#seriously though... leave the actors alone

[sparklingchim]

game on 03 | jjk

pairing: jungkook x oc

word count: 2.7k

tropes: footballer!jungkook, fake dating, f2l

rating: pg

warnings: jk is a huge flirt, mentions of jk's past fights in school, lots of hand holding, paparazzi!!!, mentions of jk's flings 🫢, they love to bicker <3

summary: your fake relationship goes public - cue the unexpected butterflies.

a/n: she's finally back !!!! n i rlly hope u like it 😋

masterlist

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So many nights spent wondering about the future, but you never imagined yourself in this scenario.

“I can see someone across the street.”

“That’s good – that's perfect.” Jungkook doesn’t even look back to catch a glimpse of what’s happening outside when he says, “Let them get their little shots. We’ll pretend we don’t notice.” He leans closer, elbows on the table. A grin lights his eyes. “Maybe we can even start the show right here.”

Jungkook begins to play with your fingers, gently tracing his fingertips along yours. Slowly, he lifts your hand, your elbow grazing the edge of the table, and links your fingers with his in the air.

You hesitantly mimic his smile. “Sure you don’t wanna switch paths and become an actor?”

“Hmm, maybe in my next life,” he ponders. “But only if you’re the co-star.”

“Can’t even leave me alone in our next life? I’d categorise that as obsessive behaviour, Jungkook.”

Kind of like the way most people in this café are obsessively watching you two.

The plan is simple: sit in a café with Jungkook, pretend you’re lost in your own little world, play the part of a love-struck couple – and wait. Wait until people become suspicious that this isn’t just another casual lunch between childhood friends, but that maybe there’s something more. Wait until a few more onlookers gather outside, cameras ready, eager to capture the moment your friendship seems to blur into something else.

“That’s just how a boyfriend would act, no? Be obsessed with his girl.”

“I guess? No one’s ever been obsessed with me.”

“Wasn’t Junwoo?”

You sigh deeply at the mention of your high-school ex-boyfriend. “Yeah, after I broke up with him.” If a two-month thing even qualifies as a relationship.

“Should’ve let me punch that fucker for treating you that way, seriously.” He says it with such contempt dripping from his voice, you’d think this happened recently and not nearly three years ago.

When Junwoo and you got official and had your first time, suddenly that’s all he was interested in. No more fun dates or random calls just to talk. Just a guy who liked the idea of you more than actually spending time with you. And once you called him out on it, he pretended it wasn’t true at all and tried to win you back with cute letters, random gifts or cringey apologies over voice notes.

“You got into trouble for that way too many times,” you remind him pointedly.

Whether it was for the sake of protecting you or losing his temper on the field – Jungkook had squared up to other guys more times than you could count. And still continues to do so on the field. Boys.

Jungkook’s sweet, charming, total golden retriever, until you piss him off.

“Ah, I really miss it,” Jungkook mumbles, wistfully brushing his thumb over your skin.

“Fighting?”

“No, just school in general. It was a silly time back then.”

“Don’t remind me. Life was so carefree.”

“Was it really for you, though?” Jungkook asks, tilting his head like he already knows the answer. “You were, and still are, a study maniac. Dragged me to the library so many times.” Jungkook rolls his eyes at the memory of the times you’ve spent in the library to study for exams and you nearly swat his arm for that.

You were stressed out and trying to survive under all the pressure of acing your exams. He was there for the vibes. You hunched over textbooks with color-coded tabs, he sprawled across the seat next to you, nearly falling asleep from boredom. Jungkook used to doodle on your notes while you crammed for midterms. At the time, it drove you up the wall. You’d flick his pen away, scold him for distracting you, threaten to ban him from ever coming again.

He always came anyway. And you always let him.

Now, whenever you’re studying – whether alone or with a study group – you catch yourself having memories popping up in your mind of Jungkook sitting next to you, twirling a pen, asking dumb questions like do you think mitochondria ever get tired of being the powerhouse?

You don’t miss the stress of high school. God, no. But you do miss that. Him in those moments. The silly distractions. The way he annoyed you so much it looped around into comfort.

“And you got us kicked out so many times,” you argue. “I get your hatred for studying, but you were doing too much.”

Jungkook shrugs, unbothered. “I did the best I could, honestly.”

Right then, the waitress appears with your drinks. Two iced americanos, his with an extra shot, yours with oat milk. She places them on the table with a polite smile before vanishing again. Jungkook thanks her absently, stirring his coffee with the paper straw.

“Kinda wish we could go back for a day. Just one,” he says, eyes fixed on the swirling coffee. “Walk the halls, eat lunch together, annoy each other in class.”

“You just want to relive the time you sneaked off with Hyejin and made out behind the gym hall.” You sip on your drink, eyeing him.

Jungkook nearly chokes on his coffee. “You know what, I wouldn’t say no to that,” he replies, a sly smirk forming on his face. But then he recoils dramatically. “No, ___. How dare you say that when we’re on a date? I don’t wanna go back in time to kiss other girls.”

You quirk your eyebrow, but he doesn’t budge from that statement. "You just said you wouldn’t say no.”

“Slip of the tongue.” He waves it off. “I’m – we’re still new to this,” he adds, eyes wide with mock innocence. “But I’m fully reformed now. Monogamous. Loyal. Emotionally available.”

“Oh wow. All three?”

“All three.” He nods solemnly. “All for you.” Jungkook leans closer, conspiratorially. “Do you wanna sneak off and kiss behind the building?” he teases, voice dropping the tiniest bit. A soft, short chuckle escapes him like he’s proud of his flirty jab.

You can’t help the smile tugging at your lips. “You wish.”

He sips on his drink, sparkling eyes trained on you. “Should we really, though?” he asks more seriously. “Maybe not in the back of the café but my car or something?”

“I don’t know. Is hand holding enough? Did Taesung tell you something about a kiss?”

“Lemme just ask him.”

Jungkook lets go of your hand. He grabs his phone and types.

You squint suspiciously. “What did you text him?”

Without a hint of shame, he flips the screen around.

should we kiss?

You nearly laugh. What an unprofessional, unhinged text message to your manager. But then you catch sight of his grin behind his phone – that wide, dimpled, full-teeth kind of grin that makes him look way too pleased with himself – and annoyance melts away.

“You’re so lucky he puts up with your shit.”

“I just add a little fun to his job. He needs it.” His phone pings. He reads the message aloud. “He said it’s not necessary. Do what you’re comfortable with.”

Suddenly, worry tightens your chest. “Do you think they’ll follow us? To your car?” you ask, voice low as your eyes flick to the café window, though you force yourself not to actually look.

“They’ll keep their distance,” Jungkook says calmly.

Your worry turns out to be nothing more than a fleeting flicker. Here one second, gone the next. Especially when he gives your hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I told you not to stress over these things. I won’t let anything happen to you.”

“I can’t stop the worrying.” You tap a finger to your temple. “This thing won’t shut up.”

“It doesn’t have to work when I’m around.”

“I believe you when we survive the day.”

“Yah,” Jungkook breathes out affronted, his shoulders sagging dramatically like you just wounded him. “Do I not take care of you?” he pouts, the expression softening every line of his face.

“I’m just joking,” you giggle, nudging his foot under the table with yours. “Don’t be upset.”

Jungkook crosses his arms, lips still pursed in that exaggerated pout. “I’m not upset,” he says, clearly upset. Or pretending to be. His foot nudges yours back, a petty little kick that barely has any force behind it.

“Thank you for risking your life in public with me,” you try, waiting for his reaction.

“Risking my life is crazy, no?” he says, drinking his coffee. “We’re just having overpriced americanos.”

“So you do still know the value of money and have a concept of what’s normal. We haven’t completely lost you yet.”

“Yeah, what can I say. I’m still grounded.”

“You’re paying a monthly fee for a dog-walking app, and you don’t even have a dog. I don’t think that’s exactly grounded.”

“I just like to know what’s going on in the dog community. Sue me.”

“That’s called being rich,” you shoot back, lifting your drink. “Meanwhile, I was checking my bank app before I said yes to this fake date.”

“You wound me again.” A disappointed sigh slips past his mouth as he slouches back in his seat. “It’s those boys you hang out with at university, isn’t it?” he asks, shaking his head slowly, dramatically. “Feeding you cafeteria food and making you split Ubers.” He tuts, tongue clicking. “You’ve been through so much.”

Jungkook is ridiculous. But he also has a point.

“Maybe this fake dating situation won’t be only beneficial for me.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ll show you how a man treats his girl properly.” He leans forward slightly.

“You don’t even date.” And yet, throughout your friendship, he still manages to do better than half the boys you’ve talked to.

“Exactly.” He shrugs like it proves something. “And I’m still ahead of the curve.” On a more serious note, he adds, “It’s not that hard to not be weird.”

“Low bar, huh.”

“Painfully low.” Jungkook winks at you. “But I’ll raise it for you. Temporarily.”

“Until you send me off to the college boys?”

“The finance bros you’ve been collecting?” At least Jungkook has the decency to try and hide the smile that threatens to break across his face, but it’s a miserable attempt.

“It was one date,” you groan, slumping back in your chair. “Will you ever stop annoying me about it?”

“I fear I can’t.” He reaches out, fingers brushing yours before he gently takes your hand. He gives a light tug, coaxing you to lean forward again, and you do. “How long did it take him to bring up crypto again?” Your fingers end up loosely threaded with his, resting on the table. The contact makes the teasing a little less annoying.

“I think he made it a whole five minutes before he went into a deep dive of explaining cryptocurrency to me.” You swirl your straw in slow, disappointed circles. Whoever started the myth of meeting the love of your life at university is a big, fat liar. Or maybe just works in admissions. And definitely deserves jail time.

“Wow.” Jungkook nods impressed. “Do you want a moment of silence for your brain cells?”

“I’m surrounded by idiots. I’m used to it.”

“You’re a med student. How does that work?”

“Men. Lots of emotionally unintelligent men.”

“But now you have me!” Jungkook exclaims, eyes big and sparkly. He squeezes your hand as he triumphantly holds them up a little. “Isn’t that fun?”

You laugh at his silly antics. “It’s an upgrade, for sure.”

Jungkook drinks up your words with a huge smile. “I’m so honoured. You’re, like, the smartest girl I’ve ever had.” he says. “I won’t disappoint you.”

“Do you even know anything about the girls you’ve been with?”

“They’re pretty?” he answers hesitantly. “And they have amazing taste.”

“Finish your drink before I throw up, please.”

“Wanna end our date already?”

“Didn’t you want to head to the gym after this?” You take a final sip of your coffee, pushing the empty glass away from you.

“I can cancel.”

“For me?”

“For us.”

“All it took for you to spend more time with me is fake date you?”

“Says you,” he shoots back. “The one who always bails on me because she has to study.” He mimics your voice when he says it and does a terrible job at that. It’s awful, but he still manages to pull a little laugh from you.

“Speaking of,” you say, glancing at the time. “I actually have a study date in an hour. So I don’t have time to hang that long.”

“This relationship’s doomed to fail,” he says flatly.

You gasp. “Excuse me?”

“Fully admitting to going on another date during our first date?”

“A study date,” you clarify, rolling your eyes at his theatrics. “With my study buddy.”

“Side chick, you mean.”

“I should accuse you of that, not the other way around.”

“Doubting my loyalty already, I see.” Jungkook taps his fingers against his glass. “I told you, I’m a brand-new man. I’ve got the big three now.” He raises a finger for each one: “Loyal. Monogamous. Emotionally available.”

“I truly love that for you, Jungkook. Growth looks good on you. But I still need to study.”

Jungkook finishes his coffee, sighing when he places his glass on the table. “Lets go then.” But then suddenly he goes, “Hold on – what would you rate this date? One to ten.”

You ponder. “Like, maybe a seven?”

“Seven? Damn.” Jungkook exclaims. “What are you deducting three points for?” He tilts his head with a genuine confused pout.

“It was a cute date. Conversation was fun, good banter but...” You trail off, thinking. Jungkook raises his eyebrows expectantly. “The butterflies were missing.”

He scoffs. “I can give you lots of butterflies if you let me.”

“Don’t make me deduct more points,” you warn, unfazed.

“Ah, okay.” He bows his head in apology, muttering, “I’ll do better next time.”

You giggle, comforting him with small pats on his head. “Don’t feel too burdened. I really liked it.”

