#or maybe go through the books and find a place to spin off that buddy cop jame & archiem arranged marriage fic
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Things That I Use To Help Manage My ADHD and Executive Dysfunction
1. To Do Lists
I know, I know.
Making a list is boring. I lose the paper. I forget to make the to do list.
Believe me, I know.
I've been there, but trust me it does help once you get into the habit.
Here's some tips on how to get started
Try making your list in a digital app or a document file so you don't lose it
Sticky notes in a place you're sure to see them
An erasable board like a marker board or a chalkboard that you keep up in a specific place and never move. Like on the wall or the fridge.
Put "make 'to do' list" on the to do list so you don't forget to do it
Set aside a certain time to fill out or check off the list each day. Consistency is key.
Use calendars, alarms, and timers liberally to keep track of appointments and to manage your time so you don't hyper-focus on something to the determinant of more important things
But be flexible for things that don't have deadlines or appointments. Don't beat yourself up if something doesn't get done, just add it back onto the list for next time
2. Randomizers
Part of the problem with executive dysfunction is being overwhelmed by choice. So I keep a few randomizer websites booked marked that I use regularly
Wheel pickers
List randomizers
Random number generators
Like I keep my list of projects on a wheel picker app. And my chores that I don't have deadlines for on another. When making my to do list I'll spin the wheel to pick the project or chore that I'm going to work on that day.
I do the same when picking out albums to listen to or movies to watch so I don't go doom scrolling while wasting time deciding.
3. Meal Planning
Similar to the above, I take one day out of the week to draw up my meal plan for the next week.
Use this time to take stock of your pantry and fridge. What needs to get used up?
Anything special you want to fix over the week or weekend? Save the recipes to a document or leave a bookmark in your cookbook
Overwhelmed with choices or just don't know what to do with certain ingredients? Try a randomizer or an app like supercook to come up with ideas.
After you've taken inventory of your kitchen and figured out any special recipes you want to make, go ahead and fill out your grocery list
Set aside time on your to do list for shopping, meal prep, and cooking through out the week.
Pre-plan what days/times you are going to eat out or get takeout and work that into the meal plan/budget
Budget not only your money but also your time. How long will this recipe take to prep/cook? How much effort will it require of me? Is there any shortcuts I can take to make things easier, like buying my veggies already diced?
Try using an app to keep track of your meal plan, grocery list, and recipes so that they're all in one place
4. Mental Health Apps
I like Booster Buddy, but it's no longer supported for newer devices. I have also used Finch. But at the end of the day it doesn't matter which app you choose.
The point of having a program dedicated for mental health is to have a handy way to check in on yourself and see how you are feeling. Many apps will offer visual cues to allow you to break down your motivation and energy levels.
This will help give you a guideline for the day so you don't stretch yourself too thin.
A good app will also offer little suggestions and tips to help improve your mood or provide genteel reminders for small things that help with self care.
But most importantly it will help you spot patterns over time so you can better notice ongoing problems or see gradual changes as you get better.
5. Finding and Avoiding What Triggers My Dissociation
This is the hardest one.
I suffer from Maladaptive Daydreaming on top everything else which only makes my ADD and Executive Dysfunction even worse.
For others it maybe obsessive compulsion or a tendency to hyper-focus.
Things that I found that can be triggers are boredom, anxiety, isolation, health/dietary complications, and even the weather.
So here's some things I noticed that help
Set aside a certain time during the day to read/watch the news and then ignore it for the rest of the day. Yes be informed, but don't obsess.
Get your news from actual reputable news sources and not social media! Avoid algorithms feeding you negativity.
If you want to be more politically active schedule time for it, get involved with actual charities or political organizations, and then go about your regular business afterwards
Limit social media time. For me it's mornings before work for about 30mins, and then maybe an hour after work.
Curate your online experience. Block what you need to. Unfollow who you see fit. Social media should be fun not stressful.
Talk to other people! Make plans to hang out on weekends or call/text someone during the weekday. Try to make contact with another human being in some form everyday for at least a few mins, even if it's just online in a discord chat.
Have a book or notepad handy for when you get bored at work. Read, write, or draw during your downtime so you don't start staring off into space.
Keep a short list of fun things to do handy if you feel bored at home.
Set aside time to daydream/worry/plan/meditate/decompress. You need to mentally unwind at some point. The goal is to have that time per-planned so that it doesn't distract from other needed tasks. Getting into a routine with that time will also help.
Eating enough iron/vitamin C/protein ect. Food is energy and you need energy to focus. Meal planning will help with this.
TAKE YOUR MEDS!!!
Sometimes the weather will make you groggy, irritated, or anxious. There's not much you can do about this other than to accept it and just try your best.
You can however plan for bad weather ahead of time. Go to the National Weather site to find out about upcoming weather in your area and to figure what you need to be prepared for it. Try getting into the habit of doing this regularly.
#adhd#mental health#I am not a doctor#these are just things that help me#they might be helpful you#but don't treat my advice as medical orders
14 notes
¡
View notes
Note
I'm thinking of reading Kencyrath, but I'm not sure whether i'll like it. What do you like about the series? Who would you recommend it for?
OKAY SO, first, the people I would recommend it to:
Anyone who read or watched more than half a book/four episodes of Game of Thrones--the Kencyrath has a similar list of trigger warnings, but commits much harder to the fantasy angle, and in my opinion deals more directly with the ethical problems raised by those trigger warnings
People who like those posts picking apart the minutiae of how high fantasy worlds work--the Kencyrath is one of the only series Iâm familiar with that answers the question of âokay great you have a warrior race, so how does that actually workâ with âit kind of doesnât, everyone is starving half the time because weâre all warriors and our land can barely grow food, so if our mercenaries donât get paid, we donât eatâ
People who like a mix of âlow fantasyâ moral questions (the first book is kind of like...hm, Lies of Locke Lamora?) with classic âhigh fantasyâ political machinations and battles of good vs evil and such--the Kencyrath HAVE a grand sweeping destiny more or less on their doorstep, but theyâve sort of fallen down on the job about it
People who like books that deal with trauma recovery--Jame, the main character, spends most of her time trying to drag herself (and, ideally, her brother, cousin, and entire race) out of the cycle of abuse that theyâve all lived through, and every character has, to some extent, a trauma that shapes their actions one way or another
People who donât mind a big cast as long as there are a couple main characters to focus on--the Kencyrath ends up being a pretty expansive cast, with a lot of schemes running at any given time, but it always revolves around Jame and her twin brother Tori
People who like complex societal worldbuilding and Loyalty Stuff--the Kendar/Highborn dynamic (warrior class/ruling class) is so wonderfully messed up and I love how seriously the books take both the advantages and massive pitfalls of that kind of society
People who listened to TAZ Balance and thought that the Hunger was really cool and terrifying and wanted a whole book series about the sequence where the world is fighting it
Anyone who ever read a standard high fantasy book with a Rambunctious Young Lady as the lead and went âthis is fine, but if youâre going to spend 250 pages telling me that this girl is wild and uncontrollable, I would like to see her go completely feral, pleaseâ--Jameâs brain plays Yakety Sax 24/7 and you can TELL, so if you ever wanted a book where the Unladylike Lead Character goes genuinely apeshit, but also learns how to make friends and respect the value of traditionally feminine work even if itâs not for her
People I would recommend NOT read the Kencyrath:
Anyone who knows they are triggered by written discussion of assault, abuse, sexism, coercion, torture, flashbacks, racism, murder, or basically any other major trigger warning--I personally think the books deal with things pretty well, and theyâre never grimdark, but they deal with a lot of incredibly heavy material, including child abuse, sexual assault, coercion, and torture. If you know you have a major trigger that really messes you up when you read about it, please exercise caution and feel free to contact me for more details. Also, if you have a specific trigger and want a different book recommendation, I have them on tap. Â
Anyone who struggles to read or connect with âproblematicâ characters--pretty much every character in this series will EVENTUALLY do something you donât like, including Jame. The books go very hard on âwho you are is defined by how you handle making an irreparable mistake,â so be prepared for that. If this is your hard stop but everything else is fine, I would recommend the Imperial Radch series by Ann Leckie (spaceships and war crimes and found family), or something by Robin McKinley (mostly fantasy), especially the Damar books or Sunshine!
Anyone for whom incest between twins is a hard stop--the primary romantic relationship is Jame/Tori, and while I would consider it easily the healthiest relationship in the series, thatâs the ship and you should be aware of it. If this is your hard stop but everything else is fine, I would recommend the Captive Prince series by CS Pacat (political scheming and romance) or the Winternight trilogy by Katherine Arden (fairy tale fantasy)!
The stuff I like about the series:
Jame. I love that sheâs allowed to be completely unhinged. I love that she faces consequences for her actions. I love her determination to slit reality open and lay it all out like a scientist in her search for the truth. I love her willingness to face unpleasant realities, and I love the times when she canât bear them and has to figure out how to deal. I love every second she spends trying to figure out how honor works, and whether itâs even possible for a Highborn to be honorable, and how she can save her people without sacrificing who she is. I love to watch people pick a fight with her and immediately learn the error of her ways.
Tori. I know I pick on him a lot, and he deserves to be picked on, but Tori is really one of my favorite characters. He struggles a lot more than Jame to move past their fatherâs abuse, and he makes a lot of genuinely harmful choices in the depths of that struggle, but I love watching the times where he wins. It makes me frustrated beyond words when he caves to what he was taught, but Iâm always elated when he can push past that and reveal the deeply loyal, sincerely honorable, incredibly good person that he became in spite of their father. Heâs a good leader, despite everyoneâs best efforts, and I love to see him fight for his people. Love to see him consider HIMSELF one of âhis peopleâ someday.
Kindrie. I wonât say too much about him, except that I didnât actually like him that much when I first read the books, for basically the exact reasons Jame didnât like him much at first--heâs someone doing trauma recovery in the exact opposite way that I was comfortable with. But god I love him so much, he is doing his best and his best is so much better than anyone would expect, from his past. Truly the best boy in the Kencyrath, wise beyond his years and just insane enough to get into the disasters where heâs most needed.
The Kendar. Instead of making this post 4k with individual bullet points about every Kendar I love, here is a brief litany. I love Marc because heâs the only stable person in the Kencyrath. I love Brier because sheâs doing her best and it would be okay if everyone (including her) admitted that she doesnât always know what that actually means. I love Burr and Rue because their rabid determination to turn Tori and Jame (Confirmed Feral Cats) into real nobility will never NOT be funny to me. I love Sheth Sharp-tongue because heâs the only person with his shit so together that not even Jame can ruffle him. I love the Randir Kendar who didnât move, at the start of Bound in Blood. The Kendar are the most nuanced take on the concept of an eternally loyal warrior caste Iâve ever seen and I love them.
The Villains. I believe I have established that I love a nuanced villain. The Master is a pretty straight up and down villain figure, the voice of the darkness, John Hunger or Saruman or whatever else you might like to compare him to, but no one else is that simple. I love the Dreamweaver, who didnât know what she was doing and paid for it anyway. I love Tyrandis, who knew what he was doing and did it and spent his eternity trying to fix it without breaking a single rule. I do NOT love Caldane, but heâs a kind of viscerally real, slimy evil that is exceptionally well executed. Likewise, I would like Rawneth to die, painfully, in short order, but godDAMN watching her chessboard unfold over the course of the books is hypnotic. The villains in this are GOOD, folks, and I like them.
I really need to wrap this up, so my last pick for what I like is Overpowered Characters. I complain a lot about media that panics over powerful characters, and responds by taking that power away, or having unstable worldbuilding that means the character is weak when the narrative demands it. The Kencyrath doesnât do that. Jame is bonkers powerful from day one, and pretty much maintains that level through the series. Instead of focusing on characters building their power, like leveling in DnD, the Kencyrath focuses on the question of using power. Jameâs power in the first book is terrifying not just because sheâs insanely strong, but because she has no idea how to use it. Likewise, Tori is determined pretty quickly to be at the same level that she is, but heâs in such deep denial that heâs as likely to kill himself as do anything useful. Itâs just very SATISFYING, okay, to have a series actually do interesting things with OP characters. Sure, in a weird way Jame seems less like a magical nuke in book 8 than in book 1, but itâs because sheâs not just throwing power around like someone playing darts blindfolded. And watching her figure out how to harness her power into something useful is so gratifying.
#kencyrath#chronicles of the kencyrath#book rec#my a+ number one alternative book rec if you don't think you want to read the kencyrath because of jame/tori is the captive prince#also i know those other book recs seem arbitrary but they're NOT okay i've thought about this#ANYWAY#A N Y W A Y#i hope this was enlightening anon#i'm sorry it got so long but i would need to know a little more about you personally to be more specific#if you have specific concerns please feel free to hit me up#anyway i'm listening to tam lin by tricky pixie and thinking big thoughts about some kencyrath aus after writing this#i need to get back into the me trilogy so i can actually write some stuff for the mass effectyrath au#or maybe go through the books and find a place to spin off that buddy cop jame & archiem arranged marriage fic#OH or to shove a lotus eater plot in there#what are some other good settings...hm actually i'd love to do a hanahaki au of gates of tagmeth#Let Torisen Be Aggressively Confronted With The Reality Of His Feelings 2021#(i should try and figure out what i was doing with this three pages of soulmate su actually)#(i have no idea what past me was doing)#(but 'you get a mark for your soulmate and also for every lord you're bound to' kinda slaps as a concept)#a queue we will keep and our honor someday avenge#ALSO MY QUEUE TAG IS FROM THE KENCYRATH#Anonymous#asked and answered
35 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Winter Flowers
18+ only, please. Sexual Content with some fluff. Language, oral sex, fingering, and unprotected sex.
Autumn Flowers - Spring Flowers - Summer Flowers - Autumn Vows
My master list and my Chris list.
When the air turns freezing, Chris noticed the newest vase sitting beside the toaster in the kitchen. He stroked a finger down the side of the snowdrop, tilting it up to lean down and breathe it in. When had you brought this one home?Â
The vase was a crystal blue, white snowflakes patterned it â Chris thought of the blue scarf you wear, the way you bundled yourself in it, layering with a matching hat and a down jacket. He loved watching you wrap it around and around until it sits right along your shoulders and bury your face in the warmth of it before peering at him with bright eyes.Â
He thought of the last autumn piece that sat in the middle of the table at thanksgiving and how happy you were when his Mom complimented the choices.Â
You loved so many things, always pointing out books, movies, and different hobbies you rotated between. He could get you something personal? Maybe something he knew you would never buy yourself but would use it daily, or he could go the extravagant root and take you on a trip to somewhere you always wanted to go?
Hmm, this would be the first Christmas the two of you planned to spend together.
He rubbed a petal between his fingers, being careful not to tear the fragile flower, and thought over what he could get you.Â
Oh, that would be nice.Â
Youâd always wanted to see Europe and Chris had been there more times than he could keep track of. Heâd love to see the sights through fresh eyes and watch the way you reacted to it. How would you feel if he brought you to Greece? To Rome? Walked the louvre in Paris with you or see the mountains of Ireland?Â
Although, much like him, you werenât a fan of large, loud surprises and he knew heâd have to talk you through it between the long airplane trips and being in an unfamiliar place. Heâd save that idea for later, for an anniversary or a getaway that the both of you wish to take.Â
Could he put something together for you? Maybe a collection of your favorite things or an edit of your favorite behind the scene videos he takes on set; that would be both personal and extravagant â kinda. He could think of plenty of things he could put together. Howâd he present it to you, the way heâd add brief clips of the two of you together and make sure you had copies for when you were away? There is also the thought of a grand gesture-Â
Wait - he looks around the room, notices the jacket you had hanging by the closet, the glass of water you had on the side table, an extra pair of glasses leaning against the lamp from where youâd thrown them off last night. Chris knew if he opened the bottom two drawers of his closet shelves heâd find clothes, toiletries, and other small things you may need while you were staying at his place.Â
He rose to his feet to walk through his house, pointing out things to himself that you had left around or things you even purchased for yourself. The lactose free milk in the fridge, your favorite brand of cereal on the shelf, the Hawaiian comfort rolls you love, and the brand of ice coffee you drank.Â
There was a pair of shoes he knew you were standing next to his and one of your smartwatches hanging from his key chain hooks. Spinning around his living room in a full circle, Chris paused, stopping to sit down on his couch and think through what he knew heâd get you for Christmas.
-
You knocked, which meant you had a bouquet to replace the dying one in the dining room. Chris smiled, looked at the box that sat on the coffee table.Â
âAlright Buddy, tonightâs the night.â He mumbled to Dodger as he followed the canine towards the front door.Â
You wore the blue scarf. It highlighted the redness of your cheeks and the bouquet you held up had a bag of starburst jelly beans nestled in the middle. âTheres more where that came from.â You grinned wide, shoving your way in as Chris grabbed for the bag and started opening it.Â
âWhen did flowers produce Jelly Bean? Or did you get bored one week and experimented again?âÂ
You turned off the heel of your foot, moving the vase to rest on your hip to point a finger at him. âGet snarky, and Iâll have to punish you, and, if you recall, I was very high when that happened.âÂ
Chris chuckled, stepping forward to wrap an arm around your waist and pull you in, being careful not to knock the vase you held. You hummed as he pressed you against his chest. His lips ghost your forehead, your cheek, then drew you in, leaning into you as you tipped up on your toes, push deeper into the kiss. Chris licked the seam of your lips, plunging in when you opened your mouth, and he tasted the peppermint hot chocolate youâd stopped to get.Â
You were intoxicating. Something precious and wild he could hold in his arms, could lift until you had your legs around his waist and he could carry you towards the living room. He felt drunk on the roll of your hips after heâd gotten your jeans down, your underwear following with a soft brush down your legs, his tongue spreading you open after he trailed kissing up your calf and thigh. The moan of his name surged him upwards to share the taste of you. His fingers plunged into you, lifting your hip into the jut of his sweats covered cock.Â
He could kiss you forever, listen to the sounds you made when he gripped you, when he sat the vase on the hallway shelf and tipped you into the wall.
You groaned, both arms wrapping around his back, one sliding to the top of his ass and the other pushing into his shoulder and pulling him closer.
âFuck!â You jerked, eyes slipping close, his palm ground into your clit, fingers searching for the spongy part that made you tighten up, claw at his shoulder and, âGod dammit, fuck, fuckâungh!â Thatâs what he craved, what he ached for on long trips away from you and nights when you couldnât stay. You shivered under him, pulsing around his fingers your mouth open, breathing hard as your head tilts backwards when his fingers starting stroking you again, slower, without rhythm.Â
âI left your gift here.â You breathed out.Â
Chris bobbed his head. âUh, I would have noticed a package.âÂ
You shark grinned, âWould you?â Your hand moved from his back to his cock, pressing down, gripping the outline of him to rub against him.Â
âHow?â You pulled at the drawstrings, slid both your hands to his ass and pushed into the waistband, grabbing at him to grind his cock into your heat.Â
âFuck me and Iâll tell you.â He wouldnât argue with that.
Sinking into you was a dream. The gasp you draped over his lips when he first presses in, the tightness of your thigh beneath his hand, the way you groaned when he used the other hand to tug your head back. He licked down your neck, over your throat and back up to nip at the skin beneath your chin. He snapped his hips to match the drop of yours and it dragged him into a pool of heat.
How could he have this every day, every night, for the rest of his life? What made him this lucky to get your âGood luckâ messages when he did an interview or went to an award show? The ways you helped to center him when everything felt out of control. Did he make a wish, one heâd long forgotten, for the best person to enter his life be you?
What deity out there allowed him to have someone that was their own true self, not for another person, but for themselves. Who worked at discovering a life they could cultivate for themselves without turning to resentment and lack of patience. A partner who showed up on his doorstep with flowers and warmth he wanted to bask in. Above all else; what made him take so long to find you?Â
He buried his face in your neck when you dug your nails into his back, grabbed at his hips and fucked yourself down onto him. âSuch a good boy.â You praised him, âRight there - right there, baby.â He ground down, helpinh you rub your clit along him, love feeling you drip and lifted his head in time to watch your eyes roll up, your mouth fall open and a deep guttural moan wet your lips.Â
âGod, fucking dammit, Baby, baby, yes.â Chris went faster, wrapped both your legs round his waist, slid his hand under your hips to push you up and dropped his head back down to help angle himself deeper, âI want this every fucking day. I donât want to be anywhere but inside you; with you.â You started fucking back against him. The tremor of your legs driving him forward, hips snapping as fast as he could go while you clawed at his back and dug into his cheeks.Â
âAlways! Always, my sweet boy, my love.â You always kissed these words against his cheeks when he was like this. When he wanted to bathe in you. Be a part of you.Â
When he felt you squeeze yourself around him, shivering through another orgasm, he growled your name and spilled into you, fucking his hips in and out to feel your wetness and his come mix.Â
As you both calmed down, breathing heavy, letting the sweat that collected cool your bodies â Chris caught the look in your eyes that made his chest grow tight and happy shivers dance down his spine.Â
Itâs okay.
âCome here often?â Chris barked out a laugh, your own joining in and it to mingle together and snapped something loose through his body.
âMove in with me.â slipped past his lips, followed by an embarrassed, âI swear that was plannedâuh differently though. I got you a key.â His stomach dropped, neck prickling with panic that you be upset at his timing. Maybe youâd let him down easy, or youâd tell him you donât feel comfortable moving in with him; which is okay.
Chris knows itâs okay.
Your body pushed his soft cock out as you set up underneath him and leaned forward to nip at his shoulder, âSure.âÂ
He jerked from the shock of your teeth and the answer you so readily gave him as if youâd been willing to offer it all along.Â
âReally?âÂ
You moved again to shove him back and climb into his lap, âI donât know if you noticed but I basically already live here, Evans.â
You rolled your hips above him and Chris lost his track of thought to the twitch of his sprung cock. His last coherent thought whispering that he was going to live with you and pick out flowers together.
I want to shout out to @bolontiku and @xoxoloverb and my partner's partner for dealing with me.
53 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Warning: NSFW 18+ Content. Sexual intercourse, angst, pregnancy, cursing, fluff, degrading, etc.
Words: 1.6k
Check out my other works here
A/N: I just realized there isnât much talking at all. Iâll make up for it in part four. This shit is sad. I am sad so itâs fitting. Iâm sorry in advance. I hope you enjoyed.
Part Two | Finale
Tags: @awilddreamerwrites @miriobaby @lanarist @peachsenpie @milkthistletea @sickchildren @bakugousbrat @lil-miminini @tremendouswolfsaladranch @ssplague @vinny-likes-to-play21
Not every story has a happy ending. Y/N is learning this the hard way.
âCEO of Bakugo Industires, Katsuki Bakugo, shows off his new girlfriend at the Industry Ceremony tonightââ
You turn your phone off. Your red, swollen tear filled eyes could not look at the words and pictures anymore. The press sure did know how to capture the modelâs perfect angles. A courtesy they would never give you if you were ever lucky to fill her shoes.
The way Katsukiâs muscular arm snaked around her tiny little waist made you fall ill. The flash of his glamorous smile filled your broken one with rage.
Your ears are filled with the salty liquid that flowed from your orbs. You are not even sure how you are still breathing. It shouldnât hurt this much. It shouldnât feel like this. You are just fuck buddies.
Were just fuck buddies.
The words will not stop replaying in your head. Itâs been over a month. Itâs spinning on a broken record player. All the emotions you felt in that moment intensify with each passing day. You should hate him for abandoning you, but your heart cannot do so. All you wanted was him.
You knew better than to fall for Katsuki. He told you to keep your feelings out of your sexual relations with him yet here you are, sobbing into your bedroom pillow, a growing fetus inside of you.
The room felt restricting of your oxygen supply. The ceiling fan sent chills down your warm spine. Your body aches and your throat feels dry. Katsukiâs cruel words along with his actions strangle you. You have not been able to see straight since.
The next couple of months of work are pure hell. You did your best to avoid Katsuki and he did the same. You noticed that Katsuki did not look at you as you were the only one in the room anymore. He seemed to look past you. If you dared meet those beautiful crimson eyes for even a slight moment, you were left feeling disgusted with yourself. Katsuki has a way of speaking without actually doing so. You adored and hated that about him.
Whenever he addressed you for business matters, you had trouble formulating sentences. Your eyes always seemed to be puffy from the endless nights of hysterical tears. Katsukiâs voice held more aggression than you are used to. Maybe you wanted him to at least have some sympathy, but that was nowhere to be found. He soon stopped inviting you to meetings.
You two did a wonderful job of finding the long way around the office building. Any precaution there was to take, you both did, but no plan is bulletproof and you are going to see each other at some point.
You two have not seen each other in over a month â almost two â and you have been feeling stronger than before. Less weeping nights, you are back to eating a normal diet, and you are more well rested. The bags under your eyes became less noticeable, but they still lingered longer than one would prefer.
You dried off your hands in the restroom â the one furthest from you and Katsukiâs office â and headed out to get back to work. The hallway is quite vacant around this time of day. Everyone is either on lunch or too focused on their work before packing up for the day. Your heels echoed amongst the marble floor. Looking up, your breath hitched.
Your eyes met the ones you desperately wanted to despise. Yours held sadness and desperation while he held anger and disgust. The way Katsuki viewed you, you started to view yourself. Even if it isnât your fault.
The glance was only a maximum of five seconds, but those five seconds felt like a decade for you two. A period of time you would come to mentally plead for overtime.
You have not seen him for another three weeks after that. The cycle repeated: you sobbed, and sobbed some more, and then you started to cry less.
Then it happened.
You are coming into work late due to a doctor's appointment. The baby is healthy as are you so that is lovely news. Something you would love to share with Katsuki if he even remembered your name.
The elevator was taking its sweet time getting up to the floor where your office is located. You felt strong. How could you not? Your baby is going to be okay from the looks of it. A little human is excited to meet you and you are becoming excited to meet them.
Maybe things are starting to fall into place.
Elevator doors open. You begin to walk forward but come to a halt with the man standing in front of you; Katsuki Bakugo.
Your heart races with your bottom lip begging to quiver. You do your best to hide it though as you brush past one another. A jolt of electricity shot through you. The slightest graze of his calloused fingertips felt so rigid yet so soft. Your instincts force you to look up to see the stranger peer down at you. The stranger you used to know.
âSee me, Katsuki. See me as the woman you used to know.â You mentally beg. You just wanted him to see you as somebody. Somebody he used to want.
Katsuki paused there, speaking to you through his eyes. This time, they did not hold as much disgust as before. Maybe itâs the hormones, but you could have sworn you witnessed longing within the roots of his irises. If Katsuki was capable of processing his emotions and allowing them to show, he would write them on his features. He remains stone cold, preventing his fingertips from latching onto yours. So, awkwardly they lay, both of your breaths caught in your windpipes until Katsuki decides to break free of the shackles.
You attempted to be in Katsukiâs space more. You knew him like a book just like he did for you. You both learned each otherâs frequent routines.
Awkward encounters became more frequent and you both secretly looked forward to them. Long stares that withheld unspoken phrases. Katsukiâs gazes turned from disgust to softness. Especially with your stomach starting to show as the months rolled on. Still, not a word was spoken
The corporate office began to talk. Chatter amongst Katsukiâs employees disturbed his peace of mind. He knows he has to address you at some point, but what is there to say? What could Katsuki even begin to formulate for you to understand where he is coming from? You are due sooner than he is comfortable with. There is no hiding your stomach.
You never asked a penny from him. Hell, you have not even tried to speak to him since that night. You only spoke when formally addressed. Even that was rare.
Katsuki replays that night a lot while laying in bed. He claims what you two had was just two coworkers having sexual intercourse, but nothing can hide the way he moans your name when he masturbates or has sex with someone else. The way he sees you in every female he comes into contact with. Nothing can hide the way his natural rapid heartbeat stops by the mention of your beautiful name. Donât even get him started on the way you purposely would get on his nerves. They are all part of the list of delicate little things he missed.
You have every right to hate him. Katsuki would not blame you if you did. His hatred for himself reflected in his actions which ultimately was passed onto you. You carried that burden. He would search for the reflection of his anger in your orbs, but they held none. They held nothing but sadness and love. Love he refuses to accept.
Katsuki laid in bed, alone, allowing his mind to wander. He cursed you for keeping him awake. He is a busy man with things to do yet your features haunt him. The thought of someone else touching you the way he does killed him. He knows he would have heard muttering by now if you went to his rival yet there is silence.
You are silent.
You are falling deep into your peaceful slumber. Something you have been doing more lately. You no longer need the lullabies of your heartache and unwanted whimpers for comfort. You are more at ease.
A heavy knocking at the door startled you. Groaning and gazing at your cell phone, the time read the time.
1:03AM
The knocking picked up again. You are not expecting company at this hour so you take precautions. Grabbing the metal baseball bat you keep under your bed, you stroll to the door. The knocking echoed through your apartment complex much to your sleeping neighbors dismay. Your adrenaline rises with each step you take towards the door. Gazing out the peephole of your front door, you see Katsuki standing at the door.
Throwing the baseball bat to the side, you open the door.
âKatsuki, what theââ
Katsuki ushers himself in, not even giving you an opportunity to scold him or ask anymore questions. Instead, his lips are entangled with yours. Magnets desperately pulling towards each other. You attempt to push him away as you smell the alcohol lingering in his breath, but Katsuki is much stronger than you are.
Your mind is telling you to hate this, but your heart speaks otherwise as Katsuki pushes you against the beige wall, caging you in with his arms. You did not even try to stop him as he began removing any article clothing on your body. Your lips only disconnected for short seconds before meeting again. Now you are laid on the kitchen table, Katsukiâs thick erected cock deep in your pussy, begging moans escaping your parted lips.
Here we go again.
Šbakugosbratx
All Rights Reserved
#tw pregnancy#tw angst#bakugosbratx#no strings attached#mini series#part 3#bakugou katsuki#bakugo katsuki#bnha bakugou#katsuki bakugĹ#bakugo smut#ceo bakugo#bakugo x female reader#bakugo x you
455 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Into The Night (SFW, Angst) Leon x Reader
Notes: This isn't exactly a song fic but it is based on 'Into The Night' by NERO I feel like the vibe fits him so well, someone please give this man a motorcycle. And again, probably completely OOC. This probably sucks at the moment, I might go back and either rewrite it or just spell check and make a few edits here and there. We'll see.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
It was late and the rain had been steady. I sat, curled up in the corner of the couch with a blanket, a book and a nice hot drink sitting on the stand next to me. The phone rang, I contemplated answering it. I didn't want to get up, but what if I was him. We hadn't exactly parted on good terms last time I saw him.
Why would he call me anyway? I'm the one who caused the fight. I'm the one who should be calling him. Why am I treating this like a breakup? We were just friends. Drinking buddies, even though nether of us actually drank.
I let it go to voice mail, if it was important they'd leave a message. A minute later It went off again, this time indicating that there was a voice mail. I looked at the message for a moment before hitting play.
"Y/N? It's Leon. Look, I know you probably don't want to hear from me right now. After all, I lied to you. I lied about something as important and dangerous as being a Shadow Guard. You have a right to be mad. But, I just wanted to tell you... a mission went awry and I'm going to have to skip town and lay low for a while. And that..." He took a deep breath. "Being put in this situation has made me realize something. I've tried so hard to lock away my emotions and keep people out, but with you. I didn't feel the need for that. I felt that a weight had been lifted from me and I could be more... myself. I... I really enjoyed hanging out with you, getting to know you, being near you. I hope that you can forgive me for lying and that, maybe, sometime in the future, we can try again. Maybe... as... something more than... friends. . . . I love you. Good bye."
Tears streamed down my face as I listened to the recording. I messed up. I messed up big time. I shouldn't have gotten so mad at him. I was just scared. I love him.
I grabbed my keys and jacket and ran out the door. I knew most of the places he would normally be. I also knew which ones had pay phones at or near them. It was an unlisted number, he didn't want me knowing it was him when he called.
I ran through the streets in the rain. Going from place to place asking if any one had seen him. Turning up empty handed each time. I needed to find him. I needed to tell him.
I looked for almost an hour. Pointlessly. He had to have been long gone by now.
I curled up against a wall and cried. I didn't know when I'd see him again or if I ever would or if he would even still feel the same by the time he did. Maybe he would rebuild the walls I somehow broke down and shut me out. I didn't want that.
I heard foot steps approaching quickly as someone was running by, but I didn't look up. I knew my face would be red and puffy from crying and the person sounded to much in a hurry anyways. I only stood when their steps faded, not realizing that a group of people were just about to turn the corner.
One of them ran strait into me causing both of us to stumble. "Hey! Watch where you're going!" "I'm sorry. I'll get out of your way." I kept my head low and hood pulled up, hoping that they wouldn't want to cause any problems. That ended up not working as well as I had hoped.
"Hey, wait a minute." A hand reached out and grabbed my arm, spinning me around and removing my hood. "Hey boss, check it. It's that girl we've been seeing Leon with." Damn it. Of coarse he had enemies, he's a hitman associated with the Shadow Decree.
"Hey, you know, she's kinda cute. What was he doing with a pretty little thing like you? Certainly you two weren't an item, were you?" One of the other men tilted my head up and side to side, looking me over. "No. We weren't. We were hardly even associated with each other."
Their boss hummed in thought. "Darn what a shame. Well we can at least still have our fun with you. What do you boys think.? He began to turn towards the rest of the group, but stopped short as the sound of a gun clicking sounded behind him "You'll do no such thing to her. Let her go or you'll be joining the rest of them."
The sound of his voice had me in tears. It was Leon, he was here. He was saving me. Thank the gods.
The one man dropped his grip from my face and the other let go of my arms. "Good, now back away from her."
As they moved backwards, Leon stalked around them, coming to a stop at my side. He slipped his hand around my waist and pulled me flush to his side. "Y/N. Close your eyes and look away." I did as he asked with no question and nuzzled my face into his side.
Two gun shots sounded, scaring me into pressing deeper into his side, not wanting to look and he didn't seem to want me to either, holding me close to himself and guiding me away.
He led me for a while before gently pushing me away by my shoulders. My back hit a wall and he trailed his hands down to grasp my waist, holding me there. He leaned over and pressed his forehead to my own, closing his eyes. I stood there and watched the worried look on his face with lidded eyes.
Before now we had hardly come into physical contact with each other, keeping a respectful distance as our odd friendship unknowingly developed into something stronger. At that time I think we both knew deep down what would happen if we had even just brushed hands, the unacknowledged tension would have snapped. But... we were both afraid for different reasons.
Now, that doesn't matter anymore.
He moved his face in closer and kissed me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and closed my eyes, returning it whole heartedly. We each held each other closely as it went on, eventually developing into a make out session.
Sadly we had to part for air, but we continued holding on to each other after parting, not yet ready to let go of the other. "I love you, Leon. I'm sorry for yelling at you earlier. I didn't mean any of it, I was just scared" He smiled warmly. "It's fine. I'm just glad your safe."
He released a defeated sigh and his expression dropped. "But that doesn't change the fact that I still need to leave town for awhile. There's more than just those guys." "Can I go with you?" He looked surprised a my question. "But-" "But what? I wanna be with you. After listening to your message I searched everywhere for you. I've never loved somebody like this before. I didn't realize 'til then what this emotion was. I love you, I truly do. Please, let me go with you."
His gaze softened. "Very well. You can come with me, but you must be careful. I couldn't stand seeing you get hurt." He kissed the crown of my head and pulled away. Gently taking my hand, he guided me away once more.
I didn't know where we were going and I didn't care, as long as I was with him, I was happy.
28 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Oh god. No. Not here. Not now. Not with these people. Eddie can't breathe, but he can't let them know he can't breathe. He loosens his tie just a little bit - the one Ana went back for after Eddie was discharged from the hospital. His nervous laughter is really a way to suck some oxygen back into his lungs, and when a heavy hand touches his elbow, and the smile on its ownerâs face distorts. He's going to pass out if he doesn't move, doesn't flee from this spiraling, spinning disaster.
