5monster01]

Learning to Love Part 9

Pairing: Rafe Cameron x FemReader!PlusSize

Warnings: 18+, langauge, angst, fluff, mentions of bullying, body image issues, fat shaming, fake relationship, eventual smut, minor enemies to lovers trope.

Summary: It's not uncommon for you to be shamed for your size, it is however uncommon to be told that no one would ever date you because of it. Rafe on the other hand is used to being called a jerk, that is until he is accused of seeing people for only what's on the surface. It's purely coicidental you two meet right after these accusations are thrown your way. So even though you two don't know each other, and probably never would've looked the others way before this, now you're both going to prove a point. It's simple really, prove others wrong and don't fall in love. Easier said than done.

word count: 2.3k

Part 8 ←→ Part 10

Masterlist

You’re not entirely sure where you are when consciousness reaches you. All you know is your head is pounding, there’s a hand around your waist, and your phone is louder than it has ever been. Blindly reaching for it you find the object vibrating against the night stand before grabbing it and pulling it to your ear.

“Hello?” you groan out, your voice sounding too loud even.

“Where are you? The bar is opening in twenty minutes and Randy has the day off. It’s a Sunday, I cannot work this shift without you” Mila’s words sober you up in an instant and you shoot up in the bed, the hand on your waist falling off.

“Shit, okay I’m on my way” you tell her before hanging up. That’s when you realize you’re naked. Bare as the day you were born and it has your head swiveling to spot the just as naked man beside you.

“Fuck” you whisper out and quickly rush to grab your things. Rafe doesn’t even flinch which proves he was just as drunk as you. Only bits and pieces of the night was still there but if you had to guess, you had sex with Rafe.

You stumble into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door before turning the shower on. You look like hangover and smell like sex, and were definitely going to be late for work. So you shower in record time, using majority of the tiny shampoo and conditioner the hotel provided. You accept your hair will be a mess when the comb provided barely pulls through your wet hair. It’s then you realize you have to pull your dress on from last night and embark on the walk of shame once again.

“Rafe, I have to go” you poke the boy after you’re dressed. He’s laid in bed but he doesn’t even react to your touch. Shoving him a few more times you plead. “I’m going to be late for work”

A low groan came from his mouth before rolling over and revealing his bare ass to you. You gasp out and turn away, accepting he wasn’t going to be moving anytime soon. So you grab your purse and order the uber you remember wanting last night. Once in the lobby you see your ride already waiting and rush to it before people can recognize you’re wearing what you had on the night before.

Sighing it’s not long until you pull up to the bar that is just about to open for lunch hours. Before any customers can arrive you rush in to find Mila working feverishly behind the bar to set up today’s workload. She barely realizes you’re there until you step behind the bar and go to enter the kitchen and find your office.

“Maybe we should start packing overnight bags for work parties” she teases and you rolls your eyes, in search of coffee and food.

“What’s the fun in that?” you tell her before slipping into the kitchen and ignoring the looks your employees gave you. Once locked in your office you find the spare set of work clothes packed away and quickly change. When you swing your door back open, Eddie the head chef is standing in front of it with coffee and a bagel.

“You might need this” he says and you take it with a smile, thanking him, even though you are now morbidly embarrassed for doing the walk of shame in front of people you had to lead.

“Gonna tell me about last night?” Mila asks once you’re back behind the bar, a quarter of the bagel already stuffed in your mouth.

“If I can remember it, sure” and she gasps at you and that’s when you’re hit with the memory of the elevator ride. Rafe’s hands on your hips and how he had squeezed your ass. Mila watches as realization crosses your face. “Oh God”

“Okay, now you have to tell me” she says and more floods back, him pulling you into the room. How he had undressed you and how good his hands and mouth had felt all over you. How you had pulled his pants down so eagerly. How he had his head inbetween your legs.

“Damnit, we had sex” and Mila doesn’t understand your disappointment before letting out a squeal and jumping up and down like a school girl.

“This is so great!” she squeaks, coming to squeeze your arms but then she catches the forlorn look painted on your face.

“Mila I barely remember it and on top of that what if he didn’t like it and I was too drunk to notice” you pout and she rolls her eyes before crossing her arms.

“Of course he liked it, I mean what did he say this morning” and you give her a sheepish look that has her gasping out loud.

“You snuck out on him!” she gives your arm a quick whack and you yelp before holding where she hit you.

“It wasn’t like that, you called freaking out and I couldn’t get him to wake up. I was already running late so I just called an uber and sent him a text explaining why” Mila was burying her face in her hands and groaning at her silly best friend. She didn’t care if she was late if it meant her best friend was finally comfortable enough to be with another man.

“That don’t matter, you snuck out after he slept with you. Now he thinks you regret it” Mila tells you and the realization dawns on you. You did sneak out like he was just some one night stand which is so not true.

“Fuck” you groan before leaning on the counter and dropping your head into your arms. You had been in love with Rafe this entire time and you always thought he’d be the one to screw it up. Not you.

“Listen, don’t lose all hope. I’ll see if Randy can come in and you just go and see him” Mila says as she pulls out her phone to already text Randy and beg him to come in on his day off. He would more than likely say yes, Mila had that kind of effect on people.

“I don’t know what to say to him. Hey glad we slept together, don’t take me sneaking out as I didn’t like it” you wished more than anything that you could tell her the truth right now. That it was never real, the relationship was fake and you were the one stupid enough to catch feelings and sleep with the guy. Any chance of keeping him for real was now long gone.

“No, just say you didn’t want to leave but had an emergency here. Once everything was covered you made sure to come back and see him” she says setting a reassuring hand on your back and you sigh.

“I don’t know why I just don’t think sometimes” you groan and she presses her lips together as she gives you a quick hug.

“It’s new to you, trusting someone like that. Just explain that to him” she says and you can only smile at your dearest friend, the one who has always been there for you. Loved you no matter your size.

“Thanks Mila” you tell her and she grins, squeezing you closer, and for once you realize that even if Rafe does break your heart at least you have the best friend in the world to help pick up the pieces.

It takes Randy only an hour to get to your shift and by then you’re in full panic mode. Rafe still hadn’t texted you back and to you that was a sign that he was mad. Whether it was about you sneaking out or the fact he slept with you, you weren’t sure. It was scary either way. Which is why you rush into his condo entrance in a rush.

“Miss Y/N, so glad to see you” the doorman Robert says to you. Rafe had made sure he knew who you were so you’d have no issues getting to his floor.

“Yeah you too Robert, hey do you know if Rafe is home?” you ask, a bit panicked, and knowing your eyes darting around the lobby made it look like something bad happened.

“I’m sorry hun but I haven’t seen him, figured he had a rough night at that party. That’s how it usually goes” he says and you somehow manage to crack a smile.

“That’s true, thanks Robert” you tell him and he nods as you rush back out of the condo complex and back to Mila’s car that she let you borrow. You know Rafe wasn’t still at the hotel, that wasn’t his style. So you set off in the direction of his work, knowing only he would find time to finish work on a Sunday.

Getting into Rafe’s building is much more difficult than the condo. Yet thankfully the woman at the front desk recognizes you and you assume only for being shocked to see you with Rafe in the first place. By the time you’re in the elevator you’re freaking out, unsure of what to say to him as you reach his now empty work floor. Heading towards his office you see his office has the door cracked open. Yet before you push it fully open, a familiar voice stops you.

“Can’t believe you’re still with that girl” you freeze against the door, heart thumping wildly. You lean forward to see those perfect long legs crossed and revealing too much thigh in the tight pencil skirt. If the voice wasn’t a dead giveaway, the blond hair sure as hell was. AJ.

“Come on AJ, she’s a sweet girl. You gotta know that by now” Rafe’s familiar voice envelopes you and your heart instantly slows. It’s in this moment you realize it wasn’t the alcohol that convinced you to trust him last night. You already did. He knew you, and you weren’t afraid anymore to let him see that.

“Well of course I do Rafe, that doesn’t change the fact she’s a big girl” yes you had judged AJ for her looks, because she was perfect. Yet with how nice she had been to you, you didn’t expect this.

“Well obviously AJ, she is a big girl but she’s got a big heart to match. It’s not always about the looks” Rafe’s defense has you calming down but it doesn’t change the fact you’re hearing a conversation you didn’t want to be apart of. Hearing how he didn’t find you attractive.

“But isn’t it? I mean you of all people would never date a big girl, hell based on the way you throw me around the bedroom I’m surprised you’re even still with her” and there’s the kicker, the pierce in your heart. Rafe was still sleeping with AJ. This whole time. Sneaking around with the perfect skinny blonde girl just to be able to deal spending time with you.

“Listen, I have never been attracted to big girls-” but you don’t want to hear anymore. You don’t want to hear about all the ways AJ was so much better than you and you had let Rafe sleep with you when all along he was sleeping with her. So as the silent tears stream down your face you rush away before you hear any of the vile things Rafe has to say. Thing was, you didn’t hear the best part.

“But I don’t know why! I mean AJ, she’s so beautiful. All of the time, and her laugh, it makes my heart flutter everytime. If I could make her laugh forever I would. I spent so long thinking there was this ideal standard of a girl to be with and up until now I realize that isn’t true. It’s not about looks. No one is truly beautiful until you love them for all the pieces that make them who they are. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love until now” Rafe is grinning by the time he’s done talking and AJ chuckles.

“Well would you look at that, Rafe’s gone all soft” and Rafe is rolling his eyes at one of his oldest friends. Someone he never truly loved like that either.

“I guess that’s just what happens when you meet the right one” Rafe tells her and AJ shrugs before sitting up.

“Well softie, don’t work too hard. It’s Sunday and I know that’s the tux you wore to the party last night. I’ll see you in the morning” AJ says as she uncrosses her legs and pushes the chair back. Rafe watches as she leaves the office and smiles with his mind still on you.

That’s when his phone finally buzzes to life on his desk, the charger connected to his computer finally providing power to text you back after this morning. He was a little hurt you weren’t there, but it was you. He knew you had good reason. Which is true when he is met with the text you had sent him this morning. Before he can respond though, another one comes through.

“What the fuck”

Taglist: @sublimepenguinpeach-blog @fishingirl12 @houseofperfecttaste @abbybarnesstuff @carma-fanficaddict @jjmaybankisbae @exhaustedbutelated @diagnosedpsychosis @daivny @drewstarkeygf @vinniehackersbaee @emsgoodthinkin @apollo3475 @https-urwife @willowalexissss @kisstaya @hcneyedsstuff @lexiereblogs @drewsuncrustables @mveggieburger @marvel4life3000 @bibliophilewednesday @humungouspatrolwolf @ijustwanttoreadlols @jaijustreads @sleepjam @dilvcv @aaronhotchswife @sunshine1218 @lavenderhazeq @theultimatefrenchfangirl @kravitzwhore @chalahyung01 @jenniferpendragon @kitty-marie725 @dlwritings

Comment if you want to be added to the taglist :))

[the-littlest-lily]

30 Days of G/t Self Care

I'm not fully sure where this idea came from, but here we go! I do enjoy a fun little daily challenge, and like most things my mind went to “but how can I make it G/t?” And here we are! Just in time for the new year, a 30 day self care challenge but… sizey. I wanted to make an actual calendar thing, just in time for the new year (though it can be started at any time, it's not specific to January). Check the days off, spread them out over a longer time, pick out just the ones that speak to you, whatever you want to do 😊 Here's the guide to go with it.

Day 1. Set aside a few minutes to take some deep breaths and focus on the present moment. To help ground yourself, perhaps wrap yourself in a blanket and imagine you are in a large, lovingly grasping hand, or hold a small item and imagine it's a tiny friend.

Day 2. Revisit some nostalgic G/t media. What first got you into this? Let yourself reminisce and remember why you love this in the first place.

Day 3. Make G/t art. It can be anything! Drawing, writing, crochet, pottery, you name it. No need to hold yourself to a certain standard or show anyone else, just take some time to be creative. Even if you don't deem yourself an artist, give it a shot and see if you enjoy it!