~

Leaving the cafe hand in hand, a shy smile playing on your lips, you walk beside Jungkook towards his car. Your shoulders are tense, awareness prickling at your skin as you feel the distant hums of cameras capturing every step.

You try to play it cool, telling yourself that this isn’t different from any other day, but the little waves of anxiety still roll through you.

Jungkook seems unfazed. When you glance at him, he’s already looking at you, the edge of his mouth curved upward. He pulls you closer, his body shifting ever so slightly to shield you from curious eyes.

Once you reach his black Bugatti tucked away in a quiet street, he opens the door for you, his hand brushing lightly against your back as you slide in.

He rounds the car and settles in beside you.

“You okay?” he asks softly.

You nod. “Are you?”

Concern flickers over his face. “Yeah, as long as you are okay.”

“No, I am. Really. Just worried that they would be more annoying about following us, but it’s all good.”

“They know better.”

“Think we did good?” You turn your body a little towards him as he starts the car.

“Of course we did,” he replies. “You looked like you were seconds away from falling in love with me. Got excited for a sec.”

“Delusional and confident.”

Jungkook checks the rearview mirror, his gaze flickering over the street behind you. “They’re probably still around.”

“You think?”

“Probably. But let them look. We are kinda adorable.”

You huff out a laugh. “You’re not wrong.”

Jungkook’s fingers rest lazily on the steering wheel. He turns his head to you again, eyes twinkling like he’s had an idea.

“Maybe we could do a bit better?”

“Better how?”

He leans a little closer, his cologne wrapping around you. His voice drops slightly when he says, “Come here.”

Jungkook cups your cheek, gently guiding you towards him. You lean into it without a second thought. Your eyes fall close, and you wait, expecting him to kiss you just like you had practised it at your place, but you don’t feel the gentle touch of his lips against your mouth.

Instead, you feel him press a slow, lingering kiss to your forehead.

Your chest stirs at his unexpected move.

There they are.

Butterflies.

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a little extra from me to u 😋:

[lynnieverse]

like real people do // drew starkey

oneshot

drew stakery x popstar!reader

synopsis: after a little slip up in an interview where you accidentally reveal your celebrity crush, things get a little complicated when someone starts meddling.

4.2k words

highly requested part two here!

You knew doing the interview was going to bite you in the ass. Nothing good ever came from distracting you with puppies and asking personal questions. So, when the interviewer innocently asked your celebrity crush, you didn’t hesitate to say Drew Starkey. It didn’t hit you until afterward, sitting in the back of your car, debriefing with your assistant. 

“I can’t believe you said your celebrity crush though,” she said, eyebrows raised. Your heart stutters a bit and you quickly whip your head towards her. 

“No I didn’t.” 

“Um…yeah, you did.” Panic spiked through your veins, sweat beading on your brow. 

“Oh shit. Oh shit! Amara, tell me I didn’t say who I’m thinking of,” you grip her arm tightly, eyes pleading. Amara winces and looks at you with what could only be pity. “No!” 

Madelyn was going to kill you. 

You met Madelyn Cline a few months ago at the People’s Choice Awards when you were presenting. You’d instantly clicked and made plans to hang out the next week. Everything was going really great, and you were doing a good job at keeping your little crush a secret. Now, it’ll come out, be circulated everywhere online, and Madelyn’s going to think you’re some crazy stalker. How would she react to you having a crush on her co-star? Definitely not well. 

Amara places a comforting hand on your shoulder, smiling sympathetically. “It’s okay, Y/N, it’s just a silly interview. Nobody will take it seriously.” 

“Everyone will take it seriously! I don’t know why I started fraternizing with actors, I need to stick to my lane.” 

“Hey, why don’t you write a song about it? It might help.” You thought about it for a moment, feeling the familiar bubble of lyrics tickling the back of your mind. Writing always helps you calm down, maybe putting the feelings on paper would make them go away. 

As the car stopped in front of your hotel, flashes from the paparazzi’s cameras were bright even through the tinted windows. You sigh and grab a jacket, wrapping it around your head like a shield, and wait for security to open the door. You ignore the loud shouting as you dash inside, closely followed by Amara and the rest of the crew. Inside isn’t much better, but at least the other guests have the decency to leave you alone for now. 

You sometimes feel bad, often making it up later by signing a bunch of autographs outside, but right now you’re exhausted and embarrassed. The interview threw off your whole day, and you just want to lay in bed and watch trashy reality television. 

Your security escorts you to the elevator, and then does a sweep of your room before eventually leaving. Finally alone, you put on your rattiest and comfiest pajamas, take off all your makeup, and throw your hair up before jumping in bed. You reach for the remote to start your aforementioned binge, but hesitate over the little purple notebook you carry everywhere. Sighing, you know you won’t be able to relax without getting it all out. You dig through your bag and find a glittery pink pen, uncapping it with your teeth and getting to work. 

You’ve never met Drew, not once, but something about him just had you giggling like a schoolgirl. Witnessing his kindness through your constant internet stalking quickly proved to be a bad idea, because now you have a big fat crush on the man and he doesn’t even know you exist. 

Well that’s not true. Everyone knows you exist, but he would never think of you that way. Dating as a popular musician was not as easy as one might think, it’s often too much for people. The words start flowing with ease, filling up the cream pages in no time. 

Gleaming

Twinkling

Eyes like sinking ships

On waters so inviting

I almost jump in

His eyes really are beautiful. So blue, so warm. But the feelings you have aren’t logical, and they’re so exhausting. 

But I don't like a gold rush, gold rush

I don't like anticipating my face in a red flush

I don't like that anyone would die to feel your touch

Everybody wants you

Everybody wonders what it would be like to love you

He’s the internet's boyfriend right now, edits flying around like crazy. You know dozens of people back home who are definitely salivating over this man. Something about him…you can’t put your finger on it. 

What must it be like

To grow up that beautiful?

With your hair falling into place like dominos

Every silly thought you’d ever had poured out onto the page. By the time you were finished you knew it was a hit. Grabbing your guitar you make a split second decision to tease your fans a bit. Unlocking your phone, you quickly open Instagram and go live before you can stop yourself. Your face pops up on the screen, thousands of people already in and commenting. 

“Hey guys! I just finished a new song and wanted to play a little for you if that’s alright?” You smirk, knowing the answer already. Of course, everyone starts freaking out and flooding the comments with different affirmations and emojis. You laugh, loving every second of it, before strumming the beginning chords on your guitar. 

As you start singing you let your eyes close, feeling each note in your soul, pressing every callus on your worn fingertips. The pacing is a little rough, still getting the hang of the new melody, but you know as soon as you finish that you killed it. So many fans are expressing their love for the song, already asking for it to be out on streaming platforms. Others are curious as to who your muse is, throwing out the wildest guesses you’d ever seen. 

“Chace Crawford?!” you exclaim, face contorted in surprise. “Y’all have a distorted sense of my ability to pull these men,” you laugh in disbelief. Your heart skips a beat when a couple comments actually guess correctly, but don’t react, knowing every single microexpression is analyzed. 

“Alright guys, I think I’m going to eat myself into a sugar coma while watching Love Island, but thank you for listening! I’m glad you enjoyed the song,” you wink to the camera before waving and closing the app. Covering your face with your hands, you fall backwards on the bed, letting your guitar rest beside you. You don’t even want to check social media, already knowing screen recordings of the live will be everywhere. 

Sometimes it’s crazy to think this many people care about your day to day life. The art you create touches lives across the globe. It’s both amazing and terrifying at the same time. 

Not wanting to start an existential crisis on a random Tuesday night, you quickly turn on your show and cuddle up under the duvet. 

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆୨♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

By the weekend the interview was everywhere. You’ve stayed out of it, going pretty much radio silent in response. Many are asking if you’re secretly dating, if you were going to write a song for the new season of Outer Banks, if Drew felt the same way…it’s insane. 

You’d purposely put off talking to Madelyn out of sheer embarrassment. That man was like her brother and you admitted to liking him. Still, it’s time to address the issue head on, so you dial her number shakily. The phone rings three times before she answers, a sweet greeting sounding through the speakers. 

“Y/N?” You clear your throat, reluctant to speak. 

“Hey…” You wince at how rough your voice sounds, facepalming at your own awkwardness. 

“What’s up, girl?” Madelyn sounds normal, but you know she has to be weirded out by you. 

“Um, nothing much, just wanted to talk to you about something I may have said recently.” 

“Is this about the puppy interview?” 

“Yes?” Your voice comes out squeaky, nose scrunched. But Madelyn just starts laughing. You stare at your phone in confusion. What the hell?

“I can’t believe you finally admitted it, and during an interview? That was ballsy as hell!” You slowly start to regain your breath, brain processing her words. 

“You’re not mad?” 

“Why would I be mad?” she snorts.

“I didn’t want you to think I was using you to get to him.”

“Are you?” 

“No! Of course not!” 

“Okay then, there’s no problem.” A breath of relief escapes, and you put a hand on your chest. She’s not mad. 

“Thank you so much for understanding, I really love our friendship.” 

“Me too,” Mads says sincerely. “Now we just have to figure out how to get you two together!” 

Your eyes widen. “What? Absolutely not. This was not an invitation for you to play matchmaker, Mads.”

“Aw man, why not? I could literally get you both in the same room tonight.” Your heart starts beating out of your chest, feeling more anxiety talking about this than being on any stage.

“He’s probably seen the interview by now, it’s so embarrassing!” 

“It’s not embarrassing, Y/N. You’re attracted to the man, it’s not that crazy of a concept! Just give me a chance, please?” 

“Nope. I don’t want to bother him or weird him out. Let’s just do something me and you; are you in L.A.?” 

“Ugh, fine. Yes I’m here, just come over whenever.” You can feel her annoyance across the line, but ignore it. You’re not going to let her meddle. 

“See you then!” Mads ends the call, sending you back into your shame spiral. Every little thing you do is always picked apart and ridiculed in the media, and you’re usually a lot more careful with what you say. The interview slip up is going to keep you up at night for the rest of your life. 

Hours pass waiting for the appropriate time to head over to Madelyn’s house. You decide to dress comfortably, but have your makeup done on the off chance pictures are taken. The drive over is quiet, save for the initial crowd outside your house. How it’s legal for celebrities' addresses to be available on the internet, is something you’ll never understand. 

When you pull up you notice a Jeep in her driveway and shake your head. That girl is always spending money. Your phone pings with yet another Twitter update and you roll your eyes. How can this be the most popular thing in the world right now? You glance at the notification and see it’s Drew’s name that’s trending. Huh. Interesting. 

You decide to follow your instincts and ignore it, wanting to focus on girls night with Mads. As you approach the porch you find yourself nervous; even though she wasn’t mad, you still feel bad for causing such an uproar around her co-star. 

Three knocks later you're waiting outside her front door in anticipation. You find yourself shifting from foot to foot, tracing the cracks in the stonework with your eyes. When the door opens you look up with a smile, expecting Madelyn’s smiling face, only to be met with the very man that had haunted you the past week. You gasp, words catching in your throat as you stare. 

Drew was wearing a black T-shirt and grey sweatpants, his hair looked freshly cut into a soft mullet, and he looked just as surprised as you do. You can’t seem to close your gaping mouth, a pained sound escaping without realizing. 

“Uh, hi,” Drew says sheepishly, hand coming up to rub the back of his neck. Eyes wide, you turn on your heel and speed walk away, leaving him alone in the doorway. You’re fumbling with your keys, cursing under your breath, when you hear a shout from behind you. 

“Y/N!” 

You almost make it inside your car when an iron grip latches onto your upper arm, yanking you back. 

“Hey!” you protest, almost losing your balance as you’re dragged back to Mads’ house. 

“Oh no you don’t, you’re not getting away that easily.” 

“Madelyn Renee Cline, let me go!” You struggle against her grip, but only cause her nails to dig in deeper. 

“You’re not leaving, Y/N, I won’t let you.” She finally stops when you’re once again at the door, but she doesn’t let go. Drew must’ve gone back inside, thank God, but Madelyn is glaring at you. 

“Don’t look at me like that! How could you do this to me?” You give her your most withering look. She rolls her eyes at you, only pissing you off more. 

“Just talk to him. I promise he doesn’t think you’re weird, or whatever you’ve concocted.”

“Well he might now!” 

“That’s your own fault, I can’t believe you ran away,” she snickers, pulling you inside and closing the door. When she finally lets go of your arm, you rub the crescent indentions with a wince. The girl has some nails. 

