#omg he seems so nervous aha

[aaaaaaaaaaaa-hey-its-jude-or-bee]

hey..... hi..... could I request mlm harvey (sdv) :)?

you can decide if you want nsfw or fluff but I prefer no angst yes

cuddles... cuddles, m!reader gives the bestest cuddles because I said so!! + He's taller than harvey (you can put your own hc, but for me personally he's 6'1 ehe), !!!! He gets so flustered whenever m/n towers over him on accident!!, m/n's always apologetic about it too....

and, the fact that m/n smells like oranges and tangerines, doesn't help... He's always so good smelling to harvey he just wants to cuddle all the time... And who's m/n to refuse!!!!!

I love harvey an unconditional amount, also, I may send in another ask soon for elliot aha, I love him too

(+, could I be 🫚anon?)

Stardew valley

// BOTTOM!Harvey X Tall TOP!Male!farmer who smells like oranges and tangerines and cuddles//

CW//TW; fluff, before NSFW is at the end, suggestive mentions before the NSFW part, mentions of edging, begging, praising, then aftercare and mentions of Harvey not having a relationship with his family and having no contact I finished this close to 12 AM.

Apologies I will finish sebby request very soon but I did this BC it had no story but now it does and sighs, I also added Fluff/cuddles, NSFW/redid all that shit if you haven't seen my last post before this, aftercare/m/n taking care of Harvey omg,, no one told me I fucked up a word what the fuck let me go redo that

Harvey is just absolutely adorable.

-the moment he met you he was.. intimated by you, you were taller than him! Like sure.. There's other men in town who're(HAHAHAHSHSHS WHORE sorry) taller than him but he is also one of those men.. it leaves him absolutely stunned seeing you who is taller than everyone at this point! He was very nervous about being around you, even just by standing beside you he was nervous and scared for who knows what, but he did somewhat get a small whiff of your.. citrus like scent? he wasn't sure if smelling like oranges and tangerines were a normal thing… he was going to research diseases or sicknesses just to make sure that you were perfectly fine, yet he isn't sure why he's feeling so anxious and nervous around a person, you're just a tall person.. it's not like.. you'll someday carry him around as if he's a book, because that would be rude! You two just met! But.. it was weird,

-the moment you walked into his clinic while he was trying to write you a letter for a check-up, he didn't hear you walk into his clinic, considering he was mumbling to himself on how to write a letter to you, he felt nervous and uncomfortable the moment he felt like he was being watched.. he then turned around and oh boy, you scared the living yoba out of him! You were just standing behind him, staring. ..causing him to literally scream bloody murder since he WAS alone for such a long time doing his own thing and next thing he knows is that there's a tall man standing behind him and his life flashed before his eyes. While you were actually wondering how you were gonna approach the doctor who seemed busy, but now, you got a doctor who is on the floor, unconscious, now here you are absolutely panicking. You had to put HIM on the clinic's bed this time instead of him putting others on the bed, you're just waiting for him to wake up now, while having a bottle of water in hand and some medicine in the other.

-it was awkward being around you, he apologized to you but you then apologized to him, and it was mutual, next day he finds a basket filled with fruit and there's wine in it, with an apology card on the counter, Maru was sitting at the front desk, she then looked over at Harvey and told him that the farmer came by to give him this as an apology for supposedly scaring the yoba out of him? She was confused of course and asked Harvey what happened, Harvey, shook his head and brushed it off, his face sweating as he felt blood rush to his face, he was actually really embarrassed and didn't really wanna tell Maru what had happened that day, But Maru; thought Harvey had a crush on the farmer, so she didn't press for more, she was just thinking, *’oh Harvey is just embarrassed for having a crush, they seem like a cute pair’* And she shook her head and chuckled to herself as she continued with her day at work, Harvey took the basket and card happily but still embarrassed and red, going to his office to check the basket and card out, he read it, and smiled softly, his face getting warmer when he kept reading it, as he didn't even realize it even was warmer than before.

-aaannd.. that's how his days always went, he also had a proper check-up with you.. somewhat of a proper check-up, he didn't understand why your heart was racing at an unusual speed.. (much faster then how it did in his heart scene in the game..), he thought you were having a heart attack(you probably are) so he started gathering things and had rushed you to the clinic's bed, not letting you get off the bed at all, he was rambling on about how he needed to make sure you're alright and said you could possibly be suffering an unsuspecting heart attack, he kept you with him after closing, because you came in super late nearing closing, and he sent Maru home already, and he was going to make sure you were alright, he was doing his best to make sure you're healthy, asking you questions and medical questions, asking if you were allergic to anything or something, he just needed to know what was up with you, and the moment he knew you were fine, he let out a sigh of relief, thank yoba you're fine!, he also had more of a whiff of your tangerine scent, it smelled.. sweet and comforting, he didn't know why it did though because it felt odd as well and more odd for even thinking of that or feeling that way, but he calmed down to that, while you were just sitting there just absolutely unsure what to even say to doctor Harvey, it was like.. too late to already get home, you'd end up passing out just at 2 in the morning if you stepped out of the clinic, weird how you always do only pass out directly at 2 in the morning, it's always before.

-.....Harvey felt bad and ended up having you stay over, you guys.. are.. somewhat friends, friends yeah, just a bit awkward in the moment because of everything and him being anxious around you and you just being scared and nervous about being in a doctors clinic but also just nervous about accidentally scaring poor old Harvey, but still you two are friends, so you are having a sleepover for one night, it was.. something honestly, you were trying to figure out how to sleep on the couch, Harvey was reading a book, and you were just.. staring at the ceiling, Harvey made small glances towards you from his book, he felt bad but also was not really sure on what to do as he watched you, while you were just turning and tossing on the couch, but found a position where it was comfortable, and honestly, you were like dead asleep after a few seconds like right after Harvey then tried to suggest something else for you but just then realized that you were just already asleep, which caused him to be absolutely lost, confused, and he's like thinking to himself, you already fell asleep?? You were just moving and turning, how are you asleep after a second? Anyways you're a heavy sleeper, Harvey soon put his book away back on his shelf (the book was about fruits, and he was trying to find out if tangerines and oranges scent a whole person if they eat a lot of them but he found nothing and soon gave up) and then Harvey got in bed, staring at the ceiling as he took his glasses off and placed them beside him on his bedside table, soon he went to bed, while also trying to get over the fact that you were here, spending the night, in his apartment.

-harvey soon woke up in the morning and you were just sitting in the middle of the room for some reason, just making patterns with your finger on the floor with absolutely nothing to do, and Harvey felt bad seeing this because he then remembered how you were always up very early in the morning and that you were probably up for hours while he slept, he didn't know what you were doing while he was sleeping but he seen nothing was a mess and he was happy it was clean and nothing was a mess or broken, he soon gotten up out of bed, greeting you sheepishly as he put on his glasses again, what do you mean you made breakfast? How- why did you make breakfast? Oh, well thank you farmer. Harvey happily ate the breakfast you made him(a breakfast only HE would eat. BECAUSE THIS MOTHER FUCKER DOESN'T LIKE PANCAKES. Sorry It appears I'm still upset about him not liking the pancakes I made for him in bed, I ended up giving him eggs and a coffee, and then left without speaking to him or giving him a kiss that entire day but then I showered him in kisses and loves the next day, I was just very upset over that one day.) and he soon put his sweater on again, after the two of you finished breakfast though, he felt very warm and light when you did that action when you didn't need to for him, he hasn't had a good cooked meal in a long time and he really liked your cooking, he did praise you for the cooking and you were happy, so you plan to cook him meals and give them to him since you rarely cook food and you mostly just.. do whatever you do during the day(you don't want to tell him that you are just absolutely feral and will eat anything that can be eaten.)

-As days went by, and the both of you having gotten rather closer than before, it was all going absolutely wonderful, Harvey was very pleased about you gifting him home cooked meals, and now, he was saving a lot more money and not buying frozen meals from Pierre's every time considering he couldn't cook because he was always busy, he was very happy about it either way, and you were very happy because you always made a little plate for yourself and tested it out to see if it was good, which it always was(the only time you messed up was when you forgot to turn off the stove and then you had to recook it all), Harvey soon enough went to Pierre's again and then bought a flower bouquet for you, he was very nervous about what you'd say and how you'd react, but after buying the flowers, he was already in a nice change pair of clothing that made him look really nice, he wanted to be presentable to you during this moment, so he requested you to meet him at the water fountain, when the sun was setting in a letter for you, which when the time had came you went over to the water fountain to see Harvey, hiding something behind his back as well, and when you walked over towards him you looked at him with a soft gaze, causing him to get more red and nervous as he started to stutter his words when he was trying to confess his feelings for you, he was already nervous because of how tall you were but he was more nervous of this, soon enough he did so and you were giggling throughout some parts because you thought he looked so adorable with how red and nervous he was, you really liked seeing him in such a nice outfit but you mostly had your attention on him the entire time, when he handed you the flower bouquet and asked if you wanted to be his partner, you were surprised but not that surprised, he was started to second guess everything until you took the flower bouquet and hugged him, he was surprised but then melted into your arms, holding you back as well as the sun set made it more pretty and he got your full scent of tangerines and oranges which made it even better for him, he felt like he was in the clouds.

-the two of you started dating, and it was wonderful, Harvey was absolutely happy, he was just a whole being of joy whenever he was around you, sure he's still nervous about being around you considering you're still tall but he's more calm and collected about it, often he's leaning into your arms whenever you hold him and he's just blushing like crazy and he's just so happy about it all, he's never felt this happy ever since he left home, he's never had contact with his own family and they simply didn't bother to try and talk to him, Harvey never minded it but he was sometimes sad about it as well, but he's not sad about it anymore now that he has you with him.

-he's never felt like this the moment he had gotten married to you, first he asked you to be with him, and now you asked him to marry you, everything felt so perfect, he couldn't have asked for anything else in the world, no matter what it may be, even a relationship with his family, hell no, he will never trade you for anything else, he vows to be loyal and by your side every single day when the two of you are alive and together, his heart felt like it was going to explode, but of happiness, he didn't bother sharing the news with anyone back in the city, he didn't care, he couldn't, how could he when he finally had you, and you actually care about him and make him happy! He felt so secure and safe being with you, now living with you as he sometimes would go over back to his apartment to just be there for a few hours just chilling there, before coming home since he would now start to feel a bit off whenever he was away from you for too long, and he just felt more comfortable in the home you both share together, he loved smelling the citrus scent you have whenever the two of you would lay together or just be close together.

-Harvey felt so embarrassed whenever you'd pick him up, he didn't fight back though but it sure was a shocker to him, he enjoyed being held and cuddled by you, he loved your hands as well, he just loved having your hands on him, Harvey absolutely loves having your hands on or in him in places, and just loves having your hands in his own, it makes him feel happy.

-Harvey is always leaning or resting against you as well, he loves smelling you, he loves your scent, he just loves touching you in any way shape or form, he needs it, he's needy, he absolutely is needy and wants your attention because he's afraid of losing it, but you always have your attention on him 24/7, because you're HIS Husband, you're HIS handsome man, you both are HUSBANDS, you're HIS.

-harvey get so weak in the knees and gets so red seeing you shirtless, he gets so hot and you're his husband, he sees you shirtless in your own home, but he still gets absolutely flustered and red, he cannot help it! He just loves you too much and feels so shy about it, even when you flirt with him shirtless like! M/n don't do that! (Do it)

Yeaaahhh let's get into the cuddling

Harvey was laying on top of your chest under the covers, his face buried in the crook of your neck as he just softly inhaled the fruitful scent you have, while you were laying in the middle of your comfortable bed, reading a book as you would kiss the top of Harvey's head once in a while, every few 3 to 5 pages you'd turn, while the blanket was covering the both of you as well keeping you two warm, even though you both were warm as it was, you were humming a soft lullaby as you read, your arms were around Harvey as you held the book but you were also keeping your doctor husband close to you as possible, Harvey loved listening to you hum softly as he laid with you, well on top of you but you wanted him to either way to be closer, “mmmph,, my love, do you really think I should stay-” Harvey mumbled against your skin as he tried asking you again if he should stay like this, but you simply stopped humming and cut him off of his words, “Yes, I'm fine Harvey, just relax, it'll be fine, you're fine staying like this” you reassured him that it was perfectly fine for Harvey to stay laying on top of your chest, you loved how it felt because it felt absolutely comforting like this and you loved having Harvey just all relaxed and soft against you, Harvey just made a soft humming sound before nuzzling up against your neck again, his eyes were closed as he shortly soon fell asleep on you, you were turning the page of your book before planting a kiss on his head as you whispered in a soft tone to him, “I love you” before putting a bookmark on your page, and closing it up, it was dark and you knew you should get rest as well, so you put the book on the stand beside you, turning off the lamp as you got comfortable and wrapped your arms around Harvey, holding him closely and making sure he seemed comfy in his own state of sleep, closing your eyes as you yawned and soon, all that was heard in the dark yet cooled room, was the soft breathing of the both of you sleeping peacefully as you cuddled up against each other in the bed you both share, the house the two of you now share is filled with the peaceful quietness, then when the morning had came, Harvey seemed to content on staying in his position as he was too comfortable to move and he didn't want you leaving the bed so soon, while you woke up early and tried getting out of bed to go run places and run to the mines, yet Harvey seems to not want to let you go to the mines, so he kept in his place, mumbling tiredly as he kept mumbling his tired and weak protests of “nooo..” to you trying to get him off of you and to lay on the other side so you could go to the mines, but you soon gave up as you got back into the warmth and comfortable spot you were in originally, and then you closed your eyes once more after giving him a kiss, he had tiredly gave you a kiss back and rested his head against your chest again, since he wanted to stay in longer, and you couldn't deny your husband that any longer because he was so adorable like this, and he loves your scent and your warmth, how could you deny your husband warmth and comfort? You'd just let him get cold and alone in bed? No, you have to stay here and go back to bed, he seemed so happy even in his sleep again as the two of you fell back asleep peacefully,

Okay refucking writing it all are you absolutely fucking kidding me like what the fucking hell I should've fucking written it here like what the fuck

NSFW!!

Harvey's soft cries and desperate pleas echo throughout the bedroom the two husbands share, the sound of their soft skin meeting filling the room with a soft Melody of passion. The bed, though it was In Fact silent, stayed silent, Harvey clutched the sheets tightly, his face flushed with desire and sweet moans tumbling from his lips. His legs spread apart, his body writhes in absolute pure raw ecstasy as his husband, m/n, thrusts into him with such primal need, gripping Harvey's thighs absolutely possessively as he thrusted into him, m/n's rigid length slides in and out of Harvey that sends shivers down Harvey's spine, his cock finding that sweet, soft spot inside of his husband Harvey, causing him to squirm in pleasure. Tears of raw ecstasy had streamed down Harvey's face as he begged for his husband m/n to let him finish, after hours of being absolutely lost in the intoxication of their love-making, M/n could only chuckled in response to Harvey, his hips grinding against Harvey's hips, sending waves of pleasure through both their bodies. With a gentle soft sweet touch, m/n's hand moved from Harvey's thigh to his throbbing cock, Each stroke m/n’s hand made had only brought Harvey closer to the edge, Harvey's need growing with each passing moment this kept going on. M/n smeared the pre-cum over the head of Harvey's cock, his thumb pressing down on the sensitive tip, sending shivers of pleasure through Harvey's body, yet the sensation of m/n's thumb pressing against the head of his cock sends Harvey into a absolutely frenzy, his hips bucking in absolute desperation, as m/n presses Harvey back onto the bed, then pulls out of him only to thrust back in deeper than before, Harvey's cries had reach a fever pitch. He can feel himself being so close on the edge of release, but his husband denies him, prolonging the torture with each thrust, m/n worships Harvey with soft whispers of love and adoration to his husband, his movements slow and deliberate now, drawing out Harvey's torment. His hand strokes Harvey's cock with skill, his lips trailing tender lovingly kisses along Harvey's skin, their bodies move in absolute perfect synchrony, slowly driving Harvey to the brink of madness as he begged and pleaded for release, the overwhelming desire courses through Harvey's veins is matched only by the intensity of m/n's thrusting, Harvey's pitched cries and whines echoes through the room loudly, M/n finally letting Harvey reach his release as he started thrusting faster and deeper, his cock pressed deep against the sweet spot spot inside of Harvey, causing Harvey to hold tightly onto the bed as he moaned loudly, cum now being on his abdomen as M/n kept pumping his husband's pulsing cock, completely fucking Harvey out of his Ecstasy state, Harvey's soft moans kept slipping from his lips as he soon fell exhausted, while M/n took care of Harvey right after releasing inside of his husband.

Aftercare omg

Shortly after Harvey and his husband M/n completed their intimate time together, M/n lovingly tended to his husband's every need. He carefully cleaned Harvey up, ensuring he was comfortable as he guided him to the bathroom, assisted him in drinking water, and then drew a warm bath for them both with deep love and tender care, M/n washed his husband, showering him with kisses and sweet words of admiration and love, as he lovingly attended to Harvey making sure he was comfortable, M/n neglected his own needs just for his husband's, soon, drying himself off hastily as he focused on ensuring Harvey's comfort right after he lovingly was drying Harvey off with care and time, after the bath, M/n gently carried Harvey to the bedroom once again, dressing them both in cozy clothes before settling Harvey on the sofa for a moment, M/n then changed the bedding, preparing a fresh, welcoming space for them to rest. With new pillows, sheets, and blankets, the bed became a haven of softness and comfort for them now while tenderly lifting his weary husband into the soft comforting bed, M/n turned off the lamp and nestled beside him, As Harvey drifted off to sleep, safe and loved in his husband's arms, M/n whispered sweet words of love and adoration, holding him close as they both drifted off to the peaceful sleep

GOOD FUCKING NIGHT HOLY SHIT I AM GLAD IT DID NOT FUCKING DISAPPEAR AFTER I TRIED POSTING THE FIRST ONE WITHOUT SAVING THE NSFW, AFTERCARE AND SOME OF THE STUFF I ADDED TO THE MAIN THING.

[lume-nosity]

nerdy bf kazuha hcs !! (ugh yk kazuha is so yk like he's 🥰🥰 and like kazuha is so 😍😍😍😍 and then when he 😘😘😘😘😘😘😘😘

contains: highschool au, mentions of other characters, mentions of getting high lol, kazuha wearing glasses 😋😋😋 (i hc that this man is blind. thick glasses, like a 200+ grade on his glasses.)

notes: here in the philippines, you just sit in one classroom with all the same people. so basically you and kazuha are in the same section, and he sits riiiight beside you. aside that this is vv messy lol, and my first time writing a hc format !, this was to make up for that kazuha fic for valentines that i didn't write lol

how is he like before classes?

he's running with you, why? he woke up late and rushed to class with you 💀

you're probably bugging him while he's spending free time in the library !!; "i need to study, dear..", he says, as he continues to be favored by most teachers...

of course — you have your own things to do and such so, you and him may just be staring at each other... until he's caught off guard by a mutual friend.

since kazuha and you decided to make your relationship public, kazuha has been suffering a few stolen haikus. you two have very few fingers to point, yet not a single one has been recovered.

how is he during class/in the middle of the day?

he's insufferable and cute, but mostly insufferable in the good way.

he's good at studying. he is smart, very, but when it comes to his "deep poems" it's probably something he scribbled while he was high lol.

in your row, (from left to right) you have kazuha, you, ayato, and yoimiya. whenever the other two aren't paying attention, kazuhas definitely teasing you.

...

"why don't you understand? it's quite simple..."

"just let me copy a few missing sentences??"

"no 🥰"

"little shit."

...

and oh man when you're daydreaming infront of him??? and he sees it???? AND YOU'RE STARING AT HIM FIXING HIS GLASSES?????? damn bro he's so fine

kazuha, while being a good student and never causing any fuss (at least nothing serious), might be reprimanded by teachers for paying attention to only you. jesus, it's a miracle you two have not been separated away just yet.

good lord he's honestly so demonic 😭, like you'll ask him "hey 'zuha, can i get some notes from you? i didn't copy fast enough.." and then he'll deny you for a bit before letting you copy 💀

and yk whats sexy and cool? volunteering to answer — you get nervous each time he raises his hand though...

does he bring you back home?

you bet your ass he does, and he's on time too. your poor boyfriend (not really, he does this willingly) multi-tasks while walking you back home, he's writing an essay or something 💀

maybe he might've been writing a haiku that'll be stolen if he doesn't put it away, but who knows? because it certainly isn't you.

...

"what 'cha writing?"

"a haiku, why?"

"can i see? please? just one, tiny glance.."

"as much as I'd like to, no sadly. i'm not finished oka-"

...

you proceed to a) attack him verbally, asian mom style b) keep staring in hopes that you'll be able to see it or c) snatch it away from him (never been successful)

...

i made this to deny and cope because i have a crush on my guy friend now because omg i... i think i... like him 😟 pssst some of the teasing kazuha does is very much based on my crush 🤯

i'm so disappointed in myself

my goodness

this is really good… i can clearly picture that whole thing in my head. kazuha with glasses… so fine tbh. (aha i have glasses too we could be twinning then)

kazuha please let me copy your notes fr like i’m too tired for school HDHAJC

also… did i read that last part right 👁️? another mutual has a crush on someone too?

wow, interesting, seems like a bunch of my mutuals have crushes that i wasn’t aware of? it’s cute, really. (not in a teasing way but in a more genuine way because i’m audibly going ‘aww���)

if you really do feel that way towards your friend, and would like to end up with him, (or you’d like to shoot your shot) i answered an ask similar to that here

either way, no matter what you do, i hope it works out well <3

[i-sveikata]

GURRRRL

I've finally had time to read the latest chapter!! I'm so excited!!!! Like I always feel nervous going through new chapter. Nervous for what is going to come and wanting for more horny VP.

I knew that the food wasn't from grandma! It's such a nice touch, how Vegas was involved with food in the series and definitely is his love language. I love how Pete finally decides to let himself have the pleasure he wants. I'm reading and thinking "aha! That's what she chose to change/leave in the story!" I'm constantly trying to figure out what events will be present from the canon and which not. Fully knowing we are mostly around 13 episode storyline of the series only bad things are waiting to happen. If I had a bingo then Bloody Vegas is being crossed now. Pete not wanting Vegas to die and tending his injuries is still waiting to come 👀 The amount of thoughts and character they received from you is why I still think The Graveyards are the best VP fic out there. Now they almost feel like original characters with how real you made them. Feels just like reading something whole, not just a fanfic.

They do match eachother and could be such a power couple. I would love to see Pete's darker side, more honest. Will his loyalty change when he learns who voted to kill him? (I have my opinions who was it 😅). I've smirked how quickly Pete went from "you hurt my friend" to being unable to resist him. Their bickering is what I love the most. And how Pete knew he wasn't choking him (cause he did it once already *cough*) and was just playing. They maybe are poor basterds but at least they get eachother unlike anyone else. My headcanon of them both being unhinged and fucked up is sitting so well with your depiction.

I kind of dislike Kinn so seeing him in a tight spot and being embarrassed by Tankhun was a fun time 😂

I'm going to patiently wait for more and simp over them for a while. I've been listening the unhinged playlist and I'm still shocked how much it's like "it's THEM".

I'm curious if you have already planned the story till the end? You said that you start a chapter by writing some scenes you wanted and then fill in the gaps. Are these scenes the spicy ones? Action? Plot twist? Or Pete's monologues? Or maybe it depends. I'm curious about the writing and thinking process 😅

Anyways. I've wrote a huge message already. So just going to say: Great job! I want more 😂 Thank you for writing and I hope the inspiration is going to stay for a long time.

Take care! ☺️🖤

Hola!! Omg I’m sorry it makes you nervous!! Lol but understandable as each chapter is A LOT. Oh so so true food is such a part of his love language- acts of service for sure! Yeah it’s interesting for Pete because the methods he was using to protect himself almost become the same things which are preventing him from being in the moment because he’s constantly overanalysing their dynamic and trying to figure out who is winning or dominating or in control at any point in time so he’s not able to fully let himself go. But we all know Vegas is desperate to help him lose control, relax and just enjoy himself

Oh lol that actually would be fun trying to figure out what’s still going to be in the fic vs what was in the show honestly I think most of the overarching themed are there but yes elements have definitely been fleshed out a lot more with a bigger focus on the characters and their emotional states. Which is kind of common for tv tbh- they never really seem to leave room for trauma and the characters addressing it. Lol yes can’t escape bloody Vegas the way he interacts with the world that is a given at any point in time. Ha yes might be wound tending for sure 😉 oh thank you that’s honestly so sweet of you to say I’m really glad you’re enjoying how in depth I went with this lol

Oh absolutely they could be SUCH a power couple if they learned to get out of their own way sometimes haha. Hahaha might keep the answers to that until the next chapter is out wouldnt want to spoil too much!! Omg lol the certainty in which Pete was like he’s not going to hurt me (and tbh he was totally right) there is a sense of trust and comfortableness that exists between them even if Pete isn’t quite aware of it/ acknowledging it yet. Oh yes they do get each other like nobody else v true! Lol they are both unhinged they’re a totally mess let’s be real

I get that! I’m not a huge fan of Kinn either so it is a little fun for the other characters to roast him for his behaviour m hahaha

Oh thank you I’m so glad you’re liking the playlist! Just fun to imagine their general vibe and it definitely makes me think about them a lot more if I’m like oh this song is so them 🥸

Oh good question! Well I am going to follow the show to it’s completion and let’s be real probably beyond that because an ending can always use more detail. Probably will be more of the same thing- Pete still trying to work himself and Vegas out and understand his feelings eventually. Yeah the process is really up in the air tbh I did start publishing way before I was ready so I caught up to my drafted bits much too quickly. I still have some future scenes already written some confrontational some spicy but yeah the rest is all floating around in my head somewhere. Truly wasn’t expecting the reception this fic has got so if I would change anything I might have waited a little bit longer/had a bit more written before I started but that’s the way the cookie crumbles sometimes!!

Thank you so much for your huge message I love to read them! You are all truly so kind and enthusiastic and it’s honestly been so great writing for this fandom ☺️☺️ ah you’re so welcome! Lots of inspiration still hanging about here that’s for sure!

Thanks angel you too!!

[digitallovergirl]

I literally love your writings and your account so much omg!!!! 🫶🏻 (and if you don’t pick this request up that’s totally fine, I just had an idea and thought I’d share since I’m a horrible writer lol)

Can I request a leo valdez x fem!reader based on “Sparks Fly”?

Everytime I hear it I can’t help but think of a best friends to lovers with Leo 🫡 Like you can’t tell me that song isn’t Leo-coded!!! It’s just gives me the vibes of the two being idiots together and sharing sweet little moments around camp

When I heard the words ‘sparks flying�� my mind immediatelyyy went to the metal sparks that shoot off when he’s working on stuff in the forge ✨

　　YOU AND ME, ALWAYS FOREVER. . .

🔧 ₊˚⊹♫ … Leo Valdez x Fem! Demigod! Reader

authors note: aw thank you anon!! I'm glad you like my stuff 🥹🫶. I would usually do requests that are based off songs, but due to the fact i'm boycotting ms. swift because of her lack of response on what's going on in palestine, i'm going to base this off the song always forever by the cults. I'm sorry I can't use the exact song you wanted, but I hope you can still enjoy this <3

warnings: mostly fluff, gets a little angsty, but then gets cute again :3

Becoming best friends with the Leo Valdez wasn't something you expected to happen.

Despite him being one of the more...ignored members who were a part of the Argo II (and the seven demigods in general,) a bunch of the campers found the things Leo did to be pretty impressive. Most of them being the younger campers, but you get the point. You, were among the campers who saw Leo as a cool dude, not just a seventh wheel.

But that doesn't mean you had to courage to like.. actually go up to him and start a conversation. Aha! no. Making friends is hard enough, but trying to do so with someone you find cool? What type of joke was that?

And it seems like Leo didn't have the courage to do either.

He'd found you to be pretty badass ever since he came to the camp, your energy (and the fact you seemed to not hate him,) filled that even more. So when he saw that you had wandered away from the campfire and was sitting by yourself, he took it upon himself to try talking to you.

It worked, of course, and ever since then— the two of you have been best friends. Hanging out around camp, Spending time together in Bunker Nine, and even sneaking off during campfires, has become a normal thing you two do together.

But as you two hung out more, it was like something in the air changed. Not in a bad way, but certain things that you did seemed to make Leo really flustered. Which, would have made sense if he was uncomfortable, but when you asked him about it, he always said there was nothing wrong. And you knew he was being honest, since the both of you were so used to talking to each other that there was nothing to be nervous about telling or asking. So what was really going on?

Sadly, you didn't know. And the more you tried figuring out the answer, he seemed to start pushing you away more. Maybe not on purpose, but he seemed to go from really silly and comfortable around you to in a way, really nervous. It only added to the confusion you were already feeling, and even your other friends started to notice how absent he started to be in your life.

But that was until one day, where you found a letter in your cabin saying: can you come to the bunker 9? - Leo and of course, seeing the opportunity to hang out with your best friend that you hadn't seen in weeks, you took it.

Getting back into the bunker felt like some type of fever dream, especially since you'd been avoided for the last few weeks. "Leo?" you asked, walked farther into the place, hearing that Leo was working on something.

There was Leo, goggles and gloves on with thousands of little yellow sparks flying past his face. You never understood how he didn't get nervous when they got so close to his face, but you assumed it was just a child of Hephaestus thing.

