#not proofread as usual- we don't do that here anymore it seems

[updownlately]

but i bet you if they only knew (they’d just be jealous of us)

| leah williamson x reader | fluff | 2k | a/n: another req! in all honesty this took me ages to even get a basic idea of what i wanted to write and countless drafts and i still don't how to feel about it. hopefully y'all atleast find this somewhat wholesome bc that's what i was going for but if not then welp... to whoever requested, my bad for the time this took but i hope you don't mind that i changed the req a bit! anyway, as usual, happy reading!

~~~

In the midst of the locker room chaos, everyone seemingly more energetic after the afternoon training, sat Leah-  nearly ready to go, regular trainers on, bag packed, focus strayed drastically from her original intent of going home as quickly as possible.

Attention instead directed towards Beth and Katie’s, their off key singing easily entertaining the whole Arsenal women’s team, the blonde missed the way her phone vibrated, the noise of the notification lost in the sea of laughter, yelling, and the (not) grammy winning performance.

Arms crossed as she leant back in her seat, an amused smile on her face as she took in the interaction in front of her, the near silent buzzes went ignored, the second and third messages, each pinging one after the other, unnoticed by the English skipper.

It was only when the noise died down ever so slightly, ironic timing with your final planned text coming in, did she realize what was occurring. 

Small smile already crossing her face, a pretty good idea of who it might be already on her mind, Leah reached for the device beside her, quickly lifting it and smiling wider as the multiple notifications of text messages from you showed on the lock screen. 

Heading to your message thread, her grin grew as she saw the onslaught of texts.

‘Someone was excited to wake up today’

‘The smile’s been there since morning’

‘I think he misses you’

The words were split with a video coming between the first two messages, and a short clip followed the final message.

As Leah hit play on the first clip, unaware of the three sets of eyes on her, a soft look crossed her face- one that very much didn’t go unnoticed by Viv, Steph, and most importantly, McCabe. 

Letting Leah finish watching whatever it was, devious smile ever-present, the Irishwoman made her way over to the blonde, teasing words already slipping past her lips.

“Well, did the missus text ya something? The way your smile’s nearly turned you into the Cheshire Cat, I think you oughta share with us, no?��

And before Leah could even shoot off the barest of replies to you, her phone was promptly taken from her grasp, the blonde left with a shock on her face, mind not yet caught up to what was happening, hand still outstretched from where it had been holding her phone.

Barely able to formulate any sense of a protest Leah watched helplessly as the whole locker room went silent when Katie’s surprised cry rang out, a look of disbelief clear on her face as her head turned dramatically to face the midfielder then the phone in her hands and then the midfielder again, jaw nearly on the floor.

“IS THAT YOURS?”

The bewildered question was unusually loud, capturing the attention of everyone else.

The blonde couldn’t help but nod meekly in response, shrinking in on herself as the unwanted attention directed towards her, an innumerable set of eyes peering at the interaction. 

A red hue spread on her face as Katie continued to stand in front of her, jaw agape, phone now locked automatically as her head turned back to face the black screen. 

As the silence stretched on, neither the blonde nor brunette uttering a single word, the silent Mexican standoff piqued the curiosity of their fellow teammates, Beth and Steph quietly making their way over to peer over Katie’s shoulder only to be met with a black screen. 

“What are you on about?”

And at Beth’s questioning words, Leah sprang into action, quickly rising from where she was resting and reaching to try and grab her phone off the other woman.

Her attempt was futile though, as Katie pulled the locked device behind her back, the other arms snapping out to block Leah from advancing any closer.

“Nope. No. No way. You’re not getting this back until you explain yourself.” 

“Katie- no-“

The protest was cleanly cut off, the Irishwoman reverently shaking her head at the futile attempt.

“That doesn’t sound like an explanation…”

“McCabe…How about I tell you later? Just between us?”

Apparently though, that wasn’t good enough for the rest of the team, a large outcry of protests rising at the words.

It was only Lia who sat back amusedly, watching as she watched the other girls try and get Leah to unlock her phone or get Katie to spill the secret, the Swiss captain already having an idea of what this could be about, a secret she had known since its origin. 

“At least show them the video under the condition that they can’t ask questions today?”

If the sharp glare that her work wife received was any indication, Leah was not at all a fan of the idea, herself concerned if she could even share the videos. 

Turning her gaze back to the rest of the squad huddled around the left winger who still had her phone, she sighed in defeat, clearly realizing she wasn’t going to get out of this one, especially not after that last proposition. 

Sighing, the blonde pinched the bridge of her nose in disbelief, disappointed in herself for giving in.

“Alright. I’ll show you guys what Katie saw, on the condition that I’m not answering any questions today after I show you and I get my phone back first.”

“What if you just sprint out of here with it?”

Rolling her eyes at the remark made by none other than the devil herself, Leah groaned audibly, head thrown back as she rubbed her temples. 

“I’ve got the yellow-card queen in front of me and Jen’s standing by the door…thank you but no thank you- I value my ability to walk…”

The smart-ass reply had Katie hesitantly handing Leah her phone, the blonde promptly texting you for permission to show the team before she actually did.

It wasn’t like you controlled who saw the pictures, but very early on in the whole procedure- the whole relationship really- you both had agreed upon keeping this area of your life private, especially as the game grew to the extent that it did.  

As much as the team knew you existed, you having met them countless times by now, even to the point where Lia would tease that you would’ve been her work wife had you played for Arsenal instead, the existence of the tiny human you and Leah had was very much not common knowledge to the team.

If anything, only the Swiss captain was really the only one who knew in the football world. 

People had their hunches of course, your own teammates at Bayern having an inkling themselves, but it had never been confirmed, and you and the blonde had never been more grateful.

It’s why Leah patiently waited for your go-ahead text to come, shaking her head at the grumbling of her fellow teammates as she waited for a response.

Quieting the team’s grumbling with threats of just waiting them out, Leah smiled in victory as none of them called her bluff, sighing in relief as your text chimed in, nervousness fluttering at the words she read. 

‘I think it’s about time, yeah?’

Nodding to herself and taking a deep breath in, the blonde let out a quick exhale before texting back a quick saluting emoji and a heart in response, waiting for your reply before showing the team the root of the intervention. 

“Okay, so like I said, no questions once I show you, and I get to leave ASAP and you’ll understand why…”

When no one protested at the words, Leah nodded, taking confirmation in the silence and scrolling up in the conversation to find the videos you had sent. 

Proud grin on her face as she turned her phone to face the team, she couldn’t help the way her chest slightly puffed up, chin subconsciously rising in joy.

And as the rest of the team huddled around to get the barest of looks, one by one their jaws dropped, the video on the screen garnering the same reaction as earlier, except this time across the whole room and not just the walking loudspeaker.

Said video that featured your and Leah’s six-month old, eyes half closed as the little guy did a gummy little yawn, arms stretching adorably across the bed before he pulled them back in and shot a cheeky little grin straight towards the camera- the same grin you swear he somehow stole from Leah. 

Hearing the audio cut out and the frozen stares across the room, the team no doubt in a state of shock and confusion, Leah quickly pulled back the phone and swiped to the next video, a mix of pride and nervousness thrumming through her as the second video played. 

It consisted of you holding your son in your arms as you danced around your shared kitchen, music softly being played in the background. And whilst it was cute with the way the toddler was gripping tightly onto your forearms, a toothy grin ever-present on his face, it wasn’t the key part of the video. 

It was what followed the end of the video, the way the drunk-seeming little tiny human babbled the little words with you, repeating the little vowels as you said them. How you looked at the camera before reciting the words, being repeated by the baby and coming out barely legible yet clear as day to the blonde- ‘luv ma ma’.

The utterance of the broken phrase was highlighted by your shocked face as you did a little cheer of your own, looking at your phone before sending the lens a tender smile just before the video cut.

It wasn’t the first time your son had said it, but each day it seemed to get a little clearer, and with each utterance it had Leah’s heart doing a flutter she never knew anyone but you could cause. 

Trying not to get too teared up at the thought of how quickly the days were passing, the skipper snapped herself out of the thoughts, shyly bringing her arm back as she registered the silence in the room. 

Swallowing audibly at the number of shocked faces expectantly looking at her, she turned towards Lia, a pleading look of help on her face as the other woman merely shrugged with a smirk on her face.

Damn the Swiss and their need to be neutral…

Turning back to the sea of Arsenal warm gear, Leah prepared herself mentally, reaching for her bag and quickly shouldering it before tucking her cleats under her arms.

Wincing as the team barely moved, she planned her escape whilst shrugging as if to say ‘well…’

“Surprise? I guess?”

Within milliseconds of the words leaving her, the blonde heard a flurry of questions immediately being sent her way, her previous request tossed out the window without a second glance. 

And as the onslaught of ‘how old is he?’, ‘he or she?’, coupled with the ‘why didn’t you tell us?’, ‘wait since when?’ and of course, the ‘what the fuck Leah???’ (courtesy of Beth of course) barrelled through, the Englishwoman quickly sprinted her way out of the change rooms, those that were just barely dressed and ready to leave immediately following her like a row of ducklings, as the blonde sprinted to her car.

Mentally berating herself on why she didn’t just leave halfway through Beth and Katie’s rendition of ‘I want it that way’, Leah quickly got into her car, reversing before the team had any shot of catching up, phone being (gently) tossed into the backseat as texts started ringing through.

With nearly a half hour passing since the blonde was supposed to be home, and the thought of the little munchkin waiting at home for her (and of course, you), Leah relaxed as she made the drive back home, grimacing at the thought of the chaotic uproar she most definitely left behind, and glad for the chaotic peace that awaited her a handful of minutes away.

Smiling at the contrast, a small grin overtook her face, gratefully for the overgrown kids she had with football, and the small tot she had at home.

Yeah, maybe life didn’t get any better than this, the perfect mix of chaos and love never-ending…she’d happily take this. 

~~~

inspo for this post was literally this insta reel - can't tell me that isn't absolutely adorableeeeee

[ellies-little-thing]

Caught in the middle (e.w/a.a)

*not my images, but i edited them

My masterlist <3

pairing: modern!ellie / fem!reader /modern!abby

Warnings: NSFW; angst; fluf; smut; reader is referred to as she/her; reader has a vagina; cheatting; toxic relationship; violence; Kind of proofread, English is not my first language.

Author's notes: Hey, i didnt really know how to write this at first but it was kind of of fun. I hope you like it. Part 2? Let me know! Feedback is always welcome and likes and reblogs are always encouraged! Thank you! Enjoy!

MEN AND MINORS DNI

word count: 30k

Abby Anderson is your toxic ex-girlfriend. You’ve been broken up for about 2 months now, but after seeing you at a party looking way too good, Abby just can’t help herself. Things didn't end well between you too and she was always way too possessive and to a certain point, toxic. Abby watches you, eyes lowered in a glare as some girl flirts with you. With her usual black tank top showing off her muscles and her hair in a braid. She always looks intimidating, but when she's angry, no one dares to get in her way. There’s a drink in your hand, a smile on your face, and a dress that’s way too short, and way too tight on your body. She can hardly contain herself. Still after all this time she can't see you with anyone else. It's her or no one.

You continue on talking to the girl you were with. This girl is definitely trying to hit it off with you. She's very flirtatious, leaning in close to you and putting her hands on your shoulders, running her fingers through your hair. But in the background, you can see Abby is watching, glaring at you both with a scowl. As you look around you see Abby, you pretend she is not there. Abby catches you looking and she glares even more, the girl now running her fingers through your hair and down your neck. Abby's anger is obvious, and a muscle in her jaw twitches as she watches this girl try to have you all to herself. She can't stand it.

You flirt back to the girl. The girl loves it. She gets closer and closer, whispering now in your ear, her breath on your neck. Abby's eyes narrow even more, and she clenches her fists, her nails biting into her palms. You giggle as she whispers in your ear. The girl seems to pick up on the fact that this is working. She is beautiful, big round brown eyes, naturally tanned and her hair naturally blond from the sun. She leans even closer, her lips almost brushing your neck. It's all Abby can do to stand there and watch this girl touch you without losing her cool. Her lip curls in jealousy and anger.

Abby is finally at her wits end when she sees you giggling and flirting back. She marches straight over to you and grabs you by the arm, pulling you away from the girl. The girl is shocked, but she gives Abby a, "Hey! wtf?" look. “Abby? What do you think you are doing?” You ask annoyed. Abby just glares and clenches her fists, her fingernails digging into her skin. "Don't you dare walk over here flirting with someone else in front of me. Do you hear me? Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

“We aren't together anymore.” You say angry. Abby scoffs. "We aren't together anymore? We aren't together anymore?? Is that all you have to say for yourself?? Do you really think that makes this okay? Do you really think that after everything we've been through together, you're just gonna flirt with whoever you want while I'm standing right here?!"

“Yes it does, you are acting crazy!” You say loudly. Abby gets angrier by that. "Crazy? Crazy??? You don't understand a goddamn thing. You think I'm the crazy one here? You think it's crazy for someone to be upset when the person they love is flirting with someone else in front of them?"

“I'm done with you.” You tell her, feeling clearly angry and she knows. Abby gets even angrier at that, a vein on her forehead starting to throb a little. "Oh you're done with me, are you? Is that so? After everything we've been through together, you just wanna cut me out of your life like that? After the last six months?"

“You were the one who broke up with me!” You yell at her, the whole bar is starting to look at you two. Abby glares hard at you. "Oh don't gimme that bullshit. You know damn well why we broke up. We just weren't working out anymore. But now I see you're just gonna move on and flirt with anyone you see? So much for all those promises and all of those "I love you's, I'll never leave you’s”, huh?"

“Fuck you Abby.” Abby stops, and stands there stunned for a moment, the angry scowl on her face quickly dissolving into a look of hurt and disbelief. "Oh you're gonna say that now? After you were flirting with that girl a second ago? I thought that just a second ago, you didn't even notice me. Now you're telling me you hate me? I don't believe a word of this. You're just trying to upset me, because you know this hurts, doesn't it?'

“Like you weren't talking to that girl you were with just now.” You call her out on her own bullshit. "I was not talking to that girl. I wasn't flirting with her. I wasn't even engaging with her at all! I was just standing there trying to keep my composure while you were flirting! But you, you were leaning into her, giggling and letting her run her hands through your hair. I could practically feel the chemistry between you two, so don't you dare try and compare the two of us."

“You don't own me!” You say angrily, losing your patience. Abby gets even angrier, her eyes narrowing and her voice getting louder. "Oh please! You think this is about me owning you? It's about respecting me, and about respecting this relationship we had! We dated for six months for god's sake. Is that really what all of this is about for you? Are you just gonna throw that away over some girl you met 15 minutes ago?"

“Yes, we did, and YOU broke up with me, not the other way around!” She is getting under your skin. Abby pauses, and her expression drops. Her face falls, and she looks down at her hands, the nails buried deep into her palms. "You're right. I did. I did break up with you. But please at least understand why I did. I just felt like we were drifting apart. Our relationship just wasn't working anymore, and I thought it was better for both of us."

“Then why do you care who I talk to?” You ask her as she is giving you mixed signals. Abby scoffs, rolling her eyes, and stepping up right onto you. "You can't possibly be this dense. Obviously, I care who you talk to. I love you, remember? I still do. We went through so much together for months, and I hate the idea of you being with someone else. You're mine.

“I'm not yours anymore.” You state with confidence and annoyment in your voice. Abby takes a step back, her face twisting in anger and frustration. "God damn it. Don't you get it? Yes we technically aren't together anymore. But I still have you, I still want you. I've built up such an attachment with you over the last six months, and I hate thinking that someone else is having the same attachment with you. I can't stand the idea of you dating someone else. I just can't."

“You should have thought of that before breaking up with me!” Abby glares at you and takes a step closer again. "Yeah, and I guess you should have thought about that before you started flirting with some girl in front of me. We broke up, sure. And yeah, I made the decision. But I didn't think either of us were just gonna move on like this, this fast. I just can't. You mean too much to me, I can't let it go."

“I don't care, you hurt me and I don't want to talk to you anymore.” You are so done with this situation. Abby pauses, and her eyes narrow, her expression dropping. "Really? That's just it for you? We spend six  months together, we go through all those ups and downs together, we build up this bond together over time, and you're just going to cut me out like it's nothing? We mean nothing now?"

“Goodbye Abby.” You walk out of the bar. Abby scoffs, and looks away, but she can't quite deny the hurt in her eyes. She watches you walk out the bar, and then you're gone. She sighs, and takes a deep breath. "God damn it." Abby stays for a while after you go, but her thoughts eventually overwhelm her, and she leaves the bar as well. She walks through the city for a while, lost in thought, trying to keep her anger and hurt in check. She's not used to this feeling of rejection - of having no control over someone else.

You go home upset. You live with your roommate Dina. She's super sweet and she's always there for you. Dina has black hair and brown eyes. She is beautiful. Her skin is a bit tanned, with natural freckles. Her smile always warm, her eyes always loving and caring. You couldn't ask for a better best friend.

As you get home you lay on your bed thinking about what just happened. When Abby gets home she just plops onto her couch, and sits there thinking. She's usually so good at controlling her emotions, but here she just looks... defeated. She sits there for a while, just staring blankly at the wall. Eventually, she lays back on the couch, just staring up at the ceiling.

At some point while you're laid in bed, you get a text from Abby. It just says "I'm sorry." That's all it says. “Are you now?” You text back, feeling very angry at her. After a minute, you get another text. "That girl. I don't even care about her. Or about flirting. I just want you. I just want things to go back to the way they were. I hate that we broke up. I miss you so much."

“I can't believe you…” You are very clearly angry now, you can't even go out without her interfering. Abby texts again after a few minutes. "Please. Let's just meet up tomorrow and just talk things out. I don't wanna lose you. I can't lose you."

“I don't want to talk.” You reply dryly. Abby's next text is even more desperate. "Please. Just hear me out. Let's talk. And if you really still wanna go, then I'll accept it. I just want a chance to talk things out, face to face, just you and me. Please."

“fine.” You are so done with her, you just want this to stop and for her to quit being so damn jealous. Abby's next text is a sigh of relief. Clearly a mix of relief, but also some anxiety. "Thank you. I'll pick you up at 8pm tomorrow. Does that work for you?"

“Okay” Is all you say. Abby's next text is just a heart emoji, she seems very hopeful about this. "I'll see you tomorrow."

All through the night you couldn't sleep, and as the next morning comes, you're filled with a mix of anxiety and hope as you wait for Abby to arrive. Finally you see her pull up outside in her car. You can tell just from her eyes that she's extremely nervous about this conversation. You open the door. Abby stares at you for a moment, a mix of sadness, guilt, and desperation on her face. She opens her mouth to speak, but the words just don't come. Her eyes are locked on yours, and you can just see tears starting to well up as her expression becomes more serious and tearful. She stares and stares, waiting for you to say something.

“So?” You cross your arms looking at her. Abby's mouth quivers, and she looks away for a second. She then looks back up at you seriously, tears rolling down her face. "I love you. I never wanted to break up. I just felt like we weren't working anymore, but last night I saw how fast you were moving on, and I realized just how much I still cared. I broke down when you left because I hate the idea of losing you. You mean too much to me, and I will do anything if it means I can have another chance with you."

You get sad as she talks. Abby looks at you, her tone now shifting to pure sadness and guilt as she speaks. "I am so sorry, I never would've broken up with you if I knew this would happen. I just didn't realize how much I cared until we broke up. I will do anything, anything, I will change whatever needs to be changed, just please can we go back to how we were? Because I can't handle this, I can't handle losing you." You look at her, feeling a wave of emotions. Abby looks back up at you hopefully. She really seems sincere. She's not saying these things in an aggressive manner or a controlling or dominant way. She seems truly sorry, and genuinely remorseful for how things have turned out.

You hug her. You missed her too, even though she wasn't good for you. Abby is taken by surprise, but she hugs you back tightly. The hug is comforting, especially with the way she's squeezing you. She's crying more now, the tears streaming down her face as she tightens her grip on you. You cry as well. Abby cries with you, sobbing into your chest and holding you tight. It feels good to be this close to you again, and she doesn't let go of you even after the crying dies down.

“Come inside.” You say as you break the hug. Abby nods, pulling back from you gently, her face now a mix of sadness and relief. She gets rid of the tears on her face, and follows you inside. She sits down on the couch and looks up expectantly at you. She seems to be waiting for you to say something. You sit next to her. Abby smiles, gently taking your hand and squeezing it lovingly. "Could I ask you a question? You promise to be completely honest?" You nod at her, wondering what she's thinking. Abby smiles, a little nervously, but she wants to hear what you have to say. "Okay… Do you forgive me for the breakup? Do you think we can go back to how we were? Can you really truly forgive me?"

“With a bit of time, I think I can.” You couldn't deny you still had feelings for her. Abby nods, and leans back on the couch comfortably. The tension finally seems to be released, and for a moment there seems to be a feeling of peace. Abby is smiling, just taking in the moment. "You don't know how much it means to me that you even said that. Thank you." You hold her hand back, squeezing slightly. Abby smiles, and holds your hand, squeezing it tightly. She doesn't want to let go. It feels too good to have you like this, and she wants that feeling of closeness with you forever. She looks down at you and smiles warmly. You lean your head on her shoulder. Abby pulls you closer, until you're practically in her lap, and your heads are almost side by side. She wraps her arms around you and pulls you tightly into her, wanting to feel as close and comfortable with you as she possibly can.

You nuzzle into her embrace, she smiles and cuddles you tightly as you lean your head comfortably against her. The embrace feels so good, and it comforts you both. She hugs you for a while, breathing slowly and warmly into your neck, and slowly but surely, the two of you just hold each other with peace, and quiet, each of you being content with just being in each other's arms. She closes her eyes, and seems to just relax. You close your eyes as well, listening to her heart beat. You can hear her heart beating in her chest through your ear, and it's steady, slow, reassuring. She's calm, and you're calm. Neither of you are moving, neither of you are talking. It's a peaceful moment, just two people holding each other tightly through the night in quietness. And then, slowly, she breathes a sigh as she begins to fall asleep. You can feel her relax, as her grip loosens around you. Her body loosens, allowing you both to lie comfortably in each other's arms. You fall asleep together. And so, together, with the warmth of your bodies, the feeling of being connected, the peace and quietness of simply being together, you both slowly drift off to sleep in each other's arms, as if there are no worries in the world at all.

The next morning comes and you begin to wake and stretch, and you look up to see Abby laying right next to you, her face still sleeping and her breathing slow and calm. She must have carried you to bed when you fell asleep on the couch. She seems peaceful and calm. Your eyes wander down her body, and despite seeing her many times like this, you find yourself looking at her. You notice all the small details, and just how beautiful she is when she's sleeping. Her face is so soft, and she almost looks like a child while asleep.

You give her a gentle kiss on the cheek, not wanting to wake her up. The kiss is still gentle and soothing, and feels peaceful. It doesn't take long though, before she begins to wake, and her eyes slowly open. She stares up at you sleepily for a moment before her eyes narrow. She scrunches up her face in a small smile, and she blinks once, before speaking. "Good morning..."

“Morning.” You say with a smile. Abby smiles at you softly as she speaks. "How did you sleep?"

“I slept well, you?” Abby nods and smiles, still groggy. "Yeah, I slept pretty good. Your bed is really comfortable." You smile at her. Abby giggles as she stares into your eyes. She likes seeing the happiness in your face, and she enjoys the smile on your face quite a lot. You're so cute to her, it just makes her want to hug you tight and never let go. She moves her face closer towards you, wanting to be closer, and her face is just a few inches away from yours.

Abby stares into your eyes, it's a very sweet and intimate moment. There's just so much peace, and warmth, and love in both of your eyes, and you can't take your gaze off each other. The two of you are just staring into each other's eyes, the happiness in each of your faces growing and growing as you continue to just sit there and look at each other.

Your eyes finally break apart, and that's when her lips quickly move forward and meet yours. She kisses you slowly and softly, just holding your lips against hers. Her tongue then slowly starts to move against yours, as she deepens the kiss. It's a gentle and loving moment, and the feeling of your lips together just feels so natural and good. It's peaceful in a way, and it's a moment of comfort and happiness. Abby's arms slowly wrap around you, and she pulls you closer as she continues the kiss.

You hold her face gently as you kiss. The kiss continues, and you can feel her pulling you closer and wrapping her arms tighter around you, pulling you in close. She's kissing you passionately, holding nothing back as she pulls you in. She loves feeling her lips against yours, and the feeling of your tongue against hers. She's never felt so comfortable with someone like this before, and she loves it.

You run your hand through her hair as you start making out. Her hair was loose, not in her usual fishtail braid. As your fingers run through her soft hair, she pulls you even closer to her. You can feel each other's bodies, and you just feel so close and so connected to her. This doesn't feel like the toxic relationship you used to have, but just two people who really and truly love each other. You haven't felt this comfortable around someone in a long time.

You feel her hands starting to move under your clothes. Suddenly she stops kissing you, and you feel her hands start to move across your body, exploring. The feeling is sensational, and it's like you can feel each movement of her fingers and hands against you. She's not pushing you away like she used to, but her hands just roam freely across your body. Her fingers slide down along your hips, and the feeling makes you squirm slightly. Her fingers then slowly move towards your thigh, and slide down it, and that feeling makes you squirm again.

The kiss begins again, and her hands continue to slide higher and higher, still slowly sliding up the sides of your thighs towards the top of them. The movement is slow and playful, and the kiss is getting more and more passionate as you continue. It starts feeling slightly overwhelming and intense for a moment. One of her hands slides slightly higher, coming dangerously close to your private area. The feeling is incredibly stimulating, and you can start to feel yourself begin to warm up quickly. You can feel yourself starting to breathe a little bit heavier as the touch continues, and the kiss gets deeper and more intense. You can feel one of her fingers start to slide upwards even more, now coming extremely close to your pussy.

Your breath quickly catches in your throat as her hand is finally there, and she can feel how wet you were already. She smirks as she starts moving her fingers over your panties. She starts moving them very slowly, and the feeling is incredible. Your body starts to tingle. She's looking right at you, and seeing her smirk while she does this makes you feel butterflies.

“Abby…” She doesn't answer, but she continues, her breath getting a little bit heavier, moving her fingers a little bit faster over your clothed clit. You start moaning and Abby likes what she is hearing.

Abby moves and gets on top of you. You lay on the bed, and Abby lays on top of you. Her body is pressed right up against yours, the feeling of her weight on top of you feeling amazing. Abby leans in and continues the kiss. You can feel her weight on you, her body pressing down, the warmth of her body in your arms. She kisses you passionately, and starts moving her hand along the side of your body. You can feel the heat build up in your chest and in your stomach as things get more and more intimate between you two.

Her hand moves back to your thigh, her fingers tracing along your skin and inching higher once again. You can't help but let out a small moan, and Abby presses down on you a little bit harder. You bite your lip as her hand moves, and she can feel the movements of your mouth and the bites, and she grins happily, finding it all so cute. That grin soon changes to a smirk, and she leans in and kisses your lips again. The kiss is sweet and passionate, and the two of you are just moving, your bodies pressing together, both of you getting more and more aroused with every movement and every kiss. The two of you just lay there, kissing each other passionately, lost in the moment and not wanting this to end.

She moves her fingers faster and more enthusiastically. Your moans echo through the room, and she gets incredibly aroused from it. She pulls your panties to the side and dips her fingers in your wetness. As soon as she feels you she grins. She starts moving her fingers once more over your clit in tiny circles. She feels her own underwear getting wet from just feeling you. She starts teasing your entrance looking you straight in the eyes. She bites her lips as she slides one finger inside you and you start moaning louder. She moves it in and out making you feel amazing. She continues, loving the reactions on your face. She inserts a second finger inside you and you can feel her stretching you. She is so turned on from making you moan so loud. She starts pumping her fingers in and out of you faster and faster making you feel that familiar sensation appear on your belly. She can see you are about to cum and moves faster and rougher. She knows just how to make you cum so well, it takes her almost no time to make you orgasm. You feel yourself reaching your limit. And then it happens, the two of you had been getting more and more intense, and now you finally reached your limit. You feel your orgasm hit you like a train, it's so intense.

She slows down once you came, happy with herself. Her grip around you also lightens as she leans back, and you can almost feel her smiling at you. She's pleased with herself, and with the way things have gone since your breakup. She can hear you panting, and she smiles, she's happy to have made you feel such bliss and satisfaction. You smile as you catch your breath. The two of you lay there for a few minutes, just taking in the silence and peace after the intense moment. The both of you are breathing heavily, and you can feel the butterflies in your stomach. She looks down at you, as her smile continues to grow and her breathing slowly calms down,she looks so happy, the two of you just enjoying this moment.

You giggle looking at her. She chuckles a bit as well, happy to see you happy and to see that you're enjoying this moment. There's no sense of discomfort or weirdness between the two of you, it's only just a nice, content and happy moment. She stares at you with a sweet smile, and you both just lay on the bed next to the other, just enjoying each other's company like this. “I missed you.” You say in a whisper. When you say this, she can't help but giggle at you, and she squeezes you tightly again. "I missed you too. I really did." You hug her back tightly, and as you do she hugs you even tighter. She presses herself into you and kisses you softly, just wanting to be as close to you as possible. She's missed this intimacy and comfort between the two of you, and it's just so sweet and warm and comforting.

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It's been over a week now, and you two are once again back together. You both missed each other terribly, and it's been nothing but warmth and happiness since you got back together. You both have sat down to talk about the issues that led to the break-up before, and you've decided to both work together to work through and fix those issues. It's been going smoothly, and you're both so incredibly happy to have each other back.

You two were sitting on the couch watching a movie, wrapped up in each other's arms, when her phone dings with a text. She looks down to read it, and she seems to tense up a little bit as she reads it. “Who is it?” You ask innocently. She looks back up at you, and she doesn't look you in the eyes. She looks away, a little embarrassed. "It's just a friend of mine. They wanted to meet up for a little while."

“Do I know them?” You ask curious to see who it was. You knew all her friends, but she seemed nervous about this one. You started getting a bit suspicious. Abby looks a bit uncomfortable, and she shakes her head. "No, you don't know them."

“So who is it?” It was Ellie, but Abby didn't want to tell you. Abby finally looks at you, she wants to be honest with you and she doesn't want to lie, but it's really hard. You can tell that she's struggling to tell you the truth without hurting you. You look at her waiting, getting more annoyed by the second, as she doesn't tell you the person's name. Abby looks down, she seems to be thinking of something. She's debating on what she should say, what would be best for you to hear. Her face is slightly flushed, and she's just not sure what to do. “Abby?” She can see you getting upset. Finally, after a long while, she looks straight at you. You can tell that she's nervous and doesn't know what to say, but that she also wants to be honest with you. She takes in a deep breath, before letting out one huge word. "Ellie..."

“Ellie?” You ask, you know that name, but it couldn't be the same Ellie, right? Abby nods, slowly, and she looks at you apologetically. "I was texting Ellie, she wanted to meet up with me today."

“Who is Ellie?” You ask still hoping it's not the same Ellie you are thinking of. Abby shifts her eyes away from you, and her voice gets quiet. You can see the way she's moving her feet and fiddling with her fingers, as if she doesn't want to answer the question directly. She still doesn't look you in the eyes as she speaks, she just seems so embarrassed by this. "Ellie's just a friend of mine, I promise."

“Can I see a picture of her to see if I recognize her?” You have to know, it's eating you up inside. Abby sighs before she finally nods, and passes you her phone. The text message from Ellie is still open, and the picture of her is right there on the screen, attached to the text she's sending to your girlfriend. As soon as you see the picture, your heart sinks into your chest. It is the same Ellie you were thinking of. You had forgotten about how pretty, sexy and how attractive she was, and as you look at the picture of her, you can feel your jealous rage growing by the second.

“Oh, okay. You should go, if you want.” You say trying to stay calm. Abby looks at you for a moment, and she senses you starting to grow angry and jealous. She starts to try and talk quickly in order to explain the situation before you can get upset. "No, no, it's just a friend, really, don't worry, really, she just wants to meet at the cafe for some tea and to catch up, really, you don't have to worry..."

“If you say she is just a friend, I believe you.” You give her a fake smile hoping she buys it. Abby smiles at you, breathing a sigh of relief as she sees your jealousy and anger subsiding a little bit. She relaxes, and she seems slightly more relieved when you actually believe her instead of getting angry or sad or upset with her over this. Abby picks up her phone, her heart a little bit warmed by the way you've believed her, and she texts Ellie back, saying she'll meet her for coffee. She smiles at you as she does this, and you can just see how happy she is that you didn't get upset or mad with her.

Some hours later she goes out to meet Ellie and you stay at home. You have a little bit of anxiety about this, but you remind yourself that Abby said it was nothing, and that she really just wanted to hang out. Your mind is playing tricks on you, but you're being strong and rational and trusting her. She told you the truth and was upfront with you when answering you, so now all you can do is believe her and trust her. She said it was just a hang out, so you know in your gut it'll be fine.

You recognized who Ellie was, she had flirted with you one day at some random party when you and Abby were broken up. You remember how pretty she was, and the way she teased and flirted with you on the day you met, and a little bit of jealousy and possessiveness starts building up in your chest. It led to more than one simple hookup. Before you got back with Abby you were still talking to her, hooking up occasionally, when you felt lonely. You remember what you did with Ellie that night and other nights after that, and you start to get a little worried that Abby might find out. You can't help but think about that moment, even though Abby trusts you and wouldn't suspect the two of you of having a past like that. Still, the thoughts begin to creep into your mind and make you wonder, and it's starting to make your stomach sink down to your knees with fear. She might find out... she might find out... you can't let her find out...

You quickly text Ellie, begging the girl not to tell Abby that she knows you. You make up all sorts of excuses, all kinds of reasons why you want to keep you two a secret, but really the only reason is that you don't want Abby to find out and get angry at you. Ellie agrees not to say anything, she's had her fun with you, and she wouldn't want Abby to be mad at her either. She promises to keep it a secret. You get really relieved, thinking you and Ellie are both safe from Abby finding out. It was incredibly risky to text Ellie and have that little chat with her, all without Abby knowing while she was out with the girl, but it all worked out and you're safe now. There's nothing that could possibly go wrong, you and Ellie won't tell anyone about each other, and everything will be fine, or so you think.

Abby comes home after her hangout, and she seems a little nervous when she gets through the door. She closes it quietly, and she seems to have something on her mind. She walks into the kitchen, and she doesn't start saying anything, and for a few moments, she just keeps her mouth closed. “How did it go?” You ask her genuinely wanting to know. Abby finally speaks up, and she smiles a bit as she talks. "It was really nice. We just kinda sat around and chatted for a while, and caught up on news and stuff. It was pretty boring stuff really, nothing too crazy." You look at her and smile, trying to stay calm. Abby keeps smiling and looking at you, she doesn't appear to be hiding anything. She seems to be completely honest with you, and with the way she's looking at you, it seems like she's very happy to be back home with you again, and she's feeling much better than before, after she hung out with her old friend Ellie.

Your senses are telling you that something's not quite right though. Abby seemed way too nervous when she walked in, and even after the way she described her outing, it just felt like there was something missing. The way she smiled and talked, it was like she was keeping something from you, a little secret. You're not sure exactly what it is, but you definitely feel like there's more going on than she's letting on. “Are you hiding something?” After you ask the question, Abby is silent for a while, and she looks at you for a little bit, the silence lasting much longer than normal. You can sense a lot of things in that silence, and you can almost feel her unease and her guilt flowing through her. She doesn't want to lie to you of all people, but she doesn't want to tell you either. She's still smiling, but you could tell something's on her mind. You lifted an eyebrow as you waited for her reply. Abby still doesn't say anything. You can continue to sense the guilt and the uneasiness inside of her. The silence still hangs thick in the air, until finally, she does say something. It took her a while to gather up the courage, and she wasn't sure what your reaction would be, but she decided to come clean. “Abby?” You call her name once more. After you speak her name, Abby responds, looking at you and finally saying something back, a small voice of guilt in her tone. "Yeah?"

“Are you hiding something?” Abby is extremely hesitant to answer, and you can just tell that she's debating what she should say, and she's still scared of your reaction, even though you've never gotten mad at her for anything before. You looked at her, waiting for her response. Abby's voice is very quiet, and she's very careful about how she words it when she finally does say it. "There's.. I uh, there's something I need to tell you..."

“Okay…” You say, trying to look calm and collected. Abby gulps, this was the last thing she wanted to tell you, but she knows that she needs to be honest and transparent with you, and that she can't hide anything anymore. She closes her eyes for a moment, and you can tell she's really nervous and stressed. Abby finally confesses, and you hear her say the exact thing that you didn't ever want her to say to you. She explains to you, with a nervous blush on her face, that she and Ellie did indeed used to date before. She explains that she didn't want to worry you or make you upset, but that she wanted to confess the truth to you. This was never something she would have told you otherwise, she would never have told you that she and Ellie had hooked up in the past.

“You dated?...” You were very confused now, Ellie knew you had been with Abby when you started hanging out, but she never told you this. Abby nods, she looks down a little bit, but she also looks a little relieved that she finally got the truth out there, and that you didn't immediately react in a bad way. She explains that yes, she did date Ellie at one point in time. It was only a casual thing between the two of them, but it was still there, and it still happened. She explains that she was embarrassed by the whole thing, and that she just didn't know exactly how to be honest with you.

“For how long?” You have to know. Ellie seemed like she was not who she said she was. Abby explains that she and Ellie had an intimate but casual thing going on for a few months. They were never in a serious relationship, but it was still something that happened between the two of them. Abby was very afraid that this whole thing would make you upset or mad at her, but she knows that now it would be better going forward if she was just honest in this relationship and didn't try to hide it from you anymore. She was really worried that she would lose you if she didn't come clean.

“It's okay, I just feel like I should know who my girlfriend has been with before.” You are relieved she told you. Abby can tell that now that the air has been cleared, there seems to be a lot less tension and stress for both of you. She's really glad that you didn't become mad or upset, or start questioning her further. When you say you should know who her ex-girlfriends were and that you're glad you know, she gives you a small grin and nods, and you can feel that she's very happy that you're not angry about it anymore.

“So you and Ellie are just friends?” Abby's smile gets a lot wider, and she nods, happy that you were accepting of all of this. She explains that yes, Ellie and she are really good friends now, and that nothing intimate ever happened between the two of them again. She explains that they haven't had a sexual relationship with each other since the last time they hooked up, and they're only on a platonic level now. She has this huge rush of relief now that she's gotten everything off her chest. She's very happy that you were accepting of this, and that you're able to move on and not let it bother you. You can see the tension leave her body after she's told you the truth, and you two can finally just relax and enjoy the night. You and Abby spend some time watching a movie together, and finally head to bed. Her mood is much lighter, and she seems to be a lot more relaxed. Everything between the two of you seems to be normal now, and it seems like the night is going to be nice and enjoyable. The atmosphere between the two of you is positive, and you start to get very comfortable with each other again.

The next morning you wake up and find yourself next to Abby, she's still sleeping, and she seems very peaceful. You can't help but smile a little bit as you see her, and you reach your arm over and put it around her. She stirs a little bit but doesn't wake up completely, and she mumbles something underneath her breath. You lean in and kiss her forehead, and she sleeps a little bit longer, but in the background, you can't help but think how good it's all feeling between the two of you. “Good morning sleepy head.”

Abby wakes up, and she's rubbing her eyes, slowly opening them as she sees you for the first time in the morning. You smile at her, because she looks absolutely gorgeous. She slowly pulls you into her arms and leans her head on your shoulder, resting her strong body against yours and giving you a small squeeze. You hug her tightly back, and you feel like everything's going to be alright. You're glad you didn't lose her last night, and you're glad things are going well. Abby finally opens her eyes fully, and she sees you there, right next to her. She smiles softly, and she's happy to have you right there next to her. She says "Good morning!" to you, looking at you with that same soft smile and her green eyes shining proudly.

“Did you sleep well?” You asked her, smiling. Abby chuckles a little bit, and she nods, still smiling softly at you. She says "Yeah, I slept really well, thanks. You?" She leans a little closer to you, and she scoots in really tightly to hug you, you could feel her warm breath on your neck as she holds you super tight. “I did too.” Abby pulls you in even closer, and gives you a very gentle kiss on the neck, leaving the faint scent of her floral perfume lingering there. "I'm glad we both slept well". She keeps her arms wrapped tightly around your body, and she's rubbing her toes against yours under the covers. "We could totally stay like this all day, right?"

“We could, if we didn't have class.”  Abby's face lights up when you say that you could stay like this all day. She seems very excited about the idea of not having to go to classes today and instead stay in bed cuddling with you. "Really? You want to stay in bed today and not have class? Because I could totally bail on my classes and just be here with you..."

“I can't miss them baby, I'm very behind on my studies.” Abby is totally fine with the idea with you both skipping class today, and she leans in close to your neck again, giving you a soft kiss and a playful bite. "We can just be together. No need for class today... We could make use of our time together, don't you think?"

“I have to go, as much as i want to stay, i need to go.” You give her an apologetic smile. Abby chuckles, and she shakes her head. "Sure, sure, I get it. You have classes, and you need to go, otherwise we'll both get in trouble, right?" She kisses you again, "Good luck with class." She says, and she rubs her head against yours. You get dressed and head out. You put on a pretty, floral dress and you pick up your bag to leave. Abby gives you a last kiss, and after she knows you've left the room, she also gets out of bed and walks out of the bedroom. She heads into the shower for a quick bath before getting dressed for the day. She's still thinking of you, and she can't help but feel a little bit happy that the two of you managed to make it through that rough patch.

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You get to class and see Ellie is there. Your heart rate starts to increase slightly, and you start to panic, the thoughts of your girlfriend's ex rushing through your head, even as you try to suppress them. You don't want to make eye contact with her, and you don't want her to make contact with you. For some reason this whole thing seems to be a lot worse when she's around you. Ellie saw you and you can feel her energy, and you know deep down she's judging you. Not to mention, you don't want her talking to you, even though you know she'll try. To avoid the potential awkwardness and confrontation that she could cause, you turn around and walk away towards your seat fast and without looking in her direction. You can feel her green eyes staring at you. Almost like lasers making two holes on the back of your head.

As soon as class ends, you head straight to the bathroom hoping to avoid Ellie entirely. You're trying not to think of her at all, and trying not to dwell on the fact that the two of you are in the same class. You just don't want to see her, and you're hoping that she feels the same way. And if she doesn't, hopefully she won't try to make conversation with you. You make it into the bathroom and lock yourself inside your own little world away from all of the drama. Just as you think you're alone, you hear the bathroom door open, and you can immediately tell it's Ellie. She walks in and sees you inside, and she locks the door behind her, which makes your heart rate spike even further. You try to breathe, and take it slow, but her presence alone causes some sort of anxiety within you.

“Oh, hi... it's you…” You try to pretend nothing happened. Ellie approaches you, and in a voice that is very cold and detached, she says, "Oh, hey. How are you doing?" You get the feeling that she's judging you and you can tell she can tell that you're uncomfortable. She steps closer and continues speaking slowly. "Are you doing okay?" Ellie’s slender and tall figure is looming over you. Her auburn hair tied in her usual half bun that framed her face perfectly. She was wearing the usual, some extra large t-shirt, ripped skinny jeans and her black converse. Her tattoo on display.

“I'm great, you?” You ask, feeling extremely anxious. Ellie's response is very short and to the point, her tone is cold, detached, and distant. She keeps getting closer and closer to you, as though she's trying to intimidate you in some way. "You sure? You don't look good. You're sweating a lot." She keeps moving closer, and finally she's right in front of you, and she seems to be looking directly in your eyes. You can feel the tension between the two of you, and you just want her to go away.

You gulp as you look at her. Ellie's voice drops a little bit to an almost whisper, and she's literally directly in front of your face as she speaks. She's still keeping her eyes on you, looking very carefully. "You sure about that? Because you look pretty anxious right now, like you're about to puke." She keeps leaning in even closer, until she's just millimeters away from your face and you can feel her breath on your cheek.

You take a step back. “I'm fine.” You chuckle, trying to calm down. Ellie follows your movement right away, backing you up against the wall, and getting into your personal space once again. She's breathing very quickly and heavily. "Oh, that's just precious. I can tell that you're trying sooo hard to act like everything is great right now. But it isn't, is it?"

“I dont know what you are talking about…” You try to not talk about the matter. Ellie keeps backing you up against the wall, but she doesn't do anything to touch you yet. She just keeps staring at you with that smirk of hers. "Oh don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. I can see it in your eyes." She's so close to you that you can feel her hot breath on your cheeks as she speaks, and you feel trapped in this bathroom with her.

“What do you want?” You ask nervously. Ellie just keeps staring at you, not saying anything for several long and uncomfortable seconds, as though she wants you to fill the silence. She's expecting you to say something, and her body is still pressing against yours. You don't want to speak yet, she might think she's won this little standoff if you do, so you just stay silent back. She finally does say something. "Do you miss me?"

“Wait what?” You feel confused. Ellie is still staring you down, her body pressed against yours, but she did manage to surprise you with that question. She's looking at you closely, waiting for a reply. She's also trying very hard to keep her face expressionless, so that it's harder for you to read her or to know what she's thinking. But her face is still very close to yours, that much you can definitely tell. "Do you miss me, a little bit?"

You blush as she traps you. The feeling of her body pressing up against yours is very overwhelming, and you feel very claustrophobic. You feel trapped, and you're starting to feel very uncomfortable with the position that Ellie has you pinned into. She looks very dominant, and she definitely has the upper hand in this situation. This might just be her strategy, to make you feel so uncomfortable that you don't think clearly. "What about me makes you blush still?"

“Hum... Can you take a step back please…” You are starting to feel very nervous. Ellie doesn't answer at first, and she doesn't move back, but instead she just keeps speaking. "Oh? You want me to take a step back? Why? You're not enjoying how close I am to you? You're not enjoying having your back right up against the wall with me so close to you?" She keeps asking you questions, trying to push you a little bit. You can feel her body still pressing up against yours in a very dominant way, and you realize that you must now answer her last question.

“Ellie... please…” You ask trying your hardest for her to let you go. Ellie's body language changes slightly, and she's taking her body a step back. That's still a pretty close distance though, because she isn't moving any further than that. She smiles at you finally, and she speaks in a much more flirty tone. "Aw, I'm making you uncomfortable? But I thought you liked me?" She keeps up the flirtatiously tone with a smile, seemingly trying to tease you.

“You used to date Abby? And you didn't tell me?” Your voice sounds angry and she notices. Ellie chuckles. "Yeah, I used to date Abigail. Didn't you know that? We were together for a while, and now she's with you, right? I think she's been with you for about seven, eight months now?"

“No, I didn't know.” You look at her, feeling angry about her not telling you. Ellie continues speaking. "Yeah, I thought everyone knew about Abby and I. I guess it was a long time ago now, but we were very connected for a while. We just didn't work out for the long term." She's still smiling and keeps talking to you in a flirtatious tone. "I'm sure Abby told you all about me." She seems to be waiting for you to say something next.

“You knew she had just broken up with me the day before the party, you and i... you know…” Ellie nods her head a little bit, and she continues speaking. "Yeah, I knew that you and she had broken up. I'm sorry to hear that. I'm not totally sure why you broke up, but I know she had a lot of feelings surrounding that. But I'm sure you made her happy, you seem to treat her very well. I still don't know how she moved on so fast, but I'm glad she's happy with someone." She smiles, but not in the same way she was before, this one is more genuine.

