#okay maybe not each other only because the straw hats will stay together forever

[mythicalcrumb]

thinking about zolu who are very much in love with each other, have been since the first time they met, but they kinda unconciously(?) agreed, without words, that their dreams and the crew were already taking too much space in their life. if they were to be together, they needed to be able to give the other their full attention. it's an all or nothing kind of situation.

and when they finally find the one piece, they just defeated whoever they had to defeat. the whole crew is celebrating.

luffy finds zoro and finally kisses him, after all these years. because now that they have accomplished their dreams, now that they have the one piece, they can dedicate their entire life to each other, and each other only.

[imasimpforshanks]

Heyyyyyy hiiiiii hope your having an awesome day drinking that water getting hydrated 😗. I was wondering if you could do a Law Angst alphabet please. But only if you feel up to it and have time. If you don’t feel free to ignore or do it later here now have a cookie 🍪 because your awesome 😊

Angst Alphabet - Trafalgar Law

a/n: HI HI!!! thank you for your kind words!! I hope you are looking after yourself <333 here is the law angst! Please enjoy 🥰

A-Accident (would they blame themselves if you died in an accident?)

He would only blame himself if any of his actions led to the accident that caused your death (we’ve seen him blame himself for that very reason about Rosinantes death). If his actions weren’t directly correlated to your death in any way then he would not blame himself, though he would kick himself for not being able to help you in time. Other than that, Law is painfully aware of the harsh reality that is life.

B-Break up (How would they break up with you?)

Law would break up with you in a seemingly emotionless way. He’d mask his true feelings, while telling you a whole bunch of excuses why the two of you could no longer be together. He doesn’t believe any of them, but he’s got to do what he’s got to do.

C-Crying (how would they make you cry?)

I feel like I’ve used this one in a few other character alphabets but it really applies to Law too. He would cause you to stress and panic so much over his health and wellbeing. He’s a literal doctor. He should know to take better care of himself, but he just doesn’t seem to care about himself the same way you do. So it isn’t until you’re crying in front of him, spilling your heart out about how concerned you are for his safety that he realizes his health is important to more than just himself.

D-Death (how would they react to your death?)

My god, if Law was to lose another person that he loved, he literally would never want to let himself get close to anyone ever again. Your death would be it for Law. He’d basically be on the verge of giving up himself. What other reason does he have to go on.

E-Emotion (what is one emotion they would try to hide the most and how would they do it?)

He tries to hide every emotion. Law doesn’t like to be too open, out of fear of people using it against him or it simply being too much of a sign of weakness. So, very rarely does he let his emotions show. He also tries to divert attention away from himself in hopes that people won’t focus on him or his emotions for too long.

F-Fight (do you two ever fight? How big are the fights? What do you fight about? Etc.)

This was covered in his fluff alphabet! But here it is again:

Your fights tend to be pretty short lived resulting in forgiveness and apologies from both sides relatively quickly. He really doesn’t like to stay mad at you for too long – he’d much rather have you two on the same page.

Most fights are caused by stress and concerns of health and safety, so Law does a lot of eye rolling and using his title as a ‘doctor’ as justification that he knows what he’s doing so you just need to chill – but like I said these fights are very short lived.

G-Guilt (what is the biggest thing they feel guilty about?)

Law will never forgive himself for Rosinantes death. He will forever feel responsible for his death – it was all his fault. If only he hadn’t given that note to Vergo, then Rosinante would still be alive. He died because of Law’s incompetence (at least that’s what he tells himself).

H-Heartbreak (what would cause them pain in the relationship? How would they deal during a break-up?)

During a break-up Law would act pretty normal. He wouldn’t behave any differently until he’s left alone. Only then would he let himself go and truly feel that heartbreak.

I-Injured (how would they react if you are badly injured?)

Thanks to the doctor in him, Law is able to remain calm. He can keep his composure until he administers whatever treatment necessary. That’s not to say he isn’t worried though. He’s just capable of focusing on the injury right in front of him.

Only once he is certain that you are stable does he (or potentially his crew) go and hunt down the cause of your beating.

J-Jealousy (what do they do if they are jealous?)

When Law does get jealous (which is rarely), he gets quiet. His fists clench a little more, and his frown deepens. He also speaks less than usual (which is already pretty hard to beat). He only gives you short snippy replies until he eventually gets over it.

K-Kill (would they kill for revenge?)

Law would kill for revenge, yes. He literally wanted to kill Doflamingo as revenge for Rosinante. However, it was in Law’s plan that Kaido would be the one to kill Doflamingo (after they fought) – so I believe that is how he’d kill for revenge as well. He would devise a fool proof plan (okay maybe not fool proof, bc if the straw hats are involved who knows what could go wrong).

In short, yes. Law would kill for revenge.

L-Loss (what is their greatest loss?)

This poor man has suffered so much loss in his life that it’s actually really difficult to choose which would be his greatest loss. He lost his entire family as a young boy while also having a shortened lifespan himself. Losing his family, and the realization that he only had a few more years to live, really made him lose his will to live a good remainder of his life. Young Law literally became a pirate.

However, he did meet Rosinante (Corazon) and he gave him another reason to live. Furthermore, Rosinante actively sought out a cure for Law so that he could continue to live a long life. Basically, Rosinante became a father figure/older brother to Law. So, losing him – another ¬person he loved so dearly – would have been beyond devastating.

M-Mistake (what is the worst mistake they ever made with you?)

There was one day where he spent the entire day ignoring you. It was completely unintentional. His mind was swarming with plans and all this other information that has just come in. He got so immersed in it that he didn’t talk to you or tell you what was going on for a whole day.

N-Nightmares (how often do they have them? What are they about? How do they deal with it?)

Nightmares are one of the many reasons Law hardly ever sleeps. He’s haunted by his family’s and Rosinantes deaths. His nightmares get particularly bad around the same time each year (that is, around the time of year that they died). He wakes up trembling and on the verge of tears (but he never lets them fall). Instead of even trying to go back to sleep, he’ll make himself a nice hot cup of coffee and immerse himself in a book or work of some kind – anything to avoid going back to sleep and risking a re-run of that horrible nightmare.

O-Outrage (how and why would they get mad at you?)

Sometimes his exhaustion catches up to him and other times its all the stress building up that finally he snaps and all the emotions are too overwhelming that he just directs it to the nearest outlet, which just so happens to be you.

P-Past (what has happened in your relationship that changed the way you saw each other?)

You walked in on him absolutely breaking down over Rosinante. One evening Law retreated to his room while you and the rest of the crew were eating and drinking. He didn’t think you had noticed him leave, but soon you were following after him. You opened the door and found him breaking down in the middle of the room. You completely forgot that it was the anniversary of Rosinantes death. It was the first time you had seen him this distraught and it broke your heart.

It really cemented into your brain that no matter how tough he may look, he still suffers (probably more so than anyone). But, you were also grateful that you were able to see him like that, as it allowed him to start relying on you a little more.

Q-Quality (what is their most dangerous/toxic quality?)

His inability to openly express his emotions. Sure, now he will share with you how he is feeling, but that is with you and ONLY you. He still insists on keeping everything else bottle away from the rest of the world which is a really unhealthy way to deal with things. It’s not that you dislike being there for him, in fact, you appreciate how trusting he is with you. It’s just, what if there comes a time where you aren’t around and he’s in desperate need of someone to confide in?

R-Rejection (how would they react to you rejecting their confession (or the other way around)).

Law would wait until he was 100% certain you returned his feelings to confess to you. So, if you were to reject his confession he would be really confused for a while. He’d let it go because well, everyone has their own reasons – its not his place to tell you how you feel. All he can do is tell you how he feels and then the rest is up to you.

S-Scars (battle or self-inflicted)

He has no self-inflicted scars, and to my knowledge he has no battle scars either. But, his arm did get cut off and then reattached during the Dressrosa arc, so it actually is likely that there is a remaining scar from that (although I’m not certain).

T-Trust (have they ever broken your trust?)

Nope not at all. In fact, the only instance in which he would possibly break your trust, or lie to you, about is when he went to Punk Hazard and sent his crew to Zou. Some would assume that he wouldn’t tell you his plan out of fear of your safety, but that’s not true. He had to tell you. You taught him to be open and honest, and to trust. So that’s exactly what he did.

U-Urge (how badly do they want to see you after you guys separated?)

Law has gotten so comfortable around you that whenever you aren’t there, he gets unbearably anxious. Your presence is soothing, even if he can’t see you, even if he can only hear your voice echoing throughout the Polar Tang, it’s enough to put his mind at ease. So, if you are separated for a while… oh boy does he want to see you badly.

V-Vicious (what do they do when they lash out on you?)

He tends to yell at you. He tells you to “piss off” and that “you’re only being a nuisance right now”, despite you only wanting to help him.

W-Weak (what makes them feel weak how do they try to avoid it?)

Not being able to control things makes Law feel really weak. Weak may not be the right word, but it definitely makes him feel unprepared. He doesn’t like when things are out of his control and he can’t account for things. Which is usually why he always does extensive research and preparation before constructing a well thought out plan.

X-X-ray (what do they hate and show it most obviously?)

Well, I mean other than his obvious hatred of bread, Law also really hates when he works extremely hard on formulating a plan only for it to be completely thrown out of the window by a reckless straw hat wearing captain and his entire crew. (and somehow everything still ends up working out!!! That is the part that frustrates Law the most HAHAH).

Y-Yearn (what is one thing that they want but can’t have?)

One of the only things he’s ever really wanted was for Doflamingo to be taken down. He’s been partially successful in that sense, seeing as Doflamingo is in prison now. However, he wants more than that. He wants Doflamingo to suffer the same way he has.

Z-Zero (what do they do/say in your dying moments?)

It may seem a little out of character but… I believe Law would be borderline desperate/inconsolable. There would be a lot of clinging on to you, begging you not to leave him like everyone else he’s ever loved. He can’t handle another person leaving him, it’s too much. It’s far too much.

He wouldn’t cry (just yet), but his voice would tremble, and his hands would be shaking. His mind would be racing with all sorts of theories and possible ways he could save you. How could he possibly prevent the inevitable?

[nicolasnelson]

Benlos fic - Can’t Run From the Fun Tonight

Title: Can’t Run From the Fun Tonight Relationship: Ben/Carlos, side of Mal/Uma Additional Tags: Halloween, Masquerades, Fluff, Carlos's POV Words: 4,015

Carlos is nervous about being Ben's date for the Halloween masquerade party. Thankfully Ben has a pleasant surprise for him.

[AO3 LINK]

Carlos didn’t know whose idea it was for Auradon’s annual Halloween gala to be a masquerade, but he owed them a huge thank you. He never would’ve had the courage to go to the party otherwise. Halloween wasn’t really a thing on the Isle of the Lost. In fact, the villains were offended that the Auradon heroes would dress up like them once a year, a whole night to make fun of the people King Beast had imprisoned.

But in truth, the event wasn’t as bad as they said it was. Sure some people dressed up as villains, but most had fun with their costumes.

“Everything okay?” Jay asked, adjusting his tie in front of the mirror in their dorm room.

“Yeah, I’m pumped.” Carlos gave him a thumbs up.

Jay laughed. “Dude, you’re shaking.”

“Sorry.” Carlos rubbed his sweaty palms on his pants. “Just nervous about going with Ben. I still can’t believe he asked me.”

Jay nudged his shoulder. “Why wouldn’t he? You guys are dating. Besides, you’re a total catch.”

“We’ve only been together a couple months. What if he changes his mind about me? What if he thinks my costume is too much and I’m a total weirdo? Oh, no. I should have gone with the prince costume instead.”

“Hey.” Jay grabbed his shoulders. “It’s gonna be okay, Carlos. Ben likes you for you. You don’t need to dress like a prince to keep his attention. He likes that you’re different.”

Carlos nodded. “You’re right. I just need to relax. It’s going to be a blast, and all our friends will be there. It’ll be nice to hang out with everyone.”

Jay grinned, showing off his sharp veneers. He had four of them, one over each canine tooth. His hair hung in loose waves down his back, mostly brown with a few strands dyed maroon. After he attached his wolf ears to his head, he asked Carlos to help pin his tail on the back of his suit.

A sophisticated werewolf. Carlos wished he had thought of that.

A knock sounded at the door. Carlos jumped, for a moment fearing it was Ben, but he reminded himself they had agreed to meet at the party. Still Carlos was relieved to see Mal and Uma at the doorway, arm in arm.

Jay greeted them with a bow, his wolf tail swishing. “Evening, ladies.”

Mal scoffed, flicking her sleek green hair over her shoulder. “What are you supposed to be?”

“Sir Wolfington the Third at your service.”

Mal pursed her black painted lips, unimpressed. Her green velvet dress draped over her slim frame, the pointy witch hat and black wedge boots making her appear taller than usual. She towered over Uma, who was dressed as a sea goddess in a shimmering blue jumpsuit and seashell sandals, a gold crown rising from her head like antlers.

“What is taking so long, Jay?” Uma asked, crossing her arms. “Harry and Gil have been asking about you for an hour.”

Jay laughed and ran a hand through his hair, nearly knocking his wolf ears out of place. “Hey, perfection isn’t easy. I’ll be down in two shakes of a tail.” He wagged his fake tail back and forth for emphasis.

Uma rolled her eyes, scowling. “Whatever. We’re heading to the party.” She grabbed Mal’s arm.

“You both look nice,” Carlos said, holding his cloak closed so they couldn’t see his outfit.

“Thanks,” Mal said. “I was tempted to just wear a shirt that said ‘costume,’ but Uma convinced me it would be more fun if I dressed up.”

Uma scoffed. “Convinced? You jumped at the chance as soon as I said you’d make a cute witch.”

Mal laughed, draping an arm around Uma’s shoulders. They headed down the hallway, arguing playfully.

Carlos closed the door and leaned against it, relieved to have peace and quiet again. He just needed a moment to compose himself before he finished getting his costume together.

Jay adjusted the ripped sleeves on his jacket. “Okay, I’m ready.”

“I just need a minute,” Carlos said, twisting his charm bracelet. “Still need to do my eye makeup. You can head over to the party if you want.”

“Nah, it’s cool. Take your time.” Jay leaned against the desk and pulled out his phone, presumably to text Harry and Gil that he was running late.

Carlos focused on breathing in and out slowly. Tonight was going to be great. He wasn’t going to let his anxiety get the best of him. And if he did get overwhelmed, Jay said he would walk him back to their dorm room. Everything would be fine.

He pulled out his makeup kit and worked on applying his eye makeup in front of the mirror. It took a few minutes longer than he thought it would, but he wanted to make sure it was perfect.

“Okay, ready,” he said at last.

Jay hopped to his feet, sliding on his gray silky mask. “Great, it’s gonna be a howler.” With that, he threw back his head and howled like a wolf.

...

Carlos took a deep breath, adjusted his mask, and stepped into the ballroom of Auradon Castle. The Auradon kids weren’t dressed in their usual bland pastels. Tonight everyone went all out with an explosion of vibrant and dark colors.

He recognized several people through their masks. Chad was dressed as a king, to no one’s surprise. Lonnie wore a split costume: half knight, half princess. Doug was dressed as Peter Pan, and his girlfriend Jane was Tinker Bell, her hair tied up in an adorable bun.

From what Carlos had seen last year, Auradon kids tended to dress like an exaggerated version of themselves. Only a few dared to wear the costumes of the dangerous villains Auradon still very much feared.

Jay patted Carlos on the back and headed off to greet his boyfriends. Harry was dressed as a vampire, fake blood dripping from his lips, and Gil was a witch, complete with a lacy black dress, pointy hat, and replica wand. Whoever had done his makeup did a phenomenal job: a vibrant, smoky eye look. His blond curls bounced across his shoulders as he ran to embrace Jay.

Carlos slipped through the crowd before the guys could see him. He was still hoping not to be recognized, at least not until after he found Ben. The plan was to meet him under the balloon archway, but dozens of people were gathered there to chat away from the dance floor.

He texted Ben and stared at his phone for several minutes, but no reply came. Carlos walked over to the drink table, hugging his cloak to his body so no one would step on it. He was relieved to see they had a stack of straws on the table. That would make it a lot easier to drink with his mask on.

The DJ killed the music to introduce a live performance. Mal and Uma walked onto the stage, waving to the crowd. The iconic intro music of “I Put a Spell on You” played across the speakers, and the girls started to sing. Carlos had been offered the chance to perform with them as the third witch, but he’d turned it down because he wanted this night to be about Ben.

Everyone cheered for Mal and Uma. Carlos could hardly believe that just six months ago most of the Auradon kids still sneered at them. So much had changed since they saved Auradon. Carlos and his friends were heroes now. The barrier was still up, but Ben had invited all the VKs from the Isle to attend Auradon Prep, with the option to visit their families on weekends.

Mal started singing “Keep Your Head on Halloween, ” which was ironic since Carlos felt like he was doing the opposite. He took a sip of his punch, soothed by the sugary taste. To distract himself from worried thoughts, he looked at the other costumes around the room. Lots of people were dressed as fairies, royalty, and animals.

A deep chill ran through Carlos as he saw a dalmatian fur coat and frizzy black and white hair. No, she couldn’t be here. His mother was still on the other side of the barrier. Ben had made sure of it.

On closer inspection he discovered it was Audrey’s grandmother wearing a costume. (Still the most frightening person there.) She was chatting with Ben’s parents, who wore their usual regal attire.

Carlos had half a mind to go over there and ask if they’d seen Ben, but he was way too nervous and they’d know who he was the moment he talked.

He checked his phone again. Still no reply. Ben wouldn’t have stood him up, would he? Man, Carlos just wanted to go back to his room and stay there forever. So many people were pressed together dancing and talking far too loud, excited by the live music. Carlos was sweating, and he felt like he could barely breathe.

Uma was singing “Poor Unfortunate Souls” and several of Carlos’s friends had joined her onstage to play her minions. Jay was one of them unfortunately so Carlos couldn’t ask him to walk back to his room with him. Maybe if he just went outside to get some air. Yeah, that sounded like a good idea.

Carlos weaved his way through the crowd and ran out into the cool night air. The music and sounds from the ballroom faded to a slight hum. Carlos leaned against the castle wall, feeling like he could finally breathe again.

