#people who let ask you about your ocs i wish nothing but laughter and love for u for eternity 😭💖

[dorianpavus]

ahhh!!! @astrabysm THANK YOU!!!!!!! 🥰💖🥰💖

ok dnd worldbuilding and character creation under the cut 🫡

(tl;dr: half-gnome artificer gunslinger! aasimar cleric or paladin whose personality changes based on class! i wrote A FUCKING NOVEL so no pressure to read any of it lol, it was super helpful for me to put my thoughts into words!!)

OKAY SO! we had our session 0 (part one) where we established that one of the big themes of this campaign setting was going to be nature vs civilization!

the world had both potentially an old, old war between gods (who have a schism between the more 'natural' gods and the more like... 'civic' gods kind of) that created a lot of super dramatic natural landmarks; and also natural events that keep happening that making it hard for civilizations to grow. so there are lots of completely overgrown and forgotten grand cities, but also places where nature is completely untouched.

in making characters, and knowing that this is going to be a campaign that features a lot of untamed wilderness, i wanted to play with the idea of having characters on either side of the nature/manufactured spectrum. and with a druid and a wizard already locked in (with one other player undecided), i also wanted to fill in any gaps we might have mechanically!

just as a disclaimer - this is preliminary brainstorming about the characters, there's gonna be even more world building in our session 0 (part two), so lots of things are still being worked on and subject to change! :3

the first character i was thinking about is:

JUNIPER "JUNE" (undecided surname, but something gnomish and cute)

she's a half-deep gnome, half-undecided (using deep gnome stats!) artificer and gunslinger! as a battle smith, she'll get to use intelligence for all her weapon attacks, and she has a giant magical fox automaton that she can ride around as a mount or that keeps her company 😭.

i'm imagining a wild mess of red hair, lots of freckles, an impish smile, elfin ears, with a lot of tattoos and paint and ink and dirt smudges on her callused hands. and her outfit would have lots of pocket space for potions and grenades and concoctions and contraptions! maybe a little western themed - juniper would not be out of place in a saloon somewhere with her legs kicked up, laughing loudly and playing cards with a ragtag bunch of regulars, pistol on her hip.

i imagine her as kind of this jack of all trades, swiss army knife of curiosity and confidence. she's a cartographer and makes maps (and hobbyist artist, though that's not her trade) and travels around making field guides and painting places no one has been -- but then digging around so she can collect rare or valuable resources that she uses to craft! she has proficiency in like a million different tools (cartographers, smiths, alchemy, thieves, tinkers, painters), so she's always trying to invent and discover new things.

i see her as being ENORMOUSLY curious in a very laid-back way, asking questions that might come across as insensitive, but is super playful and creative -- the kind of person that'd it'd be hard to rile because they're way more likely to laugh something off (even in an insulting way, like "you're not even worth my time"). self confidence through the ROOF and the most intense case of wanderlust you can imagine, always eager to see and experience more and more new things.

spot her blowing things up with a laugh, jumping off cliffs into pools of bright blue water, biting her lip, doodling in inappropriate places, NEVER turning down a dare no matter how fucking stupid, engaging in acts of guerilla marketing and warfare against corrupt politicians, collecting herbs and not taking anything too seriously even when she should.

BUT!

while i was imagining where juniper would be from, i had a stroke of inspiration for another character!

i had been imagining somewhere underground and very mineral rich - filled with crystals and gemstones and rare magical materials that she could have grown up experimenting on and learning her craft. and my friend and i were talking about there being this suuuper old growth magical forest that was also incredibly mineral rich (with all kinds of cool details i won't get into but i am very excited by lol), and it all matched up so perfectly that i decided she would be from underneath the forest!

because we all decided in our session 0 that there would be like a lot of... spirituality and sacred sites and shrines in this religious system we're building (spirituality woven in with nature rather than grand halls, particularly on the 'nature gods' side of things lol), i was thinking about what that would look like for where my character was from...

and i came up with a big cavern where the ceiling had caved in some, and you could see some roots from the enormous enormous trees above. and from that cave-in, there would be a shaft of sun- or moonlight that fell onto a little island in the middle of a pool of luminous ankle-deep water, with this GIANT MAGIC CRYSTAL in the middle on the island. and the crystal would reflect all over the water and the walls and refract and it'd just be SUPER SUPER BEAUTIFUL...

and we're coming up with all this lore for the gods and religion and spirituality and whatnot that i'm excited by, but effectively that prompted me to think about my next character, meant to be able to fill a couple of different mechanical roles:

UNDECIDED BECAUSE IT DEPENDS ON A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT THINGS

she would be an aasimar, either born to probably earth genasi or something underdark (deep gnome, drow, etc); or just from a lineage of aasimar. but her family would have been caretakers of the shrine for centuries! and because she was born as an aasimar, she was seen as "blessed" by the gods, and raised in a deeply ceremonial and religious tradition -- and could be either a cleric or a paladin!

at first i was floating around the ideas of there having been a prophecy about her (but the plot twist was that she failed in whatever the prophecy was supposed to be about; or it wasn't her that was prophesied at all, kind of playing with the 'chosen one' idea because i really like themes of fate and choice in my worlds haha).

but when i was thinking about the personality that would maybe make most sense for that character, it was a little too similar to my current character in my other dnd campaign (sweet and hesitant)... so i went, "what if she was actually A HELL CHILD?" and she grew up whining and groaning CONSTANTLY, smacking her feet together cause she's restless all the time, sticking her tongue out and hating all the calm and ritual of what was expected of her

like a very active kid who wanted to run around and explore and play! not sit and pray! (NOT in a way that her family or their religion was bad, but rather, that she was just an energetic kid who was not suited to that kind of thing, but still took a lot of lessons and love from it all). and she would have grown up into a.. cocky little shit, lol? who deeply values and cares for all the things she grew up with, but wouldn't be the type to admit it in words -- rather, show it through her actions. lots of moaning and groaning but doing the right thing, kind of. (a little more of the paladin characterization there though)

as for why she'd leave, a lot of that will probably be discussed in session 0 part two! but it could be a bunch of stuff from her being expected to leave as part of an ashari-like quest of fulfillment, or because something bad happened she's looking to solve (magic crystals dying or something?), or because she felt like she was going to get chained there forever for some reason (maybe she was supposed to become the full-time caretaker or something) and bolted out into the world before anyone could stop her. idk yet!

for the paladin version of her, i kind of imagine stark white hair, bruised knuckles, a cocky grin, a blaze of energy and athleticism. she'd be likely to help an old woman cross the street, join a fight club, swear vengeance on a villain with eyes blazing, talk casually or quip something to someone she DEFINITELY SHOULDN'T, etc. an oath of the ancients paladin.

the characterization would change a little depending on her class as a cleric; i envision her as less of a jock, that energy isn't gone, but a little more as a conduit of raw magic. the restless kid grew up into someone who uses more of the ceremony and ritual she was raised with - but because she worships magic as the life force of the world that connects people, even things like making someone laugh are part of her faith. she is at home in all places natural, where she can feel the thrum of magic and her gods. almost radiant with love of the world... and like a vengeful angel when people harm it.

find her grinning as she casts the ceremony ritual at a teenager's coming of age celebration, teasing him with good humor as she blesses him, surrounded by his loved ones; a whirlwind of limbs and laughter as she's swept along in a dance; rage in her eyes as columns of roaring fire incinerate foes around her; standing in awe at a sunset; kneading bread in quiet and peace; floating on her back in the water and gazing up at the stars in the sky; a twilight, light, peace, or arcana domain cleric.

so.... as you can see...

I AM STRESSED AND I LOVE THEM ALL AND I WANT TO PLAY THEM ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

my old campaign character was stupidly smart, angry, closed off; my current other campaign character is sweet and shy and sad; i am really looking forward to playing any of these other much more playful personalities !!!

anyway. if anyone actually read all of that. i love you. you're an angel

ACTUALLY IF YOU READ TELL ME WHO TO PLAY SKSNSKSKNDBDJSNS

forcing myself to come up with multiple character ideas to brainstorm and bounce ideas off everyone at our session 0.5 but now i want to play both

[bellewintersroe]

Carlos Sainz x Celebrity OC Mer&Der trope… Part 1.

For all those who’s seen Greys Anatomy you’ll know exactly how Meredith& Derek got together and that’s gonna be the trope for this story. If you haven’t seen Greys then it’s fine, but OC is a celebrity hired as a reporter during the Grands Prix of 2021. Anyway, I won’t spoil anything further…

AN- I tried to use the name Molly Ashley as the OC name but because I’m so used to writing OC as Jenny or Jennifer that I kept slipping up so just stuck to that, but altered it to Jenna just to switch it up, so if there’s any errors that’s why!!! (Was going to use Belle my real name but it kinda made me cringe). warnings - mentions of sex, maybe a slow start, nothing too graphic… yet. Excuse my lack of F1 knowledge I’m trying my best lmao

“Ahh there she is!” Ted Kravitz, the infamous F1 grid walk reporter exclaimed, grinning as I hurried in, panting desperately as I scurried into the room. “Sorry, I had to run!” I placed both hands on my knees, holding the papers I’d sprinted back to my hotel room to gather before making it back here in a record time of six minutes. I’d run for six minutes flat- and I hadn’t run a singular meter since secondary school. 20 year old me was aging bad.

“Almost beat a world record there!” Oh my god, Jenson fucking Button was stood right in front of me and I was practically wheezing for air. Not to mention I was violently hungover from last nights party. Sky reporters and the crew went a lot harder than I ever could have imagined…

“Hello! Sorry, I’m so out of breath.” I stood up straighter, shaking his hand as I handed over the papers to once of the producers who needed them. “It’s lovely to meet you! I’m Jensen” He laughed as I attempted to laugh back, but it just came out as a breathless wheeze. “I’m Jenna!” I managed to speak as he smiled, patting my upper back. “I’ll let you die in peace.” “Not just yet! Are you ready to interview some drivers, Jen?” Lisa, the woman who hired me headed over. She was like the CEO of F1 reporters for Sky, I didn’t know how it worked, but I was bloody glad she was here to guide me. “Just about.” I managed to stand up straighter. Nicole, the makeup artist, and Sebastian, the hairstylist, both headed over to touch me up- something I found myself enjoying a little too much. These people made me look better than anybody I’d ever had done my hair or makeup, I was starting to rely on them to make me look human, especially after last night.

“Well your first up with Max Verstappen, he was second to Lewis in Bahrain, will definitely be pushing for first today.”

“Oh yes! I know Max.” I waved my hand, I’d befriended Max two nights ago when all the drivers were out. “Yeah, Max and Charles looked to have a lot of fun with you the other night.” Lisa teased. Long story short, we’d taken one too many shots and Max Verstappen had thrown up over the side of a bridge into an Italian canal below. Classic.

Knowing my first interview ever was just with Max was reassuring. It made it all way less intimidating, even if the interview didn’t go so smoothly, it was entertaining and that’s exactly what I was hired for. “If you win how are you gonna celebrate?” I asked, holding the mic towards him. “You know exactly how!” Max began cracking up as I attempted to hold back my laughter. “Did you know your sky presenter can drink men under the table?” He slung an arm around me, tugging me to face the camera directly. I gasped and instantly began speaking again. “Well good luck today Max!! Wishing you all the best!” He laughed out loud as I changed the subject abruptly. “Thank you!” He laughed giving me a quick hug, “and you’ll be out tonight, yeah?” He asked as I nodded. “Sure.” “Hopefully not sneaking off with-“

“Oh, no, no, no!” My eyes widened, preventing him from finishing that sentence. Last night I’d got home with a man- another driver to be precise. It seems news spread quick amongst drivers and the grid. Max smirked and gave my one last goodbye before I moved on to interview a couple more celebrities lined up on the grid, waiting for the race to start. Interviewing random people there was far more easier than the drivers, when it came my time to head back over to where Ferrari were preparing on the grid I felt my chest tighten.

“Uh, Lisa, who’s my next interview with?”

“Well, just grab whoever you can, you’ve been doing so great at that so far, but next you are interviewing…” she scrolled down on her phone screen. Whilst I awaited her answer, I felt my heart rate increase, as if the hungover palpitations weren’t enough, this was giving me full blown anxiety. My eyes scanned over the grid, seeing two men dressed in their red Ferrari gear, it seemed they were awaiting me, looking over in the distance. Charles Leclerc and-

“Carlos Sainz!” Fuck! Simultaneous to Lisa saying his name there was a quick. “Yes?!” Following this, a body appeared besides mine and I was momentarily breathless, Carlos Sainz. The exact man I’d slept with only 12 hours prior and woken up next to in bed this morning. A series of flashback swept through me followed by a serious swooning as my eyes gazed up to the taller man. A pair of his dark eyes met my own gaze, and I saw him physically react. Eyes widened, mouth slightly parted. His gloved hand moved up to touch his chest, I wondered if his heart had leapt the exact same way mine had? “Carlos Sainz?!” I took a deep breath, forcing a smile as I remembered the cameras were rolling. “Hola!” He greeted, surprise lacing his tone, he hesitated slightly, waiting for my reaction before moving closer and greeting me to a kiss either side of my cheek. I gulped at the contact, the close proximity wafting the scent of his cologne, the exact same one that was plastered over my pillow cases. Double fuck! He was somehow even sexier now I was sober! “Jenna Ashley.” He laughed a little breathlessly as I remembered, judging by the flag on his front, he was Spanish. Duh. “Hola.” I giggled, knowing my face was just as vibrant as his uniform. I could feel Lisa eyeing me up from the sidelines of the interview.

“¿Hablas español?” (Do you speak Spanish?) he asked immediately, eyebrows perking, he seemed slightly nervous, unable to hold eye contact. I didn’t know if that was the awkwardness from the fact the man was quite literally inside of me last night.

“Uhhh, un poco. Pero hablemos en ingles o no les gusto.” (a little, but let’s talk in English or they wont like me). I slowly translated, glancing back to the clueless cameraman and Lisa. I think that made sense, my nerves mixed with my limited Spanish probably made me speak like a child. Carlos laughed in response, rubbing his hands on his uniform. I then went through a series of questions, finding it hard not to giggle with him right in front of me. I was reduced to the behaviour of a school girl. “How are you gonna celebrate if you win today? Or if you don’t win?!” “Any way possible… now there’s no COVID restrictions!” He inhaled excitedly. “Sounds good to me.” I glanced back at the camera, feeling his eyes lingering over me.

“Thank you, Carlos, it’s been a pleasure, good luck for today! I wish you the best.” I laughed, barely being able to maintain eye contact with him as his plump lips stretched into a happy smile. God, he was perfect, tanned skin, Spanish accent, insanely nice, polite, perfect mop of hair, and don’t get me started on those eyes, he had me swooning like I was straight out of a cartoon. “Gracias… thank you.” Carlos nodded down to me and the camera as I flashed him a small smile, stealing another glimpse at him through my eyelashes as he cleared his throat slightly once the camera was turned away. I could feel his eyes burning holes into me, I couldn’t tell if he was checking me out or if he was entirely baffled by the situation. I swallowed the lingering anxiety I felt, tensing my jaw at the thought of him scanning over my face. “Good luck.” I then flashed him another smile to combat the awkwardness as he stepped a little closer. “N-no sabia que ibas-“ (I did not know you were going-) he stammered, but his words fell short when I was being ushered onto my next interview. “I promise I’ll let you mingle afterwards! I’m sorry!” Lisa apologised, attempting to move me on. I turned back up to Carlos, opening my mouth but my words fell short. When we made eye contact once more I felt the butterflies in my stomach, the cliche way my heart jumped, and that knot in my chest tightening. It was all happening at once. “Good luck again!” I politely nodded as he offered me another genuine smile, eyes lingering over my face, as though he was trying to analyse my features. Pffft, it wasn’t like he didn’t have chance to do that last night. Talking about last night… my mind roamed back to the events of the night before, clouded from the mix of alcohol and sex that plagued my mind.

[yougotthatbilly]

caught up (m)

→ members: jung jaehyun and na jaemin (ft. make a wish line) → genre: angst, smut → playlist: temptations x ryan trey, kiss it better x rihanna, gave your love away x majid jordan, don’t x bryson tiller, wicked games x kiana ledé → word count: 16k → warnings: toxic relationships (oc is dumb in love & delusional for a while), cheating, manipulation, codependency, unhealthy coping mechanisms, trifling friends, a glimpse of oral, unprotected sex (let’s be safe irl pls), praise, etc. | oc is basically chaotic neutral  ↳summary: Jaemin is all that you want, all that you need, no matter what. But lines get a bit blurry when you’re introduced to his friends.

“And then he almost busted his ass right in front of her.” 

Lucas is embarrassing Shotaro by animatedly telling the story of how Shotaro was trying to be smooth and spit game, yet failed. The man of the hour rolls his eyes, laughing along with everyone else in the kitchen nonetheless, because Lucas is an amazing storyteller. 

“I wish y’all could’ve seen the look on her face, oh my God.”

Jaehyun chuckles, shaking his head, but he’s a bit distracted by his curiosity. 

Lightly hitting Doyoung on the arm to get his attention, he leans into his friend’s side to quietly ask: “Do you know her?”

You’re leaned against the countertop, chest resting atop your folded arms, not much of your body or outfit shown from his angle aside from the brown turtleneck and the gold jewelry on your wrists, neck, and ears. Completely engaged in what the tall male is telling everyone, you smile and nod, nose scrunching when you laugh. 

“Nope,” Doyoung answers with a shrug. “She’s pretty, though.”

Jaehyun scoffs. “She’s gorgeous.”

Before Doyoung can say anything else, Jaemin walks up behind you, hands on your hips. You stand and press your back against his chest, your smile getting more sedated and eyes drooping a little as you rest the back of your head on Jaemin’s shoulder. He whispers something into your ear, lips brushing against the lobe, and then you’re rolling your eyes, the curve of your lips never dropping. 

Doyoung really does try to keep his laughter in. Jaehyun side-eyes his friend when things get more intimate, Jaemin kissing your temple. Feels like he’s intruding at this point.

“Wait,” Doyoung says, head tilted. “Aren’t you and-”

“It’s complicated.”

Taeyong, who’s been sitting on the other side of Jaehyun, rolls his eyes. “There’s nothing complicated about her being in love with you and you just using her for sex and companionship, Jaehyun.”

He has a point. Jaehyun has love for her and truly does enjoy her company, so that’s where his friend is wrong, but Jaehyun is kind of stringing her along with how he’s made it clear their bond is too toxic to ever be official again. Yet his actions contradict that. He is very aware that it isn’t healthy, especially for her, but it’s their thing.

“That’s fucked up.”

And if Doyoung of all people is saying something is fucked up, you know it really is. 

It is what it is, though.

—

A pair of hands gently grab onto your hips from behind, pulling you back a little, and you stand to full height, melting into your boyfriend. The back of your head against his shoulder gives Jaemin the perfect opportunity to dip down and whisper in your ear, so as not to interrupt Lucas.

“Still doing alright?” Jaemin asks after coming back from the bathroom, pressing his body flush against your back. 

For this being your first time meeting his group of friends, you’re doing fine. You didn’t really know what to expect, but you figured they’d be fun to be around since your boyfriend spends most of his free time with them. At first you didn’t want to involve outsiders for a while because it typically gets messy when other people get involved, but yesterday Jaemin told you his friends wanted to come over and watch the game, and it was decided that it was a good time to finally step into his world and you’d stay to meet them. Admittedly, a bit of pride swelled in your chest at the two of you taking your relationship to the next level. To be shown off, in a sense, to the people Jaemin cares a lot about, whose opinions Jaemin values. 

It means a lot, especially since things were a bit rough between the two of you a couple weeks ago. 

“Yeah, I’m good.” You nod slightly. “I’m having a good time.”

“You wanna finish what they interrupted once they leave?” The blond asks quietly, his soft lips brushing against your ear. You roll your eyes, but still hum in affirmation, to which he laughs at and kisses your temple. 

When you tune back into the conversation around you, the story is finished and Shotaro is talking about how his trip back home was. Your eyes wander around, taking in the amount of friends your boyfriend has, and you make eye contact with one of the guys you haven’t heard a peep out of as he’s moving his brown hair out of his eyes. He doesn’t look away, and when you don’t either, his eyebrow lifts.

This is a very attractive friend group.

You nod in lieu of a greeting, to which he grins at before returning the gesture. The guy next to him says something that wipes the grin right off of his handsome face, eyes no longer on you in favor of glaring at his friend. At the break of contact you rejoin the conversation, playing with your boyfriend’s hand and laughing at how the friends all bicker with one another.

“Hey!” A pretty woman with short, dark hair greets after opening the door Jaemin just knocked on. A quick hug between the two is exchanged and when her eyes fall on you she’s smiling wide. “You’re gorgeous, wow. I’m Yeri. Come in!”

You introduce yourself as you kick your Crocs off, then you’re led into the living room to join everyone else. Greetings are exchanged and you get a hug from the red-head you recall being Doyoung’s girlfriend.

Apparently, Jaemin’s friends enjoyed your company and they’d requested you come along to their next game night. Jaemin did his best to persuade you, telling you how the other girlfriends always tag along and how you’d get along with them well, especially since you said you wanted more girly friends and they always go get their nails and lashes done together and so on and so forth. And now here you are.

Jaemin leaves you in the living room to go get the two of you some drinks to catch up since you’d arrived almost an hour late and the red-head plops down next to you.

“Your outfit is so cute,” she gushes, her hand gesturing you from head to toe. “I just love your vibe. Do you mind me asking where you shop?”

Yeri ends up on the other side of who you now know is Joy and conversation flows nicely, even after Jaemin reappears with your drink. He gets sucked into the game Xiaojun is playing, and you guess everyone isn’t here yet because there’s a huge untouched handmade board game in the middle of the floor, little playing pieces to the side, and plastic shot cups on the other side. 

You’ve been sipping from your red plastic cup slowly, and halfway into it, two more people walk into the living room. Doyoung and the other guy that came to Jaemin’s. You never caught his name. 

They walk in your direction and both women stand up, Joy reaching for Doyoung and Yeri reaching for the brunet. You put the pieces together on who is in a relationship with who since the details weren’t given to you by Jaemin earlier. 

“Hey,” the brunet greets you after a quick hug and kiss with Yeri and she’s made her way to the kitchen with the couple, his voice deep and smooth. He takes Joy’s seat. “I forgot to introduce myself last time. I was high as hell.”

“You’re always high as hell,” Jaemin snorts. 

Jaehyun side-eyes your boyfriend for a brief second before his attention is back on you. 

“Jaehyun.” He sticks his hand out for you, and you grab it, just barely shaking it as you give him your name. His thumb rubs the back of your hand, even after you’re done shaking it. “Sorry, your hands are just really soft.”

You smile politely and thank him, slowly removing your hand from his hold, now using both to hold your cup. Something about his presence makes you breathe a little heavier. You’re not intimidated nor uncomfortable, but his gaze does make your heart beat a little faster.

“She makes her own lotion and shea butter,” Jaemin informs him on your behalf, half paying attention to the interaction, half trying to beat Xiaojun at the basketball game they’re playing. “You should get some for Yeri since her birthday is coming up.”

It’s hard to read the look on Jaehyun’s face when he glances at your boyfriend for a short moment again, but it disappears just as soon as it appeared when he’s looking at you. 

“Got a website I can look at?” he asks, body now completely facing you as he pulls his phone out.

“I do.” You nod. “And most of my reviews are on Instagram if you wanna look at those.”

The brunet hands you his phone to type in your business page’s handle. 

“Go ahead and follow yourself, too.” 

You go to your business page and tap follow before handing him his phone back with your website on the screen. His fingers brush against your own as he takes his device back–which he does slowly–and the look in his eye is curious. 

Jaehyun licks his lips before finally paying attention to the phone in his hand, and at the break of contact you find yourself exhaling a bit harder than usual. 

Throughout the duration of the night, you catch Jaehyun’s eye. When everyone clinks shot glasses before downing the burning liquid. When you’re simply chilling on your phone, and especially during the smoke session. 

When you’re in the kitchen looking for a non-alcoholic drink, Jaehyun walks in, heading straight to the pantry. 

“You know,” you begin, waiting until he turns his head to you, “you have a staring problem.”

The slight grin on your face shows him you’re saying it lightheartedly, so he chuckles, grabbing a bag of pretzels before giving you his full attention. 

“You don’t seem to mind.” He glances in the direction of everyone else still in the living room before going back to you. “You give me a cute little smile when you catch me.”

“It’s polite to smile when you make eye contact with someone, Jaehyun.”

“It’s hard not to admire you,” Jaehyun admits, opening the bag and leaning against the wall. “But if it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll never look at you again.”

You snort at how monotonous the dramatic statement is said and roll your eyes. 

“I’m not uncomfortable, I just feel like you’re also trying to figure me out.”

“And if I am?” 

You lift a brow and take a much needed sip of cranberry juice. “I’d say good luck. And be careful because your girlfriend is already staring at us.” 

He checks and confirms that Yeri is indeed tuned into the conversation that she can’t hear from this distance, then laughs like he’s not surprised. 

“It’s innocent,” he claims before popping a pretzel into his mouth. “Everyone knows how I am around new people.” 

“And how’s that?”

“Observant.”

You believe it. But it’s clearly a bit deeper than that. 

“Well,” you exhale, standing up straight to take your leave. “I hope you don’t get too bored with your… observing.”

It’s not creepy. Not overbearing. 

It would be subtle if it weren’t for how often you meet his eye. 

Honestly, it’s kind of cute. 

Scrolling through your notifications after a much needed nap, a follow as well a message request from user _jeongjaehyun on your personal account catches your attention. 

A few of the girls followed you the last time you were with them so you don’t think too hard about it. You follow him back. 

hey love. i’d like to put in an order for a couple of lotions if possible

Hey Jaehyun, you can put in the order through that account. 

Jaehyun reads the message before you can swipe out of the message thread, so you just wait as he types his response.

my hands will be as soft as yours, right?

You roll your eyes, letting out an amused exhale. 

Become a regular customer and you’ll see.  If you have any more questions, ask on the other account.

yes ma’am

Soon after, you get a message on your business account from him. 

do you deliver or prefer pick ups? 

I deliver. I don’t let strangers know where I live lol.

The answers to most of his questions are on your website, but you let him slide. You don’t have anything to do other than a homework assignment that’s due at 11:59 tonight, but you don’t plan on looking at that document for another few hours. 

You sit up against your headboard to look through your DMs and answer other people’s questions. 

would you consider me a stranger?

I would.  But not in a stranger danger way since you’re friends with Jaemin.

Idk I think we’ll be friends soon

You raise your brow at his message, but wait for him to finish typing his next one. 

I fwu all of us do

You double tap the last message. 

That’s good to know. Lmk if you have any more questions about the lotions. 

You whine, throwing a quiet, mini temper tantrum.

Why the hell do you have to take Statistics twice for a Psychology degree? And why did you have to leave your calculator in your room? 

But in the midst of your tantrum, you remember Jaemin has that TI 84 calculator app on his phone when you see the device charging. 

“Babe!” you call out to him in the kitchen, pushing yourself out of the desk chair to walk to his bed. “Can I use that calculator app on your phone really quickly?” 

“Yeah, go ahead!” he responds loudly. “And dinner will be ready in like 10 minutes.”

“Okay, thank you!”

His phone is on 87 percent, which is enough in your book, so you unplug it and plop back into the chair, lifting the device up to your face to unlock it. 

You swipe out of the app that’s already opened to get to the app you need, but a bell with a line crossed through it on a message thread catches your eye before the app is gone. There’s a quick internal battle that takes place, part of you wants to respect his privacy, another part reminds you that the last time you looked through his phone to find something, you found exactly what you were looking for. Your brain knows your heart wouldn’t be able to handle bad news right now, especially since the two of you have been doing so well after last time, and your gut tells you that you won’t be happy with what you find. 

But the opportunity has presented itself to you a little too perfectly. 

You open his messages back up, and right at the top is his muted message thread with Yeri. With your heart already pounding in your chest, you tap it. 

Jaemin: Sometimes i wish we had more time

Yeri: it’s okay jaems, we’re still good friends 

Jaemin: but I can’t help but wonder what it would’ve been like

Yeri: That’s understandable. You never know what the future holds You have a cool gf now, though.

You recall a conversation from months ago, where he admitted to hooking up with one of his close friends a few times, but you didn’t care to ask questions on specifics, especially when it was before the two of you became official. But now you’re putting the pieces together, and you don’t know if you want to throw his phone at the wall or cry.

The timestamps show this conversation took place right after he came back from her and Seulgi’s apartment earlier, and you don’t have to scroll up to see more of the conversation to know the context. That last message rubs you the wrong way, and the fact he had opened the message but didn’t respond a couple hours ago only furthers the bad feeling.

He had time to before you came over. 

You make your way to the kitchen, his phone still in hand, and lean against the counter. Jaemin turns to say something, but you speak up before he gets the chance. 

“What exactly is it that you wish you had more time for?”

He tilts his head in confusion. “Huh?”

You open his phone and read, “‘Sometimes I wish we had more time.’ More time for what, Jaemin?”

Panic flashes in his eyes before he composes himself. 

“I was just reminiscing about how the group’s dynamic was last year.”

You nod with a hum. “Before me, right?”

He’s choosing his words carefully and taking an awfully long time to do so, which only further confirms what your gut is telling you. 

“When all of us could chill with no limitations.”

“She’s the one you fucked, isn’t she?”

You sound insecure and you hate it. But this is the third time he’s put you in a situation where another woman has made you question how Jaemin actually feels about you. 

“What?”

You almost mock him, but you control your pettiness. “The friend you told me you fucked. It’s Yeri.”

“Why are you bringing up the past?” 

You really hoped you were wrong.

Cutting your eyes at his attempt to flip the script, you drop his phone down onto the countertop carelessly. “Why exactly did you have to mute the conversation?”

“I knew if you saw it you’d think it was something it wasn’t, so I just wanted to avoid it.”

You’re the one tilting your head now, trying to see how that makes even a little bit of sense. Especially when this isn’t the first time you’ve come across muted conversations. It just hits a little harder this time because you’ve been around Yeri multiple times and would consider her an acquaintance at this point. And because you haven’t had (or at least listened to) a gut feeling in a while. 

“So instead of just not having the conversation, you decided to hide it. Once again.”

You don’t understand how such simple concepts fail to stick with him. You shouldn’t have to constantly repeat yourself when it comes to voicing what bothers you. Sneaky conversations that one feels the need to hide from their significant other falls under the category of cheating. It’s not rocket science.

“Why do you keep going through my phone?” he tries again. You laugh darkly. 

You don’t even bother to respond, you just walk to his room to grab your stuff. He’s hot on your heels the whole way when he realizes flipping the situation on you won’t work this time. 

“It really isn’t like that. We were all talking about it when I went over earlier. Just reminiscing about all the late nights and get-togethers but that doesn’t take away from the present.”

“Well,” you laugh, packing your laptop and textbook. “You never know what the future holds.”

“Baby don’t be like that.” Jaemin tries to stop you from gathering your belongings but you dodge his touch as if it would burn your skin. His body blocks his door, hands out as he practically begs you to hear him out. You’re tired of hearing him out and there’s no way in hell you’re staying with him tonight like you two originally planned. 

You find yourself at the gym, not quite ready to go back home because you know you’ll cry as soon as your head hits the pillow. So you’re using up the rest of your energy here so you’ll be too tired to even shed when you get back home. 

“Not to give unsolicited advice,” you hear a familiar voice say in your direction as you squat down. “but if you’re doing RDLs, your form is off.”

You look at Jaehyun, standing up straight. You regret not stopping by your place to grab your earphones. “What’s off?”

The attitude is strong in your voice and you don’t mean to direct it to him, but why now of all times does he want to cross paths with you at the gym. You’ve literally never seen him here in the three years you’ve attended this university, yet when you’re emotionally fucked up over your boyfriend, his friend who just so happens to be dating the woman who’s also the reason for your mood is here.

“A lot,” he so graciously explains. “I can show you the right form, if you want.”

You almost say no because you don’t want anything to do with Jaemin or anyone he’s associated with right now, but having the wrong form can lead to unpleasant results. Even in your emotional state, you can weigh the importance in matters. You shrug. 

You haven’t been seeing the results you expected after two weeks of trying this exercise, since the TikTok girlies rave over it. 

And, he’s just trying to help. He isn’t his girlfriend nor your boyfriend. 

Jaehyun steps into your bubble of personal space. “Gonna touch you to show you. Cool?”

You nod.

“You sure? You look like you wanna throw a weight at my head,” he jokes, but continues nonetheless. 

“Yeah,” you sigh,“ just one of those days.”

His hand presses in between your shoulder blades, his touch cool on your burning skin. “Roll your shoulders back.” You do as told, the hand sliding down slowly to the middle of your lower back. “Your back was too arched, straighten it and tighten your core– yeah like that. You working on glutes?”

Another nod. 

“Slightly bend your knees, but keep your posture.” Jaehyun continues to guide you, hand slipping further down to your ass. You look at him through the mirror and he meets your eye before he’s stepping back once you’re positioned correctly. Confusion rises when his hand stays at the level of your butt–thumb up, mid air, a good few steps away. “Push back into my hand.”

“You want me to push my ass into your hand?” 

“Yeah.” There’s a silent stare-off through the mirror. “You want to fuck your back up?”

Without a word, you position your weights and push back until you touch his hand, then rise back up to bent knees and a neutral spine. You do it several more times, going slower at the push back when he advises you to do so, and you already feel the difference. There’s a slight burn in your glutes rather than your thighs now and you don’t feel like you’re straining your back.

You finish your rep, Jaehyun having moved his hand away halfway through in favor of eyeing your form. 

“Feel better?”

“Yeah,” you nod. “Thanks.”

He nods back, eyes still glued to your body. He’s very clearly checking you out from the back, you feel and see him doing so. 

“Let me know if there’s anything else I can help you with. I’ll be over there,” he says, pointing to the bench press area. “I can be a listening ear or even a shoulder to lean on.”

He takes his leave and you’re left feeling warm and confused at the better mood you’re in from the short interaction. 

Weak. 

That’s the best way to describe you, especially right now. 

But what else would you do in this very moment, other than pull your boyfriend closer with the hand that’s threaded in his hair, tilting your head to the side to offer him more skin to kiss. 

“I’m sorry baby,” Jaemin says for the third time since you opened your door and let him in your apartment. His lips are so gentle on your neck, brushing against your sweet spot. “I wasn’t thinking. It won’t happen again.”

“You promise?” you ask shakily, eyes closing when his teeth softly nip you. 

He hums. “Promise. I only want you.”

You wrap both arms around his neck, allowing yourself to be lifted and carried to your bedroom, legs wrapped around Jaemin’s waist. You shower the side of his face in kisses, elated to hear those words come out of your boyfriend’s mouth. 

“Really?”

The blond sets you down on your bed, eyes wide and seeming so sincere as he looks down at your seated, awaiting form.

“Let me show you.”

You nod. “Okay.”

Communication was close to nothing today, just him texting you an apology and telling you he loves you before asking if he could stop by to pick up his shoes he left over at your place the other day. You handed them to him as soon as you opened the door, not wanting to see him for long because you knew his presence would interrupt your thoughts about what happened a couple days ago. Jaemin is your weakness, he’s who you crave even when he’s the cause of your sadness and anger. 

Hands reached out for him, you cup his face and slant your lips over his when he bends down to your level. The bed dips as his knees sink into the mattress to get close to you, to lay you down and hover over you. 

His touch relieves any stress built up within you. His voice soothes any anxiety you feel. 

It’s so easy to forgive him when he’s kissing down your body until he gets to the apex of your thighs, pulling your panties off, throwing your legs over his shoulders, and indulging in your taste. When he makes you shiver and come on his tongue.  

When he looks down at you with so much desire as he lines his tip up with your entrance.

“Only you, baby,” Jaemin repeats, pushing in with a hiss. “So tight. How could I want anyone else?”

You moan at his promise and praise, making grabby hands at him to bring him into you, to hold him close and tight to you as he thrusts into you. He settles on one forearm by your head before he takes hold of your hip, fingers gripping tightly.

“You mean it?” you whimper in his ear, threading your fingers in his hair. 

Jaemin buries his face in your neck, losing himself in the feeling of your walls. 

“I don’t need anyone else.” His hips move quicker, the sound of his skin slapping against yours louder than the noises slipping from you. “You don’t need anyone else.”

Your brow furrow in confusion. 

Since the moment you met him, you never wanted anyone else. He’s had all of your attention since that night a mutual acquaintance introduced the two of you. He’s had most of your time. All you’ve ever wanted was him, his attention. His love. 

“I only need you,” you say around a moan. “You– shit. Jaemin you know that.”

“Just me?”

You nod fast, breath hitching. The force behind his thrusts gets more intense at your validation and all you can do is nod, taking the onslaught of pleasure. 

It should just be Jaemin and you. 

“You look good in green.”

You raise a brow at the intruding voice, not needing to turn around to know who said it and how you’re being looked at. 

“Thanks,” you deadpan.

A deep chuckle sounds closer than his compliment and you look boredly into his eyes when he appears in front of you, on the other side of the kitchen island. 

“You don’t fuck with me,” The quirk of your glossy lips steals his attention for a second, you notice. “Have I done something?”

You definitely ignored him the few couple times you crossed paths with him on campus. And didn’t care to play it off like you just didn’t notice him. The situation at the gym wasn’t much, but it was enough. 

The touching, the staring. The fact you actually enjoyed it instead of stopping it and just telling him to leave. 

It felt like a betrayal to your boyfriend, even after what happened thirty minutes prior to seeing Jaehyun. Even after multiple instances of your boyfriend being overly friendly and attention seeking with other women, and disrespecting your relationship. 

The guilt made you pretend Jaehyun didn’t exist. If you saw him while walking, no you didn’t. 

And you chalked it up to just enjoying the external validation. It’s nice to know you’re still sought after while in a relationship, especially when the man you’re with has a habit of admiring women outside of what the two of you have. 

But you’re not petty. Not one to try and get even. If you forgive Jaemin and accept his apology, you have to give him the benefit of the doubt and assume that after seeing how badly his actions hurt you, he won’t do it again. 

Every relationship has its ups and downs. What you’re experiencing is normal. You’ve seen worse. Your parents’ and siblings’ relationships have suffered so much more. 

Plus, Jaemin’s young. A couple years younger than you. He’s going to fuck up and he deserves grace. You love each other. 

“Jaehyun,” you start, putting your phone down to give him the attention he clearly wants from you right now. “I don’t want to play this game.”