As soon as he heard his name, he looked up from what he was working on and looked directly at you. For a moment, you thought you'd just end up standing there until one of you said something—but Leo walked up to you and hugged you. "I'm sorry. Like, really really sorry. I just-"

"Shh.. stop talking, Valdez." You tightened the hug. "Just don't do something like that ever again."

"I won't. Swear." He nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, tapping something onto your back. If only you knew that he wasn't just tapping on your back, but a little 'i love you' in Morse code.

[undercovergamer]

✨Double Trouble✨

(Requested by an anonymous user)

⚠️This fic focuses mainly on tickling. Please do not read it if that upsets you.⚠️

Hi omg I’m so sorry for the wait 😭😭😭 I got writer’s block like nobody’s business but I’m back on track! … sort of! 💀

Anyway…

Alhaitham convinces Kaveh to “fight back” for once so he can get revenge on Itto. But his sneak attack fails, so the two resort to plan B. As a wise boy once said, teamwork is dreamwork (he’s not in the fic). Why is Itto in Sumeru? Because ✨lazy writing✨ of course :D

Word Count: 3415

“You can’t keep letting him win like that, Kaveh. Fight back for once.”

“I- I’m not letting him win! It is SO unfair! He’s so much stronger than I am, I barely have a chance!”

Kaveh was venting his frustrations to Alhaitham, who had just asked about his so-called “revenge plan.” Basically, Kaveh was embarrassed that Itto kept defeating him in tickle wars, and none of his counter attacks ever worked. Itto was too strong and Kaveh was too ticklish. Surprisingly, Alhaitham had offered to help him win this time, giving him some useful tips and tricks.

“It’s not about strength, it’s about skill.” he said.

“Huh?”

“You’re too predictable. Your intentions are written clearly all over you, so Itto obviously knows what to expect.”

“Oh come on! That’s not fair, I can’t control my mood! If I try that, I’ll look even more suspicious!”

“The trick is to catch him off-guard. If you can do that, he’ll be too confused to fight back.”

“It can’t be that easy…”

“It is when you’re not Captain Obvious.” Alhaitham couldn’t help but smirk a little bit at that jab.

“Ugh… you..!” The audacity!

“Aim for his armpits.”

“How am I supposed to do that?!”

“Well, if he’s already tickling you, he’ll be too distracted to defend himself.”

“But- I-”

“Take it from the expert. I’ve tested it myself. It works every time.”

“Tsk. Easy for you to say, mister ‘feeble scholar.’”

“Tch. Try a sneak attack. If it goes south, get his armpits. But do be careful not to overwhelm him too much.”

“Oh, alright, fine. I’ll try your idea.”

“Good luck. Close the door on your way out.”

Kaveh huffed and left Alhaitham’s room, closing the door as instructed. He didn’t need to search for long before he found Itto in the living room, with his back turned to Kaveh. He seemed distracted by something shiny, humming a little tune to himself.

This is the perfect time to strike, he thought, carefully sneaking up behind the oni. But, right as he was preparing to make his move, he felt something bonk into his leg.

Confused, Kaveh looked down and was surprised to see Ushi staring up at him. Kaveh quietly hushed him, but the little bull had other plans.

“Moo!” He alerted his master, blowing Kaveh’s cover with a smug expression.

“Hm?” Itto turned around to check on him, with a surprised smile on his face upon seeing Kaveh. “Hey, Kaveh! What are you doing?” Itto asked, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

“I- uh- hi, Itto! I was just- um… I was just playing with Ushi! Yeah, haha!” He said, crouching down to the little bull to pet him.

“Really? Hmm.” Itto wasn’t buying it. That nervous attitude said it all.

“Moo.” The little bull was looking directly at Itto.

“Hush, Ushi.” Kaveh whispered.

“Moo!” Ushi was totally telling on him.

“Kaveh, you weren’t trying to scare me or something, right?” Itto asked, looking suspicious.

“What? Pfft, no! Of course not!”

“Really? Cus Ushi here says you were!” Oh, of course he did…

“Oh, d-did he now?” That little tattle-tail… no way out of this now.

“Yeeaah, he did, hahaha!” Itto laughed, much to Kaveh’s dismay.

“M-Maybe he’s lying..?” Kaveh had to think of a plan B, quick!

“Pfft, nah. He would never! Ushi is an honest bull. Ain’t that right, Beefcake?” Itto crouched down to pet Ushi. “Yeaa you never lie, do ya’? Aww, such a good boi! Yes you are! Yes you are!” He said playfully, giggling to himself while gently squishing the bull’s little face.

“Moo…” Ushi seemed content.

“Aha, s-sorry, heh… m-my prank went south, huh? G-Guess I’d better head back to my room then!” Kaveh said. Gosh, if only he didn’t sound so nervous…

“Aw, what? Leaving already? I thought you wanted to play with Ushi!”

Kaveh stood up. “O-Oh..! Yeah, heh.. well, uh, y-you seem to be doing that just fine, s-so I’ll-… I’ll just go.” Goodness, if being suspicious was a contest, then…

“Not so fast.”

“W-Whuh?” … Kaveh would win first prize.

“Heh, you sure seem nervous. You weren’t… planning something else, were you?” Itto said, now stood up as well. Oh dear. He’s onto him for sure.

“W-What? O-Of course not! It’s like what Ushi said, I w-was just-”

“Moooo…”

“Planning a sneak attack?” Ushi knew what he was up to, apparently.

“N-No! Of course not!”

“Then why are you so nervous? Heh, you worried about… consequences or somethin’?” Itto teased him with his signature Grin of Mischief™️.

“Uh- I- I think I h-heard Alhaitham calling m-my name! I- I should-” Kaveh backed away before he suddenly tried to make a run for it. But he wasn’t fast enough!

“Haha! Gotcha!” Itto quickly lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Kaveh’s middle, pulling him back to trap him in place.

“ACK- W-Wait no!! Lehet me go!!” Kaveh squirmed, already getting giggly. How could his plan have backfired already?

“Sorry, pal. There’s no escaping the tickle monster! Heheheh…” Itto replied, letting the anticipation set in as he wiggled his fingers, using one arm to prevent Kaveh’s escape.

“W-Wahahait!! I-Itto, plehehehease! Dohohon’t!” The architect was too flustered to remember what Alhaitham told him. Oh gosh, what should he do now?

“Hehehe, imma getcha!” Itto teased, playfully tickling Kaveh’s ribs and sides. “Tickle tickle tickle!”

“AAH NOHOHOHOHOHO!! EEHEHEhehehahahahahaha!!” Kaveh squealed and burst into laughter, squirming a lot while trying to push Itto’s arms off of himself.

“What’s wrong? Can’t handle a little tickle?” Itto teased, switching between rapid squeezing and playful skittering for the funny, driving Kaveh up the wall.

“GWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! NAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!”

“Tickle tickle~”

“Lehehet mehehe gohohohoho!!”

“Nuh uh~”

“AAAHAHA NAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!!”

His laughter eventually got so loud it caught Alhaitham’s attention. He wasn’t surprised that Kaveh’s plan had failed once again, but he decided to go help him for a change. By the time he’d reached the living room, the poor architect had been tickled to the floor, still at the mercy of the mighty tickle monster.

“Fight back, Kaveh! Come on.” Alhaitham called out, trying to make sure Kaveh heard him.

“AHAAHAhahahahahahaha!! Ihihihi cahahahahan’t!!” Kaveh squealed, wiggling his legs and trying to grab Itto’s wrists.

“Hehehe, he’s so ticklish! Kitchy kitchy kitchy koo~!” Itto teased, playfully tickling his waist, making him arch his back and shriek.

“EEEK!! NAHAHAT THEHEHEHERE!! HEHEHEHELP!!” poor Kaveh screeched, laughing hysterically.

Alhaitham sighed and put his hand in his face for a moment, shaking his head before initiating a plan of his own instead. “Hey, Itto! Why don’t you pick on someone your own size?” he said, creating a distraction by challenging the oni.

“Ohoho, you wanna go too, huh?” Itto replied, stepping up to face the scribe, leaving the giggling architect on the floor with Ushi nuzzling his face.

“Bring it on!”

The plan sprung into action right when Itto attempted a playful pounce. Alhaitham was fully prepared and easily spun him around and sort of hooked his arms under Itto’s to keep him in place.

“H-Hey! Lemme go!” The oni’s struggles weren’t quite enough to break free, mainly because of the situation’s playful nature.

“No.” Alhaitham replied bluntly, checking to see if Kaveh was still on the floor. He was, but he’d sat up this time, petting Ushi.

“Let go! Cheater!” Itto protested, trying to pull himself away, but the scribe was too stubborn to fall to it.

“No. Kaveh? Are y-” Alhaitham couldn’t finish his sentence because Itto suddenly started struggling more than before, making another attempt at breaking free. “No. Hey! Stay. Still!”

“Nuh uh! Pfft- unhand me!” Itto started giggling because he thought their little battle was funny. Alhaitham was almost struggling to hold the man in place.

“Haitham, did you say something?” Kaveh asked, raising an eyebrow. He’d stood up by now after Ushi’s snuggle attack ended.

Itto was getting tired from struggling, so he decided to take a break to catch his breath, giving Alhaitham enough room to talk. “So. Kaveh, about your revenge plan…”

“Huh..? Oh! You caught him! Heh, how convenient…” he replied with a devious grin, cracking his fingers in preparation. Finally, he could get his long awaited vengance!

“W-Wait! Wait! C-C’mon, guys! Th-This isn’t fair!” The oni struggled to move when the scribe’s hold suddenly tightened, rendering him defenseless.

“Heheheh, you’re not exactly fair either! Just hold still~” Kaveh teased, wiggling his fingers with a playful look on his face.

“W-Wahahahait!! I-It’s two on ohohone!! Th-That’s not fahahair!!” Itto squirmed to no avail, already laughing from the anticipation.

“Pfft, I’m allowed to get some extra help. You’re like twice as strong as me, you know.”

“As I, Kaveh.” Alhaitham corrected.

“Oh shut up.” Kaveh rolled his eyes and started tickling Itto’s sides. “Are you ticklish here?” he asked.

“Ack-! Pfft- n-nohoho..!” Itto tried to contain his laughter to deter his actions.

“Really? How about… here?” Kaveh poked and tickled his abs and tum instead, even giving his belly button a poke, which made him jolt.

“EEP! Hahahahahahahahahaha!!” It worked like a charm, making him laugh and squirm against Alhaitham’s grip.

“Lying is wrong, you know. Tsk tsk tsk.” Alhaitham said, smirking a little while keeping the giggling oni in place.

“Shuhuhut ihihit!! Aahahahahaha!! NohoHOHOHOHO!!” Uh-oh…

“What about your ribs?” Kaveh poked and scribbled all over Itto’s ribs this time, which increased his squirms and laughter quite a lot.

“NAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! Dohohohohon’t!!” he squealed, squirmimg more and nearly making Alhaitham lose balance.

“Tickle tickle~” Finally, he could get some proper revenge, he thought, getting greedy and digging into Itto’s ribcage. However, Itto’s wild laughter and struggles eventually caused Alhaitham to lose his grip, leading to a very short chase as the oni tripped himself and got pushed onto one of the couches.

“Oof-!” he didn’t have enough time to register where he ended up due to the adrenaline rush.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Alhaitham said, quickly tickling Itto’s sides and ribs so he wouldn’t try to stand up again.

“AAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!! WAHAHAHAHAIT!!” Itto squealed, laughing out loud and playfully kicking his legs against the couch. The scribe truly showed no mercy!

“Don’t let him escape!” Kaveh called out, going behind the couch and reaching over it to tickle Itto’s tum. Not the most convenient angle, but it made him throw his head back and screech with wild laughter. His kicking and stimming increased as well while he squirmed. “HYAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!”

“This should at least pause his mischief for a while!” Alhaitham said, trying to speak louder so Kaveh would hear him. Itto was certainly loud…

“Yeah! We should probably stop for a sec so we don’t kill him though!” Kaveh replied, giggling at how ticklish this man was.

The scribe agreed with that suggestion, and the two briefly stopped their attacks to let Itto catch his breath. He’d barely had room to breathe after his failed escape from earlier.

“Are you alright?” Alhaitham asked, chuckling to himself. It’s been quite a while since he felt this playful.

“Ahahehehe… huff… y-you guys.. are… hehe..! ..soho mean...!” Itto giggled, panting and trying to cover his ticklish spots, but alas he didn’t have enough arms for that. Darn it…

“This is revenge for you tickling me all the time!” Kaveh said, being sassy for the funnies.

“All the time?” Alhaitham questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“W-Well, not literally all the time, but it’s basically a daily occurrance at this point!”

“Hm, I doubt that. I would’ve known otherwise.”

“Oh yeah? How?” Ugh, Alhaitham and his logic…

“You’re incredibly loud whenever you get tickled, you know.”

“Oh? I thought your headphones would block his squeals.” Itto chimed in, having sat up and caught his breath to join the conversation. Kaveh glared at him.

“No. Surprisingly, they’re not quite soundproof enough to block all noise.” Alhaitham replied, smirking slightly at Kaveh who looked very embarrassed.

“Hey! I-I’m not THAT loud, right?!” He couldn’t believe his ears!

“You are.” The other two replied at the same time, making Itto laugh.

“S-Stop laughing! It’s not funny!” Kaveh said angrily, blushing with embarrassment at this realization. He couldn’t believe it’d taken him this long to know!

“Hehehe! It’s true though!”

“Oh, shut up! I’ll show you!”

“Hehe wahahait!! AAH!! I’M SOHOHORREHEHEHEHEE!!” Itto suddenly burst into laughter again as Kaveh got angry and started tickling mercilessly right below his ribs.

“See? You caught him off-guard, and now you’re winning for once. I must say, I’m impressed. You even got a weak spot without my help.” Alhaitham said over Itto’s laughter, preventing Itto from rolling off the couch.

“Not now, Haitham. You’re distracting me.” Kaveh replied, promptly getting his wrists grabbed and pushed away by the giggling oni. “Agh- hey! Let go!”

“Ahahehehe! G-Gehet awahahay!” Itto said, giggling quite a lot. Kaveh struggled to pull his hands free due to Itto’s tight grip.

“Ugh… a little help?” he asked in mild frustration, looking over at Alhaitham.

“Hmm… okay.”

Itto felt more and more nervous hearing those two plan their next attack. But then, he suddenly remembered…

“Uh- um-! Ushi!! Help me!!” Itto tried calling for help, hoping his companion was nearby to rescue him.

“It’s too late for that now, I’m afraid.” Alhaitham said, switching his headphones on with a menacing look. His sudden grin sent shivers down Itto’s spine.

“W-Wait!! Dohohon’t!!” Itto’s pleas fell on deaf ears as Alhaitham started rapidly poking at his ribs and abs to make him let go of Kaveh’s wrists. It worked just as planned, making him squirmy and distracted enough for Kaveh to pull away.

“Thank you! Now, where was I…” Kaveh teased, before both humans unleashed yet another tickle attack upon the oni.

“BWAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAA!!”

Alhaitham was rapidly squeezing his sides while Kaveh scribbled his abs, making the oni throw his head back and laugh hysterically. His two arms were no match against four tickling hands, so he had no choice but to kick and squeal. Kaveh almost wished he had soundproof headphones too…

“Not so fun when you’re on the receiving end, huh?” He said, but he started feeling a twinge of guilt seeing how merciless his roommate was being. Surely Itto didn’t deserve a death sentence…?

“STAHAHAHAHAHAHAP!! STAAHAHAHAHAHAHA-!! I’M SOHOHORREEHEHEHEHEE!!” Itto squealed, laughing his ass off and trying his hardest to push Alhaitham away.

Kaveh was about to say something else, but suddenly felt himself lose balance as something rammed into his leg. “What the-?!” He stopped tickling to catch himself on the couch. He looked down at his feet, only to find Ushi tryina fight.

“Mooo!” Awe, the little bull was trying to rescue his master!

“Hey, what are you doing?” Kaveh crouched down to his level, gently patting his head to calm him while his roommate continued to wreck Itto, whose boisterous laughter continued to fill the room, now sounding less frantic than before.

“Moo!” Ushi seemed angry, pushing quite hard one more time, which made the architect fall on his butt.

“Ow! Hey, be careful…” He could tell all the commotion had made the little bull feel stressed.

Then, Itto’s laughter suddenly died down and Alhaitham’s voice was heard from above. “Kaveh? What are you doing on the floor?” he asked.

“Um, well… I think Ushi wants us to stop now.” Kaveh replied, looking at the angry little bull.

“Really..?” Ushi glared up at him before walking past Kaveh to get around the couch, making his way over to Itto, who was now panting for survival.

“Hm. Well in that case, I suppose we’d better listen, ‘lest we face Ushi’s wrath.” Alhaitham said, reaching down to help Kaveh stand up.

“Yeah. You’re right.” he said, accepting the help and brushing himself off. “My revenge was gotten anyway, I guess.”

“Man… I haven’t laughed that hard in ages..! Haha…” Itto sat up, still giggling a bit from the leftover tingles. “You guys are mean…” he added, failing to glare properly with that smile on his face.

“Moo!” Ushi stared at him with big eyes, sort of trying to get up to his level. But alas, his legs were too short to let him jump.

“Haha, I’m alright, Beefcake! Don’t you worry, lil’ guy.” Itto said to him, lifting the little bull onto his lap. “Aww, did you come to rescue me? Such a good boi! Yes you are~!” he said, pampering his beloved companion.

“Well, you certainly recovered quickly. I’ll go fetch some water for you.” Alhaitham said, baffled at how Itto barely seemed affected all of a sudden.

“Ahah.. I am exhausted…” Itto said, chuckling as he felt Ushi nuzzle him. He was quite comfortable in his master’s lap, after all.

“Aw, he’s so cute! Bet you’re glad your little knight came to your rescue, huh?” Kaveh teased, sitting down next to Itto and gently petting the little bull.

“Hahahaha! Yeah, I nearly thought I’d pass out!” Itto replied jokingly. “You my little hero~? Aww…” he said, giving Ushi some gentle chin scratches.

“Moo…” He seemed very happy now.

“Tch, bet that taught you a lesson. Now you know what revenge feels like! I’d think twice if I were you.” Kaveh said with a confident look.

“Pfft, at least I don’t need backup to carry it out!” Itto replied, sticking his tongue out in a playful manner.

Tch, how immature, Kaveh thought. “What?? You’re so much stronger than I am! It’s an unfair match-up! AND you had Ushi helping you!” he argued.

“Nah, Ushi was just playing. Besides, you need more exercise!” Itto teased.

How dare he?! “A-And you need LESS exercise!” Kaveh fired back “angrily.”

“Nuh-uh!”

“Yuh-huh!”

“Nuh-uh!!”

“Yuh-huh!!”

Their playful bickering ended with laughter as they couldn’t take themselves nor each other seriously anymore.

“What are you two yapping about..?” Alhaitham came back with a glass of water, giving it to Itto.

“Pfft- nothing, don’t worry about it…” Kaveh replied, chuckling to himself.

“Heheh..! Yeah… thanks!” Itto said, accepting the glass and drinking from it.

“You’re welcome. Are you alright?” Alhaitham gave him a headpat for the funny.

“Yup! Heh, I didn’t expect you guys to just murder me like that. Awfully rude, by the way. How dare you.” He said jokingly, sipping his water.

“Ha! You and your mischief had it coming.” Kaveh teased, ruffling his hair.

“Hahaha! Hey, c’mon! Just you wait…” Itto threatened playfully, fixing his hair.

“Well, in any case, it’s a good thing you had fun. I was almost worried about you for a moment there.” Alhaitham said.

“Almost..? You showed no mercy.” Kaveh questioned, crossing his arms.

“… I did let him live though.” Alhaitham replied with a shrug. Kaveh scoffed and rolled his eyes.

“Heh! It’ll take a lot more than that to bring ME down!” Itto boasted proudly, drinking the water like a champ.

“Uh-huh.” Alhaitham raised an eyebrow.

“Oh, please…” Kaveh rolled his eyes again.

Itto didn’t seem to care, handing the empty glass back to the scribe, who went to put it away. “What, don’t believe me?” he asked, gently helping Ushi back down to the floor since he had things to do suddenly.

“Not at all, actually.” Kaveh said, looking amused.

“Pfft, it’s not like I surrendered! You just gave up, I call that a win!” Itto argued, grinning confidently.

“You did though!” Kaveh protested.

“Nah-uh! You did!”

However, his grin quickly turned nervous when Alhaitham came closer all of a sudden.

“Is someone asking for a round two?” He asked menacingly. Oh dear…

“W-Whuh… I- I never said-”

“Ooh! Why that sounds delightful!” Kaveh said playfully, standing up next to Alhaitham and smiling at the nervous look on Itto’s face.

“Wait- g-guys, c’mon! Th-This isn’t-…!” He couldn’t finish his sentence before he got too nervous.

“Oh don’t worry, this’ll be quick.” Alhaitham said, before he swiftly pushed Itto back onto the couch, wrestling him to the same spot as before. Itto struggled playfully but was eventually pinned down and unable to move.

“Get him, Kaveh!”

“Ah! R-Right!”

“NohohohOHOHOHO!!”

And so began yet another tickle-attack. But this time, Alhaitham decided to leave while he let Kaveh have the fun. His ears were getting overstimulated by Itto’s loud laughter, so he and Ushi went elsewhere, away from the chaos. He kept the music in his headphones relatively low so he could keep better track of the other two.

At some point, a high pitched squeal was heard, which meant Kaveh had the tables turned on him.

Hmph. They’re so noisy, Alhaitham thought to himself, gladly hanging out with Ushi for the time being.

Surely that tickle war would end soon… right?

[here2bbtstrash]

ahhhh i was SO EXCITED waiting for you to get to this one ivi 🥲 and i'm so glad you enjoyed it!! 💜

AHAHA i honestly was curious how many people thought the airplane bathroom sex scene was real 🙈 i love the build-up far too much to ever just start a chapter in the middle of sex!!!! but it was fun to trick y'all 🤪

ah yes 💀💀 the racism 💀💀💀

you're so right 🙆‍♀️ she's got her whole internal battle going on of being angry vs. trying not to be angry bc admitting she is would mean admitting she cares and is hurt - but then not being able to admit any of that just makes her all the more angry!!! and round and round. the forced proximity is just the cherry on top 😂

he's a MENACE 👹 always has been!!!! now he's just a menace in glasses!!!!!! 🥵

eeeee i appreciate the commentary about reader and her journey with this job!!! there's more to come on that in the next chapter, is all i'll say, but you were wise to pick up on it 🥲

JUNGKOOK AND HIS PERFECT POWERPOINT SLIDES 😭 i remember making myself actually sad when i wrote that line bc i missed writing him in this chapter, lmfao

omg thank you for all the love on the LA squad 🥰 i had so much fun with their dynamics, and this isn't the last we'll be seeing of them~

and yes 🥺 i liked sharing those little glimpses into reader's thoughts as yoongi creeps ever closer, and her struggles to say what she means without acting like she doesn't care. she's been hurt before! and she's scared! and it's all so confusing! i really feel for her 🫠

AHHHHH YES 🙈 yoongi being nervous makes me heuighdfkjgdfg - he doesn't wanna push her to do anything she doesn't want to do (and there's plenty of self-loathing, we'll get to that 🤪) and so when he's actually finally sharing a bed with her his brain is just !!!!!!!! 😭

eeeeee the morning sex 🥺 one of my fave moments in this whole series! and allllll the little moments of softness between them 🥺

I'M DRINKING COFFEE RN AND WHEN I TELL YOU I CHOKED AT WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT THE GRAMMYS I-- I WILL NOT BE SPEAKING FURTHER THANK U SO MUCH

you're SO right about those assholes, and yoongi being forced to be the bigger person when he has every right to go off on them 😩 especially of note that he seems to have much more practice shrugging off commentary that's not about reader 👀 ooooop~

aha hah hhahahaha we found the self loathing 🥲 yoongi trying so hard to get her to go after baby star candy (who, admittedly, is the perfect man - but she doesn't want him, yoongi!!!! 👹)

i'm so glad you enjoyed the karaoke scene 🥰 i loved writing it - and now, more importantly: HE SAID IT 😭 THE FEELINGS....... 😭

it makes me so happy to hear how you feel about reader's character in this one 🥺 i know she's polarizing to say the least (we'll see how you feel after chapter 10 💀) but i am proud of the way she's slowly grown over this series, and she's about to jump into a lot more of that in the final chapter!!! eeeee i can't wait to see what you think of the angst-fest of ch10, and of the finale once it's up!!! 🥰 thank you as always for reading and sharing your lovely feedback with me ivi!!! 💜

look down on me like that - 9 (explicit)

genre: slow burn enemies to lovers hatefucking coworkers au, smut, angst

pairing: yoongi x reader

summary: your asshole coworker min yoongi has made it his personal mission to ruin your life.

word count: 16k 🙈

contains: explicit sexual content 👀 literally jumps immediately into it (well.... you'll see 🤭) so buckle up!!! serious warning that this chapter does contain a few instances of racism directed at reader/yoongi (being denied customer service, implying they need a translator, and comments insinuating yoongi is psy/bong joon-ho. pls proceed with caution and take care of yourselves 💜) also features: hotel drama, reader being v dumb in classic reader fashion but she gets there, a whole lotta tension and angst and misplaced anger, some new friends!!! and yes they're 3 idols see if you can figure out who 🤪, erotic bed sharing and handholding lmfao, probably the most drinking that has happened in a chapter yet (which is saying a lot honestly), of course the GRAMMY RESULTS.... oh yeah and yoongi in glasses, yoongi in a suit, yoongi playing piano, yoongi almost getting in a fight, yoongi rapping, yoongi WEARING CAT EARS (yes these are all warnings!!!!!! 😩) - ok and here are ur smut specific warnings: semi-public sex (mile high club anyone ✈️), cunnilingus, fingering, sex dreams, nipple play, dirty talk, reader has a voice kink 🥴, clit stim, unprotected sex AGAIN 💀, she squirts again don't @ me lmao, aaaaand some lovely mouth/throat fuckin 🫡

A/N: i feel like i have nothing to say that isn't just overwhelming gratitude to you all for being here 🥺 so i'll keep it short!!! sit back and get comfy bc this one's a lot, here we go y'all..... you ready?? 💜

an eternal thank you to @haliiimede and @monimonimoon for their help betaing!!!

read on AO3!

chapter eight | masterlist | chapter ten

~*~

You don’t know how you let Yoongi talk you into this.

You honestly can’t remember, at least not right now, not with your ass perched on the edge of the sink counter and his hands making quick work to tug your sweats and underwear down and off, one ankle at a time.

The place is cleaner than any airplane bathroom you’ve ever been in, and certainly much less cramped. First class really spares no expense, you’ve learned. It’s an upgrade Yoongi made for both of you at the check-in counter unprompted, his only explanation mumbled into the rim of his iced Americano once you’d settled at a table in the fancy lounge: “Economy seats fuck my back up, and I figured if I left you behind you’d push me into LA traffic at your first opportunity.”

You might still do it, if only because he’s managed to convince you to do this again. Weren’t you supposed to be mad at him?

“I’m starting to think you have a bathroom fetish,” you murmur, not quite managing to keep your voice steady. Your fingers rake through Yoongi’s long dark hair as he situates himself properly on his knees between your legs, his hands pressing your thighs to spread you wider.

“Are you complaining?” he grunts back, and you lose the ability to form a coherent response as he leans in and traces his tongue up your folds.

You nearly bang your head on the mirror with the way your spine instinctively arches at the feeling, your hips tilting up for as much of his mouth as you can get.

“Shit,” you hiss as he starts to fuck the muscle of his tongue into your entrance, his thumb swiping up through your wetness before settling into rough circles over your clit. “Why are you so fucking good at this?”

Once he’s thoroughly tasted you, Yoongi quickly replaces his tongue with his fingers, flexing against your front wall at a brutal pace, like he’s realized you can’t take too long in here. His lips close around your clit as his tongue laps over it in thick strokes, and your hips circle hungrily, grinding on him.

“That’s it,” he pulls off just enough to gasp. “Ride my face. Wanna make you come so I can fuck this tight little pussy.” Just the rough tone of his voice is nearly enough to send you over the edge.

When his lips and tongue return to your cunt, you don’t hold back.

You fist the hand tangled in his hair, your other palm smacking flat to the counter for balance as you throw a leg over his shoulder, and you swear you can hear him laughing while you press your heel into his back to pull him even closer. His mouth is warm and wet and divine, the way he licks and sucks at your throbbing clit overwhelming. He strokes his fingers deftly into your g-spot, working up enough arousal that it’s started to run down the crux of your thighs. You roll your hips again and gasp at the way his tongue drags just right over you.

“Oh god, Yoongi,” you groan, squeezing your eyes shut, too lost in it to worry about being quiet. You can feel it as he keeps his tongue laid out flat for you to use as you please. Everything in you pulls tight as you rut yourself against his face in time to the building pressure worked up in your core by his unrelenting fingers. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, I’m gonna—”

The plane dips sharply, and you lurch upright with a gasp as your eyes snap open. There’s a few more seconds of shuddering bumps, and then you seem to find clear skies again.