"Could you, uh, could you excuse me?" He asks and plasters on his best charming smile, hoping his voice isn't as high and squeaky as he thinks it is.Â
He catches Ana's eye from across the room as he moves through what feels like a sea of strangers. She's worried, but Eddie doesn't stop to explain anything and continues his way to the bathroom, where he locks himself inside and lets himself fall apart the way his body was begging to.Â
His fingers curl tight the porcelain of the sink, and he tries, tries to slow his breathing. Finally, he tells himself to stop it in the mirror, even smacks himself across the cheek, but nothing changes.Â
There's a soft knock on the door, and Ana's gentle voice comes through the cracks, "Eddie? Are you okay?"
"Fine," he grits out.
"Are you having another attack?"
"I said I'm fine!" his anger and frustration echo too loud against the tile of the bathroom. , get a grip, Diaz. "Can you just get Chris some cake? I'll be right out."Â
Ana's fading footsteps are the only answer he gets, and Eddie focuses back on himself. He tries to remember what the pamphlet from the hospital said, or rather, what Buck said it says the night he found it buried on Eddie's counter and read it to him, but his brain is just a white-hot sear of nothing. Eddie pulls out his phone and dials Buck - no time to look for his name in the phone book. He doesn't answer, and Eddie nearly throws the phone into the sink.
"Damn!"
But it's Sunday, and Buck said something about Taylor coming over on Sunday, so, of course, he isn't answering. Eddie thinks for a second, in desperation, he'll call Bobby, but then his phone vibrates, and he sees Buck's smile fill the screen. He rubs his thumb over it before swiping to answer.Â
"Buck?" He answers.
"Hey, you called?" Buck asks on the other end of the line, slightly fuzzy, but Eddie can hear the smile in his voice, and the vice around his heart loosens just a little bit.
"Buck?" He asks again as if he can't process anything else.Â
"Uh, yea. Are you okay?"Â
"No. Panic attack."
"But aren't you at that christening?"
"Yes."
"Shit."
"Buck, help.â He hates how desperate he must sound, but Buckâs already seen him at his most desperate, trying to hold onto his life and knowing, instinctively, that Buck would help him. He would save him.
Buck always saves him.Â
" What have you tried?" Buck asks.
"Not much. Nothing. I just, I called you.â
"Thatâs good. Where are you?"
"Bathroom."
"You need to focus on something besides the panic. So, find me four things you see, Eddie. Try to be specific."
"Okay,â Eddie looks around the bathroom. He sees a million times too many things, and it takes him a second to focus in on something, âUh, a pink shower curtain,â like your pink sweater that you say is salmon, but Buck, itâs pink. âwhite rugs,â dazzling white like your teeth when you smile, and that patch of skin that sometimes peeks through under your waistband. âa bristly hairbrush,â god, youâre hair is always so perfect, âand, and curtains on the window. Theyâre sheer; pink too,â just like that sweater.
"Good,â Buck soothes, ânow, three things you can smell."
"Umm, vanilla soap,â sometimes you smell like vanilla, and sugar - like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day, âcinnamon toothpaste,â like in your bathroom, crumpled up in the corner, âmy cologne,â you bought me this bottle for Christmas.
"Thatâs good, Eddie. Two things you can hear."Â
"I hear people - outside the door."
"Not them,â Buck tells him, âTwo other things. Ignore that sound."
"I hear - I hear crickets outside the open window, and I hear...you. Your voice in my ear, your breath,â I always hear you, even when I donât want to.
"One thing you can touch," Buck says quietly, and Eddie takes a shaking breath, presses his hand over his chest.
"My heartbeat."
"Is it slower than before?"
"Yes."
"Good. Do you think you're okay?"
âYea. I um, Iâm probably just going to go home, sleep it off.â
âGood idea.â
âThank you, Buck.â
âOf course.âÂ
Eddie hangs up and slips his phone back into his pocket. He isnât panicking anymore, but he doesnât feel great. He splashes his face with water and tries to smooth down all the places heâs rumpled before he opens the bathroom door and finds Ana on the other side, Christopher sitting next to her on the floor with a plate of cake in his lap.
âAre you okay?â she asks, putting a hand to his cheek, and it burns where there was just cold air against the drying water.
Eddie nods, âIâm okay. But I think Iâm probably gonna go. In case it happens again.â
âLet me get my purse.â
âNo, you stay. Itâs your family. Just tell them I got sick.â
âAre you sure?â
âYea,â he leans down and kisses her cheek before helping Chris up.Â
Neither says much to the other in the car, but Eddie chuckles when Chris rips his suit jacket off the moment the door is closed. He sees the silhouette on the front steps against the fading sun before he gets the truck parked and shakes his head at the realization itâs Buck.Â
"What are you doing here?" he asks when Buck jogs up to him.
"I didn't want you to be alone when you got home,â Buck answers quietly and then turns his attention to Christopher once the back door is open, and heâs climbing out, âHey, buddy, did you have a good time? You look pretty handsome in that suit."
Chris rolls his eyes, "that's what everyone kept telling me. But then they said I would have looked better if I cut my hair.
âWell, you know what? I like this long, floppy look,â Buck ruffles his hand through Chrisâs hair. It had definitely gotten long, and maybe a little out of control, but he didnât want to cut it, and Eddie only remembered being dragged to the barbershop every five weeks to have his hair clipped, no matter how much he begged to keep it just a little bit longer.Â
Chris smiles, âthanks, Buck.â
âDo you think you could give me a minute with your dad?â Buck asks when they all get inside the house. Eddie flips on the lamp by the door, and Christopher nods and leaves for his room, closing the door behind him.
âIâm fine, Buck,â Eddie says, walking further into the house, turning on lights as he goes.Â
âOkay, but do you wanna talk about what happened?â
âNo.â
âWas it too many people?âÂ
Eddie huffs out a laugh, âIâm half Mexican, Buck; I grew up going to huge parties, family and friends always over on the weekend. That wasnât it.â
âWhat was it, then?â
âWhy does it matter?â he doesnât mean to sound as exasperated as he does, but sometimes Buck just brings it out of him.Â
âBecause if you can figure out whatâs triggering you, you can figure out how to control the panic better.â
âI donât panic.â
âYou didnât, but now you are. So letâs try and figure out why.â
Eddie sighs, âcan I have a beer while we do it, at least?â
âIf I get one too.â
They go into the kitchen, and Eddie takes two beers from the fridge and cracks one open before handing it to Buck. He watches him take a long, slow sip. Eddieâs hands start to shake around the glass, and he forces himself to look away, down at the shine of his shoes to keep whatever is trying to rise pushed down.
âWas there like some kind of a loud noise?â Buck asks.Â
âNo. It isnât - loud noises have never bothered me.â
âThings have changed a little bit, though.â
âI donât think they have anything to do with being shot. I know no one wants to believe me, but Iâm fine about that.â
âMaybe no one wants to believe you because you were shot. That doesnât happen to most people even once, and itâs happened to you twice.â
âI know, but I swear to you, Iâm okay. I donât think thatâ what this about.â
âIf you say so. Letâs recount the night then. What happened right before it started?â
âAnaâs great aunt, she - she said I was perfect for Ana -Â a good addition to their family.â
Buck takes another swig from the bottle; his eyebrows are knitted in thought. If Chim or Hen were there, theyâd make a joke about him not straining himself, and theyâd only be kidding, but Eddie knows Buck has a lot of thoughts, a lot of good, deep ones, that maybe Eddie is the only one to have ever heard, âAnd didnât you say the first time was after the salesman referred to Ana as Chrisâs mom?â
âYea,â Eddie says quietly.
âDo you think maybe youâre just having a hard time with how serious your relationship is getting?â
âItâs not getting that serious.â
âEddie, she introduced you to like all her family, you went to an important family event, her great-aunt thinks your excellent husband material.â
Eddieâs breath catches in his throat, and he coughs, trying to force it out, but it sits there like a bubble trying to choke him, and the kitchen starts to spin, turquoise spiraling into stainless steel, spiraling into Buck.Â
âStop, stop saying things like that,â he sputters out.
âYouâre starting to panic again, arenât you?â Buck asks.
âWhen the hell did it get so serious? I was just - I donât know what I was doing. I liked her, but I didnât mean-â
Eddie backs against the counter next to the sink, he tries to loosen his tie, but he canât make his fingers work. Then Buck crosses the space between them and replaces Eddieâs hand with his own, pulling down on the knot and unbuttoning Eddieâs collar. âBreathe; breathe,â he whispers to him and puts his hands on Eddieâs shoulders, and heâs so close Eddie has no choice but to look at him. He feels his hand in Buckâs, slowly pressing against the other manâs chest.
âBreathe with it,â Buck says of his heartbeat, and Eddie closes his eyes. It takes a few moments, but soon his breath is in sync with Buckâs heartbeat, and heâs not sure heâs ever felt this kind of calm before.
âOkay?â Buck asks.Â
âNo, but yes.â
âIâm gonna ask you something, and I need you to be honest - not for me, but for yourself.â
âO-okay.â
âDo you want Ana to be in your future? Your far future?â
âNo,â he answers quickly, but itâs a question heâs asked himself before and was just too afraid to say out loud, âbut -â
âBut what? Chris likes her?â
âYes!â Eddie shouts.
âMaybe he does, maybe he even loves her a little, but he loves you more, and he wants you to be happy, and he knows you arenât happy, and he probably knows itâs because of her.â
âHe does?â
âYes,â Buck takes Eddieâs hand away from his heart, but he doesnât let go of it, âyour heart knows it too, and itâs screaming at you, Eddie, but you arenât listening.â
âI wanted to be ready, to move on from Shannon, not just after she died, but long before that too.â
âI know.â
âAm I never going to be ready?â He can feel the wet of his eyes as he blinks up at Buck, vulnerable once again in front of him.
âI think you are, but not with Ana, and thatâs okay. I mean, sheâs the first person you seriously dated besides your wife, Eds. So itâs okay that she isnât the right fit, and itâs okay if it takes you a little while longer to find who is.â
âIs Taylor your right fit?â Eddie blurts out, and it makes Buck let go of his hand.
âWhoah, weâre talking about you here.â
âIs she? Itâs been four months, and youâre still together; sheâs still actually here.â
âYea, she hasnât run away from me yet, and ya know, we have a good time.â
âShe makes you happy?â
âY-yea. I mean, am I ready to ask her to marry me? No, but I gave her a drawer last week.â
âA drawer?â
âYea. Sheâs only got a few things in it; honestly, she lives more in the news van than anything.â
âYou gave Taylor a drawer. In your loft?â
âAm I mumbling or something? A drawer, yes. In my loft.â
âThatâs uh - thatâs cool.â But, damnit, Eddie canât do this for the third time. He doesnât have the strength left. He grips the dishtowel hanging from the knife drawer just to ground himself to something.
âYou okay?â
âYep, yep.â
âYouâre looking a little panicky. Maybe itâs not just Ana. Maybe youâve just got a real fear of commitment thing going on. Even if itâs mine.â
âShit,â his chest hurts this time, and his whole body is hot, but heâs shivering.
âPut your hand back on my heart.â
âNo, no! God, thatâs going to make this worse.â
âWhat? Why? It worked last time.â
âExactly. And in the bathroom, it was you, so much you,â Eddieâs knees are weak now. He isnât sure how much longer he can stay upright, and suddenly everything, fucking everything, smells like Buck.
âEddie, youâre not making any sense.â
âI need you to go. Can you go, please?â
âIâm not going to leave you like this.â
And, of course, Eddie knows Buck wonât leave him. Buck will do just about anything Eddie asks, but he wonât do this. He wonât leave Eddie when Eddie needs him so badly.Â
âBuck, please, youâre making things worse.â
âHow am I making things worse?â
âBecause youâre the only one who can make them better!â
âEddie, Eddie.â Buck wraps Eddie up in his arms before he can fall to the floor, probably hitting his head on the way down. The instant calm he feels with Buckâs body pressed hard against his, his soft breath hitting the curve of Eddieâs neck terrifies him. It isnât a new fear, but itâs one heâs been feeling so much more lately, one he canât seem to ignore. Heâs so tired from his body trying to run away from everything; his bones ache, his chest is sore. Finally, he closes his eyes and gives in to the fear, stops trying to fight or flee, and just lets Buck hold onto him. His fingers rake through Eddieâs sweat-slicked hair as Eddieâs breathing starts to slow.
âShh, itâs okay,â Buck whispers into Eddieâs throbbing temple.
âItâs not okay at all.â
âWhy not?â
âBecause Iâm in love with you,â he rushes out in one broken breath, âit isnât just that Ana feels wrong; itâs that you feel right. Youâve always felt right.â
Buck is quiet for what feels like a hundred moments before he finally seems to have something to say.
âHuh,â he breathes out from the back of his throat.
âThatâs all you have to say?â
âWhat would you like me to say?â
âI donât know. You could say that Iâm insane, that you love Taylor, that youâre not into men, not into me.â
âI could say any of that, but then Iâd be lying to you.â
âWhat?â
âLook, Eddie, I-I donât know if Iâm in love with you, but I feel something. Something more than Iâve ever felt with anyone, and I kinda keep thinking itâs going to go away, but it never goes away.â
âHuh.â
Buck laughs and gently sits Eddie up, tangled across Buckâs long legs, still safe in his arms, âare you okay?â he asks.
âI think I am.â
âGood.â
Buck presses a kiss to the tip of Eddieâs nose, and Eddie smiles before he tilts his chin, so Buckâs lips fall against his. Itâs a slow, quiet kiss that lasts only a few seconds before they both pull away.Â
Eddie is so tired he can barely keep his eyes open, so he lets them slip closed, lets Buck hold him closer in the middle of the kitchen floor until he falls asleep.Â
#i had to do it#long fic#buddie fic#eddie's anxiety attacks#not anti ana#but not pro ana by any means either#panic attacks#buddie
104 notes
¡
View notes
Text
PINK GUITAR
nobody had ever really noticed you before. you spent your entire life blending in with the crowd, despite dedicating your entire life to becoming a singer on stage. youâd always felt so unimportant and uninteresting. but to him, you were the bright splash of colour in a grey world.
PAIRING park jongseong x fem! reader
THEMES bassist! jay, vocalist! reader, fluff, highschool au
WARNINGS very light sex references
the energy of the club whenever a band was performing was your favourite. everybody was dancing and singing along to what they knew, using those few hours to push away all of their responsibilities and just relax. for many years, you had witnessed it from the crowd with a yearning to be up there creating that energy yourself.
having taken up guitar lessons at a young age with an innate desire to perform, you knew that one day youâd get the chance. or, at least you thought you would. auditioning for a highschool band seemed like an ingenious idea at the time, until you got the part as sub vocalist. the girl that had taken your place as lead vocalist happened to be sleeping with the bandâs leader... and the rest was history.
but the lost opportunity wasnât going to get you down. especially not as you were standing in that very same club, sipping on your drink and eyeing the competition on stage.
said competition was the small group that had taken over the school with their good looks and musical talent. there was heeseung as the lead vocalist, a sweet boy who had already graduated. then there was sunghoon, the lead guitarist that had every girl and guy alike in the palm of his hand. and jake, he was the drummer but spent most of his time trying to be the top of the class and flirting with his fangirls. finally there was jay, the bassist. you didnât know much about him, just that he seemed very chilled out and insanely popular for that reason specifically.
something about jay always had you wondering, though. heâd meet your gaze as you were sipping from your drink, keeping his eyes on you. it made you feel seen, and you felt stupid for feeling that way. in what world would jay park be interested in you?
as the last song came to a end, you turned back and made your way through the crowd. there your own bandmates were, chatting amongst themselves.
being in their band was a temporary fix. you werenât their friend, nor were you a necessary member of the band. although you could easily be traded out for someone else, you really didnât mind. at least you had the opportunity to be on stage, even if it was out of the spotlight.
âwe should head backstage,�� you reminded your lead vocalist before stepping away from them. making your way through the staff only door and heading up the steps, you came face to face with jay.
âhey, y/n,â he greeted with a smile, moving out of the way so that you could get past him. you mumbled a quick thank you before fleeing the scene and finding your guitar. jake and sunghoon passed by you as well, talking loudly about something. and then heeseung, who smiled at you before following the rest of the boys onto the floor of the club.
your own band finally showed up as you were checking the tuning of your guitar. the four of you made your way onto the stage, the lead vocalist getting right into greeting everyone.
it was routine. you started the song off with the strum of your electric guitar, and the energy began to pick up. the lead vocalist sang, the drummer played the drums, and the bassist played his bass guitar. you had small singing parts, usually as the backup for your lead, but it was enough for now.
jay was watching your every move. from your black painted nails to the pick between your lips to the way you gripped the microphone and sang so beautifully. his favourite thing was your baby pink electric guitar, perfectly preserved and a huge contrast to the outfits you wore on stage. he was completely mesmerised by you, but you didnât have a clue.
singing was your first love. you loved the rush of playing a guitar solo, but nothing felt better than expressing your emotions through your voice and lyrics. so every friday, as students began flooding out of the school gates, you headed to the music classroom for practice.
your piano skills were rusty, but you took a seat at the instrument anyway. although, there was one tune you would never be able to forget, which happened to be a song youâd written. your purpose in the band wasnât to write music, so youâd never mentioned it to your bandmates.
as your fingers ran delicately against the keys, you began to hum. jay came to a stop outside of the classroom at the sound of your playing.
when you began to sing your lyrics, he felt himself mindlessly smiling. he always thought you had a better voice than your lead singer, and was confused as to why you were made sub vocalist. it seemed like you were overflowing with musical ability, and deserved a better place in your band.
âthatâs a pretty song,â he stepped inside, making you jump. there was a horrible clash of piano keys coming together to make an awful sound that made you both cringe. âsorry, i didnât mean to scare you.â
âitâs fine,â you turned around on the piano bench to face him. âhow long have you been there?â
âjust since you started singing,â he shrugged, but you felt your eyes go wide. nobody had ever heard your song before, so you couldnât believe the first person to hear it was jay park. âoh... iâm sorry for invading your privacy. i just came here to pick up my guitar.â
âseriously, itâs fine, jay,â you reassured with a smile, watching him reach for his guitar. âbut maybe knock next time so that i donât almost have a heart attack.â
he laughed shortly at your words. as he was about to leave, he turned back around to face you. âyou have a really beautiful singing voice,â your cheeks began to heat up. âyou know, heeseung has been considering leaving the band since heâs no longer a highschool student. so if you ever wanted to practice as a lead vocalist, the place is up for grabs.â
âi think iâd like that,â jay couldnât help but smile at your words. âdo you want my number so we can arrange a session together?â
sunghoon and jake were tired of hearing jay go on and on about you. heâd been jumpy all day waiting for you to show up, so much so that heeseung felt himself getting dizzy.
when you did arrive, everybody already looked exhausted. it reminded you a lot of your own band practices, since everybody in your band was always so dull and boring.
ây/n!â heeseung called happily, dropping down from a barstool to greet you. âfinally, youâre here.â
âdid i keep you all waiting long...?â you awkwardly looked around the room. but nobody seemed too annoyed, so you were sure you were off the hook.
âno,â sunghoon started. âjust jayââ jake reached to cover sunghoonâs mouth, cutting him off.
âletâs get you set up,â heeseung suggested, gesturing towards the stage. you followed him up, the other three boys finding their instruments. âjust choose a song you want to try and theyâll start.â
he jumped back down from the stage to sit back on his bar stool. at first you felt awkward, standing up in front of the bandâs current lead vocalist. it didnât help that you couldnât see the three boys behind you.
but after a while, you started to feel more comfortable. and it was fun, taking control of the songs with your vocals. every couple of songs, youâd take a snack or drink break and sit around on the stage with the boys, just chatting amongst yourselves. jay was unusually quiet, watching you laugh with his friends from the sidelines. it wasnât jealousy, he just liked seeing you happy and carefree.
after the session was over, you packed up your pink guitar and said goodbye to the boys. jay followed you out, catching your wrist to spin you around.
âyouâre amazing, y/n,â he spoke, holding back a smile. âiâm not going to force you to leave your own band, but i want you to know the position is being offered to you. so think about it, please?â
âi will,â you nodded, beaming with pride. âthank you for today, jay. iâll see you on monday.â
you were sitting with your back against the tree, snack in one hand and a book in the other. considering it was a sunny day, you thought it was a great idea. well, you were wrong.
âenjoying that, y/n?â you lowered the book to see your lead singer standing in front of you. âi just came to see if the rumours were true.â
âwhat rumours?â you closed your book, setting it down beside yourself. she was standing with her arms crossed, an annoyed look on her face.
âjust that youâre the new lead singer for jay and his little buddies,â the tone of her voice was mocking. a smirk was on her lips, as if this whole thing was nothing more than a joke to her.
âwell, theyâre not true,â you defended. âheeseung is leaving and jay asked me to practice with them. he said he really likes my singing voice and that theyâve been wanting a female touch to the band.â
âwell, theyâre kind of true,â she squinted her eyes, staring down at you. âif you want to fraternise with the enemy, then go ahead. but youâre out of our band, and we wonât be taking you back.â
âfine by me,â you stood, slipping your bag onto your shoulder. âgood luck sleeping your way to the top, we all know thatâs the only reason you got lead singer.â
as you tried to walk away, she just kept going on. âdo you really think iâm that stupid, y/n? the only reason jay is offering you a place in their band is because heâs hoping to sleep with you.â
âunbelievable,â you turned back around. âcan you just drop it? i really donât care for your opinion.â
ânot an opinion, y/n,â she stepped forward, a smug smile on her face. âjust a fact.â shoving past you, she disappeared inside of the building.
there was a knock on the door and you looked up from your lyric book. âhey,â jay greeted, letting himself into the music classroom. âi heard what happened.â
âhi, jay,â you smiled weakly. âyeah, it was pretty bad... but please donât pity invite me into your band.â
âcan i sit here?â he gestured towards the piano bench you were occupying. you nodded, sliding over a bit to give him more room. âiâm not pity inviting you. with heeseung leaving, we need a talented vocalist to take his place. iâve seen you sing and perform, and i just genuinely think youâre an amazing artist.â
âthanks,â you bit back your smile, looking off to the side. âthat means a lot. but i do have one question.â
âiâm sure i have an answer,â jay shrugged.
âplease bare in mind that i really donât see you as the type to do this,â your words made him tense up. what could you possibly need to ask? âbut ever since she mentioned it, i couldnât stop thinking about it. youâre not asking me just because you want to sleep with me, are you?â
âno,â his answer came quick. he didnât want you to see him as that type. âi canât say that i donât have feelings for you, but i wasnât looking to pursue you. iâm sensible, keeping work and play separate.â
âwork and play?â you laughed, resting your hand on his arm for support. âwork hard, play hard type of guy? not very surprising.â
ânah, thatâs jake,â he laughed along with you, eyes moving down to where your hand was. feeling awkward, you removed your hand and cleared your throat. âbut seriously, the spot is yours. iâd love to see you up there thriving on stage.â
he stood from the bench, sending you one last smile before turning out of the room. shuffling your things into your bag, you ran to catch up to him. âjay, wait!â you called, seeing him stop in his tracks.
âyeah?â he asked cluelessly. you got closer, a bright smile on your lips. leaning up, you pressed a kiss to his cheek. jay felt himself tensing up, his entire body warming up at the gesture.
âthank you, jongseong,â you smiled, then leaving him to stand there looking like an idiot.
#enhypenwriters#enhypen#enhypen au#enhypen fluff#enhypen oneshot#enhypen oneshots#park jongseong#jongseong#park jongseong au#park jongseong fluff#park jongseong oneshot#park jongseong oneshots#jongseong au#jongseong fluff#jongseong oneshot#jongseong oneshots#jay park#jay#jay park au#jay park fluff#jay park oneshot#jay park oneshots#jay au#jay fluff#jay oneshot#jay oneshots
195 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Dark Circles
Summary: Youâre cramming for a big exam. Until Leonard McCoy finds out you havenât slept in 3 days.
Bones x Reader
Masterlist! (thank you for all the love you guys are the best <3)
 TW: bit of sleep deprivation init, strong language, passing mention of death (satirically)
 Word Count: 1514
 You had been working on the Enterprise as a student medic for some time now. With a busy five year mission, an unspoken fling with the Chief Medical Officer and a crew who couldnât seem to keep themselves in one piece, youâd began to believe youâd never make it that final step to officially become Doctor Y/L/N. So, when The Academy offered for you to take your final exams online, you jumped at the chance.Â
The exam was in three days. Youâd somehow managed to nab yourself a week clear of shifts. Whoever made up the rotas must have it sweet for you youâd joked to Leonard who was now working a doubly busy week. He didnât mind, he knew how important this was to you.Â
 You were ready to be free from the constant watchful eye of people only as skilled as you and you knew it. But having neglected textbook terminology for three years you panicked wondering if youâd be able to convince Starfleet the same. Youâd been hitting the books hard for the last few days. Really, youâd been doing little else. So much so that the words were beginning to jumble before your eyes.Â
Your comm rang. You answered to Jimâs shrill voice like you were teenagers on a landline. Jim had been a good few years above you at The Academy but you had always been close. Jim initially approached you as a night out trophy and when youâd firmly put him in his place, even through six vodka blackcurrants, he knew heâd found a good drinking buddy.Â
 âSooo how you feeling!â Jim asked as if your final medical exam was a first date.Â
 âHonestly? Nauseous. Although I donât know if thatâs the nerves or the tiredness.â The first time youâd spoken in days, you remembered.Â
 âJeez how long have you been up?âÂ
 âLong enough to be two and half notebooks down.â You eyed the strewn pads filled with messy words and diagrams. You definitely passed the doctors handwriting stereotype.Â
 âMaybe Iâll stop by with another one for you. And maybe some crushed up pills.â He wasnât joking but you laughed anyway.Â
 âAnd how is... the ship?â You said, head scrabbled but feeling rude not asking about him.Â
 âStill in space.âÂ
 âThat is good to hear.âÂ
 âFor real, Y/N, are you alright? Do you need anything? Water? Food? A certain doctor?â
 âI need everyone on this ship to stand still for three days so Iâm ready to sit this.â Jim was silent knowing that he couldnât promise that and that heâd probably be first injured. âCurrently skim reading the dermal regenerator chapter. If another ensign gets stabbed thatâs on them.âÂ
 âAs your Captain I canât laugh at that.âÂ
 ââAs your captain,ââ you mimicked âshut the fuck up, Jim.â
 âFair.â Jim said in defeat after a long silence. âIâll get Bones up to see you in a bitâÂ
 âDonât bother him, heâs working all his own shifts and all of mine, heâll be more of a corpse than me.âÂ
 âI have never seen that man in any state other than grumpy. Iâll check up on you in a few.âÂ
 âCatch.â You said hanging up the comm.
 A few hours past and youâd filled up your third notebook throwing it on the pile and picking up a fresh one, like clockwork.Â
 Another hour passed and Jim had rang your comm, again. You ignored it. Another hour. Another ring. Another comm ignored. You only had six textbooks left and you werenât going to let anything distract you. Almost.Â
 The door to your quarter opened as you finished notepad four. You didnât fully register it until you noticed the room become significantly brighter. Youâd really been sitting there for long enough for the room to assume youâd died. Interesting.Â
 You looked up to silently thank the ceiling and were greeted by two cold hands against your skin planting a kiss on top of your head. Youâd recognise those hands in death. Hands that didnât need to sit this exam. You were jealous of them.Â
 You felt him squat behind you hugging you from behind his cheek brushing against yours.Â
 âHowâs it been?â You asked instinctively about the sickbay.Â
 âYâknow,â he began, spinning your chair away from the desk to face him, âItâs been-â he stopped brief worry passing over his face. Brief but not unnoticed.Â
 âWhat?âÂ
 âDarlinâ you are so pretty, you know that, but right now you have two friends I donât know called âextremely darkâ and âevidently from sleep deprivation circlesâ under your eyes.â He said it delicately, you scoffed.Â
 âYouâre not looking so hot yourself Mr Five Oâclock Shadow.â Leonardâs mouth peaked at the corners suppressing a laugh.Â
 In that moment you felt silently sorry for Jim whoâd claimed never to see Leonardâs softness. âJimâ you thought.Â
 âJim sent you?â You questioned spinning your chair back towards the desk but finding it halted by Leonardâs foot. He shook his head.Â
 âHe mentioned a few missed comms but I was already on my way here. I assumed youâd be sleeping. It is 4am.âÂ
 You looked at the time to verify. You swore the last time you checked it had been 5am.Â
 âHow long have you been awake?â Leonard asked assessing the desk space.Â
 âA few nights.âÂ
 âNights?â He cocked his eyebrow at you. âNights are for sleeping.â
 âItâs the same as working a few nights.â You stated.Â
 He smiled softly at you, reaching forward to knock your glasses from your hair to your eyes. You could see again. Heâd actually gifted you sight.Â
 âWhen we work a few shifts in a row, we take breaks. How many breaks have you taken?âÂ
 âA few.âÂ
 âBullshit.â He was right so you didnât argue.Â
 âI just have a few things left to cover before I can start doing practice exams. Iâll take a break then.âÂ
 Leonard was already at your desk closing textbooks and tidying flashcards. You tried to interfere but he simply moved your hands and stroked your hair.Â
 âYou get changed, Iâll get you some water.âÂ
 You were suddenly thankful someone had pried you away. You didnât realise how awful you felt. Head pounding, nauseous, eyes failing.Â
 âTest me?â You asked. Leonard turned eyeballing you. His facial expressions having a silent conversation.Â
 âReally?â His face said.Â
 âPlease?â Your face said back.Â
 âYour patient is paralysed. First point of call?â
 âNeutral transducer.â You shouted from the bathroom not missing a beat.Â
 âAnd how does that work?â
 âBy picking up neural signals from the brain to mimic and stimulate appropriate muscles.â You were right. Leonard was silent for a few minutes allowing you to brush your teeth and change. âKeep going.â You shouted back.Â
 âItâs pointless you know everything.â He stated. You walked back into the room giving him a sad face. He rolled his eyes he couldnât say no to you.Â
 âWhat are the symptoms of fatigue?â Leonard said handing you a glass of water. You shot him an annoyed look, his face was pure innocence.Â
 âChronic tiredness.â You said. He urged you to continue, âDizziness, headache, impaired vision, slow reflexes, muscle weakness, appetite loss.â
 âI think youâre missing a few.â He said. You sighed at him knowing the point he was trying to make.Â
 âPoor concentration, short term memory problems, impaired judgement.âÂ
 âHeck⌠sound familiar?â He said as you both climbed onto the bed.Â
 Leonard pulled you towards him, taking your entire body in his kissing your under eye repeatedly.Â
 âItâs been fun âevidently from sleep deprivation circlesâ but youâve gotta go. Itâs not personal I just love your host too much to keep you around.â Leonard joked and rearranged your pillows to make you both more comfortable.Â
 âOne more.â You whispered almost completely asleep. Leonard sighed heavily.Â
 âWhereâs a Vulcans heart.â You laughed at the easiness of the question.Â
 âRight side. Between ribs and pelvis.â
 âOooo, wrong.â He said pulling you closer.Â
 âWhat! No Iâm not?!âÂ
 âVulcans donât have hearts. Have you met the one we work with?âÂ
 You laughed, softly elbowing him in his own ribs for being horrible.Â
 âYou do this every time you have something big. You work yourself into the ground. Itâs not good for you darlinâ. Not good for my blood pressure either.â Leonard softly said removing the glasses from your face.Â
 âIâm just scared. God knows how long Iâll need to wait to resit it.â You mumbled.Â
 âY/N, you donât have to scrounge through textbooks for these answers. Youâve lived these answers. Hell Iâve watched you take over from doctors well above your rank when theyâve started feeling the heat. Youâre exceptional. Being a doctor is in your damn blood.â You could tell by his tone he was sincere. Your heart sung but your head retorted.Â
 âWhat if I fail?â
 âThen I guess youâll have no choice but to have me watching over you for another two years.â Leonard rested his head on top of yours allowing your own to fall onto his chest.Â
 âI guess that wouldnât be so bad.â âAnd hopefully a lot longerâ you thought as you finally drifted off to sleep.
#star trek imagines#Star Trek Fanfiction#leonard mccoy imagines#bones imagines#leonard mccoy x reader#bones x reader#mccoy x reader#mccoy imagines#dr mccoy#dr mccoy imagines#dr mccoy x reader#bones star trek#star trek fic#doctor mccoy#doctor mccoy x reader
347 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Fuchsia-Colored SunglassesÂ
Summary:
Your life is turned upside down when youâre transported into another reality by the enigmatic and mysterious old woman named Cyan. You find yourself an up-and-coming makeup artist whose latest client is the cocky fuchsia-haired rockstar Yuta Nakamoto. You struggle to find balance as Yuta is your most difficult client yet and you canât seem to stop losing things in your apartment.
Meanwhile, Yuta is at the top of his game with his record-breaking band thatâs about to tour and his perfect celebrity girlfriend. But he canât shake the feeling that something is missing. When he meets you, however, he finally feels..at home.
In a reality where soulmates so rarely find each other, is it possible that the two of you will see the signs?
Pairing: Rockstar!Yuta x female reader
Genre: Soulmate AU, Fluff, comedy, a little smut, a tiny bit of angst
Word Count: 28.5K
Warnings: profanity, minor character death mention, alcohol mention
(A/N: we are so excited to finally post this for you guys!! It is for a collaborative project (A Colours AU) organized by the wonderful @neo-cult-ure . THANK YOU so much for inviting us to do this!! Please visit her tumblr for a complete list of all of the amazing works included in this project that we all worked so hard onâ¤ď¸ with that being said, we hope you enjoy!! Thank you for supporting us!!)
[colours masterlist]: Click here to enjoy several amazing journeys :)Â
ââââââ
It really hasnât been your day. There was just one problem after the other being thrown at you at work. Books often went missing at the library, but today an entire section was missing romance novels and no one seemed to know where they had gone. So you spent hours collecting them from other sections in the library, placing them on your cart as you moved through each lane. It doesnât sound like a lot of work but for a library with 16 floors, it was just enough to make your head spin. Your day was long and boring.
And now, you learned that your favorite cafe was fresh out of your usual drink, an iced caramel latte, the perfect drink for a pick me up.
fantastic.
A sigh left your lips as you turned around the corner of the bathroom and walked face first into someone.
smack!
You stumbled back and then felt something wet on your clothes. Great.
âI..Iâm so sorry about that.â Â A ladyâs voice caught you off guard as she quickly tried to clean up the situation. Â She reached forward and grabbed your hands. A bit weirded out by the situation, you tried to pull your hands away but she didnât let go, pulling you in closer so she could look into your eyes and capture your full attention.
âDear, donât be frightened, my name is Cyan and I am so very sorry...â Her eyes had a mysterious glow about them that you couldnât understand. She seemed...otherworldly.
âLet me make it up to you.â Cyan said. âHere, pick a colour and youâll meet your soulmate. However, you should be aware that each colour represents a different reality, and you only have one chance to bring them back to this reality.â
âReally?â you asked, clearly suspicious of the entire situation.
âYes, now which would you choose?â she asked as she held out the tablet for you to pick a colour. You tilted your head to the side before just agreeing.
You typically liked to lay low, keep things normal and safe for your sanity. And love? Soulmates? Those were concepts that you never really thought too hard about. If it comes, it comes but you werenât going to go out of your way for it.
But today was unlike any other day, everything went wrong, so what if...you did things differently for once? What if you took the chance to experience something...new? You had nothing left to lose, right? Â
You reached forward to choose.
âFuchsia.â
^_^
You sat at the kitchen table, your Bluetooth speaker playing your favorite song, âBreezeâ. It was by the artist Mountain Man, whose identity was a mystery to the entire world. Your roommate Delilah came in to grab some orange juice from the fridge.
Delilah laughed. âI swear I dream of this song from all the times you play it.â
You replied, âThis song is a religious experience. You should be so honored to dream of it.â You took a bite of your Fruity Pebbles.
