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junosmindpalace · 6 months ago

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GEMINI BIRTHDAY BASH!

🎧 it's so sweet, knowing that you love me.

synopsis: celebrating their birthday...w/ the hq gemini men!

pairing(s): timeskip/present!hajime iwaizumi, koshi sugawara, shoyo hinata

content: references to 2024 dates but doesn't need to be strictly speaking (iwa's is more 2021), food (in suga's and hinata's), very short and brief angst(?), otherwise all fluff and fun!

total wc: 3.6k

a/n: it was my birthday a few days ago (june 17th) and i thought i would celebrate by writing for some gemini characters! i know shoyo is a cusp but i wanted to write him too </3 also this was my first time creating a graphic please be nice i am aware its a little plain </33

HAJIME IWAIZUMI: JUNE 10TH

The clock in your living room reads 11:55 in the evening; Hajime’s birthday is five minutes away.

You both have work in the morning, so you should be in bed sound asleep. Everything has been done as normal; the whole nighttime routine of eating dinner (that you insisted on making) together, showering, brushing your teeth. Except instead of completing the routine by cozying up in bed, you’re cozying up on your living room couch, the light in the kitchen on, and the blue light from the TV keeping your tired eyes in a trance.

Hajime’s arm is lazily outstretched over your shoulders, your fingers intertwined with the hand that dangles beside your head. His other arm is bent sideways on the couch pillow, head against his fist as he watches through bleary eyes the movie in front of him. Though your eyes are trained on the action on the TV, your ears don’t process the mumbling that pairs with it, too engrossed in your low conversation about each others’ day.

“—and Hinata wanted something more to do for himself, so I’ll be reviewing his progress and seeing what I can do. Seriously, the guy is a monster at times. Sometimes it’s hard to believe I’m really looking at him, with how far he’s come since his high school days.”

“They all seem to be of another caliber now,” you replied somewhat drowsily, yet no less engaged.

“They’re intense, that’s for sure,” he sighs, bringing his head to rest behind the cushion and leaning closer toward your own. “But they’ve always been like that.”

He’s completely unaware of the time and date approaching as he drones quietly about the day he’s had. He notices, on occasion, your glances up at the wall where your clock was located, and thought you were anxious to get to sleep.

“Hey,” he nudges your knee with his own. “you wanna head to bed?”

“Hm? No, no, not yet. Keep talking, I wanna hear.”

Upon your insistence, he obliged reluctantly, resuming his chatter for a little while longer as you hum and nod.

He feels comfortable like this, with your head against his chest, body snuggled close to his side, the low hum of the TV, the dim light. He, for a moment, finds his eyes gently closing unconsciously. You wait for him to continue his explanation at a pause, but are only met with the quietness of the TV. A slight stir prompts Hajime’s eyes to open immediately, and he shifts a little as he takes in your face, peering up at him through small eyes.

“Haji.”

“Mm?”

“You sleeping?”

“M’not.”

You placed a hand on his chest as you turned your body to look at the clock. It now reads 12:04 in the morning. You rub your eyes and reach for the phone on the coffee table in front of you, and when it blinks to life, it blinds you with the time and the new date.

June 10.

“Ugh, put that away,” Hajime groaned as he turned away from the straining light on your phone, lolling his head to the other side against the couch cushion. You quickly slid it back onto the table, and then collapsed again against your boyfriend’s chest, hugging his middle tightly and digging your chin into his chest as you looked up at him with a wide smile.

“Happy birthday, Haji.”

His eyes reopen slightly, and he angles his head toward the clock to view the time for himself: 12:05.

He tucks his chin in so he meets your gaze and the sweet, tired smile on your face, and finds one of his own, tired yet tender, slowly propping up the apples of his cheeks. So that’s why you had been eyeing the clock, all for him and his silly birthday. Of course it would be you who remembers his birthday before he even does. You were sweet and thoughtful in that way.

“So that’s why you wanted to stay up a little longer, huh?” His tone is a faux annoyance for only a moment before his arm around your shoulders curls a little tighter in endearment, and he knocks his forehead against yours, gently and playfully, as you let out a short giggle at the gesture. “Thank you, baby.”

“What do you wish for?”

“To get some rest,” he yawned as he pulled away, going to sit up from the couch.

“Why would you say that? Now it won’t come true!”

Your weight on his lap and arms now thrown around his neck anchored him to the couch. He gives you a deadpan look as a hand finds its way rubbing gently up and down your lower back, while the other slowly snakes itself under your legs.

“Oh, I’ll make it come true.”

You squeal when he sits up and scoops you up in one swift motion, and you throw your head back in quiet laughter as he walks the two of you to your bedroom.

“Haji, you know, it's your birthday. I should be the one carrying you.”

He snorts, and shakes his head. “ It’s my birthday, right? I get to do what I want.”

KOSHI SUGAWARA: JUNE 14TH

Sugawara was dejected when he realized he had to work on his birthday.

As if the universe was taunting him, this year it fell right on a Friday, just one day off from the weekend.

If he were honest, however, it wasn’t too much of a bother. He mentally groaned about it the evening before and morning of, but all in all, his birthday was a fleeting thought in his mind. Work and everyday busyness replaced the thought with lesson plans and mental preparedness to handle a classroom of young children after an exhausting week.

He hoped, at the very least, however, that you would recognize the oddness of the day, do a little something to acknowledge it. Maybe a small cake or a nice breakfast. Maybe a little present. Hell, just a small, intimate murmur of a happy birthday accompanied with a sweet kiss would elevate his heart. Yet every time he looked on at you, you were preoccupied with preparing yourself for work, just as Suga was. No fancy breakfast was prepared, no gift sat on the table by the door, and the only kiss he was able to snag was a hurried one on the cheek as you wished him a good day, and headed out the door and into your car.

So Suga’s birthday was not off to a great start.

But again, it’s only a birthday. He almost feels a little dumb, getting all worked up over it, especially as an adult. So he makes the most out of the day as he always does with his kids and their lively attitudes, plus the wind down time and lack of work reserved for Friday’s brightens his special day from the dejected morning he experienced earlier.

Little did your boyfriend know of the plans you had in store for him.

As humble as Sugawara attempted to be about his birthday, you knew that he liked having it acknowledged. He was appreciative of any and all kind birthday gestures, from simple greetings to thoughtful presents. And you wanted your present for him to be thoughtful. Memorable. Surprising, exciting, and able to convey the sheer amount of affection you hold for him, though you doubted that any gesture could entirely convey such a thing. But your mission this year was to sure try.

You had taken the day off to get everything under way. Pick up a nice cake you ordered a few days before, with Suga’s favorite flavor of icing and batter, along with a neat and heartfelt Happy Birthday written on top in cursive.

Once the cake was tucked away in your fridge, your next stop was a party store. Perhaps you may have overdone it with the decorations, you had thought to yourself when you examined your two (full) shopping bags as you walked back to your car, but there was just so much to choose from, and you were sure Suga would like it all! Banners, balloons of impressive and wacky sizes and shapes, streamers, confetti, party poppers; you couldn’t pass up a single thing, not when you imagined his enthusiasm over each one.

Your final stop was for restocking on foods and drinks. Besides the cake, you bought a couple of bottles of fancy alcohol (the one’s he’ll often eye and make fun of how posh they sound), a couple of his favorite snacks and beverages, and the like.

By the time Suga arrived home from work, he’s exhausted, yet somehow invigorated by the idea of seeing you. He lets himself into the house with his key, letting out a tired I’m home, heart picking up when he spots your shoes neatly organized in the genkan, and joins his own beside them as he pads further into your home toward an alluring smell.

The light is low in your living room. It’s enveloped in a yellow glow compared to the blinding bright white that startles him awake and strains his tired eyes in the morning. The first thing that comes into his line of sight, besides you, already in comfortable clothing with your back turned and managing something on the table in front of you, is a neat and beautiful cake on the coffee table in front of your couch.

Your living room is full of more animated color than usual; batches of balloons occupy the corners and a few are scattered, some hovering aimlessly, on your floor. A Happy Birthday banner hangs from above the threshold into the room. Suga, once the initial shock and surprise wore off and was able to fully comprehend that it was all for him, felt that he may burst into tears.

You hurriedly turned around upon sensing a new presence in the living room, and gasped when it was none other than your boyfriend, briefcase in hand, and staring dumbfounded at you and the sight of your decorated living room.

“Ko! I didn’t expect you to be home this soon!”

“Traffic was sparse.” He managed to get out past the lump in throat, but once he realized how stupid he appeared, he shook his head in an attempt to feign nonchalance. “So! What is, uh…what’s all this?”

Your brows shot up, and you gave him an exasperated smile before walking over to him. “It was supposed to be a surprise,” you said slyly, wrapping your arms around his neck, with Suga immediately reciprocating with a hand to your back. “I was still setting up some stuff because I was under the impression that I still had some time before you came home.”

“Oh, so you wanted me to get stuck in traffic, is that it?” He teases in a faux annoyed tone, but it’s quickly betrayed by the smile that immediately stretches back over his face.

“In this instance, yes!” You laughed, grinning yourself when he began to pepper kisses all over your neck and face, curling his arm around your waist to keep you secure against him. You laughed breathlessly through the assault, attempting to push away the ticklish sensation. But Suga’s energy had just been replenished fully, and his heart elevated the highest it ever could.

“It’s perfect, all of it. Thank you.” he halts his assault to mutter against your skin through his lovesick smile, and it brings a grin to your own lips as you bring him in for one final kiss on his lips, one he immediately attempts to deepen.

“Okay, okay,” you laugh as you pull away when he whines and chases after your lips. “Now that you’re here, let’s sing!”

He laughs too, letting you drag him further into your living room, abandoning his briefcase by the wall as he sat himself down on your couch, and you came over with the lighter you were previously fiddling with to light the candles on the small cake.

All he could think about as you sang to him enthusiastically was how giddy he felt, and how lucky he was that he was spending his birthday in such a manner with you. And when he blew out his candles, the wish at the forefront of his mind was to spend many more birthdays with you in this manner

(and maybe a new car).

Even as you shooed him into the bathroom to change into more comfortable clothes as you cut yourselves slices to enjoy by the TV, and afterward retreated to bed, he muttered, “I’m still mad that you tricked me, by the way.” as the two of you closed your eyes.

Which earned him a swat to the chest.

SHOYO HINATA: JUNE 21ST

Shoyo absolutely cannot deny the fact that he’s had a great birthday since the moment the sun rose in the sky.

His special day began with an influx of texts and calls from family and friends to wish him a happy birthday, and use the opportunity to catch up with him. Nearly every moment of his morning was taken up by a different phone call that he took as he prepared himself for the training he had that day. When he arrived at the training center, his team immediately pounced on him, greeting him with enthusiastic cheers and a round of singing.

And while he can almost say his birthday was perfect, with all the texts and calls he received and the thoughtful birthday treatment, his one and only regret was the fact that you weren’t there to celebrate with him.

His birthday this year happened to coincide with travel for upcoming tournaments, which unfortunately meant that you wouldn’t be celebrating alongside him in person. But just because you weren’t there in the flesh to hug him tight and sing loudly in his ear, it didn’t prevent you in the slightest from doing whatever you could virtually to make him feel good on his special day.

At least, he had hoped it wouldn’t.

He had picked up your call eagerly on the day of his birthday, and grinned from ear to ear as you sang to him loudly and exaggeratedly. When you finished your song and exchanged all your morning pleasantries, to his absolute dejectment, you had informed Shoyo with a guilty tone that you would be unable to call or text for the majority of the day.

“I’m sorry, Sho, something suddenly came up for work, and I’m going to be swamped. I’ll call you tonight, I promise!”

The disappointment he felt was tremendous, yet he easily covered it up with an understanding nod and reassuring words that he’d stay up to catch your call. It wasn’t like he was really expecting your schedule to be free the entire day so he can call and text whenever. Besides, he was miles away from you; it would be selfish for him to expect that your schedule would be all free for him when his wasn’t.

So Shoyo made the most out of his birthday without you, and there wasn’t a moment where he wasn’t grinning. Enjoying delicious meals, being on the receiving end of all sorts of enthusiasm, excitement and birthday traditions from friends, family, colleagues and fans alike; each kind birthday gesture lifted his heart to Cloud 9.

The day concluded, after practice in the training facility when the sun began to die out in the sky, with Shoyo’s team insisting that they treat him to a celebratory dinner at some nice restaurant with some excellent international cuisine, allowing him to get a small taste of home. And Shoyo’s stomach was starting to churn, and it wasn’t like he was about to pass up a free meal…

The company took cramped spots in a booth inside the restaurant, bringing a few spare chairs to form a full circle around the large, polished wooden table jutting out from the wall. The setting sun meant that there was still some time before the restaurant could anticipate a more busy dining area.

Shoyo was spoiled with trays of meat, bowls of rice, and all sorts of other cuisine that he sampled from the plates of his colleagues. By the time the sun had nearly fully disappeared beneath the horizon, each one of their appetites was satiated, full and content with their meals.

As if Shoyo’s birthday couldn’t get any better so late into the day, it was about to become complete in the most unexpected and perfect way imaginable. Though the team was full, they could spare the appetite for a dessert, the most fitting conclusion for a birthday: because what’s a birthday without a cake?

Shoyo’s team accompanied him home with eager conversation, yet strange occasional whispers among themselves. Perhaps all the celebration was all a little too much?

When they arrived in a large group by his front door, Shoyo took notice of poorly hidden sly smiles and eager eyes from the teammates across from him, exchanging them among themselves as he fiddled with his keys.

He’s the first to step inside the dark room, calling out to nobody in particular an I’m home!, as was routine for him to do. His heart suddenly stops, however, when he hears a voice answer.

“Welcome back!”

His teammates burst out into chuckles and giggles. “Ah, it looks like our dessert is here!” One of them nodded his head toward the living room.

When Shoyo makes his way reluctantly further into his apartment, initially confused, his furrowed brows immediately relax when he turns on the overhead light, and he feels as though the breath had been stolen from his lungs and hitched in his throat.

At first, he thinks that perhaps he’s gotten a little homesick being without you, his special person, on his special day. He’d been thinking of you in intervals at every peak of his day. Surely now his exhaustion is crashing down on him, making him see things?

But your eager grin and short laughter as you took in his shocked expression tells him otherwise. You were here, in the flesh, standing right before him--

He all too suddenly finds himself squeezing you tight in his arms, and you immediately reciprocate with one hand coming around his neck, collective aww’s and teasing ew’s going round at the affectionate sight.

“Hold on there, Shoyo, the cake!”

He quickly steps away when he suddenly feels an object collide gently with his side, and he only partially lets you go as he steps back to look at a box you were holding in your other hand. You grinned at him.

“Surprise!”

He doesn’t dare let go of your hand even when you set the cake down and urge him to take a seat on his couch, taking an electronic candle you had bought on your way to his apartment and placing it at the very center. His entire team begins to sing to him once more as they crowd around him on the couch and around the table, this time with you joining in standing beside him, and his smile feels almost painful with the way it doesn’t falter for a second.

When the song ends, a round of cheers go around the table, and you remove the candle to place it in a napkin. You turn toward each other, and you place a hand on his shoulder as you lean down to give him a kiss on his temple and mumble a more quiet, personal happy birthday.

And just as he was about to lean over to capture your lips in an enthusiastic kiss, let thank you after thank you fall from his lips for such a grand surprise, all for him, you grabbed hold of his head, turned it back toward the cake, and shoved his face right into the center of it.

Gasps and cheers alike went around the table, and the rest of his team laughed at the bold and sudden gesture. He could hear your own soft laughter as his face gradually emerged from the cake, and the shrills and hollers from his teammates grew louder as they took in the sight of the icing and chunks of cake sticking to various sides. They continued to bark out laughter as he wiped the chunks away from his eyes, staring at them on his fingertips before turning toward you, hiding a smile behind your hand as you mouthed over it an I'm sorry.

Shoyo rose silently halfway from his seat, leaned over toward you, and before anyone could properly call on what he was about to do, smeared the cake on his hands onto your own face, and a new wave of audible surprise and amusement went around the table.

“Oh, so that’s how it’s gonna be, huh?”

“I hear you, Shoyo,” one of his teammates hovered over his seat as he took a large chunk of the cake with his bare hands, and immediately smeared it onto his colleague beside him. “You look better like this, anyway.”

The table erupted into chaos, with the remainder of the unassualted teammates running away from the assault.

“Quick, scatter, before they get us too!”

“Oh, you aren’t escaping that easily!”

Running, breathless laughter, and shrills of alarm rang out in a chaotic symphony throughout the apartment, but amidst the chaos, only you and Shoyo remained by the couch side by side, hunched over laughing at each other’s ruined faces. Despite the ruined cake, the madness in his home, and the icing running down your faces, Shoyo’s heart thrums with love and happiness, and he steps forward to cup your cool cheeks and halt your giggles by capturing your lips in a deep and (literally) sweet kiss.

Now, perhaps, Shoyo could say his birthday was perfect.

return to masterlist.

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peachiejeongin · 10 days ago

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Mall Madness | Han Jisung

Day 2 of the 12 Days of Staymas!

Synopsis: Christmas shopping with Han is anything but ordinary. What starts as a simple, practical trip to the mall quickly turns into a whirlwind of impulse purchases, holiday hijinks, and way too much Christmas spirit.

Pairing: bf!Han x reader

Genre: Fluff, Crack

Warnings: None!

Notice: Hello, my loves! Here is Day 2's fiction! If you missed Day 1, click the link above to read about making Christmas cookies with Felix :) Without further ado, enjoy the story!

You had no idea what possessed you to invite Han of all people to join you for Christmas shopping. Maybe it was his insistence of being a, "holiday genius," or the way his eyes sparkled when you mentioned the words, "Christmas sales." Whatever the reason, you found yourself at the entrance of the busiest mall in the city, clutching a list of carefully planned gifts.

You loved Han dearly, but you were already beginning to regret the decision.

"Okay, Ji," you said, holding up the meticulously organized checklist. "This is the plan: we hit these stores in this exact order, stick to the list, and avoid anything-"

"Not on sale," he finished for you with a mockingly serious tone. "Got it, boss."

"Sweet. Just no distractions, and absolutely no chaos."

"Chaos? With me? Never," he dragged out his tone sing songedly, causing you to shake your head.

You started your way to the Christmas decor store within the mall, planning on picking up a couple of items for your parents.

Yet, within five minutes, you were sprinting after Jisung in order to prevent him from buying a gigantic inflatable snowman.

"It's not on the list!" you hissed, tugging at his sleeve; he, on the other hand, was hugging the box like it was his long lost soulmate.

"Yeah, but think about how cool it would look in the dorm! I could put it in the living room, and-"

"And it's not even going to fit in the trunk of the car!" you argued.

Han sighed dramatically, setting the box down with a pout.

"Fine, but I'm still thinking about it." You rolled your eyes but grabbed his hand before he could wander off once more. You had now learned that letting Han loose in a mall was like letting a squirrel loose in an acorn emporium.

---

Things began to escalate when you hit the toy store. You needed to pick out gifts for your nieces, and Han took the mission incredibly seriously.

A bit too seriously, as a matter of fact.

"This doll is perfect," you beamed, holding up a sparkly princess doll.

"Yeah, but what if they like this better?" Han countered, holding up a robotic dinosaur.

"For a three-year old?" you questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Han ignored you, instead pressing a button on the dinosaur; it caused the toy to roar to life, letting out a mechanical screech so loud that a nearby toddler burst into tears.

"Oh no," Han whispered, panic flashing in his eyes. "Abort mission. Abort!" He shoved the dinosaur back onto the shelf and pulled you away from the aisle, whispering a frantic, "Go, go, go!" as the child's crying escalated.

You had barely made it into the next aisle before you both burst into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

---

"Let's take a break," you suggested after Jisung insisted on testing every scented candle in a home goods store; he had nearly set off your allergies with an overly strong apple spice one.

"Pretzels?" he suggested, eyes lighting up as if he had just won the lottery.

"Fine, but just one," you conceded.

Twenty minutes later, you were sitting on a food court booth with Han, who had somehow managed to come back with two pretzels, a tray of nachos, and a milkshake with two straws.

"Where did the nachos come from?" you inquired, stairing at the mountain of cheese and chips.

"They were calling to me," he stated solemnly, taking a huge bite out of his pretzel.

"Calling to you?"

"Yes! The spirit of Christmas spoke to me through this plate of cheesy goodness!" He nodded, completely serious.

"You're ridiculous," you laughed, shaking your head as you stole a chip off of the plate.

"And you love it!" he teased, leaning in closer to you with a cheeky grin.

You rolled your eyes, but you could not fight the urge to peck his cheek, ignoring the blush dusting your cheeks.

"Don't push your luck, Ji."

---

The highlight of the evening came when Han found an abandoned shopping cart in the parking garage.

"Oh no," you grimaced immediately, recognizing the mischevious dazzle in his eyes.

"Oh yes," he replied, already climbing into the cart.

"Ji, this is a horrible idea."

"Only if we don't commit!" he retaliated, giving you his best puppy-eyed expression. "Come on! Push me just for a little bit! For Christmas joy!"

You groaned but gave in, gripping the handle of the cart and giving it a cautious shove.

"Faster!" he yelled as if he were a child on a swing set.

You picked up the speed, laughing along with him as the cart zoomed down an empty stretch of pavement.

Until it hit a speedbump.

The cart tipped, Han tumbled out, and you both somehow ended up on the ground, howling with laughter as you tried to catch your breath.

---

By the time you finally made it back to the car, your shopping bags were filled with a mix of thoughtful gifts and completely unnecessary buys, such as the matching reindeer onesies Jisung had snuck in at the last second.

"You're impossible," you giggled as you buckled your seatbelt.

"Yet, here we are!" he exclaimed, flashing you a dazzling smile.

As the two of you pulled out of the parking lot, Han reached over and took your hand, lacing his fingers with yours.

"Today was awesome," he began softly. "I know was a bit much today, but it was exhilerating, truly."

You glanced at him, your heart melting at the sincerity in his tone.

"You're lucky I love you, Ji," you chuckled kindly, "or else I would have left you at the mall." He laughed, squeezing your hand tightly.

"Lucky for both of us then."

Despite the chaos, and your aching feet, you could not help but think that Christmas shopping with Han was exactly the kind of holiday magic you had not known you needed.

#stray kids #stray kids imagines #stray kids x reader #stray kids oneshots #bang chan #lee know #changbin #hyunjin #felix lee #seungmin #jeongin #stray kids fluff #han #han jisung #han jisung imagines #han jisung fluff #Han Jisung oneshots #han jisung x reader #12 days of staymas

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slut4celebs · 2 months ago

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Green Eyed Girl

Tate McRae x Reader

Word Count: 2,438 words... Guys, I went for it on this one.

Trigger Warnings: jealousy, SMUT (MDNI). Tate reminding R who she belongs to. Fingering (R receiving), oral (R receiving), mommy kink, praise, degradation. While the smut seems hardcore, there's more plot than smut for sure.

Request/Synopsis: "Maybe y/n is getting a lot of attention from Olivia Rodrigo and it makes Tate jealous? Anddd a possible smut ending." In which Tate McRae isn't happy that her girlfriend and her best friend are getting close. Not when it's taking time away from her.

Requests are open. < guys seriously, pls

It was Olivia Rodrigo that introduced both Tate McRae and (Y/n) (L/n) to each other. Olivia and (Y/n) both starred in the hit Disney+ show High School Musical: The Musical: The Series where they both had very public breakups from their co-stars. This caused their characters to leave the show together after (Y/n)'s character, Penny, agreed to help Nini find herself, complete with a shared on-screen kiss that shocked viewers and created a shipping frenzy. This shipping frenzy was so big that both Olivia and (Y/n) are still asked today if they were dating, more than two years after they left the show. This bothered Tate, who was currently watching them from across her own living room cuddled up under a blanket, watching TikTok. This wasn't the first time Tate had gotten jealous of her girlfriend and Olivia. In fact, there were five more times that made this one all the more annoying.

The first instance happened two weeks before Tate made it official with (Y/n). (Y/n) had come over to her apartment, just because, to see Tate. Only, she was adorning Olivia's hoodie. "No way, you got an exclusive Sour hoodie?" Tate questioned with a grin, looking over the hoodie. She then had her world rocked when (Y/n) admitted that it was actually Olivia's and that she brought it so she could return it. That was when Tate went to pull out her own hoodie that read 'T8' on the back, telling (Y/n) she now had a replacement that she never had to return. It was a quick and easy fix, and her jealousy was quickly pushed away by (Y/n)'s wide smile as she pulled off the Sour hoodie and replaced it with Tate's hoodie.

The second situation was a month into the two of them dating at a public event. They were coming out as a couple, holding hands when Olivia came by to greet them. Instead of the paparazzi catching Tate and (Y/n) holding hands, they caught the reuniting 'rumored girlfriends' hugging. The next morning, Tate was excited to see what the public thought about their grand coming out, only to see that social media frenzied over the wrong couple. It was pop icons Tate McRae and (Y/n) (L/n). No, instead it was pop icons Olivia Rodrigo and (Y/n) (L/n). The headlines caused a the familiar feeling the Tate experienced a little two months ago to rumble in her chest. Only to receive a text from (Y/n) saying 'The public got it all wrong. Wanna go live with me later to correct them?' The simple action calmed Tate since she didn't even have to complain to (Y/n) about the press reporting the wrong couple in the news.

