#only reason i'm still in this city is for internship work but i haven't got news

[immortalsins]

moved into my new house on the 1st and we won’t have wifi until september ... i’m on campus rn for a teams meeting (24 hour library loml) and i might have to come back again tfor no reason other than to browse lmao i’ve really missed it. worrying

[lionessinarms]

The Month In Between chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Two weeks has past and Firetown's repairs are moving quickly. Wade and Ember have been working really hard at their jobs but haven't been seeing each other as much as they would like. They try to at least grab lunch or dinner together when then can but Ember's new welding job leaves her very exhausted. Bernie has even caught her falling asleep rebuilding some shelves at the Shop. There's been no time for dates. 

Wade has been going above and beyond on his inspector job. He is only responsible for pointing out the violations that need to be fixed. He instead takes time in his reporting. Giving the knowledge he's been learning from his mom, he writes individualize action plans to get the building up to code, and on budget. It's extra long hours on his laptop at night but to him it's well worth it. Wade hates giving building owners the bad news and not being able to offer a solution. Which is why he takes in the extra work to help better the community he feels connected to. Gale takes notice of this and has him in her office.

"So Ripple what did you want to meet with me about?" Gale asks.

"Well, I wanted to request a transfer for next quarter to the city Ember's internship is at. That is if I'm doing a good enough job." Wade says without confidence.

Gale then tells Wade, "Kid, I'll be real with you for a second. I only hired you as a favor to your mother and you were this close to be fired. Finding that leak was your last chance."

Wade looks nervous and gulps.

Gale continues, "But then all of a sudden it's like you found your spark. I never seen any inspector be so thorough and have these amazing actions plans for the city repairs. You're on fire kid! You really got a passion for this."

Wade questioning himself says, "Well it's easy when you connect with the people you are trying to help? I just want to help them through it other wise I feel like all I do is give bad news all day."

Gale says, "Well it's working. Your the reason the repairs are going fast in Firetown. Keep up that attention to detail. In the mean time I'll look for your replacement and you are going to train them to be exactly as you are now. I'd hate to loose ya but I get that that Fireball of yours is cute." Gale does a wink.

Wade with a smile gets up and shakes Gale hand. "Thank you Ms. Cumulus. I won't let you down!"

Wade gets back to work in Firetown but then heads to an outdoor mall on his lunch break. He had to white lie to Ember about having the work through lunch but this secret isn't harmful. Wade stands outside a jewelry store. He takes a confident deep breath as he steps in. Wade looks over at a Water couple around his age being helped by a salesman. They are picking out matching wedding rings and they look very happy together. A Water salesman steps up to help Wade.

Salesman, "Hello sir is there anything I can help you find?"

Wade gets excited and rambles, "Yeah hi, I'm shopping around for an engagement ring but my relationship is still new but amazing. I really just need a better idea for what to budget for the next few months before we move in together."

Salesman, "Great. You came to the right place. Let me show you some styles and do you happen to know her ring size?"

"Actually no." Wade holds his hand to look at it.

"No problem I got a chart you could look at." The Salesman holds up sizing chart.

Wade points over the a very small size but then again Embers digits are very thin. "She's around this size."

"Oh, that's pretty small for Water." Says the Salesman.

Wade was taken back by surprise. He never really thought about how strangers view his relationship with an Element not of his own because frankly he doesn't care. Now it's time to test if he is in the right place.

Wade then goes, "Oh yeah I forgot to mention she's Firish can you should me your selection of fireproof rings please?" Then Wade gives the salesman a look of I dare you to say something Elementalist.

The Salesman looks surprised for a second then gets back to his job, "Of course they are right over here, My mistake I should of ask you first."

Wade is relieved and laughs it off, "Haha, not a problem."

After some time, Wade steps out of the jewelry store. He looks up and does a dreamy sigh but then a young woman's voice breaks his good mood.

"Wade Ripple? Is that you?" Asks a very attractive Water girl his age.

Wade has a look of horror on his face but quickly changes it to not be suspicious. He then fake smiles and says, "River. Hi, crazy seeing you again." Wade doesn't have a mean bone in his body as awkward as this, is he's a nice guy.

River runs up and hugs Wade. Wade clearly not wanting to hug back gives her a small pat on the back. 

"Wow it's been what almost a decade? You've really grown up." River then notices his name tag and flirtatiously goes, "And a city inspector now?"

Wade takes a few steps back as soon as River lets go of him. Wade looks like he's partially melting, his hair slopped down, he's sweating, and runs his hand on the back of his neck. "Yeah.."

Lucky for Wade. The Salesman interrupts, holding a piece of paper. "Sir you forgot to grab the estimate for your engagement ring."

Wade turns to the Salesman completely forgetting River is there. "Oh thank you." Wade looks down at the paper and smiles. It's like his watery waves on his head have come back to life and he stands proud.

River is staring at him in shock then goes coyly, "Wow Wade sounds serious. Does she know about me?"

Wade doesn't make eye contact with her as he folds up the paper and puts it in his bag. "Actually yeah she knows and it's very serious." He makes eye contact with River when he says serious.

River chuckles at Wade, "Well it's good to see you again Wade. Tell your mom I said hi." And with that she structs away.