He would go back into the party whenever Ben texted him. He just had to be patient. Ben wouldn’t stand him up. Absolutely not. He’d texted that he was there an hour ago and where to meet him. Carlos was the one who was running late.

He fiddled with the charm bracelet Ben had given him for his birthday. The charms included a dog, his signature crossbones, a beaker, a laptop (that even opened and closed!), and the crown crest of Ben’s family. Carlos treasured the gift since it was clear Ben had put a lot of thought into it.

His phone dinged and Carlos was relieved to see Ben’s name across the screen. His text said to meet him by the staircase. Carlos headed back inside and down the hallway.

...

A lone figure was leaning against the staircase. He had his back to Carlos, so he could only see a long black cloak and slicked back brown hair.

Doubt started to creep into his skin. What if this wasn't Ben at all and he made a total fool of himself by tapping on his shoulder? He wished once again that he had agreed to meet Ben at his dorm room earlier instead of at the party. It would’ve been so much easier.

Carlos walked up to him, nervously clearing his throat. “Hey.”

The stoic figure turned to him, immediately breaking character when he saw him. “Carlos, there you are!”

Carlos’s jaw dropped. Ben had a white mask over the upper portion of his face and a black cloak draped over his elegant suit.

“You watched it?”

Ben laughed. “Yeah, you’ve been telling me the Phantom of the Opera was your favorite musical for months. I actually watched it a couple weeks ago with Chad, but I wanted to surprise you.”

Carlos couldn’t stop smiling. He had surprised him all right. “You look, you look really good.”

“Not as good as you. Your costume is amazing.”

“If we hadn’t agreed to meet here, would you know it was me?” Carlos asked curiously.

Ben tilted his head, considering him. “I don’t think anyone else would recognize you, but I would know you anywhere.”

Carlos felt like he would melt on the spot. “Oh, that’s, uh, that’s great.” He was so glad he was wearing a mask to hide his blush.

“So are you some kind of nature spirit?” Ben asked.

Carlos beamed. He couldn’t believe Ben got it right away. “Yep, I’m the king of the forest. Bow before me.” He gripped the edges of his cloak and held his arms out to show off the inside of the cloak, which he had painted with trees, foliage, and forest critters.

His costume consisted of tight green pants under brown boots, a green formal vest painted with light green swirls over a black collared shirt, and a wooden mask painted to look like tree bark. He wore a long black wig that Evie’s girlfriend had helped him find and a necklace with a gold leaf at its center. The space around his eyes was visible so he had on thick black eyeliner with eyeshadow in gold, green, and silver. Like he was the magical embodiment of a tree.

“You look...breathtaking.”

Carlos felt like his heart would burst. How did Ben always manage to make him feel so amazing?

“You’re not so bad yourself,” Carlos said, twirling the soft curls of his wig.

Ben pulled Carlos close, his lips inches away from his. “Sing to me, my angel of music.”

Carlos shivered, his heart thundering in his chest. “Isn’t it ‘sing, my angel of music’?”

Ben laughed. “I was trying to be romantic.”

“Oh, sorry. Didn’t mean to mess you up.” Carlos wanted so badly to kiss Ben to make up for it, but his wooden mask covered too much of his face.

“Don’t worry about it,” Ben said with a reassuring smile. “I’m sure I’ll have plenty more opportunities tonight.”

“Yeah, definitely.” Carlos was eager for Ben to sweep him off his feet. It wouldn’t take much to make him swoon.

“Now may I have this dance?” Ben held out his hand to him, the perfect gentleman.

“Of course.”

Carlos took his hand, and they made their way to the dance floor. They picked a spot at the back of the ballroom, away from the crowd. The live music had ended and the DJ was playing a nice slow song.

Ben placed his hands on Carlos’s waist, and Carlos wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck. They started off simply swaying back and forth before Ben transitioned the dance into a waltz, leading him with ease. Carlos felt more and more confident with each step.

“You know,” Ben said, “I’m completely in awe of your costume and makeup skills. You really did all of that yourself?”

Carlos ducked his head, pleased. “Yes. Last year I didn’t really do much since it was my first Halloween, so I wanted to go all out this year.”

Ben laughed. “And here I was worrying I would be overdressed.”

“You were worried?” Carlos asked, surprised.

“Of course. I didn’t want you to think I was a fool for dressing up, so I thought if I picked a character from something you liked, you would at least appreciate that.”

“Wow.” Carlos knew Ben was human, of course, but sometimes with him being the king, he forgot that Ben had normal worries too.

“Is that a good ‘wow’ or an I’m a total idiot ‘wow’?” Ben asked, his gaze focused on Carlos. His steps had become less confident and he missed a beat of the dance.

Carlos squeezed his hand. “It’s a really good wow. I love that we both dressed up, but I would’ve been happy even if you didn’t. Just the fact that you showed up means the world to me.”

“I wish I could kiss you right now.” Ben smiled shyly, biting his lip.

He was so adorable that Carlos couldn’t wait a moment longer. He untied his wooden mask and hung it from his belt loop, then wrapped his arms around Ben’s neck and pulled him in for a long kiss, no longer caring that people would recognize him.

Ben’s lips were soft, tasting of his favorite chapstick. Carlos bumped his nose into Ben’s mask, so he angled his face a little better and deepened the kiss. He heard whistling and a wolf howl in the background.

When they finally parted, Carlos saw everyone was cheering for them. Warmth flooded his face, but he didn’t feel the need to put on his mask again. Being with Ben made him feel fantastic, and he was so glad Auradon accepted them. Cruella De Vil never would, but he had a new family here.

They continued dancing, and most people went back to what they were doing. It was a relief not to be the center of attention anymore, though Carlos still caught some people sneaking peeks at them.

Jay gave Carlos a toothy grin. He was wrapped between his boyfriends in a slow dance. Mal and Uma were laughing by the refreshments table, oblivious to everything going on around them.

Evie and Audrey were locking lips in the corner, both dressed as pop stars. Celia and Dizzy were chatting at a table with plates stacked high with candy, clearly excited to be at their first Halloween party.

Everyone just looked so happy tonight, and it made Carlos feel like he was home. He could have never had any of this on the Isle. Sure maybe Mal and Uma would’ve made up and found each other. Jay could’ve reconnected with Harry and Gil. But for Carlos, and Evie too, true love could only be found in Auradon.

...

After the song ended, Carlos and Ben made the rounds, catching up with all their friends. Ben spent a long time talking with his parents while Carlos watched Harry attempt to start a dance battle with Uma.

Jay saved him from an embarrassing defeat by literally sweeping him off his feet and carrying him out of the ballroom. Carlos laughed as Gil ran to catch up with them.

“Smart boy,” Uma said, observing her nails. “I would’ve crushed Harry like a bug under my boot.”

Carlos chuckled. “No doubt. I think Harry added a little something to his punch.” He’d definitely seen him with a silver flask earlier.

She sighed. “I’ll let it slide for tonight since it’s Halloween, but I am definitely giving him a stern talking to tomorrow. I’m not gonna let him become a pirate stereotype.”

“Oh, looks like your boyfriend’s looking for you,” Mal said, nodding towards the dance floor.

Carlos whirled around to see Ben trying to make his way through the crowd. Everyone wanted to get in a few words with their king, it seemed.

“Sorry to cut this short, but I’ve gotta go rescue him.” Carlos gave Mal and Uma quick hugs before rushing into the crowd.

He wrapped his arm around Ben and started spouting a nonsensical story about a chinchilla he saw outside the dorm rooms. He was able to pull Ben out of the crowd. The DJ abruptly changed the song to an Auradon favorite, and the crowd rushed towards the stage to watch Mal and Uma lead the Enchantress Slide dance. Carlos sent them a wave of thanks.

“Can we get out of here?” Ben asked.

“Of course,” Carlos said.

“Fancy coming up to my room for a bit?”

…

Carlos always felt guilty when they had to leave early because he was anxious, but this time they were leaving to take care of Ben. It felt good to have the roles reversed for once, and he was looking forward to cheering his boyfriend up.

Ben plopped down on the couch in his room, setting his mask on the side table. Elbow on the arm rest, he leaned his head in his hand. “I like people, but not when they swarm me like that.”

“Oh to be famous and loved by everyone.” Carlos gave him a playful smile and pulled a glass jar from the shelf. “Hot chocolate?”

“Yeah, sounds great.”

Carlos plugged in the electric kettle and clicked it on. He sat down next to Ben and took his wig off. It was getting hot under that thing.

Ben let Carlos’s head rest on his shoulder and laced his fingers through his. “I love being with you, Carlos. You just get me. I like that I don’t have to explain myself to you all the time.”

Carlos hadn’t thought about that much. It didn’t make sense that the son of a villain would understand a king and yet, he did feel like he understood Ben very well. There had always been an unspoken connection between them, from the moment Ben helped him get over his fear of dogs to the moment Carlos helped remove the thorn in Ben’s paw when Audrey cursed him. They had always been there for each other as friends, and it made a lot of sense for them to be together now, despite their obvious differences.

“I’m lucky that I have such good friends,” Carlos said, “so I can’t say you’re the only person who really gets me. But you’re the only person who makes me feel this way.” He clutched his chest, comforted by the fast thrum of his heartbeat.

The electric kettle clicked, and Carlos rushed over to pour boiled water over the chocolate powder. He mixed them with a spoon and dropped a few mini marshmallows into the mug.

Carlos set Ben's hot chocolate on the side table. "Here you go, Mr. Phantom."

Ben laughed, grabbing Carlos's hand and pulling him onto his lap. "You even remembered the marshmallows. Gosh, you really are the sweetest." He wrapped his arms around him and squeezed tight.

Carlos found himself wishing he would never let go. "Thank you for tonight. I had a lot of fun at the party."

"I'm glad." Ben kissed his shoulder. "I was worried it might be too soon to go to a public event together. You know how my people can be."

Carlos snorted, remembering the elaborate signs the Auradon girls made supporting Ben and Mal when they were together. They did seem way too invested in their king's love life. "Only a matter of time before our faces are plastered in a heart on someone's T-shirt."

Ben chuckled. "I wouldn't mind that so much. It's the paparazzi that worries me."

"Yeah, me too," Carlos said, frowning. He had agreed that their relationship should be public because he didn't want to live with the fear of waking up to a magazine article exposing their secret. It was better this way, but Carlos missed the days when he could go anywhere with Ben and no one paid it any special attention. Now eating lunch together in the cafeteria was considered a date by the press.

"Are you okay with it? With me?" Ben asked, his voice soft. "I know I come with a lot of unwanted attention. It was too much for Mal, which I completely understood, I don't blame her at all. But...is it too much for you?"

Carlos squeezed his hand. “Maybe sometimes, but it’s worth it since I get to be with you. My life will always have ups and downs. But being with you makes the bad days bearable and the good days even better.”

“Are you sure? I really like you, Carlos, and I want to be with you, but I don’t want to ruin your life.” He turned his head away, eyes downcast.

Carlos gently guided his chin so Ben was looking into his eyes. “You aren’t ruining my life, Ben. Far from it. You’ve made it so much better.”

Ben’s shoulders went slack. “Good. I’m sorry I’m so tense tonight. Chad and Doug said some things which made me worry.”

“Forget them. I’m here with you right now, and there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.” Carlos leaned in to press his forehead against Ben’s, taking comfort in being so close to him.

Then Ben’s lips found his.

“Your hot chocolate will get cold,” Carlos said, breathless.

“I don’t care.” Ben kissed him again. “You made it to cheer me up, but this is working much better.”

His fingers wound through Carlos’s white curls, pulling him deeper into the kiss. Carlos leaned into his touch, happiness bubbling up inside him. This was where he belonged, right here with Ben by his side.

[odelschwanky]

My Captain (Shunsui Kyoraku x OC Insert)

While I work on other stuff, here’s something I wrote back last year. My writing style is a lot better now, I promise.

Word Count: 3834

The wind was fierce in the Seireitei, my sleeves billowed violently. The beautiful sunset bled onto the cobbles of the walk, breathing life into the colorless walls around me. The sound of my sandals and the mellow clattering of my Zanpakuto was the only noise I created as I meandered along to my quarters. I had some briefing to do, but yet I was so tired. This was the fifth day with no sleep, the first two spent in the medical unit of Division 4. Since my last mission, I haven't been myself. I touched the bandages between my robes and my healing stomach. I was weak, and all I wanted to do was rest. 

The Research Institute was far from Division 8, and all this walking wasn’t ideal. I decided to take a shortcut through one of the courtyards. The peach blossoms were beautiful this time of year. They reminded me of where I used to live as a child.  Nobody ever came to appreciate them. I always hated that about this place, the Court Divisions. Hardly anyone seemed to appreciate anything. It was impossible for me not to. The blooms smelled so sweet, I could almost taste them on my tongue. One of the flowers floated down and I caught it in my palm. The delicate suede finish was so smooth on my fingers. I used to have these in my tea. 

“Hey.”

I jumped a little, turning my head toward the voice. “Don’t be scared.”

It was a strong voice: male, smooth, easy. I knew it very well.

“Captain.” I greeted him, regaining my composure.

“What are you doing out here?” He lay casually on a stone bench not too far away from me. His straw hat was over his face and it looked like he had been asleep, though he sounded like he had been awake a very long time. 

“With no disrespect, Captain, I could ask you the same thing.” It was pretty obvious though, what he was doing. It’s what he always did. To lounge around sleepily soaking up the good air and sun, occasionally stroll, those were his favorite pastimes. I’ve been part of his division for years and although most of the times we have spoken was for professional reasons only, there was a closeness between us that went undiscussed. It was something more than just a captain and his subordinate. I knew him so well, especially since it was part of my job. However, I really don’t know how much he knew me. We’ve never talked about it.

He chuckled a bit at my question, and I felt his soft smile, though I couldn’t see it. The wind tugged at both his kimono and his captain’s robe underneath. His chest was strong and sturdy, and the fine, dark hairs glinted in the waning sunlight. He sighed. “That’s fair. Are you in a hurry?” 

I shrugged. “Not particularly. I just have some briefing to do.” I really wanted to go, but this alone time with my Captain was very rare. I thought I might as well enjoy it, even if I’m tired. He relaxes me. 

“Then will you sit with me for a while?”

“Yes, Captain.”

There was no room on the bench, since he was laying on it, So I just sat cross legged in the grass beside it. It was silent for a while; I didn’t have it in me to talk.. I felt his breathing slow, as he presumably drifted back to sleep. I decided I should follow suit. The briefing could wait. This was nice.

My eyes slowly closed. My fatigue was getting the better of me. I hadn’t been this calm since my mission. Being near my Captain eased my nerves. Enough that I could sleep. 

***

 “Anane!” 

I turned around and looked at him. “What, Ichinose? What could you have to say?”

My friend had a strange expression on his face. His eyebrows furrowed together in pleading. I couldn’t see any life in his black eyes. His spiritual aura reeked of madness, despair and angst. Guilt was not one of the emotions. “You know why I can’t stay here!”

He seemed to be begging me for something. Understanding? I couldn’t. Forgiveness? Never. My blessing? Inconceivable. 

“I don’t care, Ichinose.” I said this turning away from him. I wiped my face with my sleeve, the tears streaking my uniform. My voice hardened. “Leave if that’s what you intend to do. I won’t stop you.” 

When Division 11’s captain was defeated and replaced by Kenpachi Zaraki, Ichinose fell apart. I had tried to be there for him, but he shut me out. Days had gone by without me seeing him. Then I overhear gossip between some unseated scum that he was to leave Seireitei, and the Soul Society… and me.

“Anane, please. Look at me.”

My spiritual pressure began to rise as I looked at him. I could hardly bear to do it. We were in a wooded area here in Seireitei, a place we used to frequent together to train. The large trees swayed erratically in the stormy wind.  The rain that had started to fall made Ichinose’s robe and hair stick to him. It made him look sick. 

“You promised me you would be by my side forever! That we would always be friends!” I yelled at him as he came closer to me. I thought my words would keep him back.  “Your Captain was beat fair and square, and you can’t seem to accept that!”

He issued a defensive response. “Zaraki has no honour! My captain did! How could I let this stand?”

I jammed my finger into his chest because we were close now. “You let it stand because that is required of your honour.” 

We stared at each other. “Ichinose. I can’t stand to look at you.” 

“Don’t call me that. You haven’t called me that in a long time, Anane.” 

I used his surname. He didn’t deserve me to call him anything else. He wasn’t Maki to me anymore. He was a stranger. 

 “We are Shinigami. We have a code, we have rules, we have our justice. If you cannot see that, maybe you shouldn’t be a Soul Reaper.”

An expression of hurt flashed across his face, enough to almost phase me. He didn’t understand. He didn’t understand how much he hurt me. I would never forgive him. 

“Goodbye.” 

I said this with finality. I could hear his cries, trying to get me to come back and talk to him. It was a waste. I had nothing else to say. I started back to my room, where I could let it all sink in. How my best friend chose his twisted sense of justice over me. 

His voice changed. It changed into something twisted and demonic. I turned around to see what used to be my friend, arms bent an ungodly way, neck almost broken. His eyes were black gaps, without content. His teeth became sharp blades. Ichinose was no more. 

The creature bounded forward, lodging its arm into my stomach. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel any pain. All I felt was emptiness. 

***

I awoke with a retch. I sat gasping for air, hunched over, gripping my stomach in pain. Such a sudden movement sent twinges of sharp pain into my healing wound. I felt nauseous and my head began to pound. “Tch,” I let out a wince. 

“Anane. Are you all right?”

I forgot where I was. I turned toward my Captain who had sat up in concern. His hat had fallen to the ground and his kimono lay half on the bench, as it slid off his shoulders. This was the first time he had called me by my first name. It was unusual. 

“I’m fine.” I quickly say. I never show weakness. The last time I had was when Ichinose…

“You didn’t tell me you were hurt,” said Captain Kyoraku, peeling back some of my robe to reveal my bandages. He touched them with a strong, yet tentative hand. His fingers were gentle on me. A strong rouge flushed my face and neck at the contact. I pushed his hand away and covered myself again, trying to hide my embarrassment. In any other circumstance, this would have been highly inappropriate. But since we were alone… I guess it didn’t matter. 

“I said I was fine, Captain.” I came across rather hostile, which I hadn’t intended. I wanted to apologize, but decided not to say anything. 

“Is this from the mission?”