You’re not in the mood. The only reason you’re here at Lucas’ place with everyone is because you told him you’d be there for his pre-birthday celebration and you’re not one to go back on your word. Even when you and your boyfriend aren’t on the best of terms because of a dumb argument that took place earlier. You stepped away from everyone so you could regroup with yourself and continue to put on your best face. Not to have a one on one with Jaemin’s friend who clearly wants you and doesn’t care about any of the relationships or friendships involved between the two of you. 

Jaehyun has the audacity to put on a confused expression, but that unimpressed look on his face seems to never disappear. “What game?”

“You have a girlfriend.” You remind him instead of doing exactly what you just said you wouldn’t do, settling your forearms on the marble to lean against it. The brunet mirrors your position, his hand almost touching your own and face a lot closer than it should be. You hate to admit it, but he smells amazing. 

“Not really.”

And if you had any doubts about what was so clearly obvious, his response definitely wiped them out. “Am I really that tempting?”

He grins. “Guess I’m not as slick as I thought I was.”

From the unfiltered stares of appreciation to the amount of compliments he’s given you since you were introduced, you both know he wasn’t trying to be slick. Not to mention you’ve yet to hear him compliment any of the other women in the friend group as much, including his girlfriend. It’s unclear if Jaemin is just blind to how Jaehyun basically undresses you with his eyes right in front of him, to how Shotaro always finds himself next to you, subtly flirting, or to Lucas always giving you lingering hugs. Or maybe your boyfriend is aware and just doesn’t care because he trusts his friends. Knowing Jaemin, though, if he’s aware of it all, it gives his Leo ass an ego boost. 

“You weren’t trying to be slick, Jaehyun.” And if he was, you’d hate to see what him being obvious is like. 

“You’re right,” he nods slowly. “I really wasn’t.”

There’s no denying he’s handsome and his laid back nature is cool to be around, and you’re sure he pulls a lot of women off of  those two details alone, but you’re literally his friend’s girlfriend.

“Is the whole friend group this triflin’?”

Jaehyun rubs his lips together, chuckling dryly. “You’d be surprised.”

You don’t think you’d be. You had a feeling with the lack of subtlety. Putting it all into perspective, though, it makes you wonder. 

But you don’t want to entertain the question that pops into your brain. 

This is why you don’t do friend groups. 

“Fucking me isn’t worth your relationship or friendship with Jaemin.”

He looks like he wants to laugh, and that further annoys you.

“Do Jaemin and I seem close to you?” They don’t. You’ve seen them interact, but you can’t remember ever just seeing the two of them together. Lucas or Xiaojun have always been with them, if not the whole group. “And again, I do not have a girlfriend.”

“You may not have a girlfriend,” you point to him before pointing to yourself, “but I have a boyfriend who is literally a room away. I’m not getting in the middle of a piss war or filling a void for you.”

He lets out an amused exhale. “That’s what you think this is?” 

“I don’t give a fuck what this is,” you tell him irritably, grabbing your belongings, now ready to go back into the living room. You just wanted a little break from interacting with everyone but you could barely get it. “I won’t be a part of it.” 

Jaehyun puts his hands up, surrendering, and you take that as your cue to leave the kitchen.

—

“Wow,” Lucas whistles as he opens his front door after someone knocks. “Since when do you have this much time to be around us?”

You glance up and Jaehyun is side-eyeing Lucas while he kicks his shoes off. When you see his head turning in your direction, you look at Joy, taking the blunt she holds out for you. 

While scrolling through your explore page, a notification of a new direct message appears at the top of your phone. From _jeongjaehyun.

can I talk to you in the kitchen rq?

You keep scrolling.

Until you get another message from the same person.

I want to apologize. please?

You take a glance at Jaemin, whose attention is on rolling a blunt. 

“Hey,” you whisper, tapping Shotaro’s arm. “Is it cool if I get a water bottle?”

He nods, blowing smoke in the opposite direction. “Cold in the fridge, room temp in the pantry.”

What can you say? Your curiosity won. You want to see what kind of apology the brunet will deliver, if it’s sincere. 

Thanking him quietly, you stand up and make your way to the kitchen to get a bottle out of the pantry. A few sips in, Jaehyun finally steps in, getting a cold water bottle from the fridge. You simply stare at him until he says something, and he does the same. And even after last time’s interaction, his elevator eyes don’t make you uncomfortable. 

“Even though I meant everything I said last time,” he begins, twisting the cap off. You almost laugh. This is off to a great start. “I wasn’t thinking about the position it put you in and it was fucked up.”

“It was,” you agree, leaning against the pantry door. 

“I apologize for that. I fuck with you and wanted to shoot my shot, so I did,” Jaehyun explains, “but I know where you stand and I’m not trying to make you uncomfortable. I just wanna be friends.”

“No funny shit?”

“Scouts honor.”

Your brow raises. “You were a scout?”

“Absolutely not,” Jaehyun laughs. 

“Then your word means shit,” you scoff, fighting a smile. It’s a half-assed apology in your book, but seeing how he communicates with everyone else, short and to the point unless he has some liquor in his system, you think it might be genuine. So you accept it. Plus, you like that he wanted to apologize in person and not over social media. ”But I’ll take it.”

“We good?” he asks skeptically before drinking half of his bottle in one go. 

You hum in affirmation, moving your attention away from his Adam’s apple as he swallows. “We’re good.”

If you’re being honest, the main reason you decided to hear him out is because he’s popped up in your mind more times than you’d like to admit. You haven’t seen him since that night you shut him down, which was two weeks ago, and even though you stand on everything you said, there’s still some gravitational pull when it comes to Jaehyun. You enjoy his presence. There’s a safe, yet exciting feeling that he brings.

And ’friends’ is perfect. 

“Now I can put my order in,” he says with a smile. 

You suck your teeth. “The order you were supposed to put in like a month ago?” 

“Hush. I’m getting to it.”

The two of you leave the kitchen laughing to yourselves and rejoin your respective partners, Jaehyun sitting at a bit of a distance yet still throwing an arm behind Yeri’s shoulder on the couch cushions, you cuddling into Jaemin, who’s been looking at you since you emerged from the kitchen. 

Your boyfriend holds you close, hand drifting down to your ass to give a playful squeeze. You lightly hit his chest with a laugh before he dips down to give you a lingering kiss.

“Wanna leave early?” he asks in your ear.

“Why?” you ask, already knowing what the tone in his voice reflects. “What do you have in mind?”

“I’d just rather be with you, watching a movie right now.”

Your brows lift in surprise. You never thought you’d hear those words come out of his mouth. He loves being out and around with his friends. 

“We can go now,” you tell him, making him laugh and sit up. 

“Let’s go, then.”

Becoming friends with Jaehyun has been interesting. He’s blunt and short with his words most times, he’s got a nonchalant, cocky air to him, yet he’s still such a down to earth, kind of nerdy guy. After his apology, it was easy to click with him.

Oh, and he still has a staring problem.

If you’re in the same room or crossing paths around campus, Jaehyun always makes sure to catch your eye. He nods in acknowledgement most times, sometimes licking his lips before getting back to what he was doing, sometimes grinning a little. Sometimes walking with you to your destination if it isn’t out of the way of his own.

The worst part about it all, you’ve come to enjoy it. 

You don’t mind when Jaehyun’s looking at you like you’re the only other person around him. You enjoy when he comes up to you to speak, greeting you, complimenting your appearance. 

You didn’t mind the first time he leaned in for a hug when everyone got together at his apartment when he opened the door for you. And how every meeting since then has come with an embrace that momentarily leaves you stuck because whatever cologne he wears smells so good. He gives firm, tight hugs that let you know it’s not just a polite gesture, that he wants to wrap you in his arms and he enjoys it. 

But you know you should mind it. You should care. You shouldn’t like it. 

Which is why you initially set that boundary weeks ago before he apologized. You were being a good girlfriend. 

There’s something about him, though. There’s a different side you’ve gotten to see recently. The way he speaks about aliens, after life, and conspiracy theories to you and Joy when you’re all high, in your own corner of wherever the group meets up that night while everyone else is on their phones or talking about superficial and trivial things. 

Jaehyun’s the complete opposite of Jaemin. Down to their astrological signs. 

He’s older, more mature, more authentic. 

Each time you join your boyfriend in hanging out with everyone, you find yourself with Jaehyun and Joy, hardly paying attention to anyone else, mostly paying attention to the Aquarius. 

The three of you have gotten pretty close outside of everyone else, much to your surprise. Sometimes in between classes you and Joy will get lunch together, and there are times when Jaehyun joins. 

You’ve yet to be completely alone with him. But that’s about to change. 

You knock on Jaehyun’s door, his order of lotion and shea butter in your hold. The door opens soon after, Jaehyun looking down at you with low, red eyes and a grin.

“About time.” 

Rolling your eyes, you push the gift bag into his stomach. “Be happy I didn’t scam you.”

He wraps an arm around you and you lean into him, using your free arm to encircle his waist.

Taking the package out of your hold with his free hand as he releases you, he offers you the joint pinched between his fingers. “You coming in?”

An excuse to get back home is on the tip of your tongue because your brain is telling you it isn’t a good idea to be alone and high with the man before you, but you’re reaching out to grab it and stepping into his home anyway. 

Jaemin is busy for most of the day with classes and basketball with Lucas and Shotaro, and all you’d be doing in your room is work or scrolling through social media. 

“Wanna smoke in here or on the balcony?” he asks when you’ve made it to the living room. 

“I’m surprised you didn’t offer your room,” you joke, taking a hit and making yourself comfortable on his couch. He follows suit, sitting unnecessarily close to you on his very big, very spacious sofa. 

“I don’t smoke in my room but we could find something else to do if that’s where you wanna go.”

You hit his arm with hardly any force and he laughs, stealing the joint from you. 

“Any plans for the rest of the day?” Jaehyun asks before taking a drag. 

You hum, thinking. “I have an assignment due tonight but other than that, not really.”

“Do you wanna start this show with me then? I think you’d like it.” He pulls the show up on Netflix and you see it’s a show you’ve been meaning to watch, but keep pushing it aside. A show you asked Jaemin to start with you, but he wasn’t interested at all. 

The show falls into the category of conversations that have been held between you and Jaehyun–plus Joy. It’s about a woman who resurfaces after she’d been missing for seven years and can miraculously see, despite being blind before her disappearance. 

You nod, taking the joint back. “Yeah. I gotta leave by 5, though.” 

“You could always do your assignment here,” Jaehyun offers. 

Tempting. But you have to go to the library for this assignment. 

“Maybe next time.” 

He doesn’t push the matter. He just presses play and throws an arm around your shoulders, sinking into the cushions to get comfortable. You make yourself do the same, curling your legs to the empty side of you. 

By the time the second episode is playing, you’re leaning into Jaehyun’s body subconsciously, the both of you so into what’s happening before you. The joint has been smoked, what remains of it sits in the ashtray on the side table. He mutters little comments and questions every once in a while, his deep voice lulling you into a space that you’re becoming too comfortable in. 

“I have a bad feeling about that,” Jaehyun voices your exact thought. 

You glance up at him in slow, exaggerated shock. “I was just about to say that.”

He laughs at your reaction, then there’s a silent stare off for a few beats that you can’t seem to pull away from. And just like that, you forget there’s a show that requires your attention playing ahead. 

“You have really pretty eyes,” he compliments in such a gentle voice your gut turns. 

“Thank you.” 

His orbs go from your eyes, to your mouth, and back up to your eyes, and it’s so clear what’s going on in his brain. He doesn’t act on it, which you’re grateful for, letting you know that even with the suggestive jokes and less than platonic feelings he’s brought to your attention, he never crosses the line.

You’re grateful because you really don’t know if you’d have the will power to push him away. 

Jaehyun looks at you in a way you’ve never experienced before. You can’t quite put your finger on what’s different, but you do recognize desire. 

And you’re saved by the alarm you set earlier for 5 o’clock. 

“You sure you can’t watch another episode before you leave?” Jaehyun asks, not letting you pull away to turn the alarm off just yet, his arm tightening around you. “Wanna spend some more time with you.”

“I’ve got a 5-page paper to write that I haven’t even written the title on,” you explain, touched by his confession. You sigh, getting out of his hold when the sound of the alarm becomes annoying. It’s not that you don’t want to stay here and binge the show. “I’m free Thursday after 3?” 

Bit of a dangerous game to play, but you have enough self control. You just might not smoke the next time. 

“I’ll see you Thursday after 3, then,” he agrees easily. “Let me walk you out.”

The hug he gives you before you get into your car lingers, both arms wrapping around your upper back and holding you close, a subtle side to side rock. With the side of your face flush to his chest, arms encircling his middle and hands flat against his back, feeling the way his muscles flex beneath your palms, you hum in contentment. Jaehyun really gives the best hugs. 

“Thanks for watching the show with me,” he says before slowly peeling his body away.

“Thank you for asking me to.” It means a lot. 

Jaehyun’s eyes flicker to your mouth as he licks his lips. “You should leave before I try to convince you to watch a couple more episodes with me.” 

“Yeah,” you agree, backing up to open your car door. “I should leave before I’m convinced.” 

With a grin, he nods. “Drive safe, pretty.” 

His scent is still on you and strong when you’re driving back home to pick your laptop up. When you’re curled up in a solo booth typing away at your laptop. And a soft smile lingers throughout the whole night. 

The sound of an Instagram message interrupts the music you’re playing as you fill in your eyebrow. With a sigh at the interruption in your flow, you peer over to see if it’s a potential new customer.

Instead, it’s on your main page from a user you’ve never seen before. 

You tap it since you’re already here. And your heart drops to your stomach. 

Hey girl. I wasn’t going to say anything but you seem like a nice person so I would feel bad if I didn’t. Your boyfriend has been in my dms for a while. And he came home with my roommate last night

The fact that you trust him when he says he’s out with the boys and make it a point to not check his location unless he’s running late to come see you makes you smile humorlessly to yourself. You’ve been fighting off that gut feeling to check, telling yourself it’s just your anxiety and trust issues. That you’re past that stage in your relationship. He’s committed solely to you now. 

You blink at the message, reading it over a couple times before letting out a dry laugh. You don’t doubt her at all, but if you’re going to approach him about anything, you need proof. That way he can’t lie to you the way he’s done in the past. 

Could you show me what he’s been saying?

A couple of minutes later, a few screenshots are sent to you. They consist of Jaemin swiping up with heart eyes emojis as well as the exasperated emoji, him asking for her Snapchat and her asking ‘don’t you have a girlfriend?’ to which he replied honestly to, and her saying he can hit her back up when he is single but not when he’s in a relationship. The timestamps show you that he has been at it on and off for a little over a month now. The last message from him is asking her to link, to which she politely declined.

You respect it. You’re not mad at her thanking him when he sent heart eyes or compliments. Honestly, you don’t even think you feel any anger at all right now. You feel numb. 

You save the screenshots to your phone. 

Thank you for bringing this to my attention. Have a great day. 

You and Jaemin have plans to go out to eat and grocery shopping, and you’re still going to get a meal and free groceries no matter what news was given to you just now. Especially after the news you were just given. You’ve always been a great actress when need be. So you finish your make up and get dressed in a cute, casual two piece outfit that you know is one of Jaemin’s favorites.

He’s still not here by the time you’re done getting ready, and instead of taking the time to think about the situation like you probably should, your thumb moves mindlessly across your phone screen and taps on a message thread. 

[3:25] you: Are you gonna be busy later?

[3:26] jung: what time?

You exhale deeply at his fast reply.

[3:28] you: Like 6

[3:28] jung: no. wassup?

You grin to yourself.

[3:29] you: Bet. I’ll see you then

[3:30] jung: uh [3:32] jung: okay? [3:32] jung: to watch our show?

You don’t bother responding. You let him know you’d be there and that’s all he needs to know right now. And honestly, you didn’t think this far into the conversation. What would you even reply with? Oh I found out Jaemin is a piece of shit so I’m probably about to go over there and do something to get over it. Not that you think Jaehyun would even have a problem with that blunt response or being used for his attention to fill a void within you now. Your pride makes you hold the information in because the tables have turned. 

And then the sound of your doorbell sounds throughout the apartment. 

With a pretty smile on your face, you answer the door and greet your boyfriend, who hums in appreciation at the sight in front of him, and stand on your tiptoes to give him a hug and kiss. He grabs your ass in the midst of the embrace and you feel sick at the action, but you swallow it down. 

“Ready?” Jaemin asks.

You thought you could make it through food and groceries, but with him standing in front of you, you realize you can’t. 

You want to be out of his presence as soon as possible. 

“Can we chill for a little? I’ve got a headache.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Jaemin agrees easily, stepping in and closing the door behind him. He kicks his shoes off before leading you to the couch and holding you close. “You just got it or has it been a while?”

“Got it about half an hour ago,” you sigh, doing your best to remain calm in his hold. Especially when he kisses your temple. 

Your heart is beating fast, but you still don’t feel angry. 

You always feel anger when you catch him. 

All you feel is hurt. Embarrassed. 

“I wanna show you something,” you mumble, unlocking your phone. His attention goes to the device and he watches you go to your photos and tap the recent photo album before pulling up the conversation. 

You hold it up closer to his face so he can really see it. 

And his face drops. 

You don’t yell. You barely raise your voice. “What the fuck is wrong with you, Jaemin?” 

He just blinks stupidly and starts to stutter. “I-I don’t know.”

“How many times have we gone through this?” you ask, throwing your phone aside. “Why do you keep doing dumb shit like this?”

“I didn’t mean it,” he tries to defend himself. “I was just bored and–”

You laugh humorlessly at that. “You must’ve been really bored last night when you were supposedly at the library with the guys, huh?”

“We didn’t do anything,” Jaemin responds, trying to convey his truth with his eyes. The first couple of times you felt bad for making him look so dejected, but the fact this conversation has happened multiple times just because he doesn’t know how to not be thirsty and not try to outsource when you’re not around or when the two of you have a disagreement is enough for empathy to no longer exist. It’s not like he cared about you when he was in the moment. 

“So not only have you embarrassed me by having our pictures pinned on your page and constantly in bitch’s messages, but you actually go home with someone and get caught, then it gets reported to me out of pity. ” You conclude the event just so he can hear how shitty he is. 

“We only kissed. I felt bad and we stopped there.”

You blink. “You expect me to believe that?”

“I swear that’s all that happened.”

You shake your head. Part of you only believes he didn’t actually get his dick wet because he has no game, but unfortunately, if he pulled you off his good looks and good naturedness, it’s very probable women on campus who have the ‘if she’s not my friend, he’s single’ mindset will fuck him. “You can go now.”

Jaemin panics. “Can we talk about this, please?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” you deadpan, scooting out of his hold and looking at your stove to see the time. 

He reaches for you, and you dodge his touch by standing up and walking to the door, looking at him expectantly. 

“Baby, please.” 

“I have somewhere to be soon.” Jaemin stands, trying again to touch your hand when he should know the last thing you want from him right now is his touch. “I’m not gonna waste my breath trying to convince you that I don’t deserve this and that out of respect for you I don’t even open messages from guys I don’t know, again. I don’t have anything else to say to you. Goodbye.”

“I know you’re faithful and I know I fucked up and I’m so sorry,” Jaemin exasperates. “Let me make it up to you? I promise it won–”

“Go, Jaemin.”

Head down, Jaemin finally listens. He slips his Crocs on when he gets to the front door, gives you one more pitiful look while giving an apology that you don’t even listen to. You lock the door behind him and head to the bathroom to freshen up. 

[4:02] you: I’m actually omw now

[4:03] jung: ok

—

It only takes a few seconds for you to hear the lock turn after you knock on his door. Jaehyun’s hair is messy and even with confusion written all over his face, he looks even better than the last time you saw him. Gray sweat-shorts and a white wife-beater never looked so good on a man. 

After a moment of you finally appreciating the view in front of you without nagging thoughts or guilt and him analyzing you, he speaks.

“You found out, didn’t you?”

And that’s all it takes for the thoughts to go away and to spark anger within you. He knew. Of course he knew. You’re sure he knows shit that hasn’t been brought to your attention, too. 

“You’re a piece of shit for not telling me.”

He grins. “Me blatantly telling you I wanted you and continuing to show you should’ve told you everything you needed to know.”

“So you pick and choose when to follow bro code?” you scoff, walking passed him and into the living room. “Fucking your friend’s girlfriend is better than telling her about him doing shit behind her back now?”

He follows behind you after shutting and locking the front door.

“I don’t follow ‘bro code’ for associates… Plus he fucked my ex, so it doesn’t really matter.”

“So I’m revenge pussy?”

“How did you come to that con–”

“So y’all just share pussy within the group,” you hum in faux understanding, plopping down on the beige couch.

“Last time I checked, we’ve never had sex?” 

“But you’ve made it very clear you want to fuck me.”

He says your name in a humorless laugh, not at all in the mood for your deflecting. “I know you didn’t come here to fuss at me. So why are you here?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” you ask, your mind barely even taking in what he just said to you. You thought the two of you were close enough. 

The brunet sits on the opposite end of the couch. His demeanor changes, voice softer and tone genuine now that you’re not trying to chew his head off and you’re more hurt than angry now. “By the time I was told, you already made plans to come over here.”

“Would you have told me?”

He shrugs. “Probably, I don’t know. Would you have believed me? After I’ve been hitting on you this whole time?”

You want to continue being upset, but you can’t even be mad at his reasoning. At him at all. He’s not the one that did you dirty. 

You don’t know if you would have believed him if he did try to tell you, honestly. Yeah, you’ve created a (mostly) platonic bond and consider him a friend at this point, but he’s right. Jaehyun’s never stopped his desires from being shown or spoken on, only diluting them. And you’ve always had a hard time accepting the truth. 

You sigh. “I can understand that.”

He scoots closer to you and gives you a moment to recenter yourself, speaking softly when he says, ”Answer my first question now.”

“You were just the first person that came to mind.” You shrug, not making eye contact with him. 

“While I believe you,” he says, “I know you didn’t come here to talk about him.” Any time you’ve been together, your boyfriend is hardly mentioned. “So what is it?”

Aside from setting up the second time to meet at his place and watch tv, you’ve never invited yourself over, always accepting an invitation. Of course it’s obvious. 

You shake your head. Adrenaline no longer pumping, you don’t have half the balls you did when you texted him or when you knocked on his door.

“He hurt your feelings so you came here, right?” he asks slowly, head tilting. 

“Yeah,” you mumble.

“And you want me to help you feel better?” Jaehyun puts the final pieces together. He doesn’t pity you, which you appreciate, but it’s clear in his voice that he doesn’t want to piss you off again with his assumption, even though you both know he guessed right.

Your heart hurts. Being here, in Jaemin’s friend’s (acquaintance?) apartment, considering getting lost in him to feel better because you just know he has exactly what you need right now isn’t a healthy coping mechanism, but the opportunity had presented itself to you even before the additional heartbreak. 

Then you remember another heart could get broken. 

“What’s up with you and Yeri?” you ask. He’s told you on multiple occasions that they are not together, but actions speak so much louder than words and you know a couple, or at least two individuals who are intimately involved with one another when you see it. 

“I told you, she’s not my girlfriend.”

“But does she know that?” you push the matter. The way Yeri looks at him, so full of love and admiration even as he pays very little attention to her.

“We cut off anything more than a friendship like two weeks ago.” At your skeptical look, he adds on, “promise.”

Promises don’t mean shit to you at this point, if the ring still on your finger says anything. “Officially?”

Jaehyun moves to pull his phone out of his back pocket, unlock it, and tap a few things before handing the device to you. It’s their message thread, the last few messages from last Friday.

yeri: i’m gonna need some space to really get over everything before going back to being just friends but i don’t want anyone to feel awkward 

you: take your time. they’ll understand

“Anything else?” he asks at your acknowledging hum, setting the phone on the coffee table when you hand it back. “We can watch our show or something if you want.”

You scoot closer to him this time, to the point of your thighs touching, and he drapes his arm behind you and patiently waits as your thoughts come to a stopping point. You lean into his embrace and look up at him, eyes going straight to his mouth. 

“Yeah, we can watch it,” you finally respond, resting your head on his shoulder.

Nodding, Jaehyun turns on the TV and scrolls through Netflix to find it. 

“Let me turn the lights off,” he mutters, waiting until you lift your head to get up and do so. He sits leaned against the arm of the chair, legs spread wide and body slumped. Tilting his head, he invites you into his space. 

You check your phone for the time and scroll up a bit to see you have a couple of missed texts from Jaemin. You’re sure it’s the typical apology texts you’ve gotten every time you caught him, so you turn your phone off before you set the device and your purse beside his own belongings on the coffee table. You fit yourself in between Jaehyun’s legs, your upper back against his chest and the back of your head on his shoulder, and you almost sigh when he wraps an arm around you. Fresh linen mixed with that underlying masculine scent you’ve gotten used to with him toeing the line of acting like you’re his friend’s girlfriend and you’re the woman he’s interested in is so comforting you find yourself spaced out.

You don’t know why you’re trying to bullshit yourself right. You don’t give a damn about this show right now. 

You’d been attracted to this man and under his spell since the first couple of meetings. Actually befriending him was conflicting, the flirting and glances and touches that didn’t overstep any boundaries but were so close to doing so. You were being a good girlfriend by dismissing him and downplaying interactions. You don’t have to do that anymore. Jaemin’s bullshit was just the cherry on top to have you fall into Jaehyun’s lap. All of the cards you’ve been dealt have led you to his apartment, and you aren’t stepping on anyone’s toes being here. 

You deserve a little fun.

And he doesn’t seem to take you seriously enough for either of you to get hurt from one night together. He’s perfectly fine with being a rebound, and you’re basically in the same boat. You know what they say, to get over someone… 

Tilting your head, you look up at him, waiting a few seconds until he returns your gaze. 

“What’s up?” Jaehyun asks, his attention going back to the  show when you don’t answer after a couple of seconds. You lift a hand to gently grab the back of his head, guiding his face down to yours. There’s a slight grin on his face as he allows you to move his head, and you feel it when you tilt your chin up to finally slant your lips over his. 

This is what you’d been depriving yourself of. The slow passes of Jaehyun’s lips on yours, the firm, yet gentle hold that keeps you close to his body, the warmth that instantly builds in your stomach. It’s so different. Kisses with Jaemin can be rushed and sloppy most times when sex is on his mind, even suffocating. Here, there’s no rush to get to you undressed, just you getting comfortable with one another and you caressing his scalp with your fingertips. Just gradually building passion.

He lightly licks your bottom lip, and then your tongues are getting acquainted. He tastes like mint as the muscles slowly circle around one another, making your body heat up and a whimper leaks out of you. 

Kisses move from your lips to your cheek, trailing lower. You let him kiss, lick, and suck his way up and down your neck, lolling your head further to the side with a low moan.

“We’re doing this?” he asks, dragging his tongue up to your ear. And the moment the wet muscle circles around your ear, you realize how sensitive they are and suck in a breath at the feeling. “I need words.”

“Yeah,” you sigh, eyes fluttering shut. When his tongue dips in and just lightly swirls, your fingers grip his hair tighter. 

“Yeah?” he prompts quietly, sucking on your earlobe. The arm around you loosens, his hand sliding up your stomach, stopping at your chest to fondle your breast. You nod, pushing your chest into his hand while guiding him to kiss your lips again. 

“Yes,” you hiss against his lips. That’s all you want. You want Jaehyun to take the heartache away, even if just temporarily. You’ve done enough contemplating and Jaehyun seems to agree.

He kisses you rougher, his tongue not as nice as before and takes over, leaving you no choice but to just moan and let him raid your mouth while he pinches and pulls at your nipple. 

His other hand drifts lower, fingertips skimming over your dangling belly button ring, then he flips the front of your skirt up. You spread your legs, giving him more room. His light touch tickles your inner thigh and you break away from the kiss, panting. The difference between his rough tugging on your chest and featherlike, almost teasing fingers so close to the wet seat of your panties makes your head spin. 

Head back on his shoulder, your eyes lift up to the ceiling as you process the position the two of you are in and the feeling of Jaehyun’s digits circling around your clothed entrance. He knows exactly where to touch you, like this isn’t the first time you’ve allowed yourselves to be in this situation, like he’s had the time to learn your body. His hands and his mouth, the tone of his voice and the undeniable chemistry between the two of you gets you worked up so quickly you’re actually surprised. 

When the seat of your panties is drenched to Jaehyun’s liking and you let out a needy whine, he moves the fabric aside. Teasingly tapping your clit, you both watch the string of arousal that stretches from your cunt to his fingertips. You haven’t been this turned on in so long, you’re sensitive and so close to becoming impatient, but at the same time you’re basking in the attention. 

“Yeah, he’s a dumbass,” Jaehyun mutters to himself, continuing to play with your wetness. Two digits dip into your entrance, just barely sinking in one knuckle deep. He repeats this for a while, thoroughly enjoying how wet you are just for him. 

“Jaehyun,” you moan. “Please do something.”

He listens, pushing both fingers into you instantly and it makes you gasp. The hand on your breast slides up to your chin to guide your mouth back to his. His tongue dances with your own as he swallows the whines and whimpers you let out. 

The wet smacks resonating throughout the living room get louder and louder, his thrusts getting faster and rougher.

“Fuck,” you cry, pulling away to catch your breath. You look down in between your legs and the sight only brings a tightness to your lower abdomen. The angle is perfect, his palm smacking your clit each time his fingers sink deep into you. “Right there. Right there.”

“Mm, right here?” His deep voice vibrates your back. “You gonna come?”

You nod violently, your walls already starting to clench around his digits. You cry in affirmation. 

“Let it out, baby. I got you.” His movements speed up even more and the friction of his palm on your clit is more intentional now.  “Come all over my fingers.”

You reach for something to grab, your hand coming in contact with the top of the cushion beside you and you grip it as hard as you can. The pleasure in your clit intensifies and your legs automatically move to shut, but your knees don’t even touch because Jaehyun uses his free hand to tug your leg back onto the cushions. 

Your hips roll out of sync with the thrusts of his hands to chase the orgasm that’s so close you can taste it, and Jaehyun reads you and your body language so well it would scare you if your head wasn’t so high in the cloud. His tongue swirls around your ear, giving your body that final push to release. 

The moan you let out as your lower body shakes sounds like a cry and the man under you just eats it up, groaning under you, rubbing his erection against your back for some type of friction as he draws your orgasm out with the heel of his hand on your sensitive bundle of nerves. 

“Jae-” You try to tell him it’s so close to becoming too much yet the feeling is so addicting you don’t want it to stop, but your words die when you feel another intense wave of pleasure wash over you. “Oh fuck. Please.”

“One more time before I fuck you?” he asks, so composed—the complete opposite of you. He grabs your face and makes you look at him, smiling at your lewd grimace. “One more time. You can do it.”

You can and you immediately do at his encouragement. “Oh my fucking God.”

“That’s it,” he continues to encourage, finally slipping his fingers out before it becomes too much. His hand comes up to your mouth and your mouth opens without a thought, letting him stick his wet digits in and giving you a taste of the mess you made. “So good for me.”

You nod, agreeing. You’ll do anything he wants at this point and he knows it. 

“Do you taste good, baby?”

You roll your tongue around and in between his fingers and moan in lieu of an answer, to which Jaehyun smiles at before carefully removing his fingers and replacing them with his tongue in a filthy kiss. 

He strips you of your clothing before you’re maneuvered to turn and straddle his lap, the lip lock only breaking for a second before you grab the sides of his face and take the lead. Jaehyun easily lets you, giving you his tongue to suck into your mouth as he moves to settle straight up against the cushions. 

Your essence is dripping down your inner thighs, your pussy clenching around air, in desperate need of him. You rise up to your knees to give you room to stick a hand down the front of his pants. The two of you moan in unison when you wrap your fingers around his dick. Backing away from the kiss, you look down, using your other hand to pull the waistband down as you pull him out of his shorts. 

He’s the perfect size and you almost cry because you’ve really been blocking your blessings for a man that isn’t worth it. 

You claw his shorts down to his knees and he takes care of the rest, kicking them off when he gets them to his ankles. 

“Go ahead.” Jaehyun licks his lips, eyes lidded and dark.  “Sit on it. You can use me to get even.”

You spit in your hand before wrapping it back around his dick, pumping a few times to get him wet.

“It’s not like that.”

Lifting up a bit more, you guide his tip to your entrance. You take your time sinking down on his dick, holding the base while balancing yourself with the other hand on his shoulder. He stretches you out with a pleasurable sting, making you hiss as more inches disappear inside you. Adjusting your feet so that they’re resting against his inner thighs for support, you push down until he bottoms out, and both of you are moaning at the delicious feeling. 

“What is it like then?” Jaehyun asks as you lift his shirt up and off of his body. 

It takes a few practice rises and falls to get adjusted to him and you take your time, to which the man beneath you appreciates. He can feel all of you, groaning deep in his chest.

“I want— mm— I already wanted you,” you confess, to which he smiles knowingly at. He just wanted to hear you say it. “Fuck you’re so big.”

“So fucking tight,” Jaehyun rasps, melting into the cushions behind him. He just admires the view of you riding him, the wet, sticky sound the action makes when he’s deep inside of you. Enjoys the feeling of you sucking him in greedily like your cunt refuses to let him slip out. Jaehyun’s encouraging words urge you to fuck yourself on his cock a little faster, harder, moans getting louder each time you bottom out. “Just like that.”

A deep groan of his name comes from the back of your throat. You can hardly think, let alone about what caused you to be in this very situation, but you can feel the tension and built up emotions loosen more and more the longer you lose yourself in the feeling of your walls being stretched around Jaehyun. 

“I’m gonna come,” you whine. 

“Yeah?” Jaehyun slouches into the couch even more, running his hands up your thighs to reach and grab the top of your ass for leverage so he can fuck up into you, meeting your thrusts half way. The power behind his strokes causes you to go momentarily cross-eyed, eyes unfocused and brows furrowed at the overwhelming feeling of your orgasm approaching even faster now. 

“Fuck,” you squeal, unable to move, which Jaehyun easily accepts and completely takes over. 

“Want you to come all over me,” he grunts out, voice strained. His stare burns your face and your eyes focus back on his handsome face. Jaw clenched, the brunet’s hold changes to your hips to slam your lower body down until you do just as he said, a loud cry echoing in his spacious living room. Tears fall down your cheeks, eyes rolling to the back of your head as your body convulses and Jaehyun just talks you through it. You fall into him, the side of your face landing on the couch, fingers gripping the cushions for dear life. You barely hear the words coming out of his mouth, every few words registering in the midst of your whines.

His thrusts slow to a stop and your mind is fuzzy as he showers your throat in kisses, hands caressing your waist. 

You lean back in his lap, his tip pressing further into the spot within you causing both of you to moan in unison. You caress his face, swallowing hard and breathing deeply to catch your breath for a few beats before slanting your lips over his again.

He guides you to grind against him, hands on your hips pulling you into him then pushing you back in a steady motion. Your moans die out in his mouth. His tip just continues to hit your g-spot, your clit rubs against his pelvic bone and it feels so good you have to break away from his mouth. 

Your eyes meet and the contact doesn’t break, your mouth open as deep exhales and whimpers slip out. The room feels hotter, your skin feels stickier, but you just keep grinding and basking in the pleasure until you’re ready for more. Ready for him to come. 

With wobbly limbs, you climb off of him, sinking your knees into the cushions and draping your upper body along the top of the couch, your cheek resting on your arm as you watch Jaehyun stand up and position himself behind you with one knee on the sofa, stroking his cock. 

“You still want more?” he asks, tapping his tip on your ass. 

“Want you to come.” You push your hips back, already becoming impatient. 

“Yeah?” Jaehyun rubs his tip through the mess that pools over your entrance. “Where do you want me to come, baby?”

“Inside me,” you moan. “Please?”

He’ll give you whatever you want. You know as much. 

“Give me a pretty arch– just like that.” Pressing into the arch, Jaehyun coaxes himself back inside of you with slow strokes. The different angle, the different pace, feels like heaven. Your eyes flutter shut, lip trapped between your teeth as your body rocks with his thrusts. 

He continues fucks you slowly, no desire to speed things up yet, just wanting the both of you to enjoy every second. Softly, he tells you ‘up’ before guiding your back to meet his chest with a gentle hand on your throat.

You hold his gaze when he tells you to look at him, even though your lids are fighting you. 

“You wanted me to make you feel better, right?” he asks, and after a moment of silence from you, he manually pulls your lip from between your teeth and repeats, “Right?”

You hum in affirmation, pushing your hips back to feel him even deeper. “Shit. I did.”

“Tell me how I’m making you feel,” he commands, rolling his hips with deep strokes. “I wanna hear you.”

“‘Make me feel so good,” you abide with a whine. “So fucking good, Jaehyun.”

Jaehyun brings you in for a slow, sloppy kiss, finally picking up his pace. The hand on your neck glides down to your breast to pinch and pull at your sensitive nipple while his other hand travels down in between your legs, finding your clit to rub circles over.

Wet lips trail to your ear, his deep grunts the main thing you can hear before his tongue is back and circling around in your ear. Your eyes flutter at all of the stimulation, lower abdomen tightening and getting ready for yet another climax. 

“Need you to come again. Can you do that for me?” 

Nodding carefully, you agree. 

The digits on your clit speed up, no longer going in a circular motion but instead swiping back and forth, bringing you so much closer to the edge. 

“Said you want my cum inside of you?”

“Yes,” you gasp, repeating the word as your body starts shaking, back arching and walls clamping on his dick, coming once again and bringing him closer to doing the same. 

His thrusts quicken gradually, not giving you the time to recover this time around, back to pushing that pretty arch in your back for him and using the grip on your waist as leverage. Your legs shake from the effort it takes to keep yourself on your knees for him with the onslaught you’re taking. From the overwhelming pleasure that squeezes your eyes shut and has you seeing stars. Alongside your drool, your tears leak out onto the cotton the side of your face is smushed into while you cry. It doesn’t hurt in the slightest so you’re unsure as to why you’re crying--bawling, rather-- but it feels so right so you don’t question it. You just keep taking Jaehyun’s deep strokes while your body convulses until he pulls out with a pop. 

Little droplets of cum that didn’t make it inside decorate your gaping entrance. With Jaehyun no longer having such a strong hold on you, your knees can slip apart more, and the angle allows for milky ropes to slowly ooze out of your hole. You don’t have enough time to get back into your right state of mind before Jaehyun enters you again in one, deep thrust. 

He couldn’t help it. Something carnal within him has to fuck the cum back inside of you. 