Your heart hammers in your chest as you sit back and try to steady your breathing, the world slowly coming into focus: the TV screen in front of you, your purse tucked into the shelf beneath it, beige privacy walls surrounding you on all sides.

Fuck. You lean forward, letting your head drop between your knees as reality sinks in. You’re not in the bathroom. You’re in your stupid first-class seat. It was a dream. A fucking airplane sex dream.

Panic carves through you like a knife as questions bubble up in your mind: What if you said something in your sleep? Did Yoongi hear you? Is he sitting on the other side of the wall with that fucking smirk on his face, endlessly smug in the knowledge that he haunts you even in your dreams?

Immediately convinced that he is, you can’t help yourself. You press your hands flat to the divider between you and just barely lift out of your seat so you can peek over it.

But Yoongi looks entirely unchanged from the last time you saw him several hours earlier: he’s got his headphones on and is slouched over his laptop, frowning down at the screen, thoroughly engrossed in work.

Just as you’re breathing a sigh of relief, he glances up, and your eyes widen.

“Can I help you?” he grunts, not even bothering to pull his headphones off. You don’t think it’s a double entendre, but you don’t want to entertain him long enough to find out.

“No,” you snap, and then you slump back down to the safety of your seat, slamming the controller on the wall until you’re fully horizontal. You tug the provided headphones over your ears, hoping they might block out your racing thoughts as you desperately try to ignore the dull ache between your legs.

~*~

Getting any more sleep proves to be an impossible task, your mind too keyed up at the possibility of another airplane bathroom dream. By the time you make it through the rest of the flight, and customs, and the car ride to your hotel, you’re nearly delirious with exhaustion, and your body is thoroughly confused about what fucking time it is, though your phone says it’s apparently the middle of the night.

Your brain feels like it’s been in a blender, your reaction time so slowed that, standing at the hotel check-in counter, it takes you several seconds to process the words leaving the front desk agent’s mouth.

She must be able to read the dumbfounded look on your face, because she repeats herself. “King bed executive suite for three nights?”

“Um, no,” you finally manage to stammer, and though he makes no discernible noise of reaction, it’s like you can feel Yoongi smirking over your shoulder. “No, we need— I booked a room with two queens.”

The agent purses her lips slightly, then shakes her head as she stares down at her computer. “Mm, I’m seeing in the system that we have you down for one king.”

Your exhaustion steamrolls over whatever professionality you might normally have while conducting a business transaction. “I don’t care what your fucking system says, it’s wrong. That’s not what I booked.” Scrolling through your phone for a few seconds, you manage to dig up the email, and you’re almost more compelled to show it to Yoongi, just to make sure he’s well aware— you did not fuck this up.

“See, two queens,” you reiterate helplessly as you extend the receipt on your phone toward the agent.

She tuts once, her eyes barely glancing over at your phone before returning to her computer screen. “Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem like we have any availability to switch you. Given the Grammys are on Sunday, this is quite a busy weekend for us.”

You set your phone on the counter and try to keep your breathing steady, to remain calm despite the overwhelmed panic starting to rise in your chest.

“About that,” you say, doing your best to speak in an even voice. “We wanted to keep a low profile, but my… associate here is actually a nominee. For Song of the Year?” You hate that it comes out more like a question as your gaze flits to Yoongi for the briefest of seconds, then back to the front desk agent. “So, really, if there’s anything at all you could do, we would appreciate it.”

There’s a pause as she regards you for a moment, her lips pressed into a tight smile, and then she speaks again. “I apologize, but due to the volume of bookings, our prioritization for room distribution is based on attending to the needs of our highest priority clients.”

Your jetlag-addled brain can’t keep up with the corporate talk. “And who are your highest priority clients?”

The smile on her face doesn’t falter. “As I'm sure you can imagine, we have quite a wealth of…” she pauses, as if choosing her next words carefully. “Local talent booking with us for the weekend.”

Your eyebrows nearly shoot off your forehead. “I'm sorry, you’re saying you can’t fix the mistake you made because we’re not from here?!”

A muscle in her jaw twitches as she blinks back at you. “I would certainly never say anything of the sort. If something was unclear, I'm happy to get a translator on the phone. It might make things easier for you to understand?”

“Are you fucking kiddin—”

“Hey.” 

A hand pressed to your bicep nearly makes you jump out of your skin. Despite every cell in your body urging you to lunge over the counter, you don’t fight it when Yoongi pulls you back a few paces, giving enough room for him to take your place at the counter.

“It’s fine,” he mutters over his shoulder.

You’re so hot with rage that you can hardly keep up with the soft apology he concedes to the agent. She hands him the room keys without another word, that same fake smile still plastered over her face. With one last nasty look over your shoulder, you angrily follow Yoongi toward the elevators, dragging your suitcase along behind you.

Practically seething, you can barely manage to wait until the doors slide shut before you pounce.

“I can't believe you let her get away with that shit. She was being fucking racist, Yoongi.”

“Yeah,” he sighs wearily, eyes fixed on the overhead number as it counts up to your floor. “I know she was. I've traveled overseas a lot more than you have.”

“What the fuck does that mean?!”

“It means,” Yoongi grunts as the doors slide open with a soft chime, “I've learned to pick my battles.”

You storm after him down the hall to your room, and he continues, pressing the key to the reader and pushing the door open. “Besides, I've stayed here before, and I know these suites have couches.” He holds the door and gestures for you to enter first, and you do.

He's not wrong: there’s a small living room area with a sofa, a desk, and a television mounted into a wall that effectively separates it from the bedroom on the other side, though there isn’t actually a door. The bathroom is immediately to your left as you step inside.

“So,” Yoongi says simply as the door shuts behind him. “I'll take the couch. All good.”

Of fucking course.

The rational part of your brain knows that he has done nothing to upset you. He's been quiet and polite on your long day of travel, and is treating you simply as if you were business acquaintances. It all makes perfect sense, given that you told him your night at his apartment couldn’t mean anything. He's done everything you’ve asked of him, really.

And yet it’s all of it: your stupid sex dream, the lingering bad taste of your encounter with the hotel agent, and the fact that Yoongi can’t seem to even fathom the idea of sharing a bed with you, not here and certainly not at his apartment. Everything has you simmering with a sudden vicious, unreasonable anger.

“Do whatever you want,” you snap as Yoongi sets his suitcase down on the floor of the living room. “I don’t give a shit.”

The rage burns like acid in your gut as you move through your night routine in the bathroom, and it’s only worsened by the knowledge that your alarm will be going off in just a few hours, and you’ll have to drag yourself through a long day of press and prep for Sunday. And that Yoongi will be there, through all of it, just like he’s on the other side of the door right now, inescapably and overwhelmingly present.

It doesn’t make sense to you how he can somehow manage to be too distant and too close at the same time. As you spit toothpaste into the sink, you wonder why the fuck you ever agreed to go on this stupid trip.

~*~

You don’t think you manage more than ten minutes of sleep the whole night. Despite exhaustion weighing heavy in your limbs, you toss and turn and kick at the blankets, too frustrated by all the confusing feelings churned up inside of you to be able to slip into any kind of real rest.

When you glance at the clock for the millionth time, it’s now only thirty minutes until your alarm is due to go off. With a sigh, you decide to give up.

Your mind is already racing with the schedule for the day, and you go over it a million times in your head as you shower and dress and apply your makeup. When you emerge from the bathroom already entirely put together, Yoongi is on the couch blinking blearily at his phone, clearly having just woken up.

“The car will be here at seven,” you call over your shoulder without a second glance back at him.

He grunts his acknowledgement, and after a few moments you hear the sound of the bathroom door sliding shut again. You dig your work laptop out of your purse to double-check everything, and before you know it you’re sucked into confirming specifics and answering emails, and you completely lose track of time.

The sound of Yoongi clearing his throat snaps you back to reality, and you shut your laptop as you glance up to find him standing in the threshold of the bedroom. He’s dressed nicely for his many interviews, in a sky-blue button-down, and you have to blink twice as you take in his appearance.

“You wear glasses?”

The warm lamplight of the bedroom reflects off his lenses as he shrugs. “I don’t like to. But I forgot my contacts.”

“We can stop for some on the way to your fitting,” you answer, adding it to your mental to-do list. The reminder of your booked itinerary is enough to get you to your feet, one arm wrapped around your laptop to press it close to your chest. Trying to remember what else you need to do to get ready proves impossible as Yoongi steps closer, and then you hear him laugh softly under his breath.

“Wow, glasses? Really?”

“What?”

“You have that look on your face,” he says simply, and you can feel an embarrassed heat creep up your neck. You hate that after all this time, he can still read you like a book.

You swallow hard. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

He continues to close the distance between you, and you take a reflexive step backward, only for your thighs to bump against the mattress behind you. “Would’ve worn these more often if I knew they’d get you all flustered.”

You attempt to argue that you’re not flustered, but the words die on your tongue with the realization of how close Yoongi is to you now. His eyes are fixed pointedly on your mouth. “I—” you try again, your voice breaking slightly. “I’m not—”

The sharp buzz of your phone vibrating on the nightstand makes both of you start, and it’s like you can think clearly again when Yoongi steps back to give you room to grab it. You thumb open the text with one hand as you shove your laptop into your purse with the other. “They’re downstairs.”

Yoongi doesn’t say anything else to you until you’re in the car, crawling through Los Angeles traffic. “Remind me what all we’re doing today?”

You stare out the windshield, not wanting to meet his gaze as you recount the schedule that’s permanently seared into your brain. “You have press interviews in Studio City all morning until one. We’ll pick up lunch— and we can grab you some contacts, too— and then you have a fitting in Beverly Hills at two. After that, your boss wants us to tour the office out here and take a few meetings with the team, so that’ll be the rest of the afternoon. And then I guess whenever we’re done with that, the label execs want to take us to dinner after.”

He’s silent for long enough that you’re forced to glance over at him, wondering if he was even paying attention. There’s a small smile on his face, but it doesn’t quite read as smug. You don’t know what to make of it.

“Huh,” Yoongi finally remarks.

“What?” you snap in response, probably a little harsher than he deserves, but you haven’t had coffee yet.

“Nothing,” he says innocently. “It’s just funny, compared to when you first started.” He crosses his arms over his chest, shifting back slightly in his seat. “I remember when you couldn’t even use Outlook.”

You narrow your eyes in his direction. “I guess people change.”

“Guess so.”

The day passes in a hectic blur, and though ostensibly all of your scheduled engagements are meant to be about Yoongi, you find yourself just as busy as he is, if not moreso.

His press interviews run long because of course they do, and you’re forced to drop him at his fitting while you run out to pick up lunch and contacts— and most importantly, more coffee, which you desperately require to survive the rest of the day.

You’re admittedly thankful for the extra tasks. Even if you do feel dead on your feet, it’s still preferable to sitting around and watching Yoongi try on a suit. You can easily recall firsthand how deadly the image is, and putting off that suffering until the real thing tomorrow is perfectly fine, as far as you’re concerned.

The coffee gives you just enough of a caffeine boost to power through your afternoon meetings, reviewing branding strategies and opportunities for collaborative promotions with the label’s overseas team. Your heart sinks a little when you go through the marketing summary slides prepared by Jungkook, not a single detail out of place, and you try to shove thoughts of him to the back of your mind so you can focus on the work.

At dinner, it’s all you can do to not fall asleep over your extremely overpriced sashimi. Yoongi’s been pulled away to the far side of the table for what you can only assume are deeply boring conversations with the Los Angeles production team. Thankfully, your side is a bit more lively.

“Matthew,” the A&R rep who you’re pretty sure introduced herself as Tiffany stage-whispers. You realize she’s speaking to the tall and ridiculously built guy seated next to you when her gaze flits up to him, and then she resumes poring over the extensive drink menu. “Can we get sake bombs?”

“Why are you asking me?” Matthew responds, and you look over to see his face scrunched up in confusion.

“You’re in finance! I need you to tell me that I can get white-girl wasted on the label’s dime tonight.”

He sighs for a moment, like he’s trying to think. “I don’t… actually know if we’re allowed to reimburse that.” Tiffany’s lower lip trembles, dangerously adorable, and he exhales as if he’s been defeated. “Fuck it. I’ll cover it out of pocket if we can’t.”

“God, I love you,” she breathes, chasing the comment with a throaty laugh and quickly flagging down a server to order. “Can we please do thr— Vernon, baby, how old are you?”

The intern seated next to her blinks slowly. “Twenty four?” You’re pretty sure those are his first words of the evening.

“Huh. Your skincare’s doing wonders,” Tiffany shakes her head disbelievingly. “Four sake bombs, please?”

They arrive in an instant, and Tiffany smiles proudly to herself as she balances her shot glass on a pair of chopsticks laid across the top of her beer. You follow Matthew and Vernon’s lead as they set their drinks up to mirror hers.

“To Matthew’s wallet,” Tiffany toasts solemnly. “The only thing bigger than his tits.”

As if in hearty agreement, Matthew bangs his fist against the table so hard it makes everyone in a five foot radius flinch, and all four of your shot glasses plummet into the awaiting beers beneath them.

“Kanpai, motherfuckers!” Tiffany cackles, and you throw your drinks back in perfect sync.

The rowdiness of your corner is too loud to be ignored, and your stomach twists slightly as you set your empty glass down only to catch Yoongi staring from across the table. When your eyes meet his, he quickly lowers his gaze and adjusts his glasses, his mouth pulling into a flat line.

You turn back to your new friends as Tiffany finishes her own drink. As if she just witnessed the silent exchange, she leans toward you.

“So,” she drops her voice a little lower, “What’s it like working with Suga?”

Doing your best to keep your face neutral, you inhale deeply, wondering where to begin, or what would even be workplace-appropriate to say. The jetlag makes your mind move that much slower. “It’s—”

“Oh my god,” she immediately interrupts you. “You’re sleeping with him.”

Vernon nearly spits the last swallow of his drink back out.

“Tiffany,” Matthew interjects, sounding exhausted, like this is a regular occurrence. “Don’t fucking say that to someone you just met.”

“I mean,” you concede, your lips loosened by the warm rush of alcohol. “She’s not wrong.”

Matthews eyes widen, and he purses his lips for a long pause before he finally speaks. “Shiiiiiit, okay. Alright then.”

You sigh, slumping to rest your cheek in your hand, so exhausted that you can barely stay upright. “I don’t know if ‘sleeping with’ is the right term. It’s just a… mistake that we’ve made. A few times. Several, I guess.”

“I bet he’s even richer than Matthew,” Tiffany says, awestruck, clearly more to herself than to you.

“If it’s a mistake, why do you keep making it?” Vernon asks bluntly.

“Damn, Vernon with the deep cut,” Matthew remarks, and you shake your head.

“I don’t know,” you murmur, your words running together slightly. “I’m just trying not to think about it, at least not while we’re on this stupid work trip.”

All three of them nod like they understand, and then Tiffany leans in again. “Let me guess: there’s only one bed in the hotel room.”

“Please ignore her.” Matthew sounds as tired as you feel.

“Yes!” you exclaim, your anger from the night before temporarily reigniting. “The hotel fucked our room up, and the lady wouldn’t fix it because she was fucking racist—”

“Naturally,” Vernon interjects.

“And even though we only have one bed, he chose to take the couch. Like, that’s where we’re at.”

“That’s sweet,” Tiffany murmurs, and you make a face.

“Is it?”

“He’s being respectful. I bet he doesn’t wanna make you feel uncomfortable, or like… pressured. ‘Cause sleeping with somebody is a world of difference from… sleeping with them, you know?”

You roll your eyes. “Or he wants to be as far away from me as possible, even while sleeping.”

“If I was the one nominated for a Grammy, I’d make you take the couch,” Vernon scoffs around a piece of edamame.

“Right?” Matthew chimes in. “Ain’t no way I’m getting good sleep on a hotel couch. Them things are like fuckin’ cement blocks.”

A yawn escapes you before you can manage to stifle it, and you press a hand to your mouth, suddenly overwhelmed from exhaustion as well as the conversation. You scoot your chair back from the table to stand and politely excuse yourself to the restroom.

“You gotta cool it with that shit, Tiff,” you hear Matthew mutter as you depart.

Your mind swims while you traverse the long back hallways of this bougie restaurant. It’s almost laughable now, but you really never thought to give Yoongi the benefit of the doubt for sleeping on the couch— not here, and not at his apartment.

You’re still so used to expecting the worst from him that you’ve just assumed the intention is laced into his every action. Even the nice things have felt like a cause for concern, like a reason to keep your guard up, small gestures meant to distract you so he can get the upper hand, somehow. It’s hard to shake the idea that he’s your enemy, even after everything that’s happened.

And yet you can’t help wondering if Tiffany is right. Is Yoongi really just being… respectful? And if so: what does he want? And how does he feel? You’re torn between wanting to know and hoping you never find out.

A voice saying your name drags you out of your thoughts. You turn back just shy of the restroom door, unable to stop another yawn from slipping out, and you bring a hand to your mouth to hide it. Your eyes widen as your brain works on a delay to process the familiar voice, then the sky-blue shirt and the dark framed glasses. It distantly occurs to you that Yoongi has you all alone in this fancy hallway.

You blink a few times, willing the weight of sleepiness out of your eyes, then finally respond with the first thing you can think of. “I’m not fucking you in the bathroom, Yoongi.”

He blinks right back at you, clearly not expecting that. “I… wasn’t asking you to.”

“What do you want then?” you snap, crossing your arms over your chest.

“I—” he sighs, and you can’t help but wonder if he suddenly regrets coming after you. “You’re tired.”

“Yes, because I barely fucking slept. And?”

You tell yourself that you’re just imagining the way his voice has softened slightly. “Dinner’s over. We don’t have to stay. They’ll get it.”

“I’m having fun,” you retort. “I made friends.”

“I saw,” he remarks, not quite able to hide his smirk.

“So please, don’t cut your boring producer conversation short on my behalf,” you continue dryly.

Yoongi rolls his eyes, to your surprise. “Yeah, it’s brutal. I’d much rather be sleeping.” He quirks an eyebrow. “Or doing sake bombs.”

The question rushes out before you can second guess if it’s a good idea to ask. “How did you sleep? On the couch?”

Yoongi shrugs, then rubs a hand at the back of his neck, making a face as if you’ve put him on the spot. “Like shit.”

You nod, your gaze dropping to the carpeted floor. “Well, I mean. Maybe it would make more sense if, uh—”

“’Scuse me—” a new voice causes your head to snap up again, and you take a step away from Yoongi as Tiffany slips between the two of you, moving quickly toward the women’s restroom.

“Sorry love, I have to break the seal!” she calls over her shoulder before the door slams shut.

The interruption is enough to make you swallow your suggestion, and Yoongi reaches into his pocket for his phone.

“I’ll call a car, because I’m tired,” he murmurs defensively. “You’re welcome to get your own later, if you want to stay out—”

“I don’t,” you say firmly. “It’s fine. Just tell me when the car’s here.” Before Yoongi can so much as respond, you shoulder the bathroom door open and fast-walk to the safety of a stall.

After breaking your own seal, you make your way out to a sink, and you’re a little taken aback to find Tiffany still there waiting for you. She’s hovering over the mirror, blotting at her forehead with a paper towel.

“I wanted to apologize if I came on too strong,” she says softly as you turn on the tap. “Matthew says my mind-reading abilities can be intimidating to people who don’t know me well.”

You can’t help but laugh. “It’s cool. You remind me of my best friend.”

“The highest honor there is,” she says with a knowing nod. When she turns to fully face you, shifting to rest her hip on the sink as you dry your hands, you have a feeling there’s more coming.

“So, can I be honest?”

“Go ahead,” you say, suddenly a little nervous.

“I know I just met both of you today, but— the way Suga was looking at you? Girl. He’s not taking the couch because he wants to.”

You smile politely at her reflection, and her eyes narrow. “I know you don’t believe me, and you don’t have to. Matthew doesn’t believe that he’s in love with me either, but we both have Leo Moons, so obviously we’re each waiting for the other person to cave first.” She shrugs, nonchalant. “Which is fine for us, but all I’m saying is, if you want something, there’s really nothing wrong with asking for it.”

The urge to shut her down is strong. It’s slightly unnerving to feel like a relative stranger is peering into your soul. “You make it sound easy,” you murmur with a dry laugh. “I don’t think bed-sharing is part of our… arrangement.”

Tiffany preens a little more in the mirror, deftly flipping her curtain of dark hair over one shoulder. “Maybe it’s not supposed to be, but trust me on this one. He won’t say no. And if he does, I owe you a sake bomb.”

A genuine smile blooms across your face, and it only widens when she holds up her pinky finger. You lock yours around it for a single shake. “Deal.”

Arm-in-arm with Tiffany, you return to your corner of the table, where she entertains you by bullying Matthew into buying another round of drinks while he groans about burning a hole in his pocket.

“If it helps,” you giggle, “I’m about to head out. So make it three instead of four.”

“Thank god,” Matthew breathes a sigh of relief. “This girl is so damn expensive.”

Tiffany pauses with a spoonful of matcha gelato— also ordered on Matthew’s dime— halfway to her mouth. “I literally have a Leo stellium, what the fuck do you expect?”

While they continue to bicker, your gaze floats down the table. You wonder if Tiffany’s mind-reading powers might be catching as your eyes land on Yoongi just in time for him to look up from his phone and meet your gaze. He nods his head once toward the entrance, and you nod back.

A shoulder bumps into yours, and you turn to see Tiffany subtly shoot you a thumbs-up. “Fighting!” she murmurs under her breath, and you laugh as you get to your feet and bid everyone goodnight.

Yoongi holds the door of the restaurant for you to exit first, then follows you into the large black car waiting for you on the curb.

The drive back to the hotel gives you just enough time to immediately talk yourself out of Tiffany’s suggestion. The thought of asking for what you want feels like a trap, like displaying weakness to the one person who could hit you hardest. Besides, what if she misread Yoongi entirely? She doesn’t know him at all, and has no idea of the way things are between you. It’s a terrible idea, you decide.

So you find yourself right where you were the night before, like a bad dream you can’t wake up from: face washed, teeth brushed, tossing and turning in a bed far too large for one person. You can feel your final thread of resistance snap clean in half as you angrily kick the blankets off, then get to your feet and storm into the living room.

Yoongi is still up, peering down at his phone screen on the couch, his glasses deposited atop the coffee table.

“You’re being stupid,” you huff, and he glances up, clearly not expecting the interruption.

“I am?”

“You’re going to the Grammys tomorrow,” you say, as if that will explain anything.

“So are you,” Yoongi counters.

“Well yeah, but nobody’s going to give a shit about me.”

“I’d argue that’s also true for me,” he murmurs dryly, then squints at you. “Sorry, why am I stupid?”

“Because you’re going to sleep terribly on this couch.”

Yoongi nods once. “Probably, yes.”

You sigh, because of course he’s going to drag this out of you. “And the bed is perfectly big enough for two people. We wouldn’t even be touching or anything. So…” Fuck, saying what you want is hard. “Can you just… stop being stupid?”

There’s a flash of recognition in his eyes, and you’re surprised when that trademark cocky smirk doesn’t spread across his face. If anything, he just seems hesitant as he slowly sits up. “You’re sure?”

You fold your arms across your chest, suddenly feeling exposed like this, standing in front of him in only your thin sleep clothes. “Please don’t make me say it again.”

The corner of Yoongi’s mouth just barely pulls up, so slight you could be imagining it. “I’ll be there in a sec.”

In the bedroom, you leave the lamp at the empty side of the bed switched on, then crawl back under the sheets on your side. Heat blooms in your face as you press your cheek to the cool pillowcase, purposefully facing out, then reach one arm up to turn off your own bedside lamp.

True to his word, a few minutes later you hear the unmistakable sound of Yoongi’s steps across the carpet, then feel the shift of the mattress as he slips into bed on his side. He fumbles on the nightstand with what must be his glasses and his phone, and then you hear the click of the light, and the room disappears into darkness.

There’s a rustle and a sigh as he makes himself comfortable, and you were right: the two of you can easily share the bed without touching, plenty of space on the mattress between you.

Even so, having him closer is somehow… better. Comforting. You try not to dwell too much on it.

Flipping over onto your back, you stare up at the infinite black of the ceiling above you, your eyes already starting to weigh heavy. You don’t know where the question comes from, or why you ask it.

“Are you nervous?”

When he answers, Yoongi sounds half-asleep, too. “About what?”

“The Grammys?”

“Oh.” There’s a stirring sound, and then he speaks, like he’s just remembered you can’t see him shrugging. “I don’t know. A little.”

The only reply you’re capable of is a soft hum, and now you really can’t keep your eyes open. You curl up on your side again, cheek smushing into the pillow, and your consciousness whirs up one last coherent thought before you fully slip under: What else would he be nervous about?

~*~

You wake up to the warm glow of morning beneath your eyelids, and when you blink them open, the room is lit soft, dappled in sunlight that has managed to sneak between the thick hotel curtains. It’s warm in this bed too, and comfortable, and you sigh quietly to yourself as you stir a little under the covers. With a stifled yawn, you move to turn onto your back, and it’s only when you meet a gentle resistance that you realize why you’re so warm.

Yoongi must just be waking up too, because you immediately feel his body start at the realization that he pulled you close at some point during the night: an arm thrown over your waist, his hips pressed flush against yours.

“Fuck,” he mutters, his voice low and rough with sleep. “Sorry.” As the mattress starts to shift behind you, you respond on pure physical instinct and close your hand around Yoongi’s wrist.

“Stay.” The word comes out hoarse, barely more than a whisper.

Yoongi’s response is a soft grunt, and a bolt of panic quickens your pulse. You’re suddenly worried he might not want to stay, that he might even laugh at you for thinking you could have it like this, wrapped in his arms and waking up slowly. The furthest thing from hatred— and isn’t that what this is supposed to be?

But then his grip tightens to pull you that much closer, and he wordlessly presses his face into the crook of your neck. Your heart flutters in your chest, sweet and terrified. The heat of his breath over your skin makes you lean into him instinctively, and when your hips tilt, you can feel the unmistakable bulge of his clothed cock against your ass.

“God,” Yoongi groans. The deep gravel of his voice is enough to tighten your nipples beneath your tank top. “You make me so fucking hard. Dreamt about fucking you in this bed.”

“We woke up early,” you murmur. “So. There’s time.”

He grunts a low note in response. You can already feel the thin material of your sleep shorts growing wet between your legs as you slowly grind your hips back on him. 

Yoongi’s hand slips up your body, fingertips dragging over the fabric of your top until his palm is pressed to the column of your throat. You inhale softly, your head tipping up to allow him better access. His grip just barely tightens, and when he speaks in your ear, you can hear the smile around his words. “Tell me what you want.”

“Want you to fuck me, Yoongi,” you breathe. “In this bed.”

When you repeat his words back to him, Yoongi exhales a laugh, and then you feel him press a kiss to the hinge of your jaw. Something melts open inside of you at the brush of his lips, a sudden rush of an emotion you haven’t felt in a very long time. Something you certainly never expected to feel with Min fucking Yoongi, of all people.

He releases his hold on your throat, and his hand makes short work of slipping the straps of your tank top off your shoulders, then yanking the loose fabric down to expose your tits. You shiver a little at the morning air against your bare skin.

Yoongi’s palm closes around one of your breasts, lazily massaging it, and you rut your ass back on him with a small whimper. The heat of his mouth trails more kisses up your neck, and then his deep voice is in your ear again.

“Did you sleep okay?” He pairs the question with his thumb dragging circles over the stiff bud of your nipple, earning another soft noise from you.

“Y-yeah,” you manage to respond. “Better than the first night.”

He hums against the shell of your ear, the timbre of his rough voice setting every last one of your nerve endings alight. Overcome with desire, you can barely focus on his words as his hand traces along your waist to slip down the back of your shorts.

“Me too. So much better than the fucking couch.”

Two of his fingers tease over your slit, and he huffs a disbelieving laugh at how wet he finds you, how turned on you already are. When he swipes between your folds to circle at your entrance, you can hear your own slickness, chased with a soft noise of appreciation that escapes Yoongi’s mouth as he plunges both digits into your pussy. You can’t help but moan, too.

He could easily make you come just like this, but you want him too much.

“Yoongi,” you murmur, twisting slightly to reach a hand behind you. You trace down the hard muscles of his stomach, apparent even through the thin fabric of his t-shirt, until your palm drags along the thick outline of his cock straining beneath his boxer briefs. He’s so hard that he pulses under your touch, and you’re sure he must be able to feel the way your pussy flutters at the thought of this cock filling you up.

“Needy,” he purrs, his mouth against your neck.

“Shut up,” you answer automatically, not quite able to keep your voice steady with the way he’s fucking his fingers into you.

But Yoongi doesn’t torment you— you only have to give his clothed length one slow pump before his hands are pushing your shorts over your legs, like he can’t get them off fast enough. You kick them the rest of the way off while he works his boxers down, and then you arch back as his cock starts to tease your pussy lips apart.

He slips easily through your folds, painting you both in a mixture of pre-cum and arousal as he grinds himself over the whole of your slit. You bite back a moan when the head of his dick rubs up to your clit, smearing wetness there in steady strokes that make you gasp and writhe.

“Can I go raw again?” he asks so softly in your ear, and your cunt throbs as you whimper your consent.

It’s impossible to keep quiet now, not with how perfectly his cock pushes into you, stretching you open to take him. You press your face into the pillow to slightly muffle your sounds, and you can hear Yoongi groan behind you.