Day 4. Relax with a word search puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 5. Try out this journal prompt. If you could be tiny/big at will, what types of things would you do to relax? How might you extrapolate from this and apply it to your real life?

Day 6. Stretch your body today. What imaginary setting could you give yourself to make it G/t? Are you surrounded by gigantic furniture in your mind’s eye? Perhaps the yoga video on your phone helps you pretend you have a tiny instructor?

Day 7. Listen to some G/t music. This could be anything, from sizey music videos to songs with sizey lyrics to the Arietty soundtrack.

Day 8. Practice gratitude by listing out all the little things you're thankful for. (See what I did there?) Add some big things to the list for good measure.

Day 9. Practice stepping out of your comfort zone a little bit by talking about G/t, out loud if you’re able. Whether it's discussing with a friend (you brave soul), recording yourself on your phone (you can immediately delete it), or just mumbling to yourself in the shower. Maybe you’ll realize you want to make a G/t podcast and we all win!

Day 10. Here's a little creative prompt. Arrange everyday items to make a G/t scene (use toys, miniatures, or even fashion a tiny person out of paperclips or paper). Take a picture, share it if you like!

Day 11. Create a cozier space today to enjoy your G/t content. Grab some blankets, make yourself a snack or some tea, light some candles, whatever sounds nice to you. Sometimes it's making a mundane moment special!

Day 12. Make yourself something healthy to eat. While you prepare it, imagine how different the task might be to carry out if you were very big or very small. Maybe even have some fun making your snack in miniature too.

Day 13. Try out some affirmations today and see if you can make them both sizey and relevant to your life. Ideas of mantras could be “I am allowed to take up space,” “I choose to appreciate the little things today,” “I will achieve great things through small steps.”

Day 14. Go out into nature for some fresh air. Lean in close and pay attention to the small details, perhaps imagining a shrunken version of yourself or a small friend exploring.

Day 15. Challenge yourself to learn a new skill today to bring your Gt ideas to life. Maybe it's learning how to code, or making your own VR avatar, or learning a new art tool or technique. It's finally time to watch that tutorial you've been saving! 

Day 16. Pull out your dream journal, or start up a new one! Maybe we’ll figure out the whole lucid dreaming thing and come close to experiencing Gt, wouldn't that be the dream~ If this doesn't resonate with you, maybe start a journal to jot down your Gt daydreams instead!

Day 17. Relax with a crossword puzzle. I made a G/t themed one for you right here!

Day 18. Try to cross a few to dos off your to do list someday. Make it more fun by adding in some joke tasks in there, like “leave out a snack for the fairies” or “prep for borrowing trip tonight” or “meet with giant friend for coffee.” Maybe even schedule some real life Gt tasks - such as “work on chapter 2 of (Gt story you're writing)” or “plan a VRC hangout”.

Day 19. It's time to dress the part! Is there any way you can dress up or accessorize yourself in a sizey way? Maybe you have an oversized hoodie, or a necklace of a tiny Eiffel tower, or an old shirt with Tinkerbell on it. Did you know you can actually buy Arietty’s giant hair clip thing? Or if this better scratches your creative itch, maybe your objective is to make tiny accessories for a toy or figurine.

Day 20. Take some time to rest. Just allow yourself to lay down in a quiet, cozy setting for at least a few minutes and have some dedicated G/t daydreaming. 

Day 21. Try out a new exercise routine and use your G/t imaginings to make it more fun. Watching a new workout video? You’re a giant visiting the gym and that's your human instructor on the screen. Spontaneous dance session in your room? You're a fairy frolicking in a field of enormous wildflowers. Going for a swim? You're actually crossing a vast ocean, or maybe a small glass of water.

Day 22. Check out a new G/t story. Not a big reader normally? Just give it a shot!

Day 23. Give yourself a pamper night, whatever that means for you - face masks, cucumber water, a warm drink, candles, the works. Pamper night (face masks and stuff)

Day 24. Make or buy something for your G/t interests (miniatures or toys, “max”iature like a giant flower pillow, fairy-themed stationary, make a giant paper mache strawberry, etc)

Day 25. Relax with a coloring page. You can use any of your favorite artist’s lineart (just make sure to get permission and/or proper attribution if you want to post it). Here's an example option from me.

Day 26. Make a list of all the things you love about G/t. It's always nice to remember the various ways this interest might benefit our lives.

Day 27. Motivate yourself to try out a new hobby by making it G/t. Take that pottery class you've been meaning to take and make a giant acorn-shaped mug. Get into cosplay so you can dress up as a borrower. Dabble with watercolors and you may end up becoming a G/t artist. Study a new language and enjoy new sizey media you couldn't understand before. Whatever speaks to you! 

Day 28. Do a favor for your future self and make a self care kit for when you're having a hard time. This could include a journal or affirmation cards, or perhaps some grounding items like fidget toys, stress balls and mints. Add a little something G/t in there too. Perhaps some kind of miniature with an interesting texture, or a fidget toy in the shape of a person, or a stuffed animal of a giant ladybug to hug. 

Day 29. An act of kindness can do wonders for our mental health. Send someone in the G/t community a kind comment today, whether it's a long-time friend, someone you just met in a Discord group, or a comment to your favorite G/t artist. 

Day 30. Reflect on all the activities you’ve tried during this self care challenge and journal about it. What have you learned about yourself? What might you incorporate more into your self care routines going forward? Pat yourself on the back for investing some time and attention into yourself - you deserve it!

[ax-y10]

musician! bur mood board and headcanons

so, i've decided that i am going to be impatient and make headcanons for the inages and how they relate to musician! bur.

i also may or may not have chosen the images with the intent of making headcanons.

oh, and the layout for the order of the photos: first row: 1, 2, 3 second row: 4, 5, 6 third row: 7, 8, 9

anyways, headcanons below the cut:

1. "your voice is my favourite sound"

when wilbur is stuck in a writer's block, he'll listen more intently to when you talk and what you're talking about.

if he thinks it can be used in a song, he'll definitely record the conversation without you knowing.

he'll hint at the fact he wants to use that conversation as backing vocals and such, saying "your voice is my favourite sound" and will casually take a photo of you when you blush at his sly remark.

he wants to make sure every rant, conversation, and random sentences you voice are recorded in history, whether it be in his songs, on his phone, or stored on his computer to listen to as he works.

2. "everything's better with a little background music"

he will say this when you both are doing domestic activities, beabadoobee or the arctic monkeys playing on his speaker

"everything's better with a little background music" when you're washing the dishes, maintaining the lawn, when he's playing guitar for you in his room, when he shouts over the running water of the shower

he lives by this motto. it's constantly uttered every other minute of the day.

absolutely somehow pisses of his bandmates by bringing you on tour and muttering "everything's better with a little background music" at midnight to keep you awake, and just hearing mark shout "wilbur! shut up!"

3. "but wilbur! it's cool!"

one day, you had a need to take photos and keep them to look at later. one of the victims was wilbur's record collection and his headphones

you hadn't brought it up with him, but once he walked into the room with you positioning the headphones and touching his record collection, of course he was going to be anxious. that's his favourite collection!

"y/n! what are you doing?" he said, frantic, almost startling you. "i'm taking photos, wil," it didn't ease him at all. "yes! but i love that collection! please don't touch them!" you paused. "but wilbur! it's cool!"

when you showed you the photo later, he was over-joyed and begged you to make more. as long as you didn't hurt his music.

4. "you look pretty..."

it was a date, and you'd both decided that you were going to go record shopping so you could expand your own collection. wilbur's excuse was that "the atmosphere in the stores are cool! you have to see it!"

wilbur had his phone out the entire time, even though you had asked him to put it away because you felt awkward

you heard him utter "you look pretty..." while you were sifting through different records, immediately looking up at him and seeing a bright flash

when you got home, you saw a different background on his phone. it was the photo he took of you when he called you pretty.

5. "wilbur. smile!"

you were trying to take photos of him after lovejoy performed a gig, but he either wasn't staying still, was somewhere different to you or had the most default expression on his face.

"darling, hold on. let me put my stuff away then you can take a photo," you would not take such disrespect /j

"wilbur. stop real quick" and he stilled, and looked at you, so very unimpressed, so you took a funny photo of him through a small fit of giggles

"wilbur. smile!" you said, hoping to get a better photo, but he walked off, clearly exhausted from the day. so you joined him in bed while showing him all the photos you had of him. he fell asleep...

6. "music heals"

his birthday was coming up soon and you desperately needed to get him a gift. you thought a guitar pick would be perfect because all of his current picks were slowly being worn down from constant playing.

you found a website online that made custom picks, and you were grateful that they were uk based, making it easier to get it shipped to where you lived on time.

you got "music heals" engraved onto the pick, because it was what you always said when wilbur has in a rough spot. and he always ran to get his guitar and happily played for himself while you watched with soft eyes.

when he got it, he cried genuine 'i love you' tears. immediately engulfing you in a bear hug, he pressed soft, loving kisses across your face

7. "you've made a mess!"

for months, you sat in wilburs room with him, watching random videos he had on his phone and listening to silly stories from when they record in the studio

so the first day you go in there to watch in person, you were shocked by what the group left at the end of each rehearsal, specifically wilbur.

mark, joe, and ash all cleaned up after themselves at the end of the studio session, but wilbur left his things on the ground, leaving more mess for everyone else to clean up. you quickly snapped a phot and walked up to wilbur, holding the phone close to his face.

"you've made a mess!" you said, faux angry, clearly meant to be a snarky remark, but wilbur showed the opposite effect. "yes, sweetheart. i'll clean it up in a second," you had to clean it up because he fell asleep

8. "i love it!"

it was after a lovejoy gig when a small meet and greet had created itself. everyone either had a gift for wilbur or wanted to take a photo.

every gift he got, he replied with an enthusiastic "thank you so much!" but one gift stuck out to both you and wilbur.

at this specific gig, you were at his side, half asleep and leaning against him. wilbur would bring every gift into your line of view and you'd give a small smile.

but this gift was a drawing of a record player and a record on it, the small spotify listening line at the bottom. his loud "i love it!" broke you out of your sleepy state, and yet again, another gift was in your eyesight. "i love it!" you'd say, before dragging his ass to bed.

9. "without music, life would be a mistake"

yet again, this is another quote of wilbur's, and is specifically uttered when he feels like shit and is listening to music.

when you both are on a flight with lovejoy, on a car ride with the sorry boys, or simply walking somewhere, you share headphones, and you both listen to his music.

you can sense when he feels like shit, so you whisper under your breath, looking up at him "without music, life would be a mistake" which immediately causes him to look down at you.

with shock in his eyes at the sudden string of words, his flat expression is replaced with a small smile, and he mutters the words back to you, pressing a kiss to your forehead before continuing to listen.

[brailsthesmolgurl]

“Wake up”

Preview: How the boys usually wake up, either on their own or with you by their side.

Zayne

“What time would you like to meet tomorrow?” He is the type to set only ONE alarm the night before. Even if he has less than 8 hours of sleep, he would still get out from bed the moment the alarm rings. He is a very disciplined man given his profession and he is probably used to working 24 hour shifts during hospital overload seasons. When staying alone, Zayne is very much the early bird. He likes to wake up an hour early prior to get ready for any plans he has for the rest of the day. Even on the days when he is not required to be at the hospital, he would much prefer waking up to his daily dose of Vitamin D and enjoying the breaths of fresh morning air. A little light workout in the morning never hurts for this doctor to keep himself in shape as well.

When he is with you, he might laze in a little more. “It’s alright, you should rest more.” He would say something along these lines, running his large palms from the top of your head and down your back, soothing your warm skin with his icy touch. He enjoys waking up earlier than you sometimes and just watch your undulating breaths as you dreamed. If he is lucky, he might catch you sleeptalking and might record your voice on his phone so he could ask you what you were dreaming of just a while ago. He would never wake you up against your will. A little twist of your lips or a little frown would get him to back off immediately, not wanting to ruin such a peaceful moment of yours when for most of the days, he can only get to deal with your hyped personality. “Sweet dreams my angel.”

