#people loved that au so hey may as well revamp it

[thevalleyoftriumph]

followerz who remember my old hollow knight roleswap au are entitled to compensation and an elderly discount 🙏

[drakeandkatherine]

The Royal Romance AU Fan Fiction- Drake x MC Trouble: Chapter 1 Roommates and Whiskey

Hello again! As you may know, I’ve deleted my previous three chapters from my fic, Trouble Is, due to it not feeling right to continue writing it the way it was. Though, I am happy to say that everything is okay now and that a new idea for this revamp came sooner than I thought it would! So, I’d like to introduce you to the first chapter of “Trouble”! I’m not the best writer, so I apologize in advanced if I get grammar or punctuation wrong.

Trouble will be completely new. I’m still not sure of the direction I’ll be writing this, but I am excited to be writing. 

As always, Drake, Hana, Liam, Olivia, Madeline, Maxwell, Savannah, and any other characters from Pixelberry’s Choices, belong to Pixelberry. My MC, Katherine Delacroix, is all mine and I love this little bean.

Please let me know if you’d like to be tagged in upcoming chapters!

This chapter is short, just because it’s the first chapter.

Description: It’s Katherine’s freshman year of college, what kind of Trouble could she possibly get into? 

In this AU, the TRR gang are all in college. Yes, even Drake. We all know he left college in the game, but what would it be like if their lives were normal...ish? What if Drake actually stayed in school for longer than one semester? I wanted to kind of explore than angle with this. Also!! I want to write these characters a bit different but not too much. I want to keep most of their personalities the same, but also want to write from the “there was never royalty, etc everything is normal” angle. 

Again, royal life never existed for these characters in this fic, so I’m writing the characters in a way that I think how they would be if they never grew up in a royalty setting. 

Warnings: drinking/alcohol use, language

Tags: @drakewalker04​ @burnsoslow​ @marshmallowsandfire​

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As long as she could remember, Katherine Delacroix swore she would leave Georgia behind her. Her senior year of high school seemed to drag on forever, much to her annoyance. When she finally graduated, she moved to New York to attend Applewood University. It was one of her top choices of colleges, and she managed to get in. 

Katherine stood outside of her dorm building, a box in her hands and a travel bag over her shoulder. Most of her things had already shipped from Georgia and put in her new room that she now called home. Nervously, she made her way into the building and up the stairs to the third floor. When she found her room number, 386, she opened the door and walked in. It was a decently sized room and two twin beds sat on either side of the room. One side already have covers, pillows and posters on the wall. ‘Guess my roommate had a head start,’ She thought. Setting down her things on the empty bed, she looked around her new home.

Two wardrobes sat on the walls and two desks. There was a long, two drawer dresser in between the beds. There wasn’t much, but it didn’t matter. Katherine was finally out of Georgia and she would rather live with a nightmare of a roommate than go back. 

‘Speaking of roommates, I wonder where mine is? I wonder what she’s like?’ Katherine thought. Sighing, she started to unpack. She’d meet her roommate soon enough; right now she needed to focus on making her side of the room feel like home. 

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“Finally done!” Katherine beamed as she hung the last of her posters on the wall. Most of them were music related, posters of different bands and artists she loved. Her bed covers and sheets were a soft pink, with little hearts on the comforter. Her pillow cases were off-white and she hung tiny string lights around the top of the bed frame. It was her safe space, her new home. 

Katherine changed into something more comfortable, putting on a pair of grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. Lying back on the bed, she picked a book from her tiny stack on her side of the long dresser between the beds. As soon as she was about to start the first chapter, the door opened and in walked her roommate. 

“Oh, hi! I had been wondering when I’d finally meet my roommate. For a minute, I was afraid you weren’t going to show up. I settled in this morning.” The girl smiled at Katherine. “I’m Hana.” 

“I’m Katherine.” Smiling back, she took a good look at her roommate and potentially her new best friend. She had gorgeous almond skin and long french roast colored hair. Her eyes were the perfect shade of brown, the kind that in the light, would glow like amber. Looking at Hana, Katherine felt self conscious about her appearance. “You’re really pretty, Hana.” She managed to say.

“Oh my gosh, thank you! I really don’t believe that at all. I mean, you’re the pretty one in this room!” Hana was such a sweet heart, Katherine was already beginning to like her. She didn’t think of herself as pretty most of the time. She had long, wavy, dark brown hair and cornflower blue eyes. The bridge of her nose was lined with freckles and her skin was vanilla. In another’s eyes, she may have been considered pretty. Maybe even sexy.

 Sighing, Hana sat on the edge on her bed. “I’m not used to being on my own. My parents used to be down my throat all the time and now I have so much freedom to do things that I’ve always wanted.” Five minutes into being roommates and Hana already trusted Katherine enough to tell her things like this. Katherine wondered why.

Sitting up, Katherine placed her book on the dresser. She felt the same connection, as if she could tell Hana anything, without knowing why. “I understand that. I was never really allowed to do anything outside of school. No parties, no football games, nothing. My grandma was always worried I’d get into things I shouldn’t.” She frowned.

“Well, I’ve been exploring campus all day and I’ve been hearing about a big back to school party that’s happening tonight at the Delta Phi Omega fraternity house. I’ve never been to a party like they are in the movies! I’ve always wanted to experience one.” Hana was bouncing up and down with excitement. “We should go!”

“You think? I’m not sure. Don’t most of those kind of parties get out of hand? What if we get in trouble?” Katherine worried. She had never been to a big party before either.

“I’m sure we’ll be okay! From what I’ve learned from the movies, we shouldn’t drink too much and we have to stick together. Oh, I’ve never even tasted alcohol, I wonder what it’s like?” 

‘Jeez, Hana’s parents must have really controlled her. Poor girl.’ Katherine thought. “It depends on the alcohol, some are really good. Beer is usually disgusting, but it’s cheap and will get you buzzed easily. Too much of my grandma’s dismay, I was able to sneak out a couple times and go drink with a couple friends whose parents let them. It was never at a party, but with them it might as well been.”

“Sneaking out? My parents would have killed me on spot if they ever caught me. You have guts.” Katherine laughed at Hana’s statement.

“I wouldn’t call it guts, but it’s something.” She stood up and walked to her wardrobe, opening the doors and looking at her clothes intently. “What do you even wear to a frat house party?” 

“I don’t know, but I’m sure whatever we choose will be fine! I think I just want to go with a simple outfit made of shorts, a t-shirt and sandals.” That’s exactly what Hana decided to wear. Katherine finished changing after her, wearing denim cut-off shorts, her hightop converse and her black V-neck t-shirt. “We should do our make-up!” Hana excitedly suggested. Katherine obliged. They sat for the next hour carefully putting on their make-up and making sure they looked presentable.

“Wow, we look amazing. We aren’t dressed that great but we look HOT!” Katherine’s jaw dropped looking the the two of them in the mirror. “Make-up is a wonderful thing.” Hana nodded, agreeing completely. 

“Okay, are you ready to get out of here?” Hana asked. Katherine took Hana’s hand in hers. 

“No where near ready and wanting to puke from the nervousness, but let’s go!” They talked and laughed as they made their way down the stairs and out of the dorm building, walking to the Delta Phi Omega house across campus hand in hand.

***********************************************

When Katherine and Hana arrived, it was just after eight P.M. and the house was already full of students. Red solo cups lined every surface, kegs were randomly placed in different areas of the house and loud party music blasted through multiple speakers. Stunned by the intensity of the atmosphere, Hana squeezed Katherine’s hand. 

“Let’s go get a drink!” Katherine yelled over the music. Nodding, Hana followed Katherine, holding onto her for dear life. They managed to find a stack of cups next to a keg in what seemed to be the living room of the house. Katherine wasn’t completely sure how to fill up the cups at first, but she figured it out quickly. Soon enough, she and Hana had beers in their hands. Instantly, she felt less nervous as she sipped her drink.

“Oh!” Hana exclaimed. Katherine raised her brow at her. “This is what beer tastes like?” Katherine nodded. “I thought you said it was disgusting!” Hana exclaimed.

“Wait, you actually like this?!” Katherine said, shocked.

“Oh, yes! Wow, I can’t believe I’m drinking at a party right now. Underage! If my parents could see me right now, they’d both have a heart attack. This is amazing!” Hana took a big gulp of her beer. 

‘I wonder how strict her parents were to make her say things like this.’ She thought. “Hey, don’t drink that too fast okay? You don’t want to get drunk too quickly.” Katherine sipped her drink, concerned.

“Oh don’t worry, I’ll be careful! It’s just way better than I thought it was going to be.” Hana took another big gulp before refilling it to the rim.

“Yeah, I’m not sure how you’re drinking this and enjoying it at the same time. Usually people just drink it, but hate the way it tastes.” Katherine finished her cup. “I think I’m going to try to find something stronger. Will you be okay if I search for the kitchen?”

“Of course! I’ll be close by.”Hana reassured her and made her way into another room. On that note, Katherine wandered further into the house, finding her way to the kitchen. She found a bottle of whiskey and poured herself a glass.

“Whoa, sure you want that, little girl?” A man said, coming up to her. She took a look at him. He was tall, at least six foot two, tan, and had a bit of stubble around his chin. He was dressed in jeans and a white t-shirt and had a smirk on his face, no doubt thinking she couldn’t handle hard liquor. He was right, but she wouldn’t let it show.

“I’m sure, thanks for the insult though.” Katherine said coldly, taking a sip of the amber liquid, ignoring the burning in her throat as she swallowed. “Who are you?”

“I’m Drake. That’s my whiskey you’re drinking.” Drake said, pouring some of the whiskey into his cup.

“Then you shouldn’t leave it out in the open for anyone to take.” She said.

“Maybe I’m just waiting for some sorority girl to take it.”

“Sorry to disappoint, but i’m not in a sorority and I’m certainly not a little girl.”

“Well, you’re short and pretty so I just assumed.” Drake sipped his drink, eyes on Katherine. 

“You assumed wrong, but thanks for the compliment. I’m Katherine, by the way.” She held out her hand. Drake shook it, giving her a smile. 

“Well Katherine, let’s see if you can handle this whiskey as well as I can.” He poured them two shots, one for him and one for her. “I don’t usually see many girls go for whiskey at a party.”

“Then you’re seeing the wrong girls.” She snapped back. Was this flirting? She wasn’t sure. Something about him irked her, yet she was interested in who he was. She wanted to impress him. ‘What the hell is this guys deal?’ She thought. ‘And why do I care if he thinks I can handle whiskey?’

“Ha. Hit the mark on that one.” Drake took his shot, slamming the glass down on the counter. “You new here? I haven’t seen you around a DPO party before.” 

“I’m a freshman, I just moved in.” Katherine took her shot, setting her glass down next to his. 

“A freshman? Damn, I would have thought you were a transfer student at least.” Drake laughed.

“And why’s that?” She asked him, her eyes narrowing.

“You seem like the kind of girl who can handle herself.”

“Are you saying most freshman girls can’t?” She asked. 

“Not from what I’ve seen.” Drake poured himself and Katherine another shot. “Most girls drink harder to try to impress the upperclassmen, then end up in our bathrooms all night puking their insides out. You don’t seem like that kind of girl though.” 

Katherine took the next shot easily, never wavering. “Lucky for you, I’m not. I just like to prove others wrong by being able to handle things others can’t. I don’t care about impressing other people.” ‘Why am I suddenly feeling so confident?’

“Color me impressed then.” He took his shot, eyes on her. He wasn’t sure why, but he was already amazed by this girl. 

“So, Drake, does Delta Phi Omega always host a back to school rager?” Katherine mentally slapped herself. ‘Rager? Couldn’t I have said something way cooler?’

“Every year, apparently. I’m a sophomore, so I’ve only been here about a year or so.” Drake said, pouring himself another shot of whiskey. Katherine held out her glass and he poured her another shot.

“You seem like you’ve been apart of this for years.” The liquid burned her throat and she began to feel fuzzy.

“Soon enough, you’ll feel the same.” Drake said, downing his shot. He started to get nervous. ‘What the hell?’ He thought. Drake never felt nervous about a girl before. Motioning to the glass doors behind him, he asked, “Care to join my friends and I outside? I’m sure Maxwell is about to start a game of Truth or Dare.” He rolled his eyes.

“Fuck it, why not? Let me find my friend first.” Katherine walked off, trying to find Hana in a sea of people. “Hana!” She finally found her, in the living room dancing with others. “Let’s go outside.”

“Okay!” Hana followed Katherine outside to a fire pit where Drake and several others were surrounding. 

“So, truth or dare?” Katherine asked. 

“Yay! More players!” A dirty blonde said excitedly.

“That’s Maxwell.” Drake said, standing next to Katherine. “He’s the resident party man.”