“Fine. Let’s go.” Mads looks taken aback, freezing in place. 

“Really?!” You give her a pointed look. “Right, be cool. Okay come on follow me, he went back to the living room.” Reluctantly, you do just that, trailing closely behind her. You’re a ball of nerves, and can already feel your stomach twisting to knots. 

Madelyn was right, he was lounging on the couch, absentmindedly scrolling on his phone. When he hears you two approach, his head shoots up and his back immediately straightens.

“Everything okay?” he asks, voice smooth and melodic. Your cheeks warm, and you avoid eye contact as much as possible. 

“Um, yeah. I just–you know.” You jab your thumb back awkwardly, not even you know what you’re trying to say. But Drew cracks a smile, looking at you fondly and nodding along, as if you make perfect sense. 

Madelyn’s eyes flit between you with a wide smile on her face. Not knowing what else to do, you sit down on the couch, as far away from him as possible, and stare straight ahead. Silence ensues, and you have absolutely no idea what to do in this situation. Thankfully, Madelyn breaks the silence. 

“So…want to watch a movie?” 

“Yes!” You and Drew speak at the same time, causing you to stare at each other shyly. Madelyn smirks and comes around the couch, forcefully sitting between you and the arm rest. You shoot her a what the fuck look and she simply shrugs. 

“I like the armrest! Scooch.” Begrudgingly, you inch closer to Drew, who pretends not to notice the entire exchange. As soon as you're settled you sit pin straight, not wanting to breach the confines of your cushion. Drew’s left ankle is resting comfortably on his knee, arm thrown over the side of the couch in what seems to be a very relaxing position. Mads rolls her eyes and pulls out an ottoman, giving you something to stretch your feet out on so you can lean back. 

It takes forever to pick a movie, suspiciously so, but it’s Madelyn’s house and you’re not going to say anything. Once she finally picks Avatar, she dims the lights from her phone and the three of you settle in for what’s going to be a weird couple hours. 

⋆ ˚｡ ⋆���♡୧⋆ ˚｡ ⋆

Everything was going fine, until suddenly Madelyn got tired at nine and decided to go to bed…leaving you and Drew alone. You mentally cursed your friend for putting you in this position, obviously not listening to the blanket “no matchmaking” statement from before. 

You glance at him from the corner of your eye and find him already looking at you. He quickly looked away and started tapping his fingers on his knee nervously. The movie had long since been forgotten and no words had been exchanged. 

“So…” you manage, turning to face him slowly. He smiles at you, running a hand through his hair and making his bicep flex. Your stomach does a little flip flop and your face reddens at where your mind went. Drew smirks like he knows exactly what just happened, but doesn’t comment. 

“I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced.” His voice, oh my God. “I’m Drew, it’s nice to meet you.” He holds out his hand to shake, and you clumsily take it, feeling the warmth envelop your palm immediately. 

“I’m Y/N, it’s nice to meet you too,” you smile, swallowing the anxiety. 

“I’m a fan of your work, actually, you’re really good.” 

Your eyes almost bulge out of your head. “You listen to my songs?” Drew laughs and shakes his head, shooting you a look you don’t quite understand. 

“Are you being serious?” he leans forward a bit, surprise evident on his face. You scrunch your eyebrows, tilting your head to the side. 

“What do you mean?” 

“You’re easily the most popular musician of our generation and you don’t think I listen to your music?” You find yourself blushing, and a little flustered. 

“Well, I wouldn’t say the most popular…I have quite a few fans, sure, but not everyone vibes with all types of music. I don’t really know what you listen to, and I didn't want to assume anything.” Drew looks you up and down, seeming to size you up. 

“You’re not at all what I expected, Y/N Y/L/N.” 

“And what did you expect, Drew Starkey?” 

“Well, I don’t know to be honest, but you’re surprisingly humble for someone as successful as you.” You had actually gotten that a lot, although you didn’t think it was being humble so much as being a decent person. You’re still just the girl who grew up in a perfectly normal town, with normal loving parents and a wonderful home. Just because you make popular music doesn’t mean you’ve changed at all. Plus, you know it could all go away with the snap of your fingers. 

“I don’t know what to say, I’m just like everyone else,” you shrug. 

“I beg to differ. You’re…extraordinary. You have to know that?” There goes that damn stomach flip again. 

“Thank you,” you look down at your lap. “I could say the same for you. I love your projects.” His eyes light up at the mention of his work, making you smile in turn. 

“Thank you! I love everything I’ve been a part of, especially OBX. I met my second family on that set, you know?” You didn’t know, actually. Being on the road all the time meant limited options for friendships, and no time for the ones you did manage to keep. Mads is the first girlfriend other than Amara–who you employ–you’ve had in years. 

“Yeah, I love Mads already. I can’t imagine how fun it must be getting to work with your best friends every day…” your voice trails off. Drew seems to notice your shift in mood and decides to change the subject. 

“Hey, why don’t you play me something?” 

You immediately freeze. “What?” Drew smiles and stands up, searching for something. He disappears in the hallway before emerging a minute later with a beautiful acoustic guitar in his hands. You immediately feel a pull to grab it and start playing, but are still confused. 

“Here,” he hands it to you. “I want you to play me something…something nobody has heard yet.” You immediately start racking your brain and decide to take a leap and play something that could get you in trouble. 

“Um…okay. This is something I was actually working on today. It’s not finished but I can play a little.” You nervously pick up the guitar, but immediately relax when you feel the rough strings beneath your fingers. You close your eyes, take a deep breath, and try to forget the gorgeous man in front of you. 

In the middle of the night, when I'm in this dream

It's like a million little stars spelling out your name

You gotta come on, come on

Say that we'll be together

Come on, come on

Little taste of heaven

You manage to take a peek at him while you strum, catching him totally entranced by the sound of your voice. A little confidence boost flows through you as you continue the song. 

But you're untouchable, burning brighter than the sun

And now that you're close I feel like coming undone

In the middle of the night, we can form this dream

I wanna feel you by my side, standing next to me

You gotta come on, come on

Say that we'll be together

Come on, come on

Little taste of heaven

You strum a few more chords before stopping, silently waiting for his reaction. He’s staring at you, mouth parted slightly. 

“Another,” he whispers. Surprised, you do what he asks, pulling another unfinished song from the vault in your mind. This one wasn’t about him, not like the last one, but it still applies. 

I will not ask you where you came from

I will not ask you, neither should you

Honey just put your sweet lips on my lips

We should just kiss like real people do

You hum for a little longer, this song actually being one of your favorites. Drew is starstruck, an unknown look on his face the whole time. He seems to snap out of it and clears his throat. 

“Wow, Y/N. You’re amazing…those were amazing. Were they about anyone in particular?” You internally panic, because duh. But you don’t want to weird him out. 

“Um, the first one was,” you whisper, avoiding eye contact. You feel the couch move, and look up to find Drew right beside you. His leg was flush with yours, and he was so close you could see each and every freckle splashed across his cheeks. You also notice his eyes crinkle at the corners slightly when he smiles. 

“Can I confess something?” he says softly. You don’t trust your voice, so you nod once. “I saw your interview.” Immediately, the embarrassment causes your face to turn into a tomato. 

“Uh–about that…I–” You don’t really have an explanation, but you scramble for one anyway. Drew chuckles and grabs your hand, effectively stopping your rambling and making you redder at the same time. 

“Y/N you don’t have to be embarrassed. Did you see my interview?” What interview?

“No? I didn’t know you did one. Should I have?” He squeezes your hand gently and his eyes bore into yours. 

“It would’ve made this a lot easier,” he jokes. “They asked for my response to being your celebrity crush.” Fuck. 

“Shit, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to cause drama for you.” 

“You didn’t, I promise. But do you know what my response was?” You shake your head. He hesitates for a moment before grinning, almost shy. “I said that’s a crazy coincidence because you’re my celebrity crush.” Hold the fucking phone, did he just say what you think he said?

“What?” 

“I think you’re beautiful, talented, kind, and I’ve always wanted to spend time with you. I didn’t think it was even in my realm of possibilities. Then you befriended Mads, and I thought maybe I had a chance…” Your brain must be short circuiting, because no way in hell Drew Starkey just said the feelings are mutual.

“Oh,” is all you can manage.

“Oh? That’s it?” he smiles, intertwining your fingers. 

“I’m honestly so surprised right now, I don’t know what to say.” 

“Say you don’t think I’m a weirdo.”

“I don’t think you’re a weirdo,” you shake your head. 

“Say you’ll go out with me?” his pitch rises with uncertainty, looking nervous for your response. 

“I will definitely go out with you.” Relief floods his features and he tugs you closer, pulling your legs on top of his. 

“That was terrifying,” he says, massaging your calf. 

“I still cannot believe this is happening right now,” you tell him honestly. 

He smirks, leaning in close. “Believe it, baby.” Your heart skips a beat, mind going blank momentarily. 

“I think I owe Mads a thank you,” you giggle. 

“Fuck that, I’m sending her a damn gift basket.” 

“You’re so right, she’s getting an album dedication from me,” you joke, causing Drew to poke you in the ribs. 

“Hey, no fair. She’s going to like that so much more!” he whines. You can already see yourself falling head over heels in love with this man, and that scares you more than anything. 

“Don’t hate the player, hate the game,” you hold your hands up in defense while Drew rolls his eyes. 

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever, let’s just watch another movie.” 

“Sounds like a plan!” you hear from behind the couch. The two of you immediately jump, scared out of your minds, until you realize it’s just Madelyn creeping in the hallway. 

“What the fuck?!” Drew yells, clutching his heart dramatically. 

“You were supposed to be asleep!” You cross your arms, glaring at your blonde counterpart. She sucks her teeth and shrugs, walking over and plopping down on the couch.

“What can I say, somebody had to get you two together.” You share a look with Drew, both of you simultaneously not surprised, but exasperated by her little games. 

“You’re insane,” Drew tells her, taking his spot back on the couch and throwing a pillow at her head.

“It worked didn’t it?” 

Yeah. You thought. It really did. 

[rollerskatinglizard]

Run Aground Update!

Edit: Today, July 6th, Chapter 5 is up! Read it on Royal Road, Wattpad, or our website.

(All our ebooks are also on sale at 50% off on Smashwords, so if you like our writing check it out!)

The seventh book (and second full-length novel) in the Michigan Fleet series, Run Aground, is now posting one chapter every Sunday on Royal Road, Wattpad, and our new Michigan Fleet website! You can read it wherever you like, and can leave us comments so we know who’s reading where! (Please give us feedback, we’ve been writing this book for so long...) Every other chapter is illustrated by the talented cowriter-artists Roach and Splickedy. The book should stand alone fine if you haven't read the series, although it will be a richer experience if you've read After the Storm and Taste of New York.

After years trapped in a wealthy monster’s harem, actor Rafael Caro is a ghost of his former self. When he meets Rich Merrill, the newest captive, unexpected kindness brings him back to life and headlong into love. Rich, Rafael and their friends in the harem try to keep each other sane and safe in this cruel place—but no one escapes without help from outside...

Note: The series so far has been reasonably delicate with the subject of sexual coercion, but this story has a lot to do with captivity, exploitation, and depersonalization. We take those subjects seriously, and though we try to keep the hurt balanced with comfort, the dark topics are still prominent parts of the narrative. If you have triggers around sexual coercion and abuse, be cautious about this story. If you're into this shit: hell yeah welcome aboard!!!

Content warnings: dubcon, noncon, sexual slavery, violence, alcohol use, noncon drug and alcohol use, murder, attempted suicide.

At the rate of one chapter every Sunday, we’ll finish posting Act One in December, which is when the ebook will become available! Thanks to everyone who participated in the poll and sent us messages saying they actually wanted a single book but had voted for the multiple book option for our sakes or out of impatience – that was very clarifying for us. XD

Now go, read and enjoy on whichever site you prefer! (And if on Royal Road you feel like giving us kind reviews and ratings as well as comments and favs, ratings and reviews are what help the story's ranking the most and thus potentially get us more readers!)

[jamesmcalover]

cinematic

Fred Hechinger x afab!reader

Warnings: fluff, awkwardness???

Summary: reader works at the cinema and a really cute blonde man walks in one day

3.5k words

Tiny pearls of sweat were beginning to run down my forehead, which I quickly wiped away with the sleeve of my work uniform. It hadn't been a busy day at all, but it was hot.

