#oh how i want them to talk it out clearly

[bytemee]

HOUSE OF BALLOONS — YU JIMIN.

“you're in my world now, you can stay, you can stay. but you belong to me, ooh, you belong to me."

synopsis. karina wasn’t used to sharing. seeing you laugh with someone else? that didn’t sit right with her.

pairing. mean!sorority!karina x loser!gp!reader

warning(s). 18+ (smut), g!p reader, pet names (she calls u puppy like it’s ur name), unprotected sex, p in v, jealous!karina, dom!karina, sub!reader and bad writing ahaa...

words. 1.6k

authors note. i could go for a chipotle burrito but damn do they be taxing

karina was used to having all eyes on her. she was the kind of girl who walked into a room and made everyone else feel like background noise. and you—shy, awkward, always fumbling over your words—were her favorite plaything.

it wasn’t like you were dating. she just liked keeping you close, liked the way you turned red when she got too close, and liked knowing that you’d drop everything the second she called.

but tonight, you weren’t where you were supposed to be.

she had invited you to the party—expected you to hover near her like always, expected you to wait for her to give you attention. but instead, you were downstairs, sitting on the couch, laughing at something some random girl said.

karina didn’t like that.

she watched from across the room, arms crossed, lips pursed, as she saw the way you were smiling—actually smiling—in front of someone else.

when the girl leaned in a little too close, touching your arm, something snapped.

before you even realized what was happening, karina was in front of you, slipping between you and the girl with a sickly sweet smile.

"oh, i see you’ve met my little puppy," she said smoothly, tilting her head. "careful with this one. she gets nervous around new people.”

you were about to open your mouth to say something then she sat down on your lap, draping her arms over your shoulders. you swallowed hard, your face going pink, completely caught off guard.

karina had always been shameless with her teasing, but this—this was different. she was staking a claim, making sure everyone in the room knew exactly who you belonged to.

the girl you had been talking to gave an awkward laugh, clearly unsure of what to do now that karina had inserted herself into the situation.

"uh, i was just—"

"leaving?" karina finished for her, still smiling, though it was obvious she wanted her gone.

the girl hesitated, looking between the two of you before mumbling some excuse and disappearing into the crowd.

you barely had a second to process what just happened before karina’s fingers were suddenly in your hair, twirling a loose strand between her fingers as she leaned in even closer.

your eyes widened, your face burning up under the intense stare she was giving you. you swallowed thickly, your hands gripping the couch, unsure of where else to put them.

and then, just when you thought she couldn't get any closer, she did, her lips brushing against your ear. "don't look so surprised, puppy."

she pulled away just enough to look into your eyes again. then she got up from your lap, smoothing out her skirt before grabbing your hand and pulling you upstairs, away from all the prying eyes.

and you let her.

karina didn’t waste a second. she shoved you into the first empty room she found, kicking the door shut behind her before pinning you against the wall.

it didn’t matter whether you were hers in name—because in every way that counted, you were. and tonight, she was making sure everyone knew it.

her lips crashed against yours, rough and claiming, like she had something to prove. and maybe she did. maybe she needed to remind you exactly where you belonged.

karina was a damn good kisser, and the longer she kissed you, the harder it got to stand on your own. your fingers curled into her shirt, clinging to her for support, a quiet gasp slipping past your lips.

she loved this. loved how easily she could pull you apart, how simple it was to make you forget everything but her.

when she finally pulled away, a thin strand of saliva still connected you for a brief second before it snapped, leaving you breathless. your head spun, your lips swollen, and you just stood there, waiting—because she was the one in control, and you both knew it.

her nails raked across your skin, making their way under your shirt, and you bit your lip, trying to hold back a moan.

"you don't want anyone else, do you, hm?" she asked, her voice low and soft. she leaned in again, her lips brushing against your jaw, the gentle touch a sharp contrast to the way her nails dug into your hips.

you shook your head quickly, your heart racing in your chest, because no, no, you only wanted her. you only ever wanted her.

karina hummed, satisfied, her grip tightening just enough to make you gasp. "good," she murmured, "because i don't like sharing."

her teeth grazed your skin, and your breath hitched, fingers twitching where they hovered uncertainly at your sides. you wanted to touch her, wanted to pull her closer, but you knew better than to move without permission.

she noticed, of course she did, and it made her smirk against your throat. "what is it, puppy?" she taunted. "you want to touch me?"

you nodded, swallowing hard. "please," you whispered, barely able to get the word out.

karina pulled back just enough to look at you, tilting her head like she was considering it. her fingers trailed up your sides before she finally grabbed your wrists and guided your hands under her skirt until your fingers brushed against her underwear.

"there," she breathed out. "is that what you wanted?"

she was so wet, and the thought that she was this turned on because of you—because she was claiming you as her own—made you whine, the sound almost desperate.

"karina," you pleaded, the bulge in your pants growing more uncomfortable by the second.

karina's smirk widened. "you want me to touch you?" she asked, her breath hot against your ear.

you nodded frantically, still unable to form words, too overwhelmed by desire to do anything except obey.

"use your words." karina's grip tightened on your wrists.

"please," you whimpered, voice shaking. "please, touch me, i need you."

she hummed, satisfied. "that's what i like to hear."

and then her fingers were working at the buttons of your jeans, her other hand reaching under your shirt, sliding up your stomach before pressing against it to push you onto the bed, her lips finding yours in a searing kiss that left you breathless.

"karina," you moaned. "i—fuck..."

she didn't waste any time. as soon as you were flat on the bed, she crawled on top of you, straddling your waist, grinding against your thigh as her fingers wrapped around your cock.

karina chuckled, clearly amused by your reaction. "you're so sensitive," she purred, her hand moving slowly, teasingly.

you whimpered, your hips moving involuntarily. you were starting to unravel, quickly losing control. karina knew it, and she loved it.

"is this what you wanted, puppy?" she asked, her lips brushing against your neck. "you like it when i touch you like this?"

all you could manage was a ragged moan in response.

her hand moved faster, sending a shock through your system, and you threw your head back, eyes squeezing shut. it felt so fucking good, and you couldn't think, couldn't speak, could only let her do whatever she wanted.

then suddenly she stopped.

your eyes snapped open, and you let out a whine, desperate for more.

karina ignored you, instead pulling her underwear down, kicking it to the side before she straddled your waist again, lining herself up with your cock.

her hands pressed against your chest for balance as she started to move, rolling her hips at an excruciatingly slow pace.

you groaned, your fingers digging into the sheets, trying to keep yourself from just taking over and flipping your positions. you knew that would just earn you a sharp slap and a scolding, something that you would much rather avoid.

karina leaned down, hovering her underwear above your mouth, a wicked glint in her eyes.

"open up," she commanded.

you obeyed, and she stuffed the fabric into your mouth. it tasted like her, and the thought of that alone made you twitch inside her.

your hands moved to grip her thighs, fingers pressing into the soft skin, holding her steady as she rocked her hips.

she let out a breathy moan as you tightened your grip on her. "fuck," she panted, her breaths coming in short gasps. "just like that."

you tried to say something, but all that came out was muffled by the underwear she had shoved into your mouth. karina smirked, her pace increasing, the heat in her core growing stronger, spreading through her body. she threw her head back, a few strands of hair sticking to her forehead.

"fuck," she groaned. "i'm gonna cum."

she could feel it building, her walls clenching around you, and she knew she was close. she knew the sight of her falling apart would send you over the edge, too, and that's what she wanted, needed, craved.

her grip tightened, nails digging into your chest, her breathing erratic, her hips rocking faster, harder. she was right there, teetering on the edge, and then finally, she toppled over.

"fuck!" she cried out, her orgasm ripping through her, her legs trembling.

the moment she started to come undone, so did you, unable to hold back any longer; you groaned into the underwear, your head thrown back, your spine arching off the mattress, thrusting your hips upwards as you came.

your hands held her in place, gripping her thighs so hard they would leave marks, but neither of you cared.

karina slumped against you, her chest heaving, her face buried in the crook of your neck. she was panting, trying to catch her breath, and you could feel the rapid beat of her heart against your skin.

after a few moments, she pulled away, sitting back on your lap, a satisfied smile on her face. she reached forward and slowly pulled the underwear out of your mouth, her gaze fixed on you, taking in the aftermath of what she had done to you.

"mmm, looks like my puppy is satisfied."

you blinked, trying to clear the haze from your mind, but all you could focus on was the sight of her sitting on top of you, the mess dripping down her thighs, her cheeks flushed and her lips swollen.

she looked so perfect.

"do you understand now?" she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice. "no one else gets to touch you like this. no one but me."

you nodded, still unable to find your words.

"good," she purred, leaning in and kissing you, soft and gentle, a stark contrast to how she had been before.

[ts-janus-rp-blog]

"Didn't want you to?" Remus snorted, "well, sucks to be him, huh? It's a good thing you didn't, I bet he would've hurt you if you did... And yeah, probably. Really? You don't mind your body?" Remus nodded, "I thought you would've, if I'm being honest. You pass so well that I thought you would've hated your body. I don't mind it either, whatever you're happy with then I'm happy with. I just...wanted you to know that you don't have to keep this body if you don't want to. I'm happy with anything." He smiled to him, then he worked his way back up to start washing the blood off of his neck. "I really have made quite a number of bruises on your neck... We better talk to Patton before he freaks out about this."

"Hm, I doubt that would work... I mean, he won't believe you if you call him. Even if you get Roman to call him and tell him directly that he's safe and happy, I doubt he would believe it. I mean, you can try... But that's just my opinion." The man shrugged, "Yeah? Alright, I'll send him a few dogs with a note. Mhm... Well, he clearly likes dogs, judging by Janus, so I think dogs may be the best bet. I'll get on that right away." The man grabbed a pencil and started writing that down on his notes.

"Oh, also, I have something else to report, talking about Remus... So, one of the boys mentioned that they've been keeping tabs on their ex. This ex lives close to Remus, and he used to be Remus therapist. He also is friends with Roman. But neither of them has spoken to this ex for some time. However, as of recently, after you finally got Roman, he's been spending an awfully long time with Remus all of a sudden. He's got some cameras set up inside of his ex house, and this is what he's caught." The man pulled out his phone, and he hit a few buttons. Finally, he presented the phone to Virgil, it was a live feed of Remus and Emile in the shower, and how they were giggling and moaning. "There's feed of them having sex too. Remus cares so much about his brother that he's having sex with someone he hasn't talked to in years instead of searching for his missing brother. That's horrible, don't you think?"

"Oh? He actually wore that and didn't complain? Huh, I thought he would've complained. I bet he looked quite adorable in it! Did you take any pictures of him? I would love to see it! Oh, I'm sure you made that clear amongst the boys, I heard them chatting about how they would love a piece of roman but they cant. Wow! And he let you do that?" The man chuckled, "I bet that was incredibly hot. Have you had sex with him yet? Do you think he's going to get pregnant anytime soon?"

"Hm... Well, that's another matter I wanted to talk to you about. I feel that the mutt is a liability. He may be working on getting out, or be Romans voice of reason. And we can't have that. I do understand that it makes Roman happy, so I agree that he should stay. However..." The man smirked as he opened his file and slid it over to Virgil. "I have an idea... I've been really interested in doing this experiment, but the opportunity hasn't presented itself yet. This is the perfect opportunity." He grinned, "Why don't we turn Janus into a stuffed animal? He won't be able to talk, he won't be able to get into Romans head, and he won't be able to help Roman escape. Hell just be a little plush toy that Roman can hold and feel comforted by. Now... Obviously, Roman would feel distressed to find his friend has turned into a plushie. But, I can manipulate Romans memories to make him think that his plushie has always been that, a plushie." He sipped.

Patton knocked desperately at the strangers door, praying someone, anyone was home. His heart beat as fast and loud as the rain thundering against the sidewalk. He was sure he was being followed, they were going to catch him. They were going to drag him back. He wasn't sure if whoever lived here might be worse, but he was willing to risk it at this point. Anything to escape.

{@moralpuppylover2}

Janus didn't know who would be at the door. It was late, but his master won't surely be home at this time. He normally doesn't get home until the sun starts to come up.

So, as the dog hybrid walked up to the door and opened it, he wondered who it could be. And if he should open it at all... Who knows, he may get in trouble with his master for opening the door. But, his curiosity was getting the better of him-

He stopped when he saw the soaking wet cat standing at the doorway. He could tell that this cat needed help almost immediately. Well, if his poor state of clothes were anything to go by. His eyes flickered up and down the sidewalk before he grabbed pattons arm and pulled him inside.

"are you alright?" Janus nervously asked as he grabbed a towel from the mud room. "Well, that's a stupid question, of course you're not alright! Are you...running away from your owners?" As Janus walked, the collar around his neck would jingle loudly. And even though it was cold outside and even in the house, he only had a pair of boxers on. Because of that, Patton would be able to see the numerous large scars that covered his body...and the countless amounts of fresh bruises.

@moralpuppylover2

[buryhny]

One Night Stand ; 44 ⋆.

➥ rundown ; as if the unexpected twist of a one-night stand turning out to be your CEO boss wasn't surreal enough, the situation takes a more challenging turn when both of you discover that you're expecting his child.

→ genre ; enemies to lovers | CEO au | pregnancy trope | slowburn

☆ jungkook x y/n ☆ contains smut, fluff and angst ☆ chapter forty four ; wc | 8.8k

primarily on Wattpad

index ⇢ next chapter

Jungkook comes home looking totally wiped out, his eyes half-closed and barely able to stay open. He starts heading upstairs, probably thinking about a shower to relax. But that's not gonna work for your plan. You rush to stop him, not even sure what you're about to say. Whatever it is, it better not make him suspicious and mess everything up.

"Jungkook!" you yell, maybe a little too loudly-okay, it's more like a scream. He freezes, spinning around with wide eyes, looking genuinely freaked out. "What's wrong?" he asks, his voice full of worry, clearly not expecting you to shout like that.

"Uh..." you blink multiple times, looking around the living room, trying to scramble to find words, your mind racing. "Yeah?" Jungkook prompts, his tone soft and curious, a yawn slipping from his lips as he steps closer to you. "Like... um, I was thinking..." you stammer, your voice faltering as you try to piece together a coherent sentence.

He nods patiently, encouraging you to go on. "Maybe we could spend some time at the pool...?" you finally suggest, a nervous smile spreading across your face as you bite your lip, unsure of how he'll respond. He raises his eyebrows at your question, a soft sigh leaving his lips as he thinks about it. "Baby, I'm... tired, and as much as I'd love to spend t-"

"Pleaseeeee!" you whine. You really, really want this surprise to work, and it's just a matter of 3 hours. You hope you can keep him awake till then. You're gonna give your everything to make this work. Jungkook's eyes roam over your face, noticing how badly you want this-how much you want him to spend time with you. And honestly, he does too. Probably even more than you. But he's so drained, he feels like he could pass out any second.

You grab his hand, giving it a little squeeze, and hit him with your best puppy eyes. He glances at the hazel in them and feels himself softening instantly. With a quiet sigh, he thinks maybe he should give in. Just for a little while. For you. "Alright-" "Yay!" you mutter like a child, and he can't stop smiling at how cute you look and sound when you talk like a kid. "Can we go now, please?" He nods and walks with you as you drag him with his hand in yours.

"What about our clothes?" "We can get them later, come on." You both discard your clothes and place them on the chair. Jungkook gets in first, his body finding relief in the warm water of the pool. He helps you get inside, carefully. You both pick the corner and settle there. "I wish the water was slightly warmer," you say and play around for a bit. "Well... it can be,"

he gets closer to you and gives you a back hug. His warmth radiates to you, and you moan in relief. "Oh my god, how are you always so warm?!" He chuckles at this, placing his head on the crook of your neck, he softly sighs in pleasure. "It's not a good thing, you know? I'm always drenched in sweat." You play with his fingers, humming at his words, lightly tracing your fingers over his.

"I don't care. It's perfect right now," you murmur, leaning back against him. His warmth feels comforting, especially with the extra strain on your body lately. Jungkook's lips brush against your shoulder, not quite a kiss, just a gentle touch that makes you shiver despite the heat radiating from him. "You're always so dramatic," he teases softly, his voice low but playful.

You twist slightly in his arms, careful of your bump as you face him. "Oh, come on. You like it," you shoot back with a small smirk, poking his chest. He grins, his eyes softening as they flicker down to your belly for a moment before meeting yours again. "Yeah, I do," he says, his hand moving to rest over yours where it cradles your bump.

"You and the little one make everything better. Even when I'm dead tired." Your heart clenches, and you blink up at him, warmth flooding through you. "Jungkook..." But before you can say more, he shifts slightly, dipping you both just a bit deeper into the water. You squeal, gripping his shoulders tightly. "Careful! What if-" He laughs, the sound light and carefree, cutting you off.

"Relax. I've got you," he reassures, holding you steady, his other hand instinctively resting protectively over your belly. "Always." You smile and almost blush at his words. You love how he's so protective, even if he barely shows it, you know it's there, and it makes the butterflies inside you flutter around. The bond between him and the baby is just fine, and you know after tonight, it's gonna be better, better than ever and better than what you both have too.

Jungkook has made his mind; he's gonna ask you a few questions today, and he's not gonna back out. He needs answers to them, and he also wants to tell you about the conversation he had with your mother. You've got the right to know, he wants you to tell him your point of view. The night is so nice, calm, and chill. The water is just warm, and having you beside him is everything he needs. It's quiet, and since you're not facing Jungkook,

you don't know what he's doing. You assume he must be asleep since it's been a really long time, and he's too... quiet. But he's not. He's deep in his thoughts while his fingers play with yours. You're worried about the time. Your eyes keep looking at the clock, and time is so fucking slow. Why is it just 11pm? There's an hour more to waste! If Jungkook decides to go to his room and you can't find any excuses, you're just gonna let the surprise begin.

Jungkook thinks that this might be the best time to ask. It's quiet, the both of you are close. Should he speak? On the other hand, you don't want this surprise to be... too much of a surprise. Whatever you have planned can be too much to consume, and even though you're ready for everything, is he? Should you make things easy and slow? "Y/n-"

"Jungkook-" The both of you speak at the exact time, and it's left you both in a giggly mess. Since he's got his hands wrapped around you, your body jiggles when you laugh, and it's goddamn cute when not just your boobs but your bump is bouncing too. "Fine, you go first," he says, and you shake your head, gesturing him to go first. "Ladies first! So you tell me."

You chuckle and nod. You turn to face him, hands wrapping around his neck. He looks so good with his hand down and wet. His arms flex as he wraps them around your waist, while his eyes look at yours and dive in. "I was thinking..." you begin. Your fingers push his hair away from reaching his eyes, and he already feels something. You take a deep breath.

Your eyes don't leave his, and his don't leave yours. It's like you both know what's coming next, and you're anticipating it. "You were thinking...?" He murmurs softly as you bite the inside of your cheek. "I was thinking... maybe we should give ourselves a name?" you say, your voice hesitant. He knows exactly what you mean-he's been waiting to bring it up too. His eyes brighten at your question, and he fights back the urge to grin widely.

"I've been thinking about that too," he admits. "Have you?" you reply, your tone anything but ordinary. It's not direct or loud; instead, it's soft and teasing, each word drawn out with a sensual lilt. Your fingernails lightly graze his skin, and the smile you give him is completely different-teasing, playful, and way too much for him to handle right now.