Delilah joined you at the table as she searched something up on her laptop. âTodayâs the bid for the Bulbasaur card Iâve had my eye on. Iâm so nervous. I canât go past eight five dollars so letâs hope my competition is just as cheap as I am.â
You rolled your eyes. âEighty-five dollars for a trading card? Really?â
Deililah shook her head. âSixty-five dollars for foundation, y/n? Really?â
You shut your mouth and keep eating your cereal. You and your roommate had your impulses...Well, your passions. Besides, an investment in good foundation only made sense given your profession as a makeup artist.
Delilah scrolled through her phone and frowned. âThatâs weird. This looks just like your Hermosa Vida palette.â
That was impossible. You had the only one in existence. Last month, at the cosmetics brand launch for Hermosa Vida, you received a limited edition palette from two of your favorite makeup artists, Sol and Luna, who teamed up for their growing cosmetics empire. They gave you the limited edition trial of the palette before the official palette was released in stores. You were so excited to try it out but misplaced it two weeks ago. You knew you had to clean your room more often.
In fact, youâve misplaced a lot of things recently: a pair of your favorite My Melody socks, a bracelet from your trip to Jamaica last summer, a pair of your reading glasses, and more. You knew people were bound to lose things but it seemed to happen more often to you. You didnât think much of it as you were busy applying for your new job.
You stood behind Delilah so you could see the palette on sale for yourself. It was shaped like a clam shell and was rose gold. It even had Sol and Lunaâs autographs on the bottom.
Just like yours.
You scanned the description of the product to find the username of the seller: 1026you.
âWait, I thought I was the only one who owned this palette. It doesnât make sense. If there was more than one of these palettes in existence, then there would be more on sale. But this one...looks exactly like mine,â you said.
âMaybe itâs a knockoff,â Delilah offered, âYou know how people will fabricate anything to get extra cash.â
âThe thing is...I lost my palette. Itâs almost as ifâŚâ
Delilah scoffed. âYou donât think someone broke in and stole it?â
You considered it. âI donât know, Delilah. Iâve been losing a lot of things lately...I think we should install some cameras in here. Just in case.â
Your roommate nodded. âFine with me. Itâll make us both feel safer.â
So you and Delilah had cameras installed around the apartment. You hoped your first paycheck with your new gig would come in quickly. You contacted the seller and asked about the palette, asking where theyâd bought it and how they had access to it. You asked so you could have some sort of proof that it couldnât be the same as yours. But it looked exactly like yours. And it bothered you. Unfortunately, there was no response from the seller.
A few days after that, your Siamese cat Totoro disappeared. You werenât too concerned as Totoro was an outdoor cat and he tended to wander. He would return soon, you thought.
^_^
Meanwhile across your hometown of Los Angeles, international rockstar Nakamoto Yuta stood in his bathroom, dumbfounded to find a portrait of a young woman looking over her shoulder.
Yuta said to himself. âWhere the hell did this come from?â
His girlfriend Ashley called from the living room. âWhatâs that, babe?â
Yuta responded, âNothing, Ash.â Heâd rather not freak out his high-maintenance diva girlfriend.
It was strange how random objects kept popping up in his apartment. He asked Ashley about the palette but she denied it was hers. A bracelet appeared on his nightstand a few weeks ago and Ashley denied again, growing suspicious that Yuta was having someone over. But he didnât owe any explanations to her.
Yuta always came up short with his security footage. There were glitches with the footage. The objects just...appeared from one frame to the next. This had to be some kind of joke.
Seeing a whole portrait pop up in his bathroom of all places was just part of his daily routine now. Guess Iâve got another thing I have to sell online, he thought.
Then again⌠He looked carefully at the painting. The woman in the painting was stunning. He wondered what her face looked like in reality. Gorgeous, he was sure of it. The woman wore an oval-shaped ruby necklace. The painting gave him both a sense of comfort and excitement. He couldnât explain this clearly new but somehow familiar feeling. He decided to hold onto the painting for a while. He could always change his mind.
Ashley let out a blood-curdling scream. âYuta! Get in here!â She sounded scared for her life. Could it have been the people who managed to break in and leave the painting among all of the other random objects? He ran into the living room to find Ashley standing on his plush couch.
âIs that...a cat?!â Ashley hissed as she looked down at a Siamese cat.
The cat watched her from the ground, swaying his tail back and forth. He simply watched her. When the cat saw Yuta, he walked up to him and rubbed himself against Yutaâs legs as he purred.
Yuta crouched down and pet the cat behind his ears. âHey there, buddy. How did you get in here?â
âYuta, you went and bought a cat when you know Iâm allergic?â Ashley asked as she sneezed.
Yuta sighed. âI swear to you I have no idea how he got in here.â It was possible he ran in when Yuta opened the sliding glass door to his yard.
âWell...â Ashley sneezed as she grabbed her handbag and stormed out of the multimillion dollar mansion. âYou better get rid of that thing if you ever want me to set foot into this house again!â
Ashley slammed the door and Yuta laughed as he sat down on the couch. The cat laid on his lap and pushed his head into Yutaâs hand so that he could pet him.. Yuta brushed his fingers through his fur.
âYou know what, I think Iâll keep you.â
^_^
It was your first day of work with the world famous band Skylark. Sky High Entertainment reached out to you when they watched your most popular makeup tutorial. Now, you would be their makeup artist for their future engagements. Your first few weeks would be to assist the band in preparation for their first set of tour dates in Los Angeles for their Heaven on Earth World Tour. You were to meet the group and their team at the Staples Center. You werenât too familiar with Skylarâs work because you were either fixated on the YouTube MUA community or repeatedly listening to Mountain Manâs music. You arrived early, too excited to start, and the bandâs manager Baekhyun Byun told you that you were welcome to watch the group rehearse.
To say that the band was attractive was an understatement. You knew of their names and faces from the occasional Twitter posts. Plus, you had to memorize their names and faces for the job. However, seeing them in person was a whole other experience.
Drummer Johnny Suhâs muscular arms and intensity were reminiscent of Hercules as he twirled one of his drumsticks with ease. Mark Lee was the guitarist, looking like he was about to be cast for the next Spiderman with his sweet and goofy demeanor. He played a random guitar solo with his tongue out to get a reaction out of his cousin Johnny. Dong Sicheng was focused at the keyboard, looking as elegant and regal as a vampire prince. Bassist Jung Jaehyunâs every glance was more seductive than the last as he tuned his bass to perfection.
Last but not least was the frontman with the fuchsia colored mane: Yuta Nakamoto. His walk to the microphone at the center of the stage was unintentionally seductive, considering he was in a black hoodie and sweatpants like the rest of his band. He was at least six feet tall as his long strides made him walk with such grace and elegance. A man that was effortlessly gorgeous was definitely trouble. At this point, your jaw was on the ground. Every man on that stage was a god but Yuta was the frontman for a reason. He was undeniably the cutest of the group. In his all-black attire, he was the emo prince of millions of girlâs dreams: his slender face, his sharp cheekbones, his piercing brown eyes, a smile so bright it could make you go blind, his rockstar piercings which included a navel piercing and caused your thoughts to drift to places that werenât suitable for the workplaceâŚ
From time to time, the band goofed off. Mark made a paper plane from the set list and threw it at Johnny. Jaehyun danced the latest TikTok dance while Sicheng filmed it with his phone. Yuta laughed as he borrowed the keyboard and wrote some notes down in his notebook.
When they got down to business, the boys completely transformed. They channeled angst and heartache when they began rehearsal. You recognized the song as their latest single: âLost and Foundâ.
When Yuta sang, goosebumps ran down your back and your stomach twisted. Alarms were ringing in your head but they werenât out of fear. But out of...excitement? You couldnât describe this strange sensation.
Yuta transformed into a man who was heartbroken and confused. His voice danced into your ears and hearing it live made the lyrics more meaningful. Every word that left his plump lips lingered in the air. You couldn't get enough and felt your heart squeeze.
Yuta looked out to the audience as he always practiced how he would engage with the crowd. He earned several thumbs up from the staff, as expected. Then he turned to your section and could barely make you out as a silhouette in the darkness.
You saw that he focused on your section as he sang the second verse. Your heart skipped a beat. Youâd have to listen to more of Skylarkâs music from now on because they were fantastic. And maybe lurk on Yutaâs social media.
After rehearsal ended, Manager Byun introduced you to the rest of the team, including the other makeup artists. He walked you to the dressing room to introduce you to the band. For the first time in years, you were about to freak out like a fangirl.
âBoys, this is y/n. Sheâs our newest makeup artist. Please, I beg of you, donât make her run for the hills.â Manager Byun laughed. You hoped he was joking.
The boys greeted you and shook your hand. Johnny was the most outgoing. âPleasure to meet you, y/n!â
Jaehyun winked at you as he shook your hand. âHi.â
Winwin gave you a childlike smile. âThank you for joining us!â
Mark stuttered as he greeted you, âUh, hi, itâs uh, really nice to meet you.â His cheeks were flushed.
You were overjoyed but knew you had to conceal your excitement. Still, you couldnât help but hope for Yuta to greet you.
You all turned to Yuta who was busily texting away on his phone in front of his mirror.
Johnny cleared his throat. âYuta, say hi to y/n.â
Then, you noticed he was wearing his AirPods. Johnny tapped him on the shoulder. Yuta looked up at him. âWhat? I was on the verge of a breakthrough, and now I wonât get it back. Thanks a lot.â Yuta rolled his eyes and looked back at his phone.
Johnny cleared his throat and you could see his smile twitch from his reflection in the mirror. âSay hi to y/n. Sheâs our new makeup artist,â Johnny said carefully. He sounded a lot less sweet, then.
Yuta sighed. âFine.â
He got up from his makeup chair and walked up to you. His sour demeanor quickly shifted to bright and breezy. His megawatt smile appeared as he shook hands with you. âHi, y/n. Pleasure to meet you.â
It was insincere and you knew it. You didnât even bother faking a smile. âPleasureâs all mine.â
It was the smile youâd seen all too often with celebrities and YouTubers whose egos grew faster than their subscriber count. It was the kind of smile they used to please sponsors and fans. A means to an end.
Yutaâs smile faded as quickly as it appeared. He quickly turned away and went back to his chair, put his AirPods in, and returned to his phone. You spoke too soon when you thought Yuta was your favorite member.
Mark whispered, âDonât take it personally, y/n. Yuta is in his own little world most of the time.â
You werenât surprised. Chances were one of these boys wasnât what they seemed. You were disappointed it was Yuta, though.
For the most part, your first day went well. Everyone was warm and welcoming. You shared tips with the other makeup artists. But then, they dropped a bomb.
âYouâre assigned to Yuta,â Manager Byun told you as you headed down the elevator. You just came back from a break.
You couldnât control your initial facial expression.
Manager Byun laughed. âHe wonât bite.â
You composed yourself. âOh, I knowâŚâ
He understood. âHeâs been working on a lot of projects. Some of which I donât even know the full details of. So I apologize on his behalf for his rudeness.â
You shook your head. âBut Manager Byun-â
He raised his hand. âPlease, call me Baekhyun. Manager Byun makes me sound like Iâm a father of three.â
You laughed. âOkay. Baekhyun, you donât have to apologize for him. I get it. Heâs a workaholic. Iâll gladly be his makeup artist.â It wasnât like Yuta insulted you. He just wasnât what you hoped he would be. Plus, you were there for a job and nothing else. So professionalism was always key.
Baekhyun put his hand on your shoulder. âThank you, y/n. If he gives you trouble at all, the makeup team will make sure Yuta gets the wrong shade of foundation.â
You and the rest of the makeup team headed back to the dressing room where the boys were sitting in their chairs. They needed to get their makeup done for the filming of their tour diaries entry for this week. Yuta was still glued to technology. This time, he was on his laptop, and he was in the middle of producing a track, it seemed.
You gulped and tapped him on the shoulder.
âExcuse me, Mr. Naka-â You began.
âYutaâs fine,â he barked back.
âI have to do your makeup,â you said as you started off with his primer.
âFine,â he said as he closed his eyes, âMake it quick.â
His tone was even crabbier than this morning. You told yourself to keep it together. You wouldnât let this diva jeopardize your job. He was a challenge and you would overcome this bastard.
Because Yuta was quiet and as still as a statue, doing his makeup wasnât a problem. You made sure you were swift but neat. You didnât want to poke the tiger again. All that was left was his eyeliner. You gave him an elegant winged eyeliner for his left eye. You were halfway done with his right eye when he interrupted.
His voice boomed. âSeriously, what part of âquickâ donât you understand?â
He startled you so much that his liner shot straight up to the middle of his forehead.
You bit back your anger and your tears. You said calmly, âI was almost done, Yuta. If you hadnât startled me for ten more seconds, I wouldâve finished.â
Yuta looked in the mirror, his venomous tone matching the anger in his face. âYou clearly lack experience if you let one thing I said get to you. Well? Donât just stand there. Fix it.â
The rest of the staff and the band stood there, stunned to silence. You swallowed your pride and redid the liner on his right eye. He said nothing when you finished. He left the dressing room first.
You turned to everyone else, feeling humiliated and fearing what everyone would say. âWhy is it so quiet?â
âBecause you didnât run for the hills,â Sicheng replied, smiling at you in admiration.
âHuh?â That wasnât the reaction youâd expected.
Rin, your fellow makeup artist who was working on Jaehyun right beside you, said, âThe last makeup artist Lily only lasted a week. Yutaâs beenâŚâ
âA stuck up bitch,â Jaehyun finished.
Rin sighed, âHis words. Not mine. Before Lily, there was Halle. Halle was Yutaâs makeup artist for three years before she left for another project. Even before Halle left, Yuta was in a mood. No one knows whatâs bothering him. Heâs not usually-â
âA diva,â Mark added.
Rin applied some setting spray on Jaehyunâs face. âOnce again, not my words.â
You worried if you crossed a line by talking back at him like you had. âWas I not supposed to say anything to him when he yelled?â
Everyone laughed. Johnny said, âAre you kidding? We dare you to tell him to stop bitching if he snaps again.â
You thought about it. âI just hope he gets over whatever heâs going through.â
^_^
Days passed and the sixth day of work went just about the same. You were in your element and over the moon with all of the high-end cosmetics at your disposal. Not even your sourpuss of a client could dampen your mood.
During one of your breaks, you sat alone in one of the unoccupied meeting rooms and listened to âBreezeâ on your phone as you read some of your emails.
âThe breeze made your hair sway. I fell in love that autumn day,â you sang aloud.
Yuta was headed to a meeting with Cartier but at the sound of your voice singing âBreezeâ, he froze in his tracks. He pressed his ear against the door of the room you were in. The cracks in your voice were endearing. He smiled to himself.
He peaked through the window and hoped you didnât notice him. You were seated at the table. Your legs were propped against one of the other swivel chairs. You tapped your fingers against the table. You smiled as you sang. Your smile was lovely. Your eyes were so full of joy and passion as you recited the lyrics, and for the first time, he actually looked at you and took in your features. Your singing voice wasnât as calm and soothing as your speaking voice, but he still enjoyed hearing you. For the first time in a long time, he felt..something.
Seeing you smile that way made you the most beautiful girl heâd ever seen, he realized.
He couldnât believe how much you loved his song. âBreezeâ wasnât doing as well as he hoped. The company CEO thought about scrapping his anonymous side project all together. He didnât understand. Had he released the song with Skylark or under his own name would âBreezeâ have charted better? It pissed him off. He was so proud of his composition. It was the first time he let himself be so raw and vulnerable. Because he wanted this project to be anonymous, he chose not to tell his bandmates or anyone else, really. The couple of staff members who did know were sworn to secrecy. It killed him that he couldnât vent to anyone.
When the song ended, you said to yourself, âOh, letâs just play this on a loop.â You played âBreezeâ again and stretched your arms.
Seeing you love the song as much as he did made the dark cloud that loomed over his head fade a little. Perhaps he had been too harsh on you, he thought.
^_^
A few more days pass and you and Yuta seem to be getting closer. Heâd actually put his phone down when you did his makeup, watching you as you patted his foundation in. For you, it was strange, but for Yuta he was mesmerized.
âIâm bored..letâs play 20 questions.â Yuta said as you spritzed his face with primer water one day.
âUhhh..okay.â Your brows furrowed.
âFavorite movie, go.â Yuta asked before closing his eyes.
âUhhh. Titanic?â
âEw. Okay favorite group?â He smirked.
âWell..itâs not Skylark..â You huffed.
Yuta took in a sharp breath and held your wrist to stop you. âItâs NOT Skylark? Then who is it, who is worthy?â His eyes were intense, like you hurt him deeply.
âHmmm...One Direction.â You were just messing with him, but you wanted to see his reaction.
He rolled his eyes and let go, leaning back in his chair and rolling his neck. âYou canât be serious...â
âWhat? They make good music! And isn't it my turn to ask questions now?â
âShoot.â Yuta closed his eyes so you could do his eye shadow.
âHmmm..whatâs your favorite color?â You started.
âThe color of your eyes...â
You froze for a moment, but then chuckled. âYuta..seriously?â
Yutaâs eyes opened as he laughed. âIâm serious! Theyâre beautiful.â
You pouted. âIâm done playing this game if youâre gonna mess with me.â
âAre you going to ruin my eyeliner again because you donât like my compliment?â He let out in a faux British accent and high pitched tone to mimic the queen. You couldnât help but laugh and shake your head.
Yuta smiles widely when he hears your angelic laugh, your eyes crinkling and your cheeks becoming so round and full.
What was this new feeling that he had?
^_^
Youâd be working with Skylark for a month now and you were enjoying your time with the team. However, it was pouring for the first time in a month in LA. While you wouldâve been happy about it in any other circumstance, you were annoyed and on the verge of freaking out. Your second bus was running late to take you to the arena. You decided not to wait for the bus and make a run for it.
Your umbrella was helpful to a certain extent but you were drenched regardless. The rain continued to pour unforgivingly. When you were preparing to cross the street, a black Mercedes pulled up beside you. The passenger window came down and you recognized Yuta.
He was sitting there, looking amazing as usual. Only this time, his long, neon pink hair was thrown into a bun and he modeled a pair of heart-shaped, fuchsia colored sunglasses to match.
The way he held the wheel with one hand made your heart shudder for some reason.
âGet in!â He said.
You hesitated for a second. However, dryer clothes outweighed your pride at this moment. You hopped in, closed your umbrella, and shut the door.
Yuta grabbed your umbrella and put it in the backseat. âYouâre soaked. Iâm going to turn up the heat on your seat.â
âThank you,â you mumbled.
Yuta drove you to work. He was surprised he could recognize you through the pouring rain. He had this inexplicable anxiety when he was at the red light before he saw you. He couldnât explain it. He was doing okay for the most part. His last song for his first self-titled mini album was almost complete. Ashley was a pain but their respective managers were working towards a day when they could announce their breakup. His band was at the top of their game. His new cat was keeping Ashley away.
So what was this feeling that came out of nowhere?
And how did the feeling disappear just as quickly when you looked him in the eyes?
âThanks for the ride,â you piped up.
Yuta cleared his throat, feeling shy all of a sudden. Very unlike him. âWeâre both headed the same way.â That was Yutaâs attempt at sounding cool. He didnât realize it could make him sound like a tool, you thought.
There was an awkward silence that suffocated you both. The traffic was unbearable so it looked like you would both be late for work.
Yuta blurted, âI donât think Iâve said this before but...Iâm sorry..â
You turned to him as he stared straight ahead. You were shocked that he was apologizing. You figured this man never apologized for anything, especially when he carried on with you at work like he hadnât snapped at you on your first day. âAre you?â
He sighed as he slowed down. âYes. I was a jerk and you were just doing your job. I really have no excuse.â
You replied, âWell, as long as youâre aware. Do you promise to keep the sass to a minimum? Or at least until after Iâm done with your makeup?â
Yuta nodded. âYes, I promise.â
You noted how down Yuta looked. Beneath the hostility and sarcasm, there was frustration and sadness. âI forgive you.â
Yuta smiled. âThank you.â
Another awkward silence followed. And the rain poured down even harder so Yuta drove even slower. He turned up the radio and you both recognized âBreezeâ.
You both sat back and listened to the song in silence. Without you realizing, Yuta snuck glances at you as you hummed and bobbed your head to the beat of the song.
âI love this song,â you blurted.
Yuta smirked. âYeah, itâs great, isnât it?â
âI would give anything to meet Mountain Man. His music is unlike anything Iâve ever heard. No one knows who he is. His identity is top secret,â you sulk.
Yuta beamed with pride that someone could be a fan of his mysterious persona. Without knowing his face or his true identity. It truly made him feel special.
Yuta bit back a laugh. âI know who he is, actually.â He wondered if he would regret telling you this.
You looked at him in shock. âWhat?â
âI can introduce him to you if youâd like but you have to promise me one thing.â Yuta was elated to see you so thrilled.
âWait, really?!â You exclaimed as you unconsciously moved closer to him. âYouâre not messing with me, are you?â
Yuta shook his head as he finally turned into the arena parking lot. âWhen we break for lunch, Iâll take you to him. Iâll call him over.â You gaped. âOh, you donât have to. He must be so busy. He doesnât have time to meet me. I-â
Yuta felt a flash of jealousy over your consideration for someone whose face you didnât even know (even if it was his other persona). âHe wonât mind, I promise. Now promise me one thing when I introduce you.â
âWhat is it?â You asked cautiously.
Yuta put his car in park. âPromise me youâre free tonight. I need to go over some looks for my concept photos next week. I know itâs after work but Iâll buy dinner.â
Yuta did a full 180 on his personality. You were still recovering from the whiplash. And now he was doing you favors and confiding in you? You were on the fence but if you could meet Mountain Man, surely it would be worth it.
^_^
When it was lunch time, Yuta took you to the conference room. âTake a seat, y/n. Mountain Man just texted me. Iâll bring him in.â
You sat down in your unofficial swivel chair and fought the urge to pick at your nails. You were so nervous. To be in the presence of such talent. To be in the presence of the man who touched your heart with a three minute and fifty five second song. You had no idea what to expect.
Yuta came back quickly. With no one. He looked at you expectantly.
You got up to check if anyone was behind Yuta. âUh, Yuta?â
âUh huh?â He asked.
âWhereâs Mountain Man?â You frowned.
He threw his arms up. âYouâre looking at him.â
You got up from your chair and wrapped your arms around your chest in frustration. âCome on.â
Yuta was shocked at your reaction. âYou donât believe me?â
You shook your head. How can such a high-profile celebrity be an anonymous artist?
Yuta rolled his eyes. âWow, youâre really making a guy work here, arenât you?â
âI donât get it. Why wouldnât you just release your music with Skylark or under your real name? Why the anonymity?â You asked as you went back to your chair and collected your belongings to leave.
âWait, donât go,â Yuta pleaded, âI can prove it.â
He offered his notebook to you with lyrics that dated back two years.
âThis is your lyric book?â You asked.
Yuta nodded as you flipped through the pages. âSongs Iâve written for Skylark. Songs Iâve written for my solo mini. And songs Iâve written for Mountain Man.â
You sat down and carefully absorbed all of the contests inside. You went to the first pages of the notebook and found the early drafts of âBreezeâ, which dated back to a year ago. And right after those lyrics, there were the lyrics for Skylarkâs Grammy-nominated song, âHope and Flameâ.
You looked up at him. âYouâŚâ
âYeah,â he said as he put his hands in his pockets. âIf youâre not convinced, Iâll take you to the studio and show you how Iâve used a voice modifier. Plus, youâre looking at lyrics of songs that wonât be released until next year. So if youâre willing to wait until then to see your proof, wellâŚâ
Well, he hoped those songs would be released next year. He prayed you would believe him.
You choked. âI...believe you.â
Yuta exclaimed. âReally?â
Yuta was acting very childlike today, you observed. You thought it was kind of cute. He may have dropped one of the biggest secrets in the industry but he was still your moody client.
âI canât believeâŚyouâre Mountain ManâŚâ
Yuta sat down beside you. âYou owe me.â
âAfter you introduced me to...you?â You laughed in disbelief.
He nodded. âYou said you would give anything to meet me.â He was smug as he gave you a knowing look.
You scoffed. âI didnât think youâd use it against me.â
He replied as he leaned back on the chair. âIâm not. I just thought I might impress you.â
âAnd why would you want to do that?â You teased.
He leaned closer and shrugged. âIâm not entirely sure. I guess I just wanted to.â
You blushed at his proximity and quickly turned away. âThere you go again with the teasing.â
Yuta smiled wide. âSo what do you want for dinner? Pizza or Chinese?â
^_^
You helped Yuta explore a few looks for his upcoming photoshoot before dinner that night.
You were adding some final touches to his heart-shaped lips. âYour lips are so pretty,â you said without realizing.
Yuta knew to hold still but his eyes opened at hearing you say that. You were so caught up in making up his face that you didnât realize you were thinking out loud. Yuta chose not to bother you. He owed you that much.
âOkay, Iâm done,â you said, âI gave you a more understated look. More neutral tones in your eyeshadow and highlighter. And I chose a brighter shade of pink for your lips. I get more of a romantic vibe from this look,â you said as you looked at his reflection in the makeup mirror.
Yuta looked straight at you. âI love it.â He was impressed with your careful attention to detail and how natural you made his makeup look. Out of all the makeup artists and stylists heâd worked with, you were the most attentive and cooperative. You always surpassed his vision for his look. You asked him for his opinions in case you needed to change anything. Most of the time, though, he was very satisfied with your work on the first go. You were the best makeup artist heâd worked with, he had to admit.
âYou donât want more eyeliner? What were you thinking with your piercings?â You asked.
He shook his head. âItâs perfect, y/n. Every look you showed me is perfect for the shoot. I just need you to be by my side when it starts. No one else touches this face but you.â Yuta explained with no trace of mockery in his voice.
Yuta was so open with you all of a sudden and all you did was breathe. How was that possible? And you felt a little more intimidated now that you knew that Yuta was behind your favorite artist. You remembered that first and foremost you were his makeup artist so you shoved your confused feelings aside. You would panic when you got home.
Blushing and still processing, you said, âThank.â
âYou?â He finished for you.
You blushed even harder. âYeah.â
He laughed as you tried to compose yourself.
You removed his makeup so his skin could get a break. âWhatâs next?â
Yuta sighed. âWeâre done, y/n. Letâs order something and Iâll drive you home. Itâs late.â
You cleaned up your supplies while Yuta ordered pizza. You both liked extra Mozzarella cheese on top.
âSo,â you said, âCan I ask you something?â Youâve been dying to ask him questions for hours but youâve done so well to hold it in. You figured youâd indulge by asking at least one.
âYeah?â Yuta sat up straight.
âDid you compose all of Mountain Manâs releases?â
He nodded.
âWhat instruments do you play?â You dared to ask one more question.
âGuitar, piano, drums, violin,â he said as he got up and grabbed his guitar from his case. âThanks for reminding me. I have a melody stuck in my head, and I want to see if I can make something out of it.â
Yuta tuned his guitar and hummed to himself. He played a few chords.
âWhoa,â you said. âJust like that?â
He chuckled in confusion. âWhat do you mean?â
âYou can make something so incredible and unique in an instant?â You asked, clearly in awe.
He shook his head. âI could only get to this point because I practiced every single day in grade school.â
You heard how lonely he sounded, then. âThat must have beenâŚâ
âA pain in my ass, yeah. I gave up many trips to Chuck E. Cheese just so I could master the piano,â he grumbled.
âAnd you never gave up on practicing?â You asked, impressed. Had it been you you wouldâve given up and found the next hobby.
âMy parents pushed me hard from a young age,â he started, âThey wanted me to become a world classical musician. Family honor and all.â
âWhat changed, though? Skylark isnât exactly classical,â you observed.
Yuta replied, âI didnât tell my parents but I started a rock band when I was sixteen. Johnny and Jaehyun have been by my side from the very beginning. We rehearsed in Johnnyâs garage until we graduated.â
You grinned, just thinking about teenage Yuta rebelling against his familyâs wishes. âThatâs sweet.â
He laughed. âYeah, Johnny and Jaehyun claimed they joined to meet girls but I knew they loved music just as much as I did. Johnnyâs cousin Mark and Markâs best friend Sicheng joined us a few months later and we were a force of nature. That was our first band name, by the way.â
You bit back a laugh. âIâm sorry, what?â
âForce of Nature,â Yuta replied, deadpan. âWhatâs so funny, y/n?â
You laughed, almost falling over in your seat. âThat is so cute. You guys thought you were being edgy.â
Yuta grabbed a throw pillow and threw it at you. âI wonât tolerate mockery from the staff.â
You gasped. âI wonât tolerate a DICKtator.â You grabbed another pillow and threw it at him.
You both laughed so hard. Yuta grabbed an eyeliner pencil you forgot to pack up.
âYou know, y/n,â Yuta started as he moved closer to you. âYouâre alright.â He took your hand and slipped the eyeliner into it.
âYou, too, Nakamoto,â you said, âYouâre still paying for the pizza, though.â
Time passed as you two talked about your childhoods, your hobbies, and all about Skylark and Mountain Man.
âMan, what I wouldnât give to go back in time and learn the guitar,â you said as Yuta mindlessly strummed his guitar and produced heavenly melodies.
Yuta innocently offered, âI can teach you.â
You raised your eyebrows. âIn exchange for?â
He laughed warmly. âNothing. Come over here and sit down.â He patted the seat next to him on the couch so you could join him.
You sat down and he placed his acoustic guitar over you. He moved closer to you, moving his arms over you. You could feel his chest against your back. He radiated warmth and your throat almost went dry.
Yuta took your left hand. âNow...youâre going to place your fingers up here. These are called the frets. I already tuned the guitar, okay?â His voice was very close to your ear and for a moment, you held your breath.
He took your right hand and placed it on the body of the guitar. âLetâs try an A chord.â His deep voice lowered even more and you felt your face heat up.
He took your left fingers and adjusted their positions. Never letting go of your hands, he instructed you to strum the guitar.
The chord sounded more beautiful than youâd expected it to be. âWhoa.â
âNice,â Yuta said, âThen again, I did most of the work.â
You turned your head to him and his face was mere centimeters away from yours. âYou are so-â
Yuta moved even closer. âFinish your sentence, y/n. Iâm dying to hear what you have to say.â
You retreated. âIrritating.â
Yutaâs phone rang. The pizza arrived and you two fought over the last slice. Â He was ridiculous, considering he ate four slices to your three. It was only fair youâd eat the last slice. Yuta got creative and used a plastic knife to cut the last slice in half. You accepted but you were determined to get your revenge.
Yuta drove you home. The night was calm, and the traffic was light.
âYou live pretty far if youâre walking to the arena for work, y/n,â Yuta said as he pulled up in front of your building.
âI take two buses. Normally, itâs not a problem. It was complicated today because of the rain,â you said.
âYeah, I thought we were going to get a massive flood,â he said, âItâs very unlike LA.â
You nodded as you took off your seatbelt. âWell, thanks for the ride.â
Yuta smiled and tipped his imaginary hat. âThank you for your help tonight.â His smile was at its most radiant, then.
^_^
You wake up the next morning thankful for the weekend but a little sad thatâŚWait a minute.
You didnât miss Yuta, you told yourself. The boy gave you whiplash and you were only beginning to get to know him. You had time to do some cleaning around the apartment. Maybe you could find a lot of your missing stuff so you could put that eBay account out of your mind.
It was already 2 PM and you couldnât find the palette, your primary concern. You sighed. You looked around your spotless room and found some solace in the fact that it was clean and organized. Tidying up was its own therapy.
You called your mom and asked her about her day. You went through your jewelry box.
Your mom chattered on, excited like a schoolgirl, âAnyways y/n, Fred wanted to take me to a costume party tonight so I wanted to know...Do you think the black flapper dress would be better than the mod dress?â Fred was her serious boyfriend of three years. You had a feeling that he would propose anytime now and you were happy for them.
That good feeling quickly dissipated. âOh, no.â Your most prized possession was missing. You knew it was missing because you always kept it in your jewelry box.
ây/n? Honey, are you okay?â Your mom asked over the line.
You couldnât tell your mom that your grandmotherâs ruby necklace was missing. âYeah, sorry mom, itâs nothing. I got a little dramatic. Ran out of whipped cream for my sundae.â You lied.
You finished your conversation with your mom. You had no choice but to log onto eBay again. You searched 1026you and your suspicions were confirmed.
Your grandmotherâs one-of-a-kind family heirloom was for sale. For one hundred dollars. It was a priceless heirloom that was worth at least ten times as much. You clenched your fists. âSon of a bitch.â
You messaged the seller again but knew he would never answer you. Heâs ignored your other messages so what made you think he would respond to this one? You read through the siteâs terms and conditions and there was no way to contest that the item was yours. You noticed that the item was up for bid and the bid would end inâŚ
Ten minutes.
The current bid was at $100.
You scoffed. âWhy the hell do I have to bid on an item thatâs mine?â
You swallowed your pride and prayed that no one else would bid higher.
You placed a bid for $101.
Right away, someone else bid higher. $102.
This went on and on until your competition outbid you and won the necklace for $127.
âSon of a bitch!â You cursed again.
You sent 1026you ten consecutive messages telling them that they stole your necklace and begged them to respond as soon as possible. You knew it was hopeless.
^_^
You knocked on Yangyangâs door. He lived a few doors down from you and Delilah. You used to babysit him when you were in high school and college. Yangyang was a child prodigy, having graduated from MIT with a masterâs in computer science at age sixteen. His parents still needed you to babysit when he was acing Physics at age ten. He always insisted he didnât need a babysitter but you two developed a bond. It was to both of your surprise that he became your neighbor. He had a side hustle as a hacker. You hoped he could help you track down 1026you so you can give him a piece of your mind.
He opened the door. ây/n, whatâs up?â He smiled wide. He still had that boyish wonder in his eyes.
âHey, I hope Iâm not interrupting,â you started.
âNot at all, come in,â he moved to the side so you could walk into his messy apartment. Video games were scattered all over his living room floor. He was in the middle of eating a bowl of ramen.
âYangyang, I know Iâve been relieved from my babysitting duties for a while now but...ramen is not a proper meal,â you said.
âShut up.â Yangyang laughed. âIâll grill some meat later. Donât worry.â
You laughed as you sat at his kitchen table. He gave you a can of Pepsi, knowing it was your favorite. âI need a favor, actually.â
Yangyang rejoiced. âAt long last, you need my help. Never thought the day would come. You never let me help you with precalculus, even though you definitely needed it.â
Ignoring his roast for once, you responded, âWell...I need your hacking expertise. I know that this is going to sound crazy but...someone has been stealing things from my apartment and selling them online.â
Yangyangâs smile faded. âWhat the hell? So thatâs why you installed security cameras at your place.â
âI didnât get into it because I thought I was crazy but my grandmotherâs necklace is missing and itâs one of a kind. And nowâŚâ You showed him the item that was sold.
âThatâs your necklace,â Yangyang replied in shock. He recognized it from having known you for so long. You wore it on rare occasions like birthday parties. You preferred not to be photographed with it because you wanted to preserve it and keep it secret from strangers and acquaintances. You never knew who you could trust.
âCan you help me track down the seller?â
ây/n, that goes against eBayâs terms and conditions,â he replied.
You sighed. âI know but-â
Yangyang chuckled mischievously. âThis should be fun.â
Yangyang worked magic on his computer to track down 1026youâs location. He was in Los Angeles, to your surprise. âCanât get you the sellerâs name but will an address do?â
âItâs perfect,â you said.
^_^
Yuta woke up from a nap on the couch. Totoro was sleeping on his stomach. He chuckled as he pet him. Yutaâs phone rang, indicating a notification. He checked his phone and saw that the ruby necklace he put on sale was sold to the highest bidder at the deadline. He also saw a bunch of messages from one account claiming he stole the necklace and heâd better respond to her.
âCrazy,â Yuta said as he ignored the messages.
