#one of the staff looked me in the eyes with a concerned look and gave me an inquisitory thumbs-up

[average-book-enjoyer]

I almost passed out at band camp today I think? I don’t know what happened but maybe I made the mistake of locking my knees. (legitimately don’t remember. I was so hot and tired and sick of everything)

[wileys-russo]

Leah Williamson “but mummy said yes” at home or training with little Mila, please :)

part of mila's universe - turned out a little longer and a little angstier than originally planned! good cop, bad cop II l.williamson

"lee's not normally late?" alessia asked with a slight frown of concern as you bent down to lace up your boots, sat beside her on the bench in the change rooms.

"she took mila out for breakfast. she's in a phase where leah is her favorite person and i'm some horrible wench who just cooks for her and cleans her mess." you grumbled, feeling alessia's hand reach out to squeeze your shoulder.

"hey. you know that isn't what she thinks! she adores you, and leah." the blonde assured firmly but you shrugged her off, not in the mood to be consoled as you'd been screamed at all morning by the hysterical blonde tornado that was your daughter.

you'd barely glanced up as leah had ushered the four year old out the front door, trying to call out to you and offer some comfort but when mila made a dash for the road you glanced up as the front door slammed closed and crumbled.

"not at the moment she doesn't, she told me she hates me about five times this morning." you mumbled, sniffling and forcing down the tears which threatened to spill over, your best friends face falling as she tried to pull you into a hug.

"not now less. i love you its just- i'm not in the mood." you forced a smile shrugging her arm off as the blonde nodded in understanding but you could see she was struggling not to speak. "what?" you sighed, standing up and raising an eyebrow.

"well do you think you should train when your heads like this?" alessia asked gently, wincing at the sour look which crossed your face and your eyes rolled. "i'm fine less. joys of parenthood!" you plastered another fake smile on your face and marched out of the change rooms, the girl scrambling to grab a water bottle and hurry after you.

you deflected with shrugs everyone who continued to ask of leahs whereabouts, having left your phone in the change rooms when it was about five minutes until you were due to start and there still wasn't any sign of your wife a small pit of guilt began to gnaw at your stomach.

but right as you were about to ask to be excused to try calling her the vice captain came bursting out of the double doors of the training complex, nearly tripping over her own feet as she hopped and jumped trying to wrestle on her second boot.

the snickers and giggles at her predicament from some of the younger girls were firmly shut down by the fierce glare sent their way by your wife, everyone grouping off for warm ups as you gave the older girl a curious look.

"is everything alright?" you asked quietly as the blonde nodded, grunting as she pushed her heel into her boot and knelt down to tie it up. "fine! traffic." the blonde waved it off as you hummed, chalking it up to exactly that.

mila would be off in the creche until you all broke up for lunch, with amanda and manu both soon due to have children of their own arsenal had hired two full time qualified staff with child care experience, and renovated one of the old offices into a daycare of sorts.

something both you and leah were immensely grateful for considering there was only so much stimulation you could provide a bubbly energetic four year old who had the power of the cute and was promptly the greatest distraction to the team ever known.

you found your mood remained quite miserable throughout the session however despite your best friends worries you didn't allow it to affect your training, still ever careful to avoid injury and focus on football, not the swirling doubts in the back of your hear telling you that you were a terrible mother.

but nothing was lost on your wife who knew you like the back of her own hand, who was certain if she attempted to check in on you or provide any sort of comfort and assurance during the session it would be rejected, she waited for the right moment.

and that came when the pair of you had wrapped up, your team successfully winning the round robin cool down games and everyone shaking hands, the staff dismissing everyone for lunch after stretching.

"come here." leah grabbed your hand and pulled you to the side, alessia catching her eye and nodding as leah sent her a knowing look.

"i love you, and mila loves you. more than anything in the world, you know that yeah?" her hands gently cupped your cheeks and her heart ached at the sadness in your eyes that you could hide from anyone but her.

"oh my love." leah sighed with a pained smile, your face tucking into her shoulder as the tears you'd held at bay came bursting to the surface, soft sniffles masked into the material of her training top as her strong arms held you tightly.

"it doesn't feel that way. it feels like i'm failing as a mother!" you admitted quietly once your tears had turned to the occasional sniffle, leah softly kissing your tear stained cheeks and frowning.

"hey. baby you do not ever say that yeah? you are the best mother mila could ever ask for. you are patient, kind, attentive, so loving, loyal, supportive-" leah listed off with her fingers, a small smile curling its way into your lips and a slight chuckle leaving your mouth.

"what? whats funny?" your wife paused to question, looking around and behind her to seek the source of amusement. "you're doing it again. the upside down frowny thing!" you smiled properly, smoothing out her angry eyebrows as the blondes cheeks heated up with a slight pink tint.

"well i don't do it on purpose do i? i have an expressive face!" your wife huffed, and you let out a proper laugh as again her scowl caused her eyebrows to curl downward.

"so long as it makes you laugh." your wife rolled her eyes fondly, pulling you into another tight hug as your chin rested on her shoulder and her hand rubbed circles into your back.

"thank you, i love you." you mumbled with an appreciative kiss to her jaw and then another to her lips. "always. i love ya more kid!" the blonde winked exaggerating her harsh milton keynes accent as you pulled a face.

"i hate when you say that." you shook your head as the older girl grinned, her arm settling across your shoulder as you both made your way across the pitch toward the training centre, drawing you into her side and kissing your cheek a few times.

"i know. which is exactly why i say it!"

however things very quickly took another turn south as you and leah arrived to collect mila for lunch, your good mood leah had just spent the last ten minutes bolstering smashed back down to nothing as mila kicked off yet again.

"no! i am not leaving with mama, she's mean and naughty!" the tiny blonde huffed, clinging to leahs leg and glaring up at you as you deflated entirely, mumbling to your wife how you'd just meet her at lunch and hurrying away.

"mila." leah squatted down with a stern look on her face, getting down to your daughters level, more than ready to tell her off about how she spoke to you just like she had been this morning, and the entirity of this week in fact.

but once again leah had a weakness, which was that the four year old knew exactly how to play her like a fool.

so with some crocodile tears and a wobbly bottom lip leah was cooing and fussing over the girl, picking her up and bouncing her up and down like when she was a baby, the warnings about her behavior dying on her tongue in seconds flat.

"say thank you to meg and andie please bubba." leah whispered, both of the girls who worked in the daycare waving goodbye as mila blew them both a kiss and clung on tightly to leah, tears now forgotten as she babbled away about what a lovely morning she had.

there was also something new with mila besides her attitude toward you that you'd failed to see, however it wouldn't be long until you realised and even leah had failed to think that far ahead as the two of them entered the cafateria and mila was fussed over by her aunties.

you however were already sat at a table with kyra, laia, vic and alessia, shutting down their questions of why you weren't sat where you normally would as alessia gave the other girls a firm look to leave it as you remained quiet.

their worries increased when you made no move to get up and go toward your daughter the moment she arrived, only alessia catching the look of longing you threw the small girls way as her hand settled on your back rubbing comforting circles.

"do you want me to go try and to talk to her?" your best friend asked quietly as you shrugged, just wanting to avoid another very public tantrum as you'd already accepted mila was not going to settle this mystery problem she had with you right now.

"don't eat my potatos, or you can all walk home." alessia very seriously threatened the three younger girls eyeing off her tray as she stood, having been her turn for carpool today, heading off toward the table where leah and mila sat.

leah had also shut down all of the questions about your not sitting with them, beth in particular earning herself a stomped on foot when she wouldn't stop pestering your wife about it, causing mila to giggle and beth to pretend leah had broken her foot.

she was mid performance when alessia sat down, mila now no longer interested as she launched herself at your best friend who nearly dropped the four year old who jumped suddenly from lia's lap into her own.

"aunty lessi!" mila beamed, arms flung around the strikers neck and hugging her tightly as leah watched with a smile and alessia tickled the small blonde who squealed and tried to jump away.

"hey tiny, can i ask you something?" alessia asked, giving leah a look as she glanced over curiously, ignoring the way the older blonde shook her head furiously to try and divert her from the chosen topic.

"why are you mad at ma-" but the question stopped as alessia noticed the one thing leah had failed to remember, hands grabbing the four year olds cheeks and turning her head side to side with her mouth open in shock.

"when did you get your ears pierced??" alessia asked in shock, leah choking on a piece of chicken as kim quickly smacked her on the back and she spit it out with a wheeze.

"ew! mummy thats really yuck." mila made a face of disgust, scooting as far away from leah as she could, balancing on alessia's right leg as she striker held her steady, still staring at the small diamonds in her ears in shock.

"she hasn't always had them done?" beth asked with a skeptical look, fork in her mouth and eyes narrowed as alessia's rolled. "no! she has not." the girl clarified as leah went bright red and her best friend picked up that maybe this was a lot newer than they realised.

"tell me you did not do that this morning? and without asking your wife?" lia hissed quietly, grabbing leahs arm and spinning her around to face her, the vice captain shrinking away from the swiss womans fierce glare.

"i could tell you that...but it would maybe sort of be a, lie?" leah winced, lia swearing in german and running her hands down her face with a look of disbelief at the defender who rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"she's wanted them done for ages! we went for breakfast and then she was a bit grizzly and hyper so we walked around the shopping centre for a bit, we walked past the piercing parlor and well one thing lead to another and..." leah trailed off, flinching as alessia firmly punched her in the shoulder.

"hey! it is not nice to hit people aunty lessi." mila warned with a scowl, wagging a finger at the older girl who gave your wife a glare, face softening at the adorable four year old in her lap attempting to sternly tell her off.

"sorry mil, that was a grown up accident. you're right we shouldn't hit people!" alessia agreed with a nod despite holding no regret for her actions. "hey tiny i thought mama said you had to be a bit bigger before you got your ears pierced?" alessia asked with raised eyebrows as your daughter nodded.

"she did, she's mean and smelly and bad. but mummy said yes! i love you mummy!" mila beamed as leah sheepishly shrunk into her chair, alessia helping your daughter down at her request as she ran off to go sit with katie and caitlin, clambering up into the irish womans lap and proudly showing off her new earrings it would appear she'd also forgotten about until now.

"you are so dead leah you know she wanted to wait until mila was older and she already feels like shit today. go and fix it, now!" alessia growled quietly as leahs head dropped, pushing her chair back and standing but it would appear it was much too late as mila had continued her rounds, now showing off to kyra.

leah might be your wife and love you fiercly, but alessia had been your best friend since you were ten and no one was more protective over you than she could be.

leah herself was shell shocked by the shovel talk she got from the normally soft spoken kind blonde when the two of you had first started dating.

"mila, can you show mama please?" you called out, almost certain you misheard your daughter just tell laia about her new 'ear bling'. leah wouldn't, surely she wouldn't.

"no!" mila snapped, smile turning to a scowl as she stuck her tongue out at you and raced away, but not fast enough for you to miss the two little studs in her lobes, ignoring kyra asking what that was all about as you slowly stood.

leahs blood ran cold as your eyes met hers, burning with anger and you silently pointed to the exit, storming off as your wife nearly knocked over her tray in her haste to hurry after you, alessia and lia both making sure to keep an eye on your daughter.

"baby just listen-" leah started the moment the cafateria doors swung shut and she stood with you in the hallway.

"no. oh no no no, do not baby me right now leah. those better be clip ons, because i know my wife wouldn't go behind my back and pierce our daughters ears when we agreed she was too young. would she?" you asked, scarily calm and knuckles going lily white from how hard your fists were clenched together.

"um. well, look. um really-" the normally smooth spoken blonde was a mess as she tripped and stumbled over her words, unable to string a sentence together as your eyes squeezed shut and you pinched your nose between your thumb and pointer finger.

"leah catherine williamson you fucking stupid, selfish-"

however before you could unleash the fury bubbling up inside you at the taller girl the doors burst open again and a tiny body came charging out, crashing into leahs legs.

"mummy you left me behind!" mila frowned up the blonde who watched your face drop at the fact your daughter wasn't even acknowledging you right now, the anger coursing through you slowly bleeding away into utter rejection and fear.

"hey. bubba can we please have a chat? a big girl talk!" you knelt down and tried to ask gently, giving her a smile as soft as you could muster as she turned to look at you.

"not your bubba! i'm mummys bubba. go away!" your daughter snapped right as alessia came tumbling out of the door with kyra hot on her heels, halfway through telling off the younger australian for being terrible at hide and seek clearly assuming they'd lost the four year old who was now right in front of them.

"woah. harsh!" kyra muttered with a wince, alessia quickly shoving her back through the doors before she could say another word, a crash inside meaning she'd perhaps pushed a little harder than intended.

"mila no you're mine and mummys bubba. our little legacy, remember?" you tried to force a smile, winded from her words but it was about to get worse before it got better. "no. now just mummys bubba! i hate you! not my mama!" mila yelled, turning and pressing herself into leahs legs as you looked up to your wife for help.

but when all she could do was wordlessly open and close her mouth, quickly scooping up your daughter who'd begun to cry and start comforting her, you crumbled.

"tell them i feel sick and i went home early." you forced out, directed at your best friend who was ready to intervene but knew it wasn't her place, barely able to get your words out before a dry sob sounded and you hurried off with your hand over your mouth.

"hey, mila. you're a big girl now yeah?" alessia decided this had gone far enough and if leah wasn't going to say something, she was. your daughter lifted her head from where it had been buried in leahs neck, tear tracks down her cheeks as she nodded slowly.

"well. big girls talk about why they might be feeling yuck, they don't yell and throw tantrums, and you're a big girl now right?" alessia asked gently as mila nodded again, sniffling and wiping her nose on the collar of your wifes training top.

with a nod from alessia the three of them headed outside toward the pitch, knowing lunch was over soon and the girls would be flooding out. it would seem the fresh air had snapped leah out of whatever hole her head had gotten stuck in as the three of them sat down on the grass.

"so bubba. why are you upset with mama? she loves you very much and you haven't been very nice to her mila." leah warned, alessia now taking a back seat and waiting for the four year old to speak.

"no, no more tears. be a big girl and tell me whats going on in here please bubba." leah shook her head, moving mila out of her lap as she cried out and tried to curl into her, standing her on the grass and gently poking her stomach.

"mama is mean." was all she got out with a frown, leah sighing and closing her eyes for a moment to collect her thoughts, heart breaking as the image of the utter rejection and pain in your face from moments ago flashed through her head.

"why do you think that?" leah pushed, mila huffing and sitting down on the grass, crossing her legs and digging her finger into the pitch. "all she says is no! no no no no no." mila chanted shaking her head, scowling at the grass in a scarily accurate impression of a much younger and moodier leah.

"i'm gonna go check on her." alessia mouthed, slowly getting to her feet and pointing back to the training centre as leah nodded, grateful that you'd always have the blonde in her corner but wracked with guilt for how poorly she'd handled this.

she was supposed to be your wife, it was supposed to be her comforting you, her defending you, her always in your corner for better or worse, in sickness and in health, always.

but motherhood, well it brought with it and held in its hand a whole other host of challenges.

"but mummy says yes. yes yes yes yes, like with my ear bling!" mila perked back up, grinning happily as leah winced, she had really dug herself into it this time.

"okay. serious talk time!" leah sighed, taking mila's hands into her own whose grin never faded. "bubba i know you're a big girl, but you're still mine and mama's baby." leah started, shutting down the little girls protests with a firm shake of her head and a gentle squeeze of her hand.

"you are. mama and i love you more than anything in the whole wide world, and sometimes we have to say no to things if they mean you might get hurt or upset. sometimes you might not know why we-well why mama says no. but she says no because she's a very very good mama who wants to keep you safe, and she always knows best. okay?" leah started, mila slowly nodding.

"but you can always ask why. you can always ask mama or me why we might say no, because mummy needs to say no sometimes too, it isn't fair for it to always be mama. and it isn't fair for you to yell at mama and make her feel bad, because words can hurt too. remember?" leah continued softly as mila nodded again.

"i hurt mama?" mila asked and leah sighed as she had to nod and the girls eyes welled up with tears. "come here bubba." the defender wrapped her up into a tight hug, shushing her softly.

"is mama gonna be mad at me? i don't hate her! i don't! promise!" mila sobbed as leah pushed her flyaways out of her face and softly kissed her forehead. "mama would never be mad at you mila, she loves you too much. but you need to tell her you don't hate her, and say sorry for not being nice. because we have to use nice words with people so we don't hurt their feelings, okay?" leah warned gently as mila nodded, wriggling out of the older girls grip.

"come on mummy we have to go say sorry to mama!" and just like that she was off, surely destined to be a cross country superstar as her tiny legs carried her at a speed leah couldn't even keep up with.

"where is she?" leah came to a screaming halt as mila stopped with a frown, not reallyy sure where she should be running. "lets go see if she's with aunty less in the change rooms." leah took her hand, all but dragged down the corridor where sure enough you were sat crying into your best friends shoulder.

as the doors smacked against the wall you hurried to wipe your eyes, not sure who was coming in but not wanting anyone else to see you in this state as you cleared your throat and tried to compose yourself.

but it was a messy bundle of blonde hair and a tiny red arsenal jersey which came flying inside, climbing up onto the bench and launching at you much to your utter shock, freezing up a little as mila clung onto you.

"mama i don't hate you. i never hate you! and you're not mean, or smelly, or bad, or naughty. i'm sorry!" mila rambled out all in one breath, stopping to gasp in air as her eyes welled up with tears and her arms wrapped around your neck like a python.

"hey hey hey, why the tears my love? no tears." you assured softly feeling her little body shake against you, holding her tightly as leah skidded inside next also very out of breath, alessia nodding for her to give the pair of you a moment, taking her aside to fill her in on what you'd said.

"its okay mila baby, i love you, i'll always love you." you promised, exhaling in relief as your daughter mumbled things into your jumper you couldn't quite understand but you rubbed her back soothingly letting her get them out.

once she'd calmed down and alessia had filled leah in you caught your best friends eye who slowly made her way over, offering to take mila to the gym with her.

"no i wanna go with mama." mila pressed a wet kiss to your cheek making you smile as she clung on tightly. "mama and mummy need to have a grown up talk. and you always say those are boring don't you babe?" you tickled her stomach as she giggled and squirmed away.

"yeah. super boring!" mila agreed, both you and leah assuring her you'd be right in the gym soon as she left with alessia and the room suddenly filled with a brand new type of uncomfortable silence.

"i am-" "we should-"

you both shared a look as leah nodded for you to continue, fiddling with her hands in her lap. "can i have a hug please?" you asked quietly, your wife shell shocked that that was what you had to say.

"what? yeah course you can, come here my girl." leah scooted over to clear the gap between you, a deep exhale leaving your lips as you tucked yourself into her arms, a few beats of silence falling before you pulled away.

"okay, i needed that thank you. now you stupid selfish idiot! you pierced her ears!?" you scowled, smacking your wife repeatedly who held her hands up to shield her face.

"i know i know! i've been forcing you to be the bad cop so i can be the good cop all the time and thats not fair to you, at all. i need to put my foot down and say no too, so you can say yes too." leah instantly admitted as you looked on with surprise.

"or we could just both stay on the same page." you suggested, leah nodding enthusiastically. "brilliant, even better! you're so smart and sexy and funny and the best mum and-" leah rambled as you rolled your eyes, leaning in to cut her off with a kiss, sending her silent.

"shut up." you chuckled, the blonde nodding, motioning as if to lock her lips and throw away the key as you bumped your shoulder into hers.

"i really am sorry. genuinely baby girl, so sorry." "oh i know, which is why you'll be on laundry and dishes and weeding the garden for the next month!" you patted her knee as the blonde sighed but made no move to argue.

"did i mention you're very sexy and smart?" "mm yeah we covered that." "will any form of flattery get me off dishes?" "leah." "a joke! humor, just using humor, you married me for my humor." "well i didn't marry you for your cooking ability babe." "oi!"

[aethelwyneleigh27]

Cowboy!141 x Noble's Daughter!Reader (My Version of the AU)

(How you meet them)

Synopsis: Being the daughter of a noble is a jarring task as you must be always able to keep up appearances, so what exactly happens when your family hires 4 men? Men who seem dangerous yet you know nothing about, all happening to be part of the same group of people. What happens if they take an interest in you? Someone unattainable, forbidden yet also undoubtedly tempting..

Hi lovelies! Lia here again, apologies for the delay and inactivity, I had exams, projects and the recent release of part one of Bridgerton season 3. Speaking of the series, this was inspired by that and RDR2 (none of the elements are historically accurate, I think?), I genuinely hope this does well because this account has not been doing well as of late. With my mutuals leaving Tumblr and some friends are currently ignoring me, I genuinely don't know what to do anymore. From what I know, @ghouljams was the first one who created content in the cowboy!CoD AU but mine is a lot different? So please don't kill me 😭

This will result in headcanons for the next few posts because my brain is attached to this AU so you will be seeing more Cowboy!Outlaw!141.

(Really FEM!Reader, maybe also Plus-size!(Chubby??)Reader?? I don't even know anymore)

More content: My CoD Masterlist

Bless your noble mother's heart, although your was seen as this very respectable and intellectual man of nobility, your mother had this heart of gold having no idea that these rugged men he has newly hired were outlaws, criminals.. murderers?

Yet your father did, something about him felt sinister, well all noble money comes from not so noble cause.

Although your mother wanted you to get to know and be familiar with the newest staff members who would do all the gnarly, energy consuming and physically challenging tasks, she did not want her daughter interacting with men who would be considered improper like seemingly mysterious men who happened to be from a far town looking for a living.

Well without your father's or mother's knowledge, that rule was thrown out the window the moment you saw one of them carrying over some of the crates that contain given by some men to your father for his services and connections, particularly drawn to the one who never seemed to take off the cloth on his face.

Something about the way he stared at you, not seeing the rest of his face, depriving you of clues as to how he felt upon seeing the only lady of the house. You gave him a warm smile, for a moment you thought you saw his lips through the mask perk up, before walking off to the lounging hall for your tutoring on language.

It was odd, you observed them from afar a lot, your personal garden was your sanctuary and you can't help but do so when they talked so loudly, no sign of inside voices.

They called each other names.. Price, Gaz, Soap and Ghost. The man you encountered was named Ghost? Surely it's some alias. Well that wasn't something you should fixate on anyway so you leave for your tasks.

You find yourself feeling a little out of it after your lessons, hoping that a little stroll through the stables behind your family's estate would either help the information sink in or keep it shun out of your mind. Either way you'd find yourself in tranquil, you heard a thud behind you and turn to find so called "Ghost" behind you.

He had dropped a crate, one filled with weapons and uncharacteristically hastily picked up all of them without paying much attention. Such an action caused him to unknowingly cut his finger on one of the blades that fell out of it's sheath.

Your eyes filled with concern as you rush over to take his hand in yours before he tried to brush off the cut and get back to his duties. You knew it was dumb to be worried over something so small that the grown man doesn't even flinch and yet there you were, practically cradling his hand in yours.

A white handkerchief that was embroidered with your favorite flowers by your own mother, something you held dear and kept pristine.. using it on his finger to keep the blood from further gushing and wipe off whatever of the red residue was left on his hand.

As the blood stopped to your relief, you brought his finger and spontaneously pressed a feather-like kiss on the wound. You were so used to doing that for your little cousins, nieces and nephews that it was just a force of habit, your face flushed the very moment you looked up to meet his gaze, what possessed you to do that?

You placed the handkerchief in his hand and composed yourself, you told him to keep it and to bring the wound to the physician to get some antiseptics before running off to god knows where.

A few days after that incident, you meet another one of them except..