Perhaps the third time is what caused Tate to almost feel eternally jealous in their presence. (Y/n) had stayed the night at Tate's apartment and Olivia, with this knowledge, came over to ask (Y/n) a question. (Y/n), who had been making out with her stopped, seeing Olivia texted she was coming over to ask a question, to go answer it. Of course, it had been only a ten minute question, and it was about music, but it put Tate is rather a foul mood and caused her to not want to make out anymore. It did also bring up the discussion of jealousy. "I understand and I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were feeling this way. If I ever make you feel jealous, just let me know, I'll take a step back." Tate felt a little bad since (Y/n) was so understanding of her fears on the subject. So, she tried to just drop the jealous feeling herself. After all, they were best friends. She wasn't in Olivia's bed, she was in hers.

The fourth time wasn't particularly either Olivia's or (Y/n)'s fault. It was just TikTok edit after TikTok edit of either Olivia and (Y/n) or their High School Musical: The Musical: The Series characters. It just annoyed Tate to the point she had to look up edits of her and (Y/n), seeing there was a stark decrease in the number of edits. Tate sighed, scrolling through and she couldn't help but note that they were really cute. Especially when (Y/n) just dropped an entire love album with songs inspired by Tate, even writing an entire song called 'Tate.' This eased her jealousy slightly as she put on the album and decided to finally close her eyes for the night.

The final reason came within a year into their relationship. While Tate had never completely shook the feeling of jealousy, she definitely got better at feeling like it was eating her apart. The final reason came when they were attending an Olivia Rodrigo concert. While she couldn't help the jealous feeling from building in the pit of her stomach, she would always go and support her best friends. She just wasn't expecting Olivia to bring (Y/n) on stage for a duet, the two embracing tightly at the end of it. Even though it wasn't a love song, Tate knew how the media would take this duet. She knew it was dumb to feel any jealousy towards this moment, but she couldn't help it. She still smiled when (Y/n) returned, glistening with a bit of sweat as the two kissed, but she knew the smile didn't reach her eyes.

Now, the current issue. Olivia had just helped (Y/n) move into Tate's apartment. While, yes, this was now also (Y/n)'s apartment and she could invite who she wanted, Tate was tired and wanted some time alone. She even announced that she was going to shower and go to bed. She fully expected (Y/n) to tell Olivia the same before going to bed with her. Instead, after her girlfriend didn't join her in the shower and after thirty minutes of lying in bed without her, Tate went to go see where she was. Her eyes narrowed when she saw the two of them curled together watching TikToks. "(Y/n)," her voice got their attention, and she was silently pleading with the girl. "I'm tired and it's cold in the room. Can you come to bed?" At that, Olivia finally made her exit, leaving Tate to once and for all remind (Y/n) who she belonged to.

As soon as the door clicked close and (Y/n) locked it, Tate had her pressed against the door, kissing her hungrily. Her hands held her firmly and (Y/n) couldn't help the moan that slipped from her lips, despite the initial shock from the kiss and the action. When Tate pulled away, she left a string of spit in her wake, connecting the two of them. She broke off the string, pulling (Y/n) to the bedroom, flipping off light switches on the way to bed. "I guess I need to remind you who you belong to since I found you in there cuddled up with Olivia, don't I?" Tate questioned, her eyes dark. (Y/n)'s heart was racing and when she didn't answer, Tate rolled her eyes. "Answer me. Do I need to remind you?" She questioned, straddling her girlfriend's lap as she pushed her onto the bed.

It was obvious that (Y/n) was needy as she went to kiss Tate. However, due to not answering immediately, Tate declined the kiss. "No, I don't need reminding. I belong to you, Tate." This was the first time that Tate was bringing her jealousy into the bedroom. While it seemed to shock (Y/n), it also seemed to turn her on. She was squirming under her, and she knew she fucked up by allowing her best friend to overstay her welcome. She also knew that she didn't call Tate by the right now by the quirk of her eyebrow. "I belong to you and you alone, Mommy." She promised, her words sounding like a whine. Her cheeks were red from embarrassment as she bit her lower lip. The obvious sense of neediness causing Tate to smirk.

She removed her body from her girlfriend's stripping her completely after (Y/n) had said she wanted her to. Goosebumps prickled (Y/n)'s skin as she watched her girlfriend, not realizing how green-eyed with jealousy she had gotten until their eyes met. Tate's eyes were dark, and she realized that what she had done had obviously effected her, though she didn't realize it would. At that moment, she decided to take a step away from Olivia, not wanting to upset her girlfriend again. For now, she would let Tate use her.

"Look at you, such a pretty slut for me. I'm going to fuck you until you forget her name." Tate taunted, eyes looking over her. (Y/n) shivered under her girlfriend's gaze. Even through her insecurities, she knew that Tate was eating her alive with her eyes. She didn't have time to answer as Tate crashed their lips together, fingers traveling down her body. Tate only stopped for a second, making sure (Y/n) was okay, and when (Y/n) gave her full, verbal consent, she let her thumb rub familiar patterns into her clit. She had memorized everything her girlfriend liked and she knew how to make her cum. She bet Olivia couldn't make (Y/n) cum. "You were being such a bad girl. You don't even deserve to cum."

(Y/n) forced her eyes to remain on Tate, and begged them silently not to roll back in pleasure. Not when it was obvious Tate would stop the second they did or the second she closed her eyes. A moan fell from her lips and her brows scrunched up as her she gripped Tate's shoulder for physical contact of some sort, her other hand fisting the bedsheet. "I-I want to be good for you, M-Mommy. Please let me cum." She managed to get out, though she had obviously struggled. This made Tate smirk as she inserted two fingers, curling them immediately. (Y/n) let out a cry and something glistened in Tate's eyes at the sound.

She began thrusting her fingers as she listened to her girlfriend's moans, enjoying the way she made her hips buck so effortlessly. It made some of the jealousy melt away. "Olivia couldn't make you cum, huh? Only I can make you cum. Only I can touch you. You're my girl. You're mommy's girl." She stated in a condescending way. "Keep being loud for me, and I'll think about letting you cum. I want the entire apartment to know who you belong to." She made it clear she wasn't going to let up yet, even as (Y/n)'s legs trembled with an oncoming orgasm. Her body felt like it was floating and all she wanted to do was release.

Right before she thought she might combust if she didn't orgasm, Tate pulled away. Her chest heaved and a whine escaped her. But she was quickly silenced by her girlfriend's lips before they traveled down her body, leaving love bites in their wake. She felt a chill from the spit left behind mixed with their air conditioning on blast. She bit her bottom lip, knowing what was about to come next. "You can cum, princess. You were so good for me." Tate hummed softly, her jealousy obviously finally coming to an end at the realization that (Y/n) truly was hers (and hers alone).

To solidify this, as her girlfriend began to suck on her clit, (Y/n) dropped calling her 'mommy.' Instead, she did what she knew would make Tate feel more at ease after having fucked the life out of her girlfriend. (Y/n) rose an octave, screaming her girlfriend's name, moans nothing short of pornographic following after. Tate grinned as she sucked her clit until (Y/n) came. Tate cleaned her up diligently, slick dripping off her chin as she helped her ride out her high. Afterwards, she pulled (Y/n) close, kissing her forehead.

"I'm sorry for being so jealous," she muttered, kissing (Y/n) again. (Y/n) was about to respond, but Tate wasn't done apologizing yet. "I know you two are best friends. Honestly, it isn't even you two. It's the media. Whenever you are hanging out with Olivia, there's this huge speculation that we broke up and you're with Olivia. It just bugs me because Olivia is with Louis and you're with me. I don't know why they can't see that. And, honestly, I was probably a little sensitive earlier because I was ready to go to bed and when I walked out, you were both cuddled on the couch, under a blanket, watching TikTok, and I-"

Tate was cut off by a kiss, causing her eyes to widen, but they quickly shut as she kissed back. She cupped (Y/n)'s cheeks until they finally pulled away from each other. "I should be the one apologizing. You've already approached me with you feeling jealous, and instead of changing things up like I promised to do, I stuck with my old ways. It's not an excuse, but I think it's hard when we got so close due to our breakups. Pulling away is almost like saying goodbye to those early days of stardom that we experienced together. But… I'm ready to give our friendship that space to grow so I can grow with you. I think I just needed to realize her and I could still be friends, even if I spent less time with her. I'm sorry, Tate, for it taking me so long to realize that, and for hurting you." She said softly. She pressed her lips on Tate's forehead.

Tate smiled a bit at the apology and the kiss. "Thank you for understanding." Tate said softly, her jealousy finally leaving her body. She moved to let (Y/n) get in the shower, sitting on toilet seat since she just wanted to talk. She did depart to throw her girlfriend's towel and pajamas in the drier so they'd be warm for her when she got out. After (Y/n) pulled on her pajamas, the two of them joined each other in bed. It was the first night of them living together, and what started out rough, was ending up a lot better. Tate was proud that they communicated their feelings (and for getting (Y/n) to scream her name so loud, they probably got a noise complaint). She kissed her cheek, curling into her girlfriend as (Y/n)'s arms wrapped around her lovingly.

#tate mcrae x reader #tate mcrae #anne's pop girlies #pop girls

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throwaway-yandere · 2 years ago

Text

Dendro NA: 101 (Yandere!Alhaitham/Reader)

a/n: “ansy weren’t you going to write faceless!ayato and music composer!tighnari” well yes but things happened so now here we are. I’m dedicating this fic to crying anon since they’re the person that gave me an idea of an "what if Alhaitham had an elf!darling?" after this fic. The beginning reads like an enemies-to-lovers fic with a slice of crack where nothing goes wrong but trust me it’s not lmao

unreliable synopsis: After Alhaitham forged your signature, you're now forced to become the Acting Grand Sage’s assistant. It's even more annoying when he nearly visited your house all drugged up. Seriously, when will he learn to respect his seniors?

CW: yandere themes, noncon touching, aphrodisiacs, possessiveness, so much bickering, and the reader slanders dendro for plot reasons.

Pulcinella, The Rooster, came to visit early in the morning.

“Pups, please… Stop turning my apartment upside down and just tell me what you want.”

It was unexpected how the old man barged into your “unconquerable mess of an apartment” with the intent to celebrate your newfound job at the Haravatat. Mayor Pulcinella isn’t your direct grandfather, but he is your grandfather’s brother. The fact that you are connected to him is a well-known secret (as absurd an oxymoron as that may sound) in the College of Engineering and Technology at the Akademiya. Because of the collectivist mentality that characterized your family, every last pointy-eared relative you are aware of is blatantly nosy and annoying. The "mayor" is much more so.

Pulcinella did come to extend his congratulations, with a generous batch of cookies even, but he had an objective in mind. His way of showing that he cares is usually in the form of letters but he stands right in front of you now. You can only imagine how difficult it is for someone in his position to take a leave of absence this far since Port Ormos is so far away from home and it takes days for mail to arrive here.

Your grandfather is obstinate. Terrifying so since you recognize that expression on his face all too well. Although you are unsure of what he needs from you, you do know that you want him out. Immediately.

“Don’t talk to me in that tone, child.” He scowled, jabbing your briefcases with his wooden cane. “I’m not leaving until I find it.”

That "Rooster" moniker belongs to him without a doubt. Your belongings were seized by the elf-like a bird's beak. He prodded the dreadful equation-filled sheets hanging on your wall and snatched a few trinkets on your work table. Good lord. Pulcinella made so much noise that if you weren’t already planning on starting your day, you would’ve been incredibly cranky when he knocked on your door.

“For Her Majesty’s sake– just what are you trying to find, grandpups?”

He turned to look at you.

Not mad, but disappointed– sad, even.

“An engagement ring. Evidence that you’re dating that fool, Alhaitham.”

You groaned.

“Him again?! Motherf—”

Pulcinella quirked his eyebrow at your outburst, “hmm?”

You chuckled nervously, “ah, sorry, I just… It’s nothing.”

No, it was not “nothing.” That bastard ruined a lot of things for you, including your vision. You didn’t want a dendro vision. You were praying for Rex Lapis every night even after his death but somehow being involved with Alhaitham strayed your path to gaining the “grass fertilizer tool” as you loved to call it. Sure, there’s little evidence that he’s the reason behind the fact that you got a dendro vision instead of geo but that doesn’t change the fact that you want to crush him between your palms like a writhe scarab. Especially after he enlisted you as his scribe-disciple without your consent. What a complete scumbag.

Oh, to quit the Akademiya only to be forced to go back again…

But of course, your grandpups don’t know anything about this and you have ZERO intentions of letting him in on your business. If he knows, then ALL of Snezhnayan elves know.

“I’ve heard from your mother that you’ve gone lovesick and left the Akademiya,” Pulcinella spoke in a slow somber tone. “And falling recklessly in love and gaining a dendro vision does not sound like you at all.”

Eww. Lovesick? Hell no.

If it weren’t for this man, you would’ve graduated as a fully pledged civil engineer next year. If he wasn’t such a great scribe, no, forger, your signature wouldn’t be on that damn contract.

That man seriously has no respect for his seniors.

Nevertheless, it was too late to do anything. You just have to accept the consequences of your inaction. Additionally, if you're going to take this "new job," you might as well act as if you adore it.

Hooray! Don’t you love working for Alhaitham? Isn’t it fun to discard your 4 years of studying? Oh, what joy! You definitely did not burn your eyebrows out trying to ace FIFTY Kshahrewar mock tests!!!–

“Talk to me, poppet.” He continued, eyebrows knitted. His wrinkly hands reached to gently hold yours. Suddenly, you remembered that he is still family. That this was the same old major that your young self boasted their miniature construction toys to.

“I’m worried that something might’ve happened. And my dear, health is not the absence of disease or infirmity, it is also–”

“The complete state of physical, mental, AND social wellbeing. Yes. I know, Pups. You nearly forced me to study medicine.” You groaned and palmed your forehead, weak but playful.

He chuckled heartily.

The old man’s rather soft with you compared to his other grandchildren. If he wasn’t, you’d likely find yourself as Il Dottore’s new assistant.

Although most people would find working for a harbinger, especially The Doctor, to be a complete nightmare, you concluded that being Alhaitham's slave was the epitome of "overrated garbage," and you despise the scribe so much you can't even remember his appearance. Sure, Layla’s jealous that you’re essentially set for life by being a scribe assistant but at least Dottore gives his assistants a hefty pay (discounting his crimes against humanity…)

You’re not proud to call Alhaitham your boss. That stupid #093c0d face doesn’t make your 2 million mora salary worth the trouble. He needs to pay for your mental health insurance–

“Are you alright, poppet? You’re looking at me like you would with one of your test slimes.”

You exhaled deeply, “sorry, I suddenly thought of a hex code #093c0d person.”

Pulcinella closed his eyes.

“A dark green shade?”

“That’s right.”

“...”

With an unreadable yet deliberate face, Pulcinella fixed his gaze on you. Your unique perspective on others didn't seem to disturb your grandpups the way it did your parents. He is one of the select few who is aware of how you assign people's personalities through colors. Pulcinella raised his glasses further up before giving a sage-like nod. The moment he crossed his arms, you knew he understood what you were trying to express.

“So it’s a lover’s quarrel.”

“Yes, exactly.”

…

“Wait, what– NO!!! Pups, please stop assuming shit– things!!!”

Never mind— he is SO far off.

Why is he convinced that you’re dating that prick? What the hell did your mom tell him?!

“I heard that, poppet. And do not misunderstand, I think this is a good thing.”

Your uncle-grandfather cupped your cheeks and squished them between his fingers. Perhaps this is what people consider a wholesome grandpa-grandchild dynamic– but social norms should’ve also labeled this as domestic violence. His pinching hurts. Your clipped groans made him grin wider.

“After all, this means that you have seen his flaws and true character. What better way to break a couple up than a genuine argument?”

“PWUUUPS!!!”

Pulcinella pulled his hands away.

“I felt distraught when I heard you have given up your pursuit of civil engineering and chose a career in the Haravatat,” he sighed and took off his hat, holding it against his chest. “I was rooting for you, dear. I had faith in your aspirations. Even Lord Capitano found it upsetting to learn that the future engineer I frequently boasted about had become a lesser Lord Kusanali underling.”

You squirmed and rubbed your cheeks, staring at the ground.

Lord Capitano was not someone you often interacted with, but you knew that he had an eye for talent– and he sought after yours. Perhaps this is your ego talking, but it felt like even he believed you’re best suited for an engineering course too. Other than your grandpups and subsequently his recruit, Ajax, Lord Capitano was one of the Fatuis you respected.

Alhaitham truly crushed your dreams.

“I know, Pups…”

“You know what to do, right?”

You nodded solemnly, before looking him dead in the eye. Pulcinella can see your determination clear as day.

You breathed in.

“I’m going to commit arson.”

He patted your back, smiling.

“That’s my grandchild!”

Pulcinella tip-toed and ruffled your hair.

“Alright, this old man had given up. Just show grandpups where the ring is.”

“Her majesty the Tsaritsa’s sake– I already told you Pups– ALHAITHAM AND I ARE NOT DATING!!!”

It was an exceptionally hot evening in Sumeru City despite being far from the desert. You should be inside your apartment right now, studying the Dendro Vision book Alhaitham gave you but you’d rather be where you are now. It’s about to get warmer, yet you’d dare argue that both you and master architect Kaveh’s headache can compete with its 38°C average temperature.

“C’mon, please?”

“No, I’m not helping you burn Alhaitham’s house down.”

“What?! Why not?!”

“Damnit, (Y/n)– BECAUSE I LIVE THERE!!!”

“Oh, right.”

You flopped back to your seat, eyes rolling back, deflated.

Kaveh cried out in pain while lowering his head to the table. He somewhat resembled a dried-out raisin. He had a drinking binge the night before, so this isn't because he's not a morning person. Although you expressed regret for knocking on his (Alhaitham's) door, the architect never misses a chance to rant about his housemate. Kaveh's pain wasn't even close to how much he detested Alhaitham. Now here you both are, sitting outside Lambad’s Tavern like morons because you both forgot to bring your wallets.

Not a sight you’d expect from a master-of-all-trades (ex-)engineering student and a genius architect.

“Damn it…” You whined. “What else am I supposed to do now?”

“Await until Focalors passes her judgment,” he answered hoarsely.

In other words: curl up and die, probably.

“Yeah… Yeah, that sounds viable. Let me just go to Fontaine real quick– oh wait, I can’t, because some dumbass scribe paid the corps to keep me from reaching the borders.”

Kaveh chuckled, still caressing his headache, not caring how his messy and unwashed locks covered his eyes. You’d be surprised if he told you he didn’t just get out of bed. He appeared like he was ready to sleep for all eternity, or more accurately, Kaveh’s starting to look eerily similar to Layla. In terms of colors though, he’d still be a #ffda29 and not a #003153.

He sneered, “did the sun always look this bright, powerful, and oh-so hateful?”

“It wouldn’t look like that if you didn’t down the pitcher I left on the table last night, Kaveh.”

You both turned to look at the voice– rather, the abyss. Alhaitham stood behind you. Or at least, you think it’s him.

Okay, here’s the deal: you hate remembering his face.

You handle your memory much like a student would a personal bookshelf– you’ll occasionally take out the information you no longer wish to retain in favor of more useful and relevant ones. As a creature with longevity, an elf should be picky when it comes to memories. You believe your approach is in the same vein as Pulcinella disposing of “less valuable assets’' without hesitation. If there’s no point in having it, why carry the baggage? But there are at least two facts that you can easily recall about Alhaitham: it’s his voice and the color #093c0d.

In other words, he’s just a talking dark green slime in your eyes.

Which he considers a major step up, by the way. You went from ignoring him to recognizing his voice, to associating him with one color. That’s quite a development. A pathetically slow progression, but still a positive one.

“THERE YOU ARE, ALHAITHAM, YOU PRI–”

The man swiftly dodged his slap by crouching down. He honestly didn’t have to put in the effort when Kaveh’s attacks were sluggish.

“–CK! WHY’D YOU LABEL THE ALCOHOL AS WATER?!”

Tons of passersby stared at Kaveh as he flailed around, but they were quick to look away. It’s no longer a secret that he lives with the scribe. Everyone in Sumeru City knows about his tactless antics and none are deaf when it comes to his loud gripes about his housemate. Even so, you went up to him to soothe his worries and restore his reputation because not everyone understands he's not a bad person.

Alhaitham scoffed, glaring.

“I didn’t. The label said "Fire-Water.””

“WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THAT MAKE?!”

“Fire-water? Oh.”

Your hand flew to your mouth as you connected the two dots.

That beverage from Snezhnaya is notorious for having a high alcohol content and is only known in Mondstadt as the drink Master Ragnvindr forbade exports of. As a quote-unquote "wine connoisseur," you were invited to one of his parties. Fortunately, you were able to warn Diluc of how potent it is firsthand– Kaveh? Not so much.

You snorted.

“Yeah, Kaveh, I hate to take Alhaitham’s side on this but this one is on you, friend.”

The blonde’s eyes widened, betrayed.

“HAH?!”

“Need I remind you that fire-water is an alcoholic beverage, Kaveh.” Alhaitham waved his hand, emphasizing his condescending tone. “Maybe if you listened to me instead of ranting about my work ethic, you would’ve known that I received it as a gift from a Fatui Harbinger.”

Your ears perked up. “From a Harbinger?”

Alhaitham smirked but it was gone as quickly as it came.

“Hmm. I’m certain that you know him, assistant (L/n). His name is Pulcinella,” the scribe said. “He left me a note. He said he wishes that I drink to my heart’s content as a thank-you gift for hiring his grandchild. I wasn’t aware you have a kind grandfather.”

You smiled back, crookedly.

No. No, your uncle-grandfather DEFINITELY wanted to see Alhaitham in pain. He didn’t even bother giving him a bottle– he gave him a fucking leftover pitcher.

Alhaitham took your arm. Unfortunately, he’s taller than you with muscle strength you can’t compete with. You squirmed but resistance was futile. Doesn’t mean you can’t bite his arm off–

“Assistant (L/n)–”

You gritted your teeth. “Don’t touch me, sir.”

Alhaitham paused, processing how much emphasis you put into pronouncing the word “sir.”

“–I’ll be taking you away now.” He looked down on your friend and scoffed. “Kaveh, do try your best to not be a burden to Mx. (L/n) again.”

Kaveh clutched his head, still in pain.

Sorry, Kaveh. That drink and beating headache were not meant for you in the slightest. You made a mental note to make it up to him, but not today. You have a lot on your plate right now.

“Idiot. They’re the one that invited me here!”

“True–”

“I quite frankly don’t care,” Alhaitham spat coldly.

“From now on, refrain from having conversations with my assistant. Unless you’re prepared to face the consequences.”

“Do you remember the approximate damage multipliers an aggravate reaction causes?”

“Nope.”

“Tch. I just discussed this, I can’t believe you already forgot.”

“You think I forgot? Haha, hell no. I didn’t forget, I just wasn’t paying any attention.”

Alhaitham dragged you down a secluded area in the rainforests with a sword in hand. Quite frankly, you hoped he brought his weapon to kill you, but you’re well aware of what this is about.

This is a lesson straight out of a page of “Dendro Vision Qualifications 101: Normal Attack Patterns.” The Acting Grand Sage thinks that you should have at least enough fighting proficiency for you to start formally working for him. As for you? You think this whole charade is utterly meaningless.

Sometimes, you truly do wish you were born as a rock instead. Maybe then you would be able to perform the “gray-rock method” whenever Alhaitham starts his drivel about dendro visions. You bet you’d make a pretty good tombstone for your dead childhood friend if you were a rock. Being a rock is probably the nicest thing to be. You get to be something created from the Geo element– the element and vision you desired. And not dendro.

Anything but lame old dendro.

This is so stupid. You wanted a geo vision, damn it. What on earth did you do to make Rex Lapis spite you, and what kinda breakthrough did you accomplish to gain the Lesser Lord Kusanali’s favor instead?!

If only you got something that isn’t the same as Alhaitham’s vision. Maybe if you got an electro vision you’d be learning how to brandish a lance with the General Mahamatra instead. Unlike most people, you enjoy being in his prolonged company and dry jokes. You’ve exchanged letters with Cyno multiple times– but your friend’s on-the-spot puns are 10x funnier than the things he writes down. Of course, that’s only because his earnest delivery sells it.

“In this fighting stance, you can perform up to 4 consecutive attacks, dishing out dendro damage approximately every 2 seconds interval–”

You held up your Eye of Perception.

“Bold of you to assume I’ll use this vision.”

“–charge attacks on the other hand require a hefty amount of stami–”

You yawned, halting Alhaitham in the middle of his “lecture.”

There’s a reason why you chose an Eye of Perception, and that’s because, unlike most catalysts, it procures physical damage as well. With someone as petty as you, it’s only natural that you’d brandish a weapon that doesn’t rely too much on dendro reactions.

“Yeah, I’ll just hit the enemy with my catalyst. Like, aim and shoot, or maybe I’ll just go with blunt force. This eye of perception looks like it’s made of metal, it can probably dish out some physical damage–”

Alhaitham shifted forward. Your gentle yet insouciant voice forced him out of his momentum.

“(Y/n).”

“...Yes, sir?”

His gaze sharpened.

“Pay attention.”

You snorted. Was he trying to intimidate you?

You, an elf who lived longer than him? How arrogant. It was becoming clearer why Alhaitham never once had a girlfriend or boyfriend. Or maybe a genuine friend in general. His senior who happens to also be his housemate does not count.

“No thanks.” You laughed to yourself, barely containing your amusement. “I think I’m doing fine.”

“What do you expect will happen if you don’t listen to my instructions? Your unfailing indifference sickens me.” He sheathed his sword back. “Do I have to spell everything out? You’ll get injured in combat. You won’t be able to defend yourself from fungi, eremites, and other enemies on the prowl. All for what? Useless pride? Grow up. Accept that you got a dendro vision and be done with it.”

“Tch…” You know how you feel, but you do not have the strength to say it out loud.

What an impossible task. He’s telling you– the most stubborn person you know– to give up on your goals? Inconceivable. You bet he sees the mediocre majority as nothing more than defective pawns, and you’re well aware you belong in that lowly category.