“Awesome. Game on!” Sitting on a lawn chair, Katherine prepared herself for the game. ‘What’s the worst that can happen?’

[pumpkinsandsuckers]

Watermelon

AU where the only thing that happened was stopping the Heart of Etheria?

Princesses are still princesses, Catra loves parkour, and yeah, Adora might be able to crush a watermelon with her bare hands.

Catradora with hints of other ships

((I wrote this in a frenzy and don’t regret it at all))

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Fright Zone, Somewhere High Up, Thursday

“Right, you’re telling me she can crush a watermelon with her bare hands.” Catra scoffed, scratching her neck. God, why did she agree to a haircut? The chilly breeze sweeping past her now exposed neck was unnerving. She felt so vulnerable. 

“I mean, well, it is a rumour.” Scorpia laughed, fumbling with the equipment. “Whoops.”

“Hey watch it!” Catra hissed as she dived forward, catching the camera. “Yeah, it better be just a rumour.”

“Great reflexes! As expected of Catra!” Entrapta bounced forward, propelled by her robotic hair. “Speaking of rumours, my friends from Bright Moon have been hearing stories about your hair!”

“What stories?” the black claws from Catra’s fingers extended, sharp and menacing.

“Oh, you know, the stories about your hair being so thick because it contained so many secrets.”

Catra’s eyes bulged. “WHAT?!”

“Yeah, and the other one about She-ra’s amazing physique. Have you heard? She can crush a watermelon with her bare hands? I’d love to see that! Collecting data from a being with that strength can help me with my research!”

“Alright, enough about Bright Moon. It’s a place for academic snobs and spoilt princesses.” Catra sighed as Scorpia shot her a look of disappointment. “Fine. Not you guys, alright.” Her frown turned into a slight smile, and she stretched. “You guys are fine. Now, let’s get this video done.”

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Bright Moon Keep, Friday

“Whoa, did you see what was posted on Super Pal Trio’s page?” Bow bounced up and down with excitement.

“Bow, not again. Those sort of people from the Fright Zone are dangerous! I can’t believe you’re following them.” Glimmer groaned, and looked at the girl behind her. “Fine, not all people from the Fright Zone are dangerous.”

“What sort of corny name is Super Pal Trio anyway?” Adora laughed. “That doesn’t seem like a name that would fit in the Fright Zone.”

“Oh, the Super Pal Trio is the best group! Second to us, anyway.” Bow’s eyes shone, and he swiped through his pad to show Glimmer and Adora the content pushed out by the independent group. 

“Scorpia here is the muscle, but she also packs a powerful voice! She’s actually performed for many people!” Bow pointed to a video of a woman with an undercut, and-

“Really dangerous looking claws.” Glimmer muttered. 

Bow glared at Glimmer, but continued. “And Entrapta! We’ve met her before she moved to the Fright Zone! Ah, what one will do for friendship and love. She’s a genius inventor, and right now, she’s working on developing prosthetic limbs! I wonder for whom though, she doesn’t have a strong interest in organic creatures.”

“Wow, that sounds impressive. I really should start using this… social media more.” Adora squinted. “It’s a trio, right?”

“Yeah! The last person is pretty famous in the Fright Zone! You may have heard of rumours of her too!”

“No, not really.” Glimmer and Adora replied in unison. 

“Fine, your majesties.” Bow swiped, and let out an incredibly loud yelp. “She cut her hair?!?!”

“Who?!” Adora asked, and snatched the pad out of Bow’s hands.

The video was titled “Cat jumping dangerously”

“It seems that Glimmer is right.” Adora mumbled, and watched. 

A brief shot of the skyline, familiar, bulky architecture with protruding pipes and pillars. The camera focused on a pair of legs, clad in black pants clinging to the skin. A black tail swished.

Adora bit back a gasp.

The video continued panning up, and right before it reached the upper back, the person took off running, sliding underneath a pillar, vaulting over short walls, and leaping from roof to roof. Adora focused on her so much, her face was inching closer to the pad. 

And before she knew it, the figure turned around, having completed her run, and stuck her tongue out at the camera. A smirk, and the video ended.

“That’s..”

“She cut her hair!” Bow wailed.

“Well, she does look more adorable like this.” Glimmer commented. “Her long hair looked like a hazard in her past videos.”

Bow gasped. “No. Way. Glimmer! You had been watching their videos! Oh I knew it!”

“That’s Catra?!” Adora broke Bow’s celebration, and he stopped twirling Glimmer around. 

“Yeah. The Parkour Cat!” Bow struck a pose, completely unrelated to parkour.

“She cut her hair!” Adora passed the pad back to Bow, and started to pace up and down.

“Yeah. Wait, do you know her?” Bow raised an eyebrow. This was unlike Adora. This was…

“Gay panic.” Glimmer sighed.

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Fright Zone, Monday

“So, who even is She-ra?” Catra asked Lonnie, trying to appear as intimidating as she could. She was utterly frustrated, and was going to figure it out by herself. Pictures had shown a blonde, tall, ridiculously good looking female dressed in an equally ridiculous outfit, and Catra would not tell anyone, but she found this ‘She-ra’ to be rather hot. And familiar looking.

“Uh, Catra, She-ra is a princess? She helped bring balance to the universe? Remember when Etheria was about to blow up because of some weird princess magic?”

Catra folded her arms. “Urgh, princesses.”

“Yeah! She-ra is the greatest princess! She is strong, beautiful, and really cool! Also, I’ve heard that she can crush a watermelon with her bare hands.”

“No one asked you, Kyle!” Catra shoved him - well, gentler than before, and stalked off. “What is with watermelons?!”

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Bright Moon Keep, Thursday

“Alright, I got us invitations for Entrapta’s and Scorpia’s party in the Fright Zone. I know what you’re thinking, it’s dangerous! Why should we go? But come on Glimmer, it’ll be so much fun!” Bow pleaded, almost on his knees as he clung onto Glimmer.

“Yeah, sure.”

“Really? You mean it?” Bow grinned, and threw Glimmer into the air. “Hooray!”

Glimmer teleported right beside him. “Yeah. We are princesses. We got the invites.”

“Wait what? So I had to help Mermista out for nothing? Argh!”

“I’m going too.” Adora stood up, looking at Glimmer. “You know what that means.”

“Ahhh!” Glimmer shrieked. “Makeover time!”

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Fright Zone, A Revamped Area, Saturday

“Oh, I really don’t know about this.” Scorpia whimpered, swinging her claws around.

“You’ll be great, I promise!”

Scorpia smiled at her communication pad. “Aww, thanks, Perfuma. I’m looking forward to seeing you later. Uh, and the rest too. Yeah.”

A light, airy laughter, and Perfuma concluded the call with an “I’m looking forward to seeing you too, Scorpia. Ok, bye!”

“What a dork.” Catra laughed, leaping from a pipe, landing perfectly on her feet. “But I guess I’m kinda… happy for you.”

“Oh, Kittycat!” Scorpia laughed, lunging forward to smother Catra in a vice-like hug. “I knew you cared for me.”

“Alright, alright! Watch the hair! It’s hard to work with short hair!” Catra wriggled out of the hug, straightening her clothes. A red top, black formal pants, ripped at the knees, and a black blazer slung around her shoulders. 

“Looking good, Catra!” Entrapta yelled from her corner, still tinkering with some bots.

“I always do.” Catra smirked, and pushed Scorpia out of the room. “Now then, we have your debut party to attend. Entrapta, if you come out now, I’ll get you a whole room for bots.”

“Alright! Bots!” 

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Fright Zone, Party Venue, Main hall

“Oh man, I knew the Fright Zone underwent some changes, but this is great!” Bow’s eyes sparkled. “I’m going to find Entrapta to ask her about some tech stuff! Whoo!”

“I’m going with him.” Glimmer shimmered, and disappeared.

“Haha. Cool, I guess it’s just me.” Adora laughed, and received a reassuring pat on her shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Adora, I am here with you too.” Perfuma smiled. “Frosta and Mermista have decided to explore the intricate network in the Fright Zone, but I’ll be here with you.”

The lights dimmed, and a spotlight shone on the stage. 

“Er, hi, I’m Scorpia. Some of you guys may know me, and this is my first party as a princess.” She looked around the room. The lights were too bright, and she couldn’t make out anyone. “Oh boy. Er, I’m going to sing, so yeah. I’d love for my friends to be here to hear me so yeah.”

“Hit it!” Catra yelled from behind the curtains.

“Catra?” Adora frowned, and broke away from Perfuma, who was too distracted to notice anything other than Scorpia’s stage presence.

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Fright Zone, Party Venue, Shadow Weaver’s Daisy Garden.

Running away into the open was a mistake. Here, she was very obvious, and soon enough, she had drawn a crowd of familiar faces. 

“It’s the She-ra!” “She-ra!” “The She-ra!” “Sign my arm!” “No, sign my shirt!” “Sign my watermelons!”

“Wow, haha, that’s really kind of all of you.” Adora chuckled, eyes darting around to find an alternative route. “Welp, out of luck.”

“Hey, what’s going on here?!” A loud, slightly angry voice rang out, and the crowd quietened. “There better not be any damage to the plants here!” A figure leapt from the balcony above, onto the soft grass.

“But you just stomped on that flower.”

Catra glared at the bold creature who said that, and he yelped, taking off. A few others followed suit. 

“Catra!” The rest yelled, and took out their markers again. “Sign my arm!” “Sign my head!” “Sign my watermelons!!”

“What is with watermelons?!” Catra hissed loudly, before spotting the initial cause of the commotion. “Adora?”

She jumped over the crowd rushing towards her, stepping on a particularly tall reptilian as a stepping stone, before somersaulting and landing on the ground.

“Catra stepped on me! My life is complete!”

“Urgh, gross.” Catra ran towards the familiar blonde. “Hey Adora.”

“Catra?”

“You’re She-ra? Huh. I’d love to chat, but we should run. I hope you’re not that much heavier.” Catra hoisted Adora onto her arms, bridal-style, nearly heaving from the weight. “Okay nope, but this will do. I don’t think you can run in your dress.”

“Oh, I can’t, but She-ra can.” Adora grinned, and Catra dropped her.

“No, I don’t want any magical princess-”

“For the honour of Grayskull!”

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Fright Zone, Now-cleaner Sewers

Mermista paused, looking at an equally concerned Frosta. 

“I don’t know why, but I think something reckless has happened.” Frosta folded her arms. “And I wasn’t part of it?!”

“I guess Adora became She-ra. Urgh, why.”

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Fright Zone, Somewhere High Up

“Adora! Put! Me! Down!” Catra shrieked, her claws betraying her as she dug into She-ra’s arms, their positions now reversed.

“Ow, Catra!” She-ra landed on a roof, and dissipated, leaving Adora, hair unravelling from her ponytails, cheeks flushed, and straddled by Catra.

They stared at each other, taking in the physical changes, the softness of faces now replaces with a rugged toughness. And yet, they will still soft, so beautiful in each others’ eyes. Catra had to drag her eyes away from Adora’s chest, in particular. Adora wasn’t doing any better with Catra’s unbuttoned shirt. But that moment passed, and they were gazing at each other tenderly.

“Hey, Adora.” Catra smiled. “There’s a lot I want to ask you, but right now. I really missed you.” She leaned down, tucking her chin into the gap between Adora’s shoulder and neck. “I missed you.” She took a deep breath, and felt Adora return the gesture.

“I missed you too.” Adora held their pose for some time, before Catra sprang up, embarrassed by her affectionate actions.

“Urgh.” Catra sat up, pulling Adora up as well. 

“Heh, never knew you were so honest with your feelings.” Adora teased, smiling.

“Yeah, emotions are a thing I’m working on.” Catra smiled, scratching her bare neck again.

“I never knew you were a star! Parkour Cat, huh?” 

“For the record, I did not choose that name. And you! You were a princess? You’re… She-ra?!”

“I am. I’m sorry, I left without saying anything. It was just… I finally found out who I really was, and I had to go on a quest and everything was happening so quickly-” She inhaled, missing Catra’s scent already. “I didn’t get to say so many things.”

“You know, I was really mad at the start. I took it out on so many people, until I was alone. Then I learnt to rebuild myself, my friendships, and well,” Catra leaned forward, tucking a stray strand behind Adora’s ear. “I wanted to be a better person for someone I cared about.”

“I never stopped thinking about you.” Adora sighed, leaning into Catra’s palm.

“Me neither.” Catra cupped Adora’s face. “I love you. I always did.”

“I love you too, Catra.” Adora pressed their foreheads together again.

“You’re such an idiot.”

…

“By the way, Adora, can you really crush a watermelon with your bare hands?”

“Er, sure, as She-ra.”

“Man, that’s really hot.”

