#perks of homeschooling

[didee-anne]

Random stuff update

Had Addie’s birthday party yesterday! First party I didn’t take a single picture of, not even the cupcake tray. Rory snapped a few pictures and he had Jen record a few things so there are some pics to remember it. Most of the adults stayed as well and hung out and it just made me so freaking happy seeing Addie with all her cousins and friends, seeing all the adults chatting in little groups but not in a clicky way, there was plenty of pizza and cupcakes and chips for everyone…

Addie wanted to play pass the parcel so I bought a bunch of stickers and hair pretties and tattoos and glowsticks and then Jen put 2 parcels together and it took the kids a solid 30 minutes to get through them but since there were 2 parcels going at the same time none of the kids complained because they didn’t have to wait too long before it was their turn again. The middle prizes were little stuffies and they were a hit.

Moved the chicks out to a kennel in the chicken coop last week and I’m amazed at how much they’ve grown already! They’re turning into such pretty birds. I can’t tell which ones are hens and which ones are roos yet but that’s ok. By the time summer is over I should have an idea and I’m hoping to move them out of the kennel to be with the rest of the chickens in another month or maybe two. I’m hoping sooner rather than later but I can’t rush it otherwise they’ll get picked on hardcore and no one wants that.

I started a new antidepressant last week and am currently taking half a pill. I’m supposed to bump up to a whole pill on Wednesday but the half pill makes me slightly nauseous 20 minutes after taking it so I’m not looking forward to what a whole one will do. The nausea doesn’t last long though so it’s not that big of a deal but it’s not my favorite. If it helps make me not such an angry/sad ball of rage and tears then I’m fine with it but it’s too soon to tell how effective it’ll be.

The kids are supposed to have state testing the next two weeks but we don’t test so they’re not going to any of their Homelink classes and it’s like a second spring break but with slightly better weather! I mean, they do test because it’s required but we opt out of the state testing and do a different one that’s much more low key and is done by a person and not a computer.

[harurio]

dead friend forever ep5 non time

im taking non. not a single person in this show deserves him. this is really hard to watch actually. i need to get back to watching those fuckers die in horrific ways this is pissing me off

but for real why do all these people suck so bad. how does anyone live like this. i can't get over the way they wipe off their hands every time they touch non. fuck them all. i hope they rot and i hope i get to watch

jin you are on THIN FUCKING ICE

might not do any more episode posts for this one, maybe just until i catch up, it's taking a lot out of me to look at this happening. i want non to go crazy go wild with a baseball bat. like black from not me. fuck

[aincretop]

i like to think i have grown substantially as a person and am no longer extremely socially anxious and then i get lightly teased once or i slightly embarass myself in a public space and i start rewording my messages over and over again for 10 minutes

[makkie-is-screaming]

seriously stressed now bc so many people I love could get shot for just going to school or shopping where I live. There’s a shooting at least once a week. Someone threatened to shoot my cousin. My best friends school has had multiple bomb and shooter threats. And I honest to god don’t know what I’d do if any of these things happened to them.

[ricketyhandss]

A girl I’m in class with was at the mcrDetroit show and just texted me a video omgggg

[yandere-kokeshi]

What about Yandere! Dad Price 🤔

Warnings: yandere behavior and everything platonic. Nothing romantic.

A/N: ohh boy, you just gave me an ultra writing spree. Enjoy!!

You have him wrapped around your finger. You could ask anything, and Dad! Price would give it to you within seconds. He values everything about you, including your opinions and support. He wants your input of things, or at least when you can. 

John is a Mufasa type of dad. Incredibly protective, only wants the best for you, and lets you have some type of independence. In honest aspects, he’s considerably chill regarding his dark behavior, or at least appears to be. Yet, the second something seems off, he’s pulling you behind him with his thick words, urging you to get to the truck. 

He has no desire to have another s/o. He’s not risking it with someone else who can easily come into the family and could sabotage the bond between you two. Plus, he prefers raising you on his own. 

Your phone is wired with trackers — a green dot, glowing frantically on John’s phone, easily telling him your location. And by chance when you find out, it’s easy to cover it up, reminding you that his job is dangerous, and all he wants is safety for you. 

Would’ve homeschooled you, but with the large percentage of depression and antisocial risks, he decided against it. And because of it, you have many perks as being the kid of a famous military Captain, which means everyone respects you; including the school district. Despite his rank, he doesn’t use it unless necessary, wanting people to naturally respect you and him. 

With school, Dad! Price participates a lot. He often picks you up from school, taking you out for ice-cream on Friday’s. Makes you delicious home-made lunch when he can (including leaving notes), and does whatever he can to help decrease your worry. Doing homework with him is rather nice, he explains it in multiple ways to ensure you understand it; definitely the type to do flash-cards, and gives you candy if you guess them correctly. 

It comes with no surprise that you have a lot of fun uncles, and two awesome aunts. The team equally place themselves as your extended-family, visiting when they can, and adoring you. Laswell frequently visits, not only to see your father, but also to take you out when you need a break. 

Undoubtedly the type to have a ‘no cussing jar’ in the house. However, the rules mostly apply to you. However, he does cuss — grumbling out when he gets caught before throwing cash into the clear jar. Either way, he uses the cash to spoil you.

Calls you a few cliché nicknames instead of using your name; only using it when you’re in trouble of sorts. He usually rests on calling you little one, kiddo, scout, and bubs. 

Dad! Price never smokes cigars around you, and hides them out of reach. He doesn’t want you to seek them out, because 1) they’re bad for you. And 2) he wants you to be better than he can be. He only smokes out on the porch, and hates when you are present. 

Makes the best barbecue and smoked foods that you could imagine. 

It’s no surprise that Dad! Price teaches you a lot of self-defense and about your surroundings. Reminding you to take a taser, or pepper-spray when you leave the house. He knows that you’re protected, him and the others are highly trained SAS soldiers ready to pounce on any threat. But, having you know things — especially if he’s training you himself — lets his paranoia rest a bit. 

Despite his large leeway with you, he’s pretty strict about school. John wants you to be good, and expects you to follow the rules. If he notices your grades dropping, he asks what’s up and how he can help; giving you the ‘dad-look’ when you don’t do assignments. 

However, it’s easily noticed that he hates homework — you’re working at school for 8+ hours, pretty much exhausted when you get home, and they expect you to finish these long pages at your comfort zone? Not on his watch. 

Rarely brings you to the base, but when he’s missing his kiddo, he’s fetching you from home and brings you to foot. His office is large, enough space to place a pull-out couch, which is made for you. He lets you sleep whilst he works, having calls with many, and carries you back to the truck when he’s done. 

John is strict about rules in the house, and doesn’t listen to any excuses or give you leeway when you break them; it’s easy to follow, and you know the consequences. 

One of the rare things he actively allows is potential partners. He rarely threatens them — and he doesn’t need to. He’s a Captain, a man who is unafraid to show his strength. So, in a quick sense, nobody would be stupid enough to try to hurt you, right? 

And if they do, we all know what will happen. And it’s certainly not a pretty sight. 

—

Masterlist || Please consider reblogging and commenting instead of liking. It helps me as a creator!! Stay well!!

© yandere-kokeshi 2023 — Do not copy, modify, edit, repost, or use my works for ASMR readings, tiktoks, or other content.

[yuurei20]

Hello hello. If I don't mind asking, what's this Crowley's fan theory rejecting Deuce's application for a Magical Wheel club about?

Hello hello!! Thank you for this question! (and apologies for the delay!)

Crowley's rejection of Deuce's application for a Magical Wheel club is one of many threads connecting back to a popular theory that Crowley is making the overblots happen on purpose!

It encompasses many things, such as the three light-magic users: Kalim's enrollment is particularly suspicious, as he received his letter of acceptance a month into what would become his first year at the school.

Jamil observes, "And just like that, my nice, free campus life went up in smoke."

Kalim was homeschooled prior to NRC and Jamil says, "Some days I just didn't want to go straight home after school" (where he would have to tutor Kalim, in addition to his other duties as Kalim's servant).

Did Crowley (or someone 👀) intentionally give Jamil those two months of freedom so that he would feel the loss of that freedom all the more acutely, contributing to his overblot?

