#oh 8. i have to pack tonight and 9. work tomorrow morning and 10. i am under hours this week and don't know if i'm going to be able to ma

[coelura]

i need to scream at the top of my lungs for at LEAST 90 straight seconds rn

[morri-draws]

Gwaine x Reader - 'The Threads That Bind Us' - Chapter 14

Story Summary:

You, a humble dressmaker from Camelot’s lower town, are commissioned to make a new gown for Queen Guinevere. Impressed by your skills, she offers you the position of Royal Clothier. During your time in the castle, you catch the eye of one of the knights of King Arthur’s inner circle, Sir Gwaine. What starts as a sweet courtship is turned upside down when misfortune strikes and you must deal with the aftermath, as well as an unwelcome visit from Gwaine’s unpleasant sister.

Rating: Mature

Tags: Female Reader/Gwaine, set between seasons 4 and 5, fluff, angst, hurt/comfort

Words: 5,847

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3

Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6

Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9

Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Read on Ao3

The day before the feast, you add the finishing touches to your gown and remove any stray threads you missed, until at last you can call it finished. You pack away your sewing things, regularly glancing at the gown to admire your hard work. Once all your tools are neatly tucked inside, you snap shut the lid of your sewing box when there’s a knock at your door.

“Just a moment!” You call out, bundling up the dress and taking it to your room, throwing it onto the bed before rushing to open the door to Gwaine.

“Harvest feast tomorrow,” He grins, clapping his hands together.

“And I have finished my gown,” You reply excitedly.

“I suppose I’m still not allowed to see it?” Gwaine quirks a brow.

“You need only wait one more day,”

“Then I await eagerly. But I have news of something before the feast. It has come to my attention that there will be food stalls and games in the tournament grounds during the day. I wondered if you might like to go together and see what it’s all about?”

“That does sound interesting… and I have no other plans,”

“Shall I come get you after breakfast then?”

“Sounds perfect,” You smile.

“Oh, and wear something you don’t mind getting dirty. The tournament grounds are muddy this time of year,”

“I’ll wear something that’s already brown,”

Gwaine chuckles. “I’m afraid I can’t stay, I’m meeting Percival at the tavern. See you tomorrow,”

~

Having requested water be brought up to your chambers that evening for bathing, and having paid the servants handsomely for their trouble in this busy time of year, you submerge yourself in the bathtub. You wash your entire body thoroughly as well as your hair, determined for everything to be perfect for tomorrow.

Once the water becomes tepid, you step out of the bath, dry yourself and get dressed, before tidying up for the night. Once your hair has dried some, but is still slightly damp, you apply the rags to your hair as Gwen showed you, and head to bed.

~

You rise the next morning, washing your face before getting dressed and covering your rag-wrapped hair with your regular cap, not wishing to reveal the new hairstyle until the feast tonight. You have breakfast and wash up, putting the last of the dishes away as there’s a knock at your door.

“Good morning,” Gwaine greets you, wearing his casual clothes. “Shall we?” He offers his arm to you with a grin.

You take your cloak from the hook beside the door, put it on, slip your arm through his and head out.

The tournament grounds have been transformed, the muddy ground hardly visible between the food stalls, tents, and other attendees. The grounds are already bustling with adults and children alike, with various mouth-watering aromas wafting through the air.

“Ah, here’s a good game,” Gwaine steers you toward a small tent with a bearded man, of about middle-age, standing by it. Under the shelter of the tent, you spot variously sized pails, each marked with a number, and by the tent’s opening, another pail is filled with apples.

“Welcome gentleman and gentlelady,” The man says cheerfully. “One silver for a turn, what do you say?”

Gwaine looks to you, brows raised in question.

“I’ll try it, if you support me from the sidelines,” You say.

Gwaine unfastens a pouch on his belt and removes the required coin, handing it to the gamemaster, who pockets it and nods his thanks.

“Has the lady ever played before?” He asks.

“I’m afraid I haven’t,” You reply.

“That is all well and good, for I shall explain the rules. To play this game, you shall take an apple,” He picks one from the nearby pail. “And toss it to the buckets yonder. As you can see, the smaller buckets toward the back are worth higher points, and the closer, larger buckets are worth less. Throw the apples until there are none left, trying to score the highest number of points you can. The more points you earn, the better the prize. Is the lady ready to begin?”

You look to Gwaine, who gives you an encouraging smile.

“I’m ready,” You reply to the gamemaster, fishing an apple from the pail.

It’s bruised and marked, clearly having been used for the game several times already. You toss the fruit with an underarm throw, and it bounces off the rim of the nearest bucket, into the mud. You grimace and grab another apple, using a little more force this time. It lands in the nearest bucket, worth ten points. On your third throw, you earn another ten points.

“You should try for the ones at the back,” Gwaine encourages.

You attempt it, your fourth toss overly forceful, the apple flying over all the pails and landing somewhere behind them, out of sight. You try again, but the apple bounces off the rim of one of the pails.

You look to Gwaine with a grimace. “Perhaps I should settle for a smaller prize,”

You throw the sixth and final apple, which lands in the pail worth twenty points.

“Forty points in total,” The gamemaster announces. “A good effort for the lady’s first time. Wait here a moment, I’ll get your prize,”

He turns and steps toward a wooden crate a few feet to the right of the pail of apples. Reaching into the crate, he removes a small item which he passes to you.

“Made by my wife,” He says. “To keep ladies’ clothes smelling nice while they are stored,”

You inspect the small prize in your hands. It’s a drawstring bag, made from a sheer fabric, with flower petals within it. Raising the bag to your nose, you inhale the floral aroma of roses.

“Please pass my compliments on to your wife,” You say. “This is a lovely prize,”

The gamemaster smiles widely. “She will be very pleased to hear it,”

After wandering through the grounds a while, taking in what the fair has to offer, Gwaine stops by another game tent.

“How about this?” He asks.

“I believe it’s your turn for a game,” You grin. “I shall cheer you on,”

Gwaine agrees and approaches the gamemaster, handing him a coin. Peering into the tent, you see a table at the far end, with ten cups stacked upon it in a triangular formation.

“What’s the aim of this game?” You ask.

“You take these,” Gwaine leans down to a hay bale beside the tent’s entrance, on which is a small pile of little sacks. He picks one up and bounces it in his hand. Judging by the sound of it, it’s filled with grain. “And toss them at the cups, trying to knock as many over as you can,”

He pulls his arm back and throws the sack. It hits the cup on the bottom right, but the cup only shifts slightly.

“I did wonder,” He murmurs.

“About what?” You ask.

“The cups are filled with water to make them harder to shift,”

“Ah, sneaky,” You smirk.

“Luckily, I’m the strongest knight,” He grins and grabs the next sack, throwing it with much more force this time.

Three cups tumble off the table. He throws the remaining sacks, knocking over eight cups in total. The gamemaster congratulates him and leads him to a small handcart nearby to choose a prize. Gwaine returns to you a few moments later, placing something into your hand.

“For you, my dear,”

Your heart flutters at the term of endearment and you look into your open palm to see a small whittled horse.

“Oh, that’s so sweet! I love it,” You smile.

You continue through the grounds and find another game to play, which consists of a tub filled with water, containing small wooden fish, each with a metal ring attached to it. With a miniature fishing rod (a hook attached to the end of a string, tied onto a stick), you’re given three chances to hook a fish, each marked with a number on the bottom which cannot be seen until it is caught. From this game, you win a handkerchief, embroidered with a simplified version of the golden dragon from Camelot’s crest.

After Gwaine purchases lunch for the both of you from one of the food stalls, you head back to the castle.

“Thank you, Gwaine,” You say once you reach your chamber door. “That was fun,”

“There’s more to be had tonight,” He smiles.

Slamming footsteps echo through the corridor, the sound causing you and Gwaine to turn your heads in unison to see Merlin rushing toward you. He skids to a halt a few feet away and pants.

“I saw you both coming this way,” He says breathily. “Just wanted to let you know that Erika won’t be coming tonight,”

Gwaine quirks an eyebrow. “Is that so?”

“She’s come up with a terrible rash, all over her face and everything,”

Gwaine presses his lips together into a line, but his eyes hold a twinkle of mirth.

“I see,” You say steadily, attempting to hide your relief and triumph from your face.

“Have a great time tonight!” Merlin beams, before turning on his heel and rushing back the way he came.

You and Gwaine catch each other’s gaze and chuckle.

“Well, I hope that eases any worries you might have had,” He says.

“As uncharitable as it may sound to admit, it really has,”

“It’s not uncharitable at all, considering who we’re speaking of,” Gwaine says. “Besides, her affliction won’t be anything that Gaius can’t clear up in a few days,”

“I suppose you’re right,” You nod thoughtfully. “Have you much to do before tonight?”

“Just polish my armour until it gleams,” He grimaces. “I already had my cloak laundered earlier this week, and you’ll be pleased to hear it’s still in top condition,”

“I am pleased to hear that,” You agree. “Well, I will let you attend to your armour and I shall see you tonight,”

“I’ll come and get you at six?”

“I will be ready,”

Gwaine reaches out a hand, cupping your face. Your heart quickens as you think he might kiss you, but he strokes his thumb gently across your cheek before pulling away, giving you a warm look and departing.

Once checking over your gown again, you idle away the next few hours, the sensation of Gwaine’s hand on your cheek still present. You have been yearning for his touch since his sensual hand kiss outside your chamber a few days before, finding yourself hoping for more every time you see him.

~

At last, the evening approaches. You go to your room, remove your clothes and swap your stockings, since the current pair is flecked with mud. In just your shift and clean stockings, you pull up a chair to the basin mirror and take off your cap to begin removing the rags from your hair. Once they are all removed, you begin the lengthy process of brushing through the fresh curls to tame them. Once you are happy with it, you slip into your new gown, using the mirror to aid you with fastening the side lacings.

The basin mirror too small to offer a full view, you move to the tall mirror in your main chamber by the work tables. As you gaze at your reflection, your chest swells with pride for your creation. The silver gown hugs your form to your waist, where it flares into a full skirt. The narrow sleeves on your forearms peek out from the wide scarlet sleeves of the over-robe, which forms into a cape at the back, and is secured at your throat with a gold clasp.

You finger the ends of your hair, anxiety about your appearance returning as the hour draws closer. You start to wish you had made some kind of head covering after all as a backup, but it’s too late now, you have no choice but to be seen like this.

You return to your bedchamber to brush through your hair again, manipulating it with your hands to form it how you want. Once that’s done, you apply some perfume to your neck and wrists before sitting on the edge of your bed, your stomach squirming with anticipation.

There’s a knock at your door and your mouth turns bone dry. Is it six o’clock already? You stand and lift your skirts to walk swiftly to the door. You open the door a crack, Gwaine looking back at you through the small gap.

“Are you ready to go?” He asks with a smile.

“I… suppose so,”

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m afraid I’ve been stupid,”

“Stupid? How do you mean?” His brow creases with concern.

Seeing nothing else to do but show him, you swing the door wide open. He looks you up and down, lips parted, and you have the overwhelming urge to shrink away and hide, but before you can make any move, Gwaine rushes toward you, his hand cupping your cheek as his lips crash into yours. Your body goes rigid with shock and he pulls away, wide eyes searching yours.

“I’m sorry, I –”

Flinging your arms around his neck, you pull his face toward you, your lips enveloping his, tasting him as he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling your body firmly against his. His hair brushes against your face as he deepens the kiss and your body goes slack in his embrace. You realise how much you’ve wanted this, needed this, to be so close to him, his arms around you, his actions, not just his words, showing how much he desires you.

You slowly pull away, eyes searching his to gauge his own feelings.

“(Y/N),” Gwaine says breathily. “I –”

“Took your time?” You suggest with a sly smile.

He laughs. “I suppose I did. I just,” He takes your hands into his. “Didn’t want to rush into anything. “Especially with everything that’s happened,”

“Let’s not dwell on falsehoods that were spoken about us. We know the truth,”

“You’re right,” He smiles, and takes a step back, looking you up and down. “You look magnificent. Your gown – knight’s colours?”

You nod.

“Give me a twirl, then,”

You chuckle, recalling your command to him to do the same when you made his new cloak, and spin around on the spot, your skirts flaring around you with the movement. Gwaine applauds and steps toward you, extending a hand to stroke your hair.

“I love it,” He says in a low tone.

“Really?” You look up at him. “You don’t think the other ladies will laugh at me?”

“I don’t think so. But if there’s anyone who does, they will suffer my wrath,”

“Your wrath? Goodness, will you strike them down where they stand?”

“I might, if pressed,”

“Well then, let’s hope you remain thoroughly un-pressed throughout the evening,”

Gwaine grins, before exclaiming. “Oh, I almost forgot,” He fishes in his pocket and procures a small item which he places in your hand. “I got you a little something,”

You look at the item in your open palm. It’s a small and ornate metal box. It’s oval shaped and engraved with a pattern of swirling leaves and flowers, a deep blue gemstone set in its centre.

“I thought maybe you could store your sewing needles in it,” Gwaine says. “Or whatever you prefer,”

You look up at him with a smile. “Thank you, Gwaine. It’s beautiful, and is the perfect size for my sewing needles. But I didn’t get you anything,”

“Don’t worry about that. You’ve done more than enough for me,”

You step forward and embrace him, the box still clasped in one hand.

“Shall we head to the feast?” He asks, his thumb rubbing small strokes on your back. “Or is the plan to be fashionably late?”

You pull away to see his smile, before you take the trinket box up to your room and place it on the bedside table. You return to Gwaine, who offers you his arm. You slip your arm through his and you both leave your chambers for the great hall.

The heavy double doors of the hall are propped open, allowing the golden candlelight to spill out to the corridor. Gwaine leads you within, where long tables line either side of the hall, the benches behind them already mostly filled with guests. At the far end of the room is another table, shorter than the rest, facing out, where the king and queen are seated, overlooking their guests.

Elyan spots you and Gwaine as you enter and approaches.

“Gwaine,” He says, giving his friend a playful smack on the arm. “Late, as always,” He turns to you and bows. “Good to see you, (Y/N),”

“Good evening, Sir Elyan,” You reply with a smile. “I’m afraid the blame for our lateness lies with me tonight,”

“Well, any extra time spent in preparation has paid off, (Y/N). You look stunning,”

“Thank you,” You smile. “You’re very kind,”

“Just stating facts,” Elyan winks.

“Go and woo someone else’s lady,” Gwaine shakes his head with a smile.

“Perhaps I will,” Elyan says with a grin, and returns the way he came.

“I didn’t realise Elyan was a flirt,” You remark.

“He’s not really, he just likes to rile me,”

“And are you riled?”

He chuckles. “No, it just makes me feel even luckier to have you on my arm,”

“Sweet-talker,” You nudge him playfully. Glancing to the front of the hall, you see that Gwen has spotted you. “You can greet your friends if you wish,” You say to Gwaine. “I would like to speak with the Queen,”

“Alright, I’ll save you a seat,” He unthreads your arm from his and kisses your hand, giving it a gentle squeeze before letting go.

You approach the royal table and Gwen stands, walking around to meet you, pulling you into an embrace as you approach.

“You look gorgeous, (Y/N),” She says. “Your gown is breathtaking; you are a true artist. And your hair looks beautiful,”

“Thanks to you,” You reply. “I wouldn’t have known what to do without your help,”

Gwen smiles and hooks her arm around yours, leading you around the hall.

“Sir Gwaine looks very dashing tonight,” She says, giving you a sly look.

“He looks just as dashing as he always does, only his armour is shinier than usual,”

Gwen chuckles. “It is a bit monotonous having the knights just wear their uniforms for special events. Perhaps I could submit a petition to change it? But then I foresee I’d receive some resistance from those who prefer not to have to think how to dress themselves,”

“Perhaps we should leave it then,” You reply. “So we need not witness any crimes of fashion. Monotony is more bearable than that,”

Gwen laughs as you turn at the front corner of the hall, approaching the knights’ table.

“I shall leave you with your dashing knight,” She stops behind an empty space between Gwaine and Sir Leon.

“Dashing knight?” Percival turns his head from beside Gwaine. “You must mean me,”

Gwaine elbows him before scooting over slightly, allowing you room to step over the bench and sit down, smoothing your skirts.

“Have fun,” Gwen smiles, before heading back to her place.

Shortly after, the hall goes quiet as the king stands, goblet raised in one hand. He expresses his gratitude and thanks to the kingdom’s farmers for a bountiful harvest, and urges everyone to enjoy the feast. Once he’s seated again, the chatter resumes and servants flood into the hall, bearing platters of food. The royal table is served first, then both the guest tables simultaneously.

“Can I get you something?” Gwaine asks, once another round of servants place down plates and cutlery in front of every guest.

You glance over the abundance of food laid out before you. “A bit of everything within reach,”

Gwaine grins and begins to load up your plate. A minute or so later, he places your plate, now covered with a mountain of food, back down in front of you, before attending to his own.

“Would you like something to drink, (Y/N)?” Leon asks from your other side. “There’s ale, wine and mead,”

“Oh,” You purse your lips thoughtfully, as you remember the delicious and warming drink you shared with Gwen during the intermission at the jousting tournament. “I’ll have some mead, thank you Sir Leon,”

“Just Leon will do, we’re all friends here,” He smiles and reaches for a flagon, bringing it forth to pour some of the golden liquid into your goblet.

You thank him and take a sip of the rich drink, before starting on the pile of food in front of you, sighing at the wondrous flavours that bless your tongue.

“Good, isn’t it?” Gwaine leans in to your ear to be heard, his warm breath tickling your skin.

“You must invite me to every feast from now on,” You reply.

“I was planning to,” His eyes twinkle in the candlelight.

You finish your plate, declining Gwaine’s offer of seconds only for fear that your stomach might burst. When the feasting is finished, conversation flows more steadily throughout the hall, guests’ mouths no longer occupied with chewing.

While you have some conversation with Gwaine and Sir Leon since they are beside you, you can’t manage much more above the noise. Your mind wanders to what occurred only hours ago. You glance beside you, watching his mouth as he brings his goblet to his lips, and you wish you could retire early and head back to your chambers, just the two of you. Gwaine catches your eye and you give him a quick smile, attempting to disguise the nature of your thoughts, before reaching for your own drink and draining the rest. You ask Sir Leon to pass you the mead flagon and refill your goblet before the king stands, the hall going quiet again.

“I have called in the minstrels, so the dancing may begin!” He offers his hand to Gwen, and she takes it and stands, the king and queen making their way around their table and to the middle of the hall.

Noticing movement in the corner of your eye, behind the royal table, you spot a small group of minstrels seated together. The king and queen get into position, the king turns his head to the minstrels and nods, and they begin to play. The king and queen dance as the guests, including yourself, look on, however your focus is not so much on their dancing, but their faces. Their love and adoration for each other is clear to see, and it brings a smile to your face.

A few minutes later, the music ends and the king and queen return to their seats, as members of the nobility gather in the centre, and the minstrels play another tune. The music is pleasing and you find yourself lightly swaying with the rhythm.

“Would you care for a dance?” Gwaine asks from beside you.

You chuckle. “Oh no, you’d better not ask me; I don’t know how,”

“There’s no one else I’d want to ask,” He replies and glances to the dancers ahead. “I haven’t danced like this for a long time, not since before my father passed. But I’m sure it’s all still in here somewhere,” He taps against his temple with the tip of his index finger. “I can teach you,”

He offers his hand to you. You glance between his open palm and eager eyes with a grimace.

“Not in front of everyone,” He clarifies. “There’s a quiet looking spot over there,” He inclines his head to the front left corner of the hall. “We can dance our own little jig with our own rules. What do you say?”

You look to the aforementioned corner, seeing that it is unoccupied, and out of the way. Surely no one would look there, when all the goings-on are happening in the centre of the hall.

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but… I accept your proposal,” You slip your hand into Gwaine’s.

He grins, and you take two large gulps from your goblet before you allow Gwaine to guide you from the table. When you reach the chosen dancing spot, Gwaine lets go of your hand.

“Right, let’s see… first, we must stand apart,” He takes you by the shoulders and gently guides you a few steps back.

You stay in position as he retreats a few steps away and turns to face you.

“I bow, and you curtsy,” He continues, and you both do so. “Now we close the gap and take each other’s hand,”

You follow his lead as he approaches and extends his right arm, and you take his hand in your left. He turns his body and encourages you to do the same, so you are both facing the same way now, standing side-by-side and hand-in-hand.

“We take some steps forward,” Gwaine says, and you follow his lead as he talks through the steps. “And some steps back. Then, hang on, I’ll show you,”

He lets go of your hand and hops forward, then alternates between hopping on one foot while the other is extended slightly in front, leg bent, then does a larger hop with a flourish, before doing the same movements again, but moving backwards this time.

“I don’t know how I’m going to remember that,” You frown.

“It’s not so bad,” Gwaine replies. “Let’s go through it together slowly,”

You stand beside him and watch as he goes through the movements slowed down, before attempting to copy him. The two of you go through the slowed down version a total of three times, before Gwaine suggests to try it at full speed. You feel slightly foolish but laugh your way through the steps.

“You’ve got it!” Gwaine exclaims with delight. “Now do it while holding hands,”

You go through the steps again, your fingers enclosed in his.

“And now,” Gwaine says. “We do the same steps while moving in a circle,”

Gwaine guides you, doing the same leg movements as before but gradually turning as you do, until making a full rotation.

“And now, the really fun part,” Gwaine says. “We face each other,” He turns to you and you do the same. He puts his hands on your waist, your heart fluttering at the contact. “Now put your right hand on my shoulder,” He instructs, and you do as he says. “We do the same movements while turning, but on the fourth count, I lift you into the air,”

“You what?”

“Lift you,” Gwaine grins as his hands grip your waist tightly and the next moment, you’re about a foot off the ground.

You squeal with a mix of terror and delight, blushing on your return to solid ground when you notice some of the other guests are looking your way.

“And we do that four times,” Gwaine says. “The part after that is a bit complicated, so we can leave it out. Shall we do it all together now?”

“In a moment, I need some refreshment after all that!”

You return to your place at the table and drain your goblet, finding the flagon and refilling, taking a few sips from that, before returning to Gwaine.

“Nothing like a bit of liquid courage,” You remark.

Eying the dancefloor, you see the noble couples dancing, their movements fluid and graceful.

“Don’t worry about them,” Gwaine says, following your gaze. “They’ve had years of instruction from dancing masters.”

“Did you have a dancing master?” You ask.

“I did back in the day, if you can believe it,” He chuckles. “It’s all part of being from a noble family. You’re lucky you didn’t have to waste so much time attending lessons,”

“Lucky until today, where I have no idea what I’m doing,”

“But tonight, I am your dancing master,” Gwaine gives an exaggerated bow.

“I don’t think you’d be a good dancing master for me,”

Gwaine clutches his chest in mock offence. “Why would you say such a thing, dear lady?”

“Because… I wouldn’t be able to focus on the dancing,”

He smirks. “You’ve managed well enough tonight. Shall we put my instruction to the test?”

The minstrel’s tune finishes with his sentence, and you nod before taking position. The minstrels begin a new tune and you watch for Gwaine’s signal and begin the dance. You move in time with the music, though you stumble through the hopping steps, laughing as you do so. After the section where the steps are performed in a rotation, you face Gwaine and he grips your waist, lifting you into the air. In the next moment, you’re on solid ground again, doing the leg movements, then you’re in the air again, down, up, down and up, you feel giddy and light as air, looking into the face of the man who has become so dear to you as he smiles, the corners of his eyes crinkling in the way you love.

After the fourth and final turn, you and Gwaine laugh, breath laboured from the exercise. Though you’ve reached the end of the steps you’ve been taught, the minstrel’s tune continues. Not wanting the dance to end, you move your hand from Gwaine’s shoulder around to his back, pulling yourself closer to him, so your body is against his. His hands shift from the sides of your waist to the small of your back and you both sway with the music, slowly turning on the spot with small steps. You relish the feeling of his body against yours, wishing you could stay like this forever, when the tune comes to an end. You pull apart slowly, as if waking from a dream.

“You danced well,” Gwaine says softly.

“My gown hid my terrible footwork,”

He smiles. “My favourite part was the bit you improvised at the end,”

His gaze is so tender, his words so sincere, you feel a blush creep onto your cheeks. You take his hand and return to your seats, Sir Leon giving a knowing smile as you sit down. You take another sip of mead as the minstrels begin their next tune. You watch the dancers, chin resting on your palm. If you could dance like them, you think you should want to do it every day. You conjure an image of minstrels set up in the corner of your chambers, playing a tune while you and Gwaine dance.

“You alright there?” Gwaine’s amused voice pulls you back to reality.

“Just daydreaming,”

“What about?”

“Silly things,”

The music stops and the minstrels stand and bow, marking the end of their performance. You join the other guests in applause as the minstrels gather their instruments and quit the hall.

“They were wonderful,” You comment. “There should be music every night,”

“I’ll bring it up to Arthur at the next council meeting,” Gwaine smirks.

“Then we shall have daily music and crimes of fashion,”

“What?” Gwaine chuckles.

“Oh, nothing. Just something Gwen and I spoke of,”

Laughter erupts from the opposite table, in response to some unheard jest. Glancing down your own table, you see Sirs Percival and Elyan arm wrestling. The murmur of chatter fills the hall again now that the dancing and music has come to an end, and your head buzzes from the hours of noise and recent physical activity. You sigh as fatigue hits you.

“It’ll probably be mostly drunken antics from now on, if you wish to retire,” Gwaine murmurs in your ear.

“Perhaps I should, if you don’t mind,” You drain the remaining contents of your goblet. “We wouldn’t want to add my own drunken antics to the display,”

Gwaine stands and offers his hand, aiding you up from your seat. You express your desire to say goodbye to Gwen before you leave, so Gwaine escorts you to the royal table.

“We’re leaving now,” You lean down to speak in Gwen’s ear. “I had a lovely time,”

“It looked like it. I enjoyed your dance,” She smiles between you and Gwaine.

The king leans out to speak from beside the queen. “I hope you enjoyed your first feast in the palace?”

“Very much, sire. I’d never tasted such delights before tonight,”

“I’m glad to hear it,” He smiles.

“We shall bid you goodnight now, sire,” Gwaine says to the king. “My lady,” He bows to the queen.

You and Gwaine walk arm-in-arm down the length of the hall and through the double doors into the corridor. The sound of the festivities fade as you turn into a passage and climb the first flight of stairs.

Once reaching your chambers, you head inside, leaving the door ajar behind you. Feeling no presence at your side, you look back and find Gwaine still standing just outside the entrance.

“Come inside,” You beckon him, extending a hand, which he takes and closes the gap between you.

You cup your hand on his cheek, brushing against his short beard, lightly pulling him closer to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

“My dancing master,” You sigh with a serene smile.

“As a general rule, I don’t think you’re supposed to kiss your dancing master,”

“I suppose not. But I am supposed to kiss my…”

Love. You shift your gaze from his as you think the unsaid word. You feel it with all your heart. You love him. But if he is not there yet, not ready to return the words… you do not want to force him into an awkward situation, or worse, have him say the words when he might not mean them.

“My sweetheart,” You settle for the lesser word, returning your gaze to his.

He smiles. “That, of course, is allowed,” He leans in and kisses you.

The sensation of his lips on yours sends a warmth through you, and once he pulls away, you wrap your arms around him. He does the same, cradling the back of your head in one hand.

“It feels so good being in your arms,” You sigh. “Though your armour is a bit hard and cold,”

“I don’t think they had embracing in mind when they designed it,”

You simply hum in response, feeling as if you might drift off in his arms.

“You need to get some rest,” Gwaine rubs your back.

“I’m not tired yet,” You lie.

“Yes, you are,” He laughs “You should get yourself off to bed,”

“But I want to stay with you,”

“You’ll see me again soon enough. We do live in the same castle,” He grins. “I’m going to go, then you can change in to your night things and go to bed,”

You sigh. “Alright,”

Gwaine pulls back to look at you. “Thank you for a wonderful time this evening,” You smile up at him as he plants a tender kiss on your forehead. “Goodnight,”

He lets go of you and heads for the door, stopping to look back from the doorway.

“Goodnight, Sir Gwaine,” You blink sleepily as he closes the door behind him.