^_^
âWhat do you think I should use for todayâs luxurious bath, Totoro? The  âCotton Candyâ bath bomb or the âMadly In Loveâ bath bomb?â Yuta carefully picked Totoro up from his lap and placed him on the cold marble floor before standing up and stretching.
Totoro let out a loud âmeowâ and walked away from Yuta.
âI completely agree.â
Yuta threw his shirt off and headed to his bathroom, but he jumped once he opened the door. He had completely forgotten about the beautiful portrait that leaned against the counter. He stopped and tilted his head, really taking in the depth of color in the painting. He gazed at the stunning profile of the woman and the necklace she had on. He couldnât understand how he had this undying urge to remember a memory he never had, to remember the moment he met this strange woman from the portrait.
He shook his head and started to run water for his bath, oblivious to the eyes that watched him through the small opening of the door.
^_^
You watched a shirtless Yuta stare at something for a few seconds. You couldnât see what it was, but you really didnât care, for Yutaâs abs were the real star of the show. Your mouth fell open, your heart started to race. Yuta was perfect in every way, and the twinkling piercing in his navel was the cherry on top.
But...wait.
You had to remember why you were here. Yangyangâs research found that this was the address of the person that was selling your precious necklace so you had to work fast. You already got lucky when you found a window in a first floor bedroom that was open.
You were shocked to see that it was Yutaâs house that you would have to break into, but once again, you just had to get your priceless possession.
Was Yuta messing with you? How could he do this and when could he do this? When would he have had time to sneak into your place and steal your necklace? Or was it his girlfriend?
Yuta shook his head before turning it to the side slightly. You jumped out of sight by moving to the side quickly. He interrupted your thoughts, but you had to get moving before he got out of the shower.
You looked around his enormous mansion, heading for what seemed to be his bedroom, for it was the biggest one at the top of the grand staircase.
Surely, there had to be an explanation for how your possession became his possession. Nonetheless, you were pissed that he decided to ignore your message and proceed to sell it. How could he steal something so meaningful to you then sell it? Itâs not like he needed the money.
You looked on top of the California King-sized bed and then under it to see if you could just catch a glimpse of the shimmering ruby stone. But you found nothing. You then looked at his black dresser before stopping to gaze at his extensive earring collection. It was incredible.
A case full of hundreds if not thousands of earrings and jewelry stood beside the dresser. Your mouth fell open and your eyes widened. What if he stole jewelry? No-no, you shook your head at the absurd thought. This man had way too much money.
Then you heard him singing in the bathroom beside his bedroom. But his voice grew louder as he exited and entered the hallway to make his way to his room.
âShit,â you whispered.
Your heart started to race. You're just moments from being caught so you look back to the dresser and spot it.
Your necklace.
Itâs next to the small brown bag that it would have been sent in today, but you grabbed it just in the nick of time.
âBABAY!! Why DONâT YOU JUST MEET ME IN THE MIDDLEEE??â Yuta sang in the hallway and thanks to his boastful voice and the large ceilings that allowed for a beautiful echo, you heard him when he was just about to enter. You quickly dropped to the floor and rolled under the bed.
You covered your mouth to muffle your heavy breathing. He was pacing about, walking to and from his closet.
âNah, donât like thisâŚâ he threw a flannel onto the bed. He went into his closet and grabbed a black T-shirt, the 56th black T-shirt in his collection, to be exact.
âNice.â Yuta continued to hum while spritzing on some cologne.
Yuta smelled amazing, like vanilla and roses, but you couldnât help but be worried that you would be late for work if you couldnât get out of his house right NOW.
âHey, babe..â You heard a female voice say. It was his girlfriend. âDamn it,â you mouthed. Ashley was known for being one of the most gorgeous celebrities alive today. She had the perfect face with a dazzling smile to match, but rumor had it that she was a complete bitch behind closed doors.
You heard Yuta sigh and you could almost feel his eye roll. He was thinking of how much he hated himself for ever giving her a key to his house.
âWhatâs up, Ash?â He spoke to her like he was being forced to communicate with an Uber driver.
âOh, donât sound so excited to see meâŚâ Ashley responded. She walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist.
Yuta was fixing his earrings onto his ears when she embraced him. He looked at her through the mirror in front of them and gave a look of annoyance when she tilted her head to lock eyes with him.
âSo...where were you yesterday? You missed our dinner date at the Venetian...Do you know how much it cost me to lose that reservation AND call off the paps?â
âIâm sure you can afford it.â Yuta walked away from her and looked at the dresser with a puzzled expression. Somethingâs missing, he thought.
You watched Yutaâs footsteps as he hesitated for a moment, but then he continued on into his closet.
Your eyes grew. Did Yuta really blow off his date at the most expensive restaurant in the city to be with you? He ditched $1,000 caviar and steak just to eat $12 pizza with you?
âYou really like making me beg, donât you, Mr. Nakamoto?â Her voice lowered as she leaned against the dresser and watched Yuta put his socks on.
âWhere were you, daddy?â
Yuta hesitated for a moment. He didnât like the fact that she thought he had to report his movements to her. She acted like she had to know everything that went on in his life. She was overstepping and Yuta wasnât about to fall for it.
So he decided to piss her off.
âI was with..the new girl.â
Ashley stood up straight and crossed her arms. You nearly yelped out under the bed and revealed yourself.
âWhoâs the ânew girlâ?â Ashley asked and you could just hear the fire in her tone. Even Charizard would be jealous.
âThe new makeup artist..sheâs sweet, I bought us food and we talked.â Yuta smirked and walked closer to Ashley who didnât even try to hide her jealousy. Her perfectly plucked brows furrowed.
âI taught her how to play the guitar...sheâs lovely, really. We had a great time.â Yuta was definitely twisting the knife and you couldnât tell if he spoke of you fondly just to piss her off, or if he genuinely meant it. Either way, his words filled your chest with butterflies, and a smile tugged at your lips.
âYuta...baby, you missed our date at THE Venetian to spend it with some talentless random who probably has a failing Youtube channel?â Ashley pouted. âLet me show you whatâs lovely, Mr. Nakamoto.â
Yuta was about to protest, but Ashley held his chin and tilted it down towards her before placing a kiss on his lips.
The sound echoed in the large room and made you roll your eyes. She insulted you without having met you? What a bitch, you thought. No wonder Yuta was miserable.
She then took his hand and led him to the bed, pushing his chest lightly so heâd sit on the soft surface. She dropped to her knees and ran her hands along his thighs.
Oh no...please donât do what I think youâre about to do. You squeezed your eyes tightly and prayed that Yuta would tell her to wait until later.
Yuta huffed and puffed but indulged her, allowing her to have her way because he just couldnât be bothered. She unbuckled his belt while looking into his low eyes.
âYouâre stressed, baby, thatâs why you spent time with a total stranger. But donât forget you have me.â Ashley licked her lips before taking his pant zipper in between her teeth and dragging it down.
âI canât wait to taste you, Mr. Nakamoto.â Ashley kissed his pelvis. She was too busy to see Yuta cringe at the name she called him. God, did it feel weird.
âJust...m-make it quick. I have to go.â Yuta licked his lips, letting his head fall back as he closed his eyes in anticipation.
Shit. You mouthed again. You were about to hear the most disturbing sounds of your life and there was nothing you could do, nowhere that you could go. Could you sneak out on the other side without them noticing? Shit shit shit shit.
Ashley sneezed before she could place her mouth on Yuta again.
Yuta looked down in annoyance.
She quickly swiped at her nose then retook her position.
She puckered her lips to lay a kiss on his growing bulge, but she sneezed again.
Several more sneezes followed and Yuta was getting frustrated. He slowly became turned off.
âDamn it, do you still have that ugly cat? Iâm suffering here!â She yelled before laying out four back-to-back sneezes.
âSo am I.. I gotta go, Ashley.â Yuta rolled his eyes and stood up. He brushed past her, where she still knelt on the floor, and walked towards the dresser.
âMake yourself useful and mail this-â Yutaâs sentence trailed when he didn't see the necklace. The brown envelope was there but the necklace was no longer beside it. âWhat the hell, I couldâve sworn...â
He looked into the brown bag then onto the floor and the rest of the dresser. Sure enough, the necklace was gone. âSo it disappears just as quickly as it appeared? Shit.â
Your brows furrowed. What did he mean by âappeared?â
âHave you seen-?â Yuta was about to ask.
But suddenly, your phone started to vibrate in your back pocket. You quickly reached towards it to silence it so it would no longer make that grinding sound while shaking on the floor.
Luckily, Ashley was still sneezing so it covered up the sound..or so you thought.
âWhat was that?â Yuta turned and looked about the room for the source of the sound.
Ashley finally stood up and walked towards him. âIâll just drive with you to work! We can finish what we started...â She gave him a wink before sniffling.
Yuta grimaced and grabbed his keys, brushing past her once again to head out the door.. âWhatever you say, Ash.â
Ashley practically skipped behind him. Finally, the room was empty. You swiftly dragged yourself from under the bed and stood up.
You heard them argue downstairs so you decided that you would climb out from the patio attached to Yutaâs room. Yangyang made sure to deactivate Yutaâs entire security system, including his cameras, so you could enter and leave without detection.
You took a deep breath before jumping from the porch and into the bushes below it. You tried not to scream as loudly as you wanted to. How you didnât break your legs, you werenât sure, but you were somehow able to leap back onto your feet and book it for the main road, sliding through the gate while Yuta and his girlfriend waited for the garage door to open so they could drive out.
By the time you got to work, you were covered in sweat, leaves, and dirt. You smelled and looked like you had been camping for at least 23 days in the Appalachian mountains, but it didnât matter. You finally had your necklace.
âYou good, y/n?â Manager Byun gave you a puzzled expression as you hurriedly took your tools out of your kit and placed them on the vanity for Yuta. You were somehow able to get there just minutes before him.
âIâm okay! Had a slightly...difficult time getting here, but Iâm ready!â You gave him a smile so forced, you thought your face would be stuck like that forever.
He nodded slowly but still looked confused.
Just then, Yuta entered. His smile was bright and so beautiful. You melted like chocolate in his sunny smile when his eyes were glued to yours as he entered.
But your feelings of admiration soon dissipated when you saw his girlfriend behind him. She held up a compact mirror and was fixing her lipstick as she walked in.
I guess they did finish what they started...
Your smile fell. You didnât know why you were sad and disappointed. Itâs not like your one night with Yuta actually meant anything. He had a girlfriend, and not just any girlfriend. A celebrity girlfriend that was just listed as the person with the second most beautiful face in the world, behind Zendaya of course. Yuta was lucky, thereâs no way heâd drop her for you.
You looked away as he walked over. He could feel a shift in your mood immediately. Your eyes were so big and bright when he entered and now you shifted your focus to organizing your makeup and covering a look of sadness that he could clearly see.
Yuta said âhiâ to everyone but stepped quickly over to you.
âHey...y/n...it's nice to see you again.â Yuta gave you a half smile that really tugged at your heartstrings. How could he manage to make you so weak?
âHey, Yuta.â You gave a short answer, and he could tell you were upset. You weren't nearly as cheerful as you were yesterday. Then..he noticed how disheveled you were.
His face became serious. He touched your arm and it felt like sparks dancing along your skin.
âWhatâs wrong?â he asked quietly while the other members and the manager went about their business.
You tried to avoid his magnetic gaze, but couldn't.
Your mouth opened as you looked into his eyes. âIâm-â
âHi! Nice to meet you, are you the new makeup girl?â Ashley pushed herself in between you and Yuta and obnoxiously smiled in your face to push you further away from Yuta.
âYes.â You pucker your lips and glance at Yuta who looked beyond annoyed.
âWell, you certainly donât look like a makeup artist..â Ashley chuckled.
You scoffed. âWhat?â
âI mean, look at your nails.. Are you sure you want to touch my boyfriend's perfect face when youâve got an entire ecosystem under your nail bed?â She grabbed your hand without warning and held it up for both you and Yuta to see the dirt that had gotten under your nails when you had jumped off of his patio and held on to the ground for support. You were running late so you didnât get a chance to go to the restroom to clean up, but of course you would wash your hands before touching his face.
âI-â you started, but she interrupted you once again.
âThatâs not very professional of you...â
âAshley! Stop, donât you have a photo shoot to get to?â Yuta took your hand from her and lowered it to your side, but he didnât let it go. He stood beside you and looked onto Ashley with disappointment. Your heart became warm as he squeezed your hand to let you know that he had your back.
Ashley chuckled. âPeople come and go pretty fast here sweetie..letâs see how long you last.â She rolled her eyes before pushing herself in between the two of you, breaking off your linked hands in the process. How could someone so beautiful also be so ugly?
âIâm so sorry about her.â Yuta turned to you.
You nodded. âSheâs right. It's very unprofessional of me to come to work like this.â
Yuta shook his head. âDonât worry about it, y/n. Things happen..Let me show you where the shower is.â
^_^
Yuta led you to the locker room where the shower was. He handed you a tshirt and sweatpants that he had asked the manager to keep in a locker for him just in case he needed to change after sweating too much.
âWhy are you dating someone so...mean?â You asked while you followed Yuta. You didnât think twice about your question, and really, you had no right to ask him. He was just your client, not your friend.
Yuta chuckled. He turned to you and raised his eyebrows. âI smell some jealousy.â
You rolled your eyes. âYeah, sheâs pretty or whatever, but trust me I am not jealous. I just donât understand how you could be with someone like that..â
âIâm not a saint either, y/n..weâre perfect for each other..or at least our agencies think so.â Yuta paused. He wondered if he should let you in on yet another secret, but he didnât notice that his eyes had trailed to your lips, adoring the way they formed a small pout.
You laughed. âYou have a point, you werenât exactly the nicest to me when I first started working for you...â
Yuta grinned when he saw your bright smile and your doe eyes as you laughed again. You were like a breath of fresh air, unlike anyone heâd ever seen. His spirit was instantly drawn to you, for you calmed him. You were just a stranger yet you felt like home.
âIâll make it up to you...How about I teach you more about the guitar after the shoot?â He stepped closer, anxiously awaiting your approval like a boy that just asked his crush to prom.
You started to blush, his face was so close to yours, you had to look into his eyes.
You took in a sharp breath. âAre you sure your girlfriend will be okay with that? I donât want you to stand her up again, sheâll probably stab me with an eyeliner pencil.â
âAgain?â Yutaâs brows bunched together, but he still gave a teasing smile.
sHIT.
âO-oh i mean, surely youâve stood her up at some point, right? Sheâs a total b-â
Yuta burst out into laughter.
You looked at him with worry on your face. âW-what did I do?â
âYouâre adorable, but I just canât take it anymore.â Yuta reached his hand out to the side of your face and gently removed a long vine that was tangled in your hair. He then removed a large, green leaf that stuck out of your disheveled do.
He calmed down. âThere we go..much better. Even nature loves your beautiful face.â
Beautiful face.
Your heart began to race for the third time in one day. Too much was happening, you thought you would pass out. Did Yuta really just say that you were beautiful?
He cleared his throat when he realized that the words he was thinking actually came out while the two of you stood awkwardly in the locker room.
âYuta?â
He smiled, just the sound of you saying his name made him weak for some reason, what was happening to him?
âWhat?â
âYouâre staring..â you chuckled.
âIâm getting inspired.â he gazed at your eyes then your lips as he spoke in a softer tone.
âBy what?â You tilted your head.
âBy you.â
âMountain Man, you really have a way with words, I bet you say that to all your groupies.â You rolled your eyes and brushed past him, walking towards the shower.
He spun around and grabbed your hand. Your breath hitched when you turned to look at him, his full lips parted and eyes begging for something.
âI...have to tell you something..â
He looked so serious for once.
âAshley and I are in a fake relationship. Itâs all a publicity stunt that our labels set up. I donât love her...But Iâm telling you because I feel like..I can really talk to you.â
âI canât say Iâm surprised, Yuta.â you gave a small smile. âIâm just your makeup artist, but if you want to talk to me, I donât see why not. Youâve already told me two major secrets.â
Yuta laughed out at your response, a strand of his beautiful fuchsia hair falling into his forehead, making him look even more handsome than he did before.
He stepped closer.
âWash up quickly, for me..the shoot starts soon.â
Yuta winked and walked away leaving you a blushing mess.
âAlso, remember we have a guitar lesson later.â
For me.
Why did he have to say it like that? Wait, why were you even affected by that? Could your heart calm down when you were around him for more than five seconds?
^_^
You walked into the dressing room in your new comfy outfit and headed straight for your section. The sweatpants Yuta gave you didnât have pockets, so you had to wear the necklace around your neck. You tucked it under your shirt to make sure that no one would see it on you.
âWow, I wish I was wearing that instead of leather pants right now...â Johnny pouted when he saw you in Yutaâs Nike sweats.
âYou look great! Always remember, beauty is pain,â you gave him a wink and continued to place your tools in order.
âYou must be in pain all the time then, y/n.â Yuta exclaimed as he approached his seat.
Everyone in the dressing room let out âooooooâsâ like primary school students.
You blushed but turned away quickly so he wouldnât see. âAlways teasing me, I swear one day youâre gonna pay.â
âCanât wait for that day.â Yuta relaxed into the chair.
You leaned forward and started to place the concealer under his eyes with a small brush. You took your time and blended carefully, but felt your face become hot when you realized that he was staring at you intensely.
You couldnât hold it in anymore. You stepped back to laugh and shook your head.
âWhatâs wrong? Am I making you flustered?â Yuta smirked.
You rolled your eyes then leaned in towards his face. He suddenly sat up straighter, moving forward so that his lips would be just a few centimeters away from yours.
âStop teasing me. We donât have time.â You blushed once again and stepped back.
Yuta bit his lips and chuckled. âOh, so demanding.â
You were doing his eyeliner when you tugged at the collar of the menâs shirt. It was choking you slightly because it was higher than a regular T-shirt. Thatâs when your necklace popped up and rested on top of the shirt instead of under it.
âWait...where did you get that?â Yuta leaned back.
âWhat?â You narrowed your brow, for you didnât understand why his demeanor became so serious.
âThat necklace...â
Shit.
âDid you steal that..from me?â
Then it all clicked for Yuta. You were in his house. You eavesdropped on his and Ashleyâs conversation. Thatâs how you knew that he stood her up the night before. And thatâs why you came to work all sweaty and out of breath.
âWhat are you talking about?â You backed away from him, but he stood up quickly and snatched the necklace from your neck furiously. The sound of the chain breaking frightened you and you became just as furious. This bastard had no idea what he had just done.
âYuta!â
Everyone turned to you two once your voice rose.
âWhat the hell are you doing? Give it back!â You demanded.
He pulled his phone out of his pocket as he examined the necklace, the shape and cut of the ruby stone and the unique gold chain that it hung on.
He compared the necklace to the picture he posted on his eBay account, and sure enough, it was the same necklace.
âYou stole this from my house! You stole from me! I thought I could trust you! What are you, some crazy stalker?!â
âWait, youâre user 1026you! Youâre the crazy one! You stole from me so that you can sell MY jewelry online! You also stole my limited edition eyeshadow palette!â Your voices escalated and everyone else in the room became quiet.
âThis crazy bitch! Why the hell would I steal from someone like you?â Yuta gave you a look of disgust and looked down on you like you were a poor dog. You really hated his guts now. He towered over you as he yelled, but you werenât scared. You were just angry that he had the audacity to lie in front of everyone like this.
âI canât steal something that was already mine!â
âIt was never yours! It was in MY house, and I have the proof right here!â He held up his phone as Manager Byun walked over.
âWhatâs going on here?â The manager was both puzzled and surprised that you were in a yelling match with the member that no one dared to fight.
âThis delusional girl that you decided to hire is a stalker! She broke into my house and stole my necklace.â
âYOUR necklace? Youâve really lost your mind! You stole it from me first.â You shouted back.
âOkay, okay everyone calm down. y/n.. Did you break into Yutaâs house?â the manager turned to you.
âNo-I mean, yes, but only because he was going to sell it and itâs precious to me. He ignored my messages and blocked me on eBay before I could explain!â
âYou broke into my clientâs house?â Baekhyun gaped.
âShe sure as hell did. Security!! She tricked me and got close to me just so she could steal from me and learn my secrets. How much were you gonna sell this for, huh? But the worst part is that I trusted you like a fool,â Yuta stepped forward as he spewed hateful and untrue words.
Your eyes started to water, you struggled to hold back tears. âYuta, you know thatâs not true. The necklace was never yours! It belonged to my grandmother and means so much to me.â
âProve it.â Yuta was angry beyond words, he felt betrayed.
You struggled to think of any way to prove that it was yours. The security guards took your arms and placed them behind your back while pulling you away and out of the room.
The only thing that could prove that the necklace was yours would be the painting that your grandmother made of you when you wore the necklace. The painting that you just now realized had also gone missing.
âNo! Donât do this! Iâm not a stalker.â You struggled to stay still as the guards dragged you out.
âSheâs delusional! How could you hire someone like that? She put me in danger!â Yuta marched off to the bathroom so he could cool down.
âYuta-wait. y/n...We will be pressing charges, Iâm calling the police.â Manager Byun pulled out his phone.
^_^
A few hours passed and the news broke of what happened.
Crazy Stalker poses as Makeup Artist to Break into Yuta Nakamotoâs home!
BREAKING: MUGSHOT OF DELUSIONAL STALKER OF YUTA NAKAMOTO RELEASED
How did she pull off the perfect plan and is Yuta Nakamoto in danger?
You sat on the bench in your cold cell and wiped your eyes. Everything went bad so quickly. Yuta and basically the entire world thought you were a stalker and there was nothing you could do to prove your innocence. Yuta had the audacity to accuse you of stealing something that was never his to begin with.
And now, you could hear his fans chanting hurtful messages.
âSheâs a crazy stalker, We will protect Yuta!â
âYuta, we love you!â
âSHE DOESNâT DESERVE FREEDOMâ
You were so confused, but the part that hurt the most was that your most prized possession was gone and probably in the air on some shipping company's airplane being delivered to some oblivious buyer.
What could you possibly do to make everything right at this point?
Yuta, on the other hand, was at home being coddled by his oh so caring girlfriend.
He laid down on his plush, velvet couch and pouted.
âItâs gonna be okay, Yuta. I swear weâll get the best lawyers. Sheâll never see another day outside!â Ashley got up from the couch and paced about.
âI knew I had a bad feeling about her.â
But Yuta disagreed. He never had a bad feeling about you. He thought you were sweet and kind, he thought everything about you was genuine especially when compared to the fakeness that surrounded him in his lifestyle. How could he have been fooled like this?
He told you two major secrets and now heâd probably have to drop the charges in exchange for your silence.
You really got to him because you seemed to be the biggest fan of Mountain Man, you seemed to appreciate his hard work, but now he didnât think any of your praises were genuine. He couldnât even go on social media. All the hashtags were ALWAYSHEREFORYUTA, WEWILLPROTECTYUTA, CRAZYSTALKER.
And they just reminded him of how weak he became.
âLOOK! TMZ just got her mugshot! Iâm so happy theyâre exposing this bitch, I hope they release her address and family information.â
Ashley smirked when she pulled up the picture of your mugshot on Yutaâs phone.
âAshley...you need to leave...â Yuta sat up on the couch and looked at the floor. He couldnât take anymore of Ashleyâs annoying voice and he really wanted to be alone to relax and decompress after what happened.
âOh, my poor little meow meow, Iâm sorry I couldnât protect you.â Ashley sat back down on the couch beside him and tried to take his jaw in her hands but he backed away.
âNot now, Ash..Iâll see you tomorrow.â
Ashley scoffed and slowly got up from the couch.
âOkay...let me know if you need anything.â
Yuta breathed a sigh of relief once he heard the front door close. He could hear tons of fans outside of his front gate cheering for him when she opened the door and it made him sick. He doesnât feel proud. Because the truth is, the necklace wasnât his. It just âappeared.â But here he was defending his possession of it and it didnât feel right.
Yuta bit his lips then looked down at his phone which was still open with the article that included your mugshot.
He looked away at first, but then looked back down when something caught his eye. He looked more closely at the photo.
Your eyes.
Heâd seen them before. Of course he had, but this time..they were different. They reminded him of something, someone.
The color of your cheeks and the depth of your beautiful eyes, the tone of your gorgeous soft skin and the curve of your lips. He had seen it before.
It took him a moment to realize.
The painting.
You were the woman in the painting that found itself in his bathroom. You were the same woman that wore a necklace just like the one he sold.
He looked over the messages you sent him on his seller account. It was like clockwork, every time something appeared in his house and he posted it online, you would message him about it to ask that he return it.
She was telling the truth. Yuta thinks to himself. He could punch himself right now. He was so rude to you for no reason. It was your stuff that kept popping up in his house and he didnât understand why, but he knew that you were innocent. The painting was huge so itâs not like you placed it there by yourself to mess with him.
He threw on his jean jacket and headed out the door to go to the police station.
He had to fight through the screaming fans outside of the station that were waiting for a chance to attack you, the police officers gathering around him to move him through the hectic crowd.
Once inside, he went to the front desk and immediately told the officer that he wanted to drop all charges against you.
âYouâre one lucky girl...â The officer said as she opened the gate of your cell.
âWhat?â You looked up at her questioningly and stood up from the wooden bench that had made your butt sore.
âHeâs here for you..you know, the good looking rocker dude.â She unlocks your handcuffs and walks you out of the cell.
Youâre relieved but canât seem to smile, whatâs going on?
Yuta was signing paperwork as you walked up to him.
âYuta..you asshole.â
âThatâs no way to speak to the man that just got your ass out.â Yuta looked up and sighed.
You scoffed. âYouâre the one that put me in there! And Iâm supposed to thank you?â You pushed past him and headed for the door. You started to walk down the stairs, but you were quickly stopped by the officers that stood out front.
âWhat the-â you started when you saw the enormous crowd outside of the station. They were Yutaâs fans and paparazzi. They rapidly snapped so many pictures of you, you had to close your eyes and cover your face, the flashing lights being all too much for you. All you could hear were the thunderous âbooâsâ of Yutaâs fans.
Yuta was used to noise and flashing bright lights so he quickly came up behind you and turned you around. He held your head and pressed it onto his chest lightly.
You started to cry when you heard the names everyone was calling you over a simple misunderstanding. How could you be a ânormalâ person after all this? All you wanted was your necklace and now you were overwhelmed by this new and unwelcoming spotlight.
âShhh..donât cry, itâll be okay..I got you.â Yuta whispered into your ear as he patted your head softly.
You relaxed into him more, enjoying the comfort of his broad chest.
âPut your arms around my neck. Just trust me, okay?â Yutaâs soft tone made you shudder even though you still hated him.
But you did as he instructed.
He then picked up your legs and held you in his arms bridal style. The fans roared even louder but Yuta ignored them. He marched down the stairs towards his car while police blocked them from the two of you. He was able to lay you down on the backseat of his Range Rover before jumping into the front seat and speeding away from the madness.
Once the two of you were somewhat safe and far from the police station and his fans, Yuta exhaled.
He turned to look at you when he got to a red light. You were huddled up with your back facing him while you laid down on the surprisingly comfortable backseat. You had stopped crying, but you were still angry.
âListen, Iâm just as frustrated as you are. But we need to talk about this. What the hell is going on?â Yuta let out.
âI donât know, maybe we shouldâve talked before you had security take me away. Then all of this shit wouldnât have happened. Oh and frustrated?â You scoffed.
âDid you just spend over 8 hours in a cold prison cell for stealing a necklace that belonged to you in the first place?!â
âYouâre the one that broke into my house! Why didnât you just tell me?â
âI tried to message you but you insisted on being a jerk to make quick cash off of someone elseâs belongings.â
You pulled your phone out of your pocket.
âHave you seen this shit? Your girlfriend just had a press conference and is calling for all makeup brands and agencies to swear to never hire me! I hate you, I canât believe you put me in jail and essentially, ended my whole career!â
Yuta sighed. âIâm sorry, y/n. I really am, donât look at social media right now, and your career isnât over, weâll get this sorted out.â
âHow did you find out the truth anyway?â You asked.
âI recognized you in the painting, you had the necklace on.â
âThe painting? Wait, you have that too?â Your eyes widened.
âYes, and I was stupid to not realize it was you sooner. Iâwas an idiot, y/n. I hope you can forgive me. As a matter of fact, you can expose me as the Mountain Man if you want, you can expose everything.â Yuta was genuinely sorry for what he put you through. The whole world knew who you were now. You were famous, but not in a good way. Yuta had millions of fans and you were pretty sure you were the second most hated person in the world on twitter right now, behind Donald Trump of course.
âYuta...I donât want to get even with you, I want my life back.â You closed your eyes and started to drift off into a deep sleep while he drove.
Yuta cursed himself, he felt a bond being created with you and now he ruined it. And he had to admit that he had started to admire the woman in the painting, the woman he wanted to know even though his soul felt he already knew her. And now, the beautiful woman was right next to him, and yet, so far away.
^_^
When you got back to Yutaâs place, you entered through the garage so no one could see you get out of his car.
Yuta took you to his security room where he could watch footage from all of the cameras inside and outside of his house.
He reached for your hand to guide you through the large mansion, but you didnât take it this time.
You huffed and rolled your eyes.
âExplain to me why you keep taking my stuff.â
âI donât take anything. It just..appears.â Yuta walked quickly to the room.
âI'm gonna prove it to you right now.â
Yuta pulls up footage from the night the painting appeared in his bathroom, but every time he fast forwards to the exact moment that the painting appears, the footage cuts out.
âDid you see that? The second that my camera cuts to black is the moment that the painting just magically appears.â
You blink rapidly. âPlay it again.â
Yuta replays it and you both watch the unexplainable. Chills run down your spine as you are creeped all the way out.
âIâll show you the night your necklace popped up in my kitchen.â
It felt like you were watching something from Paranormal Activity and although you were a big fan of horror movies, you sure didnât like being in one.
The same thing happened. There is a second of footage that is cut out and right after, the footage plays again with the new item in frame. It didnât make any sense.
Yuta looked at you as you stared at the screen and tried to make sense of what he saw.
You were so beautiful, your long lashes batting slowly, your pursed lips and cute nose. Why was he so drawn to you? The magnetic pull he felt towards you became even stronger now that he knew you were the woman in the painting.
âWhere is it now, Yuta?â
âWhereâs what?â Yuta was only thinking about your face. For a moment, he forgot what you were even doing there.
âThe necklace.â Your doe eyes shifted upwards to his.
Yuta sighed and looked away to the floor. âIâwas upset, so I already sent it to the buyer.â
You closed your eyes and let out a slow breath.
âYuta...we have to get it back, you donât..you donât understand.â
âThey wonât give it back to me, y/n. They already know that Iâm the user that sold it, itâll be even more valuable now.â
âBut itâs priceless to me, Yuta!â You yelled before tears ran down your cheeks.
ây/n..â Yuta stepped forward to hug you, and you let him. His arms held you tightly. âWeâll work this out, Iâll get it back if it means that much to you.â
âMy grandmother was a painter, sheâs the one that created that painting for me. She was the best..â you sniffled as you rested your head on his chest again.
âShe was the one that taught me about creativity, color and believing in your art.. sheâs the one I looked up to when I was growing up. I spent most of my time with her when my parents would fight..which was pretty often.â
Yuta smoothed your hair as you spoke.
âBut one day, she lit a candle..she forgot to blow it out before falling asleep on her couch and a fire started to spread..â
ây/n..Iâm so sorry.â
âThe oil paintings allowed for the fire to become huge and made it impossible for her to escape..she died before firefighters could get to her, the only thing that survived the fire was that necklace. She held onto it..for me. She said she would give it to me one day when I was old enough.â You sobbed once more.
ây/n..I promise you I will do everything I can to get it back.â
You sniffled then looked up at Yuta. âPlease, Yuta.â
He nodded. â I promise.â
Just then you felt something walk between your ankles. When you looked down, you were startled to see your cat, Totoro.
âWhat the hell? Why do you have my cat? Iâve been looking for him everywhere, but heâs old and just kinda does what he wants.â Totoroâs abrupt entrance makes you stop crying.
âWhat? YOUR cat? Heâs in my house, heâs mine now.â Yuta says sternly.
God, why was he so possessive? Â
You looked back up at him and pushed his chest away, you suddenly remembered the kind of man Yuta was.
âHeâs MY cat, you fool. You didnât even raise him. You probably lured him in here by giving him food!â You picked Totoro up.
You still hated Yuta, however, it was like a weight had been lifted once you told him about the significance of the necklace.
You turned to leave Yutaâs place through the back entrance you entered through.
âProve it, prove heâs yours, whatâs his name?â Yuta looked hurt that you were taking Totoro away from him.
âItâs Totoro, bitch.â You rolled your eyes and continued walking straight-faced with your cat in hand.
Yutaâs eyes grew, he was left speechless.
The two of you finally got to the garage.
You turned to him.
âYou owe me a ride home, and after that, I never want to see you again.â
^_^
Yuta drove you back to your apartment, apologizing multiple times. This day he apologized more times than he has ever apologized for anything in his life. It had to be some sort of record.
You were tired because this truly had been one of the longest days of your life. You wanted a warm shower and to hug Totoro to sleep.
Yuta parked his car in front of your building and turned to look at you. ây/n...â
âThanks for the ride back,â you muttered as you and Totoro walked back to your apartment.
You looked so dejected and devoid of any emotion. This entire misunderstanding did a number on you. And it was his fault. He had to act fast if he was going to make this up to you.
Little did you know that a pair of serpentine eyes watched you from across the parking lot. Ashley laid low in a car she typically wouldnât be caught dead in and watched her man drive that freak home. That was when she saw that you were carrying that mangy cat in your arms.
âSo it was her cat?â She asked herself. She pulled out her phone as she took pictures of you leaving Yutaâs car and pictures of Yutaâs license plate.
Once you were out of sight, Yuta just idled there. For a little too long. It drove Ashley crazy. How could Yuta be so kind to this nobody? After everything you did?
You were inferior to her in every way, Ashley thought. Yuta was a fool for looking at anyone but her. She had to do something so you could be out of the picture forever.
She would be damned if Yuta left her for an unemployed, disgraced nobody. Ashley pitied you because she wasnât finished with her reign of terror on you. Not by a long shot.
^_^
A few days have passed since your name became the most searched on all social media platforms. You prayed something juicier could distract the public so you could become insignificant again.
A news article came out that Yuta dropped the charges against you and that you were innocent. Unfortunately, the deranged and delusional members of the public (aka the Yutastans) already made up their mind about you. And today, shit hit the fan once again.
Delilah sat with you on the couch as you binge watched Riverdale. It cheered you up to roast the show with your best friend. Things almost seemed like they hadnât changed.
Delilah checked her phone and nearly choked on her glass of water.
âWhat is it?â You asked. âAre you okay?â
Delilah set her glass down as she stared at her phone. âThatâs our apartment complex. Fuck.â
âDelilah, whatâs wrong?â You had a bad feeling.
ây/n, itâs going to be okay. We will get through this,â she began and you motioned for her to hand you her phone.
Delilah reluctantly handed it to you as you read the article on her phone.
Yuta Nakamotoâs Crazy Stalker Is Actually His Side Chick?
That was the headline and your heart plummeted. There were pictures of you holding Totoro as you got out of Yutaâs car when he brought you home.
âWhat the hell,â you started, âWho took these?â You demanded.
Someone knocked at your door and you shrunk into the couch. Delilah looked at you in concern and she went to answer the door. You both feared who it could be.
She checked the peephole and exhaled. âItâs Yangyang.â
She opened the door and Yangyang ran in. ây/n, are you okay? I saw-â
Shutting the door. Delilah raised her hand up to stop him. âWe just saw the article.â
Yangyang cursed. âSomeone leaked those photos to the paparazzi. Iâll help you track down who did this, y/n.â
You sat there in silence. What could you say? What was the point? It was your word against the public who never believed in you. Not only do they think you stole things from Yuta but they now considered you a homewrecker.
And it was only a matter of time before your home address was leaked.