Your gasp of surprise only eggs him on further, slamming into you until he’s milked out completely and his shaft gets too sensitive to go any further. The top of your crack to your inner thighs is smeared cum and cream, and the sight almost makes Jaehyun’s limp dick twitch. He’s mesmerized by the sight, running his fingers over your fluttering entrance until a tiny whimper brings him back to reality. 

He takes his time pulling away from your boneless body to stand straight up. 

“Need me to carry you to the bathroom?”

You’re dizzy and your cheeks are wet but you find the brain and strength to lift yourself up, shaking your head. Jaehyun assists with a hand pulling you by your arm. Your legs are wobbly and he laughs to himself as he walks behind you, gently pushing you out of the living room and through his room to the bathroom. 

Sitting on the toilet completely naked and pushing his semen out is an intimate act but you barely have the mind to care right now. He’s hardly paying attention anyway, focused on wetting a rag with warm water and cleaning himself before rinsing the cloth back off to use on you. 

Once you’ve wiped as much as toilet paper can get off of you and flush, Jaehyun guides you to sit on his spacious sink so he can finish the job. Your head is spinning. Jaemin never did this before. 

“You wanna go home tonight or stay with me?” He asks, glancing up at your face in the midst of cleaning between your legs. “I think you should stay so I can fuck you again before you go back to him.”

Your brows furrow. “What makes you think I’m going back to him?” 

“Because you always do.”

How sure he is makes you wonder just how many incidents between you and Jaemin everyone knows about. If Jaehyun, who isn’t close with your boyfriend knows, there’s no doubt everyone else does. 

After all, he said he was told earlier. And it was unlikely by Jaemin himself.

That makes you feel embarrassed all over again. 

The possibility of you forgetting the constant heartache and staying with Jaemin keeps dwindling as the day goes on. 

Jaemin is perfect on paper. And as time has passed and more situations between you have occurred, you realize that’s the main reason you stayed with him. There’s the attachment and love, of course. But the relationship started off physical. No friendship. Just lust and infatuation. You bending over backwards to keep a connection alive when Jaemin was distant and nonchalant, choosing his friends more than you and a lot of times taking entirely too long to respond to texts or snaps. 

Your main source of communication in the beginning was Snapchat. That was the biggest red flag but he was just so handsome and tall and amicable. Jaemin’s eyes were just so kind and they held an innocence that drew you towards him. 

Not to mention when the two of you became official and you introduced him to your family they instantly took a liking to him and often ask about his whereabouts and wellbeing. Inviting Jaemin to birthday parties and dinners. 

He’s attentive to material things that you like and he gets them. His main love language is acts of service so he buys you things, cooks for you, does minor repairs on your car, and other things that make your life a little easier. So you know Jaemin has love for you, but he’s too wrapped up in himself and what his friends have going on, and you’re the one that’s always affected negatively because of this. All the nice things he does for you aren’t worth the sadness, anger, and insecurity you constantly feel. Not worth the emotional rollercoaster you’re always on with him. 

You refuse to take it anymore. 

“I’m not going back to him,” you say more to yourself. You start to push Jaehyun back so you can get down and put some clothes on and quite possibly get the hell out of here, but the brunet sets the soiled rag inside the sink and holds your waist. 

“Then how about you take a shower while I order some food for us.”

You study him. He looks tired but hopeful you’ll stay the night. 

“So you can fuck me again before I leave,” you deadpan. 

He laughs. 

“I only said that because I was sure you’d be right back with him tomorrow,” he explains, bringing your lower body closer to the edge of the counter as he steps forward, your sexes touching and contradicting his next words. “But if you say you aren’t, I can admit I just want to spend more time with you.”

“Why?”

The look he gives you makes you think you asked a dumb question, but you genuinely don’t understand. 

“Just know I’m here when you’re ready, okay?”

That didn’t answer your question at all, but the tone of his voice is believable. “Ready for what, Jaehyun?”

“Us,” he says. “If you decide you still wanna be friends with me and see where this can go, I’m here.”

Now you’re really confused. You thought this was just sex for the both of you. You thought you were both just rebounds. You thought he just wanted to fuck you this whole time. 

“You’re deadass?” you ask dumbly, to which he laughs at. 

“Yes.” He dips down to give you an innocent kiss. “Now get in the shower. I’m hungry.” 

When you open your eyes the next morning, Jaehyun’s body heat radiating even from the other side of the bed, everything that happened yesterday hits you all over again. 

Especially when the man beside you basically told you he wants to be your man. 

It’s not that you’re opposed to it. The connection and chemistry are definitely there. But you can’t jump into another relationship so quickly. Especially with someone who is connected to the man you’ve yet to break up with 

It is nice that Jaehyun didn’t just bombard you with his feelings or ask you out instantly, though. You appreciate him saying the two of you could build and see what happens. 

In the midst of your thinking, Jaehyun stirs awake and checks his phone. He groans tiredly and turns to you. 

“I’m surprised you’re still here,” is the first thing he says to you, rubbing sleep out of his eyes. “Not that I’m complaining.”

“I bet you like seeing my face first thing in the morning,” you tut. You finally sit up, though, because while you’re not even sure what time it is, you need to get home and figure your next step out. 

“I do.” Jaehyun easily admits, sitting up as well. “I feel like this will be the last time in a while, though.”

You raise an eyebrow. He’s not wrong. But are you that easy to read? 

“It’s that obvious?”

He laughs and gets out of the bed, stretching his arms high above his head with a deep grunt. Your eyes trail down his body and stay on the tent in his boxers long enough to get caught. You lick your lips. 

“Let me feed you before you leave.”

“Feed me how?” you ask. This time his brows lift up. “What. Feed me what?”

“I can feed you cum and pancakes if you want,” he snorts. “Extra toothbrushes are in the top left drawer under the sink. You can get ready first.”

You end up taking over halfway through Jaehyun making breakfast so he can freshen up, and the two of you eat side by side at the high bar in his kitchen in comfortable silence for a while. 

But you feel like you should touch on the comment he made earlier. 

“I’m gonna need time to myself before I even start thinking about being with someone else.” 

Jaehyun nods, taking his time to chew and swallow his mouthful. “That’s expected.”

“I honestly don’t want to be around anyone associated with him for a while either,” you admit. He deserves to know what’s going on in your mind. 

You’d only want to see Joy and Jaehyun, and it sucks when Jaehyun’s barely even your boyfriend’s friend, but you can’t see yourself healing and actually getting over the whole situation while constantly in his presence. 

“I figured,” he says. “You cool with me checking in some times?”

You smile. It’s nice that he really does care. “Yeah. I’d like that.” 

He collects your plates when you’ve both finished breakfast and you follow him to the sink to help him clean up before you leave. Your assistance is denied, but he tells you to sit on the counter beside the sink and talk to him before he walks you out. 

You know you need to leave soon, but you’re dragging your feet, so you hike yourself up onto the counter. You don’t have the energy to confront the cause of the situation at hand right now. You’re tired. You just want to go home and sleep for the rest of the day then think about everything tomorrow. Talk to Jaemin tomorrow. 

You don’t even want to check your phone, hence why it’s still off, in Jaehyun’s living room.

Any time you’ve created distance between you and Jaemin after a bad argument, he gave you the space you needed, only sending a message or two letting you know he loves you and how sorry he is, how grateful he is to have you in his life. The space has always been appreciated, but now that you’re thinking about it, it makes you realize how certain he is you’ll be back under him and by his side in no time. 

“Get out of your head,” Jaehyun’s voice brings you back to reality. The dishes are finished and you don’t know if he let you be in your head in silence up until now or if he’s been talking. It doesn’t matter much, seeing that he doesn’t look affected. Instead, he’s easily parting your legs so he can fit his body in between, tilting your chin up with a gentle finger. “Can I get another kiss before you disappear?”

You slant your lips over his, bringing him closer by your legs around his hips. The kiss isn’t like any of the ones from last night. There’s more longing, yet more patience. Jaehyun’s hands stay innocent on the sides of your face while yours hold onto the fabric of his shirt. 

It’s already obvious you’re going to miss this for a while. The way Jaehyun’s tongue lightly circles your own, the way his teeth nip at your lower lip. How he groans when you suck on his bottom lip as he pulls away a little, letting it snap back into place before his tongue is back in your mouth, playing with yours. 

You’re unsure of how long this goes on, but when you can feel your arousal dripping down your inner thigh due to you wearing the same skirt from yesterday with no panties (they got ruined), you give Jaehyun a finale smooch before gently pushing his back by his chest. 

“I gotta go before I end up fucking you again,” you joke, wanting to this temporary halt in whatever the two of you have going on to end on a good note. 

Jaehyun’s head tilts. “I don’t see why that would be a bad thing.”

You squint at him non-intimidatingly. 

“How about I call you if my rabbit isn’t enough to satisfy me?” you propose.

“Can I taste you before you clean up?” 

You pause from getting ready to hop off the counter and raise a brow. 

After spending so much time saying no and shrugging him off, it’s hard to do so right now. Which is why you reach down to swipe at your essence with your fingers and bring them up to his mouth. With a grin, he opens up, tongue out, easily accepting his treat. 

Your breath hitches at the feeling and sight of the tall man enjoying the taste of you from your own fingers. He gently grabs your wrist to angle your hand better so he can lick up every last drop. He finishes with a loud suck before bending down to give you a kiss that lets you also get a taste. 

And suddenly, you don’t mind spending a little more time here. Afterall, who knows when the next time you’ll see him will be.

“You did that on purpose,” you accuse, not really complaining. You don’t even know why you were trying to fool yourself. You’d stay the night again, if you’re being honest. It’d give you more time away from the reality that waits for you outside of the bubble you and Jaehyun have created. 

“I’m not keeping you hostage,” Jaehyun says, wiping some saliva from under your mouth before taking a step back. “Let me walk you to your car.”

You shake your head, leaning back so you can prop your heels on the edge of the counter. “I think you should get a better taste.”

The brunet fights a smile, licking his lips. “You think so?”

“I do.” You nod, biting your lip as you watch him sink to his knees.

“I don’t know, Jaemin,” Joy says, a bit of pity in her voice. “She unfollowed all of us and you haven’t heard from her in what, three weeks?”

“Four,” Jaemin corrects, like that doesn’t further prove the red-head’s point. 

She squints at him like he’s a dumbass, which he is. Everyone in the room knows this. Especially Jaehyun, who doesn’t even know why he’s here tonight. Joy practically begged him to spend a little time with everyone instead of being holed up in his apartment as per usual. 

He already barely joined the group’s festivities, but nowadays, he’d rather just be alone or be with you. 

“Since she broke up with you,” Seulgi further points out. 

“Doesn’t look like she’s taking you back this time, kid,” Taeyong pitches in. 

“I mean yeah, this is the longest we’ve gone without talking but I know her,” Jaemin insists. “She needs space before she forgives and we get back right. Even you all know this. It’s just taking a little longer because it’s the first time she found out I actually fucked someone else.” He shrugs like it’s no big deal, licking and sealing his blunt tightly. 

Jaehyun’s annoyed at this point.

“She’s done with you.”

Everyone looks at Jaehyun, surprised at him even speaking on the topic. 

Jaemin laughs, leaning back in his seat arrogantly. “How would you know?”

Yeri tilts her head. 

You’re going to be pissed when his next words get back to you, but he can’t just watch Jaemin talk about you and the situation you’re still healing from like it’s nothing. 

“Because I’ve been nutting in her this whole time.”

heyyyyy :) ik it’s been a minute since i’ve posted. ily thank you for reading. feedback is always appreciated

[charliedawn]

Slashers x Reader

So...I was asked to write the slashers as their canon selves..Know that it was a request and I am not responsible for whatever happens next. Thank you.

Also, I've just heard about what people call an OC ? I don't really know what is the difference with an insert reader ? Hope I didn't do a mistake somewhere ?

Synopsis : So..You are someone who has moved in a new house—unbeknownst to you it is already inhabited by a slasher. Hence, you are forced to do their bidding until your debt is paid. You are planning on escaping..only to realize you can't.

You hadn't meant to enter the Neibolt House the first time around, it had been a misunderstanding—on odd turn-out of fate. Your friends had tricked you by pretending it was where a party would be held. You had dressed up for the occasion and rang once or twice before realizing nobody would be opening the door..You were about to go home when you heard the door creak open. You turned around and took a glimpse inside. It was lit—and the interior looked a lot less shabby than you had previously expected.

You had taken a look around at the different things inside and lovely wood-carved furniture. It looked ancient. But, you did have some money on the side and it was at that moment you had taken the worst decision of your life: you would buy the Neibolt House.

It didn't take long for you to be able to move in, the agency almost giving it off for free. It did have a few rumors about it—but it was nothing you hadn't heard before. A bunch of nonsense.

...Or, so you had thought at the time.

But, once settled in..that's when things really started to change. You would sometimes wake up in sweat and swear to have seen a shadow dancing at the corner of your eye—taunting you. It scared you.

But, you had already bought the house, you wouldn't leave so easily. So, you suffered through nights of insomnia, the barks of laughter that seemed so near, the terrible ruckus of trash being thrown in front of the house..You ignored all the warnings—all the obvious signs that you had to leave..until it was too late to do so.

It was on another starless night that you met it. You had never seen anything quite like it before.

He came to you when you had reached rock-bottom—your misery enticing him and making him crave for a taste of that fearful youth. When you opened your eyes, he had a big toothy grin on and more than his unusual attire—or that he was standing over you like a ghost—his eyes seemed to glow in the dark and make you lose your ability to speak.

"Aww...Would you look at that ? The poor thing is scared. You dare come in my domain and move in without my approval ? Well, do you have anything to say in your defense—soon-to-be dinner ? I hope it was worth the trip."

He laughed as his nails painfully digged in your flesh and threatened to break the skin. It hurt. So much..But, you didn't want to die.

"Please..I'll do whatever you want. Just let me leave..", you uttered tearfully—not caring about the pitiful picture you must be depicting. It was survival.

He seemed to ponder on your question. He usually did not indulge in those requests, but it was true that Pennywise had had trouble feeding himself and he was on constant edge because of it..

"Anything ?", he finally asked with a quizzical tilt of his head and you nodded vividly.

"Yes !"

Pennywise chuckled at your eagerness before loosening his grip on you—just enough so your attention may be focused solely on him. And then, he brought your hand to his mouth and bit down on it. You hissed and retrieved your hand promptly. But, it was too late as you felt pain spread all across your forearm and shoulder.

"Very well then..Bring me your replacement."

"W..What ?" You blinked several times in astonishment, as you wished you had misheard him somehow..But, his smile faltered as he leaned forward to confirm what you already suspected.

"You heard me. Bring me flesh. Bring me blood. Young, if possible. But, I'm not picky.."

He knew you wouldn't leave, and if you tried ? He would track you down..He had done it before. Rabbits are easy to catch when they are frightened. You immediately sprung to your feet and opened your mouth to protest, but no sound came out when he flashed his yellow eyes at you in warning.

"I don't like waiting, pet. And especially not when I'm hungry. Be quick. Or, you can kiss your life goodbye."

And just like that, you remembered the use of your legs and ran faster than the wind. You knew you couldn't go far, but just enough for him not to hear your thoughts and the pounding of your heart. You ran so deep in the forest, you thought you wouldn't be able to come home..but, no matter how far you ran, Neibolt House seemed to come back to you. You dropped to your knees and gritted your teeth at the cursed house.

"No..NO ! YOU HEAR ME ! I REFUSE !"

No answer was given and then your heard a small crack behind you. You quickly turned around, only to be met with a small rabbit. It was staring at you with its beady eyes and even though it disgusted you to do it, you pounced on it and grabbed it by the ears. It did struggle, but you tried to make it as painless as possible. It wasn't your choice. You closed your eyes and tried not to look at the lifeless creature in your hands—even though said hands were now covered with its blood. You wanted to throw up,but returned to the house instead. Where could you go ?

He won.

You didn't make a step inside that Pennywise idly tilted his head to look at you, his eyes looking for your 'replacement', but only found a rabbit there. He growled.

"It isn't what I asked you for..You are terrible at following simple instructions, aren't you ?"

He mocked you, but you only threw the lifeless rabbit at his feet and your whole body trembled. You had had trouble taking the life of a simple rabbit, and he expected you to kill another human being ?

Pennywise could feel something was wrong and even though he didn't particularly care about your well-being, he cared enough about his to get up and check on you.

"...I can't eat that." He insisted and you didn't know who he was talking to, but it still unnerved you. You had killed it for him, and may your ancestors be witnesses, he would eat that rabbit..

"THEN STARVE !", you shouted and Pennywise froze. You were both shocked by your sudden outburst and you didn't have the time to apologize. Pennywise was on you and held you two feet over the floor, making sure to remind you who was at the mercy of who. He was angry, and you didn't blame him. But now that you knew how much he really needed you ?

"Go ahead. Take a bite. And you can forget about your free delivery service." It was the start of a beautiful staring contest between you and the very dangerous alien with glowing yellow eyes and very sharp teeth...Guess who won ? You guessed it.

Not you.

He laughed. He laughed and laughed..You thought he would actually die of laughter. He comically brushed a tear off his cheek for dramatic effect and you gritted your teeth.

"You're one funny little thing, aren't you ? Thinking yourself empowered because I decided to spare you ? If you call that sparing..You don't even know what you agreed to. You will be my slave forever."

Your eyes widened and your heart thumped wildly in your chest. He could...do that ? You shook your head. It couldn't be..But, he didn't let you reconsider as he took your hand and pulled the bandages off. You let out a small yelp and immediately sheltered your injured hand, but the deed was done. You now knew.

"You said you'd let me leave..", you whimpered, but Pennywise only shook his head and clicked his tongue.

"No no no..Guess you weren't listening. I said I'd let you live, small bite. Not leave."

You cried as he suddenly grabbed your legs to drag you in the darkness and a dark laughter filled the empty house.

"You and I are going to be best of roomies.."

"No. No. Please. Don't.", you screamed and Penny laughed.

"No. No. Please. Don't.", he mimicked mockingly while tears brimmed in your eyes. It wasn't supposed to be like this..Die like this. You didn't think the damn thing was inhabited and had moved in with the hopes of finding peace—but what you found there instead was a scary clown instead.

He had stalked you from the shadows for weeks. At first, you thought it was your wild imagination playing tricks on you—but no.

It had waited there. Patiently. Waiting for the most unexpected moment to strike. You were preparing to go to bed and had carelessly and mindlessly said to no one in particular.

"Good night !" It was supposed to be a joke. Nobody was supposed to answer. It was just something you had said to reassure yourself that you weren't alone..But, there was an answer.

"Good night, Y/N."

It was at that very moment it had shown itself, and the reason you were now begging for your life and kicking the air in an attempt to get yourself free. The clown was staring at you with a wide grin and drool generously dropping down his chin and making your hands slippery as you desperately attempted to grab him.

You felt yourself slipping away.

But, you weren't ready to give up.

No. There had to be a way to get away..You looked around frantically for a way out—a weapon at least..Your hand reached behind you for anything to use. It finally wrapped around the neck of a bottle and you crashed it on his forehead. It was enough for the gigantic clown to draw back for a few seconds and snarl at you. But, you used those precious seconds to run away and lock yourself in the bathroom. You hid yourself in the bathtub and grabbed a nearby brush to point it at the door. True—it wasn't exactly the best of weapons, but it was the only thing remotely looking like one in the room..

The handle of the bathroom door suddenly shook and you could hear the bells of his costume on the other side of the door. He wanted to get in and your heart raced in your chest..not because you knew he could, but because you didn't even have a lock on the bathroom door. You had tried to reach for a locksmith, but none had been able to make it within the week.

It was at that moment, you knew. It was all a game for him. He wasn't staying outside because he couldn't physically enter, but because he was making sure you stayed afraid.

That beast fed on fear. So, you just had to look unappetizing enough for it to go away.

You took deep breaths and tried to calm your racing heart, your eyes still fixed on the door where the handle had suddenly stopped shaking. You hoped it wasn't a trick and the being had disappeared, but you knew it would certainly take more for the creature to lose interest.

"What are you doing ?" The voice next to you made you jolt and quickly hit the clown in the face with the brush. You both seemed shocked for a second, especially since blood was now dripping down his lower lip.

"OH MY GOSH ! ARE YOU OKAY ?!" You asked out of instinct and Penny's eyes settled back on you before he licked his own wound and it magically disappeared.

It seemed almost amusing to him while it horrified you. What the hell was it even ?!

"Feel lucky human..I have already eaten my fill today. I'll save you for later."

And with those enigmatic words, he disappeared in a flash and you were left alone in your tub.

Well, good news. It seemed your fear theory was correct.

Bad news: it didn't seem to be of the forgiving type and would surely be back.

You relaxed in your bathtub and let the brush fall to the bottom, letting yourself breathe.

The demon was gone for now, and even though you knew it was going to come back, you let sleep overcome you. You hadn't slept for days and even thoigh you were pretty sure the monster couldn't sleep, you had to.

You failed to noticed the two glowing eyes watching you from the shadows—waiting.

"Sweet dreams..Y/N."

It was the same nightmare.

Night after night.

Freddy. Freddy Krueger. Nancy had warned you about him the first day you had moved in the old Krueger household. You thought she was exaggerating and that no creepy burnt man would come haunt your dreams...You were wrong.

"LEAVE ME THE F*CK ALONE YOU MONSTER !", you shouted as he crept closer and dared laugh at your suffering. The thing with Freddy was he liked running after preys. He was a predator. He lived for the chase.

"Ouh..Pretty word. But, nah. I'm having too much fun with ya !"

He had already marked you as his by cutting your arm on your very first day in his den. He thought nobody would be stupid enough to move in, but he wasn't going to complain to have some sort of company after so many years of loneliness..Freddy liked the chase, and he was looking forward to playing with you before returning to his usual game of hide and seek with Nancy..

You pushed him off you and in a moment of respite, you thought about what would wake you up..You had tried almost everything now. Everything. You had pinched yourself, burned your arm, even piercing a hole in some of the pipes ! Nothing.

"Run run..You ain't gonna go far without your legs, darling.", you heard him whisper behind you.

Sh*t. He found you.

He didn't hesitate before scratching the back of your legs and you fell to the floor. You then desperately tried to move yourself forward towards the door—but he didn't let you.

He dragged you back into the depth of hell with little to no remorse as to the life he was depriving you of.

Could he even feel remorse ? No. Maybe, not. Freddy was dead, only the demain remained. But, you would give it a shot.

"I DON'T WANNA DIE ! NOT RIGHT NOW ! PLEASE !"

You thought he would slash your throat right then and there, but were surprised when he seemed to freeze and think about it. He rested his hands on his hips and looked down at you before tilting his head quizzically at you.

"Not now ? Why ? Any upcoming plans I should be warned about ?"

You thought he was joking at first, a cruel taunting before taking your life..But, you then realized he was dead serious.

"Hum...Well...I kinda have something planned on Sunday. Like...Do...Things ?"

Wow. Way to go. Real convincing. He might as well end your life now. You wouldn't complain. However, Freddy didn't and only let you lie there while he was thinking about it.

"...Do something ? Or, do someone ? Real life or death question here. No judgment by the way."

....What in the actual hell ? Was he actually..Was it actually working ? Quick ! Idea ! You needed an idea, an excuse that wouldn't sound too bad or too far-fetched.

"Hum..I got a doctor's appointment ?"

....Welp. Goodbye World. You tried.

Freddy smirked before cackling and openly making fun of you. You had kinda expected it, but at least you would have a good story to tell Death on your way to wherever you were going to end up in a few minutes.

"Did someone already tell you you suck at finding reasons to stay alive ?"

Well, considering he was the first person to ever attempt to murder you before..You would say you were doing rather well. But, you kept your mouth shut and Freddy shook his head.

"Fine. I'll give you until your "doctor's appointment" to think of a good reason why I should let you live. I mean, I don't really care that you do or not..I'm most keen on seeing the Nancy chick hit the bucket than you anyway.."

Your eyes widened as he mentioned Nancy and you cursed yourself for not having heed her warnings before. Now, you had a very dangerous slasher living under your own roof and you had no idea how to get rid of him...But, maybe was there a way ?

"Say...If I do find a good reason...Would you consider letting me stay without haunting my dreams or something ?"

Freddy narrowed his eyes at you and for a moment, you really thought he would say no. But, he finally shrugged and extended his hand towards you.

"Fine. It's a deal."

You stared at his outstretched unclawed hand for a couple of seconds before finally taking it. He then yanked you up and you suddenly found yourself in your bed. However, Freddy's voice echoed in your head, reminding you of the eventuality you would lose and it's repercussions.

"And don't forget, sweetcheeks. You lose. You die."

You had done everything in your power to stay away from Crystal Lake. You had even asked to be transferred to another city to get away from who you knew lived in those woods. There was a thing living there, a thing that embodied all of your regrets..

You used to be friends with Jason, a long time ago when things didn't feel so tense. You even lived in the old house you used to share. Well...that was before he decided to visit your friends and kill them all. He spared you. But, at what cost ?

The night that you were supposed to leave, you made sure that nobody knew.

You didn't want Jason to follow you.

You opened the door and said goodbye to your family before taking a taxi to the house of a friend that lived not far from your new work location. You had done everything to get away, but you would soon realize that the decision to leave wasn't a good one.

You had been staying at your friend's house for a few weeks now and had succeeded in making the best of your situation. You missed your family of course, but it was best for them not to have to worry about you..

Your friend and yourself had started cooking dinner when someone knocked at the door.

You both looked at each other quizzically, wondering who it could be at this late hour ? Your friend was the first to the door, and maybe was it the reason she had to die.

There was nothing that could have prepared you for what happened next..The way he shoved the door open and thrusted the blade of his axe into your poor friend's head—cracking it in half. It made you cry and scream when he dragged you outside by the hair. You had done everything to stay away from him. You had taken every measure carefully. You had even changed taxis mid-way. But, you should have known he wouldn't let you leave, it didn't make it any less painful.

"WHY ?! I WAS GONE ! I WAS HAPPY !", you screamed and thrashed as he shoved you at the back of his trunk. He then paused.

There was a moment where the only thing that could be heard was his heavy breathing and the only thing you could feel was his burning eyes on you. It was excruciating.

"Because...I...am...not.", he finally declared and looked you in the eyes, as if he wished the answer to be inside them. You frowned in confusion as he uttered those words. You didn't understand.

He then looked down at your wrist and you followed his gaze, landing on the small friendship bracelet you had made as kids. It was a bit cliché, but it was summer camp and everyone had one.

You just had to have one with Jason's name on it.

You didn't know why you still wore it, it was but a distant memory of a friend long gone..The monster before you wasn't Jason. Jason wouldn't kill your friend, he wouldn't follow you and kidnap you. The Jason you remembered was nice and innocent..But, the way he tied your arms and legs roughly with a rope and gagged you while you were in tears..That wasn't your Jason.

However, you did catch a glimpse of his own wrist as he proceeded to tie you up and you found a matching bracelet there with your own name on it. You closed your eyes and lamented on the fact that you would surely die because of a damn friendship bracelet.

If you had known, you would have thrown the cursed thing long ago..But, there was still a tiny part of you that had held on to the hope Jason would one day come back.

But, not like this.

You hadn't imagined your heartfelt reunion to end up in a bloodshed and you, being slowly balanced left and right by the many crevices on the road. You didn't even know what would happen next..What was he planning to do with you ? Was he going to kill you ? Was he going to even let you say goodbye to your family ? Your head hurt as different scenarios plagued your mind.

But, it was too late to ponder on it now..

One thing was for sure.

You were going home.

Brahms never took anything for granted. He always thanked his lucky star for everything he had—or ever received. So, when you stepped over the threshold, he thanked whoever had sent you. He thought you were a gift from fate. To cure his boredom and loneliness.

Nobody had moved in since Greta. He didn't want to spook you, so he had waited a few weeks before introducing himself. Of course, he had watched you intently before. He had seen how you had changed the whole house to fit your own tastes and even though Brahms wasn't one to accept change easily, he had to admit that he liked what you had done with the house. It seemed brand-new now.

It was for that exact reason that he had to thank you.

So, after leaving a few hints here and there of his presence, he decided to surprise you as you were preparing breakfast. You must have been tired from working the night shift, or staying up all night studying, as he saw you stir the a pan where nothing was cooking inside. You seemed upset after noticing and had left the room to come back to bed. It was then an idea of cooking you breakfast came to mind.

He firstly made sure you were resting soundly before stepping in the kitchen and preparing eggs. He knew he had to be quick about it, as your naps usually didn't last long. He added spices and fresh cream before putting basil to the mix. His mother had taught him how to cook, as she knew he wouldn't be able to rely on his babysitters most of the time.

He put a timer and just as he was about to add the finishing touches, a loud crashing sound was heard behind him. He turned around swiftly and saw you there, eyes widened in shock and your favorite mug splattered all over the floor.

You both stayed still for a moment before your eyes landed on the eggs in the pan. You frowned for a moment before wondering if you were dreaming ? Had a stranger really cooked breakfast in your house ? Brahms followed your gaze and since you hadn't screamed yet, he guessed you were one of the nice ones. So, he proceeded to alternatively point at the pan and yourself. He wanted to communicate and tell you that it was for you, but he didn't have the words for that and thankfully, you seemed to quickly catch on.

You carefully stepped over the shards of your broken mug and sat down at the table. You didn't know if this was a dream or not. And frankly, you didn't really care. You were hungry and at this point, you would accept food from a skunk if it cooked..

So, you remained calm and even though a tiny part of your brain was still alert and tried to warn you, you muffled it. You were too tired to think of anything else than food at the moment.

Brahms seemed relieved and sheepishly set the table as you watched him intently. The last thing you wanted was to anger the stranger and you knew the best way for him to remain calm was for you to stay impassive. So, you attempted small talk.

"So..Hum..What's your name ?"

He brought the pan to the table and even though you were pretty sure he wasn't deaf, you started wondering as he sat across from you and seemed to ignore your question.

You sighed and decided that the answer could wait and took a good portion of eggs before waiting for him to do the same, only to realize he hadn't set a plate for himself.

You looked up quizzically at him, but his eyes were fixed on the floor. You finally sighed before getting up. The movement caught his attention, as he thought you would try to run away or throw something at him, but you only took another plate and served him as well. The stranger's eyes widened as you placed the plate in front of him and then returned to your seat to dig in. You almost missed it when he muttered.

"Brahms.."

You looked up and made eye contact with the polite stranger who repeated.

"Brahms."

You finally smiled as you understood he was giving you his name and nodded.

"Brahms. Nice to meet you. I'm Y/N."

He already knew that, but he wouldn't tell you. He didn't want to tell you he lived in the walls yet. He didn't want to risk it. But, by the way you had remain calm and collected upon his unexpected arrival, he had this feeling you would end up being a better roommate than any of the other babysitters.

Some he had killed without meaning to, as they had screamed so loud it had spooked him into action. But, you hadn't and he was grateful for it. He started eating and for a moment, he felt at peace.

But, he didn't know you were secretly planning on running for the hills the moment he had his back turned..

And you didn't know that once Brahms had taken a liking to you, he would never turn his back on you.

"Jack. I wanna leave.", you told him—straight to his face. You had already said it before, but the look he gave you was exactly the same as all of your other failed attempts.

He looked bored.

"Leave ? To go where ?", he asked—as if the answer wasn't obvious.

"Anywhere !", you shouted and Jack sighed loudly in exasperation.

"And they call ME mad..", he let out a small huff before returning to his eternal writing machine, the infernal thing that had brought you here in the first place. You had heard rumors of the place and people had told you that whoever would find old Jack's writing machine would get a lot of money. The thing was apparently worth a lot since its owner was apparently dead.

But, surprise surprise. The owner was actually very much alive. And had been keeping you hostage for months now. For some reason, he seemed to mistake you for his long lost wife, and you had no intention to tell the very dangerous sociopath that he wife was very much dead.

"WHO THE F*CK ARE 'THEY', JACK ?!", you burst out and Jack didn't answer you. No surprise to that, as he was most of the time too drunk to speak..

You had tried your best to keep up with Jack's antics. You had played the perfect oblivious wife for him—even though far from it. But, there had to be an end to this madness. He needed help. And you were the one who would give it to him—or so you thought..

"Listen to me, darling. Keep your mouth shut, or the door is wide open.", he gestured to the door with a dismissive wave of his hand before returning to his bottle of whiskey and machine.

You sighed.

"You know what ? Fine. Good luck keeping yourself company.", you said before turning towards the door. You thought you would find it locked—as always—but were surprised when you were met with the cold morning air. It took you a while to realize that your freedom was right there. You glanced back at Jack who seemed too absorbed by his work to give you his attention.

Good. He would probably not even notice your absence.. But, you hadn't taken a step outside that Jack bolted out of his chair and grabbed you..

"Oh no. You don't, Wendy."

That name..That f*cking name. You wanted to cry, but you knew it wouldn't change a thing. So, you decided to shatter this illusion. It could get you killed, it would actually..But, he would hear it.

"I'M NOT F*CKING WENDY ! I'M NOT YOUR WIFE ! I'M NOT YOUR ANYTHING ! NOW, LET ME GO !", you shouted and your sudden outburst seemed to make Jack freeze as he spun you around to look at you.

"Yeah. I know that. You're far hotter than her. She was always so whiny and bitchy. But, you ? Hell..You put up with everything. My tantrums. My alcoholism. My craving for nachos. My clear need for space. You're perfect. I thought you were another ghost at first, but nah. Ghosts usually don't stick around me long enough for me to care."

He nuzzled the back of your hair with the tip of his nose and to your utter horror, took a long inhale of your scent..

"That's what I like about the living, they smell so great.." You froze at his words and your eyes brimmed with tears. What did he mean by "the living" ? He seemed to read your mind and chuckled before clicking his fingers together—closing the door before you shut.

You yelped and jolted back, hitting his back in the process. You slowly turned around and suddenly, the room was filled with people. But, not normal people. They were all dressed in costumes belonging to an era long gone and some had strange scars and bloody wounds. And, most importantly, they all mimicked Jack's smile. They were all waiting..waiting for the very moment your eyes widened at the realization..

"You...You really are dead, aren't you ?"

Jack's smile shifted to a dark smirk as he started laughing and clapping.

"YOU FINALLY GOT IT ! BRAVO ! THEY FINALLY GOT IT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN !"

They all started clapping frenetically and you felt as if your heart was about to jump out of your chest. You thoigh he had survived, that for some reason he hadn't died in that maze as so many newspapers had claimed.

But, he was. He was dead. And soon, it would be your turn. Suddenly, the ghosts all stopped clapping and Jack took a step forward.

"Now..Don't make that face. It'll be soon over. Promise. You won't feel a thing." He said it in such a soothing way, you almost believed him..Almost.

You tried to scream, but who would hear you ?

Jack was your curse—the cross you had to bear. He would never let you leave. And you would never let him go..

"I hate you..", you whispered and he chuckled knowingly.

"~Liar."

[yoonpobs]

bad boy good thing iv.

pairing: jeon jungkook x oc

genre: angst, smut, fluff, miscommunication (we hate her lol), pining

warnings: smut, jungkook is really an asshole, the angst hurts a lot tbh, unhealthy relationships (?)

words: 2, 105

summary: a series of drabbles where you're confused and jungkook's confusing

a glimpse into the past

Jungkook’s been to a total of two graduations his entire life—one was his middle school’s graduation that seemed more like a farewell party and his older brother’s college one. Now, he can say that he’s attended three. But he’s never felt like this—never felt dread to say a temporary goodbye to a face he’s been so accustomed to seeing.

Maybe that’s why he’s in such a sour mood as his peers hugged their seniors' goodbyes, smiles on their face while they engaged in chatter about the future. Jungkook’s always been hard on parting and today is no different. Especially with the constant reminders at every corner of the hallways, streams of red and blue painting the ceilings with a big fat ‘happy graduation to the seniors!’ Mocking him on his journey to his classes.

He almost wants to slap some sense into himself. Because why was he terrified for the beginning of a new chapter that wasn’t his story to tell? Why was he dreading the moment that the seniors collected their diplomas and walked off the stage; and out of his life?

But he doesn’t do that; because the fear is as addictive as the excitement he feels when he thinks of you. A conflicting and tortuous juxtaposition of the beautiful day for a valedictorian and her younger friend.

“Jungkook!” A voice calls, and when he turns he sees Taehyung barrelling towards him with two people trailing closely behind.

When Taehyung plummets into Jungkook’s chest with an oof, but all Jungkook can focus on; despite the ache in his chest, is you.

You’re so pretty. But that’s nothing new for Jungkook. However, you were smiling, soft and sweet like the person who stayed up during her finals to tutor Jungkook on math concepts and the same girl who supported him through his football trials in junior year.

But you were grown, and the robe was the testimony of your age and maturity—the level of intelligence that you possess only grew with time and now you were walking towards him with a sense of quiet assuredness that he’s always admired you for.

Jungkook’s sure he’s gaping but he’s never been able to control himself around you.

“Can you stop gawking at her already?” Taehyung complains, twisting the skin between Jungkook’s armpit in retaliation.

Jungkook burns but scowls at the older boy who simply snickers in response.

“I’m so glad you’re graduating.” Jungkook snaps.

Taehyung snorts, “If I go she goes.”

Jungkook purses his lips as he readies himself for another retort, but you arrive and the first thing he notices is how gentle you smell. His favourite scent in principle, a whiff of laundry detergent accompanied with the light floral perfume he remembers his mother gifting you for your birthday.

“You’re gonna miss us, aren’t you?” Is the first thing Jimin says when he greets the younger boy with a ruffle to his head.

Jungkook glowers in embarrassment as he tries to fight him off, and despite his shorter stature in height—Jimin was in fact, quite strong.

Regardless of his flustered state, you smile at him warmly and perhaps Jungkook is biased when it comes to you because he’s sure you’ve always smiled the same, but every tilt of your lips evoke an array of different feelings in Jungkook’s chest.

“The two of you are like dumb and dumber so no—not really. God knows he’s finally granted my wish for emancipation.” Jungkook grumbles.

Taehyung feigns offence with a hand to his chest, leaning his head against Jungkook’s shoulders while he rolls his eyes.

Then he remembers you, the girl who just smiles as the world will always do her good.

“But I’ll miss Noona, though.” He says, and he hopes the shakiness of his voice isn’t obvious. “She’s the only one that doesn’t tease me.”

You grin up at Jungkook, giggling when Jimin and Taehyung gape at the younger boy’s audacity.

“Yah. You call her Noona and not us Hyung?!” Taehyung screeches were loud enough for the group of you to wince at his loudness.