"They still haven't fixed the AC," I mumbled to Nick, my co-worker, who only shrugged his shoulders. He was busy filling up a bucket of popcorn for the customers he was currently serving.

It wasn't even a hot summer day, but it still felt like a sauna behind the counter. All the machines designed to keep the food warm also kept us warm, turning our workspace into a humid, sticky mess.

"Excuse me," someone said behind me. I turned around quickly, ready to put on my best customer service voice, only to freeze mid-sentence. A very pretty blonde man was standing in front of me. He was wearing a blue shirt with the Metro Goldwyn Mayer logo – the one with the Lion – on it. He must have really enjoyed movies. His eyes were a really pretty shade of blue that made it hard for me to focus.

I blinked, trying to shake the daze from my mind. Get it together, I reminded myself.

"Hi, how can I help you?" I asked, forcing a professional smile.

"Hey," he said, smiling. I noticed a small gap between his teeth. "Could you point me to Theater 4?"

The request was simple, but something about the way he asked it made me stumble over my words for a moment. I could feel his gaze lingering, as if he was waiting for me to answer, but all I could think was how familiar his face looked.

"Uh, sure," I said, shaking myself out of the moment. "It's down the hall, to your left. You can't miss it."

"Thanks," he said, smiling at me again. My heart skipped a beat.

He turned to walk away, and I found myself watching him go, that same nagging feeling settling at the back of my mind. Where did I know him from?

"Well that was awkward to watch," Nick's voice startled me, snapping me out of my daze.

I turned to look at him, my heart still fluttering from the interaction. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to sound casual, though my voice betrayed me with an edge of uncertainty.

Nick gave me an amused look. "You were staring at him like a deer caught in headlights."

I flushed, feeling both embarrassed and annoyed. "I wasn't staring," I muttered, half-defensive, half-embarrassed.

"Uh-huh," Nick said, his grin widening. "So, you don't know who he is?"

I blinked, caught off guard. "What do you mean? Should I?"

Nick's eyebrows shot up. "It's Fred Hechinger, dude. You seriously don't recognize him?"

I stared at Nick, confusion written all over my face. "Fred Hechinger?” The name didn’t ring any bells, and Nick could see my blank expression clearly.

"I thought you were a film nerd," Nick said, raising and eyebrow as I struggled to connect the dots. "His face is on every poster and screen in this building right now."

My gaze instinctively shifted towards the big infor screen advertising the newest movie, Gladiator II. The bold poster featured the man that I had just spoken to, alongside Pedro Pascal and Paul Mescal.

"You really didn't recognize him?" Nick asked.

I felt my cheeks heat up as the realization hit. "I… I mean, I thought he looked familiar, but I wasn't sure," I admitted, flustered. "No wonder I couldn't stop staring. I bet he thinks I'm some weird fan."

My stomach flipped at the thought. I'd been acting like an awkward idiot in front of a pretty well-known actor without even realizing who he was.

Nick smirked. "Well, if you're gonna act like a fan girl, at least do it when I'm not watching."

"Shut up," I muttered, rolling my eyes. I still couldn't shake the feeling that I'd made a total fool of myself. "I didn't know, okay?"

The rest of my shift dragged on in boring monotony after the brief encounter. Nick had already clocked out, leaving me alone behind the counter. With the last movie nearing its end, I began cleaning up, wiping down the counters and restocking the shelves with candy.

The quiet hum of the soda machine and the muffled sound of a movie playing in one of the theaters were my only company. I tried not to think too much about earlier, but Fred's face kept popping into my mind.

I was deep in thought, wiping down the popcorn machine, when the sound of footsteps startled me. I turned around quickly, half expecting it to be my manager reminding me to lock up. Instead, it was him.

He looked slightly sheepish but undeniably charming, his hands stuffed into the pockets of his coat. "Hey," he said, his voice soft and a little hesitant.

"Oh," I stammered, caught completely off guard. "Hi. Um… Can I help you with anything?"

He smiled, one of those soft, slightly crooked smiles, and shook his head. "No just... thought I'd come back and... I don't know," he said, his gaze flickering down for a moment, like he was gathering his thoughts. "It's quieter now."

I blinked, caught off guard, then glancing around the empty lobby. "Oh yeah. We're almost closed," I replied, trying to sound casual, "How was the movie."

He ran a hand through his messy blonde hair, and shrugged. "It was good. A little intense, but I like that kind of stuff."

I tilted my head. "So, you're a movie buff?"

"Something like that," he said with a small grin. I looked at the poster on the wall behind him again. He looked nothing like the character in real life, his face was much friendlier, much more approachable. I knew that he was an actor now – thanks to Nick – but I didn't want him to know I knew.

"Have you seen Gladiator II yet? I heard it's a pretty good movie," I said, trying to act cool.

"Yeah," he replied, a slight laugh escaping. "A few times, actually."

"Oh, so you're one of those people who rewatch movies over and over again?" I teased lightly, folding my arms across my chest.

He chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck. "You could say that. It's, uh, kind of a special project to me."

"Special how?" I asked, tilting my head again, genuinely curious.

He hesitated for a second, his grin faltering slightly, before shrugging. "It's the biggest movie I've ever been in."

I blinked at him, momentarily thrown off. I wasn't expecting him to admit it so casually. "Oh. You're... an actor."

"Yeah," he said, his grin turning slightly sheepish.

"That's, um, really cool. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you earlier. I'm… kind of bad at keeping up with celebrities. I, uh... I'm Y/N, by the way."

"Fred," he said, offering a slightly crooked smile. "Nice to meet you, Y/N. And don't apologize, honestly, it's kind of refreshing. Most of the time, people either freak out or start asking for pictures."

"Guess I missed my chance to fangirl, huh?" I joked, trying to lighten the mood. He chuckled, and for a second I was distracted by how cute he was.

He tilted his head, his smile widening just a bit. "Well, since you missed your chance to fangirl, how about grabbing a drink instead?"

I blinked, not entirely sure I'd heard him right. "Wait… are you serious?"

"Yeah," he said with an easy shrug, though there was a hint of nervousness in his expression. "If you're free after your shift, of course. Unless you have better plans, like, I don't know, reorganizing popcorn buckets or something."

I laughed, shaking my head. "Reorganizing popcorn buckets is a pretty thrilling way to spend an evening, but I think I could make some time."

"Great," he said, his smile widening. "I'll wait."

"Wait, really?" I asked, startled.

"Yeah. Unless you'd rather bail," he teased, leaning back against the counter like he had all the time in the world.

Never in my life had I gotten things done so fast. I wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline of Fred watching me doing my work or excitement of knowing I was going to grab a drink with him – or both – but I managed to close up that cinema in record time.

As I grabbed my bag and headed toward the door, Fred straightened from where he'd been leaning against the counter, hands stuffed casually into his pockets. "Ready?"

I nodded, trying to suppress the nervous fluttering in my stomach. "Yeah. Do you have a place in mind?

He tilted his head, considering. "I passed a bar a couple of streets over on my way here. Looked low-key. How does that sound?"

"Perfect," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

We stepped outside, and the cool night air was a relief after hours spent in the sauna-like heat of the cinema. The city felt hushed, the kind of quiet you only get after dark, punctuated by the distant sound of cars and the faint hum of streetlamps.

The walk was short, but I couldn't help stealing a few glances at him along the way. Under the soft glow of the streetlights, he looked so different from the posters plastered all over the cinema. Less polished, more real. And when he caught me staring, I felt a blush creep up my neck.

"You know," he said, a teasing edge to his voice, "I think you do recognize me."

I scoffed, looking away to hide my embarrassment. "I already told you I didn't."

"Mm-hmm," he hummed, clearly unconvinced.

"You don't mind hanging out with your local cinema employee, do you?" I joked after a brief pause, trying to ease the tension I felt rising in my chest.

Fred glanced at me, a small smile playing on his lips. "Not at all. You're better company than half the people I've met."

The bar wasn't crowded, which was a relief. The dim lighting and faint buzz of conversation made it feel intimate without being suffocating. Fred held the door open for me, and I thanked him, stepping inside and scanning for a spot to sit.

We slid into a booth near the back, and Fred leaned forward, resting his arms on the table. "What would you like to drink?" He asked, so I scanned the menu quickly.

"I think I'll just go for a beer," I replied to which he nodded and excused himself to go over to the bar and get our drinks.

The faint hum of a jukebox lingered in the background, and the soft glow of fairy lights hanging above gave the place a cozy, low-key vibe.

When he came back with two ice-cold bottles of Heinecken, I thanked him.

"I could've payed myself, you know?" I said, offering him a playful smile.

He waved his hand dismissively, setting the bottle in front of me. "Don't worry about it."

"Is this what you usually do after a movie? Find a random bar and invite strangers?"

Fred smirked, shaking his head. "Nope. This is a first, actually."

"Oh, so I'm special, huh?" I teased, leaning back against the booth.

"Something like that," he replied, his grin widening.

For a moment, we just sat there, sipping our beers, and the comfortable silence felt surprisingly natural. This wasn't something that happened to me, not in real life. Actors didn't stroll back into empty cinemas to chat with nobodies like me. And yet, here he was, smiling across the table like this was the most natural thing in the world.

"So," he said, leaning back against the booth, his gaze settling on me. "You still haven't told me your movie recommendation. What's something you think I have to watch?"

I tilted my head, pretending to think hard. "Hmm… depends. Are you looking for something fun or something that'll emotionally destroy you?"

He chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Emotionally destroy me? Sounds intense."

"Sometimes you just have to sob hysterically over fictional characters," I said, almost laughing at myself for that weird comment.

Fred thought it was funny, though, and laughed, warm and genuine. "Okay, hit me. What's the most devastating one you've got?"

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and listed off a couple of films, my enthusiasm growing as I talked. He listened intently, his gaze fixed on me, and it was only when I stopped talking that I realized how closely he was watching me.

"What?" I asked, suddenly self-conscious.

"Nothing," he said, a soft smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You just… really light up when you talk about this stuff. It's nice."

I felt my cheeks heat up and took a sip of my beer to hide my embarrassment. "Well, you are talking to a cinema employee. Movies are kind of my thing."

"And here I thought this was just your day job," he teased, his tone light.

"Well, it is," I said, laughing. "But it doesn't mean I don't love it."

He nodded, taking another sip of his drink. "I get that. It's nice when work doesn't feel like… well, just work."

"Exactly," I said, smiling. "And you? What's the best part of your job?"

Fred hesitated, his expression softening as he thought about it. "I think it's when people connect with something I've done. Like, when they tell me a character or a story meant something to them. That's pretty special."

I nodded, leaning forward slightly. "That makes sense. And I guess playing an emperor probably didn't hurt, huh?"

He laughed, shaking his head. "So, you did recognise me!"

I felt my face getting red and hot immediately. "I'm sorry, I just- I didn't wanna seem like some weird fan. I've probably made it really worse now, though."

Fred's smile softened, and his eyes held mine for a moment longer than I expected. "I think it's cute."

My face burned even more, and I ducked my head, letting out a nervous laugh. "You're just saying that to make me feel better."

"I'm not," he replied, still grinning as he took another sip of his beer. "It's nice. Refreshing, even. You don't get that a lot in this business – people pretending they do't know you."

I groaned, covering my face with my hands. "To be fair, I actually didn't know at first!"

"Which is even better," he teased, his voice warm with amusement. "Honest confusion. It's a rare thing."

I peeked at him through my fingers before lowering my hands with an embarrassed smile. "Well, good. I'll just keep being 'refreshing,' then."

"If you had recognized me, what would you have done? Freaked out? Asked for an autograph?" He asked with a playful grin and I laughed, shaking my head. "No way. I probably just would've stared at you more than I aready did and made it even more awkward. You know, like a real professional."

He laughed too, the sound bright and genuine. "Well, I'm glad you didn't. I like this version of you better."

The way he said it, so casual but sincere, sent a flutter through my chest. I smiled, trying to play it cool. "You don't even know me yet."

He tilted his head, his expression soft. "Then let's change that."

And just like that, I felt the flutter again, stronger this time. I leaned back in my seat, trying to suppress the goofy grin threatening to spread across my face. "Alright, Fred. What do you want to know?"

"Everything," he replied simply, his tone light, but his eyes serious.

For a moment, I just stared at him, caught off guard by his answer, but I couldn't stop myself from smiling. "That’s a tall order."

