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hoshipills · 1 month

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The world is ending

Pairing: Kwon Soonyoung x fem!reader

Genre: strangers to ???, Angst, Action, Zombie apocalypse, tiny bits of fluff.

Warnings: blood, zombies, death, profanity, Soonyoung gets hurt pretty often, sometimes there is graphic description of wounds but its not too bad.

Word count: 11.5k

Summary: The world is literally ending. Zombies roam the streets, and blood paints the sidewalks. You didn't know how you will survive in this nightmare. Then you met him – a man with mysterious eyes who saved you from a bunch of zombies at the last moment. The survival of one suddenly became survival of two, side by side, every day a fight. Soonyoung knew how to get through, and you realize you might actually be in love with this man.

Note: I am sorry for taking longer than said 😭😭😭. My exam paper was so hard, I had spent my time re-watching hidden love. also not at all proofread.

Comments and reblogs are appreciated!!

Taglist: @kwonshiho @heeseungthel0ml

Your head throbbed with a splitting headache as you groggily peeled yourself off the couch. The nap was supposed to be refreshing, but instead, you felt like you’d been hit by a truck. You squinted at your watch lying on the table.

16:08.

You sighed, lifting your head and rubbing your temples. The apartment was unsettlingly quiet, a silence that gnawed at your nerves. Something felt...off.

Dragging yourself to the living room, your brows furrowed when you noticed your roommate wasn’t around. Her bedroom door stood wide open, the bed unmade, but the room was empty. You shuffled to the kitchen, half-expecting her to pop out with some lame excuse about losing track of time, but all you found was a sticky note clinging to the fridge: "I’ll get some groceries, there are barely any in the house."

Your stomach growled in agreement, reminding you that the morning’s toast and pasta weren’t cutting it. You yanked open the cupboard doors, only to be greeted by an expanse of barren shelves. Great. You’d have better luck finding food on a desert island.

Two hours later, you frowned. The corner store was a mere fifteen-minute stroll and she wasn’t exactly the type to leave that long without a word. You punched her number into your phone, but each ring that droned on without an answer cranked your anxiety.

Grabbing your jacket and keys, you decided to go look for her yourself. The sun had dipped below the horizon, leaving the streets in shadows of the trees. Your footsteps echoed in the silence, each one louder than the last.

You quickened your pace, your eyes darting around, catching every movement in the corner of your vision. Something was definitely not right.

Then, you rounded the corner. You froze.

Zombies.

Freaking zombies.

Dozens of them, staggering around like they were on a really bad bender, eyes glazed over, their slow, jerky movements more terrifying than anything you’d ever seen in a horror movie.

Your body shuddered as realisation settled in.

Is this a fucking apocalypse?

You stumbled backward, trying to remain as quiet as possible. Your mind raced with a thousand thoughts. Where was your roommate? Was she safe? You pulled out your phone again, hands trembling, and tried calling her once more. Still no answer.

A groan from behind snapped you back to the present. One of the zombies had noticed you. It turned its decaying head, its blank eyes looking into yours. You let out a shriek at the sight of its grotesquely ruptured face. It wasn’t the wisest move, you realised it as soon as you saw it move toward you. You grabbed a thick pipe lying on the ground and sprinted from there, hoping that you would make it to your apartment without any more obstacles.

You ran for a while safely but with your amazing luck, you were met with more zombies, hurdling as if they had been waiting for you to arrive. You lifted the metal pipe up, gathering up every bit of courage you could and swung it hard. Blood sputtered and the zombie fell to the ground. You inhaled an unusually large amount of air through your mouth and continued to swing the pipe so that it could strike the heads quicker.

The metal slipped out of your sweaty hands at a particularly rough strike, and you froze in panic. You saw a zombie, right in the corner of your face.

This was it, you were going to die. You shouldn’t have come looking for your roommate; you should have been in your room, sound asleep, not caring about the mess that the world had become.

You closed your eyes, accepting your fate.

That’s when a tight grip encircled your wrist and tugged you forward to run. You opened your eyes to see the man who had just saved your life. You followed his lead, wherever he was taking you .He stopped, scanning the surroundings for any creatures, gasping for breath.You were a little distant from him when you finally noticed the baseball bat that he was holding in his other hand.

Before you could utter a word, he flung the bat in your direction without warning. “The fuck?” you yelped, ducking just in time to avoid getting brained by the flying object. You were about to burst out and question him about his actions but you looked back to see a zombie that just crumpled to the ground as the bat hit its head with a thud. You instinctively moved away from it, right to this man’s back.

He approached the fallen zombie and retrieved the bat, keeping it in hand for later. He finally looked at you. “What were you thinking? Standing in between them?” he questioned as he approached you and you took a step back.

“I thought I was gonna become one of them,” you muttered.

He shook his head. He looked like he wanted to say something but he didn’t. “We should leave for a safer place,” he said and you nodded.

“Where is your apartment?” he asked and you answered without any hesitation, “Just 2 streets away.” His mouth twitched, “Perfect. We are going there.” He looked at you to see if you were on the same page as him. You exhaled shakily and led the way. He followed you with the bat in his hand. You kept your trust in him, after all, he saved your life a while ago. Moreover, in this mess, you had no other option.

You shuddered at the sound of a thud. Another zombie down.

These fucking zombies.

You started walking, this time closer to him than before. Your area wasn’t busy even in the bustling city. Perhaps that was the reason why there weren’t many of them around. You reached your building and checked your pocket for the keys.

They were there, thank the lord. You were afraid you had lost them on the way.

You both took the steps, reaching your flat on the first floor.

You froze for the second time that day and the reason was same.

Zombies.

A few of them, loitering near your apartment door, their lifeless eyes fixing on you with hunger.

He stepped in front of you, gripping his baseball bat tightly. "Stay behind me," he ordered, his voice low but firm. Without waiting for a response, he charged forward, swinging the bat. The first zombie went down with a sickening crunch, its head caving in under the force of the blow.

You scrambled to the door, hands trembling as you tried to fit the key into the lock. The sickening thuds of the bat striking flesh and bone echoed through the hallway, making your skin crawl.

You finally managed to get the key in and turned it, the door swinging open just as he ran to the door, a few zombies he missed following him.

"Hurry!" he yelled, his voice strained. You darted inside, holding the door open for him as he backed in, using his bat horizontally to give one hard push to the zombies. Once he was inside, you and he, together, forced the door closed as they tried to enter as well. With a heavy grunt, he exhaled and slid down the door, collapsing to the floor.

His hand shook, lips quivering as his panting never seemed to end, his chest rising and falling.

You didn’t know why you thought he was some kind of superhero, not afraid of anything. He was just like you. Just as afraid, just as terrified.

It took you time to notice he was crying. Small sniffs and low sobs escaped his mouth. You settled yourself beside him. What could’ve happened before you met him? Before he saved you? How many people he watched turn into the living dead?

“Hey, it’ll be alright,” you said, though you weren’t sure if you believed it yourself.

“I watched them, my friends,” he sniffed, “Only I was able to survive,” he mumbled.

Your heart sank. You didn't know what to say, so you simply sat beside him, offering silent support. The room was quiet except for his occasional sniffles and the distant groans of zombies outside. You both knew that the world had changed forever, and survival was a daily struggle. You couldn’t process much of the situation, given the hurry and panic you were in. Now, your mind is being flooded with worry, realising that you were actually in an actual zombie apocalypse and your loved ones were also in danger. You, however, didn’t let any of it show on your face.

“Soonyoung,” he said suddenly.

You turned to him and blinked in confusion.

“My name,” he clarified. “I’m Soonyoung.”

“____,” you replied, giving your name. He nodded, taking a deep breath.

“What do we have here?” he asked, looking around the apartment.

“Not much,” you admitted. “My roommate was supposed to get groceries but….” You trailed off, unable to continue. He nodded, understanding.

“Let’s search then,” he said, getting to his feet. You joined him, moving through the apartment to gather supplies. You found some canned food, a few bottles of water, and a first-aid kit. It wasn’t much, but it was better than nothing.

You laid your findings on the dining table. “This should last us a few days,” you said, looking at him. He looked a bit sceptical , eyes tracing over the little to no food on the table. Eventually, he nodded his head.

He rested on the bed, his body sore from the earlier fight. You took on the job of preparing two sandwiches with the ingredients you managed to gather. There were four pieces of bread in the refrigerator, and you found a nearly empty mayo bottle on the kitchen counter. Perhaps it was kept there to be thrown out that day. You were glad it wasn’t, as suddenly the last bits of mayo seemed more precious. You squeezed the bottle to get every bit out, adding some leftover corn and called it a sandwich.

You handed him the sandwich. “I am not exactly a chef, just think of it as some gourmet meal,” you said with a dramatic sigh, trying to make him smile as he had been gloomy for a while now. You got it, the situation you both found yourselves in wasn’t the most ideal but a little smile wouldn’t hurt anybody.

It might’ve worked. He smiled as he took the sandwich and bit it, “Mmh, worth a million,” he murmured with his mouth stuffed. You bit back a smile, eating your own sandwich.

You hadn’t noticed it in the chaos but he was handsome. His face lit up when he smiled, reaching all the way to his eyes. There was a strange glow there, mysterious and bright, it made you want to learn about him more.

He continued eating the sandwich, his shoulders relaxing a little as he relished the simple meal.

You couldn't help but notice how weary he looked, almost exhausted. The bags under his eyes were more pronounced, and his breathing was still laboured.

He finished his part of the meal rather quickly. You were still munching on yours, slowly biting and chewing every bit thoroughly.

“ You are a slow eater, I see.”, he said, getting up from the bed and stretching his body.

You were mid-bite when he spoke, cheeks filled like a squirrel's. His sudden comment caught you off guard, but not in an unpleasant way. You swallowed your mouthful of food before replying.

"Ah, habit," you offered, a little sheepish. "I've always taken my time while eating. My mom always said rushing through your meals isn't good for your digestion."

Silence fell over when you were reminded of your mother and your family’s safety. your appetite disappeared as your chewing got a little bit slower.

Soonyoung noticed the way your eyes lost their shine. He moved closer to you, hesitant at first but then sitting down beside you on the bed. His voice was gentle as he spoke, his eyes fixed on your face. "Eat up, we need some strength if we want to make it through.”

You nodded, forcing yourself to take another bite. The taste was bland, but you knew he was right. You both needed all the strength you could muster. As you chewed, you glanced at Soonyoung. He was gazing out the window, lost in thought.

“ Soonyoung.”, you called out his name and he looked at you.

“ What were you like? You know, before all this.”, You asked, finally completing your sandwich.

“ I am not that interesting. I have a usual job in a company, few quirky friends and a routine life.”, he spoke, his voice low.

“You never know,” you shrugged. “Sometimes the most normal lives end up having the craziest stories.”

“ Yes but mine is as boring as watching paint dry," he said.

“ If the painting is good enough, I would watch it dry," you said and he laughed. “ Perhaps but mine won’t have that many colours.”

“ Excuse me? Are you trying to imply that only colours make the painting?”, you said and he shrugged.” you can’t paint without colours.”

“ Yes but you know that's not what I mean.”, you playfully rolled your eyes. After a while the room fell quiet and you spent time looking out the window at the moon.

It was already 2 am, and both of you were exhausted, your eyes aching for some rest. You had settled down on the bed, watching as he got up and started moving towards the door.

“Where are you going?” you asked, your voice heavy with fatigue.

“To the other room to sleep?” he replied, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“I think it's safer if we sleep in this room with the doors and windows locked,” you said, glancing around the room. He paused, considering your words.

After a moment, he nodded, coming to the conclusion that you were right. He picked up some bed sheets, preparing to sleep on the floor. You frowned at first but then realised what he was doing.

“You can sleep beside me, I really don’t mind,” you said, your voice gentle. You watched his face, searching for his reaction.

Soonyoung hesitated, looking down at the sheets in his hands. “Are you sure?” he asked, his voice cautious. “I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

You offered him a reassuring smile. “I’m sure. Besides, it’s safer if we stay close. Just in case anything happens.”

He nodded, though still looking a bit uncertain. He put the sheets aside and moved toward the bed. “Alright, if you’re okay with it.”

As he settled beside you, there was a brief moment of awkwardness. Both of you were acutely aware of the closeness. You could feel the warmth radiating from his body, a comforting reminder that you weren’t alone in this nightmare.

The silence was broken by a thought that had been nagging at you. You turned to him, voice soft and earnest. “Thank you for saving me.”

He let out a sleepy chuckle, a sound you hadn’t heard from him before. It was unexpectedly melodious, “It was hours ago. Don’t mention it.”

“But it doesn’t change the fact that you saved me,” you said.

There was no immediate response, and you turned your head to see him fast asleep beside you. His breath was getting even and the exhaustion was clear on his face. He must have been really tired.

Two days in and the power went off. The pitch darkness in the nights was scary, but not as scary as those zombies downstairs, you rather not open the windows to see them. You both had been sitting in the bedroom most of the time, occasionally venturing to the kitchen for food. Soonyoung had apparently lost his phone while on the run, and you were left with just yours for any information.

But it was barely useful. With no proper signals, you decided to check your messages for any updates or safety measures from the government or authorities.

Your eyes immediately caught sight of a message you had received. "Soonyoung, come here," you called, waving him over to take a look as well.

“ Attention, all survivors. This is an official message from the government. We understand these are harrowing times, and your safety and wellbeing are our top priority. We advise all survivors to remain indoors for the time being. Our teams are working tirelessly to establish safe zones and provide essential resources such as food, water, and shelter. Stay strong, remain hopeful, and do not panic.”, You read it out and glanced at Soonyoung to see his face not amused at all. He looked away from the phone and groaned as he layed back on the bed.

“ Do not panic.”, he repeated, “ How can we not?”, he left a sigh of frustration, running his hand through his hair.

You put your phone down and nodded along, knowing there wasn’t much you could say.

Four days in and it started to drizzle, adding to the mess.

If anything you have learned about Soonyoung in those four days is that Soonyoung loved to talk, a complete opposite to you who would much rather sit and listen. You learned that he went to karaoke every weekend for stress relief and had an obsession with tigers( he showed you a tiger charm in his wallet as proof). He learned that your favourite colour was lavender and you had a soft spot for kids.