Delilah and Yangyang looked at each other in concern. Delilah deliberated. âShe came home with Totoro that day. It was last Thursday. Around...4 PM?â
Yangyang nodded and sat down at the kitchen table. âItâs been a while since Iâve hacked into the complexâs security footage.â
That got a reaction out of you. âYou mean youâve done this before?â
Yangyang smiled wide, happy to see you react to that. âSomeone paid me a hefty sum to catch their cheating husband in his shenanigans. I use my powers for good. You know this.â
Delilah scoffed. âYou are such a little weirdo.â
He rolled his eyes at the word âlittleâ. He typed away at his keyboard. He chuckled. âAmateurs. They changed one number in their password. Lazy.â
Yangyang navigated through the parking lot security footage. Based off of the angle of which the photo was shot, he was able to pinpoint where the culprit was hiding.
âA 2019 Lexus,â Yangyang said, âLicense plate ASHL3Y.â
Delilah let out a sarcastic laugh. âGolly gee, whoever could that be...â
You got up from the couch and checked the footage with Yangyang. âI believe it. She hated me even before she met me.â
âSheâs the crazy stalker, if you ask me,â Yangyang said.
You sighed. âWhat will it take for her to leave me alone?â
Your phone rang. It was an unknown number and you chose to ignore it, knowing damn well it was probably a Yutastan who was going to cast some sort of evil spell on you.
Then, immediately you got a text.
Answer the phone. Unless you want an angry mob to break into your apartment tomorrow. -kiss emoji-
^_^
âThank you for agreeing to meet me,â Ashley started. âCan I offer you a glass of lemonade? Some Brie and crackers?â
In Ashleyâs penthouse suite, you sat with her in the living room. She sat across from you in a leather loveseat while you sat in a massive L-shaped leather sofa.
âWhat the hell do you want? You want to throw it in my face that you ruined my life and put not only my life in danger but my friendsâ and familyâs lives in danger, too?â You snapped.
Ashley laughed. Her voice was as irritating as that of any early 2000s socialite. âDonât be so dramatic. No one knows about your family. Your friends at the complex are safe with some of my best security guards.â
âGee, thanks,â you said as you rolled your eyes.
âNone of this wouldâve happened if you knew your place and left my Yuta alone,â she said, âSo, how long?â She demanded.
âWhat?â You asked in confusion.
âHow long have you two been screwing around behind my back?â She asked.
It was your turn to bust out laughing. You almost cried. âI helped him with his shoot last Wednesday night. The closest Iâve ever gotten to Yuta was when he gave me one guitar lesson. He drove me home twice. Once from work and the second from when he picked me up from my jail cell. It was the least he could do after selling my stuff and oh...I donât know...SENDING ME TO JAIL.â
Ashley didnât believe you. âRight. Well, whatever happened between you two...It ends now. Or else I will keep making your life a living hell and destroy the lives of everyone around you.â
âAshley, the last thing I want to do is see Yuta. I want to be a makeup artist and go back to the life I had before I met him.â Damn the connection you thought you two had. It would surely fade as quickly as it appeared.
Ashley began, âWhich is why I have an opportunity for you.â
You frowned. âWhat?â
Ashley filed her nails as she spoke to you. âTimothĂŠe Chalametâs new horror film begins production next month in Paris. There is an opening for the makeup team, y/n.â
You coughed. âWhat are you-â
She interrupted you, âTake the job and your name will be cleared. Your friends and family will be safe. Your dreams of becoming a successful makeup artist will come true...â
You knew she wasnât finished so you waited for her to continue. She was so melodramatic.
âIn return, you never come back to LA and leave Yuta alone forever,â Ashley said.
âIâll have to come back to the city. You canât ban me from visiting...That is, if I take the job,â you deliberated.
Ashley scoffed. âIf?â
You sighed. âAshley, LA is my home. Itâs a big city.â You figured there had to be a way to compromise.
But you realized you were dealing with an unhinged diva.
Ashley said, âItâs a big city, sure. But as of now, every single person knows you as Yutaâs crazy stalker. It will stay that way if you donât take this opportunity.â
You kept your mouth shut.
âI think Iâm being pretty generous, all things considered,â she said as she flipped her bleached hair behind her shoulder. âYou would be stupid to turn this down. Want to stay a jobless pariah? Be my guest.â
Your hands were tied. As much as you despised Ashley for making things so much worse for you, she had the answer to your problems. And since you were done with Yuta, agreeing to never see him again didnât even feel like a big price to pay. And TimothĂŠe Chalamet was a mega Hollywood Star. Participating in his film would surely open doors for you. If Ashley kept her word to clear your name. And Paris? Youâve dreamed of going to Paris for years. Your grandmother told you incredible stories of when she studied abroad and lived there for a few years. It was a chance to be closer to her. The sightseeing and the art were enough to make you giddy.
You refused to let this girl drag your name through the mud and jeopardize your loved onesâ lives because they were associated with you. It wasnât right. This way, everyone could win.
âOkay, you win,â you said.
âActually, y/n, we both win,â she said as she clinked her glass of champagne at you and drank from it.
^_^
Ashleyâs driver took you back to the apartment. When you unlocked the door to your place, you were shocked to see Yuta seated on the couch with Totoro on his lap.
âWhat are you doing here?â You asked.
Yuta shrugged. âYou break into my house. I figured itâs only fair I break into yours.â
You sighed as you took your shoes off as you sat beside Yuta. Naturally, Totoro left Yutaâs lap to greet you.
He nodded. âDelilah let me in. I had to check up on you.â
Yuta kept in touch with your best friend without your knowledge. You realized that now. Youâd have to talk to her about that later.
âWell, thatâs nice and all but you have to leave,â you said as you averted your gaze from him.
Yuta ignored you. âWhere did you go? I was worried sick.â
âIâm fine. IâŚwent to an interview,â you said. There was no way youâd tell him about your meeting with Ashley. He had the mind to intervene and you didnât want things to escalate any further.
He stared at you in disbelief. ���What? For another job? y/n, I told you that you could come back to work with us.â
You shook your head. âIf I so much as go to the same supermarket as you, there will be a bounty for my head.â
He shook his head. âThe charges have been dropped, y/n. What happened today wasâŚâ
âThe second of many hits to my career if we donât stop this now,â you said.
Yuta replied, ây/n-â
âWhich brings me to thisâŚDid you get my necklace back?â You asked. If he said no, then you had the ammunition to kick him out. If he somehow got your necklace backâŚyou would have to get even meaner.
Yutaâs face fell. âNo, y/nâŚI reached out to the buyer and they havenât responded.â He wondered if the buyer already sold it for more or if the buyer was biding his time to ask Yuta for money. âI traced the buyerâs address but they disappeared without a trace. I am so sorry.â
You sighed. âOkay.â You got up from the sofa and headed for the door. âThen, I guess thatâs all that needs to be said.â You opened it and motioned for him to leave.
Yuta got up from the couch. ây/n, please we can fix this. As crazy as this sounds, I think Iâm falling-â
You stopped him. âYuta, we canât. You need to go. You canât get caught in this complex again. For your safety. And if you care at all about mine.â
Yuta froze. âI will do everything I can to clear your name. Please give me time.â
You couldnât respond to his sweet voice. You had to resist. As much as you denied it, you felt something for Yuta. From the moment you heard his song âBreezeâ, you connected with him before you even met him. His hard work, his talent, his sense of humor, his admiration of your work, his way with words with you before everything went to shit, even the way Totoro gravitated towards him. There was something special about him. Given other circumstances, you wouldâve considered exploring a friendship with him. But even that was out of the question. âGoodbye, Yuta.â
He slowly walked out the door and looked back at you. His captivating brown eyes trying to pull you in again but this time, they were full of hurt and longing.
You shut the door, not waiting for him to walk away.
^_^
A couple of days have passed as Yuta reached out to multiple media outlets to clear your name. He admitted that he accidentally sold your necklace. Unfortunately, he couldnât explain exactly how heâd come into possession of your necklace. So he said the best thing he could come up with: a family friend bought it at a garage sale and thought he might like to have it. Yuta started the account 1026you to sell the items he found around his home in order to raise funds for the LA LGBT Center. Aside from his regular donations from his earnings, Yuta thought he could sell your stuff to make some extra cash for the organization. Had he known that these random items belonged to you he wouldnât have done that. Which begged the question:
How is it that you lived all the way across town and your stuff just magically appeared in his house? And why?
It seemed like some kind of divine intervention, if anyone asked him. For you two were connected and he only wanted to grow closer to you.
Except now he couldnât. He failed to get your necklace. You were still blacklisted no matter what he said to multiple companies. He was thankful that you were still able to get an interview like you told him. He wondered if that company hired you. He hoped you were doing well.
Rehearsals for Skylarkâs LA shows were still underway. Lily was rehired and Yuta apologized to her for being so rude. The dressing room wasnât as lighthearted as itâd been when you were around. It was a short time that you were there but he missed you so much.
With Yutaâs heartache, he used music as an outlet. He thought about the night he first taught you how to play the guitar. There was one melody that lingered in his mind every day since. Now he took his time to work the song out of his mind. It was a song that you inspired him to write and he knew it was his best work. He hoped he could play it for you soon.
Yuta missed Totoroâs presence in his home. He didnât realize how lonely he was until he lost you and your cat. Ashley popped in every day, insisting she stay over. So he begged his sister Suzuka to let him babysit her cat Thorn. Yuta claimed it was out of his hands to babysit Thorn so Ashley stayed less frequently.
Yuta drank a cup of green tea at his kitchen island. He had the day off before his solo press conference. His management wanted him to promote his album but he would also take the opportunity to clear your name.
He pleaded with his agency to let him cut ties with Ashley but Ashleyâs agency wouldnât budge. If Yuta broke up with Ashley, then Ashleyâs agency would cut ties with Sky High Entertainment.
He hoped to convince Ashley to cut ties with him today. It was almost as if she was avoiding the conversation as the minute she came in, she ran into the bathroom to take a bubble bath.
âYuta! Can you be a doll and rub this shower gel on my back?â She asked suggestively.
Yuta knew she was trying to get him in bed so he wouldnât be able to think straight. These days Ashley seemed more repulsive than usual. Yuta was getting tired.
âNo!â Yuta yelled outside the door. âWhen you finish up, meet me in the living room.â
She didnât respond right away. She lowered her voice. âOkayâŚâ
Another hour went by and Yuta still waited in the living room. Ashley was avoiding him. He was fed up and he went to look for her. Surely, sheâd be out of the bath now. She couldnât afford to let her skin prune for that long.
He overheard her laughing in his bedroom. âI gotta tell you, Melissa. You shouldâve seen the look on her face when I picked her up from that ghetto apartment complex.â
Melissa laughed over the phone. Yuta recognized those nails on a chalkboard from whenever his band had a fan meeting. Melissa Lee, his fanclub president. Yuta frowned and tiptoed as quietly as he could.
Ashley continued, âAll I had to do was offer her a job in Paris. Frankly, Iâm being way too nice for my own good.â
Melissa replied, âWell, at least you got her out of Yutaâs perfectly shampooed hair.â
âThat I did. So when are you going to post the YutAsh tribute video to your website?â Ashley asked as she fell onto Yutaâs bed.
Paris? What the hell did Ashley do?
He remembered how you were unaccounted for that day he went to see you. She said you had an interview. It was interesting how this interview fell on the exact same day those photos of you leaving his car were leaked. Who followed you two that day?
Of course, it was Ashley. Yuta realized how stupid heâd been. Sheâd basically conspired against you right under his nose. And he was furious.
But he had to be strategic. There was only one way he wanted to take Ashley down. And it would be in the way that hurt most.
^_^
Yutaâs press conference was at The Grove. Hundreds of fans were lined up from the night before. The media was in a frenzy. Your members and team were also in attendance so this was the talk of the town.
The announcer called you in. âLadies and gentleman: Yuta Nakamoto.â
Yuta, in a gray custom-made business suit, radiated elegance and lethality, which many of his fans said was his unique charm.
Yuta got up to the podium and adjusted the microphone as he spoke into it. âHello, Iâm here to announce the release date of my first solo mini album.â
The crowd roared while the cameras flashed. There was a lot of talking from the journalists in the front.
He smirked. He was ready to give them something to talk about.
âThe album comes out July 15th. Ashley and I have been fake dating and Iâm here to say that itâs over.â
The crowd was in an uproar. The press yelled out questions. Yutaâs team was full of mixed reactions. His bandmates cheered and laughed. Baekhyun looked panicked. The company executives looked paler than theyâve ever been.
Ashley, who couldnât have been more obvious as she gossiped with Melissa, almost fell over in her Jimmy Choos.
Yuta laughed. âIâll take a few questions.â He pointed to a representative from Teen Scene Weekly.
âYuta, is your breakup with Ashley because of y/n?â They asked.
Yuta sighed. âFirst off, Ashley and I dated to strengthen our respective companies. We were friends. We had a good time. For a while now, Iâve wanted to cut ties with her but out of respect for my company, I held on a little longerâŚHowever, after I politely asked for a breakup, I was denied. Now tell meâŚdo you think thatâs fair? After everything Skylark has given to the company? That we get used this way? Iâm fed up with it.â
Yuta knew he only had a minute at most before he was pulled off the stage. Ashley yelled out, âYuta, please stop!â
He continued, âWhich brings me to y/n. She never did anything wrong. As I have gone on record to say twenty times in the past week, she never stole from me. She lost her necklace along with other possessions. Friends and family got these possessions for me from garage sales. Thatâs all I know. y/n is innocent. I made a huge mistake by having her arrested. She is an excellent makeup artist. One of the best in the business. I should know because Iâve been in this industry for seven years now. So if youâve blacklisted her, then the jokeâs on you. Because she has more talent than most of your employed artists ever hope to have. Lastly, to answer your questionâŚy/n is not the other woman. She never was. I started falling for her but I never acted on it. Until now.â
The crowd was in a frenzy. A lot of the fans were crying and it made Yuta wonder if he had any true fans at all. If they cared so much about who he dated, then they didnât see him as anything else other than their property.
Skylarkâs security guards went to pull Yuta off the stage but he walked out on his own with his hands up in surrender. The guards escorted him to his car.
Yuta got into the driverâs seat and nearly screamed at seeing Ashley in the passenger seat.
âWhat the fuck?â He demanded.
âI had extra copies of your car keys made,â she said like she knit him a pair of mittens.
âGet out,â Yuta said with clenched teeth.
âYou ruined me, Mr. Nakamoto. How are you going to make it up to me?â She asked. Her eyeliner ran down her cheeks. Her critically acclaimed face made her look like the wicked witch from Snow White.
Yuta laughed humorlessly. âI donât owe you anything, Ash. You ruined y/nâs life and pushed her away from me. You knew I never loved you so why? Why keep this charade up?â
âWe need each other We are perfect together. With your music and your bone structure and my beauty and me being a triple threat, we would be unstoppable. We can only help each other. Why canât you see that?â She traced her fingers over his chest.
âIâve heard enough. Please leave before I call security,â Yuta said in a low voice.
âSecurity?â Ashley scoffed. âFuck off. No one calls security on me.â
Yuta rolled his eyes, already having dialed Tom, one of the security guards. âYeah, Yuta?â He asked.
âCome back. Ashley broke into my car,â Yuta said quickly.
Ashley grabbed his phone. âYuta! What have you done?â
Yuta sighed. âWhat I shouldâve done a long time ago.â
He unlocked the door as the guards came running over to pull Ashley out of the car. She put up a good fight but the guards successful got her out.
She yelled out, âWell, youâre too late! Her flight to Paris leaves in a couple of hours.â
Thankful that Ashley always had a big mouth, Yuta backed away from the scene and raced to the airport.
^_^
You were on the plane, happy to have the row to yourself. You had to find some joy somehow. It wasnât like you were being exiled from your hometown.
Totoro stayed with your mom. Once the shoot finished, you would get him back so you can relocate from LA. It still hurt to leave everyone.
Yangyang and Delilah agreed to move in together so he could save on rent and she wouldnât have to pay for the apartment by herself. But you had a feeling there was something they werenât telling you. You couldnât wait for updates from both of them.
In a matter of eleven hours, you would be at the Charles de Gaulle airport, ready to embark on a new chapter in your life. You put your earbuds in and put your music on shuffle. The first song from the shuffle was ironically âYour Typeâ by Carly Rae Jepsen. It was a song about unrequited love and you were tempted to skip. Instead, you chose to wallow.
As much as you suppressed it, a part of you held onto thoughts of Yuta. Losing your possessions and finding them in Yutaâs place. You were both confused. Part of you wondered if there was something paranormal about it all. Maybe paranormal wasnât the right word. MaybeâŚsomething magical?
Even so, too much damage had been done for you two to return to the friendship you had for a such a short but sweet time. And Ashley drove an even larger wedge between you two by threatening you. As much as Yuta frustrated you with everything else, you were even more frustrated that he was still with her. If it was fake, why did he keep it up? Didnât he want to be with someone he loved?
Well, it wasnât your problem. He was a big boy. He should be able to handle problems like this since he talked such a big game all the time.
So irritating, you thought, but also irritatingly cute.
Unbeknownst to you, there was a commotion on the plane.
âSir, your seat is in 5A. Come back here!â A flight attendant yelled.
ây/n!â Yuta yelled as he ran down the aisle looking for you. He wore a large beanie and sunglasses so no one could recognize him.
The passengers looked alarmed at the disguised man yelling frantically. Yuta realized screaming wouldnât help his case so he scoped out for you.
And then he saw you.
Your face was made up but you still looked like you lost many hours of sleep the past few nights. But still, you were the most stunning creature heâd ever laid his eyes on. Your eyelashes brushed against your cheeks as you slept. Your lips slightly parted and Yuta bit his lip.
The flight attendant caught up to him. âSir-â
Yuta raised his finger and nodded towards you.
The flight attendant calmed down. âYouâre assigned to 5A. Why are you all the way back here?â
âCan I switch with whoever is supposed to sit here?â He asked.
The attendant frowned. âWhy would you want to-â
âPlease,â Yuta pleaded, âSitting towards the front freaks me out.â
The attendant sighed. âWell, sir, youâre the last one on the plane so that seat appears to be available. Go ahead.â
Yuta smiled genuinely. âThank you.â
The attendant was stunned and she had a feeling she recognized him. She shrugged it off and resumed her duties to get everyone situated on the plane.
Yuta exhaled in relief as he sat beside you. You looked so cute curled up in your chair but also very uncomfortable. He was tempted to offer you his shoulder but that would ruin the surprise.
Half an hour went by and you turned to your right to see the seat had been occupied by someone in glasses and a beanie. So much for having the row to yourself, you thought.
The stranger beside you said, âMorning, sleepyhead.â
You frowned as you opened your eyes more. âHiâŚ?â
But when you sat up, you saw his piercings and the curve of his lips. âYuta?â You whisper-yelled.
He flashed his perfect set of teeth at you as he lowered his glasses. âHey.â
You laughed in disbelief. âWhat are you-â
Yuta shrugged casually. âI felt like a trip to Paris.â
âRightâŚWho told you?â You asked. You dropped your defenses. For now.
âSurprisingly, it was Ashley. She may be a schemer but sheâs never been the sharpest tool in the shed.â
You looked at him, noticing how disheveled he looked. He was soaked in sweat. He must have ran through the airport to catch this flight.
âWhy are you so sweaty?â You asked.
âI ran,â Yuta said as he realized he must have looked as gross as he felt. And taking off his beanie was almost out of the question since his fuchsia hair dye made him stick out like a sore thumb.
You felt for him so you pulled some wipes from your bag and gave them to him. âThat beanie looks uncomfortable so take this.â You handed him a cap instead. It was a Dodgers cap.
âThanks,â Yuta said as he swapped the beanie for his hat and cleaned himself up.
âWell, good night again,â you said as you turned to the window and shut your eyes.
âIâm sorry, what?â He asked. He mistook your acts for kindness for wanting to talk to him.
âWeâre done here, arenât we?â You asked. âYou shouldnât have come.â
ây/n, IâŚYou canât move to Paris,â he started.
âI accepted the position, Yuta. I canât go back from an obligation.â You turned away from him and stared out the window. The attendants were giving their airplane safety spiel. You know you were about to ascend. âUnless you have a schedule in Paris, then you should leave. Before youâre stuck on this flight.â
âThereâs no place Iâd rather be, y/n,â he said softly.
His voice sent shivers down your spine but you pushed your feelings down. You couldnât let him get to you. âYou hurt me.â You let it out. Maybe if you kept this up, he would leave you alone.
Yuta sighed. âI know and Iâm so sorry.â
Upon hearing him apologize, you perked up but you chose to keep your back turned.
Yuta went on to say, âI screwed up. Getting you arrested, fired, and hated by everyone. I screwed up even more by selling your grandmaâs necklace. And I hate that I couldnât get it back. More than anything. I know what Ashley did to you. It was wrong of her. She had no right. I finally broke up with her. In front of everyone.â
You turned to him, worried about the repercussions of the break up. âBy everyone, you donât meanâŚâ
âAt my press conferenceâŚâ
You put a hand to your mouth in shock. âAshley must be furious.â What did this mean for you now? What if Ashley retracted the offer and then you were truly left without a job or a home?
Yuta chuckled. âDonât tell me youâre worried about that witch.â
You shook your head. âIf you broke up with her, then sheâs on the warpath.â
Yuta replied, âSheâll find another big name to terrorize soon enough. Iâm close to contract termination anyway.â
You gaped. âWhat?â
âAt the conference, I told everyone that Ashley and I were a fake couple. I broke up with her and thenâŚI told everyone how I felt about you. I really like you, y/n,â He turned bashful, putting his hands in pant pockets.
âYuta, are you crazy?â
He didnât expect that response.
âHow could you jeopardize your career for me? You barely even know me. Sure, we shared pizza andâŚwe had a moment when you taught me guitarâŚBut thatâs not enough reason to put everything on the line.â
ây/n, you donât understand. I feel like we really know each other. I canât explain it,â he said, âWhy do you think it is that your stuff kept popping up at my place? Thereâs some sort of cosmic connection between us. Thatâs not something we can ignore.â
He thought the same way you had about the things you lost and later found. But you were scared. Ashley made you a human target and you knew you could end this stress by leaving. You didnât want to jeopardize anyone you loved.
You didnât even want to jeopardize Yuta. Especially since he just risked his entire career for you.
âYuta, we canât. Being with me will ruin your career,â you said. The plane started moving across the tarmac.
ây/nâŚâ
Now you two were stuck on the plane. You werenât planning to budge and you prayed that when you landed in Paris that Yuta would catch the next flight back to LA.
Hours passed. You were so exhausted that you nearly fell asleep the entire plane ride.
Apparently, so was Yuta. You woke up finding yourself leaning against his shoulder and his neck was nuzzled against the top of your head. He still smelled like roses and vanilla, even after working up a sweat to get onto the plane. He was a fool, you thought to yourself.
But you were an even bigger fool because you didnât remove yourself from him.
The pilot announced overhead, âLadies and gentleman, welcome to Paris. Bienvenue Ă Paris.â
You realized youâd been awake too long and hadnât moved away quickly. You felt Yuta move so you pretended to have just woken up from the announcement. You quickly pulled away from him. Yuta rubbed his neck and watched you.
You left the plane with Yuta trailing behind you. You picked up your bags at baggage claim. Yuta grabbed one of your bags.
âYuta, itâs fine. I have this,â you said as you pointed to the luggage cart.
Yuta relented and helped you put your bags on the cart.
He followed you to the arrivals section where drivers had their posters with the names of people they were picking up. You saw your name and identified yourself with the driver. The driver helped you with your luggage.
âBye, Yuta,â you said quickly, not about to linger. You turned away when he took your hand.
ây/n, pleaseâŚâ He begged.
âTake care, okay?â You said as you pulled your hand away and caught up with your driver.
Heartbroken but unrelenting, Yuta was about to follow you when someone pulled his hat off.
âOh my God, itâs Yuta! Câest Yuta. Skylark!â A girl yelled.
Yuta ran for cover, the gears shifting in his head for his next move with you.
^_^
Itâs a few days later that you finally get to explore Paris. You havenât heard a word from the fuchsia-haired boy, but you were trying to get over him anyway so you didnât mind.
You had to realize that at the end of the day, he had his devoted army of fans and you..only had yourself. He didnât need you, so surely heâd forget about you soon enough. You two had only known each other for a short time, regardless of it feeling like an eternity.
You breathe a sigh of relief when you get to the Eiffel Tower. Itâs kinda cold, but the dreamy sunset draws in.
When you felt a sudden gust of wind, you closed your eyes and remembered Yutaâs warm chest on your back, the way his long fingers comforted and guided yours on the stiff strings of the guitar. His breath dancing along your ear while you shivered and felt goosebumps expose themselves.
The echoing bass in his voice that hit your heart..and other places too.
The sun was slowly retreating from the sky, but it was still bright..as bright as his smile, you missed it, even when he only showed it during his sarcastic, asshole moments.
His lips so full and soft, even the brush you used over them had a difficult time coloring to perfect something that didnât need perfecting.
Ashley was one lucky girl. It was only a matter of time until she and Yuta got back together.
You looked to the ground and sighed. Why did you have to think of him? Even when one of the most beautiful pieces of art towered over you.
You couldnât shake the feeling that you were missing something so great in your life now. The connection you felt with him hit you like a train and there was nothing that could compare to it. It was so strong, it could probably compete with the earthâs gravitational pull to your body.
âYuta..I hate you, I really do.â You whispered to yourself as you clutched your long jacket around your body. You tried to convince yourself that this was true so that youâd finally be at peace. Key word: tried.
In the front of the Eiffel Tower was a board that read the rules, opening times etc.
âLe Jules Vernes Restaurant..âclosed tonight for a special event..damn it.â You had planned on treating yourself to a meal at the top of the Eiffel Tower so you could take in the view as long as some fresh air. But lucky for you, it was closed for that evening.
You licked your lips and sighed.
Would you ever have things go your way?
You were about to walk away when you heard a speaker being plugged in. The feedback was obnoxiously painful and loud, and got everyoneâs attention. You all turned to see the source.
A guitar riff played soon after and you heard a chorus of whispers from people on the lawn.
âOh my God..OH MY GOD ITS YUTA NAKAMOTO FROM SKYLARK!â A girl screams as she runs past you with another girl in hand, just barely holding on.
Shit.
You squint your eyes to look at the person that a crowd begins to form around and sure enough, it is your nemesis with the pink hair. Heâs smiling widely and saying âhiâ to everyone as his bodyguards put their arms out to stop anyone from getting too close. His guitar is in his hands and his microphone has already been set up.
âTime to go back to the hotel.â
You turn and start to brush past all the people running to see Yuta perform.
âYuta?! What is he doing here?â
âHoly shit! Yuta is about to perform for us!â
âYuta from Skylark? Arenât they about to go on tour?â
You overhear some of the comments and the last thing you want is for them to realize who you are, the infamous âcrazy stalker,â so you duck and push through.
You donât feel his eyes peering the crowd and eventually locking into your body as you walk away. His smile fades and he realizes he has to act quickly.
He strums out one chord on the guitar and the girls go into a frenzy.
âThis song..is for someone that just entered my life. Itâs only been a few weeks, but sheâs changed it for the better. She knows me more than anyone else does and I honestly donât know how I lived without her before.â
Yuta speaks into the microphone, making the growing crowd of listeners go silent.
You slow your pace but still donât turn around. Thereâs no way he could be talking about you.
âWho is he talking about? Didnât he just break up with Ashley?â You hear a few girls whisper.
âShe doesnât know it yet, but I donât plan on living without her anymore..she makes my head spin, she makes me forget the words to songs that Iâve sung everyday for the past 3 years, she gives me the WORST case of butterflies...she truly is a nuisance, but I need her. y/n..â
You stop in your tracks and stare at the grass below your planted feet.
âPlease donât go..â Yutaâs eyes are wide, he just needs you to turn around and look at him, to give him a second chance.
The people turn to follow his line of vision, eventually seeing your body standing alone and far away.
âOh my god itâs her.â They whisper.
You start to walk again when you hear the whispering yet overwhelming gossip. Youâre just so tired of all of the attention youâve been getting. Yuta was trying to make some grand statement to get you back, but he didnât realize that this was the opposite of what you wanted.
âSheâs like the rain on summer days when the garden needs some nurturing...â Yuta strums his guitar and sings.
âSheâs like a constellation of stars, oh sheâs beautiful, and very gorgeous to me.â
Youâre still walking but he continues.
âBut I donât even know her name, I only see her in a frame, yet her face is stuck in my mind..sheâs the girl in the portrait, the girl with the necklace..the girl with my heart, but the girl I donât know..I could give her the world, but itâs not like she needs it from me. Sheâs a work of art, sheâs the only thing I see.â
You stop again, this time turning around to finally face him.
âNo one knows me like you do, yes, you see the right through..and I know you wonât forgive me, I just hope you wonât forget me..because I know Iâll be thinking of you, yes you, the girl in the portrait.â
Your eyes start to tear up. The Mountain Man, the singer you so adored had written a song about you. And the melody was just as charming as his other songs. Were you that important to him that he created this song for you?
You stood there frozen as ice and stunned, with a thousand eyes on you.
âThat was The Girl In the Portrait, I wrote it for y/n, because, well, itâs a funny story actually.â Yuta said as he put his guitar down and stood up. The crowd chuckled and clapped but people were still focused on you and waiting for your reaction.
This was one level above a public proposal and you didnât know how to feel about it.
âPlease..â Yuta said quietly.
You cursed silently. Your heart felt weak and you couldnât just turn away like your conscious told you to. Your heart told you to forgive him and start over.
Yuta went all the way to Paris for you, he wrote a song for you and ditched his first tour date. He did it all for you. If that didnât show his sincerity towards you, you werenât sure what would.
âI Hate Youâ you mouthed before smiling.
Yuta ran towards you abruptly, making his bodyguards scurry behind him to push his fans away from him, they struggled to keep up as he dashed like Bolt towards you.
You braced yourself for impact from the 6-foot something man about to collide into you.
Yutaâs teeth showed brightly as he held out his arms and wrapped them around you. Wrinkles formed at the sides of his eyes.
Heâs so filled with excitement, he lifts you three feet about the grace and bends backward.
âYuta!â You laugh out at the sudden move, but he chuckles and brings you back down.
You breathed in his amazing scent before closing your eyes and adoring his warmth. You felt so at ease in his arms, everything faded away. The cries as well as cheers from his fans soon faded into the background. You rested your head in his chest and exhaled.
You lifted your limp arms that were once at your side and wrapped them around him while he rubbed your back. Having you in his arms tonight made it feel like Christmas Day. He never wanted it to end. Even with all the people staring and all the phones recording, he didnât want this moment to end. He prayed that you would stay in his arms forever, for you were the only thing that made him feel comfortable and happy. You did for him what music could no longer do.
ây/n...â
âMhmm?â you hummed, your eyes still closed while you enjoyed his embrace.
âI want to kiss you..â
Your neck nearly snapped when you looked up at him.
âWhat?â Your eyes widened.
âBut not here..up there..will you let me?â
Yuta smirked and tilted his head towards the tower.
âNice try, user 1026you, the restaurant is closed tonight.â
âFor a special event, I know...thatâs why itâll just be me and you.â Yuta chuckled when your brows furrowed.
âYuta..â
âIâd give you the world if you let me.â Yuta grew serious as he searched your eyes and swallowed hard. He ignored the fact that his bodyguards were having an increasingly difficult time with holding back his fans.
The two of you were surrounded by complete madness, but you felt alone..lost in each otherâs eyes.
Your mouth was open slightly, you couldnât believe that he actually booked the entire restaurant just for the two of you.
âSo..You gonna let me give you a night in Paris to remember?â
You laughed and Yuta felt his chest weaken by the sight of your smile.
âYou owe me big time..â
Yutaâs teeth twinkled. âWe gotta run, ready?â
He took your hand and the two of you hustled to the entrance of the Eiffel Tower.
His fans ran after you two while you laughed and held onto each other tightly.
Everything happened in slow motion, the two of you moved like runaway lovers, chaos surrounded you but it didnât matter, for you had each other. You looked over to see Yutaâs goofy smile.
The tour guide at the entrance was able to quickly let you in and close the door behind you to stop anyone else from following.
You found the elevator and got on.
Once at the top, you let go of Yutaâs hand to walk around and see the magnificent view. A million tiny lights decorated the streets of Paris. It was darker outside now, but you could still see the large crowd that surrounded the tower start to dissipate.
They looked like ants below you, slowly dispersing from the ants nest to get more food.
You were so stunned by the view, you didnât notice that Yuta was watching you, your eyes gazing in amazement, your hair blowing softly in the wind and your bright smile that made even the moon seem bleak.
ây/n..â he called your name. There was something he wanted to see.
You turned to look at him over your shoulder.
âYeah?â
And there it was. The pose from the portrait. You glancing over your shoulder so intensely. Your eyes large with wonder, your lips full and slightly parted, your hair shining in the moonlight. You are beautiful, Yuta canât describe it, but he knows he is happy to be able to see an artwork come to life.
âYuta?â You turned to him full and walked over. âWhatâs wrong? Youâre staring againâ you giggled.
âIâm happy.â Yuta smiles and looks down at you.
âWell, weâre in Paris at the Eiffel Tower! Of course youâre happy.â You chuckled and turned to look out at the city from a different angle, but Yuta took your hand in his and spun you around.
You tripped and fell onto his chest before looking up into his eyes.
âNo...Iâm happy because Iâm with you.â
He whispered and your body felt weak. Luckily, he was holding you up so you could balance yourself.
He held you close and looked onto your lips which were just a few inches from yours. His breath slowed to match yours, you look into his lips and swallow hard.
âY-Yuta.â
He leaned forward, placing a small kiss on your lips. Your eyes closed, his kiss made you feel like fireworks had been set off right there in your chest. It was magical even though it only lasted for a second.
Yuta was nervous, he wasnât sure if you were ready. You held his head in your hands and looked into his eyes.
You then kissed him hard while tilting your head to the side. Yuta finally relaxes in your hands and kisses you back, opening his mouth so that he could lick your top lip.
His lips were fluffy and felt exactly like how you imagined them to feel. Silky, smooth. Even as he pressed harder, you couldnât help but feel fragile like youâd collapse at any moment, your legs threatening to give out at any moment.
Soon, your tongues found each other and playfully danced while you struggled to keep your breathing stable.
Time slows down once again as you kiss for what feels to be days.
Yuta draws small circles and lines on your back as he pushes your body into his more. He wants more, so much more. He wants to feel you everywhere, and he canât get enough of your touch, the way your dainty fingers play with the hair on the nape of his neck.
But you have to pull away to breathe.
âWow..you couldâve gone on for days, couldnât you?â You try to catch your breath as you look up at him.
Yuta smirks. âIâm a singer, itâs called breath control.â
You rolled your eyes. âItâS cALleD BrEATh coNtRoL.â You mocked him.
The two of you laughed. Yuta took your hand to guide you to a table that had been set for the two of you.
It was weird being so high above the rest of the world. But you liked it. It was just you and Yuta. Nothing else. There was no Ashley, no fans, and no drama.
Yuta rubbed his reddened lips with two fingers.
âLetâs hurry up and eat..I want to finish what you started.â
âWhat I started? Sir, I recall you being the one that started that kiss!â
âNah you gave me those eyes..â Yuta was teasing you again.
You rolled your eyes and sat back in your chair.
When you finished eating, you looked into the city again and felt an internal peace. There was something so comforting about being away from the madness. Yeah, your life wasnât what it was two months ago, but you sure as hell felt all the madness was worth it.
Getting Yuta was worth it.
You leaned forward, placing your jaw on your hands.
âWhat are you thinking about?
Yuta watched your eyes searching the city again. The moonlight and single candle lit on the table brought out your smooth skin even more, as well as the outline of your nose and lips. He could watch you all night.
âI like the view,â you answered softly.
âYou do?â Yutaâs brows raised.
âYes..â you nodded.