Xavier

Never really the one to be waking up from his dreamscape. When he is within the solidarity of his own home, he would sleep whenever he pleases. Morning or night, daylight or moonlight, he does not care. He can practically sleep anywhere; sleeping while reading at his balcony, sleeping right next to his dirty dish after he had finished eating on the countertop, sleeping right when he is about to finish his business on the loo. The possibilities of waking him up are endless as Xavier is such a sleepy boy. Funnily enough, he has a guilty pleasure for his sleeping routine on those sleepless nights. He will never admit to the fact he enjoys listening to Mukbang ASMR until his YouTube search history reveals otherwise.

However, if you happen to be with him, no doubt you are going to be the early bird. Dazed, you would watch him sleep sometimes and realise that even when he was asleep, he twitches ever so often and it made you wonder was it because his battle with the wanderer was so tough that it got re-enacted in his dreams as well. But if you tend to wake up, prepare for a lot of lounging around and “I just need a bit more sleep” but with him still ending up dead asleep after a minute. You can shake him, rattle him, shout at him or utilise any other methods, but this boy would wake up for a glance and drift off again if he wishes to. On days with activities planned out, he will always be timely, but the amount of time he takes to get ready will always remain a mystery to you because sometimes it would be as short as 5 minutes and he is ready to go. Perhaps, another time would take more than an hour because he ended up falling asleep while standing in the shower. “You should stop trying to wake me.”

Rafayel

He is the king of setting alarms for every one minute. This simultaneous alarm situation only applies if he has plans with you. But if it’s for his art exhibitions, or any other activities that does not include you, be prepared to have Thomas charging into his room to drag him out of bed. Rafayel has a specific ringtone set just for you so in case you call him anytime in the night, or while he was quick asleep, he would wake up in an instant to reply you. The ringtone of his is definitely applied to his alarm tone as well because let’s be honest, only you are able to get Rafayel to plan his day with you and for you. Rafayel himself is a light sleeper but on certain situations when he burns the midnight oil for his work, he will give himself the leeway to relax within the embrace of his soft bed.

Being with you would be somewhat different. He might wake up earlier than you sometimes or he might laze in bed later than you sometimes. It depends entirely on his mood or the occasion for the day. “Don’t rush me, the date has to be perfect so of course I am going to take my time in getting ready.” If the both of you have plans, he would weigh the amount of activity and type of activity throughout the day to decide on whether he wakes up 20 minutes prior or 2 hours prior. 20 minutes prior include him having to take his morning shower, brush and blow dry his hair and to change his clothes. While the 2 hours routine involves him soaking himself in a warm bath, styling his hair, shaving his baby-like face, planning his outfit and maybe just having enough time to prepare breakfast in bed for you if you are staying over for the night. “Good morning my love. I made breakfast for you because I kept hearing you muttering eggs in your sleep last night. I made the scrambled the way you like it!”

[soundspeachytome]

dusty and fraulein (shohei ohtani au)

summary: your asshole cat falls in love with your new next-door neighbor and takes shelter in his front porch while displacing his poor dog, dusty, and a whole lot of chaos in between ensues.

tropes: enemies to lovers, next door neighbor dynamics, dog parent x cat parent, fake dating, small town romance, pure, pure fluff and romance only.

word count: 11.2k

this is far from my original writing style but i hope you have fun reading as much as i had writing this! (if there are any inconsistencies, sorry in advance!)

other notes: i had patterned the two characters loosely after lorelai and luke and stars hollow as the town. *swoon!*

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

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“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

You squint through the harsh back light of your phone and see the time: 8:47 AM. It is barely brunch and you hear loud music and conversation from outside your bedroom window. You pull the covers over your head and try to go back to sleep but the sound of a hammer being pounded on wood disrupts your journey back to dreamland. 

It also doesn’t help that your head also feels like someone is drilling it into concrete. For a split second, you wonder why you even let that much alcohol enter your system on a Friday night, and why no one stopped you when you were such a lightweight. You try to remember the events from the night before and then it hits you: you caught your boyfriend–now ex!--sexting with an intern at his office through the messages on his phone. You were not the type to scour through your boyfriends’ phones but it was supposed to be dinner date night with pasta and Sauvignon Blanc when Jack’s phone lit up from the kitchen counter. You were busy preparing cutlery when the phone dinged again. You thought it was important from work and since you had been very open and comfortable with each after a year of dating, taking a peek would not hurt. 

Nothing could have prepared you for what you saw. 

Jack, despite being a successful finance analyst, the smart, bookish type, the one who can compute numbers in his head in about 5 seconds or less, apparently was not smart enough to keep his notifications hidden or at least try and cover them up like a serial cheater would. Not that you  wanted him hiding anything from you, but at that moment, seeing the thirst traps and the disgusting follow-up sexts from his notifications bar were enough for you to hurl his precious PS5 from the fifth floor of his apartment building and leave the crime scene with the wine and pasta in tow. 

You don’t know what happened after because you left while he was still in the shower, his apartment thrashed, with a note which you left that says, “For the record, I faked all my orgasms during our sexy time. Veronica ❤️ seems to love your *mini* performance though! PS. If you’re looking for your PS5, try looking down from the balcony, asshole.”

Love is a lie, you scoffed. You let the remnants of last night’s hurt consume you for a little bit more and cry under the covers. You cried until your eyes tired, until the weight of your head felt heavier than a bowling ball. You thought about staying in bed for a few more minutes when a boisterous laughter interrupted your thoughts. The laugh was followed by incomprehensible sentences. The voice came from a man probably in his late twenties, deep, jovial and friendly. You couldn’t make out the words from this distance but he sounded like he was giving instructions, volume fading in and out every now and then. Then more manly laughter. You didn’t know why but this person had a distinct laugh that you found very pleasant. You wonder somberly if you could laugh like that again. 

You jolted upright and went for the door. You will definitely be happy again soon but first, coffee. 

The best hangover fix is a steaming cup of coffee with a plate of bacon and pancakes. You poured yourself a hot mug of coffee and suddenly felt unstoppable, like you’re actually happy, at least temporarily. The pounding in your head has subsided but the drilling from nextdoor hasn’t. You must have new neighbors, the way you’re seeing movers coming in and out of the moving truck parked outside. You tried to catch a glimpse of this neighbor causing all the ruckus but were unsuccessful as the trees lined beside your porch were covering your line of vision. From behind you, you felt your cat, Fraulein, bump her head on your ankles, purring audibly.

“Looks like the new neighbors woke you up too, huh?” She yawned and continued looking up at you. 

Fraulein, a female American shorthair of three years, stood around nine pounds with her stocky legs and long, proportioned tail. Her fur was a thick orange coat with faint white stripes covering most of her body. She was nameless when you picked her up from the animal shelter. She was barely five months old at that time and despite being smaller than the other cats, she had snuggled up to you when you reached for a pet. When you scratched her head and heard her purr loudly, you knew right then and there that she was the one for you. She was the friendliest, clingiest and most loveable thing you have in your life, and despite her “orange cat personality” as most people had dubbed, you wouldn’t replace her with anything in the world, not even for your hound dog-looking ex, Jack. 

She did a big stretch as you picked her up while you stood idly by the window. As you stared outside, Fraulein’s purring sending you in a trance, you suddenly notice a pair of eyes looking up at you from the front lawn. Those eyes should not be there, and more importantly, the pair of eyes belonged to a dog standing just mere inches from your flowering shrubs, tail wagging. If this dog takes another step, they could ruin the gardenias you’ve been trying to grow. 

You step outside and try to shoo the dog away when it suddenly jumps and barks. 

“Hey! Get away from my garden!” You try to stay calm as the dog continues to bark and come playfully near the shrubs. Your heart sinks when his paw accidentally steps on the stems of your peonies. You’ve been meaning to pluck them this week so you can replace the wilted ones from your vase. 

“Oh my god… Please go away! Shoo!” You desperately waved the dog away but it continued to jump excitedly and roll around, probably thinking you were out there to play. Fraulein, who was still in your arms the entire time, started getting restless and was hissing at the dog’s direction, her untucked claws boring into your skin. That’s when you saw a man, probably over six feet tall, rushing towards the dog. He had thick black hair and the widest shoulders you’ve ever seen. 

“Oh my god, Dusty! What are you doing here…” He put a leash on the dog, whose name was probably Dusty, as you have heard, and carried him with one arm. 

“I’m so so sorry! I was inside the house and I didn’t realize Dusty escaped from his leash.” His big brown eyes complemented well against his slightly tanned skin. With your obvious height difference, you had to look up at him from a distance without hurting your neck. 

“He almost ruined my flowers,” You started to say, eyes still locked in his. If you hadn’t forced yourself to look towards your garden, you would have been sucked into his creamy brown orbs. 

You assessed the garden from the mini scuffle. There was a bit of overturned soil from some of the shrubs, especially from the peonies getting the most damage. The stems have been slightly bent, almost breaking from where it stood. 

“Oh my gosh, I’m sosososorry! I didn’t mean to–I mean, Dusty’s still young, he’s very playful and…” 

“I was planning on cutting them this week, anyway. Your dog has to stay away from my garden, though.” I pointed at the lopsided peonies, almost looking like they have their hands up in the air, waving sideways.

He looked so apologetic that he almost looked like it was his fault. He tightened his grip on his dog, Dusty, who looked so small and well-behaved being cradled by a big-bodied man. Meanwhile, Fraulein has not relaxed one bit after that quick garden mess and had her claws out, clinging to my threadbare sweater.

“Yes ma’am, I’ll keep a tight leash on her. I’m Shohei Ohtani, by the way. We just moved next door, so I guess we’re neighbors now. I’d offer my hand right now, but I’m afraid Dusty would jump out of my grip. ”

Now that you are able to look at his face carefully, you realize that he was fairly handsome. Correctly proportioned face, dreamy brown eyes, and a smile that invited first love butterflies kind of vibe. He was also tall and definitely bulky over that black long-sleeved sweater that was folded up to his elbows. You could tell he dedicates a good amount of time to his body.

“So that explains all this noise so early in the morning.” You say with an almost sarcastic tone of voice. You didn’t mean it and you were willing to forgive them for the morning ruckus but the garden mishap and the mini-heart attack you had for your plants had somehow added to the list of how-to-piss-your-neighbor-on-the-first-day. And you’re really bad at moving past your first impressions of other people. 

“Are all cat people always this cranky in the morning?” He commented cheekily, displaying a playful expression in his eyes. This man named Shohei is trying to get to you and it’s definitely working. For a first conversation, it surely is getting on your nerves to be read so openly, and in your own premises, at that. 

“Excuse me?”

“It’s just an observation. Cat people seemed to be more emotionally charged than dog people.” He said matter-of-factly and continued to smile. He’s handsome but he’s also starting to be annoying as hell. What does he mean by that? Does he want to show off that dog people are better than cat people? 

“Well. If we’re going to talk about stereotypes here then I must say dog people are careless people-pleasers who hogs the attention and only cares about being liked and do not give a rat’s ass on taking up other people’s space and boundaries. I’d also offer to shake my hand but I’m afraid my cat right here might scratch your dog’s face for ruining our morning.” You stared hard at him and slowly backed away, returning to your porch steps.

“Nice to meet you, too, I guess! I would suggest chamomile tea and tone down on coffee!” He waved cheerfully, as he exited the lawn and walked towards his home. You turned your heel and slammed the door shut loud enough for him to hear. Fraulein jumped out of your grip and mewed almost as angrily. She darted toward the kitchen and went out of sight. 

“What a weirdo… If Fraulein doesn’t like him then I don’t have to like him, too.” You muttered to yourself and moved to the bathroom to take a shower. 

You spent your afternoon in the garden, watering and cutting the flowers in full bloom. You wore your oldest t-shirts with a print that says “I Wet My Plants” under your pink square overalls and a sun hat to protect you from the sun. You were listening to your beloved Birdy mix on your headphones as you tended the prettiest flowers in your garden, muting the noise of the world.

I know I was stupid to let what we had go to waste

Why does everything I love always get taken away?

