#norah winters

[maumoraart]

Comm for @/defnothush61044 !!

[nigheandonn]

Turn me on…🍯

[gendergeezer]

for norah! happy christmas! this artwork goes along with this fic on ao3

artwork for Jess/Lupe Winter Gift Exchange 2023

[avengerscompound]

The Interview - Epilogue

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings: smut (MF, vaginal sex, oral sex)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count:  819

Summary:  Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America.  Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Epilogue

Melody wandered through Steve’s apartment - their apartment - a little aimlessly with her laptop tucked under her arm.  She’d been back in New York for a week and while she was glad to be back, she was feeling a little restless.

The last few days in Oregon made up for the rest of the time she’d been stuck there.  When Steve and Melody had returned to the house to share their news, the Christmas celebrations had turned into engagement celebrations, and everyone had talked about potential Wedding venues and themes while they prepared the Christmas dinner together.

There was going to be a lot to organize.  Given how toxic Steve’s fans could be and the events of the past month, Melody wanted to keep everything private.  No announcements.  No leaked photos.  Nothing.  So they’d have to figure out a way to have a wedding without any of the details getting out.  Steve was in full agreement, not that Melody was surprised.  In fact, she had the feeling that if she'd wanted it to be very public, maybe he’d have rethought the engagement in the first place.  This was one of those things where they needed to be on the same page.

There would be moving too.  She’d been staying with Steve ever since she’d gotten back, but technically her things were still at what was now Bobbi and Bucky’s apartment.  This was all a big change for Melody.  She and Bobbi had been so dependent on each other for so long now, that it was hard to imagine a world where they weren���t living together anymore.  It was big for both of them.  Not just because they were going to be standing alone, but because they were going to be taking big dives into their romantic relationships and it was scary as well as exciting.

There was also the lawsuit against the Daily Bugle and specifically Norah Winters.  She still didn’t know what was going to happen with that.  The Bugle had quickly put up a retraction and apology stating they didn’t know anything and had fired Norah.  Jameson had even left a message for Melody begging her to drop the suit and come back.  She knew that was more about dropping the suit than coming back though, and that getting any compensation from Jonah would be like drawing blood from a stone.  She was glad Norah had at least been fired and she hoped she might have her charged for both theft and defamation.

Biggest of all, she had to figure out who she was now, and what she was going to do.  She wasn’t going to return to the Bugle.  Even if she did want to go back and run The Blast once more - which she did not - the damage to her reputation had been done.  That was going to be hard for her to navigate.  She had thought she was going to be a journalist and now it wouldn’t matter where she worked, she couldn’t have social media because it just became a magnet for vile hate, and having social media was essential for public figures these days.  Even writing and releasing a novel would be difficult without it.  It would be difficult either way, but with no way to engage with potential readers, it was going to be next to impossible.

It was a tricky situation, but she was confident she would work it out.  She’d been through harder things than this.

She took a seat on the couch.  It was an uncomfortable leather thing that she’d tried to make more comfortable since she’d started staying there using cushions and throws.  It wasn’t particularly successful.  Steve hadn’t bought furniture for comfort as until recently, he hadn’t spent a lot of time in his apartment outside of eating and sleeping.  She was going to need to switch out the couch now she’d moved in.

Steve had been out of town on a mission for a couple of days, which was another thing that she needed to get used to. It was different having to worry about him when she was there alone.  There were a few other people in her situation at the tower, and she did have a half plan to try and introduce herself to them, but having long empty days with no work and everyone she knew busy was a lot to get used to.

It was a process, and she was confident she’d work it all out.  She just needed to work out a plan of attack.

For now, she would take advantage of the amazing view of the city and the quiet of the apartment and write.  She drew her legs up against her, balanced her laptop on her thighs, and opened it.  The document containing her novel sat open and ready to go.

She rested her fingers on the keyboard, fingertips hovering over the keys, and began to type.

~ The End ~

Melody and Steve Will return...

[malarkgirlypop]

BoB Themes songs/Songs they would jam out to!

Winters:

Rhiannon by Fleetwood Mac, the live at warner brothers edition. Absolutely loves Fleetwood Mac, would drag Nix along to see them in concert, he just adores Stevie Nicks. I could see him just singing this so loud in the car, putting his whole soul into it.

Nixon:

Shots by LMFAO and Lil John, it just depicts his life, gets him hyped to do shots, also an excuse to do shots, "The song is telling me to do it!" Will put it on every time they pregame so that he can drink and dance.

Lipton:

Kiss from a Rose by Seal. I can imagine Lipton singing this, he loves this song so much. He is so serious as well when he sings it, he means every word, might have secretly choreographed a whole dance to this, but will not tell a soul about it. Speirs might have spied him doing it and just watched with a little grin on his face.

Speirs:

Master of Puppets by Metallica. You cannot tell me this wasn't playing in his head and he sprinted through Foy. Doesn't head bang just appreciates the music. Constantly playing in his head whenever he does cool shit.

Eugene:

Come away with me by Norah Jones. This song is so sweet just like him. I can imagine him just sitting daydreaming about leaving with Babe, like the song says. It helps him unwind after a stressful day, he just sits and listens and daydreams about being in field where the yellow grass grows knee high. It helps him escape the sadness and he just is able to put himself in a nice headspace.

Babe:

No thoughts empty head just Teach me how to Dougie by Cali Swag District playing. He will have this in his brain constantly, and is just doing the dougie in really tiny movements so that no one notices. When he looks spaced out it's because he is in his brain doing the dougie, let him finish his performance before you talk to him, you can tell when the song is over you will see him take imaginary applause.

Welsh:

Love on Top Beyoncè. HE IS A BEYONCE FAN LET ME TELL YOU! Him and Kitty love her! Kitty was her fan first but Welshie definitely fell harder. He sings this to Kitty as he butchers the high notes. He bops around the room, her music just makes him so happy. Kitty and him have been to multiple of her concerts and having a fucking boogie in the pit.

George:

Scatman by Scatman John. My god don't let George play this, you will be kinda scared. He tries his best to scat but really he is just yelling random syllables at you. He will run around the room scatting furiously, he thinks this song is equally hilarious and the best song in the world, he loves it. You will be crying laughing as he performs this for you. Up in your face scatting, like we can all imagine what he looks like doing this right?

Toye:

Burn it to the ground by Nickleback. Just Toye and this song idk scratches an itch in my brain. I can see him just scrunching up his face jamming out. Also this plays in his head when he wears his brass knuckles. This is his fight song. He loves the grungy guitar and yelling vocals. Will sing the song if drunk enough, but will try and fight you at the same time.

Bill:

Come as you are by Nirvana. Idk also same as Toye it just scratches an itch in my brain, more lowkey but this is his chill song. Will listen to this while having a bourbon. Will sing quietly to the song. This plays in his head when he walks anywhere it's his like I'm a bad bitch song. Blast it in the car windows down with a hot chick in the passenger seat, you see him in his fucking sick ass car, shades on and you just want to be him. Why is he so cool? It's the song! But also Bill is just cool.

Liebgott:

Yeah! by Usher ft. Lil John and Ludacris. This is his song that he just pulls bitches with and by bitches I mean Web ahahaha. Just fucking slays the dance he does to this, like is he from step-up? Moose from step up vibes very that! Like ok stop it why are you so hot? He just is so smug and kills it every time. Ugh I can imagine it and he is so hot. Like he is just got chicks grinding all over him and he is the star of the show still. His smirk and dancing. OMG HOT!

Web:

Prada by cassö, RAYE, D-Block Europe. A classic white girly song, loves the part where is says I got strippers tits in my face. Bounces up and down super drunk. Does a motorboat motion at his favourite lyrics, has people he is dancing with has his arms around them just jumping up and down.

Donald:

Low by Flo Rida, T-Pain. This is his jam! Goes absolutely mental when it is played, will stop and dace no matter where he is! Played one time when he was in the supermarket with Skip and Alex. They left him in the aisle having a dance party by himself. They went and got him when the song stopped playing he was a sweaty mess and all of his items he had collected were scattered over the floor. Will pull out his one party trick which is his back bend.

Skip:

Rock this Party by Bob Sinclar. Nothing gets him more hyped that this song. Will move his whole body to this song, if you watch him you're worried he's going to dislocated something. You've never seen someone jump as high as he does to this dance. This song will cheer him up whatever mood he is in. He just can't fight the infectious beat. Don and Alex played it one time for him when he was crying, it ended up with him still crying but dancing like a maniac.

Alex:

Axel F by Crazy Frog. I just see him like crab shuffle dacing around the room, like the you can't touch this dance move. He will run and run to this song if it plays when he's on his morning jog. This song is what got him up Currahee. He sung it in his head the entirety of Tocca to help him get through PT. Bahahaha. Somehow good at the weird vocal lyrics it has.

Buck:

Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. Buck loves this song, the steady drum the classic bass riff. This is his marching song. He walks everywhere to this song. But he is so fast when he does it cause he keeping pace with the drums, so don't go on walks with him if he brings his headphones you will be left behind. This is his hype song. Plays air instruments the song, will do the air guitar solo and kill it.

Martin:

Don't stand so close to me by The police. Listen he likes the song sure but the title is him to a T. Don't stand close to me is his motto in life. He likes his personal space and he will play this song if he thinks you're getting in his bubble. He will just stare at you while it plays, until you get the message.

Perco:

Boom Boom Pow by Black Eyed Peas. We know that Perco is a fast runner it's cause this is playing in his head as he runs. Does his amazing B-boy skills to this song. Popping and flips. You just watch him absolutely devour this song. He is a freestyler but omg he just fucking kills it.

Bull:

Fake ID by Big and Rich. Has the whole line dance to memory from the movie footloose, which is one of his fav movies. He is so good at line dancing and he just loves the moves to this song. Is in his happy place doing the dance, just grinning!

This is the playlist if anyone wants it.

Tag list: @sweetxvanixlla, @xxluckystrike, @panzershrike-pretz, since we talked about it!

[lovelytsunoda]

new year's eve // zhou guanyu

summary: a sponsor event in the big apple, white wine on linen, a chinese stain removal method and a red silk qipao bring zhou and y/n together for a new year's adventure that teaches them important lessons about self-love, intimacy and the joy of living.

pairing: zhou guanyu x female reader

it's new years eve, theres too much noise, i could barely hear my own voice. i always said you were too shy, but then I went off to cry. wish i'd never worn that white dress. you found me outside, looking like somebody died

warnings: descriptive panic attack, drinking in a social setting, mentions of premature labour, a little bit of a she’s all that-esque makeover, an iconic chinese grandmother, badly translated mandarin, mentions of body insecurity. the smut scene includes the following: oral (fem receiving), an absurd amount of touching (good god have you seen this man’s hands?!?!), cowgirl, post-coital dysphoria and insecurities, aftercare & sugar sweet zhou <3

author's note: i think that this could very well be one of my favourite things that i have ever written. . . .it feels very 'nick and norah' crossed with 'she's all that'. so without further ado, here is the final full-lenght fic of 2022, and i can't wait to go into 2023 with you guys : )

new york city, new year's eve.

he didn't want to be there.

in the big party thrown by one of valtteri's new york sponsors, lost in a sea of people speaking english that was too fast for him to grasp.

val had promised him it would be different, that zhou's presence was just as important as the finn's.

so why didn't it feel that way? why had the entire trip, meant to be a team bonding experience, feel like zhou was playing third wheel to valtteri and tiffany's winter couple's holiday?

and now he was standing in the lobby of some plush hotel, brushing shoulders with the self-centered american elites. he stood in the back corner, with an almost full glass of expensive champagne in hand.

he’s lost valterri an hour ago, with the driver swept up in a crowd of people who wanted his attention.

there was a commotion in the crowd, and zhou couldn’t tear his eyes away as a young woman in a puffy tan jacket and a long white dress came running, purse dangling from her hand and white wine running down her front, an apologetic waiter shouting after her.

zhou placed his champagne on the counter, hoping to catch the girl before she rushed out of the hotel doors, before he noticed that her phone had fallen out of her hand and clattered to the floor.

“miss?” he shouted, picking up the iPhone in its dropproof case, the screen lighting up with a stock photo from pinterest featuring a bouquet of tulips.

but she didn’t hear him, pushing her way out of the hotel.

so the alfa romeo driver saw no other option but to run after her.

“sorry to bother you,” he started, pulling his prada trench coat tighter around his body as a shield from the cold. “you dropped your pho-oh my god, are you okay?”

the woman was sitting on a bench outside the hotel, red in the face with tears in her eyes as she gasped for breath, clutching at her chest as she tried to fill her lungs with the winter air. she shook her head, panic in her eyes as zhou knelt down to meet her eyes.

“hey, look at me. I’m going to hold your hands, okay? I want you to breathe with me. gently in and out.” he guided her, trying to match their breathing together. slowly, he could see the color returning to her face. “you dropped your phone.” he said gently, pulling the iphone out of his pocket.

“thank christ.” she exhaled, taking the device from the driver. “I probably would’ve died once I found out I left it in there. I’m y/n.”

“zhou. or, guanyu, guanyu zhou, as you americans would say.”