âYouâre my best view..â Yuta smiled widely.
You blushed. âEhh.. I donât know about that line.â
âOkay how about this one?
âI wish you didnât have a name..so I could call you mine?â Yuta leaned forward to match your pose and place his head on his hands.
âOh no..itâs getting worse.â You held your face in your hands, feeling the heat in your cheeks rise. Youâre both a little tipsy from the alcohol you had at dinner.
âAre you from Paris? Because Ei-FELL for you..â he smirked and took your hands in yours so he could see you blush.
You laughed and melted into your seat. âOh God, Yuta make it stop.â
âOkay, okay Iâll stop..but before we leave, I have something to give you.â
You sat up straight and gave a puzzled look.
âIâm sorry again about your grandmotherâs necklace. I tried..I even called up your hacker friend YangYang for help, but he couldnât find it either..Iâm so sorry. I know I can never make up for that.â
Your face straightened and you blinked slowly as the reality settled in that you would never see your grandmotherâs necklace again.
âBut..I did get you this..I hope her memory can still live on through this..â
Yuta reaches into his pocket and hands a small box. When you open it you find a gold necklace with a shining stone surrounded by small pearls as the pendant . The resemblance between it and your missing necklace is strikingly similar. Your mouth falls open.
âMy grandmotherâs necklace was the only one of its kind...how..how in the world did you find this?â
You looked closely to see that the one difference was the stone in the center.
âI searched online and went to a few antique stores and met this strange lady..what was her name again? Was it Celeste or Cerulean? Hmm..wait! It was Cyan! Yeah I showed her a picture and she found it in her store for me.â
âYuta..thatâs amazing.â
And thatâs when you realized what the color of the center stone was. Itâs not purple, nor red. Not pink, nor magenta..no itâs..fuchsia.
Yuta was your soulmate..thatâs why your things were disappearing. The universe was pushing you to him. You were destined to meet and fall in love. How could you  not realize it sooner? Thatâs why you felt this undeniable pull towards him.
âWhatâs wrong?â Yuta grows concerned when he sees your eyes start to tear up.
âNothing..nothing..itâs perfect, Yuta.â You decided not to tell Yuta because you couldnât really explain it. Things were finally falling into place and you just wanted to spend time with him, for you didnât know if youâd have the chance to be with him again..in this universe..or in another one.
âLetâs go home.â Yuta kneeled down and wiped your tears with his finger.
ââââ
Yuta helps you out of the limo once you get to your luxurious hotel. He had the driver take you to a back entrance so his fans wouldnât see the two of you.
âThank you.â You let go of his hand and are about to start walking but Yuta grabs your waist and throws you over his shoulder. You yelp out in surprise. Your ass is in the air as you dangle over him.
âAhh!! Yuta!â
âShhh we came through the back for a reason.â Yuta chuckles then gives your ass a hard smack with his hand.
âAhh! Damn it, Yuta!â
You lay out a string of curse words as Yuta gets into the elevator. He only smiles while strangers stare and wonder what in the world is going on.
When you get to the room, Yuta flips you from his shoulder and onto the bed. You plop down and feel your body bounce back up from the plush mattress.
âI swear to-â you start but Yuta leans down over you, attacking your lips as soon as you open them to make some snarky comment.
He liked hearing you talk back to him, but he liked kissing you even more.
You lick his bottom lip, then kiss his lips again, enjoying the way both of your lips grow wet from each other.
He was just as playful with his tongue, letting it place kitten licks on the soft surface of your lips, he kissed softly, teasingly. It was almost ticklish. You felt your chest rumble.
You closed your eyes and traced your hands up Yutaâs back, pressing him into you more.
The bitter taste of alcohol stayed on your lips and your head felt light, you both felt like you were getting drunk all over again.
Yuta presses into you more, running his hands along your sides before holding your face as he guides the passionate kiss.
You pushed your body upwards and grinded onto Yuta, feeling his member poke through his jeans. You placed a finger into his belt loop, pulling him downwards. You then wrapped your legs around his waist and crossed them over his back to bring his body closer to yours even more.
Yuta took the hint and pushed into you slowly, grinding his covered member against your covered, but increasingly wet entrance.
You moaned into his mouth when you felt him press onto your weak spot teasingly. You trembled under him, hands shaking as they clawed at his back lightly.
It felt like a bouquet of flowers were slowly opening up in Yutaâs chest. You were the most beautiful melody, the graceful echo of godly chords being played in a church organ, you were the angelic singing heard all the way from heaven. Thatâs what you felt like to Yuta. And he had to write about you, he had a hundred songs already in mind to write about you.
He prayed that you wouldnât stop kissing him this time, that you wouldnât have to pull away to breathe.
He didnât know that you felt the same way, that he felt like a day at Disney that you didnât want to end. He felt like a birthday surprise happening over and over and over. He was the glass of water after a long run. He made you feel euphoric just from an embrace like this. With the two of you finally being alone together, it was like the stars had collided to create something so beautiful, extraordinary and new.
But still, you were scared. Now that you found your soulmate, would he disappear? What if this was your last night in this universe? You couldnât remember anything about your life before, but you knew that you were somewhere else before all of this.
And could something this good last? Were you really away from all of your troubles?
You were deep in your thoughts and without realizing, you kissed Yuta so hard, you accidentally bit his bottom lip.
Yuta pulled away. âAre you okay? Do you want me to stop?â He rubbed the blood from his lip, eyes growing wide.
âN-no, Yuta..Iâm sorry. Itâs just..â you swallowed hard then licked your lips.
âWhat if..this is it? What if we wonât be together after tonight?â
You played with the collar of his shirt to distract yourself.
Yuta tilted his head then placed his hands on either side of your head to hold himself up.
ây/n..I donât plan on letting you go..ever. You make me feel..â Yuta didnât know how to describe it either.
âAmazing.â But that wasnât enough, it was much more than that. So much more. No word in the entire dictionary could suffice for the feeling he had.
âAnd if the universe allows..It wonât be the last night. Itâll just be the first of many.â He gave you a wink. âWhat do you say? Letâs give it a try?â
You nodded and licked your lips.
âAnd uh..how far do you want to go because I..â Yuta looked down at your linked bodies.
You blushed when you realized what he was looking at. It was the outline of his member sticking out in his jeans and aiming towards the apex of your legs.
You thought about the chances of this being your first and last night together, and knew you wanted to experience it with Yuta. If just kissing him made you euphoric, how would making love feel?
You nodded. âI want you to make love to me Yuta, love me like itâs the last time.â You rubbed his flexed biceps and he grew weak. The combination of your gentle touch and doe eyes while those sweet words left your mouth made him feel like heâd lost all feeling in his legs.
âIt wonât be the last time, but it will probably be the best time since weâre in the city of romance. Donât expect too much from me when we do this again, okay?â
You nodded, giggling as you held his belt again. He glanced down at your hands as they fiddled around.
He chuckled then looked back up at you. âIs your name Paris, because I think my Eiffel Tower belongs in you?â
âYuta!! I swear to G-â you started again, but he quickly placed his mouth on yours, taking the air as it left and circling your top lip with the tip of his tongue.
You both ran out of patience, taking each otherâs lips in between your teeth. You shimmy out of your jacket and Yuta tosses it to the side. You tug the hem of his black t-shirt and help him take it off over his head, his hair becoming rustled in the process but it gives him a cute, messy look. You canât help but laugh.
Yuta smirks and rubs his hands up and down your thighs while gazing into your eyes, pressing into the soft squishy skin to massage them.
You bite your swollen lips, knowing that heâs watching your chest rise up and down under him.
âI could stare at you all night.â He whispers.
âI know..but I want you to make love to me first.â You say as you start to unbutton your blouse.
Yuta watches your fingers play with the buttons, allowing for several inches of your skin to be revealed each time. He licks his lips but waits for you to finish and reveal yourself to him, gripping the crook of your knees while he waits.
âYuta..â you breathlessly call out his name before biting your lips. Your voice makes him dizzy, he wants to hear you say his name over and over again like a broken record, because you just sound so..heavenly. No song could compare.
He leans forward, placing his hands on yours and gripping the bow separated fabric. And itâs like heâs opening his curtains to see a bright, sunny day after a scary thunderstorm.
He opens it slowly, staring at the small space between your breasts that he wants to decorate so badly.
You stare at his neck and then his abs, all the places you want to kiss passionately while listening to his low groans.
Yuta takes the sleeves of the shirt down your arms, his fingertips lightly touching your skin but still leaving an intense rush flowing through your veins.
You lock eyes as he tosses it to the side with the jacket.
He lowers his head to your chest and breathes over it, leaving a steamy breath over your nipple. You shiver under him and let out a moan.
âYuta..â You arch your back, desperate to feel him on you. Having him inches away from your skin just isnât enough, especially when heâs shirtless and daunts his stunning body over yours.
But Yuta doesnât respond. He licks your nipple and looks up to see you tremble once again. He can feel the response from your body under him even though heâs not touching you.
âPlease..â you put your hand onto his back and rub it softly to push him along.
He kisses in between your breasts, then sucks hard, biting the skin to leave a mark.
You cry out his name again, this time, your fingers going through his thick hair as he moves on to suck your nipple.
He presses his tongue firmly and flat against it, then pleases a sloppy kiss onto it.
He massages your other breast while his mouth continues to work on the first, sucking hard so he can hear you say his name once again. He circles around the areola with the tip of his tongue at a pace so slow, you start to go insane. He then flicks the tender tip with his tongue as you throw your head back and moan.
You push your body upwards but Yuta pulls away. As expected, he teases you, wanting to draw this moment out for as long as possible.
âYuta..please touch me.â
He looks into your large eyes as you beg, but then he looks down to your breasts and isnât satisfied so he pays attention to the other breast, switching between gentle and firm sucking. Your moaning gets louder and louder, and youâre happy that Yuta paid for the suite that takes up one floor.
His large hand cups your breast, his fingers pressing into the skin and pumping it slowly.
His plush lips kiss everywhere, lighting fires of feeling across your sensitive skin.
Yuta then starts to grind down into you. Your opening is still covered by the rough fabric of your jeans, but aching nonetheless. The sudden contact made you jolt upwards. Youâre so wet and needy, youâre sure youâre soaking through your jeans at this point.
Yuta quickly drags your jeans down your legs, you start to kick them off and let it fall to the floor.
âYouâre so wet, baby.â Yuta stares at your soaked panties and smiles.
He retakes his position, placing his hands on either side of your head again, and sucking on your nipple.
This time he sucks harder, humming as he grinds down into you to hear you whimper loudly. The vibrations allow for a tingling sensation to echo through your skin, you feel lightheaded, your jaw locking, and your vision fading.
âYuta!â
You say before releasing. Your grip on his hair tightens as he continues to suck on your skin while you cum. You moan loudly and breathe heavily..you slowly start to come back to Earth.
âOh, youâre loud..but I like that.â Yuta gives you a wink then runs his fingers over your underwear.
âI didnât even touch you and you came.â He says smoothly.
You jerk at the feel of his fingers parting your folds to collect your essence.
âYou cocky bastard.â You say breathlessly.
Yuta only smirks as he walks around the bed and to a wall beside it.
âI forgot to show you this..â he presses a button and looks up at the ceiling.
You kneel on the bed and move to the center of it.
The white covering separates from the center, opening up to reveal a window.
Your eyes widen and your mouth falls open when you see the beautiful night sky, dazzled by twinkling stars. And even though it is late at night, you can still see traces of sapphire blue and small, faint lines of indigo.
Thereâs nothing like it. You can see why Van Gogh painted Starry Night.
âSo weâre gonna fuck in front of the stars?â You ask bluntly, gaining a loud chuckle from Yuta.
âI promised to give you the best night youâve ever had so..yes.â His eyes squinted when he laughs again.
âYuta..this is..â
âAmazing? Legendary? Extraordinary? Yeah I knowâ he put his hands on his hips as he watched you gaze.
You roll your eyes and turn to him. âCome here..â
You head over to the edge of the bed and get on your knees. Yuta walks over to you, watching your hands unhook his belt and tug his jeans down.
You lean back and fall into the center of the bed while waiting for him to kick off his jeans and get on the bed.
Yuta nearly trips and falls as he struggles to take his jeans off while watching you. You start to take your panties down your legs but Yuta stops you.
âNo! I wanna unwrap the present.â
âUgh, youâre so weird.â You hold your face in your hands again.
âLook at me, sweetheart.â Yuta grabs your ankle and squeezes hard.
âOh!â You yelp out at the pain and look down at him, watching as he crawls over your slowly on the plush bed.
He takes the waistband of your panty in between his fingers and slowly drags it down while looking into your eyes. Your heart starts to race again. Heâs so close to your wet and needy entrance, but you feel the sharp, icy slap of cold air once youâre exposed.
âBeautiful..â Yuta adores your naked body below him.
He traces his fingers on the surface surrounding your folds, just pressing shy of them to make you writhe.
âYuta..please.â
He rubs two fingers along your folds painfully slow, using the side of his long fingers to part them.
Yuta retreats his fingers and puts them into his mouth.
âSo good.â He breathlessly lets out. He teases your entrance again, his spit and your essence now mixing as he presses nearly perfect circles into your core.
You can feel the knot in your stomach start to build again. Your mouth falls open as you moan.
You arch your back and hold onto the sheets with a grip so tight, you felt your knuckles become white. You look up at the stars and think to yourself how beautiful it is out there. You feel your spirit start to ascend while Yuta plays with your clit.
Your legs start to shake and threaten to close completely as you grow more and more sensitive to his touch.
Yuta uses his other hand to pump then align himself with your opening.
His length glistens with pre cum, the tip red and veins pumping fiery blood through it.
Heâs more than ready now and you canât wait to take him.
âOpen up for me.â
You donât hesitate to spread your legs further apart so your hips align with his.
He leans down and holds himself over you with both hands, looking into your eyes before kissing you enthusiastically, tugging your lip between his teeth so you can call out his name again.
He pushes into you slowly while you kiss.
Yuta drinks in your moan and groans when he feels your silky walls surround him.
He lets go of your lips and buries himself into the crook of your neck. He breathes deeply, pushing into you again.
âSo tight, fuck.â He whispers.
You take a deep breath and look at the stars above you to stop yourself from coming already.
He starts to thrust into you again, but you let out a quiet whimper.
âShit..Iâm sorry.â
âItâs okay, Yuta. K-keep going.â
You rub his back to push him along.
He begins to rub your clit, your mouth falling open into a silent cry.
He pushes all of himself into you then pulls out, groaning once again when he buries himself back inside.
He grinds against your silky walls while holding you close and rubbing small circles into you.
Your heated bodies comfort each other as they are finally connected, working towards the same goal.
Yuta smells like a combination of amber and musk, but feels like a soft blanket during winter, his muscular arms holding your body still while also hugging you in the most passionate embrace youâve ever experienced during sex.
His heart beat matches yours, his breath attaches itself to your neck. His throaty moans begin to get louder and louder.
Your fingers run through his hair while you whimper.
Youâre so close.
Yuta moves faster, harder, pushing into you so hard, the bed starts to move.
He lifts himself from your chest and looks down at you. Your saddened by the coldness you feel between your bodies now but Yuta is so beautiful. His magenta hair now wavy, some strands sticking to his forehead, leftover eyeliner smudging and bringing out the depth of his eyes.
He grabs your ankles, completely enclosing his fists around them before placing them into his shoulders.
He grinds into your entire body at a different angle now, the pressure on your g-spot increasing significantly. âThatâs feels good, Yuta..oh my G-â
You start to clench around him, making him groan and push into you harder.
ây/n..â he whispers while looking into your eyes. âYouâre beautiful..in every way.â
His surprisingly sweet words make you smile.
You gaze at the stars, but your vision starts to blur. You canât think of anything but Yuta, the feeling is so amazing, you canât describe it. To be filled up by him, to be completely enraptured by him, there is nothing like it. The knocking of the headboard against the hotel wall and the sounds of skin on skin brings you to the edge.
You grip the sheets tightly as your eyes close.
They roll into the back of your head and your back arches. The euphoric feeling takes over and you swear your spirit leaves your body for an entire minute.
Yuta fucks you through your high but pulls out and releases onto your belly soon after, experiencing the same overwhelming feeling in his spirit too.
He collapses onto the bed beside you and looks up at the stars, taking your hand into his and squeezing it gently.
You look over at each other and laugh, itâs as if you were both thinking the same thing. How did you climax so hard?
Several minutes pass and youâre about to get up to get a towel but Yuta holds your hand.
âIâll get it, just relax, baby.â
He comes back with a wet washcloth and gently cleans you up.
âI love you..â he says quietly.
âYuta..itâs a bit early for that.â
He nods while cleaning up the strings on your belly. âI know..but I canât shake this feeling. I think youâre the one..I think youâre my..soulmate.â
Youâre stunned to hear Yuta speaking like this. If he realized you were soulmates, what would happen now?
âI mean, I donât know if you believe in that kind of thing, but..â
âI agree, Yuta..I think youâre my soulmate, which is why Iâm scared to lose you..good things never last.â You say quietly and avoid his eyes.
âDonât say that, weâll be okay..I know weâll be okay. Just trust me, okay?â
Yuta crawled over you and gave your forehead a light peck.
You made love again then cuddled all night, but when morning came..so did reality.
ââââ
You jump up at your desk, startled by a harsh gust of wind against your back.
What just happened? Where are you? Where is he?
You look around you and see towering wooden shelves filled with books.
How did you end up here?
ây/n? You okay?â You hear a young voice call to you.
You turn to see Charlotte, the 13-year old volunteer at the library.
The Library
Shit. Youâre back.
You hold your head in your hands and wail.
Charlotte rushes over to you, hugging you tightly while shushing you.
âY/n! Y/n! Be quiet! Weâre in a library, you canât be loud like this!â
You sniffle. âI know! But it was so good! I was so happy there!â
âWhat? Are you talking about your dream?â
Thatâs all it was..a sweet dream, an imaginative universe you only had a quick taste of...nothing was real now. How on Earth would you find him? You were back to reality.
Totoro walked across the desk and meowed.
You looked at him and pouted.
You knew who you were..a boring librarian that owned a cat named Totoro..but who was Yuta in this universe?
How would you find him?
ây/n?â Charlotte called out to you. âDo you want to go home?â
Several weeks passed and you slowly started to assimilate back into your old life. You googled his name but found nothing, he was nowhere to be found.
You just had to accept that it was a dream, a dream followed by the nightmare of reality.
You hoped that you would find your soulmate again, but you knew the chance was little to none. So you did what you did before. Work, eat, spend time with your best friend and roommate Delilah, sleep, then wake up to do it all over again.
Love didnât have a place in your life, could you even come to accept a loved other than Yuta? Damn him for giving you a night in Paris to remember.
âââ
âThe true crime section is in row 13.â You pointed to a large sign hanging from above reading âTRUE CRIME NOVELS.â You wondered how anyone could miss it, then again old people were usually the ones that needed the most help when they came to your library.
You turned back around to your returned-book cart that you were taking books from to stack the shelves with. But you noticed that it was now empty.
You were 75% sure that you didnât put away ALL of the books before turning to help the senior citizen, yet all of them were gone.
All..except for one that had fallen to the floor. It was open  when you picked it up. When you looked at the page that it was open to, you realized that it was a book of poems.
The poem it was opened to read:
Sheâs like the rain on summer days when the garden needs some nurturing...
Sheâs like a constellation of stars, oh sheâs beautiful, and very gorgeous to me.
But I donât even know her name, I only see her in a frame, yet her face is stuck in my mind
You squint your eyes, where have you seen this before?
sheâs the girl in the portrait
the girl with the necklace
the girl with my heart
but the girl I donât know
I could give her the world, but itâs not like she needs it from me
Sheâs a work of art, sheâs the only thing I see
The girl with the necklace..
Thatâs it! Itâs Yutaâs song! He wrote this, heâs out there somewhere. Perfect! Now you could track down the author and find him-
But wait.
You looked down to see the authorâs name.
The One in the Middle
âShit. Itâs just like him to not put his real name on his work.â
You opened your laptop and immediately went to google.
âWho is the author named âThe One in the Middleâ?â You said as you typed.
Nothing. Nobody knew who he was. Many asked about his other poems, but there were no answers, only fan groups that praised the mysterious writer. âNo one knows who he is but that adds to his âsexinessâ thatâs what their Facebook post stated.
And none of his works were posted or published electronically, so you couldnât ask someone to track his IP address like you did the first time.
You sigh and hold your head in your hands. âDamn it Yuta, why do you make things so difficult?â
It was comforting to know heâs out there somewhere, but you couldnât help but lose hope. Was the universe messing with you?
âââ
A few weeks pass again and Delilah decides to drag you to the opening of a new art gallery downtown. Â Normally, sheâd take her boyfriend with her, but he had basketball practice tonight.
âThank you for coming with me, y/n! You know my professor, always making us look at other works for âinspirationâ I mean, why canât I just look at works online?â Delilah spoke as you two walked around. She was a musical theatre student, but had to visit an art gallery at least once a week to pass her art appreciation class.
She didnât see the point in it, but you always had a connection to art that you couldnât explain. No one in your family was a visual artist. Unlike in your âdream,â your grandmother wasnât a painter and passed away before you could even meet her.
Nonetheless, color and technique was something you grew to appreciate.
There were about 50 people in the gallery, all high class looking. You felt underdressed in your black turtleneck, black jeans and jean jacket. Thatâs one thing that you did miss, wearing color all the time like you did in your dream. Now, you were back to wearing black. It was like a metaphor for how you felt. Your colorful and intense world has turned to black.
The only thing that stood out from your outfit was your necklace.
âIâm going to the restroom, I'll be right back!â Delilah skips away.
You nod then walk around a wall in the middle of the room. When you turn the corner, you see..yourself.
Itâs the painting from your dream..the one of you slightly turned around. Your necklace is still in it too except..
You step closer and see that itâs different. The stone isnât ruby anymore, no..
âItâs fuchsia..â you whisper. You glance down to see that the authorâs name is The One with Many Friends.
âItâs funny because I was thinking it was more magenta, but youâre right..it really is fuchsia. Youâve got good eyes.â
You slowly turn when you recognize the voice.
Time starts to slow down. You canât believe your eyes. It feels as though the world has stopped moving and itâs just the two of you once again after so much time.
It was Yuta.
Yuta smiles brightly when you look up at him, he recognizes you right away as you make the same pose you have in the painting.
âYuta..â the name barely leaves your lips.
âItâs you..y/n.â He walks towards you, pace increasing with each step before taking you in his arms as all of his memories flood his brain. He had seen your face every night in his dreams but he couldnât remember who you were. He painted you in an effort to figure out who you were, but it didnât help.
Now finally, he got his answer.
Everything that was missing found its rightful place.
âI read your poem, but you used a pseudonym..again! I thought I would never find you.â You cry into his shoulder while holding onto him tightly.
Yuta smiles and caresses your hair.
âI told you...just trust me, weâll be okay.â
#yuta#nakamoto yuta#yuta au#yuta ff#yuta fanfic#nct smut#yuta smut#nct yuta#nct soulmate au#nct 127 yuta#nct 127#nct#nct fluff#yuta oneshot#yuta scenario#yuta imagine#yuta nakamoto#yuta fluff#yuta angst#nct angst#nct 127 angst#nct 127 romance#nct romance#yuta blurb#nct boyfriend#nct yuta smut#nct 127 yuta smut#yuta romance#nct 127 fanfic#nct 127 fluff
2K notes
¡
View notes
Text
We Can Just Dance To This
A gift for @chaserofstarsandtheabyss
He sat under a tree, ignoring the calls of his name from Lance, Eugene and Cassandra.
He had heard it.
Heard what Eugene said.
âCanât he do better?â He asked. âI hate seeing him all over our little buddy!â
âCome on, FlynnâŚâ Lance had said. âThey went through so much and came out together. That must mean something.â
âActually, LanceâŚâ Rapunzel said. âI alsoâŚthink theyâre moving too fast. This is Varianâs first relationshipâŚVarian could have met other boys at one of our parties or balls. Someone who could have swept him off his feet and danced into the night with him.â
âBut he found Hugo. And after everything that happened, I think he has a better relationship than some noble or dance into the nightâŚâ Lance grumbled.
âMaybe your rightâŚâ She said. âBut stillâŚâ
âAnd theyâre sleeping in the same room, always together alone! I donât like Hugoâs intentions with Varian!â
âIâm more scared heâll hurt him againâŚâ
âGuys, come on.â Lance sighed.
âListen, I donât like him with my brother. End of storyâŚoh.â
Eugene looked at Hugo, blood draining from his face.
âNo, by all meansâŚâ Hugo sneered. âGo onâŚâ
âHugo, weâŚwe just care about Varian.â Rapunzel said.
âSo do I.â Hugo said, shoulder checking Eugene as he stalked to the village.
He sighed as he sat, watching rain drops fall.
Varian.
His Varian.
Of course he was too good for Hugo.
But all the little things made Hugo fall in love with him more.
The loud snoring from a long day, the way his bucked teeth bit his lip when he was rewriting formulas, how he lifted a foot when reaching for a book on a high shelf, the warmth of his skin on his each morning, the soft sighs in his ear when they hugged, the way he grinned when he saw something new, the crinkle over his nose when he got frustratedâŚ
Every little thing, down to finding a new scar or darker colored freckle in his shoulder.
Hugo knew Varian was too good for himâŚand Varian sometimes said the opposite.
How could he be too good for Varian?!
He was an orphaned thief! He had hurt him, betrayed him and VarianâŚ
Still looked at him like he was the most precious metalâŚwhen Varian was his perfect gem.
âI thought youâd be here.â A voice said.
He looked up to see his boyfriend, hair wet and smiling down at him.
âGoggles, youâre gonna get sick.â He said.
âSo are you.â He said, leaning against the tree.
âHow did you find me?â
âThis is Ruddigerâs favorite tree. Youâre always here.â He said.
Hugo sighed and stood, opening his arms.
Varian hugged him. âThey told me. I punched Eugene.â
Hugo pulled him back, holding his arms.
âYou punched Rider?â
âWell, we can call it a punch, rather than me hitting a grown man who barely flinched with my fist.â
âAw, Babe.â Hugo whispered and kissed his hair.
âWhatâs wrong?â Varian asked, looking up. âYou know I love you and I want to be with you.â
âNot some noble that can charm you and dance away into the night?â He grumbled.
Varian smiled and pulled him from under the tree into the rain, then took off Hugoâs glasses, tucking them in his shirt pocket.
âWhat?â Hugo asked.
âDance with me.â Varian said, placing a hand on his shoulder and facing him.
Hugo chuckled but took Varianâs free hand and placed his other hand on his waist. Varian rest his forehead to Hugoâs and they swayed.
Varian led them into a lose waltz, both more concerned with steeling kisses and pressing cheek to cheek. The rain slowed into a light shower over them. Both completely drenched but laughing as they spun faster and faster.
Hugo let go of Varianâs waist to spin him and press his boyfriendâs back to his front.
âI love you.â Varian hummed as Hugo held him, swaying.
âI love you too.â Hugo whispered, kissing the shell of Varianâs ear.
A little bit off, hidden in a doorway, Eugene sighed.
âOkayâŚmaybe we wereââ
âWe were.â Rapunzel said, smiling. âOh...they look so happy.â
She leaned her head on Eugene's shoulder.
âSee?â Lance said, chest puffing out as the boys faced each other and spun again. âWhat I tell you?â
Varian pulled Hugo close and kissed him.
âHey, Bluebird?â Hugo said against plush lips.
âYeah?â
âWhat do you say we get out of these wet clothes and into a warm bath?â Hugo asked.
âI say absolutely.â Varian said.
17 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Second Chance At First Line
(S1E2) Part II
Teen Wolf x Reader Series Rewrite
A/N: I am absolutely KILLING IT with these updates. Expect a lot more coming up. Also I don't think I'm going to continue making three separate parts for pronouns whenever a part doesn't use any pronouns for the reader.
Any Pronouns
Next Part / Masterlist
Warnings: mentions of a dead body
âWhat do you mean you canât play the game tomorrow night?â Coach asks as Scott follows him into his office.
âI mean I canât play the game tomorrow night.â
âYou mean you canât wait to play the game tomorrow night?â
âNo, I canât play the game tomorrow night.â
âIâm not following.â
Scott sighs looking around the office. âIâm-- having some personal issues.â
âLike what? Is it a girl?â
âNo.â
âIs it a guy? You know our goalie Danny is gay.â
âYeah, I know, Coach. But thatâs not it.â
âYou donât think Dannyâs a good-looking guy?â Coach cuts off, looking shocked.
Exasperated, Scott tries to continue; âNo, Dannyâs good looking. But I like girls. And thatâs not it anyway--â
âIs it drugs? Are you doing meth? My brother was hooked on meth. You should have seen what it did to his teeth, all rotted and cracked. It was disgusting. He was a mess.â
Genuinely concerned, Scott asks, âWhat happened to him?â
âHe got veneers. They look perfect now. Is, is that what this is about? Are you afraid of getting hurt McCall?â
âNo. Iâm just having some issues dealing with... aggression.â
âWell, hereâs the good news, thatâs exactly why you play lacrosse. Problem solved.â
âCoach. I canât play the game.â
âListen, McCall. Part of playing first line is taking on the responsibility of being the first line in the game. If you canât shoulder that responsibility then youâre back on the bench until youâre ready.â
âIf I donât play the game, youâre taking me off first line?â
"McCall,â Coach says pointedly, âPlay the game.â
-----
Stepping back into the corridor and into the rush of students, Scott jumps when his phone RINGS in his pocket. He takes it out to read a text message from his Mom:
Got the night off! Coming to see you play! So excited!!
Scott breathes a sigh of frustration. His phone BUZZES again with a second text from his Mom:
What does LMFAO mean?
Heâs about to type back when he notices someone coming down the corridor to find him; Allison Argent. As she walks through the crowd, every teenage male eye seeming to follow her. But her perfect smile is reserved for Scott.
Nodding to his phone Allison asks, âHey, you busy?â
âNo. Itâs just my Mom. Sheâs nothing. I mean itâs nothing. Iâm never busy. For you.â
âI like the sound of that... I have to run to French class but I wanted you to know Iâm coming to see you play tomorrow.â
âYou are?â
âAnd weâre all going out afterwards. You, me, Lydia, Jackson. Itâs going to be great. And bring Stiles too. Save me a seat at lunch, Iâve gotta go.â
Scott barely has a chance to nod as she hurries off. But just before she disappears into the rush of students, she smiles at him again. With a quick wave, sheâs gone.
Scott slumps against the lockers muttering to himself, âI am so screwed.â
-----
Down the adjacent hall, Allison stops at her locker, quickly spins the combo, grabs her French book and suddenly stops when she notices something strange inside. Slowly, she pulls an item out, one that shouldnât be there... her jacket from the party.
As she eases the locker shut, she notices how very alone she is in the corridor. She gazes down one end of the hall and then the other. Not a soul. Not a sound. Until--
The second bell rings, startling her. Breathing a short laugh at herself, she hurries off to class.
-----
At the chalkboard with other students solving algebra problems, Lydia whispers to Scott.
âWhy is there a rumor going around that youâre not playing tomorrow?â
âBecause Iâm sort of... not.â
âI think you sort of are. Especially when you brutally injure my boyfriend by ramming into him.â
âHe brutally injured himself ramming into me.â
The math teacher steps past, eyeing their work on the board.
âJacksonâs going to play Saturday, but heâs not going to be at peak. I prefer my boyfriend at peak performance.â
âOkay...â Scott responds, wondering if sheâs still talking about lacrosse.
âSee, I date the captain of a winning lacrosse team. If they start off the season losing, I date the captain of a losing lacrosse team. I donât date losers. You understand how that works?â
âLosing one game isnât going to kill anyone. In fact, it might save someone,â he argues back.
Lydia looks at him. Doesnât get it. Doesnât care. âFine. Donât play. Weâll probably win anyway. Weâll go out after like weâre planning. Iâll introduce Allison to all the other hot players on the team. And while she gets the attention she deserves, Scott McCall can stay home surfing the net for porn. "
She finishes her math problem, wipes the chalk off her hands and saunters back to her desk. Scott returns his attention to his own equation on the board.
The math teacher walks up behind him chastising, âMr. McCall, youâre not even close to solving your problem.â
âTell me about it,â Scott quips back.
-----
As Stiles and I turn the corner to the hall our next class is located, I see someone familiar talking to the vice principle.
âWait-- is that Noah?â Grabbing the back of Stilesâs collar I drag him back behind the wall to hide us from view. Peeking around the corner, there Sheriff Stilinski standing in the middle of the hall having a seemingly serious conversation to the vice principle.
âI canât hear them, what are they saying?â Stiles whines.
âI donât know I donât have super hearing.â
And as if a lightbulb went off in his head, Stiles bolts off looking for someone who does in fact have super hearing as I continue to keep an eye on the targets.
Hearing stomping footsteps behind me I turn around seeing an out of breath Stiles, Scott in tow.
âCome here, come here, tell me what theyâre saying,â I ask Scott as the boys follow my gaze down the hall. I can see Scott focus, attempting to tune in the voices.
â...animal attacks... just donât want the kids out... 9:30pm... institute the curfew....â
With a look of annoyance Scott turns back towards us.
âA curfew. Because of the body.â
Great.
âUnbelievable!â Stiles starts to complains, âSeriously unbelievable. My Dadâs out looking for a rabid animal while the jerkoff who actually killed the girl is just hanging out doing whatever he wants.â
Interjecting, I add, âWell, we canât exactly tell him whatâs going on with Derek. Heâd want to do something about it.â
âWell, Iâm gonna do something about it.â
âLike what?â Scott asks.
âLike find the other half of the body.â
And with that Stiles walks to his next class. Waving a bye to Scott I go catch up to him.
-----
Scott stops when he spots Allison shaking hands with an extremely good-looking lacrosse player. Lydia wears a big smile while introducing them while staring right at Scott.
Allison turns to see him approaching as Lydia and the lacrosse player slip away.
âSo, Lydiaâs introducing you to everyone?â Scott questions.
âYeah, sheâs been so unbelievably nice. Usually, the popular girls are totally evil when I move to a new place. But sheâs making it really easy for me.â
âI wonder why.â
âMaybe she gets how much being the New Girl can suck.â
Heâs about to reply when he notices with alarm that sheâs carrying the jacket from party that Derek had.
"Where did you get that?â
âMy jacket? It was in my locker. I think Lydia brought it back from the party. She has my combination--â
âDid she say she brought it back? Did someone give her the jacket?â Scott is starting to get more urgent; how did Derek get into her locker? Was he still here? Is Derek going to hurt Allison?
âLike who?"
âLike Derek."
âYour friend?â
âHeâs not my friend. How much did you talk to him when he drove you home?â
âNot much at all.â
âWhat did you say?"
Allison can tell heâs getting more and more aggressive; cautiously she replies, "Sorry, but I have to get to my next class. Can we talk later?â
âAllison--â
âI really have to go.â
She hurries off, leaving Scott ruminating on the jacket. But then he turns, moving with focus, faster and faster--
-----
On his bike and pedaling at top speed, Scott charges down the road. Finally, he whips onto a driveway leading to the rundown Hale house.
âDerek!â
He lets his bike clatter to the ground, school bag with it. In a flash heâs on the porch, looking in each window.
âDerek!â
Still no response. Scott slips around the side of the house and to the back. Then something catches his attention-- At the edge of the woods, he sees FRESH DIRT covering the ground. As if something had been dug up. Or buried.
But before he can approach, a sound stops him in his tracks... a heartbeat. At first, itâs a tiny rhythm in the distance. But then it rapidly gets louder, stronger. Scott starts to back away, moving for the front of the house again and for his bike when Derek steps out of the woods. No sudden appearance, no theatrics. He just calmly walks out of the shadows while Scott tries to stand strong.
âStay away from her. She doesnât know anything.â
âWhat if she does?â
Derek keeps coming, backing Scott away from the house.