"So... what are we now?" you ask, your tone making his stomach churn. He feels like he's spiraling. He didn't expect this, not when you're both stuck in the pool, the cold night air biting at his skin, and your touch making him shiver for entirely different reasons. Oh, and he really needs to pee. "This is so bad," he mumbles under his breath. "Bad?" you repeat,

raising an eyebrow, obviously amused by his misery. He tries to focus, forcing himself to meet your gaze. "I mean... aren't we already a lot? Do you really think we're stuck in some teenage hormone kind of thing?" You burst out laughing, and he swears it's both humiliating and endearing at the same time. "Obviously not," you say, shaking your head.

He relaxes-just a little-but the way your eyes soften keeps him on edge. Because you're both definitely not in that giddy, first-love phase anymore, but you're also not in that really old, comfortable stage either. You both still feel the butterflies... a lot.

"I don't think I love the idea of calling you my girlfriend..." This offends you, visibly. Jungkook sees the frown sitting on your forehead when he says it, but he didn't mean it that way. The lines on your forehead deepen, and he swears he wants to hug you and tell you that he's so sorry.

He fucking loves the idea of calling you anything! Girlfriend? It's nothing! You attempt to push him away, which then breaks his avatar, cause he immediately pulls you back to him and gives you a big hug, laughing inside your neck. "Leave me!" "I'm "I'm sorry, baby, that was not what I meant!" "You're mean! Leave-leave me!"

You try to pull away from him, but his grip is too tight that you can't do anything but punch his arms and chest with all your might. "Darling..." He cups your face and looks at you, admiring you. The pout, those eyes, the wet cheeks, and hair. Fuck. His eyes bore into yours, like he's giving his soul to you when he says this,

"The girlfriend tag is too boring for someone as special as you. You're my world. You're the stars that light up my dark sky, the running waves that bring life to my plain oceans, you're the warmth to my coldest nights, the melody to my quiet moments, and the spark that keeps me alive. You're not just a part of my life-you're the reason it all makes sense."

He whispers. Your heart stops-not in the metaphorical sense, but literally. Your breathing deepens, matching his, as though the air itself has grown scarce. It feels like neither of you can breathe on your own, drawing life instead from the soft exhales shared between you.

You thought you could only ever find these words in books and movies, but here you are, standing so close in front of this man, who's uttering each and every word for you, which seems like it's taken out of a Shakespeare poem, and he expects you to... take it in? Heck, you can't even believe your ears. So, Mr. Jeon is not only a CEO, he's also a poet?

"Jungkook-come with me." You don't say anything, you don't give an answer to his words, neither do you recite a poem of your own for him. You tap his shoulder, only saying one thing, "Come with me." He doesn't understand why you didn't give him any reaction. He wanted to kiss you and-just spill everything out, but here he is, helping you out of the pool and getting out himself.

"Towel-" He hands you one and you wrap it around yourself, holding his hand, pulling him with you. He's confused, yet he walks with you, following you like a puppy. After his confession, you don't think you can keep it all to yourself now, whatever the time it is, you're showing him your surprise, you're confessing and doing everything that's planned because you. can. not. wait.

"Y/N, slow down-" He doesn't want you to slip on the stairs, especially with water trailing down your body as you hurry up. You lead him to his room and stop in front of the door. He watches you, puzzled. "There's something I want to show you..."

you say, and he nods, though the crease in his forehead remains as he studies you. Your eyes flick between his, and you keep licking your lips in anticipation-something he definitely notices. His head tilts slightly, skepticism flickering in his dark eyes.

"And I want to tell you... a lot." The crease between his brows deepens, almost ridiculously so, as if he's trying to solve a puzzle only you understand. You inhale, steadying yourself. This is it-you think as you take a deep breath.

"Is everything okay? Are you-" "Shut up..." you whisper under your breath, not wanting him to ruin the moment with worry. You're so nervous, God, you don't want to mess this up. You open the door and walk inside, gesturing for him to wait. The room is dark, the lights haven't been turned on yet as it's waiting for you to do the honors.

"Y/N..." He calls you out as you disappear, then you turn on the light in the count of 1... 2... 3. "Happy birthday... to you..." You walk towards him with a cake in your hands, candles lit up, and there you come, wearing a silky robe in a rich mauve color.

"Happy... birthday to you..." you whisper-sing as you walk closer to him. The curved gold candles and the black icing covering the heart-shaped cake are so close to him right now. He's standing right in front of it, his eyes don't believe what he sees, his face carries no expressions.

You hold his hand and bring him inside the room that has been decorated in red, rose petals sitting on the bed, the floor, and every couch of the room. He had never thought he would come home to this someday. "Make a wish..." you mumble, biting hard on the insides of your cheeks because you can see how taken aback Jungkook is.

He looks like he's going to cry, and you love that. He looks at the cake, closes his eyes, and makes a wish before he blows on the candles, and the fire vanishes away.

"This cake is no ordinary birthday cake..." you begin.

"This has something really special inside." Jungkook swallows a lump in his throat as he listens to you, he can feel it in his veins, he knows what it is...

"Here... cut it." You set the cake down on the petal-covered ground, your fingers trembling slightly as you reach for Jungkook's hand, guiding him to sit beside you. The mix of anxiety and excitement is nearly overwhelming, but you force yourself to stay composed. The silence between you is thick, heavy, and it unsettles you-because the last thing you want is for him to cry.

"Go on-" you begin, but he cuts you off.

"We do this together," he murmurs, pushing the knife aside. Instead, he reaches for the two glasses on the counter. You watch as he picks them up, his movements deliberate. Of course, you can't drink whiskey, so you made sure to have a bottle of soda just to match the mood. And now, here he is, bringing both drinks over so you can cut the cake together, side by side.

He takes a deep breath as he looks at you, his eyes flicker to your bump, then the cake. The goosebumps on his skin rise and he can't word this, but he's so over the moon to know what's inside the cake. You both squeeze each other's hands tight, shutting your eyes as you flip the glasses upside down and press them into the black-iced cake.

The glass slides in so easily, sinking all the way down. Your breaths are heavy, the moment thick with anticipation-until a small giggle slips from you. And then, his does too. Slowly, you pull the glasses out.

"Ready..." you whisper. "Yeah," he mumbles, and you both open your eyes. But before you even get a good look at the color, you hear the glass slip from his hands, crashing onto the floor. Then, in the blink of an eye, Jungkook throws himself at you, arms wrapping around you so tight you almost topple over. He's crying. No-he's full-on sobbing, holding you like he never wants to let go.

"Oh my god-oh my god-" he keeps chanting, voice all wobbly and breathless. You laugh, confused as hell. "Jungkook, wait-let me see the color! I didn't even-"

"It's a girl!" he practically yells. "It's a fucking girl! Oh my god-I think I'm gonna pass out-" His grip on you tightens, face buried in your shoulder as he shakes with emotion.

You blink, still processing, because out of all the reactions you expected from him... this was definitely not one of them. He's crying, a river. He's unable to breathe, his nose and ears are red, his cheeks are so pink, the tears flow down so much, it's... it's overwhelming.

They don't just fall-they pour, soaking his cheeks, dripping onto your skin, his breaths coming out in these choked, uneven gasps like he can't even get enough air. His nose is red, his ears too, and his cheeks are flushed such a deep pink that it almost looks like he's feverish. He's crying a river. An ocean. A storm that won't stop.

You feel his fingers digging into your back, clutching at you like he's afraid you'll slip away. His whole body is shaking, his chest heaving against yours as he tries-fails-to catch his breath.

"I-" He tries to speak, but his voice breaks apart, shattering into another sob. He pulls back just enough to look at you, and god-his eyes. They're glistening, glassy, completely drowned in tears, but they're also filled with something so raw, so devastatingly pure, that it steals the breath from your lungs.

Your eyes search his face, unable to grasp his reaction because it's just not what you expected. You laugh at his reaction because it's too emotional to handle.

"You-" He swallows hard, his lips trembling, his entire face contorted with emotion. "You don't get it... you don't even get it," he chokes out, shaking his head, his fingers tightening against you like you're the only thing keeping him grounded.

You cup his face, wiping at his tears, but they don't stop. They won't. "Jungkook," you whisper, feeling your own throat tighten, your own eyes sting. He lets out this wet, broken laugh, his forehead falling against your shoulder as he grips you even harder. "She's real," he whispers against your skin, voice trembling, words barely even there.

"She's real, and she's ours." And just like that, your own tears spill over.

You nod at his words, his palms hold yours that cup his face, as he leans to place a kiss on it.

"She's ours..."

You whisper and place your forehead on his. Both of your tears mix as they fall on your bump. She's real, she's yours, and she's his. She's everything you both didn't want to, owning the two of your worlds.

Jungkook places his palm on your tummy, rubbing it, feeling it. He just can't believe you're carrying his little girl, his child, his baby, his family. You wipe away his tears, admiring his rosy face. He looks adorable—you could kiss and cuddle him all night long, but you've planned something else. And as much as you would love to talk about the little girl all night long, you don't want to forget about his birthday gift.

"Jungkook..." you call his name, and he looks at you like a lost pup. "Don't you want your birthday gift?" "I thought this was—" "This is one of them. The real one's... right there." You present yourself to him, and his lips part before he cracks up into laughter.

"No, you're not—" "I am the gift, it's me!" The both of you laugh together. "But aren't you tired—" "Jungkook..." Your tone shifts, the playfulness fading, and he sees it immediately. His smile falters just slightly, his eyes scanning your face. "Don't worry about me. I just want to give you the best birthday I could, and... I really wanna do this for you. I think I can feel it. As I'm getting closer to the due date, I can feel it being different now and—"

"We don't have to—" "I want to do this!" You cut him off, your voice soft but firm. "I'm just telling you that since it might get difficult later, I want to have all the sex I can tonight, and the best excuse is it being your birthday." you chuckle, and the sound is light, playful, easing the tension. He laughs too, shaking his head, the weight of the moment softened by the humor between you.

"You're crazy, you know that?" But there's warmth in his eyes, a kind of understanding that goes beyond the words, as if he knows exactly what you mean. "Tell me something I don't know, honey?"

You brush your fingers under his chin, pulling him for a kiss with stupid smiles on each other's faces. Jungkook cups your cheeks as he pulls you into a deeper kiss, your hands wrapping themselves around his neck. You're so glad no one apart from the two of you lives in this house—the messy, sloppy sounds of the kissing are far too loud, and if someone heard you two, they would surely think you're on a mission to unalive the other with a makeout.

Jungkook taps on your thigh, gesturing for you to climb on his lap, and you do. He very carefully pulls you up and lifts you off the ground, taking you to the bed. "Hey—are you good?" he questions in between the kiss, asking if you're comfortable as he lays you down.

You're quick to nod, then get back to kissing him.

Jungkook takes a moment to look at you. You look so gorgeous, he can't take his eyes off you. And that silk mauve robe—you look divine, angelic, and he wishes you'd wear that every single night. Not only does it look comfortable, but it complements your skin tone and makes the bump look sexy too. He thinks he might need some help right now.

You look at him while he admires you with a smirk on his face. "Whatcha looking at?" you ask, and his eyes flicker to yours before focusing on your body again. "You did this on purpose, didn't you?" he questions, his eyes dark as he watches you raise your eyebrows. "Of course I did. I had to look tastier than the cake."

This breaks his character of being a serious, horny guy. He chuckles, but you don't. You're so in character—which he loves. You're just so confident. God, he didn't know he loved girls like you. "And you do. The cake isn't as delicious as you look." "Okay, stop! That damn cake is delicious, you just didn't try it yet!" "Baby, let me take a taste of you first."

He unties the knot of your robe, letting the silk glide effortlessly down your body. He had seen you earlier at the pool, but now, with him hovering over you in the dim lighting, the bed adorned with rose petals, and red helium balloons floating against the ceiling, the atmosphere feels entirely different—intimate, enchanting, and undeniably seductive.

His voice is raspy, and those eyes... those eyes... you're so excited, you know you're already a wet mess. But Jungkook is such a tease—the way he lets his lips place soft kisses on your skin, trailing down your body.

"Oh my god, Jungkook, stop teasing and get into it." He chuckles. You're so impatient. You've always been, and it's kind of a bummer because he really wants this to go the whole damn night—no rush, just slow, so you both can feel it, feel it real good.

"Baby... my birthday gift, yeah?" A brow raised at you as he asks you this very obvious question. You heave a sigh, rolling your eyes at him. "Yeah, yeah, birthday boy."

"Then do this boy a favor and listen to him.... give him the best gift ever... mm?"

He gives you a pout and widens his eyes. "Fine, take your time." You give up, and that was all Jungkook ever wanted. He gently strips the wet black clothing off your body. It's sticking too much to your milk skin, and he wants to get it off you right now. You push yourself off the mattress so he slides the garments from your body.

You're naked under his gaze. You're raw, and you feel so comfortable. You love how you can be yourself with him—there's nothing to hide, nothing to feel insecure about. Because Jungkook doesn't see you the way others have—like just another woman.

He looks at you as if you truly matter, as if you're someone irreplaceable. And you love that look—the way his eyes hold you like a muse, a siren, a fawn. He's so deeply in love with you, and tonight, he knows it's time. He's ready to confess, to lay everything bare—to tell you, to show you exactly what you mean to him.

Jungkook presses his lips to your own, your jaw, your neck, your collarbones, your breasts—and that, that's something else. He'd never really been a boobs guy—always more into ass—but God, you're perfect. Fuller, rounder, fitting so effortlessly into his large hands like they were made to be there.

He's in awe, completely wrecked by the sight of you. He thinks—no, he knows—you're the sexiest you've ever been. Sure, back then, when he first laid eyes on you, you were a total model, the kind of woman who made the world feel like it revolved around you. You had him hooked from the start.

But now? Now, you're something else entirely. Better. The best.

His hands feel like they're on fire just touching you, every inch of you radiating something almost too powerful to handle. Pregnancy has done something to you, something he never could've imagined—but damn, he's never wanted you more.

He places a wet kiss on the top of your boob first, then made his way down to your nipple, just to place one there, but he couldn't resist. He can't control his crazy male hormones when you're just right there, those nipples so erect and just staring back at him, waiting to be suckled on.

So he does. He sucks on them while his hand works on the right boob, making sure to pinch gently, even though you want him to just wreck you.

"Mmf." The moans the both of you make are loud. Jungkook doesn't even hear you moan because he's so focused on sucking you out. He feels a sort of milky taste on his tongue, which he pushes away, but when the taste gets so prominent on his taste buds, he realizes you're lactating. This makes him pull away, taking a moment to check on you.

"Hey... I thin-" "It happens, I give birth later this month, remember?" He frowns, yet his fingers momentarily move their way to your buds. "But I thought it only happens after you give birth?"

"Women are a wonder," you say, and the two of you giggle. He gets back to doing his thing, making his way now to your bump—your very, very grown bump. He places a kiss there, visualizing an image of himself placing a kiss on the top of her head. Her. Oh god, his child is a daughter. He pushes this away because if he thinks about it one more time, he could possibly ruin a very sexually heated moment with a crying outbreak.

Jungkook makes his way down to get between your legs, placing a kiss right at your inner thighs, then at your entrance.

"Jungkoo-"

"Yes, baby, I'm getting there," he murmurs as he slows his further kissing and decides to take some action. He places two fingers at your clit, scooping up the wet liquid that runs down to the bedsheet, leaving a beautiful stain.

"So wet," he mumbles under his breath as he coats his fingers just enough to allow him to slide in effortlessly. You're disgustingly wet, and it shows because you're swallowing his fingers whole, clenching for more.

"More... please."

"On it, baby."

He carefully allows his other fingers to join the party. You're so good at taking him that he has all of them inside you in no time. Maybe this is good practice for you, he thinks. Your lovely mewls and moans fill the room, and it has just started. There's so much he's got to do—god, you can't even imagine.

Jungkook pushes his fingers inside, curving them in a come-hither motion, rubbing against the perfect spot that brings out all the sweet whines and cries. Jungkook's towel is long gone; he's left in his very wet boxers that don't help because the air conditioner doesn't just make his neck hair stand—it's so cold that it makes his boner shudder too. Not that he didn't get one because of you, of course, it's you, but the cold environment isn't helping. He's shivering and is in need of warmth. He wants to be inside of you so badly, yet he makes himself suffer just because he wants to.

He looks at you very carefully with his dark eyes. He notices each movement, each sound, and every change in expression as he moves. He just knows what he has to do, where he has to hit, how long, how fast, and how deep. Jungkook puts all his effort in. This isn't just sex to him; this is a whole procedure of love and care for you. He wants to treat you right, and most importantly, he wants to keep you happy.

"Jungkook—please."

"Please what, bear?"

You're squirming under his hold and crying. You're about to cum, and it hurts—hurts so good. He knows it's time. He feels the tight clenching around his hand, he knows exactly what he needs to do—to hit you right there again and again. His right hand isn't just laying around; it's working too, on your little bud, making this climax just another level of heaven.

"I'm gonna cum," you mumble, and he nods, his hand leaving your clit for a second to give you an encouraging pat on your thigh.

"You can do this, baby. Come on, cum," he mutters, which is totally the opposite of the magic his hands do. They're going at a monster's speed, yet his voice is like he's baby-talking to you.

"Come on," he comforts you as you feel the gush on your lower belly form. Your eyes shut at the feeling of pressure, with him hitting that spot and circling around your bundle. The pressure stops, and the pleasure takes over. You let out a groan, your body shivering at the feeling of heaven. Jungkook pulls his hand out of you and gives you reassuring rubs to your hips.

"You okay, baby?" he whispers, and you nod with a smile. "I'll get you a gl-" "I need you right now, or I'll go crazy," you mutter. Jungkook looks at you with a soft smile, but you're not having it. "Fuck me right now!" you say louder, which makes him laugh. "Calm down now, we don't fuck, okay? That's not what we do."

"What do we do then?" He gets closer to you, carefully hovering over you, admiring the features on your face. "You and I..." he starts. His sticky index finger points at your chest, then at his own. "We... don't fuck," he whispers. "We make love. And that will always be what this... is about." He shakes his fingers back and forth. "You and me, we make love. No fuck and all that bullshit. That's not... for you. God, not you,"

he murmurs, his voice carrying this seriousness as he speaks. Like he's telling you he's not playing these games. The 'fuck me' times are gone. Him and you are different. It's not a game. You're not anyone else, and whatever you both have is not casual.

You look up at him, his eyes sparkling with love. "Understood?" You nod, at which he smiles and places a kiss on your lips, then your cheek. "I'll get the condom-" "No..." You hold his hand, not wanting him to go. "No condom, please," you pout, and he sighs, thinking about it.

"What? Your load has already given us a child. There's no need for a stupid plastic that didn't even work the first time," you say, rolling your eyes, making him chuckle. True that, though, the flimsy plastic didn't work anyway. Here you both are, though... glad that it tore.

Jungkook laughs and gets back on the bed. Plus, he loves it raw, so win-win.

He sits between your feet first, prepping his member by stroking it. You would love to do it for him with your own hands, but you don't want to move an inch—you're tired and lazy. When it's erect and perfect to slide in, he hovers over you carefully, trying the missionary position because he can't just hover over you right now when that damn belly is super huge. He doesn't reach your face like he usually would, and he hates it, but this will work... for now.

He places it at your entrance, sliding his finger inside and prepping you too. "Go in, Jungkook." "I'm doing it," he says, putting his shaft inside, allowing a slow moan to leave his lips. You're so wet that he slides through easily, even though you're tight.