He shrugged, leaning back with a playful smirk. "We've got time."

And somehow, sitting there in that dimly lit bar with a half-empty beer in my hand and Fred Hechinger watching me like I was the most interesting thing in the room, I believe him. There was something about the way he looked at me – like I wasn't just another face in the crowd – that made me feel seen, and it scared me how much I liked it.

I don't remember how long we sat there, lost in conversation. The bar seemed to dim around us, the hum of other patrons fading into the background until it was just the two of us, trading stories like old friends.

Eventually, the bartender gave us a look that said it was time to go. I glanced at my phone, surprised at how late it had gotten. "I should probably catch the last train," I said, half-apologetic.

Fred stood with me, pulling on his coat. "I'll walk you."

"You don't have to do that," I replied, but he was already waiting by the door.

Outside, the city felt different – quieter, softer, as if the night itself had been holding its breath for us. The walk to the train station wasn't long, but it stretched just enough to let the silence settle between us, comfortable and charged.

When we reached the stairs leading down to the platform, I turned to him. "Well… thanks for tonight. I had fun."

Fred smiled, hands shoved in his pockets. "Me too." And there it was again. The way he looked at me, steady and unassuming, like he wasn't in a rush to let the moment end.

He reached a hand out to my face. I noticed it slightly shaking. He carefully brushed a single strand of hair, I haven't even noticed it was in my eyelashes, out of my face.

"Sorry," he murmured, his voice softer now, almost as if he was afraid to break the quiet between us. His hand lingered for half a second before he pulled it back, tucking it into his pocket again. The corner of his mouth twitched into a sheepish smile, and I wondered if his heart was racing as much as mine.

I swallowed, my heart fluttering at the unexpected closeness. "It's okay."

I tried to find something to say, anything to fill the space, but my mind felt blank—too full of the way his touch had made my breath hitch.

The streetlamp above us cast a warm glow, and in its light, he looked almost unsure.

"I should–"

"I want to see you again," he interrupted, his voice gentle but firm.

My breath caught, and for a moment, all I could do was stare at him. He looked so certain, like it wasn't even a question worth hesitating over.

"I mean… if you'd want to," he added, the confidence faltering just slightly.

I couldn't stop the smile that tugged at my lips. "Yeah," I said softly, my pulse quickening. "I think I'd like that."

Fred's face lit up with a grin, one so genuine it made my stomach flip. "Good."

For a moment, we just stood there, neither of us moving. It felt like the kind of moment you didn't want to break, like holding onto it a little longer might make it last forever.

But the distant rumble of the approaching train reminded me that time didn't wait. I shifted, glancing toward the stairs. "I should probably..."

Fred nodded, his grin softening into something more thoughtful. "Yeah." He hesitated, then added, "Text me when you get home?"

Before I could respond, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled receipt from the bar we were just in. He smoothed it out awkwardly, then handed it to me. I took it, unfolding the paper to find his number scrawled across it in slightly messy handwriting.

I smiled, feeling a flutter in my chest. For some reason, this felt like the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me. It meant he’d been thinking about giving me his number back at the bar. "I will."

He stepped back just enough to give me space, his hands back in his coat pockets. "Goodnight, Y/N."

"Goodnight, Fred."

I turned and descended the steps, the sound of the train growing louder with each step. At the platform, I glanced back one last time. He was still there at the top of the stairs, silhouetted against the glow of the streetlamp. He raised a hand in a small wave, and I waved back just as the train doors slid open.

As I sank into a seat by the window, the night’s events played over in my head like scenes from a movie, too perfect to feel real. But as the train pulled away, I couldn't stop the smile spreading across my face.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁˖ . ݁. ݁

part 2!! <3

[joocomics]

1k followers celebration event — ⌞⌗ xdh drabble⌝

𓂃⠀𓈒 jooyeon x fem!reader

genre: smut ( 18+ ) ── 1k words

request: “you want me to sit on your face?”

✎… friends to lovers trope, downbad!jooyeon x shy!reader, light sub/dom dynamics, hint of exhibitionism kink, oral sex (f!rec), face sitting, spit kink, pet names, begging

( event masterlist | xdh masterlist )

Your best friend’s living room is the usual chaos of a movie night - a mess of blankets, half-empty popcorn bowls and soda cans.

A cheesy rom-com movie is playing on the TV screen, the usual palate cleanser after the horror film ends, but you can sense the atmosphere shifting due to something else.

This always happens when you’re left alone with Lee Jooyeon. You’re unsure why, - you’re careful not to dwell on it too much, - but it must have something to do with how nonchalant and breezy he is, exactly the opposite of you; and so frustratingly attractive.

You look around as you sit quietly curled up at one end of the couch - your friends have vanished one by one. Bathroom breaks, runs for snacks, your best friend is taking a phone call while bringing more drinks.

Jooyeon is sprawled out comfortably on the floor, back resting against the couch you’re settled on. His arms are locked behind his head, so close to your tucked knees that it keeps you shifting awkwardly.

“Peak romance.” He turns to glance at you; an amused grin forms on his lips.

You huff a short laugh, trying to mask the fact that this closeness, the way he looks up at you with glowing eyes, isn’t making you flustered.

“It’s ridiculous,” you mumble, feeling relieved that he turns back to the screen where the male lead is standing in the rain, pouring his heart out with overly dramatic words of passion. “Nobody blurts out his feelings in real life like that.”

“Oh, I’m not so sure.” Jooyeon’s voice drops slightly lower, almost making you believe that he’s suddenly speaking seriously. “I was literally planning on confessing my undying love to you in a thunderstorm.”

“Shut up.” You scoff, shaking your head at his teasing.

He turns around just in time to see you rolling your eyes at him.

“People say I can be very dramatic, you know. I can pull it off.” He says through his usual charming grin; his palm is pressed against his chest. “I can do it right now.”

“Oh, really?” You raise a brow.

Your surprised gaze might come off as a challenge for Jooyeon who’s thoroughly enjoying this play, but on the inside, your heart is doing flips of excitement; it’s clenching at the thrill coming from the possibility that maybe… maybe, he means bits of the things he says.

Your eyes nervously shift the moment he turns to face you properly. Still kneeling on the ground, he moves a hand on your thigh and as though it’s some sort of a spell, your legs separate open.

“Jooyeon…” you almost whisper before swallowing thickly.

Your heart now begins to pound harshly as you can’t tell what’s actually happening.

“Don’t you think this is fate that keeps leaving us together?” He leans forward as his smug expression deepens. “Alone?”

You lock eyes, and it’s so difficult to think straight when his gaze is so hypnotising, so impactful. You’ve never seen Jooyeon only as a friend… not when he can make you fall apart by simply looking into your eyes.

“Is this… the start of your confession?” Your cheeks warm up while you try to steady your voice.

You expect him to burst out laughing any moment now. You expect to hear his voice elevate theatrically as he backs away, bragging that he’s a better actor than the guy in the movie.

Nothing of this sort happens.

Your breath catches up as he gets closer, lips tracing the naked skin of your inner thigh. In the meantime, his palms get familiar with the outer sides, gliding towards the end of your shorts, sneaking eagerly underneath.

“Wh-what are you doing?” You ask in a rush, immediately shooting a wary look at the door that’s definitely half-open.

For a moment, you forget how to breathe, experiencing multiple different emotions all at once - shock at the way he is scattering kisses along your skin, kisses that feel wet and hungry as though he’s about to take a bite out of your flesh; desire to touch him, to feel his sleek hair; panick at the realisation someone can walk in on you, and slight uneasiness, because you’re unsure what to do… especially with the warmth you can feel coiling low in your stomach.

Despite biting on your bottom lip, you still fail at suppressing a small whine, and once Jooyeon catches that alluring sound, he looks up, exhaling through his soft lips.

“I need you,” he states with much weaker voice; there’s tension darkening his eyes, but also something genuine glinting in the form of a spark. “I need you so fuckin’ bad, I think about this every day.”

And in this moment, everything inside you turns upside down.

“Please, say something.” He wets his lips slowly as his gaze flickers up at you, trying to look into your mind.

“Are you serious right now?” You ask, reaching to touch one side of his face like the gesture is something that is going to help you believe this is reality, and not a dream, or a project of your imagination.

“Should we get some privacy?” His gaze points at the door to the empty bedroom. “I’ll show you how serious I am if you let me.”

Already feeling lightheaded, you nod at his suggestion, but you have yet to move your hand away from his cheek.

Pleased at the physical contact, Jooyeon tilts his head just enough to invite your thumb on the tip of his tongue. His teeth graze your knuckle, shooting a warm thrill through your veins, then, his lips close around it - a sight, so appealing and arousing, it has you acknowledging your growing need for relief...

For a kiss.

Once the bedroom door is locked, Jooyeon wastes no time in removing your shorts along with your underwear; the dark spot brings a satisfied grin on his face, but the expression quickly fades as he buries his mouth into your warm folds.

His tongue glides, flat and hot, all the way to your clit; the sensational motions tranform into an eager kiss, into hungry sucking from his lips - this special attention on your sensitive bud brings such thrilling vibrations that you pull the pillow beside you to cover your face. Most importantly - your mouth.

Soon enough, Jooyeon finds out about this and quickly raises on his knees.

“Put that away!” He steals the cushion, throwing it on the floor.

“They’ll hear us”, you hiss before shutting your mouth again.

He doesn’t seem to share the same concerns though.

You watch him spit out his saliva on your glistening folds, then smear it everywhere only to slip the same fingers inside you.

The stimulation you feel in that moment is something you’ve never felt before.

You can hear your friends on the other side of the wall - chattering and buzzing. And yet, the rush flowing through your system is urging you to keep going; to go all the way. This is what you’ve been wanting for all these months.

“Sit on my face.” Jooyeon leans just a fraction closer, but close enough for you to feel the heat radiating from his skin; enough to hear the pleading ring in his whispers.

“Did you hear what I j-just said?”

“Please, baby, don’t do this to me,” Jooyeon pouts before dropping down to hide in your neck. Inevitably, he begins to nibble on your skin, slowly, matching the rhythm of his two long fingers that give your walls a nice stretch.

You’ve never reached this far inside you; it has you groaning and salivating against your palm as you press it closely to your lips.

“I need you now.” He mutters before licking a spot he just bit on. “This pretty pussy needs me just as bad, please, baby... I’ve never begged anyone for anything in my life before.”

At the sound of his words, you can’t help but run hands through his hair, tilting his head to kiss him - hard, until your fluttering chest begins to burn for air.

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you part lips, and at once you ask:

“Y-you want me to sit on your face?” Your breath stutters. “Are you sure?”

Jooyeon lets out a quiet laughter. Your pure flusteredness is endearing to him. How can he show you more clearly that what he desires the most is to provide for your pleasure?

“Yeah, baby.” His voice turns huskier as your overwhelming breaths mingle together. “This is not enough, I need you glued to my mouth.”

His forwardness is so effortless, so provocative, but you easily learn to love it, though it fuels your veins with adrenaline that you have yet to learn how to control.

“Wouldn’t that make it hard for you to breathe?” You mumble, too shy to meet his eyes as you climb up his body - so close and exposed.

“Don’t worry about me, sweetheart.” Jooyeon spreads you open with two hands, excited to see and taste the most intimate parts of you even better. “Just think about how good it will feel when you cum all over my face.”

The fact you sit for the sixty-nine position, without him bringing it up, is certainly the highlight of his night.

! please do not repost, copy or translate my works

! please keep in mind that english is not my first language. i apologise for any mistakes i’ve might missed

[love--and--venom]

Protective Instincts: Xdinary Heroes

Summary: Your best friend shows his possessive nature when another man harasses you

Warnings: Misogynistic comments, intimidation, threats of violence, if I missed anything lmk

Side note: Villains, we sorely need more fanfics!!

Protective Instincts Masterlist

Goo Gunil

It wasn’t unusual for you to tag along for the Rock the World filmings. You met Gunil at Berklee, having similar experiences growing up. The two of you were practically fused at the hip by the time you graduated. You were introduced to his members before they even debuted, and quickly bonded with the younger boys. It never failed to make you blush when they jokingly called you and Gunil the band’s mom and dad.

You really couldn’t argue, though, since you were definitely a ‘mom friend’. Case in point: during the haunted house episode, the boys insisted on hiding behind you, most of them clinging to your shirt as the actors popped out of their hiding spots.