The admissions process may have been more straightforward for Silver and I do not believe we have heard anything about Rook's, but both characters were, like Kalim, the catalyst to their respective housewardens overblotting:

It is Rook who convinces Vil to watch Neige's rehearsal (which is what finally compromises Vil's tentative mental stability, and it is Crowley who put Vil in charge of production for the VDC), and Malleus' overblot is immediately preceded by a conversation with Silver.

There is also Ruggie, who says (twice) that it is rare for people from his home to become mages and who had never attended a school prior to NRC. He is an odd choice for a prestigious magic academy.

He has also only become a "middling" student thanks to Leona's tutoring, and Leona's desire to help secure a future for students like Ruggie has a significant influence on Leona's overblot.

(A point that is emphasized in the novel: "I cannot let the pack starve.")

Crowley offers the choice of retiring Malleus from the tournament in Book 2 in a decision that the famously perceptive Vil says “reeks of unconscious bias.”

Crowley also goes out of his way to emphasize how many Savanaclaw students aspire to play in the Spelldrive Pro Leagues, how Savanaclaw has lost in the first round to Diasomnia two years in a row, and how it is affecting their future.

Leona points out that he seems to be telling them to quit while they are ahead because he expects them to make fools of themselves.

When Crowley denies this, saying, "That is not my intention," Leona asks, "Then what is?"

Is it possible that Crowley never intended to retire Malleus at all, but he knew that threatening to do so would be the final straw needed to push Leona into desperation? Making him desperate enough to contract with Azul, which connects directly to his destroying of Azul’s contracts to cover up the evidence, thus instigating Azul’s own overblot?

This also ties in to some interesting coincidences around certain school events:

Savanaclaw being paired against Diasomnia in the first round of the Spelldrive Tournament every year since Malleus enrolled?

The members randomly selected for the Starsending? For Glorious Masquerade?

(Idia: "How do three Housewardens just 'coincidentally' get drawn in a raffle? That box is rigged." - Trey: "The headmage claimed he used astrology to pick us...you don't think he was lying about that, do you?")

Have all these things been as coincidental as Crowley claims, or are the suspicions of students like Trey and Idia correct and there is more going on than it seems?

There is also the inconsistency of Crowley’s money-mongering.

Is he actually interested in perks like 10% of profits from Mostro Lounge and donations from Kalim’s and Idia’s parents, or is that just his cover-up to get Jack (and thus Leona) to interfere with Azul, and to get Kalim and Ortho to NRC?

Then there is Crowley's encouraging of Ace to battle Riddle, and it is not impossible for him to be the anonymous person who reported on the school's overblotters in Book 6.

Idia himself asks, "Could someone be inducing overblots on PURPOSE...?"

To return to the original question: Magical Wheels are a hobby that Deuce has in common with Epel, as both characters discover about each other in Book 5.

Epel and Vil bond (briefly) over a blastcycle in Epel's dorm vignette, and Deuce goes on a long monologue about the freedom of blastcycles to Ace:

"If you're ever feeling blue, you just get on a blaster and tune out the world...I haven't been able to since the first day of school."

This all ties back to an even wider theory about time loops: is Crowley reliving these scenarios over and over again, and granting Deuce and Epel the stress relief of a blastcycle club resulted in an undesirable ending?

If the freedom of their own club (and being able to confide in each other earlier on) resulted in them not going to the extremes that they did in Book 5 in order to escape Ace and Vil, it is possible that Deuce did not learn his unique magic in time to stop Vil.

And that fight on the beach that led to Deuce's UM? Was over a blastcycle!

To get Deuce and Epel down to that beach for that fight they had to be feeling stressed, trapped and desperate, to the point that they were willing to break campus rules (or were flustered to the point of forgetting the rules existed, in Deuce's case) to get there: and what better an opportunity than a long-awaited chance to finally ride one of the blastcycles they have both loved for years, but Crowley has been denying them?

No fight on the beach may have meant no UM for Deuce, which may have resulted in Vil winning the overblot fight and Crowley needing to reset the world in order to try again--and this time, without a Blastcycle club.

It is all theory and conjecture :> But very fun to think about!

[ryancane]

I am going to start on this now, nice and early. Taurie is not evil, and is a victim of severe abuse. Cults aren't just a spooky group with typically religious overtones, they are high control groups that can warp people's outlook on the world, ideology, and relationships, they are abusive by design. And they can get anyone under the right set of circumstances, it is not a mark of naivety to fall for it.

In Taurie's case, she was born into it and indoctrinated into it at a young age by her parents, and presumably her community. She was isolated from outsiders through frequent travel and homeschooling. And she got the most praise for living up to the desires the cult had for her, and her ability to traverse the Bleed without physical injury. Taurie did not have choices, nor did she have a way to know there was better out there for her.

And in the end, even with all that considered? She hesitated to kill Jordan, she displayed signs of dissociation, and ultimately we can't know for certain she would have actually gone through with it had the Fog not taken her. Two of three of her perks are also focused on helping other team members, even at cost to herself, and her quotes from these perks are encouraging towards her teammates and show that she is a selfless person.

I highly recommend reading the BITE Model of control in how it relates to cults if you're interested in expanding on her character or writing about her past.

[rustys-lodge]

Homeschooled

Requested by : anon :  Hi would you write a sis Winchester fic where sams homeschooling her?

Pairings : Sam/ sissy 

Warnings : none- just a bunch of cuteness

A/N : I am so so so so so sorry to whoever asked me to write this. I get so anxious about writing it drives me crazzy. 

------

You had just woken up when the door to your room flew open and a giant silhouette appeared at the door.

"Death..is that you ?" You groaned, your voice hoarse. "Wait, no… Death is short."

A soft snort filled the silence before the lights were turned on, causing you to painfully shut your eyes while a small shriek left your mouth. It was only 8 ammm..

"Get up, we have school." Sam walked over to your bed.

Your vision went black for a second as you rolled yoru eyes to the back of your head. Was he being serious ? 

 "Sammy." You sighed. "The one perk about homeschooling is the fact that we can do it WHEN EVER"

Your brother only smirked in response, sterness flooding his face right after a little smirked appeared.

"Come on.Get up.” 

You whined, rolling over before shrieking again when the the temperature suddenly changed and your body fully froze. Sam was taking the blanket off of you. 

You curled into a ball, watching him with disbelief. He watched back. 

“Get up.” Your older brother ordered this time. “ Dean's making breakfast."

Once downstairs, Dean greeted you with a big grin, waving over towards the table before he spoke. "Come on, girls. Breakfast is ready."

You smirked, dragging your feet over to the table, where plates of fuming bacon awaited. "Dean...that’s so disrespectful. Why do you keep saying girls when there's only one girl here." You point at Sam, earning yourself a good job smirk from Dean, as he is, as always, the one you learned all that from.

****

Finally done with breakfast, Sam whistled at you and you looked up. 

“To the library” He commanded and you rolled your eyes, again, slumping your shoulders and pouting, in an attempt to have him let you go. But he only stared at you in response. His eyes undefeated by your attempt. So you just got up, shifting your whole body to the main room. 

You plopped down on the chair, waiting as Sam picked up the books for the day. 

He’s usually the one to choose what subject to study, as you always choose the easiest for you, english. And although Sam is pretty serious about schooling you, he sometimes let you be, cracking a few jokes along the hours to ease up the process for you. 

‘What’s it going to be today ?” You asked half-heartedly, arms crossed over your chest and eyelids heavily sitting at a low level. But instead of verbally transmitting his thoughts, he instead tossed two books over your head, as he was standing right behind you.

Your heart skipped a beat and you jumped back, unconsciously flinching as the hard cover of the books made contact with the table, causing a loud thud to echo through the space. 

“Physics.” Sam responded. 

Really ? 

“You could’ve said that without so much drama.” You gripped the side of your chest, rubbing it gently as your pulse  steadied. Sam granted you a two second glare as he walked by before pulling back the chair beside you. 

And for the next few hours you had to learn about magnetism and electromagnetism…Something about Fleming’s left-hand rule and about how electric motors work. 

As you lost interest quickly, Sam had to improvise and explain other ways, multiple times. . He also had to yell at you to snap your mind back to earth. And just as if you hadn’t suffered enough, he assigned you a few exercises to see how much you learned. Unsurprisingly to you, it only took him two quick minutes of reading to sigh and rest his head against his palm. 