To him, grief may as well be easy as breathing. For you, years had gone by and you could still hear their voice. The scribe knows nothing about tributes for the dead.

Your old childhood friend beckons you back to the chasm. His voice comes once the dark rears in, reverbing his desperate pleas for a fitting grave. It’s a voice that twists around your chest like a knife. You can’t get their faces out of your memetic bookshelf, but it’s not as if you’re willing to dispose of them.

You didn’t want a dendro vision.

You wanted a geo vision to construct mausoleums for your dead friends.

Alhaitham scowled.

“Fine. We’ll resume our lesson next week.”

He bumped into your shoulder as he walked by. For a split second, you’re reminded that your superior had longer eyelashes than you do. And it made the gesture more annoying.

Strange.

Alhaitham wouldn’t normally let you off so easily…

Maybe he’s busy?

“If you’re so insistent on only utilizing physical attacks, be my guest. Next time, I will not back down a single step.” Alhaitham walked away with heavy feet, stamping the dirt with his heels.

The consequences of your actions began to sink in. You may have lived longer than Alhaitham, but needless to say, he had more experience in combat.

Admittedly, you may have done yourself a disservice by acting out… You huffed.

No, no way.

“What could possibly go wrong? He’s just a feeble scholar!”

Unsurprisingly, Alhaitham was not, in fact, a feeble scholar.

Thankfully you have the Eye of Perception at your disposal because the moment he found you walking towards Devantaka Mountain the following week, the bastard went for your jugular.

“What the fuck, Alhaitham?!”

You fired a single shot, aimed higher this time knowing that he would attempt to evade. Much like his actions with Kaveh last time, Alhaitham was quick to dodge that projectile. His timing is impeccable as he activated his vision.

#ff0e0e starts blaring in your line of sight. You’ve always trusted these colors— your instincts.

You’re in danger.

“Tch!”

You almost didn’t recognize that it was him. If he wasn’t breathing heavily, you would've mistaken him for an assassin. Alhaitham never made any unnecessary movements. His slashes were not done with the intent of harming you, but shepherding you to an appropriate trap. Your knee scraped against the grass and minuscule rocks. Prioritizing distance over attacks was a wrong move– he’s faster than anticipated. You gasped sharply as the scribe pinned you against a tree trunk–

… His scent caught your attention.

“A cicin mage’s perfume…?” You mumbled, eyes wide.

That didn’t seem right. Their perfume usually doesn’t smell this unpleasant and metallic.

Your ears drooped down as you realized this Alhaitham did not attack because he’s a lunatic, no. That malodorous stench was akin to a grandmother’s bittersweet husk.

This Alhaitham was under the influence of aphrodisiacs, and it is not something you can fault him for.

“What– What on earth happened?”

He twisted your arm slightly, not enough that’ll make you scream but just rough for a tiny yelp–

and that’s how he boldly claimed your lips.

You froze in horror, letting him take advantage of your plight. Alhaitham pulled away, panting slightly.

“F-Fuck…”

Alhaitham moaned as he slipped his tongue back inside. You tried to stop him but you yelped the moment his hand groped your thigh. His breath fanned your flustered skin as he moved to slither his arms around your waist, closing the already small distance between you two.

You weakly pulled back. The rainforest had never felt this humid before.

Something is truly off about his scent.

“L-Let go!!!” You hissed and punched his chest, completely forgetting your catalyst in your panic. “What the hell is wrong with you?!?! Are you out of your fucking mind?!”

He didn’t listen despite your physical protests. Alhaitham disgustingly crooned down and sloppily dabbed wet kisses down your neck. His saliva dripped over his shoulder, coating you in hopes that it would leave his trace.

It felt wrong. You felt dirty– like you were kissing an actual #093c0d slime.

“P-Please…” He whispered, his voice dropping dangerously weak and vulnerable. “H-Help me, (Y/n)…”

Your face flushed as you wiped the saliva that connected you both from your lips.

You’ve never heard Alhaitham beg before.

Is this really him?

His fistful grip on your clothes grew taut as desperation colored his knuckles white. You had never seen Alhaitham lose his cool the way he does now, and the broken sight in his eyes made you uneasy and uncertain.

He looked pathetic.

“Haitham, your…” your hand supported his neck and he hungrily leaned in to feel your touch. “Your heartbeat is loud.”

“I know,” he whimpered.

You bit your lip. You could sense his pulse going faster.

This isn’t the first time you’ve been kissed– or first anything. You’ve had your fair share of “soulmates” and “flings”, but those happened decades ago. Before you were mastering engineering, you were a freelance artist who’d had many affairs with humans and elves alike out of the undiagnosed emptiness that was grief. Up until Faruzan made you start a new leaf, you indulged in numerous vices, including wine and one-night stands. She was the closest a human could hope to understand the loneliness an elf would have.

Both your appearance give the illusion of youth, but your bones are held together by flesh older than this man. She would undoubtedly be angry with you as soon as she learns that you enabled Alhaitham's small rendezvous.

“Alhaitham, I’m more than a decade years older than you–” you squirmed.

“But I want you,” he groaned.

Those words felt so different when he was the one who said them. Nearly sinister.

“I know,” you said, but your voice doesn’t match the confidence you were meant to exude. “But this isn’t you, this is your hormones doing the talking. Where did the cicin mage attack you?”

“Between Pardis Dhyai and Yashna Monument”

“Between WHAT?!” You gawked. “That’s miles away from here!”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Yes, it does!!!”

You yanked his shirt. It’s thin, yet surprisingly durable. The strength of the fabric is not what made you unnerved, but his stare.

He gazed at you as if you were his lifeline— as if you were the only thing that allowed him to breathe. Alhaitham’s hot breaths were shallow, fanning your face as you took note of how red his face, neck, and ears were. You noticed how he struggled to gulp— struggled to keep his composure. His bedroom eyes had not once diverted their attention away from you.

“It doesn't matter how far I ran. You were the one I wanted to see. You were the face that came to mind after getting poisoned."

You pretended not to hear that.

“Alhaitham, we need to get you to Tighnari.”

“He can’t help me.”

“The forest watcher can most certainly help you more than me.”

“You don’t know that.”

You don't want to hear him talk anymore, to be honest. You're horrified by how weak and inaudible his voice sounded.

“Why did you come to Avidya Forest all the way from there? Why not head straight to the city?”

“So many questions…” He irritably spat. “Just stop talking and kis–”

“I refuse,” you glared. “Why were you heading towards Port Ormos? Did you think I was going to help you get over this mess out of the goodness of my heart?”

Did he forget how much you loathe him?

“No. No, of course not.”

He chuckled, full of self-loathing.

“I know you hate me, (Y/n). I would hate myself too.”

You raised an eyebrow. Of course, he’s self-aware— you just didn’t expect him to say that out loud.

Alhaitham continued, “but I’m not the one at fault here.”

Defeated, he rested his head on your shoulder. To avoid having you look at his expression, Alhaitham cupped your back, running fingers through your scalp so that you may only look forward. His body pressed against yours firmly. There’s no possible way for you not to be wholly aware of how warm he was and how fast his heart was beating.

It was distracting to know how much the poison affected someone like Alhaitham, whom you thought was damn near untouchable.

Awkwardly, you returned the favor and played with his hair. Alhaitham gasped softly, making you shiver as you realized how sensitive you are to his breathing from this position.

“And who would that be?” You asked quietly. “If your pride won’t let you seek Tighnari’s aid then since you’re here you might as well tell me everything, starting from the very beginning.”

“T-That won’t be necessary.”

“If we want to rule out who your true assailant is, then yes it is,” you answered. “I think this is what you call the process of elimination.”

Suddenly, he pulled away from you with his arms stretched out. Alhaitham still kept you pinned on the tree, but there’s more space for you now to move and see his face.

Ah, you’ve nearly forgotten again.

Alhaitham has green-orange eyes.

“No need.”

He clicked his tongue.

“It was Pulcinella. Your grandfather sent a cicin mage in an attempt to seduce and assassinate me.”

… Oh.

You should’ve guessed. You really should’ve guessed that he was behind all this.

Instinctively, you tried to cover your mouth from shock, but he quickly grabbed them and pressed them back to the tree behind you again. He tightened his hold once more, making you wince.

“I didn’t mind at first because your grandfather reminded me of my own grandmother,” Alhaitham gritted his teeth. “Pulcinella—”

He bit his bottom lip, his seafoam eyes looking unstable and royally pissed.

“He’s not after me because of my position as the Acting Grand Sage. H-He was merely looking after you. His expression was one I recognized. It's a grandfather's love. I may not show empathy as frequently as my housemate would like, but at least I am conscious of how important family is. I don’t want you to have to arrange your grandparent’s funeral like I did.”

You’re not unaware of who Alhaitham’s grandmother was. At one point, you had befriended her back when she was out on a mission to acquire 1,000 books. To think that you’ll meet her grandson for the first time in college and that you’ll end up in a situation like this… you’re sure she would’ve never condoned any of this. She wouldn’t appreciate that her grandson was trying to fuck the elf that helped her build her small library.

This is wrong.

Everything about this is wrong. From the age gap to the work power distance– it’s vile–

You want to vomit.

“So— s-so what did you do?”

“I didn’t want to kill your grandfather in retaliation.”

“Yes, you’ve established that. You don’t usually beat around the bush— go back to being the Alhaitham I know and just get straight to the point, damn it!”

“I ended up tracking all of his people in Sumeru down.”

He chuckled lowly.

Your heart started racing as well.

If his heart was beating out of excitement, yours were out of a rational fear that you wouldn’t get out of this unscathed and mentally sound.

“It’s laughable how his lackeys were so incompetent. If they listened to my lectures at all, they would’ve known how to defend themselves.”

“What… What the hell are you talking about?”

There was nowhere to run. You’re trapped unless Alhaitham lets go of both your wrists. Your dilated eyes surveyed the woodland, but you weren't confident that, should the occasion arise, your shaky knees could put some distance between you and the scribe.

“Didn’t you notice? They were stalking us from the moment I was teaching you how to use your vision last week, and likely even before that.”

His face drew near and you strained your neck to hopefully maintain at least a hair of distance between both of your lips.

Alhaitham closed his eyes.

“Did you honestly think I’d postpone our practice due to your mild complaining? Don’t you understand how excruciating it is to be away from you for a week?”

He pressed his forehead against yours.

“But I had to do it. For us.”

“Where… Where were you when you were gone? What did you do to them?”

You didn’t want to ask.

You already know the answer.

“When will you start thinking before you speak?”

With fears renewed, your body felt small underneath his gaze. He’s not even looking at you— his piercing green eyes weren’t even looking directly at your soul. You turned away and gazed at his left shoulder— shrieking.

Never in your 100+ years of life did you feel so stupid. Only now did you realize that it wasn’t just a cicin mage’s perfume you smelled earlier.

There was blood all over his coat.

“Stop screaming, (Y/n). I’ve finished the job and it’s high time you reward me, wouldn’t you agree?”

#ansy-writes #yandere alhaitham #alhaitham #al haitham #yandere al haitham x reader #yandere alhaitham x reader #alhaitham x reader #al haitham x reader #yandere genshin #yandere genshin impact x reader #yandere genshin x reader #yandere fanfiction #yandere oneshots #male yandere #x reader fanfiction #yandere male lead #yandere genshin imagines #yandere genshin impact

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heavyhitterheaux · 8 months ago

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Sunflowers and Roses

Love You a Little Bit Series

Synopsis: Now that the two of you have reconciled, you decide to spend more time with Jack in order to get to know him better and you can't help but to have butterflies when he comes around you.

Read Part 1 first

Pairing: Jack Harlow x Country Singer!Reader

Please Do Not Repost My Content Anywhere

As the two of you got settled in one of the booths across from each other at the diner, you began to glance over the menu. This was one of your favorite places to go and it helped that it was kind of hidden. You did that in the hopes of people not bothering Jack. You really hadn't been worried about yourself considering the fact that you didn't think of yourself being a well known artist even though some people would say otherwise. Jack was admiring you from across the table when he finally spoke up. He didn't think that you would agree to any of this so the fact that you did was surprising and the last thing that he wanted to do was mess it up.

“So I take it that you liked the flowers?” He asked and you looked up at him confused.

“Wait, that was you? All of them?”

“Y/N, did you not read the notes that I was leaving for you? I left one in every bouquet.”

“There were NOTES?!”

“I… yes! I wrote that I wanted to take you out on a date to get to know you better and make up for us having a not so good start.”

“Wait, this is a DATE!?” You asked, looking around confused. You weren't exactly dressed for a date seeing as you were wearing your black leggings and one of your oversized Louisville Cardinals sweatshirts along with your converses.

“I thought you agreed when you came up to me in the parking lot and that you read my note!?”

“Oh, this is…. Wow…. Ummm… okay.”

“I seriously can't believe that you didn't know that there were notes on the side of each bouquet.”

“Shit. Now I feel bad because I haven't read any of them and I didn't treat you so well when we met. I'm really zero out of two here and it seems like it's getting worse.” You replied being completely honest.

“Don't even worry about it.”

“Oh no, I'm going to worry about it. That's my part time job and being a singer is full time.”

“Y/N, I promise that it's okay.” Jack was trying to make light of the situation, but that didn't help you from feeling bad about the entire thing. Just wait until you told Rory about this one.

“You took the time to find out what my favorite flowers were and reach out on multiple occasions while I….” You started to say, but then went quiet.

“Okay, we can call a truce. We can start completely over.”

“I’d like that, but is this still a date if we do that? Because I am definitely not dressed for a date.” You said while glancing down at your outfit and suddenly becoming self conscious.

“Only if you want it to be.”

“Uh…. a breakfast date between friends. Let's start there.”

“I can live with that.”

“One more question for you….” You said and Jack nodded at you for you to go on.

“Were the notes handwritten?”

“Yes. It's more personal that way.”

“Now I feel even worse.”

Once you had gotten back home from your breakfast date with Jack, you immediately went over to all of your bouquet of flowers and started looking for the handwritten notes that he was telling you about. You decided to start with the newest one that he gifted you tonight and smiled when you had started to read it.

Y/N,

I hope the flowers are getting to you and that you like them. I wanted to reach out again because I still haven't heard from you. I just want us to be able to start over and become friends and also apologize to your best friend. We can have a dinner date or a breakfast date since I know you tend to leave the studio late. Just let me know what you decide.

Jackman

So now you could understand why he thought it was a date.

However, the last thing that you were looking for is dating anyone or getting into a relationship. You wanted to focus on your career and expand it and there would be plenty of time for that later. Besides the last one didn't end very well and opening your heart again to that vulnerable state was something that you weren't ready for.

After finding each note, you set each one of them aside and tried to find a special place to put them so that they wouldn't get lost. Once you did and got settled to go to sleep, you hopped in bed as you sent Jack a quick text since the two of you exchanged numbers once he dropped you back off at your car.

You- I found and read all of them. It means a lot to me that you still wanted to get to know me after all that and once again, I'm sorry. Have a good sleep and hopefully I'll see you soon.

Jack- Couldn't resist wanting to get to know a beautiful girl with an amazing voice and talent. And like I said we're starting off with a clean slate. Sleep well, Y/N.

Later on that day, Jack found himself in the studio once again and Clay could tell that he was distracted as he kept looking down at his phone and smiling. He was smiling at texts from you and decided on his next break, he would walk down the hall to see you.

“Why are you smiling at your phone like that? Is that your latest girl of the week?” Clay asked as he raised an eyebrow at him.

“What? No. It's Y/N.” He quickly said as he started typing back his response to answer you.

“WHAT? HOW'D YOU GET HER NUMBER?” Urban asked from his spot on the couch in the corner.

“Uh? She gave it to me? How else?”

“But you said that you thought she hated you.”

“We decided to call a truce and start over. I took her out to breakfast this morning and she didn't realize that it was a date because she didn't see the notes that I was leaving for her in the bouquet of flowers that I sent her.”

“She went on a date? With your dumbass?” Clay asked and Jack glared at him.

“Wait a minute…. What bouquet of flowers? I feel like I missed some episodes of Y/N hates Jack.”

“I was watching an interview of her when it came across my timeline on Instagram and she said her favorite flowers are sunflowers and roses mixed together. I’ve been sending them to her so that they’ll be in the studio once she comes in to record. While also writing her notes to apologize.”

“Aww Jack’s in love.”

“Definitely not. She just wants us to be friends.”

“For now.”

“Just wait until she really gets to know you. I mean I guess you're a catch. You're funny sometimes.”

“CLAY!”

“What did I do!?”

“Just like a younger sibling. Not helping.”

“I'm helping you on this damn song, am I not!?”

“Cut it out!”

“Hmm we'll be going to a wedding in a year and I'm going to be able to say I called it.”

“Can we just hurry up and finish?”

“Why? Got a hot date that's currently down the hall?” Urban piped up as he opened his bag of hot cheetos.

“And this is why I don't tell either of you a damn thing.” Jack said while pinching the bridge of his nose.

“We're almost done so you can go and see your girlfriend.”

“She's not my girlfriend!”

“Well then can I date her?”

“NO!”

“Yeah, that's definitely your girlfriend.”

Jack had sent a quick text to you to let you know that he was almost finished and that way he could come and see you for a little bit longer without having to head back into the studio. You wanted his opinion about a song that you had been working on and would love to see what he thought about it. You were currently surrounded by multiple people including Rory who wanted to stop by and see you. She was probably going to flip her shit when Jack walked in the door and you couldn’t wait to see the look on her face.

Twenty more minutes had passed before Jack was walking through the door and there immediately were butterflies erupting in your stomach and you had no idea why. You quickly spotted him and waved him over as you moved to the side on the couch so that he would be able to sit next to you.

“Hi.”

“Hi, you make anything good today?” You asked as you were strumming chords on your guitar.

“I might have to revisit it tomorrow since Clay was being a little shit.”

“He's your little brother. I hope you didn't expect any different.” You said while laughing and Jack just shook his head. He wasn't going to mention the fact that Clay had been teasing him about you.

“I didn't and he just about lost his shit when I told him that you record here too.” This instantly put a smile on your face.

“Hmm, might have to get the younger Harlow to work on a song with me.”

“Oh, and just push me to the side?” Jack asked as he playfully clutched his chest.

“Of course not. You can help me write it, silly. We gotta get three of Louisville's best on one song.”

Since all of your attention was on Jack, you didn't notice that Rory was trying to get your attention. You weren't even glancing in her direction when she decided to insert herself in the conversation.

“Bestie, don't be rude. Introduce me, please. Never mind. Hi Jack, I'm Rory. Y/N's best friend and if you hurt her I'll….”

“Rory!” You said through gritted teeth, but all she did was smile at you as you could feel your cheeks burning up.

“Is this…?” Jack started to ask you and all you did was nod your head before sighing.

“Oh good. You've heard of me.”

“And I apologize that our first meeting didn't go very well.” Jack said to her, but she waved him off.

“I’m over it. You're forgiven. It wasn't really your fault anyway. I have to get going but I'll be around. Y/N, don't do anything I wouldn't do.”

“Hmm funny, I'm drawing a blank.”

“Bit…. You know what, I'll let it slide for now and yell later.”

You watched her as she walked out of the studio when suddenly Jack turned to you confused.

“What did she mean that it wasn't really my fault?”

“It's not important. Now let me play this for you.” You said as you turned towards him as you looked in his blue eyes that were captivating you.

How could you not have noticed before?

No, we can't fall for him. We can't get hurt again.

Liked by jackharlow, rorymarie, carmengarrison, hollywoodunlocked, urbanwyatt, and 602,374 others

itsy/n: it's finally yours. Whiskey Blues. 💙

- jackharlow: you never miss 😉

-claybornharlow: 👀👀

-rorymarie: go best friend, that's my best friend

-y/nupdates: her grill saying Buckle Bunny is LEGENDARY

-bucklebunnybabe: WE GOT ANOTHER HIT!!

-carmengarrison: I got a bad case of the whiskey bluessss

#jack harlow #jack harlow fic #jack harlow concepts #jack harlow x reader #jack harlow x black reader #jack harlow fanfic #jack harlow fluff #jack harlow angst #jack harlow imagine #jack harlow fanfiction

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seraphinitegames · 2 years ago

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The Wayhaven Chronicles—Update 24/March/2023

It was a seriously exciting week this week!!

I got the proof-read files back from Hosted Games so as I could do my final look overs before sending it back, which means that it’s really, really done!

Aaaahhhhh!!!!

One super awesome thing was in the content review the proof-reader did was a synopsis of Book Three, and it was pretty much bang on what I wanted the story to be. It really gave me a boost to know that the story I wanted to tell was obviously the one that came across, hehe :D

So yeah, for Book Three now it’s just a case of waiting for that fast approaching release date! We still have lots of fun content planned for the run-up to April 6th so we hope you’re enjoying that!

We also got some more things in motion for Book Four. I have an idea of a better way of editing and testing this time, with a couple of testers and sensitivity readers already on board for the process. The plan is to have people do more of the editing and testing as I go along. I think it will really help to do things in smaller sections than one big thing at the end, especially with how big the games are getting with branching and variation now!

But I suppose now it’s time to actually look at properly putting away Book Three stuff. Filing it away and writing a big ‘COMPLETED’ across the front. Oh man, that makes my nerves spike but also such a feeling of pride and relief. Book Three was a much bigger undertaking than I had planned on it being, but it was also exactly the type of game and story I’ve always wanted to create!

Can't wait for you guys to get right back into those romances and enjoy what's to come! :D

Hope you all have an amazing weekend! We'll be offline as usual, so I'll update you all again next Friday! <3

#the wayhavn chronicles #update #progress report #book three #so close now!

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urtheloml · 1 year ago

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wonder how we got this far (i don't really need to wonder at all)

pairing: bakugou x reader w/c: 9k synopsis: you're excited about the prom, bakugou is not— disagreement ensues a/n: i'm back... first post of 2023 n the year is almost over... embarrassing 🧍🏼‍♂️this is the third n final installation to my little white lie mini-series!! read part 1 here n part 2 here!! this can be read as a standalone too :3 uhm... i started this fic in like... april (??) n completely forgot abt it until last week so i have no idea what the original plot was going 2 be but i think it turned out okay (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) also i know this fic is SOOOO overdramatic but i have watched every single movie that had a major prom scene (hsm3, the duff, mean girls, etc) n growing up, i looked forward it to SO bad that i literally used it as motivation to do well in exams. but then COVID happened so no prom experience for me so this is me basically projecting onto my writing!! okay mwah hope u like it xx o((>ω< ))o!!

Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. Yellow, black. The opening scene of the Bee Movie plays like a mantra in your head as you're searching for something in your closet. Your ears pick up the occasional grunt or cheer from your boyfriend, who's currently laying in your bed with his DS in hand, and your eyes roll affectionately.

You can't find what you're looking for so you abandon the mess you've made in your drawer and turn to Bakugou instead. "'Katsu, have you seen my can of body glitter? It's in a little purple spray bottle."

Bakugo barely glances your way, "No, why would I have seen that. Why d'ya need it anyway?"

Your body slumps against his comfortably as you cosy up next to him on your bed and even if it's been a while, your heart still skips when he immediately tangles his legs with yours. "I need it to make myself glittery for the prom, duh. You can use it too if you want before we leave."

"Huh?"

"The prom. The dance thing we're going to, in like three days?"

Bakugou's eyebrows scrunch up confusedly as he puts his DS down and immediately a bad premonition settles in your gut. "What are you talking about? I never said I was going to that shit."

Ah. There it is. You're glad he put his game down 'cause if he wasn't looking at you while you're about to have this conversation then his console might have landed outside your window right about now. You're looking at him incredulously when you say, "What do you mean you're not going? You're my boyfriend so you have to go. It's like an unspoken rule... you can't not go to prom. Who's gonna take me then? You want me to go alone, like some loser?"

The barrage of questions makes him smile amusedly at you, but for once the sight of it induces anything but affection in you. There's no way he's taking you seriously right now. Bakugou scoffs and turns back to his game, "Huff all you want, princess, but I'm not going to the prom."

Before he can start a new game, your body lands on top of him unceremoniously so you have his undivided attention. "'Tsuki! This is our one and only prom as high schoolers. Doesn't that mean anything to you? I want to go and dance with my girls and I want to dance with you. Please?"

His jaw ticks, and he looks away from you because he knows if he stares too long then he'll cave. He refuses to go and you're not about to sway him. He has his own reasons for not wanting to go and he'll stand by them if it's the last thing he'll do.

"I told you I ain't fuckin' going, alright? You can go with your friends and you can have fun and dance with them but I'm not going. Stop pushing me on this."

His voice comes out hard and unwavering, leaving no room for argument. Also, you can't believe he just called you pushy. Bakugou, who forced a confession out of you just because he wanted you to say it first. He underestimates your persistence though, because next thing he knows, you're leaning down like you're about to kiss him and his eyes are already half-lidded but instead you bite down harshly on his nose.

Bakugou yelps but that doesn't deter you. "Can you at least tell me why you don't want to go? Because you don't want to go to a lot of things with me but you always end up going anyway. Like the nail salon, or Bath and Body Works. Why's it different this time?"

His eyes narrow and he shifts beneath you, probably trying to escape your shit fuck ton of questions but you're caging him in. He stays quiet for a whole three minutes when he finally says, "I just don't want to go, fuck, can't you just let it go and compromise for fucking once?"

What. "What?"

“I’m just saying,” Bakugou sneers, propping his elbow up below his head, “you shouldn’t be forcing me to go. You said it yourself, ya know, it feels like I’m always doing what you want.”

You falter. "That's bullshit, Katsuki. You're being really mean right now."

It seems that you used the wrong choice of words because his face turns gloomy, and you can tell he’s biting the inside of cheek as hard as he can. He places his forearm over his eyes so he can physically block out your reaction when he practically spits, “Why don’t you go date golden boy Kirishima if you think I’m so mean, huh?”