Their staff was wary of you. They were concerned about you leaking information, but you proved yourself trustworthy and now even the stone-faced manager would smile at you in greeting. So today’s filming should be no different. It should be. But the new cameraman, Seojoon, grated on the band’s nerves, especially Gunil’s. 

“He’s doing it again,” Hyeongjun whispered to the drummer. They watched Seojoon lurk behind you and Jooyeon as you rifled around in the cabinets of the cafe (today’s episode had the boys working as baristas for the day). You were blissfully unaware, but all of the members were on edge, monitoring the cameraman from the corners of their eyes. This was the fourth time he was trying to invade your space. His other attempts were stopped by one of the boys slotting themselves between you and him, which is what Jooyeon did this time.

“Alright! We’re ready to start,” the director announced with a clap. A knot formed in Gunil’s stomach, anxious to leave you alone. It should be alright, since Seojoon would be busy filming. It should be. 

“Hey, I don’t think I introduced myself.” You jumped from the sudden presence right behind you, leaning over your shoulder to speak low by your ear. “I’m Seojoon. I’m a new cameraman.”

“Oh, uh, nice to meet you. I’m Y/N.”

“How long have you known the band?” He asked, only causing your confusion to grow.

“I’ve known Gunil for six years now,” you rushed out, crossing your arms. “Shouldn’t you be, like, filming right now?”

“Nah, they have it covered.” You scrunched your eyebrows. There was clearly an abandoned camera on a table three feet away. “Okay I technically should be filming right now, but I had to say hi. How am I supposed to ignore such a pretty girl?”

“Yeaaaahh… thanks, I guess. You should go back to your job though,” you emphasized the fact that he was supposed to be working. Even when the staff side-eyed you when you first started attending RTW sets, they never made you this uncomfortable. You couldn’t pinpoint it, but something about his presence was almost predatory. Him lingering so close to your back didn’t help in the slightest. 

“Ah, don’t be like that. There are two other cameramen! They won’t miss me,” he drawled, dragging his eyes over your body. You silently thanked Jiseok for lending you his hoodie. The baggy material helped hide you from Seojoon’s wandering eyes. 

“Seriously, you should get back to filming. I wouldn’t want you to get in trouble by being a distraction,” you insisted, making it seem like concern rather than anxiety that pushed him away. 

“I said,” he started, clamping a hand down on your shoulder. You tensed, pulling your shoulders to your ears. “I want to have a conversation with you. Don’t be a stuck-up bitch.” 

“I- I don’t–” you stuttered, eyes wide and fixed on the centerpiece of the cafe table.

“Y-y-you don’t what?” Seojoon mocked. His fingers dug into your collarbone and you had to suppress a whimper. You refused to give him the satisfaction. “You don’t want to talk to me? Think you’re above me just cus you fuck the band?” He sneered, words dripping with venom. 

“What?! I’m not sleeping–”

“Yeah, sure you’re not. How else would you be allowed on set? You spread your legs for six guys, I think you can do that for me.” You curled in on yourself, frozen in place even as his other hand grabbed you hip, inching its way under your hoodie. Your heart beat loudly in your ears, drowning out whatever Seojoon was saying.

“Back the fuck up,” Gunil growled, roughly shoving the cameraman away from you. The moment his hands left you, you instinctively latched onto the drummer. He wrapped his arms around you, his gentle touch a stark contrast to the anger in his face and voice.

“My bad, man.” Seojoon raised his hands with a smirk. “I thought she was free-use. Shoulda known I had to ask for permission first.”

“Watch your mouth,” Gunil warned. A muscle twitched in his jaw, his glare somehow turning more fiery when you tugged one side of his zip-up to cover your face. 

“Gunil, what’s going on?” Jungsu asked. The cafe grew eerily quiet as the rest of the boys rallied behind their leader. 

“Get him out of here. Now.” Gunil looked straight at the manager. The elder man bristled, surprised by his harsh tone. 

“Move, move, come on.” The manager hurriedly corralled Seojoon out of the cafe. Gunil’s stare didn’t leave until the now ex-cameraman was out the door.

“He’s gone.” You slowly removed yourself from his jacket, silent tears running down your cheeks. Gunil immediately cupped your face, brushing his thumbs under your eyes. Jungsu elbowed Jiseok in the ribs, prompting him to help move the members to the other side of the cafe. 

“I’m sorry,” you sniffled a bit. “I interrupted the episode.”

“Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything, he did,” the drummer sighed. “I should be the one apologizing. I never should have let it go on that long.”

“It’s okay–”

“No!” He snapped, making you flinch. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath to get his temper under control. “It’s not okay. I had a bad feeling about him all day. He had no right to talk to you or touch you like that.”

“But you stopped him.” You reached up to hold his wrists, his hands having never left your face. “So I’m okay now.” Gunil sighed again, scanning over your glassy eyes and tiny pout. He pulled you back into a hug, pressing a kiss to your forehead, one that lingered a bit longer than what would be considered platonic.

“I’ll always be there to protect you. Don’t forget that,” he mumbled against your skin. You blushed, squeezing him tighter around his waist.

“I won’t.”

O.de (Oh Seungmin)

One thing you never got tired of was watching Seungmin perform. His stage presence was mesmerizing, and being close friends with the band meant you got front row tickets to their shows when they were in town. Your ears always rang after their tours, since you usually ended up at all of their Seoul shows. Tonight your eyes nearly bulged out of your head from Seungmin’s outfit. Whoever decided to put him in an open-back hooded tank top with symbols painted down his spine needed the biggest raise. It was times like this that you had to remind yourself that he was your friend and friends don’t drool at the sight of the other’s back muscles. 

Shoving aside feelings that you assumed were one-sided, you let yourself get lost in the music. You loved all kinds of k-pop, but there was something special about Xdinary Heroes that put them above the rest. Every show was as good, if not better, than the last. You giggled whenever one of the boys would wave or shoot you a wink. After every show, you would wait for most of the crowd to clear out before making your way to the backstage door. Security had your name on a list of approved guests, you just had to show them your ID, then you’d meet up with the boys to celebrate with an ungodly amount of take-out. 

So when the guard tonight denied you entrance, you were rightfully confused. You hadn’t done anything different. You told him your name and showed him your ID, but he barely even glanced at his clipboard before denying you. 

“I should be on the list. You didn’t even check your clipboard,” you argued with the unamused guard. He rolled his eyes before looking through his papers.

“Sorry, you’re not on here.”

“I was literally here last night. I was on the list then, why am I not on it now?” You questioned, tapping your foot impatiently. You were hungry and your boots were starting to hurt. You just wanted to collapse on the couch and play Smash Bros with the boys.

“How should I know?” You rolled your eyes at his sarcasm. You hated pulling the manager card, but it looks like it was unavoidable right now.

“Can you please just–”

“You want to get backstage?” The guard interrupted you, cocking his head to the side.

“Obviously,” you huffed. A greedy smirk grew on his face, startling you into taking a step back.

“Don’t worry, sweetheart. I can get you backstage.” Your stomach dropped through the floor. You glanced around, hoping to see a familiar face, but the venue was now empty save for some maintenance workers. 

“N-no, I’m good,” you faltered, muscles tensing in case you needed to run.

“Why not? You wanted to meet the band, right? I’ll do you a favor if you do one for me first.” He pushed himself off the door, stepping forward with every step you took backwards. 

“I’ll just text them. Bye.” A hand around your bicep prevented you from turning and walking away. The guard spun you around so your back hit the wall. Panic swelled in your chest as his arms caged you in. Your fists curled over your chest as some kind of barrier between you.

“I’m offering to help you. I think you should be a little more grateful.” The guard leaned over you, making you feel incredibly small as you pushed further into the wall. 

“I don’t need help. Leave me alone,” you persisted while staring at the floor. His hand roughly gripped your jaw, forcing you to look at him.

“You have an attitude issue. I’ll fix that,” the guard sneered. His nails pressed crescents into your skin. 

“Please don’t do this.”

“Relax, or it’ll be more difficult for both of us.”

“What, exactly, are you planning to do?” Seungmin asked coolly. He was still in his stage outfit and makeup, making his eyes sharper and more intimidating. He was calm on the outside, but you saw the anger in his eyes burn deeper at the fear in yours.

“Why? You wanna join?” The guard scoffed. You yelped as a jagged edge on one of his nails left a tiny cut on your cheek. Seungmin’s glare turned icy, and you wondered how the guard could ignore the danger swimming just under the surface of his composure. 

“Let her go,” the keyboardist demanded. The guard laughed, shaking his head. He slowly stopped when Seungmin arched an eyebrow.

“Oh, you’re serious, huh?”

“Was I not clear? Let. Her. Go.” He snarled on the final word, baring his teeth. The guard stared him down, arrogance still radiating from him. 

“And if I don’t?” He asked condescendingly. For a moment, time stood still in a tense silence. 

“Asshole,” Seungmin cursed under his breath. The guard smirked, thinking he had successfully driven the musician into submission. His ego was quickly crushed as Seungmin stalked toward him. The guard’s hold on your jaw loosened in his surprise. You took the opportunity, shoving him hard and making him stumble backward. Seungmin slotted himself between you and the guard. He glanced at you over his shoulder, jaw tightening when your watery eyes met his. 

“What the fuck?” Seungmin returned his attention to the guard, but he reached behind him to hold your hand in one of his, the other resting on your hip.

“Walk away now and I won’t get you fired,” he stated with no room for argument. The guard’s eyes flicked between Seungmin’s steely expression and you. The keyboardist pushed you further behind him, completely hiding you from view. He tilted his head, silently telling the guard ‘go ahead, try it and see what happens’. 

“Whatever. Ugly bitch isn’t worth the trouble,” he spat before scurrying off to a different part of the venue. Seungmin sharply inhaled. He might have gone after the guard if you hadn’t dropped your forehead to his shoulder and grabbed his bicep. He shivered almost imperceptibly at the skin-on-skin contact. He shook his head to refocus, turning to you. His cold expression immediately melted.

“I’m definitely getting that asshole fired,” Seungmin muttered as he inspected the small cut on your cheek. It was an angry red line, but luckily it didn't bleed a lot. His thumb brushed delicately over the space just below the cut. 

“You won’t hear me complaining,” you joked to distract yourself from the tears burning at the back of your eyes. His eyebrows creased with concern.

“What happened?”

“I’m pretty sure he lied about me not being on the backstage list so I would do what he wanted.” You stared at his hoodie string, fiddling with it in a daze.

“Text me when you’re ready from now on. I’ll come get you,” he stated and drew you in for an embrace. You giggled despite the lingering fear.

“Wow, possessive much?”

“Yeah. I am possessive, only for you.” He kissed your temple then led you backstage, hand firmly clasped in yours. Maybe your feelings weren’t so one-sided, after all.

Permanent Taglist: @furfoxsake22 @babygirlskz98 @miniverse-zen @holly-here @corgilover20 @eastjonowhere @bookswillfindyouaway

Blogs in purple couldnt be tagged

[candypot]

ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝗩𝗜𝗟 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗘𝗡𝗛𝗘𝗜𝗧 : ex with attachment issues headcanons

♱⋅── Autor notes: came back with more cunty content about this cunty queen

♱⋅── NSFW mentions - don’t scroll if you’re a minor

• Probably will resent you very much for wasting his precious time, but the scale of his harshness towards you depends on the breakup reason.

• At the worst case he'll throw some light shade at you whenever you happened to be in the same room as him. It would be too impolite to just directly address his displeasure with your presence, so expect just some indirect complaints about your "exaggerated perfume" or your "disrespect towards the school etiquette”. He'll make sure to bother just enough to satisfy his hurt ego, even though he knew deep down it was ridiculous for his image as a dorm leader.

• if the breakup reason was lighter, he'll just make sure to address you with indifference and politeness like he does with any other student of Night Raven College. You might feel some sharp glares towards you sometimes or a additional rigid breath, but he'll never bother you with such a nonsense because of his unattached persona.

• Surely won't bat an eye when you pass through him on the crowded corridors of the college, Vil was an excellent actor after all and he would do everything he could to hide how much you affected him with your absence.

• But this doesn't mean you should go around underestimating his peripheral vision, in the end the day his eyes were scanning every little corner with the hope of finding you somewhere.

• Also, don't get too careless thinking you can move on quickly after the break up. If you're even thinking about seeing someone else with less than two months, be aware that he's going to come back in your life just to torment you. Vil loves to remind you how good it was to have him as a partner in times like this and also how horrible it could be to lost him forever. He'll make sure to come back to you just to make sure you drop your other options before he pushes you away again.