“zhou guanyu.” she said softly, saying it the chinese way, with his last name first. now that she was talking more freely, he noticed her accent. australian. she was a long way from home. “I like it. it sounds regal, almost like you’re royalty. what brings you to the big apple? sounds like both of us are a long way from home.”

zhou sighed, taking a seat on the bench next to her. “it’s a promotional event for my teammate. I think valtteri invited me out of pity.”

“wait, valtteri bottas?” y/ns ears perked up. “I might be reaching a bit, but do you know his girlfriend, tiffany cromwell?”

“of course I know tiff. how do you?”

“my cousin is her nutritionist, she was supposed to be tiffany’s plus one, but her baby had other ideas and she went into premature labour, so tiff invited me along instead.”

the two young adults sat in silence for a minute as all the pieces slotted together in their brains, before zhou shouted in cantonese and y/n cursed under her breath.

“those cunts.” she snickered “I bet val and tiff planned this. they were setting us up, weren’t they?”

zhou laughed, a gleeful sound, his head tilted back and a few silky strands of his dark hair falling in front of his eyes. “it looks like we’re a few steps ahead of them.”

“I guess we are.” she laughed, brushing some hair behind her ear. “fuck, it’s cold as balls out here. and the wine down the front of my dress isn’t helping much.”

zhou looked over, watching the warmly coloured liquid soak into the thin white fabric. he reached for his own phone, fingers scrabbling across the keyboard.

“I have an idea. there’s this old chinese remedy my mom used to use to get dirt and grass stains out of my race suits as a kid. and if it can get grass out of a race suit, it can get white wine out of a linen dress.”

“I’m impressed that you even know that my dress is made of linen.”

“it’s a skill set. it’s not useful, it it’s a skill set.” the driver shrugged. “the closest chinese market is twenty minutes away by taxi. what do you think, y/n? do you fancy a new york adventure with me?”

y/n snorted “good luck getting a taxi in new york city on bloody new years.”

zhou got to his feet, running towards the street corner, waving his arm in the air. “taxi!” he shouted. “fuck, I’ve always wanted to do that!”

y/n laughed as she stood up, hobbling across the icy sidewalk in her high heels, trying not to step on the hem of her dress. zhou had successfully hailed a cab in under an hour, a feat that few accomplished on new years in the big apple.

he held the door open for her with a grin and a proper curtesy, a grin on his face as he said ‘after you, m’lady."

the taxi wove in an out of the new york traffic, turning down a side street lit with paper lanterns in glowing red and yellow. y/n watched on, entranced by the city that never stopped moving around her, fingers absently drawing simple shapes in the condensation that had formed on the inside of the window. zhou watched her with a tender smile on his face, completely at a loss on how to explain his sudden infatuation with the girl sitting next to him. he was drawn to everything about her: her loud mouth, her soft eyes, her gentle accent.

she was magnetic, and zhou was a refrigerator magnet.

the cab came to a stop in front of a small bodega, windows plastered with advertisements for chinese soft drinks, paper signs in calligraphy dictating the opening hours. the only thing written in english was the blinking open sign hanging in the door.

zhou paid the cab driver before taking y/n's hand in his and opening the glass door. the market had a cozy, homely feel to it: shelves packed with brightly colored boxes, a rack of brightly colored qipao lining one far wall, the spinning rack of postcards by the front door, the neon drink cooler that seemed to glow brighter than anything else in the calmly lit room.

it reminded her almost of the tourist trap market areas in sydney.

behind the counter, a young woman of about twenty-five leaned over the counter, a juul hanging from the corner of her mouth as she flipped through an issue of cosmopolitan. zhou went straight to the counter, striking up a conversation in mandarin as a shorter elderly woman with a bright smile emerged from the curtain hanging over the back room.

"what can i do for you today, young man?" the shopkeeper had a knowing look in her eyes as they roamed back and forth between zhou and y/n, who was looking at the delicately made qipao in wonder, her fingers dancing across the delicate silk. "condoms are in the third aisle."

zhou's face blushed pink, and he coughed to disguise the laugh that threatened to bubble over. "what, no, my friend spilled some white wine on her dress." he went on to list all of the ingredients he would need to clean the linen. "could you help us out?"

the shopkeeper nodded. "i'll need her dress. unfortunately, i only have qipao for her to wear in the meantime." she turned to the young woman at the other end of the counter who had just exhaled a cloud of watermelon scented water vapour. "mei-lin, can you help the young woman get soem fresh clothes so i can wash her dress?"

"a makeover?" mei-lin's eyes lit up as zhou called y/n over. "i'm finally going to get to 'she's all that' someone?"

y/n's eyes widened as she looked at zhou. "what's happening?"

"mei-lin is going to help you." the shopkeeper switched to english as she looked at y/n with a smile. "i trust her to get you settled, and then your friend and i will get that pesky wine stain out of your lovely dress."

neither party missed the change in the old woman's tone when she said the word 'friend'.

"and on that note," mei-lin said, breaking up the awkward silence. "i'm going to go pick out some qipao, and you can go straight to the back room so we can get this party started."

with one last panicked look at zhou, y/n retreated to the back room as the shopkeeper took zhou by the hand and helped him find the things he needed for his mother's herbal stain remover.

"first things first, call me melanie, that's the name that i prefer for myself. nainai is very traditional, but it's something that i love most about her." mei-lin smiled. "now, get that pesky dress off and we'll find something to impress loverboy out there."

y/n laughed nervously as she watched melanie hang up the qipao on an exposed pipe in the break room. "okay, so he and i just met half an hour ago, and is this not cultural appropriation, or fetishization or something?"

"semantics. i'm sure nainai would have given you other clothes if we had something other than qipao, but i think she's secretly excited about having the chance to show these off. she makes them herself, you know. she was an atelier in beijing before they decided to come to new york." melanie paused, looking at the four dresses she'd hung up. "mr. prada over there looked like a boobs man, is he a boobs man? and it's cold outside so that takes out the short one."

the australian tuned it out as she slipped out of her heels, puffer jacket and the soaked linen dress. a part of her was surprised that the wine hadn't frozen solid on her dress yet as she passed it over the paper screen to melanie, who was standing on the other side, seemingly having made up her mind about the qipao.

"what were you wearing underneath that dress? nainai makes lingerie too, i'm sure there's a box back here somewhere. she sells it on amazon, small business and whatever. my grandmother is quite the entrepreneur. let me find something that matches the qipao. we're going to knock mr. prada's socks off!"

by this point, y/n had discovered that it was useless to try and reason with melanie, and felt all the fight leave her body. besides, she couldn't remember the last time she had been pampered, and there was a part of her that felt a rush of adrenaline thinking about the alfa romeo driver's hands all over her body.

she was doing this for herself, and nobody else. something out of her comfort zone. consider it an early new year's resolution.

she was presently surprised in her appearance when she emerged from the paper screen, looking at the mirror hanging limply on the concrete wall. the red fabric hugged her curves perfectly, enunciating all the things she had once been insecure about in a flattering, pleasing way.

she felt sexy, and it was a foreign feeling. but it also gave her confidence, and that's when she thought she might break. for the first time, she wasn't wearing that big label that said 'fragile, handle with caution'.

melanie clapped her hands in glee. "you look stunning, absolutely wonderful!! huálì de! mr. prada isn't going to know what hit him!"

but also in that same mirror, y/n could see her messy, disarrayed hair, her smudged mascara. puffy eyes from crying.

"makeup wouldn't happen to be a part of this makeover deal, would it?"

twenty minutes later, she emerged from the back room as a changed woman, fighting the urge to draw into herself timidly, instead walking with her head held high, hair pulled back in a prim bun and held together with two red and gold hair pins.

"hi." she said awkwardly, waving her arm limply as zhou looked up from his phone, jaw dropping in wonder.

he had been in the middle of texting valtteri when y/n emerged from the back room, effectively taking his breath away. she looked regal and confident, something in her appearance that hadn't been there before. the qipao had a tighter fit than the linen she was wearing earlier, drawing zhou's attention to parts of her body that he hadn't even noticed before.

"hi. uh, wow, you look incredible."

"keep the qipao." nainai smiled from behind the counter. "it suits you. i designed it for a girl like you, you know. someone who needed an extra boost of confidence in herself. you wear it well, xiao niao. and if anybody asks where it's from, please send them over here."

y/n lowered her voice, looking at zhou. "what did she just call me?"

the driver laughed. "xiao niao. it means 'little bird'."

a simple term of endearment shouldn't have made her heart flutter the way that it did. it was the way the syllables rolled of zhou's tongue that made the butterflies in her stomach run rampant.

and she'd be damned if she didn't end the night in his bed, or at least with her lips on his.

and she didn't even know where this sudden rush of lust and self-confidence had come from. but she planned on riding that wave as long as she could.

“I’m sorry for cutting your gala short.” she apologized softly, pulling her jacket back on. “although i don’t think that you were having a lot of fun.”

zhou chuckled. “it’s fine. I didn’t want to be there all that much anyways. I only went for valtteri.”

“and I only went for tiffany.”

melanie gave them a knowing look from where she stood next to her grandmother behind the counter. “there’s a really good hot coco place around the corner, you guys could walk there if you wanted to.”

“what do you think, zhou?” she asked softly, looking at the alfa driver. “should we keep the night going?”

“the night is still young.”

nainai smiled. “here’s your dress, honey.” she said, passing a plastic walmart bag over the counter. “rinse it out in the morning and it will be perfectly fine. keep him, he’s a smart one.” the older woman laughed, pointing at zhou.

the two young adults left the bodega together, still dancing around hand holding, although zhou was ever the gentleman, holding doors open and guiding y/n away from the puddles and ice, still balanced on her stiletto heels.

nainai and melanie watched thoughtfully from inside the market. “I give them an hour tops before she ends up in his bed.”

“nainai!” melanie gasped. “I’d only give them half that.”

her grandmother shook her head with a grin and a small laugh. “she’s got him wrapped around her little finger.”

melanie grinned, taking another drag from her juul. “hell yeah she does. and I don’t even think she knows it.”

out on the street corner, once they were out of sight from the bodegas windows, y/n quickly zipped up her jacket, reaching behind her head to pull out the hair pins, shaking her waves out.

"there. this feels a little less cultural appropriate-y. melanie pulled the bun too tightly anyways."

"i think that your hair looks better like that." zhou remarked offhandedly. "and the qipao looks brilliant."

y/n looked at the hairpin in her hands, the cold night air rapidly cooling the metal in her hands. the pin was wrapped in a sleeve of red string, a silver dragon piece spiraling down the shaft.

"i love dragons." she remarked, twirling the hairpin around as she followed zhou in the direction that the shopkeeper had pointed them, desperate for a warm drink. "i have a collection of them, little ceramic dragons. i pick up one wherever i can, usually when i travel. this will look pretty neat in the display cabinet."

the hot chocolate bar seemed to light up the entire street. the interior was all white marble and subway tile, bouquets of pale pink roses on each table. ever the gentleman, zhou held the door open for her, his breath turning to vapour in the cold air. she thanked him, going straight to the counter, trying to warm up her hands as she held on to zhou's.

chalkboards behind the counter detailed the extravagant and overpriced, sugar-filled beverages, and y/n couldn't decide what she wanted to try first. the cafe was fairly empty, the driver and his plus one being the only two people in the line, and two of five in the whole resteraunt.

y/n supposed that it was because there were better places to be on new year's eve in new york city. they ordered, and zhou found himself tapping the credit card app on his phone against the debit machine before y/n even had a chance to get her wallet out of her purse.

"you didn't have to do that." she said softly as the alfa driver collected the receipt from the barista.

"i know. but i wanted to." he took a soft breath before the duo sat down nest to each other in a corner booth. "you're worth every penny."

"you don't even know me."

"but i want to. i want to know everything, y/n."

and for the next hour, that's what they did. talking about anything and everything, laughing at each other's jokes. it was awkward and comfortable and giggly in that way that you could only ever read about in books. zhou told her everything about racing, travelling, growing up in shanghai. they bonded together over hot chocolates piled high with caramel sauce, whipped cream and ground up oreo cookies and caramel chips.

"y/n, you've got a little something . . ." zhou's voice trailed off as he placed his delicate, slender fingers underneath her chin, using them to tilt her head back so he could use the pad of his pointer finger to swipe the whipped cream and caramel off the top of her cupid's bow.

their eyes met, a flash of recognition sparking between them as y/n's eyes fluttered closed, lips parting in anticipation as zhou carefully placed his lips against hers, cradling her bottom lip between his.

he held her as if she was made out of glass, like he was scared of making too many sudden movements lest she shatter. they parted gently, foreheads resting against each other before y/n broke, pulling him back in for an even fiercer kiss, her lips burning every time their lips made contact, arousal pooling in her stomach as zhou gently placed his hand against her neck.

"my hotel room or yours?"

_____

how alive she felt with his lips on hers.

they stumbled in through the hotel door, hands on each other's bodies with reckless abandon, jackets and purses falling to the hardwood floor as she hobbled out of her high heels, zhou's lips on her neck as she fell against the wall, pulling him closer by the waistband as she redirected his lips to hers.

he couldn't help but briefly wonder what his mother would think. deflowering a girl in a qipao? a girl who wasn't even chinese?

zhou slipped his palm up the small slit in the side of the qipao, running his soft hands along y/n's tender skin, goosebumps following in his wake.

"i'd strip for you," y/n started with a small laugh. "but i have no idea how to take this damn thing off."