Ghost in the wind calling you to take me home

Ghost in the wind crying, where do I belong?

Can anyone hear me now?

Can anyone hear me now?

“Can you hear me, Y/N?”

“Agh!”

You almost jumped out of your skin when a hand touched you lightly in the arm. It was Patrick Sandoval, your high school best friend, and sometimes main supplier of Fraulein’s flea medicine. You forgot that he was visiting today.

“Whoa! Extra jumpy today?” he smiled his Colgate-white smile and cocked his head to the side. “Coffee overload, again?”

Suddenly you remembered what your new neighbor had said during your first encounter this morning. Naturally cranky… Tone down on the coffee… He had no idea to be assuming things like that, not when you had just literally met.

“Jack cheated on me and I was hungover, okay?” You grit your teeth through the mention of your ex. Like the stench of his name made the bile climb up your throat. “I decimated his PS5 into tiny cracked pieces.”

“Oh, shit, man.. I’m proud of you.” He put you in a half-embrace and patted your head. “Do you need me to break his legs for you?”

You giggled, arm still locked around his waist. “No, but I took one of his expensive wines so that evens that out for me, I think. I don’t care.”

Patrick looks at you and wonders if he arrived too late today. He notices the dark bags under your eyes and your puffy face, probably a result of crying all night. He wondered if you had been crying all morning, too. He couldn’t help but lean in and give you a full, bear hug.

“Just let me know if you need us to file a restraining order, babygirl.” You snorted and buried your face under his embrace, thankful for the assurance. Patrick has always been your rock since high school. When your first boyfriend ditched you in prom, Patrick was there to rescue you when he wasn’t initially supposed to go; you ended the night with stomachs full of pizza, sparkling soda and belly laughter.

You and Patrick had been for each other’s rarest moments throughout adulthood: gushing about your first times, your first heartbreaks, getting into college, graduation… you even wondered if both of you are just teetering from the sidelines, waiting for each other to do the first move. You always brush the thought away because to do that means risking your friendship with him. You don’t want to lose him, not even as a friend.

“By the way, I’m just here to drop these medicines for dear ol’ Frau that you asked.” He lifted a paper bag with a cute animal picture and his pet shop name printed across it. Paw and Order.

 “Thanks, Patrick. I could’ve picked them up if you called.” Patrick has been the sole pet doctor in town which contributed solely to his success. Seeing how much people nowadays prefer taking pets instead of bearing children, he took the opportunity to put up his own pet shop and clinic; you and Fraulein have been number one customers ever since.

“It’s my pleasure, milady.” He did an elegant bow, to which I returned a curtsy, and giggled. “I’m also here to let you know that I’ll be on a business trip for two weeks. So this will be sort of my goodbye.”

“What kind of business trip takes two weeks long?” You don’t really want him to leave, especially with the holidays approaching, you had planned to spend it all with him.

“The kind where your father wants you to venture to a new business spot and spend the holidays with him and his new family.” He shrugged and looked at you, hoping you’d stop him from the impending family mess he’s about to go to, but you only scrunched your nose.

“That sucks, man. You’ll miss all the fruitcakes.” 

“I know, dude.” He pouted. “How are Frau's fleas, by the way? Did the medicine work last time?” 

“Sure did, she’s better now. Speaking of which, where is that old hag?” You haven’t seen her since early morning’s commotion. The last time you saw her she was napping by the window of your bedroom.

“Just call me if you notice anything weird. The medicines should be enough while I’m gone.” 

“Leaving already?”

“First thing in the morning, bub.” He said. “I’ll miss you.”

“Frau and I will miss you, too!” And the two of you embraced in another warm hug. When you both pulled back, he helped you pick up the basket of freshly bloomed flowers you had collected for the day and went back inside the house. You had given him the extra jar of lemon iced tea you’ve been saving for a particularly warm day like this. 

~~~

It’s been a whole day that you haven’t seen Fraulein. She usually wanders off hours in a day but she always returns by dinner time. You were starting to worry as the sky slowly turned pitch black. The lampposts turn on, illuminating the streets. You turn the porch lights on, too, and leave her bowl of food and water by the doorstep, in case she decides to come home late into the night. 

~~~~

You wake up to a high-pitched yowling outside. You’re not exactly sure where but you know that sound from anywhere. You bolted down the stairs with your sleeping robe undone and ran towards the lawn. You can’t see anything until you hear it again.

“Nyreooow!”

Soon, a dog howls and you run towards Shohei Ohtani’s house.

You see Fraulein perched on top of Shohei’s porch, her entire back arched defensively, ears twitching backwards. She was hissing at Dusty, who was whimpering loudly below the porch steps and looking terrified. In your panic, you run to the lawn to pick Fraulein up.

“Fraulein! What are you doing here?” 

Dusty continued to bark loudly, trying to come near the door where Fraulein stood. She hissed menacingly at him.

At that exact moment, Shohei Ohtani emerged from the front door, yawning and trying to get sleep out of his eyes. 

“Whazhapeninhere?” He yawned, looking clearly disoriented from suddenly waking up.

“Your dog is trying to attack my cat!” I yelled, trying to go near Fraulein but stepped back as Dusty blocked your way. 

Shohei popped awake as soon as he heard Fraulein hiss at Dusty once more; Fraulein arched her back more and raised her claws in defense.

“Whoa, hey!” Shohei ran up to Dusty and cradled him in his arms like a baby. Poor dog was shaking and whimpering.

“Are you sure it’s not your cat trying to attack my baby?” He raised his voice. He was standing a few feet away from you and looked you up and down, noticing your loose sleeping robe and looking away. 

“Poor baby getting scared by a cat,” He cooed silently, helping Dusty relax.

You walked up the porch when Fraulein hissed and scratched your arms when you picked her up. She wriggled from your grasp but conceded defeat when you scruffed her by the neck, immobilizing her. 

“I don’t know what’s happening here, but please stay away from my cat.” You looked at both Shohei and Dusty sternly. He noticed the scratches on your hands.

“You’re bleeding.” He started.

You looked down on your hands and saw visible red scratch marks. They started from the middle of your arm all the way to the back of your hand.

“I’m fine.” You huffed, trying to walk away as fast as possible. You don’t know what time it was, but it could easily be past midnight. 

“No, wait. Please, I have antiseptic soap inside…” He rushed towards the house, when he looked back and saw you frozen on the steps, he beckoned you and disappeared inside. “Come on.”

You stood there for a moment and contemplated if you should follow Shohei inside. You barely know the guy and every encounter you’ve had with him always ended in a screaming match or a passive-aggressive exchange. He might even be an ax murderer for all you know. A very handsome one, at that. 

“Frau, if something happens to me, please know that I love you.” You held her near your face. “Third drawer by the sink is where I kept all your catnip”. You whispered to her ear and walked towards Shohei Ohtani’s home.

~~~

Shohei Ohtani’s home was, first of all, very clean. It did not reek of anything a dog owner normally would smell like. It had the occasional puppy toys around the living room, but much to your surprise, it was spotless. It also smelled like sweet rose and laundry detergent. You also discovered that just like you, he lives alone. 

Shohei had put Dusty inside a retractable gate to keep him safe from Fraulein as you put her down on the floor. He busied himself looking for his first aid kit. You don’t notice any other pictures on display except him and Dusty and one with his complete family on the refrigerator door. 

His tall frame reappears and he pulls you towards the kitchen sink. You soak your arms under the water and he hands you the antiseptic soap.

“Thanks,” You mumbled. He never left your side and waited until you finished rinsing off, then took your arm and put cream on the scratch marks. He was standing unbelievably close, you could almost see his long eyelashes as he had his head down, concentrating on his self-appointed task. 

He also had his other hand holding you tight, as if to make sure you won’t run off suddenly. 

“I have these at home, you know.” You trained your eyes on his fingers dabbing cream. Don’t look at his arm veins, Y/N. Don’t look at them. Don’t look. Don’t.

“Oh, gee. Why didn’t I think of that?” He mused to which you rolled your eyes. Once again, the magic had worn off. 

“Do you really have to sound sarcastic all the time?”

“C’mon, lighten up.  Besides, it happened on my property so I feel partially responsible–even if it was your cat’s fault.” He shrugged.

You coughed at his accusation. “Fraulein does not instigate fights. She is well-mannered and prim all the time, thank you very much.” You pulled your cream-covered arm away from him. Just then, you notice Fraulein bumping her head on Shohei’s legs, mewling softly.

“How would you then explain the fact where your cat steals Dusty’s bed from the front porch?” He said, crossing his arm, Fraulein on the other hand, was still headbutting Shohei on the legs.

“Oh, she did not.” You retorted. Why would she steal someone’s fray-looking bed when she has her beautiful beige 2-condo tree tower with a capsule nest and dangling balls and a charming basket-weave style oval bed at home? It didn’t make sense. “She only sleeps in the beds I bought her.”

Shohei gives you a funny look and fishes his phone from his pocket. “Well, you’re in for quite a shock, I guess.”

He shoves the phone to you after tinkering with it for a while. “That’s your cat at 30:56 right?”

You look closely, a bit disoriented at what he was trying to show you. CCTV recorded footage of his porch outside where his dog, Dusty, was sitting in his dog bed, playing with his puppy chew ball, when suddenly, you saw Fraulein enter the frame from the left. 

“It doesn’t show anything.” You impatiently looked on, disbelief and denial dripping from you. 

“Oh just you wait.” 

Fraulein was moving slowly, watching Dusty and his toy. A few minutes pass by, the video captures Shohei exiting the front door and Dusty follows him playfully, at which, the dog bed was obviously vacated, and Fraulein took the opportunity to lay on it. 

Shohei cops the phone away and crosses his arms across his chest. “The court finds the defendant guilty.”

It took you a moment but gasped dramatically at the realization. “Was she here the entire day yesterday? Napping on your dog’s bed?” You looked at Fraulein with sheer disapproval. “Fraulein von Hammersmark, that is not how female felines behave.”

Shohei stifled a laugh. He was leaning over his stomach and ears red. “Relax. I don’t mind at all. I think Dusty does, though.” He picks up Fraulein calmly and gives her  scratches on her head. Fraulein purrs loudly. 

“She has been napping here all day since morning and seems to enjoy watching her new neighbor work out in the front lawn.” 

You grimaced, making sure you showed him your disgust. “Ew, weird flex but okay.”

Dusty whimpers as he looks at the scene from outside his gate. You walk over and give him a light pat on the head. “Dusty, blink once if you need help.” 

“Oh, please.” He giggles. “I’m not the weird one for naming my cat Fraulein von Hammersomething.” Shohei returns Fraulein to you, your arms touching, his head closer to yours momentarily. 

“Y/N. I wonder what the weather is on your side. You want to wear something warmer than that?” He pointed at your loose sleeping gown, your legs showing a little bit of your thigh. A little more movement and the knots would dangerously slip out of your waist and reveal your lingerie. 

“Pervert.” You instinctively covered your chest and ran back home, arms carrying Fraulein and the weight of shame for being almost half-naked inside a strange man’s house. 

~~~~

The next few days after that incident were spent with writing articles for an obscure lifestyle website and your part-time work at the bookstore in town, Novel Nook. You ride a 30 minute bus ride to the town square everyday for work and wait 15 minutes in line to grab a cup of coffee from the coffee shop beside it. It doesn’t feel like work at all because you are always surrounded by the books that you love. It took you a long time to realize that working 9-5 in an office cubicle with ugly fluorescent lighting was deteriorating your mental headspace and when your mom passed, you jumped the gun and submitted your intent to resign.

You removed all the baggage you kept from the city and only brought the ones that mattered to you: your cat, your big books, some pretty clothes you never wore in the city but are wearing freely and confidently now, and your memories of your mom. You flew seven thousand miles back home to the place you were meant to be all this time, and you couldn’t be happier and more content. 

You were walking sluggishly back home from a tiring day at work at Novel Nook where two teenagers fought for the last copy of The Hurricane Wars and it took all your energy to de-escalate before they could start pulling each other’s hair. You can’t wait to kick your boots back, hug Fraulein and maybe continue reading a book. 