I nodded slowly. I didn’t want to tell him. I was injured by a Bount, and I didn’t want him to think I couldn’t handle my duties. I was 3rd seat, for God’s sake. I should be able to handle that.. 

“That’s why you haven’t briefed yet, isn’t it.”

“Yes. Captain. I-”

“Anane, it’s okay.”

 I stopped talking. He had grabbed my hand now, and held it in his large one. I choked. He must feel my spiritual pressure. He has to know how nervous I am. 

“I sent you because I knew you were the most capable in the Division. We don’t know that much about the Bounts, so it was dangerous. I knew that. This is my fault. I shouldn’t have let you go.”

I scoffed. I dedicated my life to doing this job. To think he believed I couldn’t handle myself was insulting.

“Well I went. And I took care of what you needed, so there’s nothing else to consider. Me being hurt is nothing you should make concern about. You’re my Captain, not my caretaker.” Loyalty and duty was at the utmost importance to me. This was my job and I loved it. He didn’t need to babysit me. He helped me to my feet after he saw I had some difficulty. Still holding my hands, he stared down into my eyes and I could see my reflection in his. 

“Yes. I’m your Captain, but that doesn’t mean I don’t care about you.”

A twinge of red crawled up Kyoraku’s neck, into his stubble. I pulled my hand away gently. I would expect this from him with Lieutenant Ise, because they have always seemed close. But to think he would say this to me…

“Don’t worry about the briefing. But I want to know what happened to you.”

I didn’t really want to talk about it. It wasn’t a good experience and it was frightening. Fear is something I do not embrace. I swallowed a feeling of shame and defeat.

“I will tell you another time, Captain. If that’s okay with you. I don’t feel well and it’s something  I’d rather not talk about…”

“Okay.” He said, placing his hand on my arm. “I’ll walk you to your quarters.”

Kyoraku grabbed his hat and Kimono, not putting them on and started with me toward where I stayed. We walked in silence. I staggered a little, the stitched hole in my stomach growing hot with pain. He let me lean on him a bit, his large form holding me up. He wrapped a hand around my hip to stabilize me. I was so thankful to him. 

“So am I the one who needs to say it?” 

I looked at him, confused. “Say what?”

He sighed and laughed. “You know… In all the years I’ve known you, you’ve never loosened up.”

I shook my head. “I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about Captain.”

“See, that right there. You’re almost as bad as Nanao.” 

My eyes caught fire as I glared at him. I didn’t want him to compare me to her. I’m sure her devotion to him was the same, but my feelings were so much more different. I was sure of that.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

“Mhm.”

“I was kidding.”

“No you weren’t.”

It was silent for a while longer. As we approached the barracks, more and more people could be seen walking about. A few people stared at the sight of Kyoraku’s arm around me, and it didn’t help that his bright pink kimono was the definition of subtle. “Captain, I should be able to walk on my own.” I didn’t want people to get the wrong idea.

“Are you sure, Anane?”

I hid my smile. I loved the way he said my name. “Yes, Captain.”

“Well alright. I'm letting you go now.”

His hold loosened on me and he let me stand on my own.

“Captain Kyoraku, sir.”

We both turn to see Matsumoto in her usual elegance. Her long strawberry blonde hair fell down her back in waves. Her mouth was twisted into a pout. She looked concerned. “My Captain was looking for you. He said he needed to talk to you about something.” She arrived at the perfect time. Instead of studying me and the Captain, most of everyone stood slack jawed, staring at Matsumoto like usual. She glanced between Kyoraku and me, but then dismissed any intrusive accusations. 

“Oh… Alright. I’ll be sure to go and see him. I just have something to do here. Thank you.”

With that, Matsumoto was dismissed and turned on her heel to go. I watched as a few men chased her, trying to talk to her, the others just patiently looking. 

“Captain, go. It’s probably important. I’m f-” 

“If I hear you say that you’re fine one more time, I might actually use my bankai on you.”

That was such an utterly poor joke, I laughed a little. I couldn’t help it. But I was curious, what could Captain Hitsugaya have to talk to my Captain about. I hope it wasn’t the Bounts. They’re more trouble than they’re worth.

“I won’t say that, then. But I am. You know I can take care of myself. You don’t have to stay with me any longer.”

Kyoraku put his hand behind his neck and gave me an exasperated sigh. He swung his hat in his hand and shook his head in dismay. “It’s almost like you’re trying to get rid of me.”

So… it was almost like he was trying to stay. 

We had arrived at my private quarters now, he was lingering right outside my door. 

“Well, technically I couldn’t. Since you’re my Captain. I just don’t want you to worry about me.”

He smiled and stared at me for a long time. I couldn’t help but blush in embarrassment. 

“Do you remember when I asked you to be part of Division 8?”

I do remember. It was probably the best day of my life.

***

The coursework at Shinō Academy was scheduled to be completed in 6 years, but I had finished in half that time. I wasn’t quite as talented or ingenious as a few captains who had graduated in two years or even one, but my dedication and relentless training to become a Shinigami still impressed the Captains of the Gotei 13. I graduated as an expert in Zanjutsu and Kido, and had even more promise in the likes of Hakuda, my preferred fighting style. I had applied to Division 11, since in my academy years I was recruited to go on missions with them to test the waters. I believed it would be the most difficult to get into, and fighting there would be the utmost privilege and an opportunity to demonstrate my skill. Not only that, but I wanted to be in the same division as Ichinose. While my application was being processed, I was approached by Captain Kyoraku at the training grounds of the academy where I spent my downtime. 

“Nakamura, is it?”

I sheathed my zanpakuto and stood at attention. The first sight of that bright pink kimono on that giant of a man was exhilarating. The way his robes shifted when he walked emitted such a regal air.  My heart slammed against the inside of my chest and my tongue turned to sandpaper. I was being approached by a Captain! This was the first time I was spoken to by one outside of my academy classes. 

“Yes sir. Anane Nakamura, sir.”

Captain Kyoraku looked at me closely, and squinted in puzzlement. “That’s an unusual name, especially for a girl.”

I nodded. It was typical. I was the fourth born child of my parents, and I was supposed to be a boy. I had disappointed them before I could even prove myself to them. My name was forever a reflection of that. 

“Are you training?” He casually asked me this, looking at my hands, gripped tightly still on the hilt of my sword. The sun made his skin shine, and his then shaven face glowed.

“Yes sir.”

Kyoraku took a few steps away from me to a grassy area under a tree. Sitting down cross legged  “Well don’t let me stop you. I didn't mean to interrupt. Go ahead.”

He spoke to me in such a familiar way, taking me by surprise. I had known he had a laid back personality, but to speak to a subordinate with such familiarity? Not to mention, how was I supposed to train with a Captain watching me? He must’ve seen me hesitate. 

“It’s alright. Just pretend like I’m not here. I won’t say a thing.”

I turned away, my back to the Captain and stared at my shadow on the ground in front of me. Taking a deep breath, I unsheath my sword. I completed the patterns, once, twice and over again. After I had done them all, I did them again. The day passed as the sun had come around to face me, it’s sinking, scarlet rays making the sweat on my face and arms glisten. My flushed cheeks shimmered in the light, the glistening hair from my twin braids plastering them. The fine hairs that fell out of my short twin braids clung to my cheeks, which were flushed with the effort. I stood, heaving ragged breaths. my breathing laboured and sharp. When I trained. I trained for hours with little rest. I was only ever finished when my body would be on the verge of collapse, never sooner. My hands always had callouses from gripping my sword for so long. My spiritual pressure had dropped to almost nothing. I had finished. 

When I turned to leave, I half expected Captain Kyoraku to not be there. Maybe he would’ve been bored watching me run myself into the ground, doing the same patterns over and over in the hot sun like that. He sat, not asleep, but attentively watching me as I put away my sword and put my socks and waraji back on. I always trained barefoot. 

Footsteps approached me slowly, and I was afraid to hear what the Captain had to say. I knew the vast extent of my abilities even then but I had always felt, for some reason, it was never enough. Like a beautiful girl who would be ashamed to show her face, I was insecure and lacked confidence. My insecurity was why I trained so much. I could never be good enough.

“Nakamura.”

“Yes sir?”

I scrambled off the ground and stood tall to face Kyoraku. I was nearly half his size. I was in the late stages of my adolescence, nearly finished blooming into a young woman. I wanted to impress him so much, along with the other captains. 

“I’ve sat here and have watched you train for hours. Your dedication is admirable. Your talent is even better.”

I beamed with pride, but held myself together. “Thank you sir.”

“I know you applied for Division 11.”

“I did, sir.”

“Well, I don’t want to discourage you...” He looked deeply into my eyes, and I noticed the slight wrinkles around his, even though he was very young. “But I feel like you wouldn’t fit in there. So. Will you be in Division 8?”

My eyes began to water immediately. I held my head up to face the Captain. Kyoraku-san had asked me personally to be a part of his Division. 

“Yes. I would be honoured.”

***

“Yes. What about it?”

He shook his head, smiling. A pleasing expression came to his tanned, handsome face. 

“I’m just thinking about how much you’ve grown since then. Looking at you now, you’ve really turned out to be one of the finest Shinigami I know..”

I looked at my Captain. To hear him say that meant the world to me. Those words alone were the reason I’ve trained countless hours to become a legendary warrior and servant of the Gotei 13. I have dedicated my life to Kyoraku, the very day I entered his division. I had fallen in love with protecting him, serving him, and being a part of him.  His words now were the embodiment of validation I have been looking for my whole life.  He really did see how much I cared. I looked up to Kyoraku, idolized him. Other Captains have called him a lazy, irresponsible, nonchalant, ladies’ man, dumping all of his work onto his Lieutenant. Sure he was a bit laid back and he did love to flirt, but knowing him for so long, I saw something different. I saw passion, vision and love from him. I knew he would always do the right thing. He wanted good for the world. I wanted to support him in any way I could. 

I wanted to cry. It was like that moment, years ago, I felt the exact same way. I don’t know if he knew. He made me so happy. He was the reason I was living. 

“You’re embarrassing me,” I say, keeping my cool composure and smirking just a little. I was excellent in holding back my feelings. 

He calmly reached out and placed his hand on the top of my head. He ruffled my hair a little, and pet me. 

 “Sorry. I couldn't help it… Get some rest, Anane.”

“Thank you, Captain… for everything.” I say this, appreciating his kind words of praise. He didn’t know how much they lifted my spirits. He slowly turned to go, not taking his eyes off of me for a little while. I finally relaxed when he turned the corner of the hall, letting my tears fall freely. I opened the door to my room and went to collapse onto my bed right away. My body felt so heavy and numb and my stomach throbbed in pain. My sleeve still smelled like Kyoraku. 

My Captain.

[joopiterjoon]

Adored and Nothing More

Pairing: YoonJin Queerplatonic

Genre: PG, Slice of Life, Fluff?

Warnings/Tags: Aro!Jin, Ace-Spectrum!Yoongi, handholding, YoonJin complaining, self-discovery

Wordcount: 3k

A/n: I wrote this based on a joke with @kpopfan-antics... and then turned it into a fic.. and made it soft because what else is new.

Part of FicsWithLuv’s FWLBingo!

“Coffee?” Yoongi’s voice draws Jin out of his intense focus on the game that’s been in his hands so long they’re cramping. Jin blinks a few times before he fully registers the small man in his doorway. He leans on Jin’s doorframe, hair a mess and hoodie on despite the summer heat. It’s a typical contrast to be seen in the apartment- Jin in his boxers and a sweatshirt while Yoongi’s bundled up head-to-toe.

The most recent apartment suits them well. In college, the soft pastels of Jin’s side seemed comedic compared to Yoongi’s all-black-or-bust space. Now, Jin’s room faces the sun, while Yoongi’s faces the adjacent apartment building. Jin can look out into the day, and Yoongi’s room is kept cool by the lack of light.

Jin gives a small smile to his roommate before heaving out of the bed for the first time all day. He groans as he stretches.

“Old man,” Yoongi teases.

“Hey, that’s rich coming from you,” Jin argues as he shucks his hoodie and pulls a shirt over his head. “An old man would wish he looked this good.”

“Well, “ Yoongi begins despite walking into the living space towards the door, “You must be that good looking old man ‘cause only old guys groan like that when they stand.”

Jin frows as he trots after Yoongi’s huddled, waddling form.

“Like this?” Jin imitates the sound again while he bends to put his shoes on. “Or this?” He does it louder with his whole chest as they head out. “Or like-”

Jin stops abruptly when he sees their neighbors in the hall, startled by Jin’s noises. His ears burn as he bows deeply. “Sorry.”

Yoongi snickers, tugging Jin along with a loose grip on his hand. Jin’s amazed that in all his layers, Yoongi’s fingers are actually cold. He grips tighter to warm them.

“Hey,” Jin pipes up as they get on the street. “An old man would never shout like that either, you know?”

Yoongi side-eyes him and pulls a baseball cap lower over his eyes. He got a haircut last week, and the hat shows off his undercut well. But Jin knows how chaotic his hair is underneath. Still, somehow Yoongi looks cute with his hair fucked up and askew. “Mhm, sure.”

Satisfied, Jin bounces along next to his roommate. It’s a nice day out, Yoongi’s favorite kind. Good weather and few people. They stay quiet, taking note of the small changes in their neighborhood since the last time they left the house. Both introverts, Jin and Yoongi make a dangerously homebound pairing. If it weren’t for Yoongi’s dire need for specialty coffee, they would barely leave the house in the summer.

They head toward the small coffee shop that Yoongi chose as “his” coffee shop. Yoongi had a tendency to do that. He picked something he liked and stuck with it. Like Jin, his eternal roommate. And seeing as Jin and Yoongi had similar preferences in activities and lifestyles, Jin became what Yoongi stuck with very often. Jin would tease him, but really, he appreciated it. He’s comfortable with Yoongi. Content. He frequently finds it hard to balance his affection and sincerity with friends, yet Yoongi has always seemed to understand how Jin works.

“Woah,” Jin says as they enter the shop. It’s almost empty. He checks the large, driftwood clock hanging in the back of the small space. “Yoongi, it’s 3 pm.”

“Correct,” Yoongi answers curtly. They shuffle between the little square tables for two and up to the front.

“Yoongi, I’ve been in bed until 3 pm?”

“Correct.”

“Why didn’t you get me sooner? I haven’t eaten all day!” Jin whines. He throws his arms up in distress and nearly knocks over the little, inconveniently empty case of muffins on the counter.

“I’m not your keeper, old man,” Yoongi retorts and smiles politely to their barista.

“Just for that comment, you have to come and get naengmyeon with me after this,” Jin sniffs. 

“Awh,” she giggles behind the counter. “You two are always cute together.”

“Oh,” Jin and Yoongi both say. They give each other an up-down, then focus on their conjoined hands. It’s not the first time they’ve been mislabeled. It’s happened so often that they know exactly what the cashier means by “cute together.”

“Oh,” the cashier repeats, covering her embarrassment. “Are you not dating?”

Both of them open their mouths to respond, but neither say anything. They just stare, blank-faced and slack-jawed, at the barista. There’s not usually a pause here. One of them is quick to correct. The pause gives way to another pause as they both consider the weight of the first.

“I don’t think so,” Jin finally says.

“No,” Yoongi says more firmly yet still too late.

“No?” Jin’s a bit offended at how assured Yoongi sounded.

“Did you think we were?” Yoongi curls his lip in frustration. “You just said you don’t think so.”

“Yeah,” Jin agrees, his ears tinting pink. Sure, he doesn’t. But…

Are we dating? It’s a question that’s made Jin nervous his whole life. He always gets close, closer, closest to people. He feels happy, content to have someone close who knows him and values his presence. But, then, there’s always that “next step” others ask for. Something he never recognizes is there until after he confronts these kinds of situations. Situations like romance. Where someone wants him in a way that implies so much more than what he wants. The awkward moments when someone leans in for a kiss and Jin has to say explain there’s been a miscommunication. 

He never thinks they’re dating. He doesn’t feel a need to date, or what people mean by date. He just likes to be close to people he cares for. Jin’s thought about it many times. Why what he wants exudes wanting more to others when he likes what they have.

He thought Yoongi felt the same. Years and years of closeness.Someone who felt good to cuddle when they watched a movie. Someone who he could always talk to. Someone who never made him worried he might want more, that something people want that Jin just doesn’t. And now... “I thought you might think that we might be what we aren’t.”

“Yeah, I get that.”

“So you do?”

Yoongi’s lip curls in confusion. “No?”

Yoongi blinks a few times, pout prominent as he becomes confused. “No what?”

They both let out a frustrated sigh. At this point, the barista slinks away to make their drinks, the slightest bit guilty for whatever she just caused. Jin turns to face Yoongi. Yoongi’s slouched against the counter, nonchalant, but his eyes dart between Jin’s trying to read him. Jin asks again, “Are we dating?”

“I don’t know,” Yoongi says, rubbing at his other arm since he can’t cross them as long as they are holding hands. He finally looks away, and Jin’s heart jumps a bit at the nerves he’s showing. “You tell me.”

“I think…” Jin startles a bit at the sound of the latte machine. He hopes for a reprieve, the noise too loud for them to keep talking, but he doesn’t get that. The quartet of grinding beans and pressurized air quickly ends. Maybe it’s a sign to keep going. He really doesn’t want to do this in a coffee shop, but… “I think sometimes we are.”

Yoongi sighs again, but he doesn’t look back up, just waves Jin off. “Well, tell me when sometimes turns to a definitive.” 

“Nah,” Jin says, shaking his head, “I like how things are. Can we just keep doing this?”

“Alright then,” Yoongi nods. He drags them down to the open side of the counter as the barista cups their drinks. “Still want to go to dinner?”

“As a non-date date?” Jin asks, perking up. Whatever doing this is. That is a date usually, but it’s not a date for them.

“Jesus,” Yoongi crinkles his nose. “If that’s a date, we’ve been dating for years.”

“Maybe we have,” Jin says, blinking a few times. Maybe he’s right. If this is what they want to call it, it’s been a while. An apologetic barista slides two coffees across the counter as the two stand in silence for a moment. “That would be ideal. But I thought we weren’t-”

“Do not start this again,” Yoongi cuts him off and turns to find a table.

Jin doesn’t. He sits with Yoongi while he drinks his coffee. They check the weather to search for a time to go camping. They’ve tried to plan a trip three times this summer. Jin loves camping with Yoongi.