"don't worry about it." he said with a soft kiss to her forehead. "i've got you."

she was shocked at how quick she had spread her legs for him, how safe she felt in his presence.

how alive she felt with his lips on hers.

he took his time with her once she was undressed, wearing nothing but the bright red lingerie, lace fabric dotted with hearts, his soft fingertips caressing her thighs, his lips following after. he wasn't even kissing her, just softly feeling every inch of her underneath his soft, plump lips.

"zhou, please." she breathed out. "i need you to do something, i can't take this."

"patience, bao bei. i want to enjoy you." the tip of his index finger traced the crease of her thigh, so despairingly close to where she ached to feel him.

"zhou." she whined, taking his hand in hers and guiding it over the lace. "i need to feel your mouth on me."

she wasn't sure when she had become this bold, when she didn't feel the urge to shy away during the most intimate of moments. didn't feel the urge to hide when zhou pulled her panties aside, pressing a feather light kiss to her clit.

and then the real fun began as he licked up her dripping center, probably making a mess of the hotel bedsheets in the process. y/n's hand flew to the back of his head as he slipped his tongue inside her, gently moving it in and out as he listened to her breathy moans, her head tilted back as she bit her lip to stop herself from cursing.

"zhou, please, just like that, right there baby . . . " she whined, before the driver withdrew his tongue and kissed her inner thigh, sloppy, sticky and messy.

"god, you're beautiful." he breathed before he mumbled something in mandarin. "i can't get enough of you, bao bei."

it was going to be a long, long night.

they welcomed the new year still wrapped in the sheets. zhou leaned back against a pile of pillows, his hands gripping y/n's hips as she rode him, her hands braced on his chest as he stared up at her in wonder.

this was round three, their bodies covered in sweat, hickies beginning to form on their skin as they huffed and groaned, y/n shaking above him as she felt her third orgasm rapidly approach.

"oh god, you fill me so well, baby. i think i'm gonna come!"

zhou's face was blushed and rosy as he tightened his grip, thrusting his hips up to wrangle another harsh moan from the back of y/n's throat.

she came just as the fireworks started to go off outside the window, bright colors from the flashes illuminating the room in shades of red and gold as her strength evaporated, her body slumping against his as his hips stilled, filling the latex condom with his seed.

"happy new year, y/n." he smiled, kissing the side of her head as she turned to look at him.

"happy new year, zhou." she grinned before she kissed him.

____

she stood in front of the bathroom mirror, sweaty hair hanging around her face, the red sheen dissipating from her face as she criticized every part of her appearance.

the adrenaline had worn off, and now she felt like shit. even wearing the prada t-shirt zhou had lent her when she got out of the bed to run to the washroom was another thing for her to judge about herself.

how had she been so careless to fall into bed with him so quickly? she avoided one night stands like the plague, and sometimes even in proper relationships, the act left her feeling like this.

feeling like she was just another thing to be used.

"y/n?" zhou shouted, his disembodied voice followed by a knock on the bathroom door. "i'm coming inside, okay? i'm worried about you."

the door slid open, and she wiped at the tears threatening to collect under her eyes.

"bao bei?" zhou said softly. he was dressed in nothing but grey sweatpants, loosely tied and hanging off his waist. "what's wrong? did i do something?"

"no, no." she shook her head quickly, wiping at her eyes. "you did everything just fine. you treated me like a queen this entire night."

zhou took her hands in his, running his thumbs over her knuckles. "it's just the adrenaline drop, sweetheart. you're beautiful, and smart, and funny, and this has been the best night of my life. and i want to keep this going. i want to know you better. how about you come back to bed, we'll cuddle. and then in the morning, you and i go out for breakfast?"

"yeah, i like that." she smiled, squeezing his hands in hers. "i really like you, zhou. and i've had a really good time with you, tonight."

he kissed her softly, brushing a section of her hair away from her face.

"come on, get some rest, beautiful. i'll see you in the morning. or, later this morning."

y/n laughed. "what time even is it?"

"12:45, january first."

"yeah, let's go back to bed."

____

Tags: @magnummagnussen @scuderiamh @sidcrosbyspuck @libraryofloveletters @diorleclerc @daydreamingleclerc

[sm-writes-chaos]

WAIT @thecomfywriter I FIGURED IT OUT

I had so many ideas for what would lead up to the inciting incident but then I realized WHAT IF I COMBINED THEM ALL…

So I did

Here’s the sequence of events leading to the inciting incident:

-Group in the village, led by Antonio, is planning to surprise attack a dragon living in the nearby mountains

-Meanwhile, Norah and Rufus have a silly little competition where Norah wins

-Rufus is so humiliated, he’s obsessed with being perfect, that he decides to go fight the dragon all on his own

-Norah at this point has gotten information that dragons ARE NOT EVIL

-She follows him to try and stop him

-There’s a struggle and they both end up killing the ice dragon

-There is a big emphasis of balance in their world, and now it has been set off course

-The fire dragon wakes early (whole other lore there) and causes summer to come EARLY AND ON FULL BLAST

-So theirs like fire everywhere and chaos and destruction…

-The dragon scoops Norah and Rufus up in its mouth and flies away

-Antonio however tries to combat this, but only ends up shrinking the dragon, making Norah and Rufus and the now chibi dragon fall into the middle of the forbidden forest (where they meet Alphair, thus completing the trio)

And scene.

They spend the rest of the book trying to get winter back while avoiding Antonio, various beasts, and wizards who don’t think children should be doing this..

That’s all (you still get a secret sneak peak btw)

[liminalmemories21]

Get to Know Me Better Tag Game

tagged by @lemonlyman-dotcom, @ladytessa74, and @bonheur-cafe. Thank you!

favourite colour — blue-purples

last song — "I'm the Last of My Kind" Shaboozey

currently reading — The States by Norah Woodsey. Modern Persuasion adaptation! Cross your fingers for me, this is my Roman Empire.

currently watching — Reacher - better than I thought it would be.

currently craving — cold corona with lime - it's hot here y'all

coffee or tea - Both. Coffee in the morning, tea in the afternoon. Hot in the winter, iced in the summer.

hobby to try — I keep wanting to try yoga, but I can't find a class that is remotely convenient for my schedule

current au — reading? Loaded March (Merlin AU - I reread all 1.2 million words of this about once a year). writing? very very slowly Knave-verse 5 (Paris caper)

Spicy/sweet/savory - depends on my mood - not usually spicy though

Current obsession — ummm, sleep? having my feet not hurt? (the steps could double if I did them in 3" heels, right?)

Relationship status - umm, technically single, practically speaking not.

tagging @alchemistc, @rmd-writes, @three-drink-amy, @cecilyv (are there any parts of this she doesn't already know? probably not), and @fifthrideroftheapocalypse

[magicshopaholic]

Other People (Seokjin x OC)

Summary: You learn a new trick, while Seokjin discovers something unexpected at Big Hit.

Pairing: Seokjin x OC

Genre: Best friends; angst

Word count: 8.5 K

Rating: 18+

Warnings: language, alcohol, mention of diets, mentions of brain surgery, mentions of a car accident (again, Nari is a surgeon, so)

A/N: This got unnecessarily long; I would apologise for it, but I couldn't find a single thing I wanted to delete. It's also two am so I've made an executive decision to not proofread this. I wish I could predict the reaction to this fic but I honestly have no idea. Takes place approximately three months after The Test.

Tagging:  @bbl32 @quarter-life-crisis2 @dreaming-with-happiness @meirkive @faearchives @margopinkerton @purpleseoul7 @kflixnet (italics could not be tagged; drop a message if you want to be added)

Listen to: "don't know why" by norah jones

seokjin masterlist | main masterlist

It’s cold and rainy in Seoul, even when it shouldn’t be. 

The day had started off as a nice sunny winter morning in November, the sun a soft golden, a welcome respite from the low temperature. As noon arrived, so did the clouds. By late afternoon, they were grey and ample, sealing the city in a coffin.

Now, the evening doesn’t look at all like it’s continued from the same morning. The rain comes down in torrents, creating a constant din, loud enough for people to have to speak in slightly raised voices to be heard properly. 

Nari stands outside the ER with a coffee in one hand and her phone in the other, waiting for the ambulance to arrive. The coffee is losing its heat with every passing second and she tries to gulp it down as fast as she can without burning her tongue in the process.

“What do we have?” Daeun appears from behind her, tying her hair into a ponytail, trauma gown already on.

“Two cars crashed into each other outside the mall,” supplies Nari. “Five victims, multiple contusions, broken bones and at least one head trauma. Coffee?”

Daeun accepts the cup with a nod and takes a noisy sip. “Ah, that’s good stuff. Shit, the rain is bad. I don’t think this will be our only car accident today.”

“Not even close,” mutters Nari, as two more fellow doctors join them. “I just hope we have the room.”

“We don’t,” says Jason, shifting from one foot to another. “Two of the trauma rooms are still unusable from the pipe leakage and the most of the X-ray machines are done after the Wednesday Soccer Team Incident. We have exactly one CT machine in working condition. The hospital is going to have to scrape money off the sidewalk to pay for all those repairs,” he adds, shaking his head in disappointment.

“Good thing they’re hosting a fundraiser then,” says Daeun dryly, just as the ambulance pulls in and the paramedics spill out. “A bunch of rich donors with their cheque books hanging out of their pockets - if that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will.”

Two patients, strapped to a gurney each are then lowered out of the ambulance. All four of them dash forward and tag themselves to a patient, hurrying inside as they listen to the paramedics rattle off their initial assessment and vitals on the field. Nari finds herself next to a woman, possibly in her thirties, with fresh cuts on her face and arms. Her t-shirt is drenched and her jacket has been ripped off, most likely by the paramedics themselves.

“Abdomen is tender so there might be internal bleeding,” says one of the paramedics. “There was no fire but there’s indication that she might have a swollen airway because of the fumes.”

“Alright, we need to get a CT,” says Nari, scanning the ER for an empty trauma room but finding none. “Damn it,” she mutters. “Okay, we’re going to have to keep her here - maybe we can use an ultrasound for now until we can move her.”

“Empty bed over here.” Jason steers the gurney over and immediately hooks the patient up to an IV. “I’ll get the portable ultrasound.”

“I’ll check her airway.” Nari gets to work immediately, trying to intubate the patient, who seems to have passed out entirely. She’s almost done when Jason returns, a nurse and the portable ultrasound machine in tow.

“This better work,” he mutters to her as the nurse begins positioning the patient correctly. “If we can’t find the bleed on this, we’re going to have to get in line for CT, which will take… hours.”

“Here’s hoping,” she agrees, standing back and observing the screen as he moves the transducer over the patient’s abdomen. She sighs and bites her lip when the image comes up clean. “Nothing. Move it to the left?”

Jason obliges, clicking his tongue. “I can’t believe the hospital doesn’t have a budget set aside to fix this stuff. This is a hospital,” he repeats, sounding appropriately frustrated. “Damn it, this bleed is really small. It’s barely showing up on the scan.”

“It has to be there. Here, let me try,” she offers, taking the transducer from him and moving it slower along the woman’s torso. “Do we all have to actually go to this fundraising thing, though? Can’t we skip?”

Jason scoffs. “It’s either dress up and smile at a bunch of rich people or stay here in the ER all night because all the attendings will be at the event. We’re not going to get a night off. The best we can do is make sure we’re all there so we at least have someone to talk to.”

It takes a second to click. “Shit, that’s it.” 

“What is? Did you find the bleed?”

“What? No. Sorry,” she mutters, going back to the ultrasound, feeling an encouraging flutter in her stomach. I didn’t find the bleed, she thinks apologetically. I found a segue.

—

It’s hours later when Nari finally gets a moment alone. Sitting at a table in the residents’ locker room, a sandwich in one hand and her phone in the other, she stares at her last chat with Seokjin. It’s a depressing series of heys and what’s ups and not muches, which is all it’s been for months now, ever since they’d last seen each other in August.

It started with superficial questions and forced conversation, half-hearted plans to meet before he had to leave for Europe again, until they dwindled down to monosyllabic answers that Nari found herself too humiliated to keep going, for more than one reason.

For one, it didn’t help her newfound insecurity of being a clingy friend, especially to a man who had made perfectly clear that he didn’t see her as anything but a friend. On top of that, she had no way of knowing what he was thinking. He wasn’t angry; she knew what Seokjin was like when he was angry and if he truly was, she would know. 

No, he wasn’t angry. He was… distant. Part of it could’ve been that he was busy, completing an entire promotional activity across Europe. But now that he’s back from their last stop in Japan, Nari knows that they have to get back on track. Being her date to a fundraiser isn’t her top pick, but it might just be the right balance between an organized event where he can’t ignore her and a public enough place that they won’t have to be alone at any point. Besides, if it doesn’t happen now, between his stint in Europe and his tour beginning early next year, she has a sinking feeling that their relationship will stagnate right here.  

She swallows, her heart racing slightly. It’s the middle of the night; Seokjin is most likely asleep, which gives her a great excuse to text and not call. 

Nari [01:11]

Hey.

She sends it before she loses her nerve, the soft whoosh sounding awfully final. Her stomach tugs uncomfortably with anxiety that she’s only recently started to associate with Seokjin, a strange and new feeling of not being able to expect what’s coming. 