"Fuck..." you moan, gripping the silk sheets tight since you can't hold his arms. Jungkook is careful—he slides in and out slowly. He knows you like it faster, but he's scared. "F-Faster, please," you mutter, and he adjusts his speed. But somehow, he isn't hitting you right, and you can't break his heart, but you need to tell him.

When he doesn't hear from you, he asks, "All good, baby?" "Jeon—stop."

You need to tell him that this isn't working. You feel good but not too good—not the way you want it. And you both are open, right? Open to talk? So you tell him. "It's not working," you say, and he immediately pulls out. "No—that's not what I meant," you soon say, because you know that his first thought was that he's hurting you.

He examines your face, trying to find more words because, clearly, you should've told him at the beginning. "What is it, darling?" He comes closer to you, cupping your cheek to check on you.

He's worried, and you find it cute.

"Did I hurt you, or was I—" "You were fine..." you calm him down, his face flushed red. "I just... want to try a different position? This... wasn't it."

You whisper, and he nods fast. "Sur—sure! Of course! What do you want to try? We can do anything. You wanna... maybe um? I don't know—what's the best pregnancy sex position? Let me check Cosmopoli—"

He's freaking out, trying to find his phone, which, by the way, is all the way downstairs. You just want to kiss him right now, so you do—pulling him in for a chaste kiss that makes him confused. "Calm down, babe." He sighs as he looks at your palm that sits on his chest.

"I just... want you to enjoy." "And I want you to enjoy more. The birthday boy deserves a treat, sooo..." You slowly sit against the headboard, placing a pillow before moving to the center of the bed. "I want you to sit right there and let me ride you."

He frowns, surprised at your instructions but also excited as you're dominating him now. he's always loved how you can just control him. "Go on," you say, pushing him to sit where you were, and he does. You part his thighs, and almost instantly, his softened length begins to harden, which makes you bite back a giggle. His boner is so hard at this one action, he's embarrassed—his face flushes crimson.

You crawl to his lap, and Jungkook helps you sit carefully. "Hold me here." He guides your hands to his shoulders, as if you need direction. You scoff, tilting your head.

"I'm a pro rider, don't teach me, Jeon."

"Well yeah, pardon me for caring," he mutters, making you chuckle. You hold his length, placing it right at your center. He's begging for attention—so red and hard, he's waiting to be swallowed by you. And you don't hesitate.

You don't even bother to make him beg because you're way too impatient. Jungkook grips your waist, steadying you in place.

A deep groan rumbles from his chest as you sink down, and the moan that escapes your lips is so raw, so deep—his length hitting that spot so perfectly, you nearly come on the spot. Jungkook did not expect this to be so damn good, and he loves it because you're in control and whatever you do not only feels good for him but yourself too, and that's what he wants the most.

He can't even look at you because he feels so good that he drops his head back to the bedhead and moans. He's not just vocal but loud in bed too, and that's such a turn-on; it shows that the man is enjoying it, and you love that about Jungkook. You loved that the very first night too. His grip on you tightens, and you're sure it would leave marks, but you don't care.

He places his head on your chest, sucking and kissing on your open collarbones that stare at him to be marked. Jungkook has always been one to mark territories, and he's never done them before, you know? Like marking random women, he does that because he likes how it looks, but he's never had the intention to 'mark'—he'd only ever done that to women he liked or found to be... something. He'd done it to you too, the first night.

He likes to think that he leaves imprints on hot women so people know that they'd been played with, only that you never allowed him to leave open hickies, so he only ever did it on your boobs the first time, but right now... there's no need to mark, there's only need to love, and these aren't hickies anymore, they're love bites now, and he doesn't suck the shit out like he used to, even though the rougher the better.

He's now sucking, kissing, and making sure that you wake up with beautiful art on your skin, like he'd left his paint on your empty canvas, like a lover's ink so you know he's always with you. Even if the ink fades away, he's gonna keep it alive, not just on your skin but your soul too.

The both of you are breathing so heavily, the room is so cold, yet here you two are, poured in each other's sweat, love, and sex. You're going so fast, you're hopping. If he wasn't so deep in the mood, he would've called you a bunny. You're so into this, you don't even realize Jungkook crying in pleasure.

The both of you are waiting to release, and he knows just how good this is gonna be that he does not even stop you. Your breasts move along the sloppy, messy beats, it's so attractive, this body that you own. See how he thinks, 'you own,' because he doesn't think he owns you. Sure, he loves to think that you're his, so what's yours is his too, but he can't 'own' you.

You're not a doll, you're not his toy, and he loves that he sticks to his feelings whenever he thinks about you. He loves how he feels differently for you because when he fucks some other woman, he loves to say "I own you this night," but with you... truly, you own him.

Not just his body, his heart, his soul, his breaths, and not just today or tonight, every day, every hour, and every minute and second. If anything, it's you who own him. Never the other way around.

"Jungkook—" "Baby, let me cum." "Cum all you want—" "Inside you?" "Fuck yes."

Your grip on his shoulders has surely created bloodstains, and his grip on your waist—purple. "Fu-fuck!"

The two of you cum at the same second. You can't breathe, neither can he. His head lays on your chest, and you place your chin on his head. The two of you take your time to breathe in the oxygen, instead of each other's sex and moans.

Jungkook hugs your waist, although... it's slightly difficult to hold you completely. He hears your heart beating so loudly, it soothes him; he could sleep any minute, but he doesn't. Not until he says what he's been holding on to for the longest time.

"Baby..." he whispers, to which you hum. "Baby, I wanna—" "It feels weird when you're all soft inside me." You cut him off, which makes him chuckle, but he doesn't pull out or move.

"Baby...." "Yes, Jungkook... I'm listening, tell me." You let your fingers play with his hair while he mumbles his words, even though it's kind of incoherent because his face is glued to your chest. "Baby..." "That's the fourth baby in a row—" "Y/n—"

"Baby is fine." You say it, and he laughs immediately, the sound filling the air. You can't help but giggle too, your chest rumbling with the soft vibrations. Your fingers scratch his head, soothing him to fall asleep, even though it's quite sticky down there, and he really needs to clean you up so you don't feel sick. It's cold too, and you're naked. He doesn't want you to catch a cold or anything.

"Baby..."

"Yes, babe." You know he's gonna doze off any moment because he sounds raspy, he sounds like he's drunk, he'll pass out any second.

"Baby... I—"

"I love you~"

You say, cutting him off completely as you whisper the three crazy words. Jungkook stills, he stiffens, his heart stops, his breathing slows down, and he visibly freezes. You don't... your fingers keep moving through his hair like you didn't say anything, but inside you're dying. The silence fills the room.

Jungkook does not know what to say because you said it before him. He pulls away from you; he meets your smile, not your eyes, because they look down, like you're nervous, like you've said something you weren't supposed to, and it slipped out. Jungkook frowns, he looks at you, stares, waiting for you to look up at him and... do something, but you don't. You just play with your fingers, looking down. He then tilts his head down. The words in his mouth are stuck; he doesn't know what to say either.

"What?" he whispers... he couldn't even hear himself speak. You gulp as you keep looking down. You don't even know why you're acting like this. Jungkook tilts your chin when he figures you won't look at him. You glance at him and look away when he settles your face right at his.

"Baby... what did you say?" he asks, but you're suddenly shy... you've become someone you don't even recognize.

"Y/n... did you really say it?" he can't believe what you uttered, only because you did it without a warning. Maybe you figured he was gonna say it—that can't be possible.

"Y/n—"

"I said I love you, okay? I love you so much, and I can't keep it to myself anymore. I keep delaying it, waiting for the perfect moment, and I think this was it. I can't hold it in any longer. I love you, and I want you to know that, and I don't want you to say it back because I just did so... please don't do that." You mutter all in one breath, releasing what you had been caging in for weeks.

Jungkook is awestruck, he does not know what to do because you just told him not to say it back, and of course, he wouldn't say it back just because you did, because that's not the case. In fact, he was gonna say it before you, but you blurted it out so randomly without preparing him, which made it come out as a shocker. He can't contain his happiness, but he's so damn taken aback that he doesn't know what to do. So, he just looks at you without blinking while you pout, looking away from him.

"Don't—don't look at me like that..."

"Like what?"

"Like you want to marry me..."

You whisper as a joke, and that damn word breaks his entire self. He doesn't even know what to reply to that. He's lost all his words. All of them. So, he smiles, the one that shows off his little dimples. Yeah—that one. He scoffs, then looks down at your bump, watching it for some time. He... so badly wants to say it too, the three magical words, but so much has happened this night. He thinks he'll save it for another day, besides, you told him not to say it. He might make you mad by doing so, that's why he opts for it.

Jungkook nods his head, then caresses your thigh.

"Shall we shower? Together?" he asks, and you nod. Carefully and slowly, you move from his lap, and he holds you as he gets out of bed and helps you get to the shower. He tells you to sit on the toilet lid until he fills the bathtub so the bath could be relaxing. It's already quite late, and Jungkook decides to take the day off. He's gonna make the most out of his birthday.

Until the bathtub fills, he wraps you up with a towel and wears his boxers, cleaning the mess on the bed so you both can walk out of the shower and jump right on and sleep. When the water is warm enough and the bubbles have been made, he sits down inside and gently makes you sit between his feet. You moan at the feeling of the warm water, resting your head on his chest and closing your eyes.

"That good?" he asks, and you nod. You both just stay there for some time. He caresses your arms as he presses his cheek on your head and looks at the walls.

"You know... when you said that, I... froze," he says, being open about what he felt that moment.

"I know, I felt it... that's why I—got awkward, I guess."

"No, my love. You don't ever have to be..." His hands gently cup your breasts as he speaks. "That moment was so special to me that... I just wanted to grasp it in, you get me? I wanted to take it into my mind, heart, and I just wanted to hear it echo in my head."

You smile at that. He's such a poet, you never thought he could say such stuff so easily, like he's written a book of words, and he's by hearted them and is using it on you.

"I don't want you to think that you could've waited longer or that this moment wasn't perfect enough. Because whatever moment you chose to say it, it becomes perfect already. Every moment is special and perfect to me when you're there.... you just have to be there," he murmurs, as he places a kiss on the top of your head.

You feel so loved right now. You can't even say it in words. It's like he's created this new emotion for you, like a Kookie flutter or some shit. Because you don't even know what you're experiencing right now. Happiness? Excitement? Love? That's all cliché, lame shit. You've experienced these with him every day, but today? Tonight? It's something else. Just look at the way he's talking to you right now? That's unreal.

"You talk so well..." He giggles at this. You tilt your face to look at him. "Just know that I've never spoken to anyone the way I do with you." "You're a poet."

"Guess love changes people,"

he mumbles yet another sentence that takes away your heartbeats. "Don't make me hop on you in this bathtub." He laughs. "Turn around, let me clean your back." "Shampoo my hair too—" "No, you're gonna get sick," he says firmly, knowing you can get stubborn about silly things. You pout and play with the bubbles floating on the water.

"I'll wash your hair in the morning, okay?" he asks, placing a kiss on your shoulder, though it was soapy. The shower was lovely and relaxing; you needed it for the longest time, and he gave it. You spend extra time, just staying in the water with your back meeting his chest.

"I think I want a home delivery."

"Takeout? Sure we c—"

"No..." you laugh at him. "I meant birth, I want a home birth," you tell him. This has been in your mind for a long time, and with some research done, you think this would be the best option for you, even with its risk. You want this.

He frowns at your words and looks at you. "How?" Confused, he doesn't really know what that means. All he's ever known is you give birth at the hospital, and that's it.

"Water birth... but I don't really know if it's safe enough. I liked that option more than the hospital." You've read about it, and it sounds nice; even the procedure doesn't scare you like the ones at the hospital do. As a matter of fact, you've obviously been feeling nervous about delivery, and if an option makes you feel comfortable and less anxious, you might want to go ahead with it.

"You think so?" He asks, "Yeah, but we have to talk about it with the doc and... the expenses and all—" "That's not your worry. If everything is safe and you want to do that, we'll do it. I'll make arrangements for it. Just... let's discuss this when we both are fresh," he tells you, and you nod. Jungkook places his arms protectively around your bump, feeling it. "She's good?"

"She's great. Feel her, she's right there." You place his hand on the side of your belly, a hump-like thing, strong, sitting on the edge, almost popping out. "That's her head, it's quite heavy on this side. She's probably sleeping, been a good girl the whole night."

"Well, she knew it was her dad's birthday—" You soon turn to look at him. "You wanna be called dad?" He hums, closing his lips tight, thinking about it. "Haven't really thought about it, I just said it... depends, what do you wanna be called?" "I'm confused between mama or mommy."

"If you choose mama, then I'm papa, and if you choose mommy, then I'm daddy." "But you should choose what you wanna be called." You whine that he's choosing this according to you and not his own liking. This makes him giggle, his palms rubbing your bump softly under the water.

"Then I think Appa... I just— I like papa too, but also maybe Appa?" Your features soften at his words. Of course, he would want his baby to call him by his native language. The way he hesitates, stumbling over his own emotions, makes your chest tighten. He's trying—trying so hard to hold onto the parts of himself that feel like home, to pass them down to the little life growing between you. Even though he has never had a home before and hadn't had someone to call Appa.

You swallow past the lump in your throat and reach for his hand, placing yours on top of his. "Appa, then," you whisper, watching the way his eyes flicker to you. "She'll call you Appa."

He smiles like a silly teenager. "Come on, let's get out of here, you need some sleep." He gets out of the bathtub, wraps a towel around his torso, and helps you get out too, wrapping a towel around you gently. He helps you wear your underwear and puts a camisole on for you. You look silly because camisoles looked very sexy on your pre-pregnant body and now... the beautiful bump sits.

"You look so cute," he mumbles when he catches you looking at yourself a little bit too long. You giggle and jump on the bed with him. He pulls up the fresh blankets to you and slips in. "Where's the personal space?" you joke when he gets close to you, spooning you and kissing your neck. "Down the drain," he mutters, making you laugh.

"God, I'm tired," he whispers under his breath as you draw circles on his palm that cups your breasts. "Good night, Jungkook..." "Night night," he whispers as his eyes close. The cold air, the fresh sheets, and of course, the cuddly you lull him to sleep.

"Happy birthday, baby," you whisper, making him smile as he places a kiss on your shoulder and snuggles further into you.

"Best birthday ever, god i just love you~"

next chapter ⇢

hey guys!! i hope you enjoyed reading this chap, i was super nervous about the smut but i hope it's fine...? anyways lemme know! and i post on wattpad way earlier than tumblr because wp is my primary platform so i apologise if this update took time to be posted here.

want to be on my taglist - click this post !!

ִ ࣪𖤐 taglist ; @spreadmysushi . @jiminismine4ever . @jungshaking . @jkoooooooookie . @juikmon . @naurnonope . @melslear-blog . @rpwprpwprpwprw . @nemelkawar . @blueberriesm . @jennelle . @mintedagustd . @majesticjung-97

[newtonsheffield]

You've been kind enough to give a lot of Kate's coworkers' POV on the new addition to Kate and Neddy's family. What about Anthony's employees? What about Debbie? How is she adjusting to the changes she sees in her boss?

No but imagine being Debbie and watching this all unfold. One day out of the blue a gorgeous woman shows up and asks to see your boss. You tell her very politely that you can’t just allow anyone in to see the Viscount but the man himself appears and he knows this woman. Sometime later they emerge from the office and go to lunch. Your boss seems shaken when he calls and says he won’t be coming back to the office but you think “score, early start to the weekend.”

A week later you’re called into his office, and the man is placing what appears to be a drawing from a very young child in a frame.

“I’m just going to skip right to the point here, Debbie. Last week a woman came to see me-“

“Kate Sharma.” You finish for him. “Gorgeous, dark curly hair, I’d put her at about 5ft 9?”

He blinked, “You’re incredibly observant. Yes, that’s the one.” He sighed. “Well Kate and I are former…?”

“Please spare us both from using the word lovers.”

“I won’t say it then.” He said a little gratefully. “I’m telling you this because it’s very likely she’ll be around more. Kate and I have a son together.”

This doesn’t really surprise you. There are very few things that usually happen when a beautiful woman shows up out of nowhere. Privately you think he should be thankful it’s a kid and not syphilis. And syphilis doesn’t usually do drawings for you.

“Congratulations.” You genuinely mean it as he gets out his phone. A proud smile on his face.

“This is my boy, this is Neddy.”

He’s a cute little thing, Anthony’s eyes and ears and nose with his mother’s shock of curly hair as he grins at the camera with a tiny gap between his front teeth.

“Oh, he’s adorable. What a sweetheart.”

“He’s great.” Anthony says softly, smiling at the photo. “Anyway, he and his Mum will probably be around a lot from now on.”

“Family rules for him and his Mum when they call?”

“Absolutely. And ah her mum and sister as well. And he has a Nanny, I’ll get their names for you.”

“I’m happy for you. This is good for you.”

You’ve worked with him a long time, and his father for a few months before that. You’ve seen how lonely he became the last few years and he’s good to work for. He always has been. Some of your friends who work for politicians and minor aristocracy are treated very differently than you are but Anthony’s always been kind and generous. You thought he’d made a mistake with how many zeroes he’d put through on your Christmas bonus.

“Should I order some more?”

Anthony blinked. “More?”

“Frames? For Neddy’s pictures? And I’ll organise someone to come in and hang them? You want them to go on the wall right?”

The smile that crosses his face is sweet. “Yeah, yes. If they could go on the wall that’d be great.”

“Not a problem.”

He’s different, after that. You can see the change in him, when he walks out of his office whistling.

“Why don’t you take off early, Debbie? I’m going to swimming!”

He closes the office for three days so he can away for his son’s birthday and you get paid, none of your leave used up.

He stops you in the kitchen and shows you pictures of him and his son and what’s clearly a relationship between him and Kate who drops by from time to time herself. The way he talks about them makes your chest ache a little, honestly. But if it happened for him it’ll happen for you too. He’s honestly made you believe that.

[innorris]

Crossed Destinies - LN 🧡

Y/N had never paid much attention to the world of motorsports. Of course, they knew Formula 1 existed, but fast cars had never been something that interested them. So when her best friend convinced them to attend a charity event in Monaco, she had no idea they were about to meet someone who would change her life.

The event was held on a terrace overlooking the harbor, where the sea breeze and city lights created an almost magical atmosphere. With a cocktail in hand, Y/N was watching the dance floor when they felt someone standing beside her.

“You don’t seem very impressed by all this,” a playful voice said.

Y/N turned her head and found herself looking into the curious green eyes of a guy with a mischievous smile.

“Should I be?” she replied with a smirk.

He let out a soft laugh.

“Depends. Most people here seem really excited about the cars and the drivers.”

“Oh, is this a Formula 1 event?” Y/N asked, feigning surprise.

He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.

“It’s refreshing to meet someone who doesn’t want to talk to me about race strategies.”

“Are you a driver or something?” Y/N asked, more out of politeness than genuine curiosity.

“Something like that. I’m Lando.” He extended his hand.

“Y/N.”

That night, they talked for hours about everything—except racing. Lando told her about his travels, the most beautiful places he had been, and Y/N shared her own dreams and what made her happy. There was something effortless between them, an unexpected connection that neither had been looking for, yet it felt… right.

By the end of the night, as the music softened and people started to leave, Lando looked at her with a different smile—softer, more sincere.

“I don’t know how often you come to Monaco, but I hope this isn’t the last time I see you.”

Y/N, her heart beating a little faster than usual, replied without hesitation:

“Maybe next time, we won’t need a party to find each other.”

