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[enwrites]

Cloud Nine (p.sh) — pt. 2

pairings: brother's bff!sunghoon x afab!reader

warning: 18+ MDNI !! (not proofread at all im so sorry)

genre/cw: smut, somewhat angst, emotional tension, unresolved feelings, pining, sunghoon is dumb and emo, crying, arguing, unprotected sex (wrap b4 u tap pls), riding, slight fingering, slight usage of pet names, breeding, body worship kinda?, jay is still very much your brother here and is overprotective of you, heeseung cameo + mention of jake, fluff if you squint i think (lmk if anything was missed!)

synopsis: after what happened the previous week, tensions are high. sunghoon is left to his own feelings and thoughts as he tries to overcome the mess he made. will he be able to mend things and fix the trouble he caused?

wc: 5.7k words

a/n: here is the long awaited pt two which now concludes cloud nine, everyone cheer!! i've been meaning to post this earlier but got side tracked lol but also tumblr deleted this and i had to redo the layout. tysm for all your kind words and feedback so far on my blog! it means so much to me. i wasnt too happy about this in the end but i felt i needed to finish what i started, ty for bearing with me <3 and again hope u all enjoy~

[ masterlist ] [ part one ]

A week has passed since the incident took place. 

Days grow long, painful almost as lingering feelings grow stronger and stronger. Sunghoon just couldn’t bring himself to come face to face with you any more. Hell, he couldn’t even face your brother either, his body trembles a bit, remembering what came after. 

Both of your faces drop realizing Jay had been awake the entire time. Sunghoon looks at you as he starts to panic, gathering his clothes back on at the speed of light. You follow him, putting yours on as well. This was not going to be good. The both of you trying to hurry down the stairs to get Sunghoon out, Jay beat you guys to it. The look of anger plastered all over his face, arms crossed as he stood up hastily from the couch, his eyes on the both of you. 

If looks could kill, you both would be dead, lying lifeless on the ground. 

Sunghoon shutters as he comes face to face with his best friend as he hangs his head low. You tremble as well, your brother has always been scary to you. His stare was so cold, you felt like your living room had turned into Antarctica. You scurried down, making your way slightly in between the two boys. “Look, Jay, it’s not what it—,” he cuts you off.

“Not what it looks like? You two were just fucking?! How could you two do this to me? How could YOU do this to me? That’s my fucking sister?” He finishes off as he jabs his finger into Sunghoon’s chest, anger and disappointment running through his veins. Sunghoon lets out an exhausted sigh, running his hands through his hair. Anxiety coursing through his entire body, he felt like he needed to run away and hide. 

“Jay, please just liste—,” Sunghoon shakily speaks up only to be cut off. He knew this wasn’t going to end well. The two of you both knew that once Jay got angry, there was no stopping him.

“What the fuck is there to listen to? I've heard enough, you had ONE rule, anyone else but my sister!” Jay shouts at Sunghoon’s face, the younger boy hangs his head low again. He didn’t know what to say. Small cries were heard as he turned his head to the side, heart breaking as he saw tears running down your face. He wanted to reach for you right there, to hold you. To tell you he was going to fix this. But he couldn’t. 

Too overwhelmed by everything that was happening, you just stood there, silently crying as the two boys looked at one another. No one dared to utter a word. The silence was heavy and suffocating within the room. All you could think about was how glad you were that your parents weren’t here for any of this. 

“Jay… please just—,” Sunghoon tried to speak up once more, Jay was pushed to the edge. “Just get the fuck out of the house, I can’t even fucking look at you right now… you’re lucky I don’t just kill you right now,” Jay spits at him one last time. Sunghoon had no choice but to leave. He takes one more look at you, his entire world shattering. You look back at him with tear stained eyes, wanting to stop him. But you couldn’t. No one would do anything. The boy hung his head low as he made his way out of your house. Getting into his car, that was when it all came out.

The tears he was holding back poured out of his eyes as he tried to compose himself to drive off. Did he really just lose the two people he loved all in a single night?

Now Sunghoon was contemplating whether or not he wanted to finally make his way to classes, ditching every single day since then. The days grow long and cold, especially not having his best friend there, or anyone there for that matter. Who was he supposed to talk to about all of this? He had been ignoring your messages since that night, not really knowing how to face what just happened.

He wanted to speak to Jay and explain his feelings. But how the hell do you tell your best friend that you’ve been secretly in love with his sister this entire time. He just couldn’t. He always knew Jay would kill him, having given him the “don’t you dare go after my sister” speech the first day they met. Jay has given all of his friends that speech. Sunghoon knew better and he especially knew what he was doing that night was risky. 

Guilt washed over him like a wave onto the shore, crashing onto everything into its way. Even if he were to try and mend things, he can’t lie and say he hasn’t been the greatest to you either. Sunghoon didn’t mean to ignore you, he really didn’t. He tried to push his feelings aside, he wanted things to go back to normal. He knew he was hurting you as he ignored your texts and calls to him. Maybe he wasn’t good for you after all. He didn’t want to hurt you and he didn’t want to hurt Jay as well. Sunghoon groaned into his pillow as frustration and sadness filled his body. Wallowing in his sadness, he was taken back to reality as a persistent knock was banged onto his dorm room door. His heart fell to his ass. 

What if it were Jay? What if it were you? Surely you wouldn’t want anything to do with him after being ignored for a week now. He hesitantly gets up, making his way to the entrance. Impatient, the person behind the door pounds onto the frame once more. Sunghoon gulps, palms getting clammy thinking who it could be. Before he can pull it open, a voice loudly speaks up. 

“Dude I know you’re awake, just open the damn door already!” Yelled the person behind the door. He lets out a sigh of relief. Opening the door, Heeseung makes his way in. Pushing past the shorter boy, he makes his way to the desk and sits on the computer chair. Letting out a deep sigh, he scrunches his nose as he takes in the dorm room. Sunghoon takes notice of his distasteful expression, head hung low as he realizes how bad his room really did look. 

“God… you look rough, when was the last time you even showered?” Heeseung spits, shaking his head in disappointment. This was the worst he has ever seen the boy. All of his years of knowing Sunghoon, not once has anything affected him in this way. Not even Sunghoon’s very first girlfriend had this effect on him. Heeseung was fed up with seeing his two closest friends feud, so he needed to make a change. Heeseung had always known how much Sunghoon really liked you anyways. 

Everyone knew how much the two of you secretly liked one another. 

Heeseung wasn’t stupid and he knew Jay wasn’t either. Jay was just stubborn and has always been that way. Of course, who’d want their best friend to fuck their little sister? But Heeseung knew there was no changing Sunghoon’s feelings for you as well as yours for him. Anyone could see it from a mile away, even tens, thousands even. 

Sunghoon keeps his head low, not being able to make eye contact with the older boy either. “I don’t know… maybe like yesterday…,” Sunghoon muttered. He definitely didn’t shower yesterday.

“Yesterday my ass, this place is a mess dude… keep this up and Y/n is definitely not gonna want your stinky ass, figuratively and literally, yuck…,” Heeseung says in disgust as he eyes the empty ramen cups and cans all over the boy’s desk, reaching to his floor. “Plus Mrs. Kim has been on my ass to get you to come back to class… you realize attendance is important right?” The older boy finishes almost as if he was lecturing Sunghoon. Sunghoon throws his head back, a groan erupting once more from him. 

“Yes I know dad… and Y/n doesn’t want me anyways, she probably hates me right now,” Sunghoon grumbles as he sighs, sadness lacing his tone. Heeseung rubs the temple of his, exhausted at how far this has come. 

“You really are fucking stupid,” Heeseung chuckles. Sunghoon, now annoyed, sits up to look at the other. “Look if you just came here to give me shit you can leave!” Sunghoon loudly said to him. Heeseung puts his hands up, surrendering.

“I’m just here to help bud—,” Sunghoon cuts him off. “Help my ass? How exactly are you helping?” Sunghoon bites back, anger brewing within him.

“Maybe if you haven’t been hiding for a week, you’d know how badly Y/n and Jay are fighting, better yet you’d know how badly she needs you right now. Yeah, Jay isn’t so happy, who would be? You literally fucked his— WHAT THE FUCK?” a pillow was thrown to his face before he could finish. 

“Before I was rudely interrupted, both of them miss you… no matter how much Jay hates to admit it, he misses you. He’ll get over it eventually, everyone knew you two had the hots for each other anyways,” Heeseung rolls his eyes as he finishes. Sunghoon cocks an eyebrow, confused at the last statement.

“What do you mean everyone knew…,” Sunghoon quietly asks the older boy. Heeseung sighs again as he face palms himself, clearly Sunghoon was not the smartest guy alive. 

“Dude… we’ve all known since high school… you aren’t very slick … we see your eyes traveling… we see the way you look at her and stuff, Jay isn’t stupid. He just hates to admit that you actually like his sister, I mean who could blame you, she’s smokin—OW!” Sunghoon throws a water bottle to Heeseung’s head, not wanting to hear the last part. But Heeseung was right. He had been in love with you for as long as he could remember. Bittersweet feelings fill his chest as he remembers the first day he met you. 

He remembered the day Jay had introduced you to him as the three of you decided to walk home from school together that day. To say he was in awe was an understatement. Remembering your cute smile, your sweet tone, and the way you giggled at his jokes. Ever since then, he had always teased you any chance he’d get. His small jokes turning into rather more annoying pranks, he loved just getting a reaction from you. The more you grew annoyed by his presence, he took notice as it made him secretly upset. But you never once pushed him away, you always made sure to still make him snacks if you were making anything, you always packed an extra lunch in case he wanted some. Sunghoon felt your lingering touches, no matter how “mad” you seemed to get at him.

But of course, your older brother held the two of you back. He knew it was wrong for him to go after his best friend’s sister of all people, so he tried his best to suppress his feelings. He made it a point to mess with you whenever he could. It was the only time you’d look at him, acknowledge him even. So he hid his feelings for you, but not well enough apparently. 

“Helloooo, earth to Sunghoon? Are you coming to class today or what?” Heeseung snaps at Sunghoon, bringing him back to life. Sunghoon blinks a couple of times before getting up. He needed to speak with Jay. He needed to see you again. Puzzled, Heeseung looks at him with furrowed brows. 

“Yeah… let’s go,” Sunghoon utters as he gathers his things to get ready to leave. Heeseung stands up, sucking in his teeth and stopping the boy in his tracks. A confused expression washes over Sunghoon’s face.

“Uhh… yeah before we go… I’m gonna need you to shower and brush your teeth… and I’ll help freshen up this room for you in the meantime— I got a feeling you’re gonna need it,” he pushes the boy into the direction of his bathroom, before getting ready to clean the dirty room for his friend. Sunghoon chuckles, as a smile creeps onto his face. He knew he could always count on Heeseung.

Sunghoon lets out a deep sigh as Heeseung’s car pulls into the campus parking lot. His heart felt like it was going to explode. What if he wasn’t ready?

“I’m not ready,” he softly speaks up, catching the attention of the other boy. Heeseung sighs again as he turns his car off, looking towards the younger boy. 

“Look, Hoon, you know I love you— no homo, but I hate seeing you like this and I hate seeing Jay like this. You two need to fix whatever this is, okay? I’m here for the both of you no matter what and that’s not going to change,” he looks at Sunghoon to reassure him that he was in fact being serious before continuing on. Truly, it broke his heart to see one of his best friends in this state of sadness. 

“And I know how much Y/n means to you, trust me when I say you two are perfect for one other. Jay isn’t heartless you know, the two of you mean a lot to him and I know he’d want you guys to be happy if it meant he had to share you with his sister— man this sounds so fruity but you know what I mean!” Heeseung gives Sunghoon a playful punch as the two of them laugh it off. Sunghoon takes a deep breath in and exhales out. He couldn’t go any longer without seeing you. With that, the two boys make their way out of the car and towards the campus. 

Stares fall upon the two as rumors clearly spread like wildfire. These were the consequences they paid for going to a smaller campus. Sunghoon looks to the floor, watching his feet as he makes his way to his first class. Maybe everyone did know. 

Plus he didn’t look the greatest at the moment either. Noticeable eye bags lay plastered on his face, hair a bit disheveled as he sported just a baggy hoodie and some sweats his first day back. He looked rough. 

He and Heeseung finally get to their first class and take their respective seats at the table they frequented. Sunghoon knew Jay had this class as well, anxiety eating away at him as his heart rate increases, he felt like he was going to hurl all the ramen he ate last night. He crosses his arm as he slams his head onto the table, too afraid to face his best friend. 

“Dude, it’s gonna be okay, it’s just Jay,” Heeseung says nonchalantly. Yeah it was just Jay, it’s not like he hasn’t seen Jay beat guys up for breaking your heart or anything. It’s not like he hasn’t seen Jay almost kill a guy for laying his hands onto you unprompted. He knew how much you meant to Jay and he was afraid Jay wouldn’t understand how he felt. And what he heard that night definitely didn’t seem like Sunghoon liked you as much as he did. For all he could’ve known, it might’ve seemed like Sunghoon was using you. 

Sunghoon raises his head from the table as he looks up, catching eyes with Jay as he makes his way through the door. Jay wore an uninterested expression on his face, Sunghoon not being able to read how he felt. He trembles a bit under his stare, as Jay takes a seat across from him, next to Heeseung. Without a word being spoken, the professor makes her way in, delighted to finally see Sunghoon back and well. 

“Ahh, Sunghoon, it’s nice to see you joining us again, alright now let’s get back to where we ended off yesterday,” she says to the whole class as everyone fishes out their books. Jay seemed almost too calm for Sunghoon’s liking. Sunghoon decides to wait until the class ends to speak to the other boy. To say he was nervous was surely an understatement. 

~

With the blink of an eye, class was over. Sunghoon nervously looks over to Jay as he sees the boy packing up his things to get out. Jay gets up, not even acknowledging the nervous boy as he makes his way out of the door. Sunghoon hurriedly gathers his things as he runs after him. You’d think he was actually in love with Jay or something. He manages to catch up to him as they both make their way out of the back exit. 

“Jay, dude wait— hold up please!” Sunghoon shouts, panting as he lets out a breath. Jay stops in his tracks as he turns to look at Sunghoon, taking in his noticeably rough appearance. Jay sighs, gripping the strap of his backpack. Sunghoon wore a pitiful expression, not knowing what to say. 

“Look Jay, I know what I did was really fucked… I know you’ll never forgive me… but I really, really—,” Jay stops the boy in his tracks, cutting him off.

“I know you like her, I’ve known for a while actually,” Jay deadpans. Sighing once more, he continues on as Sunghoon’s expression puzzles. “I’m not stupid, I see the way you look at her, c’mon dude, I just didn’t think you two would be like that while I was in the house… I don't wanna hear my sister like that! You could’ve at least taken her to your dorm or something…,” Jay trails, cringing at what he was put through last weekend. “Plus you could’ve literally just told me,” Jay rolled his eyes, shaking his head at the distraught boy. 

A confused expression overcomes Sunghoon’s face. “How was I supposed to tell you?! You said you’d kill me!” Jay groans loudly, face palming as annoyance grows within him. 

“I say that to everyone, but you’re literally my best friend, who else would I trust more,” Jay states as if it was obvious information. 

“So… are we cool?” Sunghoon asks softly. Jay rolls his eyes once more before a slight smile appears onto his face. It was really pathetic seeing his best friend this way.

“We’re about to not be if you keep her waiting for you and if you hurt her, I will seriously kill you,” Jay sternly says as he gives Sunghoon’s arm a little punch. “Seriously dude you should not be wasting your time with me, Y/n has been crying all week over you, you should really fix—,” Sunghoon cuts him off before hearing the last part.

“Oh my god— Y/n,” Sunghoon loudly says as he pushes Jay aside, running to find you. Jay shakes his head. All he could only do was hope you two would be okay. Your mother once said, to never get in the way of love. As much as he wished his best friend didn’t fall for you, he always knew the two of you liked each other. He just hoped in the future, he would never fall victim to your disgusting acts.

Sunghoon ran around the campus, asking anyone and everyone if they had seen you. Panic courses through his veins as he starts to think maybe you didn’t want to see him. Pushing his thoughts aside, he told himself he’d deal with the consequences later. He just needed to see you again. His head snaps as he hears an all too familiar laugh. There he sees you sitting at an outside table with a few of your friends. He hastily makes his way to you, catching the attention of those at your table. 

“Is that Sunghoon?” Your friend asks, catching your attention. Your heart starts to race. You turn your head around, catching his eye as he stands in front of you, hands on his knees as he tries to catch his breath.

“Sunghoon? What are you doin—,” without giving you a chance to speak, he grabs your wrist, ushering you to get up. “Let’s talk somewhere else, get your stuff,” he pants out, tugging you a little. Confused and almost excited to see he was alive and well, you gather your things as you mumble “sorry” to your friends, only to get devious smirks in return. After gathering your things, Sunghoon takes your bag as he starts to pull the two of you away, heading towards the dorms. Luckily, the buildings weren’t too far. 

“Sunghoon— Sunghoon! Wait, where are you taking me… why haven’t you been speaking to me?” You let out, as the taller boy continues to still drag you away and off campus. Sunghoon not listening, too deep into his mission to get you two to his dorm room, you let out a frustrated sigh. “Where are we going?” You ask once more as you are now being dragged down a hill. 

“Dorm,” Sunghoon nonchalantly replies back, your face heats up a bit, you’ve never been to his dorm before. Before you knew it, you were in front of a large building, not too far from campus. Sunghoon pushed past the doors, leading the two of you up the stairs of the building, too impatient to wait for the elevators. Students around you, staring at the two of you concerningly, watching a stern Sunghoon drag you around. You give them a sheepish smile, hoping to reassure them that you were okay.

Now on the second floor, the two of you make it down a hall. Sunghoon stops the two of you in your tracks, fishing his keys out. You stood in front of a door with a big ‘202’ on it. The nerves start to get to Sunghoon as he now realizes the situation in its entirety. He wasn’t really sure what he was going to say to you. Will you hate him? Do you hate him? He shook his thoughts away, hurriedly opening his door, letting you in first. You awkwardly step in as he closes the door behind you. Taking in the room before you, the scent of his cologne fills your nose. You walk your way to his bed, taking a seat as you watch him pick up a few lingering articles of clothing on his floor, throwing it into a basket. 

“Ahem,” you cleared your throat, gaining his attention. Making sure to move your bag to his desk chair, he walks towards you, taking a seat on the bed as well. You shift a little, making some room. To you it seemed like nothing, to him he feared the shifting meant you hated him. Did you even wanna be around him right now?

“Hoon what’s this all abou—,” before letting you finish, he cuts you off pulling you into a kiss. Taken aback, your eyes widened, softening against his touch as you gave into him. He deepened the kiss, reaching up as he laced his fingers through your hair, taking all of you in. Oh how he has missed you dearly. You pull away as tears form in your eyes, looking down onto your lap you fiddle your fingers. He reaches for your hand, taking it into his. The tears, now falling onto your lap as you couldn’t look him in the eyes, confused as to why he suddenly decided to acknowledge you again. 

“H-Hoonie… why did you leave me hanging?” You shakily asked, reaching your free hand up to wipe your tears away. His heart breaks as he watches you. Quite frankly, he didn’t know why he ignored you either. He reaches both of his hands up, taking your face into his palms, wiping your tears away with his thumbs. You secretly admit that after all the whole situation was somewhat silly but you couldn’t help but still be hurt as you felt like he didn’t reciprocate feelings back. Sunghoon takes in a shaky deep breath, tucking your hair behind your ears for you. 

“Y/n you know I’m stupid— right?” He softly asks you. You nod your head in response. Sunghoon reaches his hands back down to yours again, taking them in. “I’m so stupid, the stupidest guy ever, I wasn’t really sure what to do after that. I was afraid and feeling too many things all at once I guess I was just scared.” He lets out as a sigh left his mouth as well. 

“I know that’s not an excuse and I know this may sound crazy but I really like you Y/n…,” he trails as he looks at your face trying to get a hint as to what you were thinking. He hangs his head low as he was afraid of hearing your response. He gives your hands a little squeeze, bringing you back to life. 

Did he just say he liked you? A slight blush creeps up your face as you sniffle, wiping what was left of your tears away. His heart pounds rapidly, he felt like he was going to throw up whatever leftover instant ramen he had in his stomach. “Please Y/n… say something… anything…,” he whispers. You look up to him as you lay your head onto his shoulder. 

“I like you too Sunghoon,” you let out. His heart felt like it was going to explode. He needed some sort of reassurance. He wasn’t hallucinating now— was he?

“No Y/n, I really like you,” he says against your head. Now it was your turn to feel like your heart was exploding. Butterflies fill your stomach. “You really are so stupid,” you giggle as you lift your head up, looking him in his eyes. Before letting him speak, you pull him into a kiss. His hands instantly reach for your waist, holding you as you lean into him. He lets go of the kiss, putting his forehead against yours. “Y/n I’m really sorry, I know you’re probably still upset with me but—,” you cut him off as you pull his lips into a kiss once more. The two of you kick your shoes off, scooting your way further into his bed. Sunghoon’s back hits the headboard of his bed, you deepen the kiss straddling him as his hands linger down your waist and to your ass. 

“Off… please,” you mumble into the kiss, tugging at his hoodie. Taking the hint, he takes off his hoodie and shirt in one go, leaving him in just his sweats. You bite your lip as you take him in. The sight of him shirtless drove you insane. Sunghoon smirks as you stare at him, mouth agape. 

“Like what you see?” He winks at you. You roll your eyes as you sit on his lap, a moan leaves your mouth as you feel his noticeable bulge. He bucks his hips up into you, gripping your waist as you grind down on him. Small whimpers fall from your mouth. Sunghoon grows harder and harder as the sight of you dry humping him got him excited. He gropes your ass, leaving a slight smack on your cheeks. You let out a yelp, surprised at the sudden sensation. He reaches up to unbutton your shirt, needing to see you. You take this moment to free yourself from your clothes, shimmying out of your skirt, leaving you in just your lingerie. Sunghoon does the same, taking his sweats off. He looks back up to you, still leaning against his headboard. 

“Fuck Y/n, how many of these little outfits do you have?” He says as he caresses your body, feeling you with his hands. Here you are, clad in a little red lingerie set, sitting on top of him. All for him. He hungrily pulls you down into a sloppy makeout session, your arms reach behind his neck, pulling him in closer as you grind onto his bulge. He swears he could just cum all over you like this. He pulls back, trailing kisses down your chest, reaching behind your back, undoing your bra.

“As much as I like these on you, I prefer them much better off,” he says, laying kisses onto your breasts as he looks up to make eye contact with you. The shyness of the situation kicking in, your face heats up. You reach up to cover your face as he pulls your arms back down. He kisses all over you as a hand reaches for your boob. He gropes your boob, pinching your nipple between his fingers. He latched his mouth onto your other, sucking your tit like his life depended on it. You let out a loud moan, trying your best to not cause a noise disturbance. He pulls back with a pop, reaching his hand down to your pussy. To his surprise you were already soaked, the same way you were a week ago. 

“God, you are so pretty Y/n, you’re mine… all mine… fuck how did I get so lucky?” He says looking into your eyes as his fingers now circle your clit. Your body felt like it was on fire. You needed him badly and you needed him now. 

“All yours Hoonie— no one else’s,” you let out as you hump into his fingers a little. Your hands trail down to his boxers as you tug onto them, needing to feel him inside you again. He motions for you to get off. He takes this moment to take his boxers off as you take your panties off. He lays down onto his bed, putting his arms behind his head. Now fully naked, you reach down, legs still over him, you grab his painfully hard cock, giving it a slight stroke. He groans, bucking his hip into your hands. 

“Fuck baby, how about you show me you can ride, you’re awfully good at it don’t you think?” He says, giving you a devilish smirk. You squeeze his cock, giving him a slight eye roll. The thought of you riding your pillow fills his head. The memories forever now etched into his brain as a keepsake. He needed to experience that for himself. Not being able to handle the heat, you hover over his cock, rubbing his tip against your slick folds, earning whimpers from the both of you. 

“You’re so fucking wet, have you been waiting for this?” He groans out as you rub your wetness all over him. You eagerly nodded back at him, mumbling a little “yes” in response. You slowly sink yourself onto him. Sucking in your breath, you didn’t remember him being this huge. Sunghoon throws his head back as he feels your tight cunt, sucking him in and swallowing him whole. You finally get all of him in, sitting down on him. Your pussy felt so full as you pulsate, squeezing around his cock. He bucks his hip into you, needing you to move. 

“You feel so much bigger than last time,” you let out, slowly moving your hip up his shaft. Moving back down, he whines out your name. Your heart skips a beat. You move your hips up and down, increasing your pace. You lay your hands on his chest, riding him as you let out moans of his name. Sunghoon knew he needed to fill you up again. He puts his hands on your waist, gripping your sides as he helps you bounce on him. Watching your tits bounce, he was awestruck. 

“You look so hot Y/n, taking my cock so well baby, such a good girl for me,” he pants out. You whine as you let the pleasure overcome your body, you feel your first climax approaching. Sunghoon bucks into you, your cunt squeezing around his cock. 

“Hoonie~ I-I’m gonna c-cum!” You shout loudly. He fucks into you harder, holding you up as he repeatedly hit your g spot over and over again. 

“Fuck baby, you’re so fucking tight, cum for me,” he groans out as your pussy tightens even harder. He has never felt anything like it before. With one more pump, you let go all over him, screaming his name. Before you could even come back down, he flips the two of you over, pounding into your pussy. He takes one of your legs and throws it over his shoulder, pumping deeper into you. Overstimulated, you start to tear up as he continues to stroke harder into your cunt. 

“Too much… please Hoonie… g’nna cum … again,” you cried out. He reaches down, taking your lips into his. He shoves his tongue in your mouth as you moan into his mouth. He was so close to reaching his own climax as well. He pulls back as a slight trail of spit forms between the two of you. 

“So close Y/n, cum for me again baby,” he coos into your ear as he fucks into you harder. You scream his name once more as your nails dig into his back. Holding him close, he pumps one last time, before he erupts into you, his cum filling you up as he groans out your name. He slowly pumps a bit more as he rides both of your highs out. He trailed kisses down your neck and looked up to you, pulling his cock out slowly. Sitting up, he watches his cum spill out of your hole, fingering it back in slightly like the very first time. This was never going to get old. You hold yourself up slightly with your elbows as you cock an eyebrow at him. A puzzling expression lay on his face. 

“What? No picture this time?” You chuckled, breaking out into a smile. He giggles at your question, leaning down to give you a peck on your lips. The two of you look into each other’s eyes, butterflies in both of your stomachs now. “I forgive you by the way,” you say, breaking the silence. Sunghoon gives you a toothy smile.

“Good, cause you’re all mine…,” he speaks softly, giving your forehead a kiss. You giggle, smiling at him endearingly. You knew your life was going to be extremely different now. But nothing mattered in the moment but you and him. 

“All yours Hoonie… all yours,” you pull him down, nuzzling into his neck, not caring about the mess the two of you just made all over his bed. Sunghoon picks up his phone, checking the time. His face turns pale. Confused, you took a peak, your face now losing color as well.

*Heeseung sent you a message!*

Heeseung: jfc we could hear the two of you all the way from Jake’s room 🤮

© enwrites // tumblr

[cravingcoldoreocake123]

Eternal garden

TW: Reader’s call sign is Nova, mentions of death, gun violence, and really sad shit 😟 (ooc ghost, maybe?)

For all my broken heart girlies, ilysm.

(also this my first time writing something related to cod, pls lmk what you think if u can! Enjoy! <3)

It happened in a split second, right before his frightened eyes.

the piercing sound of a single bullet flying right by him missing him, but it was all too late as he aimed his own gun at the sniper on the roof, as it has already penetrated her delicate skin.

Nova was his reason to keep going, he adored her more than anyone, vowed to protect her life for eternity even if that meant he could lose his.

He rushed to hold her fragile frame in his arms as a single tear fell from her eye down to the mask covering her soft features. Her eyes, in Simon’s world at least, were clouds for even when they fill with sorrow and drown the land, they paint the sky with unimaginable beauty.

Nova always feared this day would come, he’d always hold her so tight as she cried and burrowed her face so deep into his chest she could smell his scent for hours after. She’d sob for so long and he’d never get annoyed or bored with her, he was simply satisfied with the fact he was there for her, sometimes they’d fuck it out, and sometimes they wouldn’t, it all depended on his ‘beauty’, as he called her.

“I would rather have my bones crushed one by one, than see a single tear drop from your beautiful eyes, for your body is repairable, but your heart isn’t, my life.” He would say.

He was frightened to hold her that she’s pure, heavenly and unreachable for his sinned hands.  “It hurts, Simon.” She cooed out softly, barely being able to speak.

And at that very moment, he felt his heart break into a million pieces as he could not take her pain away all to himself, he’d never be able to forgive himself for being so late and far enough form the bullet to not pierce his chest instead of hers.

“Johnny! Call for evac! Nova has been shot!”

Simon was a brave, strong man. He never cried for animals that died in movies or for children that passed from cancer. Hell, not even for his soldiers that fought beside him in war. But he felt his eyes water as blood started draining from her beautiful face.

 “Don’t you dare close your eyes now, love. That’s an order!”

She smiled weakly as she held her cold hand against his cheek.

“Still bossy even in death, I see.”

“Don’t. Don’t let that word out of your mouth again, you hear me? You are not dying.”

Johnny rushed to his side taking in the sight before him; Simon crouched down on his knees holding what once was so cheerful and full of life, become tainted with blood and face painted of yellow.

“I called for evac but we are far from reach, Ghost, said they’ll be here in an hour.”

Simon Riley then prayed. He closed his teary eyes and prayed so hard to a god he didn’t know if he believed in, to save his beloved.

“You can do it, darling, I know you can. You have been through worse, I believe in you strong girl.” He babbled on and on about how you were stronger than a bullet, but he didn’t know if he was comforting you or himself. “My sweet girl.”

Johnny always suspected there was something between the lieutenant and his sergeant, but he was still a bit surprised at Simon’s affection and emotions.

They were inseparable back at base, even in missions, Simon always made sure Nova was right by him. Sometimes Soap and Gaz would make fun of their lieutenant as he always was looked out for her, made sure there was enough food left for her, pulled back her chair when she went to sit and scared off soldiers that bothered her, but he’d always deny their allegations and tell them to “shut it”, but they all knew he was just frightened and believed he was undeserving of any form of love, let alone yours.

He was smitten ever since the day you arrived, and if he was blinded by the moment he laid his eyes on you, his soul would not grieve, for in that very instance, it truly gazed upon perfection.

To say that he was scared was an understatement. He couldn’t bring himself to let go of her hand or even dare to look away from her face, feeling as if she’d slip away if he did.

“Do you remember what we talked about before this mission? How we’d retire, get a cabin somewhere far in the woods, with a big dog? Hm?”

she stayed still for a minute before chuckling faintly. “And two cats.”

He laughed, genuinely laughed at her response, she was always cheerful and full of hope even in the worse of situations. “And two cats.” He repeated.

“You promised we’d name the dog Fluffy, and that he’d be a golden retriever. You never liked cats much though.”

“We can get as many cats and dogs as you want my love, just keep those pretty eyes open for me, yeah? Johnny is here for you too.”

Ghost reached for her other hand and put in on top of Soap’s.

Johnny tried his best to not break down in front of his dying friend. They were always the trouble makers back at the base. Clowns, as Captain Price labeled the pair. They would always pull the silliest pranks on their teammates, they once poured a whole tub of salt into Gaz’s coffee, and cut holes in a few shirts of ghost’s after they both finished watching Mean Girls together, but Johnny got a taste of his own medicine once when his partner in crime turned against him and put neon green hair dye in his conditioner, and let’s just say that that did not end well as he gained a new look and an eye infection.

“They’re almost here, Nova, you’re gonna be back on your feet in no time, and we’ll pull even more pranks back in base, we can even get captain Price this time! We can sew a unicorn horn in the middle of his hat, like we said we would. How does that sound?” He frantically said.

Silence.

Dreaded silence was all that was heard before both her hands dropped to the ground beside her limp body. She was unresponsive.

Johnny couldn’t hold his tears back anymore and let them fall freely on her stomach as he clung so tightly to the corpse of his best friend.

Simon was crushed, to say the very least. He kept his warm hands on her beautiful face, and even in death’s grip she looked stunning, her face beamed underneath the setting sun, and her chapped lips curled up into a soft smile, and if it wasn’t for the blood on her clothes, you’d think she was in deep sleep.

He couldn’t bring himself to let go of her, even after evacuation arrived at scene, including captain price, Gaz and König. They all had to pry him off of her so that they could put her body on the carrier, and to the helicopter. That was the first and last time they had ever seen Ghost break down, so miserable and helpless.

Simon never once forgot about Nova, or her cheerful smile that lit up every room brighter than the early rays of the morning sun, nor her ridiculous jokes she’d crack at the wrong times. She was his light, his dream, and if he had a flower for every thought he had of her after her death, he’d walk through a beautiful garden for eternity.

[friedbaekhyunandeggso]

found you - ch. 3

pairing: gojo satoru x female oc (ara natsuna) [p.s. y'all kno i try to keep her features ambiguous asf but i think i mentioned her having long/waist-length hair at some point :') maybe i should just give her features but i kinda like leaving it open-ended]

tropes: psycho! rival! athlete! yandere! gojo x introvert! booksmart! rbf! oc

warnings: 18+ only babes, stalking/possessive themes, pet names [kitten, baby, princess, pretty], manhandling, mentions of depression, smoking (w33d, cigarette), profanity, dub/non-consented sex, begging, fingering, orgasm denial, brat taming (kinda), rough sex, creampie (pls don’t b silly & cover ur willy), coercion, alcohol/drinking, peer pressure, jjk manga reference (no major spoilers, jus some of the same phrasing-lmk if u spot it lolol), groping, somnophilia (a bit)

word count/plot: [18.4k!] ara catches gojo's attention when news breaks that she is the top academically ranked student in their grade. he is ranked second. he tries to befriend her but she ignores him. despite her obvious disinterest, his obsession begins...

a/n: Sooo i’m not joking about all the warnings so pls b thorough w reading them. I really don’t want anyone to feel misled bc i do take my time to type everything out bc this stuff is dark & not a happy jolly love story. I feel like a part of why I even write this story is bc i want to explore the characterization of someone extremely entitled and completely helpless to their impulses vs someone who is relatively sheltered & always in fight or flight mode-its all p twisted but can u tell i wasn’t in a good place when i first started this LMAO. anyway, jus b warneddd

ch. 1 , ch. 2 [ part 1 | part 2 ] , chapter 3 , ch. 4

They fucked. They fucked a lot. Whether it be at night after his basketball practice or mid-day in school. In study rooms, the locker room, empty classrooms-wherever they could find.

Some days he wanted her extra early, he’d have her first thing in the morning or right after she changed into uniform. Or-when he’s feeling extra desperate-he’d have her in his car in the parking lot, right after driving them to school. He liked seeing her all flush-faced and flustered while zooming out of his car those mornings.

He never seemed to get enough. 

And she couldn’t take it. Her veil was slipping away with each encounter with him. She cried a lot when he wasn’t around and grew incredibly frustrated whenever he was around. Her patience was running incredibly thin—despite knowing her options were limited, she never stopped fantasizing of ways to end their ‘relationship’ on the daily.

The cops left their school a week ago. It seemed they gathered all the information they needed. And seeing how lax Gojo was, she knew without a doubt that he’d gotten off without a scratch. She didn’t even think anyone suspected him.

How could they? When she was the only one that’d seen it all—The only one who knew the reason.

Noel hadn’t come back to school—rumor had it that he’d transferred schools. Rumor also had it that it was Nanami’s doing because-apparently-Noel stole jewelry from Nanami’s house the night of the party. 

She couldn’t help but doubt that rumor. Noel was well off, he didn’t need someone else’s mothers jewelry. But she supposed transferring to another school district couldn’t be helped, especially not after having a label like ‘robber’ stuck to you at a school full of rich kids. It didn’t help that he robbed his own team captain at that; it was something his reputation couldn’t come back from-at this school, anyway.

She wished she could directly ask him what happened that night but she doubted she’d get the chance now.

Eitherway, she knew something was more than suspicious about that situation. And it made her more than just irritable when she thought of Gojo going on with his daily life while other people had to face the repercussions of his actions.

Suddenly the sound of a car honking drew her from her thoughts.

She immediately glanced over to see a matte black Mercedes G-Wagon pulling up beside her. The passenger window rolled down to reveal an unruly, platinum haired boy with the most lethal smirk on his lips.

He lowered his sunglasses, “You forgot about me already?”

She’d gotten so lost in her thoughts she must’ve accidentally walked right past his car. She swallowed-hesitating for only a moment before slipping into his car.

The second she shut the car door, she tried not to be tense. She knew what was coming and he did exactly that.

His hand slid around her nape, his crystalline eyes affectionate as he leaned over to capture her lips in a lingering kiss. He always greeted her like he missed her—as if he hadn’t been in her bed an hour ago.

Since he slept over most nights he'd wanted to leave some of his clothes at hers. She immediately refused-using the excuse that if her Dad found his clothes in her room she was bound to get in trouble.

In reality, she needed the hour he took to go home and change in the morning for herself. He was always around-it felt suffocating sometimes. Suffocating enough that she almost liked school.

Except for when he texted her ‘i wanna see you’ in the middle of class. That text filled her with dread every time.

Aside from school, that ‘morning hour’ and his basketball practice-they were almost always together. Like now, he always picked her up the same time her bus usually came to pick her up. He also parked a block away from her house-her orders, because she had a thing about discretion.

He broke the kiss, his fingers playing with her hair, “What’s got you in a daze, kitten?”

She inadvertently tensed, “Nothing.”

He assessed her before his gaze grew warm, “Always so serious.” he mused.

He ruffled her hair and she pushed his hand away. He leaned back in his seat before driving in that one-handed fashion that he always did.

Her eyes narrowed when she noticed him take an unfamiliar route. She watched him pull into one of the nearby gated communities.

She didn’t build up the courage to ask about their whereabouts until he stopped in front of a house that couldn’t have been worth less than two million. The architecture of the house was rather modern, with a lot of glass wall panels and a marble driveway.

“This isn’t school.” the words came out more curt than she intended.

“Correct. We’re picking Suguru up.”

Her eyes widened and before she could speak the back door of the car opened and Geto slipped inside. He was dressed in uniform. His hair tied back in his typical man bun, she’d never seen him without it.

Geto patted Gojo on the shoulder in greeting before settling into the backseat. “Yo.”

Geto caught her gaze and merely nodded, his expression unreadable.

“Yooo,” Gojo greeted-rather enthusiastically-before pulling out of the driveway. “Busted your car, didn’t ya?”

“Shut the hell up. I get it back tomorrow.”

Gojo smirked, “Damn-tomorrow? Kinda liked it when you rely on me.”

“Yeah well I’d rather hang myself before getting on a smelly bus.”

Ara flushed.

Geto continued, “Did you do the calc homework?”

“Yeah, you want it?”

“Do you remember what you got for the last question?”

They continued to converse until Gojo parked in the school parking lot.

Gojo checked his watch, “We still got fifteen minutes left till homeroom.”

“Great, I had to print out something from the library anyway.”

Geto stepped out of the car only to pop his head back in a second before he shut the door, “Yo, make sure to send me the calc homework.”

“Yeah, yeah.” Gojo said, slipping his phone out his pocket to do just that.

Geto’s eyes seemed to catch Ara’s for a moment, “Bye, Natsuna.”

She blinked, “Bye.”

Geto shut the car door before walking off in the direction of school. The familiar sound of a text being sent was audible, “There.” Gojo muttered.

“You told him.” Ara spoke, rather outright.

He raised a pale brow, “What?”

“He knows.. about us.”

Gojo blinked.

She held his gaze, trying not to look as unnerved as she felt, “I thought we agreed on keeping us a secret.”

“He’s my best friend.”

“And?” her irritation got the best of her. “What if he tells someone?”

“He’s not like that. Besides, you told Millie too-didn’t you?”

“No.”

“She knows we fucked.”

She flushed, “Yeah, and that’s it. I didn’t tell her we’re together.”

A subtle grin tugged at the corner of his lip, “Love when you say it.”