She continues staring dementedly at the phone, its screen dark, until she finishes the entire sandwich. 

“It’s the middle of the fucking night, Nari,” she mutters to herself, standing up with a groan and stretching. There’s no point wasting her night worrying when she’s probably not going to get a response until tomorrow. She changes out of her scrubs and runs a hand through her unwashed hair, counting herself lucky that she can get a good six hours of sleep before she has to return in the morning.

The rain has slowed to a drizzle now; despite the cold, Nari tilts her head to the sky slightly, welcoming the fresh air. She runs her hands through her hair again, feeling the droplets cooling her scalp as her hair falls around her shoulders in clumpy strands. She doesn’t even make it past the entrance when she feels the unmistakable vibration of her phone in her bag, touching her hip. 

Nari freezes. This is unprecedented; Seokjin is never awake this late. Fishing out her phone, she lets out a low breath when she sees a message from him. She can ignore it, to be sure, and deal with it tomorrow morning - but then she would come off as a coward. 

Maybe it’s the fact that it’s ridiculously late, maybe it’s the fact that she just spent a better part of the evening fixing a bleed in a person’s abdomen - but the inner voice in her head simply sighs tiredly and goes it’s just Seokjin, prompting her to shake her head and open his message.

Kimbap [01:35]

Hey.

It’s anticlimactic, for sure, but still unexpected. Nari takes a seat on a bench near the parking lot and wipes the droplets off her screen with the sleeve of her jacket, hoping this isn’t going to be another one of their pointless conversations.

But he replied, didn’t he?

He did. Even though it’s the middle of the night. Encouraged, she responds.

Nari [01:39]

Didn’t expect you to be awake.

Kimbap [01:40]

We’re watching a movie at the dorm.

Nari [01:40]

Oh. Which one?

Kimbap [01:41]

Hereditary. I hate it.

Nari [01:41]

Jesus. Then why are you still watching it?

Kimbap [01:41]

There’s a bet and Jungkook is involved. It’s a long story.

Nari’s immediate response of I have time gets backspaced instantly. The honest truth is that she doesn’t have time and he clearly doesn’t want to talk about it. She can’t be sure how well a joke will land right now but she also knows that she needs to respond fast or this is doomed to be another one of their hopeless attempts at a conversation.

All of a sudden, her phone rings and Nari almost drops it. It’s Seokjin, his name blinking bright on the screen. Now fully panicking - because this was not part of the plan - Nari looks around wildly around the empty parking lot, as though hoping for someone to spring out of the bushes and tell her what to do.

The phone is still ringing. Before she realises what’s happening, her thumb does an awkward sort of spasm and lands on the screen, answering the call.

Here goes nothing, she thinks. “Um, h-hello?” she stutters.

“Hey.” 

It’s like a football being kicked into her ribcage from the inside. Nari winces, wondering when her anxiety got this severe, to the point where her best friend’s voice is starting to cause her physical comfort. She leans back on the bench and tries to breathe slowly.

“Aren’t you, um, watching a movie?”

“Yeah. But if I’m on the phone, I have a decent excuse to get out of it.”

Oh. Nari feels her shoulders deflate. “Glad to be of help,” she murmurs, chuckling awkwardly. “How - how are you? Are you in Seoul?”

“Yeah, I am. Busy, though,” he adds quickly. “The album’s coming out in a week, so there’s a lot of work going on for it.”

“Right. Of course. How’s that going?”

“It’s fine. Hectic, as per usual. What about you?” he asks after a moment. “How’s the hospital, and the… surgeries and stuff?”

“Same. I mean, hectic. As usual.” Nari closes her eyes and feels her heart sink at the sheer effort this conversation is taking. She can’t begin to think about how they got here and it seems way too exhausting to even try.

“You sound tired.” Seokjin pauses, the sentence sounding incomplete. “Have you - I mean, are you still at the hospital?”

“Going home now. I just got a sandwich at the cafeteria,” she adds, hoping she’s guessed his half-question right. 

“Now? I thought you hated the night cafeteria.”

“I do, but it beats the vending machine crap. Have to make do when the jajjangmyeon isn’t an option,” she jokes, bracing herself for his response.

But all he does is chuckle half-heartedly. “Yeah. What’s up? You texted?”

“Oh, right. Yeah.” Nari had barely worked up the nerve to text him about the fundraiser; asking him over the phone was a whole different ball game. “I was just thinking…” She trails off, her eyes widening as her vocal chords stay unwilling to go further.

“M-hm?”

Pull yourself together, woman.

“I was thinking that… we haven’t hung out in a while,” she ventures bravely, her knee jerking up and down. “And there’s a - there’s a thing later this week, so… that could be… you know.” She swallows, wishing Jason hadn’t put this stupid idea in her head in the first place. “... If you want,” she finishes lamely.

Seokjin is silent for a few seconds, during which Nari goes from anticipation to full-blown horror. “I’m sorry, are you - are you inviting me to something?” he asks, sounding confused.

“Um, kind of?”

“Like a party?”

“Well, no. Not a fun one,” she says wryly. “It’s a - there’s a fundraiser. And I have to go and… yeah, I was wondering if maybe you do, too. Since we haven’t hung out in a while.”

“Fundraiser, huh?” He doesn’t sound enthused at all. “Like, for charity? Wait, who’s the charity?”

“We are the charity,” she explains, rolling her eyes. “The hospital. Which means it’s just going to be all board members and senior doctors and other board members - and us. The residents.”

“Huh. Way to make it sound appealing, Nari.”

“It’s not appealing, at all. But it’s free food and booze and I get a chance to get out of my scrubs,” she points out. “Nice dress, straightened hair. And you’ll have to wear a suit,” she adds apologetically. 

“Right.” There’s a soft sound and Nari realises a moment later that he’s laughing quietly. It makes her stomach feel uncomfortably heavy. 

“What?” she asks, a bit defensively.

“Nothing,” he says, still chuckling. “We haven’t hung out in a while, so your idea was to do so at a… boring work event?”

Nari is quiet for a moment. The fact that he laughed is still prickling. “Well, I’d be open to other suggestions but you haven’t really had the time,” she can’t resist saying. “I work long hours; I don’t really get a lot of other opportunities to go out.”

“Yeah, Nari, I work long hours, too,” he reminds her, sounding irritatingly calm. “But if it’s either that or a hospital charity fundraising event filled with doctors… I think I’ll pick the long hours.” He chuckles again.

You’re a fucking idiot, Nari.

“Got it. See you around, Seokjin.”

“Nari, come on, I was joking -”

His words get cut off when she hangs up, fuming. She puts her phone on silent then, for good measure, and begins storming home in the cold. She won’t respond to any of his calls or messages tonight, the arse, she thinks. But fate must be on her side, for even after she gets home, changes and gets into bed, Seokjin doesn’t call or message.

—

Seokjin reaches the Big Hit building earlier than required. There’s no one in the rehearsal room yet, not even Hoseok, so he decides to get a much needed shot of caffeine from the cafeteria on the fourteenth floor. As he waits in line, he scans the food menu, each item like a gourmet creation.

Have to make do when the jajjangmyeon isn’t an option.

Seokjin sighs and tries not to think about what Nari had for dinner last night, but by the time his coffee is handed to him, he knows he’s a goner. It had taken him every ounce of restraint to not reach out to her again last night, knowing that no good would come of it. But now, in the light of day, he knows he can’t avoid it any longer. 

He calls her before he can talk himself out of it. Looking out at the city from the floor-to-ceiling windows and sipping his coffee, he hears her phone ring continuously until it goes to voicemail. He tries not to read too much into it; she’s probably already at work and she rarely answers unless she’s taking a break. It’s better than the other option; the feeling of Nari being angry with him is too foreign for him to consider right now.

He dials her number again to be certain and when it once again goes to voicemail, he clears his throat and takes another sip of coffee for liquid courage.

“Hey, Nari,” he begins, then sighs. “Look, I’m sorry if I was a bit of a dick last night. You just caught me off guard. Honestly, I… I didn’t think you really wanted to hang out with me so when you said you did, it just kind of threw me. And your event does sound boring,” he adds, hoping she hears the teasing in his voice, “but I’ll be there anyway. Suit and everything. I want to hang out with you, too,” he says after a moment, knowing the words don’t even begin to explain the magnitude of how much he wants to see her again, how hard it’s been to distance himself since the last time he saw her. “So… yeah. Text me the details.”

He should be saying something more but he can’t think what. As he looks around, hoping the words will come to him, he spots a figure just outside the cafeteria doors and does a double take. His mind runs through a myriad of memories to zero in on the right one, when he remembers he’s still on the phone.

“Anyway, I have to go. Bye.” Locking his phone and heading out towards the figure, Seokjin pushes his shoulders back and hopes he isn’t wrong. She’s in a slim navy blazer, skinny jeans and very high heels, a sleek laptop tucked under one arm and her fingers flying across the keypad of a Blackberry.

He taps her shoulder with a feather-light touch. “Um, hi? I think I have something that belongs to you?”

When she turns around, face carefully blank, Seokjin is momentarily sure of two things: one, that she is exactly who he thought she was, and two, that her lack of expression can only mean that she doesn’t remember him.

“You do?” A moment later, her perfectly lined lips tilt upwards slightly. “That’s right. What was it again?”

“Um…” Seokjin licks his lips, glad that he didn’t just go up to a random stranger and interrupt her in the middle of what seems to be a very long email. “I think it was a collectible of some kind? Very glamorous. Had a name on the inside?”

Her smile widens. “Do you remember what it was?”

Seokjin gulps but keeps his face still. “Of course. It was… Seulgi.” The relief at her nod is unexpected. “You think I’d forget the person that saved my hand that night? How would I ever hold a mic otherwise? My career might have been over!”

Seulgi laugh, a nice, low laugh. Her teeth are perfectly lined and perfectly white, shining against light bronze skin without a single pore. Her hair is long, straight and black, not a strand out of place. She looks like she belongs on a pamphlet for corporate employees.

Which reminds him.

“Do you - do you actually work here?” he asks. “In Big Hit?”

“Yeah,” she answers, looking only very slightly apologetic. “I thought I recognised you that night as well but I couldn’t be sure. I only just moved to the Marketing team. Sorry.”

“Uh, no, don’t be.” Seokjiin shakes his head. “It’s good to see you. And now I can return the wrist brace to you, too! This is great.”

“I mean, you don’t have to. I told you, I have a bunch of them,” she reminds him, raising her left hand slightly. From under the sleeve of her blazer, a navy blue brace, just like the purple one she’d lent him, peaks out. 

“No, no, I should,” he says anyway, shaking his head and glancing at the clock on his phone. There’s a message on his notification tray… “It’s back in my…” He wracks his brain, “... uh, flight. Which I took. The day after you lent me the brace.” He drops his face in his hands when she laughs again, low and husky.

“It’s really okay,” she says, touching his arm before taking a step back. “I actually do have a lot of them. And maybe they’ll help out some other poor soul who’s hurt his wrist.”

“That’s the hope,” he agrees, knowing his ears are reddening. “Man, I really wish I’d known you worked here. I would’ve… I don’t know. Broken the news about losing your brace sooner, for starters.”

“The loss would’ve been easier,” she agrees.

Seokjin bites his lip, preparing to let the awkwardness wash over him but it doesn’t. Seulgi’s warm, despite her appearance suggesting she’s about to walk into a room and fire a dozen people. 

“I feel really guilty, though,” he repeats after a moment. “Can I - I don’t know… buy you a coffee? It’s no collector’s edition wrist brace, but still?”

“Oh, that actually sounds good,” she replies, and for a moment his heart skips a beat of relief, “but the line seems long and I have a meeting.” She holds her Blackberry up apologetically. 

For the first time, Seokjin notices a Galaxy in her other hand – a personal cell and a work cell. She’s core corporate, he realises, possibly senior management. He doesn’t know why, but it’s slightly intimidating.

“Oh. Oh, okay. Sure.” He nods as she moves past him. “It was good to see you, though.”

“Yeah, you, too. Glad your wrist is better.” With a quick wave, she heads down the corridor and disappears from view.

Seokjin watches her leave, still cringing somewhat over the wrist brace he hasn’t thought about in months. She’d been the only person that night he’d had a normal conversation with - somehow, this doesn’t seem like the best way to show his gratitude.

It’s time to head for practice, anyway. As he steps into the elevator, he opens his messages and breathes a sigh of relief. 

Nari [09:14]

[Location]

Nari [09:14]

Friday, 7 pm

—

It’s hours later when they’re finally done with practice. All seven of them, a choreographer and a couple camerapersons are the only ones left. Jimin and Jungkook are still standing, going over their portion of the choreography as Hoseok watches, even though they look like they might collapse any second. Taehyung is spread-eagled on the floor, his bowl hat on his face. Yoongi is sitting in one corner of the room, staring into nothing.

Seokjin feels too tired to move, every single muscle aching. He leans back against the mirror and tries to catch his breath. Next to him, Namjoon is lying on the floor and texting. Seokjin catches a couple of words and immediately looks away; It seems to be in English, so it’s a fairly easy guess who the other person is.

“Any plans tonight, hyung?” Yoongi trudges over and tumbles down on his other side, crossing his legs.