Your house is on the opposite side of the bus stop so you always (almost begrudgingly) have to pass by Shohei’s house every time. Sometimes it would be quiet with Dusty playing alone on the porch, or Shohei having a barbecue and would always cheerfully waving at you while you just give him a brief nod. Recently, you’ve grown accustomed to seeing Fraulein hanging out in his place more often than you have imagined. She’s like a teenage girl rebelling against her overbearing mother, hanging out with the wrong crowd. After that incident with Dusty, she has claimed dominance on his bed, Shohei had no choice but to buy a new one for his poor dog, while Fraulein smugly walks around in her new territory. 

You had developed some sort of weird neighbor-dynamic with Shohei after that. On days Fraulein had to take her medicine shots that Patrick had given you, you’d walk towards his house and pick her up like some sort of pet daycare. Shohei likes to call it “daddy daycare” as if you’re two divorced parents and he is the cool dad that all the kids love hanging with while you’re the uptight, overbearing mother with full custody and all, that the kids hate. 

“Fraulein, your mom’s here.” Shohei said one day, looking up from his laptop which was perched on the table he had set up on his porch, sitting adjacent to Fraulein. Dusty was chewing on his toy, as usual, and perked up a welcome upon seeing you. 

Fraulein stands and stretches her back and sits back again resting on Shohei’s foot, to which Shohei smirks almost smugly. “She loves her dad more, it seems.”

You roll your eyes and pick up Fraulein. “Stop calling yourself her dad before I burn your house down.”

“Ooh, an arsonist for a neighbor. That’s so sexy, Y/N.” He looked you up and down and wiggled his eyebrows. “You’re too cute to go to jail, though. How about going out with me instead?”

“Piss off. C’mon, Fraulein, time for medicine.” You turned and walked back to your home, trying to keep a straight face at the being called cute with Shohei. You’re too cute. You made the mistake of looking back as you turned to your corner and saw Shohei grinning at you.

This day would be no different as you passed by Shohei’s house today and saw Fraulein napping at the exact same place on his porch. He was working out doing ab crunches on the ground. You decided today, you wouldn’t dare to go on another episode of sarcasm battle with Shohei and go straight home. He was wearing workout clothes of course, with his gym shorts and sleeveless shirt, for all the temptations in the world, this one, you had proudly resisted and warded off like the devil. 

You found Dusty on your lawn, sitting by the patch of grass far from your flowers, thankfully, and staring far ahead into the direction of your home. You patted him and tried to get his attention. Ever since being displaced by Fraulein, he had been giving you frequent visits and play in your yard and you’d give him treats from your secret stash.

“Hey, bud. Were you waiting for me?” He ignored you and continued to look on.

By the door, you can see a tall black figure standing, unmoving. It was a man in a black suit with hands in his pockets. When he turns around, you see a familiar face.  

“No,” You whispered. Jack smiles at you and waves, as if nothing had happened almost a month ago. As if he was just returning from a business trip. Like cheating on you was nothing.

You started panicking and heaving heavily. Dusty senses your fear and barks at Jack when he slowly walks over to you. 

Dusty continued to growl and bark at Jack while you tried to move backward, feet heavy like lead. 

“Stop, don’t come near me, Jack.” you struggled.

“Y/N, I’m here to apologize, for whatever happened, for whatever it made you feel.” He was still slowly walking towards you, eyeing Dusty carefully.

“We have nothing to talk about anymore, Jack. It’s over, in case you forgot.”

“I said come here, you bitch.” He growled. 

At this point, you only realized you were shaking terribly when a hand wrapped on your shoulder, calming you down.

“Are you okay?” It was Shohei’s voice and you have never felt so relieved to hear his voice. You weakly put your arm around his waist and leaned on him. You were still shaking badly, from the exhaustion, or the fear, you couldn’t tell. 

“Is everything okay?” Shohei acknowledges Jack who stopped at around five feet from where you were. 

“We were just discussing something… private.” Jack shifts his eyes between you and Shohei, who was sizing him up and down. Between Shohei, who stood over six feet tall, bulky, and ripped, and Jack, just around five foot nine, body somewhat lean and lanky, Jack didn’t stand a chance. 

Realizing this, you found more comfort and confidence in your plan. You looked up to see Shohei still trying to converse with Jack while keeping a firm arm around you. 

“Shohei.” He looked at you cautiously and tightened his grip on your shoulder. 

Please promise me that you won’t get mad at what I’m about to do.

“What is it, Y/N? Who is this guy?” he said.

“He’s my ex who I want nothing to do with.” He straightened his back but you pulled him by the neck so you could whisper in his ear.

“I’m so sorry, Shohei.” 

“I’m not sure I understand–” He tilted his head in confusion. Jack starts moving forward again, looking almost pissed by just looking at you and Shohei. 

With Shohei still leaning forward, you desperately grabbed his cheeks and pecked him square on the lips. 

Shock induces both Shohei’s and Jack’s faces when you pull back, eyes focused on Jack and hoping to God he’d get the message. Wild red alarms blared and rang loudly in your head, you just kissed Shohei, your hot and annoying neighbor! You just kissed him! You ignored this and focused on the problem at hand. 

“He’s my boyfriend, Jack. Please leave now–” 

Shohei recovers from his shock and kisses you back in bigger, wider and longer strokes of his tongue. The tremors in your body shook harder and you felt your limbs melt into a puddle of water. Shohei’s big warm hands were there to catch you as your knees unbuckled. 

You kissed back and forgot everything that was happening in the background. Dusty barking, Jack’s shell-shocked face, the vehicles passing by the street witnessing your spectacle. You ignored all of this and focused on the way Shohei holds on to your body from your neck, to your back until it rests to the back of your waist, gripping tight, his firm and taut body pressing hard onto you, and his lips sliding over yours so smoothly, stimulating all the senses in your tongue and mouth. 

You don’t know how many seconds passed when you stayed inside that bubble but when you both pulled back for air, Jack was no longer there and Dusty had stopped barking. Instead, he just sat quietly on the ground, waiting for you to finish. 

You stared at Shohei and you stared back at him. Your hand was still on his neck, half-gripping the nape. You slowly let go and pull away. It’s always after the sin that you feel the shame and guilt. 

He doesn’t let go and instead takes you by the shoulder. “Come inside first and we’ll talk.”

You nod wordlessly and follow his lead. You couldn’t walk properly anyway, so you didn’t want to fight back. Your knees felt like jelly and your brain full of fog. That was hot, you thought, but also very wrong.

You sat at Shohei’s dining table chugging a glass of water. By the time you finished, he sat there in front of you and continued looking at you intensely.

In your post-kiss and post-Jack clarity, you’re now too embarrassed to admit the way you handled that situation. But Shohei, being Shohei, seemed unfazed. For the most part, he found it amusing to be part of your ex-boyfriend escape plan, of all the people. 

“A man never listens to a no,” You were too focused on the rim of the glass. You want to look anywhere but Shohei’s mouth. “And I was desperate for him to get away… so I did.. That.”

“Y/N, you were trembling out there. What exactly has he done to you?” He removed the glass from your grip and made you focus on him.

“He… I… He’s an asshole when he gets angry. And I was just scared I wouldn't be able to refuse him. I don’t want him anymore.”

“For someone as arrogant and snappish as you, that’s pretty hard to believe.” You rolled your eyes at him and smirked, lips looking luscious and fuller than the last time. 

“Look, I was probably having a panic attack back there, and I’m okay now, see?” You spread your arms widely, faking a smile at him. You’d like this conversation to end so you could run back to your house and ram your head to the wall. The more you stay in Shohei’s presence, the more embarrassed you feel about wanting and enjoying that kiss. You did. You do. And you want more. 

“I wanted an easy way out, you happened to be there and I grabbed the moment.” You rambled on. “And that kiss, it was just a one-time thing.”

“A one-time thing?” He raised an eyebrow.

“Yes, it was a mistake. We don’t even like each other to kiss, so we can forget about it.”

“Is that right?” His lips curled into a smirk.

“Yes, tomorrow, we act like it never happened, okay?” You stood up and started collecting yourself. You hang by the door and look back, Shohei had his arms crossed against his chest, staring at you. 

“I don’t know, Y/N. That seems pretty unforgettable to me.”

~~~~~

The following morning, you woke up early to visit the farmer's market to replenish your cupboard. You wore black tights over your long beige dress and a gray cardigan. You put your hair down in loose waves today and replaced your contacts with your old prescription eyeglasses. 

Sprawled in front of you were tents and tables of farmers and sellers of freshly harvested fruits and vegetables to your heart’s content. Almost everyone you knew from town was there on a bright day like this. You said your hellos and some, who were avid customers of Novel Nook, asked about the new book releases. Since it is a fairly small town, it is inevitable to spot the ones that you direly wanted to avoid. For example, your ex-boyfriend Jack. 

He was standing one tent away and seemed to just idly window-shopping. You put your head down and try not to meet his gaze or look at his direction as you busy yourself looking through a good bunch of tomatoes. 

“Hey, Y/N.” You put your guard down and suddenly he is in front of you. 

“What are you doing here?” 

“Trying to… buy some tomatoes?” He sneered, holding a tomato in his hand. “I don’t see your boyfriend around.”

“I…He’s�� Can you please stop following me?” Cold sweat ran through your spine as he noticed you fumble, noticing your lie. 

“Lest you forget, I live here, too.” 

“Not in this side of town, you don’t.” You walked away with the bag of tomatoes you purchased. You moved quickly and avoided the throng of people that was starting to build up. 

“I just want us to talk… Y/N. You didn’t give me a chance to explain yesterday.” He continued to follow you, hands behind his back. He was obviously not there to buy tomatoes. 

“I don’t want to see you anymore. Leave me alone or I’ll call the police.” You looked at him sternly, hand gripping tightly on the basket you were holding. One false move and you just might smash his head with a whole pineapple. 

“No boyfriend to come save you now?” Jack chuckled. 

“There you are.” A familiar voice sprung up from behind, and a hand snaked around your waist. Shohei was suddenly beside you, holding on to his own basket of shopping bags.  “I was looking all over for you. Look, I got you blueberries for the cake you were planning to bake. ”

Shohei pinched your sides and smiled, nodding at you to play along with his little act. You forced a wide smile and said, “Wow, yes. You remembered, love? Thank you.”

You both turned to Jack who had a repulsed expression on his face. He coughed up and tried to get back his composure, but it was too late as both of you were already walking away. Shohei did not let go of you even until you turned a corner. You couldn’t care less about shopping anymore as you worried about running into Jack again.

“It looks like your ex is adamant on following you around.” He whispered to your ear, looking back and seeing Jack following far behind. “Care to give him a show, love?” 

You widen your eyes as you realized what was about to happen. 

He moves his head closer to yours and locks you in a wet kiss. He pushed deeper into the kiss when you unconsciously opened your mouth and let him in, mouth and tongue. The smell of clean detergent mixed with a little bit of vanilla filled your lungs, slapping you drunk. The second kiss was just as good as the first. 

Shohei suddenly pulls back from the kiss and offers his hand, and continues walking along like he hadn’t sucked the air out of your body.

For a few more tents, you and Shohei walked around hand in hand in the cold morning, picking fruits and vegetables like your typical neighborhood couple. Many onlookers saw the two of you eating from the free taste section, or arguing about the right vegetable size to buy, or just happily chatting with his hand not letting you go. 

“Shohei, I think Jack’s no longer around.” You motion for him to let go of your hand. 

“Aw, I thought we weren’t acting anymore, the way you were kissing me back there.” He smirks and lets go of your hand, missing his warmth already. 

“I’m only letting your hand go because you look like you’re going to topple over with how heavy this basket is.” He took your groceries from you and led the way. Since you’re practically almost living together, you have no choice but to walk with him awkwardly. 

“Thank you, Shohei.” You said quietly, walking feebly behind him.

“Didn’t catch that, love. What–” He wheels around and stops himself after realizing what he said, the tips of his ears turning red. You tried to keep a straight face but failed as both of you got caught in the moment. 

“Don’t get used to it.” You giggled and skipped your steps, leaving him to carry all the shopping bags he refused to let you carry. 