Wade immediately turns the opposite direction and says to himself, "Pfft, yeah my Mom never liked you." When he is far enough away he pulls out the estimate. Wade takes a breathe in, does a dreamy sigh out feeling confident. "I got a lot of saving up to do."

Nearing the end of day at the job site, a worker in a suit passes out paychecks in envelops and hands Ember hers. Ember almost forgets she is getting pay for this work, "Oh thank you." She opens it and is shocked by the amount.

Next scene is Vinny with the check in his face and just laughs at Ember's surprise. "Ha, yep that is what an apprentice welder makes plus you've been making killer OT on the weekends."

Ember pulls the check down and stares at it for a second, "Dang!" She then paces and rambles, "This? This is so much! I mean my glass internship coming up is paid too but this welding job isn't just taking care of my travel costs." Then is dawns on her. "It will cover all my living expenses while I'm there."

Vinny goes with his arms held up, "Well what an amazing opportunity you have and the experience you're gaining from welding is going to help you prefect your glass making. Especially if it tempered."

Ember gets a bit honest with her boss, "Well it's exhausting work though not gonna lie."

Vinny isn't insulted by it and puts his hands down. "I know that waterfall hasn't been easy. I'm lucky I've been tolerating it as well as I have. I have a team working on converting some fire proof suits to water proof. Water guy actually came up with the idea."

"That's great and about time." Ember then takes a moment and ask Vinny, "Hey can I ask you something personal?"

"Sure kid." Vinny genuinely not fazed and is actually expected what she is about to ask him.

Ember is a bit nervous and she holds her arms to her sides close. Worried her question might be insulting but she goes for it anyway. Rambles a bit too. "Well it's about your parents, I'm in a mixed Element relationship and me and my parents had no idea that that was even possible." Ember nervously flared up a bit with her hands up, "Not that we're prejudice towards other Elements being together we just simply didn't know. Wade and I just kind of happened." Ember smiles at thinking of Wade.

Vinny give a warm smile and laughs, "Yeah you and Wade remind me a lot of my folks. My mother is Firish and dad is rock hard stubborn. I guess that's why the fell hard for each other."

Ember laughs but let's Vinny continue.

Vinny gets a little serious, "I learned very quickly we were not like most families but we all stuck together. Me and my five other siblings."

"Five wow." Ember thinking that's a lot of kids.

Vinny laughs then continues, "Ha ha yeah but we all love and support each other. That has been the biggest lesson growing up as a mixed Element is how to love yourself and each other. Love is alway worth it."

Ember smiles and goes, "Yeah I know. Thank you for telling me."

Back at the shop now. Ember is helping her father finish stocking shelves for the reopening tomorrow. Flarrietta, Flarry, Cinder, and Clod are working too. As they are working Ember has just told Bernie about her first pay check.

"Whoa! That's a lot of money! Maybe I should of become a welder?" 

Flarrietta chimes in, "Are you kidding Bernie? You were made to create this shop."

Flarry says, "It's the gem to our Firetown."

Ember agrees, "Yeah Àshfá."

Cinder goes up to her husband, "You really got a strong heart for this and I wouldn't of had it any other way. Besides doing any repair work always brought out your temper. You hate it and you know it."

Bernie puts his arm around his wife, "Ahh you're right. Serving the community did bring me such happiness. Speaking of happy how are things with you and Wade Ember?"

Ember leans back on a self and has a dreamy look on her face. "Oh Àshfá, he's wonderful stopping by the job site when he can for us to have lunch together. But we haven't gone on a real date in a while because we are both so busy with work."

Flarrietta chimes in again, in support of Ember. "I keep hearing stories about how he has been going door to door in Firetown teaching everyone how to keep water out. Even helping create plains for the repairs of each building. He's the nicest Water guy ever, very polite, and respectful too."

Clod adds, "He gives me water when I'm thirsty since the pipes here don't have water in them anymore."

Ember smiles warmly as her father goes, "Okay okay, I'm warming up to the water guy."

Ember sincerely tells her father, "Thank you Àshfá. You have no idea what that means to me."

Bernie's expression gets a little serious as they walk over to the back, "Hmm, I just wish you guys happiness but I know there will be judgements from others. I wish I knew more on how to protect you from that."

Ember tells her father, "Well, I started talking to Vinny about that, he's one of six kids."

Bernie surprise, "Six?"

Ember laughs then looks at the clock. "Oh, I better get going to Element City."

"Oh?"

Ember forgot to tell her parents, "Yeah Wade invited me over to watch a big Windbreakers game."

Bernie confused, "Wind what? Game?" 

"Glad the Wetro is up and running again but the motorbike would of been a shorter commute." Ember turns and gives her dad a hug. "I'll be back home later on tonight."

Author's Note: WADE IS GETTING A RING!!!! XD

[scented-morker]

Speak now

A beeping sound echoes in the small bakery, the scent of freshly baked cookies enveloping you like a warm hug. A bell over the door jingles as someone enters the shop and you all out a “I’m in the back, I’ll be with you shortly” as you maneuver the hot pan out of the way.

You walk to the front of the store, expecting to see one of the sweet old ladies who frequent your business, and it’s a struggle to hide your surprise when you’re met with the handsome face of a man about your age.

“Uh hello,” a smile situates itself on your face as you approach where the man is standing, admiring the pastries through your display case.

“Hello” he stands up straight, his full height making you crane your neck slightly as he smiles back at you.