Late at night when they wait for the coals to cool in the fire, Yoongi talks the most. He talks about the world more when he’s not really in it. Being deep in the woods can feel like being in a different world. Jin likes taking Yoongi camping to help him gain perspective and for them to be out but with no one around. And on those trips, Jin’s thought about it. How if he had to be stuck with one person forever, it would be Yoongi. 

They toss their drinks and head back out. It’s quiet again as Jin follows the GPS on his phone. He tries to focus, but now there’s an idea in the back of his head. Is it this easy? Is this… okay? Is Yoongi going to want more? He’s never wanted more all this time. Jin’s sure he doesn’t want more.

Finally, after they get to the restaurant and order their food, Jin can’t take it anymore. He talks to Yoongi about anything and everything directly. He can talk about this. They are eternal roommates. It’ll be fine. They already addressed it before. Just not as much as he wanted.

Still, he can’t find an in, a moment to clear the air. So he gives up distracting himself, which seems to be what Yoongi’s doing because he won’t put his phone down.

“Why are you on your phone?” Jin asks.

“Googling us,” Yoongi says. He misses his straw a few times while he keeps reading.

Jin blushes. “Look, if anything strange comes up about a GoFundMe from 2012-”

“That’s not what I mean,” Yoongi says, crunching on an ice cube. “It’s called Queerplatonic.”

“That wasn’t the name of my GoFundMe but it’s kind of close.”

“I don’t want to know,” Yoongi says. “This. The thing we do. Are doing. Think we might… nevermind.”

Yoongi huffs out his frustration and flips his phone over on the table. Jin leans over the rickety bar table toward his pouty roommate. At this point, Jin had half a mind that what happened before was a joke for the barista. Now he finds out Yoongi’s been pondering the same thing in his head all afternoon. “Yoongi, you do want to date me, don’t you?”

Yoongi grumbles incoherently as he scratches at his ear. Jin leans back in his seat with a sigh. Ah. “I’m telling you, it’s fine. Everyone wants to date me. And apparently everyone thinks I want to date them. You are not immune.”

Yoongi’s head pops up, irritated as usual by Jin’s ego, and reminds him, “Earlier you literally said you’d be fine dating me.”

“I’m fine non-dating dating you,” Jin says.

“Queerplatonic,” Yoongi clarifies, waving the phone.

“Give me that,” Jin takes the phone from Yoongi. It’s some stylized Wiki page. He glances up at Yoongi, ears a bit pink. “You’re sitting here deciphering us without including me?”

“You’d talk so much I wouldn’t be able to read,” Yoongi shrugs. “Plus, I’ve seen you staring at my nonstop. I know you are thinking about the same shit over there.”

“You say that like you don’t talk all the time,” Jin pauses to nod in thanks to the waiter who sets their beers on the table. Jin drinks a bit more than he should off the bat. “You even talk in your sleep!”

Yoongi petulantly purses his lips. “If you aren’t going to read, give me my phone back.”

Jin leans back with the phone close to his chest and reads through the article. As he goes, he feels tension in his shoulders unwinding. 

What he’s reading in his hands, this is him. Moreover, it’s what he and Yoongi have. And some people, apparently, are okay staying this way.

“Yoongi,” Jin breathes, scrolling further. Yoongi doesn’t answer, he just keeps eating and watching Jin’s face nervously. “Is this… I think I’m this.”

“What is this? There’s like, 20 definitions on that site,” Yoongi gripes.

“I don’t know… something on this?” Jin says, scrolling again.

When he hears Yoongi put his beer down, he glances up. Yoongi’s hand is out on the table, palm up, inviting. Jin takes it hesitantly. He’s always liked holding Yoongi’s hand. There’s nothing implied. Nothing extra expected. Just touching someone. He takes it.

“Are you telling me you’ve never considered your sexuality?” Yoongi asks, wiping his mouth. Jin glances around at the other tables chattering and laughing over assortments of comfort food. No one’s really paying them much mind.

“Um, I mean, I guess I thought this wasn’t a sexuality? More of a libido thing. Not for me. I still like sex and stuff, but maybe every other month?” Jin trails off. Honestly, it’s something he’s tried to ignore thinking about.

“Well, I don’t really,” Yoongi says bluntly. 

“Why didn’t you say something?” Jin asks.

“I did,” Yoongi tries to sound nonchalant, but he hides behind his beer.

“When?” Jin asks, exasperated.

“Do you remember when we were watching that Avengers movie that made no sense?”

“Yoongi, for the millionth time, you can’t just choose to watch Civil War without watching any of the other--”

“That’s not the point,” Yoongi groans over Jin until he stops talking. “We were sitting there. Just chilling. And I said I liked this. And you said you, too. And then you held my hand, and I... leaned my head on your shoulder and shit.”

“That was…” Jin rubs his chin. “That was a confession?”

“I mean,” Yoongi shrugs, but he looks a bit annoyed.

“Oh.”

“I was pretty sure you were aromantic,” Yoongi continues, “or at least something of the sort. I mean, didn’t you google it?”

“I don’t google this stuff, I just deal with it,” Jin scoffs, but he feels his ears burning. He glances at Yoongi’s phone again. Aromanticism (or aromanticity) is an orientation in which someone does not experience romantic attraction. Aromanticism is often confused for asexuality, but asexuality is only a lack of sexual attraction. Not all asexuals are aromantic, nor are all aromantics asexual**. That.

He reads it aloud. “I think that’s me. Like, maybe both. But not all the time? But most of the time.”

“Okay, well, that’s cool,” Yoongi says. Simple. The simpleness of it all almost makes Jin urge to create something more. Not exactly drama. But now he’s finally talking about it, he wants to know a bit more. Especially now that he knows he and Yoongi have been on different pages about who they were to each other for almost a year. And he’s a bit overwhelmed with the fact that what Yoongi wants is to just stay how they are. It’s a bit too surreal to be reality.

Jin chews on his lip. “Do you like me?”

“I don’t like anyone,” Yoongi clarifies. He fumbles with his words a bit, frowning while he gets his thoughts together. He settles with, “But you’re okay.”

“No, I mean,” Jin takes a deep breath in. He laughs nervously. “Isn’t it scary? It feels like… I’m broken. Like I’m supposed to like you more than I do or in some, I don’t know, some other way I can’t fathom?” Jin chuckles nervously. He inhales the salty air mixed with the familiar smell of burning grease. “I didn’t expect to admit something is wrong with me and my dick at a dive restaurant.”

“Nothing is fuckin’ wrong with you,” Yoongi squeezes his hand. Jin glances away at the small compliment, which sounded more like a command. It makes him flustered. “First of all, I’m disappointed you are falling into the ploy of a nuclear family or some shit. The idea of some kind of ideal romantic relationship is commercialized and definitely benefits the economy. The entire dating culture. Don’t even get me started on gifts.”

“I already know how you feel about gifts,” Jin cuts in.

“Exactly, you know me, and I like to think I know you,” Yoongi says, his voice getting quiet at the end. Jin glances up to see something rare. Dusted pink chubby cheeks. He wants to pinch them, fidgeting in his seat.

“Jin, I like being with you, if that’s what you mean,” Yoongi sighs. “I like that we can just be us. I like doing things with you. I don’t want to put a label on it, just like I don’t want to put a label on myself. But the whole romantic thing? Not me. What we have? That fits me. I want to keep doing that. Do you want to keep doing that?”

Jin nods immediately. Yes, yes he does. He loves doing things with Yoongi. “But aren’t we supposed to do more? Get somewhere with it? I don’t know, profess our love?”

Yoongi drops back in his chair with a groan. “Jin, we aren’t supposed to anything. We can do what we want. Tell me what you want. You be you. I’ll be me. We always speak our minds, right? We just be ourselves. Talk to each other. Be, uh, together.”

Yoongi’s words start to drown into the sound of the restaurant, his palm sweaty in Jin’s. Jin smiles softly. He’s nervous. Cute. “Wow, I’m the worst. Here you are having to guide me through all this.”

“You are the worst,” Yoongi agrees. “I can deal with that, though.”

“Okay,” Jin says. He inhales and lets out a shaky breath. “Yeah, um. This is what I want. What I like. What we’re, you know, doing. Coffee and eating and living.”

Yoongi nods. “Alright. That wasn’t so bad. Now let’s eat and go stargazing or some other shit. The weather’s too nice to go home yet.”

Jin smiles softly. The food comes to the table and they both separate, picking up their chopsticks, and dig in. It’s easy. Comfortable. Content.

**This information came from this website [the website will be here in a bit. Tumblr is flagging posts with links so i’m waiting a bit before inserting it]

© July 2020 JoopiterJoon. Protected by Creative Commons. If you repost my work in any form or say “credit to author” I will find you and ruin you :D

Characters only borrow name and likeness from the members. Do not copy, translate, repost, or reuse this work.

[sombreboy]

Love Maze »18

Previous  » Next Series Masterlist ▎ 18+ ▎ pairing: Taehyung x Jungkook ▎ genre: School AU, crack humor, smut, angst, ETL, slow burn, fluff. ▎ word count: 7.7k ▎ ch.warnings: profanity, angst, jealousy, violence, blood, mentions of hospitals, yandere side character is back and he's CRAZY

Co-writer: @velvetwicebang​​​​ ♡♡♡

The following day was huge, today was the big game that they've prepared for forever! Jungkook headed out early, leaving Jisoo's home to head over to his own to grab his backpack before heading to school for the last morning practice. This afternoon was it; he had to be in his best form to perform well. Kook made his way to the locker room to change, a bit earlier than everybody else. He wanted to warm up properly, and give his all in the last practice. He loved the thought of competition, excited to show off the endless stamina he's spent countless hours building up for.

Taehyung stalled, lingering close to Jungkook like a pest just waiting to pounce on the opportunity to talk to him.. He waited and waited; until the opportunity never came. “Fucking pussy..” Tae self-loathed, watching as everyone else was quickly ushered out of the locker room by Namjoon.

“Tae, come on! You too.” The Captain was stressed, anyone could see that. Deciding it was for the best to not make a fuss, Taehyung obliged and kept to himself. The elder glanced over at Kook a couple times during practice, wondering how he was doing. Maybe he’d be able to get a hold on the younger before the big game tonight. Tae held on to that possibility.

Jungkook wasn't blind, he could tell that Taehyung's eyes were on him more than usual today. It was weird-- he'd been completely ignored for what felt like forever. Maybe he was just imagining things, however... That must be it-- nerves. He shrugged it off, overthinking was the last thing he needed to do today.

Practice went great, Namjoon praised the guys with a lopsided smile-- the stress and worry was evident, but he was confident in his players. He dismissed the members, Jungkook grabbing his water bottle by the bench to chug it down as he wiped his sweaty forehead with the back of his hand as he resumed to head down to the locker room, the other guys not quite there yet as they stayed around to calm Namjoon's pre-game nerves.

Well, except Taehyung.

Taehyung’s quick, determined strides gradually lost their momentum the moment he pushed on the locker room door, nervous to see Jungkook’s face after what took place between them.. Suddenly, his confidence was equivalent to sand in an hourglass as it dropped by the ticking second. There stood the younger, completely unaware of the motive behind Tae’s hesitant, inclosing steps. He tried not to think about what he was unknowingly exposed to yesterday evening, but Taehyung couldn’t just.. ignore the imprinted image of Jungkook‘s lips molded against someone else’s. A girl. Hell, he couldn’t compete with that.. The elder inhaled a deep breath. “Uhm.. can we— can we talk?” His Adam’s apple nervously danced underneath his neck. “Please?”

Four words. It was the first four words Koo had heard from Tae in weeks.

'Can we talk, please?'

Kook swallowed tightly. Now he wanted to talk? Was ignoring him not enough--now he suddenly wants to talk. "No." He says. There was nothing he imagined that he wanted to hear. He couldn't afford to lose focus, and Tae would definitely not help with whatever he had to say. Kook turned his back towards the elder as he began to change, hoping that would be enough to be left alone. Fuck, this wasn't good. Taehyung had slowly already creeped his way into Jungkooks brain.

Taehyung’s self-confidence deflated on the spot, his disappointment instead peering through the cracks. He’s a fucking idiot. W hat else was he expecting Kook to say? Yes? No matter the initial letdown, Tae wasn’t one to give up easily. “Look, Jungkook— I hate not being able to talk to you.” His piercing gaze roamed over the younger’s bare skin, wishing the two dimples on the latter’s lower back were a pair of eyes. Taehyung wanted Jungkook to listen to him, to see his strained efforts to try and fix the deep shit they were in.

He caused it; he had to end it.

“I-I miss us.. you.” The elder glanced down towards the ground, suddenly wishing Jungkook wouldn’t turn around. If he’d just thought about it for a second longer, Tae wouldn’t have broken up with him. It was an impulsive decision— and fuck.. did he regret it.

Jungkook froze as soon as he pulled the hoodie over his torso. He couldn't believe what he just heard.. was it a dream, where his mind was playing tricks on him? The younger took a deep, slow breath to keep himself together, but it was easier said than done. He really wished Tae wouldve said those words earlier... much earlier... Before he went to Jisoo-- fuck... Kook felt his guarded exterior slowly being chipped away with every piercing word coming off the elders lips, and the mere thought of this was terrifying. He felt guilty, for a part of him wanted Tae back too. A big part. "I... I can't. Okay?" He didnt sound so sure. All he knew was that if he didn't keep his guard up; he'd crumble. And today the game was his priority. Jungkook turns on the spot, regretfully as he saw Taehyung's gloom stance. He seemed sincere... and that only made this entire thing so painful. Fuck, he wishes he could just... hug him. "Tae..." the name was unfamiliar on his lips once more, stepping closer to the elder. He looked a bit different than before-- but before he could say anything else, the rest of the boys came rushing down-- however they came to a halt as they saw their two golden boys in a rather tense situation. Taehyung with his head hanging low, and Jungkook looking absolutely distressed through his doe eyes. The very moment Kook heard the guys, he withdrew the hand he had extended, instead using it to grab his backpack and wordlessly walk away, pushing through the doors with his shoulder before heading towards the dining hall without waiting for anybody.

Jungkook missed him too.. and it was fucking terrifying. Why does Taehyung have this strong grasp on him? He shrugged as he went to sit down in his usual spot in the dining room, rubbing his eyes in annoyance, and an attempt to clear his vision. Game. Game. Game.

It didn't go that well.

~

Taehyung blankly watched the younger scurry out of the crowded room, ignoring his friends’ careful attempts at squeezing an answer out of him.

“You guys okay or..?”

He turned to look at Yoongi, not bothered to include a verbal clarification. The mint-haired male’s flat expression fell. He was visibly struggling to come up with anything remotely comforting as his palm glided over the sweat on his nape.

“Tae, please.. we need you here for the game, alright? Joon’s already stressed out enough, it’s the least we can do.” Yoongi’s never been in love, but it didn’t take a genius to know Taehyung was hurting because of it. He wasn’t aware of what happened between his friends, but he hoped they’d be able to put it off— whatever it was— until later; after they'd secured their anticipated win.

~

The rest of the day during school was dreadful, Jungkook couldn't stop replaying the simple words that Taehyung had told him this morning. It was confusing, to say the least. Why'd the elder have to put this on him now? Focusing in class was an impossible task, the one thing his mind tunnel visioned on was to win the game. Nothing else. He'd sacrificed way too much of himself to let this be a flop. As classes ended, he had some time to kill before he had to go prepare himself, so he opted to go for his trusted vending machine to get himself his favourite sweet, explosion of chemicals in the form of banana milk. With a straw pressed between his lips, he headed to sit where he usually would outside the building by the stairs, fishing his phone out to open his text conversations. He'd still kept the one from Tae, hovering over it with his thumb before opening the thread. The latest message was the one that ended their relationship, just after the previous text that was a promise of them meeting after class to fulfill their needs.