You learned nothing. 

And since you learned nothing from all the yelling you got, you suppressed a little laugh, causing a sudden change in Sam’s face. As his lips stood in a straight line. He was unamused, unlike you. 

“I’m going to pretend like today didn’t happen. Tomorrow we’ll do this again.” 

Your eyes lit up. “So we’re done ?” 

“Yeah, for today. Starting tomorrow we’ll double the hours. Maybe then you’ll start learning something;” 

Sam stood up from the chair and you just internally gasped. 

“Son of a bitch !.” 

----

I hope yall enjoy this one. ❤❤❤🌹🌹🌹

[didee-anne]

My poor kids. I wasn’t planning on getting out of the van during the language arts drop off so I didn’t bother putting clothes on before doing the carpool……. I ended up having to go inside and walk past several other parents. 😅😂

[static-impulse]

Harvey Dent & Two Face in the Reevesverse Headcanons

He and Bruce aren't childhood friends because Bruce was homeschooled.

I hc that he and Bruce met after the flood incident because Gotham is in need of a new DA. (I swear, my ears perked up when I heard that Gil Colson was a DA on my rewatch of the movie. Immediately I was like, "they better mention Harvey Dent because this is the perfect way to introduce him".)

Mayor Reál introduces them to each other at a party / fundraiser.

Harvey and Bruce are awkward for a while but after they talk more about how they want to change Gotham, they develop a bond with each other.

Harvey knows he has DID because of his Father's abuse and communicates with Harv.

They have a schedule about who uses the body on what day.

The reason why Harv is so aggressive is because he wants to protect themselves from danger. And how can you be in danger when you are the danger.

Harvey wants to enact justice the right and legal way because he knows it'll be worth it. Meanwhile Harv wants it to be done fast because "Justice doesn't spare time for the guilty."

Harvey and Harv admire what Batman does but both agree that wearing a leather bat costume beating up criminals at night seems a bit too tacky. (He wears half and half suits but they're a part of his theme, he says.)

He and Gilda married early, a few years after they graduated college.

He and Gilda eventually got divorced because they realized they're too different for each other.

Now they're on friendly terms and have coffee meetings from time to time.

Harvey has a crush on Bruce while Harv wants to marry him on the spot because who wouldn't want to marry a man who shares the same dreams of changing the world as you.

After the acid incident, his DID gets revealed to the public and the media portrays him as a "Two faced lawyer".

They call themselves Two Face because "If it's two face they want, it's Two Face they get."

Two Face gets portrayed as a crime boss, which he is but he doesn't harm civilians. Only those who are corrupt, thieves, abusers. Those kinds of people.

He may be a criminal, but that doesn't mean his goal is completely changed. He still wants to change Gotham for the better, It's just done differently now.

[maknaesdancersrappers]

devoted 2.

part 12.

Overall warning/s: kinkier smut (eg. voyeurism, exhibitionism, etc.) character death, dark themes

Chapter warning/s: vulgar language, violence

Just how devoted is Jaehyun to you?

prev: part 11

wc: 7.3k

“You’re absolutely glowing, [Y/N]!” Jaehyun’s mom teased, “Are you two expecting?”

You almost spat out the Bloody Mary Yebin prepared for the housewarming party. 

“N-no. We don’t have plans.” You met Jaehyun’s eyes across the kitchen and smiled, “Not yet, at least.”

Your mom reminded them about how you insist on not wanting to be pregnant during the wedding and all the women started to agree. Meanwhile, you thought about the reason behind your supposed glow. Aside from being surrounded by people you love, you’d like to blame the sex marathon. It’s been a week since you and Jaehyun had moved in and when he said he’d have you two bless each surface... He meant it.

The party had been unintentionally separated between sexes; the men were outside on the patio, helping the dads out with the barbeque and talking about businesses, while you lounged inside the kitchen with the women, sipping on daytime cocktails Yebin had whipped up, discussing wedding details.

“Kyungwon, you should definitely come to the bachelorette party.” Minkyung said after wiping her lips with a napkin. They’ve met before but never really held a proper conversation until today. “Unless you’re not single.”

“I’m pathetically single.” Kyungwon fake cried, biting on her fork. “You would think working in a male dominated company would get a girl a man. But are we surprised they’re all jerks?”

“I had the same thoughts while working with male models!” Minkyung sighed, “They’re more high maintenance than I am.”

Yebin leaned in closer, “That’s saying a lot.”

Everyone laughed as Minkyung huffed at her, scrunching her nose with a pout.

“I can set you two up with my nephews, if you’d like.” Jaehyun’s mom waved, “They used to play with Jaehyun as a child and I’d like to think they got along swimmingly. Oh, let’s ask him.”

Jaehyun had stepped into the room with a tray of freshly grilled beef, sliced into thin strips. He smiled at everyone as he set the food down on the table.

“Jaehyun, sweetie, do you remember your cousins Gunho and Minho?”

He was on his way to your seat but stopped behind your mom, “The twins? I do. They’re weird.”

“Jaehyun!” His mom scolded, “That’s not very nice. I wanted to set them up with Minkyung and Kyungwon.”

“Well, my only memories of them were from when I was a child. I heard they’re both hotel managers at Lotte.” He resumed his little journey towards you and leaned down to kiss your head, “I’m not really close to anyone from your side of the family, mother.”

This made her heave a sigh, “You always liked Yunho and Sooyeon more. Regardless, they’re wonderful young men. Tell me if either of you are interested.”

“Don’t let my comment throw you off. They were weird back then because they were homeschooled until they finally entered high school. They were inseparable, but I’ve encountered them a couple of times last year and they’ve definitely matured.”

“I’m down for a little blind date.” Minkyung perked up from her seat, glancing at Kyungwon, “A double blind date sounds fun.”

“Definitely! Sign us up, Mrs. Jung.” Kyungwon raised her glass up and Minkyung clinked hers against it.

There’s an audible phone vibration by you and Jaehyun stuck his hand in his pocket to peek at his phone.

“Ah,” He said, “Yuta’s here. I’ll go meet him.”

In the corner of your eye, you saw Kyungwon flinch as she took a swig of her cocktail, covering up with an excuse of drinking too much when asked if she was okay. You wiped your mouth and stood up, “Let me go with you.”

Jaehyun held your hand as you walked towards the foyer and you chuckled.

“Excuse me sir, I’m not going to get lost here.” You nudge your shoulder against him, “I’m quite familiar with the place now, no thanks to you.”

He laughed, pulling your hand up to his lips to kiss your knuckles. “Are you sure? I think we should go another round just to make sure you know your way around.”

“A round?” You emphasized with a scoff, “It’s never a single round with you.”

“Are you complaining, ma’am?”

“Not at all.” You hummed, giggling to yourself. 

Jaehyun opened the door for you and you both stepped out on the porch. It was still empty because you haven’t found a nice lounge set that you liked that matched the outdoor lighting fixtures you had installed. 

The driveway is still too big for you, but there’s nothing you can really do about it. It still astounds you that you live in a gated property that could probably hold a small village. If your parents weren’t so sentimental about their home, you would be saving up to buy them a new one.

A yellow Lamborghini pulled up to the driveway and Yuta rolled the window down to wave before proceeding to park on the side with the other guests’ cars. He exited his car with a wrapped box in hand and cheekily grinned at you.

“I said no gifts!” You scolded, but still accepted the box after he held it out towards you.

“It feels wrong to attend a housewarming party empty handed.” Yuta shook Jaehyun’s hand firmly and shrugged. “I had it brought straight from Japan yesterday.”

You curiously opened the box and gasped at the glittering gold.

“We call it ‘kintsukuroi’, the art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The dish itself was made by one of the top ceramicists of Japan but a mishap in handling had shattered it and it was mended by a famous kintsugi restorer.”

“It’s beautiful.” You unconsciously held onto the box tighter. It already had a history of breaking and you wouldn’t want to destroy such a masterpiece. “Thank you, Yuta. Please come in.”

Both men let you go in first as they talked briefly about business, something you don’t bother listening into. You stopped by the floating shelf in the foyer to unwrap the gift and gently place it by the bronze dish where Jaehyun placed the car keys. It was too wide to be a vase, but you can visualize a water lily in it.