“You don't know?” She seems like she doesn't know you are back together. Ellie shakes her head a little bit and speaks softly. "No, actually I don't know. I never asked for a reason, but she did feel very connected with you, so I'm surprised she moved on so quickly. Are you still on good terms?"

“We are together again and she doesn't know about you and me.” When you tell her that you and Abby are back together, and she's completely unaware of your relationship, she's surprised. "Wait, you two are back together? And she doesn't know about us?" She can't help but smile a bit wider, which tells you that she's definitely enjoying this situation. “It's not funny Ellie.” Ellie keeps talking and laughing. "Oh, come on, you know it's kind of a funny situation. Can you imagine how Abby would react if she knew that we hooked up? Or even just how she would react to know that we're talking right now? It's just hilarious, right?"

“Oh god…” You cover your face with your hands, you feel so embarrassed, you just want to dig a hole and jump inside it. Ellie just laughs a little bit more, she can't help but find this whole thing incredibly funny. You can tell that she definitely knows she's in a better position, which just adds to her confidence. "Why are you embarrassed? It's not like you did anything bad. I didn't force you, did I?" She keeps smiling, and she leans you against the wall, looking directly at you.

“You are not going to say anything right?” Ellie shakes her head a little bit, and she says "No, I won't say anything. I wouldn't do anything like that. Besides, I don't feel guilty about anything between us, it was mutual and we both wanted it, so there's nothing to feel bad about." She's still smirking and enjoying that she can see you flustered. You look at her. She stares back at you, she's still smirking but she starts to speak softly. "I'm gonna ask you a direct question and I want an honest answer from you. Do you regret what happened between us?"

“No, but I mean... it could ruin my relationship.” You are so nervous that you are shaking. Ellie's expression changes a little bit when you answer, but she still keeps that smirk on her face. She nods a little bit and speaks again. "Well, that's honest. And you're right, it could ruin your relationship. But you know, we can keep this between us, right? You don't have to tell her anything, and as far as she knows, she has nothing to worry about. So, do we have a deal?" Ellie's smile grows larger, and she steps even closer to you. She seems to be enjoying this moment of control and power she has over you, and she speaks again. "So, do we have a deal? I don't think you're gonna tell her about me, right?" She keeps standing there, invading your personal space while she keeps staring at you directly in your eyes. It feels like she is not talking seriously and just teasing you. You can still see that smirk on her face when she continues talking. "Oh, I am being serious. Why would I not be serious? You're gonna keep your mouth shut about what happened between us right? I mean, you should... otherwise you don't know what might happen." She keeps speaking, "Let's make a pact never to tell her about our little secret... Do we have a deal?"

“Are you messing with me?” At first she doesn't answer, she just continues to stare at you. And then after several long and tense seconds, she finally speaks. "No, I'm not messing with you. I'm very serious. I don't feel bad about anything that happened between us, and I'm not going to tell her. You should be the one feeling bad for kind of cheating on her with me. But we can keep this a secret, okay? What do you say?" She gets closer, making your bodies touch, clearly wanting more than just a deal. Ellie keeps getting close, and she likes how her body is touching yours. She's not just trying to get in your personal space, it feels like she's trying to push the boundaries of how far she can get between you two. That's when she speaks again, and her voice softens, although it's still definitely flirtatious. "You see what I mean? There's so much more we could be sharing between us, isn't there?" You blush again. Ellie smiles a little bit more as you blush, which is exactly the reaction she wanted. She's not done with you yet, not by a long shot. She's going to use this situation to her advantage in more ways than one. "Is it getting hot in here? Because I definitely feel a certain amount of heat right now. Do you?"

“No…” You say trying not to look at her. Ellie chuckles, and she keeps speaking, "Oh really? So it's not getting hot at all? Hmm... because I think the heat is on. Isn't it cute that I'm getting close to you like this, even though I know you're back with Abby?" She says, smiling, but her eyes are still very cold. Then she starts inching closer to you as she talks, until she's so close that she finally touches your hip with hers.

You try to back away but she's got you trapped to the wall. As you try to back away, she doesn't let you. She keeps coming closer and she presses her body up against yours. She's standing so close that her body is completely making contact with you, and even though you can feel your body starting to get very hot, you know full well that she's getting more than just physical pleasure out of this. She's getting a power trip off of knowing you're so close to her, and that she's forcing you into all of this and making you uncomfortable. “Ellie…” Suddenly she gets even closer to you, she's almost pressing you between the wall and her body. You can feel the heat being pumped off of her, and it's really really uncomfortable. She still doesn't say anything, but the smirk on her face is still there, she definitely likes having you trapped. She keeps moving her head closer to yours, she hasn't said a word yet, but she's about to.

“What are you doing?” Your heart feels like it is going to jump out of your chest. When you ask her what she's doing, she finally answers. "What am I doing? You don't know? Oh, I thought it would've been obvious by now, but it seems like you're just as dense as you were back when we had our thing. I'm trying to get you into a very compromising position. You may be back with Abby, but you still can't keep your eyes off of me, and that tells me that you're just as into me as I am into you." She leans in even closer, her voice is very close to your ear. She definitely has a very powerful and dominant presence, and you can't deny that you have very strong urges towards her. She moves her body even closer to you, and she rests her hand on your thigh. She doesn't move it, she just rests it there, as she speaks into your ear again. Her breath is hot, and her body is extremely hot compared to yours. You've never felt a more intense situation like this one. "You just couldn't resist me, could you?"

“Ellie…” Your reaction gets a smile out of her, and she keeps touching your thigh. She moves her hand slightly higher up your thigh, making sure she's touching where she wants to touch. Your skin feels like it's starting to tingle from the hotness of her hand, it's uncomfortable but extremely hot at the same time. "You're just like a puppet, you can't even say no to me. I know that you wish you never broke things off between us, and I believe you'd want to go back to that. Don't you?"

You get nervous as she puts her hand on your thigh. She can tell that you're getting very nervous as she touches you, and she does it on purpose. She feels very dominant doing this because she can feel your nervous energy coming back to her. When you look up at her, she's smiling and looking very pleased with how nervous she's made you. She's definitely enjoying how vulnerable she's made you feel. "So, do you like how my hand feels on your thigh or are you still feeling too nervous?"

You blush even more. She chuckles a little bit, and when she sees your body language, she knows she's making you very nervous and very flustered. Her hand is still on your thigh, and she isn't moving it away from you. "Oh I see you're feeling very nervous with my hand here. It must feel pretty weird to not be able to do anything to get my hand away, isn't it?" Ellie moves her body closer to you when you don't say anything to her, she's now so close that she's almost kissing you. "You see, now I'm close enough to kiss you. You know exactly what happens next, right?" You bite your lip, trying not to look at her. Ellie can see your lip is trembling, which she likes. She smiles a little bit and she seems really excited. "Do you want to feel what it might feel like for me to start kissing you?" Even though you're trying not to look at her, her face is so close now that it's hard not to see her with the corners of your eyes.

She grabs your chin so that you can't look away from her, while she keeps her body pinned against you to trap you where you cannot move. "Oh... you want to see the look in my eyes when I kiss you… \" And that's just what she did, she slowly brought her face closer to yours, and once you two were close enough, she started kissing you.

You were shocked and surprised when she kissed you, so much so that you barely have the time to even process what's happening. All you know is that she's very aggressive, and she's now pinning you even tighter against the wall. She continues kissing you, her grip on your jaw gets a little bit tighter and her kisses get more and more possessive. She's not going to let go of you anytime soon, and she seems to want this moment to keep going as long as possible. You try to push her, but her grip on your face is so strong that she doesn't give you an inch. She just keeps pushing herself closer, and her kisses get even more forceful. She's literally crushing you between her body and the wall, and there's nothing you can do to make her stop. She also breaks the kiss just to say, "You can't get away from me that easily, I wouldn't let you get away so easily would I?"

Ellie smiles after she finishes talking and she goes back to kissing you, this time she breaks the kiss for only a moment so she can see your flushed and flustered expression. She's just enjoying this entire situation so much, and she likes your reaction. "You're very cute when you're flustered, aren't you? And you're not trying to resist me anymore. If anything, I think you're enjoying this." She goes back to kissing you aggressively again. A few seconds later you begin to kiss her back. When you finally give in and kiss her back, she was definitely not expecting that. She pulls away from the kiss after only a few seconds and she looks at you with a smirk. "I've missed this…." Her lips are still pressed up against yours, she's keeping them there but not kissing you. She's giving you time to respond. She likes to see how far she can push you and how much control she can have over you.

You kiss her back with a desire you didn't know you had inside of you. The desire that you didn't know was in you is being unleashed by Ellie, and you're both enjoying this entire thing. The more you kiss her, even though you wanted to resist her in the beginning, the more you start to like this. You're becoming addicted to it at this point, and she can definitely notice this. When you're both still kissing each other, she brings her hand back up to your thigh and she presses her hand to it, and she keeps touching it as you two continue to kiss. She has gotten so good at controlling you and manipulating you, that she can do this with just a glance or a touch at this point. You didn't realize how she had already gotten into your head, but you didn't really care either. All you can think about is her and how delicious her kisses feel on your lips.

Your moan of surprise and pleasure gets Ellie's attention again, her hand has moved further up on your thigh. Her fingers move closer and closer, and they are getting dangerously close to your cunt at this point. Your moan got her attention, it let her know that she had definitely got a reaction out of you. She breaks the kiss, and she smiles at you before she keeps speaking to you again. She keeps her hand there, but now she's rubbing a little bit, with her fingers still moving slowly towards that one spot.

A shiver runs down your body as Ellie's hand reaches your pussy. She knows that you're most likely feeling very sensitive there, and she uses her hand to take advantage of it. She just keeps moving slowly, she knows how far she's pushing you. She feels like she can do anything to you, and you'll let her. She's not going to stop anytime soon, and it feels like she could do this forever.

She starts moving faster making you get louder. At this point, she's definitely not going to stop. There's no getting out of this, she's going to keep moving her hand in whatever way she wants. She likes hearing you get louder and hearing you moan, it really turns her on and it makes her want to move her fingers even faster. Her other hand also comes over to your other thigh, and it's getting extremely hot and sweaty between you two from the heat. "You seem to enjoy this feeling, don't you?"

You don't respond, embarrassed about her touching you. She notices your silence. She knows that you're feeling overwhelmed from all this, and that you may not be ready to admit your full enjoyment of this just yet. That's the type of dominant that she is, she can sense that about you. As she continues moving her hands and your moaning gets louder. She knows she's on the right track. She keeps moving her hand in this motion, and she keeps moving her other hand further up your thigh, getting even closer to your sensitive spot. "Who was the last girl to touch you like this? Was it Abby?"

“Yes…” You whisper. Ellie chuckles again at your answer. She knew that Abby would be the one, she just wanted you to be honest. "Yeah I wouldn't doubt it, even for one second that Abby wouldn't want this, but she doesn't get to do this to you anymore. Since you're back with me now, it's going to be me who has this privilege, am I right?" She says this while giving you a teasing look.

“You and I are not together. We never were.” You say out of breath. Ellie suddenly pulls her hand away from your thigh, and then she suddenly stops the kissing as well. You're surprised this whole conversation has been very abrupt, and her sudden movement away from you gives you time to respond. She stares at you silently. You were a bit surprised she stopped. Ellie is still staring at you waiting for you to say something. She still has a very seductive look on her face, and she doesn't break her gaze at all.

“Why did you stop?” As you ask her this, she just laughs. "Why did I stop? Are you still enjoying what I'm doing? Because if you are, I can keep going." She's being very playful with her words, almost teasing you more than you can handle. She likes having this back and forth with you. You compose yourself a bit and pull your dress down, it was pulled up due to what she was doing with her hand. She still stares at you, with that same seductive look on her face, and there's a small smile playing at the corners of her lips still. As she moves her body in closer, she's almost right in your face again. She likes seeing you struggle, that's part of being the dominant one, is liking seeing the other person trying to resist you. She enjoys the power that she has over you. You look into her eyes, it's like she really wants you.

When she realizes that you finally got the hint that she wants you for herself, she chuckles. "Yes, it looks like you've understood me. Yes I do want you all for myself. I don't want anyone else getting their hand on you, and especially not Abby. I want you to belong to me and only me, right?" She says this with such dominance and possession. She's very straight forward with her words, and everything she said was the truth, she doesn't like sharing anyone and she wants you all to herself.

“I’m with Abby now.” It takes her a second to realize that you mentioned your ex again even though she doesn't like talking about her. But she's fine with going back to talking about Abby anyway. "So why are you with me here, not trying to get away?" She seems to genuinely want to know why you went back to Abby. She seems jealous all of a sudden, and that's a new side of her that you haven't seen before. “You followed me to the bathroom.” She laughs again. "Yeah, I followed you to the bathroom so I can talk to you in private. I don't want to be around everyone else on campus. As soon as I saw you walk into the bathroom I knew I had to talk to you in here, so I came in right after. You're not going anywhere, I won't let her take you away like that."

“Abby is waiting for me, she'll be worried soon.” She laughs at the mention of Abby again. "Worried? Are you seriously about to say you're worried about a girl who you broke up with almost 2 months ago? She's probably not even that worried, and if she is, she's probably just going to text you asking where you are, and that's it. She's not just going to freak out from you not getting home on time. I don't even understand why you're so worried."

When she touches your leg, she's slowly running her fingers up and down your thigh. She's using this as a way to distract you from worrying about Abby. She's doing this with the intent of getting you to forget about whatever thought you had about Abby before. She doesn't like seeing you worry about other girls, even if you were in a relationship with her before. She doesn't like it when someone else steals your attention away from her. “Ellie…”

"Yes love...? What is it?" She says in your ear. “I can't…” She pauses for a moment. "You can't what, love?" She seems very impatient and she's still touching your leg. Her other hand is just waiting there, wanting to move around and explore. “I can't do this with you right now…” Ellie seems shocked by your response. But suddenly she pulls her hands away from your thighs, and she leans her body backwards as she speaks. She's not sure what she wants to do. "What do you mean you can't do this right now? Why not?" She says this with a disappointed look on her face.

“Abby... I'm with Abby now…” When you start talking about Abby again, what little bits of patience she had immediately disappears. She was really hoping you were finally ready to commit to her alone. Because you brought up your ex again she's instantly gone from disappointed to just plain angry. She stares at you for a moment, and the anger on her face is obvious. She's not happy at all, and you can tell she wants to yell, scream or just leave right now, but she's also trying to not do any of those things.

The moment you mention Abby again, she suddenly gets rougher with how she's touching you. She starts being a little bit more forceful when she grabs your thigh and moves her hand up and down. You look at her a bit worried. She is staring right back at you, she's clearly very angry from you mentioning Abby. Her hand is still moving up and down your thigh and you can feel her grip, getting harder and harder. You feel her kiss you violently, her mouth is like a force that was unstoppable. She has a lot of passion behind her kisses, so much passion that she's almost not paying attention to how hard she's pressing up against you. She keeps kissing you forcefully and there's nothing you can do to stop her. All you can do is sit here and let her do her thing.

You kiss her back, you're not sure why, she's just so intoxicating. For a moment, that's all you're doing. Just kissing her. You're letting her take control. You're letting her kiss you however she wants to. She's enjoying this a lot and is getting more and more into it, and she's keeping this going for longer than you were expecting. When you start moaning into the kiss, she takes this as a sign of you enjoying everything she's doing. She's happy to see that your moans of pleasure aren't because she's going too far, but because she's doing it right. She feels good knowing that she can actually make you moan like this still. She's very happy with how this whole thing is going. She keeps touching you and your moans get louder and louder. She is very determined to prove that she's better than Abby. And she's definitely going to do everything and anything that she needs to, to get you to believe her. You can feel her pushing you further and further, to take you over the edge. She wants so badly to be seen as the better one, to be the only girl on your mind. She doesn't want to share you at all and she wants you to be hers alone, if she has to get you to believe it by pleasing you more, then she will.

Her fingers move over your clothed pussy once more, she feels how wet you are and she can't help but let a smirk appear on her face. She moves them to the side and prepares herself to finger you. You feel her fingers starting to slide inside you as she bites her lip. You can't deny, she makes you feel good, she knows what she's doing. She starts moving her fingers inside you making you moan louder and louder. It doesn't take long to make you cum from how worked up she had gotten you until now. When she feels you cumm on her fingers she smiles wickedly. As you finally orgasm, she's not surprised at all. She's actually proud of herself for this, she loves seeing you react this strongly to her. She's not done yet though, she hasn't let you go yet, even though you're already finished. She keeps going, and she seems to be enjoying this whole process. The whole thing for her was a way to prove how much better she is than Abby, and it seems like she succeeded in getting you to believe her.

You catch your breath as she stops. She pulls her mouth away from yours, and she's out of breath. She was going pretty fast so she ended up being just as tired as you were. She pulls her body away from you and she's just sitting there, recovering from what just happened. You both breathe heavily from it, but you both look at each other. You can see her smiling, she really did like that a lot. You're both catching your breath, but you've gained some composure back. You can't believe this just happened, if Abby finds out she might kill you. You're thinking more clearly now that the adrenaline from the moment has died down. She's the one who's still smiling. It's a little bit creepy to be honest, she's not even breathing heavily anymore. Her breath has returned to normal and she's still just looking at you, with that creepy little smile, enjoying her victory, and enjoying the fact that you were just hers just for that moment.

“This never happened.” You say to Ellie as you pull yourself back together. Ellie is more than a little bit angry, she almost feels betrayed by your statement. She thought she had you, and she was hoping that you two could really have a thing. She wants to be with you so badly, but instead you tell her that this never happened. It's almost like a slap straight across her face. You've broken her heart in a very unexpected way.

“I have to go.” You say as you look at the time and leave the bathroom. She doesn't say anything, she just lets you walk away. She seems extremely disappointed and sad, but there's another side of her anger that's starting to show itself also. You can see her eyes start to narrow and a frown starts to form on her face. She looks at you one last time and she looks angry, but you don't know why she's so mad yet. 

You go home as fast as you can so Abby doesn't think anything was wrong. You're on your way home, and you're hoping that Abby doesn't sense that anything was wrong between you two. You don't want to make her worry, especially since she's been waiting for you this whole time. As you're getting back home, you take a little bit of time just to compose yourself before entering the house. You don't want to go in all messed up, especially since Abby is going to notice pretty quickly. She won't miss a single thing, and you don't want her to notice anything. You're ready to go inside, and when you enter the house, you're not going to say anything about what happened with Ellie .

“Hey baby!” You say as you put your things down and take off your shoes, trying to be as natural as possible. Abby is sitting on the couch waiting for you, she heard you come home and she's just been waiting, knowing what time your classes ended. She looks up at you, and she has a warm, smiling face. She can already see that something is going on though, she knows you. She knows the look on your face, she knows when something is upsetting you. So she asks you what's wrong.

“Nothing is wrong, just stressed about exams.” You say not looking at her as you take off your jacket. Abby raises an eyebrow when she hears this. You're lying to her, and she knows you're lying. She knows your stress didn't suddenly just appear out of nowhere. You're lying to her. She stares at you for a moment, and she seems to be waiting for you to say something else. You look at her too. You're both just looking at each other now. Abby seems to want a real answer from you. She seems a bit tense actually, she seems upset that you are hiding something from her. You're lying to her right now and she really doesn't appreciate it. She gets up from the couch and she starts coming closer and closer to you. She's going to ask you again, she's not letting you slide by with the last answer you gave her. 

You look at her feeling a bit worried. She's looking at you with those big concerned eyes now, she's very worried. She's not accepting your previous answer as valid and now she's really going to want a legit answer. You can't fool her. She wants to know what's wrong. “You know how my anxiety is… it comes from nowhere sometimes, you've seen this before.” You try to assure her it's just your anxiety that is making you look a bit off. She seems like she's buying your answer, but she's still not completely believing it. She knows you really well, and she does know about your anxiety and what can cause it. But usually you're more open with her about it, you're not just going to brush her off if she's trying to talk to you right?

You hug her, without thinking. Abby gladly hugs you back. She enjoys this comfort and security from you, and she's really hoping that this will take your mind off whatever is concerning you. She still wants to talk about it later though, because she knows you've got something going on, but for you two to just spend time together and forget about it for now might help. You're both just enjoying this hug and this feeling of comfort and safety between the two of you.

“I'm going to take a shower, I'll be right back.” You tell her as you break the hug. She lets go of you and she smiles. "Okay baby, I hope the shower will help you feel better. Don't worry about me while you're there, just take as much time as you need to relax and clear your mind." She does really want you to feel better, so she's hoping that your shower will calm you down at least a little bit.

You smile at her as you close the bathroom door and turn the faucet on. You've closed the bathroom door and now you're in the quiet alone time that you needed. Your anxiety is still present but it's slightly more manageable. You can hear the sound of the faucet running and it's a soothing background noise. You just need this time, just being alone and in your own thoughts. You hope that after this, you will be able to come back to her with a clearer mind and that she will be able to understand you. You just need a few moments alone right now though.

You look at your phone while you're in the shower, and you see a text from Ellie. You read the text quickly. "Hey, I wanted to apologize. I was upset earlier, but I know why I was so angry. I really like you and I had hoped that you wanted something more too. I'm sorry for overreacting, but I just want to tell you that I'm sorry. Please can we talk about this? I know we just used to hook up but I actually really like you." You were not sure what you should say to Ellie. You didn't really want to completely forgive her and let her off the hook, but you also didn't want to completely reject her. So you decided to be a little bit cold and indifferent. "I don't know" is just dismissive enough, but it's not outright cruel to her. So you sent her that text for now, and you put your phone back down. The reply comes a few minutes later, so Ellie must have seen your text and thought about it for a little bit before replying. "I'm sorry for overreacting earlier, I didn't mean it. Please can we talk later though? Because I don't want to leave things like this between us. I still really like you, and I want us to work this out."

“Ellie, I'm with Abby now, we are in a relationship. It can't happen again.” You're texting this back to Ellie immediately, just straight to the point, you're letting her know that you're back together with Abby. She is going to be devastated by this, but at the same time she kind of saw this coming because she knew that you were still pretty into Abby. You didn't want to hurt Ellie's feelings, you feel bad for what's going to happen but you need to tell the truth to her. Ellie doesn't reply back right away because she's taking it all in. This is the end between the two of you, but it doesn't seem to have sunk in for her yet with one single text. No, she's still going to try to win you over. She's determined, more determined than ever. There won't be a reply back from her yet, but she's processing what you've said.

You take your shower in peace, you take deep breaths and let this whole conversation go away from your mind for a little bit. Your mind clears, it's like the calm after the storm. You're no longer tense, you're not angry, and you're feeling much better. You're just enjoying your time in the warm water and letting it wash away your worries for now. You delete the texts from Ellie from your phone so that Abby won't see them even though she might be suspicious. Your phone is on airplane mode and you put it out of sight, so Abby has no reason to think that you're getting any other texts. You are covering all your bases so that she doesn't get suspicious, but also trying not to be too obvious about it either. You are careful to hide all traces of Ellie's text messages from her, just in case.

You come out of the shower and now you're feeling more relaxed, after your anxiety was brought down a few pegs. You see Abby in the kitchen where she's making dinner, just like she said she would. You can hear her singing a little song, and she seems to be in a good mood. She's just cooking, humming to herself and it sounds like she's just enjoying herself. You come up to her to hug her from behind as she cooks, and she's surprised but in a good way. You catch her off guard, but she's happy to be getting this surprise hug. She turns around and she looks at you. "Baby, what are you doing?"

“Just hugging you.” You were trying to be normal, like nothing was wrong. She smiles when you say that you're just trying to hug her, she is happy to be getting this surprise affection. Her demeanor changes, she gets a little warmer just from your gentle hug. She wraps her arms around you too, and you two hold each other tightly for a few moments.

“So what is for dinner tonight?” Abby turns her focus away from you and back to the food that she was cooking. "I'm making spaghetti, I thought that would be a nice choice. I hope you like it, I know it's one of your favorite foods. I'll even add some cheese just for you."

“You're so sweet, thank you.” You hug her again. Abby smiles and accepts the hug from you, you two wrap your arms around each other tightly as you hug. She's happy that you like her cooking, and she's glad that you're being so nice to her after your earlier tension and anxiety. The hug is nice and you both enjoy this intimacy between the two of you. You feel as close as ever and that feels good.

You eat dinner together and then you both sit on the couch to watch a series together. You're both relaxed and comfortable, and you're both enjoying just being in each other's presence. You're not talking at all, and it's just a quiet time between the two of you. You're snuggling up to each other and enjoying the feeling of being close and cozy. It's peaceful and serene, and you feel as close as ever to Abby. You're both content, and you're both enjoying this quiet time together before bed.

After it finishes you go to bed. You're now both lying next to each other, you're close together and you're both just laying there quietly. You both are trying to fall asleep, but it's taking some time. You're thinking about how much you love her, and she's probably doing the same as well. It's peaceful, it's tranquil. You both are comfortable and content, and you're both feeling safe and secure as you lay next to each other.

She falls asleep pretty quickly once you kiss her goodnight, it's pretty late and she's very tired. You sneak out of the room silently so as not to wake her up, and you go to the bathroom and close the bedroom door so she doesn't get disturbed. It must be past midnight now.

Once you've turned the airplane mode off on your phone, all the texts that you've missed from Ellie come flooding back. She's been trying to get a hold of you for hours now on text. She's been texting and waiting for a response from you for a while now, probably waiting for you to text her after that last response you gave her. As the text messages fill your phone, they come in at a fast pace, like a cascade.

You start to quickly read through the texts from Ellie which have built up during your time in the shower and with Abby afterward. Ellie has sent multiple messages, and it looks like she's pretty desperate to get a response from you. The last one was the one that she sent back right after you told her you had gotten back together with Abby. A simple and short text saying, "Okay, good night." She sent it back pretty soon afterward, and she must've felt defeated by your response because she didn't say anything else after that. She did put a sad face emoji on the last text though, but she didn't say anything else to you.

You start to read the rest of the messages from Ellie. It's an array of different things, first she was upset with you. Then she tried to be more gentle and apologetic, but she couldn't hide that she was hurt. Then she was pleading and begging, she started to beg for you to take her back. It was like she was spiraling in her emotions with each text, she wasn't thinking straight at all, she was desperate. It's clear that Ellie isn't thinking straight in all these texts, she's just trying to get you back any way she can. She sent all these different messages without really thinking about how they were coming across to you. She's just letting her emotions drive her words, because she's desperate to get you back. She may not be thinking straight about what she's doing, but it's understandable since it shows that she cares and that she wants you so badly. You just erase the texts from Ellie and now they are no longer bothering you. You don't need to worry about them or what she might think. You have Abby now, and she is enough. You were going to go back to bed and you're just going to try to sleep.

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After a week of being back in a relationship with Abby, you two are now going to a party together. It's a party for one of her friends, and you two are having a good time. You're happy to be out and about with Abby, and she always makes everything better. Having her by your side makes you feel safe and secure, and you're enjoying just her company. The height difference and how much she works out really make you feel safe when you're around her. She was wearing her hair as usual in her fishtail braid at the back of her head. Abby goes to talk to her friends and you're left alone for a moment so you decide to go get a drink. You get yourself a cup of soda, or a glass of juice and you start to sip on it. You're just thinking about nothing and everything at the same time. All of your thoughts and anxieties are just drifting away.

When you take a sip of your drink, you look up and you suddenly see Ellie. She's all alone and she's staring directly at you, she's just staring you down. She's leaning against the wall in the dark, with her arms crossed and she's not looking away. She's just locking her eyes straight onto yours and it's like she was trying to get your attention. You feel instantaneously nervous and look back at Abby to make sure she is distracted. You see Abby who is still talking to her friends, it looks like she's occupied and is not paying attention to you. You look back at Ellie, she is still staring directly at you. She hasn't budged at all, and she is still staring straight at you, waiting for some sort of reaction.

You start walking away into the hallway, and she follows right behind you. It's as if she wants to confront you about some things without Abby being right there to witness it. She keeps staring you down as you walk into the hallway, and she keeps following you. Now you're all alone, just the two of you facing each other. She doesn't say a word, she continues to stare at you, not looking away and refusing to break eye contact with you.

You look at her getting anxious. She is also getting very anxious, you can feel that you two are just stuck in this moment where neither of you say a word, and neither of you look away. You start feeling really nervous, you're staring at each other silently and intently, neither of you willing to break the stare off because you both are waiting for someone else to break first. After what seems like hours, she ends up breaking the silence. She finally speaks, and she is now looking directly at you. She's trying to say the right words, she seems to be trying to be a little bit softer and gentler, like she doesn't want to come off as aggressive or mean. She's trying to be more subtle, but it's not like she doesn't want to have a serious conversation.

“What do you want Ellie?” She is looking you dead in the eyes as you ask her that. Ellie is trying to stay polite, but she also wants to get to the point here and talk about your relationship with her. She is going to be direct and blunt. "We don't need to go back to the way things used to be, I just want you to know that I like you and I want you back. Can we at least start talking again? We need to figure this out together because there's absolutely no one who compares to you. It's only you that I want, I still feel that way."

“Ellie... you know I'm with Abby.” You remind her once more. Ellie doesn't hesitate to continue talking after hearing that, she had expected you to say something like that. "But I don't understand how you can just do that, after everything we've been through. How can you just give me up this easily?"

You look at her not knowing what else to say. Ellie is becoming more frustrated with you, you can tell that she's about to lose her cool soon. You can see the anger coming out, her eyes showing that she's beginning to get a little bit annoyed and upset at the fact that you are completely avoiding her questions. She wants answers from you and she's going to keep asking you until you give her one. As Ellie gets closer, she starts getting more intimidating. She's trying to use her closeness to you as a way of asserting herself and making herself more intimidating. But she's still trying to keep things relatively calm, and she's still trying to use her words to show you how much she cares. 

“What are you doing?” You are starting to feel worried and a bit intimidated by her. "I'm not going to leave until I have an answer from you. You can't just toss me aside like this. You can't just do this, you can't just let someone else come in and take you from me. We're meant for each other, I will never give up on you, never ever.” Ellie gets closer to the point where she's grabbing your waist and she's right up against you. She's getting very intimate and she's trying to use her closeness to assert herself. She's trying to prove to you that there can't be anyone else in this equation, other than just her and not Abby at all.  You get nervous as she moves closer. She grabs you by the waist and she pulls you closer. You can both feel the tension between the two of you building up. She's being assertive and she wants answers. She's close enough where you two are breathing the same air between you. She's trying to prove a point, you're both standing just inches apart from each other now. She can feel you starting to be worried and nervous, she's taking advantage of that fact.

“Ellie…” You're almost pleading. She keeps moving closer, and now she's so close against you that she's almost touching you. She's literally breathing on your neck and it's creating a lot of tension between both of you. You're literally inches apart, and it's becoming very tense. You can both feel the tension, and it's only increasing because neither of you are allowing yourselves to lose just an inch of ground, neither one of you is allowed to back off this time. She does slowly start to push you up against the wall, her face just inches from yours as she's staring deeply into your eyes. It's a very intense moment, the tension is so high that there's only going to be one person who is going to win this battle between the two of you. You're both determined to win.

“Ellie…” You keep saying her name, but she keeps getting closer. She doesn't seem to mind you saying her name, because she knows that she's really getting under your skin. She wants to make this intense and she wants to push you to the limit, she wants to see how long you're going to last before you either give in to her or you completely back off.

“Someone could see us…” You whisper. You are concerned about someone potentially seeing both of you, but she doesn't seem to care. She is still staring strongly, right into your eyes, she doesn't care if someone sees her holding you against the wall, or if someone happens to walk by and see you both like this. She is completely focused on you and only you right now, you are her priority, not anyone else who is around or who may pass by.

You are concerned that Abby might see what you two are doing, but Ellie doesn't seem too worried. She continues to hold you against the wall and she keeps staring directly into your eyes. She doesn't care if someone sees you two like this, she only cares about you and she wants to finish having her talk with you. “Ellie…” She still doesn't stop, she just keeps going. Her hands are now on your shoulders as she's holding you against the wall, and you can feel her breath on your neck. She keeps speaking. "Please, I just want you to hear me out." She is still maintaining eye contact with you. Now she's not letting you get a word in, she's starting to get frustrated that she's not getting any replies from you.

“i.. i.. I can't…” You start to stutter. She's getting very intense, it seems as if she doesn't want to accept the fact that things are over between you. She is getting closer and closer; her eyes are still locked on yours, looking at you intensely. "I love you, and I'm not going to let you just walk away from me. I know you still like me, I can see it in your eyes. I still have a chance with you, I know I do." She's so close that she's pressing her body against yours. You are both so close that it's basically impossible to keep a distance between both of you, she has backed you up to the wall so much that you are both very close and you can't get out of the situation.

She finally goes up and does something big, she kisses you full on the lips. You were both waiting for the moment to see who was going to make the first move and she finally did it. Her hands are now on you and she is holding you close to her, her mouth against yours. Her passion is being unleashed in this moment and you can also feel yourself starting to reciprocate these feelings. It's a very intense moment, both of your hearts are beating fast and the tension between you both is being felt greatly. You two are kissing and you're both getting really into it. A lot of passion and a lot of love is being felt as you two are now completely locked in this kiss. You're not paying attention to anything or anyone else around you, all you can focus on right now are your lips being pressed together with Ellie.  You feel yourself start to drift off into a world of just Ellie. You are lost in yourself and her, and at the moment you weren't even paying attention to any surrounding sounds or people. You only hear the sound of your name after a few seconds, which seems to snap you out of your trance for a second. You push her off of you for a moment because you didn't want to get caught kissing. As soon as you do that, you feel something that catches you off guard. Abby appears out of nowhere and she sees you two like this with your back right up against the wall and Ellie backing off. Abby's expression changes from happy to upset and angry. "What are you doing?" She says, and her voice has a hint of anger and jealousy to it.

You walk up to Abby. “I was just going to the bathroom.” You say, but there's no convincing her this time. You turn around to face Abby as you can see the emotion on her face, she didn't like what she saw and she's pissed at the moment. She's starting to doubt the trust you two once had. "Just going to the bathroom? Really?" She is trying to keep her cool, but she's getting angrier and angrier. She can sense you were doing something and you can see her emotions changing as she's looking at you.

She continues to stare at you, looking down at you in an intimidating way. She is getting upset, you can see it in her eyes. She feels betrayed right now, she trusted you and she believed that the two of you were still good together, but this is a different side of you right now. She can't believe that you're just standing there as if nothing is going wrong. Abby turns to glare at Ellie, she can't believe what she's just witnessed. She can't believe that her girlfriend and her ex are both standing right here right now. She looks at both of you with an intense and angry expression. The hint of jealousy that was in her eyes a second ago now turned into rage. She goes up to Ellie and she says, "What the hell are you doing talking to my girlfriend? That kiss I just saw, is it actually what it looked like? Were you two actually kissing right now? Were you going to take this further?" You try to get in between both of them and separate them to avoid a conflict, but it doesn't seem to be working because both of them are getting into each other's faces and getting a little too aggressive. Ellie is still keeping her cool, but the more Abby goes and talks about the kiss, the more aggressive and upset she seems to start getting.

You try to call them out but they don't listen. They both feel as if they are in their own world and they aren't listening to anything or anyone else that is trying to stop them. They are both getting too angry, too soon. Everyone is starting to notice the two of them getting heated, and more people are starting to join in on the discussion. One person said, "What's going on here?" another person said, "How did this even start?" You get very embarrassed as you try to pull Abby away by her shirt trying to separate them before too many people see. As you pull Abby back, she's not happy that you are pulling her away. She doesn't let it slide easily, she starts to become more aggressive and she begins to push you away. It's getting into a mini-fight between the two of you. Everyone around is starting to stare at the three of you as it starts to get louder and louder, and you can sense that it's soon going to start to become a full blown physical fight. Both Abby and Ellie are starting to become aggressive, they are both getting really angry at each other. Everyone else is standing there watching this argument, no one is stopping it and both the girls just keep shouting at each other. They are starting to get way too loud and aggressive, they are getting in each others' faces and it is almost like they're going to come to blows at any moment.

Ellie was the one who threw the first punch, she threw a swing so quickly that it almost caught everyone off-guard. Her fist went flying towards Abby's face and before anyone can intervene. She stumbles backward as everyone was in shock from this. Abby's eyes are starting to well up with tears, as she's feeling a mix of rage and sadness as well, but it seems like she's about to cry. Abby isn't one to back down from a fight, as Ellie punches her she also throws a punch of her own back at Ellie. Abby is very strong compared to Ellie, it is not a fair fight. She starts hitting her with such force that she's starting to bleed. This turns into a physical fight quickly becoming an extremely chaotic and intense situation, both of the girls are getting extremely heated and everyone else is starting to get scared as they are seeing this all unfold.

You yell, "Please stop!" as Abby's punch connects and her fist makes contact with Ellie's face. It's a brutal blow as Ellie's head jerks back a bit from the impact. The fight is becoming more intense as they are both now on the ground and they keep fighting each other. Abby is on top and doesn't stop hitting Ellie. Everyone is yelling for them to stop, but this fight can't be stopped now. It has gone beyond the point of being able to just stop. You try pulling them apart, but they both are fighting so hard that they won't let each other go.

"Please stop!" You shout out to the both of them again, but they are too enraged right now. They are so caught up in the fight that they aren't thinking about anything else other than beating each other up. Both of their fists are flailing and they are both throwing punches that just keep hitting each other. People have started to pull away, and the fight seems like it will only get worse from here. You keep trying to pull them apart but Abby won't allow you to do anything. She just keeps hitting Ellie harder and harder. Ellie isn't even fighting back anymore.

Abby's friends come over and pull her away from the clash her and Ellie are having. They pull her back and she's trying to push against them as she's looking back trying to go after Ellie. Ellie is badly injured with her lip split and she's bleeding a lot from her nose. She's hurt really badly and people are calling for a medic. Abby turns around and she screams out to Ellie, "I'm not done with you yet!", as she's being pulled back by her friends.

You kneel by Ellie as she's bleeding quite badly from her mouth and her nose because of the brutal fight between her and Abby. She is fading away slowly and she's starting to fall unconscious. You keep calling her name and trying to keep her up, but she keeps fading off more as the pain from the wounds are getting stronger. You're starting to panic, not knowing what to do or say, you start calling out her name more desperately.

“Oh god... Ellie? Ellie don't fall asleep... stay with me please…” You keep talking to her, trying to keep her conscious as she's fading out. She isn't waking up or responding to you anymore, even though you're calling out her name and speaking to her, she's just fading into unconsciousness. You don't know what to do, you're starting to panic. You start screaming out for help. "Someone please help her, she needs a doctor! She's bleeding badly!" The crowd of people starts to get bigger and more people are coming over to see what is going on. You keep yelling for help, and finally someone comes rushing over to get you help. They start to examine Ellie and try to find a way to slow down the bleeding before it's too late.

The crowd of people is clearing as the ambulance finally shows up. You are taken out from the crowd of people and Ellie is taken into the ambulance so they can get her the medical attention she needs. You follow Ellie to the emergency room. You're extremely nervous and anxious, worried about her condition. Her vitals seem to be dropping and she's not responding at all. She is hooked up to several monitor machines and her health is being closely monitored by the doctors.

The nurse takes you out of the room, they're worried that you might get overwhelmed or have a panic attack because this is all so sudden and traumatic for you. You are still very upset and emotional and you don't know what's going on with her health condition right now. They guide you to a waiting area and they ask you to stay there for a minute while they go in and deal with Ellie. You look down at your hands and you see that they are covered with blood. You get a shock of reality as you see that the blood that is on your hands is Ellie's. You quickly feel disgusted and horrified by how much blood is on your hands. The reality of what has happened and what is currently happening is now starting to sink in, and you feel like you're going to be sick. You realize that your dress is also covered in blood. You're horrified by the situation. Looking down at your hands and seeing the blood on them. It's a horrifying sight, thinking about the fight that you just witnessed and the blood that covered your hands. You keep feeling disgusted and horrified at what happened and you're not sure what else to do. You feel lost and upset.

After a minute or two of being frozen, you go to the bathroom and try to wash the blood off. You try to wash the blood off your hands but it's not as easy as you thought. The longer you wash your hands, the longer you have to keep thinking about the situation again and again. You can't help but think about the horrifying fight that happened and how much blood was involved. You wish you could just wash away the memories too, but sadly you can't. You can feel the exhaustion and tiredness starting to come over you. You start to tremble and cry now that you've had the chance to clear your head and think back over everything that happened. You don't know what to do with yourself, the emotions just keep creeping up on you. You feel completely drained from everything. You finally dry up the tears and go back to the waiting area and find a chair to sit down on. The waiting continues for quite a while and eventually you hear someone call out your name, which pulls you out of your thoughts.

You get up and go over to the nurse who called your name. She informs you that you can go and see Ellie. You immediately start heading towards her room. You're starting to feel a little bit more hopeful now that it seems like she's going to be okay. You reach her room and you go inside, the nurse lets you in and you can see Ellie lying in bed. She's hooked up to several monitors and she's asleep right now, but at least she's alive. You sit down next to her and you take her hand and you hold it tightly. Her hands are cold and her skin is pale, you can tell that she is still in quite a bad condition. You're starting to feel more worried because she's not waking up. She's still breathing, which is a good sign, but she's still unconscious and hooked up to several monitor machines. She looks very weak right now.

You start crying more from seeing Ellie like this. Her skin is pale, looking lifeless and she just doesn't look like herself. She's still unconscious and hooked up to several monitors, they are all keeping a good watch on her. You're becoming very worried and emotional at the sight of her being in this condition. She looks like she's really fragile and vulnerable. You are filled with such concern and worry for her, trying to keep your emotions in check. You caress her bruised face, her cheeks are still somewhat red from the fight and the bruising is more visible as her skin is very pale. You keep trying to call her name but she doesn't wake up. She's still unconscious and still not responding to you calling her name. You're starting to feel so scared that she's not waking up and you want to see her with her eyes open to see that she's all right.

You sit down on the chair next to her bed, feeling exhausted and worried at the same time just from seeing her in this state. You stay with her until you finally fall asleep next to her. Your sleep is disrupted by nurses who come in and out of the room, checking on her condition. Ellie's condition is very delicate and is being closely monitored, so they are checking in regularly. You wake up to see Ellie's eyes opening, she has been unconscious all night. You can see by her eyes that she's trying to focus and process what is going on right now. She looks around the room and she sees you. She's in a lot of pain, that much is clearly evident. Her eyes are still red from the fight and her bruises are still on display. She doesn't say anything, but you can tell that she's glad to see you. She looks at you with a small smile on her face.

“Hi! I'm here... you're okay.” You hold her hand. She looks at you and starts to smile softly, her eyes filling with surprise as she sees your face and then she laughs a little bit as she realizes that you've been staying with her all night. She starts to try and take your hand and hold it. She seems to be in a little bit of pain. You feel relieved to see her smiling and laughing and you also feel relieved that she is conscious. She is still a little bit tired and weak, but she's awake at least, which is good news.

“How do you feel? Can you talk? Do you want water??” Ellie's speaking really quietly, you can tell that she's still tired and in pain. She speaks up and she sounds very hoarse as she is talking. "I'm okay, I'm okay..." She repeats this several times, as if she's trying to comfort herself and you too. She smiles softly again and she moves her lips but they're still swollen and she struggles to get all her words out. She nods her head yes, she wants water. As you move up to get the water she can see the blood on your dress and feels worried for you. You get a cup and put a straw in it, you put it to her lips and try to help her drink some of it. She's still a little bit drowsy and weak. She drinks some of it and she seems like it's refreshing for her. She keeps trying to say something but she's finding it really difficult to speak, her words are coming out very slowly and they don't sound very clear, she's clearly in pain still. You put the cup down and you sit on the bed next to her as you hold her hand. She smiles softly again and she closes her eyes and tries to take a deep breath. You keep comforting her as you're holding her hand and you tell her it's okay, she doesn't have to force herself to talk right now. But she's still smiling and she seems happy that you're here with her. She keeps squeezing your hand lightly, which is a big relief for you.

After a few days of rest, Ellie is finally discharged from the hospital. She's still a bit shaken up, but she's in a better condition. You are extremely relieved and happy to see her come home. She's still very tired and weak, but at least she's back in her bed. She still seems fragile and she's not moving around a whole lot, but she's alive and well, which matters so much.  You help her get home and you get her to lie down and you make sure she's comfortable. You're so relieved that she's home. Seeing her smiling and lying down in her bed has relieved so much stress and tension for you. You finally feel like you can breathe again and you feel like a huge weight has been taken off your shoulders. She's still quite weak and she's not moving much or talking a whole lot, but she's still smiling and she seems to be feeling better.

“Do you feel better? Can I do anything?” Ellie's voice is still a bit hoarse and she's speaking very softly. She looks much better than she did when she first got out of the hospital and she does seem to be feeling better. She smiles and she looks at you. "I feel better," she keeps her voice low. She shakes her head and she speaks quietly again. "You've already done enough..." You get the feeling that she's trying to comfort you. You've been taking care of her so much the past few days and she's grateful for it. You can tell she's feeling more positive.

You hold her hand and give it a gentle kiss, she smiles at you. She still looks a bit weak, but she seems to be feeling a bit better. She squeezes your hand and she holds onto it as she keeps smiling at you. “I'll get some ice for your bruises.” You decide to get some ice. You go to the kitchen and you get a few ice packs which you carry over to her. You place the ice packs on her bruises gently, which she seems to appreciate. It helps to ease the pain a little bit and it seems to make her feel better. You just want to make her feel better and to help her out as much as you can. “Do you need anything?” She shakes her head no and she still keeps smiling softly at you. She's trying not to let you see how much pain she's really in. She's just grateful to have you around and she's happy to see you. It seems like she's not really asking for anything else, just having you around is enough for her. She stays quiet and she keeps smiling softly, holding your hand and squeezing it.

You lay down next to her and you try to be as gentle as possible as you do. She's still quite fragile and the bruises still look pretty bad. It looks like you're still pretty close and that she's happy to have you near her. She squeezes your hand and she just looks at you, smiling softly at you as she keeps holding you. It's a quiet moment and you're both just savoring the quietness of it, not really saying much but just lying there next to each other gently and tenderly. Ellie starts to fall asleep as she's still quite tired from the last few days. You stay with her and you keep holding her hand. The two of you just lay there together in the bed. You haven't talked to Abby at all since the fight, but you're feeling very nervous thinking about having to do it. The fight was intense and it wasn't really resolved, so there's still a lot of tension and uncertainty between you both.

It's true that both of you haven't reached out to each other since the fight at the party. You've both been staying in your own corners and not talking. Neither of you has reached out to address it and to resolve what happened. Now you're feeling very nervous thinking about the idea of reaching out to her. You're feeling unsure about what you want to say and how to approach her. It's a tough situation and you're feeling a little bit scared and nervous.

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

The next day you have to go to Abby's house, where your stuff is. You are very nervous. You gather up the courage to go and knock on Abby's door. The door opens and you look at her, your nervousness is evident and your eyes are fixed on her face and you immediately feel the tension between both of you. It's a difficult situation and you're very nervous about how to handle this talk. She nods and she lets you into her house. You follow her in and she sits down on the couch and you sit down right beside her. As soon as she sits down she looks at you and you feel the tension. She looks at you with a serious and cold expression

You take a deep breath. She waits for you to speak and she just keeps staring at you with cold eyes. You take a deep breath and she can see that you're still pretty nervous. You're not sure how to approach this situation at all and she's looking at you expectantly.