[vicsnook]

Come Back…Be Here | Bob Floyd x Reader

word count: 1230

warnings: deployment, sad, fluff

song pairing: Come Back… Be Here - Taylor Swift

notes: Hey y’all!! Hope everyone is doing well! I know I’ve been away for a little while but no worries I am back ☺️ and ready to write. This one is a sad one so forgive me for that. Please if you don’t mind, like and reblog that way more people can read this too. Thank you for all the likes and reblogs on my other works. Hope everyone is having a great week!!!! 💗

The sound of thunder startled you awake. Looking at your bedside table the alarm clock read 3:00AM in bright red letters. Bob snored peacefully beside you, he could sleep through anything.

The morning came too soon and as you got ready for work you noticed Bob was unusually chatty. He only did that when he was keeping something. Not wanting to pry you went along with it but as everyone headed off the tarmac that afternoon him and Nat got called into Cyclone’s office.

“I wonder what that’s about.”Jake said, raising his eyebrows at you.

“Me too, he’s been really chatty lately so maybe it has to do with that.”

“Yeah, I noticed that. He ain’t real good at keeping secrets” He chuckled as you both headed to the vending machines.

Usually you’d get a snack with Bob after flying exercises were completed but today your appetite was absent. The weird feeling that you’d had in your stomach when you woke up last night only intensified more as you waited for Bob. Jake tried making you laugh by showing you pictures of his new pup but your mind was elsewhere.

“Hey Peach, can we talk?” whispered Bob from behind you, breaking you away from your thoughts. You followed him quietly to your car grateful that you’d all been dismissed earlier today since Maverick was sick.

He started the car and looked over at you smiling weakly. You felt the knot in your throat as he headed towards the beach. This wasn’t going to be a good talk.

He grabbed your hand as you both found a spot to sit in the sand. Both of you stared at the beautiful California ocean when he finally broke the silence. “Nat and I were called up for a mission in Europe. We’ll be gone for a few months.”

“How long?”

“9 months but it can extend to a year. We leave in 2 days”

“Oh” you replied, trying to hold back the tears. Both of you knew this could happen anytime but you were not prepared for it to happen so soon. You’d only been together 8 months and now he was being sent off to the other side of the world.

He pulled you into his chest as you let the tears fall. He smelled of pines and jet oil. A weird combination that you’d come to adore. His fingers lifted your chin to look at him and he kissed you softly.

“We’re going to be okay.” he whispered as you both started to head towards the car. You nodded in response.

That night you helped him pack his seabag between dancing in the kitchen and eating leftover pizza. Tomorrow night the squad wanted to meet up at the Hard Deck for a small goodbye party.

—

Work flew by and before you knew it you were at the Hard Deck. Bob was off playing pool with Fanboy when Nat pulled you aside.

“Hey, you call me if you need anything. You’ve got nothing to worry about. I’ll keep this one in check.” she said, taking a swig of her beer.

“I’ll try to keep Rooster in check but no promises.” You raised your hands as you both laughed and she pulled you into a hug. In a few hours your best friend and boyfriend would be gone and tonight only seemed to fly by.

Bob and you said goodbye to everyone around midnight. Him and Nat had to be at the airport by 4:00AM. You cuddled up to him that night but as the alarm went off at 3:00AM you felt you’d only slept 10 minutes.

You said it in a simple way

4:00 a.m. the second day

Everyone gathered at the airport saying their final goodbyes. Bob pulled you in for one last hug and whispered “I love you” as he pulled away and kissed your forehead. A few tears escaped your eyes as you both had yet to say those 3 words.

“I love you too, Robby.”

Stumbled through the long goodbye

One last kiss, then catch your flight

“Time to go.” said Nat as Bob kissed you one last time and headed to security.

You followed the squad out to the parking lot politely declining their invitation to get breakfast. All you wanted to do was go home.

Getting ready for work you scanned the room for your dog tags and that’s when you saw it. A red gift box on your bed. Opening it you pulled out a necklace with a heart locket and in it was a picture of you and Bob from your first date. The note in the box read “So you always have me with you. Love, Bob.”

And this is when the feeling sinks in

I don't wanna miss you like this

Come back, be here

You put it on and finished getting ready as quickly as you could so you wouldn’t be late for work. Holding back tears as you headed out the door missing Bob more than anything.

—

Bob had left Wednesday and it was now Friday. Calls were short as he and Nat were settling in and the time difference didn’t help. He mentioned you should go see your sister to help not feel so lonely. So here you were boarding a plane to NY for the weekend.

Taxi cabs and busy streets

That never bring you back to me

I can't help but wish you took me with you

The breeze was cold as you stepped out of the airport. Raising your arm you hailed a taxi and then you were off to your sister’s. That night after a long day of retail therapy you were able to facetime Bob.

His sweet smile filled the screen as you showed him your purchases. “I got you something so once you know your mailing address let me know.” you said, eying the box on the floor. He nodded, raising his eyebrows at you making you laugh.

You got him a watch he’d been wanting according to Mickey. On the back it had the word fearless engraved, a nod to when you both danced in the rain a couple months back.

He was getting ready for work while you were ready for bed. He said he was happy that you liked his gift and couldn’t wait to get his.

“I’ve got to go baby but just know I love you and I’m thinking of you. Sweet dreams.” he said quietly as Nat knocked on his door.

“I love you Robby.” you replied as he smiled and ended the call.

This is falling in love in the cruelest way

This is falling for you and you are worlds away

In New York, be here

But you're in London, and I break down

'Cause it's not fair that you're not around

You shed a few tears after the call ended. Missing him hurt so much. Your chest aching as you tossed and turned that night. Wishing time would fly by the next couple of months.

—

Central park felt lonely the next day since your sister was called into work. She loved being a doctor but being on call sucked. You watched the birds from the bench you were sitting at wishing that Bob was with you. That he could Come back, be here.

[lalainajanes]

This completes column #2 on my bingo card, the square was “Eager Backstage Groupie”

Another Shot of Courage

 Saturday, May 1st, 8:16 AM

Caroline wakes up in an unfamiliar bed, in the little black dress she'd worn to Kat's birthday party, with a headache and a foul-tasting mouth. She's sprawled in the middle of a very large mattress, so the first thing Caroline does is explore. She stretches her arms out tentatively, expecting to poke someone (hopefully an unobjectionable someone) awake.

She appears to be alone, and Caroline relaxes into the fluffy pillows. She wiggles experimentally, satisfied when her bra and underwear dig into uncomfortable areas and gives in to the temptation to burrow under the duvet.

She just needs a minute to regret her life choices before she confronts them. Caroline sighs, stretches, and her fuzzy head begins to clear, memories sharpening.

And yikes.

Can she stay in her self-made blanket fort forever? A lot of her conduct last night had been highly irrational, some of it downright hypocritical. She is a public relations professional, highly sought after. Her clients pay many pretty pennies for her services.

Had she seriously mauled Klaus Mikaelson in one of the trendiest clubs in LA?

Caroline tugs down the blanket, intent on confirming her suspicions, allowing her to look around and study the room with new eyes.

There's a brick fireplace at the end of the bed, a wide armchair in front of it – not particularly revealing. Her eyes flick to the left. There's nothing, but dark curtains pulled tight over a wall of windows.

When she looks to the right, there's a smoking gun. Well, kind of. It's a drafting table, an easel, and shelves featuring paintbrushes, haphazardly stacked sketchbooks, and a bunch of other things that Caroline doesn't currently have the brainpower to identify.

She considers slipping out of bed and checking to see if those curtains cover any kind of door. She thinks it's logical to assume so. She's only been to Klaus' home a few times, tries to insist they meet at her office. She's never ventured far beyond the kitchen and living rooms, but it's a Spanish-style bungalow on a sprawling lot. Why wouldn't he have a walk out into the yard from his bedroom?

She discards the idea with some regret. Running away without a word is a coward's move and would probably backfire. Klaus is still her client, whatever psychosis had gripped Caroline last night, and it's not like she could dump him via email at this point. He's got a huge movie coming in three weeks, and they're flying to London tomorrow to begin the premiere tour. She could probably pass it on to another publicist, but she'd still be on the hook, would have to coordinate her plans long-distance.

Selfishly, Caroline hopes that's not necessary. She'd hate for someone else to reap the benefits of her hard work.

She heaves herself into a sitting position, wincing when her head throbs. Her stomach seems solid, with no hint of queasiness, so that's a plus. Caroline tosses the covers aside, shifts until her legs slide over the side of the bed. She catches a glimpse of herself in a mirror through the open closet door and cringes.

She'd done an excellent smoky eye last night, and it's migrated all over her face. She doesn't even want to consider how long it's going to take to detangle her hair. She decides she can wait a bit to hunt down Klaus, stepping forward and twisting the knob on the closed door. "Jackpot," Caroline mutters, walking into Klaus' bathroom. There's a stack of towels on the counter, and she figures it won't hurt to take a shower.

She'd had her tongue in his mouth and had apparently kicked him out of his bed, so what's one more presumption?

Friday, April 30th, 10:47 PM

In the VIP lounge Kat had rented, elevated above the main dance floor, Caroline waves away a shot of tequila. She'd had one during the birthday toast, wine at dinner. Had just ordered an overpriced cocktail. She's pleasantly tipsy but needs to pace herself because she can't get too drunk tonight.

Besides, Caroline and tequila have a complicated relationship.

Kat boos her, a few of the other girls joining in. Caroline laughs, "I know, I'm boring. I have a million things to do tomorrow to make sure I'm ready to live out of a suitcase for weeks."

Katherine scoffs, "Just make Klaus buy you anything you forget. What good is a guy who's hot for you and makes big fat superhero movie paychecks if he won't buy you pretty things?"

They've discussed this a bajillion times. Caroline has actually run away from this exact conversation, shouting nonsense syllables, with her fingers jammed in her ear, as if she and Katherine still fight over Barbies and who gets to wear dress-up trunk's best princess dress.

Caroline still can't resist arguing – it's a character flaw. "He's my client. That's it."

"Oh, please. Men in this town bone their clients all the time."

"That doesn't make it okay!"

Usually, this is the part where Katherine tries to convince her that Klaus is dying to be boned – her words, not Caroline's – but she gets distracted, squinting across the bar. Kat's lips curl, expression growing sly, "It appears my argument is moot."

Um, what? Katherine's literally never backed down from an argument in the twenty-plus years they've been friends. Puzzled, Caroline turns, trying to see what caught Kat's attention.

The club features several VIP lounges, each located at the top of a short staircase and decorated with wide velvet sofas and crystal chandeliers. There's an attendant who keeps booze and food flowing. It's clever – the sofas are inviting and squishy, tend to force people close together. The chandeliers ensure that anyone who happens to take a picture can get a decent shot, and the free flow of liquor has lowered the inhibitions of at least half a dozen celebrities, resulting in photos that send the gossip blogs into a tizzy as soon as they hit the internet.

When Caroline spots Klaus across the way, a redheaded model sprawled in his lap, she's immediately fuming.

"Looks like he got tired of waiting," Kat drawls. "Wanna reconsider the tequila?"

"Katherine. I love you. But zip it."

Katherine makes a face but leaves Caroline alone, turning to another one of their friends and asking a question. Caroline takes a deep breath, counts to ten.

She'd busted her ass to make him appear family-friendly enough to land the movie with the very PR-conscious studio that had netted him the big fat checks Katherine had just been crowing over. He's jeopardizing that on the eve of the most significant press tour of his career.

She looks over again, leaning forward. The redhead's moved away, she's sitting at Klaus' side, and they now appear to be merely engaged in conversation. Caroline does her best to think like a photographer – is there an angle that could make the scene look tawdry?

Probably not. So really, Klaus isn't jeopardizing anything.

Caroline's anger doesn't cool at the revelation.

She's so screwed.

She's on her feet before she decides to be, stalking down the stairs. She hears Katherine yelling borderline lewd encouragement at her back, but Caroline knows better than to take her advice.

She's marching over to diffuse, not inflame.

Hopefully.

Saturday, May 1st, 9:01 AM

She finds Klaus in his living room, asleep, his legs hanging awkwardly over the arm of a too-short couch, his torso twisted so awkwardly that Caroline's back twinges sympathetically. With the confirmation that she had stolen his bed, more of Caroline's irritation fades. The shower had helped, as had the bottle of water she'd guzzled and the three Tylenol she'd popped.

She takes a seat on his coffee table, setting down her second bottle of water. Caroline reaches out, shaking his shoulder gently. "Klaus," she murmurs when he begins to stir. "Wake up."

She could probably leave him to sleep. Klaus' stylist will handle most of his packing; he's borrowed a dizzying volume of outfits and accessories for Klaus to wear on this trip. The announcement won't come for another two weeks, but Klaus is shooting a Dior cologne ad once his press obligations wrap. The brand had requested he start wearing the newest line. Caroline had attended the last fitting, and she'd had a hard time keeping her blatant ogling under wraps.

Klaus looks good in ratty jeans, in a suit tailored to his measurements? Just about anyone attracted to men would have struggled not to appreciate the sight.

That's how Caroline had justified letting her emails pile up that afternoon.

She'd been a little worried about her control slipping on this trip, once they were alone in the hotel, and Klaus dropped the shiny, press-perfect façade he's learned to maintain. Caroline had designed that mask to appeal to the broadest possible audience. Doing interview prep has unfortunately only emphasized how much more she likes Klaus without it.

Klaus stretches, eyes fluttering open. "Good morning," he murmurs, voice husky with sleep. "I hope you slept better than I did."

Caroline winces, "Don’t you have a guest room or two you could have shoved me in?”

He smiles lazily, “You were quite insistent on touring my bedroom.”

Her eyes slam shut, face heating, “And that is why I don’t drink tequila unsupervised,” she grumbles.

He laughs, sitting up, his legs bracketing hers. He reaches for her water bottle and helps himself to a sip. Caroline leans back, fishing the Tylenol out of the pocket of the hoodie she’d stolen from his closet. She’d needed something bulkier to hide the fact she hadn’t been able to convince herself to strap her bra back on. “Do you want these?” she asks, rattling the bottle.

Klaus shakes his head, “I’m not hungover. I didn’t drink at all, and you stole that shot of tequila that was meant for me, remember?”

Ohhh no. She’d forgotten about that. She’d stolen his and the model’s.

Which, in hindsight, goes a long way to explaining what had happened after. Caroline’s problem with tequila is that once she starts, she has a hard time stopping. It heightens her usually non-existent impulsive streak, leads to sub-par decisions.

Occasionally, tequila does make her clothes fall off.

Caroline buries her hands in her face, wishing she hadn’t tied her hair back. She’s mortified, probably growing splotchy. “I am so sorry,” she mutters.

Klaus sighs, tries to tug her hands away. Caroline resists, tensing her muscles, wishes she’d gone with her first instinct and fled out the backdoor. He rests his hands on her knees, squeezing, voice dipping into coaxing tones. “No apology necessary. I’m not the least bit upset.”

Unfortunately, Caroline’s totally up to the task of being upset enough for the both of them.

Friday, April 30th, 10:53 PM

Once the attendant in Klaus VIP area confirms that he does know Caroline and lets her up the stairs, Klaus has managed to increase the distance between his body and the model’s. He seems pleased to see her, grabbing her hand and tugging her to sit next to him on the couch.

Close enough that they’re connected thigh to shoulder.

The model, whose name Caroline doesn’t particularly care about, is less welcoming. She glares daggers at Caroline’s hand, still enclosed in Klaus’. He makes polite introductions. “Genevieve, this is my publicist and very good friend, Caroline Forbes. Caroline, Genevieve. She’s a friend of Kol’s.”

Klaus’ younger brother is also an actor, still firmly in the throes of his wild child phase. Caroline finds him entertaining, despite her best intentions, but he’s known to delight in making her job more complicated. She glances around suspiciously, “Is Kol here?”

Klaus gestures vaguely to the dance floor. “Somewhere. He dragged me out to celebrate a pilot he booked, then disappeared.”

Hmm, that could lead to disaster. Caroline wonders if she should shoot his publicist a text as a professional courtesy.

Caroline smiles at Genevieve sharply, “So sweet of you to keep Klaus company.” It’s mean, but Caroline wonders if Genevieve has somehow heard about Klaus’ Dior deal through the grapevine. Maybe she’s aiming for a co-starring role – Caroline’s read the treatment for the commercial; it’s supposed to be streamy.

Oh, good lord, High School Caroline has somehow time traveled and taken over her body.

Genevieve pastes on an equally fake smile (at least Caroline’s not the only one regressing). Before she can snipe back, a silver tray is set in front of them, two shots resting on it. The attendant catches Caroline’s eye, “Can I get you anything, Miss?”

Klaus interrupts, squeezes her hand in an absent apology, “Sorry, there must be some mistake. I ordered a water.”

He’s contractually obligated to maintain a ridiculously chiseled body. Caroline’s got a reminder in her phone to order him a pile of celebratory spaghetti after his press obligations are officially over and he can relax for a few months.

The attendant’s eyes flit to Genevieve in confusion, “I…”

“I cancelled that,” she chirps, sliding her hand up Klaus’ arm. Genevieve leans in, tone lowering to what Caroline thinks is supposed to be a seductive level. “Figured we would toast.”

Caroline catches it because she’s practically plastered to Klaus’ other side. “Who toasts with tequila?” she asks. “Other than creeps at bars, I mean.”

Had Caroline not been well acquainted with Katherine Pierce, she might have been intimidated by Genevieve's attempt at a lethal glare.

Caroline stares back, reaching blindly for the first shot. She tosses it back, then the second, fighting the shudder that wants to wrack her frame through sheer willpower alone.

“Bitch,” Genevieve mutters, standing and flouncing away.

It’s petty, but Caroline savors her win.

Klaus is staring at her oddly, a touch concerned. “Maybe we should get you some water, love.”

Saturday, May 1st, 9:04 AM

“There were more shots when I got back to Kat’s party,” Caroline moans. “I’m going to kill her. She knows my weaknesses.”

“While I am reluctant to defend your irritating friend, she did seem rather intent on her fun. It was her birthday, wasn’t it?”

Caroline nods, “Yeah. And Kat’s always been firmly convinced that she should get to do whatever her little black heart desires on her birthday.”

“She did insist I ensure you get home safely. I’m afraid you were rather reluctant to supply your address.”

She sighs, finally dropping her hands. “Honestly, I just moved into a condo. I might not have remembered it.” That’s the less embarrassing option. It’s probably more likely that tequila drunk Caroline had crafted a plan to seduce Klaus, and step one entailed getting invited to his house. “I know you said not to apologize, but I obviously put you out. I’m supposed to babysit you, not the other way around.”

Klaus laughs, his knee nudging hers. “I haven’t needed that for ages, as you well know.”

He has a point – Caroline likely wouldn’t have agreed to take him on if he was still indulging in public drunkenness and paparazzi punching. When she’d first met with Klaus, it had been out of curiosity. She’d made a comfortable living from her client roster, did not need to take on the project of a difficult actor.

Klaus’ bad behavior had been a few years in the past, and he’d just come off a run of festival darlings and had produced a surprise hit sci-fi drama. He’d been frustrated by the doors that remained firmly shut to him, had laid his ambitions on the table.

Caroline had been intrigued. While she’s excellent at her job, but it’s always easier to work her magic with clients who are willing to dive into the work. Klaus’ talent was undeniable; she’d thought he could be a household name with the right opportunity. She’d agreed to take him on, and three years later, it’s paid off.

Caroline tugs the sleeves of his sweatshirt down over her hands, eyes on the frayed trim. “I was mad when I saw you last night, and that wasn’t fair. You’d set you were resting up for the press tour, but it’s not my business if you changed your mind.”

“Did you think I was resuming some bad habits?” Klaus asks. “I know that particular venue has a… reputation. Probably why Kol picked it.”

Caroline sneaks a glance at him, trying to gauge how he feels, but he’s not giving much away. “No, not really. I trust you. I wasn’t thinking super logically.”

She has to admit, at least to herself, that she’d been jealous. Caroline’s going to have to think about how deep that goes, if the feelings that had slapped her in the face last night will prevent their working relationship from being effective. What if Klaus meets someone? Will she be able to plant sneaky tidbits about how happy they are, scour the gossip blogs for rumors that could become issues?

“You? Not thinking logically? However could that be?”

She glares at him, though she knows his teasing is good-natured. “Some of it was the booze. I totally wouldn’t have hauled you onto the dance floor without it. And I wouldn’t have… well, you were there.”

She’s not up to list her transgressions. If Klaus hadn’t been drinking, then his memory of her wandering hands, her flirtatious comments, and heated invitations should be crystal clear. Caroline had been drunk, and she’s having a hard time not dwelling on the kiss – which, to be fair, Klaus had enthusiastically participated in – that she’d initiated.

“I was there. I have no objections to anything that occurred last night, save perhaps wishing you’d been sober.” Her head snaps up, eyes widening in shock, and Klaus laughs incredulously. “Surely you must know of my interest in you, Caroline.”

She’s suspected, but she’s also well aware that Klaus has no shortage of offers. Last night is proof of that. Caroline has always assumed that take one of them, at some point, and his flirtatiousness with her would fade away. She’d dated an actor or two when she’d moved to LA after wrapping up college. Caroline had been working insane hours then, trying to claw her way past the other assistants at the agency where she’d worked. Her exes from that time period had been quick to move on once they realized she wasn’t willing to center her universe around them.

“Interest can be fleeting.”

“It’s been three years.”

“You never made a real move.”

Again, Klaus counters quickly. “You’d not have accepted, and then you’d likely have pawned me off on someone else.”

Yeah, he’s got a point there. “I’m your publicist.”

“I have no objection to mixing business with pleasure. If you do, I suppose I’m willing to suffer a less competent publicist.”

“I’m beginning to suspect you’ve been plotting.”

Klaus shrugs, entirely unrepentant. “Perhaps a bit. I’ve always been entirely honest with you, I merely prevented a situation that would lessen the time we spent together until such a time as you were ready to consider me in a romantic light.”

“That’s a lot of words to confess you’ve been trying to flirt me into submission while flashing your hot body at every opportunity,” Caroline grumbles.

Klaus’ smile widens, dimples now visible. “It seems to have worked. Assuming that you meant the things you said to me last night?”

“I…” she hadn’t been expecting him to ask her that directly. She should have been – Klaus is skilled at choosing the best way to catch someone off guard. Caroline glances away from him, eyes catching on the clock across the room. Crap. She has so much to do. “I have to go,” Caroline tells him, standing up.

His eyes narrow,  and his head tips to the side, like he’s searching for a sign of weakness. Both telltale indicators that Klaus is gearing up to argue. Caroline holds up a hand, “I know, okay? This looks like I’m running away, and technically I am, but this is not the time to begin that mixing you mentioned. We’ve both worked too hard to risk screwing up the next few weeks. Did you read your contract? The fines for non-compliance are no joke.”

“Now is not the time,” Klaus says slowly. “Meaning?”

“We table it now. I’m open to a discussion later.” Three weeks is plenty of time for her to sort out where she stands, right? Caroline never sleeps on flights anyway.

He runs a hand through his hair. “I want a timeline. I understand that you feel obligated to ensure this press tour goes smoothly, but you can only use it as an excuse until it’s over, love. I’m prepared to be persuasive.”

“What, do you want me to schedule something on your calendar? Maybe set an agenda?”

“No need to be so formal. Just agree to have dinner with me once we return. Here, if you’d like, so we don’t risk inflaming the tabloids before you’re ready.”

“You seem awfully sure that this is going to go a certain way. So eager to fire me?”

Klaus gets to his feet, and Caroline sucks in a nervous breath. Sitting across from each other, he’d been a reasonable distance away. Now, with both of them standing in the narrow gap between his couch and coffee table, if one of them breathes too deeply or shifts deliberately, they’ll be plastered together.

She’s tempted despite knowing she’s right about the timing.

Klaus rests his hand on her waist and turns them so Caroline could step back if she wanted to.

She stays where she is.

A tiny smile curls Klaus’ lips and his hand moves, pressing her closer. “As much as I enjoyed your more… explicit ramblings last night, I must confess my favorite revelation was when you confessed to just how long you’ve had them.”

Caroline, not for the first time, curses tequila’s wretched existence.

Wednesday, May 5th 2:20 PM

The meet and greets are going to kill her.

Caroline had thought they were a good idea when she’d poured through the itinerary the studio had sent over. Inviting popular bloggers, auctioning off tickets for charity, allowing fans to enter random draws – it’s great PR and provides the opportunity for viral moments, while also controlling the environment.

Caroline’s leaning against one of the walls, unnoticed, eyes on her client.

A lot of eyes are on her client, some of which irritate Caroline more than others. The two teenage girls, trailed by an exasperated dad, who’d both burst into tears when Klaus had smiled at them? Totally adorable. The nerdy college student who’d grilled Klaus about his character’s comic backstory? Kind of a pain, but Klaus had done his homework, and Caroline had been impressed.

And annoyed. Excessive preparation is very attractive and unhelpful at this juncture of the press tour. Caroline’s already begun to reconsider what they’d agreed to, wonders if knocking on his hotel room door on the last night would be such a bad thing.

That line of thinking might be overly influenced by the scene in front of her.

Klaus is speaking with a woman in an afternoon inappropriate silver dress. Caroline’s sorely tempted to have her escorted out by security. She’d slipped a key card into the back pocket of Klaus’ jeans within 90 seconds of meeting him.

He’s handed it back, said something that made her laugh. They’re still talking.

Klaus glances up, eyes landing on her immediately. Caroline hastily tries to soften her irritated expression lest he guesses its reason. Klaus smiles, subtly tips his water bottle in her direction. Silver Dress invades his personal space a little more.

Ugh. It’s gonna be a long three weeks.

[stillbandofbrothersthirsty]

As Far As Friends Go

Chapter 12 (Chapter 1; Chapter 2; Chapter 3; Chapter 4; Chapter 5; Chapter 6; Chapter 7; Chapter 8; Chapter 9; Chapter 10; Chapter 11)

Nixon - May 31 - June 6, 1944 “The tables are secure?”



“Yes.” “And do you have everything you need for your presentation to the officers and non-coms?” “Yes.”



“What about the pointer?"


Nixon whirled around to face Emily, “Shouldn’t I be asking you these questions?” “Well, everything should be packed up. I just want to make sure. I won’t be coming until after you, so I want to make sure you have everything you need before I get there,” Emily explained. “I’m sure we’ll be fine. I’m not presenting until after you get there.” It was early morning and the caffeine from Nixon’s first cup of coffee was still making its way into his bloodstream. Headquarters was consumed with movement; staff members darted in and out of the building carrying boxes full of maps and tools, carrying footlockers, crates of supplies which they loaded onto the backs of trucks. Emily held a clipboard upon which she had pinned a list of everything their department was responsible for. They were on brink of the allied invasion into Normandy. Once they got to Upottery Airfield, Nixon would be responsible for briefing the officers and the troops on the invasion plan. Every day up until the day of days he would be working to make sure every single paratrooper knew every single detail of the plan of attack. The atmosphere was buzzing with energy when Nixon climbed into his jeep; whether it was nervous or excited energy he wasn’t sure. The airfield was alive with action when Nixon arrived; men were putting up tents, unloading arms, and other supplies. “Nix,” Dick Winters walked over towards Nixon, “glad you could join us.” “Hard to believe it’s really happening, huh?” Nixon replied. “Any idea of where we’re going?”

“Oh so now you want me to tell you?” Nixon teased his friend who had shown barely any interest in his divulgement of information before. Winters shrugged and his mouth turned up slightly, “I think I have a bit of an idea.” “Well good, keep guessing. I’m not going to be responsible for the leak on this one - too risky.” “What happened to my fearless friend?”

“It’s not fear, it’s embarrassment I want to avoid.” Nixon said wryly, “what kind of intelligence officer would I be if I let the secret of the allied invasion slip?”

Winters narrowed his eyes at him as if trying to read his thoughts. “You’ll find out soon enough,” Nixon said and clapped Winters on the shoulder. Nixon had enough time to get settled in and to oversee the organization of the intelligence tent before Emily arrived with the remainder of the intelligence staff. In only a few hours, Emily and Nixon had to brief the regimental officers with the geographical details of the plan of action and what resources should be expected. The execution order of Operation Overlord had come from General Eisenhower himself so of course, Colonel Sink knew what his troops' objective was in the coming days. But the top-secret campaign into Normandy was a battle that intelligence staff across the allied nations had been waging for months. Since Dunkirk, codebreakers, scientists, and engineers had been preparing to return to the continent. Nixon and Emily had been part of that effort and now it was time to fill in their superiors on every tidbit of information that would help them achieve victory. “Alright gentlemen, let’s get started.” Colonel Sink sat down at the head of the table that stretched through a large tent, one of the first to be put up at Upottery. Emily passed around briefing memos and situation maps. “In theory, the only people in the regiment who know the who, what, and where about this invasion are in this room.” Sink scanned the limited faces of the most senior officers, “it is vital that we keep information on a need-to-know basis. That being said, it's about time we briefed our troops so that they are prepared when the day is decided, which will be any day now. Cap’n Nixon, and his lovely assistant here, are to fill us in on exactly what we need to know so that you all can inform your subordinates on the plan of action.” “Miss Rooney will you be able to take notes?” Lt. Colonel Strayer asked from Sink’s left. “Oh, uh I-,” “Miss Rooney was prepared to present actually,” Nixon jumped in, “she’s a professional cartographer and is an expert on the region.” “Oh,” Strayer looked between Nixon, Emily, and the other officers in the room, “but you know this stuff too right Nixon?” “I do, sir.”