“Fuck,” he hisses roughly. “You’re ruining me. I may never be able to go back to condoms.”

“Yoongi,” you whine as he sheathes himself fully with a grunt of effort, giving you a few moments to adjust before he moves. “If you keep fucking talking in my ear with your morning voice like that—” your own voice breaks off mid-sentence as he drags his cock out just to fuck it back into you, and you have to take a breath before trying again. “I’m gonna come in five seconds.”

When he presses his mouth to your shoulder, you can feel the smirk on his lips. “Is that right?” The low rumble of his question buzzes through you, and your walls tighten around him in response. “You like it that much?”

You can barely remember how to form words with the way he’s started to thrust, the head of his cock sparking hot pleasure each time he rubs himself over the ridges of your front wall. “What if I do?”

Yoongi hums into the crook of your neck, purposefully drawing the sound out to make a shiver run up your spine, and you can’t help moaning. His hand slips between your thighs to nudge them apart, and you’re easily pliant for him, spreading yourself at his guidance so his fingers can find your clit.

“I’d tell you how fucking good you look like this,” he murmurs against your skin. “How well you take my cock.” You roll your hips in time with his strokes, and his free arm slips between your shoulder and the bed to wrap around your chest, giving him leverage to fuck you harder.

“Oh my god.” You nearly choke on your words as he pounds into you, unrelenting now, and your fingertips claw desperately at the pillow beneath your head.

“Pussy’s always so fucking tight, shit,” he groans. “Should’ve just done this the whole weekend. Don’t know how I even let you leave the room.”

Your feet flex helplessly against the bedsheets as Yoongi’s hand rubs a steadily building pressure into your core that threatens to overflow. His fingers move in tight circles over your clit like he knows your body well— which, you guess, he does. The thought of him keeping you here all weekend, tangled up in these sheets, fucking you senseless and making you come again and again and again is dizzying, enough to make your pussy start to pulse around his length.

“Yoongi,” you gasp. “Fuck, fuck, you’re gonna make me come.”

His lips brush over your shoulder, his voice stilted by how roughly he’s fucking into you. “Yeah, come on this cock. Make a mess for me.”

The pleasure is so overwhelming you almost want to squirm away from it, but then his fingers press your clit just right to snap a final thread and send you over the edge. Your thighs shake violently as your climax rips through you, and a rush of fluid squirts out of your cunt to coat the length of his dick and soak a wet spot into the sheets.

Yoongi groans unabashedly at the sight, still fucking you through the waves of your orgasm, his thrusts slowing as if to hold off his own end while your pussy keeps shuddering around him.

You take your time coming all the way down, lost in how good it feels, and then you slump back against the pillow with a ragged sigh, your head swimming. “Holy shit.”

His throbbing-hard cock is still clenched inside your heat, and the bed shifts when he gently pulls out. Dazed, you turn over to watch him as he kneels up on the bed next to you, his knees sinking soft divots into the mattress, and starts to slowly pump himself.

And fuck. He looks so good like this: long hair mussed from sex and sleep, with a half-awake look of concentration on his face, his tongue toying at the corner of his mouth and the muscles of his arm flexing with every stroke. Watching him get himself off has only gotten hotter since you saw it the first time, and you didn’t think that was possible.

It feels like it takes all the effort you have left in your body, but you manage to sit up and turn to face him. In one assured move, you reach down to grab his wrist and pull his hand off his cock.

Yoongi whines a little at the realization of what you’re doing, and he leans back to give you full access as you settle yourself on all fours in front of him.

“Oh fuck yeah, please suck me off.”

“Please?” you laugh, pausing to glance up at him. “Who taught you manners?”

“That fucking mouth did,” he growls, and it’s punctuated with a relieved moan as you drag your tongue up his shaft. One of his hands tangles in your hair while you lick the heady taste of yourself off his cock, then breathe deep through your nose so you can swallow him down.

Yoongi’s breath comes in ragged pants as you hollow your cheeks around him and start to bob your head, letting his tip rub against the back of your throat on every pass. You feel his fingers in your hair tighten, and his hips shove up to match your strokes, like he’s already close to coming undone.

This thick cock weighs heavy and familiar on your tongue, warm like the rays of morning sun that have reached far enough into the room to wash over the bedsheets now. Drool spills out from the seal of your lips around Yoongi’s shaft, and the sound of him fucking your mouth is obscene, pornographic as it floats up to the ceiling.

“God,” Yoongi gasps. “Gonna come down your pretty fucking throat.”

And it’s funny— once, this would have made you feel powerful, in control, like the person with the upper hand. The winner. But in this moment, it occurs to you that you don’t really give a shit about winning anymore. Now his words just make you hum and suppress a smile around his cock in your mouth. When you notice the way his thighs tremble in response, you keep going, vibrating his length while you sink as far down as you can take it.

The hand in your hair releases, and then his palm just barely brushes over the bulge of his cock in your throat as if in admiration. Eyes rolling back, you let your jaw slacken and swallow hard on the stretch of him there.

“Jesus, fuck,” he groans, and then he’s coming, and the throb of him in your mouth still feels like a reward. You pull back a little to keep from gagging as he paints fat ropes of cum into the tight clutch of your throat. Sucking firmly around him through spasm after spasm, you swallow it all down greedily until you feel him going soft on your tongue. 

You finally pull off with a wet pop, dazed and laughing as you roll over and collapse into a heap against the mattress, thoroughly spent.

“Okay,” Yoongi manages to say on an exhale, though you can hear he’s still short of breath, too. You glance up to see him raking a hand through his hair, looking fucked out of his mind. “I’m ready to go win a Grammy now.”

There’s just enough time for each of you to shower and get dressed before a whole team of people arrive for Yoongi: stylists, hair and makeup, and most importantly, coffee delivery. Yoongi blinks wide-eyed at you as you press the largest iced Americano you could find in downtown Los Angeles into his hands, and then you step back to let everyone get to work.

Meanwhile, you spend the next few hours in a rush of attempting to get yourself ready, all while double-checking the schedule, answering emails on the fly from your phone, and trying desperately to ignore the anxiety that’s started to hum in the pit of your stomach.

Once your hair and makeup are as decent as you can get them, you slip the black dress you packed for tonight— a rental, because buying a black tie dress was absolutely out of your price range— off the hanger and step carefully into it. Watching yourself in the mirror, you reach behind you for the zipper only to realize you can’t quite manage to pull it up past the small of your back.

Fuck. You didn’t even think about the fact that Jimin helped you zip this thing up when you tried it on initially, during a night at your place where you split two bottles of wine and he performed his own personal critique of all your dress rental options. This was the only one he’d liked.

With a nervous sigh, you head for the bathroom door, figuring that you’ll be able to subtly grab the attention of one of Yoongi’s many stylists to help.

But when you slowly slide the door open, one hand pressing the fabric of your dress in place over your chest, you realize the room has fallen quiet. As you lean across the threshold, you see why: everyone is gone.

Except for Yoongi, who glances up from where he’s sunk into the couch, scrolling aimlessly on his phone.

“Where is everyone?” you snap, probably a little harsher than you need to be.

He frowns like he doesn’t understand the question. “They… left? Because they were done? I don’t know if you’ve heard, but there’s a big awards show tonight. Means the stylists are pretty booked today.”

Yoongi gets to his feet to cross the room, and you fumble awkwardly, trying to keep your dress up. He’s fully put together now in a well-fitted suit and tie, and with his long hair styled and subtle makeup applied to enhance his features, he looks… good. Too good. Deadly. You can’t quite manage to maintain eye contact, and find yourself staring dumbly at the floor instead.

His voice softens slightly as he steps in close to you. “What’s wrong? Does it not fit?”

“It fucking better,” you mutter. “I just… can’t reach the zipper.”

“Are you asking for my help?”

Your gaze flits up to meet his, and you’re a little surprised by his question. “There’s nobody else here,” you retort, stubborn.

When he blinks evenly back at you, like he’s waiting for something, you realize he’s not going to make this easy. Fucking hell. Another tense moment passes, and he just blinks again.

“Yes,” you finally give in with a frustrated sigh. “Will you please help me, Yoongi?”

“Turn around,” he murmurs, and you do.

His hand slides over the small of your back, and then he slowly starts to ease the zipper up. You don’t dare move a muscle until he’s done, and it’s only once he buttons the closure at the top that you breathe a serious sigh of relief. The dress fits like a glove.

You attempt to compose yourself enough to thank him, but the words get stuck in your throat when you feel the heat of his breath against your skin.

His low voice resonates in the quiet of the room as he leans in. “Was that so hard?”

You turn your head as if to argue, but then there’s a split second where you feel his lips brush over your neck, just below your ear. So slight it could’ve been an accident.

“Thanks,” you manage to choke out, and then you slip away from him to get your heels from the bedroom and try to remember how to breathe. You do your best to ignore the fact that your hands are shaking as you pull your shoes on, then pause in front of the full-length mirror on the wardrobe, giving yourself a final once-over.

As you smooth your hands down the black velvet fabric and turn to the side, you glance up to find Yoongi hovering in the threshold, watching you.

“That dress,” he remarks, sounding a little dazed. You have to fight to keep the smile off your face when he trails off, unable to say more— you didn’t think it was possible to make Min Yoongi speechless. It’s not a bad feeling.

And you do like this dress, even though you could never actually afford it. It’s simple but elegant, a sleeveless column style with a plunging neckline and a slit that reaches your mid-thigh. Nothing groundbreaking, but it sticks to your curves like water and makes you feel somewhat more like a person who belongs at a fancy awards show.

“Jimin picked it,” you respond, and you hear Yoongi exhale a laugh.

“He has good taste.”

You turn toward him as your hidden smile pulls into a smirk. “Well, I’m not dressed up for you,” you chide, and you revel in the way his face drops briefly in surprise before he’s able to conceal it. “I’m trying to meet Kendrick.”

“Is that right?”

“Uh-huh.”

You’re thankful that you purposefully padded your schedule with extra time, because you lose nearly every last minute of it stuck in the gridlock of Los Angeles traffic on the night of a huge event.

By the time you make it to the venue, you’re practically nauseous from all the stopping and starting and crawling of the car, and Yoongi looks equally bad, though you suspect his condition might be more anxiety-related.

As it turns out, the Grammys are a lot less glamorous when you’re only mildly famous, at least by American standards. The two of you are shepherded by security to another ‘lane’ of the red carpet and warned not to stop as you make your way into the building. You observe from afar while A-list celebrities pass in a blur, flashbulbs pop bright enough to blind you, and chatter is drowned out by the sound of fans screaming and the clamor of reporters trying to grab the biggest names for an interview.

“I’m so glad I’m not that fucking famous,” Yoongi scoffs, though he doesn’t quite manage to hide the nerves in his voice.

“Come on,” you murmur once you get inside, nodding toward a pop-up bar in a far corner of the lobby. “Take the edge off. And I’m gonna need alcohol if I have to sit through a fucking three-hour show.”

You down your drinks quickly, only a few minutes shy of the time by which you have to be in your seats, and you return from tossing the empties in the trash to see Yoongi eyeing a piano pushed against the far wall, clearly for show. He takes a seat, glancing around as if in fear of getting yelled at, then gently pushes up the key lid.

“Ooh, do Wine!” you tease with a laugh as you drop onto the bench beside him, but he actually does start to play, one foot pressing down on a pedal to keep the sound soft. His fingers alight over the keys, and the song he plucks out is beautiful. It’s a melody that almost feels nostalgic to you, even though you know you’ve never heard it before.

“What is this?” you ask, and he keeps playing as he responds.

“Do you know Sakamoto?”

You hum a no as you shake your head.

His eyes narrow slightly. “Remind me how you work in the music industry?”

A smile plays at your lips, and you roll your eyes. “Shut up. You know I’m a fraud.”

Yoongi doesn’t miss a note when he glances up to meet your gaze. “Are you?”

It’s only now that you realize how close he is: the two of you are basically sitting hip to hip, shoulder to shoulder. For a moment, you forget about the Grammys, forget that anyone else is even in the room.

“Excuse me!” A voice snaps you out of the moment, and you scoot away from Yoongi so quickly you nearly topple off the bench. “That’s not meant to be played, and we need everyone to head to their seats, please!” Your face flushes with an embarrassed heat, and Yoongi lifts a hand apologetically as he covers the keys back up.

You stick close to his side so as not to lose him in the large crowd of people. “Bet they’ll let you play whatever piano you want once you have one of those dumb little trophies,” you mutter under your breath, and Yoongi really laughs, like he wasn’t expecting the comment.

Another thing you didn’t necessarily anticipate: the Grammys are fucking long. You knew it would be over three hours, but you realize you severely underestimated how long that time would feel. While the performances are incredible (and you have to dig your nails into the cushion of your seat to keep from squealing when you spot Lil Nas X a few rows in front of you), there’s plenty of filler between them, and it feels a lot drier when you’re physically in the room for it. Even the commercial breaks are far too short for you to have enough time to actually run to the restroom or get another drink.

You’re also starving. “I hate that they don’t serve food at these things,” you hiss to Yoongi during a break, but it’s late enough in the night now that he’s barely speaking, apart from the occasional monotone grunt. 

Though you’ve been waiting for it all evening, you still don’t quite know if you’re ready when the host starts to run down the list of nominees for Song of the Year.

As he’s only credited as a writer, they don’t actually say Yoongi’s pseudonym, but pride still squeezes tight in your chest when you see “Suga” spelled out across the on-stage monitors beneath the name of the song.

They get through all the titles in what seems like less than a second, and your heart feels like it might give out as an anticipatory silence settles over the crowd. The host fumbles with getting the envelope open, and you’re so tense, you flinch hard at an unexpected brush of contact.

You glance down, and it takes a moment for your brain to process what’s happened. He’s not looking at you, hasn’t said anything, but Yoongi has nevertheless reached over to grab your hand. His long fingers lace through yours, gripping surprisingly tight, and the skin of his palm is warm and dry. It’s like your brain short-circuits for a moment as you stare stupidly at your joined hands, and he gives yours a single nervous squeeze.

“And the Grammy goes to…”

You look over at him, still dumbfounded, and then you hear them call a song that isn’t his.

Your heart sinks as you watch Yoongi blink up at the screen, his mouth pulled into a flat line. You realize belatedly you’re supposed to be clapping, but his hand is still clasped in yours. And you don’t want to pull away from him.

But then he moves first, untwining his hand from yours and bringing it up to rake through his hair with a disbelieving laugh. A little delayed, you both join in the applause as the winner makes their way to the stage. You can’t even process who it is.

You have no idea what to say to console him, so you don’t say anything at all.

Thankfully the category is one of the last of the night, so you only have to sit through a few more rounds of acceptance speeches and watching other people’s dreams come true before you can finally get to your feet. You feel like you can’t leave fast enough as you’re herded out of the stadium and into another car to depart for the afterparty.

There’s a heavy silence in the backseat that feels like a chasm between you as you crawl through Los Angeles traffic.

You realize there’s a bottle of champagne tucked into an ice bucket behind the front seat— a thoughtful touch from the label execs, you assume. Yoongi spots it at the same time you do, and he immediately reaches for it. With a grunt of effort, he pops the cork, a little bit of excess foam dribbling onto the floor of the car.

He raises his eyebrows at you, then brings the bottle right to his mouth for a long drink. Longer than long. You watch his adam’s apple jump in his throat as he swallows several times.

“Alright, chill the fuck out,” you snap after a few seconds, reaching over to grab it from him. “At least eat something first.”

“It’s my consolation prize,” Yoongi quips, but he lets you wrest the champagne from his hands without resisting. You take a thorough swig yourself, then recork the bottle and drop it back in the bucket. “Such a good little admin,” he purrs, and you try to convince yourself there isn’t a hint of venom in his words.

The car pulls to a stop at the designated hotel, and you climb out after Yoongi. Upon making it inside, the two of you peel off in different directions: him for the bar, and you to find anything that remotely resembles food. You keep glancing over at him from across the room as it fills with more and more people, nervous to take your eyes off him for too long, unsure of what he might do. Every time you find him again, it seems like he’s downing another glass of whiskey, drinking like the fucking world is ending.

Meanwhile, you’re struggling to find anything that isn’t kale, quinoa, or… whatever grain-free bread is. With a frustrated sigh, you finally decide to give up. If Yoongi wants to drink on an empty stomach until he gets alcohol poisoning, you figure that’s his fucking problem.

When you shove your way through the crowd back toward him, you find that he’s been pulled into a conversation with a bunch of older white men you can only assume to be American industry reps. As you get close enough to make out their words, you quickly understand why he has such a sour look on his face.

“Don’t tell me— oppa gangnam style, right?” The man talking does his best approximation of Psy’s dance, and you consider crawling under the nearest table.

“Nah, come on, he’s obviously the one who did Parasite,” another guy laughs.

Yoongi grimaces politely into his drink as he throws it back, but you can’t seem to find your manners. “Oh good job, Yoongi, I see you found the fucking racists.” You don’t miss the smirk he tries to conceal.

There’s a loud reaction from all of the white men, who clearly seem more entertained than hurt by your dig. “Wow, man,” the one who spoke first chortles, clapping Yoongi hard on the shoulder. “Looks like you need to control your girl.”

Your heart thuds in your chest as you watch Yoongi shrug off the guy’s hand to set his empty glass down on the closest table. He moves slowly, deliberately taking a long pause before correcting them. “This is actually my assistant.” His voice is laced with a deadly calm you know well.

“Assistant?” A third pipes up, acting as if he’s never heard the word before. “Huh. You know, back in my day we just called them secretaries. Or mistresses.”

Yoongi moves so fast you barely have time to process it, lunging forward and shoving the guy in the chest with enough force that he stumbles backwards into his shitty friends. “What the fuck!” one of them shouts, purposefully loud, and you can hear a ripple of shock roll through the crowd, can see heads turning to look your way in alarm.

“No, no, nope,” you immediately mutter. “This is not fucking happening.”

Yoongi is already taking another step toward the group, and you tighten a hand hard around his bicep. “We’re leaving.”

When he whips around to face you, the mixture of anger and pain reflected in his dark eyes is so overwhelming, it hits you like a truck. You try to force yourself to stay calm, because at least one of you has to be.

“Come on, Yoongi,” you say, letting your voice soften. “Fuck this place. I need some real food.” Your eyes search his, pleading. For a moment, you can’t help but wonder if you’re staring down an enemy or a friend.

But then you see the fight go out of him as he nods, and you breathe a silent sigh of relief.

Shifting the hand on his arm to press firmly to the center of his back, you guide him in front of you and wind through the packed room of people until you make your way outside again.

Fate does you one good turn by leaving an empty cab out front, and you push Yoongi into the backseat, then slide in next to him. You lean forward to greet the driver, doing your best to smile politely and act composed, like you didn’t just almost get into a fight at the Grammys afterparty.

“Can you take us to Koreatown, please?”

~*~

The cab drops you off outside a strip of bars and restaurants, lit up with neon signs in both English and Korean. To his credit, Yoongi seems more subdued as he follows you out of the car wordlessly, but you allow him a little more time to cool off in silence. You wander somewhat aimlessly, attempting to shake off your lingering anxiety in the warm evening air, until you stumble upon a food truck parked at the end of the block. Your eyes go wide at the posted signage.

“What do you think?” you ask as you turn to Yoongi, and he shrugs, like he really doesn’t care. Perfect. You’ve never had a problem a gamja hot dog couldn’t fix.

Securing one for each of you, you nod Yoongi toward a small group of tables set up at the curb to sit down. Once seated, you immediately drown your hot dog in ketchup and mustard, and you can hear him scoff before taking the bottles from you to do the same. Admittedly, you must look fairly ridiculous eating fried street food in full black tie, but you’re far too hungry to give a fuck right now.

It’s perfection from the first bite, crispy and hot, the batter studded with potato pieces and the inside loaded with cheese.

You’re also too hungry to bother making conversation at first, but after a few more bites you glance over at Yoongi, and your heart sinks all over again. You really do feel bad, and then the words are leaving your mouth before you can stop them.

“I’m sorry,” you murmur with your mouth full. “That you didn’t win.”

He makes a face as he chews. “We already agreed I wouldn’t have been happy even if I won, right? So it doesn’t really matter.”

You roll your eyes, unconvinced. “It’s okay to have feelings, you know. You’re allowed to be upset.”

Yoongi just shrugs, but he can’t quite meet your gaze. “It’s whatever.” You take another bite as he continues. “If I’m gonna win a Grammy, I want it to be for something that’s all mine anyway.”

The sentence surprises you, and you blink back at him. “You’re going to release your own stuff?”

As if he instantly regrets bringing it up, his face reddens a little, his expression twisting into an unsure grimace. “Ahh… I don’t know, probably not. People know me as a producer. I don’t know that anyone would actually listen to it.”

“I would,” you say without even really thinking, and his eyes widen. “You know,” you continue quickly, adopting a fake-serious tone. “Since I work in the music industry. Strictly business.”

A small smile plays at the corner of his mouth, and you find yourself relieved to see it. “I appreciate that.”

You’re also desperately curious, wondering if he’ll say more about his own music, but he goes quiet again. Given the night he’s had, you don’t exactly want to push it.

Taking the final bite of your hot dog and mourning the loss, you stack your skewer and paper tray on top of Yoongi’s, then get to your feet to toss them in the nearest trash can. When you return to the table, you smack your palms decisively against it.

“Come on. I think the circumstances call for some binge drinking.”

Your first stop is tucked into two seats at a neighboring dive bar, alive and roaring with enough ambient conversation that you have to speak fairly loudly to be heard over the noise. The bar in the center of the room is wrapped around a small open kitchen, where you watch the line cooks hustle to steam, grill, and fry what seems like a never-ending rush of food orders.

You and Yoongi stick to soju, pouring each other shot after shot. On the first one, he tilts his full glass toward you, and you knock yours against it.

“To losing,” he toasts, and you can’t help laughing as you tip your head back to drink. He’s smirking as he swallows his down, then pours you another. “Hey, maybe Jungkook will throw me a commiseration party when we get back.”

You grimace automatically at the name as you take the bottle from him to fill his glass up, and Yoongi doesn’t miss it. “Trouble in paradise?”

With a roll of your eyes, you determine that you need to be drunker for this. You take your shot, then instantly hold your glass out for Yoongi to pour another before he even gets to his. He obliges, and you throw it back immediately. The bottom of your glass hits the bar with a loud thud.

“I kinda… freaked out on him. Right before we left.”

Yoongi’s eyebrow lifts, questioning, as he drinks. “Any reason?” he prompts when he’s finished.

“Yes,” you answer stubbornly, tapping at the rim of your empty glass. He fills you up again, and you return the favor to finish the bottle. Yoongi motions to the bartender for another as you down your shot and steel yourself.

“You don’t have to tell me,” he offers.

“Don’t you want to hear that you were right?”

He shrugs like he can’t argue. “I mean, always.”

“Well for one, he asked if anything was going on between you and me.” You glance over to see Yoongi’s eyes widen slightly as he drinks. “I said no.”

“Uh huh.”

“And then he was like, ‘Good, I’m glad I don’t have to tell you to raise your standards.’”

Yoongi is clearly trying to keep his expression neutral, but it’s a losing battle. You can see the way his shoulders are starting to shake, and then he finally caves in, his palm smacking flat against the bar as he really laughs. “Wow,” he eventually recovers enough to huff, and you reach for the fresh soju bottle that’s been dropped off. “He really just said it.”

“Mm-hmm,” you intone, filling his glass and then handing the bottle back. Yoongi’s still chuckling a little as he pours your drink before taking his own, and you continue. “And then, I don’t know, there was some other stuff, and I was just like… oh fuck.”

“Because you realized he’s in love with you.”

You sigh dejectedly into your soju. “I’m so stupid.”

“Nah,” Yoongi shakes his head, reaching for your glass once you’ve emptied it again. “You wanted to avoid an inconvenient truth. Just makes you human.”

There’s a pause as you take the bottle to pour his drink, and then his next words nearly make you choke as you throw back yours. “You should date Jungkook.”

You’re sure you must look entirely dumbfounded as you stare at him. “What?”

“What?” he retorts, like he hasn’t said anything shocking. “He’d be good for you.”

For a long moment, neither of you speak as you regard him. You finally shake your head, nudging your empty glass toward him until he gets the memo. “Don’t say shit like that,” you mutter under your breath, and you’re not sure if he hears it over the din of the bar.

“Besides,” you continue as you snatch the soju out of his hands to pour his drink, “I’ve tried dating a coworker before. It’s a bad idea.”

“Sounds like a good story.”

“It’s not, really,” you murmur, staring down at the liquid in your glass. “My last job I was a waitress.”

“Mm,” Yoongi interrupts with a hum as he takes his shot. “Waitress. I was close.”

You pour him another, mostly to keep him quiet. “Yeah yeah, you’re very fucking perceptive. Anyway, I dated another server for a couple years. He ended up cheating on me with one of the hostesses, but I was honestly kinda tired of him, so I was glad to end it.” You hear Yoongi snort a little at your fairly heartless admission. “But then I walked in on them fucking in the walk-in, and it put me in a bad mood. Long story short, I ended up throwing a drink on a customer and they had to let me go.”

“Christ,” he laughs, pausing for a moment to fully take in your words. “And now you’re a pain in my ass.”

You roll your eyes as you motion for another soju bottle. “Correct.”

“Sounds like your ex was an idiot.” You glance over to find Yoongi already looking at you. “I mean, in the walk-in is just… nasty.”

“That’s what I said!” Your mouth pulls up at the corners as you try to suppress a giggle. “I don’t think we can really judge anybody though.”

Yoongi blinks, staring blankly into the middle distance. “That conference room trash can condom still haunts me.”

With a loud laugh, you bury your face in your hands, and you can feel your cheeks burning from alcohol and embarrassment. You peer between your fingers as Yoongi sets down a fresh shot for you, and you gladly take it.

“People are stupid,” he remarks wisely. “That’s why I don’t date.” You quirk an eyebrow as he passes you the bottle.

“What, a prize like you?” you deadpan. “You just fuck people in bar bathrooms like a well-adjusted human?”

“Yeah,” he admits with a shrug. “So. Wanna check this one out?”

Your mouth drops open in disbelief, and you immediately smack him on the arm. He nearly spills his drink from laughter, and you can’t keep yourself from laughing a little, too. “I already gave it to you this morning, you freak.”

“Come on,” Yoongi’s voice is teasing, and he bumps his shoulder against yours when he leans in closer. “I had a hard night.”

Pouring him another drink is your only distraction, and you do it with the utmost focus. “This dress is a rental.”

“I can pay for it.” The heat of his breath ghosts over your collarbone as he answers. You shove the bottle hard into his chest, and he takes the cue to fill your glass again, still smirking as he pulls away.

“First,” you say, sounding more confident than you feel, especially with the way your pulse has started to quicken. Your expression is deadly serious as you turn to stare into Yoongi’s eyes and he stares right back. “You have to prove that you can keep up.”

When you swallow your shot easily to punctuate the dare, a look flashes over Yoongi’s face like he’s impressed, and then he follows your lead.

After a few more bottles, the bar is so crowded and so loud that you can hardly hear yourselves think, and you stumble out of it and into the next place you see, and then the next, and then the next. All bets are off tonight, and you’re not about to tell Yoongi that he can’t get fucking trashed considering he just lost at the fucking Grammys. You figure you’ll be able to sleep off your hangovers on the stupidly long flight home tomorrow.

With each stop, Yoongi’s mood seems to improve a little. He eventually drinks enough that his suit jacket and tie come off, and they end up draped over your shoulders, despite your loud protests that you don’t need any more responsibilities. With the sleeves of his white button-down pushed up, it gets increasingly hard to divert your attention away from his hands and the muscles in his forearms, especially as you get progressively drunker and drunker.

Yoongi’s palm brushes over the small of your back as you make your way out of the last place, his touch warm even through the velvet of your dress.

“I know it was your personal nightmare,” he murmurs, words slurring together slightly, “but I really am glad you came on this trip. I mean it,” he insists when you shoot him a look. “I would be fucking insufferable if I was alone tonight. And I definitely would’ve punched that label guy in the face.”

You exhale a laugh and nearly fall over in your heels, and Yoongi’s hand slips to your waist to keep you upright. “He deserved it.” You lean into him, not entirely for balance, and you can feel it when he shrugs.

“Sorry you didn’t get to meet Kendrick.”

The glow of the various open-late establishments and the glitter of the pavement under your feet are all beautiful, especially in your current state, and the night air is still and warm. As you approach the next building and are met with the dull thud of music, your eyes go wide.

“Oh, I just figured out how you can make it up to me.”

The noraebang is surprisingly busy given that it’s a Sunday night, but you’re still able to book a room, and you giggle your thanks as Yoongi opens his wallet to pay the hourly rate like it’s nothing. The two of you work your way through more bottles of beer and soju, and when you start up the karaoke and teasingly pick the HEIZE song he produced, you’re surprised that he actually joins you.

Yoongi must be able to read the expression on your face, because he smirks mid-song. “Let the record show that I am actually a very fun drunk.”

And he is. You sing dramatically and loudly, not caring if you hit the notes, jumping and dancing and occasionally dropping passionately to your knees before dissolving into laughter. At first you monopolize the controller, but after you force a third Kendrick song on him Yoongi gestures for it, and you begrudgingly hand it over.