“so…” She breaks the cold stare and she looks at you with a little bit of a softer expression, but not too much. She's looking at you with a little bit of sympathy.

“How are you?” You ask, not really knowing what else to say. She looks at you for a few moments longer and then she responds. "I'm okay, how are you?" She speaks slowly and her voice has a hint of remorse and guilt to it. "I'm sorry for what happened, I got a little carried away during the argument and I didn't mean to take it that far."

“Are you mad at me?” You ask her. She looks at you and she seems to get a little bit sad and her tone becomes a little bit softer. "I'm not mad at you, I just..." She starts to think to herself for a few moments and she seems to become more vulnerable. "I was just really hurt and really jealous and I snapped. I'm sorry."

“I know you two have history together but... she is really not well.” She goes quiet for a moment and she seems to realize what you're saying. She looks sad now, and there's a hint of sadness in her voice when she speaks also. "You're so young, you shouldn't be with someone who's so aggressive and jealous."

“I thought Ellie wasn't going to make it Abby...” Abby's whole body sinks slightly when she hears that. You can see her emotions just sinking and she seems to get very quiet and sad again. You can tell that her guilt is hitting her really hard. She looks down and she starts to frown a little bit. She seems to feel really bad about everything that happened, and she seems to be trying to process everything. Abby stares at you as you tear up and the guilt on her face suddenly becomes worse now that she's seeing you getting so emotional. She looks away and she seems to try to not let you see her tears. She's just frowning and she gets up from the couch. She speaks in a much more gentle tone as she keeps looking you in the eyes. "I'm gonna go put on some tea, are you alright?"

You nod. She gets up and she walks away from the room quickly as she goes to put on some tea in the kitchen. There's a silence between you two and you don't say anything as she walks out. She comes back into the room and she brings you a small mug of hot tea. She sits down beside you and she hands you the mug. “Thank you…”

“No problem, I hope you enjoy it. It should help to relax and warm you up a little bit. I'll be right back, I'm just gonna make myself some dinner."

“Oh, okay…” She nods and she starts to walk away. She goes away and she leaves you alone for a minute. You had about 30 minutes or so to yourself. You're alone in the living room and the whole house is pretty quiet. It's just you and the sound of the silence which is very peaceful. You finish your tea and you decide to go ahead and collect some of your stuff from the bedroom. You walk into the bedroom and you start to gather up some of your stuff. You collect some clothes, some personal belongings and some other stuff. You take as much as you can and you put it all in your bag and you plan to get it all back to Ellie's place.

You finish packing up your bag and you come out of the bedroom going back to the living room. You see the couch is empty, with Abby not on it anymore. She must have just left to go prepare her dinner and eat. It's very peaceful here all alone with no one else around. You stand there for a minute just looking at the couch and then the silence, you're feeling more relaxed and peaceful now after having some of your own time and space to think. You put the bag down and you go to the kitchen. You see that the table is set and she's setting her dinner down to eat. She sees you walking in and she smiles at you gently.

“You didn't have to cook for me.” She laughs softly and she smiles back at you. "It's no hassle, I don't mind. I was just making myself a quick dinner and I figured I should cook an extra plate for you as well because I know you wouldn't have cooked for yourself."

You sit down giving her a sad smile. She sits down at the table with you and she looks straight at you and she can see that you're giving her a sad smile. She just keeps silent for a moment. She doesn't know what to say or how she should respond to this. She's just staring at you and you can tell that she's feeling bad about everything. You both eat together, in silence mostly and as you both finish eating, you clean up the dishes. Abby is just being very silent the whole time, but there's something about the silence and the situation that just makes you both feel very comfortable and calm together. She looks like she wants to say something, but she's not really sure what to say.

You both finish and you lean on the counter looking at her. She's staring straight back at you and you both just look at each other for a few more seconds and then she starts to open up a little bit more. She's still quite quiet, but she finally starts to speak again. "I'm sorry for everything that I've done. I'm sorry for being so toxic and possessive and jealous. I just got really scared and I reacted badly. I wish things didn't have to spiral out of control like that, but I also wish I was better than that as well..."

“I'm sorry too.” You both stay silent for a few moments after that, but you can see her smile a little bit now when you apologize to her as well. She appreciates you being so apologetic and she starts to feel a bit more sympathetic towards you. You can tell that she's still feeling a little bit of guilt and remorse for everything that she has done.

You look at her starting to cry. “I.. I have to go... Ellie has no one else and I have to help her as she recovers, I'm sorry.” Abby immediately notices the tears building up in your eyes and she can tell that you're feeling overwhelmed. She's feeling bad because she knows that she's caused this. She's feeling bad because she's the reason you're crying and she knows that she's done something to hurt you. "I'm sorry, I understand. If you feel like you need to go..."

You look up at her and give her a smile as you cry. Then you go to pick up your bag and leave. Abby's whole body just gets really soft as she sees you crying and she can't help but feel really empathetic and concerned for you. You have to go to help out Ellie, who just got out of the hospital and she needs some care. You're feeling very guilty now as you take your bag and you start to walk towards the door to leave her home. “Goodbye abby. Talk later?”

"Goodbye, I'm sorry again for everything. Yes, we can talk later, but just take care of Ellie, okay? Just make sure she's alright. We can talk later." You nod your head and you walk out of the apartment. You know that Ellie is going to need some help in recovering and you want to be the one to be there for her.

You arrive at Ellie's place and you enter through the door. Ellie is in bed, she's in her pajamas and she seems to be a little bit exhausted and tired. There's still some bruises on her arms and she's also got a few bandages in her head but otherwise she's fine. She looks at you and she gives you a small smile. “Hi there.”

Ellie looks at you and she smiles briefly. "Hi… thanks again so much for coming over..." She's still tired and she's just looking at you with a weak smile. Her bruises are still there and you can tell how rough it's been on her. “I'm not leaving, I just had to go get some of my stuff.”

"No, I know, I'm glad you're here. It's just been a rough few days, I'm glad you're here." She feels more comfortable and at ease now that you're here and she knows that she's going to have someone here to help take care of her. “Do you want me to help you take a bath?” You see Ellie's eyes look at you with a bit of shock and she raises an eyebrow at you. "A bath? Why would I need a bath?" She seems a little bit defensive about it. “I know you can't do it yourself Ellie…”

"I can do it myself. I'm fine. I really don't need a bath right now. I'm just really tired and I'm glad that I'm at home with you instead of in the hospital still." She seems very adamant to not take a bath and she seems to be very stubborn about it. “Ellie... You need help, let me help you please. This is all my fault.”

"No, it's not your fault. It was my decision to go after her and I'm the one who got myself in this mess. I don't need your help, really, I'm okay. I'm getting better. And I'm not taking a bath, I'm fine as I am." She seems very adamant to not let you help her out and she just keeps trying to convince you that she's fine.

“Ellie…” You sit next to her. “You are not fine, don't try to lie to me.” She sits up in bed and she looks at you and she doesn't want to be rude or mean, but she also doesn't want to let you help her. She keeps trying to convince you that she doesn't need your help.

“Will you let me help you?” After a few moments, she finally decides to accept your help. She doesn't want to keep fighting you about it or arguing any further and she knows she needs some help. "Okay, I'll let you help me. but promise you won't go too crazy with it, okay?"

“Thank you, I'm going to start running a bath.” She smiles back at you now and she's a little bit more thankful for your help as you go to start the bath. She knows she needed the help and she's glad that she's getting it.

Once the tub is full and it's ready for her, you help her into the bathroom. You help her undress and you help her into the tub before you take the shower curtain and you close it so she can feel covered and safe in there. It's not the most comfortable situation but you can tell she's starting to feel a little bit comfortable with the help, and the water is soothing her skin and muscles a little bit.

You help her clean her wounds and you make sure to be very gentle and careful when you are touching and wiping her wounds so she doesn't feel any more pain than she's already feeling. You also make sure to clean her head and face. She's just standing there, leaning on you and letting you wash her wounds, she's trying to relax and let you take care of her. She's still looking a little bit tired and exhausted but she's finally letting herself accept your help. “Do you feel better?”

"Yeah, I'm starting to feel better. Thank you. I know I was being a little bit stubborn but I just didn't want anyone to help me because I was embarrassed. But I feel much better now that you're helping me..." You really helped her out a lot and you can tell she's starting to feel better both physically and mentally. Once you finish washing her wounds, you help her get dressed. You get her dressed in her pajamas and you help her get out of the bathroom and you bring her back to the bed where she lays back down and she's looking a bit more relaxed now. She seems like she's really happy to have your help and she really appreciates you taking care of her. “Do you need anything else?”

"No, I don't need anything else. I'm good. You've helped me a lot and I'm feeling much more comfortable after the bath. You can stay in the room with me though until I fall asleep...it'd be nice to have your company here with me."

You nod. “Okay i'll stay with you.” You lay down next to her. She smiles back at you and she's very thankful that you're staying with her. She turns over and she leans in next to you and she closes her eyes. She seems exhausted and just very tired but she still wants you to be here and keep her company. She seems to love this time with you. You both lay there together and you both fall asleep and you stay there next to her just in case she needs anything during the night. The night passes quickly and you both get really good rest. Ellie is still very tired the next morning, but she seems much more relaxed and better since you took care of her and she's got your company as well.

You get her breakfast and you bring it to her. She's still really tired and she's still laying there in her bed but her appetite is coming back. She doesn't feel really hungry but having the food there in front of her makes her eat a little bit, and you can tell she's feeling a bit more lively and energetic. She smiles at you and she thanks you for getting her breakfast.

You go to wash the dishes in the kitchen and you start scrubbing and you clean up all the plates and utensils. You clean up the whole kitchen and make everything nice and tidy. You clean up the sink as well and you make sure to wash the dishes thoroughly. You're in the kitchen washing the dishes and you don't notice at first, but when you turn around after you finish cleaning the sink, you see Ellie standing up by herself and getting out of bed. She doesn't look as weak and tired as she did yesterday, she's looking much better. She's more confident, she's still wobbly but she's able to stand by herself now. It seems like she has much more energy too.

"Thank you, I don't think I would be able to do this without you." She comes up to you and hugs tight. She stays in your arms for a few moments before she lets go. You also feel how strong she can be even though she spent the last few days in the hospital. She's getting better and she seems quite grateful for your help and she's starting to show that more. “You're welcome, it's the least I could do.”

"No, you've done a lot for me and I really appreciate it. I feel better already with you here. I don't feel like I have anywhere else to go, with anyone else who would take care of me like this." She keeps smiling and she still seems very soft and delicate compared to how she was before. You hug her gently not to hurt her anymore than the pain she is already experiencing. She hugs you back very carefully and she doesn't put all her weight on you. She wants to hold you as well but she doesn't want to put too much pressure on you or hurt herself more. She really appreciates the comfort and the attention that you give her. You can tell that she still likes the physical touch from you and that she's starting to feel comfortable with you again. She doesn't want to be alone and she doesn't want to be away from you.

Ellie's wounds and bruises are still healing up. It's been a week now and she's feeling much better, she can walk and she seems much stronger and more confident. She also seems much more relaxed with you and she seems to be getting to be more at ease with you again. She's still a bit sore from her wounds and her bruises are still healing, but she's on the road to recovery. You decide that it would be a good idea to take Ellie for a small walk together, now that she's starting to feel better. Ellie is still a little bit tired and she's still a little bit weak so you want to make sure she doesn't overexert herself. You take her outside and you go for a small walk through the park. It's nice and chilly outside and you're both just relaxing and enjoying the day. Ellie is a little bit quieter than usual but she seems very peaceful and content with the fresh air and the breeze. “Are you okay?”

"Yeah, I'm okay. Just enjoying the fresh air and the weather. I feel a little bit better now that I'm outside a little and it's nice to feel the breeze on my skin… it's so relaxing. I really needed this after everything that's happened." Ellie still seems a little bit soft-spoken and calm but she's enjoying the moment with you being outside and feeling the breeze on her skin. She is also trying to focus on the moment and not have her thoughts worry too much.

You both go back home after the small walk through the park and you both relax again. Ellie is much more playful and chatty that she's back in her home. She seems much more comfortable and lively. She's making lots of jokes and she's also making a lot of jokes about how you are taking care of her still. She even tries to put a few pillows behind your head when you're trying to watch tv with her and she's just joking around with you like she typically does. You laugh at her stupid jokes and are happy she's better. Your jokes are making her laugh as well and it's good to see her smiling so much right now. You're happy that she's feeling better and you're getting the old Ellie back from before the break up and the incident. “Can I ask something a bit more serious?”

"Yeah, of course, you can ask me anything that you want. What is it?"

“How are you feeling about the whole situation?” You ask in a soft tone.

"Well, to be honest, I'm still quite upset and a little bit angry about what happened. I'm not mad at you or anything like that, but I don't know, the whole thing was just such a mess and it was so hard to handle. I'm just glad that you're okay and I'm really hoping that you'll be okay moving forward too."

“I'm sorry for what Abby did to you.” You say, looking at her.

“No, it's okay. I know that you didn't want any of this to happen and that you were just trying to protect me. You were being a good friend to me and looking out for me. So please don't blame yourself. I know you'd never hurt me or do something to me intentionally just like I wouldn't do something to you intentionally either. We were both just trying to protect each other and we both ended up getting hurt in the end."

“Tomorrow I have to go to her place and get the remaining of my things and talk to her. Will you be okay?”

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Don't worry about me. You should focus on what you need to say to her and what needs to happen. You're both allowed to talk about how you feel and to share what happened. Just go to her house tomorrow and make your peace before you move forward. Just worry about yourself and how you're feeling, I'll be fine." You smile at her as you hold her hand, she smiles back at you and she squeezes your hand tightly. You feel her soft skin and her gentle touch and all of these little moments where she's vulnerable and soft with you and she lets her guard down around you and she doesn't put her usual rough and mean exterior to you, it makes you feel so safe and comfortable with her and you just feel so loved.

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The next day you go to Abby's place and you're a bit nervous but you're ready to talk about everything with her and to confront her. You feel anxious but you're also feeling confident and strong and you're hoping that Abby can hear you out and you'll be able to express yourself. You knock on the door and after a few moments you hear footsteps coming towards the front door. You start to get a bit more nervous and anxious and you hope she'll answer the door soon. All these thoughts are rushing through your head and you're starting to doubt this plan but then you hear footsteps approaching and you hear Abby opening the door.

You look at her as she opens it and she's looking straight back at you. You can see in her eyes that she's already upset before you even say a word to each other. She's looking at you and she looks angry and upset, but she also looks tired and exhausted, like everything has taken a toll on her and she's just mentally and physically drained. She's not putting on her usual tough and mean outer facade, she just looks tired and her eyes are slightly watery.

You get in and you follow her to the couch and she sits down next to you. She doesn't say anything to you and you don't say anything to her either. Neither of you say anything for a while, you're both just sitting there looking at each other. She looks exhausted and like she hasn't slept in a while, and she still looks like she's angry, but she's also just drained. “We have to talk about what happened…” You finally say.

She nods and finally gets to break the silence. She knows that neither of you can avoid addressing the whole thing that happened. She looks like she's trying to hold her anger in, and she looks very tense and upset. “I'm sorry for what I have done.” She takes a deep breath and she looks at you. She looks like she's ready to explode but her voice comes out soft. "You don't need to apologize. Everything that happened between us is my fault because I was being stubborn and stupid. I really should have known better than to be so selfish..."

“Why did you lash out like that?” You ask softly. She pauses for a moment before she answers and you can tell that she's really thinking about how to say this gently. "Because I loved you and I felt like I was losing you and it triggered me and made me upset. I just reacted that way and I'm so sorry for hurting you and I'm so sorry for what I did to you and I'm just…” She can't finish because she starts crying and she can't hold it in anymore. She starts crying and it's the first time you've ever seen her cry like this. She starts bawling her eyes out and it breaks your heart because you've never seen this side of her before. She just sits there crying for a few moments and finally, she leans over and she hugs you tightly. You can tell she's really holding all of these emotions in and she just lets herself cry against you.

You hold her back feeling sad as well. She holds onto you tightly just breaking down into tears and she buries her face into your chest. She's just crying hard, shaking a bit and it seems like she can't stop or calm down. She just holds you tightly and you can just feel her tears and her breath on you. As you hold her tightly you can feel your tears start to form as well. You just feel so much sadness and pain for both of you and you just want to stay like this for a while. She's still crying against you and you can feel her tears dripping on your chest. You just want to be there for her and you want to help her to feel better. Her crying gradually calms down after a few minutes. She's not sobbing anymore and she just sits there against you. She just leans her head on your shoulder and she's still just shaking a bit, but she's starting to feel a little bit better. She still feels sad and she's still tired from everything, but she's started to calm down a little bit. Her breathing has slowed down and she's starting to feel a little bit relaxed now.

“As you can imagine, i... I don't even know how to say it....” She can read from your tone of voice and your facial expression that you don't even know how to say it, so she tries to comfort you and she rubs your back with her hand. "Hey, it's okay. You don't need to say anything. Just take your time. We can talk about this but don't worry, there's no rush. We have all the time in the world. Just… just take your time."

“I can't be with you anymore, at least for now...” You look down, not being able to look at her. Abby sighs and she slowly pulls away from you as she hears what you're saying. She looks at you solemnly and she nods her head yes, as if she knew that this was coming. She doesn't ask you why or try to convince you to stay, she just listens quietly.

“You understand why, right?” Abby nods her head. She understands why you feel this way and she doesn't try to convince you one way or the other. She just listens quietly and she doesn't try to fight with you for you back or tell you why she thinks this won't work. She's letting you say what you need to say and she's listening. She just nods her head and she says "Yes, I understand."

You hold her hand for a bit. Abby lets you hold her hand as she listens to you. She looks at you with sad eyes and she lets you hold her hand tightly, she doesn't try to pull away. She just holds it and she doesn't try to fight you or convince you to stay in her life for now, she just wants to listen and she just wants to hear whatever it is that you need to say.

“I love you very much but this isn't working.” You say sadly. Abby finally speaks up and she nods her head. "I know and I completely understand. You have a good reason for feeling this way and I appreciate that you're being so open and honest with me. I don't want you to worry about me because I'll be okay. I just want you to be able to feel comfortable and safe and happy and if that means you need some space and time away from me for now, then I respect you for that. I want you to feel safe and respected here and I respect your decision.”

“Thank you.” She nods her head and she smiles at you softly. "You're welcome. I know this is a difficult situation for both of us, but I know that we still care about each other and we're both just trying to handle things in our own ways. I respect you and I want you to look after yourself and take care of yourself. Just please take as much time as you need and I'll be here whenever you need me." You smile sadly at her as you hold her hand tightly. She looks at you and her face is still sad, but at least she's not crying anymore, and she's not as angry as she was before. She's still a little bit upset, but she's also starting to feel a bit more at ease. She smiles back at you and she holds your hand tightly as well. She just wants to be there for you, even if she knows that this is hard for both of you to go through.

“I'm going to get the last of my things and go now, I'm sorry.” She nods her head. "It's okay. I understand that you need to get the rest of your things and that's fine. I am sorry that things ended this way but I know that you have to do what's best for you, and so do I. I just want you to be happy and if that means you need to go, then I won't stop you, I understand. I'm sorry too." You go to the bedroom and you gather up all of your remaining things and you come back into the living room to say goodbye. She's still sitting there and she looks at you, she's holding back her tears.

"I just want to say goodbye, and I'm really sorry that things didn't work out for us, but I understand why we're breaking up. You're really special and I know that you're going to do great things with your life, and if you ever need me for anything, just don't hesitate to reach out." You hug her one last time. Abby just hugs you tightly as you two hug each other for the last time. She doesn't say anything to you, she's just holding onto you and she's just letting it all fade out. She doesn't want to cling to you and she doesn't want to try to hold onto what you had, she's just letting you go and letting you go forward with your life. Finally she pulls away from you and she nods her head and says "Goodbye..."

“Goodbye Abby.” You say as you leave her house. Abby doesn't respond or say anything else to you as you walk out of her place. She just sits there alone in her living room and she sits there quietly with her thoughts and her emotions as she just takes in this moment. She's still holding back her tears a little bit but she is letting you go and she is just letting the moment pass her.

You go back to your own place and you're finally back in your own space after a long time. You're feeling sad and you're feeling lonely because you're alone now. You're in your own place without Abby and it feels weird and unfamiliar. You're alone with your thoughts and your feelings and they're all just starting to hit you. You feel sad and you feel lonely. You feel like there's an empty place inside you where Abby used to be. You go into your room and you slowly start to put your things away. Your room is empty and it just feels so strange not having Abby here with you anymore. You feel a mixture of emotions as you start to put your stuff away. It's still weird that Abby isn't here and you just start to sink into your emotions and your feelings and a few tears start to fall while you're putting your stuff away. You lay in your bed and you just let it all out. You just let all of your feelings and emotions out and you let yourself feel sad and angry and frustrated and exhausted and overwhelmed and it all just comes spilling out. You lay in bed and you don't hold back and your face is wet with tears and it doesn't feel like you're going to stop crying anytime soon. You fall asleep in your own bed, it's been awhile since you've slept alone and it just feels so different. It feels uncomfortable and it's not like you're used to, it feels cold and lonely and like something is missing. You're just so used to having Abby next to you all the time that you just feel so different just lying here alone by yourself. It just doesn't feel right not having that someone else next to you anymore.

You wake up the next morning and your phone buzzes with a text message. You check it and it's a message from Ellie and it says "Hey, are you okay?""

“hi, i’m okay, just needed some time alone, are you okay?”

Ellie replies back, saying, "Yeah, I'm fine. I was just wondering how you were. I figured that it was tough for you yesterday with Abby and I wanted to make sure that you were okay."

“Is your body feeling better?” Ellie texts back. "Yeah, my body's feeling a little bit better. I still have a headache but I'm feeling better than yesterday."

“Do you need me to come over and help you with anything?” Ellie replies back quickly. "No, I think I'm okay, I'm just trying to take it easy on myself and rest up. I think I'll be okay but I appreciate that you care enough to ask."

“If you need anything, I'm only one call away.” Ellie sends you another message, saying,  "Thanks. I appreciate that. I'll be okay, I just need some space and time to myself too."

You put your phone down and go take a long shower to try and relax. It feels good to just wash away the stress and anxiety of the day before. You let the hot water wash over you and you try to just relax and take it easy. It feels good to just relax and try to think about something else besides Abby for right now.

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You are back to your classes and it's been a few weeks since the breakup with Abby happened. You've been taking some time to yourself and you've been going through the motions. But it's good to get back to something that feels familiar and normal, like going back to class. You just want to try to focus and get your head into the work ahead of you. You feel like people are still looking at you and judging you because of what happened at the party. They don't fully know what happened, but you can feel them talking and judging you behind your back. Maybe you're just being paranoid, but you just feel like everyone is talking about you and making assumptions about what happened with Abby. It feels like a lot of pressure and a lot of eyes on you right now.

You notice that Ellie has started going back to classes again too. She's been a little bit scarce around you since the day you left her house, but now she's starting to come back into your life again as class starts. That feels good too because you miss her and you're glad to see that she's not completely avoiding you anymore. You notice a bump on her eyebrow and her face is still a little bit bruised up, but otherwise she looks pretty good and like her usual self. She's still the same old Ellie that you know and love. She just seems a little bit more withdrawn and distant than she usually is.

You realize that after the party and the breakup with Abby and after everything that happened afterwards, you haven't really talked to either one of them for a while. It's been a weird few weeks and everything hasn't really felt the same. You're still going through the motions and you're still getting your classes done, but it just doesn't feel right anymore. It's like you're missing something important in your life and it just feels weird and wrong.

You get back to your place at the end of the day and you see that Dina is there. Dina doesn't know everything that's happened but she's been very supportive and helpful through it all. She's just hanging out at the kitchen table and she seems relaxed and calm. She notices you and she speaks up. "You're back late today. Are you doing alright?"

“Hi Dina, I'm fine, how was your day?” Dina smiles at you. "My day was alright, I was busy with my courses and just working on some stuff. But I saw the headlines about the party at that frat house last month. Were you there? I heard someone got really beaten up and ended up in the hospital. Is that all true?"

“Yeah, Ellie... Abby beat her up.” Dina raises an eyebrow. "Abby did what?! What the heck was happening? What was going on between you two? Did something happen at the party?"

“She got jealous and they started fighting.” Dina's eyes widened and she said, "She got jealous and they just started fighting? What in the heck was she so jealous about? Was she jealous because she saw you talking with someone else?"

“Abby was always very possessive and when she saw Ellie near me she lashed out.” Dina nods her head. "Abby was always very possessive, that part doesn't really surprise me. But she actually ended up getting into a physical fight with Ellie over you? That's just crazy!"

“Yeah, I haven't talked to either of them for a while.” Dina looks surprised. "So you haven't talked to them? Are they both okay? I mean I know Ellie got pretty hurt at the party… but is she okay now?"

“I was there with her, I helped her through the first week, you know, when I was not here.” Dina nods her head. "Oh, yeah. How is she doing now though? Is she gonna be okay from the beating?"

“I think she's better.”

Dina shakes her head and she says, "Good, I'm glad she'll be alright. I was a bit worried when I saw that she made it to the hospital. She's always been a little bit frail and thin so I'm just glad she's okay now."

“Yeah, I just feel so empty now, I feel like I lost them both.” Dina looks at you worried. "You lost them both? What do you mean? You mean you've lost Abby and Ellie because of this whole thing that happened at the party?"

“Yeah…” Dina looks pretty surprised and sad.  "You haven't talked to either one of them since the party? Have they tried reaching out to you?"

“Me and Abby broke up but since I came back home I haven't talked to either of them.” Dina nods her head. "I mean, I kinda gathered that because it's been a while now that the party happened. Have you thought about reaching out to Abby or Ellie since you came home? I know they want to talk to you, they both sent me some messages asking about you and wanting to know if you're okay. Abby really misses you and she can't even stop talking about you to me."

“Really?” You were a bit surprised that Dina would know that. Dina nods her head. "Yes, Abby really misses you and she's been in a pretty terrible state since you guys broke up. She's still been checking your social media and she can't stop talking about you. She's just been so sad.” Dina was on the same course as Abby and had many classes with her. And because Abby knew Dina was your roommate she talked to her.

“I haven't seen her since, has she been going to class?” Dina shakes her head. "No, she's been skipping some classes and she's been coming to me to just talk and to vent some of her frustrations. It hasn't been easy for her since the breakup and she doesn't know what to do. She just wants to talk to you and she wants to sort things out.”

“I'm still very confused, I don't know what to do.” Dina looks up at you with a sympathetic smile. "I get that you're confused and it's normal to feel that way. There's been a lot of stuff that's changed and happened all at once and it happened so fast that your head isn't really clear and you're still trying to process everything. I think you should at least talk to them, especially Abby since she's been so devastated since the breakup and she just wants to talk to you and make things work again.”

“Yeah, I need to talk to them…” You say in a quiet voice. Dina looks at you a bit sad. "Abby really wants to talk to you and I think you should at least give her a chance to explain herself. She really loves you and she's willing to do anything to make things work. She just wants the chance to talk to you and explain herself and I think that would be good for you as well."

Dina invites you to join her to go out to get a coffee since it's Friday. She knows that a change of scene would be good for you and it could be a good way to take your mind off things and to relax for a little bit, away from the pressures of school and from all the things that have happened recently with Abby and Ellie. You agree to go. Dina smiles at you. "Good, let's go! It will be good to get you out and out of your head. You've been going through a lot and we need to take your mind off of it. Let's go out and get a nice coffee and just talk and have fun!"

“Is anyone else coming?” You didn't really want to have to deal with anyone else. Dina shakes her head. "Nope, it's just gonna be you and me. It's just gonna be a relaxing girl's afternoon and we're just going to get out and enjoy the day together. No one else is coming, it's just gonna be us two and that's it."

“Sounds perfect, let's go.” You smile as you put on your coat. Dina grabs her coat and her keys. "Let's go then! It's gonna be fun and it should be a nice day outside, so it's gonna be the perfect afternoon!"

You sit at the cafe outside in the sun. Dina gets herself a latte and you get a cappuccino. "I'm glad that you decided to come out today. It's nice to see you getting out of the house and out of your head for a bit. Sometimes that's all you need, some time away from the craziness of everything and to just relax and enjoy the day.”

“Thank you, it is really nice to relax for a bit.” You feel a bit better now. The day is beautiful and you really needed to distract yourself.

Dina smiles back at you. "No problem. I'm glad it's helping. You've been going through a lot lately and I know it's been hard. You deserve this break and it's definitely long overdue and needed. Just sit back and relax and let yourself just enjoy the day. You're not alone, you know that, and you can always talk to me if you ever need to. I'm always here for you."

“Thanks Dinns.” You smile at her as you take a sip of your cappuccino. Dina smiles back and she also takes a sip of her latte, and then she asks you a question. "How have you been handling everything that's happened lately? I know it hasn't been easy and I just want to check on you and see how you're really doing."

“I've been trying to keep busy with class and not think too much about it.” You reply, not wanting to talk too much.

"That's good that you've been keeping yourself busy with class and trying not to think too much about everything that's going on. But it's alright if you let yourself think about things a little bit. It's normal to be confused or have mixed feelings about everything that's happening and it's okay if you want to talk about it or vent to me a little bit. Just don't keep it all bottled up inside, okay?"

“Yeah, if I need anything I'll let you know.” You give her a soft smile. Dina smiles at you too. "Good. That's good to hear. And I just want you to know that I'm here for you always and you can come to me about anything at all. We're best friends and we're gonna get through this together, okay? Just take care of yourself." She says with a smile.

A few days later you're walking down campus when you see Abby and you notice that she doesn't see you. You could choose to go up and say hi to her, or just leave her alone and continue walking past her. You haven't seen her in a while and you're not too sure if you should go up to her or not, especially since the breakup. You decide not to go up to Abby and you continue walking to class. You could try talking to her later on, but you're still not really sure if that's the best idea. Maybe that's something you could chat to Dina about and get her opinion on what you should do.

As you get to class you notice that Ellie is sitting in the back of the classroom, by herself. She's just sitting there and she looks like she's just waiting for the lesson to start. She hasn't seen you yet and she's just looking down at her textbook just trying to occupy herself. You notice that her face looks a bit better, that's a good thing. She looks more like herself and she doesn't look as upset as she was the last time you saw her. She's still sitting there by herself though and she hasn't noticed you yet, but she seems okay and you feel better seeing her like this.

You sit down and you both just kinda sit there, just waiting for the class to start. You haven't talked to her since the day you went to Abby's place and it feels kind of weird now. You don't really know how you would approach her or how she'll react if you try talking to her again. She seems to be doing fine here, so why bother her now? You just sit there, waiting for the class to start. Ellie looks up when the teacher starts talking and she sees you sitting there, but you don't notice her. She's probably waiting for you to look back at her, so she can probably see if you notice her or not. She probably wants to know if you saw her and if you would try to talk.

When the class ends and you get up to leave, you see Ellie looking at you. She's just staring at you and you can tell she's waiting for you to look up at her. She wants to speak to you but she's waiting for you to make the first move. You both walk out of the classroom and as you walk past each other you say a simple "hi" to her. She responds back with a quick "hi" back as well. Neither of you say anything else, but she's still definitely waiting for you to ask her how she's been or something like that. She wants to talk to you and she's still hoping that you would talk to her. “How have you been?” You ask, feeling a bit awkward.

Ellie responds with a quick, "I've been alright I guess." when you ask her how she's been. She still seems a bit distant and she's not really open about how she's been feeling, but she seems to be doing at least a little bit better. She also seems like she's still waiting for you to say more or ask her something else to continue the conversation. “I'm glad.” You give her a small smile. Ellie nods her head and she does smile back a little bit at you. She also seems to be slowly warming up to you and she actually does seem like she's doing a bit better. It's good to see her like this, but you can definitely tell that she's holding back from letting it all out with you. She wants to be open but she's not there yet. “I have to go to my next class, talk later?” Ellie nods. "Yeah, for sure. Talk to you later." She seems a little bit more relaxed and she's definitely warming back up to you. The small conversation seemed to improve her a fair bit and she's definitely feeling a bit better.

You walk away from the conversation with Ellie and you go to sit down in your next class. It's nice to see her opening up again and it seems like things are looking at least a bit better between you both. You hope this continues and that you two can get back to a good place again. As you're sitting in class and taking notes, you notice Abby entering the room. She doesn't notice you yet, so you choose to just keep studying and not say anything to her for now. Abby sits down at an empty desk and she doesn't notice you sitting there. She's busy looking at the teacher and waiting for him to start talking, but she's not looking directly in your direction. 

Abby looks up from her desk at the end of class when she sees you packing up your stuff and putting it in your bag. She doesn't say anything, but she's looking at you and you know that she wants to talk to you. She wants to at least try and have a conversation again. You see her staring as you stand up. You've looked at her for a few seconds and she hasn't stopped looking at you either yet. She's just staring straight at you, looking for you to at least say something and strike up a conversation. As you both walk out of the class, Abby says a simple "hi" to you. She says it very casually and it doesn't sound awkward or anything. She just wants to strike up a normal conversation with you and talk to you normally, like two regular friends would.

“Hey..” You say quietly. "Long time no see. How have you been?" She's trying to go back to normal conversation with you and she's trying to act all chill and relaxed, despite all the things that have happened lately. “I've been okay, how about you?” Abby nods her head and she says, "I've been alright, I guess. It's been a hard couple of days, but I'm doing better now. I'm just glad to see you and I'm glad you're doing alright at least." She's trying to get past everything that happened between you both and just trying to be normal with you again.

As you two are talking and walking out of the building together, you start walking to the campus courtyard. You walk side-by-side and Abby seems to be a little bit nervous but she's definitely trying. She's trying not to bring up any of the things that happened between you two or to discuss any of the arguments or fights that took place. “I've noticed you've been skipping classes…” Abby seems to pause for a moment and she looks away. She doesn't respond right away and it looks like she's maybe feeling a bit called out by what you said. She doesn't really say much, she just glances at you and she looks down for a bit.

“Are you sure you're okay?” You ask her. Abby hesitates for a moment. "Yeah, I'm sure. I'm fine. I was just taking some time to myself to process everything that's happened lately." She seems like she's trying to be more relaxed and normal and to just try and move past everything, but you can tell she's still feeling a bit tense and uncomfortable about everything.

You nod and look forward. Abby seems a little bit relieved that you didn't push the subject anymore and she does the same thing, just looking forward as she walks next to you. You both walk on in a little bit of silence, but you both seem like you're trying to feel normal and just move on from everything. There seems to be a bit of awkwardness here between you both. “I have to get home, see you around Abby.” You wave her goodbye. "Yeah, see you around." She seems a little bit relieved to part ways and she can get back to being alone and in her own space again. She's just trying to get back to normal and to continue on with her life without all the extra drama between you both. She wants to keep distance between you both for now and try to keep her emotions in check. But she still misses you.

You get back home and you flop down on your bed and you just lay there for a second, just contemplating everything that's happened lately. You have a lot on your plate and there's just so much to think about and process. You're just wondering what the future holds and what you should do next.

Part 2? Let me know! Feedback is always welcome and likes and reblogs are always encouraged! Thank you!

[aneveningsword]

𝐉𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐲

pairing: Jordan Li x gn!reader warnings: not proofread, sexual tension, swearing, heated makeout words: 1112 summary: Jordan is a jealous person at heart, and you just love to get them riled up

masterlist

Jordan was not your partner, not someone you whisper sweet nothings to in the early morning hours. They had made it very clear that what you two had was nothing outside of sex, a way to release the pent-up stress from their day. How their eyes were drawn to you when you entered a room meant nothing. How they remember a small detail you mentioned a few weeks ago was not a sign that they cared. The sweet words they whispered to you when they thought you were asleep were not words from love.

They acted like you were nothing to them when others were around, that at night it was not your mouth pulling delicious moans from them. But, you played their game, not giving them a second glance in public, scoffing at their harsh words before giving it right back to them. From an outside view, one would think you two hated each other.

It was not unusual for your friend group to frequent nightclubs, sneaking out of the dorms after curfew for a bit of fun. The drinks were flowing, the drugs were hitting, and the person gripping your waist was an okay addition. It was not usual that you allowed a strange to basically hump you as you dance, their hands trailing dangerously over your body. But tonight you would make an expectation, just for a rise from the person at the bar.

Jordan sat at the bar, hand gripping the glass so hard that you wondered how it had not shattered yet, eyes burning a hole into the forehead of the person whispering into your neck. A sly smirk rests on your face as your eyes meet Jordan's, blowing a kiss at them hoping to get a rise. You had no intention of sleeping with this person, or allowing them to grope you like some cheap whore. Purely doing this to annoy Jordan.

You had only looked away from Jordan for a moment, turning slightly to tell your dance partner to watch their hands. Yet, within the small moment, you felt a crushing grip on your wrist, yanking you from the stranger's hands. Whipping around you're met with the angered expression of Jordan, dark eyes staring down at you with betrayal swirling in them. You almost feel guilty, but your resolve hardens once more as you rip your hand from their grip.

"Hey bitch, we were dancing here." The annoyed voice of the stranger breaks your little staring contest, pulling your attention from one another. "Not anymore dickhead, now fuck off." Jordan's voice is laced with venom, eyes hardening as they pull you closer to them. Yet, their words do not seem to deter the person who foolishly believed you were into them. "Listen, it's not my problem you can't get dicked down, don't make it other people's problem."

"Jesus, fuck off. You didn't have a fucking chance with me." Words fall from your mouth before Jordan can but in again. It seemed they were over this little back and forth with a nobody, grabbing you once more to pull you away.

The air out of the club was cold causing a shiver to run down your body as Jordan continued to pull you down the street. "Jesus Christ Jordan, you're going leave a bruise." Your words seem to pull Jordan from whatever trance they had fallen into, pulling you into a small alley for some privacy before letting you go. You begin to massage your wrist as you study Jordan, trying to get a read on what they were thinking.

"Yo-" You aren't able to get the first word out before your back meets the cold, harsh bricks of the wall behind you. Jordan's body covers yours, their face is impossibly close to yours, hand gripping the junction of your neck and chin. It sends a rush of warmth to your core as your eyes bore into theirs waiting for them to speak.

"Is this what you wanted? Hmm? Me to get upset and drag you out of there?" While the question did not need an answer you decided to give one anyway, a shit-eating grin plastered on your face. "You tell me, since you acting like you've got it all figured out." Your teasing words earned you a small squeeze at your neck and their muscular thigh bullied in between your legs. It pulls a soft gasp from you before you back to teasing Jordan.

"Hit a nerve, I didn't know you cared. After all, I'm just a nice fuck to you." You spat their words from a few nights ago right back at them. It became clear in the moment that your actions were only because of what they had said in an argument, words they didn't even mean. It was just a way to get back at them. "Fucking hell, I hurt your feelings and you're giving it up to the first person to give you attention. God, you pathetic." A laugh is pulled from you as one hand flies to their crouch and the other to their hips to bring them closer.

"Says the person who dragged me out of there to fuck me in an alley. Seems you care more than you let one." Jordan's lips smash onto yours in a heated kiss, our hips grinding down on their thigh between your legs, pulling an airy moan from you. The kiss breaks after a few moments Jordan looks down at you panting slightly. "You really are stupid. Of course I care, I can't get you out of my fucking mind. All I think about anymore is you."

You can hear the honesty in their voice, the desire to have you as more than someone to fuck. A confused expression passes over you as you try to understand "Then why did you say-" Once more you are cut off by Jordan, words shooting out of their mouth "Because I was scared. I was scared you don't feel the same." There is a beat of silence before your soft laughs fill the air. "God you're stupid. Of course, I want to be more than fuck buddies with you. Jesus, just look at yourself, you're hot in both forms."

The kiss Jordan gives you is much softer than the first one, their hands moving to your cheek and waist. Breaking the kiss you smile at them before speaking "As much as I want to fuck you right now, I don't think an alley is the best place." A small chuckle is pulled from Jordan, taking a step back to offer you their hand. Happily, you take it pulling them along with a newfound purpose.

[kaliforniahigh]

Request: "Matt Dierkes x wife reader smutty one shot where they get caught on the tour bus or other random places?" Thank you so much for the request!

Warnings: cursing and a steamy make out session but no actual smut (they get caught before the act)

WC: 1.6k (not proofread yet!)

Requests are closed for now.

You loved going on tour with Matt, specially since you worked together. You were a lighting engineer for the band and you met Matt when you started working for the band a couple of years back.

The attraction was instant between you and everyone could notice. The way he never got mad at you - quite the contrary, the boy always seemed to have an extra soft spot for you - and the way you always worried if he was well - tour could be pretty hectic and take a toll on your health - were a dead giveaway that something was blossoming between you.

Despite everyone rooting for you to get together, there were the people who warned you about working with your partner. They told you that it never worked, and that you would fight all the time.

But you always told them that if it ever came to it, you and Matt could separate your professional lives from your personal ones, because you were adults, after all.

Now, a couple of years later, you and Matt not only established a relationship, but you also decided to get married not too long ago. Most days it didn't even feel like working with your husband, because you just went about your routines as per usual.

It was rare that Matt got angry with anyone really, he was pretty chill overall and used to dealing with things going wrong, so you felt like nothing really affected him anymore.

Today, though, was one of those days where everything seemed to be going wrong. First, the tour bus broke down on the road because of the cold, which made you guys late for the concert. Then, some of the sound equipment decided not to work and the panels were off and no one could figure out how to get those damn things working.

You could hear the fans outside waiting to come in and the stress of being late already and not having things ready were weighing on his shoulders. You could hear him in the distance him talking on the phone with the venue manager. Something about how the hell was he not here to help with the technical difficulties that most likely were being caused by his shitty venue.

You left him to it, and since your lighting equipment was already set up - thank god this one thing worked out tonight - you went to help the other guys. Everything seemed to plugged in in the right places and still, nothing was working. Even Noah, Jolly and the Nicks were helping at this point.

"Guys", Matt approached you all with a sigh. "The venue manager told me everything was working accordingly just a couple of days go, which is obviously bullshit", he rubbed his forehead, a clear sign of stress. You wanted to smooth out the creases yourself, but refrained from it.

"How are we gonna perform without our equipment?", Jolly asked, a hint of desperation in his voice.

"That's the thing, I don't think we will", Matt answered. Every band's fear was becoming a reality right before your eyes.

"Are we gonna have to cancel?", Noah voiced what everyone was thinking. Matt only nodded. "What about the fans waiting outside?"

"I'm really sorry, this is really not what I wanted to do, trust me. We could try and find another venue, but we gotta be in another city tomorrow. We might have to reimburse the people who paid for tickets for today", you could tell he was disappointed in having to do this. Matt was a problem solver kind of person, and having to deal with a problem he couldn't solve was killing him.

After a little more debate, everyone agreed that canceling was the best thing to do due to the circumstances. Noah and the guys went back to the green room talking about how they're gonna sue the venue manager.

"I'm gonna go out there and tell those people that the band they love is not performing tonight. You guys can start loading the things back in the bus", he started to turn around, but you went after him.

"Hey", you called out and he looked at you. "I'll go with you. You don't have to do this alone", you took your hand in his.

"You don't have to do this, baby. I'm used to it, it's part of the job anyways", he reassured you, rubbing his thumb on the back of your hand.

"I know that you can handle yourself. But I wanna go with regardless", he only nodded, knowing it was useless arguing with you, and you followed him outside.

The annoucement was met with complaints, angry remarks and a few crying faces. Matt knew this wasn't directed at him, but it broke his heart regardless. All these people with the hopes of having an unforgettable night would have to go back to their homes without watching Bad Omens perform.

He said sorry one more time and rushed back inside the venue. You said sorry yourself and followed him. You looked around you and saw that your lighting equipment was already being loaded back in the boxes and decided to check were Matt headed to.

You asked around and a few people told you they saw him going in the direction of the bathrooms. You made your way down the hall and knocked on the men's restoroom door, hearing him answer with a "yeah" on the other side of the door. He was probably wondering who the hell was bothering him when he was in the bathroom.

"You alone in there?" you asked him. Recognizing it was you, he opened the door and you made your way inside, closing it again behind you.

"You just ran off, I got worried about you", you told him as you took his face in your hands.

"I got so angry when I saw all those people out there, just waiting", he huffed in frustration.

"I know, baby. But this isn't your fault, and it probably won't be the last time you'll have to cancel", you tried to reason with him.

"I know, I'm just so fucking mad at that fucking venue manager who told me 'everything is working perfectly, are you sure it's not your equipment that's low quality?'", he used air quotes to tell you what the venue manager has the nerve to tell him. "He obviously ripped us off because he wasn't even here, he knows his venue is fucking shit", he spat, in anger. You waited a few seconds to say anything, just in case he needed to vent some more. But he just took a few deep breaths to calm himself down.

"I'm sorry, you don't deserve to hear all this", he apologized, resting his hands on your hips. You let a little smile grace your lips. You knew how to make him feel better.

"It's kind of hot when you get all angry like this", you said with a low voice and a hint of playfulness. He finally cracked and smirked a little at your remark.

"Yeah? You like it, babe?", you nodded and pressed yourself closer to him. "You know, you're my silver lining in all of this, right?", he said, lips inches away from yours, eyes travelling between your eyes and lips.

"I think I don't. Will need you to show me", you teased him and in a few seconds, his lips crashed on yours, pushing you backwards with the force, your back hitting the marble countertop behind you.

The kiss was fervent, an indicator of his mood and how this bathroom rendezvous was gonna go. You both moaned into the kiss, your hands tangling in his hair as he hoisted you up on the counter.

His hands traveled up your torso under your shirt and you lifted your arms for him to take it off, you skin prickling with goosebumps from the cold air.

His mouth immediatly moved to kiss your shoulders and down the valley of your brests.

"Fuck, you're everything I need right now", he hummed into your skin and you only moaned in acknowledgment.

"Take your shirt off, please", you said, voice sounding a little breathless, and he moved away from your body to peel off the layer of clothing.

"C'mere", he helped you down from the counter and turned you around, pushing your head down and making you bend your back, ass up in the air.

He kissed your spine and ran his hand over the fat of your ass, delivering a spank that made you yelp in surprise. His clothed crotch was pressed into you, and you could feel how hard he was under his pants.

He was about to yank your pants down your legs when the door swung open, both of you whipping your heads to the side, only to meet the shocked expression on Ruffilo's face.

You were still bend over the counter when you heard Matt tell him to 'get the fuck out', and Nick muttered a few apologies before closing the door behind him.

You looked at Matt through the mirror in front of you and you both started to giggle at the situation. Eventually, you stood up straight and turned around to face him. It was like Nick's entrance popped your little bubble entirely.

"Probably not the best idea to fuck in the bathroom, huh?" you asked in a teasing tone.

"That's you pushing me to make bad decisions", he smiled and gave you a peck on the lips. "As much as I loved our little almost escapade, we should probably get back out there", he stated, in a little disappointed tone.

You agreed with him and you both made your way out of the bathroom.

"We'll stay at a hotel room in the next city and then I'll make sure to bend you over the counter and fuck you good", he whispered in your ear, making you stop in your tracks, mouth agape.

He kept walking and laughed at the state he just left you.

[slvt4em1lyprenti2s]

Do I make you nervous?

Originally published on my wattpad: slvt4em1lyprenti2s

Summary: Unit Chief em noticed that you get a little flustered around her and she picks up on your crush 

Word Count: 1.9k

Fluff, (kissing)

Pairings: Emily Prentiss x fem!reader

!NOT PROOFREAD!