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[cielpansyhive]

So I’ve been a bit out of touch with a lot of people on tumblr the past... eternity... Could you tell me about some of the projects you’re working on? (Even if it’s just “I thought about it for 5 minutes in the shower last week”)

Hey dear! 💖 All good, I haven’t been the most social either. (I want to be social, but I don’t want to annoy anyone.)

So my plans are to have 1 smutty one-shot for Easter, bun!Ciel and gardener!Sebastian…which I haven’t started yet…oops. For the month of May (mer-may) I’m going to try to have ‘The Little Merman’ fic done as well as a prequel-ish Sebagni smut one-shot, ‘Fins.’ I have a few things I want done for June seeing as it’s pride month and Devil’s Day is also in there. 💖

Now, what I’ve actually been working on! Heh. I’ve been getting more done with Skilamalink, my Crimson Peak AU. I’ve added around 1,500 more words to it. I need to get the first chapter done and posted as I feel this might be my best work yet. It’s turning out even darker than I originally thought but I’m enjoying writing it so much! It feels like writing canon, because of the setting, but with more freedom. I love writing this Sebastian as well. The contrast of his relationship with either twin, I finally feel like I have a grasp on writing him. I’m trying to keep the basic plot but I’m adding more twists and focusing more on all the little things behind the scenes. I never get hyped with my own writing, but this…yeah I’m excited.

I also have 80% of the first chapter for Razor’s Edge, Black Swan AU, done. Another I’m pretty excited for. For this AU there is no rival black swan. There’s Lizzie who is Ciel’s understudy, but she’s not much of a threat. So this does greatly differ from the movie, but hopefully will be just as entertaining. Sebastian is an English dancer that the company brought in to play the role of the prince. Ciel instantly starts crushing on him. The first chapter is fluffy compared to the rest of the fic. Don’t be fooled there is murder just around the corner. :)

Lastly, I am plotting out an angel and demon AU, ‘Break Your Halo.’ Following the burning of a popular church a few survivors are found. Both Ciel and Sebastian are left with amnesia and in critical condition. As they heal, impossibly fast, they both realize that neither of them must be human. They bond as they are roomed together and report any findings to each other. (Not like they can tell the doctors. Might as well share with each other.) With little to go off of they must break out of the hospital and go back to the church to see if they can remember what happened and who they are. I’m thinking around 6 chapters? I’ll have to see how much I write between plot points.

I keep thinking of headcanons for ‘Sweet Dreams are Made of These,’ but I need to finish the one-shot before I even think of extra AU things. I’m excited for y’all to meet incubus/succubus Ciel. 😈

Of course Revamp and any other works I’ve mentioned are still on my list. 💖

[oceanera12]

STH Avenger’s AU

I thought about this way too much.

Note: Gender was kind of thrown out the window because it wasn’t important enough for me to match.

Iron Man / Miles “Tails” Prower: I know, I know. Stereotype smart guy, but can you see anyone else pulling off the whole “Iron Man” thing? Besides, imagine the whole spinning metal tails thing and you have to admit it’s pretty cool. And Cream would make an excellent Pepper, just saying. 

Captain America / Sonic the Hedgehog: Okay, so this one actually fits in my opinion because of the shield. I seriously think that Captain America and Sonic are secret geometry wizzes because how in the world do they hit everything so precisely with a round object (in Sonic’s case, himself?). Also the whole thing with their both mainly blue with some red and white highlights.

Thor / Amy Rose: Hammer. Enough said.

Hulk / Rotor: Scientist who is pretty chill and laid back but can wreck things apart when they want to. Also friends with Iron Miles.

Black Widow / Rouge the Bat: Spy with a mysterious past and a secret heart of gold (although Rouge may just be interested in the gold)

Hawkeye / Jet the Hawk: This would be a serious character revamp because Jet is kinda of a jerk, but he also cares about his “family” (The Babylon Rogues) so... Also they’re both hawks. Jet just needs a personality change and I was running out of characters sooooo... (Thinking about it, Nack the Weasel could fit too, but again: MAJOR personality revamp)

Nick Fury / General Towers: I want Towers to be the Nick Fury of the Sonic universe. Bring it!

Vision / Emeral: Both are robots, both are pretty powerful, and both a huggable children.

Scarlett Witch / Sonia the Hedgehog: This one comes from a fanfiction I wrote in which Sonia has psychic abilities. Also she’s a triplet with Sonic but in this we’d just keep her a twin with Manic below.

Quicksilver / Manic the Hedgehog: Twins with Sonia and apparently has super-speed now. Oh well.

War Machine / E-123 Omega: Robot who is going to blow up a lot of things but hey! He’s still a hero!

Winter Soldier / Shadow the Hedgehog: Ugh, this one I love way too much. Just the idea of Shadow being Bucky and Sonic is Steve just makes me happy because they are now buddies! No shipping, just Bros but I absolutely love it!

Falcon / Knuckles: I was running out of people and realized Knuckles needed a spot. Falcon works because of the flying and Knuckles is pretty loyal to his friends.

Antman / Elias Acorn: Again, running out of characters.

Spider-Man / Gadget: That Sonic Forces guy? Who swings on a wrist cable? Yeah, that’s the one.

Black Panther / Tikal: Tikal is a tribal warrior woman who is ready to defend her people! (This one is fun in my opinion).

Wasp / Sally Acorn: Running out of characters, but she is NOT shipped with her brother. I’m thinking more of a sibling team-up dynamic which would be a lot of fun to watch.

Captain Marvel / Silver the Hedgehog: Captain Marvel is OP. Silver is (or should be) OP. Both are loners and both fly around in a glowing aura.

Loki / Scourge the Hedgehog: I hate Scourge but felt like Loki needed a person so this happened... It fits though, right?

[thiefsoldier]

THE POSITIVE & NEGATIVE

Mun & Muse - Meme.

fill out & repost ♥

My muse is:

canon / oc / au / canon-divergent / fandomless

Is your character popular in the fandom?  YES / NO / N/A

Is your character considered hot™ in the fandom?  YES / NO / i guess? he’s a thin prettyboy anyway

Is your character considered strong in the fandom?  YES / NO

Are they underrated?  YES / NO / N/A

Were they relevant to the main story?  YES / NO

Were they relevant to the main character?  YES / NO / THEY’RE THE PROTAG. / In theory, if they meet during the events of the game

Are they widely known in their world?  YES / NO.

How’s their reputation?  GOOD / BAD / NEUTRAL.

How strictly do you follow canon?

While I believe it’s entirely possible for OCs to be canon compliant, I do make Lanh a different kind of SOLDIER than the ones most others do. This is partly due to Lanh being a transplanted OC; he was originally from Avatar: the Last Airbender before I revamped him (and his two best friends) for Final Fantasy VII. The other reason is because it’s only logical that not everyone would react to the SOLDIER treatments in the same way.

SELL YOUR MUSE! Aka try to list everything, which makes your muse interesting in your opinion to make them spicy for your mutual.

Lanh is a former pickpocket who grew up homeless in Midgar before being picked up for SOLDIER 

He was literally picked up for SOLDIER; one of the Project Boys* caught him pickpocketing and went “hey that could be useful.” * My heacanon is that it was Angeal but that part’s flexible.

Lanh stands out in SOLDIER because while he’s nowhere near as tanky as most others, his speed and reflexes are well into the First Class category, making him something of an outlier.

He’s ethnically Wutaian but was born in Midgar and has never left.

He’s a skilled mimic, specialising in Behemoths and Guard Hounds.

Now the OPPOSITE, list everything why your muse could not be so interesting (even if you may not agree, what does the fandom perhaps think?).  

While Lanh’s not necessarily ride or die for Shinra, he remains loyal to the company because-- what else is he going to do? 

He’s really not interested in fighting -- if he has to actually fight, he prefers ambush attacks where he can be in, out, and gone before anyone figures out what happened. He’s best utilized as a sighthound, sent to flush out or chase down prey.

Most of his interests include making it to the next day; one of his biggest fears is dying.

What inspired you to rp your muse?

Originally?  Well, waaaaay back when, in 2009, I needed some background OCs the same age as the Gaang, to provide more points of view into what kind of people go into the Dai Li. Lanh and his buddies developed from there. come about.... nnnn.... 2013, I feel back into FF fandom. It was pretty easy to alter Lanh’s backstory for FF7 while still keeping true to his original background. Swap Ba Sing Se for Midgar and Dai Li for SOLDIER. Perhaps a Turk would’ve worked better but I liked him in SOLDIER.

What keeps your inspiration going?

Man, who even knows? lol. Some days are better than others.

Some more personal questions for the mun.

Give your mutuals some insight about the way you are in some matters, which could lead them to get more comfortable with you or perhaps not.

Do you think you give your character justice?  YES / NO. 

Do you frequently write headcanons?  YES / NO.

Do you sometimes write drabbles?  YES / NO.  

Do you think a lot about your Muse during the day? YES / NO.

Are you confident in your portrayal?   YES / NO 

Are you confident in your writing?  YES / NO 

Are you a sensitive person?  YES / NO.

Do you accept criticism well about your portrayal?

To a degree? Like, come at me about his background/stuff i get wrng about SOLDIER, but don’t tell me his personality is wrong. You don’t know him, I do. I made him.

Do you like questions which help you explore your character?

YES

If someone disagrees to a headcanon of yours, do you want to know why?

Given that Lanh is my OC, damn straight I do.

If someone disagrees with your portrayal, how would you take it?

The only one with any right to disagree is my friend Bex, who has written him in AtLA just like I’ve written their OCs. They were crucial to Lanh’s initial development and in fact helped me name him. Nobody else is allowed.

If someone really hates your character, how do you take it?

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Are you okay with people pointing out your grammatical errors?

If you find ‘em, please do!

Do you think you are easy going as a mun?

I hope that I am, anyway....

That’s about it, congrats for filling out!

Tagged by: @stingslikeabee to spread the OC love! Tagging: i mean if we’re doing OCs then technically speaking @ancientblxde and @lovelessblade count. ✌️🏽 love you guys~

[hongism]

aphelion ch. 1

Pairing(s): None for the time being (will change in the future; ot7 x female reader for now)

Genre: Slice of Life!au, Real life, Heavy Angst, Fluff

Word Count: 9455

Rating: PG-13/T (subject to change)

Warnings: none for the time being

Notes: my child has been revamped!1!1 i really hope you guys love it as much as i do, and i truly am much more proud and confident in this story now.

check out the preface if you’d like here

Summary: The ups and downs of life come in many forms. Jimin considers himself lucky some days, and on others, he only sees the ugly bits in front of him. Taehyung lives life with a white sheet of positivity over his eyes even when bad things happen and life crumbles around him. Yoongi lets his patience run too short. Then again, he thinks life is too short to waste time on people or things that aren't worth it. Seokjin finds it best to be there for everyone else before he takes time for himself, and that has serves him well each day (or so he tries to tell himself). Hoseok has a porcelain mask he wears to hide any negative thoughts or the ebbing away of his confidence, but as long as he wears it, no one can tell, right? Jungkook finds worth in his hyungs, sees a responsibility to be strong for them and listening to their struggles before sharing his own. Namjoon wishes his position as leader could be less of a struggle but convinces himself that the outcomes of his job are better than the burdens along the way. Where does the puzzle piece that is Y/N L/N fall into place? Well, she is only trying to live life with the cards dealt to her, the struggles being opportunities for growth for not only her, but the people around her.

...

Chapter: I Remember the Night Sky when I was Young (mikrokosmos - bts)

At long last, he is content with that fact.

...

The night sky has always been his safe haven, the holder of all his emotions and dreams. The bright stars that glisten above his head glow for him and him alone, beckoning him to stretch his hands out and reach for them. He has never been selfish enough to imagine himself grabbing hold of one or guiding the lights with his voice. A moment of quiet throughout the room, he can breathe by himself for the time being, staring out the somewhat foggy window and up at that indigo sky with its lights weaving through it like veins. The gleam of the city below permeates the beauty a bit too much, and he thinks about how it cannot compare to the sky he saw when he was younger and more naive.

“That one is my favorite!” Jimin looks in the direction his friend is pointing, seeing a mass of glittering stars above him.

“Which one?”

“That one!” You point with more vehemence now. Jimin laughs.

“I like it,” he tells you, even though he still can’t tell which one you are talking about.

“And that one! Those three that look like a shape too! And the two on top of them are like crystals, so those are my favorite too!” You sit up as you get more excited, motioning at the cloudless expanse about their heads with a wide smile on your lips.

“Y/N, you can’t have so many favorites!” Jimin laughs again and tugs on your shirt sleeve. You pout back at him, pulling your arm away from his, and turns to someone else.

“Grandma! I wanna see the stars closer!”

“I’ll ask your grandfather to get the telescope, honey.” You clap your hands together before sitting back down on the cool grass beside Jimin.