Jaehyun had already introduced Yuta to everyone and you noticed Kyungwon avoiding eye contact with him, although the latter didn’t seem to care about the apprehension. They excused themselves to join the rest of the men out back and you sat yourself back at the table after discarding the gift box.

“Not to be a bitch,” Yebin started, “But I don’t like his vibes.”

“Yeb!” Minkyung scolded, “You literally just met him!”

“All my accumulated experiences with men tell me to hate him.” She shrugged, “But, hey, it’s just me. I’m not gonna be rude to him or anything, sheesh.”

Kyungwon seemed to open her mouth to say something but in the last second, brought up her glass to her lips.

You shook your head at Yebin, “He’s a good man.”

“And,” Jaehyun’s mother chimed in, “He’s leading his company into total domination of Seoul’s cyber security needs — to think he’s a foreigner! It’s quite commendable. Nakamoto Tech will dominate Asia by next year.”

“And after signing a contract with me, they’ll be penetrating the US market soon as well.” Johnny entered the room with the other men, signaling all the meat has been grilled and lunch is ready.

“Sounds like you’ll have the world in your very palm.” Minkyung commented with a smirk before playfully asking, “Are you, perhaps, single?”

They all laugh at this and Yuta’s eyes crinkled as he looks over at her, “Unfortunately so.”

The men settled themselves in after setting the dishes filled with an assortment of meat and veggies.

“I don’t have the time to exert myself into a relationship right now, but please, enough about me, it’s not my housewarming party.” Yuta cleared his throat, nodding his head at Jaehyun and at you, “The house’s design and architecture are phenomenal.”

This brought the topic of the conversation on your inspiration behind the interior designing and you’re launched into a mini spiel that you did your best to make sure they would understand. You get a little flustered when they ask for a tour, curious about the master bedroom, and you internally panic about whether or not you remembered to close the curtains into the shower.

For once, you’re thankful that your mom switched the topic to kids when she asked about the possible nursery and you were able to redirect their interest in seeing the room for that instead.

Most of your guests have left already, except Minkyung, Yebin, and Kyungwon, who enjoyed each other’s company and took their conversation up to the second floor living area, where you set up the indoor fire pit for them. 

You quickly changed into something a little more comfortable before joining them and Minkyung handed you your glass.

“You really did a great job with the house, [Y/N].” She sighed, dreamily looking around the open area. “I wonder when I’ll be ready to settle down to have my own. I’ll need to be an S+ tier model to afford anything remotely similar.”

“The offer to meet my cousins is still open.” Jaehyun joked from the top of the stairs, holding a charcuterie board in one hand and a party pack of chips in the other. “Here you go, ladies, something to eat with your drinks.”

“Damn, a car-coochie board?” Yebin sarcastically exclaimed, grabbing a slice of cheese once he set the board down by the fire pit.

“That’s not how you pronounce it, Kang.”

“I know it’s charcuterie, Jung. Learn to take a joke— damn, and here I thought you’re ready to settle down but you’re still so uptight.”

“I am ready to settle down!”

“Please don’t argue!” You interrupted their banter by raising both hands, as if to separate them, “I’m starting to get a headache.”

Jaehyun glared at Yebin before leaning down to kiss your head, “You ladies enjoy the rest of the night, I’m going to finish up some work in the meantime.”

“Good night, Jae!” Minkyung and Kyungwon wave at him while Yebin snarkily nods at him.

After Jaehyun left, Kyungwon turned to Yebin and hummed, “Do you not get along with Jaehyun?” 

“Oh, Jung and I go way back.” She snorted, “Long story short, I hated him back then, and I’m just tolerating him now because of [Y/N].”

“Did you guys date or—”

Yebin visibly gagged at the suggestion, “Not in any lifetime, girl. I just didn’t like him or his friends... Actually, maybe I just hated his friends. They were trouble; it’s good he’s cut them off.”

This reminded you of the therapy session you had with him; how his friends were nothing but bad fuel for his mental health. You can’t help but wonder who they were though. How bad was bad?

“Let me guess, they were a bunch of fuckboys?”

Snorting, Yebin took a swig of her wine as if it was a shot, “Their parents wished they were just fuckboys. They were dealing drugs before even hitting sophomore year and a sex ring before they graduated. They only kept getting off the hook because of the power of their parents in society, but there’s only so much daddy and mommy could do while they’re underaged. I’m pretty sure one of them got a taste of real jail time the moment he turned 21… I think his name was Hajun or something. He was like the leader of the group.”

“Oh my god… does that mean Jaehyun did drugs before?” Minkyung placed a hand on her clavicle in shock, “I would have never guessed in a million years.”

“Yeah, he told me about it.” You quietly confessed, “He wasn’t proud of who he was when he was in high school.”

“Damn.” Yebin drawled, “He told you? Shit, [Y/N], you really do have him wrapped around your finger if he told you about his dirty past. Good for you… and him.”

The corner of your lip lifted upwards in an appreciative half smile.

“So how about you, Kyungwon?” She redirected her attention to your former co-worker.

“Me?”

“What’s your deal with Nakamoto?”

Kyungwon’s face instantaneously turned red, but she shook her head in denial, “Nothing. What do you mean?”

“Oh, please,” Minkyung tossed her hair with a flick of a wrist over her shoulder, “The negative vibes you were directing towards him was intense. Same vibes when a model comes in for a shoot and had a nasty fight with the photographer who she’s having an affair with the night before.”

To Kyungwon, the scenario sounded awfully specific; but you and Yebin knew from Minkyung’s stories that it’s quite a common occurrence in her industry.

“Ooh,” Yebin shimmied her shoulders, “You’re sleeping with Nakamoto?”

She released a heavy sigh, glancing at you for a brief second before shrugging her shoulders, “Yeah? I mean, it was only meant to be like a one night stand, but then it just kept happening. So we made it clear that this was strictly only a physical relationship, but…”

“You caught feelings?” Minkyung already looked apathetic as she offered her guess.

“No,” Kyungwon adamantly shook her head, “He could be passionate one night and then completely uninterested the next time around — like he was just doing it for the sake of doing it. Do you get what I mean? Like I want to pleasure and be pleasured, but instead it felt like I was used and wasn’t even doing shit right.”

She grabbed the wine off the table to refill her glass before gulping half of it down. “I tried to tell him, too! And you know what he did? He dismissed it and said it was all in my head! [Y/N], remember our last day working for him? When I stayed back at his loft, we really did have a call with his sister regarding the kotatsu, and I thought he wanted to break in his new bed but guess what? He had another woman coming over already and tried kicking me out after I confronted him!”

“Oh my gosh, Kyung.” You gasped, feeling hurt for her.

“I understand we’re not exclusive, but that was so rude.”

“And gaslighting!” Yebin exploded, “My guts were right. He just oozes toxicity and bad news.”

“At least you guys ended things — both contract and FWB relationship.” Minkyung reached out to hold her hand, “Let’s set that blind date with Jaehyun’s cousins, yeah?”

Kyungwon chuckled at this, “If they’re anything like Jaehyun, count me in. Imagine having a man who would do anything for you and treat you like a queen. Ugh, I hope it runs in the blood.”

You let out an awkward laugh, grabbing the chips Jaehyun brought up. If they were from his mom’s side, then they should be clear from the possibility of having BPD, right? You ripped the top off the sour cream and onion flavored chips and almost immediately wretched at the smell hitting your senses. You threw the bag aside and lurched forward, cupping your mouth to stop yourself from actually vomiting.

“[Y/N], what the fuck? Are you okay?” Yebin, seated beside you, was already running a hand on your back.

“I-I think. That just smelled… disgusting.” The scent lingered in the air so you clamped it closed with your other hand.

She gave you a weird, incredulous look, “You literally love sour cream and onion.”

“Maybe these are bad.”

Minkyung walked over to inspect the bag herself and shook her head, “They don’t expire until next year.”

She even took a chip out and the clear, crisp sound was a telltale that it was fresh. “It tastes just fine, too.”

You held out your hand to take another whiff, maybe caught off guard about thinking of BPD, but still when the salty, sour fumes hit your nostrils, you reeled back and vigorously shook your head. “Nope. It smells off.”

Your best friends share a look, even glancing back at Kyungwon, who shared the same expression as them.