(ik it's chief em but Derek and Spencer are still gunna be in the BAU)

Emily's pov:

I walked to the round table as I just got notified about a case out in Montana and had called in the team. I was setting out everyone's tablets and got Garcia to send them the case information.

I heard some shuffling behind me and footsteps approaching the room. I turned around and saw y/n, she's a younger agent that joined the team around 2 years ago. She's an amazing profiler and has adapted to the team well, although she always seems to be a bit nervous around me. I'm not sure if it's because I'm her boss, or maybe she finds me intimidating? I'm not sure. 

"Hey!" she says in her usually cheery voice.

"Hi, you got here quick." I say surprised at her speed, I only called them in like, 10 minutes ago.

"Yeah, I was in the area, so I just came in." She was looking everywhere but my eyes and a rosey tint stained her face. I smirked to myself as she set down her coffee cup and took a seat. 

Reader pov:

Oh my god. Could she be anymore hot? Like I know she's my boss and quite a bit older than me but, hey, a girl can dream. She can obviously feel my stare and turns round to look at me, I instantly avert my gaze to the tablet in front of me and start flicking through the crime scene photos. 

"Y/n/n, can I ask you something?" She asks as she stalks closer to me. Heat rises up my neck and into my face once again. 

"Uh- uhm yeah ofc course." At that moment Garcia walks through the door completely oblivious (which is very strange, she notices everything) of all the tension she just walked in on. 

"Okay so, the case was sent to the tablets 15 minutes ago, the jet is ready and everyone should be here- oh y/n/n hi!" her voice lifting my mood instantly. Pen has that effect on everyone she meets and I love that about her. 

"Hi Pen!" I reply just as enthusiastically, happy to have the previous conversation interrupted.

Once Garcia had come in she was closely followed by: Spencer, Rossi, Tara, Derek and JJ. We all sit down, ready to be briefed about the case.

"Okay so we're going to the one and only Treasure state of Montana my crime fighting friends..." 

Time skip to when they're in Montana:

Emily pov:

Me and y/n are setting up in the local PD while everyone else is out at either, crime scenes, disposal sights or interviewing witnesses. I chose for her to stay with me because she's been acting weird around me ever since she joined the team but, it's been getting worse recently. I was going to ask her about it in the meeting room earlier but, we were interrupted by Garcia. 

"Can you pass me the photos from the scene?" She asks, looking at me with those gorgeous y/e/c eyes. She's your subordinate Emily Jesus- I mean she's been acting weird but that doesn't mean she likes you! I look around in the case box and pull out the photos, she had shifted her position so she was now not facing me. I walked over and brushed my hands over her lower back and handed them to her. Her head snapped round to face me as she took the photos. Her fingers danced over mine as she took them from my hand. I see her blushing as she smiles and look back to the board. This is going to be fun.

Reader pov:

HUH? Her hand brushed and lingered on my back and she touched my hand as she gave me the photos. God I don't know if I'm reading too far into this. I really hope I'm not. 

I begin pinning up the photos as Derek and Spencer walk in the room.

"You got something?" Emily asks them expectantly.

"Yeah, a plate from the vehicle the UnSub used to kidnap Sarah Johnston. 24Y-FTX." Spencer said as he picked up his phone, presumably to call Garcia.

"Already? So this is going to be over quite quick then, huh?" Derek looks over and nods as Garcia's voice rung out from Reid's phone. 

"The car is registered to a Gary Solomon, and Ive got a home address and he's unemployed so no work address! Sending it to you now!" Pen hung up as we checked our phones.

"Get JJ, Rossi and Tara to meet us there." Emily tells Morgan as we all walk to the SUV's. Derek and Spencer get into one, leaving the other to me and Emily. Great. 

We climb into the car and speed off in the direction of the house. I can feel Emily's eyes on me at points but I choose to ignore her and focus on saving the girl he took. 

We pull up to the house and get ready with the team to storm it, going in our original groups, me and em round the back, JJ, Rossi take the left, Tara and Spencer take the right, and Derek breaks down the door and goes in the front. We go in through the back, Emily in front of me and we begin our sweep through the house. Doors are swung open and signals are passed left and right. 

"Hey, stop a sec." Emily says holding up her hand. I hear a faint creaking of floorboards to our left. I raise my gun and point it down the dark hallway of the house. We being walking down it, slowly as to not give away our position. 

"Look out!" I hear Emily say before she grabs me by my hips and pulls me flush against her. I hear a bullet whistle past my ear. I lift my gun and shoot the guy a few times before he drops to the ground. 

A sigh of relief escapes my mouth as Morgan simultaneously radios in that they found the girl. It takes me a second to realise Emily is still gripping my hips and that if I were to move an inch closer our lips would touch. I clear my throat and break away from her warmth as I go to check the guy is gone. As I suspect, he's dead so we call in the ambulance crew to pick him up. 

"Good work here today guys, the jet isn't leaving till the morning as it's too late right now but, I think we could all do with a little sleep. Garcia booked a hotel just down the street so let's get going." A chorus of 'thank god's' and 'good, I didn't want to sleep in the jet' rippled through the night air as we made our way to the SUV's once again.

Time skip to when they're at the hotel:

Emily pov: 

I walk over to the front desk and ask for the reservations made under the name Prentiss, and the lady at the desk tells me there's been 4 rooms booked, two double and two single as they were sold out of everything else. Instantly JJ and Tara, and Spencer and Derek pair up and run to grab the keys for the double room and speed off before we can argue. I look at Rossi and can see he clearly doesn't want to share a room which I totally understand and hand him a key to his own room. 

"Looks like we're roommates for the night," I say to the y/h/c standing next to me. As soon as I said it she averted her eyes from raking up my body to the floor. She muttered something I couldn't quite make out but I chose to not push due to her demeanour, something about us sharing a room is making her nervous and I think I know exactly what. We step into the lift and I click the floor we're on, y/n was slightly in my way as I did it so I help her waist to get lean over her, I felt her tense and the relax under my touch. I stand beside her as we start our silent ascent to our floor.

Reader pov: 

I'm sharing a room, with one bed, with Emily Prentiss. If I wasn't so helplessly attracted to her I'd be okay, but, I'm helplessly attracted to her so... 

We walk to our room and she swipes the key card to let us in. There isn't even a sofa to sleep on. Great, so we're definitely sharing a bed. 

We move silently as we change and do our nighttime routines. Emily starts walking towards me as I brush my hair in the full length mirror.

"I never got to ask you that question you know," My breath catches in my throat at the proximity. I can feel her hot breath on my neck, and her hands ghost over my waist as she speaks. I stiffen at the touch and look away. "Do I make you nervous?" I dryly swallow as I look at her.

"What would you do if I said yes?" 

"You'll have to find out." 

I turn around and meet her eyes, her hands are now firmly planted on my waist, her grey hair falling perfectly over her shoulders and her pyjama tanktop capturing her figure perfectly. My arms find their way around her neck as I lean in a little bit closer, her nose brushes over mine as I do so.

"Yes, you do." I whisper, feeling my breath fan over her lips. 

As soon as I finish my sentence she closes the gap in a soft, slow kiss. It's warm and comforting, as our lips dance together as if we've done this a thousand times before. The cage of butterflies in my stomach doubles and she puts her right hand on my cheek and starts caressing my face as she deepens the kiss by running her tongue over my bottom lip and asking for entrance, which I gladly gave. Our tongues fight for dominance, and she quickly wins that battle. She explores my mouth, not leaving an inch untouched. I happily sigh into the kiss, who knew she felt the same way? Air begins to become a problem and we pull away. Her dark eyes, stare at me for a moment before pulling me back in to peck my lips once more.

"When we get back home, do you want to go on a date with me?" Emily seems nervous to ask the question, which I find weird for two reasons: one, is the em is never nervous and two, her tongue was just down my throat, what does she think? 

"I'd love to em." I smile ear to ear as I get pulled into her warm embrace.

"C'mon let's go to sleep, it's getting late." I agree with her as we slip under the covers, our bodies mould together as if we were two puzzle pieces sliding into place. She was behind me, spooning me and she had her arms wrapped tight around me. I had my head under hers and one my arms are tangled with hers as they wrap around me. She kisses the crown of my head as I drift of to sleep, my only thought being that this, us, it just feels right. 

She's my person.

A/N: lmao sleep deprived and had motivation sorry if it isn't great, DONT FORGET TO LEAVE REQUESTS!!!

[asherthehimbo]

Lightning in the Dark

synopsis: Yunho as a son of Zeus has always sought to defy his father, and well falling for the daughter of Nyx? that certainly sounds like something that would piss off his father. Well too bad, for Zeus- his spawn is much more powerful than he anticipated, and he can't do anything about it.

pairing: Son of Zeus! Yunho x Daughter of Nyx!Oc (Kyu), Side couple of Lee Felix X Male! Oc (Kai)

words: 28k

warnings: some of the gods aren't good parents but tbh wbk, abusive ex, mentions of abuse, stereotyping? suggestive content, violence, blood, fights, death, talks of infirtility, stabbing, mentions/ implications of suicide and r@pe but it's very breath and only in the begining (fuck Zeus, we say in unison🗣️🗣️), mature language and suggestive themes but no actual smut, Yunho is down bad

notes: WAHHH I BEEN WAITING TO WRITEEE THISSSS, it's an idea I've had for so long and after me and @kaisworlds plotted sm for this I decided to write for it because its stuck in my brain I can't do this anymoreeeeeee, anyway Skz & Atz are both involved in this. Godly parents and connections are explained here, I suggest you read that before reading this if you don't know a lot about Greek gods. also this is labeled as Oc since there are some specifics like hair color but I tried to make it inclusive so feel free to imagine yourself! also playlist! also thank you Nana ( @seongsangssbitch ) and Rayray ( @grapejellysollie) for supporting me while writing this <333 NOT proofread so if you find any mistakes please lmk<3 Happy birthday to me! as Ody said in epuc "A trade you see a gift from you and a gift from me" for all the love and support you've given me I wanted to give you guys this as a present on my birthday!

Die with a smile- Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga | Apocalypse - Cigarettes after sex | Hunter- Paris Paloma | So beuatifull- Dpr Ian | West coast - Lana del ray | Car's outside- James Arthur | K- Cigarettes after sex | Fable- Gigi Perez

Yunho's mother- his biological mother was a beautiful woman, delicate sun-kissed skin and a tiny stature, long hair that's always tied into a French braid in all the photos he's seen. His Dad had told him about her, of the woman he fell in love with, the woman who looked so much like Yunho, but Yunho doesn't think any of his visions of her could ever match to the kindness his Dad had described. He hadn't ever met her, or he supposes he had, but he was too young to remember her then, before her death. So all he's left with is the stories his Dad would tell him right before bed. 

Stories of monsters and gods, stories of creatures far more powerful than they thought possible, he told Yunho of people Yunho would meet- Yunho would always disagree, stating that the stories were just that- stories, but his Dad would give him that warm smile, eyes glistening with knowledge that Yunho was yet to learn. 

See Yunho's mother wasn't a normal woman, well not the two years before her death anyway, not anymore. She and Yunho's dad had lived a quiet life on a tiny farm, the two of them had been in a type of love Yunho could only describe as pure by the stories he was told. His mother was beautiful both inside and out- but her beauty had seemed to be her downfall, as one day, the day Yunho's dad didn't join his wife in the strawberry fields of their little farm, the most horrific thing had happened. 

Zeus, king of the gods, slayer of Kronos, god of the sky and thunder had seen Yunho's mother, in his usual adulterous ways had swayed her into warming his bed, and well- that's how Yunho came to be. His mother had been enamored with the king of the gods, no longer content with the quiet life she lived with her husband, no now she strived to be something more at least that's what his dad told him she had believed while pregnant. 

Yunho's mortal father, his dad, had loved her no matter her indiscretions, and sometimes Yunho thinks he's stupid for it. Loving the woman that had left him the moment a more powerful being came into play, that hadn't been the love Yunho was told stories about, not the love they had before. Loving someone when they tell you that you aren't enough for them anymore, it seemed wrong to Yunho. 

But then his father had told him, after his birth the spell had been released, and his mother had broken down in a panic at the realization of what the last few months of her life had come to, his mother was not a willing participant in Zeus's escapades, and the god had seemingly placed her in a false sense of delusion when he placed his offspring in her belly, but now that Yunho had been born, that delusion had worn off and all that was left was the shell of a woman she previously was. 

His mother had been named Eun-kyung for ‘graceful gem’, but after his birth, all that had been left was a lump of coal eating away at her darkened soul. Yunho couldn't imagine what she must have gone through, the shattering of the perfect delusion that had been so carefully placed in her mind by a power beyond her control. Yunho  guessed that's why she decided to leave them, to join the Elysian fields, the guilt of betraying her love, the hatred for the god that ruined her - and the lack of love for her own son must have driven her- and Yunho couldn't blame her for that. 

Jeong Eunwoo, his Dad, not Zeus, no that man would never be referred to as his dad for as long as Yunho lives, but his mortal dad had been his biggest support. His dad was a kind man, always had a warm smile and a helping hand to offer to anyone in need, and he had taught Yunho the same. Even after the death of his beloved wife, his love for Yunho never faltered, he never showed Yunho a hint of aggression or inkling of blame, but Yunho knows it must have hurt. He could see it on the nights when they would sit at the table and his father would stare at him with this far off gaze, he used to hate himself for it, he was the spitting image of his mother, but with the blond hair and golden brown eyes of the god who ruined her. 

Yunho's woken up countless nights, little feet silently padding from his room to the kitchen where he would see his dad silently crying to a picture of his mother, he never interrupted, despite the love he was raised with, he knew it must've been hard for his father, living in the home they built together without her. He never blamed his father for these moments of sadness, for the moments of regret he could catch in his eyes before it disappeared, he never blamed his father because his father never blamed him. Never blamed Yunho for being the cause of his mothers death, and Yunho will forever be grateful for that. 

Yunho was barely two years old when she first came to visit him, it was right after the death of his mother and despite his dad's efforts, the older man had been in his own period of mourning. She had visited him in the middle of the night, with an intimidating gaze and a light golden glow around her that fascinated the little brain of Yunho. 

Hera, queen of the gods, wife of Zeus, goddess of marriage, women and childbirth had stared down at his sleeping figure with disgust. Another demi-god offspring caused by her husband's infidelity, another boy that would grow up as egotistical as his father, trying to overthrow her for not accepting him, it happened countless times before and she had told Zeus to stop. That if he didn't ensure his seed would stay off the earth, she would. She had done this many times, but when the little babe had opened its eyes something in her heart stuttered. 

A heart she had thought she lost long ago, that had been chipped at by Zeus with each act of infidelity, each proclamation he made- a heart she thought had finally given up when he married her darling Hebe off to Heracles. But this little babe, he had the eyes of Zeus, not the Zeus he was now, not the parallel of who their father was- no, he had the eyes of a young Zeus. Of a little god determined to save his family, to love and cherish the earth, of a Zeus before power and paranoia reached him. Of Zeus when he had promised her the world, not the Zeus who had taken her title of goddess of marriage and dragged it through the mud. No, he was different, he was… pure so to speak. 

He had the eyes all her and Zeus's children had before they were touched by their fathers vile hands, and when he reached up at her, smiling in the darkness, she couldn't help but smile back. In a moment of weakness, a moment of nostalgia the goddess had reached down and let the babe cradle one of her fingers in his tiny hand, and he was so… warm. Not cold like the sky during Zeus's storms, not scalding like the fire caused by her husband's lightning, no he was just- warm, comforting, like the arms of her sisters had been before the revolution. 

She couldn't bring herself to kill him as she planned, not that night at least, no, she would allow him tonight and come for him tomorrow, the pure soul deserved that at least. Only when she appeared the next night, with the same plan- albeit some added hesitance, the babe was not alone in his room. Beside his crib sat a man, he was handsome, and for a moment Hera thought he might do the job for her. For had this babe not been caused by his own wife's indiscretions? She could not see his face, but she saw the strain of his back muscles, the clench of his hand on the wood of the cradle, and she had mistaken it for anger. 

“You're here for him aren't you? for my boy?” he had whispered, surprising Hera, she had thought her glamor had made her invisible to mortals, “I apologize my Queen, but I can't let you take him. I can't let you kill my son” The man breathed, his hand that was tight around the wood loosening as he gently held the sleeping child's head. Hera would've cursed the man had he been any other by now, but she did not have the rage to do so tonight, rather she had sympathy, this man must not have known, she wonders what his wife had told him then, what lies the woman had spun. 

“He is not yours mortal, you must be aware of that” she had replied, her voice as cold as the golden glow illuminating her in the dark nursery. “He is more mine than he is My Queen's husband's. I am the one raising him…. please, please My Queen, he is all I have left of her” the man breathed, and Hera could hear the tears in his strained voice. “Left of who? “ Hera asked without thought, “of my wife” the man had responded, finally turning to face Hera. 

“Your wife left you and the babe?“ she asked incredulously, studying the man's sunken features, he looked truly horrible at the moment, like a ghost of a person. “She had not just left us my Queen… the moment his delusion in her mind had broken, and she had realized what was done to her, she had left our mortal plane completely I'm afraid” the man's head droops down, and it all clicks for the goddess. 

He has not shouted at her yet, so he's clearly not as stupid as most mortal men she's come across, he loves this babe, he's raised this child with love despite his own mourning, and that's why the child's eyes are so pure. The child no longer has a mother he would use to try and replace her with in some deluded sense of proving himself to his father-to Zeus. No this child is just…. a child. There's a moment of silence before Hera speaks, “Very well then… I am not here to kill your child” she walks forward, placing a hand upon the man's shoulder as she looks down into the cot. “I am simply observing the current cause of my curiosity” the man does not respond to her words, probably for the best, she muses. Humans tend to say stupid things when overwhelmed with emotions. 

For now she'll leave the babe, watch it grow, if it ever does turn into its father like it's many brothers and sisters before had tried- well then she'll still have enough power to kill it. But the stars twinkle and the night seems to shift, as if the ancient Titaness that personifies it had been told something by her three daughters that Hera isn't aware of. For now she'll trust fate, she'll trust the Fates, unlike her husband she can understand when a being more powerful than her is at play. When a fate that is not her own is to be woven. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Hera had often come down to check on the little babe, her husband had been too busy with his own prospects to notice, she scoffs, of course he didn't care about the one babe she had allowed him to have. But she shouldn't complain. 

Visits that started out as ‘insurance’ of her position as Queen of Olympus had turned into much more, she wouldn't admit it, not yet at least, but the babe had grown on her- and so had his father. She would often join the man in telling Yunho bedtime stories, and comfort him when he was missing his wife. These two had become her own secret little family, a present Hera would treasure and protect. Like an old friend and a son untouched by the unholy divinity of the gods, they had made her feel at peace. 

But of course the mother of war could not live in peace for long. Ares, god of war and courage, the spirit of the battle personified in one hot headed god. Hera loved her son, despite all his antics, and he loved his mother in turn- so it was only a matter of time before he had started noticing his mothers absences. Sure she could blame it on the higher marriage rate, ensuring she had more work on earth- but Ares didn't believe that, if living in this family taught him anything, it was that gods would never share their truth-even when they had no reason to hide it. The paranoia of the divine was a fickle thing. 

Ares was never known for his stealth, much preferring brutish force in the throes of his battles, but he had picked up a thing or two from Athena. So he had quietly followed his mother down to earth one evening, using the skills he acquired to remain undetected. The sun had started setting as he stared at his mother, the usually stoic goddess’s face now holding a small, pure smile he had only remembered seeing as a child. Before the fights with his father, before Hebe was given away, a smile he had longed to see back on her face. 

Only this smile was not directed at him, not it was directed to the little boy running up to his mother with a smile that mirrored her own, the boy couldn't have been older than 6- if Ares's knowledge of human children were correct- the boy seemed to be around the age of Ares's own youngest currently. He stares as a man walks behind the boy slowly, greeting his mother with a soft upwards tilt of his lips. The scene seemed so… comfortable. 

His mother lifted up the little boy, as if she was not a divine being and he was not just some - human. Thoughts run to the forefront of his mind, conclusions messily drawn as they always are in his brain. Had his mother had enough of his fathers infidelity? had she created a secret family of her own? but that couldn't be right? His mother was the goddess of marriage, as much as he wished she could, he knew going against her marriage with his father would be going against her very being. Nights he's spent begging her to leave Zeus, where she would just look down at him sympathetically, pat his head and leave it at that. 

And now she had a family, a family he wasn't a part of- a family she didn't share with him. Hurt consumes him, but it quickly turns to rage as it always does, something in him snaps, whether it be jealousy of the toddler clinging to his mothers side, or his own insecurity of not understanding the situation, it bubbled up in his chest until it spilled out his throat, in one loud, guttural scream that silenced the whole field bathed in fading sunlight. “MOTHER-YOU- LET GO OF HIM MOTHER” 

Ares had walked forward with force, he didn't charge- he would never charge at his mother, but the man beside her could be a great target to release his anger. The mortal at least had the mind to look scared, grabbing the child from Hera as she looked at Ares in shock, the child whom Ares could sense a faint aura of divinity from buried his face in his fathers neck as he looked away.  “Mother what- are you alright? What has happened? What is this?” Ares' words are shot from his mouth faster than the twins shoot their arrows. His hands fly to his mothers face, gently holding her chin and inspecting her, as if searching for a crack in a porcelain doll- scared she had been broken. 

“Ares it's not-” she tries to interrupt her son’s thoughts but his anger is boiling at a degree not even Prometheus' fire could reach.  “No mother, what is this? I follow you because I worry and I find you- with some mortal  seeming to do the very thing you've told me would dissipate your being” he's frantic. “Ares, listen to me” her voice is sharp, in that scolding way she always used  to silence him when he and his father would have their squabbles around the dinner table. 

“Yunho is not my son, nor is Eunwoo a mortal lover. “ Hera clarifies, and despite the confusion Ares still feels relief sink into him. “Yunho is..  an offspring of your father, whom I have been overseeing” Hera stops for a moment as she searches for the correct way to relay her words. “an offspring of father?”  Ares raises a brow and his gaze drifts to the child in the grown man's arms, the child no longer hiding, his curious eyes now staring at Ares- an oh.. his eyes… They  reflect the stories his mother had told him of a time Zeus had been kind. They look like a golden thunderstorm disguised behind the pupils of a boy.

 “Does he know of this? “ Ares asks, understanding his mother a bit more now, “No, and he doesn't have too, not until Yunho is of age. He knows I have allowed this one to live but….. “ her sentence trails off and Ares can read between the lines enough to understand her, to understand what this boy will become. “and the mother?” he looks at the man, “Dead, my wife is dead.” The man speaks for the first time, and his voice is gentle, not what Ares would imagine a mourning man to have when faced with the son of the god his wife committed adultery with. Then again he's holding the child protectively, so Ares assumes there's much more to it. 

He takes a moment, a breath of the sweet smell of fruits in the farm around them before he releases his featherlight hold on his mother, trudging over to the boy. His mortal father sets him down and the child does not hide away from Ares's intimidating figure, instead staring up at him with awe, it almost gains a chuckle from the god. Ares bends down, one knee hitting the ground as he stares at the child. “Your name is.. Yunho? “ he asks, remembering his mother's words, the child nods eagerly, reaching out a hand, “Jeong Yunho, nice to meet you sir!” he chirps.

“it is, not unpleasant to meet you either” he takes the child's hand in his, “do not refer to me as sir, from now on, I'm your brother, little prince” Ares gives a mischievous smirk as the last two words leave his lips, he can feel his mothers glare on his back, but Yunho is none the wiser. Jumping excitedly as he looks at his dad, “Really dad? He's one of my brothers?” ah-so Yunho had been told he had siblings, that's good, at least if any more are to pop up it wouldn't be a shock for the boy. 

Eunwoo’s apprehensive face seems to melt away as he smiles warmly at his son, nodding in confirmation, Yunho jumps circles around Ares, the energy of a thunderstorm seeming to run through him. Ares cracks the smallest of smiles- Eros was never this energetic, nor were any of his other children, mortal or god, this boy is like a breath of fresh air. He quite enjoys it. “Ares” his mothers voice reaches his ears, it's a warning, but it's not commanding, she motions him over as he looks at her and Eunwoo seems to understand as he picks up the jumping child. “We'll be inside My Queen” he nods and Yunho waves goodbye from his fathers shoulders. 

Ares walks back over to his mother as she gives Yunho a tiny wave, knowing she would go back into the home soon to soothe the thunderous offspring to sleep. “So you've chosen?“ Ares asks as he stands next to his mother. “No- and you shouldn't call him little prince, that's not what he is.” she responds, voice firm, almost as if she's scared of the repercussions his words would bring. “Not yet maybe, but I know you mother, you would not let one of father's offspring live this long- let alone help raise it- if you didn't have expectations for him”

Hera sighs but doesn't respond, she can't refute his words, because she knows it's true, she doesn't want Yunho to be apart of the world of the gods, but she knows it's inevitable - he's her chosen, the one offspring of Zeus she accepts as her own. The one who will rule Olympus if something is to happen to her or Zeus. 

Yunho is the heir, but she'll be damned if she can't hide him from the king a little while longer. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Yunho did not like this, he did not understand it either. He didn't understand it and he didn't like it and his Dad has always told him to avoid things he felt this way about. So why was his dad making him do this? Why do they need to move?

At 14 years old, this is the first time Yunho is disagreeing with his father, he doesn't want to move. Why would he want to leave this place? a wonderful open farmland where he runs free, where he spars with his brother, where he meets his mother every night. He doesn't want to leave, but he's still following his fathers lead. He trusts the man's decision, that doesn't mean he likes it. 

Standing in the newly bought house filled with boxes that still need to be unpacked, Yunho takes in how cramped everything is- well it's not cramped, but compared to the open floor plan of the farmhouse he grew up in it is.  His dad said he'd make friends here but he doesn't want friends. He's too scared of hurting them, he knows he's different, knows the powers his godly parent had given him, - the power he will possess one day and he's scared to get too close to the mortals. 

He may be half mortal, but he's aware of his innate ability to hurt them, and he doesn't want that. He was fine on the farm, just fine. “This will be good for you little prince” Ares ruffles his hair as the bigger god walks into the home, in one of his many human forms he's still taller than most mortals. Yunho grumbles back, swatting the elders hand away, Ares thinks this is his rebellious teenage phase, his own son was busy going through it as well, or at least that's what the kids mother said, he doesn't really know much about mortals and their ways. 

“Stop calling me that” Yunho grits as he fixes his hair, he had to dye it black due to the regulations of this new city school he's going too- something about Koreans not naturally having blond hair- it's bullshit if you ask him, he wouldn't actually say that as an answer, he was raised too polite for that. But he'd definitely think it, for the first few days at least, until he gets used to it. 

“Never, little prince” Ares chuckles and Yunho swears the god acts more like a child than he-the 14 year old- does. Yunho sighs as he follows Ares into the living room, throwing himself on the couch as his elder brother places down the big box in his hands, letting out a fake groan as if the box was heavy to him. “ ‘res? Were you ever scared? when you first came down to the mortal realm, yaknow interacted with the humans?” Yunho doesn't look at his brother as he asks, rather preferring  to look up at the ceiling of his new home, porcelain white in contrast to the wood of his old house. He feels the couch dip as Ares sits beside him, moving his brother's legs to lay on his lap.  “Now why would I be scared of mortals?” the god chuckles. 

“not of them… of hurting them” Yunho clarifies and his brother sighs, “at first? no. I didn't realize how fragile they could be.. not until I had my first offspring with a human… despite having the power from me she still had her mothers mortality… safe to say she didn't last long. Is that why you don't want to be here? you're scared of hurting them?” Ares asks and Yunho finally moves his gaze to the elder, he hums in confirmation, not trusting his voice. “You're too young to be thinking like that little prince… too gentle to, you won't hurt the humans, not like you think you would” 

“Ares I'm aware of the power our father gave us.. and now with Mom having claimed me as her own I…. I'm scared of myself sometimes, of the power I could possess… How could I not be scared of hurting someone weaker?“ Yunho asks, “Our mother…  She's a piece of work sometimes but don't think of her claim as a burden, if anything it'll help balance you… it's a problem most demigods face, if they're godly parent has a power as strong as Zeus's well… they need to be at least acknowledged otherwise they're power will well… kill them from the inside..." Ares sighs, “Yunho you may have a destructive power, but don't think that's all it is alright? you're better than our father, it's why mom chose you.. you're special”

And before Yunho can respond, before he can say he doesn't want to be special, his dad and Hera walk in, “ah so we do all the work while you two laze around on the couch is that it? “ Eunwoo asks as Hera walks over to the two, gently slapping Ares' head as a sign for him to get up, “HEY - OW” he whines as he looks over to his mother, “we were just talking” he pouts. “don't pout, you're not a child Ares, it's unseemly” Hera says, and despite her tone there's a slight smirk on her face. 

Yunho likes this, the little family that's been built around him, it may be unconventional but they're special to him.. oh… that's what Ares meant. He was special, if he wasn't special he wouldn't have his family. Maybe being special wouldn't be so bad if he could keep this peace…

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“You really need to find a way to release more energy Yunho” Eunwoo sighs as he looks out the window of their living room, the sky outside dark and dreary despite it being midday, lightning cackling, before his gaze drifts back to his son. “Your dad's right, your energy is too much for your body” Hera sighs as she stands in the entrance to the living room.  “Yeah well if I could train with Ares this wouldn't be an issue” Yunho huffs, “well the city doesn't exactly have the space for that” his dad retorts and Yunho rolls his eyes. “Why not take up something after school? a sport of some kind, I hear mortal children like that!” Hera says, seemingly pleased with herself. 

“Your mom’s right, why not baseball, didn't you say you found that interesting recently? some of your friends are on the team right?” his father asks and all Yunho can do in reply is hum, of course he's thought about it, but he's not the best at controlling his powers yet, something about puberty Hera told him, he kind of blocked out that part. Point is, he can't really play any power sport that is needed for him to release the energy in his body, he doesn't want to. 

As much as he likes his friends, he always feels so.. distant from them, from the bonds they share.. he's tried treating everyone equally like his father said, and everyone loves him for it but…. he doesn't think they actually know him. He lets out a huff “no team sports” and Eunwoo nods his head.  “hm what about dance? I've heard some of the gods have been putting their children into that recently”  Hera walks over and sits on her rocking chair in the living room, nobody else sits in that chair except for her, it's like her own little throne in their home.  “Dancing could be good! you have been liking those Idols recently haven't you Yunho?” his father drifts his gaze from Hera down to the boy who's still laying on the floor mindlessly throwing a soccer ball up in the air as he catches it again. 

“Dance?... I mean maybe but…“ He pauses and his father seems to get what he means, “I heard of a great dance school in another town over? why don't you try that one? Come on, a few classes and if you don't like it we can try something else” Eunwoo pleads and the thunder outside crackles a bit louder, scaring Yunho into dropping the ball directly on his nose and causes Hera to hold a laugh back with her palm. “Fine I can try I guess” Yunho mutters rubbing his nose, though his mind is focused on the weather outside, he knows it's his doing, and he hates it because the more he uses his powers the greater the chance Zeus will wish to speak to him. 

The god knows about Yunho by now, but after a fight with Hera had agreed to let the boy live relatively peacefully away from Olympian life, doesn't mean Yunho wants to remind him and have the god change his mind though. Besides, it won't be that bad right? it's another town over so he won't have to deal with most of his school friends hopefully, the only problem is now he needs to socialize with a new group of humans. Yay him! 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

Okay so maybe dancing isn't that bad, the kids mostly stick to their own groups or to themselves and only bother him when they need help with something. He's started picking up the moves relatively quickly and the sky's seem clearer these days, with most of his energy spent on practice, Yunho feels a bit lighter. His coach is great too, giving Yunho extra exercises or choreography when the boy asks for it, always checking up on him. It's nice, it's quiet, all he has to focus on is the music and his own footsteps, he doesn't have to worry about being overwhelmed and accidentally hurting anybody, because the passion that's quickly gripped him is becoming a grounding action. 

Whenever he was in class and the kids would hoard around him, he'd rhythmically tap his foot to whatever choreography he's learning and suddenly that threatening spark that always seemed to simmer beneath his skin would be gone. It's helped him communicate more with his peers, something he's grateful for, he's always wanted to be seen as kind, and he hopes this helps him achieve it. 

“Yunho, how would you feel if I introduced you to someone?“ His coach asked him one day after a particularly grueling practice, Yunho raises a brow as he drinks water, “uhm fine I think? May I ask why?” His coach sighs as he walks closer to the boy, taking out his phone seemingly texting someone. “I have this friend, he coaches at the other location this dance company has, anyway I've sat in with him a few times and you remind me a lot of one of his students… that boy is fast paced too, and he also doesn't interact much with his classmates” the coach gives Yunho a pointed look and he can't help but only give a sheepish one in return. It's really not his fault okay? He treats everyone equally, and not wanting to talk to one means not talking to the rest, not voluntarily at least. 

“Anyway, me and my friend thought it might be a good idea to get you two together, you're around the same age so your styles may align” The coach looks at Yunho hopefully, the younger letting out a sigh before nodding. His coach's face instantly brightens up as he pats Yunho on the back, “GREAT! because he's here!” The elder does a weird shimmy movement with his shoulders and wiggles his brows before scurrying to the entrance before Yunho can even respond.  He's left standing there, mouth agape water bottle in hand watching as his fellow classmates leave and he's stuck waiting for his coach and a new person. 

It's subtle at first when he feels it, the power that shocks him out of his dissociative state. It doesn't crackle and spark like his own, doesn't burn or feel like it's clawing to go somewhere, it's more….. misty. It's cold, it's comforting almost, like a light blanket, a knitted one with holes, or maybe one made of nylon, sheer and not used to block the freezing temperature. 

The hairs on the back of his hair stand up, he knows Hera had told him he'd be able to sense others like him, other demigods, but this is a surreal feeling, he's not even completely sure it's his senses calling out to someone of his kind until the boy steps into the room with his coaches in tow. 

He's tall, around Yunho's height, which is weird since Yunho is only this tall at his age due to his godly connection, the boy is pale and lanky, glaces placed on his eyes, which Yunho can't see due to his fluffy dark black hair covering it. The boy is sunken in on himself, not as if he's shy, no, more so uninterested in the situation. 

It's as if Yunho knows, as if a voice in his head says “this one's like you” as he stares at the boy who finally looks up at Yunho. The son of Zeus sucks in a breath as he stares at the boy's eyes, innocent and wide on all accounts but Yunho can see something more… something dark, scary, concerning…. something deadly.  “Yunho, this is Mingi- he's .... “ his coach trails off, almost as if unsure on how to handle the situation, luckily the other older man, whom Yunho assumes to be the friend his coach talked about, finishes his sentence for him. “He's like you” the man says and while Yunho's first instinct would be to believe he means in terms of skill as his coach had said at first, the man's tone suggests something deeper. “Like me? “ he manages to ask, setting down his water bottle. 

“Godly, divine, different, half-bred, Olympian-” the boy makes a face at the last word, “Chthonic, holier than thou, whatever you call yourself these days” the man sighs and Yunho gapes, “wait you-” 

“know? yes, most company higher ups do, a lot of coaches and scouts know in order to see who they want to recruit for entertainment companies” Yunho's own coach interrupts him, “you'd be surprised at how many of your idols are godly offspring” and Yunho does not know what to do with this information. “Well, you two get acquainted, we'll be off then” Yunho's coach clasps his hands together and rushes his friend out the room, closing the door leaving only a very confused Yunho and Mingi, who seems like he doesn't want to be there. 

“So uhm - I'm uh- I'm Yunho- sorry I've just never met another demigod before like - I knew others existed it's just-” Yunho's nervous rambles are cut off when the boy speaks up, “it's just Olympians like to keep their kids away from one another, think you guys are gonna rise up against them or something” Yunho nods at the boys words. “So uhm I'm guessing you aren't Olympian then?” Yunho questions as he goes to sit down against the wall, Mingi following him. “Nope, Chthonic through and through” he nods, fiddling with his fingers. “What's that like? My mom told me the Chthonic are much closer than the Olympians” Yunho turns his head to look at Mingi. 

“It's nice, the outside world can be lonely so our parents help keep the kids around one another, they don't have the ego and fear the Olympians have- no offense” Mingi laughs, “None taken” Yunho responds in kind. “So I don't really know the meeting other demigod etiquette uhm would it be disrespectful to ask who your parent is?” He looks at Mingi, and deep in his heart he's hoping his new found friend maybe says Hades, maybe he and this boy could be family, a family that could understand him. “hm, My mom's mortal, I love her with all my life, but my dad-” Mingi swings his head to look at Yunho, almost hesitating “my dad's Thanatos.”

Yunho's mouth hangs open “as in-” Mingi nods, “as in god of death yep.. how about yours?” Yunho sighs, “it would be hypocritical of me to say I don't really want to share right?” Mingi turns his body to look at him, “come on dude I just told you my dad is literally death personified I don't really think I can judge” Yunho raises a brow “oh no you can judge, trust me I do.. but uhm… my dad may or may not be Zeus… “ he mumbles the last part but Mingi clearly caught it as his eyes widen “HOLY SHIT DUDE WAIT ZEUS?? AS IN?? THAT MEANS YOU'RE - oh damn give me a minute…. dammit man now I owe my cousin twenty bucks” Mingi sighs, running one of hands over his face as Yunho looks at him confused. “you what??”

“bro the fates are real chatty and my aunt is like their favorite or whatever so they tell her stuff and they told her about one of Zeus's kids being spared cause Hera liked him then she told me and my cousin and we had a whole debate about it man” He takes a breath, “but damn Zeus as a dad's gotta be rough.. and I thought having to deal with grandma on monthly dinners was tough” Yunho looks at Mingi, and something in him hurts, the way he speaks of other godly beings, of family apart of this world, it's something Yunho yearns for. “and by aunt, grandma and cousin you mean…. “ Yunho trails off, not knowing who to refer to. Mingi's mouth makes an ‘o’ shape at the realization that Yunho wouldn't know who he was talking about, “uhm my aunt, she's a demi god- I don't think you'd know her, her names Kyu, by grandmother I mean her mother, Nyx, and my cousin is a son of Hypnos, his names Hyunjin” Mingi nods as he explains. 

“Wait Nyx had kids??” Yunho asks and Mingi looks at him confused, “yeah dude like so many literally -” “no- no not godly kids like, like demigods?” he asks again more clearly. “Oh yeah well she and Grandpa Erebus were bored so they decided fuck it! and each went to a couple of their own choosing and had a kid, Grandma had a daughter, my aunt Kyu, and grandpa had a son, my uncle Kai” Mingi nods. “wow.. that's… hmhm damn, how old are they?” he asks, not really knowing how to process the information just yet, “well my aunt's our age, a few months younger than me actually and my uncle is like a year older than us- enough about my family though, tell me about yours, come on I gotta know HOW you managed to stay alive” Mingi looks at Yunho wide eyed with a smile. 

He likes this, having a friend that understands him, he thinks he could get used to it. He hopes he and Mingi can stay friends, he'd like to hear more about the other's family, and wish that one day he can maybe be as close to those of his own. 

Nyx was bored, she was so unbelievably bored. The entertainment of watching the mortals under her night sky could only last so long until the stories got repetitive, working with her children didn't really bring her joy. as much as she loved them, they were all grown now and their work was their own. She tried being a receptionist to help sort souls who had recently died and send them to her son Charon for travel, but a few to many mortals had got on her nerves and ended in the nothingness, so she was asked to leave ‘for a while’ which was Hades code for “please for the love of god this is too much paperwork”

Nyx wasn't childish, not by any means, no she was strong and powerful, she was feared, but when you leave an offspring of Chaos alone for too long… Well then she gets a bit restless.  So, she bounds over to her husband, deciding he would indulge her in her boredom. Stepping into her cave she immediately feels the surge of power as her bare feet step on the dark void of a floor, her cave had always been where she felt the most powerful. It was her home, where she and her husband reside and where she had birthed her children. 

“Honeyyyyyy I'm bored” she yells, placing her chin on his cloaked shoulder when she finds him sitting in his office, her husband's mostly made of smoke and darkness that can't really be solidified, but he does have a cloak that gives him a semi physical form. “And what could I do to cure that boredom, My Night?” he asks, voice monotone as always, her husbands never really been one to show emotion, but she's fine with that, she knows him well enough to understand him even when his tone seems disinterested to others. She hums as she thinks for a moment, watching him move pages around until a specific name catches her eye, she leans over him and stops his movements, placing her finger on the name that's written in dark black ink “Kai.” she states, “Kai? “ her husband asks. 

“mhm, shouldn't he be ready by now? I wanna play with him” she clasps her hands together as she bounds to the other side of her husbands desk, sitting on a chair in front of him, “My Night, Human babies take nine months to form, he has currently only been in his mothers womb for eight” he states softly, “besides we agreed to let his mortal parents raise him as they see fit until he decides if he wants to be apart of this world himself, no?“ he tilted his head to his wife, reminding her of the rule she had set in place. Despite her seemingly bubbly nature she was always serious when it came to her offspring, step child or not. 

She groans and sinks further into the chair “but I'm bored and the kids are all grown up and I have no one to play with” she pouts and Erebus lets out a chuckle, “Well I'm sure the King and Queen would allow you to borrow Cerebus for a while to play” he hums, but his wife seems to have other plans. She slams her hands on the table, standing up and sending the chair flying “I want a baby” she looks him in the eye, dead serious. 

He sighs, realizing he is not getting any work done while she's here and sets down the papers in his hand “you want a baby?” he asks for confirmation and she nods, “come on so many of the gods had kids recently, even our sons!  let's have a baby hm? come on imagine another little running around the cave!” she looks at him hopefully. 

“My Night, firstly, if you wanted a baby we both know you could have just created one-” she nods, as she sits back down, “-which makes me believe there's a bit more to this. Secondly, if you make another child alone or with me that offspring would be a god- and as much as I love our children, I believe we have enough gods running amok already-” he points to the papers in front of him again, who knew helping consult Hades would be this tiring, Erebus hasn't needed Hypnos’s help to sleep since he took on this job in his wife's stead. “Thirdly, I don't think Zeus would take too kindly to us creating another god, you remembered how he was every time you announced another offspring, how he was when Hades had told him about Kai” Erebus finished and Nyx scoffs. 

“Zeus can go suck another dick for all I care” she grumbles, she never really liked him, sure he was sweet when he was still a babe, she remembered Rhea showing Zeus to her, but she's always preferred Aidoneus more- or well Hades as he liked to be called now. “My Night I know you dislike him but he's still king-” she rolls her eyes, “yeah of Olympus” her husband nods his head, “- of Olympus and we really don't wish to cause little Hades any more trouble now do we?” he asks and she nods, she really likes little Aidoneus and knows her nature sometimes causes him enough trouble with his brother as is. 

“Now, you agree with what I've said so tell me what this is really about him?” His voice is still monotone, and would be considered cold and crude to an outsider, but she loves her husband, and she can sense the softness in his tone.  “Just… When you helped that couple conceive Kai, we went through so many couples who wished to receive this blessing, so many who wished to have more children and that made me so grateful for my babies but- they aren't my babies anymore yaknow? they grew up so quickly and I-” She stops herself, but Erebus finished her sentence for her, “you wish to have a child that does not grow as quickly? “ she nods.

“I want a mortal- well half mortal- demigod I think the others call it I just- I want one” she pouts at Erebus, and it's not the one she usually has, the one she gives him when she's in trouble or being petty, it's not the one that reminds him despite their age she's still his little sister. No this one is sad, it holds a sense of longing he last saw her have when she watched Rhea hold little Aidoneus, wishing for more of her own. 

Erebus sighs, “okay” he gives a nod, “okay? “ she asks hopefully, “it might not hurt for Kai to have a younger sibling of his own kind…. besides the Fates mentioned something to me yesterday… so I think this might already be written in stone.”

Nyx stops her joyful kicking in the air as she looks back at her husband, “what did they say?” she asks curiously, worried about anything that may pertain to her future stepson or the prospect of her own half- mortal child. “I wasn't exactly listening, you know how they love to gossip, but they mentioned something about a lightning storm at night- I'm assuming that's probably just going to be Zeus overreacting to the news” he hums. “I swear I ought to teach that little lightning bolt a-” “ah My Night, why don't you focus on choosing the prospects for your child hm?” He tries to stop his wife from her vengeful tangent, already seeing the darkness creeping up on the tips of her fingers. It was daytime currently, so his wife was sporting her paler skin shade, not yet was it time for night to overtake her when she had to go to work. 

In an instant the darkness dies back down and she lights up- figuratively of course, she stands and rushes to the door in excitement, before rushing back to him and placing a kiss on his head then out the door she went, screaming about how she's going to go sit with Persephone and look through the candidates her and Erebus had used for Kai again. He just sighs, mentally apologizing to the Queen of the underworld - wait no she'd enjoy this, mentally apologizing to Hades for having the time with his wife be interrupted.

Kyu loved her mother, really she did, the goddess was sweet and kind, always having love for her children- but she was playful too, as a daughter of Chaos she never allowed her family to forget where they came from, no day was spent without even the tiniest of a mischievous slip in her voice. It always brought a smile to Kyu's face, when she would fight with her mortal parents or be under the stress of her academics, her mothers eyes would sparkle with the most chaotic twinkle, letting her daughter know that everything would be okay. 

Kyu loved her mother, but she was nothing like her, she couldn't be. She wanted to, gods sometimes she wished she could be as carefree, as mischievous. When she was younger, she would play around with her brother, Kai, they would pull pranks on their elder godly siblings, but she couldn't be that person anymore. 

It started when she was six, her mortal parents had gone through a rough patch of sorts, partying on weekends and fighting when they thought she was asleep. She started spending more time with her nephews, visiting her mothers cave more, anything to just get away, to have the chance to be a kid without worries. She loved her mortal parents, and as much as it killed her she had to admit that despite their efforts those memories of her early childhood will always haunt her. 

Her fellow demigods had become her refuge, her brother whom she didn't see a lot was a constant comfort for her, always shadow traveling to her when his own parents had gotten a little too much, he truly helped her feel at home. Her closest nephew Hyunjin, son of Hypnos, who lived just a few streets down would always come to her and excitedly show a new dance he'd learned. The boy loved the activity, and she could tell he'd have a future in it. Her other Nephew Mingi, son of Thanatos, she didn't see as often, he lived a bit away so their only interactions were at family dinners but she loved him deeply, her little - not little he had always been taller than her, and older at that- but he was still her little joy. 

Being the youngest, her love for her family was as endless as the night sky itself, and for a while, that love was extended to Erin Gim. She met him when they were both thirteen, school had just started getting serious when she met him, an offspring that held the chaos a part of her craved to release when her powers got too much. He was her tiny piece of freedom under the crumbling pressure of being perfect, of upholding the image of the perfect and regal night's daughter. 

It was such a cheesy story really, the goody two shoes, top of the grade class president and the delinquent that barely showed up for class, highschool sweethearts. Every endeavor she had pursued, he was there supporting her. Sure the relationship wasn't conventional, sure he wasn't always there, sure she didn't always feel comfortable enough to tell him everything she was feeling… but that was normal right? yeah it was… it was completely normal, everyone had things they kept to themselves. So yes, her love had been extended to him as well… until it wasn't. 

Her entire family had decided to go into the glorious industry of the elite, Kai had become a designer in his own right, both her nephews decided they wanted to be Idol's, use their talents to connect with others and she… she just wanted to stay alive, to survive. Erin had become a bit more.. controlling, he would accompany her to classes, an action originally seen as sweet now a looming figure warning her of the dangers of a misstep. 