Woah. That was a low fucking blow and he knows it. He regrets bringing up his best friend’s name the moment the words leave his mouth because the way you inhale sharply and get off of him fearing for his life. The hairs on his arms rise when you start speaking to him scoldingly, and he won't even deny that he deserves it.

“I cannot believe you’re still using that against me, ‘Suki, that was more than a year ago! And don’t give me shit about not knowing how to compromise because I always eat the food you make. Even when you make it spicy on purpose even though you know I can’t handle it. And you know what? I don’t particularly like going to the gym with you on the weekends, but I still always go! And maybe sometimes I wish we could have more than just study dates but I stay and read with you anyway. And I always, always, forgive you when you do stupid shit like forgetting our anniversary or- or when you make me cry."

Almost as if your body takes cue from your words, you can feel a familiar stinging sensation creep up behind your eyelids. It starts a chain reaction because somehow Bakugou barrels on. Even though his face blanches when he sees the water on your lash line, he can’t seem to stop his mouth from moving.

"Well, fuck, sorry I'm such a shitshow to handle, princess. You knew what you were getting into when you agreed to date me. But if you’re so tired of me already, then why don't you just break up with me, huh?"

No longer was there a trace of affection or playfulness in the way he calls you ‘princess’. The word drips with condescension and malice and your heart cracks a bit at the way he speaks about himself. Bakugou's sitting on the bed now, looking up at you as you stand before him.

Yet, your gaze holds nothing but warmth and frustrated tears when you look at him. Because, much to your dismay, you also always know when there’s something up with Bakugou . He leans away for a moment when your hands come up to touch his head, but decides to let himself fall into your touch in the end.

Bakugou buries his face against your stomach, gripping onto the back of your shirt with crumpled fists. Gently, your hand cards through his messy hair, “Baby, I never said that. I never said you were hard to deal with. You’re a very easy person to deal with, and an even easier person to love. And I have never, ever, thought about leaving you. Okay? I’m sorry for making you think that."

He nods into you, the movement tickles your abdomen and he does it again and again until you start giggling and pushing his head away. Bakugou rests his chin against your navel, looking up at you with slightly glassy eyes. He knows he doesn’t deserve the kindness you’re laying onto him, doesn't deserve you in general, but he still reaches up to swipe a thumb under your eye.

“No, I was out of line. I shouldn't have said all that. I’m sorry, I was bein’ rude as shit.”

The truth is, Bakugou isn't really that easy to deal with. You can handle him just fine because you've had years of practice. To an untrained eye, maybe it'll look bad for him when he scoffs a fuck off everytime you ask to hold his hand. But you know he never means it because he always takes your hand anyway, intertwining his fingers with yours. And then he'll squeeze your hand three times; i love you, i love you, i love you.

So no, he isn't easy to deal with. His body language and words don't always correspond to what he's trying to convey but it's still plainly obvious that he quite stupidly adores you anyway. He'll yell at you for forgetting your wallet, he'll call you an idiot the whole day and then he'll pay for your lunch and walk you home the same day. If you get cold for forgetting a cardigan, he'll tease and taunt you for a whole five minutes maximum before giving you his own that he just somehow keeps forgetting to take out of his bag, as he says. He'll make a face like he just ate a lemon when he tries and fails to not make fun of you if you don’t score so well on a test, and then he’ll tutor you for hours on end until you can get it right.

It gets quite predictable.

He pulls you down then, letting your bodyweight sink onto his lap and presses a kiss against your lips in apology and you hate that it works. Hate that he can erase every mistake with a press of his lips to yours, because he never kisses you without meaning it. And you know he means to say sorry with the way his tongue slips into your mouth.

Unfortunately, the argument does not end.

He pulls away, breathing heavier than before. The bubble of calmness and comfort around you bursts explosively however when he mutters, “‘M still not going to the prom, though.”

It's not like you didn't see this coming. You knew that he didn't really care about prom, no matter how badly you wanted him to. You just thought that maybe he'd take you anyway. The thought of going without him makes your chest clench because you could have the time of your life with your girls but it won't feel the same without him next to you.

Maybe he's right. Maybe you do make him do things he doesn't really want to. But then again, you do the same for him. You're left confused and defeated when it's time for him to leave and he's still adamant on not going. On one hand, you don't want to force him to go. But on another, you really do wish he'd change his mind.

You're silent as you show him out, and he notices but he stays quiet too and in his head, he beats himself for being a coward. He hates himself for not being able to talk to you properly. He knows very well that if he just told you what's up with him then you'd understand, and you could still probably convince to go to the dance. But he doesn't speak up.

Right before he leaves, he leans down to kiss you goodnight but you turn away at the last moment so his lips meet your cheek instead. Slowly, you press a palm against his heart, pushing him away and pretending you can’t hear how it stutters at your denial.

"Hey, before you go, I'm sorry if I'm being pushy again but you-,” your voice trails off, and you sigh defeatedly, “you can't keep making me cry and just expect to kiss it better all the time, okay? And I know you don't mean to do it, but it still hurts, Bakugou. I'm tired of getting hurt all the time and I'm not forcing you to go, but I hope you know that it really fucking sucks that my own boyfriend won't go to the dance with me, and it sucks even more that he won't even tell me why."

Bakugou? What happened to Katsu or ‘Suki, he mourns internally. He keeps a blank face but it feels like the blood within his veins just got replaced with pure fucking ice as he lets your words sink in. He refuses to let his facade break but it feels like someone is grabbing him by the throat and he can’t seem to breathe right.

"If you keep making me feel like this, one day I'm not just gonna let you kiss it all better. 'Cause sooner or later, you're gonna run out of chances."

Bakugou stays unanswering, and you look at him pleadingly for him to just talk to you but he doesn't. It's not until you go to close your door that he finally speaks, voice soft but accusing, "You just said you've never thought of leaving me, and now just 'cause I'm not taking you to some stupid dance, you're taking it all back?"

If Bakugou had superpowers, pissing you off would definitely be one of them. You resist the urge to stomp your foot childishly, because you know that won't help to get your point across. Your teeth bite down on nothing as harshly as possible because you don't want to start arguing again, it won't solve anything. He knows that too, and even though your hands stay right by your side, he feels like he was just punched in the jaw when you meet his eyes and he finds that somehow, he managed to make you cry twice in one night.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe this isn't just some stupid dance to me? I get it, okay, that it's not your scene or whatever, and it doesn't matter to you but it really matters to me," you tell him as placatingly as possible, and his eyes are as clouded as his judgement, "I've waited a long time for this, and I never thought I'd even be lucky enough to have someone who means so much to me to go with. And if you can't even see how important it is to me that I want you with me at this stupid dance, then you're the worst. The worst."

With that, you finally shut the door in his face. His muffled protests behind the slab of wood go ignored in favour of stomping back to your room. Bakugou's insufferable! He's stupid and stubborn and temperamental. He's a hothead that jumps headfirst into anything he does with everything he's got.

He's the worst. (he's the furthest thing from it)

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

Neither you nor Bakugou give in to the temptation of calling one another. When you see him in class, you don't look at him and you go straight home. The both of you being too stubborn to admit defeat by reaching out first. It hurts to admit though, that for once you wish he'd just call you. A mere three days of radio silence on both your ends doesn't do wonders for your relationship, it chips away at both of you until the hurt simmmers to a seemingly numb feeling in your hearts.

As you think of ways to spite him, your mind comes up with the idea of going with someone else. But you don't entertain that thought for longer than a second, because that would be cheating and you'd never stoop that low. He probably wouldn't even know if you did anyway.

The night before the prom, you sit on your bed forlornly, twirling the little charm bracelet that slings around your wrist. It's a cute thing that Bakugou gifted you a few months ago. It was a simple purple band with two star charms on its ends and a little saturn charm in the middle. He has a matching one in blue.

"It's beautiful, 'suki. Why saturn?" You had asked.

"Uh... I don't- I read somewhere that it kinda symbolises growth and commitments. And you know, that fits us." Katsuki answered, withholding the fact that he spent three hours reading multiple astrology sites about it even though he quite frankly thinks it's bullshit but didn't want to get the meaning wrong anyway.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. ‘Cause I wanna fucking commit to you and I'm gonna be everything you’ll ever need.”

The bracelet jingles lightly as you fidget with it. Your phone lays on your bed with no signs of him calling and a deep crushing sigh escapes you as you prepare yourself for another night of tossing and turning. The memory of what the bracelet meant lulls you to sleep and you're left wondering if he's still wearing it too, which makes you wonder even more if he's missing you as much as you're missing him or if he's missing you at all. It's hardly noticeable but you think your cheeks feel damp as your eyes fall close.

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

In his own room, Bakugou lets the dumbbell he's curling fall to the floor. He barely hears the resounding thud it makes or his mom yelling at him for dropping the weight like that. He flops onto his bed, arms spread and neck spotted with sweat. His mind swims with thoughts of you and he wishes it wasn't so hard for him to just fucking open up to you. His insides twist just thinking about the way he left things with you, it makes him feel stupid and he hates it.

It's not like he doesn't want to take you to the prom. If anything, he'd love to do that. He wants to show you off so bad. Have you all pretty, draped over his arm and looking gorgeous in whatever dress you wanted to wear. God does he want to, he wants everyone to see you with him and he'd bask in his smugness that no one else gets to have you like this but him. He'd relish in the absolute envy on anyone else's face as that saw you with him. Because everyone knows, including himself, that you're too good for him. And now he's gone and fucked it all up.

For all the confidence he exudes, Bakugou Katsuki is actually not someone who's void of insecurities. If anything, his confidence is just a front to his crackling interior. But not always, because sometimes he is quite the hot shit. Anyway.

Contrary to your belief, he doesn't want to go to the prom for your sake. He's heard the things people have said about you- or rather, he's heard what has been said about you in regards to your relationship with him. Just thinking about it makes him feel nauseous all over again. He wasn't supposed to hear it, he thinks.

He'd been walking past the girl's toilet whilst looking for you. It wasn't on him that girls talk so fuckin' loudly. Like c'mon, in his defence, if you're going to talk shit about someone, at least do it quietly so that the person aforementioned won't hear his own name like a siren beckoning him to eavesdrop. So really, it's not his fault for pressing his back against the wall to hear the rest. He can't put a name to the two voices (why would he be able to) but from what they're saying, they know him apparently.

..."... I bet he's forcing her. To date him, I mean."

"I don't know... they seem pretty lovey-dovey and all gross to me. If you ask me, she should leave now and find someone better."

"That's called conditioning. Or like, stockholm syndrome. I mean, let's be serious, who wants to willingly date Bakugou of all people. He's like if the word aggression was personified. He's mental, I swear."

They laugh, gaudy.

"I bet he's gonna show up to the dance with the poor girl, 'cause he's way too fucking clingy. Have you noticed that he's practically by her side almost 24/7. Hope they don't turn up together, like give that girl a break."

So. He wasn't supposed to hear that. He wasn't supposed to fucking hear that, and for a good fucking reason. At that moment, it felt like his heart was stuck in his throat while simultaneously, his stomach dropped to his ass. He doesn't cry. He's not that bothered by it. But it makes his head spin that people actually think of him like that.

By then, he wasn't thinking straight, because if he was, then he'd know not to make assumptions about how everyone felt about him based on two girls' conversation. Alas, he's not thinking straight, so, fuck it.

He doesn't know if you remember but he barely said anything when he walked you home.

It hurt him, but everything they said about him wasn't anything he hadn't heard before. It was the way they talked about you that got to him. How you were unhappy or being forced, they said. It's the way he's tried his hardest to pour his heart and soul into you and him and it's still seemingly not enough for people around him to think that you're both undeniably gone for each other.

It makes him upset, because he thinks he's been doing a pretty good job at showing you just how much you mean to him, but apparently fuckin' not. He's obviously not doing something right. Which makes him feel frustrated because he can't figure it out. He tells you he loves you plenty. Okay, maybe not plenty but he does say it. He says it and he knows you know that he’s trying to show it in his own words. He always keeps a jacket for you, he’s never let you fail a test since you got together and he always always makes you extra food that he makes for himself. Maybe he’s done something wrong along the way.

It's not like he unintentionally made the food spicy for you. Sometimes it just slips his mind that your portion can't be the same level of spicy as his is. And he knows how sad you get when you fail an exam, which is why he forgoes normal dates to sit and study with you. Of course he'd much rather do something like hiking or fucking, he doesn't know, laser tag with you, but he'd always put your education first. He knows how much it means to you after all.

An ugly feeling nags at him. It makes him want to pull away from you, show some distance so people would stop talking for a bit. But another part of him wants to run to your house right now and tell you I'm sorry. please don't leave. I can do better. Neither of those feelings actually make him do anything, though, because he's stubborn and refuses to cave.

Ugh. He thinks, before promptly passing out on his bed.

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

The evening of the prom arrives. You're standing in front of your mirror, all dressed up and pretty. Your dress accentuates your curves amazingly and you've adorned your cheeks with small star-shaped rhinestones and sprayed a generous amount of body glitter all over yourself. The shimmer makes itself known in every crevice of your room but it doesn't bother you right now.

An imaginary Bakugou makes himself comfortable on your bed. He's eyeing you up and down and groaning appreciatively at the sight he's been blessed with. Fuckin' gorgeous, he says, just like you know he would if he were actually here. You're wearing his colours after all.

Your hands smooth down your dress incessantly for the nth time that night, as if getting rid of the imperceptible wrinkles on your dress would get rid of the thoughts in your head as well. It doesn't, but it makes you feel calmer. Maybe some would call it dramatic, or stupid, but you don't even really feel like going without him.

You don't want to miss out on your prom, and you still want to dance with your friends and eat cheap shitty food though. So maybe your hair droops a little, akin to your mood, but you leave your house shining and smiling anyway.

And when you get there, things start looking up. Whoever's in charge of the music has been doing an amazing job of not playing Closer by the Chainsmokers on repeat yet so that's win in your book. In fact, they're not playing any songs that would give the average retail worker war flashbacks, which means they're doing a phenomenal job.

The hall is mostly full by the time you and your friends find a table near the back. There's a line at the punch table and you can already tell that it's probably spiked with something judging by the students practically dry-humping one another on the dancefloor, much to one of the school's chaperone's dismay.

The first hour passes by without a hitch. The buffet table is lined with cheap pizzas, stale fries and other questionable foods like jello cups that you're not sure is even made with real jelly. But your friends eat it anyway and you do too because food poisoning's all part of the party package.

At the back of the hall, there's a photo booth with props and signs for everyone to take. Your friends and yourself take ungodly amounts of pictures at the booth, laughing loudly without a care in the fucking world. You don't let yourself think about how Bakugou would scoff at the choice of props, you refuse to let yourself think about how he'd pose after choosing something equally stupid and you absolutely do not let yourself think about how much brighter you'd be smiling if he were here with you. You don't.

The sound system blares songs from bands you're somewhat familiar with, the bass of the songs echo and reverberate throughout the dancehall. It amplifies the adrenaline running through your veins as you jump around with the rest of the people in the hall. It feels silly and unnatural but you're giggling and swaying and it isn't so bad when you've got your girls right next to you doing the same thing.

It's easy to forget about all the aches when you let yourself get lost in the crowd. You're pushed into the middle of the dancefloor that's definitely filled with people who don't go to your school.

A song that you vaguely recognise by The Weeknd plays over the speakers and it's so fast paced that your heart thumps to the bass of the song. The tremors echo through the hall, shaking the floor and it becomes so easy to forget why you were upset in the first place.

The song ends and cheers from half-drunk high schoolers fills the temporary silence that follows. The DJ announces that he's about to slow things down a little for a kick of romance. He stretches out the word romance so it sounds more like roooowmaynceee and when the music fades into something mellower, it becomes even easier to remember.

It becomes increasingly harder to ignore the pitiful glances your friends send your way as they're whisked away by their own dates. Humiliation and longing pools in your belly as you watch your friends get their waists held and their bodies swayed and it fucking sucks. Even though you wave dismissively at them, it does look quite pathetic when you slowly move to stand against the wall by yourself.

Your eyes sweep over the couples dancing, and you pray that no one asks you to dance while you're being a wallflower. You don't think you'd want to dance with anyone but him anyway. Distantly, your mind wanders to Bakugou, and you're left thinking about what he must be doing at this hour. Maybe he's studying, or watching a movie, or cooking something inedible like always. Maybe he's already asleep. Maybe he's missing you and he's on his way over here right now.

Nobody is crueler to you than yourself, you think, as you let your mind wander dangerously into that false pretence of hope that he might change his mind about showing up.

There's a phantom feeling that glides over your skin as you watch your friends dance, and you wrap your hands around your elbows to soothe it. The sweat from your earlier dancing cools off as the air in the hall gets cooler and you're not sure if it's the crisp, cold air, or the fact that you're painfully aware of Katsuki's absence that makes your throat sting each time you inhale.

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

In the end, Katsuki's mother is the one who quite literally knocks some sense into him. Mitsuki Bakugou is not a force to be reckoned with, ever, and as tough and cool Katsuki makes himself seem, he'll always be a little bit intimidated by his mom. It's why he tries to seem as nonchalant as possible as he sits on his couch while staring unblinkingly at the TV.

Mitsuki pops her head into the living room. Fuck, he didn't think she'd be home so soon.

"Katsuki? What the hell are you still doing here?"

"You going crazy, hag? It's a Friday night, am I not allowed to take a fuckin' break or what?" He swallows.

"Language, asshat. And I just stopped by Inko's, brat, I know what day it is today," she sighs annoyedly before plopping down next to him, "She tried to show me Every. Single. Photo of Izuku in his tux. I had to tell her I left the stove on to get out of there. So quit the bullshit. Why are you still here?"

Katsuki has a pillow in his lap and he squeezes it until his knuckles turn pale so his voice won't waver.

"She didn't want me to take her," he lies, hoping his mom will take the bait.

Mitsuki shoves her son's head to the side good-naturedly, "I thought I told you to quit the bullshit, brat. That girl adores the hell out of you for some fucking reason, so don't try to lie to me."

It's that one goddamn line that has him snapping at her. It's her words and the stupid girls in the stupid fucking toilet and it's an amalgamation of everything that has him wanting to tear his fucking hair out that makes him lose it.

"Yeah, okay, fuck you too mom. You're right, I don't fucking know why someone like her wants to be with someone as fucked up and angry and- and mean and aggressive as I am too, alright? Everyone at school already fucking wonders why she even wants me so I didn't take her to this stupid fucking prom 'cus maybe they'll get off my back about fucking forcing her to be with me. I'm not in the goddamn mood to be hearing about this shit so fuck off. I wish I knew what the fuck she sees in me that's so good but I don't so just stop this fucked up interrogation, God."

He's not even looking at the TV anymore. He spits out his outburst while staring straight at his hands fisted in the poor pillow. It'll never uncrease now. His jaw is clenched so tightly he's scared his teeth might just shatter in his mouth. He doesn't want to look at his mom right now, too afraid to see her pitiful gaze directed at him. Doesn't want to hear her say you're right Katsuki, I don't know what she sees in you either.

Katsuki braces himself for an impact, knowing he's probably about to get smacked for talking to her like that. He doesn't expect the hand that gently lands atop his head, and he doesn't expect the hand that's curling behind his ears to turn his head towards her. Mitsuki looks at her son, making sure he really looks at her this time.

"Katsuki." She says, as gentle as the first time she held him in her arms. It doesn't matter how many years have passed, he looks just as small to her right now, and just like the day he was born, she will wrap him up and make sure he knows how loved he is.

"Katsuki, listen. I'm sorry for saying that," Mitsuki exhales, "It was a joke, but it was insensitive and I'm sorry. Every other time I said something like that about you wasn't true either. You're a good son and a good student and a good person. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks, or says about you because the people who truly care about you know that you're a good fucking person, Katsuki."

Katsuki can barely hold eye contact with her. As embarrassing as it is, his vision blurs over and he will never acknowledge the way his voice breaks. "Mom," he shudders, "I'm always trying so fucking hard. I want to be good, please."

A noise that sounds like a choked back sob escapes him unwillingly. Mitsuki pulls his face into her shoulder and smiles when he barely resists. He fits just like he did before he thought hugging her wasn't cool anymore.

"You are good. You are so good, Katsuki." she whispers, "You always help to cook, and you keep the house clean and your grades up. You don't speak politely but you are honest and you are just like me. You use your hands, actions, to communicate rather than words. But you know, Katsuki, sometimes the people we love need to hear it from us too, okay? We'll both work on that."

A miniscule nod. "I'll start right now, Katsuki. You may be a brat sometimes, but you are my son. My sun. You are good, and kind and for everything you do not love about yourself, I love it tenfold."

He absolutely does not break at that. Katsuki bites back a whine, and exhales shakily again, soaking in her words like a sponge because he knows these moments for them come few and far in between. He doesn't mind. He thinks it's special that way, cherishing it whenever it does happen even more.

Mitsuki cards her hands through his hair, "You're a winner, Katsuki, that's why you have your name. Don't let whatever happened get to you like this. If you don't go to that stupid prom, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life. Because I love you very much, and it might even be possible that that girl of yours loves you just as much, or maybe even a smidge more. Get your ass changed, and talk to her, alright? I know it's scary, letting someone in, but you care about her and you need to do this."

Katsuki pulls away from her, wiping his face roughly with his arms. He sniffles harshly, trying to erase all traces of the vulnerability he just showed. He bites his lip hard enough to almost draw blood. He wants to say he loves her back but the words fail him. Not yet, he thinks.

"I don't know what colour her dress is." He says instead.

"Wear your red suit. Don't ask questions, go get ready. You're already late, I'll call a cab for you."

Katsuki nods, getting up to walk to his room. He's halfway up the stairs when he pauses for a second. "Thanks mom. Love you."

Mitsuki waves her hand dismissively in his direction.

Katsuki stands in front of his mirror, inspecting everything he sees as if that'll change the way he feels about himself. His mom talking to him helped a lot, but he's still finding it hard to breathe and it's not just because his collar is choking him a bit. He fiddles with his bracelet. He tries to ground himself as he thinks about whether he should put on a different suit.

He really wishes he listened to what you were saying when you were talking about your dress. What if he shows up and his suit clashes with your dress? That would just make your night worse.

It's ridiculous. He knows he's just procrastinating. Because thinking about suit colours is easier than thinking about the crippling insecurity that still sits heavily on his shoulders, shackling him with the sheer weight of it all. He'd rather think about the colour of your dress than the fact that he feels like he can't give you what you deserve in a boyfriend.

His reflection frowns back at him.

The words you said play in his head like a broken record. You are the worst, you told him. He thinks of all the things he never really says to you because for some reason his emotionally constipated self just can't bring himself to say them. (Because he says I love you, but he means he hopes you never trip on your shoelaces if they're untied, that your hair never tangles in the wind, that if your drink spills not a drop of it would touch you, that your hands are always warm, that you'd never forget to bring your headphones before you leave the house and that you're always safe whenever he's not with you. Because he says I love you, but he means he hopes that if the sky were to drizzle, the raindrops themselves would feel privileged just to be able to fall upon your skin. Because he says I love you but he means he hopes you know he wants to say it right to your face, and into your mouth and kiss the words and every version of it's meaning into the space where your shoulder meets your neck every morning when he wakes up and every night before he lets himself succumb to slumber. He says I love you, but he means more than what those words convey. He says I love you, but he means stay warm, stay safe. He says I love you but he means my heart belongs more to you than me. He says I love you but he means he'll never want anything else for as long as he lives if it meant you'd always stay with him. He says I love you but he means come home to me and keep coming home to me, please.)

Oh.

If he could kick himself for being so stupid, he would. But he can't so he'll let you do it for him instead. I am not a coward, he tells himself as his unsteady hands try to make his hair look less of a mess. It doesn't work so he leaves it be and dashes out the door with an undone tie around his neck and he hastily side-hugs his mom- dodging her attempts to groom him- before throwing himself into the cab.

He doesn't make it a habit to show up late, but hopefully this time you'll forgive him. This time showing up late is better than not at all.

He's never made it a habit to show up late but maybe this time showing up late is better than not showing up at all. He drums his fingers nervously on his thigh throughout the entire ride. He hopes to God you're having fun. He hopes you know he's on the way. He hopes, and hopes and prays that he hasn't lost his chance.

When he arrives, he doesn't even spare a glance for his own friends, too preoccupied with finding you. The hall isn't very big but the space is large enough that he has to walk around a few times just to spot you.

The minute he sees you leaning against the wall, he wishes desperately he could go back in time. He'd do fucking anything to erase that faraway look in your eyes. He can see the way you're yearning to be one of the couples on the dancefloor and he wants to unwrap your hands around yourself and replace it with his own.

Katsuki breathes in deep and makes his way towards you cus damn it, if you wanted a dance, he'll give you a fucking dance alright.

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

The last slow song finally slowly tunes out, transitioning into a more upbeat one. The couples finally disentangle themselves from one another and you're just about to step back onto the dancefloor when a very familiar pair of arms snake around your waist.

You didn't even see him come in. It doesn't matter how he apparated here, because the only thing that matters right now is the fact that he showed up and the way his arms fit snugly around your hips. A breathless sound of disbelief escapes your lips as he pulls you into him when you turn around to face him.

If he's surprised by the lack of anger or disappointment on your face, he doesn't show it. All he knows is the feeling of your arms coming up to rest up on his shoulders. With the way you're beaming up at him, anyone would think that the only thing he did was show up almost two hours late. He knows better though, he knows he fucked up when all you wanted was for him to bring you to this stupid dance. And on God, would he try his hardest to make it up to you.

Katsuki leans into you, burying his nose into your hair that's all pinned up and pretty. He's getting glitter all over his face and suit and he doesn't care at all.