• Make sure you're prepared to be dragged on a vicious cycle of affection and indifference depending on his mood of the day. He missed you so much... but he had to move on from that phase as quick as possible for the sake of his career... but you had to understand that you were made to be his... but he also should stop pampering you so much after such mediocre relationship…. but you also should be more considerate with his feelings, you guys had story together... but seriously! you had to stop being so overly sensitive and leave him alone when he needed. It would be a endless and torturing cycle for the both of you, he wanted to feel worth your attention and at the same time make sure you knew what you had lost.

• Would try to push the thoughts of you to the back of his mind with the practice of physical exercise. It was honestly so stressing to not being able to focus on anything after that awful break up with such a common person! He had to clear his mind up with something or at least be tired enough to not think about it (he would probably dream about you anyway).

• Maybe he could even start seeing a therapist to read more deeply into this strange addiction he had of you. The other alternatives weren't helping to clean his mind anymore and he could notice how physically and emotionally draining it was getting to not understand his feeling towards you.

• Shamefully, hate sex would probably be a thing. It was so so so humiliating to have his thoughts wandering around you and the heated moments you guys shared together... his bed seemed so empty without your warm body trembling bellow him (or on top of him). He was so dumb to even bring you to his room in first place! How could he even sleep in such a place after all you had done in those sheets? Now it was almost as necessary as oxygen to have your lowly presence by his side again, he needed to feel your grotesque hands on him and your petulant mouth on his.

• The whole experience would be very humiliating for the both of you, nor him nor you would have the gut to admit you were constantly seeking each other behind that hatful facade. At some point, people wouldn't even bother to understand your current status of relationship anymore. Even Rook, which was the biggest stalker supporter of the both of you was tired of listening those well know noises from his roi du poison's room.

[mintedwitcher]

Hii! I was gone for a while so pls forgive me, I'm catching up, but do you have any opinions on how/why bucktommy should get back together again after those breakups? I do want buck in a happy relationship, I just have a hard time seeing how it could still be tommy? As long as eddie is in the picture, he didn't seem so keen... implying buck or both have feelings for each other? I wonder if they'll rather bring someone new in s9

anon I'm gonna be honest, this sounds like a troll. luckily for you, I'm on a goddamn roll tonight and I'm feeling more than a little petty, so let's fucking go.

"as long as eddie is in the picture-" he's not. Eddie is not and has not ever BEEN "in the picture". Evan Buckley, canonically, does not and never has had feelings for Eddie. and Eddie is straight. heterosexual. an enjoyer of the fairer sex. a Default. there is no "picture" to be in. I don't know how much clearer the show, the writers, the showrunners, the actors, the fucking CHARACTERS have to be: it's NEVER happening.

so, with that out of the way, let's move on, shall we?

why should bucktommy get back together?

Tommy is the first LI Buck has ever had who has put Buck first, every time. The first date? Tommy cut it short because Buck was clearly not ready to be out and dating, and that was entirely fair. Buck wasn't ready. But Tommy still agreed to a second chance, a second date.

Tommy takes care of Buck, and not just physically. He's there for Buck emotionally as well, which is more than any of his previous LI's have done. He listens when Buck talks and he takes him seriously when he's stressing out. He cares about Buck's wellbeing, physically, emotionally, and mentally. He slept on a shitty, uncomfortable couch just to keep Buck company because Buck had to sleep in his armchair after fucking up his shoulder, and he made breakfast for him in the morning.

Buck lights up around Tommy. He smiles more, his eyes light up, his shoulders relax, his posture straightens up. He's comfortable with Tommy. there's no performance, no mask, no pretense. and likewise, Tommy is comfortable with Buck. he laughs more, he's almost constantly smiling, and he just looks at ease.

Tommy shows up for Buck. Every time. even while they're broken up. even when he has EVERY reason to tell Buck to fuck right off and leave him alone, he shows up. and that is CONSISTENT: the cafe meetup after their awful first date. the bachelor party. the wedding (after fighting a bushfire for over 15 hours, at a minimum, without even stopping to change or shower). the hospital after one of the 118 got injured. the hospital again when Buck fucked up his shoulder. the cowboy funeral to break a curse that Tommy didn't even believe in. and most recently, stealing ANOTHER helicopter (and risking his career, record, and freedom) to help Buck buy time to get a cure to Chim.

Tommy is THERE for Buck, in a way that no other LI has ever been. Buck calls, Tommy shows up. it's that simple. and though we haven't seen it yet, I believe that the opposite would be true too: if Tommy needs Buck, he'd be there, come hell or high water.

Tommy cares about Buck, in a way that we have NEVER seen from one of Buck's LI's. Abby was into him because he gave her a taste of excitement outside of her miserable life. Ali liked him because he was a hero. Taylor liked him for his body, and only cared about him as a person later down the line (I still maintain they should've just stayed friends and occasional FWBs rather than a couple but that's not the point here, stay on track, Mint). Natalia only liked him because he survived the lightning strike.

Tommy met him at his worst - when he was high strung and stressed about Bobby and Athena being in danger - heard him being a total fucking dweeb ("that should be our motto! who cares!"), and he fucking LIKED HIM.

and hey, what was that thing that Buck said about love in season 4-5 (iirc) "when you're at your worst, and they're at their worst, and you still want to make it work"? yeah. that is why bucktommy should get back together.

as for how? I don't have any theories yet. who knows, something might come to me later.

[beomcharms]

detest! [TEASER]

pairings: actor!soobin x actor!reader

genre: e2l, idiots to lovers, actor au

warnings: mentions of anxiety, jealousy, both characters are mean at times, probable smut in the full fic (none in the teaser)

wc: 2.9k (full fic-tba)

release date: tba

a/n: it’s finally here!!! every word in this fic was literally squeezed out of me. i really hope y’all like it :)

taglist: leave a comment or an ask and i’ll add you 🤍

.𖥔 ݁ ˖⌗﹒

TEASER BELOW CUT

The lights were too bright. You could already feel the headache coming on from trying to remember all your lines.

“So, tell me Y/N, how was it like working with The Choi Soobin” the interviewer asks you with a smile.

You sigh inwardly. This was the third time you were answering this question.

Plastering on a smile, you pretend to contemplate before parroting off your answer.

“Ohh… it was genuinely the best experience…” your voice felt alien even to your ears.

Soobin was not helping things in the slightest. Leaning back in his chair with a cocky smirk, he pretends to fall asleep while you answer. You on the other hand were pretty sure you couldn’t handle another one of his “improvisations” as he liked to call it, while he goes completely off script.

You give him a little nudge and the interviewer laughs.

“You seem pretty tired with these questions” he says with a smile.

“Y/N gives the same answer all the time” Soobin says in mock pout and you feel like smacking him down with a chair.

You laugh along giving him a little push and Ssobin takes hold of your hands.

“Be honesttt now” he drawls out and you glance at his eyes. They’re full of mirth.

“Whaatt I AM being honest” you say “To work with you was a dream come true” you say gently, sure that the fans would go wild over this clip.

“Aww you guys are cutee” the interviewer says, “Alright then I have one last question for you Y/N”

No. You knew what was coming next. You hated this question twice as much as the rest of them. You feel Soobin’s teasing energy radiating off of him.

“How difficult was it to shoot the kiss scene?”

There it was.

-.-

To say Soobin and you didn’t get along would be an understatement. To say you detested each other to a point where neither of you could look at one another without gagging would be a more appropriate deduction.

You don’t know when exactly the rivalry began. You both went to the same acting school and had done multiple projects together before. But you just couldn’t seem to work together. Soobin felt like you were too practiced and poised and you felt like he was not trying hard enough. To see him on the big screen before you only added to your existing dislike for him.

He never took anything seriously. This was your debut break and you were sure that Soobin was purposefully holding himself back in some scenes for this film to flop. And who exactly would they blame? A rising star with hundreds of fans or the newbie that no one really knew?

-.-

You sighed inwardly before answering the question.

“It was the hardest scene to shoot, we just couldn’t get the angle right and I’d like to thank Soobin for being so patient…” you smile a little and look at Soobin the way you practiced and he winks back at you.

The interviewer chuckles before wrapping up the interview, wishing you luck on your film and shaking your hands.

Finally the lights turn off and both Soobin and you slump back into your chairs in exhaustion.

You close your eyes for a moment trying to collect yourself when you feel a finger poking you.

Tiredly you open your eyes and stare at Soobin hoping the exhaustion in your eyes is enough for him to leave you alone. Doesn’t seem like it though.

“You should try to be a little more creative with your answers instead of vomiting the same ones with little to no variation you know? Fans like a person with charisma not someone dull, lifeless” Soobin says in a pompous manner.

If you had the energy you would’ve toppled him over and set him on fire but you don’t so you just shrug at him and get off the chair.

This seems to wind Soobin up more.

“Look at you. Already tired and boring and we haven’t even finished all our promotions yet. I told you-

“Hey Soobin” you cut across him, “Can you like you know, shut up?” you ask him calmly.

You hear both your managers snort which is enough to soothe your anger for now.

Soobin is about to start his retort when his manager cuts him off.

“That’s enough the two of you. We have a lot of schedules to plan and you both have to get through all of it while looking on the verge of love” he says.

That was the worst part. Acting in a film with Soobin was bad enough. Now you had to act like you were about to fall in love with him to truly sell your role.

Your managers go over your schedule and by the end of it you’re pretty sure one of you is going to kill the other by the end of it.

“So, to sum it up, we have the party, a photo shoot, an overseas event and ofcourse the premier after which you guys wouldn’t have to be within five feet of each other” your manager smiles at the last part.

“Excellent” you say with relief.

“Just what I need” Soobin echoes.

Getting up from your seat you both thank the staff for their help and patience before heading off to your dressing rooms.

“When will you be arriving at the party?” Soobin asks you casually.

“Why do you care” you sigh, removing your heels. You look over at him loosening his tie and look away, something about the way he tugged at it made your stomach clench. Maybe you were going mad from hunger.

“Fine, if this is how you wish to spend the rest of the promotions, that’s fine” he huffs out.

“Around 8-8:30 I guess” you answer him quietly. “Who are you bringing?” You ask him.

Soobin wishes to answer your question the same way you answered his but looking over at you with you tiredly massaging your feet he can’t find it in himself.

“No one” he says. “See you there then” he says walking out.

“Bye” you mutter.

-.-

Cameras flash everywhere as you get off the car. Reporters barge in poking all their mics into your face. Your manager tries his best to push them away and you try to hide your eyes from the flashes

“Is it true you and Soobin did not get along on the set?”

“Y/N look here look here”

“Oh she is such a bitch”

You try your best to drown it out and hurry to get into the hall.

Once inside, you finally let out the breath you weren’t even sure you were holding. The anxiety that threatens to choke you down finally takes her hand away from your neck. You breathe and look around.

The party is crowded. You look out for a familiar face and notice Beomgyu and Yeonjun a few feet off to the bar. They seem deep in conversation and you slowly make your way towards them.

“I’m telling you it was a disaster- she had the most horrifying voice- Hey Y/N” Beomgyu stops mid sentence greeting you with a grin. “Nice dress” he adds, winking.

“I could’ve dressed her in something better” you hear Yeonjun drawl out and you smile a little to yourself.

“I’d like to protect what little is left of my dignity Jun-ah” you tell him calmly and Beomgyu snorts.

The designer narrows his eyes at you while you warmly pull him into a hug. You had known Yeonjun and Beomgyu since college. Design students and drama students went hand in hand and Yeonjun had helped design your dresses for stages multiple times before.

“I’m gonna let that one slide, because I like you” he tells you in a warning tone and you laugh.

“So which new singer are we badmouthing now” you ask Beomgyu.

“Jiyung- like you won’t believe” Beomgyu huffs out in frustration. “I put her on mute for a while to prevent myself from killing someone in the recording booth”

Yeonjun and you try to hide your laugh as Beomgyu animatedly explains his producer shenanigans.

“I don’t know how long I can hold onto my sanity before I stop being a producer and start my own dog cafe or something” Beomgyu sighs.

You rub his arm in consolation.

“Well, what is up with you? How are the promotions and how is the love of your life doing?” Yeonjun asks you and you echo Beomgyu’s sigh.