His hand went to the headrest of her seat-leaning towards her, “You could tell her. You can tell anybody you wan-“

“I prefer to keep things private,” she bit out, “You know this. How come I always have to listen to you but you never listen to me?”

The second the question left her lips, she froze. She felt it—the invisible line she’d crossed. She felt herself treading into dangerous territory.

His voice was oddly calm, “I do listen to you.”

It was true, sometimes he did but- “Only when you want to.” The words tumbled out of her, a whispery quality to her voice.

Suddenly his hand was at her nape, forcing her to look up at him. “Because you still hide things from me, Ara. I want you to tell me everything. I’m willing to tell you anything because I’m willing to give you everything. You just need to tell me what’s on your mind.”

She grabbed his wrist, her mind boggled. She shoved his hand away from her neck, “What are you talking about?”

“I’m willing to wait, Ara. I told you that I’m gonna be your everything and I meant it.”

His gaze was determined as he spoke, “I want you to open up to me because you want to-because you love me.”

She froze-holding his gaze for a moment before speaking a bit shakily, “You couldn’t handle it if I told you what’s on my mind.”

“Is that what you think?”

“It’s what I know.”

“Tell me,” he insisted, “Tell me one thing.”

She didn’t have enough energy to hold back- “I want space.”

She couldn’t look him in the eye once she said the words-simply staring straight out his blacked out windows. She tried not to tremble as the silence hung like weight between.

“I don’t believe in space.” His voice was cold.

She shivered, fighting the urge within her to just clamp up and be silent as she stuttered out, “I-I told you.. you couldn’t handle it.”

She nearly yelled when he grabbed a fistful of her hair, turning her to face him.

His eyes were ablaze with such anger it was nearly palpable, “Is there another boy?”

Her eyes widened before narrowing, “What?! No-!“ she twisted her head away from his hold, shoving his arm back.

His arm barely budged but he complied anyway, releasing her.

“Then why the hell do you want space?”

“Because we’re always together! I-I barely have time to myself. Y-your always there.”

“You had enough time to yourself. All those years before I found you was enough.” His tone was frigid, unrelenting.

She wanted to cry-she couldn’t do this anymore. “Y-you see,” she choked out, “I can’t speak my mind.”

His hand found her nape again, forcing her to face him—forcing her near as tears spilled down her face.

“No,” his tone was calm, yet the icy undercurrent within his words could not be denied, “You only want space because you’re afraid of falling for me. You think the more you get away from me you can convince yourself you don’t need me and I won’t have any of that.”

His voice turned lethal-completely deadpan, “I’m never letting you go.”

The words felt all too heavy-all too weighted-all too much. She hated this feeling; the feeling of having found another cage. This was exactly what she didn’t want.

Another situation that she didn’t know how to get rid of.

She shoved herself out of his grasp, looking away before he could see more tears spilling out of her eyes or how she was biting down on her lip hard to control her sob. She didn’t want to cry in front of him.

She didn’t think when she stepped out of his car and ran towards school. All she wanted to do was get away from him.

She didn’t respond to him all day-and the terror of it all didn’t hit her until she was home, in the middle of doing her nightly skin care routine.

Fuck.

She froze, lowering her hand as she stared at her terrified expression in the mirror-the memory of how angry he looked when she muted him resurfacing.

She’d felt incredibly depressed after their argument, going class to class like a zombie until all her emotions became numb. She was incredibly zoned out, fatigued. She hadn’t checked her phone once all day.

The second she got home, she fell back into her old routine of napping after school. She felt refreshed after waking up and was able to do her homework with perfect concentration-not one stray thought clouding her mind.

She didn’t realize what she was disassociating from until now.

She quickly wiped her hands and retrieved her phone to check the time. 10:29 pm.

She blinked. That was way past his practice time. He would normally be at her place by now. What is going on?

Her heart raced. Too say she was worried wouldn't nearly cover how fidgety she was feeling. He never did this before.

She swallowed, wandering out her room to glance out the window. She was nearly certain it had something to do with their argument-it had to, right?

Her stomach rolled at the thought of him being angry. She stared at his several texts with growing horror.

9:59 am - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: hi

10:45 am - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: araa let’s talk

11:37 am - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: i wanna see you

11:39 am - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: talk to me ara

1:24 pm - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: u fr ignoring me?

1:45 pm - satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: u can’t ignore me forever yk

Her horror grew a thousand fold. She never ignored his texts-especially not after the ‘muting’ incident. But this-she’d ignored his ‘i wanna see you’ text, the first time she'd done such a thing. She was sure-most terrifyingly sure-there was no way she was getting out of this unscathed.

He was sure to be fuming.

She held her phone to her chest, dropping to her knees in the middle of her room. Questioning everything.

I shouldn’t have argued with him. Oh my god.. God, why didn’t I check my phone? Why?! Fuck, fuck, fuck !

She raked a hand through her hair. There was no way she was going to get an ounce of sleep tonight. She was terrified of what he would do.

Her eyes widened. I should text back. Maybe that’ll calm him.

She fumbled for her phone only to freeze when she saw a new notification appear. It was him.

satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: come outside

Her heart stopped. What should I do?

Her mind scrambled for the safest option. Her fingers hesitated before flying across the keyboard.

ara: i just saw ur texts sorry

Before she could send out her next reply, three typing dots appeared from his end and he responded a millisecond later.

satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: just come outside .

She froze. She couldn’t help but think he was mad-definitely mad. He never texted like that.

Oh no..

Her anxiety spiked. She knew she had to go.. Her eyes squeezed shut, chest tightening.

satoru bby🫶❣️🍰: i won’t repeat myself ara

Her fingers flew across the keyboard.

ara: im coming

She stared at her text with dread and.. frustration. Frustration because she couldn't believe he could command her like this-invoking her forced compliance. Dread because.. she had no clue what he would do.

She hugged herself tight as she slowly approached his car, which was parked at its usual spot down the block. He knew to avoid the cameras around her house.

Her heart pounded rapidly in her chest as she knocked on the G-wagon passenger door before stepping inside.

He was facing out his window before she knocked. He immediately glanced over-tapping off the burnt edge of his joint.

His radiant eyes scanned her impassively before puffing out smoke slowly. The smoke silently curling in the air between them.

“Close the door.” he muttered.

She blinked, immediately glancing towards the passenger door to see that her hand was still on the handle. She hadn’t fully closed it.

She refrained from audibly swallowing before closing the door. She flinched when the car door locked.

She glanced over his way to see him swiftly adjust the gear to ‘drive’-mode and get the car on the road. The speed of the action made her throat tighten.

Her intertwined hands fidgeted in her lap uneasily. She contemplated apologizing for not responding to his texts-but she couldn’t find it in herself too. She almost didn’t want to remind him. Even if he was angry, he seemed somewhat calm right now.

She couldn’t ever be sure with him.

She didn’t want to break the silence. Her mind going a mile per minute before finally spurting out, “Where are we going?”

Ever since their ice cream hangout, he always wanted to take her to places at night but she always refused. The paranoia of her Dad finding out always overwhelmed her.

“To a party.” he responded, airily.

Her head whipped around to face him. She stared in shock as he indifferently took another hit from the joint.

“W-what?” she questioned, blankly. Her voice low.

“We’re going to a party.”

She stared at him. He couldn’t be serious… Entering a party with him-everyone would know what that meant, everyone would see them.

“I-“ she scrambled for words, “I can’t go.”

“Yes, you can.” his voice completely assured.

“No, I can’t, Satoru,” she fought to keep her voice even. “My Dad might check on me a-and we can’t show up to an event together-“

“Fuck your Dad and fuck being private.”

She stared at him in astonishment. His eyes were ablaze as he threw his burnt out joint out the window.

“Sick of that shit. I want everyone to know you’re mine.”

She felt herself growing sick. Is this supposed to be her punishment? No. no. no.. She couldn’t allow this, word would spread like wildfire and if her Dad were to somehow find out.. It was a huge risk-one that she wasn’t willing to take.

It didn’t help that something about the briskness of his words made her impulsively tap into her anger.

Her tone came out firm-with a tinge of desperation, “What do you have to prove to people?”

A wicked smirk slipped across his lips, “I don’t give a fuck about people. But you do-don’t you? You think your Pops is gonna find out. You know the attention you're gonna get bein’ mine and you hate it.”

He continued, “I don’t give a shit about either excuse anymore. Anything happens, they’ll have to come through me first.”

“Excuse?” she repeated in contempt-filled shock before sputtering out, “Y-you don’t understand-“

“What? That your Dad’s old school? He doesn’t allow you to date? Who cares-If he hears some shit just tell him it’s a rumor.”

Suddenly anger overrode her fear. Her words came out sharp, “Do you think I would be like this if it were that easy?”

“Then tell me why its not.”

She froze, her partly open lips gradually closing. She’d nearly told him-her answer just on the tip of her tongue-but it felt wrong. Telling someone her family issues would be a first, and-on top of that-confiding in him of all people? She’d rather die.

Her voice was low as she spoke through gritted teeth-attempting to keep her emotions at bay, “Just-take me home.” she choked out, shakily.

He glanced over at her. She felt his gaze on her and quickly faced the window. Her jaw locked as she swallowed, hard.

She squeezed her eyes shut as a heavy silence followed. She felt the tension build into a knot in her stomach.

She hesitantly glanced his way to see his expression was completely cold-to glacial levels. Not one emotion on his face.

She felt herself go breathless but decided to push her luck anyway. She needed to go home.

“P-please, Satoru.” she whispered.

His hand on the wheel tightened, “You’re coming with me. That’s final.”

She felt her heartbeat go faster. The finality in his tone was suffocating. She hated how helpless she felt; she felt the weight of it in every point of her body. Unease swirled underneath her skin, making her tremble slightly.

She couldn’t go to this party. She had to try. She needed to think of something.

“Satoru..”

“Hm?”

She fought to keep her voice even, “I’m dressed in pjs, I-I can’t go like this.”

“Doesn’t matter. It’s Shoko’s party, I’ll tell her to let you borrow somethin’ “

She gnawed on her bottom lip, facing the window again as she racked her mind for something. It was hard to think through the turmoil of emotions swirling within her.

Her desperation got the best of her as she spoke, her voice cracking, “Please, don’t do this. Just take me home-I-I want to be home.”

He sucked his teeth, his ill-tempered expression faltering a second to reveal something more worn out. He looked almost exhausted.

“Why’d you have to whine today of all days? I don’t have the patience today.”

Her stomach twisted at how he spoke. He made it sound as if he were complaining about a pet being disobedient. Her nails dug into her palms as her hands clenched into fists.

“Aren’t you supposed to be my peace or some shit.” he muttered.

She chose not to dwell on his words, instead she inhaled a much needed breath before speaking quietly, “I’m sorry to bother you.. I promise I’ll stop once you take me home.”

A short, dry laugh left him, “Nah.”

His fingers tapped the steering wheel before he glanced her way, “I can think of a few other ways you could put me at ease.”

Her eyes widened when he pulled the car over to the side of the road. Her stomach swirled with dread. He wouldn’t—

He stepped out of the car and easily made it to her side. He opened the passenger side door, his tall frame nearly blocking the entirety of the entrance.

She stared at him in horror. His blue crystal-like eyes seemed to glimmer in the dark. A faint, nearly imperceptible smile grew on his lips as he looked at her.

She was still for a millisecond before attempting to zip past him through the narrow space underneath his arm-but he caught her easily. Almost as if he anticipated it.

She was yanked to his side, “Relax, kitten.”

Her limbs flung out, trying to connect with anything as she twisted in his grasp. Sounds of frustration leaving her lips as she yelled, “Let go-! Let go of-!”

He swung open the back door as she struggled in his hold. He tossed her in the backseat, her back flat against the seats. She didn’t get a second to process because Gojo was suddenly above her-the wide ceiling of the car providing him ample room.

She opened her mouth to scream but froze when a smug grin split across his lips, “Go ahead, be as loud as you want.”

He tilted his head slightly, “No one’s around to hear you.”

Her heart sank when she realized he was right. Whatever road they were on was rather deserted. She hadn’t seen anyone drive past them for the past ten minutes.

His lips brushed over hers, “No one but me.”

She shoved him off, a short cry leaving her lips as she twisted fiercely underneath him—attempting to turn her body and grasp the nearest car door handle.

His large hand found the meeting place of her neck and shoulder-and shoved her down. She yelled out.

“Where do you think you’re goin’ Ara.”

She stared up at him-momentarily frozen. His pale face was directly over hers, too close-everything too visible. The faint flush over his high cheekbones, the subdued spark in his dilated eyes, the hard-set of his jaw.

Strands of his white hair tickled her forehead as his hand came up to the side of her face. His thumb gliding over her bottom lip-playing with it almost. “You can’t escape me.” he reminded her, softly.

Tears filled her eyes and her arms moved before she could process it. She scrambled, she didn’t even know what she was doing. She wasn’t sure if she was shoving him or hitting him-all she knew was that she had to get away from him.

It took him an entirety of two seconds to pin both of her hands above her head with just one of his own. A sob left her lips as she writhed. She threw her head back in frustration.

His other hand slid down her ribs, over her stomach—pushing her arched body back down against the seats.

“Fuck, you’re testing me today.”

He pushed her legs aside with his free hand before easily tugging her sweats off. 

After removing them, he spread her bare legs and hooked them over his own. Despite being clothed himself, his erection made itself evident through the tent at his groin. The tip of the tent poking right against her panties, right over where it wanted to be.

She gasped, her hands pushing against his hold on her wrists as she struggled.

“N-no! Gojo-stop! Please-I don’t want to-!”

He began to thumb her clit over her panties, giving her a completely different reason to writhe underneath him.

“You think you get the choice?” he hissed, “You think I forgot how you ignored me all day, hm? I needed you, kitten. You ignored me.”

She let out a choked moan when he squeezed her clit slightly, “You can’t ignore me now, hm?” he taunted.

She felt his cock twitch against her cunt. He was already so hard, she couldn’t help but feel terrified.

“S-satoru, plea-nngh!” she moaned shakily, betraying herself. His fingers knew his way around her too well. He knew where to touch her-to make her whimper-to make her moan.

His thumb moved expertly along her puffy clit, pressing at the point where it throbbed the most to make her squeal.

Her shoulders shook as she twisted under him, her arms sore from how much she thrashed in his hold. His grip on her wrists never loosened.

She immediately turned her face aside when he lowered his face above hers. A strangled moan leaving her lips when her clit grew slightly hard under his ministrations–making her all the more sensitive to his touch at its tense bud. She was close, and he knew it too.

A low gasp left her lips when his touch disappeared, leaving her clit throbbing with need–aching for more. She’d been seconds away from her peak.

She felt her hips rise, nearly chasing his touch before freezing. Her frustration surprised her–her eyes going wide in shock.

No… no!

“You wanted more, didn’t you, kitten?” he spoke huskily against her temple before taunting, “Beg for it.”

She gasped when she felt his long fingers touch her pussy lips, spreading her wetness along her folds. She hated that she enjoyed his touch–she hated that she knew he was prepping her.

She turned her head to face him, the hatred clear in her eyes before she spit in his face.

“Never.”

A growl ripped from his throat and the next thing she knew she was screaming. His index and middle finger fucking her so hard, her hips bucked with each thrust.

“I’m gonna fuck you so hard, Ara,” he promised darkly in her ear, “I’m gonna fuck the disobedience right outta you.”

She screamed once more when his fingers felt like they slammed too deep. The lewd sounds of her wetness felt too loud each time his fingers fully submerged themselves in her.

“I-I hate you.” she sobbed, her head shaking back and forth as she tried to tame her moans.

“Your pussy doesn’t.”

She hated that he was right. With each ferocious thrust of his fingers, drops of her wetness flew in the air-leaving wet spots on his pants, his shirt. It was embarrassing–and completely lewd. She squeezed her thighs, aching to close her legs but his body was planted firmly between them–keeping her legs wide open, her pussy completely vulnerable to his advances.

She sobbed, her back arching as she felt herself get as wet as he liked. Her pussy sloshing with juices, her insides a complete sopping mess. It hadn’t taken long due to his teasing earlier.

She knew he liked when he got her like this, so he could completely submerge his huge cock into her straight away despite how narrow she was inside. It made her realize-with daunting clarity-how rough he was planning on being.

He groaned before removing his fingers from her cunt and slipping them into his mouth. A jolt of electricity zipping up her spine as she watched him deftly suck his fingers clean. He loved her taste.

“Fuck,” he muttered, a bit breathless.

He reached down to unzip himself, his luminous eyes never leaving hers as he did so. Her legs trembled.

He didn’t miss the subtle action-his gaze dropping to her shaky legs. His hand slid down her inner thigh, making her trembling worse.

“You scared?” he murmured, quietly-before grabbing her by the hip to pull her sopping cunt directly against his groin. She felt his length press against her through his jeans, he was so stiff she couldn’t help but shiver.

He moved her trembling legs over his shoulders, “You should be.”

She felt tears slip down her face as she tried to contain her sob. She lifted her hips-her cunt inadvertently rubbing his clothed cock as she tried to push at his grip on her wrists-frustration consuming her. She hated how weak the action felt against the strength of his grip.

He chuckled darkly.

“Please, stop..” her voice shook, but she knew her pleas would be futile.

He began to unzip himself once-more. Her body jolted when she felt his hot, bare cock press against her pussy lips. Her wetness making it all too easy for him to glide his thick, veiny length through her folds.

He pulled back slightly, wrapping his hand around his cock to press its tip into her clit—making her squeal. He began to rub his cockhead against her clit in painstakingly slow circles.

His breath hitched as he watched her stir underneath him. She attempted to lift her hips away from him but he was adamant, keeping his cock right at the bud of her pleasure—knowing how it would make her feel.

“I’m gonna make you wish you were good to me.”

Her eyes shot open at the coarseness of his voice, meeting his dominating gaze a second before he showed her the truth behind his words.

She screamed.

He’d buried himself into her to the hilt-in one brutally swift motion. His cock was so huge she felt like she could feel it throbbing at every point in her body. The sound of the action was so lewd, she couldn’t help but gape in embarrassment.

But he didn’t stop–he didn’t give her a second to adjust. Instead he made her mind go completely stupid when he fucked at her at the cruelest pace she’d ever felt. It felt like the cruelest pace known to mankind. She didn’t think her mouth ever closed.

The sound of his cock slamming into her was instantly repeated–it was never ending. Despite being so wet, the fit was still too tight–she was able to feel each bump, ridge and curve of his cock. Especially its head when it hit far too deep within her then it should've. Her body shook forcefully with each thrust.

Her legs on his shoulders gave him the perfect angle to drench his cock to brim in her juices—allowing him to thrust into her as mercilessly as he wanted. His pace was brutal-punishing.

She managed to finally gasp out words through her moans, “Oh my god-ngh!-I-I can’t! I can’t–Gojo, please.”

Her back arched as he didn’t stop-desperate mewls and cries leaving her lips. He clutched the side of her face-his nose grazing hers as he pressed his cock deep into her, making her hips rise as she groaned. She felt so filled.

His thumb wiped away a tear as he continued to thrust into her-a bit slower than before so he could revel in the feel of her slippery cunt. He didn’t know how she managed to be so soft and tight at the same time.

“Love seeing you cry on my cock like this,” he muttered raggedly, “Gets me so hard, kitten-so hard. I don’t wanna stop. I can’t stop.”

He groaned as he slowed down-as if it were taking him everything to do so. “I don’t wanna cum just yet.” he gritted out hoarsely.

He finally went still inside her. He released her hands to slip off his shirt and her eyes widened.

My hands are free.

It was a split second decision-one that was made without a single regard for how badly her body ached or how stiff her arms felt. She moved, using her legs on his shoulder to kick him back and twist her body towards the door.

She clutched the door handle and shoved it open, only to yell when she felt hands grip her waist and yank her back inside.

She screamed, struggling and kicking in his grip, “Let go—let go of me! Let go! Let g-“

Suddenly she was held up and plunged down on his cock in his lap. Her wetness completely enveloping him, instantly transforming her scream into a choked moan. Her body shook as her cunt was forced to accommodate him. The sensation all too much-tipping her to the edge of her sanity.

Her eyes squeezed shut as her cunt spasmed around his stiff cock. She jerked in his hold, nails scratching wildly at his arm around her, "N-no, nngghh," she choked out, moaning as her cunt squeezed him so tight, "Please-please—" she whisper-cried.

Despite all her struggle, he didn’t budge—he was completely immovable. He easily reached over and slammed the car door shut. The 'click' sound of the doors locking seemed to echo.

The second the door locked, his hand slipped around her neck and shoved her small back completely against his muscular chest. His other hand gripped her hip, keeping her rooted in spot as he shoved the full length of his cock into her. The head of his cock reaching a spot too deep.

“AHh-!”

“Enough.” he said the word without a drop of emotion.

Her whole body twitched, uneven gasps leaving her lips as his fingers tightened around her throat. Her back arched against him, his hand on her hip kept her cunt glued to him.

He stared at her parted lips, “When are you gonna learn, Ara..”

She whimpered when she felt his cock throb within her. She dropped her head-forcing herself to breathe.

His hand at her neck slid to her jaw, forcing her head back against his shoulder.

His lips brushed her throat, “I’m never letting you go.”

His cock didn’t stop moving after that. He fucked her. His actions embodying his words as his cock pistoned in and out of her ruthlessly.

His hold on her left her utterly useless to anything but his means. She could feel too much of him at this position. Her body trembling with each rough press of his cock.

Her throat was sore from how much cried-screamed-moaned. From pain or pleasure, she didn’t know anymore. All she knew was that she was completely consumed by him. There was nothing else but him.

He was everywhere. Beside her, near her, in her. 

Nowhere to escape. Just him. Only him.

His breaths were short, hot and desperate beside her ear. He bit at her neck and jaw needily. His hand on her neck now under her shirt, squeezing her tits with all his strength. His cock pounded into her harder.

She bucked forward, crying out. His arm over her tits kept her close to his firm body. With how hard he was fucking her, he had to hold her-to keep her from flying all over the place.

The pleasure building within her couldn’t be helped. Her skin felt hot and sweaty—at the cusp of something she couldn’t come back from. Every nerve within her body felt attuned to the brutal pace of his cock.

She flimsily grabbed the wrist of his hand at her tits, “Satoru, pl-nnghh-st-Satoru!” she yelled, wishing she could tell him to stop but the only thing that left her mouth was an earth shattering moan.

She jerked forward. Her pussy spasming hard around his cock. She felt like she’d entered another dimension—especially since his pace didn’t slow down. His cock drawing out her pleasure to the max.

His arms wound themselves tight around her smaller frame, keeping her close against him as her entire body jerked and trembled with her orgasm. Her back arched against him-his arms only tightening around her to pull her close again. She threw her head back and he buried his face into her neck.

She couldn’t stop moaning-screaming-she couldn’t tell anymore. All she knew her throat felt entirely too scratchy from all the noises she’d made during their fucking and now, her high.

Her pussy clamped around him. Her walls squeezing him so deliciously tight he swore he saw a glimpse of heaven. He groaned into her neck. The groan was so deep, so animalistic she felt it emanating through his chest against her back.

He leaned forward, burying his cock impossibly deeper as he came. She was too weak to even gasp at the feeling of his thick, warm cum spurting within her-completely coating her cunt walls. She merely twitched at the feeling of his stiff cock throbbing in her overly sensitive cunt. Streaks of his cum slipped out of her-down her inner thighs. There was simply no more room inside her.

Then finally, they both went still. Nothing but their breathlessness filling the silence.

She released his hair, she hadn’t realized she grabbed it mid orgasm. Her tits felt sore from how hard he’d squeezed her through his high.

She shivered when she felt his cock twitch within her-the aftermath of his peak. She felt so weak, so utterly used. She closed her eyes, not wanting to think anymore.

He was always so good at that-not making her think.

His arms loosened around her. His hands found the curves of her waist and pulled her upright with him. Even that subtle action made her body ache with soreness.

Suddenly he bit at her neck, nipping at her skin possessively while palming her tits under her shirt. She writhed weakly against him, his half-erect cock within her making her go still.

Her eyes shot open, she couldn’t let him get hard again.

His hands suddenly slipped underneath her knees, spreading her thighs apart. Her cheeks grew warm when she felt his gaze on her lower regions over her shoulder.

She swallowed when she saw all the marks and bruises from his hands on her earlier. He always grabbed her so hard. He always did whatever he wanted with her.

He shifted underneath her, his hips slowly pulling his cock out of her. When his cock finally slipped out, a lewd sound filled the car. She watched in horror as streams of his hot cum poured out of her cunt-it felt endless, it didn’t stop pouring out. It didn’t help that his cock was completely erect and shiny from her juices.

“Look at how wet you’ve made my cock, kitten,” his voice was husky against her temple, “You came so hard you were screaming-you screamed my name.”

Her eyes widened when she saw his cock twitch. She instinctively drew her legs together.

He harshly drew her legs apart, “You think anyone else could make you feel like that?”

She trembled when his hold around her thighs tightened. She knew he was bound to leave new marks at the skin there.

He pressed his nose to her temple, “Hm?”

She shivered, simply turning her face aside. She couldn’t find it in herself to speak.

“Answer me.” he whispered in her ear.

She squeezed her eyes shut, merely shaking her head.

“That’s right,” he muttered, “No one but me.”

His hand squeezed her inner thigh, making her jolt, “You’re mine, Ara. Mine.”

He watched a tear unconsciously make its way down her cheek, “I took your first and I’ll keep takin’ you forever.”

She flinched when she felt him deftly lick her cheekbone, catching her tear with his tongue-tasting her.

“You belong to me.”

He held her hand as she stepped out of the car. She silently followed him. She didn’t register anything about their surroundings-simply letting him lead her where he wanted.

She thought she faintly heard the sound of a phone ringing and going to voicemail. He grumbled in annoyance.

Suddenly a door swung open before them. Music blasting through the doors.

She glanced up to see Shoko standing at the door, “Hi snowman.”

“I was calling you.”

Shoko glanced over at her, “This her?”

Ara couldn’t help but sense the smirk in his voice, “Yeah.”

Ara glanced around-finally noticing her surroundings. She was on a vast, wrap-around stone porch. Empty alcohol bottles and burnt out joints were scattered all over the otherwise sparkling ground.

Suddenly Shoko was grabbing her hand, “I don’t know why you’re tellin’ me to dress her up when I can barely dress myself but I’ll have fun with this.”

Ara was dragged through the double doors and led inside the mansion. Ara didn’t the chance to admire the color changing chandelier in the lobby because she was getting pulled up the steps-or rather, dragged. Shoko walked pretty fast.

People were everywhere. She didn’t make eye contact with anyone. She didn’t want to see people from school.

People laughed boisterously-calling out to each other. Wearing shiny outfits. Drinks and joints in hand. They looked so happy, care-free. She felt so out of place.

A few people spoke to Shoko but she simply said a few words and shoo-ed them away. Ara was too zoned out to care.

Suddenly Shoko pushed open a door and led them both inside. It was a bedroom, decorated sparsely but lavishly. Each decoration piece looked as if it were taken from a museum or art studio.

It was quite obviously a girls room, due to the subtle feminine touches within the room despite the color scheme of the room being cream and sage.

“Alright, so…”

Ara stopped scanning the room to meet Shoko’s blank stare. The other girl looked curious but unamused at the same time. They’d seen each other before-in classes and such-but this had to be the most they’ve ever interacted.

Ara knew she was rather close to Gojo and Geto. Rumor also had it that her and Nanami were dating.

“I don’t know if I have clothes your taste or whatever but can you take your shirt off so I can see what I’m working with?”

Ara blinked, “Uh..”

She couldn’t blame the other girl for asking. She was wearing an oversized tee and loose fitting sweats.

Shoko sighed, walking over, “It’s just us girls-“

She easily slipped off Ara’s shirt and froze, “Holy shit.”

Ara grabbed her shirt and pressed it close to her chest-trembling slightly.

Shoko blinked several times before running a hand through her shoulder length hair, “Oh-wow, you and Satoru had a time, didn’t you..”

Shoko shook her head, “I don’t know what girls see in him.”

Ara was too tired to speak-to agree with her and say she saw nothing in him. All words simply felt too useless.

Shoko went to the closet and returned with a garment on a hanger and heels. She handed it to her.

“Put this on. I’ll try to see what we can do about the..” She gestured towards her chest before waving towards the attached bathroom, “I think my Mom might have some extra foundation shades…” she mumbled to herself.

Ara didn’t understand what she meant and was-frankly-too tired to care. Ara walked into the bathroom. She barely looked at the clothes before stripping and putting them on. The heels were strappy kitten heels that wasn't too bad but the dress... the dress fit a little too well.

She glanced in the mirror and stared in shock as she realized the dress was a sleeveless, bodycon minidress that ended mid-thigh. There were also a few patterned, cut-outs shapes that ran down the sides.

Her eyes widened when she saw what made Shoko curse earlier. Her neck was covered in marks-including her collarbones and cleavage. There were even a few bruises strewn along her exposed thighs.

She uncomfortably pulled the dress lower-only to freeze when she saw that it made her tits spill out a bit more at the top.

What the hell is this?

Ara felt naked. She’d never worn anything like this. She felt exposed.

A knock at the bathroom door made her jolt, “Did you put it on?”

Ara glanced down at herself before stuttering out, “Y-yeah.”

Shoko entered, her eyes widening as she gave her a once-over, “Pft. My moms real funny if she thought I’d look like that in that dress.”

Ara’s brows furrowed-unsure of what to make of the comment. Just as she was about to ask for something else to wear, Shoko gently took her hand.

“You have bruises on your wrists too?” she asked, while examining them, “Christ.”

Ara quickly pulled her hand away, trembling slightly, “Do you have something else I can wear.”

Shoko nodded, “Sure, is there anything you want instead of a dress maybe? A crop top? Skirt?”

Ara froze, hesitating. It was stupid.. she knew she was being stupid. Maybe it was because how genuine Shoko appeared when she asked or the calm sincerity in her tone but something about her asking about what she wanted.. It felt like the first time someone actually cared about her opinion-cared about what she wanted.

She choked slightly on her words, “C-can you get me home?”

Shoko blinked, “You want to go home?”

She nodded, “I-“ her voice cracked. What she wanted to say was ‘I can’t do this party. I never wanted to come to this party.’ but instead she started crying. She full on fell to her knees and started to cry-she couldn’t help herself.

“Oh my god,” Shoko gasped, going on her knees as well. “Shit, are you okay?”

Ara couldn’t speak-simply too consumed by sorrow to go on. Her shoulders shook as she continued to cry. She didn’t know how long she cried for but by the time she calmed down Shoko was gone and the bathroom door was closed.

Ara stood up slowly-grasping the counter to steady her wobbly legs.

Suddenly the bathroom door swung opened and Gojo entered. Shoko stood behind him, a concerned expression on her face.

“Ara-“ his words were cut short the second his eyes landed on her. His eyes were wide as he stared at her. His mouth still partly open as if in disbelief. Color swiftly rose to his cheeks.

Shoko shook her head, “Can you get over yourself and help her out already? I think you boned her enough.”

A smirk split across his lips, “It’s never enough.”

“Gross.” Shoko muttered as Gojo sauntered up to her. He ran his hands down her trembling arms. She couldn’t look away from him.

“You look stunning, kitten.” he murmured, giving her another once-over up close.

Stunning didn’t cover it. She looked sexy as hell. She was guaranteed to give every male an erection with one glance… and something about that fact filled him with an uncanny amount of satisfaction.

He cupped her face in his hands, wiping away the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb. She was frozen.

He glanced over his shoulder at Shoko, “You gonna watch?”

She narrowed her eyes, “Hell yeah I am. God knows what you'll do in here if I don't."

His smirk reappeared, “You have no faith in me.”

“No one should.” Shoko bit back.

He merely slid his hand into Ara’s. “Let’s go.”

She gripped his hand tight. Her free hand latching onto his arm just as he moved to head out the door with her.

“W-wait, please,” she stuttered out. Panic suddenly rising through her numbness, “I can’t-I can’t—“ do this party. I want to go home.

He looked down to face her, “What's wrong, kitten?” he asked softly.

There was something humorous about that question-especially coming from him. In another life, she might've laughed. Instead her throat tightened up the second they locked eyes.

She casted a quick, side glance Shoko’s way. Shoko seemed to be watching them curiously.

She swallowed hard before glancing up at Gojo, “I..I can’t wear this dress.” her voice ending as a whisper.

There was a moment of silence as he looked at her. His gaze dropped to her feet before raking up her body ever so slowly. She felt as if he were committing everything he saw before him to memory.

When his eyes met hers, he exhaled through his nose-in faint amusement.

"Modest now, are we?" he teased.

The words would've hit her like a bullet once-making her hand itch to slap him-but now it had the impact value of a rock skipping water.

He released her hand to slip his hoodie off in one movement. He tugged it over her, "Happy?"

She stared down at the floor, nodding.

He slid his hand through hers. “Let’s go.”

Ara couldn't meet Shoko’s eyes as he led her out the bathroom. She knew the other girl only meant to help by calling him but she couldn’t help but feel betrayed.

“Wait.” Shoko spoke.

Gojo paused, glancing back towards her. He watched her crossed arms fall before she walked up to Ara. She reached around Ara's nape, pulling out the rest of her hair that'd gotten tucked underneath the hoodie.

Gojo saluted Shoko airily, “I’ll buy you a replacement for the dress.”

Shoko’s eyes widened, “What-“ she shook her head, “I don’t even wanna know.”

She was led through the crowd with Gojo ahead of her. She didn’t have to look up to know people were parting for them. Mainly, him.

Familiar voices of their classmates greeted him as he passed. He never let go of her hand, simply winking or dabbing up whoever he recognized as he walked through. She felt so many eyes on her, she wanted to puke.

She was wearing a hoodie so she knew it wasn’t her insane outfit. It was most definitely the man she was interlocking hands with. She hated how much attention the simple action of hand holding could garner simply because it was him.

The music was so loud, it was almost obnoxious. The smell of weed was everywhere, she felt like she’d inhaled enough second hand smoke to start feeling traces of being high herself. This was truly the last place she wanted to be.

Finally Gojo stopped walking, arriving at the center of the living room where all his friends were gathered.

He sat down on the couch next to Geto, easily tugging Ara down on his lap.

She gasped slightly, grasping Gojo’s shoulder to steady herself. She felt so uncomfortable.

Geto eyed her, his dark eyes going to her hand on Gojo’s shoulder. She immediately dropped her hand.

“I’m back.” he said with a small smile, “Hope I didn’t miss anything too interesting.”

“No,” Geto responded, “We just skipped your turn.”

“He wanted to play for you but that’s fuckin’ cheating. But—who the hell is that?”

She glanced up to see that it was Toji asking the question. The second they made eye contact his eyes widened in recognition.

“My girl,” Gojo responded with a growing smirk before tugging her close to press a light kiss on her cheek. “She can introduce herself.”

She swallowed, meeting Gojo’s gaze uneasily before facing the others seated around them. She recognized them one by one. Geto. Toji. Nanami. Haibara. And-it seemed-Shoko had just joined them as well.

She cleared her throat, “I’m Ara Natsuna.”

“I remember you,” Toji stated, “You were at Nanami’s party that time.”

Nanami grumbled, “Can we not talk about that.”

Toji chuckled, “My bad.”

Haibara’s voice piped up-rather animated, “At least you’re not grounded anymore!”

“I wasn’t grounded.” Nanami retorted flatly.

“Well your Mom basically put you on house arrest so you kinda were.” Haibara responded lightly.

Nanami looked slightly agitated as he slouched back in his seat, “Fuck those cops. They didn’t leave me alone for weeks.”

Shoko stood behind the loveseat Nanami occupied. She leaned against it, “Didn’t they stop questioning you last week?”

“Yeah, finally.”

Ara tensed slightly in Gojo’s lap. She’d completely forgotten Nanami must’ve gotten the brute end of questioning regarding the investigation for Arman and Jaemin's deaths-considering they died in his house.

She glanced at Gojo. His impassive expression turned into something more amused when he caught her gaze. She shivered when he ran a hand down her back.

He glanced at Nanami, “Need my help?”

She could only assume that meant contacting his Dad. His offer only reaffirmed her theory of his father's influence still persisting in law enforcement despite being retired.

“Nah, my lawyers got it.” Nanami muttered, looking rather worn. It seemed the investigation had taken a toll on him.

Ara didn’t miss how Shoko’s hand subtly dropped to Nanami’s shoulder from her perch behind him. She squeezed his shoulder reassuringly before raising her hand to hold her cigarette as she lit it.

“Is no one shocked that Gojo settled down.” Shoko asked.

“Yeah, what’d you do to him, miss smarts.” Toji asked, “You the reason why he hasn’t been hangin’ out as much?” 

Gojo chuckled, “That’s bul-“

Haibara snapped his fingers, realizing belatedly, “Oh yeah! I haven’t seen you out the past few weekends-“ his eyes widened, “Woa, that’s unheard of.”

Shoko blew out a puff of smoke, “That’s what I’m saying.”

Suddenly she was being pulled further up Gojo’s lap. His hand on her waist slipped over her lower stomach, pressing her body close to his.

He kissed her neck, “Obviously I had better things to do.”

Ara’s face heated up just as the group broke out in ruckus—Haibara whistled. Nanami rolled his eyes. Shoko threw a red Solo cup at him-causing Geto to laugh.

Nanami looked unamused, “Fuck you.”

Toji was grinning as he shook his head, “This guy thinks he’s different.”

Gojo chuckled as he caught the cup after it bounced off him. He glanced within the cup to check its contents. It was filled a little less than half-way, it was a miracle the drink didn’t spill on him.

“Your drink is still in here.” he exclaimed with an astonished smirk.

“That's the point.” Shoko replied. His smirk widened before he set the drink down on the table before them.

He met Shoko’s narrowed eyes, “I’m obviously joking. I haven’t been out cuz I don’t wanna go without this one-“ he shook Ara slightly in his grasp, “Wouldn’t want her partying without me so.. gotta play fair.” he shrugged.

Ara’s brows furrowed. Am I supposed to appreciate that?

“What a gentleman.” Toji muttered before taking a swig of beer. She couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not.

Shoko blinked before meeting Ara’s gaze, “I hope this means you're coming out to more parties then?”

She felt Gojo’s nose nudge her temple, suggestively, “Hmm?” 

As if I had a choice in coming here.

Ara hesitated-shifting awkwardly in Gojo’s lap, “Um.. I don’t really like partying that much.”

Shoko tilted her head, “Why?”

Ara wasn’t really sure how to respond, “Well, Nanami’s party was my first so..”

“That was your first party?” Haibara questioned, nearly jumping out of his seat.

Toji shook his head, “I knew it.”

Nanami ran a hand over his face before grumbling, “I’d hate partying after that too.”

Ara nodded in response to Haibara’s question.

“But aren’t you a senior?” Haibara pressed, eyes wide in shock.

She nodded.

Haibara stared, his eyes flitting between her and Gojo. Gojo was resting his head on her shoulder, arms wrapped loosely around her.

Haibara blinked, “How did you find her?”

A devious grin split across Gojo’s lips. She felt his arms tighten around her slightly, “I got lucky.” he replied.

Haibara continued to stare at them in disbelief.

Shoko absentmindedly played with the ends of her short, blunt cut hair as she blew out another puff of smoke, “Okay well, to be fair the party was fun before all the.. bullshit, but I guess I can’t really blame you.”

Ara merely nodded. They had no idea what occurred in her house the same night after that party.

“But also-“ Shoko continued, “Not all parties are like that. I promise.”

“I’d kill myself if they were.” Nanami muttered.

Toji chuckled under his breath.

“Did you drink anything yet?” Shoko asked her.

Ara shook her head, “No.”

Shoko raised a brow-her eyes snapping to Gojo, “What kind of boyfriend are you? You didn’t get your girl a drink?”

Gojo raised his head from her shoulder, “I didn’t even get myself one,” he straightened slightly, as if preparing to stand up.

He looked down at her on his lap, “Do you want a drink?”

Shoko waved her hand, “Just stay put. I’ll get her one, you’d probably get her something lame like beer anyway.”

Haibara frowned, “Beer’s lame?”

Nanami responded flatly, “Don’t listen to her.”

Just as Shoko turned to leave Gojo yelled after her, “Get me one too!”