~~~

You were slowly settling down for the night with a movie on and a bowl of buttered popcorn when you heard a faint knock on the door.

Shohei was standing outside with his hands in the pockets of his checkered pajama pants. On his feet seems to be a brand new pet backpack carrier.

“Special delivery for one order of queen of meowtown, clingy and fuzzball Fraulein!” He beamed and pointed at the carrier. Fraulein was sitting relaxedly inside. 

“Don’t be shocked or anything but I accidentally bought two of these.” He pointed at the carrier. “I-I thought you’d like to have one for Fraulein. You don’t have to accept it i-if you…”

You smiled as he stammered on. “This looks really cute, I love it.”

Shohei smiled widely and helped push the carrier to your living room. “Then I'll give this as a gift!”

“It would be improper to receive a gift like this...”

“I refuse to accept no, Y/N. Take it please.”

You wanted to mull over it, let it marinate in your head and see what happens but ever since the first two kisses you shared with him, Shohei has been… extra friendly recently. And you were not that kind of “friend”. Whenever you pass his house, he’d go out of his way and talk to you before you walk away. Asking you questions if you’re on the way to the farmer's market, or if you’re on your way to work, if you want to join him for a run. He’s been attentive and you’re not sure what exactly this dynamic has evolved into. You feel uncomfortable about the attention you’re receiving but at the same time, you feel it in your chest and in your stomach and at the tips of your fingers. The fluttering. The tremors and the shakiness of breaths. It’s always there when he’s there. 

“Okay, fine. I’ll take it. But no more other gifts, okay!” You opened the carrier to let Fraulein out who walked idly away and climbed into her tree tower. 

Shohei smiled, nodding. He was about to leave the door when you pulled the sleeve of his shirt. 

“Wait. Um.”

He stepped back and looked inquiringly. You held up a photo from your phone to his face: it was you and Shohei on the day you went to the farmer’s market, holding hands while looking at freshly picked flowers. Shohei’s eyes squinted with laughter, looking intently at you while you were captured trying to explain something trivial. It was quite a beautiful shot sent to you by a cousin who was good at photography. More than that, if you were a stranger looking at a random photo like this, you’d think you were happily in love, and the thought made your chest flutter. 

“It’s quite a small town so it didn’t come as a shock to me when people started noticing whatever this was.” Shohei was still looking at the photo, a small smile drawn on his lips. 

“My mom’s side of the family is setting up a brunch this weekend. I usually bring Patrick to this but they wanted to meet you so…” You trailed.

You coughed and took the phone away. “It’s just a small group of people. And we can always say we broke up after three months or something.”

He cocked his head, looking confused. “Are we still doing the pretending thing with your family?”

“Yeah, I mean. We don’t like each other like that, right? We can just say it didn’t work out after three or four months. They usually move on pretty quickly from the guys I date.”

“Let me get this straight, Y/N.” He said slowly, the Adam’s apple on his throat went up and down as he swallowed. “You want to introduce me to your family as your fake boyfriend on your family brunch.”

You affirmed. “Yes.”

“And we’re going to cook up a reason to break up.”

“Yes.”

“And you said we don’t really like each other that much.”

“Not one bit”

“When we already had two kisses.”

“Yeah.”

“And went on a date in the farmer’s market walking around while holding hands. We kissed twice.”

“It  wasn’t a date.”

“It was to me.” He muttered.

“It was because you were helping me with Jack, remember?”

Shohei sighed exasperatedly, his mood darkened. “Pssh, yeah, whatever. Text me the details. G’night.” He scooted to leave and just like that you were left all alone in a confused daze in your living room. 

~~~

You spent too much time tossing and turning on your bed that night. The voices in your head and the whispers in your heart having an ongoing debate about what had happened a few hours before. 

Shohei was extremely happy, almost beaming like a kid when he brought you his gift but his expression changed after you had the conversation about your family brunch. Maybe you can sit it out this year and make up an excuse that both you and Shohei couldn’t attend? Seasonal allergies? Car getting mauled? Someone’s pet dying? Gods, no. You internally smack yourself for even being near to the thought of either your pets dying, not when they’re the closest thing you have as your best friend and family. You believe Shohei believes that, too. 

And why would Shohei become upset when you proposed the idea of a fake relationship with your family? You started this whole mess and it’s slowly getting out of hand, you want to nip it in the bud so it won’t have to hurt that much later on. It was just a one-time thing, an escape plan until Jack gets out of your hair, then both of you can live as freely as you had before. 

Besides, Shohei doesn’t like you to be that upset. Does he? He’s just a neighbor who likes joking around and annoying you whenever he gets the chance. He also just so happens to be a neighbor that Fraulein spends a lot of time on, he’s just someone to you until recently. 

You touch your fingers on your lips. That kiss shouldn’t mean anything to you because maybe Shohei doesn’t think about it that much either. He’s probably had a good number of girls that he’s kissed with that mouth. Given how good those kisses were, his expertise was undeniably top notch. You’ve never had anything like that before. A kiss that makes your insides tremble with need, almost fairytale like. Something close to what Mia Thermopolis had fantasized before her royal engagement with Nick Devereaux, a kiss that makes your leg pop. That’s what it was. A leg-popping, heart-fluttering, soul-defining kind of a  kiss that you’ll ask for more.

But as much as you want this all for yourself like the next person, you just had your heart broken by Jack. Jack who had promised you the moon and the stars, and a beautiful, dreamy, family with your pets. He had you swooning and dreaming about forever. It was all perfect until that fateful date and the cheating. It hurts to realize that no matter how much you love and do better for a person, they will always look for ways to look at other people. The idea of getting into a relationship right away after what happened with Jack is preposterous at this point. The trust and self-confidence Jack broke is something you want to piece together yourself first. Even if it meant being alone for a couple of months, or years. Who knows.  

You tossed to your side once again, feeling the sleep finally get to you. You dozed off soaking under the thoughts of kittens and kissing a tall man with contagious laughter. 

~~~~

Shohei was filling Fraulein’s food and water bowl dutifully as you had asked, waiting for you to finish preparing for the family brunch in the living room. He had finally succumbed and agreed to go with you as your fake boyfriend, despite his initial feelings towards the arrangement. He still doesn’t understand what was going through your head but he nevertheless had stopped bringing it up. He realized that the more he asked, the more you pushed back and retreated into the dark. He decided that he’d wait for you to soften up. You always do. 

And that’s how the two of you went back to being friendly with each other. 

He was sitting on your living room couch with Fraulein, brushing her fur with his fingers. Just another territory she had claimed: Shohei’s lap. 

“Shohei, help please!” You ran down the stairs, all dolled up. You put your hair down again, this time, you kept it naturally soft and straight. You also donned a yellow sundress that hugged your body, showing off your natural curves. The hems of the skirt go loose from the thighs down. 

“Can you help me zip this up, please?” You said so casually. When you turned around and showed Shohei your bare, unzipped back, he swallowed hard. 

He held your waist lightly and zipped your back slowly, as if taking his time to gape at the bareness of your skin exposed for him. When his breath touched your neck, you felt goosebumps pop. 

“Let’s go.” You smiled too widely for him, trying to act like the oxygen in your house has not depleted. 

Shohei was a hit with your cousins during brunch. Turns out that all of them share the same interests in baseball and baseball teams. They were passionately chatting on one side of the garden area while you helped your Aunt Olivia set up the table.

“He’s quite the personality, Y/N.” She mused.

“Wherever did you find a man like that, Y/N?” Your cousin Evelyn commented, staring back. “Woot, what a view.”

You smiled and looked at Shohei socializing with your family. The moment the two of you entered Aunt Olivia’s home, everyone stared in awe. After introductions were made, Shohei made connections pretty quickly with his bubbly personality. You can also hear his occasional booming laughter from their group.

You were on your way to the kitchen when a hand on your waist suddenly pulled you from behind. Shohei led you to the empty pantry and pushed you back to the wall, his hands up on the wall and caging you.

“Hi?” 

“Hi.” He looked deep into your eyes, like he was looking for something. “Anyplace in this house, we are pretending, yes?”

“Yes, the moment we stepped out of the car. We are boyfriend and girlfriend.” You confirmed.

“Even here?” His lips shadowed lightly on yours, nose grazing yours. 

“Uhm. Yes.” You breathed and that would be your last breath for a while as Shohei kissed you full on the mouth. 

He kissed you frantically, with need and fervor. You put your hands over his shoulders and his hands reached the back of your leg, putting it over his waist. You stifled a moan as he bit your neck and peppered your chest with small kisses. You can’t help but push your hips forward and roll it against his. 

You broke apart like a deer in headlights when you heard footsteps nearby. You pushed Shohei and straightened your clothes. You wiped Shohei’s lipstick-stained mouth and ran away as fast as you could. Shohei, who was as kiss-hungry and love drunk as you were, could only smirk at your retreating form. 

During brunch, you sat with Aunt Olivia on your right and Shohei, by default, on your left side. You were trying to make conversation about the current weather news report while eating your plate of mashed potatoes, all while trying to avoid any contact with Shohei. 

He noticed you have been avoidant after the hot makeout session in the pantry. He put a hand on your thigh under the table, pinching it with reassurance.

“Are we good, Y/N?”

You nodded wordlessly and smiled at him. Something about the way Shohei’s attentiveness always hits you to your core. You’ve never felt this so cared for before that it’s almost bewitching. 

The party started getting up and divided: your aunts and uncles dancing happily on one side, your cousins taking selfies on the other. Meanwhile you and Shohei were left sitting comfortably by the dining table, enjoying the sweet ambiance of everyone around you. 

You held his arm gingerly, almost seductively when you felt his hard muscles from his shirt. A few moments ago, you had almost stripped him naked in the pantry with all of your aunt’s condiments as your audience.

“Why are you so toned? What are you working out for?” You said jokingly, pressing on his biceps in amazement.

“I’m preparing for the next man who tries to steal you.” He leaned in and whispered in your ear. You giggled. 

“No one can take me away from you!” You whispered back, resting your head on his shoulder. You were on your third glass of wine and it isn’t noon yet. You feel tipsy and giggly in the comfort of Shohei’s strong arms. 

“And this is a toast to our new couple, Y/N and Shohei, may this relationship be longer than the last one.” Uncle Ben bellowed, attracting laughter from the rest of the family. They clinked their glasses and toasted for the nth time today. 

You raised your own glass and sipped your wine. 

“Don’t mind them, they’re always like that when I bring a guy to brunch.”

He caressed your thigh and wanted to push the button. “Which guys?”

“Hm? Oh just Jack and Patrick. Although Patrick doesn’t count, because he’s my bestie.” Shohei looked at you and wondered who Patrick may be. He felt a bubbling feeling at the pit of his stomach. Is he jealous? Angry? That he wasn’t the first person you introduced to your family. He shrugged it off. This is just all an act, anyway. Get your shit together, man.

“This may be my favorite brunch ever.” You concluded, finishing the last few drops of your wine. Shohei stole the glass from your hand and replaced it with his. 

“The weather is perfect, the food is great, all of my mom’s family is here. And I don’t feel alone… thanks to you.” You traced circles on the back of Shohei’s palm with your thumb. 

“Why don’t we end this with a bang, Y/N?”

Shohei’s smile invites you to a peck on the lips. He held the back of your head and gently kissed you deeply, slowly this time. You don’t resist and he doesn’t let go. You hear cheers from the background as you kiss softly. Shohei kisses you for the last time today with the hopes that it removes the uncertainty in your mind. That when he kisses you better this time, it would change your mind. He prays to all the gods that would listen.