You couldn't help but rush, you were late for this supposedly short promenade your family has spontaneously planned. Your favourite gloves are no where to be found and with the three sisters you have, you checked room to room, seeing who might've borrowed the lacey white fabric with the sewn in bows.

Without looking your body slams into a wall, is it a wall? You softly groan, your delicate fingers brushing on your forehead that felt like it would bruise later on. Your eyes remained closed for a few seconds as the impact caused you to feel shaken, light headed.

You open your eyes to one of the outlaws, you blink up as your vision adjusted a bit, his dark skin against the light from the window really did something..

"Are you hurt, my lady?" He asked, his deep voice was smooth and rich, almost velvety. He held you up from falling.

"N-no.. Thank you, uhh..."

"Kyle, her ladyship can call me Kyle. Although I hope it's not too informal to your status, my lady." You smiled at his words, certainly a respectful fellow despite him and his group's reputation.

You felt warmth on your sides, his palms against the fabric that separates his skin on yours, he was only being kind for steadying you after you almost fell from the earlier impact but his touch felt addicting, too much as it continued to linger.

"Kyle, it is then" You said softly, suddenly a bit more aware of your surroundings.

Fuck. He was sure he felt something just by hearing the way his name fell from your lips. Normally he'd give people, employers only and only his last name. He was so used to having been called by "Garrick", he had no idea his name would sound different, so sweet coming from a pretty maiden's lips.

He stutters for a moment, realizing that his hands are touching a lady inappropriately, something only someone she's married to would have the privilege of doing. He swiftly removed his hands from your waist and formally excused himself from your presence with the excuse of his duties.

The next time you met one of them was through your mother's ball, she was always the first to throw one to bless the upcoming season of hopes that you, your sisters and brothers shall wed soon.

You had no taste for it after having a lord step on your feet at least 20 times and not even bother to apologize with how high of a pedestal he puts himself in, you found yourself escaping through the back of your estate to the gazebo in the center of your beloved garden.

You took your tight, restricting shoes off and felt the grass on your feet as you walked toward the gazebo, now close enough to see that you weren't alone but you still continued, your feet against the cooling marble platform. You sigh as you prop yourself to sit on the stone railing next to the stranger who was currently taking a puff of his cigar.

You turned your head away, you were thrown into a fit of coughs from the strong scent of the smoke while you swatch some of it away. You tried not to heave for actual air to breathe while the man next to you chuckles, making you feel irritable.

"M'sorry love.." his gruff voice whispers which make you turn towards him, the man offering you a comforting smile.

"Shouldn't you be in there with your family, miss?" Price asked. To which you hum, "I wanted some "fresh air" and silence" you answered. Moments of silence have passed, nothing but the sound of wind that rattled the trees a bit and each other's breaths.

You look towards the light of windows of your home, the ballroom filled with laughter and talk of celebration. You sighed, knowing you must return as your parents would come looking for you, also not wanting for them to punish you for sticking around unchaperoned with their new hires.

He knew you were about to leave, it would be rude for a gentleman to leave a lady without help, hmm? He wasn't a gentleman though, an outlaw, one of the worst titles one can ever bestow a man. He was considered to be of low honor but who cares?

He kneels down on one knee in front of you, gently taking your leg in his huge hand using his thigh as leverage so he can gently slip on you shoes. For a moment you felt his forehead on your knee before he pulls away and offers you his hand..

You took it hesitantly as he helped you off the railing, you look up at him meeting his eyes. Something about them burned, making your stomach churn but not in a manner of discomfort.

You watched his back as he walked away, his footsteps on the cold marble the only thing to be heard as the noise died down..

The morning after, you've barely had enough sleep, was it the events of the previous night? Nevermind, at least you had a day or two for yourself after conducting a proposition to your parents. Free time was worth it for the sore feet you had to endure.

Not really in the mood to change into anything tight or itchy, you remain in your night clothes. Finally, some well deserved time alone, comfortable and flipping pages of a book was your type of thing.

Sure, socializing has it's benefits however nothing beats your time alone or so you thought you were alone..

A table and a few chairs were set up by the servants to your request at the gazebo, giving you the perfect view of the greenery that you have planted the seeds of.

You had your head comfortably leaned onto lounge as you continued reading. Buts something was just so distracting, a few minutes of the constant snipping and twigs breaking, you look up wanting to see who was there tending to the garden.

Your eyes widened a bit, it was improper for a lady to stare a man who has very less clothing. Nothing but his jeans, belt and hat keeping his face shielded from the heat is toned, muscular and tanned torso and arms exposed.

A little later, you hear a grunt coming from the man, Soap was it? You can't quite remember much from the night you eavesdropped on them. You heard his footsteps on the grass nearing the gazebo but you didn't bother to look up, not until..

"Ma'am? May I stay 'ere a moment? Afraid the heat is getting to me" You look up from your book and sit up to see the same man breathless. You nodded and watched as he sat on the stairs, hands on his knees as he caught his breath.

"Excuse me.." You said, loud enough to hear and catch his attention, he looks back from his position. You moved one of the chairs to face your lounge, "Please invite yourself here, I can only think of how uncomfortable the floor might be, especially when you are working at a weather like this one" Signaling him to take a seat on the chair you adjusted.

He gets up yet reluctantly makes himself comfortable on the seat, you pick a drinking glass on display from the silver tray and poured some of the cold lemonade into it, you place it down on the table and slide it to him, offering a warm smile. Your fingers on the base of the drinking glass slightly brushing against his as he takes it.

He thanks you for it and you both enjoyed the tranquil and peace.. yet you can't go back to your book, asking questions and being further interested by the man each minute passes.

The way he talked was something else, it was alluring, comforting and oddly lively, he's told you about his "past" and how he used to be a child.

"Was quite the troublemaker you see, though my family was poor and food was scarce, I found a way to feed the street animals I adore—"

You look at him, so invested on what he was about to say next, it was refreshing to have someone to converse with who isn't interrogating you and practically forcing their ideals of how many babies they want you to birth for them, practically wanting you to die for them.

"I used to steal bread from my neighbor, not a very nice man, selfish really. So I'd often sneak into his shack, leftovers, scraps and anything light enough for me to carry. I'd bring it to Lassie, my favorite stray dog. You remind me a lot of her Bonnie" He said.

"I remind you of a dog?" You weren't so sure if that's a compliment, then again he just called you "Bonnie", what exactly does that mean?

"Home, you remind me of home. Can't say I have felt this comfortable in years, friends and I are usually reserved yet you bring this side out of me, Bonnie. So what spell or witchcraft did you use?" He joked raising a brow at you, for a moment his attention falters as he looks down at the soft mounds of skin exposed on your chest.

"Eyes up here, Johnny."

You warned as you laugh at his question, you notice one of the servants coming out from the estate and into the garden, Johnny smiles and tips his hat to you to excuse himself so that he could get back to work.

Well this is interesting.. isn't it?

Taglist: @wishesforyou @puff0o0 @simping4konig @simp4konig @blingblong55 @azereus @rustic-guitar-notes @snowdjinnofpalestine @09maruchan @anonymuslydumb @skeletalgoats @icarustypicalfall @ghosts-cyphera @connorsui @capuccino192 @miss-gms-and-the-rotten-womb @celestialhole @the-second-sage @starryylies @everlastingmoonlightsworld @keiva1000 @iexiam @drewsmusee @konigceo

[babygorewhore]

•Be good for me•

Cooper Adams x fem reader!

Requested by @horrorpiggy I gave it my own spin so I really hope you enjoy!!!!

A harmless crush on single father Cooper Adams wasn’t in your plan. But after being invited to a concert one Saturday afternoon, everything changes.

Warnings! Age gap! Cooper is 45 and reader is 25! Depicting anxiety and panic attack! Blacking out! Daddy kink! Oral!Fem receiving! Finger sucking! Unprotected sex! Choking! Size kink! Praise! Light ish degrading but not really? Slight hint of his second life at one point. Multiple orgasms! Barely proofread!

Spending a Saturday with a recently widowed father and his teen daughter wasn’t exactly your typical weekend. But if you were being honest with yourself, you’d seize any opportunity to spend time with Cooper.

It was just a crush. One that started out because he saved you and your parent’s life from a fire last year. He had effortlessly pulled you over his shoulder and hauled you out of the burning apartment while you were half unconscious.

It was inconvenient in many ways. One, he was twenty years older than you. Two, he had two children and three his wife had been brutally murdered a few months ago by the infamous serial killer the Butcher.

He seemed devastated. Not just for his own loss but the children. After he saved you from the fire, time had passed and you became an occasional babysitter for his son.

Obviously with a crush growing, you loved the times you’d see him but it felt wrong. At his wife’s funeral, his children hugged you and thanked you for being there.

Lady Raven was a popular artist that was constantly playing at his house. Your knees pressed together as you sat in the back of the car, watching Riley and Cooper interact.

You looked away when you caught him look at you through the rearview mirror.

“I just want to say; thanks again for coming with us. I know you’re busy with classes and your part time job. But it means a lot to us.” His deep voice sent shivers down your spine but you gave him a smile.

“Oh! No problem. Thank you for even inviting me.” You blushed as his dark eyes scanned over you as you all fell into silence while he parked.

It was a little difficult to keep up with him as you three jogged to the stadium and maneuvered around the growing crowd of people. It made you feel nervous to be in such tight spaces with others.

As time went by, you noticed Cooper growing more agitated and tense but he was trying to force positivity for Riley. Your heart started to accelerate as the music echoed. You cleared your throat as heat warmed you. The black shirt was extra long, reaching your knees covering your shorts.

Your vans squeaked as the light shifted to red and the cheering young girls screamed. The sounds throbbed in your ear as you rapidly blinked.

“Are you okay?” You gasped at the close proximity of Cooper. He was bending down closer to you with a concerned look on his handsome face.

“Yeah! I’m just a little nervous around crowds.” You force yourself to laugh but he doesn’t return the expression.

“You look like you’re about to collapse. Maybe we should find somewhere more relaxed.” You look at Riley, who was losing her mind and jumping around. You shook your head, feeling guilty.

“I couldn’t pull you away. She’s having so much fun.”

Cooper remained silent and you faced the stage again. Your body grew more tense as the minutes passed and your hands were shaking. Your mouth went dry as a few shoulders bumped into you as a guest artist walked through the aisle.

You tried to remain calm but the staff came and told you three that Riley would be the dream girl. She would be going on stage. You would have to go in front of everyone.

Your legs trembled as you followed them closely. The eyes on you made you feel even worse. The bright lights, your clothes suddenly felt too tight as you walked up the stairs. It took all your strength to remain standing as Riley finished the section of the concert with Lady Raven.

You jolted as a large hand came and settled across your forehead. Cooper’s head was tilted and he narrowed his eyes at you. “You’re burning up but you’re shivering. I think we need to find a place for you to sit down.”

Riley was walking towards you both when your eyesight finally faded.

You were pulled off your feet. You could feel what was going on but you weren’t able to open your eyes yet. Cooper was carrying you, his muscular arms encasing you against his chest. You came to as he sat you down in a chair. A few medical members were gawking at him as he knelt down, holding a compress to your face.

“You blacked out. You were having a panic attack and you were about to fall. Just stay still, okay?”

You don’t have the energy to speak yet but Cooper moves a stray hair out of your face and leans in closer. “You need something with calories. You haven’t eaten all day, I bet.” He gives you a knowing look.

“Is she your girlfriend?” One of the nurses ask and you feel sobered immediately. But to your surprise, Cooper doesn’t say no to her.

Instead he stands up, swiftly returning with a small box of juice.

He presses the straw to your lips and encourages you to take a sip. “Atta girl, good job. You’ll be feeling better in a few minutes. Glad I kept an eye on you, sugar.” The term made your pulse quicken.

“Is there any way we can get out of here quickly? I don’t think she needs a hospital but I do want to take her home.” Cooper asks the nurses and you faintly hear them tell him a way out peacefully.

“I don’t want to be a problem.” You whisper and Cooper clicks his tongue.

“Isn’t she the sweetest? Doesn’t want to cause trouble.” Cooper reaches down and sets a hand on your shoulder.

“I’m okay, I can stand now.” You insist but he cups your waist. Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth as you feel his sweater pressed against you, his lips lingering next to your ear.

“Always so insistent. But you’re gonna let daddy help you. Aren’t you, little one?”

You could have melted right then and there. You almost sure you were fucking dreaming but the dangerous look in his eye was all too real. His graveled voice was alluring and made your core tighten.

You were speechless as he walked next to you still holding your torso. It was surreal.

“Why are there so many police officers?” Riley asked and Cooper shrugged.

“Nothing to worry about. We’re getting out of here. Can’t have another blackout, can we?”

“Please, I really don’t want to intrude further.” You pleaded as Cooper ushered you into the house.

“Shh, none of that. I insist. I’m not going to take a chance that you fall alone in your apartment. You’re going to stay here tonight. Besides, the kids love having you here.” He seemed electrified as he pressed his palm to your back.

“You’re going to eat something and then rest. It’s the least I can do since you help me all the time.”

You didn’t bring up the comment he made earlier but you did notice the way he had a hint of a smirk the entire evening. He seemed off on the ride home. The way he gripped the steering wheel made his arm quiver.

Cooper never showed a hint of anger. He was always patient. Sometimes silly with the kids but today there was something different.

Your body was covered by a blanket on the couch a few hours later. Riley and her brother were upstairs in bed. Cooper had disappeared a few minutes ago, promising to come back soon.

Unable to stay still anymore, you made your way to the spare bedroom and groaned. You didn’t have any clothes to sleep in and you rubbed your face with your hands.

“You always do that when you’re frustrated.” You shrieked and spun around.

Cooper stood in the doorway. His shoulders were tense, fingers curled into his fists and he closed the door behind him. His hair was smoothed back.

“You scared the fuck out of me.” You breathed.

“There’s not much I can do about that habit I’m afraid. Being able to walk quietly took some practice. How are you feeling?” He leaned against the wall and your gaze flickered over his face.

“I’m okay. I just want to apologize. I’m sorry if I made the concert stressful. Sometimes my anxiety gets out of control. I should have just found a way home. I didn’t mean to cause any extra stress-“ You rambled on and Cooper's lips quirked into a smile.

“You have nothing to apologize for. In fact, it worked out in a way. We didn’t have to go through the police. All thanks to you.” He took a step forward and your stare widened.

“Cooper. Are you alright?”

His movements continued until his shoes were against your bare feet. “I’ve never been better, sweetheart. I just want to ask you to do something to me.” He rolled his neck before his hands settled on your shoulders.

“I want you to be a good girl tonight. Can you be a good girl for me, little one? You're gonna let me take care of you?”

Your mouth parted and he took the opportunity to swipe his thumb across your lower lip.

“Don’t act surprised. I see the way you look at me. And I really would appreciate it if you didn’t lie about it, baby doll.” You gasped and he gently touched your tongue. Sticking his thumb further in your mouth.

Your lips gently wrapped around and sucked. His eyes fluttered and he removed his hand. Cooper took the opportunity to grab the back of your head, pulling you up and he crushed his lips to yours.

He tasted sweet as his tongue darted in and swept over your teeth. It wasn’t too much. His experience obvious by the age gap as he backed you against the bed. Coopers strength was surprising as he easily pressed you down on the mattress. He nibbled your lip before pulling away and peppered kisses along your jaw. Your legs looped around his waist and your arms wrapped around his broad shoulders.

“You gonna let me eat that pretty pussy?” He questioned against your skin and you whined. Cooper trailed his lips down your chest, stomach and finally his thick fingers pulled down your shorts. He sucked in a sharp breath as he admired your underwear.

“Anyone ever done this to you?” He toyed with the waistband and you cleared your throat.

“Not-not really. They didn’t put any effort.” You stuttered.

Cooper peeled off your panties, exposing your pulsing cunt and he didn’t waste any further time. He shoved his face against your pussy, making you throw your head back. His tongue kitten licked your clit and then flattened. He slowly dragged it down and shoved it inside you. The feeling was overwhelming as you turned your head to the side, trying to suppress loud noises that were desperate to escape you.

“This is what you get for being a good girl,” Cooper praised, his hands holding your thighs apart as he spit on your cunt. He sucked your center into his mouth, your hips rolling as he moaned against you.

“You taste so good. Can’t get enough. I’m gonna make you cum on my face.”

He applied more pressure and enthusiastically licked your wetness. His nose was firm against your pussy and your nipples were so hard they hurt.

“Daddy I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum, I’m gonna cum!” You managed and the uncoiling of your stomach sent a shock through your body. Your fingers sank into his hair, humping his jaw as Cooper continued to suck your clit.

It was overwhelming and he added to it by adding two fingers. He curled them deep and tears clouded your vision.

“Daddy-please-“ You whispered and he snarled. His enormous hands and brute strength aided his ability to effortlessly flip you over on your stomach.

Cooper pulled you to your knees, pushing your chest down so your ass was sticking in the air. He gave it a harsh slap and you heard his belt unbuckle. Your cunt was aching and cum smeared on your inner thighs. You felt the leather of the belt wrap around your throat but panic didn’t set in. It wasn’t tight enough to cause too much pain but it was pressure to keep you still.

“Do you know how long I’ve wanted you like this? Leashed like a god damn puppy? So eager to please me? I’m gonna fuck you until you can’t even see straight. You’re gonna be stuffed full of cum.” His filthy words made you groan.

Cooper ran the tip of his dick along your slit, his precum coating your clit. He pushed it into you and he held you up by the belt. Your body jerked as he thrusted his hips. You felt like splitting in the middle but all discomfort vanished as he toyed with your bud.

“I like seeing you fucking helpless. That’s my good girl. Taking my cock so well. Squeezing me so hard. Don’t worry, daddy’s not gonna pull out.” You rocked back into him in a harsh rhythm. He pounded into you almost anomalistically. His huge body caged you in and Cooper choking you only added to the pleasure.

“Cream on it. Fucking cream on my dick. I know you can.” He commanded and you cried as another orgasm neared.

“Tell me who’s in control, doll.” He ordered and you repeated the worse hoarsely.

Your second climax came and hit you like a storm. Cooper huffed and grunted as his cock twitched inside you and ropes of his cum sprayed your insides. It gave him more slip to fuck you through it.

He hauled you on his lap, letting go of the belt and he turned you to face him. Your thighs on either side as he set you on his dick. Cooper's eyes were black with lust as he palmed your tits.

“So greedy, keeping this pussy from me? You just fucking wait till I stop going easy on you. I have so much-so much I need to take out on you.” Your head lulled back as you bounced on his shaft.

Your hands balanced on his chest and your mouth hovered above his. “You feel so good,” You admitted and Cooper smiled hazily. His hands traveled and cupped the back of your ass. It would have normally embarrassed you that you weren’t able to last longer but it only a few minutes passed before another orgasm sent you over the edge.

“You look so god damn pretty. Even prettier than if you were-“ He jerked his jaw as you gently cupped his face. Cooper must have been surprised by your gentle display because he pressed a swift kiss to your palm.

“My sweet girl. Doing such a good job. I’m so proud of you for taking it,”

Tagging @xxbimbobunnyxx @redhead1180 @horrorpiggy @stillwjk-channie-lixie @waywardtigersandwich @id-rather-be-in-middle-earth @agirlthatreadsfanfics @rubyfruitjungle @r0se20 @cherryinterlude @the-ghost-code @wildgirllz @nemesyaaa @redpillbluepill @dumbass-sappho-stan @velvrei @faelvz @nightwingfilm @sararuno @oceanblvd111 @mooneylou

[meazalykov]

the video

aitana bonmati x barca femeni x barca!reader

summary: on international break- a video circulates online that will cause your girlfriend, and club teammates, to be concerned

warnings: mentions of abuse, angst

on international break, you clashed with your coach over a situation. 

you’ve realized that your national team coach was being overly aggressive towards some of the younger players– the 18 to 22 year old ones. 

as the captain, you gave them a safe space to talk to you about it. you had the platform– as a 2020 ballon d’or winner, and 2 time champions league winner– to speak up about any situation that is bothering you. 

even if that might piss off the “higher ups” of your national team. 

after seeing your coach nearly scream, not yell, but scream at one of the youngsters on the team for not making a header during an international friendly.. you had enough. 

you pulled your coach to the side and confronted him at halftime.

 

“hey, why did you scream at her over the failed set piece? its her debut?” 

“don’t question me about my corrections.” he mumbled, looking away from you and waving at another staff member yards away. 

“i will! you can’t scream at the players about their mistakes, it's affecting the team chemistry and they need to be nurtured into having experience– not screamed at. you can see that they’re SCARED to even come to training because of this.” you snapped.

this has happened for long enough. 

little did you know, a few people in the distance were recording this interaction between your coach and you. 

what shocked them was when the coach grabbed your arm, aggressively, and pulled you close to him so you’re just 3 feet from the left side of his body. 

he squeezed your arm, purposely, which caused your face to squeeze as his physical assault caught you off guard. 

“listen, you do NOT question me about my coaching! maybe if she scored that, she wouldn’t have been punished!” he said through clenched teeth, staring at you with darkened eyes and a vein nearly popping out of his forehead.

realizing that you wouldn’t let him do this to you, you smacked his hand off of your arm and sprinted off– completely shocked that he would do that to you. 

the people who recorded the interaction sent the video to all news publications afterwards– the new york times, bbc, foxsports, tmz, 433– you name it. 

at the end of the game, where you were benched after that confrontation before the start of the second half, everyone booed the coach. 

everyone was confused– even you. at first, you assumed that your own country was booing you guys. that didn’t make sense– you guys won 3-2. 

once you guys were in the dressing room, all of the fifa officials took your coach away to talk to him. 

you had no idea that people recorded that assault that happened to you. some of your teammates noticed the red mark on your arm and the quietness of your voice– so they figured it had to do with the coach. 

“y/n..” you turn around to see the young midfielder behind you with a sad smile. 

the same 17 year old girl you defended after she was screamed over a missed header. 

“hey! congrats on today.” you pulled her into a soft hug, rubbed her upper back before pulling away. 

“thank you.” she smiled. 

you couldn’t resent her for the moment between the coach and you– he is the problem not her. 

when the national team got on the bus, the coach wasn’t there. the nice assistant coach (who has fallen to the main coaches abuse too) took his place. 

your eyebrows knitted together as you saw a notification from your barcelona teammate and close friend– alexia. 

ale 

WHAT THE FUCK? 

ale 

are you okay?!! 

y/n 

i am? 

y/n 

what's going on!?

ale

there’s a video on the internet

alex 

instagram.com/justwomensports….

when you clicked on the link, your face turned pale. 

many people have recorded the moment between the coach and you from hours before. 

you looked strong at first, until he grabbed your arm. the terrified look on your face was present until you smacked his arm away. 

to say that the media was in an outrage– that would be an understatement. 

almost every news publication has posted about it. there was no possible way that the coach wouldn’t be sacked for the amount of negative attention this has brought. 

you didn’t want to imagine how aitana, your girlfriend, is reacting to the situation– as she keeps calling you over-and-over again.  

y/n 

tana, i’ll call you once i’m back in the hotel. i will explain. 

aitana

i should kill him 

aitana

are you okay mi amor? 

y/n

i don’t know

y/n 

i think my mind is trying to supress it, but i can’t explain how i feel 

aitana

please call me asap 

when you clicked off of your imessages– mapi texted you in the groupchat between ingrid, her, and you. 

mapi 

y/n are you active? 

y/n

yes, hi!

mapi

do you want me to kill that pos? 

you giggle at the message- not because you want to see him dead- but the barcelona girls have their extreme way with defending their loved ones. 

ingrid

maybe you shouldn’t threaten ppl mapi 

ingrid

especially not now

ingrid

y/n please tell me you’re okay 

mapi

or will be okay? 

y/n 

i don’t know how to feel about it

y/n 

it happened so fast 

y/n 

i think my brain isn’t trying to process it. i’m scared

ingrid

call aitana

y/n

i am once i’m back in the hotel, i’m on the bus with the team right now. 

after turning your phone off and looking at your phone, your national teammates on the bus were very quiet. 

as they’re scrolling on their phones– they’re understanding why the mean coach isn’t on the bus anymore.

 your best friend on your national team taps your shoulder and you look over at her, seeing that she finished watching the video. 