Shoko didn’t turn around as she flipped him off.

Toji picked up his deck of cards from the table, “Can we play now? I got money riding on this.”

Nanami chuckled as he looked at his own cards spread neatly in his hand, “You’re gonna lose, Fushiguro.”

Toji grinned, “Let’s see.”

Gojo reached over to pick up his deck, “Oh shit, nobody told me we had money on this.”

“Winner gets 2K, last person playing the winner pays.” Geto responded.

Ara’s gaze immediately latched onto him. She couldn’t help but take note of how he hadn’t said one word during the group's conversation until now.

He sat hunched over, legs spread on the couch next to Gojo. He wore a simple loose gray tee with black loose-fitted sweats. This had to be the first time she’d seen him in casual clothing-and she couldn’t help but notice that his shoulders looked impeccably broad under his shirt.

She’d never taken him to be the quiet type but she supposed she didn’t truly know him. She couldn’t help but wonder if he knew something..

Gojo grinned subtly, “Let me guess, Fushiguro started the bet.” 

“Who else.” Geto replied airily.

She looked down at the cards in front of her as Gojo spread them all in one hand.

“You’re on my team,” he murmured, his cool breath trailing down her neck, “Do you know how to play?”

She shook her head.

He began to explain the rules but in truth she zoned out halfway. Geto suddenly elbowed Gojo, cutting him off mid-explanation.

“Your turn.”

“Jus watch.” Gojo murmured to her before straightening slightly to put a card down on the table. 

Suddenly Toji’s hand shot out, “Wait, does your girl want to play?”

“Shut the hell up, scammer, she’s on my team,” Gojo quipped.

She heard Geto faintly snort beside them.

Toji’s darkly handsome grin returned, “Don’t worry I wouldn’t scam your girl. You got that covered.”

The boys continued to banter as they played the card game. Gojo checked in on her here and there but otherwise no one paid her too much mind-which she greatly appreciated. It was nice to zone out to the pounding music and people watch for a while.

“Shit-I’m out.” Gojo tossed his deck of cards down.

Nanami was smiling, “That’s what you get.”

Toji squinted, “Did you even try?”

Just as Gojo shrugged, some guy approached him. Another athlete that she didn’t know the name of. Gojo and Haibara enthusiastically engaged in small talk with him before the guy offered to smoke them up.

Gojo suddenly turned to the rest of them, “Yo, I'm goin out to smoke.”

“I wanna smoke.” Haibara pitched in.

Toji waved his hand dismissively towards Haibara, “Just go. You don’t even play right anyway.”

Haibara sucked his teeth before whining. “I suck at cards, okay? I’m better at chess.”

“Who the fuck plays chess.” Toji replied.

“You’re next.” Nanami spoke to Toji-rather focused.

Haibara tossed his deck of cards on the table with a sigh before standing up.

Gojo faced her in his lap, “You wanna smoke, kitten?”

She met his gaze before shaking her head. She wondered for a second if he would force her.

His light blue eyes softened before he kissed her cheekbone—lightly squeezing her in his arms as he did so.

“ ‘Kay, I’ll be back in a bit.” he said before lifting her off his lap and standing up. He gave her one last wink before walking further into the party with Haibara and the athlete guy flanking his side.

She shifted slightly, occupying less than half of the space Gojo took up on the couch. She usually would feel relieved that Gojo left her alone but-for some reason-she felt more awkward. More aware.

She glanced over at Geto beside her. It was his turn to play and he seemed to be deciding which card to put down. It was taking him longer than she expected.

She pointed at a card in his stack, “That one.”

His brow raised slightly before he picked out that card and put it down, “Thought you didn’t know how to play.” his tone was calm.

It seemed he’d been eavesdropping on her and Gojo’s conversation.

“Satoru explained the rules to me.”

He seemed to pause before replying, “Oh. It didn’t seem like you were paying attention.”

Her brows furrowed slightly. Is that passive aggressiveness in his tone? Or is he simply pointing out the fact? She couldn’t tell.

He was right to assume because she hadn’t been but it wasn’t hard for her to pick up the rules of the game after watching a couple rounds.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times before saying, “I-I wasn’t.” She wasn’t too sure why she admitted that but-for some reason-she didn’t want the conversation to end just yet.

The hard-line of his mouth twitched imperceptibly, “Oh.”

She swallowed uneasily. She watched him play his next move silently. Her eyes flickered upto Toji and Nanami who were locked in on a conversation about the game.

Her gaze returned to Geto as she blurted, “Did Satoru tell you anything.. a-about me?”

She was terrified to say the least. Terrified to confide in him but if he knew anything-something-maybe he could help her—

He blinked before finally looking her straight in the eye, “Like what?”

She stared at him-slightly petrified. She couldn’t gauge him. Does he know or does he not know? She couldn’t tell. She couldn’t risk making an assumption either. Who knew if he was an enabler. He was Gojo’s best friend after all—What if he found Gojo’s behavior acceptable? 

The thought made a shiver run down her spine. She sank back on the couch, scooting away from him slightly.

“N-nothing.” she responded faintly.

She wasn’t looking at him, so she was completely oblivious to the way Geto stared at her. 

He set down a card before stating, “You’re his girl, of course he talks about you.”

She perked up slightly-not expecting him to respond. Her voice felt hollow to her ears, “Did he.. did he tell you how we started?”

“Like start dating?” he asked.

She nodded.

Before he could respond, Toji elbowed him. “You’re out.”

Geto stared at the cards laid out on the table. He muttered a low curse before setting his deck of cards down.

“It’s all you, Nanami.”

Toji grinned wickedly while Nanami shook his head-looking mildly amused.

Just as Geto turned back to face her, his gaze went to something beside her. Suddenly hands were at her waist and she was getting seated on a familiar lap. Gojo was back.

He was showering her face with kisses. His lips smelled of weed with a tinge of something sweet. She placed her hands on his shoulders, lightly moving him back.

“Satoru.” she chided.

His arms around her tugged her knees between his legs as he pulled her further up his thigh, “Missed my baby.”

She went still when she suddenly felt his hard-on against her leg. Oh no.

He kept touching her. His hand on her back kept her close to him, while his other hand crept up her bare thigh. Her breath hitched, stopping his hand just as he found the end of her mini dress. Her dress kept riding up-uncomfortably so.

She quickly crossed her legs, her gaze flitting up to his-uneasily. “S-satoru.”

He smiled-showing off his perfect teeth and lethally attractive boyish charm. His hand slid up her thigh, squeezing her hip over her dress.

She closed her eyes when he pressed his forehead to hers. She bit her lower lip, turning away slightly. She could still feel his erection pressing into her leg-it seemed even stiffer now.

“Sorry kitten,” he murmured roughly against her temple, “You’re just so soft..”

His hand slid down her hip to her thigh, caressing her bare skin. She felt his fingers slip under her dress and immediately put her hand over his. She didn’t meet his eyes when she smoothly intertwined their fingers together. Please, not here..

He chuckled slightly, squeezing her hand in his before whining, “Let me touch you..”

He began to press light kisses along her jaw and neck. He was being so needy.

She tried not to squirm, only to go still when he began to tug her sweater off.

She quickly hugged herself, “What are you doing?”

“Aren’t you hot?” he asked just as quietly as her-matching her energy-but the subtle curl to his lips betrayed him.

In truth she was. She started feeling hot five minutes into wearing the hoodie but anything was better than her incredibly revealing dress.

Her gaze flitted over to Geto, he was looking at them now. Not just him but Toji and Nanami as well. Geto quickly looked away.

She felt her face heat up with self awareness.

She trembled slightly when she met Gojo’s gaze. His azure eyes twinkled as he tilted his head-silky strands of his platinum hair falling over his forehead as he did so. She swallowed when she realized.. he wasn’t asking. He wanted this-all of this.

His hands went to her hoodie, never breaking eye contact as he helped her out of it. Once the sweater was off, he smiled slightly.

He tucked her hair behind her ear, gently pushing the rest of its length behind her shoulders to reveal her ample, hickey covered cleavage.

She felt eyes on her. She didn’t have to look to know it—it made her heart rate pick up and skin crawl with nerves.

She didn’t want to focus on it-on the attention she was receiving. She knew it would overwhelm her so she kept her eyes glued to Gojo. To his easygoing smile. His familiar ruffled icy hair. His imposing stature that always seemed to be at her side.

He kissed her gently, his arm tugging her closer possessively.

“You look so good, kitten,” he whispered in her ear, “I’m goin’ crazy.”

She didn’t have a choice but to believe his words. Especially with his throbbing erection pressing into her thigh. She didn’t know how he had any stamina left.

“Wish we were in the car.” he muttered.

She tensed-flashbacks flooding her mind. She’d been completely bent to his will—used for his desire, just to get her here. She felt her chest tighten-nearly breaking her out of the numbness.

Suddenly, someone nearby cleared their throat obnoxiously loud. They both glanced up.

Shoko stood with a hand on her hip, a drink and cigarette in her other hand.

She shook the drink, “I got your drink.”

She glanced over at the others, “What’s with you guys?”

Nanami seemed to be staring-very concentratedly-at a random spot on the ground. Geto was flushed.

Toji stammered out, “Erm-we’re playing cards.”

“If playing cards means staring at them making out then, sure.” Shoko rolled her eyes.

Toji sucked his teeth, “Do ya fuckin’ blame me?”

Satoru quipped, “I do. Why were you staring, Fushiguro?”

Toji smirked, “Do you really want me to answer that?”

A devious grin broke across Gojo’s lips, “Answer carefully.”

Shoko sighed, “You guys are so boring. I’m surprised Ara’s ears haven’t melted off from all your bullshit.”

She turned to face Ara, “You’re bored aren’t you? You can chill with me-“

Gojo immediately complained, “Hey-“

Shoko took Ara’s arm and pulled her up to stand beside her, “Shut it, Satoru. She’s not just your eye candy, she deserves to have some fun.”

Ara stared at Shoko, wondering how she talked to Gojo as carelessly as she did. They seemed closer than she expected.

Suddenly a low sigh left Gojo’s lips, he reached out to take Ara’s hand, “I know, I know,” His thumb began to rub comforting circles on the back of her palm, “I jus like her attention that’s all.”

His subtle, boyish grin returned, “Don’t get too wild without me.”

Shoko tugged Ara away from him, “She’ll get as wild as she wants.”

Shoko took her hand then, leading her through the crowd of people. She was kind enough to slow down when she noticed Ara was struggling a bit with her heels. Kitten heels or not, she wasn't used to it

Suddenly Shoko pulled her into an elevator and Ara was too shocked to even gape.

Shoko handed her the drink, “Drink up. I got you a margarita cuz you don’t seem like the hard liquor type.”

“Thanks.” Ara whispered before clearing her throat.

Shoko bent over to take off her heels, “My bad for taking so long, I won’t lie, I completely forgot.”

“That’s fine.” She took a sip from the sugar coated rim of the glass and froze. That’s delicious.

Just as she downed the rest of the drink, Shoko asked, “Are you feeling better now? I know you wanted to go home earlier.”

Ara blinked, a bit shocked that she remembered, “Y-yeah..”

Shoko smiled slightly as she stood upright, the straps of her heels hooked over one finger, “That’s good cuz we’re about to have more fun upstairs.”

Suddenly the doors to the elevator opened and they were in the biggest bedroom Ara had ever seen. The decoration screamed opulence. Everything looked so put together that it felt like she’d walked into an Architectural Digest video.

“Hey! Over here.” Shoko’s voice called out.

Ara turned to see Shoko further into the room, standing before a set of double doors. Faint laughter seemed to come from within.

Shoko waved her over, “C’mon, c’mon.”

Ara hurried over and entered inside. This time she couldn’t help but audibly gasp.

“What.. is this?” she asked while glancing around.

“Oh, I forgot you’ve never been here before. This is my moms closet.”

Closet?! The room was a dozen times the size of her bedroom. The walls had glass panels that showcased the clothes within. Drawers and shelves were also built into the walls. There was an upstairs portion as well-clothes, purses and shoes neatly displayed all over.

In the center-below the mini chandelier-was a carpeted area with cushions and bean bags. A handful of girls were seated, chatting and laughing about.

“Hi guys.” Shoko rushed over, tossing her heels aside as did so. “I brought us a friend.”

“Shoko!” “Where the fuck have you been?” “Finally!” A few of the girls yelled out. One of them jumped on her-which resulted in Shoko and the girl falling onto a cushion. They burst out in laughter.

Suddenly the volume of the music was lowered and Ara belatedly realized that there was a rather huge, flat screen TV mounted to the wall. It currently displayed the lyrics to a song by Ice Spice and Nicki Minaj.

“New friend?” One of the girls piped up.

Ara glanced over to see a familiar student that she couldn’t remember the name of. She might’ve been on the girls track team.

“Oh my god! You’re the girl who was with Gojo.” Another girl added.

Before she could even get the chance to feel anxious about being in a room full of complete strangers, she was dragged to the center cushion and plopped between all the girls.

She was bombarded with questions.

“Are you and Gojo dating or just hooking up?”

“Wait, aren’t you the girl who said you’d never date him?”

“Since when did you guys start dating?”

“Did Gojo buy you that dress?”

Ara downed the rest of her margarita.

“GUYS!” Shoko’s voice suddenly rang out, “Can y’all shut the fuck up for a sec. Let’s drink first.”

Laughter and chatter ensued as Shoko handed out drinks from an ornate serving cart that was placed nearby. Just as Ara was relieved that the attention was off of her, Shoko’s eyes suddenly zoned in on her.

“Wait, wasn’t that margarita your first drink of the night?”

Sounds of shock suddenly erupted in the room.

“What the fuck?” “No way.” “Girlll—“

Suddenly a red-haired girl grabbed the bottle of alcohol from the cart and stood over her. She held the bottle over Ara’s mouth.

“You need to catch up to us.” she demanded.

Ara’s eyes widened. “Um-I-“

The next thing she knew all the girls were chanting. “Chug!” “Chug!” “Chug!”

Ara glanced over to see Shoko was part of the chanting as well.

She didn’t know what came over her. Maybe it was because the day had been so stressful or maybe it was because she just felt so numb. Maybe it was because the margarita tasted good earlier so she thought this drink might taste the same. Whatever it was, in that particular moment she decided—that she just didn’t care anymore.

She opened her mouth and let the girl pour. She didn’t know how much she drank-and didn’t care to know either-but she didn’t pull away until she felt like she couldn’t take it anymore.

The girls' voices and laughter felt louder than usual. They sounded so bright and happy.. it was contagious. She couldn’t help but laugh along when they all hooted and hollered after her, as if she’d done something wonderful.

“Holy shit, I was not expecting that. Don’t fucking die on us later though.” Shoko chuckled.

“Just puke on Gojo.” one of the girls suggested.

Laughter broke out within the room.

“Speaking of Gojo,” Shoko slipped into the space on the cushion across her, “I did have questions about you two-like since when did you guys even talk? No offense or anything, I jus never seen you two out together before.”

Ara shifted in her seat, wanting to avoid the question, “Erm.. I’m not really too sure..” she drifted off.

“Oh come on,” one of the girls complained. “You have to remember when he first talked to you.”

“I do,“ Ara responded, a bit agitated before muttering, “But it doesn’t really count because I ignored him-for a while.”

The girl’s eyebrows skyrocketed, “You ignored him?”

Shoko snorted, “That’s hilarious. How’d he take that?”

“He didn't take it.” Ara mumbled.

Shoko laughed, a bit drunkenly, “Go figure.”

Ara looked at her in confusion, “Has he done that before?”

Shoko blinked, “What-you mean date? No, that’s the thing. He’s never dated anyone. His bitchass once told me he didn’t believe in monogamy so I’m just as surprised to see him dating as you are.”

Ara’s brows furrowed.

Another girl then piped up, “So when did y’all first hook up?”

Ara hesitated-her mouth opening and closing multiple times before unconsciously whispering, “..Nanami’s party..”

The memory of that night flashed to the forefront of her mind, making her wince. That night felt so long ago.. it’d been the start of a beginning she never asked for, all of it happening against her will.

“Forreal?!” Shoko questioned in shock.

One girl whistled. Another elbowed her playfully, “How was it?”

Another girl quipped, “She’s dating him-obviously, it was good as fuck.”

Ara shifted uncomfortably in her seat. It was belatedly starting to hit her that she wasn’t required to answer any of these girls questions-besides the further they pried, the more she would have to withhold. Her and Gojo’s ‘relationship’ wasn’t close to whatever fantasy they thought it was.

Shoko seemed a bit zoned out, “Wow.. he must be really serious about you.”

Ara’s eyes flickered to her, “What do you mean?”

Shoko blinked. “He doesn’t really keep quiet about who he’s been with, but he kept you to himself for a while.”

Ara shook her head, “No-actually I was the one who wanted to keep us private.”

Shoko’s eyes widened, “Really?"

"Why?” someone else asked.

“Because…” she swallowed, before deciding on a half-lie, “I knew everyone would be nosy.”

Shoko laughed, “You’re not wrong. Sorry.”

“Can you blame us.” the girl seated next to Shoko whined.

One of the girls hugged her arm, her voice slurred. “Sorry, Ara. Forgive me?”

Ara finally recognized her. It was Leah Falcone. The girl was also a senior and she was popularly known for her incredible vocal skill. Her mother was also an established opera singer so she assumed that good vocals ran in the family genes.

Ara remembered once asking her for directions to a classroom freshman year and she’d responded with ‘why are you asking me?’

Shoko took another puff from her cigarette, “Alright, no more Gojo talk.” she turned to face the TV, “Who put the music down?”

Once the music was back up, it didn’t take them long to get more drunk. They went from refilling their red solo cups to drinking from champagne flutes, then drinking from a bottle of passed around vodka. Ara had no idea where all of it was appearing from but she'd take it. She felt good—good as shit.

A pillow hit her in the face.

Ara glanced over to see Leah pouting at her, “You’re not paying attention to the fashion show!”

Suddenly Shoko stood up on her cushion, throwing a pillow smack center in Leah’s face, “No one’s paying attention, dumbass!”

Leah tripped on the heels that were obviously too big for her and landed on the carpet-her beret falling off in the process.

She huffed, tossing her Dior bag in the air before crying.

Suddenly the redhead threw a pillow at Shoko, “Look what you did, you made Leah cry.”

“She always cries when she’s drunk,” the blonde-Mina-interjected.

Shoko picked up two pillows-throwing them rather ferociously in the redhead’s direction, “Think fast!”

Then before Ara knew it, she was wrapped up in the most intense pillow fight of all time. She ran cushion to cushion, throwing the fuzzy pillows with the most strength she could muster—nearly peeing herself with laughter when Leah wailed every time she got hit by a pillow.

Mina ducked behind Ara, “Help me!!”

Ara’s eyes widened as Shoko jumped onto the cushion before her, pillow in hand, “Don’t protect that hoe-“

Shoko swung the pillow in Mina’s direction and Ara blocked it with her own pillow.

“Yes, get her! Get her.” Mina hollered from behind her.

Ara flung the pillow-defending Mina like her life depended on it. She somehow managed to smack the pillow with enough force to make Shoko fly backwards onto the cushion-making Ara and Mina crack up.

Ara didn’t know why everything was so hilarious but she truly couldn’t stop laughing. The girls just kept giving her an excuse to—is this what having friends is like?

“Oh fuck you guys. It’s on.” Just as Shoko attempted to stand up, she toppled over again. This time the sound of cloth ripping resounding in the air.

Ara’s eyes widened while Meena gaped. The second the girls made eye contact they doubled over in laughter.

I’ve never seen her laugh like that.

Gojo stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall. She looked beautiful-so carefree-so lively. Her laugh was the prettiest thing he’d ever heard.

He didn’t believe his eyes when he saw her at first-merely coming to check on her since the card game finally ended. He never thought he’d find her… like this.

She was smiling.

Her eyes twinkled as she laughed, carelessly offering her radiant smile to Mina as she did so. The sight of it made his chest tighten with need.

She looked… happy. And she never looked like that with him.

A dark lick of jealousy coursed through his veins as he watched her. She let Mina clutch onto her so easily as they fell back on the cushion in a fit of giggles-not a hint of reluctance on her face.

His cool blue eyes slid over to Mina, to her left hand on Ara’s back—to her right hand clutching Ara’s arm. His jaw tightened. Mina was nice enough but what had she done to earn her touch? What had she done to elicit her pretty smile? Did she really deserve it?

He watched Ara turn to look at Shoko getting lifted off the cushion by Nanami. Despite Shoko playfully kicking her feet around he managed to keep the rip on her dress hidden by wrapping an arm around her torso. He easily held her up, whispering things softly in her ear as he carried her further into the closet.

Suddenly Mina was getting tugged away from her as well. Daniel gently pulled at Mina’s arm to get her attention, only for her to jump into his hold the second he got it. Daniel had entered the closet shortly after he had-probably coming to check on what’s his like himself.

Now it was his turn.

He slowly approached her-reveling in her unawareness as she sat quietly on the cushion by herself. She seemed zoned out.

He stopped right beside her, standing at the edge of the cushion. She was merely an arms length away, all he had to do was reach out and he could quell that thrumming need in his fingers to touch her but she was just so pretty up close-so unaware, so inviting-he wanted to revel in it a moment longer.

Suddenly she glanced up, her eyes widening before she stood up, “Satoru!”

She lay her hand on his abdomen. Heat gathered in his skin underneath her palm.

That’s new. She never touched him first.

His eyes glimmered, “Hey.”

He saw her eyes flicker before tilting her head. She smiled, “Hey.”

His eyes widened, his gaze stuck on her lips. It shouldn’t have affected him as much as it did but it couldn’t be helped. He stared—rendered frozen.

She’s smiling.. at me.

She looked up at him, her smiling widening ever so slightly as she shook her head. Her hand slid up his chest before going on her tiptoes to kiss him.

The kiss was light, a simple peck but he didn’t let it go. She never kissed him first. He didn’t realize how badly he needed her to until now.

The second she drew her face back his hand found her nape, forcefully keeping her lips glued to his. Her lips tasted of champagne-maybe vodka-he didn’t like alcohol too much but her lips made it so sweet.

Maybe the drinks were making her soft on him but he chose to ignore that. He needed to believe that she wanted him because he needed her—he always needed her. She kissed him-him-and that was all that mattered. 

He kissed her with such intensity she fell back on the cushion. He stayed atop her, his greedy lips never letting hers go. She gasped-the pretty sound going straight to his cock. He should’ve been satisfied after the car-he should’ve.

But he was never satisfied when it came to her. He always wanted more, more, more—

“Satoru-“ she breathed out, grabbing him by the shoulders to push him back.

He searched her face-repositioning himself so that he was further over her body, “Mmm?”

She jutted her chin in the direction of the door.

He glanced over to see Toji standing in the doorway-staring at them. The rest of the room had been cleared out, all the girls nowhere to be seen except for the redhead-Arden-laying passed out on the fur rug.

Gojo spoke first, “Enjoying the show?”

“Maybe,” Toji grinned, “Was gonna ask if you wanted to go for a drive.”

Before he could decline, Ara straightened slightly-peeking her head out from underneath him, “A drive?”

Toji answered, “Yeah, racing.”

Gojo saw her eyes widen with interest. “You wanna go?” he asked.

She hesitated for a second-her hand on his shoulder sliding down to his tricep gently. She looked up at him, “Can we?”

He nuzzled his face into her neck, effortlessly scooping her up as he stood. Her scent engulfed his senses as she twisted in his arms. She was giggling.

Christ, he wanted to mess her up again bad. She was already too much to bear-but like this, he didn’t think his stamina would ever end.

He smiled down at her, “Of course, kitten.”

I only remembered bits and pieces after that.

Gojo tugged at her hand in his, “Kitten, let me carry you.” he whined.

She continued to clip clop in her heels on the driveway. The others in the group heading to their cars as well.

She walked-a bit wobbly-into Gojo as he tugged her, “No, no,” she chided quietly, her other hand latching onto his forearm to regain her balance.

She looked up at him. His platinum hair and pale face stood out so starkly against the pitch black sky. The stars glimmered and the pounding music sounded faint to her ears.

“I wanna walk to the car.” she insisted with a pout.

He stared down at her, his intricate blue eyes churning with something heavy as he looked her up and down. His eyes lingering a little longer than necessary in some places.

His hand slid around her jaw, tilting her face up as he kissed her cheekbone. She stumbled slightly, leaning against him.

His hand in hers gripped her firmly, his eyes dropping to her feet, “You want me to take them off?”

She glanced down at her heels, “No-no, I’m fine. I promise.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.”

She stared out the car window, gasping as Gojo pulled the car to a stop.

“It’s so big.” she exclaimed, in reference to the vast empty parking lot.

He’d parked his car near the others. All the cars were parked in one big row, side by side.

“Of course, baby,” he reached over and unbuckled her seat belt, “I’ll have to take you to our racetrack some time. It’s bigger.”

Her eyes widened in astonishment, “Racetrack?”

A sly smile bloomed across his lips, “Yeah, racetrack.”

She sat between Gojo’s long outstretched legs-laughing as he tickled her. He was relentless, one hand gripping her hip while the other tickled her wherever he pleased. There was a wide grin on his lips as she writhed against him.

She couldn’t reign in her giggles, “Toru, stop-“ she whined.

He paused, eyes widening, “Toru?”

“Yo, can ya’ll stop playing around and pay attention.” Toji butted in.

Gojo glanced up from his slouched position. He was leaning against the front of his G-wagon, with Ara resting against him. Her small frame fit all too perfectly against his chest-like a little puzzle piece.

He raised his chin off her head, “Did you decide who’s goin’ first or what?”

Toji stepped away from the little circle of boys to address him, “Yeah, you and me are up first. Then it’s Geto and Haibara, and so on.”

A guy she didn’t recognize piped up, “We don’t got a flag girl.”

“Where’s Shoko?” Geto asked.

“Probably with Nanami.” Haibara answered with a frown, “I couldn’t find both of them before we dipped.”

Toji grinned subtly, tilting his head towards their direction, “Coulda been the same ish for these two if I hadn’t got em’ in time.”

Gojo merely smirked, “I know you wanted to watch.”

Suddenly a flat voice arose, “Can’t she just be flag girl?”

Ara’s eyes widened when she saw who the voice belonged to. He was extremely pale and tall, with dark brown hair that was tied up in two short spiky ponytails. He also had a thick black horizontal line tattoo across his nose and cheeks. She’d never seen anything like it.

She belatedly realized that the ‘she’ he was talking about was her. She was the only girl here.

“Oh yeah!” Gojo poked her in the stomach before hunching over to look at her, “You wanna be flag girl, kitten?”

She looked up at him, “What’s a flag girl?”

His signature smirk returned before he kissed her on the cheek, “All you have to do is wave a flag and look pretty.”

Ara held up the makeshift flag-which was a silk, bubblegum pink Gucci scarf that Toji had lying about it in his car. No one else questioned how the hell he had it but she’d bet her life and kids that it was a woman’s work. (Apparently the actual ‘flag’ they had was kept in Nanami’s car)

Toji sat in a silver, latest model Volkswagen Arteon while Gojo sat in his matte black, Mercedes Benz G-Wagon. One car was obviously bigger in height than the other.

Ara stood ahead of both cars, gesturing with her hands for them to pull up to the line they’d marked on the ground with chalk. Once the cars crept up to the starting line, she waved the scarf in the air.

“Are you ready?!” she hollered.

A couple of the boys standing on the sideline whistled. Toji revved up his engine.

She swung the scarf once more, “Get set..” a subtle smile rested on her lips, anticipation swirling in her gut.

Gojo lowered his windows, a grin on his face as he blew her a kiss.

She waved the scarf in the air, “GO!”

The cars zoomed past her, the gust of wind that followed made her hair ripple in their wake.

She stared at the two cars zooming off around the lot. They were driving side by side—from what she could tell, no one seemed to be going faster than the other just yet. The speed of it all scared her, in a thrilling kind of way.

The cars zipped past her once more. The sound of their high powered engines echoing.

“So loud,” she murmured to herself while readjusting her crossed arms. The gust of wind that followed from their speedy turns was a bit unnerving.

“Gets even louder when Satoru has his McLaren.” A low voice spoke from beside her.

She glanced over to see Geto, leaning against the railing beside her. She didn’t remember seeing him there earlier.

She glanced past him to see the ponytail guy and Haibara standing by the starting line-closely watching the race with their phones out. They were timing each car. Apparently Gojo and Toji had two more rounds around the lot before the winner was declared.

“I bet,” she responded, before looking at him, “Did you drive it?”

He nodded, “Couple times. It runs really smooth.”

She sighed, “It looks smooth.”

“Do you have your license?” he asked.

She shook her head, “No.”

“You should.” he suggested, “Get Satoru to teach you.”

“You think he’d let me practice in his McLaren?”

He smiled a bit, “Probably.”

That hadn’t been the answer she was expecting. She laughed slightly, “No way.”

“He would,” he spoke evenly, “He’d buy you a car if you asked.”

He swooped her up in his arms, twirling her in the air before holding her against his chest.

He nuzzled his nose against hers, “I won, kitten, I won.”

She held onto his shoulders, laughing lightly, “I know, I know.”

His arm underneath her ass squeezed her closer. He looked up at her, “Where’s my kiss?”

She smiled a bit, “You don’t deserve it.” she teased.

His blue eyes blazed with delight, “You don’t think so?” he whined.

She shook her head, her smile widening ever so slightly. Something about his sparkling blue eyes on her made her belly churn with butterflies.

He raised a white brow, “Just one?”

She shook her head again.

He leaned closer, his chin grazing her breasts, “Pleaseee,” he pouted.

She held onto his neck, “Only one.” she emphasized.

A grin lit his features as he nodded-eagerly, “One.”

She cupped the sides of his smooth face, lowering herself to press a short kiss to his lips. Her nerves thrumming wildly underneath her skin wherever they touched.

“Alright, show off. You only won by a second.” Toji grumbled from somewhere in the distance.

She pulled away, staring, as the corner of his lip curled upward handsomely. His blue eyes glittered, with mischief and want and something.. indescribable, but it was tangible in his touch.

He was just so striking—it made her heart ache.

He beamed up at her-speaking in sing-song, “One kiss for the winner.”

Ara swung aside in her seat, her hands clutching the car handle and dashboard.

“Oh my—“ she gasped out as Gojo swerved to the left to cut ahead of ponytail guy-Choso’s-car.

Geto gripped the edge of the passenger and driver seat, hovering in between, “Goddammit Satoru.”

Choso’s car honked several times.

Gojo glanced over, a shameless smile on his lips, “Oops.”

The three of them shared a look before laughing airily.

It was the final race for the last two winners-Gojo and Choso. Instead of completing the last race at the parking lot, they chose to see who drove to Nanami’s house and back the fastest. The group had split into both cars.

Ara glanced out the window, her hair flipping in the wind due to Gojo’s speed. She looked at Choso’s car behind them to see Toji flipping her off through the passenger window.

She drew her head back in, smiling faintly, “They’re flipping us off.” 

A smirk split across Gojo’s lips as he kept his eyes glued to the road. His speed picked up.

Ara stood through the sunroof, arms outstretched. Geto held onto her legs to secure her.

She tilted her head back, letting the wind and speed make her hair whip in the air. Her eyes fluttered closed-reveling in the feel of the cool air running across her skin.

She swore she felt the music vibrate within her body as it pounded throughout the car. Of course, it had to be ‘F**ckin' Problems’ by A$AP Rocky playing.

The whoosh of the air speeding past her ears made her feel more present than ever before. She wanted to feel like this forever..

She felt someone lightly tap her cheek. Her eyes fluttered open.

Gojo was before her, a subtle smile on his lips, “Hi, princess.”

She blinked a couple times before realizing she was in the passenger seat of his car. He stood beside her-partly leaning on the open car door, one hand over the roof and the other caressing her cheek.

His blue eyes scanned her face, “How are ya feelin’?”

She reached out and touched his chin-his face-checking if he was real.

“Where am I?” she asked hoarsely.

“Sonic,” he spoke through her fingers, “You want anything?”

Her hand slipped down. She didn’t have enough strength to keep it up.

Her eyes dropped sleepily, “Did you win?”

His eyes widened slightly before smirking, “The race? Of course I did, baby.”

“Good boy.” she mumbled.

He tilted his head, smirk widening, “Yeah?”

She nodded, her eyes half-open.

He licked his lips.

She closed her eyes, his hand stroking her hair all too relaxing. She heard a faint voice somewhere in the distance.

“She okay?” Haibara.

“She’s fine.” Geto’s voice-it was clearer-closer.

“Choso’s asking if yall want anything?”

“Yeah, get me a milkshake.” Gojo-his voice crisp-very near.

“What flavor?”

“Cheesecake.”

She slurped the milkshake silently-zoning out while staring at the bonfire before her. There were voices, many voices but she couldn’t seem to focus on any of them.

Through her peripheral vision she noticed bags of Sonic getting handed around. Empty cups, burnt out joint ends and cigarettes littered the patio floor. Familiar voices talked excitedly—a person jumped into the swimming pool. Laughter followed.

“Can somebody get him?” Shoko. “He’s too drunk.”

“Why don’t you get him?” Toji. “Or did Nanami make it hard for you to walk?”

More laughter. “Shut the hell up.”

“Oh, you finished it?”

She glanced up to see Gojo looking down at her. She was sitting snug against him, in the crook of his arm. Her legs over his lap.

He squeezed her forearm before leaning over to kiss her forehead.

“Shoulda got two.” he murmured.

He cupped her chin, tilting her head up as he bent low to press his lips to hers. His tongue pushed past her lips, sweeping her mouth as he deepened the kiss.

He hummed appreciatively before pulling away. He swiped away a dot of whip cream at the corner of her lip with the tip of his tongue.

His eyes lingered on her lips as he smiled subtly, “Yummy.”

“Look what I found.”

The laughter and noises of approval that followed made her curious enough to glance away from the fire.

Toji held up several nerf guns with a devious grin.

Shoko shot up from her seat, “Did you go into my brother's room, dumbass?”

Her heels echoed against the mahogany wood floor. The moment she spotted Haibara she raised her nerf gun.

He yelped before running to hide behind the couch. Just as he hid, Choso entered the living room.

“Any of y’all see Toji?”

Ara opened her mouth to respond, only to freeze when the sound of an ‘empty’ dart cartridge echoed. She glanced over to see Haibara holding up his nerf gun.

She glared and his eyes widened, “Shit.”

She ran around the couch—attempting to chase him.

He screeched, circling around the couch hastily, “Choso! Choso! Back me up!”

Just as she pointed the nerf gun at his butt, she felt a dart hit her in the cheek. She quickly turned her head to see the culprit—Choso. 

Before she could even react, Choso was suddenly getting sprayed with a shit-ton of bullets. Gojo entered the living room—with Geto right at his heels.

“Do you know who the hell you just hit, hmm?” Gojo taunted—a wide grin on his lips as he emptied his clip on Choso while chasing after him.

The boys laughed when they cornered him. The second Gojo’s darts ran out, Geto took over—showering Choso with a second round of bullets.

Choso held his arms out before him, blocking as much of the entourage of darts as he could.

Once Geto emptied his clip, Gojo smiled, “That’s the second L you took today.” 

Choso shook his head, grinning faintly, “Oh fuck off. If I had back up your ass woulda been on the floor.”

As the boys bickered, Ara’s attention quickly redirected itself to Haibara’s crawling figure-clearly attempting to slip away.

She smiled a bit when she realized he hadn’t noticed her looking just yet. She silently followed him, balancing her weight on the front of her heels to keep her footsteps quiet.

Haibara’s head turned back amidst crawl-spotting her. His innocent eyes instantly blew wide but before he could get up, she planted her heel right on his ass and shoved him back down.

“Dammit!” he hollered—making her laugh.

She aimed her nerf gun at the back of his head—unleashing all of her bullets on him. She didn’t notice the other boys cracking up.

Toji walked in two seconds before her clip emptied, “Damn,” he paused, “Can I be next?”

Gojo shot him with a dart-coincidentally starting a whole new round.

Ara stared at herself in the elevator mirrors, she couldn’t recognize herself.

Gojo was laughing in the reflection beside her. His hand went over his stomach as he bent over in laughter.

“I-“ he could barely get his words out, “I can’t believe you did that.”

Geto merely shook his head, smiling subtly as he restocked the darts in his nerf gun.

Gojo threw his arm around her shoulders when he straightened, a humorous smile on his glossy lips, “Haibara said you're more of a menace than me.”

Ara looked down at her feet-noticing a bit of dirt on heels as she muttered, “That’s impossible.”

Geto snorted.

She stared up at the sky-her eyes darting from star to star before settling on the moon. It looked so big-so close-she swore she could see its craters from here.

A breeze passed, making strands of her hair slip over her face. The hammock swayed.

His fingertips grazed her cheek, tucking her loose hair behind her ear.

She faced him-only to find him already looking at her.

His hand settled on her throat, thumb grazing her jaw.

The music and voices of the others on the rooftop grew more and more faint the longer she stared into his eyes. They were so blue-multiple shades of it too-all within one pair of eyes.

There was something about them.. that made him look more extraterrestrial than the moon. As if he didn’t belong here.

“Satoru,” her voice inadvertently came out as a whisper.

A light smile tugged at his lips, “Yeah?”

“What.. happened to you?”

He raised a pale brow, “What do you mean?”

She chewed at her bottom lip-speaking slowly in attempt to word her thoughts accurately. It was taking a lot more effort than usual.

“What.. made you.. the way you are?”

He froze-something seemed to flash over his eyes before his jaw locked.

He slowly scanned her face before responding after a moment, “The way I am?”

She nodded, words flowing freely from her tongue, “You’re not normal, you know.” her tone indifferent.

She saw his eyes widen ever so slightly and felt a vivid zip of fear when his fingers around her neck twitched.

“Is that right?”

He pressed his face into her cheek. His fingers tightening around her throat when she tried to turn away.

“Maybe you’re right..” His words made her shiver. She closed her eyes-breathing shakily.

Suddenly he was laughing-full on chuckling beside her ear, “You’re so right.”

He released her neck to twirl a strand of her hair around his finger. He exhaled, “There isn’t a line I wouldn’t cross for you.”

She kept her eyes closed, her heartbeat still raging in her ears, “I w-would never ask you to.”

“You don’t have to ask.”

She felt gravity disappear from underneath her feet. Her eyes fluttered open. The sky was still dark, scattered with twinkling stars. She was in Gojo’s arms.

He looked down at her, “Hi, pretty.”

Her brows furrowed as she blinked sleepily.

“We’re home,” he muttered.

Her eyes flew open, “Your home?”

He paused-appearing to consider her question, “Can we go to my home?”

“No-no-“ panic swirled in her gut despite her drunkenness, “My home, only my home.” she mumbled off.

“Okay, okay,” he shook his head, “Knew you’d say that.”

She grabbed onto something when she felt herself lose balance. She focused to see that she was sitting on the edge of her bed, her hand gripping Gojo’s shoulder.

He was bent on the floor before her, his hands on her leg-unstrapping her heels.

He looked up at her, his turquoise eyes scanning her features, “You’re good, kitten. I got you.” His hand snaked up her thigh to squeeze her hip reassuringly.

Her fingers inadvertently dug into his shoulder, “I’m-I’m good?” she stuttered out, lost.

He nodded, his gaze gentle, “Yeah, baby, you’re good.”

She glanced down at herself, at the expanse of skin she was showing due to her mini dress. The dress barely covered her cunt while sitting. Her eyes widened when she saw the bruises starting to darken along her thighs—she remembered-flashbacks of his hands gripping her body roughly passed through her mind. He’d fucked her so hard-so ruthlessly-in the car before the party. All of it occurring against her will.

She bit her lower lip, trying not to sob, “I’m-I’m not good.” she whispered.

Suddenly his hand was at her face, cupping her cheek, “Yes, you are, sweets. You're such a good girl. The best girl.”

Two large hands were at her tits, squeezing heartily. A soft moan left her lips, her eyes fluttering closed.

Her hands slipped over his as she whined, “Toru..”

“I know, I know,” he groaned lowly into her ear, nuzzling her cheekbone as he caressed her tits more gently this time.

She glanced ahead to see her reflection in the full-length mirror. She was completely naked, her mini-dress a bundle at her feet. He towered behind her, nearly encapsulating her within his lean frame. His firm chest against her back.