“Don’t forget that you would have never have met her if it weren’t for us, you brat.” Jimin reminds, though not maliciously.

Jungkook does thank the stars for them introducing him to you. Because he doubts otherwise you’d ever interact with him. You were always in your own bubble, tucked away in a safe space filled with your own sense of solace and comfort. And Jungkook admired that.

He liked being alone, but he never wanted to be lonely. You were a breath of fresh air when you taught him the lines between loneliness and being physically alone; and how you learnt to never conflate the two. You were independent and bright, but warm and welcoming—and Jungkook remembers that these feelings weren’t just a floor away anymore.

“Ignore them, Kook.” You sigh. “Gonna miss you too.”

Jungkook feels himself melt because you say it so sweetly and sincerely.

Taehyung and Jimin ruin his love-blurred lenses by gagging at your blatant display of affection towards the younger boy.

“The two of you are so gross.” Jimin groans, earning a nod from his other half.

You roll your eyes when all Jungkook does is flush at the insinuation.

“Unlike the two of you, we make the better and more rational pair.” You chastise. “Don’t we, Kook?”

And the nickname he’s grown to love though he has a love-hate relationship with it slips off your tongue and he finds himself agreeing with you.

“These two idiots are a quarter of a brain-cell combined on a good day,” Jungkook mutters.

You burst out into laughter, rubbing a calming hand onto his shoulder and he feels the dread come in. Because this was no longer something he could reach out to when you went to college.

“Whatever.” Jimin scoffs.

Then the PA system sounds, and the principal calls for the graduates to gather at the hall. And it represents all of Jungkook’s worries in an announcement and he’s not ready to let you go yet.

“That’s our call.” You declare, eyes darting to the other seniors who pull apart from their juniors to rush to the hall.

Jungkook’s eyes widen one last time before Jimin and Taehyung both wrap their arms around Jungkook tightly, murmuring a much more sincere and grateful remark than their previous chides. And he feels slightly bad that he can’t respond because his brain is far more focused on your lone figure, who eyes him with sad yet gentle eyes.

“You’ll come to our role call, right?” Jimin asks.

Jungkook gulps because all he can focus on is your face.

“Y-yeah. Course’.” He mumbles. He feels the need to say something—do something before people crowd you after it’s over. Jungkook would never stand a chance.

He seems rooted in his feet, Jimin and Taehyung already trailing off with their arms around each other and words of their future in the air. You smile at Jungkook—and it’s the same—but his hands reach out before he can think twice.

Jungkook grabs your wrist before you can leave, gulping to himself when you stare at him with wide eyes.

“You okay?” You ask softly.

No, he’s not, because his heart is beating so fast and he doesn’t want this day to come to an end.

“I-I’m okay.” He chokes, “I just—don’t you have a parting gift for me?” Jungkook blurts before he can rationalise what the fuck did he even mean.

But Jungkook just stares at you like a deer caught in the headlights while you tilt your head at him endearingly. He hopes that his pulse doesn’t emanate from his grasp, but your wrist is small, and it feels just right in his palm.

Your lips are twitching as a grin threatens itself on your expression, and he sees the mischief in your eyes that come out every once in a while.

“Aren’t you supposed to be giving me a gift, Jeon?” You tease, and Jungkook is so soft.

He snorts, a little glad that you didn’t point out his sudden grip on your wrist.

“But you’re leaving me.” He pouts.

You roll your eyes and take a step closer to him until you’re directly in front of him. And he sees your features up close and God—did he say you were pretty?—well because you’re even prettier up close and he loses all sense of thought when you’re smiling up at him with bright eyes.

“I’m always a call away.” You say softly, gently tugging at his hand; and it’s crazy to think that you were the same older girl that was usually timid reaching out to him in a way that was shy but so you.

Even with the chattering of other students, Jungkook only hears your subdued voice.

“It’s not the same.” Jungkook sighs, and he’s slightly aware that he was whining. But you don’t seem to be bothered.

“You’re probably going to forget about me.” You scoff and it’s light, but he can see the slight furrow of your brows. “You’re Jeon Jungkook. You’ll do great.” You add softly.

Jungkook purses his lips and wants to tell you that it wasn’t possible. You took up space in his life, both in school (well, not anymore) and in his mind. You and your wonderful mind.

“Says the valedictorian.” Jungkook huffs.

You pout, “You know that isn’t long-term. What if I just peak in high school and … you know …” You sigh, shaking your head, “I’m not outgoing like Jimin or a social butterfly like Taehyung. Neither am I as friendly and likeable like you are, Jungkook. I’m just … boring.”

Jungkook freezes because while he knew you were on the shier side; the louder than life tendencies you had were small but abundant. You didn’t need to speak louder than anyone in a room to get your points across, you were soft and empathetic and led people in organisations to see the good in the work they did.

Your genuine nature drew people in, even though you’d flush under attention and praise—and if Jungkook could—he’d scream it out to the world. But you were in front of him, and he figured that was enough.

“Don’t say that.” Jungkook snaps and his tone causes you to flinch as you stare at him with wide eyes, “Don’t … put yourself down like that. You’re great, _____. You’re intelligent and kind. Just because you’re different doesn’t mean you’re boring. There are situations in this world that need people like you. There are people that find comfort in a quiet soul because you’re introspective and thoughtful. People like …”

Jungkook exhales when you stare at him so earnestly, and his ears turn red. “People like me. We need people like you in our lives.”

Your mouth falls open as you blatantly stare at Jungkook with wide eyes; he’s on the border of being absolutely mortified and running away so he wouldn’t be the subject of your obvious ogling.

But then a soft smile makes its way onto your face, and you’re tugging Jungkook by the hand and into a warm hug.

Despite him being younger than you, he’s always been taller and bigger than you were. And it was a sense of security he felt in your presence rather than your physical entity that would never be replaced with anything else.

“You really grew up, huh?” You say, a giggle in your chest.

Jungkook rolls his eyes but accepts the way you rest your head on his chest. He’s never had you this close before, and he hates that it’s on the day he needs to say goodbye.

“I’ve always been this way.” Jungkook answers. He also thinks: I’ve always been here. For you.

“Thank you, Jungkook.” You say softly, pulling away even though Jungkook wants to keep you close.

“Anytime.” He smiles widely at you, and a classmate of yours calls your name as you turn to give them a nod of acknowledgement before you’re turning back to Jungkook with a cheeky smile on your face.

“Here’s your gift.” You inform him.

“I was kidding—”

And before you can respond, you’re placing both hands on his shoulder and on your tippy-toes to deliver a kiss to his cheek.

Jungkook is stunned and he isn’t able to process it fast enough. But you’re already offering him an equally flustered smile with the tip of your ears turning red before you’re waving shyly and tittering off to the hall.

Jungkook blinks, and a hand reaches to touch his cheek.

He looks up, and groans—because how the hell was he going to survive high school now?

[alpacaparkaseok]

Could you repeat the question?

pairing: Taehyung x reader, oc x Yeonjun (TXT)

premise: a joint interview with your group, BTS, and TXT two months after you met your soulmate.

word count: 2k

[2/2] continuation of Can’t Keep My Hands To Myself

requested by anon - a picture of your request will be at the bottom of the post! 

------------------------------------------

“Please don’t tell them.”

“Me? Why would I say anything?”

“You...you have that look.”

Yeonjun whirls around to face Taehyung, who just entered the room. “Do I have a look?”

Taehyung winks at you in greeting, something that nearly makes you swoon and your group members snicker. 

“A look?” He frowns for a moment before giving his dongsaeng a pitiful smile. “Oh yeah, you do. Definitely.” Taehyung smiles at Jiwoo, my band member who is busy sending death glares at her soulmate. “He’s gonna spill it.”

Yeonjun jumps up from his seat at the same time Taehyung settles down beside you, placing his arm on the back of the couch and brushing your hair off to the side. It’s enough to make goosebumps rise on your skin, which of course he notices. 

Oh, how you’d like to wipe that knowing little smirk off his face right now. 

“I can’t believe this! I’m not going to say a thing-”

“Yeonjun, and I’m saying this with love, if you say a single thing about it, I will personally unplug your refrigerator when you least expect it.”

Your attention is pulled away when you feel Taehyung leaning in to whisper something in your ear. “So, do we know what they’re arguing about?”

You can’t help but giggle. “Nope. Jiwoo won’t say anything.”

“Neither will Yeonjun.”

The smitten couple have been teasingly arguing for the entirety of the morning, leaving the rest of us in complete and utter confusion. 

Oh well, I suppose it’ll help make the broadcast a bit more exciting. 

It’s been two months since Jiwoo and I first *ahem* teleported to our soulmates at the MAMA awards. Or rather, since I landed in Taehyung’s lap and Jiwoo was nearly knocked unconscious when Yeonjun was thrown into her at full force. Of course, Jiwoo claims that it was horribly embarrassing, to which I’m always quick to say that she should feel lucky that at least she didn’t end up in a grown man’s lap. For all to see, no less. 

Ari, our other group member, just rolls her eyes and tells us that beggars can’t be choosers. 

Yeah, whatever that means. 

The past two months have been busy, with hardly enough time to spend with my soulmate. Between the busy schedules and BTS and TXT and our own schedule, we’ve had to settle for late-night FaceTimes and the occasional lunch at the Bighit building. I’ve become really good at sneaking in and out of that building in broad daylight - so far I have yet to be discovered. 

Today, however, is an important one. It’s our first official schedule together as soulmates. Naturally, all three groups have come together for the interview/variety show. 

“Alright, time to head on!” A manager shouts into the room, and suddenly there’s a flurry of movement as we all head toward the door. “I need all the soulmates to stick to their own groups, ok? We don’t want to be causing a riot today.”

Right. With a gloomy expression, Taehyung parts from me to head back to his members. Jiwoo and I glue ourselves to Ari’s side, much to her chagrin. “Ready?”

Both you and Jiwoo respond simultaneously. “Nope.”

Ari just sighs, feigning annoyance. Together, the three of you await your cue as one by one, your groups are introduced. 

TXT goes first, the hosts making a big deal out of swooning over Soobin who now has a cult of his own due to his MC abilities. They make a show of handing the microphone over to him, begging him to take it over from there. He politely declines, while the rest of the boys bicker and chat in the background. 

Then your group is called out, and you find yourself walking out before a huge crowd. You didn’t realize that many people could fit in this building, but here they are. And all of them are here for the same reason: to get a look at the soulmate couples that have newly formed. 

And that have been trending on Twitter and Tumblr for two solid months, breaking all kinds of records. 

As BTS is introduced with an almost reverent tone, you understand why you’ve been trending for so long.

It has a lot to do with one of the men walking out right now, smiling at the crowd and waving, graciously bowing his way across the stage. 

Taehyung wears a gray casual suit which has him looking like he just stepped off a photoshoot. Hair perfectly styled and eyes glowing with adoration for the fans that roar and wave, he commands the entire room with a single raise of his eyebrows. 

Your soulmate, ladies and gentlemen. 

Today is the day where you prove to the rest of the world how much of a perfect match you are for this man. The notion is terrifying. 

“Wow!” The host, a jovial man named Donghyun shouts out, exaggerating how amazed he is by the crowd’s reaction to all three groups sharing the same stage. Indeed, it’s a rare sight. “Ok! Should we get started?”

After a few minutes of more introductions, a few cursory questions (he asks Yeonjun what he’s been up to recently and you’re pretty sure Jiwoo manages to telepathically threaten him, because he chooses the most vague answer imaginable), and instructions on how to begin the next activities, you’re off to the races. 

Painting races, that it. 

Donning a frock and eyeing the empty canvas before you, you glare at your opponent across the way. Taehyung, to his credit, refrains from winking at you. He thinks you’re adorable when you’re flustered, but now’s not the time. 

“Taehyung-ssi!”

Taehyung blinks up at Donghyun. “Yes?”

“Are you going to let your soulmate win?”

The game is simple: paint the listed object with as much detail as possible in a sixty second period. The others will have to guess what it is. 

Taehyung pouts his lips a bit, glancing over at you with a glint in his eye. “I’ll have to see, I think.”

Donghyun chuckles into the mic, turning to face you. “What about you? If Taehyung-ssi falls behind, will you help him win?”

You wiggle your eyebrows at your soulmate, heart soaring when he delivers a boxy grin. “Oh, of course not. I came to compete, not hold hands.”

The crowd bursts out laughing, and someone yells out, “I’ll hold his hand for you!”

You all dissolve into a fit of laughter at that, your cheeks blushing madly. “Yeah, thanks for the offer,” you say between giggles. Readying your paint brush, you wait for the signal. 

You’ve been given the word ‘Iceland’, which you figure shouldn’t be too hard. 

What you failed to account for was the fact that you’re perhaps the worst painter you know. What should look like a globe looks like a basketball and what should be a cube of ice instead looks like nothing more than a cardboard box. 

In the end, you’re pretty sure you laugh more than you paint. Your team members, consisting of a mix from both teams, look utterly confused at the end product. Eventually it’s Jin - who happens to be on Taehyung’s team - that accidentally calls out the answer. 

The rest of the games pass by in a blur of laughter and covert glances toward Taehyung. He always manages to find a way to make you laugh, even though he remains on the other side of the stage for the most part. You don’t miss all of the fans that look at him dreamily, and you can only hope that they’re happy with your overall performance today. 

At the end, you all squeeze onto a couple of couches. Donghyun makes a fuss over allowing the soulmates to sit together, and you can’t hide your smile as a beet-red Yeonjun sidles down to the couch to sit beside Jiwoo, placing his hands in his lap and trying not to do anything that will go viral. 

Taehyung sits on your right, crossing his arms in a way that pulls on his suit jacket enough to expose the outline of his biceps. You catch your eyes wandering, snapping your attention back to the front where Donghyun reads some questions off of a card. 

“I believe that this was the first time soulmates have met while performing at MAMA, is that correct? What were your first thoughts when you suddenly found yourselves face to face with your soulmate?”

The four of you that now have all the attention riding on your shoulders look to each other for help. Finally, with a racing heart, you answer first.

“I think the obvious answer is that I was shocked,” you smile as knowing chuckles ripple through the room. “But I was also really grateful, because Taehyung was so kind and understanding. The staff were very professional and helped us quickly. Overall, I really can’t imagine it having happened in any other way.”

There’s a few ooh’s and aww’s that greet your ears, but you look down at your lap as you blush. Taehyung slightly nudges your knee with his own, and in that simple movement you feel the comfort that he’s trying to give you. 

“I’d actually been talking to Jiminie earlier about soulmates,” Taehyung pipes up. 

“Oh, yeah! That’s right!” Jimin says, giving his friend a slap on the shoulder. “What are the odds?”

Taehyung flashes a shy smile. “I told him that I felt like I was ready. It can be strangely lonely sometimes, and there are times when I just felt like I was missing something. Now, all I have to do is pick up my phone and my missing piece is on the other side, ready to talk with me.”

Now people are really swooning, you included. You dare to peek over at your soulmate, heart nearly melting when you see that his shy smile is paired with pink cheeks. You wish that you could snuggle up to him right now, but that would definitely not end well. Instead, you lightly nudge his knee with your own, returning the little slice of comfort he provided you earlier. 

“And you two?” Dongyun asks after wiping fake tears away from his eyes. 

Yeonjun chews on his bottom lip, Jiwoo too lost in thought to notice that he has that look again. 

“I, er...” Yeonjun begins, squirming a little in his seat. “I was...really happy.”

Donghyun urges Yeonjun to continue. “Of course you were! What about finding Jiwoo made you so happy?”

Jiwoo looks up in horror, but it’s too late. Yeonjun has already opened his mouth and begun to speak. 

“I was so happy because the first thing she said to me was that she thought I was so hot.”

Radio silence. 

And then-

“Oh-ho!! Yeonjunnie you’re so dead!” Hueningkai laughs, and soon everyone follows suit. Even Donghyun has to throw his hand over his mouth to keep himself from snorting with laughter. 

Jiwoo looks at Yeonjun, who completely avoids her gaze as he stares unblinking at the floor. Then, quietly enough for nobody to hear except for you who sits beside her, she whispers, “Say goodbye to all the perishable items in your fridge.”

In the chaos that ensues, Taehyung discreetly traces circles against your arm and mumbles, “Why didn’t you say that to me when we first met?”

You smack his shoulder. “I should be asking you the same thing!”

Just before everything calms down again, Taehyung leans over to grab the abandoned canvas on the ground. Taking the still-wet paint and dipping his finger into it, he draws something out on it. Nudging you to get your attention, he flashes the canvas for you to see, hiding it from the cameras. 

It’s hard to keep a neutral expression as you see his handiwork. It’s just six words, but they’re enough to have your entire face flushed a moment later. 

I think you’re hotter than Yeonjun ;)

Stifling a laugh, you roll your eyes. “I hope you know I’m keeping that,” you mumble. Taehyung grins.

“Great. We’ll get it framed.”

A few days later, you do. It hangs in the front room of your apartment, for all to see. And for Jiwoo to loathe, as it serves as a constant reminder of her embarrassing first words to her soulmate.

Oh well. In the words of Ari, “Beggars can’t be choosers.”

masterlist

[ghostlywritten]

If Only I Had Stayed In The Shadows - Chapter Twelve

James Potter x OC

A/N: At last, the long awaited chapter. Sorry for the wait, my laptop has been failing on me. Hope you enjoy.

Words: 3,8k

Prologue  Chapter One   Chapter Two  Chapter Three  Chapter Four  Chapter Five  Chapter Six  Chapter Seven  Chapter Eight  Chapter Nine  Chapter Ten  Chapter Eleven

It was the last weekend before the beginning of the exams for literally everybody. The library was packed with not a single seat unoccupied as well as the common room, where people had even taken to sitting on the floor to study, the dorms being too sitfling.

I had been one of the lucky ones to get a seat at a table, revising my notes with James next to me.

"How do you brew the Elixir to Induce Euphoria?"

"You add shrivelfig, porcupine quills and stir four times anti-clockwise. Then you add a sprig of peppermint, Sopophorous beans and wormwood and stir six times anti-clockwise," James recited, twirling a strand of my hair between his fingers.

"That is correct."

"Yes!"

"Alright, your turn-"

"Hey, what about my reward?" James asked and I looked at him questioningly, "My kiss?" He pouted and I gave in almost immediately, not being able to resist his big earth-coloured eyes as I leant forward to press my lips against his.

"Hmm, that's it," he hummed approvingly and it made my face grow as I thought of him saying it during certain other circumstances. I was a girl, a sixteen year old girl, and of bloody course my mind would wander towards certain things that I could be doing instead of studying, now that I had a boyfriend...things, that I couldn't have had managed before on my own. And with a boyfriend as hot as mine I couldn't help but let my gaze linger whenever he stretched himself during Quidditch warm-ups, causing his shirt to deliciously rile up and reveal his abs, or watching him bite his lips whenever he concentrated hard on something, wishing he would bite me-

"Love? Cec? Hellooo?" James snapped his fingers in front of my face and I blinked. "Are you spacing out on me? Siriusly? After you dragged my ass to sit and study with you? Jeez, then ungratefulness stinks," he huffed in mock-annoyance and I shook my head to get the thoughts out.

"Sorry. What were you saying?"

"It's my turn. What colour does the Potion have and what is it for?"

"The colour should be a bright yellow and as the name implies, it's supposed to induce the drinker in a sudden euphoria."

"That is absolutely correct!"

"Of course it is," I replied arrogantly, flinging my hair before giggling. James smirked, leaning forward. "Come and get your reward then." My heart leaped in my chest but I managed to stop him with a hand on his chest. "Nah, I'm good," I teased with a shrug, briefly wondering where Marlene was. She would have been so proud of me right now. James frowned for a second before promptly throwing himself on me. "Uff, James!" I exclaimed, pearls of laughter escaping as he snuck his arms around me to lessen the blow of landing on the hard floor, pinning me down effectively with his body.

"How dare you reject my generous offer of rewarding you with a kiss?" James said gravely, chuckles drifting through his words, "You shall be punished with more rewards."

"Bite me!"

"Gladly!" I squealed as he started attacking my neck, nipping playfully at the sensitive skin.

"Can you stop with your childish antics?!” Lily's voice ripped through our laughter. She stood up with a peeved look, gathering her things. "Some people are actually trying to study!" She stormed off before any of us could form an answer.

James sprang up, adjusting his glasses as he held out a hand for me whilst looking after her. I brushed off any dirt from my clothes and went to sit down.

"I should probably go and check on her," he suggested and I wanted to ask why when he was already taking off.

"Alright," I said lamely to his back, watching until he disappeared through the portrait hole. I plopped back down on my seat, glancing at Alice, who was completely immersed in her notes, not even aware her best friend's departure. Looking down at my own notes, I tried to focus but my eyes kept drifting from word to word without taking anything in as my mind kept replaying the way James ran after Lily with little to no hesitation. 

'You're thinking too much into it...

...I wonder what they are doing right now...'

I sighed loudly, frustrated that I couldn't let it go. Peeking at the only studious girl at the table, I stood up. "I'm...gonna go to the loo," I excused myself and left when I received no response.

Walking out of the common room, I promptly slapped myself on the forehead.

Was I really going to follow them like a creepy, insecure girlfriend? Obviously.

Was I going to find them with the head start they had now? Obviously not. Dumbass.

Glancing back at the portrait of the Fat Lady guarding our entrance, I pondered whether to go back inside or try looking for them. Lily was most likely heading to the library to join Remus at his study table that he had occupied since this morning. I cringed at my own behaviour when I decided to look for them. 'Im just making sure she's fine so I can focus back on my exams,' I reassured myself, 'Nothing creepy about tha-'

"Ow-!"

"Oi, Cec," Sirius greeted me gruffly, holding onto my arm until I steadied myself as he had bumped against me quite strongly, "Sorry about that. Didn't see you from the corner."

"It's all good," I replied, glad for the distraction as I straightened my robe and looked up at him. He seemed distraught, his hair unkempt and his tie hanging loosely around his neck. I would have guessed he had a good snogging session if it weren't for the sad glistening in his eyes. "Hey Sirius," I called softly as he fidgeted, already turning away, "Is everything alright?"

"Hm?" he looked over his shoulder, his expression carefully blank, "Yeah, of course. Everything is fine. Why?"

I shrugged, not wanting to point out how he seemed less than his usual joyful facade. "Just asking. Where you've been anyway? I thought we would study together in the common room?"

His face twisted into something akin to anguish and I furrowed my eyebrows. "I was with Reg..ulus," he said, turning away.

"Did som-"

"Look, I don't wanna talk about it," he snapped.

"Sirius..." He stormed off towards the portrait hole and I was left staring after a back for the second time this day. I felt the worry built up, sensing that something bad must have happened. Because, no matter how hurt or angry Sirius was, he was always very good at hiding it. Unless he was drunk or something major had happened. And since he didn't seem drunk right now...my feet started moving before my mind had been made up, walking back towards the Fat Lady and pushing every thought of James and Lily into the back of my mind. This was urgent, my platonic soulmate was in pain after all.

Stepping into the common room, I spotted the black-haired boy rush up the boys dormitory and steeled myself before following him upstairs, hoping nobody saw me step to left instead of the right passage towards the rooms. I tentatively walked down the small hallway I had never dared to step in in all my six years before, searching the signs on the doors for the Sixth Year's dormitories. Pressing an ear on one of the doors, I listened for any sound. Fortunately, there were some shuffles and the familiar voice of my friend cursing as he dropped something heavy. Just as I contemplated on whether to knock, the door swung up revealing Sirius, who had rid himself of his robe and jumper, holding a bottle of Firewhiskey in his hand and the other tightly wound around the door handle.

"What are you doing?" he asked, narrowing his shining eyes.

"I-"

"Just leave," he grumbled, his voice tense as he was holding back the tears that hadn't fallen yet. Dread filled me now as he rushed past me to the bathroom, shutting the door soundly behind him. Something was seriously wrong. This time, I didn't hesitate to follow him, pushing back the cringe at opening a boy's bathroom and peeking in. The room was empty except for one shower cabinet in the far back where the water was turned on, running at full blast.

"Sirius, I hope you are not naked, because I'm coming in," I warned, giving him a second before I opened the cabinet to find him sitting on the floor, drinking from the bottle of Firewhiskey as the water pattered down on him.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" he mumbled, his voice thick and croaky from the burn of the alcohol, "I don't want to talk about it." He leaned his head back, closing his eyes as the water trickled down on his face and further, drenching his clothes.

"We don't need to talk," I said quietly, hoping he could hear me over the water, "I just wanna be here for you." And with that, I stepped in fully-clothed and closed the cabinet door behind me, sliding down next to him as I proceeded to get completely wet in a less than a few seconds. Sirius kept quiet, only raising his bottle to me before pressing it against his own lips when I shook my head, wondering which of the drops trailing down his face were from the shower head and which from his sorrowful eyes.

I wasn't sure how long we sat there but Sirius got up after what seemed like hours, clearing his throat as he lowered the water volume. "I'm...gonna get you the Invisibility Cloak so you can sneak out. Wait here." I nodded. "And don't turn the water off or someone might come in." I nodded again and he stepped over me, pushing the door open and disappearing from sight. I sighed as he left, trying to ignore the uncomfortable feeling of my clothes sticking to my skin. He came back after a few minutes with cloak and wand in hand, casting a Hot Air Charm over me as I got up and turned off the shower head. It was completely silent, but somber in some way as we proceeded to walk out of the bathroom with me under the cloak and him at the front. He held the door open, squinting to see if I had passed and I mumbled a quiet 'thanks' when I was out.

Nodding, he stepped out as well, shoving his hands into his pockets, having dried himself as well. "I will...see you around," he said, a softness in his voice and slightly slurring, "I'm just gonna head to bed."

I nodded before realising he couldn't see me. "Okay. Sleep well, Sirius."

"You too."

Turning away, I took a few steps when I heard Sirius whisper my name. "Cec, I- thank you. For being there," he stammered, seeming uncharacteristically unsure of himself. I wondered then, how many people he had shown his emotional side before. Guessing from what I knew about him, I would say it dwindled down to the four people he kept the closest plus maybe Regulus. It warmed me, that he now included me into that circle as well even if I kind of forced him to as I had followed him around. "Cec?" he called out questioningly, his grey eyes flittering around as he pondered whether I was still there or not. I quickly stepped back towards him, carefully taking his hand and squeezing it slightly. "You're more than welcome, Sirius," I whispered and his eyes softened when I raised my cloak to let him see me for a split second. "Good night."

"Good night."

Walking down to the common room, I noticed a considerably less amount of people were gathered around to study, mostly Fifth and Seventh Years. But Alice was still there and even Marlene had joined her, though her face rested on her notes as she drooled on them, fast asleep. Glancing at the clock on the wall, I noticed it was past nine o'clock. The thoughts of Lily and James that I had pushed into the back of my mind resurfaced and I swept the room with my eyes in search of either of them. There was no way Lily would have gone to bed so early on the last days before the exam and I briefly remembered all the times we had together to study until past midnight for our O.W.L.'s last year. 'Was she still at the library?' But the library had been closed for an hour now.

My stomach grumbled in that moment and the sound resonated throughout the otherwise quiet room. I blushed, despite the fact that no one could see me under the cloak, as a few heads raised in confusion. Only now did I realise how hungry I was since I had missed dinner and also skipped lunch earlier this day. 'A quick snack from the kitchen it is,' I decided, walking towards the entrance and out of the common room. 'And on my way I can make a short detour to see if Lily actually managed to convince Madam Pince to let her stay past the closing hours to study. Wouldn't put it past her to play the Prefect Card for this.'

Skipping down the stairs, I took the corridor to the library and found it entirely deserted. I sighed relieved, not knowing what exactly I was relieved for, as I turned away to head towards the kitchen. The halls were empty and dark, with the occasional light of the half-moon breaking through the tall windows and I breathed in the fresh air of a summer night, enjoying the peaceful silence as I strolled towards the kitchen.

But the peace would only last for so long.

I reached the corridor with the painting of the fruit bowl, fastening my steps as my stomach gave another protesting growl. Just when I was about to tickle the pear in the painting, anticipating all the good food the elves would cook in a matter of minutes, the door opened from the inside, nearly banging against my forehead. I stumbled back as the door swung to the side, revealing James. My heart skipped a beat in surprise but also at the sight of twinkling eyes that seemed unnaturally light in all the darkness surrounding us. Grinning, I grasped at the hem of the cloak, ready to spook him when he turned back towards the kitchens, engulfing his face in a warm glow of light coming from the big room.

A shadow crossed his features and he held his hand out for Lily, who was laughing softly as she took it, letting him help her out of the hole. "Thanks," she said.

"You are very welcome," James replied with a grin as the door shut close, engulfing us all in a sudden darkness. I blinked, squinting in hopes to see better as my eyes adjusted. For a second everything was silent before the two started walking. Biting my lip, I followed them before I could think about what I was doing. 'We are all headed to the same direction, I can't help it that I need to walk behind them. And since I'm not hungry anymore- oh, who am I kidding, I'm starving,' I complained to myself, cursing my brain for having the urge to spy on the two in all my insecure glory.

They walked in silence for a while before standing on the staircase.

"Thanks for the food," Lily spoke up as they waited for the stairs to stop moving, "I really needed it."

"Figures. You didn't eat anything today," James replied.

"How do you know that?"

"Eh," I could practically feel him blush as he stammered for an answer. "I just saw you and Cec studying all day, so I guessed that you hadn't eaten anything yet. Cec hasn't at least."

"Right," Lily said quietly, walking up the stairs as they stopped moving. I followed silently, watching the moon reflect on her brilliant red hair and noticing James did, too. "You know, I was surprised how you two suddenly got together."

"Hm?" James hummed, looking at his shoes as he stuffed his hands into the pockets of his robes.

"I mean, one day you were asking me out and the other you were suddenly hanging around with her and started dating," Lily said in joking manner and James chuckled along, though I couldn't grasp the joke in it. "It was...surprising, yeah," she ended awkwardly and the mood turned somber.

"Well, I guess it surprised a lot of people," James chuckled again, seemingly nervous as he ran a hand through his messy mop of hair. "But, Cec is great. She is amazing, really," he added, his voice turning steady and gentle, tugging at my heart strings. I felt a smile form on my face.

"She is quite great, yeah," Lily agreed softly. Now I felt bad for eavesdropping. 'You're siriusly messed up, dumbass,' I scolded myself. But I didn't stop. "I'm happy for you guys. It's nice to see Cec so happy and seeing a normal side of you."

James scoffed, "Normal?"

"What?" Lily giggled.

"What side of me has not been normal before?"

"I'm just saying, it's refreshing to know a side of you that wouldn't enchant cupids to read me sappy poems and throw pink glitter all over me," Lily recalled, laughing to herself as James blushed beet-red.

"Well, normal is overrated anyway," he muttered into his tie, smiling as Lily bumped her fist against his arms.

"I kinda miss it," she said and I noticed her eyes widen as soon as the sentence left her mouth. James' lips quirked up, his eyes shining. "Do you now?" he asked smugly, laughing as she slapped his arm.

"I mean," she started but paused. The mood turned slightly somber as she fiddled with her sleeve.

"You mean?" James prompted almost eagerly and I bit my lip, the tugging in my heart strings turning to harsh pulls.

Lily sighed, "It's nothing. Just, now that I know the 'normal' side of you, the one, you probably show to your friends and Cec...I think, all the stuff you used to do was quite endearing."

James kept quiet for a second. "You mean, when I endlessly chased after you?"

"All the things you did to ask me out. The cupids, the flowers, the sweets...," I distinctly heard Lily gulp as she stopped and turned towards him, causing him to falter in his steps, too. "I didn't recognise it back then, but it must have cost you a lot of effort and I think that's sweet..." James held his breath. "...and a little bit excessive." They both chuckled lightly before turning quiet, staring at the other.

"So, it was not for nothing after all," James muttered softly, almost as if he were dazed as he stared into her eyes. I clutched at the cloak tightly, feeling cold all of a sudden.

Lily cocked her head to the side, strands of red hair gliding over her shoulder like ocean waves. "Yeah. It did not get me to say yes back then, but..."

"But?" James pressed, taking a step forward.

Lily took a deep breath as if she were preparing herself for something, "But...if I had known this side of you before, I might have agreed. To- you know." I stilled, my tight grip on the cloak loosening slightly. James' eyes widened and I could see the elation spread through his face even if he didn't smile.

"To going out with me?" he asked breathlessly. Lily hesitated before she nodded. For a minute, we all stood in silence as James stared at her, dumbfounded. Lily's eyes flickered around as if she were scared to get caught. "Anyway, it doesn't matter!" she stated, too loudly for the quiet atmosphere, "I mean, you are with Cec now and you guys are happy."

"Yeah...yeah we are," James said, still in stupor.

"Yeah, so..." Lily gestured forward, turning to start walking again.

"But what if we aren't?" James spoke up, causing her to halt in her footsteps. My heart stopped.

"What?" she asked, looking at him over her shoulder.

It was James' turn to take a deep breath as if he were preparing himself for something, "What if Cec and I weren't happy?"

Lily furrowed her eyebrows. "What do you mean? You guys look besotted with each other."

"Yeah, that's the thing," James said firmly, determination flooding his features. "We look like we are besotted with each other. It was an act." I swayed slightly as if I had been punched in the chest. "It was just an act." It was just an act. The words seemed to echo in the hallway, pounding relentlessly into my eardrums as I stood frozen, staring the bespectacled boy.

"It was an act?" Lily asked incredulously. James nodded. She turned towards him fully in disbelief. "You were acting like you were together?!" James nodded again. "Why?"

"I was trying to show you a more civil side of me," he said and my eyes widened. 'Be civil' I heard my own voice resonate through my mind. I tried to keep my breathing even as my chin trembled. "I wanted you to see what kind of guy I am since you wouldn't go out with me. I wanted you to see the real me. How I would be if we were together."

Lily stared at him. "I don't even know what to say...," she trailed off.

"Since you appreciated all the efforts I put into asking you out, you could appreciate this as well?" James asked hopefully and I was starting to feel sick. It was just an act. Something in me shattered. I turned away, trying to shield the little, constricting organ in my chest from his words.

"But wait, is Cec part of this? How is she managing to pretend this whole time?" she pondered and James' face fell. Noticing this, she narrowed her eyes at him. "Is she pretending, James? Does she know about your relationship being an act?"

James tensed up, biting his lip as he glanced away and it was all the answer that Lily needed. Her emerald green eyes widened. "James...," she breathed in disbelief, "How could you do this to her?"

"Listen, Cec won't take it too hard," James tried as Lily shook her head in disbelief, "She knows it's nothing serious. We've grown closer, yes, as friends."

"I don't think she sees it like that," Lily responded and I chose that moment to walk away. Because she was absolutely right.

Chapter Thirteen

[solinarimoon]

Fields of Wildflowers 

Chapter 8

A Sihtric x OC story

AN: Nothing really to note for this chapter except friendships and more fluff and some small angst I guess.  Please let me know if you would like to be added or removed from my tag list for this story. If you wish to catch up on previous chapters, you can do so here. Or visit my masterlist.

Warnings: Mentions of past trauma and alcohol consumption.

Word Count: 3378

“Please, you deserve a few days to yourself, without the duties of a handmaiden, Cwen. After all you and the rest of the group have been through, it is the least I can do.” 

Cwen found herself standing peering out the window of Aelfwynn’s chambers, watching the everyday commotion of the people going about their lives.  The woman walking with her basket slung on her hip and her other hand holding onto their child who desperately tried to race to something across the yard.  The soldier’s casually strolling on their rounds.  The smithey and alley where Sihtric had pulled her the night before.  Cwen’s eyes lingered on the small alley for several moments.  A longing began to stir low in her pelvis. 

Cwen was broken from her thoughts when she heard Aethelflaed speak her name a bit louder.

“Cwen, I don’t think you've been listening.  Which just further justifies you taking a few days to yourself.  It is not only Aelfwynn who has been through an ordeal.  Please take some time,”

Aethelflaed was seated next to Aelfwynn’s bedside where the young girl was stirring. “I know, Lady Aethelflaed, but,”

“My daughter is safe and at home because of you, Cwen,” Aetheleflaed interrupted Cwen’s argument. “And we have Wyllath to help care for her as well.  She has missed Aelfwynn and caring for her while you all were at Saltwic. The children will be well looked after. I insist.”

Cwen sighed but felt her lips tug upward in a grin, “As you wish, my lady.  But you know I would have done anything in my power to protect Aelfwynn and would do it again if needed.”

“I know this, Cwen.  She and I are both blessed to have you.”

“Thank you, my lady.  I will take my leave then.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

After allowing herself a few hours of sleep, Cwen’s feet could not help taking her out to the yard where she knew the children were playing.  It did not matter that she did not have handmaiden duties to fulfill this day.  She still wanted to check in on her little ones.

Aelfwynn and Aethelstan were both giggling and dashing behind trees and bushes.  Wyllath, Aelfwynn’s Mercian handmaiden was playing a lively game of hide and seek with the children. 

Aethelstan was the first to notice Cwen watching them.  He immediately raced to her with his arms outstretched.

Aelfwynn came near after similarly enveloping Cwen’s waist in a tight embrace.

Chuckling at their youthful exuberance, Cwen asked, “and how are my little birds faring this morning?”

Both children clamoured to speak over one another.

Continuing to laugh at their antics, Cwen told them to speak one at a time.

Aelfwynn spoke first.

“I am doing much, much, much better, Cwen.  Wyllath has been chasing us and we keep surprising her.”

“Yes and then she squeals and we run away!  Would you like to play with us? Please!” Aethelstan pleaded.

Cwen smiled at them.  It was beautiful to see them carefree and happy, being children once more.

Wyllath had joined them, giving Cwen a slight hug while addressing her, “Cwen! It is so good to see you.  You look well.  Aelfwynn has told me all about your adventures.”

Cwen stopped her, “I would hardly call it adventures.  More like running and fighting for our lives,” she said albeit with a smile.

Aelfwynn looked up to Cwen and scrunched her nose, “But I think it was adventurous.  I was scared and sick, but there was still a lot of excitement. Remember playing in the river? And the huge tree we slept under?”

It amazed Cwen to see the resilience of youth.  Despite all of the trauma from their journey, Aelfwynn remembered the glimmers of happiness.

“You are right, I guess little bird. I think I am just remembering the more upsetting parts of our journey.  Some of which you would not remember.” Cwen replied while placing her hand on top of Aelfwynn’s hair.

Aelfwynn smiled as if she had won an argument. 