“Is there anything I can help you with today?”

He explains that he's getting a party together for the HYBE corporation's end of the quarter celebration, and is looking for a caterer for desserts.

"Oh, yeah absolutely, why don't I set you up with a tasting"

You weren't completely sure what they did in that building, other than that it was fancy and they got paid a lot for it. But an event is an event, and you liked catering events.

"Actually I think I'm good, I already know what I want"

A jolt of surprise runs through your body as he says it, confused on how he could already know. You're very certain he's never been in your business before, as you would definitely remember a face like his.

"Alright then, um how big of a headcount are we looking at"

"About 100 workers and their families, just put me down for," he glances back at the pastry cases to read the tags sitting in front of the baked goods, "75 of those tarts, both in raspberry and mint, 50 of those vanilla twist pastries, and 60 of the chocolate cannoli's"

You furiously scribbled down his order as he spoke, internally freaking out at how much time it would take you to bake everything, eventually looking back up when he stopped talking.

"Okay and that is under what name, and for what date?"

"Lee Heeseung, and next Saturday"

You grimaced at the short notice, thankfully Heeseung didn't notice, writing down the last bit of information on the order slip before shooting him a wide grin.

"Alright I will get that all worked out for you, thank you for the order"

He flashed a beautiful smile and you immediately smiled back, trying your best to ignore the way your stomach did flips at the sight.

"While I'm here, can I also just get whatever that chocolate thing is in the display case"

He said it with a slightly embarrassed chuckle, followed quickly by "just don't tell my boss, he'll probably give my nutritionist a heart attack"

You laughed with him, going to get the pastry he ordered, ringing it up and passing it over the counter, quickly snapping your hands back into yourself at the brush of his fingers.

Heeseung doesn't seem to notice as he takes a seat at one of the tables, continuing small talk with you as you replace items in the display case with fresh ones.

When you finished your task he was still eating and nobody else had come into the store, so you start wiping down the tables around him, accepting his offer when he asks you to sit with him.

"So you own this place?"

"Yep! It was my grandmas before the previous owner took over, and they just happened to be retiring when I graduated so it got passed down to me"

"That's impressive, owning your own business this young"

His eyes shined genuinely when he said it and you could tell that he really was impressed.

"Thank you, I'm very proud of it"

He smiles again and somehow you just know that he's a good person. The way he actually cares about the things you talk about, not just pretending to be interested. You could tell he loved seeing other people happy with the look he gave you when you talked, and maybe it was unreasonable, but right then and there a part of you fell for Lee Heeseung.

"You seem quite impressive yourself, working for a big fancy company like HYBE at your age!" You complimented back.

"Oh it's nothing, just a," he paused for just slightly longer than necessary before saying "an internship."

"That's still so cool! What's it like?"

You propped your chin on your hand as you waited for his response, not noticing the way he stared when you did so.

"Uh it's really not as cool as you think," he brushes off the question, "hey, do you want to go for a walk with me?"

The change of topic caught you slightly off guard, but you recovered quickly, checking the time on the clock and realizing it was time to close.

"Yeah that'd be great, just let me close up"

You go through the routine, counting your cash box and storing away pastries, eventually locking the door behind you as you and Heeseung head out into the evening.

"Where do you want to go?" You ask, since he was the one that suggested a walk, and he smiled back at you as soon as the words left your mouth.

"I thought you'd never ask"

He grabs your hand, excitedly pulling you to follow him as he passed through alleys and patches of trees, before eventually stopping, letting out a "ta-da"

You turn in a slow circle, taking in the view, willow trees hanging down around the bank of a river, small flowers covering the base of the trees.

"Oh my-"

You finally turned back to the man next to you, finding his sparkling eyes already on you.

"This is beautiful Heeseung"

His smile is bright enough to light up the slowly darkening night around you as it graces his face, and he pulls you over to sit down under one of the trees.

"Hey Heeseung, can I ask you something?"

"Yeah sure, anything"

"How'd you already know what you wanted to order? I'm sure I've never seen you in my store before, I would remember you"

"Because I'm just so handsome?" He teases, laughing even harder when you reply "yeah, exactly".

"Well Y/N, can I be honest with you?"

"Yeah, of course"

"I've tasted your food before, even before you owned that place"

Your eyes widened at his confession, head cocking to the side as you tried to think of where he could have had your pastries.

"Were you at an even catered?"

He shakes his head dramatically, mumbling something unintelligible.

"What was that?" You lean closer to try and hear what he says and he looks up then, face mere inches from yours as he repeats himself.

"I said 'you give a girl her first kiss and she doesn't even remember you'"

You let out a small gasp as you realize and your face flares up in embarrassment.

Seventh grade, you had your first kiss with a boy who went to the same music classes as you, and you remember embarrassingly bringing him baked goods every class after that. His name was Heeseung, and now that you think carefully you can see the resemblance to the man sitting in front of you now.

"Oh my gosh that's so embarrassing, how'd you know it was me?"

He decides not to tell you he's remembered you since that little peck in middle school and has been begging his boss to order from your bakery so he would have an excuse to see you again.

"You haven't changed much since seventh grade" was his response instead, and you slapped his arm at the comment.

You two spent the next three hours just talking, catching up on each other's lives and reconnecting after your time away.