“WHAT THE FUCK?” she mumbles very quietly as she gives you a heartbroken look. 

“when did this happen?” she asked. 

“at halftime, remember when i had to pull him outside of the dressing room to talk to him..” you say. 

your best friend frowns before pulling your head into her body for a hug. 

“is this why you were benched once the game started again?” she whispers. 

“i believe so.” 

one thing that everyone knew– your girlfriend in spain wasn’t going to let *that* slide. 

the next day-- your 2023 ballon d’or winner girlfriend scored a goal in a game against another country.. she held up two fingers on her left hand and one finger on her right, dedicating her golozo for you. since you wore the number 12 on your club and national teams.

next, an important post on instagram spoke up about abuse in the community. a post that went viral alongside your situation.

aitana was quick to repost it on her story– bringing more support for you as you struggled with that traumatic moment. 

before you came back to barcelona a week later, you told the “higher-ups” of your national team that if your coach stays, you would retire from international football. 

you are 24 years old, so that is an extreme ultimatum. 

they couldn’t afford to lose you, one of the best players in the world. 

the coach was sacked, charged for assault, and you are happy about it. 

in barcelona, most of the girls came to your apartment to comfort you. 

alexia, her girlfriend olga, ingrid, mapi, esmee, fridolina, patri, caroline, marta, and jana were all there to give you support. 

you cried for the first time about it since the incident occurred. never in your life were you treated that way. 

once the girls left your house hours later, aitana stayed. well– you guys lived together so it wasn’t an option for her to leave. 

with aitana, you told more details about the things you’ve seen the coach do to the team. the way he ruined the chemistry and motivation of the girls is something you’re prepared to fix with the new coach coming onto the national team. 

she cuddles you and plays with your hair as you talk. refusing to leave your side for a while. 

the spanish national team had their own problems, which you know about, so aitana is able to help you as you help her through her problems too.

aitana and your club teammates vows to never let someone hurt you like that again. 

authors note: this has been in my drafts for over a month.

my master list is linked here if you want to read more fics <3

[akutasoda]

help! my bangboo is trying match-make me!

synopsis - your bangboo decides that it's time to set you on a date

includes - wise, belle, seth, ellen

warnings - gn!reader, fluff, slight crack, strangers to lovers, friends to lovers, awkward encounters, wc - 1.6k

a/n: shout-out to my friend, she was sat there in the hotel with me and gave me some amazing ideas (and listened to my rambling and even joined in-)

wise ★↷

you stared down at the list in your hand, you needed quite a few items although you reckoned that most could be obtained from the one four one. it was only going to be a simple errand or two but you still thought to bring along your bangboo, the company would be rather nice.

you managed to get most of your things, some extras as well, before deciding that a couple would have to be sought elsewhere. but as you looked up from the list you noticed that your bangboo was nowhere to be seen. slight panic was rising inside of you and then you finally noticed it.

out the corner of your eye you could see your bangboo running down the street, more panic set in as you went after it. luckily it only ran into the video store down the street, not any further but you definitely would have to apologise to whoever the owner was for your bangboo’s poor behaviour - it'd never done this before so you wondered what had gotten into it all of a sudden.

your panic only doubled however when you opened the door to the video store just in time to see your bangboo run into a grey haired guy. fortunately he didn't seem too bothered, more concerned about the bangboo that was now lying on the ground. wise quickly noted how the bangboo must belong to you, based upon how quickly you ran towards it and the look of concern on your face.

you hurriedly helped your bangboo back up before apologising to the unfortunate victim of your bangboo's “rampage”. wise assured you that it wasn't an issue, you were rather relieved that he wasn't so bothered but a small bit of guilt nagged away at you. while you were talking with wise, your bangboo kept observing the two of you before coming to it's own conclusion that neither of you were aware of.

and so as you tried to leave you noticed your bangboo stood rather firmly next to wise. you both tried encouraging it but it refused. eventually it made it's way over only to try and push you back towards wise. you let out a sigh of disbelief as wise held back a small laugh. after a very long while you managed to convince it to leave.

now everytime you visited sixth street your bangboo would end up dragging you to random play, and more specifically wise. and eventually as you started becoming friends with wise, your bangboo never looked so proud of itself - but it certainly wouldn't stop until you two actually got together.

belle ★↷

recently you had heard of a new video tape circulating that you were dying to get ahold of and see, fortunately you knew of a great video store on sixth street. so as soon as you had the time you made your way to random play accompanied by your bangboo.

admittedly you were quite the regular there, it definitely held up to the reputation it had. so you figured that if anyone would have that new video tape, it'd be them. over the times you visited, you'd become quite friendly with the siblings who ran the store and so you're sure that they'd help you find it regardless of whether or not they actually had it themselves.

you arrived eventually and immediately went to ask the bangboo at the counter for some assistance, belle emerged from the staff only rather quickly afterwards. she listened to your request before agreeing to help you find it, she wasn't too sure that they had it, they hadn't exactly updated their stock recently, but she would try to get ahold of it for you.

she promised to return in a few minutes before disappearing to the staff only for a while, and in the meantime you decided to glance through the other video tapes to pass the time. eventually she re-emerged with good news but you'd have to return the next day to collect it. you thanked her before making your way home, except as soon as you left the store, you noticed your bangboo was nowhere to be seen.

immediately, you turned heel and went back into random play and saw belle trying to urge your bangboo out of the staff only. this wasn't exactly the first time your bangboo had tried to stay at the store and you had a bad feeling it wouldn't be the last. belle only laughed when you apologised again as she assured you it's not a big deal - if anything she found it rather cute that your bangboo liked the store so much, unaware of its real reason.

and as soon as you returned the next day, your bangboo did the exact same thing. every single time. it certainly wasn't going to give up, it wanted the two of you to spend more time with each other and you both would soon come to learn that it would stop at nothing.

seth lowell ★↷

you sighed as you stretched out your arms, you looked down at the remaining paperwork on the desk before glancing at the clock. the remaining paperwork would have to wait, it was your break and you certainly weren't going to waste it on leftover files. standing up, you started thinking what to actually do with your free time before you noticed the lack of bangboo's around you.

more specifically your bangboo who usually stayed by your side at all times. only now it wasn't anywhere to be seen, not near your desk or anywhere in sight. panic started setting in as you now had to go search for your bangboo - not exactly how you saw your break going but maybe you could find it quickly enough.

so far, you're bangboo was nowhere to be found. the panic was increasing and you were worried something bad had happened to it. but you were quickly snapped out your worried daze by the sight of seth crouched down in front of something in the hallway. he heard you approaching and stood up to reveal your bangboo behind him.

he explained how he saw it wondering around aimlessly and got rather excited when it spotted him, and since he knew it was yours he figured he could wait with it untill you showed up. you thanked seth for helping return your bangboo, you both knew how much trouble you could land in for letting it run around like it did - even if it wasn't entirely your fault.

he assured you it was no real problem and he was glad that you two were reunited. you and seth bid farewell but your bangboo wasn't so happy about the short encounter and before anybody noticed it ran infront of you as you walked off, causing you to trip.

rather fortunately, seth was just quick enough to catch you before you fell. except now you were both a blushing mess and your bangboo was rather proud of itself - admittedly your bangboo was much more aware of your feelings for eachother than either of you. you and seth quickly parted afterwards, but your bangboo was not going to stop until one of you confessed.

ellen joe ★↷

lumina square was always busy around this time. you knew that but yet you still couldn't help but agree to meet with some of your friends there. idly glancing down at your phone, you became less aware of your surroundings, only noticing anything when you realised the weight of your bangboo leaning on your leg was no longer there.

panic set in almost immediately as you were worried something may have happened to your bangboo or it could get lost. fortunately, you managed to spot it waddling its way over towards the teamilk store and you could only hope to catch up to it before something bad happened - the busy streets didn't exactly fill you with much hope that it wouldn't be hurt if you didn't catch it quick enough.

it had never done something like this before and so you were struggling to think why it would run off all of a sudden, maybe it just really wanted some teamilk? the reasons didn't matter, all that mattered now was catching your bangboo and making sure it didn't cause any trouble.

you paused when you watched it run toward your classmate ellen. you two had talked on occasion, more so recently, but you two were definitely not friendly enough to walk away from this encounter being anything other than embarrassing. as soon as you realised you stopped, you quickly caught up to your bangboo which was now bothering ellen.

luckily, she was currently waiting alone and so you wouldn't run the risk of anyone else seeing the awkward encounter. still, you apologised and explained that you didn't know what had gotten into your bangboo and ellen only muttered something as you tried ushering your bangboo away.

you felt slightly bad and so you offered to buy her a teamilk as an apology, one she didn't turn down. fortunately for you, she agreed but only to share one seeing as she was planning to meet with her friends later. but this simple encounter couldn't of made your bangboo more happy as it new it was helping you two move in the right direction.

[pucked-bunnie]

shameless flirt ⎜ a.matthews

pairings: auston matthews x reader prompts: "you can rest your head on me, I don't mind" + "I dont want to be alone." genre: fluff ⎜angst ⎜friends to lovers⎜ warnings: injured players ⎜auston is a little espresso depresso ⎜just auston being in love the whole time ⎜had to make tyler the bad guy, sorry ⎜ synopsis: working as a team trainer came with many ups and downs, when you pull one of toronto's super stars the downs seem to outweigh the ups - but auston is always willing to bring you back up. word count: 4.8k authors note:  this was a WIP i had already started but when doing the prompt list request I got two request that I felt tied in nicely, so I put them all together. I also love our gentle giant auston matthews. (disclaimer : none of the hockey events in this are accurate - so dont come for me.)

(unedited)

+

+

“You need to stop staring.” You can’t help the way you jump at the words, glaring at the man behind you before turning back towards the rink. 

“I’m not staring.” You huff, flicking some hair away from your face. “I’m assessing.” The large man steps forwards leaning against the barricade besides you, his eyes trailing over your face before following your gaze to the player on the ice. 

“Assessing for what?” Auston asks, his gaze watching his teammate curiously, before moving back towards you. Your frown was deepening as you watched the Swedish player move through the drills on the ice. “Is he okay?” 

Something was wrong.

What were you seeing that he couldn’t? 

“That is for me to know and for you to probably never find out.” You sigh as you push off the wall, turning towards the large man. “What’re you doing out here anyway, don’t you have an interview to do?” Auston shrugs as he turns away from the ice to look at you. 

“Is he injured?” He questions and this time you shrug in return. 

“It’s none of your business, Auston.” You begin holding up a hand before he begins to complain, “It’s a suspicion, nothing more and once it concerns you, you’ll be the first to know.” You finish, smiling as your player makes his way to the boards, unstrapping his helmet as he skates. 

“How was that, doc?” William asks, a large grin planted on his face as he nods a quick hello to his teammate. 

“Subpar.” You respond, William’s smile dropping slightly. “You seem to be favouring your left leg, I need to do a physical on you at some stage this afternoon if you manage to catch a free moment.” You continue, looking between the two players before letting out a relaxed grin. 

“I’m sure it’s nothing, Willy. But we can’t have you out there if you can’t play your best.” William nods slowly, trying to return your smile but you can see the worries running through his head quicker then he can keep up. 

He’s hiding something from you and you are determined to find out what it is. 

“Meet me in the treatment room after you shower, we'll go over my concerns then.” You say dismissing William back to the locker room before turning to Auston, glancing up at him with a sigh. 

“You need to go do your media, Auston” He opens his mouth to say something but you shake your head before you trudge down the tunnel after William. 

Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs had been nothing short of a dream for the three years you had been with the team - with one of the senior trainers leaving after last season you had been approached to step in as a full time trainer and senior member of staff - your role changing drastically and sometimes left you in the firing line when an unpopular decision had to be made. 

“He’s getting pulled isn’t he?” Auston’s voice sounds from the door of your office. William had left your office over an hour ago his eyes watering as you gave him the bad news. You had spent the hour in silence typing up the email recommendation to the coaching staff. 

“I can’t tell you anything, Auston.” You say quietly, “You know how this works.” Auston nods, taking a few steps into the room before closing the door behind him. 

“Is it bad?” 

“Auston, please.” You respond, rubbing your fingers against your forehead, a long sigh escaping you as you slowly nod your head. “It’s bad enough that he needs to focus on rehab right now.” You say, before adding “everyone’s gonna hate me for this.” This wasn’t your first time pulling one of the core four on the team - last time the boys had been more lenient as you were one of the junior staff members and the decision had your previous supervisor taking most of the heat - this time you were on your own. 

“I could never hate you.” He says softly, his chest squeezing as he watches the tiredness smooth over your expression. 

“Thanks.” You say with a bitter laugh, closing your laptop as you reach for your bag under the desk. 

“They’ll give the team an update tomorrow.” 

Auston stands with you, his hand reaching out to pull open the door waving for you to exit first. “I’m serious doc.” He says, “I’ve got your back.” 

Twenty four hours later you watch from the doorway as the coaches deliver the news to the team - the coaches waiting till after practice to announce that William would be pulled for the foreseeable future - Auston’s eyes flick to yours every now and then as the coaches refuse to divulge too deeply into the details. 

“What do you mean he’s getting pulled?” Mitch asks softly, yanking at the straps of his padding, pulling the equipment off slowly, “He seemed completely fine.” The volume is the locker room raises as the team all share their opinions of agreement.

The coach takes a moment to let the group voice their frustration before speaking.  “Our trainers are some of the best in the world.” Sheldon begins, “They have everyone's best interest at heart - she made the call to pull Willy as it was perceived that he was trying to conceal an injury and in the long run would be doing more damage. Willy agreed it was the best thing to do with hopes that with his full focus on recovery it will make him available for the playoffs.” Sheldon's words seem to quiet the group.

Auston hands pause on the laces of his skates as he glances over to you again, seeing your head fall, your hand pushing the loose hairs out of your face, as you whisper something under your breath before lifting your head again. “Anyway, let’s wish William all the best in his recovery and hope to see him back on the ice soon.” Sheldon finishes before dismissing the group, shouting out a quick morning practice time for tomorrow morning before exiting the locker room. 

The locker room is quiet after the coach leaves, Auston risking one more glance towards you, his heart jumping in his chest as he sees your eyes already locked on him with a sad smile on your face. Auston glances away quickly engaging in the ongoing conversation besides him to try and ignore you and your gaze on the side of his face.

He still notices when you turn slowly and decides to leave the room. 

+

+

“Fuck.” Sheldon swears under his breath as the end of game horn rings - the crowd of red roaring in victory as the home team groups together on the ice, patting each other on the heads. The sea of blue fans beginning to exit the stands all sending glares of anger towards your team slowly skating their way to the bench - hoping to make a quick exit. 

The game had been an intense one - the team had been so close to pulling through but continued to miss their shots, the fire power significantly decreased since you pulled one of their top scorers. You keep your head down low as you follow the last player down the tunnel, everyone making their way into the locker room - “Doc, we need to talk for a moment.” Your steps freeze as you glance ahead to the maple leafs coach waiting to the side of the locker room - his arms folded against his chest. 

“Sure, thing.” You say, plastering a smile on your face as you step away from the group - one of the players pausing by the door of the locker room, his hand making quick work of his helmet as he glances between you and his coach. 

“You have something to say, Matthews?” Auston glances at his coach, his mouth opening slightly before closing again, his gaze trailing over to you, your head moving side to side in the smallest movement he barely catches it. 

“It’s okay.” He can see you mouth the words, your head motioning for him to enter the room behind him before turning back towards his coach. 

“Don’t be too hard on her.” He says quietly into the hallway not waiting for you or Sheldon to respond before trudging into the locker room. 

“We both know that your decision to pull Nylander is one that can’t be reversed until you sign off on his physical.” Sheldon begins - the leafs had implemented a new protocol on the return of players from the injury reserve, the doctor who made the decision to pull the player had to be the one to sign them off on returning to avoid players and coaches undermining the doctors decision. 

You nod your head slowly - your smile faltering as you catch on to what the coach is hinting at. “You want me to sign him off early?” Your question almost comes out of your mouth as a scoff - your eyebrows raised as your smile officially switches to a frown. “You want me to break protocol for this?” You reiterate, your own arms crossing against your chest as you stare down the coach. 

“No, of course not.” Sheldon’s words come out with a nervous laugh - his gaze flicking over the hallways as he takes a step forwards - his voice lowers as he speaks again. “We only have one more game before the playoffs - we need our team back at full potential.” 

You nod taking in his words, giving him a second to continue, “You understand, don’t you? You know what this would mean to the team - to be able to begin the playoffs as a force to be reckoned with… we can’t do that without our core four.” You shake your head as you take a step away from the desperate coach. 

“No can do, Sheldon.” Your words are firm as you glance to the players beginning to hover at the door of the locker room. “I’m not going to risk him injuring himself permanently for the sake of playing a game.” You know your words are making the coach angry - his rage simmering as a red tint rises up his neck. “I care about our players, and I’d hope you’d share the same sentiment, coach.” The words hiss out of you as you glare at the man, not wasting anymore time in making your way into the medical bay besides the locker room - closing the door tightly behind you. 

You miss the way the rest of the team let out whistles of shock as their coach lets out a huff of displeasure.

You miss the way Auston watches you walk away, a slight grin on his face before his coach dismisses him to finish pulling off his gear. 

+

+

The team was two hours behind schedule - most of the staff already seated on the plane waiting for the players to join them so everyone could make the three hour flight back home. Slowly the players made their way onto the plane - each taking up their normal seats, most of the time the players would sit amongst each other while the staff would find their own seats towards the back of the plane - Sheldon considered it another of his many ways for the team to get closer together. 

“Auston, you gonna join us for some black jack?” Mitch’s voice carries through the airplane - his hands already shuffling a deck of cards, two of his team mates looking up at the newest arrival in anticipation. 

Auston hesitates looking between the empty seat next to you - and his best friend waiting for him to take the seat across from him. “I think I’m gonna miss out this time.” Auston says slowly walking further down the aisle - Mitch looking at his friend in disbelief. “I’m just super tired.” Auston adds as he shoves his bag in the overhead locker before dropping into the seat beside you - your eyes shooting over to him in confusion - your hand lifting to pull one of your AirPods out of your ear. 

“What are you doing?” You sneer under your breath - not missing the way some of his teammates glare over at you. “You need to move - staff and players don’t sit together, Auston.” Your hands shove at him lightly, but Auston makes himself comfortable in the seat beside you, a soft smile on his face as he ignores your pleading, clicking the seat belt at his hips and settling into the seat.

“This is ridiculous.” You huff, giving up on trying to move the large man, pressing play on the iPad screen in front of you, one AirPod still in your ear as the movie continues. “What’re you watching?” Auston asks as the flight attendants move down the plane checking everyone is buckled in and comfortable. 

You let out a long yawn as you shoot him a glare, “None of your business.” If your words were meant to stop Auston from interacting with you, they seemed to be doing quite the opposite. 

“You’re tired?” He questions as you let out another yawn, slapping a hand over your mouth to cover the movement, “You can rest your head on me.” He says softly, lowering his left shoulder, patting against the hard muscle with a grin, “I don’t mind.” He adds quickly, lowering his shoulder a little bit more. 

“Auston, I don’t think that’s a good idea.” 

“It’s probably not.” He agrees, his right hand reaching over to shuffle your iPad into the middle of your seats, before reaching over his body to gently pull your head down onto his shoulder, his left hand, grabbing for yours - your fingers lacing together as he sits your joined hands comfortably in your lap. 

“But that’s never really stopped me before.” 

Your breath gets caught in your chest as you think of all the ways people must be whispering about your position - not daring to lift your head off Auston’s shoulder to look around at the people around you - not daring to lift your head from the comfortable fabric of Auston’s fleece jumper. 

“Rest, doc.” He whispers softly, his hand squeezing yours, as he watches the movie on the screen, pulling the spare AirPod out of its case to shove in his ear. 

You’re not sure when you fall asleep but you wake to Auston’s hand squeezing yours, his head laying softly on top of yours, a jacket thrown over your torso, the movie credits playing on the screen of your iPad. 

“We’ve arrived.” The flight attendant says quietly, her gaze flicking over you and the man beside you with a knowing grin - leaving as you thank her, detaching your hand from Auston’s, the man letting out a soft groan, his hand reaching out to take yours again. 

“We’re here.” You whisper to him, slipping his jacket off of you to place back into his lap, gathering all your stuff before shoving it into your backpack - gently reaching to pull the remaining AirPod out of Auston’s ear, sliding it back into the case. “Auston?” You say softly as you shake his shoulder lightly. 

He sits up slowly, stretching his arms above his head as he glances over at you, your bag already slung over your shoulder as you wait for him to move so you can exit the plane. 

“Same time tomorrow?” He asks, undoing the belt in his lap, and stepping out into the aisle. You shake your head as you pass him, not able to stop the spreading grin on your face. 

+

+

Your head falls forwards as the end of game horn sounds for the last time in the regular season - the leafs lost again - the final game of their season they lost and they lost by two. Even though they were still guaranteed a position in the playoffs it never felt good to start the first round on a loss. 

Not to mention the news hitting the team yesterday that they would be up against Boston in the first round - the two teams notorious for having very intense games. 

No one says anything as the team makes their way back to the locker room - everyone stripping off their gear with heavy heads, most wanting nothing more than to get on the plane and head back home, you included. You can’t ignore the way people glare at you as you enter the room, some players whispering to each other under their breath in frustration. 

Some of the team still makes friendly conversation or sends you tight smiles as you help them unwrap their tape - or roll out their tight muscles, but most say nothing. Your final patient never makes his way into your medical bay - the other doctors packing up as you wait for the tall brunette to pop his head into the room, but nothing, not even a glimpse of the large player. 

“We’re going to take this stuff out to the crew, are you alright to pack up the rest?” One of your colleagues asks as he passes by you -  a few cases in his hands. 

“Yeah, I’ll be good to go in just a moment.” You say softly, letting out a quiet sigh as you turn to pack up your equipment, turning as you head a soft knock on the door. 

“Do you still have time to help me get this tape off?” His voice is quieter than usual - the player you were waiting for standing by the open door - his skin red from where he had tried to rip the strapping tape off on his own. You nod quickly, taking in his sad eyes - the skin around them redder than usual. 

“I tried to get it off myself, but you’re clearly too good at your job.” Auston says a bitter chuckle coming out as he takes a seat on the table in front of you - your hands digging through your bags for the adhesive removal spray. 

“Why didn’t you come ask for help sooner?” You ask quietly, as you behind to spray the remover on the remaining tape wincing at the rash spreading across his skin where the tape was already removed. “You could’ve gotten someone else to remove it.” You add quickly the thought that maybe he was trying to avoid you running through your head quickly. 

“Why would I do that?” His question confuses you, your eyebrows furrowing but you continue pulling off the tape. “You think I’m avoiding you?” 