“I wish I could touch the stars. They’re so pretty. Can you imagine holding one in your hands?” You tuck your knees to your chest and rests your chin atop them. Jimin stays on his back, watching the sky.

“It would be the most beautiful thing, yeah?”

“I’ll reach them one day and hold one for you!”

“You won’t need to do that, because I’ll be right there with you. Then we can each have a star of our own.”

You spread your arms wide and beckon to the galaxy. “I want to hold all of them. They look so lonely up there. I’ll hug every one of them!” Jimin giggles, and through the squinting of his eyes, he spots a flash of light dancing across the sky.

“Hey Y/N, there’s a shooting star! Quick, make a wish!” You shut your eyes and clasp your hands together. Jimin mimics the action, holding his hands over his face as he whispers his wish to himself. When he reopens his eyes, you are already back to staring upwards. “What’d you wish for?” He nudges your side with his foot.

“Hey, I can’t tell you that! It’s a secret. If I tell you, then it won’t come true.”

“Aw, fine. You don’t have to tell me now, but promise that you’ll tell me if it comes true!”

“Pinky promise. Only if you tell me yours too!” You extend your little finger to Jimin. He links his with yours, tightening his grip with a grin.

“Pinky promise.” A few moments later, he releases your hand with a sigh. “I hope our wishes come true.”

“I know they will. The pretty universe always listens to wishes, because the person behind it makes them come true!”

Thinking back on it, Jimin wants to laugh at your hopeful words. Do wishes really come true? As a child, things were easy and carefree. His naivety was stupid. Maybe his dreams were too. Nowadays, it seems like his dreams are drifting further away, and the certainty of achieving everything he hopes to is a distant ambition. He huffs at his spot by the window, watching the yellow light of the city blend together with the dark sky and dim the shine of the stars. Maybe it's a sign, and it's telling him that his wishes made as a foolish child will never come true.

"Hey, it's late." Someone disturbs his ruminations, intruding on his quiet space. Jimin looks back just before a hand hits his shoulder. His leader smiles down at him. All Jimin can do in response is heave a deep sigh. Namjoon squats down beside him, tucking his legs underneath him as he settles next to the window. "We've got the entrance ceremony early in the morning. Why are you up?"

"Had a lot on my mind tonight."

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Namjoon nudges his shoulder as though prompting him to explain his thoughts.

"It's hard to believe that Jungkook is going to be in secondary school at last." Jimin snorts under his breath as he thinks of the youngest of the group.

"Definitely weird. I'm sure Y/N’s entrance is weirder for you though?" Jimin holds back a frown as Namjoon broaches the subject.

"Yeah...All I can seem to think of tonight are times when we were younger. I mean, secondary school? It seems like yesterday when I saw her and my brother enter primary school."

“It can be strange to watch someone grow up before your eyes.”

“Half the time it seems as though she’s already my age or older because she’s been making big life decisions so early on, though I can only imagine her as the same little girl from when we were kids.”

"Do you miss it?" Namjoon asks, glancing out the window and at the sky as Jimin does.

"Miss what?"

"Times when you were younger?"

"Don't we all? Things were so much easier back then." Again, Namjoon's hand finds his shoulder, remaining there this time for more than a couple seconds.

"You are full of stress and worries, Jimin. Life has ups and downs, tough spots and great times. We can make it through this, and things will be great for us one day." The words of comfort do little to ease any of Jimin's worries or concerns, so he takes it with a grain of salt. It's the thought that counts, or so he attempts to tell himself. As Namjoon pushes himself up with the help of his pressure on Jimin's shoulder, he offers one more suggestion. "Get some sleep. You don't want to be falling asleep as Jungkook and Y/N have their special ceremony, do you?"

"No," Jimin mutters back, but makes no effort to move. He can almost feel the heat of Namjoon's stare on his back. When he glances over his shoulder, the older boy is gone though, and Jimin finds himself again alone staring at the stars. He remains there for a few more minutes, until the sky no longer interests him and he does not want to dwell on his memories any longer. He gets up and trudges back to the group's shared room. Namjoon is back in his bed, seemingly asleep already, along with the other members. It takes a bit too much effort to climb to his bed on the top bunk thanks to his foot slipping off the ladder and nearly hitting Hoseok’s sleeping form below. Jimin gets there nonetheless and hitting his squeaky mattress with a thud. Someone shifts across the room but makes no further noise, so Jimin isn’t too concerned about having woken someone up.

He decides to check his phone one last time before trying to fall asleep. More than anything, he wants to send a final text to Y/N telling you that he’ll be looking for you tomorrow and still has dibs on taking you to dinner later as well. You’ve texted him already though, to his surprise, because he was expecting you to go to bed earlier.

Y/N: I’ll be looking for you tomorrow! My grandparents are in town too, so they want to treat us to any early dinner.

Jimin laughs under his breath, not at the message, but rather the fact that the two of you had such similar thoughts about texting. He rolls onto his side as he sends a text back before placing his phone to the side, deciding to try to rest so he won’t feel miserable tomorrow.

The lull of sleep does not come quickly, and Jimin finds himself staring at the ceiling for an uncertain amount of time. The stars hang at the forefront of his troubled mind, the indigo universe before him, and his best friend making silent wishes at his side. I wonder, did your wish come true? Jimin knows they were too young at the time to make any sort of serious wishes, he may have been thirteen or fourteen at the time so you would have only been eleven. Knowing you, you probably wished for a new pair of dance shoes. Then again, that was right before you left for Seoul...maybe your wish did come true. Jimin allows his head to fall to the side, gaze lingering on the muted form in the next bed over through the shroud of darkness.

At some point between that thought and his unfocused stare, sleep overtakes him, but not for long, seeing as it feels like he’s had his eyes shut for a few minutes when someone hits his mattress. Groaning, Jimin rolls over and attempts to cover his face with the blankets, but whoever woke him up is now atop the bed and the added weight prevents him from moving.

“Jiminie, you gotta wake up~” The singsong voice can only belong to one person, and as soon as Jimin recognizes it, he rolls over to face the person in question after exhaling a deep heave of breath.

“Hyung, five more minutes,” he whines in response. Hoseok laughs, hand contacting Jimin’s shoulder.

“We’ll be late if we wait any longer. Besides, we need to leave soon so we can get good spots to see Jungkook.” Hoseok pushes himself up, turning to hop down the ladder rungs and leaving Jimin to get up on his own now. As he glances around the room, it seems the other members have already gotten up and left the room, because aside from him and Hoseok, the room is empty.

“Did Jungkook already leave?” Jimin asks as he starts to climb down to the floor.

“No, his parents came by to see him a few minutes ago, but he said he wanted to ride with us to the school,” Hoseok explains. Jimin hums in acknowledgement of the older’s words. “Are uh, Y/N?” Hoseok passes a look Jimin’s way to double check that he got the name correct, at which point Jimin nods in approval. “Are her parents coming for the ceremony?” His hands near the dresser, but once Hoseok’s words process in his still sleep-hazed brain, he freezes, lips falling into a frown. The older man notices the hesitation within a second. Jimin senses the heat of the stare on his back and tries to shake off any signs of his emotions so that Hoseok doesn’t ask questions. He clears his throat, then looks in Hoseok’s direction.

“Her grandparents came all the way from Busan! She hasn’t seen them since 2009, so them being at the ceremony means the world to her. I saw them right before I came to Seoul, and they said they were trying to save up money to visit, so I know this is what all of them want most.” None of his words are false; perhaps, he is merely hiding the whole truth. Jimin honestly does not know much about your parents or family, except that you have lived with your grandparents for as long as he can remember and that your cousin became an idol in 2012. It has been a topic that he was curious about when he was younger, and he even asked his mom if she knew why you lived with your grandparents, but she had told him that she knew nothing about it. When he questioned you about the topic, you were open to telling him the things your grandparents shared with you. He knows about your mother, but as far as information about your father, he has none because you had none herself the last time he asked. Quite a bit of time has passed since then though, so perhaps he should ask again to see if there’s anything else he should know.

“Wow, five years? It must be hard for her to be away from family for so long.” Jimin busies himself with finding an outfit to wear to the ceremony while Hoseok continues to talk. “I guess she has her cousin, but I’m sure he stays busy with schedules and promotions being in a successful group and all…” Jimin grunts at the statement, an unintentional action that slips between his lips without warning, and Hoseok voices his concern the moment he hears the sound of exasperation. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing,” Jimin reassures, but the air tenses up rather than calming. He forces his lips to curl into a weak-willed smile, and although the older man does not appear to be convinced by the action, he leaves the topic alone nonetheless, and Jimin takes the air of freedom to his lungs. Escaping to the bathroom, he hurries to change clothes. The dorm’s air feels colder than usual, but it could simply be the fact that the winter weather is beginning to drag through March and shows no signs of relenting any time soon.

“Ready to go, Jimin?” Someone asks when he emerges from the bathroom. Due to being a bit distracted upon exiting, he nearly slams into said person, but he is quick enough to throw up his hands and maintain the distance as best he can.

“Ah, Namjoon-hyung. Sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I just need to drop the clothes on my bed, then I’ll be good to go.” Jimin holds up the wad of pyjamas, a sheepish smile decorating his lips. Namjoon laughs in response rather than saying anything and steps away to check his phone. Once he tosses his clump of clothes onto his bed, he rejoins his fellow members in the cramped living area. There is barely enough room for the six of them, so it is a wonder how they can manage to fit all seven of them in the room at one time, but they’ve done it before so obviously it’s not impossible. That being said, Namjoon, Hoseok, and Taehyung are pressed together on the couch that is barely big enough to fit two people on it. “Are we leaving now?” Jimin asks. Despite his gaze being on Namjoon, someone else responds with a typical drawling tired tone.

“We were waiting on you.”

“Oh you were? Sorry, hyung, I went to bed late last night.” Namjoon clicks his tongue against the roof of his mouth as he stands up, bumping Taehyung and Hoseok on the way up.

“I told you that you would be tired in the morning if you stayed up,” he chastises, but there is the slightest hint of a smile and a dimple on the leader’s face. Jimin rubs the back of his neck, heat climbs his cheeks and lands there, but he says nothing in response. Namjoon glances at his watch. “We better go so we can get a good view on the balcony.”

The fresh, outside air bites at his skin when he steps out the door. Tucking the wool scarf around his neck closer to his face, Jimin follows Seokjin to the van where their manager waits. A slight tremble rises in his fingers, and he clenches his fists as tight as possible to eradicate the feeling. Their manager, Sejin, opens the door to the car. As Jimin climbs in, he takes note of how Sejin wears only a short sleeved shirt and wonders how he doesn't complain about the cold because Jimin's fingernails are already turning slightly blue thanks to the chill. In fact, none of the other members, aside from Yoongi are bundled up in the same manner that Jimin is. When Taehyung falls into the seat beside him in the back of the van, he glances at Jimin's shivering form.

"Aren't you cold?" Jimin asks, trying to avoid the uncomfortable scrutiny.

"The weather's warmer than usual today actually," Taehyung responds, the corners of his lips dipping down too far for Jimin's liking. He prefers to be enraptured by the whizzing of traffic out the window to his left rather than blinking back at that perceptive expression which holds too much worry for his liking. The good about keeping your best friends far out of reach is the lack of questioning. No "how are you"s, or "are you okay"s, because they cannot see you, and Jimin believes that he much prefers it to hang in that strange state while he can keep it there.

Similar to the reminiscence of the night before, Jimin stares out a foggy window, one that bears the heat of his breath across the glass, except his stars and universe are not visible anymore. It slips through shaking fingers one more time. Time grants him reprieve, because the van slows to a stop in an empty parking slot near their destination. Perhaps he moves a bit too quickly as he climbs out of the car, because the world spins around him a few times before black settles onto the edges of his vision. A hand clasps his shoulder in efforts to steady him. Rather than voicing his gratitude, he curses himself for allowing the weakness to slip through the cracks. A smile pressed onto full lips, eyes forced shut to hide their drifting, and Jimin pulls away from the person steadying him in favor of heading to the building first. Seokjin walks alongside him, bearing a bouquet of flowers that Jimin never saw him pull out prior to now, but he decides not to question it. Instead - Damn, I forgot to get flowers for Y/N.

“When did you get the flowers, hyung?” he inquires, glancing at Seokjin out the corner of his eye. His voice comes out a bit muffled thanks to the scarf wrapped around his neck and face, but the older man understands him nonetheless.

“Taehyung and I stopped to get some yesterday. I meant to ask you if you wanted to come, but you ended up staying late at the studio practicing with Hoseok.”