He was fully clothed. It was hard to see him completely due to the dim lighting of her closet but she could make out the smooth planes of his features-his sharp jaw, his sculpted cheekbones—the veins running down his arms, his hands as he kneaded her tits.

His crystalline eyes met hers in the mirror, his breath hot as it trailed down her skin with each exhale. Goosebumps rose all over her body.

His hands at her chest tugged her closer-possessively, “You’re so beautiful, Ara..”

She stirred slightly, her eyes opening to see him propped on his elbow on the bed beside her. She felt his hand at her waist, thumb gently stroking her side boob.

Strands of his white hair tickled her forehead as he leaned closer, “Don’t sleep,” he whispered.

He pressed a probing kiss to her lips, “Not yet.”

He kissed her again, this time a little longer. His hand slid down her side, slipping out from underneath her nightgown. He took her hand, guiding her to touch the bulge at his boxers.

His breath hitched the second she made contact. He released her hand for a moment, shifting slightly before taking her hand again. He wrapped her hand around his cock-she swore she felt his cock twitch.

His hand tightened over hers, wanting her to apply pressure but she was only half-awake. He groaned lowly, slowly pumping his cock through her hand.

“Help me.” he spoke raggedly against her temple.

The bed shook and she glanced down to see her nightgown bunched up at her neck. She was laying on her side-a leaky, pink cockhead sliding between her thighs.

Gojo gripped her hip hard—short, desperate grunts leaving him with each harsh press of his hips against her ass. He had a steady pace going.

She was too weak-too sleepy-to move. Merely wriggling her hips when his cockhead glided past her folds. She moaned weakly.

“Sa..toru..” The feeling of his thick, veiny cock sliding between her thighs all too unfamiliar.

His fingers dug into her hip, lifting his head up from her neck to whisper-hoarsely, “I’m close, kitten, m’close.”

Her eyes fluttered open the second she felt a ray of light hit her eyelids. She shifted slightly to check if the curtains had been left open only to stop mid-movement.

Holy shit.

Everything hurt-bad. Her throat felt dry. Her body ached with soreness. And her head-why does it hurt so bad?

She fell back onto the bed, a low moan on the cusp on her lips-only to cut herself off when she noticed who she was lying beside.

She immediately looked over to see Gojo sleeping soundlessly. His eyes were closed, his long light lashes covering his under eyes. His pale face was a mask of relaxation, not an ounce of stress on his features. His white hair was a fluffy mess-facing every which way. His arm was outstretched, she’d been using it as a pillow.

She glanced down to see that he was shirtless. She didn’t want to check under the blanket to see if he was less clothed than that. 

She stared at him-letting the bits and pieces of memories from last night come back to her. A rollercoaster of emotions building up within her silently.

She’d let herself loosen up around him. She’d let herself have fun—and it’d been the most fun she’d had in eons. The thought was sickening. Absolutely sick. 

How could she have fun with him of all people?

After what he did to her in the car-after everything-she’d been nice to him. Her drunk self had been nice to him. Overly nice, in her opinion—she’d been all over him.

She wanted to puke. Why did I drink?

She shot up out of the bed, her hand going over her stomach as she breathed heavily. 

She felt the bed shift beside her and froze. She didn’t have to look to know he just sat up in bed.

She flinched when he stroked her back, “You okay, kitten?” his voice was deep-slightly raspy from sleep, “Gotta vomit?”

He took one look at her face and immediately scrambled to grab the bucket he’d set on the floor last night. The second he placed the bucket before her, everything from last night poured out of her.

She held the bucket like her life depended on it-despite Gojo having a hand on it as well. Her stomach lurched as she heaved multiple times. His hands slipped around her hair, holding it back as she bent over the bucket once more.

She heaved one last time and nothing came out. Her stomach was finally empty. She pushed at the bucket slightly–signaling she was done.

“You done?” he asked anyway, voice gentle.

She nodded, too weak to do anything else.

He cautiously moved the bucket away from her and handed her a roll of paper towels that was somehow on her nightstand. She couldn’t help but notice how prepared he seemed.

She wiped her face, watching silently as he grabbed the bucket and headed towards the bathroom without complaint. The second he disappeared from view a storm of emotions brewed within her.

Her hands trembled as she started to cry. Her body wracked with the force of her sobs. She covered her face with her hands, attempting to quiet herself but she couldn’t stop. Tears kept flowing down her face.

“Ara, Ara,” his voice felt distant to her ears, “Kitten..”

She felt hands come to her sides, enveloping her gently. She didn’t have the strength to push him away, instead she sagged against him—letting herself use him this once-just this once.

If he was surprised he didn’t show it.

She hated the inexplicable sense of comfort she felt in his presence. She wished it didn’t exist but it was there—he was always there.

She was a hypocrite-she knew she was but she was tired. oh, so tired. She wished there was someone else—someone else she could rely on. Someone who didn’t use her. But there was no one. No one but him.

Why did it have to be like this?

His fingers sifted through her hair gently, merely letting her sob in silence. Her body felt so frail against him like this, her small hands trembling as she held onto him. He drew her closer.

He didn’t bother asking why, he knew she’d never answer. She never answered in the past.

He knew she cried on her own time. Her puffy under eyes always gave it away-but she liked to pretend she was fine near him. He indulged her.

He wanted her to come to him on her own. He'd wait.

But this-he peered down at her-this was progress. She never let herself cry in front of him before. The few times he caught her, she immediately wiped her tears and gathered herself.

But this, this was different. She was clutching him so tight, sobbing so weakly—she needed him. She needed him to comfort her.

And he’d give her just that. He'd give her anything she asked.

All she needed to do was one thing… just one.

She needed to accept she was his.

The last thing she felt was his lips pressing her forehead when she went limp—succumbing to the emptiness of sleep.

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[gamerwoo]

Wonwoo: Achilles (Part Four)

Characters: Wonwoo x female reader

Genre/warnings: attack on titan au, technically enemies to lovers???, angst but also angsty fluff??? fluffy angst???? idk one of the two lmao but there’s also straight angst, verbal/physical abuse, one mention of lying about sa, one mention of suicide, if i missed anything else pls lmk!!

Word count: 3,051

Summary: With a title like ‘humanity’s strongest soldier’, Wonwoo is the best of the best with zero weaknesses. But when the female titan betrays the scouts and runs away to Marley, Seungcheol decides to enlist the help of you: one of the people aboard the Marleyan ship sent out to sabotage them. And it’s then that Wonwoo discovers his one weakness that might just be his downfall.

a/n: remember that this series will contain spoilers if you’re not caught up with attack on titan!! also things in italics are flashbacks

Previous | Next | Achilles Masterlist

“You’re nothing,” the words were spat in your face while you just sat on your knees and took it. It wasn’t like there was much you could do even if you wanted to, but you learned it was best to just say nothing and show no emotion -- even if it meant they called you a braindead moron. “You’re just another useless Eldian-- No, you’re worse than an Eldian. You’re more braindead than a normal one. You’re completely useless.”

You continued to stare blankly at the Marleyan who had you by the hair. His grip hurt you, but you didn’t show any indication of it. You always thought that if they knew they were hurting you, they’d just want to do it more.

Back when you first had the idea to not react -- you were a young child and noticed that the Eldian kids who cried and pleaded for the Marleyans to stop just seemed to egg them on -- they would try harder to get a reaction. Sometimes, some of them still did because they wanted to be the one to ‘break the braindead Eldian’. But mostly, they’d throw you into the dirt, spit on you, and walk away.

But there were still guys like this Marleyan, who wanted so badly to be the one to get a reaction from you. That, or maybe he just wanted something to take his anger out on. Maybe his kids didn’t love him. Maybe his wife left him. You weren’t sure.

He shoved your head down into a bucket of freezing water. You tried not to react to it, your eyes squeezing shut as your breath was forced out of your lungs from how cold it was. But he kept holding you there, waiting for you to start thrashing.

But you’d sooner pass out than do that.

“_____!”

You were staring out at the ocean, the moon being mirrored off the surface. You blinked a couple times before turning your head to look at Soonyoung, who sat on the beach a couple feet away from you. He offered a soft smile.

“You okay?” he asked. “I said your name like, 3 times.”

You nodded, “Yeah. Just...thinking.”

“‘Bout what?” he wondered.

“Home.”

He furrowed his eyebrows, “You can’t actually miss that place, right?”

You shook your head, “They weren’t homesick thoughts.”

His face softened, and he looked down at the sand the two of you sat on. His legs were apart with his knees up, his arms resting on them. You were sitting with your legs outstretched in front of you, looking down the beach at the water. The two of you were supposed to be on lookout in case anyone invaded. You were working in shifts, but Wonwoo was supposed to be showing up to take over for Soonyoung any minute now.

“So...what was Marley like?” Soonyoung wondered.

You shrugged, “It was a nice place visually. It was the people who lived there who ruined it.”

“Is it like here?”

“No, it was more... I don’t know. Fancier, I guess? For lack of a better word. It’s kind of like the interior, but nicer.”

“Whoa...”

While Soonyoung mulled over that thought, you studied him. You wondered what you would’ve been like if you’d grown up on Paradis like he did. Even though the people who lived on the island were looked at as devils and were constantly fighting for their lives, Soonyoung somehow always seemed so happy and carefree. But you? You hardly spoke a word in your life up until being sent off to the island. 

Honestly, you were happier ever since coming to Paradis. Yeah, maybe Wonwoo gave you a hard time, but even he was mostly just amusing to make grumpy.

Speak of the devil... you thought, as you heard footsteps begin to get louder behind you.

“Alright, get lost,” his familiar voice suddenly said behind the two of you.

Soonyoung jumped before he whipped his head around, looking up at the captain, “A warning might be nice, you freak.”

“Just go,” Wonwoo told him in a bored tone, ignoring the insult. “You need all the rest you can get.”

Soonyoung pushed himself to stand up, saying goodnight to you and swearing under his breath at Wonwoo before leaving the beach. Wonwoo took Soonyoung’s spot a couple feet away from you, and even sat in the same position he had.

“So Marley’s nicer than the interior, huh?” Wonwoo questioned.

You let out a sigh, “Do you always eavesdrop on conversations?”

“And what if I only do it to you?” he smirked.

You rolled your eyes, “You also seem to only be this annoying toward me. What, you got a crush on me or something?”

He scoffed, looking back toward the ocean, “You wish.”

“I’d rather get crunched by Chan, but whatever helps you sleep at night.”

A silence fell between the two of you, but it didn’t feel awkward or uncomfortable. It felt...nothing. It was like you were sitting on the beach alone.

After just sitting there listening to the waves, you finally spoke up, “Can I ask you something?”

“Even if I say no, you’ll run your big mouth anyway,” he sighed, staring across the ocean.

You chose to ignore him, instead asking what you'd been wondering ever since you saw Wonwoo interact with his comrades.

"Why haven't you hit me yet?"

His head snapped toward you suddenly, eyes watching you from behind round glasses. You continued to stare out at the ocean, but Wonwoo just sat silently, waiting for you to elaborate on your question.

When you didn't he asked, "You want me to hit you?"

You shrugged, finally looking back at him, "You do it to Soonyoung all the time. And Mingyu. And Jun. And literally everyone else who gets on your nerves. You've physically threatened the others, but you've never done that to me. So why not?"

It was like a staring contest. He stared at you, his expression unreadable. So you stared back, waiting for a response.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity but was realistically maybe no more than 4 or 5 seconds, Wonwoo scoffed and turned back to the view, "You ask too many questions."

"And you don't give enough answers," you replied, mimicking his actions.

There was another silence that was neither comfortable nor uncomfortable. It continued to feel like you were just sitting on your own, staring at the moonlight reflecting off the water. You weren't sure how long you sat like that, but neither of you broke it for at least a few minutes.

"So what happened to you?"

Wonwoo's voice probably should've made you jump since it was sudden, breaking through the soft sounds of the waves. But somehow, it didn't startle you.

Neither of you broke your gaze away from the water, but you were kind of happy his scrutinizing eyes weren't on you. You felt like he was always judging you or studying you whenever he looked at you, and while you knew why, you still didn't like it. You felt like a science experiment.

Then again, it was better than being looked at with disgust.

"You know what happened to me," you replied with a breath.

"But I want to know the details," he pressed.

You were the first to look away now, "Why?"

He met your eyes, explaining, "You're still an unknown to us. You could turn on us at any point still, actually. So I require more knowledge on you in case you do decide to become a traitor -- if you're not secretly one already."

It was your turn to scoff now, rolling your eyes, "Yeah right. If you knew everything I went through, you'd feel like an idiot even thinking I'd help them."

"So then prove me wrong."

"Okay," you nodded, but you paused, "only if you tell me about you first."

He chuckled, but more because he found your request silly rather than amusing, "Why?"

You shrugged, "To me, you're the unknown. I know your name is Wonwoo and you're the captain. You're Seungcheol's best friend and right-hand man. And I heard before that you 'owe him' for some reason, and I wanna know what and why."

For a second, Wonwoo seemed surprised that you knew about him and Seungcheol, but then he softly chuckled and nodded while he looked down at the sand, "Yeah, I should've expected word would travel to you. But to be fair, nobody knows the whole story."

"Well I want the whole story. Then I'll talk."

He seemed to consider your deal for a moment, continuing to stare at the sand before he took a deep breath and looked back out to where the sky met the ocean. He let out his breath in a soft hum, and then was silent for another beat.

"There's an underground city where a lot of less fortunate people live," he began. "It's full of...grime and poverty... Once you're down there, it's almost impossible to come up to the surface. And the air down there is awful. A lot of people have medical issues because there's no fresh air or sunlight.

"Well, my dad passed away before I was born because of those medical issues. My mom died during childbirth, so I was left all alone as soon as I was born. They had no choice but to let me up to the surface to be placed into a children's home because there aren't any down below, and there was nobody to take me in. Even as a baby, I was treated differently, and the fact I was born in the underground followed me as I grew up. Kids were brutal, and they got even worse as we got older. I got spit on and beat up at first, but it started turning into being held down in the river or getting threatened with knives and whatever kids and teenagers could use as weapons. I fought back at first, and I got good at fighting. But suddenly, everyone around me was hitting growth spurts or putting on weight, and I was...unfortunately, pretty small compared to everyone else. So instead, I learned not to react because that made them want to hurt me more. It made them realize they got a rise out of me and they liked that."

Yeah, that sounds familiar, you thought, but you kept your comments to yourself, letting Wonwoo talk.

"I decided it was best to sneak back to the underground, so that's what I did. I stayed there for a couple years, until I was older and taller and bigger. Nobody down there treated me differently, but there were still some troubled kids who picked fights, and I would just fight because I wanted to stay tough so I could eventually go back to the surface and give those stupid kids a taste of their own medicine.

"In between all that, though, I had realized that because I found a way to sneak in, I could sneak back out. So I started stealing things from the surface to give to people underground. Some people would give me some spare change in return, and at first, I didn't want it. I had nothing, but that didn't mean I wanted what little other people had, y'know? But then I saw some guy selling ODM gear on the black market and I wanted it. I knew it would help me, so I started accepting anything people gave me so I could save up for it. And when I got it, I spent forever teaching myself how to use it and how to be good with it.

"I started spending more time on the surface, and I eventually ran into some of the kids who really abused me when we were younger. I was at least a head taller than them now, and I had gotten really strong from all the fights I'd get into and from training myself with the ODM gear, so I won most of the fights against guys my age. But there was one time... I don't even remember the kid, but I beat him up pretty bad. I honestly probably would've gotten arrested again but nobody from the Garrison was around, and I guess the kid went straight to his dad instead."

He was lost in thought, staring out at the ocean but his eyes weren't really fixed on it. He was somewhere else completely.

"I noticed these big guys following me, so I went down some alley hoping maybe I was just paranoid for whatever reason. Like I said, I was angry a lot. I felt like everyone was out to get me because people just...were. But they followed me down there. They managed to catch up to me, and it was the kid's dad and some of his friends. It was hard to fight off men who were at least 2 decades older than me, and they probably would've beaten me to death if they could.

"But Seungcheol was there. He showed up out of nowhere. He had only recently become Commander, and nobody really knew what to think of him just yet. But he scared off the guys and got me on his horse and took me to get patched up and healed. I guess he'd seen me once getting away from the market on the ODM gear. I had stolen some fruit and the merchant was after me, but the Garrison couldn't care less about helping them. He asked around and heard more about me from the Garrison Regiment since I had gotten arrested a couple times -- thankfully, never with my ODM gear so they could never confiscate it. He had been scoping me out for a little while after that. He said he wanted me on the Scouts. I had nothing and nobody, so I figured why not. Now I have people and something to live for."

You weren't sure why, after all of that, the first thing you asked was, "So you do care about the Scouts?"

But that was what you asked.

Wonwoo chuckled, dropping his head down to his knees that were bent, his arms resting on them. Then he looked at you, still smiling, "Yeah, I care about my friends in the Scouts. They're pains in my ass, but I'd do anything for them. Especially Seungcheol. He gave me a purpose.

"Now it's your turn," he reminded you with a smirk. "Talk, Marleyan."

You let out a sigh, not nearly putting in as much thought or heart into your story as Wonwoo had with his.

"I was born to an Eldian and a Marleyan, but if you're even partly Eldian, you're not seen as Marleyan at all. You get treated as an Eldian. My mom was Marleyan and had fallen in love with my dad, but when it was found out that she had me with an Eldian, she suddenly turned the narrative around and claimed he had come onto her. That got him executed, so I was put into an Eldian children's home."

You barely heard Wonwoo chuckle softly, but that was all.

"I found out my mom committed suicide not too long after, so I was alone -- not that she would've wanted to take me in anyway. The children's home for Eldian's was basically a lawless land. There were bugs and rats everywhere, all our clothes and bedding were dirty, and there was hardly enough food to feed all of us.

"Anyway, not much happened there. Marleyans would say mean things to us sometimes they'd push us around and beat us up if they saw us, but that was it. I got kicked out of the home when I was of age. I worked some small, shitty jobs until I eventually went into the military because I needed something to do and I needed somewhere to live because I could never get enough money for housing. Word traveled pretty quickly about me. Because I stopped responding to the abuse, I was known as the braindead Eldian, so a lot of soldiers were disgusted I was there, but they figured they could use me for simple jobs like cleaning or cooking. Then, when they came up with their big plan to kidnap Jiwoo, they decided to use me since I was expendable.

"And," you finished with a deep sigh. still looking out at the water and how the moon and stars reflected on it, "now here we are."

Wonwoo's response was, surprisingly, to chuckle. You glanced at him, giving him a look that was partly offended and partly confused, but he was still looking out at the water.

"I give you my detailed life story and you just skip out on everything?" he asked, shaking his head. "That's pretty unfair."

"Because it was all the same shit. Nothing interesting happened. Kinda sounded like your story, anyway."

He let some air out through his nose as he nodded slowly, "Yeah, guess so."

There was a moment of silence. You still looked at Wonwoo expectantly, but he was looking out at the ocean. You knew he could feel your stare on him, but you could tell he was choosing to ignore it.

"So?" you finally pressed.

He looked at you, "So what?"

"Do you still think I'm gonna turn on you or whatever?"

He shrugged, "Maybe. The chance is always there."

You huffed and looked back at the ocean. This seemed to amuse him because he let out a quiet laugh.

"What's the issue, princess?"

You rolled your eyes at the nickname but said nothing about it, replying, "I don't understand you."

"Which part?"

"Why would you bother trusting me with all of that if you think I could be a traitor? Seems pretty counterintuitive to me."

You didn't think Wonwoo was going to answer because your question was followed by silence. You continued to look at the water for a few seconds of silence. At least 10 must've passed.

Those whole 10 seconds, though, Wonwoo was looking at you. He was studying your profile in the moonlight, eyes softening as an almost sad smile tugged at his lips that you didn't see. And then he slowly turned back to the view.

"I dunno," he mumbled. "Guess you just...remind me of someone."

»»———-　　———-««

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[wafflesandkruge]

what the water gave me

“David and Genya were wed with little pomp on a rather hasty trip to Ketterdam."

aka the denya wedding featuring ride or die best friends, sudden storms, and almost certain doom

ao3

Happy bday @sanktnikolais!!! Here’s to another year of brainstorming ideas we’ll never write 😊 Thank you for putting up with me even if I always pass out mid-convo and can’t make up my mind about anything 🥺🥺 You’re the best cowriter anyone can ask for and I hope you have a great day 🥺 ❤️ 

Also thanks to @generalstarkov​ for helping beta this fic and coming up with the title!

Zoya Nazyalensky could summon storms, restart hearts, and send men cowering with a single pointed look. But something she couldn’t do was spend an extended time on a moving ship without feeling queasy. She muttered angrily under her breath as she sat on a wooden step and wrapped her arms tightly around her middle.

She supposed her suffering was all for a noble cause—saving a Grisha boy from a life of servitude, ensuring parem couldn’t be mass produced, etcetera, etcetera. But truth be told, she would much rather have been in her soft bed in the Little Palace and sleeping in rather than sailing to an almost certain doom.

The pill of poison Genya had handed her felt impossibly heavy in her pocket.

“It’s just a precaution,” her friend had told her, but the tight set of her mouth suggested otherwise. The enemies they’d encounter in Ketterdam—the Fjerdans, the Shu, maybe even the Kerch themselves—would have liked nothing more than to capture a member of Ravka’s infamous Grisha Triumvirate. Zoya supposed being poisoned by her friend’s handiwork would be a better way to go.

Her nausea temporarily subsided and she let out a sigh as she lifted her head from between her knees. The weather was surprisingly clear today with no interference from her part. At the bow of the ship, she could make out Nikolai, his bright turquoise coat almost painful to look at. A few paces away from him, perched on a barrel, was Tamar, sharpening her axes with a whetstone. David, another third of the Triumvirate, was bent so far over the railing in order to study something Zoya feared he’d topple into the water. And Genya was nowhere to be seen, but she usually sulked belowdecks during the day to “protect her complexion” as if she couldn’t just Tailor herself to be even more infuriatingly perfect.

She trusted them, she realized suddenly. When had they turned from a ragtag group of survivors to a shoddy government trying their best to keep their country afloat? There were no other people she’d trust with her back, and she knew she wouldn’t hesitate to lay down her life for any of them. Well, except for Nikolai, but the man seemed to have nine lives anyhow.

“Zoya,” a voice suddenly hissed from behind her. She jumped to her feet, arms raised and ready to defend herself. However, instead of a wraith or an assassin, she only found Genya poking her head out from the door to the galley. “Come here.”

“All Saints,” Zoya muttered as she slipped into the room. Genya locked the door behind her and the two sat at the worn wooden table. “Are we planning an assassination?”

“A wedding.”

Zoya’s eyebrows shot up. “I beg your pardon? Perhaps save your frivolities until we’re off this saintsforsaken bucket that Nikolai calls a ship.”

“You don’t understand,” Genya said with a small shake of her head. “My wedding. To David.”

Zoya stared blankly at her, not quite catching what she was insinuating. Genya sighed. “Porridge for brains indeed.”

She scowled. “Say that again and I’ll blow you off this ship.”

Genya tacitly ignored her threats and nervously smoothed down the front of her bright kefta. “Well, to start, there is a non-insignificant chance that none of us will make it back from Ketterdam.”

Zoya forced her hand to stay still instead of drifting to her pocket. “Scared, Safin?”

“Only those with porridge for brains wouldn’t be.”

Zoya lifted a hand and a gust of wind sent hanging pots and pans clanging threateningly. Genya only sighed and looked sorrowful.

“If I am to die tragically young and beautiful, I’d like to do it with a ring on my finger. Genya Kostyk Safin just sounds absolutely divine, doesn’t it?” she asked with a dreamy expression on her face. Zoya still couldn’t see how this was related to herself. She snapped her fingers impatiently in front of her friend’s face.

“And?”

“And!” Genya exclaimed, her lower lip trembling, “Everytime I bring up the subject of marriage he flees to the nearest laboratory! Do you think he doesn’t want to marry me? Am I too damaged for-”

“Of course not,” Zoya said fiercely. She reached across the table and clasped Genya’s hands tightly. She’d seen the way David looked at Genya, like she was the most fascinating puzzle he’d ever laid eyes on. A puzzle he wanted to spend a lifetime figuring out. “You know how he is. He probably can’t figure out how to make it perfect for you.”

“I don’t need it to be perfect. I just need him.”

Zoya gazed into her friend’s beautiful face, at the longing and hope apparent in every feature. Was that what love did to someone? To require nothing else but the other? Saints, she’d take her chances by herself then.

She patted Genya’s hand awkwardly until her sniffling subsided. Then her friend’s amber eye gleamed.

“When we’re about a day off the coast of Kerch, I need you to summon a storm big enough that the ship is on the verge of capsizing. I’ll get Nikolai to marry us as captain of the ship, in a sort of last wish situation. Then you can call off the storm, the ship will be safe, and I’ll have my husband.”

Zoya gaped at her. “That’s certainly…” She dug around for the right word. “...inspired.”

Genya beamed, previous tears seemingly forgotten. “Isn’t it? I was reading one of Tolya’s novels and got the idea. So? What do you say?”

Zoya paced outside of Nikolai’s room. She wasn’t scared to knock. Of course not. No, she just had to finish thinking through this entire crazy, convoluted plan before approaching him with Genya’s proposal. Or rather, David’s lack of a proposal.

Without warning, the door swung open. Nikolai was silhouetted in the door frame, his hair messy with sleep. He looked younger that way, not a king, not a pirate, but— Zoya swallowed and sketched a quick bow, hoping the dark would hide her flaming cheeks.

“Do you have something to tell me, or do you just enjoy wearing holes into my ship?” he asked as he rubbed his eyes.

“I’m sorry for the late hour, Your Majesty-”

“No need to stand on ceremony. Just Nikolai is fine.”

She decided to get straight to the point. “I need you to officiate a marriage, as captain of this ship.”

Nikolai blinked at her. “Why Nazyalensky, I’m flattered, but-”

“For Genya and David!” Zoya hissed. If she hadn’t been blushing before, she was now. Did the king really think that she had meant— She didn’t want to dwell on it.

Nikolai shrugged off his mistake like a cheap coat. “I didn’t know the two were engaged. My congratulations to them both.”

“That’s the thing,” Zoya said, her patience wearing thin. How on earth were they going to pull this off? “They’re not engaged.”

She could practically see the gears in his brain turning. “An...elopement then?”

“Not quite. Can we sit to discuss this? It will take some explanation.”

Bewilderment rolled off of him in waves, but he moved aside and let her into his room. Zoya settled herself into the large chair at his desk. Too late, she realized that left no seat for Nikolai, but he perched on the edge of his desk without complaint. He let out a yawn.

“Well?”

Zoya laid out Genya’s plan for him, all the while trying her best to avoid looking at him for too long. In the darkened cabin with just the moon as a source of illumination, it felt too unbearably intimate. She knew these moments would come back to haunt her later when she couldn’t sleep.

Nikolai nodded along with her words, remaining silent until she had finished. He had moved closer without Zoya noticing, the side of his leg nearly brushing her hand gripping the armrest of his chair. She hastily folded her hands together in her lap.

“So if I’m understanding this correctly, you want to risk sinking my ship just to shove those two into marriage?” He seemed fully alert now, his hazel eyes gleaming.

“That’s correct.” Zoya realized how absolutely insane it sounded, but she owed Genya at least this. “The risk will be minimal, I’ll have everything under control.”

Nikolai smiled. “I’ll hold you to it, Nazyalensky.” He moved towards a cabinet and removed two glasses. “How about a toast to celebrate our new partnership? Young love, how exciting.”

Zoya cut a glance at him. The king wasn’t married, nor was he engaged to anyone. He’d never even courted anyone, and by all accounts, he had lived the life of a most cautious bachelor. She couldn’t see why. He was young, handsome, and now with a throne to his name, a desirable match by all counts. She remembered the words she’d spoken to Alina nearly a lifetime ago.

Toss him over. Break his heart cruelly. I will gladly give our poor prince comfort, and I would make a magnificent queen.

Well, a king now, she corrected herself. And kings came with too many complications.

He handed a glass to her, their fingers brushing briefly. He wasn’t wearing his gloves, and in the dim light, she could make out his blackened fingertips, the dark veins that ran across the back of his hand like ink. He noticed her gaze.

“Not too pretty up close, is it?” His tone was light, but she didn’t miss the way his fingers curled into a fist to hide them.

“We all have our own scars,” she replied. “Yours just happen to be harder to hide.”

She could feel his curious gaze on her as they clinked their glasses together and drank. Perhaps she’d said too much. She’d seen the way men’s eyes had lingered on the scars on her back, the romantic stories they no doubt convinced themselves of. Nikolai would be no different.

A few drinks later, Zoya made her excuses and slipped out of his cabin. There was a pleasant warmth in her body that hadn’t been there before, but whether it was from the drinks or the king, she couldn’t tell. She leaned against the wooden paneling of the hall for a second to clear her head.

As charming as he was, there would never be anything between them. Could never be anything between them. Zoya vowed it to herself silently as the world settled back into place.

In her stupor, she missed the soft footsteps behind her, and the sight of another shadow slipping into Nikolai’s room.

“I must have hit my head, because I could have sworn I just saw Zoya Nazyalensky leaving your room,” Tamar accused as she shut the door behind her. Nikolai was sitting at his desk, a glass still in his hands. Zoya’s abandoned glass lay on the table, lipstick smudged around the rim. He could still feel her presence, her sweet wildflower scent clinging to his clothes like perfume. It made his head spin pleasantly.

“Is everyone on this ship determined to prevent me from having a good night’s sleep?” he asked lightly as he drained the rest of his glass and set it down. Tamar didn’t look amused. She crossed her arms over her chest, her tattoos shifting as her muscles tensed.

“I don’t need to tell you how spectacularly bad of an idea that would be.”

“What would be?” Nikolai asked innocently.

“Zoya. Nazyalensky. The world’s worst idea since allowing you to become king.”

Nikolai frowned. “That’s not very nice of you, Tamar. What about the time you convinced Privyet to let you knock an apple off his head with an axe? He still has the scars.”

“It was the wind. What I’m trying to get at, and what you’re too obtuse to admit, is there are limits to what your charm can get you. Nazyalensky will rip out your heart and mount it on her wall.”

“I think my heart would look ravishing on her wall,” Nikolai countered. “But,” he amended when he saw Tamar’s dark look, “I will keep your advice in mind.”

“She’s dangerous, Nikolai,” Tamar said, uncharacteristically serious. “Don’t play with her.”

Nikolai played with his glass. He’d seen the way Zoya had toyed with the hearts of men, and how cruelly she’d tossed them over. He thought that would be a small price to pay for even just a moment of her attention. Maybe he would have considered playing along in his youth, but he was a king now, and kings had other cliffs to dash their hearts against.

“I won’t,” he promised. He got up from his desk and flopped back into his bed. “Now, if you have nothing else to say, I would like to scrape together a few hours of decent sleep.”

Tamar didn’t look convinced of his sincerity, but she left his room. Too late, Nikolai realized he’d forgotten to tell her of Zoya’s proposal. Tomorrow, he promised himself as sleep dug its claws into him again. I’ll tell her tomorrow.

The day arrived. Zoya couldn’t sleep all night, stray breezes flitting about her cabin, scattering papers and blowing out lamps. Genya kept sending her knowing winks which did nothing to calm her nerves. If the ship actually capsized, she didn’t know how to swim and drowning in the freezing waters of Kerch was a rather stupid way to die.

“Wait until noon,” Genya whispered conspiratorially as they brushed by each other on the deck. “I’ll look radiant.”

Zoya pretended to brush dust off her kefta and nodded. From the bow of the ship, Nikolai caught her eye. He gave a playful salute and motioned for her to join him. Zoya cast a furtive look around, but she couldn’t find an excuse to occupy herself with. Reluctantly, she approached him and stood at his shoulder. He looked completely at ease despite the damage she was about to wreak upon his ship.

“A fine day for a wedding, don’t you think?” he asked as he surveyed the horizon.

“As gloomy as any other.” If Genya had wanted to look radiant, perhaps she should have had Nikolai charter a trip to Zemeni waters. This close to Kerch, there was nothing but mottled clouds and gray waters. At least a storm would be believable.

“I’ve informed the crew of the upcoming nuptials. Everything should be tied down already, so feel free to do your worst, Nazyalensky.” He smiled at her. Zoya scowled back.

“If you want my worst, the fish will be picking at your royal bones and Tolya will have to be crowned king in your absence. Just make sure you do your part, or Genya will Tailor your pretty curls white.”

“I’d look rather distinguished, don’t you think?”

Zoya resisted the urge to knock him over the railing. She tucked her hands into her sleeves and stared stonily out across the sea. He cleared his throat.

“Well, I suppose I ought to brush up on my liturgical Ravkan. I’ll come running back when the storm starts.”

“Running is unbecoming of a king,” Zoya said with a sniff. He only flashed her another smile before heading for his cabin, whistling all the while.

The sun eventually broke through the clouds and crawled higher into the sky, though it didn’t seem to get any warmer. Zoya kept checking the watch clipped to her pocket, but time seemed to be slowing down. Genya and David were still nowhere to be seen.

“They’re late,” she muttered to herself as the hands on her watch finally pointed to noon. She clapped her hands together, feeling a storm building in her bones. Dark clouds rolled across the sky and her ears popped as the pressure dropped. The sea roiled.

When the first droplets of rain splashed down, Nikolai strolled out of his cabin, somehow perfectly at ease. He stood at her shoulder, his presence a distraction. She raised an arm and a particularly sharp gust of wind slammed into the ship, making the deck tilt beneath their feet. Her stomach flip flopped. Nikolai’s crew scrambled across the deck in a well orchestrated show.

Soon, her wet clothes were clinging to her as lightning forked across the sky. Her blood sang at the release of power. More, more, more, a voice cried within her. She had half a mind to do just that when Genya and David burst onto the deck. Her eyes locked onto Nikolai.

“I suppose it’s my turn,” Nikolai said. He didn’t look bothered by the storm even though his hair was plastered across his forehead and he’d lost his hat to the sea. Zoya reluctantly lowered her arms, the storm content to continue without her urging.

Genya and David stumbled across the pitching deck, their arms thrown across each other. Zoya wondered if her friend thought it was a foolish idea yet. Tamar followed close behind them, an arm shielding her eyes from the lashing rain.

“Captain!” Tamar cried. “We’re taking on water in the hold!”

Zoya saw the brief flash of panic in Nikolai’s eyes. She didn’t know much about ships, but that didn’t seem like a good thing. The deck pitched violently again and she stumbled into him. He caught her neatly and held her close for just a moment too long.

“I hope you have a plan that doesn’t involve us all drowning,” she hissed as she shoved herself away from him.

“All in good time, my dear commander,” he replied. “Let’s get the lovebirds married first then we can start fixing things.”

“I really don’t think-”

“Your Majesty,” Genya gasped, reaching them at last. Zoya pushed away from Nikolai. She was soaked to the bone and her crown of braided hair was beginning to come apart. David looked no worse than usual except for the tightness in his shoulders. He gripped Genya’s arm tightly to prevent her from slipping.

“We need a favor,” David said in that abrupt way of his. “Marry us. Immediately.”

Zoya locked eyes with Genya, who gave her a smile. Somehow, even soaked to the bone with her hair a mess, she truly looked as radiant as she had promised. And instead of the jealousy she might have felt if she were younger, Zoya found herself wishing Genya and David nothing but the best. She knew no one else who deserved a happy ending as much as the two of them. Well, assuming the ship didn’t capsize and dump them into the middle of the freezing ocean.

“Are you sure?” Nikolai asked. He had to shout to be heard above the roar of the storm. Tamar had appeared from belowdecks, a fierce grin on her face despite the grim circumstances. Zoya thought the five of them made a rather ridiculous picture, but she would have expected nothing less from Ravka. She raised her arms again and tried her best to rein in the storm.

David nodded. He was still clutching Genya’s hand tightly as if he would never let go again.

“Do you have your vows?”

David’s face paled at that, but Genya stepped forward, a determined glint in her eye. “I do.” She turned to David. “You have seen me at my darkest and still loved me for everything I am, and I will love you until our bones are dust and our atoms have been returned to the making at the heart of the world. I will love you even if continents and oceans separate us, in times of sickness and health, through whatever obstacles the world puts us through. David Kostyk, my love, I trust no one else to make me happy for the rest of my life.”

It was not the traditional Ravkan vows, or even the Grisha vows, but Zoya knew they came from the heart. David had a dumbstruck expression on his face, like he was seeing her for the very first time again. When he spoke, his voice was soft. “I am not the most well-versed in love. I do not understand most of your jokes, or when you say something and mean something else entirely. But I have seen your face in the making at the heart of the world, Genya Safin, and my heart and hands are yours as long as you want them. This I swear before you.” His face suddenly flushed scarlet. “And the Saints. They’re important too.”

Genya’s face shone, tears lining her eye. “Oh, bother the Saints.” She took his face in her hands and kissed him.

Nikolai smiled softly as he said the blessings, then Tamar placed crowns of braided rope upon their heads in place of the traditional thorn-wood wreaths. Scattered applause came from the crew members still rushing about to secure the ship. Zoya couldn’t help grinning as David removed a ring from his pocket and slid it onto Genya’s finger. Something was finally going right in this cursed country.

The storm continued throughout the day, but nothing could dampen the crew’s spirits as they moved belowdecks to celebrate. Zoya smiled indulgently as she watched Genya kiss David on the cheek again, a rosy glow on her cheeks from the champagne. Tamar gathered the couple into her arms and swung them around. Genya shrieked with laughter while David looked dizzy.

“Job well done, I suppose?” Nikolai asked as he slid into the seat beside her. He looked like he’d lost a fight with the storm again, but even with his bedraggled appearance, he still looked like a prince out of a fairy tale. Zoya supposed it was the lighting.

“Is your ship okay?”

“We’ll make it to Ketterdam, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

Zoya shifted her gaze back to her friends and took a sip from the flute of champagne Genya had pushed into her hands. It seemed Nikolai was content to watch from a distance, as was she.

“Do you think you’ll ever find someone like that?” he asked suddenly, his fingers drumming against the wooden table nervously. Zoya didn’t see what he had to be nervous about, not when he had half the women of Ravka, and a good number of men too, falling at his feet. “Someone who thinks of you as the whole world. Someone who would gladly fight the Saints themselves for you.”

Zoya cut him a look under her lashes. “You’re drunk, your majesty.”

“Captain.”

“You’re drunk, captain.”

He laughed as he got to his feet again. “Maybe I am, Nazyalensky. I’d certainly have to be to ask you to dance.”

He offered her his hand, his hazel eyes expectant. Zoya rolled her eyes as she took his hand. A dance was innocent enough, she supposed. “You’re a hopeless romantic.”

“Someone has to be.”

Nikolai pulled her over to where Genya was giggling as she tried to feed a bite of cake to David. Her amber eye widened as she saw the two of them. “Dancing! Oh David, let’s dance!”

He frowned, frosting smeared around his mouth. “I’ll step on your toes.”

“That’s alright. You’ll still make me the happiest woman in the world.”

“Truly?” David’s brows furrowed. “Give me a second, dear.”

He reached into his kefta and procured a small notebook. After flipping past several pages of mechanical sketches and notes, he found a fresh page and wrote ‘ things that will make Genya happy: dancing (stepping on toes optional?) ’.

Zoya averted her eyes, focusing on forcing her feet to move. “They’re so horrifyingly in love,” she grumbled.

“No one likes a cynic,” Nikolai said sagely.

“You’re just as bad as them.”

“Who knows,” he hummed happily as he twirled her under his arm, “We may be due for another Triumvirate wedding soon.”

“Over my dead body.”

“That would be difficult to arrange, but I’m sure we’ll manage.”

Zoya stomped hard on his toes, but he only laughed.

[pamgkrthwrites]

Can i pls have the same thing of how red son react to his s/o having triplets?? I hope thats okay 😅 btw I love your profile picture! Its purrfect~😁

Thank you uwu. She is my LMK OC, and her name is Jingyi Liu but her nickname is Jingles. She a shadow cat demon. She baby.