“Aren’t you?” You ask bitterly, remembering the looks of the others on the team, the ones that clearly blame you for the loss. “Everyone else hates me right now, so it’s not like I blame you.” Auston just watches as you pull your bottom lip between your teeth, your chin wobbling as you try to suck in the overwhelming disappointment that’s been growing in yourself. He watches as you focus all your attention on pulling off the tape, keeping your attention on his sore skin as you rub soothing cream over the rash that he gave to himself. 

“I could never hate you.” He says softly as you twist the lid back onto the cream, standing from his spot on your bench, his hands raising to your face, lifting your head to tilt up towards him. “I told you when you first made the decision - I could never hate you, no matter what anyone else thinks - not even what you think, do you understand?” Your chin trembles as his thumb strokes against your cheeks softly, your head nodding in confirmation, his hands staying just under your jaw as he lets out a soft sigh.

“Then why are you sad? Why didn’t you come to me to help?” Your question stalls Auston’s ministrations on your skin, his thumbs stopping in their motions as he stares down at you, his jaw clenching as he tries to find his words. 

“I’m just disappointed.” 

“Disappointed?” 

“In myself.” He confirms before adding, “In the team, we let one person's absence throw us off the ball - we do this every god damn year.” His forehead drops to yours, his hands slipping away from your face, sliding over your shoulder before grazing down your arms, his fingers reaching out to lace with yours. “I thought we were going to do better this year… I thought I would do better.” 

The sound of footsteps in the locker room makes the two of you jump, your hands slipping out of his as you quickly throw the rest of your equipment into their cases, turning back to Auston with a soft smile. “You should finish getting change for the flight.” Auston nods, frowning as he glances out into the locker room seeing the other doctors hovering by the door. 

“You’ll wait for me?” He asks quickly, your head nodding before you can even register what he asked, his body slipping through the door before you can take back your agreement. 

But you do as requested, handing off your cases to the other doctors promising them you’d meet them on the plane, making excuses about Auston wanting to talk about a treatment plan for his shoulder - they both nod understandingly moving quickly to get the last of the equipment to the trucks to take to the airport. 

Auston’s surprised to see you still standing outside the locker room when he exits - his bag thrown over his shoulder, a large white hoodie thrown over your uniform as you turn towards him. The two of you walk to the bus in silence, neither knowing why you had stayed. 

Neither of you know why you still stayed as you sit next to each other on the bus. 

As you fall into your seats besides each other on the plane. 

Auston’s surprised again as you take hold of his hand once the flight takes off - your gaze focused on the window as the plane levels out - your headphones over your ears as you pretend your thumb isn’t rubbing gentle circles on the back of his hand. 

“What is going on with you two?” Auston’s head shoots up from the video playing on his phone, Mitch leaning over the back of the chair in front of him, his eyes lingering on the joined hands sitting in your lap. If you head Mitch you pretend not to, your chin in your hand as you keep watching the black sky pass by. 

“None of your business.” Auston replies, praying to whoever will listen that you don’t pay attention to Mitch’s interrogations, praying that you don’t take your hand out of his. “Mitch drop it.” Auston sneers as his friend's gaze drops to your joined hands again, Auston squeezing yours as he feels your fingers loosen on his. “Please.” Auston adds, Mitch’s eyebrows raising in surprise as he throws his hands up in surrender. 

The rest of the flight passes in silence, most of his teammates busy with their own unwinding processes, a lot of the staff sleeping for as much of the flight as possible. 

Neither of you two sleep. 

Neither of you acknowledge the other until the plane stops on the runway - the players and staff quickly making their way off the plane, stretching their limbs as they go. 

“Do you have a ride home?” Auston asks, his chest tightening as you finally pull your hands out of his, the warmth of your skin lingering in his palm. You shake your head softly, pulling out your phone and flashing the Uber app on your screen. “Come home with me.” Auston says wincing as the words hit him as soon as he says them. 

“Not like that - I mean I wouldn’t be against it but… I just…” 

“What do you mean then, Auston?” You interrupt, your face soft as you wait for him to respond, giving him the time to collect himself. 

“I don’t want to be alone.” He admits quietly, “I’d really like to spend some more time with you.” You don’t say anything, glancing down at the open app on your phone before glancing back up at him - handing your unlocked phone over, the arrival address waiting. 

“No way in hell you’re paying for the ride.” He hisses, pushing your phone back towards you as he pulls his own phone out of his pocket, reaching overhead to pull his backpack out of the locker, his hand reaching out for yours as he drags your off the plane behind him - the two of you bypassing the rest of the staff, Auston sneaking to grab your two suitcases before rushing you off the runway and into the airport an Uber waiting out the front. 

Auston sits comfortably in the silence, his hand warm between the two of you - his heart beating so fast he’s glad you know how to do CPR cause he might need it if you do anything else. 

Auston thanks the driver as he pulls up outside his building - pulling the bags from the trunk - your small duffle stacked on top of his suitcase - the bags dragged behind him as he also drags you behind him and into the empty lobby. 

“This place is really fancy.” You say as he scans his house fob - the elevator automatically selecting the floor for his condo. Auston doesn’t say anything, pretty sure he’d throw up if he attempted to get words out. 

“Are you okay?” You question as the elevator dings - the doors opening to the front door of his condo - the only condo on this floor. 

“Mhm.” He answers, swallowing his nerves as he shoves his key into the lock, opening the door as quickly as possible pulling you quickly into his empty apartment. 

“No Felix?” You question as you glance around, an empty crate sitting in the living room with no sign of the dog. 

“He’s at Mitch’s - Felix loves visiting Zeus when we go on roadies.” Auston finally speaks, his hand dropping yours for just a moment to set up your bags by the front door, pulling his large puffer off his shoulders and throwing it over a coat rack by the front door.   

“Make yourself at home.” Auston says as he strides into the kitchen grabbing two bottles of water from the fridge, his gaze shooting over to your body relaxing into the cushions of his oversized couch. 

“Where the hell did you get this thing?” You question as he hands you your bottle of water, slumping into the seat beside you, a grin on his face as he watches you settle in further. 

“I don’t know, my sister bought it.” He says quickly, your eyes squeezed shut as he reaches for a blanket draped over the back of the couch, throwing it over your lap. 

“Well I need the link.” You comment on bliss twisting the lid off the water as you take a sip. 

“It was almost ten thousand.” Auston’s hand moves to pat your back as the water gets stuck in your throat - coughs racking your body as you pat your chest. 

“Never-mind then.” 

“You can use mine whenever you want.” Auston says and you scoff, falling back against the couch as you drop the evil water besides you on the couch. “I’m not kidding.” He adds. 

Auston doesn’t know what makes him change his position. 

He’s not sure why he lies down on the couch, his head gently landing in your lap. 

He’s not sure what to do when he feels your fingers thread in his hair, running softly through his messy locks - the water from his shower still making the ends of his hair wet and tangled. 

Auston’s not sure when you both fall asleep - his phone making him squint as he checks the time - the four am flashing as he throws the device to the other side of the couch. 

He drags himself off the couch slowly, careful not to wake you as he slides his arms under your body, lifting you gently with a soft grunt as he scuttles down the hallway - his room only lit by the lights of the other high building through his window, his body freezing as you let out a soft whine as he drops you onto his mattress dragging his duvet down the bed to throw over your body. 

He doesn’t know what makes him round the bed, sliding onto the mattress behind you, pulling the blanket over his body as well, his mind running so fast as you turn on the mattress, your hands reaching out to tangle in the fabric of his shirt, your body shuffling in the cold sheets to move closer to him. 

“Don’t make things awkward, Auston.” You huff, as one of your hands releases his shirt, grabbing his frozen arm to drape over your waist, a happy hum leaving you as he pulls you tighter against him, his chin resting against the top of your head. “We’re going to have to talk about this in the morning.” You say. 

“I know.” He responds. 

Neither of you know when you fall back asleep.

But neither of you complain as you wake up bundled together in the large king bed. 

[yanderefarm]

DUDE SILVAN IS SO…sigh. I need him lowkey..wanna reassure him and tell him he’s a good pet when he gets all insecure and upset :( ik he’d taste so good

comforting silvan

cw;; blood, vampires, dehumanization, hurt/comfort

this isn't a direct sequel to the last one but i wanted the illusion of that by setting it in the greenhouse during a rainstorm. enjoy just some simple comforting and reassuring your pet... before i hurt him again

the manor is too quiet. it's not like it's usually bustling with life considering it was full of undead creatures. but usually your pet, the only human in the manor, was making some kind of noise. silvan would be looking around for you or he would be entertaining himself with something. you tried to not pry into his life too much, it seems a bit foolish but you didn't want to accidentally take away anything that was still his. maybe you shouldn't leave him alone too much.

you couldn't find him. he wasn't in his room, he wasn't in your room, and he wasn't in the punishment room. you got concerned when he hadn't come to visit you for lunch in your office and according to your staff he hadn't even gone to have lunch in the dining room today. now you found yourself in his shoes, wandering from room to room trying to find your pet. you had looked in almost every room in the manor but he just wasn't anywhere.

you heard thunder crash outside drawing your gaze to the storm raging. you looked out the window watching as the rain pelted against the greenhouse. the lit greenhouse. you touched the frosted glass, your skin sticking slightly to the cold pane as you searched for a shadow inside the greenhouse. aside from the usual plants there was an odd shadow of what looked like it could be a pot on the floor. if you were a gambling man you'd bet that's where he was.

with your umbrella in hand you made your way outside, the rain growing ever louder. when you finally reached the greenhouse doors you could hear the wind angrily shuttering the windows of the building. it was unlocked like you had expected and you hoped that you weren't about to find the gardener at work. the light flooded the dark cold outside and greeted you with the sweet scent of your flowers. you took a deep breath to appreciate it before you stepped into the building.

you walked past rows of planters and pots filled with different flowers, herbs, and other greenery. your eyes finally caught a bit of silvan's pants leg and you stopped before you reached him. he had been able to hide himself under the sound of the rain and scent of the flowers, almost like he'd been trying to hide from you specifically. you could hear his heart was racing now, the sound like thunder in your ears.

you hesitated to open your mouth but you didn't want to leave him alone out here. "silvan, if you don't want me to be here I can pretend I didn't see you but please come inside for lunch."

you heard him whimper from his spot before the bit of his legs you could see disappeared. you let out a heavy sigh and lowered yourself to sit on the ground where you stood. you were certain now that he was hiding from you but you still didn't feel like you could just leave him.

"did something happen? are you worried I'm going to punish you?" that earned you another whimper.

"mm... i don't know what it is so i can't guarantee you won't be punished but if you tell me now we can figure it out together." you reached out your hand far enough that he could see it.

you opened your mouth to speak again when his warm hand grabbed yours. just the small contact of his soft skin was enough to bring you a welcomed warmth. you gave his hand a reassuring squeeze which spurred silvan to finally crawl out of his hiding spot. as his face came into view you could see his tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes tell tale signs he'd been crying for a while. he sat in front of you, his hand holding onto yours as tightly as his human strength allowed.

"im sorry, master..." he didn't dare to look up at you, his eyes fixed on the ground between you two.

"tell me what happened." you ran your thumb over the back of his hand to encourage him.

"I'm the most worthless useless..." his voice cracked as tears brimmed in his eyes again.

you'd heard him talk about himself like this a thousand times. "silvan. why do you say that?"

"its true..." he fidgeted a bit under your gaze. "the noble that visited you this morning..."

you remembered the conversation you'd had this morning. a greedy fool wanted to bolster his small human farm by presenting you with a new pet and in the process he put down your current pet. you hadn't dignified him with a response at the time because you found it too stupid and braindead to comment on. you should have.

"i know I'm not impressive or prestigious... the only thing im good for is my blood and im sure someone else would taste better than me.." he sniffled as he tried to hold his tears back in his burning throat. "i didn't even feed you today.. worthless useless garbage... garbage, garbage, garbage..."

"are you done?" your tone was a bit harsher than you intended it to be but you were getting annoyed at yourself and the idiot you'd seen this morning.

you pulled his hand back towards your body, pressing your lips against his knuckles. "you keep insulting me.. you might need punished after all."

"n-no i-"

"an insult to my property is an insult to me. do you understand?" you looked up at him, your lips still pressed against his hand. his olive eyes met your gaze and the tears he'd been trying to keep back burst forth like a dam had broken.

you used your grip on his hand to pull him into your arms, his head tumbling into your chest. "my beautiful pet.. you are the most precious thing i own. your taste is better than even the highest quality human farm. your warmth sparks inside of me the last vestiges of humanity. your voice is like a sweet melody that I need to play at all times."

his hand had let go of your own to instead claw at your back while he sobbed. you held him just tight enough you wouldn't hurt him, one hand petting his hair so softly while the other was around his waist. you pressed a tender kiss into his hair.

"it hurts to know that you'll never be able to accept how much you mean to me. how i would do anything if for a moment you could feel how deeply you're loved." you heard his voice crack into louder sobbing as he wailed into your chest.

"my beautiful pet." you kissed his head again.

you two sat like that for so long you assumed the day had creeped into the evening already. your sweet pet had cried until he couldn't anymore, his tears dry on his cheeks and his voice so raw and hoarse it'd be a wonder if he could talk tomorrow. you moved him to sit in your lap like you usually did to feed on him, your hand rubbing soothing circles into his back. his head had fallen to rest on your shoulder and his eyes were trying to fight back sleep with languid blinks.

"silvan, dear, I'm sorry to ask this of you." you could feel a familiar blood thirst trying to tug at your mind.

he lazily lifted his head to look at you, his olive eyes were empty with dark bags under them. "master?"

"i know you're so tired, my beloved. if you want to say no you can, you won't get in trouble. but could I drink from you?" you felt bad when you saw him struggling to understand what you were asking for a moment. you moved your hand up his back to slide a finger up under his ribbon and press right against his pulse.

his eyes finally registered what you wanted and he nodded lazily. "pleash-"

you gently undid the ribbon exposing his scarred neck to you. you ran your finger along one of the old fang marks enjoying the way he gave you a delayed shiver. you retied his ribbon around his eyes earning a soft moan from him.

"i love you, pet. now rest.. I'll drain all the pain from you."

[cheriladycl01]

Could you do fic for Checo Perez with wife reader? He was doing PR things with Max and she was just watching from the background with their kids.. He constantly broke whatever things they gave him and she was having a great time watching it, much to the horror of the staff. Their kids eventually crashed one of the Red Bull's video and chaos ensured. While Max just encourages them. Just something fluff and cute. Thanks!! :))

Honey, they’re going to be the death of me - Sergio Perez x Wife!Reader

Plot:

It was a Thursday, typical media day in the world of F1 and today Sergio your husband had asked you to bring the kids along. Usually you showed them round the city you were in while he was off with the team filming stuff for whatever was needed of him by the social media team. But he wanted to see you today.

You had your 7 year old boy Diego who was the best older brother to his two younger siblings and he was currently watching his two little sister in the garage. He hadn’t taken to Sergios love of karting, finding the loud noises of the karts irritating and found a love for football instead.

The middle child, Isabella who is 5 had really gotten into Karting, loving the smell around the garage and was born on a very special race weekend, one where you husband was on the top step of the podium. She’s naturally taken to the car and was already looking at competing in the next few years when she got a little older.

Then there was Alexandria, the youngest who was still just a baby in yours eyes at age 2. She was so young that she hadn’t really taken in any footpath yet but was so very clearly a mummy’s girl. Just like her older brother.

Where you rarely had the kids in the paddock because of how busy it gets and you never wanted them to feel overwhelmed you just never really brought them. However this time Sergio was adamant that they come.

You were sat in the RedBull hospitality watching while Sergio and Max did loads of different team challenges. One where they were blindfolded with a mock track and a hot wheels car and had to guess which track it happened to be. Of course your husband split the pieces of track up from pushing the car to roughly before letting the small toy car slide off the table, a wheel popping off as it hit the floor.

The next thing they were given was a whiteboard and pen to film a top 3 video where they were asked what they’re top 3 things were.

So top three tracks, and Sergio answered with Mexico City, Spa and Baku.

But of course he also broke the pen, for the whiteboard pressing it to hard into it as he was concentrating on drawing a small image asked for.

You were loving watching him just look at Max with that blank confused expression as he showed the broken object to him in concern only for Max to start laughing, to the point he would sometimes choke.

Your kids were also finding there dads frustrations very amusing which was mainly why you were finding this as amusing as you were.

However, you turn away for one second to look at your phone, a text from your mum wondering how the kids were getting on at the track. A quick reply explaining to her it was hard to tell right now as the cars haven’t even started going round the track yet so you have no idea how bored they’re going to get.

In that one second, Max has beckoned your children over, and who are they to deny their beloved uncle Max, and the chaos has begun.

When you turn back round Diego has his face in the camera that they’re using to film. Isabella is sat on the floor under the table playing with the car and track that your husband had broken not so long ago. And then Alexandria was now sat in Max lap, yapping in her two year old way that made sort of sense but when you really listened was just a load of toddler mashup.

“What does this do?” Diego asked looking into the lenses of the camera while playing with the toggle on the side. The Young awkward intern next to the camera doesn’t really know how to reply and looks at you for help. While the other tries to coax Isabella from out under the table with more cars but off to the side away from filming. And eventually Max gets up to start tossing your daughter up in the air and her shrieks and shrills start to echo in the room.

“Sergio” you exclaim to your husband who isn’t helping whatsoever as you try to calm all three children down.

“Honey they’re going to be the death of me” Sergio replies.

“I’m so so sorry” you say to the intern as you finally manage to pull your son away from the camera. But just as you stopped one child the other two start. Max starts to chase them round the room and Sergio attempts to stop Max but he’s enjoying this just as much as the kids.

“Max” you exclaim trying to get him to stop while your son stays at your side cuddling into you laughing at his sisters.

“Look Mamá” Diego points, seeing Christian slip into the corner of the room. He has a confused look on that stern face of his making you walk over to start to profusely apologise.

“I-I’m so sorry. I’m not meaning for them to take up your work day” you exclaim, sending a look to Sergio to try and stop Max from messing about with your daughters, but now Deigo has also joined in now that you’ve left. But instead of being chased by Max, he is now chasing his sisters alongside Max.

“It’s more than okay, it’s nice to see all of them having fun” he grins watching his staff try to calm everyone in the room down.

“They look more stressed than having fun” you giggle watching the team members all start to stop the chaos.

“Mmmmm no that’s most definitely fun” he says taking another look at the staffs faces loosening up the more they realise they cannot stop the chaos that is your three children.

Sergio comes over, pulling you in for a kiss, nuzzling into you when he pulls you into a hug.

“We’ve raised little nightmares” he chuckles. Watching the staff members slowly start to give in to what your children are doing and slowly starting to help Max play around.

“That we have” you sigh watching everything unfold, as more things in the room get moved and more things get grabbed that were supposed to be used for the video.

You couldn’t help but sit back and watch with Christian and Sergio, his one arm wrapped around you.

Taglist:

@littlebitchsposts @hockey-racing-fubol @laura-naruto-fan1998 @22yuki @simxican @sinofwriting @lewisroscoelove @cmleitora @daemyratwst @lauralarsen @the-untamed-soul @thewulf @itsjustkhaos @purplephantomwolf @chasing-liberosis @summissss @gulphulp @starfusionsworld @jspitwall @sierruhhhh @georgeparisole @youcannotcancelquidditch @tallbrownhairsarcastic @ourteenagetragedy @peachiicherries @formulas-bitch @cherry-piee @spilled-coffee-cup @mehrmonga @eiraethh @curseofhecate @alliwantisadonut @dark-night-sky-99 @i-wish-this-was-me @tallrock35 @butterfly-lover @barnestatic @landossainz @darleneslane @barcelonaloverf1life @r0nnsblog @ilove-tswizzle @laneyspaulding19 @malynn @landosgirlxoxo @marie0v @yourbane @teamnovalak @nikfigueiredo @fionaschicken @0picels0 @tinydeskwriter @ironmaiden1313 @splaterparty0-0 @formula1mount

[cheolaholic]

ring of love; csc (07)

summary; agreeing to join vernon spectate an underground boxing match wasn't how you'd expect to spend your friday night. you also didn't expect to see seungcheol, someone you've lost contact with for years, become a part of the ring.

modern! au • boxer! au • hhu focused • multiple kinds of tropes • fluff, angst, smut

a/n;; im gonna be honest, i had no clue as to how im gonna write chapter 7 so i took a short break. that ended with me diving head first into love and deepspace which now has led me to a new obsession – Sylus. if you saw that post i made abt LNDS a few weeks ago, that has manifested into a side blog @chaeriescola where i’ll be posting my-non kpop related fics (read: Sylus & Zayne brainrot) also, i’m on Patreon now !! if you join my Patreon, you’ll get early access to the fics (a week early before they get posted on tumblr & ao3), exclusive bonus content, sneak peeks of other projects etc. if you’d like these special treats, feel free to join 👀 enough of me yapping, onto the fic~

Seungcheol wasn’t exactly sure what he was expecting when he tasked Mingyu and Vernon to look after you – considering how they both absolutely suck at understanding the whole “look after ___ for me but, don’t let her catch you” concept. He’s seen them tail behind you, possibly raising concerns in some students and staff whether they were stalking you from the moment they spotted you.

coups: can’t you two be more discreet? coups: you both look like you’re the worst stalkers gameboi: ? tallgyu: I think we’re doing a good job alien-non: yea, she hasn’t noticed us gameboi: you really got Mingyu and Hansol to tail after ___? gameboi: no offense to all 3 of you gameboi: but Hansol’s logic is practically gone if Mingyu’s leading tallgyu: HEY alien-non: I suggested we wear disguises but Mingyu didn’t want to! tallgyu: those weirdly shaped sunglasses are way too obvious coups: what you’re doing now is way more obvious! tallgyu: she hasn’t noticed us tallgyu: it’s fine hyung coups: Vernon alien-non: yes coups: you know how aware ___ is of her surroundings coups: she’s probably already spotted you both gameboi: but chose not to say anything

As if on cue, when they both turned a corner, they were both startled to come face-to-face with you, arms crossed, staring right at them.

“You’ve both been following me for the past hours, can I help you?” you ask, eyes narrowing when they both exchange a look.

“Well…” Mingyu started, “We… We just wanted to make sure you didn’t get lost…?”

Vernon mentally facepalms at Mingyu’s response while you scrunch your eyebrows in confusion, “To make sure I wouldn’t get lost…? On a campus I’ve been attending for at least 2 years…?”

“Seungcheol hyung wanted us to look after you,” Vernon confesses, “I don’t know why, but he just told us to keep an eye on you.”

“And, so, you’ve decided to follow me around?”

“Mingyu was the one who suggested it…”

“You both would make terrible secret agents…” Seungcheol mumbled as he came up behind you, wrapping an arm around your waist as he sent glares to the two younger males. “Cheol, I’m a big girl now – I can handle myself!”

“I know, I know,” he admits, “And, I’m sorry, pup-”

“Pup? You call her ‘pup’?” Your ears burned red at Mingyu’s question, forgetting that not everyone grew up with you and Seungcheol or knowing the reason that he calls you that.

“It’s a nickname I gave her while we were growing up,” Seungcheol answers, “And, it stuck with her since.”

“She grew up with you? Oh, you poor thing,” Mingyu faked cries as he pulls you into an embrace, “He must’ve picked on you non-stop.”

“Actually, he didn’t pick on me.” The taller male pulls away, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion at your answer. “He stood for me and may or may not have threatened the people that did pick on me.” He looks at Seungcheol with a look of betrayal, “That’s not fair! Why does she get special treatment while you keep picking on me!?”