Kook sighed, shaking his head as he internally scolded himself for even going through this memory again. He wondered why Taehyung suddenly changed his mind.. and part of him knew he had to find out eventually.

~~~

The day’s blinding light converted into darkness, the sun’s blazing rays nowhere to be seen as seconds turned into minutes, and minutes progressed into hours. The overfamiliar gymnasium gradually filled up with animated students and proud parents, each one there to support and cheer for their respective team.

Taehyung was hidden away in the locker room along with everyone else, partaking in some last minute stretches before it was time for them to confidently walk out into the lion’s den. Tae was sure tonight was the most packed it’s ever been, the muffled commotion reached his alert ears from where he stood, the faint buzzing swelling to a roar.

Well, it wasn’t that dramatic.. Big crowds tended to spike up the elder’s mild anxiety, but it wasn’t anything he couldn’t handle.

Taehyung’s hooded eyes were glued on Jungkook, replaying earlier events until it didn’t sit right with him. He wanted to make things right between them— for the game’s sake, and for theirs in the long run.

“Hey, Jung—“

“Jungkook? Hi!” Jisoo greeted with a beaming smile, seeming relieved. “I was dreading coming in here.. didn’t want Yuna to see any naked guys..” The woman awkwardly chuckled, gently withdrawing her hand from the little one’s big, curious eyes.

“Is that a baby?!”

“No, Hoseok, it’s a dog.” Yoongi sassed with a roll of his eyes, following behind their friends to greet the newcomer. Jimin and Hoseok seemed extra infatuated with the chubby little human while Yoongi kept to himself, trying to act unfazed by Yuna’s incoherent babbles. Namjoon and Taehyung however.. Both were wide-eyed.

“Jungkook, who’s this?” Jimin’s plump lips twitched up into a smile, curious about Kook’s friend. Jisoo’s fingers sneakily grazed over the younger’s strong, naked biceps. She tried to be slick, but failed. Jungkook looked extra good in a pair of jersey and shorts..

Meanwhile, Joon and Tae lingered in the corner, watching the situation unfold with narrowed eyes. While Namjoon glared at Jungkook, Taehyung glared at Jisoo.

Jungkook's eyes widened at the surprise, expecting her to be out in the audience rather than... well, in their locker room. It didn't fail to make his lips tug into a toothy grin though, giving Yuna's small nose a little boop of his finger before turning to Jisoo. ''Hey,'' he smiled, noting how Yuna relished in the attention of his hyungs. As they asked him, who the hell this girl was, he took a long second to think. They weren't something, but they also weren't nothing. ''She's my friend,'' he settles with this explanation, ''Lives next door.'' He didn't like to go too much into details, that's all they needed to know.

Jisoo merely agreed in the form of a nod, discreetly confused about where they stood. Now that the question was innocently brought up, it got her thinking.. They’ve kissed, fucked (sometimes more than once on the same day), spent almost every waking day together.. it nearly checked off all of the requirements for a relationship. It was a tricky situation, and alike Jungkook, she barely went into clear details— only useless rambling. “Anyways, I didn’t bring you the fancy sign, I know.” She joked with Kook, turning the locker room into her personal stage as she acted disappointed in herself. “But..” Jisoo looked around, making sure no one was in their point of hearing. “When you guys win, I’ll reward you with whatever you want. You know, to make up for it.” The woman stepped back, her usual smile decorated with the exhilaration of tonight’s possible affair.

Taehyung was fuming... He couldn’t bear to see the two of them together after what he came across the other day.

“They seem close, huh..” Namjoon noted with barely any emotion in his voice, arms securely crossed over his chest. Tae, who stood next to him, simply scoffed. “Yeah, they’re close alright.”

What did Jungkook see in Jisoo, anyway? Sure, she was nice.. caring, compassionate, pretty— all nice qualities. Taehyung only angered himself further. The woman was the perfect person for him. It got Tae wondering why the fuck they haven’t gotten married and birthed ten more perfect kids yet. They were so.. loud with their affection, it was annoying.

“Uhm, I mean, how close?” It was obvious Namjoon was jealous, no matter how hard he tried to play off his feelings.

“I caught them kissing. That’s how close.”

“W-what?” The elder’s hands unknowingly clenched into fists, not believing what he’d just heard.

Is that why Jungkook got so angry that one time..? It had to be.

Jungkook smiled coyly at Jisoo as she stepped back, stretching his back for the final remaining minutes. ''I'll look forward to it. Go get a seat before they're all taken!'' he jokes. But truly, there were a whole lot of people. Before Jisoo left with Yuna, she looked at Jungkook over her shoulder, meeting his eyes with a small smile. He waved vaguely as she disappeared out of view before turning back to his hyungs, not aware of the stares he's getting from Namjoon and Taehyung.

''Alright, let's do this!'' Hoseok chimes, working together with Jimin and Jin to bring the group together into a hug, smushing Tae and Kook together involuntarily, Joon as well in the mess. As if it came naturally, Taehyung’s arm wrapped around Jungkook’s smaller waist as their friends huddled together. While everyone else’s was on each other’s upper backs, Tae’s instincts just had to kick in at the wrong time. By the time he’d noticed, Joon’s body had practically locked him in position. It would’ve been awkward if Tae attempted to squeeze his arm out in the middle of Jin’s hushed ‘poetically powerful’ pregame speech, so he let it be. The taller nervously glanced at Kook from time to time, swallowing down his remaining panic. Taehyung’s bigger hand gently squeezed at Jungkook’s hip, his fingers digging lightly into the fabric of the younger’s Jersey. He missed having him this close... All of this unfolded in the midst of Seokjin’s uplifting words, so it was no surprise when Tae had no idea what his hyung had said by the end of it.

Just like Tae, Jungkook was unable to focus on anything that Jin blabbered about, the one thing he was hyper focused on was the close proximity of the elder. The way his strong hand wrapped around him-- the hand that applied pressure on his hip... It brought back an emotion that he thought he'd finally gotten rid of. Oh how foolish he was. He craned his neck forward, his long curls hiding the expression in his eyes, while his lips barely parted in a quiet sigh. He missed having him this close too...

As the group finally withdrew, giving the boys the much needed space and cheers coming from their hyungs, Jungkook felt like he stayed in Taehyung's arm for a second longer than he planned to, quickly pulling away to roll his tongue inside of his cheek. ''Alright, guys.'' Namjoon announced as he gave every member a pat on the back as they headed out towards the court-- well, until it was Jungkook walking past him. A glare shot his way, but the younger didn't take notice of this, instead fighting his internal battle of trying to suppress his thoughts to focus on the game.

Taehyung quickly followed behind Kook, itching to close the distance between them once again. Now that he’d gotten a taste of what he used to have, it was incredibly hard to pretend to hide his true feelings.. The urge grew more intense when they jogged into the packed court, peers’ blaring shouts of encouragement making Tae want to curl up against his ex-boyfriend’s chest and wake up in a more serene location. The younger’s bed, perhaps.. The thrill that used to overtake him at the thought of tonight’s game was no longer alive. He found the atmosphere suffocating, and the roars annoyingly unbearable. The elder didn’t know why he was extra sensitive to the loud noises, but he figured the constant buzzing in his ear was to blame. The piercing sound had yet to subdue, and it didn’t plan on leaving anytime soon.

Before the major game began, each team was given a few minutes to practice their free throws. Taehyung jumped in line behind the younger, building his confidence to lean towards Jungkook’s ear. “I miss you, and I’m sorry.” He whispered. It was killing him not knowing what to expect.. Did Kook want him back, or not? The elder lingered in that position for a second longer, only moving when the string of players did. E ven then, Tae remained close to Jungkook. He didn’t worry about the audience’s stares from the stands, or the questions that might pop into their heads. The rare moment Taehyung wasn’t so caught up in strangers' wandering eyes, was when he desperately needed to be. If he’d been as attentive as before, he would’ve easily pinpointed a certain devilish glare from the crowd.

Jungkook kept his eyes focused forward, however he was listening to every single word that went into his ear. Tae was way too close, in front of all these people... "Why are you telling me this now?" Kook glanced over his shoulder for a mere second to glare at Taehyung, but just as quickly returned to focus on the line as it moved. If there were ever a worst possible time to discuss their breakup, this was it. But Taehyung seemed desperate. And Jungkook slowly grew too unfocused for his own liking. He'd worked too hard for this game to let it go to waste-- and he didn't want to talk about this. Not now. Before Taehyung could say anything else, Jungkook leaped forward with the basketball in his hand, relieved he was able to remove himself from Taehyung for the moment.

Taehyung momentarily paused his ‘trying to win him back’ speech, piercing eyes glued onto Jungkook until he was caught off guard by the basketball thrown at him. Getting in position, Tae aimed for the net. The elder was surprised he made it, his focus was on anything but the game. He carelessly threw the ball to the person behind him, jogging back to a single line formation. “I’m telling you this now because I should’ve done it a long time ago.” Taehyung resumed, standing a little too close to the younger. “Jungkook, I’m sorry. I-I freaked out over nothing, I didn’t think any of this shit through.” He hesitated after a few seconds, “I still love you, so much.. I don’t want to just.. throw that away..”

Jungkook crossed his arms over his chest, grasping at his own biceps to practically hold himself in place so he wouldn't turn around to look at Taehyung. He felt his emotional walls crack, the emotions seeping through was not what he wanted as he was in front of this many people. He took a deep breath through his nose, shoulders visibly tense as he took a moment before he replied. ''But you did. More than once.'' Kook's focus on breathing slowly brought him back down to earth, building those small walls back up to remain as stoic as possible in front of the audience, taking a short step away from the elder as the line moved once more. He just wanted the game over with at this point.

The elder’s shoulders sank along with his confidence. The last thing Taehyung expected was for Jungkook to give in easily, but he also wasn’t anticipating the latter to be so vigilant. Then again, Tae naively played with his feelings countless times. He knew the younger was only trying to look out for himself— and his bruised heart. Shit.. it hadn’t fully sunk in until now. Taehyung fucked up. Bad. He was starting to doubt there was a solution to their problem. “No, you’re right.” Tae kept his distance, not wanting to make Jungkook uncomfortable. “I did, and fuck do I regret it. I just... I really miss you and—“ The timer in the scoreboard echoed throughout the large gymnasium, cutting Taehyung off mid sentence.

He had a feeling this was going to be a long night..

Jungkook turned to give Taehyung a glance before he headed towards their side of the court with the team, an unnamed emotion in his eyes before it slowly morphed into his focused persona when it came to basketball. As previously mentioned, the younger didn't come here to play around. He was here to win. He's prepared for this match with his entire being.

The teams gathered in each side, Jungkook and the others in a large circle as Namjoons eyes roamed the players. "Okay, this is it. Put your everything into this game.." he paused when his eyes flickered to Jungkook, a hidden glare thrown his way before they go back to the rest, "Let's get it!"

"Let's get it!" The rest of them cheered before getting into respective positions.

Along with Namjoon, Jimin, and Jungkook— Tae was one of the first players sent out into the bustling court. It was during moments like these that he wished he was a benchwarmer. Taehyung lacked his usual spirited determination. The elder’s pregame jitters were fully hidden behind his worrisome exterior, and catching sight of Jisoo silently cheering for Jungkook to do his best in the form of an encouraging fist only provoked Tae’s sullen expression to harden. Turns out he wasn’t the only one who saw, Namjoon was one step ahead of him.

“Jungkook!” Joon shouted, seeing how the younger stalled to get in position, likely because he was drawn to Jisoo’s cute antics. “Hurry up, you can talk to your girlfriend later.” He spat, gaze lowering in response,

Jungkook knew how he felt about the older woman, how could he do that to him? Kook's eyes widen before they squint in confusion, completely caught off guard by Namjoon's sudden words-- that were definitely laced with something. He knew their captain had a crush on her, but he also kind of fucked it up himself. "What? No, she's..." he was interrupted by the buzzer going off, shifting his gaze from his captain to the one thing that he wants to focus on; the damn ball.

Jungkook was doing well as expected, his attacking role perfectly suitable for him. However, whenever his captain got the ball, and he was in a free position to get a perfect throw, he was surprised to see Joon ignore him, glare at him or simply just pass somebody else. What's his problem...

Further into the game it was getting close to half time, and Jungkook was growing frustrated with the way he was being treated like this. He was barely able to play properly when his captain's childish antics kept happening.

"Joon!" The younger hissed as the first break finally rolled in, "Why do you not give me the damn ball? I had several perfect throws!"

“Several perfect throws my ass..” Namjoon spat under his ragged breath, disregarding his empty water bottle before briskly turning around on his feet. He came face to face with Jungkook, the anger in his eyes having yet to subdue. “You were practically out of it throughout most of the game, Kook!” Namjoon’s voice swelled, garnering the attention of a few of their teammates. “You were staring at Jisoo! If I passed you the ball—“ The captain cut himself short, biting down on his tongue to prevent anything he might regret from coming out. “If your girlfriend’s gonna be too much of a distraction, don’t bring her here. We can’t afford to lose this game because of you.”

Jungkooks temper slowly started to build, eyebrows drawn together as he stepped closer to Namjoon, "What's your problem? She's not my girlfriend!" He hissed, huffing through his mouth to move the sweaty bangs out of his eyes. "Are you serious? Lose the game because of me? You're the one who's not letting me get remotely close to the fucking ball!" His eyes were squinted, the obvious flare of his temper burning up too quickly-- the audience murmuring in confusion.

"Hey, calm down" Jimin tries to ease the situation, but they all know the younger's anger was like a rollercoaster.

"No, it's not fair!" Jungkook closed the distance further between him and his captain, making sure only he hears his next words, "Stop acting so childish."

Joon had to scoff. “Yeah, okay. Get away from me, will you?” He harshly shoved Jungkook by the chest, drawing the attention of Taehyung who moved quickly on his feet.

“Namjoon, what the hell— back off.” He stood in between them, momentarily breaking the heavy tension that linked them together.

“Why are you still standing up for him, Tae? You caught them kissing. Jungkook moved the fuck on!”

Taehyung’s facial expression flickered to one of hurt, his clenched fists slowly coming undone as Joon’s eye-opening words began to slowly sink in.

Was it.. was it possible? Jungkook moved.. on?

Namjoon’s chest heaved from a mixture of irritation and exhaustion; not knowing how to come down from it. He’s never been this angry at someone, much less a close friend.

Jungkook clenched his fists hard, the veins in his lower arms prominent. His body slowly moved, as if gradually his anger was fueling him up to pounce Namjoon. But as he took a step, he was held back by Yoongi's hand on his shoulder, out of all people. "You should take a break."

The coach approaches in the same moment, agreeing, "Jeon, you will be dismissed for now. Go take a break."

Jungkook's eyes widened, "No way. I need to play!" He turned to Namjoon, annoyed by the fact that he didnt protest, but simply agreed as well.

"Go."

A disappointed Huff pushed through the younger's lips, shoving away Yoongi's hand from his shoulder before scuffing past Taehyung to head out, towards the exit to go sit outside on the stairs. He needed some fucking air. U nlike everyone else who brushed off the players’ hostile behavior towards one another, Jisoo stayed behind to watch Jungkook storm out of the gymnasium. Alike everyone else, she saw the small feud unravel between him and Namjoon. It worried her— made her feel like she was to blame. And by the look on Joon’s eyes whilst he stared up at her, the woman knew she had a reason to be alarmed. Jisoo sighed to herself, disappointedly shaking her head before she broke eye contact. Adjusting a fussing Yuna on the baby carrier, she carefully made her way down the bleachers, on the lookout for Jungkook.

“Namjoon, where are you going? Come back here!” The coach called out for him, noting how Joon‘s feet were already moving on their own. Namjoon clenched his jaw, but he listened nonetheless. He wanted to go after Jisoo, but the woman was already out of sight.

~

“Jungkook..?” After a couple minutes of walking around the unfamiliar hallways, Jisoo finally came across the younger man. He was sat by the stairs out front, relishing in the night’s breeze. She bit down on her lip, wondering if it was for the best if she left him and his thoughts alone.. But she couldn’t, she cared too much. Jisoo didn’t know where they stood in terms of a romantic relationship, but the younger was undoubtedly a friend. The woman cared for him like a mother. “Hey.” She sat down next to him, the faintest of smiles grazing her lips. “Nice job out there— so far. I knew you’d do great.”

Jungkook turned his chin to look at her, his clenched jaw softening at her praise. ''Thank you.. But..'' He sighs as his shoulders sink with his next words, ''I don't think they'll let me play anymore. Namjoon is being an ass... With all rights, I guess.'' His eyes meet Jisoo's, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips, ''He obviously still likes you, so I suppose it's not surprising. But I wonder how he suddenly just... assumed you were my girlfriend or something.'' He ran his long fingers through his damp hair, leaning back on his elbows whilst looking up at the sky. It felt weird, really. He couldn't get the thought of Taehyung out of his mind. ''And Taehyung was acting weird too.''

The sound of Jisoo’s muffled giggle disrupted the small pause of silence, “Kim Namjoon is being an ass? Are you sure we’re talking about the same Joon?” An unknowing smile tugged at the corner of her rosy lips. Temporarily dismissing the hurtful comment he spewed in the past, the dimpled boy couldn’t hurt a fly.. The fond image of Namjoon was soon replaced with Taehyung. Jisoo turned her head towards the younger, curious as to what he meant. “Weird? How.” There was a question that lingered at the tip of her tongue, and if she wasn’t so desperate to receive answers, the woman would’ve done a better job of suppressing her curiosity. “Jungkook... do you love Taehyung?”

Jungkook felt his chest tighten at the question, keeping his eyes fixed on the nothingness of the sky. ''I know I did.'' He let his elbows give in, now laying down on his back fully. ''Then I thought I didn't.'' A nother long pause passed by as he seemed to sink into his own thoughts- ''Fuck, I don't know... He's a constant push and pull.. He kept coming at me at the worst possible moments during the warmup to tell me he misses me-..'' He stopped himself to groan in annoyance, just talking about it made him feel the frustration of his feelings, covering his face with his hands.

Jisoo simply nodded, allowing her fingers to comb through Jungkook’s sweaty hair. “Jungkook-ah, love is not something that can just.. go away.” Looking down at him, she made sure the ground was relatively clean before meeting Kook at his level. The hand that laid closest to him engulfed his significantly bigger one, communicating her empathy in the form of a gentle squeeze. “What made you fall in love with him?” A hint of bitterness lingered behind her otherwise sweet words. However, Jisoo was curious, she guessed some closure would be nice.. Turning her head towards him, the woman broke out into a small grin. She snuggled close to Jungkook’s chest, Yuna’s soft exhales of breaths the only muse throughout the quiet night. “Tell mee~ don’t be annoying.”

~

