#one piece fluff fest

[hitohitonika]

watching the fireworks in Wano

[chenziee]

Hopeless

No I don't keep forgetting to post these, whatever do you mean?

This is the first of the five pieces I did for @truffyfest! This one is for @nimudae's adorable prompt #164:

Law tells Onigiri all about his crush on Luffy and Onigiri decides he's going to be the best wingdog a pet can be and get them together

Don't forget to check out the full free Truffy fest zine!

[ Read on AO3 | Ko-Fi ]

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It wouldn't be an overstatement to say Onigiri knew everything about Law. He knew what time Law woke up, so he knew exactly when to start stepping impatiently next to his bed, begging for his walk. He knew what time he came back from school, so he knew when to start barking at his food bowl, asking for lunch. Not only was Onigiri observant and a great listener, patiently letting Law rant and ramble on and on about his day, school, music, his friends, and his annoying uncle Doffy… he was also neither blind nor stupid.

And so when Law had sat him down one evening, looking all nervous and jittery as he started explaining how he recently realised his feelings for one of his classmates might not be as platonic as he thought, Onigiri wasn’t surprised.

Instead, it left him flabbergasted that it took Law until now to figure that out.

After all, Law was nothing if not completely obvious when it came to Monkey D. Luffy—or Straw Hat-ya. Honestly, what did Law think the cute nicknames were about? Why did he think he ended up blushing whenever Luffy would tell him how cool his outfit for the day was? Why he kept texting him until the wee hours of the morning after promising Cora-san he’d go to sleep early this time every single day? Or why he made Onigiri’s walks longer than necessary every time just so they could pass by the convenience store where Luffy was part-timing? Or—

Onigiri might not have been stupid but sometimes… Sometimes, he had to wonder whether his master was.

As Law babbled on and on about how pointless things like love were (they were not), how senseless falling for ‘that absolute idiot of all people’ was (look who’s talking), and how there was no way Straw Hat-ya even felt the same way (he didn’t even have words for that one), Onigiri came to a decision. 

Seeing how completely hopeless Law was, someone else was going to have to take charge.

Onigiri didn’t have any matchmaking experience—if you didn’t count those two cats he purposely chased onto the same tree last month—but he’d be damned if he had to listen to this love-sick mess of a word-vomit more than once.

----------

Onigiri got to work the very same day. It wasn’t hard dragging Law to Luffy’s neighbourhood since Law always gravitated there without seemingly even thinking about it; the hard part was getting this idiot to actually meet Luffy while there, not just steal glances while he led Onigiri around the grocery store three times. But Onigiri was nothing if not resourceful.

And by that he meant he sat by the door to the store and barked until Luffy noticed them.

“What are you doing?” Law hissed quietly, sounding nearly panicked when Luffy looked their way. 

Onigiri simply barked again. Just because he could.

Immediately, the other boy perked up, his usual bright grin spreading on his lips easily as he jumped away from the register, completely abandoning the place—as well as the customer he was in the middle of ringing up—to skip over to them.

“Onigiri! Torao! You’re walking here again? Isn’t it kinda far from your place? Hey, Onigiri, how are you?” Luffy fired one question after the other as he crouched down to scratch Onigiri’s chin.

“Shouldn’t you be working?” Law asked, keeping his voice level while he raised his eyebrow, scolding Luffy. Acting all cool while his gay little heart was undoubtedly racing his chest with happiness. Onigiri almost rolled his eyes at him.

But, Luffy laughed, seemingly finding Law’s fake confidence hilarious. “Eh, it’s fine~” he drew out, looking up at Law with a carefree smile. “I’ve been working for hours, I can take a break once in a while!”

“And how many breaks have you taken so far?” Law asked, unimpressed, before pausing and adding, “And how many snacks have you eaten without paying for them?”

“Hey! I do pay for them!” Luffy protested, a pout finding its way to his lips.

“With your treasure tab?” There was an undeniable hint of laughter in Law’s voice now. “You do know that’s gonna go straight from your paycheck, right?”

“It’s my money anyway,” Luffy grumbled, turning back to Onigiri. He cupped his face in both hands, his pout getting even bigger. “Onigiri, daddy’s being mean to me, tell him something.”

Onigiri blinked. He wasn’t sure if he was glad or upset he couldn’t laugh because if he could… he would be rolling on the floor right then. Luffy said that. Luffy really said that. He really called Law ‘daddy’ without thinking twice about it and that was the best thing that had happened in Onigiri’s life since Cora brought him those turkey treats on Tuesday.

“Daddy?” Law repeated in a broken voice so quiet and so mortified that it made Onigiri want to laugh all over again—he didn’t even have to look at him to know Law was beet red.

“Yeah? You’re Onigiri’s dad, after all.” Luffy tilted his head to the side as he spoke slowly, obviously completely clueless as to why Law reacted like that.

Onigiri really loved this idiot.

Jumping up a little, Onigiri quickly licked Luffy’s face to show his appreciation of his adorable  naivety. Or well, he wasn’t naive; Luffy absolutely knew what ‘daddy’ meant in context… but seeing as he never bothered to think before opening his mouth and even then not really thinking about what just came out of it and thus completely missing his own accidental innuendos…

And poor Law was usually on the receiving end of these too.

On second thought, was it really completely on accident or just subconscious flirting?

Who knew? What Onigiri did know was that these two needed to kiss already.

“Hey, kid! Can you actually do your job here?!” the completely forgotten customer called from inside the store, understandably completely annoyed. Somehow, it was a wonder he wasn’t yelling and demanding to see a manager…

But there were more important things happening here, okay?

Still, Onigiri took a step back from Luffy, barking once as he returned to Law’s side while the two humans said their own goodbyes, the both of them lingering for a few moments too long to be considered normal and Onigiri shook his little head.

Hopeless idiots, the both of them.

It might have been Friday afternoon… but they would hold hands by the week’s end if Onigiri had anything to say about it.

----------

The next order of business was to actually get them together. That was considerably harder than simply forcing them to meet but Onigiri did have a plan.

Like every Saturday, Law took Onigiri to the large park to play. And like every Saturday, they passed by the cinema right next to it. Onigiri couldn’t exactly read but he knew that whatever posters were hanging in the front, those movies were still playing. Quickly scanning the pictures one by one, Onigiri huffed in satisfaction when he found the one he was looking for. It was still up. Good. That concluded stage one of his plan.

Stage two—make sure Luffy was where he was supposed to be.

It was a warm, sunny day and Luffy hated staying indoors to begin with so Onigiri was pretty sure he would be hanging out at the park as well. He usually did on days like this; it was the most nature in the city and Luffy loved the place about as much as Onigiri and Law did, so unless he forgot he had a family trip planned—wouldn’t be the first time—chances were high he would be there somewhere. But the problem was actually finding him without making Law suspicious.

Being a dog came in handy in situations like this, however. Asking to play fetch as an excuse to wander, using his sensitive nose to sniff out the distinctive smell of meat mixed with the sun and Luffy’s own scent. Onigiri had no idea how Luffy managed to smell that way all the time, but he wasn’t exactly complaining—not when after minutes of searching, he finally caught the trail of said distinctive scent.

Onigiri grabbed the ball and took off—fetching it… but not for Law. Instead, he ran in the opposite direction, letting his nose guide him until Luffy came to view. He was sitting on a picnic blanket, waving his hands around animatedly as he talked to his friends, a ginger-haired girl and a green-haired boy. Onigiri was pretty sure their names were Namu and Zori but Law hardly spoke about anyone outside his own friend circle aside from Luffy so he wasn’t entirely positive.

But this wasn’t about them.

Onigiri ran up to Luffy, barking happily around the ball in his mouth to catch his attention.

“Onigiri!” Luffy called when he noticed him, a wide grin appearing on his face as he reached out with one hand to gesture for the small dog to come closer.

Onigiri easily complied—after all, that was the whole point of him coming—before he dropped the ball into Luffy’s lap.

“Where’s Torao?” Luffy asked then. He was turning every which way, searching the park for Onigiri’s owner like an idiot with a crush. Which was exactly what he was.

“Aw, this is Torao’s dog? How cute!” the girl cooed, her voice full of excitement and adoration. As it should be; Onigiri was adorable and he knew it, thank you very much.

“Yeah!” Luffy said proudly. “Nami, Zoro, this is Onigiri. Say hi, Onigiri!”

Ah. So those were their names. Close enough.

Barking in greeting, Onigiri sniffed the both of them, remembering their scents—sweat and steel for Zoro and for Nami, tangerines and… money? Why did everyone in Luffy’s group smell so weird? It was a mystery.

No point dwelling on it, Onigiri thought. It was time to proceed to stage three of the Grand Plan.

Onigiri turned back to Luffy, nudging the ball in his lap with nose, wagging his tail and barking excitedly to manipula— prompt Luffy into tossing it for him.

Luffy laughed, rubbing Onigiri’s head. “You want me to toss it for you, do you?” he asked teasingly, waving the ball in front of Onigiri’s face.

The dog barked again, getting impatient; what was Luffy playing at? It was only a matter of time before Law found them, there wasn’t time.

“Okay okay!” Luffy finally stood up, tossing the ball in his hand a few times as an evil smile appeared on his lips and he took a stance, getting ready to throw the ball as far as he could.

Just as well, Onigiri thought. The further the better.

The moment the ball left Luffy’s hand, Onigiri took off, chasing after it… but the ball wasn’t his goal. Instead, he sprinted right past it, running at full speed with purpose. Soon, he passed through the park’s gate and crossed the street—only after the light turned green, of course—rushing to his destination; he ignored the startled cries of the people he passed, not slowing down until he reached the cinema. He quickly grabbed what he came for before turning around and sprinting back the way he came.

He was completely out of breath when he finally made it back to where Luffy and his friends were sitting. He wasn’t surprised to see Law already there, looking close to a mental breakdown at having lost sight of his beloved dog while Luffy tried his best to comfort and reassure him—at least that was what it looked like but it was hard to tell when Law was just looking more and more frustrated while on the other hand, Luffy seemed to be struggling to hold back carefree laughter.

“Onigiri! You little shit, where did you go?!” Law asked angrily when he noticed the dog running over.

Ignoring his master for now, Onigiri went straight to Luffy, dropping the item he had brought in front of him before flopping to the ground with exhaustion, panting loudly. Man, why was he so tired? The cinema was so close… He supposed it was the adrenalin of racing with time, trying to get back before Law found them…

“Hm? What’s this?” Luffy asked with confusion, picking up the cinema’s programme pamphlet.

Stage three—complete.

Onigiri sighed deeply. It was going well… so far. The rest really mostly depended on at least one of them not being a complete idiot.

Which was, admittedly, a difficult hurdle to overcome.

“This movie… Where did I see this?” Luffy wondered out loud, his face scrunched up into a deep frown as he studied the picture of an animated superhero, his robot side-kick, and pet seagull. Onigiri was honestly surprised there wasn’t steam rising from his head with how hard he was thinking.

What did he say about someone needing to not be stupid?

Maybe he should just give up if they were both going to be like this…

“Hey, isn’t that the seagull that Torao wears on his bag?” Nami asked, pointing at the bird in the corner and in that moment, she looked like a goddess in Onigiri’s eyes.

Luffy’s eyes lit up in recognition at her words. “Oh! This is ‘Sora, Warrior of the Sea’?! You never showed me what it looked like but Toaro, isn’t this your favourite manga?! Have you seen this movie yet?!” he asked, turning to look at Law with something akin to stars in his eyes.

Oh, thank god.

Onigiri barely finished the thought when a tell-tale click came from behind him. Did he really—

Whipping his head around, Onigiri glared at Law. He was kneeling behind him with Onigiri’s leash in hand as if to incriminate himself of his crime and Onigiri bared his teeth at him.

“Don’t you growl at me, you brat. I’m not the one who ran off to fuck knows where!” Law snapped, tugging at the leash for good measure to remind the dog his movements were now severely limited. As if he were a dumb hamster who couldn’t find his way back once he left his cage.

Rude.

And here Onigiri was, working his ass off and doing Law’s damn job for him.

“Torao!” Luffy called impatiently.

“What?” Law hissed, tearing his eyes away from Onigiri to shoot a dirty look at Luffy. Onigiri almost felt bad for causing Luffy to take collateral damage…

Luffy didn’t seem phased, however, only showing Law the pamphlet where his favourite hero of all time stood proudly, pointing at it eagerly. “Have you seen this movie?!”

Law was quiet for a too-long moment, seemingly weighing his options before he opened his mouth to slowly reply, “I haven’t.”