“Yea, I should’ve gotten flowers for Y/N” He trails off, shifting his attention to the school building before them. A sigh, then he continues. “I feel bad. She always makes time to come see me and support us even though she has a busy schedule too. I wasn’t able to be there for her last year because I was so focused on debuting and trying to put myself out there.” His words are turning into a rant. Maybe he should be quiet, but these are things he has never gotten off his chest and to be able to release all the pent up emotions now is worth it to him. He catches the sideways look that Seokjin passes his way. The emotion in his eye sends a surging sensation through Jimin, one that threatens to cause his eyes to blur, but he manages to hold it back.

“I’m sure Y/N will be glad that you came. I may not know her well, but I doubt she’ll care if you bring her flowers or not. Besides, Taehyung got a bouquet for her. We aren’t coming empty handed at least, right?” Seokjin offers a smile, and it’s meant to comfort Jimin. The revelation that Taehyung thought to get her flowers and Jimin did not, however, arouses a foul taste in the back of his mouth. How long have I known her? He pushes those thoughts and feelings to the back of his mind, attempting to focus on the good side of the spectrum.

“You’re right, hyung!” A smile spreads across the older’s lips as Jimin says the words. “Maybe I’ll have a chance to talk to her before the ceremony starts too!”

The building, even though they arrived rather early, already bears halls full of smiling parents and families alongside new students who fidget with the edges of their yellow and black uniforms. The staff surrounding them directs the group to a staircase off to the side that isn’t as crowded as the others, saying that they wish to catch a few clips of them all together before Jungkook has to go work on his paperwork and join the other students in the auditorium. Jimin can’t help but to laugh as he watches Jungkook fidgeting with the edges of his uniform, and when the younger pouts at him, Jimin tackles him with a hug.

“Don’t be so nervous, Jungkookie! Everything will be fine.” Jungkook’s cheeks flush with color as Jimin rubs his hair and tries to shy away from the mothering of Jimin.

“There’s just a lot of people here. It makes me a bit nervous…”

“We perform in front of crowds all the time! Don’t think too hard about it, okay?” Jungkook runs a hand through his burgundy colored hair. The insecurity shines through his eyes, bearing two holes into Jimin’s skull, and he frowns back at the boy. “You look great, yea? We’ll be cheering for you the whole time.” This time, Jungkook grins, front teeth peeking over the edge of his lower lip.

“Thanks, hyung. I’ll be looking for you guys on the balcony, okay?”

“You better be! We’ll take lots of pictures too,” Jimin says, bumping against Jungkook’s shoulder. The younger overdramatizes the force of the nudge and proceeds to launch his body to the left. “I’m gonna take so many bad pictures of you and post them on Twitter now.” Jungkook is about to retort but Manager Sejin pulls him to the side, claiming that he needs to fill out his paperwork before the ceremony starts, and Jimin nearly cackles at the expression of disappointment on his face.

“Are you teasing our little Jungkookie, Jimin-ah?” An arm loops around Jimin’s shoulders as he is mid-laugh, and he glances over at the culprit to find Hoseok with his trademark grin, ears bent forward a little thanks to his beanie. “Let’s head upstairs and try to find a good spot to stand! I wanna get a good view for pictures.”

As they get closer to the main doors, more students come into view along with parents who fuss over the tidiness of the uniform or loose hairs that hang a bit too far into their child’s face. First instinct is to scan the crowd in search of Y/N, but Jimin soon realizes that he cannot do that given the amount of people in the hallway. Seokjin tugs the sleeve of his sweater as he attempts to drag Jimin to the nearest staircase, saying that it may be easier to find Y/N once they are up on the balcony. Despite those hopeful words, Jimin has the same amount of struggle in finding the teen when looking down from the balcony. Although Hoseok made it sound as though there weren’t going to be many spots left, the balcony remains relatively bare compared to the auditorium floor below, where students line up in their matching black and yellow uniforms. That mass of color doesn’t allow any single student to stand out, so finding Y/N would be a nightmare of its own.

Taehyung joins Jimin at the railing, looking down at the crowd with the same amount of awe. “Wow the class seems so big compared to ours, doesn’t it?”

“Yea, I didn’t realize this school took so many students for first year. I mean, when you see the graduating class, it seems a lot smaller than this.” Jimin scans the crowd still in search of his friend. The presence of cameras behind them should be more of a concern, but seeing as Taehyung makes no move to talk to them, Jimin doesn’t put much thought into it. Namjoon and Hoseok take over on their own, and as they do, Taehyung looks back over his shoulder to laugh along with his hyungs.

“Hey, there’s Jungkook again!” Hoseok rushes to Jimin’s side, a hand draping around his shoulder while the other points down near one of the entrance doors to the lower level. Jimin follows the trajectory of his finger with his eyes. Sure enough, their doe-eyed youngest member stands near the doors. Even though he is surrounded by many other students who stand in the same position as him, Jungkook does nothing to initiate conversation or interact with any of them. Jimin decides to join Hoseok in waving at the youngest.

“I bet he isn’t going to notice you two.” Yoongi laughs behind the pair as they continue to wave their arms at Jungkook. Hoseok smiles over his shoulder, saying something about how Yoongi ought to join them in waving,  but Jimin pays the words no mind. Rather, someone else captures his attention.

“Y/N!” He clasps the bar in front of him and leans forward.

“Where?” Taehyung throws his body at the bar too, squeezing back between Jimin and Seokjin to catch a glance of the aforementioned girl. Jimin points in the girl’s direction. As though sensing the sudden attention, you lift your chin, eyes finding the balcony, and then you lock gazes with Jimin. Your hair hangs loose, not confined to the band that keeps strands out of your eyes for once. He is almost positive that your grandmother requested the choice for you since you despise wearing your hair down so much. When you find him, a grin stretches your lips. Even with the distance, Jimin feels certain that he can see the soft crescents your eyelids form when you smile. Proud. Proud that he brought that smile to your face, proud that his mere presence gave you so much happiness. Validated. Yes, he feels very validated by the sight of it. Waving, Jimin beams back at you, and Taehyung joins him once he spots you. “Ah, she looks so different with the uniform on!”

“So does Jungkook. I can’t believe they’re both already in secondary school.” Jimin huffs as he rests his arms on the railing.

“Growing up right before our eyes.” Taehyung laughs and drops his arm on Jimin’s shoulder. The crinkling of plastic hits Jimin’s ears. He looks over at Taehyung, noticing the bouquet of flowers in his other hand. Taehyung must realize that Jimin is staring because he asks, “Did I pick the right kind of flowers? I wasn’t sure what her favorites were, so I picked one of those mixed bouquets.” White lilies, daisies with the yellow centers, dainty pink buds that haven’t bloomed yet, and huge daffodils with the sickly sweet scent Jimin catches even with the distance between them — he grins.

“She’ll love them. She always went straight for daffodils when we were younger.”

“Thank goodness! I’m gl—”

“Guys, look over there!” Hoseok is the one who snatches the attention away from Taehyung, motioning somewhere further along the balcony. Both Jimin and Taehyung lean back in search of the object of Hoseok’s focus. Inadequate, if Jimin had to describe the feeling in one word. All the sudden, the joy of pride and validation seep out of his body, pooling on the floor and leaving him with the bitter sensation that tingles in his fingertips. Taehyung’s eyes are as wide as can be, his mouth forming a small ‘o’ as he processes the people walking across the balcony. Jimin, on the other hand, cannot share in the same awe. The group of four stop only a couple feet away. It does not slip past Jimin’s notice when Yoongi slides further to the left and puts more distance between himself and the group. Namjoon nearly does the same but hesitates at the last second, eyes far too focused on the people.

The air chokes Jimin, holds his throat in a tight grip, and makes the world seem a lot slower than before. Every motion comes in slow motion. He shifts his gaze away from the group, allowing it to fall back down to where Y/N smiled up at him minutes ago. Gone. Not the girl, but rather, the smile. Now no longer directed at Jimin, at least. Instead, you fixate it on the group of newcomers who wave down at you and call your name.

“Hyung, isn’t that Taemin-sunbaenim?” Taehyung hisses under his breath, trying to keep the others from overhearing. His hand latches around Jimin’s wrist, but his question is meant for Hoseok.

“Yea...I think those are EXO members too, right?” The grip on his wrist tightens. “I didn’t think they would be here.”

“Well, Y/N must know them from trainee days, right Jimin?” With the attention now on him, Jimin clears his throat. Words refuse to come out though, and his voice produces no sound, so he resorts to a weak-willed nod. None of it is a secret to him; you told him all about it before, never failing to lengthen the list of high-profile names you have the pleasure of knowing. While Jimin knows that the names exchanged over those late night phone calls were never meant to spite him or be a brag, he also is well aware of the effect it has on him. When he reflects on it, those doubts come without want or warning. Compared to them...who is he? Jimin raise a hand to his face, fingers snagging the skin on his cheeks and pinching it tight. “—her cousin, remember?” He processes the fact that Taehyung speaks again, but the words fade in and out of existence. It takes too much will to tear himself away from the railing. And once he faces that intimidating group of idols near them, one familiar face in the distance eases his soul of worries.

“Ah, Grandma!” Even though he is not speaking to any of the people in his general vicinity, they all turn to him nonetheless. Jimin does not have it in him to care, because he finds himself midway across the balcony to greet the familiar faces. Two of the people he grew up alongside, two who helped raise him when they had no obligation to aside from Jimin simply being friends and neighbors with Y/N. Even though they aren’t blood-related, Jimin feels as though he seeing his family.

“Oh, Jiminie, look at you!” His frantic walk is halted by the older lady snatching his cheeks. “You’ve gotten so big in just a few years. Imagine what your mother would say if she saw you in person! Minjoon-ah, look at little Jimin. Doesn’t he look so different nowadays?” The words bring a blush to his ears, and he ducks as the lady tries to fuss over his hair. Her husband laughs at her antics and Jimin’s embarrassment.

“Grandma, you saw me less than a year ago! Why can’t you fuss over Y/N instead?” At the mention of the girl’s name, the woman halts her movements and starts to look around.

“Is she here already? Kyungsoo-ah, you have the flowers, right?” Jimin notices her second companion for the first time when she calls him by his name. Sure enough, a young man, probably close in age to Jimin, steps forward, bearing a bouquet similar to Taehyung’s. It takes half a second for Jimin to recognize him and realize exactly who he is, and once he does, that biting feeling in his gut returns. Plastering a smile across his lips, he greets Kyungsoo with a short bow. Kyungsoo shakes his head.

“Please, there’s no need for that. I’m—we’re not that different.” It comforts Jimin somewhat, but in the back of his mind, he knows that Kyungsoo’s statement couldn’t be further from the truth. They are on opposite ends of the spectrum, separate planes of existence, and Jimin can only hope to climb the mountain Kyungsoo climbs.

“She’s downstairs, grandma, already lined up with the rest of the students,” Jimin says as he straightens his back. He extends his arm for Grandma to hold onto, and she does, linking her arm with his. “I’ll point her out for you. She’s grown up so much in the past five years!”

“Oh has she? Minjoon-ah, dear, did you hear that?”

It’s not until they reach the railing that Jimin realizes how he’s holding himself up more than the woman with her arm linked through his. She bears most of his weight rather than the other way around, but she does so without any complaint or comment even though Jimin is sure that she is fully aware of the fact. He tries to push it to the back of his mind as he has been doing with most things today.

“Where is she, Jimin-ah? Help point her out for me, my eyes aren’t as good as they used to be.” Jimin laughs and points to where Y/N stands with his free hand.

“She has her hair down too. Doesn’t she look so grown up with the uniform on?” Her grandmother grips his arm tighter when she spots you.

“Oh, look at her! She got taller, didn’t she? Minjoon-ah, honey, do you see her?” She taps her husband’s arm despite the fact that he is looking in the same direction that she does. “Did she tell you that she wants to have dinner with you, Jimin-ah?” He nods and hums in response to her question, eyes scanning the people below in search of Jungkook. “Kyungsoo dear, are your friends going to join us too?” Jimin halts his search in favor of looking at the person in question. Please no. Can he handle being surrounded by that many intimidating people? With Y/N no less? Doubt builds in Jimin’s gut like a tower.

“Yes, I think some of them will,” he answers with a broad grin. The sensation of fingers closing around his throat makes it difficult to breathe. Jimin slips his arm out of Grandma’s, allowing the railing to catch his weight instead. “We may have to leave a bit early because of schedules sadly.”

“I understand, dear. You’re getting busier and busier as the days go on!” At those words, Kyungsoo looks Jimin in the eye, the emotion behind his large brown eyes nearly indiscernible. Jimin is only able to understand it because of the way the previous statement cuts.

“It must be hard,” Jimin says through a smile. “Part of me is glad that I still have time to breathe. It probably feels like a luxury to you, especially travelling back and forth so much.” That “part” of him takes up maybe one percent of Jimin’s whole body. He would love to be in Kyungsoo’s position now: one of the hottest rising groups in the country with projections that assume the further skyrocketing of the group as time goes on. Jimin doesn’t want to think about the projections for BTS right now, as they would be less than pleasant. The pity drops from Kyungsoo’s eyes as Jimin speaks though, and right now, he is grateful for that much.