“ …and I just fell on the grass. There was mud all over my pants. It all just happened in front of her and she didn't talk to me for the next 5 days.”, he pouted slightly.

You chuckle at his face, finding it a bit too cute for your liking.

He finally finished his yap of the day and rested on the bed, waiting for you to sleep as well but your mind was occupied by the fact that the small drizzle was growing into a thunderstorm and you were freaking terrified of thunderstorms.

You tried to play it off cool, smiling like usual and made your way to the bed and slept beside him, taking in a deep breath.

Your hands slightly tremble around the blanket on top of you, you pull it further up your face, hoping it would mollify the sounds of the thunder.

he turned his body to face you and asked, “ Afraid of thunder, are we?”

You shook your head and closed your eyes tightly. The first thunder hit and you practically flew out of the bed by the way you got up, opening your eyes. You pressed your lips into a thin line, glancing at Soonyoung who gave you a blank stare.

“ Yeah, totally not afraid.”, he muttered, voice dripping with sarcasm.

You tried to smile, but it came out more like a grimace. “It’s silly, I know.”

“It’s not silly,” he said, getting up and you were taken aback by how sincere he sounded. “We all have things that scare us.”

You appreciated his attempt to comfort you, but the next clap of thunder had you jumping again. He sighed, moving closer to you, slightly wrapping his arm around your shoulder, “ Is this okay ?”, he asked.

You didn’t bother responding as you wrapped your arms around him tightly. He tightened his grip as well, slowly laying down so that both of you could drift off to sleep.

You felt so safe under his touch, it surprised you. He was gentle with every stroke he gave to your shoulder, mumbling sweetly into your ear that everything was going to be fine. For a moment, you forgot about the zombies and the thunder, all the fears and worries vanishing. It was just you and him, it created an unknown fuzzy feeling in your chest.

Six days in and you reached your final stage of grief: acceptance. You both now just laid on bed, staring at the ceiling that suddenly seemed interesting. Even Soonyoung ran out of his rants which was getting weird as you were getting used to it.

Soonyoung opened his mouth finally, “ There is a guitar in the other room, is it yours?”, he asked and you turned your face to him, who was looking at the ceiling intensely. “ No, my roommate’s," you reply, returning your gaze to the ceiling.

“ Musician?”

“ No, a hobby.”

You saw him nod from the corner of your eye.

After a pause, he spoke again, “ Can I play it?”

You turned your head to look at him, seeing a spark of curiosity in his eyes. "Sure, why not?", you said. "It's not like we have much else to do."

Soonyoung got up from the bed and went to the other room, returning shortly with the guitar in his hands. He sat down on the bed, in front of you, a bit closer than usual. He strummed a few chords, tuning the instrument until it sounded just right.

You watched him, fascinated by the way his fingers moved effortlessly over the strings. "Do you play often?" you asked, genuinely curious.

He smiled, a bit shyly. "I used to but later got busy with life."

You nodded, understanding. "Play something," you encouraged.

He started playing a familiar tune of a song and you quietly hummed along.

He began to sing. His voice was more huskier and deeper when he sang and you liked it. You could tell he loved music. He had a faint smile on his lips as his fingers moved on the guitar strings. You closed your eyes to feel the rhythm more.

When he finished, you opened your eyes and saw him looking at you, a small smile on his face. "That was beautiful," you said softly.

"Thanks," he replied, setting the guitar aside. His gaze was fixed on you and you stared back. There was something about his eyes that pulled you in. You even noticed it in the past few days when he rambled. His eyes were so expressive, a glow always lingered in there no matter what.

He slightly hummed the song he sang before, back to his position of laying on the bed. You blinked, forcing yourself to look away. There was a flutter in your chest for a reason you couldn’t figure out why. You have been trying to ignore that feeling for a while. Is it the growing affection for him for being by your side or is it because you simply found him attractive? With the world as it was, figuring out feelings was definitely not on your to-do list.

Eight days in and you were drowning in boredom. Soonyoung said it was actually nine days but it didn’t matter. What really mattered was the decreasing amount of food in the kitchen and the increasing amount of worry in your head.

You have been eating very conservatively, you were sure that you even skipped eating for a day, but the food was just not sufficient.

You both knew that in a day or two, you must go outside to get some food but both of you haven't talked about it yet. He instead began practising taekwondo kicks and you wondered how many talents that man had up his sleeve. You weren’t complaining because it was quite entertaining to watch him.

You sat on the edge of the bed, watching Soonyoung nail yet another perfect kick. You’d lost count of how many times he’d practised that move, but it still made you smile a little.

“Does it ever get boring?” you asked, half-joking, half-serious.

Soonyoung paused, wiping the sweat from his brow with a grin. “Boring? Never. But, you know what is getting boring?” He pointed to the almost empty kitchen. “Pretending we’re not running out of food.”

You sighed, glancing over at the nearly empty shelves. “Yeah, I guess ignoring it isn’t working anymore.”

He dropped down beside you, “We’re gonna have to go out there, aren’t we?”

“Looks like it,” you replied, though neither of you moved. A few more moments of silence passed before you finally stood up, heading to the closet.

“What are you doing?” Soonyoung asked, curious.

You pulled out a big bag, throwing it over your shoulder with a smirk. “Getting ready. This is for all the food we’re about to haul back.”

He let out a laugh, “Optimistic?”

“You have to be,” you shot back, smiling despite the nerves creeping in.

He shook his head, still smiling, and stood up to join you. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Soonyoung took the lead as you both stepped out into the street, the big bag slung over your shoulder. You gripped the handle of the bat in your hand, ready for anything.

“You sure you’re ready for this?” Soonyoung asked, glancing back at you with a mix of concern and teasing.

“More ready than you are,” you counter, trying to keep the mood light.

“Is that so?” he grinned, raising an eyebrow. “We’ll see about that.”

As you rounded a corner, the grocery store came into view. Soonyoung signalled for you to stop. A handful of zombies milled about near the entrance, oblivious to your presence—at least for now.

“Great, just what we needed,” you whispered.

Soonyoung’s expression grew serious. “Alright, quick and quiet. Let’s get this done.”

You both moved closer, and the first zombie turned toward you, letting out a low groan. That was all it took to alert the others.

“Here we go,” Soonyoung muttered, stepping up to take the lead.

You moved inside the store as he distracted the zombies. The first thing you saw was a piece of clothing lying on the ground. You ignored it and moved to shelves that had some chips packets. You shoved them all inside.

You heard a zombie groan that made you shiver. There were zombies even in the store as well? You groaned in annoyance before running from there to the fridge where it had a stack of water bottles. You put them inside as well.

You looked back to see Soonyoung in the store now, facing four zombies.

His hands gripped the shelf of paper towels by the edge and pushed downwards which made the four zombies crush beneath it. You gasped at the sight of blood spreading near your leg. You jumped through it to grab the 2 cereal boxes on the opposite shelf. It was fruit loops, not a bad cereal to eat as a meal, right? You still shoved the boxes into the bag, ignoring all sorts of questions.

You moved forward to other shelves, hoping to find any other proper edibles. Your eyes caught hold of the huge pack of crackers. That one pack alone could handle your hunger for a week. You lounged towards it but another zombie came from the corner, ready to attack. Taking the broken piece of shelf from the ground, you continue to go in the way- you weren’t ready to give that pack up.

You balanced the bag in your one hand while using the other to hit the zombie with the broken piece, landing both your weapon and the zombie on the ground. Your hand reached the pack of crackers, admiring the delicious snack for a bit, you put it in the bag, already feeling the bag getting too heavy. Your hands could barely manage the weight of the bag, you kept everything you could, everything you found to be not damaged. You swung over your shoulder, eyes scanning your surroundings for Soonyoung, so you could go back to your house.

He was at the far end of the aisle, fighting off two zombies. He was cornered between them and a rack of rice flour, looking desperate. One zombie had its grubby hands around his neck, and you shouted in panic. The noise distracted the zombie just enough for Soonyoung to push it away and try to slip through a gap between the zombie and the shelf.

You dropped the food bag and grabbed a heavy package of grains, hurling it at the zombie. It went down with a thud, and Soonyoung stumbled into view. Your heart dropped at the sight of him—blood seeping through his shirt and pooling around his stomach. The sharp edge of the shelf had torn his shirt and sliced into his torso.

Panic surged through you. You dropped to his side, your mind racing. “Soonyoung!” You called, but he was barely conscious, cursing under his breath as he gripped his stomach. His eyes were tightly shut and he put his arm on your shoulder for support.

You barely registered the food bag as you frantically checked the wound, your hands trembling. Blood was flowing too quickly, and you needed to do something—anything—to stop it.

The torn piece of cloth before crossed your mind. “ Soonyoung, wait for me?”, you said softly before getting up and running to the aisle you saw earlier. The cloth was still lying on the ground, and you thanked the gods for not letting it cover with any zombie blood.

You tied the piece around his stomach, pressing it tightly to avoid blood loss. He hissed in pain, his hands turning into fists to control himself from being loud. The last thing you would want is to attract the attention of the zombies. The cloth got stained red as well, but it was the best you could do under those circumstances. You helped him stand up, knowing you have to find a more closed and safe place for him to heal.

You could feel your eyes becoming watery, your one hand holding the food bag and the other supporting him to walk outside. You saw a zombie at a distance. You took a deep breath, preparing to drop the food bag and find a way to deal with the zombie, but before you could act, you heard a whoosh and a sickening thud.

The zombie collapsed, its head crumpling under the force of a bat. You turned your head to see a man- probably younger than you with his boyish face.

He strode towards you, “ are you guys okay? "he asked. He seemed to realise how stupid the question was when he glanced towards half- conscious Soonyoung leaning on you. “ shit.”, he muttered under his breath before turning his head to look around, “ uhm, follow me.”, he said as he picked up the bat from the ground, safely guarding while leading towards a path you weren’t sure of. Visibly, Soonyoung was getting weaker every passing second and you tried your best to take more steps. There were a few zombies along the way which the guy managed to hit successfully. It didn't take him more than 1 strike to take them down and it wasn’t a surprise seeing his buff arms. You finally reached a place. It was a café, ‘ coffee beans’, the board read. There were huge windows which were covered by curtains and the lights around it were broken. The guy knocked on the door of the café and a woman peeked out to see who it was before opening it fully, she frowned upon seeing us behind him. The guy didn’t give her enough time to reach before allowing himself inside and gesturing to you to come inside as well.

You did, adjusting the bag on your shoulder. He closed the door behind you and you were met with stares of about 20 people, some of them were in uniform by which you could tell they were the staff.

“ Chan, you were only sent to bring water. Who are they?”, the girl who opened the door spoke to which a few people nodded. “ Send them out immediately.They seem infected”, a man spoke hastily as he gave a nasty look to both of you.

“ Oh, Mr.Yoon, they are no danger.” Chan tried to speak but Mr.Yoon only gave an angry glare, “ I am the owner, I can decide who stays and who doesn’t”, he said and for a minute you were afraid you were actually going to be sent out.

Chan stepped forward to him, “ Mr.Yoon, he clearly needs help. I have a plan.”, he tried to persuade him. Mr.Yoon was about to throw a comment but Chan cut him off, “ They could stay in the store room until tomorrow morning. If they turn, we’ll be safe as the door will be locked. If not, we can help them out.”

The cafe owner looked sceptical. ” we can’t just-”, an old lady began.

“ I have food and water in this bag.”, you said, hoping it would convince everyone. They all seemed defeated at that and there were a few murmurs before they agreed.

Chan led you to the storeroom. “ Can I get a first aid kit?”, you asked when you reached the storeroom. Chan excused himself somewhere before returning with a kit. “ Just take what's needed. If something happens, we need the kit, right? There is only one.”, he said and you didn’t object, taking a long roll of bandage, cotton and antibiotic cream. He also handed you a water battle to which you could only look at him gratefully. You stepped inside with Soonyoung on your side. The door was closed behind you. The room was like a typical storeroom, with boxes of unused supplies stacked away, a small window which allowed some evening light inside. There was a bulb as well, but it barely produced light. There was a mop aside and the thing that crossed your mind was how good of a weapon it would be.

You quickly laid Soonyoung on the floor, leaning him against a wall as you removed his shirt and the piece of cloth you tied around his wound. You left a shaky breath at the sight of his blood covered torso.

He winced loudly when you started to clean his wound, his mind clouded with pain. He half opened his eyes, keeping his focus on your face.

“I’m alive?”, he mumbled as he tried to smile. “ Keep quiet.”, you replied, reaching for the antibiotic cream. He reached to grip your free palm tightly as you started to apply the cream to his cleaned wound. He left a loud yelp.

“I am sorry.”, You mumbled while still focusing on the wound, “ I am so sorry.”

You could only imagine how it hurts. The wound wasn’t too deep but it was big. It stretched from the side of his lower abdomen, curving upward to just beneath his ribcage.

You quickly rolled the bandage over the cut and dressed it.

He left a groan as he tried to sit more properly but you stopped him by gently placing your hand on his shoulder. “ I didn't know you could do this.”,he left a pained laugh and you settled yourself beside him before replying, “ I just know the basics. I guess I did well enough under pressure.”, you said and felt his hand grasp yours slowly. You didn’t refuse the touch, holding his hand back.

“ I feel better.”, he said, barely moving his lips.” Thanks.”

You shook your head in response, “ It was the least I could do.”

He stayed quiet after that, drifting off to sleep as his head laid on your shoulder.

The morning you woke up with the sunlight hitting your eyes through the window. You shuffled on the ground, holding soonyoung’s head to rest it on a box beside instead. You noticed how you were still holding hands. Your cheeks grew hot slightly as you separated your hands, standing up to knock on the door.

After a while, a voice spoke through it, “ Hello?” you recognised the voice to be Chan's.

“ We are fine.”, you replied and the door opened. Chan’s eyes scanned the both of you, sighing in relief to see neither of you turned.

“ I think he needs rest.”,you said, eyes trailing over the dressed wound.

Chan nodded in agreement, before leading you outside for some food. You ate some bread and that was enough to fill your stomach. As it was a cafe, they said they had enough coffee so you were offered a cup as well. You drank it gladly, savouring the flavour after a long time.