If Onigiri could, he would have raised his eyebrows at Law because really? Did he not want to admit he had seen the movie four times already so he didn’t seem like the complete nerd he was? How ridiculous—as if Luffy didn’t know he was a hopeless Sora fanboy already. 

But actually… this played right into Onigiri’s paws.

“Oh! Wanna go see it?” Luffy asked, blinking up at Law with his big, innocent eyes.

Onigiri was pretty sure the strangled squeak he heard was Law going through some kind of gay panic at the sight. “Why would I want to—”

“Ehh?” Luffy drew out, a small pout on his lips as he tilted his head to the side to stare up at Law—only worsening the trembles in Law’s little heart. “But you like this! Come see it with me, come on!”

“Don’t go saying stupid shit, you sound like you’re asking me on a—”

“On a… what?” Luffy asked with a confused frown when Law didn’t finish his sentence.

Idiots…

“Idiots,” Nami sighed as she face palmed, perfectly mirroring Onigiri’s thoughts. A kindred soul, sharing Onigiri’s suffering.

“They’re both completely hopeless,” Zoro added.

Before either Law or Luffy could say anything, Nami punched his shoulder instead. “You have no right to talk,” she hissed. “Do you know how hard me and Robin worked to force you and Sanji to stop dancing around each other like a couple of morons?”

“Shut up! Who asked you to do that anyway?!” Zoro protested as he slapped her hand away.

“It was painful to watch!”

As the two continued to bicker, Luffy simply shrugged and shook his head, seemingly used to it, before he turned back to Law. “So about the movie…”

“What about it?” Law asked quietly, defensively, as his eyes turned away. Probably unable to keep looking at Luffy’s face without agreeing to anything that came out of his mouth.

Onigiri sighed. That was it for stage four, he supposed. Time for stage four-point-five.

Before Law could react and pull on his leash to stop him, Onigiri jumped to his feet and took off; he circled around Luffy sitting on the blanket, then back around Law, only to then dash forward at full speed, tugging on his leash until he heard the surprised yelps and fumbling as Law stumbled forward and towards Luffy from where the leash tangled around his knees.

“What the fuck is this, 101 Dalmatians?!” Law groaned, sounding torn between angry and painfully embarrassed while Luffy just laughed, catching Law to make sure he didn’t trip over him and break his neck.

Onigiri barked once, looking Law straight in the eyes when he slowly walked back to the two of them, sitting right in front of the cinema pamphlet that fell out of Luffy’s hand in their tumbling.

“I think the dog is trying to tell you two something,” Zoro said with a raised eyebrow, his fight with Nami forgotten.

“You fucking think?” Law asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

“Just go see the stupid movie, what’s the harm?” Nami joined in, sounding about as tired of their shit as Onigiri felt.

“It’s not stupid, it’s great!” Law snapped immediately.

“Oh, so you have seen it,” the girl said, an evil smirk on her lips as she teased Law without mercy.

Onigiri barked in a canine version of a laugh; he really liked this girl.

“I guess it’s decided then!” Luffy announced with a happy grin. “The programme said there’s a showing in an hour, let’s go!”

Law visibly froze, looking between Onigiri and Luffy like a deer in headlights as he tried to process what was happening. “Are you actually serious?”

“Yes.”

“Bark!”

“Are you stupid? I can’t go anywhere, I have Onigiri with me—”

“We’ll watch him, just go have fun,” Nami interrupted him and, as if to prove her point, she got up on her knees, carefully picking Onigiri up and unhooking his leash to free the two boys of its hold. Once done, she pried it out of Law’s hands before clasping it back to Onigiri’s collar. Finally, she sat back down on the picnic blanket, placing Onigiri in her lap and scratching him behind the ears.

Onigiri didn’t fight the temptation to lean into her touch, her slightly longer, perfectly manicured nails feeling like heaven in his fur.

“See? We’re all good,” she said happily… but Onigiri couldn’t help but feel like there was a hint of a threat in her voice.

“How much are you going to charge me for this?” Law asked, even though he sounded resigned to his fate at this point.

Nami smiled in response… and even Onigiri felt a chill run down his spine.

“Oh, I won’t charge anything. As long as you have fun. Got it?”

“Yessir!” Luffy cried, completely terrified. As if he could imagine exactly what would happen to him if he didn’t listen to her.

And just like that, both Law and Luffy were basically chased away, leaving Onigiri behind with Nami and Zoro, and thus ending stage four-point-five.

Now… with stage five commencing…

They could only hope for the best.

“You have it hard, man,” Zoro said once the two of them were completely out of sight, throwing Onigiri a sympathetic look.

Nami hummed in agreement. “If they don’t come out of the cinema holding hands, I swear I’m charging them by the minute of that stupid movie. And then we’re locking them in Mihawk’s hearse until they figure it out.”

“Hey!” Zoro cried. “Use your sister’s goddamned truck, you want me to get killed?!”

“Oh please, the worst Mihawk would do to you is refuse to drive you anywhere,” Nami noted with a roll of her eyes.

“Yeah, and then I would have to ask Perona to drive me and that is a death sentence!”

“Don’t be a baby,” Nami said flatly. “If you could walk in a straight line without getting lost, you wouldn’t have to rely on your family or Sanji to chaperone you everywhere. And also—” she paused, her eyes narrowing dangerously— “you still owe me money for the restaurant reservations for yours and Sanji’s date last month so don’t try to get out of this.”

“I paid you back, you witch!” Zoro cried.

Nami huffed, waving her hand dismissively, “Ever heard of interest?”

“You’re impossible. Why do I suffer you?” the boy groaned, rubbing at his forehead.

Nami huffed as she tossed her hair behind her shoulder. “Because I’m so cute!”

“Compared to what, a trash can?”

Somehow, Onigiri wasn’t even surprised when Nami’s fist flew forward to punch Zoro full force in the shoulder, her teeth bared as wrath radiated off of her. 

Ah.

Now Onigiri could see why Luffy jumped to attention the very second he felt the slightest hint of hostility from her. This girl was terrifying.

“Aw, I’m sorry, Onigiri. Did the stupid swordsman scare you?” Nami cooed at him, when she noticed how he crouched and huddled into her lap to protect himself.

“Pretty sure he’s scared of you,” Zoro muttered quietly.

Nami took a deep breath, only shooting Zoro a dirty look to which the man simply raised his arms in surrender. Apparently satisfied, Nami turned back to Onigiri. “Don’t worry, no matter what happens, I am forcing Torao and Luffy to buy you as many tasty treats as you want for doing their damn job for them.”

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As Onigiri laid on his bed at home a week later, chewing on a fresh, tasty bone that Luffy had brought him when he came over to see his boyfriend— much to Cora’s delight and Doffy’s amusement—he couldn’t help but thank Nami in his mind for keeping her word. He didn’t remember ever getting this many treats, not even from Cora when Law wasn’t looking.

He supposed with this…

He could declare stage five concluded, and his Grand Plan a raging success.

Whatever would these hopeless humans do without him?

[bvidzsoo]

Is Santa the new Cupid?

Author: bvidzsoo

Pairing: Kim Hongjoong x gender neutral reader

❆ Warning: none, no usage of Y/N ❆ Word count: 5.9k ❆ Rating: sfw ❆ Genre: holiday themed, office romance, mutual pinning, brother's best friend, fluff ❆ Summary: With the holiday's rolling around, everyone is in a festive spirit. You're not a huge fan of Christmas, but your brother is, so, he organises a Secret Santa themed party at work. What you don't expect, however, is for him to scheme to try and bring you together with your work crush.

A/N: ~Ho, ho, ho, @hee0soo your Secret Santa is here! ^^ I hope this story is to your liking and that you will enjoy it! As for everyone else, hello, my lovelies! This is a little event I partook in, and I'd like to thank @cromernet for hosting it, being in this server has been nothing but a pleasure! <3 To those who celebrate it, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas, and to those who don't, a well earned rest and an overall joyful time! I hope everyone will enjoy this little piece, and if I don't write anything in the upcoming days, then I wish you a Happy New Year, and I shall see you in the next year! Thank you for being here and for supporting me, for all the feedback and kindness, you make writing a little more pleasant! I'll let you go on and read now, I hope you enjoy! Your feedback is always appreciated! <33 divider

            The holidays had always been a mess. No matter where you looked, people were stressing about getting the perfect gifts, the most glamorous outfits, the best seasoning for their food, and the most colourful decorations they could get their hands on. The sight was enough to send you into another spiral of why you thought this whole fussing about a celebration—that not everyone celebrates, by the way—was so unnecessary and only damaging your health, raising your cortisol levels. But alas, this is how the world worked, and you couldn’t go against it. Your flat was minimally decorated, and you were still debating whether you’d get a Christmas tree this year or not. There was no point in throwing out money if you weren’t wholeheartedly in tune with the whole holiday…that is unless your nosy brother decides to take over your flat like last year and turn it into a whole Christmas fest. You swear you were finding glitter even a month later in places like your salt shaker and the medical cabinet in your bathroom. Seonghwa loved everything shiny, so when his lovely sibling refused to abide by his wishes, he put his persuasive skills to use and coerced you into the most blinding corset you could have ever found. Which brings us to the current time, with you hiding out in your brother’s office and furiously scrubbing at the stained red glitter. Nothing was working, your co-worker’s red wine would be forever embedded into your pricey piece of clothing.

You didn’t blame him, it was an unfortunate accident. The waiter was walking by with a tray filled with cheese when your co-worker had thrust his hand backwards, calling for a disaster. Which happened mere seconds later when the beverage sloshed all over your chest and the top of the sweetheart neckline of your corset. You sighed as you gave it one last try, perhaps if you put more passion into it then you might be able to make the stain fade a little bit. The fabric of the corset was a bright red and the dark stain was rather visible despite the glittery studs that covered it. You had told Seonghwa that the outfit was a bit too much for an office Christmas party, but he only told you to suck it up and wear it unless you didn’t want to be on theme. Which you were, thanks to your brother, except that seemingly everyone else had gone for more casual or silly outfits, and here were you…wearing a sexy sparkly—now ruined—corset, and some black wide-legged pants that hid the stilettos which matched the colour of your top. With a frustrated groan, you flopped into the chair placed in front of your brother’s desk and closed your eyes, accepting your fate.

You would’ve further ruined the fabric at this point if you kept on scrubbing the way you were, and that would be a waste of Seonghwa’s money…since he was the one to get you this outfit. He was rather pushy this year, it was suspicious, but you didn’t question it. Your brother had always been a bit weird, particular about the things he liked, and a perfectionist in everything he did…but at least he spoiled you well, so you couldn’t really complain. The cacophony of the ongoing party from beyond the door reminded you that you couldn’t hide out in your brother’s office anymore, so you took a deep breath and told yourself that everyone would understand how the stain got there without ridiculing you. Your co-worker already felt terrible for being so clumsy, and you weren’t even mad at him. The door which you had left ajar was suddenly flung open, and your eyes widened when you saw who had walked inside. Great, just what you needed…your work crush to see you in this state of despair when today was supposed to be filled with jolliness. You quickly stood and dusted off your pants out of habit, trying to keep yourself calm and collected…which was something you often failed to do in Kim Hongjoong’s presence.

He wore something similar, suspiciously, and for a millisecond you wondered if this was Seonghwa’s work, who wasn’t just your brother, but also Hongjoong’s best friend. When you say work crush…you mean the longest crush you’ve had on anyone since you’ve been hopelessly pinning on Hongjoong since like…high school. Embarrassing, but you were a few years younger, and Hongjoong was too cool to notice you or regard you as anyone else than his best friend’s younger sibling. Hongjoong’s cat-like eyes widened as the two of you stared at each other wordlessly, and you realized his blazer looked an awful lot like your corset. It was the same shade and had the same sparkly studs, the shoulders were puffed out, and it was cropped, stopping right above Hongjoong’s waist. He had always been stylish, and he loved going all out at events like this one. His long black pants reached below his ankles, and the huge black bow tied around his waist truly elevated the whole look. His satin white shirt was spotless, unlike your stained corset. You wished you had something to cover it with…you supposed perfectionism ran in the family, after all.

“Hi.” Hongjoong broke your wordless staring contest, and you gulped down your nerves, trying to smile at him. You’ve been working together for two years, for God’s sake, you couldn’t freeze anytime Hongjoong even as much as looked at you.

“Hi.” You greeted back lamely, and you were thankful that your voice wasn’t squeaky at least. Hongjoong’s eyes took a quick sweep of your body, and you fought against yourself to keep at bay the blush blooming over your cheeks.