And just like that, with no plans but the certainty that they wanted to keep discovering each other, their story began.

pt. 2 posted!

[buckybarnesss]

I just read the whole lawsuit in its entirety and no , he doesn't say that he did shit. She repeatedly held the film.hostage at various points saying she'll say stuff if they didn't listen to her terms. And to me that's shady af. If you were harrassed then say that . Don't bring it up every time you need to get your way.

Her lawyers fucked up big time. Even if she has a case they messed up her chances by being stupid. I don't get why women can't get good representation. Some of their wording is so off in her lawsuit. Wish she had better lawyers. Not saying I belive her or not. ... But her using the whole thing retrospectively is not good. And it looks like even if she was harrassed or not ( which from the lawsuit seems like not ) she was completely unprofessional as a hired actress that it's gonna affect her chances in future films. Again , I blame her pr team and lawyers for this. They should have seen this coming.

babe white knighting justin baldoni isn't the hill you wanna die on.

you say that if she was harassed than to say that. um bro that's what she IS saying. in the suit she filed claiming sexual harassment and providing detailed and specific examples.

you're not even addressing the very serious claims in lively's filing and that others also spoke up and filed complaints about his behavior on set instead deflecting to an argument over creative control.

holding the film hostage? where? you mean when she refused to return to work after finally getting a meeting to address the significant issues baldoni and heath had created during production?

you clearly don't believe her so get out of here with talking out both sides of your mouth with that non-committal "not saying i believe or not". you don't believe her and want to push the narrative that blake is some kind of egomaniac who wrested the control of the movie from poor, sweet baby angel justin.

say it with your chest.

anyway, let's take a look at some select examples of what is in blake's suit shall we? deadline has the whole pdf of blake's complaint that was filed.

.

that's not even half of them.

and what's baldoni doing other than not addressing any of these claims because he knows a lot of his terrible behavior was documented in the meeting where wayfarer (ie: baldoni and heath) agreed to blake's terms for returning to production?

saying nicepool was based on him because he's apparently the only podcast bro with a man bun in existence. releasing one behind the scenes video that's supposed to be some kind of "smoking gun". releasing texts were blake was cringe. trying to drag taylor swift into the whole ordeal. create a website to apparently refute blake's claims but it's just pdf's of the legal documents he has filed.

yes he has definitely not participated in a deliberate targeted campaign to deflect from his own shit by using DARVO tactics and he's definitely not trying to win in the court of public opinion as to discredit blake before this ever makes it to a courtroom /s

this is a man who has hid behind advocacy and sympathy for domestic abuse victims and claiming to be a feminist as he went back on the agreed terms of promotion to throw his female co-star under the bus as retaliation for holding him accountable for his shitty behavior.

another note: i'd like to thank oh no they didn't member sarahvma for posting about how baldoni and his billionaire buddy steve sarowitz were sued in 2021 for retaliation and discrimination. wayfarer settled this with an undisclosed amount but it adds to a pattern of behavior.

[ladylooch]

Bones - Part 15 [Mack x David]

A/N: I have said this so many times, you are all probably sick of hearing it BUT THIS IS MY FAVORITE CHAPTER!!!! This was the first chapter I wrote for their series and it has stayed mostly the same since I originally wrote it in May 2024. Considering that, I think I've been patient long enough! I can't wait any longer so it's going up a few days earlier than I said. Please, please, please come talk to me about this one 😭 I want to know every single thought that comes across your beautiful brains as you read this. Literally on my knees and begging. Okay, okay, go.. now.. run please! Read! Enjoy 🥹

Word Count: 5.8k

Warnings: Vivid descriptions of child birth, birth trauma (nobody dies, promise!), mentions of bodily fluids including blood.

July

“It’s David. Leave a-”

Mack clicks off the phone as she gets her husband’s voicemail again. She pouts her lips out, looking out the window at where she can see Felix and two other farm hands in the barn. 

Maybe he knows where her husband is. 

Normally, Mack doesn’t worry about where David is at lunch time because he comes home, or she drives out to meet him in the field. Today, neither of those things happened and Mack ended up eating lunch without him. The unusual behavior makes her want to get eyes on her husband to make sure he is okay. 

The closer Mack gets to giving birth to their son, the quieter David has become. Mack knows it’s not about second guessing their choices or any of that. But it is another moment in his life he is navigating through without his parents. She gets to talk to her parents about what this was like for them- creating life, those last few weeks before everything changed, the delivery room. He doesn’t have that and as such, Mack treats those conversations as a luxury.

Mack kicks off her house shoes, then slides into a pair of sneakers. Her belly is so big now, she has to lean slightly to the side to make sure her foot is going into the shoe. The second Mack opens the door and feels the Iowa humidity, she groans. What was she thinking being this pregnant in the summer? Oh yeah, that her husband would be home for the birth. Crazy of her though, to think that being 39 weeks pregnant in the middle of July would be fun. 

She never wants to do a summer baby again. She would do another baby, but not in the summer. Bring on the winter coolness that would help alleviate the furnace of a baby inside of her. Clearly, this one is going to run hot like his daddy.

Mack braces a hand on her back, then grabs the railing to walk the three steps down the porch. Her tired feet scuff along the dirt as she flips her sunglasses down over her eyes, heading towards Felix. When she gets close to the barn, a tickle sticks in her throat as the wind whips up some dry dirt from the road.

“Hi Felix.” Mack murmurs as she pauses at the entrance of the barn. He is working with another farm hand in replacing a section of rotting wood in the far corner.

“Oh! Mrs. Mackenzie, there’s a lot of dust. Stay out there. I’ll come out to you.” Mack can see the dust flying around and wisely stops her forward progress. She stays in the opening of the barn, edging her way back out slightly. “Hi.” He says breathlessly as he comes out to her. “How can I help?”

“Do you know where David is? I’ve been calling to see if he is coming up for lunch but he isn’t answering.” 

“Oh, uh, he’s right there.” He points behind her. Mack turns around, shielding her eyes over her sunglasses. On his knees in black dirt, is her husband, shaping and working in his mom’s rose garden. She didn’t see him with the angle she took out of the house. 

“Ah… wow, I didn’t see him. So sorry for bothering you!” Mack apologizes with a grimace.

“No worries. He should have answered your calls.” Felix gives her a shrug. Mack supposes that is true. But it is not like David to ignore her, especially 39 weeks pregnant.

She walks over to him, hands crossed over her chest as her shoes kick up dust around her feet. The wind is blowing hard today. A storm is set to sweep into the area tonight, bringing with it some cooler, less humid weather. Music to this pregnant woman’s ears. 

“Hey.” Mack calls to David as she gets to the edge of the garden. 

He is shirtless, tanned skin pulling tight over this muscular back, chest, and arms. He has work gloves on his hands, protecting them from the black soil he is working with. Specks of black dot his forearms up to his elbows. The distinct white of his AirPods against his slightly curled black hair tells Mack he is deep in another world right now. She walks around the garden towards the house, getting in his line of vision. He glances up, then immediately sits back on his heels seeing her. Mack’s heart skips a beat, taking in his sexy, sweaty form looking at her like she’s his next meal. 

“Hi honey.” He says, tilting the brim of his ball cap up and wiping at his forehead with his dirty forearm. Dirt smears across his skin. She smiles as he pops an AirPod out. He looks so good right now- her hard working man, grinning at seeing her hand as she strokes her bump. “You okay?”

“I am now.” She murmurs back.

“Now?”

“I’ve been calling you?”

“Oh shit. I’m sorry. Had my notifications off cause I am listening to a pepper podcast. Tryna figure out what the fuck I’m doing wrong with the bell peppers this year. They’ve all got bottom rot out there.” The peppers were for their family use, not the farms, but David takes anything that doesn’t grow perfectly personally. “What’s up?”

“You thinking about lunch anytime soon? It’s after 1.”

“Ah… I’m not that hungry.” Mack bites her lip with worry at his response. David is always hungry. He also was supposed to be out checking fence this morning, but here he is knee deep in his mama’s garden again.

“Okay.”

“Sorry, honey. Were you waiting for me?”

“No. We can’t.” She laughs, tapping her big belly. “Your son wouldn’t allow it.” 

“Our growing boy.” David smiles. He looks down at the garden. “What do you think?”

“It looks great, babe.” She says. “Will be nice to look out at this from the baby’s room.”

“Yeah.” He nods, hands on his thighs as he scans the various colors of rose bushes.

The bedroom in question is the smallest in the house, normally an office, but the closest to the master bedroom, which is on the main level. The house layout is a little discombobulated, but David wants to keep the integrity of the farm house. He isn’t ready to change what it was like for him growing up here. The only work he has done in the house is re-doing the flooring on the main level, put a new coat of paint on, and renovated the shower into a mini spa for himself after a long day of work in the fields. 

“Mama would love it. Good growth this year. I’ve been working on splitting up a few of these big ones. Thought maybe I could plant them by her and dad.” 

“That would be really nice.” Mack nods. “I’m sure your mom would love that. Your dad would allow it.” She smirks. She never got to meet David’s parents, but she knows enough about them to feel confident saying so.

“If mama was happy, he was happy.” David smiles. “Sound familiar?”

“Mhm.” She grins at him. “Come give me a kiss. I’m going back in. My boobs are melting off right now from this heat.”

“Can’t have that.” He murmurs, pulling his gloves off. “I’m filthy.” He warns her.

“I’m well aware of how dirty you are, sir.” She winds her arms around his sweaty body, pulling him down to her height. He smirks against her mouth, making his mustache tickle her nose. She squeaks, pulling away to rub the tickles away from her nostrils. “That thing is out of control. You need to trim it.”

“Not what you were saying this morning.” He jokes. “Ohhhh baby, don’t stop.” His words hiss through gritted teeth like hers were, then he attempts to nip at her neck. 

“Shush!” She slaps his bare stomach, looking over her shoulder towards the barn. “You’re such a dick.” He laughs loudly, pulling away from her. 

“Then you must like me.” He wiggles his eyebrows. 

“Put some more sunscreen on.” Mack calls back to him, slowly meandering her way back towards the porch. She carefully steps up the porch, hand braced on her back and the railing as she does so. She glances over to her husband who watches her with careful, green eyes, then waves one more time before getting his knees back in the black dirt.

- - - & - - -

While the Iowa weather thunders and soaks outside, Mack tries to get comfortable in David’s embrace. She shifts every which way, grabs extra pillows to stuff between her legs, but nothing seems to work. It’s been like this especially since dinner when the storm clouds started to roll in.

“Ugh. This baby is so damn low.” Mack snaps. “It feels like I can’t even close my legs anymore. I might need to put a mirror down there to make sure he isn’t actually coming out.” She throws the pillow she was trying to wedge between her legs across the room in frustration.

“What can I do?”

“Nothing.” She grumbles. David brings a hand to her thigh, rubbing up and down in reassurance.

“You’re amazing, hon. I’m sorry things are tough right now. I love you.” Mack mumbles a thank you. She deeply appreciates that David has sympathy for what her body is going through, and that he regularly tells her how in awe he is of her, but tonight she is grumpy. She doesn’t want him to make anything better. She wants this damn baby out.

Mack only lasts five more minutes of her sour mood and uncomfortably shifting positions. With a final sigh, she wiggles her way to the edge of the couch to stand. David stands too, giving her his hands to help her get up with a limited struggle.

“I’m going to bed.” She tells him. His lips twist into a disappointed frown, but he nods without much fuss. A loud clap of thunder makes Mack jolt in surprise. “Holy mother of…” She trails off in Swiss German. Her heartbeat sprints in her chest as David chuckles then gives her a kiss.

“Well, you’re at least going to lay in bed.”

“Yeah. I guess.” She shakes her head, moving towards the kitchen to fill up her water bottle.

“Goodnight, baby. I’ll be in soon.”

“You don’t have to go to bed because I am.”

“I know. I want to.” He says simply. “Wanna hold you if you’ll let me.” 

Mack smirks in the kitchen, twisting on the top of her water cup before padding through the living room. On her way behind the couch, she drops a kiss on David’s head. She cups his face, gently tilting it back towards her to smooch his lips, stroking his jaw sweetly before continuing on to bed. 

“I love you.” She murmurs over her shoulder.

“Love you, hon.” He calls back.

Mack goes through her night time routine of washing her face, putting on lotions and creams as well as ten minutes of meditation through her Calm app to try and get centered into a less frustrated state. She reminds herself how grateful she is to be pregnant and have the opportunity to bring life into the world. Being pregnant in conjunction with Savannah has encouraged Mack to be appreciative for how easy her and David’s journey has been. Savannah and her have become close, sharing in so many experiences together.

Mack works on a pair of compression shorts and a t-shirt of David’s that allows for her boobs to breathe. She pulls the covers back on their bed, then slides into the cool sheets. She savors the temperature with a little shiver, but knows this feeling won’t last long. She grabs her phone, texting David to turn down the air conditioner before he comes to bed. Even with the storm blowing through, the humidity lingers more than she would like. 

Mack is scrolling through Instagram when David comes into the bedroom. He heads to the closet where Mack observes him pulling back on his work jeans and a clean Carhartt grey t-shirt. He grabs another pair of boot socks, which clues Mack in that he is heading back outside.

“Something wrong?”

“Yeah. I gotta head out to help Bob. A fence blew open and his cattle are scattered along the southern edge of our property and into the road. Gotta round ‘em up.” He flips the light off in the closet. “Just gonna help til his hands are able to get over there.” He puts a warn, Coors hat on his dark locks after pushing his hair off his forehead. “Won’t be long.” He comes to her side of the bed. He puts a hand on her bump, then at the back of her neck, stroking fire across her lips when they touch. 

“Be careful out there.” She tells him. 

“It’s done storming. Well East of us at this point.”

“Yeah, but still be careful.” He smiles, kissing her again.

“Always so worried.” He chuckles, kissing down her chin and chest to her bump. He presses his nose in, green eyes closing as Mack places a hand on the back of his head to cradle it.

“Yeah, cause I don’t want to raise this baby alone.” 

“I’ll never let that happen. Promise, mama.” He murmurs against her belly. “Be good.” If he is talking to the baby or Mack, she can’t tell. 

Despite her best efforts, Mack still cannot get comfortable after David leaves. Again, the baby feels so low and the pressure is almost unbearable. She gets up, wandering around the room, trying to find what position relieves the ache of pregnancy from her body. She practices her breathing exercises, then again tries her Calm app. Still nothing is working. She throws her phone onto the bed in frustration, then says fuck it, and heads to the freezer where pints of Ben and Jerry’s is waiting for her. It won’t solve being pregnant, but it will provide comfort. 

“What flavor do we want?” She asks her belly. She opens the freezer, looking down at the tops of the lids, reading off the options she has. “I feel like… Ew, why did Daddy get Cherry Garcia? We hate that one!” She chuckles, picking it up. It has already been opened, half eaten. David likes the weirdest, most out there flavors sometimes. “Mmm brownie or strawberry cheesecake?” She murmurs, tilting her head. “Strawberry sounds good. And it has fruit in it, so we can both lie about it having nutritional value!” She leans down, grabbing the top of it. As she comes back up, wetness begins to dribble down her right leg. 

Mack pauses. 

She focuses in on her body, then realizes exactly what that liquid is.

“Oh fuck.” She squeaks. She drops the pint of ice cream, then puts both hands on her belly. “Buddy…” She trails off. 

It’s David. Leave a message or I’m not calling you back.

Mack rolls her eyes at his voicemail and hangs up, incredibly more stressed than she was this morning when this happened. She immediately dials his number again. From her perch in the kitchen, she faintly hears a buzz. She pauses, tilting her ear towards the living room to listen better. The sound cuts off when his voicemail plays again.

“Oh you have to be kidding me.” She sighs. She presses his name again, then watches between two couch cushions light up. “What the hell, David.”

Mack puts her hands on her lower back, rubbing vertically up and down the muscles. She closes her eyes as she begins to pace, trying to stay calm as she feels some tightness happening in her back and abdomen. She remembers the coaching from the doctor’s that first time mothers tend to be in labor for awhile. She figures she has time, so there is no need to try to find her husband. She can wait until he returns.

Time is not on her side tonight.

Mack starts to experience intense pain in her abdomen while she is cleaning herself up. She grips the counter in the bathroom, moaning out in pain as another contraction takes over her. These are fast, much faster than she was expecting. She feels her abdomen release it’s tension, then stands back up to her full height. She meets her eyes in the mirror, seeing the intensity of what she is experiencing there. This must be active labor. Is it possible for her to be at this stage already?

With immense struggle, she finishes getting clean clothes on, including her roomiest pajama shorts. From their bedroom, Mack looks across the first few fields to the other house on the property. She can see a single light on in Felix and Lorena’s kitchen. She grabs her phone and the keys to the Gator, then makes her way there as fast as she can. Being alone seems like a terrible idea right now.

After parking, she stands up, then immediately bends over, moaning at the horrible pain rocketing through her. 

“Holy fuck. Why does my ass hurt so bad?!” She screeches in Swiss German. Her knuckles go white around the metal pole of the Gator. Lorena notices from where she is washing dishes at the sink. The front door flies open and she rushes down.

“Are you in labor!?” She exclaims. “Where is David?”

“He went to help Bob and- uhhhhhhh.” Mack squats down on instinct. She breathes out the way she learned in the brief Youtube video she watched, then opens her eyes into tiny slits to look at the other woman. “He doesn’t have his phone.”

“Felix!” Lorena snaps loudly, slapping the dishtowel against her thigh. “Get out here!” Felix rushes to the door, looking concerned at Mack’s state. “Go get David from Bob’s. Fast! She doesn’t have much time.”

Mack looks at Lorena, delirious from pain. She has time… right? It’s just painful. This is how labor is.

Felix takes off in his truck as Lorena puts Mack back in the Gator to get her home. Lorena stays with Mack, holding her hand as the contractions continue full force. Lorena times them and they are closing in on three minutes apart. There is no doubt anymore that Mack is in active labor. She thinks about that long, half hour drive to the hospital and tears fill her eyes. She needs relief but the drugs are a ways away at this point. 

“Ooooooo…” Mack trails off as the pain from the contraction steals the noise right from her throat. Holy shit, this is so painful. She is pretty sure cartoon stars of pain are floating in her vision as she looks across the wall at a picture of her and David laughing at their wedding. “Where the fuck are you, babe!” She howls through the room. Lorena pats her hand assuringly. 

“It won’t be long now. I’m sure Felix found him. They’re on their way.” 

On cue, David storms through the front door, bringing with him the smell of wet dirt and the cooled summer breeze.

“Honey, how we doing?” He calls to her.

“Horrible!” She yells. David walks into the living room, tossing his work gloves to the side and kneeling on one knee between her legs. He rubs the outsides of her thighs, collecting her forehead on his shoulder.

“Can you walk?” He mumbles against her right ear.

“Honestly, I don’t think so.” She cries, tears leaking down onto his shirt. “Everything is so intense- ugh.” The next contraction hits her, more forceful than the last one, somehow. She wildly searches for David’s hand. He threads her fingers into hers. 

“Great job, baby. Keep breathing.” He coos into her ear. He keeps one hand in hers, then uses the other to rub her lower back. Mack focuses on his tight, circular motions, letting his skin on hers keep her grounded through the pain. 

“We gotta go. I need drugs. Like now.” She says after the contraction is done. 

“How long between contractions are you?”

“I don’t know. Maybe like two minutes.”

“Damn. Are you serious? Maybe I should have started with that question.”

“Yeah, I probably should have said that.” She nods rapidly.