Before you knew it the sun had completely set and there were no light posts in the area Heeseung had brought you, you now struggled to see the boys pretty smile only a foot in front of you.

"Its getting late, and you probably have work tomorrow, we should probably start heading back."

He checked his phone at your mention, and you pretended not to notice the giant number of notifications while his eyes widened at the time.

"I didn't even realize it had gotten so late, let me take you back"

You're glad he offered, not sure you would be able to make it back to the cafe without his guidance.

The way back seemed much shorter than when you had been pulled down it earlier that day, and you found yourself disappointed that he didn't grab your hand again.

"Well here we are"

He looked around once you made it back to the familiar building, before turning to you.

"Where's your car?"

"Oh, I live pretty close so I just walk, it's easier than trying to find a parking spot in the city traffic anyway"

He nodded his head along with your statement but then shook his head slightly.

"You can't walk home alone at this time of night"

You felt touched by his concern, but fought him on it anyway.

"It's fine Hee, it's only like four blocks away"

"Nope, no way. That's way too far, come on"

He waved his hand towards you and you looked down at it curiously.

"What?"

"I'm walking you home, now come on"

He grabbed your hand again, both of you smiling at how right it felt.

You reached your house in about five minutes, and you tried to hide your disappointment at the prospect of your fun night coming to an end.

"Do you want to come in"

His eyes lit up at the offer but were quickly turned down to look at his feet.

"I'd love to, but I have work early tomorrow"

"Oh, okay"

It was quiet for a few moments before he made eye contact again, taking a step closer to your body and pulling you in his arms in a friendly hug.

"Thank you"

You hugged him back, wrapping your arms around his torso.

"I should be the one thanking you, that spot was beautiful, and I had a really great time. Thank you for taking me with you"

Little did you know that he wasn't thanking you for the few hours you had spent together. But he said "of course" anyway.

"Well goodnight"

"Goodnight"

You went to go inside, sticking your key in the lock before quickly thinking of something.

"Wait!"

Heeseung looked at you quizzically, waiting for you to say whatever it was you had just thought of.

"I need your number," he raised one eyebrow and you quickly added "so you can text me when you get home safe, I would be an awful friend if I let you get kidnapped after you so graciously walked me home"

He laughed at your reasoning, but handed you his phone anyway as you two quickly added each other's contact.

You took a look at his contact, bursting out in laughter at the sight of it.

"Did you really put your name in as 'Heedungie' with a bunch of hearts?"

He looked proud of himself for making you laugh and he nodded his head.

"Yes, yes I did"

"No fair, give me your phone back I want to give you something embarrassing too"

You didn't think he actually would, but his phone was held out to you and you took it, quickly turning around and taking an exaggeratedly cute selfie to set as the contact picture before putting in a nickname for your name, complete with the same aggressive hearts as his.

"There"

He took the phone back and laughed at the improved contact.

"Perfect"

You shared one last smile before you entered your house, Heeseung leaving your porch after seeing you securely in, making sure he walked a block away before calling his driver so you wouldn't see.

Only once he was safe in the confines of the backseat did he look at the notifications on his phone.

23 missed texts from his father and 7 calls from his mother.

He clicked on the notification, skimming his eyes over the texts, rolling his eyes at their content. He didn't even read all the way through before shutting his phone off, throwing it across the seat for the rest of the ride.

You had just stepped out of the shower when you heard your phone ding, and you paused the music to go check the text.

'Just got home, all in one piece and no kidnapping attempts were made on me'

You laughed at his text, shooting back something along the lines of 'I'm glad to hear that' before heading out of your bathroom to get dressed.

Heeseung texted you a few more times after that, and you found yourself giggling at his messages exactly like seventh grade you did. Eventually you said your good nights, after you had scolded him for staying up when he needed to get up in the morning, and you smiled one last time at the obnoxiously cute contact name before floating off to sleep.

You went to work the next day, and the one after that, and there was no real difference in your life except for the constant texting and the extra bounce in your step. Even your regulars commented on how happy you looked.

Heeseung liked to come to the cafe on his lunch break, and you started making an extra lunch in the morning after the first day when he ordered three pieces of cake as his meal.

It was Thursday, and you were currently trying to find someone to help you bake the giant order for the party.

"Come on please, it's huge, and even one person would be a huge help to me"

"Sorry I can't, I'm babysitting for my neighbors the whole week"

You let out a sigh at yet another no, and put your phone back down on the counter.

You were so absorbed in the call that you hadn't heard Heeseung come in, and you almost screamed when you looked up to see him standing in front of you.

"Woah sorry," he was laughing so he obviously wasn't that sorry, "I didn't want to interrupt your call"

"It's okay"

"What do you need help with?"

It took you a moment to realize he meant the phone call and you let out another sigh at your empty search.

"I'm trying to get someone to help me with the order for the party, it's the biggest order I've gotten and it's just me so I can't make it all in one day by myself"

"Oh," he paused "what are you going to do"

"I don't know" you shrugged, "I'll have to start making things tomorrow, everything that would be able to stay overnight so that I don't have to do it all on Saturday, but even with that I don't know if I'll be able to get everything tomorrow done. Maybe I'll put a hiring sign up and hope someone applies by tomorrow"

He tried to stifle his giggles at how dumb of an idea that would be, but you still noticed.

"Heeeeee," you whined, holding the sound out for longer than needed, "stop laughingggg I know it's dumb. I'm trying to avoid a breakdown okay?"