“And you got to spend more time with Sihtric,” the young girl added while giggling with Aethelstan.

“Oh, run off and play more you two.” Cwen demanded, feeling her cheeks heat up.  

Even the children have taken notice, she thought.

Wyllath lingered a moment longer, “Aelfwynn has mentioned this man several times.  It is clear by how she speaks of him, of all of your warrior companions really, that they took great care over you all.”

“Yes, they did.  They are good men.” Cwen replied, not missing the knowing smirk and glint in Wyllath’s eye.

“And maybe one in particular that took great care of you, Cwen? This Sihtric?” Wyllath could not help herself asking.  The curiosity of a girl a few years younger than Cwen could not be held at bay.

Feeling the heat continue to rise in her cheeks, Cwen replied, “Possibly, Wyllath.  But if you will excuse me, I need to speak with Eadith.”  Allowing no other confirmation or denial of Wyllath’s questions, Cwen slipped away from the young woman and headed towards her friend.

Eadith sat on a bench beneath a sprawling tree observing the children in their play.

“Good day, Eadith.  You look well.”

“As do you, Cwen.  I see a healthy blush to your cheeks.  But that may just be a response to young Wyllath’s questions about a certain Dane of our acquaintance,” Eadith replied with a laugh.

Cwen’s mouth dropped open in shock as Eadith continued,  “the wind carries.  I could hear her prodding.”

Sitting down with a huff, Cwen responded, “Wyllath has always been curious to know about the lives and loves of those around her.  She is a sweet woman, though still very young.  Kind and loving with Aelfwynn.  I usually enjoy speaking with her…” she trailed off watching Wyllath and the children run and laugh.

“But not now?” Eadith questioned.  “Or just not when it comes to Sihtric?”

When Cwen shifted her eyes to glance sideways at Eadith, she smirked but said nothing.

“Finan and I wondered where you and he disappeared to last night.  You weren’t gone long enough to have…”

But her words were cut off by Cwen shushing her and playfully pushing her shoulder into her friend.

“No, of course not. But…” Cwen took a deep breath, “you were right.  Anout your observations before. About his passion. I have never felt so…” Cwen trailed off, struggling to find the words.

“We all see the way he looks at you.  He is yours, Cwen.  And I suspect that you are his as well, if you will allow it.”

A gentle breeze wafted through the yard, bringing with it the laughter of the children. Cwen kept her eyes fixated on the scene in front of her but felt her brows pull into a frown.  Her fingers twisting and ringing each other in her lap.  No matter how strong her feelings for Sihtric, the idea of allowing herself to be intimate and vulnerable dredged up painful thoughts.

As if knowing where her friend's mind had drifted, Eadith reached over to take one of Cwen’s hands, stopping their worried fidgeting.

“Please do not let what my brother has taken from you, what he has done to you stop you from finding happiness.”

Cwen searched Eadith’s face and squeezed her hand in return offering her a slight nod and smile. “Thank you Eadith.  I have made promises to myself to not allow my history to get in the way of my future.  But making good on those promises will take time.” Cwen patted Eadith’s hand and continued, “Sihtric has said he will wait for me. So we are moving slowly.”

After a few moments of comfortable silence, Cwen continued with a knowing smile,  “As I suspect you and Finan may be as well.”

Eadith gasped and turned her face to meet Cwen’s own, but before she could speak their conversation was interrupted. 

“Excuse me, ladies.”

“Lady Aethelflaed, good day,” Eadith spoke while standing to greet the Lady of Mercia.

“My Lady,” Cwen replied while standing to embrace her.

“I thought I told you to take the day to rest, Cwen?” 

“You did, but I could not help coming to check on them for a short while.  I did rest some this morning.”

“I am glad.  In truth I came to speak with Eadith though.”

Aethelflaed turned her body to meet the other woman’s.

“I must thank you, Lady Eadith. I was wrong to doubt you. You delivered my message to Lord Uhtred as you said you would.”

“I was happy to be of assistance,” Eadith replied with an eager smile.

“And from what Cwen has told me, you cared for Aelfwynn on the road.  Helped to cool her fever.” Aethelflaed’s eyes gazed across the field at her daughter.

“She is a fearless child. It must be in her blood,” Eadith replied.

“My daughter is fond of you.”

“And I her.” 

Cwen watched the exchange between the two women in cautious silence.  Having grown up with Aethelflaed, it was easier for Cwen to know when the woman was mulling over a serious matter rather than engaging in social niceties.

“Perhaps,” Eadith invoked, “I could be of use to her here. I could help Cwen and Wyllath with their handmaiden duties for Aelfwynn?”

Cwen’s eye darted to her lady to gauge her reaction to such a request.  Aethelflaed brought her eyes to meet Eadith and took several steps closer to speak and yet not be overheard, “I am curious.  Why did you reveal your brother as Aethelred’s murderer?”

Sighing, Eadith replied “Eardwulf may be my brother, but I knew what he did was wrong.” Cwen’s eyes found her friends as she continued, “My brother did many things that were wrong.  And I would like to try and correct his errors if I can.  I chose to be loyal to you, my lady.  And to Lord Uhtred because I believe in what you and he are doing.”

“I thank you.  But your loyalties remain to be seen.”

Cwen interjected, “My Lady Aethelflaed, I can vouch for Eadith and her loyalties,” But her words were cut short.

“I will judge that for myself.  But I thank you, nonetheless, for your aid in seeing my daughter safely returned to me.”

After Aethelflaed said farewell and returned indoors to complete her other duties, the ladies returned to the bench.

“I fear I will never win her trust. And I do not blame her for that.”

“That may be true for the lady. But if it is any consolation, you have earned my trust.  And my respect. And in equal measure, my friendship. You were the one who brought our attention to the healer in the forest. And the one who broached the difficult choice to use the wormwood. I still do not know and probably never will know if that is what saved her or if it was something else.”  Cwen reached out and clasped Eadith’s hand once more while giving the red haired woman a small smile. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Later that afternoon saw Cwen tagging along with the Coccham warriors as they drank themselves silly.  Stiorra was also in their midst enjoying spending time with her father’s oathmen and attempting to keep pace with them.

The group pushed through the doorway into the ale house with a boisterous Finan encouraging the usually stoic baby monk, who was protesting any more ale.

“Come on, Osferth.  Everyone knows you cure like with like.  We drink.” Finan admonished Osferth as they approached the bar. Cwen laughed wholeheartedly at the exchange between the men.  

“If the man wishes to be done drinking, you will let him, Finan. I, for one, do not wish to be taking care of a sick baby monk.” Cwen chastised, receiving a raucous round of laughter from her friends.  The alcohol had made her lower her guard and allowed her to feel a lightheartedness that had been missing since their water fight by the stream.

“Well here then dear Cwen, you will drink his mug,” Finan all but shouted while trying to hand Cwen a mug.

“Oh no, I will take a break too,” she laughed. 

“Alright and what is your excuse then?” Finan questioned exasperatedly.

“I do not know any of you well enough to let my guard down and be drunk around you,”  Cwen quipped, an impish smile gracing her face.

“Oh no, living on the run with us, traveling in the wilderness, running for our lives.  You are right, we barely know each other.” Finan’s retort was met with another round of laughter.

“Well, I do.” Stiorra glided in between Finan’s outstretched arm to grab the mug of ale.

“Oh no, you have had enough,” Finan countered.

The rest of his words were lost to Cwen.  Sihtric had casually slung his arm up to rest on her shoulders.  The Dane continued to hold a quiet and reserved manner in relation to his Irish brother, but the alcohol had definitely reduced some of his brooding nature to allow a more carefree demeanor.  The closeness of him captured Cwen’s focus like a candle in a dark room.  She felt him stagger slightly and held on to his torso to steady him.

“Careful, Sihtric.  You may be too much in your cups now too.” Cwen looked up to meet a soft and relaxed expression on his face.  Her smile reached all the way to her eyes as she watched him.

She felt Sihtric lean his lips towards her ear, “your smile is like the stars at night, my lady. I never tire of looking at them.”

Cwen felt a rush of heat settle low in her belly once more.  

She placed a chaste kiss on the tip of his nose which prompted an equally large grin to grace Sihtric’s lips. He pulled her closer into him and kissed the top of her head before reaching behind her to tweak Osferth’s chin. 

“Hey,” he got the warrior monk's attention, “stay awake.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Several rounds later they emerged from the ale house, blinking at the brightness of the day.

A passing soldier shoved Osferth who stumbled into an unassuming Cwen.

“Hey!” Sihtric hollered at the soldier while reaching out to steady her.

“I’m fine. Osferth?”

The young man just simply held up his hand as he hunched over gathering his breath. He could obviously not keep up with the amount of ale he had been served. 

Glancing around, it was easy to notice the unusual movements of the Wessex soldiers.  All across the yard, soldiers were hurrying this way and that. The general attitude around seemed harried and bothered.

“If today were a day of celebration for the new lord of Mercia, I would fear that King Edward’s guards are seizing Mercia.” Finan mused as they all began shuffling along the street.

“They do not look like they are celebrating,” Sihtric pondered aloud.

“Something has changed. I must see Aethelflaed,” Cwen mused. 

“We will see you to the hall safely, Cwen” Finan assured her.

The group began to quickly make their way towards the great hall, as Sihtric and Finan instinctively moved to walk on either side of Cwen.  Cwen felt a hand gently guiding her along her lower back and she glanced at Sihtric.

Any trace of the carefree, intoxicated man was wiped from his face.  In its place she saw that focus and concentration she had first identified with him all that time ago, in Saltwic.

His eyes scanned the surroundings constantly, while his hand remained a solid and guiding force on their way to find Aethelflaed and their lord.

In their haste to find their lord and lady, they rounded a corner and almost bumped into a guard who immediately brandished his sword at them.

Cwen found her body shielded by Sihtric as the men raised their hands.

“We meant nothing. Just didn’t see you there.” Finan spoke for all of them, quickly defusing the situation.

The guard sheathed his weapon and returned to his business while Sihtric, Cwen, Finan, and Osferth found another route to the great hall.

“Stiorra, find Eadith.  Make sure you two stay together and try to stay indoors somewhere. I will find you soon,” Cwen instructed, her voice taking on a harsh tone unusual for her.

Finan gave Stiorra a stern look and word when the young woman made to protest the demand.

Upon entering the great hall, it was clear that the lords of Mercia were unaware of the occupation that is occurring outside their doors. 

Finan spoke quietly to Uhtred who informed Aethelflaed of her brother’s seizure of Aelesburg. 

While the others stood on the steps of the hall discussing matters with Father Pyrlig, Cwen waited just inside the doors. 

Eyes searching, Sihtric scanned the faces surrounding him when he realized Cwen was not among those outside. 

When his eyes did find her, his feet took him to her side before his mind could give the command. 

Cwen watched him approach her with eyes wide open, anxious. 

“This is bad, isn’t it?” She questioned him as he took his place beside her, also watching the exchange between the figures on the steps. 

“It is,” he replied. Simple and honest. 

“I hope Stiorra listens and has found Eadith,” Cwen worried. 

“I am sure they are well and safe.”

When Cwen did not reply, Sihtric shifted his gaze to see her staring but unseeing. Brow furrowed. 

“What is it, lady?”

Broken from her thoughts, Cwen looked at her feet a moment before replying. 

“It is times like these, when men are drunk on power, that women have cause to be afraid,” she breathed. Her words were so soft, Sihtric had to strain his ears to hear her. 

“Is that why you stopped drinking with us? You feared we were drunk on power from our lord's new position?”

Sihtric’s words were not angry. Not accusing. But his voice was low and deep, pained. 

“It was a jest meant for laughs and to take the attention away from Osferth,” Cwen stalled while fidgeting with her fingers again and not meeting Sihtric’s eyes. 

After a breath, she felt the knuckles of Sihtric’s hand gently guide her chin up to meet his gaze. 

“And many jests have foundations in truth,” he whispered. 

“Yes,” Cwen breathed as her eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. 

Sihtric did not pry. He did not ask her to go on. He waited for her to speak. And if she did not, he would understand. 

All these things Cwen knew. She knew he valued her words and did not push her to be ready prematurely. He had proven this to her in the forest and again after kissing her in the alley. 

“Eardwulf was fond of drinking. Especially when he felt the need to feel in control. To exert power. So that is the truth behind my words in the ale house.”

Sihtric stared deeply into Cwen’s eyes as his hand shifted from her chin to cup the nape of her neck. He placed a kiss on her temple before shifting his position as he and Cwen followed his lord and the others inside. It was a gesture that did not go unnoticed by Aethelflaed. 

Once inside the hall again, Uhtred spoke hurried words to Finan and then turned to his other men. 

“You two, with me.”

“Where to, Lord?” Osferth asked as he followed along behind Uhtred. 

Knowing his lord meant them to likely put themselves at risk and definitely taking him from Cwen’s side, Sihtric clasped arms with Finan conveying unspoken meaning before he turned to Cwen. 

Quickly, he brought his forehead to meet hers while grasping her hips tightly.. 

“If tensions rise, stay close by Finan.”

Cwen clasped her hands on either side of his neck and breathed him in for the briefest moment. 

“Be safe.”

And he swept silently and quickly from the hall to catch up with his lord. 

Tag List: @maggiescarborough @pokeasleepingsmaug @nxrdist @mystic-shadows42 @emilyhufflepufftlk @magravenwrites @lauwrite1225 @morosemagick @thebohemianpenguin @mrsalwayswrite @notyourwildestdream @obipoelover @ecarroll1978 @93xdiagonxalley @nobodys-business-world

[littlemessyjessi]

“Mother Nature”: Baron Helmut Zemo Imagine: Plus Size

A Helmut Zemo Imagine Commissioned by: She chose to remain anon so I won't tag her but thank you love for your commission! Much love! Notes from cx:  "Can you use your oc Jessi for this please? Can we have cottagecore vibes? Can we have an animal mama? Can we have a cool power and some backstory?" Note from myself: Yes, bebe, of course you can have anything you want! -----------  

The tension in the jet could be cut with a knife as the three males resided there.

Sam was caught between irritation at Bucky... in general and due to the fact that he would do nothing but glower at Zemo.

And also by the subject of his glowering himself.

He didn't like the situation in any way, shape or form.

But after coming to the resolution that he was more help to them out of prison that he was in... the both of them had agreed to 'let' him stay.

Even when all of them knew that if and when Zemo was ready to flee... he'd just do it.

"So this woman?" Zemo spoke up.  "Why is it that we must collect her?"

"Collect her?" Sam laughed. "What the fuck, man? She's a woman.  Not a pokemon card."

"We need her." Bucky said shortly.  

"Yeah, we need her." Sam laughed. "What I'm not looking forward to is the ass whoopin that she's undoubtedly gonna dish out when she sees us.  What was it she told you the last time she saw us?"

"Shut up, Sam."

"Oh, yeah.  Something about, 'If I ever see your wish brand Terminator looking ass -"

"Shut. up. Sam."  Bucky snapped.

"Then I'll rip that Transformer's reject arm off and shove it up your ass."  Sam continued through his laughter.

"I think I may like this woman." Zemo said sipping his champagne with a smirk.

Bucky just glowered out the window and Sam looked thoroughly pleased with himself with the torment he'd managed to provide Bucky in only a few short sentences.

"If I may.." Zemo started only to recieve a menacing glare from Bucky.  "If she dislikes you so much what makes you think she'll be willing to help us?"

"Because Jess is easy to bribe." Sam said. "And you're going front the bill for it."

Zemo lifted his eyebrows, "Ah, I thought it would be more interesting.   What's her price?"

"Probably some exotic plant that no one has ever fucking heard of and is impossible to get." Bucky sighed, running a hand down his face.  "She'll let you know."

"If she doesn't shoot us before we get off the jet." Sam pointed out.

Sam wasn't scared of a lot but Jess McCarty was definitely on that list.

Even if he did find her highly entertaining.

"Oh and she hates Sharon." Bucky said staring our the window again. "So don't bring her up."

"I'm not ignorant enough to bring up another woman." Zemo said. "I was married, you know."

He had been teasing but none of them said anything else.

They weren't exactly on the best terms but even still they wouldn't bring up conversation relating to his late family.

Eventually, they landed in large field with a beautiful mountain landscape decorating the distance.

Helmut could distinctly see a large white truck in the distance.

"So much for easing into the situation." Sam said.  "I see she still has Leroy."

"Leroy?" Zemo asked.

"Her truck." Bucky clarified. "Don't ask and don't bring up the bullet holes."

Sam snorted, "Yeah, I think she still owes you a few shots over that."

"Fuck off."

Zemo rolled his eyes at the two of them.

Even after all this time and how much he had become accustomed to their bickering ... it still both amused and annoyed him.

As the three of them descended the stairs of the jet, the slam of a door was heard in the distance.

A woman stepped out and leaned against the grill of the truck, blankly staring them all down.

She was tall, that much Zemo could tell even from a distance, with neck length dark hair that sprung from her head in a wild dark halo.

They'd managed to get about half way to her when she whistled and several dogs bounded from the bed of her truck.

"Fuck." Bucky whispered. "She brought the fucking dogs."

"You better run,"white wolf"." Sam said with a chuckle.

Half amused and half concerned.

"We." he responded. "I'm not the only one here."

"You state your fucking business, Barnes. Before I let them tear you part."

A smirk worked it's way onto Zemo's face as her venomous southern drawl that seemed to contrast so much to her appearance.

She was the picture of lovely.

She looked more like a fairy belonging to a magical woodland than someone associated with the Avengers.

Like a tall, curvaceous Elven queen.

"We need your help and we brought an ATM who has connections." Sam said trying to ease the tension.

She didn't seem impressed.

"I'm not asking again, Barnes.  You got three seconds before I sick the hounds on you.  And they're hungry. We've been into town passed the diner where they're having a fish fry.  My babies are just dying for a snack.  And if you even think about laying one hand on them, I'm turning that fucking arm of yours into a coat rack." she spat.

"God dammit, Jess.  I told you we need your help.  It's a mission and you're the only one who can-" Bucky started before she snapped her fingers and the dogs charged at him. "Shit!"

Realistically, Bucky could've ended those dogs in seconds but if he did, A.) she'd never help them, and B.)  she'd make him suffer for it.

Buck let out some kind of strangled cry as he took off away from the dogs chasing after him.

Zemo, no stranger to the military and the dogs associated with it, noted that none of them actually looked as if they were going to harm him but rather just enjoying the chase.

Bucky didn't need to know that though.

"How long are you gonna let them chase him?" Sam chuckled as he and Zemo finally made their way closer to where she stood leaning against the truck.

Jess shrugged, "So what is it exactly that you need?"

"We just need your help with a mission." Sam said.  "We can talk about the details later if you decide not to kill us."

She scoffed, "I'm not going to kill you, Sam.  But I might maim Barnes a little.  Enough to make me feel better."

She finally turned her eyes on Zemo who gave her a small smile.

"So you're the ATM?" she asked with lifted brows. "Do you have a name? Bank of..."

"This is Zemo." Sam said.  "He's a Baron and he's loaded."

"Zemo." she nodded, dark brows drawing together.

"Please call me Helmut." he said producing a hand.

She took it firmly as she stared at him.

"Zemo..." she said almost tasting the word in her mouth.  "That is so familiar."

Sam sighed, "Yes, it's that Zemo, Jess.  And I know what you're thinking-"

"You have no idea what I'm thinking." she snapped, her eyes wretching themselves away from Helmut's soft dark eyes to meet Sam's endless pools.

"Jess.."

"No, you were not there and you do not know." she said as her skin and hair began to change color as her temper rose.

It was then that Helmut recognized just exactly who she was.

"You were there." he said. "In Sokovia."

Her eyes connected with his.

"Yes, I was." she said.  "I was with the Avengers when we faced Ultron."

"You're the one that stayed." he said.

"Yes." she whispered.

"You are a hero among my people." he said. "Those of us that are left."

"I am no hero." she said turning away from him and whistling for the dogs who had chased Bucky up an old flagpole and were barking at him.

"There would be many more Sokovians dead if you had not stayed. We were not a large people to begin with and there are even fewer now.  I know several who owe you their lives." Helmut said.

"They owe me nothing." she said. "And for the record, of course, I do not support the bombing but I also understand what it is like to be ridden with grief and confusion and anger when you have lost loved ones.  Especially as someone who had lost their own children."

Helmut's eyes softened as he thought of his late wife and child and it was then that he recognized the same tendrils of heartbreak in the woman's eyes.

"For what it's worth, I destroyed my fair share of places in my grief." she said. "People will remind us of our faults as long as we live but what they say can never compare to the torture we inflict on ourselves."

Helmut said nothing, only nodded in understanding.

She turned to Sam with a sigh, "I will help you.  But I am going to kick Barnes' ass for good measure."

"You sure you wanna go toe to toe with the Winter Soldier?" he teased her.

She lifted a brow, "He is just a man.  A soldier.  Like the both of you and I can assure that I am not scared of any of you."

"Well, he's not exactly..." Helmut said.

"Yes he is.  He lives, he breathes, he bleeds." she cut him off.  "And he shot my truck and kicked me off a building.  So I atleast owe him a kick in the nuts."

Sam and Helmut dissolved into a fit of laughter as she whistled again and the pack of dogs came running before bounding into the bed of that beat up white truck.

She opened the door and slid into the driver's seat.

"Do you have a way to follow me? Other than by jet?" she asked through the open window. "Or do I need to drop the hounds off and come back?"

"It's already taken care of." Helmut said gesturing behind to the jet where Oeznik was pulling driving the car off the jet.

"Nice car." Jess said.  "I still prefer Leroy though."

"Definitely a beauty." Helmut said. "A little rough around the edges but all wild things are."

Helmut gave her a soft smile to which she returned before speeding off.

"What the fuck was that?" Sam asked.

"What was what?" Helmut asked.

"You flirtin with her?" Sam said.  "She will eat you for breakfast, man.  And then shit you out and use you to fertilize her little poison garden.  Don't go down that road."

"What road?"

Bucky had rejoined the conversation.

"Man, you run like a bitch." Sam laughed.

Bucky just stared at Sam in irritation.  

"You couldn't even fight off a pack of dogs?" Sam teased. "One of them was a Yorkie, Buck."

"First of all, I told you that you can't call me that." Bucky said.  "Second of all, if I so much as look at one of those dogs the wrong way you know she'll launch a missile at us."

Sam just snickered.

"Apparently, you have a 'kick to the nuts' coming your way." Helmut said and Bucky groaned.

"She is never going to forgive me." he said.  

"Why exactly did you shoot her property and kick her off a building?" Helmut asked as they piled into the car.

There was a brief argument about the seat being moved up before Bucky answered.

"Look, the truck was an accident." he said.  "It was just caught in the crossfire.   And I only kicked her off the building because she was nearly insane."

"Weak logic, man." Sam laughed.

"You were there, asshole!"

"You could've tackled her to the ground."

"While she was trying to choke me to death with vines?"

Sam just laughed at Bucky's predicament while Helmut continued to ponder this woman.

He remembered what little footage there was of her.

After the battle with Ultron, Sokovia had been decemated and the Avengers had left them in the rubble.

In reality, they had tried to evacuate as many as possible.

With the help of Sokovia's own, The Maximoff Twins.

But when it was all said and done, Sokovia was left in the rubble and Earth's defenders just deserted them.

All but the one.

He'd seen the footage.

Shaky cellphone videos of the woman who transformed into animals to move the debris crushing people to death.

Or of how she was in the tents with the small group of survivors using her powers with plants to heal as many as she could.

She'd even tried to plant things and bring the country back to life before the government had basically laid waste to her work.

She'd been most popularly dubbed as Mother Nature by people across the globe but she never spoke in public or confirmed her name.

Helmut got the feeling that she didn't exactly like being apart of the Avengers and certainly did not enjoy the attention that went along with it.

He knew then that it had to have been her that cleared the bodies of his father, wife and son for when he found them among the dead that had been intricately encased in vines with flowers decorating them in the most beautiful way.

When he'd asked about it, he only been told that Mother Nature had stayed to help them.

He hadn't understood that at the time.

After the loss, all he could think of was revenged as grief consumed him.

By that time, she had long since left the Avengers and wasn't on his radar.

He'd never put two and two together.

Helmut drove for the longest time, the lamborghini speeding along the road as they followed the beat up white truck.

The pack of dogs all happily placed in the back, tongues flopping in the wind and tails wagging.

The further they trekked the wilder the country became and soon the hot rays of sunshine only beamed through the thick cover of vegetation above them.

The light through the leaves creating a green glow.

"I feel like Welcome to the Jungle should be playing right about now." Sam commented.

The finally broke through the tunnel of vegetation into a large property of rolling green field smattered with wildflowers and towering trees.

Garden beds and greenhouses were in the distances and horses could be seen grazing freely as chickens clucked around them.

Helmut noted that there were no fences, no pins, no coops for the chickens but instead all he wild life seemed to roam freely.

"Just forewarning you, there's probably a bear or moose around here somewhere." Bucky said. "But don't shoot it or we're dead."

"A bear?" Helmut asked. "She keeps bears as pets?"

"Don't call the animals her pets." Sam said with a smirk, "It pisses her off and as much as I would just love to see you get shot, it's not very practical at the moment."

Eventually they came to a stop behind the truck.

The pack of dogs all bounded out and took off in the direction of several little goats who seemed more than happy to play with them.

Helmut took in the home in front of him.

It was a beautiful home.

Simple in design but stunning in the sense that it seemed to be built around a tree.

"Come inside and have some tea." Jess said. "I'm going to need some if I'm going to listen to whatever utter bullshit you've gotten yourself into this time."

"Uh uh." Sam said with a shake of his head. "That is a lion. I am not going up there."

Jess narrowed her eyes at Sam as Helmut and Bucky looked around for what he was talking about.

Sure enough on the level there was a small balcony where the railing was absolutely littered with cats and a rather large mountain lion was sitting there watching them all with it's great luminous eyes.

"She's pregnant.  Relax." Jess said ascending the steps, gently smiling at Helmut when he followed her without reservation.

"Like that's supposed to instill confidence." Sam said. "You ever been around a pregnant female? Hell no."

"I have been a pregnant female, Wilson.  And I also very clearly remember the labor pain of having twins.  So watch your mouth and come on. If she wanted to eat you she would've already done it. Though if you're so scared, just feed her Barnes.  That should tide her over for a while." she said disappearing into the house with a chuckling Helmut behind her.

"This is your fault." Sam said shoving Bucky who only shoved him back.

"Shut up, Sam." he said before they continued up the stairs with Sam moving a little quicker as the cluster of felines watched him.  

"I hate cats, man." he sad.  "Fucking creepy."

Bucky snorted.

"What?"

"Nothin."

"What?"

"Just fitting that the bird is scared of a little kitty." Bucky teased.

Sam lifted his brows, "First of all, that was not a kitten.  That was full on Lion King back there.  And second of all, have you never seen Looney Toons.  I'm not trying to be Tweety bird."

"Stop being a pussy and come on." Jess' voice rang out. "And shut the damn door. You're letting all the cool air out."

Sam and Bucky grumbled at each other before making their way into the kitchen to see Helmut sitting at the table already happily sipping a cup of tea.

"This is exquisite." Helmut complimented her. "What is it?"

"It's peach and apricot." she said pouring both Sam and Bucky a cup and leveling them both with a look that told them if they didn't drink it she'd strangle them.

"It's wonderful. Thank you." Helmut said.

"It was my daughters' favorites.   Flora loved peaches and Fauna loved apricots. So to please them both my husband used to blend them together for their little tea parties. Along with little pieces of toast and jam."

She smiled into her own cup of tea but there was a sadness there that he recognized.

He chose not to remark on it and instead studied her features as Sam relayed the information as to why they were actually there in the first place.

"I've seen the Walker guy." she said. "It's unsettling to say the least.  But you know I do the limelight, boys.  I walked away from all of that when it became obvious that-"

"Jess." Bucky said. "Please. You don't have to talk to anyone. You don't have to-"

"People died.  And not just in Sokovia.  Yes, that was the final straw for me but it was happening long before that. I understand that 'earth's greatest heroes' or whatever are there to defend everyone.  But no one ever stays around to see the carnage.   No one talks about everyone who dies in the crossfire.  I joined the avengers out of revenge.  I was fueled by my anger and pain and I went on missions.   How many have I ended up inadvertantly killing under this ruse of 'for the greater good'.  I loved Steve to death but he took that shit to his heart and forgot to use his eyes." she said. "While everyone else is busy looking at the 'bigger picture' all of these other people who perhaps you don't know the names of are dying horrible deaths, boys.   I pulled people from wreckage who had moment to live.  People who's organs were crushed into nothing and they were rushing to give me messages to pass along to their families.  Those people are the heroes and no one ever knows it."

The subject of Steve was a sensitive one for everyone but she had a point and they knew it.

She sighed as she looked down into her teacup again, "I will help you regarding John Walker.  But I'm not blindly following orders anymore.   I make my own decisions and when I'm done, I'm done and I don't want to hear anything about it when I go."

The three of them nodded even though she wasn't asking for permission.

"You want some more tea, love?" she asked Helmut who's heart fluttered a bit at the soft term of endearment.

"Please." he said watching as she methodically poured him another cup.

"I can not leave immediately." she said. "I have to take care of a few things first. But you are welcome to stay here if you wish."

"And if you're not afraid of the cat." she said, aiming it at Sam. "Tweety bird."

"I hate you." he said flatly and she only laughed.

"Her name is Cleopatra by the way. Or Cleo for short. And if you give her a can of tuna from that cabinet there then she'll be putty in your hands.  If you rub her belly then she'll love you forever." she said.  "She also seems to enjoy listening to Elvis Presley and laying in the sunlight.  If that should interest any of you."

"Thanks, Jess." Bucky said sincerely.

"You're welcome." she said. "But I still owe you a beating."

He sighed, "Fair enough."

She left the table and meandered out onto the lower porch to stay at the horizon.

Sam and Bucky said nothing as Helmut followed her out there.

"Thank you." he said as he stared off in the distance as well.

"For what?" she asked. "The tea? You're welcome, dear.  It was nothing."

"No." he said turning to look at her. "For what you did for the bodies.  My father, wife and son were among the ones you uncovered.   They told me it was Mother Nature.  I never put it together but now I see."

She said nothing.

"I did it because it was what I would've liked for my own family." she said.  "I'm just sorry I couldn't do it for everyone.  I tried but there were so many that needed healing.  I didn't have ti-"

"The people of Sokovia know that." he cut her off.  "But as a son, a husband and a father, I'm thanking you for myself and also for everyone else."

She said nothing as they stared out at the trees.

"What happened to your family?" he asked her.

He knew, from first experience, how painful it was to talk about something like but he wanted to know.

"There was a bombing." she said. "My husband and I had taken my daughters to the museum to see the dinosaur exhibit.   It was so wrapped up that day that it was nearly impossible to get food there.  So we called in some food a couple of miles away at one of the girls' favorite resteraunts.  He'd told me to go and get it and that they'd meet me by the water fountains and we'd have lunch.   I was stuck in traffic for a good hour coming back  when it hit.  They'd called in an air strike because it was confirmed that an extremely dangerous  terrorist was there.  He'd been on the run for nearly a year from a foreign government and when it was confirmed what he had on him, I guess they decided it would be better to blow everyone there off the place of the planet that risk him setting it off and possibly destroying the world.  I saw it hit, saw everything go up in flames before it the whole of everything just crashed into the ground.  Like the whole word swallowed it whole." she said, voice shaking.

Helmut watched with rapt attention as she struggled to continue.

"I just jumped out of the car immediately and took off.  Police were swarming and I got thrown this way and that but I got loose.  My family was in there.  My husband.  My children.  I dove head first into the crater not even thinking about self preservation or logic at all.  There were no survivors of course but I didn't care.   A mother can't just walk away like that.  Or atleast I couldn't.  I should've died on impact based on the fall but I didn't.  About half way down gas released and I can just remember the burning.  My skin felt like it was melting off.  I was still falling through the air and my skin was searing hot, burning every nerve ending I had.  And then I hit.   When I woke up, I wasn't there anymore but I panicked because I was covered in vines.  Wrapped up like a mummy in vegetation." she said, a dark chuckle coloring her tone.

Helmut shivered as a chill ran down his spine.

"The local authorities pulled me out when everything had been cleared and they began to sort through the wreckage.  I'd been turned over to American government when they discovered my ID in my back pocket.  They told me that it took forever for the police to get in because vines kept growing from everything I touched.  Several of them were strangled to death as I lay down there unconscious.  I was deemed dangerous and therefore put it a high security area.   I was told a version of what happened that day and propositioned to join the Avengers.  I was angry and grieving and I wanted to find out who murdered my children, my husband... so I accepted without hesistation. So when I tell you that I understand how you got to the point that you did... trust me.  I get it."

Helmut said nothing as he reached out to take her hand.

"Perhaps, you and I are not so different." he said.

"Probably a lot more similiar than you think." she chuckled.

"Though I am not a goddess." he said with a small smirk.

"I'm no goddess." she said.

"Ah no?" he asked. "Not Mother Nature then?"

"Sure you can call me mother nature...of the current year where I've been poisoned by the human race and am genuinely fed up with life in general.  Maybe Mother Nature's trailer trash cousin, Global Warming." she said and Helmut laughed at her in disbelief. "I can say trailer trash cause I am trailer trash."

Helmut shook his head in amusement.

He wasn't sure of anything in that moment but he was thankful for it and he hoped that perhaps his family was somewhere looking down on him.

He silently thanked them for allowing him to meet the one person who had stayed.

Mother Nature always found a way.

----- Hello my loves! I hope you enjoy this! This piece was commissioned by a lovely lady who chose to remain anon!  If you have a commission that you'd like done just reach out and I'll answer any questions you have!  Thank you so much for reading and I would love to hear your thoughts!

All my love, Kenny -----

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Also, just a reminder that I am open for commissions!

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Hy, Vy! 📚🌻 Here!

I read that you're having a busy week so I just came here to give you some reminders: Get up for a bit, drink water. Relax for a bit: let your shoulders drop, unclench your jaw and hands, take a deep breath. Better? Hope you are taking care of yourself.

Your three words of today are: Scratch, Silk, snarl.

Take all the time you need and hope you have a good week!

Love, 📚🌻

Hi 📚🌻!

So nice to be hearing from you again! My busy week has finally been put to a pause worries-wise so I can relax and write A TON of fics for you guys so I can make up for being absent for so long 😌 I missed writing honestly and, not gonna lie, your three word challenges bring me so much joy, I'm not even kidding. So thank you for sending me another, in return I send you a short fluffy fic with the pairing I keep using because I'm obsessed 😅 along with all my love, hugs, kisses and support. They're all addressed to you 💌💌💌

Worthy

Pairing: Chris Redfield x OC - Gwen Winters (y’all already know her by now 😅)

No warnings, just pure fluff, Enjoy! 🥰

“Wow, don’t you look presentable.“ 

Now, while the comment is not at all false and is completely fair and true, he shouldn’t have said anything at all. Not when the younger girl was glaring at him before he even opened his mouth.

She can’t be having it easy: baby food in her hair, a questionable stain on her shirt, some dark spots along her arms and what looks to be paint on her forehead and cheeks. Oh and hands too.

“And you look unwanted.” She snarls, “The Devil sent you to prevent me from catching a break today, didn’t he?“ She made her glare even deadlier which he didn’t think was possible. He should know better than to underestimate her like that, Gwen Winters always has a way of surprising him after all. “Well, go back and tell him I wasn’t planning on catching a break either way so you aren’t needed“

Chris rolls his eyes, “For the last time, please stop making me sound like your worst nightmare took a human form.” He scoffs, reaching out to remove a crumb from her shirt, “In fact, I’m here to help.”

“Ethan and Mia sent you then. They don’t believe I have it handled, do they?“ She sighs, walking inside the surprisingly quiet Winters home.

Her Captain, taking that action of hers as a good sign, follows her inside, closing the front door behind him. “No, they don’t know I’m here actually. I called to check up on them and they said they were on a date so I immediately knew who got stuck with the babysitting duty and thought you’d need help.” He gives her a quick once-over, grimacing slightly at the sight she is, “And it seems like you really could use and extra pair of hands.”

“Well....when you put it like that I wish you showed up an hour ago. That’s when this happened.“ She motions to herself. “Christ, I need a change of clothes...and a shower.“ A sigh leaves her lips as her arms drop by her sides.

“And a bandage.“ He murmurs when his gaze suddenly lands on a particularly bad looking scratch on Gwen’s arm. “What happened to you?“

Her eyes follow his to where a red line has marked her skin. She lets out a laugh, “Believe it or not, Rose’s got one hell of a grip. God knows I’d be covered in bite marks if she had teeth.” The look of shock and concern that flashes across the older man’s face makes her laugh, “Hey, don’t worry, the shower will be quick and she’s a pretty heavy sleeper so you won’t have to deal with her on your own.”

He nods hesitantly, muttering a quick ‘Right’ before the girl disappears down the hallway in the direction of the staircase with the intention of grabbing herself some clean clothes she knows won’t remain clean for very long after her sister wakes up. Maybe they’re not blood related, but Gwen still refers to Rose as her sister. Not rare are the times she’s accidentally referred to Ethan as dad or to Mia as mom when talking about them with some of her friends at the BSAA, hell even when talking with Chris. She doesn’t even appear to notice when she says it, but he does, and a smile always briefly graces his features when she does.

As he’s surfing through the TV channels, less than ten minutes after he heard the shower turn on, the baby monitor comes to life with the displeased whines of a child that’s awoken from its slumber.  Chris Redfield, previously a BSAA soldier and now a captain, one who has faced thousands of horrors in his life, each more threatening than the last, is now frozen in place.

One thing this man hasn’t had much experience with is dealing with individuals below their teenage years. Sure, he held Rose when she was still a newborn but even that lasted less than five minutes cause he was so terrified of dropping her or her starting to cry. And now he has to go tend whatever need she has without knowing what they are or how to tend to them.

Wonderful.

Seeing as how the whines are rather quiet and haven’t turned into wails just yet he feels a bit bolder about the whole ordeal, getting up from the couch and making his way towards the stairs, passing by the bathroom where he hears Gwen singing ‘Lovefool’ like she’s the only person in the house.

“Don’t worry, Rose, I’d be crying too if I were awoken by that.“ He murmurs, stomping up the steps.

Entering the nursery, he’s pleasantly surprised to see Rose has stopped complaining and is just looking up at him, intrigued by the presence of this man she doesn’t recognize. Chris scoffs, deciding to drop the subject but right as he steps one foot out the door, the crying begins.