Crossing the room, you kneel down to dig through the provided box of props, immediately spotting and slipping on a cat-eared headband. You glance up at the screen, eyes widening as you realize he’s searching through Epik High songs. “Do Love Love Love!”

When you look back at him, Yoongi is squinting at you, laughing a little at your new set of ears. “What the fuck do you know about Epik High?”

“What do you mean what the fuck do I know?” you snap back. “I love them! I should be asking you that question, Mr. ‘I don’t listen to music’!”

His mouth pulls into a grin, his tongue toying at the inside of his cheek. “I have a few exceptions, alright?”

Still knelt down, you flop sideways onto the floor when he selects Born Hater. “Ugh, I’m too drunk to say that many words.”

“I got this,” Yoongi reassures you, flipping his microphone coolly with one hand as he gets to his feet. You can’t help giggling dumbly from your spot on the ground as you drunkenly prop your feet on the booth and reach up to pull your high heels off.

If there’s one thing tonight has taught you, it’s that Yoongi has a really good voice, even raw and live and drunk as hell. You don’t know why it surprises you, but it does. To you, performing seems like a different world from writing and producing tracks, but he does it just as effortlessly, with no trace of the anxiety you’ve seen grip him in a crowded room. The passion in the way he growls and gasps out lyrics, even just in the way he moves, it’s all undeniable and exhilarating to watch. He raps like he has nothing left to lose, mouth pulled into a snarl, occasionally reaching up to push his sweaty hair back off his forehead.

You can only gaze up at him, awestruck, wondering how many different versions of Min Yoongi you have left to discover until you hit the bottom.

The two of you trade the controller back and forth until every bottle on the table is empty, until the words blur on the screen, until Yoongi flops over to lay down in the booth with his head hanging off the edge, clearly exhausted. “No more,” he groans. “I’m so tired. And so drunk.”

Hovering above him, you pry the controller from his grip with a smile, slipping the cat ears onto his head for an even exchange. And then you get an idea.

“Last song!” you assure him as you type, and he groans even louder when Cat & Dog starts to play.

“God, this song is terrible,” Yoongi complains, but you’re singing too loud to care about his critiques.

With a severe amount of effort, he pulls himself to a sitting position, and you kneel down in front of him, miming cat paws with your hands and wiggling your hips. “I didn’t know you were into petplay,” he deadpans, and you stick your tongue out, determined not to let him ruin your fun.

You get to your feet and turn toward the screen as the second chorus finishes, yelling over your shoulder, “This is my favorite part!”

“Feel like Cinderella naega byeonae—”

When Yoongi’s voice suddenly reverberates from the other microphone, you almost drop yours. You whip around in complete disbelief. He’s on his feet and moving towards you as he continues the rap verse, the inarguable best part, with a renewed cocky energy. And you have to admit, he’s putting Yeonjun to shame.

“What the fuck!” you practically scream, but he just keeps going.

Seized by full-body drunk laughter, you stumble forward and nearly fall over, knocking into his chest. Though Yoongi’s reflexes are a little delayed, he still manages to right you without missing a word, one arm hooking around your waist. You swallow hard as you suddenly find yourself intimately close to the broad sweep of his collarbone, exposed between the top buttons of his shirt that came undone at some point during your debaucherous evening.

Fumbling for your microphone, you make it back to reality in time for the final chorus, only to fall entirely to pieces when Yoongi starts barking at full volume to match the outro. You can’t take it, and he’s not fast enough to keep you upright, so you drop straight down to the floor on hands and knees, laughing so hard it feels like your lungs might give out.

The microphone rolls dejectedly out of your grasp as you flop over onto your back, and you scrub your hands down your face, trying desperately to catch your breath as the song fades out.

“That was the best thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life,” you mumble into your palms. You uncover your face to look up at Yoongi, only to find him laughing down at you, still wearing the fucking cat headband. “I thought you hated that song.”

He rolls his eyes despite his smile. “Yeah, well, it was also stuck in my head for like a week after you played it that one night.”

You sit up with a dramatic glare. “Oh, you mean the night you stole my fucking keys?”

A proud smirk flickers over his mouth. “You know, I am sorry about that. Or at least sorry I couldn’t see the look on your face when you realized.” He tosses his microphone onto the booth bench next to his abandoned suit jacket, then reaches down with both hands to pull you to your feet. It belatedly occurs to you that you might’ve left his tie at the last bar, but you’re too drunk to give it another thought.

“I hate you so much,” you say, though you can’t quite keep your expression serious. “Fuck, I should’ve taken a video. Could’ve used it for blackmail.”

Yoongi’s voice is lower when he speaks again, and you’re suddenly very aware of how close to you he is, the fact that his hands are still closed over yours. “Guess you’re the only one who’ll ever know.”

“Mmm,” you hum, swaying a little where you stand. His palms slip to your waist to keep you steady as you blink up at him, and your hands flatten against his chest, your fingertips tracing over the buttons of his shirt. “You look good in cat ears.”

“Shut up,” Yoongi murmurs, and then his mouth is on yours.

Your hands reach up to tangle in his long dark hair, knocking the headband to the floor, and with the amount of alcohol currently coursing through your system, you don’t have a single inhibition left in you. You kiss Yoongi like you can’t fucking breathe without him.

He pulls you as close as he can, until your bodies are flush all the way down, and you don’t ever want it to be any other way. You want it just like this, sucking and nibbling at his bottom lip until his tongue licks your mouth open and you groan into him. Just like this: his palms moving down to grab your ass unapologetically, your grip on his hair tightening, even your teeth knocking together with how drunk and desperate you are for each other. Just like this: two stupid, wildly flawed humans in black tie attire, making out in a Ktown noraebang at two in the morning on a Monday.

The sound of the door opening might as well be a gunshot for how loud it feels, and you just barely manage to jump apart as an employee pokes their head in.

“Hey, we’re closing in five.”

You don’t realize you’re not breathing until you hear the door click shut again, and your gasp for air quickly turns into an overwhelmed, embarrassed laugh. Yoongi groans drunkenly, running a hand through his hair, then sighs out a long exhale, like he’s trying to calm down.

“Come on,” you giggle, still close enough to tug playfully at one of his belt loops. “Let’s get out of here.”

Thankfully a cab is still easy to flag down even this late. The two of you manage to pour yourselves into the backseat and give the driver the name of the hotel. It’s not a terribly long drive, and you watch wide-eyed out the window as the sprawl of Los Angeles rushes by, painted in neon glow and the amber wash of streetlights.

Yoongi slumps against you, and he goes quiet for so long you think he might be asleep. When he finally shifts again, he presses his face into your shoulder with a noise of discomfort, and you’re suddenly worried he might be silent for a very different reason.

“Yoongi,” you murmur, trying to keep your voice low. “Don’t puke in the cab.”

“Stupid,” he responds, and you figure he must not be doing that bad if he can still talk.

You run your fingers through the soft, dark strands of his hair, admiring the texture, the way it’s nearly long enough now to graze his shoulders. “What’s stupid?”

“I’m—” he tries, but the car dips over a pothole, and he’s talking so quietly you lose the rest.

“You’re what?”

It’s quiet for a moment, save for the click of the turn signal.

“In love with you.”

His words stun you where you sit, and you have no idea what to do, say, think. You just keep twining your fingers through his hair, like you’re stuck on auto-pilot, distantly aware that every alarm bell in your inebriated brain is going off. It feels like way too much to try and process any of it right now. It feels like a trap.

“We can talk about this tomorrow,” you finally answer. Yoongi just stays slumped against you, and he doesn’t say another word.

The cab drops you off at the hotel, and it’s quiet between the two of you as you get him up to the room. You feel like you’re watching yourself from a distance, and it’s like your brain isn’t processing any of this as really happening, as if to keep you from thinking too hard about the big picture. From what it all could mean.

In the bathroom, you stand over the sink as you lend Yoongi your makeup remover and you both brush your teeth.

“Contacts,” you remind him through a mouthful of toothpaste when he spits out the last of his, and he nods sleepily.

“You don’t have to… administrate me all the time,” Yoongi slurs as he carefully slips one lens and then the other out of his eyes.

You spit out your own toothpaste, then sigh as you rinse the sink clean. “Well, you’re very drunk, and it’s my fault.”

“It was fun,” he says quietly, fumbling the case closed.

“It was,” you echo. “Really.” 

The bathroom door is half-open on its sliding track, and you glance up in the mirror to see Yoongi hovering in the threshold, looking back at you as you wipe away stray traces of mascara from under your eyes. You think he’s going to leave, but then he steps in behind you again, and you feel his hand slide up the small of your back to ease the zipper of your dress open.

Something in your heart twists as you stare down at the marble counter, and you can already tell this isn’t meant to be flirtatious. That thought is confirmed when you finally look up, only to find yourself left entirely alone.

With a small sigh, you slide the bathroom door shut, then flip the switch to turn on the fan. The white noise still doesn’t feel like enough, so you run the shower as well, then grab a plastic water bottle from the counter to chug. You retreat into the far corner with your phone, scrolling until you find the name of the only person who can possibly help you right now.

“Hey babe,” Jimin answers on the third ring. “I’m at rehearsal so I really can’t chat. You good?”

“Yoongi said he loves me,” you answer immediately, and the reality of it hits you impossibly hard as soon as you say it out loud.

“Uh-oh.”

“But,” you lean back until your head knocks against the wall. “He’s drunk as shit. I— we are drunk as shit.”

There’s a pause, and you swear you hear Jimin laugh a little under his breath. “He really said it, huh?”

“Yes, Jimin,” you groan. “In love.”

“And?”

You grimace at the flippant response from your supposed best friend. “What do you mean and?! What the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“Well, that depends,” Jimin starts.

“On?” you snap, impatient.

“Have you realized you’re in love with him yet? ‘Cause if I have to hear you babble on about this man for another week without piecing it together, I really might lose it.”

His words actually make your stomach churn. “Jimin!”

“I—” he sounds like he’s preparing to explain himself, but then he pauses, and his voice is quieter when he speaks again. “Fuck, I’m getting yelled at. I gotta go. Call me tomorrow.”

You want to scream at him to stay, to help, that he can’t just unravel you like this and then leave you to figure it out for yourself. “Mochi, I’m on the fucking plane tomorrow—”

“I’ll come over when you get home!” Jimin interrupts. “And then you can tell me the entire story of you two finally figuring out how to be normal humans with feelings.” You scoff at his biting remark, but he’s already talking over you. “You’re smart, you got this, I love you!”

You hear him blow a dramatic kiss into the speaker, and then the line goes dead.

The world spins around you as you stare helplessly at the silent black screen of your phone, and you can’t shove it all down anymore. It’s overwhelming, all of the things that you’re feeling in this moment, so much so that you can’t even identify what you feel. It’s just a giant, tangled mess, in your brain and in your heart. The tears spill out like you’ve been holding them in for weeks, hard and fast, until you can scarcely catch your breath. You scrub at the first few that roll down your cheeks, but they continue relentlessly, and you eventually give up and just let it all pour out.

You don’t know how long you stay like that, crying on the bathroom floor. You can’t even really explain why you’re crying, except that everything inside of you feels like too much to handle.

There’s a dull ache in your head by the time you finally manage to cry yourself dry, and then you peel yourself off the floor to slip out of your dress and shut off the shower. You pull on the tank top and sleep shorts you’d grabbed earlier from the bedroom, trying to avoid your swollen face in the mirror as you turn the lights out and shut the door behind you.

Yoongi has left the lamp on your bedside on, and you immediately flip it off to plunge the room into darkness, not wanting him to see you like this. He stirs slightly when you slip under the covers, and you can feel the mattress shift as he turns over.

Like it’s the most natural thing in the world, his arm slides over your stomach to pull your body flush to his, and his lips brush at the join of your neck and shoulder. As confusing as it should be, there’s something about the weight of him pressed into you that relaxes you, even through your current haze of emotion. You allow yourself to sink back against him, to breathe deeper, though your inhales are still a little shaky.

Yoongi’s rough voice in your ear pulls you up from the edge of sleep. “Did I fuck everything up?”

You sniff softly, and your own reply is barely more than a whisper. “No, Yoongi, it’s okay. Let’s just sleep."

As you hear him settle in beside you again, you make a promise that you’ll deal with the fallout tomorrow. You’ll figure out how you really feel, and how he does, and what you want, and what the hell you’re supposed to do about it all. But tonight, you just want this: to lay here with Yoongi and pretend your entire world isn’t about to change when you wake up.

chapter eight | masterlist | chapter ten

A/N: oh hiiiiii, super secret bonus author's note down here!!! just wanted to share that, now that we're officially through the grammys, that means we are down to just two more chapters left in the series!!! i held off confirming the full length of LDOMLT until we got to this point (and honestly i could've easily split this into two chapters but i am NICE and i did not give you the WORST CLIFFHANGER OF ALL TIME LMAO) - but now i'm sure. chapter 11 will be the final one. gonna do my best to get 10 and 11 up before end of year, or by very early 2023 at the latest!!! and thank u, as always, for reading 💜💜💜

[evenstargws-attic]

The Fishy Tales - Chapter 6

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS CHAPTERS 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

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Chapter 5 ended with Patience wanting to visit Evergreen to remind her of her purpose. Every little thing that can help her keep her hopes up will be important now, while she has such a hard time and so many doubts about the path her life is taking. She will do that indeed, but not before it is her birthday which she thought to let pass quietly.

This chapter is mostly about one very special night between soulmates with an impossibly strong connection and love. It is about how little things can make a person very happy and memories can help a person keep their hope up.

"Hello lovely lady, fancy meeting you here !" a familiar voice sounded behind Patience… she turned around and saw her soulmate.

"Aha ! So that's why my sons were so attentive, they were in on this weren't they?" she giggled "The house hasn't been so clean in a while and the little ones were all in bed, there was a bath waiting for me and my nice clothes laying on the bed…" she mused "I didn't understand it, I told the boys not to bother with my birthday since we can't all be together I'd rather skip it, they agreed, but you had other plans it seems. Thank you !"

"Yes they're were part of the com-plot" Paka'a admits "Now come on my-lady, let's dance !"

"I didn't want to let this day go by without making it special, so your sons and I came up with this little outing. Meanwhile, Marvel and Wonder, they're taking care of their siblings so don't worry. You've named those two aptly, they were so enthusiastic when I told them my plans."

After the song finished clammy lightly shaking hands grab Patience's hands and after a deep breath he whispers: "I've been wanting to ask you something for a little while now,… just couldn't find the right moment, and I'm pretty nervous at the moment, … let's walk to the beach."

Now he has made her nervous too, and when Patience is nervous she starts to babble, which alleviates Paka's nerves because it's so cute he forgets to be nervous himself. "Look" she blurted "A very bright star up there, so pretty ! Can I make a wish now ? That's what people do right when they see a particularly bright star, or is that only with falling stars? Doesn't matter … I'll… "

"Yes very beautiful" Paka'a interrupts just in time, while he looks at her and not the star that is indeed very bright in the sky above the ocean "Go ahead, make a wish,… I'm not sure when is traditional, …" "though I don't need a wish I have everything I could ever want right here…" he murmurs in a low tone…

As if timed the piano starts playing and his hand goes into the folds of his wrap ...

Patience gasps ...

"Don't worry, it's not an engagement ring until you've completed your task" Paka'a tells her, "But it is a promise… of my lasting love and for the day we can be together forever." Paka'a says while he puts a ring on Patience's finger "will you wear this until the day I can replace it with a proper engagement ring?"

"YES ! I will wear this each and every day with pride and it will help me keep my spirits up when it gets tough."

Paka'a proudly scoops up his woman and says "now ill take you to the beach…"

"Honestly I was afraid since you seemed so absent lately when we talked." Patience admits "I thought maybe you had found someone else and … well it seems I was afraid for nothing… you did all this wh…"

"You didn't see him just yet then ? Chivalry and Justice just snuck off that way …" Paka's laughs and points at the other way off the beach.

"OMG !!!" Patience laughs too "I have such sneaky boys, I haven't taught them that I'm sure!" She looks at Paka'a with twinkle in her eye while she pulls up her eyebrow in that endearing way she does…

"Woman shut up and relax for a bit OK ? Let me hold you and listen to the silence for a little while …"

The silence last for a whole 30 seconds, at which point Patience admits defeat and says "I can't Paka'a … I'm to excited after that little surprise with the ring… are those the cookie … they are,…!"

She is like a whirlwind from one subject to another and not being able to sit still. "I baked a batch of honey cookies for Chivalry who told me he had a date and he wanted to give these to her … hahaha !"

Paka'a just looks at Patience amused by her "Yes, and your favourite tea is there too ! Ginseng with a dash of honey …"

Patience darts off towards the water "Let's swim and then drink a cup of tea !" she yells, then goes back to pull Paka'a with her …

"You are not afraid of this water are you ?" "You a merman and faster then most denizens of the ocean" Patience tells him

"You are… !" she gasped not waiting for Paka's to answer her question "You always do that thing with your hand in front of your mouth when you're scared !"

"Come on ! I'll protect you !" she whispers in her ear

"Don't pull my arm of lady,… i need that to hold you later !" he says while being pulled towards the water.

For close to 30 minutes they play and frolic in the water until it is full night and the water gets a bit chilly. Plopping down into the sand near the teapot. "Now stay here, sit still and ill fetch the tea, then let me hold you …" Paka'a said, and so they cuddle until it is time to go back home…

"This was one of the best days of my life, thank you my love" Patience tells Paka'a before they part that night !

===

After finding a more complicated but different pose player for the pictures (i have troubles with my original one) I am able to make nice pictures again for my stories luckily. This concludes another chapter in this love-story, Patience has 67 children now and has just turned adult so with a little luck her wedding to Paka'a will not be when she is grey and old.

CLICK HERE FOR PREVIOUS CHAPTERS 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5

===

CREDITS:

Big thanks to KHD ( @kerriganhouse ) for the furniture I used on the beach. Also the posemakers Beto ( @beto-ae0 ) - eternity love, Simmerberlin ( @simmerberlin ) - it's okay, Herecirm ( @herecirmsims ) - 1908, Mell Bennet ( @mel-bennett ) - perfect duet, and anyone else who recognizes their content in the pictures of my heavily modded game deserve my thanks, because without them my stories would be simply text and no pictures ...

[jesswritesthat]

omg hi i know this request sounds a bit hefty but hear me out: you’ve got y/n, and you’ve got her twin. they’re both exchange students but their school somehow messed up the application or there wasn’t enough space in one school whatever, so one of them ends up in nekoma and the other in shiratorizawa. then, they each decide to be the managers of that school’s respective teams. and then when training camp comes up, they finally meet each other again and are happy to be together but the rest of the teams are SHOOK (including their own maybe 👀👀) bc they didn’t tell their teams they had a twin. bonus points, inarizaki is there and the miya twins try to flirt w them (ships are up to you bc tbh anything sounds fun asf, idk i’ve had this idea in my head for so long IM AN ONLY CHILD I DONT EVEN HAVE A TWIN FKDKSKSKS) idk if you wanna just do headcannons go for it babes it’s a lot i know lmaooo

This is genius!! Omg, I’m not a twin either but I’m VIBING with this idea — I did headcanons because there was so muuchhh. I hope you like 💕

(T/n) = twins (first) name

>>>>—————————>

(L/n) Twins going to seperate schools and reuniting during a Shiratorizawa vs Nekoma practice match and Nationals:

• Due to unfortunate circumstances, (L/n) (T/n) had gotten into Shiratorizawa however, her twin sister (L/n) (Y/n) had to attend another school - luckily Nekoma had last minute vacancies.

• You stayed in Tokyo whilst your twin lived in the Shiratorizawa Dorms, it made seeing each other tricky but you always had video chats and since you were identical, it was easy to sneak into the dorms and stay for the weekend.

• You both loved Volleyball and had looked into your respective teams, (T/n) having the more famous one begrudgingly but being siblings... things got competitive.

“I’m going to become the manager of Shiratorizawa and I’m gonna take them to Nationals~” Was your twins cheery statement, whilst you playfully taunted her.

“Hah, more like they’ll take you, if I join Nekoma I’ll actually be useful.”

“No way - I’m a better manager than you (Y/n)!”

“Oh yeah?! Bring it on (T/n)! I’ll see you at Nationals - if you make it!” Thus, the challenge had begun.

• Nekoma and yourself had bonded, you’d heard the same about (T/n) and Shiratorizawa, it was like fate had gifted you your perfect matches in the end. Even if it meant being separated.

• It was around your second year with them that you’d heard about Karasuno, the once- upon-a-time rivals of Nekoma and how they’d organised a practice game with them over in Miyagi.

• You’d be playing other teams in the district to make it more beneficial... which is where your scheming came in.

“Hey, Tetsurō Senpai...”

“What do you want, you’re only ever so cute when you want something from me.”

“That’s not true! (Y/n)-chan is cute all of the time!” Yamamoto playfully punched his Captains shoulder, the latter reluctantly agreeing with a flush before clearing his throat and gesturing for you to continue.

“Think we could play Shiratorizawa whilst we’re over in Miyagi?”

“I’ll talk to Coach Nekomata and see what I can do, no promises though (Y/n).” Kuroo would do his best, you knew he tried for those he cared about, especially his team.

• It was no surprise then, that within 3 days you’d received a call from your twin.

“You’re coming to challenge me and my team (Y/n)?” The excitement in her voice, as well as that in yours was clear.

“You can thank Kuroo for that — you’ll finally get to meet my team!”

“And you mine! Tendō and Ushijima are incredible, I love them.” You’d spoken of respective players, shared stories and felt like you already knew part of each other’s teams despite never meeting them.

“Yes! I can’t wait - Lev isn’t coming with us, but Kenma and Yaku more than make up for it!”

“Lev is that first year you told me about right? I hope you’re ready to lose (Y/n), Goshiki is talented as hell.”

“And Nekoma is a unified machine, you’ll need a tissue to wipe away your loser tears~”

—

• Fast forward to the training trip, and the second you walk into Shiratorizawa you and your twin immediately rush over to each other, a collision of hugs, screams and excited conversation exchanged amidst the suddenly silent room.

• Tendō is the one to separate you both, guiding you to stand side by side as he leans in to inspect you both with a finger on his chin.

“Well well well, seems our Chibi-chan has a Chibi-chan 2.0~”

Ushijima doesn’t seem all that phased by the phenomenon, meanwhile Shirabu had to restrain the awed interrogation of Goshiki.

• Nekoma weren’t quite as calm, immediately Tendō hopped out of the way as Yamamoto tackled you, gawking between you and (T/n) whilst Inuoka attempted to null his yells.

“(Y/n)?! THERES TWO OF YOU?! DOUBLE THE BEAUTY!”

“Aw he’s cute, my team are never so nice to me.” (T/n) tutted, a subtle glare sent to Shiratorizawa - Satori being the one to stick his tongue out.

“Trust me, Yamamoto is the only one.” Cue your mirroring glare sent to a scheming Kuroo, whilst Nekomas Ace is still gushing over the two of you.

• The teams are moderately amused once the game starts as the main smack-talkers are you and (T/n) hollering over the court as you’d reached the Third Set at a tie. Friendships between both teams were formed due to your family relations.

• It’s not until the game is over and the Captains shake hands whilst you two hug it out with congratulatory words and playful insults that they start messing around again.

“C’mon (Y/n), we’ve gotta go~” Kuroo smugly states, purposefully slinging an arm around (T/n)s’ shoulders and guiding her out.

Before you had the chance to retaliate, Tendō gladly joined in.

“The Cat Captain is right, I’ve missed my little kitten anyway~” The redhead cheerfully gave you a high ten, intertwining your fingers in the process adding intimacy and offered a mischievous wink which you only laugh at.

• Nekoma are freaking out, that’s their manager and they’d know if you had a boyfriend, right? Yaku and Kai are quick to hold back Yamamoto with Kuroo suddenly sweeping you away from Satori since Ushijima had already reclaimed (T/n).

“That’s our kitten- ah manager.”

“And (T/n) is ours, but I look forward to seeing you at Nationals Nekoma.” The Captains bid one another farewell and you can only hope to play your twins’ team again.

—

• Shiratorizawa didn’t make it to Nationals (since Karasuno beat them) but (T/n) wanted to come and support you (bitterly). Ushijima came with her too since he’s the Captain and wanted to keep you two out of trouble. Plus he loves Volleyball.

• It’s when you’re checking the matchups do you encounter your beloved rivals, whilst Nekoma were distracted you went to scope out the area. ‘Luckily’ for you, you bumped into other competitors, the blonde ‘accidentally’ tripping.

“Woah, are you okay-“ Before you could finish, he’d interrupted all suave.

“Yeah, I just fell for ya that’s all~“

“-send me a postcard next time~”

There was a moment of silence, you impressed by the smoothness and him awed by the sheer sarcasm.

• The boy introduced himself as Miya Atsumu, Inaruzakis Setter and took note of your Nekoma jacket, asking you to watch him play if you got the chance. Especially if you become opponents.

• Bidding farewell, you found (T/n) with a bright smile upon her face, Onigiri in hand.

“The games haven’t even started and you’re eating.” Was your bemused observation, your twin scoffing with an innocent pout.

“I was hungry, and this cute player from Inarizki recommended the teriyaki Onigiri here so I brought some, wanna try?” (T/n) justified, showing the item to you.

“I met an Inarizaki player too, and I’m too nervous to eat but thanks (T/n).”

“Suit yourself, good luck and I’ll look for you later.” She rejoined Ushijima, the pair waving as you met up with Nekoma.

• It isn’t until after the first round beating Kiyokawa High School, before the Karasuno vs Inarizaki game that you’d encounter the Miyas again — or rather Atsumu approached (T/n).

“Yer scoping out the competition huh gorgeous? I don’t blame ya (L/n), ‘Samu and I are the best of the best.” The blonde proudly told (T/n), thinking you’d shed your Nekoma jacket to be inconspicuous.

“I— I don’t even know you? Wait, how do you know my name?!”

• Osamu meets the pair, and actually thinks it through, Atsumu on the other hand jumps to conclusions.

“We just saw eac-“ Hearing (T/n), Atsumu was quick to argue but Osamu kicked his calve.

“Shut it dumbass.”

“Hey, loser twin!” You called over, gaining the attention of her and the Miya Twins.

“Ah... ‘Samu there’s two of them...”

“That’s what I was gonna tell ya.”

• It must’ve been a twin instinct (twinstinct hehe) but yourself and Osamu could tell the individual differences/quirks immediately, hence how he’d figured it out so quickly. A mutual smile was shared as your respective twins continued their petty insults.

• “(T/n)! Ushijima is looking for you and I need to find Kuroo so...”

“Oh, yer boyfriends?”

“Uh - aha -no no, our Captains.” Your twin managed, flustered and embarrassed - you were glad she’d spoken because you were no better with the heat on your skin.

“Perfect, tell your Captains’ that we’re not sorry for keeping you~” Atsumu shouted as you both waved goodbye and headed back to the stands/courts.

• Nekoma won against Sarukawa Tech High, your next opponents currently battling it out on the court which you’d all raced to see - mainly for Karasuno.

But it was during the break after the first set that the twins approached the stands, well, you.

“(Y/n), ya won?” It was brave of Osamu to address you so casually but you didn’t mind.

“Of course, my team, my friends, are truly amazing. Our next opponent is either Karasuno or you.”

“You’ll be facing me- us- Inarizaki! Don’t you worry sweetheart.” It seemed whatever suaveness Atsumu once had was long gone by now.

• They played incredibly, but the entirety of Nekoma were glad of Karasunos’ victory, you’d taken a second to see the twins though.

“You were amazing, I’m grateful I got to see you both play. Looks like you won’t be facing me after all, sweetheart~”

“Yeah well- I— jus’ watch yer back next year beautiful. I’m comin’ for ya.”

“OHO! NOT ON MY WATCH PRETTY BOYS!”

“Yamamoto! Apologies for him.” Yaku forced the Mohawk to bow, Kuroo slipping an arm around your waist with a smirk. “But he’s not wrong.”

—

• You were staying with (T/n) for the weekend, utilising Shiratorizawas practice break to tell the tale of the Miyas and their flirting. The team were oddly protective over the both of you, but you hadn’t the time to question it with Goshikis inquiry.

“Okay, so if you two had children with the Miya twins respectively... would your children be identical?”

“...”

“...”

“We won’t have to find out.” If anyone else had said it you wouldn’t have believed them, but something about the certainty of Wakatoshi made you both smile.

<——————————<<<<

[ Masterlist ]

[vrisrezis]

Wow wow!! I loved the highschool kara ficlet >///< if you’re not tired of this prompt already could you do a highschool ichi x innocent/oblivious reader on Valentine’s Day? Haha I just think the 18matsus are so sweet and love to read about them, thanks so much!!

Thank you sooo much <33 sure thing anon 👍

This was one of my favorite ones to write so I hope you enjoy it

To be honest, ichimatsu had been eyeing you for some time now. It was rather obvious to everyone around him, especially his friends. It was like one of the only times he seemed nervous and fidgety. To him, you were just.. everything? Everything he wanted to be. Sure, he may act like some friendly gentleman around everyone but that wasn’t him. Deep down he was gloomy trash.