He finally stopped laughing, and his eyes lit up like he just thought of an amazing idea.

"I can help you!!"

You look at him like he's crazy and he shrugs nonchalantly, "What? It's a good idea."

"No Hee, I would never ask you to do that. Besides it's literally for your order, I'm not making you cook for it, especially not on a work day"

"Nope, it's too late. I've made up my mind. I'm helping you"

"No Heeseung, you're not"

"Yes I am. Okay now I'm gonna run away before you can yell at me more. I'll be here tomorrow at- wait, what time do you even open?"

"Nine AM"

"-Then I will be here at nine AM"

"No Heeseung!"

He takes off running and you try to chase him down, both of your laughter ricocheting off the walls. A few people outside stop and watch as you run like children, most of them smiling at the sight.

"Heeseung"

"Nope, not happening"

He runs around you in a circle, quickly running up to the side of your body giving you a peck on the cheek and then taking off back towards the direction of his work.

"See you at nine AM" is the last thing you hear from him, a quiet message because of how far away he was, even though you know he was shouting when he said it.

You shake your head as you watch him turn the corner, turning around to come face to face with one of your regulars.

"So that's why you've been so happy lately?"

You try to think of something to say, some denial of how smitten you were, but all that came out was a giggle, one that solidified your current appearance of a lovesick school girl. You immediately slapped your hand over your mouth, embarrassed at your reaction, but the woman just laughed before heading into the building, you following shortly after to serve her.

And the next day, right at nine AM, the bell above your door rang, and in came the boy that had been the cause of your racing heart all week.

"Here I am"

"You're the worst"

"You say that, but you're smiling"

"Shut up"

He giggled as he followed you to the back of the building, teasing you more about how you were accepting his help anyway.

"I was hoping you wouldn't show up, but I guess since you're here I might as well get the help"

It wasn't true, you were up all night trying to decipher if he was actually going to show up. You even got out your cute apron and put some extra effort into your appearance this morning.

"I would recommend putting this on"

You toss him an apron to protect his clothes, going behind him and tying a nice little bow. He ignored the way his body tingled where your hands brushed it, and your breath hitched when he turned you around to do the same thing.

"This is my job Hee, I could tie it myself"

"I know," was all he said, letting his hands linger on your waist as he turned you back around to face him.

He tucked a few strands of hair behind your ear, his face a little bit too close to yours.

"Whatcha doing?" Your voice came out as a whisper and the way he smiled made your heart beat even faster then it already was, something you didn't think was possible.

"What do you want me to be doing?"

You gave a small laugh, throwing your arms behind his neck and angling your head up to get closer to the tall man above you.

"Does this answer your question?" You asked, referring to your previous actions.

"I think it's a pretty good indication" he spoke through a smile, leaning down to brush his lips against yours softly.

It was barely a kiss, absolutely no pressure from either end, but the butterflies in your stomach absolutely erupted at the contact, and you couldn't even try for an actual kiss because of the huge smiles on your faces.

"Did you feel it?" He whispered, and even without an explanation you knew what he meant.

A giggle left your lips, "yeah I felt it".

A jingle sounded as someone walked in the store and you pulled away from him to go serve the customer.

He was standing against the counter when you walked in, still just basking in the feeling of what had just happened.

"Alright lover boy, time to get to work"

He smiled at the nickname, coming up to you and spinning you around once, before speaking.

"Yes chef"

You laughed at his antics and gave him directions on how to help you start the tart shell.

By noon you were well ahead of schedule, the playlist you had chosen now blaring as you screamed the lyrics together, flour dusted over your faces as you took a break from kneading the dough for the twists.

"Thank you for this"

"Helping you bake?"

"No, everything else too"

He smiled and pulled you back in, this time for a real kiss.

That night you both went home early so that you could get up early for last minute party prep, after a goodnight kiss (or two, or three, or four...) at the your front door.

"Okay I'll see you tomorrow"

"Can't wait"

He hesitated to pull away from you, not quite wanting to leave, but you pushed him lightly.

"One more?"

He puckered up and you laughed giving him one last kiss before running into your house, hearing his whines through the door.

"Okay baby, I'll see you tomorrow"

You almost screamed when the nickname left his lips and you could hear the laugh he let out when he heard your squeal from the other side of your door.

**

"You can go to the back room, there will be another girl in there and a changing station set up, guests are starting to arrive now"

You listened to the other worker speaking, trying not to show how tired you were after finishing all of the baking that morning.

Following her instructions, you headed to the back room to change out of your sweats and into something more presentable for the party. By the time you had exited the back, you could hear the chatter of people and could tell the party was starting.

They started by giving a small speech about how well they had done that quarter, thanking all of the employees for their work and their families for supporting.

Within 30 minutes you were carrying out trays of your pastries, everyone mostly finished with dinner and some random business video was playing in the front of the room.

You walked out to stand along the wall with the other miscellaneous staff people working the event, and watched as they moved on to giving out awards for things like "best costumer service" and "highest sell rate". The entire time you were looking around for Heeseung, trying to spot him over by some lanky guys who looked like interns, but no luck.

"Alright now that all of the awards have been passed out, an important announcement from CEO Lee"

You looked around trying to spot the man in question, eyes eventually landing on an old man, grey hair and a pinstriped suit, as he used a cane to lift himself out of the chair and up to the stage.