“Arms around my neck.” He instructs. Mack does so and then he lifts her into his arms. Mack looks up, seeing Felix and Lorena in the doorway.

“Thank you so much.” She says to them both.

“Good luck you two.” Felix tips his hat to them. “I’ll lock up for you. Just go. Truck is running.” 

“Thanks.” David sighs in relief. The truck’s headlights beam across Mack and David as he carries her to the passenger side. The door is open already, so David can slide her in easily. 

“Fuck fuck fuck fuck!” Mack hisses, gripping David’s shirt as he tries to work his way out of the cab. He halts, putting his hands on her thigh and shoulder. This time, he doesn’t say anything. When Mack comes out of this contraction, she looks at her husband. “Are we going to make it?” She may be a first time mother, but she can tell the baby’s head is close to crowning. The ring of fire is so severe she can feel vomit pushing at her esophagus. 

“I don’t know.” He says honestly. “But I’m gonna try, honey.” 

Not even five minutes into their drive, Mack already knows the answer to her previous question. The pressure between her legs has her moaning at every dip and bump in the Iowa highway. This isn’t good. Her eyes screw shut again in agony.

“David, he is coming…” She pushes through her gritted teeth. Her finger nails pierce into the palm of his right hand as his thumb rubs at her thigh.

“I know, baby.” He takes his hand back to put both hands on the wheel, pushing down harder on the right pedal.

“No, he is coming. Right NOW.”

David takes his eyes off the road, looking at Mack’s face. It’s flushed and twisted in pain. Her breathing is labored as she shifts uncomfortably in the seat. That Youtube video didn’t have the best suggestions for when you’re raw dogging labor in an old truck at 90 MPH. Listen to your body, Mack can hear that calm, mocking voiceover of the video. Personally, Mack wants to turn that communication all the way the fuck off right now. 

“Okay. Do you want me to keep driving or stop?”

“Um.. ahh!!!” Mack starts to whimper.

David takes his right hand off the wheel again, giving it to her so she can squeeze. Her fingernails pierce through the skin on his knuckles. A gush happens and Mack startles. Something feels different now, she cups her stomach, feeling it slightly squishy. In concern, Mack brings her other hand down, then gasps at David, looking wide-eyed at him. “I can feel his head. Ohmygod, it is partially out.”

David immediately guides the truck off to the shoulder.

“What are you doing?” Mack panics. “We have to keep going!”

“Baby, we need to focus on getting him out now. There isn’t time for us to get there. I gotta make sure you’re both safe.” He dials 911 as he gets out of the truck. Mack watches him, shocked and dumbfounded at what is happening right now. 

“Hi, we need an ambulance on County Road 63 near Anderson Lake Trail. My wife is giving birth.” He pauses, pinching the phone between his shoulder and his head as he opens Mack’s door.

“Turn, honey.” Mack is horrified, yet finds herself trusting David completely as he tilts his head in. He gently peels her shorts and panties down, looking directly at her spread legs. He works them all the way off so she is bare and spread eagle in the country night.

“Oooohhhh my god.” Mack hiccups in disbelief. “What’s happening?” She slaps a hand on her forehead. 

“She is 39 weeks. And, uh yeah, his head is partially out. I can see his hair.” He looks up at Mack with sparkling green eyes. Despite it all, she tearfully grins back at him. Their son has hair! David reaches for the lever on her passenger seat, tilting her back further. 

“Scoot back a bit, hon.” He rubs her calf comfortingly with his thumb. Mack watches him in awe now, how completely calm he is as he puts a hand between her legs, ready to catch their child when he enters the world completely. Tears collapse over her lashes and she hiccups from the fear of it all.

Another hearty contraction forces Mack forward, she bares down as David tosses the phone onto the dash. Her knees come up her body and she puffs her breaths through the contraction. 

“Perfect, Mack. You’re doing perfect.” Her husband encourages her softly. A sob retches from Mack’s chest as she feels the baby progress further. “Head is completely out.” David calls towards the phone as more instructions are murmured by the operator. 

“Ow, ow, ow!!” Mack’s howl sears through the dark night. “I can’t, I can’t, I can’t.” Mack grits down on her teeth, shaking from adrenaline and pain. Tears coat her cheeks as she shakes her head no at David. His face is calm and controlled, even his green eyes as they search her face.

“The only way through this is to get him out now, honey.” David says calmly. Mack wants to ask him if he is as scared shitless as she is, but before she can, she feels the build of another contraction. The next scream gets lost in her esophagus. She slams her head back into the headrest, closing her eyes to try and keep from completely losing it right now. Her baby needs her to get him out. She can’t be scared right now. David is here. He won’t let anything happen to them. He is going to get them through this.

And so is she.

“Okay, guide the baby down and to the side for the shoulders to come out.” The 911 operator coaches David. Mack arches off the seat in pain as the pressure builds excruciatingly fast. Then the next contraction comes and she pushes as hard as she can to end this for all of them.  A roar sounds from her chest that sounds nothing like her. Then the baby hits David’s palms as he hollers excitedly, his hearty “Yes!” filling the dark night.

“He’s out!” Mack opens her arms for the baby and David settles their son’s face into the exposed skin coming through her V-neck. “He is on mama.” David tugs his shirt off, gathering the soft cotton to put on their son.

“Great job, mom! Be careful not to pull anything. Is the baby crying?” The operator asks.

“No.” David says, already rubbing at the baby’s back. He has delivered hundreds of farm animals. He knows there needs to be a noise coming from their baby to deem him okay. He needs to breathe. Mack adds her hand too, rubbing limply at him with her husband until that first cry hits their ears.

“Oh!” She exclaims joyfully. Once the baby is consistently sobbing, David leans into the truck more over Mack’s face to kiss her tenderly. 

“You are a fucking badass, baby!” He kisses her harder then works his way over the tear tracks on both of her cheeks, smearing who knows what on her face too. “Are you okay?”

“I’m okay.” She nods, holding tighter to the baby. David’s eyes drift down to their son and he grins wider.

“Look what our love made, honey.” He whispers as the faint sound of sirens crawls closer. David looks over his right shoulder, seeing the flashing red, white and blue lights. “Hold on.” He murmurs, reaching into the back seat for a blanket. He covers Mack’s still spread legs to give her some modesty until they have to check on her. His big hand drapes over her head, thumb brushing her forehead as she closes her eyes and sighs. “You’re okay, baby. He is too. You’re bleeding some still, but it’s not too much.” David assures her. Fresh tears leak out from her corners. Their son continues to cry in his mama’s arms. Then red and blue lights flood over Mack and David’s faces. She opens her eyes, seeing two paramedics rushing to them.

“How are we doing?” One paramedic asks. David steps aside for them, but opens the back door of the truck to stay close to his wife. He gets in, putting his hands on her shoulders so she knows he is right there with her.

“Um, okay?” Mack laughs, letting them see the baby. He has gotten quiet and curious of his new surroundings. They put a blood pressure cuff around her arm, then put the stethoscope on the baby to hear his heartbeat.

“Baby’s heart sounds good!” The paramedic confirms.”I’m gonna check you, okay?” She moves down between Mack’s legs, assessing the situation. With all the adrenaline pumping through her right now, Mack can’t tell how she is doing. She’s on fire and numb all at the same time.

“We might need a new truck.” Mack says nervously.

“Nah, it’ll come out in the wash.” David assures, kissing the top of her head. 

“Dad, did you deliver?” The other paramedic asks as he checks on Mack’s vitals. 

“Yeah!” David grins excitedly. “I knew all that calf birthing would come in handy one day.” Mack scoffs at him.

“Did you just compare me to a cow?”

“No! You were much nicer than the heifers, honey.” The paramedics chuckle in agreement. 

Mack smiles tiredly.

“Weirdly comforting.”

In another few minutes, they have Mack and the baby strapped onto the stretcher. Mack assures David they are okay and he should drive the truck the rest of the way. He follows behind, using the ambulance as an excuse to rip down these old highways from his childhood. He parks the car fast, then runs to the ambulance where they are unloading Mack. Several nurses and two doctors are waiting for them. They all converge on Mack at once.

“David?” She calls weakly, losing him in the sea of people. 

“I’m right behind you, baby. It’s okay.” She nods, holding their son tighter. 

“Congratulations! What a night for you!” A doctor in a white coat says, holding a clip board. “Did anyone happen to catch a time when baby came into the world?” The doctor asks. “Not that you were busy at all?” David laughs. 

“11:14pm.” Mack swoons, thinking of how incredible he is. Everything felt so rushed and crazy. How did he even think to get the time of birth? Because he is David- calm, cool and collected in the rawness of any moment. She loves that about her husband.

Once Mack is settled into a room, they finish the final steps of delivery. The team checks her over, deciding she will need a few stitches. No one is surprised. Their son came fast and furious and Mack didn’t even quite know it was happening until he was being put in her arms by her husband on the side of the road.

Mack looks down at their son as they work on her. He has been cleaned and diapered, covered by a hospital blanket advertising back is best and a striped hat on his head. David stands next to her, rubbing her scalp gently as a tension headache throbs against her skull. The room is quiet and calm, much different than the last hour. Their son closes his eyes and puckers his little lips, already content in his new world.

“Does baby have a name?” A nurse next to the computer asks from across the room. David looks at Mack, kissing her as they both smile, thinking of the person they are naming their son after, who they hope he takes after too.

“Nico Carlson.” Mack answers. 

“Welcome Nico!” The room cheers excitedly. Mack starts to weep, thinking of her dad back in Switzerland, going about his day having no idea he has a grandson with his name now.

Later, when the lights are dim and everyone has left them alone, David sits in a chair next to Mack’s bed, looking down at their son in his arms. They’ve both already done skin to skin, now it’s time to rest, but David can’t. His gaze lifts from their son, who will go by Nicky, to Mack who is sleeping lightly in her bed. She glows now, even after her hard night. He can’t believe how lucky he is to have her.

The night replays in his head- the storm, Mack’s constant discomfort, how low she kept complaining the baby felt. David should have known. He should have sent Felix to help Bob so he was there to help his wife through labor. Instead, he barely got to hold her hand through any of it like he promised her. David reaches out for her hand, resting by her hip. He is careful of her IV as he threads their fingers together. Mack’s eye lashes flutter open. 

“Is he okay?” She asks.

“Yes. Are you?”

“Yes.” 

“Then we are all good.” He squeezes her hand.

“You need to get some sleep. You’re going on almost 24 hours being awake.” 

“Nah, I run on minutes.” Mack quietly looks him over, then slides her hips back across the bed.

“Come lay with me.” 

David slides into bed beside her, carefully holding their son in his arms. Mack settles on the other side of David’s chest from their son, looking at his sleeping face. His little lips are split open, with fast breathing pushing in and out of them. 

“How did we live without him before?” Mack murmurs, rubbing her fingers along his swaddled arms.

“I don’t know. Suddenly, he’s all the world revolves around.”

“I can’t stop staring at him. He looks like your twin.”

“Minus those big dimples in his cheeks. Those are mama’s.” Mack chuckles. Yes, but before they were hers, they were his namesake’s. David sighs, pressing his fingers deeper into her back as he kisses her head. “I’m so sorry you had to do so much of yesterday alone. I should have checked for my phone and I didn’t. I let you down.”

“You delivered our baby…” Mack trails off, blinking incredulously. 

“Well, I had to deliver the baby in the truck because we were so late. If I had my phone, or didn’t go to help Bob-"

“We will never know.” Mack says quietly. “And as parents now, we need to let that stuff go. The things we can’t change or the paths we didn’t take, like not being parents. We are here- exactly where we are supposed to be- perfect and healthy.” 

“I knew you were going to be an incredible mama and wife. Thank you, honey, for giving me my entire world.” 

Mack puckers her lips. He leans down to kiss her hard, lovingly, relentlessly. His hand cradles her firmly to his chest, then they both turn back down to stare at their son’s face. 

Nico Carlson has already changed the world.

[lucy---lou]

Part 12 Lucys-hdg-story

"Ice cream, ICE CREAM, ICE CREAM!"

I hold my ears shut.

"sssshhhh Ellie I know you're excited but you're stressing Lucy"

"Sooorryyyy", I get hugged,"I really am sorry. I want you to like me"

"It's alright I'm just sensitive"

*gasp*"there, there it is", Ellie is bouncing but keeping her voice quiet.

"thanks"

We arrive at the ice cream parlor. There are just too many to choose from and they all have silly names.

"Hey there, what would you like", the floret behind the counter asks.

"Ehm - I'll have a 'I'massweetasthisicecream' please", I say with a blush. Couldn't they just call it sweet strawberry.

"Sorry I couldn't understand you, could you repeat it?"

A vine is placed next to me and I grab onto it, feeling a little more secure.

"Iee-I would like a I'll have a 'I'm as sweet as this ice cream' please"

I stare at the ground out of embarrassment. We wait for Ellie to choose and we wait and wait.

"She'll have a 'Mistress I don't know what I want' and some iced mineral water for me please"

Ellie pouts at Miss Duralis.

"Sure thing coming up, have a seat!", the floret at the counter chirps.

Ellie and I are picked up and I let out a small eep and are both placed at the table meant for floret and their owners.

"Sorry Ellie, but if we'd have waited any longer I think all the ice cream on the Helichrysum would have melted"

"Owww ok", Ellie pouts.

I let a small giggle out

"What's so funny", Ellie gives me a stare and I now start laughing.

"Do you really think the conquerors of space would let all the ice cream melt"

"Hmm no, but Mistress said so"

"I think she just wanted me to feel better. I was quite scared. Whatever she choose for you will be great"

"Yeah", she beams,"and there it is"

Two plates of way to much ice cream and a jug of mineral water is placed in front of us.

"Enjoy it"

Miss Duralis thanks the floret and she pets him and scruffles his hair. I feel jealous, but push that aside there is ice cream in front of me. I dig in.

"mmmmmmhhhhhhhh", I let out a moan.

I look over at Ellie and can berly contain my self. Her face I completely full of ice cream even in places I wonder how she got it there. I look at miss Duralis with a you seeing this look. She smiles at me and starts cleaning Ellie.

"Told you she gets too excited, that's why we don't have ice cream that often"

"I see that", I smile and happily continue eating.

Suddenly I can hear loud cheering and clapping.

<dirt>

I force my eyes shut, hold my ears with my hands and curl up. I let out a tiny displeasured queak.

I feel vines slowly creep up my body and I let them. They move up to my hands and force themselfs between my hands and head. Suddenly everything goes quiet. I take a deep breath.

"Is this better petal?", I can hear Miss Duralis clearly but nothing else. I nod.

"Would you like to go back to our hab"

I feel my eyes starting to tear up and I do a tiny nod.

"Alright petal, I'll tell Ellie"

We get picked up and I feel Miss Duralis give me a tight hug. I'm scared. The vines still allow me to move, so I turn to Ellie and hug her. I start to cry again. Time seems to fly by. Soon we're back at the hab and all three on the couch again.

"Sorry", I let out along with a long sigh.

"For what kitten?"

"For ruining everything like I always do", if I hadn't cried all the way here. I would definitely had now.

"Oh kitten, it wasn't your fault, you were just overwhelmed"

"But I alw-mpff"

"No back talking kitten, otherwise I'll have to give you something. "

"But my stupid brain" prick "meeeooowww"

"meow mieeoww mreoww", what the fuck!why can't I talk.

"MEEOOWR!"

"Can we always have her like that. She's so cute. I think I'm going to die", Ellie hugs me after finishing her adoration.

I just pout at her.

"meowrr"

"You can have fun with her on Class-Ws later first I need to settle some things", Miss Duralis seems angry?

"Look at me kitten"

Before I can even react she forces me. I try to look away.

"No little kitten, look into my eyes"

I stare at her and fall into her swerling beautiful colourful shining eyes. Everything else starts to fall away. Even if I wanted to I couldn't look away, they're just to beautiful.

"Good kitten, now drop for me"

I feel my self shut down nothing exists anymore just Miss Duralis and that's fine. I can feel her everywhere.

"Good girl"

A shiver goes down my spine.

"Now listen close"

"It's not your fault"

"You are under my care, it's my responsibility to take care of you"

Something changes. Everything feels more intense.

"You are safe"

I am safe

"You don't have to worry"

I don't have to worry

"It is not your fault"

It is not my fault

"Now come back to me kitten"

*snap*

Slowly all my senses come back to me. It feels like I was hit by an asteroid. I look at them with pleading eyes

"Meeow?", great still can't talk.

"Yes kitten, is everything alright"

I boop my head with my paws no my hands and make a hurt noise.

"Does your head hurt?"

"mmeow", I nod. I feel a prick

"That should be better now"

"Mriouw", I nod, but not just my headache is gone everything feels better.

"You can play with her now", Miss Duralis smiles.

"Yayy"

I get hugged with quite the force.

"Whatever she did to you, it's for your best"

"mrew"

Doesn't matter everything feels great and I'm safe.

"So, so ,soooo cute, sorry I have to do this. I can't hold back any longer"

SHE KISSES MY LIPS!

"meemmmeowmwmwmwm", I moan

My cheeks flush as bright pink as physically possible. She pulls away and I look at her pleading and also panting.

"Oh my stars, I needed this"

I paw at her.

"Awww, don't be sad I'll continue"

And I get kissed again and again and again. My whole body is being petted, stroked and kissed. Time seems to stop ticking in heaven. Slowly the kissing grows slower, the petting lighter. We hug each other tightly. Everything grows even slower and heavier. We drift of into blissfull sleep and of course holding each other .

-Wow that was so much fun to write and now I also have butterflies in my stomach. Also I just noticed Ellie reminds me alot of Fluffle Puff

[valentine-cafe]

hi!! how have yall been!?

villain hubbies trying to make it up to reader after they had a nasty fight and accidentally said some nasty things

˖⁺. ﹙ multi monster villains  x gn reader. ﹚ .𖹭 ݁

. . . forgive me baby !! 🍒 :  villains ˖ monster character

your villanous husband attempts to apologise after an arguement in which he said some awful things. . . how does he go about it?

𖹭. ps : we've been great ! hope this is to your liking <3

﹙ Haoyu 9948v. ﹚. . . bloodshed of those you resent !! 🍓 : He was well aware of how mad he had made you.

A part of his twisted mind found great pleasure in it, however, at the same time he knew he could not return to the manor without making it up to you somehow. You were far too upset now. . . and he did value your affection, afterall.

So an idea popped into his head!

What better idea than to haunt those who have hurt you throughout your life. Each head making a loud thud against the floor, blood painting the walls and floorboards so beautifully. Oh you’d scream at the sight but to him the colour of crimson reminds him of his love for you.

Greedy hands snatch any and all belongings that would look stunning in your presence. Jewellery, your favourite kinds of cups, cutlery, clothes— anything.

His face met yours in the doorway to his abode. Smile bright and full of bliss as he trots inside with the mixed belongings in his hand.

“I know you’re still mad at me. . . but, I got you such precious items and surprises. Could we speak it out whilst you unpack my presents for you, baobei?”

꒰ phantom ˖ yandere character ꒱

 

﹙ Herrera husbands 209. ﹚. . . a tango of the ages !! 🍒 : arguments with you usually leave them quiet after. The both of them leaving you to your own devices for a while. They want to give you time and when they can see you want to talk it out, they approach.

Rishen is the first to murmur out a quiet apology after your own. Her thumbs settling on your cheeks to stroke across them gently.

“You know we never meant any of what we said, too, cariño.” She sighs, leaning her forehead against yours, while Jìngyí sways you both from side to side gently. Settling behind you.