You melt into the moment and hope it never ceases, because you go back to normal after it ends. After today, you and Shohei will be two separate people once again. And that hurts the deeper parts of you without you realizing it. 

~~~~

Shohei escorted you back home after the brunch. You rode in complete silence all the way. You really really didn’t want it to end but you also didn’t want to drag Shohei into a life that you’re not a hundred percent sure of yet. 

“Thank you for the ride.” You hung back at the entrance and Shohei waited, hoping you’d say something more. “Thank you for everything you’ve done.”

He sighed. “Wait, Y/N. Is that it?”

“What do you mean?” 

“Are we just gonna go back to the way it was now that you’re done pretending?” He said almost angrily. 

“Well, that’s the plan, isn’t it?”

“That’s your plan. I don’t want this to end. Did you ever wonder why I had agreed to it without asking anything in return? Because I didn’t need to pretend at all. It was all real to me.”

You stood there dumbfounded at the sudden outburst of confession from him. You thought Shohei would be more than willing to go back to his old,  uninvolved life with you. But he was right. You never once stopped to think why he was more than willing to help you get away from Jack, or to help you lie in front of your family. 

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking properly when I asked you this…” You blink back tears forming. 

Shohei walks up to you and rests his hands on your shoulders. “I don’t want this to end. Do you?”

“I’m not sure I’m ready for all of this, Shohei.” You squeaked, finally finding your voice. 

“You’re the most attentive, thoughtful, and sincerest man I’ve ever been blessed to meet. Even I get breathless thinking how lucky I’d be if I let you in…

“This whole fake dating thing was a mess. I shouldn’t have dragged you into my problems.”

“Y/N. Please don’t shut me out. Let me in, I’d go to the trouble of warding off your ex-boyfriend if I need to. I’ll be here for whatever.” Shohei begged. You shook your head firmly.

“I’m not ready yet, Shohei. I loved every moment I have spent with you, but I need to be with myself for now.” 

Shohei dropped his hands to his sides and stepped back, his eyes glistening with tears. 

“See you around, then.”

You watched him walk away until he disappeared into his home. You closed your door and plopped down on the floor. The tears that you were holding back came gushing out, and finally you were bawling. You didn’t cry this hard when Jack cheated on you but when you saw Shohei walking away because of your own doing, you felt like your world had collapsed. You wept until there were no tears left to cry, until the only pain you have left to bear was the hollowness of what Shohei left. You crawled into a ball by the door, clothes unchanged, makeup running down your face. Fraulein snuggles up to you minutes after, sharing her warmth.

Looks like it's just you and me again, Fraulein. 

In the next couple of weeks, you would rise early to tend to your plants, volunteer additional hours in Novel Nook so you could get home later than usual, and avoid the farmer’s market. You added wearing a baseball cap or large hats as a new fashion ensemble to steer away from eye contact at the risk of bumping into Shohei. The thing  is, your efforts to avoid him were reduced to nil as you bumped into him everywhere you went. When you throw out the trash as early as five o'clock in the morning, he’d be there, warming up or jogging on your path.  When you went to the farmer's market later than usual, he was also there doing after-rush hour shopping. Even administering Fraulein’s medicine time was an arduous task seeing that she still hangs around Shohei’s porch, not understanding your human conflict and emotions towards each other. 

There are days when you feel better and the sun is shining, but there are also moments when you catch yourself at the brink of a breakdown. It takes a while for the loneliness to settle in like an unwanted guest, creeping over your shoulder, sometimes hugging you at night. It wasn’t this hard before you met Shohei, so how was it different now?

“All good, Y/N?” You lost your train of thought at the voice of Aunt Olivia. You couldn’t bear the loneliness and the quiet of your home that you packed your stuff and stayed for a week’s worth of vacation. She joined you in the indoor kitchen table, where you were having your mid-afternoon coffee. 

“Boy problems?” she suggested. One look from you and she already knew. 

“Aunt Liv, how do you know if you’re ready to love again?” You said after a moment of silence. 

“You don’t.” She smiled and cupped your hands. “You fuck around then find out.”

She chuckled to herself. “You remind me so much of your mom. She was always scared of trivial matters, like falling in love.

“But when she had a good taste in it, she never looked back.”

Aunt Liv has always been fond of her little sister. Your mom. And hearing these words from her, reminiscent of how she had been when she was your age, twinged at your heart a little bit. 

“I’m not the one who’d pry on your relationships, Y/N. But he’s a keeper, that boy. I thought he was joking at first, but he seems to be serious about it.”

You knitted your eyebrows together. “What do you mean by that?”

“He said something when I got him alone that day. He’d said, you were tougher than a potato under hot water. But he’s willing to wait for you to soften up no matter how hot it gets.”

Leave it to Shohei to drop potato metaphors to your relatives on their first meeting. 

“When a man like that comes around, I won’t ever let him go. You’re lucky if you ever meet the same kind of man twice.”

You pondered on about Aunt Liv’s advice for the rest of the day; by nighttime, you felt an epiphany dawn upon you. The next day, you packed up and went home earlier than you had planned. 

“Go get him, bubba.” Aunt Liv wished you luck. You’ll need all the luck you can get and hope it wasn’t too late. 

It took you approximately an hour to get home by taxi, the car zigzagging across the street. 

You don’t know why you were rushing. He wasn’t going anywhere, not to your knowledge. He will always be right where you left him but something inside you was telling you that a second more that you’re away from home, and you’d lose him. 

You were trying to catch your breath as you ran on your side of the street when you bumped into Shohei leaving your front lawn, a pail and shovel over his shoulders.

“Y/N? What are you doing here?” He was covered in dirt from the knee up, his white shirt sticking to his body and full of sweat. He looked a little shocked and panicked at being caught mid-exit from your garden. 

“I should ask you the same question. What were you doing in my lawn?” You tried to take a peek but Shohei covered your path with his wide body. “Did you bury a body there?”

“I think that’s a good idea for your fertilizer, Y/N!” He seemed a little agitated and making offbeat jokes to distract you. 

“Step away. What did you do to my garden?” You pushed him with all the adrenaline coursing through you and jogged towards your front lawn, expecting a murder crime scene or worse, a decaying garden. 

Instead, you saw hundreds of tulips in different shades and colors spread all throughout your garden. Purple and yellow tulips lined up the path towards your home. Red and pink tulips danced in the background, swaying every time a soft breeze brushed through. 

“You’re not supposed to see it yet. I thought you’d be back tomorrow night.” Shohei said, rubbing the nape of his head, embarrassed at being caught.

“You remembered when I said… At the farmer’s market…” You stammered.

“Yes, you went on and on about how much you love tulips.” You suddenly remembered the photo before the brunch party. How Shohei was looking fondly at you as he listened to you rambling on about something trivial. It wasn’t trivial to him because it was important to you. And he remembered. 

You turned around and faced him. You held out a hand and wiped a bit of sweat off of his face. “Did you do all of this… on your own?”

He nodded shyly. “That’s not all, though.” He whistled and called Dusty.

“You’re the most stubborn and one hell of a fiery woman. But you’re also the sweetest, softest, clingiest woman I’ve lucked out on. You’re so beautiful sometimes it hurts. After that second kiss, I knew right away that I’d have to fight tooth and nail for you to keep needing and wanting me."

Dusty bursted out of Shohei’s garden stringing along a reluctant Fraulein scruffed by the neck. Both of them were wearing cute red bow ties on their neck each laced with individual messages. 

You pulled Dusty’s message and read, “I want to call you “mom” so will you be my dad’s girlfriend?

You squealed in delight as you unraveled the next message pinned on Fraulein’s bow tie: “I loved him first but can you keep him forever?”

You swooned and laughed at the corniness and the teeth-rotting sweetness. You can’t help but jump into Shohei’s arms and give him a big hug despite all the sweat and grime on his body. 

“Ew, you got all your sweat on me.” You playfully joked at the parting.

“Hmm, you have no choice but to shower with me now.” He lifted you by the waist and carried you on top of his shoulders, both of you laughing and shrieking like newly weds on honeymoon, Dusty and Fraulein at your tails. 

.This place, this scene, and this warmth spreading through your chest up to your fingertips, all of it and the familiarity of it, you realized, is the only thing you need to live a lifetime of love and happiness. You were wondering where it was all this time and you understand now that it had been right beside you all along.

[lynzishell]

OC Deep Dive Questionnaire 💛Atlas & Asher🩵

✨TYSM for the tag @raiiny-bay, @zosa95, @dandylion240, @sirianasims, and @hannahssimblr 🤗💖

Of course, I went overboard with this, so grab your favorite beverage and let's dive right in, shall we? ☕💕

-what common/uncommon fear do they have?

💛Atlas: [Pointing to Asher] Water. 🩵Asher: You can’t just leave it at that. It’s not like if you set a glass of water on the table, I’ll run screaming. I have a fear of drowning, so I don’t like to be submerged in water. You’re never going to catch me out swimming. Probably not on a boat either, while we’re at it. Not taking any chances. 💛Atlas: Fair enough. But you won’t even put your face under the water in the shower. 🩵Asher: That’s because it reminds me of being submerged in water. Anyway, this conversation is making me sweaty, and there just happens to be water on the other side of this fence, so let's change the subject. Next question.

-do they have any pet peeves?

🩵Asher: Oh, Atlas fuckin’ hates mindless small talk, like the kind you use just to fill the silence, or because you awkwardly feel like you need to talk to the person next to you. Seriously, he’ll like you a lot more if you just sit next to him in silence for an hour. 💛Atlas:  Very true. And yet, your record for silence is, what, twenty minutes?  🩵Asher: Maybe. But I don’t make mindless small talk. 💛Atlas: Yeah, I do like listening to you ramble on about your latest obsessions. You get all animated and excited, it’s really cute. 🩵Asher: You’re really cute.

-what are 3 items you can find in their bedroom?

💛Atlas: Uh, I don’t know, what’s in our room besides the obvious? Probably too many electronics. 🩵Asher: Right, between the computer and the switch and my drawing tablet and our phones... 💛Atlas: And your sketchbooks and pencils. How many pencils does someone need? 🩵Asher: I don’t have enough; I’ll tell you that much. Count yourself lucky that most of my art supplies are scattered between Lex’s place and my parents’ house. One day I’ll get it all organized in one place, but that day is not today.

-what do they notice first in a person?

🩵Asher: Hm. That's a good question. What did you notice about me first? 💛Atlas: Your hair, obviously. 🩵Asher: [laughs] 💛Atlas: But no, I would say your eyes. I’d never met anyone with such pure gray eyes before, they’re striking. Your eyes are very expressive too. And you make eye contact with people more than anyone else I know. Like, whenever I talk to you, I always feel like you’re really listening. 🩵Asher: [smiles] I am.

-on a scale of 1-10, how high is their pain tolerance?

🩵Asher: Oh god, mine is probably like a 5, and Atlas’s is probably a fuckin’ 8 or 9. 💛Atlas: I would’ve said 7, but we can go with 8.

-do they go into fight or flight mode when under pressure?

💛Atlas: I think my first instinct is freeze, but then probably flight. Depending on the situation, I’ll walk away or hide away. 🩵Asher: Mostly. But with James, you definitely went to fight. 💛Atlas: That was different. I don’t care if people hurt me, but I’m not going to let them hurt the people I love. Ash is definitely more of a fighter than I am.  

-do they come from a big family/are they a family person?

🩵Asher: I don’t come from a big family, it’s just my parents, me, my sister, and my niece, but we are very close. But honestly, family isn’t just about relatives. Chosen family is just as important. When I say my family is the most important thing to me, I don’t just mean them, I also mean Atlas and Lex and Dawn and Phoenix and Aspen too. And Jasper, obviously. 💛Atlas: Exactly. If we’re talking about relatives, I come from a very large family, but I will never see or speak to any of them again, except for Dawn, of course. A few years ago, I never would’ve considered myself a family person, but Ash’s family taking me in changed all that. I’d definitely say I am now. 🩵Asher: I love that.