“Is everything okay?” Hongjoong, the ever-considerate guy he was, asked with a concerned look on his face, “I saw you storm off and…I thought maybe something happened.”

How could you not have a crush on this man when he acted like this?

“Oh, I’m alright, don’t worry.” Except that you weren’t exactly, and you knew he could see it on your face, so, you sighed defeated, “Well, okay, Mingi spilt his wine on me and now my corset is stained…and I hate it because everyone can see it.”

You were pouting as you looked down at the darker spot on your corset, and maybe you became a bit sulkier when Hongjoong just chuckled. He looked adorable with his lips curling upward, fighting the urge to outwardly laugh in your face. That was nice of him, you were glad he was nice enough to not make fun of you…not that Hongjoong would make fun of anyone, he was the first one to shut down even the hint of bullying if he came across it.

“Sounds like it’s the end of the world,” Hongjoong teased you, and you rolled your eyes in exchange, “Did you bring a blazer?”

“No,” You shook your head, flopping back down on the chair, “Only a huge fur coat, and I can’t wear that in here…especially since it’s white and people like Mingi exist.”

That made Hongjoong laugh as he nodded, his eyebrows furrowing in thought, “Well, I also suppose you didn’t bring a backup outfit?”

“No, Hongjoong,” You sighed, “Not everyone is as well prepared as you are.”

He hummed knowingly, his office having a wardrobe dedicated to outfits Hongjoong brought in for emergency meetings or occasions. He was well prepared, and most importantly, always well dressed. He had been like that since high school, wearing the edgiest outfits he could find, painting his nails, and experimenting with his hairstyles. Something he hadn’t stopped doing ever since, hence his two-coloured hair at the moment. His middle part was perfect, the left side of his hair bleached blonde while the right side remained a raven black. It looked good on him, too good, and it brought back memories of when he had tried it out for the first time in his final year of college. Just remembering it made you almost blush again, the image of screaming about it into a pillow after running into Hongjoong was still too vivid in your mind.

“Allow me to help you out then, stay here.” Before you could question Hongjoong, he was already out of the room, leaving you alone with your thoughts and a racing heart. What could he possibly have in mind? You had always seen him as a creative person—I mean, he really was considering the fact he was in charge of the graphic design department—and he had never shied away from a little challenge. Except that, he wasn’t facing a challenge right now, and you wondered what he had in mind since it brought that excited glint in his eyes, it happened whenever he thought of something brilliant. Because honestly, all of Hongjoong’s ideas were brilliant. You couldn’t help but admire him for being always ahead of the deadlines and thinking up new innovative ways that made you the best on the market. He was a great asset to your brother’s company, everyone valued and respected Hongjoong for all the dedication and hard work he put into his craft.

You were startled out of your thoughts as Hongjoong returned, holding a satin shirt on a green hanger. He had a grin on his lips as you stood, watching him approach you, ultimately making your heart hammer in your chest.

“So, you can borrow this for the evening.” Hongjoong said with a smile, taking the shirt off the hanger as he came to stand in front of you, “It’ll cover up the stain, and won’t make you feel too warm either.”

“Oh, I…that’s so kind of you, but I can’t accept it—”

“Nonsense,” Hongjoong chuckled, brushing you off without hesitation, “Do you want me to help you wear it?”

That would’ve been really embarrassing, so you quickly shook your head and took the shirt from his hands, your fingers accidentally brushing. Your cheeks were burning, and you avoided looking Hongjoong in the eyes as you carefully wore his shirt, trying to keep your screaming thoughts at bay. This felt like a daydream taken straight out of your teenage years. The seventeen-year-old you would be fainting right now if they were to know this would happen years later, even if Hongjoong wasn’t your boyfriend. The fabric was soft and didn’t feel suffocating, and you tried to ignore Hongjoong’s expensive cologne that seemed to cling to it. It had a hint of sweetness in it, but it was rather masculine and woody otherwise. And despite your family being gifted by the gods of height, you didn’t inherit that gene, which made you smaller than even Hongjoong, who wasn’t the tallest of people. The sleeves of the shirt covered your fingers, only your sparkly red nails visible—which was another scheme pulled by Seonghwa. You rarely did your nails red, let alone sparkly.

“Thank you, Hongjoong.” You said quietly, trying not to chew on your bottom lip since it would ruin your lipgloss, making your teeth tinted. And then, as if your heart wasn’t about to malfunction already, Hongjoong stepped closer to adjust the collar of his shirt. You froze and peeked up at him through your eyelashes, watching as a soft smile appeared on his lips. A few black strands fell into his eyes, and you could tell he had used a bit of dark eyeshadow to sharpen his eyes more, giving it depth. His skin was perfect and his pretty lips were red from the cherry lip balm he’s been using since forever.

“There, now it’s perfect,” Hongjoong muttered more to himself, still smoothing down the collar as he started helping you button up the shirt since you had forgotten you were supposed to do that in the first place. Your fingers trembled slightly from the adrenaline rush in your system, and you bit your bottom lip when your knuckles brushed against Hongjoong’s as your hands met while doing the buttons. Hongjoong huffed in amusement, then grabbed your arms to look at the sleeves. You watched him as you let him do as he wished, and he rolled up the sleeve twice so that it would fit you nicely. He looked gorgeous from up close, especially when he was in his element, doing what he liked the most. Sometimes you wondered why he hadn’t become a stylist, his vision was so beautiful, and you had seen the sketches he had made recently. You just knew his brand would be successful all around the world, his designs delicate and modest, but elegant and full of glamour. Now that the shirt was all done, all you had to do was put the hem inside your pants so that you didn’t look like you had just gotten out of bed and borrowed your boyfriend’s clothes.

You blushed even harder at the thought of Hongjoong being your boyfriend, and you were alarmed to find him already looking at you when you peeked at him. Hongjoong’s ears were redder than before, and he had a sheepish smile on his face. His cheeks were dusted a light pink too, and you wondered if his heart was racing as much as yours. You cleared your throat to thank him for his help when there was a loud knock on the open door, making you both jump. Hongjoong whirled around and awkwardly put some distance between you and himself as Seonghwa’s otherwise round eyes were now sharp and narrowed, a knowing smirk on his lips.

“Would you look at that! The two who were missing from the party, fraternizing in my office…” Seonghwa’s tone had a hint of teasing in it as he raised an eyebrow, his eyes slipping from you to his best friend. Hongjoong laughed awkwardly and rubbed his nape, throwing you a glance before he looked back at Seonghwa.

“I was just—”

“Is that Hongjoong’s shirt?” Seonghwa didn’t let his best friend speak as he pointed at you, now both eyebrows raised in surprise. You nodded, ready to explain yourself, but Seonghwa clearly didn’t care, “Did I miss something? Either way, it looks lovely on you, dear, even if it’s a bit too…roomy?”

“Seonghwa—”

Clearly, when your brother had set his mind onto something, he just wouldn’t listen to anyone, “I’m all for offering my office up to those in need, but maybe you should use Hongjoong’s the next time you want to cosy up. In fact—I might even give you, dear, an office. You’ve earned it after the year we had.”

You narrowed your eyes at your brother, opening your mouth to speak up, but he raised his hand, “Come on now, I’m about to make my speech and you’ll have to swap your presents.”

Right, the presents…for the person you had randomly picked out of a small vase. And that person was…Hongjoong, as cliché as that sounds. You cleared your throat as Seonghwa turned his back to you and Hongjoong, who gave you a curt nod and followed after his best friend in order to give you privacy so you could fix the shirt. You took a deep breath and stuffed the fabric into your pants, glad that you had worn a belt since it cut the outfit in half nicely.

The company was packed with employees, everyone looking excited as Seonghwa made his way towards the fake podium he had giddily asked Hongjoong to make for him. He had a microphone and everything to make it more enjoyable for him, all placed in front of the massive Christmas tree that had been a hassle to get inside the office, but also to decorate. Your brother’s company wasn’t huge, and that was exactly why it worked so well. Everyone was eager to move forward and make something bigger than them, so the community was tight-knit and hard-working. You were on the sales team, not quite in the leader position yet, but you were getting there. You enjoyed what you did and that was all that mattered, plus, the paycheck was pretty nice. And anytime you didn’t like something, you could always bug the CEO until he finally gave in to you…those were the perks of involving your family with your business, much to Seonghwa’s dismay at times.

You took your place behind your tallest co-workers, who were huddled together and watching something on Yunho’s phone. The waiter walked towards you and handed you a glass of champagne to toast with once your brother was done with his speech, and you couldn’t help but grin when Hongjoong came to stand next to you. He returned your grin, and when you looked away, he continued to stare at you with adoration, thinking to himself how cute you looked wearing his shirt. Hongjoong quickly shook his head to clear his thoughts and focus on his best friend, who was standing on the podium made by him, grinning from ear to ear.

“Thank you, everyone, for attending this little party. I am more than elated to announce that we have come close to another end of year where I can confidently say our company’s been doing better than ever. I am proud and happy to have a team so dedicated as you guys, and I hope the next year holds even greater things for us. Maybe the next party will be held on a private island, at the company’s expense, of course.” People chuckled around you, everyone was well aware you weren’t doing that well yet, but that was the goal. Mingi noticed you stood behind him and gave you a pout, making you pat his shoulder as Yunho glanced between you and Hongjoong, then grinned, “We’ve had our ups and downs this year, perhaps have faced even more challenges than before, but with everyone’s help, we pushed through and made the biggest profit of the company so far. I truly am so proud of each one of you, because, without you, I wouldn’t be standing here, able to live the dreams I’ve had since I was a kid. Before I end my speech, I’d like to especially thank Kim Hongjoong for bringing in our biggest partner, and for having great ideas that pushed our company towards success. When we were teenagers, everything that we have today was just a far-fetched dream, and now…we have it, Hongjoong, we did it, brother. I think it’s time we celebrate as we should.”

Everyone cheered as you watched your brother get teary-eyed, looking at Hongjoong with deep respect and love on his face. Hongjoong raised his glass of champagne and tipped it in Seonghwa’s direction, his composure collected, but you could see he had gotten a bit teary-eyed too. You smiled fondly as you watched your brother run his fingers through his long hair, a habit when he was nervous, and then he raised his glass, prompting the others to do so as well.

“Let us celebrate now, but please don’t mess up the electricity wiring like last year, I still have no idea how that happened…” Everyone looked amused as Seonghwa shook his head, then tipped his champagne back, and you followed as you took an experimental sip. It was a bit bitter and too bubbly, but you took a larger gulp out of respect for Seonghwa, “And now, let us open the presents! I hope nobody forgot whose Secret Santa they were!”

Right, the dreaded moment had come. You handed your glass of champagne to Yunho when you noticed he was already finished with his, and he gave you a wink as he quickly downed your champagne too. Now that the moment everyone had been waiting for came, you all migrated towards the big round table that was littered with gifts inside wrapping paper and small winter-themed bags. Yours was a smaller package with a blue font and white snowflakes on it, placed right in the middle of the table. You waited until you made it closer to the table, then leaned over to grab it with sweaty hands. You were nervous, but you were more scared that Hongjoong would hate his present. You truly hoped he didn’t, but then again, even if he did, you’d never be able to tell…Hongjoong had a great poker face. You turned around and looked for him, only to find him already approaching you. Surely, he wasn’t��wait, you quickly looked towards your brother, who was already watching you with an amused smirk. God, this is why you didn’t like telling Seonghwa anything about your crushes…he had always meddled, even back in high school.

You wanted the earth to eat you up as Hongjoong smiled at you sweetly, looking a bit embarrassed as he came to stand in front of you, “So, uh, we meet again.”

God, he could be so awkward at times, you chuckled embarrassed, “Right, as if we weren’t standing next to each other a second ago.”

But you weren’t better either, Mingi and Yunho, who had also somehow picked each other, snorted as they passed by you and Hongjoong, having overheard your conversation. Gosh, this was so embarrassing, you wanted to flip Seonghwa off and then drag him to his office and lecture him. You were pretty sure this wasn’t done by accident, there was no way on earth both Hongjoong and you had picked each other randomly.

“So, I know you don’t like the whole holiday season that much, but uhm, Merry Christmas.” Hongjoong handed you his gift with both hands, his eyes twinkling with excitement, and suddenly you didn’t hate the thought of gift-giving and receiving that much. You took your gift and handed him his.