“Then why don’t you present the information so Miss Rooney can take notes?”



“Sir, I-,” Nixon prepared to object. “Lewis, let’s not bicker like old fishwives. The notes are important. No offense, but I trust Miss Rooney’s handwriting more than yours.” Emily and Nixon exchanged a frustrated look of defeat. With pursed lips, Emily retrieved a pad of paper and took a seat in the corner behind Nixon. The enormity of what was about to be attempted settled across the tented room once Nixon finished the presentation. Colonel Sink cleared his throat, “okay men, I want every soldier in this regiment to know this area like the back of his hand. Let’s get the job done.” Sink stood up, prompting the other officers to rise, and walked out onto the airfield.


“Nicely done,” Emily said to Nixon once the room was clear. She began collecting the maps and memos left behind. “Thank you for putting it all together.” “Happy to do my job.” There was a slight bitterness in Emily’s voice, and Nixon couldn’t blame her. “Hey, I’m sorry about,” Nixon gestured vaguely, “ya know, all that.” “Don’t worry about it,” Emily said resignedly, “story of my life.” “Yeah but you’re a professional, you’re smart and capable.” “Thank you Lew, but even you thought of me as a secretary when I first arrived. Remember?”



Nixon winced at the memory. He didn’t know what to say. It was true, he had referred to her as a secretary despite her significant professional experience for her age. “Don’t worry about it,” Emily repeated, “I appreciate you trying to stick up for me.” She stacked the memos into a neat pile within a manila folder. “By the way, I’m headed south tonight.” “Already?” Nixon asked. Emily shrugged and tried to smile, “well, who knows when the day will actually be. Could be in five days, could be tomorrow. Don’t want to miss my ship.” “But you’re not going day of right?” “No,” Emily shook her head, “thankfully. I’ll go over a few days later with the nurses and other non-essentials.” “Non-essentials,” Nixon scoffed. “That’s me,” Emily winked at Nixon. “So I guess I’ll see you over there.” The space around them suddenly felt heavy. Her words felt insufficient. Best case scenario, they would see each other over there and the magnitude of that reality was not lost on either of them. Nixon searched for the right words. What was there to say when it was only a maybe goodbye?   He didn’t even want to acknowledge the chance that he may never see this woman again.

“I’ll see ya,” Nixon settled on. Emily held his gaze and smiled softly; nothing more needed to be said. Then in a breath, she exited out the tent flap and out of sight. A moment after she was gone a thought popped into Nixon’s head. He bolted out of the tent flap after her, “Emily!” he shouted. She turned and Nixon felt his breath leave him. Something about her innocent expression drenched in the evening's sun was stupefying. Then her face twisted into disgruntled confusion, “what?” she demanded. That was his girl, Nixon thought. Nixon walked a few paces towards her. “I’ve got something for ya,” he tossed her a little box. “What’s this?” she opened the plain, narrow box and tipped the contents into her palm. Out slipped an ornate gold tube of, “lipstick!” she shrieked. “Yeah,” Nixon shrugged, “not that you need it. But I noticed you were running out.”



“Bésame?” Emily read the label, “where on earth did you get this?” “I have my ways!” Nixon winked, “look at the shade.” “Victory red,” Emily smiled up at him. “Perfect isn’t it?” Nixon allowed himself to grin back at her, “perfect for you.” Emily threw her arms around his neck, “Thank you, Lew!” “Sure,” Nixon unwrapped her arms, “anyways, consider that my parting gift. Gotta have you looking good your first time in France.” The next couple of days were filled with adrenaline and anticipation as the men of the 506th prepared to be called into action. On June 4th, they thought the day had come but due to poor weather across the channel, the jump was delayed. Nixon could sense the tension among the men. Few feelings are worse than hyping yourself up for something that wasn’t to come. There was nothing to do but wait. Nixon took a sip from his flask and wandered outside for some fresh air. The moisture from the storm cooled the evening air. He sighed in relief; just a few steps outside felt like an escape from the nervous energy that permeated the musty tent. Nixon took another swig from his flask and leaned against one of the stacks of boxes. He was so glad to be away from everyone - he couldn’t bear the anxiety of the other men. It was difficult enough to stay focused and too easy to fall into a pit of fear. He had to stay optimistic. Winters must have shared in his restlessness because Nixon saw him emerge from between two tents. “I think it’s clearing up,” he said. Winters gazed up at the sky. “Think it’s clearing up?” Nixon asked walking over. “Nope,” Winters said, pulling on his gloves. Nixon shook his head. Winters was the eternal realist to Nixon’s ironic optimism. “I think it’s clearing up,” Nixon insisted. The two men began to walk down the airfield, the gray sky hanging above them. Nixon didn’t have the energy to discuss the inevitable. Winters didn’t seem to either but seemed contented to walk in silence, which Nixon was not. Determined to think of other things Nixon said, “Five o’clock in New York,” he paused, “four o’clock in Chicago.” “Happy hour huh?” Nixon chuckled, this was why Winters was his best friend. He met him wherever he was. With only a few words, they were on the same page; equally aware of the reality that faced them but understood that discussing it wouldn’t change anything at this point. So why waste the heartache? It was one of the longest nights of Nixon’s life. There seemed to be nothing to do and everything to do at the same time. How does one prepare for an experience they’ve never had before? Everything was organized, everything planned to the minute detail but who was to say what would actually happen when they touched ground in France? No one knew because no one had ever done it before.


Finally, on the night of June 5th, the 506th Airborne was cleared for departure. They would be dropping down into Normandy in the early hours of June 6th, only hours before the armies would storm the beaches. Nixon loaded into his plane and sat beside Colonel Strayer. They each had a map in hand and were discussing strategy as the remainder of the regiment geared and loaded up. Nixon didn’t have time to be scared. He had to make sure that everything was ready and in position for the men when they arrived at the assembly zone. If he were being honest, he was grateful to have a distraction. It kept the fear at bay as they lifted off the airfield and flew into the setting sun.

[reids-chop-stick]

My Love and I

Chapter 4

Summary: Y/N had been in love with Spencer Reid for years, but what she didn’t know was that he loved her too. Will their past traumas separate them, or will they fight through it and end up together?

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Reader

Word Count: 1276

As soon as you got back to the BAU Garcia was waiting for the team, like she always does. She always missed you guys when you were gone, especially the girls.

"We have to have a ladies night ASAP, it's been way too long" She told you, Emily, and JJ

"I agree, I say any night but tonight though" You laughed

You were all pretty tired from the case, while it wasn't a horrible one, you were still tired. You all decided that the next night worked for everyone, so you would get together then.

Hotch sent everyone home and told you guys to be back by 9 am tomorrow to work on some paperwork. Everyone was very relieved and headed out the door.

On the way to your car Spencer stopped you.

"Hey! So we're back..." He said shyly

"That we are" You giggled

"So do you maybe want to go furniture shopping this weekend?"

"Well somebody's excited to hang out with me" You said sarcastically

"I- well- I just know you said you needed to go-"

"Spencer it's okay, I was only kidding, this weekends perfect!"

"Okay well um how about we meet at my apartment Saturday around 1 and we can go together?"

"That sounds great!"

"Alright it's a date! I mean- not a date- but you know-"

"I got it Spencer" You chuckled

"Okay, well goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow" he smiled

"I'll see you tomorrow Spencer"

You got in your car with the biggest smile on your face. Why was he so damn adorable all the time? You could barely pull yourself together, and you giggled to yourself the whole way home.

When you got inside your apartment you threw the clothes from your go bag in the washer and then headed to take a shower. You grabbed a T-shirt and some sweatpants and got in. After your shower you got in your bed, read some of your book, and scrolled on your phone for a while before drifting off to sleep.

The next morning you woke up around 8:00, got dressed, and stopped to get some breakfast on your way to work. When you arrived at Quantico you hopped out with your coffee and breakfast sandwich and headed inside. You caught up with Derek on the way in and you guys rode the elevator together up to the bullpen.

"Hey babygirl, how're you feelin?"

"Good, it felt nice to actually get some sleep" you laughed

"Yeah, I agree. What are you up to after work?"

"We're having a BAU ladies night"

"Oooo how fun" he teased

"Oh you bet...take out, movies, drinks, the whole 9 yards"

"Well I hope you ladies have fun" he said right as the doors opened

"Fun with what?" Penelope asked walking by the elevator

"Oh I was just telling Derek Morgan here about our wild plans for tonight" You responded, winking at Derek

JJ walked up right as you said that with some not great news, "Actually, we're going to have to post pone our girls night, Will is out of town and I couldn't find a sitter"

"JJ!" You and Penelope both yelled

"I know I know, I'm sorry it was just so last minute and I thought we would be good to go, but turns out I was wrong"

At that point Derek had walked away because he didn't want to be intruding on your conversation, but you had an idea.

"What if Derek and Spencer watched the kids? Spencer owes me after he lost that bet last month, and Derek could keep him company?"

"Ooo yes! Do that!" Penelope said

"I mean I guess it wouldn't hurt, Spencer has kept an eye on them before, and if he does owe you..." JJ responded

The 3 of you walked over to Derek and Spencer who were chatting at Spencers desk.

You walked up to Spencer with a grin on your face, he immediately knew you were up to something, "Oh my, what is it?"

"So you remember last month when I said you couldn't go a day without telling me any random fun facts you knew, and you lost within the first 20 minutes?"

"Yes, I remember" he sighed

"Well it's time to pay up, will you watch the boys so we can have our ladies night? Morgan could do it with you so you're not alone?"

"That's not the worst thing you could have me do, so yes I will babysit for you, but keep in mind, this is it. No "oh you only did one little thing" this is your reward"

"I'm perfectly fine with that, thank you Dr. Reid" you teased

"You're welcome" he said as you and the girls walked away

It didn't take long to finish up your paperwork and you were out of there by 4. You ran home, changed into comfier clothes, packed a bag, and headed to Garcia's.

You were in charge of the movie, so you headed to the local video store and picked out some of your favorite classic chick flicks. When you got there Emily was already there hanging out with Garcia and you were just waiting on JJ who was picking up the Chinese food.

"Ooo what did you get?!" Garcia asked

"Oh you know just the classics, How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, She's the Man, and The Notebook" you responded

"Well shoot, which one are we gonna watch first?" Emily asked sarcastically

"Hey I know you're not a big chick flick girl, but these are classics! You have to see them at least once in your lifetime!" Garcia said

Right after she finished JJ walked in.

"Food!" You shouted

"Yes yes, it's here, and I'm starving, so let's eat" JJ said

You all sat around talking, Garcia grabbed some glasses and Emily poured some of the wine she brought. You all finished up your food and sat there talking.

"So Y/N, you and Spence huh?" JJ asked

"Oh yes, how's that going?" Emily laughed

"You guys, it's not funny! You know I still like him, I have for the last few years, nothing has stopped it. Not even dating other guys. I just need to accept that it's never going to happen" you responded

"Well now why would you say that? Do you see the way he looks at you? He is completely infatuated with you but you are so blind to see it just because you are scared of him rejecting you" Garcia told you

"That is simply not true!" You responded

Emily started, "Oh yes it is Y/N, there's no other reason you should be scared to tell him if that wasn't the case"

"Well it's just after everything that happened with Maeve, I don't think he's ready for a new relationship"

"Well lucky for you, that's not your decision, it's his. It's been years, I'm sure if he found the right person..." JJ said nudging you

"And I'm the right person?" You asked

"You could be, but you won't know unless you try" Garcia said

You spent the rest of the night eating popcorn, drinking and watching movies, all while thinking over the conversation you just had with the girls. Could he like you? Could he be ready for another relationship? Could he want another relationship? You just didn't know. But you were also extremely scared to ask him about it, so you decided not to. You would just wait it out and hope that he confessed he had feelings for you. Even though you knew he would never do that, it was fun to think about the idea of it.

[xofanfics]

Selfish - Part 14

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15

Genre: angst, fluff, SMUT

Pairing: Jun x Reader / Chan x Reader

Word Count: 7.3k

Summary: You love them both and you’re torn. But…what if you didn’t have to choose? Jun was scrolling through hotel listings on Jeju Island. He’d decided to surprise you with a trip to Jeju Island. What better way to prove himself to you than to spoil you a little bit? As the holidays came and went, February was here before he knew it. It was the perfect time to go on a trip. And he knew that you could use a little rest and relaxation.

Jun bought two plane tickets that night, as the prices went down a bit. He was excited to spend some time away and alone with you. You’d forgiven him but he knew that he was still sort of on your shit list. If something else went wrong, he wasn’t sure what you’d do. After all the two of you had been through with Malai and the arguing with Chan and all, things had been a little rocky.

He’d spend the next couple of days planning the trip, deciding some fun things to do while you were there. He wanted things to be perfect and he had all these ideas. He wanted to take you to see all the sites—the waterfalls, the beaches, all the beautiful things nature had to offer. You’d forget about all the stress of being at home and just enjoy the vacation with him.

As he scrolled through hotel listings, you called him. “Hello?” 

“Hey, babe,” you said. “What are you doing?”

“I’m just on the computer browsing. You?”

“I just got out of the shower...”

“Oh really? What are you wearing?”

“Nothing,” you said. “Wanna see?”

He smirked. “I can’t say no to that.” A moment later, he got a notification on his phone that you’d sent him a photo. You were nude, laying on your towel. You took the picture in the mirror above your dresser, across from your bed. “Wow. You look amazing, baby. I can’t wait to get my hands on you…”

He spent almost an hour on the phone with you and in that time, he found the perfect hotel. It wasn’t a huge suite like he would’ve wanted but it had a king sized bed, a loveseat, desk, and a huge flat screen tv. Not to mention the beautiful view. And even though it wasn’t summertime, it had a really nice pool outside. Luckily though, there was an indoor pool and a spa that you could take advantage of. He’d definitely book a couples’ massage with you, so you could both get all those knots of tension out of your systems. 

Jun was getting excited just thinking of all the fun you could have together. Lately, there hadn’t been much to look forward to so this trip was just what he needed. He was pumped to spend some time with you and get you all to himself. It had been a long time since he’d been on vacation and you hadn’t been on one either. So, he was more than happy to solve that problem. 

*

As Jun went up the train station escalator, he could hardly contain his excitement. Everyone had a long weekend due to the Korean New Year. Jun was glad because he planned to tell you the surprise today. The two of you had planned to have dinner together tonight and it gave him the perfect opportunity to tell you about his surprise.

You were waiting for him in the lobby of the building you worked in when he walked in. He figured that you must’ve gotten off a little early. As he walked toward you, you didn’t see him. He smiled at the sight of you in the lounge chair, smiling at whatever you were looking at on your phone. 

“Hi beautiful,” he said, taking you by surprise. “Did you get out a little early?”

You smiled, grabbing your bag and standing up to greet him. “Hey babe. Yeah, honestly everyone was ready to have a head start to this weekend. Everyone practically ran out of the office once our boss said we could leave.”

He kissed you on your forehead. “Nice.”

The two of you walked out of the building together, starting toward the restaurant that you wanted to go to nearby. On the walk there, you told him about your day and how the restaurant had really good steak and that it comes out perfect every time. He loved how animated you got when you spoke and how your eyes lit up with excitement. 

You arrived at the restaurant a few minutes later and were seated right away. It was more crowded than it would usually be on a Thursday evening because it was more like a Friday evening since everyone would be off of work tomorrow. 

“I come here with my coworkers sometimes for their lunch special,” you said, flipping through the menu. 

Your order was taken and you had your drinks within five minutes. Over the red wine, Jun said, “I have a surprise for you, babe.”

Your eyes lit up again, turning from your drink. “What is it?”

“We’re going to Jeju tomorrow morning,” he said. “I wanted to take you on a trip since we have off.”

“Wow,” you said, smiling even wider, “that sounds amazing. Are you serious?”

“Believe it, baby,” he said, reaching for your hand.

You looked down at the table for a few seconds before you said, “I have an idea, but it’s kind of crazy.”

“How crazy?”

“Well do you think that we could ever spend time together? Like the three of us?”

Jun nodded. “Well, yeah.”

“Well, what if he came with us?”

“Tomorrow?”

“Yeah,” you said. You cleared your throat. “I mean, we can wait another time if you want, of course...but I just wanted to put the idea out there. It could be good for us.”

To be honest, Jun wanted this trip to just be for the two of you, without Chan tagging along. The last thing he wanted was for you to think he had a problem with this arrangement or that he was being greedy. Even though he didn’t want to, he said, “Yeah, that’s fine with me,” because he didn’t want you to be disappointed. The reality was that his reply was the furthest thing from the truth. 

And it brought a smile to your face. “I’ll be right back. I’m gonna give him a call and see if he can still get a flight. Can you forward me the flight info?”

He pursed his lips together as he went into his email and forwarded the flight itinerary to you. With a quick “Thanks, babe,” you were gone. You went into the hallway outside of the bathrooms and took out your phone. 

“Hello?” Chan answered.

“Hey,” you said, “I have good news and bad news.”

“Okay, what’s the bad news?”

“I don’t think we’re going to be able to have our sleepover this weekend…”

“Why not?”

“I’m going to Jeju with Jun this weekend and I wanted to know if you wanted to...come with us.”

Chan paused for a moment; you didn’t blame him. The three of you had been through a lot in this relationship and you wondered if it was too soon to be together like this. Finally, he said, “That sounds like fun...”

“Do you really think you two can be in the same room together...with me?”

“I don’t see why not. I mean, it’s bound to happen eventually, right?”

You gave him the flight number and, thankfully, he was able to book the flight. And from the looks of it, he was a couple rows behind where you and Jun would be sitting. 

“I’m all booked,” he said, after checking and re-checking the reservation. He chuckled. “I should get packing.”

*

Chan heard a knock at the door, interrupting him from his packing. It was Jason, who had arrived with a box of pizza. He sighed and went back over to his luggage. Confused, Jason sat down on the floor, putting the pizza on the table.

“What’s with you?” he said. He pointed to the luggage. “Are you going somewhere?”

“To Jeju,” Chan replied. 

“Ooh that sounds like fun. I wish I was going somewhere. My family is right here in Seoul so there’s not really anywhere to go.”

“There’s only but so much fun I can have,” he said, rolling his eyes, as he threw socks into his suitcase. “Jun booked a trip for them this weekend and Y/N invited me along but it feels like it was more pity than anything else…”

Jason cursed under his breath as he opened the pizza box. “Maybe he wants to make peace. Maybe this is him putting his foot forward and trying to make things better.”

“On my weekend? The bastard had the nerve to book this trip when I was supposed to spend the weekend with Y/N! He would do something like this! He had her to himself last week!” 

He kicked the suitcase out of frustration, startling his friend. Just when things seemed like they were looking up, Jun just had to do something to sabotage what they had. 

“Well, Y/N will be there. She won’t let him get carried away.”

Chan sighed and sat down, grabbing a slice of pizza. “I don’t know, maybe I should’ve thought this over more. It feels like I’m third wheeling with my own girlfriend.”

Chan loved the idea of going on a trip with you. Since he was always busy with work and school, he rarely had enough time for the two of you to have a weekend getaway. But, for once, he was free all weekend and the cafe was closed for the holiday. And even better, his boss still paid him for the days he had off. He’d dubbed it a “New Year’s gift.” For once, things had been aligned so perfectly that it was hard to believe. And he planned on spending it with you since it was, in fact, his weekend to spend with you. 

But now the plans had been rearranged. You called him asking if he wanted to go and he didn’t want to disappoint you, so he agreed to the plan before thinking it through. Would it be a good time? He was struggling to trust Jun in the first place; he wouldn’t be able to keep his cool if he hurt you again. On the other hand, it was something that would have to happen sooner or later. In this polyamorous relationship, the three of you would eventually have to come together sometime. It couldn’t always be separate relationships that were somehow still one.

“Is she usually fair though? Does it seem like she favors him over you?”

“I’m not sure,” he said, mouth full. He swallowed and added, “I just gotta make it until Sunday. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?”

Chan sure as hell hoped so.

*

The three of you arrived at the airport a little sooner than expected. You checked in your bags and went through security with no issues. You arrived at the designated gate with an hour to spare. Chan sat down, leaning against his neck pillow. He looked tired; he’d mentioned how he stayed up a bit late trying to finish one of his assignments so that he wouldn’t have to stress about it on Sunday before classes started back up again on Monday.

You went to the bathroom briefly and, when you came back, Chan was fast asleep. You smiled at the sight of him and the fact that his mouth was slightly ajar.

Jun chuckled and said, “He passed out right away. Do you wanna get something to eat since we have time?”

You nodded and went to shake Chan. “Babe, do you want to eat?” Chan opened his eyes ever so slightly before groaning and turning his head away from you.

Jun said, “Just leave him. He’s pretty tired, isn’t he? We can just get a sandwich for him or something.” You nodded, figuring that you should probably let him catch up on his sleep. It was early and you’d get to Jeju a little after one o’clock. If the three of you were going to do anything fun, he’d need to save his energy. 

As you walked to the toast stall you passed earlier, you said, “So what did you have planned for us?”

“Well, I was thinking today since we’re getting there a little later, we could take it easy and explore the city a little. There was a teahouse I wanted to visit. Then we can relax a little and get dinner together. How does that sound?”

“It sounds good...and thank you for planning all of this.”

“Anything for you,” he said.

You arrived at the toast stall and ordered toast for the three of you. Jun was surprised that you knew exactly what he would want and Chan, too. He loved that about you—you paid close attention to details. Even when he thought you weren’t listening or paying attention, you were. He loved you so much and he wished that this trip could be for just the two of you, but he also remembered that he signed up for this. He was the one that agreed to this and, while he had the right to change his mind, he didn’t want to lose you. He figured that this was better than nothing and he wanted to keep you in his life in whatever way he could. 

When you got back to the gate, Chan was awake and playing a game on his phone. He smiled upon seeing you walking toward him. 

“We got breakfast,” you said, handing him his bag. “Toast with extra egg.”

He smiled. “You’re amazing, you know that...”

“I would’ve ordered you extra egg, too,” mumbled Jun as he sat down in his seat next to you. 

The three of you just laughed. You were grateful. Maybe things were looking up for the relationship. There wasn’t as much tension between Jun and Chan today. You didn’t know if it was because they’d both matured a lot within the last couple weeks or if it was just because it was early in the morning. Either way, you were grateful and you hoped that the rest of the trip would go this smoothly.

Before you knew it, it was time to board. As the three of you inched along in the aisle, Jun turned to you and said, “Okay. Row twenty-one is right there.”

You said, “Why don’t you and Chan sit together? You could get to know each other a little better. I don’t mind sitting by myself. I can just sit where Chan was going to sit.”

Jun started, “B-”

Chan smiled. “Yeah, we should get to know each other better.”

Jun wasn’t thrilled to be sitting next to Chan on the flight but thankfully it was only for about an hour. But over the course of the hour, things weren’t bad. There would probably always be at least a little tension between the two of them, since the relationship started out in a strange way. But things were actually okay.

Chan carried the conversation, at first. He asked Jun about the kinds of music he liked and then they talked about their families and some childhood memories and Chan told him about his life growing up in Jeju on a tangerine farm. Jun was almost surprised at how down to earth he was. He wasn’t snobby or any of the things that he’d assumed about him. He almost felt bad for thinking those things about him. The reality was that Chan was a good guy and he could see why you liked him in the first place. 

Chan said, “I told my mom that I was coming for the weekend. I was thinking that maybe tomorrow, if we have time, we could have dinner with my family.”

Jun nodded. “By chance, do they know...about us?”

Chan paused. To be honest, he’d only told his friends about the true relationship they were in. Of course, he’d told his parents that you were back together with him but he hadn’t told them that you were also dating Jun. How could he tell his parents something like that? They definitely wouldn’t approve and he had no idea how complicated it would be for them to understand something that was so complicated in itself. 

“Not exactly,” he answered.

Jun knew what that meant before Chan needed to explain further. Jun knew that he wouldn’t be able to go to have dinner with Chan’s family as your boyfriend. In this situation, Chan would be your boyfriend and Jun would be stuck playing the role of a friend, whether it was your friend or Chan’s. Either way, it was like playing pretend.

Jun had no right to feel upset by it because he was in the same predicament with his own family. They knew that you’d hit a rough patch and got back together, but they had no idea that you’d picked up an additional partner on the way back to each other. He hadn’t even told his older sister despite the fact that they were pretty close. 

Was this something to be ashamed of? Would this be something that could ever be accepted? Even though no one was exactly lying, there was a lot of information being withheld. Jun had no idea how the three of you could keep this up. For how much longer, realistically, could you keep it up?

*

You pushed open the hotel room door, exhausted from the walk you’d gone on. You got to see the surrounding areas near your hotel and went to the teahouse that Jun wanted to go to, trying and even buying some of the teas. And Chan showed you some of the places he liked to go as a kid. And you had some street foods and tried fresh grilled mackerel, which Jun enjoyed so much he got seconds. It had been a while since Chan had been able to come to Jeju and he had never gone with you before; you had broken up with him before he had the chance to bring you to his hometown. You watched him as his eyes lit up, picking up memories from his childhood.

So far, you liked Jeju a lot and the scenery was so beautiful and you got a lot of pictures. From what you could tell, Jun had a good time too. And he took a bunch of pictures with his new camera. And your boyfriends were also cordial in taking separate pictures with you, too. And then you asked a kind stranger to take pictures of the three of you, together. 

“I’m exhausted,” Jun said, plopping down on the couch.

“That was fun,” you said, putting down your purse. “Thanks for showing us around, Chan.”

“Of course,” he said. 

“I made a reservation at the steakhouse for seven. We have about two and a half hours until then,” he said.

You nodded. “Yeah, we can just hang out around here for a while.” 

Chan said, “I could use a warm cup of tea,” poking around the kitchenette. There were two packets of instant coffee and two tea bags, clearly not enough for the three of you. “Actually, I’ll go to the cafe downstairs. Y/N? Jun? Do you want something?”

Jun said, “Can you get me a matcha latte?”

You said, “Me too.”

Chan nodded and grabbed a key card. “Be back in a couple minutes.”

As Jun heard the door shut, he was relieved. Finally, he’d have a moment alone with you. You smiled before he had a chance to say anything and you sat next to him on the couch before he had a chance to call you over. He sat up, pulling you into his arms. You snuggled into his shoulder. You said, “Thank you for planning this trip. I can’t wait to get cute for dinner.”

“You always look cute, my love. Which dress did you bring?”

“I got this long sleeved black one,” you said. “I’d gotten it awhile ago but didn’t have a chance to wear it.”

“I’m sure you’ll look great,” he said, planting a kiss on your lips.

You stood up. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom…”

A few minutes later, Chan returned with the drinks. Jun was fast asleep on the couch, his legs sprawled out and his mouth slightly open. He heard water running in the bathroom and assumed that you were in there. He set Jun’s drink on the coffee table next to the couch, assuming he’d probably wake up in a few minutes. 

When you came out, Chan was sitting on the bed sipping on his tea. You sat next to him and he handed you your drink. “Thanks, baby.”

“No problem. Jun must be really tired, huh?”

You rested your head on Chan’s shoulder with a yawn. “Yeah. The first day of vacation always seems to be the hardest.” You glanced up at him. “Are you okay?”

He looked down at you, meeting your eyes. “Of course. I’m here with you.”

*

Jun’s eyes fluttered open about a half hour later. The room was darker than he remembered and as he glanced over to the window. The setting sun peeked through, shining on you and Chan asleep in the bed together. His heart dropped at the sight and jealousy pumped through his veins. 

He looked at the matcha latte, grabbing it and taking a sip. He was so annoyed he didn’t know what to do. What he really wanted to do was go over there, drag Chan out of the bed and possibly punch him in his stupid face. But this was his own fault. He had opened the door that allowed him to come on this trip with you anyway. He should’ve put his foot down when he had the chance. He’d just wanted the trip to be for the two of you and he didn’t have a problem with Chan doing the same in the future.