“I love you honey, you know that” he'd always say, stroking her cheeks as tears fell from her eyes, she'd try to hide them in the beginning, but there was a point where she just gave in. “It's only because I love you that I'm doing this, if I'm to rule one day with you by my side, then you will need to be able to stand the ridicule you'll inevitably face” he'd speak softly, soothing tone and warm eyes contrasting his words, if she had been deaf his expression would have reminded her of the boy she loved. Yet she was only falling, falling deeper into the lost space of uncertainty. 

She didn't know what to do with her life, so she decided to follow her family, without the liberty of creative freedom, she signed up to JYP entertainment for a management position and luckily she had been accepted. Some shadow program thing, she had been instated as the manager for a young trainee, a boy named Kim Seungmin, son of Demeter. He was sweet, clearly too scared to show it, but Kyu knew, she always did. She was good at reading people. The way little petals would fall from his fingers when he was praised, the small quirk of his lips when he saw something funny. It was a cruel business, but Kyu was determined to help this boy every step of the way.  She guessed she'd gotten that maternal instinct from her mother. 

Her work was her escape from Erin, he thought it was a good thing that she was networking with other demigods. Recently he's had this fixation, believing he and her could have some sort of uprising, rule the underworld in Hades and Persephone's stead, she learned to ignore his rambles. Throwing herself into working, taking on more responsibilities and opportunities than any other manager of her level, it was the perfect excuse, one to get her away from Erin, one he couldn't refute. 

Of course she'd thought of leaving him, of telling someone, anyone of the downward spiral he was going through, but she'd spent too many years on this, on him. She wouldn't be seen as weak, wouldn't let her mothers reputation fall because she was too blindsided to know when she was being used. She just couldn't, she felt weak before him and she hated being weak, she wouldn't let others think of her as that either. 

Deep in the back of her mind, her heart screamed at her that this wasn't true, that her soul was not meant to be hurt in the way it was, that it was meant to be cherished. Her family wouldn't be upset, wouldn't be mad she ruined their image, they would be rageful and that scared her even more. For if her mother were to take her anger out on Eris? it would simply upset the balance of nature. Kyu couldn't be the reason for that, she wasn't important enough in her own mind to be. 

She only felt strong when others leaned on her, asked for support, looked up to her like an older sister or a mother. When Seungmin would come to her for comfort, when coworkers asked her for help, when God's complimented her maturity, she felt pride, like she was succeeding in a legacy of powerful, capable women, like she was worthy of being her mother's daughter. When Stray kids was formed, the company didn't really care much for them, decided that nine managers would be too many for a group that had the possibility of not succeeding, stating that only one manager would oversee the group and they had to decide who it was. The others immediately withdrew their own names, all young and too scared to take the risk, Kyu with her cousin and the boy she had taken under her wing on the line, decided she would do so. 

That's how she got the position she was in now, head manager of the big fourth gen group Stray kids, although they had now downsized to eight she still couldn't be more proud of her boys. She'd never regret her decision, not aloud at least, she loved the boys really, they were like her own family, parts of her life she could not live without. Especially after her brother had been hired as a stylist for Minho, it felt like everything was complete, as complete as it could be. She'd watch the stolen glances between Kai and Felix, the giggles of Minho when he was plotting something, hear Changbin's warm laugh echo around the halls and envelope those around him in the comfort of his mothers hearth, watch Chan's sleepy eyes droop when he stays up in the studio, see Hyunjin slip a little sleeping potion in said leaders drink to have the man rest. She'd watch Han do something so hilariously stupid that Jeongin can't help but smile, bringing him out of his own mental spiral. 

And while she'd never tell the others, her favorite thing to observe was a sleepy Seungmin, when he was all mope-y, when he finally fell asleep on the couch in her office after a long day yet refusing to go back to the dorms without her. He always looked so cute when he slept, little leaves sometimes forming from his hair if he had a good dream. She understood Demeter’s protectiveness over her children, especially with a son as cute as Seungmin. She mentally promised the goddess to look after the boy, and Kyu would never break a promise, especially not one as close to her own heart. 

“You really need to stop babying him,” Kai sighs, whispering as he walks into Kyu's office. A sleepy Seungmin rests on the couch with Kyu's favorite blanket draped over him. “and you really need to stop avoiding Felix” she bites back, not looking up from the files on her desk as she writes. “Hey that's different and you know it” he immediately responds as he falls into the chair opposite her by her desk. She nods agreeing, doesn't mean she'll verbalize it though. 

“Seriously though Kyu at this point you and Demeter have shared custody” Kai steals one of her pens and starts doodling on the corner of a paper closest to him, “okay and? I love Demeter so that's not a bad thing” she hums in response and Kai groans, “that's not what I meant” his voice remains monotone despite the playful atmosphere, he's always been like that, much like his father when it comes to showing emotion. 

“Then what did you mean?” She finally looks up at him, “What I mean is you've been here a lot recently… and when you don't go home he doesn't go home. You baby him and now he's too attached” Kai still continues his doodles, “I have work to do I can't go home right now-” I don't want to “-I'll get him home soon so you can tell Lix to stop worrying” She says as she looks back down at her files. Kai stops his drawing, the reasoning behind his questioning being caught. 

There's a moment of silence as Kai places the pen back in its place, “Seriously though, you have been spending too much time here recently - and don't tell me it's a work overload cause we both know that's bullshit”

“Erin's just been a bit stressed lately - you know I don't like being in stressed environments so I'm just letting him  cool off” Kyu speaks, her response almost rehearsed in its entirety, Kai gives her a look, as if he doesn't believe her. Because he doesn't, he knows his little sister better than anyone, but they've had one too many fights about this, about Erin. He can't bring up his accusations and worries again, while not baseless his sister always manages to hide whatever proof he might find. 

“hm, just don't stay here too late- or I'll sick Hyunjin on you” He hums as he stands up, taping her desk three times, she taps back subconsciously, “yeah yeah- now get out before you wake up Min” she throws a pencil at him and he lifts his hands in surrender as he backs out, silently leaving the office. She looks over at Seungmin and sighs, knowing her brother was right, and mentally preparing herself to go home so that she can ensure Seungmin went back to his own dorms. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“I'm home” Kyu says softly as she opens the door to her apartment, sighing in relief as she shrugs off her coat and heels and puts on her slippers, she places her keys down as she walks more into her home, she hears a bit of noise in the kitchen. “Erin?” before she reaches the room her boyfriend comes jumping out of the kitchen, “Hi!” he seems excited, that's good, he leans forward to hug her. She doesn't like the way he hugs her, he's taller than her, so he always wraps his arms around her neck, she feels more trapped than comforted when he does this, reminded of far too many times his arms around her neck were threatening to find peace in them now. 

“So I bought some stuff for cookies cause I was in the mood right? but I kind of forgot that I can't bake so I thought ‘hey! you know who can bake? My girlfriend! we should make a date out of it’ so I set everything out and well yeah what do you think” He smiles at her, one of the rare times there doesn't seem to be any intent of anything else behind. “hm that sounds nice, but I'm kind of tired. Could we maybe do this tomorrow?” she looks up at him, her words carefully and tone soft as she speaks. 

His face drops, it's not really that noticeable, but Kyu knows how to read him by now, “are you sure? if we bake them now they'll be ready and you can take some to work tomorrow, you always like a sweet treat at work don't you?” he rubs her arms in mock comfort as he speaks down to her, it's supposed to be a reassuring tone but it makes her feel inferior to him and she hates that, because she knows it's not true- she knows and yet- yet she feels like it is. 

He really doesn't know her, if he did he'd know she actually hates eating things like cookies when at work, prefers little snacks, things that don't make a mess. She also doesn't like apples, and knowing Erin he's going to want to make an apple cookie.  “yeah-yeah uhm just let me go put on some more comfortable clothes and-” She's interrupted by Erin, “no come on, you can get dressed when we're done hm? cause then you can shower and you'll be all clean after we played around with the flour” he drags her to the kitchen and she sighs but doesn't fight back  knows she can't. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“guys guys guys guys did Persephone by any chance I don't know like have a kid” Yunho asks as he rushes over to his fellow Ateez members, almost sliding past them as they stand backstage in their allocated rooms of the Kingdom set, “Melinoe and Zagreus - did you not listen when we were taught -” Hongjoong starts as he looks confused at Yunho, who stops his leader from talking, “no-no not them like a demigod kid-like us” Yunho asks, his voice almost a bit frantic. “uhm no? Dude she and Hades are like, so in love I don't think they'd ever really have any demigod children” Seonghwa hums, eyes leaving his phone to look up at Yunho, “why?”

Yunho sighs as he sinks into the couch beside San, “because I think I just found the love of my life”, his words hang in the air for a second before all hell breaks loose, everyone whipping their heads to him. “WHAT?” Wooyoung yells as both he and Yeosang zero in on Yunho, “mhm.. she was so pretty and she smelled like strawberries” he smiles blissfully as he thinks back, head resting on the couch rest behind him as he looks up at the ceiling. 

“oh so that's why you thought she was Persephone's? strawberries?” Jongho asks, trying to make sense of the situation, Yunho only nods in response. The members have learned not to ask him how he knows when someone is like them, he has a sense for it. “and you're in love?” Yeosang asks slowly, as if he's doubting Yunho. He's never shown any interest in someone before, so while this could be a good thing the timing of it all was not. “yeah…. HEY! doesn't Demeter have a kid!” Yunho shoots up, “I mean I thought she was Chthonic but maybe I was wrong yaknow? I mean Demeter that's -” Yunho shoots up as he thinks, “that would mean she's my cousin” he groans as he falls back. 

“well good thing is as far as I know Demeter only has one kid- and he's a son, and apart of Stray kids so I don't think your mystery girl is your cousin if that gives you any hope” Jongho says, “hey didn't Mingi say his aunt worked for stray kids right? If she's a staff member, maybe she can help you guess who your mystery girl is? I mean there aren't any girl groups here so the only women would be other staff members or… partners” San offers the last word a bit hesitantly, afraid of what Yunho's reaction might be. Yunho always feels deeply, even if he doesn't show it to many, even if he tries to remain neutral. 

Yunho doesn't seem to register the last word though, as he looks at San in excitement, “YES! yes oh you're a genius I could kiss you” Yunho turns to San, holding his face in his hands before he springs up, “hey where do you think you're going?” Hongjoong asks as he sees Yunho walk back to the door, “to find Mingi's aunt? I can just go find Hyunjin and ask him who she is and then I'll ask her who-” Yunho's rambling is cut off.  “You can do that after the performance, we're about to be called for filming and I'm not having you be missing when we need to go up there” Hongjoong gives him a stern look, “But-” Yunho starts to protest but is once again cut off, this time by a knock on the door.

 “Ateez? it's almost time, we're going to need you to get in positions” a staff yells from outside the door, and Hongjoong raises his hand in a ‘see?’ motion. “Come on Yun, you'll probably see her when we go stand out there yeah? Just do your best with this performance and impress her” San squeezes Yunho's shoulders as he stands next to him, “yeah yeah yeah I can do that - I can do this” Yunho psych's himself up as he looks at his members, eyes filled with determination. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Oh I can't do this, I can't fucking do this she's looking at me- guys she's looking at me fuck, are these cameras on? shit my knees feel like jelly, Holy Kronos her eyes are so pretty” Yunho speed mumbles as staff fixes his outfit, eyes focused on the woman across the room who's currently talking to Stray  kids, as if she's scolding them and they're hanging onto her every word. He would hang on even tighter if he was able to get just a little closer, to hear her voice. 

“oh? which one is she?” Yeosang asks as he looks over the staff in front of him, “The one scolding Stray kids like a Queen with her servants- she'd make such a good Queen don't you think? I know mom said I need to find someone to rule beside me-” He starts again, “Okay slow your role buddy you don't even know her name yet, seems like she's their main manager though. Wait isn't that-” Yeosang’s realization is cut off by San, “That my friend, is Mingi's aunt” he says as he smirks, Wooyoung's head suddenly poking out from behind him, “Oh shit Yunho fell in love with Mingi's AUNT??” he shouted. 

“shut up shut up I did not” Yunho reached over to slap his hand over Wooyoung's mouth, accidentally knocking the staff in front of him out of the way, apologizing immediately when he noticed, “oh you so did” Yeosang says from where he stands, “Ohh Mingi isn't gonna like thissssss” he continues, “I did NOT fall for Mingi's aunt okay? that's not Mingi's aunt-” Yunho tries to defend, retreating his hand from Wooyoung's mouth  “Oh no that's definitely his aunt he showed us a picture” Yeosang hums as he motions his fingers between himself and San, who nods in agreement. 

Yunho looks at them, his lips pressing into a thin line as he seems to take in the information, he starts nodding slowly as the members around him watch, waiting for some sort of reaction.  “You think he'd be okay if I gave him a shirt that says ‘you're my favorite nephew’” Yunho asks thoughtfully, although his face is almost void as he continues nodding his head as if all of this is just normal. Jongho looks at him as if he's just lost his mind. “First of all- ouch” the younger says in mock offense, clearly not liking his title being given away, “secondly, no I don't think he'd be too fond of that” his tone is almost deadpan, as if it's the most obvious opinion in the world. 

“WRONG, Wooyoung next opinion” Yunho turns to the giggling menace, completely disregarding the staff who just huffs and gives up on styling him further,. “I think you should go for it, yaknow give Mingi a cousin” Wooyoung wiggles his brows as Seonghwa smacks him upside the head, “hey! your mom is like- the queen of breeding kinks you should agree with me!“ he tries to defend himself, only for Seonghwa to start chasing him around their little group huddle and trying to smack him. 

“okay so don't follow Wooyoungs advice” Yeosang looks to Yunho with a facial expression that asks ‘can you really believe he said that?’ but stops once he realizes that Yunho actually looks as if he's contemplating it. “Yunho. Don't listen to Wooyoung.” he tries to snap his roommate out of it, but it seems to be of no use, “no, no he's got a point, I mean I'm my dads heir right? so obviously I need to have an heir” he nods again, as if all of life is finally starting to fall into place. “yeah, but uhm, in all Mingi's rambles about his aunt I think you're forgetting a very important detail” San says as he winces. 

“wait you're so right I know her name now!” Yunho bounces, hands on San’s shoulders, “Thank you San this is so-” Yunho's enthusiasm is stopped by the mountain boys hands atop his own, “yeah that's good but I wasn't talking about that Yunho…“ San says almost sympathetically, Yunho tilts his head confused, the smile on his face turning strained but still there. 

“Places everyone, we're starting in five!” a crew members voice reverberates through the large set, as everyone starts to shuffle into place San moves Yunho so he's looking back over at Stray kids, specifically at their manager who's walking away from them and going to stand next to a man who's slightly taller than her, he places a hand on her shoulder comfortingly as she breathes out and places her hand atop his, watching Stray kids walk to their position. “I'm talking about the fact that she has a boyfriend… “ San says and he starts moving, slightly pushing Yunho to walk with the rest of them. 

“oh” Yunho lets out a sound, eyes locked on the two, he remembers, Mingi talking about his aunts boyfriend, he remembers Mingi asking Yunho if he knows him since the man was from Zeus's line. Yunho remembers once how Mingi had brought up a concern that maybe this guy wasn't the best for her, but never talked about it again after that. His eyes stay locked on them as he's swept with his members to their places, and it seems the other man notices, his gaze that seemed kind turns to Yunho, and there's a glint of recognition in his eyes begore his gaze turns cold.

 He stares at Yunho, who's eyes flick between their faces and the hand Erin, because he remembers his name now, has on Kyu's , because god he knows her name now too, shoulder. Erin's eyes turn dark, staring Yunho down as if assessing an enemy before a slight smirk pulls at his lips as he pulls Kyu just a bit closer, and she leans in as if it's instinct, as if its natural. It seems so comforting, so loving, but something about it makes Yunho's stomach churn. “come on dude we have to go, we can talk about this after the performance yeah?” Hongjoong nudges him, trying to gain his attention and thankfully it works. 

Yunho nods and puts on the best smile he could muster as he pulls his eyes away from the couple before anyone else could notice his staring. Unfortunately he pulled his gaze away just in time to not notice the way Erin ducked down to whisper in Kyu's ear, to not notice the way she clenched her fist and her posture went rigid beneath her boyfriends hold. 

On the other side of the room, Kyu's nervous, her boys are about to perform and she has Erin breathing down her back, invading her safe workspace because whenever she has to be on filming's like these he insists to come with her, to meet the people she'll be spending months with.  She feels his breath ghost over her neck, because he doesn't like it when she wears her hair down, “Someone's got an interest in you it seems, don't have it continue, before I get interested in them too hm?” he places his other hand on her hip, rubbing circles that would seem comforting to others, but only feel threatening to her. She doesn't know who he's referring to, but by the gods does she wish whoever that is leaves her alone. Lest Erin gain interest, it didn't go well the last time. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“come onn we're like way much more fun you should switch to join us” Han whines from where he lays on the couch, kicking his legs as if to prove the point of his little overdramatic tantrum, Kyu sighs as she sits on the floor, her laptop propped on the coffee table in front of her as she types away, “I've already told you, I'm not managing the rap unit, the head managers pulled straws, I didn't get you.” she explains for what feels like the hundredth time. The mayfly units have been formed and to take some stress off of all the managers they decided they'd draw straws, some would be in charge of certain units while others could relax at least a little, unfortunately Kyu drew a work straw. 

“exactly besides she's already going to exchange to be with us, duh” Seungmin retorts as he sits next to Kyu, playing with a piece of her hair like a cat as he keeps braiding and unbraiding it. Han sticks out his tongue at the younger, “that is just unfair- THIS IS NEPOTISM!“ he shoots up, pointing an accusatory finger at Felix. “just because we joke about Kyu being his mother doesn't mean she actually is” Minho remarks as both Kyu and Seungmin make an “ehh” sound while shrugging they're shoulders. “SEE?? NEPOTISM” Han looks at the others as if asking for backup. 

“It's not nepotism because I'm not changing to the vocal unit either” she sighs out again and Seungmin makes a noise of protest, “HAH! suck it losers” Kai huffs from where he sits styling Felix's hair, nobody knows why since they don't have a schedule right now, but they've learned not to question whatever excuse the two make to spend time together.  “why are you happy, it's not as if she's there for you” Minho days and Kai throws something at him in response, “yeah she's clearly not wanting to leave the dance unit cause she wants to meet San” Changbin stirs the pot a bit more, Kyu finally looks up to him.

 “No, I'm doing this because it would be unfair to the other managers if I just-” Kyu's explanation is cut off by Seungmin, “Be honest, are you going to abandon me for him? because like I'm so much better I can do PLANTS he's like- just the mountains” he huffs out. “You're worse than a three year old when he gets a baby sibling dude you are a grown man stop this…  it's just sad and weird at some point.. “ Jeongin says as he lays on the other couch, sipping on a juice box Kai had gotten him as he plays game son the elders phone, “hypocrite” Seungmin mumbles. 

“I still find it funny that Mingi isn't your Ateez bias I mean he's your nephew” Chan speaks up from where he's typing away at his own laptop, “Seonghwa’s your brother and yet he's not your bias either” Kyu retorts back and Chan immediately goes silent again. “Okay that's not fair you know Chan's never even really met the guy except for recently” Kai says as he drops down onto the couch next to Jeongin, finally done with Felix hair that definitely doesn't look the exact same as when he started. Kyu turns her head to her brother, “He's your nephew too and last time I heard he was not your bias” Kai's lips press I to a line as he hears his sisters words, “yeah no sorry Chan you're alone with this one” he nods, “wait who's your Ateez bias?” Felix asks confusedly, “don't worry about” Kai responds immediately and Felix makes a face that lets everyone else know he is definitely going to worry about it. 

“Besides I just think san is cute is all” Kyu shrugs, and before Minho can make a sarcastic retort she continues, “in the way I think Seungmin is cute not the way I think Erin is don't even start” she says accusingly and Minho lifts his hand in mock surrender, “keeping quiet.”

“Good, now speaking of Erin, if you'll excuse me I need to go talk to him” she sighs as she picks up her phone, walking out of the room as she brings it to her ear and they hear the fading dial tone. “So are we all just going to act like that Yunho guy that's in the dance unit hasn't been bugging us about Kyu like the whole show?” Kai asks as he looks around, “oh yeah, Zeus's kid got it bad” Minho whistles, “Hey I think it's cute, he's just being shy” Felix muses as he smiles, “It's annoying” Kai looks at him with a deadpan expression, “I don't want to be answering questions about my sister all day” he groans. 

“He's hopeful, I don't think it'll ever really work with Zeus not liking Nyx and all, they're opposites, but cut the kid some slack” Changbin huffs, “kid? he's your age- actually I think he beats you by a few months” Han looks at him weirdly as he speaks.  “I don't see how them being opposites should stop any feelings, sometimes you just can't help it” Felix shrugs as he sneaks a glance at the back of Kai's head, the fatigue of having spent the day with the son of darkness is starting to reach him but he doesn't want to let it show, so he blinks rapidly as he looks back to the rest in the room. 

“I think we're all forgetting the fact that she has a boyfriend whom she's been with since like- highschool?” Jeongin questions, “that seems like the actual issue here” Seungmin looks back at him, “yeah but do any of us actually like Erin” he asks and nobody responds, “we may not enjoy his company but he's good for her so how bout we all just stay out of it hm?” Chan looks at his members as they nod at their leader's words, Kai lets out a low grumble of something they can't really hear, but they ignore it anyway, used to him sometimes mumbling to himself. Felix doesn't though, he could never ignore a word Kai says, and he tries so hard to focus,  hearing the words “not really” after Chan had said that Erin was good for Kyu, and he furrows his brows as he looks at the love of- as he looks at Kai. 

“hey guys I just got a text, they changed some schedules so they want the dance unit to meet and film now” Kyu sighs as she walks back in, clearly not happy that the schedule was moved up a few hours. “I thought you were talking with Erin?” Seungmin asks, “hm, I was, but then I got the text so I needed to come back- he understood” she reassured the boy as she ruffled his hair, packing up her own things. “I'm gonna meet you guys in the car okay? “ She looks at the boys assigned to her unit, “meet me there in ten. ”

“Yo do you need me? “ Kai asks lazily, “yeah, you're Minho's stylist and he's gonna be on camera so kind of” she looks at him as if he just asked the dumbest question, and he just repeats her words mockingly to himself as he stands up and shrugs on his jacket. “Can I call  shotgun? I don't wanna sit between these two” Minho moves his fingers to point between Kai and Felix as he looks at Kyu hopefully, wanting to persuade her into giving up her seat. “Nope, I'm manager, I call the shots, I get shotgun, just sit somewhere else in the back” she shrugs before walking out and Minho groans in disappointment. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“You don't have to stare at her that hard, yaknow, she doesn't bite…. unless that's what you want?” Felix startles Yunho as he creeps up behind the taller, his eyebrow raising. Yunho almost jumps as he turns around, spluttering and trying to defend himself, “staring? pfft what? no who's staring? not me nope, no sir” he scratches the back of his neck before sighing, “is it that obvious?” he winces as he asked, and Felix just nods. “yeah, but she doesn't notice don't worry” Felix tries to reassure him, “I don't know if that's a god or bad thing” Yunho sighs, and Felix hums in acknowledgement as his gaze drifts over to Kai for just a moment before moving back to where his manager is talking to an overly enthusiastic San. 

“You don't have to kill him either, if you're jealous I mean. Kyu-noona has this thing of taking people in” Felix looks at Yunho, who returns his gaze confusedly, “aren't you supposed to be telling me to stay away from her? that she has a boyfriend?” he tilts his head as the question flows from his lips. “Probably, but I'm not her keeper so…. “ Felix makes this weird spinning motion with his fingers as he drags out his last word, starting to move away from Yunho, hips first as he leans his head back and holds the elders gaze before eventually releasing it and bouncing off to Wooyoung. 

Yunho muses over Felix's words, while he would never actually try anything with her if she was in a happy relationship, talking to her couldn't hurt right? All he knows about her is what he's heard from Mingi, and from the research he's been not so sneakily doing but nobody needs to know that last part. Having an actual conversation with her might be good, maybe he could get over this feeling then, maybe it's all just intrigue, the mystery of her. 

He steels his nerves as he walks over, thinking he could just use San as a bridgeway to enter the conversation but the slippery bastard spots Yunho first and moves away just in time where he can act like he didn't see Yunho coming but also in time for Yunho to look weird if he turns around now since he's basically already in front of Kyu. He stares down at her, blinking rapidly, by the gods she's even prettier up close, he swear with every blink he's taking a photo to keep stored in his mind, engraving another piece of her face in his memory as each second he spots another interesting feature, each more beautiful than the ones before. 

“Hello? is there something I can help you with Mr. Jeong?” Kyu asks after a moment of silence, not understanding why he's not speaking. From what Mingi had told her about his best friend, which was a lot, he was quite a joyful person around most, so her first concern was that the man maybe didn't feel well. Were the lights hurting his eyes? He was blinking pretty rapidly. “You smell like strawberries” is what he blurts out, so many thoughts had been running through his mind and that was all he could get out. 

She blinks at him as his own eyes widen in shock, he claps his hand over his mouth as if he can't believe his own words. “Oh my gods I'm so-” he tries to save himself but Kyu lift a hand to stop him, “It's alright, I've heard a lot about you so I'll try and not let this weird first conversation derail my view of you” she laughs slightly, clearly joking although Yunho lets out a breath of relief. “I'm uh I'm Yunho- but I guess you already know that” he says awkwardly, rolling on the balls of his feet, “I do know who you are, Son of Zeus. My mother speaks highly of you” she nods. 

“Your - your mother speaks of me?“ Yunho asks, his voice breaking in surprise, internally his hopes already deflating, knowing the mistress of night isn't fond of his father. “Only good things lightning boy don't worry” she huffs out a slight piece of laughter, and Yunho relief is clouded by the loud thumping of his heart at the sound of her laughter. “Good things? that's not what I expected… but I'm glad then, I do have a lot of respect for your mother” Hera has taught Yunho how to keep his composure under many a circumstance, but he feels like all that training is going down the drain as his palms become more clammy, the urge to reach his hands out and cradle her own becoming almost overwhelming. 

“hm, and she you, she does prefer you over your father so-” Kyu steps forward, placing a hand on Yunho's chest and patting it comfortingly, “-you have my family's support when your time comes at least, Lightning boy” there's a playful gleam in her eyes, one that reminds Yunho of her lineage and one that makes him yearn to join whatever game she wishes to play, even if he loses. She walks away, joining her brother and Felix, the former looking at Yunho with a thoughtful expression, or at least, what Yunho preserves to be one. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“You're kidding me right…. “ Mingi says as he stares at his best friend through the screen. Yunho sits legs crossed and hands intertwined as if he's offering a proposition to a professional employer. “oh no he's like, dead serious, like it's bad, like I had to ask Eros if he didn't accidentally shoot Yunho with an Arrow bad“ Yeosang says as he sits beside his roommate, staring at Mingi who looks like he's just been told his best friend is in love with his aunt- oh wait that's exactly what happened. 

“Listen I didn't know she was your aunt when I fell in love-” Yunho tries to convince Mingi, “STOP SAYING YOU'RE IN LOVE YOU BARELY KNOW HER??” he shouts through his phone, gripping his hair as he stares at him incredulously. “Listen Mingi love knows no bounds-” Yunho starts again, “THERE ARE NO BOUNDS TO KNOW YOU'VE KNOWN HER FOR A MONTH” Mingi stops him, Yeosang huffs out a breath of laughter and Yunho shoots him a look. “Listen, I'm not asking for your permission or anything, it's not like I'm going to act on it, I mean she has a boyfriend. I just thought I should tell you” Yunho shrugs. Mingi takes a deep breath before leaning forward and getting a bit closer to the screen, “and you're sure you like her? like, what scale of like is this? Is it like a playground crush? puppy love?” he asks. 

“It's like…” Yunho stops a moment, trying to find his words, “You know that one iconic Gomez Addams speech? of like the ‘I would die for her, I would kill for her’ I can't really describe it but honestly?  it feels like that and trust me you can be mad all you want, I mean fuck I'm mad at myself. Like who develops feelings this fast?? for a person in a relationship no less, it feels sickening, despite the depths of my feelings the speed in which it happens makes it feel unreal, like it will slip away at any moment but it's so deeply rooted I know it won't and I hate it. Because even if I did have a chance, even if the fates tied our strings together with their own hands I feel like my love would seem valueless to her, honestly who would believe me? you don't, none of you do. It doesn't make sense and I hate it” he says and his voice is shaky as he's trying to regain his composure, Mingi's eyes soften as Yeosang places a hand on his shoulder. 

“Love isn't supposed to make sense, or at least that what my mom says, I mean do you think my brother kidnapping Psyche after he was sent to kill her but ultimately fell in love with her made sense? You think Orpheus turning around made sense? think Hades took Persephone because it made sense? Love doesn't make sense Yunho, and it's not that we don't believe you, it's just.. “ Yeosang trails off as he looks to Mingi for help, “It's surprising, you've never shown any interest in anyone, you specifically were raised to think of these feelings as the most important thing by Hera, so you saying stuff like this it… It's shocking, especially considering who she is” Mingi finishes. 

“Because she's Chthonic?“ Yunho asks and Mingi shakes his head, “Because she's her mothers daughter, in every sense of the word” and the words hit Yunho deep. something about Kyu, it envelopes him like the veil of night her mother brings, the one gifted to her by her own brother- husband. He's only known you for a few months and he's barely spoken to you but God's does he yearn for more, to learn every inch of her skin, every memory she holds dear, every twinkle in her eye that reflects the stars of her mothers night sky. 

“Just, Listen I'm not saying go for it, not at all, she and Erin have been together for years and while I may not like him, she loves him. So get closer to her, be her friend if you want, anything that will help lessen your own burden, but don't pressure your feelings onto her, otherwise I'll drag you to Tartarus myself” Mingi warns, “I'd never dream of doing anything of the sort” Yunho replies, “I know, but just because you don't mean to doesn't mean it can't happen”

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“I still don't think this is a good idea” Yunho says nervously as he walks with his members, holding one of the many baskets they’ve brought with them, “come on, you've gotten closer to her and your friends now, the awkwardness is gone bro, just relax. It's not like you're going to be the only people here” Mingi tries to hype up his friend. It's been a few months since Kingdom ended and Mingi had returned from his hiatus and while most groups on the show had become close, Stray kids and Ateez shared a certain bond. Maybe it had been their family ties, maybe it was just their personalities, but they meshed well together. Thus they planned a picnic, having the day off when both their schedules aligned was a grace in and of itself and they were determined to enjoy it, despite some people's anxiety. 

“Yeah but it's gonna feel like it, I'm not going to be able to take my eyes off her and it's going to feel like it's only us to me but Erins going to be there and gods I hate that dude” Yunho grumbles, he tried, really he did, to push his feelings aside and become Kyu's friend, but it didn't work. The more time spent with her the deeper into the void he fell. it got so bad that when Eros came down to  bother visit Yeosang his immediate response to greeting Yunho wasn't even a ‘hello uncle bro’ nope it was ‘god you smell like a yearning man in love it's sickening' now for a god of romance to tell you your feelings are so prominent that it sickens him isn't really what Yunho was hoping to hear. 

And Erin, god that pretentious little bastard, Yunho wishes he could deck him sometimes, and it's not even like he treats Kyu poorly for Yunho to feel this way. He just doesn't treat her great either, and Yunho notices, because he can't help but notice everything about her. Erin seems weirdly possessive, and while Yunho understands given,  he'd feel the same had he been given the grace of her attention, he would never dream of interrupting her life the way Erin seems to do. It's weird, the way her personality changes when he's there, she becomes soft- no, although it can be confused with it, not soft- withdrawn, insecure, scared almost. 

“Eugh” Wooyoung makes a noise of disgust at Yunho's words, “Seriously man, get a grip, you can't be leading us after our time in the mortal realm has run its course like this” He slaps the back of Yunho's back and oh great that's another thing that's happened in the last few months. His father has so graciously decided that since Yunho is already named heir- something he finds bizarre given the fact that his father can't actually die therefore doesn't need one- the king of the gods decided each god should name an heir, and immortalize them- without their permission. So when Yunho stops aging at the age of thirty he'll be sure to thank his father-not. 

Another reason the two groups had grown so close, all of them had been named their parents sole heirs, well except for Seonghwa and Chan, they've decided to split the responsibility. Walking up to the group who seems to already be setting up Yunho feels his stomach churn as he sees Kyu, Erin standing behind her with his arms wrapped around her shoulders and head resting on her head. Yunho doesn't like the way he holds her, it seems uncomfortable, and it obscures his vision of her delicate face, her peaceful smile.  

 Wooyoung is first to be bound over as everyone greets one another, Yunho going to help Changbin with the blankets. It's a beautiful day outside, sunny too. Felix seems extra happy, his hair a little more vibrant and freckles seeming to glow just the faintest bit as he smiles up at the sun, greeting his father probably. Yunho ensures a chuck of the blankets are placed beneath the shade of a tree, he knows both Kai and Kyu tire from being in the sun too long, and they had all planned to spend the whole day together and watch the sunset, two of them falling asleep wouldn't exactly help with that. Changbin pats his back and smiles as Yunho tells him why he moved their blankets, “Wow dude not even I remembered that and I'm like- King of hospitality” he jokes and Yunho just laughs along  but his eyes flicker to Kyu once again. 

She's standing with Erin as they talk to Seungmin who seems to have found some sort of plant, he looks frustrated in his ranting but Kyu is just smiling at him. What worries Yunho is that she's standing in the sun, and she's not wearing clothing that could protect her from it, rather a light gray sundress. Kai may be standing in the sun, but Yunho's seen him retreat to the shade for a few minutes before joining Felix again, and he's wearing a hat (Yunho also saw Felix lather the man in sunscreen so thick he doesn't think Helios could even reach Kai's skin but he's not going to talk about that). Still, Kyu's hair isn't even down to protect her neck, what if she gets sunburn? fatigue? He bites his lips as they continue setting up, nervously watching her every move to look for signs of anything. He knows being in the sun for a little while isn't that damaging, she works in the day for god's sake but, it's really hot today, and according to what he eavesdropped overheard she and Erin have been out in the sun since early that morning. 

“Come on guy's we did all this work to set everything up standing around is just insulting” Changbin huffs and the group quickly makes their way over, Kai immediately sitting in the shade and Felix sitting in the sun right next to him, the line between the sunlight and shadow separating the two perfectly. Yunho sits opposite Felix on the blanket, next to the other shadow, hoping he could sit close to Kyu as well, he hasn't talked to her in a while. He watches as Erin goes and sits down between San and Seungmin, which is weird since he's never shown an interest in the two earthly demigods, who recently have grown close, they sit at the edge of the blanket opposite the shadows, furthest from the coolness and directly under the sun. Kyu walks between them, and she seems like she's walking to the spot beside Yunho, like she knows it was left for her, but a light move of Erin's foot taps hers just before she's completely out of his reach and as if on instinct she moves to sit in front of him, slotting herself between his legs as he wraps his arms around her neck once again. God Yunho really, really hates the way he holds her. 

He sends a questioning glance to Kai whom he can see is already looking at Kyu worriedly, along with a few other members, Yunho doesn't think they noticed Erin's motion, “Aren't you gonna come sit by me?” Kai asks as he locks eyes with his sister who only gives him a soft smile in return, “I'm okay, I'm sitting with Erin” Yunho doesn't like the way she's speaking. He never does when it comes to Erin, because she never says that it's something she wants, it's not ‘I want to sit with Erin’ it's ‘I'm sitting with Erin’ and sure Yunho may be overthinking the little things, but after awhile the little things start to add up. 

“Won't you get tired Noona?” San asks as he looks up from where he and Seungmin were playing some sort of game with the ground behind them, it's part of why they chose this place, they can release and enjoy their powers that weigh them down without being seen. Yunho wouldn't, he's mastered locking away his abilities compared to when he was young, but he still enjoys the bliss it brings his friends. “She's fine, I'm protecting her from the sun” Erin replies for her, settling his head into hers as if to emphasize his point of enveloping her, and while the others either shrug or find it cute, Yunho doesn't, and it seems like Kai doesn't either.  “At least take this, you seem uncomfortable moving your dress the whole time” Yunho says as he hands Kyu a blanket to throw over her legs, it's light enough not to add any extra heat, but good enough to protect a part of her body from the sun. Yunho totally didn't buy it specifically for her and has totally not been watching her waiting for her to show she's struggling with a dress or skirt so he could offer it to her, don't believe what that target employee told you, it's a lie. 

She nods and thanks him with a quiet smile and he returns it, ignoring the look Erin sends him because at least he had made Kyu smile. “alright everyone remember it's hot so remember sunscreen” Chan claps his hands together, “and hydration” Seonghwa finishes as he starts handing out water bottles, “we can get our own water yaknow we aren't baby’s” Han says and Chan gives him a look, “Last time we spent a day in the sun and we didn't remind you to hydrate you almost passed out from heatstroke” the puffy cheeked boy just purses his lips and starts drinking the water Seonghwa handed him without retorting, causing the group to laugh. 

“okay first order of business” Jeongin says seriously, “card games” he finishes as he pulls out the giant pack of Uno, well, their version of the game, it's a bunch of different decks with different rules and cards shuffled together, they call it ‘Dos’ which is just wishful thinking that copyright doesn't catch them but hey if nobody snitches they should be fine…hopefully.  The day drags on as the group shares laughter, Yunho sending glances to Kyu and taking whatever chances he could get to talk to her when Erin wasn't looking, although he must've caught on because he started dragging Kyu along whenever he needs to grab something or stand up to talk to someone.  

Kyu only seemed to get more and more tired, her cheeks red, not with blush, but by the sun and the heat surrounding her, her eyelids would droop whenever anybody wasn't paying attention and she had gotten less and less verbal throughout the day. When sundown hit they all sat down and watched it, everyone admiring the scenery as Felix bid goodbye to his father, the blonde resting his head on Kai's shoulder as the days activities dawned on him. Yunho looked at Kyu, her smile small and her eyes closed as she breathed softly, the light of the sun now casting a soft glow on her skin, not harsh or burning as it had been earlier. She looked beautiful like this, at peace, the only thing ruining the picture for him was Erin's arm securely wrapped around her shoulders. 

Yunho had thought that was the most beautiful picture he'd ever see in his lifetime, a moment he wouldn't have been able to capture on film even if he tried, memorizing each line on her face as the golden glow casted over her, no matter the teasing of his friends around him. Yet he was proven wrong once again when they had decided to stay out later and stargaze. He was worried, Kyu had clearly been tired and she didn't seem like she wanted to stay, but agreed when Erin looked down at her and whispered something in her ear, the others cooed, but Yunho only felt the electricity beneath his fingers twitch, a soft yet familiar hum starting to buzz against his skin before he forcefully snuffed it out. 

Everyone was laying on their backs, spread out beneath the night sky as they looked at the stars above them. Kyu seemed happier, maybe because this had been her rightful domain, but even in her tired state she seemed more content than Yunho had ever seen before. The stars and the moon seemed to shine brightly that night, that was until Yunho went to lay down next to Kyu, he doesn't know how he got the motivation to do it, but Erin wasn't here, he was off somewhere else, having made the excuse of needing to take a phone call- that was half an hour ago yet Yunho isn't complaining. When he laid down next to her she turned her head to look at him, giving him that tiny smile she'd give Seungmin and San when they showed her whatever new little thing they made in the plants. It was comforting, made his heart warm up and his own cheeks flush. She looked back up at the sky, and when Yunho followed her gaze but seemed darker, the veil of night almost dimming the stars and the moon, who seemed all too happy to be coveted by its blanket. 

He had decided then, that this was when she was her most beautiful. When she was at peace, when her powers seemed strongest and the night at its darkest, she was the most divine then. A being he'd make sure even his father worshiped if she would allow him to, if she'd give him the honor of admiring her openly. Under the stars, as the darkness of the night seems to reach out at her and she lifts her hand in response, darkness creeps from her fingers down to her elbows as she whispers something in return to the night. 

He decides he'll marry her right then, become her husband, her king, anything to please her. If she'll allow him he would give her the world, the universe and all he asked for in return was to be able to gaze upon her like this, when she was at her most comforted. He was going to marry her, no matter how long he'd have to wait, he would do so with a smile on his face until the day he could put one on hers. 

“So.. marriage” Hera’s voice rings through his dad's apartment, startling Yunho as he almost chokes on his glass of water. He had come to visit his dad on one of his few weeks off, and had not expected to have Hera surprise him at midnight when he went  to get a glass of water after staring at the night sky through his window for a solid hour or two. 

“I'm - I'm sorry- what?“ he coughs out confused, hitting his chest as he breathes heavily, “don't choke Yunho, it's unseemly” Hera scolds him, “Thanks mom I'll remember that next time” he retorts and Hera has a hint of a smile at her son’s sarcasm, clearly she raised him right- somewhat. “Yes, you should remember everything I teach you, you do, don't you?“ she moves her body to face him from where she sits at the dining table, clad in dark blue and green robes, golden jewelry holding the pieces of fine fabric together as it drapes off her, white hair tied in a bun with a peacock pin holding it together, the crown placed atop her head a tinier, more practical version of her actual one. Dark green eyes bore into Yunho's with an intensity he's never seen directed at himself. 

“Yeah, yeah of course I do” he nods as he hops on the countertop, long legs dangling off the edge so he's facing her, “but I don't understand why you're visiting me in the middle of the night to ask if I remember what you teach me” he tilts his head confusedly. “You remember what I told you about marriage?” she taps her fingers rhythmically against the wooden table beside her, “uhm? that you oversee it and so you know the most about it?” he asks, not quite knowing what she's referring to, she's told him a lot about marriage, quite passionate about the topic. 

His mother only sighs, “That it's an important promise, not to be taken lightly, especially not before the gods” she hums, and he swallows thickly, “yeah.. yeah I know that” he twiddles with his fingers in his lap, scared of where this conversation might lead. “You asked why I was here, visiting you in the middle of the night? so your father had no way of hearing us- he wouldn't dare poke his nose under the night's cloak, not recently anyway. I came here for an explanation, to ask you why your thoughts were screaming ‘marriage’” she doesn't look at him this time, rather looking out the window. His breath hitches as he stops all movement, “I don't - I don't know what you're talking about” he stammers out, knowing he would never really lie to Hera, but still trying anyway. 

She turns her head back to him as she stands up, walking to stand in front of him, “Don't try and deny it, You were screaming, pleading, projecting your thought to me and to her who watched over you that night” Yunho's eyes widen at her words, “Wait Nyx heard-” Hera shakes her head, “Not her, Selene did, but it may as well be all the same, she would never keep anything from her lady. So if I'm going to be approached by a primordial because you have a crush on her daughter, I need the truth”

“I don't have a crush on her mom- I love her- I'm in love with her and it hurts mom, it hurts so much that I wish I didn't have these human emotions- she consumes my every waking thought, my every action every breath, it's like wherever I look I draw a connection to her because I've deluded myself into believing the fates are trying to show me she's the one for me. I know you've taught me about the sanctity of marriage and I know it would never work with Zeus in the way but I… “ Yunho breaks down, a single tear dripping from his eye as he lets his face fall onto Hera's shoulder, he's been holding it in so long that he feels like he can't real it back now that he's spilled everything. 

“You love her” Hera finishes his sentence for him as she pats his hair, “but she has eyes for another” she continues, knowing that the girl is currently with her own grandson, she's never really liked the boy, neither has Zeus which is why he didn't care when he started dating the nights daughter, but Yunho.. Yunho is a different story. “I know, I hate it, I know she's with someone else but these emotions just won't stop growing, like my heart is ready to burst out of my chest and take my humanity with it” he huffs. 

She brings his face from her shoulder, holding it with one hand as she gently cups his cheek, “I think that's the best part about you Yunho, the humanity. Unlike us Gods, you have a heart, a soul” she hums, “I do, and my heart beats only for her, my soul yearns for her touch I- I can't live like this anymore mother, can't continue living as if nothings wrong knowing she's in the arms of another man- a lesser man.  She deserves more than him- more than me! more than the night sky, more than anything anyone could ever give her.. “ he confesses and Hera’s resolve steels. If her son wants this girl, if he believes the man is not suited for her, then Hera will make damn sure both she and her son get what they deserve, that the sanctity of marriage won't be sullied more. She'll need to talk to Aphrodite after this. 

“What do you need” she asks, and he looks up at her, his eyes filled with a yearning she could only describe as purely human,  yet with the intensity of the divine “I need- I need to offer her my bleeding heart, whether she cradle or crush it- I would still be at peace knowing it was touched by her darkened hands” he states, and she smiles at him as she hears his last words. He loves this girl, not only for who she presents to be, but for who she truly is. “then you'll do just that” Hera offers and Yunho looks up at her confused, but she doesn't say a word more, already knowing that up in the sky another conversation quite like this one is taking place. 

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Selene baby! What brings you to my neck of the woods?“ Nyx asks joyfully, trapping the shorter goddess in a tight hug as Artemis watches the two from a far, giving them their privacy but still doing her job. “I have news to share with you my lady, it's about your daughter- the  half mortal one” Nyx's joyful face instantly disappears as she looks down at Selene with a serious expression, “What happened to Kyu? I knew it was strange that she hadn't talked to me tonight yet but… “ the elder bites her lips as she waits for the moon to respond. “No no, mistress your daughter is not in any.. immediate danger, but I am here to share news” Nyx tilts her head at the gray haired goddess warning but nods her head for her to continue. 

“I believe an Olympian is in love with her” she states, and Nyx chuckles, “Well id hope so, I may not like the boy but they've been together so long id be worried if he doesn't love her… well id also rip his head off but that's neither here nor there” she hums as Selene nods her head, “Not Erin, there's another. The son of Zeus… a few nights ago his thoughts had been screaming, I could hear them- he sought marriage” she says and Nyx has a thoughtful expression on her face. “hm.. Zeus's boy…. he likes my daughter?” she asks suspiciously, “he loves her it seems my lady, I've been watching him. He stares up at the night sky every night and talks of her, I'm not sure if he knows I listen, or wishes for me to carry on his messages, but he speaks of her for hours, asking of her health and pleading for the stars to respond” she tells Nyx. 

“And Erin? What have you seen of him?” she raises a brow, “I have not seen much of him, nor your daughter Mistress, it seems after she had greeted you he withholds her from enjoying the night sky” Selene says, bracing herself for the impact of Nyx's rage.  “I… I entrusted you to look after my daughter when I had to work.. and you did not think to inform me that she was being withheld from my domain?” the primordial's voice is deadly calm, darkness around them growing stronger as the veil her husband had gifted her sways angrily, Artemis’s shoulders tense at the change in atmosphere and she locks eyes with the scene unfolding, Nyx's skin turns dark, almost unseen as her hands glow white, Selene falls to her knees, as if her light had been sucked info Nyx's hands. Artemis immediately moves to catch the Moon, trying to support her as she looks up at Nyx, “My lady maybe we should-” “How long” Nyx interrupted her as she stares down at Selene, a darkness looms over the both and a shadow hand grasps Selene's chin and forces it up from behind, “I believe my wife asked a question” Erebus’s voice rings deep in their ears, and alerts Artemis that they are no longer only in the night. Everything around them is pitch black and there isn't a star in sight. 