“Merry Christmas, Hongjoong, and thank you for the gift too.” It felt awkward standing like that there, facing each other like two strangers, so you took your courage in your hands and stepped forward to hug him. Hongjoong’s eyes widened once he realised your intention, but he opened his arms as you came to hold his torso, making sure you wouldn’t dirty his blazer with your makeup despite it being transfer-proof. You could feel your heart hammer against your chest, and you hoped Hongjoong couldn’t feel it as he embraced you, holding you close as suddenly slow music started playing through the speakers. You knew it was Seonghwa’s doing because you could practically feel his eyes on you, but you ignored your annoying brother and focused on Hongjoong’s warmth instead. But to your surprise, he started slowly swaying the two of you to the rhythm of the song, humming next to your ear. You were both still holding your gifts, and the distance between your bodies made it a little awkward, but you weren’t about to say anything. Hongjoong has never held you like this before, you felt like you were soaring through the sky right now as you tried not to inhale loudly, hoping his scent would never leave your nostrils.

“We might as well dance since we are already embracing…” Hongjoong muttered and you hummed, stepping closer so that you could hold each other better. Your face was beat red and your stomach was doing back flips, but you were smiling so widely your cheeks hurt. You couldn’t be too sure that Hongjoong liked you back, there were small moments when he had tried getting closer or did something that was beyond a friendly gesture, but you didn’t want to face heartbreak in case this was just a one-sided crush…which it most probably was. You didn’t really think he’d finally notice you after all those years you had known each other, you also didn’t think you were much his type. He had always dated people who were like him, creative and basically in love with life, happy to be alive and ready to discover everything. You were more of the quiet type, content with living a comfortable life and never going out of your way to do too much. You liked your space and security, planning ahead and having a vision that would help you stay aligned with your purpose and wishes. Hongjoong wasn’t as organised and he went with the flow, unafraid and unapologetic. And despite the two of you being so different, you couldn’t help but find him the most interesting person you had ever come across.

            After an hour or so of dancing and enjoying your time with your co-workers, you were ready to take a breather. It was too cold outside and you were too overheated to go out, you couldn’t risk catching a cold right around the holidays, so you went back to the round table and took a seat, reaching for a clean cup to pour some peach juice for yourself. You didn’t get the chance to open your gift from Hongjoong yet, so, you grabbed it off the table again and looked through it, your eyes widening when you realised what Hongjoong had gotten for you. You had a bunny at home, a sweet little white thing called Star because it was supposed to be Seonghwa’s initially, but he had discovered he was allergic to her, so he had to give her away. Seonghwa and you had always loved bunnies, so your brother knew she was in safe hands with you. And Hongjoong, the always thoughtful person, had bought various treats for your little Star. But that wasn’t everything, a pink princess costume was packed neatly inside the bag as well, making you grin from ear to ear. Star would look lovely in that, Seonghwa will absolutely love it too once you send him pictures.

But that wasn’t all as you reached inside to grab the small jewellery box, your mouth felt a little bit dry. You paused and looked around, wanting to make sure no one was watching you, but secretly you were also looking for Hongjoong. He was on the dance floor, entertaining Yunho and Mingi who were spinning him around. Hongjoong’s cheeks were red and he kept laughing, the contagious sound reached your ears and made you smile as something warm spread through your chest. Gosh, sometimes you really wish you didn’t have a crush on the most adorable man in the whole world. Glancing back down at your last gift, you braced yourself and opened it up, only for your jaw to drop open. There, in the dainty box, sat a rose gold necklace with a diamond pendant. It wasn’t the fact that Hongjoong had gifted you a diamond necklace that made your heart race, but the fact that you’ve always wanted one in this style. Maybe some would consider you shallow, but you have always liked diamonds. They were gorgeous in the light, and if the stone wasn’t too big, it looked gorgeous. You gulped, suddenly overwhelmed with emotions because you had been mentioning the fact that you’d want to buy yourself a diamond necklace once you could afford it ever since you were just a little kid. To be fair, you had always thought Seonghwa would be the one to surprise you and gift you this, but coming from Hongjoong…you tried to gulp down the lump in your throat.

This wasn’t helping with your one-sided crush, because now all you wanted to do was run up to Hongjoong and kiss him while you cried. The fact that he had even paid enough attention to remember your biggest wish managed to knock you breathless, you needed a second to gather yourself. Your hands shook slightly as you raised it to your eyes, taking in the pendant, and admiring its beauty. It was perfect. The same size and shape you had always envisioned, it was modest and gorgeous. You released a shuddering breath just as you realised someone was approaching you, and your eyes were a little watery as you looked up. Seonghwa had a soft smile on his lips as he walked up to you, and then crouched down in front of you.

“Hey,” He greeted you softly, looking down at the necklace in your hands. He didn’t even seem surprised, he looked pleased as he hummed, looking back up at you, “You opened your presents, I see. I bet you love it, don’t you?”

“It’s a diamond necklace, Hwa,” You whispered, eyes widening slightly, “From Hongjoong. This is…crazy. I know I’ve been mentioning it for ages, but I didn’t think that he…”

Seonghwa raised his eyebrows at you as you trailed off, seemingly lost for words, “That he was listening? Hongjoong has always paid attention to you, dear.”

Really? Was that true? Seonghwa wouldn’t lie to you, you felt your heart race all of a sudden. Seonghwa reached out and took the necklace from your hands, walking around you once he stood up. He pulled your hair to the side and clipped the necklace in place, making you reach up to touch the pendant. It was the perfect length too, why was Hongjoong so perfect when he couldn’t even be yours? You sniffed and willed your tears to go away, pouting a little as Seonghwa walked around to come face-to-face with you again. He grinned and grabbed your hands, pulling you up.

“Don’t cry, you’ll ruin your pretty makeup,” He teased you with a wink and you groaned, bottling your feelings up for later, when you were alone and in the safety of your apartment, where only Star could witness your crying session, “I know it’s not technically Christmas yet and that we’ll see each other back home in less than three days for the annual feast, but I got you a present too.”

See, there was no denying that Seonghwa and you were siblings. You grinned and reached inside your pants pocket, grabbing the Spa Coupon you had gotten for him.

“You deserve to relax, you’ve done a lot for the company.” Seonghwa patted your head, messing up your hair a little bit in true brother fashion, “And you can’t use your phone while you’re there, dear, that’s not how you relax.”

Seonghwa handed over the small ticket, and you stared at it for a second before you burst out laughing. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched you, but then his face turned incredulous before he started laughing too once you handed him your gift for him. Seonghwa had bought you a Spa Coupon too, from the same place you had bought his too. You laughed as you waved your coupons at each other, already knowing you’d get a scolding from your mother for not being a bit more creative with your gifts.

“Wait, don’t tell me you got one for mom too…” Seonghwa trailed off, his eyes widening slightly.

“Let me guess, you got one for dad too?” You raised an eyebrow and Seonghwa nodded innocently, prompting you to shake your head as you both snickered.

“Well, seems like we’ll be spending some quality time as a family over the break.” Seonghwa grinned, pocketing his coupon, and then he placed his hands behind his back, looking somewhere behind you.

“Ugh, great, now mom won’t get off my back about me finding a boyfriend somehow finally.” You grimaced, not keen on going home only to listen to your mother’s nagging. She never stopped asking, never stopped trying to set you up on blind dates. It was annoying because she never did that for Seonghwa…at least you had a crush, he couldn’t even bother with that.

“Speaking of boyfriends…” Seonghwa wriggled his eyebrows and you groaned, ready to deny whatever he was about to say, but it wasn’t what you were expecting, “Did you notice you were sitting under a mistletoe?”

“What?” You muttered, looking up confused. Now how the hell did that get there? If you reckon correctly, it wasn’t there like half an hour ago, you had come to the table to grab a drink and it wasn’t there, so how—Seonghwa. The answer was always Seonghwa, “I swear to God, Hwa, you’re my brother. What are you plotting? I refuse to peck even as much as your cheek.”

“I won’t even get a hug?” Seonghwa fake pouted, his eyes glinting wickedly. Nothing good came when Seonghwa had that look in his eyes, you gulped nervously.

“No, now—”

“Fine.” Seonghwa sighed exaggeratedly, “Hate me all you want, but I’m the best brother in the world. If you won’t show me some love, I know exactly who else you could cheer up right now—Hongjoong, can you come over for a little bit?!”

Your eyes widened and you whacked Seonghwa in the chest, turning around frantically. Oh no, Hongjoong was already approaching with a skip in his step, unassuming of what he was walking up to. His cheeks were flushed and his hair was deliciously brushed back, his blazer gone and the top buttons of his shirt undone.

“Yeah? You need something?” He called as he walked around the table and Seonghwa stepped aside, making your eyes widen.

“Sure, come here for a second,” Seonghwa said nonchalantly, and by the time you opened your mouth to tell Hongjoong not to fall for Seonghwa’s trap, it was too late. Seonghwa stepped aside and lightly pushed Hongjoong towards you, making both of you panic as you grabbed Hongjoong’s arm so he wouldn’t accidentally fall.

“What—”

“Attention, everyone!” Seonghwa called loudly, shouting over the music, and you were terrified. Hongjoong looked rather confused and looked at you for an answer that you couldn’t formulate at the moment, “We have our first couple under the mistletoe for the night! Now, kiss!”

Everyone was watching the two of you now, and you wanted to strangle Seonghwa as he smirked at you pleased, throwing him a wink when Hongjoong gave your brother a flabbergasted look. He slowly looked up, then back at you, and you started sweating.

“Uhm, we don’t have to, obviously. This tradition is silly, I don’t—”

But it was too late, the whole office was chanting, “Kiss, kiss, kiss!”

Hongjoong had turned red in the face, it went down even to his neck. He gulped and chuckled awkwardly, and you felt horrible. Of course, he wouldn’t want to kiss you, this was terrible and you felt humiliated. Just as you were about to excuse yourself and run off, Hongjoong cleared his throat.

“Well, this isn’t how I wished for our first kiss to happen, but…” He motioned around himself, at all the people staring at you expectantly, “May I kiss you?”

“You—I’m sorry, but—you want to kiss me?” You sputtered out, feeling a bit lightheaded.

“I’ve wanted to for ages.” Hongjoong chuckled and scratched the back of his head. He was blushing and so were you, your heart thudding in your chest as Hongjoong licked his lips, waiting for your answer.

“Yes, okay, yeah, kiss me, Hongjoong.” Damn Seonghwa and everyone else for cheering upon hearing your words, but maybe it was worth it as Hongjoong giggled while leaning in, his eyes fluttering closed. His lips were soft and tasted like cherry, and you felt like pudding as your lips locked in an innocent peck that lasted for a second too long. You felt like a teenager all over again, and if seventeen years old you could catch a glimpse into the future and see this exact moment, she’d definitely pass out.

“So, do you want to go on a date tomorrow?”

“God, yes, Hongjoong, please.”

Yeah, seventeen-year-old you would not survive this.

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[foli-vora]

FOLI!!! CONGRATS!! you deserve the world and all the followers, you’re the one writer who has kept me reading on here!! i’m honored to be a part of your readers. thank you for sharing your talent and words with the world. i hope your inbox is full of prompts but i also love a good restful break for you haha. i would love a FLUFFY #16 (“You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”) and i’ll let you pick with who! preferably frankie, din or ezra! or maybe frank or matt!

Hey sweet angel, thanks for your request! We're totally ignoring how long this took me, ok?? God I'm so sorry. Thank you so much for being here, I appreciate you! And I hope you enjoy your fluff-fest xo

attention seeker

frankie morales x f!reader

word count: 1.4k  warnings: no use of y/n, swearing, alcohol consumption, brief fainting spell, fluff and sweet drunken declarations, i have missed this man

The night is comfortable and warm, the buzz of the occasional mosquito flying by your ear as you recline into the cheap camping chair Benny had unfolded for you.

It'd been a while since he had successfully pried you out of your weekly take-out and true crime routine, but as he sits next to you now, yelling some shit at his brother across the table and spilling half of his beer in the process, you realise how much you've missed his drunken shenanigans.

And his hot friend pilot friend that you've been crushing on for an embarrassing amount of time that you've also struggled to say more than a few words to all night.

Maybe that's why you keep accepting the shots of tequila Benny keeps pouring. Liquid courage and all that. Maybe tonight's the night you'll go further than 'so how have you been?'.

“You’re wrong. Angel, tell him he’s wrong.”

“Don’t drag me into this,” you grin around your beer, shrugging loosely when Benny throws you a playful glare.

“You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“Leave the poor girl alone and just admit you’re wrong, you piece of shit,” Fish pipes up from beside Will, grinning widely at the way the younger Miller turns his gaze of betrayal on him.

He turns that smile on you and you swear you feel it in your damn bones.

"No, fuck the lot of you."

"Oh, Benny boo."