You gave him a reason to get up every morning and not give up..? Kinda? High school was tough for him, the drift in his relationship with his brothers had effected him greatly and out of all the things to come out of high school he’s glad befriending you was one of them. He found himself trying to spend time with you more often than even his friends, but his friends didn’t mind.. they knew what it was.

Usually he was just friendly with you, he wanted to believe maybe he could have a chance with you. He got too scared to actually ask you out though. He came close a few times, but then he just said “look at that tree omg” then just ran off.

It really does NOT help he was always a blushy dork around you.

However he’s thankful you are so oblivious, seriously it’s one of the qualities about you he didn’t think would come in handy but it does. You are as oblivious as they come.

Sometimes he feels bad liking you though, since you’re just so innocent. He feels like he’d just corrupt you or something.

Today though, he was painfully aware it was Valentine’s Day.

Usually he didn’t mind this day… much. It was a day he just didn’t care for, he didn’t hate or love it. It annoyed him to see happy couples, something he was quite jealous of.. but overall it was whatever.

This year was different.

He had been dreading this day, because he knew everyone was going to ask him about you or even tease him.

All of his friends kept egging him on to do something for you, as to which his entire face blew red. “Pshh! Me?! Asking y/n out!? Where’d you get that idea?!” He isn’t fooling anyone or course though.

He avoided you, the entire day.

Which wasn’t like him! He was so outgoing! In your eyes at least. You wondered why he hadn’t spoken to you? Was he sick? Has he just been really swamped with schoolwork today? You weren’t sure.

Or maybe he was with his valentine?

The thought upset you, but a cute guy like him has gotta have somebody.. right? You wondered who it could be though.

The girls in your school were going to kill you one day for being so oblivious.

As the day passed by, it was already time for you to go home. Nobody got you anything! Not a chocolate? Not a love note? Nothing?! You were a little disappointed, you know you’re not the prettiest person out there but you had hoped somebody would give you something.. even out of pity.

You sighed, feeling rather disappointed.

But then you saw him, after not seeing him at all.

And he was walking alone? Strange. Did his valentine leave him early?

“Matsuno!!” You yelled, running after him.

He immediately tensed upon hearing your voice. Oh no.. just what he needed.

Don’t mess it up ichimatsu, they’re just coming to say hi.. that’s it.. it’s fine.. you’re fine!

As he turned around to look at you, he couldn’t help a blush go to his cheeks.

“Oh! Y/n! You’re here!” He said with a rather nervous smile, before getting even more red. “Well.. obviously you’re here.. you go to school here… with uh.. me…” he said, anxiously looking away from you for a moment.

Gripping the strap of his bag, looking back at you a lot more red. “I’ve been talking for too long” he said, more like whispered in all honesty.

You just looked at him, rather confused for a moment.

Thank god you were so oblivious.

“So…. Where’s your valentine?” You asked.

“Valentine! Right.. aha.. of course! Because I have a valentine!!” He said with a nervous grin. “They are… uhm…. Aha…” he struggled for a moment, before he eventually sighed. “L/n?”

You blinked at him, “eh? What is it?”

“There’s s-something I’ve been meaning to ask you..” he looked to the side, rubbing the back of his neck.

“I wanted to do it in the best way but.. I didn’t know how and I wasted the entire day never asking you.. I’m sorry.. but uhm… do you wanna be my valentine? M-more than that.. my.. (boyfriend/girlfriend/partner)?”

His entire face was red by now as he looked to the ground, waiting for some kind of rejection.

You weren’t used to seeing him like this, but you were happy.. very happy.

“Yeah! Sure!” You said with a grin, and he shot his head up to look at you. “R-really!” “Yeah!” You nodded.

He was now grinning at this point too. “Okay!”

You grinned, but started to get a bit nervous. Itching at your arm, he was nervous too. What did couples do? What now?

He decided to be bold. And reached his hand out for you to grab, as to which you did.

As your hands intertwined, he couldn’t help but have his thumb gently rub circles on your knuckles. He felt so warm right now.

He was still really scared.

“Why is this still so nerve-wracking?!” You asked innocently, and it was then he noticed the blush on your cheeks. It only made him redder one the face.

“I… I don’t know…”

[viastro]

how to flirt | kwon soonyoung

ミ★ synopsis: in which you teach your best friend how to flirt, but all soonyoung knows is gross pick up lines.

ミ★ genre: best friends!au, humor, fluff, hint of angst at the end

ミ★ warnings: none !

ミ★ word count: 1,674

ミ★ pairings: soonyoung x female reader

ミ★ notes: hi! i felt bad for like... only writing angst in the last few oneshots i’ve put out, so i hope this chaos filled one makes up for it !! even tho there’s a hint of angst at the end !! omg who am i? i used to only write fluff and crack, now i’m a whore for angst... my god. also i got this prompt from tiktok hehe

“Please help me.”

“No.”

“Bruh…” You give Soonyoung a look, before turning back to your physics homework. He lets out a whine, grasping your arm and shaking it. “Yn, please! You’re the only one who’s gone on a date-” 

“I don’t think the one with Vernon counts because we were only pretending to be on a date in order to spy on Joshua and Jeonghan.” Soonyoung squints at you, before continuing.

“If you love me, you’ll help teach me how to flirt with the cute cashier at the coffee shop.”

“I feel like that’s not my job, even if I do love you.” You respond, and Soonyoung whines even louder beside you. He rolls onto your kitchen floor, closing his eyes and letting out loud sighs to try and convince you. Shrugging, you go back to your science homework.

Soonyoung opens an eye to peek at you, only to be offended by the fact that you’re peacefully doing your homework as he lays on your floor in misery. He sits up, now shooting death glares at you. You turn and glance at him, letting out a chuckle.

“Oh? Sleeping beauty finally woke up from his beauty sleep on my kitchen floor?” Soonyoung reaches out and slaps your leg softly, making you giggle and kick his shoulder. 

“Let me do my homework and then I’ll help you, okay?” His expression turns from a pout to a big smile as he stands up off the floor. He wraps his arms around you, giving you a big hug. “Aye…”

“Thank you yn! I’ll be waiting on your couch!” Soonyoung sings cheerfully before skipping out of the kitchen and into your living room. You shake your head, chuckling at his antics, before going back to thermodynamics. 

“Okay, so what’s the first thing you know when it comes to flirting?” You ask, reaching over to the table to take a chip. Soonyoung lifts a hand to his chin, showing that he’s really thinking of what he knows in an attempt to impress you. “I know that nice guys don’t finish last.” 

You blink, before letting out a sigh and patting his back, “I’ll give you that.” 

“Anything else?” 

“If I knew anything else than I wouldn’t be sitting here asking you to help me.” You squint at Soonyoung, and he immediately changes his expression to one that doesn’t make him look like a smartass. 

“Ignoring that, but the first thing you wanna do is start off a conversation. You can either compliment them, mention how nice they look.” Soonyoung nods, his expression incredibly focused on every word you’re saying. You fight back a smile at how ridiculous he is before continuing.

“If they seem flattered and look as if they want to continue the conversation, then green means go. However, if they seem uncomfortable and not interested then back off Kwon Soonyoung.” You say with a glare, and your friend noticeably gulps nervously, making you grin at the power you hold. You lean back, straightening out your shirt. “Okay, that’s it.” 

“THAT’S IT?!” 

“That’s basically it. If green means go, then introduce yourself properly and get to know them. If they’re uninterested, then that’s it buddy. We must respect people.” Soonyoung nods his head, rubbing the back of his neck. 

“Can we practice?”

“Pardon?”

“Like,” Soonyoung turns to face you, grasping your hands and giving you an earnest look. “Can we pretend that you’re the girl from the coffee shop?” You let out a sigh, muttering how badly you’d rather not do that. Peeking over at him, you see him giving you the puppy dog eyes.

“God, fine. Stupid puppy dog eyes.” Soonyoung claps his hands in victory, before thinking of what to start off with. 

“Oh wait!” You raise an eyebrow at your friend, “Can I do pickup lines?” 

You stare at Soonyoung, pursing your lips as you realize that he truly has not flirted once. Yet for some reason, everyone in school has a huge ass crush on him. Letting out another sigh you answer, “Only if they’re creative and actually good. Let me hear some and I’ll tell you whether you can say it or not.”

Soonyoung pumps his arm in the air excitedly, flashing you a big smile. You softly grin back at him, finding that he looks best when he’s happy. He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes, before opening them and staring directly at you with a determined look on his face.

“Are you from Tenness-”

“No.” Soonyoung looks taken aback at your abrupt response, and you just shake your head at him. He lets out a breath, before trying again.

“Did you fall from heav-”

“No.” 

“Are you a parking ticket? Because you’ve got fine-”

“No.” 

“Yn! You have to let me get all the way through so that you can actually critique them properly.” Soonyoung whines, and you lean back onto the couch, letting out a sigh. “These are all gross, overdone, pickup lines that will absolutely not work. Give me unique ones.” 

Soonyoung thinks to himself, before sporting a big smile once again when he remembers one that he learned. He stands up and walks past the couch, before walking back towards you again.

“Do you believe in love at first sight?” You raise an eyebrow at him, and he grins when he realizes he finally found one you don’t know. He leans forward so that your noses are inches from each other, and you stare directly into his eyes.

“Or should I walk by again?”

“Or should I walk by again...” You say at the same time, Soonyoung trailing off, now a lot more discouraged. He leans back, now standing at his full height again, frowning at you. He thinks to himself again, and you grab the bowl of potato chips from the table, getting comfy when you realize he’s not going to give up anytime soon. 

“If you were a fruit-”

“No.”

“If you were a Transformer-”

“No.”

“Feel my shirt, you know what it’s made of?”

“Absolutely not.”

Soonyoung backtracks, looking at you with a hopeful look on his face, but you shake your head. “I mean absolutely not to the whole pickup line in general, not me answering it.” 

Soonyoung sighs, sitting down beside you on the couch, thinking even harder now. The two of you sit in silence, the sound of you chewing the potato chips filling the quiet void of your apartment as Soonyoung tries to remember the pickup lines he took two hours learning the day prior. He lets out a small, aha!, once he recalls a few other ones.

“My love for you is like diarrhea-”

“God, no. Absolutely not.” 

“We’re not socks, but I think we’d make a great pair.”

“Not bad.” Soonyoung grins, pumping the air in tiny font as he considers that a small victory before beginning again.

“It’s a good thing I have my library card, because I’m totally checking you out.”

“Jesus Christ, no Soonyoung.”

“Aside from being sexy-”

“Don’t finish that.”

“Been around the world don’t speak the language, but your booty don’t need explaining. All I really need to understand is, will you talk dirty to me?” You stare at Soonyoung, a look of both disgust and genuine concern displayed on your face as he gives you a proud smile.

“D-did you… did you just quote a lyric from a Jason Derulo song?”

“Yeah! Did you like it?” You close your eyes, genuinely wondering how Soonyoung looked at all of these pickup lines and thought they were okay. 

“So, you are absolutely not doing pickup lines when you see the coffee shop girl next time. You’re going to compliment her like a good guy who does not use gross, overused pickup lines. Got it?” Soonyoung pouts at you, before nodding. 

“Alright, pretend I’m her. Try and win me over.” He purses his lips, covering his face with his hands once he starts to feel nervous. You smile, letting your head rest on your hand as you wait. Soonyoung finally looks into your eyes and gives you a grin.

“Hi, I just wanted to tell you that you’re really beautiful, and that your smile really brightens up my day. Whenever you smile at me, I feel like nothing could go wrong.” Soonyoung tells you honestly, causing you to break eye contact due to the warmth flooding your face. You rub the back of your neck, “That was good. T-that was really nice Soonie.” 

He gives you a smile, “Really?” 

You nod your head, standing up off your couch to signal that it’s time for you to get ready for bed. “Maybe you don’t need to add the last sentence though. The first one where you mention her smile is really sweet on its own.”

“Oh that wasn’t a compliment for her.” Soonyoung says, standing up as well and stretching his arms over his head. You raise an eyebrow at him, and he turns, giving you a soft smile. “It was for you.” 

Your eyes widen slightly, more heat rushing to your face and you look away again. Soonyoung grins, before wrapping his arms around you, cradling your head like he always does when he hugs you. You slowly wrap your arms around his waist, closing your eyes as you take in his comforting scent.

“Thank you for helping me yn, I’ll tell you how it goes tomorrow.” He pulls away, and you give him a small smile.

“Of course! You have to text me right after alright? Not a second late, I’ll be waiting.” Soonyoung laughs, putting his flannel on and giving you a thumbs up as the two of you walk out of your living room. He waves bye to you, and you smile and wave back. Once you hear the sound of your apartment door closing, your smile slowly drops from your face. You place a hand over your heart, feeling the wave of sadness finally hit you at full blast. 

“She’s one lucky girl to have you pining after her, Soonyoung.” 

[stopeatingwhales]

about a girl x kurt cobain

hi guys omg- it’s been too long since i’ve last posted something, and my nirvana obsession has risen once again so what a thought into writing something dedicated to the one and only kurt himself <3 thank you ever so much to the person who requested this, i managed to write something i think i’m somewhat proud of aha

Pairing: pre-bleach era kurt x reader

Warnings: nothing! 

Word count: 2.165

Requested by anon <3

༉‧₊˚✧

Waiting for him to appear on stage for the first time was like a moment snatched out of a drunken stupor: so surreal I had to continuously pinch myself every few minutes for reassurance that this was really happening. With a mind cluttered in thought, it became hard to sit still for as little as ten seconds without being accompanied by an itch to either scratch my scalp in nervousness, or chew on my already bitten nails - attempting to sand off their roughened look from my previous antics. The most I had drunk that night was a couple sips of my gingerish coloured beer - with the room buzzing in anticipation and curiosity for who was headlining the bar tonight, it caused everything that even shifted slightly in its position to irritate me in all ways plausible. Unsurprisingly, I couldn’t manage to let anything settle in my stomach without having a sudden rush of nausea bubble up in my throat; it was Kurt’s first performance tonight with his new, reformed band, and being told that he was quite nervous triggered an anxiety in my veins stronger than the pain of the first rush of heroin dousing my body after months of not being able to get hold of it - allowing all my stress, agony and dread to escape my body at an expeditious rate as my body adorned the poison I was granting into my limbs. It was inevitable: Kurt was bound to be nervous before his first performance with new material to a bunch of strangers that had never seen the wonders of his model-face before, and although he had performed many times, a grasp of worry still caught into his hair as he tried to pass the time, like a knot you seemingly are unable to rid of, leaving you with no other choice but to resort to grabbing a pair of kitchen scissors and chopping that bunch of hair off. Which he had done many times. 

Whilst time speedily went on, I found myself calming down by a small amount, consoling myself with different types of remedies in solution: downing my drink, ordering another (this time a gin & tonic to spice things up) and repeating the same, before slamming my now empty glass to the table and standing up to get a clearer view of the stage, knowing they were going to come on soon. All that wondered in my mind was Kurt, quickly reminding myself over all the time we had spent together - the times when we had first become friends. I had been introduced to him early last year when Krist had asked me if I wanted to see his new band he was bassing for - and immediately was I enthralled, knowing that once I had laid my eyes on him, I would never be able to detach them from him: a poor man, masked in aristocracy in ways not physical as it may seem. He captivated me. His presence carried such warmth it was able to counter against the sun; your cheeks immediately burning as he locked eyes with you. You instantly wanted to wrap your arms around him, and when talking, you were instantly drawn to his short yet meaningful phrases, laced in passion stronger than an avocado seed. As my eyes were locked firmly together with his, I was able to notice something so pure and wondrous I had been unsuccessful in finding in anyone else: care. A simple emotion, somehow one of the hardest to master. Regardless of what the subject matter might be, he always carried a certain interest to it - constantly having something to say. Even if you found him sitting excluded from everyone else, you could notice that there was something either battling his mind, or inspiring him for something - new music, lyrics perhaps. It’s enticing, it's human. He’s human.

Suddenly, a distorted strum of a guitar abruptly blared through one of the many amplifiers dotted around the small stage at the end of the room. The crowded space was now silenced by the hasty noise, my (slightly intoxicated, yet conscious) head now instantly turning to see what had happened - although I was for certain it was the time I had been most excited for. Little whispers and hushes were the only things you were able to hear for the span of a few seconds as the amp's sound had silenced itself, a small buzz affiliating throughout the room, a couple of heads turning back and forth to see the number of people collectively awaiting to listen to the music of the unknown band performing tonight. My eyes stayed glued to the stage as I pictured his character, standing there in the middle, Krist and Chad capturing the rest of the space, adorned by their instruments - playing along to Kurt’s beautiful melodies. Gazing at his figure, beautifully formed with such masculinity, decorated with concerning parts of emeation, slowly embarking its way through to the middle of the stage - guitar gripped firmly in arm - birthed dozens of baby butterflies inside my stomach, tickling my insides in all sorts of ways. My nervousness resurrected itself once again, as I had come to a realisation that I wasn’t imagining anything at all.

Silence. 

No introduction, nothing. From his immediate grace to the stage, I could tell he was nervous; the bright light emitting onto his face allowed me to see his features much more prominently - allowing you to just about to see the small stubble that was forming on his face from his forgetfulness to shave in the morning. However, I wasn’t able to admire his face for long, only for a few seconds before he fixed his gaze to his electric guitar, placing his fingers on specific chords, then turning to stare at his bandmates. A couple looks were shared between them all, a mere roll of the eyes from Chad, a small smile from Krist towards Kurt - for motivation, as the good friend he was. Kurt on the other hand didn’t change his facial expression, only nodding his head at both the boys before switching back to stare at the instrument adorned by his grip, beginning to bob his head slowly - counting himself in. Even from afar I was able to tell that at that single moment, he didn’t carry a care or a worry for anyone but his guitar, focusing all his energy and thought into this one specific thing: the start of the performance. 

1...2...3...4

As the music began, a smile branched onto my cheeks instantly. A song I recognised, my heart warming as I realised what was playing. About a girl, the song we wrote together. 

Usually, Kurt would write alone, not wanting anyone else’s input and ideas; all the band played was what Kurt had written, for it was truly only his work on that stage, just a few people helping out to put it together in life form. However, there was a significant time after a band practice weeks ago where I had attended due to me having nothing else to do, and watching the three of them play always made me feel content - holding my heart with hope for the new wave of music they were producing. As they were packing up their stuff at the end of the rehearsal, Kurt had slowly wandered off from tidying up and had come up to me, awkwardly wanting to show me what he had written for a random song: hungry for my opinion even when he never really cared what anyone thought of his music. We ended up co-writing that specific song together, the song sounding the room at this very moment. As I stared at Kurt all that was met with my eyes was his entire concentration to perfect everything that he was playing; every move of the finger producing a different sound as he attempted to hit all the ones significantly partnered with the song. He knew I was watching him, that’s why he played this song first and foremost. 

Lifting his head up from the guitar, his mouth instantly pressed itself onto the microphone, revealing his raw, raspy vocals. My eyes were physically unable to detach themselves from the sight I was seeing at this very moment. They had performed multiple times before, yet this time, something felt different. New. Almost as if everything pieced in together, and with just a bit of sanding around the edges - they’d be perfect, unlike any band I had ever seen live. Watching the crowd’s attention simply staying undivided towards the band made me feel a sort of elation the morning of Christmas would give you, the sensational feeling hitting you that its the date that brought everyone together; this time the music was the thing that brought everyone together. My eyes scanned the crowd, noticing some people bobbing their heads, surprised by their immediate tunes that were being emitted from the song, widening my smile - if that was even humanly possible at this moment. Their fresh, uncensored, gruffy sound was something not many bands at the time even thought about playing - that was for people who were behind their time, Sex Pistols era almost. The feeling that warmed my heart at that moment was something indescribable - illegitimate for words. It felt like a lighter had torched its way into my body, the sharp pain bruising a bright crimson all the way up my torso to my cheeks, a breath hitched back in my throat as I slowly figure out the way to breathe again. The pain that caressed my heart so dearingly was also paired with a strong sense of joy. Happiness. Delighted that the pieces of such a complex puzzle were fitting together. 

As a minute or so went on, the crowd slowly began to get more and more into the music, some people now swaying their hips or dancing around with their friends. I couldn’t help but wonder how Kurt was beginning to feel, or what he was already feeling. Euphoria at the highest degree, something so strong not even a multiload of ecstasy could even attempt to give you. I found myself singing along to the words quietly, resulting in the people around me noticing that I was the only one who actually knew the song apart from the band. A random guy had turned to look at me, drink firmly gripped in hand, and with his rough attempt to shout over the loud music, whilst pointing towards the stage. “You know them?”

For a couple of scenes everything went still. I stopped moving, my eyes slowly getting lost with the man standing on the stage in front of me as I accidentally ignored the stranger’s question. I continued watching the stage, my eyes focused on Kurt - until his eyes abruptly opened, locking in with mine instantly. Startled, he noticed my starstruck expression, a little grin hanging off his lips. Maybe it was out of arrogance, however I knew he wasn’t planning on taking them off soon - not that I’d be the one to complain. His eyes were bright, glimmering with happiness; filled with life and fertility as they pierced into my soul so daringly, carrying the same devilish want that Adam had been challenged with once told not to eat the apple off the tree - his mind so intrusive he was simply unable to resist. His wondrous orbs carried a hint of impish, vanity, as they were also laced with a hint of seductivity and perhaps a shed of horniness, sudden greed blistering over his ocean-like eyes; he wanted it all, in the most wicked of ways. It would be a white lie if I had said this didn’t make me feel some sort of way; had he never looked at me like that before, I might’ve said otherwise. Perhaps his sudden bursts of confidence spewing out of him made him act this way, regardless, I knew it was something real. His eyes bestowed the same hunger he had initiated into his sudden approach when asking me what I thought of the music he had written, the first time me and him truly bonded together. I seemingly was unable to detach my eyes from him, for my body, heart and mind stayed encompassed in thought of how bewildered I was; in simply over a year, I had watched him grow, become more confident, sanguine, and it was all showing off now. He was staring at me as if the world was ending, and that I was the last thing he wanted engraved in his mind, aiding him into dying in such complacency it was almost as equal as equilibrium in the world of absolute zero. “Yes I do,” I muttered, nudging the unfamiliar person whom I hadn’t even set eyes upon. Feeling his gaze burn into my cheek, I continued to focus my eyes on Kurt, my tongue licking the sides of my mouth as I figured out words to muster. “That’s my boyfriend,” 

[jiminrings]

hi!! can i request a drabble of new personaltrainer!jungkook training a pretty awkward (and kinda chubby/thicc..?) y/n and its super fluffy and aaaa,, i love your writing aaaa 🥺

cloud nine

pairing: jungkook x y/n

wordcount: 3k

glimpse: y/n finally gives into jimin the gymbro’s thoughtful push, and jungkook is sO close to barking back to his chihuahua the moment he gets home :D // gif isn’t mine but look at it it’s so cRISPY!!!

notes: thank you sO much babie!! here you go :D

okay that’s iT!!

you totally need something new in your life

you need a change of pace or whatever that’s called

all the days you’ve been having are all blurring into the same one and it just makes you feel so stagnant

the only difference you could point out are the sleep shirts you wear and that’s ONLY if you don’t try to repeat wearing them

you now have a list of people you’re in awe of

people who genuinely and unironically consider friends the tv show as a cinematic masterpiece because nOAH FENCE how do they manage to get entertained by laugh tracks and the same skit over and over again

ok maybe your slander towards it increased because hoseok (the guy you have a sorta crush on) likes it and he leaves you on read and sometimes doesn’t even open your message and thEN you’d see his instagram stories and they’re all just???? friends???? what was the reason

and second, jimin!

jimin’s your best friend and that just makes you awed even more because you don’t even know how the two of you got close

jk it was when your friends forced you to come with them at this inflatable water park and you were sCARED and so he held your lifevest and was like

“hEY do you wanna take this in the same pace that i’m doing it?? tbh i just wanna get back to my mimosas but my friends paid too expensively for this”

<3 he has been the guardian of your heart since <3

jimin’s just so well-paced and organized and knows how to have his fun that his daily life doesn’t seem like a mindless routine

you are actively YEARNING for that kind of lifestyle

and right now it just seems like the stars are aligning for you and are practically made for your existence alone!!

jimin’s a gymbro

he is the living breathing talking definition of gymbro and gymrat and gymgod or whatever it is

.....

.......

.... gymin if u will ....

okAy then

but he wasn’t the aggressive type of gymbro, not at all!

he’s a total natural!!

like he’s ripped but not excessively and exaggeratedly ripped

he doesn’t flex but the muscle definition and the physique are just wHew exquisite!!

he doesn’t talk in protein powder lingo but you aren’t surprised to see a giant jug of it inside his cupboard!!! after all he’s proud to say that it’s practically all-skill!!!

and to top it off.,.,

:D

okay so jimin takes off his shirt right

the two of you are neighbors and you often come into each other’s places and it feels like home too

and you aren’t complaining!! you know that he runs a little hot that normal and you wouldn’t want him overheating

but he has this large tattoo on his rib that reads nevermind and it’s so cOOL and it just makes the gears in your head go creak creak because aha your best friend is the blueprint huh

you’re not surprised!! you really aren’t!!

after all, why would you be surprised out of all the things above when you already know that he owns a goddamn GYM??

the only regret that you have is not meeting him sooner :((

yeah sure pjm athletics does have a nice ring to it bUT WHAT ABOUT PARK’S GYMIN

you’ve always been.,., a lil curious ok

i mean your goddamn friend is the ownEr of a really well-known and well-praised gym!! how could you not??

you don’t wanna mooch off from him though no matter how much he offers you free classes and stuff

he always brings you home extra merch and energy drinks that you’re sure you can now have a tap for gatorade

he’s not dENSE!! he sees how you look at him whenever he does push-ups on your floor or when he does planks like no big deal

there’s this thought at the back of your head that y’know..,., what if THIS was the thing that’s gonna be your change of pace

lmao you’re looking for hardship basically

jimin’s finally had it when you sigh for the eleventh time while he’s doing pull-ups

you want to spend your own money and he knows you won’t accept any of his offers!!

that’s it he needs to be smart about this!!!

“woah jimin holy sHIT you’re having a 50% off your membership??? and it comes with a trainer too??? are you serious right now???”

:)))

he can now sleep in peace knowing his editing job for this flyer has paid off and he’s passed the “y/n’s not believing me” stage :))

if it wasn’t established enough there really isn’t a sale lol

here you are then,.,.

wearing workout leggings that jimin deemed to be reAlly great and it made quite a hefty dent in your wallet but you trust his judgement so ok

you’re not in the mood to wear anything besides jimin’s black dri-fit shirt because you really don’t wanna attract attention as the newbie

this is good!! you now have a gym membership AND a personal trainer!!

you dON’T exactly need them but you feel you just do y’know!! there’s no harm in trying :D

you didn’t want jimin to be your personal trainer and he basically sULKED for a whole week

it’s not a him problem!! it’s a you problem!!!

you know that it’s a given that the trainers shOuld be excellently to a degree to actually train someone else

but it’s now dawning in you that HE’S the owner and he’s so intimidatingly good!!! you would look like a raw egg that’s just dumped haphazardly into a pot and he’s the perfectly-boiled egg :((

oh my god

jungkook feels like he’s gonna throw up with how nervous he is

it’s his first day as a personal trainer!! :D

he’s half-excited and half-terrified because holy shit fIRST of all this gym was hard to apply to in the first place

everyone’s flocking it because:

a) it’s really great

b) even greater benefits for the employees

c) the pay is hUGE

d) the equipment?? the morals?? the testimonials?? the owner?? the whole thing??? FANTASTIC

and second omg jungkook won’t admit it to anyone but uHm he’s kinda scared ok

he’s not the type of person that’s comfortable with ordering people around??? even if that’s technically his job???

like what if his first-ever client is a guy like jason momoa and that guy’s a fucking UNIT for sure

imagine hIM telling jASON MOMOA to give him three sets x twenty reps of push-ups

g-gulp

“or i can do it for you, i-if you want?”

he’s bouncing nervously on the balls of his feet and swinging his arms around forward and backward to make them clap quietly

“there, you’re all set!! i already filled up all the forms for you the moment i gave you the flyer!!”

“but-“

“your trainer’s... not me. but he’s uh, what’s his name again, jungkook!! what does he look like again — oh right!! i remember!!”

“jimin-“

“he should be the guy with the big doe eyes!! has a lot of dangly earrings!! if he’s not wearing a sweater then he should be the one who has some tattoos!!”

“no jimin-“

“off you go!! i’ll be bouncing around but i’ll keep an eye on you, don’t worry!! okay now go and i’ll let you have a sip of my gatorade even if we have the same drink :D”

.....

whew

there goes nothing then

you’re about to keep your duffel bag close as a reason to stall to getting to the locker room but jimin’s already one step ahead and snatched it from you

you didn’t even get your towel :((

it had a little blue cloud embroidered at the middle of it and it’s your Emotional Support Towel by default

you’re kinda nervous since there’s some pairs of eyes on you because after all they just saw you have the most carefree conversation with the owner they’re a lil scared to talk to

you’re wringing your hands together as you try to spot this jungkook with jimin’s descriptions and-

oh

oH

O H

jungkook looks so ????

wow?????

he’s gorgeous like that is nOt up for debate

he looks so fresh?? effortless?? handsome???

jungkook looks like he smells like baby powder and freshly-washed sheets

the baby powder that you’re tempted to snORt because it smells so good which was the one you’d put on your chest bc boob sweat and to prevent ur thighs chafing

he had to do a double-take on you because the first time he glanced at this walking person he immediately shut down

like when something looks sO pretty that you have to look away for a second because you literally can’t take it

oR like when you have this favorite scene of a movie and you have to physically pause it before rewinding and doing that for another six times

“are you perhaps jungkook?? because i’m not surE and-...”