Chan sat in front of you and there was a small girl beside him. “ This is my niece, Yerim”, he said.

You were surprised to see that she actually gave a blinding smile to you. You couldnt help but smile back, bending down to introduce yourself, “ I am ___”, you said.

“ Hello.”, she said shyly, scooting closer to her uncle. She stood quietly as Chan started speaking, “ Don't worry about others, they will come around.”

You nodded, remembering the weary looks you received that morning. “ By the way, thanks for bringing us here.”, you made sure to thank him and he just laughed, “ No big deal. I did what felt right.”

“ So this cafe..”, you began and chan immediately caught on your doubt.

“ Ahh, when zombies broke out, the customers here and the staff, we locked everything when we saw it. The cafe owner was also here yesterday, you…uh…met him yesterday, Mr.Yoon.”, he said and you nodded in understanding. You were just grateful they let you stay.

It was afternoon when Soonyoung woke up. Chan helped you get him to one of the tables. He ate a few crackers and drank a can of juice.

Soonyoung didn’t speak much as he went back to resting in the storeroom again.

It took him a few days to heal. You just spent the time sitting with Yerim who grew more talkative as time passed. She kind of reminded you of Soonyoung by the way she ran her mouth continuously.

As soon as Soonyoung began to recover, he started moving around the café in an overshirt Chan had given him, which he wore buttoned up as a makeshift shirt. Unlike you, he talked with everybody and nobody gave you those weary looks anymore.

They all grew fond of Soonyoung, except that cafe owner- who wasn't much fond of anyone anyway. He quickly became one of the people who helped around, making sure everyone ate.

The only people you talked to were Chan and Yerim. You sometimes helped Soonyoung. When you weren’t helping, you took care of Yerim as Chan went to help instead.

Apparently nobody used the storeroom, so you made it your personal space. Soonyoung and you alone went in there at night to sleep or to talk. He was back with his rants and you almost squealed in excitement. You missed them too much for your own sake and you think you could listen to him talk for years straight.

Everybody finished their dinner, getting ready to sleep. Some slept on tables or chairs, some on the ground as they used curtains as bed sheets.

You found yourself in the storeroom, waiting for Soonyoung to come. You peeked into the box in boredom. Your eyes caught an old, ornate box half-buried under some crumpled newspaper. You pulled the box out and wiped off the layer of dust. It was a music box. A feeling of nostalgia filled your insides, remembering your childhood days when one of these laid around in your house.

The box’s latch was rusty but still functional. You carefully opened it, and a soft, melodious tune began to play. A smile spread across your face. You listened to the sound intently when soonyoung walked in, gasping slightly as he saw what was in your hand.

“I haven’t heard a music box in years.”, he said, crouching down to look at it. You handed it over to him and he carefully studied it.

“ It's definitely an old model, probably my grandma owned one like this.”, he said and you chuckled.

He abruptly got up after placing it on the ground, moving his hips in a way that made you laugh, “ are you seriously dancing?”, you asked though you wouldn't really call whatever he was doing a dance.

“ You wanna join?”, he said, stretching his hand forward for you to grab. You looked at his hand and then his face. There was a warmth in his eyes, a sincerity that made it hard to resist. You took his hand, allowing him to pull you gently to your feet.

The two of you started to sway together, your movements tentative at first, trying to match the rhythm of the music box. Soon, you found yourself laughing and moving more freely.

“See? Isn’t this fun?” Soonyoung said, his voice bright and cheerful as he twirled you around slightly.

You laughed again, the sound mingling with the melody. “Definitely fun. I forgot how nice it feels to just... let go.”

As you danced together, you couldn’t help but notice how natural it felt to be close to him. It was so easy for him to make you laugh and make you feel at ease.

You honestly don’t know how you ended up in this position. The morning sunlight filtered through the small window, casting a warm glow over the storeroom. There you were, cuddled up against Soonyoung. His arms were wrapped around you tightly, his head nestled in the crook of your neck, snoring quietly. You tried to shift, but his hold on you only tightened. All you remember was closing the music box and falling asleep together on the floor.

Soonyoung stirred beside you, his breath warm against your neck. He blinked groggily, the confusion of waking up in such an intimate position slowly turning to realisation. His eyes widened as he registered where he was, and he pulled away slightly, his cheeks flushing a deep red.

“Oh,” he said, “Uh, good morning?”

You looked up at him, your own cheeks heating up. You tried to form a coherent response, but all that came out was a nervous laugh. “Good morning,” you managed, your voice soft and awkward.

Soonyoung fumbled to get up but ultimately remained seated, his face still flushed. “I didn’t mean for—” he started, but his words stumbled. “I guess we just... fell asleep.”

You nodded, trying to regain your composure. “Yeah, I guess so.”

The two of you sat there for a moment, the silence only filled with Soonyoung’s continued attempts to smooth down his dishevelled hair.

“ uh, I will go check up on Yerim.”, You said before getting up and rushing out the room before it could get any more awkward.

After breakfast, you watched Soonyoung. He was helping Chan and Yerim with some supplies, moving around the cafe.

Soonyoung was digging through a box of canned goods, chatting away and laughing at whatever Chan was saying. He looked completely at ease, like he was born to bring a bit of brightness to any situation. He even took a moment to playfully ruffle Yerim's hair when she handed him a can.

You leaned against the counter, just observing. Everything he did felt so familiar.

How long have you known him? A month or two? But why didn't it feel like it?

It felt like you have known him for years, as if you grew up with him in the same neighbourhood, skipping stones in the small pond near your house and swinging till the evening shadows faded into the dim lights of the park.

Maybe it was you in your previous lives or a parallel universe- if they ever existed. But you knew there was some connection. It lingered in your heart, you couldn’t tell what it was but it was there and you could say that with your whole chest.

Your thoughts were interrupted when he looked in your direction to make eye contact. He winked at you as he caught you staring. You rolled your eyes in an attempt to conceal your flared cheeks.

He laughed before going back to his business.

The day ended and all that replayed in your mind was the way he winked in your direction. That night you ate a packet of chips for dinner and as usual, waited for him in the storeroom. He bought himself a packet of chips as he didn't eat anything yet, plopping himself beside you on the ground.

His face shone in the light of the dusk, hands carefully tearing open the packet of chips—none of it going to waste. He looked at you with those eyes. Those eyes that glossed more than they ever did, lips slightly apart.

He was beautiful.

And no, you didn't mean beautiful like the rain but beautiful like the storm before it. Not like the sunset but the wildfire burning through the night.

He was breathtaking.

"____, you are staring," he said, tossing a few chips into his mouth.

You didn’t respond. It didn’t feel necessary, and he didn’t seem to expect an answer either. Your gaze trailed to his lips as he chewed on the food.

The world was literally ending and all you wanted to do was kiss him. You wanted to hold him so close to your body, limbs tangled, and your hands running through his hair.

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, and you felt your heart skip a beat. "Are you okay?" he asked, slightly concerned that you weren’t even talking, just staring at him in silence.

You nodded, but the truth was far from simple. How could you explain the wave of emotions raging inside you? How could you put into words the way his presence ignited a spark in your chest?

"Yeah, just... thinking," you managed to say, your voice barely above a whisper.

He chuckled softly, a sound that sent shivers down your spine. "Thinking about what?"

You, you wanted to say, let him know how much you craved him but you couldn’t. The words died in your throat. "Nothing in particular."

He crumpled the empty packet, throwing it beside him. He softly smiled and leaned back further into the wall. He looked almost ethereal, and it took every ounce of your self-control not to reach out and touch him.

He frowned slightly, his gaze on your shoulder. He brought his hand to dust something off from there and that was the last straw. You closed the distance between you, your lips pressing softly against his. But quickly, you pulled away. What have you done? He might have already been thinking you were a creep, and now you made a move which confirmed that.

"I'm sorry," you whispered, your voice trembling. "I- I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," he said softly, his voice tender. "We're both just… touch-starved."

You freeze for a millisecond but then quickly shake your head, your eyes locked onto his. "No," you said firmly, feeling a wave of frustration, why would he even think so? Sure, you didn’t put the way you felt for him in words but wasn’t the way you stared at him enough? Like he was the only person you ever wanted to look at?

"I didn’t kiss you because I was touch-starved."

He remained quiet, his eyes searching yours, waiting for you to continue. "I would never kiss someone just because I'm touch-starved," you paused, "or because I am bored." He looked away, processing your words. The tension could literally be felt in the air, every moment stretching out like an eternity. Something seemed to hit in his mind. He pressed his lips together, hesitant to speak the words swirling in his mind.

“Then tell me,” he finally said, his voice almost pleading. “Tell me you meant that kiss.”

He shifted his gaze to you, and suddenly you felt nervous under him. Your teeth grazed your bottom lip slightly and you swallowed a bit, gathering your words.

"Soonyoung, I—" Before you could finish, he pulled you into a kiss, this one more passionate, more desperate. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you close as if he couldn't bear to let you go. You melted into his embrace, your hands tangling in his hair, his locks as soft as you had imagined. His hand made its way to your face and he held it gently, trying to bring your face closer than it already was.

He pulled away just to lean in once again, this time going for your neck and gently grazing his teeth against the skin there. You gasped at the sudden feeling.

His mouth immediately zeroed in on the area where you gasped, gently nipping and sucking the tender skin there. The feeling of his hot, wet kisses against your neck was intoxicating and he pressed his body even closer to yours. His one hand rested on your shoulder, the other tightly gripping your hip.

You closed your eyes and threw your head back, giving him more space to kiss easily.

A surge of shouts engulfed your ears. He pulled away immediately at the sound, hyper-aware of the shouts that were coming in from the other room. Your mind couldn't even process the loss of touch due to how loud the sounds were. You thought a zombie might have attacked. You were about to stand up when he pressed his hand on your shoulder to let you stay in place. If anything happened, he wanted you to be the last one to get hurt.

Just a minute ago, his face was filled with passion and intensity you had never seen before. Now his expression was replaced by a much more serious one. He got on his knees to check through the small opening of the door and your speculations were confirmed by the way his face fell into panic, his hand moving to grasp your hand.

He looked over at you and you understood what he meant.

Time to run, again.

There was no use sitting in the room forever. Sooner or later you must go outside and you let that be this time.

He swiftly got up from his position, moving urgently as he held your hand tightly, pulling you up. His hand gripped the door knob, pushing the door open. It drew some attention, a zombie twisted its head towards you. Soonyoung’s grip tightened on your hand. He pulled you along with him to run forward.

You both halted when you realised that there were more zombies than you had thought. The door was open and the curtains on the window were ripped. Two zombies lunged towards you and Soonyoung immediately got hold of the mop at the side. He began hitting them and you slightly left his side to take the broken wooden leg of a table for a weapon of your own. You started to fight as well, using all your strength to take down the zombies, not only for yourself but the people around you.

Your eyes caught Chan briefly, who had Yerim at his back, trying to protect her as he shoved the zombies with a table he lifted up. Yerim didn't cry. She closed her eyes tightly, keeping all her trust in her uncle, moving according to his body moments.

The lady fell down near the corner, her spectacles landing on the ground as well. You ran towards her to help her up. Another zombie made its way towards you when you reached her. You handed her spectacles quickly before striking the zombie roughly. The lady muttered a thank you but you could barely consider it, holding her hand to pull her towards a safer place.

Chan noticed you, taking yerim by his hand to get near you in a hurry.

“ How did this all happen?”, you asked in a slow whisper, looking at your surroundings for any threat. “ some bitch really just opened the door.'' Chan whispered back, hoping the profanity didn't catch Yerim’s ear. You let out a sigh, taking Yerim with your other hand, “ So where now?”, you asked.

A groan was heard behind Chan’s back and he turned swiftly to hit it on the head before turning to you again, “ Just the safe house we talked about before.”, he said and you remembered the one time he mentioned about a safe house nearby.

Before you could respond, more zombies pushed through the broken window. The room was filling quickly, the café turning into a death-trap.

Wait, where was Soonyoung? Your eyes traced the place in one brisk moment, finding him at a corner. “ Soonyoung!”, you shouted.

His eyes looked with yours briefly. Soonyoung swung his mop, his moments still powerful and determined but there were too many. He shouted, "Go, get to the safe house! I'll hold them off!"

"No!" you screamed, your heart pounding in your chest. You swung the wooden leg, smashing a zombie's skull. Yerim whimpered behind you and Chan closed her eyes with his hand. The lady stayed put behind all of you.

Soonyoung looked at you with desperate eyes. "Just go! I'll find you!"

But as he spoke, a group of zombies managed to break through, separating you from him. You could barely see him through the chaos, his figure disappearing into the swarm of them.

“No, Soonyoung!” you cried out, your voice breaking with fear and worry. But Chan grabbed your arm, his grip firm and unyielding.

“We have to go, now!” Chan yelled, pulling you back.

You resisted, your eyes locked on the spot where Soonyoung had been. “I can’t leave him! We have to help him!”

Chan shook his head, his eyes filled with sorrow. “We can’t do anything for him right now. He’d want you to be safe. We need to get to the safe house.”

Tears blurred your vision, but you knew Chan was right. Reluctantly, you turned away, clutching Yerim’s hand as Chan led you through the chaos. The lady followed you behind. You saw a few other people making their way out, probably to the safe house as well. The café owner was one of them, even his weak self trying to thrash the zombies.

The fight to the exit was brutal. Zombies lunged from every direction, and you fought with everything you had, your muscles burning with exhaustion. Chan was beside you all along, fighting with his all might.

A zombie grabbed your arm, its fleshy fingers wrapped around your bicep. You, in a haste moment, removed its hands from you forcefully, pushing it down. You used the wooden leg in your hand to hit it furiously again and again, even when it fell down and looked like it wouldn’t move. The flesh of it burst and blood oozed out like honey. A screech stopped your moments and you panted heavily from the action.

The three of you finally burst through the door into the street. The fresh air hit you like a shock, but there was no time to savour it. Chan didn’t stop, didn’t let you pause. He pulled you forward, his pace relentless as he led you towards the safe house along with Yerim and the lady.

As you ran, you couldn’t stop glancing back, hoping against hope to see Soonyoung behind you. But all you saw were more zombies.