“How long.“ Nyx asks again, and her voice sounds almost as if it had mixed with her husbands, dark and powerful, dripping with venom as she stares down at her dear friend, “How long has that bastard been keeping my daughter from me” Selene breathes heavily, “about- about f-five years” she says, and Erebus drops her head, no longer supporting her chin. “You've kept this, kept my daughter from me for FIVE YEARS?” Nyx shouts, veil and hair floating as she grows larger, fingers turning to talons as she looms over Selene, “My darling night, calm down” Erebus tries to reason with his wife, although he himself is not too fond of the information they were just given, “I AM CALM” she retorts, her voice distorted and monstrous. 

“I'm  sorry mistress, It's just- lady Kyu asked me not to tell you!” Selene shouts up at the giant goddess, and Nyx stops in her tracks, staring down into the moon's eyes for a moment as if to gauge if she is telling the truth, before the goddess starts to shrink down. Returning to her normal form and the light from her hands returning to Selene as she tries to stand up, supported by Artemis who does not interrupt what is clearly none of her business. “She what?” Erebus asks this time, the shadows of his figure wrapping around his wife to hold her, whether that be for comfort or the safety of the two moon goddesses before them he doesn't know. 

“Five years ago, around the time Her group had just started out, she and Eris’s boy had a fight. I'm not sure what it had been about but it got heated, I would've told you but she pleaded with me not to Mistress and I…” Selene doesn't finish her sentence, not wanting to offend Nyx nor Erebus. Artemis holds her up, trying to support her and help her stand as she looks at the two primordials before them. “You didn't wish to disobey an ask from your future lady” Nyx finishes, her voice back to normal but lacking its usual steady tone. Selene nods in response, the black haired goddess takes a deep breath before she releases herself from her husband's hold, bending down to now hold the moon's cheek in affection again. “I'm sorry I yelled at you like that darling, but you need to promise never to hide such things from me again, especially when pertaining to my daughter, do we understand one another?” she asks, despite the soft tone there's a hint of malice as her gentle hand digs a nail into Selene’s cheek. Not hard enough to draw any ichor, at least not yet. 

“Yes, yes I understand Mistress, I apologize” Selene’s response is immediate and laced with just enough emotion to have Nyx believe her. The  veiled goddess releases her hold on Selene as she stands up, locking eyes with Artemis, “you'll ensure she keeps that promise, won't you darling deer?” she asks her, and the huntress only nods in response, feeling no more powerful than the animal she had just been named, caught trapped by a pack of panthers. “Very well, may you go” Nyx walks back to her husband as Artemis takes the chance and helps Selene back to their chariot, not sparing a glance back or waiting for the goddess to change her mind and continue their journey. Leaving alone the husband and wife of all that is void. 

“My night I understand -” Erebus starts, “Five years, five years has my daughter been kept from me. I thought she had just been busy. I've heard that mortal kids often migrate away from their parents at a certain age. I thought it had rubbed off on her. I'm a bad mother Erebus, I didn't even realize my own daughter was not spending time in her rightful domain- oh my poor baby she must be so tired” tears well up in Nyx's eyes as she paces back and forth in the endless void of darkness. Her husband takes a breath  acknowledging how serious this is for his wife to be calling him by name, no matter how enraged he himself is, he knows he needs to be the voice of reason between the two of them.  He steps closer and holds her arms, his shadow mist wrapping comfortingly around her as he stops her pacing. 

“You are not a bad mother for giving her space my night, it was a completely logical assumption for you to have made, never once has she given you any reason to doubt her” he tries to soothe her, placing a kiss to her forehead, she always enjoyed when he did this, said the cold shadow of his lips tickled her skin. “I'm her mother I was supposed to know, it had taken me too long to notice the way her mortal parents had been handling her and now- now she's going through Morai knows what at the hands of some Olympian bastard who doesn't know his place!” her voice starts to raise again, causing Erebus to rub her back as he tries to contain her. “My love, we cannot be sure of what it is they are hiding, while I am well aware of your dislike for the boy, and share the same notion, it is not our choice to make, now is it? Remember, when you had come to me the day you asked for her?” he asks softly and she nods in response, “I had told you about what the fates had shared, had I not?” he continues, feeling her nod against what should be his chest, “and what was it your wonderful daughters had said?” He waits for her to speak. 

“You said they mentioned a lightning storm at night” she mumbles, gripping onto his figure like a vice as she's not understanding where he is going with this conversation. “Yes, and we had thought it had been connected to Zeus, and it could very well still be in a way… the news Selene brought, it had been of Yunho's admiration for our princess hm?” He continues, hoping for his wife to catch where his thoughts are leading, yet she only looks up at him, waiting for him to clue her in.  “Now you and I both know you've spied on that boy enough to know he has pure intentions-” it's true, Nyx had not liked the idea of Zeus having another offspring, even if he had been approved by her darling Hera, she still had to ensure the boy was good, especially after he had befriended her precious grandson, “- and for Selene to have heard his thoughts of marriage, his cry must have been a desperate one, a meaningful one… we know he would never make such a proclamation, even in thought if he did not mean it, he is Hera's son after all” He finishes. 

“So are you suggesting what the fates had told you has to do with him and Kyu?” she asks, contemplating his words, he only nods in response as a flicker of insight sparks in her black tear-filled eyes, “So you are suggesting we leave the problem to him… “ she asks softly and he only nods, “I have had a… premonition of sorts for the last few months, of something coming, something big… I believe this is something we must have them sort out themselves” 

“I know but.. still I need the reassurance that she will be okay, otherwise I will rip off that Eris boys head myself” her eyes narrow as she speaks, Erebus thinks for a moment, before snapping his fingers. Before them his son materializes, messy hair, in nothing but pajama pants with his toothbrush still hanging from his mouth, “SHIT! Dad a warning next time” Kai yells as he slightly shivers from the cold hitting his bare skin before he observes the scene before him, “oh this is serious….. okay then” he nods slightly, wiping his mouth from toothpaste. He knew something was off the moment he was summoned, he and his father may not have a bad relationship but they aren't close either, boths inability to express actual feelings when not directed to their lover straining their relationship despite the love they have for one another. 

 “Does Zeus's boy truly love your sister?” Nyx asks, and Kai doesn't even act surprised at his stepmother's knowledge on the subject, all he does is nod in response, “He's more obsessed with her than uncle Hades when Aunt Perce comes home from spring” he responds and Nyx's face seems to brighten up just a little, “and the Erin boy… is he good to your sister?” his father asks him. “Not good, he's m.. I don't know what he is, when it comes to him Kyu is more private than she's ever been, she doesn't share much and I try to keep away from him.. something about him just feels off” she responds as he looks at the two questioningly, “what's this even about?”

“We heard some… news and wanted to ensure your sister's safety” Erebus tells his son, “So you feel it too then? the impending feeling of doom hanging in the air?” Kai raises his eyebrow at his father who nods in response, when his father does not offer another word he understands that he has said what they wanted of him, “can I go back now?” he looks between the two, Nyx nods. “yes, and do say hello to little Felix for me” she kisses the top of his head and walks off to who knows where, “what I wasn't even-” Kai tries to defend himself but his father only pats his forearm  where a burn mark in the shape of a hand lays comfortably. “You need to tell that boy that his touch hurts you in the extreme light, he's too innocent to know otherwise” his father offers before walking away, and Kai can now only stare at his reflection in his bathroom mirror as he's teleported back to his apartment.

Something is wrong, the feeling consumes Yunho, stirring in his stomach, humming beneath his skin as it mixes with the ever building electricity that courses through him, creating a melancholic melody of ominous dread as he looks up at the sky. It had become his usual routine this past year, staring up at the sky hoping that Kyu was staring up at the same time as him, he’d talk for hours, about his day, the thoughts he would have of her, all shared with the moon. He wasn't sure if he shared these things in hopes she would hear, that the message would be shared to her, or if it was only to release himself from the guilt of feeling for a taken woman, he'd prefer the latter, for if it was the former, and the message had been shared then he wouldn't be able to handle the heartbreak of her never having responded.

Yet tonight his usual routine is interrupted as he stares up at the sky, it’s winter, a time he’s come to appreciate as the night sky grows longer and Kyu always seems happier, whether she’s more active online or responding to texts, the more constant feeling of her presence brings him joy. Unfortunately on this cold winter night the joy is diminished, the usual darkness of the longer night sky is brightened, the moon and sun seeming to outshine the darkness, creating a purplish veil instead of the usual darkness that had become Yunho’s comfort. It creates an uneasy feeling in Yunho’s stomach as he worries about Kyu, it’s not natural, was it due to her? Was the lustre light of the night connected to Kyu or her mother? 

Thoughts swirled in his mind, maybe he should call her.. but that would be weird wouldn't it? if he had just called her randomly at night, but then again they were friends maybe it wouldn't be too abnormal. He bites his lips as he stares up at the moon, face pleading wishing she could give him answers. Was he being paranoid? sure but one quick text couldn't hurt… and then one quick text went unanswered, and it turned into two, then three, giving up he sent one to Kai, maybe he had heard something? 

“Kaiiiiii you have a text from Yunho- he's asking if Kyu is okay- why would he ask if Kyu is okay?” Felix questions as he walks to Kai, giving the phone back to the taller person who's looking out to the night sky, “he's just worried” Kai replies, not responding to the text. His father was right, something was coming, and Kai did not have enough care to mess with fate, no matter how much he loved sister, this needed to happen. “Worried about? the night? it is a bit bright tonight” Felix hums as he rests his head on Kai’s shoulder, “Thinking about it Kyu hasn't responded in the group chat tonight” Kai only nods his head at Felix's words, “and she won't. not tonight at least, she's busy” he states, “with what?” The blond asks, Kai simply turns his head to kiss his cheek, not knowing the answer. 

“Aren't you worried about her too then?“ Felix hums despite the smile on his face at the small show of affection, “of course, but it's not my fate to interfere with this” Kai turns, holding Felix's face in his hands, “so why don't you help distract me from my worries hm?” he asks and Felix only smiles up at him as the moon looks down at the two through the window. 

Once she's sure they won't interrupt, she turns her attention back to the faux black haired male who's currently pacing along his balcony. She knows she promised the young mistress she wouldn't interfere, but it's getting worse and she'd rather break a promise than see her young lady then have to witness her death under the weakened night sky. She promised Nyx she'd take care of this, and had to have the goddess distracted lest she rip off the son of discord’s head and give Zeus a reason to start the war he'd been itching for. This has to happen tonight, and it has to be Yunho. 

“Is she okay?” he asks up at the sky, voice shaking and desperate in a way Selene has never heard him speak to her before and this is just what she wanted to hear, the desperation and yearning ensures he’ll be willing to do what fate had lined up for him, so for the first time since he’s started talking to her, she responds. As a voice in his mind, cold and drifty in a whisper, “no, she needs you”  Selene speaks and Yunho looks up in surprise, taking a moment to understand the importance not only of being called by the moon but also of her words, although all that is pushed to the back of his mind as he understands the meaning of her words. “Where” is all he grits, “The park under the night” she says, and at first Yunho doesn’t understand, everything is under the night sky, but the memory at the back of his mind resurfaces, seemingly forcefully dragged to the forefront of his worried thoughts. The night at the park in which he witnessed Kyu reach out into the night, and the night reached back to her.

Quickly he moves back inside the house, not bothering to grab a coat to protect him from the cold winter's night, the electricity murmuring beneath his skin already warming him enough, No longer a soft and subtle hum of nerves as it constantly was, his powers were now murmuring, whispering as if trying to coax him to release it, he had a feelings he’d have to listen, he  ignores Yeosang question as he grabs his keys and rushes to the car, jumping in and driving off at a speed he’s sure to break the speed limit with, but he can’t find it in himself to care, quickly he navigates his way to the park not far from his own dorm, it’s quiet outside tonight, too quiet, as if the entire world had been put on hold for this very moment. 

He doesn’t even park the car, only stops it and yanks out the key, jumping when it comes to a stop as he sees the park in his view, he can hear it now, the sound disrupting the quiet night, yelling and crying, loud and gut wrenching, the murmur of the lightning beneath his skin gets louder, his head starts to hurt as he tries to suppress it. The storm clouds build on the horizon as he rushes forward,  the voice he can recognize as Erin’s growing louder, drowning out his powers. He only stops when he reaches the clearing, seeing Kyu stand before Erin, hunched over and holding her stomach, he hasn’t been noticed yet, his mind going into overdrive as his eye’s frantically take in the scene, Erin laughing up at the lightened sky, “YA SEE THAT? HM? SEE HOW YOUR POWERFULL DAUGHTER FALLS? KNEELS BEFORE ME?” he screams up, pointing a bloodied knife in Kyu’s direction, “THIS IS YOUR FAULT!” he turns the knife upwards, and Yunho is surprised he has yet to be smite, that he had ever gotten this far into hurting Kyu.

His powers are screaming at him now, head throbbing in a way that almost disorients him as rage builds, the thunder beneath his skin cooking the red blood in his veins into golden ichor as he  slowly tries to creep to Kyu, no matter the unspeakable things he wishes to condemn Erin too, getting Kyu out of the way and in the safety of his arms is his first priority. She does not notice him until he’s behind her, gently wrapping his arms around her to support her, ignoring the warm wet feeling of her blood beneath his fingers as he tries to put enough pressure on the wounds to stop bleeding. She doesn’t make a sound at his touch, whether that be because she’s too tired too or because she recognized him he didn’t want to know, although the way her body went rigid before relaxing when he whispered in her ear suggests the former. 

“YOU RAISED HER TO MOTHER EVERYONE UNDER YOUR SKY AND NOW GUESS WHAT?” Erin shouts deliriously, thinking the gods are listening to him with bated breaths, “SHE DIDN’T WANT TO CARRY MY CHILD- SO SHE WON'T EVER BE ABLE TO BEAR ONE NOW” he waves the knife in the air, her blood dripping from the cold steel onto his hand in a taunting manner, “SHE WON'T EVER LEAVE NOW BECAUSE NOBODY WOULD WANT HER AS BROKEN AS I'VE MADE HER- NOBODY-” his manic screaming becomes more deranged as he turns his head back to her, likely for another toxic spill of words to leave his throat, but he stops, noticing Yunho standing beside her, supporting her as her breath hitches due to Erin’s attention on them, “go” she whispers to Yunho, her voice weak and throat hoarse, he only tightens his grip on her in response. 

“Or well, not nobody… the pathetic little puppy comes crawling for spoils that aren't his? You're just like your father aren't you? Taking women that aren't yours” Erin tuts, swinging the knife in Yunho’s face tauntingly, “Well sorry to break it to you but unfortunately her pussy can no longer bear whatever children you wish to put in her soo.. Shoe along now, uncle” the last word drips from Erin's mouth like venom and Yunho has to stop himself from lunging at the man. The thunder clouds roll in, dark and fast as they grow, reflecting the storm behind his eyes, “Yunho, go, this is not your fight” Kyu whispers to him, her voice weak in a way he never thought he’d hear from her, her face turns to him, sweat beading on her forehead mixing with the silent tears down her cheeks, her eyes are pale, no longer the soft gray, now more sullen and void as she looks at him desperately, “I don’t want him to kill you too, please”  she begs, and Yunho does not understand why she doesn’t strike the man down, she’s much more powerful than him, even in her weakened state, so why won't she just let go of him.

“I’m not going to let him kill you either” my queen, Yunho does not add the last two words to his sentence, but it’s clear Erin knew he wished to say it, “No not me, Yunho-” she’s cut off by the brunette before them, “Not her you idiot, she is still my queen, I wouldn’t be able to take over the underworld without her unfortunately, so I won’t kill her- you on the other hand, are currently holding my prize so if you would ever so kindly let go” Yunho hates the way Erin speaks of her, as if she is not a person, not the love of Yunho’s life. “She’s not yours” Yunho speaks, his voice ringing through the clearing as rage fills him, sparks tingling at his fingertips, his hair losing its dark color as he feels Kyu weakly trying to push herself out of his hold. “Oh? And you think she’s yours?” Erin asks, tilting his head. Before Yunho can respond Kyu lets out a stronger push, breaking free from Yunho’s hold and simultaneously pushing herself toward Erin, stumbling before she grips onto his shirt for support. “Please Erin, stop this, I'm begging you” she pleads. 

“aww Baby it’s okay hm? You know I'd never hurt you if not for your own benefit, I'm doing this for us” Erin says, stroking her hair as he looks down at her but not bothering to try and support her, Yunho wants to reach out, to grab  her and take her as far away from Erin as possible, but he sees the sparks along his fingers, hears the faint clap of thunder above them and knows touching her would only hurt. “You see Yunho? She chose me, she doesn't love you, she knows to whom she belongs and for that she'll be rewarded… unfortunately she must have lead you on enough to make you believe she loved you, for that she has to be punished” Erin’s voice  speaks and before Yunho can register it the sound of Kyu’s gasp fills the air as the knife is imbedded in her back this time, she’s thrown to the ground with a resounding crack implying she must of hit her head, she doesn’t move further and Erin’s attention is on Yunho as he steps forward.

 “She'll live, don’t worry, she always finds a way to stay alive, like a cockroach, but it’s you and me now buddy. You think your dad will praise me when I give him your head? The son who dared love the enemy? Think he'll give me your position as heir? It’ll be a lot easier than fighting for it, not that I wouldn't win either way of course.” Erin speaks, and with each step he takes forward the thunder above them clasp louder. Lightning strikes down to the ground, and when he’s right in front of Yunho, who’s feet are planted to the ground, eyes looking terrified at the woman on the ground, the sound of a falling tree echoes through the clearing. His face falls, the ashy blond tips that are slowly seeping into the rest of his black hair obscuring his face from Erin's view, “Your right” Yunho says, voice void of emotion as his fists clench beside him, “Oh I know I am” Erin  replies with a smile on his face.

“I am my fathers son…” Yunho says as he lifts his head, brown eye’s now glowing golden as he grabs the already scrunched shirt of Erin, sending a surge of power through his body just strong enough to make his muscle spasm and go limp as the knife in his hand made from Hephaestus's metal falls to the ground before he could even think of using it on Yunho. “And my father isn’t afraid of killing those who anger him” Yunho spits  out, and before Erin could even think of replying Yunho sends the first punch, the power behind it along with the electricity  sends Erin to the ground immediately, but it’s not enough for Yunho.

He falls to his knees, straddling the bloodied man beneath him as he continues punching him, the lighting striking as the storm rolls in time with his punches. “You really think you deserve her? You're nothing but a bastard and a shame to the family name, no wonder your mother abandoned you, you mutt. I'd be just as disgusted if my son were like you” Yunho speaks between punches, not holding back the strength not the power that's praising him, chanting beneath his skin in joy at the release, eating at the man beneath him whose face is already caved in and skin burned in patches. All the power Yunho’s ever held back is released, the door not being able to close as he simply sees red, his hair now fully golden, the man beneath him doesn't respond, but that’s fine, Yunho doesn’t need him too.

A cough from his side is what snaps him out of his rage, scrambling off the unconscious and barely breathing body beneath him over to Kyu. Blood seems from her mouth, her stomach, her back, and somewhere on her head that Yunho can’t find beneath the heavy black hair. He pulls her into his hold and she looks up at him with the faintest smile, “You look p-pretty in blond thunder boy” she tries to move but groans and stays where she is, “You n-need to stop, you shouldn’t become a murderer for me” she tells him, and he wants to scream at her, he'd kill anyone for her, massacre the whole world if that's what she wanted serve the heads of those who wronged her on a plate if she just asked him too. The tears fall from his eyes, “I- I need to get you to a hospital I-” he frantically panics, trying to position her in a way that wouldn't cause her wounds to worsen,  the power that's still screaming at him to finish off the man behind him doesn't dance atop his skin anymore, not with her in his arms “Hey, hey no you- “ she splutters again, more blood emerging from her mouth, a golden sheen coating the angry red.

“You need to calm down before this storm attracts your fathers attention” she says, Yunho’s sure it already has but he couldn’t give a damn, he’s pleading with her, trying to have her keep her eyes open, her breath even. She smiles again, this time at something behind him, he doesn’t want to look, does not want to acknowledge the unmistakable feeling of death looming behind him. “Hey Than” Kyu says softly, “Hello μικρή αδερφή” the gravelly voice of Thanatos responds, his tone soft and caring in contrast to the rage Yunho can feel from him. Kyu closes her eyes in content, humming softly at his words, “No, no Kyu stay with me, please love, please open your eyes I'm begging you Kyu stay-” Yunho pleads as he holds her face in his hand, the mixture of her and Erin's blood rubbing off on her cheek from Yunho’s palm, sullying her beautiful face.

She doesn't respond, and feels cold in Yunho’s hands. She always ran cold, but this was different, she was freezing. “Don’t take her, please I'm begging you don’t take her” Yunho beseeches the god behind him, “I don’t want to” Thanatos replies. “Then don’t, as your future King I order you, do not take her from me” Yunho’s voice breaks, not holding the power or sounding nearly as threatening as he wishes it too. “I need to take a soul, a shade needs to be given to the underworld” Thanatos says as he looks down at his dying sister in the arms of the man she never had the chance to love.

There's a silence, no sound to be heard on the clearing except for the roaring tempest overhead, no breath, not from Yunho, not from the two unconscious bodies and certainly not from the god of death himself. “Then take him” Yunho breathes, “She’s closer to death than he is, by the power I was given I need to accompany the soul closest to their demise” Thanatos tells him, planting the seed in Yunho’s mind that he wishes will grow quickly. The silence overtakes them again before the last of the dark roots atop Yunho’s head turn a golden blond, matching his eyes and the ichor he’s created in his veins, there’s a strike of lightning behind them, so sudden and loud it takes Thanatos by surprise, luckily he does not jump, the glow of the bolt matches the one on Yunho’s hand that's holding Kyu’s thigh as he hugs her tight against him, trying desperately to listen for her heartbeat.

Thanatos looks behind him, the unconscious body burnt and the grass around it flaming, earth cracked from the pressure of the electrical discharge that hit the now dead body. “Take him.” Yunho speaks with finality, voice truly sounding like the order of a king, Thanatos nods, grateful that he did not have to reunite with his sister in such a way.  “I'm sorry” Yunho whispers as he presses his forehead against Kyu’s own, feeling her heart beating against him. Whether he’s apologizing for becoming the murderer she asked him not to, or for the small amount of lightning he sent through her to jumpstart her heart, he does not know.

Ever since he had rushed her to the hospital, Yunho had not left Kyu’s side, staying beside her when she had been asleep for 3 days, holding her hand and praying to any god that would listen that she’d wake up. His father tried to summon him, but he refused, he wouldn't leave her, couldn't, Hera had stopped the King from smiting his heir, but Yunho knew his father wouldn’t be too happy about the damage caused. Even tried to come down to the mortal realm to get Yunho himself, only to be stopped by Nyx, who stated his son had  been placed under her protection after saving her daughter. This caused Zeus’s anger to grow but he knew better than to cross the goddess of his nightmares.

When Kyu had woken up the first face she saw was a doctor, not Yunho. She could feel his presence, the electricity in the air, and the moment his name invaded her thoughts, the side of her right thigh started to pain, ignoring the voices of the frantic doctors she had thrown off her blanket, desperately yawning up her gown to gain access to the searing skin. Her eyes was met with the claim of thunder on her skin, pitch black contrasting with the paleness caused by her bloodloss, protruding from the soft flesh like a tattoo, little bumps of raised skin seemingly glowing with a golden sheen, she wanted to scream, because it hurts, fuck it hurts , but something about it, the searing heat of the lightning she can feel moving beneath her skin makes her feel alive.

Her eyes frantically move from the doctors to the room around her, desperately searching from his face, she doesn’t see him, but she does see a mop of unmistakable golden hair from the window leading to the halls outside her room, he’s not looking at her, back facing her room, but when she spots him the pain dies down, she relaxes as the doctors around her continue their work, the sound of them fading out as she focuses on the back of his head, memories returning to her of the moment right before she lost consciousness.

“You really need to talk to her, you know?” Kai says as he hands Yunho a coffee, it’s been a week since Kyu had woken up and the newly returned blond man had yet to enter her room. She yelled out at him, asked those who visited and her doctors to tell him to come inside and yet he refused. He couldn't look her in the eye, knowing what he’s done. “Mhm” he hums, dark circles beneath his eyes clear as he accepts the coffee from the other, sitting upright and ignoring the pain his back suffered from the cold metal chairs that line the outside of the hospital rooms.

“Seriously bro I’m gonna make you sniff some essential oils and sleep for at least a few days if you don’t get some proper rest” Hyunjin says as he walks out of Kyu’s room, looking over at Yunho as he goes and sits beside the blond. “Put him out for a week!” Kyu’s voice yells from the room, and you can hear Mingi’s soft huff of laughter following her words. “See?” Hyunjin makes a face at Yunho. “I'm fine, I'm not tired” Yunho defends himself and Kyu’s voice can be heard mocking him, he only huffs in response. “If you would just come in and TALK to me, then I wouldn’t be doing this and you wouldn’t be huffing and puffing!” Kyu shouts again as she hears Yunho.

“She’s right ya know, you'll need to go in there eventually” Kai says as he closes her room door, voice softer to ensure she can’t hear the conversation happening. “You've been sitting here the whole time, ignoring her and your father. You need to face something, hate to break it to you but sitting here 24/7 isn’t helping anybody” he sighs as he sits on the chair opposite Yunho. “I'm not here all the time, I go home to shower and stuff” Yunho mumbles, but he only receives a look in response, “Can I go face my father?” he asks and Hyunjin slaps his chest in response, “Go talk to her.” Yunho groans as he slides down in his chair.

“She’s not mad, I promise” Seungmin walks in on the conversation, holding a bag of clothes he went to go pick up for Kyu, “You say that and yet I do not believe you” he points a finger at Seungmin, “If she was mad I don’t think she’d be calling out to you everyday” Seungmin walks closer, throwing the bag in his hands on Yunho’s lap. “Go” the boy speaks with finality. “She may not sound mad but what if… what if I walk in there and the moment I look into her eyes and she’ll realize what I've done and hate me forever” he asks, only receiving three blank looks in response, “Yunho go in there or so help me I’m calling your dad- mortal one” Kai’s threat does not fall on deaf ears, “Okay now we don’t need to go that far” he tries to get himself out of the situation, but with the way he’s being glared at he knows it’s not possible. 

“Yeah okay” He stands up, stretching as he hears his back crack, ignoring the winces of those around him, “If she hates me I’m smiting you all, because apparently I have the power to do that now” Yunho says before taking a deep breath, knocking on the door, Mingi opens it, eyes widening as he sees Yunho at the door, “Oh- well that's uhm- hm yeah I'm gonna go” Mingi fumbles before practically bolting out of the room. Yunho takes a breath as he walks in, he doesn’t take his eyes off the floor as he walks over to the closet to place down Kyu’s bag, he mapped out the entire planning of the room the first few days when Kyu was not, and kept retracing the steps of the room when he sat in the corridor to keep himself from going insane. “Yunho” Kyu’s voice seems much better now, he’s heard it yell to him from outside the room, but it’s different now. More clear, stronger than it was the night of the incident. “Yunho look at me please” she pleads, he grips his fists but only continues putting away clothes and not looking at him.

“I’m.. I’m sorry, that you had to be the one there, that I turned you into a murderer” Yunho finally turns at that, it’s not that he wanted to, but it felt like instinct to turn, to reassure her that none of this was her fault, “No-No Kyu it’s not-” his breath hitches as he finally looks into her eyes. It’s like he’s back to the first day he met her, butterflies in his stomach and his knees feeling weak, sparks sourcing beneath his skin in the way that makes him feel giddy and not ready for war. “Hi” she smiles softly at him, “Hi” he responds, voice shaky. He can feel tears forming in his eyes as he finally looks at her, she looks so much better, the light in her eyes shining in a way he’s never seen before.

She pats the spot beside her on the bed, Yunho takes the hint and moves forward, but he sits on the chair instead of the place offered, “When I- When I told you I didn’t want him to kill you too -” Kyu starts, but Yunho stops her, “You don’t have to-” Kyu interrupts, ”no, no I do- I - I need to speak okay?” she looks at him and he nods, she takes a breath before continuing. “I didn't mean it in the way of I thought he would kill me, He’s he’s killed before, for me, and I didn’t want that burned on your shoulders- I know- I know our parents take care of all this stuff but if this ever gets out it could ruin your career-” ‘I don’t care about my career, I care about you, I want you to be safe’  Yunho thinks, but he only continues to listen to her speak, “-When we were young, fresh out of highschool and just started college I thought of leaving him for the first time, I had this friend who wanted to help me, I didn’t really know him well, but he was such a sweet guy and I needed any excuse to get out.. But Erin found out and, well, he took care of the problem before it could show itself.” she says as she draws her knees up to her chest, she shouldn’t be able to, but her wounds have been healing faster than they should.

“I’m sorry you had to go through that” Yunho whispers, trying to suppress the urge he has to hold her in his arms, “I'm not telling you this because I want your sympathy Yunho, I need you to understand” she says, “understand what?” he asks, “Why I can't reciprocate your feelings, the claim you made Yunho I.. I know it wasn’t made with bad intentions, and I know you’d never be like Erin but, I've spent my whole life being his prize, being claimed by him and not seen as a person of my own, and as much as I hated him for everything he’s done to me I-” she breathes, “You loved him” Yunho states her thoughts, and she only nods. “I’m sorry I killed him” Yunho says, and she shakes her head again.

 “Don’t, don’t feel sorry Yunho, you did what I wished I could have, it was something I was too weak to do despite the power that my mother gave me. I couldn't kill him, and it wasn't because I still loved him I- I didn't want to admit I was weak enough, stupid enough to have made the decision of loving him in the first place. So as much as I like you Yunho, as much comfort as you bring me I- I’m not ready to be claimed as someone’s else's before I get to find myself. I just- I need time, could you please give me that?” she turns her head to him, tears glistening in her eyes as her cheek is pressed against her knee.

“I never, I never expected you to even feel anything for me Kyu. The fact that you’ve just admitted you even have some sort of likeness to me is a blessing I didn’t even know could have been bestowed upon me…. You’re not weak Kyu, you're one of the strongest people I’ve ever met, I wouldn't ever force my feelings upon you.. I never meant to claim you it just- it happened and I will give you as much time as you need” Yunho looks into her eyes, brown with golden flecked iris’s staring into her gray and silver ones, reflecting the meaning and importance behind his words. “But I will tell you this, as much time as you need, as long as I need to wait.. I won’t lose you again. You don’t have to be mine, You don’t have to be the queen that will one day ascend the throne with me but… but I will forever and always be yours, the King that's willing to do anything for you, and I need you to know that”

She smiles at him, the unshed tears in her eyes finally falling, “I know Yunho, I know”

˜”°•.˜”°• ⋆ •°”˜.•°”˜

“Do you understand what you've done boy? You've disrupted the balance. Killed one of your own.” Zeus’s voice booms through the Olympian court, of course the god couldn't just talk to Yunho normally, no he needed to summon him to the court, before the eyes of multiple gods to ‘face his punishment’ whatever that means. “Zeus I've told you I honestly do not care that the boy was killed” Eris says from where she sits, bored out of her mind. She didn’t care for the boy called her son, he wanted to disrupt the delicate balance of discord, he did not understand how to carefully plant a seed, she did think him deserving of her lineage anyway, if anything the boy who is technically her half brother did her a favor.

“Sush daughter, we must mourn the loss of Erick and punish this one accordingly” Zeus silences Eris, “His name was Erin..” Yunho huffs, his father doesn't care about the dead half god, just wants a reason to punish Yunho, he hasn’t ever really liked Yunho, not liking the fact that his son is more favored among the gods than he is. “That's what I said, Erin, sweet boy that one” Zeus nods his head solemnly, beside him Hera rolls her eyes. Ares huffs from where he sits besides Aphrodite in the stands of the fake courthouse his father created for this occasion, Demeter is standing there with her arms crossed and foot tapping in that livid manner that makes Ares shudder, like a mad mother she looks at Zeus.

 “A sweet boy?” a dark voice haunts the room, sending shivers down the spines of the gods as dark smoke rolls in from beneath the doors, Yunho’s back straightens as he recognizes it, the voice that's come to talk to him in dreams, to both threaten and thank him for his connection with Kyu. As the shadows spread and the room is encased in a veil of darkness Ares smirks, knowing his father is in for it now. The doors open once the room is fully dark, “You call the bastard that hurt my daughter, sweet?” Nyx asks as she steps into the room, the light her husband has drained from the room running from her fingers to her elbows as she simply seems like a dark shadow, her husband is not beside her but they know he’s here, the darkness around them a show of his presence. 

“Lady Nyx, as much as you know I respect your judgment, this is a matter not involving you” Zeus speaks through gritted teeth, tone strained as he tries and shows respect for the goddess he fears. “Doesn’t involve her? The dead had hurt her daughter, I think she has every right to be here” Hera speaks, her word carries the same weight as Zeus’s in this court, as much as he tries to deny it. “See? Hera gets it.. You know you've always been my least favorite of Rhea’s children Zeusy boy” Nyx states as she walks closer, flashing her hand atop Yunho’s shoulder comfortingly, “Unfortunately for you, my daughter has grown fond of him, and as any loving mother would, I protect what's hers. He’s under my protection Zeus, you will not punish him for having done what's right”

“My lady, Yunho has used the powers he was given not only to hurt a member of his future kingdom, but dared to turn his own blood to ichor. Blasphemy cannot go unpunished under my reign.” Zeus tries again, “He used those powers to protect our daughter, the ichor made in his system does not compare to what he will hold once he ascends, this is all redundant in your baseless case against the prince” Erebus’s voice rings through the room, seeming to have no clear starting nor end point, just as the darkness its all encompassing. 

“That boy, tried to ensure my daughter would never know the joys of being a mother” Nyx spits to Zeus, “and as I was informed your daughter's ability to bare children remains in tact, he had failed so that cannot be used against the dead who's not here to defend himself” The king replies, and without missing a beat Nyx silences him by saying “Your father ate your siblings and yet they stand alive before you, does that release him from the punishment he currently suffers due to his cruelty?”

“Oh shit” Ares mumbles, eating some of the popcorn Hermes popped up with beside him, Apollo on his other side, Aphrodite slaps Ares upside the head to quiet him down. “Now My lady that-” Zeus is cut off by Hera at his side, “This is fruitless Zeus, you’re trying to punish the boy for loving that girl because you can’t handle that fact that they’d be more powerful together than you'd ever be, which is just insanity because they aren't even together” the goddesses words make the other gods nod in agreement, mostly because they don't want to be there.

“Yeah no see asking me to punish him is like asking me to go against love and that's kind of the opposite of my whole vibe” Aphrodite speaks, and the three male gods beside her nod while eating their popcorn like mindless puppets. “That girl has taken great care of my son, so I would not want to punish this boy for his bravery” Demeter interjects her own opinion. “So no one wishes to punish him?” Zeus asks, and everyone shakes their heads, he sighs, despite the anger rising he is a smart enough king to know he can’t go against the vote of all his subjects, and he does not want to anger two of the oldest deity’s known to the world. He nods, “Alright then the boy will be… released”

Months later, when the story had calmed and his fathers rage had mostly cleared Yunho couldn't be more content than what he currently was. Laying in bed with the soft hum of the tv, the golden glow of the setting sun and the love of his life in his arms he couldn’t wish for more. It was the beginning of summer and Kyu’s tiredness worsened as the sun got stronger and the days got longer. As worried as Yunho would always be for her during these times, a part of him wanted to thank Helios, for it only meant he got to hold his sleeping love in his arms longer.

Her back pressed to his chest, resting her head on his arm as she plays with the fingers of that hand and focuses on the show she’s watching, she looks so beautiful, ethereal even. Yunho’s other hand that had been resting on her hip was now mindlessly tracing the lines of the lightning along her thigh, grateful that the summer heat makes her wear shorts and gives his eyes access to the greatest piece of artwork he’s ever created. Her breathing matches his own, heart beating in sync with his as he can’t stop himself from leaning down and placing a kiss atop her head. “I love you, you know that right?” he mumbles into her hair.

“Mm, I don’t think there’s a universe in which I don’t” she hums back, a small smile playing on her face as she turns her head to look at him, “what brings this on?” she asks, instead of responding he just ducks down further, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss and she responds in kind before giggling. When he pulls away she looks up at him mischievously, a hint of chaos in her eyes as her lips curl into that tiny smirk that drives Yunho wild, “You haven’t been focusing on the show have you?” she turns her whole body around as she looks up at him, “What? I totally have how could you question that” he asks in mock offense, but his eyes don’t leave her lips.

“Alright then, what did Buck just fall off of?” she asks, and she can practically see the loading screen in Yunho’s mind, “Who’s Buck?.....” Yunho makes a face and Kyu playfully slaps his chest in response, he only grips her hand in his as he laughs down at her, “Come on Love, you can’t expect me to focus on some show when you look so pretty in my arms” he smiles as he watches the blush form on her cheeks. “Some show? this is my favorite show” she huffs and Yunho makes a noise of disagreement, “See now I know that’s a lie because your favorite show is The originals because you have a little crush on that hybrid guy” Yunho says knowingly and she buries her face in his chest. She grumbles before she looks up at him again, a hand coming up to tangle in his hair, no longer the golden natural blond, or the fake colors of his dye. No now it’s a soft blond with black roots and ends seeping through, proof of her affect on him.

 “I've affected you too much” she beams up at him softly, “I could say the same” he moves her so she’s now laying atop his chest, his palm flattening out against the mark against her thigh as it glows a faint golden, sending a exhilarating jolt of electricity through her body. “But you know what?” he asks as he presses a kiss to her forehead, bringing both hands up as he holds her face in them, threading his fingers through her hair as he tuck a strand behind her ear. “What?” she grins up at him, “I wouldn’t have it any other way” he utters but before he could act on the thoughts swirling in his head, she beat him to it. Moving upwards and capturing his lips with a fervent need.

The tv still playing in the background, the setting sun and rising moon, the heat of the day worsened by the tension in their bodies is a stark reminder that the future King and Queen of the gods will never be separated, their bodies intertwined, souls connected and hearts beating as one. 

Yunho remembers the stories his dad told him, of Humans having four legs, four arms and two hearts, being split into two souls by Zeus and left to roam in search of their other half forever. He never thought to ask any of the gods if this had been true, but feeling the love coursing in his chest for the woman atop him, he believes it must be.

taglist: @grapejellysollie @seongsangssbitch @idkwhatto-namethis @leezanetheofficial @waywardsummoner46 @randomfan218-blog @kaisworlds

copyright | 2024 | @asherthehimbo

waahh, im also planning on writing a spin off for Kai and Felix so if you wanne be tagged in that lmk😼

[anfie-in-the-box]

Turns, twists, and paradoxes

Navigation

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Notes

It's been finished for a while, just didn't feel like uploading anything. It really takes effort to get the post done, with all the links, the credits, proofreading, etc.

Also yeah, it's the second x-tra! Since @zu-is-here insists on drawing illustrations for this fic, readers get more x-tra scenes!

Enjoy!

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X-tra 2

Horror hopes he knows where to shortcut to find Murder. He doesn't want him alone after a fight; never again.

Murder isn't in his room, but that's okay. Horror has a few other places to check. He can't feel the other's emotions like Nightmare can, but he knows Murder better than anyone, so of course he'll find him.

Just let him not be too late. Murder needs him.

Horror shortcuts and shortcuts. The castle is silent and empty — it's weird not to hear a single soul, no spars on the yard, no smells of cooking — someone is, was, always awake here. The castle was alive despite overwhelming, suffocating negativity, and now it's dead. For good, once Horror and Murder leave as well. It feels strange to even consider leaving the place behind, yet it's only logical — nothing stops them anymore. They can have a try at a happy ending of their own.

Horror finds Murder in one of the balconies where he sits right on the floor, breathing deeply. He's meditating, Horror knows, so he doesn't interrupt. Instead he sits quietly in front of Murder and watches his deceivingly calm features, looking for a sign of distress. Murder is particularly vulnerable before and after gaining EXP, and while Horror couldn't really help before — Nightmare would never let them comfort each other when their negative emotions were high, only after they calmed down by themselves — he can now. So he's here. It's new, so he's not sure what exactly to do, but being around people always seemed to ground Murder, if only a little, so Horror will keep him company. They worked together for so long they grew attached despite their differences and their past. Horror was at odds with most of others, mostly because unlike them, he cared about his brother and his people and couldn't even imagine killing them. In a sense, he was lucky, never once living through what they call a Genocide timeline; but he had a hell of his own.

Nightmare only picked up toys long broken, after all. Those he could bend and twist into loyalty. Some managed to escape his grasp — Cross wasn't the first traitor, not at all, although he's the only one who joined Dream and therefore put a target much bigger than usual on his back. Nightmare does not forget, and he does not forgive.

Or at least that's how it used to be. Nightmare did bow and thank them for help, after all. And earlier, he did let them go without a word.

They're not free yet, though. Maybe will never be. But now they can make a first step. Together with Murder, Horror hopes. He doesn't want to leave his partner alone.

Murder opens his sockets, mismatched eye-lights focusing on Horror.

Neither talks until Murder twitches, "Did you want something?"

"Just make sure you're alright," Horror responds. "Well, as much as possible," he corrects.

Murder hugs his knees, curling into himself. "Papyrus didn't make an appearance, if that's what you'd like to know. I don't know if it's meditation or he just doesn't feel like it."

"That's okay," Horror assures. "There's no rush anymore."

Murder lowers his gaze. "Are we really leaving?" he asks. Something in his tone breaks Horror's heart. He's come to care so much about his partner.

"I don't know," he answers honestly. "I have to ask Farmer if he's okay with it. But I don't think he'll refuse, especially if we promise to help."

"We're both unstable," Murder says. "And they're peaceful. Would it work?"

Horror knows what he's really asking. What if I snap? What if you snap? Horror doesn't know how to answer that. What he knows for sure is, "We won't be alone anymore."

Murder grins. "Don't know about you, but I was never alone in the first place. Not since you…" He quiets and whispers, smile smaller but more genuine: "Thank you."

"Thank you, too," Horror grumbles. It's not easy to be so open after years of hiding, even before Nightmare came for him, but for Murder, he can do it.

They fall silent, sitting on the cool floor, looking at each other. They're both roughed up, though not injured too seriously. Some food and a bath will heal them in a moment. Maybe good sleep, too, though they won't be sleeping any time soon. Or at least Horror won't.

"Why do you think Nightmare returned?" Murder asks, uncertain and vulnerable. He looks Horror in the eye, waiting for his response nervously.

"I think," Horror says, "Nightmare needs something he left here. Probably those precious books of his. And besides, we knew it would happen sooner or later, didn't we? We were ready as we'd ever be."

Murder nods thoughtfully, reaching out. Horror lets him touch and caress his hands. Intimacy is difficult, but Murder deserves comfort, and Horror is ready to provide.

"It's so weird seeing him like this," Murder murmurs softly. He must be scared to share his thoughts so openly, and so is Horror, but they will manage for sure. There's nothing stopping them anymore. They don't have to hurt anymore. They can heal.

"It is," Horror agrees. "Whatever happened that got rid of his corruption changed him drastically, huh?"

Murder doesn't answer — there's no need to talk anymore.

So they sit together, despite the odds, against the ever-present oppressing air of an AU with hopes and dreams long gone. They're not quite ready for whatever will come next, but Horror wants to face the future by Murder's side.

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Credits

Undertale © Toby Fox

Horror!Sans © horrortalecomic

Murder!Sans © ask-dusttale

Read it on ao3

Read Russian version on ficbook or fanficus

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Notes

I told you Murder and Horror would show up again, but did you expect it to be so soon? Even I didn't, but it really wanted to be written, so I couldn't ignore it.

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[skzhua]

fool ('your eyes' series)

♡ "I might be a fool too, then."

pairing: han jisung x reader.

genre: fluff, a bit of angst.

word count: 11,377

warnings: swearing, drinking, failed dates, suggestive. (not proofread yet!)

summary: being your closest friend on campus, jisung has been through thick and thin with you, and so the opposite. thus, he has seen your multiple attempts at dating, your numerous failed dates and the guys who had never called you back. what can be any better than a night in with him to cheer you up?

a/n: another one of my favourites of this series. we only have two more to go!

SERIES MASTERLIST

Jisung was done with school for the day, finally. Not that he didn't like his major, in contrary. He was one of the few to know what he wanted to do with his life and to actually like it. However, the comfort of his room seemed much more appealing for him, especially after a whole day of socializing with his friend, Chan. Again, it's not that he didn't like the man, but he was definitely an extrovert. To add it to the lot, he was being especially friendly with the new girl who had just transferred to the school. He endured tagging along for a while, until he couldn't anymore. So he left.

It was in times like this that he was glad to have gotten a dorm near the music department. It only took him under ten minutes to walk home and drop dead on his bed. Turning on his phone, he saw a notification coming from his favourite person, you.

He met you during your freshman year. For being an introvert, you were shockingly talkative when the teacher had paired you up with him for an assignment. For once, he was thankful for being forced to work in teams since it led to having one of the greatest people he met as a friend. It was undeniable that he took a liking for you quickly. He simply could not avoid falling for you. You were smart, pretty, funny, lazy (just like him), bubbly and very touchy. He thought of himself as someone who liked skin ship, but you were on another level. After being friends for less than a month, you had already started to cling onto him like a child and to give him hugs each time you met up.

Clicking on the message app, he read your texts with a grin on his face. Once again, you were complaining about work as per usual. You were colleagues with a girl named Chunhwa with whom you had grew a nice friendship as you had ended up sharing a dorm with her. One thing about her was how unproductive she would be at work. Sure, you were a lazy potato too, but you actually wanted to keep your job unlike her.

Jisung: I don't get how she didn't get fired yet.

Y/N: Me neither, honestly...

Y/N: Are you done with school? Can I come over?

Jisung: You don't have to ask! Get your ass here!

Jisung was messy. The first time you saw his room, you had to restrain yourself from picking up all his trash to throw it away. With time, you got used to it and gave up on trying to make him clean his mess. Needless to say you were taken aback when you saw he had cleaned up the place when you barged into his room.

"Damn, I'm impressed." you yelled out.

"Jeongin forced me."

"Not surprised." you shrugged and sat next to him on his bed. "So, I have kimchi and friend chicken." you pulled out each item from the plastic bag.

"You stopped to get food before coming here?"

"Obviously." you laughed. "And I did not forget your jjajamyeon this time." you took it out for him to snatch it from you immediately.

"You're the best." he hummed, hugging his food.

"I know." you snickered. "Now, get your laptop. It's my turn to choose the movie."

Jisung stared at you fondly as you wrapped yourself in his blanket and cutely scrolled through his Netflix account. It was moments like these that compensated with his aching heart of seeing you go out with so many undeserving people. Yes, for him, none of them deserved you because you were that precious. He even thought himself wasn't good enough for you, which is one of the reasons why he had not told you about his feelings.

You ended up choosing a random anime as you had already been searching for a good 30 minutes. Eyes focused on the screen, you opened your box full of chicken and munched on it, not caring of how unclean it looked. It was Jisung, anyway, not like you were trying to impress him. Plus, he had seen you in worse states. Three episodes in, you heard the front door open, and you knew immediately that Jisung's roomie, Jeongin, had just come back home. It was a few seconds later when you heard an agressive knocking. You got up to answer and there was Jeongin, fuming in fury.

"You're here again?" he huffed rudely.

Uneasy, you managed a shy smile as you answered. "Yeah, I brought kimchi with some jjajamyeon and fried chicken."