Was this selfish of him? Was this something he’d have to deal with for the duration of this relationship? Would the pangs of jealousy and frustration go away?

Matcha latte in hand, he decided to take a walk so that he could calm down a little. He knew that his anger and frustration would only boil over and spill into the relationship. The last thing he wanted was to upset you and especially not on a trip that was supposed to be relaxing for everyone. Although Jun felt anything but relaxed so far.

He went outside and started walking around aimlessly, no clear destination in sight. He just needed some air. He needed some time to himself, just to take a few deep breaths. 

Eventually, he started feeling more and more anxious as he walked back toward the hotel a few minutes later. His mind raced with irrational thoughts of the two of you in bed together. What if you were having sex right now, making a mess on the bed that the three of you were supposed to share tonight. 

He took out his phone, hoping that Taesik was free to talk for a few minutes. The phone rang four times before he answered. “Hello?”

“Hey, how’s day one of vacation?”

“He’s all over her! How am I third wheeling on a trip that I planned?”

“Who are you more upset at, Jun?”

Jun sucked his teeth. He didn’t need his friend on the other end of the phone call being reasonable. He let out a sigh. “I don’t know...I just know that they fell asleep in the bed and her head is on his shoulder and he’s holding her hand.”

“I dunno what to say,” said Taesik. “Maybe this was a bad idea…”

Deep down, Jun knew that the three of you had issues that you hadn’t resolved. Jun knew there were issues but he couldn’t pinpoint the exact problems. He wasn’t a professional and neither were you or Chan. The three of you were just struggling through the whole thing. Should you invest in couples’ counseling? Was this normal? Jun hated this concept; he had no idea what was right and what was wrong. Was it normal to feel jealousy in a polyamorous relationship? 

“Yeah,” he said, “maybe we’re not ready for this…” He heard the phone beep on the other end. Pulling his phone away from his ear, he saw that you were calling him. “She’s calling me…”

“Answer her,” said Taesik. “Call me if you need to vent. I hope everything goes okay tonight.”

“Thanks,” he replied. “Talk to you later.”

He clicked over to the other line, answering your call. “Baby, where’d you go?”

“I just got bored and came outside to watch the sunset,” he lied.

“Come back,” you said. “We should start getting ready. Chan is still asleep, so I’ll shower first.”

Jun said, “Okay, I’ll see you in a minute,” and the call was over. He headed upstairs to the hotel room, bracing himself and taking deep breaths to calm himself down. There was no reason for him to be angry. He had agreed to this arrangement, after all. He was in a relationship with you but so was Chan. And they needed to find a way to deal with it all.

When he got back, he heard the sink water running. Glancing over at the bed, he saw Chan was still asleep. He knocked on the door and you opened it, still dressed. You hadn’t gotten in the shower yet; he caught you just as you were washing your face. Finally, even if it was in the bathroom, he could have a moment alone with you. He stood behind you as you pat your face dry with the towel. 

“How was your walk?”

Jun nodded, wrapping his hands around your waist. “It was good. I’m better now that I’m back here with you,” he said, kissing your neck. “Mind if I join you in the shower?”

You raised your eyebrows at the suggestion and it also made you excited. “Yeah, why not?”

Jun watched as you peeled your clothes off slowly, teasing him. He’d be lying if he said his dick wasn’t throbbing in his pants at the sight of you. Taking off his own clothes, he never took his eyes off of you. And when you were completely bare before him, he pulled you closer to him and kissed you, hard. Your tongue found his, your naked bodies pressed together against the glass of the shower door. 

“I love you,” Jun mumbled against your lips. 

“I love you, too,” you answered, planting one last kiss on his lips. You followed Jun into the shower and you didn’t hesitate to start washing him up first. You took care to be gentle with him, turning him on. His lips parted as you massaged his balls and he let out a groan as your hand went up and down his shaft. Now, he was completely hard and his dick was throbbing with desire to bend you over and pound your pussy until you were screaming for more. 

He cursed under his breath as he got under the water and you helped him rinse the soap off of his body. He kissed you again and, as he did, he reached down to your clit. It caught you by surprise, making you gasp. He rubbed it harder and your lips parted with a moan. 

“Quiet, baby,” he whispered. “You don’t want to wake Chan up, do you?” He spun you around so that you were facing away from him, reaching down to rub your clit from the front. With his left hand he covered your mouth and with his right, he rubbed your clit. Jun enjoyed fucking around in the shower, even on a regular day. He loved seeing your wet body and how your pussy would end up like a river, your wetness flowing out and onto his fingers. 

He kept going and you squeezed your legs together as if you were trying to escape. Jun chuckled. “Don’t you want to come, baby?” With that, you parted your legs again, letting the pleasure take over. He felt the vibrations of your moans on his palm, but he held it there anyway. It turned him on to feel you struggling. He took your clit between his thumb and pointer finger, giving it a few light squeezes that drove you crazy. After, he dragged his fingers down your slit. Already, you were so wet. And he knew that it didn’t take you long to come like this.

He could feel you struggling, against his fingers. Your body was starting to twitch and he knew you were dangerously close to your orgasm. 

“Come for me, Y/N,” Jun whispered in your ear. 

Hearing his voice in your ear is what did it for you. You couldn’t take it anymore. You let go, trembling, shivering, and coming all over his fingers. And once you came down from your high, he kissed you once more.

*

“Are you almost ready to go?” Chan asked. His stomach was growling and you’d been prancing around the hotel room in your bra and underwear, scrambling to finish getting ready for the past ten minutes. 

“I’m sorry,” you said, stepping into your dress. “My makeup didn’t come out like I expected...Can you zip me?” Chan nodded as you walked over toward him. He zipped you up quickly, hoping that this was the last thing you had to do before the three of you headed to dinner. Thankfully Jun had pushed the reservation to 7:45 rather than 7:30 because of the chance you might be late.

“Okay, I’m ready,” you said, placing your hands on Jun’s shoulders as he sat on the couch. 

“Okay,” Jun said. “Let’s call a cab.”

Within fifteen minutes you arrived at the restaurant. Luckily, it wasn’t too far away from the hotel. Jun had chosen a nice restaurant because he wanted to treat you to a special dinner. Of course, he had to change the reservation to three people instead. And he’d be sharing dinner with not only you but with Chan too.

You entered the restaurant and your party was seated right away, in a booth. Thankfully it was one of those curved ones so that you didn’t have to choose who to sit next to or for the three of you to squeeze on one side. You sat in the middle, with a boyfriend at either side of you.

“This place is pretty nice,” said Jun, taking off his coat. “I know you don’t like restaurants that are too fancy, so this is a good in between.”

“Yeah,” you said. “This is perfect. I’m paying, by the way.”

“No,” Chan said. “You shouldn’t be the one to pay. I should pay, since there was this last minute change.”

Jun rolled his eyes when no one was looking. Jun had planned on paying and here Chan was being a goody-two shoes. He found himself becoming annoyed, even though he had been trying so hard not to act like this. While you were getting dressed earlier, he tried to push down feelings of jealousy as you walked back and forth from your suitcase to the bathroom half dressed. He tried not to feel jealous because obviously both he and Chan had seen you naked and both he and Chan had sex with you; everything was just separate. 

Jun tried to push down those feelings of jealousy as he looked at the menu for the next few minutes. The waiter came and took everyone’s order. He said, “Wine, anyone?”

“Sure,” Jun answered. “What wines go well with steak?”

Jun was definitely going to need some alcohol in his system if he was going to get through the night without losing his cool. He didn’t mind Chan, in general, but he’d like him much better if he was back in Seoul instead of here with them. 

For the most part, dinner went smoothly. The three of you had some pretty good conversation. Things between Jun and Chan weren’t explosive; neither men took petty jabs at each other and the three of you were able to laugh together. If anything, they were the ones poking fun at you, revealing a few of your embarrassing moments.

Jun chuckled. “Oh my god, did Y/N ever tell you about the first time she got blackout drunk?”

“No,” Chan said, “what happened?”

Jun cleared his throat. “She was at the karaoke bar getting drinks with Na-Ri and their other friends and she asked me to come get her. So, I get there and order more drinks. Next thing I know, we’re leaving and she fell into some garbage bags outside the bar. And when I got her back up again, she fell back down into them.”

As the guys started laughing again, you said, “Stop! That was so embarrassing. Everyone stopped to look and you know what the worst part of it was? There were police officers on duty and they walked by and they laughed! They fucking laughed at me! Can you believe that?”

And both Jun and Chan erupted into laughter. Jun picked up his wine glass, finishing what was left. He’d been the one to finish most of the wine, leaving little for you and Chan. He said, “Oh, did I finish most of it? Should I order another?”

You put your finger on your chin. “Actually...we should go out after this.”

Chan looked up, chewing on a piece of steak. “Where to?” 

“I saw some bars a few doors down. Why don’t we check it out?”

In an ideal world, Chan wouldn’t be here. In an ideal world, it’d just be you and Jun. And in an ideal world Jun would go out with you to the bars knowing that he’d be taking you back to the hotel so that you could make love all night and fall asleep in each others’ arms. But that couldn’t happen tonight and it was frustrating. It’s not that his main goal was to have sex with you but having the option taken from him sucked. He just wanted some privacy and alone time with his girlfriend. But with Chan here, it was impossible and he’d just have to make the best of it. His goal was just for you to be happy and to enjoy yourself.

*

This lounge had a chill vibe. It was a little more upscale than the others in the area but, surprisingly, it wasn’t too crowded considering it was a Friday night. The three of you sat in a booth, complete with velvet couches and a menu perfectly aligned in the center of the table. You picked up the menu, wondering what their drinks were like.

“What are you thinking of getting babe?” asked Chan, looking at the menu with you.

Jun rolled his eyes. “I’m gonna go to the bathroom.”

You nodded. “Want me to order you something?”

As Jun slid out of the booth, he said, “Yeah. You know what I like.” And with a wink, he was gone. Within five minutes, the drinks were ordered and Jun had come back to the table looking a little stressed out. You noticed because you knew him. There was something bothering him and you were just noticing. You felt a little guilty for not noticing sooner that is, if he’d been feeling stressed out earlier.

As the waiter placed your drinks on the table, you turned to Jun. “You okay?”

He gave you a nod as you slid him his drink. “Of course.” 

A few sips into their drinks, you turned to Chan. “So did you talk to your mom?”

Chan nodded. “Yeah. I told her that I’m here and that I’m staying until Monday since I don’t have class.”

“I want to see her,” you said. “It’s been awhile.”

Chan cleared his throat. “I know. I thought about it and I’m not sure it’s a good idea if the three of us are together…It’s kind of complicated since they don’t know about Jun...”

You pouted, the realization setting in. “Oh…okay. I guess you’re right...”

Chan knew you were disappointed because you hadn’t seen his parents in awhile. He knew they’d be happy to see you and vice versa. Chan looked over at Jun, who seemed more concerned with his drink than the conversation the three of you were supposed to be having right now. Chan was annoyed. He was trying to be considerate of Jun’s feelings, since he was the one who brought up that their families don’t know the nature of the relationship they were in. He was the one who brought it up in the first place and he wasn’t even paying attention. And even worse, Chan was the only one who seemed to notice. Of course, he had no problem with bringing his girlfriend to meet his parents. But he didn’t want to make Jun uncomfortable.

“Jun,” called Chan.

Jun looked up from his drink. “Hm?”

“Y/N seems to really wanna meet my parents. Do you think we could maybe meet them at a restaurant? That way we won’t have to stay for too long…”

Jun wasn’t happy about it. If he was being honest, he wanted to suggest that he take her to dinner and for him to stay at the hotel. He didn’t want to meet Chan’s family as a friend. This wasn’t how things were supposed to be and it wasn’t fair that he had to suffer on his own vacation.

“Yeah,” he said softly. “I guess that wouldn’t hurt.” He grit his teeth and tried to convince himself that this was normal. He knew that, at the end of the day, it would be the same if the roles were reversed. If it was Jun’s family here, the scenario would be the same. Chan wouldn’t be able to come in as your boyfriend either. 

But you were smiling. You were happy and Jun supposed that that was more important.

“Okay,” said Chan. “I’ll call them in the morning.”

You turned, looking toward the dance floor. It was mostly empty; You saw one group dancing together. There was hip hop music playing and it was one of your favorite songs. Your body wanted to move. “Let’s dance.” As you scooted off of your seat, you looked at Jun expectantly.

“I’ll join in a minute. I’m just gonna finish this,” he said, pointing to the rest of his drink. In all honesty, Jun was frustrated. To be honest, he didn’t want to be here and he certainly wasn’t in the mood to dance. He watched you dance with Chan and you weren’t even dancing with him in a sexual or suggestive way. You weren’t grinding on him or anything like that but he still felt jealousy coursing through his veins. These feelings seemed unreasonable. Jun had been in this arrangement with you for a couple months now. He knew how things were supposed to be. So why was it that he still felt this ridiculous jealousy, still? Why was it that he couldn’t accept this relationship with you and with Chan? 

With a sigh, he finished your drink in one gulp. But he needed more, especially to deal with the feelings and doubts that crossed his mind. He walked over to the bar, taking a seat at the bar.

“What can I get for you?” asked the female bartender.

“Something strong,” he replied. “How about whiskey? On the rocks.”

She smiled and a moment or two later, returned with his drink. A few sips in, he felt a tap on his shoulder. Jun turned and was faced with the person that he wanted to see the least. The alcohol was starting to hit him now and he was beginning to care less and less. He rolled his eyes and he didn’t care if Chan saw him. And Chan did see but decided to be the bigger person and brush it off.

What pissed him off is that Chan approached him with raised, concerned eyebrows. Glancing back over to the dance floor and table, you were nowhere in sight. He assumed that you must’ve gone to the bathroom. 

“What’s up with you?” 

Jun shrugged his shoulders, indifferent to Chan’s concern. “What does it look like? I’m having a drink, like everyone else here.” He took another sip. From Chan’s point of view, it seemed more like a gulp than anything else. 

Chan looked back at the table and glanced at you. “Why don’t you come drink it at the table...with us? Y/N’s in the bathroom but she’ll be back in a second.”

Jun sighed, swirling the ice around in his glass. “I’m just having a good time over here. I’m enjoying the vibes and the scenery. I can’t even do that?” 

Chan looked at the now empty glass Jun had in his hand. He scoffed as Jun ordered another. “Never mind…”

“Do you have a problem with me?”

“No,” said Chan. “If you weren’t in the mood to dance, I get it. But I don’t understand why you left the table to come over here and down a whole drink in two minutes...”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had a good glass of whiskey. You should try it. Don’t be so uptight.”

With that, Jun placed his new glass in Chan’s hands. “Here, have some.” Jun cleared his throat. “Can I ask you something?”

Chan raised his eyebrows, curious at the direction the conversation was going.“What?”

“Don’t you get jealous?”

“Sometimes...but I try not to let it get the best of me.”

Jun pouted. “You’re her favorite.”

Chan couldn’t believe his ears. Was Jun serious? Was he actually saying these words in all seriousness? “Are you fucking kidding, Junhee? She literally left me for you. What we had was perfect and she left me and went running back to you! Did you forget about that or do you have a selective memory? You're the favorite here!”

Jun pouted. “It just seems like she always gravitates to you...”

“All night she’s been checking on you and wondering if you’re okay. In fact, I haven’t even been able to enjoy myself tonight because she’s been so concerned about you and your shitty mood!”

“She would do the same for you because that’s how she is…”

Chan ignored him. “Why are you so insecure? Can't you see that she's been concerned about you this whole time?”

“I wanted to take this trip and make it special just for the two of us and you just had to come and mess it all up!”

“Stop yelling.”

“I’m not yelling!”

“Well you’re clearly upset with me. Honestly, if you wanted your own time why did you let me come? Why lie to her and act like you're okay with me showing up if that's not true? Were you just trying to make her happy?” he asked. 

“Of course I was trying to make her happy. I’m always trying to make her happy…”

“And you thought you’d make her happy by lying to her and leading her on? Looks like you’re doing a great job.” Chan couldn’t help but to let out a deep sigh. “You know, I thought you agreed to this because you thought it would be good for the three of us. I thought you were finally coming to accept things and make this work. I thought we were finally getting somewhere. But now I see I was wrong...”

Chan would be lying if he said he wasn’t hurt. He thought that maybe he and Jun could be friends. He thought that after the plane ride and the conversation they’d had that they’d finally be able to get along, not only for your sake but because they genuinely wanted to. But it was becoming more and more clear that Chan was dreaming and he needed to wake up from this dream.

Wake up, Yuchan...

*

Tagged: @hxnsoliee

[justoneday-namjoonii]

Too Sweet. Part- 13 BTSvampire!au

Genre: Angst | Fluff | Mature themes / Descriptions of blood and…other things/ Supernatural

Biased: You X Yoongi X Jungkook X Vampire!au BTS

Type: Vampire!au

summary:  y/n is on a botany retreat to a dreamy island that leads to a surprising encounter and startling discovery!

A/n:Thank you for reading and enjoy!!❤

| INTRO I Pt. 1 I Pt. 2 I Pt. 3 I Pt. 4 I Pt. 5 I Pt. 6 I Pt. 7 I Pt. 8 | Pt. 9 | Pt. 10 | Pt. 11 | Pt. 12 |

In the corner of the library at 7 o’clock in the morning, you sit curled up on a study-chair with your reading glasses stuck to your face. Finals week. Every other paragraph you write down a few notes and your handwriting is beginning to look more and more like hieroglyphics. Despite the stress from a bunch of classes, your glad that your classmate just informed you of the donor requested break policy—a policy that no one had bothered to mention to you. 

Basically, you can request a period where you don’t feed and they respect it. You requested two weeks, and despite the cries from Tae and Jimin to make an exception, you declined—you need a break. After everything that’s been happening, Rain coming here, Jungkook acting out, and even Yoongi, it’s been really stressful and Jin actually thought a break was just what you needed to regroup.

“Y/n, I was wondering where you were,” Namjoon peeks around the corner, “still studying I see.”

“Yeah, I have a test at 9 so just thought I’d just get some extra studying in.”

“Hm,” He nods, “so how are you liking your break?”

You furrow your brow and look up at him briefly. “It’s nice.”

“That’s nice.” He nods, leaning against the bookshelf for no reason.

“Um, did you need something or?—”

“I was wondering, what is your field of study?”

“I’ve been in general studies up until now, why do you ask?” 

“Jin wanted me to ask you if you were interested in the botany program. An internship just opened and he thought you’d be great for it.” He finally gets to what he came here to say.

Your eyes brighten. “Really? Well, I’ve always thought about botany but I never knew much about it. Would I have to change any of my classes if I started the program?”

“No, we might switch one of your classes around with one of the required courses for the program but it won’t be difficult. Besides, your grades are good so I don’t think an extra class would put you in a rough spot. I’ve skimmed through your test scores and I’m proud, especially of your biology test. Honestly, you were struggling so much in our study sessions, I didn’t think you were gonna make it, but you did.” He grins like a proud teacher and you giggle because that's not the first time Namjoon has shared his concern regarding your lack of promise during lessons. “What? I’m proud.”

“Namjoon, you sound like my advisor or something,” You laugh, putting your book down to stretch your legs and pull your hoddie hood off your head.

“I kind of am in a way,” He takes his hand out of his pocket to comb it through his hair, “your academic life is important to me.”

“Quick question, why didn’t Jin just tell me about this himself? He normally would tell me something like that over tea or something, is he really busy this morning?”

“You know the whole Jungkook situation is stressing him out so he’s relying on me to relay the message, but he sends his love. He’ll be out for a majority of the day and if you accept the offer, you’ll be packing for the botanical sciences retreat so you’ll see him tonight.”

“A retreat?” You have the widest smile, “You mean like a vacation?”

“No, not a vacation- Although, the botanical gardens on the Island are exceptionally beautiful this time of year the spas there are amazing-”

“Islands!? I get to go to the Island and its for school? I’m definitely accepting now.” You glance up at the clock on the wall and sigh, “I’ll see you later, I gotta go sign in for testing.” You pack up your books and Namjoon watches you run off and out of the library.

Namjoon has been thinking a lot about your time here at the college and over the past year, he’s realized some things. Firstly, he’s recognized that there aren’t many donors that get the opportunity to spend as much time as you do with people like him. He’s got scholarly titles that he’s not even sure you know about and some of the top-paying families have paid him to mentor their children. But here you are, not rich by any means, in fact, you’re here on a well-deserved scholarship awarded by Jin. And he’s felt like he’s taken you under his wing and all he’s wants is for you is the best.

It’s almost a maternal feeling he has towards you and your education. That’s a lot coming from him, he’s not the type to just dish out his help like a tutoring center. Normally he wants compensation of some sort. He has an extraordinary mind and one lesson with him can cost a pretty penny if they’re willing.

Namjoon left the library and went back to Jungkook’s lovely little abode across the campus. But rather than Jungkook being inside looking for something to get into, he was out on the track, running to his heart's content.

Namjoon approaches the track and Jungkook’s personal trainer is standing at the finish line with his hands on his hips.

“He’s doing well. Working out has lightened him up a little bit,” The trainer says, watching Jungkook run up to them when he caught Namjoon’s eye.

“Hyung,” He slows down, panting lightly with his damp hair sticking to the side of his face, “hey,”

“Hey, Jungkook. You look refreshed,” Namjoon grins, “I came to let you know that we’re leaving tonight and your uncle will be stopping by tomorrow morning to check on you.” The trainer says Jungkook can go shower because they’re done for the day so they make they’re way to the house.

“Where are you going?” 

“Botany retreat, it’s a three-day trip. Jin is going and for the first day and since Y/n has entered the program, she’s going too.”

“Oh...” Jungkook looked down for a moment, a bit shy suddenly, “H- How is she by the way?”

“She’s good. Right now she’s taking a donor break so she’s living like a normal human girl.” Namjoon was slightly taken aback but he answered nonetheless. “Why do you ask?”

Jungkook runs the back of his neck and sighs. “Uh, I don’t know, I was wondering if she was still mad at me or something.” 

“You’d have to ask her. She’s been busy with her studies lately, so I’m sure the last thing she’s worried about is being mad at you.”

Jungkook had to laugh, knowing you two were always at odds made him like you even more.  “Beleive it or not, I do feel bad for what I did to her. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t take back what I said but I can see why I went about it in the wrong way.”

“That’s a start I guess.” Namjoon scoffed, not surprised by Jungkook’s partial apology. “Well, while we’re gone just call if you need anything.” He gives the younger a hug before saying his final goodbyes as he walked back to the main university building.

“Last time I checked, you aren’t in the botany program, Taehyung. So you won’t be joining us.”

Jin is sitting in the office part of his bedroom as a maid packs his suitcase with the appropriate attire for the island. Taehyung came in here not too long ago and he refuses to leave because he’s trying to get Jin to let him tag along.

“But I can transfer over, can’t I?”

“Taehyung, that’s so short notice, what program are you in now? Psychology, right?”

“The only reason I’m in that program is because of my abilities. My parents want me to know how to use my gift with a well-rounded understanding of how the mind works. It’s so boring sometimes.” Tae leans on the desk with a pout.

“Look, you have to finish your program. Your parents are right, your gift can really help people if you know how to use it. But,” Jin sighs, “I think we have room for one more guest.”

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!”

Taehyung bolts out of the room to pack his bag and Jin just shakes his head. If there’s one person who could talk him into something, it was Taehyung—that’s the only time he’s annoyed by his powers.

“Sir, your bag is packed, is there anything else you need?”

“No, thank you, Bella, you can go.” Jin dismisses her and his eyes go back to his computer. This trip has always been something he’s looked forward to. Even though he normally can’t stay for the entirety of the trip, the first two nights are always beautiful. The gardens are very well-maintained and every time he goes he learns about new medicinal herbs that he purchases to bring back to the schools. 

Namjoon slips through the door after mentally sending Jin a little warning.

“Do you come bearing gifts?” Jin grins to himself when he sees the plate in Namjoon’s hands.

“As a matter of fact, I do.” He sits a plate of assorted pastries in front of him. “The pastry chef just put these out, she let me have first pick.” He smiles, taking the chocolate croissant for himself with swiftness. 

“Thank you, I was getting a little hungry,” JIn takes on and sits it on a napkin so he can finish typing, “did you talk to her by the way?” Jin peeks up at Namjoon whos sitting idly in the chair in front of the desk.

“I did, she accepted and she’s pretty excited about it.”

“Oh, I’m glad,” He sighs in relief, “this program will be good for her.”

“Yeah, I think so too...But, just curious, what’s the sudden interest in her entering this program?”

“Honestly, I don’t think I’ve been doing my job very well. Ever since she’s started attending this school, I’ve realized forgotten that she’s not just here to give blood. I know that’s the exchange for her degree but that’s not all she is. I’ve let her unusual situation influence what I allow and don’t allow. I mean, she’s close to me, I have a relationship with her that I don’t and never have had with any other donor. I feel like during this trip, once I leave she’ll have time to just be a student, no blood-related pressure or anything like that.”

“I get that, but you do have to remember her situation as well, she’s not just any donor, she’s the only one with blood like that in this country, let alone this school. That comes with a different set of rules and you shouldn’t feel guilty because you’re trying to figure that out.”

“Yeah, that’s true. But I do need her to spend some time outside of the university for a little bit, just so she can take time to focus on other things other than everyone wanting her for blood.” 

It was finally over, your last test of the day and midterms were no longer holding you mentally captive. You’re strolling through the campus to meet up with Jimin at the campus bakery before you leave this evening. He said he had a few art pieces he wanted to show you and you thought you’d make it a date.

When you open the bakery door, he’s sitting at one of the windows and his eyes land on yours. “Y/n,” His smile brightens as he stands up to pull out your seat, “how are you, love?” 

“I’m good, done with finals.” You give him a hug and he pecks your cheek. You take a seat and so does he.

“Well, to be honest,” He opens up his folder, “your donor break is killing me a little bit. But I’m glad to see you, spend a little time with you before you go.” 

“Yeah, I’ll be back before you know it. So, what are the pieces you wanted to show me?”

“This one,” He pulls out a sheet of paper and puts it in front of you, “it’s inspired by the pond near my family's retreat.”

“It’s beautiful, Jimin.” The pond on the painting is filled with lilies, the reflection of the trees nearby. The colors remind you of Monet, the impressionism is something you wish you could do as effortlessly as him. “What are these for?”

“The universities are having a joint exhibition and they want artists from royal families to participate in the collection. They chose me from my family, I was surprised they didn’t choose my mother. She’s got more talent than my whole family combined.”

“Is this something you want to do professionally?”

“I thought about teaching classes on the side, but I don’t know.”

You smile. “That’s a great idea! I know a lot of people who’d love a lesson with you-” 

“But I don’t think I can...My parents, they want something else for me. They’re fine with me continuing art but they can be really particular when it comes to my interests. They’d want to practice the art a prestigious art academy and feature in global exhibitions, that’s all a little too much for me right now.’

Your excitement dies down as his statement reminded you that he isn’t entirely free, he’s under his family’s jurisdiction in more areas of his life then you realize.

“It wouldn’t hurt to just try, you might end up loving teaching,” You have such a hopeful expression, “and your parents might just be okay with that,”

“Maybe,” He smiles, “Hey, I wanted to say that I’m so sorry for setting you up with Jungkook, I never formally apologized to you.”

“Jimin, it’s still hard for me to grasp anything that happens in this place,” You scoff, “You put me in a position where I was vulnerable, he could have done anything to me.” His eyes lower and you know he’s just beating himself up right now. 

“But he didn’t do anything to me, so we got lucky. I know it was your feeding cycle and you probably didn’t take your medicine, right?” He shakes his head. “You need to get back on that medicine, it keeps you and others safe. But Jimin, it’s okay, I know you didn’t mean it.” You place your hand on his and give him a genuine smile

“Y/n,” Namjoon walked into the cafe, “we’re leaving in 20 minutes, you should make sure you’re all packed before we put the luggage on the bus.”

“Oh, ok,” You stand up and walk around the little table to Jimin, “bye Jimin, I’ll see you when I get back.” He stands up and you hug him for a few seconds. 

He pecked your cheek and bid you farewell, already eager for your return as you follow Namjoon out of his sight. You rush to the common area where the students were advised to take their luggage. You look around for your suitcase and carry-on, you find it right where you had put it and let out a sigh of relief.

“I have everything.” You state confidently.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, of course.” You nod, “well, I might have left-”

“Your toothbrush, you can run and get it, be quick.”