Going to start with my Demon head canons. I think Demons can be made a few different way. Gods can turn into demons when their souls become corrupted. Animals can become demons either with strong negative emotions or learning high valued magic(think scorpion demon, that one goldfish demon from listening to certain god's teachings). Human can become demons with pure evilness and eating other humans or if they eat demon meat. Lastly, demons can be born if they have at least one demon parent. These demons are titled pure demons and usually end up with king/queen titles.

NOW ONTO RED SON HAVING BABIES TEHEHEHE.

Now if you two find out before they are born, he will become very protective to the point he will be growling at people who are rude to you or creeping on you. Once they are born he cries and tells the babies they are his problem after being yours for 9 months.

If you two find out during the birth he is crying once everything is over.

During the pregnancy, he will make sure you are as comfortable as possible. Rubs your feet and gets you all the pillows you need. Literally everything.

Have 2am craving his McDonald's ice cream with french fries? He may disapprove but he will get it for you.

Will have you move into the Demon Bull Family castle and he will be semi controlling for the first 3 months. It takes until you complain to his mother one night and she teaches him a lesson.

After the birth, he becomes a househusband and takes full control of looking after them. He makes sure you can fully heal back and if that means he is the one getting 3 hours of sleep he is fine.

He puts the babies on a schedule. 2am, 6am, 10am, 2pm, 6pm, and 10pm feeding times. Aka, the Gina Ford routine.

I absolutely believe Princess Iron Fan raised him on that method or something very close to it. Add in his personality he would want to raise his children on it too.

He will colour code them until their hair starts growing and he codes them by their hairstyles.

Though that doesn't mean he doesn't know who is who. He absolutely does know. He knows their little quirks like their freckles, differences in their eyes, and their shift in voice, everything down to the final details.

He knows their likes and dislikes to the core, even if he doesn't show it.

He cries a lot about them.

When they start school he has a breakdown.

If anyone calls him a girl over it he will yell at them. Not for being called a girl, but because he does not understand gender and therefore sexism and transphobia.

Because of that, he doesn't treat his triplets differently if they are of different genders. All of them get the same education.

You will find him training his children and helping them out with their demon magic.

[ozzy-bozzy]

Hey first time here. Please could you do a fem!reader who has a bad/absent father with langa fic. Maybe she was listening to the song daddy issues by the NBHD and that started a conversation. Hopefully you’re doing well and drinking water . (I am also asking to be your 😖 annon)

hello anonie!! This got a lil heavy, I hope that's okay! Also, my inbox and dms are always open if anyone needs to talk <3 (also if you want me to add more tw's to this, pls lmk! That goes for any fic)

also no i have not had any water oops

tw. cheating, strong language, crying, Langa is a very supportive boyfriend

It was late at night and Langa had dragged you out to the closest skatepark to just hang out and spend time together. You had left a quick note for your mom who was working a long shift at work and had snagged your board and bag before following along beside him to the park. He had gotten carried away and was happy to go practice tricks, maybe showing off a bit just to see your reaction. He would look over in your direction and you would offer him a small clap or thumbs up to encourage him to keep going. You sat atop a halfpipe, leaning back and looking up at the dark sky when the two of you arrived you had pulled out your speaker and turned it on.

You had songs you would usually play around the boys but because the two of you were alone together and the vibes were pretty chill you picked one of your more personal playlists to play. Most if not all the songs were personal or meant something personal to you, and usually were just played in private. But, you figured an empty park in the middle of the night with your boyfriend was private enough. He was also much too preoccupied to notice the lyrics, or so you figured.

He has noticed the songs were a bit more meaningful than what you usually played, and saw you looking out at nothing and softly singing along. He also noticed the pained look on your face as you sat there and let your mind race. Dropping his board and kicking off the ground, he made his way up to where you were sitting and hooked his board on the edge next to yours before sitting with you, your thighs pressed together,

“Hey, are you okay?” He asked you softly,

“He’s doing it again, Langa…” Langa sighed and looked down at his hands, ready to listen and offer any comfort you may need,

“I don’t… I don’t understand why she’s still with him. I don’t understand how she could possibly love him after what he’s done to her. I don’t think he’s ever done a single good thing for her and yet she still tortures herself by staying married to him.” You pulled one of your knees up to your chest and pressed your cheek against it.

You knew Langa had an amazing relationship with his father and that he made Langa’s childhood the best it possibly could. You also knew when you had met him he was still mourning his father’s death, fresh in Japan with his mother. So when he met you and you two started dating, you almost felt bad telling him about the shitbag you call a father, but he had insisted he wanted you to be able to talk to him about it.

At first, he assumed your dad had left you when you were little, to which you had let out a short chuckle and told him you almost wished that was the case. It would have been almost easier to deal with. But no, he had instead decided to make both you and your mother’s lives worse by breaking your mom’s heart, cheating on her left and right, and sending her envelopes of cash so she wouldn’t be able to complain about him and still provide for you. Worst of all she was still in love with him, even though the countless nights you had found her crying in her room after she thought you had fallen asleep. You often had found yourself crying in bed, too.

But, whenever you have a rough night at home you either sneak out and head to Langa’s house, where either you spend the night or you two sneak out to S. Or he would stay up with you on the phone and listen to you talk and rant or if you needed a distraction he would tell you stories about his life in Canada, an adventure with Reki, or even just about his day. He was an amazing support and you were very happy he was there for you.

“Maybe she’s putting herself through that in order to help you” Langa whispered out, mirroring your position and resting his cheek on his knee too.

“I’ve told her countless times before that we’re just fine on our own and she keeps relying on him! It hurts so bad to see her working herself to death and being in so much emotional pain all the time. She deserves so much more than that scumbag of a man and I don’t know how to get that through to her. Just thinking about him makes me so upset”

Langa saw the tears pricking at the edges of your eyes and pulled you into his side, scooting back to lean against the railing of the ramp. You laid your head on his shoulder and let the tears fall slowly, not having the energy to wipe them away. Langa rubbed comforting circles into your shoulder, keeping you held tightly against his side as you two looked up into the sky.

“I’m sure with your help she’ll be able to do better. You love her so much, and she’s willing to do anything for you. You guys are going to make it out of here, and I’ll be right here for the whole thing for whatever you need” He pressed a heartfelt kiss to the side of your head and wiped your tears away using his free hand, snatching a loose napkin from your bag and holding it to your nose to blow your nose.

You cried a bit more, Langa helping to keep you cleaned up and you ended up wrapped up in his arms and laying back against his chest as you two pointed out and made up constellations. After about the third yawn, Langa asked if you wanted to sleep at his place and you softly nodded your head, rubbing your tired eyes. The two of you skated back to his and he gave you some of his comfier clothes to wear before curling up under his covers and falling asleep together.

You knew that, no matter what, if anything happened Langa would be there to support you every step of the way, and you couldn’t ask for anything more.

[muwur]

Since requests were open I was wondering if I could request father headcanons for iwai + ushi + atsumu 🥺 btw your writing is vv tasty n I can’t wait to see you write more !! Keep up the good work n stay safe !!

haikyuu daddee headcanons

✧ hc’s ✧ for iwaizumi, ushijima, and atsumu

❧ gn reader

✎ 1.4k words

a/n: omg u called my writing taSTY Dx i cri tySM 💞 that is a high compliment for me AHAHAHAH ILY and ty for the request! 

also my lovelies i m back i m sry i was gone so long feojfe i miss yall <3 here u go enjoi, this was fun to write lmk if yall want more characetrs AHAHA

current listen: accidentally in love by sHREK AAHAH jkjk i mean counting crows, they cant take that away from me by ella fitzgerald and louis armstrong, love the way you lie by eminem and rihanna

requests: open!

iwaizumi

✧ prePARED daddy

✧ picked up on this parenting thing p fast, also does a lot of research so he’s ready to face any situation

✧ teaches his kids how to behave n respect others

✧ also makes sure they know not to talk to strangers and teaches them some self defense

✧ be warned these kids are packing a surprise can of whOOP ASS,, dont fuck w them,, plus u wouldnt want buff daddee iwa on ur tail

✧ honestly his kids would be ANGELS ,,, n thats cuz he treats them all so w e l l

✧ mans is ATTENTIVE. he asks his kids about their days, their interests, and encourages discussion about their fEELINGS 🥺

✧ always offers them really valuable and light-hearted advice

✧ and gives them the love and transparency we all wanted but never had--

✧ however his kids are easily (n negatively) influenced esp when uncle oikawa comes to visit--

✧ but mostly bc iwa gets annoyed and slips out a lot of curse words and a “shittykawa” and then his kids started calling oikawa that and now it’s ingrained in them forever fjoefefgfvi (*distant phlattykawa crying noises*)

✧ gives them LOTS of head pats and ruffles as signs of affection

✧ PACKS THEIR SCHOOL LUNCHES and ensures they eat a balanced meal

✧ attends all their games/events,, will get a bit rowdy hype them up

✧ def lets his kids sleep with him when they’re having a bad night or woke up scared from a nightmare (and waits for them to fall asleep before going to sleep himself fojref)

✧ when they were babies he usually succeeded to get them to stop crying by pulling funny faces, showing them their favorite cartoons, or humming a lullaby

✧ when they get older,,, u bet iwa would be suPER protective esp when their kids start being iNtErEsTeD in other people

✧ you: “iwaizumi, they seem like a really nice kid, though”

✧ iwa: *sitting with you in the car, across the street from the ice cream parlor your child said they were at, and spying from the window* “you can’t trust everyone, of course they seem ‘nice,’ they just want our approval”

✧ definitely did not interrupt his child’s potential first kiss at their house’s doorstep by slamMINg the door open “sUDDENLY” cuz he “hEard TheIR vOicEs and THougHt TO lET them In”

✧ effectively traumatized both kids

✧ tho he felt bad after n u made him go apologize so he did (and he was forgiven, only if he agreed to never spy on them again--)

✧ doesn’t stop him from scrutinizing every person yalls kid introduces to you tho

✧ overall a super supportive dad, 11/10

ushijima

✧ ok dEF does not know much about parenting ,, at first

✧ stared at his child like ???nani when you both changed their first diaper

✧ also had plenty of staring contests with his babies ,,, called it bonding

✧ was curious and tasted baby food once,,, immediately regretted it

✧ once put a volleyball next to his child, who attempted to bite it, and took it as a sign that they liked it

✧ after sum time n practice, his mind becomes split between “how to volleyball” and “how to dad”

✧ catch him in the kitchen wearing an apron and whipping up his kids’ favorite smiley face pancakes 😤😤

✧ has an amazing ability to get his kids to stop crying, does really simple things like give them their favorite toy or place a gentle hand on their hand or attend to their needs (mans can tell if they want food or needa poop) and they calm down immediately

✧ carried them on his shoulders once and now they never stop asking him for shoulder rides (not that he minds anyway)

✧ if theres two kids he can probs carry one on each shoulder cuz cmon ,,, have u seen this man

✧ always goes to every performance/game/event his child takes part in

✧ man smiles so soft™ when he goes to the 1st grade play and sees his kid’s name in the program next to their role as “townsperson b” (next year, they upgraded to “singing carrot” in a play about the food pyramid)

✧ if his kid ends up enjoying volleyball, he will teach them e v e r y t h i n g they need to know

✧ but is overall super supportive of anything else his child pursues and doesn’t push anything onto them, would rather let them choose what they want to do

✧ had n o idea what to do when his kid asked him about the birds n the bees asfghkl

✧ couldnt sleep one night thinking about it and just randomly asks you while yall laying in bed in the dARk like “so our child asked me how babies are made and I told them they came from watermelon seeds” (you: 👁️👄👁️ “come again”)

✧ you: *at the grocery store with your child*

✧ child: *hands you watermelon* “I want a little brother!”

✧ you: “haha of course honey” 👁️👄👁️ what do i do (*later to ushijima* “duhfojhguf we needa get another baby i promised our child a younger brother fohurof” ; ushi: “wat” ; you: “itS YOUR FAULT”)

✧ yall eventually tell them not every watermelon can produce babies only really special ones that are really hard to get fhuoefkfotfi theyre not ready for the truth

✧ another great daddee, we stan

atsumu

✧ knew parenting was stressful esp with bABieS but was like eh it cant be that bad right

✧ think again

✧ g o o d b y e  s l e e p

✧ develops phat bags under his eyes, responds with a weak “aha im fine just that parenting life and the kids ykNOW” whenever his teammates ask if he’s oKAY

✧ tried to tempt his kids to eat their mush baby food by trying it himself, nearly gagged but was able to say “eughh yuMM”

✧ loves to lift them high up in the air, even throws them up a little and nearly drops them (yall almost died from feAR but babie was having so much fun,,, yall agreed to be just a bit more careful)

✧ rlly bad at getting them to stop crying, gets very stressed when he’s exhausted every option he can think of then calls you over for some help/advice (you: *immediately calms them down* ; ratsumu: “how--”)

✧ calls up osamu a lot to ask him how to make food ,, then simps whenever his twin brother comes over and the kids are in love with this man and his cooking (”dad why cant you make stuff as yummy as this”)

✧ very affectionate with his kids, gives them lots of hugs and kisses on the forehead

✧ plays with them a lot! whether it’s sports, just dance, animal crossing, or UNO, yOU NAME IT WE PLAY IT

✧ also has no mercy when playing competitive video or board games,, has made them cry more than once LOL

✧ so sometimes he toned it down n let them win,, until his kids actually got better and DEMOLISH him every time

✧ is cool with his kids cursing, just as long as they don’t do it in front of their teachers LMAO

✧ plays innocent when he gets a call from school saying his kid was using ‘inappropriate language’ and is like “whaaat? my child? im not even sure where they learned that, maybe check if the other kids in class are saying those things, too--”

✧ reminisces how much nicer his kids were to him when they were younger and all the time they spent together,,, bc now that they reached their tEeNS they want alone time

✧ wants to be B) cool dad so he tries kinda hard, esp in front of their friends but his kid’s just like dad pls dofjrgjigtgro

✧ also very supportive of whatever his kids want to pursue and dedicates time to help them in whatever ways he can (whether that be to help them practice, make sure he can provide transportation, get them supplies, etc)

✧ always playfully competing with you to see who’s the “better” parent (you win by default)

✧ PROTECTIVE dad and will easily intimidate ANYONE who crosses his kids

✧ takes sum adjustment and mental resilience but daddee atsumu perseveres  😤 absolutely loves his kids and would do anything for them  

[ghostburs-blue]

Comfort Crowd

Summary: the girl who lives next door!au but with a fun lil gay twist (fem!reader, is bi)

Warnings: angst, heartbreak, etc

Word count: on the shorter side, 1.2k

a/n: happy birthday to the loml, hj <33 i’m so glad we messaged each other all those years, okay weeks, ago. the that’s homophobic chat loves you to literal death and eggsy does too <3 youre everything to me have an amazing day bb i love you! everyone go wish her happy birthday @eusuntgroot !! this is also pt 1 of my album series, where i write a fic based off of every song in an album. we’re just starting off with kid krow by conan gray :) i haven’t seen anyone do this idea b4 so pls lmk if there’s anyone who has done it!

You stared down at your phone screen in the dark of your room, finger hovering over Spencer’s contact. Before you could second guess yourself, you hit “call”.

“Y/n?” Spencer’s voice poured out of the speaker, and you choked back a sob. “It’s almost 3 am, what’s wrong?”

“Spence,” you whispered, and immediately you felt the shift on the other side of the line. “It’s over, we’re over,” you cried, unable to hold back the tears.

“Open your window,” he murmured. Without hesitation, you slid the pane of glass open. Within a second, he clambered in, rather ungracefully you might add, falling on the carpeted floor with a soft thump, and you couldn’t have been more grateful your parents were out of town. Spencer sat up and gazed at you, heart breaking slightly at the sight of you curled up on your bed.

Your head poked up from the sea of blankets around you, and Spencer’s face broke into a small grin. You made grabby hand motions towards him, and he groaned slightly, though you knew he was just messing with you.

The sound of your whine caused Spencer’s stomach to erupt into butterflies, and he gulped hard in an attempt to keep them down. Not the time, he thought to himself, making his way to your bed. You made a small space next to you so Spencer could crawl in right next to you.

He stretched out on the mattress and you both fell into the position you had been in so many times that it felt like second nature. You shifted to place your head on his stomach, feeling the calm wash over you with every rise and fall of his diaphragm. You looked up at him with adoring eyes, only to find him already gazing down back at you.

The both of you kept eye contact, and you moved back up to cuddle into his side. His arm came down to wrap around your waist, holding you tighter against him. Turning, you pressed your nose into his chest.

Spencer stiffened as he felt your tears soak into his thin cotton shirt. He lowered his head to press a kiss against your forehead, causing you to cry harder. His gentle shushing quieted you down, the sweet nothings he whispered into your ear soothing your pain.

“Are you ready to tell me what happened?” He whispered, lips ghosting against your skin as they moved. You sniffled slightly, then nodded.

“I-,” your voice broke slightly. “Caroline broke up with me,” you murmured, and if possible, you felt your heart break even further. “She- She told me she met someone else,” and just like that, all your resolve dissolved. “I can’t do it anymore, Spencer,” you cried, and you felt the shirt underneath your cheek become soggy with your tears. “I’m sorry,” you laughed slightly, attempting to dry your eyes. “Gods, this is embarrassing,” you apologized.

“Don’t apologize!” Reid exclaimed, though he felt like someone was ripping his heart out of his body while simultaneously choking him. “Caroline doesn’t deserve you and everything you are. There’s someone out there much better for you, I promise bug,” he whispered into your hair, inhaling the scent of your sweet shampoo. He shifted at the feeling of your head moving under him.

“I love you, did you know that?” You asked, feeling nothing but adoration at the sight of the curly haired boy lying next to you.

“I love you too, my sweet,” he responded, though as he tucked your head under his chin, he knew you would never love him like he loved you.

“I would give up my soul to stay here and talk with you forever,” you muttered out of the blue. Spencer’s breath hitched.

“Yeah?” He asked for confirmation.

“Yeah,” you respond, contentment spreading through your body. He pulled you closer to him, if that was even possible. Reid prayed to every god he didn’t believe in that you would never leave his life, even if that meant keeping you as only a friend.

A thought entered his head, and he sat up suddenly with a grin.

“Get up,” Spencer instructed you.

You frowned at him. “What?”

“You heard me,” he said, smiling happily. “Get up!”

With a groan, you pulled yourself up from your sheets, swinging your legs over the edge of the bed and stepping off. Spencer grabbed your hand, pulling you out your door and down the stairs.

You grumbled as he led you into your kitchen, then let out a little yelp as he placed his hands on your hips and lifted you onto the kitchen island. You kicked your feet as you watched him move around the kitchen, biting your cheek to hide a smile.

Spencer grabbed a few pasta boxes from the cabinet, then to the fridge for cheese and milk. Within 20 minutes, he had whipped up your favorite dish— his world famous mac and cheese.

You giggled, grabbing the bowl from his outstretched hands and placing a kiss on Spencer’s cheek. His face flushed, though you didn’t seem to notice.

You dug in excitedly, seemingly forgetting about why you had called him over in the first place. You grabbed a forkful and fed it to Spencer, gently grabbing his jaw to place the pasta in his mouth. Oh boy, he felt like he was about to explode.

After dinner, you cleaned up the bowls and pots. Spencer, once again, grabbed your hand and led you to another part of your house. This time, it was the living room.

He gently pushed you down onto the sofa, sitting down next to you and grabbing the TV remote. He turned on your favorite show, grabbing the throw blanket from the back of the couch and spreading it over you. You lay down, placing your head in his lap and turning to watch the television screen.

Reid looked down at you, gently pushing his fingers through your soft hair. With the light of the sitcom playing shining on your face in the dark room, eyes gleaming with amusement, he knew this was a moment he was going to remember forever.

When his hands stilled, you let out a little sound and pushed back into them. With a laugh, he continued his motions, massaging your scalp delicately with the tips of his slightly calloused fingers. You sighed happily, settling into the comfort and warmth of Spencer’s body.

You both knew the moment was bound to end. But until then, you were perfectly content to lay with Spencer for as long as you could.

“Hey Spence?” You rolled over and poked his stomach to get his attention, though he was already looking down at you. 

“What’s up?” He asked.

“Thank you, for everything,” you murmured, a smile on your face. Reid opened his mouth to say something, but you shushed him with a giggle. “You didn’t have to do any of this. You didn’t have to come over at this late to comfort me or anything!” You exclaimed. You sat up, motions exaggerated and slightly wild. Spencer stifled a laugh.

He grabbed your hands and held them in his. “Hey, listen. It’s okay. It’s what best friends do, isn’t it?” He jokes with a heavy heart. You readily agreed. 

“It is,” you smiled, laying back down in his lap.

And with that, Spencer sighed, resuming the repetitive motion of threading his digits through your hair. Deep down, he knew you would never see him as what you wanted him to. But if that meant keeping you as his best friend, he was all for it.

[sooibian]

Flambé - I

poster and edits/collage credits to @is-that-baekhyuns-shirt​ ! 

chapter two | moodboard by the lovely @pororodks​

🍜 pairing: kyungsoo x fem!reader ft. baekhyun, mark lee

🍜 description: pull up a chair. take a taste. come join us. life is so endlessly delicious. - ruth reichl

🍜 themes: fluff, crack (ish), slight angst, a lil bit of spice (in the future), rivals to lovers au

🍜 word count: ~ 9.7k

🍜 a/n: writing this makes me feel lonely and hungry and that, my friends, is a deadly concoction of emotions so while i wallow in my misery, i dearly hope you’ll enjoy this creation. i'd love to hear from you <3<br>

🍜 reference notes: yt channels: maangchi, one meal a day, bore.d; netflix shows: midnight diner, street food: asia, chef’s table

🍜 tag list: @changshapatrol​ @j-pping​ @kyungseokie​ @exosmuttytalk​ @his-mochi-cheeks​  @littleflowercrown13​ pls lmk if you’d like to be added/removed from the tag list!

Water bobs in frenetic bubbles in a massive ancient stone pot perched atop a fort of raging wood. Amidst brutal peals of thunder, a gushing stream rises from a nearby hill, obscuring the shrill cries of the sacrificial crab.

Chanting a spell, you lift the enormous crustacean by its pincers and lower it into the growling, pitch black utensil. Blubbering helplessly, it lodges its claws at the rim of the pot in desperation, seeking escape. The sound of your maniacal laughter reverberates through the cave as you thrust it back into the violent undulation with a heavy-handed flick of the bladed-spatula. 

All of a sudden, you’re swept over with a wave of unconsciousness, your skin tingles, and boiling water begins to fill up your lungs. 

You are alone at the bottom of the very same utensil.

“Help!” frantic, you stagger up, gasping for air. But the bladed-spatula wielding crab, now untied and hovering over you, roars jubilantly at your defenseless form.

Maybe the spell didn’t land, you think. 

“Please, Chef!” you whimper as a last ditch attempt. 

In one swift motion, it swooshes down to your eye level. 

Bushy black brows sprout on its forehead, just a little over a pair of big brown circles for eyes. Then comes the nose, followed by a bloody red mouth that snarls at you.

zzzz… 

“Late again?” 

zzzz…

zzzz…

zzzz…

4:00 a.m., your phone blinks.

In a sleep befuddled state, you reach out for the wailing device. ‘Late again?’ Chef’s cold, deep voice sounds in your consciousness as you wipe the droplets of sweat off of your forehead.

Chef. 

Doh Kyungsoo had insisted on the title and you’d boldly refused to call him that. What business does a man working at a Kalguksu stand in Gwangjang Market have, being called Chef. You’d seeked redressal with the higher ups. The owner. 

Your aunt.

“Aegiya, he has something that you don’t.”

“A dick?”

“YAH! A degree in culinary arts.”

“Imo, haven’t you watched Parasite? Anyone can forge documents these days and if so then why is he here? He could very well land a job at Four Seasons like Hyunjin. Think, Imo. Think!” 

“Exactly! With forged documents, he could be anywhere. But he’s here, no?”

“Maybe you’re just easier to manipulate.”

Finally, she said in her no-nonsense, stern voice. "Chef. You’re calling him Chef.”

Every time the egotistical madman opens that darned mouth of his, it makes you want to knock him down with a roundhouse and beat the living daylights out of him. 

But, counting to five, you always resist the temptation. 

Because one day, one glorious day, you’d take over your aunt’s business and the very first item on your agenda would be….well, the obvious. With a glimmer of hope, you flounder out of your comforter, muttering every cuss word you’d learnt…and crafted in the course of working with the devil himself.

.

.

.

“Ah 3000 is a bit too much for cucumbers", he says to the middle aged vendor, flashing a boyish grin. 

The face of sourcing has drastically changed in the last six months since Kyungsoo’s arrival. Prior to his dictatorship, Imo had tie-ups with vendors who’d hand deliver the produce every single day, without fail. Guess Kyungsoo didn’t fully comprehend the benefits of customer loyalty. ‘There could be better quality ingredients out there, Sajangnim…economically priced, I might add’, he’d convinced your aunt using his military corporal voice. No matter if it meant awkward break-ups with the vegetables ahjumma or the prawns ahjussi: you were left to do the dirty work.

And required to tag along for the routine 5 a.m sourcing runs. Every morning, he’d greet you with an accusatory ‘you killed my cat’ expression.

Groaning, you shift your weight from side to side. If only he’d quit flirting with every woman in the market and hurry up! The purchases have long exceeded the capacity of your humble cart. Flailing your numb arms awake, you urge him to speed up with a nudge of the knee but he glares at you like you’d asked him for a kidney. 

Kyungsoo has a tendency to overbuy but never does he help with a single bag. ‘I don’t like to sweat’ is his excuse. Which is pretty ridiculous considering he spends over ten hours a day overseeing a scorching frying pan at the stall. 

But you know better than to argue. 

Because as much as you loathe every fibre of his existence, he terrifies you a little. The man possesses the duality of a psychopath. As fierce as he is in the Market, ruthlessly competitive even, he’s quite the sweet talker. Incredibly charming. And you can bet your life on the fact that every ahjumma - whether or not a rival - would take a bullet for him.

“Ahdeul-ah”, the woman coos at him, making your insides violently contort, “you know how tight the market is these days. But I’ll throw in some more only for you.” 

The additional weight of three kilos on your right arm ends your sourcing run for the day.

***

“Chef”, huffing, you say to him on your way out, “I had a late night last night.”

“And I need to be privy to this little nugget of unwarranted information because?” He paces ahead of you at his usual lightning speed.

“No, I meant, could we stop”, panting you continue, “could we stop for a quick cup of coffee.”

Halting abruptly, he turns around to look you square in the eyes, “No.”

“Asshole!” You murmur under your breath.

“I heard that.”

.

.

.

Monday at Choi Yoonsun’s Kalguksu stall was busier than usual. 

It went by in a daze amidst the cacophony of a sizzling girdle, clanging of pots and pans and Imo’s relentless vocalization inviting guests to the stall. Having served thousands of bowls of Kalguksu and Kimchi Mandu, you rely heavily on muscle memory to get you through a workday’s demands.

Despite its massive chaos and commotion, you quite enjoyed working in the Market. 

Not being particularly skilled at much and having nearly flunked out of high school, cooking was the one thing that defined you. It was your safe harbour. You’d lost your father in an accident at the tender age of ten and your mother was forced to work long hours to put food on the table. So you honed your culinary skills, little by little, because you thought it vital for your own well-being as well as your mother’s. 

One cannot think well, love well, sleep well, if one has not dined well.

At the end of yet another rewarding day, you leave a wet towel soaking in vinegar for Kyungsoo to clean the iron girdle and proceed to tend to the dirty dishes yourself. 

“Yahh!” Imo calls out for Kyungsoo and you, thumping her hand on the table, gesturing for you to join her.

“Ahh! Imo, there’s a huge pile of dirty dishes!” You cry out in response, only to turn around to find that ass-kisser already at the table, schmoozing with your aunt. Hastily taking off your grubby apron, you wash your hands and wipe them clean with a rag cloth. Straightening your black shirt, flattening unruly flyaways, you rush toward the table but she’s already up and ready to leave, “We’ll have dinner together tonight. I want to have a word with both of you.”

“But -”

“Sajangnim”, Kyungsoo interrupts, wagging a finger in your direction, face scrunched up in mock concern, “this one’s had a late night last night -”

“Chef! So I guess I’ll be seeing you tonight. As if seeing you every day of every week wasn’t enough already!” 

An overtly saccharine smile spreads across your face and his jaw hardens in response.

“Aish….you two…I’m leaving now”, shaking her head, she sighs, “see you both in two hours.”

.

.

.

Kimchi jjigae, Pajeon, Tteokbokki, Jajangmyeon, some leftover Bibimbap with sides galore from Hong Lim Banchan Stall. Imo clearly has something important on her mind.

But the vibe at the dinner table just doesn’t sit right with you. 

The reason for that could be the bespectacled black hole of negativity that’s seated besides you in all black clothing but there’s something off about Imo. 

She’s being a little too nice.

Fear gradually starts to settle in your bones. Is she finally closing down? Is this delectable fare an attempt at softening the blow? After all, she’d settled her husband’s debts over five years ago and her sons were doing well for themselves. Quite well, in fact. The elder one, Hyunwoo, is an investment banker and the younger one Hyunjin went to culinary school and is working as a chef at Four Seasons’ Chinese restaurant. It only makes sense for her to trade the Market’s gruelling ways for some much deserved peace and quiet.

“We’re closing down the stall”, she says coolly.

It’s like a punch in the gut.

“Imo -”

“Aegiya”, she rests her chin on her hand, face clouded over with serenity, “the Market’s given me everything. It’s given me a sense of independence…a sense of pride. It put my family back together. I used to think that I’m nothing without my husband and my sons…but the Market gave me an identity. I continued to work even after my husband’s passing not because I needed the money but because this is something that I’ve created and I’m mighty proud of what’s become of it today. My name is a brand in itself. And a decade ago I couldn’t have imagined this even in the wildest of my dreams.”

A million scenarios cascading through your head drown out Imo’s voice.

Would you now have to go back to Bucheon? Or invest in a stall of your own at the traditional Gwangjang that would never accept your big and bold ways with cooking? And to start from scratch? With a new recipe? Kalguksu with a twist, perhaps? But you had no insight into your aunt’s special broth. She’d never let you or even Kyungsoo for that matter whip up the hand-cut noodles. The two of you only ever helped with the ancillary tasks.

You soon come to the realization of not being the only one caught in the eye of the storm. Kyungsoo’s unwavering gaze is scarily fixated on the bowl of jajangmyeon before him. His miserable state gives you a fleeting sense of relief and it’s in that exact moment that he chooses to say something unpalatable.

“Sajangnim, you’ve worked too hard. It’s time for you to reap the fruits of your labour. We’ll be fine, you don’t have to worry about us.”

Of course he’ll be fine. 

Nearly all food stall owners in Gwangjang have been vying for him ever since the day he set foot into Choi Yoonsun’s with his phlegmatic personality. Whereas you had nowhere to go. The world conveniently assumes Imo hired you only because you were her poor sister’s daughter who she sought to help financially. Not because you had what it took to be there and survive.

“Did I say I was ready to retire?” She laughs, eyeing Kyungsoo quizzically. 

“Here’s the thing..I met up with a friend last month. She was looking for a buyer for her little family run restaurant in Gangnam. So I took out a loan, made her an offer”, balling her hands into fists she sighs, “put in the deposit…and the place is pretty much mine now!”

“IMO”, you yell, “you didn’t have to scare me with that long winded speech! God, you’re so dramatic!”

“Well, it is a big move. I’m not sure either of you are ready to take the leap. It requires a tonne of work and I may not be able to pay half of what you earned at the Market for at least two months until we open. It’ll take the restaurant two years or so to break even and only then will I be able to afford scaling your salaries. On the other hand, what I can do is, help you secure a job at the banchan stall since you love seasoned spinach so much and Kyungsoo even stands a chance at managing one of the Pakgane stalls!”

Pakgane is the mung bean pancake stall that had gotten so popular that the owner managed to branch out of Gwangjang. So even your beloved Imo believes that you’d make for a better “help” and Kyungsoo, a Manager. 

Ugh!

“I’m coming with you”, you say firmly, “I’ve saved up a little and Eomma will gladly pitch in, if need be…”

At this point, you’d expected Kyungsoo to be ready with his luggage considering the little sycophant he is but his expression is stoic, eyes still glued to the jajangmyeon bowl, filling you with insane hope. 

He was going to jump ship…finally!

“Chef…”, you couldn’t resist, “you don’t have to worry about us…I’m more than enough for Imo. You may…”

He shoots you an angry glare making you chew on your unsaid words. But wanting to rile him just a little more, you excuse yourself and bring out a bottle of ketchup. Squeezing it generously atop the stack of pajeon, you snicker maliciously. 

Ketchup. 

The tangy, unassuming condiment is the sole reason Kyungsoo abhors your very existence. But as this dinner marks the end of his torturous regime, you celebrate with ketchup - lots of it - right in front of his nasty eyes.

.

.

.

Steam swirls in different directions and at every twenty metres a contrastive redolence tickles your olfactory senses. Experiencing Gwangjang as a guest is clearly a far richer experience compared to the donkeywork involved in life as a vendor. 

A proper send-off is essential lest Kyungsoo decides to stay, even if it means creating a huge dent in your pocket. You plan on giving him a final tour of the Market where you could both say your goodbyes while receiving a premium fuel of vitamins, minerals and carbs. 

Lots of carbs.

“Let’s start with Pakgane”, says Kyungsoo, with a skewered sausage in one hand.

Wanting to start with nothing less than the best in order to create a lasting impression, you shake your head in response. This was supposed to be a farewell he’d never forget.

With every step, the aroma of scallops drizzled with butter and cheese grows stronger. You start your tour by ordering two portions of the delectable street food which sets you back considerably but you’re far too elated to care, even refusing Kyungsoo’s offer to pay as the woman sets the scallops ablaze with a blow torch.

“Do you know what this technique is called?” Kyungsoo gives a little nod in the direction of the flaming food.

A teachable moment. How does his own personality not wear him off?

You’d made a firm resolve to not let any of his condescension bog you down so with a sweet smile, you reply, “No, Chef. I do not.”

“Flambé, minus the alcohol. Do you know how they manage that?”

The ahjumma calls out for you and you nearly jump to collect the order, the slight upward curl of his lips coming into your peripheral vision.

***

The Market supposedly looks the same as it did fifty years ago and you quite enjoy eating your way through it. The tour makes your heart grapple with nostalgia even though your partner’s vibe is akin to a mug of insipid coffee.

Although you’d spent only a little over a year at Choi Yoonsun’s, the goodbyes were long and hard. Some of the vendors squeeze you and Kyungsoo in heart wrenching hugs, the others give you a little cash to help you through the transition and for some of the food, you pay only with smiles and thank yous.

After a gastronomic fiesta entailing tteokbokki, pajeon (minus the ketchup - you did it Kyungsoo’s way), sashimi, kimbap, different types of banchan, a thousand more teachable moments, the both of you end the day on a sweet note with hotteok. 

The ahjussi wishes you both luck, making you choke back tears. 

Your moist eyes don’t escape Kyungsoo’s attention.

“Are you…. Is the hotteok spicy? No, I mean it’s obviously not…erm”

The dam of your tears explodes. 

You were going to miss this place. Even the less appealing aspects of it. You were going to miss the kimbap unnie who greeted you with a hug everyday, also the snooty mandu ahjumma who could hardly stand the sight of Choi Yoonsun’s crew. You were going to miss washing dishes in the winters with water that was supposed to be ice and the sweltering summers that had you sweating through every layer of clothing. 

Hell, you were even going to miss Kyungsoo.

“No”, you sniffle, “No, no Chef, it’s nothing. Take care of yourself. As much as I’m glad that our fateful working relationship has met its rightful end, I truly, genuinely, wish you luck. And learn to smile a little more, yeah?”

“Are you dying?” Eyes glinting, mouth agape, he chuckles.

“What? NO! What? You’re leaving. What is wrong with you?”

“Who says I’m leaving?”

“You! You’re not coming with us to Gangnam!”

“Says who?”

“Your stupid face that looked like it was hit by a freight train when Imo broke the news last week!”

“I’m not leaving?” He draws his words out in a question.

“This is no time to joke, Chef. You are leaving!”

“Says who!”

“Your stu-”

“Stupid face? I wasn’t planning on leaving at all. I’ve even found myself a place close to the restaurant. Oh yeah, sorry for having misled you. It was really just - my stupid face.”

.

.

.

A month from Grand Opening

It’s not just about food.

Food only makes for a fifth of a restaurant’s success equation. Management and promotional skills are essential because a restaurant is, first and foremost, a business. 

Mark Lee, the young consultant from PCY Associates had imparted this crucial business knowledge to your compact team of three aspiring restaurateurs in exchange for an egg sandwich and watermelon juice. The enthu-cutlet has been overseeing the legal set-up of your humble restaurant for a month now. 

However, according to Mark, the crème de la crème of the success equation is customer service. 

Customer service. 

Here’s where the crusty Chef was supposed to take a backseat and you - a real people person, a socially adept charmer - were to sashay in and shine. 

These ideas were a bit too much for that thick, globular skull of his so you tried to educate him with a practical example. 

He’d added a rule to the first draft of the menu - a shared document for brainstorming purposes. It read ‘No ketchup for you.’ This rule (or insolence as you called it) went against your belief system as the restaurant’s to-be-anointed Manager (a girl can always hope). ‘Never say no to a customer’ being the foundation of customer service, you slashed the rule with a strikethrough. 

But the next time you tried to log in, you found yourself locked out of the document. 

“Chef, why can’t I find the draft menu anymore?”

He’s aggressively julienning leeks, pretending to not have heard you. 

“CHEF!”

“What?” Finally, he looks up. The skin between his eyebrows pinched and his arm raised to level his brand new 1-piece chef’s knife (initials etched into the blade) with his profile.

“Why-why did you lock me out of the draft menu?”, you stammer, gaze trained on the cutting edge glistening with tears of The Leeks.

Kyungsoo’s been visibly getting jittery by the day as opening day approaches.

He deliberately places the knife to the side of the board and you take a gutsy step forward. He uses a cold, serial-killer voice to ask, “What makes you think that I locked you out?”

You lean over from the other side of the granite counter, face barely an inch from his, “Who else could’ve? Imo is technologically challenged.”

“Fine”, he sighs, “I locked you out.” His lips curl up in a menacing smirk, “What are you gonna do about it?”

Grinning, you stare right into his dark eyes and let out a shrill, high-pitched scream, “IMO!”

This throws him back a few steps and he’s rubbing and pulling at his right ear when Imo walks into the kitchen. 

“Yah! Am I your babysitter? Whatever it is, I don’t want to hear about it. I am asking you”, she looks at you before spinning her head in Kyungsoo’s direction, “and you, to sort this amongst yourselves. For once!”

“But-but Imo!”, you protest.

“Aegiya, I really don’t want to ship you back to Bucheon.” 

***

“Here’s your tax ID, liquor license… okay so this was a touch-and-go because the officer is transferring to another Department and the one that’s supposed to be coming in is a real piece of work….” 

Mark Lee is here with the final set of documents. 

Imo’s eyes are gleaming with excitement and sheer joy but she’s held a businesswoman-like composure. On the other hand, Kyungsoo looks very much like himself - like someone’s sucked the life out of him. 

You bring Mark his usual egg sandwich and watermelon juice because there’s only so much your restaurant can offer at this point in time, feeling brutally overwhelmed with the volume of pending tasks until opening.

After practically inhaling his mini-meal, Mark dabs his mouth clean and says, “My work here is done. If you need anything you know where to find me. And good luck. Trust me, you’ll need it.”

Imo looks worriedly at Kyungsoo and then at Mark and at Kyungsoo again which prompts him to ask rather uncomfortably, “What do you mean ‘you’ll need it’?”

Mark’s dramatically long sigh is an indication of a sermon to follow. As he leans back into his chair, Imo and Kyungsoo instinctively cower like an invisible weight has been plopped onto their shoulders. The sight is beyond pathetic: they are like peasants before a feudal lord. It makes you want to smash the know-it-all smirk off of Mark’s face.

What comes after, though, isn’t a sermon but a sentence and a half that leaves the three of you shaken.

“The dining business here in Gangnam is hyper-competitive and most restaurants fold in six months. And if that sandwich is any indication…”

Kyungsoo valiantly advances to rescue your team out of the dark bubble of Mark Lee’s words with, “What’s wrong with the sandwich? She makes a perfectly good sandwich!”