Seungcheol pries Mingyu away from you, his arm returning to its position on your waist as he answers, “Because you’re Mingyu, and she’s… she’s ___.”

‘Well… this is… awkward…’ you thought to yourself as you sat in front of Wonwoo, one of the other boys you had briefly met that night. Seungcheol suggested you meet the three of them altogether, mainly Mingyu and Wonwoo since you were already best friends with Vernon, to somewhat break the ice.

‘Choi Seungcheol, you ass, this is anything but breaking the ice! If anything, this is increasing the freezing point of the ice!’

Unfortunately, Seungcheol’s plan of grabbing lunch together is now facing a setback. You had no classes that day, Wonwoo finished his, but Seungcheol, Mingyu and Vernon were being held back for their classes.

“Seungcheol, I’ve only met him once!” you whisper-shouted into your phone, “And, neither of us exchanged a single conversation since!”

“I know, I know,” Seungcheol answers, wracking his head to come up with solutions, “But, this lecturer is talking so slow that I have no choice!”

“What about Vernon and Mingyu?”

A sigh was heard, “Apparently, the model was being fussy about how she should be posing for their portrait. The lecturer needed her to be partially clothed, but since Mingyu was in the class… You can fill in the blanks…”

You let out a sigh, looking into the windows of the cafe as Wonwoo sits at a booth near the pick-up counter, “How much longer until you all are able to get here?”

“Probably an hour… And another 20 minutes to get there. Hey, you and Wonwoo both like drinking coffee and are introverts! Maybe you both can try talking to break the ice.”

Oh, boy, did Seungcheol underestimate the introversion you and Wonwoo possess. You had initially tried to have small talk with him, only to chicken out when he looked at you with that piercing gaze through his glasses. It’s been half an hour since you sat down at the booth with him, your strawberry milkshake sitting on a coaster as he goes to order possibly his third cup of cappuccino.

When he returns with his drink, you can’t help but ask, “Isn’t that… too much caffeine…?”

Wonwoo seemed a bit taken back when you finally opened your mouth to talk, but he recovers quickly and shrugs, “Honestly, after drinking caffeine for years, you kind of grow immune to it. You should’ve seen Mingyu’s reaction when he found me sleeping after downing 5 cans of Monster.”

“Five!?”

“Yes, five.”

“And, you were still able to sleep?”

“Like a baby.”

Wonwoo was surprisingly easy to talk to – you just needed to get over your social anxiety and the very intimidating resting bitch face he has. You’ve come to learn that the man in front of you was GAM3BO1WOO, a famous game streamer on SVTwitch. You’ve seen a few of his stream clips on your feed, but you weren’t exactly a fan of his since his taste in games and yours were vastly different.

“Do you play every new game release?” you asked, scrolling through his MAESTRO account and skimming through his posts.

“It depends, actually. If a new game really catches my eye, then I’ll download it. Other than that, either the companies sponsored me to stream their games, my followers keep requesting that I play the game they think would suit me or want to see me play. Sometimes, Mingyu and Cheol would gift me co-op games since a lot of them have the mechanic of if one player already owns the game, the second player plays for free.”

“Have you ever hopped on trends?”

“It drives traffic and increases my followers, can’t really complain.”

You’re not sure how long you’ve been conversing with Wonwoo. But, it was definitely long enough for neither of you to notice the three men standing right outside the window, watching you two fondly and surprised. “They’re… talking…” Mingyu says in awe, a chuckle from Seungcheol following afterwards, “Nice to know two of our introverts are getting along just fine.”

You noticed them from the corner of your eyes, turning to the window, Wonwoo following to look at them. You smiled, giving them a small wave which they returned while the latter gave a small nod of his head.

“Sorry for keeping the two of you waiting,” Seungcheol apologised the second he got to the booth, taking a seat next to you. Mingyu and Vernon took their seats next to Wonwoo after placing their orders at the counter. “Aren’t you going to get anything?” you asked the older male, looking up at him as you took a sip from your milkshake.

“I’m assuming you’re waiting for me so you can order some kind of snack which we either share or I finish the remaining you can’t.” When you don’t answer and avert his gaze, Seungcheol knows he caught you red-handed. He chuckles as he gets out of the booth and towards the counter, which unfortunately for you, leads to an interrogation by the other three boys – technically, it was mainly Mingyu with the occasional questioning from Vernon. Wonwoo just sits quietly, listening in as his eyes would dart between you, your two ‘interrogators’ and Seungcheol who was still lining up.

The two men asked you the questions you’d expect.

“How old were you when you met Seungcheol hyung?”

“I think… I think I was 5? He should be about 7 or 8?”

“What did he look like back then? Did he look like a nerd?”

“Well, he had the signature bowl kid every boy got when they were kids or teens.”

“Was he scary?”

“Kind of? Not a lot of people messed with me because of how protective he was over me.”

“Mess with little red riding hood, the big bad wolf will come and get you.”

All attention was on Seungcheol as he placed a plate of strawberry cake and a plate of a dozen brownies on the table, returning to his seat right next to you. Noticing the stunned expressions from his peers, he shrugs, “That was what they’d always say to anyone trying to approach her with ill intentions. It’s basically their way of saying ‘if you don’t want trouble, don’t go looking for trouble’.”

An easier way to put it was – if you don’t want to deal with an angry Seungcheol, don’t bother his girl. Your heart still flutters at how some people referred to you as ‘his girl’, but you knew that actually being his girl was nothing more than a dream to you. “By the way hyung, when’s your next fight? Maybe ___ could come and help out, y’know?” Vernon asks, reaching out to grab a brownie only for his hand to be lightly slapped by Seungcheol. “Ow! What was that for!?”

“If you want them, go get them yourselves,” the older male answers, pushing the plate of brownies towards you. “These are for ___. If you want one, go get one yourself.” Your face heats up at the gesture, and heats up further when the three males turn to you. “Why does she get special treatment?” Mingyu whines, “And how can she possibly finish that entire plate?”

Seungcheol pats your head as he answers, “Because she’s ___. And, yes, she can. If she can’t, I’ll finish it.”

“Can we have a piece if you’re the one finishing it up?”

“No, get your own.”

“Ah, hyung!”

You’ve managed to bond with Wonwoo and Mingyu, becoming close with them in a matter of days and now, you’ve got four ‘bodyguards’ walking around with you (Mingyu refers to them as that, the others and you just play along). The downside that comes with the friendship would be a flock of envious fangirls (and occasionally fanboys) who had begun to buzz around you like moths attracted to light.

“How did you become friends with Wonwoo? Could you ask him to shout me out on his streams or MAESTRO account?”

“Is Mingyu single? Could you introduce me to him?”

“Would you like to be friends? I’d love to be friends with the boys!”

Both boys could see you were tired of the clout chasers, especially Wonwoo since he knows you value your personal space. Both men had taken the issue to their social media, expressing how they’d appreciate it if their ‘fans’ stopped bugging their friends and loved ones in an attempt to get close with them. You remembered when both of them addressed the issue on Wonwoo’s stream, the sternness in both their voices still sent shivers down your spine.

“We understand that you may think you know us as we both are content creators and certain information has been released about us online. While we may not be able to put an end to the parasocial relationship that you have built with us, we do not know you and you do not know us. Do not harass our friends and loved ones, and if your unhealthy obsession of us persists, please seek help.”

That was enough for a majority of the fanboys/fangirls to back off. Some still linger, but they were no longer up close and in your face bombarding you with questions or requests.

Currently, Wonwoo, Mingyu and Vernon sat in a discussion room within the library as they waited for Seungcheol and you. It was a small meet-up, but it could also be treated as a short co-working/co-studying meet-up. Your class was ending later than usual and Seungcheol offered to wait for you so both of you could walk to the library.

Beauty and the Beasts

mingoo: @princess how much longer is the lecture gonna take?

princess: erm… another 15 mins?

princess: …

princess: who set my nickname as princess in the gc?

All four boys replied altogether and you playfully rolled your eyes.

mingoo: coups hyung

vernonnie: cheol hyung

nonu: seungcheol

cheol: i did

cheol: i got you your coffee order btw

mingoo: what about us?

cheol: you lot already got your orders before you headed to the library

mingoo: i’m assuming you got her snacks too

cheol: yes

cheol: and they’re only for ___

cheol: so don’t try to steal them

Mingyu lets out a groan as he lays his upper body on the table. “It’s not fair,” he whines, “Why does Seungcheol hyung give ___ special treatment? Is it because she’s a girl?” Vernon shrugs, “Maybe? But, he’s treated his exes the same way, too.”

“Yeah, I know that, Vernon. But, isn’t there something different?”

Mingyu sits up as he looks at Vernon, his words seeming to be hinting at something as the younger male sits in silence. “It’s like he’s more attentive, more caring. Like, he was caring before to the other girls, but there’s this extra layer to it, y’know?”

“He means there’s more than meets the eye,” Wonwoo says, “I think what Mingyu’s trying to say is that Seungcheol is whipped for ___.”

“Yes!” Mingyu exclaims, pointing at Wonwoo with a puppy-like grin on his face, “But, also no? I don’t know! They grew up together so maybe it’s like a habit he has or a sense of responsibility he feels?”

“But, who would want to call their childhood best friend who is now an adult ‘pup’?” Vernon questions, and Wonwoo tips his pencil in the younger male’s direction, “Precisely. Everyone would grow out of it, much less a nickname like that. Hell, would you call any of your friends that kind of name as an adult?”

Mingyu hums in understanding. All three of them knew just how shameless Seungcheol could be sometimes. Vernon bites back a gag when he recalls accidentally witnessing Seungcheol and his then girlfriend making out in his car, in the campus’ parking lot - in broad daylight. He pitied his therapist who had to listen to him ramble on and on about suspecting the older male having an exhibitionist kink.

“So, you really think he’s whipped for her?”

“Seungcheol barely remembers your favourite cake, but he remembers ___’s coffee order.”

“He probably has it written down somewhere?”

“I beg to differ,” Vernon speaks up.

He joined Seungcheol to get coffee a few weeks ago. While Seungcheol was ordering his, you had texted Vernon saying your Business Module class had completely drained you and you were in need of a quick pick me up. All he did was say, “___ wants us to help get her coffee,” and Seungcheol began reciting your order to the barista without a second thought.

“He knew it like the back of his hand! Not a single thing was missed out!”

As Mingyu and Vernon continue to discuss Seungcheol's love life, Wonwoo glances down at his phone as it vibrates, a notification from you. Opening up the text app on his laptop, he types out his reply.

___: hey woo?

___: is it ok if i call you that-

wonwoo: yes?

wonwoo: n yes, perfectly fine

___: ok

___: um, so the class im in rn, we’re almost done btw!

___: they need me to write some kind of paper abt how psychology n business work

___: n since you’re a psych major

wonwoo: you need my help, yes?

___: bingo

___: is it possible for you to help me?

wonwoo: sure thing

wonwoo: why don’t you go over the details with me once you’re out of class?

wonwoo: we’ve booked the discussion room for the entire day

___: don’t the others have class?

Wonwoo can feel Mingyu and Vernon standing behind him as they “observe” his conversation with you. “Oooh, you’re texting his girl~” Mingyu teases, earning a glare from the older male that shuts him up immediately. “She needs help with her coursework and I have relevant information that can help her,” he replies as he resumes to type out his reply.

wonwoo: seungcheol only has one class today iirc

wonwoo: gyu and vernon have some kind of workshop in an hour

___: oh, cool!

___: then i can also get cheollie’s opinion

“Do you think they have a thing for each other?” Vernon asks, seemingly picking up on certain signs just from the text Wonwoo had just exchanged with you.

“Who? Seungcheol hyung and ___?” Mingyu asks back and he nods. The taller male thinks for a while, recalling the times that he’s seen any form of interaction or exchanged conversation the pair have shared. “Maybe? But, there weren’t any obvious signs that explicitly showed that Seungcheol or ___ like the other.”

“Well, there is a saying that love is in plain sight. Or that whole “you were hiding in plain sight” trend that was going around CIRCLES a few months ago.”

“Should we play cupid?”

“I think it’d be best if we don’t interfere with their love life.”

Wonwoo had a point. While their curiosity was gnawing away, the last thing they’d wanna do is accidentally driving a wedge between you and Seungcheol. It would be worse if they were reading the room wrong and neither of you were harbouring any feelings for the other. “But, that doesn’t mean we can’t find some clues to answer our hypothesis.”

Mingyu and Vernon looked at the older male who was still typing on his laptop. “Are we conducting experiments on them now?”

“I wouldn’t put it that way. I’d say it’s more of observing their interactions with each other.”

“We’ll leave the psychology part to the psych major.”

“If this ends up being your thesis paper, Woo, we’d better be given credits.”

Later that night…

gyu created the group Operation Cupid 💘

taglist (unable to tag a few ㅠㅠ)

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[hellokittyyyysblog]

𝓛𝓸𝓿𝓮 𝓸𝓷 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓷/ part 2

Pairing: vampire!𝚗𝚊𝚝𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚏𝚏 𝚡 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5

- - -- -- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -- -- - -

You couldn't sleep all night. Tossing and turning in bed, every small detail of the previous night played on an endless loop in your mind. The window into the world of the supernatural had been thrown wide open, and nothing could have prepared you for the realization that everything you had read in books as a kid was real. But the revelation wasn’t enough—you wanted to know more, needed to know more. The red-haired woman who had saved and threatened you consumed your thoughts. Who was she? What was her story? How many were there?—These thoughts kept you from sleeping until you eventually drifted asleep due to exhaustion.

The day after your chaotic brush with death, the office was abuzz with an uneasy energy. No one knew why there were cops on your floor, but the sight of one of the cleaning staff wrapped in a shock blanket painted a grim picture. Despite your own innocence, you were racked with guilt. You knew the truth about Davis, and only you could provide closure for his friends and family. But if you said anything that resembled the truth, you'd die. So, instead, you listened carefully, curious as if someone would remember that you'd been in Bowman’s office the night before. Though if no one said anything, the cameras would likely enlighten the detectives.

Your mind drifted to your red-haired savior and would-be killer. She said she'd come to you again, and though you knew nothing about her, you felt it was wise to trust her word. You wondered and hoped she'd at least let you beg for your memories. You didn't like being able to remember the fear you'd felt, and your survivor's guilt was creating a hole in your stomach, but it was real. You wanted to know the bigger truth: humanity wasn't alone, and supernatural existed.

The knowledge struck you cold with something akin to fear, but you wanted to cling to it. Now you understood why people in horror films made terrible and irrational decisions.

Naturally, as you thought about the existence of vampires, you began to daydream about the way the redhead had stood before you. Her skin was flawless, her green eyes piercing into your soul, her jawline appeared as though meticulously crafted by an artist, and her lips were plump around the fangs you assumed had ripped into countless humans. The woman in her fitted black outfit had carved a space out for herself in your mind, and you doubted she intended to. Even in your confused terror, you had made a note of the vampire's form.

It was embarrassing how being in extreme peril couldn't thwart your libido. You'd heard something about fear response and sexual response being quite similar; you hadn't paid much attention, but you grabbed onto the idea to make yourself feel better about lusting after who you sensed was an incredibly dangerous being.

"No one's seen Bowman" a woman whispered interrupting you from your noisy thoughts.

A voice from the adjacent cubicle replied, "I’ve heard the night staff found a body in there. Could be his.”

Though you weren't a part of the conversation, you followed the instruction all the same and looked towards the elevators reliving the haunting and life changing events of the previous night.

Suddenly, Ava snuck up behind you by touching your shoulder "Did you hear what happened?" she asked, her eyes wide with concern.

You took a deep breath, trying to steady your racing heart. "Jesus , Ava, you almost gave me an heart attack” you confessed putting on a fake smile— “uhm yeah I heard people murmuring about the night staff finding a body" you replied, feeling the weight of the lie. You felt bad for lying to your friend, and lying about something this important, but you couldn’t say a word to anyone. That was the price you had to pay for knowledge. And if that included a dreamy redhead, then you were more than willing to pay that price.

Ava nodded, glancing around nervously. "I talked to Louis, and he knows nothing either."

"That's strange" you said, trying to keep your voice steady. "I wonder what's really going on."

Before Ava could respond, two people with 'Coroner' jackets wheeled a gurney in the direction of the office. Immediately, it struck you as odd. As far as you knew, there were two dead bodies to be found. Your mind began to theorize as to why only one body would be left behind and whose body it might be.

The HR manager and building manager stood outside Bowman's office, frantically whispering to each other. Then, a man you'd only seen in emails and charity events emerged from the office with a hanky over his mouth. If it was a crime scene, surely he, the CEO, shouldn't have been in the middle of it. He looked like he regretted going in—if it was in the state you assumed it was, you didn't blame him.

Though he'd never set foot on your floor, he waved his hands around for everyone's attention. An officer emerged behind him to add effect.

"While I am sure that you are curious as to the events of this morning, we are going to ask that everyone goes home at this time."

The officer put his hand up to add, "Stay in the area; do not leave town in the next few days." They were going to interview people, but they didn't know who to call first.

"So no one is going to tell us what is going on?" A voice pressed.

"You will learn the important and relevant information as we understand more" the investigator replied. He really couldn't tell you anything because any information would have to be reported to you by the company board, and they loved to play keep-away with facts. You'd likely be the only one who ever knew the truth, and you only knew some of it—the cops may never know the disturbing reality behind it.

Though there was grumbling and whispered questions, your coworkers did not wait around. They gathered their belongings and left willingly—they didn't want to stay and work when they could be dismissed for something that concerned someone else. Selfish but nosey people, you thought.

"Do you need a ride home?" Ava asked you, concern etched on her face.

"Don't worry about it" you replied. "I have errands to run anyway"

"Alright, but keep me updated, okay?"

"Of course” you said, forcing a smile —"talk to you later."

You waited until Ava left, then made your way to the restroom. You knew you'd never hear the whole truth about Bowman's demise from the higher-ups, and perhaps that was for the best. But acknowledging this didn't satiate the curious feeling. Whose body was going into the body bag, and what happened to the other one?

As far as plans went, the one you devised was comically simple: stay in the restroom and wait until the cops took a break. Then, you'd steal away into the office and do some investigating of your own.

The restroom was quiet, save for the occasional drip of a faucet—you paced back and forth, your mind racing with possibilities. You couldn't shake the feeling that something important had been left behind, something that might give you more insight into the mysterious red-haired vampire’s world.

You bit your bottom lip as you remembered the hallway cameras. Nothing would make you seem more like a person of interest like sneaking into a crime scene. Maybe you could lie and say that you'd left something inside the office, something that would show that you and Bowman were having an affair. It was a gross lie to imagine, but people loved a scandal, and presenting an 'embarrassing' story might get you out of suspicion.—everyone loved the chance to gossip—But the more you considered it, the less you could live with the lie.

Getting caught couldn't be an option. You had to be careful.

Minutes felt like hours as you waited, ears straining for any sound that might indicate the coast was clear. It was close enough that you could hear the louder officers. Of course, it was still difficult to know the actual moment the scene was left unattended.

Your head began to rob with tension, for something that seemed so simple, it felt increasingly impossible.

It took twenty-three minutes for one of the beat cops to loudly announce that they were breaking for coffee. You counted ninety seconds and then you emerged from the stall—you washed your hands—you hadn't actually used the toilet, but you'd flushed—which meant the noise had to be followed up with the noise of a faucet. It was expected bathroom ambiance. You'd seen how movies went, it was the little things that got people caught.

The moment you entered the hall, you saw something that would change your plan for the better, the absolutely better. For lying on the floor, was a cop’s badge. Some careless detective, Jonathan Herrera, had dropped his badge. His loss was your gain, but you'd think about the incompetence of your local police department another time—a lost badge gave you a reason to double back to Bowman’s office.

Sure, you might appear nosey in the process, but you'd have the badge to return so you'd be a nosey do-gooder.

"Hello?" you asked cautiously, making sure that you weren't entering an occupied crime scene.

You were hyper-aware of the cameras at your back. No one was watching you, but all it took was a rewind button to rat you out. You did your best impression of someone who didn't want to do exactly what you planned to do.

No response—you didn't know if you were relieved or upset that you couldn't be stopped.

Inhaling deeply, you opened the door to Bowman’s office. The scene was far less horrific than it had been the night before. The blood on the desk and floor had dried, and the coroners had already taken the body and any additional remains. If it weren't for the smell, you could pretend you were seeing a painting session that got out of hand. What really struck you was the singular outline that laid upon the desk. It was Davis’s outline— it marked where you'd seen him. Bowman’s body must have been missing if he'd been killed there at all.

There would have been larger stains for a body's worth of viscera explosion. The absence unsettled you and shoved more questions into your already spiraling curiosity.

Before you could tumble too far down the rabbit hole, the desk began to vibrate. The sound was unmistakable— a phone was ringing somewhere in one of the drawers judging by the way the vibration was muffled. You could hear that the phone was bouncing around against wood.

Police were meant to thoroughly search a crime scene. Clearly, the ones assigned to your workplace case had missed something. You wondered if it was the responsibility of the man whose badge was still in your hand.

You hurried to the desk and found that the drawers had all been opened and rifled through.

Papers and pens were askew. The police had searched the desk, yet the phone, which you assumed was Bowman’s was still somewhere to be found. The muffled vibrations seemed like they were coming from the long drawer directly underneath the center of the desk. Carefully, you felt underneath the drawer with your fingertips. It was very likely that the cops had done the same move, if it was obvious to you, it was likely routine for them.

Nevertheless, they had missed something— and something that was so well hidden had to be noteworthy.

Stilling your fingers, you felt the vibrations coming from the underside of the desk. Yet as you looked, you saw nothing. The drawer had a false bottom. When you placed your hand on the inside of the drawer, you could feel the vibrations underneath the wooden board. They were strongest near the back joining of the drawer. Again, you wondered about the usefulness of the police in your area. However, once again, police incompetence was working in your favor.

You felt a catch, a small hole that was just big enough to be felt by your fingertip. By applying a little pressure, you triggered the false bottom to shift slightly. The shift revealed the seam of a small panel. Quietly, despite the noise from the phone bouncing around, you slide the panel to the side. There, underneath in a small secretive pocket, was a phone. Whoever was calling, they were serious and Bowman didn't have a voicemail set up. You turned the phone off and stashed it in your pocket. In addition to the phone, a money clip was sitting inside the hidden compartment.

You took that too and without remorse. Bowman’s had threatened to kill you, the money clip was deserved—Or was it? nobody deserves anything after all; it’s simply a matter of who’s willing to go and take it for themselves. No one is just a victim or a victor. Everyone is somewhere in between. People who go around casting themselves as one or the other are not only kidding themselves, but they’re also painfully unoriginal.

Feeling that you had a live bomb in your pocket, you knew you needed to leave the office. Any other spoils would have to go unclaimed. You were certain that you had the jackpot anyway— a secret phone in a vampire's desk was sure to have all sorts of juicy information for you. Even if your memories were wiped, you'd have proof in your possession waiting for you to learn once again.

You sped towards the door, fully prepared to seem 'confused' and 'in search', but you nearly collided with a detective. He instantly frowned, but luckily for you, you recognized him—his face was in your hand. "You!" you said excitedly, though you wanted to vanish into thin air.

You brandished the badge. "I was looking for you. I found this" you handed the item to its rightful owner. At that moment, you realized how to turn suspicion into guilt; some of you're more overbearing family members would be delighted. "I didn't want to leave it with just anyone because I'd imagine it's pretty embarrassing to lose your badge.”