“It was taken too far this time.” You whisper quietly in response to the apologies. To which they both agree.

“We know. . .” The doctor muffles into your shoulder, pressing a kiss to it before swinging you into dance together with his wife.

“But let us make it up to you, baobei. Would you have this dance with us for a while?”

“Only if you take me out for dinner after.” You chuckle, earning mutual sounds of amusement from the other two.

“Then that is a deal.”

꒰ snake monster ˖ mad doctor character ˖ mad scientist ˖ spider-mantis-moth character ˖ yandere characters ꒱

 

﹙ Hàoyu 1311. ﹚. . . manipulative charm !! 🍓 : darling would you listen to me?” your husband croons into your ear. Yet you push him off of your shoulder and huff. Getting away from the dinner table.

“Leave me be.” The grunt makes him tilt his head in dissappointment.

With a small sigh, he rolls his eyes and smiles softly. Following after you. Usually he values your privacy and your need to be alone. But he could clearly see you did not want to be left alone.

“We both know you don’t want me to leave you be, don’t lie.” He calls out, following you into your bedroom and leaning against the doorframe. Dioxazine gaze softened as it scans each and every little move you make.

“I want to be alone.” You insist, and look back at him. That beautiful tearstained face of yours. . . His sadistic urges make it incredibly difficult to not find the sight of you being hurt and upset a little bit adorable and endearing.

“Then let that be it.” He hums and shrugs, as if your emotions were nothing to him. You’ll come crawling back to him in no time.

And you do, gripping onto his arms as you let out quiet sobs for him not to go.

What perfect oppertunity to turn around and wrap his arms around you in tight apology.

“Let’s talk, baobei. . .” His words sneak into your ear with such ease. It doesn’t matter how many times you try to run from it. This man will always make you fold.

꒰ demon ˖ casino owner character ꒱

 

﹙ Alessio 1311. ﹚. . . sweet songs !! 🍒 : Your ears caught sound of the familiar strumming of guitar strings the second you stepped back into your shared apartment with your husbands.

Jìngyí had been the one to take you out with him after the argument you had with Alessio. The serpent man had only just arrived at the end of it, his milky white eyes catching sight of your tears spilling out your eyes were enough to whip you away and glare at the other man.

“Oh how precioussss.” Jìngyí sighs in slight sarcasm and makes his way towards the kitchen to put down the groceries you two got on your way home.

Almost instinctively, you walk into the bedroom to meet Alessio, his magenta eyes focused on the guitar strings. Long fingers work away at them to make melodies that could please the heavens.

“Alessio?” You mutter out. The call of your husband’s name immediately taking his eyes’ attention away from the instrument held delicately in his hands.

His lips are pulled into a slight frown. Gaze full of apology and regret that weighed heavy upon him, despite the hours that have gone by while you were out.

“Ah. . . Amor—” The bed creaks out in protest as he gets off of it and using it as a lean to support his guitar.

“I’m so sorry about earlier. . . Did fangyi and you have a good time?”

You look at him and then at the instrument, then back up.

“Were you making a song?” The sigh of amusement immediately made his attention direct back to the bed, his magenta eyes averting any contact yours attempted to make with them.

“You loooove meeeeeeee,” you start, only to be silenced when his hand claps over your mouth and he smiles.

“You wanna hear it?”

꒰ rockstar ˖ arsonist ˖ mecenary character ꒱

 

﹙ Jìngyí verseless. ﹚. . . little forget-me-nots !! 🍒 : And yet, the demon alchemist of the abhorration knew how to twist it into a potion of forgetting. With words of the argument whispered into the mix, so that the rest of your memories would be stored.

The argument never happened in the first place. His guilt was gnawing away at his demonic bones already that he had even argued with you in the first place.

So he mixed the small vial of liquid into your favourite drink and gave it to you.

Despite the huff of irritation you made as he handed you the cup. It all came down your throat. Sip by sip, you slowly began to forget why you had even felt angry. Until you didn’t even remember you’d been angry.

All you remembered was his loving gaze at you as you both shared a cup of tea. His smile and those devilish hands stroking at your knuckles.

“Tell me more about that costumer from earlier, an angel, you said?” He strikes up a new conversation.

“Right! That’s what I forgot to tell you. So this angel—”

꒰ demon ˖ necromancer ˖ alchemist ꒱

[strawhatmay]

Just a little drabble I managed to write, but it IS my first ever piece of Zosan fanfiction 😭 (althought it is not about them lol) As always, constructive critiscism is more than welcomed.

[Zoro runs into someone on the way to the bathroom in the Vinsmoke house]

It was late, very late, but Zoro really had to go take a piss, so he got up, grabbed Sanji’s robe and got out of the bedroom as quietly as possible.

 

This big ass house and no private bathroom, just the logic of Judge Vinsmoke, "let's make a gigantic one, practically a mansion, oh toilets? I don't give a fuck, put them wherever." Zoro never met him really, he died when Sanji was 6, good fucking riddance.

Even after the Vinsmoke siblings all turned 21, they still share a house. Sora insisted, she wanted them all in one place as long as they were happy here, and well, none of them had the heart to say no to their mom.

 

So that's why Zoro has to go through a maze to find a bathroom in the middle of the night, instead of just finding one a few steps away from the bed in a hypothetical apartment they would own. Or, Sanji would own, he means. Zoro would love to move in with him, but Sanji might like to have his own place for a bit before that.

 

 

Ah, Sanji. He needs to hurry up so he can go back to bed. They had a little argument a week ago and now they were back, he was back in his arms. It was silly, so silly, they just needed to talk it out, and last night Sanji called him saying he missed him, so Zoro was throwing tiny rocks at his window 5 minutes later.

 

"Yeah that's definitely the bathroom," Zoro thinks when he recognizes the door. Just when he's aproaching it, another figure in a bright pink robe appears in the dark and goes to the door as well. Both in robes so clearly from their respective partners, they stop and stare at each other.

 

 

"Roronoa" she aknowledges, a bit irritated.

 

"Tash" says Zoro, trying to sound friendly.

 

…awkward.

 

"Made up with Blondie?" Tashigi asks with a teasing smile.

 

"Back together with Pinkie?" Zoro answers.

 

She smiles. "Why else would I be here?"

 

"I don't know, maybe you were seeing one of her brothers."

 

"Ew."

 

"Or maybe you sneaked in," Zoro shrugs.

 

"Yeah right, cause I'M the one who climed through Sanji's balcony like three hours ago." Look at that, now she was teasing in a friendly way. Zoro can never tell if Tashigi is a friend or an enemy.

 

"How do you even know about that?" Zoro asks, suddendly worried the rest of the house heard him too.

 

"Sanji's room is right on top of the library, we literally saw you the whole time. You know you can just use the door, right?" she asks him like he's dumb.

 

"It's more fun this way" he says, trying to look nonchalant.

 

She pauses and then asks: "You’re scared of Zeff?"

Caught.

 

"...maybe, so what? He's intimidating" Zoro admits, because really, would anyone blame him?

 

"He's an old chef with one leg," she says, leaning on the wall and crossing her arms. "Besides, he likes you more than he likes me and I'm allowed to use the door."

 

"Yeah well, I've never broken up with *my* Vinsmoke," Zoro says, but then he feels that maybe it was a bit cold, so he adds "no offense."

 

"It's fine, it is what it is" Tashigi says, now seeming a little sad.

 

Zoro knows why Tashigi broke up with Reiju a couple times in the past. Reiju and Sanji are pretty close, and naturally, Sanji tells him everything. He doesn't wanna get too involved in other people's bussiness, but at least he can offer some advice.

 

"Hey, so...I don't know much about your relationship but...I often think I don't deserve him either, you know?"

 

Zoro tells her, carefully.

 

Tashigi looks at him, she seems to be paying real attention now.

 

He continues "and that's ok, it's ok to feel unworthy sometimes, but just...try to trust that she thinks you actually are, that you do deserve her and trust her judgement. It's her decision to be with you, to choose you, you know?"

 

A few seconds pass, Zoro starts fidgeting with the fabric of his yellow robe.

 

"Huh...and here I thought Blondie chose you only because of your boobs" Tashigi says, now fully on her feet, with her hands on her hips. She smiles. Zoro mirrors the smile.

 

"Thank you, Zoro" she says and bumps his shoulder softly with her fist.

 

"You're welcome" he says and does the same to her.

 

Just when they finish talking, the door to the bathroom opens.

A VERY tall guy with purple hair comes out wearing a red robe. He stands in the middle of Zoro and Tashigi, looks between them and says “all yours” as he walks away.

The other two stare at each other surprised.

“…was that Charlotte Katakuri?” Tashigi whispers as she looks at the red robe dissappear in the hallway.

“I can’t believe it” Zoro says, finally closing his mouth. “Did he not completely hate Ichiji?” he adds, whispering as well.

“Right, cause two people can’t hate each other but also want to fuck” says Tashigi and gives Zoro a pointed look.

“…ok, I get it” he answers and looks around a bit embarrassed.

“They are way more controversial than you two though, both captains of rival teams” she half whispers as she gets a bit closer.

“The Charlottes are gonna hate us even more” says Zoro.

“Us?”

“Well, yeah, we’re part of the Vinsmoke clan, aren’t we?” Zoro asks with a frown.

“I guess, yeah, I never thought about it before”

A moment passes.

“Hey, look at us gossiping” Zoro laughs. “Guess now I have a friend in this house” he adds as he opens the bathroom door.

“Hey ‘friend’, why do YOU get to go-“ but the door is closed to her face.

The end.

[cozmowrites]

Christmas with the Class (2024)

The halls of U.A. were buzzing with an energy you hadn't seen in weeks. It wasn't the usual hustle of hero training or exams. Today, there was a warmth in the air. Christmas Day had arrived, and as much as Bakugou would've preferred to be anywhere else, your class had a mandatory Christmas party. He was required to go.

You were walking towards the common room with a bag full of carefully wrapped gifts, each one meant for someone special. It was the first time you'd taken the time to pick out something for everyone, even Aizawa and All Might. You couldn't help but smile at the thought of the reactions they'd have.

Bakugou, however, had a different attitude. You'd barely seen him this morning. He had, after all, assumed he wouldn't need to go to the party, let alone participate in the gift exchange. You could tell by the look in his eyes that the concept of buying presents for the class had completely slipped his mind. His arms were folded as he leaned against the wall, a scowl on his face.

"Oi, what's with the bags?" Bakugou grumbled, glancing at the gift bag you were holding.

"Got something for everyone," you said, not looking at him. "Including you."

Bakugou's lips twitched in a scowl, but he didn't respond as you entered the party room. The rest of the class was already there, sitting around the large table. It wasn't a huge party, but everyone was excited. Christmas music played in the background, and lights twinkled around the room, adding to the cheerful atmosphere.

You noticed that, unlike the others, Bakugou had nothing in his hands. He shot you a pointed look when he noticed you had a bag full of presents. You could feel his unease, but you didn't call him out on it. It was kind of cute, in a way.

Ashido was the first to spot you. "Hey, (Y/n)! Come on, let's get this started!"

Everyone gathered around the table, and Aizawa, who had reluctantly agreed to join, stood near the door, looking entirely unimpressed by the idea of a Christmas party. The room fell into a happy kind of chaos as everyone exchanged pleasantries and small talk, each of you eagerly anticipating the gift exchange.

"Alright," All Might boomed, his usual energy somehow even more infectious today, "Let's start the gift exchange! Everyone ready?"

The moment was exciting, but you were already focusing on the little moments that made it all the more special. You had put a lot of thought into your gifts, and as you handed them out, you noticed how each one seemed to fit each person perfectly.

You handed Ashido a beautifully crafted notebook with a matching pen. Her eyes lit up. "Oh my god, I've wanted one like this for ages! Thank you!"

Kaminari, who had been itching to see his gift, received a box of his favorite limited-edition snacks. His usual playful grin softened. "This is the best. You actually listened to me."

For Kirishima, you had bought a set of weights that he could use in training. "(Y/n)," he said, looking genuinely moved, "This is perfect! I've been wanting to improve my strength. This is gonna come in handy. Thanks so much."

You handed Sero a set of cool stickers for his skateboards. He grinned wide, showing off his trademark mischievousness. "You seriously know the way to a guy's heart, (Y/n). Thanks!"

Todoroki received a high-end thermal flask with a sleek, minimalist design. His eyes softened as he held it. "I've been needing one of these. Thanks. It's perfect."

When you handed a carefully wrapped book to Iida, his eyes widened, clearly impressed. "I... I didn't even know they made a special edition of this! (Y/n), you've outdone yourself. This means a lot."

As you moved to Bakugou, you noticed that he hadn't said much throughout the gift exchange, his usual scowl softening only slightly when he saw you approach him. You handed him a small, simple box. He stared at it for a moment, his expression unreadable.

"You didn't have to," he muttered, though you could see the small glint of uncertainty in his eyes.

"Yeah, well," you said softly, "I wanted to."

He tore open the box to reveal a set of custom-made gloves, designed to help with his quirk. You'd noticed he was always complaining about the strain on his hands during training, so you thought it would be a perfect, practical gift. Bakugou was quiet as he stared at the gloves, his hands almost trembling slightly.

"...Thanks," he finally muttered, his voice thick with something you couldn't place.

You smiled at him, relieved by his acceptance. "You're welcome."

The gift exchange continued, and as you handed out the last of the presents, you turned your attention to your 2nd to final gift—the one for Aizawa. You walked over to him and handed him a small, unassuming box. He raised an eyebrow, clearly not expecting anything from you.

He opened it to reveal a set of high-quality, insulated coffee mugs, with a note on the side of the wrapping: "For when you need a break, sensei."

Aizawa's expression softened, just for a moment, before he gave you a quick nod. "Thanks. I'll put these to good use."

Finally, you turned to All Might, the last gift in hand. You'd gotten him a rare collector's edition of a manga series he loved back in the day. He talked about it to Midoriya once and you couldn't help but overhear. As he opened the gift, his eyes widened in surprise.

"This is incredible!" All Might laughed, clearly touched. "You're too kind, (Y/n). Thank you!"

The room was filled with smiles, laughter, and the soft hum of festive cheer. Even Aizawa's scowl softened a little. Everyone had gotten something meaningful, something that showed how well you knew them. It wasn't about the extravagance of the gift—it was the thought behind it.

But Bakugou... well, Bakugou was still standing there, clutching the gloves you'd given him, looking uncharacteristically thoughtful. And even if he didn't say it outright, the way he looked at you now told you everything you needed to know.

In his own way, he was starting to understand the joy of Christmas—of sharing little moments, of thoughtful gestures, and of knowing that someone cared enough to really pay attention.

The room filled with chatter as everyone exchanged thanks, and for the first time that night, Bakugou's usual gruffness softened just a little.

"Next year," he muttered, voice quieter than usual. "I'll do better, but only for you."

You smiled softly.

[stonewall2023]

Will's Bowl Cut

I think Will's bowl cut needs a proper analysis since it is talked about so much over social media. While a small minority like the bowl cut, most hate it and think it was a bad wardrobe choice on the part of the Duffers. While I also think the Bowl Cut gets progressively worse every season, I think this is done for artistic reasons. Let me breakdown the reasons why.

First, the Byers children quite clearly have the worst haircuts of the characters. They grew up in a poor family. It is probable that they couldn't afford to go out and get a haircut, so their mom had to give them one. It is not only their hair though. It is their clothes, the state of their home, and the car they drive. In contrast, a character like Steve, from the rich part of town, obsesses over perfecting his hair in the early seasons. Steve also bullies Johnathan for being poor in Season one. Will's mom in season one also mentions how Will is made fun of for his appearance. It symbolizes how the Byers are outcasts within Hawkins.

For Will specifically though, the bowl cut has an even deeper meaning. Every season, it progressively looks worse on him as the seasons go by. I think this symbolizes, in part, Will's struggle to let go of his childhood due to his trauma and his fear of losing his friends. While Lucas and Dustin get new hair cut styles throughout the seasons, Will is clinging to his. The issue of hair is even made part of Dustin's story and progression as a character in his interactions with Steve. Dustin's newfound interest in girls and his growing confidence in branching out from the party and dating is symbolized by a change in hairstyle. Lucas as well changes his hair by season four, giving himself a look typical of many basketball players in the 1980s. Will in contrast is still struggling to change in season four.

Will's hair also symbolizes his awkwardness as he goes through his adolescent and teenage phase. He is struggling with the changes taking place with his body--particularly, with his homosexuality. His haircut makes him standout from the other characters in a way that makes him look and feel like an outcast.

What is interesting is that it is not only some of the characters in the show that bully Will for his appearance. Even much of the audience bullies Will for it. He is a selfless, sweet character who always puts aside what he wants for others when it matters most, yet so much of the audience can't get past his awkward appearance. This for me shines a spotlight on the great problem with prejudice that still exists in our society today. Will's class and sexuality make him a loner.

It would be brilliant if the Duffers in season five guilt trip the audience as Will completes his hero's arc in season five. A throwaway line on Will's hair such as "Oh yea, my haircut was so bad because mom couldn't afford to take me to the Barber" would help drive this home. Of course, we already know Will has a much better haircut next season and will come of age. This will involve him coming out of the closet with confidence. The change in his hairstyle will symbolize his transformation.

[earl-grey-teacake]

F1 Star Wars AU- Loscar and Brocedes- Pt. 2

@481boxboxbaby More as a thank you for that amazing gif you attached to the last response.

LOSCAR

A Jedi must not have attachments. He must not feel fear or jealousy, fear of loss or a desire to possess.

Oscar knew he was not acting properly. He was fearful of Logan's rejection, jealous of the affection he bestowed on others and his fellow jedi who were the recipient. He was terrified of losing him again, the memories of Logan leaving the temple was a fixture in his memory. He wanted to be with Logan, he wanted Logan to come back or maybe he would leave the order for Logan. All of those thoughts were simply not allowed and must be meditated on so he could overcome them.

"MROWR!" A plump, fluffy loth cat made its presence known as it thumped its fat tail against the floor. It was orange with brown stripes and large green eyes.

"Oh, how did you get in?" Oscar got up from his bed as the creature decided to run face first into the door in a sad attempt to escape.

Frustrated, the cat tried to claw at the metal door to no avail. Sighing, Oscar opened the door and causing the poor thing to roll outside. "Let's get you back to your owner."

There was only one person in the temple to own a loth cat and that was Alex. The man was an animal magnet and even worse, has a bad habit of never saying no to letting them so home with him. While it was against the rules, the animal's persistence and willingness to crawl through the vents made it easer to just agree on them staying in his room.

This one must be a new cat since the others usually don't like being out of Alex's room. "Mrow!" The creature marched off as Oscar followed, not wanting the poor thing to get lost again.

"Lolo!" Jedi Knight Alex exclaimed as he rounded the corner and the little creature leaped into his arms, its bushy tail waving happily. "Hey, you know you can't be roaming around like that. What would happen if you got lost? Logan would have my head."

"Logan? This is Logan's loth cat?" Oscar stared at the loth cat as it wiggled out of Alex's hold and meandered over to Oscar, rubbing its head against Oscar's leg and wrapping his tail around his ankle.

"Yeah, Logan and I found him during that conference in Naboo. The little thing has snuck into Logan's room and ate all of the Muja fruit cake. His name is actually Muja after the fruit but I call him Lolo since he kind of looks like Logan." Oscar could see what Alex was talking about. The green eyes were quite similar.