What was supposed to be a compliment somehow sounds very wrong in your head, but before you could give him the death stare he leaps to damage control, “What I mean is, we all ate the very same sandwich for breakfast. I don’t usually dissect food for novices but the egg was perfectly cooked, mayonnaise was just the right amount and the seasoning was balanced, too. So I’m not sure what you’re trying to say. We’re serving perfectly good food here.”

“The thing is, this is something even my mother could make and dude, believe me, she’s terri…her culinary abilities are highly questionable. Also, do you think your friend would’ve sold you this place if it were thriving, Mrs. Choi? She’d inherited it from her grandfather and she sold it to you at a dirt cheap price because she was neck deep in debt. I’m sure you know, real estate here is three and a half times the country’s average. So not only do you have significant funds locked into a possibly deadweight property but also your plan clearly lacks vision. Gwangjang’s Choi Yoonsun can keep you afloat for four…maybe six months but Gangnam’s Choi Yoonsun has to create an identity for herself. Look around you, everyone’s serving good food”, Mark tilts his head in Kyungsoo’s direction, “Here, people eat with their eyes first. Now, I’m not saying family-run restaurants serving traditional cuisines don’t do well. A lot of them have been passed down for generations. What I’m saying is…..find your USP.” 

Mark squints, looks into the distance, and pinches the air a lot during this damp squib speech of his.

So the menu isn’t very different from what Choi Yoonsun served in Gwangjang. Her USP has always been homestyle cooking with a twist. But that was the demand of a Market that upheld traditionalism and Gangnam, being precipitously everchanging, would be quite something to keep up with. 

The weight of Mark’s words manifests on Kyungsoo’s shoulders. He lets out a sharp exhale and starts to clear the table, giving him plenty non-verbal cues to leave. You rush to help him out and meet his defeated form (crouched over the sink) in the kitchen.

The shuffling sound of your footsteps reaches his ears and he pivots to face you.

“We’ll be okay”, your voice is but a calm whisper prompting his creased forehead to slowly smoothen.

“We’ll be okay”, he forcefully echoes.

.

.

.

Grand Opening Day

A frisson of fear laced with excitement descends your spine.

Choi Yoonsun’s is enveloped in a pin drop silence save for the sound of Kyungsoo’s pacing. It’s grating on your nerves but Kyungsoo pacing is far better than Kyungsoo “going over the plan” for the umpteenth time. 

The kitchen’s prepped for battle so you’re seated at the cash counter, cuddled close with Imo, placated by her soothing, motherly presence. The three of you are like ticking time bombs, ready to go off at any minute.

This, right here, is the perfect example of a pinch-me-it-doesn’t-feel-real moment. You allow yourself to feel the forces at play as your eyes take in every nook and cranny of the restaurant. The place is agreeably well lit and the ventilation hoods aren’t an eyesore either. The decor’s minimalistic with a sand and stone colour scheme and the floor’s been scrubbed spotless. Eight sturdy wooden tables, tactically placed, allow for movement and privacy yet the area has been optimally utilized. 

Fifteen minutes for the ‘Open’ sign to light up. 

Kyungsoo and you proceed to help each other out with crisp bright yellow aprons affixed with red name tags (handpicked by Imo, the aprons made you both look like dumpy chicks) and clear plastic masks and wish each other luck with curt nods.

***

Imo’s sons are the first to arrive with some friends in tow. They are served with Kyungsoo’s Yachae Twigim and Budae Jjigae, your Gyeran-mari and Kimchi Bokkeum-bap and of course, Imo’s famous Kalguksu and Kimchi Mandu. Makes you wonder if they’ve had enough of it but they seem to be greatly enjoying themselves. Some of Hyunjin’s friends from Four Seasons are here too, their mighty presence driving Kyungsoo to the edge.

But a few compliments from them are enough to soothe his nerves.

Among the flurry of patrons through the day were vendors and stall owners from Gwangjang along with their family and friends, Kyungsoo’s acquaintances who you knew nothing about and neither did you care enough to ask, Mark Lee with his very handsome boss Park Chanyeol also dropped by sometime around noon. 

Your mother couldn’t make it to the opening. It stung a little but as usual, you sucked it up and went on with the highly stimulating day that anyway left you with very little time to mull over any unpleasantness.

***

By the end of it, you were pretty sure you’d wake up with blistered feet the next morning. 

It’d been a splendid opening with sales tallying up to KRW 2500,000: nearly two and a half times the estimate. Imo breaks into a dance at the figure, even Kyungsoo lips stretch into a reluctant grin.

You intensely wish Mark Lee were here to witness this euphoric win.

.

.

.

Six months later

Mark Lee had been right. 

Choi Yoonsun was miles from creating an identity in Gangnam. Regulars from Gwangjang could make it to the restaurant only twice or thrice a week, support from acquaintances had been gradually trickling, and some negative reviews floating around the internet about poor table turnover had also been driving potential guests away.

You tried to mitigate this by hiring part timers at minimum wage but for several reasons, none of them managed to stay: anti-social hours and Kyungsoo’s hostility being two of the key causes.

On your best days, the sales would total up to KRW 1500,000 and the weekday numbers had been dismal.

***

“Dooly-dooly!”

Your eyes light up at the familiarity of that voice. Mirroring its excitement, you run into the arms of its owner.

“Baekhyunnie!” 

Kyungsoo peers over his glasses while scrubbing the iron girdle, studying the floppy haired, cheerful man with a wide grin plastered across his face that’s pranced into the kitchen at closing time. 

Byun Baekhyun has been your best friend since time immemorial. Growing up in Bucheon, he’d been the only family you’d known besides your parents and Imo’s family. You weren’t even as close with Hyunwon and Hyunjin as you were with Baekhyun. Since work always kept your mother busy, his parents had practically been the ones to raise you and not once did they make you feel like an outsider.

“Yah! Quit calling me Dooly we’re not kids anymore! Have you eaten? Let me whip you up something real quick. Look at youuuu, when did you get this skinny! How long are -”

“Not to interrupt, but you’ve left the water running”, Kyungsoo drones, lazily pointing in the direction of the sink. 

You clearly remember turning it off before darting to greet Baekhyun.

‘Sonofa-’ exasperated, you mouth to Baekhyun, whose eyebrows have shot up to his hairline out of vicarious embarrassment, before turning around to face Kyungsoo who seems to be scrubbing the iron girdle to gold. “Chef, you’re closer to the sink.”

“Reiterating. You’ve left the water running. If you wanna go on tittle-tattling, by all means….this wastage is on you.”

“Make yourself comfortable”, too exhausted to pick a fight, you whisper to Baekhyun, gesturing towards the closest table, “I’ll be with you soon.”

***

“It’s bad”, Imo sighs, burying her face in her hands. 

11 P.M., two hours past closing time. 

The sparse lighting in the restaurant is causing you an eyestrain to look at the scribblings on the register. Your neck and shoulder muscles are tense from all the chopping, stirring, and scrubbing: a slow day does not translate to an easy day. You notice that Kyungsoo is growing weary, too. 

Or maybe discouraged.

You communicate with each other in evasive glances as if the restaurant not doing well is, somehow, on the two of you. 

“Imo”, Baekhyun speaks first so as to allay the looming dread, “I’ve been reading the online reviews and those who’ve visited here have been raving about the food - especially the Kalguksu. They say you’ve brought the flavours of Gwangjang to Gangnam. There’s this one thing, though - ”

“Sajangnim”, Kyungsoo interrupts a zealous Baekhyun’s pitch, “I don’t think this is any of his business. We’ve been keeping track of reviews and such - ”

“Let the boy speak. He’s family.” She says softly, pressing her fingers to her temples, clearly clutching at straws now.

Kyungsoo clenches his jaw and nods in Baekhyun’s direction, indicating him to continue.

“There-there”, Baekhyun stutters, eyes fixed on Kyungsoo who’s vaguely fascinated with his cuticles, “are some complaints about slow service. Particularly between starters and mains.”

After an uncomfortably rich pause, Imo gently rests her hand atop Baekhyun’s “Baekhyunah, how long are you here for?”

“For as long as you need”, the apples of his cheeks rise as his eyes crinkle into a gleeful smile.

***

“Somebody is early. Also, the cart looks different…it’s..?” 

Dressed in his usual black athleisure, round eyes framed with chunky glasses, Kyungsoo jogs lightly to match your out-of-character sprightly pace into the market. 

“Bigger. I bought a new one.” You chirp, shooting him an out-of-character smile.

Even the dreary weather isn’t a buzzkill because today is supposed to be Baekhyun’s first day at work.

“How did you get Sajangnim to agree? She can be -” 

“Miserly? Stingy? Close-fisted? Also, when will you stop calling her Sajangnim?”

“Just so that you can stop addressing me appropriately? Dream on. And I meant economical. Sajangnim is economical.”

“Chef, do you even listen? I bought it. With my own money. I figured since we’d need more ingredients now, we could use a bigger one.”

“And how did you come to that conclusion?” Impervious to his smug tone, you step away to pick up a one kg bulk pack of dried shiitake mushrooms while he’s examining a small batch of zucchini. 

“Because Baekhyun’s gonna be working with us now.”

“Temporarily. And we’re suddenly going to start doing better because of an inexperienced, unemployed -”

The wheels of the cart hit his ankle when you swivel it, making him wince in pain. 

“Oops! Sorry.”

“You did that on purpose!” He chides.

Half-shrugging, you say nonchalantly, “Serves you right. Baekhyun may be inexperienced but he isn’t unemployed. If anything, he’s doing us a favour. He’s whimsical like that.”

“I know”, he states, forcefully taking control of the cart, “I know he isn’t unemployed. He owns a Hapkido training academy for elementary school children and is on a break these days. I looked him up. I, personally, wouldn’t have hired him if it were my restaurant but I’m sure Sajangnim -”

“Chef?” You stop dead in your tracks.

“What?”

“You’re on…” you wanted to say ‘social media’ but the words sounded almost blasphemous to be used in front of a very uptight Doh Kyungsoo: a man with absolutely no online presence. 

“What is it?” His eyebrows knit together in annoyance.

“Nothing, let’s go.”

“You know what else is different today?” He says on your way out, a mischievous smile tugging at his lips.

“Hmm?”

“You. You’ve showered.” He chortles, thinking he’s being funny.

But with a hardened expression, you let him know that he’s crossed a line.

“Too far?”

“A tad.”

“Let’s get you some coffee.” 

“No.” You smile inwardly, relishing his apologetic tone.

“No?”

“We have to pick up Baekhyun’s apron and nametag.”

.

.

.

At first you thought you were imagining this. 

A group of high school girls frequenting Choi Yoonsun’s must obviously be because they want to get healthy, homely meals instead of the trash served at fast food chains or the uneconomical subsistence of instagrammable cafes. They’re obviously not here for the charming server with an athlete’s body and a boyish grin.

“He should wear respectable clothing”, says Kyungsoo, indicating at Baekhyun’s skinny jeans and fitted black tee, hiss sharper than the sizzle of minced garlic in butter.

“Why, I don’t think his cleavage is showing”, you retort, scooping out a serving of rice from the cooker.

“You have absolutely no shame”, he states matter-of-factly, stirring the soup pot.

“What? Is my cleavage showing, too?” You ask in mock-surprise, fixing your apron theatrically.

“Forget I said anything.” 

The aroma of Kimchi Jjigae had you salivating and you couldn’t wait to taste it for seasoning. Kyungsoo’s cooking amply made up for his drab, lacklustre personality. 

“Chef, lighten up. Any publicity is good publicity.”

“You sound like a tabloid journalist”, leaving the soup to simmer, he turns around to face you, “What’s wrong with your hair?”

“I got a haircut”, scrunching your face you respond suspiciously, the fact that he noticed it despite the hair cover makes your heart palpitate.

Taking the unwarranted attention away from your hair, you ask hastily, “You think they’re here for Baekhyun and not your food, right?” 

“Ye-yes”, he stutters, looking away.

“These people wouldn’t be here time and again if it weren’t for the food, Chef. You should know that.” 

Moving closer to him, you lightly dust flour off of his shoulders. 

“How did you get flour on your shoulders?”

His ears go scarlet. 

.

.

.

Imo comes into the kitchen while Kyungsoo and you are preparing for the day ahead. Baekhyun has gone down to Bucheon to oversee the affairs of his training academy. 

“There’s this new officer who’s reviewing all liquor permits issued this year. Be careful and make sure to check all IDs twice. I’m taking the day off. Will you two be okay by yourselves?” She swooshes out of the kitchen, not bothering with your incoherent replies.

“Can’t believe they’ve ditched us on a Friday.” You grumble, soaking clams in fresh water.

“We’ll be fine.” Kyungsoo reassures you.

***

It had been quite the day and nearing closing time, your feet were going sore. Baekhyun taking on the toughest role in the restaurant made you greatly appreciate his efforts. While most guests are civil, he’s experienced his fair share of rowdy ones firsthand and his ability to deal with them is unparalleled. He’s never, ever let any matter escalate to a point of embarrassment and has demonstrated the maturity to overcome every crisis situation with a smile on his face. 

The fact that he’s only temporarily here suddenly starts to wear you out. 

Kyungsoo sticks a handwritten note on the steel holder which reads - Yangnyeom - 2. It’s only been a little over eight months since the restaurant’s been fully functional yet the holder’s worn out more because of use and less because of time. 

“About time we advanced to kitchen order tickets, right? Saves Baekhyun…or either of us unnecessary excursions to the kitchen. Also, billing will be simpler that way.” You offer while straightening your apron and getting ingredients ready for Kyungsoo to prepare the sauce.

“Yeah, it does”, he seems really out of it as he’s getting chunks of juicy chicken ready for the fryer. He’s moving around the kitchen rather clumsily, nearly tipping over the bottle of corn syrup.

“Wah, Chef, are you alright? Would you like me to do this?” 

Resting his back against the wall, he slowly sinks to the floor, face buried in hands. “Yes, please.”

While you’re preparing a sauce the recipe for which you know like the back of your hand, his instructions don’t cease. The only thing you’ve ever liked about working with this man is that contrary to Imo, he does not believe in micromanaging. But right now it feels like you’re in the kitchen with her and not with Kyungsoo.

The tension causes you to lower the chicken into the fryer hastily resulting in specks of flaming oil to splatter onto your arm. 

He’s quick to rush to your aid with a cold towel.

“Yah, Chef, you’re making me nervous, what’s with all this nitpicking?” You almost yell at him as he’s gingerly dabbing the towel on the affected area.

“I’m sorry, I am so sorry. It’s just”, he pauses briefly, worrying at his lower lip, questioning eyes peering into yours, before helping you with the chicken - slightly more confident in his movements now, “whatever you do, don’t get out of the kitchen. Table number four, those guys there, are weird.”

“Weird, how?”

“Rowdy, mannerless and drunk. Really, really drunk. Steamrolled by the ‘Friday happy’.”

“Ah, Baekhyun’s well-versed with their kind. Don’t worry, just be polite. Are you sure you don’t want me to intervene?”

“Positive and whatever happens?”

“Stay put. Chef?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s only thirty minutes to closing. We can get through this, okay? And don’t accept further orders!”

***

Twenty minutes after, you’re aimlessly scrolling through your phone to take your mind off the stabbing pain in your lower abdomen. Simultaneously playing a little game of inventing the kind of content Kyungsoo would upload if he were a user on these sites only to be jolted with the realization as to how little you know about the man.

As the restaurant’s occupied with boisterous conversations and raucous laughter, you’re counting seconds to closing. Multiplying three hundred with every bracket of five on the clock.

The din comes to an abrupt halt when you hear a middle aged man bellow, “Yah, punk, do you have a death wish?!”

Gradually moving closer to the door, you try to get a view of the scene outside.

You see a polite but firm Kyungsoo bow before the man, “We can’t serve you any more alcohol, sorry, we’ll be closing now.”

The other two men along with the nasty vermin have long passed out. You quickly call for a cab, subconsciously grabbing a hold of Kyungsoo’s knife in the process.

“DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHO YOU’RE TALKING TO RIGHT NOW?” He thunders.

Kyungsoo recoils as the man grows louder by the second. “We cannot serve you anymore alcohol, sir.”

It happens in a flash. 

So fast you almost feel like you’re astral projecting.

One moment, the man raises a hand to strike Kyungsoo. Kyungsoo swerves. You dash out of the kitchen with the knife in your hand. Face to face with the man, you scream until your lungs hurt, “GET OUT! I SAID GET OUT OF MY RESTAURANT!”

The vermin’s companions stir at the sound. 

With frightened eyes they take in the scene as their drowsy brain is still trying to assess the situation for action. They soon pull the man by his shoulders while Kyungsoo’s tugging at your knife bearing arm that’s still raised in combat mode, simultaneously apologising to the rowdy guest.

Wagging his sausage like finger at the both of you he warns menacingly, “You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into.”

Slapping the tab on their table, you proceed to threaten him, “Settle this and get - the fuck - out of my restaurant before I call the cops.”

Throwing a couple of bills on the table, he staggers out, grumbling, “You just wait”, still wagging his finger and reeking of stale alcohol. 

It was only then that your grip on the knife eases as Kyungsoo carefully draws it out of your hand and you see, just like you, he’s shaking too.

“What just happened?” He’s the first to speak as you sit across the table from him, dark orbs glinting in the dim light, forehead beaded with sweat. His hands are tightly wound together as he places them on the table. One day without Baekhyun and Imo and Kyungsoo and you had messed up real bad. By the looks of it, neither of you were ready to accept this fact.

“We did exactly what we were supposed to do. Stop worrying!” You say more to yourself.

He’s not convinced.

“Chef, that man’s reaction wasn’t something that you could’ve preempted or….controlled in any way.” Finding yourself getting mildly annoyed, you try your best to lay the edge off of your voice. All you wanted was for him to be alright because, technically, none of this was his fault. 

“Would you have allowed him to take a swing at you?”

“He was far too drunk for that”, he exhales heavily and you notice his stance relax before clamping up again, “but you-you came out with a knife!”

His tone isn’t accusatory. He’s simply baffled.

“Fight or flight…”

“It’s my knife.”

“I’ll be sure to hide the murder weapon.”

He nods slowly.

“Do you need some water? Tea? A hug?”

You half expect him to scowl or groan or whatever it is that he usually does but he seems to be actually evaluating his options.

“A beer?”

“Down for Chimaek?”

Stood up to go into the kitchen, you awkwardly, and very, very slowly put an arm around his shoulders and give him a tight squeeze.

***

This was your first time having fried chicken and beer in complete silence - a few minutes felt like hours with the incident still hovering over both of you.

“Chef, you know we haven’t murdered anyone right?”

“The restaurant feels like a scene of crime to me. Also, what did he mean by ‘you just wait’?”

“Eh. Empty threats. Testosterone poisoning. Do you think they’ll throw me into prison for threatening him with a knife?”

“You should be sent in for pilfering stock”, he says gesturing at the tray between you, taking a chunky bite of the chicken, “you were going to take this home, weren’t you? It’s good, by the way.”

“Ah, this makes me happy”, you lean back into your chair, smiling discreetly at Kyungsoo’s messy fingers and mouth.

“A compliment from me makes you happy?” His eyebrows shoot up as he takes a swig of beer.

“Testosterone poisoning”, you say pointing an accusatory finger at him, “I couldn’t care less what you think. I’m pretty confident in my skills.”

“As you should be. Then what ‘makes you happy’? The thought of going to prison?”

“Yes”, you lie, “you think I’ll have a prison bitch?”

“I think you’ll be the prison bitch.”

You open your mouth to protest but what escapes is a mortifying burp.

Uncomfortable silence.

Meeting his eyes, you purse your lips, feeling your face flame. He smiles at you and says, ‘wait for it’, before belching. Loudly. Sending you both into fits of laughter.

.

.

.

“What happened here last week?”

Kyungsoo and you are seated opposite Imo like criminals before a cop in an interrogation room. Baekhyun is holed up in the kitchen, cleaning. For the most part, he avoids conflicts like these where Imo’s red hot beam of anger could be misdirected at him. 

She’s glaring at the responsible child, Kyungsoo, to break first but since it was your idea to keep the incident from her you start to explain. By the time you’re done she seems angrier, but not at the two of you. Only after a tiny lecture on how you should learn to be more tactful in such situations does she spell out her real concern.

Turns out the man the both of you had a scuffle with last week is the new officer’s brother-in-law. Now, the restaurant’s received a notice from the liquor permit’s office for an “inspection” in the coming week. Although aware that this situation isn’t either of your fault, Imo is far from pleased with this development.

“Fix this”, she orders and disappears into the kitchen.

There’s only one person who can help you out of this mess, but neither Kyungsoo nor you possess the emotional capacity to deal with him. 

“He’s our only option”, you deadpan.

With a heavy sigh, Kyungsoo dials Mark Lee.

***

Mouth stuffed with egg sandwich, Mark Lee garbles, “What do you want from me? It’s an inspection so let them come and - inspect.”

Imo’s taken off for the day and it’s just you and Kyungsoo trying to sort out the mess you weren’t entirely responsible for. 

“You said we could call you if we needed help with anything”, Kyungsoo reasons with Mark who’s now ogling at him as if he just got spoken to in an alien language.

“Yes, but I don’t see how I can be of help here?”

“Tell us anything you know about this new officer. Don’t leave anything out.” You’re nearly begging at this point and Mark Lee, as always, is reveling in your misery.

He relaxes in his seat, swirling the glass of watermelon juice, “You know you can’t buy your way out of this right? He’s an uptight bugger and you screwed up! Big time! All you had to do was give his brother-in-law a bottle of beer.”

“Oh, we’re sorry we didn’t have his family tree handy”, Kyungsoo rolls his eyes, “Besides, were just trying to abide by the rules - ”

The helplessness in Kyungsoo’s voice causes you to lose your cool at Mark. “Yah! Quit being cocky and just tell us everything you know!”

“Oh-oh feisty”, his mouth spreads into an annoying grin, “okay so he loves his wife, obviously, it’s why he’s doing this. Has an eleven year old daughter who is the apple of his eye. Erm, let’s see, he’s spent his teenage years in Japan and the country is all he’ll ever talk about. Piss him off and this inspection turns into a review and if things continue to spiral you’ll have your permit revoked. So be careful.” His eyes lock with yours making you shift uncomfortably in your seat.

“What are you planning to do with this information, anyway?”

“We don’t know just yet”, Kyungsoo starts clearing up the table, as usual, and Mark knows that his time is up.

“Dude”, he leans towards you, whisper-chortling, as Kyungsoo retires into the kitchen, “did you drive him out with a knife?”

Nodding, you grin gleefully.

“Fiery! You’re totally my boss’ type.” 

***

“So what are we going to do?” Rubbing your eyes and stifling a yawn, you ask Kyungsoo.

While the world sleeps, the market is awake. Buzzing with a contagious energy. Although you hate having to wake up this early, the moment you step into this space, you’re completely taken by its vigour and gusto for life. 

It’s nothing short of a celebration.

Chefs, big and small, passionately scour every nook and corner for the perfect herbs, veggies, and meats. You may not know each other closely or even by name but you feel part of a community - part of a family. True to character, you won’t ever stop whining about this routine with friends and family and occasionally with Kyungsoo, Baekhyun, and Imo but you know it in your heart of hearts, you wouldn’t skip sourcing for the world.

“So he’s spent his teenage years in Japan right?” Kyungsoo muses, lowering a crate of mudfish in the cart for today’s special, Chueotang.

“Let’s recreate his teenage years for him. Japanese dorm meals?” 

Kyungsoo stops abruptly, “That’s a thought!”

“We can set the menu today after closing.”

“How about a coffee now?” He asks, averting your gaze as a slight smile forms on his lips.

.

.

.

On the morning of the inspection, Kyungsoo sneezed. Once. Twice. And on the third strike he was sent home by Imo because “this is not a good look”. Or forced out of the restaurant - depends on who you ask. He whined a little, even shed a few tears but Imo steeled herself and drew him out, anyway.

Although the menu is simple, the concept is layered and robust. The exercise is, after all, being undertaken merely to impress the officer in question. Well equipped for the inspection, the restaurant’s closed for the day. 

This is nothing Baekhyun and you can’t manage but, obviously, Kyungsoo feels otherwise. He’s been calling to check in in intervals of five but seems like the medication’s finally kicked in and put him in a state of deep slumber. Good for him. And for you. 

Two hours until showtime.

Under your close supervision, Baekhyun is labouring over the fairly straightforward stuff: tako sausages, potato and macaroni salad and egg sandwiches while you’ve kicked off the recipe for rolled omelettes.

Egg mixture aside, you start the rice cooker, leave green tea to boil for salmon ochazuke while the frying pan’s heating up for yaki udon.

***

Once you’d gotten all the dishes down, done exactly the way instructed by Kyungsoo: rolled omelettes, yaki udon, tako sausage, potato and macaroni salad, egg sandwiches and salmon ochazuke, it was time for you to take on the simplest but the most provoking dish on the menu.

Neko Manma. Or, cat rice. 

“Ah, Dooly, shall I bring out the jar of bonito flakes?” Baekhyun prompts.

“The one Chef brought us this morning?”

He hums in response.

“I think we should use the store bought one instead.”

“But he’s worked on this recipe all week. You sure you wanna do that?”

“Positive.”

“He’ll flip out.”

“I’ll deal with it. We’re altering the recipe for Neko Manma, this ones too pretentious. Doesn’t sit right with me.”

“So, what do you want to do with it?” Baekhyun’s tone is wary and questioning. 

“Rice, soy sauce, store bought bonito flakes and just a faint drizzle of butter. Nice and clean.” You respond confidently. 

“Are you really sure?”

***

“Why are you here?” You hiss at Kyungsoo while Imo is outside, busy greeting the motley of high-headed officials, giving them a brief of the restaurant, herself, her team, and going over the licenses and documentation. 

Face flushed, Kyungsoo’s lips are swollen and his eyes are runny, puffy, and bloodshot. He’s clearly in the need for some rest.

“To see if everything’s in order.” His voice is hoarse.

He starts to closely examine the entrees laid out, a smile of approval gracing his lips until he stops short of cat rice.

“These bonito flakes -”

“I didn’t use the fresh ones. I thought -”

“There’s no miso soup?” 

“No, Chef, I reckoned -”

“No grilled fish? Are you being lazy?”

“Chef, no, I am not being lazy. The original recipe just didn’t feel right. So i changed it up a little -”

“Changed it up? That decision was not yours to make!”

“It’s just a side, it’s not going to matter so much!”

Absolutely livid, he runs a hand through his hair and laments. “If we weren’t this close to serving i would’ve dumped this into the bin because that’s where it belongs.”

“Chef, please”, your voice quivers, “let me explain! This was supposed to be the lightest dish on the menu. We ended up styling it with… overwhelming ingredients, so I -”

“I’m utterly confused! What on earth led you to believe you’re qualified enough to teach me? I’ve trained at a diner in Tokyo for two whole years. I know exactly what I’m doing here!”

Eyes brimming with tears, you glance over and Baekhyun who has ‘I told you so’ written all over his face. 

"Kyungsooyah? When did you come in? What’s going on here?”

Imo’s bewilderment cuts through the tension. 

“Sajangnim, I was feeling slightly better so I thought of dropping by to wish you luck." 

Courtesying, he quickly dashes out through the back door. 

***

The inspection has been revoked. Unofficially, atleast. The restaurant is to receive a written order in a week’s time. 

The officer was impressed to the extent of apologising for his brother-in-law’s behaviour. He even lauded Imo on teaching her staff to stick to the establishment’s principles which made you wonder if he was fully aware of the facts of the case: knife and all. 

He also mentioned how, as a student, he’d eat a bowl of Neko Manma before every exam because at the time, to him, anything else was unpalatable. 

And that, this was what he considered to be the perfect recipe. 

You go through the rest of the day as if sleepwalking. How stupid could you have been believe you were “on good terms” with Kyungsoo or that this was an equal and productive partnership. The fact remained that he still thought of you as someone frivolous: some air-headed moron who has no idea what she’s doing. 

Someone beneath him. 

You made an effort to appreciate this victory but the day had only left you with a bitter taste. Your mother had been right. You’ve always been too soft. Too trusting. Letting people in too easily and allowing them to walk all over you. 

Now, Kyungsoo’s always been like this: controlling, stubborn, absolutely thorough. He never deviates from his well laid out plans. But today was different. Today, you expected something out of him. You expected him to trust you. You expected him to understand your reasoning, to give you a chance. To comprehend the fact that you could have a mind of your own and that not everything has to be exactly by the book. 

You loathe yourself for expecting this out of him. 

Sailing rough seas together doesn’t bloom friendships. You were stupid to think of him as a friend while, in all these months, his opinion of you had remained the same. 

Contrary to the Gwangjang days, you’d long stopped wishing him gone. In some farthest corner of your heart you were even grateful that he chose to say. 

You’ve been so stupid.

.

.

.

Two months later

The kitchen has been fervent but hushed. 

After all this time, Baekhyun, Kyungsoo and you seem to have found a rhythm. You don’t need to verbally communicate to get through a workday. 

But, you used to. 

Sometimes unnecessarily even. Kyungsoo and you hardly saw eye to eye on most things but there would be some semblance of friendly workplace banter. He’d say a little something about a perfectly done piece of meat or a well seasoned soup. Baekhyun would take wickedly funny pot shots at some of the customers (to the utmost horror of Imo). Imo would sporadically push morsels of whatever was being prepared into your mouths. 

Baekhyun receiving feedback in the form of grunts has shut him up altogether. And the busyness of the restaurant has seemed to have blinkered Imo into not being able to perceive the tension between Kyungsoo and you.

It’s a dance to no music. 

Furtive glances. Measured smiles. Curt nods. Exceptional dishes. Decent earnings. 

That’s it.

Maybe that’s how it should’ve always been.

“Ready to go?” Baekhyun asks, dressed in a well fitted black shirt and slacks. 

You’re mopping the floor. Clearly not ready to go.

When you make this known with a sharp glare, Baekhyun giggles. 

Nothing good can come out of that impish smile of his. But before you can sink your claws into him and drag him back, he’s already chatting up Kyungsoo who’s fixing the chairs.

“Kyungsoo, you coming?” He says a little too loudly and you groan. But you know Kyungsoo all too well. He’s one to decline offers involving socialising with you (unless of course, the offer is put forth by his dearest Sajangnim). 

’You can do better than that’, you mouth to Baekhyun.

Incurious about Kyungsoo’s answer, you’re fully prepared to chomp Baekhyun’s ear off for inviting him.

“Sure”, Kyungsoo says plainly.

Sure?

Without taking the where-what-why route like normal people do? Just..sure?

“Great! We’re going out for drinks since it’s Dooly’s birthday today.”

“Oh. Happy birthday.”

“Thanks. But, Chef, you can’t come. I don’t want you there. I’m sor-”

Swallowing the apology crackling at the tip of your tongue, you dash into the kitchen, your periphery catching his lowered gaze and tight smile. 

Regularising the erratic thrumming of your heart with deep breaths, you shove the mop into the storage area, take off your apron and throw it in the laundry bag (which you were to deal with the next morning), straighten your outfit, fix your hair, dab some rosy tint onto your lips, throw your tote bag over your shoulder, run back out, grab Baekhyun by purposefully lodging your nails into his arms, and take off.

[innittowinit]

SBI headcanons awooga

Some headcanons and things for my sbi fd! Abandoned amusement park fic lol 

Here's the link if you haven't read it btw 

SBI last name is Reid, DT last name is Jackson btw lmao, i probably won't mention it much though unless it's like Mrs Reid for the sbi mom y'know

This has Tommy, Techno, Wilbur and Phil included; lmk if a dt post would be a good idea too 

Tommy

The youngest brother, he’s seven lmao what a child

Even though he’s the youngest, he’s also the most confrontational and will gladly ‘fight’ anyone who talks bad about his brothers 

He can’t fight

He’s very tall for his age but is also extremely light since he’s always running around 

Phil tries to get him to try new foods a lot but Tommy’s a really picky eater

...Tantrums.. Every time he doesn’t get his way

This lead to his brothers spoiling him quite a bit, he’s still sweet enough though since Phil has had many stern conversations with him about being nice to people 

Has a toy music boy, with collectable discs

Wilbur got his first disc for him, it’s his most prised possession 

Every time he does all of his chores (which are really just small things like clean up after himself and keep his room tidy) someone, whether its his Mum, Wilbur or someone else, gets him a new disc 

Techno got him ‘Pig step’ for his seventh birthday and he listens to it every night before bed 

One time he snuck downstairs while Techno and Wilbur were having a sleepover and watched the horror movie they were watching without them realising it. Techno and Wil were the ones to get into trouble since Tommy wouldn’t sleep for a week afterwards. 

Techno had to read him a story every night until he stopped thinking he was going to be eaten by a demon in the middle of the night 

Drinks way too much caffeine for a kid, someone take this boys coke away

He’s got a habit of biting his nails, which has left him with some pretty crooked teeth, which will probably need to be fixed with braces when he’s older. 

It’s also gross because he climbs so much there’s almost always dirt under his nails 

Hasn’t really grasped the whole concept of not saying everything he thinks yet

Oh my god someone shut this boy up

He still believes in Santa and The easter bunny too

One time Techno told him Oogie Boogie from the nightmare before christmas was real and he cried

He talks a lot in school because he finds it boring but he’s also very good at maths and English for his age

Wilbur 

Middle child, Wil is 13. Techno’s twin 

He’s pretty insecure about his music even though he’s been playing his whole life

That’s why he likes being able to practice in L’manburg, there’s no pressure to be perfect when he’s alone with his brothers 

Super extroverted and confident in everything else though, Since Techno can’t talk to most people, he usually tries to speak for both of them

After realising that Techno didn’t really like it when he said ‘Techno thinks’ a lot, back in primary school, he adapted to trying to speak for what Techno wants without making Techno’s issues obvious

They tell people who need to know, but for people they’ll only talk to a few times they usually just get away with Wilbur acting super obnoxious and loud so it seems like Techno just doesn’t have room to talk, rather than that he can't 

It’s easier than getting into it since they don’t feel like most people will understand

has separation Anxiety, when he’s not with his brother he doesn’t relax/ feel safe at all. If it happens at school he won't do his work at all/ Will probably just leave the room and try to find Techno

Everyone kinda knows this and they try to suit things around it without saying it outright 

He’s kinda embarrassed, he likes to think he’s the one protecting Techno but really they need each other the same amount 

Techno gets this though, He doesn’t mind if wilbur has a bit of a saviour complex, he’ll play along if it makes him happy 

They’re working on it with their Therapist though so don’t worry, he won't grow up to be an ass

Interests (besides music) include: 

Watching obscure documentaries 

Disney movies, favourite is peter pan 

  Skating 

He and Techno got Picked on in primary school for being so close, he learnt kickboxing so he could defend himself if things ever got physical. Luckily they didn’t but he still knows how to kickbox so watch out

Almost always turning in homework late, he’s good at talking his way out of Detentions though. 

And when he cant talk his way out, Techno finds a way to get detention too

He’s VERY protective of his younger brother(s(he was born first so he likes to insist that Techno is his little brother)) 

That’s good for the most part but he can be a little overbearing sometimes, he’s got detention many many times for cussing out people who so much as looked at Techno wrong 

When he’s feeling guilty he mumbles a lot 

Techno 

Middle child, 13. Wilbur’s twin

Has selective Mutism, completely fine talking to Wilbur, Only talks to Tommy and Phil if Wil is there too but other than that he’s completely fine talking to them as well. He speaks to his parents but not as openly as he does with his brothers, with them its usually very quiet, one word sentences 

Like Wilbur, separation Anxiety also, It’s not as bad as Wilbur’s is though, Wil just makes him comfortable enough to talk with his brothers, he can deal with being without Wilbur but he absolutely doesn’t want to

He can be a bit arrogant and possessive of his brothers at times, he’s a bit scared of them leaving him because he can be so difficult so he has a tendency to be cold to any new people they bring home 

Interests include: Pvp games, ancient china, farming

He was hyper-fixated on a cartoon when he was younger and now he has multiple cosplays from it that he’ll probably never wear again

His hair is LONG and pink, they never figured out why it grew so fast or why it was pink but it is lmao 

When he was born his parents were terrified, they thought he had some kind of rare condition that was going to hurt him but the doctors eventually came to the conclusion that he just had healthy hair that grew fast and the pinkness was due to an abnormality in the melanin in his system or something idk fellas im failing science pls pretend this part makes sense 

Being silent with long pink hair as a kid, he got picked on a lot. There were many instances where he just pushed kids over or hit them because they were being mean 

Since he’s the quiet one, teachers usually trust him a lot so he and wilbur used to skip class a lot, back when they got picked on, by saying they had to help another teacher do something

In an attempt to get him to be more social, his parents signed him up for violin lessons aged 8, he really liked his teacher and had even managed to speak a little to her over the past 4 years he took lessons 

Spaces out a lot 

He watches a lot of conspiracy theory videos but he doesn’t actually believe any of them, he just finds them interesting

One time he convinced Tommy they were living in a simulation and Tommy hit a kid to see if his hand would pass through

He’s spoken a few words to squidkid too since they’re childhood friends and he’s very comfortable with him. Ironically all he seems to say to him is ‘bozo’ to tease the other for saying it so often, instead of literally any other insult

Phil 

Oldest brother, 16 

Cares about his brothers so so so so so much like he will do anything to keep them happy and safe

One time he missed an exam because Tommy was sick and he wanted to take him to the doctor before anything else

Tommy was fine btw, just one of those bugs you get when you're little

Their parents are pretty distant so Phil has been pretty much raising them since he was little, he doesn’t mind though

Their parents aren’t bad people or anything, they just get called out a lot for work and can’t be at home a whole bunch, it’s a big part of the reason why Techno never got comfortable talking a lot around them

He works at a Nearby florist to get extra cash to buy his brothers things when his parents arent home

When their mum is home, he brings her flower arrangements home from work because he is sweet <3

He’s really into mythology and Folklore as well as drawing, when he was younger he had multiple sketchbooks filled up with different creatures that he had drawn 

When he, techno and wilbur were all little, he used to play a game with them where they’d describe a monster off the tops of their heads and he’d draw it for them 

Techno and Wilbur loved this and always put up Phil’s drawings on their bedroom walls 

When he was 13 he used to write angsty poetry, He told wilbur about it one day and that's when wilbur first started adding lyrics to his songs 

He can be pretty gullible, he likes to believe that people mean good no matter how hard it might be to see it that way 

He can hold grudges for a pretty long time, he’s quick to forgive when it’s himself that’s been hurt but it’s very very hard to get on his good side again if you hurt his brothers 

Watches Alien theories with techno, unlike techno he actually believes in them

Has the ‘i believe in aliens’ poster 

When they were little, he used to grow strawberry plants with techno and Wilbur, this is what prompted techno to start growing other vegetables in their garden himself

[tomspancakes]

This Way: Part 6 (pls read author’s note)

*not my gif*

Pairing: Tom Holland x Actress! reader

Word Count: 6824

Warnings: A crazy bih. Bit of violence and a smidge of blood? Probably wrong stuff about investing/ business world and such (sorry I’m a kinesiology major lol don’t judge) 

Summary: A lot ensues when Tom apologizes to y/n. Old feelings are brought up and a little adventure begins.

A/N: I was thinking of writing a story about Tom and y/n’s past after this, would you guys like that? Please lmk! Anywho don’t hesitate to ask to be in the taglist and lmk if you’re enjoying this. Enjoy part 6 <3

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

+++

“Tom, before you say more, I’m going to move out.” Tom’s heart broke.

“W-wait, what? You can’t leave, y/n. You don’t need to.” He walked toward the edge of your bed and sat down next to you.

“Tom, I caused so many problems already a-and you were right, it was selfish of me to blame you for making things worse with the whole Allana situation. You were just trying to help.”

“No I was wrong hear me out before deciding to leave. I-I can change your mind. Please let me at least try.” He took your hand in his and looked at you in a pleading way. You thought about it before giving in and nodding your head.

“This doesn’t mean I’ll stay. I’m just gonna listen.” He nodded with a little hope in his mind.