You laid it on thick, eyes wide in false innocence like the liar you knew you could always be. The detective hurriedly took the badge from you with a hushed ‘thank you' and a soft smile. After that, you both went your separate ways. He had a job to do poorly, and you were meant to be on your way home, a place you genuinely wanted to be.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

It was there that you were able to snoop through Bowman’s mystery phone. The money clip didn't actually hold money. There were some tickets or passes inside, to something you knew nothing about.

What you found on the phone on the other hand, made you immediately regret snooping, but the more you discovered, the more you realized that you had found a way to keep your memories. Not only did you believe that you had found your saving grace, you believed it could keep you in contact with the red-haired woman. Time flew by as you imagined the possibilities. You never saw yourself as a sidekick, but perhaps it would suit you. You hadn't been this interested in someone since high school. Yes, you have had your share of crushes on boys and girls, but you never acted upon them. You were never interested enough to take it further than friendship. You weren’t that interested in knowing about people's lives—but now, you suddenly were. But this wasn’t a crush you reminded yourself, this was just you being reckless and wanting to discover things that didn’t belong to you—to your race.

"Human" the voice was like a purr, but the sudden noise made you jump.

You looked up to see that at some point, the red-haired vampire had entered your apartment. At first, you stammered, wanting to figure out how she'd achieved the feat, but your attention was stolen by the way she stood before you. Wearing a black leather jacket, black t-shirt, black jeans and black boots. She was confident, and you could practically feel the power swirling around her. You knew it was appropriate to be afraid of such a woman, and you were, but you were also captivated by her very existence.

"I have a name" you replied, hoping she'd inquire. You assumed, based on nothing, that it would be harder to kill someone if you knew their name. You wanted the woman to know your name.

“I would assume that you do, but it is unknown to me, so I call you what I know you to be."

"What if I called you 'Vampire'? It seems offensive." you say.

"Only because that is a name given to us by humans and not what I call myself" the woman replied.

Her eyes glanced around the room, studying your living room.

"Wait how did you...aren't I supposed to invite you in?" you asked—certain that you'd heard the rule many, many times. And if it appeared in countless stories and films, it had to be based on something true.

She arched a brow. "I've never understood that one" the woman replied, "as if my legs are bound by a spoken statement. I go where I please. I did tell you to expect me." She walked around the room, touching your things as she clearly studied you. Then she stopped at your library, taking in all of your books. Your most precious possessions.

"How old are you?" you asked abruptly, surprising yourself.

"This is rude" she replied. "You have someone into your home for the first time, and you ask them, 'how old are you?'"

Though her tone was fairly light, you wanted to apologize. Many people would have taken offense to such a question. You'd been impulsive, and it made you nervous that any additional poorly asked questions would put a preemptive end to your plan to endear yourself to the vampire woman. Your jaw began to fumble at the words of your apology.

"The less you know about me, the better." she said whilst she picked a picture from your bookshelf—you watched her look at the photograph with a quizzical expression. It took you a whole ten seconds to spit out another invasive question.

"Do you show up in photographs?"

"Why would I take pictures of myself? So others can find out that I don't age as they do? Why would I do this to myself?" she asked.

"But you could? If you wanted to?"

"You've been watching the fairy tales, darling" the woman said, slightly chiding you in her faint Eastern European accent. The pet name made you flinch. It sounded so good coming from her mouth. Okay, that’s enough. Control yourself, you thought.

"Have you also considered why you were able to see your boss during the day? Surely that must have given you reason for concern."

"Yeah, I did actually. Why is that?" you asked while she stopped examining your household and came near you.

"Human" the vampire said firmly. She seemed unwilling to offer you any genuine or in-depth answers. "You do not seem like a person who has changed their mind."

"Well, about that." You clutched the phone in both of your hands. "I got a hold of Bowman’s phone. Not the one he used for business, but one he had hidden in his desk, in a secret compartment. You would think the police would have found it before me, but they didn’t." you said with a proud smile.

The woman was next to you, the phone in her hand before you could utter another syllable. You spoke to her as you remained at her side. Even the shock of her speed didn't deter you—you wanted to stand beside her. It gave you the opportunity to really take in the features of her face.

"He's been in contact with others. They've been rounding up humans to trade for a fighting ring, and what I'm assuming is a slave trade. If you're worried about sloppy vampires getting found out, this is probably something you'd want to look into" you said.

By the way the woman looked at you, you could tell that she wasn't buying your selfless informant act. "How did you find this?"

"I told you…he had a secret compartment in his desk."

"Why were you in his office?"

She asked something so simple, but you didn't have an answer. You didn't want to lie, but the truth would sound so bad. You'd seem so desperate. You tried to modify the reality to save as much face as possible.

"I was curious to see what happened after I left."

"Please do not make me read your mind" she said arching her left brow again, apparently she seems to do that often, and you seem to notice every small thing about her.

"I’m telling the thruth" you grumbled, as your hand began to rub a phantom neck pain—"I needed to know what happened. Even if it was just for a little while. I went in, and then I heard his phone from some unfound place in his desk. You may not know this about us humans, but we're often slaves to our own curiosity."

Again, you left out the part where you studied the phone like a possessed woman in order to find a bargaining chip. However, you could tell that she knew. Even if she wasn't reading your mind, she could tell you were gearing up to negotiate.

The redhead sat down on your couch—despite meeting her less than twenty-four hours earlier, you'd pictured her on your couch many, many times.

"We knew he was reckless, but this is new information. I do not recognize all of the names here; this is most likely purposeful." The woman looked up from the phone and saw you standing.

"This is your home, sit" she said, smirking at your hesitation. And you did. You followed directions to sit on your own couch. "I assume you want to make a trade for this information"

"You assumed right" you confirmed, "But, I don't want anything tangible. I'd like," You took a breath, "I'd like to keep what I've learned. All of it, I don't want you to take my memories away".

The woman looked at you, she really looked at you. This made you feel vulnerable, exposed, and oddly hopeful. She hadn't immediately told you off for your attempts at being crafty. That had to be a good sign.

"I could take this phone, your memories, and you'd know nothing" she admitted honestly with a small grin.

You fell silent, unable to even hear your breathing.

"Why do you wish to keep this knowledge when I can feel your fear?"

"Truth is truth, and I want to know the truth even if it's terrifying."

"I have seen what this knowledge does to humans, you would not like it. You would assume anyone who acts a certain way is forever living and therefore a potential threat. You'll think you ought to convince someone else so you feel less alone with your information. This knowledge will devour you."

"But at least it would be my choice to make" you responded honestly.

“This knowledge, these truths, can put you in the path of things far more dangerous than you realize; and this knowledge will never be enough for you. You will crave more.” She says with a stern look.

"The truth may set you free, but first it will shatter the mirror you hold to your soul." you murmur with a soft fake smile.

Natasha arches her brow and lips curled into a mischievous smile, a glint of amusement dancing in her eyes.

“It’s a quote from..” before you could finish to explain, Natasha cuts you off “Oscar Wilde, ‘The picture of Dorian Gray’” she interjected smoothly, her tone nonchalant yet laced with subtle amusement. “I noticed it on your shelf earlier”

Her confession caught you off guard, making you realize how observant she truly was. "You noticed?"

“Of course, I notice many things, darling”

Her teasing nickname and confident demeanor added to the mystique that surrounded her, realizing that Natasha's keen perception extended far beyond her supernatural abilities. She was not just a vampire with god knows how many years of experience but someone who paid attention to details that others might overlook.

"Well, I suppose you do" you murmured, a mix of fascination and admiration coloring your voice.

Natasha leaned back against the couch, her gaze holding yours. "So, about your insistence on getting involved..."

You closed your eyes and sighed, "I want to remember for me. If I utter a word of it to anyone else, I give you permission"—you shouldn't, you really should have kept your mouth shut— "to do what you do...to me."

"Kill you, you mean." She murmured whilst another smug smirk appeared on her face. It was almost as if she was enjoying this way too much.

You nodded with a cringe. The woman's face was unchanged as her hand reached out to you.

Gently, she curled her fingers under your jaw and traced your chin with her thumb. Her hand was cool to the touch, but not cold like you assumed she would be. Her eyes were deep pools of green that made it impossible to think of anything else but her presence.

You stopped breathing as her eyes penetrated yours, her fingers gently caressing your chin, sending a shiver down your spine. You had never felt like this, this vulnerable. Her touch was a paradox, firm yet tender, shattering your preconceived notions with every passing second. You would think a vampire wouldn't be this gentle, this soft—but now you realize how little you actually knew about her, and vampires in general. Maybe this was just a facade—you wanted to know more about her though; you ached with an intense desire to truly know her.

“Breathe” she murmured, a soft smile curling at the corners of her lips.

You exhaled sharply, realizing your body had instinctively halted your breath, captivated by the spell of her touch and gaze.

"Human, you're asking for far more than I think you realize. But I will honor your request for now. You did right to give this to me." Your heart felt like it was going to burst from your chest in an extremely dramatic way. "I will take this information back to my people. Did anyone see you get this phone?"

"No, and only one cop saw me in the office. But I had a good excuse to be there"

The woman didn't seem like she approved of the news, but made no efforts to chastise your behavior. She didn't need to, you could feel her disproval. She stood up from your couch, phone in hand. "I'm going to take this. Leaving it here will only draw attention to you. And I worry you may not have been as elusive as you would like."

"You don't know that" you said with a small frown.

Assuredly, the woman replied, "I do." She headed to your front door. "I will be in touch."

"Do you think...I should be worried about the people Bowman was texting?" You asked, trying desperately to seem less concerned with the possibility than you were.

"Yes." She didn't mince words. "But I can take care of them."

Your stomach flipped in your abdomen. "How will you know? How can I get in touch with you?”

"So many questions. You're asking me to trust you, human. I am asking you to do the same without asking so many questions with answers I will not answer."

You said your name, just your name. If the woman was going to return, and if she was going to be concerned with your well-being, she needed a name, and so did you. "That's my name..."

"Figured”— “You may call me, Natasha" she said looking at you intensely one more time, and then she left. She offered no, 'good-bye', but at least you'd gotten a name; a name as gorgeous as she was.

Upon realizing that you had one final question, you hurried into the hall to catch Natasha before she departed. But the door had been a formality, and you found no trace of her.

It didn't matter; by the sound of it, you'd have a few more chances to ask Natasha about herself.

And she would have plenty of opportunities to refuse to answer any your questions.

- - -- -- - ┈┈∘┈˃̶༒˂̶┈∘┈┈ - -- -- - -

Note:

hello!

this was originally part of the first chapter, but it became too long, so I've decided to split it into a second chapter.

please, let me know if you have something to suggest or to say, because i have literally no idea of what im doing. lol. This is my first attempt at writing after I don’t know how many months or even years…aaand English it’s not even my first language, soo pls bare with me, I can be very paranoid:)

xx

[poisonlove]

Break up | j.o

Pairing: Jenna Ortega X reader

It was a cold and foggy day in Romania, the gray sky seemingly merging perfectly with the gloomy and surreal atmosphere surrounding the set of Wednesday, Tim Burton's new project. I was walking down the corridor leading to the lounge, nervously clutching my jacket around me. The damp and biting air seemed to penetrate to the bone, but the tension inside me was even more oppressive. It had been three months since I last saw Jenna. Between my commitment to a horror film set in Los Angeles and Jenna’s long days of filming, our lives had intertwined in a chaos of distance and frenzy. That’s why I had decided to surprise my girlfriend.

"Hey." I nervously smiled at Emma, while her blue eyes sparkled with amusement, noticing my agitation.

"Jenna’s in there," she said with a smirk, pointing me toward the direction that would lead me to my girlfriend.

I nodded in understanding and made my way to the door that led to the lounge. The room was large but relatively quiet: a coffee machine in one corner of the room, a table, chairs, and a sofa at the other end. A few staff members were bustling around with cameras and props, my eyes searching for the one I loved and admired so much.

There she was.

Jenna was sitting on the sofa, her usual headphones around her ears, allowing her to isolate herself from the world while flipping through what looked like a script. I approached her, my heart pounding, and positioned myself in front of her. Her brown eyes slowly scanned my figure, so slowly that I could feel my heartbeat increase by the second. When her eyes met mine, I sighed and gave a spontaneous smile.

"Hi," I said with a small smile on my lips.

Jenna took off her headphones and left them around her neck.

She blinked in surprise. "I wasn’t expecting this," she murmured timidly, making me frown in confusion.

She got up from the sofa and gave me a quick hug, but it felt so strange and forced. "Is everything okay?" I asked nervously, a strange feeling creeping into my gut.

Jenna took a step back and looked at me without blinking, a small smile on her lips. "Yes... I’m just tired," she replied, her gaze drifting off into space. "This project is draining me."

I nodded, trying to smile in a way that would ease the tension. "I understand, maybe we can spend some time together afterward... you know, watch a movie or something."

"I don’t know, I have a cello lesson," she said calmly, her tired eyes meeting mine. Huge dark circles underlined the sleepless nights she had been through.

"Dinner, maybe?" I asked hopefully.

Jenna nodded timidly, but there was no enthusiasm on her face, only acknowledgment. I placed my hands on her waist and leaned in to capture her lips with mine. The kiss was mechanical. Her lips, once soft and warm, were now cold and distant.

Something was wrong.

"Jenna, can we talk?" I asked in concern. Something was off, and I needed answers.

She sighed and glanced at the clock on the wall, frowning. "Break’s almost over, I have to get back to the set."

Frustration started to build.

"It won’t take long, I promise," I insisted. I felt my voice tremble, but I couldn’t let this slip away without an explanation.

I took Jenna’s hand and led her toward the exit of the lounge. The biting cold hit my face immediately, making me feel the chill down to my bones. Jenna wrapped her arms around herself, trying to shield herself from the icy wind as her eyes watched me with a mix of anticipation and frustration. She quickly glanced around, almost cautiously, making sure no one was nearby before turning her attention back to me.

"What’s going on, Jenna?" My voice was a whisper, my fear too evident. I couldn’t ignore this distance between us.

She looked at me for a long moment, her expression impassive as if she were trying to find the right words. Finally, she sighed loudly. "Nothing, I’m just tired from work."

"Jenna..." I started, immediately picking up on her lie.

"Really, it’s nothing," she said with a smile.

"It’s not true," I insisted, the anger of being deceived taking over. "I know you, Jenna. Please, tell me what’s going on," I pleaded with a small voice, fear growing in my chest.

A tense silence settled between us, and my nervousness grew with each passing second. Jenna lowered her gaze, then raised it again with a look full of unease, as if a secret torment was consuming her. "I don’t know, okay? I don’t know what I want... We... we’ve been moving too fast," she finally admitted, her voice faltering with hesitation.

The realization hit me.

"What? Are you trying to say that..." I started, tears threatening to spill at any moment. No, it couldn’t be true. All the months spent together, the video calls, the kisses... Everything made sense.

Jenna looked at me with guilt.

"I..." she began, tears welling up in her eyes. Her lower lip trembled, and the awareness of what was about to happen hit me like a punch to the stomach.

"I’m exhausted, y/n," she admitted.

I quickly shook my head, unable to accept her words. "We can make it, Jenna. We can do it together," I suggested nervously, unwilling to give up so easily.

Jenna shook her head, making me feel an intense pain in my chest. "No, y/n. The distance, the work, all of this is hurting me," she confessed.

Tears streamed down her cheeks.

"It’s over between us," she murmured.

The world collapsed around me. There was nothing left to do; Jenna had already made her decision. I looked at her in pain, tears running down my cheeks as she gazed at me with sadness, the pain visible on her face.

"I’m sorry..." she added in a broken voice.

I bit my lower lip, trying to stifle a sob, and bowed my head, hiding my emotions. My heart was shattered, and a feeling of emptiness dominated my stomach. It was over. I turned my back and walked away from the set, the awareness that Jenna had left me dominating my thoughts.

Don’t turn back. Don’t turn back. Don’t go to her to try to change her mind. Don’t look into her eyes.

Don’t do anything.

Just move forward, even though the world had fallen apart.

[sukunas-wife]

Chapter 7

Ch.1 - Ch.6

“Yuji..” I smiled softly, seeing him there before I cringed, pulling my outer robe off and throwing it over his lap as I hugged him. “What happened? Are you okay?” I sniffled wondering what exactly had happened, I pulled back, holding Yuji by the shoulders, “I thought…” he only smiled, closing his eyes as he tilted his head.

”I’m okay! Nothings wrong.” I nodded, stepping back, curious how Yuji could recover so quickly. “Alright then.” I turned to Gojo as he started to talk to Yuji. Explaining how the odds were it was a plan to have him killed, and that it would be for the best to keep Yuji hidden away practising controlling his energy output for now. I was iffy about the situation, even more when he said no one could know his location, but it also meant I wouldn’t be able to stay on the campus now that Yuji was supposedly dead, the higher ups wouldn’t be obligated to house me.

“That’s no problem, but my concern is where are you going to keep Yuji…” I watched as Gojo seemed to think about it, the mortuary being on the first basement floor gave way to privacy as he explained about private rooms that no one used because they were long forgotten after remodelling and the fact students and staff were sparse there was never need to use them. I nodded along as the other man who was panicking earlier came back with a set of clothes. “Thank you Ijichi” I did my best to remember his name after hearing Gojo say it. Yuji started to get dressed as the rest of us were turned away listening to Gojo elaborate more on his plan.

It wasn’t long before Morí and I were in the room setting things up for Yuji. It was a melancholic feeling asI swept up dirt and dust setting up a bed and making sure everything was clean before I would have to leave for who knows how long. I hummed clasping my hands in front of my chest, fidgeting slightly as I looked around one last time with a nod. “We’re done, I should tell him bye before we leave…” Morí from beside me gave a solemn nod in agreement. “I’ll be by your side every step of the way Lady Y/N.” I nodded, swallowing as we took the stairs to leave the room, ending up on the basement floor hallways, making our way to the room where we left Yuji with the others. I opened the door, he was there smiling and nodding along with Gojo, he turned to me with a bright smile and I couldn’t help but smile back. “Everything’s ready.”

The short walk back to the room felt strange, Gojo was leading the way, Yuji was beside me bent in a weird angle to rest his head on my shoulder as we walked. I smiled, shaking my head as we got to the room, I let him go in after Gojo before I followed. I listened as Gojo explained everything to Yuji now that he was able to pay attention. At the end of the conversation I managed to zone back in, turning to Yuji who was sitting on the sofa holding a weird green plushie. “Yuji.” I called his name looking at him with a soft smile, he turned to me and smiled back, “I’ll be leaving soon, so I suppose this means I wont see you for a while.” I moved closer, running a hand through his hair and pushing it back with a soft smile, “Be good, and don’t be too reckless alright?” I saw how he looked confused before he looked up at me. I saw for a second that same child I dropped off in kindergarten, big innocent brown eyes as he asked, “What do you mean you won't see me for a while…?” I ran my hand through his hair again with a hum, “to keep you hidden away, people are going to think you’re dead, so I wont be here anymore, if you were dead that means I don’t have a place here anymore. So I'll be leaving until Gojo decides when’s a good time for you to come out of hiding.” I watched his downcast eyes, the slight pout on his face as he looked down in thought, “You won't forget me?” I smiled, shaking lightly as I laughed, “You said that same thing when I first left you in kindergarten, you know.” He smiled as I hugged him by my side, “Call me if you need anything alright?” He nodded leaning into my side, “I love you.” I rubbed his arm and shoulder offering comfort, he nodded along, mumbling back, “I love you too.” I smiled as I pulled away, “Be good then.” He smiled nodding as I turned to Gojo, “Take care of my Yuji.” Gojo just smiled holding up a hand the other tucked behind his back. “Of course Miss.L/N, I'll make sure he’s better than you left him.” I nodded turning to Morí, he closed his eyes nodding, “Lead the way Lady Y/n” I started to walk out ready to pack up and leave, but a part of me wanted to stay, leaving now would mean, leaving my son and my husband. I swallowed, feeling the weight on my chest, ignoring it as I pushed myself to go. I pulled my Kimono tighter as we walked to the small house where we had been staying. I passed the two kids, Megumi Fushiguro and Nobara Kugisaki, who were sitting on the steps of the building. I turned to Morí who looked at them also, he turned his face away knowing it wasn’t our place to say anything. We took the further steps, passing them to not interrupt whatever conversation they could be having.

We made it to the house, packing what few things we had brought. Time passed slowly as we made progress until there was a knock at the door. I looked at the door not sensing anything unfamiliar as I slid it open. There was Fushiguro Megumi. I was concerned to see him staring straight down at the floor with a dead expression, before I spoke up. “Fushiguro Megumi.” He looked up, almost sympathetic, it was then I understood what it was about. I nodded along to the silence. “There was nothing you could have done, there are times where fate cant be altered, you shouldn’t hold yourself to fault, I hold no anger against you Fushiguro Megumi, nor against Satoru Gojo.” The silence hung heavy as I watched him clench his jaw and fists. The distress was clear over his face as I took a breath, to think of what I should do or say, I settled for the only way I knew how, I pulled him into a hug, using hand to guide his head to rest against my shoulder and chest holding him there, my other hand on his back as I whispered, “Forgive me Fushiguro Megumi, I can heal the body, but I can't repair a broken heart.”

I felt how he held onto my Kimono. I stood there. I had learned long ago with Yuji when he was a child, when someone desperately needs to be held, especially children, you should never pull away until they let go when they feel more stable. I patted and rubbed his back in circles, consoling him as he held on in silence. Time passed and I watched the sky slowly fade to orange, when he pulled away, I put my hands on his shoulders as he avoided looking at my face. I brought one hand to his chin, lifting his face, holding his cheek in one hand. I looked at him with a soft smile running my thumb over his cheek. “You will be alright in time.”

—- —- —- —- —-

The days were long and quiet as I spent the days in the temple working miracles and healing people. Donations flooding in by gratitude by those who’ve been suffering and finally found healing. I hummed, running my hands over a pregnant woman’s stomach, “Ah your sons so lively, I can feel him kicking.” She smiled “this is the first time in a while he’s been really moving.” I hummed with a soft smile, using my reverse cursed technique, I could sense where the muscles around her womb were tearing, carefully mending the muscles back together I hummed content hearing her sigh in relief. “It really feels like the stress and burning in my stomach has calmed down, do you know what it was?” I nodded slowly moving my hands off her stomach, ‘I’m not sure how your doctor didn’t catch it, but I’m assuming you’ve had a surgery where they needed to cut through muscle, where they mended the muscled was tearing open, its what was causing so much pain, the burning sensation was where the muscle was pulling and tearing bit by bit.” I watched her eyes widen, I smiled sympathetically nodding, “It’s all better now, you’ll be fine, even with time it shouldn’t raise up any problem”

I left the room after she thanked me, I walked around the back halls, lost in thought, not to be caught up in the day, I passed it healing people, until a certain man walked right into the private chambers.

I turned, it was obvious alone by his cursed energy, I watched him as he smiled, eyes closed and hands tucked into his sleeves. He pulled a hand out waving, I watched him, not too interested, but more concerned how he made it in without being stopped.

”Y/n.” His voice was smooth and unsettling just as any other life, “Kenjaku” we stared at one another, his head tilted down, he looked at me with lidded eyes, I could feel the heat of my emotion rising. “What are you doing here?”

”Well, I’m pretty sure it's obvious, it wouldn’t be the first time we cross paths now would it? Now, if I'm not wrong I'm pretty sure somewhere along the line we had a conversation similar to this, are you still so set on doing things your way?”