“Not a one,” answers Seokjin. “In fact, I don’t think I’ll be getting out of bed for a while so if you need anything, I’ll respond to you in two to five business days.”

“You need to be at the studio tomorrow morning.”

There’s a pause. “Fine, but apart from that,” he amends, wagging his finger in Yoongi’s face, “two to five business days.”

“There’s also the interview on Friday.”

“Damn it, Yoongi,” groans Seokjin, glaring at him. “Fine, but that’s the last one. I have plans to vegetate all weekend in my apartment,” he informs him, knowing that there’s no way he'll get the entire weekend off, but needing to put across the point, “so just… don’t ruin it for me.” He watches Yoongi make a motion that might be a chuckle and rolls his eyes. “And besides, the interview is on Thursday. So my weekend begins on Friday.”

“The interview is on Friday,” says Yoongi calmly.

“No, it’s not. It’s Thursday. The twenty-fourth.”

“Thursday is the twenty-third.”

“No,” repeats Seokjin, feeling his pulse start to race, “it - it was always on Thursday.”

“No, it’s Friday,” pipes up Namjoon from his other side, not looking away from his phone.

And thus, Seokjin is left to spend the rest of the day in a growing pit of guilt, knowing that he’s going to have to disappoint Nari yet again - this time, completely unintentionally.

Her hesitation last night had not gone unnoticed by him. It was hard to hear but equally hard to respond to, and Seokjin half-hoped that she would find it too hard to go through with actually inviting him somewhere and drop the idea altogether. 

But she persisted and while it made Seokjin profusely glad that she still cared, it also meant that he would have to find a way to face her after avoiding her for months.

It doesn’t feel nearly as easy as it sounds, for Seokjin has absolutely no idea what to expect when it comes to Nari now. Part of him still feels guilty for lying to her the day after the wedding; her question had taken him completely off guard and lying about his feelings was the only way he’d been able to think of to avoid the situation getting worse.

It was a mess already but somehow, twenty-four hours later, it was So Much Worse. Somehow, Nari had come to him with a problem he couldn’t ignore. Somehow, he suddenly had to reevaluate his entire life with her in it, and somehow, in less than a day, his short-lived future with Nari as the mother of his child and best friend for life had been created and shattered.

It was hard to think of, and so much harder to talk to Nari about. Seokjin had been on the verge, dozens of times, of just breaking the ice and chatting with his best friend while he sat in cold European towns and watched Taehyung get his heart broken over and over again by Dilara Komyshan.

At least we’re not that bad yet, he’d tried to tell himself. He wanted to tell her, too, that they weren’t that bad, that they were okay, that he just needed some time. But the thought of confessing his surreal daydream, of irretrievably changing their friendship felt like too much of a responsibility - especially if she didn’t respond well. Avoiding her sucked, but it beat being around her with nothing to say.

Still, saying no to her outright, when she’d asked him point blank to accompany him to something was too hard. The fundraiser thing did sound boring, but he wanted to see her, too, so badly. It felt like a missing limb, not being able to talk to her. 

Nice dress, straightened hair. And he would have to be in a suit. He shudders when he remembers what happened the last time she was in a nice dress and he was in a suit. 

“Namjoon.” Seokjin jogs over to the leader as they’re heading out of the building to their cars in the basement. “About this press conference on Friday.”

“Yeah?” 

Seokjin hesitates, already sensing a no-nonsense mood. It hasn’t been the best day for Namjoon; the choreography was a complicated one, he was having to negotiate schedules all day, and if he’s not mistaken, he and Kaya have definitely been having some disagreement all day.

“About this press conference on Thursday -”

“Friday.”

“- I was - yes, Friday -” Seokjin clears his throat. “How important would you say it is for all of us to show up, on a scale of one to… Grammys?”

Namjoon stares. “At least VMAs.”

Seokjin nods seriously, even though it doesn’t help him in the least. “Okay,” he says, changing tacks, “how long do you think it’ll go on?”

“Uh, I don’t know.” Namjoon sighs, scrolling through some document on his phone. “It should be done by six, but there’s a sponsors’ dinner after that - but that won’t be filmed so maybe we can leave early… of course, we’ll need to let management know so they have an exit plan…” He shakes his head and continues muttering under his breath.

“Okay, sure,” interrupts Seokjin, sensing that Namjoon is starting to lose the plot. “But what time do you think the event will actually end? Because I have to be somewhere else.”

“Where?”

“Uh… a thing. With Nari,” he adds shortly. To his relief, Namjoon simply raises his eyebrows but doesn’t probe.

“I - I don’t know, hyung,” he says, not sounding apologetic at all. It’s definitely a fight with Kaya. “We won’t know until we get there. Depends on the sponsors. If it helps, it’s happening right here, in this building.”

It does help, a bit, for the location is closer to the Big Hit building than the hospital is. Still, it could be better.

“Look, I just need to tell Nari if I can make it or not,” he says, no longer beating around the bush. “I don’t want to make her a promise I can’t keep.”

Namjoon licks his lips slowly and nods. “I think you’ve been in this business long enough to know the answer to that, hyung,” he says cryptically, patting his shoulder and walking away.

“What the hell does that mean?” Seokjin demands, but Namjoon just shrugs and continues walking away. 

He does know what it means, though. But you’re a coward, Kim Seokjin, says the voice inside his head, sounding like Nari’s, as he prepares to text her later that night rather than call, knowing (and somewhat hoping) that she’ll be too busy to answer right away.

Seokjin [20:11]

I have some not so great news.

To his horror, she replies almost immediately.

Nari [20:13]

Bring it.

Seokjin [20:13]

Promise you won’t get mad?

Nari [20:14]

I’m two beers and a tequila shot down. This would be the right time to give me some not so great news.

Seokjin pauses. She’s drinking, which means she got off work at a reasonable time tonight. He should be glad about that, for her, but he can’t figure out what is also bothering him about it.

Seokjin [20:16]

Oh? No surgeries?

Nari [20:16]

Nope, I’m not on call tonight. I was going to go home and crash but the others convinced me to have a drink first.

Seokjin [20:17]

Sounds like more than a drink.

Nari [20:18]

I may have gotten carried away, but zero regrets. 

Seokjin [20:18]

Do you have a ride home?

Nari [20:19]

I live half a block away from the hospital. I’m sure most of these guys will crash at my place when they’re too trashed to get home.

Seokjin [20:19]

Are you sure?

Nari [20:20]

Yes. You don’t have to worry about me, you know.

She’s drunk; her transparency makes that clear. This may be the best or the worst time to give her the news, but Seokjin doesn’t think he can continue worrying about this for the rest of the night.

Seokjin [20:21]

Okay. Look, I need to talk to you about Friday.

Nari [20:21]

Something came up and you don’t think you can make it?

Seokjin’s heart jerks. He may not have met Nari much over the last few months, but he still knows her well enough to tell when she’s reaching the end of her tether.

Seokjin [20:22]

It’s a press thing. I can’t miss it.

Nari [20:23]

Of course. Unfortunate that you found out about it only today.

Seokjin [20:23]

No, it’s not that. I actually forgot. I thought it was on Thursday but it turns out it’s actually Friday. It’s my fault - I mixed up the days.

Nari [20:24]

Of course. Some other time, I guess.

Seokjin can picture her scoff, locking her phone and placing it on a bar table, screen down. He scrambles.

Seokjin [20:25]

I’m just saying I’ll be a little late.

Nari [20:25]

Late? Are you sure?

Seokjin [20:26]

Yeah. I don’t know how late but I’ll be there. I’ll try my best anyway.

Nari [20:26]

I’m sure you will.

This time, her status goes from “online” to “offline” and he knows she’s gone. This is a side of Nari he hasn’t seen in years: snide and sarcastic. It’s incredibly rare, requires a mix of things to be going wrong in her life, and has never, ever been directed at him.

Seokjin feels squeamish and guilty and helpless all at once - but he’s also beginning to get mildly annoyed. He’s determined to show up now, if for nothing else than to prove her wrong. 

Take that, Nari. He pictures showing up at the event, jogging up the stairs and bursting into a hall filled with white-haired individuals in conservative finery. Nari, in the same leaf-green bridesmaid’s dress with strappy high heels, would be at the end of the hall at the bar, looking victorious at the assumption that he hasn’t shown. The crowd would part then and she would turn, the satisfied smirk fading at the sight of him, late and panting - but there.

The next moment, Seokjin cringes at this ridiculous fantasy. Even the imaginary voice in his head that sounds a bit like Nari snickers. 

—

Nari fingers the strap of her dress nervously, feeling rather odd at being this dressed up around people who only ever see her in scrubs. Most of the other doctors seem to be feeling similarly, though, and she tries to coach herself to remember that they’re still the same people - just wearing make-up and cologne.

“Hey,” comes Jason’s voice from behind her, and she turns, glad to see someone she knows. “You - wow, you look amazing.”

“Really?” Nari asks quickly, smoothing down her dress. It’s long and plain black, nothing fancy, with a thin necklace and the only strappy high heels she owns. “It’s not too low cut?”

“Um -” Jason frowns and immediately looks away. “I - I don’t know. It looks - I mean, I didn’t -” He stutters in confusion, his gaze darting around in panic. “I don’t - I mean, should I look?”

“What? No, of course not.” She shakes her head and sighs. “Sorry. I’m just not used to it.”

“Used to what?”

“This,” she says, referring to nothing in particular. “The dress and the hair and the - the make-up. I don’t do it very often.” Looking up to see him still deliberately looking away, she slaps his shoulder. “Damn it, Jace, you can look at me now.”

“Oh.” He makes a big show of slowly moving his gaze towards her, grinning when she chuckles begrudgingly. “Don’t worry, dude. You look great.”

“Thanks. You, too, by the way,” she says honestly, noting the suit and the neatly brushed hair. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen your jaw this smooth,” she remarks, turning his chin slightly.

“A last minute shave in the residents’ locker room changed the game.” Jason rubs his jaw and winces slightly. “Should I be concerned about my skills as a surgeon that I cut myself in two different places while doing it?”

Nari laughs, feeling slightly less nervous. “Not unless you’re the patient. Also, where the hell is everybody else?”

“Oh, Daeun got pulled into surgery - her motorcycle guy ruptured his spleen,” he answers, gesturing to the bartender. “She said she’d be back if it got over in time. Hyeri had to monitor her valve replacement lady to see if she’ll make it through the night. Oh, and Eunji is over there,” he adds, pointing to the other end of the hall.

Nari squints in the direction he’s pointing. “Who’s that she’s with?” 

“Her boyfriend, probably.” Jason shrugs as the bartender comes over. “A chaebol type, from what I can tell. Hey. you want a drink?”

“Uh, sure. Beer. Wait, can we have beer?” She frowns.

“I don’t know. Not fancy enough, is it?”

“We don’t have beer,” volunteers the bartender.

“Right,” says Nari. “In that case, I will have a glass of your strongest… whatever is strongest.”

Jason nods seriously. “Two of those. Thank you.”

The bartender raises an eyebrow but nods anyway, going back to mix their drinks. 

“So… it’s just you and me?” She leans back against the bar and scans the room. “Wait, do you have a date coming, too?”

“What?” Jason wrinkles his nose. “No. I’ve been on a neuro rotation all week - I haven’t had time to breathe, forget about looking for a date. You?”

“Have I had time to breathe?”

“Do you have a date.”

“Right.” Nari bites her lip. “Not exactly. I mean, I - I invited a friend. Seokjin - you met him, remember?”

“Yeah, of course.” Jason nods as their drinks arrive and they automatically pick theirs up. “Cheers. So why isn’t he a date?”

“Because he’s a friend.” As she says it, a terrifying possibility occurs to her: could Seokjin actually think this is a date? It would explain his random excuse to arrive “late” - if he does at all.

“He is? Really?” He looks mildly curious. “Because that night at Hyeri’s - I could’ve sworn he had a thing for you.”

Nari’s heart skips a beat. “You’re not the first person to think that,” she mutters into her glass, taking a stinging sip of what tastes like scotch. “Ugh, that’s disgusting.”

“It’s strong,” he remarks. “But I didn’t catch that. What did you say?”

“Nothing.” She shakes her head, the painful humiliation of that moment after the wedding seeping into her body again. “Just… he doesn’t. Have a thing for me.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Really? I mean, because it seemed like -”

“Jason,” she interrupts him, needing this conversation to end. “He doesn’t. Believe me. I’m completely sure.”

For a moment, it looks like he’s going to say something else but then seems to think the better of it. Nari is thankful; reliving that moment is bad enough, but her mind is now also preoccupied with the possibility that Seokjin might be avoiding coming tonight because he thinks she’s asked him on a date - and because he’s nice and can’t reject her outright twice, he’s having to resort to half-hearted lies and work excuses.

It’s a grim thought. She and Seokjin haven’t spoken since he told her he’d try to make it - and she’d been less than gracious about it. It was the alcohol, she’d reasoned the next morning, and despite the annoyance with his flimsy attempts at avoiding her, she’d dropped him a cursory Seriously, don’t worry about it. She’d waited just long enough to get a I’ll still try my best, and tried not to think about it since.

Nari takes another sip of her disgusting drink, not sure which is worse - if he shows or if he doesn’t.

—

“There he is. Jerk.”