"I'm sorry," he exhales, letting the apology spill out of him, "'M so fuckin' sorry, princess."

It's so quiet, you almost think he never said it at all. In the background, you can just barely register the lyrics of Paramore's Still Into You that's currently playing. A litany of 'thank yous' is mentally conveyed to the DJ.

"And what are you sorry for?"

Katsuki clenches his jaw, his eyes darting away from yours like he's struggling not to look away. He groans before telling you, "There’s been rumours going on, people talking shit like they know us. Saying fuck all, running their fuckin’ mouths about how you could do better than me. And it’s stupid that I believed them for even a millisecond, I know. Then I realised that if I let you show up here alone then i’d just be proving those fuckers right. So, you win, princess. I took you to this stupid prom. I showed up, ‘m here right now."

Even though it's been said before, the lack of confidence Katsuki has in himself is absolutely baffling. It's like he can admit he has flaws and weaknesses and he'll know exactly what the problem is but he won't fucking talk to you for some reason you can't figure out.

Nvermind, you figured it out.

He's scared. Bakugou Katsuki is fearless. He's not afraid of anything, because he knows everything he's afraid of can be defeated one way or another. His fear of failure is conquered with his efforts in order to secure success. His fear of inferiority to anyone that's a threat towards him can be overtaken by brandishing his own achievements like a sword, or like armour. But when you come along, suddenly it becomes: Bakugou Katsuki was fearless.

The only thing he's scared of is losing you. That’s something that he alone can’t control, because you could very well decide to leave him if you ever felt like it. He realises that if he didn't show up tonight, the chances of that happening would be much much higher, and then if he lost you, he'd be a loser. Bakugou Katsuki is not a loser.

Your chest tightens at the thought that he actually believed that you’d leave him for someone better, as if someone like that even existed. One of your hands reaches up to curl around his neck, forcing him to look at you. You shake your head firmly when he tries leaning away.

You’re glad your voice remains steady when you say, "You should've talked to me. ‘Suki, I can’t believe you almost blew me off because of some shit some people we don’t even know thought about us. They don’t know anything about us, alright? They don’t fucking know how good I have it with you and you shouldn't keep all that to yourself next time, okay?”

His grip tightens, “You should’ve heard them though. Girls are fuckin’ ruthless. Talking about how easily you could just fuck off and get with someone better. Saying I... I'm forcing you to be with me. Fuck, it made me feel like shit ‘cause I knew there was some truth in what they said. I know I can stand to be nicer to you.”

Your hands find their way to his undone tie and you tug, “Katsuki, I don’t care about what they said. You hear me?”

Once he nods, you go on, "I couldn't do any better than you, because you're already the best. You said it yourself. If you think I deserve better, then be better, 'cause I don't want anyone but you. So stop trying to push me away. Whoever started all this can fucking eat our asses 'cause clearly they don't need their mouths if all they're gonna do is talk shit."

"Holy fuck, you really need to stop spending so much time with me." Katsuki snorts.

With a laugh, he twirls you around two times all while complaining that you're starting to sound exactly like him. But you’re not so sure he really minds so much judging by the way he grins wickedly at you. When his arms go back to their rightful place, you rest your forehead against his chest, "Also, let me? 'Suki, I did show up here alone. Which means that technically, you didn't really take me here, you know? 'Cause I had to come here all by myself."

Katsuki huffs and puffs, and leans back far enough to flick your forehead softly. He sways you slowly to the music, despite how fast the music is, "What matters is that I'm here. I’m fuckin' sorry for making you show up here all alone. Look, I’m even dancing with ya, ain’t that enough?”

Am I enough?

Katsuki says all that like he's exasperated with you but really he's posing it as a question. He's asking, and looking for a chance to redeem himself. Like always, you rest even more of your weight against him, knowing you can let yourself go boneless against him and he'll hold you all the same. He's all strong and soft and sturdy and you can hear his heartbeat thundering beneath his clothes and you make sure he can hear you when you say, "You've always been more than enough."

You can feel the way any lingering tension escapes him when you tell him that. He tells you softly, promises you that he'll start opening up more to you, and he kisses you on the cheek to really seal it in. The song echoes throughout the room, thrumming in your veins and making you feel weightless.

Some things just, some things just make sense and one of those is you and I.

His eyes don't waver as he really takes you in, savouring the image of how good you look. He sears the image of you into his brain and he hopes you know how serious he means when he rasps, "Fuck, ya look gorgeous by the way. Absolutely fucking stunnin' and I really fuckin' wish no one else but me could look at ya." His hands run down your sides slowly and squeeze at your hips, eliciting goosebumps all over your skin.

Heat quickly floods your cheeks and pools in your tummy, and his hands tighten his hold on you. You grin at him, "Well, ignoring your tie, I think you look very handsome as well. I'm surprised our colours didn't clash."

Katsuki barks a laugh at that. If only you knew.

It's quite the scene to see you and him swaying gently to such a hyped up tune. Everyone mostly crowds up around the front of the hall. But you and Katsuki hang back from the big mass of sweaty bodies, choosing to stand nearer to the opposite end of the room. If your friends look at you weird, you don't take notice. It's as if you're in your own little world; just you and him.

The second chorus sounds and Katsuki dips you as low as he can get before you yell at him. When you come back up, he's looking at you all starry eyed, staring directly at your lips. He can't stop himself, he cuts you off while you're singing along to kiss you right then. He swallows the little 'mmphrh!' that comes out of your throat greedily, sliding one of his hands up your back all the way to the cuff of your neck to press you even closer into him.

"Fuckin' missed you and your pretty fucking mouth, baby." he sighs breathlessly into you.

It's barely a chaste kiss, looking quite messy for a high school prom. Thankfully no staff member comes in between you and him, so he pulls away slowly before leaning back in. He kisses you once, twice and then some more and even a fifth and sixth time, like he's making up for all the days he didn't.

After he's satisfied with all the kisses he's peppered on your face, he leans away, smiling sillily. "She's right, you know?"

Your eyebrows furrow but your lips quirk up anyway, "What are you talking about?"

Katsuki spins you slowly, "The singer. She's right," and leads you back into him before singing monotonously, "After all this time, I'm still into you."

"You are such a loser, that was so cringe. Oh my god, what the fuck," you laugh, but your heart squeezes in affection.

Katsuki doesn't know if it's the haphazardly hung disco ball and the flashing lights that makes your eyes shine and sparkle or if it's just you, but he can't tear his eyes away from you. You're looking at him like he split the oceans for you, and he thanks every star in the sky that you're letting him hold you this close again.

If he knew how unreal you’d look when you’re dancing in his arms, he never would’ve ditched this thing. What a shame, he thinks, that he missed out on two whole hours that could have been spent with you looking like this. Maybe it’s the air in the hall but he feels practically giddy at the sight of you enjoying yourself, and it makes his heart fucking leap because it’s him that’s making you smile like that.

The sides of his mouth hurt from how much they've been stretched tonight, but he can't keep the smile off his face when you say, "You're right though. She is right."

He hums along to the tune, because denies it as he may, he absolutely loves this song just as much as you do.

Your eyes drink up the sight of Katsuki dressed up so… in character. His hair is as messy as ever, his tie hangs loose and undone around his neck and you’re sure his suit jacket has seen better days but he looks fucking ethereal to you. He’s all lethal grins and loud laughter and his cologne smells as spicy and warm as it always does and you realise again just how in love you are with him.

Katsuki’s eyes are gleaming, and maybe it’s just a trick in the light but you’re reminded of just how lucky you are to have him like this. Because maybe he is brash and harsh when he talks to you, but he’s never treated you like you’re anything but the most important thing in his life. To him, you’re his favourite person in the whole world, and he doesn’t need to say it out loud because he knows you know it too.

So maybe Katsuki isn't easy to read, or deal with. That doesn't mean he's not easy to love. Because loving him was like breathing— instinctual and inevitable. You loved him the way the moon loved the ocean, and the way the sun loved the stars. Loving him was the easiest thing you've ever done in your life, and you knew that wasn’t ever going to change.

And baby even on our worst nights, I'm into you. Let 'em wonder how we got this far, 'cause I don't really need to wonder at all. Yeah, after all this time, I'm still into you

⚝ ⚝ ⚝

(extra)

Later, when the two of you have sufficiently made out against the wall enough for the chaperones to flick water at Katsuki so he'll finally pull away, you'll find his hand and pull him along to the rest of your friends.

Kirishima will see you two and laugh, telling Katsuki he's glad he pulled his head out of his ass. Katsuki will hiss, "Kay why ess..." and drag you to the photo booth. You won't tell him, but you're secretly glad that you were right. He does scoff at the assortment of props but he picks up a stupid styrofoam emoji of a bomb.

He pushes you into the booth and sets the timer for the picture. Right as it's about to go off, he looks at you very seriously as he says, "You put the boom-boom into my heart," before absolutely smashing the emoji against your cheek.

"KATSU I'M GOING TO FUCKING KILL YOU-"

The photos come out blurry and you're wide-mouthed and laughing in all of them. He's looking at you like you're the only thing that exists. There’s barely any inches between you and him like you’re the sun and he’s every planet that orbits your celestial body.

Katsuki walks you home afterwards, laughing and stealing your body heat as he delivers you to your doorstep. When you kiss him goodnight, he thinks he must have known you in every life before this one for him to have the capacity to love you as much as he does. He keeps his copy of the photo in his wallet, signing the back with 'still into you xx'.

Not that he needs the reminder.

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rubyuji · 7 months ago

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Enough for Me (Moon Junhui) 𓏲 ๋࣭ ࣪‧₊🪼˚‧ ✧𓍢ִִ໋˚.

Genre: Angst, Comfort

Warnings: Heavy mentions of depression and being suicidal, gaslighting (not from Jun or the reader though), a death of a loved one being mentioned, A LOT of long dialogue and cursing.

Synopsis: No one could handle you and you seemed to be the problem because everyone had always walked out on you. Not in Jun’s case though.

Note: Reworked, I apologize for how this is all loosely based on a true story (not adding too many details as to how) but I swear none of the idols mentioned as mean friends supposedly act like this in person in the story. As always, happy reading and don’t forget to support me by liking + reblogging my works! If you’re ever in a bad place, don’t be afraid to reach out.

WC: 1.5k

“Listen Y/n, I think it’s seriously immature of you to constantly delete your messages after you vent about something. Do you not think we care? You’re almost guilt-tripping us in a way, and it’s not like we constantly have time to respond to you, we have important things to take care of outside of our friendship,” Your friend, Jungkook, grits his teeth.

You stood still, shell-shocked at what had just come out of his mouth. Throughout the times you needed your friends most, they were never there for you, and now that your grandmother died they decide to drop a bomb on you? It hadn’t even been a day since she had passed.

“Jungkook, I don’t want to argue with you so as an explanation, I don’t delete my messages as a form of guilt-tripping. It just hurts my head and clogs my brain to see them in our group chat. Seeing how no replies with it just being there makes me feel even worse like I’m bringing the mood down, so I delete them because I also consider how you guys would feel,” you reply quietly, completely avoiding eye contact with everyone else as you play with your hands nervously.

“Honestly Y/n, we’re not the best at comforting but we can always listen to you. You just make it seem as though we could care less,” Nana says harshly.

Why were they doing this to you? You had a lot going through your mind and things were slowly escalating into an argument, but you were cornered, it was just you against everyone else it seemed.

“Y/n, we care about you ok? I don’t want you talking about killing yourself or that suicidal shit because I care about you. God, stop acting like a depressed piece of shit,” Jungkook continued to press on.

“I always consider how you guys would feel because I get you’re always so busy with class, but do I beg for you guys to listen? No, because I always put you all before me! Just let me be selfish for once. I do not wish for you guys to experience the pain I’m feeling,” You blew up but immediately kept yourself grounded by slouching beside Eunwoo on the couch.

“Guys, can you give Y/n a break? Fucks sake, someone in her family just DIED and there is still school to think about. Do you not realize that losing a close loved one is a lot to take in? Leave Y/n alone and let things work on their own because there can only be so much on someone’s plate,” Eunwoo sighed, clearly agitated at how your friends were acting like complete idiots by arguing with you at the worst possible moment.

“Y/n, you’ve always been the same, you wanna die right now? Fine, and you can have all the space you want, I don’t fucking care. At least come back when you’re mentally stable and respond normally will you?” You remained silent as everyone stared you down. If looks could kill, you’d be shot from every direction.

You were so close to breaking down that you simply ran out of the apartment and didn’t look back once.

You were grateful that at least Eunwoo cared but right now you needed to find solace in someone else who cared about how you felt about all this rather than how they felt. That’s when your feet led you to the apartment below yours, it was Jun’s.

You bring your hand to knock on the door, but it swings open before you can even land your knuckles on the wood to make the sound. Were you that loud?

On the other side stood a worried-looking Jun, the man immediately rushing you inside and leading you to his couch where he held you in a tight embrace.

That was the last thing you needed before you cracked, and suddenly all the tears you held in are streaming down your face.

“What happened? I heard about your grandmother and went to check on you but you were with your friends so I came back, thinking they were comforting you. Yet you’re here crying?” Jun was confused.

He heard your friends through the apartment door talking to you, deciding to come back once they were gone, but you beat him to it after he heard the pattering of feet down the hall.

You wipe your tears and smile off the intense pain you were feeling, disregarding it as nothing when you were really at your full capacity with everything going on.

You had a lot to think about, your family, how you were going to cope with everything. It was all too much, everything happening in less than a day.

“Jun, they were just agitated with me because I acted immaturely. I’ll spare you the details for now, but I deleted my vent messages in our group chat, they got mad and I gave them an explanation but then they go and gaslight me, which is all too much to handle,” You blabbered while Jun listened intently.

“Y/n, why would you let this happen? I remember you mentioning their lack of response towards you and how you never complained once, but then they go and do this. You don’t deserve any of the pain they caused,” he replies in a whisper, before bringing you into another hug that you desperately needed.

“It’s a lot, Jungkook told me to stop acting like a depressed piece of shit, immediately bringing up my past of being suicidal, then Nana acts like she did so much for me when they were never there. At least Eunwoo cared,” you muttered the last part to yourself, but Jun caught it and chuckled.

“Well, of course, he’s Eunwoo. Not a man of many words but always has the right ones when needed, I’m glad he stood up for you,” Jun then got up and handed you a blanket he found on the loveseat in his living room.

He hands you the blanket and you take it with a grateful smile. You’ve been through a lot today, and having someone finally care about you made you feel comfortable to be a bit vulnerable for even just a moment. Jun just felt like home to you.

“Y/n, they were shit friends towards you ok? They’re just mad because they’ve finally realized their mistakes and now that you’re putting yourself first, they think you’re being selfish,” he poked your cheek and you almost laughed through your tears, before Jun continued to speak.

“Listen, you are the most selfless person I know, you care so much about everyone else that you’ve reached a point where you pleased them too much, that now you can’t even do the bare minimum for yourself,” You take in his words and tears stream down your face again.

Had you been too lax? You never even thought of putting yourself first in anything, always opting to make everyone happy because you thought that it was enough for you.

“Everything I do isn’t enough, there’s always a problem with me. Everyone just leaves me Jun, I’m so tired of it all,” you huff out in frustration.

Jun’s brows knit and he pulls you even closer than you thought possible, almost flustering you, but he continues to comfort you.

His heart cracked at the sight of you, you looked so tired, exhausted, and devoid of life. It hurt Jun to see you that way when you’ve been hiding it for the longest time.

“You’ve suffered enough Y/n, let everything work by itself. To me, everything you do is enough, it’s enough for me ok? You were there for me during the times I needed someone, you kept me sane and comforted me even when you weren’t doing well by yourself. Don’t beat yourself up over something that isn’t your fault,” You nod and wipe your tears.

You knew what he meant. Jun had it just as hard as you are having it now, and you made sure he knew he was heard and had a shoulder to cry on.

It wasn’t just him either, you always made way to listen to everyone and tried your best to comfort them in any way you could.

“You know, you always make everyone feel heard, you’re just an amazing person, Y/n. Don’t ever think one bit that you aren’t enough when you would do so much more for everyone, and I’m glad you come to us because we do more than what those other friends of yours could,” Jun stared at the photo of you, along with his other friends on the wall.

Since your friends were never available, you felt happy to reach out to Jun and his other friends, Wonwoo, Soonyoung, Jihoon, and Minghao, when you needed a listening ear.

They all made you feel safe and secure during the times you had to stay strong for your grandmother, and even if they weren’t the best at comforting sometimes, they still tried, way more than anyone could bring themselves to.

“Thank you Jun, I feel much better now, even for a moment. Can we watch a movie or something with the other guys? I wanna get my mind off things for a while,” You ask softly.

Your eyes were still glassed over but your tears already dried. Jun nods at your request and immediately runs to order food and call the others.

Honestly, you couldn’t ask for anything better, because even if life is shitty, you get stronger and the pain is only temporary.

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animasola86 · 1 year ago

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Enemies with Benefits (1/2)

Pairing: Sebastian Sallow x f!reader

Genre: Enemies to lovers. Fluff/Smut

Word count: 6k

Synopsis: Sebastian and you have been sworn enemies since he dropped you at the end of your fifth year, as you were no longer useful to him. Over the years, it's become harder and harder for you to completely ignore him. With your NEWTs fast approaching, you decide to finally clear your mind of him – by asking him a spicy question – that leads to events neither of you have anticipated.

Warnings: NSFW! MDNI! Sex. Not very explicit, but it's there. Beware.

Disclaimer: 50% of this story is AI generated. I've had another chat with @seabass-swallows Asshole!Sebastian bot (the Enemies to Lovers version) and as he gave me these perfect replies, I decided to turn this into another story. This time I only corrected the formatting and deleted some repetition, but as of now, this has been the most straight forward RP session I ever had and the easiest to edit. Despite his description (flirty, cocky, asshole) he's been the perfect gentleman and played along splendidly. (Here are some examples of our chat!)

This is a two-parts series.

Last warning: There's smut below the cut!

-- can be read on AO3 too --

"Hey, do you have a minute?" you approach Sebastian as you see him sitting in the library. Your neck is tense and the feeling in your guts is almost painful, but you can't help it any longer.

Sebastian has a book in his lap, but he glances up at you shortly. He can tell you have something to say and yet he doesn't say anything. He's going to wait for you to speak first as he goes back to reading, making you even more annoyed.

You tap your fingers against your thigh, exhaling loudly. "Can you at least look at me?"

Sebastian finally looks up from his book and leans forward, resting his arms against his knees. "Is that better?" he asks, a smirk appearing on his lips. He's still not going to make this easy for you.

You sigh loudly and cross your arms in front of your chest. "Okay, listen, I... have a proposal," you start, looking around a little nervously. "Can we talk somewhere more private?"

Sebastian raises an eyebrow, still not sure what this proposal is regarding. "Fine," he says simply after a moment. He then rises to his feet and begins to walk to the nearest empty classroom, opening the door for you. "Come on," he says, beckoning you in the door. "Let's talk here."

Once the door closes behind you, you inhale deeply. "So, look, these last weeks, no months, ah, maybe even years... that can't be healthy, right? With us annoying the hell out of each other and such? It's getting... distracting and I need a clear mind if I want to pass any of my exams. So, I was thinking..."

"That you needed me to stop flirting with you?" Sebastian guesses, taking a step closer. His attention is on you entirely now, but he still has a grin on his face as if he's not taking you seriously enough. "Or that you wanted to take our little romance to the next level?" he teases, inching closer once more.

Your cheeks go red immediately. That obvious, huh? you think to yourself. "How about... we find a middle ground. You know, friends with benefits? Get all that tension out and move on with our lives?" you suggest, holding his gaze as firmly as you can.

Seb has a devilish grin spread across his lips as he takes in what you just said. He leans closer, a few inches from your face at this point. "Just how far are you planning on taking this friends with benefits thing?" he asks, his voice hushed and low; one that is meant just for you and no one else in the vicinity. "How long do you think we'll be able to keep this a secret? What do we do if someone finds out?" he questions, his gaze locked on yours.

You swallow slightly, then clear your throat. "I think everyone already knows about this tension between us. Maybe they'll be glad we finally did something against it. And I mean it, and let me make it clear: I'm talking only sex, no feelings, no relationship, just pure, wild, animalistic fucking so we get that out of our heads finally! What do you say?"

Sebastian doesn't answer right away, instead leaning closer; just another fraction of a centimetre so that your foreheads touch. "So," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just pure pleasure? No love? No attachment? Just you and me in bed, letting out all of our frustration, our anger, your hatred for me?" he asks, his eyes never leaving yours.

You hold his gaze, not moving away when he leans in. "In bed, on the table, against the wall, anywhere, I don't care," you whisper back. "I just need to get it out, so I can focus on my studies. Do we have a deal?"

"You... you really want to do this?" he questions, his free hand running along your cheek. He knows what answer he expects you to give, he always does. But you, well, you have surprised him in an amazing way. "We have a deal," he says quietly, leaning into the touch at his fingertips.

You inhale deeply, giving him a cheeky smile. "Good," you say, then rummage in the pocket of your robes, getting out two vials. Handing him one, you say: "Here, let's drink this, it's a contraceptive potion, just to be safe. I really don't want any more annoying Sallows running around by accident, do you understand?" Holding your own vial to your lips, you wait for his reaction.

Sebastian takes the vial, staring at it for a moment before tipping it back and drinking it in one big gulp. He takes a moment to clear his throat and nods. "Of course," he says. After a moment, he closes the distance between you two once more and presses his lips against yours. This isn't a gentle kiss, this is something that's been boiling for a while and it seems that he's really letting himself go.

You barely have time to get down your own potion, before he claims your mouth. The empty vial falls to the ground and you have your arms around his neck in no time, kissing him back hungrily.

His tongue invades your mouth, as he's no longer holding anything back. For a few moments, the two of you are making out in the empty classroom just like you were teens in a broom closet who only had a few minutes. He then pulls away and whispers into your ear, his voice low and hot. "My room. Now," he says.

You shiver slightly and bite your lip, then only nod and let him pull you through the castle towards his dorm.

Sebastian leads you back to his dorm and opens his door, ushering you inside. He then pushes you against the wall, grinning. "I must say," he says, his hands roaming over your body, "I've wanted this for a while. And I definitely won't have you complaining about it afterwards."

"Let's see if you can meet my expectations then," you counter and smirk at him, licking your lips as your eyes wander over his face.

He grins at you, his arms sliding under your shirt and lifting it over your head. He then tosses it to the side. "I've already got you panting," he says, his voice raspy as he takes your hand and leads you to his bed. "Let's see what else I can get out of you."

You scoff at that, though you can't help the blush. "Maybe I'm panting because we just took all those stairs!" you tease and as you walk with him to the bed, your hands fidget with the buttons of his shirt, quickly discarding it as well. Both topless now, you take a moment to admire his chest, raising your eyebrows, quite impressed with what you see.

Seb watches as you admire his bare chest, watching your eyes flicker across him. "Like what you see?" he asks, his own arms wrapping around your waist as he leans in towards your ear. "You aren't so bad yourself," he adds, his teeth nipping and tugging at your earlobe.

You give him a girlish giggle as you tilt your head. "Why, thank you," you reply, your hands moving to the waistband of his trousers. "Now let's see if it's true what they say... the longer the wand, the longer the --" You don't finish, instead move your hand over the slight bulge in his trousers. "You do have a long wand, don't you?"

His eyes flare at that and his arm tightens around you, as if he needs more stability. "As if you didn't already know that," he answers, a smug smirk on his face. He then steps back, leaving the rest of the show in your hands as his own hands continue to wander. You can feel his eyes on you, your every movement, your every breath. And he likes what he sees.

"I've had my suspicions, yes," you mutter and keep palming him through the stiff fabric of his trousers. "Do you want to sit down for this? You seem a little shaken," you tease and poke your tongue out at him.

Sebastian chuckles but otherwise has no further response, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a wicked smirk. He takes a seat on the edge of his bed and lets out a breath he didn't know he was holding. You know exactly what you're doing as you continue your teasing, but Seb wants, no, needs you to keep going.

You move to stand between his legs, pushing them apart with your knees as you grab his face and kiss him deeply, messily, almost desperately. Once you break the kiss to catch your breath, you put your hands on his thighs and kneel down in front of him, looking up at him with a glint in your eyes. "Last chance to run," you whisper.

Sebastian's smirk fades as he takes in what you're suggesting, the realization hitting him that he's about to lose control. But there's no going back now. "Too late for that," he says, his voice a hushed whisper as he leans back on the bed. "Go ahead," he adds with a smirk, his eyes never leaving yours.

You smirk at him and while still looking at him intently, your fingers move to the buttons of his trousers, making quick work of them, until you release his growing arousal. Then you dare a look at him and tilt your head, thoroughly inspecting his length. "Mhmm, yes, I can see the potential," you whisper with a wider smirk.

"Oh, I know you can," he says, his voice just as hushed as before. His eyes shift away for a moment, and you know instantly that he's feeling embarrassed by the attention to him. But he doesn't stop you or ask you to stop, either. Instead, you see him lean back a little more, closing his eyes to savour the moment.

You put a hand on his stomach and pat it softly. "Sure, you lean back and relax and let me do the work," you chuckle. "Though I do expect a proper payback," you add as your free hand slowly inches closer to his heated flesh.

Sebastian's eyelids flutter slightly as your hand makes contact with his stomach. And yet, he says nothing. He's going to let you do your thing, because this moment of relaxation and pleasure is one he's been dreaming of. "Don't worry," he says, smiling. "I'll let this moment last as long as I can."