“First off, everything I said to you down there I didn’t mean that. O-or I did say what I’ve been feeling, but in a completely wrong way. I didn’t mean to hurt you, I was getting tipsy and saying stupid shit.” All he could look at was your hands in his. 

“No, Tom, you were right. I let you take the fall for MY privacy. I’m being selfish for letting you stay in this toxic ass relationship just because of my fears and insecurities.” Tom rubbed his thumbs over your knuckles and looked up at you.

“Y/n, I could never blame you for being afraid. I-I’ve been afraid, numb, and distant from everyone ever since we broke up…” You gave him a sad look, were you the cause of all his pain?

“B-but don’t worry it’s not your fault. I-I couldn’t move on. When we broke up I let most of my joy go along with you. I let all of my anger and sadness build up until I was numb a-and couldn’t even see which people would be good for my life, hence why I started dating Allana. I was just trying to fill the gaping hole in my heart. As soon as you came here it was like…” He looked into your eyes with realization, “I-I could feel again. But what I felt was all the pain and anger that was pushed to the back of my mind, it was creeping back and I tried to push it aside, and leaving was the only way to do that. I was happy to see you don’t get me wrong, but when I saw that you were on instagram live with Gavin it just made all my bottled up emotions burst out.” Tears began to well up in Tom’s eyes when he saw a couple rush down your cheeks. 

“You were the first person to talk to me so I released all that anger out on you. It was really a dick move for me to do, but they were all negative feelings from a dark place in my head. Please understand I didn’t mean everything I said.” You let go of his hands and jumped into his arms squeezing your eyes shut. His cologne filled your nostrils and you both relaxed in the hug.

“Tom, I’m so sorry you went through that and felt like you couldn’t tell anyone.” Tom started to shake a bit with sobs and you began to rub his back. 

“I-I understand. I was a real mess the first 2 months after the break up.” You let go of him and sat next to him again. He immediately held your hand again to comfort both you and him, your touch calmed him down. “It was hard for me to get out of bed every morning. I had to stay at a hotel alone because I’d lash out at my family members if they tried to help. A-and I had to delete social media for a few weeks because I couldn't bear to see your face. I-I cried or got angry every time I saw you. Harry and Zendaya helped me though because they noticed I wasn’t looking very healthy anymore, they watched me have some really bad breakdowns. Then I thought I was ok and started dating Gavin…” Tom’s brows furrowed not really wanting to hear about your relationship with him, 

“B-but I decided to break it off because it wasn’t fair to Gavin that I kept thinking about you.” You looked at Tom and his head snapped up at what you said, his heart skipped a beat. “Y-You were in my dreams and I frequently found myself checking on your instagram. Of course Harry and Z never knew because they’d scold me, but I couldn’t help myself.” You chuckled then sighed, “Thankfully Gavin understood though.” Tom’s eyes were wide, “Y-you never stopped caring for me?” You scoffed.

“Obviously not. I tried to reach out to you, remember?” Tom felt so dumb and face palmed.

“God I’m a damn idiot.” He groaned.

“Just a little bit.” You joked.

“I-I guess I was just afraid to see what would happen if I did decide to reply. I was scared to get hurt again.” You nodded understanding, “You know when I took you to that burger cafe that was the first time I’ve been in months.” 

“Yeah Harry told me. What happened the last time you were there? I-if you don’t mind sharing of course...” You asked curiously, but cautious because you didn’t want to make him more upset. 

“Well I thought I was over you. I had just started dating Allana and I wasn’t thinking about you as much anymore. When I finished ordering the burgers I thought it’d be a good idea to check your instagram… along with the photos you were tagged in. I saw that single photo the paps took of you and Gavin holding hands and I-I uh just broke. I know nothing was confirmed or anything, but I knew you’d date him because he was so good to you before and during the time we were dating. I wished so much that I was him in that moment, I regretted letting you go.” You looked at him sadly and he looked stressed. “I stayed in my car for a really long time just crying and I went through old videos and pictures of you and I.” He scoffed, “I even went through our old messages and stalked accounts that shipped us together. I-it was really hard for me to be there because it always reminded me of you and the pain I went through. I didn’t want to feel like that again, but when you came back I just felt like it’d be ok to go there. Even though we barely spoke then, I-I just felt so good for some reason.”

“I guess we never really got over one another then…” You said looking at him apologetically and he nodded in agreement.

You sighed and flopped back on your bed and put your hands over your lap with your legs dangling off the edge. Tom followed suit, but took your small hand again, this time intertwining your fingers together.

“Tom, I don’t think we should be hol-” Tom didn’t want to let go so he cut you off.

“You know when I said everything I do is for you, the night before I left?” He turned his head to look at you, you kept staring at the ceiling and nodded, “Well I meant it.” 

You sighed, “Tom you don’t have to do anything for me.”

“I know I don’t. Yet I both unconsciously and consciously do. I’d do anything for you, y/n.” You turned to him and his face was so close you felt the air coming out of his nose, “Haz and Tuwaine told me I couldn’t run from my feelings, so now I’m going to confront them. I never stopped caring for you, I’d throw away all my happiness just to make sure you're ok. If you don’t want the world to know about our past then I’ll stay with Allana.” He said that with all seriousness. Your heart melted and you looked into his eyes. He looked down at your lips then back at your eyes and started to lean in. You sat up quickly,

“S-sorry, Tom, we shouldn’t do that now.” He sat up as well looking down at his hands sadly and nodded, “But I’m not gonna let you stay with that bitch. We have to figure something out.” He gave you a half smile and nodded,

“I actually went to my old mate, Connor, and found out some really terrible things, but it could really help our case. I was gonna tell you as soon as I got home, but you know I fucked everything up.”

“No you didn’t, Tom, you needed to get things off your chest and we needed to talk about our feelings. We can look at it as a blessing in disguise.” You smiled at him kindly and patted his hands, “Now tell me everything.” Tom smiled at you admiringly.

“Well first off when we first started dating she told me that her last boyfriend broke up with her because she was moving to a new city, but then Connor ended up telling me that it was actually because she cheated on her ex.” He looked at you thinking you’d know what’d happen next. “What? Keep going, I’m no sherlock.” You both laughed for the first time in a long time.

“Well, Connor told me that her ex, Cody, went to the bank one day and he took out some of the money he invested in Allana’s company because it wasn’t doing too well. When she noticed there was less money to spend she started spying on him. Coincidentally a new girl came into his work and he was showing her around and Allana assumed he was cheating. Mind you they were on the 6th floor of a building which is nuts...” You widened your eyes and checked your window to make sure the curtains were closed.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised to hear that, but keep talking.” 

“That’s not even the crazy part, love. First off Cody was some super successful real estate agent and invested maybe $2 million pounds. Second Allana thought she needed a new guy in case Cody was actually cheating, and the guy she cheated on him with was Ollie Williams.”

“Wait… That farm guy from season 6 of Love Island?”

“Yeah and guess what?” Tom asked enthusiastically, waiting for you to reply.

“Oh my god he’s rich too.” You said realizing the connection. Tom nodded.

“When Cody found out Allana was cheating he immediately broke up with her. After a few days his banker called saying he was making some weird purchases, like buying a bunch of designer clothes and whatnot. After that he found out that Allana had been sneaking into his flat at night and taking his credit cards and then putting them back when she was done with it.” 

“She’s fucking crazy, how do we know she’s not in here right now?” You asked, scooting closer to Tom, he laughed and he slid his arm around your waist. He looked at his phone,

“It’s a Friday so she should be drinking with her friends about now.” You nodded and relaxed a bit, “Anyway Cody tried to have her arrested, but Allana threatened to tell Ollie’s girlfriend that he cheated on her. So to keep Allana’s mouth shut, Ollie’s family did the task of investing in Allana’s business and she has an uncle in the Police department. All Cody has now is a restraining order on Allana.”

“Wait there’s no way all this happened, this is literally insane. Connor must’ve lied a little bit.” You said in disbelief.

“I thought the same thing, this is something you’d only see in the movies, but Connor wouldn’t. He told me he could literally get sued if anyone in Ollie’s family finds out this news got out since it was a private investment. Obviously Ollie’s girlfriend ended up finding out about Allana though because he confessed on Love Island that he cheated on her.” Then it hit you.

“Holy shit. Have you checked your bank account?” You asked, this was insane.

“Yeah I did, no weird activity.” He said nonchalantly.

“Ok then how’d you meet Allana?” 

“At a mutual friend’s party. She came up to me saying she didn’t really know anyone else and-” Tom’s eyes widened, “Oh my god. The Williams' probably stopped investing and she set something up so she could start dating me huh?” You nodded, but still curious about something.

“I just don’t understand why she hasn’t taken a lot of money away from you yet though.”

“I’m not quite sure either, I mean I’ve given her like 2 expensive things, but she’s never asked me to invest or anything.” He thought in silence for a second and you yawned. Everything that happened tonight was making you sleepy.

“Oh shit. There’s a safe in the house with emergency money.” Tom said, he jumped up and you followed closely behind him. “God I’m such an idiot! I wrote the code down on a paper and thought I misplaced it. Allana probably stole it.” He was stressing out. When you entered his room he pushed aside clothes that were in front of the safe and punched in a 7 digit number and opened the door.

“Fuck fuck fuck!”

“What, Tom, is something gone?” Tom got up and gave you a view of the safe.

“It’s about ¾ empty.” He stated and began cursing furiously and pulling his hair.

“H-how much did you have in there originally?” You asked, worried for Tom.

“A little over 3 million pounds.” He groaned and slid down the wall next to his closet.

“Oh my god, Tom.” You didn’t know what else to say or do.

“I know it’s not much of a dent in my bank account, but it’s still a lot of money that belongs to me. We need to do something.” You nodded, “But if we do she’s going to tell everyone about you and I. It’s also gonna cause so much unnecessary controversies in the media.  Remember what happened to you the last time the world found out about your pa-”

“Yes of course I remember.” You said not wanting to talk about it, “What are we gonna do then?” You asked, defeated. Tom took your hand and pulled you down to sit next to him. 

“I think we should go over to her flat tomorrow and call the police.” 

“Why don’t we just call them now?” You asked him like he was crazy.

“Because today was already shit enough. And I can tell you’re really tired, love, I know I am.” You nodded and he rested his head on your shoulder, “Plus tonight may be the last night we spend together... unless you don’t move.” 

“Oh... right, I uh totally forgot about that.” The decision floating back in your head of whether or not you should stay.

“Yeah so, I think I’d rather end the night on a lighter note. Perhaps with a movie or a little cuddle with my…” He looked up at you with his tired eyes, “friend.” You chuckled, but both of you hurt by the word somehow.

“How the hell are you calm right now? A shit ton of money just got stolen from you, we should be talking to the police right now.” You said shaking your head.

“So much shit happened today, yet you just being here with me somehow makes me feel like everything will be ok.” Tom breathed out, taking your hand in his. Your heart sped up when you both locked eyes, “Can we please do something else now?”

“You’re unbelievable. You know that?” You rolled your eyes, hinting that you're giving in. 

“Yay!” Tom exclaimed and he picked you up and put you on his lap holding you so tight. 

“Tom, come on let go.” You hit his arms, but he just squeezed you tighter. You giggled and rested your chin on top of his curly hair.

“I’m not gonna lie. I did miss your crackhead energy.” You joked and he moved his head up close to yours quickly. 

“You’re gonna pay for that.” Then he got up and began tickling your sides.

“T-Tom p-please stop!” He laughed at your struggle. “Please, I-I can’t b-breathe.” He stopped tickling you and kissed your cheek. He stared at you wide eyed realizing what he just did. Tom felt like you were a couple again just in those 45 seconds, it was crazy that your cute little laugh could make him forget all the crazy shit going on. You cleared your throat and stood up.

“So a movie then?” You patted yourself down and he nodded, “Ok I’ll go put some pjs on then.” You turned to walk out and he face palmed as soon as you passed through his door.

-

You and Tom sat with your backs on the headboard watching Inception. You began to get sleepy half way through the movie and laid your head on Tom’s lap. He looked down, the light from the film reflected off your beautiful face and Tom felt like he was falling for you all over again. He began to gently brush your hair with his fingers making you sleepy. You enjoyed this and missed his soft touch making you relax, and that’s when you decided, “Tom?” You asked sleepily.

“Yes, darling?” Although he called Allana darling once, the nickname made you feel how you did when you two were previously dating. It made your heart feel light.

“I’m not going anywhere.” With that you drifted into sleep. Tom smiled widely and kept brushing your hair until he heard your cute soft snores indicating that you were officially out cold. He carefully picked you up and moved you so that your head was now rested on his chest. He shut the TV off and looked at your face lovingly until he too drifted off into the best sleep he’s had since before you two had broken up.

- 

“Tom! Have you seen Y/n? She wasn’t-” Harry barged into Tom’s room, “Oh what the fuck, are you serious?” You stirred and opened your eyes to see Tom’s sleeping face.

“Mmm shut up.” Tom said and you tried to get up, but he grumbled and pulled you closer.

“No get the hell up.” Harry said, sounding unhappy and you finally got out of Tom’s embrace. He rubbed his eyes and sat up fast realizing what was going on.

You laughed awkwardly, “Harry… how’s it going?” He looked at you then at Tom then smiled,

“So? What the hell happened, I’m surprised you guys made up so fast, are you dating again?” Harry said super excited and he jumped onto the edge of the bed. You and Tom gave one another a strange look. 

“Well I wasn’t expecting that...” Tom said awkwardly.

“N-no we’re not dating again. We made up as friends. Tom is still with Allana at the moment.” When you said that you were both reminded of all the bad things that you both have to deal with now.

“Harry, we found out some really bad shit about Allana.” Tom said.

“Oh you finally realized she’s a psychopa-” Tom rolled his eyes and cut him off.

“She stole almost 2.25 million pounds from our emergency vault.” 

“What the fuck?” Harry yelled and he got back up, “Mum and dad are going to kill you for losing this much money. How the fuck did she even get the code? Tom, you’re literally so irresponsible. We need to call the fucking police.” Tom let his little brother ramble and scold him before saying,

“Yeah we’re gonna head over to Allana’s soon and if she doesn’t give us the money we will. Trying to not have too many controversies right now you know?” Harry looked at his brother like he was insane, but sighed and nodded.

“That’s literally the dumbest shit I’ve heard, but it’s your money. How the hell are you being so calm about this?” 

Tom slid his hand on top of yours, but under the duvet so that Harry wouldn’t see, “I don’t know, just have a feeling that things are gonna be ok.” He squeezed your hand lightly and your pulse quickened. 

“Hm maybe Allana’s insanity is just rubbing off on the both of you.” Harry said suspiciously, “Wait, y/n, does this mean you're staying?” He looked at you with hopeful eyes and you nodded. Tom quickly removed his hand from yours when Harry cheered and pulled you up from the bed to shield you from Tom, “As much as I’m glad that you guys are good now, Y/n, is my best friend and MY best friend only ok? So back off, Tom.”

“You're such a goof, Harry. You will always be my best friend.” You hugged Harry and he stuck his tongue out at Tom. This started a playful fight because Tom slapped Harry in the face, so Harry jumped out of your embrace and onto Tom and they wrestled before you said,

“Oh my god. You are both so immature. Knock it off so we can bring that bitch down and get your money back.” They laughed and got up to get ready.

-

“Ready to go? Harry’s warming up the car.” Tom said with a piece of toast in his mouth as he tied his shoes. You nodded and had ice cubes over your eyebags. 

“What the hell are you doing?” 

“Reducing the puffiness of my eyes from last night’s antics.” 

“Mm fix mine.” Tom said while chewing the last bit of his toast. You giggled and walked over to him and placed the cubes on his puffy eyes. He was looking down at you and you stared into his beautiful brown irises.

“You look gorgeous even with puffy eyes, y/n.” You blushed a bit, “Well I mean you always look gor-” You and Tom were snapped out of the moment when Harry honked the car horn. You put the ice cubes in the trash and Tom asked, “Do I look less shitty now?”

“You never look shitty. Handsome as always.” You pinched his cheek and walked off. You were making Tom’s heart beat like crazy. He couldn’t even keep his mind straight on the mission you three were about to embark.

-

“Harrison and Tuwaine were playing games and drinking when I put the dishes away last night. So they’re probably gonna be out til this afternoon. Why can’t you just tell me everything now?” Harry groaned.

“Because it was a really long story which wouldn’t be fun to repeat.” You said.

“Plus, we’re almost at Allana’s.” Tom added and Harry huffed because he was impatient. “Ah park there, not in the driveway just in case she chases or something and need to drive off fast.” Tom said seriously and pointed at an empty spot on the street near Allana’s flat.

“Do you think she’s awake?” You asked.

“Who cares? I hope that bitch is asleep so we can ruin it.” You laughed at Harry’s sass.

“Even better that she’s most likely gonna be hung over.” Tom added, “Ok, Harry, keep your phone out just in case Allana does something crazy.” Harry nodded and you all walked to her front door with Tom leading. Tom knocked on the door aggressively.  

“Open up Allana we need to talk.” Tom yelled.

“Ugh you can stop I’ll get it.” You heard a muffled raspy voice. The door swung open to a hungover Allana, “Tommy, I wasn’t expecting you til-” She realized who was behind him, “What the fuck are they doing here.” She snarled then laughed at all your glares. “Oh so you found out mine and Tom’s little deal didn’t you?”

“We found out about a lot of other things too.” You said sternly. 

She raised her eyebrow, “And what may that be?” 

“We know about your situation with Ollie and Cody.” Tom said and her eyes widened.

“Wait, that guy Ollie from Love Island?” Harry looked at Tom who rolled his eyes because he interrupted and nodded at his brother. 

Harry’s mouth formed an ‘o’ before adding, “Well we also know that you stole about 2.25 million pounds as well. If you don’t give us the money back we’re gonna bring the police into this.” Harry showed his phone to her with the numbers 999 ready.

“And also make sure your business is shut down for good.” Tom said.

“I’m afraid half of the money has already been spent.” She said smugly and smirked.

“What the fuck. Harry, call the police.” You said, he nodded and was about to press the call button, but Allana stopped him. 

“Oh no no wait a second. I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” She pulled her phone out her robe pocket. “I knew something like this was going to happen so I went ahead and made a draft of the story I was going to tell TMZ. If you call the cops I’ll send the story in with the click of a button.” Tom looked at you knowing that you really didn’t want that. You were trying to think of any solution, but Tom sighed and held your hand before speaking up,

“Alright then. You want money right? How much do you want so you can get out of my life.” You widened your eyes.

“Tom no you can’t do that. I-It’ll be ok. I need to learn to get through it, I signed up for this life when becoming an actress.” You smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Harry’s eyes never left Allana’s phone as she waved it in front of you two. 

“Uh hello? I’d happily make a deal with you, Tommy. Your choice, do you really wanna break your promise…” You drowned her voice out as Harry slid his phone in your other hand and he jumped between you and Tom successfully taking Allana’s phone. 

“Hurry, y/n. Call the cops!” Harry yelled from behind Allana and you pressed the call button letting go of Tom’s hand. Allana got angry and grabbed a vase that was on a table by the door. She chucked it right at Harry’s head and he knocked out. 

“Harry! Oh my god.” You stepped inside to help Harry, but Tom stopped you. “No, I'll help him. talk to the police.” You nodded and he rushed to help his brother. You looked around and couldn’t see Allana until you felt cold metal pressed against your neck and you knew where she was. Tom stood up looking both scared and angry,

“No. Try to come near me and I’ll fucking slit her throat.” She yelled and you whimpered as tears began to roll down your cheeks, “Now, Tom, slide my phone to me. And y/n I want you to hang up.” 

As you were pulling the phone away from your ear you heard, “Hello? What-” and you ended the call. ‘Well that was shit timing.’ You thought. 

Tom kicked her phone over while tears began to roll down his cheeks, “Allana, p-please let her go now. We did what you wanted.” He said with his arms out trying to calm her down.

“No. Now I want money in exchange for her life.” She pressed the knife closer and you shut your eyes in fear.

“Ok ok. How much do you want? I can’t give you too much right away because that’d be suspicious.” Tom looked into your eyes and you knew he was stalling, the police still had to come just to make sure everything was ok.

“Well you’ll have to figure out a way to get a lot to me very soon. I want 7 million pounds by next week.”

“What’d you need that for, fleeing the country or some-” 

“Stop messing the fuck around. Now agree or she dies.” Tom looked behind you and relaxed a bit.

“Freeze! Drop the weapon.” You felt a bit relieved that the police came after all. Allana turned the both of you around and you squealed because you felt the knife cut into your skin a little bit. Tom tried to run up to you but Allana’s grip tightened on you, “Back the fuck off!” She snarled at Tom.

“Sir please stay where you’re at we’ll handle this.” You looked into Tom’s eyes and all you saw was fear. 

“Miss please drop the knife now or else I will shoot you.” The officer clocked the gun. Allana contemplated for a bit before sighing and removing the knife from your neck and dropped it. She was put in handcuffs, “I swear you both will pay for this shit.” Allana snarled as she was pulled away. 

You ran over to Tom and you sobbed. He held your quivering body and rubbed your back. 

“I’m so sorry, love. I shouldn’t have brought you, I put you in danger. I-I was so scared.” He kissed the top of your head and you felt his tears drop on your head. He hugged you tighter like it was the last time he’d see you.

“We need medics.” An officer said into her comms then she crouched down and shook Harry after feeling his pulse, “Sir? Can you hear me? Please wake up.” You let go of Tom and rushed over to Harry.

“Harry come on get up you’re ok.” He stirred and blinked his eyes a few times. 

“What the fuck? Wh-what did I miss? Y/n why is your neck bleeding?” You widened your eyes and felt your neck, it stung a tiny bit and felt wet. 

Tom was freaking out, “Shit, Y/n, are you feeling ok? I swear I’m gonna make that bitch pay.” You nodded.

“Ya. I-I think she just gave me a little scratch.” He looked at you worriedly.

“Yeah thanks, Tom, I’m good too.” Harry joked and Tom looked at his brother apologetically while helping him sit up. A medic went up to Harry and another one followed closely behind and went to you. 

“May I check the cut?” They asked and you nodded. Tom sat you down on the couch. You lifted your chin. “You’re ok, thankfully she didn’t cut deep, but you’ll need a thicker bandage. This is gonna sting a bit.” You nodded and hissed as the rubbing alcohol burned your cut. Tom squeezed your hand and kissed the top of your head. “You’re ok, darling.” When he called you darling you took your mind off the pain. You opened your eyes to see Tom’s brown ones already looking at you and you smiled at him. His face was full of concern so you put a hand on his cheek and he relaxed in your touch. You felt a cloth go over your cut.

“Alright you’re all done. Just change the bandage every so often.” The medic gave you a bag of more bandages.

“Thank you.” You smiled weakly and they nodded. You and Tom walked over to Harry and the other medic shined a light to his eyes.

“Yep you have a concussion forsure. You need to take it easy for the next few days, no bright lights, and no crazy exercising. Make sure he follows what I said and make things easier for him.” The medic looked at you both and nodded. The medic gave Harry an icepack and you all thanked him.

“You guys are gonna be my servants haha.” Harry joked and you laughed lightly as he tried to make the situation better.

“We need to talk to the officers.” Tom said putting his hand on the small of your back. You nodded giving Harry a quick hug letting him rest in his spot before heading over to the police. 

-

“Well today was really eventful.” Harry said sleepily from the backseat.

“It’s been an eventful 2 weeks for me, she made that dumb deal the night of the dinner.” Tom said, keeping his eyes on the road.

“I mean I’m just glad we got her off your ass.” You said.

“Yeah me too, but I feel like it’s not the last we’ll see of her. Her uncle is a cop, remember?” Tom reminded you. You’re body tensed a bit and nodded. Tom noticed and reached over the console to rub your hand indicating that he won’t let anything bad happen.

“Oh you’re shitting me. That’s not right.” Harry groaned. “Well maybe they’ll be more strict on her because she literally tried to kill y/n.” Your eyes widened realizing that you really almost just died. 

“Harry! Don’t say it like that.” Tom said realizing you got even more scared.

“N-no. It’s alright she knocked you out, loser.” You weakly joked and Harry laughed. Tom just looked over at you concerned.

-

“Yeah the money will be returned when they finish interrogating Allana.” Tom said. Everyone living in the house was seated in the living room, Zendaya and your parents were on facetime on your laptop, and Tom’s parents were on facetime on his laptop. You and Tom had just explained everything that went down with the whole Allana deal. 

Nikki sighed, “Well I’m just glad that all three of you are safe now. Tom, you need to be more careful with your money.” Tom got a little embarrassed and you rubbed his back. “I trust that this will be a lesson learned.” 

He nodded and sighed, “Definitely learned something.” Nikki and Dom nodded worriedly.

“Alright well, if that’s all we’ll let you go. If you lot need anything, we're only a call and just a few blocks away.” Dom said. You and the boys nodded.

“Oh, Y/m/n, make sure you send me that recipe of the beef roast. It looked delicious on your facebook!” Nikki added and your mom nodded before everyone exchanged goodbyes with Tom’s parents.

“I’m so sorry for putting your daughter in danger. I-I shouldn’t have brought her, I assure you that she is very safe with my mates and I. If you want I can update-” Tom was beginning to ramble nervously, but your mom cut him off.

���Tom, sweetie there’s no need to do that. We trust all you boys and we trust y/n can take care of herself.”

“Yeah we’ll make sure she’s eating her veggies and fruits as well.” Harrison said and Tom slapped his arm. Everyone laughed at the way he teased Tom. 

“Alright, I’ll talk to you guys later!” You said.

“Wait, y/n, can we talk to you in private?” Your dad asked and you nodded as Tom gulped. You got up from your spot to go to the kitchen. As soon as you sat your dad spoke.

“Are you sure you’re ok there? ‘Cause I’m not sure I want you to stay. And I don’t know if I even trust Tom being there. Maybe-”

“No, dad, I swear to you everything is ok. Plus, you know Tom is a good guy, he wouldn’t do anything bad.” You stated.

“Yeah if he does anything stupid I’ll make sure he pays for it.” Zendaya said seriously.

“Ah thank you, Z. You’re always such a good friend.” Your dad said and you and your mom agreed as Zendaya nodded and flipped her hair jokingly.

“But seriously y/n’s right. Tom is a really good guy. You can trust him.” Your parents looked at one another nodding trusting her words. ‘Why the hell don’t they trust what I say?’ You thought.

“Alright we’re going to go eat now. Text or call if you need anything. It was wonderful seeing you, Z, I’ll drop off some baked goods in a few days.” Your mom said and Zendaya cheered while you pouted. You all said your goodbyes, but Zendaya stayed on.

“Y/n, I know damn well that something happened between you and Tom. It’s literally so obvious he kept looking at you and I saw you rub his back like you guys didn’t have a past.” You laughed at how well she could read you and every situation ever.

“Well a lot happened in literally one week. I just don’t think I’m ready for anything though, like you said it’s time for myself now.” You sighed then cleared your throat, “but nonetheless I’ll update you as soon as you’re not busy, as long as you update me about Jacob as well.” She laughed and nodded.

“Will do, but take as much time and space as you need. I know he’d wait.” You nodded trusting every word she said, “alright I’m gonna go eat now. Love you bihhh!”

“Love you too, stay safe!” You hung up and walked to the living room.

“Everything ok?” Tom asked a little nervous because your dad wanted to talk in private.

“He was probably saying he wants to drop kick your ass as soon as he sees you, Tom.” Tuwaine said and you the boys snickered as that only made Tom more nervous.

“No he didn’t. He just wanted to make sure I’m alright.” You said and Tom relaxed.

“You guys want to have a comedy movie marathon to cheer you up?” Harrison asked.

“I think that is very much needed. Go ahead and start it. I’m gonna change my bandage first and get Harry some shades, he can’t look at bright lights.” You explained and the boys snickered at that. Harry flipped them all off.

“I’ll help you, y/n. Plus I have some nice shades Harry can wear.” Tom said kindly and you nodded smiling back. Haz and Tuwaine made kissy faces behind Tom and you rolled your eyes before walking upstairs.

When you got to your room Tom pulled out the desk chair for you and he grabbed the first aid kit. “I can do it myself, Tom.” 

“Nonsense, let me take care of you, darling. It was my fault after all.” Your heart melted, he was being so kind.

“It wasn’t your fault at all, we wouldn’t have been in this mess if I wasn’t scared for the world to know about us. The situation would’ve been handled a lot less hectic.” You sighed feeling bad. Tom peeled the dirty bandage off and held your hand as he wiped your cut with the alcohol. You squeezed your eyes shut and Tom pulled your hand to his lips kissing your knuckles gently then rubbing them with his thumb. He placed the bandage on your cut and let your hand go.

“I wouldn’t mind hiding a relationship with you again though…” He said as you lowered your head back down. you opened your eyes and he looked into yours seriously. You looked at him apologetically and he dropped his head back while brushing his hands through his hair. “God I’m such an idiot. Sorry pretend I didn’t say that.” His ears and cheeks were turning red.

“Tom-” 

“No no it’s ok I get it. You want to be friends. Wh-which is ok of course because I’d rather be friends than nothing. I’m not saying I like you right now or any-” You giggled a bit, but got a little hurt when he said the last part. 

“Tom! Let me speak.”

“Oh s-sorry, love.” He said looking at you and you smiled at his cuteness.

“I’m not going to lie. I-I think I started to have feelings for you too. Like I said I don’t think I ever truly got over you…”

“Oh. Well in that case I definitely haven’t gotten over you. I didn’t mean what I said just now I think I do li-” He stopped realizing he interrupted you again, “oops sorry.”

You giggled again, “Anyway, I know we both want something more right now, b-but we should just stay friends for now.” His heart dropped and he looked at you with confusion and sadness, “I just got out of a relationship a few weeks ago and I told Zendaya this would be the time for me to grow. Plus you just got out of a really crazy relationship. And after hearing about both of our stories after our break up, I-I really think we should learn to be ok with ourselves first.” He sighed and nodded. “Don’t get me wrong though. I have feelings for you, Tom. I’m just not ready to-” “Yeah ok I understand. I’m gonna go get my orange shades for Harry now.” He turned and began to walk away.

“Tom wait I wasn’t done ta-” He turned back to face you at your doorway. 

“Just know that I’ll wait for you, darling. Take all the time you need. I’m a little upset, but just take your time.” You looked at him as tears welled up in your eyes and your heart skipped a beat. “Really. I’ll wait for you.” He was upset, but he couldn’t let his anger cloud over his feelings for you.

+++

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[harry-styles-sunflower]

Wandering Hands Part 3

Hellooo everyone! I hope you are all having a lovely day! SO this is Part 3 of Wandering Hands. 

What it is: You and Harry become friends but you come with certain baggage that might make any other man run.

Word count: 6.5k

Warning: Cursing and smut (lmk if I forgot one!)

This part is ~juicy~ 

Pls reblog if you like it :) Thanks in advance for the support! Feedback is always helpful, I love hearing from you all!

~~~

The kiss had picked up. Now you were on top, legs on either side of his waist and kissing his neck. You felt his hums of appreciation against your lips. You accidentally left a small mark on the side of his neck but he assured you it was fine. You were both wearing tight jeans. It was uncomfortable. It had been a bit over 5 years since you’d been with anyone like this. Before your husband died he was already gone for 4 months. Fuck, Michael.

You tried to change your mentality and keep kissing Harry. You kissed his lips again to remember just him. Luckily before he could probably notice, he stopped you and sat a little more up.

“I think we should take a break yeah? Before we rush into anything?” He didn’t want to take advantage of how needy you probably felt. He wanted to carry this out like any other relationship. You were thankful for it. Even though all night you had been thinking of what more would be or feel like, you still weren’t sure if you were 100% there. You nodded at his words and kissed him lightly before settling down next to him.

“Um, could I use your bathroom?”

“Yeah, last door down the hall,” you smiled at him. He got up and gave you a peck before going. When he got to the bathroom, he unzipped his tight skinny jeans and held back a sigh of relief. He was aching. His hard on was hidden from how tight his pants were but now he needed to pee to make it go down. He squeezed it a few times in attempt to get it to go down. “I can’t fucking relieve myself in her bathroom,” he thought. He began thinking of anything else and it helped. Peeing hurt but he was happy that his hard on was gone. Goodness, you were going to be the death of him.

~~~

You two were eating popcorn facing each other leaning on opposite ends of the couch. Your legs were tangled in one another’s.

“Hmm, first kiss story?”

“Ah, bloody romantic if you ask me.”

“I bet I could top yours”

“Let’s see, we were with friends, I was 11 & we were watching a movie. I leaned over and kissed her.”

“You kissed her in front of your friends?”

“Mhm”

“That’s not romantic, I’ll tell you romantic. I was 12 and my friend was having a ‘going to be 8th graders party?’ Basically, we were excited that we finished 7th grade. I had a boyfriend, and well she lived in this building where the roof was all done up. So, we had the party up there, just us kids. No parents. My boyfriend and I went to this secluded part of the roof and it overlooked these train tracks and highways and we kissed. It was great until we clanked teeth.” He bursted out laughing after you said the last part.

“It was all good until that last part,”

“Hush. You know when we broke up he said, “it was a good time” and hugged me? Nice guy but super awkward.” He laughed again and you threw popcorn at him. “I had to go to high school AND college with him after that too” Now he was actually getting red from laughing so hard. You just shook your head and watched the view.

“I’m sorry I’m sorry,” he coughed, “that was a good story love.” He rubbed his foot against yours.

“Thanks. First heartbreak?”

“Like real one?”

“Yeah.”

“Um, I guess one in Secondary,” he ate a kernel, “Basically, there was a rumor that I cheated on her. I didn’t, but she was definitely in love with her best friend so she believed her. I think she’s lesbian now honestly.”

“Oh my,” you said as you put some more popcorn in your mouth. He nodded and pointed at you.

“Oh um, well you already know.”

“Oh, right sorry. I forget that you guys met so young.”

“It’s okay,” you smiled, “first time?” You got up and grabbed you two some angry orchards.

“Yikes. That story is cringe-worthy” he says as he takes the bottle from you.  

“Ooh, then I’m all ears.”

“High school girlfriend, I was 15, both our first time. Um I had prepared myself to try and last like a good amount of time,” he drinks hiding a smile, “I think I lasted a minute” he laughs.

“Oh no Harry,” you laugh lightly.

“It was so bad I felt so bad. It got better though” he grinned.

“I’d hope” you smiled behind taking a swig of your drink.

“Can I assume yours was just as perfect as your first kiss?” He raised a brow at you.

“It was, sort of. Hurt and I didn’t get off. I was 17 though. I’m just happy that he was gentle and caring,” you smiled

“I’m happy for you. You made Michael wait 2 years?” He said before putting popcorn into his mouth.

“I did. Wanted to make sure he was serious about me before getting into my pants. I knew no guy would wait 2 years just for that,” you laughed.

“You’re right, only one that cared would wait.” He nodded and so did you.

“I’d wait 2 years to prove it to you,” he winked your way.

“No thanks,” you laughed before eating more popcorn. He would be lying if he didn’t feel some sort of relief. He could tell by the way you kissed you must be crazier in bed.

“I have this thing where I buy guys sweatpants because they’re way more comfortable. Um would you want a pair?” You asked looking down at your bottle in your hands. He put his bottle and popcorn bowl on your coffee table before crawling up to you and hovering over your face.

“Are you asking me to sleepover?”

“Yes,” you swallowed.

“I’ll take a pair,” he kissed you deeply before pulling away slowly.

“Okay,” you stayed seated.

“Are you going to get them?” He smirked.

“Y-yeah” you pushed him off of you lightly before going to your room. What a fucking tease. He enjoyed it too.

~~~

You were both changed and cuddling on your couch. Watching the new Netflix rom com, Love, Guaranteed. It was sweet. Harry was rubbing your back as you laid on his chest. You both laughed at certain scenes and you’d feel him tense up at some serious scenes as if he was the one going through it. It was adorable. Your eyes felt heavy and so did Harry’s. Before you knew it, you were asleep in the arms of your new boyfriend. You were happy. You were awakened by knocking on the door. You got off Harry careful not to wake him. You rubbed your eyes and opened the door. You saw it was Michael and you couldn’t help but scream.

“Y/n!” You opened your eyes and saw Harry looking down at you with worried eyes. You looked at him and around you. It was a dream. A nightmare really. You were breathing heavily and sweating.

“Are you okay love? You were moving a lot and then you yelled and mumbled Michael,” he wiped your forehead.

“Yeah I um, just bad dream sorry.” You sat up moving away from him.

“Do you want to talk about it?” He rubbed your shin.

“Um yeah, I guess. It was just really realistic. Um it was like now. If I woke up normally. Someone was knocking on the door and when I opened it, it was Michael” you rubbed your head.

“Oh wow, that sounds like a movie honestly,”

“There’s a show like it. Ironically the character was named Michael too.” He nodded and continued rubbing your leg. He studied your face and you looked worried. You were there but you weren’t.

“Y/n? You okay?”

“Yeah, sorry. Just feeling really um thrown off.”

“Could it be possible?”

“No. I um, I had to identify him” you choked out. You were trying so hard to keep it together. Not scare him away.

“Oh, y/n, come here love,” he pulled you into him as you cried quietly. “Maybe yesterday was too much?”

You shook your head, no.

“I will always love him Harry, it’s not like we got divorced or something. But I’m ready to move on with my life.” He gave you a tighter hug and kiss on your head.

“Okay,” he said. He understood you and he didn’t mind sharing your love. “Did you guys bury him?” He felt you nod. “Maybe you could visit him. Talk to him,” he suggested. Your heart warmed. He was so sweet and understanding. You loved how he didn’t compete to be your number one. You nodded and looked up at him. You grabbed his face with your two hands and kissed him passionately.

“I’m so happy we met” you leaned your forehead against his.

“Me too,” he kissed you, “let me cook you dinner tonight? My place?”

“Yeah? Okay,” you smiled, “I can bri-“

“Bring yourself,” he smiles.

“Okay,” you lean your head on his shoulder but you feel your phone vibrate. You grab it and stand; you see Sam texted you from Lydia’s phone.

L: Hey ma, can I stay with grandma tonight?

Y/n: Yep of course.

L: thanks!

Y/n: no problem hon❤️

“Sam’s staying at his grandma’s till tomorrow,”

“Ooh okay, sleepover?”

“Again?” You raise a brow at him

“I’d like that yes,” he comes over rubbing your sides. You sigh contently.

“My place this time,” he kisses your cheek.

~~~

You were on your way to Harry’s house. You decided to wear leggings and a graphic tee with a cardigan. You figured you’d just stay asleep with those clothes. You had picked up some chips and dip before going over. Harry left your place around 2:00 to get groceries and everything prepared before you went over. After he left you watched the Yankees game and graded some homework. You got to Harry’s house and noticed what a charming little house it was. Seemed to be one floor with a one car garage. It fit him perfectly. You parked and walked up the steps to his door. You knocked and he answered quickly afterwards.

“Love,” he grabbed your hand and pulled you into him.

“Hi,” you smiled up at him. He put a finger under your chin and kissed you slowly. You always felt like you could just melt under his touch. He knew it too, and he enjoyed it. “It smells delicious in here,” He holds your hand further into his house.

“I hope it tastes just as good. So, this is the living room, my room is down that hall and so is the bathroom and my office and then there’s the kitchen” he says pointing around. He had it nicely decorated.

“It’s beautiful harry,” you squeeze his hands.

“I decided to cook you crab legs, I remember you mentioned your love for them on one of our FaceTime dates.”

“Crab legs?” You said a little shocked he went so above and beyond.

“Mhm, with some linguine Alfredo. Homemade Alfredo sauce if I may add.” He was so excited telling you everything. You felt something change in your heart towards Harry in that moment. Like you wanted this for a long time. Like you…like you loved him.

“W-wow, um thank you. You didn’t have to do this,” you felt nervous with how well he was treating you. What if this ended someday? Another heartbreak?

“My honor, y/n,” he cheesed at you. You smiled back as you sat and put the bag you brought on his table.

“I brought chips and dip,” you said lowly.

“Thank you love, everything okay?” He noticed the shift in your mood.

“Mhm, just still amazed.”

“You sure?” You nodded.

He served you soon after and you two shared laughs as you both would send small pieces of crab flying as you two would try and crack it open. It was nice and romantic. He served your dinner with some white wine. He joked that he only served you wine so that then you would have to sleepover because you couldn’t drink and drive. After dinner you two settled on the couch and cuddled. He had set the fireplace on. The temperature was dropping rapidly at night now. You two were cozy and comfortable.