"Smells like shit." he muttered and searched for Jisung behind you. "Dude, we talked about this. We cleaned this morning!"

Intimidated, Jisung hurried to talk. "I swear I'll clean up the trash after."

With that, he went to close the door in his face, and dragged you with him back into the soft blankets. You let out a laugh you didn't know you were holding back, and he copied your expressions.

"You are making him go through so much, poor thing." you said after the laughter toned down.

"We're fine, I know he loves me." he snickered.

You shook your head in disapproval. "Keep telling yourself that, Ji."

Jisung was at Chan and Changbin's place as he stared impatiently at his phone. The others had gathered for their usual chillings, them being Sora, Minho and Chunhwa. As for you, you were on a date. The guy was from your English class, and had asked you out after you did a schoolwork together. Although your best friend never met him, he already knew he was going to be bad news.

And, somehow, he was right. Junsoo was, indeed, a total jerk. He asked some inappropriate questions about your relationship with Jisung as if he wanted to make sure you were available. Then, he didn't pay for the bill since he had just paid for his next semester, which you knew was a lie because all students have their school bill coming at the same time. He ended the night by touching every inch on your body after you had specifically told him to back off after the first time.

"Do you want to come back to my place?" he asked you when you got into his car, licking his bottom lips.

You stared at him in disgust. "Actually, I have plans after this. Just bring me back on campus."

He did insist, but stopped when you told him you were heading to Chan's dorm. Chan was a bit of a legend. He had contacts with everyone, and he was also buff as hell. Him being friends with Changbin also came handy in situations like these.

"I'd like to take you out again." Junsoo told you once you reached Chan's building.

You forced a smile, and nodded. "Sure. I'll see when I'm free."

You tried extra hard to not cringe when he kissed the back of your hand. As soon as his lips detached from your skin, you ran out of his car, and directly inside.

Jisung, who was still staring at his phone, finally got the call he had been waiting for all night. He did not hesitate one bit to answer, and asked how your date went, worried.

"Y/N?" he asked again when he didn't get a response.

"Ji..." you trailed off when a sob took over.

He got up from his seat in panic, and started to gather his things. "Y/N, baby, where are you? What did he do?"

"I'm downstairs. I was about to join you all, if you don't mind."

With that, Jisung calmed down and let go of his belongings. "Of course, we don't mind. Come right up and I'll make you some tea. Does it sound okay for you?"

"Yeah. Thank you, Ji."

"Come up quickly."

Changbin raised an eyebrow at the younger man. That's when Jisung realized everyone had stopped what they were doing to observe the scene. Unfortunately, this was not the first time something like this happened. In fact, it occured about a week prior from that moment.

"You can go in my room, if you want." Chan offered. "I'll sleep at Minho's instead."

"When did I agree with this?" Minho huffed, but apologized when Chan sent a glare his way.

"Thank you. Can I use your boiler to make her some tea?"

The man gestured to the whole kitchen, as if to tell him to make himself at home. He prepared everything in a hurry, and jumped when he heard a knock at the door. He quickly let you in and engulfed you into a hug. Your quiet sobs were breaking his heart, and he really wondered what the man had done to you for putting you in such a state.

"Your tea's ready." he said softly. "Do you want to stay with us, or do you want to talk in Chan's room?"

You shrugged your shoulders before wiping your tears. Your puffy eyes were enough for Jisung to know you'd rather not be seen crying your life out by everyone. He got your cup of tea and carefully walked with you to Chan's room. He leaned on the desk as he put down your beverage and let you inside. When you sat down on the bed, he hesitated whether he should speak or not. Your small sniffles were still the only thing that could be heard, and they were becoming louder and louder.

After a while, you finally talked when your crying reduced. "Am I some kind of magnet to assholes?"

Jisung knew he shouldn't be laughing, but he couldn't help but let out a muffled chuckle. Thankfully, you didn't take it personally and smiled with him.

"You're far from being a jerk magnet. Your best example would that you have me and the boys around." he said more seriously.

"It's not the same..." you mumbled.

Jisung sighed, knowing well you meant he was only going to remain your friend. "Are you going to tell me what he did to you, now?"

"It doesn't matter."

"It does to me."

You knew he was going to insist until you spill it out. You loved how you could count on him anytime, but it also made you worry that you put too many of your problems onto him. Anyway, you were not going to get away easily from his interrogation.

"He..." you started, but a knot formed in your stomach. "Let's say he stepped over some boundaries."

You could see him fume already. He straightened his posture and walked closer to you, encouraging you to develop furthermore.

"What boundaries?" he asked when you were not answering, and you were still not. "Did he touch you?"

Slowly, you nodded your head. You couldn't prevent him from exploding in anger, and it was not an enjoyable sight. As much as he can be the softest cinnamon roll, Jisung was impulsive when something that wasn't right would happen.

"Ji, it's okay-"

"For fuck's sake, Y/N." he yelled out, interrupting you. "Do you really think it's okay for someone to touch you without your consent?"

"We touch each other all the time-"

He cut you off once again. "It's not the same. You initiate skinship, and I never touched you in an inappropriate way. Plus, we talked about it, and you told me you were fine with it."

"I said I was fine with it with him, too."

He scoffed. "Were you thinking it, or were you being nice because you felt bad if you said no?" You didn't answer to this one because he knew you too well, and he had hit at the right spot. "Fuck, you're so dense. When are you going to realize you can set your limits?"

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

You didn't really think when saying that. Part of it was your fault, and you knew that very well since it wasn't the first time you let a guy touch you when you didn't want to. But a bigger part of it was the guy's fault. You knew Jisung meant well by saying you shouldn't let them do something you don't want to, because that was the truth. Anyhow, your mouth spoke before your brain could process your thoughts. And now Jisung had stepped away from you, and dropped himself on Chan's desk chair.

"You know damn fucking well I will never say this is your fault. I'm just trying to tell you to not let yourself be so... accommodating."

You rolled your eyes. "I don't need you to act like my dad, or something."

"I'm saying this as a friend." he looked at you with a serious face. "I don't want you to end up in a bad situation where I can't do anything about it."

"Well, maybe don't do something? You don't decide for me, Jisung."

He chuckled in disbelief. "You came here so I could help you, right?"

"And you're doing a great job at it."

"Do you expect me to not get mad when I learn an asshole was trying to fuck my best friend without her consent?"

"I would expect you to be more gentle with the situation, yes."

This seemed to do the trick for Jisung to switch back to his usual state. He took a big sigh as he looked down, and joined you on the bed. You could already see he was much calmer, so you brought him into a hug.

"I just want you to comfort me, that's all."

He sighed even louder as he hugged you back. "I'm sorry. I just hate seeing you suffer like this."

"Just hold me, and I'll feel better."

He complied as he hugged you even tighter. "How about we do like last time when that jerk called you an annoying piece of shit?"

You grunted and pushed him away from you. "Don't remind me."

"Hey, I'm only suggesting to do something to get your mind off of him."

You shook your head. "I'm already tired as it is, let's just go to sleep?"

He nodded. "I'll be your pillow again."

"Thank you, Ji."

"You two fucked?" Chunhwa said in disgust. "I'm glad I left earlier."

You groaned in frustration, as you were attempting to explain what happened a few days ago. "No, we slept together. We always do."

"Putting the emphasis on the 'sleep together' part does not help." You deadpanned at her, but she only shrugged her shoulders. "Girl, you're not being clear."

"Is it that hard to get? I cried, he held me, and we fell asleep in the same bed."

"There you go, that's much better." she snickered at you, but your expression remained the same. "You'll have to thank Chan for letting you take over his room. Again. And, please, do not argue like this again? We literally heard everything."

"Yeah, yeah." you rolled your eyes at her. "Sorry about that, I guess. It's just that... Jisung can be so reactive sometimes."

"He cares about you." the girl put her hand on your shoulder. "And just so you know, he hates seeing you cry about a man every two weeks."

You slapped her hand away in a playful manner as you stood up from your bed. "He'll hate it if he wants to. I have join him now, anyways. Catch up with you later?"

"Sure."

You ran outside to go at the local café. Ordering an iced coffee, you sat at a table to wait patiently for Jisung to show up. Knowing him, he was most likely going to be late. You didn't mind, though. You had some personal schoolwork to do in the meantime, it wouldn't hurt to get some of it done.

"Hey." A voice startled you.

You looked up and saw a guy. You swore you had seen him before, but you weren't sure from where. Noticing your confusion, the man chuckled shyly before extending his hand out for you to shake.

"I'm Minyoung, a friend of Junsoo."

You shook his hand in a reluctant manner. "Y/N."

"I know." he laughed out. "I saw you and I just wanted to apologize for my friend's behaviour towards you. He has a bad habit of not being able to keep it in his pants."

Your mouth formed an 'o' shape as you started to get why he started talking to you. "It's all good, no worries."

"Okay, good." he chuckled.

He stood there, uneasy, and seemed to hesitate to speak. The moment he was about to say something, you spotted Jisung behind him. He was a mess. Hair disheveled, glasses on meaning he didn't have the time to put his contact lenses on, bag dragging behind him... You laughed at the sight of him, causing the man in front of you to turn around, laying eyes on your best friend of a mess.

"I'm so sorry, I know I'm late. I slept in and I should have texted you, but then forgot, and my bus was about to leave so I ran and-" he breathed out heavily, chest puffing.

"It's okay, Ji." you laughed. "It actually allowed me to get some stuff done in the meantime."

He nodded his head, reassured. But then, his eyes stopped on the man next to him. Eyeing up and down, he frowned.

"Am I interrupting something, or..?" he trailed off.

"Oh gosh, of course not-" you spoke.

"Actually, kind of-"

You and Minyoung exchanged gazes, laughing awkwardly in the process. "Can you give us a second, Ji?"

Your friend sighed and left to go to the counter to order himself something. He knew where this was going and he did not like one bit of it. While he didn't know Minyoung that much, he knew enough to be certain he was bad news. Captain of their basketball team, handsome as hell, and grades that only a genuis could get, he was a jackpot for any girl on campus. Jisung watched the two of you from afar, unsure if he should be coming back to avoid yet, another failed date.

"Hey, Jisung!" Seungmin said from the other side of the counter, breaking him off his thoughts.

"Seungmin." he gave him a nod before his gaze went back on you.

He tried to hear a bit of your conversation and magically caught on what you were saying.

"Did you want to tell me somehing?" you asked the guy.

"Actually, I'm not sure if this is appropriate, but I'd like to take you on a date? I know you don't know me much, but I can assure you I'm nothing like Junsoo."

Did you believe him? No, of course not. However, one thing about you is that you always gave someone a chance even if they came off as bad people. Another thing was that you always tried to see the positive aspects of anyone, because you truly believed everyone was good.

"Alright, sure." you smiled.

"Oh, wow, great." he grinned. "Are you free tonight? No, wait, next Tuesday evening?"

You did have plans with Jisung, but he would understand if you cancelled, right? Plus, you saw him pretty much everyday. What could one day without seeing him do?

"Yeah, I'm available."

"Great. How about we meet here at 5pm?" You nodded happily, which caused him to smile even more. "I'll see you next week, then."

"See you."

By then, Jisung had come back and watched the man leave the café, daggers in his eyes. "I got you a latte." he said in an unpleasant tone.

You took it from him as a frown formed on you face. "Thanks... Are you okay?"

"You agreed to go out with him?" he scoffed while sitting down in front of you.

"Ji-"

"Y/N, we talked about this recently. Was he being insistant? Do I need to file a restraining order for you?"

You rolled your eyes at him as you let out a snort. "It's fine, trust me. He seems more decent than Junsoo."

"We'll see about that." he huffed. "Now, where are we with the project?"

You opened the Word file on your laptop and turned the screen to show it to him. "I did most of the layout and I took some of the ideas from your document, if you don't mind."

"It's a team project, of course I don't mind." he deadpanned at you. "You marked me to write the conclusion? You know I suck at that!"

"You would have complained if I put you the introduction too, so it doesn't matter."

You truly loved Jisung with all of your heart, but as a school partner? He was the absolute worst.

Things with Minyoung were simple. At school, he started to walk you to your class and buy you a snack once in a while. He would ask if you ate breakfast and just come to entertain you when he would spot you reading alone. Most of the time, it was only him and you but it did happen that Jisung had to third-wheel.

"Hey, pretty." Minyoung said as he incrusted himself between you and your best friend.

Jisung huffed as he watched you bat your eyelashes at the man who has just interrupted your conversation. Not only that, but he had the guts of sitting as to separate him from you.

"Hey." you smiled admirably. "How was your class?"

"Good, but I had something else in mind." he nudged at you. "I've got everything covered for tonight."

"That's nice. I can't wait."

"I'm sure you'll love it. I'll see you tonight." he said while sending a wink your way.

He got up, still staring at you, while you waved at him. Jisung sat right back closer to you even if the bench had plenty of space.

"What is happening tonight?" he asked which broke you off from your trance.

"Oh." you blinked a couple of times. "I forgot to tell you, but my date with him is tonight."

He frowned. "I thought you already went out, hence the weird flirting since last week."

You shook your head. "It's tonight."

"But, Y/N." he whined. "The next episode is out tonight and then we go to the guys' dorm and play games, remember?"

"I know that and I'm so sorry. I'll make it up to you, I promise." you rubbed his shoulder.

"We had planned this already, did you just say yes because he came up to you all cute and shit?" he asked but your face was enough to answer his question. "You're unbelievable." he shook his head and got up.

"Ji." you called him out.

"You know where I am if he breaks your heart." he sighed and walked away.

You did feel bad, but like you had thought previously, you saw Jisung ever single day. It was with a weird feeling that you left the school grounds to go back to your dorm. As you stepped inside, you almost rushed into Chunhwa who was about to leave.

"Watch out." you yelled out and she stepped aside just in time.

"You're in a hurry." she laughed. "Is tonight your date?"

You nodded happily as you found balance on you feet again. "Minyoung told me to meet at the coffee shop but I don't know what he planned out for us tonight."

"Have a good night then, but don't be stupid and use protection!" she waved as she walked out.

"This applies to you with Changbin." you shouted to her as the door was closing leaving just enough time for her to send you the middle finger.

You laughed at yourself and then proceeded to go to your closet. You didn't have much that you could work with since most of your decent outfits were in the laundry. Your eyes scanned through your selection of pants and you opted to go for a cozy look. Picking a pair of large ripped jeans and a shirt with a low-cut, you changed quickly before changing your hairstyle into something more fancy. Adding some jewelry to the whole look, you looked at yourself through the mirror with a satisfied smile.

Your phone ringing interrupted your moment and you answered without looking at who was contacting you. "Hello?"

"You're sure you're not coming tonight?"

Of course he was going to try and convince you. "Ji, I'm not going to change my mind."

"The episode is out now! You expect me to wait an entire day for you to be available to watch it?"

You huffed. "Watch it by yourself then."

"It's our show." he insisted. "Plus, Chan cleared his schedule to hang out for us. The least you can do is actually show up, no?"

He did have a point. In fact, you missed hanging out with the gang. And since he brought up Chan who you had barely seen in the past months, you were on the verge of calling off your date and go with your friends. But your phone buzzed which indicated another call was coming in.

"Can I hold you for a second? I have someone calling me." You heard an annoyed "yes" from his end before accepting the other call. "Yes?"

"Hi, Y/N! I'm letting you know I'm here already so I'll be waiting."

You checked the time and cursed at yourself. You had taken too long to prepare yourself that you didn't notice the time passing by so fast.

"Right, I had a few things to do at home so I'll be late by a few minutes."

"It's all good." Minyoung reassured. "Do you want me to order something?"

"Not yet. I'm coming as soon as I can."

"See you, pretty."

You blushed and hung up. Hearing the familiar music of Mario Bros, you remembered Jisung was also waiting after you.

"Ji?"

"Yeah, I'm here."

"Listen..." you started, the guilt building up.

Of course, Jisung knew that tone. The number of times he listened to you apologizing for cancelling plans with him to go out on dates made him familiar with this sad voice of yours. He knew what you were about to say.

"It's alright. Like I said, you know where to find me if anything."

"I'm sorry."

Without adding another word, he hung up. While the weird knot in your stomach was still present, you shrugged it off quickly and left your place to head to the café.

Arriving to your destination, it didn't take you too long to spot your date sitting at a table as he scrolled through his phone. He looked very good as he had changed into a clean white shirt with a jean jacket to go over it. His hair was styled differently than usual. Instead of the messy state it was usually in, he parted it on the side and put some gel for it to stay in place.

"I hope I didn't make you wait for too long." you said as you came into his view.

"Y/N! Of course not, it was barely ten minutes." he chuckled before eyeing you up and down. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you. You look great too."

He rubbed the side of his neck in shyness. "I tried to dress up, yeah. So, I hope you like bowling because that's our plan for tonight."

"Sounds good. Lead the way, Mister."

He smiled widely before putting his hand on your lower back to guide you towards the exit. Felix, who had taken the evening shift at the coffee shop, watched in silence from afar.

Of course, it was not in Jisung's plans to keep track on what you were doing. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if you were okay. Not feeling in the mood of socializing if you weren't going to be there, he had texted Changbin in advance to tell him he won't make it to their game night. And that's how he found himself in front of his laptop with a soda on the side, watching your favourite show alone.

Until Felix texted him. He wasn't close friends with the guy. They had only met the year before at one of Chan's parties and bonded over the fact their birthdays were only a day apart from each other. They still kept contact afterwards, texting each other every once in a while.

Felix: She's out with another guy? I thought I saw her with Junsoo last week.

Jisung: You're talking about Y/N? Yeah, she blindly agreed to go out with him.

Felix: When are you going to stop doing this to yourself?

Jisung: Doing what?

Felix: Don't act like you don't know.

Jisung sighed. What was he going to do anyway? You made it very clear that you could not see him in a romantic way and he had buried the idea of asking you out the moment he got the message. Plus, he was nothing like the guys you went out with. Jisung was weak and barely did any kind of exercice. He wasn't that popular or anything and his life consisted mainly of staying at home to watch anime.

Jisung: I want her to be happy. If dating a popular basketball player is what it takes, then so be it.

Felix: But in the meantime you're hurting.

Jisung: Because you're dating the prettiest girl on campus doesn't mean you need to meddle in my love life.

Felix: I'm not dating Hyunjoo.

Jisung: Right, and I don't like Y/N.

Felix: Aha! Admitted.

Jisung: I like her, yes, but it won't change a thing.

Felix: Alright man. Just saying, the guy seems to be into her a lot. Don't miss your chance.

Jisung: It's fine. I'm happy for her.

Lying to himself was a better option than facing his own pain. Whether he wanted to or not, seeing you with someone else hurt like hell. But for your sake and his, he never said anything, and he was determined for it to stay this way.

As for you, the date was going smoothly. This might had been the only guy who was treating you with respect. He bought you snacks while you were playing and encouraged you with sweet words when you'd miss a shot.

By the end of the game, he invited you to go to a park to walk and get to know one another. On the side of the trail, he picked up a flower and placed it on your hair. Gestures like these were the absolute perfection in normal situations. But for you? It did nothing. You did get shy and fluttered a little bit, but it wasn't like genuine feelings blooming. You decided to not mind it for now. Since you were still feeling bad for ditching your best friend, you assumed it might be the cause of your mixed feelings.

"I always wondered what's the thing you have Han." Minyoung blurted out of the blue.

"What about him?"

"You know what people say around campus."

In confusion, you shook your head. "Other students talk about us?"

"Yeah, I thought you knew." Your face still having the same expression, he sighed before speaking. "You're always together and because you two are pretty good looking, people assume you are together. I have some girls from the cheerleading team that are actually quite jealous of you."

You scoffed. "Jealous of me?"

He nodded. "Jisung is quite a catch, you know?"

"He's the most antisocial person on Earth." you argued in disbelief.

"It doesn't change the fact girls think he's hot. I'm only telling you what my friends said about it."

You sat on a bench near by as this conversation was getting a little bit overwhelming for you. You did know Jisung was handsome. Heck, you saw that face every day, you weren't blind. The surprising point was how much he was a heartthrob unlike what you thought. With how he had always put it out, he was the biggest loser ever.

"And people say we're... a thing?"

"Almost everyone, yeah. But you've gone out with a couple of my friends, so I suppose those rumors are false." he affirmed and sat next to you.

You chuckled. "Very far from the truth, yes. Jisung and I are nothing more than friends."

"So I can do this without worrying of getting my ass kicked?"

"Do what?"

Before you knew it, his lips were on yours. They tasted a little bit like strawberry, probably due to the beverage he drank beforehand. Strangely, it reminded of of the time you had attempted to make a strawberry cake with Jisung, which ended in a failure obviously.

"I think we should go back, I'm starting to get tired." you said as soon as the kiss ended.

"Oh, okay. Do you want me to walk you home?"

"It'd be nice, yes."

He walked you to your dorm safely and kissed you once more as a farewell. Luckily for you, it looked like Chunhwa was still out at Changbin's place. You took the opportunity to use your shared television to put on your show. Jisung had probably watched it on his own, so you didn't feel bad doing it alone. It still felt wrong, though. You never missed an episode together.

Little did you know that at the same moment, your best friend was already at the end of the episode, having the worst time of his life as he felt guilty for not having waited for you.

You couldn't believe that finals were already coming up. Although you hated the amount of stress it added to your already high level, you were glad to see the end of the tunnel. It was even better because Minyoung had finally asked you to be his girlfriend after the multiple dates you went on.

"You said no?" Jisung almost screamed which caused you to shush him.

You gave an apologetic smile to the librarian before glaring at your friend. "I said I'll think about it."

He groaned. "I thought you liked him and if you want my opinion, he's the first decent contestant we've had so far."

"You act as if dating me is a competition or something."

He deadpanned at you. "With the amount of people who asked you out throughout the time we've known each other, yes it is."

This made you remember your conversation you had with Minyoung on your first date. You had been dying to ask Jisung if what you heard was true, if he really was as popular among the female students as Minyoung claimed him to be. You just never had the opportunity to bring up the topic, but this was your chance.

"I could say the same about you."

He raised an eyebrow at you. "Have you seen me go out with someone?"

"No, but apparently your good looks are attracting people."

He smirked. "Finally admitting that I'm the most handsome student at school?" he joked.

"I'm only repeating what Minyoung told me about you."

His smile fell. "What did he say about me? Y/N, you swore you'd only date someone who is okay with us being so close."

"He's fine with it, don't worry. No, he said girls from the cheerleading team are crushing on you."

You didn't expect for him to react much other than tell you it was all false but as he focused back to writing down in his notebook, you started to doubt. He might not have told you everything about him after all.

"Han Jisung." you said in a warning tone but the only response you got was a hum. "It's true?"

He finally dared to look up at you. "No? Maybe? Fine, yes. They're pretty insistent, you know? One of them told me that the fact I get shy when they ask me out only makes me more attractive. Have you seen me, Y/N? I'm a low-life dude who eats ramen 24/7 and whose best friend is one of the prettiest girls in college who is, by the way, very out of my league. But really, when you think of-"

"Woah, stop here." you said as you raised your hand up. "What do you mean I'm one of the prettiest girls here? So everything Minyoung told me was true?"

He rolled his eyes as he was, by then, annoyed by how clueless you were. "Why do you think you get dates only by snapping your fingers? Why do you think I always want to avoid the sport center?"

"Because you hate sports?"

"Fair point, but it's really only because I'm avoiding the cheerleaders."

You were in shock. All of this time, you thought he was just bad with asking girls out which would have explained his lack of activity in this department, but in fact, he was the one turning them down.

"None of them interest you?"

He scoffed. "I don't have time for that. Besides, I'm most likely going to embarrass myself if I actually go on a date. Now that we have covered this very useless part of my life, can we focus on the project? The due date is in two days might I remind you."

"Right, sorry."

Some time passed until the two of you got tired of it. You packed your books in your bags and headed out of the library. Jisung left first and told you he'd wait for you at his dorm with food to watch your show.

"I'll go find Minyoung if you don't mind."

He sent you a knowing look. "Should I get a bottle of champagne to celebrate?"

"Go." you pushed him towards the exit as he laughed loudly.

After having gathered everything from your locker, you went to make your way to the sport center. You remembered Minyoung told you he had a practice if you wanted to tell him your answer then. When you entered the gym, you found it empty. Logically, practice was done so you went to go next to the changing rooms to wait for him to get out.

"I thought she liked you enough to say yes."

You recognized Junsoo's voice speaking. You didn't feel anything but disgust by hearing his voice so you were about to leave. But another voice caught your attention.

"I didn't lose the bet yet, she might say yes." Your heart sank as you heard Minyoung talk. "But this Han guy is really getting in the way."

"I told you so!" Junsoo replied. "She's impossible to get because Han keeps us away. Have you had the talk?"

"What talk?"

"He came to me after our date and he might be small but he's scary and strong as hell."

"What did he say?"

"It was mostly insults and shit like I don't deserve her anyway or something. If anything, it's kind of sad how he's being such a simp for her."

When you thought you've heard enough, the door suddenly opened wide with Minyoung coming out first. The instant his eyes laid on you, you could see the regret in them.

"Y/N."

You were glad you didn't let tears flood out because you surely felt them coming. You could not face him in such a vulnerable state, not after what he had said about you.

"Are you in high school or something to be betting on someone as if they're objects to collect?"

He shook his head. "This is not what it looks like."

He tried to approach you but you backed away. "I'm glad I came here to tell you I don't want to be with you. I guess you just added more reason for me to tell you to fuck off."

You turned on your heels and started to walk away. Your eyes were starting to get filled with tears, but you wanted to say one more thing before letting them out.

"By the way," you said as you stopped on your tracks. "Jisung was right to go after you all because you are fucking desperate to be betting on a girl."

Jisung, on the other hand, was happily preparing the room for your night in. He had asked for Jeongin to go out but he already had a night shift at the convenience store which allowed him to have to dorm to himself. When he heard a knock on his door, he opened it with a wide smile. However, it was soon wiped off his face when he recognized the familiar tears coming down on your cheeks.

"Y/N, baby, what happened?" he asked and brought you into his embrace. "What did that son of a bitch do?"

It was only then that you let yourself sob out without holding back. "I hate men." you simply said.

Jisung seemed to have gotten the messages that you didn't want to talk about it and he led you to his room. You were in awe as you caught sight of the setup for watching movies with a tray set on the desk filled with your favourite treats.

"You're the best, oh gosh." you exclaimed, melting at how affectionate the gesture was.

"It was originally to congratulate you for your new relationship, but it can totally be to cheer you up."

"I love it." you smiled and hugged him.

"We can move to the living room if you want. Jeongin's working."

You nodded in approval of his suggestion and you helped him carry the blankets and pillows to his couch while he transported the tray of food. Quickly, you settled with playing Mario Kart as you would always do. He would never tell you but he did let you win a few times only to see a happy grin on your face. He was competitive but never with you.

"Stop looking at me and focus." he whined with his mouth full of popcorn. "You've been falling at the same spot three times already."

"Watch your screen, not mine." you nagged and only received mocking from him.

Your kart was approaching the end but Jisung sent a red shell your way which knocked your vehicle down for a second. Victoriously, he surpassed you and was now leading the course. As a way to distract him, you came closer to his face.

"Jisung~" you cooed. "You suck at this game."

He groaned as he tried to push you away. "Y/N, stop this."

Luckily, it did distract him enough as he went off road for an instant which allowed you to take the lead and reach the end. You jumped up in victory and danced a little as to show off your skills.

"I'm so good, shame on you for not being able to beat me."

He rolled his eyes. "Enough gaming for you tonight." he concluded and took the controller from your grip.

"But Jisung!" you whined.

"You won all of the five games we played, time for a movie now." He changed the cables to connect it to his Netflix account. "Stop pouting, I'm letting you choose."

You immediately glowed up at the mention of you choosing. "For real?"

"It's your get-better-night, so yeah." he shrugged. "But please consider that I hate your children movies."

"The Minions is peak cinematography and I will stand by it until I die."

Only to piss him off, you pick that exact movie. He grumbled some curses at you before he let you snuggle into him, not forgetting to bring the bowl of popcorn with him for the two of you. He hoped to heavens that you would be too immersed into the movie to not hear his heart beat so hard. It was during moments like these that Jisung wished he was yours so he could kiss you as if it was a normal occurrence between you two.

"Jisung." you huffed as you received a couple of popcorns on your face that dropped from the handful that he took.

"What?" he said and noticed what you were referring to. "Sorry." he laughed.

You didn't hesitate to take a handful yourself and throw it his way.

"Oh, it's on." he declared.

So for the next thirty minutes or so, the only things that could be heard in the living room were your laughs, insults you threw at each other, and the movie that was still playing in the background. It ended when realization hit Jisung upon seeing the floor in a messy state.

"Fuck, Jeongin is going to kill me."

You laughed at him. "He'll understand."

"Do you know Jeongin?"

You could only laugh more and then dropped on the couch, Jisung copying you soon after. "Thank you for tonight. It helped a lot."

"It's nothing. I told you I'm always here for you." he smiled. "Do you want to talk about what happened?"

"I was a bet." you kept it short. "I overheard him talking about me with his teammates."

He winced. "I'm so sorry. It's unfortunate, I had good vibes about him."

"Yeah, well, some people are not like what they seem... like you."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Nothing, I'm still thinking about how popular you are." you said, not wanting to talk about him defending you yet.

"Let's not talk about that." he groaned. "We can do something else, the movie's over." he pointed to the credits rolling on the screen.

"How about games?"

You went over almost every silly games you knew such as charades, truth or dare, mimes and more. Approaching the end of the night, you went on with playing rock paper scissors as you ran out of ideas.

"Ouch." Jisung exclaimed after you flunked his forehead.

"It wasn't that bad!" you rolled your eyes. "Again."

You showed your fist, but Jisung had his palm opened. He beat your rock with his paper.

"No." you complained.

"Come here, baby." he snickered.

You leaned closer to him and got the hair on your forehead out of the way. He then flicked his finger, strongly enough for you to hear a toc. You gasped in pain and your eyes squinted while you put your hand over where his finger had just hit.

"Oh fuck, I'm so sorry." he hurried to apologize. "Are you okay?"

He held your face with the palm of his hands. Suddenly, it felt like time stopped. Staring back at his almond eyes, you could not move. He was the cutest as worry was sprawled all over his face.

"I'm sorry." he said and then did something you certainly did not expect.

Bringing your head lower, he placed a kiss on the red spot on your forehead and then pat on it. You could only stare at him still, not finding the words to react.

"There, all healed." he smiled.

When he met your gaze again, it dawned on him that he just kissed your head without asking. His mind went blank as he didn't know what to say to justify himself. But the smile on your own face was all it took for him to relax. His eyes flickered down on your lips before he came closer. He was still approaching dangerously until he kissed you. You didn't even question it and melted into it, almost as if it was natural. Well, it felt like it. Your mouths were moving perfectly in sync with each other and you couldn't get enough of him.

But he abruptly separated himself from you. "I-I shouldn't- I didn't mean-" he stammered, clearly unsure of what to say. "I'm sorry."

"Ji..." you said, reaching out your hand to him.

He pushed it away and got up. "I think we should call it a night."

"I think we should talk."

"Y/N, please."

His pleading face hurt you. With a small nod, you took your stuff that was scattered around the living room and went to his front door in silence. You didn't turn the knob just yet.

"Thank you for tonight, I'm being honest."

He looked away, unable to keep his eyes on you any longer. "It's nothing. Good night."

"Good night."

As his door closed shut, he let himself fall on the couch. Why did he have to be so careless and kiss you just like that?

You were patient and understanding, so of course it made sense that Jisung didn't reach out to you yet to talk about what had happened. Nonetheless, you had your limits and more than a week without talking to your best friend, your other half, it was too much. You were grateful for the finals to have distracted you a little but now that you were done, he was the only thing in your mind. Maybe the party Chan was organizing for the end of the semester was going to help.

After your last exam, Chunhwa invited you to hang out with her and Changbin. You wanted to refuse at first to avoid watching them eye-fucking each other. However, it had been a while since you spent time with them so you ended up coming to the coffee shop with them. You took the opportunity to give her a little update as to what happened with Minyoung and Jisung. She didn't seem much surprised but still listened nonetheless.

"And hear this: he didn't even text me afterwards. Can you believe it?" you finished explaining the situation.

You followed her gaze and noticed she was staring at Changbin. Without her seeing, you rolled your eyes at how smitten she was.

"He'll do it eventually, don't worry."

Her response did not help. You only huffed when Changbin came back from the counter with the muffin you asked him to order. In one go, you got it in your mouth and munched aggressively.

"I would have never guess that Jisung was the one who put you in this state." Chunhwa said, taken aback from the quantity of food you managed to put in your mouth.

Still munching your muffin, you shrugged. "Not my fault he ghosted me after he kissed me. You should talk with someone when something like this happens instead of ignoring the issue. For real, it's like you fucked a close friend and then never establish what happens next. And sex is a big deal as much as kissing is."

Not really thinking while talking, you then realized you might have referred to what was going on between your two friends unintentionally. Chunhwa ignored it though as she rubbed your back to reassure you.

"He's such a fool, I swear to God I'll smack him next time I see him." you mumbled under your breath.

"He might come to the party tonight. Take it as your chance to talk to him."

You shook your head. "Forget about him. I'll just have fun tonight."

And Jisung wasn't doing any better than you. In fact, he was enraged with himself for not talking to you. He thought it was too late by then and didn't dare to make the first move. Plus, the only time he got to get a glimpse of you, you had glared intensely at him from the other side of the cafeteria. Needless to say that he didn't feel so good. He tried to hide it since he had one final exam to take.

He came across Eunhee, Chan's potential lover, and he greeted her with a weak smile as they went to do the exam together. It went by quickly and before he knew it, he was done. The two of them walked out together and chatted about the questions to see if their answers were similar.

"I was certain it was d..." he said, confused on his answer.

"By the way," Eunhee spoke, grabbing his attention. "I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. You don't look so good to me, no offense."

He looked down on the ground and hesitated to talk for an instant. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just... Y/N and I fought and there is Chan's party tonight. I know she's going but I'm not sure if I want to face her." he admitted as he remembered the death glare you gave him.

"You should go."

"You think so?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I do. You two are practically inseparable from what I see. I think it'll be a shame to not try to fix things."

"You have a point..." he breathed out. "Alright, I'll go. Are you coming too?"

She thought for a moment before nodding. "I guess I can stop by."

For some reason, her words really motivated him. As soon as he got home, he took the time to choose something appropriate to wear. He took all of his clothes out of his drawer and started to discard certain pieces of clothing. From an outer perspective, it looked very disorganized but for Jisung, it was clear.

"What the hell?" Jeongin exclaimed in horror as he stopped in front of Jisung's room. "What is happening here? It looks like a crime scene."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm simply trying to find something to wear for tonight."

"Oh, you're coming in the end? That's good, we'll leave together then?"

"Sure." Jisung shrugged. "Do you know who else is going?"

"Pretty much everyone except for Eunhee. I tried to convince her but she didn't want to."

"Bizarre, she told me she'll come."

Jeongin frowned. "Bizarre, indeed. Anyway, I'll be waiting for you so hurry up."

As requested, Jisung got ready in no time. He had picked a normal t-shirt and put a plaid vest over it with a pair of black jeans. He finalized the look with chains and rings and made sure to arrange his hair in a decent way, unlike the mop he had for the past days.

Before joining Jeongin, Jisung thought it'd be a good idea to send you a quick message to at least let you know he was willing to talk. He didn't expect you to answer, but he was still hopeful.

The two roommates left their flat and arrived about ten minutes before the given time. Chan invited them in by offering them a drink and they went over to the couch where Sora and Youngmi were already sitting. They started to chat about the end of school and other plans they had for the summer. Looking down at his phone every once in a while to see if you answered, he was happy to see Eunhee finally arriving.

"Am I late?" she asked him after they exchanging a quick side hug.

"We pretty much all came in advance. Minho, Hyunjin, Byeol, Hyunjoo and Felix are missing." he informed before drinking what Chan gave him.

"And Chunhwa and Y/N." Changbin added discreetly, nudging his friend's arm. "She told us about what happened."

Jisung's face grew red. "I prefer to not talk about it for now."

"I'll just let you know that she is mad, but like, mad."

This was no good news. And he was right to think so. As more people kept coming, his anxiety only had risen. Mixing a huge party with you being mad at him, he was not doing well.

But on your side, you didn't see that. When you arrived with Chunhwa, the first thing you did was chugging shots after shots before joining other students on the dance floor. Swaying your body to the rhythm, you were more than happy to not be thinking about anything else but that. You eventually lost Chunhwa when you realized she left with Changbin. Instead of trying to look for someone you knew, a guy started to grind on you. Usually, you would be disgusted and would push him away. However, because of the level of alcohol in your body, you couldn't care less. Moving your body with him, you felt his pelvic area become harder. Maybe you were starting to feel uneasy. Nonetheless, you kept on going and he ended up kissing you ferociously.

And Jisung was watching all of it from the corner of the room, his jaw clenching at the simple sight of someone other than him kissing you. By then, he was at his fourth drink of the night. Having grabbed a random beer that tasted like piss, his only goal was to drink his feelings away although he knew it was a bad way to cope.

"Are you alright?"

The voice took him by surprise but once he realized it was Chunhwa, he calmed down a little bit.

"I literally came here to tell her about, well, I assume you know?" he started to rant and she nodded in understanding. "I don't get her."

Taking another sip of the nasty beer, he made a weird face because of the taste.

"Hwayoung truly loves you. Honestly, I think she's scared of things changing between you two. And tonight means nothing to her, I can tell you that." Chunhwa attempted to defend you, but Jisung was having none of it and scoffed.

"I guess I understand, but I can't always be that guy. The one who's around whenever she needs it."

"I get that."

He realized it was the first time he admitted out loud how much he hated being your emotional support every time you got ditched. Just then, Changbin arrived after he had calmed the party down a little due to Chan's argument with Sora. He joined Chunhwa to her side and kissed her on the lips quickly, making Jisung scoff even louder.

"Alright, lovebirds. Rub it in my face." he rolled his eyes.

Changbin chuckled. "We've only just confessed."

"Yeah, well, at least your girl isn't being a total idiot..."

He took it as his cue to leave the couple alone. Spotting Sora leaving Chan, he thought that maybe he should be a good friend and go to him to see if he was doing alright after the fight. However, he didn't make it as someone tripped on his foot and fell into his arms. He clumsily tried to get a good grip to prevent the girl from falling.

"Hi, Ji~"

He cursed under his breath. Of all the students present, it had to be you. By looking at your flushed face, it was a sign that you might have consumed too much. He helped you up on your feet and went to Chan. As the older man saw the state you were in, he immediately helped Jisung to bring you to his room.

"Do you want me to stay with you two?"

Jisung shook his head. "I've got her from here, thanks."

As Chan left the room, you tried to get to the bed alone, but it was no success. Jisung sighed and held your sides to guide you. As you slumped on the bed, you started to hit his chest. He wasn't necessarily taken aback from your behaviour as he did ignore your messages for a while so he simply accepted his fate and let himself get beaten up by you. Well, not beaten up. More like attacked poorly because your hits were so weak.

"You're so pretty." you smiled sheepishly after you were done with hitting him. "Why do you have to be so pretty? I can't stay pissed at you if you look this good."

He chuckled. "Then don't be mad at me?"

"I can't, I hate you."

"Hmm, is that so?"

You looked at him attentively. Grabbing his head, he let out a whimper from how strong your grip was. You brought him closer and pursed your lips. He panicked for a moment as he didn't want to kiss you while you were this drunk.

"Y/N."

"I don't hate you." you whined. "I love you."

Okay, now, he was definitely not doing okay. He pushed your hands away and took a step back.

"I'll go get you a glass of water."

"Jisungie~" you called him out. "Stay with me, please."

He couldn't resist you plea, so he stayed. He took the spot next to you and allowed you to cuddle with him. You happily put your head in the crook of his neck, taking in his scent fully.

"I'm sorry for being such a fool."

He shook his head. "You're not a fool, don't say that."

"I am." you sniffed and that's when he realized you had started crying. "I'm so stupid for going out with so many jackasses. I wanted to forget you."

"Forget me?"

"I love you so much that it hurts." you declared, but Jisung only froze, so you continued. "I'm scared of losing you if I tell you I love you. I guess it's too late now, but yeah. I'm sorry for being a fool by not telling you sooner."

He wasn't sure if you were aware of what was happening but he didn't care. If there was one thing he knew about you when drunk is that you were always honest.

"I might be a fool too, then."

"You're not. You're kind-hearted, attentive, pretty and you give good advices. You're always doing things according to me so you know I feel comfortable and I never thank you for it."

He kept on stroking your hair in silence as you continued on giving him compliments. Maybe you weren't going to remember it, but he wanted to make sure he did by listening to every single word you let out attentively.

"I love you, Ji." you said to finish your monologue, your voice getting weaker as you grew tired.

He smiled to himself for how adorable you were. "I love you too."

"Remind me tomorrow." you whispered but loud enough for him to hear.

You woke up with the worst headache. Opening your eyes slowly, you took in on your surroundings. You were in Chan's room which was a good sign as it meant you didn't leave with a random person. But there was a random person next to you. You then noticed the ball of hair that was too familiar to your liking. Had you slept with Jisung? Checking your outfit real quick, you concluded you did not as you still had your clothes on. So how did you end up in Chan's bed with your best friend? It wasn't the first time you slept in the same bed but with the circumstances, you felt awkward.

It was only a few minutes later that Jisung stretched out his arms as he woke up. He seemed to be doing better than you as he was smiling contently. However, when his eyes opened to meet yours, he jumped out of the bed.

"I wanted to wake up first to not freak you out, I'm sorry. I swear nothing happened." he was quick to explain.

"It's fine." you responded as you sat up, bringing the blanket close to your chest. "Did you sleep okay?"

"Yeah, what about you?" You shook your head and Jisung's eyes widened. "Right, you drank a lot yesterday. Do you want me to get you something? A Tylenol, some water, more blankets?"

As much as you were still angry with him, his caring personality made its way to your heart. So you let him take care of you. He left to go to the kitchen and you heard some arguing with Chan. It was something along the lines of stealing his bed again or whatever. He was quick to come back with a pill and a glass of water. You swallowed it in one-go and then invited Jisung to sit with you. Like a puppy, he did as told and waited patiently for you to talk.

"Why did we sleep together?"

"You were really drunk and I just wanted to tuck you in, I promise. But you kind of forced me to stay and then one thing led to another..."

"Don't tell me we kissed again." you cut him off.

"No! I would never let you do so while intoxicated."

It reassured you on so many levels. "Alright, then what happened?"

"You confessed."

It was as if the words triggered your brain into remembering the moment you were attempting to tell him you loved him, and a slight memory of him saying it back appeared in your mind. You weren't sure whether you were imagining things.

"And I asked you to remind me today about it, right?"

He smiled. "So you remember."

"Vaguely."

A silence settled in the room. You had clearly told him everything on your mind and he did the same. The only thing left to do was to decide what to do now. Neither of you wanted to speak first. For you, it was because you were scared of things becoming weird, but for him, it was because he was scared to death that you'd take back everything you said the night before.

"Kids, breakfast!" Chan yelled from the kitchen.

"In a minute." the both of you yelled back at the same time.

This caused for you to break into laughter, diffusing the tension. Jisung joined you and calmed down a little.

"Listen," he started once you stopped laughing. "I was being serious. I love you and I've been in love with you since... I don't even remember when but it's been a while."

Your cheeks turned pink at his words. "Me too."

"I'm sick of seeing you getting hurt by all of these guys because I know I'd treat you a thousand times better. I know I'm not a jock or anything, but I promise my feelings are genuine."

You rushed you wrapped your arms around his body making you fall on your sides into the mattress. Jisung hmphed at the sudden contact, though he was quick to return the hug.

"I know, you idiot. You already treat me like a damn goddess, I can't imagine how you'll treat me now."

"Does it mean that you love me too?"

You laughed at how clueless he was. "Yes, Ji. I love you too and I'd love it if we go out someday."

"As a date?"

"As a date."

He couldn't contain the joy he felt anymore and grabbed the back of your neck you pull you into a long and loving kiss. It felt even better than the last time and you held him tighter to pull him even closer. You pulled away to get some air.

"I'm sorry but I couldn't stop myself." he said, embarrassed.

"Kiss me again?"

He smirked at you and kissed you again at your demand. You started to pull his jacket away from his shoulders and he took the hint that you wanted it off. As he kept on kissing you, he grew more confident and moved his hand down to your thigh. He grabbed it tightly which caused you to let out a gasp. He smiled into your lips, satisfied with your reaction. You decided to play as well and you started to graze your fingers across his abdomen. You had seen him shirtless many times but feeling his abdominal muscles was much different than admiring them from afar. You moved your fingers to the hem of his pants, trying to find the button to undo it.

"You want to do this here?" he broke the kiss and grabbed your wrist to prevent you from moving any further.

"I've been wanting to fuck you ever since the first time you changed clothes in my room." you admitted and it only made him smirk again.

"You liked what you saw?"

"Yes. Now, can we get to business?"

"Yes, ma'am."

You never knew being called like this would do something to you, but you felt like you were melting. He continued to touch you all over your body, always making sure you were comfortable, and he finally got your shirt off. He flipped you to be on top and started to place a few pecks down your neck to your bellybutton.

"Guys, I said breakfast is-"

Jisung was quick to bring the blanket over you, covering your body that was half-dressed.

"For fuck's sake. Guys, this is the last time I'm letting you both stay in my bed. Get dressed now!"

You stayed in silence when Chan closed the door abruptly.

"Is he mad?" you asked and Jisung could only chuckle.

"He's fine." He leaned down to give you, yet, one more kiss. "You have no idea how happy I am right now."

"I think I know, because I couldn't be happier myself."

His smile grew and you were the one to kiss him this time.

"Guys!" Chan yelled from the kitchen again.

"Coming!"

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[zerobaselove]

i don't know | shen ricky

pairing: ricky x reader

genre: angst

word count: 675

warnings: just angsty stuff from situationship ricky, lowercase intended, not proofread

prompt: 20. "what are we?"

notes: not often i post the angst i write but here i am,, projecting LMAO (sorry anon who requested this if you weren't in the mood for angst aaaa) looped what are we by lizzy mcalpine while writing this so thats fitting

"that's a damn sorry excuse and we both know it." tears threatened to fall from your eyes as you tried to keep your composure. you never handled fighting well, especially not with ricky.

you knew the risk you were taking, falling for your best friend, but you didn't think you'd end up here; not even able to look at the boy you loved, begging for a straight answer instead of beating around the bush like usual.

these last few months had been amazing. ever since you confessed you had been even more attached at the hip than usual. you had never made anything official, both wanting to ease into the new dynamic. but the nights spent next to each other, fantasizing about your futures together, it was perfect. too perfect.

the signs were there, as of lately at least. ricky had been distancing himself; not answering calls, short responses, avoiding your gaze or any conversation pertaining to the two of you. that's how you ended up here. the tension was thick in the air, an uncomfortable silence seemingly strangling you, leaving you breathless without much left to say.

"what are we?" your voice was quiet, not quite trusting it to not break and further embarrass yourself.

silence. he couldn't even give you an answer.

"is an answer too much to ask of you?"

he let out a sigh as he ran his hand through his blond locks, "i just, i don't know." his voice trailed off as his eyes scanned the room in an attempt to find anything to look at other than your red and puffy eyes that seemed to be staring into his soul.