Of course, he knew. You run to your bedroom and to your bathroom where you skim over everything just in case you might have forgotten anything else. Quickly, you grab an extra perfume, your toothbrush and walk down the hall—that’s when you realize you haven’t said goodbye to Yoongi. Even though he’s been a little standoffish lately, you thought it would be nice to at least say goodbye to him.

It takes you a little while, but you walked all the way from your dorm to their living space upstairs. At times like this, you wish you could initiate the whole mental bond where you can talk to one another. But now that you think about it, the bond might have weakened because of the lack of contact you two have had. That makes sense. You look around, the living room and his room and he’s nowhere to be found.

“Yoongi?” You call for him, assuming he might be napping or something.

“Y/n, come on! We’re leaving. What are you doing up here?”

“I was trying to say bye to Yoongi-” Namjoon places his hand on your back to lead you to the stairs.

“You’ll see him when we get back, we gotta go.” 

All you wanted to do was say goodbye and you can’t help but you feel like he’s trying to hide from you. 

When you finally get downstairs, the botany professor tells everyone to get on the bus. You stay close to Namjoon and follow him onto the bus, he’s kind of like a comforting presence in a bus of students you don’t know. Namjoon gestures for you to take a seat and you grudgingly oblige. Students are already chattering and giggling, excited about the trip. But you on the other hand, just want to go wherever Jin is because you feel socially awkward.

“Ok, do we have a headcount?” He looks at the professor in the front seat.

“Yes, we’re all here.”

“Great, I’ll be riding with Dr. Kim but we’ll meet you at the airport.” Namjoon turns to you with a tender grin. Y/n, you need to socialize with your peers.

Talk to someone, make some friends.

And that’s all he says to you before leaving you on the bus with no one you know except for Taehyung, and he’s chatting with his friends. You hug your sweater to your chest and sigh—this isn’t what you thought it’d be.

“Hi,” You hear a voice coming from above you and you peek up, “I’ve never seen you in a botany class before, what’s your name? I’m Xiaojun.”

“Hi, I’m Y/n.” You reach your hand out and he shakes it before moving to go sit with you. “Oh, you didn’t have to leave your friends-”

“No, it’s okay, I’ll spend all my time with them on the trip. You look a little,” he hesitates when you furrow your brow a bit, “shy?” He smiles, and his little fangs peek out. He’s a vampire.

“I’m not shy I just, I’m a little reserved when I don’t know a lot of people.” 

“Well, let’s get to know each other, then you’ll know someone. I’m actually from the island. I don’t know if you know but my island is famous for our medicinal herbs, plants, and organic and humane animal blood sourcing. We’re Pure Bloods and we do a lot of agricultural work. My family sent me to this school to get exposure to other places and people, broaden my horizons I guess.”

“Do you like it at Jin—” You catch yourself, you can’t just call him by his first name with everybody, “I’m sorry, Dr. Kim’s school?”

“I love it. There’s a reason my family sent me here and not to some other university, the education is top-notch, they know I’ll be healthy with whatever blood I’m given here. Plus, the university has prided itself on the human-vampire integration efforts.”

“Yeah, it is a great school. Not gonna lie, I do miss my family and friends back at home sometimes. But I have to remember that the education I’m getting now is for my future. When I go see my family, they’ll be so proud to see that I’m making something of myself.” 

“I feel the same way.” He slouches back in to chair. “Um, forgive me for asking but how come I can’t smell your blood at all?” 

“Oh, I was on a donor break so the nurse gave me scent-suppressants.” You push back a piece of hair, your face heating up when he leans in just slightly to confirm for himself.

“Wow, they must have given you a lot.” He pauses to laugh, “You have no scent whatsoever.”

“Yeah, they had to give me a little extra,” You glance out the window to remember your excuse, “I have somewhat of an immunity to them.”

3 times the regular dosage to be precise.

“Oh, that makes sense.” 

The rest of the ride, you realized how kind and easy-going a majority of the students were. Xiaojun introduced you to Melanie and Caterina, and eventually, you all began talking.

This isn’t so bad.

There you went, overthinking things and making yourself crazy over nothing. These people are sweet and you’re lucky that Jin let you switch to this program so last-minute. He treats you so well. Sometimes it feels like you’re undeserving of the special attention. Then you remember, you’re in all of this in exchange for your blood. Your blood is your free pass and it seems precarious—but a lot of things feel that way since you’ve been here. Other students seem to not notice but you’re pretty positive there are some students who suspect you. Nonetheless, you’re confident that you can hold your own and stand firm in the fact that you’re like any other student.

Soon enough, the bus pulls up at the airport and all of the students hurried out of the bus. You debated following Xiaojun, but when you saw Taehyung coming toward you, you figured you’d be sitting with him. 

“Everyone, follow me so we can get on the plane, it’s in gate G. The luggage is already taken care of so don’t worry about grabbing anything.” The professor signals to all of the students and you find yourself zoning out a little bit because you’re looking for Namjoon or Jin.

“Y/n,” Taehyung walks up to you and looks at you funny, you notice he dropped the pet name, “looking for Jin hyung and Namjoon hyung?” You nod. “They’re over there,” He points to the two of them and their small entourage, “but you can’t go with them, you have to stay here with the other students.”

Confusion flashes in your eyes, “But why-”

“Don’t worry, I’ll be here.” He smiles, placing a comforting hand on your shoulder. 

“I’m not worried, I just- I was just wondering where they were.” You shrug, thoroughly disappointed that you were being kicked to the curb by those two. You guess that’s a little entitled that you think you’re supposed to be with them 24/7, but it’s what you’re used to. Taehyung stays by your side as the class is led to board the plane after FSA and a few bathroom trips. When you walk onto the plane, you’re greeted with a pretty flight attendant. 

“Good evening, miss.” She bows and you return it with a kind smile.

You’re led to a comfortable chair with a table in between the chair directly in front of you. To your delight, Namjoon comes to sit directly in front of you with a thick book in his hands.

“So, how did it go?” He inquires.

“It was good, I met Xiaojun and his friends, Melanie and Caterina, they were nice.” You cross your arms and sigh. “I socialized, happy?”

“Very.” He smirks. 

“Where’s Jin?” You look around, noticing that he had disappeared.

“He’s in the personal suite, he’s got a lot of business calls to take care of.” Namjoon sticks in his earphones in his ears and continues to read his book. You lean against the window and gaze out of the window, soon enough, your eyes slip shut and you drift to sleep.

When you wake up, everyone is unbuckling their seatbelts and taking their carry-ons and such. You blink, rubbing your eyes and sleepily unbuckling your seatbelt. You follow every one of off the plane and you inhale deeply when you walk out into the fresh air. A few vans pull up and you’re directed to get in the one with Xiaojun and a few other people. Everyone buckles up and the driver pulls out. Some of the students were talking about how beautiful the resort was, and how it's covered in thriving wildlife and surrounded by beaches.

Even though it’s dark out, you can still appreciate the beauty of the island. Judging by the tiny airport, it's not a highly populated place. 

You're pretty quiet on the ride to the resort but your mind wanders. Yoongi. He comes to your mind. And you know you shouldn't feel this way, but you're a little upset at him. He tends to be a little distant when he wants to be. Sometimes it makes you feel a little weird. Due to the bond, it's hard for you not to feel like he should at least validate you in some way. 

“Y/n,” Xiaojun calls your name from the seat next to you, “tonight they’re serving dinner out on the beach where they always serve it on the first night for the retreat. Some of my friends and family members will be there, I’ll introduce you to some of them.”

“That sounds nice,” You grin, finding it endearing that he’s taken such a liking to you. Then again, some of these people tend to like you so much because of your blood. What Jin regards as a gift, you see as a burden sometimes. You’ve come to terms with the fact that you’re just seen as a fulfilling meal to some of them. But you know Jin and the others see as more than that—Yoongi definitely has to see you as something more than that.

Eventually, you all made it to the resort and there was a group of women who lead you to your individual rooms. As they called everyone's names to take them to there rooms, you were the only one left in the foyer, awkwardly holding your hands.

“Hi, honey, this unit is actually taken,” A woman with beautiful long brown hair and bright eyes comes up to you, “what’s your name?”

“Y/n.”

“Oh! You’re the one Dr. Kim wanted in the other unit, that’s where your belongings are,” She smiles, putting her hand on your back to lead you out of the door, “you must be special.”

“No, I wouldn’t say that,” You let out a nervous laugh. She walks across the tropical plant-adorned walkway connecting the beach-houses and leads you to the one not too far from the other. She guides you up the stairs and into the house, when she opens the door, you immediately notice that it looks a bit personalized. Like personal touches were put on it, probably by Jin.

“Okay, your room is upstairs, I’ll show you,” She walks up the stairs and points to the room with the sunset-colored flour on the door. When she opens it for you, you instantly fall in love. The room is so charming and tropical, there’s a balcony and you see your belongings in there. “What do you think?”

You walk further into the room. “It’s beautiful, I love it. Thank you,” You sit your purse on the chair near the balcony and take a moment to take in your view of the beach. It’s so tranquil. 

“I’m glad you find it to your liking. My name is Layla, if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask, okay? Also, dinner will be served outside in about fifteen minutes. Your muumuu is in the restroom, you can slip that on for dinner, it’s very comfortable.”

“Alright, thank you,” She grins before closing the door to leave you to wind down for a minute.

You walk into the large bathroom to see a multi-colored floral two-piece wrap hanging on the closet. You get undressed and put the dress on, it’s soft and sits right above your knees. You’re hoping you could buy more of these because you actually really like it. 

When you wash your face and freshen up a bit, you walk out of the room and you hear Namjoon.

“Layla, could you have brought here after the dinner? Preferably some of your freshly picked floral teas, surprise me.” He’s standing in the foyer on his phone and he changed as well. He’s wearing the same print but with white paints and a floral shirt, and a little necklace. When you walk downstairs, he immediately notices you and the biggest smile comes to his face.

“Aw, don’t you look precious.” He giggles, watching you walk down with the same slides that were provided for everyone in the house.

You can’t help but roll your eyes and laugh. “Thanks, you look nice too.”

“I love the clothes they give us here, they’re so comfortable.”

“Yeah, um, how come Jin has me in here with you guys? I thought I’d be with that other students.”

“I thought so too, I’m not sure why he changed it. Anyway, let’s head over to the eat, I’m sure they’re about to start bringing dishes out.” 

The two of you walk out together and Namjoon leads the way of course because he knows where it is. When you start walking into the sand you can see the light lit by fire and a huge mat of some sort where a long table is. You can see other students coming from their rooms and taking seats wherever. And you get excited as soon as you see Jin, sitting next to Taehyung and someone you’d never met.

“There’s no need to be nervous, it’s just dinner.” Namjoon teases, taking his rightful seat next to Taehyung and you sit next to him.

“I know that it’s the new people, not the meal,” You mumble.

“Y/n,” You hear a small call of your name and look to where it’s coming from, it’s Xiaojun, “this is my cousin, Kun.” The guy next to him waves.

“Hi,

“Hi, nice to meet you.” He smiles and you feel a warmness from him. “Xiaojun says you’re new to the program?”

“Yeah, I am.”

“Well, I hope you enjoy your first experience here. Our people have been supplying medicinal herbs, plants, basically anything you can grow right here on this island. Vampires all over the world buy from us and humans as well.”

“Really?”

“Yep, and we discover new plants and herbs on our sister islands every year or so.” 

He goes on and on but you actually get really drawn into what he has to say about the contributions the island makes. It draws the attention Jin and you don’t even notice. He’s talking to some other people and Namjoon so he’s not going to talk to you now, but he wants to know how you’re doing. By the time the conversation comes to an end, dinner is over. The food was delicious and you’re already ready for breakfast.

“It was nice talking to you Kun,” You stand and give him a small bow, “have a good night.” 

“You too, Y/n.”

You walk back to the house, slides in your hand so you can feel the sand under your feet. When you get up the stairs, you enter the house and go straight to the shower. Overall, this day has been pretty successful. You met people, learned some things, and even ventured out of your comfort zone. 

Before you head to the shower, you pull your toiletries and pajamas out of your suitcase. The shower is tiled with smoothe gray pabbles that feel heavenly under your feet and the showerhead is like a gentle rain. You get out of the shower after a good fifteen minutes and do your routine. The pajamas that Jin gave you are the ones you decided to bring and they’re your favorite. They’re super soft, long-sleeved, and surprisingly breathable.

After you jump into the king-size bed and relish in the comfy bed sheets, you decide to go talk to Jin. You leave your room and go search for him, and it doesn’t take you long to find him and Namjoon with tea in the living room upstairs.

You walk into the room and he beams when he sees you. “Y/n, I was just about to come to see you. Please, come sit,” He gestures to the couch next to Namjoon whos looking very relaxed.

“So, how are you liking everything? I’m sorry I haven’t been able to be with you, I’ve had a lot of business to take care of.”

“It’s okay, it’s been nice actually. I met a few people and I learned some things about the island.” You sit cross-legged, expression bright since you get to talk to him finally.

“I’m glad, I was telling Namjoon that I thought this program would be great for you.” He takes a sip of tea. “Also, I wanted to let you know that if I’ve ever made it seem like your blood is more important to me than your job as a student, I apologize. I don’t ever want you to feel like I’m neglecting your studies for your blood. I know sometimes I let your circumstances dictate a lot but I don’t ever mean to isolate you from your peers, you just have to understand that I’ve never had a student like you.”

“I mean, I’m a student at the university in exchange for my blood. But I will admit that sometimes it’s hard because some students notice when I’m getting special treatment and things like that...I don’t want anyone to think that I’m not meeting my academic requirements if that makes sense.”

“I assure you, ” Namjoon looks at you, a slight smile that shows his dimples, “I will make sure you meet your academic requirements, that’s not a problem, kitten.” Jin nods in agreement.

“I also want to mention Director Rain, what did you think? Do you feel okay with him being around?”

Rain.

His name gives you chills.

“He- He seems kind of intimidating, I felt a little nervous around him...Remember when bit me? He had me do things that I’d never had to do before, it was weird.” You admit. “Why do you ask?”

“Well, he wants to spend some more time with you, just to get to know you and learn about your blood. He’s genuine. He’s not one of those higher-ups that want to steal donors and treat them like nothing but a means of nutrients. He’s very knowledgeable and he’s going to be monitoring Jungkook for a while until his awakening is under control, so he’ll be around more often.”

You furrow your brows. “Jungkook’s awakening? What is that?”

“He’s awakening. In his bloodline, its called The Eyes of Eclipsia.”

This is all new to you. “Who’s Eclipsia?”

“She was their great-great-grandmother and she was very powerful. She was born with no vampire traits but her deep violet eyes that glow saffron red were the mark of her strength. Rain has it, Jungkook’s father has it, and now, so does Jungkook. I really don’t know how to help Jungkook through this so he’s going to assist me with him.”

“Do I have to spend time with him?...” You say that hesitantly.

“You don’t have to, of course, I’m not forcing you, but it would be nice if you just gave him a little of your time. Just think about it, okay? No pressure. I’m gonna head to bed, and I think you should do the same, we’ve had a long day.” 

“Wait,” You catch him before walking out, “I was wondering, why am I not with the other students?”

“The suppressants in your systems could where off and I don’t want any of the vampire students to get any ideas. I think it’s safest that you stay where we are, I hope you don’t mind.”

You shake your head, “No, I was just wondering.”

He gets up and walks over to you. He rubs your head lovingly, leaning down to look you in the eye. “I’m gonna balance out your energy, okay?” You nod. He touches your forehead for a few seconds and you can feel your body relax slowly. Namjoon suddenly places his hand on your shoulder and your eyes open to looking over at him.

“Her energy has been off all day,” Namjoon reveals, “I think it’s because she was nervous and all the suppressants we gave her don’t go without side effects.” 

“Well,” Jin pulls away, “that should help. Good night.” Jin leaves you two and you were about to get up to go to bed as well but Namjoon grabs your wrist lightly.

“Beleive it or not, I’m at the end my feeding cycle but I’m having bad cravings...Do you feel up to giving blood? If not I can get blood from someone else but your blood is much preferred.”

“No, that’s fine, just please don’t make a mess, I just showered.” You grant him his request and he stands up, hands eagerly grasping your shoulders.

”When have you ever known me to be messy?” He giggles, leaning down to your neck and biting down you with a sharp inhale. You stiffen. It’s been a week or so since you’ve last been fed on and it hurt. “It hurts...” 

I’m sorry, just give me a minute, it’ll feel better in a second, he speaks into your thoughts. He doesn’t move but you can feel him gulping down considerable amounts of blood. It starts to burn, your heart is drumming and you feel your head getting loopy. 

Slowly, his hands leave your shoulders and slide down to hold your hands. He simultaneously opens his mouth and latches on a little tighter, sealing your skin to his mouth completely. You squirm in discomfort, trying to get away from the sting on impulse. 

After a few seconds of him not letting you move, a fuzzy feeling starts to set in. He’s releasing his venom into your bloodstream and you sigh in relief. It doesn’t take long for your head to be in the clouds.

“That’s better...” You breathe, letting yourself go pliant. 

Your legs suddenly feel like jelly and your legs give way. It didn’t bother him though. He made sure to slide down with you, kneeling right in front of you. Finally having your blood in his system makes him feel a thousand times better. Recently, he’s been trying to get through the feeding cycles with as much self-control as possible. But sometimes, it’s hard for him to keep himself from craving the blood.

“Namjoon,” You know he has the ability to basically numb his pray out, but you were already sleepy and you’re about to pass out, “I know you-...I know you’re doing that thing to take away the pain, but I feel like I’m gonna pass out.”

He acknowledges you with a hum, but instead of stopping, he just drinks slower. Instead of complaining, you take the bratty liberty to push all of your weight back. He loses his bearings for a second, but he doesn’t let your tactic stop him. He just gets on top of you and continues, holding your hands to the ground and finishing the last few gulps of blood. 

“Ah,” He pulls away with a pop, “you’re so dramatic.” He sits back on his heels, smiling down at your flat expression. “Can you walk?”

“No, my legs are numb. You should know, you made them numb.” You sulk, trying to move your head up but even that felt numb. 

“I was trying to make it comfortable for you, its not my fault that you succumb to it so willingly.” 

“Whatever...” You sigh, eyes slipping shut.

He scoops you up in his arms and walks you to your bedroom. He pushes the door open with his foot and easily lays you in bed, covering you with a blanket. Namjoon pats your head with a fond smile and leaves.

Jungkook was drinking his second portion of blood and all of a sudden, he heard the most disturbing statement—goodnight, kitten. 

He nearly choked. 

“The hell?”  

Yoongi and Hoseok glance at him from their spots on the couch, brows furrowed when the young vampire sits up.

“Uhm, what’s the matter?” Hoseok looks up from his phone, judgment engraved in his features.

Jungkook looks puzzled. “Did you hear that?” 

“Hear what?”

“You mean you didn’t just hear that?” He looks at both of them. “Neither of you heard that?”

“Jungkook, heard what? What are you talking about?” 

“I heard, ‘goodnight, kitten,” like, very clearly.” 

Yoongi looks at him. “Goodnight, kitten? That’s what you heard?” Jungkook nods surprised that Yoongi even acknowledges him. “The only person who I’ve ever heard say something even close to that, is Namjoon. That’s what he calls Y/n. Why would you be hearing that?”

“Yeah, are you sure you aren’t imagining things?”

Jungkook scowls, disgusted that they would even consider that he would think that. “Why would I even want to imagine someone saying that to me??

“I don’t know, we all have intrusive thoughts that might sound weird to others.” Hoseok snickers, going back to his phone.

“I don’t know why I would be hearing that,” Jungkook mutters, giving up on trying to find an explanation. He goes back to watching his movie but Yoongi looks away from his book in thought.

There are times where he’d connect with your consciousness and it was rare, but sometimes, he could hear when others spoke to you. Is Jungkook connecting with you? But how could that be? You and Jungkook haven’t bonded and you’re hundreds of miles away. Assuming Namjoon is on the trip with you, then it would make perfect sense for Namjoon to be the voice he heard. 

_

Meanwhile, on the other side of the island.

“Director, I prepared your flower-petal-soak in the sauna,” Yona, one of his personal maids peeks into his quarters, she’s a short little girl with short brown hair, “do you need assistance?”

He’s adorned in a luxurious robe, it’s opened in the front and she tries not to look at his bare chest. His fingernails are long and pointy, he let them grow out recently. Traditionally, power-bearing Jeons are known for their luscious locks and long manicured nails. His long black hair drapes down his back, some strands fall on his face and it makes her swallow—he’s stunning.

“I can manage, thank you, Yona.” She bows, leaving the director to do what he needed to do. He left his room and went down the stone pathway to the natural sauna. 

He undresses and sits his robe on a marble stool near the water. The water is filled with freshly picked flowers and he steps into the steamy oasis. “Ugh...” He sighs, sinking down into the water and leaning back on the ledge, inhaling the floral fragrance.

“Master Rain, may I come in?”

“You may, Lilian.” He looks up at her.

“I have a few updates for you, do you want me to read it to you here? or in your bedroom?”

“Here is fine.” He gestures for her to have a seat. 

“Okay, I’ll read the updates of the board, then the extra things.”

Lilian reads off of the papers, reciting the same old updates as always, but she says something that catches his attention.

“Wait, what was that?”

“Dr. Kim is on the other side of the island on a botany trip. You also have an appointment with him late this week for your nephew.” 

“He’s here? Hm,” He sighs, tapping his nails thoughtfully, “can you squeeze a meeting in with him tomorrow, at any time.”

“Sure sir,” She writes some things down and nods, “may I ask why?”

“I need to talk to him about my nephew and a few other things.” She nods, satisfied with his answer.

And you would be other things.

taglist: @hodginss @forevermoremagcon

[ahtohallan-calling]

chapter 14 of it’s always ourselves we find is here!

1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / 10 / 11 / 12 / 13

[kristanna / m / modern au / coworkers & enemies to lovers ;) ]

Faced with the prospect of an entire afternoon devoid entirely of anything work-related, Anna made the only sensible decision there was: the moment they had everything packed up and the room was cleared, she laid a hand on Kristoff’s arm and said, “Race you to the room and the beach again?”

This time, it took quite a while longer to get into their swimsuits, especially when Anna insisted on unbuttoning all of her hard work from that morning and letting her hands linger just under the freed hem of Kristoff’s undershirt, her heart suddenly speeding up a lot more than she had expected.

“Not rushing things, right?” Kristoff asked, his voice strained as she raised her eyes to meet his.

“No,” she said, knowing she sounded like a petulant child. “But it’s hard when you’re just standing there looking like that and looking at me.”

“You’re telling me,” he muttered, setting his own hands on her hips and tugging gently forward until he could capture her lips in a searing kiss.

By the time they broke apart, they were both wild-eyed and wanting. “Definitely,” Anna said, panting slightly, “definitely not rushing. But like, just saying, I want to.”

“Jesus,” he replied, tracing the edge of her swollen bottom lip with his thumb, “you’re making me wish we got started on this a long time ago.”

Somehow, eventually they’d made it down to the beach again, though this time they’d remembered a blanket and sunscreen and, upon Anna’s insistence, the Ziploc bag Kristoff had packed his shampoo in. 

“Remind me again why I’ve got this?” he asked, raising an eyebrow as he set a shoe on top of the bag to hold it in place on the sand as Anna slid the same borrowed button-up she’d worn the day before from her shoulders.

“For shells. Duh.”

“For shells?”

“Uh-huh,” she said, throwing her arms around his neck and raising up on her toes to kiss his cheek. “Don’t think you’re escaping a long walk on the beach at sunset. We need shells to commemorate the moment.”

He blushed. “Anna, there’s people out here.”

She pulled back from him, hoping the hurt didn’t show on her face. “Do you...not want people to know?”

“No! I mean-- yes, but-- shit, I’m bad at this. I-- I just don’t want it to be a big deal, that’s all. And anyway, I think we’re supposed to tell HR if we’re in a relationship.”

She tilted her head to the side. “Are we in a relationship?”

He was blushing now. She wished he’d already taken off his shirt so she could watch the flush spread down to his chest. “I-- well-- I’d like to be, but I know we said no rushing, so if you want to wait that’s fine, it’s just--”

“Okay,” she said cheerily, cutting him off, “then you’re my boyfriend. Easy peasy.”

“I-- wait, really?”

She rolled her eyes. “We wasted enough time sitting around being pathetic already. I like you, you like me, I know what you’re like when you’re mad, you know what I’m like when I’m grouchy.”

“You’re never grouchy.”

“What? I’m always grouchy in the mornings.”

“You just smile a little less. That doesn’t count.”

“Who made you the master of all grumpiness?”

“You, actually. You literally called me that last week.”

Her lips curled up into a smile. “Fuck off.”

“Nope. You’re stuck with me now.”

“Ah, shit,” she said affectionately. 

---

“You know what I just realized?” Anna asked as they trudged slowly back up the beach, one hand in his and the other holding on to a now-full bag of shells she’d deemed worthy of being associated forever with this day.

“What?” he asked, looking away from the riotously fuschia sunset to meet her thoughtful gaze.

“I never reapplied sunscreen. I’m going to look like a lobster.”

“Ah, Jesus, me too.”

“Tragic. Guess I’ll just have to rub you down with aloe tonight.”

“Do you even have any?”

“Nope, but I have a boyfriend with a truck, and there’s a Walgreens up the street.”

“And here I thought you liked me for my charm and poise and...what did you say earlier? ‘Rugged handsomeness’?”

“God, I hate you,” she said with a happy sigh, leaning her head against his shoulder. 

He squeezed her hand. “You, too.”

Once they were back in the room, he let her shower first, content to sit on the edge of the bed and listen to her singing off-key, some Disney song from a movie he vaguely remembered taking his little sister to see years ago. 

When she emerged, wearing his sweatshirt again and still towel-drying her hair, he reached for her, but she danced away from him with a laugh. “Nope,” she said cheerfully, “not ‘til you don’t smell like seaweed anymore.”

“I only smell like that because I let you shower first.”

She pondered that for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh. “One kiss. That’s it.”

He rose slowly, his eyes never leaving hers, and walked towards her, not stopping even when she had to take a step back to avoid him crashing into her, continuing his pursuit until her back was against the wall and she had to crane her neck to keep looking at him. Only then did he lift his hands to settle over the swell of her hips and lower his mouth to hers, kissing her deeply until she sighed and stood on tiptoe, pressing herself flush against him and tangling her hands in his hair.

When he pulled away, she looked dizzy. “Jeeeee-sus, Kristoff.”

He shrugged, pretending he didn’t feel equally stunned. “You told me one kiss. Figured I’d make the most of it.”

When he strolled casually away towards the bathroom, he could have sworn he heard her mutter to herself, “No rushing.”

---

Kristoff let out a long sigh as she squirted a generous amount of aloe vera gel onto his sunburned back. “Fuck, I needed that.”

Anna giggled and shifted so she was sitting cross-legged behind him on the bed. “I think you got burnt worse than me. Probably because I was standing in your shadow all day. Kinda nice to have my own personal shade tree now.”

“Shut the fuck-- ahh, Jesus,” he groaned as she began to carefully spread the green goo over his back. 

“What was that you were saying?” she said sweetly. “That you’re so grateful to have me around to do this that you’ll never steal my Post-Its again?”

“I’ll buy you all the Post-Its you want, Anna.”

She smirked as she swept her hands slowly down to his lower back, feeling goosebumps prickle his skin underneath her careful touch. “I’m gonna hold you to that. Hang on, let me do your front now.”

She got up and moved to stand between his spread knees, humming some song she’d heard on the radio in the hopes that she’d come across as carefree and disinterested as she applied more of the aloe vera to his broad chest. That was one of the very few perks of being sunburned, she supposed: that he couldn’t tell how much she was blushing.

“There,” she said, her voice just a little bit too high, “you’re all done.”

Before she could say more, he set his hands on the back of her legs, bare except for her pajama shorts. She shivered as his thumbs began sweeping slowly up and down. “Do you want me to do you next?”

An involuntary gasp escaped her as she finally met his eyes; they were sparkling with mischief. “You’re awful, Kris,” she said sternly. 

“Sorry,” he said, in a voice that made it clear he wasn’t sorry at all. “But I really will do your back if you want.”

“It’s not my back that got burned, it’s my face and my…”

God, she had to be blushing hard enough now that he could see it through the burn. “My...upper half. On the front.”

“...oh.”