“Are you pregnant?” Minkyung asked under her breath, leaning forward a bit.

“What?” You scoffed, “No, I have an IUD. I’m having it removed just before the wedding.”

Yebin moved her hand from your back to your shoulder, “Babe, there’s still that sliver of chance to get pregnant even with implants. As my OB says, the only foolproof contraception is ligation.”

“Just take a test tomorrow or something.” Minkyung shrugged her shoulders, “There’s no harm in it.”

“I suppose.” You bit your lip as you considered their suggestion. You couldn’t possibly be pregnant, right? “I’ll pick up a PT while running errands tomorrow.”

“Are you going to tell Jae?”

You shook your head, “He’s so busy. It could just be a false alarm and it would just get his hopes up.”

Kyungwon chimed in, “And if it’s positive?”

There is no sliver of certainty in you that you were pregnant at the moment. It was just impossible. Yebin was right, however; your OB did tell you that IUD’s are 99% effective and that leaves that one percent chance, that incredibly small window of opportunity for you to get pregnant. It would be a risky pregnancy if it were true. You halfheartedly shrugged your shoulders, “Surprise him, I guess.”

“I have a gift for you.”

You paused from putting away your work materials into the cabinets of your home office and looked up at the doorway where Jaehyun sheepishly grinned at you.

“Is there an occasion?”

“No.”

“Jaehyun,” You started, closing your eyes as you took a deep breath, “I know gift giving is your love language, but if this is something other than flowers, you need to stop. We just moved in; we haven’t completely settled in.” You gestured to the filled boxes that contained portfolios of your previous works.

He pouted his lips, lower lip jutting out adorably at your words. “But you’ve complained about this before. Besides, I technically told you about getting this before.”

“I have?” Your interest is piqued.

Jaehyun walked forward and held out his hand to you, helping you up from your seat. He kisses your forehead, “Once, verbally. All the other times, your face gave it away.”

He walked you out of the office area of the house and towards the hallway that led to the garage. Considering his little hint, you were a little dismayed that it wasn’t a puppy. What could he have hidden in the garage while you were busy in your office?

Opening the door, you were both greeted by his most prized possession, his Lamborghini.

“We both know it’s not a family friendly car, so I thought I might as well buy one now—”

“You’re replacing your lambo?”

“No.” Jaehyun said a little too adamantly, his free hand jolting forward to hover over his car. “Never. This is my baby.”

You cocked a brow at him, “I thought I was your baby.”

His cheeks flared red as he whips his face towards you, looking like a deer caught in headlights. “You are,” He licked his lips, “I-I would easily choose you over it.”

The shakiness of his voice makes you want to laugh and you’re not mad at his hesitancy because you found it cute. “I’m just joking, Jae. I would never make you choose between me and your car. I know how much you love it.”

“But I love you more, you know that right.”

You chuckled, grabbing his face to pull him down for a quick kiss, “Always.”

He leaned down for one more kiss before leading you to the other side of his car. You never really questioned why the garage had enough space for 5 cars and always assumed it was for guests, but today you see why.

Your jaw dropped at the sight of the sleek, metallic silver car sitting prettily on the far end of the garage. As Jaehyun led you closer, you spy the logo in front of the car and you skid to a stop.

“Is that a Tesla?”

“It’s more family friendly, yeah?”

Ah, of course. Family friendly does not mean budget friendly for a Jung. 

He dug into his pocket and fished out two sets of keys, handing one to you. “We each have keys.”

“It’s been awhile since I drove a car.” You confessed, running your thumb over the key. It wasn’t just because you didn’t have a car on your own; you could have bought a car for yourself if you wanted to, but Jaehyun always insisted on driving for you or having the family driver pick you up.

Jaehyun grinned at you, “Wanna take it out for a test drive?”

“I would love that.”

He gestured for you to go ahead and you giddily made your way to the driver’s side, opening the door so carefully in fear as if it were made with the most fragile material on earth. You sat yourself inside while Jaehyun sidled himself into the passenger’s seat and buckled his seatbelt, admiring the high quality interior.

Jaehyun pressed a button that dangled with his keys and the garage door opened behind you. He patiently waited for you to check out all the new specs a Tesla had in comparison to other cars and when you finally turned the ignition on, you mumbled a prayer to yourself while backing out of the garage.

Even though it was spacious and an actual child can easily reverse a car out, you were quite relieved at the feat. Once you successfully got the car out, you glanced at Jaehyun, “Uh, where do we go?”

“Anywhere. Just get a feel of the car.” His eyes flit downward, “Please put your seatbelt on, babe.”

“Oh!” You bashfully exclaimed, doing as he says immediately. After hearing the click, you breathed in deeply and lightly pressed on the gas.

Slowly, you started to remember everything about driving and your entire body just went on auto-pilot. As you neared the gate, you see Jooheon pop his upper body out of the guard house and waved at you while the gates parted for you to pass through.

You gave a little wave back while Jaehyun tipped his head in acknowledgement as you drove past them.

The area you lived in was an elitist subdivision sitting on a luscious, but gated three acre land. From what you’ve observed going in and out, you only passed by a handful of other mansions and each property was greatly distanced from one another. There was this cliff that you spotted from the community’s gate and you remembered seeing a few cars passing by so you were sure there was a road nearby it.

“You’re doing great.” Jaehyun offered, glancing at his wristwatch.

“Thanks.” You sighed, “Are you supposed to be somewhere? I can try and take you there.”

“I’m not needed anywhere until 5 PM. So you’re free to take me anywhere you want until then.”

“I’d like to see the view from up that cliff.” You nodded your head towards the direction of the cliff. “I bet the view is amazing.”

Jaehyun peered out of his window to where you pointed and hummed, “Alright. Maybe the next right turn after this would lead up there; this leads to the governor’s property.”

You opened your mouth, about to exclaim about your neighbor’s identity, but withheld it. You would rather keep your attention on the road and you have a sneaking suspicion that the governor isn’t just the only big time neighbor you have.

“You’re driving just fine, babe. I don’t know what you were worried about.”

“Muscle memory, I guess?”

“You still have the bodyguards to drive you around if you don’t feel like it, alright? I just want to give you this freedom.”

The corner of your lip quirked upwards. “Freedom?”

He gave you a tense smile, “That’s how Dr. Jeon phrased it. Giving you freedom to do certain things that usually makes me uneasy can earn your trust.”

“Well, I appreciate it very much, Jaehyun.” You cooed, momentarily driving slower to give him a sincere grin. “I already trust you, you know that.”

“And I trust you…” He paused, “That’s why I should tell you that I have to attend a 2 week-long conference in England in a few weeks.”

“Oh.”

“Normally, I would have invited you to come with me but it falls on the same dates you have scheduled to meet with contractors for your new company.” The sound of disappointment is heavy in the tone of his voice. “I would send a proxy in my place—”

“No, Jaehyun. It’s fine. I can handle it. You hired a hundred bodyguards to watch over me—”

“I hired you two.” He huffed, and you chuckled at him.

“Yes, but with how closely they watch over me, it feels like a hundred.” You shrugged your shoulders. “The girls can also sleepover if they aren’t too busy if that would put your mind at ease. I’m sure my mom would love to stay over as well. I’ll be fine, baby.”

He heaved a heavy sigh, “I know you will be. I’m just… being cautious… your stalker…”

“They haven’t sent anything recently.”

“Only because,” Jaehyun’s lips pursed, “Only because I don’t let you know. There are flowers every other day arriving at the gate. There were a few bugged items like toys and keychains.”

Your fingers trembled as you gripped the steering wheel. “Bugged?”

“Installed cameras, microphones, and even tracking devices.” His voice dropped to sneer. “The manufacturer of the tech is unknown and it can’t be traced back to any company. Even the transmitters installed all just lead to a burner PC.”

The frustration was clear in his voice and you don’t know how to console him when you couldn’t even console yourself. All this time you thought it was a prank and the coast was clear but Jaehyun had been protecting you from it.

The entire ride was silent until you managed to drive up the hill and see a curb in the road that’s large enough for you to park in.

As you slowed to a stop and turned the car off, Jaehyun took your hand and kissed it.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, [Y/N]. But I also didn’t want to hide that fact for too long. You were just so happy the past week about moving in and the housewarming that I couldn’t bring myself to report those to you.”