“Thank you. Enjoy it while it lasts though, because you guys are on an upward trajectory. I know you’ll start getting similar schedules soon enough.” Kyungsoo rubs his neck, trying to hide the embarrassment of the compliment. Grandma leans over and tries to grab hold of his cheeks. “Ah, grandma, please!” Jimin laughs at the sight, a familiar warmth filling his chest. He faces forward and props both arms on the railing rather than saying anything in response to Kyungsoo’s hopeful words about his future. He finds Y/N in the crowd one more time, a slight upturn to his lips even though you don’t look at him. Jungkook stands a couple feet away, tugging on his jacket and trying to make his collar sit flat.

"Ah, excuse me, ma'am!" Jimin jerks his head to find Taehyung standing nearby. Hands clasped under his chin, the younger boy grins wide at Grandma, who smiles back despite the fact that she has no clue who Taehyung is. "I know we haven't met, but…you are Y/N’s grandmother and grandfather? Is that correct, ma'am?"

"Yes, dear! Are you a friend of hers?" Grandma's eyes seem to light up at the prospect, and Jimin can't blame her, considering how long she has been apart from her grandchild and hasn't met many of your friends aside from Jimin himself. Taehyung offers a bow at her confirmation, speaking as he straightens his back.

"I'm one of Jimin's same-age friends, and we are in the same group actually. I know Y/N through him!" The smile never leaves his lips, and he motions to Jimin with enthusiasm. "I wanted to introduce myself. I've heard a lot about the two of you through Jimin, and a bit through Y/N. I don't talk to her much, but she always speaks highly of you when we do talk." Grandma reaches out to Jimin, grabbing hold of his bicep and squeezing it as she lands a gaze full of warmth on him. "Oh! I almost forgot to introduce myself. My name is Kim Taehyung!"

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, Taehyung!" Grandma switches her hand over to Taehyung's. With his bandmate close by, the pressure of standing amongst idols of higher caliber lessens and allows Jimin to breathe easier. The starstruck sensation lingers, especially seeing Taemin — an idol whom he has admired for years — a couple feet away. Taehyung continues to chat with Grandma but shifts closer to the railing to look down at the crowd with Jimin. Below, students have lined the floor of the auditorium, standing so close to each other that they nearly breathe down the neck of the person in front of them. A high pitched squeak resounds, then a man leans forward to speak into the microphone at the podium in the front.

“Oh, is it starting now?” Taehyung asks.

“Seems like it is. Jungkook won’t stop messing with his uniform.”

“He must be nervous. Y/N doesn’t appear to be having any trouble though!”

“Yea, this is the easy part. It’ll be a different story when she has to go to the front.” Jimin brings a hand to his hair and runs his fingers through it as a deep breath rushes after his words.

“Hold on, look here! Let’s get a picture before it starts.” Jimin grins at the camera of Taehyung’s phone while the other boy brings two fingers in the shape of a ‘v’ to his cheek. He snaps two, three, four pictures before being satisfied with the outcome. “I’m gonna take some pictures of Jungkook and Y/N too.” Taehyung giggles as he zooms in on Jungkook’s back, the youngest completely unaware of the shuttering of the camera.

Jimin waits until he snaps a few pictures of Y/N as well to say something. “Neither of them know you’re taking the picture!”

“They don’t need to right now,” Taehyung aruges, “and I’ll get more photos after we’re done! Besides, we’re doing a group vlog as well, so I’ll have that to remember today.” Taehyung bumps his shoulder against Jimin and keeps his eye on the phone to review the pictures he snapped.

“Ah, I promised to go to dinner with Y/N.”

“How about you just come to the same place? Then you can just switch between tables so you don’t miss out on the vlog. Wait, shh! They started talking.”

Sure enough, the man in the crisp black suit has begun a speech about the school and what a privilege it is to have such a group of new students. Jimin doesn’t stay tuned after that though, thanks to his mind drifting off into thoughts of his own family. You happen to be the harbinger of those thoughts, though it is not inherently your fault or doing. Moreso, it’s that Jimin grew up alongside you, and his younger brother shares a similar age with you, thus he entered high school recently too. Thanks to his profession and schedule (even though not nearly as chaotic as someone like Kyungsoo’s), Jimin missed his brother’s entrance ceremony, and he missed a number of other special family events as well. Even though the move to Seoul was in pursuit of his dreams, the slight sting of dejection arises every time he thinks of the family he hasn’t seen in awhile.

The emotion dissipates for some time, that is until dinner comes, and they arrive at the restaurant of Jungkook’s choosing. Jungkook’s family delivers the younger to the restaurant, letting their youngest sit at the table alongside the other members. Their presence brings Jimin’s distress back, because seeing them smile and laugh together as a family hurts. Your presence — or lack thereof — doesn’t do anything for his mood either, so he’s left wearing the mask of a smile directed at the camera that records a new vlog for their channel. Although they don’t have to do much talking, Jimin finds his spot at the table to be an ill-placed one, because the leader sits across from him, and those perceptive and concerned eyes that fell on him last night have made another appearance here. His phone vibrates within the confines of his pocket, and he hastens to fish it out and check the screen, finding a text from you there.

Y/N: i’m sorry jimin but we have to take kyungsoo over to the company building for his schedules >-< are you guys already eating???

Jimin: yea…

Your response is an immediate one, and the sight of it causes Jimin’s heart to plummet further.

Y/N: ahh don’t wait on us please!! go ahead and eat! i’m sorryyyyy, i was really looking forward to this ugh. do you wanna meet up at the park after dinner??

Jimin: let’s do it!! we haven’t gone in a long time, so that’ll be fun! text me when you’re ready to meet up!

Y/N: will do!!! see you in a bit!

When his phone hits the table, Jimin bites the inside of his cheek and glares at his plate. Second best. No, not even that. Why does it always feel this way? Too much heat hits the side of his face, more than one person looks his way, and he desires to duck away from the sudden stares.

“Everything okay, Jimin?” Namjoon proposes the question.

“Yes, hyung.”

“Is Y/N on her way?”

“Ah, no, actually.”

Taehyung cuts in, “She isn’t?”

“Something came up and…” Jimin trails off as his phone buzzes again. More than one set of eyes glances at the screen, and he quickly flips the device over, ignoring the flash of the caller ID across the top. “We’re gonna meet up later. Sorry that you won’t get to talk to her more, Tae.” Taehyung pouts and pushes the frames around his eyes further up his nose.

“It’s fine!” He grins across the table. “I at least got to talk to her right after the ceremony and give her the flowers! Plus, since Jungkook and her share the same classes, we might get to see her more, right?” Namjoon drags his tongue over the front of his teeth, eyes shifting between Taehyung and Jimin. When he meets eyes with the latter, he shakes his head ever so slightly. Of course, Jimin understands the concern. More time spent with you equals higher possibilities of rumors spreading, then a detrimental article surrounding the group. At the end of the day, Jimin would never want to be the cause of such misfortune. Yet Taehyung keeps grinning, squeezing his hands together and bringing then under his chin. Jimin’s heart clenches in his chest. How many people do I have to push out of my life? And for what? A failed dream?

As they are leaving the restaurant over an hour later, Namjoon holds him back from the group with the request to walk with him for a bit. The other members continue around them: Jungkook walking between his parents, Seokjin wrestling with Taehyung playfully, Hoseok checking the pictures Yoongi took during the ceremony and dinner.

“Sure thing, hyung. Anything on your mind?” Jimin suspects what the topic might be, but humors the question anyways.

“Um, I don’t want this to sound harsh or…it isn’t my intention to try to control your life or your relationships, but considering our current position, the best thing you could do right now is to put a bit of distance between you and Y/N.”

“It’s okay, hyung! I get it, I do. I understand, um, it makes sense.”

“I don’t want to ruin your friendship with her, please know that. At the moment, it comes down to keeping our personal lives separate from our work ones. Thus, we should strive to not let any strains that might come out of personal lives show in our work lives, yea? I sound bitter, don’t I?” Namjoon rubs the space between his eyebrows. Jimin hurries to shake his head and deny the claims, placing a tentative hand on his leader’s arm.

“No, hyung, I get it. And you had to sacrifice a lot more than I did for this — this life, dream, career. I’ll be more careful in the future, I promise, but could I please meet her at the park tonight? She asked if I could, and…maybe it could be something like me being selfish one more time.”

“You aren’t being selfish, Jimin, and it would be depressing to think that spending time with friends or family is supposed to be a selfish thing, because it isn’t nor is it meant to be that way. Gah, I’m sorry,” Namjoon mutters. “Hopefully things won’t be this way in the future, and we won’t have to worry about it anymore. Be able to live life the way we want and be happy, huh?” The smile spreading across his lips fills Jimin with nothing but dread. Are we a hopeless case?

“One day, hyung.”

“Let’s get going. I don’t wanna keep the others waiting for too long.” Namjoon leads the way to the van, and Jimin follows close behind, phone buzzing from his pocket yet again. This time, he opts to answer the call, however, immediately apologizing for not answering earlier.

“Oh, it’s okay!” You insist, voice bright, and Jimin can envision the smile on your face as you speak. “Don’t worry about it! I just got to the park, do you know when you’ll be available?”

“We’re about to leave the restaurant and head for the dorm! I’ll ask if they can drop me off at the park along the way, okay?” Jimin taps Namjoon’s shoulder as he speaks, asking with his eyes if that’s alright. Namjoon bobs his head a few times before leaning forward to inform Sejin of the slight change in plan.

“That sounds great! See you soon!”

“Was that Y/N-ah?” Taehyung inquires as soon as Jimin hangs up the phone. Nodding a few times, Jimin crawls into the van behind Namjoon, sitting in the only seat available beside the window.

“Are her grandparents gonna bring you back to the dorm? It’s a bit far to walk,” Namjoon mentions.

“I’ll ask her when I get there. I’m sure her grandparents will take her back to her apartment, and I don’t think they’ll mind dropping me off at the dorm. It’s not a far drive either.”

“Sounds good, just text me or one of the others so we at least know you’re safe.”

“Sure thing, hyung.” Jimin bites back a yawn, the exhaustion of little sleep the previous night catching up to him at last. “It’s not too late yet thankfully, and I doubt we’ll be there for hours and hours, so I shouldn’t be back too late.” Namjoon acknowledges the statement with a nod, and Jimin takes it as an opportunity to end the conversation there, watching the buildings and scenery whiz by out the window instead.

The ride takes little to no time, only a few minutes passing between the time they climb into the car to when Sejin pulls up next to the sidewalk to let Jimin get off, and he waves goodbye to his fellow bandmates for the time being, waiting for the van to pull away safely before turning to examine the park. The two of you have come to this place a few times since he got to Seoul, but the beauty here cannot hold a candle to the beauty back home on the hill under the stars. Even glancing up at the few stars able to peek through the golden shroud of city lights are nothing in comparison to the ones back home.

Something slams against his shoulder, sending him reeling and startling him out of his home related reverie.

“Hey stargazer.”

Jimin scoffs as he faces the offender, recognizing the voice in an instant. “Wow, how cheesy can you get?” You poke your tongue out at him. You still wear your uniform, the yellow appearing even more like mustard under the streetlamp.

“I could’ve called you a loser or a nerd instead, but I was nice.”

“Yah, you don’t get to call me that! I’m older than you.” Jimin punches your shoulder lightly, and you fight back immediately, slapping away his fists whenever they get close to you.

“Can we please just go sit down? I’m tired,” you whine in the middle of an attack.

“Wow, Y/N. You’re tired? Tired? How dare you be tired?” Jimin loops an arm around your shoulders, dragging you along as he walks towards the grassy parts of the park. “Tired from all that standing you did? Is this what you’ve turned into without training?”

“No! Tired from all those people and all the talking.” Jimin snickers behind his hand, releasing you so that he can collapse on the grass. The icy touch seeps through his clothes and chills his skin even with the layers. The ground beside him crunches, giving way to his companion sitting cross-legged beside him. The sound of your sigh hits his ears before he sees your lips part.

“Did you enjoy it though? Think you’ll like the school?”

“Yea, it seems…a bit overwhelming but, I think it’ll be a good fit for me. I don’t know. I’m excited. I think. Scared? Yea, scared too.”

“That’s normal! Everything will start balancing out and getting easier as time goes by. You’ll have tons of fun too.” The cold hits his hair as he falls onto his back, eyes finding the sky. You remain sitting up, but your gaze also goes upwards.

“I hope so…I want to meet new people and make friends, but at the time it terrifies me. I guess it’s just scary that I don’t know anyone yet.”

“Well, almost all the other students are in the same boat! And you know Jungkook! You guys will have some of the same classes.” You scoff, facing Jimin with narrowed eyes.