“Yeah. So, um...maybe I’ll just...do that bit myself. In the bathroom. Where you’re not looking at me like that and touching my legs and being all...being all...yeah. You know.”

He slid his hands higher up on the back of her legs, his fingers edging dangerously close to the hem of her shorts. “Do you not like it when I touch you here?”

“That’s not the problem, and you know it,” she said as sternly as she could, sliding her hands into his hair.

“Do I, though? You might have to spell it out for me.”

“I think I preferred fighting with you,” she grumbled, leaning down to kiss him, his mouth falling open with a sigh when her nails scratched lightly against his scalp.

Later that night, as they laid facing each other across the bed, Anna reflected on the unfairness of it all, how the reason Kristoff was lying shirtless beside her was the same reason she couldn’t reach out and touch him.

“What are you thinking about?” he asked, his voice low, handing her the golden opportunity for revenge after he’d teased her earlier that evening.

“Just wondering about something,” she said airily.

“About what?”

“About your dream the other night, the one about us. And if it was a good one.”

He was silent for a moment, then he shook his head and said, “Well, guess you’re driving us home tomorrow.”

“What? Why?”

“Because I’m not going to be able to sleep at all now.”

She reached across the sheets, holding her hand out to him, and through the darkness, she watched him smile and take it.

“Me either,” she admitted.

Neither of them spoke for a long moment, and then at last Kristoff said softly, “I know we’re teasing each other a lot, but I...I really don’t want you to think that just because I-- because that happened, that I-- well-- I’ll wait if you want. Or not wait if you don’t want, just--”

Anna squeezed his hand, and immediately he stopped talking. “Kris?”

“Uh-huh?”

“I really like you.”

“...I really like you, too.”

She shuffled a little closer to him, wishing she could curl up beside him and lay her head on his chest again. “And that’s the important thing, really, so don’t worry about the rest. It’ll happen when it happens, yeah? All of it, I mean, not just the sex...stuff.”

He let out a heavy sigh. “I just...I worry about things.”

She opened her mouth to tease him before thinking better of it; she had a feeling that this one might be his sore spot. Instead she considered her words carefully for a moment-- a new sensation for her, one that’d take some getting used to-- before saying, “I know. And that means you care, and that’s-- that’s a good thing. And I like that about you.”

He shifted closer to her and lifted her hand, settling it over his heart, the same way they’d slept together two nights before. Anna raised an eyebrow and asked, “Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Yeah. But I don’t really care.”

---

He found himself immensely grateful the next morning that he’d insisted Anna keep the sweatshirt he’d loaned her, not only because of how it made his chest warm to see the way it hung down over her denim shorts as he helped her into his truck but also because of the look one of her friends shot him across the parking lot.

He gave the woman a grin and a shrug in reply, more interaction than they’d had in-- well, probably ever. Her eyebrows flew up before she returned the grin, accompanied by a thumbs up.

Maybe it wasn’t so bad, he realized, if people knew; there was something sort of nice about it, that whatever this was between them-- a relationship, he was a fucking boyfriend now, who would’ve believed it-- wasn’t a weird secret to keep hidden but something to be proud of. 

“I think your friend over there has caught on to us,” he told Anna as he climbed up to sit beside her in the cab of the truck.

She glanced up from her phone and out the window. “Who, Liss? Yeah, I texted her and Jessica about us kissing, like, the second you went in the bathroom.”

“You did what?”

She looked over at him, worried. “Is that not okay? Sorry, I just-- I was just really excited about it, and they already knew I had a crush on you, so I...I just wanted to tell them.”

“I...you did? You wanted them to know?”

“Well...yeah,” she said, clearly confused. “I kissed a cute boy. I wanted to brag about it.”

“Oh,” he said as he began to pull out of the parking lot, dumbfounded by the thought that Anna would be proud of kissing him instead of the other way around.

“So it’s okay?” she asked nervously. “That I told them?”

He reached out and set his hand over hers where it rested on the bench between them. “Yeah. It just surprised me that you’d want to, I guess.”

“You’re crazy, you know that?” she asked affectionately. “Can we roll the windows down again?”

“Only if you promise not to blame me when it ruins your hair.”

“It’s in a bun today, so it won’t.”

“Oh. I guess I have a lot to learn about how these things work.”

“What, women’s hair?”

“Uh-huh,” he said, having to shout a little over the wind as they pulled onto the interstate, both windows rolled all the way down. “And being a boyfriend and all of that. Been a long time since I had to do any of this.”

Anna grinned at that. “Well, I’d say you’re doing pretty good so far.”

[manggojooz]

Take My Hands Now (Part 11)

pairing: Jungkook x reader

word count: 2,342 

genre: drama, angst, romance, fluff(!!!)

summary: You were born with a condition that allowed you to feel the pain someone else was going through when you touched them. Jungkook, on the other hand, looked like he could not be any less bothered with other people’s feelings and was a well known playboy of the school. One night, at a party, while he attempted to turn you into his toy for the night, he grabbed your hand and pain crashed through you, making you wonder whether behind the facade of this pleasure seeker, he could also be hiding something.

warnings: none

Song rec: Only One - by UNB

Previous Parts: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6| Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10

He reminded himself over and over again that he is not allowed to get used to this, he cannot possibly have anyone, he should not start getting attached. To accept you now is to have someone to lose again.

But here you were... holding him again and again, even after he pushes you away, again and again. Why did you believe that he was not the part he played? The character that he portrayed just so that he can lie to himself that even if everyone leaves him, they were right anyway?

“Even if it hurts, I’m not leaving”, was all you said.  

He recalls all the instances you offered up yourself to share his pain... Even in this moment, you held him steadfast in your arms as though you were not afraid of that awful feeling resonating from within him. He should at least let you in, no, he wants to let you in.  

He starts to cower a little inside your arms, and he raises his hands to return your embrace. You felt his hands on your back, jolts of pain spread across where he held onto you. Then he snuggles his face into the curve of your neck, you felt a tiny droplet of something. Now your heart hurt way more than your body ever could.  

“It’s ok”, you whispered, to assure him that you were ok, and that he was going to be ok too.  

He only pulls you in closer.  

---

The moon shone bright as you walked with Jungkook back to the university. He wanted to send you back to your dorms but you insisted that he was the one who needed to be dropped off instead, so you both ended up heading to his practice room lair. On the way, he filled you in on what had happened.  

“Do you hate them? Is that why you ran away?”, you asked.  

He didn’t answer. Did he hate them?  

---

“You’ve been sleeping here these few days?”, you were appalled as you walked into the messy room.  

“Yeah, I've been spending the past few nights here, although there is hardly any sleeping involved...”, he moves to sit down on the couch, resting both elbows on his thighs, his hands soothing over his eyebrows.  

You see a pillow strewn on the floor and you picked it and dropped it nearer to the head of the couch before plopping yourself onto it.  

“Are you tired? You can sit here”, he flicked his head, gesturing the empty space next to him on the sofa.  

Shaking your head, you replied as you sat cross-legged on the floor, “I’m not leaving tonight till I see you fall asleep.”  

“But I can’t...”, he quipped.  

“Then I’m not leaving this pillow”, you shrugged, “... let’s see... oh right I have a morning class tomorrow and then I gotta go to work after that. Guess I'll just be really tired out since you wouldn’t sleep.”  

He doesn’t say anything, only just stares at you, knowing how relentlessly stubborn you can be. Almost begrudgingly, he lies down on the couch, resting his head on the side facing you.  

His eyes lock with yours, just long enough for him to read all your features like a bedtime story. Then he closes his eyes in contentment, trying to lull himself to sleep so that you can get some rest too.  

You mentally commended yourself for having formulated the tactic of dealing with this boy. He doesn’t care about himself, but he cares about you. You smiled to yourself.

---

Jungkook’s eyes flutter open, it was too bright at first and he resorted to squinting. When his vision finally came into focus, he thought he must still be in his dreams. Your face rested so close to him, leaning against the armrest of the sofa, having fallen asleep from watching over him last night.  

A minute must have passed but he felt like time stopped as he continued to observe you. The room seemed to be filled with all of the world’s softest things – the morning sunlight, your sleeping face and the trembling feeling in his chest.  

But the sharp ticking of the clock in the room reminded him. “Y/N”, he calls out quietly.  

You slowly wake up. “Heol, it’s morning already...?”, you slurred.  

“Aren’t you going to be late for class?”, he whispers.  

You glance at the time on the clock. “Shit!”, you scrambled up, grabbing your bag and running off to class. He tosses himself over to face the ceiling. He inhales, and his heart swells. He exhales, and his lips curl up a little. This is new. 

---

“Bye Mr Hwang, see you tomorrow”, you waved to your store manager as you left work.  

You fumbled inside your bag for your phone while walking out of the bookstore and narrowly miss bumping into the human that jumped into your path.  

“Were you late for class this morning?”, you looked up and to meet Jungkook’s eyes.  

Was he waiting for you to get off work? No no, you reminded yourself not to be presumptuous like you were last time. He might be here for other reasons, his family owns this mall after all.  

“What are you doing here?”  

He shrinks back one inch in shock. “To pick you up of course, why else? Isn’t that a given, now that we are, you know, dating?”  

“We are what?”, you gasped, without missing a beat, shocked by the suddenness of the assertion.  

“You were the one who hugged me last night, are you just gonna pretend like it didn’t happen?”, he was in disbelief over your feign oblivious attitude.  

“Wow for someone like you, I'd expect a hug to just be like shaking hands with a stranger”, you replied.  

“Well between the two of us, the benchmark should probably be you. Unless you just go around hugging everybody?”, he gasps this time, raising his hands to cover his mouth dramatically.  

You chuckle at his acting and he smiles too.  

“Aren’t you hungry... I got so hungry waiting for you”, he grouses.

---

Over dinner, Jungkook realised how fascinated he was with the notion that he is just sitting across from you. He held his food in mid-air, eyes fixed on you. That same trembling feeling in his chest appears again. He feels like he’s about to get a heart attack from just doing the most mundane things with you, things like walking, waking up or eating.  

“Why are you staring at me like this?”, it was making you uncomfortable.  

Your question snaps him out of his trance. “I wasn’t staring...”, he rebuked while choking a little.  

You gave him a ‘yeah-sure’ face until he resigned, “fine... maybe I was staring... a bit.” His confession making you smirk subtly. “But you were the one who hugged me first...”, and he just had to throw it in teasingly.  

It was your turn to choke on the food and you could only side-eye the petty boy sitting across you.  

“Did it hurt a lot?”, his tone suddenly flipped entirely, taking a downturn.  

‘You always hurt a lot...’, you thought but did not say out loud. Avoiding the question, you asked him whether he was going to sleep in the practice room again that night. “You can’t keep staying in the practice room...”, you griped.  

He nods, “I’m planning to stay in the hotel for a while and I need to go back and pack some stuff...”, he mutters uncertainly. “But...”, he continued, stuttering, “... can you maybe...”.  

“I’ll go with you. Let's go together after we finish eating”, you answered him casually.  

He was starting to believe that you really had superpowers.  

---

This was the first time you entered Jungkook’s house, it was what you imagined a chaebol’s house would look like and a little more. You realised that what the dramas have taught you were indeed true, the house was grand, but it felt lifeless, it felt cold.  

He walked up a flight of stairs, stopping midway to wait for you as you were still examining the magnificent structure around you. You quietly followed him up to his room and your heart was beating crazy fast because, well just because, you were in his room.  

“I don’t have much to pack, it won’t take long, you can just sit over here and wait for me”, he pulls out the chair in front of his computer desk and rolled it over to you.  

“It’s ok, I can help you.”  

He smiled shyly, the first time you sensed bashfulness from him, “Alright, if you really want to, why not you help me put those textbooks into my backpack.”  

You complied and turned to look at his table, a stack of textbooks piled up at one corner. While you were at it, you noticed his extensive collection of comic books on the bookshelf. There were also a few pieces of drawings on his table, most of them of comic book characters.  

You were done with packing all his textbooks and you secretly threw in a few comics for him. He told you to take the backpack downstairs and wait for him in the living room, “I’ll be down in a minute”, he assured you as you left his room.  

The grandness of the living room seemed to amplify the emptiness of the house. You stood alone, not feeling comfortable enough to sit down and wait.  

“Hi... You must be Jungkook’s friend...”, a female voice made your head jolt in her direction.  

“Hi Mrs Jeon...”

She was pleasantly surprised that you knew she was his mother, and she reaches out her hand in a welcoming gesture. You were about to reciprocate by shaking her hand, when Jungkook appears and grabs a corner of your sleeve, yanking you away from her.  

Her face falls almost immediately, more concerned than anything else. “Jungkook-ah... where have you been the past few days, you didn’t come home and I was worried, are you alright? Can we talk...”, she stammers, her lips were raised in a cautious smile but her eyes were full of sorrow.  

“I told Grandfather that I will be staying in the hotel for a while”, he said emotionlessly to her. “Let’s go”, and his voice takes a gentle turn as he gestures for you to leave with him.  

She didn’t try to stop him or say another word, but the look on her face somehow reminded you of him.  

---

“Do you really hate her that much?”, you asked as the two of you sat in the taxi heading towards the hotel.  

“Why do you say that?”, he knew immediately what you were alluding to.  

“I mean I have seen you run away from her at the hotel, and just now you didn’t even let me shake her hand”, you chose your words rather carefully.  

“I’m indifferent. And it’s not that I didn’t want you to shake her hand... I just didn’t want her to hurt you, like how I do.”

You peered at him silently. Since when has he realised this? That perhaps she felt the same way he did. He was still lying though, to himself. He wasn’t indifferent, he wasn’t entirely emotionless when it came to his family. But it wasn’t your place to push him to recognise it, you knew he needed time. Just like how it must have taken a long time for him to become like this.  

---

The hotel suite was stunningly furnished. He didn’t bring over many things, so you busied yourself making some tea while he unpacked his stuff. He steals a glance at you and stealthily takes something out from one of his bags before walking over to where you were.  

“I got this for you”, his eyes were flickering in the light, like a nervous little boy gifting a present to his first crush in school. You stared at the thing he was holding out towards you – a furry porcupine toy, around the size of a rugby ball.

“What for?”, you asked.  

You could swear he was blushing, “Uhh... just to commemorate... you know... us? Take it”, he was waving the toy into your face out of his embarrassment. Never did he think he would be doing such a cheesy thing for anyone. Truth be told he actually got the present for you some time ago, he just never had the opportunity, or maybe the courage, to give it to you.  

“It’s cute, but why a porcupine? Do I look like a porcupine to you?”, you asked as you accepted the plushie.

“Somewhat, you gotta admit you were quite prickly to me at the start”, he replied with a visible pout. It astonishes you how things have changed, you actually thought he looked innocent and cute.  

“Hey, that’s not fair! You had a reputation and I just...”, you were prepared to defend yourself.  

“Yeah that I admit”, he extended a finger in a thoughtful way, “anyway... it's me. This porcupine is supposed to remind you of me...”, he tapped his fingers on the fluffy-looking porcupine in your hands, poking its soft belly a few times, “... because I always hurt you a lot... and you can’t even touch me because I’m prickly like him.”  

“So... what are you going to do about it?”, you demanded after a slight pause, raising your eyebrows.  

“About what?”, he was stunned.  

“About these,”, you pointed at the pricks made of fluff on the porcupine’s back, “Like I said, I’m not going anywhere. If you don’t want to hurt me, you have to do something about these.”

His laughter lingers only in his throat, “Must be fun for you to use all my lines against me now.” You also let out a muffled giggle as you start to realise how much you like it when he smiles.  

“I'll think about it... about what I should do about these...”, he murmurs as he looked at you fondly but not without dejection, “... so that I can finally hold your hand.”

[kaffeinic]

Caffeinic | Bang Chan

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Epilogue

Pairing: Reader x Barista!Bang Chan

Genre: Neutral // Romance

Warnings: None

Preamble: You’ve been going to the same coffee shop for the past four years. You’ve ordered the same thing almost every single day, and you never, ever skip on that part of your morning. So, when Mrs. Park hired a new barista and the once serene café was suddenly flooded with people every second of the day, you were less than thrilled.

You counted the seconds between each bell marking the end of a class and the start of a new one. After last night, you were excited to go to the café, to say the least.

The last bell rang and you packed your bags, making your way to the door. You heard someone calling out behind you.

“Y/n!” You turned around at the sound of your name. There was a boy with black hair and doe eyes walking up to you. “Hey, how are you?”

You didn’t know who he was, just that you two shared some classes. “Uh- Hi, I’m doing alright. What about you?” He smiled at you and replied.

“I’ve been good, thanks. I don’t think that we’ve officially met. I’m Junseok.” He held out his hand, and you grabbed it.

“I’m Y/n, though you already know that.” You laughed. He held your hand a bit longer than you would have deemed necessary.

“I was wondering if you’d like to hang out with me and a couple of my friends.” He smiled. “You know Jiyoo, right?” You took a moment to think about it, then nodded your head.

“Yeah, we were partners for a project last year.”

“She’ll be there, too.” He paused. “Maybe you two can catch up, if it’s been that long.” You hummed in approval.

“Yeah, that sounds great. Where are we all going?”

“There’s a pool in my neighbourhood and we were going to have a pool party. Is that alright?” You thought about it for a moment. You’re not really one to enjoy showing skin, especially to strangers.

“Mmm... Would it be fine if I stayed out of the pool? I’m not much of a swimmer.” You asked. Junseok nodded immediately.

“Yeah, of course. It’s tomorrow at four. Can you make it there yourself?”

“I think so. Just tell me the address, and I should be able to get there.” You said. He smiled.

“I’ll give you my phone number. I’ll send you the address there.”

“Okay.” You said. He scribbled the digits on the corner of his notes and ripped off a piece of the paper. You left the school building quickly.

As you made your way to the café, your heart began to race at the thought of seeing Chan’s dimply smile. You dug your hand into your pocket and retrieved the piece of paper Junseok had scribbled his number on, entering it in your phone.

- Hello, this is Y/n.

You sent a simple text to make sure you had read the digits correctly. A few moments later, you got a reply.

- Hey! It’s Junseok. You want me to send you the address?

- Yeah, of course. Thank you!

You waited patiently and read the address once it had sent.

- Oh. I live in the neighbourhood! What time was it again?

- Tomorrow at 4pm. I’ll see you then?

- Sounds good.

You smiled at your phone, excited for the party. You couldn’t remember the last time you hung out socially with anyone your age.

You pushed open the café’s door and heard the familiar ring of the bell. Chan looked up from behind the counter.

“Y/n, hi!” He waved at you, klumsily balancing a mug in his other hand.

“Hey, Channie~” You replied, making your way to the bar counter.

“You used my nickname!” Chan exclaimed, full of excitement. You blushed softly and nodded. “Can I get you anything?” He asked. You zoned off in thought.

“Hmm... Surprise me?” You said. You had come to enjoy the cups of coffee and tea he would whip up for you, and you began to trust his taste.

“Tea or coffee?” He asked. “I have an idea for both, but I need you to choose one.” He seemed overly excited.

“Coffee. It’s been a long day.” You yawned on cue. Chan smiled as your arms reached up to stretch. He grabbed your hands and brought them down to eye level. Your cheeks were immediately graced with a dark shade of red.

“Any plans tonight?” He asked. You looked down as you answered.

“Not tonight, but I have to be up early tomorrow.” You replied. “For school.” Chan nodded in understanding, intertwining his fingers with yours. You began to wonder what exactly you two were.

“Do you want to do something?” He asked. You eyed him nervously.

“Like what?” You inquired. He smiled.

“Coffee date.” You smiled at the mention of a date.

“Aren’t we at a coffee house right now?”

“I want to take you to my favourite one.” He said. “It’s a few blocks from your house, so I could get you home pretty quickly afterwards.” He paused, looking at your face. “What do you say?”

You thought about it for a while. “Not tonight, I’m sorry. How about the day after tomorrow?” You were trying to schedule this date around your previous plans. You heard Chan let out a small whine.

“Okay.” He said. He let go of your hands, which you didn’t appreciate, to check on your coffee. Once it was finished, he placed it in front of you. The aroma filled your nose and you smiled happily. After a few sips, you noticed that there was still no one else in the café.

“You’re so popular that you ran me out of the café before. Why is it so empty?” You glanced around at the vacant chairs, only a few used coffee mugs scattered on different place settings.

“Most of them are girls still in high school. They haven’t been released yet.” He explained. “I’m happy, though. We have some time to ourselves.” He said. You looked at him and smiled.

“Me, too.”

“Y/n?” Chan said. You tilted your head inquisitively.

“Yeah?”

“I really like you.” He said. You stared at him owlishly. After a few moments, his face fell. “Sorry...”

You quickly jumped out of your daze and waved your hands.

“No, no! I like you, too.” You said. He looked at you, skeptical.

“Are you sure about that?” He asked. “I mean, I know you act like you do, but maybe you’re just a player.” He kept a straight face the entire time he spoke, making you wonder if that’s what he thought.

“No, I’m not.” You said, a little too high-pitched. Chan laughed loudly.

“Uh-huh. Sure. I find that hard to believe.” He said.

“Why?”

“You’re beautiful, smart, hard-working, and, dare I say, sexy.” He looked at you with a smirk. “I just find it hard to believe you don’t know you have everyone wrapped around your finger.” He leaned on the bar, face mere inches from your own. You were suddenly very fascinated with your hands. Chan’s finger gingerly pushed up on the bottom of your chin. “You’re cute when you blush.”

With that, the man walked away, leaving you speechless.

~

* DISCLAIMER: I do not own any gifs/photos used in this post. I do own the written content. Do NOT repost/edit. *

🏷 @a-toxic-galaxy • @hoshithehamster

[freedom-shamrock]

Some Things Are Meant to Be - Chapter 9

Also on AO3 << Previous Chapter This continuation of a past story is for @adrinetteapril 2019 day 5 prompt, clumsy. Chapters 1-4 are from Adrinette April 2018 Chapter 5 is a bonus for wrap up Chapters 6-8 are from Fluff August 2018 (because I apparently felt the wrap up was insufficient) Chapters 9-? are for Adrinette April 2019

Marinette carried a small stack of boxes through the hall toward Adrien's apartment.  She'd been gradually moving her stuff into his new place since he unpacked from his own move.  It started with small things, space in his closet, a dedicated drawer in the bathroom. When it became clear that he wasn't going to truly settle in or decorate until she got there, and she was spending her nights there anyway, it just made sense for her to step up her migration.  After their weekend in the country, they'd moved in her kitchen things. After today, her sewing and designing gear would be all she had left downstairs. It was both a ridiculously easy move, relaxed and spread over weeks, but also a little irritating to pack everything things just to ferry them up one flight of stairs.

His… or rather their apartment door was propped open.  She was still adjusting to that, and he'd been adamant that it wasn't just his place. She could hear him talking to someone in the other room, and wondered if it was on phone or in person. She crossed the threshold and promptly tripped over the shoes she couldn't see due to the boxes in her hands. She might have let out a shriek of surprise as she and the boxes both went flying.

Everything was a blur for a moment, and she was reasonably sure she executed a one-handed cartwheel in the process. The next thing she knew, she was standing balanced on one foot with one box balanced on her knee and the other on her head, supported by the twin buns she'd pulled her hair into that morning.

"Are you okay?" Adrien asked, rushing over. His lips twitched in the way they did when he wanted to tell her how adorable she was but he thought she'd throw things at him. He divested her of both boxes, setting them aside to grasp her upper arms in both hands.

"That was quite the… well, it wasn't a fall exactly," said a balding middle-aged man who stood halfway between the hallway and the spare room that would become her new office. He was their building manager Rudolf, and she hadn't realized they were expecting a visit from him. "A feat of acrobatics, rather. Are you all right, Miss Marinette?"

Marinette nodded, feeling a bit shaky.  She glanced to the doorway and realized it was his shoes that gave her the flying lesson. "Yeah. But I think that's my last load for the day."

"Did you pull something?" Adrien asked, traces of worry apparent in his voice. "Are you hurt?"

"Pfft!" Marinette let out a laugh. "With how klutzy I am, I've learned how to fall… or not fall." She grinned at him. "But once I start tripping like that, I've learned it's best to just stop everything and sit for a while or it's just going to get worse and I will damage something."

"So just the sewing stuff left?" Adrien asked.

She nodded. "Two bins of fabrics and notions, the serger, the sewing machine, and an unreasonably large collection of thread." She'd been amused with his reaction when he saw her thread rack.

"Adrien was just talking to me about the updates to the lighting in your office," Rudolf explained, gesturing to the spare room. "I'll be able to get that taken care of by end of next week. Sorry it can't be sooner."

"Oh no, that's fine," Marinette insisted. She'd actually expected it to take longer.

"We can set up your sewing things in the living room tomorrow," Adrien suggested. "I don't want you to miss out on commissions."

"Are you sure?" she asked. "It'll be a bit of a clutter." It was part of the reason she'd left her sewing gear for last.

Adrien nodded and gestured toward Rudolf.

"If you can guarantee you'll be out of the old place in three days," he said, "I can refund most of the month's rent. I have someone in need of a place immediately, and I'd be happy to terminate your lease early to make that work."

"Really?" Marinette asked. That was a really nice unexpected bonus. She smiled up at Adrien. "Are you ready for the full Marinette invasion?"

He laughed, and for a moment she felt like she'd been transported to their first days as friends, when his umbrella had closed on her. "I have been eagerly awaiting your occupation since I first moved in."

Shaking her head, she turned back to Rudolf. "Honestly, I can be out by tonight, if it helps. It's even cleaned, and I ran over the carpet with a magnet this morning."

"A magnet?" Rudolf asked, puzzled.

"To make sure I'm not leaving behind any stray pins."

"Aah.  That'll be a bonus, having the wood floor in your new office, then, I suppose," the man said.

"Fewer pins in your toes," Adrien suggested.  "I'm all for that."

"Just drop by with the keys when you're out. And I'll get back to you on the specifics for the lighting work."

Check out Chapter 10 >>

I have at least one more chapter for this story for Adrinette April, but it will be several days before I can get back to it because Saturday is the deadline to get a beta to my critique group.

Started as a 30 minute sprint, but I kept getting interrupted by kids and life.

[angelynrostrand]

Chapter 9

Summary:  To the outside world, nothing should connect shy girl Angel Monroe and popular boy Xavier Hazelwood. But that isn't entirely true. They both hold secrets. Behind both of them lie 2 separate wolf packs. Xavier is well on his way to Alpha status and running the pack. Angel is not a wolf but instead the last healer in the world. When the realization comes forward that they are connected by destiny, will they decide to fulfill it? Is their connection predetermined by fate or will they choose their hearts? Lives and packs cross and mingle while romance and conflict brews. The story of 2 opposite souls on a collision path. Will destiny win out? Even the most innocent face, has the darkest secrets.

Word Count: 3,139

http://photobotanic.photoshelter.com/gallery-image/A-Mix-of-Vegetables-Fruits-Herbs/G00003DBCCX_QjHM/I0000qKkwLaCdY14/C0000V0OqrzROPRQ

Both Trevor and Jesus were right. After a heavy meal and a normal 10 hours of sleep, I felt so much better but Xavier was still in the back of my mind. I shower thinking it would wash any thought of him. Nope. It didn’t work. I guess working at the infirmary caused me to forget about Xavier. I was too busy and occupied to cry over him. Now that I have the rest of the week off, I can only think about him. How I am a terrible person for lying to him. At school, I make sure I walk a different route so we don’t have to exchange any awkward glares. Brandon has been amazing. He calls or texts me making sure I amok. I think I really scared him when I almost passed out the other day. 

“You know he misses you,” Brandon says as he helps me with collecting fruit from my trees.

“I doubt it.” I carry my basket around. Lucky for me I can talk to Brandon and use him for muscle. After all the lies, I don’t even like me. I don’t like the person I have been lately. 

“Angel you are his mate. He misses your presence and he has just been grumpy for the past couple of days. So get back together so I can have my friend back to normal. I need this more than you do.” He says with his hand over his chest like if he was in pain. “Trust me.”

I rolled my eyes. “Can we please talk about something else?” I don’t feel right talking about Xavier with one of his friends. 

“Fine, but my question is what are you going to do with all this fruit?” He is holding 2 buckets and I have one cute basket. 

“I normally give it to my pack and their families. But since you helped so willingly,”

“You made come.” He cuts me off. We make our way to the back kitchen to clean them.

“Ya but you still came.” We laugh together. “I thought you and your family might want some.”

I place them in a recycle bag and handed them back to him. “Thank you. I know my mom and dad will love fresh fruit.” I walk him to his car and thank him once again for helping. “You know tomorrow is Friday?”