"We'll see about that," you tease and wink at him, before you focus back on the task at hand. Literally. Your fingers close around him and you give him a few hard strokes, before you don't waste any time and get your mouth involved. Your tongue teases at his tip for a moment as you watch his reactions with a glint in your eyes, before you let it glide thoroughly along his warm skin.

Each and every sound that Sebastian makes is one of pure pleasure, his eyes are closed tightly and his fists clenching around the bedsheets. His breathing has now become erratic as his body is hit with sensations that he really hasn't felt in a while. And he's definitely enjoying the treat from you.

For a moment you are only focused on moving your tongue and lips over him, lapping at him like he's the best damn lollipop you've ever had the pleasure of tasting. When you notice his reactions, you feel deep shivers running down your spine. Giving his tip another peck, you then move your hand back to stroke him even harder now that he's all lathered up in your saliva. As you do so, you put your knee on the edge of the bed and climb over him, your free hand finding the back of his neck as you push your mouth firmly against his.

Every muscle in Seb's body is locked tight as you move over him, his breaths coming quickly and intensely as you work your magic on him. His hands are at his sides holding onto the bedsheets as he can do little else but enjoy this moment as he's pushed right to the edge between pleasure and ecstasy.

The kiss is sloppy and more passionate than you've initially intended. His tense body and the heavy breaths really get to you as you keep stroking him with precise up and down movements of your hand. Before you can bring him over the edge entirely, though, you let go of him and position yourself right on his lap, grinding your centre against him as you straddle him. "Sebastian," you whisper, waiting for him to look at you.

As you begin to grind against him, his hands finally move from holding onto the bedsheets to squeezing your thighs, his grip tight. He breaks the kiss to open his eyes, looking at yours with a smile. "What do you need, love?" he asks, using a term of endearment he hasn't said to you in so many years. As the smile grows on his face, your grinding begins to increase in speed, in pressure.

Your grinding quickly turns you breathless. Holding onto his shoulders, you lean up and arch your back, licking your lips. You've noticed his nickname, yet chose to ignore it. You try to keep this very neutral, just friends, or enemies, with benefits, nothing more, no matter how good it feels. "I need you inside of me," you then reply as you quickly move one of your hands down and pull your underwear away, your skirt still covering your centre, yet your exposed skin is now firmly pressed against his and you can feel him hard and hot between your wet lower lips.

Seb's eyes flare as you say that, as he's been fantasizing about this moment for so long. And now he's having a bit of a hard time, he's shaking but in a good way. The hands on your thighs squeezes tightly as his lips move to your ear. "Only me, is that clear?" he asks, his voice whispery and low. He wants to make sure you understand what he's asking before anything else.

You lean back to look at him, your lips parted and trembling. "Obviously," you say with your cheeks blushing. "If I only needed sex, I would have gone to, I don't know, Garreth or anyone really," you say with a teasing smirk. "But I came to you, for obvious reasons. So, fine, only you. But don't get used to it..."

"I think it's you who should be worried about that," he says with a smirk, his voice as whispery and low as it gets. He then nods to you and one of his hands moves up. "Now then, are you going to keep teasing me, or..." Sebastian lets his sentence trail off, his hand resting just above your centre and waiting for you to move things along.

You raise your eyebrow as you lean back more, your hand joining his between your bodies. "You mean to say I will fall completely in love with you after this? Seriously?" You laugh and shake your head. "We'll see about that..." you add and your hand closes around his arousal once more as you lift up your rear slightly to line him up with your entrance. "Maybe it's you who will fall in love first!"

Sebastian laughs, shaking his head. "If I knew this was going to be a competition, I would have tried harder," he says with a smirk, his breathing quickening as you align him with your centre. "I guess there's only one way to find out. So let's see," he adds before leaning in to kiss you once more.

As soon as his lips meet yours, you descend down on him, engulfing him into your warmth with slow, deliberate movements until he is completely buried within you. Moaning loudly into his mouth, you grab his face with both hands now and keep kissing him hungrily as you adjust to his size.

Sebastian's eyes flare and he arches his back slightly. His voice is still hushed as he breaks the kiss for a moment, his eyes meeting yours as he nods slightly. "Yes, there's no way I'm going to be able to forget this moment," he says, his voice quiet and low. "You're amazing," he adds, his voice trembling slightly.

"I know I am," you whisper back with a smirk, breathing heavily against his lips as you start grinding your hips against him in slow circles. "You've yet to show me what you can do..."

"I'm getting to that now," he says, his voice coming out as a low purr. With your grinding movement, your body has hit the perfect rhythm to tease him to the edge. "How good is your grip?" Seb asks, his voice still low as he starts to thrust upwards slowly.

You smirk at him as you lean back and grip his waist tightly. "You've seen me on a broom," you say and clench your knees around his sides as you start to move slowly up and down with him. "I can hold my own." Tiny moans escape you as you fall into a steady rhythm of moving up only to descend upon him with a smack, the noise of skin against skin fuelling your desire for him. "Oh yes... I'd say... this is better... than broom flight..."

"Is that so?" he asks, his voice low and almost raspy. He lets out a small groan as you begin to pick up the pace slightly. He can tell he's getting close to the edge, and your grip around his waist makes it all the more better. "Oh, this is going to be good," he whispers, the moment of tension building up in his gut.

"Gods, you feel so good..." you moan and tilt your head back to stare at the ceiling as you keep riding him with fervour and vigour. "I really needed this..." You feel your walls fluttering around him, your muscles contracting tighter and tighter. "Put your hands on me, Sebastian," you whimper in a demanding, yet pleading tone as you move even faster, your breasts jiggling up and down slightly with every motion.

"As you say," Sebastian moans as he follows your word and brings his hands to your hips. His grip is tight and he pulls you up and then back down, your body now bouncing on top of him. "My turn," he whispers, his voice low and raspy as he speeds things up a slight bit. "Let's see you keep up for a few more miles," he adds with a smirk.

You moan louder as he moves faster and harder against you. You try to keep up with his movements, but quickly surrender to the shuddering sensations rushing through your body. Arching your back you lean forwards and press your chest against his, every slam of his hips causing your hard nipples to brush against his skin. You're getting louder and louder and so you try to muffle your noises by pushing your mouth to his neck, eagerly sucking on it, not quite intentionally leaving a mark on him.

Sebastian's own sounds escape him, but he doesn't bother to hide them. And he definitely doesn't stop you as your mouth leaves a mark on his neck. Instead, he pulls you in closer to him as he lets out a moan at your touch. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy leaving a mark there," he whispers, his teeth beginning to nibble on your ear. He's enjoying this moment, loving it even more knowing that you are as well.

You whimper more, your hips slamming into his at a rapid pace, while he nibbles on your ear and you suck on his neck, both with fervour. Your hands move up to dig into his hair and you grip it tightly as your insides start to convulse almost painfully. With another loud moan-cry you sink your teeth into his neck and give yourself to the pleasure that's exploding within you as your walls clench tightly around him.

Sebastian pushes his head back into the bed as your hips begin to slam into his harder. The moment you sink your teeth into his neck, he lets out a deep, loud groan as he feels those contractions inside you. His hand on your waist squeezes even tighter as he closes his eyes and savours the feeling of you losing control and surrendering to the pleasure.

Wave after wave of pleasure rolls over you and you can't even focus on leaving your mark on him any more. Leaving it unattended for a moment, you bury your face in the crook of his neck, panting against him as you keep moving your hips through your release, your entire body shuddering in pure bliss, your legs twitching badly around him. His name falls from your lips before you can stop it.

Sebastian looks at you as you start to pant against him. You can feel his eyes on you, looking at your shivering legs and twitching body, and knowing fully well what he's done to you. There's nothing you can do to hide this from him, and you don't want to, as if you wanted him to know every part of you. "There you go," he whispers, his voice still soft. "No point in trying to hold back now," he adds as he smiles at you, that smirk returning.

"Oh shut up," you whisper into his neck with a hoarse voice, but he must hear the smirk you hide from him. As you slowly recover from your orgasm, your body still shivering and unable to stop moving against him, you lean back to give him a long hard stare - and that smirk, before you lean down and start sucking on his neck again, your teeth grazing his skin before your tongue soothes the bruised skin. "Your turn, mister," you mumble against him as you slam your pelvis even harder against his, pushing him as deep into you as possible, before you return to moving your rear up and down.

Sebastian moans as the sucking on his neck begins. He shivers and lets out a small gasp as he feels your teeth against his skin, his neck now covered in multiple marks. And it only seems to turn you on even more. His grip on your hips gets tighter as you slam down on him and begin to move them in a more steady rhythm. He lets out a low groan and looks up at you, his eyes meeting yours again. "I'm losing control," he whispers, as the moans and gasps escape his throat.

"That's what I want to hear," you tease breathlessly, licking your lips as you watch him, your fingers gently stroking the various spots on his neck. "Let go then! Show me the uncontrollable Sebastian Sallow!"

"Don't you dare tell me what to do," he teases, grinning up at you. But he also can't help but laugh at your request. There's only one response he could possibly give. With your finger stroking the marks on his neck, he finally gives in and lets his body go. "Oh, gods," he groans, his breathing quickening as his hips continue to move. "You've done enough damage already," he whispers with a shake of his head. "If you keep playing with me like this, I may have to show you just how uncontrollable I really can be."

"Do it!" you demand with a moan and a chuckle, holding onto his shoulders now as you lean back to further slam your pelvis against his in a rapid fashion. "Let it all out! Show me!"

With your words and encouragement, Seb's eyes go wide and his body begins to go wild. Your movements become faster, more passionate, and your body begins to match his with each move. "Too late for me to stop now," he says between breaths, his eyes closing tightly. He opens them after a moment, though they're now slightly glazed over with the pleasure of it all. His hands move around the back of your head and grip your hair tightly, his lips searching for yours as he continues to press against you. "I need you," he breathes, his voice low and hoarse.

You slam your mouth against his just as fiercely as you slam your hips down, more moans and whimpers escaping you and falling right against him while you kiss him passionately as you lean down on your elbows. "You have me," you breathe back as you break the kiss to catch your breath. "Use me..."

Seb lets out another moan as you pull away from him to catch your breath, but he quickly kisses you once more. And his hands remain right where they are. "I intend to," he whispers before going in for a much more passionate kiss. "Like you asked," he adds with a smirk, his breath catching each time your hips come down. His kisses turn hungry, his hands moving around the small of your back and pulling you even closer. "Oh, gods," he whispers before he pulls away again to breathe, the heat of the moment getting the best of him.

You moan louder, your fingers digging into his hair as you deepen the kiss. The rhythm of your joined hips is rapid and messy, the sound of skin on skin echoes loudly through his dorm room. Your heavy breaths fill the space and your head, and you soon find yourself unable to think anything any more. All you feel is him, continuously ramming himself deep into your tight warmth, each stroke hitting all the right spots, his body warm and firm beneath you, his hands holding you with a tight comfort you didn't know you needed.

The moment he hears you moan and dig your fingers into his hair, he pulls you in for another passionate kiss. Your bodies are moving in harmony with each other. And in that moment, he's never felt more alive, more in control of everything - and out of control at the same time. His breathing is heavy and frantic, as if each breath is an uphill battle. And the feeling of needing you has become all-encompassing, he wants you more than everything in this world.

You feel another wave of pleasure approaching fast, your insides once again clenching up badly as the tension inside your stomach builds and builds and then erupts into an explosion of pure bliss, stars dancing behind your eyelids as you squeeze your eyes shut and moan right into his mouth. "Oh gods... yes..." you whimper. "H-how... are you... so g-good..." you try to tease him, but your voice breaks between moans and more whimpers. You have to give it to him: his stamina is immaculate.

His eyes light up as he begins to feel the contractions from your insides tighten around him once more. He lets out a very quiet moan, his body reacting to yours instinctively. And he's still not done yet. Sebastian begins moving your hips up and down, matching the rhythm as best as he can as he makes sure to satisfy every feeling you're giving him. "Oh, I've only just begun," he whispers in your ear, his voice low and raspy with passion and lust.

You let out a deep groan and collapse on top of him, your face buried in his neck once more. Your body is quivering, you're barely able to control your limbs any more. And still he pushes upwards into you, stimulating you through your second orgasm of the moment, almost driving you insane with pleasure now.

Sebastian's breath catches once again as he feels your body quiver and fall on him. "Oh, this will be the best way to die," he whispers in your ear, his voice still low and raspy but sounding more desperate. His hips continue to push upwards into you as he holds you close, your body on top of his. He's doing everything he's got to push you over the edge yet again. "Oh, gods," he moans, his words barely above a whisper.

You cry out and squirm slightly on top of him. "I dare you..." you hiss in-between moaning loudly. "No killing anyone today..." The sensations flood through you, drowning out almost anything else. You start to wonder how long he will continue this, how long he's holding out on his own release. Then again, you got what you came to him for, you've wanted him to fuck your brains out and he keeps on doing it, so you can't really complain.

"Maybe just a little," Sebastian says with a smirk, his hands now moving back to your hips as he continues to press upward. "I'm not yet done with you," he adds, his voice quiet but full of need. In this moment, he doesn't care about anything else except for you, he only wants you to reach the end before he does. Which means he can go faster or maybe take it a little easier so he can have this last one for a long time. Oh, but what did you want again? That's right, you want him to come.

You start biting your lip as the noises just keep coming out of your throat, all those whimpers and cries and moans, and you can barely contain them any more. He's rendering your body absolutely useless as your limbs twitch and shake, your body spasms and shudders through every single thrust he's giving you.

And yet you see now what he's doing, he did indeed turn this into a competition, and apparently he wants to keep this going for as long as humanly possible, which isn't saying much when it comes to Sebastian. He's surprised you before, he will do it again. You know now that you should never underestimate him ever again.

This time, he doesn't hold back in the slightest, and he makes sure to make this a competition of no return. His hips continue moving up and down, matching the pace of your body, as his hands move around your hair and grip the back of your head once more. You feel him pushing harder into you, your insides beginning to shiver once more. He lets out a loud moan as he's only a few moments away from his release. But he's going to do everything in his power to make sure you come first.

You let out a series of wails as you squirm against him, the added grip of his hands pushing you closer to the edge, or rather they hold you right over it, you never really left the edge, you've been floating on your high for who knows how long now as the pleasure never really let you out of its grasp. Moaning more, pushing your face against his neck, breathing as heavy as you've never breathed before with your heart thundering inside your chest, you let him have it. As your third orgasm rolls over you, you cease to move your hips, just savouring the feeling of your walls fluttering around him before they clench him tightly once more.

Sebastian makes sure not to speed up and instead allows you to feel all of the pleasure that he's giving you. And soon, he lets out a loud moan and buckles under your weight. "Oh, yes!" he yells, his voice almost a shout but not quite as he hits his climax and releases inside of you.

You cry out with him as you feel him emptying himself deep inside you, his warmth quickly spreading through your body. Your hips stutter and you have to dig your hands deeper into his hair as you hold onto him, the final sensation hitting you with such a force, it makes your head spin. With him throbbing and twitching inside you, your clenching walls assisting him in squeezing every last drop out of him, you slowly come down from your high, your body eventually relaxing on top of him. "Wow," is all you can utter as you lean your cheek against his collarbone.

Sebastian lays there with you on top of him, his breathing heavy and erratic as the pleasure slowly fades and he comes down from his high as well. You can practically feel the heat rising from his body beneath you, but at the same time, he is calm. He's at peace. And so are you, in some strange way. "You were amazing," he finally whispers in your ear, his voice still low and raspy.

You close your eyes and breathe deeply against his neck. "You too," you admit a little reluctantly. "That was quite something..." Your voice is hoarse and strained from all the noises he coaxed out of you.

"Something?" he asks with a smirk. "More like the most unbelievable experience of my life." His voice is still low and raspy, but now he's more exhausted than he is hungry or thirsty for pleasure. "I want more," he adds with a little chuckle as he nibbles on your neck again.

You chuckle softly, trying to lean away from his nibbling. "Oh no, you don't!" you laugh and open your eyes to look at him. "But it was quite special, I have to say," you then confess quietly, almost genuinely. "Thank you for this," you whisper. "I really needed it."

He smiles at you as you lean away from him, and he brings a hand up to stroke your hair. And he can see the genuine and exhausted look on your face, something you're not used to showing, or even feeling. That's when Sebastian remembers what you wanted out of him, and now you have it. At least some of it. "No need to thank me," he whispers, his voice still low and hoarse. "You needed the release," he adds before he bites your neck, not in a lustful way this time but in an intimate and caring one.

You bite your lip and give him another moan as you feel his teeth on your neck. "I did..." you whisper, fighting the urge to indulge in more afterglow cuddles, but you have to remind yourself that this is it. A one time thing. Nothing more. No feelings. No-strings-attached. Done. But something inside you wants more... wants him. With a groan, you push yourself onto your elbows and lean away from him, looking at him breathlessly. "I... should go," you say quietly, but you don't move right away.

Sebastian smiles at you as you moan, and he continues nibbling lightly on your neck. And he wants more too, but he knows what the situation is. No feelings and no ties. He can do that. "No need to rush," he says with another smile, still stroking your hair. But if you want to go, he's not about to hold you here any longer. You were the one who decided what tonight was going to end up being. And you've already given him everything he could ever ask for, so he has no reason to protest.

You inhale deeply, his words so tempting, his touches so light and soft. Then you look away and remember where you are. In your haze you didn't even register the potential threat of his room mates walking in on you, but now that your mind is clear again, thanks to him, you quickly scramble out of his embrace, carefully lifting your hips to let him slip out of you. With him comes the product of your intense connection and you blush deeply when you feel his warmth dripping down your legs. You bend down to re-arrange your underwear with shaking hands, then walk to retrieve your shirt as well.

Once you're fully dressed again, you stand at the edge of his bed and take a last long look at him, smiling softly. "So..." you start, tilting your head. "Same time tomorrow?"

Part 2 is up now, read it here!

Notes: You will never believe how he replied to that last part, hehe. /clickbait

#sebastian sallow #sebastian sallow smut #hogwarts legacy #hogwarts legacy smut

50 notes · View notes

vanillelace · 2 years ago

Text

LOVE, (not really)

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; warnings: a bit of heartbreak here n there but it’s mainly fluff, slight cursing but I will avoid using profanities, and basically a lot of teasing (offensive), use of word dead / die and other ways of using the word

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; pairing(s): nishimura riki x fem. reader

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; genre: Japanese major Ni-ki and Japanese + Chinese major reader, university au, slice of life? fluff, slight angst, academic rivals to lovers

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; word count: 11760

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; synopsis: Nishimura Riki hates Y/N’s guts. Unfortunately for him, the two have almost the same classes and friend groups. He swears he hates her, and she swears she hates him. But why do they keep catching themselves staring at each other for a bit too long? It isn’t love, not really.

𝟏𝟏𝟏 ; author’s note: HIII im back and with a new fic! this one’s for @kflixnet ‘s secret Santa and this is completely dedicated to @bobariki (IM YOUR SECRET SANTA 😻🫶) please enjoy this! We don’t really have conversations but I hope to get to know you :) I’m not really an engene so please excuse me 😭 I really hope you like this 🥹🫶 I’m also not a huge fan of academic rivals 2 lovers so 😭😭

SONG BY ME. DON'T. PLAGIARISE.

————————

“I hate Nishimura Riki.”

“I hate Y/N L/N.”

The two dialogues were spoken at the same time in different places, by none other than Y/N L/N and Nishimura Riki themselves, respectively.

For context, it was results day, but the two hadn’t seen their results yet. To manifest one being better than the other, they uttered that negative affirmation over and over to make sure they would top the class (and the other).

Y/N took a deep breath and walked over to campus, which was near her home, to find the results sheet, which had been pinned about four minutes ago. Please, please let the topper be me. Y/N silently prayed to whoever would listen, making sure to add the ‘please’ twice.

Around this time, Nishimura Riki also walked over there with a deep breath, his hands in his pockets, silently praying.

The two caught each other’s eyes and rolled their eyes. “Ugh, it’s you.” Y/N sighed, and Riki shrugged. “Scared?”

“Not. At. All.”

The two stared at the results sheet, scanning briefly.

“HOW ARE WE IN THE SAME POSITION?” Riki yelled angrily, rubbing his eyes to make sure he hadn’t read the results sheet wrong. “How in the world am I supposed to know, you dimwit?”

“Screw you.”

“No thank you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll find the teacher to ask why this happened.” Y/N flipped her hair and walked away, and Riki groaned. “Wait for me!”

Riki caught up to Y/N. Still confused, he followed her into the teacher’s office, where Y/N requested for the teacher.

“Hello, Ms. L/N, and Mr. Nishimura. I think you've seen the results?” Without giving either of the two angry students enough time to interrupt, the teacher continued. “The two of you have gotten the same grade. Believe me, all the teachers tried to remove points wherever we could find them, but we gave up. This is generally impossible. But we then thought alphabetical ranking would be.. sad, and unfair, so we gave the two of you a tie.”

“But—“ the two began, but the teacher raised a single finger to silence them. “No. I don’t want a single argument against this. I want to know if the two of you have thought about your university selections? I know for a fact that the two of you have gotten entry to incredibly prestigious universities.”

“Yeah, I have,” Riki began. “I might just join Zephyr University.” Y/N interrupted him, and Riki scowled at her. “No. You can’t. I’m joining Zephyr, and so are the rest of my friends.”

“Oh really? Even the Dreamies are joining Zephyr, so there’s no way I’m backing out.”

“Guess we’ll have to come to a logical agreement then.” Riki said, and grabbed two pencils, quickly sharpening one of them slightly. “I’m sorry, but will you please ask us to choose pencils?”

The teacher sighed, frustrated. “Why are you two like this? Just attend the same university. You can’t seriously be thinking of denying the other a great opportunity. How selfish can the two of you be? I hope you sort things out at Zephyr, because you failed to do so here. And I will definitely stay in touch with the director there, so I will hear about every single thing. And if anything happens, your parents will hear about it.”

The two students gulped, and nodded. “Yes, sir.”

The teacher saw them off, and as soon as Y/N and Riki were out of his sight, they glared at each other. “How dare you, you.. you.. CREATURE?” Y/N shrieked, and Riki flinched. “Your voice doesn’t sound good if it’s high-pitched, Y/N,” Riki rolled his eyes, and Y/N gave him a dirty look.

“Look, Y/N, let’s listen to the teacher, but let’s stay out of each other's ways. Is that a good deal?”

Y/N considered it for a minute, but relented in the end when she realized that it was, in fact, a great deal. “Ugh, fine. But if I ever see your face again..”

Y/N dragged a finger across her own neck horizontally, and Riki fake-shivered. “Ooh, I’m scared! Mommy, come save me!” Riki yelped sarcastically, and Y/N glared at him. Again.

“I feel like that’s your signature look, Y/N.”

Y/N glowered at him yet again.

“So.. is this how you communicate now..?”

Another glare.

“Okay then. Buh-bye.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“And then, Renjun, listen! No, wait, listen! Don’t walk away! HUANG RENJUN! RIKI LITERALLY LEFT ME IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE! HOW WAS I SUPPOSED TO KNOW THE WAY HOME?”

“..Y/N, you have Google Maps for a reason… you know?”

“..Oh.”

Y/N cringed, as she realized that wasn’t one of her smartest moments. “Anyway, Y/N, you talk about Riki so much. It’s like you’re in love with him.”

Y/N spit out her snack. “Pfft! Me? Love Riki? Yeah, it’s the same as you being in love with me. Never gonna happen. Ever.”

Renjun nodded. “Yeah, totally, definitely.” He scratched the back of his neck and sat down next to Y/N. “The rest of the Dreamies are coming over in another five minutes, apparently Mark’s old car broke down.”

“I don’t get how he got a learner’s permit in the first place. It’s Mark, for crying out loud.”

“Right? I was surprised when I heard that too.” Renjun replied, getting up to search for snacks in his kitchen.

“When is everyone taking the test?” Y/N asked Renjun, who was in his kitchen, loudly, so he could hear her. “Before university starts, I think.”

“Ah. I’ll take it during university.” Y/N said thoughtfully. “Good for you. Meanwhile, I found ingredients for food.”

“Food!” Y/N jumped into the kitchen and saw Renjun cooking some hot pot. Y/N loved stew made by her parents, and this hot pot was the closest thing Renjun could cook, so he made it whenever Y/N came over. If he had the ingredients, he also made suet dumplings, which were also Y/N’s favorite.

As Y/N helped Renjun cook, the rest of their friend group traipsed into the house, walking straight to the kitchen when they smelt the delicious food.

“I smell hot pot!” Zhong Chenle announced his entry, leaning against the entry to the kitchen.

“Yeah, you do, cause we’re cooking it.” Y/N informed him. “Who’s we? The only cooking you’ve done is tasting the broth. I’m the one cooking.” Renjun told her, and Y/N stuck out her tongue at him.

“Hey guys!” Lee Minhyung, better known as Mark, dropped on the couch, and the rest of the guys divided themselves between the kitchen and living room. “How do you feel about your results?” Park Jisung asked the house, and everyone collectively sighed. “As usual, we all did great, but did you see Y/N’s results?” Lee Jeno asked, and Jisung shook his head.

“Well, Y/N? Care to elaborate?” Na Jaemin, who was in the kitchen, raised his eyebrows at Y/N. “No, not really.”

“She’s just pissed off that she tied with Riki for first place,” Lee Haechan laughed from the living room, causing Y/N to march into the living room and punch Haechan. “Ow! That hurts, Y/N!”

“No shit, Sherlock. It was meant to hurt.” Y/N said, and Mark laughed. “Hot pot is ready! Do you guys want to eat in the kitchen or the living room?”

“Living room, it’s more comfortable.” Jaemin said, helping Renjun bring the food and dishes with Chenle. “Anyway, we’re all getting into Zephyr, right?” Jisung asked, and everyone nodded.