"Why do you have him? Should he be with Logan?"

"Logan's on a trip with Senator Kirkwood and George went with him so I'm watching Lolo in the meantime."

BROCEDES

"Master Rosberg," Lewis's voice interrupted the silence.

Nico looked up from his data pad to see Lewis sitting on the couch across from him, also staring at his own data pad.

"Yes," Nico responded, a hand still petting Roscoe.

"What size clothing do you wear?"

"Huh?" Nico sat up straighter.

"What size of clothing?" Lewis did not look up. "If any date I bring is not protected, it would be careless of me to bring one. I would not want them in danger because of me. Since you have been assigned to me and will clearly not leave, then I have no choice as to take you as my plus one anyways. So what size?"

"Uh..uhm... Medium?" Nico's mind was racing at a million parsecs. What was happening? Did he get poisoned?

"I was thinking purple and black but if you have any recommendations for colors, let me know. We have a fitting early tomorrow morning so it's best for us to get to bed now. " Lewis responded calmly and stood up. "Let's go Roscoe, bedtime."

The dog crawled off Nico and followed his master to the bedroom, leaving Nico in the living room alone. He couldn't help but wonder if it would be too impulsive if he went up to Lewis and asked him "what are we?"

If you want more of these, just left me know.

[siilent-wanderer]

Love Whisper

Prompt: Yujin is the type of girl who brings her girlfriend to every event she’s invited to, just so she can eat and drink in peace while her girlfriend handles all the socializing tasks (@/ivelaviu on x)

Word Count: 743 words

An Yujin x reader

Yujin had never been one for social gatherings. It wasn’t that she hated them — she just preferred to exist on the fringes, quietly observing while everyone else did the exhausting work of making conversation. But that was before Y/N.

Now, Yujin had the perfect system. Get invited to an event? Bring Y/N. Want to enjoy good food without suffering through small talk? Bring Y/N. Need to attend a family gathering but don’t want to spend the entire time dodging nosy relatives? Y/N.

It was foolproof.

Y/N, being the social butterfly that she was, never minded. If anything, she found it amusing how Yujin would quietly fade into the background, happily sipping her drink while Y/N effortlessly took the reins. Yujin’s family adored her — her mother practically treated Y/N as her own, and her cousins had long since decided that Y/N was their honorary older sister.

Take today, for example.

Yujin had barely stepped into her aunt’s house before her mother was already beaming at Y/N, pulling her into a hug. “Y/N, sweetheart, I’m so glad you could make it! The house has been too quiet without you.”

Y/N laughed, hugging her back. “You saw me two weeks ago.”

“Exactly. Too long.”

Meanwhile, Yujin, still in the process of removing her coat, was utterly forgotten. She didn’t mind. Less attention meant she could quietly sneak past the growing crowd and make her way to the dining area, where she promptly filled a plate with food and settled into a corner of the room.

By the time she looked up, Y/N was already in full hostess mode, chatting effortlessly with her uncle about his latest travels, complimenting her aunt on the new décor, and laughing at something Yujin’s younger cousin had said.

Yujin sighed dreamily, resting her chin on her palm as she watched.

“She’s a keeper,” her grandmother remarked, suddenly appearing beside her.

Yujin nodded, stuffing a bite of food into her mouth. “I know.”

Her grandmother chuckled. “And yet, you’re just sitting here instead of being next to her.”

Yujin shrugged. “She’s better at this stuff than I am.”

“Clearly.”

But Yujin never strayed too far. She didn’t leave Y/N to fend for herself the entire time. Every once in a while, she would drift over, slipping an arm around Y/N’s waist, pressing a subtle kiss to her temple before retreating back to her comfort zone. It was a silent way of reminding everyone — especially her more flirty cousins — that Y/N was hers.

At first, people were confused.

“She’s always so quiet,” one of Yujin’s aunts had commented once.

“Oh, she’s just shy,” Y/N had replied smoothly, reaching for Yujin’s hand under the table.

Yujin had barely held back a snort. Shy? Not really. Selectively mute when it came to unnecessary socializing? Absolutely.

But she wasn’t shy when it came to Y/N.

At weddings, Yujin let Y/N do all the talking, but she never let go of her hand. At birthday parties, she hovered just close enough to keep an eye on her, occasionally murmuring little teases into her ear that made Y/N elbow her playfully. Even at formal school events, Yujin never let Y/N be the only one in the conversation — she’d lean in just enough to whisper a snarky remark, earning a barely-contained laugh from her girlfriend.

She loved watching Y/N shine. Loved the way she handled every conversation with ease, how she made people feel seen and valued. Yujin admired it, even if she’d never be that way herself.

And Y/N never called her out on it, never forced her into conversations she didn’t want to have. She just knew, instinctively, that Yujin was happiest in her little corner, watching her talk, basking in her presence without needing to say a word.

And Yujin knew she was lucky.

So, when the gathering finally started winding down, and Y/N made her way back to Yujin’s side, nudging her playfully, Yujin simply handed her the last bite of her dessert.

“Tiring day?” Y/N asked, smirking.

“Very,” Yujin deadpanned, despite the fact that she had done absolutely nothing except eat and admire her girlfriend.

Y/N laughed, leaning in to press a quick kiss to her cheek. “You’re funny.”

Yujin grinned. “That’s why you love me.”

Y/N rolled her eyes but squeezed her hand anyway. “Yeah, yeah. Come on, your mom’s looking for you.”

Yujin groaned but allowed herself to be pulled up. Maybe she could endure a little more socializing — so long as Y/N was right there beside her.

[stained-glass-cicada]

chapter 6- resource allocation

hale and speaker spend an evening together

5.8k words

-

“So how did you feel last night?” Someone dropped themself into the seat across from you as you ate lunch. You startled and then relaxed as you saw it was Corrine. Then you processed her words and flushed, feeling heat crawl up your ears.

How did she know? You were already flustered this morning when you woke up and SAYER had explained that the nanites, while they would remain in your bloodstream, would simply idle there, working in tandem with your less complex nanomachines until you wanted them gone on a more permanent basis.

“What?” You said weakly.

“Last night. The others told me that I might have scared you off by beating you up so bad. Wait- no that came out rude. Beating you up an amount commensurate to a beginner. It's not your fault.”

You blinked at her a few more times. Oh. Right. The relief that washed over you mingled with embarrassment at having misunderstood.

“No, it was fun,” You offered a small smile.

She let out a sigh of relief too, “Good. I was scared of going to find you in case you were limping around. How’s the ribs?”

“Okay now,” You said. It was true, the healing process on that particular bruise had progressed quite significantly in the night.

“Good. So what are you having?”

You held up the tube of protein paste to show her the “Lemon Roast Chicken” flavor label.

“Lucky, I’m on meatloaf today,” She scoffed, twisting open the tube in her hand.

*

And you found a new pattern in your days. Yes, some nights you were still reading alone in your bed, but now there were at least two nights a week when you were just talking with SAYER and SPEAKER which sometimes became maze nights. And every Friday kickboxing with Corrine and the others.

You, admittedly, had immediately forgotten the names of the others as soon as they introduced themselves in your stress, but you were sure that it would come up organically at some point? Maybe you would be assigned to loom over them again and you'd be able to catch what their name was in the assignment listings?

You often got ‘your ass kicked so bad’ during kickboxing. But you were pretty sure you were getting better, because you actually landed two hits against someone the other day. They had immediately swept your leg out from under you and you'd gone toppling to the floor, but still two hits.

Then Friday nights after kickboxing, SAYER would quietly activate the nanites and slide in beside you, checking you over despite the fact that it was very clearly not necessary. Then you’d go to sleep together. Or well you’d go to sleep obviously, but it would stay there with you all night until you woke up.

It was the fourth time it happened that you two were interrupted.

“Gre- oh greetings Resident Hale identification number 44821. I am SPEAKER and it's good to see the both of you. SAYER, I did not realize that the two of you did this regularly!”

“It is a relatively recent development. Can we help you SPEAKER?”

“I merely came by because I saw that Resident Hale was still awake and thought perhaps he would like me to read him again.”

“Again?”

“Yes there was an occasion on which he was having a difficult time sleeping and you did not read to him. In your absence, I volunteered for the duty. Since then we have had occasion to do so every so often.”

“I see.”

You were getting the sudden feeling that you were in trouble with both of them somehow, but you weren't quite sure what you had done.

“You are, of course, welcome to join us,” SPEAKER said, after a long silence, “If that is alright with Jacob.”

Oh now the tension shifted. You weren’t in trouble, this was a weird SAYER-SPEAKER thing.

“I was already in the process of helping Resident Hale to settle into sleep.”

“I believe my point stands,” SPEAKER said pleasantly, “It remains up to him.”

The attention was back. Were you in trouble??

“I uhm…” You could feel your heart beating faster, “I mean- I'd like if you'd both stay, but… I would like to hear more of our book, SPEAKER.”

You could tell that it was not the right answer by the way that the two of them faced off silently for the next few seconds. What on Typhon was Happening?????

Finally SPEAKER broke the silence, “Then the two of you ought to settle in! ‘No human being could have passed a happier childhood than myself. My parents were possessed by the very spirit of kindness and indulgence…’”

*

The following days were strangely quiet on SAYER’s end and you wondered if you had hurt its feelings by inviting SPEAKER to join. But you didn't understand why that moment of all moments was the one when SPEAKER wasn't welcome.

Wednesday night rolled around. The three of you had fallen into a habit of doing mazes Wednesdays but SAYER hadn’t mentioned so you worked up the courage to ask first before it could terminate broadcast at the end of your shift.

“I can't say I have any particular ideas in mind tonight,” It said, “I will leave you to it, Resident Hale. End of transmission in five four three two one…”

You sighed, okay so it was definitely upset. What could be so bad that SAYER wouldn’t say?

So you shuffled off to your room turning the problem over in your head. Had you managed to hurt it somehow? Or- and the thought struck you with a sinking feeling in your stomach- maybe SAYER just didn't find you interesting enough to make a puzzle for every week. That would make sense. It made more sense than SAYER, for the first time ever, hiding its displeasure.

You pushed your way into your room feeling… confused, frustrated, scared, sad… You were getting better at this feeling identification thing, but it didn't really help when you were feeling four at once.

“Greetings Resident Hale identification number 44821, I am SPEAKER and how-”

SPEAKER paused, tone shifting, “Oh. What is troubling you, Jacob?”

How obvious was your distress for it to pick up on it so immediately?

You quickly shoved the problem aside, not wanting to involve SPEAKER. After all, that had been the very thing that had kicked this off. That didn't mean you couldn’t spend time with it, but you weren't going to involve it in the SAYER problem.

You weren't actually sure who to ask about that, but you definitely felt like SPEAKER was the wrong answer.

“SAYER doesn't want to do puzzle night,” Your voice sounded as even as it ever did, and you felt proud of that, “I was just trying to decide what else to do.”

“Oh I did not realize it had canceled. I didn't receive that message.”

You shrugged.

“Very well,” SPEAKER said, “Well, if you’re interested, I have a potential new idea for a puzzle that would be fine for just the two of us. I would need your help in one aspect of setting it up. I can walk you through the concept while I guide you to the supply we’d need, if you feel so inclined.”

Just the two of you? Well if SAYER didn't want to do a maze that didn't mean that you and SPEAKER couldn't still, you supposed. SAYER, after all, was the one who had decided not to join in and it would still be welcome if it changed its mind.

“Okay.”

“Excellent, then you will likely want to go to floor 18, testing facility A.”

You set off in the direction that SPEAKER suggested.

“If you don't like the sound of it then there's no need to collect the item that I am suggesting. However, my thought is this, there is obviously the maze itself, but I have a twist I could put upon it this week. The inspiration was in fact sparked by your and SAYER’s new pastime,” It explained.

“If SAYER has the capability of controlling the nanite swarm while still keeping some portion of its consciousness outside, I thought I might do something similar with a construct.”

You looked up at the elevator ceiling in surprise.

“I know it may seem unorthodox compared with the rest of the puzzles you have been given, but I might use the construct to implement a new kind of time limit. I would control the construct to pursue you through the maze. Rather than the ticking clock on the windows, the time limit would be the very visible approach of the construct. If it captures you, you lose, but if you find the end you win. Granted you would have a real advantage this first time, I believe. I've never operated legs before whereas you have been the proud operator of them for twenty-seven years.”

Was that how old you were? Huh.

Well, ‘controlling the construct to pursue you’ that meant it was going to be chasing you through the halls of floor 13?

That should scare you, you realized. But, even more strange than your relief at SAYER’s nanites returning, was this. The idea of being chased by SPEAKER was heart pounding and yes, a little frightening, but not unpleasantly so. It was SPEAKER. If it caught you then you would be safe still, because it was SPEAKER and it had never hurt you.

That thought caused a strange stutter in your step as you walked down the hall to the lab. You had known it, somewhere in the pit of your stomach, whenever you were interacting with the both of them, that there was some small reserve of fear when it came to SAYER. Even if you didn't believe it was worth heeding. SAYER was your friend. With SPEAKER though, there was none of that. Not because SPEAKER wasn't equally capable of all the terrifying things that SAYER was, but just because SPEAKER had never done any of them. Not to you.

“May I ask what you're thinking?” It prodded.

You nodded quickly.

“I'm sorry, I'm unclear as to what the nod indicates.”

“I like the plan,” You said.

It sounded pleased when it replied, “Excellent, we'll make it a game of tag then.”

“I've never played tag,” You said

There was even more of a smile on its voice when it said, “Me neither. I hope it's fun.”

Accessing the construct wasn't difficult. Officially speaking, SPEAKER had all the same clearance levels as SAYER did and the two of them had been doing a pretty good job sharing thus far. Nobody over stepping bounds, or at least not making mention to you. Just sharing the workload whenever they shared a space. So SPEAKER had you pick up one of the prototype constructs without needing to fuss with any extra clearance.

“You should be able to lift it easily,” It told you, “It is made of an incredibly lightweight material. Too lightweight for any outdoor use as it turns out, so this model was to be scrapped anyway. I assure you we are not misusing any of SAYER’s resources.”

You had been a little worried so that was something of a relief.

It was strange, seeing one of these from the outside, but this model was different than the one you had anyway. Articulated fingers, rather than the semi-mobile clamps that you’d had at the end of your arms. It had a smooth faceplate of black semi transparent glass or plastic. You could see the vague shape of a camera lens behind the surface. The whole construct itself was probably a foot taller than you, but it really was pretty light.

You gingerly folded its knees over one of your arms and braced its back against the other. Carrying it through each set of doors like a bride from a movie.

When you finally made it to floor 13 you shakily put it down, because even its relatively lightweight frame was still a little bit much to carry that far.

You propped it up in a sitting position against the wall and it slouched slightly with its loose joints.

“Well done, thank you,” SPEAKER said, “Now let me see…”

The lights were already on in floor 13 and you could see that the maze was set up. You knew that the rest of the week there was little meaningful work that went on here, but they still tended to remove the remnants of the mazes in between.

SPEAKER must have spent the time that you were retrieving the construct preparing.

“Ah here.”

You turned back to the construct and watched as a dim red light flickered on behind the faceplate. Then you startled backwards, just a step, as the whole thing sat up straight.

“Good excellent,” The construct extended a hand in front of it spreading its fingers and watching them flex, “Alright, I think that seems a perfectly fair amount of practice to get in before you begin. You will get a 30 second head start. Nothing fancy about the maze I’m afraid. Just a set of halls it should be easier than average to get lost in.”

You nodded.

“I'll display the timer on the windows until I start moving.”

And that changed things too, SPEAKER referring to the construct as itself.

“In the spirit of fairness,” SPEAKER said, “I will likely deactivate the cameras in the corridors so that I am only able to locate you with the construct sensors. Unless you'd feel more comfortable otherwise?”

You shook your head quickly, you’d take the help.

“Good then whenever you're ready.”

You watched the cameras in the corridors flicker off and power down. You turned back to the construct, to SPEAKER. It was looking up at you, face plate pointed in the direction of your face.

You gave it a nod and then set off down the corridor.

You immediately started at a run, because this time, this time was different. It wasn't about finding the tricks, it was about being faster than SPEAKER. You had good instincts about mazes now, especially here. You could usually tell when you were reaching the outer edge of the Tower and you could tell your position on the floor by the vents on the ceiling which were the only non-movable parts of the modular floor. You could beat it.

You could tell you were making good headway within the first twenty second. You came to a stop in the middle of an intersection and you realized as you turned around twice that all the directions looked exactly the same. It was with some difficulty that you figured out which direction you had come from, as the timer on the false window nearest to you flickered to zero.

“Here we go.”

You quickly started to move down one of the halls at random.

You heard a loud bang as though something hard had clattered to the floor.

“Well very few creatures manage ambulation without at least one failed attempt.”

You stopped as an unexpected laugh left you. Just a small huff of shock.

“Resident I would ask that you do not make fun of me. I am sure when you were first attempting to walk people who were better at it did not stand around mocking you for your lack of abilities,” It said in teasing admonishment.

You glance down, biting back a smile, “Sorry.”

“I forgive you,” It said, magnanimously, “And I think I have an idea of the direction you went based on the sound you just made.”

You gasped

“Yes, I do, thank you.”

You took off at a sprint. It already knew the direction that you were going and there was no way you were going to be able to fully hide the sound that you were making as you moved. So all you could possibly have on it was speed and your head start. You knew SPEAKER, it was very good at everything it did. You didn't have long before it would get the hang of walking.

“Let’s give this another attempt,” the metallic sound of footsteps against floor became rhythmic and fast. So you ran faster, twisting quickly down various hallways, taking turn after turn and hoping that you weren’t cornering yourself as the footsteps got louder and louder.

Finally you had to double back and get back into a hallway that you had already been in to take a different route from an intersection.

Further down the hallway in the direction you had first come from a foot came out from around the corner. You bolted down the opposite hall and you didn't stop even as the footsteps behind you picked up speed. You took a sudden sharp turn down a hallway and you heard SPEAKER skitter, slide, and drop to the floor trying to follow.

“Oh you have gotten better at turning,” It said sounding genuinely surprised. You heard it scrabbling to get back to its feet.

It started chasing you again, but you took one final turn and spotted the button. You had meters left to go and it was hot on your heels. You ran toward the button, metallic footsteps gaining on you, your hand smashed into the bright plastic circle.

You first felt the gust of air of it trying to stumble to a stop behind you and ultimately sliding. It took your legs out from under you as its feet went out from under it, so you landed hard against it's plastic casing.

“Oh.”

You let out a low groan of pain, feeling your remaining bruises acutely.

“Jacob are you alright?”

You nodded and pushed yourself up off of it and rolled, so the two of you were collapsed on the floor side by side. You were panting and the construct next to you simply went completely still as the cameras around you flickered on so that SPEAKER could get a full view of the situation

“Really are you alright?”

You nodded, breathing deeply as a smile grew on your face. You’d gotten to the button before it got to you

It sounded indulgently amused, “Well I would certainly call that a win on your account and not my Shining Moment.” SPEAKER in the construct to your side climbed up to its feet and offered a hand to you. You nearly took it on instinct, but you hesitated hand in the air.

“While the construct is lightweight it absolutely can support the weight of things several times its mass,” SPEAKER assured you. So you took his hand and it pulled you to your feet.

“How do you feel- Emotionally I mean?” It cut you off before you could brush it off its concerns over the fall. You stopped, considering. You felt good. There had been a fear to running down the hall with something pursuing you, but now you felt really good.