Seokjin’s ears perk up at Taehyung’s quiet snarl. He follows the younger member’s gaze and feels his mouth twist as well when he spots the one journalist who had pestered them relentlessly with questions, each one more backhanded than the previous one, ranging from their solo ambitions to accusations of plagiarism.

“Where’s Namjoon?” he mutters, looking around. “Let’s make sure he doesn’t run into that guy without other guests around. Or witnesses,” he adds.

“He’s over by the water,” supplies Jungkook. “I think he’s talking to one of the sponsors.”

“Let’s keep an eye on him, then,” says Yoongi dryly. “Just in case he decides to do something drastic, like get into a logically structured argument.”

Seokjin half-chuckles. He does want Namjoon to come over, partly to keep an eye on him but mostly to check when he can leave. He checks his phone; it’s almost eight. As much as Nari’s last message, days ago, hadn’t seemed at all confident that he would make it, it only made him more determined to show up.

Namjoon doesn’t come over, though. Eventually, Seokjin joins him, hoping to get a moment of his time between guests.

“Maybe you should take a break,” he suggests, after another one of the sponsors leave and Namjoon’s well-practiced public smile fades. “Eat something? Or even have a drink?”

Namjoon smiles wearily. “Thanks, hyung. Maybe later.” He runs a hand over his face. “God, I can’t wait to get out of here. Zoom date with Kaya,” he adds, answering Seokjin’s silent question.

“Then we should leave now,” he says immediately, jumping at the opportunity. “Or you’ll just get even more tired and you’ll have to cancel on Kaya.”

“Are you kidding? It’s the only thing I’ve been looking forward to all day,” he replies, shaking his head. “There’s no way I’m cancelling.”

Seokjin responds to this with a grimace; while he would ordinarily find it sweet, right now, this blatant happiness is just annoying. He tries to think of another line of reasoning that could convince Namjoon to bounce, but before he can, two middle-aged people, one man and one woman, join them.

There’s some initial greeting; Seokjin gets through it robotically while Namjoon goes from tired to charming in a microsecond. The topic predictability begins with the press conference that just took place, followed by both guests praising Namjoon for his wonderful answers that he receives with respectful gratitude.

“I’m sorry you all have to stay for the dinner,” the woman says to Seokjin while the other two speak about something else. “You’re so young; I’m sure you all have other plans tonight.”

Lady, you have no idea. But he forces a smile on his face. “We’re happy to be here. Besides, if I’m lucky,” he adds hopefully after a moment, “my plans might still be there after this.”

“Oh?” The lady seems most interested. “A fancy party you need to get to?”

“Something like that. I have to meet someone at an event.”

“Girlfriend?”

“No,” he answers hastily. “Just a friend. It’s a work thing at the hospital she works. She’s a doctor,” he adds for good measure.

To his surprise, the lady nods. “Oh, I know that. It’s a fundraiser, right? Seoul National Hospital?” When Seokjin raises his eyebrows and nods, she smiles in acknowledgement. “I have a couple of friends there, too. Those doctors do such good work - pity they don’t have the money to continue their work in peace. Your friend is smart, though,” she says after a moment, patting Seokjin’s shoulder with a knowing look, “inviting a BTS member to the event.”

Seokjin doesn’t immediately understand. “I’m sorry?”

“Well, they need the money, don’t they?” She chuckles, sounding almost impressed. “Not a lot of people have the contacts to bring in someone like BTS to be a donor.”

Something drops in his stomach. “Oh, I - I think you’ve misunderstood. She’s my friend and we - we haven’t met in a long time because we’ve both been very busy. It’s not a - I mean, I’m not a - a donor.”

The lady looks confused for a moment. “Oh. My apologies. It just seemed like a smart thing to do, you know?”

Seokjin swallows. “Sure,” he says shortly. “But, uh… it’s not like that.” He nods to himself, knowing he’s right. “Nari would never do that.”

—

Nari shuffles through the crowd to where she can see Jason with Eunji and her boyfriend, taking care not to trip in her heels. She sees them turn and spot her as she gets close, but she doesn’t have time for pleasantries.

“Incoming,” she states. All of their eyes dart up and behind her; Eunji is the first one to notice.

“Damn it. Come on, babe,” she commands her partner, taking his hand and setting off. “Let’s go dance before he gets us.” In a flash of a second, they’re both gone.

“Okay, it’s our turn,” she says hurriedly to Jason, placing her drink on the bar and gathering her long dress in her hand. “If Dr Jung gets hold of us, it’s going to be a repeat of the mixer.”

Jason grimaces. “Oh, God. You mean when he tried to recruit each of us one by one by using his holiday calendar as a selling point?”

“That’s the one. Come on, he’s already seen me, but maybe we can still make a break for it!” she whispers dramatically, getting ready to go but stopping when he grabs her wrist.

“It’s too late,” he says gravely. “We’re going to need another plan. Tell me about your craniotomy today.”

“I - what?” Nari’s eyes widen. “Did you not hear me?”

“I did. Now talk to me about something medical,” he instructs. “And make it seem like there’s a problem - like, just talk urgently. Come on,” he urges, shaking her wrist.

“Um - okay, uh, the patient came in with migraines and was having seizures so we did an MRI and found an aneurysm located in the temporal lobe of the brain -”

“That’s great,” he whispers, and Nari notices his gaze slide carefully to the left to watch Dr Jung reach them, before quickly looking back at Nari. “But his vitals still aren’t stable,” he says suddenly, at a regular volume.

Nari’s jaw drops before she realises what he’s doing. “His blood pressure is what we need to observe carefully or he’s going to need another surgery tomorrow.”

“Is there any chance the aneurysm could’ve burst anyway? Even after you clipped it?”

Nari stares, a little thrown by how convincing his acting is. 

“Answer me!”

“A little over the top, don’t you think?” she mutters.

“The man is two feet behind you,” he replies, equally quietly, before tugging her closer and placing his hands dramatically on her shoulders. “What if it’s a brain bleed? What if -”

“How dare you?” She interrupts him, jabbing him in the chest. “My aneurysm was clipped perfectly, you son of a bitch!”

Jason’s eyes flicker with this unexpected turn of conversation but he plays along. “We still need to get an MRI to rule out any other complications, like a hematoma, or an air embolism or -” He pauses, craning his neck slightly, “... and he’s gone.” His shoulders relax and his hands slide off her arms.

“No way did that work,” she marvels in a low voice, turning around to check and see that he’s right.

“Of course it did. Nobody interrupts two doctors discussing a patient,” he says absently, rubbing a spot on his chest. “You may need some practice, though. I think you bruised my chest.”

“Don’t be a baby,” she tells him teasingly, asking for another drink and feeling a lot more relaxed than before. “But that was a pretty neat trick.”

“I can teach you many, young ‘un,” he says seriously, casually taking a sip of his third scotch. “But I don’t think we have the time tonight. Won’t Seokjin be here soon?”

Her drink arrives then and Nari takes it with a quiet thanks. Taking a larger sip than intended, she shakes her head. “He’s not going to make it,” she says, swallowing and wincing.

“Oh.” Jason frowns. “Did he call?”

“Nope.” Nari shakes her head, finding it a bit sad how unsurprised she is. “But he’s not going to make it.”

His frown deepens slightly and she’s sure he’s picked up on her change in tone, but she’s thankful he doesn’t mention it.

“Do you want to learn another trick then?” he offers.

Nari smiles, trying to look at the bright side: Seokjin would not have enjoyed this. He wouldn’t know anyone and he wouldn’t understand any of their conversation. A call would have been nice, but things aren’t the same anymore. 

She’s here, she has a night off, and she’s not alone. It could be a lot worse.

“Sure,” she answers. “But I’m going to need to be a lot more drunk for the next one.”

—

The ETA on the map says forty minutes. Seokjin has no idea how long hospital fundraisers last, but he needs to try. He exits the building, already tired from the negotiating he had to do to leave early. It’s starting to drizzle, so he ducks into the nearest establishment - a small cafe - as he waits for his car. The traffic outside is ridiculous, though; he hasn’t the faintest idea how long it’ll actually take him to get to the fundraiser.

Nari hasn’t called or messaged, though. Neither has he, he knows, but her last message had implied such a lack of faith in his intention to show up that it had rankled him just a bit. Over the course of the week, it had festered until it’s now more of a challenge than anything else, for he can’t think of a single other reason as to why he’s going to this thing. 

For Nari, says the voice weakly, sounding unconvinced. Nari, it seems, neither knows nor cares if he shows up, for all the interest she’s shown in his whereabouts. I’ll try me best, he’d said, meaning it completely, but she clearly didn’t believe it.

Seokjin sighs, mentally so exhausted that he can’t even muster the energy to be annoyed or hurt or confused right now. He’s just about to step back outside when he hears a voice he doesn’t expect.

“Can I get a bottle of water, please?”

He turns to see straight hair and a blazer, mint green this time, with the sleeves pushed up. “Seulgi?” he calls unsurely.

She turns and her eyes light up in recognition. “Hey, Seokjin. How are you?”

“Tired,” he admits. “You?”

“The same. Just trying to find the guiltiest pleasure on the menu to break my diet with tonight,” she says, pointing at the few items on the board. “It’s just been one of those days.”

“Tell me about it,” he murmurs, taking a few steps to stand beside her. “Anything catch your eye?”

“Not really. It’s just sandwiches,” she grumbles. “But I don’t really have a lot of options right now.”

Seokjin is quiet for a few seconds while she gets a bottle of water and takes a long swig from it. “I actually know of a ramen place close by. If you want. I break my diets there all the time,” he tells her.

“Really?” This time he isn’t imagining it; her eyes do light up. “How much?”

“Well… enough to feel like I’ve rebelled against the company for the night, but not so much that I can’t resume it the next day.”

“That’s the perfect amount.”

“Is that a yes?”

Seulgi grins tiredly, reminding him for a moment of Namjoon earlier tonight. “It is.” Her eyes flicker lower and her smile fades. “Oh, wait. You’re in a suit - are you going somewhere?”

Seokjin bites his lip. “I was at the press conference, and the dinner after that.”

“Oh.” She doesn’t look fully convinced. “And you were going… where?”

“Well, now I’m going to get ramen because it’s in my head.”

She cracks a smile. “I’m serious, though. You’re in a suit,” she repeats, adjusting the strap of her handbag on her shoulder. “Are you sure you don’t need to be somewhere?”

Question of the hour. But Seokjin knows that even if he does make it through the traffic, this will still be the easiest conversation he’s going to have all day.

“No. I don’t need to be anywhere.”

—

Thank you for reading. Don't forget to drop a review :)

[gravesung-moving]

quick and dirty bios for the unseen's inner circle (the sanctum)!

bc i just remembered sage and fletch are the only unseen creatures i actually have bios for.

*note — by default, these descriptions apply to the unseen as they are in shelter island. some details are subject to change based on verse. *note 2 — each member of the sanctum has a self-chosen tarot card that's left behind as a "calling card" at a particular job they claim responsibility for. in place of a stolen bounty, on top of a body, etc.

acheron ??? (he/him) — the poisoner

the emperor

dilf

calm, collected, honest but in a kind way. pretty emotionally intelligent.

as a rule, never pries into other people's business. lane = stayed in.

has a son who's in college rn! on good terms with his ex-wife.

ex-safecracker/bank robber

he makes poisons! has a little lab and everything

occasionally fletch will pull him out of retirement and make him go crack a safe. he complains about his knees

norah suman (she/her) — the engineer

the sun

lesbiab

has had a secret crush on seph for a couple years. designed her arms from the ground up, and the first point of contact when something goes wrong or seph needs a redesign/upgrade

dry humor, very blunt and often sarcastic

eyebrow piercing

habit of chopping off her hair when she's sad

makes the gadgets. makes explosives, modifies weapons, invents new shit, always thinking about new ways to do stuff. engineering as an art and a science at the same time.

also an up-and-coming tattoo artist!

orion aisa (he/they) — the forger

the moon

seph's twin brother

not a great fighter, hates using guns

eyepatch over his right eye. fletch took it when he and seph tried to escape as teenagers, along with ripping seph's arms off, which is a very normal and cool and chill reaction to have

trans lad. top surgery, took testosterone for a few years but then stopped. pretty satisfied with where he's at right now

excellent painter

suffers from hand tremors, though they fade when he paints

hector dionísio (he/him) — the muscle

the wheel of fortune

unpredictable and violent. unhinged.

will be having a drink with you and then at a hair-trigger provocation, he'll just turn around and start kicking the shit out of someone

scarily good fighter, way too fast for his muscular build

no one knows why fletch trusts him to be in the inner circle and not rat on them

unexpectedly very reliable as a teammate. he does his job very well

fixated on seph in a "constantly riling her so that she'll fight him whenever he wants" way

fixated on edith in a "why can't i land a hit on you. come here" way

pit fighter. so far undefeated

cody shimura (he/him) — the accountant

justice

the most guy ever

he's so tired.

retired hedge fund manager, went into crime because he did some digging, realized the finance industry was already in fletch's pocket anyway, and his ability to stealthily uncover those secrets impressed fletch enough to hire him on.