“We rarely talk, and any time we do, it’s because someone else is in the conversation with us.” Jimin purses his lips yet neglects to reply since her words rings true. “Enough about me though. That’s not important right now. How are you? You’ve lost a bit of weight since I last saw you, but that wasn’t too long ago.” Jimin brushes off the concern with a laugh.

“It’s just the exercise regimen, Y/N. I’m getting more muscular nowadays.” You bite your lower lip, head tilting to the side as his words register. “Honestly, I’ve been feeling a lot of stress. I worry that we won’t get much attention for our next comeback, or maybe we won’t even have one. It isn’t fun to think about, but those are the thoughts that return day in and day out.”

“You’ll have lots of comebacks! I know your company won’t give up on you so soon, and you all deserve this chance more than anything.”

“Thanks for saying that but…” Jimin doesn’t finish his train of thought; instead, he links his fingers and cradles them under his head. “Hey, can I ask a random question?”

“Fire away.”

“When you decided to quit training, how certain were you?”

“Certain about quitting?” You clarify, then hum as you contemplate an answer. “I would say fifty percent certain. I didn’t want to quit, but at the same time, I didn’t see it as my future. That was the deciding factor. Well, after talking to you and Kyungsoo and others, that is. I know I couldn’t have decided that alone. It’s too much to ask. I’m still young, right? I shouldn’t have to decide my future now.”

“Would you ever change your mind?” The question comes through the hesitance in his tone, but you don’t waste any breath in responding.

“Never.” Despite what you said about uncertainty, you speak in a firm tone.

“How can you be so confident in your decision? I mean, you’re younger than I am, and I have so many about the path I’ve chosen for my future. It doesn’t make sense for you to have it all figured out before I do.”

“Being confident in my decision to walk away from that future doesn’t mean I have everything figured out. It just means I chose to prioritize living my life the way I wish to rather than letting someone else decide for me.” The heat of your gaze hits his face, and he knows that you tilt your chin to look in his direction. Instead of responding, he opts to blink at the night sky and tries to find the horizon through the hazy yellow film the city creates.

“I want this. I really do.” He whispers the words more to himself, but his companion hears them nonetheless.

“Then you shouldn’t let anything stand in your way,” you say in a soft tone, “and I know you, Jimin. Four years of training at a company that produces some of the biggest groups, and I never once met someone with your determination, your passion, or your energy. You’re already one of the best out there, the world just hasn’t woken up and recognized that yet. It must be hard for you right now, but please don’t give up like I did. Even though I don’t want to go back, I regret leaving a piece of myself there.” Jimin turns to you at last. The smile that graces your lips is as quaint as ever, still the same as it was the day he met you all those years ago. The only difference between that child and the current you that sits next to him now is the growth of going through the harsh reality of this business. He smiles back, and as he does something catches his eye in the sky. A quick flash of light. He laughs at its appearance among the stars.

“Hey Y/N, there’s a shooting star. Make a wish?”

“I guess we’re never too old to hope for a little luck, huh?” You squeeze your eyes shut, holding your hands under your chin as she used to, and Jimin joins you. He mutters his wish to himself, the same one he has always had. “What’d you wish for, Park Jimin?”

“I can’t tell you that.”

“Pinky promise you’ll tell me when it comes true then?” Your outstretched pinky finger and the grin on your lips coerces him to link his finger with yours. That typical breathy laugh of yours fills the air around them, dulling the night noise some and taking Jimin back home to a similar scenery and position. It echoes through his soul, capturing the air in his lungs and sending it out to the world in the form of a breathy sound.

He laughs.

The universe around him shifts, and stars that glisten in your eyes reflect back at him. He holds the sensation close, cradles it against his heart, and allows the warmth of it to fill his whole body. The distant dreams, naive wishes, and foolish promises come back to him all at once, striking with the force of a typhoon, and he finds himself falling back against the grassy floor. Indigo hangs above his eyes, an indigo littered with millions of shimmering lights. Reaching out, he stretches onwards, striving to grasp that elusive dream which hangs above him. Reaching out, he touches it, and with that touch, serenity finds him for the first time in over two years.

...

written by: jungtaeyoongles

a.n. i am so much more happy with how this turned out, even though much of it is the same! i feel that writing in the format with allow me to have a bit more flexibility and not feel tied down to too many details about the main character if she is the reader rather than an oc. please leaves your thoughts and comments! i’d love to know what you think! 

[themagiciansreccenter]

Author Spotlight: @high-king-margo​

Every week we interview a writer from The Magicians fandom. If you would like to be interviewed or you want to nominate a writer, get in touch via our ask box.

First things first, tell us a little about yourself.

Hey there! I'm Lexi (or some people may know me as Nell). I'm in my early 20s, recently graduated with a creative writing degree and certificate in publishing and still trying to learn how to navigate the real world! I love all things creative and when I'm not writing, I'm doing art or playing music or spending time with my pets!

How long have you been writing for?

I started taking writing seriously in seventh grade, but I didn't start writing fanfiction until tenth.

What inspired you to start writing for The Magicians?

The characters, for sure. I love the world and the story, but the characters are all so complex, so beautiful and ugly in their own ways, it's just thrilling to write about them regardless of context--especially the way they interact with one another.

Who is/are your favourite character(s) to write? What it is about them that makes them your favourite?

Margo 100%! Her voice just comes easily to me, and I love the depth of her character. We're all familiar with her armor at this point, and since I watched the show this past summer I've loved poking under the hood at all the soft mushy bits. She has an incredible capacity for love and my favorite thing is to drag that part of her out into the open.

Do you have a preference for a particular season/point in time to write about?

I generally prefer to write canon-compliant stuff, so my favorite point to write about is after whatever the last episode to have aired was! Easy between seasons, not so much during them. As for a particular season, I haven't actually written anything taking place during season 2, but I would really like to!

Are you working on anything right now? Care to give us an idea about it?

Yep, I'm working on Timeline 25 off the 39 Graves Project! I don't have a real title for it yet, but it's currently the longest thing I've ever written, so it's a lot of feeling around in the dark and experimenting for me. It's in two parts: Julia and Margo. They're two very different sides of the same situation.

How long is your “to do list”?

Not very long, but that's probably because I don't keep a real list, just random ideas floating around in my head! I do have three fics in progress that I may or may not ever finish, but other than that I have maybe two or three more ideas.

What is your favourite fic that you’ve written for The Magicians? Why?

"Just to Bring You Home." It's the longest oneshot I've ever written, and I did it based on an ask from the prompt exchange thinking it would be quite a bit shorter than it was. I love the dynamic (what little of it there is) between Margo and Kady, so I took it and ran, and it ended up being something I was really proud of!

Many writers have a fic that they are passionate about that doesn’t get the reception from the fandom that they hoped for. Do you have a fic you would like more people to read and appreciate?

I've only written three fics, but for this I'd say "So Far From Where I Want to Be." It's a His Dark Materials (or The Golden Compass) daemon AU, so that probably put people unfamiliar with it off, but I think daemons make character studies ten times more interesting, so I went for it! It was the first fic I wrote for The Magicians, and it's a little outdated now that we've had Margo's big episode in 410, but it's how I saw her and her relationship to sex, and it honestly probably always will be.

What is your writing process like? Do you have any traditions or superstitions that you like to stick to when you’re writing?

It's a struggle. It's hard for me to start working and it's hard for me to keep working, even if I enjoy the work, so if I want any hope of getting anything substantial done I have to completely block my internet. If I'm feeling extra focused I'll put on instrumental music in the background, but usually I need as few distractions as possible, and boy is that hard when your own mind is a distraction!

Do you write while the seasons are airing or do you prefer to wait for hiatus? How does the ongoing development of the canon influence and inspire your writing process?

This is my first year in the fandom, so most of my writing has been done during the season, but I definitely prefer to wait for hiatus and I'll feel a lot more at ease writing fic once the season ends! I'm not really sure how the development of canon influences me, though; I take note of new details about the characters, but since I tend to write based on the most recent episode or outside the canon timeline altogether, it doesn't affect me that much.

What has been the most challenging fic for you to write?

I know I'm still in the middle of it, but Timeline 25 by far. It took an amount of planning I quite frankly wasn't prepared for and several structural revamps, and even now that I know what I'm doing, it's a lot of work keeping everything consistent and flowing well.

Are there any themes or tropes that you like particularly like to explore in your writing?

I have a thing for feelings confessions. I just think the point at which characters admit to themselves and to other people who they love and how they love them is really interesting, so I tend to explore that!

Are there any writers that inspire your work? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I'm gonna be honest, when I read fanfiction I kind of...forget to look and see who wrote it? I leave kudos and comments, but I'm just now realizing I have no idea who my favorite fic authors are! The one I'm sure of is OurLadyOnTheOtherSide, because they're The BattleKing writer and I fell into the ship deep this season. I don't do a lot of reading in general anymore (it's bad, and I'm trying to fix it, but it's gotten a lot harder since high school), but as for published authors and screenwriters, Neil Gaiman, Philip Pullman, and Mike Flanagan are the ones who come to mind.

What are you currently reading? Fanfiction or otherwise?

I started "The Forest Queen" by Betsy Cornwell in January and haven't gotten past the first few chapters...oops. I have a whole pile of books I should be reading, but I haven't.

What is the most valuable piece of writing advice you’ve ever been given?

Don't stop to mull over small details or even whole sections if it's slowing you down or keeping you at a standstill. If you can't think of a word, put something random in brackets and search the document for brackets after you're done writing to get those words right. Highlight things you're unsure of to come back to later. Put a line break with the word "SKIP" in all caps if you can't figure out how to get from one scene to another. Anything to keep going! Doing these things has honestly saved a lot of my writing from collecting dust because of getting stuck on something insignificant.

Are there any words or phrases you worry about over using in your work?

I think very cinematically when I write, so I usually see and hear the characters pretty clearly, which means a lot of sighing and shrugging and glancing etc., because that's what human beings do. The thing about writing is that you've got to shave down some of those human things or it gets to be too much, and I struggle with that.

What was the first fanfic that you wrote? Do you still have access to it?

It was a crossover between Victorious and iCarly and...the Portal games. I think I could find it if I tried, but I'd really rather not.

Rapidfire Round!

Self-edit or Beta?

Self-edit

Comments or Kudos/Reblogs or Likes?

Comments and reblogs every time!

Smut, Fluff or Angst?

Angst with fluff thrown in, but I'd like to try smut at some point.

Quick & Dirty or Slow Burn?

Quick & Dirty, because I almost exclusively write oneshots.

Favourite Season?

Season Three

Favourite Episode?

4x10

Favourite Book?

Haven’t read them.

Three favourite words?

sweetheart, haunted, murmur

Want to be interviewed for our author spotlight? Get in touch here.

[seriouslyhooked]

Souvenirs (A CS AU) Part 5/14

A Modern CS AU where Emma has grown up in Maine her whole life and runs a store with Ruby and MM. Killian Jones is the new guy in town, who just bought the local bar. Only Emma and Killian have met before and now she can’t help but wonder if their past has influenced his plans for the future. Includes tons of fluff and a happily ever after. Rated M.

Part One Here, Part Two Here, Part Three Here, Part Four Here

A/N: Hey all! The first part of this chapter is from Killian’s POV and the second is from Emma’s. It’s so incredibly fluffy and when I first wrote it I truly thought I had out done myself on the fluff scale. BUT I am also introducing a new character who will be helping Emma and the others at Three Fates. So strap in for a bonanza of cute, and cuddly. We all deserve it in a world that is less than perfect, so just treat your self.

Even if he tried, there was no way that Killian Jones could keep the smile off of his face. It had been a few weeks since his first arriving in Storybrooke, and he couldn’t have dreamed that it would turn out this well. Hell, part of him had been worried that he’d come here and Emma wouldn’t even remember him, or that yes she’d already have found someone else, but he’d known, deep in his soul that he had to try. He couldn’t take another day living with the what-if, he needed to know if the two of them had truly been everything he’d felt during their one night five years ago.

Now he knew for certain that they were so much more than that. Emma was talented and determined, hard working and honest, but she was also kind and beautiful and incredibly easy to love. It had taken all of thirty seconds in her presence to be entirely sure he’d made the right decision. The way the flush had crept over her cheeks, and her eyes had widened when she’d first seen him. Her emerald gaze had been torn between surprise, frustration, and yearning and yet she’d been the brave one, saying yes from the start and giving him a chance after all this time. Killian was in awe of her and absolutely determined to never ever let her down again.

“Hey boss, what are we thinking for the countertops? High polish or a more natural sanding?”

Killian looked up from his desk in the back office of his newly acquired bar to find Graham Huntsman, his head contractor on this job and the lighthouse. Killian liked Graham and could tell that beyond his work ethic and clear skill in his field, he was a good man, an honorable man. It made working with him easy, which wasn’t always a given in his line of work.