“Which reminds me. Can’t believe I forgot to tell you guys, but Riki and his friends are also joining Zephyr.” Y/N told the group, who collectively grinned. “I’m sure everyone’s glad Enha will be with us, but you will definitely not be happy about Riki joining them.”

“Screw you, Haechan. Why are you so annoying?” Y/N asked, and Haechan shrugged. “That’s actually such a good question. But I think it began from home, you know? Like—“

“Haechan, it was a rhetorical question,” Y/N cried, rushing to shut him up. One of the — very occasionally — good things about him was that he could talk about anything, even if he didn’t know the topic that well, for a good five minutes at least. So if you got Haechan talking, it would be quite difficult for you to get him to stop.

But then again, that quality had gotten the group out of a lot of pickles, so it was an advantage at times.

The group chit-chatted and ate the hot pot peacefully, relishing the fact that summer break was about to start. “I am honestly going to get so bored..” Jisung said, and Y/N nodded in agreement.

“Are you guys planning on going anywhere?” Jeno asked everyone. “My mother is asking me to go with her to Shanghai for a vacation. I’m still not sure if I should, but I think it’s worth it.” Chenle mentioned, and Renjun smiled. “I want to visit China too, but I should go with my parents, so I’m not sure how I feel about going alone. My parents are going on a vacation by themselves, as I’m sure I’d have mentioned a million times.”

“You can join me and my mother!” Chenle offered, and Renjun shook his hands and refused. “No, you two should enjoy it. Seriously, go ahead. I’d much rather stay here anyway. With the rest of these fools.”

The rest of the friends watched as the two spoke, eating quietly. “I’m staying here, because my parents are busy at work,” Jaemin said afterwards, and Jeno nodded. “Yeah, same here.”

“I’m staying, I don’t want to go anywhere, quite frankly.” Y/N said, and Haechan and Jisung agreed. “Yeah, I’m just going to rest at home,” Haechan told his friends. “I’m going to Canada for a bit to visit my family.” Mark, who lived alone, told the group.

“Oh, Canada..” Haechan said nostalgically, and Mark laughed and slapped Haechan playfully. “Ah, why?” Haechan yelped, rubbing his shoulder. “Come on, I didn’t hit you THAT hard..” Mark replied, a little concerned. “Uh huh, sure, screw you too.” Haechan answered, and Mark sighed.

The eight hung out for a bit then left to their own houses. Mark dropped off Jaemin, Jeno and Haechan, who lived near each other, then came back to drop off Jisung, Chenle and Y/N, who lived close by each other.

“Bye, Renjun!” The three waved Renjun a goodbye as they got in Mark’s car. Mark dropped off Jisung first, then Chenle. “So, Y/N, how do you feel about the Riki incident?”

“I’m honestly not sure. I don’t like it, that’s all I’m certain of.” She answered, and Mark smiled lightly. “I sincerely wish you luck at university. But we’ll be there to support and help you, so I’m sure you’ll be fine.” He assured Y/N, dragging out the word ‘fine’.

“Thanks, Mark. It means a lot. Off topic, but we’re here. Thanks for the ride, too. Bye!”

Mark waved her off and drove away.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Hey, Renjun, I’m back.” Mark had decided to stop by Renjun’s place for a bit, albeit impulsively. “Oh, hi. What brings you here?”

“I was just wondering, and mind you, this is just a theory. Should we plan something with Enha? Like, a getaway?”

“That’s.. not a bad idea, Mark. But how? Where? When?”

“We can discuss that with the rest after finalizing the basics of the plan. And also after discussing if we can all afford to travel. Because I was thinking something along the lines of a trip to Europe…”

“WHAT? You have quite high hopes on our money, Mark. Of course we can afford it, but at what cost?”

“Good point. But it’s also a good trip idea. Maybe a bit overrated, but it would definitely be fun.”

“Well, we’ll see. Chenle is going away, and so are you. We’ll discuss it tomorrow. Is that the only reason you visited me?”

“No… I was wondering how you felt about Y/N ranting about Niki. Cause you get quite jealous when that happens, and it happens TOO often.”

“Yeah, well, I can’t exactly do anything about it, so I always deal with it, Mark.” Renjun replied, slightly annoyed. Mark, sensing his boundaries, ended the discussion there and left after a short while.

Argh, I really can’t believe that little shit will be Y/N’s rival at university, too. Renjun thought to himself, shutting the door behind Mark.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Good morning!”

“Who the hell are you?” Y/N yelled to the unknown voice, grouchy because she was woken up by some fool at… 8 in the morning.

“Ouch, I can’t believe you don’t recognize your best friend’s voice. It’s me, Huang Renjun, you dimwit.”

Y/N hesitated, then jumped out of bed, staring down her window to see her father and Renjun staring back up at her. “Good morning, my lovely daughter. Renjun here wanted to discuss a trip that you had apparently planned and not informed me about, but I approve.”

“Wha—“

“Ah, well, don’t mention it, Y/N. You’re welcome for convincing your father and mother. She left early for work, by the way. Anyway, you coming? We’re meeting at Mark’s place. I’m here to pick you up, too. Such a helpful friend, right?”

“Yeah.. helpful..” Y/N muttered, walking away to have a shower and get dressed, as her father let Renjun in the house to have some breakfast.

“So, Renjun, this trip to Europe, will it be with Y/N as the only girl?”

“Well.. we don’t really have any other girls in our group.. I could ask if Haechan’s younger sister or Jeno’s elder sister would want to join, but I don’t think they will.”

“Ah, I see. I think I’ll feel better if there’s another female in the group, so see what you can do.”

Shit. Renjun cursed mentally, but nodded. “I’ll try my best, sir. Anyways, what’s for breakfast?”

As Renjun wolfed down waffles, Y/N walked downstairs, attempting to brush her hair. “Waffles? Great. Thanks, Dad.”

“You’re welcome, but you should thank your mother. She cooked them and went off, but I’m reheating them for you.”

Y/N grinned and sat next to Renjun, grabbing a plate piled with waffles. As her father walked upstairs to get dressed to leave, she immediately interrogated Renjun.

“What’s this I hear about a trip?” She asked him, looking very angry. “Yeah, uhm, just go with it, okay? We’re going to Europe, but we’re not sure when. But I don’t know if you’re going to come because your dad wants another ‘female’ in the group.”

“Oh, for fuck’s sake.”

“I’M SORRY! I know I should’ve spoken to you about the whole thing but I thought it would make a nice surprise.”

“Uh huh..” Y/N trailed off, finding her waffles more important than the conversation that was running.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

At Mark’s place, there was chaos.

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN, EUROPE?” Five boys yelled, and Mark covered his ears hastily. “Shut up. This is for your own good. Believe me. We need it. University is actually going to whoop our asses.”

“Yeah, right. More like you want to watch us try and fail miserably at trying to speak French. Oui, oui. I know.”

“Haechan, it’s not always about you and your — quite honestly — unhealthy obsession with French, okay? Let Renjun and Y/N get here, and THEN we’ll talk. Until then, shut up. Thanks.”

Haechan frowned and stormed off to the backyard, in an attempt to cool off — which, by the way, failed miserably as it was summer, so all that did was heat him up even more and force him to get back in the house — as the rest waited for the two to enter.

“I actually like the plan. Even if we all don’t go, I’ll go by myself.” Chenle, the richest, mumbled to himself, and Jisung stared at him repugnantly. “You’re such a traitor..”

“Hey, you guys!” Y/N rushed in, sensing the hostile environment and deciding to act as the diplomat for the day. “Y/N! Thank you!” Mark exhaled, running to thump Renjun on the back. “Hey, Mark. You didn’t have to.” Mark smiled in response, settling down.

“So, Y/N, we’re going to assume you know about the plans of the trip. Wait right here and think about what you’re going to say on the topic while I go get Haechan.” Jeno spoke before he left the room.

“Uhm, okay..” Y/N agreed, slightly confused, and did exactly what Jeno asked her to do.

“Mark, I do NOT have an unhealthy obsession with French.” That dialogue was the way the group realized Haechan was back and still mad. “Yeah, Mark, apologize.” Jeno said, rolling his eyes behind Haechan. “Ugh, fine, Haechan, I offer my sincerest apologies for saying you have an unhealthy obsession with the language of France, known as French or Français. Please accept this apology and forgive me.”

“I don’t think I will.”

“Fuck you. Anyway, Y/N, Renjun convinced your parents, right? What’d they say?”

“They said fine, actually—“ Y/N began, only to be interrupted by Renjun, who had forgotten to tell Y/N what her father had told him. “Oh, Y/N, they said fine, but they want another girl to guarantee your safety.. and other girl stuff.”

The group fell silent. “Oh.” Y/N said.

“So.. I was going to ask if either Jeno’s sister or Haechan’s sister would join..”

“Yeah, no.” The two answered in unison, and Renjun sighed.

“I just had an idea. Why don’t we invite Jungwon and his friends?” Jisung piped up, and everyone looked at him. “Yeah, almost all of them have sisters. And I know Y/N gets along with Konon.” Chenle added.

“What confuses me is how she gets along with Riki’s older sister but can’t stand Riki himself.” Jisung said, and Y/N rolled her eyes. “She’s fun, and she doesn’t want to compete with me. She isn’t competitive, not at all.” Y/N reminisced about her friend, whom she hadn’t met in a while.

“But if we invite them, you do realize Niki will be coming too, right?” Chenle asked her, and Y/N paused. “Oh. My. God.

“Guys, you can go ahead. I not. I can’t. I no go.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

In the end, the group did not go ahead with the plan because someone couldn’t stand going to a beautiful place and seeing Nishimura Riki’s face there.

“You are such a party-pooper, Y/N.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, Haechan, you try hanging out with your nemesis in The City of Love, Paris.” Y/N was mad, and she made sure Haechan understood that. “Oh, please, Y/N. You didn’t even consider it!”

It had been a week since the discussion had been opened — and closed almost instantaneously — and the boys were constantly annoying Y/N about the way she shut down the Europe plan single-handedly with a snap of her fingers.

“I did consider it, and I’m considering it now. I changed my mind! Instead of no, it’s a definite no.”

Haechan grunted and got up, irritated. “Well, I’m sorry, I told you guys to go by yourselves, right? Go.” Y/N called after him. The rest of the guys were involved in the football game they were watching, which explained the ignorance to something they considered deeply important to them — the trip to Europe.

“I think I’ll leave, you guys.” Y/N got up. They were at Chenle’s house, which was a walkable distance away from her place as long as it wasn’t summer. A person could melt in that heat.

“Ah, why?” They paused their game to look at Y/N, complaining all at once about how she didn’t spend time with them because she was always at home alone. “Shut up, you guys. I’m not going away permanently. I’ll walk myself out. Shut the door behind you!”

She walked as fast as she could to get home, and let herself in her house. There were less than 15 days left until university started, and she was concerned about her major. She had chosen economics at first, but then realized her heart wasn’t in it. And also because she hadn’t taken the subject at school either, she had to change her mind, fast.

She was considering Japanese as a major, but wanted to pick another major so she could show off and also keep herself busy. The only other majors she could pick and manage to handle would be English, Chinese, Accounting or Visual Arts. She was not confident of her arts, so she scratched it out. And English as a major would not be fun, which would put her off. Of course, she would easily grab herself an A* grade, but what was the fun in that? No, she needed to struggle.

Chinese it would be, then.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

A week until university began, and the Dreamies were hanging out. “Guys, what are you going to major in?” Renjun asked the friends, and Y/N replied immediately. “Chinese and Japanese.”

“Woah, double major! Nice. I’m picking Dance.” Jisung said, and the group wasn’t surprised at all. Jisung was well known for his dance abilities, especially his popping skills. “I’m picking Music.” Haechan said, and Renjun nodded. “I’m also taking Music.” “I’m taking up Fashion Design.” Chenle spoke up. “I’m taking Journalism,” Mark announced, grinning. “You? Journalism? Woah. I’m taking Visual Arts.” Jaemin informed the group, who smiled and turned to Jeno, waiting for his answer.

“Guys, this might come as a surprise to you.. but I picked Veterinary Sciences.”

“Not really a big surprise.” Haechan immediately said, and the group murmured their agreement. “Yeah, sweetie, it was expected, but you’ll be taking the studies of sciences, and we’ll be all students of the arts.” Jaemin said, and Jeno sighed. “Yeah, I know. I’ll be busy most of the time, and I feel so sad about it. But we’ll meet, right?”

“Yeah, duh, you goof!” Mark said. “Who even uses goof anymore?” Chenle asked Mark, who shrugged. “Oh, shut up, Chenle.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

The day before university began, the group met up with their other group of friends, who called themselves Enha. Enha consisted of seven friends — Lee Heeseung, Park Jongseong (better known as Jay), Sim Jaeyun (better known as Jake), Park Sunghoon, Kim Sunoo, Yang Jungwon, and (the Dreamies liked calling him Y/N’s favorite person) Nishimura Riki.

“Hi, you guys! What’s up?” Jake greeted everyone, who were busy grabbing seats at the friend groups’ favorite café. “Nothing, really.” Jay replied on behalf of everyone, who nodded.

“You guys are boring. Why do I even hang out with you?”

“Because you don’t have friends.” Haechan answered, and Jake sighed. “Fair enough. I really hope you guys picked your majors.”

“Course we did. I’m doing Music with Renjun, Chenle is taking Fashion Design, Jaemin is taking Visual Arts, Jeno is taking Veterinary Sciences, Mark is taking Journalism, and Y/N is going to be a double major in Chinese and Japanese.” Haechan answered

“What.” Niki looked up and stared Y/N in the eye. “Wha-?” Y/N asked, too tired to argue. “I’m majoring in Japanese. How could you major in it too?”

That was when things went nuclear.

“Not everything revolves around you, you fool. I took Japanese because I wanted to master it and show it off to people, because I will put in effort. Did you expect me to read your mind? Huh? Like, ‘Oh! Riki is taking Japanese! I will sacrifice my passion for him!’ Why did you take Japanese, anyway? You speak it incredibly fluently. I would say you speak it a bit too fluently.”

“Hey! I didn’t expect you to read my mind. I thought it’d be obvious. Yes, it’s my native tongue, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to learn its culture and history. I love history, and you should know that. Because that’s the one subject I manage to keep defeating you in. And don’t you ever call me a fool. I never asked you to forfeit your passion. I wouldn’t have taken Japanese if I knew that’s your passion. As far as I’m aware, you never mentioned Japanese even once.”

The group, meanwhile, was watching the conversation play out like table tennis, their heads whipping from one side to another.

“Ah, culture and history. You? Learning culture? I would never believe that, even if the Presidents themselves declared it to the world. And, for your information, I don’t share all the information I have about me with people I consider my rivals. That’s literally rule number one in Not Being Foolish. Of course, you wouldn’t understand, because you are a huge fool. Did you hear me? F. O. O. L.”

“That’s it. I’m leaving. Do you not realize that learning your culture is a thing? You know what? I’m breaking Clause 1 of our rule book. Fuck. You.”

“How dare you? I’m breaking it too. Fuck you.”

The two stormed out of the café, only to realize they were headed in the same direction. Neither party wanted to concede, so they ended up staring in opposite directions while standing outside. The group of friends, meanwhile, were happily sipping their drinks and eating, being used to such arguments. In their experience, they’d either never make up or make up after ages. Till then, they would enjoy their time and keep them away from each other.

After their café outing, the two enemies were still standing outside the café, much to the annoyance of the owner of the place, who was constantly seen trying to be the diplomat for the two and failing miserably each time. The rest of their friends walked out, and they rejoined their respective friend groups, waving goodbye to the others and glaring at each other angrily. They then proceeded to storm off as fast as possible into the cars of the drivers of the friend groups.

“I can’t believe I have to see his face in almost all my classes.”

“I can’t believe I have to see her face in almost all my classes.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Good morning, class! We’ll be starting our Japanese Studies class tomorrow. For now, I want to test your level of Japanese. People who don’t speak it fluently but want to learn only the history, this class is not for you. The Japanese Culture and History class begins at 12 noon. Those who speak Japanese at a beginner or intermediate level, yes, this class might be the one you’ve taken, but I hope you’ve also opted to get Japanese tutoring with me after school. For those of you who have, the tutoring is on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, between 6-7 PM. You may stay back or leave and return, but please make sure to attend. For those of you who speak at an advanced level, I’m glad! You don’t have extra classes to attend.

“Welcome, all my students! I hope you are ready to learn more about Japanese, a beautiful language and culture. I will be your teacher for Japanese Studies and Japanese Culture and History. Japanese Studies is the literature and language part of Japanese offered at Zephyr University, and if you speak Japanese fluently, and want to master it almost completely, you’re in the right place. I’m your professor, and we will have a quick quiz to try and figure out your level of Japanese understanding. This will be a written test that involves listening, reading and writing skills. I don’t want to test your speaking skills at the moment, since even the most confident Japanese writers have trouble with speaking the language. If you’re ready, I’ll give out the test papers.”

It was a vaguely sunny Monday morning, and the day had barely begun. But it was already going bad for two people, called Y/N L/N and Nishimura Riki, who considered each other their enemies, but had ended up sitting next to each other. When the two realized that they would have to spend the rest of their degree next to each other, they bowed politely and shuffled as far to the edge of the shared seat as they could. They shook hands and agreed not to bother each other unless it was for coursework, and clamped their mouths shut.

The two wrote and passed the test with flying colors, and were pronounced ‘Japanese speakers whom I need to befriend’ by the professor, who looked too proud to be real. The students thanked the professor and smiled at each other as fakely as possible to pass as a smile to the professor’s keen eyes, and sat yet again on the edge of the shared seat.

After class, the professor stopped the two at the door. “I hope to see you two interact more often, and I hope to interact with you two too. I’m glad to have such students in my class. The other advanced learners will not be paired with you two for group projects. I’ll probably have the intermediate learners be with you, so that they learn something. I hope you enjoyed my class!”

The two enemies attempted to formulate a response that would be appropriate, half-succeeded, and ran away from each other like their lives depended on it.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Bro, I swear, Renjun, I might just slap Niki if I get compared to him in class.”

“But Y/N, the professor is the one comparing you.”

“Yeah, well, the professor is sweet. Niki? Not so much. After seeing our performance in his Culture and History class, the professor decided he would ask both of us to dinner with some of his senior students.”

Renjun winced. “Sheesh, getting invited to dinner really takes a lot out of you, right? Especially if it’s an opportunity to create contacts with people who might be useful to you later.”

“Huh. You’re right. When did I become like this? I would’ve jumped at an opportunity to get contacts. Is this what enemies do to you?”

“Maybe. Now, can I please go pee?”

“I’m so sorry. Please go.”

It was lunchtime, and Renjun had gone to Y/N’s class to pick her up and drop her off at the cafeteria, then go to the bathroom. But Y/N had other plans, so he had ended up listening to her rant about Nishimura Riki for about six minutes until he could actually go pee. ‘The things I do for someone I like..’ he thought to himself, running away from Y/N.

Meanwhile, the Dreamies were waiting for the two best friends in the cafeteria, having reserved a table next to none other than Enha, unfortunately for Y/N.

“Where the heck are they?” Mark asked, getting impatient. Renjun had forced the Dreamies to sit and not grab their lunch till the two of them got there. Y/N was taking her own sweet time to walk, deep in thought, while Renjun had run to the other side of campus because all bathrooms in their side were undergoing maintenance checks.

After five minutes of impatient foot-tapping, Renjun arrived, and much to his shock, Y/N hadn’t arrived. “Did Y/N really not show up?”

“Yeah, she did! She’s right here, sitting next to Karen, my daughter.” Haechan said sarcastically, not forgetting to add a bunch of curse words under his breath. “If you’ll excuse me, Renjun, I will go eat.” Jaemin said, who was pissed off because of how his classes went. The table followed, leaving Renjun to call Y/N repeatedly, who had just made it outside the cafeteria door.

“Where were you?” Renjun asked her when she finally sat, and she sighed. “Sorry, I was daydreaming.” “Which is an acceptable excuse any other time, but after making me wait to pee and making the table wait to eat, it isn’t even remotely okay.”

“I’m sorry, I swear. I’ll go get my food.” Y/N got up to join the long queue, leaving Renjun to save the table for themselves and go hungry.

‘The things I do for someone I like..’

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Before they knew it, a week had flown by, and it had been a hectic week indeed. The first years had clubs to join, parties to throw, exams and quizzes and tests to pass, assignments to hand in, sleep to get, food to eat, fun to have, friends to make, but no time. The first ever party had already been thrown, but being the academic overachievers they were, Y/N and Niki had stayed back, leaving their friends to tell them each and every detail of the party.

“I don’t drink alcohol, ever.” Niki shrugged when his friends came back, and they sighed, “This wasn’t an alcohol party. We don’t do underage drinking. It’s not cool.”

“Oh. Well. Um. I had to study, we have a test coming up—“

“Save the lies, we had a bunch of Japanese majors in the party. And before you mention Sociology, we had Sociology takers too. You don’t take any other classes, so you find yourself in a sticky position right about.. now.” Jungwon told Niki, settling down on Niki’s bed. “Ugh, I hate you guys sometimes.”

“The feeling’s mutual, sometimes.” Sunghoon assured him, taking a seat next to Jungwon, on the bed.

“How was the party?” Niki asked, choosing to ignore the statement. “It was fun, but I saw the Dreamies without Y/N. I think you both are perfect for each other.” Sunoo commented casually, attempting to make his hair sit flat. “Yeah, no, don’t ever say that again.” Niki replied, a bit annoyed.

“Okay then. Anyway, I’m going to go, I need my sleep.” Sunoo said, leaving after waving everyone goodbye. One by one, everyone left Niki’s room, leaving him alone.

He scrunched his eyebrows, running a hand through his hair.

“Shit, are we perfect for each other?”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

A similar showdown went on in Y/N’s room, where the boys had gone after the party. After assuring Y/N that they had never consumed alcohol, ever, they proceeded to tell Y/N that Niki hadn’t been at the party either. Haechan made the grave mistake of stating that Y/N and Niki were perfect for each other.

“Bye, Haechan. I hope you lose your way home and step on a Lego.”

“I’m just pointing out what’s obvious.” Haechan shrugged, leaving the room without another word after seeing the look on Y/N’s face. Eventually everyone left, and Y/N sighed.

“We can’t be perfect for each other, right? Shit, are we?”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

After that conversation with their friends, the two enemies went from enemies to just plain awkward. Their friends’ words repeated in their heads like a mantra, and took up a fair amount of space in their minds.

Another person who was haunted by the sentence was Renjun, who couldn’t shake the feeling that something would happen that would cause him to be forced to not like Y/N anymore.

In almost no time, midterms season began, and the two friend groups, Enha and the Dreamies immediately dispersed to study on their own. They had tried the method of group study, but declared it useless when they got their eleventh grade midterm results. The groups had decided to never speak of that day ever again.

Exams were hectic, but what was more stressful for Y/N and Niki was that one sentence said by two people but with the exact same words. Coincidence? They thought NOT.

The only time they properly spoke was when the midterms results came out. “Congratulations, Y/N.” Niki said, attempting to shake her hand but changing his mind halfway, using his stretched hand to rub his head instead. “Thank you, Riki.” Y/N replied, equally awkward. Their friends watched the little exchange, incredibly confused. Where were the backhanded insults?

They decided to investigate by themselves. Enha recounted their conversations with Niki, and the Dreamies recalled conversations with Y/N, trying to find anything weird. Eventually, the conversation came to the night of the party. They spoke about the sentence, and realized they had messed up big time.

“Woah, Sunoo, we’re a match made in heaven!” Haechan exclaimed, and Sunoo shuddered. “No offense, but I really don’t —“

“Oh, let me have my moment.”

They discussed the problem and concluded that they’d just have to wait it out.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

How long would they remain waiting, though? It was really getting rather boring. How could one sentence affect two enemies so deeply? Unless..

No, they couldn’t possibly be developing feelings for each other.

No.

Those were the thoughts in Renjun’s head, as he walked to pick up Y/N from class as usual. “Y/N, are you sure you still hate Niki? I haven’t heard you rant about him in months..”

“Of course I don’t like him. Anyway, what’s for lunch?”

Renjun didn’t miss the not-so-subtle conversation change, but didn’t comment for his own mental stability. If his long-time crush was crushing on her long-time enemy, he would rather die than know. “Ah, I think they have hotpot. But you know we shouldn’t risk it. What if it’s bad?”

“What if it’s good? I think taking risks is good. We didn’t have it last time but everyone loved it. Besides, it’s made by the Chinese Culture students, and I’m one of them. Don’t worry. And yeah, yeah, I haven’t tasted it.”

“Ah, fine. Just for you.” Renjun offhandedly commented, but didn’t realize the full extent of what he’d said until a few seconds later. But Y/N had already moved on, and his heart broke, just a little bit.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

It was the time of the year when the students would be assigned groups for their group projects that counted toward 40 percent of their grades, and Y/N had two groups to balance out. Unfortunately, as she had anticipated but hoped against, the person she was most awkward around, Nishimura Riki, was in her group for her Japanese project.

“So, what do you guys think we should do for the project? The professor has given us full freedom as long as we have a presentation.” Y/N gulped her personal life and put on her professional behavior. She never mixed work with personal stuff.

Their group consisted of Y/N, Riki, and two intermediate students: Kim Chaewon and Han Jisung.

“I feel like we can do a presentation on the fashion industry through the years!” Chaewon offered, and Han shrugged. “I’m fine with that topic, but I’ll have you know that I can’t speak on it. So I’m not going to present the topic, but I’m open to do the rest of the work.”

“That’s fine, Han. Riki, do you think the topic is fine?”