You spotted Heeseung then, sitting at the same table the old man had just left, along with an older looking woman you assumed to be CEO Lee's wife, and another male that looked to be a little older than Heeseung.

You thought about trying to get his attention, but the CEO soon started speaking, and your eyes were pulled away from him.

"As I think we all know, I'm not as young as I was when we started this business," there were a few laughs from around the room, and the man waited for them to be done before moving on. "I don’t want you to worry, I’m perfectly healthy, but I, along with my family, have decided that it would be best for me to step down from the company."

Murmurs erupted throughout the room, and it was enough to tell you that the employees had no prior knowledge of this decision. You look over to Heeseung to gage his reaction, but instead of surprise or confusion, his face is laced with something that looks more like... disappointment? You decide it must be the lighting that's obscuring his actual expression, since that wouldn't make much sense.

"I will be retiring within six months, and my son, I know you've all seen him around the company," the female population seems especially excited about these words, a few turning to make faces at each other, you even hear one say 'hot boss' to her friend.

"Heeseung, please come up here"

You can hardly conceal your shock as you see your Heeseung stand up from his seat and go to the front of the room.

You furrow your eyebrows as he stands next to who you now realize must be his father.

"Heeseung will be taking over the company after my leave"

Your eyebrows shoot up as the words register in your mind.

Heeseung is going to be CEO of this giant company within 6 months.

Maybe you should have been mad that he lied to you, that he hid this part of himself from you. He definitely didn't tell you the position of his father, or the fact that he was going to be coming into said position, but you found yourself realizing that you didn’t really care.

'That's one hell of an internship' was the first thing you thought, and you laughed at yourself for it.

When you zoned back in to what was going on, Heeseung was ending what you figured was a short speech about him taking over, and you clapped along with the rest of the crowd.

His eyes met yours and you swore there was relief on it when he saw you let out a "whoo" along with a few others.

Heeseung steps down from the podium, taking a few hands that were held out to him, giving handshakes and responding to comments from men in high up positions.

You were called to the kitchen to pack up the few pastries that weren't needed, and the loud conversing of voices faded with the closing of the door.

You smiled giddily at yourself while transferring tarts to boxes.

'I can't believe I'm dating the new CEO'

Wait-

We're you dating the new CEO? Technically you'd never gone on a date or at least one that you called a date. And he had never asked you to be his significant other. But you kissed? Multiple times.

"What is going on in that pretty brain of yours?"

You almost dropped the tart in your hand you were so surprised by the voice. A quick look reveals the person that had you so zoned out in the first place.

"You were thinking so hard it looked like smoke was about to come out of your ears"

You can't help but laugh at his words, finally continuing your actions of packing up the food and thinking up a lie.

"Just thinking about how my little intern became CEO in a week," worry crossed his face, but it disappeared immediately when you continued, "you must have been an AMAZING intern"

He laughs and moves next to you to help.

"So I might have lied a little bit"

"A little bit?"

You raise your eyebrows at him and he corrects himself with a laugh.

"Okay it was kinda big, but I just didn't want you to treat me different or anything"

He gives you his big doe eyes as you place the last pastry in the box, sealing it up to be taken to your car.

"Hee, you know I'm not mad right?"

"Really?"

"Yeah"

He smiles, and you realize too late why he's coming closer to you, your feet leaving the floor as he spins you around.

"Hee, Hee, stop" you laugh out, and he finally puts you back on the ground.

"Okay, so you don't hate me"

You cup his face, leaning in until your noses are almost touching.

"Correct, I don't hate you"

"Then in that case," he backs up and you pout at the increased distance.

He takes your hands in his, looking at you in a way that has your knees about ready to collapse.

"Would you want to be, my official official, girlfriend?"

You giggle at how he seemed to have the perfect timing, pulling on his hands to finally plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"I would love to"

Part II

[symphonic-scream]

Digimon au Group 2: Marinette, Alya, Nino, and Adrien

All four were in different places before they were pulled in. Marinette was waiting by her computer for an update on the internship she applied for, Alya working away on a research paper in the back of a library at an old computer, Nino editing his latest short film, and Adrien was watching something on like Netflix or something

When Alix reopens the portal to the digital world, it's not just on Max's computer. These four get sucked in as well, pulled in like the other three were

Nino comes to first, in a dusty alley in what looks like an abandoned city. He stumbles out into the street, the world around him silent as he tries to figure out where he is. He finds Alya waking up on a bench across the street, and they introduced themselves

They haven't been together long before they hear someone shouting from one of the nearby buildings. Marinette is leaning out of a broken window, looking around for any sign of life. Alya kinda shout/talks with her for a moment and convinces her to come down, they'll meet in the lobby, where they find Adrien in an empty fountain

All awake, they properly introduce themselves and try to figure out what happened. Alya pulls out her phone only to see it's replaced with the same digivices Alix, Max, and Kim got in the first post. Marinette's is black, Adrien's white, Nino's blue, and Alya's a dark blood orange. With them all pulled out, they start to glow, bringing forth their digimon partners

(see post 1 for explanation of the evolution stages) their digimon appear before them in the Training stage