“I’m really glad you waited to tell me after the celebration… But moving forward, I think I would like to be updated with these kinds of things, okay?”

“Of course, baby.” He kissed your knuckles again, “Would you like Jooheon or Hyunwoo to report it to you while I’m away?”

It makes you anxious to think you would have to deal with this stalker by yourself while Jaehyun was away. What were the chances this person already knew Jaehyun would be gone? Surely there’s a contingency plan for when the worst happens. 

“Yes, please.”

“Alright. Now, reverse park this baby. We can open up the back and lounge for a while.”

It took you less than three minutes to follow his directions and once you parked for good, you both made your way out to open the back. The air felt fresher with all the greenery and tall trees covering the hillside. You appreciate the view for a few seconds before turning to see Jaehyun opening the back of the car and pulling up the passenger seats to make room for both of you to sit on the floor.

He ushered you inside and followed suit once you did. 

“There’s a special mattress we can get that fits exactly for this space. It hasn’t come in yet, but once we get it, we can get some pillows and a blanket, and it’ll be as cozy as home.” Jaehyun stretched his arm outwards and you scooted closer to lay your head on his shoulder.

“I like this.” You hummed, sinking into his side as his arm curled around you. “We’ve both been busy and our schedules are hectic; it’s nice to have quiet time like this.”

He pressed his face into your hair, breathing deeply. “I do, too. Hopefully we’ll have more time to ourselves soon. Let’s savor this moment, yeah?”

You wrapped yourself around his torso, letting out almost something akin to a purr as you cuddled his side.

You wished life was this simple; no stalkers, no old money, no reporters watching over you, no big company to inherit. Jaehyun could have just been a simple businessman instead of being Korea’s biggest chaebol. You two could have been living in a small apartment, complaining about taxes and rent. Of course, having the lifestyle you have right now that Jaehyun had provided is something you’ll always be grateful for, it would just be nice to have it simpler.

“This is dangerous.” Jaehyun sighed, “I want to fall asleep right now.”

Your eyes flitted through the spaciousness of the car and smiled to yourself. “I can wake you up.”

You moved your hand from his waist and down towards his zipper. With the way he adjusted his hips while you unzipped his pants, you pulled your head back to knowingly grin at him.

“What?” He feigned, “I’m not gonna turn down getting head from you.”

“Hmm.” You hummed, leaning to kiss his lips while your hand made work of releasing his half-hard cock from its confines. You let his tongue in your mouth, savoring the bitter aftertaste of the coffee you personally brewed for him this morning. Your fist slowly pumped his entire length, encouraging it to grow harder and harder with every slow flick of your wrist.

Jaehyun groaned and you took it as a sign to move your head down, capturing his erection with your lips and fully taking him into your mouth without hesitation. He lightly bucked his hips upwards but you held one of his legs down. 

As you bobbed your head up and down at a slow pace, he gathered your hair for you to hold it back behind your neck. A breeze blew by and it reminded you that you were outside, although inside the car. It makes you think about the chances of being seen; if you were able to see the cliffside on the main road, then surely anybody passing by who happened to be looking out will see it too. No one could possibly identify you two, but there are chances of being caught — and it excites you to the point you feel damp down there.

Your mouth left him with a string of saliva sticking down your chin as you raised your eyes up at him, silently begging for something.

“Baby?” He breathed out, letting go of your hair to wipe the saliva off your chin.

You scrambled on top of him, “I need you inside me.” You softly cried like a spoiled child.

You’ve learned to wear dresses more often since moving into your new home. Easier access. Best for quickies. His hands are on your waist, holding you up while you push your panties to the side and lined the tip of his cock against your entrance.

“Easy, baby.” Jaehyun whispered, fighting back your urge to drop yourself on his dick. “You’re gonna hurt yourself.”

With how wet you are, you thought to yourself, he’s going to slide right in.

And you were right; he lowered you onto himself and his cock just slipped in, filling you inch by inch until you were completely sat on his lap. You let out a little moan and shiver of delight; a small jolt of pleasure coursed through you at how full you felt.

Jaehyun pulled the front of your day dress down, exposing one of your breasts to him, and he gave it a little squeeze. You whimpered, arching your back to give him more access. He kissed your neck, licking down your clavicle until he reached your nipple, latching his mouth onto it like a suckling infant. His hands guided your hips up and down his shaft while also kneading your ass with his fingers.

You let out a loud moan, knowing no one could hear you from the cliffs. 

“You feel so good, baby.” He groaned against your chest, “Do you feel good?”

“So good.” You gasped, “Faster.”

“Anything for you, baby.” Jaehyun scooted himself farther so he’s practically pushing the front seats with his back and planted both his feet firmly on the car floor. He bucked his hips upward, sending you to bounce on his dick and inevitably bumping your head on the roof but the pleasure that shot through you overpowered the miniscule pain.

You moaned again, lurching forward and grabbing his shoulders for support. He relentlessly repeated the actions of his hips, edging you closer and closer to the edge. Your back started to hurt but you literally couldn’t bring yourself to tell Jaehyun about it.

“Wait.” You managed to croak out and he stopped. You were about to complain, wanting to correct your statement but in one fell swoop, you’re on your back with your hair dangling out the car.

He’s managed to switch positions without leaving inside of you — damn, you thought. You two couldn’t do that in his lambo.

Jaehyun kissed you and you embraced his shoulders as he started to pound into you again. The entire car was vigorously shaking now; surely someone will know what you two were up to now. And the idea of it just fueled your pleasure. He swallowed your moans, replying with low grunts with every thrust he made. Your legs locked behind his hips and it sent him into overdrive, picking up his pace and going faster to push both of you over the edge.

His phone suddenly rang at the front of the car and it brought you back to your senses. You thought he would stop to answer it, but he didn’t.

“J-Jae—”

“Shhh, I’m so close.” He buried his head into the crook of your neck, “I’m so close.”

“I am, too.” You admitted, cradling his head. “I’m about to come.”

Jaehyun groaned loudly, emptying himself inside of you. You could feel the warmth filling you up. 

But he doesn’t stop. He’s still hard, picking up the pace of his thrusts to help you over the edge. He sat up, rubbing his thumb over your clit until you’re crying, coming undone beneath him.

He fell forward, landing on his forearms to hold himself above you. His breathing was just as harsh as yours as both of you tried to catch them, unsynchronized and heavy. You looked up at him, his face flushed and dripping with sweat. It was then you realized how hot it was inside the car despite the back being open. He gave you a lazy smile, the familiar look of love evident in his eyes.

“I’m very awake now, thank you.”

You laughed, cupping his cheeks. You could feel his semen gush out of you as he slowly pulled out. “We should get going, no?”

“We should.” He looked down at his clothes, the light blue shirt now a deeper shade after soaking in the sweat. “I have to change clothes.”

“Orrrr,” You purred, “We can take a quick shower together to wash this sweat off.”

A wicked smile came over Jaehyun’s face, “Oh, you little vixen.”

Your muscles throbbed a bit as you stretched your body upwards after washing the dishes. Jaehyun got held back at work so you had to eat dinner by yourself. Your day wasn’t as eventful but you managed to set up meetings for possible contractors and suppliers for your new design agency. 

Your phone chimed, seeing an incoming message from Jooheon. 

‘Ma’am, there’s another set of flowers for you. Sir Jaehyun had told us to inform you about anything new regarding this matter.’

You took a deep breath, ringing his number and waiting for him to pick it up.

“Good evening, Ma’am.”

“Good evening, Jooheon.” You swallowed, “New flowers came in just now?”

“Yes, Ma’am.”

“No card? No name of sender?”

“None at all, Ma’am. The courier is different every time and we could never trace back the order.”

You instinctively hugged yourself and breathed in deeply.

“Ma’am?”

“Yes, uhm… Dispose of it.” You cleared your throat, throwing a glance out the window. The garden lights are on but anything beyond it is pitched black. “Jooheon, would you mind… patrolling the area? Is that the right term? Just go around the property — especially near the house.”

“Yes, of course, ma’am. Anything to put you at ease. I’ll go right away.”

“Thank you, Jooheon.”

“Enjoy the rest of your evening, ma’am.”

Once you put your phone away, the house suddenly felt too big. You didn’t have a safe room, you realized. Nowhere to run when you feel unsafe or a place you hide during emergencies. Maybe you should have included a panic room when building the house.