-what animal represents them best?

💛Atlas: Oh, that’s easy. Ash is just like Jasper, his border collie. Playful and energetic, friendly, intelligent, hardworking, and he loves to snuggle. 🩵Asher: Hm. I think for Atlas, I’d say a deer. 💛Atlas: A deer? 🩵Asher: Yeah, like, you’re quiet and cautious, a bit anxious with a tendency to hide, but you’re also beautiful and sweet. 💛Atlas: You make me sound more like a bunny. 🩵Asher: No, definitely not a bunny. Have you ever come upon a big buck deer? They’re majestic and intimidating, and they’ll kick your ass if they have to. They’re… survivors.

-what is a smell that they dislike?

💛Atlas: Ammonia. 🩵Asher: No one likes the smell of ammonia. 💛Atlas: I know, but when I was a kid, at the end of every school year, we’d have to clean our desks with this ammonia spray. Twenty kids spraying ammonia in an enclosed room. It was awful. I’m sure they had the windows open, but even still, that smell is seared into my brain, makes me want to gag just thinking of it.

-have they broken any bones? if so, how?

🩵Asher: Okay, story time! So, when I was ten? Eleven? Something like that. Anyway, I was dancing around in my room, as one does, and I tripped on a book, one of many scattered around my disaster of a room, and tried to catch myself as I went down. Bad decision. I’ll spare you the details, but the pain I felt in my wrist was horrible. I literally saw stars. And then I almost puked when I looked at it. So, of course, I started screaming for my mom. She came running in, and I told her that I’d broken my wrist. And what did she do? She yanked on it and snapped it back into place! Because apparently, I’d just dislocated it. But, fuck, it hurt. If a broken bone is worse than that, then I hope I never break one. 💛Atlas: I broke a toe once. Stubbed it on the corner of my bed when I was in college. I wasn’t good about taping it up or anything either, so it healed a little crooked.

-how would a stranger likely describe them?

🩵Asher: For Atlas? One word: quiet. How they interpret that quietness varies though. Some people think he’s really shy, others think he’s just aloof. But he’s actually neither. He’s introverted and pensive, sure, but he’s also very warm and enjoys chatting with people if it’s a more meaningful conversation, y’know. Like, when we first met, we would talk for hours and hours. 💛Atlas: That’s true, but you’re such an easy person to talk to. I think that’s what people would say about Ash. He’s just very relaxed and friendly and has a way of putting people at ease. He’s good at connecting with people and getting them talking and making them laugh.  

-are they a night owl or a morning bird?

🩵Asher: Probably night owls, I’d say. Atlas prefers starting his day later and working late, if he has the option. 💛Atlas: Yeah, but these days, it feels like I’m working all the time. But even still, Ash starts his day earlier. I don’t know. I think he’s somehow both. He has no issues with mornings, but he also gets a burst of energy in the evening and sometimes it’s hard to get him to come to bed. 🩵Asher: To sleep, anyway. 💛Atlas: [laughs] Right.

-what is a flavor they hate and a flavor they love?

💛Atlas: Ah, Ash hates vinegar and anything pickled. And he loves warm spices like cinnamon and cardamom. 🩵Asher: Oh my god, and Atlas is fuckin’ backwards when it comes to this. He likes bitter flavors to a strange degree, like super bitter beer and strong coffee and he’ll only eat chocolate if it’s the super dark stuff, otherwise he hates it. He doesn’t like sweets. No sugary drinks or candy or even pastries.

-do they have any hobbies?

🩵Asher: We both love gaming and dancing. Otherwise, I like to draw and spend time with my dog. My favorite is taking him down to the beach to play fetch, he loves it there. 💛Atlas: Yeah, and I don’t know, I like to stay active because I feel like I’m constantly at a desk otherwise. I used to rock climb a lot, but since we climbed Mt. Komorebi, we took a break and never really got back to it, so I pretty much just run and work out at the gym occasionally. And I like to sing. 🩵Asher: Seriously, I wish you could hear him. He has the most incredible voice. 💛Atlas: Aw, thank you.

-boom, surprise birthday party! how do they react to surprises?

💛Atlas: Ash would love it! He’d be so stoked that everyone showed up for him like that. 🩵Asher: And Atlas would probably dump me on the spot if I ever did that to him. 💛Atlas: I don’t know if I’d dump you, but… okay, yeah, I probably would.

-do they like to wear jewelry? if so, what is their favorite piece?

🩵Asher: I don’t think I’ve ever seen Atlas wear any jewelry. 💛Atlas: No, I’ve tried, but I could never get used to it. I’d always end up taking it off by midday. 🩵Asher: I can see that. I wear earrings, but that’s it. I used to wear a necklace that an ex gave me, but I threw it out when we broke up. I wanted to throw it into the ocean, but I didn’t dare to walk out on the dock [laughs] so I tossed it in a dumpster instead. 💛Atlas: I didn’t know that. Which ex? 🩵Asher: Elias. 💛Atlas: Ahh. Yikes. 🩵Asher: Yeah. Anyway. Next question.

-do they have neat or messy handwriting?

💛Atlas: I think we both write fairly neat. 🩵Asher: I think so too. Yours is all sharp angles, but it’s not sloppy. 💛Atlas: Yeah, and you have a strong preference for uppercase letters. Sometimes it’s rushed, but it’s never messy. Actually, I’ve never thought about it before, but I really like your handwriting. 🩵Asher: I like yours too.

-what are two emotions they feel the most?

🩵Asher: [points to Atlas] Anxious. 💛Atlas: All of the time. 🩵Asher: And, hm, we can only pick two? I’d probably go with either introspective or focused. 💛Atlas: That’s probably right. For you, I’d say, passionate or inspired and then maybe playful or energetic or something like that. Okay yeah, passionate and playful.

-do they have a favorite fabric?

💛Atlas: Probably cotton, I guess. 🩵Asher: Yeah, same. I don't know. Never really thought about it, to be honest.

-what kind of accent do they have?

🩵Asher: I don’t know. Do we have accents? I mean, I guess Atlas gets a hint of a drawl when he drinks, it’s pretty cute. 💛Atlas: I do not. 🩵Asher: You do! I never told you because I didn’t want you to get self-conscious and try to stop. 💛Atlas: It’s a good thing I don’t drink often, I guess. 🩵Asher: Whatever. I love it. 💛Atlas: And I love you. 🩵Asher: I love you too.

And I love them too!! 🥹

Okay, whew! What are the chances anyone actually read all that? I really can't just be normal about these things, can I? Oh well... Now it's your turn!! I'm gonna tag @madebysimblr, @crownsofesha, @xldkx, @honeyjars-sims, aaaaaaaaaaand @igotsnothing 🤸🏻‍♀️💖 Answer them normally, or have a little fun with it, or ignore me completely, that's fine too (no it's not) 🫶🏻

[nenelonomh]

weekly reflection, week one

whilst looking at my calendar for the upcoming week, i realized that i had forgotten to reflect on my week at school. i planned this as a way to encourage better study habits and to hold myself accountable.

this week i studied 6 hours 27 minutes (measured on ypt). my sessions were 40 minutes - 2.5 hours long. i definitely want to build the habit of studying every day, where i can. even if it's just for 20 minutes before school starts.

on monday, i went out with my sister after school. school was horribly exhausting but i made sure to honour our monday tradition. i think we're going to start hanging out more sporadically instead of each week monday. when i got home on monday i was so exhausted and i didn't do any work.

on tuesday, i had training after school. we did a high intensity circuit - which was actually super fun. since my friend gem had tutoring at the same time, we studied together in the refectory for 40 minutes. then, i caught transport to my friends house and went to karate. i got home ~8:00 pm, which is super late for me - but i managed to shower and get ready for the next day.

wednesday morning i had another training session: a lower body weights session. my legs were so sore the rest of the week, but i managed to beat a lot of my records! on wednesday afternoon i simply went home and tried to study.

something that i have noticed this week is that after school i need a break. otherwise, i feel horribly overwhelmed and unable to do any work. i've been looking into breathing exercises - to calm myself and reset before i begin my afternoon study.

(the reason that i have to study so hard right now is because my exams are in week 6, which means that i only have 4 more weeks to learn and revise everything.)

on thursday i was lucky enough to get dropped off to the train station, instead of catching the bus. on thursday afternoon after school i went home and studied. this was the day that i achieved 2.5 hours.

on friday, i organized a study date with my friends at our local university library. it was super fun, and i was semi-productive but i got really tired around an hour in. then, i struggled to do any work and i just wanted to go home.

meal prepping this week was super helpful for me. not stressing about making my lunch for school when i'm getting ready in the morning saves so much time. i'm going to continue to do this and look for some more recipes. maybe i'll post a meal plan lmao.

next week i'd like to attend more karate sessions and start making my piano practicing more of a habit.

saturday and sunday will be a part of next week's reflection since i was meant to write this on friday arvo.

❤️ nene

[eugenoid]

After some hesitation, I decided to post a piece of a fic draft I've been working on (the very start of it, really). Aziracrow, post season 2, and if I manage to see it to completion, it'll be a hurt/comfort, fix-it fanfic (because of course it is).

People frequenting Whickber Street have noticed a peculiar weather phenomena: for a good couple of weeks now, dark storm clouds wouldn't leave the small area surrounding the "A. Z. Fell & Co" bookshop, and every day a heavy rain would fall, lasting precisely 66 minutes and 6 seconds at a time. What they haven't noticed, however — an amusing coincidence, really — is that it all started on the day the owner of said bookshop disappeared, and would end the day he came back.

"Why are you not inside?"

Crowley's demon heart starts racing from hearing a familiar voice, but he makes an effort to not move an inch from his spot, and not even acknowledge the angel's presence. Crowley is sitting on the cold roof of the bookshop, drenched in water; damp, gross clothes and hair sticking to the skin. He hears a poof and there's a big, blindingly white wing over his head now. He stays silent. Instead of getting an answer, Aziraphale is met with the rain getting worse, almost turning into a hailstorm. It starts hurting his wing, but the angel is determined to stay right where he is until he gets a response.

"Haven't showered in a while. Figured, why not," Crowley finally says flatly after several minutes of silence with a shrug. He refuses to look at Aziraphale, instead observing people rushing down the street.

"You are being silly," Aziraphale responds without fondness.

"Can't you see I'm rain… uh, bathing? Move- move your stupid wing out of the way," Crowley stutters in a rush, feeling nervous all of a sudden. And stupid. And small.

"I am just trying to protect you."

"From my rain," the demon says, getting irritated now.

"No, from everything. Well, including your rain, I suppose.” Aziraphale wishes he was better with words.

Crowley shuts his eyes and squeezes a damp roof tile with the force of a python choking its prey to death. It crumbles into scorching hot, dry dust on some poor bastard's head. The demon still doesn't turn to face Aziraphale.

"You are not protecting me from shit," he hisses through gritted teeth.

"Alright, this is getting ridiculous," Aziraphale sighs and with a wave of hand makes the rain stop. Clouds finally part, sun rays hitting the ground below for the first time in a while. He begins to put his wing away.

Crowley's response is to wildly flail his hands in the air which brings both the clouds and the rain back. Aziraphale groans in annoyance and raises his wing over the demon again.

"This is a bit melodramatic, even for me," the angel says under his breath and waves the rain away, again. Crowley brings it back with a snap of his fingers.

"I can do this all day," Crowley responds without even a smirk Aziraphale would expect from him at a moment like this. Angel realizes he longs to see it again. He wants to say something about it, but decides against it.

"You are attracting quite the crowd," he notices instead.

At this point most of the people on the street pulled out their phones to record the rapidly changing sky. Crowley wiggles his fingers, and suddenly everyone remembers they have urgent business to attend to, leaving no time to be standing outside videotaping the weather or (especially) the two figures on the roof.

"Crowley, please,” Aziraphale says with the hint of desperation in his voice that doesn’t go unnoticed by Crowley. “We need to talk."

Crowley lets his head fall. Puffs his cheeks and lets out a sigh. Taps fingers on his knee. Frowns. Clenches and unclenches his jaw. Frowns again. Finally, he looks at Aziraphale over the shoulder as the sky gradually clears and the last rain drop falls on his face, and begrudgingly manages:

"Fine. Let's talk."

OKAY this was my first attempt at writing in about... 8 years, and my first ever time writing in English, a kind feedback would be appreciated!