“jungkook i am. i-i aM jeon jungkook!! yes, right, jungkook!!!!!”

holy fuck he’s stopped working

your mouth’s a little parted because you didn’t expect him to go on that lil spiel cLEARLY but omg he’s adorable!!!

if he could punch himself he really would

it’s taking him a second to regroup but you take the initiative to introduce yourself :D

“i’m y/n! you’re my trainer from what they told me :))”

you’re a lil more awkward when it comes to social interactions like these but it looks like you’re acing it when put in front of jungkook

the both of you shake hands and then immediately put it behind your back because wow u just shook the pretty boy’s hand AND it’s not even 8 in the morning yet!!

you haven’t even started the workout portion yet but ur already on fire

( jimin’s looking at the security footage and even HE’S blushing from the secondhand embarrassment jungkook’s brough oh my god )

(( jimin suddenly wishes he could unlearn reading people’s lips ))

“so, what brought you here?”

it’s jungkook who asks but he alsO wants to answer himself to say it’s fate aha :D

he’s getting you to stretches and he’s doing them with you!!

“to be honest?? well there was like a fIFTY percent discount but you already know all of that”

wait

what now

“a sale? what-...”

there’s an abrupt noise that goes through the whole gym and it makes the both of you flinch and you even yelP

if you see jimin lifting a 100lbs barbell only to throw it down and cut off jungkook from speaking THEN MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS

“you okay?”

jungkook asks you quietly and taps your shoulder and you’re about to faint right then and there of how you met like then minutes ago and he’s cONCERNED

the focus on today was flexibility plus easing you into working out!!!

stretches are the next best thing to working out and it’s a win-win combo bc you’re flexible aND you’re basically exerting effort = kind of a workout apparently

the bit of reaching your toes then doing a downward dog and the upward-facing dog right after to hear that satisfying grunt of your joints is a LITTLE awkward because jungkook’s looking at you

jungkook wants to look away but in the same time he can’t will himself to

one because he’s a young wide-eyed attracted man and twO he’s the trainer omg he needs to look at you!!!

“o-okay! just a set of jack jum — jUMPING JACKS!!! jumping jacks and we could start :)))”

no one told you.,.,.

no one told you where you should look when you’re doing jumping jacks

you can’t look downwards because that’ll throw you off and you can’t look up either because why?? what??? WHO are you seeking up there????

looking straight ahead is kinda awkward

the safe answer was everywhere at once according to you

you sneak a look at jungkook and you almost choke in your own spit with how handsome he still looks

you’re not gonna cope up with that fact probably ever

jungkook’s feeling a lil sweaty now because uHm he shouldn’t really be doing this with you technically

it’s usually a trainer doing it with you for like the first five reps and then letting you do it alone for the rest

but nO he’s doing this with you he doesn’t mind :D

he could feel a bead of sweat by his sideburns and he’s screaming internally to gO the fuck back where it came from

he wants to tear off his hoodie but he doesn’t know if he should since he doesn’t have a shirt underneath!!!

being shirtless to the gym isn’t new but you’re with him and nOW he feels nervous

honestly jungkook would rather overheat than to make you feel uncomfortable

news flash: you want to curl up into a ball and cry about thinking how you’d be sore the next day

you r about to give out and tear up a little bit because fuck this is nOT an introductory workout

you also don’t want to look like a wimp in front of jungkook because that is not a good look for your pride and you’d feel embarrassed for eternity

just two more to go!!

honestly fUCK fire hydrants!!! 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦?? 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕗𝕦𝕔𝕜 𝕒𝕣𝕖 𝕪𝕠𝕦?? 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕚𝕊?? 𝕨𝕙𝕠 𝕪𝕠𝕦 𝕓𝕖???? 𝕚 𝕕𝕠𝕟’𝕥 𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟 𝕜𝕟𝕠𝕨 𝕪𝕠 𝕒𝕊𝕊!!!

you raise your head because you’re getting dizzy looking down

jungkook’s looking at you and he sees you looking at him and it dOESN’T help the way you look right now

with you sweaty and grumbling under your breath and ur baby hair all over the place and ur eyes unfocused and fix at the same time a-and ur lips parted and-

JESUS LINE UP AT THE DMV RIGHT NOW TAKE THE WHEEL

jungkook’s so nervous and flustered that his limp actually trembles with how hot his cheeks are and he’s rambling out of nowhere

“fire hydrants amirite??? most certainly inspired by dogs and stuff because cooky, my chihuahua, does exactly that when he pees and-...”

THERE’S THAT LOUD BARBELL CLANGING AGAIN

oh my god he should not have said that

jungkook’s beyond mortified wHY DID HE SAY THAT

you look speechless and you aRE

you’re just nodding at him with a tight-lipped smile and if he knows better that’s because you’re so spent and a little light-headed and less off from his nervous rambling

planks,,, just planks,,, the final bit of it all

you don’t wanna get dizzy at the last stretch so you’re trying your best to not pay attention to the blood rushing to ur head

jungkook’s so distracted with his thoughts that he wordlessly adjusts you

lifts up your core while adjusting your feet closer before pressing his hand to your back and-

aHA FUCK

you now feel like you can run a marathon right after that

jungkook now feels like he can compete in a twenty-hour triathlon

he’s praising you to no end that you did sOOOO good!!! you really did!!!!

meanwhile your face is hot not only from that but also because you’ve endured hardship that felt like hours <3

you’re breathlessly laughing because wHEW you really did do that and wow you’re proud of yourself!!!! it’s not even 10 in the morning!!!

there’s a towel that’s gently patting your face section by section

:)

“you uhm, you didn’t have a towel with you so-“

jungkook pats at your neck to your nape and that’s when it hits that o-OH right i’ll leave you to that

you take the towel with a grin you’re fighting so hard and that’s when you realize that it’s not just a random gym one

but rather it was jungkook’s himself because it’s the same clean one he had in his hands awhile ago!!

you can smell him on it and you make sure to pat your face extra dry because you wouldn’t want to get your face sweaty now would you :D his perfume’s just a bonus, right :D

shouldn’t trainers be the cold and straight to the point ones and immediately leave right after you’re all done????

..... inch resting

“oh my gOD — mr. jimin sir-nim min jimin-nIM!!”

jungkook has the fright of his life when his boss appears from nowhere by his side

jimin laughs at how frazzled this guy is lmao but anyways he came here for you (as if he hasn’t been supervising from afar the whole time)

“want me to give you a ride home or?”

kook’s a little lost and he might just cry as he starts to think that oh wait a second are you guys-

“he’s my best friend.”

you whisper under your breath towards him and he unknowingly sighs in relief

“well did you get here using your jeep or your vespa???”

jimin has this jeep he passionately calls chimmy the jeep and he has a knack for naming things with a ring on it ok

and the other was a cream-colored vespa he bought like six months ago

he learned how to ride the bike a year ago and he was immediately let’s get this to the next level idc i’m getting a vESPA!!!

you have an iRRATIONAL fear of vespas

you’re okay with big bikes and regular motorcycles!!! in fact you find them less threatening than jimin’s motorcycle

the little wheels scare you and it’s just so??? it looks so bite-sized wHY does it look like that???? it looks like you could breathe an extra breath to your right and the vespa would steer to the right

ugh you hate his motorcycle sO bad

“well don’t you hAte public transport when you’re tired and all that???”

yikes you did

it’s true!! you’d call him to pick you up because the bus ride hits harder when you’ve had a long day and u feel every bump in the road possible

“i have a big bike!”

jungkook chimes in and he even raises his hand and that’s when he shuts up when he realizes his mistake

“no one asked mhmm i’m sorry jimin-nim sir hYung-nim”

your eyes widen as it sinks in you that oh my god he mIGHT be as into you as you are with him and that’s so ???? that’s such a heartwarming concept you can’t believe

jungkook has the same big brain moment and he takes your widened eyes as a signal to keep talking

“i have TWO helmets! but uhm one of them is for kooky and he’s a chihuahua, wait i already said that, so that means it’s just a tINY helmet i ordered from amazon but it’s okAy i can wear it!!! b-but i’m not forcing you or anything that i should take you home o-or no offense to mr. jimin-nim sir i am NOT underestimating you or-“

surprisingly, jimin doesn’t hate the idea of you and jungkook

ah he should probably adopt a dog and name them jupiter or sth,,, you and koo look like you’re gonna end up anyways

“okay. just bring her home in one piece.”

he’s oddly calm and that also makes YOU confused

jungkook isn’t confused however because the moment you turn, jimin mouths to him in korean and the rough translation was hurt her and i’ll kill you :D

you nodded your head and that meant he’s iNDEED taking you bome

he starts throwing things in his duffel bag (and he should still be in the gym but jimin jus gave him a free pass) and he’s wordlessly carrying yours too!!

he could feel your fist holding the back of his hoodie and jungkook just feels at peace :’’’)

wearing a ridiculous miniature helmet for dogs on top of his head that won’t do shit is tOTALLY worth it

[nicco-needs-love]

Back with the last two chapters! Quick warning, this is the chapter with a quick description of gore! It's short and it's not a canon character <3 y'all are so sweet omg- this is a looong one. Pretty sure it's around 4k .

(2/3)Red Proposal

"Ooooh isn't this exciting?! We're going to a wedding! God, this is awesome!"

"Shut up, rat! If I hear one more word about this damn thing we aren't  going!"

"Awww, come on, angel baby! This is an exciting day for everyone! I mean, we could take some pointers from this-"

"Shut up!"

Hyde is silenced by a pillow slamming against his face. Licht huffs, getting off their bed and stomping into their bathroom.

Hyde laughs, peeling the pillow off his face. He can't help but be excited, it's a wedding! Especially since it's a wedding for one of his siblings, most shockingly is Ildio getting married! Hyde is a sucker for weddings, the most romantic day of someone's life. Well, it's been about ten days out of Hyde's life, he tries not to think about that. He got up hours ago, already getting ready for Ildio's wedding. There's a dress code, obviously fancy attire, the really interesting thing though is that the wedding theme is all white. Hyde finds it ironic, a vampire and a mafia boss, having an all white wedding. Honestly it's a beautiful thing.

"Angelllll…! Don't leave me alone! I wanna cuddle~!"

"Oh my fucking god Hyde!"

Licht kicks open the bathroom door, clearly 'irritated'. Hyde laughs, his arms wide open for a well deserved cuddle session.

"Pleaseee!  Baby!"

Licht huffs, not in the mood to argue about this. He thinks that Hyde may actually need this. Licht doesn't ask about Hyde's past, it's a touchy subject for obvious reasons. The only time he really hears about it is during Hyde's emotional occasional rants. He knows that Hyde has been married multiple times, which is something that many people do, it's completely normal. However, multiple marriages don't have the same circumstances as Hyde's. Licht can understand that today can be an emotional day. So, he decided a few nights ago, when they got the wedding invitation and when Hyde started crying; that Licht would be much more tolerable to Hyde's antics. He lies down in Hyde's arms, Licht's face against Hyde's shoulder.

"There. Happy now?"

Hyde hums, laying his head on top of Licht's, smiling into his hair.

"Mhm. Very."

Unfortunately for Licht, he's very comfortable. This is a daily occurrence, much to Licht's 'dismay'. He's gotten used to Hyde's emotional swings, between being completely neurotic and bursting into tears. These little moments, usually last around ten minutes, are a highlight of Licht's day. No one would ever hear those words from his mouth, though.

"Y'know… I'm kinda worried for Wor and his Eve. Their wedding isn't gonna be public but it's much more public than I thought they were gonna do."

"What do you mean? It's a wedding, not a cult ritual. "

"No, no, I mean anyone could show up. I still remember Child's look when he found out there would be another wedding. I don't think he himself would do anything but his subclass? I'm not too sure."

"I think you're thinking too much into it, why would he even want to ruin a day like that? If it's not meant to be, they'll just divorce."

Hyde goes silent for a moment, mulling over not Licht's words, but Hugh's. Hugh would keep glancing over at Hyde while talking about how marriage doesn't work for Servamps. That it's just a painful thing for both of them. Hyde knows that Hugh was talking to Ildio, but the words felt directed at him. Even though he doesn't think about her anymore, it's a topic that will never be let go during meetings.

"Hey, it's rare for you to shut up."

Licht's words drag Hyde out of his thoughts. 

"Aha, sorry angel, just started thinking."

"Well. Stop thinking about other things, start thinking about me, an angel. "

Licht can feel Hyde smile against his head.

"Yeah, you're right, angel. You're the best to think about."

Hyde shouldn't be thinking about the negative things, especially on such a joyful day. He just can't help it. So much negativity has happened in the lives of the Servamps. Why would luck grace any of them today?

"This is going to be the best day of my life… this is going to be the best day of my life this is-" 

Niccolò keeps repeating that mantra in his head, it's not that he doesn't think this will be the best day of his life. He's just cripplingly worried and anxious about this day. What if he messes up? What if he falls down on his face while walking down the aisle? What if Ildio decides that's it, he doesn't want to get married? What if-

"Boss. Are you alright?"

Nicco looks over to Cappuccino, snapping out of yet another one of his worry sessions.

"Ah, I'm fine. Just… worrying."

"Shouldn't you-"

A knock on the door startles Niccolò, the door opens slowly.

"Sorry to interrupt, I just would like to have a conversation with Niccolò Carpe Diem."

The door completely opens, revealing a man that Niccolò doesn't know. By the look of the suit, he's most likely a member of another family. Nicco swallows heavily, feeling somewhat nervous at the sight of this. He takes a few steps forward, offering his hand to the stranger. In the corner of his eye, Nicco can see Cappuccino with a hand in his shirt, where everyone keeps their guns holstered. 

"Nice to meet you."

The stranger takes his hand, shaking it quite enthusiastically. 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet the new leader of the family! I knew your father, he was a wonderful man."

Niccolò raises a brow, giving a small smile. This man certainly caught Nicco off guard. He thought he knew everyone back when Father was alive. As he was ill for a long time, Nicco had met everyone within his father's social circle since he was going to inherit the family. With shame, Nicco thinks that he could not be paying enough attention to the events of other familiar families. He's done a decent job gaining all their trust but all of that could go away at any moment, it's a terrifying thought to Niccolò. 

"R-really? Well, it's wonderful to meet you again. You're welcome to stay if you'd like. This is a personal event and I don't think we've been in contact so this may be an awkward situation. "

The man shakes his head, still holding Nicco's hand. Nothing seems wrong with the man, his tone and presence seem harmless. Still, Nicco is on edge.

"What personal event is it? I just wanted to meet the new kingpin after your father's passing."

Niccolò drops the man's hand, the term 'kingpin' catching his attention. It's a word that Nicco hasn't heard in a long time. Especially in the business he's in, that word is very much a buzzword, a word that isn't used kindly. If this man actually knows the family, then that word would not be used.

"Forgive my rudeness but, which family are you a part of?"

The man smiles,

"Serpente."

Niccolò freezes, blood running cold. This family name… Nicco remembers it far too well, they were the first family that Nicco spared. He spared their boss, thinking that family would leave the city. Instead… They set aflame the building where a child and parents of a very close family of Nicco's. To this day, Niccolò still tears himself apart about it. If only he had shot that boss… He tenses, not too sure how to continue the conversation-

"Anyway, what event is going on today?"

Before Niccolò can even speak, the Serpente family member speaks. Nicco isn't sure he should even tell this man. However, if he acts suspicious now, things could go horribly wrong.

"It's uh… today's my wedding."

"Your wedding!? Well, who's the lucky lady?"

Nicco goes quiet, not sure what to say to this. For the few people that know about this wedding, they're fine with it. Not many people even need to know anyway, marriage isn't going to affect his job, and that's the most important thing. There's also the fact this marriage is complicated, it isn't a 'conventional' wedding. A gay marriage, a gay marriage with an immortal vampire and notorious mafia boss.

"Uhm… Well, I'm marrying a man. I'd say I'm the lucky one."

Niccolò chuckles, trying his damndest to add some humor. He isn't sure who this man is, besides the name… His hands are uncomfortably clammy, he's getting increasingly nervous by the moment. The man gives Nicco a look. A look that Nicco can place from looks he has seen in the church. Years of flashbacks, years of self loathing, years of tears. All of that from one glare. Niccolò takes a small step back, the step signaling Cappuccino to get a grip on his gun. Nicco doesn't want to start a fight, especially today. He already had started getting ready for the wedding. He was going to be the one walking down the aisle. Already in his white suit. The last thing Nicco wants is to get into a fight with the stranger, getting either his own blood or this man's everywhere.

"I see… Well, I hope you have a wonderful wedding! I'd love to stay for the ceremony! I'll be back for the meals!"

The man laughs, walking right out where he came. Niccolò blinks, he sighs loudly, tension leaving his shoulders like a boulder. 

"Grazie Dio…"

He comments, shoulders slumping down.

"Did he say he was a part of… Serpente?"

Cappuccino says hesitantly, not sure if he heard right. Nicco nods, rubbing his temple. 

"Yes… I'm not sure he was telling the truth…"

Niccolò knows he shouldn't let this get to him, it could have just been a new boss wanting to make amends with Nicco. Yet, here he is, getting freaked out and very weary of what just happened. 

"This is going to be the best day of my life… This is going to be the best day of my life."

"Ohhh this is so exciting oh my god! You're getting married!"

"Law, shut up."

The wedding just began. Ildio waiting at the altar, the best men and women of both grooms on each side of the altar. Ironically, a priest at the forefront of said altar. It's a beautiful sight, everyone all dressed in white suits and dresses. White chiffon curtains tied to trees, white rose petals scattered throughout the grounds, a gorgeous pearl white five-tier cake, it's a stunning scene. All the chairs filled with people, there aren't many chairs, a grand total of twelve. The Servamps are standing with Ildio, the best men, and one woman. Even Hugh showed up, it took a lot of convincing but he ended up showing up. Of course, when he did, Hyde gave Hugh a long talk about saying anything negative today. Surprisingly, he agreed and even apologized. Their Eves are all sitting down in the pure white chairs. The other chairs filled with Niccolò's family. Ildio even got to meet Niccolò's sister, who looks uncannily similar to Nicco. She's a very kind person, can't hold a candle to the kind heart or beauty of Niccolò, but still a very kind and lovely person.

The only thing the wedding is missing is Niccolò. Ildio can't help but be excited for this. A moment that he never thought he would ever experience in his life. Or even want to experience. Yet, here he is, wanting to marry Niccolò, wanting to spend as much time with him as he possibly can. It could be the romantic movies that Hyde would make Ildio watch when those movies were all the rage. Ildio can't wait to see Nicco walk down the aisle, to see his beautiful face. It's almost comical how much Ildio has changed, gone is the man who only wanted food and blood. Well, he still needs both of them, those things just aren't the only things he thinks about now.

A quiet song starts to play in the background, a song that Ildio knows very well from long drives together with Niccolò. La storia infinita. If the couple were to have a song, this would be it. The song is slower than usual, the lyrics accompanied by a soft piano. 

Then… There he is. The man that Ildio is helplessly in love with. Niccolò Carpe Diem. He always looks beautiful but today… Today he looks ethereal. It's ironic because Nicco always calls Ildio his God but here, Nicco is the one who looks like an Adonis. He's wearing a pure white suit, fitting him perfectly in all the right places, the cuffs of his coat and pants are a delicate lace. Nicco's long, beautiful hair is placed in a low bun. A sheer, delicate lace veil covers Niccolò's face. The last detail, the thing that makes him look even more stunning is a dark green rose in his suit pocket. Ildio has no words; their song playing quietly in the background, Niccolò looking like a God walking down the aisle. Ildio can't help the tears starting to roll down his face. He can't name a time that he's ever cried happy tears, or cried ever.

Niccolò continues walking up the aisle, the beautiful song picks up in sound, right as Nicco reaches the altar. He can't believe it. This is the day he's getting married. Getting married to Ildio of all people. It's not that Nicco didn't think he would ever fall in love. The thing is, he never thought anyone would love him back. Niccolò never thought that someone would care enough about him emotionally or romantically. Yet, here he is, getting married to the man he is hopelessly in love with. Nicco knows that he won't live forever, it's a horrible thing to think about, that one day, he'll die and leave Ildio behind.

The preacher starts speaking, reading from a holy book; going silent for each of them to recite their vows.

"I, Niccolò Carpe Diem, take thee, World End, Ildio, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better and for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till…"

Niccolò goes silent for a moment, thinking about this word. 'Till death do us part.' Nicco isn't sure he wants to say that, he feels like it would be disrespectful to Ildio because death will do them part… Except Nicco is the only one who'll die.

Ildio grabs one of Niccolò's hands, rubbing the inside of his palm, as if telling Nicco it's okay. At this point, tears are running down both of their faces, tears of extreme joy, but tears nonetheless. They aren't the only ones either. Almost everyone in the ceremony is reduced to tears.

"-Till death do us part. According to my beliefs, I hereby pledge to you my eternal love."

Ildio inhales, he can't believe he's hearing these words. These words that he's thought about hearing from Niccolò's mouth many times. Actually hearing them is an entirely different thing. He didn't expect a slight crack at some of the words, Nicco shakily inhaling from tears. Nor did Ildio expect Nicco to stop in the middle of the vows, as if asking to continue with the last few verses. 

"I, World End, Ildio, take you, Niccolò Carpe Diem, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better, for worse, for rich and for poor, in sickness and health, to love and cherish until… Until death do us part. I pledge to you all my love."

Ildio turns red after finishing his vows. He missed a few things, he tried to memorize the vows but he couldn't help getting lost looking at Niccolò. The lines about death taste sour in his mouth. He wants to just forget about the fact that he's a Servamp. That one day he'll outlive his precious Nicco. For now, all Ildio can do is hope to ignore it.

"Is there anyone who wishes to object to this holy, wonderful matrimony?"

Silence. Nicco had turned his head for just a moment to see if anyone was going to say anything, he turns back to Ildio, smiling. Ildio grabs the ring that he picked out, picking up Niccolò's hand-

BOOM!

It's as if time starts to slow. Ildio looks at Nicco, seeing a large splotch of red starting to bloom against his shoulder. Niccolò stumbles, catching himself before he can fall or before Ildio can catch him. The blood quickly travels to cover almost all of Nicco's front suit. 

A loud shrill scream echoes throughout the lot, a scream from Nicco's sister. 

Ildio sees red. Not red from blood. No, red hot rage. So furious that he can't see anything but red. Following the smell of the gunpowder, he runs to the shooter. It all goes red.

Niccolò presses an unsteady hand against the gunshot wound, a shot from a revolver. He knows he won't die from a shot like this, he's had much worse injuries. His waistcoat is stark red, a horrifying contrast against the white. Nicco looks around, desperately hoping that everyone is okay. He meets eyes with his sister, who is racing over to him.

"Oh Mio Dio Niccolò?! Stai bene!?"

"Sto bene, sorella…"

Niccolò speaks Italian in a shaky voice. He's shocked, not going into shock, but shocked that he would be shot on his damn wedding day. Niccolò's sister grabs his hands, looking terrified. 

"I'm okay… Just shaken up."

"Sh-shaken up!? You've been shot, Nicco!"

Niccolò looks down, realizing the blood is traveling to his pants as it's completely covering his shirt. Some of his blood paints his sister's dress, staining a large portion of the bottom white tulle red. 

Loud, vicious moist sounds fill the air. Terror grips Niccolò, he turns to look where the sound is, terrified that something may have just happened to his beloved Ildio-

Jesus…

Ildio is panting, whole body heaving in quick breaths. Blood is everywhere. Covering his mouth, bits and pieces in his hair, his entire outfit is entirely deep crimson. Beneath his feet is a body, or… the small remains of a body. All that's left is an open chest, organs strewed throughout the entire yard. Deep red mush where the head is supposed to be, legs and arms gone, thrown in multiple different directions. A large pool of blood is beneath Ildio, obviously not his, but the shooter. A large gun, the one that shot Nicco, lays a few feet away. Niccolò feels sick, bile rising in his throat at the sight. He's seen Ildio's rages. He thought he had seen the worst. This… This is the most violent thing Nicco has ever seen. He turns his head to retch, moving over not to get any of his morning breakfast on any of the guests who haven't run for the hills. Which none of them have.

Niccolò walks over to Ildio, trying very hard to ignore the squelching of his shoes in blood.

"...Il?"

The red slowly fades back to color, Ildio coming back to his senses. He looks around, taking in the gory scene beneath him. He takes a few steps back, eyes widening. He's done this before, he's let his fury take hold of him. However, this is the worst that Ildio has ever been. Ildio turns around, catching Niccolò just in time before his body hits the ground.

"Ti ho usata come una risposta. Ma eri milioni di domande." 

(Just to not confuse anyone, the last line is the last verse from their wedding song^^)

[ughgclden]

hi!! congrats on 700!!!!! i’m sending so many cuddles!

can i please get a romantic pairing please?🧸 (if you’re not too busy of course!)

i’m 16 and an infp 9w1 , i use she/her pronouns. i have glasses, brown hair and brown eyes, my hair sits above my collar bone (i also have curtain bangs) i also have really bad eye bags (i get told i look like corpse bride :// lmao). i like to think of myself as a kind person and i love making thoughtful gifts for people, helping others and i’m also known as the door holder at my school aha. i tend to get excited very easily and i like pointing out all the little things i love. i’m very nonjudgmental which is kind of a bad thing? people can sometimes can be quite nasty to me and i excuse their behaviour/not realise. i’m very much an introvert and i’m very shy when you first meet me. i get really anxious a lot which i hope doesn’t annoy others. i don’t really talk about my feelings at all so it does take a lot of work for me to open up i guess. i’m quite the academic and for now i do really well in my subjects. i love art, reading, baking, crocheting and hiking. i especially love to sketch. i’m also a massive philosophy nerd! my pets mean everything to me (i have a little turtle, two dogs and a kitten) i love going for walks and taking photos with all the little cats i see. i’m sorry for writing so much but hopefully it helps? congrats once again!! you deserve everything and so much more!! i’m sending hugs <33

hi!!! thank you so so much omg you're so sweet <3 and of course!!!

i'd pair you with...

the second i read this my mind screamed pitts. you two would be perfect for one another!

pitts thinks you're perfection from the moment he sees you; he loves your curtain bangs and thinks they look so cool, and also thinks your glasses really highlight your eyes. pitts gets quite nervous when he realises how shy you are, but with a push from the other poets he finally talks to you, and you slowly but surely become extremely close.

any time you give him a thought out gift, he thinks his heart is fit to burst. he'll admire it for a few minutes all while thanking you profusely, then place it down and pull you into the tightest hug. he tries to extend this to you, and puts so much thought into gifts for any occasion, especially your birthday and anniversaries. sometimes, he'll even try to make you something himself.

like you, pitts is an excitable person. you two often point small things out to one another and get excited about them together, chatting frantically amongst yourselves much to the amusement of the other poets. hiking often results in you both stopping every five minutes to point out a cute dog someone has, or a pretty shape in the clouds.

pitts always ensures that you remember to stand up for yourself. if you're telling him about someone who was mean or rude to you and start making excuses, he'll give you a look and remind you that whilst your forgiving nature is incredibly endearing, you shouldn't put up with shit from others. he's also very mindful of how anxious you can get, and does his best to show you that you could never annoy him at all - he's always happy to give you reassurance. if he notices you're upset, he'll try his hardest to get you to tell him what's up. it doesn't matter if it takes five minutes or five hours, he wants to get to the bottom of it so he can help or comfort you in the best way he can.

pittsie begs you to teach him how to crotchet - it's always seemed really interesting to him but he's never quite learned how to do it. the instant he finishes his first project, he hands it to you with a proud smile. yeah, it's a little sloppy and wonky, but it was made with love and that's all he cares about.

this boy loves your pets. loves them. he thinks your dogs and kitten are super cute, but he is absolutely fascinated by your turtle and will just sit and watch it doing it's thing. he often jokes about stealing it when you go to sleep - he's only half serious.

you two often have quite philosophical discussions. well, more you talking philosophy to pitts and him listening and responding in the right places, but he wouldn't have it any other way.

baking with pitts is quite common! this boy knows how to bake, and you often spend a saturday in the kitchen with one another baking cookies. pitts flicks flour at you and twirls you around a lot so it's a miracle they don't burn, but it's always a good time.

steals your glasses. all. the. time. you'll be trying to do something and suddenly your glasses have been ripped from your face and placed onto pitts' nose bridge. he gives them back, eventually.

okay this got very long for some reason?? im so sorry omg but i hope you like it!! as you can tell i really enjoyed writing this and got a bit carried away, so thank you for sending something in!! <33

[aspenflower17]

Finding You (Part Ten of ??)

Aha! Finally it is done!

Hey everyone! It’s been one Monday of a week, but I finally had today (Saturday) off so I finally got to work on this update. I also thought I’d give you guys an update on my scheduling. One of the supervisor’s at work is done with her semester at college, so I’m probably not going to have a set schedule for awhile. That means the only day I know I will have off is Sunday. I usually work on writing on my day off, so updates are probably going to vary wildly from week to week. If I don’t get one out the rest of the week, you should see an update from me on Sunday (though it might be at a late hour, like this week).