tries to be a plant dad but he keeps killing them

surprisingly well-trained with a gun

occasionally pulls out the most scathing one-liners in the quietest and calmest voice imaginable

sage / VECTOR (she/her) — the driver

the world

technomancer (arcane hacker)

pokemon superfan

harvard dropout

a pretty normal person, generally, probably the least traumatized out of the crew

can summon cars / motorcycles made of, essentially, compressed/hardened demon souls sourced straight from hell

also has normal, non-summonable cars / motorcycles that she likes to augment and fix up with norah's help

has a giant fluffy dog named Baby

fucking Maniac behind the wheel. the dog's name is a reference to baby driver for a reason.

if she knew about @tewwor's vector alias, she would make them matching shirts

edith winter (she/they) — the thief

the hermit

sneaky. quiet. wow shocker

fey changeling who's lived on earth their whole life, but is in contact with the human child they replaced

raised by wolves a gang, sort of collectively alongside her parents. it takes a village yaknow. they all had a hand in training her to be the insanely skilled thief she is — edith was probably the most valuable piece on their board, even at a young age

said gang was absorbed by the unseen and scattered across the world for resisting said absorption. one of edith's parents was killed in the conflict, the other was sent across the world but she doesn't know where

no one knows if they're bitter about it or not. they don't talk about it

acheron taught her how to crack safes

caro vitale / deadfall (he/him) — the fence

the hanged man

owner of the black stag, a bar and antique shop just at the northern edge of the city where metropolis meets highway meets forest.

can sell anything to anyone

no one knows a single thing about this man except for the fact that he's fluent in italian. he WILL lie if you ask him anything else. caro vitale is also not his real name

he got that thang on him (a club)

tattoos everywhere

ishal king (they/them) — the doctor

death

fae nephilim (an angel fucked an archfey and produced a very strange kid), exiled from the autumn court for death crimes before going into the human medical field as a surgeon.

nearly got arrested for experimenting with nephilim blood (their own, but whatever guys), faked their death, joined the unseen. now works happily and privately for fletch in their silly little lab.

mushroom garden

medicinal plant expert alongside their knowledge of modern medicine

ominous positivity

anah tannar (she/her) — the spy

the lovers, reversed

you know her! you love her! she's probably broken your heart!

local celebrity influencer

resident honeypot for any woman-attracted target

prefers to be flashy and stand out, but also insanely good at blending in and being invisible when need be

serial dater. never lets anyone too close, but loves to have a web of one-way connections to people who think they're her best friend or favorite ex, and/or owe her a favor (she has a book of debts)

a genuinely compassionate person underneath it all, she just leaned hard into her manipulative side after being used one too many times

persephone aisa (they/she) — the assassin

judgement

first lieutenant/right hand to amari fletch, and thus second-in-command to the unseen itself

sharpshooter, beat-upper, gunfighter, knife-swinger. if john wick can do it, so can they

cold, aggressive, hostile. deadly as fuck. if you follow this blog you probably came from hers so i won't go into too much detail SJDKHJKSD

amari fletch (they/he) — the leader

the tower (also the name they're publicly known by)

i swear they're not secretly thousands of years old i swearrrrr (yes they are) (they cheated death in a game of dice and bear the mark of cain for it)

think gus fring, netflix wilson fisk, silco — that type of person

spidery motherfucker, aka has connections eeeeverywhere. so many judges, cops, government officials in their pocket.

for the most part, fletch is satisfied with the world the way that it is. the unseen profits nicely, they have as much power as they need, and no one fucks with them (if they even know it exists)

if someone does fuck with him and his, however, he will not hesitate to make a violent and chaotic example of them for the rest of the world to see.

calm and levelheaded 99% of the time. 1% of the time, off-the-wall destructive

will take risks if they can see a benefit and the consequence of failure won't fuck up their plans.

extremely powerful in a fight (is not human) with enough raw strength to fully charge straight through a building wall by wall if they wanted to. but they don't. lmao

seph is their protegé (????) (i genuinely don't have a term for their relationship it's so fucked up and hard to describe), & they are very very possessive about it

[emilybluntt]

imagine a showdown of every emily blunt character. who would be the sole winner?

i am going to be honest and say that i have been pondering this question all day. i wanted to sit and give this some thought because i wanted the answer to be just right. we are going to just include feature film roles ( none animated ), because most of her tv roles have been eh. we are also not going to consider the one short she has been in.

right off the bat emily ( devil wears prada ), harriet ( salmon fishing in the yemen ), baker's wife ( into the woods ), violet ( the five year engagement ), tamsin ( my summer of love ), girl ( wind chill ), mara ( irresistible ), valerie ( the great buck howard ), prudie ( the jane austen book club ), jane ( charlie wilson's war ), norah ( sunshine cleaning ), and elise ( the adjustment bureau ) are immediately dead. they have zero survival instincts.

the real contenders in this show down would be rita ( edge of tomorrow ), evelyn ( a quiet place ), rose ( wild target ), mary ( gulliver's travels ), sara ( looper ), kate ( sicario ), lily ( jungle cruise ), and freya ( huntsmen winter's war ). are all of these characters badass right out the gate? possibly not, but some of them prove to be resourceful enough to stick around for bit, not a long time, but a bit.

i think rita is the one taking this home though. i mean hell she is the full metal bitch after all. she has killed hundreds of mimics by herself.

she was the reason that they started to mass produce the exo-suits for the udf. like?? the angel of verdun deserves the respect on her name.

sorry for that long winded answer, but yes! that is who i think would win an emily blunt character show down. yes, some of the other contenders have some points, but imagine if it was rita that still the time altering ability, no one could stand a chance.

[1920sitgirl]

The Vancouver Amazons, a 1920s women’s hockey team.

If you go back to 1900 you’ll find an anual tournament hosted by the city of Rossland and discover that New Westminster also began hosting competitions in 1914, but unfortunately as hockey arenas we’re commandeered for the war effort women’s hockey struggled to survive, thus began their fight for recognition.

In 1918 a strong team made up of high school girls hungry for the win schooled the Vancouver ladies hockey team. They called themselves the Amazons, their play was aggressive and they showed no fear, not only were they slick enough to win against VL but were bold enough name themselves the B.C champions. Their claim was controversial and the team would soon be put to the test.

In 1921 came the Alpine cup, A trophy donated by the Alpine Club of Canada for women’s hockey to the Banff Winter Carnival. Although having competitions to play in is now seen as the bare minimum this cup raised the profile of women’s hockey, in a sense women now had a Stanley Cup to play for. The cup was first won by the Calgary Regents and with the bitter feeling of losing still lingering this marked the start of the Vancouver Amazons revenge tour.

At a West Coast women’s championship that took place the same year, the Amazon’s were up against the Victoria Kewpies and American team the Seattle Vamps. This was the first international competition in women’s ice hockey history, the Amazons won every single game and proved they were a force to be reckoned with by not conceding a single goal. Striving forward with the feeling of victory their tour continued, back with a new momentum they were ready to compete again for the Alpine cup in the 1922 tournament. The roster for this tournament included Elizabeth Hinds, who, while competing became the first woman from British Columbia to score a hat trick in a game, Phebe Senkler who captained the amazons, Senkler’s Sister Norah who played defence, Forward’s Kathleen Carson and Nan Griffith and Amelia Voitkevic as goaltender. In the championship game they were once again face to face with their old rivals the Calgary Regents, the game was tied 1-1 and sent to overtime by Amazons player Kathleen Carson, Celebrated for “having a shot like a man’s” Kathleen went on to score again, winning the championship in overtime and securing her team the most coveted title in women’s ice hockey “Lady Champions of Western Canada”

Top photo = Members of the Vancouver Amazons

Middle Photo = A newspaper clipping highlighting the Amazons victory against the Vancouver Ladies

Bottom photo = The Vancouver Amazons with the Alpine cup

[breaniebree]

Kismet Characters & Family Trees Part Eight:

Charlie Weasley (12 December 1972) GRYFFINDOR bf. Lee Jordan (1978) GRYFFINDOR (officially since end of 2010): 1. Aydin Dora Weasley (1 December 1996) GRYFFINDOR m. Leo Black (31 December 1996) SLYTHERIN (2019): a) Colten Raleigh Black (4 March 2020) SLYTHERIN m. Florencia Fazio NA (2022) (2045): i) Misha Black (2049) HUFFLEPUFF ii) Leonardo Black (2051) GRYFFINDOR  iii) Raleigh Black (2053) RAVENCLAW b) Bram Charles Black (27 August 2022) GRYFFINDOR m. Rebecca Higgins (2028) HUFFLEPUFF (2051): i) Zoe Black (2054) HUFFLEPUFF ii) Cadence Black (2057) GRYFFINDOR c) Jordan Arthur Black (6 February 2024) GRYFFINDOR m. Jaya Mukherjee (2022) RAVENCLAW (2055): i) Ari Black (2058) RAVENCLAW d) Jackson Sirius Black (22 October 2026) GRYFFINDOR m. Deanna Finnigan (31 January 2026) HUFFLEPUFF (2055): i) Norah Edwina Black (2060) HUFFLEPUFF e) Zayn Harry Black (4 November 2029) GRYFFINDOR m. Nari Chung (2028) SLYTHERIN (2052): i) Dal-Rae Black (2054) RAVENCLAW ii) Ayla Black (2057) GRYFFINDOR iii) Hana Black (2060) HUFFLEPUFF f) Nova Molly Black (3 June 2033) RAVENCLAW m. Nick Buckingham (2028) GRYFFINDOR (2057): i) Maverick Buckingham (2059) GRYFFINDOR ii) Micah Buckingham (2061) RAVENCLAW g) Nevra Charlotte Black (3 June 2033) GRYFFINDOR m. Wyatt Williams (2025) GRYFFINDOR (2054): i) Walker Williams (2059) SLYTHERIN ii) Wilder Williams (2061) GRYFFINDOR

Sirius Black (3 November 1959) GRYFFINDOR m. Zahira Zacarias (7 April 1964) NA (1999): 1. Harry Potter (31 July 1980) GRYFFINDOR m. Ginevra Weasley (11 August 1981) GRYFFINDOR (2000): i) James “Jamie” Sirius Potter GRYFFINDOR (5 April 2004) m. Hadley Grace Pritchard (2005) RAVENCLAW (2029): a) Rhysand James Potter (28 May 2032) GRYFFINDOR b) Emerson Fleamont Potter (11 March 2035) GRYFFINDOR c) Flynn Harry Potter (2 July 2037) GRYFFINDOR d) Grace Ginevra Potter (18 December 2040) GRYFFINDOR ii) Albus “Alby” Fleamont Potter (1 June 2006) SLYTHERIN m. Scorpius Malfoy (6 January 2006) SLYTHERIN (2031): a) Lyra Astoria Malfoy (1 June 2037) RAVENCLAW b) Celeste Ginevra Malfoy (5 March 2039) RAVENCLAW c) Archer Kai Malfoy (6 July 2044) SLYTHERIN iii) Lily Luna Potter (3 November 2007) GRYFFINDOR m. Oakley Wood (8 January 2007) GRYFFINDOR (2028): a) Nash Oliver Wood (31 July 2030) GRYFFINDOR m. Nixie Sparks (2032) RAVENCLAW (2058): aa) Sirius Harry Wood (25 December 2061) GRYFFINDOR bb) Remus Oakley Wood (25 December 2061) GRYFFINDOR b) Noah Harry Wood (31 July 2030) GRYFFINDOR  c) Magnolia “Lia” Katherine Wood (2 May 2033) RAVENCLAW d) Zinnia “Zin” Ginevra Wood (11 August 2035) HUFFLEPUFF  e) Zahira “Zee” Sorcha Wood (11 August 2035) HUFFLEPUFF iv) Cedrella “Ella” Theodora Potter (21 October 2010) SLYTHERIN m. Spencer Kane-Nott (3 July 2010) SLYTHERIN (2036): a) Logan Theodore Kane-Nott (23 March 2040) GRYFFINDOR b) Zeke Harry Kane-Nott (21 January 2042) SLYTHERIN  c) Nolan Everett Kane-Nott (11 November 2044) RAVENCLAW d) Westley Sebastian Kane-Nott (9 December 2046) GRYFFINDOR v) Everett Arthur Potter (21 October 2010) RAVENCLAW m. Xara Scamander (13 September 2016) RAVENCLAW (2039): a) Hazel Ella Potter (2 September 2040) HUFFLEPUFF  b) Galina Xara Potter (28 April 2042) RAVENCLAW  c) Landon Everett Potter (19 June 2044) GRYFFINDOR d) Waverly Luna Potter (7 February 2046) RAVENCLAW vi) Genevieve “Evie” Zahira Potter (9 May 2012) HUFFLEPUFF m. Christian Lyon (2008) RAVENCLAW (2033):a) Leif Christian Lyon (1 October 2035) GRYFFINDOR b) Autumn Ella Lyon (21 September 2038) HUFFLEPUFF c) Winter Willow Lyon (21 December 2041) RAVENCLAW d) Summer Lily Lyon (21 June 2043) GRYFFINDOR e) Spring Rose Lyon (21 March 2047) HUFFLEPUFF vii) Henry Remus Potter (31 July 2020) GRYFFINDOR m. Daniella Zabini (7 July 2018) RAVENCLAW (2049): a) Cameron Blaise Potter (1 January 2052) GRYFFINDOR b) Aidan Hunter Potter (23 July 2055) GRYFFINDOR  c) Jameson Henry Potter (14 March 2058) GRYFFINDOR  d) Emilia Ginevra Potter (17 August 2060) RAVENCLAW viii) Hunter Colten Potter (31 July 2020) GRYFFINDOR m. Sloane Hart (2023) GRYFFINDOR (2046): a) Simon Hunter Potter (14 February 2049) RAVENCLAW b) Shay Cedrella Potter (14 February 2049) HUFFLEPUFF  c) Colin Fleamont Potter (7 March 2053) GRYFFINDOR  d) Beckett James Potter (19 June 2055) HUFFLEPUFF  e) Parker Harry Potter (24 September 2059) SLYTHERIN f) Noelle Ginevra Potter (25 December 2061) GRYFFINDOR 2. Minerva “Mina” Euphemia Magnolia Black (31 December 1996) GRYFFINDOR  m. Grayson Goyle (28 September 1997) HUFFLEPUFF (2017): a) Zelena Minerva Goyle (26 December 2019) GRYFFINDOR m. Katerina Baxter (7 March 2015) GRYFFINDOR (2040): i) Erica Goyle-Baxter (2043) GRYFFINDOR ii) Antonia Goyle-Baxter (2043) HUFFLEPUFF b) Ariel Sorcha Goyle (3 April, 2021) HUFFLEPUFF m. Philip Davenport (2017) RAVENCLAW  (2047): i) Siri Davenport (2049) SLYTHERIN ii) Gregory Davenport (2051) RAVENCLAW c) Helia Marguerite Goyle (14 February 2023) RAVENCLAW m. Henry Rawlings (2008) RAVENCLAW (2048): i) Julius Rawlings (2052) RAVENCLAW d) Orion Sirius Goyle (6 September 2025) SLYTHERIN 3. Leonardo “Leo” Mikhail Sirius Black (31 December 1996) SLYTHERIN  m. Aydin Weasley (1 December 1996) GRYFFINDOR (2018):(re above)

Thanks to @ellieoryan7447 for taking the time and effort to create these.