“Yes…?” What does he have in mind?

“Well, Jordan and I have a basketball tomorrow. Can you come?”

“Wait you guys play?” I believe Brandon but Jordan? Really?

“Yes I know I am amazing at every sport and Jordan may look uninterested in sports but he is good. Our father is a big basketball fan so he is pleased that both of his sons are on the team.”

“Do you guy use your wolf speed and strength during the game.?” I ask.

“Maybe. Sometimes. Yes, we do.” He gives up. I laugh from his effort. “Would you please come?”

“I will think about it.”

“I am going to accept that as a yes.” 

On Friday morning, I still have a lot of fruit leftover. I’ll just leave a basket for the front office ladies. I make my way through the front doors when the twins stop me.

“Hello. How are you? Still, have more to give out?” Brandon asked.

“Ya, I was going to leave some for the office ladies.”

“Also thank you, Angel, for the fruit. Our mom really appreciated it. So did I.” Jordan says as he holds up one of the oranges in his hands. 

“I am glad. Nice uniforms.” They are both dressed in blue and yellow basketball shirts. 

“Thank you.” They both said at the same time. “Are you coming. It starts at 6 in the main gym.” Jordan asks. I couldn’t answer do to another voice yelling at the twins.

“Hey, McGuire next time wait for me to park the car so we can…” Xavier stops talking when he sees me behind the twins. Their tall bodies were able to hide my figure. “Oh Angel, I didn’t see you there.”

I can do this. “It’s fine…” We all stay in an awkward silence. “I should get going. I need to hand these out.” I lift the basket. “I see you guys later,” I say to the twins.

“Wait are you coming tonight?” Brandon asked.

“Ya, I’ll see you there.” 

“Wait, Angel… Wait up.” Xavier speed walks towards me. “Can we please talk? I was an idiot. I know my temper can get the best of me, but let’s just talk.” 

“No, not here. Not today.” I had just started to feel better. “I am busy.” I walk to the front office lady. “Hello, I have fresh fruit. Is it ok if I leave it here?  It is for anyone who may want some.”

“Yes, of course, dear. Thank you.” She says. I nod and walk to my first class, now with Xavier by my side.

“Angel let’s just talk after school.” I look deep into his eyes. The last time I saw those beautiful brown eyes they were in pain and red from crying. 

“I can’t I’m going to the twin’s game. Plus I have  patients to worry about when I get home.” That was a lie. I know by now Jesus is healthy. I shake my head no. I need to stay strong. “I have class. Sorry.”

But before I could go to any outing I need my father’s agreement. I know it will be difficult to get.  I have to go. I already agreed to go and I don’t want to disappoint the twins. They seem to be excited, more Brandon than Jordan. But that’s because we spend more time together. It was surprising to see Jordan in color. He normally wears black on black. Xavier has the type of casual and simple style. But yet he could be a model, especially with his tall stature. He normally wears different shades of blue and green. I am more a sundress girl. I like loose and flowy outfits with floral design. I was interrupted in my fashion analysis by my classmate Sage. She is in my English and Art class. She is my new desk partner. 

“Angel I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation but are you also going to the game?” She asks. 

“Yes, I am. Are you?” Making friendly conversation for once.

“Ya. My gym teacher is one of the coaches. He said if we go we can get extra credit.” She says while wrapping her colored dyed hair around her pencil. This month her hair is red. We always have a class together because we both take a lot of AP and honors classes. I was able to experience her pink, blue, purple and now red hairstyle. “So do you want to go together? We don’t have to suffer too much.” She smiles.

“Ya, I would like that.” We exchange numbers by switching our phones to each other.  Now I don’t have to sit and watch the game by myself. Sage has always been nice to me and I never returned the favor. This could be a little thank you offer. 

At the end of class we both said “Bye.” and “I’ll see you later tonight.” “Text me.” Sage has the grunge style like Jordan but she is so much sweeter than how she looks. Now I really need to convince my father to let me go to the game.

I gather all my courage and knock heavily on his door. “Come in.” I open to find my brother and my father frustrated expression. 

“Hello father, can I talk to you. Do you have a minute?” He nods and I continue to talk. “Wait what is going on? Is everything alright?” 

“Father tell her…” Is it that bad enough my Alpha, my brother, isn’t brave enough to say it?

“We lost them. The men who attacked us. They are gone. No trace of scent or paw prints. Nothing. They are still out there.”

Whenever they are mentioned my brother seems to lose his ability to speak. It is a sensitive topic for him. He saw our mother murdered in front of him when he was 8 years old. Back then, mother told him to protect me. I was only an infant and he shielded me from watching the murder scene. He ran to my father with me in his arms. 

“But it is nothing for you to worry about. They don’t know about your abilities only our pack. And it must stay that way.” My father says, reassuring me to not tell anyone. Especially Xavier and his pack. “Is there anything you need?” He says, coming back to the reason why I am here.

“Ya. I was wondering if I can go to the basketball game?”

 Even though my father isn’t Mexican he must ask: “Who are you going with? Why? What times does it start? Where?” He must have gotten that from mom.

“I'm going with my friend Sage she is in my class. We are going for extra credit.” I use Sages same excuse. “It starts at 6 pm and it’s a home game.” 

“No. Sorry you cannot go.” 

“Father, please. I already told Sage I would go. Please.” 

“No. Sorry it is still dangerous with them out there.”

“Brother. Please. Help.” I redirect to Eric. 

“Sorry, father is right.” He is testing my patience. He notices my desperation and says, “But what if she goes with a bodyguard? Like one of the warriors?” 

“I will agree to that. You can go out if you have one of the warriors.” My father says crossing his arms.

I am not going to fight with my luck. I think this is going to be the best I can get. “Can I at least pick who it is?”

“Fine.” I hug him and thank him multiple times. I also hug Eric for not leaving me hanging. “Who do you have in mind?”

“Jesus Mendoza?” The same patient that I healed. He is kind and we are good friends.

“That is fine. I will call for him. I am going to talk to him. You need to finish your homework before you go to the game.” I voice my understanding and walk to my room.

I pulled out my phone to text Sage about the third wheel. I just tell her it is a friend. She replies a couple of seconds later saying “That’s fine! The more the merrier!” Sage is always easy going.

I don’t have homework. I don’t count my artwork homework, but I do need to finish it because it is due on Monday. We are practicing pencil shading. We have to pick an everyday object and draw it with a shadow behind it. I chose a simple sunflower. I started to get pencil markings on my hand. With each line I drew, I kept thinking about Xavier. Maybe the sappy love songs in the background are not helping. In the end, it’s unfair to him. I wish I was able to understand this connection bond Xavier and all wolves feel when they found their mates. But then again if I was able to feel it, it would make breaking away from him more painful. He must feel lonely. To be the only one to feel that pain. 

A knock wakes me up. Jesus walks in shortly after. “Hey, your father and Alpha Monroe want to talk to both of us. Over dinner.” I nod and clean my mess away. Jesus waits for me by my door so we can both go down together. 

“I hope you don’t mind coming with me to a high school game,” I ask as we walk through the hallway and down the stairs. 

“I don’t. I bet it will be fun but I know I am not duty. Plus it would better than walking around for 10 miles to make sure the area is safe.”

“Well, then I am glad. I do hope you have fun after the week you had.” Like a true gentleman he opens every door we pass through to get into the informal dining table.

“I must say I am more a football fan, but basketball is a good choice too.” He smiles. We walk in with my family sitting and waiting for our arrival. All the food is already on the table. Jesus pulled my chair out for me to sit.

“Thank you for getting Angel.” My brother says towards Jesus.

“Of course, Alpha.” We all hold hands to pray, then start to eat. 

During the meal, my father starts with “I just want this to be a reminder to the both of you. And Jesus I already talked about this with you. I want you guys to have fun but be safe. Angel, you must stay by Jesus. Don’t wander off without telling him where you are going.”

“Of course father.” I feel like a little kid all over again. With my father’s lecture complete, we are able to finish our dinner. 

Jesus and I hop in one of my father’s many cars. So unnecessary. Why must he do this? He can’t keep doing this. I won’t allow it when I go to college. Jesus was glad to be able to drive one of my father’s famous cars. I distract myself and text Sage saying we are on our way. She soon replies “Ok! I will be there soon” with a smiley face.

“I want to say thank you,” He says. I give him a confused look. “ When you asked for my request. It caught my commander’s attention. I think after this he will promote me. I am a first-year and I am escorting the Alpha’s sister.” He moves his eye off the road to me and says, “So thank you for the opportunity.” In his most sensitive voice, he says, “Thank you.”

“Jesus you are going to make me cry.” I give him a genuine smile. “Of course, you are the only I trust and feel comfortable to be around. So thank you for being a friend.” I smile. As we were driving the radio played “We Are Young” by Fun. Jesus and I looked at each other with increasing smiles. He turns the volume up and we both swayed or nod to the music. Minutes later we both start singing the chorus. We pull into my school laughing about our terrible singing voices. I laugh and laugh about how crazy we must look to other people passing by. Who are we? Who am I? I am normally the shy and small one. I don’t sing and get rallied up for a basketball game. Going to my first after school event in my senior year.  I feel good and free. Not worried about grades, family, the attack, or Xavier. The moment I think his name he notices my presence and I notice him. We catch him like a deer in the headlights. Jesus’s chest is still rising up and down. We are out of breath from both singing and laughing. My chest becomes still and steady, unlike Jesus. But the soon he realized my quiet state and also calms himself. Xavier is confused? Lost? Angry? He just walks away to the main gym.

“Who is that?” Jesus asks as we both unbuckle our seat belts and closed the doors.

“Xavier Hazelwood, my mate.” Jesus whips his head back to my direction as we walked side to side. 

“Hazelwood? As in Alpha Lucas Hazelwood’s son? From the Midnight Pack?” He asks. 

“Yup.” He must have studied their pack. It is well known by everyone that there are only two packs in one state. Very uncommon. I guess that’s why our packs are always arguing about whose territory it is. 

“That explains why you have been different.”

“Different?” I question.

“Lately you have been open and different. Maybe because your secret is out to the pack.”

“Yeah, it is a relief that I don’t have to hide or lie to my own pack. But Xavier doesn’t know so don’t say anything.” I warn him. He nods to agree aggressively and pretend to look intimidating. From me trying to be intimidating. We make it to the ticket booth and pay our way in. Before entering into the gym, I hear my name. 

“Angel Monroe?” An older woman asks as she waves for me and Jesus to walk over.

“Yes, that is me. I’m sorry. Who are you?” I have never seen this woman before.

“I’m sorry. I am Grace McGuire.”

McGuire..? “Are you Jordan and Brandon’s mother?” I ask. 

She quickly nods. “Yes. I just want to say thank you for all the fruit. It was delicious.” 

“It’s nothing. Brandon helped and I had too much to eat.” I smile. Her eyes drift towards my friends. “Oh, I am sorry. This is my friend Jesus,” I whisper, “from my pack. Jesus this is Grace McGuire from the Midnight pack. My friend’s mother.”  

“It is nice to meet you.”

“Ya, it is nice to meet you.” They both exchange a handshake. She must be apart of the basketball booster club. I assume so because of her over the top school spirit outfit. What a normal thing to do. Something I admire from the Midnight pack is they do their best to be apart of the community. They try to as normal as possible. They are more modern than my pack who like to be traditional and like to keep a low profile. “I am glad I was able to meet you, but go and get some good seats. I am on duty.” She points at the food table. 

“Thank you. Don’t work too hard.” Jesus and I turn around to find seats. We gaze over the crowd to find Sage. “Oh, there she is.” I point out and we walk over. 

“Hey Sage, this is my friend Jesus.” I give another introduction. “Jesus this is Sage. Now we are all friends.” I smile.

The loud buzzer made everyone in the gym jump. Including me, it was so foreign to me. This whole situation is foreign to me. I don’t know what to do, unlike Sage and Jesus who were cheering when both teams enter the court. I can see Brandon and Jordan. I waved at them and they look happy to see me. I finally get up and clap to support them. I smile and am ready to see their game. I can hear students on a higher level also yelling. I looked up and notice Xavier was a part of that group. We make eye contact and both of our smiles wipe away. I turn back around. The crowd calms down and we sit down. Let the game begin. 

[thewritewolf]

Marinette March Day 10 - Video Games

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

The Girl Squad gets together for a sleepover. No boys allowed. This is a longer drabble, so I put most of it under a read more.

@marinettemarch

Enjoy!

Read on Ao3

“Marinette! One of your friends is here!” Her maman’s voice called up the stairs, interrupting a frantic bout of cleaning. She’d lost track of time and put it off until the last minute once again, but at least now her room looked presentable when (or if) the party moved upstairs.

“Coming!” With a few last minute adjustments, she raced down the stairs to see who had arrived first. When she saw her maman chatting away with Alya in the kitchen with her duffel bag, she shook her head with a smile. Who else would’ve showed up an hour early? Her best friend noticed her arrival and grinned.

“Hey, girl! You ready to party it up this weekend?” Alya held out her fist, which Marinette gladly bumped. Before she could respond, her maman cut in.

“Hopefully you’ll remind your friends not to ‘party it up’ too hard, right dear?”

Marinette gave her most winning smile. “Right, we’ll be on our best behavior.”

Her maman seemed dubious. “Even Alix?”

The smile became strained and uncertain. “Y-yes. I’ll do my best.”

With a kiss on her forehead, her maman replied, “That’s all I ask. Have fun, dear.”

Once she left the room, cup of tea in hand, Marinette turned back to Alya. “Did you bring everything you’ll need?”

“Relax, girl. I’m psyched and ready to go for this weekend-long slumber party.”

Doing her best to play the part of the unconvinced friend, Marinette crossed her arms and cocked an eyebrow, though her grin gave her away. “So we aren’t going to have a repeat of last time?”

Alya threw her hands up. “Come on, girl! It was one time. What’s a midnight convenience store run between friends?”

They chatted until the sound of the front door opening drew their attention. Marinette rushed over to greet her guests, only to have Rose rushing to meet her at the same time.

“Marinette! I’m so happy to see you!” She collided with Marinette, ensnaring her in a hug. Over Rose’s head - the bubbly girl being one of few people Marinette was taller than - she saw Juleka give a small smile and a timid wave.

“Rose, Juleka! It’s great you could make it. Did you remember to bring everything?”

Rose nodded enthusiastically in way of response, while Juleka said while reaching into her bag, “We even brought games like you asked…”

“Hang on, don’t tell me what game you brought until everyone gets here. It met all the requirements, right?”

“Mhmm. It works on one of your consoles and we could theoretically do multiplayer on it. Or be fun to watch.”

“Awesome!” She lead her three guests into the living room. “We’ll be sleeping in here tonight since the bakery is closed on Sundays and we won’t have to worry about papa waking us up at four in the morning.”

“Sweet, there’s a little more space down here.” Alya sat down on the couch facing the TV. “Any clue when Mylene and Alix are supposed to arrive?”

Scrolling through her texts, Marinette replied, “Alix is going to be late-”

“-as usual-”

“-but Mylene should be showing up any minute now. Once she’s here we can make some snacks while we wait on Alix.”

Rose, seated next to Alya, bounced up and down on the couch. “And then we can start the gaming marathon!”

“Yup! I just hope we can get through all the games…”

“Don’t sweat it, girl!” Alya leaned back. “I was kinda hoping to play mine after everyone was gone anyway. It wouldn’t be that exciting for everyone, and it’d just get jumbled with too many people around. And it would take awhile to get through.”

She could already guess what Alya had brought, given what had been occupying her free time outside hanging out and her work on the Ladyblog. Before she could dwell on it too much, the door opened once again. Marinette went to get her, the others following shortly after.

“Hello!” Mylene waved with one hand while clutching the strap of her backpack with the other. “Everyone else here?”

“We’re waiting on Alix.” Marinette pointed out the way they came from. “You can drop your stuff off in the living room. We’re going to make some food while we wait.”

They had burned an hour cooking in the kitchen, doing their best to stay out of the way of her parents as they went about running the bakery. By the time the last guest arrived, it was midday and the bakery wasn’t going to be open for much longer anyway. Marinette crowded around the living room table as she considered this. It would probably be best to do Mecha Strike III first then, so papa would be less likely to interrupt for a challenge bout. She loved him to pieces, but maman and him seemed to enjoy butting in when she was trying to have friends over.

“Okay everyone. Pull out the game each of you brought and show it to the rest of us.” Marinette suited action to words by slapping down the Mecha Strike III case as though it was a gauntlet. The groans and grumbling she got from the rest of them was like music to her ears.

“We’re agreed that we’ll deal with Marinette trouncing us for as little as possible?” Alix looked around the table and the rest of the girl squad resolutely nodded back at her, like the judgement of a sage council.

“Oh come on! It isn’t that bad,” Marinette attempted to get their hopes up, secretly relishing the thought of dashing it against the ground.

“Max trained for a year and you tore him apart.”

“Well, duh. Fighting the AI only gets you so far!”

“Whatever, here’s my pick.” Alix tossed her game on top of Marinette’s - Grand Theft Auto. Somehow Marinette wasn’t surprised.

“That game doesn’t have split screen and it’s mostly just messing around. How does that fit the requirements?” Marinette crossed her arms over her chest, still slightly miffed from the resolute dismissal of her choice.

“Oh don’t worry about that, pigtails.” Alix smirked. “I have a plan.”

“Well… okay. Mylene?”

“I, uh, brought a Mario Party.” She began to get quieter as she rambled on. “I don’t have a lot of games and we play it a lot at my house so, I, uh… thought you guys might like it. I know it has a bit of a reputation as a friendship-ended, but still-”

“Chill, girl.” Alya patted her shoulder. “It’ll be fun losing to someone who isn’t Marinette for once.”

Marinette stuck her tongue out at Alya as Juleka gently sat her game, the remake of Resident Evil 2, on the table. When the rest of the girls looked to her for any kind of explanation or defense of it, she simply shrugged and said, “I liked it. Plus, not a lot of split screen horror games, you know? Have to take what I can.”

“Fair enough. What about you, Alya? Still playing those detective games?”

“Of course! Gotta keep my mind razor sharp if I’m going to unravel Ladybug and Chat Noir’s identities.” The aspiring reporter shuffled in place, hands empty as she didn’t reach for her duffle bag. “It’s a computer game though, so I don’t have a physical copy. If you don’t mind, I’ll start downloading it now and we can play it tomorrow.”

“Sure. You know the password and everything so go ahead.” While Alya left the room, Marinette turned to the last member of the group. She never really gamed with Rose before, so she didn’t know what to expect. What she definitely didn’t expect was Dark Souls III. Yet, that was the game Rose was waving above her head excitedly. Her mind reeled for a moment before settling on something to say. “Uh, Rose? Isn’t that also single player? What is everyone else going to do?”

Juleka smiled as she put her arm on Rose’s shoulder. “Watching her get into the zone is something to behold.” Seeing the dubious expression on Marinette’s face only caused her grin to widen. “You’ll see.”

Leaving the matter at that, they settled into place to start their marathon. First up - Mecha Strike III.They were packed tightly on the couch, except for Alix and Rose who preferred the ground anyway. The latter leaned back against her girlfriend’s legs while playing, and the former kept scooting closer and closer to the television as the loses piled up. It only took an hour of easy victories for Marinette before they unanimously decided to not play it again for the rest of the night.

Next up was Grand Theft Auto V. While Alix clambered forward to switch out the games, she explained to them. “Here’s the plan - we’re each going to take turns at it. Our goal is to steal a tank.” She whipped back to look at them, a manic glint in her eyes. “Clearly, since I’m the best at this, I’ll go last to give you all a chance at it before I sweep in.” She brandished the controller. “Who wants first?”

After half an hour of a cycle of spawning, charging into a military base via ramping car, dying, and repeating like the world’s worst version of Valhalla, the controller finally ended up in Alix’s hands. She had spent the entire time smugly commenting on how each person messed up, detailing what they should have done. The next person would take that into account and fail at a completely different obstacle. With a knowing smirk, she turned to everyone else and said, “Now watch the master at work.”

The first step was to get a car, which everyone had accomplished in true GTA fashion by standing in the middle of the road and carjacking whoever stopped to avoid hitting them. Alix stepped onto the road boldly, an admirable start. Instead of slowing, however, she was hit full speed and sent flying by wonky physics. Immediately the screen turned black and white and the text ‘Wasted’ appeared on the screen as her character sailed through the air. There was a moment of stunned silence before everyone (sans Alix) absolutely lost it. She didn’t even look back to hand Marinette the controller, simply thrusting it behind her. After a few more rounds, Alix’s as unlucky as always, the person who ended up winning the challenge was none other than Rose. After a celebratory rampage, she closed the game and they were free to move on to Mario Party.

Looking back, Marinette couldn’t remember much about the two (or was it three?) matches they played, probably because each match had been about an hour long. The turns ran together after a while. They passed by in a blur of competitiveness, fully absorbed with the friendly and eventually not-so-friendly banter. At the end all she could say was that she didn’t win. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Mylene took that honor for at least one of the matches, having had the most practice with the minigames and the layout of the maps.

The change from Mario Party to Dark Souls was as sudden as it was jarring, trading bright, cheerful colors for the bleak wastes of a ruined kingdom. It didn’t take long for Marinette to figure out what Juleka had been talking about; immediately, Rose became hyper focused on the game as she laid in front of the television on her stomach, tongue sticking out in concentration as she deftly ducked and rolled away from enemy lunges. Marinette watched carefully, but the first time she saw Rose get hit was about an hour in, long after the fight with the first boss.

When she finally put down the controller, the only thing the rest of them could do was applaud.

Which left the last game of the day, Juleka’s horror game. Fitting, since by this point it was later in the evening, though not quite midnight. Marinette remembered even less of this game, at least partly because of how often she excused herself to the kitchen for any number of excuses - wanting everyone to have full drinks, extra snacks, stretch her legs, whatever she could do. Horror… not her favorite genre of movie or game.

At least I’m not alone, she thought while eating some cookies with Mylene in the kitchen. If the danger was real, it was much easier to handle for reasons even Marinette herself couldn’t wrap her head around. By the time they finally out of excuses, everyone was getting tired and they agreed to turn off the games and go to sleep in the living room. They managed it, even if Alix kept deliberately annoying everyone by asking random inane questions at all hours. Marinette could practically hear Alix’s smirk as she lobbed at pillow at her face. But eventually even Alix got tired and fell asleep, a fitting end to an eventful day.

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

When Marinette managed to drag herself out of bed, two things became apparent - one, the sun was unfortunately up and preventing her from drifting back to sleep and two, everyone else was gone. It was this second fact that caused Marinette to actually get up rather than stay wrapped up on the floor for a little while longer.

“Hey, girl,” Alya quirked an eyebrow over her toast as Marinette walked into the kitchen. “Pleasant dreams, Sleeping Beauty?”

Deciding that the smell was delightful, Marinette elected to make herself some toast too. “Mhmm.” Once she had her breakfast in front of her, she asked, “Everybody else leave?”

“Yup! They’ve got early plans.” She winked. “But don’t worry, you won’t be getting rid of me that easily. We still have some investigative work to do, if you remember.”

Playing along, Marinette asked, “What’s the case?”

“‘Shadow At Water’s Edge.’”

“Sounds spooky. Thankfully, we can count on each other.” She swallowed the last of her toast and added, “Let’s get to it then. After you, detective.”

The two rushed upstairs, Marinette eager to continue her well deserved break in excellent company. It felt good take a break in fiction - reality was far too strange a place for her anyway.

[prettywordsyouleft]

The Sex Contract - Chapter 17

Genre: friends to lovers au / friends with benefits / mature content / romance / angst

Characters: Shim Changmin x Kaia Ashton (OC)

A/N: Due to the overwhelming request I have followed your encouragement to bring back one of my older stories. This was back in a time where OCs were everything and writing one chapter in each main’s point of view was the trend. I hope that even though I have edited this drastically, that you can appreciate this story comes from my older style of writing. I definitely still read this often and find it enjoyable so I hope you will too.

Prologue | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 - FINAL

Chapter 17 – Changmin’s POV.

 He glanced at the clock again and sighed heavily, getting up from his seat on the couch to go over to the front door. Peering at the small CCTV screen that showed Changmin the view of the foyer, he sighed again at the lack of movement outside. She was late home.

It had been three days since Kaia had bothered to follow their schedule, and apart from a few brief conversations, Changmin had barely seen enough of the British girl. He was experiencing several strong emotions, concern outweighing his annoyance and one that he couldn’t quite put his finger on. All Changmin wanted was his best friend to come back and spend the trip to Japan together like planned. Instead, Kaia was always with her new friend Jay and his friends. She assured him that she was safe with them. Changmin couldn’t exactly argue with her, she was an adult. But he was still worried; he hadn’t even met the man, let alone understand how she could trust in a stranger in the middle of Tokyo. Kaia had some seriously loose trust issues, he decided.

“You know you hovering by that door isn’t going to bring her home,” Yunho calmly called out from the living room and Changmin rolled his eyes, but slowly shifted back to the couch he had vacated moments before. Thumping down onto the furniture, another sigh left his mouth. Yunho glanced over at him. “Why don’t you just ring her?”

“Why should I?”

He gave Changmin a hard look. “Because you’re driving me mad with all the sighing you’re doing. You sound like a whining puppy waiting for your master to come home and pet you.”

“One, I am not a puppy,” Changmin retorted as the older man smirked to himself. “And secondly, I don’t want to ring her.”

“You should, then you’d know when she is going to come back. We have a full schedule tomorrow, and I’m not going to like it if you stay up too late again like you did last night. Maybe if you ring her, you can just go to bed.”

Changmin shook his head. “She’s an adult.”

“So then let her live her adult life,” Yunho gave him another look. He then smiled. “That doesn’t satisfy you though, Changmin. Why don’t you just say what’s really wrong.”

“I miss spending time with her. She’s always off with that guy Jay, and she’s meant to be working, not enjoying an all expenses paid holiday. Who does she think she is using me like this?”

Yunho sat up on the other couch he was on and let out a hearty chuckle. “You’re jealous.”

“Am not! I’m annoyed, that’s what!”

“You’re annoyed that she’s not here and is spending her time with another guy, and that makes you jealous. Ever think she could be jealous of your time with Kaori too?”

“Why would she be?” Changmin enquired sourly, wondering what Yunho was thinking. “She knows that I hate spending time with Kaori. It’s bad enough that I had to go watch that movie with the Ice Queen tonight after our schedule. She went too far with placing her hand on my knee I felt like I was going to throw up.”

Yunho smiled to himself, obviously enjoying Changmin’s pain. “Not what the photos show.”

“And why would Kai look at those? She knows they’re fake. Besides we’re friends, not lovers-”

“Technically you are lovers,” Yunho intervened and Changmin rolled his eyes. “You both have invested a lot into this contract you made. You’ve got a lot of emotion for each other; I really wish you’d both wake up to it all.”

“Hyung, what are you going on about now? Emotion?” Changmin stopped to laugh at the foolish suggestion. “You’re the one who’s off in some fairytale image of us. We’re simply friends. Good friends.”

“Uh huh.” Yunho got up and threw the remote control in Changmin’s direction. “Well, what are you doing waiting up for your friend to come home, if she’s just that to you? Sleep is more important, Min. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Changmin watched Yunho head off to his room and then stared back at the television. The anime they were watching no longer held his attention and he turned it off, the room falling into silence. His gaze travelled to the clock again and he scrunched up his face, it was late. Getting up, Changmin padded back towards the front door and looked into the CCTV screen, finding the same scenario he had before.

“Go to bed, Changmin,” he ordered out loud and went through the procedures of preparing for sleep, finally yanking back the blankets and slipping under the covers. His body ached from all the daily activities and rejoiced at the contact with the soft bed. But he wasn’t content and had to shift about in attempts to get comfortable. Finding a nice position, he closed his eyes and nestled into the pillow, trying to shut his brain off. But it wouldn’t. Switching sides, Changmin tried several times to get to sleep, but nothing worked. Kicking the blankets in frustration, he threw himself onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.

He couldn’t sleep knowing it was late at night and Kaia wasn’t back. She didn’t know Tokyo like he did and his paranoia grew quickly. Finally, Changmin caved and reached for his phone, scrolling through the contacts for her number. But before he pressed talk, he heard the front door key pin being put into the lock. Discarding the device in his hand, Changmin effortlessly moved across the room towards the living area, waiting for Kaia to enter the apartment. Folding his arms firmly across his chest, Changmin narrowed his eyes on her as soon as he spotted her.