You didn't really know when you had reached the safe house. All the run, your mind was filled with him.

Soonyoung.

You didn't know if he was even alive and it ate you inside out. You regretted every single thing. You should've never left. You should've stayed even if it cost you your life.

Chan’s stretched out hand made you snap back into the present. He was holding out a handkerchief and that's when you noticed your damp cheeks.

You accepted it but didn't take it to your face to wipe the tears away. You looked at him.

His face was bruised, little wounds all over. His eyes still remained soft as they settled on you and he ignored the blood trickling near his lips. You looked behind him and at a distance Yerim was with the lady, safely seated on the ground.

“ From what I’ve seen of him, I think he would be safe.”. He said, a sad smile forming on his lips.

You sniffed more, trying to let some words out of your mouth, “ You don’t understand, Chan. I don't know- I don't know what to do.”, It was hard to express it in words. You never felt like this before. It was a strange kind of emptiness. It was so profound, consuming you like a void. You could feel it by his absence beside you, not knowing where the hell he ended up.

Chan stared at you in silence and placed a reassuring hand on your arm. You didn't pay much attention to it, your mind still replaying the scene in the café, the last time you have seen him.

The night seemed to pass and you just laid on the blanket on the ground, prepared by the guards there for everyone to sleep.

If you closed your eyes, it took you back to the incidents in the café, Soonyoung disappearing into the crowd of zombies. Slowly the sorrow turned into something else as a question arose in your mind.

Why did he make you his responsibility?

He would’ve had it easier if he just minded his business, left you when he got the bag of food and searched for a safe house himself.

But he didn't.

And it infuriated you.

It infuriated you that he cared for you, took you with him wherever he went even though he knew it would be way harder to survive while having to keep you safe. It infuriated you that he hadn’t been selfish, that he didn’t even take a second to think about himself, that he put you first.

You swallowed the lump in your throat, trying your best to erase the overwhelming emotions bubbling inside you.

The morning arrived later than you thought, the sun’s morning rays prickling your already strained eyes. You shut your eyes and turn the other way around to avoid them.

You got up after some time, lazily eating a banana on Chan's insistence. You spent your day sitting near the window to see if Soonyoung would arrive. With the evening arriving, your hopes were crushed and you moved from your place to see Chan playing with Yerim.

Chan smiled up at you and a grin formed on Yerim’s dusty face as well. The sight finally brought a small smile on your face and Chan’s smile widened.

You sat next to Yerim, allowing Chan to stretch his body for a while.

In a span of 5 minutes, Chan came back running. “ He is here! He is here!.”, he said, standing in front of you. You knitted your eyebrows together in confusion.

Chan took a few seconds to even his breathing. “ Soonyoung, he is outside.”, he said. You didn't wait further, getting up to reach near the window and see him outside. He was injured, definitely with his slightly limping leg and bruises that littered on his neck and shoulder, traces of blood on his face and hands. Despite his state, your shoulders relaxed at the fact he was still alive and you took a satisfied breath after a long time.

You turned to the guard, waiting for him to open the door. Your face fell when he didn't.

“ Umm… there is a survivor outside.”, you said, pointing towards the door.

The guard looked at the café owner who had a scowl on his face. “We clearly saw him go into those zombies, he could’ve been bitten.”

Your face grew hot in anger. “ He is not.”, you said.

“ How do you know that?", The man questioned back but you had no answer. You just knew he wasn't bitten but it was a gut-feeling with no proper proof to back it up.

“ We can’t risk these many people’s lives just so you could be with your boyfriend," he continued.

You glanced at the people around, leaving a deep sigh. You knew he was right- you can’t be selfish about this. But the thought of leaving him out alone was horrifying.

You glanced back at the window to see him outside as he looked around cluelessly.

You closed your eyes to think for a moment, weighing out all the possibilities and their consequences. You finally made a decision that made sense to your heart.

“ Then let me go out instead.”, you said, your voice calmer than before. You heard a few gasps and you were sure the loudest one was from Chan.

“ If you go out, there is no way back in.”, The guard said, his hand tight around the door handle.

Chan shook his head, taking a step forward. “ Are you insane? You can not go out! He could’ve been-”, he stopped seeing your glare.

“ He is not bitten.”, you said calmly, walking towards the door, “ I know he is not.”

Yerim stood in your way with her pouty lips and all you could do was pat her head and move past her.

Chan let out a frustrated sigh, his lips twitching, “ And what if you are wrong?”. You pause your moments, “ And what if he is not? He would be all alone.”, you breath out, “ If he is bitten,”, you said slowly,” Let it be, this is the least I could do for what he had done for me.”, you said before standing in front of the door.

The guard waited a minute to see if you would change your mind. When you didn't speak a word, he pushed open the door. The last thing you saw was Chan's and Yerim’s sad eyes before you stepped outside. Soonyoung's eyes fixed on you as you came out of the warehouse.

There he is, in all his glory, smiling up to you as if he didn’t have you worried to death for the past 24 hours.

You ran to him and engulfed him in a hug, squeezing the soul out of him. He hugged you back with the same energy, lifting you off the ground slightly. You moved your head back to see his face that still had a smile etched up on.

He moved one of his hands to your cheek, caressing it gently, looking at you with those brown eyes.

Then He kissed you. It was sudden but it was not a surprise. You kissed him back gently, arms still holding on to him, afraid that if you let go, you would lose each other once again.

He pulled back slightly and then began peppering little kisses on your lips. One, then another, then another, his lips light and soft against yours. When he deemed it was enough, he put you down on the ground again and noticed your moist eyes.

Without your own knowledge, tears flow down your cheeks, making them damp. His face softens as he sees you. Your face was more worn out than he remembered a day ago.

Your cries become muffled when you bury your face in his chest.

“ I thought..”, you try to begin but you fail as you cry more into his chest. “ I am here now, right? I am safe.”, he tried to reassure you.

And it was true. He was safe and that was enough.

Just then you realised, he cared for you simply because he chose to. It wasn’t a duty or an obligation but an action that came from his heart.

And you cared for him too. You cared for him enough to be with him, even in death. If not, you wouldn’t have been here.

After staying like that for a moment, he spoke, still holding you close to his chest, “ Let us go inside? It’s not safe to stay outside.”

You pulled away, biting your lip. You gulped slightly, “ About that, uhm, They wouldn’t let you come inside.”

His eyebrows knitted together in confusion. “ Why?”

“ They are afraid- that you could’ve been bitten," you said slowly.

He frowned, looking at the warehouse at a distance to notice that the doors were actually closed. He looked back at you.“ Then why did you come?”, he asked.

“ Because I want to be with you.”, you answered too quickly.

“ No, just go inside," He said hastily and shook his head, trying to be calm. His hands moved away from their previous position on your waist.

“ It’s too late. They won’t let me back in either, and even if they did, I wouldn’t go. I’m staying with you.” , you said, trying to get closer to him again but this time he took a step back.

“ Are you out of your mind, ____? Why would you put yourself at risk for me? ”His voice raised slightly but you didn’t budge. You scoff, your concern long gone and replaced with anger.

“Don’t act like you haven’t taken risks for me,” you shot back. “I thought we were in this together.”

“That is different!” His voice grew more urgent, his words coming faster. “Trust me, I want to be with you too, but there is no other safe house anywhere nearby!” He gestured helplessly to his wounded body. “And—look at me.” His voice cracked as he continued, “It won’t matter if I survive.”

“It matters to me.”, you said with a low voice. “ If you think I would leave you alone, you have known nothing about me.”

“ You are just being reckless.”, he tries to counter. “I’m just being honest,” you replied, your words coming quickly as you moved closer to him. You gently placed your palm on his cheek. His eyes fluttered closed for a moment as he subconsciously leaned into your touch, his breath catching in his throat.

He sighed, opening his eyes and looking at you with a mixture of frustration and tenderness. “Alright,” he said finally. “ Let us go before we come across zombies, I am tired of fighting them.”

As you both moved away from the closed warehouse, you searched for a place to rest and regroup. The sun was getting hotter and Soonyoung was getting more tired. After walking a short distance, you spotted a small, abandoned tent partially hidden behind a cluster of trees.

You helped Soonyoung inside. Once inside, you both settled onto the ground. As you wrapped a blanket around both of you to keep warm, you heard the distant thrum of a helicopter. Your heart skipped a beat. The sound grew louder, a shimmer of hope bubbled in your chest.

Quickly, you grabbed a blanket from the tent’s corner and, with Soonyoung’s help, you unfurled it outside, using it to signal the helicopter. You waved it back and forth.

Soonyoung’s eyes were locked on the approaching helicopter, his face a mixture of hope and anxiety. You both continued to wave the blanket, your arms growing tired but your spirits lifting with each passing moment.

The helicopter circled above, its searchlight scanning the area. Finally, it began to descend slowly, landing nearby. You both signed in relief and Soonyoung threw his head back in happiness. You were finally truly safe.

His hair flew with the harsh air coming from the helicopter.

You used to read poetry in highschool. Often, these poets compare their partners to a flame. You never understood that. How could a person be like a flame? How could a person ever be a flame? When you saw Soonyoung then, you got it for the first time. Soonyoung was like a flame. He burned like one and made you yearn for him.

You recognized the feeling in your chest, the way your heart thumped against your rib cage every time his eyes met yours. This was more than physical attraction or the affection you thought you developed over time. This was love.

And It felt right. Everything felt right with him.

“ I think I love you.”, you said without thinking, it was more of a confession to yourself. “I love you.”, you corrected your words. You didn’t have any doubts anymore, you didn't think anymore. you love him and that's all you could think for then.

He widened his eyes, his gaze flickering from the helicopter to you. It would be near you in a minute when he tightened the grip on your hand. He didn’t speak and that was fine for you. You didn't say you love him expecting him to say it back.

The helicopter reached near you. He climbed in first, stretching out his hand to help you get in as well. You grasped his hand and get it in. You both sat next to each other.

“ Are there any other survivors?”, one of the soldiers asked and Soonyoung shook his head, “Not any I know of nearby.”

The soldier mumbles something to the pilot and the helicopter slowly moves back up to the high altitude. You looked over at Soonyoung to see him deep in thought. You wonder what he was thinking about and you hoped it was about you, your confession.

The sound of the blades made your ears numb, even in the heavy noise, you heard the words that escape his mouth.

“ I love you too, ___.”

for anyone who came this far, thank you for reading!

#seventeen x reader #kwon soonyoung #soonyoung x reader #hoshi #hoshi x reader #hoshi imagines #soonyoung imagines #hoshi fluff #svt #seventeen #hoshi angst #seventeen angst

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sassypossumm · 1 month

Text

Night Changes

Deadpool x Sister!Reader • Miguel O'Hara x Reader

Just your luck, on the heels of catching your boyfriend and brother fucking, some spider bites the shit out of you, turning your life upside down...

In honor of the new Deadpool/Wolverine flick, I'm giving this fic new life so...breathe my child!

Hey.

You're not answering your texts.

I'm going to assume that you're dead.

I got pizza.

Ok you're definitely dead.

Logan's asking about you.

Ok that was a lie. If it makes you feel better he's been on a bender since thursday...

And by thursday I mean two thursdays ago

This had been going on for the past three weeks. Ever since you'd went off the grid.

Wade texted. Logan drank. You sat alone in your apartment. Currently you sat eyeing your phone warily. Wade went radio silent two days ago, and that made you nervous.

It was never good when your idiot brother didn't pester you. Shaking your head, you sighed and turned your phone off. No use staring at a blank phone screen, waiting to ignore the texts that weren't going to come. Flopping back on the mattress you stretched the kinks out of your legs and glanced to the side, trying to ignore the foul odor coming from your closet.

With a groan you sat up and for the first time really looked around your apartment. It was filthy. Running a hand through your greasy hair, you paused to look at the mousy ends. Your surroundings were a grody reflection of how you felt on the inside. Your eyes flicked again to the closet door that was slightly ajar and you instinctively itched at an aggravated red bite mark on your arm.

In all honesty, you hadn't gone radio silent simply over what had occurred between yourself, Wade, and Logan.

There was another reason...

Looking away from the closet door you flexed your jaw and groaned. The feeling of filth crawling across your skin won in the end, and after a week of nesting in your mound of blankets and pillows, you rolled out of bed and trudged to the bathroom. Shuffling past the mirror you shucked off your nightshirt and tossed it on the floor. You didn't have to look at your reflection to know that you looked exactly how you felt.

Like dog shit.

Turning on the water, you stepped in the shower and hissed at the practical ice that hit your back. Cursing yourself for not waiting, you angrily turned the knob until the water came streaming out at an unbearable temperature. Anything to feel something.

If you'd checked your phone before deciding to DIY a molten skin peel in the shower, you'd have seen the pivotal text.

Im coming over

Your skin was a brilliant vermillion hue by the time the pipes began squealing in protest, and you quickly turned off the water before receiving another beautiful blast of frigid water to the face. The faucet continued dripping, and you scrubbed your hair dry to the steady sound.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

Bang! Bang!

You jumped, hitting your head on the shower wall and hissed. Your front door was none too gently flung open, and you scrambled for anything to defend yourself, huffing when your hands landed on the plunger. It would have to do. Slinking behind the door, you crouched as the distinct sound of heavy footsteps came down the narrow hall towards the bathroom. You tensed and readied to defend yourself.

"Sis?"

Wade.

You slumped against the wall, exhaling heavily and dropped the plunger.

"Sis?" The bathroom door slowly creaked open.

"I'm naked you idiot!" You screamed, slamming it shut. Wade swore on the other side. You sighed and rested your forehead heavily against the flimsy wood. "Why didn't you call?!"

"I texted." He sounded defensive. Banging your head against the door you groaned.

"Let me get dressed." Wade shuffled back down the hallway to give you space, and you waited until his footsteps faded and you were certain he was in the living room before inching the door open. Peeking out and seeing the hallway empty, you quickly tip toed back to your room.

And hissed.

You didn't have any clean clothes. Your eyes darted around the filthy room until finally landing on something vaguely brownish in the corner. Snatching it up, you gave it an exploratory sniff.