Taehyung spent minutes searching around the darkened school— searching for Jungkook. He was fucking worried, it was unlike the younger to storm out of, well, anything. When he was about to walk past the entrance, Tae pressed the brake. It was Jungkook and Jisoo... Laying together, they seemed happy. The elder hid behind the wall, chest tightening into a knot at their close proximity. Why didn’t Jungkook push her away? Why did he move on so quickly.. Taehyung couldn’t stand it, he was practically putting himself through hell by lingering around, waiting for his suspicions to get proven true. With his jaw clenched, Tae walked away. He needed some time alone, time to think. He advanced into the only space that was vacant, the locker room. Sitting down on the bench, Taehyung hid his face in the palm of his hands. “I’m a fucking idiot..”

A long silence followed after Taehyung spoke out loud to himself... Until a soft chuckle echoed in the locker room, a tall stature with wide arms crossed over their chest. ''Yes, you are...'' Their voice was nothing short of hostile, stepping closer to Taehyung before coming to a halt, a piercing stare burning holes into the male. ''Why do you have to keep bothering Jungkookie? He doesn't want you.''

It was Ash.

He'd kept a close eye on Jungkook for a while, watching his relationship with Kim Taehyung go back and forth. Apparently, they were broken up for a bit now, and it was perfect. He'd planned to approach Jungkook after the game, proudly cheering for him in the audience. But the hurdle being the male below him kept trying to come back, bothering his little Kookie, who looked annoyed and upset down on the court. Nothing irked him more.

The intrusive, unforeseen voice pulled Taehyung out of his daze. He quickly looked up, no longer seeing pitch blackness— instead he saw red. What the hell was Ash doing here? He’d been deaf to the inclosing steps, even more surprising the sound of the door opening. How did the other know where to find him? “I didn’t fucking ask for your opinion.” He hissed from anger, the sight of the other male being enough to spike up his alertness. Taehyung stood up from the bench, meeting Ash halfway. “Why are you so goddamn obsessed with Jungkook’s every move? You don’t need to speak for him. If he doesn’t want me, he’ll tell me.”

Ash's shit eating smirk grew, but his eyes were filled with anger fueled further by Taehyung's attitude. He took a slow step closer, arms falling to his sides as he clenched and unclenched his fists. ''I have to look out for him. His entire body language screamed uncomfortable when you were all over him during the game.'' he hissed back every word laced with mocking anger, ''I hate how stubborn you are, just leave him alone if you know what's best for you.''

A scornful, amused chuckle slipped past Taehyung, who further challenged Ash by stepping up to him. “You have to look out for him?” Tae’s broad shoulders vibrated, a lopsided smile beginning to pull at the corner of his lips.

Who did he think he was..

“What, did he order a bodyguard or some shit?”

He forcefully pushed Ash by his shoulders, prompting the latter to widen the space between them. Being close to him made him sick. Every time he looked into his devilish, hollowed face, Taehyung was reminded of that night. The night he gasped for air whilst he ran through the dim streets, praying for nothing but Jungkook’s safety. What kind of desperate psycho would force someone to sleep with him? Just thinking about it angered Tae. “Yeah, whatever. You’re fucking crazy, you know that?” With one last glare his way, Taehyung purposely bumped shoulders as he walked past him. “Jungkook will never love you.” That was the last thing he reminded before aiming towards the door, suddenly missing the crowd’s spirited roars. Anything to not be here with him.

Ash crooked an eyebrow, saying nothing as he turned to watch Taehyung attempt to leave.

No. No fucking way.

The crazed rage burning within Ash's being was taking over. He had to make sure nobody was in his way to reach Jungkook. And Taehyung made a huge mistake by facing away from a guy like this. A man with nothing to lose-- and only one thing in mind.

Get rid of the obstacle.

Ash didn't hesitate as he practically sprinted the few steps forward, triggered by the other males last words. He grabbed Taehyung by his hair, tightly tangled between his fingers as he forcefully dragged him down, not caring about where, so he opted for the nearby sink. Taehyung's head collided with the hard surface, almost knocking him out in one go. "He doesn't have to love me yet." He growled, "all that matters is that he doesn't love you."

Ash tugged at Tae once more, lifting his head up only to bring it back down against the sink again. And again. And again... until there was blood staining the sink to the floor... Ash eventually stopped when he felt Taehyung's body weaken its struggle in his hold, throwing the man on the tiled floor with a thud. Staring down at him, he scoffed as he wiped his hand on his shirt, thankful he decided to wear black today. "Crazy for Jungkookie, maybe..." he mumbled before removing himself from the situation, glancing over at the bloody male before stepping out of the locker room. He hoped to never see this guy again.

~

Jungkook had poured out his emotions to Jisoo, time flew by quicker than he thought as he realized he should go back. "Jisoo, I gotta go... uh..." he rubbed his nape as he sat back up, "thank you for... listening to me. And cheering for me." He glanced over at Yuna with a fond smile, "and little one too."

“Yeah, no problem.” Jisoo stood up with him, “I should probably head home, she’s out.” The woman reached down to pick up Yuna’s carrier, trying not to make any bothersome movements that’ll wake the sleeping girl. She was in a deep slumber. Her chubby hands were balled up into small fists, and her pouty lips were parted whilst soft huffs snuck past them. Yuna looked absolutely adorable. As both of them took their time strolling through the empty hallways, Jisoo’s eyes widened when they fell upon Namjoon. The man looked.. distressed? It seemed as if he’d been running around the place, unstable gaze flickering between the two.

“Joon? What’s wrong?” The woman furrowed her brows, her caring tone easing Namjoon’s nerves from whatever the hell it was that took a burden on him. Ungluing his sharp glare from Jungkook, it didn’t take much for Joon to give in, gaze softening at the sight of Yuna.

“Uh.. do you know where Taehyung is? Coach told me to look for him, game starts soon.” Naturally, Jisoo turned to look at Kook, confusion swirling within her eyes. “No.. we haven’t seen him. Have you looked long?”

Namjoon answered with a quick nod of his head, naturally thinking of the worst. Did Taehyung leave the school? They needed him there, especially now that it was a close tie.

“We’ll help you look for him, don’t worry.” She supposed it wouldn’t take awfully long, Taehyung had to be around here somewhere.. “Let’s split?” Jisoo’s gaze flickered between both boys, waiting to see what they thought of her last-minute idea.

“Please.” Joon sourly muttered under his breath, wanting nothing more than to divide Jungkook and his noona. They’ve spent more than enough time together, a few minutes on their own shouldn’t be a challenge.

Jungkook felt his chest tighten with worry, and partially in annoyance. Why would Tae out of all people risk the game like this? He wouldn't. "Yeah, I'll check the locker rooms." Kook agreed, waiting for the confirmations of the two before no longer staying around to waste time.

As he headed down to the locker room area, he checked other rooms and bathrooms on the way. Kook clenched his jaw in annoyance; why'd Tae disappear like this? It's a dick move as always, Taehyung is a fucking-- "Taehyung?" He didn't recognize his own voice at first, but it was. Jungkook had pushed through the doors to the locker room, and was met with a bloody mess on the floor. And in the middle of it, an unconscious person. "Taehyung!"

Was that really his voice? It sounded so desperate and hoarse.

He rushed to drop to his knees next to Tae, not bothered in the slightest about the puddle of blood he's sitting in, nor does he care that his hands are stained with the way he grasped the elders body, gently picking him up to hold him close in his arms, cradling his face to get a good look. Leaning in, he placed his ear close to his mouth, relieved when he felt the small huff of air. He's alive. But it was weak. Kook kept holding his ex boyfriend close, using one hand to pick up his phone and text Namjoon.

Instead he texted the group chat.

To: gang gang 🏀 Help! Lockers

As soon as the text was sent he returned to look at Taehyung, every single drop of anger towards the man practically evaporated, and were replaced with everything else. Worry, anxiety, sadness. Love. Jungkook felt as if he would fucking die if Taehyung did. "Tae, please... Hold on." Kook sobbed out, holding the elder close.

~

Namjoon stayed relatively close to Jisoo, peeking his head inside every door, hallway, janitor’s closet— anywhere that could serve as a hiding spot for Tae. They were desperate, even opting for searching in the girls’ restroom.

Where the hell could he be?

When Joon thought about calling the younger’s cell for the millionth time, his phone’s buzzing chimed in his pockets. “Noona, it’s Kook.”

Quickly, the woman advanced to his side, the brightness of the screen casting a harsh light over their troubled expressions. “Locker room..?” Not stalling any longer, Joon took Jisoo by the hand and led her towards the familiar room with quick strides— “Jungkook, we’re here— holy shit!”

Namjoon’s squeamish heart picked up at the bloody mess in front of him, standing still like a statue until Jisoo’s shaky voice snapped him out of it. “Joon! Call an ambulance. O-oh my god..”

It looked bad. The pile of blood only grew in size, bright in comparison to the color of Taehyung’s skin; ghostly pale. The boy appeared to barely be hanging on. The gushing, scarlet liquid luckily seemed to lose its momentum now that he was turned upwards, but the stream on the dirty floor was a big loss.

“Kook? Why did you text-“ Hoseok’s cheery voice was cut short by a sharp gasp, tightly clasping a hand over his mouth. Jimin and Yoongi shared a look of pure worry, the sound of Namjoon’s nervous stuttering over the phone whilst he gave the person on the other line the information they needed sounded weak compared to their loud breathing. Seokjin rushed to Jungkook’s side, attempting to pull the latter away. “J-Jungkook-ah, it’s best if you let him be, it— it can cause more harm than good.”

Jungkook's vision was blurred by the constant flow of tears, blinking harshly to attempt to regain some grounding. Jin's hand helped to bring Kook back down, however the sight of all the blood only had the younger's anxiety growing, his body reacting without his own say so. He couldn't let go of Taehyung, there was no way.

"Jungkook, you need to let him go." Seokjin repeated, carefully trying to pry the younger's arms open. It wasn't an easy task, but as soon as the ambulance arrived they finally managed to; but only because Jungkook helped to put Tae on the transporter. They put Taehyung in the vehicle, several nurses already working on examining and treating him as another seemed to be making notes about his condition. Jungkook pleaded that he wanted to come with, but was denied. They said he could visit the hospital-- what kind of bullshit was that? The very second the ambulance left, Jungkook hadn't realized his own condition. He was a crying, bloody mess. His legs and outfit was stained with the elders blood, eyes bloodshot and glassy from the constant tears.

Slowly, the group of hyungs approached their youngest, worry and sadness in their eyes. Both for Taehyung and his safety, and for Jungkook. "Hey," Yoongi suddenly said as he wrapped his arms around Kook, not caring about the mess. One by one, every single one of his team had joined in the group hug, holding each other tightly. Jungkook's breathy sobs grew louder, but he had his hyungs keeping him together this time. A large crowd of students, parents, teachers— everyone that was originally there to enjoy an innocent game, gathered around the commotion. The sound of the ambulance’s loud, ear-piercing wail struck them as serious. And it was; people’s heightened gasps emerged at the quick glimpse of a team of nurses run through the halls at the speed of light, transporting a gory Taehyung from one end to the other until he was securely placed in the vehicle.

“What happened?”

“Who was that?”

“It looked serious..”

Muffled talk spread like wildfire, and some aimed their shitty phone camera at the centre of the action.

Yoongi had to hold himself back from freaking the fuck out, instead hugging Jungkook closer, shielding the boy’s frail emotions from unwanted eyes. Had humanity stooped that low? Why in the hell would they point a camera at them..

“Jungkook, your Tae’s strong.. he’ll be okay.” Jimin softly assured, even though he himself wasn’t too sure. Tears welled up in his own glassy eyes, but they didn’t need him breaking down as well. Jungkook was an emotional mess, he needed them the most.

“Come on, w-we’re going to the hospital.” Namjoon said, pulling away from the group hug to dig for his car keys, not caring about the unfinished game.

Jungkooks body felt heavy, unaware of the commotion around them as all he could think about was Taehyung. The moment he saw him on the floor kept replaying in his mind, the uncontrollable quivering of his body only held together thanks to Yoongi and Jimin as the others pulled back, still remaining close around them to serve as a human shield for the cameras. Kook did look like shit after all. But he couldn't bring himself to care.

He just wanted to see Taehyung.

The very second Namjoon said they'd go to the hospital, Jungkooks glassy, reddened eyes looked up at him, his hyungs leading him behind the eldest towards the truck. At a time like this, Namjoons dad truck surely was a blessing.

Jisoo heavily insisted on going, wanting to keep a weak Jungkook company but was reassured that she’d be in the loop on Tae’s condition.

"Noona, we’ll keep you informed.” Namjoon started the car, convincing her to drop it.

The mother had Yuna to take care of, it was late into the night.. it was best if she didn’t throw herself into this stressful situation. It was taking an emotional toll on everyone, especially Jungkook.

© sombreboy 2020. Do not repost, edit or translate.

[blueboxesandtrafficcones]

It’s Nice to Have A Friend

Day 26 of 2019′s 31 Days of Ficmas

Thanks to @doctorroseprompts for the prompt list!

Prompt: friend

Rating: General

Pairing: 10xRose (human AU)

Summary: Rose and James meet on her first day at a new school - and the rest, as they say, is history.  Based on a song of the same name (but not a song!fic)

2019 31 Days of Ficmas masterlist

AO3

-

Six Years Old

Rose Tyler sat on the edge of her seat, holding her breath as she stared up at the clock.  She only had a vague idea of how to tell time, but she knew her numbers, and her mum had said- had promised- that as soon as the big hand was on the twelve and the little one on the three school would be over and she could go home.

Home, she scoffed, resolutely ignoring whatever her teacher was saying – she could barely understand her anyway.  We may live there now, but it’s not home.  Home was London, the Powell Estate, where Mickey and Cousin Mo and Shareen and Keisha and Bev were.  Home was that tiny pink flat, with their pictures on the wall and the markings on the kitchen doorframe showing Rose’s growth.

The ‘home’ that Jackie meant wasn’t that; it was the flat a few blocks away from the school, easy walking distance, where they knew no one and everybody talked funny, yet they looked at her as if Rose was the one talking weird.  I hate Glasgow, Rose fumed, narrowing her gaze further at the clock and trying to hold back tears.  I hate school, and Scotland, and I hate Mum for making us move here, an’ I hate Dad for dying and leaving us and letting her do this.

The bell rang then, startling her as everyone around her bust into action, talking and laughing as they gathered their books.  Rose rushed to join them, grateful for the day to finally be done.

Hat and coat firmly situated, backpack on, she followed the stream of kids out into the hallway and then out the doors into the sunlight.  Looking around her eyes widened, panic starting in her chest as she realized she couldn’t remember which way to go.  Mummy said follow the kids, she reminded herself, biting her lip as she watched them stream in every conceivable direction, none of which looked familiar.  But which ones?

Tentatively she inched towards the sidewalk, standing in the middle and looking left and right, hoping something would look familiar.

Nothing did.

A boy from her class bumped into her from behind, knocking her down, and it was the final straw – sitting on the ground Rose burst into tears, drawing her knees up and hiding her face, sobbing.  I want to go home!

“Uh, ‘scuse me, are you okay?”

Sensing someone crouching down in front of her Rose lifted her head, using the sleeves of her coat to wipe her eyes as she looked at them.  It was another boy from her class, one of the few who hadn’t teased her throughout the day, and she blinked at him.  “Me?”

He looked kind, with brown hair and brown eyes, and a little familiar otherwise.  “Yes, you,” he smiled.  “Do you need help?”  He stood then leaned down, offering her his hands, and after a moment she accepted, letting him pull her to her feet.

“Thanks,” she sniffled, fixing her backpack straps and shuffling her feet.

“You’re new, aren’t you?”

Rose narrowed her eyes, but nodded.  “I just moved here from London over Christmas.”

“That stinks,” he shrugged, before glancing behind him.  “I think you live in my building – Burns House?”

She had to think for a moment, before agreeing.  “Yeah.”  She sighed; it sounded similar to Bucknall House, and she’d give anything to be there right now.

“D’you want to walk together?”

Her first instinct was to argue that she was capable of finding her own way home thank you very much, then reconsidered.  He didn’t look like he was teasing her, wasn’t smirking over her shoulder at friends as some of the boys who’d tried to talk to her at recess had, and he did look familiar from the courtyard, maybe…  “Okay.”

“Allons-y!”  He turned on his heel and started walking, Rose quickly falling into step.

“What does that mean?  Is it Scottish?”

Her new friend glanced at her, before shaking his head.  “It’s French,” he said knowledgeably, “it means ‘let’s go’.”

“Then why not just say that?”

“Because it’s more fun.”  He shrugged.  “Why’d you move to Glasgow?”

Rose sniffled.  “My dad died in October.  Mum got a job here.”

“Oh.  I’m sorry about your dad.”  He was quiet for a minute before offering softly, “My parents died last year.  My aunt moved up here to be with me.”

“I’m sorry.”

They walked in silence for a minute, Rose watching her feet as she thought about her dad.  “It’s not fair,” she said abruptly.  “They shouldn’t be allowed to leave until we’re grown up.”

“They shouldn’t!” the boy agreed quickly.  “Until we’re old.  Like, really old.”

“Like, thirty!”

They giggled together as a brisk wind blew, making Rose shiver and try to hide her hands in her sleeves.  Where did my gloves go?

“No mittens?”

Rose shook her head, frowning as she patted her pockets.  “Oh, no!  I must’ve lost them,” she moaned.  Or they were stolen.  Like my snack.

“Here.”  He pulled one of his off, holding it out to her.  “You can use this.”

“Won’t you be cold?”

“Nah, I can do this,” he said brightly, wriggling his now-bare hand inside the remaining mitten.  It was a tight fit, but after a moment both were covered.  “See, if I link my hands, then it’s perfect!”

He looked silly, his hands clasped in front of him and covered in a solitary mitten, but he didn’t seem to mind, and biting her lip, Rose copied him.  “Hey, that works!” she was delighted to discover, lacing her fingers. “Thanks!”

His answering grin made her stomach flip, and eyes going wide, she stared down at the sidewalk, hoping her hat hid how her ears were getting hot.  A light dusting of snow covered everything, one she didn’t remember being there that morning, but just underneath a hint of color peeked out. Stopping, she scraped away some of the snow with her toe to reveal a picture made with sidewalk chalk, one she abruptly recognized.  “Hey, I remember coming this way this morning!” she said in surprise, looking up at him.

“That’s good?”  He blinked at her, head tilted and looking like an owl from her picture books.  “I mean, why wouldn’t we be going back the way we came?”

Rose shrugged.  “I dunno.”

He shrugged too.  “Okay.”

They started walking again, and only a minute later the building came into view.  It was taller than Bucknall House, but not as long, and a little prettier.  If it wasn’t so far from her friends, it might’ve been an okay place to live, if they couldn’t have stayed where they were.

He held the door, letting Rose in first, and they climbed to the fourth floor together.  He turned left as she went right, and they paused to smile awkwardly.  “Thanks for walking me home,” Rose said shyly, dragging her toe along the floor.  “I… couldn’t remember how.”

“It’s on the same street,” he shrugged, “just turn left when you leave school.  Can’t miss it.  At least, I haven’t, and Aunt Sarah says I’ve my head in the clouds all day.”

Rose giggled.  “Still, thanks.”

They turned, and she trudged towards her door dejectedly.  She already knew her mum wasn’t home, was supposed to be at work, and she wasn’t thrilled at the idea of being home alone.  It would’ve been fine in London, she could’ve gone to any one of her friends’ flats, but here she knew no one.