Your stomach churned and you felt like throwing up. Your paranoia had morphed into physical sickness, a lump of acid rising up your throat. Swallowing hard, you forced it down and breathed in deeply. You put a hand on your forehead - you weren’t possibly coming down with something, are you? You have meetings with suppliers and potential partners one after the other in the coming weeks. This isn’t the time to get sick, even with just a plain cough.

Your phone rang, giving you just the slightest scare. But as soon as you saw the caller ID, you smiled.

“Jaehyun.” You sighed, rubbing a hand over your chest to soothe your heart. “Are you on your way home?”

“I’m half an hour away, baby. Are you okay? Has Jooheon reported to you?”

“He has and I’m fine. Just… just a little uneasy, but getting better. I had them go around the area of the house to check.” You started to walk up the stairs, “I’m gonna run a bath. Drive safely, okay?”

“You’re not going to wait for me?” Jaehyun whined, the softest chuckle following afterwards.

“Well maybe if you had gone home earlier, I could’ve waited for you. But not tonight, I can’t wait to soak in a nice, hot, soapy bath - especially after that little escapade with the new car.”

“Fine.” He grumbled, “Enjoy yourself, baby. But not too much. I’ll be there soon.”

You ended the call laughing, shaking your head in disbelief as if he could see you. You were already perched by the bathtub, waiting to get off the phone before running the bath. After putting your phone away, you closed off the drain and opened the cold tap. With a little hum of a random song, you reached for a scented candle Minkyung had gotten you as a housewarming gift. Peony and Blush Suede; this should go well with the new bubble bar you’ve been meaning to use. You lit the candle with the electronic lighter that came with Minkyung’s gift and set it aside.

As you went over to where you kept your Lush stash, you couldn’t help but release a deep sigh. The thought of having a stalker was still nagging at the back of your mind no matter what you did to distract yourself. You couldn’t fathom why you would even have one. It’s more likely it’s someone who has a grudge on Jaehyun, but even he doesn’t know who would stoop so low to bring in an innocent bystander to a petty business issue. 

You grabbed the purple bubble bar from the container, read the wrapping, and snorted to yourself. Worry Monster, it said. “I probably am.” You quietly admitted.

Going back over to the tub, you changed the temperature to something a little more warm and unwrapped the bar. You held it under the running water, slowly massaging the bar to lather it until you gripped it a little harder to fully crumble.

The lavender scent is lovely, just enough to alleviate the stress of tonight’s happenings. This house was built for you by Jaehyun. No one knows the ins and outs of this structure aside from you (and of course the amazing architects and engineers you worked with) but regardless, you know it’s safe. You have security personnel just a minute away if you need them with intercom systems in every room. You glanced over to the one installed in the bathroom; it’s just there, you reminded yourself.

The tub is almost half filled with water and the surface is practically covered with bubbles already. The water isn’t at the temperature you wanted so you turned the temperature knob higher. You stripped your clothes off and hopped into the shower to scrub down real quick. By the time you were done, the water was just perfect.

You eased yourself in, audibly moaning at the warmth enveloping your body as you sat down.

“Did you just get in?”

You gasped, twisting your torso towards the source of the voice. “Jesus! Did you speed home?”

Jaehyun grinned, guilt evident on your face. “To be fair, there wasn’t much traffic.”

“Well, if you want to get in, you go and scrub yourself down in the shower first.” You huffed, leaning back and closing your eyes. You can hear the soft patter of his feet going across the tiles of the bathroom but the sound of the shower - or even the shuffling of clothes - came afterwards.

You opened your eyes to see Jaehyun is seated on the edge of the tub, softly gazing down at you.

“I actually have some more work to do that I’d rather do here so you wouldn’t be alone.” He spoke so quietly in a tone that sounded more apologetic and regretful.

“I…” You blinked at him, “I really appreciate that, baby. Thank you.”

An overwhelming urge to cry came over you and you cleared your throat to choke it down. You were touched. When you both discovered about the stalker, Jaehyun’s initial response was to leave you and find the stalker himself. Now, just the news of having flowers delivered to you has him packing up work and bringing it home to make sure you’re not alone.

“I love you.”

He cocked his head to the side and moved to sit on the floor to be eye level with you. “I love you, too.”

You leaned over to kiss him, getting his cheek wet when you brought your hand to cup his face.

“Have you eaten? I can make you something after this bath.” You whispered after pulling away.

“I can do it myself. You just soak up and enjoy your time, baby. By the way,” Jaehyun’s voice got lower to change the tone of the conversation. “I have business in China with Sicheng’s company. I tried to have them fly here, but they refused.”

“I’ll be fine, Jaehyun.” You already knew where this was going. “Sicheng’s company is one of your oldest and most important partners. Aren’t they the ones that preside over the Chinese branches of the casino? If you need to go over there, then go.”

He sighed, “The thing is, it might take awhile. There’s… political tension between the branches. It’s a whole mess. Sicheng’s going out of his mind in trying to soothe it out.” He chuckled, “We’re hoping the business proposals we’ll hand them can be some sort of truce between the parties.”

“How long… is a while?”

“A week? Two weeks at most.” He mumbled, visibly saddened by the thought of leaving you for so long.

“I’ll be fine. I can have my mom keep me company, maybe yours’ too. I know Minkyung is planning to take a short break from work soon, as well.” You assured him, kissing his cheek. “I’ll be fine.”

Jaehyun nodded, “Alright. But just to be clear, I’m booking the next flight out if anything happens.”

You scoffed, playfully flicking water at his face. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

a/n: an early gift from me to yall for my bday uwu

next: part 13

[your-mommy-ems]

homeschooling perks: I wanted to spontaneously make brownies today. asked my mum if i could she told me to make two batches (one with a slightly altered recipe) and told me to see if there was any differences between the two. that was my school work today

and bonus: BROWNIES

not so bonus: the burn on my finger thats swelled up :)

[queenjunothegreat]

Hello, everyone!!! Who wants to be sad??? I apparently did because I wrote this. Always a good day when I get to write about how much I fucking hate Beryl Grace tho! Anywho, moving on!

And now here we have day five: And That Will Be Enough

“Your hair’s getting long again,” Leo commented quietly. “We’re gonna have to cut it soon.” Jason just grunted and pressed his face harder into Leo’s stomach. Leo sighed. “Jace, you know I haven’t gotten the whole Professor X telepathy helmet perfected yet. You gotta talk to me.” Jason was silent for a long time. If it were anyone else, Leo would have gotten frustrated, but Jason always chose his words very carefully. “Estelle’s two years old now.” “She is,” Leo agreed, not really sure where this was going, but willing to follow Jason anywhere. Jason squeezed Leo tighter. “She’s– She’s so little.” “She is.” Jason went silent again, and Leo almost couldn’t breathe for the tension that hung thick in the air. Then, in a small, fragile voice that Leo knew from his own experiences whispering about his sins in a confessional booth, Jason said, “I was two when my– When I joined Lupa’s pack. D’you think I was that little?” *** Jason and Leo go to Estelle's second birthday party, which brings up some memories. Turns out being abandoned in a park leaves a mark Ao3 Anniversary Collection Day 5: Parents

Through a series of coincidences that were in no way any fault of their own, Leo and Jason never got around to meeting Estelle until she was two years old. Piper had gotten to meet her (apparently being rich and homeschooled came with its perks) but convincing the faculty of Edgarton to just let two of its students go galavanting across the country to see a baby had been a little too difficult for even Piper’s charm. Then, of course, summer had rolled around and they meant to go see her, but Jason had been unceremoniously slapped with Quest Duty from his dear old dad, Leo had managed to break his leg, and the Jackson-Blofis household had gone on a trip to Germany to introduce the baby to her grandparents, and Jason and Leo were once again back at school, still without having been in a room with everyone’s favorite baby. But this time it was different. Now, Leo and Jason were at NRU and it was much easier to convince their professors to give them the weekend off for their surrogate sister’s birthday party. 