“Do you have an opinion, Graham?” The man looked surprised at having been asked for his thoughts, but he nodded.

“Yeah, actually. I was thinking the more natural look might be better. Ruby showed me some of the pictures of what this place used to look like back in the day, and while the style would need revamping less polish would probably better work for the overall ambiance you’re trying to achieve.”

Though Killian and Graham nearly always stayed on the business when conversing, Killian noted that this was the third time today alone that Graham had managed to bring Ruby up into the conversation. Clearly there was a level of caring there, and he had to wonder how far it went past friendship.

“Sounds good, Graham.”

“Also, Sherriff Nolan is here for you.”

Killian stood up at that, eager to see his new friend. Over the past few weeks, Killian’s opinion of David had only improved, and it was nice to have someone besides Emma who made the town of Storybrooke seem more welcoming. He had never been the kind of man to have a swarm of friends, but he had left a life back in London, and between missing the presence of his brothers, and few best mates there, it was nice to know there were good people in the little town in Maine too.

“Ah Dave, what brings you here?” David smirked at that as he walked in before replying.

“I’m here on a mission actually. I’m supposed to invite you and Emma to a dinner party at my house this weekend. Mary Margaret has insisted that you be there.” Killian raised an eyebrow at that. He’d come to find that Mary Margaret was ever the planner, but surely David must know that he could have little to say about it without Emma’s thoughts.

“Mary Margaret works with Emma, but decided it would be best for you to invite me?” David shook his head.

“No I volunteered for the job, because I’m aware that you sprung for that ultimate cable package and Liverpool is playing Thursday night.” Killian laughed.

“So you were looking for one invite in exchange for another.”

“Well fair is fair.”

“Alright mate, sounds good to me. Hey can I ask you something?” David nodded. “Are Huntsman and Ruby together?”

“Yes and no. Yes, because it’s clear as day they’re both pining away for each other. No, because they’re both too chicken shit to do anything about it.” Hearing David swear signaled a growing frustration that Killian had to marvel at. It took a lot to bother the sheriff.

“Tell me how you really feel.” David raised his hands in surrender.

“Sorry, sorry, its just Mary Margaret is constantly talking about it. At least before you were here she had Emma to worry about too. Now almost all of our conversation is divided between an undying joy about you and Emma and utter despair that Ruby and Graham can’t get their shit together.”

Killian mulled this over. A few weeks ago, he never would have thought to get involved. It wasn’t his business whether Graham and Ruby confessed their feelings to each other, but as someone in the grips of love, who knew that taking that first step had a far better pay off than sitting around wondering what could be, Killian knew he should try and help. That didn’t mean he had to do it alone.

“So getting them together would ease the burden of your necessary emotional support?”

“Undoubtedly.”

“Splendid. Let’s get that done then. Hey, Graham!”

Killian called and David just stared at him, his eyes growing wider as if Killian had three heads or had gone completely mental. Maybe he had, but Killian couldn’t fend off a sneaking suspicion that it would be more than Mary Margaret excited at the prospect of Ruby finding love. Emma too would rather like it, and there was nothing Killian wanted more than to provide Emma with anything and everything she wanted.

“You called?” Killian smiled, trying to ease the awkward blow of what was to come.

“Enough is enough, Huntsman. It’s time to pick yourself up and go tell the girl how you feel.” Graham crossed his arms against his chest and took a step back.

“Excuse me? I don’t know what you’re talking -,” Killian raised a hand.

“Look mate, take it from someone who knows, there comes a time when waiting is no longer an option. You care for Ruby.” It was a statement, not one that Killian needed answered, but one that Graham nodded to in the end. “And she cares for you, but if you don’t make your move someone else will and you may very well face a day when the girl you want is no longer the girl you can have.”

“Ruby and I are friends though. I don’t want to jeopardize that. I don’t want to risk losing her.” It was strange, seeing this mostly quiet man have a moment of insecurity, but Killian could relate. Love was a tricky thing that way.

“Care to step in, Dave?” Killian could hand off the imparting of Ruby’s feelings to his new friend. Hell, he shouldn’t be doing all the work here.

“Look, Graham. I’ve known you and Ruby a long time, and she loves you. You’re both like two puppies circling each other and have been a long ass time. And you’ve lost a lot of people a lot of money who thought one of the two of you would get it together and do something about it before now.”

Killian nearly choked on the water he was drinking at David’s blunt words. Well, that was certainly one way to try and convince the man to take the plunge.

“Okay.” Graham looked between David and Killian now resigned to the need for action, but then the man smiled and Killian knew they were in trouble. “But I’m gonna need some help.”

“We’re in,” David offered without any sort of reassurance and so it was. The three of them were off to see if Graham might be able to win the girl and secure Emma and Mary Margaret’s happiness in the process.

………………………

“I have to hand it to you, Mary Margaret, you were right, having help for the store has made this so much more manageable.”

Emma and Mary Margaret were enjoying a five-minute coffee break as the store’s new assistant, Tiana, helped a customer at the jewelry counter. Within days, Tiana had picked up the vibe of not only Three Fates, but of the friends who ran it. She stood at the case dressed in the put-together but casual attire that was unspoken but prevalent at the store, with wide brown eyes, long black hair pulled back in a tight bun and a faint blush of excitement kissing her darker complexion.

It had taken less than a day for Tiana to answer the ad Mary Margaret strategically put up at the local art college for help in the store, and from everything Emma could tell she was perfect for the job. Studying design herself, and always ready with an easy smile, Tiana had the personality and intuition needed to really make a difference in the store, and with her here, Emma could focus more on meeting the demands of her impending summer line launch than if she had to be monitoring the retail end too.

What had really sold Emma on Tiana though were her ambition and her drive. The girl was a force of nature if her resume was any indication. She was involved in a number of clubs and activities while maintaining top grades at school where she was on scholarship, and attending classes full-time. Despite the already harrowing schedule, Tiana signed on to work twenty hours a week here, and somehow, even though it seemed crazy, Emma knew that she was more than able to keep all those commitments. They were very lucky to have found her, though, and would enjoy her help until she no doubt found her own path to success.

“I just love her. You know, she showed me how to get the stain out of the office rug yesterday? I think she might be magic.”

Emma laughed at that. Worming one’s way into Mary Margaret’s good graces was easy, but her friend did not throw around the ‘m’ word lightly. Tiana must have truly been a special kind of person. Or Mary Margaret had just been desperate to get that stain out. Emma figured both of those statements were likely true.

“Hey, have any of you heard from Graham today?” Ruby asked as she approached from the back office. Emma and Mary Margaret both shook their heads that they had not. “I texted him about lunch, but he didn’t respond.”

That was odd considering that the two friends met up nearly every day to do so. Emma had always found it strange that her best friend, so clearly taken with Graham for so long, had never acted with her usual confidence and boldness. Anytime Emma or Mary Margaret brought up making the first move to Graham Ruby’s reply was always the same – ‘he doesn’t feel that way about me.’ Emma knew that to be blatantly false, all it took was sixty seconds in their company to know they were both head over heels, but Emma could only do so much to try and convince her friend.

Just then, something caught Emma’s eye outside and she looked past her friends through the glass windows of the store. There were people walking in the middle of the street, blocking traffic down the way, and a crowd was gathering. That was weird and very notable not the norm for a given weekday.

“What the hell?” Emma’s words caused Mary Margaret and Ruby to look too, just as Granny came running into the store.

“Do you know about this?” the older woman huffed out her breath as she had clearly raced over here.

“Know about what?” Ruby asked. Her grandmother smiled, a wide toothy grin and clasped her hands together with a look of pure delight.

“It’s time, honey.” Ruby was still confused.

“Time for what?” Granny looked to Mary Margaret and Emma.

“He’s finally done it.” Neither woman needed more context, because everyone knew that the whole town was waiting on Graham to make a move with Ruby. That was the only thing that could get everyone so frenzied, and Granny Lucas so excited.

“Really?! Oh Ruby, let’s go see.” Mary Margaret was brimming with anticipation and started playing with Ruby’s long flowing hair to have it looking the best it could.

“Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?!” Ruby was nearing panic at this point, so confused as to everyone’s reactions. Emma steadied her by placing a hand on her friend’s arm.

“There’s a reason Graham didn’t respond, Ruby.” The mention of Graham brought the same rush of emotions coursing over Ruby’s face and Emma smiled at her friend, who now looked torn between hope and fear.  “Be brave. It’ll be great, I promise.”

“Tiana, we will be right back!” Mary Margaret hollered over her shoulder as they all headed outside.

“Pay attention to every detail, I want the whole story!” Emma laughed at Tiana’s rushed words since the girl usually spoke slower with that charming Southern lilt of hers straight from New Orleans. There was no denying their newest employee was intuitive, and Emma had a feeling they’d be talking about today for a long time to come.

As soon as they stepped outside, Emma was surprised to hear no words from the crowd. Everyone was quiet, which made the music more apparent. String instruments were playing a song that she recognized, but it took a moment to realize that it was ‘All You Need is Love’ by the Beatles.

“They’re playing her song.”

Mary Margaret was already tearing up, and the friends hadn’t even made it through the crowd to see things yet. As soon as they did though, Emma was stunned. Before them was a huge, intricate chalk mural. With a variety of colors, but most prominently red, and a beautiful design of hard lines that still seemed soft enough to make them beautiful. Graham had made a message reading, ‘I love you Ruby’ the full length of the street. Yet the strangest thing to Emma, was that right there, at the front of the line, standing beside David and keeping the crowd at bay was Killian, looking at her with a happy grin.

“What are you doing here?” Emma asked as he came over and wrapped his arms around her. She let herself relax into his embrace, her back against his chest, but she still needed answers.

“Helping with this.” He handed Ruby a note that she took gingerly in her hand. Wordlessly, Ruby pushed through the crowd once again and into the library.

“So he does all this just to have her meet him in the book stacks?” Emma asked. Killian shook his head.

“What’s above the books, Swan?” Emma realized that the clock tower was there, and that the typically boarded up wooden windows had been replaced with a tinted glass.

“The perfect view.” Killian kissed the top of her head.

“Aye, love.”

“You two did this. You told him to go for it?” Emma asked surprised, as realization hit.

“It was Killian’s idea,” David confirmed as he held a weepy Mary Margaret.

“Mary Margaret, it’s okay. This is a good thing.” Emma was teasing, but she couldn’t help herself.

“Are you kidding me? This is easily one of my favorite days ever!”

“But what are we all waiting for, still?” Emma asked, confused as to what they could possibly be hoping for.

“Wait for it…” Killian said and then it happened, the clock’s white backing suddenly had red light shining through it causing the word ‘yes’ to appear in red over the handles and numbers. The whole crowd cheered, Ruby had told him that she loved him too, and the town was celebrating!

“He went so big on this,” Emma noted, glad that her own dates were never this public. Killian laughed at her evident confliction over being happy for Ruby and hating the idea.

“You have to take queues from the woman in question, love. Ruby likes a show from what I can tell.”

“That’s for sure. I bet she loved this.”

With that, Ruby and Graham exited the library to another round of whooping cheers and, as expected, Ruby was eating it up, going so far as to pull Graham in for a big display of a kiss before yelling at everyone to get back to their lives and give them a bit of privacy. The town listened, Emma and Killian included, as they walked back hand-in-hand to Three Fates.

“What you did for them was really wonderful, Killian.”

His hand came up and cupped Emma’s cheek, his thumb running over her bottom lip lightly. She could feel that same current of connection, like somehow the world was brighter and better for him being here and holding her like this. Emma never wanted that feeling to go away, and she knew as long as Killian was here that it wouldn’t.

“You make me happier than I ever thought possible, Emma. I just wanted to help Graham get that same sort of happiness for himself and Ruby.”

When he was so sweet and sincere and lovely, Emma had no choice but to pull him closer for a scorching kiss. She wished she could run off with him, find someplace private and hidden away from the world and show him how much she loved him – because she did, she really really did. But that would have to wait. Instead, Emma pulled back and smiled at him.

“You make me happy too.”

His responding expression set her heart fluttering as he kissed her hand and departed, off to go about his business, leaving Emma fully aware that the rest of the day would be spent thinking of him and just how lucky she was that he’d found her.

Post-Note: This chapter will hence-forth be known as the Ruby/Graham fluff parade. It came to me in a moment of need, when I couldn’t handle the angst of another show I was watching and I wanted to escape to a land of TLK and cuteness overload. I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I was also so excited to introduce Tiana to this story. She’s someone we haven’t seen on OUAT to date, but I love her movie and everything her character stands for. I think she would fit in really well with the strong women of Storybrooke and I am adamantly awaiting a day when she gets her due. Anyways, thanks for reading!