Kaia blinked rapidly and covered her mouth in fright when she realised Changmin was there, a squeak coming through her hands. She then lowered them away and pointed at him. “You gave me such a fright! What are you still doing up anyway?”

“I couldn’t sleep; do you know what time it is?” he enquired sternly as Kaia walked passed him and into the kitchen to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator. She unscrewed the lid and gulped a little of the drink down before nodding her head.

“I was at this amazing karaoke bar and we lost track of time.”

“That’s clear,” Changmin said with a huff and Kaia eyed him warily. “You know I think we need to have a little chat, Kaia.”

“Shouldn’t we do this tomo-”

“I’m fine to do it now,” Changmin cut in and pointed at the dining table chair. “Sit.”

“Dad, am I in trouble?” she teased with a giggle but it only irked Changmin more as he sat down heavily. Kaia sighed and took the chair he had pointed at. “What is it?”

“You didn’t come to Japan to play with friends, you came to work for Korea Star and help me with Kaori-”

Kaia rolled her eyes. “You don’t need my help there Changmin; I’ve seen how well you are doing on your own there.”

“Oh, so Yunho hyung was right then, you’re simply jealous!”

“Jealous of you and her?!” Her brows furrowed. “You know I don’t appreciate this.”

“And I don’t appreciate waiting for you to come home when you know I have a jam-packed schedule!”

Kaia threw her hands up in defence, her golden eyes hardening. “No one told you to stay up for me! Don’t shove your lack of sleep onto me Changmin!”

“I will because if I wasn’t worried about you being out in a strange city at godforsaken hours of the night with some guy you barely know who could be a serial killer, I would be asleep right now!”

“Oh for goodness sakes, now who sounds jealous eh?!” Kaia got up and Changmin scrambled after the retreating girl and grabbed her upper arm. She spun to look at him and tried to shake him off. “Let me go!”

“No, we’re not done here!”

“I’m not interested in fighting with you over something so trivial, Changmin!”

“Trivial?! What about a text or something to let me know where you are huh?! I don’t even know this-”

“It’s Seo Jaewon from CODE V, happy now?” She let out a deep breath. “I didn’t tell you because I remember you scoffing over them performing one of your songs at some monumental place and all your fans went bonkers over them. I figured you’d hold the same thought pattern.”

Changmin narrowed his eyes on the girl momentarily and then softened the look, searching through her own for some indication of the person he was friends with. She merely stared back at him with an indescribable expression. “Who are you?”

“I could ask you the same thing.” She shoved him on the chest in attempts to free her arm but Changmin merely held on. “Since being here I’ve lost sight of my good friend. He’s become a fake, egotistical person who is very suited to his girlfriend.”

Changmin let out a hollow laugh. “I don’t have a girlfriend; I’m just doing my job. Something that you don’t seem to appreciate since you’ve missed work with us.”

“TVXQ isn’t the only Korean group working in Japan at present, in case you aren’t aware.”

A flare of annoyance shot throughout Changmin’s system and he backed her up against the wall in anger. “So you don’t want to work with us anymore? You want to change your contract?”

“Which contract are you talking about now, Changmin?” she asked and smirked. “Oh, the one where we sleep together? The one where you are made to feel good whenever it suits you huh? Well, that doesn’t suit me anymore. It hasn’t for days. I’m ashamed of who I’ve become around you!”

Changmin was taken back for a moment. “A…Ashamed?”

“I forgot what it felt like to have someone truly cherish me for me, to see me for more than what I can offer physically. Like I said, maybe you should turn to Kaori; you both seem to match impeccably well now.”

“Would you stop with the digs?!” he cried out and Kaia swallowed roughly, holding her emotions at bay. She was clearly trying to withhold her true feelings, and he felt hurt that she couldn’t even trust him enough to say what was on her mind. “This is going around in circles.”

“No, I think it’s actually reached its end,” Kaia replied and Changmin finally let her go. She rubbed her arm and he felt guilty for holding her so tightly. Looking at Changmin for a moment, she sighed. “You should go to bed.”

“Yeah, I have a busy day tomorrow.”

“I know.”

“I’ll see you in the morning,” he told her and she didn’t reply, just stood there staring at the floor. Awkwardly, Changmin stepped away from Kaia and headed down the hallway to his room, feeling all the air had been sucked out of his system.

He only hoped that when the morning arrived, he could make amends.

_________________

Part 18

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[pink1031]

Dirty Little Secret- Chapter 13

Pairing: Jensen Ackles x Reader, Jared Padalecki x reader, Jensen x reader x Jared

Other Characters: Jared, Danneel, JJ, Gen, Richard Speight, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Norman Reedus, Gino Graul

Warnings: Married! Jensen, smut, oral both male and female receiving, cheating, anal, Dom Jensen, angst, fluff, rough sex,Daddy kink, some asshole Jensen moments, spanking, bondage, threesome, double penetration, NSFW.  

A/N:  Gifs are not mine, they were all found on Google.  Aesthetic made by my lovely and talented friend @prettybubblesintheair. I don’t know how I feel about this chapter.  I have a lot going on with family so my brain isn’t functioning as normal. 

Chapter 1,  Chapter 2,  Chapter 3  Chapter 4   Chapter 5   Chapter 6Chapter 7

Chapter 8  Chapter 9  Chapter 10  Chapter 11  Chapter 12

Your day was miserable. Jensen was angry the entire day of shooting. He wouldn’t speak to you unless it was reciting his lines to Riley.  Jared was tense as well.  He wasn’t giving you the same cold shoulder as Jensen but it was close.  It was all you could do not to break down in tears every time your eyes met Jensen’s.  

You were sure you had given the worst performances of your life that day on set and you wouldn’t be surprised if they killed you off in the next episode.  

You slumped down into the backseat of the SUV, glad this day was over and glad to be heading home. You wanted nothing more than to go back to the house and bury yourself into a pile of blankets never to emerge again.  Your body stiffened as Jensen flung open the car door and slid into the backseat at your side. You couldn’t bring yourself to look over at him. You were tired of seeing the anger and disappointment on his face all day so you sat staring out the window.  Jared was just as quiet as Jensen as he climbed into the front seat of the vehicle.  No one said a word on the drive and it was unnerving.

You were the first out of the car as soon as it pulled to a stop in front of the house. You almost ran inside, stopping in the kitchen long enough to grab the bottle of tequila out of the refrigerator before heading out to the patio before the boys even made it into the house.  You slumped down in the nearest chair and opened the bottle, bringing it to your lips and gulping down a large drink.  The alcohol burned your mouth and throat and you welcomed the sensation.  You sat the bottle down before retrieving your pack of cigarettes.  No sooner than you had lit the first one you heard the patio door open and close. You sighed softly as you exhaled the grey cloud.  You didn’t even look up as Jared pulled up a chair next to yours.  You knew it was him without looking, the unique smell of his cologne mixed with the smell of just him reached you before he did.  

“You want to talk about it?” Jared asked softly.  

“Nope.” You answered quickly, popping the “p”.  

“It’s not your fault you know.” Jared sighed.

“I said I don’t want to talk about it Jare.” You snapped harder than you meant to.  

You both sat in silence for a few moments.  The only sound was the rustle of the wind and the sound of your breath as you inhaled and then exhaled as you worked on the cigarette between your lips.  

“Where are Danneel and Gen?” You asked finally breaking the silence.  

“They flew back today.  Couldn’t stay long.” Jared answered as he kept his bright hazel eyes on you even though you had yet to look at him.  

“What is going on with you and Gen?” You asked the question that had been gnawing at you since Sunday and the football game.

Jared didn’t have to ask what you meant, he knew already. “I uh, I kind of messed up at home.”

You finally turned your eyes to him, quirking an eyebrow in question before you brought the bottle of tequila back to your lips.  

“I…” Jared started and then chuckled to himself. “It was stupid really and I don’t know why I did it but I accidentally called out your name while Gen and I were having sex.”  He rubbed the back of his neck as he ducked his head, his cheeks flushing. “And according to Gen I talk about you too much in general. She thinks that maybe I‘m developing feelings for you that I shouldn‘t.”

“Okay, yeah.  That isn’t good Jare.” You tried to hold in your laughter but you couldn’t stop the giggle that sprang from your lips.

“Yeah.  So, I’ll be in the doghouse for a while.”  

“Did she tell you that you couldn’t sleep with me anymore?” You asked, a frown turning down your lips at that thought.  

“She tried.” Jared nodded softly. “But I was honest with her. I told her that I didn’t want to give you up, that what you and I have is working for me.”

“And she was okay with that?” You asked, the disbelief evident in your voice.

“No, not at first.” Jared shook his head. “I had to do a lot of talking.  I tried explaining to her that I was never thrilled about picking up one night stands in a bar. It’s so impersonal, which I know was the point of it, but it also wasn’t satisfying and I always felt dirty afterwards and not dirty in a good way.” He chuckled softly.  

You nodded your head softly. “I know that feeling.” You  mumbled softly as you stared down at your hands that were resting in your lap.  You knew that feeling too well, that was exactly how you felt this morning when you woke up next to Norman.  

Jared gave you a soft smile as you finally looked back up at him. “So, is she okay with everything now?”

Jared sighed. “Not entirely.  She still has some reservations.”

“So, what does that mean for you and me?” You rolled your bottom lip between your teeth.  

“For you nothing.” He grinned then, that bright Jared smile that lit up his face. “You are perfect kitten, it’s me that has some work to do.  I just have to keep myself in check better.” He chuckled then. “Gen has me on a kind of probation right now.  I just have to prove to her that this can still work.”

You smiled back at him, the first genuine smile that had graced your features all day. “I am definitely not perfect. Jay certainly doesn’t think I am perfect right now.” Your smile faded at the thought.

“Give Stack some time.  He is just hurting.”

“I didn’t mean to hurt him.” You felt the tears begin to well up in your eyes once more.

“It’s not you that hurt him kitten.” Jared pursed his lips together as he frowned. “He is hurting because he feels like he hurt you. He wasn’t able to give you what you needed from him and because of that you were hurting. He feels like he should have been there for you last night.  He thinks it’s his fault that Norman took advantage of you and he is beating himself up over it.”  

“Oh.” You sniffled and wiped the tears from your cheeks. “It isn’t his fault though.  I should have never put myself in that situation to begin with.”  

“Don’t you dare blame yourself sweetheart.” Jared frowned at you. “It isn’t your fault that Norman turned out to be a complete douche bag that you couldn’t trust.”

You laughed softly. “Careful Jare, I think Dean is rubbing off on you.”  

Jared huffed a short laugh.

You grew quiet for a while as your mind replayed the events of last night, well the events that you could remember. “It’s not all Norman’s fault you know. I mean, you saw what I was wearing and I was really flirting with him, like a lot.” You chewed at your bottom lip again.  

Jared studied you for a moment, watching the way your teeth raked against your lip and the way you wouldn’t meet his gaze again. He could see the shame written on your face and he didn’t like it. “If you had been sober would you have slept with him?”

Your head snapped up and you looked at him. Your face scrunched up as you thought about it. “I…I don’t know.  I had thought about it but…” Your mind drifted back to the night of the BBQ. “He hit on me the night of the BBQ.  Kissed me in the kitchen and I stopped him.  I told him no then.”

“There is your answer kitten.”  Jared shook his head. “He clearly took advantage of you.  You were too drunk to give actual consent, that’s kind of a big deal, ya know. What he did, whether he meant it to go down that way or not, is not cool.”

You nodded your head and you both grew quiet again for a few moments before you spoke up. “So Jare, are you, um, I mean do you have feelings for me that you shouldn’t?”

“Honestly,” Jared paused casting his eyes down to his lap before looking back up at you. “It would be impossible not to have feelings for you sweetheart. I cared about you a lot before we started all of this so I guess the fact that we are intimate now just made what I felt for you already grow stronger. But like I told Gen, no matter what I feel for you I will always love her.”

Jared smiled at you and held out his hand for yours. You slipped your much smaller hand into his and he closed his fingers around yours.  

“C’mon kitten.  We should both go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow.”  He pulled you up gently from the chair and tugged you against his large frame. His arms wrapped around you in a tight hug and he placed a gentle kiss to the top of your head.  

You both headed back into the house and Jared went to his room.  You headed down the hallway, stopping outside of Jensen’s closed bedroom door.  You weren’t sure if you should try going in there or not.  You lifted your hand to knock on the door but hesitated.  You were scared.  After his blow up today in your trailer and the way he had stormed out of there in a rage you weren’t sure talking to him again was a good idea.  You sighed and dropped your hand, deciding instead to head to your own bedroom.  

Emerging from the hot shower you wrapped a towel around your body and your bare feet carried you into your room.  A startled squeak left your lips as Jensen’s presence, sitting on the end of your bed, caught you off guard.  

Jensen sat with his elbows resting on his knees and his head hung between his slumped shoulders.  He didn’t even look at you as he spoke. “You didn’t want to stay in my room tonight?” His voice was soft and low, barely above a whisper.

  “I didn’t think you would want me to.” Your own voice wasn’t much louder and held the shakiness of emotion.  

Jensen was up off the bed quicker than you could blink. He stepped into your space, closing the distance until there was only a hair’s breath between your two bodies.  You had to tilt your head back to look up into the dark pools of emerald as he towered over you.  He held your gaze as his tongue darted out, wetting his full bottom lip before disappearing back into his mouth.  You couldn’t read the expression on his face as he brought his hand up to gently tuck a stray strand of your wet hair behind your ear.  His hand hesitated before he cupped your cheek.  He let his thumb gently rub across your skin before his fingertips slid down to the curve of your neck, his eyes following their path.

Jensen’s fingertips stopped their travels and lingered against your pulse. You watched as he jaw clenched and his eyes hardened and you knew what he saw. His touch lingered on the large purple bruise that adorned your skin, a reminder of last night’s escapade.  You parted your lips to speak but your words were replaced by a hiss as Jensen tangled his hand in the back of your hair, tugging harshly to crane your neck back further.  His eyes bored into yours and you were caught like a deer in headlights.  His mouth was on yours in an instant, the kiss searing and desperate.  

Jensen’s free hand reached for the fluffy towel that clung to your body and he ripped it away from you, tossing it aside haphazardly leaving you bare before him.  

His eyes had darkened, no longer the moss green but turning pitch in the dim light of the room as he broke the kiss leaving you gasping for breath. Jensen let his gaze travel over you from head to toe taking note of every new bruise that covered your pale flesh. Every bruise that he didn’t make. His heart thudded in his chest and he gritted his teeth.  

Your breath caught in your throat and your eyes went wide with surprise as you were suddenly hauled off your feet and Jensen tumbled into the bed with you.  Teeth, lips, and tongues collided as he pinned you under the solid weight of his body. Your hands gripped at the tight t-shirt that hugged his torso and you clung to him. His kiss left you breathless and wanting more when he finally broke away. His mouth moved to leave a trail of hot wet kisses along your jaw until his lips met with the mark on your neck. You could feel his lips pull back into a snarl against your skin before he attacked the offensive mark, sucking the skin into his mouth harshly until you winced and your hips bucked underneath him.

“Jay.” You whined high and needy as you squirmed beneath the weight of him.  

Jensen’s mouth traveled along your soft flesh, stopping at every bruise that marked your skin that was caused by the other man. His own mouth closing over the already tender flesh, sucking and biting at each mark to make them his own.  You winced and whined as his mouth claimed your flesh marking you as his again.  

Jensen was like a man possessed as he worshiped every inch of your body with his mouth and hands.  He sucked hungrily along your breasts, teeth raking against your rosy nipples until they formed stiff peaks before he sucked and bit at the hard pebbles. His hands glided over your soft heated skin, blunt nails drawing whimpered moans to your throat as they played and scratched.  You were a writhing simpering mess under him as he touched and kissed you everywhere except where you needed him the most.  

Finally when your body was trembling and your begging had reached its crescendo Jensen pulled back to settle on his knees between your spread thighs. He watched as your hips rolled on the bed before him, arching up to search for friction that wasn’t there.  Your thighs were slick with your arousal and your skin reddened in the wake of his teeth and the scruff of his stubble.  

“Please Daddy, please.” You whined and reached out for him.  “Please fuck me.”

“Not yet babygirl.” Jensen smirked down at you. His hands reaching behind his back to grab at the neck of his t-shirt, he tugged it over his head and tossed it aside.  He stood just long enough to slide his sweats down his bowed legs letting them drop to the floor with his boxers following close behind.  A needy mewl left your lips at the sight of his naked flesh. His cock swollen and beautiful standing erect against the soft flesh of his abdomen made your hips buck involuntarily and your pussy clench around nothing.  

“Please Daddy.” You whined breathlessly.

“I said no baby.  Don’t be impatient.” Jensen’s low growl made you shiver as he stood drinking in the sight of you so needy for him.  His lips curled into a smile watching the squirm of your body, watching you writhe for him.

Slowly Jensen crawled back onto the bed. His rough hands gliding along your smooth sun-kissed legs until his hands hooked under both of your knees.  He shoved your legs apart and up splaying you open wide as he lowered his body between them.  Your head rolled back and a heady groan echoed in the room as his mouth finally met your dripping core. He dove into your pussy, his tongue splitting the slick folds as he licked long wet lines from your ass to your clit.  He teased, licked, tasted, and nipped at your slick covered petals before he finally gave you what you needed and his soft lips clamped around your throbbing clit. Your back arched off the bed as you cried out with the pleasure.  

“Fuck yes Jay.”

Your eyes shut tight as your head rolled back as the knot tightened low in your body and you felt the heat spread out from your core to engulf you. Jensen alternated from nipping and sucking at your swollen pearl to fucking his tongue in and out of your dripping cunt.  

“Shit.” You rasped through heavy breaths as your body began to tremble as it rushed towards the sweet precipice of climax.  “Fuck Daddy, I’m gonna cum. Fuck.”  You cried out as the damn broke as he sucked your clit back into his heated mouth, his tongue flicking over the throbbing pink nub as the orgasm rushed through you.  

You felt his hungry moan vibrate against your heat as you rode out your orgasm on his talented tongue.  Just as the pleasure was starting to ebb Jensen drove two thick fingers into your still quivering core.  The sudden invasion into your clutching pussy caused a gasp of air to leave your lips as his fingers immediately curved to find your sweet spot. Jensen feasted on your throbbing clit with renewed fervor as his fingers set a hard fast rhythm that made you see stars.  Your eyes snapped open wide as new waves of ecstasy cascaded over you. This release stronger than the last as you shattered under him, clawing at the sheets while your body went rigid and you bathed his hand and chin in a gush of slick.  

“Fuck I love it when you squirt all over me baby.” Jensen moaned as he rose to kneel between your spread thighs.  His chin glistening with your release but still his fingers did not stop.  He watched your body jerk and spasm against the bed as he continued to pump his thick digits into your sopping wet pussy. The wet squelching sounds pornographic as his hand slapped against your center.  Your moans grew higher in pitch and your hips bucked to meet his hand as his fingers pistoned faster and harder until you almost screamed at the stimulation as another flood of juices expelled from your clutching core to coat his hand and wrist.  

“So fucking hot baby.” Jensen moaned as he let his fingers slide from you pussy.  Your hips bucked and you grunted as he gave your dripping cunt a playful slap.    

Jensen gave you no time to come down from your high before his hands gripped under your knees once more and he brought your legs up to drape your calves over his broad shoulders. He bent your body in half, your thighs pressing to your breasts as he lifted your hips completely off the bed while he lead the head of his cock to your slippery cunt. With a grunt filling his throat and a quick snap of his hips he sank fully into you with one thrust.  

The air was punched from your lungs as he filled you so full.  Your walls burned at the stretch of his meaty cock ripping into you.  Jensen planted his hands on either side of you as he began a barrage of hard slow thrusts.  His cock stroked every sensitive spot inside your velvet walls as he pulled back almost painfully slow just to drive into you forcefully.  

The pressure building low in your body made your pussy clench and flutter around his cock as he took you deep. The swollen thick head of his cock slamming into the soft sponge of your cervix with every thrust.  The pain mixed with pleasure until you were calling his name like your personal mantra as you rushed toward release once more.

“That’s it baby. Cum on my cock. Show Daddy how good he makes you feel.” Jensen grunted from above you. His hips snapped harder, his speed increasing as your nails  bit into his forearms and your pussy clamped around his throbbing cock as the orgasm took you.  Your vision blurred as you convulsed under him in pleasure.

“Fuck yes babygirl.” Jensen praised. He sat back on his heels then with his cock still buried inside your quivering heat. He let your legs fall around his waist before he began to drive back into you with renewed force. He picked up speed, his hips smashing mercilessly into your own over and over again.

“Yes Daddy, yes.” You panted as his cock pushed and pulled through your gripping walls.  His balls slapped against your rounded ass with every thrust. Your pussy so slick with your own cum that it dripped from his rigid shaft.  

“So wet baby, so fucking tight.” Jensen groaned before his lips crashed to yours. He drank down your moans as he filled you repeatedly.  

Your body began to tense once more as his rampage continued.  The stimulation becoming too much as your body raced to yet another release.

“Fuck Jensen, I can’t.” You cried out as your pussy tightened around his cock once again.

“Yes you can baby.” Jensen grunted.  “Cum for me again Y/n. Cum now.”  He was relentless with the snaps of his hips, driving into you at a maddening pace.  Your eyes shut tight and you screamed his name once more as your body broke under him.

He fucked you through your orgasm. The feel of you cumming around his cock, cumming because of him spurred him on.  His hips began bucking almost violently into you like he was trying to fuck away any remnants of the other man from your body. His arms kept you caged in, one fist planted at your side as his other hand tangled in your hair as it fanned out around your head. He used his grip to keep your body from sliding away from him as he pounded into your harder and faster as an animalistic grunt rumbled up through his chest and his own orgasm tore through him but still he didn’t stop.

“Fuck, one more baby girl. One. Fucking. More.” He snapped his hips to emphasize each word and you screamed with the over stimulation.  

You wanted to beg him to stop and beg him to keep going all at the same time.  He drove into you over and over until your body went rigid under him and your lips parted as a wordless cry echoed in the room. Your vision went white with the force of your climax, your back arched off the bed at an almost unnatural curve as you spilled hot sweet juices over his cock and against his thighs.  His hips faltered then and he thrust once more splattering your slick against the both of you, your hot juices dripping from his balls.  

“Good girl.” He breathed raggedly.  “Fuck such a good girl.”

Your body shook under him, your heart racing, and your breaths coming in gasps.  Jensen peppered your sweat covered face in soft kisses as he continued to murmur soft praises.  He gently stroked the damp strands of hair away from your face before rolling you both over to your sides.  He pulled your trembling body tight against his own. His strong arms wrapping you up as he tangled his legs together with yours.  It was like he wanted your entire body touching his own.

You were limp against him. Your entire body felt boneless as he held you.  He kissed your forehead and then the top of your head gently.  His rough hands slowly caressed your heated skin until your shaking subsided.  

“You okay babygirl?”

A soft contented hum was your only response earning you a chuckle from Jensen.  

Jensen placed another tender kiss to your forehead.  “Don’t ever think I don’t want you baby.” He spoke softly against the top of your head.  “Nothing could ever make me stop wanting you.”  

You snuggled your body closer to his and his arm tightened around you until you were completely cocooned in his warmth. “I’m never going to let anyone else touch you ever again.”

“What about Jare?” You spoke against the soft skin of his throat.

Jensen’s chest rumbled softly with his chuckle. “Jared is different so don’t worry your pretty little head about that. I won’t take him away from you.”

“I love you Daddy.” You whispered sleepily as you smiled and buried your face in the curve of his neck as sleep claimed you.

***************************** You stepped out of your trailer, ready to head back to set after taking a break while they set up the next scene. The smile that graced your features fell as you turned the corner and ran into a solid wall of flesh.  

“Careful beautiful.” Norman grinned down at you as he caught you by your arms to keep you from stumbling backwards.  

“Norm, uh, what are you doing here?” You looked up at him before glancing around nervously.  If Jensen saw him here it was not going to be good.  

“I’ve been trying to call and text ya but ya haven’t been answering so I thought I would stop by.  I’m heading back to Atlanta today.”  Norman let his hands linger as they slowly slid down your arms.  

“Oh, yeah, people have been blowing my phone up the last couple of days since those pictures came out so I just turned it off.” You frowned up at him.  

“Yeah, sorry about that. I never noticed anyone taking those pictures. Don’t know where they came from.” Norman shrugged his shoulders. “Guess that probably didn’t go over too well with Jensen huh?”

Norman had his answer before you even had a chance to speak. The heavy thud of boots stalking toward you both was the only warning before a strong hand gripped Norman’s shoulder and spun him around. You barely had a chance to call out Jensen’s name before he had pulled his arm back and landed a hard blow to Norman’s jaw.  

Norman stumbled back in surprise and pain. His hand moved to cup the side of his face. “What the fuck?” Norman groaned.  

Jensen cocked his arm back again but it was caught by Jared who was suddenly at his side.  Jensen struggled in Jared’s grip but luckily the taller man was able to hold him back.

“You are a piece of shit Reedus.” Jensen spat angrily.  

Norman rubbed his aching jaw as he glared back at the man. “Well aint that the fucking pot calling the kettle black.” He scoffed.

Jensen was too enraged at seeing Norman to even register his remark. “You get off on getting girls black out drunk and taking advantage of them huh? Is that your thing? That the only way you can get laid?” Jensen scowled.

Norman rolled his eyes. “Please, I didn’t need to get her drunk. She wanted me plenty while she was sober.”

“Bullshit.” Jensen shouted as he began to struggle in Jared‘s grip trying to get at Norman. “She would have never fucking touched you if you hadn’t gotten her shitfaced.”

Jared held Jensen tighter. “You can’t do this here Ackles.” Jared growled as he looked around nervously to see if the ruckus had drawn any attention from the crew.

“You know what, fuck you man.” Norman took a step toward him his finger poking Jensen in the chest. “She wanted it and I gave it to her.  You’re just pissed off because I can the let the whole fucking world know I was with her that night but you gotta hide away your little secret.”

Jensen’s eyes went wide and his jaw clenched. He had stopped fighting Jared to get at the other man and Jared eased his hold but stood close to his side in case Jensen lunged again.  

“Yeah I fucking know everything.” Norman smirked as he ended the silent staring contest between the two of them. “But don’t fucking worry I promised Y/n I would keep my mouth shut and because I care about what happens to her I will.”  

“Yeah you care so much about her that’s why you fucking raped her huh?” Jensen’s voice was low and threatening.

Norman’s eyes narrowed and the anger flared across his face. “Fuck you.” He yelled at Jensen as he lunged forward. Jensen moved at the same time but Jared was quicker stepping between the two men as they tried to get at each other. “I never raped anyone jackass.”

“Stop it both of you.” Jared yelled over the men as they cursed at each other.  “Neither of you want to do this here.”

Jensen was panting as he slowly took a step back. He didn’t move and didn’t speak for a moment, his eyes darting between you and Norman before finally settling on the shorter man. “Just stay the fuck away from her Reedus. I don’t ever want to see you around her again. Next time there might not be someone here to hold me back.”

Norman glared at Jensen from around Jared where he stood with one hand on each man’s chest. Finally Norman’s shoulders slumped as he took his own step backward.

Norman shook his head.  “She deserves better Ackles, better than your sorry ass.”  Norman cast a glance back over his shoulder at you, his eyes meeting your now tear-filled gaze. “See ya around beautiful.”  He gave you a half hearted smile before walking away.  

The three of you watched Norman walk off before Jensen turned his moss green eyes to you.  The frown on his face deepened as he saw the tears streak down your cheeks.  

“It’s okay now baby.  It’s over.” He was quickly at your side hugging you tight against his chest. “Everything is okay.  I’m not mad at you.  It’s not your fault. None of this is your fault.”  He gently stroked your hair as he held you close until your soft sniffles stopped.  

Jared’s fears were confirmed by the time you all boarded a plane home that evening, someone from the crew or maybe even a visitor, had posted pictures of the fight to the internet.  Of course tabloid sites and the like ran with it.  Fortunately for you and Jensen every article you found on the scuffle dubbed Jensen the “over protective brother-in-law” with no mentions of the possibility of a romantic connection between the two of you.

You, Jared, and Jensen were getting phone calls wanting comments on the photos and Jensen’s publicist had contacted him to see how he wanted to handle it.  He had told her that he didn’t want to comment on it all and you all followed his lead.  You just hoped that Norman would keep his work and not comment on it either. If none of you talked about it then maybe it would go away sooner than later.  

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