I watched how you stood there, thinking of what to say, “I’m not siding with your ideals, I could never support someone who could do things as vile as you did when you were experimenting with humans. We stand on uneven ground, there will never be a day we see eye to eye, there will never be a day where I would even think of standing on your level”

The room wasn’t tense, we both knew where we stood, we both knew the other couldn’t be swayed, there was no reason to argue or get hostile.

”hmm” I listened intently, not willing to let anything slip by, “Well, if you're so set in your decision I suppose I'll only be generous to make my offer once everything moves closer to the end line.”

I swallowed, nodding, “I doubt I’ll take your offer even then, we'll just have to see who stands where.”

The silence in the room remained the same, we stood there staring at the other, a silent conversation, where everything that needed to be said was said, I watched a wicked grin move over his lips head tilting forward slightly, “Well then, we will just have to stand back and see how everything plays out then.”

—- —- —- —- —-

Once again the days passed slowly, I knelt at the shrine in my room at the temple, lighting incense as I mumbled in vain, Sukuna would never be able to hear me this way, but it brought a sense of comfort as I bowed my head to an old painting i had set on the shrine table. “Ryomen…, please, please, if at any point in time, you hear these words please, I beg whatever plans you have with Kenjaku, don’t see them through.”

I begged internally, feeling my heart shaking in my chest, “Please.”

I stood up, turning to go on with the day, the day was just as slow as any other, until I felt a stab in my ribs, I tensed up, Morí who was with me didn’t let it go by unmentioned as he was quick to drop everything. “LADY Y/N! Are you alright?!” I leaned onto him feeling the stinging pain subside before it came back again. “We need to go, I need to see Itadori”

Mori looked up at me confused as he supported my side, “Lady Y/n Satoru Gojo said we shou-MORI,” I looked at him in desperation, “Please, I know something is wrong, this is just like last time, Please.”

The silence that settled between us wasn’t tense, but we knew the decision was made. It was quick work of Mori grasping his hands together and giving me a weary look before he spoke a small chant activating his technique.

It was an instant of standing behind the school, there was Satoru gojo and others looking at a veil, I didn’t bother to stay around immediately setting off to find Yuji, this isn’t about anyone else if not my son. Mori was right behind me as we made haste tracking Sukuna’s faint cursed energy in Yuji.

We made it to the dead forest, a tall grey curse with a bloom on its shoulder, I didn’t see Yuji, I held up a hand ready to unleash an attack until something came crashing down knocking it out the way.

“Yuji!” There was a moment of silence, that’s when everything came into place, the special grade curse, Yuji standing to side, a more built man beside him, the veil darkened sky starting to drop when I felt the attack coming, I rushed over to Yuji shielding him as a purple wave rammed through everything clearing a path.

I held on tight to Yuji, keeping him close to my chest until it completely passed. I let him go, stepping back to look at him as I held him by his shoulders at arms length. “Yuji! Are you okay?” I felt my heart still racing as I looked over at him, he smiled rubbing the back of his head. “Yeah! I’m fine mom!” I sighed relieved, “Yuji, thank goodness you're okay, I was SO SCARED, I turned to look at the other guy who was standing not to far off, he seemed proud as he stood by watching, before he squinted at me looking uneasy as he asked, “Who are you?”

I felt my brows drop slightly as I let go of Yuji turning to the boy, “I should be asking who you are.” He seemed amused as he laughed, closing his eyes as he brought a hand to his chin as if he were thinking. “What an excitable woman.” I made a face shaking my head no as I turned to Yuji, he smiled. “This is Toudo.” I nodded along, “I see.”

I nodded along, turning back to Toudo, “well, it's nice to meet you Toudo, but don’t call me an excitable woman, I'm not too sure my husband would appreciate that. But, my name is L/n F/n, I’m Yuji’s mother.”

I watched as Toudo opened his eyes, a smile on his face, “My brothers, mother.” I nodded slowly thinking over what he had said. “Brothers….mother.. brother?” I turned to Yuji curious, “What’s this about?”

Yuji perked up, “Oh, it's kinda confusing, Toudo actually helped me understand a few things I’ve been struggling with, he says we’re brothers…”

I nodded along, “I see…”

—- —- —- —- —-

Authors Note

I really wanted to go with the Canon time line, but the more I type the more I realize it would be ridiculously long. So- time to create alternate time line so everyone can be happy 🥹

also Sukuna is very much Husband material after I read the last chapter

—- —- —- —- —-

@needsleep3000 @lunafrisk303999 @ang3lz-lov3 @dl-yum @yumieis @bellinghambby22 @amitiel-truth @kundere20000000 @r0ckst4rjk @maybe-a-bi-witch @kouyoumarryme @wannabewolf @futureittomainn @raiiny-night @t4naiis @blkmystery @the2ndl @too-pretty-to-live @v-sh @officialjellydoughnut @f1uveryysblog @wsp1st @ivysenpai3 @babyqueen17 @lupita97lm @oh-gods-its-a-dragon @avyannasstuff @nameless-mushroom-warrior r @fullwriterpoem @nanamisbigassschlong @queen-luna-007 @pupbistro @clxvrs @dangerous-girls-world @saiyara05 @honeybachira @sizzlingsongblaze-blog @theirbitxch @bluusugar @itszzmoon @venus-seeks @abdce12345

[mysticworks]

One day too late ~ LN4 x Reader (Preview)

Lando x Pregnant! Reader; Coworker! Reader; Very Angsty; mentions of intimacy but nothing explicit; Borderline Forbidden love; Reader & Lando are friends with feelings

S Y N O P S I S :

Carried away at the party, you and Lando share a beautiful night. You both move on and pretend it never happened, ignoring your feelings for each other...until 6 weeks later you find out you're carrying his child.

Full chapter can be read -> Here

Lando’s POV:

They say you don’t know the value of something until it’s gone. I've learnt this truth the hard way.

I’ve watched her everyday since that night; desperately trying to catch her eye at work; take her aside and apologise. Tell her we can make this happen... start over, uncaring of the world and it's concerns.

I've watched her everyday, slowly starting to shrivel. The bags under her eyes, the tiredness in her smile. I’ve watched her at lunch, nibbling at almost nothing at her plate before silently excusing herself away. 

It devastates me to know that this pain is from me. I have caused it and she didn't deserve it. How I wish I could tell her that I was wrong. I was so, so wrong. 

I miss her smile. Her company; once a comfort. I miss having her by my side; encouraging; so full of energy.

And so this is my chance. My chance to finally set things right.

Clutching the bouquet - glitter roses I spent the last night making - I head over to the PR query desk, determined to start again, if she can give me the chance. 

There’s a new member of staff at the desk; someone I’ve never seen before and he tilts his head up at me, hearing my approach, flashing me a smile. 

He thinks I’m here for a project meeting and begins to rise from his seat, holding up a clipboard as if ready to pass it over. 

“I’m looking for y/n, l/n.” A moment passes.

Legs jittering. Heart tight and constricted; there’s a sense of urgency swelling in me as if telling me to hurry, rushing me to make things right. My fingers tap at the desk, impatient. 

He gives a sigh, furrowing his brows and lowering the clipboard back into place. 

“I'm afraid she's not here. She gave in her resignation yesterday.”

The words hit me like a boulder to the chest.

My legs feel heavy, a tornado whirling in the pit of my stomach. My fingers unclench from the bouquet and with a soft thud, the flowers thud to the ground; petals ripping apart from impact.

They've crumbled. Glitter littering the floor.

It was over.

I was one day too late.

[perfectsunlight]

[20] I CAN DO IT WITH A BROKEN HEART

warnings: mentions of abortion, malicious statements, mental breakdown

SBS GAYO DAEJUN, 2018

jennie dabbed her eyes, doing her best to not ruin her stage makeup. her chest felt tight, the screen displaying the most recent message from the father of her daughter. the air in the small bathroom stall felt almost suffocating as she stared at the words that had shattered her world just moments before.

the message played on a loop in her mind, the words searing into her memory like a brand. her hands trembled as she read it again, as if hoping that the letters might rearrange themselves into something less devastating. but they didn't. 

the reality was unchangeable—he wanted to come back. but jennie refused to let that happen.

the idol’s breath hitched as she fought to hold back another wave of tears. she couldn't let herself fall apart, not now, not when she was moments away from stepping on stage. no one else knew what had happened, and she intended to keep it that way. the last thing she needed was her heartache becoming a headline for the media, or another dagger they could use against her or her daughter.

she forced herself to take a deep breath, closing her eyes and focusing on the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. inhale, exhale. inhale, exhale. it was a mantra, a desperate attempt to keep herself grounded.

there was a knock on the bathroom door, startling her from her thoughts. “jennie, five minutes!” a staff member called out, their voice cutting through the suffocating silence that had settled around her.

jennie glanced at herself in the mirror, her reflection a stark contrast to the emotional turmoil brewing inside her. her makeup was flawless, her outfit perfectly styled, every detail meticulously crafted to present the image of a confident, untouchable idol. 

but behind her carefully constructed facade, she was unraveling.

she pressed her lips together, applying a final coat of lipstick to seal the cracks in her composure. “you can do this,” she whispered to herself, “for her sake.” 

the memory of his words cut deep, sharper than she ever imagined. they echoed in her mind, pulling her further into the pain she was trying so desperately to ignore. jennie squeezed her eyes shut, fighting back the tears threatening to spill. 

she couldn’t let anyone see her like this, especially not jane. 

ivory was everything to her. her little girl was innocent, unaware of the turmoil that had just shattered her mother’s heart. jennie knew she had to protect that innocence, to shield her daughter from the pain that had been inflicted on her. she would fight through the heartbreak, smile through the tears, and give everything she had on stage, just like she always did.

a knock on the door startled her. “jennie, it’s time,” one of the staff called out.

i can read your mind

"she's having the time of her life"

she took a deep breath, forcing herself to stand up and smooth out her outfit. the weight of her heartbreak was heavy, but the thought of her daughter gave her strength. as she stepped out of the dressing room, she felt the familiar rush of adrenaline begin to course through her veins. 

the stage was her escape, her sanctuary, and tonight, it would be the only thing holding her together.

“hey,” rosé gently grabbed her by the shoulder and looked her friend up and down. “are you okay?” jennie stiffened at her touch, her carefully maintained composure threatening to crumble under the concern in her friend’s eyes. she forced a smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes, and nodded.

“yeah, i’m fine,” jennie replied, her voice steady despite the turmoil churning inside her. “just tired, you know?”

the blonde studied her for a moment, her brow slightly furrowed with worry. “you don’t have to pretend with me,” she said softly. “i know something’s wrong. if you need to talk—” jennie shook her head quickly, cutting her off. ]

“not now. we have a show to do. i can’t let anything distract me from that.”

rosie hesitated, clearly wanting to press further, but she knew jennie well enough to recognize when the older girl had made up her mind. “alright,” she said, letting her hand drop from jennie’s shoulder. “just remember, i’m here if you need me.”

“thanks, rosie,” jennie whispered, grateful for her friend’s understanding.

with one last nod, rosé stepped back, allowing jennie to continue her path toward the stage. as jennie walked away, she could feel rosé’s eyes on her, the concern practically radiating off her. it took everything in jennie not to turn back, not to collapse into her friend’s arms and let out the sobs that were clawing at her chest.

but she couldn’t afford that luxury. not tonight, especially since she was performing her solo first.

there in her glittering prime

the lights refract sequined stars off her silhouette every night

the stage lights hit her like a wave as she stepped into view, and the roar of the crowd surged around her, a cacophony of sound that drowned out the pain, if only for a moment. jennie forced herself to smile, to move with the music, to perform like nothing was wrong. she was an expert at this—hiding behind the idol persona. no one in the audience could see the cracks in her facade, the tears she had fought so hard to hold back.

there was a sea of people, hundreds of faces blurring together into a moving tide of lights and cheers. jennie’s eyes skimmed over the crowd, her smile firmly in place as she hit every beat with practiced precision. her body moved fluidly, as if on autopilot, each step and spin rehearsed to perfection. but her mind was miles away, trapped in the echo of her ex-boyfriend’s harsh words, the cold reality of the breakup weighing on her heart.

she barely registered the applause between verses, her focus only snapping back into place when the next note cued her in. it was almost cruel, how well she could switch on the charm, delivering every line with a confidence that belied the turmoil churning beneath the surface.

meanwhile, underneath the stage, the other members were watching jennie’s performance from the monitors. they knew her well—well enough to see the subtle tension in her shoulders and the fleeting moments where her eyes didn’t quite sparkle like they usually did.

“unnie’s really pushing herself,” lisa murmured, biting her lip as she watched jennie hit her marks flawlessly. the maknae’s usual playful demeanor was replaced with worry, her eyes glued to the screen.

“she’s been like this all day,” jisoo added, her tone low and serious. as the oldest, she often played the role of the steadying force among them, but even she couldn’t hide the unease in her voice. she knew something was wrong, but she wouldn’t dare press jennie about it now—not when they were about to perform. “you know how she gets when something’s bothering her. she just locks it away and keeps going.” she continued, her eyes narrowing slightly as she studied her friend on the screen. “it’s like she’s forcing herself, and it’s making me nervous.”

rosé was silent, her gaze fixed intently on jennie’s figure as it moved across the stage. out of the three of them, rosé felt the most attuned to her friend’s emotions. there was something deeper gnawing at their unofficial leader tonight, something that couldn’t be easily brushed off. 

but jennie was stubborn—once she decided to bury her feelings, it was nearly impossible to get her to open up.

“she’s performing like nothing’s wrong, but…” rosé’s voice trailed off, her brow furrowed in concern. the slight tremble in jennie’s voice during one of the softer notes hadn’t gone unnoticed by her. it was so brief, so faint that the audience would never catch it, but to rosé, it was a crack in jennie’s usually flawless facade.

lisa looked between her members, uncertain. “should we say something when we come up? maybe cheer her up?” jisoo immediately shook her head gently. “not before the group stage. we can’t do anything now.”

“but we’ll keep an eye on her,” rosé said firmly, her resolve clear. “after the performance, let’s stay close. she might not say anything, but we’ll be there when she’s ready.” the conversation fell into silence as they watched jennie continue to command the stage, pouring everything she had into the performance.

her confidence was undeniable—hips swaying, eyes piercing through the crowd, a playful smirk on her lips—but to those who knew her best, it was almost painful to witness.

i can show you lies (one, two, three, four)

“okay,” the sound engineer’s voice echoed through her in-ears. “blackpink, stand by for group stage.”

the final beats of solo reverberated through the arena, and the applause thundered in response. jennie flashed her signature grin before the stage lights dimmed, giving her a brief moment to herself. but underneath the stage, her members knew that the show wasn’t over yet—for jennie or for them.

above them, the stage crew was already preparing for the next transition. jennie’s solo ended with a stunning pose, and the crowd roared in approval as the lights dimmed. for a split second, the screen caught jennie’s face as the spotlights faded—and that brief glimpse was all rosé needed to see the exhaustion hiding behind her friend’s eyes.

“we’re coming, jennie.” jisoo muttered to herself as they felt the platform beneath them start to rise. 

as the girls were lifted up onto the stage, jennie was waiting for them at the center, already in position for ddu-du ddu-du.

'cause i'm a real tough kid, i can handle my shit

they said, "babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and i did

they knew better than to question her now. the best way they could support jennie in that moment was by giving her the strength to lean on them during the performance.

as the iconic beat of ddu-du ddu-du dropped, the girls synced up perfectly, falling into formation as if nothing was amiss. the energy was electrifying, the choreography sharp and fierce, and the crowd’s cheers were deafening.

but despite the adrenaline surging through them, each of the members was hyper-aware of jennie, subtly positioning themselves closer to her throughout the routine. they exchanged brief glances, small silent promises passing between them: we’ve got you.

for the audience, blackpink’s performance was flawless, another powerhouse display of charisma and talent.

jennie could feel the intensity of the moment—the lights, the beats, the deafening cheers—but her mind kept drifting elsewhere. despite the sharp movements and fierce expressions she was nailing, the image of her daughter, jane, lingered in the back of her thoughts.

is she okay? did she eat dinner properly? did she miss me today?

jennie’s heart tightened with every question. she knew jane was in good hands with her mom, but nothing could fully ease the ache of being away from her, especially after now knowing her father was back in the picture. it was the one thing jennie had dreaded the most—his reappearance, his attempts to insert himself into their lives after being absent for so long.

the thought of him trying to play the role of a father now, after everything he had done, made jennie’s blood boil.

does jane even think about having a dad? jennie wondered, trying to push the thoughts away. she didn’t want to believe that he could undo all the stability she and her mother had worked so hard to build. but the uncertainty gnawed at her, distracting her even as she performed in front of thousands.

rosé glanced over at jennie, sensing the tension radiating off her despite the bright smiles they all had to maintain. for a split second, their eyes met, and rosé’s brow furrowed in concern. but jennie looked away quickly, biting down on her lip and focusing on the choreography.

i can’t think about him right now, jennie told herself, even as the thoughts kept creeping in. i just need to get through this, then i’ll deal with it.

but the truth was, she had been dealing with it—every sleepless night spent worrying about how to protect jane from the storm that was threatening to come. she had sacrificed so much to keep her daughter safe, to give her the things she never had growing up. 

but now, it felt like all of that could be at risk.

lights, camera, bitch smile, even when you wanna die

he said he'd love me all his life

on top of that, jennie couldn’t forget how he left her heart in ruins. the betrayal, the abandonment—it all resurfaced whenever she thought about him. she had moved on, or at least tried to, but the scars he left ran deep. the way he disappeared when she needed him most, only to reappear now, as if he had any right to disrupt the life she had built with jane.

what did he want? the idol wondered as she moved in sync with her members, executing each step with practiced precision. the stage lights blazed down on them, the fans’ cheers swelling as the performance reached its peak. jennie spun into her next move, but her mind was still clouded with thoughts of him. 

why now? what could he possibly want after all this time?

as the intro of forever young approached, jennie forced herself to stay focused, her expression cool and confident, masking the turmoil swirling beneath. but her mind kept circling back to the message she had received earlier. he hadn’t said much, but the implications of his sudden reappearance were enough to send her spiraling.

she shot a quick glance at her members. lisa was next to her, radiating energy, while rosé and jisoo were singing their hearts out just a few feet away. they were giving it their all, and jennie hated that she couldn’t be fully present with them. 

but the questions wouldn’t stop. she loved that man once, and despite everything, a part of her still ached at the thought of him, even now. it was a complicated mix of emotions that she couldn't entirely shake off.

but that life was too short

breaking down, i hit the floor

she still remembered the night he left, how she had sunk to the floor once he was gone, the tears coming in waves.  how each breath felt like a fresh blow to her heart, and the emptiness in that cheap hotel room was palpable. she remembered how she called him again and again, her voice growing hoarse with desperation, but he never answered.

when he finally did call back, his tone was icy, devoid of any trace of the affection he once held for her. “jennie,” he hissed, his voice dripping with arrogance, “i'm done. if you call me again about this–” he paused, as if considering the right word, "—this mess, i will make sure you are ruined. you hear me?”

his lack of remorse was chilling. he spoke with a casual disdain, as though the life they had shared meant nothing. the way he spoke about their future, their child, was cold and indifferent. “get rid of it.”  he continued, his words cutting through the air like ice. jennie’s heart sank as she heard those words. 

they were not just a rejection of her; they were a rejection of everything she had hoped for. the future she had envisioned, the dreams she had nurtured, were dismissed with such casual cruelty that it left her breathless.

“think about what you’re doing,” he said dismissively. “you should be grateful i’m even talking to you. you’ve got no idea what this will do to me if someone finds out. just deal with it and move on.”

each word was a harsh reminder of the disparity between their lives. to him, their child was an inconvenience, a complication he was unwilling to endure. he spoke as though the responsibility was solely hers, as though his involvement was a mere inconvenience he could easily discard.

the finality in his voice made it clear that he had already moved on, leaving jennie to face the consequences alone. as the call ended, jennie was left in the silence of her own despair, the weight of his rejection settling heavily on her shoulders.

standing on stage, amidst the flashing lights and the roaring crowd, jennie was a performer hiding behind a mask of confidence. but beneath the surface, she was still that woman in the hotel room, grappling with the cruel words of a man who had abandoned her and their child.

all the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "more"

their voices echoed around her, demanding more energy, more smiles, more of the persona she had so carefully crafted. each cheer felt like a piercing reminder of the gap between who she was on stage and the turmoil she carried inside.

jennie danced and sang, her movements precise, her smile bright but hollow. each note she hit was a reminder of her inner strength, a battle against the pain she felt. she watched her reflection in the stage lights, seeing the shimmer of her costume and the fierce look in her eyes, but she felt far removed from the image she projected.

in those moments between the songs, as the music swelled and the audience roared, jennie tried to push her personal anguish aside. the performance was her sanctuary, a place where she could momentarily escape the reality of her life. but as each song ended, the memories of that cold, dismissive voice crept back in, making it hard to hold onto her focus.

the last notes of "forever young" rang out, and jennie took a deep breath, her heart still heavy with the echoes of the past. as the crowd cheered, she gave one final, dazzling smile, pushing through the last vestiges of her pain.

i was grinning like i'm winning, i was hitting my marks

'cause i can do it with a broken heart (one, two, three, four)

“blackpink, stand by for lift.” the stage manager’s voice crackled through the earpieces. signaling the end of their performance.

jennie took one last deep breath, trying to steady herself before the final bow. the energy from the crowd still buzzed in her veins, but the weight of her emotional turmoil was beginning to settle heavily on her shoulders. the familiar routine was a temporary respite, but reality was waiting just outside the stage doors.

as they made their way backstage, jennie forced herself to maintain a composed facade. her bandmates were still close, their concern evident in their whispered conversations and fleeting glances. jennie appreciated their support, even if she wasn’t ready to open up about the turmoil inside her.

the idol quickly changed out of her stage outfit, her movements automatic and second nature. every action was a reflection of her need to escape the intensity of the night and the prying eyes that followed her every step. her hands shook slightly as she slipped into a more casual ensemble, the comfort of familiar clothes offering a small reprieve from the glamorous but constricting stage attire. she avoided looking at herself in the mirror, focusing instead on the task of packing away her stage wardrobe.

the paparazzi waiting outside the venue loomed in her mind, a reminder of the ever-present scrutiny. she knew that once she stepped outside, the flashes would resume, capturing every tear she fought so hard to keep at bay. as jennie finished changing, her friends remained nearby, their quiet presence a source of silent support. rosie, jisoo, and lisa busied themselves with their own tasks, allowing jennie the space she needed to gather her thoughts.

i'm so depressed, i act like it's my birthday every day

i'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me like the plague

the moment arrived, and jennie took a deep breath, steeling herself for the ordeal ahead. rosie placed a reassuring hand on jennie’s back, while lisa and jisoo moved close, forming a protective barrier as they approached the exit. the crowd’s roar and the flashing cameras intensified as they neared the door.

as they pushed through the throng of flashing cameras, jennie’s gaze shifted momentarily. her eyes caught a fleeting glimpse of a familiar figure just ahead of her. the back of a man’s head, unmistakably recognizable, stood out among the crowd. he was surrounded by his own entourage, making his way to a nearby black van.

jennie’s breath caught in her throat, her heart skipping a beat. the sight was brief but enough to send a wave of conflicting emotions through her. she could only see his silhouette, but it was enough to stir up a storm of memories and feelings. 

the man who had once been the love of her life and the father of her child, was now just another person in the sea of flashing lights.

the sight was a painful reminder of the unresolved issues that lingered between them, a sharp contrast to the façade she maintained for the public. jennie struggled to keep her focus, pushing the unwelcome emotions aside as she stepped into the car.

i cry a lot but i am so productive, it's an art

you know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

despite crying at least six times earlier that day, jennie had managed to channel her pain into her performance, her professional mask firmly in place as she danced and sang under the spotlight. it was a form of catharsis, an escape from the raw, unfiltered ache that seemed to follow her wherever she went.