"Clean enough." You grumbled, yanking it over your head and trudged back to the bathroom to wrap your still dripping hair in a towel. Pausing in front of the mirror you groaned.

To your growing mortification, you realized that this brown... thing had been the gag gift you'd received at last year's Dirty Santa party. Staring back at you was the demented face of that planter's peanut, and under it... Goofy Goober. "Just great." You muttered, tugging at the hem of the shirt and reluctantly headed towards the living room.

Wade sat sprawled out on your ratty old couch and perked up when he heard your footsteps. Looking up, he noticed your shirt and smirked.

"Kinky." You merely rolled your eyes and folded your arms, leaning against the door frame.

"Why are you here, Wade?" He fidgeted with his phone, and tossed it on the couch, nervously rubbing his palms on his thighs.

"We, I was worried about you."

"Well, as you can see, I'm fine." You gestured to your surroundings with more confidence than you felt. Wade glanced around and looked back at you with a raised brow.

"Yeah, as fine as Logan." You tensed.

"Don't mention him." Pulling away from the frame, you shuffled to the kitchenette and rinsed out a mug. Wade followed you and sat at the small folding table.

"We've all been trying to reach you." He said gingerly, folding his hands and twiddling his thumbs.

"I know." You filled the mug with water and popped it into the microwave. "And I thought it was obvious I wanted to be left alone." You didn't have to look over your shoulder to know that Wade bristled at that. Good. You thought bitterly.

"I'm worried about-"

"You lost the right to be worried about my well-being when I caught you fucking my boyfriend in my apartment, Wade!" Your voice sounded tinny even in your own ears, but you didn't back down as you stared down at your brother bitterly. Wade's eyes shuttered and he opened his mouth to protest, but at your heated glare he backed down.

"It was a shitty move." He whispered.

I'm sorry.

"Do you want a cup of coffee?" You responded.

You're an idiot.

"Yeah." He met your eyes. Nodding woodenly, you rinsed out another mug and stiffly went through the rote motions of making two cups of coffee. The instant stuff.

It wasn't good, but it was cheap.

Plopping the mugs on the collapsable table, you sat heavily in the folding chair, and took a sip of the rusty brew. Wade turned his cups in circles and stared into the black liquid.

"No creamer?" His eyes flicked up to you. You shrugged and took another sip.

"Assholes don't get creamer." He winced.

"Fair enough." He muttered and drained half of the scalding coffee in one gulp. Wade looked at you over the rim of his cup and studied you, his eyes focusing in on the angry red mark that still lingered on your arm, even after three weeks. "How've you been?" He chanced to ask, hesitantly.

"Not great." You smiled tightly, and he couldn't miss the way your left eye slightly twitched.

"Have you gotten that checked out?" Wade gestured to the red mark, which you quickly covered with your free hand.

"It's fine, Wade." You hissed.

"You're hiding something." He narrowed his eyes. Your grip on the mug tightened, and the distinct sound of glass cracking could be heard. Coffee began spurting out of a large crack in the side of your mug, causing you to hiss again as the hot liquid hit your hand. Wade's brows raised and he jumped back with a loud, 'Woah!', when you growled again and flung the mug at the wall.

He wasn't taken aback by the blood covering your hand, rather it was your reaction that had him jumping up, knocking over his chair in the process. You were glowering down at your hand, jaw slightly unhinged and... something was dripping from your...

"Fangs?" He breathed, and your eyes shot up to meet his. "Yo!" He scrambled over himself, backing towards the couch. You stood stock still, hand still dripping blood, but you were something otherworldly in that moment.

Your jaw had unhinged like a snake, and you indeed sported a pair of fangs that currently had some sort of venom dripping from them. Wade sat heavily on the couch, and you quickly came back to yourself, eyes clearing as you rushed to the sink to tend to the cut.

While you were busy running cold water over the cut, and squeezing out the blood that continuously oozed out, Wade sat in shock, running his hands through his hair. You glanced over your shoulder at him, nervously and turned off the water.

His head shot up, and you turned off the water as he stood and sniffed the air. Your heart stuttered to a stop.

He smelt it.

You'd become so accustomed to the stench; you'd taken for granted how horrid it was. Your horror grew as his eyes drifted down the hall towards your room.

You followed his line of sight, and slowly your eyes met again. Wade's eyes narrowed and he glanced back down the hall, and then down at your hand, dripping blood again.

You rushed to grab a hand towel, and Wade strode to your room. Cursing under your breath, you wrapped your hand and tripped over yourself in a panic to cut him off.

No dice. Wade flung your door open, and you found him on the floor, staring into your closet dumbly.

The blood rushed to your head; your hands felt clammy. Reaching out a hand, you braced yourself against the doorframe and stared at your brother, staring at the box in your closet.

The box overflowing with dead pigeons.

Finally, he tore his eyes away from the grisly sight, and looked up at you, ashen faced.

"Wade." You choked out before everything went black.

You came to with a groan as a cold cloth was placed on your forehead. Cracking your eyes open slowly you realized you'd been moved to the couch. Groaning again you tried to sit up.

"Easy." Wade admonished quietly, helping you into a sitting position, grabbing a throw pillow to prop behind your back.

"How long was I out?" You held the cloth to your forehead and gingerly felt the back of your head, breathing a sigh of relief when you didn't find a bump. Wade sat back and waived a hand dismissively.

"About five minutes." You nodded silently and closed your eyes, willing your head to stop spinning. Wade fidgeted and rubbed the back of his neck.

"So," He looked around the room before back at you hesitantly.

"So?" You opened one eye and considered him critically. Wade crossed his arms and raised a brow.

"We gonna talk about the you know... fangs and dead pigeons?" His leg bounced, and the corners of his lips lifted derisively. You flopped back against the couch.

"You are not seriously playing concerned big brother right now?!" You grumbled, covering your eyes with the cloth. "Hey!" You shouted when he yanked the cloth off your face. Shooting up, you glared at him and grabbed for the cloth, which he easily held out of your reach. "Give it back!" You huffed.

"Not until you start talking, Dracula." You narrowed your eyes and hissed. Wade tossed the cloth in your lap and folded his arms, nonplussed. Holding it to your forehead you again lay back on the couch and stared at the ceiling. "That gets old real fast."

"What does?" You glanced at him out of the corner of your eyes. Wade rolled his and leaned back in the folding chair he'd dragged over to the couch.

"The hissing thing. You sound like a deranged cat." He chuckled when you stuck your tongue out at him.

"If I weren't a lady, I'd tell you to get,"

"You're not a lady." He said dryly. You rolled over and propped yourself up on your elbow and pointed the limp rag at him.

"Fine. Get fucked." Pausing you sat up and looked at him with an exaggeratedly shocked expression. "Oh, wait... you already did. By my boyfriend."

"Ouch." He easily caught the rag you tossed at him. "Does it make you feel better to know you have excellent taste in men?" Your expression went flat, and you smiled thinly.

"Are you planning on trying out every man I bring home?" Wade visibly flinched and your brow twitched. "Aw, what's the matter, little sister's burns too much for you?" You taunted, sitting up and crossing your legs.

He snorted and placed the rag on the back of his neck. You smiled widely, your newly acquired fangs flashing briefly, and your smile slipped when you saw the flash of apprehension on his face. He turned his attention from you back to your surroundings.

"I'm the last person to comment on someone's digs, but this place has really gone to shit, Y/N." Wade looked back at you, concern in his eyes. You frowned, and your tongue ran over your fangs thoughtfully.

A new tick you'd picked up since they'd appeared. You were honestly a bit surprised that your tongue wasn't bloody and raw from as many times as you'd passed it over your sharpened incisors.

"Yeah, well, the last three weeks haven't exactly been a walk in the park, Wade." You uncrossed your legs and stood, snatching the rag out of his hand and headed towards the bathroom, Wade hot on your heels. Tossing the rag in the hamper, you turned to see Wade's attention had strayed to the cabinets over the toilet.

Your blood ran cold.

It was one thing for Wade to find your box of... experiments, as you called them. But you definitely didn't need him snooping further into your latest escapades.

"What's this?" Wade grabbed the black slip of fabric and held it up to examine it.

Too late.

You closed your eyes and grit your teeth, willing the rest of the world to dissolve. Just five minutes. Was that too much to ask? Five minutes of peace?

"Y/N?" You cracked an eye open to see him looking at you pointedly, holding up the garment for emphasis.

"It's nothing." You bit out, snatching the garment from his hands and stuffing it back into the cabinet, slamming it shut.

"It's clearly something." Wade folded his arms. "The fangs and hissing thing again, right?" Sighing you leaned against the bathroom wall in resignation.

"Yeah." You slumped to the floor and hugged your knees to your chest.

"What gives, kid?" He gave you a concerned look, sliding to the floor beside you. "Y/N?" Wade gently nudged your shoulder.

"I got bit." Smiling tightly, you looked sideways at him and shrugged. "I don't know, some crazy spider, I think."

"And that's when you went all 'Elvira mistress of the dark'?"

"Pretty much." Instinctively you itched the aggravated bite again.

"So, I shudder to ask, but what's up with the dead pigeons? Are you trying to create an army of zombie birds?"

"No, idiot." You cracked your first genuine smile in weeks.

"Then again, what gives?"

"Experiments." You offered simply. Wade raised a brow and leaned back to study you.

"You know that's giving major Frankenstein and his monster vibes, right?"

"Maybe I should just bite you to test my theory." You said drolly, closing your eyes and leaning your head against the grimy wall.

"What's this shady theory of yours?"

"Hmm?" Cracking one eye open you acknowledged him before closing it again. Wade scooted closer and nudged your knee with his.

"What's cooking in your noggin', Frankenstein?" You wrinkled your nose at the dig and sighed, turning to face him.

"I'm pretty sure the stuff I've been orally secreting,"

"Venom?"

"Yeah, venom," you hissed bitterly. "I'm fairly certain this venom, is poisonous, fatally so. At least to small animals."

"And you tested this theory out on little critters? That's kinda twisted, sis."

"Says the Merc with a mouth!" You punched his shoulder.

"Ouch!" Wade winced dramatically and rubbed his shoulder. "Easy, killer." Your face hardened and he instantly regretted his choice of words.

"Obviously I'm not going to risk finding out if my venom is fatal to an actual person."

"Why not?" He leaned forward, startlingly animated.

"You're joking?! You were just negging me for biting some pigeons. Little animals are off limits but whole people are fair game? That's twisted, big brother." Wade rolled his eyes and waived off your tirade.

"I'm not saying you should grab some rando off the street. I mean, hello! You've got the perfect test subject right here!" He gestured to himself.

"You want me to bite you?" You looked askance at him. Wade pulled a face and shrugged.

"Why not. If it's not fatal, no harm. If it is fatal, I'll regenerate anyways. It's a win win!" You folded your arms, unimpressed.

"You just want to get bit by a vampire." You folded your arms, unimpressed. Wade sighed heavily and scooted even closer, wrapping his arm around your shoulders and rested his chin on your shoulder.

"This is the closest I'm gonna get to that! Come on, sis, don't take this away from me!" He whined, jostling your body. You struggled against his grip, but Wade doubled down and gave you that insipid puppy dog pout you hated.

Naturally it didn't work on you, but you'd do anything to wipe it off of his face.

"Pest." You hissed, and turned, biting down on his neck harshly. Wade clenched his jaw as the venom burned hot through his veins. You pulled back hesitantly and wiped your mouth on the back of your arm and watched him. At first, he had no reaction beyond a light layer of sweat beading against his hairline.

He turned to look at you and opened his mouth when his eyes rolled back, and he twitched violently before going stiff and flopping over.

"Wade?" Your blood ran cold, and you reached out a shaky hand to touch his arm. He twitched again and you recoiled with a choked sound and scrambled on top of the toilet. Moments of sheer panic and dread passed as you watched his skin take on a grey pallor. It felt as though your heart might jump out of your chest.

Gingerly you climbed down from the toilet and inched closer to him until you were standing by his head.

"Wade?" You whispered shakily and nudged at his cheek with your foot.

He opened his eyes and gasped for air.

His hand reached out and clamped around your ankle.

You shrieked and kicked him in the face.

He grunted and roughly yanked your leg out from under you. Another shriek turned into a sharp exhale of air as your back made contact with the hard linoleum.

"Was that really necessary?" You growled, biting back a sound of pain.

"Says the woman who just killed me." He groaned, rubbing the side of his face. You turned your head to meet his eyes.

"You recovered." Wade barked out a short laugh.

"At least we know two things now." He rolled over and sat up with a grunt and offered you a hand.

"Yeah?" You took his hand, and he pulled you into a sitting position. "What have you deduced, Sherlock?" You stood and stretched out your back muscles and offered him a hand up. Wade took it and stumbled to his feet.

"That I'm never going near your feet again, and I'm gonna make sure not to piss you off in the future." He gestured to the puncture marks on his neck. You narrowed your eyes playfully and bared your teeth with a hiss. Wade held up his hands to shield himself and dodged you easily with a chuckle.

"Oh, no, please, scary vampire lady!" Your smile faded and your eyes shuttered. "Aw, sis, I was just kidding." He wrapped an arm around your shoulder again and squeezed.

"I know." You offered a halfhearted smile and elbowed him gently in the ribs. "But all jokes aside, Wade, I'm a threat." You've seen, when I'm pissed it's hard to control. It's like I instinctually need to put something in my mouth." You groused, folding your arms. Wade smirked and coughed to cover a snort.

"I could do so many things with that statement." He snorted again. You rolled your eyes.

"You're disgusting, Wade." He opened his mouth to argue when there was a knock at the door. "Not again." You grumbled and marched to the door.

"What's not again?" Wade called out, and when you didn't respond he followed, curiosity leading him.

"The fourth time this month! I swear they won't leave me alone." Ignoring his presence, you grumbled to yourself as you stormed to the door, building steam as you went.

Wade would've asked what you were so angry about, but his neck was still smarting, and he wasn't exactly jumping to have a repeat experience.

Grabbing the folding chair, Wade straddled it and folded his arms over the back. Reaching for the doorknob you whipped your head in his direction to glare at him.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just here until intermission." He smirked and propped his chin on his folded arms.

He probably should've reminded your that you were still wearing that idiotic goofy goober sleeping shirt, but what the heck.