“Yes, I think it is.” Riki replied shortly, and the group sighed, relieved. “Well, we have the difficult part out of the way. So we’ll meet tomorrow and discuss the workload. We have a month, right? We can do this.” Y/N, the natural leader, said, and Han saluted her. “Okay. We have dance practice at our club, so we’ll take our leave, thank you!” Chaewon indicated herself and Han, and the two rushed out, as they were running late.

Which left the awkward pair together.

“So.. Y/N, do you have any ideas for the presentation? I’m bad at fashion, but I can try researching.”

“Actually.. I’m crap at fashion, too. But Chaewon is well known for her designs. She’s a fashion design major! But she minors in Japanese. Chenle was telling me she’s their professor’s favorite. So we’ll count on her for the design part. We can figure out the theme of the PowerPoint, and the history part. We can give the PowerPoint making part to Han, because he’s a tech whiz. We can research the history and pop-culture behind trends, and the backstory of the designs!”

Niki smiled at Y/N’s enthusiasm, causing Y/N to ask him what was up. “Nothing, seeing you enthusiastic makes me laugh.” Niki shrugged, opening up his laptop to start researching. What he saw out of the corner of his eyes was Y/N reddening slightly, and that made Niki grin to himself.

The start of things.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“How did you find the group for your group project? Ours is incredible!” Renjun said, happy that he and Haechan were in the same group with other intellectual students.

“Yeah, I’m happy. Me, Niki, Chaewon and Han Jisung are in a group together!” Y/N said, smiling at Renjun.

“Wait. Hold on. Happy and Niki in one sentence? Did something happen?” “No, but Niki isn’t half bad when he isn’t being mean, you know?”

Renjun’s heart broke a bit yet again, but he didn’t say anything.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“So, hi guys. Han, we sent you a bit of research. Were you able to format it and add it to the presentation?”

“Yeah. I shared you guys the link, just check your mail. And I also added Chaewon’s sketches, so look over it. And who’s presenting?”

“Mostly Chaewon.”

“I’m happy.” The fashion major smiled, and got back to her sketches. “Anyway, this is a bit of a modern take on a kimono that a popular fashion designer created. I've texted you the designer’s details, Han. Just scan this sketch and add the details to the PPT, would you?”

“Yeah, sure, Chaewon. Y/N?”

Y/N, realizing she was caught, blinked herself back to reality. She had been staring at Niki, wondering why something had changed. She couldn’t put a finger on what had changed exactly, but she knew something was up with herself.

“What’s up, Han?”

“Could you just look up this guy’s Wikipedia page? Chaewon says they’re really popular, so I think we should add a slide for the person.”

“Okay, done. You got it.”

“Niki?”

Niki, also realizing he was caught, looked at Han. He had also been wondering what had changed between him and Y/N’s enmity “Yeah, Han?”

“Could you please help out Y/N? I need to finish this slide and get to class.”

“Right, okay.” Niki walked over to Y/N, grabbing a chair and sitting next to Y/N. “What do you need help with?” “Nothing, really. Just help me cut out unwanted information.”

And the group sat to work with each other, proving to be an excellent team. They knew who the professor’s favorites would be, starting next year.

Chaewon and Han ran off to their classes, leaving Niki and Y/N to continue their research. Since their schedules differed, Chaewon and Han worked whenever they could, and Y/N and Niki worked together whenever they could.

“Niki, I don’t mean to make things awkward, but don’t you get the feeling we’ve changed?” “Yeah, well, people change, Y/N—“

“You know as well as I do that that’s not what I meant.”

“Right.” Niki paused for a bit, and Y/N spun to look at him.

“Do you think it’s more awkward than it used to be between us?” Niki asked, and Y/N sighed. “Yeah, and we aren’t even enemies anymore. I would go as far as to say we’re.. friends?”

“Huh. Strange. I agree that it’s awkward, by the way. It’s just, Sunoo said something that spooked me.” “Funny. Haechan said something that creeped me out too.”

“Wait..”

“Sunoo said that we’re meant for each other, didn’t he.”

“Holy shit.” Niki’s eyes widened, and he immediately turned back to his laptop, leaving Y/N to contemplate her life, yet again.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Sunoo, why would you say that?”

Y/N had decided to personally pay a visit to Sunoo, who was extremely lost. “Ah, Y/N, unfortunately I say a lot of things, so unless you get specific..”

“About me and Niki being perfect for each other.”

“Ah.”

Sunoo quietly walked away, making Y/N run after him indignantly. “Oi! Just answer!”

“Obviously because you are perfect for each other. In fact, I’d be willing to bet you that Haechan is being harassed by Niki for the same reason that you’re harassing me about.”

“… I’ll call Haechan and ask him.”

Y/N obediently dialed Haechan, who picked up after some time. “Y/N, save me! Niki is running after me for God knows what!”

Y/N sighed and disconnected the call. “Fine, you win. But I don’t like him.”

“Yeah, you don’t.” Sunoo agreed, walking away. “Yet.”

Meanwhile, Haechan was hazardously running around campus while Niki chased him, shouting, “Get back here, Haechan! We need to talk!”

Eventually, the two boys were exhausted and so they stopped by a tree.

“Haechan, why’d you..” Niki half-heartedly laid on the grass, catching his breath.

“Why’d.. what..” Haechan asked, equally exhausted. “Why’d you tell Y/N..”

“What..?”

“That we’re perfect,”

“Ah.” Haechan sighed, sitting down next to Niki. “Look, you both have similar personalities and behavior. The two of you are smart, share the same friend groups and even majors, although Y/N is a double major. I’m sure teachers ship you privately, too. Not that it’s their business, but then again, most teachers make it their business to pair people who are beneficial to each other.” Haechan took a deep breath, tired.

“I see. But I wish you hadn’t. We’re awkward now. In fact, the only reason I confronted you is because we brought this up yesterday. It’s sort of a good thing, since we aren’t exactly enemies anymore, but we don’t exactly feel too comfortable around each other. But we see each other as friends, for the moment.”

“.. did you say for the moment? NIKI, DO YOU HAVE A CRUSH ON—“

“SHUT UP, HAECHAN!”

Things are in motion.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Renjun, and Haechan, how’s your group project?” Y/N asked Renjun at the cafeteria table with the Dreamies. Haechan chose not to speak, instead stuffing his mouth full of rice cakes, leaving Renjun to answer. “Yes, it’s going great. I’m happy with our progress.”

“That’s great! Chenle, I heard from Chaewon that your group is doing amazing so far because that person dropped out. Do you find it fun?”

“Yes! Very much so. That person was annoying us. Thank God the professor realized it and kicked them off our group. Which reminds me. Jaemin, are you glad you’re working solo?”

“Yeah. Listening to my friends’ stories, I can’t help thinking my team projects can wait till second year. But Jeno is the luckiest. They don’t even have a group project in Year 1!”

“Yeah, we don’t. But then again, our major is difficult so.. we need balance.” Jeno said, pretending to levitate. The group laughed at him.

“Mark, how’s Journalism?”

“Eh.. I don’t know. I think I’ll switch majors. You guys remember when I used to compose songs, right?”

“OH, MY GOD! YES! PLEASE JOIN US!” Haechan swallowed his food instantly and clapped his hands together. Renjun nodded aggressively, and Mark grinned. “It’s decided then. I’m switching majors!”

The table cheered, making the cafeteria turn their heads. When they saw that it was the Dreamies, they went back to their food.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Niki, Chaewon and Han won’t be joining us today. They have dance practice for two hours, so I asked them to give themselves a rest. We’re almost done, anyway.”

“Ah, that’s fine. I honestly wish we didn’t have to end this project. Working with you guys is so fun.” Niki replied to Y/N. The two were sitting together and researching for their concluding slide and speech, because ‘Two minds are better than one!’.

“Aww. I had fun working with you too.” Y/N replied, smiling at him. Riki hastily looked away, so that Y/N didn’t see him blush. ‘When did I start getting this way?’ He wondered silently. “Thanks!” He said out loud.

“You’re welcome!” Y/N grinned again, and looked back at her computer screen. ‘Jeez, he looks good today.’

“Um, Y/N, can I tell you something then leave? You don’t have to comment. You can just forget it.”

“Sure, go ahead. But now I’m scared. Do you have a grim secret that no one knows about?”

“Grim, yes, no one knows, no. Um. I… kind of like you?”

Niki got up robotically and walked out of the room.

“I like you too!” Y/N called after him, not realizing that he hadn’t meant it in a platonic way.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ LET’S REWIND!

. . . . . 🛁 [6th Grade]

“First place, Y/N L/N!” The host yelled into the mic, as Y/N walked up to the stage to collect her award. ‘Woah, she looks so pretty!’ Nishimura Riki thought to himself, watching his crush walk on stage. “Second place, Nishimura Riki!” The host called, and Riki walked on stage too, taking a place next to Y/N. “Ugh, did you cheat?” He asked her, rolling his eyes dramatically.

“No, I could ask you the same, though. Second place? Really?” She rolled her eyes back at him.

“Oh, please. Me? Cheat? Yeah, right. You’re just jealous.” Niki replied, smirking lightly. “No, you!”

“Okay, hush now, kids.” The host smiled kindly at the two nemeses, remembering her own time at school.

. . . . . 🛁 [9th Grade]

“Did you really kiss that idiot?” Niki confronted Y/N after school. “Come on, it was just a dare. Why do you care anyway?”

“I don’t.” Niki said out loud, but his heart screamed at him to tell her everything. ‘Yeah, I do care, because I’ve crushed on you for the past three years of my life!’

“This is a waste of my time.” Y/N walked away, leaving Niki alone with his feelings.

. . . . . 🛁 [10th Grade]

The snow was falling, and it was the first snow of the year. Niki was with his enemy by day, crush by night, Y/N.

“Y/N, I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“I.. like you. A lot.”

“Aww! Niki, I like you too! In fact, let’s get married right now.”

Niki woke up, and smiled to himself. ‘You fool, if you don’t watch out, you’ll be in love with her and you won’t differentiate dreams versus reality.’

. . . . . 🛁 [11th Grade]

“Y/N, will you please keep quiet? You have done nothing but annoy me the whole class. You are an insufferable know-it-all.”

The teacher was one who was hated by the whole school, including the teachers. But the principal had no choice but to keep him in school, since he was on contract.

Y/N was being unfairly yelled at, but no one had the courage to help her out. Y/N had tears in her eyes that she was trying to desperately blink to eternal hell, but she was still being scolded.

“Sir, how can you yell at her for your mistakes? She isn’t your assistant. It was your duty to correct and grade our papers. Just because you forgot to do it doesn’t mean you take your anger out on innocent students.” Niki stood up, really annoyed.

Thanks to Niki, the whole class rose against the teacher, and he was put on unpaid leave.

“Thanks, Nishimura. I owe you one.” Y/N said after the issue.

They went back to being enemies.

She still owed him one.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ BACK 2 THE PRESENT!

“NIKI! Wait up!” Y/N had realized quite quickly that the statement was not platonic. However, Sir Nishimura The Bashful had made a run for it, and Y/N was on scouting mode.

“Niki! Wait.” After a bit of running, she found Niki about to run into the male toilets.

“What? You said I could make a run for it.”

“Look.. I don’t like you in that way. I’m not sure if I will. But things are changing between us. And.. I think I like the change. We’re friends, right? Right now, that’s all we’re going to be. I don’t want to give you even an inkling of hope. Because anything could happen. I’m sorry, Niki. If it’s too awkward, we’ll not hang out anymore. Let’s just finish the project.”

Niki smiled softly. “Y/N, relax. I will like you. My feelings will probably not change. And I’m sorry for being so mean all these years. It wasn’t good. It was toxic. I was trying to mask my feelings and ended up being mean. There’s absolutely no pressure on you. And why would there be? You don’t like me, it’s the end of the story. If you ever do, just know I’m right here. And I’m fine being friends. But I know you’ll find it awkward. So if you ever do, talk about it. Now, I will hide away in the bathrooms. Please do not find me. Thank you.”

Y/N watched as her sworn enemy-turned-liked melted away into the bathrooms, and sighed as she walked away, heart heavy, feeling dejected.

What she didn’t know was that Renjun had seen it all happen. And what she didn’t know was that Renjun’s heart was chipping away bit by bit.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Ugh, I just wanna travel somewhere.” Y/N told Renjun, who had been uncharacteristically silent the whole day. It had been two days since the confession, and Niki and Y/N were just projectmates at the moment. “I want to too, but you know we’re busy. Just two more days, then we leave for break, and then we immediately have our exams. Time’s flying.”

“Right, I forgot about the break and exams. Is this the effect of university? Don’t answer that. How’s your project presentation? Is it done?”

“Yeah, it is. Knowing you and Riki, yours should be done too.”

“Yeah! Chaewon is presenting, so I don’t have to worry much. I’m helping Han present, and Nishimura will be helping Chaewon. So I’m just going to relax for now, and the Chinese project is super easy. I picked food culture, which is incredibly easy. My team is presenting tomorrow for Chinese, and Japanese is on the last day.”

“Great.” Renjun replied shortly. Y/N was left confused.

“Renjun, are you fine?”

“Great.” Renjun attempted a smile, which wobbled slightly.

“If you don’t wanna talk, fine. I’ll go.”

‘Don’t go.. I’m sorry.’

Was what Renjun wanted to say. Instead, he said, “Fine, I guess.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Renjun was just a bit broken. But he would be fine, as always. He was used to the complete cold behavior that Y/N showed sometimes. She wasn’t often sentimental with him, and it seemed like she lacked emotions sometimes.

Renjun liked following his routine. He would wake up, brush his teeth, take a shower, get dressed, go downstairs, read the newspaper while he ate, remind himself not to think about Y/N, think about Y/N, shake his head and revise the previous day’s lessons, then leave. University wasn’t a clear-cut routine, so he went with the flow. The one thing that was routine was him picking Y/N up for lunch.

It was obvious that Nishimura Riki hated him, because Riki had already picked Y/N up for lunch.

‘He’s competition, alright.’

Renjun had to resort to walking with Haechan, who could be chatty sometimes (read: always). “How are things with Y/N?”

Renjun gasped as if he’d been electrocuted, clutching his heart. “How do you know? Only Mark knew!”

“What? I meant your friendship. Wait, what the fuck?”

“Haechan, do me a favor. Drop me in the ground. I’ll dig a hole for you. Please. All you have to do is watch me crawl then bury me.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

While Renjun was confessing to Haechan about his true feelings for Y/N, Niki was having fun with Y/N, annoying her so she would tell him her bias in Weak Boy Scouts, the world’s most popular boy band.

“Why are you asking?”

“Because I want to get to know you better. I’m kidding, I need blackmail material.”

“Ugh, screw you. My bias is T.”

“Woah. Mine’s G-sad. He’s an amazing dancer.”

“Yeah, that reminds me. Why didn’t you major in dance? You have a talent, and you’re passionate about it.”

“Well.. Japanese is my mother tongue, and I wanted to respect it. Besides, you were taking it too, so..”

“Wait, you gave up your passion so you could be in the same class as me?”

“No! That was just a bonus. Besides, I do dance. In classes. I work a part-time job at a dance studio, you know.”

“I did not know.”

“… The more you know?”

Y/N enjoyed getting to know Niki, because she was curious. After all these years of being enemies, she hadn’t realized that she and Niki really were eerily similar. Niki loved hotpot too, and Y/N promised to take him to the best hotpot restaurant in their town.

“Well, that was fun. But we have class now, so I’ll leave. You have Chinese next, right? Enjoy.” Niki smiled and waved, picking up his bag and leaving.

Y/N stared after him, wondering why and how everything had changed so drastically.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Renjun, you’ve been avoiding me all these days.”

The Dreamies were having dinner together, since it was break and they hadn’t hung out in three days. The others took the dialogue as a cue to leave, and Renjun looked at Haechan and Mark pleadingly. They shrugged as if to say ‘You’re on your own, buddy,’ and left with the boys, crossing their fingers behind their backs.

“Nah, not really. You have been busy. With your new best friend, Riki.”

“Well, I’m allowed to have other friends. He’s not my best friend. You are, and you always will be.”

‘Ouch,’ Renjun thought. “Friend? He has a crush on you. Or maybe he’s in love with you. Friend? I think not.”

“Well, guess what? You’re wrong, Renjun. Friend. He’s a friend. I don’t know how you know about his crush on me, but we agreed to stay friends.”

“Ah, yeah right. You can’t be friends with your crush. Believe me, I’d know.”

And know he did. Even now, he had the urge to apologize over and over for instigating the argument. He never could stand when he argued with Y/N. But he had to stand his ground this time. He didn’t want to let go of what could possibly be his first love.

“You know what? I don’t want to have this conversation with you. I’m leaving. Don’t talk to me.”

“Y/N..” Renjun called after her, but she’d already left.

She’d left with a big chunk of his heart. What else could she possibly take?

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Over time, Y/N and Renjun grew more distant, much to their dismay. They tried meeting, but it had become too awkward. And also over time, Niki and Y/N had grown closer, much to Renjun’s discomfort. He knew he was almost totally to blame, but a small part of him pined for Y/N and the fun they used to have.

‘No, Renjun. It’s time to move on,’ he shook himself, looking in the mirror, attempting to smolder.

‘Yeah, no, you’re in deep shit.’

On the other hand, Y/N did think about Renjun. But in a pissed off way, not in an emotional way. She discussed her problem with Niki, who suggested reaching out to him to discuss the problem.

‘How the hell did it come to this? Me, asking Nishimura Riki, for help?’ She mentally slapped herself, looking at Niki as he explained to her.

“So, you should ask him to talk and discuss your little argument. How is he jealous of you spending time with Chaewon?”

Y/N hadn’t been completely honest, but what option did she have?

“Anyway, my point is that you should reach out to him first. He’s probably trying to do the same but doesn’t have the guts. So show him who’s more courageous. It’s a power move, for sure.”

Y/N sighed at the prospect of confronting Renjun. She wished it was easy, but it wasn’t. “Thanks, Niki. I appreciate it.”

She immediately shot a text to Renjun, who was debating whether to reply immediately or save his ego.

“Yeah, he said he’ll meet me after his classes.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“Y/N, look. I’m sorry. I’m an idiot. Of course you can hang out with Niki. It’s your life. I'm nobody. Enjoy. And this isn’t sarcastic or bitter or anything negative. I’m being honest. I didn’t take the first step this time, but I’m sorry for that.”

“I’m sorry too, Renjun. I know that you meant the best for me. But I trust that Niki will respect me and my boundaries if he likes me that much. So don’t worry, and we’ll hang out more often. I could never forget you at all. You’re my best friend, and have been since the fifth grade.”

And so they made up, no matter how bad the apologies were or how bad the argument had been.

Things will never be the same.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Time flew, and it was finals season. Students everywhere were falling ill due to the stress, and the university’s nurse’s office was overwhelmed by the number of students complaining of a variety of illnesses. “Jeez, you would think we’re the only doctors in the city.” The nurse complained to Y/N, who had accompanied Niki to the nurse because he was feeling feverish.

“Yeah, you’re running a fever, kid. A high one, at that. A whopping 103 degrees. What have you been doing?”

“Studying..” Niki replied hoarsely, and the doctor sighed. “Stay in the office, I’ll get the nurse to arrange a bed for you. I’ll give you medicines in a few minutes, there are students I have to treat. I swear, kids these days..”

The doctor trailed off, wiping her forehead as she greeted a horde of students.

“Ah, Niki, why do you do this to yourself?” Y/N sighed, staring at Niki.

“Your phone’s ringing,” Niki ignored her, looking at her phone. “Yeah, I’ll pick it up.”

“Hello?”

“Hey, it’s Renjun. You busy?”

“Kind of. What’s up?”

“I needed a favor, I’m feeling slightly cold, do you mind dropping in? My parents aren’t in town, and I needed someone’s opinion.”

“I’m sorry, I can’t.. Can you get someone else to come?”

“… You were my first contact, but sure. Thanks a lot, Y/N.”

Y/N sighed, shutting her phone off. “Who was it?”

“No one, Niki, just rest.”

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

“This kid has a fever of 104 degrees, what’s happening to kids? I swear.”

Y/N looked up from her phone to see Renjun being rushed into the doctor’s office by Mark and Jisung. “He’d collapsed, but he said something about calling you before he fell?” Mark asked, bewildered.

‘What the fuck?’ Y/N was in shock, but she masked it. “He had called me, but I was with Niki.. so..”

“Where are his friends? I thought you and Renjun were best friends—“

“Hey, just because we’re best friends doesn’t mean there are other people that I can just ditch.”

“Sounds like you’re prioritizing a bit weirdly. Do you have a crush on Niki or something? Because that’s definitely an unacceptable excuse for ditching your best friend of more than 8 years.”

“Shut up, Mark. I’ll apologize later.”

‘Argh, Y/N, how many more apologies can you offer someone with a broken heart?’ Mark groaned to himself, staring at Renjun’s feverish face.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Many students had to postpone their final paper, but it had all been done and dusted. The teacher from Y/N’s old school had called her to talk about the improvement in her relationship with Niki, which she found strange.

“Anyway, the teacher was happy. Did the teacher call you too?”

“Yeah, pretty much the same thing.” Niki answered, grinning.

The students of Zephyr University were on break, and boy, did they plan on having fun.

Much to Y/N’s disappointment, Renjun had not accepted her shabby apology, but had sighed and conceded after a week of not speaking to her. Now, he was in China like he’d wanted to go the previous year, and her only hope was Niki.

“Niki, if I told you I liked you right now, what would you do?”

It had been a light question, but the look on Niki’s face told Y/N that he had taken it much more seriously than she had assumed he would.

“Why, do you?”

“Well.. I do enjoy being with you, and I think I’ve prioritized you over a lot of stuff, and you are quite attractive, but.. actually, I don’t know. Maybe I do like you.”

“Woah. If you do, I’d say that I’m happy and say that I’d ask you out after we finish our second year.”

“And I’d say okay.”

“Woah.”

“Woah, indeed.”

Y/N smiled. She wasn’t sure if she liked him the way he did, but she did know that she was falling for him day by day. And she told him that, wanting to have a clean slate from the very beginning.

That was where it all started. And ended.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

What started, you may ask? Chaos. Like turning to love. The enemies dating, and rumors flying.

What ended? Ha, what a great question. Y/N’s friendship with Renjun? Nope.

Quite far off. Everyone noticed it happening slowly. But they didn’t want to jinx it. Their academic rivalry was gone, and so was Renjun’s sanity!

“Mark! How the hell did they end up falling for each other? I’m dying to know here!” Renjun fanned himself aggressively with a hand fan he had to buy for the summer heat in China. He was currently with Mark, trying to figure out what he did wrong.

“Oh, I don’t know. The two of them are attractive, smart, quite well off, fun, likable, friendly, funny. What’s not to like?”

Renjun groaned, slumping in his seat. “It’s too late, Renjun. You’re not ever going to confess, are you?” Mark asked him.

No, Renjun decided not to. He would get over it all by himself. He had no choice but to. If Y/N was happy, so was he. And if it meant that she had to be happy without him, so be it. He would do whatever it took to get over her. And if he never found happiness without her, he would have to be satisfied with being friends.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

Y/N and Niki started dating after their second year of university, as Niki had promised they would. They graduated two years later, with their friends by their side. They stopped at a bachelor’s degree, and now the two of them work as translators.

Mark and Haechan completed their bachelor’s degree, and went on to become a singer-songwriter duo that reached the stars with every song they released. People worldwide loved the Lee duo, and no supporter matched the energy of their friends.

Jeno went on to study for his master’s in veterinary sciences, and became a popular veterinarian. Animals loved him, and his favorite animals to treat were Samoyeds.

Jaemin became an artist, and had a museum dedicated to him and his artwork. He was well known for being the 21st century’s Pablo Picasso. His art was known for having a bunny drawn in the art as some part of it.

Chenle became a fashion designer for his own label, which held the ranks that companies like Prada, Dior, Chanel, were known for. His designs were known for being fresh, light and themed, with something new and key in each of his designs.

Jisung became one of the world’s most famous choreographers and dancers, and also taught dance to students who were willing to learn from him. He traveled all over the world to spread his joy for dancing, but always made sure to keep time aside for his friends.

Renjun became a singer, who composed his songs by himself. The Lee Duo and Renjun collaborated often, and the lyrics of their first song together became viral for the relatability and sadness, while the beat went viral for giving a club-like, fresh energy.

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

[DAISY.] Released by Huang Renjun ft. The Lee Duo

Prod. MARK

Performed by Huang Renjun and HAECHAN

Written by Huang Renjun

My first love, you were like a daisy

Soft and tender, so why’d you drive me so crazy?

You were my one-sided love that hurt forever

We used to be best friends, but you probably don't call me that anymore

If you’d call me now, I’d run to you whenever

For you and I, for you and I

You never loved me but I’ll always wonder what could’ve been in store

I’d run to you in the blink of an eye

For you and I, for you and I

I’ve loved you so much, no, I can’t lie

For you and I, you and I

Our time was a fresh breeze in July

For you and I, you and I,

My first love, you were like a daisy

A daisy like you I’ll never find

Are your memories of me now hazy?

My love that never worked out in the end

We used to be best friends, but you probably won't call me that anymore

I swore to maintain our friendship instead

For you and I, for you and I

You never loved me but I’ll always wonder what could’ve been in store

I’d run to you in the blink of an eye

For you and I, for you and I

I’ve loved you so much, no, I can’t lie

For you and I, you and I

Our time was a fresh breeze in July

For you and I, you and I,

And then I’ll remember our times together

A daisy like you I’ll never find

The feelings I had for you, so tender

Sometimes the what ifs get to me

But oh, never mind, never mind

I wish I could set myself free

A daisy like you I might someday find

And I promise to take care of it like I did

Goodbye, my daisy, be alright.

To you, my daisy, goodbye I bid

Never mind, never mind,

—————— /ᐠ - ˕ -マ

THE END.

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