“I spoke to my mum about you,” he says while playing with your fingers.

“What'd she say?” You bit your lip. Lydia was a pain, you hoped Harry’s mom liked you more.

“She just hopes I know what I’m getting into but was also happy that I was happy,” he kisses your head before speaking again, “I know the shoes I’d be filling, and I’m not scared to.” There was that feeling again, from earlier. You think you loved Harry and it scared the shit out of you.

“What would be a dealbreaker for you?” You looked up at him.

“Cheating probably. Or abuse.” He says as his fingertips dance on the side of your face delicately.

“What if I said I won’t let Michael go?” You were a little scared to hear his answer but you also knew he might be supportive.

“I never expected you to love, he was your best friend too. You shouldn’t ever let him go. You should honor his memory always and feel comfortable talking about him. I don’t consider him an ex to be jealous of,” he smiled at you.

Yep, you loved him. Fuck. You felt love for the man in front of you. You’d only known each other for about two months. You fell hard and you fell fast. You were fucked.

“Thank you,” was all you could say. He kissed your forehead.

“I guess we should talk about this now before anything… is Sam all you want?” He looked at you nervously.

“No, I’ve always wanted two, but maybe not now. I’m not afraid of age gaps honestly. My oldest sister is 12 years older than me.”

“Okay,” he smiled. His smile was full of happiness. You could tell.

~~~

You two were still on his couch but now Harry laid his head in between your breasts. He used them as pillows, only watching a movie now. It was some documentary on sharks Harry, insisted on it being good. He got up and kissed you on your forehead announcing he’d probably take a while in the bathroom. ‘It was the linguine’ he states as he skips to the bathroom. You laughed because of how comfortable you two were with each other already. You kept watching the doc until his phone rang. “Probably: Mary” it said. You let it ring until it rang a second time.

“Hello?”

“Um excuse me is Harry there?” The woman’s tone was rude.

“Yeah he is. Who’s this?” Wanna have an attitude? So can I.

“Mary, who's this?”

“His girlfriend,” you heard her laugh through the phone.

“Funny. He didn’t mention a girl last we spoke. A few nights ago, to be exact.”

“He’s never mentioned you either, must not be as important as you think” you bit back. He had though. You were 90% sure this was his ex. If not, you just fucked up a relationship with one of his friends or cousins.

“Could you just put Harry on the phone?” She was growing annoyed with you.

“Can’t. He’s a little preoccupied, sorry.” You know what it sounded like. You didn’t mind it either.

“Bitch.” she said before hanging up. You put his phone back on the coffee table and went back to laying down. Harry came back a few minutes later.

“I forgot my phone, started reading the back of the cleaning supplies,” he joked. You laugh lightly as he settles back on your chest. You run your fingers through his hair. It was becoming longer every day. You met him with a fresh haircut but now he had it flowing like Prince Charming from Shrek.

“Mary called,” you said, your tone relaxed. He tensed up. He got off your chest and kneeled in between your legs.

“Mary, my ex Mary?” He questioned. Thank God you thought. Relieved it wasn’t a family member.

“Mhm. She called once but I ignored it and then I picked up on the second call,” you watched his face change. Worried that you were going to become a jealous rage and leave him.

“I didn’t mention it because we weren’t even dating yet but she called me a few days ago but I just told her to leave me alone nothing more, I even told her about you in hopes that she’d stop,” he grabbed your hands in desperation. You smiled at him.

“It’s okay Harry,” you leaned up off the couch and rubbed his shoulders, “I trust you. She sounds nuts anyway. No offense.”

“None taken,” he grabs your face before falling back on top of you and covering you in kisses. You laughed and spoke up again.

“I think she may leave you alone now,” you bit your lip.

“What’d you say?” He asked with furrowed brows.

“She wanted to talk to you but I told her you were um preoccupied,” you covered your mouth with your hand.

“Y/n y/l/n, do you know what that sounds like?” He grinned at you.

“I do.” You pulled him down and kissed him hard. You’d missed him after he left your place this morning. He kissed you back eagerly. Before you came you decided to shave everything in the shower. Just in case. You thought long and hard about it, you decided that you were sure you were ready. Harry’s lips moved down to your neck. Biting and sucking in certain areas. You let out a moan which made him hold back one of his own.

“I think we should stop, just for a bit. That escalated really quickly,” he said rubbing his thumb over your lip.

“I don’t want to,” you pouted.

“If we don’t love then you’re going to feel something that I can’t control.” He smiled at you.

“I felt it last night Harry,” you chuckled lightly.

“You did? Oh my god, I’m embarrassed.” He hid his face in the crook of your neck.

“Don’t be. I um, I wanna feel it.” You said shyly. You’ve never been vocal about stuff like this.

“You do?” This excited him slightly.

“Yeah,” your cheeks were red and he bit back his smile.

“What are the boundaries for tonight? I don’t want to push them.” He was fixing your hair away from your face and kissing your face lightly. It was comforting.

“I-I don’t know. Harry I’m not good at this. I’ve never been,” you sighed.

“Good at what?”

“Explaining what I want. The words physically do not come out.” You sounded a little frustrated with yourself and he thought it was a little cute but he wouldn’t admit that.

“It’s okay love, I could ask you and you just nod or shake your head, is that okay?” You nodded.

“Is the way I kiss you okay? Like your neck and stuff?” you nodded.

“Is it okay if I touch you, in other areas?” You nodded.

“Is it okay if I um. How can I phrase this? Erm. Orally please you?” He let out a small laugh and so did you. You nodded and you saw a dimply grin.

“Alright then I guess we’re all set,” He leaned in but you stopped him.

“You didn’t finish..”

“I didn’t know if I should,” he looked a little stunned and confused.

“Go on,” you urged.

“Physically please you? Fingers? No fingers?” He was shy now. You held his face in your hands and nodded.

“Um so we should probably move to my room,” he was trying to hide his excitement at the night you two were about to have.

“Lead the way,” he got up and grabbed your hands leading. He was basically speed walking. You held back a laugh. You got to his room and it was very guy like. Black furniture and book shelves in each corner. He pulled you into him and held your face as he placed a kiss on your forehead.

“Are you sure?”

“I think so, I guess I won’t know till I try?” He nodded.

“Just tell me if you want to stop and I’ll stop right away, don’t feel bad or anything.” He remained eye contact with you as he spoke and you nodded.

He began by kissing your forehead, to your cheek, and to your lips. He deepened the kiss by swiping his tongue against your lips and you allowing him in. He walked you backwards onto his bed as he slowly leaned you against it. You could sense his nervousness and hesitation and he could sense yours. Were you two both sure about this? You lifted his shirt slightly running your fingers across his stomach. They felt like fire against his skin. He helped you take it off and you scanned his front. He was covered in tattoos and it turned you on. You pulled him down to you and tangled a hand in his hair. He pulled your cardigan off your shoulders and lifted your shirt off. He gave you a look silently asking if it was okay and you nodded. After having Sam your body looked different, but you were proud of it. He kissed down your neck to in between your breast. He looked up at you occasionally to make sure you didn’t have a change of expression.

“You’re so beautiful,” he said as he kissed over your stretch marks.

“I know,” you laughed and he smiled back at you.

“I love the confidence babe,” he said before biting your hip lightly causing you to moan lowly. He pulled your pants down and kissed your thighs before lifting your calves onto his shoulders. He was taking his time and you appreciated it. He kissed you all over, seemingly not missing a spot. You leaned up and pushed his pants down accidentally pushing his boxers down with it.

“Shit sorry,” you fumbled out and he laughed lightly.

“It’s okay if you’re eager,” he was smirking and you just shook your head at him. He was fairly large and you were a little intimidated. It had been a while and you didn’t want to make him go slow. He noticed the way your eyebrows scrunched together so he grabbed your face and kissed you to distract you.

“You still sure?” He asked and you nodded. He crawled back in between your legs. He kissed down your stomach to in between your thighs.

"I'll go slow if that's what you're worried about," he kissed over your underwear, "I intend on taking my time with you."

"O-okay," there was no going back now, you were too turned on. He pulled your underwear to the side and licked your slit soaking up all the wetness that gathered there. It felt excruciatingly amazing. You let out a moan and bit your lip.

"I liked these; I liked the color. But they're in the way," he said before pulling them down your legs and placing his head back in between your legs. He licked you viciously and sucked your clit harshly. You couldn't stop moaning. He lifted his head and you looked down wondering why he stopped. His lips were covered in your wetness and you whined when he licked them.

"Is it okay if I-" you cut him off.

"Yes." he laughed before continuing what he was doing. You felt him insert a finger in you and curl it. He looked at your facial expressions to see what you liked and what you didn't react to. He put another finger in you and tried to stretch you out a bit. He could feel you tensing around his fingers so he flicked his tongue over your clit as you moaned louder. He wanted you to cum on his tongue. You felt the pressure in your stomach increase and you shut your eyes from pleasure. It felt so good.

"Let go love," he encouraged. You couldn't contain it anymore. You put your hand in his hair and tugged as you came. He moaned against your center and continued for a while until you pushed his head away becoming too sensitive.

"Good?" he smirked coming back up above you. You nodded and kissed him. You didn’t mind that your wetness coated his lips. He put his tongue in your mouth and yours in his. The kiss was messy but fucking hot.

"Let me um, do you." you mumbled between the kiss. You saw him shake his head.

"Honestly, I don’t doubt your talent but I don’t think I could hold on long enough if you were to do that," he smirked, "Another time love, maybe tomorrow." he winked before kissing you again. He put his forearm next to your head and placed a hand on your cheek and kissed you slowly. You could feel his length against your center. He kissed down your neck and you felt yourself getting wet for him again.

"Harry," you breathed out.

"Yeah?" he looked up at you immediately. You smiled and gave him a kiss for his tentativeness.

"Um we need a condom, I'm not on anything." he smiled and kissed you again.

"Okay love," he wasn't going to tell you that he was getting there because he didn't want to embarrass you or anything. He loved how much you wanted him. He leaned over and reached into his night table and pulled a condom out.

"Still sure?" he looked at you.

"Yes Harry, I'm sure." you spoke up this time instead of nodding. He seemed to appreciate it. He opened the wrapper and rolled the condom onto his length. He kissed you as he lined himself up at your entrance. He pushed his tip in and you gasped lightly into the kiss. You nodded for him to continue and he slowly continued. He kissed you all over your face. Romantic as ever. You surprisingly felt fine physically, but emotions were getting to you a bit. You couldn't help but think of your last time.

"Harry, you can go faster I'm good,"

"Yeah?" he looked at you.

"Yeah." he went a little faster and you moaned. His face was in the crook of your neck and your moans in his ear were heavenly. He already felt close. You ran your hands down his back and pushed his hips against you and scratched them lightly.

"Fuck, Harry," you kissed his shoulder. He lifted his head to look at you and leaned his forehead against yours.

"Feel good?" he kissed you hard before giving you a chance to answer so you moaned into the kiss as a reply. You were getting closer and sinking yourself further into the mattress as it was becoming all too much. Your moans grew louder. He put an arm under your lower back holding you still as his thrusts became faster and sloppier.

"Harry I-I'm close," you breathed. He groaned and kissed your neck.

"Me too, let go babe. You can do it." His words were enough for you to come to the edge. Your legs wrapped around his waist pulling him deeper as you clenched around him and came. The tightness you formed around him was unbearable and he moaned louder than the other times as he came. His eyes were screwed shut and his hips bucked a few times in you afterwards. He pulled out and laid on you for a bit while he caught his breath.

"That was amazing," he pulled the condom off and tossed it in the bin next to his bed.

"Is it bad if I say I want to do that again?" he turned his head to you quickly. Light blush on his cheeks.

"Really?" he couldn't contain his excitement.

"Mhm," you put your hand on his cheek and kissed him and sat up a little, "I'll be on top now." he groaned and kissed you harder. You climbed on top of him and grinded against him. Your wetness soaking his length. It was painful for him to feel you against him without a condom knowing he couldn't go inside you that way. He pulled away and held your hips.

"Let me get the condom," you nodded. He reached into his night table got it. He gave it to you with a raised eyebrow. You took it and wrapped your arms around his neck and pulled him in for a kiss. His hands ran all over your body. From your nipples, to your ass, to your sensitive clit. He was taking advantage of feeling your soft skin. You pulled away and he kissed your neck as you opened the wrapper. You pulled the condom out and pushed Harry away lightly so you could grab his length. He was still sensitive and sucked in a breath when you rolled the condom on him. He was letting you take control and he loved watching you. He lined him up against your center before sinking down on him. He moaned and grabbed your face before kissing you harshly. You bit his lip and pulled and he did the same to you. You moved your hips in slow circles before bouncing up and down on his shaft earning louder moans from him. He put his hands on your thighs and squeezed them. You used the headboard as leverage and bit your lip. He began rubbing your clit with his thumb and your movements became harder to do from how overwhelming the pleasure was. You tightened around him again and he smirked.

"That's it baby," he took your nipple in your mouth and you moved your hands into his hair. You tugged at the hair behind his head and he groaned. You picked up your pace again and you heard Harry choke a little as he squeezed your hips.

"Fuck I'm sorry I'm cumming," he moaned and you kissed him. You said 'It's fine' in between your kisses.  You continued until you reached your high soon after causing Harry to squeeze your thighs harder. There might be bruises there in the morning you thought. You felt him softening inside you so you kissed him and lifted yourself off of him. He smiled into the kiss and so did you. He put one hand on your cheek keeping your lips against his and the other on the small of your back to lay you down against his comforter.

"Do you want to use the bathroom first?" he asked and ran a finger down your cheek.

"Yes please," he got off of you and you got up pulling his shirt on and tugging at the bottom. You just had sex with him yet you were feeling a little shy now. He pulled the condom off and tossed it in the bin with the other one and showed you where the bathroom was. You did your thing and when you came back you saw Harry cleaning himself with a towel. You decided to wait until he was done to show you'd come back. Giving him a little privacy. Once he had his boxers back on you walked in.

"Har, um could I borrow a pair of your boxers? If you don't mind? If that's not weird? I just um my underwear is all wet and I just clean-" he cut you off.

"That's perfectly fine love," he walked over to his dresser, "Boxers or Briefs?"

"Um briefs," you blushed. He handed them to you and you pulled them on. You rolled them up once so they fit a little better. He watched you with a wide grin on his face.

"You look good in my clothes," you crawled into bed and laid next to him and put your head on his chest.

"Thank you," you traced his butterfly tattoo with your middle finger lightly. You noticed the goosebumps that rose and you smiled. He ran his hand up and down your back.

"You okay?" he asked. You didn't feel like answering honestly. You were honestly fine; you just couldn't help but be a little nostalgic. It was big day for you, letting Harry in the way you did. Emotionally and physically.

"Yeah, I'm okay," you looked up and kissed him, "Exhausted though," you smiled.

"Me too to be honest," you both got under the covers and assumed the spooning position. Harry being the big spoon. He would tell you later on he preferred to be the little one. You kind of already knew this from how he liked to lay on your chest. He wrapped his arms from behind you and you both soon became very sleepy. You barely heard him whisper,

“I think I’m falling in love with you,” a tear escaped from all the different emotions you felt. He would be okay if you didn’t answer or if you did and it wasn’t the one he hoped. You did speak up though.

“I think I’m falling in love with you too,” and you were.

~~~

You woke up feeling hot. You didn't like feeling hot. Why were you feeling hot? You opened your eyes and saw Harry's head was on your chest and his lower half was half on you and half way off. He was warm. Looking down at him you didn't mind feeling hot anymore. You kissed his head lightly to not wake him up. You remembered what you two said before falling asleep. You two were moving fast, but you two had declared your own timeline. Who cared? If it was fine with you and him, that’s all that mattered. You felt him stir and soon enough he lifted his head and looked up at you. His sleepy eyes and hair stuck to his face made you let out an 'aw'.

"Morning," he stuck his head in between your neck and shoulder. His voice was deep and raspy.

"Morning," you placed a hand in his hair.

"You're warm," his lips brushed against your neck as he spoke. It gave you goosebumps.

"So are you,"

"Do you like tea?" he asked.

"Love it," you scratched his scalp soothingly.

"I've got a bunch of flavors; I can make you one." he laid a kiss on your collarbone.

"I'd like that," you swallowed, "It looks cold outside. The trees keep moving." he groaned.

"Welcome to New York, where one day its summer and the next its fall and there's no going back." you laughed.

"You have a pretty laugh," he looked up at you.

"You have a pretty face."

"You don’t have pretty breath though," he joked but you pushed him away so he fell beside you, "I'm jokin' love!"

"You don't have pretty breath either," you mocked and tried to imitate his accent.

"Oh god that was bloody horrible," he laughed. His laugh was contagious so you laughed too, unable to remain serious.

"C'mon, let's go brush our teeth and stuff." you got up and walked hand in hand to the bathroom. He had his and her sinks. He opened one of the cabinets below his sink and placed a spare toothbrush in front of you. You were looking in the mirror. Your mascara had smudged a bit and blush was on your nose. Harry passed you makeup remover wipes and you looked down at them with a little bit of a questioning look.

"My sister left them here," he put toothpaste on his toothbrush before passing it to you.

"Oh," you nodded. You brushed your teeth together, Harry occasionally making funny faces at you to make you smile. Yeah, you meant what you said last night.

"Uh, mind if I uh piss real quick? You don't have to go,"

"It's fine," you began wiping your undereye as he walked over to the toilet. You saw him pull his boxers a bit down and showing half of his ass. He had such a cute butt. You smiled again and focused back on removing your makeup. Once he finished, he came back next to you and washed his hands. He waited for you to finish before you walked back to his room together to get dressed. He lent you some fuzzy socks since yours were thin. He put on the shirt you wore to sleep and pair of gray sweats and fuzzy socks also. You walked into the kitchen together. He opened a drawer to show you his expansive tea collection. He wasn’t joking when he said he had lots of flavors.

"I'll have Passion Raspberry, with honey."

"Okay," he grabbed a pack for you and mango ginger for himself. He set the kettle on the stove with water and he set the tea bags in mugs. It was the yogi brand. Each came with a quote. You read yours aloud.

"May this day bring you peace, tranquility, and harmony. Aw, cute. What's yours say?"

"Give love, get love." he bit his lip. You were both thinking about the words you said before you fell asleep. You wrapped your arms around his waist and looked up at him. He was looking straight ahead. Lost in thoughts.

"I meant what I said last night," you said to pull him away from any thoughts that he may be thinking you hadn't meant it. He put a finger under your chin and looked at you with intense eyes. He kissed you lightly.

"I did too," you pressed your lips against one another. The kettle whistled and you two separated. He poured the water in the mugs and you grabbed yours. You both weren't completely ready to say I love you yet. After all, you both said "I think".  

"What would you like to eat?"

"Buttered toast is fine with me," you answered before taking a sip of your tea. He put the bread in the toaster as you settled on one of the stools next to his kitchen island.

"So, when will I meet Sam?" He was smiling, you weren't.

"What?" you said confused.

"Sam, when will I get to meet him?"

"Not anytime soon," you scoffed lightly. He was joking right? It’s only been like two months of talking. You two just started dating like two nights ago.

"Why'd you do that?" he asks.

"Do what?" He imitates your scoff.

"You can't be serious Harry," you chuckled, "We just started dating."

"Yeah but I figured since we've known each other for a bit.." he trailed off.

"What? That I'd let you meet my son right away? Harry we just started dating," you reiterated.

"Seems like we're moving at our own timeline don't you think," he looks towards his room.

"Are you suggesting that because we had sex I should be okay with you meeting my kid?"

"No but sort of, do you not trust me?"

"It's not a matter of trust Harry, it's just too soon."

"You didn’t seem to think that last night,"

"Oh my god, could you not bring last night into this discussion? He's only 7, this would be too soon."

"You didn't answer my question,"

"I have a headache," you rubbed your forehead, "What question?"

"Do you trust me?"

 ~~~

(Whose side are you on for their first ‘fight’? Lmk here!) 

[furyfought]

abernathy is a small town, surely you’ve met AGATHA KLEIN ; they can be a little IRREVERENT & OPPORTUNISTIC but have no fear , the TWENTY SEVEN year old definitely makes up for it by being IMPISH & SENSITIVE . most of the time anyway .  they’re usually seen around KLEIN & ASSOCIATES, LLC , as a CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY . you know, i hear they’re affiliated with the local mc, iron kings as an ATTORNEY . they’ve got this vibe of A HEART GROWN RAVENOUS, A CYANIDE CENTER ENCAPSULATED BY SACCHARINE FRUIT, AND A SOUL IN THE FORM OF A SCRIBBLE WITH FANGS going on , makes them easily recognizable.

loosely inspired by jennifer check (jennifer's body), wendy byrde (ozark), ginger fitzgerald (ginger snaps), elizabeth sloane (miss sloane), john silver (black sails), & BBHMM.

+ pinterest, stats.

hey, friends. i’m devin (or dev) & very tickled to be here. agatha’s a combination of two of my favorite muses, and i can only hope that you’ll love her as much as i do. 🤎

"𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄, 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒. 𝐍𝐎. 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓."

agatha’s story isn’t one that she likes to tell anymore. she feels it’s useless: to be defined by the actions of others, to attempt to battle the preconceived notions that run rampant regardless of what one says or does. she doesn’t want to beg for understanding anymore, or to claw her way from beneath the filth she’s made of her life. all that most know is all that she can bear to have known. the rest? it’s confetti; a meager concession in a game of chess. if you know her, is that a fact or a weapon to be used against her?

when it comes to the stories that can be told, however.. perhaps the most important is background. agatha’s an abernathy native: raised in grandiose park, flew the coop for college, only to settle back down in bordeaux apartments. klein & associates, llc. has been in her family for generations, each forefather serving increasingly questionable clients. agatha’s life, like that of many kleins before her, was already planned before she’d ever even been a thought in her parents’ minds. under her mother’s rule, there wasn’t any room for straying from that path. agatha would be smart; she would be clean; and she would be, without fail, someone. in other words, she would be her perfect replica. imagine the disappointment when agatha was anything but. 

agatha’s childhood can be summed up by three things: a door slammed shut in her face, an ear-piercing howl, and the chronic longing to go home — wherever that was. it’s another thing she doesn’t talk about, another thing she tries not to think about. those three things have followed her into adulthood, but they’ve taken different forms now. no longer is agatha a child screaming her throat raw — no; now, she cries out in other more productive ways. if you were to ask her, she’d tell you that she’s a woman grown; the past is behind her, buried in the sand where it belongs. the truth is trickier, less absolute. agatha is a child in the form of a woman; forever in the midst of a metamorphosis, unsure if for better or worse. she lacks foresight & lives largely in the now. she can’t imagine a future for herself and her choices in life reflect that.

agatha succeeds because she’s pretty, powerful, and convincing. wherever she falls short, her father is sure to more than make up for it. it’s amazing what people will do for the right price, and when they want to keep certain secrets from ever seeing the light. nepotism & immense privilege have done wonders for her, but she does.. actually work hard, too. she has an incredible memory & is really good at digging for more information & making her case. if she tells you that she’s going to do something, then she’s going to do it right no matter what. she’s dogged in that way, blinded to the outside world by her stubbornness. she works long hours & values her career above all else. she thinks it’s the only sure thing she has & views it as the one stable, secure thing in her life.

agatha is lonely to the point of defect. she lacks a sense of security in her life, which is why she’s so career-focused. she genuinely thinks that the only person ever looking out for her is her dad. she becomes very predictable once you realize that she will always pick the winning team; that she will forever follow the money; and that she is always going to make the decision that most benefits her. that isn’t to say that she doesn’t have any friends omg, but.. she doesn’t really trust easily. if she trusts you and considers you near and dear to her heart, then she’ll choose you. but until she has that reassurance? you’re on your own, bro. 

but like.. you literally would not know that unless you got burned by her. agatha is really good at listening and really good at playing parts for people. the thing with having no story is that she’s free to create her own. if you need a hero, she can be that. if you need a villain, she can definitely be that. she’s eerily good at getting chummy enough to make people think she’s close, only for them to realize.. they don’t actually know anything real about her? fun stuff. 

i think.. her entire life is a vie for power while also wanting to let go of that desire while also being afraid of what might happen if she were to let go of that desire. she’s not tht bad. she can play decent, be a guy’s guy. and she does come off tht way. it’s jus.. underneath there’s tht like .. tht rot tht she can’t scrub away. n it rears its ugly little head smtimes. but. :^) she can be cool n shoot the shit u kno.. heheh.

anyway.. lighter stuff<3 puts the gaslight and gatekeep in girlboss. talks just like her daddy, except for when she’s in the courtroom. egocentric without ever meaning to be. (spoiler: it’s a smoke screen.) she can, must, and will find a way to twist your words into something she can make sense of. believes in mixed drink supremacy. will absolutely smoke all of your weed + play dumb about hogging the blunt. plays dumb a lot actually, until it’s time to be smart. she’s touchy-feely, but freezes up whenever someone touches her. stares — a lot. can’t ever be the person to pick you up after a rough night out, because she’s likely there with you egging you on to do one more shot. every event is a tits out event / she has to be the most overdressed person in the convenience store at all times. can, must, and will be your unsolicited sugar momma. YOU SPIL-DBFDHFDJHBF LIPSTICK IN MY VALENTINO WHITE BAG? energy. thinks everything is a competition because it is. if she loved you once then she loves you forever. thinks going 20 over the speed limit isn’t speeding, actually. a bit of an emotional anarchist. can’t actually take what she’ll dish out. teases u if she likes u. teases u if she doesn’t like u. doesn’t care abt the feud as long as she’s gettin’ tht shmoney. big fan of an emotional sucker punch. 

"𝐌𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐌𝐒 𝐋𝐈𝐊𝐄 𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐀𝐋𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐘 𝐀𝐍 𝐀𝐍𝐈𝐌𝐀𝐋."  + below are some ideas open to any & all muses no matter the age, gender, affiliation, etc !

i’ve left how she got involved with the mc totally absent from this intro bc i was hoping to plot it out! i’d love it if someone wanted to be her “in”. could be they were a childhood friend in need of help, a client she got close to, jus smth tht happened by chance.. whtever we come up with works! <3

if anyone needs an evil ex gf .. She’s Here. she will lie, cheat, scam, trash yr car, empty yr bank account.. whtvr you need, baybee<3

conversely.. not-so-evil ex gf? agatha can be nice & caring without there being a catch sometimes. maybe they still talk. maybe they’re friends. u tell me.

fwb / ex fwb? she do be sending them ‘u up?’ texts. 

someone tht agatha only got close to bc she wanted them to testify/be a character witness in court oopz<3

omg actual friends pls.. ppl tht Know her. tht See her. ppl tht she cares abt n would actually do anything for. friends!!!!!!!!!!!!

agatha has “get off my lawn” energy so i think it would be very funnie if someone needed a place to crash n she let them stay at hers thinking it was temporary n then they jus.. did not leave. n she’s like 🤨 hello?

an almost smth? anything weird n awkward n unspoken tht maybe fizzled out or maybe still lingers under the surface?

agatha doesn’t have a budding drinking problem but if she does no she doesn’t but if she does then<3 drinking buddy? someone that she’s gotten into questionable shenanigans with? poor bartender tht has to deal w her trying to “help” them as she waits for her uber to come? the possibilities are endless.

agatha’s all bark n very little bite but i still think it’d be funnie if she had a hateship. jus putting tht out there<3

if yr muse wnts an ego boost via unrequited crush.. lmk. i’m willing to hulk smash all of agatha’s dignity jus for u.

omggg a dealer? >.> who said tht omg #hacked.. 

on n off again thingz? lorde wrote tht "i am my mother's child i'll love you til my breathing stops / i'll love you till you call the cops on me" line abt her</3

budding friendships!!!!!!! ppl tht she goes to pilates or yoga with; people she gets brunch with; ppl she keeps running into n its like heeey u :); little platonic crushes jus . all of the cute platonic thingz tht make her go wtf is this 🤨. 

i mean.. if anyone wants a sugar momma.. I MEANNN..

college friends!! law school friends!! ppl she met over the summer while interning somewhere!! i left tht purposely vague, hint-hint.

tinder dates gone wrong. ghosted tinder dates. tinder thingz.

agatha’s been attending galas / banquets / office partiez for ages now so if anyone wants to be her plus one or her lil fake date... :^) could be cute. cld be angsty. world is our oyster. 

speaking of which.. coworkers n maybe even a lil personal assistant would be so sexie.

[pcrphyrias]

✺ CHARACTER INTRODUCTION | TRH

TEST SUBJECT #A98005 | ABERNATHY, Louis

born july 4th 2023 : currently aged 20 years and 5 months (updated less than a second ago)

implanted november 23rd 2027 : aged 4 years and 4 months

location : cape elizabeth, ME, new america

disposition: unknown; potential wildcard. DANGEROUS

✺ CONTROLLED OBSERVATION NOTES. subject is not as restless as others, similar to #K40091. in fact, he remains still most of the time. does not eat nor sleep regularly. cries often. after 2 weeks in facility, has killed four individuals and seriously harmed seven individuals

✺ VERDICT. test successful

—

‘what do you mean i’m a “villain”? my hyper-empathetic nature cancels out my homicidal tendencies. it’s called equilibrium.’

—

rIGHT let’s get this show on the road folks

lou is the most infuriating character i hate that i love him to bits

he’s a tall boi !!! coming in at 6’3

thinks being multilingual is a personality trait

becomes infatuated with anyone that shows him a little attention

he’s kinda like a walking contradiction bc he’s being trained to fight the very establishment his father helped build defeat the economic collective (see [link to wip intro])

he was born into old money but despises his parents so in true Privileged Bastard Form™ he fecked off to a private university in tulsa to study ‘reformed literature’ and french (to spite his father who wanted him to follow in his footsteps n study economics n business lolz)

the reformed lit course was part of the EC’s plan to re-educate the younger gen and to remove socialist ideals from their heads loool SO WAck

anyway.....lou uses his words to cut people. like when he says anything negative or hurtful it physically hurts the recipient but

also HURTS HIM tenfold

has even led him to kill people yikes

bUt he uses this as a loophole to insist he’s a good person bc there’s no literal blood on his hands ya feel ¿

nother problem is that the more he kills, the more blood he imagines on his body/hands/his feet etc ....it’s rly wild huh

even tho he’s a murderer, louis is the worlds biggest empath like bc he’s been forced to live w other people’s pain, he’s just Hyper Empathetic to the absolute max

sometimes he forgets to check himself n his privilege n can be a Huge Problematic Douche

he’s got a lot of unresolved trauma going oN but all will be revealed in the book uwu

random fun facts about my boi: he loves collecting cigars but hates smoking ? he takes morphine like it’s water, his favourite colour is navy but he doesn’t own...any...navy? make it make sense he’s dumB. he’s got older sisters but they’re all married n older n he’s the family disappointment :/ he has 3 dogs ! two golden retrievers and a king charles cocker spaniel :~)

mood board: https://pin.it/51pgZZK

i’m withholding a loooottttt more info but if i say it all now there’s no fun in reAding the book :))

tagging some of my favourite writeblrs that i like lurking on (ask to be added or removed!) : @zalighart @maisulli @atelierwriting @acrimoneous @ladyymacbcth || if u wanna be removed pls lmk!!

[madiiko12]

new york’s very own madison ‘madi’ ko was spotted on broadway street in chanel sneakers . your resemblance to kim chungha is unreal . according to tmz , you just had your twenty-first birthday bash . while living in nyc , you’ve been labeled as being obsessive , but also ambitious . i guess being a virgo explains that . 3 things that would paint a better picture of you would be glittery eyes, dangling earrings, & chanel draped in pearls.  ( cisfemale & she/her) + ( kale, 20 , she/her , est. )

hi honeybuns !! im back and with child. there is a brief mention of an ed under the cut but i block it off with a tw start & end.    if you’d like to plot pls leave a like and i can dm you or hit you up on discord !! my discord is kale#3079  

BACKSTORY

haneul madison ko was born september 18, 1999 to two immigrant parents from S.K. her birth name is haneul, but she went by the name madison since it was easier to pronounce + madi began to almost detest her culture??

it was just that growing up she would sometimes get bullied for looking different at her school, for the way her packed lunches smelled/looked, the way people would stare if she spoke korean to her parents, how other kids would make fun of her english since she didn’t pick up on vocab/grammar as quickly since she didn’t practice at home with her parents. she just became SO insecure about it that she rejected her culture. she wouldn’t bring her mom’s food to school, if her mom ever forced her to take it she’d throw it away  and choose to starve instead. she wouldn’t speak korean back to her parents in public, barely even in private (which reeaaallly upset her parents). this also REALLY destroyed her korean language skills. she can understand still, but she can barely hold a basic conversation anymore.

as she grew up, and continued this sense of distancing herself from her culture, she ultimately distanced herself from her family. which left her feeling -  - alone often, even though it was all due to her own choices. in this loneliness, she found her escape in music. she would wear headphones constantly through the halls, in car rides, in her room when her parents yelled at her to turn the music down. she just loved music. she saved up the money her parents gave her whenever she worked at the nail salon (her parents owned it!!) to thrift an old keyboard. she became self-taught by trying to copy melodies of songs she’d listen to, thrifting piano lesson books, staying after school with the music teacher learning to play. sometimes she’d even skip lunch to sit in the chorus room with her choir director and play.

it’s not that she had a LACK of friends growing up, maybe just that she lacked a best friend. she had a lot of friends, but no one that she felt so connected to in the way she felt connected to music. perhaps, she was addicted to her loneliness.

she spent a lot of time playing the piano and dabbling in writing music that her grades started to fall (not that she was ever the BEST student) and her parents literally took away her piano. they said it was a waste of time because they wanted her to focus on doing well, so she could get into a good university, and then live a good life. music was just a distraction

but that didnt work

she would sneak out into the city to go to concerts and poetry readings. she’d sneak out and go to indie songwriters scenes while her parents thought she was at the library with one of her school friends

This underground scene had her full heart!! she was surrounded by likeminded people who just lived for music. she was hearing all of these incredible people who were all looking for their start. maybe not looking for anything at than just to sing their songs. tbh i think this was the point she was happiest. she was completely enveloped in music, just for the sake of music. There wasn’t any pressure, just music. Just the songs. she was wide eyed looking at this whole underground scene of artists. So maybe some plots from these underground charas?!

she’d perform some songs at karaoke nights and the indie sessions, and a producer took a keen interest in one of her songs. basically im kind of stealing halsey’s career start, but she posted a song Came in Close on SoundCloud and just blew up overnight. in the morning, she woke up to a record label asking her to fly to LA for a meeting.

and thus, Madison Ko began a career as Madi Ko where she’d release her debut album, Honey, a few months later. (DISCOGRAPHY HERE). her music is very 80s synth inspired!

new album that is most definitely CRJ’S EMOTION is coming soon...

PERSONALITY

right off the bat, madi is an absolute firecracker!! she’s loud, bursting with personality, has a lack of inhibitions that CHAOTICALLY mixes with her spontaneity

part of this is projecting her insecurities. she felt lonely as a child but doesn’t want to be seen as that to the world. it’s not so much a persona but an exaggeration of who she was. 

she likes to show off her glam bc it, once again, hides her insecurities. 

she just kind of is dramatic anymore

like everything about her

her persona as Madi Ko, upcoming popstar underdog, is like DUNKED in glitter, over the top stages and sets, draped in couture. basically her stages/outfits/dances/mvs are like Chungha’s but with Pale Waves and Carly Rae Jepsen VC. ex: 1, 2, 3, 4

also bc im obsessed with chungha’s famous diamond wink, IT’S GONNA BE MADI’S THING TOO. so basically madi has trended on twt a few times bc of her signature diamond wink bc she effing glues rhinestones and glitter under her eyes for performances !! she said fuck corneas !! ex: 1, 2, 3      ....god chungha is magical

so while madi is like a brand hypebeast n never shuts up, she can also get,,, easily annoyed. and heavily perceives ppl on first impressions despite that being the reason she felt misunderstood a lot growing up. 

definitely argumentative!!! will blow up arguments for no reason n then later questions why she made it such a big deal but cant own up to her mistakes

when she decides she doesnt like you, SHE DOESNT LIKE YOU. it’s done. bridge is burned, she’s not keen on second chances

fame has definitely given her a bit of an ego problem --- she’s a bit more aggressive, self-obsessed while intrinsically insecure, is too busy flaunting her material possessions and trendy life that she can...lose touch of reality. basically most of her high school friends cant stand her. HC that her high school bf broke up with her bc she was no longer was the madison ko he knew!!! so if anyone wants to be that ex lmk !!! she’s written songs about them!!!

definitely the type of girl who is so hype at a party, dancing in fallen confetti, standing on the fireplace mantle, but then midway realizes she’s lonely. sad at a party. 

ED TW STARTS!!!!!

....

she kind of always had body image issues growing up, but it was very off and on, but once she got signed and being by surrounded by cameras became normal she formed a full fledged ED. she’s passed out at concerts a few times bc of her ED, but they always brush it off as “not enough rest” or “she wasnt feeling well that day but pushed to perform anyway as to not disappoint the fans”

so feel free for ur muses to point it out !! she’ll get really defensive like “i eat i just work out a lot” and yeah it’s true she works out a lot but she...doesn’t really eat

it’s also one of the causes of her irritability ...

.....

END ED TW!!!!

idk why this is so long

always up for mischief! 

does love a good prank. asks weird hypotheticals 

is not scared of an ouija board

will get wasted off a few shots and drunk madi is UNSTOPPABLE 

one time drunk madi cried bc her siamese cat (MOCHI !!!) wouldn’t ever get to go to school and would never know chemistry..... the dramatics.....

she is sensitive and despises it. she does everything she can to not come across as sensitive

however, she’s so obsessive. so deep in feeling. when she feels something she FEELS it. when she is mad it boils through her. when she is in love it is all she knows. when she is sad it covers her like sweaters and blankets on rainy days. she doesn’t know how to half-feel. everything she feels stops her in her tracks.

HOWEVER she’s the most obsessive with her own insecurities — so in relationships she’s kind of known for tapping out early. she just gets scared and the fleetingness of her career and that she’s at her very core, lonely and disappointed in herself, makes her want to run away thinking that letting down her walls and being vulnerable could only be disappointing for her SO. so maybe she ghosted ur chara or gave some lame excuse

Kind of obsessed with how she’s perceived

terrified that at any moment her career could be thrown away, her deemed irrelevant, and she goes back to being Madison Ko, daughter of nail techs in Koreatown. and then her parents would have been right all along, music was a waste of time.

she’s just my little fallen angel who flew to the sun (fame) and it constantly eats away at her girlhood, at her heart.

anyways this is all i got rn <3 come love me sorry i kind of didn’t shut up this is long

WANTED CONNECTIONS

an ex from before she was famous who broke up with her because of how she changed!! PLEASE i have ideas for this. plus,,, you get a lot of songs about ur chara!!! could be from high school, maybe someone in the music scene she frequented before she was signed, anything!!

anothr ex/fwb/undefined relationship i’d love is one when she was first famous who just introduced her to everything. something like a whirlwind that was exciting and magical. she’s written songs about this person.

exes in general. 

hookups/fwb

romantic plots. pls i have songs who need meaning. friends to lovers, one sided (either way), slowburn, ANYTHING. love cruel summer plots, anything lover by tswift

PR relationships -- would LOVE one where she falls in love with the other despite how clearly defined they made their relationship

love triangles in general just get me going

best friend!!!! the one’s who know how the other feels just by looking at each other. they have countless sleepovers. tell each other everything. cry together on bathroom floors. pregame together. 

ex friends. for whatever reason -- maybe madi did smth shitty, maybe they did. maybe there was backstabbing, maybe madi sacrificed friendship for a career, maybe she made moves on their romantic partner/interest despite being fully aware. idk. gimme

People she knew from the underground/indie scene before they were famous!! they’d have bonded over their love for music, little indie dreams kind of vibe. just imagine a group of dreamers !! Would love if they made some kind of pact!!!

party friends

collabs !!

pranks. mischief. gimme

enemies. gotta cook up some drama, yknow

GIRL GANG. god i just want this so bad like make a girls dream come true