‘No way‘, he thinks to himself, slowly inching back into the room just for the cries to be put to a halt again. ‘You gotta be kidding me.’

“Listen kid, I’m not in any way, shape or for fit for this. Just hold on, your sister will be out in a minute, ok?“ His mouth is saying one thing but his mind is on a completely different level of following instincts - the fatherly instincts he never even thought he had. And while getting his soul stared into by this baby, he can’t help but give into those instincts, “Alright, but you better give me a good review if your sister asks. She can be really high strung sometimes, though I bet you already knew that, having to live with her and all.“ He murmurs as he lifts the now giggling Rose out of her crib, gently cradling her to his chest. To his relief, she stays quiet, relaxing in his embrace. “You’re much less of a handful than Gwen.” He chuckles softly, not wanting to disrupt the quiet too much in hopes it would lead to Rose falling back asleep soon. “I mean, I complain a lot about her and her attitude, but I’d do anything for her, if I’m being honest. She doesn’t know, of course, I haven’t told her. Not that she’d believe me if I did. She’s gotta be the most stubborn yet selfless, most sarcastic yet loving person I’ve ever met. She saves her good qualities for people who deserve to see em, I’m not surprised I’m not one of them. I’ve done nothing but give her a hard time since we met, but can you really blame? She was death-glaring me before we even exchanged names, for goodness’ sake. I probably shouldn’t bother a less than a year old baby with my problems but I have no other listener...” Looking down, he realizes Rose has fallen asleep. He huffs lightheartedly, a smile on his face, “Guess I didn’t have you either, huh?”

“You had me.“ He stiffens his muscles, startled by the foreign whisper that fills the room.

Slowly turning around, he finds Gwen leaning against the doorframe her small figure wrapped in a towel, arms crossed over her chest, her smirking face framed by a curtain of wet hair. She looks smug, too smug, insinuating she’s heard a good portion of his speech if not its entirety. 

“Don’t I at least get an applause?“ He rolls his eyes, hoping the blush isn’t as visible as he feels it to be. 

“You really think you deserve one with the amount of cheesiness you just spewed, not to mention gossiping about me to my own sister.“ She shakes her head with faux disappointment, her voice smooth like silk.

“Ok do I at least get a response then?“ He needs to know, there’s no way he can leave this house or even this room without getting an answer, no matter how disappointed he might be by it. Better a brutal answer than blind ignorance.

She purses her lips, her eyes leaving his and landing on the sleeping baby he almost forgot he was holding. She takes a few steps towards him, reaching out and taking gentle hold of Rose, her movements so light and careful the baby doesn’t even detect she’s being moved. Gwen lays her sister down in her crib even more carefully straightening up and placing her hands on the railing, smiling down at the sleeping toddler.

Chris stands there restless, his gaze analyzing and overanalyzing each and every shift of her facial expression, the tiniest changes in her body stance and body language. He’s never seen her so at peace and so relaxed, out of her usual surroundings and gear. The rough lines of her face softened by the sisterly love she’s displaying, watching over the sleeping Rose. There’s so much grace and beauty within her and it never fails to shine through. Not in the battlefield, not when faced with literal death, not even when she’s holding a weapon twice her size, making her look terrifying for the enemy.

He said he wasn’t surprised to be excluded from the tight circle of people she has - those who see her at her best - and he really isn’t. He doesn’t deserve her kindness, her softness, her smiles and laughter. He doesn’t deserve her. He’s not worth of a membership

Or that’s what he thinks, at least.

Gwen suddenly turns to him, the smile still present on her face as she gazes up at him, her head tilted back so she can look him in the eyes which is proving pretty difficult considering their proximity and height difference. Leaning back on the crib railing she sighs, “You’re right, a response would be adequate. But what kind would you like?”

He scoffs, his muscles tensing even more despite the smile on his face, “The most honest one you can offer me.”

She hums approvingly, nodding as though she’s contemplating her next move. He’s on the verge of telling her to forget it, let it all fall in the water and hope she forgets about it soon. He can deal with a few sleepless nights but that ultimate rejection, he knows it’ll sting a lot and for a long time.

However, just as he’s about to cross over the verge and open his big mouth he’s physically prevented from doing so by the pair of lips that have collided with his. Her lips. She’s kissing him.

‘Holy crap, what is happening?‘ It’s safe to say his mind’s racing which is mainly why it takes him a second or two to respond but when he comes to, he’s kissing her back with passion and longing, as though they’ve shared this kiss before. His arms automatically wrap around her waist, pulling her closer, while hers find themselves wrapped around his neck, her fingers gently tangling in his hair.

To say he’s disappointed when she pulls away would be an understatement but seeing as how she’s not in a rush to free herself from his grasp, he doesn’t complain. Instead, he allows her to rest her forehead against hers. He closes his eyes, their proximity intoxicating his mind, the scent of her freshly washed hair and skin making his thoughts hazy.

“Next time you wanna tell me something...“ Gwen whispers breathlessly, “...my sister is not the one you should turn to first.“

Chris chuckles, reattaching their lips in relief and ecstasy. He can’t remember the last time he’s felt quite like this: so high yet so grounded, so intoxicated yet sober. She gives him polar opposite experiences at once and it’s simply magical.

He may not be worthy of a membership in her inner circle, but he’s damn lucky she likes him as much as she does.

[issabangtanfic]

[Jungkook] The Windmill House (Chapter 12)

Synopsis: When your stereotypical Christian Grey meets his not so stereotypical Anna

Masterlist

Pairing: Jungkook x OC

A/N: Feel free to submit a cover! Tell me what you think in my inbox! Enjoy!

- 

Honestly, after seeing Mrs Choi for the first time, I had no idea she would be one of those eccentric client who asks for a ridiculously edgy concept for her home.

It's always the most normal-looking ones...

I look away from the blueprints spread across my desk when I hear my phone buzzing. When I check I see it's a text message from Sidney.

Squidney : Wanna come home for your lunch break? I made lasagna

Her text makes me smile a little. We haven't been talking much ever since that fight after the inauguration party.

She made me feel like I was the unstable kid no one in the family trusts to take care of themselves. And honestly it's probably true that no one trusts me, but I feel like my words are not going to prove anything so I just have been focusing on work and not talking to her very much.

This text is definitely a truce appeal. And I don't like not talking to Sidney, but at the same time I don't know how to feel about the fact that every time I will tell her anything about Mr.Jeon or any other man she will probably disapprove, but not tell me so we don't fight. 

I’m scared of the hypocrisy.

“A windmill house?”

When I look up from my phone, I see Joon who had been brainstorming with me this morning, flipping through my folder.

“Focus.” I tell him, snatching it from his hands before he can find the contract I just printed out for Mr.Jeon.

I don't know how to make a contract so I just used one of our standard ones and put my name on it.

“In London?” He inquiries, sounding excited. I know right?! But I can’t be talking about this with you.

“Namjoon.” I admonish.

“Okay.” He gives up, sliding off my desk and looking back at the blueprints.

“I can give you an alcove, but not windows.” He says, pointing at the kitchen area. Wait what?

“I thought that was doable.” I retort.

“It is, but we’d need to restucture the entiere building. We don’t have the budget nor permission for it.” He explains. Well, he could just have said no when I asked him!

“Okay.” I murmur. So without concave windows. we're going to have to create the roundness inside the apartment.

“Don’t sulk.” I hear Joon coo next to me. 

“I’m not, I’m thinking.” I reply, retracting my pout and releasing my frown.

“Move the pantry here.” I propose, pointing at the space between two windows. One's in the kitchen, the other in the living-room.

“Here?” He doesn't sound convinced.

“We can use the gap between the old and new partitions as storage. And put the alcove here. It’ll be the limit between the kitchen and the living room." I explain. At this point I don't see any other option.

“That I can do. That’s actually a great idea.” Joon nods. Cool!

“Good Job.” He compliments, fist bumping me before exiting my office. Once I'm alone, I quickly text Sidney back.

Me: Lasagna sounds great, syl

I’m back home by 12:30, and when I open the door the delicious smell of cooking meat invades my nostrils. Just as I close the door, Juno trots up to me with her tail wagging happily. 

"Hi Juno!" I beam at her, kneeling to scratch her head. She looks so cute with her little blue bandana around her neck. She barks hello, and I drop a kiss on between her eyes.

When I walk further in, I find Sydney tying her hair up in a bun with a chopstick behind the kitchen counter.  The table is set for two.

"Hi." She smiles at me.

"Mmmmmh... lasagna!" I sing, tossing my bag on the couch. I join her in the kitchen and kneel in front of the oven. "Smells amazing." I observe. The lasgna is almost ready, I can see the meat juices bubbling under the cheese. She really makes the best lasagna.

"Thank you for the food, Sidney." I thank her, standing up and pecking her cheek.

"You're welcome." She hums, and even though we still haven’t talked about our fight, I know I can’t stay mad at her. 

Since everything is set and all that’s missing is the lasagna, we both sit down at the table and open a beer.

"We haven't been hanging out much so this is great." I say after we clink our bottles.

"I know, I wanted to say I'm sorry." She replies, looking at me with sad eyes.

"It's fine, really. I know you're just looking out for me." I counter. It was a silly argument. Ultimately, I understand her. I wish she didn’t think this way, but I understand where this is coming from, and I can’t be expecting anything else from her. Or anyone from my family.

"No, I'm sorry for making you think I don't trust you." She argues. "I'm just scared."

"Listen, I know how similar these two men are. Trust me, it's been weird for me too." I say reassuringly. "But somehow he hasn't made me feel how I'd be feeling before." I add. "Quite the opposite actually."

I frown as the words leave my mouth. It’s only hitting me now that in a way, Mr.Jeon is nothing like the type of man he looks like. I have all these preconceptions about him, and while he still hasn’t proved me wrong, I can’t say I feel like I’m right about him yet.

"And I don't know what to do about it." I mutter to myself, drowning half of my sentence in the neck of my bottle. There’s a moment of silence, where Syd seems to be hesitating to speak.

"I just don't want to lose you again." She admits after a beat. I know everything comes down to that. I reach across the table and grab both of her hands.

"I know. And whatever happens I'm not letting him or anyone pull me away from my family." I affirm, looking straight into her eyes. "It's not happening again." I promise. She smiles and nods, seemingly reassured.

"You know," She trails off, rmoving her hands from mine and resting her chin on her palm. After all this time you've been part of my family, I still didn't think you liked Asians."

"What the hell?” I laugh out loud. This girl!

"I don't know, I just never thought of it." She giggle with me. I shake my head at her as our laughter fades.

"Promise me you're being careful." She demands quietly.

"I am being careful, Sidney." I promise.  "You know, what made me really mad the other day was…”I pause, looking for the right words. "That somehow you think I didn't learn my lesson?"

"No, that's not what I think." She shakes her head vigorously. "I just-" She pauses and thinks for a second. "I trust you, but I worry still." She says.

I’m not expecting any less from her.

"I think..." She trails off, but chokes on her words, and her eyes become shiny with fresh tears. Oh, no!

"Sidney, come on." I scold as she blinks her tears away.

"Shut up, let me talk." She snaps, aborting the waterworks. She sighs deeply, her eyes still very wet. I hate seeing her like this.

"I think seeing you with a man brings back a lot of memories." She explains, her voice still shaking. "Your therapist said your first relationship after B-"

"Woah woah woah, who talked about a relationship?" I stop her dead in her tracks. I understand her worry, but I’m not trying to date anyone. Yes, Mr.Jeon and I are flirting, but we both know what to expect.

"Even a quick shag, she said it's bound to bring back memories." She argues.

"I told you, he still hasn't made me feel like that." I retort.

"I know, and that's great." She says. "But we also had our own trauma that me and your parents and everyone else went through." She argues.

"And obviously it's not as dramatic as it sounds but,” She says, shaking her head. "Knowing that you're potentially seeing someone, it kinda feels like PTSD." She says to me.

"I understand." I reply. I guess, neither me nor my family is prepared for me seeing someone again. After all, it’s something that I hadn’t thought of in a while, not even once.

“And if I feel unprepared for you being out there again, imagine how your parents will react.” Sydney adds.

“I’d rather not.” I reply. Honestly I’d rather stay single.

“It’s going to feel so sudden for them, because they’re not even witnessing the talking stages-“

“I’m not dating this man.” I remind her. I won’t have to introduce anyone to my parents for still a very long time!

“Still.” She retorts. “It’s going to be difficult for them. And they’re probably going to make you feel worse than I did.” She says as a warning. She’s right. My parents will probably reject anyone I bring home out of pure protectiveness, without even trying to get to know them.

“But always out of love for you.” She adds. My mind is reeling. Me getting a boyfriend will be such a headache.

“Let’s postpone the moment as much as possible then.” I sigh, grabbing my beer. “Shagging only.” I toast, and it’s like a promise at this pont. Sydney laughs at me, but still mimics me.

“Shagging only.” She repeats after me.

- 

After a rather calm day at work, I drive down to Mr.Jeon's office in the City. It's a place I've never been to in the 2 years I've been living here in London, because why would I? I earn half of what the worst paid people here make.

My red mini doesn't fit between this tall grey skyscrapers, Mercedes and Audi's around me.

Mr.Jeon told me to park in the underground parking lot after announcing myself to the guard, before going to the first floor to announce myself again. The building is almost empty as it is past working hours.

After getting clearance, I'm escorted by a pretty brunette up to the 17th and last floor. I pass countless empty offices, until my guide stops in front of the sole lit up room. The wall is glass, so I can see about a dozen people inside.

"Mr.Jeon is in a meeting right now." The woman informs me. "You can wait for him right here."

She points at two chairs in the hallway placed by a closed office, right across from the meeting room.

"Thank you." I smile politely at her before taking a seat. The chair happens to be placed near the back of the meeting room, where I finally spot Mr.Jeon, sat down at the end of the table.

The motion of me sitting down catches his attention. He looks outside and spots me. I give him a smile and a slight nod to say hello. He smiles back to me, before reaching in his pocket and pulling his phone out. He starts typing, and I receive a text seconds later.

Mr.Jeon : You're early.

No, he’s late.

Me : I didn't want you to fire me again. 

I type back, press send and look up to dee his reaction. He smirks, looked amused as he types his answer.

Mr.Jeon : I would never. He writes back, followed by:

Mr.Jeon : You look very pretty today.

I purse my lips to stifle the unwanted smile creeping on my face. He's probably looking at me to watch me swoon and melt at his comment, but I won't give him this satisfaction.

When I look up, his eyes aren't on me. He's back into his meeting, looking straight ahead at the different numbers on  screen across the table.

Me : Texting during a meeting? I reply, deciding not to acknowledge the compliment. When he gets the notifications, he makes a quick matter of his response.

Mr.Jeon : Take the compliment. 

Oh this feels like an order. This man would love to boss me around.

Me : I don't like your tone. I retort.

When he sees my text, his head immediately turns to me, his eyebrows raised and his eyes challenging.

I shrug a shoulder, indicating I don't care if he doesn't like what he just read.

The corner of his mouth jerks a little, and he rolls his tongue against his cheek to refrain a smile, before looking back at his phone. I receive a text shortly after.

Mr.Jeon : Take the compliment, please. 

Me: No.

When he gets the text, his eyes shoot up at me, and he slowly shakes his head, seemingly amused.

But he doesn't reply. He instead focuses on the words being said inside the room. I watch as he suddenly frowns, and then start flipping through a pile of paper he has in front of him.

I don't hear what he's saying but he looks confused and slightly annoyed. He tells something to the man presenting, clearly reproachful.

Me: What's the meeting about? I ask out of curiousness. He doesn't look at my text until the issue is settled and his employee gives him a satisfying answer.

I'm already scrolling through my Instagram timeline when I get his response. Three texts in a row.

Mr.Jeon : Boring stuff 

Mr.Jeon : And finances

Mr.Jeon : What are you doing tonight?

Of course he'd ask. I smile at my phone.

Me: I don't think it's any of your business.

Mr.Jeon : Why do you assume I'm asking for unprofessional purposes?

Me: Because you probably are

Mr.Jeon : I wish Maya

Me: It’s Miss Fair for you

Mr.Jeon : Are you staying for dinner, Miss Fair?

Me: I'll have to decline...

I'm only declining to play hard to get. I would love to have dinner with him. Heck, I know I would want to take it even further. But I should be careful. I just promised Sid.

Mr.Jeon sits up first, buttoning his dark blue suit and signaling the end of the meeting. It is now 7:15. Everyone in the meeting follows, gets up and packs up, while Mr.Jeon exits the room first. I rise from my seat.

"Miss Fair." He greets me once he’s at my level.

"Hello, Mr. Jeon." I smile it him, extending my hand.

"Sorry for making you wait." He says to me, taking my hand shanking it.

"No worries." I reply, very well aware of the female employee taking her sweet time exiting the meeting room so she can stare at me. Does everyone in his company want to fuck him? Probably honestly.

“Long day?” I ask him. I can’t imagine having meetings until seven.

“Indeed. And you’ve already made it better.” He replies, successfully earning a chuckle from me.

"I have that effect on people sometimes." I shoot back.

"It's not the only one you have." He concurs. Oh, please. 

“Let me show you to my office.” He invites, before guiding me down the hall to the door at the very end of the corridor.

After tying a code, Mr.Jeon opens the door that leads into his office. 

It's a big, almost empty room. The back wall is entirely glass, making for a sweet landscape painting of downtown London. He has a rather small desk, with a leather ergonomic chair and two other ones placed across from him. As I walk further in, I notice a black leather sofa against the wall near the door, a chest of drawers and storage spaces and a sad single tall plant.

"This place is so sad." The words are out before I can understand how rude they are. I spin around to face Mr.Jeon, who is closing the door behind us. He's frowning at me.

"I'm sorry." I stutter, feeling my cheeks heat up. 

"I mean empty." I correct myself. He pauses for a second, and I believe the quick exhale of air he does after that is a quiet chuckle.

"I don't spend that much time here." He says in a way of explaining. "But I'll be happy to have you work on my office as well." He adds. This man always has his goal in mind.

"I'll think about it." I reply evasively.

“Have a seat.” He invites. I sit my butt on on the chair and watch him walk over to the left side of the room. 

“Would you like something to drink?” He proposes. Thats when I realize the storage spaces I saw where built-in furniture.

“You have a fridge in your office?” I don't know why I'm so amazed.

“I also have a bathroom with a shower and the sofa’s convertible.” He replies. A bathroom?

“You spend nights here?” I ask him.

“Sometimes." He answers simply. Woah. "Wine?” He offers. 

This man is always trying to get me drunk! Or maybe he's just trying to make me stay.

“I just need a quick signature.” I decline politely.

“Where’s the rush? Aren’t you off work?” He retorts.

“I am, but I'm not drinking tonight Mr.Jeon."

"Okay." He doesn't push, and instead closes the fridge and walks back to me. He takes place in his seat while I fish into my bag looking for my folder.

“This is the contract I prepared for you.” I announce once I've found it. I pull it out and place it on the table.

“This is just a standard contract from Union, I just put my name on it.” I explain, flipping through the first four page until I find the one where my payment is mentioned. I flip the document around and slide it across the table to he can read, but he doesn't even look at it, just watches me with intent. I tap down on the page.

“Fifteen percent.” I point out, since it’s the percentage we’ve agreed on. He doesn’t even look down at where I’m pointing at, just keeps staring at me with this cheeky smile of his.

“Where do I sign?” He asks me. This man, I swear. 

I sigh in order to try and hide my amusement.

“I thought you needed to read it through.” I remind him.

“I changed my mind.” He retorts. Oh, I’m sure he hadn’t planned on reading anything in the first place… It’s so annoying that his cheesy tactics still make my stomach feel funny.

I break the eye contact first, looking at the contract while I flip all the pages. “You can sign here, and here.” I indicate him. I watch him as he clicks his pen and scribbles onto the paper. 

“Thank you very much.” I say, grabbing the papers and putting them back in the folder.

“Anything else I can do for you?” He asks as I put back in my purse.

“I think I have everything I need.” I smile at him.

“Can I make a request, then?” He enquires, joining his hands on the table.

“Are you going to ask me to have dinner with you?”

“Will you say yes?”

“No.”

“Then no, that’s not my request.” He brushes off, shrugging. Oh?

“What can I do for you?” I ask him, resting my chin onto my fist.

“Can you answer my question as honestly as possible?” He asks, leaning a little bit closer to me.

“Sure.” I reply, hoping he's not going to be too indiscreet.

"That time when you called me after the inauguration of the Manor." He trails off. Oh, lord.

"What would have happened had I said yes?" He asks me. I take a second to remember the mindset I was in that night.

I was definitely very tipsy, but I also was very horny.

"I think we would've set a date." I reply."And after sobering up I would've chickened out probably." I say, because let's be realistic.

"Mmh..." He nods, still trying to read something in my eyes. Why is he asking me that anyways?

"Do you regret not accepting the offer?" I ask him. He's probably getting impatient. After all the farthest he's ever gone with me is touching my neck.

"I'm wondering what was different that night." He replies. "You were a lot more...open."

Yeah, no shit, Sherlock.

"Part of it was because of the alcohol." I argue.

"I figured." He says to me. "I was hoping it wasn't only that." He murmurs a little more quietly.

I stare at him for a second. Why does this small, unused part of my brain think he's actually trying with me?

"Can you answer my question?" I counter, mimicking him and joining my hands.

"Sure." 

"Promise to be honest?"

He smiles a little when I say that, and his gaze grows warm.

"I promise." He murmurs softly.

"How many women are you sleeping with?"

"Zero." He replies immediately. OH SURE!

He doesn't even try to come up with a credible number. Why did I think he would actually tell me the truth in the first place.

I roll my eyes to the heavens, leaning back against my seat in disappointment.

"Maya." He chuckles, pushing himself off of his desk.

"I have been working since seven in the morning. I've had five meetings, no lunch break, and I have a flight tomorrow morning for Dubai where I'll have to meet 13 potential clients in less than four days," He says to me, slowly circling his desk so he's closer to me.

"All while attending boring society functions and pretending I care about how many cars my investors have." He says, leaning against his desk when he's right next to me.

"I don't have time for more than one woman, but most importantly I don't have time for lies." He reassures me. I don't know if I believe that, but that does sound like a busy schedule. I don't see how he could fit multiple women in there. 

"Why waste your precious time on me then?" I sass, because why not? I cross my arms over my chest and lift a challenging eyebrow at him.

"I wouldn't do it if I considered it a waste of my time." He mimics me.

"Then why?" I ask, and he pauses for a second.

"I'm not sure." He says, shrugging. Oh.

There is a knock on the door that interrupts our discussion. Mr.Jeon slips off his desk and goes over to open it. I turn around out of curiosity, to see who’s behind the door. It’s his assistant Jimin.

"Yes, Jimin?" Mr.Jeon says to him. His assistant's eyes quickly scan the background and land on me. He then looks back at Mr.Jeon.

"Am I bothering?" He asks him.

"Be quick." Mr.Jeon replies. I might as well get ready to leave. I was just supposed to get a signature tonight. Chatting and flirting is fun, but it's getting late.

"Paul confirmed eight thirty tonight. Here are your keys." I hear Jimin explain to him while I look away.

"Thank you, Jimin." 

"You're welcome. Goodnight." He says, and just like that he's gone. I get up from my seat and swing my bag over my shoulder.

When I turn around Mr.Jeon is is standing by the open door.

"You're leaving?" He asks me.

"Don't you have a date at eight thirty?" I remind him, joining him at the door. "With Paul?" I tease, making him chuckle.

"A date with Paul?" He laughs, opening the door for me. "He's not really my type." He says as I step out.

"And he's my personal trainer if you're wondering." I hear him add as he closes the door behind us.

"And you were ready to go have dinner with me?" I challenge as we walk down the corridor towards the elevators. 

 "I'll trade a workout with Paul for dinner with you anytime." He says smoothly, looking down at me. I huff out a laugh, shaking my head.

Once we get to the elevators, I press the call button.

"Why are you asking? Have you changed your mind about dinner?" He asks me. 

"Not yet." I reply, turning to face him. He's standing closer to me than I expected.

He lets out a long sigh, shoving his hands in his pockets. I'm feeling playful.

"You could convince me." I tease, shrugging a shoulder. Just as I say these words, the doors to the elevator open.

"Convince you?" He repeats, his interest peaked. We step inside the elevator.

"How long do I have?" He asks me as I lean against the wall, grabbing the railing behind me. He goes to the opposite side to press the basement floor button.

"Just an elevator ride." I challenge just as the doors close on the both of us and the elevator starts moving down. An incredibly sexy smirk creeps across his face when I say that.

"What game are you playing right now, Maya?" He asks, eyes playful, taking a slow step towards me.

"I'm giving you a chance." I shrug, as he slowly approches me. I feel like he's going to jump me any second.

I should get him off his high horses.

"But you have to convince me..." I trail off, catching him trying to pull his hands out of his pockets.

"Without touching me." I murmur, when he's inches away from me. I swallow, all my confidence slowly leaving me. My eyes travel between his eyes and his lips.

Even though I just told him not to touch me, if he kisses me right now, I don't know what I'd do with myself.

"Without touching you." He repeats, looking both confused and amused. I nod, because I don't trust my voice to be steady enough. 

I feel the elevator slow down prematurely, indicating an impromptu stop. Mr.Jeon steps back, and that's when I realize I kind of had stopped breathing.

I straighten my back and turn away from him as the elevator comes to a full stop. The door open onto a man pushing a cleaning cart. A janitor.

After stiff greetings, the employee pushes his cart in, taking place right between me and Mr.Jeon.

Well, there goes whatever was going to happen there.

The ride down is silent, and it seems like the storage room is on the basement floor as well because that's where we all get off.

Mr.Jeon and I let him walk off while we linger in front of the elevators. My mini also happens to be parked right in front of us.

When our eyes finally meet after he's gone, we're both tempted to laugh.

"You failed." I observe, facing him.

"Well, there wasn't much I could do, was there?" He chuckles. True, true. I wish I could know he was going to say... or do to me.

"Maybe next time?" I say, well aware of the inviting tone of my voice.

"Maybe." He nods.

"Have a safe trip." I add over my shoulder, walking over to my car.

"Thank you, Maya. Get home safe." He replies, watching me get in and drive off.

[malfoymanortings]

lavender and velvet //part eight

SUMMARY: she had her fathers eyes, his aristocratic looks, her grandmothers spite, her mothers heart, but the one thing she didn't have was the love of her father that her god brother received. juliet black finally meets her father who has already decided who his child is.

PAIRINGS: George Weasley X OC!SiriusDaughter

taglist: @person1839 @big-galaxy-chaos @spooderham @iamashlynmarie @acciosiriusblack @obsssedwithjustaboutanything @ivettt @msmarklee1213 @briargardens 

as always, let me know if you would like to be added to the taglist. enjoy!

The house was abuzz with Christmas cheer the following day. They had spent the morning decorating the dark and dreary Grimmauld Place with Christmas decorations, and Sirius had kept the cheer alive by singing Christmas carols at random. Hermione had arrived as well, having decided against going skiing with her parents. 

Harry had stayed upstairs, no matter how many times Molly had tried to lure him down. Juliet felt slightly guilty for being happy that he had stayed up there, as it meant she had more of Sirius’ attention. She was trying her best not to be so standoffish towards her father. It was easier now, with him in such a joyous mood and Harry out of the picture.

Remus came by around noon to take Juliet to Diagon Alley to shop for presents. The two of them had set out by fifteen after, and by one o’clock they were nearly done shopping.

“So, how have things at school been?” Remus questioned as they walked past Ollivanders. 

A strong gust of wind blew flecks of snow over them, and Juliet wished she would have worn her cloak. She had dressed casually in jeans and a sweater, with George’s parka thrown over it. She hadn't been able to find her own, and George was more than willing to offer his out.

“It’s been alright,” Juliet paused, chewing her lip. She wasn’t sure how much she should say about Umbridge, or Theo. “Our new teacher has been quite the experience, I can tell you that.”

Remus’ mouth drew into a tight line. “Yes. That ghastly woman has made life difficult for me as well.”

“Seems she likes to hold grudges, too,” Juliet said lightly, holding the door to Madam Primpernelle’s, a beauty shop. “Me being the daughter of the infamous Black, and my adoptive father being a werewolf, well, I feel she nearly fainted when she saw me in her class.”

Remus let out a humorless laugh. “I’m sure you’ve given her the utmost respect.”

“Course I have. I was raised by the most respectable man, wasn’t I?”

She ducked away from Remus’ swatting hand, heading over to the shelves of different colored potions and jars. Scanning over them, she picked a few for Ginny. The girl loved skincare, as was evident by her gleaming blemish free freckled skin, so she replenished a few of the ones she knew the ginger haired girl was low on. Plucking a dark amber colored perfume that proclaimed to be of a woodsy scent, she was done shopping for Ginny. 

Remus looked more than happy when she rang up her purchases, and they left the store. He had looked out of place while they had been in there, and Juliet couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Alright, now you’ve just got to get something for the twins, correct?” Remus asked her as they walked down the cobblestone pathway. 

Juliet nodded, heading towards the Apothecary. She knew there were a few ingredients that were vital to the twin’s joke shop plans, and she knew it would be the most worthwhile gift she could give the two.

She found what she needed inside rather quickly, and as she was walking back outside of the shop, she couldn’t help but feel as though they needed something more.

“What’s got you looking like you swallowed an acid pop?” Remus nudged her shoulder, taking a few bags from her. 

“I dunno,” she sighed heavily, watching the fog from her mouth swirl away from them. “I just feel like I should get them something more personal.”

“Them, or just George?” 

“My goodness, you too?!” Juliet stopped in her tracks, her hands on her hips. The multiple shopping bags she carried smacked against her thighs harshly, but she ignored the pain. “Why does everyone assume we like each other? George is my best friend, my absolute best friend, and he’s outrageously gorgeous and funny and caring and kind, and he would much rather date Alicia Spinnet whose also gorgeous and kind and stupid Gryffindor rather than a Slytherin-”

“Woah, okay, okay,” Remus cut her off, putting his hand up to halt her ranting. He looked sideswiped, as though he hadn’t been expecting that reaction. “I didn’t mean to upset you, I just thought that you and George were… heading in that direction. I’ve always liked him, you know, I think he’s much better than the son of a Death Eater.”

“My merlin, who told you?” 

“I may have questioned Fred and promised him some more doxy venom if he would care to gossip with me.”

“You are unbelievable.”

The two of them resumed their walking, Juliet silently fuming. If Remus knew, then surely Sirius knew about Theo. They wouldn’t understand! Sure, he did carry a bit of the usual pureblood prejudices, but he seemed to be seeing her point of view a bit better. He was kind, too, much more so than the other Slytherin boys. 

But he wasn’t George, the voice in her head pointed out.

She shook her head. Why would she think that? George was her best friend. That was that. Just like Fred. They were both her best friends. Nothing more to it. 

So why did she keep thinking about how breathtakingly handsome he was?

“Look, you could give him that,” Remus broke her out of her thoughts, pointing towards a street peddler, who was advertising picture frames. “Let’s take a look.”

The closer they got, the more they could hear what she was advertising. She claimed you could think of any memory, and she could extract it from your thoughts, and turn it into a picture. It seemed impossible, even with magic, but with Remus’ encouragement she decided to try it.

“Alright love, what can I do for you?” the girl gave a wide smile, her teeth a light blue color.

“I’d like a picture of my best friend and I,” Juliet paused, her face falling. “Although I suppose if it’s my memory, I won’t be in the picture.”

“Well, I’m sure I could think of one for you,” Remus spoke up, winking at the girl waiting eagerly. “How about I do one of both you and the twins, and one of you and George? That way Fred won’t feel left out.”

Juliet nodded, and she stood by and watched as the lady explained the process. All Remus had to do was think of a memory, and she would extract it from his mind and place it onto the picture film. 

Once Remus confirmed he was ready, the woman pressed her wand to his temple and drew out a silvery strand that she quickly placed onto the four by six film.

Juliet let out a gasp of awe as the picture quickly focused into place. The three of them were at the Weasley’s, Juliet and George sitting on the couch as Fred sprawled out over them.  They were all laughing, jostling Fred around in an attempt to get him off them. 

“That’s amazing!” she exclaimed, beaming at the girl.

The girl wore a bright smile as she extracted the next silvery memory from Remus. As it focused into place on the film, Juliet felt her heart skip a beat as it focused into place. 

This memory was from this summer at Grimmauld Place. They both sat on the floor, her head in George’s lap as he lazily ran his fingers through her hair. He was looking down at her with that expression he wore at Kings Cross, while she read from a muggle book Remus had gotten her. She lowered the book slightly, and the two of them broke out in laughter.

Juliet felt her chest constrict, and her stomach dropped. Her conflicting feelings hit her like the knight bus, and she inhaled sharply.

She fucking liked George. A lot. A hell of a fucking lot. 

“Do you like it?” the girl asked, a grin on her face.

“It’s perfect,” Remus nodded, taking out his pouch from Gringotts. “How much do I owe you?”

“Three Galleons and two Sickles,” the girl replied brightly. “For an extra two Galleons, I can throw another one in for a discounted price.”

Remus hesitated, before nodding and pulling out the coins. “Alright, sounds like a deal.”

The girl took the coins, and placed them in her bag. She then waited for Remus to say he was ready, before she placed her wand to the tip of his temple once more, the silvery memory splashing onto the film before them.

This one was different, and it took Juliet a moment to place the scene and recognize the people there. Once she did, thoughts of George left and all she could do was stare.

 A man with unruly black hair and glasses next to a gorgeous girl with stunning green eyes and dark red hair sat on the floor with a chunky baby who had a tuft of black hair, waving his fists around as he seemed to be babbling to the other baby next to him. This baby had soft brown hair, a girl, holding a snitch in her tiny fist as she smiled at the baby. Behind her, sat a handsome man with wavy black hair and a charming smile, a woman with long blonde hair resting her head on his shoulder with a smile on her face. 

“Mum,” Juliet said the word softly, her voice catching in her throat. “Is that Harry and his parents?”

Remus nodded, his eyes taking on a faraway look. “Any chance I could have another copy?”

“For twelve sickles, you certainly can.”

A few minutes later, and they were on their way back to the Leaky Cauldron. Knots formed in Juliet’s stomach as she realized she was that much closer to being back to Grimmauld Place, which wouldn’t be a problem if she hadn’t had the earth shattering realization that she liked her best friend of twelve years.

“How about we get a cup of Butterbeer before we head back, hm?” 

Juliet nodded thankfully at Remus’ suggestion, and the two of them sat at a table with a slightly sticky top. They had their bags underneath the table and between their legs, just in case any of the more questioning patrons thought of taking their gifts.

Remus ordered each of them a Butterbeer, and with a wink thrown her way, a cauldron cake and a pumpkin pastry. It was their tradition every year to do this after Christmas shopping, and she had been slightly worried that they may not have been able to do so with everything going on with the Order.

“I’m not needed anywhere until four, so we’ve still got an hour.” Remus explained, waving his wand towards the table to rid it of its stickiness. 

“Will you be by on Christmas eve or day at all?” asked Juliet, her chin in her hand as she awaited his response.

“I think I can swing it with Dumbledore to stop by Christmas day.”

“What does he have you all doing, anyways?”

As soon as the question left her mouth, she could have kicked herself. She knew he probably wasn’t allowed to discuss it with her, much less in the crowded Leaky Cauldron. The response from Remus shaking his head imperceptibly let her know it was a foolish question.

Their drinks arrived, and they spent the next half an hour munching on their treats and drinking their Butterbeer. As usual, they split the two treats between each other. It was their Christmas tradition. Remus inquired about how school was going, and hinted about the DA, and she told him both were going well. She let him know how great of a teacher Harry was, and how they had started getting along better.

“Juliet!”

Remus and Juliet both turned to see who had called her name, and her heart warmed as she saw Narcissa and Draco making their way over towards her. She stood up eagerly from the table, engulfing her aunt in a hug.

“Auntie Cissy, it’s so good to see you!”

“I’m here too, y’know.” Draco muttered at his mothers side, his fuzzy hat nearly covering his eyes.

Juliet rolled her eyes, and pulled out of her aunt's warm and good smelling embrace. She hugged Draco overly tightly, letting go to pinch his cheeks.

“Oh, my dearest Draco, how could I ever forget you!”

“Oh, bugger off.” Draco grumbled, swatting her away.

“Draco, be nice to your cousin,” Narcissa gently reprimanded, turning her attention back to Juliet with a warm smile. “Juliet, we missed you at our house over summer hols.”

“Yes, it seemed you were dogging our invitations.” Lucius appeared behind them, a cold look on his face as he eyed Remus who had come to stand next to Juliet.

“Molly needed her help over the summer,” Remus responded coldly, his hand resting on Juliet’s shoulder protectively. “Juliet was quite busy.”

“I’m sure you all were.” Lucius had a look in his eye Juliet didn’t at all.

“Juliet, would you like to come over for Christmas eve?” Narcissa asked, giving her husband a harsh look from the corner of her eyes.

“I would-” Juliet began, but was cut off from Remus’ quick reply.

“Actually, we’re traveling for Christmas this year. Just needed to grab a few things before we left, but we are heading off later tonight.”

“Where are you headed?” Lucius cocked his head, flexing his fingers on his cane. “Not too far, I would imagine. On your salary, or lack thereof.”

Remus tightened his jaw, and Juliet quickly tried to diffuse the tension.

“I’ll see if we’re back by then, Auntie,” Juliet tried to smile, but she thought it came off as more of a grimace. “I’ll write to Draco if I am.”

Narcissa nodded and smiled at her. Lucius cleared his throat, drawing her attention.

“Well, Juliet, our home is always welcome to you,” a glint appeared in his eyes. “Especially if you find your… dog, prefers someone else over you.”

“Let’s go, Juliet.” Remus had dropped all pretense of being polite, and gripped her hand harshly as he turned her around.

He quickly gathered their bags, keeping a painful grip on her arm. Juliet let herself be dragged away, flashing an apologetic look towards Draco and Narcissa. She knew Lucius was an ass, but she hated that Remus was making her leave without a goodbye.

“Let go of my arm,” Juliet snapped once they were outside, yanking it out of his grip. “That hurt.”

“Sorry,” Remus replied distractedly, not sounding very apologetic at all. “We have to get a move on. I need to tell Dumbledore immediately about Malfoy.”

Juliet rolled her eyes, and followed Remus to a more secluded area where he apparated them back to the front of Grimmauld Place. Once the place appeared, they entered quickly.