For Marinette, Moonmon

Adrien, Sunmon

Alya gets Viximon

And Nino gets Nyaromon

They all kinda freak out, Adrien being instantly excited, Marinette very wary and all that. There's that bit of explanation that theyre in the digital world, these are their digimon partners, they've been brought there for a reason but they can't remember it

The group agrees to explore the city more to find maybe some food, water, a warm place to sleep that night, and find many shops fully stocked, completely abandoned, but the food and stuff isn't expired, rather it's really fresh. Alya and Nino pilfer some backpacks and stock up, while Adrien and Mari study a map on the side of what looks like a bus station

When Alya and Nino rejoin them on the street, that's when some machine digimon finds them. Starts doin that "threat detected" type shit, and oh no they have to book it someplace safe-

They get chased into an alley, where their devices glow as their partners digivolve into their Rookie stage (the typical standard one) to protect them-

Lunamon for Marinette

Adrien gets Coronamon

I caved and gave Alya Renamon

And for Nino, Salamon

They do their best to fend it off, and only manage to get a window to run off back into the streets to find a building to hide in for the night

They bunker up in what looks like a movie theatre, but all the movie posters look like knock offs of real movies but the actors are replaced with random Digimon-

With no knowledge to go on, they decide that when the morning comes, they'll head out to explore, and try to find out why they're there, and maybe a way to get home. They will eventually find what connects them, and what connects all the other teens dragged in too

Now onto the crests-

Mari and Adrien are two sides of the same coin in a way, sharing two half's of the Balance crest; Adrien Light, Marinette Dark. Adrien starting with a tendency to see good even where there isn't, and Marinette with evil. They have to accept the world is a greyscale mess, more than two tones, and that you gotta have a mix of darkness and light

Alya's got Ambition. She's always throwing herself headfirst into her projects, shooting for greater and greater heights with reckless abandon. Just like the myth of Icarus, if she soars too close to the sun, she'll plummet back down. So she has to learn that while having ambition is a virtue, it's still one she has to manage, by taking care of herself along the way

I gave Nino Friendship. Having been a loner for a while, Nino is struggling with the idea of what it means to be a good friend, to really be there for his friends. Is he doing enough? Too much? Things happen that make him feel like a shitty friend along the way, and he's gotta realize that it's a two way street; he can't put all the blame on himself, and all that communication stuff

Design time!

For Marinette, I'm thinking maybe charcoal or black denim overalls, the kind that end in shorts, yeah? Worn with a white long sleeved shirt with cherry blossoms going down the sleeves?? Little red ribbons for the pigtails, and those Toms shoes in light pink

Alya's got those high waisted jeans? The bigger ones, I don't know what they're called. With like, a wrestle mania shirt under a big flannel, she still has her glasses, and I'm a sucker for her shoes so I'm keeping them

Keeping the bright blue shirt for Nino, along with the hat. Grey jacket with a darker hood, dark brown khakis, probably some red or blue converse style shoes. He also gets to keep his glasses

And finally, Adrien. That graphic t-shirt look with the coloured stripes on a mid grey, with a collared, short sleeve black shirt over it. Some blue jeans, and some black and green sneaks

--

Yeah here's group 2. Yay. More Digimon au- I'll be making the group 3 post soon, with there being 6 groups in total. Feel free to let me know what you think, or if you have any questions

[someonexsomeone]

To My Best Friend

Title: To My Best Friend

Author: SomeonexSomeone

Word Count: 1609

AU: BestFriend!Johnny

Summary: It’s soft BestFriend!Johnny hours, where you both have to learn that separation is a part of growing up.

Authors Note: Wow! Another story without pairing. This was sparked from my roommate and I realizing one day we will have to live away from each other, which is absolutely heartbreaking. Tweaked a little to fit Johnny, but the feelings are still there. As always, comments and criticism are welcome!

When they first left each other after high school, they made a mutual promise to facetime once a week. Usually, this involved watching movies or tv together, but sometimes it would just be quiet - only scratching pens or the keys clicking away to fill the void of conversation. It was just as good as being in the same room, right? But Johnny’s dream took him to Korea, working alongside other students as they all worked towards debuting into the music world. 

That day...it was impossible not to think about it fondly. The day that Johnny left for Korea was monumental for two reasons. One, Johnny Suh was accepted into his dream company and had a high likelihood of debuting with major success. And two, Johnny Suh was a sneaky genius. 

"There's a flight that leaves in two hours to New York City," Johnny offhandedly mentioned as the two of you stood in front of the departures. Johnny was finally heading off to Korea of officially start major training, and as his best friend, you would be accompanying him up until the absolute last minute. How could you not? Your best friend in the whole world was leaving for a completely different country for who knows how long. There was no way you weren’t going to at least party it up a little with him before he was gone forever (and by ‘party it up’ it meant sightseeing and trying not to cry about his leaving). So here you now stood, feet planted firmly in front of the ‘Departing’ board, trying with minimal luck to find your gate. You hummed at his statement, but made no further comment, still searching the board. "You should take it." That made you look up at him instantly.

"What?” 

"I said, you should take it. The plane. To New York City." Johnny's voice was still unreadable. You scrunched your nose at his tone.

"Why on earth would I get on a plane to New York?"

"Because it's the best location for you to go." You finally turned your body fully to your best friend, but Johnny continued to stare straight forward.

 "Johnny, we're supposed to be dropping you off at SM, not taking a surprise detour to New York." Johnny signed heavily, his hands coming up to rest gently on your shoulders.