“jennie, over here!” “lisa, look this way.” “rosé, jisoo, over here!”

despite the chaotic scene and the swarm of flashing cameras, jennie forced herself to keep moving forward. her exhaustion was palpable, her emotional armor beginning to crack under the pressure. she knew that her public image was as important as her private struggles, and maintaining it meant navigating the relentless gaze of the media with grace.

she made her way past the sea of reporters and photographers, her heart aching at the thought of her daughter and the life she wanted to provide for her. each step felt heavy, laden with the weight of her responsibilities and the personal sacrifices she had made. jennie couldn’t escape the feeling of being trapped between the demands of her career, the issues with her ex boyfriend, and the longing for a more personal connection with her child.

part of her even wondered what ivory would think when she found out who her father was. would she even tell her daughter who he was?

as they approached the car, jennie kept her gaze forward, determined to focus on the brief moment of respite she would find inside. she could feel the weight of the day pressing down on her, her heart heavy with thoughts of her daughter and the painful memories that had resurfaced.

the fans continued to scream, their enthusiasm contrasting sharply with jennie’s internal turmoil. the flashing lights from the paparazzi’s cameras were relentless, each lens capturing her in a moment she wished she could escape.

rosé, sensing jennie's distress, moved closer to her, offering a reassuring presence amidst the chaos. jennie simply gave her a grateful nod, appreciating the small gesture of support. lisa and jisoo remained close as well, their silent solidarity a source of comfort.

the car door finally opened, and jennie stepped inside, the noise of the crowd fading as the door closed behind her. the silence of the vehicle provided a brief reprieve from the sensory overload.

i can hold my breath

i've been doing it since he left

once all members were inside, the van slowly pulled away from the curb. jennie quickly sank into the seat, trying to steady her breathing as the car pulled away from the venue. despite the relative calm inside the vehicle, her mind was still racing, filled with thoughts of her daughter and the unresolved pain from her past.

as the van moved forward, jennie’s gaze inadvertently shifted to the vehicle right next to theirs. even through the tinted windows, she could make out the faint silhouette of a figure inside. her heart skipped a beat, recognizing the shape and the posture. it was him—his presence unmistakable, even in the dim light.

jennie’s breath caught in her throat, her heart pounding as if it were trying to escape from her chest. the sight of him, even from such a distance and through the darkened glass, triggered a torrent of emotions she had tried so hard to suppress.

she wanted to look away, to focus on anything else, but her eyes remained locked on that silhouette, unable to tear themselves away. the weight of her memories and the unresolved feelings she carried seemed to converge in that fleeting moment of recognition.

truth be told, she felt like she’d been holding her breath since the moment he left. the only times she felt like she could breathe were when she was with jane.

the van slowly rolled past, and the silhouettes faded into the background as they continued their journey. jennie exhaled slowly, her breath trembling as she tried to regain her composure. she glanced at her reflection in the window, her eyes reflecting the fatigue and emotional strain she had been hiding so well.

the car turned a corner, and the sight of the van vanished from view. jennie allowed herself to breathe again, though the ache in her chest remained.

i keep finding his things in drawers

crucial evidence, i didn't imagine the whole thing

by the time jennie got home, she practically collapsed in the arms of her mother. the exhaustion of the day, coupled with the emotional strain, left her feeling drained. jieun wrapped her arms around jennie, holding her close in a comforting embrace.

“i’m here,” jieun whispered softly, stroking jennie’s hair. “you did great out there.”

jennie nodded, her eyes brimming with tears she had held back all night. “thanks, mom,” she murmured, her voice small and hoarse. “where is she?” the idol asked, wiping her eyes quickly with the back of her hands. jieun offered a reassuring smile and gestured towards the mentioned girl’s room. 

“she’s asleep, just like you wanted.”

jennie’s mind was still buzzing with the adrenaline from the performance as she walked past her daughter’s bedroom and into her own room. a familiar drawer stood in the corner, a ghost of the past that had haunted her for far too long. it was where she kept the last remnants of the relationship that had shattered her so completely—the relationship that had left her alone to raise their daughter. 

tonight, that drawer would finally be emptied.

with a determined breath, the idol marched over and yanked it open. her cat-eyes skimmed over the contents: old letters, a bracelet he’d given her, a crumpled photo of them during happier times. each item felt like a ball and chain, dragging her back into memories she wanted to bury for good.

one by one, she tossed them into a trash bag with a cold finality. the letters went first, followed by the bracelet that she once wore so proudly. when her fingers brushed over the photo, she hesitated for only a moment before crumpling it even further and shoving it into the bag. there was no room in her life for these memories—not when they were tainted by the way he’d treated her, by the way he’d dismissed jane as if she meant nothing.

this was the end of his influence in her life. the end of him taking up space in her thoughts, in her heart, and in her home. 

jennie was done letting him linger in the corners of her mind. more importantly, she was done letting him have any claim over her or her daughter.

i'm sure i can pass this test (one, two, three, four)

'cause i'm a real tough kid, i can handle my shit

the woman’s hands trembled slightly as she clutched the stack of old letters and the crumpled photo. standing in the dim light of her bathroom, she stared down at the remnants of a past she was finally ready to let go of. the faint scent of perfume from those days still clung to the pages, taunting her with memories of the man who had once held her heart, only to shatter it completely.

she reached into the cabinet under the sink and grabbed a small lighter, her grip tightening as she made the decision that had been brewing inside her for months. this wasn’t just about moving on—this was about erasing him entirely from the life she had worked so hard to rebuild.

jennie took one last look at the letters, tracing the words that once brought her comfort but were now nothing more than lies. then, without hesitation, she flicked the lighter, a small flame dancing to life at her fingertips. she held the flame to the edge of the first letter and watched as it began to curl and blacken, the paper hissing as the fire consumed it.

the flames spread quickly, licking up the sides of the letter until it was nothing but ash. one by one, she fed each letter to the fire, the bitterness of the past turning to smoke in the cramped space of the bathroom. the final piece was the photo, once a snapshot of what she thought was happiness. as she held it over the sink, the flames ate away at the image of his smiling face until there was nothing left but charred edges and a fading memory.

the idol stared at the ashes for a moment, feeling the finality of it all settle deep within her. there was something cathartic about watching the pieces of her past dissolve into nothingness, leaving behind only a clean slate.

she turned on the faucet, washing away the remnants of the burned paper, watching them swirl down the drain. the water carried away the last traces of him, taking with it the weight she had carried for so long.

with a deep breath, jennie shut off the water and stood in the silence of the bathroom. the scent of smoke lingered faintly, but she felt lighter, freer than she had in years. this was her moment of reclaiming herself, of choosing her future over the pain of her past.

satisfied, jennie tucked the lighter back into the cabinet and left the bathroom, the ashes now just a memory.

but before heading to bed, she had one more stop to make.

they said, "babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and i did

she quietly walked down the hallway and opened the door to jane’s room. her daughter was fast asleep, curled up in her blankets with a soft, peaceful expression that tugged at jennie’s heart. all the stress and turmoil of the day melted away as she approached the bed and gently lowered herself next to jane.

jennie leaned in and pressed a kiss to her daughter’s forehead, breathing in the comforting scent of her little girl. “i’m here, baby,” she whispered softly. “mommy’s always here.”

as she watched jane sleep, jennie’s heart swelled with a fierce protectiveness. he could never understand what it took to sit here with their daughter, night after night, through the sleepless nights, the fevers, the fears, and the little triumphs. he could never comprehend the sacrifices jennie had made to ensure jane grew up surrounded by love and stability.

the man who had abandoned them so callously would never grasp the strength it took to be both mother and father.

she was juggling the pressures of celebrity life while still doing her best to put jane first in everything. and now, with his arrogance and indifference still echoing in her mind, jennie’s resolve hardened.

“i won’t let him near you,” she whispered, her voice firm even as it trembled with emotion. “he doesn’t deserve to know you, to see the beautiful, smart girl you’re growing up to be. he walked away, and that was his choice. but i’m the one who stayed. i’m the one who’s here for you, always.”

jennie’s fingers lightly stroked jane’s soft hair, her chest tightening with a mixture of love and determination. “i don’t care what he tries to do. i won’t let him take you away, i won’t let him hurt you. you’re my everything, jane. and i’ll protect you with everything i have.”

she blinked back the tears that threatened to spill over, determined to stay strong, for jane and for herself. jennie knew that being an idol meant living in the spotlight, where even her most private moments were vulnerable to public scrutiny. but this—her love for her daughter—was sacred, and she would never let the shadows of her past cast a shadow on jane’s future.

after a few moments, jennie leaned down and kissed jane’s forehead once again, lingering in the warmth of her daughter’s presence. “you’re safe, baby,” she whispered. “as long as i’m here, you’ll always be safe.”

lights, camera, bitch smile, in stilettos for miles

he said he'd love me for all time

with a deep breath, jennie slowly stood and left the room, quietly closing the door behind her. the soft click of the door seemed to echo in the stillness of the night. she paused for a moment in the hallway, letting her back rest against the wall as she composed herself. the overwhelming emotions she’d held back all day threatened to surge forward, but she quickly pushed them down, reminding herself that she couldn’t break down in front of her daughter’s door.

she moved to her bedroom, deciding that the shower would be the place for her to let everything out.

the second she stepped under the spray, the tears she’d been holding back finally broke free. her sobs were swallowed by the sound of the rushing water, each one tearing through her as all the emotions she’d bottled up throughout the day poured out. jennie pressed her forehead against the cool tile, letting the water mix with her tears as she cried for everything she’d been carrying inside—the loneliness, the exhaustion, the pain of dealing with her ex, and the overwhelming fear of not being enough for jane.

the pressure of being jennie, the idol, was one thing. but being jennie, the mother, was another burden altogether. she felt like she was constantly balancing on a tightrope, trying to give jane everything she deserved while holding herself together for the world.

but that time was quite short

breaking down, i hit the floor

as the scalding water hit her skin, jennie felt her body start to tremble. she hugged herself, trying to find some sense of comfort in the midst of her breakdown. she hated feeling this way, hated that even in her own home, she couldn’t fully escape the shadows of her past.

but more than anything, jennie hated him—hated how he had turned her love into a source of pain, how he had made her doubt her own worth, how he had walked away so easily, leaving her to face everything alone. and yet, even with all that hate, there was a part of her that still hurt because of how much she had once loved him.

jennie cried harder, her sobs shaking her entire body as she let everything out—the fear, the anger, the sorrow. she stayed under the water until her tears finally ran dry and all she was left with was exhaustion.

slowly, jennie slid down to sit on the floor of the shower, letting the water run over her as she stared blankly at the tiles. her chest still felt tight, but she couldn’t cry anymore. she didn’t have the energy left to. 

the worst part about being an idol was the fact that even though she felt horrible now, and would still feel similar tomorrow morning, she’d still have no choice but to plaster on a smile and perform. jennie knew that no matter how shattered she felt inside, the world expected her to be flawless, to be jennie from blackpink—confident, poised, and untouchable. 

the pressure never let up, and sometimes it felt like her true self was buried so deep under the idol persona that she forgot what it was like to be just jennie, a woman struggling with heartbreak, a mother trying to protect her child.

she rested her head against the cool tile wall, letting the water continue to soak her hair. she thought about the endless schedule waiting for her in the morning—the interviews, the rehearsals, the meetings. there was no room in that schedule for weakness, no space for the heartache gnawing at her insides. but she had long since accepted that this was her reality. 

no one was going to stop and ask if she was okay; they would just expect her to keep going.

all the pieces of me shattered as the crowd was chanting, "more"

jennie shut her eyes tightly, the weight of it all pressing down on her. the loneliness felt unbearable at times, but she couldn’t afford to give in to it. she had jane, and that was what mattered most. her daughter was her anchor, the one thing in her life that was real, pure, and untouched by the world’s expectations. jennie would endure anything to make sure jane never had to feel the way she did right now—lost, broken, and alone.

with a shaky breath, jennie slowly pushed herself to stand. the water had turned cold, but she barely noticed as she reached for a towel and wrapped it around herself. she stared at her reflection in the fogged-up mirror, barely recognizing the woman looking back at her. her eyes were puffy and red, her face pale from exhaustion, but she knew she had no choice but to push through it.

she quickly dried herself off and slipped into a comfortable pair of pajamas. her body was running on autopilot, each movement mechanical as she moved through her nightly routine. but as she finally collapsed into bed, the emptiness she had been holding at bay all day rushed in like a tidal wave. lying in the darkness, she felt the overwhelming urge to check her phone—an old habit she couldn’t seem to break.

jennie couldn’t resist the urge to scroll through social media, knowing all too well that the night’s performance had already gone viral. she opened her favorite app, her heart heavy with a mixture of anxiety and curiosity. the trending tags were filled with blackpink and her name, accompanied by clips and photos of their performance. fans praised her charisma, her fierce stage presence, and how flawlessly she delivered a performance. 

but those who only saw the idol on stage had no idea how broken she felt underneath the spotlight.

she kept scrolling, her thumb moving automatically as she skimmed through posts. some fans noticed the emotion in her eyes, speculating about what might be going on behind the scenes. “jennie looked like she was holding back tears during that last song,” one post read. “she’s such a pro, but i hope she’s okay.” another fan wrote, “no one performs like jennie, even when she’s clearly hurting. she deserves the world.”

i was grinning like i'm winning, i was hitting my marks

'cause i can do it with a broken heart (one, two, three)

the kind words made jennie’s eyes sting with fresh tears, but then came the harsher comments—the ones she’d learned to steel herself against. “she looks tired. maybe she’s losing her touch,” someone commented under a video clip. another user questioned her commitment to the group, speculating about why she seemed “distracted” lately. those words cut deeper than they should have, but jennie had grown used to this duality—the praise and the judgment that came hand in hand with fame.

she knew the fans meant well, but they could never understand the full picture. how could they know that behind every smile was a woman who had just burned the last traces of a man who shattered her heart? or that beneath her perfectly applied makeup was a mother fighting every day to protect her daughter from the man who abandoned them both?

jennie took a deep breath and locked her phone, tossing it onto the bed beside her. the more she tried to engage with her public persona, the more the lines between jennie the idol and jennie the person blurred. 

but tonight, she couldn’t be the idol anymore. 

i'm so depressed, i act like it's my birthday every day

i'm so obsessed with him but he avoids me like the plague (he avoids me)

she quickly switched to her contacts application. for a brief moment, she just stared at her screen with her thumb hovering over his name. even after everything he had done, a part of her still clung to the past, to the memories of who he used to be. but those days were long gone, and she knew deep down that holding onto this last connection was only hurting her more.

she had already burned his letters, destroying the last physical remnants of their relationship. this was the final step—the one that would completely sever whatever ties were still left between them.

with trembling hands, jennie opened his contact information. her heart pounded in her chest as she stared at his name, the memories of his cruel words replaying in her mind. "get rid of it," he had said about her daughter. the cold indifference in his voice still echoed in her ears, reminding her that he didn’t deserve to be a part of jane’s life—or hers.

taking a deep breath, jennie clenched her jaw and pressed “delete contact.” the screen flashed for a moment before his name disappeared, leaving an empty space where it used to be. it was a small act, but it felt like reclaiming a piece of herself. she wasn’t going to let him haunt her anymore. 

he had made his choice to leave, and now she was making hers.

i cry a lot but i am so productive, it's an art

you know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

jennie dropped the phone onto the bedside table and lay back against the pillows. the room was quiet, but there was a certain finality in the silence that felt liberating. she had carried the weight of that relationship for so long, letting it define her pain and shape her fears. but now, she was free of him—free to focus on herself and on jane.

as she pulled the covers up to her chin, jennie allowed herself to imagine a future where his shadow no longer loomed over her every decision. it wouldn’t be easy, and there would still be days when the hurt would resurface, but she knew that she had the strength to keep moving forward.

it was odd how the world knew everything about her. from the way she styled her hair to the rumors about who she might be dating—everything was dissected and discussed like it was public property. yet, the most crucial parts of her life, the battles she fought in silence, remained unseen. they didn’t know about the sleepless nights when she stared at the ceiling, replaying every moment she wished she could change. 

they had no idea how every choice she made was weighed against the thought of what was best for her daughter, and how the love she had for ivory kept her going when she felt like crumbling.

you know you're good when you can even do it with a broken heart

you know you're good, i'm good

from the outside, jennie’s life looked perfect—glamorous even. the designer clothes, the luxury cars, the millions of fans hanging on to her every word. but behind all the glitz and glamor, she was just a woman trying to find her way, trying to make the best out of the cards she’d been dealt. 

sometimes, the idol felt as if she never grew up. she was surrounded by all these symbols of success—fame, fortune, and the endless applause—but inside, she felt like a child grappling with responsibilities far beyond her years.

yes, she got pregnant at a young age. but even at 22 years old, she still didn’t feel fully grown up. the responsibilities of motherhood had thrust her into a world of adult concerns far earlier than she had anticipated. sometimes, she felt like she was faking her way through adulthood, juggling the expectations of being a public figure with the demands of being a devoted mother.

jennie often wondered if she would ever truly feel like an adult, or if the weight of her responsibilities would always overshadow her sense of personal growth. but as she lay in bed, exhausted and emotionally drained, she took solace in the small victories and the love she had for her daughter. that love was a constant reminder that, despite the struggles and imperfections, she was capable of handling whatever life threw her way.

her journey was far from ordinary, but it was uniquely hers. 

'cause i'm miserable

and nobody even knows

try and come for my job

inside her room, jane’s eyes remained wide open. she hadn’t been fully asleep, just resting in the comfort of her mother’s presence when she arrived. her grandmother had told her to pretend to be asleep after letting her stay up to watch her mother on tv.  but now in quiet darkness, the weight of what she had overheard settled heavily on her small shoulders.

she didn’t know much about her father; he was just a mysterious figure in stories she’d never heard fully told. but she understood enough to know that he wasn’t a good person—especially if he made her mom cry like that. 

even at her young age, jane could sense the tension in jennie’s voice, the way she spoke with a mix of love and sadness. her father wasn’t spoken about, and when he was brought up it was always in hushed tones or quickly changed subjects. the absence of his presence in her life made her mother’s emotions all the more vivid.

jane knew that her father’s name was like a shadow that loomed over their lives, even if he was never directly present. the stories she overheard or the subtle changes in her mother’s mood whenever the topic arose painted a picture of someone who had caused a great deal of pain. it wasn’t hard for her to piece together that he was a source of deep hurt for her mother.

tears welled up in jane’s eyes as she lay there, silent sobs shaking her small frame. she covered her mouth with her tiny hands, trying to stifle the sounds so her mom wouldn’t hear. she didn’t want to worry jennie, not when she could feel how hard her mom was trying to protect her. but it hurt, knowing that there was someone out there who should’ve cared for her, yet never did.

jane buried her face in her pillow, crying quietly. she clung to the comforting words jennie had whispered just moments ago: “you’re safe, baby.” it was all she needed to hold onto, even as her small heart ached with the confusion and hurt of a reality she was too little to fully understand.

ivory didn’t know how long she laid there for, but after a while, her sobs faded into soft sniffles, and she began drifting off to sleep. even in her drowsiness, a part of her held onto the hope that her mom would always be there, always keeping her safe from the shadows she didn’t yet fully comprehend.

and in that very moment, right before sleep overtook her, she vowed to protect her mother from the man who had caused her so much pain. 

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CLOSED.

[igotanidea]

Late night reward : Jason Todd x reader

(I swear this plotline never gets boring. Hereby dedicated to @lightwing-s and her bar exam preparations ;) )

***

Late night in your apartment.

It's so peaceful and quiet, since every other soul in the building seem to be asleep, your window being the only one lighted by the desk lamp.

Just you and Jason.

And a pile of textbooks and notes on the floor, couch and shelves.

Your hopeful thoughts of finally having time for your boyfriend were brutally torn by absolutely unexpected and completely unnecessary collusion of your college professors.

The staff were clearly focusing all their efforts on making students' lives a living hell by dropping mock exam week on them.  

“Ugh!” Y/n’s strained voice tore right through the calmness of the apartment and the loud thud of a book being thrown onto the floor jolted her boyfriend awake.

“Are you okay?” his reaction was immediate, the concern and instinctive need to protect her suppressing all the haziness caused by sudden awakening. And it made her feel guilty of the reckless action.

‘I will never pass this shit.” She muttered hiding face in her hands, acting as dramatic as a young distressed woman could.

“Maybe you would be feeling better If you actually concentrate on the book rather than throwing your source material around. You know your exams are important and you’re all around the place!”

Ok, now the previous guilt were gone.

“I am concentrating! You should know it best since your girlfriend has been studying non-stop barely having time for you! Unless-“ she raised an eyebrow in a teasing manner “perhaps you don’t give a damn so much, that you didn’t even notice me not spending time with you?”

“Of course I did.” He scoffed. He wanted to argue with her but knew that no matter the words he would just play right into her hands “But we talked about it. This is your last semester. Your finals-“

“Mock finals.”

“Still.” He cut her off with a stern expression “your finals are important”

“I know.” She sighed in an exasperation moving from behind the desk to snuggle into his side on the couch. “I’m just so tired… And tired equals  stressed. And stressed equals distracted.”

“I know baby.’ Jason hummed wrapping one arm around her pulling her closer while brushing her hair in a soothing gesture. As if he didn’t notice the dark circles under her eyes and the fact that she has been lacking sleep for weeks now. It was a bit disturbing, coming back from the patrol in the middle of the night and spotting her swaying in a chair, half-conscious, and carrying her to bed. “Just a few more weeks, Y/N. And then you’ll be able to relax and I’ll cook you the big, good dinner. And no studying allowed.”

“This is motivating…”

Jason nodded and sighed switching the position a bit, so he was leaning on the bed headboard, her back to his chest, hands wrapping around her midsection.

“What are you doing?”

“”Allowing you to both feel comfortable and study.”

“Mhm. Cause your hands in this place are not distracting at all.” She muttered squirming further into his chest eliciting a little laugh from Jason.  

“Go back to studying, princess.”  He leaned forward to kiss the back of her neck “you look so pretty when you try to focus…”

“this is not helping…” she whimpered

“oh really?” Jason teased caressing her waist “what about now?” on the bright side that deep, hoarse voice in her ear had been chasing all the drowsiness away.

“mm. nope. Not at all…”

“What if I give you a kiss every time you go through a chapter?”

“Might need some advance payment…” Y/N grinned turning in his arms just so she could face him

Jason gave her a cheeky grin not wasting another second and capturing her lips in his, smiling into the kiss, so full of himself and the way he thought he played her.

“I was hoping you’d ask for that”

“Of course you did.” She muttered against his lips

His arms wrapped tighter around her, pulling her closer, free hand moving up her back to tangle in her hair and holding her head in place while deepening the kiss.

“I’m drawing a big loan here, am I not?” Y/N whispered locking arms on his neck

“I’ll give you a good interest.” He pulled back way to quickly leaning forehead on his so she could feel the closeness in a bit different way “I believe in you, all right, love? You can finish this chapter. It’s an easy one. And then I’ll kiss you again. And then you can read another one.”

“Promise?” she feigned a sad face   

“Promise.” He smiled pecking her lips as a bonus and handing her the book leaning back again. He closed his eyes, keeping his arm loosely wrapped around her in case she wanted to come back to collect her reward and get more of his smooches.

All night if needed.