"No. Pope, fuckin' Google it."

"Man, let it go."

The urge for more snacks brings you to your feet and you laugh as the argument continues as you leave the table, the warm familiar rush of alcohol running along your limbs as you all but stumble your way into the humid air of the kitchen.

You hunt through the treasure trove of sweet and savoury treats in the cupboard before reaching for a bag of Doritos, groaning softly when they slip through your loose fingers and land with a light slap at your feet.

Life is too hard sometimes.

Your head spins as you bend to reach them, and you’ve either had too much to drink, or you stand back up too fast, because the last thing you remember is the dizzy spell that assaults your brain and the sudden blackness taking over your vision.

Vaguely you hear someone call out to you through the ringing in your ears, and you don’t quite know whether the arms that suddenly cradle you are real or just a figment of your imagination until you come to.

Sure enough someone’s there, sprawled out on the floor with you and pressed up hard against your back. 

“Hey, you good?” Fish asks, his voice tinged with concern rumbling into your ear. 

Oh, God. Of course it had to be him. It couldn’t have been Benny, or one of the other guys that you felt comfortably at ease around, no. No, it had to be the one that managed to get your stomach flipping and twisting if he so much as glanced your way. 

“I think so,” you mumble, raising a hand to rub along your forehead as the room swims in your vision before slowly coming into focus. “What happened?”

“You fainted—straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”

He’s teasing you. A heat bites at the tips of your ears as you smile, and you weakly slap at the arm curled around your waist. You swear it tightens for just the slightest second. Or maybe that's just the tequila swimming in your mind.

“Stop it. I’m so sorry—”

He chuckles, the jump of his chest against your back and your heart warms from the deepness of it. “Don’t be. I’m just glad I was here—don’t want you hitting your head.”

“You're my hero,” you sing quietly as he starts to untangle himself from you, backing away just enough to give you room to sit up on your own.

“Seriously though, are you okay?”

He’s frowning when you look at him over your shoulder, the concern back and twisting the edges of his features. He lifts a hand, the roughened pads of his finger tips dragging across your forehead and leaving butterflies in their wake.

“Do you need anything?”

“No, I’m good," you say, smiling as he pulls his hand away and gives you another grin. "Thank you for not letting me hit my head.”

"Happy to help," he shrugs, fixing the ever present hat on his head as he stands before offering you a hand. “You need help getting up?"

You take it gratefully, enjoying the slightest squeeze of his fingers around yours. "I think this might be my safest option."

The shots must be catching up on you all at once, because even with Frankie's hand holding yours, you struggle to stand steadily on two feet let alone find the strength to stand completely with the sudden knock of intoxication assaulting you from all angles.

“Maybe you should sit down for a few more minutes,” he laughs along with you quietly, both hands now steadying as you shakily sink back to the floor. You miss the heat of his hands as soon as they leave your skin.

Humming softly as you shuffle to lean against the kitchen cabinets, your head rolls and threatens to drop as the alcohol continues to swim through your bloodstream but you fight to blink up at him, smiling when you find him watching you with the shadow of concern lingering at the edges of his expression.

“You good?” he asks again, brows coming together.

“Yup,” you hiccup, grinning. “Can you keep me company, Frankie?”

He seems to soften at your question, the concern melting away the longer you manage to stay awake and upright where you’re propped up. He gives you a small smile, something softer, sweeter. 

“I will if you want me to.”

You tap the floor next to you, watching through slightly blurry eyes as he slowly drops into the designated spot and stretches his legs out with a long tired sigh. He must feel you watching him, and he meets your gaze from the corner of his eyes with a slight shine of hesitancy.

“What?”

“This is nice,” you murmur softly, warming when his eyes meet yours fully. “I never get you all to myself—Benny’s always in the way.”

His smile returns, and he dips his head somewhat shyly. “Do you want me all to yourself?”

“Yeah, why wouldn’t I? You’re cute as hell.”

He chuckles, hands smoothing along his jeans as he makes himself more comfortable beside you. “You’ve had too much to drink.”

“Nope, I’ve had just enough. I needed the courage.”

His eyes find you again, this time swimming with obvious curiosity as he studies your expression. “What do you need courage for?”

“God, to just talk to you. You make me all nervous.”

“I don’t mean to.”

“I know—you’re a nice guy,” you breathe, cheeks aching from your tired smile. “You’re a really nice, really hot guy.”

“Cut it out.”

He laughs again, his shoulder softly bumping into your own and you can’t help the drunken giggle that the small show of playfulness pries from you.

“No, that’s why I have a bit of a crush on you.”

The alcohol has the little confession falling from your lips before your mind even knows what's happening. You don't have time to regret it, though. You don't even think about regretting it. You'll worry about it in the morning.

But he doesn't seem to take the news badly, and it doesn't seem to make him uncomfortable. He merely makes a low noise of thought, the smile now wide along his lips as his head rests back against the cabinet door.

“That’s good to know.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because I have a bit of a crush on you, too.”

The alcohol burns beneath your skin and you scoff in disbelief, unable to get rid of the smile still tugging away at your lips. Maybe you did hit your head on the way down.

“You do not.”

“I do. Just ask the guys, they give me shit about it all the time.”

“We need to address this in the morning when my brain isn’t so wobbly,” you murmur, your head finally giving in to the heaviness weighing it down as it settles softly on his shoulder.

The tell tale feel of lips press against your head before the soft reassuring warmth of his cheek follows.

“We can do that."

[cloudcountry]

pudding filled dirt cupcake + mostro lounge™ sponsored collaboration cup of bubble tea perhaps? (I don’t know if I’m doing this right, I’m so sorry 🥲)

you did it right dont worry!! <3 i love giving the reader flaws mwah

an order of romantic fluff with idia shroud!

“Shouldn’t the sofa go over there? I think it would look better with the fireplace that way.” you comment, moving your avatar towards the virtual sofa you and Idia were attempting to place.

“You’re right lol. My inventory is so full, I need to get this stuff out of it.” he hums, picking the sofa back up and moving it to your desired location.

“If it makes you feel better, I’ll let you pick out the wallpaper and flooring.” you compromise, narrowing your eyes as you peruse the furniture catalog.

“Yeah right, you’d just change it if it didn’t fit your taste.” Idia snorts, his snarky tone not lost on you, “You’re so particular about the way your house is decorated. You always have been.”

“Someone has to be worried about it!” you protest, throwing a balled up piece of paper at his head. It bounces off his flames and he grunts in acknowledgment, his eyes not moving from the screen.

A few beats of silence fill the room as you two gather and place furniture, working out which designs suit your tastes the best. Idia has always bowed to you in this game, since you were the one to introduce it to him (and the one that actually decorated...if you left him up to his own devices, you’d come back to a total Halloween-fest of a house. Which, to be fair...wouldn’t be all that bad.)

“Idia, did you seriously move the sofa back?” you groan, coming across the arrangement you’d just fixed.

He giggles madly, and that’s enough of a response.

“You’re so petty.” you huff, staring at your screen in contemplation.

It’s easy to get caught in the game, Idia knows that all too well. Maybe, instead of being so bossy, you should let him decorate how he likes to sometimes.

“...you know what, we’ll keep it like that.” you nod thoughtfully.

[beannoss]

with you, all in tangles (2)

3 times Yor blows kisses to Twilight and one time Twilight blows a kiss to Yor

For the @twiyorbase fluff fest! No content warnings, T-rating; manga spoilers. One chapter per day matching the daily prompts. Today's prompt: fall in love. And a note: @cantareincminor pointed out that pt 1 reminded of fanart of Yor blowing kisses to Twilight and it turns out there are at least two (2!) amazing pieces out there: this by @tazuransi and also this by @une08! They're both so cute and funny, they must have sunk into my brain, giving inspiration for this fic 😍😘 <- Part one (1) | Part three (+1) ->

Yor waved to Anya as the school bus pulled away and jolted a little in surprise when Twilight took her hand as soon as she'd dropped it from her wave. At her jolt, Twilight loosened his hold, murmured, "We don't have —"

"No!" Yor tightened her hand around his, bringing it up to her chest impulsively. "I'm just... I'm not used to this yet.”

Twilight studied her, and Yor held his gaze through her blush and against the urge to shy away. After a moment, he tipped his head, smiled a little. "All right," and he tugged gently, bringing their hands down to hang between them. "Shall we?"

Strictly speaking, the hospital where Loid worked wasn't exactly on Yor's way to to work. But since... since two days ago, they had walked together each morning. Twilight first, yesterday, to city hall, and now Yor, today, to the hospital.

Two days ago was when Twilight had said, Nothing needs to change, but there's something I want to tell you, and Yor had looked at the stiff hold of his neck, the uncertain cast of his eyes, the way his breathing was just a little elevated, all signs he was nervous, except that while Twilight often felt much more than he was comfortable with, he was never nervous and so she had flustered which had set Twilight to withdraw into himself in a way Yor had learned meant he was trying to think quickly to avoid panic, which made her fluster more, until finally Twilight had blurted out his feelings, and

And everything had stopped.

And Yor had breathed out.

And Twilight looked a little stunned when she smiled at him, even though she felt a little tremulous. When she said, Oh, I feel the same, she had told him softly. I have for months.

And everything had changed.

Or, she supposed it would be more accurate to say, everything was in the process of changing.

Twilight tugged her hand again, and Yor took a step forward, and then, just like that, they were walking together. "Will it be a busy day for you?" he asked.

"Mmm, no, I don't think so," Yor said, looking off to the side to consider. "Actually it's a little quiet at the moment." And in case he was asking about her other work, she added, "No reason for overtime."

Twilight made a thoughtful noise. "So you'll be home for dinner?"

"Mhm, should be!"

"I'm glad to hear it," he said, voice warm in a way that sent little shivers all through her body.

"And your day?" she asked, giving a little swing of their hands between them to release some of those shivers. She felt Twilight's eyes slide to her when she did. Knew he'd be tamping down on some amusement if she looked. Yor bit her lip against her own.

"My day should be fairly normal," Twilight finally answered. "I don't anticipate any extra patients."

"I should hope not," Yor said darkly: extra patients really meant side missions. "You have too much to do as it is. She must give you a break."

Twilight was quiet for a moment, then said in an undertone, "I'll let her know to sleep with one eye open. That she's on your list."

Yor gasped — Does he think I meant I'd break Sylvia — ?! Turned to him urgently. "That isn't what I meant! I would never —"

But Twilight was looking back at her with a mild expression, his eyebrows raised over eyes bright with humour.

"You're teasing me," she accused, and Twilight grinned slightly, "Possibly."

"Loid," Yor complained. But she knew she wasn't fooling him. Her cheeks were warm and her smile was too wide, too pleased, too there. Twilight had been trying to teach her some small amount of acting and subterfuge. She had so far taken to it poorly. 

But, she could tease him, too. Yor lifted her chin, saying, "I'd only do something like that if you gave me very, very good reason. Or,” she raised a finger on her other hand, which was a little awkward, carrying her bag but she ignored that. “Or,” she repeated seriously, “If you ask very, very nicely.”

"I see," Twilight said, and Yor could hear the smile under his serious expression. "It’s always useful to gain insights into the decision making of your employer. I'll bear that in mind."

"Mm. It’s very complicated,” Yor told him lightly. “But I’m sure if you work hard enough at it, you’ll come to understand.” Then, the fizzle of delight overwhelmed, and she laughed. 

Taking her by surprise, Twilight drew to a stop, pulling her around to face him. She opened her mouth to ask what he was doing, when he ducked down, pressed a swift kiss to her cheek.

Yor touched her fingers to the spot he kissed, and blinked up at him as he withdrew. He gave her a small smile, and just as he made as though to keep walking, Yor darted up onto her toes, ducking under his hat to kiss him quickly on the lips.

As she spun away, tugging his hand to continue walking, a quiet, "Hehe!" escaped her. Beside her, Twilight let out a soft breath. It was a sound she had come to understand he made when feeling... When feeling something tender. If he thought Anya was cute, or if he thought Yor was, was... was something. She shied away from naming what that might be. But he was feeling tender, anyway, and that kept her smiling. She was feeling tender, too.

It wasn't long from there to the hospital. They stopped across the street from the entrance, hesitating. It's all so new, Yor thought, looking up into Twilight's soft expression. She felt as though she didn't know what to do so much of the time, and certainly didn't know now. But it wasn't as stressful, this not knowing. This was Twilight after all. He never minded when she didn't know.

And it seemed like he may not know exactly what to do, either.

"Well," he said after a moment. "Have a good day, Yor."