"You're my best friend in the whole world, and I hope you know I love you more than anything. But your ass is getting on that plane." You opened your mouth in protest, but all it took was a shake of Johnny's head to get you to shut up. "The lease on your parent's apartment is up at the end of this month, which, may I remind you, is in 8 days. I know they would love for you to continue to stay there, but I know you hate how closely they watch you. And I know you haven't been able to find another place - don't say anything, I'm still talking - despite your lame attempts to hide it. New York has everything you'd need, which includes tons of opportunities just waiting for you. You need to take that chance and go for it. You'll regret it your whole life if you don't."

Would you regret it? 

Yes, it was true that you hadn't been able to find another place to live, but nothing you had looked at felt right. It just felt wrong to stay in Chicago without Johnny. And yeah, you were slacking on school. It had been months since college started but you had put off applying for so long, too wrapped up in lame excuses - I'm tired, I have work, I can't do it right now. And after your horrible manager fired you for a mistake you were wrongfully blamed for, you hadn’t been doing much. Maybe jumping straight in would be the best option. You would have no excuse to slack off...

"But how would I even live there? I don't have enough money to live in New York," you finally said. Johnny gave you a sly smile.

"I heard there's a lady who owns a building in Queens who is renting to poor college students. Apparently, she has a real soft spot for struggling kids. Something about being a good person or whatever.” Johnny reached up and ruffled your hair playfully. “And, you know, since I already did all this research you should also know that your plane ticket can be exchanged for another flight.” Softly, he added, “If you wanted to, that is."

"Johnny, this is crazy!” You couldn’t help it. Your voice came out shrill, but the surprise was too much to keep your voice calm. It echoed off the walls of the large room, so in a quieter voice, you continued, “You want me to completely drop my life just like that? What about the rest of my stuff?"

"Come on, the flight is in two hours. Plenty of time to get back to the apartment and pack. I know for a fact that all of the stuff you really care about can fit into a suitcase."

You were spellbound. Your friend - your beautiful, kind-hearted, absolutely bat-shit crazy best friend - had gone out of his way in the most stressful time in his life to make sure that his best friend was going to be okay. The tears couldn't be stopped as they started to roll down your cheeks - huge, wet globs that turned black from your cheap mascara and formed a Y shape around your quivering lips. You couldn't help it. You threw your arms around Johnny, sobbing loudly in the middle of the airport for all to see. Onlookers starred as Johnny smiled and patted you gently on the back, stroking your hair.

You did end up taking that plane to New York. You had to practically beg to live in the house Johnny recommended, and spent your first day in New York sending out as many resumes as you could. Full-time, part-time, internships - whatever you could find, you sent. Worked as a waitress at a horrible nightclub near the apartment for a month. Lived like you were in college, with no solid furniture or regular eating habits. Even lived without heat for a while just to keep the WIFI running. But, you were happy.

Across the world, Johnny was thriving in his new location. You called as much as you could, which was a lot more than Johnny was available. Still, just the happy melody of his tone was enough to keep you relatively worry-free. Johnny told you stories of the amazing people he’d met already, a boy named Sehun was particularly fun to be around, apparently, and he made you laugh with all the crazy things he somehow managed to get up to. 

Months continued on and you got an internship position at a company for something you were really interested in. Unpaid, for the first six months, but better than nothing. You still worked as a waitress, thankfully at a nice restaurant that didn’t have men leering at you the whole time, waiting to apply for a full-time position. But, even better, the college in New York accepted your application, a hefty scholarship taking a weight off your shoulders and the answer much too easy. You remember the smile on Johnny’s face, megawatt despite the dark circles under his eyes, and congratulated you a thousand times over. A few weeks later, a package full of Korean treats arrived in the mail, a beautiful handwritten card with almost completely illegible handwriting attached along with it that only read ‘love you bitch’. You still had it to this day, hung up on the wall among your other photos.

And when you finally earned enough money, Johnny flew all the way from Korea during his break to help you apartment hunt. It was, of course, exactly like the movies portrayed with blue skies, mile-high skyscrapers, and bustling streets - except every apartment was dingy and small and could barely contain a person, let alone a bed. But you still laughed along with the realtors, both desperate and otherwise (because let’s be honest - most people would live in a roach-infested apartment just to stay in New York), ate cheap hot dogs in between showings, and even managed to drive down to Chicago so Johnny could see his family (which was practically your family too). 

And, for the first time since high school, you and Johnny were able to eat together, hug each other, and hang out day and night in person, not keeping your relationship of fast facetime calls with blurry images and indistinguishable audio. You realized just how much you missed Johnny Suh, just how much your life revolved around your best friend, and how much of a comfort Johnny was for you. When no one else was there, Johnny always was, ready to hold your hand our of the darkness.

In that quiet, black night, you rolled over and hugged Johnny close, just one more time. In the morning, Johnny Suh and you would once again be across the world from one another. In the morning, Johnny Suh would be boarding his plane back to Korea and you would be signing a form to stay permanently in New York, and your lives will once again be separated. But, that’s all for the morning. For now, you will hold Johnny close, listening to his deep breath as he finally gets a good night's sleep, feel as his soft hair glides through his fingers, smile as he wraps his arms just as tightly around you, and treasure the moments you still have left.

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