"you don't know?" you couldn't help the way your voice raised, your emotions getting the best of you. "did none of this mean anything to you?"

you needed to know. you needed to know if the last four months were nothing but a distraction for him. if you were the only one who felt that this could actually go somewhere. you had spent your whole life trying to find the one, and you were sure you had found them in the boy you had grown close to.

the tears had broken the surface; like opening the floodgates, or a dam breaking, the waterworks just kept coming and it wouldn't stop, much like the words threatening to spill out of your mouth.

"i'll tell you what i don't know," you took a deep breath trying to control yourself to the best of your abilites. "i don't know if you thought maybe this was a waste of your time. but i didn't." you weren't even sure of what you were saying anymore. every thought on your mind was pushing past your lips without a second thought or a chance to filter the words. "i wanted this. i wanted you. i still do."

by now you were full on sobbing, choosing to let your words die in your throat in the chance of wasting your breath babbling incoherent words. it also gave ricky the chance to collect his thoughts and finally say something.

"i'm sorry." he breathed out, taking a few steps closer to you. "i should've said something sooner, rather than dragging this out. i know that." he had somehow made his way to the space in front of you, too close for your brain to work properly. "i'm just not ready, yet."

you let out a shaky breath as you processed his words, "do you think you ever will be?" you didn't mean to come across as snarky as you did, but the throbbing pain in your head mixed with the stinging remaining in your eyes made your fuse a little smaller than usual.

"i don't know."

there it was again, another thing he didn't know. but you couldn't expect him to. you were both new to this, and maybe he just needed time. you were willing to wait though, even if it killed you, because these last four months were something you were convinced you needed to experience again.

[plantoyoon]

New experiences. part 1

I am writing this because I'm actively thinking about it and writing it seems like it would help to get it out of the depths of my brain. (I think I mostly wrote it in second person, haven't proofread it, I don't know how much sense it makes)

Pairing: Yoongi x Reader

Synopsis: You need someone to help you with your needs

Genre/Tags: First time meeting, Friends with benefits, maybe soul bound

Mostly inside talks, then some fluff, not much action though... it will follow soon

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

This is the most stupid thing you’ve ever done! An improper way to say hello, but if you're actively thinking about me in your goblin ways, please stop! Message sent.

Voice 1: Why have I done this? Should I delete the message? I still have time... but I'm sure he already saw it. Why isn't there an answer? Am I being that insane?

Voice 2: Well, probably yeah... because you just sent a text to a dude you stopped talking to more than a month ago. In a kind of crazy way. Let's cover it up for a bit, shall we? So I know that in those periods of talking or not talking, he told you that every time you texted him, he was always thinking intensely of you. Given the kind of relationship you had and the person he was, it was smutty thinking. I might sound like I'm actively judging, but it was the same for you. Texting him when you were so close to touching yourself or after, depending on how needy you felt that day. Therefore, my insane message!

Alright, he's typing... Typing... still typing...

You're a nervous wreck at this point, still uncertain if you should delete your message. That would be even more insane now!

"Hi! Maybe I am. Would that be so wrong?" came the answer, dry and flirty. As he usually does, but the lack of honesty bleeds through... he would usually write more, not be that mysterious.

"Not wrong, but..." In your usual style, you overthink what to write next. Should you say: "Yes, stop! I need to work, not think about you," or "I miss your hugs and you," or "I am a dumb thing who needs to get her shit together. Sorry for writing!" But you don't. Your fingers go flirtatious and say, "Not wrong, but I know you could do better than just manifest me into your couch."

"What do you mean?" The conversation feels strained, but you go further in your stupidity and inquire, "Text, ask, and receive." Wow, so bold! You clearly don't recognize yourself; it's like you never left being his go-to friend with benefits for six months.

Looking at the messages, your mind starts thundering with anxieties. Did he get a girlfriend? Is he upset? Does he hate you? Does he think you're so lame for texting him like this after the last time he refused your meeting request? You wisely put your phone down, put on some music, and close your eyes, trying to ground yourself for a moment... Why did "Drowning" start playing? The universe is aligned with your personal saboteur.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

You drowned in a similar moment in your life, having the same urges and desire for connection. It was hot outside, the AC being your only hope, but it was an old one... so there was still a need to lay like a starfish on the bed to properly cool off. But your life was another thing—working part-time, doing this and that, and just focusing on your health, hobbies, doing some sports, painting... you know, trying to enjoy life.

According to your friends, you lacked a boyfriend. You denied it strongly until recently, when all those couples' activities started to creep onto your wish list. The fact that all the novels you were reading also contained a relationship here and there put even more pressure on you.

But as much as you'd like to stick to the novelty of it all, the reality was simple. You were horny, and your hands and toys couldn't keep up with your appetite anymore. So you did what every girl not in her right mind does... went to dating apps.

You said to yourself: We're just doing some friends with benefits, not a relationship, so we can be as picky with looks as we want.

So you set up your account and started swiping. Lots of lefts, until someone caught your eye... Dark hair, fair skin, an artistic pose, and another one in the mirror with a camera pointed towards it, where his hands seemed like the main attraction. Long and elegant fingers, yet strong with prominent knuckles. Have you ever had a thing for hands? you ask yourself.

Swipe right and matched. Oh, that was fast, considering you made the account less than half an hour ago.

You try with a bit of conversation so you wouldn't be the direct asshole you usually are. You had prior experience with dating apps, so you expected the conversation to drift quickly to the action part. But this time it didn't. The conversation was quite smooth and cute, getting to know each other, talking about photography. As enjoyable as the conversation was, you had a purpose, so for the first time, it was you who moved the talk to meet and fuck.

Always a smooth talker, but this was your moment as a weird robot who suddenly had needs and needed to focus on her purpose. After a few hours, you managed to have him at your door, inviting him in and playing the part where you present your house with him complimenting the size of your apartment.

He is cute, you thought. Longer dark hair, dark eyes, whose emotions played between curiosity and reservation, and dark clothes. You definitely need some wine to gain your confidence in this situation.

"Wine?" you ask, at which he confirms while checking out what was running on TV. It was a Star Wars series that you've been watching recently. You've kept it running in the background for some months until now, so you kind of forgot to change it to some music or something more appealing. The atmosphere between you two was a bit strange, not knowing what to say, what to talk about. He seemed uncomfortable. You cringe for a moment, but who would have thought that Star Wars was your saving point because the awkwardness disappears as he starts to talk enthusiastically about watching that as a teenager, his memories around it, and the impact it had on the world. Of course, he enjoys Star Wars; now it feels less intimidating.

The conversation runs smoothly and a few hours go by unnoticed, laughing, talking about random aspects of films and how life correlates to them. It felt nice and natural to talk to him, sharing quirky thoughts together and even throwing some jinxes in there. At this point, even though you were still horny, you would have been happy with this night. You notice the wine left in the bottle, so you pour all the remaining content into the glasses and drink it. You feel how this last sip got you more dizzy, and you feel more comfortable with the silence and just look in his eyes with intent. He reflects the lust simply and surely, getting closer to you, placing both hands on your hips, closing the distance between you two while slowly pecking your lips. He feels smooth, his lips perfectly matched over yours. His perfect hands start to move on your body, his fingers pressing harder into your skin. He takes a breath to look at you with big eyes for a second then crashes his lips against yours, his tongue licking your lips eagerly and you grant access, slowly feeling out of breath and dizzy of desire.

The way his tongue dances with yours feels completely like him, balancing between assertiveness and shyness, between wanting to engulf you and protect you. You're having so many emotions in this moment, that it's starts to creep on you that you just met today. I think he senses something is clouding your mind, slowly pulling away from the kiss to look at you, caress your hair with one hand and cup your cheek with the other. The look of understanding he gives to you, brings so much reassurance and makes you take the lead in the following kiss.

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

[jakegasm]

different things | lo'ak sully

: ̗̀➛ genre: angst

: ̗̀➛ pairing: lo’ak sully x omatikaya!reader & neteyam sully x omatikaya!reader

part one here

part two here

: ̗̀➛ warnings: none? 

: ̗̀➛ word count: 2.5k 

: ̗̀➛ notes: alright ! alright ! i came out the dark bc you all were begging for it so here it is. hopefully it’s a more satisfying ending but this isn’t the last part so don’t be too upset. 

I repeat this is NOT the last part. 

anyway here’s some toilet paper bc i don’t have tissue, you might need it. please enjoy! 🧻💞

and again not proofread

You had it hard, you couldn’t lie. 

But you also put yourself in this predicament, so there was no time to feel sorry for yourself. Though you had to admit you couldn’t complain either, despite your trial and errors lately you couldn’t have been happier. Lo’ak had stayed true to his promise, he had become more frequent in your life than he has ever been. Gathering food for breakfast or dinner? He was there. Cleaning up after the ilu’s? He was there. Even when you were just lounging about and weaving baskets (that he always found boring), he was there. It had even gotten to the point where the male wouldn’t leave your side even when it was time to sleep. You knew his clinginess would probably bother others, but it never bothered you. 

Though your happiness came at a cost as there was still some sadness to it. 

You had barely spoken to Neteyam since you and lo’ak rekindled. Barely is used very loosely though as the two of you never spoke with one another anymore. You wanted to though, you wanted to spend time with him as much as you used to. Unfortunately the male seemed to be avoiding you in various ways. Every chance you got to speak with him, he’d hurry up and scurry away or pretend like he was talking to someone else before dragging them along somewhere. It hurt, you couldn’t lie. Neteyam was your best friend, probably even more best friends than you and lo’ak were before you two decided to take a step further in your relationship. You just wanted your best friend back. 

Today was like none other, Lo’ak had parted ways saying he’d be leaving to go on the small hunting trip with his father and the other males, seeing that this go round was his turn. Meaning Neteyam was staying behind. A perfect time to try and spend time with him again. 

“Alright i’m off.” 

“You have your knife?” 

“Check.” Lo’ak carefully patted the side pouch that rested on his hip. 

“Is it sharpened enough?” You raised an eyebrow at him. Nodding, he smiled. 

“As sharp as my intelligence.” 

“Well that’s not very sharp.” 

“Hey!” You laughed admitting you were only joking before you wrapped your arms around his torso giving it a long squeeze. 

“Be safe okay? I want you to come back with all your limbs.” His arms engulfed themselves around you holding you so close to him, his body could swallow you if it could. 

“Of course.” There was a long pause before the two of you separated, some awkwardness filling the air as your eyes started to wander. 

“Hey…” His voice whispered to you as his fingers danced their way alongside your jaw before tilting your face up to his. His eyes sparkled more brightly than usual, there was a certain twinkle in them that made your stomach fully engulfed in butterflies. In a hurried but soft motion he planted a lingering tender kiss to your lips, nothing too rough and definitely not too long. Your eyes had widened at this, you two had never done this in the open, especially in front of others. It seemed as if lo’ak could sense your shock as he only chuckled in front of you, his thumb caressing the outline of your bottom lip. 

“I’m going to tell dad about us on this trip. That way we don’t have to hide anymore. Because I know I don't want to anymore…do you?” 

You couldn’t even begin to think of words to say the shock from the kiss was still absorbing you, so all you could was shake your head at him. 

“Good.” And with that he dove in stealing yet another kiss from you, only this time you responded. 

————————————————————-

“But you promisssed!” Tuk whines in front of you, the not so young anymore na’vi stomped her feet at you, obviously upset with you. 

“I am sorry tuk but i need to complete my training.” The young one only pouted even more at you, her big amber eyes now resembling a sad puppy. You took your hand and placed it on top of her head gently shaking her braids that had significantly grown in length. 

“After my training, i am all yours.” 

“Promise?” Her voice is small and innocent, a smile completing your features. 

“I promise with all my heart.” 

Her disappointed eyes quickly flashed to pleased ones, the smile so radiant on her face she skipped off before hugging you farewell. You watched as she skipped off to some of the metkayina kids she had befriended over the time. Watching her get along with other kids made your heart swell, she had such a hard time finding friends her age since most of their parents didn’t approve of her features. Safe to say you were just happy she finally found her comfort zone within the clan. 

Turning on your heel from the young one you set foot to your training session with Ronal, the tsahik. You weren’t even one step into your journey before you were knocked on your bottom a low “oof” soon following. 

“sorry.” The voice spoke rather lowly to you, you could barely hear it. You had opened your eyes not even realizing when you shut them to see a hand reaching out for you to stand, without question you grabbed it silently thanking the stranger for their help while you dusting off the sand that had accumulated on your bottom. 

“It’s okay I was not look-“ Your sentence was cut short when you realized who your savior was. You were speechless. So many things that you wanted to say had went out the door, leaving your mind completely blank. 

“Teyam…” Was all you could breathe out, you saw him slightly grimace at the small nickname. 

“I have to go. Mother is waiting for me.” He avoided all contact with you now, his body slipping past yours careful not to touch it. You hadn’t realized your hand around his wrist before he got too far away from you, his eyes sad but his face confused. 

“Can we talk? Just for a little while.” Just then you saw his eyes soften, he was conflicted, he wanted to leave you but he also wanted to speak with you just as badly as you did.

“I miss you teyam…” Your voice whispered out to him lightly cracking at the end of your sentence. But it was true. You missed him. A lot. So much that sometimes it’s become unbearable to be around lo’ak because at times you could see neteyam in him. The boy was struggling internally, a part of him wanted to scream and yell at you for what’s been done but the other part of him just wanted to hold you and keep you in his arms forever. 

“Not now.” That was all he said before he slipped his wrist out of your hold, biting back tears that he didn’t even know that we’re accumulating in his eyes. 

_____________________________ 

“Keep still.” You uttered, your fingers lightly dabbing some paste along his wound. The boy just grunted in front of you as a response, his back tensing up at every touch of yours. Adding the finishing touches, you placed the paste that had been mixed purposefully for medical reasons to the side to tend to his other wounds. 

“You should know better than to be so reckless. That’s lo’ak’s job.” You saw him slightly cringe at the other male's name, though he quickly covered it up with a roll from his eyes. 

“I was only helping.” You were displeased with his answer but decided to leave it alone, you ushered him to turn around and when he did his legs that were already open resided along the sides of your body completely boxing you in. It didn’t seem to bother him since he made no effort to fix the current position, though his eyes never met yours; they searched everywhere in the pod but your own. Examining his face you found it hard to get a good look as he purposely kept it turned away from you, with one gentle hand you reached forward and turned his face towards yours. His once gentle eyes now had a tint of sadness in them, they no longer shined brightly like they once did. His eyes were pleading with you but you had no idea what for. 

“I cannot tend to your wounds if you do not look at me.” 

“But there are no wounds on my face.” Sighing you took your thumb lightly grazing the small cut right above his eye, making the male flinch hard. 

“This needs to be closed.” Your fingers and eyes left his attention and very slightly you heard the male release a breath that he had probably unknowingly been holding. Carefully you retrieved a needle and some thread that had been hand crafted by the tsahik herself, shifting your weight you raised yourself up on your knees to access the wound better on his face not realizing how close you actually were to him. 

“This is going to hurt a little.” Cautiously you pierced his skin with the needle before quickly threading the string inside. The male yelped quietly at the sudden sharp feeling not realizing that his hands had taken a hold of your waist gripping them hard as your fingers carefully closed the wound. The stronghold of his hands around you made your stomach flutter, it made you dizzy, hot, but you had to shake it off if you wanted to properly fix him up. After a few more pulls you finally finished closing the wound and snapping the thread with your teeth. 

“All done.” You announced, though his hands never lost their grip on your waist. His eyes remained closed while he seemed as if he was trying to control his breathing. Slowly you sat down resting your bottom on your calves, you searched his face. His eyes had been squeezed shut almost as if he was scared to open them. 

“Neteyam? You are done. You can leave now if you want to.” You waited a few more seconds for a response but received nothing, though he did remove you from his grip. You silently started to clean things up around you, placing your materials back in the small bowl where they belonged. 

“Are you happy?” His question threw you off a little, his eyes now open and fully closed in on you. The confusion in your face told him that you didn’t understand his question fully, with a frustrated sigh he continued.

“With him. Does he make you happy?” Now you understood what he was talking about. 

“Yes. Yes he does.” You simply answered. 

“More than me?” Now you were confused again. Where was this coming from? The two boys had always made you equally as happy.

 Or so you thought. 

“Neteyam-“ 

“Just answer the question—please.” He sounded desperate. So desperate. 

You opened your mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by someone entering the healing pod. There stood a puzzled lo’ak sharing looks of confusion between the two of you. He wasn’t confused about what you two were doing because it was as clear as day, he was confused about the closeness of you two. You had finished your patchwork on him a while ago yet you never moved away from him, your chest nearly touching his. 

But, he trusted his brother so he paid it no mind. 

“Dad wanted me to come check on you. Mom said you got into a nasty fight earlier.” All Neteyam gave was a nod of confirmation before standing careful not to knock you over in the process. He gave you a silent “thank you” before retrieving to the door, lo’ak however being the persistent person he is, he stopped his brother on his tracks by grabbing his arm. 

“Bro, you alright? We can go back and kick their asses of you wan-“ 

“I’m fine.” His voice was sharp. So sharp it caused the tension in the room to be so thick, it made the air feel hard to breathe. 

“I’m already in enough trouble.” With a strong pull he removed his arm from his brother's hold, stomping his way out of the pod, his braid swinging aggressively with each step. 

Lo’ak watched his brother storm off, immediately making a mental note to get whatever that was bothering him out. Lo’ak knew his brother rarely ever shared his emotions and problems, always ruling that he was “okay” but that never was the case. Though this time, whatever it was he did not want his brother knowing. Which made lo’ak even more curious and determined to find out.  

Getting out of his head, lo’ak made quick steps towards you quickly bending down to help you carefully taking the materials you were cleaning out of your hands. 

“Lo’ak I can do it.” He ignored you as he continued to clean up the mess, surprisingly putting things back where they belonged in the pod. 

“I told my father.” Your breath hitched, luckily he didn’t hear it as his back remained turned to you as he continued to sort out the materials back in place. 

“a-and?” You asked quietly, your heart was pounding, pounding so hard you were afraid it might actually pop out of your chest. His movements stopped and so did your breathing. 

What did he say? Did he not approve? Were you going to be shamed for doing such a thing? 

“He wants to have a ceremony. For us. To let the clan know that we are to be mated.” He was looking at you now. The smile on his face shines brightly as he spoke the news to you. You however, felt sick. So sick. Were you happy about it? You wanted to be. But for some reason you felt what was happening was wrong. 

“He is going to ask tonowari tomorrow for the arrangement. And then after that—“ He paused to softly pull you in his arms, his arms securely wrapping around your waist. 

“We have the ceremony and we will be mated for life…Just you and me.” He whispered. 

“yeah…for life.” Your voice quivered while you quickly blinked away the tears that made your vision blurry.  You felt like crying—no you wanted to cry. You thought you wanted this but now that it’s all coming together, you were afraid. Deathly afraid. And that’s when you realized the truth. 

You didn’t want this. 

You didn’t want him. 

But, you couldn’t tell him that. 

“I can’t wait. Everything is going to be so much better…I promise.” His words sounded so soothing. It was becoming too painful to keep hearing them. This was going to hurt not only you but him.

“Me either.” You wrapped your arms around him hugging him as to what he took as a sign of happiness but in reality you were doing it as an apology. 

This was going to hurt like hell and you knew it.

[pink-strawberry-kissess]

going absolutely insane thinking of ada pleasuring herself as leon just watches HRNNNGGGFF

you don't say (i didn't proofread this and i was tired and wrote this at like 3am, ooc probably, they're horny, smut)

leon heading home after a long day- just wants to take a shower and fall into bed. it's curious, the way when he walks through the threshold on his front door and can already feel like there's a presence in there.

he stands completely still, his eyes scanning his surroundings and seeing that nothing is out of place. his personal belongings are still scattered in the particular way that he leaves his things, doors in the hallway still ajar, the rug still a bit off centered on the floor from when he rushed out of his place in the morning.

but he knows that something is off- he just can't quite place it, even though it's a familiar feeling

he has the idea to search his home just in case and begins leaning his head into every room while being as quiet as possible

as he approaches his bedroom, the door isn't shut, not like how he usually has it closed before he leaves. it's slightly open, the handle not locked closed but not open either. leaning his ear to the wood of the door, it's clear someone is on the other side.

his home had security, enough to stop most people from breaking in but not from anyone who was skilled enough in lock picking or slipping through the cracks. for all he knew they could've slid in when he was leaving

he grows curiouser and curiouser at the sounds, trying to decipher what it was exactly he was hearing- his mind runs a mile a minute wondering if he was imaging things

nudging the door open, the hinges were quiet- thankfully he had fixed them so they didn't have a horrible squeak when it opens anymore.

the sounds are louder, perhaps more lewd, his assumptions are confirmed when he notices a pair of tall heels left on the floor near his bedroom door. then a thin pair of panties left not so innocently a few inches away. he shouldn't- but he plucks the pick of elastic and lace and feels the texture of the soft fabric in his fingers. they're slightly damp, and warm- he's annoyed at the feeling of blood rushing in between his legs

his presence has been detected by her, her audible hum letting him know of this. but she doesn't seem to stop, the sounds of her shifting on the bed and splaying out on his sheets already paints a picture of what she's doing. he has split seconds to imagine it before he's hit with the real thing

continuing further into his bedroom, he sees the edge of his bed, his eyes lazily trail upward- seeing her legs spread and her fingers buried between her legs. she's half dressed, her eyes half lidded as well and a sweet saccharine grin stuck on her face

"well what do we have here?"

"you were late- didn't want to wait anymore-"

his body relaxed, the tension in his shoulders released and his chest shuddering with a deep breath. he's fixated at the sight between her legs, the bits of fabrics twisted around her body and the disheveled look of her on his bed.

he doesn't pounce on her immediately, he takes his time, the loud metal of his belt buckle announcing his intentions since she'd clearly already started without him

"are you angry with me?" her fingers cease their movements, her head cocking to the side with her question.

"well what am i supposed to do with you hm?"

"what if i am?"

"are you going to do anything about it? agent kennedy?"

she shuffles herself towards his headboard, her legs timidly pressing together as if she wasn't soaked between her thighs.

the loud leather of his belt is whipped through the loops of his pants, the button and zip of his jeans following as his knees make contact with the edge of the bed.

"what do you want me to do about it?"

they're only inches apart, his lips hovering over hers, his eyes flickering between her eyes and catching her hand raising to pressed her soaked appendages against his bottom lip. she drags her fingers there, letting him taste her on his tongue.

"don't keep me waiting-" she purs against his lips, the soft scent of her cherry lip colour is pressed against his cheek. her hot breath fanning against his ear and sending shivers down his spine and stirring up the feeling of arousal between his legs.

the sides of her lips curl, satisfied with what she feels as her fingers slide against the elastic of his underwear and dips underneath to grasp at him.

"looks like I don't have to wait at all-"

[teacute]

❝ feelings ❞ — a. tsumugi x f! reader

character(s) ! aoba tsumugi / fem! reader warning ! this is a one-sided so i'm putting angst since.. there's no happiness here /j note ! i'm not proud of this writing pls just-- i didn't proofread this okie

" you shouldn't sleep like this!! everyone would be worried heck and will think you're dead, mugi! " the female voice bombarded the supposedly quiet office when she saw tsumugi sleeping at his work station. she wanted to straight up choke him for doing something like this. leaving himself defenseless, in the middle of the night - what's more, in the office?! tsumugi was shocked due to the high pitched yelling that he woke up, baffled by the whole situation.

[name] then put both her hands on his shoulders and shook him. " why didn't you go back to the dormitory instead of sleeping here?! " she can't stop herself from screaming anymore. she asks to be forgiven if there's anyone other than the two of them in the office for screaming. tsumugi's eyes widen as wide as the saucer of his teacup. he sheepishly laughed, scratching his nape. [name] eyed him. almost as if she's glaring. shivers ran down his spine as he looked back at her.

" w-why, i didn't notice you were here [name]-chan.. " he nervously laughed as he finished. he could feel the intense glaring from the female.

she mockingly replied, " oh, how would you notice me when it's literally midnight and you're asleep in the office!! "

aoba mentally noted to himself not to make [name] angry again after this. she might really blow up the whole office sooner or later. aoba mumbled a small sorry as he knew she was just worried about him. the producer sighed heavily. " you know that your health is important right? please don't be careless as to be too overworking yourself... i don't want to see you falling sick.. " she mumbled the last few parts of the sentence.

tsumugi smiled before nodding. he wore his spectacle back before standing up from his work table. " well then, shall we go back? i might as well catch up on my sleep.. hehe.. " he scratched his cheek. the female oh-so-wanted-to-hug him the moment he looked so vulnerable when she walked in, however, looking at him right at the moment made her heart beat faster. to her, he's cute and she liked that part of him where he's very helpful.

she kept quiet while nodding her head and followed tsumugi out of the door to the elevator. inside the elevator, [name] noticed that tsumugi is swaying a bit so she pinched him on the cheek. " don't fall asleep on me, i don't wanna drag you to the dorm.. plus i can't enter seishou hall¹.. "

tsumugi chuckled as he tried to stay awake. when they reached the first floor, no one to be seen because it's already so late. however, they came fronting with niki. seems like he just got off from work too. " niki? it's late already.. the café just closed? " the female questioned, curious as to why niki is later than usual. niki just smiled as he chomps down on his waffle. he surely is hungry every damn second. " yweah.. jwust cwosed.. " his words were muffled as he was still eating. the female chuckled.

" well.. since you're going back to the dorm, right? please bring tsumugi and ensure him to sleep in his room. " tsumugi could sense the deadly aura around her as she smiled innocently. niki nodded and walked away. tsumugi turned to [name] saying his thanks before walking along with niki, leaving her in the darn main hall. she sighed, she bid goodbye to the guard and she slowly walked to her dorm that's not so far away.

" i know my feelings.. i know i liked you.. but it'll ruin your image as an idol.. "

" so.. until you've shined brightly, i'll continue to support you.. "

soft voice muttered in the cold tranquil night with the sound of footsteps against the cobblestone street.

closing note ! yipeee another ramble, another post, another day-- okay okay enough ✦ ¹ seishou hall - it's the name of their dormitories right?

[twilightmalachite]

VS★PRINCESS - Battle Royale 2

Characters: Mao, Subaru

Translator: Mika Enstars

JP Proofreader: 310mc

EN Proofreader: Asia Blossoms

"Explanation please, Sally~!"

[Read on my blog for the best viewing experience with Oi~ssu ♪]

Season: Spring

Location: Prince Castle (Exterior)

Several minutes later. At the first 4piece venue, known as Prince Castle…

Mao: Well, this should be our venue—

Subaru: Holy crap~! It really looks like a castle! Soooo sparkly~! ☆

I have no idea why, but it’s so crazily extravagant! Hey, Sally~! So what’re we gonna do here?

Mao: I’ve been telling you, 4piece.

Haha, your mood instantly gets better the moment you find something sparkly, huh, Subaru.

Subaru: Well I can’t stay down forever, y’know!

Mao: Right, just like the sun. Thanks for all your hard work.

Anyhow, as I said along the way, I only know about what we’ll be doing at 4piece or whatever as much as hearsay dictates.

You can’t keep asking me to explain so much. Seriously.

Subaru: Right. So um, this 4piece, it isn’t operated by ES for once, right?

Mao: It seems that ES is heavily involved too, but as strictly just a sponsor. They do have a presence here, through investment and supplying staff.

But it seems like the organizer and operator of this 4piece event is some massive overseas company.

It’s called something like Thunderbolt Entertainment. Have you heard of it, Subaru?

Subaru: It’s kinda hard to remember anything for it when all you’re given are some long, roman letters thrown at you, huh? Though that’s to be expected, this being an event centered around an overseas company and all.

Hold on, why am I being asked questions? Isn’t it supposed to be Sally~ and Ukki~’s job to explain things I don’t know about to me? Get it right!

Mao: Why are you getting angry at me… But to be fair, Subaru, you have been in the entertainment industry longer than I have, or at least been associated with it, haven’t you?

You’ve been neck-deep ever since your father was in it.

Subaru: Hehe, I’m glad people have been bringing up my Dad casually as of late. I don’t like it when people talk about it like it’s some sore spot.

But the idol industry’s always been sorta closed off from the rest of the world. We don’t hear much about what goes on overseas, do we?

So even I don’t really know about this kaijuu slash pro-wrestling sounding company, Thunder-something or whatnot.

Subaru: Explanation please, Sally~!

Mao: This kinda thing is more of Makoto’s hobby and forte, though… But oh well~, there’s only me this time.

Thunderbolt Entertainment, often shortened to Thunderbolt, is one of the world’s largest companies.

It appears to have developed around what we call the entertainment industry.

Subaru: Ooh… I think I might’ve seen something like their logo around Japan, actually. On things like toys, and for amusement parks.

I love their logo! It’s so sparkly!

Mao: You would like it, wouldn’t you? I don’t do well with sharp-looking images, and that logo’s kind of garish, like, it hurts my eyes.

Subaru: Kinda like a thunderbolt~[1], you could say!

Mao: Yeah, exactly. Their interests conflict when it comes to ES, or rather the Tenshouin and Himemiya families, so they don't stand out much within Japan.

But from time to time we do outsource projects and the like, so we have done some work associated with Thunderbolt.

Subaru: Right. They did warn us that it’ll be hosted by a big overseas company this time around, so we wouldn’t be able to do as we please as we usually do, didn’t they?

Mao: Uh, I think you shouldn’t do whatever you please at any time. But I guess that’s your personality, or rather Trickstar’s as a whole.

Subaru: He-hem!

…So now, a huge overseas company whose existence had been kept minimal is finally making their big move, huh?

Mao: ES has been on quite the roll lately, so I guess overseas companies can’t just sit by idly anymore.

Although, while ES is making waves within Japan and growing remarkably, it is still a young and newly established company—

As a company, it’s in no way on the same level as Thunderbolt when it comes to size and performance, so… Not anyone in ES can stand on equal footing as, I’d say.

Subaru: So it’s kinda like when a youngster misbehaves and gets a good scolding by a relative’s distinguished uncle?

Mao: Well… I don’t know about that.

Thunderbolt’s a large international enterprise. I doubt it has a personality in the first place.

I doubt they’re here to scold anyone, more like just coming wherever the smell of money is, y’know?

Subaru: What a horrible relative!

Mao: That’s just called capitalism. Though I’m fed up with being at the mercy of that kind of stuff…

But in this case here, it does give us an opportunity.

No matter the company, there are people within it. The more active a role we take at 4piece, the more support we’ll be able to receive from staff that reign from a global enterprise.

Meaning, just one move and we’ll be able to make use of all the foreign connections and whatnot that ES has been building up until now.

Once we achieve that, we’ll have a view of the world that we’ve never had before.

I mean, overseas constitutes a tremendous expanse of scenery, y’know?

[ ☆ ]

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Thunderbolt Entertainment is written in English with roman letters; Subaru's cheekily saying the Japanese word for thunderbolt here, inazuma (イナズマ).

[originalgenshinscenarios]

Monthly special: Variable Barricade crossover!

I joked that I'd finish it on Miko's birthday- to actually finish it on her birthday lol. Anyways this isn't exactly proofread because I honestly just wanted to post it already. I get that's it's messy and all over the place but that's how things are when I try to make a short chapter out of something that should've been multiple chapters where I go into more detail with the issues, but if I did that we would never have this thing finished ever.

If you want to join the taglist just send an ask or dm me!

Reader here is female and has established background.

Cw: Age gap (Reader is 18 and the ladies are ages 20-24)

|First Chapter|

<= Previous chapter | Next chapter (Common route) =>

You're slowly starting to understand Miko, she started to become your place of comfort even with your routine. Now she had helped you see things you were too stubborn to notice.

But what will you do about it?

Miko's part one: chapter 2- Like a bird in a cage.

Another weekend has made its round as you slowly get used to everyone being around. Although you still don't enjoy this situation, at least you don't feel scared as much anymore. You feel more like you have 4 obnoxious roommates rather than having 4 women competing for your heart.

"Y/N, can you come here please?" Miko asked as she patted the place right next to her on the couch as soon as you went downstairs. She didn't even look up from her book and she already knew that it was you who's here which is quite impressive. Perhaps it was just luck, or perhaps you were the only one who hasn't left your room yet. Regardless you were curious what could she want from you.

"What is it Miko?" you ask as you approached her, you didn't sit down though as you could only spare a moment for her.

"I was just wondering if you'd like to go out today, I found a nice store for us to go to. It sells quite adorable accessories so I figured it'd be to your liking" she smiled "They certainly piqued my interest, so I wouldn't want you missing out on it" she didn't look like she was teasing you.

"Pardon my intrusion miss Miko, while I do think it's a lovely offer, don't you think that such items aren't suitable for a L/N heir?" before you got a chance to respond, Thoma joined in the conversation. It seems like he knew what store she had in mind. But you aren't really surprised by his reaction, it's not the first time he has controlled your wardrobe. So far his judgment was right, so you never really complained about it. However, Miko had a different opinion on it.

"And Why is that? It's just something she can have in private. I'm not saying that she has to do serious business wearing these accessories" her mood shifted too, her smile changed into a more judgemental look as she spoke to your butler.

"I don't think you understand, being an heir it's something you can take a break from" as true as it was, you honestly just wanted to leave this conversation.

"It's okay Miko. I don't think there's anything I'd like to wear anyways, but thanks for the offer" you decided to cut the argument short. It definitely wasn't going anywhere and frankly you wouldn't want to see it going any further.

It's not like you had the time to go today anyways, because you and Ayaka had plans.

-

When you came back home you went to Miko's room for your usual "fluffy therapy". It was a little different this time, because it was clear that she was still annoyed if not furious.

"Are you still thinking about what happened in the morning..?" you decided to be direct, you saw no point in changing the topic for it to gradually change into what you truly wanted to discuss.

"Not really. It's… something else entirely actually. Although I'd be lying if I said that Thoma didn't upset me" she sighed "But it doesn't matter. After all now I get you all to myself" she winks, her good spirits quickly coming back to her "I actually did get you a little something" she took out a small bird keychain. It was… adorable.

"Thank you but-"

"No need to thank me or refuse the gift. I don't expect you to attach it to anything" she stopped you before you had the chance to bring up what Thoma had said.

"Then why bother giving me this..?" you're happy that you don't need to turn it down but, at the same time what were you supposed to do with it?

"Y/N, not every item is going to serve its destined purpose set by the producer. Besides, I just wanted you to have a little something that would remind you of me. So as long as you don't throw it away, I'm fine with whatever you do with it" she explained, putting her hand on your shoulder.

"Oh… Thank you, I'll be sure to take care of it" you felt a little speechless by what she had said. The first sentence was definitely not just about the keychain, you know it's her way of nudging you in the right direction. But, it's not something you're willing to agree to. You are a responsible young woman, therefore you're not interested in such idealistic talk of a perfect world.

"I believe keeping it out of Thoma's sight is a perfect way to do just that" she laughed "Or not, I think it'd be funny to start hearing how bad of an influence I have on you"

"Those aren't exactly Thoma's ideals you know, he's just following orders for the most part" it's important for you to clear it up before anything. You don't want her to get any weird ideas, after all even if he sometimes acts against you in the end he's your ally. You could always count on him, so you're aware that he does everything in your best interest… but the situation with suitors is that one exception where you're still mad about him keeping it secret.

"If that's what you want to believe, I won't push my opinion on it any further" she was definitely disappointed by your defense "Let's not talk about it, we got a little distracted and now it's time to resume what you came here for originally, okay?" you nod, as you don't want to continue it either. Now it was your time to relax.

Still, there was one feeling of doubt playing around with your heart, and you didn't even know what you were doubting to begin with. In the end you allowed yourself to forget it, but you have the feeling that if you continue your relationship with Miko you will eventually find your answer.

-

You ended up not attaching the keychain to anything, but you do have it with yourself and occasionally glance at it for a moment. You're not even sure why. But it is rather adorable, so it'd be a shame to just let it gather dust in your room.

"Destined purpose huh..?" you mutter to yourself. It was clear that Miko was talking more about you than this little bird… but why do you care? Just because she got some way of getting close to you, it's not like it makes her understand you completely. Her gesture is nice, but in no way she can dictate what to think. You're happy with how things are, sure sometimes you get upset over how things are but you're strong. You're a L/N and you take pride in that.

"Greetings Y/N" Ayaka walked up to you. You almost forgot that you were at school… Regardless she looked at the object of your previous attention "That's quite an adorable keychain, where did you get it?"

"It's a gift" you didn't want to lie. But now you are bound to have a talk about your progress.

"Oh! Is it from one of the suitors? From who exactly?" she smiles "It's very nice of her, don't you agree?"

"It's from Miko. And well, I'm not sure if she did it for me, or if she wanted to upset Thoma instead" honestly you thought about the second opinion just now. It made sense.

"But Thoma isn't the type to get upset so easily. Especially over things like that" you knew she'd bring it up.

"You tell me, it's just that the two had an argument that morning about what I'm allowed to wear. With how Miko is, he probably thought she'd buy me something too cute to tease me" you pause for a moment "Besides, she doesn't know Thoma in a way either of us do. So she probably thought that her ignoring his advice would be her winning"

"So I'm guessing you haven't explained the situation?"

"I did, but just so she doesn't get any weird ideas. It's not my responsibility to make sure the suitors get along with Thoma" if anything it's in their favor to do that on their own.

"I guess you're right" she looked a bit troubled "I'm surprised Thoma even stood up to her. I remember how he talked to me about her when it was all starting" given how easily Thoma gets along with everyone you were quite surprised to hear it. Ayaka had no reason to lie though, so you didn't question her mention.

"Look at me, I was scared of them too but I'm slowly getting used to it"

"That's good to hear, but I still think there might be something more to it…" she trailed off for a second "But uhm… don't mind me! I was just thinking out loud, I wouldn't want you to feel paranoid for no reason"

"You can't just say stuff like that and expect me to not think about it!" you immediately started to think what could she even mean.

"Sorry Y/N but really, it's just a random thought I had. You don't have anything to worry about really!" she looked panicked a little as she realized her poor choice of words.

"You're not making this any better Ayaka…" you sigh. You know she's trying but that seed of doubt made it's way to you, and it won't be something you could get rid of easily. Especially since Ayaka does have her suspicions and she admits to them.

"I know…" she looked down "But it wasn't anything serious. I just wondered why Miko and Thoma have that pointless war going on" she tried to clear it up, but it was too late for you to not overthink it. She must've had something more specific on her mind and shortened it for a reason.

-

Next day, Ayaka's words kept haunting you. Just what did she mean? What did she want to say? Even if it was just her imagination, she should just tell you her "theory" because now you're overthinking it. What could Miko have against Thoma, or the other way around? Why does it matter? What are they hiding from you? These never ending questions are really driving you insane. To get your answers though you can't just be straightforward about it. You need a plan to get just the information you need. Which won't be easy. Miko definitely would know your intentions before you even speak… same with Thoma now that you think about it. You really had no way to go about it.

As you were slowly giving up, you heard Miko's voice. She was talking to someone over the phone and seems to not have noticed you "Oh please, you don't need to go that far now" her voice sounded troubled and it caused you to worry "You'll do what!? I had no idea you'd be this desperate" she sighed as she continued to listen "Alright, I get it. Just give me some time. I promise everything will be done on time" before she hangs up you leave the area. You wouldn't want her to know that you were eavesdropping. Still, her conversation concerned you. What if she was being threatened? It sounded like that. Even if she seemed calm it's still Miko, she probably put on a brave face. You need to help her… but she probably won't be willing to talk.

-

You couldn't get this out of your head so you decided to talk with the rest. Maybe they would be able to help.

"Have you talked to Miko first? Maybe you misunderstood the situation" Ningguang was the first one to point it out.

"I'm not sure if she'd tell me the truth" you answer.

"Makes sense, a lot of people tend to avoid asking for help in situations like these" Yelan nods "But Miko isn't like other people, I'm sure that even if she's being threatened she has some sort of a plan" she adds.

"Yeah I agree, she'll probably end up playing the person who threatened her" Eula said with an annoyed tone.

"I can definitely see it too" Ningguang now seemed less concerned as she laughed lightly "Whoever chose her to pick on is probably regretting it now" with that the atmosphere of the conversation switched… and you didn't like that.

"Do you think she might be acting dumb? Or is she straight up just insufferable?" Yelan asked, clearly holding back a chuckle.

"My bet is that she's a mix of both and acts accordingly to what the other side says" Eula rolled her eyes.

As they continued to talk like that you could feel the anger in you growing…

|"How dare you say things like that!?" (Romance)|

"Just why do you think this is something you can joke about!?" the look on your face was mixed with disappointment and fury "Miko might be in danger and all you can think of is how SHE'S inconvenient to THEM?" the room fell silent "Come on, tell me. Why do you think that this is okay?" you look at them with your arms crossed.

The actual reason for them being quiet though… wasn't your shaming "I see that you're concerned about me. That's really sweet but… why?"

|"That's not the point…" (Reason)|

"Look, I'm pretty sure that she can handle herself. But I still would like us to talk to her about it" you sigh at how they think this is appropriate time to joke "She sounded like she wasn't in the biggest trouble but I'd still prefer to make sure"

"Then why make such a gathering instead of talking to me directly hm..?"

-----

You turn to see Miko smirking "Go on, I'm listening"

As caught off guard as you were, you had to speak the truth "I overheard your conversation on the phone"

"And what about it? I was just speaking to one of the former writers I used to help. I can hardly see how that could be worrisome" she shrugged "Unless you took that completely out of context. Then I must say you have quite the imagination to make it out into something like that"

You were glad that she was alright… but it almost sounded like she was mocking you. It made you regret worrying for her "I see, in that case I apologize for the misunderstanding" you say gracefully but on the inside you felt extremely embarrassed. You turned and left the scene. Nobody followed after you, which you appreciated.

What is it with you making things into such a mess? What's the deal with this constant overthinking? First was that "war" and now this. This whole suitor situation is making you even more paranoid with each day and now you can see it.

"Y/N?" it definitely wasn't Thoma's voice "I know I'm not supposed to be here, but I was worried because of how you left" you could clearly hear Miko from the other side of the doors.

|If you picked romance options the most|

You have no idea what to do. You don't want to let her in, so you just peek your head out "You have nothing to worry about"

"Oh really? Then care to explain why you act like we're back at square one?" she sighed "You still don't understand your own feelings, do you?"

"Because you're the expert, aren't you?" your sarcastic tone was sharp, but she remained unphased.

"I don't claim as such, but it's not hard to tell that you're lost" she didn't attempt to enter your room. But from the look on her face it looked more like she wanted you to come out instead.

She doesn't ask that of you, and yet you still chose to do just that "Listen, I appreciate that you care enough to continue reaching out" you pause for a moment as you want to once again arrange your words in your mind before you speak "But I want to be the one to explain my feelings to me. I don't need any directions, and I most certainly don't want you to treat me like I'm here to amuse you with my somewhat naive behavior"

"I understand, thank you for telling me" her smile was somewhat sinister… "I suppose that means I don't have anything else to say to you. See you later then" she leaves without your answer once again.

|If you picked reason options the most|

You're done with her for today. It's not that you're really mad at her… but more in need of a break. You remain quiet, wanting to see if she'll respect your boundary.

From the other side you couldn't hear any more sounds other than faint footsteps getting quieter with each second. She must've left so now you got to calm down at your own peace. It was nice of her to worry, and even better that she gave you the space you needed.

-----

In the end, whatever you do you can't understand her intentions. She probably thinks of it as a game, and yet you find yourself hoping that you're wrong in thinking so. She managed to get herself close to you, but it doesn't mean that you trust her. As sweet as her gestures are, you could only see it as tricks. Then again, anything your suitors do could be considered as such.

So all you can do now is to keep your eyes open.

-- TAGLIST:

@audre-falrose @frozengenderfluid @watamehorns @bebeluvvv @fandangotales @yumi-genshin-writer

[lapettitenettex]

I posted something on public that is work-related. It was just about the re-location of where we will be rendering our services. At first, I just posted the flyer in my story. But, I was influenced by how lacking the information found there. So, I then decided and took the initiative to post a status with the complete information in order to guide our members (of course, I first asked permission from our marketing team if I can post it and let her proofread it if ever my info are correct). I posted it 11 hours ago but there was something in me that doubted for a sec if I should post it or not. Here are the thoughts that emerged before me:

First and foremost, I was not one of the those who will be transferring to the new location. So I thought, "Para saan pa?" but a thought countered this, "Ay, okay lang 'yan. Kasama ka naman sa company." The latter may have won but the former still bugged me.

Second, what would the "Marketing Team" think of me? "Pabida"? Of course, it was supposed to be their job to inform. They have more rights to do it but I came in first. I stole the spotlight. But, "Why would I think that?" I asked. They should be thankful tho. I have given them the favor. Since, they are so busy with the moving procedures, at least someone managed to lessen their cargoes, right?

Third, I am not even a permanent employee. Why would I? Maybe my fellow contractual employees would think what the Marketing did. They would tag me as "pabida."

It's just really incomprehensible that tagging me as pabida when I just took the leap of faith and made the initiative to post it just so. I wanted to announce to my circle of friends on FB of what is about to happen. I intend no harm but pure intentions of PSA.

Later this afternoon, our Area Head came barging in to the office calling my nickname. "Nette!" she shouted. What first came to mind that maybe, she will scold me for posting without advise. I prepared for my doom that time BUT, it wasn't my doom after all. Press releases per protocol should be announced by the Headquarters but, can we afford to wait for them? No. This was reiterated by our Area Head. She said (non-verbatim), "I wanted to post it but my Team told me that someone has already posted one with the complete details. They told me it was 'Nette' but initially, I didn't know who it was but when they said Nette was from the Accounting Department, I knew who it is." It kinda made me feel bad but happy na rin because I am not that known so, I guess keeping it lowkey worked. Anyway, to continue she said, "I will be seeking your permission to share this has because I was about to post but I find your post complete and informative already." I don't how to feel about that, actually. I wanted to be happy but the people around me in my department does not seem that supportive. Even if it was a compliment but all I got was stares as if I did the most wrongful thing. I tried to smile, laugh it all out and said, "Sure, Ma'am. It's for everybody's info naman din." It did not ease my anxiety. It just made it worse.

Someone from work chatted me, "Nette, kamusta? Ano feeling maging famous?" If only this --> ??? would become a face reaction, that will be my face reaction to his message. I mean, I did not intend to become famous. I only intend to inform. I really don't know if that was a tease or a compliment. I don't know anymore. Do I seem like a joke to everybody?

Also, I saw a tweet from one of my co-workers as well. Her tweet went, "Kahit ilang aviso pa yan, bobo pa rin mga tao. Hindi sila nakakaintindi." All I can say, that is why we are here. That is why we will continuously announce until the actual day comes or even days after. Grabe naman. These are the reasons why I don't usually favor to be participative in this kind of stuffs. I am always the one who gets misunderstood. I hate this. So I replied to her tweet, "Check. Hahaha." Though pissed, the sadness felt stronger.

Anyway, charge to experience na lang. Nakakawala ng kumpyansa sa sarili. My confidence, which I have been building lately, crumbled down and here I am, about to pick the pieces up and try to get back up again. I am both discouraged and embarrassed of what I have done. This will be that last. I will no longer get myself involved in this type of things anymore if this is what I get. Sometimes when you do what is right, it will still feel wrong.

p.s. sorry for the typos and grammatical errors. As of writing, I am THAT sleepy. My eyes are trying to shut. This serves as one of my writing exercises just so I can exercise my brain.