Anywho, I hope you’re all doing alright and that you’re staying safe. I know I have some readers who recently had Finals Week (or whatever the equivalent of that is for you). I want to congratulate you on finishing your semester (because it is a big accomplishment), and that I hope you got high marks on your respective tests/projects/ect.

So, as always, if you’re new here, here is the link to Part One. You can also find the links to all the parts on my Master List if you’ve missed any of the other updates :)

This update was brought to you by the support of the following: @simpingforsatan @naimena @hachimochi @wrathandgreed @magi-minminxiii @rensphilia @a-dream-at-night @chloelikesobeyme @getbehindme-satan @theuglypugling (Seriously, thanks so much for the support you guys! I love each and every one of you!) If you’d like to be on the tags list for any future updates, please just drop a comment below or send me a message!

Satan/Mc

Word Count: 4,144

Trigger warnings: There might be some language in this one, Satan gets PISSED

“Will you just sit down Satan? You’re making me nervous,” Asmo complained, watching his brother with concern.

“Yeah. You’re totally breaking my concentration here,” Levi chimed in, not looking up from his game.

“Well, you can take your complaints to Lucifer,” Satan stated, starting what had to be his 200th pass on the same stretch of the ballroom, “I don’t know why we had to be here so early.”

“We got here ten minutes ago,” Belphie sighed, leaning on Beel, “You’re just nervous.”

“And what if I am?” Satan asked, his anxiety adding bite to the question.

“We’re all nervous,” Beel gently reminded Satan, “We’ve all missed our favorite human.”

“Not human anymore,” Mammon muttered, glaring at some undefined point in front of him, leg shaking anxiously. He had been uncharacteristically quiet ever since the night of the art show, gone most of the day, and retreating to his room when he was home.

An awkward hush fell across the group at his words, everyone’s thoughts turning inward. Satan sighed and sat down, the feathers on his boa trying their hardest to enter his mouth. The lacing on his shirt threatened to strangle him along with the collar, and his tail kept flexing around his leg. He was a bundle of nerves, and he couldn’t seem to relax. He had wanted to wear a simple suit or tuxedo, but the invitation from Diavolo had explicitly said demon forms were to be used.

A strangled but disgusted gasp escaped Asmo’s mouth, “What the hell is he doing here?!”

“Another jilted lover Asmo?” Belphie asked, rolling his eyes.

“No! It’s Michael!” Everyone’s head whipped up at that, even Levi.

“OMG! WFT?” Levi exclaimed, eyes large and worried.

“Bro, why is he here?” Mammon nearly growled, glaring at the man in question.

“I don’t know, but I want him to leave!” Asmo’s voice was getting more shrill as time went on.

“Is tha’ Lord Diavolo with ‘im?” Mammon asked, still glaring, though he wasn’t growling anymore.

“OMG, you’re right. They're laughing together too!” Levi narrated.

Beel had joined Mammon in glaring at Michael, as his twin smiled smugly, “Oh, you guys didn’t know?” Everyone looked over at that and you could tell Belphie was relishing in the shock, “Mc came with some angels. I hear Luke’s here too.”

“How can you possibly be happy about this?”

“What are you all gawking at? You all look like you’ve-” Lucifer cut off, finally seeing what his brothers were looking at. If he hadn’t already been in his demon form, Satan was fairly sure he would’ve burst into it immediately, though he didn’t look as surprised as Satan would expect him to.

“Oh.” 

The absolute contempt and disgust that dripped from that single word had all the brothers sharing looks, most very concerned. Belphie caught Satan’s eye, shooting him a sly, wicked grin. Satan wanted to share in Belphie’s enjoyment, but his mind was taking this new roadblock into account, trying to figure out how this was going to factor into his plan.

Satan didn’t really have an opinion on Michael. He had never really met the angel, his only knowledge of him coming from his shared memories with Lucifer, the little he’d heard from his brothers, and what he’d gleaned from Luke and Simeon’s conversations, not that he really cared. He simply wasn’t someone who mattered. That is, until now.

“Did you know Lucifer?” Asmo asked.

“Diavolo had told me Mc had come with two angels, though he didn’t mention names. I just assumed it was Simeon and Luke,” Lucifer was still watching Diavolo and Michael talking, though he had taken on a frigid demeanor, arms crossed and eyes narrowed. You didn’t have to be the Avatar of Wrath to sense the boiling anger underneath the frosty exterior.

Barbatos walked over to Diavolo and whispered something. The Demon Prince nodded and stood up, the congregation quieting, “Hello and welcome, each and every one of you! I’m so glad you could make it!” he voice boomed out into the 

Levi scoffed, “As if we had a choice.”

“Shaddup. Ya wanted to come jus’as much as the rest of us,” Mammon hissed.

“As most of you know, this ball is in honor of Jane Doe,”

“Wait.. Who’s that?” Beel asked, confused.

“That’s her pseudonym,” Belphie explained softly, Beel nodding his understanding.

“We have other guest’s as well, who came with Jane. Michael, the archangel,” Diavolo gestured to Michael who raised his hand in greeting with a smile, “And Luke, Jane’s older brother. You may all remember him when he was here as one of our first exchange students,” A blonde male who had been sitting by Michael inclined his head.

“Oh my gosh, that’s Luke?!” Asmo said loudly enough some nearby demons looked over.

“I didn’t even recognize him,” Levi murmured.

“Did he say brother?” Mammon asked.

“Shhhh!” Lucifer hissed as Diavolo continued.

“Now for the person you’ve all been waiting for, Jane Doe,” all the brothers held their breath as Mc walked over to Diavolo, an absolute vision. All of the brothers were transfixed, their own personal feelings overcoming everything else. Lucifer, having already seen Mc at the palace was the first to recover, looked over to Satan to see how he was doing. He was encouraged by what he saw. Satan was subconsciously touching his pocket where he knew he letter was at. Though he seemed a bit nervous, the fierce resolve in his eyes made him smile proudly, before looking back to Diavolo.

“I hope you all treat our guests with the same respect and kindness they’ll give to you. With the introductions done, let the party commence!”

“So, what’s the plan Satan?” Asmo asked, bringing the fourth born out of his head.

“What do you mean?”

“Well, you need to talk with Mc right?” at the nod he continued, “Well, how about we help you?”

“We?” Belphie sighed, grabbing a lock of his hair.

“Yes we,” Asmo sighed, rolling his eyes.

Belphie sighed, but turned to look at Satan anyways, “Well, if I have to help, what do you need?”

“I just need to give her a letter,” Satan explained, about to tell everyone they didn’t need to bother, but he didn’t get the chance.

“Don’t you want to talk to her though?” Levi asked.

“Well, I need her to read this first. I didn’t make the best impression last time, and I don’t think I’ll be much better this time around,” Satan admitted, looking chagrined. He hadn’t told any of the brothers the entirety of what happened.

“Easy enough,” Mammon announced, getting up, “We just need to walk over and give it to her then.”

“Not so fast Mammon,” Lucifer said, motioning for him to sit, “She’s probably going to be flanked by those two angels all evening. I don’t know if they’d take well to one of us handing Lillith’s descendant a letter. Luke at least, is aware of Satan’s attachment to Mc, and last time I checked, he’s not a fan of ours. As for the other…” Lucifer trailed off, irritation twisting his features, “Who knows how that may go.”

“So we need to make sure to separate them all,” Levi mused.

“Do you have any ideas on how to do that? Like, anything from one of your anime’s?” Asmo asked.

“I mean, there’s the ‘trying to get the main character and love interest alone’, but it doesn’t always work, though it’s entertaining to watch.”

“Well, we want this to go well,” Asmo sighed, rolling his eyes.

“What about you then? Where’s your grand idea?” Levi scoffed.

“Actually, I do have an idea,” Asmo giggled.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I really should’ve just done this myself,” Satan sighed, Asmo standing next to him.

“Oh, shush! This will turn out great, just wait.”

“When’s it supposed to work then? I mean, we’ve been standing here for an hour and we haven't caught a glimpse of Mc.”

“Patience, patience. Beel and Belphie… Well, Beel already has Luke distracted with food talk, and Lucifer’s doing a good job of keeping Michael… On his toes, I guess?”

“I do have to admit watching him run away from Michael is amusing,” Satan chuckled, his eyes darting to Lucifer from their perch on the balcony above the dancefloor. He was obviously fighting his pride, knowing he was running away from Michael, but unable to stay and deal with the angel who wouldn’t stop trying to find him, partially due to his pride as well. Looking back to Michael, Satan grinned, “Gotcha!”

“Wha… Oh! There she is! Told you!” Asmo nearly shouted.

“That was my ear.”

“Oop. Sorry.”

Satan watched Mc speak with Michael, noting all the small changes in her behavior. There was a level of refinement that hadn’t been there before, which made perfect sense seeing as how she had been raised in the Celestial Realm by Simeon. She was more graceful for one thing, and seemed more calm and at ease than he remembered her. She did seem more reserved and closed off than before, though that could just because she was talking with a superior. She was fairly open with me until I screwed it up, so hopefully she retained that part of herself, and hopefully I didn’t screw it up.

Asmo sighed, “Lucifer isn’t doing his job.”

“Did you really expect him to? He did say he didn’t want to be part of whatever you were planning.”

“Well, Michael chose to follow him. He was chosen. It’s fate.”

“Still doesn’t mean he’s going to actively participate.”

“Fine. Looks like I’m going to have to have Mammon and Levi do some work for us.”

“You really don’t have to do this. I can handle it.”

“Yeah, but that’s no fun. I also want to mess with Michael as much as possible.”

“Fine. What do we do next?”

“We have to get down onto the dance floor. I’m calling Mammon right now.”

They found the staircase closest to Mc and Michael and made their way down, Asmo on his DDD the whole time, “Yes… Do you see us? Oh, there you are. Do you see them? No, left… Left! Your other left! Mammon, how are you this stupid?... I’m not the one who can’t see-... No, you listen! I can’t stand that you-... How dare you! I- Ugh, fine… Yup, just distract him…” Asmo laughed, “No, though I would pay to see that. Maybe, walk past and see if he takes the bait?... Well, you’re just going to have to deal with it Levi… Look, the sooner we get this done, the sooner you can get back to your game… Wow, I thought you wanted Mc back, but I guess not. I’ll just have to make sure she doesn’t spend anytime with you… Then get your act together! Okay, Mammon, we’re close enough now. Alright, take it away.”

Satan watched as Mammon and Levi stepped out of the crowd, Mammon talking loudly enough to turn a lot of heads. Unfortunately, Michael was not one of these, though Mc seemed interested in what was going on. She seemed to ask Michael about it, but he just brushed it off, continuing to talk.

“Why does Mammon think he’s such hot stuff?” Asmo asked, rubbing his forehead.

“Don’t frown too much. You’ll get wrinkles,” Satan gently chided.

“You’re right,” Asmo sighed, “I just don’t know how to… Whoa. Look at that.”

Satan looked to find Diavolo talking with Mc and Michael. He also spied Lucifer keeping his distance, but frowning so intensely he was surprised Diavolo couldn't feel it. Michael said something and Diavolo laughed delightedly, motioning for Mc and Michael to join him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She’s alone now. I’ll cover you!” Asmo hissed, pushing Satan forward.

Mc was sitting on a bench, on the outskirts of the room. She was watching the crowd with interest, eyes bright and curious. Satan hesitated, before steeling himself and walking forward, letter in hand. He was almost close enough to her to call out, when some demon approached her. Satan turned on his heel, and concealed himself in the crowd. He watched the demon extend their hand, heart sinking as he realized what that meant. She smiled and nodded her head, taking their hand as she was escorted out onto the dancefloor.

“What happened? Where’d she go?” Asmo asked, joining his brother.

“Someone asked her to dance before I got there,” Satan muttered irritably.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Satan looked at the time on his DDD. There was only two hours left of the ball, and he still had the letter. The past hour had been spent trying to figure out how to get Luke to leave Mc’s side without much luck. Beel had apparently gone to raid the food table and then the palace kitchen, and Belphie had fallen asleep, so Luke had found his way back to his sister and hadn’t left her side since. Worse yet, it seemed his opinion on demons was unchanged, keeping most of those that came over to talk to the artist at bay with a single look.

“He needs to leave so we can get on with this.” Asmo huffed, upset his plan was failing.

“Well, he is a chihuahua,” Levi said distractedly, “I can’t… say for certain, but he’s probably… Trying to keep her out of trouble… Woot! Got it!”

“Levi, could you stop gaming for five seconds?” Asmo sighed.

“Well, I have bad ideas, so no. You’re lucky I decided to stick around at all,” Levi huffed, eyebrows furrowed, though from the game or Asmo, Satan didn’t know.

“Oh come on! Are you really that upset by my comment?” When Levi didn’t answer, Asmo rolled his eyes and scoffed.

“Do you have any ideas then Levi?” Satan asked

“Not really.”

“Yo, yo, yo! Luke! What’s happenin’ my man?”

Both Mc, Luke and all three brother’s  looked over at Mammon strolling toward the duo through the crowd.

“Is he seriously…?” Levi asked.

“I think so…” Satan answered, shocked.

“How’ve ya’ been?” Mammon asked, grinning at the blonde angel.

“Fine I suppose,” Luke answered, suspicion lacing his words.

“Nice, nice. So, this is your sister?” The emphasis on the word left no interpretation of what he thought of the title.

“Yup. Of course, you can understand an angel’s definition of sibling though, don’t you Mammon?” Luke shot back.

“Oh! You’re Mammon!” Mc said suddenly, turning her full attention to Mammon “I’ve heard a lot about you!”

Mammon turned bright red, “Oh, you’ve heard of the Great Mammon?”

“Of course!” Mc beamed at him.

Mammon started stuttering, “W-W-Well, o-of course ya’ have.”

Mc giggled a bit at that, smiling at the second born, “I was actually hoping you might have some time you could spare to answer some of my questions.”

Satan was sure Mammon was going to combust, but Mc wrapped her arm around his anyways, “We’ll be back Luke.”

The blonde angel seemed like he wanted to argue, but something was holding him back, “I’ll be waiting then.” Mc nodded at him, and then walked off with Mammon.

“Wh… What just happened?” Levi nearly squealed.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“I hear Mammon got to talk to Mc before you did.”

“Shut up Lucifer,” Satan muttered.

“Where are they?” Lucifer asked, and Satan pointed to a bench where Mc and Mammon were sitting. They seemed deep in a conversation.

“Interesting. I had to see it to believe it.”

“What’ve you been doing this whole time?”

“I’ve been… walking around…”

“Hiding from Michael.”

“That would imply I’m scared of him.”

“MmmmHmmm.”

“I do not fear Michael.”

“Good to hear, since he’s coming this way.”

Lucifer instantly started walking forward, stopping by some random succubus, “Hello, Jezebel. Would you like to dance?” Lucifer asked, barely waiting for a response before dragging her out onto the dance floor.

Satan was still chuckling, Lucifer’s discomfort making his misfortune seem better, when a male voice he remembered from memory but had never actually heard addressed him, “Are you Satan, Lucifer’s… son?”

Satan blinked a couple times, “Excuse me?”

“That is you right? Or do you prefer something different? Spawn of Lucifer?” Michael cocked his head a bit, seeming a little confused.

Some rational part of Satan’s brain was the only thing keeping him from jumping on the angel and ripping him to shreds. He couldn’t keep the growl from his voice as he responded, “I am Satan, THE Avatar of WRATH.”

“Oh, I seem to have hit a nerve. My apologies,” Michael said, actually bowing. Satan narrowed his eyes, tail flexing around his leg. Has he always been this stupid? Or is he mocking me?

“I was wondering if we could speak. Privately,” Michael said, his smile showing he knew he’d said something wrong.

“Anything you want to say you can say here, Michael.”

“I do think it would be better for us to speak privately,” Satan could feel Michael’s irritation building a bit.

“Why? So you can try to hurt my brother’s again by killing another of their siblings?”

The shock on Michael’s face satiated Satan’s anger enough that he almost laughed at it. Michael quickly put on a blank look, but Satan could hear the sorrow in his voice, “Though it is always unfortunate when an angel dies, I do not regret any of my actions. When someone goes against what they know to be right, there will always be consequences.”

“Of course. Always the errand boy, blindly doing whatever it is you’re told to do.”

“How would you know? You weren’t even around to know her. I’m not sure what lies you’ve been fed-”

“I was there, you imbecile,” Satan seethed, “I saw how your actions helped push Lucifer towards rebellion, knowingly or not, and how you stabbed him in the back once he was finally there. I remember them, and I find your actions to be deplorable.”

“Now listen here, you demon-”

“Oh, I’m the demon here?! Shall I describe, in detail, how you-”

“Everythin’ cool here?” Mammon came up next to Satan, putting a calming hand on his shoulder.

Satan whipped his head to look at Mammon, confirming that, yes, Mammon had heard what Michael had said.

“Ah, Mammon. It’s been awhile.”

Mammon looked over at Michael, his disgust thinly veiled, “Yeah, sure.”

“I would like to talk with your… brother, but he doesn’t seem to want to.”

“Good fer him. Tah be honest with ya’, I don’ trust ya’ Michael. I didn’ up in the Celestial Realm, and I don’ now. If ya’ wanna’ talk with Satan, I suggest ya’ do it where we can all see ya’.”

Satan felt two hands on his shoulders, and looked back to see both Beel and Belphie standing behind him. Neither one of them looked very happy, but Beel’s look was a lot more intense than Belphie’s.

Michael sighed, especially after seeing the twins, “If you’re not going to allow me to explain, I can only tell you this: It is imperative she not remember her past. It will hurt both of you more than you could ever know. Now, I have things to do, if you’ll excuse me,” and with that, he left.

“I really don’ like that guy,” Mammon shook his head, “Oh, Satan, hol’ on a sec. Imma be right back,” and with that, he took off.

“You okay Satan?” Beel asked, still frowning after Michael.

“Yeah, things just got a bit intense there for a second. Thanks.”

“I don’t think your thanks is going to stop here. We’re going to leave you now. Have fun,” Belphie smirked before wandering off with Beel.

Satan shook his head at all the weirdness happening around him, before resuming his place along the wall. He didn’t know how things had escalated that quickly with Michael, especially considering the guy had never done anything to him personally. Yeah, he had all the memories of Lucifer being angry at him, and he had hurt his brother’s, but he had never had any personal problems with him. Well, a lot of Lucifer’s anger started because of Michael, and that’s what I was born from… The small voice in the back of his head started acting up, though he often tried to keep it quiet, You’re more like Lucifer then you want to admit.

He growled a bit at the voice, before starting to wander around. People watching always helped calm him down. It was one of the things he had done in his early life to help him learn how to interact with others, at Asmo’s suggestion. He always found something new to store away in his brain, and the problem solving helped calm his brain.

“There ya’ are! We’ve been lookin’ for ya’.”

We? Satan turned to Mammon to see Mc standing next to him. Satan froze, having not prepared himself to talk to her.

“She asked me ta dance, but cha know I’m more of a solo dancer myself, so I was wondering if you would for me?”

“I… Uhhh… Yes, if she would like,” Satan finally managed to get out, watching Mc for any negative reactions.

“I have no problems with it,” Mc answered cryptically, nothing in her tone or mannerisms betraying how she actually felt about the suggested change.

“Uh… Perfect, I guess. Have fun you two,” Mammon announced before walking off.

I could both hug him and punch him, Satan thought, though what came out of his mouth was, “Well, may I have this dance?” while extending his hand to her.

A smile graced her lips, “You certain may.”

He led her out onto the dance floor, still lightly holding her hand. He was still nervous, but not like he was the last time they’d met. He let his mask start to slip when he faced her, “I’m very glad you accepted my invitation to dance,” he slipped his hand to its proper place for the waltz as the music started.

“It’s my pleasure,” She smiled, though not as warmly as he would’ve hoped. They started dancing effortlessly, Satan extremely happy they were still in sync. If only the conversation flowed as easily. Satan spent the first full minute of the dance just trying to figure out what to say to her, also trying not to think about how beautiful she looked.

Finally, he figured out something neutral to say, “Have you been enjoying the Devildom?”

“Yes, I have, thank you for asking.”

“What’s been your favorite part?”

Mc took a minute to think, “I would have to say… Sightseeing. There’s a lot here I could have never imagined existing in the Celestial Realm.”

“Ah. Have you visited the Royal Library yet?”

“I have actually. I’ve been researching for my next art project.”

“You’re working on a new art project?”

“Yes. I feel rather inspired here.”

“I look forward to seeing it. Are you planning on showing it in the Devildom?”

“Quite possibly.”

“Good. We need new art down here,” Satan said before the conversation lapsed back into silence. It was towards the end of the song that Satan decided to bring up the elephant in the room, “I’ve ummm… Been hoping I would see you again.”

“As have I.”

“You have?” he asked, extremely surprised.

“Yes. I’ve been trying to figure out why you acted the way you did.”

Oh.

“I apologize for that. I… Well, I actually wrote you a letter to explain it. I know my behavior was… off to say the least. I’ve been going through a lot lately, and I apologize that it negatively affected my behavior towards you.”

“You wrote me a letter?”

“Yes. I find I can express myself far better and with far more accuracy by writing than by talking.”

“Ah. Do… Do you have that letter with you?” Her voice was small when she asked.

“I do. I was planning to give it to you tonight anyways.”

“You were?”

“Oh, I said that out loud didn’t I?” Mc giggled at that and Satan felt better, the mask slipping even more, “I’ve been trying to find a good time to give it to you all night actually.”

“Really?” Her smile was curious and a bit teasing.

“Er, yeah. I hope you’re okay with that.”

“I think that’s alright,” Mc smiled, finally seeming at ease around him.

The song ended then, and Satan reached into his back pocket to produce the letter, “Here it is.”

“I’ll make sure to read it,” Mc promised, reaching for the letter. Their fingers brushed when she went to grab it, and they both blushed at the contact, “Well, I’m going to go find Luke. Thank you for the dance.”

“No, thank you,” Satan said sincerely, smiling softly.

She smiled back, and with that she was gone.

“Heh. You owe me don’ cha’,” Mammon’s voice came from behind him, sounding pretty smug.

“I’d say you’ve made up for not telling me she was in town.”

“I’ll take it.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hey you guys, a couple more things:

First off, I have passed the 100 follower mark, and I was wondering if you guys wanted me to do anything for it.

Second: I was wondering how you guys ran across this fic. If you wanna comment down below and just let me know. I’m really wondering how my work’s being spread, so if you could do that, I’d appreciate it!

~As always, likes, comments and reblogs are always appreciated (I always read everything you guys write in the comments and reblogs)

Part Eleven

[theoriginalladya]

Prompt list #2 -- 45. “This is not what I meant when I told you to fall for me.” For Rhys x Kaidan

from this list

On AO3 here

Thank you so much for this one!  These two - THESE TWO!!!!  OMG!  Well, you’ll see in a moment, but ...  *sighs*  But hey, I got the fluff part right! ;)

~~~

“That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

Rhys ignores Kaidan’s comment and instead carefully juggles the books, OSDs, and handful of datapads stacked atop one another in his arms. Weight-wise, it isn’t too bad; numbers-wise, it’s awkward as hell.  Then again, what self-respecting grad student doesn’t learn how to balance half a library at a time while in school, right?  “If the elevator wasn’t so slow, it wouldn’t be an issue,” he counters before darting a narrowed gaze over at his companion.  “Then again, you could help.”

A smirk twists across Kaidan’s lips as he leans back against the wall and folds his arms over his chest.  “Where’s the fun in that?”

Rhys rolls his eyes, subtly shifting the balance so things don’t spill all over the floor.  “You would see it that way.”

One OSD slides precariously to the edge of the top tome.  As it topples over the edge, Rhys’ breath catches … only to be swallowed back when a small bubble of dark energy wraps around it protectively before it hits the floor.

Kaidan grins, hand extending to grab the device which he then sets back on top of the books with the rest.  “How many times have I told you, you have dinosaurs on the brain.  Why do you even need –.”

The lift comes to a stop and Kaidan exits.  Rhys follows.  “This isn’t dinosaurs, and you know it!”

Laughter fills the entryway as Kaidan unlocks the door to his cabin.  He at least has the decency to stand to the left, out of Rhys’ way to let him inside. “Protheans, dinosaurs … what’s the difference?”

“Several hundred million years!” Rhys says in exasperated professional frustration.

The laughter continues as Rhys descends to the lower level, barely managing to get over to the coffee table where he unceremoniously dumps everything on the surface.  Turning to face up toward the office area where Kaidan is, he peers through the glass of the display case, between he models.  

Kaidan meets his expression with another laugh.  “At least the prothean’s don’t bite?”

Rhys snorts.  “No, well, you’d have to ask Javik about that, in all honesty.”  It takes a second for the words to register, even in his own head, but he notices about the same time that Kaidan does.  Kaidan’s groan of protest leaves him grinning and snickering softly in reply.  “Aha!”

Kaidan’s eyes close in protest and he waves a hand at Rhys in a vague sort of manner while turning away.  “Don’t.  Just … don’t.”

But Rhys isn’t buying it.  Working his way back around the coffee table and sofa, he demands, “Don’t what?  You’re the one who went there, not me!”

“I did no such thing!”  

“Sure you did.”  Rhys lifts his omni-tool, opening the messaging program and typing quickly across the haptic surface.  

Kaidan’s head peers up above the edge of the display case again.  “What are you doing?”

Rhys clears his throat and reads the message.  “Javik, Commander Alenko wishes to know if protheans bite during –.”

Kaidan leaps out of his office, practically flying toward the stairs.  It’s startling enough to catch Rhys off guard, and his voice trails off.  “Don’t you even –!”

Eyes wide – he’s never seen Kaidan that fast, with or without his biotics in play – Rhys’s bewilderment shifts to horror as Kaidan misses his step and starts tumbling.  He reacts on instinct, hand moving without conscious thought as he releases a quick wave of dark energy to buffer Kaidan’s fall.  Running over, he grasps the other man by his forearm, helping him regain his feet.  “Shit, Kaidan!” he breathes, a soft huff of nervous laughter the only sign of his concern. “That is not what I meant when I told you to fall for me at Apollos!”

The moment Kaidan is free of the bubble of energy, Rhys dispels it and they both drop to sit on the steps.  It takes another moment for his words to register, and Kaidan is the first to huff softly, but Rhys follows almost immediately.  A moment later, they both start laughing like two idiots let loose.  Rhys falls over onto Kaidan’s shoulder, and Kaidan grabs him by his upper arm, holding tightly, until they both laugh themselves silly, nearly bouncing down the remaining steps in the process, but eventually calming again.  

Sanity returns slowly, what there is of it anyway, at which point, Kaidan says quietly, “You know I did, right?”

Rhys wipes moisture from his eyes.  “Did what?”

“Fall for you.  Years ago.”  

Looking over into Kaidan’s dark eyes, Rhys is a bit startled by the admission.  Given their crazy up and down relationship over the years, he thought only he had unresolved feelings.  “Um … okay?” He pulls back – not more than a few inches, just enough to get a good look at Kaidan’s features, searching them for the truth – and what he sees astonishes him.  In a good way, mostly, but there is a bit of an ache in his chest, like too much pressure built up that needs to be released.  Running this tongue over dry lips, he manages to stammer, “Wh-why didn’t you ever say anything?”

A hint of pink fills Kaidan’s cheeks and the tips of his ears, and he averts his gaze to stare at his boots while rubbing the back of his neck uneasily.  “By the time we met up again, I – .”

Sighing, Rhys shakes his head and reaches over, sliding a hand between Kaidan’s as he clasps them in his lap.  “No,” he clarifies quietly, “I mean before you left Wyoming fifteen years ago.”  

Kaidan’s hands twitch, but he does not pull away or push Rhys away.  “We were kids.”

Rhys can’t help but snort.  “Hardly.  We hadn’t been kids since we stepped foot onto Jump Zero.”

“True, but …”  Sighing, he runs one hand through his hair but laces the fingers of the other through Rhys’.  “Would it have made a difference?”

Good question.  “Maybe?”  

“I doubt it.”  Kaidan tilts his head sideways to look over at him.  “I was a different person then, so were you.  What we had was good, don’t get me wrong, but I think …”  He bites the corner of his lip.  “I don’t think it would have lasted.”

Rhys stares at him, mesmerized.  “You’re probably right.”

Several minutes pass in silence, the only sound the soft burble of the fish tank above Kaidan’s head.  “You mean, you really had no idea?”

Rhys shakes his head.  “Absolutely none.  I knew what I felt, but you …?”

Kaidan turns sideways and adjusts his position so he can pull Rhys closer.  Rhys, still somewhat stunned, doesn’t struggle; not that he would have.  Not when what he’s wanted for so long finally seems … attainable.  By the time he rests his forehead lightly against Kaidan’s, leaning into the commander’s hand when his fingers begin running lightly against his jaw, an unexpected calm descends.  “So, you fell for me … yeah?”

“Yeah?”

He shifts his head just enough that he can kiss Kaidan, ghosting across where the scars from BAaT no longer reside.  “You know what they say, right?  Love me, love my dinosaurs.”

Kaidan laughs and leans in for a more thorough kiss. “Especially an old dinosaur like me…”