"You too, Loid!" Yor rolled up onto her toes, dropped back down again. "See you later!"

"Mm," Twilight agreed. He looked for a moment like he might kiss her again and Yor's breath caught. But he glanced at the hospital, and evidently thought better of it. With a final squeeze of her hand, he let her go, and started across the street.

Yor waited. She probably should leave too but… She wasn't ready to go. She tightened her hands around the handle of her bag, wanting to watch him for as long as possible. So she stayed, waiting to see him in.

He knew, of course he did, with the finely honed instincts of his trade, that she was still watching. Just before the door he turned, raising his hand in a wave.

Yor lifted her hand to return the wave, then on impulse brought her fingers to her lips instead. Kissed them and blew the kiss to Twilight with a wink.

And it was a thrill, his small smile, his small blush, the way he looked away but ducking his head like he was filled with some emotion he didn't know what to do with. She knew — she understood — Twilight was still learning that it was okay to feel nice and to feel good, and that those things wouldn't be taken away. That Yor wouldn't let them be taken away from him. And that, in particular, he could let Yor make him feel nice and good and safe. That had been from before two days ago, when they were trying to be good friends to one another alongside their other shared responsibilities.

That little duck of his head, that little blush, that little smile, was as loud for Yor as if he'd shouted something to her from across the street. 

She swung her bag, and had a bounce in her step as she turned to her office. The song she hummed was one of Anya's silly little happy songs, and Yor laughed to herself. Maybe Twilight wasn't the only one figuring out how to feel very good and very nice things. Glancing at her watch, she calculated the hours until dinner.

Part three (+1) ->

[bluesylveon2]

The Girl in Silver

Work has been stressing me out, but enjoy this for now! I will make sure to get to my WIPs when I have time

Summary: During the social at Noble Bell, Silver meets a girl dressed up in silver

Note: fluff, set during GloMas, Reader is not Yuu, pretend the social was coed, lowkey inspired by the Bridgerton S4 leaks

Word Count: 706

Warnings: fem reader, not beta read, and possible OOC characters

Silver hasn't felt this content in a while. 

He watched as his fellow classmates interacted with students from other schools. Some students praised Malleus for his performance, and he heard Sebek shouting his praises across the room. 

It was a memory Silver will treasure forever. 

"That was a wonderful performance," a feminine voice said behind him. Silver turned, and his auroral eyes met another set of beautiful eyes hidden behind a silver mask. His mouth opened and closed like a fish, making the girl chuckle. "It's like you've never seen a girl before," she teased, hiding her mouth behind her silver-gloved hand.

Silver blushed and silently thanked the Seven. No other NRC student was around, especially his father. "I apologize. I should not have done that."

The girl only giggled. Silver's body felt light as her laughter filled the ballroom despite the students' voices around them. "It's alright. It must be rare to meet someone from your school who is not—" She glanced at the crowd. Her eyes did not miss Ruggie piling a plate of desserts, Rook trying to teach Deuce and Epel how to dance, and Idia attempting to blend into the shadows (and failing). Her eyes went back to study Silver.  "Interesting."

Silver's lips lifted up in a smile. "They are a good group. They each have their own perks." The music changed into a classical piece. Silver's eyes widened slightly when a silver-gloved hand came into his view. "What are you doing, miss?" He asked obliviously. 

The girl eyed him with mirth. "I am asking you for a dance."

Silver could only blink. Oh, if Father were to see him now. How would he react? "But I should be the one to ask you, like a prince."

"True, but similar to Topsy Turvy Fest, a woman can ask a man to dance, no?" She shook her offered hand slightly. 

Silver smiled and placed his hand on hers. "I suppose so," the girl yelped suddenly after Silver pulled her into his arms. But let me lead."

The girl nodded and got into the dancing position. "Alright, lead the way, silver-haired prince."

"Silver-haired prince?" Silver mused as he led the girl around the ballroom. "My name is Silver, and I am not a prince."

"Wait, your name is actually Silver? I called you that because your hair stands out from your costume."

"Ironically, Father named me that because of my hair." Silver smiled, thinking back about the memories he had shared with Lilia.

"I see." The girl was quiet. 

"And what is your name?" Silver asked as he twirled his partner around. Unaware of his prince smirking in his direction as he spoke to the magicless prefect. 

"That's a secret." She said in a sing-song voice. 

"But you know my name."

"Yes, but things can be a secret in a masquerade."

"Very well. I will respect your decision," Silver nodded and continued to dance with the girl, just as Lilia had taught him. 

The two casually talked and danced naturally for what felt like days. An unspoken spark between them left the couple stuck in their own world. Even Sebek was ready to announce his opinion on it until Malleus teleported to him to stop him. 

When the two stepped out into the courtyard, they returned to reality. 

"You are an excellent dancer!" The mystery girl said while trying to catch her breath. 

Silver chuckled and handed the girl a glass of water he got on their way out. "You have good stamina to keep up with me. My father and brothers are the only ones who can do the same."

The girl chugged her water and grinned. "Your family sounds interesting."

"You should meet them," Silver suggested with a serious face. 

The girl's eyes widened. "Oh, I didn't mean it like that! I-"

Ding ding ding. 

The Bell of Solace rang as the clock struck midnight. 

The girl stiffened. "I have to go!"

"Wait, but you need to rest more."

Silver's words went past the girl's ears as she shoved her glass towards Silver, picked up her silver skirt, revealing the matching heels, and started running. 

"I feel fine now! It was nice to meet you, Silver!"

"But you should rest your feet!" Silver started running after her. The boy was both confused and impressed. Perplexed at why his new friend (if you could call it that) ran off and impressed that someone who was tired earlier was managing to outrun him. 

The two had made it to the front of the school, where a carriage was waiting by the doors. In one motion, the girl started sprinting and lept into the carriage. The vehicle immediately started moving just as Silver made it. Luckily, he was close enough to see the girl stick her head out. 

"Thank you!" 

Silver stood there frozen, wondering what just occurred. "Wait! Miss!" his eyes caught sight of something shiny. He bent down, picked it up, and watched it shimmer from the moonlight. 

---

"Double check your things and make sure you brought everything. We will not come back if you forget something," Professor Trein's stern voice called out.

Everyone responded with "Yes, professor," except for one. 

"Are you still looking for the girl?" Malleus asked, causing Silver to look up at his liege, who had a small smile. 

Silver blushed slightly and fumbled to put the glove away with his things. He did not want to be too rough with it in case the silk material tore. "No, Malleus. I was…making sure there was no dust on it."

Even Malleus could see through the lie. "I see," he hummed and turned away to check on Sebek. "Oh, and Silver," he paused and faced Silver with a content look. "Whatever you decide, know that I will support your decision."

With that, Malleus walked away, leaving Silver stunned. He glanced back down at his bag, where the glove lay. Silver opened his bag and grabbed the glove with determination. 

The group won't leave for another few minutes. If he looks now, he could possibly find the girl in-

Silver let out an "oof" as his body ran into something. 

"Hey, watch where you're going!" 

Silver turned to the voice. There was a girl who looked around his age and wearing the uniform of another arcane academy. The girl sounded familiar, even though she gave him an irritated look. Now that he thought about it, her eyes also looked familiar. 

"I'm sorry, miss. I was not looking where I was going."

The girl's eyes widened slightly, her mouth a gap, and her eyes focused on something on the ground. 

The silver glove. 

Silver looked up at the girl, his eyes meeting her. Suddenly, he saw a silver mask briefly flash on the girl's face.

"It's you."

Bonus, set the night before the NRC group left to go back:

"And then, Lilia, Silver was dancing with the girl." Malleus tried to hide his excitement. He really did, but he did not want to disturb the other third years in the room with him. 

"Oh, how he grows up so fast! Tell me, did he make her swoon with his charms? Did he act like her knight in shining armor? My son can only inherit the best from his father!" 

Malleus wanted to roll his eyes at Lilia's cockiness. Thank goodness Silver or Sebek weren't around to hear it. He could already see how they would react. "Not at all. They were just dancing and talking."

The line was silent for a moment as Lilia processed Malleus' words. 

"They just talked…no dashing looks or saving the girl from a fall…"

Malleus felt a tension through the phone.  "Lilia?"

"OH, HOW I FAILED AS A FATHER!!" Malleus pulled his phone away from his ear as Lilia wailed. His eyes briefly looked at Rook sleeping in his bed and Idia watching a video with his headphones on. Perfect, they did not notice anything. "I spent so much time training my boy to be the best knight that he is lacking in the romance department! Poor Silver has so much to learn about how to woo a woman! Quick, Malleus, send him my way so we can start his training immediately."

"But-"

"Malleus, can you ask the Prefect if she is available for the training? NRC might lack in the amount of females, but I will take what I can get."

Disclaimer: I do not own Twisted Wonderland and its characters. Those belong to Aniplex, Walt Disney Japan, and Yana Toboso.

©: This story belongs to bluesylveon2 2020-24. DO NOT modify, republish, or plagiarize my work.

[hd-hurtcomfort-fest]

***CREATOR REVEALS MASTER LIST***

And that's a wrap, y'all! As we reflect on this fest at its conclusion, we are humbled and honored by the love and support from our fellow fluffy fanatics, angst afficiandos and hurt/comfort connoisseurs. Thank you all for making this an incredible first year.

A very special thank you to all our brilliant participants! This fest is nothing without you and your teams of diligent betas, alphas, and cheerleaders. It takes a village, and we appreciate your efforts.

And finally, this fest would flounder in the void without you, dear readers, viewers, listeners, and reccers! Thank you for joining us on this maiden journey! You stoke our creative fires with your loving and positive support and for this we thank you.

We have planned a few closing posts, including fest stats and our guessing game winner! And participants and reccers, be sure to @ us in your posts so we may reblog!

***MASTER LIST BELOW THE CUT!***

xo Your HD Hurt/Comfort Mods @orangepellets, @peachpety, @vukovich

***CREATOR MASTER LIST***

*** Hyacinth by oknowkiss Angst || M || 7k

My Kingdom For Your Laugh by UsagiTatsu Fluff || G || 9.7k

*** Final Exams at the Curse-Breaker's Academy by IzRoan Hurt/Comfort || M || 20.2k

Of Towers and Tales [ART] by reliand Hurt/Comfort || T || Art

*** The Roommate by Romaine [PODFIC] by CailynWrites Fluff || M || 4hours

a small room under the earth by dracopetal Angst || M || 2.3k

*** Come Hell or High Water by mallstars Hurt/Comfort || M || 22.1k

Divine Intervention by JessicaLuci Fluff || T || 6.5k

*** Harry Potter and the Unintended Horcrux by aCanadianMuggle Hurt/Comfort || E || 59k

*** isn't a kingdom by garagepaperback Hurt/Comfort || E || 53.2k

*** A Surprising Agenda by Orpheous87 Fluff || G || 7.3k

You only feel it when it's lost [ART] by Pato_roldnart Hurt/Comfort || T || Art

*** Fine-Fractured Halo by Rainjuly Angst || E || 29k

Something We Create by DayDreamingFoxglove Fluff || E || 16.5k

*** Future Histories by thecouchsofa Fluff || T || 6k

(Not) a Hot Nurse by Etteee Fluff || G || 2k

*** En Passant by DodgerKedavra Hurt/Comfort || E || 45.4k

*** Be still my beating heart. by Lizziedrip Hurt/Comfort || T || 18.4k

Pain: ON by The_saphire_potterhead Hurt/Comfort || M || 17.2k

*** Thief by shushu_yaoi_lj (orange-peony) Hurt/Comfort || E || 21.5k

Malfoy's Moving Manor [ART] by Yoro_Kobi (Aphlaton) Fluff || G || Art

*** The Malfoys vs Family Counseling by duchessdulce Fluff || T || 24.4k

Piece by Piece by TheBashfulPoet Hurt/Comfort || E || 6.5k

*** and another one by nv-md Fluff || M || 1.6k

Seven Year Itch by mintaminta Angst || E || 5.6k

*** An Extremely Indecent Proposal by Jelliebabie Hurt/Comfort || E || 33.2k

*** Live Laugh Love, Draco Malfoy by Phantasmagoria Hurt/Comfort || E || 16.4k

The Stories We Tell by Maraudersaffair Hurt/Comfort || E || 10.7k

*** Let Me Stay by Phoebe_Delia Hurt/Comfort || M || 1k

At the Center by violenttulips [PODFIC] by reveriepi Hurt/Comfort || E || 10-20min

*** Black Books by Sarendal Fluff || E || 14.5k

*** S.P.U.N.K. by my_castlescrumbling (Cas) Fluff || M || 4.3k

close enough by lucio Angst || M || 2.2k

*** Fate's Caveat by Squibnation10 Angst || M || 43.4k

[hitohitonika]

watching the fireworks in Wano

(click for quality!)