Gripping the doorknob, you yanked it open roughly, splinters flying back as the wood split with the force of your hand. Wade flinched.

"I told you I wasn't interested, Peter," Your anger instantly evaporated as you took in the giant of a man staring down at you stoically.

"Not Peter." His voice was flat, his expression unaltered as he stood there, arms folded. You took a step back and looked down, realized the knob was still in your hand.

"Great." You muttered, closing your eyes shut and squeezing the doorknob. You didn't have to look to know that you'd most likely ripped the door off its hinges. Again. Sighing deeply, you opened your eyes and forced a smile before turning back to the behemoth.

"Can I interest you in a shitty cup of coffee?"

Thank you for reading!!! Likes, reblogs, and comments always appreciated! 🥰🥰🥰

#miguel o'hara #miguel o'hara x reader #miguel o'hara x you #atsv miguel #miguel x reader #spiderman 2099 x reader #wade wilson x reader #wade wilson x you #wade wilson #deadpool #wade wilson x sister!reader #logan howlett #spidersona #wade wilson imagine

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rockwood790 · 2 months

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Comparing Manual vs. CNC Bending Machines in the UAE: Which is Right for You?

The UAE is a busy center for industrial and construction work, which means there's a growing need for advanced machinery. Bending machines in UAE are crucial tools for shaping metal parts used in various applications. When choosing steel fabrication machines in UAE, businesses often need to decide between manual and CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machines. This article will explain the differences, benefits, and best uses for each type, helping you make a smart choice for your steel fabrication needs. Companies like Rockwood Machinery offer a range of bending machines in UAE, making it easier to find the right equipment for your business.

Understanding Manual Bending Machines

Manual bending machines need human effort to operate. They are usually simpler in design and easier to use, making them a budget-friendly option for many small to medium-sized businesses. This makes them a popular choice among businesses looking for affordable bending machines in UAE.

Advantages of Manual Bending Machines

Cost-Effective: Manual bending machines are generally cheaper, making them a good choice for businesses with tight budgets. They offer an affordable way to start bending metal, which is especially useful for those investing in steel fabrication machines in UAE.

Simplicity: These machines are easy to use and maintain. Their simple design means fewer parts that can wear out or break, which helps lower maintenance costs and reduces downtime.

Flexibility: Manual machines provide operators with more control, making them ideal for custom, small-batch jobs where precision can be adjusted as needed.

Disadvantages of Manual Bending Machines

Labor-Intensive: Because they rely on manual effort, these machines require more work from operators. This can lead to higher labor costs and slower production rates, especially for large-scale projects.

Limited Precision: Even though skilled operators can achieve good results, manual machines usually don’t offer the same level of precision as CNC machines. This can be a problem for projects that need high accuracy and consistency.

Understanding CNC Bending Machines

CNC bending machines use computer control to automate the bending process. These machines are programmed to perform complex bending tasks with high precision and efficiency, making them a popular choice among businesses looking for advanced bending machines in UAE.

Advantages of CNC Bending Machines

High Precision and Consistency: CNC machines offer exceptional precision and consistency, making them ideal for projects that require exact measurements and repeatability.

Efficiency: These machines can operate continuously with minimal human intervention, significantly speeding up production. This efficiency is especially useful for large-scale steel fabrication projects.

Advanced Capabilities: CNC bending machines can handle complex bends and multiple tasks in one setup. This reduces the need for extra machinery and labor.

Reduced Labor Costs: While the initial investment is higher, CNC machines can lower long-term labor costs, making them cost-effective for high-volume production.

Disadvantages of CNC Bending Machines

Higher Initial Investment: CNC machines are more expensive to purchase compared to manual machines. This can be a significant consideration for small businesses or startups with limited budgets.

Complexity: Operating and maintaining CNC machines requires specialized skills and training. Businesses might need to invest in training for their staff or hire experienced operators.

Maintenance Costs: CNC machines involve advanced technology, which can lead to higher maintenance costs. They require regular upkeep and possible software updates to ensure they run smoothly.

For businesses in the UAE looking for bending machines, understanding these aspects of CNC machines can help in making the best choice for their needs. Companies like Rockwood Machinery offer a variety of bending machines in UAE, including both manual and CNC options, to meet different business requirements.

Which is Right for You?

When choosing between manual and CNC bending machines in the UAE, consider these factors:

Project Requirements

Precision and Complexity: If your projects require very precise and complex bends, CNC bending machines are the better choice. They excel at handling detailed designs with consistent accuracy.

Volume and Speed: For high-volume production, CNC machines offer superior speed and efficiency. However, for smaller, custom jobs, manual bending machines might be more practical and cost-effective.

Budget

Initial Investment: If your budget is limited, a manual bending machine is a more affordable option. Keep in mind, though, that the lower initial cost might lead to higher long-term labor costs.

Long-Term Costs: Consider the total cost of ownership, including maintenance, labor, and production efficiency. CNC bending machines, despite their higher upfront cost, can result in lower long-term costs due to reduced labor and increased productivity.

Skill and Training

Operator Expertise: If your workforce isn’t trained in CNC operations, you’ll need to factor in the time and cost of training. Manual bending machines require less specialized training, making them easier to integrate into your existing operations.

Maintenance Capability: Ensure your team can maintain the type of machine you choose. CNC machines, with their advanced technology, require more sophisticated maintenance compared to manual machines.

By evaluating these factors, you can make an informed decision when selecting bending machines in UAE. Companies like Rockwood Machinery offer a variety of bending machines in UAE to suit different needs and budgets.

Conclusion

Both manual and CNC bending machines have their own pros and cons. The right choice depends on your specific needs, budget, and the type of projects you handle. For businesses in the UAE, especially those involved in steel fabrication, understanding these factors is crucial for making a smart decision.

Companies like Rockwood Machinery, a leading supplier of bending machines in UAE, offer a range of both manual and CNC options. By consulting with experts and assessing your unique requirements, you can select the best bending machine for your business, ensuring optimal performance and cost-effectiveness.

In summary, whether you choose a manual or CNC bending machine, investing in the right equipment will enhance your production capabilities and help your business stay competitive in the dynamic UAE market.

#Bending machines in UAE #Plate rolling machines in Dubai #pipe welding rollers in uae #Hydraulic pipe benders in UAE #CNC Pipe Bending Machines in UAE #Steel fabrication machines in UAE

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benderpartstool · 5 months

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Discover Affordable Used Pipe Benders for Sale

Discover affordable used pipe benders for sale and unlock cost-effective solutions for your bending needs. This resource explores various listings and platforms where fabricators can find pre-owned pipe benders at budget-friendly prices. Whether browsing online marketplaces, auctions, or classified ads, there are numerous opportunities to acquire quality equipment without breaking the bank. By opting for used pipe benders, fabricators can access reliable machinery at a fraction of the cost of new models, saving money without compromising on performance. With careful research and inspection, fabricators can find the perfect used pipe bender to meet their requirements and budget constraints, allowing them to streamline operations and achieve exceptional results in their bending projects.

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mxtantrights · 7 months

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Bounded by blood and shadow (11)

Azriel x magic!fem!reader

“We need to go back, now.” You bark.

You haven’t talked since the man said his name. Your ex-husband. What words could you use to describe him? Deceitful, lawless, cowardly, stupid.

“Woah, can we just talk about what you did?” Cassian asks.

You give him a sharp look, “I’m about to do the opposite of healing if we don’t go.”

Cassian’s eyes widen. Then he’s offering you his hand, you take it. He winnows you back to the dawn court. Right in the middle of the tea room actually. Which creates quite a fuss.

“What happened?” Feyre shouts.

You are reminded of your dress and the mess you have on it. You look over to Thesan who shares Feyre’s sentiments. You run your hands over the blood stains on the dress and get rid of it. Like the blood was never there.

“Nothing. I need to go home.” You say.

“I thought this was your home?” Nesta asks.

You roll your eyes. Right. You live here all of the time, at least that’s what they think. Not anymore. Right now you couldn’t be vexed to keep up with the lie.

“It’s one of them.” You answer quickly.

“The last boat went out at least two hours ago.” Thesan says to you.

You sigh, “This can’t wait until morning.”

“They can take you.” Amren says from behind you.

You look at her like she’s grown another head. She gives you a look too, like she didn’t want to say it but she still did. You cannot bring the fae back home.

“Where exactly are we taking you?” Cassian asks.

“You’re not taking me home. That’s out of the question.” You answer.

“We just saw you heal a child with a life threatening wound.” Morrigan pipes in.

“So you’re a healer?” Nesta asks.

You groan, “I don’t have time for this. People are in danger!”

Thesan grabs a hold of your shoulders. You hadn’t realized he had gotten up from his seat. He looks at you sternly.

“Speak plainly.” He whispers.

You shake your head, “It’s Kynas. He has to be behind this, behind everything.”

Thesan holds a hand over his mouth.

“Who is Kynas?” Rhysand asks.

Thesan nods his head, “If you want to get home tonight, you have to tell them.”

You crack your knuckles. Great. You needed the night court. You never thought that sentence would come to your mind. How you hated too. You’re not used to needing anyone, not anymore.

“It’s a long story. But to keep it short Kynas is my ex husband.” You explain.

At your admission you see a few things. Nesta's face doesn't change. Feyre and Rhysand share a look between each other. The other sister, Elaine, her eyebrows shoot up on her forehead.

“And he has to do with your brother’s sudden disappearance?” Rhysand asks.

You nod your head, “It has to be him.”

“I’m confused, what the hell are you?” Cassian throws the question out.

“Tiyamelu.”

At the sound of Azriel’s voice finally joining in the conversation you turn to him.

How did he know that name? It was very old. You don’t think you’ve heard it for at least five centuries. Maybe more.

He’s looking you in the eye now. You keep eye contact with him.

“Where’d you get that name from?” You ask him.

It’s dead silent in the tea room. He clears his throat.

“The man said it, after Cassian winnowed you out.” he answered.

You let out a shaky breath, “It what they used to call us. But the most recent term is Blood benders.”

You watch as realization settles across some faces. Or confusion in some cases. Like for Nesta, Elaine and Freyre. But Rhysand, Cassian and Azriel seem to understand even if a little about what you just said. So does Morrigan.

“You can’t read her mind but you can read mine, I’ve been to her home before.” Amren says, switching the topic back.

“Okay, Azriel can take you there.” Rhysand says.

“Wait. The wards! No fae are allowed inside.” You explain.

Amren curses under her breath. She had been the exception because she’s not fae. You couldn’t get there without them, but you couldn’t get in with them.

No unless—it would be dangerous but it might work. They would probably never go for it.

“Do you have another way?” Azriel asks.

“It’s dangerous.” You shake your head.

“Well we live a bit for danger. Don’t we?” Cassian says jokingly.

You look at Thesan, “Hand me that knife.”

Thesan does so without asking why. The metal feels cold in your hand. You turn the blade around so the sharp part is pointing at you.

“Hold on, what do you need that for—“ Cassian starts to ask.

“It’s for me.” You cut him off.

You make the incision on your palm, not too deep and not too wide. The blood flows slowly, red liquid taking up the expanse of your palm. You look at Azriel then.

“If you’re the one taking me, you’ll need this. To trick the wards and get in.” You explain to him.

You see Cassian and Morrigan make faces at the thought. It would weird you out too if you weren’t a blood bender. Azriel, without saying a word, steps to you and takes your arm in his hand. You watch him carefully as he raises your hand up.

He ducks his head below your closed palm, “Go ahead.”

You open your hand and the blood starts dripping into his open mouth. His eye pierce right into you, you can’t keep eye contact with him. No one in the room knew the significance of this. No one knew the last time you fed someone your blood you were getting married.

After a few more drops land you take your hand back. He stands up straight. You look him over once. The transfer can be different for everyone but especially for those who are not blood benders.

“Are you okay? Do you feel different?” You ask him quietly.

He looks around the room, no doubt feeling the effects already. You aren’t sure he’ll be able to winnow you right at this moment. He needs some time to adjust.

“It feels,” he breathes and smiles the tiniest bit, “light.”

You only saw him smile a handful of times. Around his family all of the times you can recall. He looks nice with a smile.

His eyes glide to you, “Are you ready?”

You can’t speak right now. A bit too tongue tied. You just nod. He holds out his hand for you to take. You take his hand into yours. It feels warmer than usual. Maybe its’ your blood in his system.

Darkness surrounds the both of you.

He lands you right in the palace. It’s eerie and silent. Like before, but this time you can feel the presence of no one inside. This is bad. Really bad. You turn to Azriel.

“Okay, you should winnow back. I don’t know how long my blood will trick the wards.” You tell him.

He gives you a look, “And leave you to fend for yourself?”

You pull the end of your dress up, reaching for the hilt that you had strapped to your heel. You take it out and stand up straight.

“Where’s the—“ he starts to ask.

You know what he’s going to ask so you beat him to it. You summon the blood blade. You watch as his face goes from unsure to shocked in a matter of moments.

“I’m serious. You have to go now.” You speak.

He nods his head, “Okay.”

He turns to leave and you realize how rude you might have been. He basically helped you get back home. Well, not basically, actually. You reach out and grab his wrist which stops him from moving.

He looks down at your hand and then at you.

“Thank you.” You say.

He gives you a firm look. It’s not a smile. It’s not a frown either. You let go of his wrist. He turns back around and so do you. You can hear the whooshing sound that usually comes with winnowing.

You hold your sword up in defense as you begin to ease further into the palace. Doors are left ajar, which you know is wrong. Cyril would never let that stand.

As you approach the council room you stop. You don’t know what you’re going to find in there. It could be the worst sight of your life. It could be nothing. Maybe everyone had just simply gone out.

Gone out, didn’t leave a note or think to lock the palace doors. Yeah. That would explain it.

You peer your head over the door. You see it slowly then all at once. Bodies in chairs, unmoving and inbreathing. You enter the doorway quickly and almost drop your sword.

Cyril. He sits at the same seat as always. They all sit at the same seats. But they are no longer alive. They are pale, no blood in them. That’s why you couldn’t sense them. They were here but they weren’t alive.