âYou think your little buddy Stiles can Google werewolves and now youâve got all the answers?â
Reaching down to Scottâs school bag, Derek picks up the lacrosse stick, playfully turning it over in his hands.
âYou donât get it yet, but Iâm looking out for you. Think about what could happen. Youâre on the
field. The aggression takes over. And you shift in front of everyone. Allison, your mother, your friends...â
Derekâs hand comes up and his claws are out. Scott flinches back, both in fear and surprise at his display of mastery over his abilities.
âAnd when they see you--â
He rakes his claws over the net.
âEverything, falls, apart.â
The slashed threads flutter away from the head of the lacrosse stick, the net now in tatters. Derek tosses the ruined stick. Scott catches it. When he looks up, heâs alone, Derek having vanished yet again.
-----
Bursting through the front door of the McCallâs home, Stiles sprints up the stairs towards Scottâs bedroom. Chuckling to myself I close the door behind me and head the same way. âHey Ms. McCall!â I shout
âHey sweetie!â
As Stiles bursts through Scottâs door and into his room I can already hear him shouting about the news. Scott called me with an update on the body, said there was some evidence at Derekâs and we needed to get over there as soon as we could.
I greet Scott with a wave as I follow Stiles into the room. At his desk, Scott works on something, concentrating on it with exact focus
âI found something at Derek Haleâs,â he starts
Still full of energy, Stiles shouts, âAre you kidding? What?â
âSomethingâs buried there. I smelled blood.â
Interjecting, I ask, "You think itâs from the body?â
âThatâs what I need you guys to help me find out. And when we do, weâre going to help your dad nail Derek for the murder. And then we're figure out how I can play lacrosse without changing.â
Scott stands, revealing what heâs been working on so intently: his lacrosse stick. Now perfectly re-laced, he spins it in his hands with a look of pride.
âBecause Iâm not missing out on that gameâ
-----
The doors of Beacon Hills Hospital slide open. Stiles, Scott, and I casually walk past the front desk trying not to be conspicuous in front of waiting patients, nurses and orderlies. Stiles nods to a set of double doors and a sign pointing to the morgue; exactly what we need. While Scott and I quickly push through the doors, Stiles heads to the waiting area to keep an eye out.
As Scott and I step inside the almost pitch-black freezer room, he lights the display on his phone using it to search the labels on the drawer.
âWhyâd you leave the lights off, this place is mega creepy!â I whisper to him. âWho decides to leave the lights off when theyâre around a bunch of dead bodies?â
âWould you keep it down? Youâre gonna get us caught!â Scott says as he finally located the body.
JANE DOE â partial. Police Evidence, Do Not Tamper.
We both take a breath as Scott yanks open the display.
-----
Standing outside in the corridor, Stiles looks to the waiting area and does a double take. Lydia Martin sits in one of the chairs. Itâs a moment of opportunity he simply cannot pass up. Leaving his post, he tentatively approaches her.
âHey, Lydia. You probably donât remember me, but I sit behind you in Biology. And I know youâre dating Jackson and all that, but I always thought we had a kind of connection. Unspoken, of course. But I sort of think it would be cool to get to know you. Sort of.â
âHold on. Give me a second.â
Stiles looks at her, quite confused. But then she pulls out a Bluetooth headset that was covered by her hair.
âI didnât get any of what you just said. Is it worth repeating?â
âUh... No. Sorry.â
As she gives an irritated sigh, Stiles takes a seat far away from her, head falling into his hand.
-----
Scott covers his mouth while gazing down at the lower half of the body. He slowly pulls the drawer open to where the sheet finally flattens out just above the severed hip. The smell coming from the body is absolutely putrid and I can tell his face is getting greener by the second.
âDonât throw up on the body,â I joke.
Removing his hand from his mouth, Scott sends me a lighthearted glare and then pulls the sheet up to reveal the decayed and rotted feet. Then, unable to stand anymore, the sight or the smell, he covers up the body and slides the drawer shut. Weâve found all we need.
-----
Back in the waiting room, Jackson comes around the corner to find Lydia. He walks up to her while massaging his shoulder.
âDid he do it?â
Nodding, Jackson replies, âHe said itâs not a good habit to get into but one cortisone shot wonât kill me.â
âYou should get one right before the game too.â He gives her a concerned look. âWhat? The pros do it all the time. You want to be a little high school amateur?â Teasingly, she continues, âOr do you want to go pro?â
She pulls him into a kiss thatâs all tongue. As they walk off, Stiles watches with a jealous gaze from behind the pages of a hospital pamphlet.
-----
Walking back to the waiting room with Scott, I see Stiles holding up a pamphlet titled: All About Your Menstrual Cycle. Inconspicuous. Scott yanks it out of his hands, surprising him.
âThe scent was the same.â
âYouâre sure?â
Scott nods and starts off with the two of us following.
âSo he did bury the other half of the body on his property,â Stiles confirms.
âWhich means we have proof he killed the girl.â
âThen I say we use it.â
After watching the boys go back and forth I interject,
âScott, are you doing this because you want to stop Derek? Or because you want to play the game Saturday and he said you couldnât?â
âThere were bite marks on the legs. Bite marks. And if he knows about Allison now...â
âOkay. Then weâre going to need a shovel.â
We slam through the exit door and out into the night.
-----
Derekâs black Dodge Challenger roars out from the long driveway leading to the dilapidated house. In its wake, Stileâs Jeep slowly pulls forward.
Now carrying a shovel and pick, Scott and Stiles head for the house while I hold the flashlight. But Scott pauses, glancing around.
âSomethingâs different,â Scott says while glancing around.
âDifferent how?â
But Scott shakes his head. He looks back to the road, listening for any sounds.
âLetâs get this over with.â
Unnerved now as well, Stiles and I follow him around the house to the edge of the woods. Waving him over, Scott kicks at the dirt on the ground. Itâs loose, gravelly. They start digging. Piles of dirt landing on the grass nearby while I keep watch. They work fast, Scott pulling up his sleeves as sweat starts to drip down his forehead while the two start bickering.
âThis is taking too long,â Scott complains.
âJust keep going,â Stiles replies.
âWhat if he comes back?â
âThen we get the hell out of here."
âWhat if he catches us?â
âI have a plan for that.â
Now sitting down next to the hole theyâve dug, I interlude,
âAh yes, Stiles Stilinski with the genius plans.â
âOh shut up Y/Nâ
âWell, whatâs the plan then,â
âI run one way, you both run another. Whoever he catches first? Too bad.â
Scoffing, Scott says, âI hate that plan.â
They dig faster, harder. Muscles burning, Scott keeps throwing nervous glances to the driveway.
âStop, stop, stop!â Stiles shouts.
Dropping the shovel, Stiles clambers down into the hole. He feels around and finds a dark FABRIC in the dirt. Both of them now digging with their hands they finally uncover a black drawstring bag tied in tight knots. Stiles digs at the knot with his fingers.
âHurry,â Scott urges.
âIâm trying. Did he have to tie the thing in nine hundred knots?"
âIâll do it.â
Both of them claw at the drawstring, almost frantically trying to get the knot to come undone. And then finally it loosens. The black bag flutters open to reveal the body inside--
Except itâs not a dead girl. Itâs the body of a wolf. Stiles and Scott both holler, jumping back.
Poking the carcass with a stick, Stiles asks, âWhat the hell is that?â
âItâs a wolf.â
âI can see that. I thought you said you smelled blood? As in human blood?â
âI told you something was different.â
Scott pulls back the edge of the bag to get a better look. The remains of the wolf peer through, a tangle of legs and blood-crusted fur.
âThis doesnât make sense.â
Still looking around nervously, Scott urges, âWe gotta get out of here.â
While the boys talked, I had gotten up to look around the area. Suddenly I notice a purple flower in the ground. It sticks out of the dirt as if it had only recently been planted there.
âWait,â I call to them.
Looking up, Stiles sees what Iâm looking at.
âDo you see that flower?â
âWhat about it,â Scott wonders.
âI think itâs wolfsbane.â
âWolfsbane?â
I look back towards the duo as Scott has a confused look on his face.
âHavenât you ever seen The Wolf Man? Lon Chaney Jr.? Claude Rains? The original classic werewolf movie?â Stiles questions as Scott shakes his head. âYou are so unprepared for this.â
"Aconitum napellus, or Wolfsbane, is a common known weapon against werewolves. It's toxins can cause your heartrate to slow to a fatal amount," I explain.
Kneeling next to the flower, I gently feel around the stem. Pulling it up, itâs revealed that the flower has sprouted out of what appears to be a very thin but strong twine interlaced from its stem and root.
Jumping out of the hole, Scott and Stiles take several cautious steps back as I continue unearthing the purple-flowered rope. Soil falling around my shoes, I walks in circles around the grave.
As I continue, the Wolfsbane rope leads back to the grave in an almost perfect spiral. Finally, at about ten yards out, I finally reach the end of the rope. With a pile gathered into my arms, I turn back to the boys who are staring back at the grave.
At barely a whisper, Scott says, âLook...â
The rope slips out of my hands, falling at my feet as my eyes widen. The wolf is no longer a wolf. Itâs the upper half of the girl.
-----
Tag List: @linkpk88 @mochminnie @im-a-stranger-thing @that-winged-rat @avengersgirl1221 @everybirdfellsilent
#teen wolf#teen wolf rewrite#teen wolf pack#teen wolf x reader#scott mccall#scott mccall imagines#scott mccall x reader#teen wolf imagines#stiles stilinski x reader#stiles stilinski#stiles stilinski imagines#isaac lahey#isaac lahey x reader#derek hale#derek hale x reader#peter hale#malia hale#malia tate#lydia martin#jackson whittemore#ethan and aiden#allison argent#chris argent#erica reyes#vernon boyd#noah stilinski#kira yukimura#theo raken#x male reader#x nb reader
100 notes
¡
View notes
Note
Indruck 22 for the meet uglies?
Here you go! I went SFW on this one
youâre on a date with this awful, awful person who keeps getting under my skin because my friend and I have been eavesdropping all night and your date says something that makes me snap ⌠I thought it was a first date, not a three year relationship
â...such a waste of money. I mean, why spend all that to get something tacky on your skin?â
Indrid rolls his eyes at Barclay from across the counter of the Amnesty Lodge coffee shop, the cooks arms and hands sporting a plethora of tattoos rivaled only by Indridâs collection.
âI dunno, l like the one I got.â The other man--who seems to be on the worst first date of his life--shrugs.
âYou honestly think you and Juno couldnât have spent that money on something else in college?â
âI mean maybe but, uh, we were earnin our own cash, figured we got to decide what to spend it on.â
âHmmmmâ the first guy sips his coffee, âsounds like a typical excuse for someone who doesnât want to admit a mistake.â
âCâmon, that ainât fair-â
âUgh, stop saying ainât! I canât take someone who talks like that to meet my family.â Before the target of his disdain can respond, he snaps his fingers, âhey, buddy, can I get a refill or what?â
âThe station for black coffee refills is right there, sir.â Barclay indicates the very obvious corner of dispensers, his voice the kind of calm that Indrid knows means heâs memorizing this guys face to warn other staff about.
They earn a brief reprieve while The Asshole leaves the table. When he returns, heâs shaking his head.
âGod, have you looked at the photos theyâve got up? Who the fuck wants to look at bones?â
Indrid quickly glances at his friend to be sure heâs permitted to start a fight. Barclay nods.
âQuite a lot of people.â Indrid spins on his stool. âIâve sold a number of them just from the display here. So perhaps you could keep your rude, unclultured, close-minded, obnoxious mouth shut.â
The man balks, looks to his companion for help. He offers none, mouth trying to form words and only coming out with halves of ones (except for the âfucksâ which are plentiful).
âOh my fucking god, you agree with him! Thatâs it, Iâm out.â The Asshole pushes back from the table and storms out. The remaining man leaps up, panicked.
âFuck.â
âItâs okay man, shitty first dates happen to all of us.â Barclay offers from beside the bakery case.
âI mean yeah, they do, but that wasnât one of âem. That was my boyfriend of three fuckin years.â He dashes out of the shop, sparing a final glare at Indrid as he does.
Indrid trades a sheepish look with his friend, âOops.â
-------------------------------------------------
âIâm glad you finally get to meet Duck!â Aubrey grins over her shoulder as she and Indrid wind down the hall at the office Kepler magazine.
Founded by childhood friends, Kepler worked a combination of print and video content that saw its subscribers and revenue climb while other publications struggled to stay afloat. Aubrey was head of the video team, though she contributed content to the magazine in the form of interviews about environmental activists of color and sustainable gift guides.
Kepler has three sections: travel, science, and environmental writing. Indrid now has the honor of being one of their primary photographers. He started two weeks ago and is thoroughly enjoying his work and the company of the other staff. The only person heâs yet to meet is Duck Newton, one of the founders and main reporters, as he was off on an assignment.
Aubrey knocks, gets a friendly âcome inâ and ushers Indrid into the office.
Looking at him from behind the desk is The Assholeâs Boyfriend, whose face goes from open and friendly to confused, then to perturbed.
âYou okay?â
âI, uh, fuck, n-ye.â Duck sighs, âremember how I told you Alex and I split after a shitty date in a coffee shop?â He points at Indrid, âthis was the fella who, uh, expedited the process.â
âOhhhh.â Aubrey frowns, then shrugs with a smile, âwhelp, heâs our new photographer. Weâll see you around.â She hurries them outside once more, shutting the doors. As they head back the way they came, she whispers, âhis ex was a huge fucking dick, so if word gets out everyone is gonna think youâre a fucking hero.â
âHe didnât seem to see it that way.â
âIt was only a few weeks ago, so itâs still pretty fresh. Heâll heal from it okay, Duckâs a tough cookie. And Iâm sure you guysâll get along eventually.â
---------------------------------------
âJuno, please, you gotta come with me.â
âI would bud, except itâs April and Iâs fifth wedding anniversary that weekend. And no, we already have plans, so we canât just take over this assignment as part of the celebration.â
âFuckâ Duck leans back in his chair.
â...You really asked everyone?â
âYe-no, fuck-â
âDuck.â
âI ainât asked Indrid yet.â
âThere it is.â Juno smirks, âyou gotta ask; besides, we were gonna have him do illustrations for the feature, but photos would be even better. And we both know it ainât his fault yâall broke up.â
Duck nods, promises to ask Indrid after lunch. He finds the photographer flipping through his files from his shoot for next issues cover. His silver hair is pulled back, red glasses sitting on the desk beside him so he can gauge color correctly.
Duck kind of wants to pull the silver locks just to see what happens. Itâs not his fault Indrid looks like his Sophomore roommate who he had a raging crush on, only with more tattoos and a much more captivating face. Pity he helped fuck up Duckâs last chance at a stable relationship.
âHey, Indrid, you got a minute?â
The photographer cocks his head.
âI, uh, so we got a feature on this whole chunk of places touting themselves as âsustainable romantic getaways. I booked a bunch of places, but a lot of âem will turn me away if I turn up solo. And the person I was supposed to go with ainât an option any more. Neither is anyone else. You get my drift?â
Indrid pinches the bridge of his nose, âyou realize this is a terrible idea, yes?â
âHey, we been workin together just fine. Ainât we? Wait, fuck, I ainât been treatin you bad even when Iâm tryin to be professional, am I?â
âNo, youâve been perfectly polite. But thereâs a world of difference between being cordial in an office and going on whatâs functionally a vacation together.â
Duck crosses his arms, âI ainât about to lose eight hundred bucks in deposits.â
Indrid blinks, then chuckles, âFair. What day do we leave?â
-------------------------------------------------
The temperature rises and the air dries as they speed south on Five. Indrid fiddles with games on his phone as cover for the list of âwill this be a disaster or notâ heâs mentally constructing. So far the signs are positive; Duck isnât very chatty, but neither is Indrid. They have similar tastes in music, which makes much more sense when Duck explains he was a burn-out in high school. He also isnât agitated by Indrid stimming, which makes it easier for the photographer to relax and enjoy the drive.
But they havenât spoken about the elephant in the car, and Indrid resolves not to be the first to do so. No point in poking the sore spot if he doesnât have to.
They stop at a Sinclair for gas. Duck reaches into his glovebox for something as Indrid climbs out, comes away with a photo instead. Itâs one of those ones from a photobooth, faded but unmistakably him and his ex. His face falls for a second and Indrid scurries into the Dairy Queen attached to the convenience store.
As he waits in line, he turns one fact over in his mind like a picture heâs trying to make sense of; it would be easier to let their awkward first meeting go if he did not genuinely like the other man. Heâs charming, in a quiet way, and very friendly. Heâs built like the guys Indrid always got useless crushes on in college, usually third tier frat boys or--if he was lucky--a bear a few years older than him who liked his men on the odd side.
He doesnât like seeing Duck sad. The sadness isnât something he can fix. The stalemate between these two facts annoy the living hell out of him.
Heâs next in line, glances up to confirm what he wants, and gets an idea. Last week, he overheard Duck talking with Aubrey about roadtrip snacks of their youth.
âOne chocolate dipped cone, on me.â He holds the treat out to the other man.
âOh. Uh, thanks. These are my favorite from when I was a kid.â Duckâs smile returns.
âI remembered. Or, ah, that is, I remembered you saying that.â
The smile changes, âyou didnât need to.â
âI wanted to. Shall we?â
âYep. Uh, you gonna be able to drive and eat that at the same time?â
âDo not doubt my ability to consume ice cream under difficult circumstances, Duck Newton.â
They make it to their first stop unscathed. Itâs what Duck refers to as, âeco-bespoke,â a fancy spa and hotel built in a former school, the kind that was made in an era of beautiful instead of grim educational architecture.
âGoats!â Indrid claps his hands, delighted, at the two animals stabled near the main building. One of itâs supposed sustainable elements is the small farm that helps feed the on-site restaurant. Duck smirks and Indrid suddenly feels the gulf in their upbringings, âAh, I suppose theyâre not exciting to someone who grew up in a rural town.â
âNah, but theyâre damn cute.â Duck checks the tag on their room keys, âokay, weâre in the green building, room 2B.â
Indrid snaps some photos as they cross the grounds, more to remind himself of things he wants to come back to later than anything else. Heâs busy studying a strange mark on the wall by their door when Duck says, âI can sleep on the floor.â
âWhy--ohâ he stares at the single bed, âin retrospect, we should have seen this coming.â
âYeah.â Duck drops his bag near the closet, slides the door to look for spare linens. Indrid summons his courage, finds it lacking, and so bolsters it with nonchalance.
âItâs a king, we could easily share.â
âYouâd, uh, youâd be okay with that?â
âIt is only narrow definitions of masculinity that mean something like sharing a bed is inherently sexual.â
Heâs not entirely sure that made sense, but Duck nods, âYou want the right side or left?â
âRight, please.â
âGreat. And, uh, Indrid? Thanks for rollin with all this. I, uh, I know itâs fuckin weird but this is a huge feature for the magazine and we woulda been fucked if we had to pull it.â
Indrid gingerly sits on his side of the bed, âYouâre welcome. And I don;t know about you, butâ he smiles, catches Duck watching him intently in the mirror, âIâm enjoying myself so far.â
------------------------------------------------------
âWhy has an activity that renders one incapable of using their thighs been deemed âromantic?â Indrid mumbles, face-down on the bed to offer his burning legs relief.
âFuck if I know.â Duck groans as he sits next to him, âKinda fun, but if I was doin this to get you in bed, Iâd be fucked.â
âI am in bedâ Indrid teases.
âAnd if I tried to put the moves of you youâd toss me outta it. Assumin I could even move myself that close.â Duck nudges him, then clears his throat, âuh, I mean, not like weâd be doin that-â
âNono, point taken.â Indrid rolls over. The horseback ride was one of the âcouples exclusives;â a trot out to a beautiful oasis for a gourmet picnic. Indrid got some excellent shots, including one of Duck with honeycomb dripping down his chin, which he will not be offering up to editors but may keep for himself. For itâs beautiful composition, of course.
Mercifully, their next stop is the pool. Indrid settles himself in the hot tub while Duck types some notes on his phone. Then his friend doffs his bathrobe and Indrid may as well be in a dream. In the steaming, echoing paradise of multi-colored tile and ecstatic shouts, Duck stands like one of the angelic fountains at its heart has come to life.
âYou okay there, âDrid?â
âYes.â He hopes his lack of glasses means Duck will mistake his blatant staring for trying to get his vision in focus.
âThen scoot your cu--uh, your butt over so I can sit down.â
Indrid gladly moves aside, finds heâs so comfortable with Duck pressed against him that he begins nodding off in the warm lull of the water. When the other man nudges him, saying itâs time to go, he finds a strong arm draped over his shoulder and Duckâs smile the most relaxed itâs been all trip.
Their last task at this location is to locate the speakeasy somewhere on the premises and order the âlovers delightâ (only available to couples). To do so, they follow clues purple light bulbs, doors that lead to tiny, art-filled rooms, secret staircases, and a false supply closet to a dark wooded, dimly lit, incredibly pleasant bar looking out over the property. The drink turns out to be a massive goblet (more a bowl that someone stuck on a stem) of ginger syrup, prickly pear juice, and silver tequila.
It also turns out to be incredibly strong. So much so that when they get back to the room, Indrid loses his balance getting his shoes off, which makes Duck laugh, which results in both of them flopping onto the bed.
âSâfun. Youâre, youâre real good at the clues. Should, should go to an escape room when we get home.â
âWasnât, hic, that hard. They, they want, hic, want you to find it.â
âTake the compliment, goofusâ Duck pushes his shoulder.
âYouâre, hic, the goofus.â
âNuh uh.â Duck sticks his tongue out. Indrid does the same, then licks his cheek just to hear him laugh.
Duck rolls onto his back, giggles dying down to a contemplative sigh, âHe woulda hated this.â
âYour ex?â Indrid crawls to stay close to him.
âYeah. Everythin I like, or, or thought was fun, he thought it was a waste of time or just plain worthless. He, he wasnât like that at the start. Dunno what changed. Probably me. Probably got borin. Got worse.â
Indrid is not so drunk that he believes he can fix this. But heâs just drunk enough to stroke Duckâs cheek and murmur, âNo. Nono, hic, youâre thâbest.â
He doesnât remember falling asleep after that, but he must have, because his phone is beeping at them to get up and face the day. They do so with to-go coffees in one hand and their bags in the other, neither speaking of the night before until Indrid has turned the car into deeper desert.
âSorry for gettin on a thing about Alex last night.â
âIt was a three year relationship; goodness knows youâre allowed to have feelings about it.â
âEven relief?â
Indrid glances at him, âOf course.â
His friend leans back in his seat, sipping from his travel mug, âThatâs half the reason I been in such a funk. I feel like I oughta be sad, then I feel guilty for the fact Iâm relieved instead. But if I really was that unhappy in it, why did I hang around so long? Maybe that was the best I deserved, yâknow?â
âI know the feeling, yes, but I canât say I agree with your statement. You deserve someone who sees you for who you are and adores it, not someone who loved what you once were and became bitter when you grew.â
Duck looks at the console between them, at Indridâs chipped black nails and the hand he hopes isnât shaking. He squeezes it a moment longer than necessary, âThanks, âDrid. Itâs nice to hear that from someone whoâs still gettin to know me. Juno and them, theyâre my friends, I know theyâre in my corner but, uh, sometimes I worry that anyone new is gonna find me dull or somethin like that.â
âIâm sure some people would, just as some take one look at me and decide Iâm a weirdo who they donât want to deal with. But I can say with certainty that I donât find you that way.â
Duck grins all the way to their destination. Itâs a quirky trailer park full of amenities and built mostly from salvaged materials, doing itâs best to run off the grid. It also gives each trailer a theme, and Indrid flaps his hands when he sees theyâve been booked in the âThe Crampsâ themed one.
âHell yeah.â Duck mirrors his excitement as they open the door. Their haven from the desert sun is full of kitschy horror artifacts and a much smaller bed than the previous spot. Thereâs no debate this time; Indrid settles on the right, Duck on the left, and they settle in for a nap before venturing out to work.
They take in the bar, the arcade, the mini-golf course, and the âcouples supply roomâ (âdamn, didnât know they made eggnog scented massage oilâ âooh, I like how that smellsâ), but Duck turns out to be most excited to rent a stargazing kit and guide Indrid out into the dark desert. Theyâre on their backs, shoulder to shoulder and munching chocolate covered fruit, when he discovers the source of his glee.
âThere!â Duck points to a crackling streak of silver.
âA meteorâ Indrid wiggles happily as a second one speeds through his view.
âItâs the Perseids, and this is a damn good place to watch âem. Look, thereâs another one.â Heâs breathless each time and Indridâs heart threatens to beat hard enough to crack the earth at the sound.
âDid you ever wish on stars when you were little?â
âYep. Never asked for much worth notin, though Iâm pretty sure I wished once to just wake up and be a boy. Or, uh, guess for everyone to see me as one. What about you?â
âI wished...I wished for someone to do things like this with, some whoâd kiss me and tell me that they didnât need to wish because what they wanted was right here.. I love the world, I want to see so much of it, thatâs half the reason I chose my profession.. But when I was young I thought Iâd be with someone when I did. I thought it was easy to find that kind of love. To be worthy of it.â
âHey nowâ Duck rolls onto his side. Heâs backlit by the moon, meteors zipping behind him as if they, just like Indrid, are pulled to him, âwhat happened to all the stuff you said in the car about deservin someone who adores you?â
âItâs easy to apply such things to you, harder to believe them about myself.â
âHow come?â
âBecause you are everything a sensible person could want in a man and I am not.â
âThatâs where youâre wrongâ He sets a hand next to Indridâs shoulder, âCan think of at least one sensible fella who wants to get to know you a whole hell of a lot.â
âHeâll get to know me plenty, weâre co-workers.â
âThere are different kinds of gettin to know someone.â Duck dips down, brushes their noses together, âfor instance, the last few days Iâve gotten to know youâre a damn good travel companion and that Ned was smart to hire you. But Iâve also gotten to know thereâs some things about you I really wanna know.â
âSuch as?â Indridâs fingers find Duckâs sides.
âSuch as whether you wanna go on a date with me when we get back. No assignment, just the two of us gettin some time together.â
âI want nothing more.â He leans up to kiss him, feels him shudder happily when their lips meet. Indrid wonders how long itâs been since someone kissed Duck like they meant it, and resolves to make up any deficits with an enthusiasm that would put horny eighteen year olds to shame.
Indrid nips Ducks ear, âyou know, were it not for the threat of mosquitos and scorpions, Iâd suggest we make good use of the non-food items in that basket.â
Ducks grin lights Indrid up like a comet, âThen howsabout we go test just how conducive our trailer is to romance?â
Indrid kisses him adoringly, âLead on, sweetheart; Iâll follow you anywhere.â
29 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Skyline Manor by GleefullyCaptainSwan Chapter 8/13
Read on AO3: | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8
Or on FF
Stacy's Tortured Crew: @teamhook @kmomof4 @stahlop @lfh1226-linda @ilovemesomekillianjones @itsfabianadocarmo @mariakov81 @qualitycoffeethings @zaharadessert @jrob64 @jonesfandomfanatic @natascha-ronin @tiganasummertree @xarandomdreamx @therooksshiningknight @batana54 @superchocovian @onceratheart18 @ultraluckycatnd @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @the-darkdragonfly @xsajx @deckerstarblanche
Chapter 8: Overstepping Lines
Henry sat at the dinner table at his dadâs place, stabbing his fork at the hardened piece of meat on his plate.
âNot hungry, kid?â
He looked up and shrugged, âNot really.â
âHow did that reading fair go at your school?â
âReally good. Mom and Killian both came which was neat.â
âThat guy from your apartment.â He snorted. âAlready moved on to a new one, huh?â
âKillian is my friend. I invited him.â
âYou just invited an adult to your school thing? You know you really need to learn to play with kids your own age. Your mom lets you spend too much time with William as it is.â
âI have friends, dad. But the apartment is like family.â
âYeah so Iâve been told.â He grumbled. âYou know I was thinking about talking to your mom about you staying here a bit more often.â Henry dropped his fork on his plate.
âWhat? Why?â
âDonât you want to spend more time with me?â
Henry rested his head in his hands, a pout forming on his face. âHow will you have time with all your business trips?â
âHey buddy, I told you that was an important trip.â
âYeah, I know. I remember. Can I be excused? Iâm not feeling very well.â
Henry got up from the table and retreated to the small room at the end of the hall that was filled with boxes and a small mattress on the floor that he slept on when he visited. It wasnât that he didnât want to spend time with his dad, but when he was here, his dad just didnât seem all that interested in knowing anything about him. He seemed to only want to have him around when his guests came for a visit. All the women that his dad brought home seemed really impressed that Neal was taking care of a kid.
He opened his book, pulling the pencil from the spot he had left off and thought about the next part of his story.
Henry watched as the Captain led his mother toward the small house on the end of town. They knocked on the door and waited but no one seemed to be home. Captain Jones disappeared around the back of the home, looking for a way inside.
Henry leaned against the tree, his thoughts swirling about the information he had learned. His father was alive. This Swan Thief man that he had heard about, his photos plastered around the town with the wanted posters offering a reward. How could this man be his father? How could his mother have been with a man who was currently wanted dead or alive?
His thoughts were interrupted by a rustling sound, and he turned quickly to see someone dashing behind him.
âHello son.â
The man stood in front of him, his hands held out as if he were to welcome him with a hug.
âWho are you?â
âI just told ya kid. Iâm your father. Iâm Baelfire. Your mother has kept you from me for so long. But not anymore. Iâve come to find you.â
Henry stepped back. âStay away from me. Youâre not a good man.â
âItâs all hearsay boy. You can trust me.â
Henry turned toward the house just outside the tree line, opened his mouth to warn his mother, when everything around him went black.
Emma waited impatiently on the doorstep for the Captain to get into the house. She tapped her foot anxiously.
âNo one is home.â The door opened and Captain Jones appeared in the door frame, a smug look on his face.
Emma pushed past him into the home, yanking the rug from the floor and pulling on the hidden door hidden below. âHe got into the castle through here.â
They heard a noise down below and looked up at each other. âDid you hear that?â
He pushed past her, descending into the darkness as Emma followed him down the ladder. âOver here Swan.â
She followed the voice toward a small flicker of a flame. When she reached the light, she saw Leroy, his mouth gagged, his hands tied, as the Captain pulled on the rag holding his mouth.
âPrincess, itâs Baelfire. Heâs back.â
Emma looked up at the Captain and panic set in. Where was her son? âHenry.â She spoke quickly running back to the ladder and climbing with haste. She ran out of the small house, searching the trees for her son. âHenry.â She hollered but no sound came back. Frantically she ran to the back of the house, but the boy was gone.
Captain Jones was at her side in a moment, and she reached out, grabbing his lapel and she screamed angrily into his face. âHenryâs gone. Baelfire has my son.â
~*~
âA toast to being beautiful and single.â Ruby announced as she held her shot glass above her head. âMen suck.â
Emma giggled, clinking her glass against her friends then tilted it into her mouth, swallowing the warm liquid with a quick cough.
âNot all men, ya bloody drunk gits.â Will complained before downing his shot.
âNot you, youâre all soft and sweet.â Emma pinched his cheek. âAnd squishy.â She squeezed and he pushed her hand away from his face.
âI am not.â
âYou so are.â Ruby cooed across from him.
âOk enough of this nonsense. You were only with the bloke for two weeks.â
âThatâs longer than I lasted with Jerry.â She pouted.
âI wouldnât broadcast that across the room.â He said, rolling his eyes. âMaybe you should stop dating random men in bars, try a coffee shop, they are at least committed to their coffee order. Maybe it will last longer.â
âPoo what do you know, you havenât dated in ages.â
âYeah Will, we havenât seen you with a woman since Ana.â
âJust waitinâ for the right one.â He said with a glint in his eyes.
âAnd does she have a name?â Emma inquired, her head feeling a bit like it was starting to spin..
âAll women have names, Em.â
âDoes this one have a specific name?â Ruby demanded.
âWould you both bloody get off my back? Thereâs no woman, not exactly.â He grabbed his beer and drank it quickly.
âFine, keep your secrets.â Emma whined.
âYou want to talk about secrets, whatâs going on with you and Graham?â
It was Emmaâs turn to grab her drink, gulping it as her friends stared at her expectantly. âThereâs nothing to tell.â She said, slamming her drink down on the table. âHeâs been busy lately with the old people and his Segway lessons.â
âWait, heâs actually learning how to ride a Segway?â Will burst into laughter. âHe really does want to be Paul Blart.â
âStop, heâs trying to get a job downtown as a security guard at Faneuil Hall. They ride Segwayâs and he wants to learn before he applies.â
âSo sexy.â Ruby cackled.
âI can just imagine you both coming down the aisle on your Segwayâs.â Will choked as he laughed loudly.
âI hate you both.â She pouted, ordering another round.
âYou know what I wouldnât mind? Taking a ride on that sexy ass bike of Killianâs.â Ruby practically purred as she spoke.
Images sprung to mind in Emmaâs head, the dark bike glistening in the moonlight, her head thrown back, her legs wrapped around his waist as he brought her hips down against him, his cock buried inside of her.
âTotally hot.â She mumbled under her breath.
âSee even the Princess agrees with me, Killian Jones is hot as hell.â
âWhat?â Her head jerked up toward her friends.
âYou said it, totally hot. Iâm just agreeing with you.â
âI didnât say that.â She protested.
âI heard the words too, totally bloody hot.â Will teased. âDid I tell you that she practically took her shirt off before inviting him to the barbeque.â
Emma kicked him under the table. âI did not. I had a clothing mishap.â
âOh, do tell.â Ruby giggled.
âHalf her shirt was unbuttoned; her tits were out on a stroll of their own.â
âStop it! That is not what happened.â
âThat must be why heâs always got his tongue out of his mouth when Emma bends over.â
Emma spun toward Will. âHe does no such thing. He has a girlfriend.â
âWhatever.â Will said sourly, finishing his beer. âIâm knackered. Letâs get a cab and get the hell out of here before Emma falls out of her chair.â
âIâm perfectly fine.â She laughed, slipping, and nearly tumbling from her tall stool as she tried to step down. âOr not.â She cackled, grabbing onto Willâs shoulder.
The taxi ride home was filled with laughter and joking from her friends, Emma content to stare out the window, trying with everything she could not to think about her sexy hot neighbor and his bike. Or his stupid hair that she imagined running her fingers through. Or his stupid jeans that fit him so nicely. Definitely not his mouth. She was not at all thinking about his mouth.
By the time she stumbled out of the elevator, her body was on fire with need. She hugged Will before he closed his door and walked arm and arm with Ruby to her door.
âThank you for escorting me, you beautiful woman.â Ruby tilted in her heels, reaching out and grabbing the wall with a loud laugh. âGet some sleep.â
âNight Rubes. Happy being single again day.â She blew her friend a kiss as the door closed.
She looked across the hall at Killianâs door. âGood night you sexy beast.â She growled at the door, kicking off her shoes and carrying them to her apartment. She shoved her key into the apartment and pushed. The door didnât budge. âDammit.â She kicked the door, then dropped her shoes on the floor.
Turning back down the hall, she grabbed ahold of the wall and slid down toward the door that had been calling her to it for the last five minutes. Lifting her hand, she knocked and waited. Looking at her watch she realized it was 1am. Suddenly it dawned on her that he could be in bed with Belle. She backed away just as the door swung open.
âSwan?â
âHey you, motorcycle man.â She slurred.
âEmma, are you quite alright?â
âIâm doing great. Are you in bed?â
He chuckled. âNot currently, no, but I was pretty content there a minute ago.â
She looked at the robe wrapped around his waist and hummed, reaching out to tug at the fabric. âDo you sleep naked, Jones?â
He smirked. âAre you drunk, love?â
âMe? Of course Iâm drunk. Why wouldnât I be drunk? Arenât you drunk?â There was movement behind him, and a dog pounced into view.