“Remus, Juliet, is that you?” Molly called from the kitchen, the smells of dinner and the sounds of Christmas carols floating through the house.

“It’s us, Molly,” Remus replied quickly, shifting the bags to Juliet. “I’ve got to send a message to Dumbledore right away, and then get off to…” his voice disappeared as he slipped further down the hall.

“What was that?” questioned Molly, entering the hallway to see Juliet standing with the weight of all the bags on her arms. “Oh, dear, would you like help? Fred, George, come help Jules!”

Juliet’s face flushed as Fred and George bounded down the steps, he heart leaping to her throat when George stood in front of her.

“Ah, what have we got here?” Fred attempted to peer inside the bags.

“I don’t think so, Weasley,” Juliet snatched them away from him, handing over the ones with Ginny’s, Harry’s, Ron, and their parents presents. “You and your brother can carry these. I will make sure these ones are hidden far away from you lot.”

“Oh, so now I’m the brother?” George joked, although she could see some genuine hurt showing underneath the joking manner. 

“Course not, Georgie,” replied Juliet, her voice uncharacteristically soft. “You’re my best friend.”

The two of them shared eye contact, brown meeting grey. The air seemed to grow heavier around the two, and Juliet could feel her confession threatening to claw its way out of her throat-

But then George looked away, clearing his throat, and Juliet flushed once more, embarrassed at herself. Why did she have to figure out she had feelings for him?

“Alright, Jules, make sure you have your presents wrapped,” Remus reappeared, pulling his wand from his pocket. “I’ll see you on Christmas.”

He gave her a tight hug, and then left Grimmauld Place. She felt a bit empty, sad, about watching him go, but shrugged it off. He would be back.

The twins helped her carry the presents off to the small room with the Black family tree, and after casting them out and locking the door, she began wrapping her presents. The only one that wasn’t one she was giving out, was the picture of her parents and Harry’s with them as babies, from Remus to Harry. She wrapped it carefully, and set it aside. 

Wrapping everything had taken nearly an hour. She was meticulous in her wrapping, and had to have everything be perfect. On the back of the picture with her and George, she had debated on what to write on it before finally deciding to simply write, ‘to my best friend. love you. -Jules’. 

She found herself staring at the other copy of the picture Harry was receiving, examining every picture. She didn’t have many, or really any, pictures of her and her parents. She only had one lone picture of her mum, a few of her father, and none of them all together. Most of it had been lost along with her mum.

A knock broke her out of her thoughts, and she wiped tears as she looked up.

“Juliet? Can I come in?” Sirius’ voice came through the thick wood. 

She swished her wand to unlock the door in reply, and Sirius entered the room. He chuckled at the sight of the slight pile of presents next to her. It died down as he saw the picture in her hand, and he carefully sat next to her.

“Where did you get that?”

So, Juliet launched into an explanation of the girl who made memories into pictures. By the end of her explanation, Sirius looked thoroughly impressed. 

“Not too bad of a price, either,” Sirius rubbed his face, looking down at the picture. “When this whole mess is cleared up, I’ll have to pay her a visit. I can think of a million memories I want to be tangible.”

It was silent for a moment, as Sirius stared at the picture. 

“I always think of how things would have been so different had I not gone after Peter that day,” his voice was low, rough. “I would have never had to leave you, or Harry. I could have raised you both, protected you both… you both would have known so much love.”

“Remus has given me plenty of love,” Juliet replied defensively. His words rubbed her the wrong way. “But when you finally came back, you didn’t show me any. You may have missed out on the first thirteen years of my life, but you could make up for it. Instead you’re giving it all to Harry.”

The admission made her breathless, and her words seemed to hang around them. She held her breath, expecting Sirius to retort angrily as he always did, but he didn’t. Instead, he sagged his shoulders, slumping forward, and nodded.

“I know I haven’t been the best father to you, Jules,” he began earnestly. “I look at Harry and I see… I see James. My best friend, nearly my brother. Hell, he was my brother for all intents and purposes. I pushed him to use Peter as the secret keeper. If I hadn’t done so, Harry would have had a father. I feel the only way to make it up to them is by doing my best to be the father figure I robbed him of.”

This time, it was his admission that hung around them. On one hand, Juliet felt vindicated that he finally admitted to the favoritism, but on the other hand; she felt if he was able to be so insightful and see he was acting that way, he was able to not do so. 

“I just want you to love me like you love him,” her voice was just above a whisper. “I used to dream about you coming home and us being a family. But you never came back for me. It was Harry you came back for. Not me. It hurts.”

“I saw Pettigrew in the paper,” Sirius shook his head. “I knew if he was still alive, my chance for redemption was there. If I could just get hold of him, I could prove my innocence and take guardianship of Harry, and you. That gave me all I needed to break out. And then… Peter got away.”

Juliet was silent again. He didn’t leave for Harry, he left because he saw a way for him to put his life back together. Not only for Harry, but for her.

“I know I haven’t been as good as showing care for you like I have been with Harry. It just feels so natural towards Harry, because of his dad. But I’m your dad. Literally. And I’m sorry I’ve made you feel like I didn’t care about you.”

Her eyes filled with tears. She felt vindicated, so vindicated, and relief at hearing these words come from his mouth made her happy.

“Your mother would have been right pissed, you know,” Sirius nudged her shoulder, still looking down at the picture in her hands. “You turned out to have the Black looks through and through. She had hoped you would have been a spitting image of her. We had a bet going, before…” and his voice trailed off, lost in memories.

“Do you miss her?”

“I do. It’s gotten easier, but… your mother was special. A really good friend.”

“Remus always told me stories about her. And you, and James, and Peter. Lily seemed to be the only one of you with her head on straight. Sometimes, when I was younger, I would pretend my dolls were you guys. Like you were there with me.”

Sirius wrapped an arm around her, hugging her tightly. “I’m here now. I’m sorry I wasn’t before.”

Her heart swelled as for the first time, she felt comforted by her father. Her blood father. Remus was her father in every sense of the word, but she had always craved Sirius’ love and presence. Now, she had both.

Things were getting better.

[masterjedilenawrites]

The Sniper and The Medic: Chapter 11

Starring: Crosshair, OC Joan Vo

Chapter Warnings: N/A (but parting is such sweet sorrow...)

Taglist: @proadhog @skippyhopperwisdom

AO3 Link (In case you like it better over there, it’s okay, no judgement)

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Chapter 11: Sweet Sorrow

It was a simple, chaste kiss that didn't last long, but it was enough for Crosshair to feel like the luckiest man in the entire galaxy. He had never known happiness like this, the kind that seemed permeate his entire being, drowning him in the overwhelming sense of finally being known. The woman who pressed herself to him did so with such care and tenderness. There was no way this could be real, and yet he could feel her. Her lips, her breath, her warmth.

Her love.

When their mouths parted, Joan placed her head onto his shoulder, the rest of her body seemingly melting into his own. He held onto her firmly and they stayed that way for quite some time. Simply existing, together. Perhaps Joan was doing some thinking, but for Crosshair there were no thoughts or musings. No fear of being vulnerable or doubts of being good enough or worry for the uncertainty of the future. Yes, he would leave with his brothers tomorrow and head off into the galaxy with no guarantee of return. But that moment would come soon enough. This moment, this singularly wonderful moment, was not something he would ruin by thinking of any other.

And when the moment finally did end, he met Joan's watery eyes with another kiss, a reassuring peck to her forehead that lingered just long enough to say, thank you.

He could only walk her back to the entrance of the hallway. Beyond the doors, their paths would separate; his to the hangar and hers to her office. She would be present the next day, along with Commander Cody and a few Kaminoans, to see off Clone Force 99 on their first mission. They would salute her from afar, and she would undoubedtly grace them with one last smile. Now was the only time for parting words. To say good-bye.

"No chance you can join us?" he asked as they paused a few feet from the doors, hand in hand. He knew the answer but felt the need to try asking anyway. A last, half-hearted effort to deny the reality that faced them.

Joan chuckled quietly. Whatever sadness she'd had before had faded into her usual composed demeanor. "I don't think Hunter would let me. But even if he did, my place is here. At least for a little while longer."

He nodded. She had taught them well; they would take care of each other just fine. These regs needed her help more. And in many ways, she needed them. Whatever past pain she had been running from still needed to heal. He understood that now.

"I wish we had more time," he said.

She gave him a sad sort of smile, her eyes casting about his face in thought. "There's a whole galaxy out there waiting for you," she said, the raspiness of her voice more noticeable than ever. "So many colors and planets and people. There'll be a lot of challenges, things that will force you grow in unexpected ways. But there'll also be more joy and... love. You'll probably meet a hundred others who are far more attractive than me."

Crosshair began shaking his head, but she didn't let him protest further.

"Trust me, Cross. You have a lot more of life to experience. Don't let me hold you back. I've enjoyed what little time we've known each other. But we're clearly not meant to have any more. And that's okay. Someone else will catch your eye some day. I need you to promise me you'll give them a chance. Give yourself the chance, to be happy."

He didn't want to accept anything she was saying, but the way her eyes were boring into his own so earnestly, pleadingly, he couldn't say no. He swallowed his objections and nodded reluctantly. Her face eased back into comfort, and though it pained him, he knew he had to say it, too. Or, at least a version of it.

"Same for you. You deserve to be happy. Just... maybe not with a reg, though."

Joan rolled her eyes, which only encouraged him to keep teasing.

"Other humans are fine. Maybe a Zabrak or Pantoran if they were really good looking, I'd get that. Not sure about Twi'leks, that could get complicated...."

Joan was laughing between his words.

"Okay, okay. Kriff, why don't you just make me a list."

"Oh I will," he smirked back.

She rolled her eyes again, but her laughter still danced in them. "Well... anyway...."

This was it, they both knew it. Joan looked down at their clasped hands but Crosshair couldn't take his gaze off of her face. He was trying to commit as much of her as he could to memory, knowing it would be one of the few things that could get him through whatever challenges were to come.

"You should get going. Busy day tomorrow."

"Yeah..." he said. "Hunter's probably mad I've been gone for so long."

She looked up at him. "Take care of your brothers. You have their backs. Don't forget."

He gave her hand a squeeze in response. "Never."

She stood on her tiptoes and gave him one last, quick kiss to the corner of his mouth before letting go and walking away.

They didn't say good-bye, not the specific words. And Crosshair was grateful for it. He would see her again. Maybe he would grow and change, maybe someone else would catch his eye, maybe he'd find himself comfortable on his own. But if nothing else, he was sure that he would cross paths with Joan Vo once more. It was a feeling deep inside him that he couldn't explain, nor did he want to try.

It was their destiny to be together... the sniper and the medic. If not now, then soon.

And forever afterward.

[boymeetsweevil]

in your court

Grouping: Reader x B-ball player!Jaehyun (feat. BFF!Hyuck)

Word Count: ~10.8k

Warnings/Themes: Two idiots in love, oc is scary when mad, hyuck is crafty always, jae is a bit intense but he’s just trying his best, gratuitous descriptions of dimples, a kiss!!! sfw!

Prompt: “awkward!oc with his basketball teammate jaehyun. Honestly anything with bff!haechan.”

“Make sure you don’t make it look shaky.”

Donghyuck puts the phone camera close to his face so he can better see your handiwork through the video call. He looks a bit like a fish, but you can’t see him because you’re focused on the mirror in front of you.

“Remind me why I’m being forced to do this?”

“Because I’m your best friend and I deserve a sign just as much as Jisung and Johnny.”

You have to stop yourself from rolling your eyes so you don’t mess up the number 14 you’re drawing carefully onto your cheek in eyeliner. Although you hate to see good makeup go to waste, you’re trying to be a better friend while also trying not to accidentally write the number backwards. It’s Donghyuck’s new number this season and he begged you to show some team spirit despite the fact that you normally mix with sports the same way oil mixes with water. The last time you showed up at practice was the first day of the season and you fell from the third courtside bleacher after Donghyuck called you over to introduce you to a cute new walk-on team member. If anything, just being around sports is dangerous for you.

A minute later, you sneeze while holding the pencil and draw a huge line straight through all your hard work. Donghyuck literally screams and you hang up the call to focus. When you finally finish redrawing on the side of your face, there’s half an hour left before the first home game of the spring season starts. You grab the matching construction paper sign you made earlier, complete with a huge gold glitter 14, and head out the door.  Taeyong is supposed to pick you up so you can make it to the gym on time. He’s the only other friend you have who is remotely associated with sports and that’s only because he’s dating one of the players, Doyoung.

The ticket Donghyuck gave you days ago places you near the court’s side with a near-perfect view. You settle in and wait for the game to begin. The team is already out on half of the court, doing some light warmup tosses and making the occasional mean eye at the visiting team practicing on the other half. You catch your best friend’s eye and he lights up when he sees the sign and eyeliner drawing.

“Check me out, Hyuck!” 

You turn to give him a full view of your profile, subtly proud of your skills.

“Look at you,” he drawls as he jogs over to you, “You know, I think this is the best your eyeliner has ever looked.”

“God, you’re so annoying.” 

You try your best to cast an elbow at him without disturbing the still slightly wet glitter on the sign. When you nearly take out the old man sitting directly in front of you, you settle for flipping him off.

“Wait,” Taeyong peers at the sign, “Aren’t you—”

“I think Doyoung said he was looking for you. Something about wanting a good luck kiss.”

Taeyong narrows his eyes but still stands up to go look for said boyfriend. Doyoung’s not the nervous type, but he’s also not the type to say no to some pre-game affection. You watch Taeyong disappear towards the locker room while Donghyuck steps over some of the fans already seated and takes the now open spot next to you.

“Hey,” he says with no trace of humor in his voice any longer. “Promise you’ll still be my friend after this game?”

You place the sign on your lap and turn to look at your friend. Lately the coach has been pushing him harder and you suppose it’s starting to wear down his usual confidence. With the hand that’s not covered in little golden glitter flecks, you reach down to rub his shoulder.

“Of course I will, Hyuck. And even if you guys don’t win tonight, I’m still taking you to get food after. My treat.”

It was supposed to be a rare moment of sincere friendliness. But this seems to distress him further because he looks down at your hand on his arm and then groans before covering his face in his hands. You’re confused but you don’t have any time to ask him what’s up. A few of his teammates walk over then.

“Sorry to break up the love fest, but Coach wants us to do some stretches before the whistle,” team captain Johnny says, gesturing to the other side of the gym where some other players are already contorting themselves. 

Behind Johnny stands that new walk-on. The one you fell on your face in front of. He takes in your temporary face tattoo and overly detailed sign and smirks, allowing a dimple to wink at you. You can only hope to every deity in the universe that he doesn’t remember the way you first met.

“Hey,” he smiles good-naturedly. “Glad to see you made it here in one piece.” 

“Thank you,” you say with way too much sincerity.

It’s enough to knock Donghyuck out of his bad mood and make him snort loudly beside you. The new guy smiles a bit wider, revealing a twin dimple. You look away.

“Don’t get too friendly, Jung,” Donghyuck says with fake menace in his voice. “There’s only room for one Dream Team member in her life, and that’s me.”

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you guys were—”

“We’re just friends,” you blurt out before looking down at the fascinating liver spots on the old man’s head in front of you.

“Yeah, she wishes.”

“I definitely don’t,” you snap.

He sticks his tongue out at you. “Well, I’m glad you don’t.” 

“Guys, come on!” Johnny calls a moment before the coach’s whistle blows to give a final warning.

As they walk over to the side of the gym you curse yourself for acting so weird in front of that Jung kid. If he didn’t think you were a dope when you tripped over nothing the first time you met, you’re certain he thinks you have the charms of a 13 year-old boy by now. The only thing that snaps you out of it is the fact that Donghyuck is in a time of distress and clearly needs his friend. 

With squared shoulders and a new sense of duty, you try your hardest to be the world’s best cheerleader. You’re not really sure how sports work, basketball included. The game itself turns out to be really fun. Even though you’re not quite sure what’s happening. Taeyong sends you a text with a picture of your own mildly confused face contorted into a pout as you raise your handmade sign a moment too late, after everyone has already sat back down. But eventually you figure it out after enough times of standing when people around you wearing school colors stand up first. You know enough to cheer every time Donghyuck takes the ball to the basket and boo loudly every time he gets knocked down or his shot misses. In fact, you get so into it that you catch yourself cheering for other players. You even make the mistake of cheering once for new kid Jung but immediately stop when he catches a glimpse of you in the stands and shoots you a beaming smile. 

They win by a small margin, thanks to a 3 pointer Johnny shot in the first half of the game. By the time that happens, you feel like you have a good feel for the game. You don’t have to wait for the other fans from your school to stand up when the last buzzer rings, and you instinctively run out onto the court with the rest of them as the final score settles. There’s adrenaline and joy pushing you into Donghyuck’s arms. He’s genuinely surprised but welcomes the greeting, spinning you lightly while he laughs.

“Congrats on the first win of the season,” you shout when you finally pull back. He lets you squish his cheeks in excitement. Doyoung ambles over then, looking for Taeyong. You offer him congratulations as well.

“Thanks,” he smirks a bit as he takes in your large sign and the slightly smudged 14 on your cheek. “Shouldn’t Jaehyun be the first to hear it, though?”

You raise a confused brow.

“Shouldn’t I be the first to hear what?”

You can’t help the way you stumble back against Donghyuck at the deep sound of Jung—no— Jaehyun’s voice. He looks pleased. Probably with the outcome of their first game.

“I was just saying you should get the first ‘congrats’,” Doyoung explains, nodding in your direction. Jaehyun blinks, but takes it in stride.

“I’d be glad to receive it,” he says with a grin. His dimples pop out even more than usual under the sheen of sweat and the glow from the fluorescents. “So, what’d you think? How’d I do?”

You have no idea why but your heart is beating like it’ll fly out of your chest. It takes everything in you to muster up a cool and natural response.

“You throw good.”

Donghyuck, the traitor that he is, gets sent into a cackling fit. If you listen carefully, between the gasps for air and the hyena-pitched giggles you can hear him calling you a dork. You’d turn to yell at him, but he’s right. Doyoung barely covers up his own laughter while leaning on Donghyuck’s shoulder to try to disguise the sound as a series of coughs. But Jaehyun merely smiles down at his shoes as if he’s somehow moved by your clunky words.

“Sorry,” you mumble.

“No, I feel like I did well today thanks to your little sign.”

“The sign? Oh. Actually, this is for—” 

In that moment you realize two things. The first is that Jaehyun’s jersey has a big 14 emblazoned on the front of it. Just like the one you spent 10 whole minutes drawing onto your right cheek. And the one you spent 2 hours glittering the night before. The second is that you aren’t nearly as observant as you thought you were. Then you realize a third thing: Donghyuck is slowly creeping away from you as it all clicks together in your head.

When you turn to face your friend, the color has already drained out of his neck. He can see the wheels turning in your head and he raises his hands in a placating gesture, but you cut him off before he can even start. Grabbing at his jersey you make him turn around until you can see the white number 6 emblazoned on the fabric. It’s the same number he had last season, and the season before that.

“Just to clarify,” you begin with an unsettlingly calm voice, “When you asked me earlier if I would still be your friend after the game, you were talking about this, right?”

Donghyuck’s eyes go wide and dart around anywhere but your face. “You know what? I think you’re thinking of my brother, Hyongduck. We look a lot alike, so it’s an honest mistake.”

The coach calling him over in that moment is the only thing that keeps you from eviscerating him on the court with so many witnesses. You let him go, but not without him having to un-pry your fingers from his jersey. Jaehyun watches on with amusement in his eyes and you remember that he saw you nearly Hulk out on your friend.

“So, you actually didn’t know my number was 14?”

You shake your head, “I thought it was Hyuck’s.”

“I see.”

He tilts his head again, with eyes narrowed he looks you over before looking past you to where Donghyuck has finally made it to locker room safety.

“Well,” he fiddles with the chain around his neck, “I’m kind of sad the sign isn’t actually mine.”

“Oh. I mean, you can keep it if you want.”

Jaehyun’s head ducks down a second time, shaking his head at the ground like he heard something funny that you couldn’t hear. He does take the sign out of your hands though. With slow hands, he wraps the construction paper up until all the remaining glitter is safely tucked away.

“What about that one?”

“What do you mean?”

He points at his own cheek to mirror yours. You had forgotten all about the 14 you drew on your face to go with the sign.

“I don’t—I don’t know if you can wrap this one up, you know” you laugh stiltedly.

“Yeah. But I could always take a bit for the road. May I?”

All you can do is let out an eloquent ‘huh’ before he’s reaching out then and swiping away at some of the eyeliner that had moved around during the game. The drag of the pad of his thumb across your cheek should be completely harmless. Donghyuck has been infinitely rougher with his handling of you; one of the privileges of close friendship. And yet it’s this soft touch that has your breath leaving you like he punched it out of you. You swear the corner of his mouth raises, but it could be a trick of the light.

“What are you doing after—”

“I gotta go, sorry. Good game,” you toss over your shoulder before pulling your phone up to your ear like you’re taking a sudden phone call. 

No one has to know that you spend the next few minutes dunking your head under one of the running faucets in an empty locker room to cool your heated face.

---

Nearly 20 minutes later, Donghyuck is tiptoeing out of the men’s locker room. He doesn’t notice the shadow waiting for him. When he deems the coast all clear, he opens up his messaging app and shoots you a text asking for your whereabouts.

“I’m right here.”

He jumps nearly 3 feet in the air before letting the scream that built in his throat turn into a whine. You’re just barely visible in the dark corner of the gym. If he squints you look a bit like his sleep paralysis demon.

“You scared me,” he says as he takes a step back only to hit a wall.

“Funny how that happens.”

You pull out your phone, stilling standing in the dark, and let the light from your phone cast eerie shadows across your face. Donghyuck gulps audibly as he watches you type slowly in response to his text. The sound of his phone notification moments later sounds deafening in the otherwise silent space.

You (21:39) - Run.

“Look, let’s talk this out like adults.” His hands come up, palms exposed like you’re a feral animal.

“I knew you weren’t number 14,” your voice is steady and devoid of emotion as you take a step towards him.

“Then you shouldn’t have fallen for it—shit. Wait!”

He trips in his haste to get away from you and falls. You foot lands dangerously close to his face as you come to stand in over him and he grimaces.

“Please don’t kill me, I’ll do anything.”

“Why did you tell me your number was Jaehyun’s number? Make it good and maybe I’ll let you live.”

“I just felt like it.”

“What the hell!”

“I’m serious.”

“Wrong answer, Hyuck.”

With that, you wriggle a foot free from one of your sneakers and shove your socked foot over his nose. You’ve been wearing the shoes all day and, because you forgot to do laundry the night before, the socks are recycled. The sound of Donghyuck’s cries for help make you slightly better and you smile softly to yourself.

You would think that Donghyuck would have learned his lesson about not causing chaos in your life after a face-full of foot. But you should know that it’s practically his job description after knowing him for as long as you have. Sometimes you love that about him and sometimes you kind of hate him for it. This time, you hate him for it. 

Donghyuck prefaces the outing as a way of apologizing for tricking you. Normally you would have been slightly more critical. The first thing to tip you off should have been the fact the “apology" in question was coming almost two and a half weeks after the fateful jersey swap accident. The second thing should have been that the “apology” was coming in the form of a trip to a very specific tea house you don’t frequent because you’re not a tea person. And Donghyuck knows this. Because he knows everything else about you. Like which sweatpants you wear when you’re feeling bloated or when you just need a hug. But mainly you should have known something was up because it was Donghyuck. When he feels like he should do something, there’s no stopping him.

“What do you want to order,” he asks while holding the front door open for you to pass through. 

“A smoothie.”

“It’s a damn tea house, order something normal.”

“A smoothie is normal.”

“Do you order hot dogs at seafood restaurants too,” he pins you with a tired glare. You mirror the glare and add crossed arms.

“If they don’t have a smoothie, then I don’t want anything.”

You take a look around at the interior of the shop. It’s the polar opposite of the shops you usually frequent, which are all trendy with their mixes of dark, unfinished woodwork and sleek minimalist furniture. This place is almost cottage-like in the ornateness of the older architecture and the collection of kitschy antique pieces. You’re not surprised to see that a good deal of the patrons are older, some verging on elderly. There’s only a handful of people who look like they could be your peers. One of them looks oddly familiar. You can’t put your finger on it, but there’s something familiar about the way he stands and the delicate gold links laying across the back of his neck.

“Jaehyun,” Donghyuck calls a bit too excitedly, “Hey, man is that you? What are you doing here”

“You told me to meet you—” Donghyuck cuts him off with a dramatic gasp and a glance at his bare wrist.

“Aw, would you look at the time. I actually have somewhere to be right now, so I can’t stick around.”

“But you drove us here,” you whip your head around to look at him, but he coughs suddenly and looks away.

“Yeah, sorry. No time to drop you back off at your place, so I guess you have to figure that out yourself. Jae drives though. Maybe you can figure something out.”

Neither of you really know what to say. You watch silently with your mouth open in disbelief as Donghyuck turns on his heel and struts out of the tea shop exit, whistling contentedly. You suppose that if you’re the god of chaos reincarnated, all of this would feel like a good day’s work. You berate yourself for recently washing your socks.

“Good to see you again,” Jaehyun says after a beat. He shoves his hands into his pockets. “Thought I had scared you off after...yeah.”

“Oh, right. That.”

The air feels both too thick and too thin at the same time. You want to leave, every fiber of your being is screaming at you to leave before you do something weird in front of him again. But you can’t move. So you stand there, 3 feet away and not saying anything as Jaehyun looks over the large chalkboard menu hanging above the head of the older woman who is manning the front counter.

“What are you getting?”

“Me? Uh, I don’t know. I’m not really a tea person.”

“Well, what kind of person are you?”

Given the context, it’s a harmless question. But there’s a sing-songy lilt to the way he asks the question. It’s so blatant that curiosity gets the best of you and you stop purposefully avoiding looking at him. One of his dimples is out and he’s very nearly poking the tip of his tongue out at you, like he knows you’re suffering and he thinks it's funny. Almost like he’s flirting. Almost.

“I’m a smoothie person,” you finally say. “But there’s no smoothies on the menu.”

“I’ll see what I can do.”

“But doesn’t it say ‘no customizations’?” 

There’s a sign on the edge of the counter that says just that. Despite the fact that it’s written in beautiful, looping cursive, there’s an ominous tone to the message. Like the little old lady behind the counter might actually make you into tea if you asked for a frappe or something. You’re a little worried for Jaehyun’s safety. He must sense some sort of hesitance because he brushes it off and gestures toward the rest of the shop.

“Don’t worry about that. I’ll take care of it, you can go grab us a table.”

The way he says ‘us’ so casually has you tripping slightly over nothing. He’s somehow there in the nick of time to grab at your elbow in a gentlemanly fashion to help steady you. Perhaps you yank yourself out of his proximity a little too quickly. But it’s only because you really want to find a good table and you can’t do that if Jaehyun is distracting you by grabbing at your limbs. 

In actuality, though, the tea shop is fairly vacant. There are a variety of tables with pressed white tablecloths and dainty tiered tea trays housing pastries. You pick one at random and sit down. Part of you really does wish you’d left when Donghyuck did. But the other part is curious to see what Jaehyun’s like when he’s away from his team and truly outside the context you usually find him in. So you compromise and watch as subtly as you can.

He seems fairly similar—all charming smiles and pretty hair while approaching the counter to talk with the lady you assume is the owner of the shop. She looks stern as she polishes some dainty bone china, but brightens when he comes to the counter. You watch in quiet awe as she reaches a hand up to pat fondly at the side of his face, most likely pinching a cheek from the angle you’re sitting at. You see him run a hand over the back of his neck which grows red after he says something to her that she must not like. Her brow grows heavy and her lips purse but he says something else then that has her directing her sharp gaze at you. You gulp and pretend you were merely admiring the tea sandwich tray on the table as opposed to spying. A wave of sudden embarrassment comes over you and you open up your phone to text Donghyuck

You (15:38) - this is a shit apology just so u know

You (15:38) - come get me plz

Hyuck (15:40) - sorry suddenly cant read dont know what that says :)

You place your phone face down onto the table and cross your arms with a huff. While trying to plan an escape that makes you look the least asshole-y possible, Jaehyun returns with the drinks. More specifically, he returns with a tall water glass in one hand that’s filled with a pale tea with fruit chunks and mint leaves sprinkled throughout. The other hand is encased in a floral appliqué oven mitt that holds the prettiest squat little teapot you’ve ever seen. It’s blue, so it doesn’t match the pastel green teacups organized on the tablecloth, but it’s still a lovely sight.

“What’s this,” you stir at the fruit in the glass with an elegant teaspoon.

“It’s a chilled fruit tea,” he explains while casually pouring himself a steaming cup of black tea. “I tried my hardest with Mrs. Li, but there was no way I was gonna get you a smoothie. This is the closest thing I could get.”

“You really didn’t have to go to all that trouble. I would have been fine with just a water. I don’t want to get you in trouble with the owner.”

“Don’t worry. I think my reputation is fine for now.”

It’s weirdly fascinating to watch him fix up his tea. As a member of a basketball team, you would have never thought he’d be a tea drinker. Let alone a tea drinker who takes heaping spoonfuls of sugar to go with a tiny splash of milk in his tea. He hums a little to himself as he stirs it all with a silver spoon that’s been crafted to look like roses are growing up the stem. When he looks up a moment later, he catches you staring at him. His eyes crinkle and they look like they did when he looked at you after shooting a 3 at the latest home game, full of quiet joy. Both then and now you’re not sure what the smile means or why it seems to be for you. You look down and realize his lips are moving.

“What?”

He chuckles at how far away you sound. “I said ‘how’s the tea?’”

“Oh, uh, I don’t know yet. I got distracted. I was...thinking.”

“Mhm.” There’s smugness practically oozing out of his thoughtful hum.

You take a sip to appease him and frantically search for something to say that won’t make it obvious that you aren’t a fan of tea, but then you stop yourself. It’s no smoothie, but it really is the next best thing. The tea is cold like a smoothie, providing the same reprieve from the sticky heat of Spring. The tea with all its macerated berries and mint leaves is sweet and thick much like a smoothie.

“This is amazing,” you peer down at the cup like you’re not sure where half the glass went.

A light weight lands on your shoulder then. “That’s very kind of you, dear. High praise coming from a non-tea-drinker.”

It takes a lot of effort not to scream and even then your eyes open comically wide and you jump in your seat. Jaehyun has to disguise his laughter at your reaction by turning away in his seat as you turn in yours to face the old lady who was at the counter.

“I’m sorry for any trouble you went to so you could make this, Mrs. Li, Ma’am. I told Jaehyun that I wanted a smoothie and he was just trying to make me feel comfortable.”

“Oh, I know. Jaehyun’s been coming to the shop since I opened it, so he should know all about my ban on requests.” Mrs. Li eyes Jaehyun as he takes an innocent sip of his tea. “He’s always been courteous about it, so I thought he must have a darn good reason for breaking my rule this time.”

Jaehyun’s hand slips while pouring a second cup, but he doesn’t say anything as Mrs. Li continues to expose him. 

“Now, that reminds me. Jaehyun, my boy, I’m sorry to tell you that Kevin won’t be coming to his sessions this week. He has a dentist appointment and it can’t be helped,” she sighs and waves her hands.

“That’s alright. As long as he practices a little every day he should be in good shape and we can pick up right where we stopped.”

She nods and for a moment the serious expression on her face morphs into something softer. Patting the back of his chair, she looks over the table and then at you.

“Alright. I hope everything is to your liking, but if something does come up do feel free to tell Jaehyun. He’s a very capable young man and he knows the shop like the back of his hand. I’d better get back to work now. The silver won’t polish itself.”

You wait a few beats to be respectful, but as soon as Mrs. Li returns to her post behind the counter you gulp down the rest of your tea and lean in. 

“Who’s Kevin?”

“Her 9 year old grandson. I teach him and his younger brother piano on the weekends.”

“Oh, that’s—that’s nice,” you nod coolly. At least, you hope it appears cool. Internally you’re scrambling.

Of course your best friend’s basketball teammate teaches piano to young kids. Of course he helps the elderly tea shop lady with her store. Of course he drinks sweet tea out of blue floral teacups. Of course.

He’s finally ready to go after a third cup. You’re not sure where he’s putting it all, but it seems to be a regular occurrence for him. He takes your glass from you before you can argue about your own ability to do it and walks back over to the counter. Now more than ever you wish you could read lips. He goes around the counter to wash the glass in the farmer’s sink in the back and then stops briefly to say something to Mrs. Li. She says something back with a smile that has his cheeks flaming. He leaves a bill on the counter and comes back mumbling about his tea being too hot when you stare at his face. You’re not sure how true that is given how fast he downed those cups.

When you emerge from the tea shop, the sun is shining from a different angle and the temperature has mellowed out.

“My car is a few blocks that way,” he points in the direction of the parking lot nearby. 

“You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” Even with his soft tone, his voice is firm and you don’t try to fight him on it.

But it’s strange walking with Jaehyun silently. It feels entirely too companionable despite the fact that you don’t even know him. 

“Do you...want to play 20 questions?”

He stops in his tracks, clearly not expecting you to talk without him coaxing you out of your shell. But after the initial shock fades, he nods.

“What’s your favorite color?”

“White,” he says immediately. “What’s your major?”

“Studio art. Do you play other sports?”

“Nah. Is Donghyuck your best friend?”

“Yeah, Hyuck’s my best friend.”

“Is he...protective?”

“Protective? Of what?”

“You, I guess.”

“Hyuck?” You let out a snort because the thought is just hilarious. “On the right day I’m pretty sure he’d sell me to Satan for a fresh order of sweet potato fries.”

“I see,” he purses his lips like he’s in deep thought before returning back to the present moments later. “You get two since I asked two.”

“Do you like it here, now that it’s been a while since you transferred?”

“Yeah,” he looks you in the eyes. “I like it here.”

You swallow a bit too audibly but power through and keep asking questions. It takes nearly half an hour to walk the two and a half blocks leading to the parking lot. Even after that, Jaehyun takes a scenic route back to the main campus. When he pulls up outside your dorm, you’re not sure what to say, but it feels like something should be said. The sun is near setting and he’s haloed by the dying rays as he leans on the steering wheel to make sure you make it inside.

After giving a little awkward nod, you drag yourself out of the cabin of his car. There’s only a few steps left until you reach the door when he calls out. You turn.

“So,” he trails off, drumming his hands on the steering wheel before adjusting the mirror even though he’s in park and no one is coming. “Donghyuck has, like, a million fans.”

“What?”

“I just mean that he’s been on the team for years, he has a fan base. But I’m just a transfer student, so I don’t have that. And, you know, it’s really nice to have someone to cheer for you.” He tests the waters and looks at you hesitantly before continuing. “I still have your poster.”

All you can do is blink as you realize what’s going on. Or, you think you know what’s going on. And it makes zero sense to you, but you have a habit of overthinking things anyway. You kick at a pebble near the toe of your shoe, taking some time to muster up the courage to be presumptuous in a way you’re not used to.

“I can...I can make you another sign. If you want. Or like wear your number.” He grins and in that moment it seems to outshine the fading sun. “So you don’t feel left out.”

“I’d like that.” He starts the car up then, still grinning as he looks down to shift gears and adjust all his mirrors yet again. “Tell Hyuck he doesn’t need to set aside tickets anymore.”

“Okay,” is your witty reply before turning once more with a too warm face.

He waves at your retreating back before putting the car into drive.

Everyone on the team knows that every once in a while Donghyuck likes to come to practice a lot earlier than is probably normal. It’s not strange to come in when there’s 30, 40, even 50 minutes before practice starts and find him practicing footwork or doing layups on the court alone. 

Jaehyun hedges a guess that he’ll find Donghyuck in the gym a good hour before practice starts one day and is pleased to find that his intuition was correct. There’s music blasting from a portable speaker and Donghyuck is doing some of the drills the coach likes to run, but done with his non-dominant hand.

When the ball rolls to a stop and Donghyuck moves to get some water, Jaehyun announces himself.

“Hey.”

“Hey.” 

“You quitting already?”

“Not yet,” Donghyuck takes in the serious set of Jaehyun’s jaw and shoulders. “We can do a 1-on-1. If you’re up for it.”

Jaehyun nods and sheds his outer layers on the sidelines. Donghyck wonders if he’s angry about something, perhaps that about practice a few days ago where he went a little too hard on Jaehyun and bashed his cheek with an elbow during a scrimmage. He braces himself for some incoming aggression, knowing he may deserve it a little.

They settle for leaving the ball on the ground in the paint since the equipment cabinet is still locked until the coach arrives. Both of them sprint from the freethrow line, with Jaehyun grabbing the ball first. Donghyuck moves into defense easily, having been in game mode for who knows how long. Jaehyun isn’t nearly as tough in his offense as Donghyck expected. In fact, he’s playing surprisingly light.

“What’s up with you,” Donghyuck says after the first basket.

Jaehyun catches the ball after it falls from the basket, jogging it back to the starting position. Donghyuck waits for him back at the freethrow line, brows raised but otherwise silent.

“Nothing’s up. Nothing big, I mean.”

“You’re a pretty bad liar.”

The words catch Jaehyun by surprise and he stumbles a bit coming off the line. Donghyuck uses the momentary shock to his advantage and steals the ball. The point comes easy as he basically runs a circle around his competitor.

“Since I won that point, why don’t you tell me what’s really bothering you?”

Donghyuck doesn’t bother going back to the freethrow line and instead goes back to dribbling practice. His rhythm is slow with his off hand, but steady. Better than Jaehyun’s with his off hand.

“Do you believe in bro code?”

Donghyuck snorts. “I guess. You’re not gonna ask me for my mom’s phone number, are you?”

“No. Not your mom’s,” Jaehyun trails off.

Instantly Donghyuck knows what this is about. Or who. Your face flashes in his mind and he has to bite his own cheek to keep from laughing. Being your best friend gives him exclusive access to just how awkward you can be. But the fact that Jaehyun resorted to all this buildup is kind of hilarious.

“Aw, you guys are cute.”

“What?” Jaehyun’s cheeks grow pink. “Why is this cute?” 

“Look, you don’t need to ask me first or do whatever this is. I’m not her keeper. And I’m not gonna sabotage you, either.” Jaehyun’s shoulders lose some of their squared off edge.

“Okay,” he nods. “Thanks, man.”

“I could use a favor, though.”

“Oh. What is it?”

“I have a meeting with Coach after practice today. But I also really need to pick something up at the stationery store before tomorrow. Can you go pick it up for me?”

“Sure, I guess.”