You run over to Cyril’s body and put your sword down on the table. You cradle his face in your hands, trying to shake him awake. A big part of you knows that it won’t do anything. If all of his blood was drained there was nothing for you to work with, no one for you to save.

“Cyril, please, please don’t leave me…” you cry, tucking your head into his chest.

You can’t will him to hug you back, you can’t will him to breath. You can’t do anything. You sink to your knees. The red drops of blood from your eyes falling on your dress, staining it once again.

#blood and shadow #acotar x reader #acotar imagine #acotar fic #azriel x reader #azriel imagine #Azriel fic

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aaronaccessories · 1 year

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A Guide to Pipe Cleaning and Cutting Machines in Singapore

Pipe cleaning and cutting machines are essential tools for any plumbing, construction, or industrial project that involves working with pipes. Whether you need to remove dirt, scale, rust, or other deposits from the inside of pipes or cut pipes to the desired length and shape, you need reliable and efficient machines that can handle the job. But how do you choose the right pipe cleaning and…

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#Oil and Gas Burner #Pipe Cleaning Machine #Pipe Cutting Machine #Pipe Grooving Machine #Rebar Bender

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god-has-entered-my-body · 5 months

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Falling for you - M.H x Reader // pt. 8

A/N: i'm getting sort of sad now that the end has come. Thank you @beforeyougo-turnthebiglightoff for being an absolute legend and beta reading everything and being mental in my dms for the majority of it. @vinylandcoffeecollection and @sugar-coat-it you lot have been so nice to me this entire time and made me feel welcome and like i wasn't doing everything wrong, you're absolutely amazing❤️ This chapter is NSFW minors do not interact. Also terribly sappy and sweet cause i can't help myself.

wc: 4k

The light breeze made wrappers fly through the air, George chasing after them, ever the eco conscious one. Matty laughed, rolling his eyes before biting into his burger, sauce covering his face. The five of you had ended up where you always did: The McDonalds parking lot. It was almost sad, with Caroline's having too many horrible memories connected to it, the only place that felt nice was a parking lot next to the highway.

Sometimes, you’d go to your respective houses, but with Mattys place being far too posh for Ross’ taste, and Hann and Ross’ flat feeling quite cramped when you all piled in, the great outdoors was your only option.

George had somehow found another shopping cart on the side of the road, and was now sitting in it with you, your legs draped over each other as you shared a spliff over burgers and ice cream. Matty, not being able to ask for the spliff like a normal person, started making grabby hands at you, his mouth filled with bits of food. You roll your eyes, handing it to him reluctantly.

Hann was going on about his girlfriend (well, now ex-girlfriend) and how much he missed her. She had broken up with him a few days prior, stating he “acted like a single mother to his friends”, calling him weird for not answering her calls the day Matty had finally come back from his ‘bender’.

Matty was making his weird food-eating sex noises again, and Ross groaned, closing his hands around his ears, trying to muffle the sound. You giggled at his reaction, Matty turned to you, giving you a subtle wink.

“You look nice today, have you done something with your hair?'' The question came from George, his eyes trying to figure out what you did. “I straightened it properly, you like?” he nods, turning back to the floor of the shopping cart you were both in, picking up his milkshake and taking a sip.

“Oh for fucks sake Matty, you got your fucking hair in my food.” Hann holds up a blonde strand, clearly belonging to Matty, the curl pattern giving him away. Matty just shrugs, blowing Adam kiss before turning to you. His eyes pierce yours, and you can feel your heartbeat speed up.

“Cunt.” Adam mutters to himself before trying to throw the hair onto Matty, failing miserably.

“Let's go to the lake, I fancy a swim.” Ross pipes up. You immediately agree, the weather was warm enough and a night swim sounded fantastic right about now. George whined about how unsanitary the lake was, but everyone knew he would be the first one in it the moment you got there.

The walk there was calm, Ross and George leading the way, with you and Matty right behind them. Adam was trudging along beside you, loopy and tired and hungover. You take a stab at him for acting like an old man, and he shoots you a glare that shuts you up, holding your hands up defensively as he turns back to stare at the ground in front of him.

The field was slightly damp, the grass wetting your back as you laid down on it. The sounds of crickets and trees rustling filled your ears, and you see Matty walking towards you. He had taken his shirt off, nipple piercing on display.

“Jesus, is that a nip ring?” you hear Ross comment, hiding his laugh behind his hand.

“Yeah, this one is an aspiring piercer.” he gestured to you, and you nod at Ross, confirming that you had done it for him. It was almost healed at this point, and you were begging him to switch it to something pink and girly. He tried to fend you off, but eventually agreed to let you swap out the black ring for a pink one.

“It would look so good on you, I promise.” you assured him, your hand grazing over his chest. As long as you kept doing that he'd let you do whatever you wanted to him.

Peeling off your shirt, you lay back down onto the grass, patting the space next to you while looking at Matty. He grins, spinning around and letting himself flop onto the ground, his head immediately resting on your chest. The soft curls of Mattys hair brushed against your face, tickling slightly.

“Get in the water and stop lying there like a bunch of pricks posing for a summer edition of Vogue!” The yell comes from Ross, who was already knee deep in swampy lake water, waving his hands over his head as he flung insults at the both of you. Like second nature, two aggressive middle fingers fly up, telling him to promptly go fuck himself.

The sun had set, stars littering the sky, lighting it up. Your legs had started to go numb from the weight of Mattys body on yours, so you had decided to switch places. Arms draped over each other, he held you close as you watched the stars sparkle.

“I want you.” The words sound nonchalant, almost disguising their meaning as they leave Mattys lips. A laugh escapes you, and you trail a hand up his chest, tracing the indents of his ribs.

“Alright, i'm going to the shop for some booze,” you announce, getting up from Matty. From the water, George shouts at you to get a bottle Tequila, with Adam not far behind, asking you to buy him a pack of his fags. You commit the requests to memory, kicking Matty lightly, motioning for him to get up. He quickly does, his hand intertwining with yours as you walk to the road that was maybe a few hundred meters from the edge of the water.

Once you were out of their earshot, Ross pipes up:

“D’you reckon they're shagging?” his question sounds more casual than it actually is. George shrugs his shoulders, going back to fixing his shorts.

“I’d bet money on it. Have you seen the way she looks at him, or the way he looks at her? He's whipped.”

The knowledge hangs thick in the air, not as uncomfortable as they thought it would be. It was fine, they concluded, even if a bit weird.

Meanwhile, Matty had you pressed up against the wall of the alley next to the corner shop, his hands clawing at your tits with such an intensity, you’d have thought he’d been celibate up until this moment.

Not caring if anyone saw, you run your hands up his chest, looping your finger through the piercing on his chest, playing with it. He never failed you, eliciting just the reaction you were hoping for. A pathetic moan, and his hands tweaking your nipple in retaliation.

He taps your shoulder three distinct times, a provocative grin spreading onto his face. A desperate hand grabs his wrist, and you lead him into the shop, quickly rushing past the cash register in favor of the one stall bathroom you knew was in the back. The fluorescent lighting made your eyes burn for a second as you locked the door behind you, turning back to face Matty.

If heaven could be cultivated into one image, it would be the one standing right infront of you. Messy hair, wide eyes and a naked, sweaty chest graced your line of sight, wasting no time to press him against the sink, the ceramic digging into the small of his back. The kiss is all teeth and tongue, with him licking into your mouth in a way that makes you slightly dizzy, your knees buckling beneath you.

A wave of pure adoration washed over you as he pulled back, his eyes darting over your face, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Such a sweet expression on the face of someone who was currently grinding onto you like his life depended on it. You could feel him growing harder the more you kissed him, sharp nails raking down his back, leaving raised scratch marks that reflected off of the mirror behind him.

“You want me, yeah?” you quote his words back to him, his eyes screwing shut in pure ecstasy as you reach a hand down his loose basketball shorts, ghosting over his underwear. His hips buck forward, a moan leaving his lips as the pressure increased. A wet patch formed on the front of his boxers, his cock leaking into your hand.

An idea pops into your head, and your hand leaves his pants, opting to grab his waist. He whines at the loss of contact, burying his head into your shoulder. A yelp of surprise sounds from him when you flip him around, pressing his front to the edge of the sink, making eye contact in the mirror.

Your hands move over the expanse of his chest, watching his face closely as he hangs his head, trying to catch his breath.

“Look at yourself,” you tell him “If you don't, I'll stop.” your voice is firm, and his eyes snap up to meet yours before landing on his own reflection.

A sigh leaves his parted lips as your hand finally travels lower, the tent in his pants now painfully obvious. The cool air of the bathroom made his nipples hard against your fingers as you ran your other hand over them.

“Please- i've done everything you wanted.. please.” his voice cracks slightly as you squeeze him through his underwear, his cock pulsing in your hand. Your movements are slow as you take him out of his boxers, collecting beads of precum at the tip before smearing it back down.

You hold your hand out, Matty looking slightly confused when you do. A raised eyebrow makes it clear what you want him to do, and he spits into the palm of your hand, making eye contact with you as he did. Matty knows what he does to you, no matter how badly you try to hide it. A grin makes its way onto his face, quickly transforming into a blissed out expression as you speed up, thumbing his slit as he lets out a low moan.

He listened, never letting his eyes leave his reflection, though occasionally they flick over to you, your pupils completely blown out, watching every little move he made. He looks absolutely beautiful, like putty in your hands, you mold him with your words.

It was moments like these that made your heart swell up at the sight of him, fucked out and begging for even the smallest touch. One of his hands slam against the glass of the mirror, holding him steady. The faster you move, the more he reacts, filling the small bathroom with groans and pleas, the sounds reverberating off of the walls.

The mirror has not been a coincidence, no matter what you led him to believe. Reaching into the back pocket of your shorts, you feel around for a certain familiar object. The camera. You didn't know what it was, but whenever he was like this, twitching under even the slightest brush of your fingers against his cock, you felt the urge to immortalize the moment.

His eyes widen when he spots the lens in the mirror, reflecting the light of the lightbulb above you. His mind was fuzzy, and honestly, so was yours. Your fingers fumbled a bit, missing the shutter the first time. Even if he played dumb in the moment, he knew you kept the photos of him close to you, so he always made sure to give you what you wanted.

A sly grin, half closed eyes, maybe even parted lips with a hint of tongue between them. Sweat needed on his forehead, dripping down his face and onto his chest, and he could feel him throttling towards his orgasm.

A flash.

A particularly harsh tug of his cock makes his mouth fall open just as the picture is taken, the expression on his face one of pure ecstasy. Your core flutters at sight in the mirror, even letting out a small moan as his eyes meet yours.

Flash

This time, he’s ready, his head tilting back, showing off the numerous hickeys you had left days before, slightly faded but still visible. His hair is thrown to the side, tangled and unruly, blonde, grown out highlights peeking through the mess of curls. He parts his lips, on purpose this time, letting out an exaggerated moan.

Your hand had now left his cock, a groan of protest coming from Matty as you shush him, your hand tracing up his chest and settling around his throat. Squeezing experimentally, Matty whimpers at the sensation, nodding vigorously to get you to do it again. You do, tightening your grip.

Flash.

This picture is your absolute favorite. Your hand is small around his neck, yet still overpowering him. The way he looks at you in the reflection convinces you an actual angel has been plucked out of heaven and handed to you in the form of Matty. His hands clutch the edge of the sink, head thrown back once again.

Deciding you had given him enough, you reach back down, squeezing his cock just like you did his neck not three seconds earlier.

“I didn't think you’d be kinky like that, hm?” He tries to seem cocky, but his voice betrays him. He can't control the shakiness of it, the way his breath catches in his throat whenever you change up your rhythm, throwing him off.

“Didn't take you for such an attention whore either, did I? I guess we’re both full of surprises.” you retaliate, and you know he’s almost there, the way his thighs tense and his cock twitches in your hand a telltale sign.

“I’m so close- fuck.” He’s asking for permission, you know he is. His eyes find yours in the mirror, and you nod.

“Go on, Matthew, you know you want to.” you urge him, hand speeding up as his legs buckle underneath him, the only thing keeping him upright being the ceramic of the sink his hands are holding on to.

He comes with a cry of your name, shuddering in your grasp, ropes of cum painting the white of the sink. Small, short gasps leave his mouth as you work him through his orgasm, only letting up when his hand goes to grab yours.

Matty turns around, planting a kiss onto your wet lips, wrapping his arms around your waist, pulling flush against him.

“You got to show me those pictures sometime.” he gestures to the forgotten camera hanging off your wrist, along with the polaroid tucked into the band of your pants.

“No fuckin way-” you giggle “knowing you, you’d probably add them to your personal wank bank.” His eyes widen in offense, slapping the side of your arm in protest.

“I know you think I'm just some egomaniacal tosser, but look at me!” He points his index finger to his chest. “How could you not?” Another laugh escapes you as you roll your eyes at his proclamation.

The walk to the counter post bathroom sex was nothing but awkward, with the cashier eyeing you as you walked up to the front to pay. Matty takes out a wad of cash, slamming down a twenty and grabbing the stuff off the counter, quickly spinning around to leave.

The other three questioned why you were gone so long, but really, they knew why. That conversation was one for another day.

—---------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had started to rain shortly before you got home, your clothes being completely soaked through as you stepped through the front door. Matty groaned as he took his shorts off, laying onto the couch in exhaustion. The two of you had booked it down the street the last few hundred meters, neither of you fit enough to get out of that sprint alive.

The heat was cranked up, warm blankets covering you as you snuggled up to each other, Amy Winehouse played softly in the background, the vocals calming you as you talked softly. Matty held you close to his chest, his breathing regular as he stroked your hair, running his fingers through it over and over.

You wanted to freeze this moment in time and relive it forever until you died. The gentleness of his hands paired with the hoarse but small sound of his voice made your insides melt. Looking back, this was truly a long time coming.

But what was ‘this’?

The two of you hadn't talked yet, blatantly ignoring the elephant in the room. Your feelings for each other were undeniable, but what then? What did that mean to you, but more importantly, what did it mean to Matty?

The next few moments feel like a dream. His hands wrap around the base of your neck, pulling you up. He kisses you, sweet and innocent, almost chaste as his lips move with yours. He pulls away quickly, eyes darting over your face before settling on your. A small sound escapes his lips, and you can see him hesitate.