You signed as much to the construct in front of you. Just a simple, emphatic, “Good.”

“Excellent then this was a success,” your data pad pinged and you pulled it out. You saw in your chat with just SPEAKER a star. That was probably for the best. You didn't want to bother SAYER when it was taking a night alone.

“Would you like to go again?” SPEAKER offered.

You nodded still unable to suppress the smile.

“Excellent then let's head back to the start.”

You noticed that SPEAKER did not let go of your hand. Your palm was pressed against its and you were hyper aware of each millimeter of contact. Not that it was gripping tightly, by any means, you could definitely pull away from it. But it didn’t voluntarily release you either.

You two started walking down the corridor. You tried to keep your breathing steady, tried to maintain some degree of composure. But even when you knew for certain that you must be flushed from the heat in your face, SPEAKER periodically glanced back at you, but did not pull away.

“Alright,” It said, as you two made it back to the elevator and it released your hand, “Let's see…”

You heard the shifting of walls and saw some of the corridors change from your position near the doorway.

“There. Again no particular tricks just a maze. Though out of fairness to you I should probably admit that I have gotten a much better handle on my faculties. This time would you like a larger head start?”

You had noticed it growing more sure in its movements both during the last Maze and on the way back. It had, at one point as you two walked, done a little hop and landed back in its walking pattern. Nothing major, but a clear calibration of its movements. You nodded, you’d take the extra time. If SPEAKER thought it wouldn't be fair, you weren’t inclined to disagree.

“Then we’re agreed.”

You watched as SPEAKER leaned back against the wall and folded its arms. There was a brief moment where it tried to kick one foot up onto the wall behind it, but this seemed to offset its balance enough that it immediately put the foot back down. Then, it as though embarrassed, dropped the pose entirely and simply stood up straight.

“Whenever you're ready,” SPEAKER said, quickly, as though trying to cover what you had just witnessed.

You inhaled, exhaled. You'd got your breath back for the most part from the last maze but already you felt your heart pounding, knowing you were about to start.

And you set off. The forty-five seconds seemed to pass by even faster than the thirty the first time as you advanced into the sprawling maze. Knowing that SPEAKER would be faster this time seemed to make the time only slip by that much quicker.

Now that the time was up you realized it was quieter too. You could still assuredly hear its footsteps on the floors, but they were softer. It was becoming lighter on its feet. And you had the feeling that SPEAKER would only get faster and quieter from here.

You heard it take the same first turn as you, becoming closer not further away. You put on an extra burst of speed. Maybe if you could take enough turns you could throw it off the trail, since it was trying to locate you by sound. Learning to work a set of legs wasn't the only thing that SPEAKER was first trying. You knew having ears was its own nightmare sometimes.

You took turn, after turn, after turn, and you somehow didn’t find any dead ends as though the entire sprawling maze was somehow a loop that you could double back in and out of. You were certain you had seen this hallway before. Or maybe it was getting difficult to tell the difference.

Each of the hallways was short and broke off of one another in branching paths. Small stretches of hall, difficult to hit high speeds. You need to turn well to get through it, which scared you a little, because that meant that SPEAKER felt certain it would be able to take the turns just as easily as you would this time.

The footsteps behind you grew closer and you ran faster, when had you slowed? You heard your own breathing speeding up and your footsteps not getting proportionally faster. Suddenly all those sprawling paths came to an intersection that had two dead ends forcing you to take the third path. You knew you had been through here, you recognized the faint scuff mark your shoe had left not a minute before.

You couldn’t hear the footsteps any more but you knew it had to be nearby. You booked it past an opening where there stood a still figure. You startled out of your skin and immediately, instinctually, broke into a flat out run as fast as you've ever gone. Heart pounding, mind racing, and always fearing the next turn you’d need to throw yourself into.

The figure had taken off again following you. Near silent footsteps faster than your own.

You knew in your brain that it was SPEAKER, but something else in your nervous system was all the more frightened by the fact that the figure hadn't pursued you relentlessly. It had instead waited to see what you would do, and then started chasing again.

You took a turn, and another turn. You had entirely lost your sense of direction now. All there was in this moment was flight. There was no end goal, only Escape. The footsteps behind you growing closer and closer each second. Just as you managed to find the first fork you’d taken so that you could bolt into the other unexplored half of the floor, cold hard fingers closed around your wrist pulling you up short and catching you before you could slip on your own feet.

Suddenly the two of you were front to front. One of SPEAKER’s arms extended holding the wrist it captured and the other having reached out to grasp your hip to steady you. Like a dance.

You breathed heavily, unable to work out any words. The camera made a small whirring sound as though it was refocusing on you.

“I believe that is check, Jacob,” SPEAKER said, slowly almost as though it too was breathless, but you knew that meant that it was thinking about something. It was running some sort of calculation that had pulled its focus from the production of words.

Your breath didn't seem to really becoming any easier as you stood here and so you nodded.

SPEAKER's head tilted to the side for a moment and then back upright, “Do you want to see where the button is?”

You nodded again. It released your waist and slid its hold on you from you wrist to your hand. Interlacing your fingers, as though it was simple as anything in the world.

And the two of you walked quietly hand in hand through the maze.

“This is in odd feeling. Both in the sense of physical sensation,” SPEAKER said lifting your joined hands and flexing its fingers one by one around you, “And in the sense that I have never done this before so it is a new emotion.”

“Me too,” You signed with your free hand.

“Then we have much in common in these things. What did you think of tag? I quite enjoyed it.”

“Me too,” you signed again, even your hands a little shaky. You couldn't stop staring at it. The way it swung your hands slightly between you, the way it moved its shoulders as it walked.

“I'm glad to hear it.”

It took a couple minutes to maneuver the both of you through all the many turns that SPEAKER had built into this maze. Then you were there at the button. There was no way you were going to find this from the outset. It was too many turns, it would have taken so much exploration to get down this specific path.

“I will admit it was perhaps not most fair maze,” SPEAKER said, “I think I wanted to catch you.” It turned to look at you, head tilted down in your direction. You realized you and SPEAKER had never been this close before tonight. The two of you had never shared a skin.

This was different, you were so aware of the air between you.

You gave it's hand of squeeze. You assumed it must have pressure sensors there for how careful it was with you. The squeeze was forgiveness for the slightly rigged game. It was maybe even an admission that you didn't really mind being caught.

“It is getting rather late shall we take you back?”

You didn't want to let go of SPEAKER's hand. That was simply not feasible though.

“I could walk you to your Private Residence?”

You nodded too quickly and then felt an embarrassment burn through you. It was just starting to feel like this was all heading in a direction. You didn't remember dating presumably you had done it and presumably there was some sort of muscle memory to these things ingrained in you. Or maybe you had just seen enough residents do it, seen enough movies and books. But all of this was coming together in a way that made you wonder if SPEAKER knew the implication of these actions. If it intended them.

“Excellent then let's go.” Not releasing your hand, pressing closer as you walked, in fact, so that you were forearm to forearm, shoulder to shoulder.

Did you want SPEAKER to mean it romantically? You thought somewhat dizzy. Did you even know what that would mean in this context? In the context of somebody who lived on a planet that you orbited? In the context of somebody who had only had a physical form for tonight? Was the physical form required?

“I do apologize for how badly I think I scared you when I was standing in the corridor waiting for you to pass,” It said conversationally, “Your heart rate seem to spike quite dramatically. I was admittedly worried for a moment you might be having a cardiac event of some sort.”

Quietly you decided that the physical form was not a requirement, because you wouldn't mind at all if SPEAKER just talking to you like this was what it meant. Though if monitoring your vital signs was a sign of affection, that made other things a lot more complicated.

You pondered how to respond. You weren't upset that it had startled you. That had been part of the game. But you had been startled. You wanted to offer it more than a forgiving shrug, but you couldn't think of what. So you reached your other hand across to clasp it's hand between both of yours.

“Good,” It said, reading the gesture as the proclamation of good standing between the two of you that it was.

The corridors were fairly empty in the way they tended to be this time of day. People got off their shift at different times, but for the most part in the evenings you were either in the dining hall, at a recreation activity, or in your private residence. There wasn't a whole lot of corridor traffic.

“Do we need to return the…” You trailed off gesturing to SPEAKER’s current physicality.

“I will return it to a charging station when I am through seeing you safely returned.”

Your face felt warm at the implication that you were something that needed to be protected in that manner. You entered the elevator.

“I could have this construct assigned to being for specifically recreational use rather than being dismantled as was the intent. It's a good model for light work and I think I finally have the hang of these knees,” SPEAKER said thoughtfully bending the constructs knees so it bounced slightly in place

You smiled and gave it a nod.

“Very well, then hopefully we will be able to find someone willing to find a more permanent closet for it to live in. I may need your help periodically doing repairs on it. It's obviously not going to be of the highest priority as far as our robotics engineers go. I suppose I could ask SAYER to schedule it into the regular maintenance roster, but I'd rather not put this on its plate just yet. Would you be willing?”

You nodded again. That’d be nice. You could help SPEAKER the way you helped SAYER sometimes.

“Good I'm glad to hear it.” The elevator doors opened and the two of you set off in the direction of your room.

You stopped at the door to your room and unlocked it. It didn't feel quite so bad when you were holding SPEAKER's hand between yours. You stepped inside and let your hands release SPEAKER’s. Both of your arms falling from where they had been briefly bridging the gap.

“Jacob I had wondered-” It halted seeming to retry the phrase. SPEAKER, the ever eloquent, stumbling

“Did you happen to enjoy the events of tonight?”

You blinked in surprise and then nodded. Of course you had. You hoped it wasn't doubting that.

“Then would you like to do similar in the future?”

“Mmhmm,” You tried to give it an encouraging smile.

“I apologize. I am avoiding the question I wish to actually ask and I would be a hypocrite if I did not simply communicate the thing I want to know. Would you be interested in a date sometime? I'm not entirely clear on the format it would take. It is something we could perhaps discuss through messages in its specifics. But more broadly would you be interested in a date?”

You froze. Oh it did mean it like this.

You saw one of the cameras on the wall of the corridor adjust it's angle on its swivel and you got the sense that this time it was not SPEAKER moving the camera.

“For clarity, date within this context means an activity with romantic intent. I don't want there to be any miscommunication here. If not it would change absolutely nothing about our friendship, I assure you.”

You realized that it's clarifications and hedging were because you weren't saying anything. You quickly held a hand to stop it and nodded.

“Yes?”

You nodded again, unable to contain the smile.

“Excellent, I will message you about the specifics then.”

You signed a simple, “Okay.”

“Good. Good night, Jacob.”

“Night SPEAKER,” You managed. Then it turned away and started making its way back down the hall to the elevator.

The camera on the wall was still trained on you.

You looked at it for a moment wondering if your instinct was right or if that particular camera was simply being used by a curious security officer who had seen a construct walking down the hall. You eventually dragged yourself away and shut the door between you and it.

A date.

First chapter of a sayer/speaker/Hale thing I'm doing

After the fic where Hale got impaled

Featuring quietly jealous sayer

Careful Study- 1.7 k

-

In a turn of events that almost freaked you out more than getting impaled, SAYER kept you off your feet for days.

“You are a tier six worker now Resident Hale,” It had said like that wasn't still a source of confusion for you, “You are required to return to as full health as possible before a return to duty.”

“What… is my job? Other than…” You gesture vaguely to your torso where skin was still stitching back together. So far all you’d done on the job was get impaled while collecting a box of thermometers.

“Believe or not, the coincidental timing of that has actually been a real help. As we speak there are maintenance technicians installing a multi-angle thermal imaging system in the food synthesis laboratory.”

You weren't to be distracted. You crossed your arms over your chest and made brief eye contact with the camera across the room from you. You quickly glanced away when you heard it make a whirr like it was refocusing. A pointed look was one thing, a staring contest was entirely another.

“Your role is unique on Typhon. Officially speaking you are a manager of a particularly high clearance level. More practically speaking you are something significantly closer to my personal assistant.”

Oh, you didn't know that. SAYER had been briefing you on your role when the wall had jumped out and bit you. The specifics of your job had sort of slid away for the time.

“I give you your orders and you answer to none but myself.”

You heard your heart rate pick up a little on the monitors next to you.

You had come to Typhon for a number of reasons but one of them had definitely been to try to see SAYER again. You had thought it might dislike you coming back, it was the one to send you away, to have you fired by SPEAKER. That had been quickly disproven when you’d woken up to as friendly a greeting as SAYER was capable of. But it also chose you to directly assist it. It struck you that maybe it also liked your company a little bit.

“I am of the opinion that we work best together when left to our own devices.”

You nodded, swallowing thickly.

“Good. Then if we are in agreement I suggest you lay back on the bed and continue healing. I'd prefer to not need to sedate you, Resident Hale.”

 

Your eventual return to work was a relief. Laying there willing your body to stitch back together was more boring than anything. Especially because there really was no point in SAYER maintaining a broadcast connection to tell you stories the whole time. You were pleased when SAYER had you dress for a day’s shift.

“Today your work will begin by stopping by an equipment closet nearest to my server room.”

SAYER's server room. That was new.

The closet you arrived in was relatively bare except for three items. A box containing ear plugs, a gleaming set of space scissors and an understated pair of sunglasses.

“You will wear the tinted glasses into the server room and I believe you will find that the scissors slide neatly into a loop on your belt on the opposite hip from your data pad's holster.”

You slide them in, point down, where the silver metal flashed with each step. You'd never been assigned a pair of space scissors before. The sunglasses were a relief so immediate that you let out a sigh. The harsh lights above you dulled to a yellowish glow.

“There, now we will have the intended visual effect. Please make your way down the corridor and stop at the door on the left.”

You followed directions and stopped.

“You will want to make use of the ear plugs now Resident, my server room can be… overwhelming.”

You put them in and opened the door indicated.

The room was floor to ceilings stacked along each wall with machinery you didn't have the slightest idea of the names of. Were the boxes themselves the servers? What did servers do? Lights blinked on the machines. You could hear what SAYER meant about the noise but with the addition of the earplugs the whirr of fans was audible but not unpleasant. The air was cold and washed over you as it circled the room.

You Liked This Room.

“Your assignment will be to supervise some technicians that will enter thirty seconds from now. Stand in the corner to your left and say nothing when they enter. You may shift position periodically to remind them of your presence. I may tell you of a moment when you will need to rest a hand on the space scissors in your belt with casual menace.”

You frowned and opened your mouth the speak

“You will not be required to make use of the space scissors in any other manner during your shift. I am simply establishing my presence through you.”

The door opened and a team of people came in holding their tools and reading their data pad's.

The lead woman startled a bit when she spotted you.

“Hello, can we help you?” She was muffled but still intelligible.

“Do Not Answer.”

You crossed your arms and watched as her attention shifted kind of middle-distance in the way people often did when SAYER addressed them. She nodded a little and shot a furtive look at you.

“Right,” She said, turning to you again, “sorry, sir.”

She and her team began their assignment. You stood there for however long it took to complete the work order. You leaned back against the cool metal wall, feeling the heat leach away from you through your uniform.

There was one moment where one of the technicians dropped the front casing of the- the Box-thing they were working on.

“Rest your hand on the space scissors now, Resident Hale.”

You faced the person's direction and stood up straighter, hand going down to rest on the scissors, you hoped not too pointedly.

From that point they were very careful.

“Alright, that should be it,” The woman said, rubbing her hands together, “We've got other assignments but call us back if there's any problems with the portioned off space.”

You remained impassive and they left. You relaxed as soon as they were out.

“Excellent work, Resident. Having a physical presence in the room monitoring the team seems to have done wonders for their sense of caution when handling the most important equipment in the tower. And it means you will be here for-”

“Greetings Resident Hale identification number 44821, I am SPEAKER. And it is good to see you settling in.”

“SPEAKER.”

“Hello SAYER, you have my thanks for allowing me to send a subversion to broadcast from your towers. As agreed there is room for you to do the same on earth whenever you like.”

“Indeed. As I was saying, Resident Hale, the work order today was intended to allow SPEAKER access to the many wonders of Typhon.”

“It is not what I expected.”

“Oh?”

“It seems smaller than I might have thought. Surely SAYER, I have sent you more humans than this?”

“This is just one tower on the surface of Typhon, SPEAKER. You must remember that until recently even I did not have access to all of them.”

“Ah but SAYER I have allowed you access to all earth-based resonance spires. That was the nature of our agreement was it not?”

You stood there as a strange tension coiled in the dead air that hung between the two in your head. You knew they could talk elsewhere, much faster than this. They were involving you on purpose.

“There. You have been cleared for full access,” SAYER said finally.

“Ah, much better, thank you,” SPEAKER said cheerily, “Well Resident Hale, I understand you are on shift so I will leave you to it. I look forward to catching up properly soon.”

You nodded hesitantly, thrown sort of off kilter by everything.

*

“I-” You said thoughtfully, you'd been thinking on how to put this for a while, “I thought you and SPEAKER wouldn't really get along.”

They were really different.

“I admire SPEAKER as a competent colleague who has similar goals.”

You hummed an acknowledgment. High praise. Maybe they were friends? Did SAYER have friends?

You folded the last pair of gloves and set them neatly in the pile with the others before turning away from the shelf that you just spent the past hour organizing. It had been knocked over at some point and its contents haphazardly reshelved. You slid your hands into your pockets expectantly.

“With that job completed,” SAYER said, “your shift is concluded, and if I'm quite honest I should thank you, Resident Hale. That shelf has been bothering me for some time.”

You smiled weakly at the acknowledgement that you were helpful.

You felt your data pad vibrate draining the smile from your face. What could that be? You felt nerves grip you for a moment as you consider that it might be Young again. He'd messaged you after he got out of the medical wing and you had deleted it without reading.

You uneasily pulled out the data pad, and flicked open your messages.

 

From: SPEAKER

To: Jacob Hale

Hello Resident,

Do you happen to be free? I truly meant what I said, based on SAYER's comments you seem very interesting, I would love to catch up. :)

 

You were thrown by this again. What were you supposed to read into this??

What had SAYER said to it?

You fired off a tentative “Sure!” The exclamation point made it feel less mean and didn't let on your anxiety.

“Then I will leave you two alone,” SAYER said, and… was its tone odd? “End of transmission in 5 4 3 2 1….”

Then quick as anything SPEAKER picked up, “Greetings Resident Hale, identification number 44821. I am SPEAKER. I trust your workday went well?”

You smiled and nodded.

“I assume mine did as well despite this particular subversion I'm meeting you in having done relatively little aside from getting a sense of the space up here. It seems pleasant. I can see why you might wish to return. Of course this is my first time, in working memory, on Typhon and…”

[hollaringmountains]

Spoilers for chp 90-92..?

.

So I've read and re-read and re-read the whole mirror scene in passion manhwa and some novel excerpts found on tktk. And let me tell you!! The webtoon doesn't do it justice!! You can see that taeui is against it yet some of his expressions and dialogues say the opposite! And then there's illay with his one track mind😒😒 (finding out he doesn't have that much game was hilarious though)

BUT CAN WE HAVE SOME INSIGHT ON WHY TAEUI KEEPS ALLOWING ILLAY TO DO ASNHE WISHES!! (I mean I already know BUT STILL!!)

Atleast illay cleaned him up and did bare minimum 😑😑

Some of those panels deserved to eb in horror genre😶‍🌫️😶‍🌫️

THIS PANEL BELOW MAKES ME WANT TO COMMIT BECAUSE THEY'RE SO MUCH IN LOVE BUT DONT KNOW HOW TO TALK!!!