“Um, Rose, is it?”

Hand against the door, key halfway in the lock, she turned to find him still standing at the top of the steps, hands shoved in his pockets.  “Yeah. Oh!”  She’d thoughtlessly put the glove in her pocket, but pulling it out, she hurried back to him.  “Sorry!”

“‘S’okay, wasn’t what I meant, though, thanks.  Um, I was wondering… wanna hang out?  Maybe? I got a new video game console for Hogmanay.”

Rose didn’t even look back at her own door, nodding eagerly.  “Sure! Sounds like fun.”  She followed him to his own door, pausing as he pushed it open.  “I, um, don’t-”

“James,” he interrupted, grinning, before calling in, “Aunt Sarah, I’m home!  I brought a friend.”

A friend.

Smiling to herself, she felt a little bubble of hope rising in her chest for the first time since her Dad died.

It’s nice to have a friend.

-

Nineteen years old

Humming to herself, Rose unpacked the last box in her bedroom and looked around.  After spending the better part of nine months in St Andrews, living alone and being independent, it was strange to be back in her childhood bedroom.  Hopefully Mum respects my request to let me be free.  She’d made it clear that she wanted to be an equal partner in the flat for the summer, including rent and bills, in exchange for her independence.  No curfew, no guilt for the hours she kept, to be a roommate.

She snorted.  That’ll be the day.

Her mobile buzzed and she dove for it.  Reading the message she’d been expecting, she didn’t bother trying to rationalize the butterflies in her stomach.  Instead, she grabbed a bottle of wine and her comforter, slipping out of the empty flat and darting up the stairs.  Heart pounding, and not from the exertion, she burst out onto the roof, feeling all of her stress and worry melt away at the beaming smile waiting for her.

“Rose!”

“James!”  With a shriek of laughter she threw herself at him, and he spun her around twice before setting her on her feet and pulling her close.  They hugged tightly for what felt like forever, soothing the wrinkles in her soul that had developed since they’d last seen each other at Christmas.  For the thousandth time since he’d hesitantly announced his plans to go to Cambridge, she cursed the physical distance between the schools.

“How are you?” he asked, finally pulling back and stooping to pick up her abandoned stuff, leading her towards where he was already set up.

“Better, now,” she answered truthfully enough, plopping down on a pillow and grinning up at him, thrilled beyond measure to see him again.  Texts and calls, while helpful, were no substitute for her best friend.  “You?”

“Same.”  He settled cross-legged beside her, uncorking the wine and pouring them each a generous helping.  “What’s new?”

Accepting the plastic wine glass, she took one look at his genuinely-caring face, those soulful brown eyes, and promptly burst into tears.

-

“Right, twenty questions,” James said brusquely, once her sobs subsided.  “Ready?”

Rose hiccupped, straightening up and wiping at her eyes carefully.  “Fine, but that’s your first question.”

“Fair enough.  Go.”  He handed her a paper napkin and her wine glass, sitting up straight and waiting expectantly.

Taking a long pull off the glass, she stared out towards the sunset for a moment.  The sky was a gorgeous blending of pinks and oranges, truly spectacular, and she focused intently on it as she asked, “Dating anyone?”

“Nope.  You?”

“Nope.  How was your first year?  Really.”  He’d always been upbeat, so bloody positive about uni, about what an amazing experience it would be for both of them, but she’d seen the truth in his eyes.  Facing him she raised an eyebrow, reminding him of their promise the very first time they’d played twenty questions, the first week they’d met.

Promise to tell the truth?

Always.  I swear, Rose Tyler, I will never lie to you.

James sighed, expression falling, and he lay back against the pillows.  “I’ve… been pretty stressed out lately,” he admitted, closing his eyes.

Rose stretched out as well, nestling her head next to his and staring up at the sky above them.  “Yeah, me too.”

He opened his eyes and turned his head, and she did as well, feeling a thrill at how close he was.  From here she could see the flecks of gold in his eyes, the light brush of freckles that would emerge as the summer progressed, even the product he denied putting in his hair.

He smiled and she did too, her heart catching and then leaping when his smile dropped, as they gazed into each other’s eyes.

Something he found there gave him a jolt of confidence, for his eyes widened before crinkling, and fingertips brushed, hesitantly, against the back of her own hand.  Spreading her fingers she let them tangle with his, blushing and darting her eyes up to the sky.

The sun sank, the bright sky fading to dark, and they never moved, barely holding hands, hope beating a tattoo in her chest as she let her heart dream.

“You’re my best friend,” he eventually whispered, when a clock in the distance struck midnight.

“Mine too.”  She smiled up at the sky.  A shooting star passed overhead, flaring bright for only a moment before burning out, but she didn’t bother making a wish; the only thing she could wish for was next to her.

It’s nice to have a friend.

-

Twenty-Six Years Old

Bells began to ring as they broke apart, the cheering of the guests drowning out the Minister’s words.  Pure joy flooded through Rose as they turned to face everyone, her cheeks beginning to ache from smiling so much.

James lifted their joined hands victoriously, making her laugh, before squeezing her palm.  The pressure made her rings (one ten months old, the other ten minutes) dig into her fingers, but she didn’t care; rather, she liked the physical evidence of their vows.  She looked at him to find him watching her, that wonderful awestruck expression on his face she hoped never faded, her smile growing brighter still.

“Run,” he whispered when he had her attention, and with identical giggles, they took off up the aisle, bursting out into the weak January sun.  Their family and friends streamed out behind them, and they waited anxiously as everyone lined the path from the church steps to the waiting car.

“You look unbelievably incredible,” James murmured, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and leaning in.

Rose snuggled closer, grateful for his body heat in the winter air.  “You look pretty handsome yourself, babe,” she giggled, beaming up at him.  “I’m so happy right now.”

“Me too.”

His head dipped as she surged up, lips meeting in a tender kiss that drew cheers from their guests.  Breaking apart they saw everyone was ready and made their way down the stairs, James helping her so she didn’t trip in her heels.  Their friends tossed rice over them as they passed, and Rose was thrilled to see it cover the ground.  They’d chosen the date carefully, had hoped and wished and prayed for snow, but it hadn’t been meant to be; the rice was enough, though, to give the illusion of powder.

James helped her into the car before jogging around to the other side, and she smiled and waved out the window at their friends.  They would see them shortly at the reception, but they had an appointment to keep first.

-

They chatted and giggled during the short drive, toasting with champagne before Rose changed her shoes.  They hadn’t told anyone what they were doing, had left it deliberately vague because they didn’t think their loved ones would understand, not really.

When they pulled up she waited for him to leap out and come around, shooing away the driver in favor of opening her door himself.  Rose let him help her to her feet, using her momentum to buss her lips against his cheek.  “See you in a minute,” she giggled, as he draped her cloak over her.

Adjusting the skirts of her wedding dress so they wouldn’t drag on the ground, she walked quickly to her assigned spot, the memory still strong after twenty years.  “Ready!”  Turning her back on the street she pretended to study the school building, swaying slightly back and forth as she waited, humming to herself.

“You’re new, aren’t you?”

She spun on her heel, smiling widely, letting her eyes rake over him.  Tall and lean, no one knew better than her the muscles that hid behind his deceptively slight frame.  Spiky brown hair and glittering brown eyes, he was a childhood dream come to life – it had been so long ago now, she couldn’t remember if he matched her idea of perfection or was the basis for the ideal.  To sweeten the deal, he held their champagne flutes in hand.

“I am, and I can’t remember the way home,” she clucked her tongue, shaking her head.

James nodded, looking intrigued.  “I think we’re in the same building – care to walk together?”

“That would be lovely, thank you.”  He passed over her glass before offering her his arm, and she happily laced her own through it as they turned onto the sidewalk.  Car trailing behind them down the street as they strolled, recreating their first moments together twenty years earlier to the day, though now instead of getting to know each other’s past, they planned their future.

“I’m glad we decided to do this,” James sighed happily, straightening his arm in favor of taking her hand in his.  “I know it may be cheesy, but… this day, twenty years ago, was the best day of my life, even if I didn’t know it. I mean, I suspected, but how could I have known?”

Rose rested her head against his bicep, peeking up at him.  “Doesn’t matter how cheesy you are, babe- ‘cause I’m right there with you.  I got your back.”

“And I’ve got yours.  Every day, for the rest of our lives.”

They stopped walking to kiss, though they were both giggling too hard for it to be much of one.  As they separated the first snowflakes began to fall, making Rose gasp in delight.  “Oh, yes!”

James laughed, pressing his lips to her forehead tenderly.  “I love you, Rose Tyler,” he whispered, pulling her into his arms, where she went willingly.

“I love you, James Smith.”

They started walking again, admiring the perfection of the tiny flakes.

“So, now will you tell me our honeymoon plans?” she teased, as their old building came into view.  Over time they had all moved back to London, James first and then his aunt Sarah, Rose following after uni and her mother shortly after that, but it was still, in many ways, home.  What a difference two decades makes, Rose admired, thinking fondly of the rooftop that had seen that first, tentative touch of hands, his sweet stuttering asking for a first date; the stairwell where they shared their first, passionate snog; his flat, where they first played and had a sleepover in tents in the living room; hers, the site of their first adult sleepover, where they made love and heartfelt promises.

“On Monday we fly to Rome and rent a car,” he boasted, looking pleased with himself at her squeal.

“It’s Friday – what about between now and then?”

James hummed, leading her towards the idling car, detour completed.  “I was thinking video games and addition worksheets, and maybe a kickaround?”

“Babe,” Rose scolded, laughing, as they settled in the warm car and headed for the reception.  “Really.”

Stretching his arm around her, he leaned back in his seat and swept his eyes over her, lingering at her bust before meeting her eyes.  “Oh, we’re staying in bed.  The whole weekend.”

“Well if you insist.”

Nothing could stop their happy giggles as they sipped champagne and giggled together, Rose leaning her head on his chest and watching the city go bye.

It’s nice to have a friend.

[erisgregory]

Malex prompt, just something I've had in my head for a few days, sorry that it's a little long, you change it up if that's better for you : ) : Alex has a niece (doesn't have to be blood, could just be a kid of one of his army friends)named Michaela whose pretty young and that he got to name. When she comes to town and inevitably meets Michael, he finds out that Alex has inadvertently told her all about him & Maria over the years (seeing as they're the 2 closest people to Alex in Roswell).

I hope you enjoy this nonnie, thanks for the prompt!

Letters That You Never Meant To Send (G)

cross posted to AO3

“Who’s this?” Michael asks sliding into the bar stool. “And don’t bother saying you’re closed. Clearly you’re not.”

“This is Michaela, Alex’s niece for all intents and purposes.” Maria tells him. “And we are closed.”

“Well is this a private party then or can I stay anyway?” Michael asks, laying the charm on thick.

Maria rolls her eyes but looks at the little girl. “I don’t know, what do you think, should we let Michael stay?”

“Michael Guerin?” The little girl asks, eyes wide.

“The one and only.” Maria sighs but she’s still grinning.

“Yes! But he has to drink Shirley Temples like us, no yucky tequila!” Michaela informs them both.

Michael laughs, he has no idea how this kid knows him, but she definitely has his number.

“Do you agree to the terms, Guerin?” Maria asks, raising an eyebrow in his direction.

“Sure thing, DeLuca.” He says tipping his hat to both of them. Maria pulls out another tall glass and starts making a third Shirley Temple to match the two already on the bar. Who was this kid anyway? Alex’s niece? Why was she with Maria at the bar of all places? “Extra cherries for me.” He says with a grin.

Once he has his drink in hand, and really it’s almost too sweet for him and he likes sweet things, he turns to the little girl. “So how do you know me, but I don’t know you?” He asks.

“Uncle Alex. He’s a hero like my dad and he writes me letters. I have letters from all over. And I know all about you and Roswell and Maria too. I think he named me after you but he’s never actually said that.” Michaela tells him.

It’s a bit of a shock hearing that there’s a kid out there carrying around his name, or a version of it anyways. So Michael takes a big drink and sets it down. Maria is eyeing him as though waiting for some sort of outburst. He’s not mad though or anything close to it, he’s a little bit in awe. He definitely doesn’t deserve to have a tiny person named after him.

“Is that so.” He finally manages.

Michaela nods and takes a sip from her straw before leaning toward him. “Maria said it made me sound psychic. But it’s just the letters.”

“Uh huh.” Michael says, glancing back at Maria.

“Go ahead, I know you’re curious, I was. See what she knows.” Maria goads him on with a twisted curl of a smile. She knows exactly what she’s doing. Michael hasn’t even seen Alex since he got back and now there’s this child who knows him because of Alex? It’s almost too crazy. Except this is Roswell. Everything is crazy.

“Yeah, see what I know!” Michaela adds, grinning ear to ear.

“Okay.” Michael says. He is curious after all. He rubs his hands together and tries to imagine what type of information Alex might have given her. “Who are my siblings? You know what siblings are?”

“Duh, I’m eight.” Michaela says with a giggle.

“Alright, just checking.” Michael laughs. This little girl is a spitfire.

“And your siblings are Max and Isobel!” She says.

“That’s right.” Michael confirms. “How old was I when I got back to Roswell?”

Michaela think about this question a little longer and Michael thinks maybe he has her stumped already.

But then she says, “You were twelve! But you weren’t friends with Alex until later.”

“Right again. You’re really good at this.” He tells her.

“I know!” She says.

“What do I do for a living?” He asks.

“You’re a mechanic, but you know how to fix all sorts of things!” Michael exclaims.

Maria jumps in with the next question. Damn her for it too. “What does Uncle Alex think about Michael?”

Michael is too stunned to say anything, but Michaela doesn’t notice the shift in the mood. That might be a bit too much to ask of an eight year old. She just plows right into the answer as though his whole life doesn’t suddenly hinge on it.

“He loves Michael. They’re endgame.” She then makes a gross face and pretends to gag. “But I think boys are gross.” She helpfully adds.

For his part, Michael chokes briefly on a cherry from his drink before coughing and sputtering until he can swallow it. Maria hides a laugh behind her hand, but not very well. It’s during this coughing fit that they are joined by Alex himself, looking very wary. Michael straightens up but Maria and Michaela just keep giggling.

“I thought you said the bar would be closed.” Alex says and Michael immediately feels guilty like he’s been privy to all of this knowledge that Alex may or may not have wanted him to have. They haven’t seen each other in forever and now they meet like this. Michael choking on a cherry while the girls laugh.

The laughing does die down, but Maria doesn’t look as guilty as Michael feels. Probably because she’s shameless as usual.

“We are, but this one never listens to me when I tell him that.” Maria says.

“Guerin.” Alex says by way of acknowledging him.

“Manes.” Michael replies because it’s not like he can tell Alex about this little girl and her confession of Alex’s love for Michael.

Alex leans against the bar top eyeing their drinks before he tells them, “Her dad should be just about done. I should get her back.”

“There’s no rush.” Maria tries. Michael tries to subtly glare her down but it’s not working. “He could meet us here and pick her up. We were just getting to the good stuff, weren’t we Michaela?”

“Mhmm.” Michaela answers. “We were talking about how much you love Michael.”

Alex immediately goes red, all the way to the tips of his ears. Michael doesn’t know what he could possibly say to make this all stop, he’s terribly embarrassed for himself and for Alex, but more than that is this weird triumphant feeling that’s growing in his chest. Is this really how Alex feels about him?

“I think maybe we should go.” Alex says once he manages to find his voice.

“Fine, fine, break up the party.” Maria teases. She looks very pleased with herself and Michael can’t decide if he wants to throw his drink on her or hug her neck.

“Michaela, let’s go.” Alex commands. He’s still red all over and very obviously avoiding Michael’s eyes.

“Wait!” Michael finally finds his voice just as Michaela is standing up. “Wait. Don’t rush off. Don’t you think we should talk?”

“No.” Alex says.

“Why don’t I just walk Michaela out for you.” Maria offers. Alex seems reluctant, but he does let her go.

“If you don’t want to talk then just hear me out. Michaela says you love me and that she’s named after me.” Michael starts.

“I never told her that.” Alex says softly. “About her name.”

Michael blows out a breath. “She said as much. She’s a smart kid. Anyway it only seems fair for me to tell you how I feel about you.” Michael adds.

Alex glances his way, eyes just a little wide. “We don’t even know each other anymore. We’ve both changed, it’s been ten years!”

“It has been ten years, but the minute you walked in here I knew it was still true. I love you just as much now as I did when we were seventeen. I’m so glad you’re home. I’m so glad to see you.” Michael tells him.

“How can you say it like that, like we just saw each other yesterday?” Alex asks.

“Because I don’t want to waste this chance, Alex. It feels like an important moment, and I’m taking the plunge. Go out with me. Let’s see if there really is still something there.” Michael reaches for Alex’s hand, covering it with his own. “Say yes.”

“I don’t know.” Alex admits. He shakes his head as if to clear it.

“We’ll take things slow, get to know each other again.” Michael pressed gently.

“Okay.” Alex said finally and the weight on Michael’s shoulders was lifted.

“Okay.” Michael agreed. And then they were grinning at each other and the years seemed to melt away.

“I guess I’ll need your number, Guerin.” Alex says, taking out his phone.

“I guess you will. And to call me Michael.” Michael says with wink.

“Fine, Michael.” He agrees and they switch phones and enter their numbers.

Then it’s time for Alex to go and Michael’s not quite ready to say goodbye even though he knows they’re going to see each other again.

“I’ll call you. Soon.” Michael tells him.

Alex smirks. “You better.”

When Maria comes back she breaks out the tequila.

“What’s this for?” He asks.

“We’re celebrating. On the house. Just this once, Guerin.” Maria says, pouring them each a shot. “To Alex!”

“To Michaela!” Michael offers and they drink.

Later Maria will tell the story of how she got Michael and Alex together, but Michael will always correct her and say it was Michaela. After all such a smart little namesake shouldn’t ever be left out of the story.

[theofficialcunt]

Simplicité - Chapter 1 {Biadore}

Hi everyone! I’ve had this idea in my head for awhile, and I’ve decided that this is going to be my main focus for the time being. I’m going to try my best to update this every Wednesday night/Early Thursday morning.

This is a lesbian AU, set in Chicago during present day. Bianca, 26, is a successful business owner of the fabulous Simplicité Salon & Spa. Adore, 21, is her new personal assistant/makeup apprentice from Southern California. The two are close in age but couldn’t be more different, but they might end up surprising one another as they get to know each other, as well as themselves. Adore and Bianca are both on their own paths to acheiving personal growth, and have the help of Courtney, Bob, Farrah, and more. 😽 This will have a few side ships, and I already have it partially outlined because well, some of these experiences actually happened to me personally.

This is mainly a teaser chapter, its 3.9k so somewhat lengthy so I really hope you enjoy!!

“Goodbye Mom!”

Adore was dressed in her signature red flannel, ripped shorts, and ripped tights, embracing her mom tightly in the middle of LAX. Her mom squeezed her back extra hard, rubbing her floppy straw hat and kissing her forehead one last time.