Emma squealed, âHello little guy.â Emma ducked under Killianâs arm, wandering into the dark apartment, and reaching out for the dog who was jumping around her feet.
âWhy donât you come in.â He sighed, shutting the door behind him.
âI couldnât get my door to open, so I thought Iâd come to yours.â
âAnd why would you do that? Will is right across the hall.â
âI know, I was drinking with him tonight. Iâm drunk.â She giggled, reaching out and running her hand along the silk of his robe.
âI can see that. Shall I try and get your door open for you?â
Before he could move, she grabbed him by the robe. âWhatâs your rush, Jones?â
âEmmaâŚâ He said, with a warning tone.
âWhat?â She teased her fingers across his chest, watching his jaw tense as her palm flattened against his flesh.
âYouâre drunk and I donât think this is a good idea.â
âYou donât even know what I want yet.â He looked down between them, her fingers curling the hair on his chest between them.
âLet me just put on some pants and Iâll help you get in your apartment.â He protested.
âIs the Pirate scared of the Princess?â She said with a dark look in her eyes. Pressing her body up against his, the hard appendage currently pressed into her hip telling her that he was affected by her presence as much as she was by his. Her fingers ran across his chest, slipping further down to his abdomen, firm against her palm.
When she looked up and met his eyes, the same want and desire burned in his, she gasped as his mouth dropped to hers, the force of it knocking her back against the wall as he pressed into her. Her entire body caught fire as his hands knotted in her hair, his tongue sweeping across her lips before thrusting into her mouth. Gone was the timid kiss they had shared in her apartment. This was wanton and desperate and full of everything Emma had been missing in her life.
Instinctively her leg wrapped around his waist, pulling him against her, her hands roaming his chest, sliding against his neck, digging into that hair she had dreamt so much about. She groaned appreciatively as his hands explored her hip, slipping under her shirt until she felt his hand on her breast, warm against the fabric of her bra.
Just as suddenly as it had begun, his warmth withdrew from her as he moved away. âEmma, we have to stop. This is wrong.â She stepped forward, reaching for his neck, needing to feel his mouth on hers again. âYouâve been drinking, you donât want this.â
Suddenly she was angry, how dare he tell her what she wants or doesnât want. âI want you.â She growled. âTell me you donât want me.â
He shook his head. âI canât. Graham. We canât.â He breathed out heavily.
âGod, of course you have to be a goddamn gentleman all the time.â She turned and yanked the door open, tearing down the hall.
âEmma.â He followed her into the hall, chasing after her as he held his robe shut. âWould you get back here?â
âLeave me alone.â She jiggled on the door, willing it to open, practically begging for the damn thing to budge. He reached around her, turning the key, and pushing the door open. She stormed into her apartment turning around to face him.
âEmmaâŚâ He said softly.
âYou know just because I have sex with you in my head every goddamn night doesnât give you the right to live there.â
He stepped back in the hall, âYouâre pissed at me because you have dreams about having sex with me and somehow this is my fault?â
âOf course, it is, you and your goddamn hair and that stupid bike.â She yelled.
He shook his head. âGo sleep it off, sweetheart.â
âGo fuck yourself.â She glared.
âGladly.â He stormed off toward his apartment and Emma stuck her head into the hall.
âEnjoy your hand.â She yelled, slamming her door shut and wandering through her house to fall into bed. She curled up around her pillow and let sleep take her away.
~*~
Killian tossed and turned the rest of the night. The feel of Emmaâs body burning on his skin. He should have stopped himself from touching the bloody woman at all. But the way she was looking at him, the pure desire in her eyes, he wanted her. Bloody hell he wanted the woman.
But he couldnât be with a woman who was involved with another man. He wouldnât do that again. He couldnât be that man again. He wasnât perfect, he had been with many women since leaving Milah, but they had all been free agents, unattached, and available to be with as he pleased. He did no harm, and he left no baggage.
When he woke in the morning, he didnât feel any better than he had hours before. His head hurt and his body was still needing release from the frustration of having Emma in his arms. He wasnât sure what he was going to say to the woman when he saw her, he couldnât afford for things to break down between them. There was the matter of Henry, after all.
Killian suddenly felt an odd sensation, worrying about another manâs child. It wasnât like they were sharing custody of the boy. He was his neighbor for goodness sake. That was all.
He got out of bed and ran a cold and bracing shower to take care of the situation at hand. He would worry about Emma once his brain could think again.
The cold water ran down his body causing bumps to form along his skin. He shivered, shaking his head as water splashed against the walls. When he could take the sensation no more, he turned off the water and toweled off, dressing quickly before heading to the kitchen to make breakfast.
Before he could start the stove there was a knock on his door. When he opened the door, Emma was standing in the door frame, bracing herself against the wood, dark glasses on her face.
âJones.â She said, her voice throaty and tired. âCan we talk?â
He stifled a laugh as he let her into his apartment. She looked wrecked and completely miserable, and the sight was almost comical. âAnd how is the little lush feeling this morning?â
âDonât make this more difficult than it already is. I donât remember a lot of what went down last night, but Iâm pretty sure I was way out of line.â
Killian stared at the woman, examining her body language. âAye. Lines were stepped over.â
âI just wanted to apologize and say that it wonât happen again. I had a really long week, Ruby just got dumped, we were celebrating, and I think I might have had a bit too much to drink.â
âDid you figure that out from the blinding headache, orâŚâ
âProbably more to do with the keys I left in the door last night, as well as the fact I found my shoes in the freezer this morning.â
He couldnât hold in his laughter any longer. âCanât hold your liquor, Swan.â
âEnough. I just came to apologize, not be teased.â
âWell, no harm done.â He bowed.
âSo, weâre good here?â He nodded and she walked to the door. âAlright then. Sorry again.â
âSo, you really donât remember anything?â He queried.
Her sun glassed eyes met his. âNope.â
âWell, then I guess I hope you feel better.â He mused, watching her retreat down the hall, wondering how much of what she said was the truth, while ignoring his desire to carry her to his couch, make her breakfast, and tend to her in any manner she truly desired.
~*~
Emma made her way back to her apartment, her head resting against the door as soon as she shut it. She peeled the glasses off her face, groaning as the room continued to spin, blue eyes staring into her, his hands touching her everywhere until his mouth was on hers. She remembered everything, every kiss, every touch, every desire she had for the man. The only thing she wished for was that she could forget.
#skyline manor#stacy's fics#killian jones#emma swan#captain swan fics#captain swan au#captain swan modern au#captain swan
19 notes
¡
View notes
Text
What We Deserve Chapter 3
Pairing: Alpha!Dean x Omega!Reader
Word count: 1506
Warnings: Angry/Depressed Dean
âRise and shine, Sammy!â
Dean? Sam squinted slowly peeling his eyelids open. Dean was up awfully early for school. It wasnât like him, unless...Â
âAny word from Dad?â Sam yawned.
Dean smirked while tying his shoes on his mattress. Sam was always observant. Perks of being a hunter.
âHe called this morning, said he doesnât know yet. Could be a few hours, could be another week. We werenât supposed to be here this long.â
Sam sat up stretching in arms above his head. âAt least you've got Amanda. Sheâs cool.â
Sam didnât really know Amanda. She was a senior and popular. Barry made sure to tell Sam he thought Dean was cool when he saw them sneaking out of the janitorâs closet one time.
Dean groaned, âDude, she wants me to meet her parents. I don't do parents.â
Sam snorted.
âBesides, you have Y/N and whatâs his name? The kid with the glasses.â
âBarry,â Sam rolled his eyes seeing the empty bed beside him. âWhereâs Y/N anyway?â
Throwing his brown leather jacket over his shoulder Dean replied, âI drove her home this morning so she can get ready for school.â
Sam nodded in approval. Sure Dean complained out loud about Sam and Y/N always hanging out in the motel but he always took care of them.Â
âCareful Dean, you might actually convince everyone youâre a good guy.â Sam joked.
Dean didnât find the joke humorous though. Sam realized that when a pillow hit him in the face.
âGet ready.â Dean growled.
Deanâs left hand came up to rest on his latest conquestâs cheek deepening their kiss. The brunetteâs right hand trailed down Dean's chest. The omega jumped, grasping Deanâs wrist as someone knocked at the door.
Dean pulled away calling out to the janitor on the other side of the door, âFive more minutes, Jerry.â before bringing the omega in for another kiss.
It wasnât his first time making out in the janitorâs closet. Dean had been to different schools, in different places, with different girls. Truman High was no exception. Usually he met Amanda, a blonde senior beta in the closet but ever since he turned alpha he started to crave the touch and smell of a sweet omega.
The door creaked open behind Dean letting light flood the small closet. The young alpha released the omega and spun around, his eyes wide at the sight of Amanda standing in the doorway.
âAmanda, hey!â
The brunetteâs eyes peaked at Amanda before returning to Dean. She knew Dean and Amanda had a thing but he was an alpha now. Amandaâs eyes searched Deanâs for an explanation after she caught the omegas brown eyes staring at her.
Dean turned to the omega asking âUh, Gettysburg address, 1863, right?â He then turned to Amanda who simply blinked back at him, her arms crossed over her chest.
The omega pulled her lips into a thin line. This was awkward. Shoving her hands in the back of her jeans pockets she bowed her head not daring to look at Amanda nor Dean as she exited the closet.
âHistory test next period. We're studying.â Dean weakly replied.
Amanda shook her head and spun on her heel. Dean frowned following Amanda out into the hall.Â
âCome on, baby. She means nothing to me. Don't be mad.â
Amanda spun around, her friends sauntering down the hall stopping behind her to watch the scene unfold.
âI'm not mad, Dean. I thought maybe... underneath your whole "I could give a crap," alpha bad-boy thing, that there was something more going on.â Dean stared at Amanda in disbelief. He expected her to yell at him, hit him, to do something out of anger. âI mean, like the way you are with your brother.â She shrugged, âBut I was wrong. And you spend so much time trying to convince people that you're cool, but it's just an act. We both know that you're just a sad... lonely little kid. And I feel sorry for you, Dean.â
Deanâs gaze dropped briefly. He could see Amandaâs friends behind her whispering. People in the hall watching. He knew he was a sad lonely little kid. Despite the betaâs calm demeanor, her words cut him like a hot knife through butter. Maybe making out with the omega in the janitorâs closet was a cry for help. Sure as a teen alpha male his sex drive was high but he was also hot-headed and angry. He was looking for a reaction from someone, anyone.
Hurt and infuriated, Deanâs voice became cold. âYou feel sorry for me, huh? Don't feel sorry for me.â Amanda scoffed, turning on her heel to join her friends. âYou don't know anything about me. I save lives. I'm a hero.â Dean watched her blonde hair bounce with every step she took away from him. She was leaving. It was a stab to the heart much like her words, but isnât that what he wanted? âA hero!â
The betaâs friends inspected Dean from head to toe scoffing.
âWhat?â
The three females raised their eyebrows at Dean pressing their lips into a thin line. He knew he saved lives, he didnât need their approval. Any other day Dean wouldnât have said anything. He would have kept his mouth shut about the family business like his dad insisted. Any other day but today. As the women walked away from Dean he noticed a few people lingering in the hall.
âWhat?!â
Sam shuffled down the crowded hallway, both hands clutching the steps of his book bag on his back. Between the mass Samâs hazel eyes met Y/Nâs Y/E/C. She waved Sam down and without missing a beat Sam pushed through the crowd to meet Y/N halfway.Â
âGood job buddyâ an upperclassman called out. âSam, great job with Dirk the jerkâ another shouted as he slapped Samâs hand. He could see Y/N high fiving a couple people from the other end of the hall and the corners of Samâs mouth twitched upward. Sam wasnât used to all of the attention. He finally felt normal, he didnât feel like a freak.Â
Watching from the middle of the hallway Dean wanted to praise Y/N and Sam. To Dean, Y/N always seemed to fit in yet she chose to hang out with Sam and himself on occasions. He imagined this would be her life when they moved on from this town. Itâs better to be popular in high school anyway. Itâs for the best. They would be gone and she would be taken care of.
Sam was a different story. Dean was proud watching Sam fit in and he could see Sam getting out of this life, going to college, living the white picket fence life. Despite his happiness for his little brother, he still felt consumed by his rage, he felt like he was drowning. His life was crumbling around him and he couldnât wait to get away from it all.
Walking through the hall, hands in his leather jacket Dean felt his phone vibrate. Glancing at the caller even though he knew only one person called his phone.
âDad?â The hunt was over and John was on his way. Goodbye Truman. Dean was getting a chance to start over, to climb out of the hole he had been digging himself in. Dean sighed in relief, âFinally.â
Sam sat on the wall by the steps as Dean paced back and forth in front of the school.
âHowâd Y/N take the news?â Dean asked?
Sam shrugged.
Y/N knew Sam and Dean were passing through town, they werenât staying long. At least they werenât supposed to. As days turned into weeks and weeks into months Y/N formed expectations in her head. She thought they would at least end the year together. She would get to sit next to Sam and cheer on with him as they watched Dean graduate. She thought they would spend the summer together, they would find a place to live permanently, Dean would go off to college and her and Sam would walk through Truman Highâs doors once again next year.
Dean stopped pacing his hands in fists in his jackets pockets. âI can't wait to get the hell out of here. This place sucks.â
A horn followed by the unmistakable rumble of the 67 Chevy impala had Dean spinning around. As the sleek black car rolled to a stop Dean practically sprinted to the car. When he noticed Sam not following he called over his shoulder not stopping, âCome on, Sam.â
Sam huffed moving for the first time since he sat on the wall. He slung his backpack over his shoulder making his way to the impala. Glancing up at the window Barry waved weakly to Sam with a frown on his face. Sam smiled in return before climbing in the back of the impala. He would always think of Y/N, Barry, his teacher Mr. Wyatt and his time at Truman fondly, a time when he was normal.
Taglist: @vicmc624â @sesamepancakesâ
#alpha!dean x omega!reader#dean x reader#dean winchester x reader#alpha!dean#alpha!sam#dean winchester#sam winchester
71 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Frantic -- Matthew Tkachuk (Pt.1)
a/n: Iâve spent the past 48 hours reading fanfiction for this man, it is time I write something
Summary: Growing up around the game y/n has met too many hockey players to name but one of her brothers old team mates always held a special place in her mind. Running into Matthew wasnât what she had in mind but maybe it was a good thing.
Word Count: 1.5K
Warnings: age gap
---------------------------------------------
Frantic was the only way to describe you on this cold February morning. Overtired from a frustrating night of painting, annoyed at your roommate and already stressed about tonight's game. As you manover your body through the streets of Toronto the air was almost too cold to handle. Not remembering a jacket or boots, it was just you, your coveralls over an old sweater and beat up vans dredging through the snow to the coffee shop around the corner. Your head was throbbing as you were walking but the streets were quiet for 7am and that was the only thing you appreciate about the day so far.
âStupid pregame rituals, stupid Nick, stupid Emily reminding me I made a promise.â You grumbling as you throw yourself into the store, shuffling to the side knowing your mobile order would be up soon. Closing your eyes you bring your hands up to your face to relieve some of the from tension from your eyes  you're met with the cold feeling of wet paint on your skin. This morning just kept getting better.
âMobile order for Y/N!â The barista yells, snapping you out of your bitter attitude. You say a soft thank you as you turn on your heels, suddenly being met with the hard chest of the man standing behind you. As you pull away your face drops as you see blobs of black and blue paint where your face hit is white hoodie.
âOh my god! I am so so sorry. Game day turns me into a mess, at least let me--â He cuts you off before you offer to pay for his drink. Looking up, youâre thrown off when you meet his eye. You havenât seen Matthew in probably four years. Heâs filled out, the curls on his head suit him and his blue eyes are still the same. A blush creeps over your cheeks of as memories of watching him practice and endless team dinners filled your mind. You wonder if he recognizes you but his words confirm that you are in fact a stranger to him.
His first statement is extreamly blunt for how early it is âYouâre too much of a mess to work for either organization.âÂ
You were a little thrown off. He scans you up and down before he continues. âGuessing by how young you look youâre probably a girlfriend soâŚâ He drags the o-sound out for far too long making you giggle slightly then he keeps going âWhich leaf will be paying for my hoodie in punches tonight?â His face twists into a wicked smile as he waits for a response.
Taking a deep breath you reply. âTechnically, Nick Robertson⌠BUT Iâm not his girlfriend nor is it his fault that your clothes are ruined. Plus I think my roommate would prefer I wasnât the reason her boyfriend loses some of his teeth.â You voice trailed off near the end because the thought of that happening made your head hurt even more.
He stands there as you watch the gears turn in his head. In a moment of quick thinking you blurt out, âIâm a flames fan! If that makes this situation better.â Smiling slightly as he rolls his eyes.
Quietly he says, âFine, Iâll let it slide⌠but I better see you in the stands in red tonight sweetheart.â He flashes you a wink as he reaches past you to grab his coffee and he quickly leaves you standing in the empty shop once again.
Dumbfounded, your phone begins to buzz in your pocket seeing your moms name flash across your screen. You groan internally and talk to her the whole walk back to the apartment as you replay your meeting with Matt.
-------------------
âY/N are you ready yet!! Weâre going to be late!â Emily screams from the living room as she adjusts her beanie for the millionth time and looks at Nickâs last in the mirror with a goofy smile.
You were standing in your room with two jerseys staring back at you. You couldnât make up your mind between the blue and white #16 and the red and black #19. You knew the consequences of both choices and decide you could deal with Tkachukâs bad attitude. Slipping the leaf jersey over your shoulders it swallows you whole but the hoodie you have on underneath makes up for that a bit. You pull on a black Nike ballcap, grab your bag and meet Emily in the living room. As she goes to ask you what the hell you are wearing you just shake your head and start for the door.
The guys are doing their big entrance into the arena as you and Emily make your way to your seats next to the penalty box. Sheâs scolding you the whole time about missing warmups and how sheâll be getting an earful from Nick later about being late. You zone out as you scan the ice for Matt. Unfortunately, he finds you before you can find him and a frown is glued to his face. Like you decided earlier, you will deal with him later.
The game was actually pretty good with the Flames winning in overtime. Matt shooting you dirty looks every time he was sent to the box which kinda made you laugh. Standing in the family and friends area, Nick is one of the first out, pulling Em aside to ask where you guys were and probably looking for support after the game. Leaving you fend for yourself. A few minutes pass and Matty is out now along with a few other leaf players who were hanging close by, you instantly catch his eye. Making his way over to you he puts his hand over your head and uses two fingers to lift your chin so you meet his eye.
âI thought I asked you to wear red tonight princess, youâre breaking my poor little heart.â He slides his tongue over his bottom lip, cocky grin never faltering.
Returning his energy you push up on your toes as you breathe on his neck âYou havenât seen what Iâm wearing underneath this yet, handsome.â Â
Surprise covers his face and quickly turns into lust again. Before he can say anything you duck under his arm, running full force towards Mitch as he approaches. Opening his arms for a hug, you hurl yourself at him and he spins you around. As Matthew watches, jealousy burns in his chest as he approaches you to chirp Marner.
Before he has a chance to bite, Mitch starts laughing.
âI canât believe you actually wore it, must been torture for you.â He ruffles your hair and you scoff at his antics.
âI swear you told her about the bet just so you could watch me in pain.â Your smile was so radiant as you laughed Matthew couldnât help but smile too.
âI swear I didnât! I just knew mom would want to know how your midterm piece went more than how I was feeling about a game.â Matthew was a few feet away still pretending to play on his phone as he listened to the two of you so he wasnât sure if he heard Mitch right.
âMatty! I didnât see you there, bring it in buddy!â Mitch called him over, bringing him into a tight hug. You stood there awkwardly watching the two old friends catch up when Mitch finally remembers youâre there.
âOh hey, you remember my little sister Y/N from when you lived in London right.â The second the words left your brother's mouth, a look of horror crosses Matthewâs face. The last time he had seen you, you were fourteen years old. The Y/N he remembered was quiet and collected. Always had her head buried in a book at games and never really gave the boys the time of day because you were never interested in hockey when you were a young girl. But now you stood before him, a woman. You had dyed your hair, lost your baby face, got glasses and your style had done a 180. Standing in front of the two of you now, he didnât realize how he couldâve missed the obvious resemblance between you and your brother.
Shyly you smile and say âItâs nice to see you again, Matthew.â
Still in shock he nods and says. âStill the same mini marnie for sure.â
After a bit more chatting Mitch decides itâs time for you guys to get dinner so you part Matthew with heartfelt goodbyes and âuntil we see each other againâ.
Once you guys leave Matthew stays in place ordering himself an uber, thinking about what just happened. He feels a slight tap on his shoulder. Turing meets a not too happy Auston and he knows heâs in trouble. Going to apologize for stealing Austons stick heâs met with a very different topic.
âIâm just letting you know that Jake and I heard what you said to Y/N earlier and I want to remind you that sheâs like a sister to all of us so you better watch yourself Tkachuk.â Matthew says nothing and simply nods because chirping Aus was dangerous territory especially when it involved family.
You were back at Mitcheâs apartment after dinner to spend some time together. Or so he says, you knew he was just lonely because Steph was out of town. When he gets up to call her in between episodes of Brooklyn Nine Nine it  gives you a chance to check your phone. There were a few tags on instagram and a handful of snapchats youâd answer in the morning but one notification stood out against the rest.
Follower Request: matthew_tkachuk
Part Two
#matthew tkachuk#matty tkachuk#matthew tkachuk imagine#calgary flames#flames imagine#nhl#nhl imagine#hockey#mitch marner#nick robertson#toronto maple leafs#auston matthews
234 notes
¡
View notes
Text
Thinking about actor availability, and how that affects my perception of Jess and how strongly I feel about shipping Literati.
Really thought this would only be a few paragraphs going over the points where Jess could have disappeared never to be seen again, but it turned into a freaking essay so LONG POST warning if you decide to click ahead.Â
If the last we saw of Jess was hanging up the phone in the season 3 finale: "Well, it was fun ride while it lasted. That's about how I thought this would end." Still have a lot empathy for this kid and wish him well, but you screwed with Rory's heart like I knew would happen. Was that intentional? No. But he was so immature, out of control with his emotions, zero communication skills, not trusting in others...the list of reasons why he wasn't ready for a serious relationship, even if the feelings were serious, goes on. There was no way Rory wasn't going to end up as collateral damage in his personal breakdown that I could feel was going to happen. And this is the thought I had as a teenager with no dating experience watching this show for the first time. Did I want to date him? Hell no! I could see that trainwreck from a mile away. Rory was naĂŻve to put her heart in his trust but that's part of her good qualities - she's sees the best in people and champions for them. I could go on a tangent about why exactly Jess was such an important character to me when I first watched the show (and probably why he stuck around unconsciously until I decided on a whim to rewatch GG in lockdown) but...I don't know, maybe some other time.
In the context of the entire show, I would look back at the relationship as my favorite one to watch of Rory's in the series (The build-up! The connection! Their deep belief in and respect for each other! The angst!) and Jess being a really fun character to root for (and yell at) but endgame? It was a short lived but important relationship. Itâs fun to think about what ifs and how circumstances could have changed to make it work, but we can move on.
The ill-fated spin-off: I have no idea what this show would have been about except focusing on Jess and Jimmy and Iâm not about to theorize. I still like Jess at this point so it would probably make me like him more since weâre getting a deeper dive into his character, but in regard to shipping him with Rory, this opinion would not change unless he all of sudden showed some great maturity. But I doubt this show would have even gotten a whole season so that probably wouldnât happen. And then heâs living in CaliforniaâŚthis is too much, moving on.
If the last we see of Jess is in season 4: About the same feeling as above. Life, as expected, has not been treating Jess well. At all. His jadedness and hostility is at an all-time high when he shows up to get his car. Do I see the reasons informing his behavior and have empathy (once again, for a KID)? Yes, but he's also being a jerk. "The years don't seem to have hardened you." Well this year sure has!
I love the "I love you" scene but too little too late, buddy. That's probably why I love it, it's all a bit hopeless. Just keep shoveling the angst at me. I do like fics where this scene is reimagined with Rory running after him to give him a piece of her mind or Jess finding some other words to say (I really feel like he had more to say there but got overwhelmed), and coming to a tentative reconciliation: exchanging numbers, "don't fall off the face of the earth," but getting back together? No. You hurt her and you're feeling the consequences. Rory is not obligated or responsible to reciprocate those feelings, nor is she in a place to do that right now.Â
But season 4 does cement that Luke and Jess's relationship is one of my favorites in the entire show. There's probably a whole other post in me regarding that so I'll keep it brief. Because of his respect for Luke, Jess makes tentative steps towards maturing in interpersonal relationships. He shows some vulnerability and honesty with a veil of sarcasm and awkwardness because, well, it's JESS.
But then of course this all goes to hell when applied to Rory. Sometimes I like to think how this dorm scene would have gone down if Rory stepped back for a second and went, "Hold on. You're not making any sense, chill out," and they could have talked a bit and had a similar reconciliation like I said above because I really think thatâs all he was going for - to talk to her, apologize, and make an attempt at reciprocation like he did with Luke. But getting back together here? Canonically, he hasn't made enough progress. He set aside his personal feelings to be in his mother's wedding and used the knowledge from the self-help book to apologize to Luke, but I don't think the book's message has sunk in all the way yet and heâs still got a massive chip on his shoulder preventing him from making a good life for himself. Getting rejected by Rory here is an important moment and I really like it. It's fun to think about the AU if Rory had said yes (hello road trip!), but it's very in-character for her to not be able to handle Jess's crisis and just shouting "NO, make it stop." This is one of my proudest of Rory moments:Â Protect your heart girl, he ain't ready. The seeds have been planted that Jess will continue to grow and I wish him well on his journey. Endgame material? Nah. Goodbye forever, take care my friend...
Even though this scene doesn't feel like closure at all, I really thought this was the end of Jess Mariano. So imagine my surprise when -
SEASON 6:Â HE'S BACK. Coming out of the shadows, [literally] it's Jess Marianoooo *air horns* *confetti* *jazz hands* *Jess rolls his eyes at the fanfare*
Alright, that's out of my system. But for real that's what my mind did at this point. For context, the way I watched this show for the first time was getting the DVDs from the library while a couple of seasons were still on the air; when a new season was available to borrow, I would rewatch all the seasons up to the current point so my memories and favorite parts of the show are seasons 1-4. Because I was not bingeing the show all the way through, seeing Jess here seemingly so different didnât feel out of place. A shock, yes! A happy surprise. But nothing about him seemed OOC. A year had gone by, weâd seen some signs of maturity in him, and getting rejected by Rory was a big kick in the ass for him to start making bigger changes in his life. I really cannot emphasize how satisfying and sensical his positive character development felt to me.Â
The slight maturity we see in season 4 in its full potential. Jess is still Jess: guarded, self-deprecating, and a bit prickly but he shows a sense of calm and feeling more comfortable in his skin. This is really satisfying to see as someone who always "knew" there was a kind and capable heart underneath the exterior just like Rory did, and that tough guy, must protect myself at all costs posturing has melted away. But that side of him isn't gone, it's not like the writing did a complete 180 on his character. I love this. He's just...more at peace with himself but he's not a different person, and he's found something to direct his focus and intellect on. He's made his peace with Luke, and now he has something of worth to show Rory to try to mend that hurt as well.
Yes, it would have been nice to see how and why he decided to write a book and work in publishing but this course of events is not out of left field, nor is Jess enough of a main character at this point for scenes like this to be necessary to the show unless they were tied to Luke and showing another side of him. Jess has shown in the past that he has a good work ethic if he feels it is worth it. The problem wasn't him being lazy, just poor decision making and focusing on RIGHT NOW, "I need to get out of Stars Hollow and live my life," and not considering the consequences of his actions. Which as an immature kid whose life had told him he can only depend on himself...not out of the ordinary. The dudeâs life passion is literature and has probably read every book he can get his hands on, itâs not crazy that he had his own story in him.Â
Here is where Literati becomes endgame material for me. Prior to the revival it was always my feeling that post-series they would reconnect while Rory was on the campaign or afterwards. It would be low drama (except for Lorelai criticism), slowly gaining trust in each other again, and eventually starting a committed relationship within a year or two of being friends with sexual tension (lol). They made their adolescent mistakes, hurt each other, but learned from it and started over on infinitely better footing.
The match just makes sense to me at this point for many reasons; I don't feel like I need to list them all out because you can go to any pro-Literati post and I'll probably agree with the majority of the points. The biggest issue they had was timing: âRight heart, wrong time.â I like especially how they even out each other's more extreme personality traits. For example, Rory learning from Jess to consider her own feelings instead of sacrificing herself for others, and Jess considering others before himself all the time. Or professionally, I can see Jess encouraging her to step away from her ultra-organized, âeverything has to be just soâ ways when it benefits her to seize an opportunity right now, donât worry about the details, you got this. Maybe Jess has another book in him, but his self-deprecation and disorganization prevent him from getting it done but Rory helps him be more objective and focused. Thereâs thisâŚsynergistic energy I feel with the two of them: theyâre great by themselves, but form something better together.
Judging from Rory's reactions towards him in this season, I don't think it's OOC for her to have romantic feelings for him again. She's extremely proud of his accomplishments and not unhappy to see him (not holding a grudge). They fall back into their comfortable dynamic even if it makes them both a bit nervous. Now some could argue that this means that Rory only wants to be friends with him but...when have Jess and Rory ever been just friends? If "Another Year in the Life" comes out (I've got serious doubts but would love to be proved wrong) and Rory rejects him or he's not even a part of it, fine! But I just don't see anything in canon that says explicitly she'll never feel romantic towards him again.
Now the kiss...there's a lot of ways to read that scene. Do I think Jess was in the right to assume "everything is fixed" as a go ahead? No. But that's part of why he is such an engaging character: he's impulsive and acts in accordance to his feelings, and yes, this gets himself and others in trouble.Â
Do I think Rory purposefully went to the open house to "use" Jess to get back at Logan? No. I think she genuinely wanted to support him, and Logan being out of town meant she wouldn't have to explain why it was important for her to go. I see the kiss paralleling the one in 2x22 but instead of Rory not being able to hold her feelings in any longer, Jess initiates. The way I see it is she was unaware she still had lingering feelings towards him (not out of nowhere, I mean their relationship has "unfinished business" written all over it) and that scared the crap out of her, just like at the end of season 2. So she runs away to the "safe space" that is being with Logan. Because she's in love with Logan, she has a sense of obligation towards him, and Rory has shown many times that she does not react well to change and highly emotional situations.
Is this scene a deal breaker for a future relationship between them? I don't think so. Jess says that he isn't sorry she came, which I take as "I'll never be sorry to see you no matter the context." Yes, this hurt him and made him pretty mad, but I don't think he's holding a grudge against her for this; even in the moment he's more concerned that someone cheated on her and her safety getting to her car. He sets a boundary that he doesn't deserve his feelings to be pushed around like this and Rory agrees. Not that I condone this sort of tit-for-tat hurting of each other (which I don't think Rory was going for in the first place) but it's almost like...that cycle is now broken. The whole scene is so open ended, it doesn't feel like a "good bye forever" to Jess.
"But Rory is so in love with Logan!" I don't know about you, but that "I'm in love with him despite all the bad he's done..." sounds so defeated and sad. It's almost like she's resigned herself to being in love with Logan. The first time I watched this, I thought this was foreshadowing that the relationship was on its last legs. To keep them together, Logan almost dies so Rory will bury her hurt out of guilt for holding a grudge against him. She is completely entitled to feeling hurt by Logan's actions, and I hate that she feels like she has to do this. But it happened, moving on.
"But Rory is a cheater!" When I think about Rory's characteristics, "cheater" doesn't make the list. She feels entitled to the men that she's loved and this isnât super great behavior, but I don't view her as inherently unfaithful or okay with cheating. I give her leeway on the season 2 Jess kiss because she was a teenager with a lot of conflicting emotions and everything around her was pushing her to stay with Dean. The season 4 Dean debacle...she was still very young and naĂŻve. I put most of the blame on Dean for manipulating her; I say most because if Rory really wanted to be with him, she should have been more sure of the status of his marriage, but I repeat: he manipulated her and she was very young and naĂŻve. I dare to say she has been conditioned to view Dean as nothing but safe and trustworthy so why wouldn't she believe him... Season 4 was all about her being out of sorts when away from the Stars Hollow bubble and trying to reclaim some normalcy. Narratively, I see why this makes sense and I don't think the intention was to say âRory is okay with cheating,â but to show very explicitly that Rory isn't perfect. This show goes to extremes, at this point I kind of just accept it and don't jump to "this person/character is terrible!" Certain characteristics and behaviors I have less patience for (mild) or will make me lose all respect for a character (extreme - honestly very few GG characters fall into this category for me); you may feel differently and that's fine. When other plot points in this series are much more bizarre and OOC, while this turn of events makes me uncomfortable and angry, at least it makes sense to me.
The 6x18 kiss I've already said that I don't think Rory had premeditated intent to cheat on Logan judging from the fact that Jess initiated it; yes, she went with it nor was it a complete surprise, I get this. The "I couldn't even cheat on him..." line I think is an outburst of guilt and regret, not her saying she had a plan in mind. Maybe I'm being too soft on her, I don't know...she did stay there late but maybe she just got lost in the book while waiting to say bye. We've seen her not know how to deal with conflicting emotions and change to her status quo, and attempt to distract herself when life isn't panning out the way she wants and not think about the consequences in the moment, so I don't find this scene OOC or intentionally cruel. The revival...I donât think I can even go there right now because it would just be me screaming incoherently about how much I hate "full circle" and how bizarre the entire thing was. Maybe something of value would eventually come out with a lot of editing. XD
This isnât to say Iâm 100% on Roryâs side all the time. Pretty much every character in this show has at some point made me smile, made me laugh (generally with them, but some characters itâs more like at), made me want to give them a hug, made me roll my eyes, and made me want to throw something at them. Thatâs why I love it so much! Even if the drama is turned up to 1000, I still get the sense that these characters are human. My favs end up on my âwill protect at all costsâ and âshitâ lists throughout the series, no one is immune. Except Lane. She really is the best person in this entire show. #JusticeForLaneKim
If ASP had written season 7: (Remember there being some sort of theme to this post? Only two episodes in s6, but Jess sure does make an impact.) I bet Jess would show up at some point. MV is loyal to the creators and not the show, if it was important for Jess to be there Iâm sure his shooting schedule would have been accounted for. Storyline would have been similar to the revival because AYITL is ASPs season she didnât get to do without considering how time passing affects the characters (IâM STILL SALTY) except Rory is at Yale and I think the book was a new idea. Shipping as endgame doesnât change, and I bet there wouldnât be a nice little Literati ending because weâve got to end it the same way, right? I don't even need them to be together at the end because Rory has greater plans to focus on, but just a moment! One moment is all I asked for... I donât know if this makes me mad because I felt like the narrative had been pushing us along this path for so long even if actual "endgame" was going to be offscreen or if I kind of like just having it in my imagination. Little bit of column A, little bit of column B. In any case, it could have been cool to see Jess present for the birth of his half-sister and giving Luke some support.Â
Like I said, I'm not touching AYITL right now. The whole starting point of this was, "huh, if MV never came back to the show, how would I feel about Jess and Literati?" And he was in it so it doesn't really fit into this even though we've gone on a meandering journey as pieces of discourse that have never sat right with me but didn't quite know how to express that disagreement until now popped in my mind. So there you go. If youâve made it to end, claps to you, what a champ.
At the end of the day, Literati is the ship that makes me feel the most things, it's kind of just a gut thing. This really isn't any sort of argument just an outpouring of love for the show and these characters. I don't know how well that's communicated, but hey, I try. Iâve got a lot of nostalgia for the pairing and I always viewed Jess as being Roryâs, and only Roryâs, choice.
#Gilmore Girls#Literati#rory x jess#Jess Mariano#I've been writing and editing this for 2 weeks and just accidentally pressed post and uhhhh#I donât think there's more you can do self#Just run with it
43 notes
¡
View notes