[avengerscompound]

The Interview - Chapter 28

The Interview - A Captain America Fanfic

Masterlist PREVIOUS //

Rating:  E

Warnings: smut (MF, vaginal sex, multiple orgasms)

Pairing: Steve Rogers x OFC Melody Danes

Word Count: 1968

Summary:  Melody Danes gets the break of a lifetime when as a lowly intern, she’s assigned to write a profile piece on Captain America.  Steve Rogers is a hard man not to fall for and as she and Melody get closer and Melody’s career takes off, jealousy leads to sabotage, and the potential to bring her whole world crashing down.

Chapter 28

Getting home took far too long, and then everyone wanted to catch up and find rooms, and all that other stuff you do with family when all the estranged members and new boyfriends showed up just before Christmas. All Melody wanted to do was take Steve back to her room and make up for lost time.  She’d been so wound up and stressed that all she wanted to do now was work out that stress.

At dinner, there was a lot of talk about what the plans are from here on out.  Melody didn’t have a concrete idea of what her plans were, but Steve seemed a little more certain.

“The legal team is putting pressure on the DB to post a retraction.  Despite his blustering, it looks like it will happen within the next week.  We’ve found out that Norah Winters has already been fired.  The police are investigating whether or not theft charges can be filed.  They need to find evidence that she actually stole the journal and without the journal that will be difficult.  Also, it’s hard to put a value on it, so it may not be worth it.  Regardless, we’ve started proceedings to have both her specifically and the DB charged with liable.  Melody, in particular, has an excellent case for that, because she no longer feels safe to work there, and thus her income and reputation has been severely hurt,” Steve explained over dinner.  “Of course, it would have been better if none of this happened, but we get the feeling that this was a case of jealousy on Norah’s behalf.  She’d been wanting to be the superhero reporter, but she’d alienated everyone.  Then Melody came along and we were all quite happy to talk to her.  It irked her and she wanted Mel out.”

“Well, it worked,” Melody said.

“It did, but she’s out of work now too,” Steve said.

It was a small comfort.  Melody’s whole reputation was ruined.  As far as the public was concerned, all the reasons they wanted to hate her because she dared to date Steve Rogers had now been confirmed.  It would be hard to have any kind of public online presence now without attracting hate.  Norah on the other hand might be vilified by some, but she’d have a huge audience of people wanting her to spill more dirt.

There was nothing more that could be done about that now, and it was not something Melody wanted clogging up her thoughts now that she had Steve here with her anyway.  She’d worried about her new career path after Christmas.

Finally, they were saying their goodnights.  She hugged Bobbi in the hallway, rocking side to side with her.  “I’m so glad you’re here.”

“Yeah.  Me too,” she said.  Melody knew it had to be hard for Bobbi to be here too, so she wasn’t sure that she was completely happy to be here, which made the fact that she was happy enough to be with Melody even more special.  “Alright,” Bobbi said, patting her back. “Go get your man.  I can see how antsy you are.” 

Melody laughed as she pulled back. “Night,” she said.

“Good night,” Bobbi chuckled.

Melody stepped into the bedroom with Steve and kicked the door closed.  “Hello,” she said, looking up at him.

“Hey,” Steve replied.

There was a pause where they both just stood staring at each other.  “Mel…” Steve said softly.

They surged forward, colliding with each other.  Melody wrapped her arms around his neck and his curled around her waist, lifting her as their lips connected.

She curled one leg around his waist and he carried her to the bed, placing her on it as he moved on top of her.  Melody’s closed started to feel restricting and in the way.  She scrambled first to try and get his off and then to get hers, but with how tightly they were pressed together, and how they clutched at each other, it was almost impossible.

“Steve,” she said breathlessly.  “Too many clothes.”

Steve sat back and pulled off his shirt, and as he did, her hands went to his pants and began to work his pants down.  When his cock sprung free, they moved to her clothes.  Steve practically tore them from her, leaving them in tatters around her naked body.

She grappled at him, pulling him back down on top of her and into another searing kiss.  When he’d settled between her legs, she wrapped one around his slim waist and drew him in, and with one smooth stroke, he entered her.

She gasped, arching her back and clenching her walls to grip his cock tight and pull him in deeper.  Steve let out a deep moan.  “God, I missed this,” he breathed.

She clutched at him like she was trying to pull her down into him more.  “Me too.  I missed you.  Steve. I love you, Steve.”

He bunched his hand in the back of her hair and held her there as he looked down into her eyes.  His normally light blue eyes were blown out black with lust.  “I love you too.  I’ll never let that happen again.  I promise.”

He kissed her again, claiming her lips with his.  She couldn’t seem to get close enough to him.  It was like she was trying to merge their bodies into one.  Steve was only too willing to give her what she wanted.  His hands slid around her hips and up under her back, making her spine curve off the mattress as he pulled her up against him.  He rolled his hips slow and deep, thrusting in as deep as she could take him, the head of his cock nudging against her cervix.  When he pulled back, he rubbed the base of his cock against her clit, adding to the intense sensations rocketing through her.

Her lips trailed from his mouth, along his jaw, to just under his ear, and she tugged on his earlobe with her teeth.  “I missed you,” she mewled.  “I missed you, Steve.”

“I’m so sorry, honey,” he murmured breathlessly.  “I missed you too.  I’ll never do that to you again.  Never.”

He picked up his pace, thrusting into her, making the bed rock below them and bang against the wall.  Melody cried out, arching her back under him and grabbing hold of the headboard.  Steve’s hand went to her mouth, muffling her sounds.  “Shhh,” he whispered in her ear.  “You need to be quiet.”

She moaned, writhing under him.  She wasn’t sure that she could keep quiet.  Everything felt too good.  Too intense.  He filled her perfectly, and when she angled her hips just right, the head of his cock hit her g-spot and sent a wave of pleasure right through her.  She was careening toward the peak of her orgasm.  She was just considering whether she should reach down between their bodies to rub her clit when it hit her like a tidal wave, crashing down on her and sending her tumbling over the edge.  She lost all control over herself, her loud cry muffled by Steve’s hand, and was left dazed and panting as the waves washed over her.

Her cunt hadn’t even stopped quivering when Steve pulled out and flipped her over.  The move was so commanding and hot that she quickly scrambled onto her knees, her legs spread just enough for him to move between them.  Her slick ran down her thighs in little rivulets and when Steve slammed back into her aching cunt, it made a wet squelching sound.

He didn’t hold back, pounding into her from behind, their bodies slapped together again and again.  Melody couldn’t focus.  She bit down into the pillow to smother her moans as he railed into her.  Her hand snaked down under her body and she began to rub her clit.

She came again and again, over and over, until one orgasm blended into the next, and all she could do was lie there limply and take it.  “Please, Steve.  Give it to me.  I need it,” she mewled, clenching her walls tight around his cock.

Steve moaned through gritted teeth, his head falling back and with one more hard thrust, he came, pumping into her.  She could feel his cock pulsing as it emptied inside her.

“Oh god, Steve,” she moaned.  “Yes… fuck, baby.”

Steve hummed and ground his hips in one last time before pulling out and collapsing on the bed beside her.  As he lay on his back breathing heavily, Melody rolled over and curled into the crook of his arm.  They lay there quietly, riding out their orgasm highs.  Steve’s heart thundered against her ear and she listened as it slowed and evened out to his usual slow rhythm.

She looked up at him through hooded eyes, a soft sleepy smile on her face.  “That was amazing,” she hummed.  “God, Steve.  I love you so much.  I hate being apart from you.”

He frowned and leaned down pressing a kiss to her forehead and then her lips.  “I know.  I don’t like it either.  This - what happened - I’m not going to let it happen again.  But you know that there are going to be times that I can’t be around.  My work…”

Melody pushed herself up onto her elbow and looked down at him.  “I know, Steve.  I’ve had the separation by mission before.  I’m not gonna lie, I hated it.  I hated worrying and not having word from you, and thinking maybe you’d died.  It was hard.  But I wasn’t alone.  I had Mattie and Bobbi.  And I knew you at least wanted to come home to me.  That is part of you.  And I get it.  I wouldn’t change that part of you.  You help people and it’s one of the reasons I love you.  Besides, when you get back, it means reunited sex, and we just proved how great that was.  This was different.  I was alone and I thought what happened was enough to turn you off me.”

“I’m sorry.  I need to communicate better,” he said.

She shrugged.  “We both do.”

“I just wanted to make sure you knew what it was like to be with me.  I’m serious about you.  There’s going to be lots of times when I want to be with you, and I can’t, and I won’t be able to call.  I don’t want to hurt you, so if that’s something you can’t live with…”

She placed her finger on his kiss-swollen lips and shook her head.  “I can.  As long as you can live with those people saying all those terrible things about us.”

He shook his head.  “I feel like that’s my fault, not yours.  Do you think that article would have been at all interesting to anyone if you weren’t dating an Avenger?”

“Maybe not,” she said. “And I admit, that stuff is hard for me to read.  But it’s something we both have to live with.”

“I don’t care what anyone else says about us.  I know what's real.  I know what's in my heart.  I love you, Mel.”

Melody looked down at him, and she could picture a whole life with him.  A home in Brooklyn.  A dog.  Getting married.  Children.  Date nights.  Marathon sex sessions.  Being held in his strong arms. Being harassed on the internet.  Nights alone worrying.  Tending to wounds.  The good and the bad mesh together to form a full well-lived life.  He was her person.  She knew that.  All that bad was worth it because the good could be so good.  He was right.  She knew what was in her heart.

“I love you too,” she said and leaned in to kiss him.  He wrapped his arms around her and she knew they were going to be okay.

// NEXT

[northernkingoffrogs]

If you wanna make art or fanfiction based on my fanfic go ahead but I'm not paying anyone for it

Read my fic here

Chapters: 12/? Fandom: Spider-Man - All Media Types, Spider-Man (Comicverse) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Norman Osborn/Peter Parker, Norman Osborn & Peter Parker Characters: Norman Osborn, Peter Parker, Liz Allan (Marvel), Harry Osborn, Green Goblin, Normie Osborn, Kindred - Character, Stanley Osborn, J. Jonah Jameson, Norah Winters, Aunt May Parker (Marvel), Curt Connors, Gwen Stacy | Spider-Gwen, Otto Octavius Additional Tags: Hurt/Comfort, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Childhood Trauma, Trauma, Grief/Mourning, Past Abuse, Abusive Parents, Verbal Abuse, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Loneliness, Redemption, Regret, Ghosts, Age Difference, Self-Hatred, Violence, Past Character Death, Self-Destruction, Alcohol, Minor Violence, Explosions, Crime Fighting, Depression, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Drunken Kissing, Drunken Confessions, Drunkenness, Slow Burn, Internalized Homophobia Series: Part 1 of Gold Goblin Summary:

Norman Osborn was considered the most evil and demented man in existence, "Was" being a keyword. Now that his sins are cleansed he struggles with mental illness, the ghosts of his past indiscretions and solitude. No one wants to be alone, not even Norman. Peter Parker has made it clear he will keep an eye on Norman, but if he slips up even once, it's all over for him. How can he recover when no one will give him a chance to improve? Is it the destiny of the damned to live alone and full of regret?

Everyone says they love a redemption story, but no one wants to see him try. Yet Norman persists and maybe, just maybe someone will believe he can change for the better.