“Cool. I’ll text you the details later.”

---

Jaehyun arrives at the stationery store with his phone in hand. The note from Donghyuck mentions some special set of paints with a foreign-sounding name. As he walks through the aisles of the little store, Jaehyun wonders who the paints are for. The note also mentioned that they were a gift for someone, but it doesn’t say who the someone is.

It takes a few laps around the store, and by the time he spots the little nook for the brand, the store owner's voice had already sounded through the overhead speakers to say that the shop would be closing soon. He grabs the last box left and quietly rejoices. Donghyuck had bartered your number for the price of running the errand. If Jaehyun could get the paints, then he could get the number. The odd part was that Donghyuck had mentioned something about Jaehyun possibly not even needing to ask him for the number if he played his cards right. Originally he had shrugged the comment off, but it did raise the hairs on the back of his neck a bit. There’s something about Donghyuck that feels akin to a cartoon villain, but Jaehyun can’t put his finger on it.

“Checking out?”

“Yeah,” he hands the shop attendant the container of paints.

The attendant tries to scan the barcode, but a strange sound comes from the machine.

“I think something’s wrong with the barcode. If you can wait right here, I’ll go get another one to scan and give you that one instead.”

“Oh. That was actually the last one left.”

“I see.” The attendant presses some keys on the computer before nodding. “I think we should have a reference code in that backroom. I can go get that and punch it in manually if that’s okay.”

“If it’s not too much trouble, that would be great.”

The attendant assures him it’ll only be a moment before leaving the counter and disappearing into the back of the store. Jaehyun waits patiently while leaning on the counter when the bell to the front door of the shop rings. Another customer has come in right before closing, and the sound of their labored breathing makes it clear that they know they’re cutting it close. The footsteps fade out and then grow louder once more after a few minutes. He takes a glance over his shoulder to see you standing a little bit behind him.

“Oh. Hi. H-hey.”

“Hey, yourself.” Jaehyun turns completely and sets his phone on the counter. “What brings you here?”

“I’m just grabbing some paint. I ran out a few days ago and I have some big projects coming up.”

“That’s funny. I’m doing the same thing.”

“Do you paint,” your eyes grow a little bigger with the prospect. At the sight of your small smile, Jaehyun wishes he could paint for the first time ever.

“No, but I’d like to learn.” And it’s never been true before, but he means it in that moment.

“Well, I could—”

“Sorry for the delay,” the shop attendant comes jogging back from the backroom. “Another employee had the reference book, so I had to spend some time to hunt it down. But you should be all set now.”

Jaehyun sends an apologetic smile your way before turning back to finish checking out. Once he’s done, even though he’s on a tight schedule with this favor, he hangs back.

“—I’m sorry but we sold out of the Neo Color Technology paints. If you’d like, we can give you a call when the next shipment comes in, but there’s a two-week wait.”

“Ah, really? Okay.” 

You gnaw on the inside of your cheek as you think about what you’ll do now. The idea of continuing some of your projects with a new set of paints that could have a completely different set of hues makes you nervous. You just perfected the shade of green you needed at the base for your huge forest study. Now you’d have to start from scratch.

Jaehyun is trying his hardest not to eavesdrop, but the odd paint name catches his attention. It’s the same one he just bought, per Donghyuck’s request.

“You can have mine,” he blurts out. “I’m the one who bought the last ones. But I obviously don’t need them like you do.”

“Are you sure?”

“Please, take them.”

Jaehyun hands you the bag. The smile you offer him in return is brilliant.

“I’ll pay you back.”

“God, no. Don’t worry about it.”

“Then, let me buy you a tea or something at least.” You hand him your phone. “Here, put your number in and you can pick a day. I’ll pay.”

So Jaehyun takes your phone and inputs his number. A moment later he gets a text from you, clarifying that it’s you. He feels victorious for a moment and then confused. Here he is, getting your number without having to ask, just like Donghyuck himself had mentioned. He’s getting this number because he gave you, Donghyuck’s friend, some paints. Paints that Donghyuck asked him to buy, as a gift to a mysterious friend. 

Maybe Donghyuck is less like a villain and more like a twisted fairy godmother.  

This little dance you keep doing with Jaehyun is strange, to say the least. 

It felt odd to copy the number 14 onto your cheek for the first time knowing who it would really be for. And it felt weird to get so used to doing it that you can now copy the stencil in with practiced ease using the face paint you bought specifically for the occasion, no longer worrying about accidentally writing it backwards. All the while, you can barely make eye contact with him after a game, although you can practically feel the weight of his gaze when you make a beeline for Donghyuck after the last buzzer rings. And you can see the way his hand tugs at the gold chain around his neck as he approaches you cautiously. And you can hear the disappointment in his tone when he asks if you’re going to the house parties thrown by one of the players that typically follow the games only to hear you say no each time.

Another few weeks later finds you trying to make it through midterms. Donghyuck being a literature major means his midterms schedule is always different from yours. This time his midterms end much earlier, a few days earlier to be exact. You’re left to suffer through late night crunches to finish up paintings for one of your crits. Photoshopping some pieces for your digital art class leaves you so busy you don’t even register what’s going on around you.

“It’s my turn to host the post-game party,” he says after letting himself into your apartment one day. He drops the spare keyring reserved for him in the dish near the front door.

“Mhm.”

“But I feel like it would be a nice change to have it here.” When he makes a big show of dropping the takeout he brought you, you don’t even flinch at the sound of it hitting the table you’ve taken over.

“Sounds good,” is all you say as you try to find the one layer out of the 25 you had that you were looking for.

“Great, so I’ll probably stop by on Friday with stuff before the game to set up and then the team can just come through afterwards.”

“Sure.”

“Don’t hate me,” he places a kiss on the top of your head before wrinkling his nose when he smells your unwashed hair. “And don’t work yourself too hard, either.”

“Yeah...definitely.”

Friday comes by and you’re still working, so you have to skip the actual game itself. In the brief window of free time you had that morning, you wonder if you should text Jaehyun again so you can tell him you won’t be coming or bringing your little hand stenciled 14. But you decide against it. It’s a big game and he doesn’t need to be bogged down by unnecessary texts.

You’re actually away at your first crit when Donghyuck stops by again, this time with party supplies. When you come back, you barely register the mountain of beers and cheap wines sitting in your kitchen. All you want to do is sleep like the dead for a few hours. As you zombie walk to your room, you swear you hear him call to you to ask if he can store his balloons in the sink. With your last two brain cells you figure he must have said something else and you were just too tired to actually comprehend it.

Hours later, bass blaring through the thin walls of your place wakes you from your slumber. The details of your conversation with Donghyuck a few days prior come flooding back just as you pick up your pepper spray to drive out what you thought were home intruders. You leave your weapon behind and open your door just slightly. The music washes over you, louder now that the seal to your bedroom has been broken. 

There’s plenty of voices coming outside that accompany the music. Even a few errant screams make it inside and to your ears. Courtesy of Chenle, no doubt. A few more brave steps outside your room and a glance out of the hallway window lets you know that you didn’t mishear Donghyuck. You see several of the guys chucking water balloons at one another on the grass outside. The pile of little teardrop-shaped balloons is admirably large and it becomes clear that they’ll be doing this for a while.

You’re not in the mood to get soaked or get mosquito bites just so you can seem friendly. After all, the party is being hosted in your apartment complex. That’s friendly enough, you reason. Once you’ve done a quick sweep through the rest of the apartment to make sure nothing is stolen, stained, or broken, you return to your room to get ready for bed properly. It takes a while because you have to wash your hair on top of everything else after receiving a very strongly worded text from Donghyuck.

While in your bathroom, brushing your teeth and watching a video Taeyong sent you, there’s jumbled knocking on your door. Barely any time passes between the last knock and the creak of someone leaning on your door as they open it. You curse to yourself before spitting in the sink.

“Hey, the bathroom for guests is actually—”

Jaehyun stands in the middle of your room, squinting at the tapestry you have hanging over your bed. The sound of his teeth chattering despite it being the peak of Spring is actually alarming enough to stop you from being mad that Donghuck didn’t think to put a clear sign towards the bathroom for the general public.

“I always thought your room would have candles in it,” Jaehyun drawls. He looks around once more like he’s hoping a candle will jump out of a hiding spot. All his movements are slow and sleepy.

“Are you drunk?”

He grins with eyes that droop closed. “Yep.” 

“Great,” you mumble. When you take a step closer you realize the dark red sleeveless tank he’s wearing is actually dark from being saturated with water. “Why are you wet?”

“Hm? Oh, yeah. We played water balloon tag. I lost the last round.”

Jaehyun places a clumsy finger to his lips and stage-whispers a loud “shh”. For some reason you mirror that back to him. He nods, satisfied with your reaction.

“Don’t tell the others, but I...” he hiccups “I got cold, so I came inside.”

“What’s wrong with telling them you’re cold.” He hangs his head in shame then. Clearly you’re missing something important.

“Hyuck says bad bitches never get cold.”

With his shoulders slumped forward in such a pitiful fashion, you actually feel bad for wanting to laugh. It’s surprising. Super surprising actually, considering Jaehyun’s presence in your room means Donghyuck forgot to do the one thing you ask of him when he hosts parties at your place—put clear signs for drunk people to follow to the guest bathroom. You usually don’t want to deal with drunk student athletes, but something about Jaehyun makes him exempt from that.

“You can warm up here.”

As soon as you say the words, you cringe. It sounds like the awful beginnings of a bad porno, but your intentions really are pure. There’s something too sad about watching him nearly doze off while standing up like a newborn colt. So you go and find the best hoodie that you have in your clean laundry and you risk going to the kitchen and getting hit with a runaway water balloon so you can put water on for tea. Hopefully it will warm him up while also sobering him up a little.

“Is this Hyuck’s shirt,” he asks as soon as you return with a steaming mug.

“Uh, I think so.” You take a moment to appraise the hoodie. “Yeah, it’s his. It’s from one of his basketball camps from when we were younger, I think.”

He purses his lips but gratefully takes the mug with swaying hands. After taking a large sip, he hums and lets his head loll back with a smile.

“This is Mrs. Li’s blend.”

“Yeah.” 

It doesn’t seem right to tell him that you’ve been back there a couple times now and have started trying to get into tea. You take the time to put some distance between him and you. You walk to your bed and fluff a pillow that doesn’t need fluffing. The thing is that Jaehyun being in your room feels...weird. He looks all too content and comfortable in the space. That’s not to say he doesn’t suit the environment well. Somehow he looks like he belongs in your room with his soaked tank top and damp hair. You fluff the pillow harder.

“You must be tired,” he says after a long silence. He’s finished his tea but his eyes are still glassy.

“What?”

“Donghyuck told me ‘bout all your projects. Told me you had to draw him for one.”

“Oh, yeah I did. People actually loved that piece the most. But it took me the shortest amount of time.”

“Next time,” he begins ambling across the room, coming to place the empty mug on your bedside table. “Next time, you can ask me to model. If you want.”

“I mean, I only asked Hyuck since he was watching TV and he was there. Plus I know his face so well that it doesn’t even matter if he talks while I paint. The company is kind of nice.”

“Well, you can do it with me next.”

He’s drunk, you remind yourself. He doesn’t realize how strange what he’s saying is. And yet, your face still heats up. The sound of his teeth chattering lightly again reminds you how he got to be in your room in the first place. Jaehyun hugs himself as he continues to check out your room with a small smile on his face. He looks content.

“Do you want to get in,” you offer before your brain can process what your mouth has just done. His eyes go wide.

“Excuse me?” 

“Not—I mean, you just...look really cold and tired. Plus I heard you guys lost the game tonight, so the coach had you hauling ass after.” At the sight of his mildly amused face, tongue nudged between his teeth you add, “I don’t mean you should stay the night. It could just be for a bit and then you could, like, get up and call a cab home. But I get it if you’d rather not. Actually, I can just go see if Hyuck is around. I think he brought his—”

“No, no, stay,” he replies quickly to keep you from jumping out of bed. “I could use the rest.”

He turns around to shrug off the wet tank and pull on the hoodie, mumbling something about ‘not wanting to get your sheets wet’. Internally you wonder if you’re being laughed at by the gods while staring politely at nothing in the other corner of the room. You scoot over from your position in the middle of the bed to the side opposite him. He rewards your kindness with a flash of a bright smile before moving to pull back the covers.

His face lands directly in one of your pillows and you panic when you realize your sheets aren’t fresh out the washer. Jaehyun doesn’t seem to mind and lets out a sigh before shivering a little. With the hood over his hair, you can barely make out his eyes but you can tell they’re trained on you.

“You sure this is okay,” he whispers. 

“Yeah.”

The bed shifts minutely as he turns a little to get more comfortable. It feels hot in the bed all of the sudden. Despite the fact that you have on weather appropriate pajamas and your most lightweight Spring bedding on. Despite the fact that you’re not laying close enough to him to be able to feel any body heat. Maybe it’s warmer outside than you thought. That’s probably it.

---

When you wake up several hours later, it’s to the sound of clanking in your living room. The other side of the bed is empty and you try not to read into it. It wasn’t supposed to be a full night over, after all. You swing your feet over the edge of the bed only to squeal when your foot hits something cold in the little rug you keep there.

“What is it!” Donghyuck crashes into the room while holding the trash bag he was collecting loose beer cans with. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I just—oh.”

You look down at the rug and see something shiny and metallic as opposed to something wet and slimy. With your index finger and thumb, you pick up a medium length golden chain. It shines even in the low lighting of your bedroom. You both squint at the jewelry, trying to place it.

Donghyuck’s eye grow wide and he looks around the room in disgust suddenly.

“Was he in here?”

“Uh, yeah,” you grumble as you rub your eyes.

“What for?”

When Donghyuck raises an inquisitive eyebrow, your mouth drops open.

“We just slept—”

“You slept together?”

“Hyuck, not like that! What’s your problem?”

“Still, why is he sleeping in here? You never have guys sleep in here.”

“You sleep in here all the time,” you point a finger at him.

“True,” he cedes immediately, pointing a finger back. “Well, you better return that. I think it’s his lucky charm or something.”

“Can’t you do it?” He laughs before returning to the living room. 

“He didn’t leave it in my bed.” 

“I–fine. I don’t need your help anyway.” 

At that, he snorts.

“You do, but I’ll let you keep thinking that you don’t, because I’m a good friend.”

“You’re annoying, that’s what you are.”

You pull on a sweater before coming out of your room with your phone in hand. There’s a companionable silence that falls over you two as you attempt to draft a text to Jaehyun about his chain while Donghyuck picks up the remaining trash from the party.

“How’d everything go,” you ask once the message is sent.

“It was fine. Jae was so gone that we thought he had flushed himself down the toilet for a while. But I guess that’s not what happened.”

Your face heats up at the teasing tone he uses.

“Hyuck, I have something to tell you.”

“God, what? Are you pregnant?”

“No! What the hell? Are you?” You try to swipe at his butt from the back of the couch.

“No! But...can you just say what you’re gonna say? You’re making me nervous.”

He even goes so far as to put the trash down and come around to sit with you on the sofa. You take a deep breath.

“I have a crush on Jaehyun. I just thought you should know.”

He stares at you, not blinking for a few seconds. He opens his mouth and then shakes his head to himself and closes it again.

“I see,” he finally says.

“It’s been going on a while, and I didn’t want to leave you in the dark.”

“Uh-huh.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Nope! I don’t mind being in the shadows. I do some of my best work there.”

“Do you think it could go anywhere?”

“What do you mean,” he throws another can into his bag.

“Like, do you think I have a chance with him?”

Donghyuck turns to stare at you, deadpan. “Do I think you have a chance with Jung Jaehyun? The man who slept in your bed a few hours ago?”

“Yeah.” Your face is completely open and imploring.

He sighs, “I think you might have a shot, sure.”

“Why, though?”

“I don’t know. Just a hunch.”

The next game of the season is a big one. The team coming in to play is an old school rival, so it draws a crowd that contains even the less sport-inclined students. You manage to get a ticket set away, but it’s still tough trying to find a spot to sit. It’s first come first serve with seats since the gym isn’t big enough to have labeled arena seating. 

Initially you had planned to use the extra time you had before the start to return Jaehyun’s chain, but it took you so long to make it from the parking lot to the gym and then to an open seat that there wasn’t any time left. Somewhere in between, you nearly get knocked over by the heavy current of fans from both teams flooding the space. The chain, once clutched in your hand, ends up around your neck out of fear that you lose it permanently.

You end up in the nosebleeds for the rest of the time. The players look like ants and if it weren’t for the large printed numbers on their jerseys, you might not be able to tell all of them apart. You text Donghyuck your location, and you see him looking towards the back rows at the beginning of the game, but he has to stay focused. You try your hardest to focus as well. At this point, you’re just about fluent in the sport that is basketball. But tonight’s game is hard to follow despite this. Jaehyun grabs your attention instead. He plays especially rough tonight, you note. He pushes hard across the court, even gets a couple warnings for defending like he’s on offense. There’s a fair amount of goals with his name on them as well. It’s exciting and you just wish your cheers could reach him.

More annoyance comes when the game finally ends. It’s a last minute shot by one of the other players who walked on this season that tips the game in your school’s favor. The crowd is deafening, even the ending buzzer is muted by their shouts. The bleachers shake under you with the force of fans running to meet their favorite players and generally gloat in front of the other team on the court. The shaking underneath you is terrifying enough to keep you seated until things have died down. There’s still probably a minimum of hundred people gathered on the floor, but you can at least step over empty concession bags as opposed to being stepped on by the supportive members of the hockey team.

It takes forever to find a single person you know. Of course it’s Donghyuck, who is in the middle of talking with some friends from off the team.

“Hyuck,” you begin to run over. When he sees you, you give him a big smile.

“No,” he responds simply as you get closer.

You slow down and let confusion wrinkle your brow. He offers no further verbal explanation but does give you a swift head nod in another direction. You follow the gesture and find Jaehyun at the end of the path. He looks a bit lost despite being with Doyoung and Johnny.

The fact that the others are there makes you freeze up at first, but the feeling of the chain laying delicately on your clavicle reminds you of what you need to do. Luckily, he sees you before the others do and he steps aside under the guise of getting a fresh towel. He waits for you to catch up once he’s out of their line of sight.

His voice is low, like he’s worried being too loud will make you change your mind about talking with him. But there’s an undercurrent of sincere happiness.

“There you are.”

“I was at the top row. I got here too late to sit where I normally do.”

“Ah. I thought maybe you couldn’t make it.”

“There’s no way I would be able to miss this one. Hyuck threatened to shave my head if I did.”

“That...sounds like him.”

“Yeah,” you chuckle. The nerves are getting to you a bit. You’ve never confessed your feelings to anyone before, and you’re not sure if Donghyuck was right about you having a shot.

“So, what are you doing—”

“I’ve been meaning to tell—”

You both start talking at once and then immediately clam up when you interrupt each other. 

He gives the floor to you. “You go first.”

“Okay.” 

You reach for the back of your neck and watch as his gaze follows the movement of your hands only for his eyes to light up in recognition.

“I wondered where that thing went.”

“You left it at my place. I put it on because I was scared I’d lose it for real. Sorry.”

He reaches out casually to thumb at the chain around your neck. “Don’t be. It looks good on you.”

“It looks better on you.”

The chain slides off cool against your skin and your fingers shake as you carry the chain over to him. Wordlessly, you reach up and loop your arms around his neck to reunite the chain with its rightful owner. Sweaty palms make it difficult to redo the clasp without being able to see it. It puts you right in his personal space for an awkwardly long time.

“I’m really sweaty,” he whispers.

“Uh, that’s nice?”

He laughs and it puffs off your temple.

“I don’t want to get you dirty, but I really want to kiss you right now.” The clasp finally snaps into place

“Oh.”

The way he leans in, the way his arms come to cage around your waist, the drip of the sweat from his temple down the hinge of his jaw. All of it is slow. As if to give you the space to withdraw if you wanted. But you surge forward into him. And for once it’s not awkward. You don’t know how long you stand there necking like hormonal high schoolers in a sea of people on the gym floor at a school dance, but—just like at the school dance—someone is bursting the gossamer thin ambiance just when Jaehyun’s fingers graze the back pocket of your jeans.

“If you look to your left, boys and girls, you can see two local horndogs engaged in a seasonal ritual” He karate chops a hand down the space between your faces, cutting the kiss off abruptly and nearly bruising Jaehyun’s nose. Meanwhile Taeyong snickers loudly from behind Doyoung.

“Do you have a death wish,” you turn to him with fire in your eyes. He backs up slightly, but attempts to stand his ground.

“Do you know how hard I’ve been working to set you two up?”

“What are you talking about?”

You turn to Jaehyun, who looks just as confused. The gears turning in your heads are practically visible as you and he put 2 and 2 together slowly. The random lies, the weird errands, the sudden party. The blank stares from Donghyuck every time the two of you were in the same room but refused to talk. It all adds up.

“You owe me sweet potato fries for the rest of your life. Maybe longer, I’m not sure yet.”

Donghyuck puts his arms around you and Jaehyun, pulling you with him as he heads out of the gym and towards the exit that leads toward the cafeteria.

“I can’t believe you...puppet-mastered us,” Jaehyun’s voice is airy with disbelief.

“I can’t believe you guys didn’t realize what was going on,” Taeyong snickers on the walk over. Doyoung snorts while lacing their fingers together.

“Yeah, the whole team was in on it.”

“You guys are one to talk.” Donghyuck turns back to give the two boys a humbling once over. “Don’t get me started on how hard it was to get you two losers together.”

Doyoung stops in his tracks, nearly tripping Taeyong in the process. 

“What?”

[janaeekook]

Forlorn;

(a/n: hey guys this is a school assignment I had to write and I based the main male character off Johnny so here this is!)

pairing: 1920’s mobster!johnny x oc

warnings: character death, angsty

word count: 1.5k

-

1919, the story of a simple farmers girl from Michigan, me, Rebecca Jayne. Though my story is short and forlorning, I'm here to tell it anyway. It was simple the way it started, I was a young girl just starting adulthood and wishing to live out my dream away from my parents. That dream was to live under New York city lights and dance on grand stages and show the world my talent, prove my parents that I could do what they had told me I couldn’t. I wanted to prove them wrong to show them that I was capable of achieving my dream. I wasn’t their sweet and innocent little girl anymore, but a woman who had her own thoughts and beliefs. Though I never believed they’d truly understand, but undoubtedly I knew they couldn’t be mad at me forever.

And So I was on the next train to New York, the morning of September 21st, Headed east. My dream lay on the horizon and I was headed straight towards it. In that moment as I watched the green plains of the fields from the window of the train as I passed by, It truly did feel like a dream. Butterflies erupting in my stomach like a wild explosion of nerves and pure excitement.

“This is it” I mumbled to myself. 

I pulled out the last letter my friend whom I’d danced with in Michigan, Jordan, we’d been writing. She had always had the same dream as me, maybe that’s why we became friends. She had moved to New York last year and we’d been writing ever since, she told me of her adventures and everything magnificent of the city. She helped me find a place to stay while I was there, A simple yet quaint lodging house, a small room yet it was perfect for me. The start of my new life began there in that small room 

The studio hadn’t been far, just a few blocks away from where I would be staying, so I was able to walk to and from everyday. I settled into the room nicely, a simple wire frame bed pressed against the left wall and a dresser pressed against the right, a window on the furthest wall. I was only able to smile in that moment, because it was my own, my own space. That first day in the city I unpacked my belongings and made myself comfortable. The weeks to come were the days things truly started for me, I had my audition at the studio, though I already had an in which guaranteed me a spot though I didn’t know, thinking that all I needed was my hard work and determination. Which to an extent was true but they’d heard plenty of my abilities.

Everything seemed to rush to a start, I danced, new and old friends at my side as we perfected routines for our performances. Everything was Jazz, decorated in bright lights, and sequins galore. The calendar soon greeted us with the turn to 1920, I had been in the city for 3 months before I finally met my beloved Johnny. He had been tall as he stood at the bar watching the stage, his eyes never fleeting my form. Well put together, his blazer fit him well, He dazzled by himself alone. We eventually got to talking, and it too was simple.

He approached me first, “You’re new.”

“It’s that obvious?”

He hummed, “You out-shine everyone on the stage, darling.” My cheeks heated profusely.

“Well I wouldn’t say that.”

“Where are you from-” He paused, eyes searching yours as he expectantly awaited your name.

“Rebecca.”

“Rebecca,” He repeated and his smile was bright enough to out-shine the sun, “Where are you from, Rebecca?” 

“Michigan.”

“And what possibly could have brought you to the city?”

“I’m following a dream.”

“So you are.” He said with another smile.

We met at the club every weekend, he’d watch as I danced with a smile, before greeting me after in conversation. Life went on like that, sharing my life with Johnny, until we were all forced underground. Prohibition had been passed, but it didn’t stop the business, different clubs creating invite only speakeasies. The now illicit activities that I had lived by continued behind closed doors, club managers, bartenders and us Jazz dancers working in the dark, late through the night.

Johnny had gotten an invite, so he still came and watched me dance, speaking more of our lives. We did it for months, just out late talking at the club, months of nothing more than friendship. 

“Why don’t we meet up out of this place?” He’d asked suddenly on the first Saturday of December.

I’d quickly said yes. Everything about him seemed to enchant me, pull me into the swells of his boisterous being. Though I never fought it, albeit because I was too weak and his love was strong, or rather we were both simply, madly and truly in love, both a drug for each other. Young love was such an inviting prospect that I looked over who he may really be, seemingly skipping a page in a novel that told the preposterous backstory of the hidden main character. I had only read the good parts, studied them in fact, believing that it was all him and ignoring the shadows.

But the night came and went, Johnny never showed, It was a get together outside of my tasseled dress and feathered headpiece, no dazzling lights or sparkles just me and him as one may call normal. But he never did show. Though you thought, there must be a valid reason for his absence.

He only arrived the next day, flowers and an apology pleading on his pink lips. He had got caught up at work, he’d said, Though in the moment when I let him into my quiet room of the lodging house with a bright forgiving smile-- I hadn’t known that the work that he had spoken of was killing a man. A man who had merely said the wrong thing to the wrong person and paid with his life. It was the work of mobsters, Johnny had never stricken me as the type, it wasn’t even a possibility in my head, because there was absolutely no way he could be a member of the mob. We visited with each other for hours, talking about everything as we always did until there was nothing more to talk about. ‘You should come to my new years party to make up for this’ He’d told me, funny it was, how we’d known each other for nearly a year and he was just now wishing to introduce me as someone he was seeing. He wanted to show me off and get approval from his friends who I had yet to find out were members of the mob. I agreed to his proposal, for I always loved a good party.

Quickly that night came, His party  was a wave of people, roaring with intoxicated laughter, dancing as they wished without a care in the world. One may say a party, of the caliber Jonathan would throw them, was extravagant. The type of party people wished to experience at least once in their life. That was my, once, before I'd even known it. How could I have known? Had I known would it have changed anything of the outcome? Perhaps not, because he still would have asked me to dance and I still would have been enchanted by the familiar glint in his eyes and the chaste smile on his lips, I would never decline a dance not from him. So I took his hand, his eyes not glancing away for a second, He merely waved his hand at the musicians and the jazz tune that played, changed to a melodic piano waltz.

I can still hear it- the piano like a ghost lingering in my ear, we were the only one’s left on the dance floor. Do you know what it’s like? Having someone hold you so close in their arms as the world around you seemed to fall away, only to then die in those same arms as he tried to stop the profuse bleeding of your wound, where a bullet had slipped through the flesh of your stomach. I ask again- Do you know what it's like? Have you watched a fair dress become stained from the inside out? Maybe not, maybe you haven’t quite lived an as traumatic life as my own. It wasn’t death itself I had ever been afraid of but rather the aspect of its permanence. Though as screams became muffled as well as the haunting toll of the clock striking twelve, and my eyes drifted from Johnny’s face to the grand ceiling, I couldn’t help but think-- what an  adventure death would bring.

I died that night, adding a star to the inky black sky. I had only wished I'd been able to tell my parents about him, and had been able to tell Johnny of our unborn child that left this world with me.

[alj4890]

Prompt Request

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) with the prompt, "Well...that was mean." as requested by @krsnlove​ in celebration of 500 followers.

(Thomas Hunt x OC*Amanda) as taken from the Choices: Red Carpet Diaries/ Regency AU storyline, None But You

A/N For my BFF who loves Regency romance just as much as I do, I'm going back to the series she encouraged me on (pretty much like she does with all my crazy ideas) for this prompt. I adored how perfect Thomas Hunt seemed in this time period. His proud, abrupt ways were made for the early 1800s. For this one, we will go even further back to Thomas and Amanda's courtship that wasn't quite a courtship 😂

@graceful-popcorn​   @krsnlove​   @alleksa16​   @hopelessromantic1352​     @emceesynonymroll​​   @buzz-bee-buzz​   @hopefulmoonobject​    @rainbowsinthestorm​   @lxaah11​   @my-heart-beats-for-ya​ @everythingmarvelsherlockspn @friedherringclodthing​   @aworldoffandoms​   @ab1901​  @sophxwithers​

Masterlist

Inclinations

Lord and Lady Clifford's Ball, London...

"Oh!" Millie gripped Amanda's arm. With a jut of her chin, she hissed, "Can you believe the gall of Ms. Timmons? Look at her! That is the fifth time within the last few minutes that she has walked past Lord Summers and Lord Hunt."

Amanda covered her mouth with her fan when Millie compared the unfortunate young lady to a peacock strutting about to show off her plumage.

"If she adjusts her curl once more over her shoulder..." Millie glared at the spectacle. "I've never seen a lady more determined to catch a rich husband."

"Have you not?" Amanda managed to say without laughing. "Isn't that the point to coming to London for The Season? Aren't we all attempting to land ourselves a husband who assures us a life of comfort and security?"

"Hmph." Millie flicked open her own fan and began to use it vigorously. "Be that as it may, we at least attempt to attract gentlemen with decorum." A smile formed. "Of course, you don't have to worry about such a thing anymore."

"I do have to worry about it." Amanda argued. "No man has made me any promises or given any declarations."

"My dear friend," Millie linked her free arm with Amanda's, "some gentlemen make declarations without saying a single word." She gestured with her fan towards Thomas. "I've seen him attend more outings and balls since you first arrived than in the past two years that I have taken part in ton’s gatherings."

Amanda shook her head while her heart began to hope that her friend wasn't simply exaggerating the viscount's surprising appearance once more.

He had at past parties and balls admitted to her that he did not enjoy such and preferred the quiet life at Kirkwood Manor, his estate in Norfolk.

She wondered if he was attending these to see her.

Perhaps, then again, perhaps not.

He had not sought her out this evening for a dance nor for conversation. He had locked eyes with her from across the room and then bowed his head in greeting, but other than that he had not so much as glanced her way.

Which as much as Lady Amanda despised herself for her weakness for him, she had still peeked over at him whenever she could.

Could he possibly feel as I do?

She wished with all her heart that he felt the same for her.

"Pardon me, my lady, but may I request a dance?"

Amanda blinked and refocused on a gentleman she had only seen in passing. "Yes of course, my lord." She handed over her dance card.

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

"Do stop glaring, Kirkwood." Ryan insisted. "You'll scare all the ladies off if you're not careful."

Thomas merely shrugged while surreptitiously glancing over at the reason he had journeyed once more into yet another matchmaking mothers' den.

Lady Amanda Bridgerton was smiling and laughing at whatever Lady Millicent Rawlings was saying. Thomas felt his own lips curve upwards when she used her fan to try to hide her amusement.

Her happiness brought a warmth to his heart.

"There now." Ryan patted Thomas on the back. "That wasn't so hard was it?"

"What are you blabbering about now?" Thomas bit out.

"And it's gone." Ryan shook his head and heaved a deep sigh. "Why do you persist in staying away from her?"

"From whom?" Thomas nearly bit his tongue for tempting his friend into pointing out once again that he felt something more for the dark haired lady standing on the other side of the ballroom.

"Hunt." Ryan shook his head in resignation. "Why do you insist on tormenting yourself?"

"Tormenting?" Thomas chuckled as he took a sip of his drink. "I see you are finally seeing these balls in the same light as I do."

"That wasn't what I meant. I intended for you to leave my company for the one you prefer." Ryan grinned at the frustrated anger forming on his friend's face. He couldn't resist adding, "You cannot deny that Lady Amanda's is the one you desire above all others."

Thomas turned his attention once more toward the subject that he was having difficulty ignoring.

"Let's see now." Ryan continued. "I believe you have complimented her intelligence. I have overheard you mention how lovely her appearance is. Ah! And let's not forget that a moment with her has you smiling and even chuckling upon occasion."

"Absurd." Thomas huffed. "Once again, Summers, you turn a mere friendly admiration into some frivolous love story that young girls are want to dream about." He hmphed while studying Amanda. "I do worry about your mind at times. It is becoming even sillier than the ladies twittering about during their first season."

"Well...that was mean." Ryan's rich laughter drew attention to the two of them. "I believe I will find someone to soothe my damaged feelings with a dance."

Thomas rolled his eyes as Lord Summers finally took pity on the unfortunate Ms. Timmons and her efforts to try and gain such an offer from one of them.

Then he noticed their hosts' younger son, who just so happens to have a highly suspect reputation, approach Amanda.

Cursing under his breath, he began to make his way over to her side.

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

"Shall we?" Lord Roderick Clifford held his hand out toward Amanda.

She smiled and began to take it, only for her hand to be captured in an all too familiar grip.

Her eyes widened at Thomas's nerve.

Millie simply beamed at his actions.

"This is my dance." He said, tucking her hand within the bend of his arm. "You'll have to forgive my tardiness, I was caught in an unfortunately long conversation with Summers."

Roderick merely cocked an eyebrow. "Your name was nowhere on her dance card."

"An oversight of my own, I assure you." Thomas brushed past him, pulling a bemused Amanda in his wake.

Once clear of being overheard, she squeezed his arm.

"I don't recall you requesting a dance from me this evening, Lord Hunt."

"Like I said earlier," he took her into his arms and began to waltz, "it was an oversight on my part."

She shook her head while fighting back a delighted smile. "I do not know what to think of you at times."

"Am I that difficult to figure out?" His frown softened. "I think I am a fairly average gentleman."

"Nothing about you is average, my lord." Her smile grew when she noticed the flush upon his cheeks. "You are an intelligent and interesting gentleman to be sure and yet you rarely converse with others here." She tilted her head as if pondering this great mystery. "Why is that?"

His lips parted then closed. His brow furrowed for a moment. "I suppose it is because I do not enjoy striking up conversations with people I do not know well."

"You struck up one with me when we first met." She reminded him. A soft laugh escaped her lips. "And every moment since then with you only proves that anyone would be fortunate to engage in discussions with you."

His lips curved once more as he held her gaze. "I think of the two of us, it is you that anyone would be fortunate to talk to. You have that rare gift of putting one at ease as he tries to speak."

She beamed at him. "That is a lovely compliment. Thank you for that, Lord Thomas."

He had to bite back the many other compliments that came to mind as he looked upon her. "It was merely the truth, nothing more."

"Just the same." She insisted. "Thank you."

He nodded and happened to glance up to see Ryan's smug smile nearby.

Glaring at the reminder that he had only proven his friend correct, he guided Amanda a few steps away from his nosy friend.

"I meant to ask you, is there something about Lord Clifford I should avoid?"

He focused once more upon the lady in his arms. "Yes, he er..."

Thomas wondered how to delicately say that the man was practically living at some of the brothels that some gentlemen amongst the ton preferred to visit. If not for his elder brother and father physically removing him from such a disreputable establishment, he doubted the man would be wooing ladies in a ballroom this evening.

The thought of Lady Amanda stuck with such a man for even a dance had not sat well with him. It was becoming hard enough to see morally respectable men waltz with her, much less one not fit to even touch her hand.

"His activities of late have caused a strain amongst his family and those close to him."

Her eyes narrowed somewhat as she tried to guess what the man had done.

"Is it," she lowered her voice to a whisper, "gambling?"

"No, though he is a prolific gambler." Thomas muttered.

"Is it--"

"It is not a topic for ladies' ears." He blurted out.

Her eyes widened. There was only one topic that young ladies without a husband were forbidden to discuss.

Her cheeks burned as she lowered her eyes. "I see."

Thomas relaxed somewhat once he saw she was not going to bring Lord Roderick up anymore.

"That's why you insisted on dancing with me." Amanda mumbled.

He blinked at the disappointment he heard in her voice.

Could she have actually wanted to dance with such a libertine?

Amanda sighed over the fact that Thomas was merely acting the gentleman once more. There was no true interest in his lying about this being his dance other than his chivalrous nature needing to protect an innocent lady.

She began to wish that he didn't see her as some damsel in distress in need of a knight to charge in and save her from unsavory men at every single turn.

She wished...it was foolish to wish for something that wasn't there nor would ever be. There was no jealousy or need to be by her side.

He simply was a true gentleman.

"I had planned on asking you to dance earlier." Thomas said, wondering at her despondent expression. "And in all honesty, I was looking forward to continuing our discussion on Persuasion."

She nodded. Of course. The book he insisted she read without spoiling the ending was his true interest.

She forced a smile. "Captain Wentworth, in my opinion, is a character who is determined to make himself miserable."

Thomas nearly missed a step as they made another turn about the ballroom. "What makes you think that?"

"His attempts to keep away from Ann, yet keeps finding himself drawn closer whenever he sees her or hears her voice." She raised her eyes back to his. "Why would he do such a thing, hurting them both in the process, when it is obvious she would welcome his affection?"

Thomas swallowed. "Perhaps...perhaps Captain Wentworth doubts that he could truly hold her heart. He needs to protect himself, even to the point of heartache knowing that Ann is the only one who could truly wound him."

"But he is missing out on a chance for true happiness." Amanda slowed her steps as the music began to die down.

Thomas kept her hand in his as he led her off the floor. "He is a fool." He turned back toward her. "It seems a man's inclination to be foolish when presented with the very object he yearns for most in the world. He at first doubts it's existence then fights against the very notion that it is all he truly needs. Then once the realization strikes, he is at a loss at taking the first step to secure his happiness."

Amanda took a step closer to him, inexplicably drawn by the emotion in his dark eyes. "Do you think that you would ever behave in such a manner when shown what your heart wants most?"

His grip on her hand tightened as he raised it to his lips. "I might be the most foolish of them all." He bowed his head to her. "Thank you for the dance, my lady. I hope that you will find it in your heart to save me another one when next we meet."

Thomas reluctantly released her hand and quickly left the ball.