“Do you have to do this Adore?” Bonnie asked tearfully, moving a strand of fire engine red hair behind her ear.

Adore gulped, nodding solemnly as she clutched her hello kitty bag.

“Yeah mom. I do. It’s for the best.”

Adore had been in a slump since her high school days. She was stuck in an economic wasteland, known more commonly as southern california. She had a hard three years; from trying and failing to complete community college, to not being able to get a job due to her lack of experience, and on top of that being a raging lesbian with no love life in sight.

She had been desperate for change. She had tried everything from joining a baseball league, to partying in downtown LA by herself, to even trying to make friends through a stupid app called Bumble.

It wasn’t until she began looking online at the job boards, for any sort of opportunity that stuck out to her - where she unexpectedly found a new adventure.

Wanted: Personal Assistant & Apprentice in Makeup Artistry at Simplicité Salon and Spa

Salary will be contingent on candidates ability to perform daily tasks effectively, such as: heavy lifting, graphic design, answering phone calls, managing social media, greeting clients, and participation in off site events. Candidate must be able to work weekends, weekdays, and long shifts, as well as multi-task effectively. They must be open minded, and willing to learn new things daily. Experience not necessary. Room in house will be included as a part of employment, due to unpredictable demands and long hours.

Location: Chicago, IL

“Mom!” Adore yelled, as she ran down the stairs excitedly. She ran around the corner to the kitchen, where Bonnie was preparing Chilé Quilles.

“Yes?” Bonnie asked, lips pursed patiently as she waited for her youngest daughter to tell her what was happening.

“There’s this job opportunity and I think I’m going to go for it!” Adore exclaimed, jumping up and down wildly. She didn’t know why, but when she saw the job posting she got the chills - and just felt like it was a good fit. But she didn’t want to apply for it without her mom’s approval.

“That’s great baby!” Bonnie squealed, clapping her hands relieved. “Where is it at? And what will you be doing?”

“See the thing is, is that the job will be in Chicago but I think it’d be totally cool for me to get out of California for awhile!” Adore said nonchalantly , twisting a red curl around her finger. “I’d be a personal assistant for a fancy ass salon though, and I’d get to do makeup!”

“Chicago?” Bonnie frowned, turning the flame off on the stove. She turned to face Adore with sad eyes. “Why do you want to move so far away?”

“Mom,” Adore sighed, frustrated. “I don’t, but it’d be totally temporary and I’d get to live in a brand new state! The job is an amazing oppurtunity, once in a lifetime-”

“Where will you stay? How will you afford rent? And groceries? Adore it’s not as simple as you’re making it-”

“A room to rent is included if I get the job. Apparently my new boss would need me at random times, which means I’d need to be at her disposal at all times.” Adore explained.

“That sounds a bit sketchy. Are you sure this is a legit listing?” Bonnie raised an eyebrow as she handed Adore a plate.

“I thought the same thing, but I looked on the salon’s website as well and the same listing is there. Did you know that it’s one of the top 5 salon and spas in the midwest?”

“No, because I don’t even know the name of the spa mija. We live in California, not Illinois.” Bonnie deadpanned.

“Oh it’s called Simplicité.” Adore said, unknowingly failing to do a horrible french accent. She shoveled the chile quilles into her mouth as her mom pondered silently over the news.

Of course for Bonnie, the move was going to be hard - especially since Adore is the last one left at home. But, she knew Adore was miserable here in Southern California, and maybe the change of scenery wouldn’t be such a bad idea for her.

Adore had been through alot in the last 3 years, and Bonnie had watched all of the unfortunate events happen to her. First it was the ruthless bullying for her alternative fashion sense, which Bonnie will silently admit wasn’t the best. Adore had been bullied so much, she had ended up dropping out of high school and going to continuation school instead.

Then there was the community college incident. She had decided to go to school for psychology, and ended up dropping out after one semester. She hated it, despised how she felt lost within the crowd and ended up trying to find a job instead.

Adore was into makeup, there was no secret about that. Bonnie would come home to her sitting cross legged in front of her laptop, practicing a smokey eye or contouring and highlighting. It was one of the only times she would ever see a smile on her daughter’s face. She had attempted to get a job at MAC in the mall, but she ended up getting cut because of -you guessed it: her interview attire.

Adore was young, and if this spa was willing to give her a chance - then she should go for it. Despite how hard it would be on Bonnie as a new empty nester.

“I think it’s a great idea.” Bonnie finally admitted, looking sternly into her 21 year old’s eyes.

“Yay! Thanks mom!” Adore squealed, tackling Bonnie into a bear hug before she ran back up the stairs.

A few weeks later

“Hello Miss Delano, this is Bianca from Simplicité. After careful review of your application and resume, I would like to extend an official offer of employment to you. I was very impressed with your charisma and charm over the phone, and think you would be a great fit for our team. Please give me a call back if you are still interested in the position. You would begin your employment on June 16th, and your airfare will be taken care of as a courtesy since you had mentioned how costly it is. Thank you and have a nice day.”

Adore dropped her phone in stunned silence as she realized it was happening. It was all real now.

She was finally going to have a chance at happiness again.

—————-

“Call me as soon as you land okay? I love you mija, show them all what a kickass chola you are.” Bonnie gave her a kiss one last time, before watching her daughter walk through the shiny glass doors of LAX. Adore looked back one last time, tearfully as she waved goodbye to her mom.

Her mom had been her best friend all throughout childhood. They had done everything together from the time she was born up until this very day, her moving day.

A part of her still couldn’t believe she was going through with this, who just packs all of their shit and moves 2,000 miles across the country? Who applies for a job in Chicago when they live in Southern California? Apparently Adore Delano does.

It was hard leaving her mom by herself, but she knew if she were to stay - she would never move out of her mom’s house and become independent. She would stay there forever, and never find someone to be with, and never get over all of the past trauma she had to deal with.

“Flight 329 to Chicago, boarding in 5 minutes.” The stewardess announced from the terminal. Adore shuffled across the airport, scurrying as she cut a dozen people in line to get through security.

“Miss, you can’t cut me!” An angry old man yelled.

“I have a plane to catch and if I miss it, my entire life will be ruined. Do you really want to fuck up my destiny man? It’s already bad enough mercury is in retrograde right now.” Adore snapped back bitterly.

“I could give two shits about your life and your planets!”

“Fuck off!” Adore yelled, throwing the middle finger up defiantly as she was ushered through security from TSA. She tore her converse off quickly and shoved her purse in a plastic bin, throwing her middle finger up again as she heard the old man muttering obscenities to himself. A guard pushed her gently into the full body scanner, telling her to hold still.

Stepping out of the scanner, she grabbed her bag and shoes quickly and began running towards her gate. She was slipping on the linolueum as her tights rubbed against the shiny surface. She cursed herself as she slowed down to a brisk walk, locating her gate and making a run for it.

“Group B, please stand up and get in line.”

Adore looked down at her ticket, and noticed she was group A. Fuck! She had missed her group. The odds of her getting a window seat now were slim to none. She ran made it to her gate, just in time for the stewardess to begin scanning all of Group B’s tickets. She slowly followed the line of group B’s and finally made it onto the plane, barefoot and all.

She looked around frantically, hoping she would find a window seat near the front. Luckily, she managed to slip into one near the wing. She sighed, excusing herself as she climbed over the overweight man and the small blonde teenager who couldn’t’ve been more than 15 to get to it. She slid her purse underneath the seat, and sighed in relief. She had made it. She was on the plane and she was about to start her new life.

She wouldn’t be arriving to Chicago until late at night, around 11:30 to be accurate. The flight was 5 hours from SoCal, which was the longest non stop flight she had ever been on. She pulled her ipod out of her pocket and popped the earbuds in, as she leaned her head back in the seat and drifted off peacefully.

————-

“It is 11:45 pm currently in Chicago, thank you so much for flying with us tonight. Goodnight!”

Adore rubbed her eyes sleepily as she woke up to the bright fluorescent airplane lights. She had slept the whole time! That was actually really nice! As she began to get up, a flash of light illuminated the airplane from outside.

It was storming outside?

Thunder cracked loudly overhead, causing Adore to jump - and she hurriedly grabbed her purse and phone.

2 new messages

Bianca: I’m downstairs by the baggage claim. I have red hair. I’m also holding a sign with your name on it, hopefully you won’t miss me.

Sassy, Adore thought. She scrolled to the next message and smiled.

Bianca: Your flight was clearly delayed due to the weather. You’re going to experience your first midwestern storm tonight.

Adore hated storms with all of her heart. They hardly ever got them in SoCal, but when they did she would refuse to go anywhere because of how unpredictable the lightning was. She put her converse back on and scurried out of the airplane quickly, doing her best to not look scared as she followed the crowd towards baggage claim.

A wave of nervousness washed over her. As she looked for Bianca, she couldn’t help but wonder why she was chosen for the job. She had no previous work experience, and on top of that Bianca had to pay for her flight out here.

She wondered how her new boss looked. Was she tall? Short? Fat? As she pondered it, she realized she had made it to baggage claim, and that there was a short red headed woman near the corner with her name on a piece of paper.

Adore gulped as she walked over to her timidly, holding her purse close to her.

“Ah, you must be Adore.” Bianca smiled, folding the piece of paper and putting it in her black purse. “I’m Bianca, it’s nice to meet you.”

Adore shook her hand softly and smiled shyly. Bianca was much prettier than she imagined, and much more intimidating. She was dressed in a sheer high low black strapless dress, a cardigan with a silver brooch on it, and black pumps. Her makeup was done heavily, and her sleek strawberry hair was tightly styled into a bun on the side of her head.

Adore was kicking herself for not dressing up, as she stared down at her worn black converse and ripped tights. She felt vulnerable now.

“God, you call that a handshake?” Bianca scoffed, “Try again, and this time try not to let your hand flop in mine lazily.”

Adore’s eyes widened, shocked at her crassness. She gripped her hand firmly again, shaking it with confidence as she met her beady brown eyes. She was tired, the heavy makeup distracted an untrained eye from it - but Adore found it easy to see through that.

“Long day?” Adore asked, studying Bianca’s eyes carefully. A look of surprise flashed across her face for just a moment, before she composed herself.

“Everyday is a long day when you’re a business owner.” Bianca said, plastering on a smile. “Grab your bags and let’s go. We need to get home, especially since we have an early start tomorrow.”

An early start? They were starting her training already? Wow, not even a one day’s break, Adore thought. She wasn’t expecting to be thrown in immediately.

Bianca smirked at the younger girls panicked expression. Clearly she didn’t realize she would be starting so soon.

“There’s no rest for the wicked, Miss Delano. We have a lot of work to do.” Bianca said, studying her new peer. She had dry, brittle, red hair that looked like it needed a brush ran through it six months ago, as well as 5 or 6 other products. Her choice in fashion was… interesting to say the least. Definitely still trying to make a statement, she noticed as she scanned the mismatched prints of her flannel and polka dot tank top.

Once Adore grabbed her bags, they settled into Bianca’s suv - a Hyundai Santa Fe with a couple of various items littered in the backseat.

“Is that..a nightstand?” Adore asked confused as they loaded the last bag into the trunk.

“I like to get crafty,” Bianca smiled toothily. “That’s actually one of your projects for tomorrow. I’m looking to switch up the spa a little bit.”

“Great.” Adore said as enthusiastically as she could for someone who had been traveling all day. She was suddenly exhausted, finally feeling the impact of her day.

“Don’t worry, we’re gonna be home shortly.” Bianca comforted as they pulled out of the airport parking lot.

Adore surprisingly dozed off as Bianca drove through the city, despite the storm. When the car finally stopped moving, Adore jolted up noticing that they were parked in another parking garage.

“This is where you live?” Adore asked, bewildered.

“Where WE live.” Bianca corrected, opening the trunk as she grabbed one of Adore’s bags. Adore stretched her arms outwards before she got up, flipping her red hair over her shoulder nervously.

She stepped out of the car, feeling the sticky humidity grab her skin. The rain had stopped, but left it overly humid. “Gross.” Adore muttered quietly under her breath as she grabbed her bags.

“Get used to it. This is pretty common here.” Bianca chuckled, leading the way to the elevator, where there was an attendant standing inside.

“Good evening. Late night Miss Del Rio?” The blonde perky attendant, Alisha asked.

“Yes. I had to grab my new roommate from the airport.” Bianca smiled widely, elbowing Adore.

“Welcome to Chicago, Adore. I’m here in the evenings, for your convenience.” Alisha smiled at Adore. “ Floor six right?”

“Correct.” Bianca responded, as they settled into the elevator.

It was silent in the elevator as they awaited their floor. The two women were both exhausted, Bianca was amused at the younger girl’s attire. She was about to be in for the transformation of a lifetime. She wanted so bad to touch her hair, to see what exactly she would be working with, but the elevator dinged indicating that they had reached their floor.

“Good evening.” Alisha nodded, watching as the two women exited with their collection of luggage.

Bianca’s heels clacked on the marble tile in the hallway. This was a very nice building, Adore thought. Much nicer than anything she had ever been used to.

Bianca stopped in front of their apartment, a giant 305 was sprawled across the dark wooden door in elegant gold cursive.

“This is us.” Bianca chimed, unlocking the door with ease.

As Bianca sauntered into the home, Adore stopped and stared as she took in all of the sights around her.

In the entry way was a beautiful antique chandelier, it had to be a couple of hundred years old at least. But that’s not all. Bianca had pictures sprawled across the narrow hallway - pictures of her with famous people, in front of the salon on opening day next to a very attractive blonde and a sassy looking black guy wearing a fedora.

“That’s Courtney.” Bianca mused, watching Adore study the picture closely. “She’s a cunt.”

Adore laughed, surprised at her ubrupt description of Courtney. “You’re always one to keep it classy aren’t you?”

“Well of course. A southern belle like me always minds her manners.” Bianca said sarcastically.

Adore let out a long hearty laugh as she closed the front door behind her, settling into the hallway. Her jaw dropped at another picture, eyes widened with envy.

Bianca froze when she saw her gazing in awe at one of the pictures in particular.

“Ah, you must have found one of my celebrity meet and greet photos.” Bianca smirked, closing the distance to see which picture she had discovered.

“I can’t believe you got to meet Anna Nicole. She was my idol.” Adore gushed, tracing her hand longingly over the picture frame.

Confused, she looked up at the girl. How did she even know who she was? She wasn’t that old.

“Aren’t you only 18?” Bianca asked confused.

“I’m 21.” Adore said hesitantly. “Didn’t you see my age on my background check?”

Oh. That meant she was only 5 years her junior. She acted much younger than her age, which really threw her off. She would be lying if she said she didn’t envy the young latina’s genes, she had smooth porcelain skin and bright blue eyes that dazzled. Her hair was a choice, but that was an easy fix. It was really too bad that she was hiding all of her natural beauty underneath the giant dry heap of red hair.

“I guess I should have. Well great.” Bianca said, taking the rest of her bags. “Let me show you to your room. I’m fucking tired.”

Adore raised her eyebrows as she followed her down the long hallway. Their rooms were across from each other, she discovered that Bianca’s door was closed.

As they entered the chic room, Adore was in shock. It was much bigger than the room she had lived in at home. She had a large window next to her bed; that had a great view of downtown Chicago. On top of that, her bed had brand new comforters, string lights hung around the vicinity, and scented candles from bath and body works were littered on her bedside table. As well as a notepad, a journal, and a planner.

“I got my inspiration from tumblr.” Bianca grinned, “You like?”

“Bitch, I fucking LOVE this! It’s totally me.” Adore squealed, kicking her shoes off and letting her feet sink into the shaggy black rug in the middle of the room.

“You might have noticed the notebook and planner on your bedside table.” Bianca cleared her throat uncomfortably. She didn’t know Adore very well yet, but felt weird about switching the conversation to a more business like setting. “You’re going to need to take notes. In the car, at work, wherever I am.”

“Notes? Why?” Adore asked.

“Well,” Bianca started, sitting on the edge of the black and white checkered bed. “You see, my mind goes a million miles an hour. And sometimes on a whim, I’ll get a really good idea and forget all of the specifics about it. So at any given moment, I’m going to need you to take notes as soon as I say basically. As you get to know me, you’ll know when my mind will start to go off the rails and when to start writing.”

Holy shit. Not even here for an hour, and Bianca was already telling her her expectations. It was midnight for fucks sake. Adore could barely process the fact that she was in a luxury apartment in the middle of Chicago, let alone taking notes and listening to every word Bianca says.

“Also,” Bianca continued, not waiting for a response. She grabbed the planner from the side table and placing it in Adore’s hands. “This is really important. My schedule is constantly changing, and I’ll need you with me pretty much at all times. You are basically my scheduler. This is where all of my meetings, appointments, etc should go.”

Adore nodded numbly, thumbing through the pages quickly to see how much room exactly she would have to write things out. She was a very detailed person when it came to notes, unfortunately the planner did not have very much room. It was going to be quite an adjustment.

“Dress code is black, white and grey only.” Bianca stated, eyeing Adore’s suitcases suspiciously. She had a feeling she hardly had anything appropriate for working in a salon, but she decided for now she would give her the benefit of the doubt.

“Also, hair and makeup needs to be done. I wont let you go into work with frizzy hair.” Bianca let her eyes linger on the wild red mane before moving on. “While I’m cutting and styling hair, you’ll be working the front desk. You need to look like a 10 at all times, got it? We work in the beauty industry, not the ugly industry.”

This was a lot to take in. Adore could feel herself getting overwhelmed. Bianca had a lot of strict rules and expectations for her. She couldn’t blame her, if her apartment was this nice she could only imagine how upscale the salon looked as well. She had to do her best to fit the bill.

She was feeling very insecure and very unprepared. She thought a couple of nice pairs of black pants would suffice, but she was starting to feel like that wouldn’t be enough for Bianca’s standards.

“A response to any of this would be nice.” Bianca snapped, rolling her eyes.

“Sorry. It’s just a lot to take in.” Adore gulped.

“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.” Bianca chuckled to herself, standing up. “I’ll let you go to sleep. Gotta get up bright and early tomorrow. We’re out the door at 8:00. I expect you’ll dazzle me with your first day outfit.”

“I’ll do my best man. Goodnight Bianca.” Adore smiled weakly.

Bianca flashed a tight smile before she walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

There was no doubt about it.

Adore was fucked