[chenziee]

World Economic Journal: Grand Line Edition

A New Pirate Alliance?!

PUNK HAZARD, New World | by @truffyfest

A mere few days since Straw Hat Luffy and his crew appeared on Sabaody after disappearing off the face of earth for two whole years, they are already sending waves throughout the Grand Line and the entire world. Now, they have managed to pass through Fishman Island and are well on their way to destroy the delicate balance in the New World.

Under the promise of anonymity, several of the gangster-like marines from the infamous G5 Navy base have shared some scandalous information with us! They claim that not only has Straw Hat Luffy himself taken over and destroyed a priceless, state-of-the-art laboratory on Punk Hazard—he has also managed to get himself an unbelievable ally! And it’s someone you all know very well!

A member of the Worst Generation, this man caused an uproar during the disastrous Rocky Port incident when he delivered a full 100 (one hundred!) pirates’ hearts to the Navy Headquarters in order to become one of the Warlords of the Sea!

Yes, indeed—not even ‘Surgeon of Death’ Trafalgar Law is immune to Straw Hat Luffy’s charm.

We cannot imagine the Navy Headquarters will simply overlook this but it seems that Monkey D. Luffy’s presence means more than the threat of losing his Warlord title to the cold, stoic man. (And, if our sources are to be believed, he would do near anything for that sunny smile!)

But what is this new alliance’s purpose? What will be the Navy Headquarters’ reaction? Be on the lookout for the next issue of the World Economic Journal as we continue to bring new information straight to you!

[ Next Issue ]

[number1jeonginstan]

hii juu can you do anything with hyunjin can be smut or fluff you decide

-🥟

A/N: I added just a hint of spice, but kept it over all a very cute interaction!!

warnings: none really

pairing: hyunjin x reader

wc: .7k

"What's up babe?" he whispered as you entered his studio.

"Nothing much Jinnie, just wanted to check up on you" you whispered, bending down to kiss his cheek.

He chuckled at the kiss on his cheek and patted his lap. "Come here," he said with a smile on his face.

"Why can't I do both?" you asked, falling deeper into his touch as he pulled you closer to him.

He chuckled in response to your question, tightening his grip around your waist. "I suppose you can do both, I just know how clingy you get when you miss me." he teased again, leaning in to place a kiss on your neck.

"I'm the clingy one?" you looked at him appalled, "weren't you the one who trapped me into a, what did you call it? That's right, a cuddle fest, for two hours and wouldn't let me pee?"

When you called him out, his cheeks flushed a deep shade of red. He was busted. He tried to deny it briefly but gave up quickly and chuckled sheepishly. "Okay, fine, I might be the clingy one." He said with an embarrassed smile. "But don't act like you weren't enjoying it. You were loving every minute of it."

He pulled you closer still, resting his head on your shoulder as he spoke. "Besides, you can't blame me for being clingy, I just love being with you as much as possible, and I can't help but miss you when we're apart."

"You should take me on tour next time so I would be by your side at every second, like a leech!" you giggled.

He chuckled at your suggestion, shaking his head in mock disapproval. "Oh, so you want to be my little leech, huh? Just attaching yourself to me everywhere I go, sticking to me like a piece of gum on a shoe?"

"Mhm! You are never getting rid of me."

You turned back ever so lightly, capturing his lips with your own.

He chuckled again before his smile melted into a soft expression as you kissed him. He returned the kiss with equal passion, his fingers gently brushing against the skin of your cheeks as he held your face between his hands.

When the kiss ended, he kept his face close to yours and murmured, "And who said I ever wanted to get rid of you?"

"I mean, you did just call me a piece of gum on your shoe, didn't you?"

He smirked at your response and teased, "Oh, that was just a joke, babe. You're more like a cute little Koala just clinging onto her favorite tree, that's all."

He wrapped his arms around your waist once again, pulling you closer to his chest. "And you know what's the best part? This tree will never get tired of having you cling to it. *Ever.*"

He nuzzled his face into the crook of your neck, placing a kiss on the sensitive skin there. He knew just how much that would make you shiver, and he loved the way your body responded to him.

"You know, I would be okay with you being my personal little Koala, attached to me all the time." he mused with a smirk. "Maybe I could even get you a leash, to make sure you never run away from me."

"How did you go from being so sweet to a literal whore in a matter of seconds Hwang Hyunjin?"

He laughed loudly at your reaction, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Hey, I can be both, can't I?" he protested, raising an eyebrow at you with a wicked grin on his face. "One moment I'm your sweet, romantic boyfriend, and the next I'm a dirty, shameless flirt. It's called range!"

"The only "range" you have is your painting and dancing, now get back to it" you giggled, slapping his arm ever so slightly.

He winced at the light slap on his arm, pretending to be hurt. "Hey, watch it there, I bruise easily." he joked, playfully sticking out his lower lip in a pout.

"But fine, I suppose I should get back to work. This painting isn't going to paint itself, you know."

"And your lap isn't going to stay warm itself" you huffed, getting more comfortable as you watched him paint away.

[rinchfest]

Coming this September to an internet near you: Rinch Fest 2024, a ship week for Harold Finch/John Reese from Person of Interest! This is a low-pressure event meant to encourage the creation of more fanworks for Finch/Reese or Finch & Reese’s friendship. Fic, art, gifs, vids, podfic, you name it—all are welcome, as long as they’re Rinch-centric.

Posting for Rinch Fest will run from September 24 through September 30, 2024

PROMPTS:

Day One – September 24 Fluff• Pining• "Always" • Dark• Domesticity

Day Two – September 25 Be Nice To John• Established Relationship• Road Trip • Food/Drinking/Cooking • Art

Day Three – September 26 Be Nice To Harold• Belly• "Beach Cabin in the Woods• "Five+1" • Pets/Animals • Music

Day Four – September 27 Kids/Babies/Pregnancy• Hugs• Clothes • Setting/Genre Change AU• The Machine

Day Five – September 28 Bed Sharing• Wedding/Marriage• Crossover • Canon Divergence • Tropes

Day Six – September 29 Finch Whump • Reese Whump • NSFW/Kink • Retirement • Home

Day Seven – September 30 Free-For-All/Catch-Up Day

Keep reading for more info!

Who’s running this? ArgylePirateWD. Hi! Now with mods @alexsrousseau and @stingalingaling

Any changes since last year? None! As in previous years, Reese&Finch friendship is also allowed

Why not call it Rinch Week? It started out as Rinch Fest on The Rinch Loft on Discord, and that’s what stuck.

Plus, Rinch Fest and Reese & Finch share the same initials.

What’s allowed? Complete fanworks focusing on Harold Finch and John Reese in a romantic or close platonic relationship with each other. Fic, art, vids, remixes, sequels, you name it! No length requirements, no style requirements, all ratings allowed—do what you want!

Anything not allowed? Works where Finch/Reese or Finch & Reese is not the primary relationship (additional ships are fine), works that are incomplete at the time of posting, and remixes or other transformative works for other people’s fanworks that are done without the original creator’s permission. Anything else is fair game, as long as it’s labeled.

Also, don’t be a jerk.

What about [insert controversial topic here]? Can I make something with x?/OMG someone made something with x! Anything else is fair game, as long as it’s labeled. This includes works featuring tropes and kinks that you may not like or approve of. As long as it’s warned for, it’s fine and allowed.

Please warn for the usual AO3 warnings (Major Character Death, Graphic Violence, Rape/Non-Con, and Underage) and any subjects others may find deeply unpleasant, and clearly label any NSFW works.

What about poly? Gen? Poly is wonderful, but this is a Finch/Reese or Finch&Reese event. Sorry.

Finch & Reese gen is allowed!

What do I do with x prompt?/Can I do [insert concept here]? Anything goes! Seriously, however you want to interpret a prompt is fine.

Do I have to make something for every prompt? No! You can if you want, but it’s not required. Feel free to skip days, combine prompts, create multiple fills for each day, anything! This is as flexible as it gets.

If it fits multiple prompts, when do I post it? Whatever day works best for you!

What if I want to do something NSFW? There's no nsfw prompt this year. Is it still allowed? YES! Bring on the spicy if you want!

What about a multi-chapter/piece thing where each chapter fulfills one day’s prompt? When do I post that? Post an update each relevant day until you’re done! (Just make sure you can finish it by the end of the event.)

What if it doesn’t fit a prompt? That’s what Day 7 is for! :D

What if I need to post my fill(s) on a different day? Life happens. The AO3 collection is set to Unrevealed, so I can reveal early submissions on the right day, but if that doesn’t work for you, I’m sure we can work something out.

Can I work on a previously-posted WIP? As long as it’s finished when you make your post for the event, sure! If you’re just updating a WIP without finishing it, no.

Can I start working now? Absolutely! That’s why I’m announcing it now—so there’s plenty of time for people to make things.

Can I talk about/share previews of what I’m working on? Sure!

Wait, there’s a Rinch Discord server? Do I have to join to do this? Of course not. We’d love to have you at The Rinch Loft, and it’s a fun place to hang out, but Rinch Fest is for anyone into Rinch.

If I want the Discord link… Send in an Ask to the @rinchfest Tumblr, contact ArgylePirateWD somewhere, or ask around. It’s open to anyone who likes Rinch or Person of Interest. I’m happy to give it out to anyone who wants it.

Where do I post? On Tumblr, post to your blog and use the #rinchfest23 or #rinchweek23 tags. You are They are being watched. 👁 And maybe add @rinchfest in your post to be sure. Tumblr is as hungry as Bear and Shaw.

Submissions are also open.

On AO3, you can post it here: https://archiveofourown.org/collections/rinchfest23/

Do I have to have a Tumblr? AO3? As long as you’re on some kind of platform and can get a link to the work to me somehow so I can share it with the world, you’re welcome to play.

On October 1st, I’ll make a round-up post full of links to all the shiny things people made. If I know you made it, it’ll go in!

What time zone? The daily prompt posts will be going up at 12 am Central Time, but as long as it’s the relevant day for your fill somewhere in the world, go ahead and throw it in!

(And if you want to sneak in some Day 7 things a little after, as long as they get posted before the Master Post goes up… 😉)

Sounds fun! How do I sign up? No signups! Just post your stuff somewhere on the right day(s), and you’re in!

[karma-vvitch]

l'amour de ma vie

Thought I was depressed or losing my mind My stomach upset almost all of the time But after I left, it was obvious why (oh), mm Because for you, you I was the love of your life, mm But you were not mine (but you were not mine)

𝕲𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: Angst

𝕻𝖆𝖎𝖗𝖎𝖓𝖌: Bucky Barnes x GN!Reader

𝖂𝖆𝖗𝖓𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘:  Hurt/No Comfort, Angst fest lmao, Bucky’s kinda a dick in this one (so for all the ppl who don’t like reading Bucky in a negative light, this isn’t for you babe. *I’m ppl), The reader is implied to be chubby/plus size, slight body insecurity, but I think reader girl bossed in this (maybe it’s just me), AGAIN THERE IS NO FLUFF HERE ABSOLUTELY NONE. 

“You ruined me” You glared at him “You ruined me, Bucky Barnes” It’s been 2 weeks and 3 days since Bucky broke up with me. The audacity of that man. I don’t know where it went wrong. Was it when he started coming home late? Or when he started sleeping on the couch? There were too many instances to count. I guess the straw that broke the camel’s back was when he left his phone on the counter, Sharon’s contact notification glowed brightly. “We should stop this” God I thought for once I wasn’t an idiot, but once again my ego was shattered. That fucker told me he loved me, all of me. From my smile, to my curves, to my thighs. And yet he still went for miss perfect. “Baby–” The asshole spoke. “Baby? Seriously Barnes? Trying to soften me up? We’re SO past that!” I laugh incredulously. Fighting the tears welling in my eyes. “You promised me! You dick! You promised me! You said you looked past this–” gesturing to my body “I thought you saw me for me, Bucky!” He looked embarrassed. Good. “Baby, can we please not do it here?” He looked around the common room we were standing in. The place occupied by the team who were in awe and disbelief on what’s going on. This bitch “Oh! You’re embarassed? Good, let them see your shame for the lying, cheating piece of shit that you are!” Gasps are echoed throughout the room. The woman in question as well, finally, looking away in shame. Bucky looked helpless. The severity of the situation finally hitting him like a freight train. “Please, it was a mistake. Yes, I’m a huge asshole for hurting you. You have all the right. I love you. What I did will haunt me for the rest of my life and I’m sorry–” tears flowing freely from his eyes at this point “I’m so so sorry” The sight before you could’ve made you fold easily. Bucky on his knees, grovelling. Your Bucky who held you when your friends abandoned you. Your Bucky who drove you to McDonald’s at 3am to get nuggets. Your Bucky who dropped everything just to go home and take care of you at your lowest. For a second you thought that everything happening at the moment was just a bad dream. He would never hurt you… But he did. His cries snapped you back to reality. “I broke up with you because I was a coward, I thought I could fix myself and come back to your life a better man– I should’ve told you sooner” All I could do is stare at him, emotionless and numb. What does one even do in this situation? The (once) love of your life, who has hurt you beyond any comprehension is grovelling at your feet. Should I say something? Should I lash out at him? Should I make him get up? It was all becoming too much In the end, I just turned my heel and left. The echoes of his increasing sobs and pleas following me. Good.