A deep breath.

“I love you.”

The words hit you like a freight train. His eyes search yours for a reaction, wincing when you remain expressionless. That is, until you speak.

“Fucking idiot.” it sounds harsh, and you can see him deflate.

“I love you too.” his fucking angelic smile graces his face, and you pull him in for another kiss. The feel of his hands on yours makes your heart flutter, your heart swelling up with love.

“Does this mean-” he cuts himself off before starting his sentence again. “Can I be your boyfriend?” His voice is small, and you can tell he feels slightly insecure.

“Only if you promise not to wank to those pictures.” you burst out into delirious laughter as he pulls you back in, he grasps your face, mushing it against the palms of his hands.

“Only if you promise to stop taking my fucking clothes, jesus christ” he tugs at the shirt youre wearing. His stupid blue Barcelona shirt.

Kisses litter your face, and the blanket starts to feel warmer, like you were trapping heaven itself under the covers. It sure felt like it, with Matty looking at you with an expression so filled with love and adoration you thought it might spill out of his ears.

In a way, you knew it would end like this.

You and Matty

Matty and you

“What are we?” you ask, repeating his question from so many nights ago.

“I'm yours, forever.” he answers, his hair falling into his face as he looks down at you.

You and Matty, forever.

// THE END //

#epic finale #not even epic #just sweet #the 1975 #matty healy #adam hann #ross macdonald #george daniel #matty the 1975 #matty x you #matty healy fanfiction #matty healy smut #matty healy angst #matty healy fluff #matty healy x reader #matty healy fic #matty healy x you #noacf #bfiafl

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thesoftboiledegg · 2 months

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Did you think we were done with the merchandise roundup? Nope--yesterday's post was only the beginning.

Months ago, I ran into a guy at the mall who said that he found his Rick and Morty T-shirt at Burlington Coat Factory. My area doesn't have one, but I was in a different city that had a location and decided to stop by.

That turned out to be a smart decision because I found these items on the racks:

I spotted a couple of nearby head shops on Google Maps, so I dropped by the first one, which was awkwardly placed near an intersection. But the Rick and Morty pipes near the entrance made the effort worthwhile.

When the owner saw me taking pictures, she said I can take photos of anything and share them online. That was a good reaction to have. I've gotten in trouble a couple of times before 😬 One store accused me of sticking something in my purse (it was my phone), and another politely said they don't allow pictures.

But that wasn't the case this time. The owner was delightful and gave me free bottled water and snacks, plus a free $10 item after I bought CBD gummies.

Pickle Rick had his own tray:

Silicone is all the rage.

Head shops always have a few miscellaneous Rick and Morty items. I'm not weed-savvy enough to know how to use these.

Hey look, Bender's getting blasted!

The other head shop in the area had some decent pipes. I LOVE the bee design. Don't know where it came from, but it's becoming a smoke shop staple.

I see that the world hasn't forgotten about the Joker. Zombie Rick and Morty lurk in the back.

A couple of rolling trays. Rick's looking a little short and stocky in that first one.

Pickle Rick also looks different. Maybe this guy is Cucumber Rick.

For the record, smoke shops (and stores in general) have more merchandise that I don't photograph. They just have a lot of overlap, so I try not to share the same items more than once.

Stay fresh, everybody!

#rick and morty #rick sanchez #morty smith #pickle rick #futurama #bender #bender bending rodriguez #burlington #head shop #long post #roundup #cannabis culture #cannacommunity #cannabis

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cybrsan · 10 months

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Treasure — J.WY [Pt.3]

SUMMARY: Your journey officially begins, and you try to find your place in the group.

PAIRING: Waterbender Jung Wooyoung x Non-Bender F!Reader

RATING/GENRE: M ; angst, fluff, eventual smut ; ATLA au, enemies to lovers

WORD COUNT: 2.1k

A/N: Happy birthday Wooyoung ♡

LINKS: Ode To ATEEZ Masterlist | Together in Harmony Masterlist | Cross-posted on AO3 and Wattpad

↞ Previous | Masterlist | Next ↠

The next morning, you watch from a distance as the group of benders prepares for the journey ahead. They have laid out all of their supplies on one of the inn’s large dining tables to make it easier to take stock. Despite the discord you sensed last night, they seem to work together well. Hongjoong and Seonghwa take the lead, as you have come to expect, with the waterbender handing out lists and overseeing all the packing and the firebender heading into town for some last-minute errand. Even the rowdier members of the bunch seem to know their roles; Mingi and Yunho diligently organize the rations, murmuring to each other, while San and Wooyoung pack camping gear and clothes, respectively.

Almost everyone greeted you warmly this morning, much to your surprise. You had tossed and turned last night as you wondered what to expect from them. You haven’t traveled in a group in ages, let alone in a group full of complete strangers. Considering your introduction hadn’t gone smoothly, to say the least, you didn’t think you’d be readily accepted into the fold. But, as soon as you came downstairs, Yunho smiled and waved you over to join them for breakfast. San slid a plate towards you, bearing a piece of bread topped with butter and jam and some fruit, while Jongho gave you a mug filled with piping hot coffee. If it wasn’t for a certain firebender completely ignoring your existence and a waterbender shooting daggers at you with his eyes, it would have almost been perfect.

Hongjoong’s hostility you can understand—he is obviously the leader in some capacity, and he doesn’t trust you. Wooyoung, however, seems to have some irrational vendetta against you. You can’t think of anything you could have done to offend him other than accidentally bumping into him outside Nadira’s tent. Though, since San hinted that this behavior is unlike him, surely he wouldn’t hold a grudge for such a minor offense. It’s not that you want him to like you, per se, but you can’t stand the idea of someone disliking you when you have done nothing to deserve it.

You must have been staring at him without realizing it, because he gives you the nastiest look before turning back to San and mumbling something. Anger snaps within you like a line pulled taut, and just as you’re about to confront him, Hongjoong rejoins the group. You huff, stopping in your tracks and heading towards Yeosang instead. At least he isn’t bothered by your presence; Wooyoung and his bad attitude can be dealt with later.

Seeing you approach, the long-haired airbender looks up at you from his place on the bench, smiling softly. He pats the spot next to him, and you acquiesce, taking a seat. As Hongjoong converses quietly with Seonghwa, you take the opportunity to prod Yeosang for some information.

“Would you say you and Wooyoung are pretty close?”

He nods. “I’ve actually known him the longest out of everyone here.”

“Oh, good. Then surely he’s told you why he doesn’t like me?”

Yeosang turns to look at you, eyes widening slightly. “He doesn’t like you?”

You’re stunned into silence for a moment. Has he really not noticed? Even if he didn’t pick up on all the dirty looks and bad energy Wooyoung has been sending your way, surely he remembers the conversation from last night. Regaining your composure, you continue, “It sure seems that way. He was definitely very vocal about not wanting me here.”

“Oh, that,” Yeosang purses his lips, thinking. “I don’t think he dislikes you. I think he’s scared of something.”

“Scared? Of me?”

“I’m not sure,” he shrugs. “He hasn’t mentioned anything to me. But I know that he isn’t the type of person to really dislike anyone. Even when someone hurts him, he often blames himself and not the other person.” He pauses and then adds, “You should talk to him about it.”

You laugh in disbelief. “Yeah, I don’t see that conversation going well.”

“He can be stubborn, but he’s really a good person. It’s worth a try.”

You find your gaze slipping to Wooyoung again, noticing how easily he laughs and smiles around San and the others. Everyone circles around him as if he’s the sun, and they’re the planets stuck in his gravitational pull. Even Hongjoong’s lips occasionally quirk up at the corners in a half-smile as he watches him, despite whatever bad blood the two of them seem to have.

Your gaze softens. “Maybe I will.”

Yeosang seems satisfied with that, and the two of you fall into a comfortable silence. Not long after, Hongjoong claps his hands, capturing everyone’s attention.

“All right,” he says. “It looks like we have everything we need. Let’s head out.”

Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you fall into line behind the others, lingering near the back of the group. You’re unsure of where you can make yourself fit into their dynamic or if you should even try at all. Your people skills are a bit rusty, at least when you aren’t actively trying to get information out of someone. You would have maybe stayed with Yeosang if he didn’t join up with Wooyoung and San.

Luckily, you don’t have to ponder this for long. Yunho, having noticed you’ve fallen behind, slows his stride so that he can match your pace. He smiles at you warmly, and his joviality is so infectious that you find yourself smiling back before you can even think about it.

“So,” he starts, “Have you been on your own all this time?”

“Mm, in the desert, you mean?” He nods. “Yeah, I came out here on my own.”

“Wow, that takes a lot of guts. I honestly don’t know how you did it. We had some pretty close calls, even with the eight of us.”

“I’m resourceful. Plus, I may not be a bender, but I’m good with weapons.” You pat the belt at your hip, where your bolas and kunai are securely fastened.

“You aren’t a bender?” Mingi, who must have overheard some of the conversation, joins in. “That’s even more impressive.”

Normally, you might take offense at the insinuation that a non-bender isn’t as capable as a bender, but by the way his face lights up, you can tell that he doesn’t mean any harm. Instead, you choose to take the compliment for what it is.

You continue to make small talk with the two of them, and some of the others join in here and there. Before long, you find yourself laughing and joking with them; they’re easy to get along with, despite the fact that your first impressions of each other were strained. Jongho has a surprising sense of humor, and San and Seonghwa bicker like brothers. The desert sun is as harsh as ever, but you find the heat a bit more bearable with some company.

As you have come to expect, Hongjoong and Wooyoung are the only two that don’t interact with you. But, to be fair, Hongjoong doesn’t seem to really interact with anyone. It’s almost as if the second you stepped out of the town and into the desert, something within him changed. Seonghwa never strays far from him, and you can tell that Hongjoong’s behavior makes him—and some of the others—nervous. It’s strange; you can tell Hongjoong deeply cares for the others and feels protective of them, but at the same time, he seems so cold-hearted. The look in his eyes is almost reminiscent of the very person you’re on the run from. It makes you inclined to avoid him as much as possible.

Wooyoung keeps looking in your direction, seemingly bothered by the fact that you’re getting along so well with everyone else. It irritates you to no end; he could easily join in on the conversation if he wanted to. Instead, he chooses to give you the stink eye and silent treatment. Yeosang has been keeping him company but, seeing your gaze, gives you a subtle nod before walking over to Jongho. You take the hint—he wants you to talk to Wooyoung. You excuse yourself from your conversation with the other boys, though you doubt they will even realize you’re gone with how excitedly they talk amongst themselves.

“Hey,” you say, jogging over to Wooyoung. “Can we talk?” He looks at you out of the corner of his eye but says nothing, lips forming a tight line. “Oh, come on. Don’t be so immature.”

A long moment passes before he finally responds. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“If that’s the case, why do you keep looking at me every five minutes?”

He scoffs. “Bold of you to assume it was you I was looking at.”

“Oh, right, sorry. Was it Yunho you were glaring daggers at, then?”

“...No.”

“Exactly. Let’s just cut to the chase, okay? I don’t understand what I could have possibly done to make you hate me so much, and I deserve an explanation for your attitude toward me.”

“I don’t—" He cuts himself off with a sigh. “Listen, let’s not do this.”

“Why not? What’s your problem?”

“You’re my problem.” He spits out the words with so much force it almost startles you. Then, calming himself, he adds, “You shouldn’t be here.”

“But why do you feel that way?”

“Nal’ich, are you always this annoying?”

You don’t recognize the exclamation he uses, but you don’t need to understand his Tribe’s language to be able to tell you’re getting under his skin. If you were smart, you would stop bothering him about this and just leave him alone. But while you are smart, you’re also stubborn.

“Only when I try to be,” you goad, smiling at him in an oh-aren’t-I-such-an-angel sort of way.

His jaw ticks. “You’re not gonna get the answers you want from me, so just do us both a favor and leave me alone.”

“Oh, I’ll figure this out one way or another, just you—”

“Careful!”

Before you even know what’s happening, Wooyoung is grabbing you and pulling you close. You stare at him in shock, face only a hair’s breadth from his. At this distance, you can make out moles on his face that you never noticed before—one under his eye and another on his lip.

He pushes you away and clears his throat. “You were walking right towards a sand serpent, idiot. Pay attention to your surroundings.”

“So, you hate me, but not enough to let me die. Noted.”

“I don’t want anyone to die, preferably.”

“Whatever,” you shrug, now walking with a bit of a skip in your step. “I still consider this a win.”

“A win? What the hell are you talking about?”

“I’m one step closer to figuring you out.”

He rolls his eyes. “You’re insufferable.”

“So are you.”

With a huff, he stomps off toward Yeosang who has a small frown on his face from observing your conversation; you can only assume he’s not happy with how it went. You shrug at him—you tried, like he asked and, like you suspected, it didn’t go well. However, despite not getting much information from Wooyoung, you’d be lying if you said his obstinacy in the face of your questions didn’t make you even more determined to figure out why he dislikes you.

You reach into your bag, fingers itching to have the map in your hands once again. It’s a habit you have developed over the span of your long journey. After everything you went through to get it, you need to know it’s safe and on your person. You take it out and unscroll it as you walk to glance at it, though you’re sure that you have it memorized by now.

Seonghwa notices and asks, “Are we still headed in the right direction?”

“As long as we’re still headed southeast, we should be.”

“We are,” Hongjoong affirms, glancing up from the compass in his hand. You almost jump, having not even known he was paying attention. “Though it looks like a storm is about to roll through.”

Glancing at the sky, you can tell that he’s right. Dark clouds are rolling in from the west and the wind has begun to pick up, rustling your robes and sending sand flying. You feel a granule hit your cheek, and you hiss in pain. If this turns into a full-on sandstorm, it could get dangerous fast.

Yunho frowns. “Yeah, I can feel it in the air.”

“Let’s stop, then,” Seonghwa says. “We’ll set up camp and pack it in for the night.”

Mingi points to an area of land in the distance. “There are some rocks over there. I can probably set them up around us in a way that can protect us from the brunt of the sand.”

Though Hongjoong doesn’t look happy to be stopping, he also doesn’t argue, logic winning out over desire. “Good idea, Mingi. Let’s go.”

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