And what a party it had been. Leo hadn’t been to a birthday party that was anything but a roomful of traumatized demigods eating pizza and pretending to be less traumatized than they were in years, and he’d never been to a party for someone that young. It had mostly been for the adults and gathered teenagers, really and truly, but there were a few kids from Estelle’s preschool there, too, and Percy had put on a quite frankly masterful puppet show for them all. They’d all had a grand old time, and the weekend was over too soon, leaving Leo, Jason, Piper, Reyna, Percy, and Annabeth to all climb on Festus’s back for a hard ride to New Rome. All in all, a fun, worthwhile experience, and Leo was glad they’d finally gotten the chance to meet Estelle. 

The problem was Jason. He was… quiet, but not in his normal “sitting back and keeping watch” way, more in a morose, contemplative way that Leo didn’t really like. Nobody else had noticed, but Leo was as fine tuned to every change in Jason’s mood like it was his job, so he noticed. So, when they finally got to New Rome and they all went their separate ways, Leo didn’t even say a word before climbing into the lumpy twin bed that had been assigned to Jason. 

As expected, Jason immediately crawled into bed after him, and wrapped his arm around Leo’s waist, and pressed his face hard into his stomach like maybe he could hide from whatever thoughts were stuck in his head. Leo frowned softly and  began carding his fingers through Jason’s hair. Along the line, Jason had finally decided to grow it out from the standardized crew cut of the Legion, but he still never let it get too long because he hated the way it felt tickling the back of his neck. 

“Your hair’s getting long again,” Leo commented quietly. “We’re gonna have to cut it soon.” Jason just grunted and pressed his face harder into Leo’s stomach. Leo sighed. “Jace, you know I haven’t gotten the whole Professor X telepathy helmet perfected yet. You gotta talk to me.”

“I don’t know who Professor X is,” Jason mumbled, still hidden away.

Leo rolled his eyes, and gave a teasing tug to the lock of hair around his finger. “Shut up. Yes, you do, and I know you do.” He felt Jason smile, and he went back to his previous petting. “Now, come on. Tell me what’s up. Please?”

Jason was silent for a long time. If it were anyone else, Leo would have gotten frustrated, but Jason always chose his words very carefully. “Estelle’s two years old now.”

“She is,” Leo agreed, not really sure where this was going, but willing to follow Jason anywhere.

Jason squeezed Leo tighter. “She’s– She’s so little.”

“She is.”

“Sally loves her a lot. Paul, too.”

“Yeah. Lots of people love her.”

Jason went silent again, and Leo almost couldn’t breathe for the tension that hung thick in the air. Then, in a small, fragile voice that Leo knew from his own experiences whispering about his sins in a confessional booth, Jason said, “I was two when my– When I joined Lupa’s pack. D’you think I was that little?” 

“Jason,” Leo breathed. He wanted to wrap Jason up, maybe even fold him up and tuck him behind his ribcage so he could stay warm and safe in the space he’d carved out of Leo’s heart. He couldn’t do that, though, not with Jason clinging to him like he was, so he just cradled Jason’s head like it was the most precious thing on Earth. “Oh, god Jason. I’m so sorry.”

“Sally wouldn’t leave Estelle, would she?” Jason asked in that same tiny voice. “Not-not when she’s so little.”

“She wouldn’t,” Leo confirmed. “Sally’s a good mom and she loves Estelle a lot.”

That seemed to be a breaking point for Jason because he took in a deep, shuddering breath and suddenly Leo’s shirt was wet. “Why-Why didn’t my mom love me? Did I do something wrong?”

“No.” Leo said the word so fiercely that it came out almost like a snarl. Fiery anger and hatred flared to life in Leo’s chest, just like it always did when Beryl Grace was the subject of discussion. “Jason, no. You didn’t do anything. You were a baby, and what your mom did was wrong. I don’t– I don’t care what was going on with her and Jupiter or whatever, moms don’t leave their babies in parks, and if they do, that’s not the baby’s fault.”

Jason was shaking like a leaf, so Leo gently bullied him until they were both sitting up and he pressed kisses to every inch of Jason’s face, taking care to kiss away any of the tears that still clung to his cheeks. When he was done, he situated himself in Jason’s lap so he could tuck Jason’s face into the crook of his neck and shoulder. He pressed one more kiss to Jason’s hair before he leaned forward and whispered in his ear, “You were good, Jason. You are good. You’re kind and brave and a better son than someone like Beryl would ever deserve to call son, and I love you so much.”

Jason made a little choked sound in the back of his throat and clung to Leo like a lifeline. “Did you have a good mom?”

“My mom was the best,” Leo said with a wistful smile. He pulled Jason back just so he could press their foreheads together. Jason’s eyes were just as beautifully blue as ever, even red-rimmed and teary and Leo didn’t bother to smother his besotted smile. “She loved me lots and you know what? She’d have loved you, too. Almost as much as I do.”

Jason leaned forward that last little bit and pressed their lips together. It wasn’t a great kiss, it was far too salty and wet to claim that title, but it was one Leo knew he would remember for the rest of his life. It didn’t fix anything, not really. No matter how many times Leo proclaimed his love, it would never fill the hole Beryl had so cruelly carved out with her neglect, but maybe it didn’t need to. They couldn’t fix it, but they could face it. They could face down their ugly, hurtful pasts together and walk hand-in-hand into the brilliant future that awaited them.

And maybe that would be enough.

[toringo]

Copied and pasted from my response to the earlier post because I want people to actually maybe read it: We also should talk about the image of a family and interpersonal relationships from Curt's perspective, since we know nothing about Owen's personal life. If we're talking purely canon and Curt is our POV character, we need to see it through him. Curt's father left his family when Curt was a baby. He never had a positive male role model, as his mother's stated in the show. It might've been a joke, but it is true nonetheless. He was raised by her and she is quite intrusive. Being a momma's boy is another tired gay stereotype, but Curt is like that for a reason - he doesn't have any friends. (And no, I won't count Owen as one, despite them calling each other that, because their relationship is toxic and distant. They don't know each other. They are lovers, but their friendship is shallow at best.) It is entirely possible that Curt was homeschooled, or wasn't in a public school for long. He probably started his work young and got it thanks to his mother's connections to the Special Service. That could be a way in which his mother unintentionally isolated him and made him depend on her even more (no, I don't want to make her into a villain, but it's just a thing that happens. Lone mothers turn overprotective and controlling). Men raised that way often lack independence and are indecisive and lost in their adult life, and their worth is defined by the judgement they receive. That way, he escaped from under his mother's control and landed in Cynthia's care. You know, his boss and another strict mother figure. That has a complete control over his future and could ruin his life with one document, or one test. The most prominent figures in his life are literally in control of it. And he doesn't have much else. So far, his only idea of a family is a pattern of power and obedience. Why would he want it? Maybe being a spy is a job and the missions are dangerous, and he has to follow orders, but not at all times. He is away from everyone, and he can do whatever he wants in his free time, no judgement and no one looking over his shoulder. He can do this all his way if he still get results. This is freedom. At least for him, the only freedom he knows. The vision of having a family is nauseating. He would have to take less dangerous (less freeing) missions; would have to go back home every now and then; would have to listen and follow. He would be chained, again. And would have to marry a woman. A true family is a man and a woman, right? They should have 2 children, a boy and a girl. They should have a house with a white fence and a dog and a treehouse for their kids. Two men is not a family, that's ridiculous! Two men can be friends, partners, lovers. But not a couple, not a family. The thought of having a domestic life with Owen for real has never crossed his mind because in his mind it's not what a domestic life should be. Sure, he thought how it'd be if they lived together and woke up together. But it was never serious. And it could never be serious, because how? They are from two different countries, two agencies. And they can't leave them, he can't leave. What would he do without it? Where would he work? He doesn't have any place to go. And two single men living together? That's a suicidal idea. The best they could hope for is living close to each other and finding a boring, regular job. Be together from afar, still, but with less excitement. No convenient cover-ups. No government perks. No action. No real freedom and thrill. A life controlled by another construct. He'd rather have the illusion.

[zebulontheplanet]

Could give tip on study for test ?

Hi anon! Studying for tests are hard. I’ve never personally had a test I’ve had to study for, perks of being homeschooled. But I have had things I’ve had to study to write papers.

I like listening to classical music. Specifically violin music while I study. I also like headphones to be on so there’s no outside distractions. Taking a lot of breaks and implementing a reward system for studying can help a lot too!

Just do your best and I hope you get an A on your test. Good luck!