𝕹𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖘: This may or may not be based on real-life... Oops. The angst gods were coursing through me ngl. I haven't written in months so this is exciting. The depression is still there and thriving but I'm not gonna let it stop me from doing what I love :>. I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing this. Hopefully, I get to write more Bucky stuff (I promise there will be more fluff. God knows this man deserves it). Anyway, hope y'all have a great day/night! xoxo

𝕿𝖆𝖌𝖑𝖎𝖘𝖙: None yet!

[erotic-grope-fest]

Erotic Grope Fest February 14–24, 2025

ABOUT THE FEST

The intent of this fest is to create fanworks around the general theme of Baz’s “erotic gropefest” imaginings.

-All fanwork and media types allowed

-Collabs welcome

-Works can be in any genre, as long as they are in keeping with the spirit of the event (PWP, angst, crack, fluff, etc.)

-SnowBaz only

-Though works made for this fest do not have to be NSFW, all participants must be 18+, regardless of the rating of their fanwork. This is the only restriction to participate in this fest.

-All explicit works must feature characters 18+ (think Watford eighth year and older). This is the only content restriction for this fest.

-The fest runs Feb 14–24, 2025: Valentine’s Day through Baz’s birthday. Works may be posted at any time during this period.

-There are no sign ups for this event; if you wish to participate, you can do so by adding your work to the collection on AO3, and/or posting to tumblr and tagging this blog.

-Participants are encouraged to tease their in-progress works—share as much or as little as you like while you work on your fest entry.

-Chaptered/multi-part works may be posted all at once or in stages. Only one chapter/section/piece needs to be posted during the fest; works in progress are welcome.

-All works should be uploaded to the AO3 Collection: Erotic Grope Fest 2025. This is a moderated collection, which means that your entry will need to be approved before it shows up as part of the collection. This is to ensure that only EGF works are included, and that those works conform to these rules.

-Entries may also be posted to tumblr; be sure to tag @erotic-grope-fest.

-I will create a tumblr masterlist at the end of the fest with links to all works.

-Questions: see FAQ, send an ask to this blog, message palimpsessed on discord.

[portlandwithyou]

A Digital Fangirl's Journey into the Analog World

It started with a search, three words typed into the eBay search bar. Due South zine.

I began my fandom journey online when high-speed internet was slowly rolling out in the United States. I've never known a time in fandom when a million search results weren't at the tips of my fingers, and yet I've been nostalgic for a more physical relationship with fandom. Thankfully, the @ds30below fest announcement had a week devoted to history. The perfect excuse to dive into zines for the first time.

Due Frisky #2 is a digest-sized, soft-cover zine held together with staples. This baby fits perfectly in your hand for reading anywhere. The photo doesn't do it justice, but the cover is a pretty pinky-red color.

Inside, there is a table of contents, an editor's note, the stories, and, at the back, a short advertisement for more zines from the same press. Included at the end of each full-length story is a black-and-white photograph from the show that is connected to the story's content. This is an F/V zine from January of 1997, although nowhere do they address or even mention Ray K. Perhaps issue one dealt with that?

As for the content itself, there are four stories and one poetry cycle. I'd especially like to highlight the first story, "Perfection" by Khylara, which deals with Ray V's Catholicism in such a beautiful way that I was practically jumping with joy as I read. Unfortunately, my searches have not turned up this fic anywhere online to share! It's such a shame, too; it's so thoughtful.

Speaking of which, although I can find some of the authors online, I haven't found any of the particular fics from the zine available. Mireille, who people may know from their other F/V works, has the first part of a multiple-part series in this zine. Now, the editors warn you of this in the editor's notes, but I had forgotten by the time I got to this story, and frankly, I am climbing the walls wondering what happens next!

I found reading this zine extremely satisfying. It was wonderful to have some fanfic to curl up with during a spring storm while being beholden to a supercomputer in my hand.

I also loved reading stories that were contemporary to the show's actual airing. I found the language to be just ever slightly more formal than fanfic nowadays, but in a way that was not distracting or detracting.

Another thing, as the title might imply, all of the stories feature sex and sexuality as a topic. Obviously, given my track record, that doesn't bother me. But I could see where that would turn some off from reading. There's drama, fluff, and plenty of other emotions throughout the pieces, but at the end of the day, they will be having sex.

Overall, this was a fantastic zine for a beginner. Every piece was wonderful, and I anticipate reading it again many times.

[btsgotjams27]

under the mistletoe | knj

Kim Namjoon is a sneaky one when it comes to celebrating the Holidays.

❄️ title: under the mistletoe | a don't push your luck drabble ❄️ pairing: namjoon x f!reader ❄️ genre/au: fluff | ex college rivals, co-workers, frenemies ❄️ rating: pg | ❄️ word count: 1.3k ❄️ warnings: jokes about harassment in the workplace, teasing, kissing ❄️ a/n: it's the holiday szn and i was feeling festive. this is the 'don't push your luck' couple but it can be read as a standalone. enjoy.

❄️ [ MINI-SERIES MASTERLIST ] next ~ pitch fest (dpyl drabble)

“I never figured you were someone who loved the holiday season.”

The office looks like elves came in and sprinkled Christmas magic overnight. There's fake snow fluff, bottle brush Christmas trees, and even stockings with your and Namjoon's initials embroidered.

You like the holiday season–you do, minus the endless hours of Christmas music. You can only hear ‘Rocking Around the Christmas Tree' so many times before you wanna hurl. A tradition you do love is watching Home Alone 2 on the day of along with the fireplace on and cozy blanket.

Namjoon turns to you after hanging up the last ornament. “Yeah, I mean, we don’t celebrate it back home in Seoul, but once I moved to Chicago…” He shrugs. “It grew on me.”

You eye him up and down. “Has Kim Namjoon gone soft? Who are you?”

He narrows his eyes, twisting his mouth. “I can be a Grinch instead,” he huffs as he returns to take out pieces of a toy train track.

Shaking your head, you protest, “No, no, no. We’re finally getting along—semi-getting along without going at each other’s throats. I’ll be nice. I promise.”

“You? Nice? It must be a Christmas miracle,” Namjoon teases, placing the train tracks along the top of the cubicle walls.

“Shut up–you’re the one that should be nice since I’m your boss now.”

Namjoon makes a face. “Is this how you treat your partner in crime? By telling them to ‘shut up’? I’d call that harassment.”

You open your mouth and close it again. He got you there. “You’re right. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.”

Working alongside Namjoon isn't new, but you and him being partners are. The two of you left your previous company and had the ridiculous idea of going into publishing together. Granted, Namjoon knew the business side and you had the heart of the company–what else could go wrong besides the fact that he still loved to push your buttons and tease you about the last work trip the two of you were on.

The corner of Namjoon’s lips curves into a smile. “Should we hug it out? Hold on, let me turn around. I know how much you like being the big spoon.”

You ball your hands into a fist, ready to fight Kim Namjoon. He laughs, walking away to spread Christmas cheer around the office.

“Don’t make me regret asking you to come work for me!” You yell in his direction.

“With you!” He quips while laying down the rest of the tracks for the toy train.

The risks of having Namjoon as your business partner were high, but you were hoping the outcome would outweigh it all.

After countless meetings with investors and prospective authors, you wanted nothing more than to put on fuzzy socks and curl up in bed with a cheesy Hallmark film to put you to sleep. But with the holidays, no one wanted to talk about money because they were too busy spending it.

“I’m tapping out for the day,” you say as you stand up and peer over at Namjoon. 

He’s hanging up another string of cut-out paper snowflakes. Namjoon stops in his tracks, setting down the garland he’s created. “I’ll walk you out.”

With knitted brows and a frown, you’re wondering what’s gotten into him. He’s never once walked you out of the building. You don’t deny the offer because you’re already defeated from the day and don’t have the energy to bicker with him.

He follows you out, standing beside you as the elevator arrives. Silence fills the steel box trapping you and Namjoon before he breaks it.

“Any fun plans tonight?”

You slowly turn your head, narrowing your eyes at the tall giant. “What’s it to you?” Honestly, he’s never been so interested in your life before. Why start now? Is it because you have to work together as partners?

He glances in your direction then turns away to face the elevator doors. “Just making small talk,” he shrugs, placing his hands behind his back.

“Uh huh…”

Namjoon clears his throat out of nervousness. “You did great today in the meetings. I think we’ll have them all on board in no time.”

Is Kim Namjoon complimenting you? Such words have never rung sweeter in your ears.

“You weren’t so bad yourself. Surely, you charmed the panties off Mrs. Park.” The obvious flirting between the two made you want to gag.

A strangled noise comes from Namjoon as he dismisses your comment. The elevator comes to a stop and dings, with the door opening to the parking garage.

You’re ready to step out when you feel a grip on your wrist. Your heart flutters at the sudden contact and you gulp hard at his warm hand against your skin.

“I wanted to see if you’d want to go to a Christmas party with me tonight.”

Is Kim Namjoon asking to be seen with you in public? Why must there be some kind of magic in the air or did he hit himself too hard with a dumbbell?

“I don’t think I’ll be good company, especially at a party.”

The elevator doors begin to close, but you hit the button to keep it open.

“You can be my excuse to leave,” he explains.

Your mouth hangs open before responding. “Is that all I’m good for? Being your excuse?”

The doors threaten to close again and you attempt to hit the button to stay open, but Namjoon beats you to the ‘close’ button instead.

“Say yes.”

“Or what?” You deadpan, cocking your head to the side.

“Or else I’ll kiss you.”

Your eyes widen at his comment and before you know it, Namjoon closes the distance between you, cupping your face, and presses his lips against yours. You’re tempted to pull away and say that you should keep your relationship professional, but your body betrays you as you drop your bag, and wrap your arms and shoulders, deepening the kiss. His lips are soft and delicate, like how you remember them. He pulls back, and you can feel a smile as he returns for another kiss. Your fingers become entangled in his hair, lightly scratching his scalp. Namjoon traces your spine and presses his body as close as he can, causing a shiver to run through your body.

It’s easier to tell how aroused he’s become, and you’d be embarrassed if his thighs were to become slotted between your legs. And in no way, have you ever thought about riding his thighs.

“Namjoon…” You’re finally able to croak out. He hums, placing kisses along your jawline, and down the column of your neck. “What are we doing?”

“Kissing…obviously.”

He’s a smart ass, and he knows it, but that’s also something you’ve come to appreciate.

“I know, but—why, right now?”

The elevator number lights up, and you realize it’s being utilized by someone else.

Namjoon pulls back and stands tall, straightening his tie. He clears his throat, “I—um…” He looks up, and your gaze follows him to the small green plant that’s hanging decorated with a red bow—a mistletoe.

The two of you let out a soft laugh, trying to regain whatever dignity is left.

“You didn’t put that there, did you?”

He points to himself. “Me? Pfft—why would I do that?”

With the long relationship you’ve had, you can always tell when he’s lying.

The lift moves, highlighting the floor it’s going to.

You stride toward Namjoon, gazing into his dragon eyes, then dropping to his plush lips and back up. “Will I find mistletoes around the office now?”

A ding resounds, but you hold the ‘close’ button, waiting for Namjoon’s answer. A beat passes, and it’s the first time he doesn’t have a cheeky response ready. So you do the only sensible thing—kiss him again.

“What was that for?” He asks, scanning your face.

“We are under the mistletoe.” A chuckle leaves your lips. “Well, it was either you kiss me or I’d have to attend a dreadful Christmas party with you.”

“So, you’re not coming?”

“Wouldn’t you rather come to my place instead?”

Namjoon raises an eyebrow. “I won’t object to that.”

read > pitch fest (a don't push your luck drabble)