“Don’t get me started. The new rumour in town is that he and I didn’t get along on set and I wonder what the staff is gonna come up with now to diffuse it” you say.

“It’s not entirely a lie now, is it ?” Beomgyu smirks a little.

“Yah-” you start.

“I’m not too sure though” Yeonjun says thoughtfully. “The kiss…. it looked a little too real”

“It’s called acting” you huff out. Having to think about the kiss scene twice a day was painful.

“Hmm… I’ve known you way too long for that excuse to be believable Y/N” Yeonjun’s tells you with a small smile.

“For what to be believable?” Soobin asks and you nearly jump.

“Jesus Christ atleast let people know of your presence you idiot “ you tell him clutching your chest.

“So dramatic” he mutters while shaking hands and bumping shoulders with beomjun.

“I believe our seats are over there” you tell him pointing towards the tables. The dinner was about to start and you didn’t need Soobin hearing anymore about the Kiss.

This would be a publicised event, with photographers calculatedly talking shots of celebrities for their stories so your team had decided to place you two next to each other for the fans.

You sit down next to Soobin adjusting your dress a little.

Soobin looks over at you and takes note of your exposed thighs and gulps a little.

“You couldn’t find anything shorter to wear?” He huffs out.

“No” you tell him smiling sweetly as he rolls his eyes.

The MC rambles on about the founders of the trust who were throwing the party as part of charity. You make a silent prayer to god to give you the strength to make it through the event.

-.-

Soobin had gotten up a while ago and was now deep in conversation with Zhang Hao at the bar and you feel bored out of your mind. You know Soobin sort of hates you but to leave you hanging like this all night was a bit much. You look around at the other tables watching people converse and you can’t help but feel a little out of place.

You sense someone watching you, glancing up and you notice Minho looking at you. You give him a small smile and he grins back at you.

Minho had reached out to you when you were done filming, congratulating you. Casual conversations wherein you wanted to engage more but rarely had the time to, left you both as acquaintances and nothing more and yet here he was looking like he wanted to start something.

Flustered, you look down on your plate. You sense more than see Minho getting up from his seat and walk towards you. When he reaches your side you look up at him again and he still has the smile on his face.

“Mind if I sit down?” He asks you.

“Not really” you reply and he sits down next to you.

“So, tell me, why is the prettiest girl in the room sitting all by her lonesome?” Minho’s eyes crinkle as he asks the question and you blush a little.

“Guess I’m not pretty enough for this crowd” you answer him, tilting your head a little.

“Now, let’s not lie” he tells you dragging the chair closer to yours.

Maybe the night wouldn’t be too bad.

-.-

Soobin is still completely oblivious to what’s happening around him when he hears your laughter and he turns around.

There you were sitting at the table, laughing onto- wait was that Minho?

Something inside Soobin twists. He had gotten up to grab drinks for the both of you when he got sidetracked by Zhang Hao who insisted on keeping the conversation flowing.

Soobin’s eyes narrow when he sees you holding onto Minho’s arm to keep yourself upright while he was looking at you with adoration that Soobin wanted to smack out of him.

“Hao, I really need to go now” he mutters to the boy beside him pushing his way past. “Later”

-.-

You don’t think you’ve laughed this hard in a while. Minho’s dry comments about everyone had you cracking up more than you thought it would’ve. He was witty and charming and you found yourself in hysterics when you felt a familiar presence behind you.

“Minho” Soobin calls out and you look around to see him towering behind you. He glances once at you and for some reason you feel like sinking further down into your seat.

“Hi Soobin!” Minho greets him with a smile, “I was just telling Y/N about the Chan debacle”

Soobin gives him a tight lipped smile before looking back at you.

“I think our manager is looking for us” he tells you.

“I just saw him a couple of minutes ago and he mentioned nothing” you tell him puzzled.

“Yeah I just ran into him and he says its time for us to leave.long day tomorrow” Soobin tells you in a cold tone.

“But we haven’t even danced yet!” You huff out.

“Yeah, I’m sure one dance wouldn’t hurt anybody” Minho says getting up from his seat and adjusting his suit, holding out his hand to you.

“You’re right, maybe we SHOULD dance” Soobin tells you grabbing your arm and pulling you upto your feet cutting across Minho.

“Wai-“ you say trying to shake Soobin’s hold on you but his grip is vice like. Looking over his shoulder you mouth a quick sorry to Minho.

“That was so unnecessary” you hiss at Soobin. “You knew he wanted to dance with me”

Soobin tugs you closer to him, his hand on the small of your back. “And you tend to be forgetful about the fact that we are being filmed currently” he whispers into your ear.

The whole purpose of the event had completely slipped from your mind. Ofcourse you were being filmed and how would it look if you danced with some other man while Soobin was right next to you?

You look up at him guiltily.

“Forgot about it, didn’t you” Soobin huffs out.

“Well, the cameras didn’t seem to matter to you all that much when you ran off with Hao” you mutter silently.

Soobin holds back his smile.

“Aw, did princess miss me that much?” Soobin asks you in a playful tone and you pretend to gag.

“Please. If it weren’t for the cameras I wouldn’t even stand five feet next to you” you tell him.

“As if I would be caught dancing with you on any other occasion!” Soobin tells you indignantly.

You look up at him with narrowed eyes “FINE”

“Yeah fine” Soobin retorts, resting both of his hands on the small of your back while yours wrap around his shoulders

“Besides what was he talking about? What’s so funny?” Soobin asks in a quiet tone.

You smile a little thinking of Minho’s jokes before looking up at Soobin.

“I don’t know, I haven’t laughed this hard in a while” you answer him honestly.

“He should’ve debuted as a fucking comedian then” Soobin spits out. For completely unknown, some might call it envy-not Soobin, reasons he hates the way you talk about Minho.

“Aw, is my little prince jealous?” You ask him sweetly and Soobin pretends to puke leaning away from you.

You both sway a little to the dance, falling into a rhythm. Having been forced to spend so much time with one another, you’ve grown used to how the other one moves and feels.

Soobin is just so tall that your arms hurt a little from the strain of reaching upto his shoulders.

“Can you like bend a little you giraffe” you ask him.

Soobin scoffs before leaning down. You gulp a little at the proximity, an action not missed by Soobin who leans in closer still, almost touching foreheads.

You look away into the distance trying to calm your rising heart rate. Hoping to God that the dim lighting is enough to cover up your red cheeks you look back up at Soobin who is smiling at you.

“What”

“You’re cute when you’re flustered” He laughs out.

“You’re delusional, if you think you make me flustered Choi” you answer him dryly.

“Really?” He asks you softly leaning down closer still to you.

“Mmhmm” you manage to make out, trying not to let your voice show how affected you are.

“You can’t act even to save your own life” Soobin tells you, leaning back and you feel the competitive spirit in you flare up.

Pulling him down by his tie, so that your faces are only a couple inches apart, you ask him a question that’s been on your mind for the last couple of minutes.

“Were the cameras really the only reason you dragged me away from Minho?” You ask him calmly, looking deep into his eyes.

Soobin feels like a fish out of water. To have you, in his arms, staring at him like this was as close to a sensory overload as it could get.

“I- I uh-“ Soobin stammers around. He wonders if his brain has turned to mush. What was the question again?

“You can’t act to save your life” you retort throwing back his line at him and letting go of his tie.

Soobin leans back away from you and finally feels like he can breathe normally again. This was the first project you worked on after college ended. If he were a little more honest, Soobin would’ve admitted that he missed having you around. Excitement slowly bubbles up in his stomach at the thought of spending more time with you

This was going to be a long promotion.

.𖥔 ݁ ˖⌗

🎧this is the end of the teaser!! i hope yall liked it, if you did please leave a comment/reblog/like it helps me out a ton and consider giving my other fics a read xoxo🎧

[wyattjohnston]

closer than i ever even knew - quinn hughes

summary: quinn saves the day and goes mini-golfing

word count: 1.1k

note: happy belated birthday @fallinallincurls! this is much, much shorter than i anticipated and i hope it's short but sweet. muchas gracias to @offside-the-lines <3

bingo: friends to lovers | witty banter | fake dating | it’s always been you

It starts, like any good romance movie does, with an event she doesn’t want to go to and a friend willing to save the day.

The event isn’t even big or fancy, which makes the whole thing so funny. She’s under no obligation to bring anyone, let alone a romantic partner, but, during the busiest hour of her week, a coworker had asked if she was going to, and the ‘yes’ had slipped from her mouth before she’d even realised it was happening.

Thus, Quinn Hughes was playing mini golf at a "team bonding" event her company decided was a good idea.

Her intention hadn’t been to earn any brownie points by bringing him—he had volunteered himself, after all—but the second they arrived and her boss spotted Quinn Hughes, Captain of the Vancouver Canucks, she immediately grouped them with her, her wife and the next nearest couple.

They wasted no time in heading to the first hole, her boss taking the lead and making sure they weren’t stuck behind anybody else. Which turned out to be a good thing because Quinn was taking practice swings with the putter.

She rolled her eyes as she asked, “Are you taking this seriously, or are you having fun?”

“Are we on a team?”

“No, it’s individual.”

“Then I’m taking it seriously,” Quinn answered easily. “No way am I letting you win.”

The questions came through shortly after they started, nosing in on the relationship lie that resulted in Quinn joining them for the day. Well, they weren’t aware that it was a lie, of course.

Luckily for her, Quinn was all too happy to do the talking.

The lingering looks and touches had her wondering why Quinn pursued hockey when he would have been just as successful as an actor. Even though he was determined to win, the simple repositioning of her hands on the putter and the minute correction of the position of her hips were leaving her short of words.

“Is this good enough for you, Captain?” she called over her shoulder, teasing Quinn as she lined up for her next shot. The wiggle in her hips was joking—mostly involuntary even—but it immediately drew Quinn’s eyes, even though he was mid-conversation.

“You’ve got great form, babe.”

A wink accompanied the sentence and she had to look away so that her blush wouldn’t be seen by her coworkers. Or by Quinn.

It did mean that she turned around and focused on her putting, leading to a nice hole-in-one.

At various points throughout the afternoon, Quinn’s hand found hers. Their fingers intertwined in a perfect fit, and it took all her power to not act like it was a strange occurrence; she desperately wanted to get out of her head and enjoy those moments while they lasted.

Her boss, finally taking a break from talking about hockey, asked about how they met. The looks sent Quinn’s way were a discrete panic, but he didn’t seem to be facing the same problem.

“We had the same routine running the Sea Wall—seemed like fate that we kept running into each other when my schedule’s so chaotic, you know?” he answered, providing an entirely accurate retelling that had her shocked he hadn’t opted for something a bit more romantic. “She literally fell for me.”

“Me?” she nearly screeched, any confusion she was feeling or fluttering in her stomach was immediately overtaken by incredulity. “You tripped over a dog lead!”

“You distracted me, what can I say?”

There was some cooing that followed, and Quinn refused to make eye contact despite the cocky smile on his face. It was becoming increasingly difficult to tell whether it was all just for show.

Her boss ended up winning, after a lot of effort and a competitive nature that would rival anybody Quinn played with or against. She and Quinn shared many sideways glances with raised eyebrows at just how competitive she was.

The world stopped spinning when Quinn leaned in and whispered directly into her ear, “Still beat you, though.”

As they were leaving, Quinn took her hand again. It was so casual that she wasn’t sure any thought had gone into it at all—and with nobody looking their way, it did nothing to heighten their ruse. She glanced down at their hands, too distracted to even say a proper goodbye as Quinn earnestly told everyone he hoped to see them again soon—that also added to her confusion.

The streets of Vancouver were deeply familiar, etched into her brain from a young age with every slight raise in the concrete committed to muscle memory, so she knew that they were headed towards the water and away from either of their apartments the second Quinn chose a direction. The Sea Wall surrounding the city was her favourite part of it with nothing else even coming close.

“Weird time for a run?” she asked. She wiggled her fingers just to test the pressure. Quinn squeezed back. “I don’t want to go for a run right now.”

“Nobody is going for a run,” he said gently. “I didn’t even want to be going for runs but I saw you on that first day and kept going out just in case I’d see you again.”

She screwed up her face, the disbelief that ran through her had her pulling her hand from Quinn’s and huffing, “Don’t be stupid.”

“How am I being stupid?” There was a tinge of hurt in his voice that she so rarely heard; she felt it right in her chest.

“I don’t know, Q. I just don’t believe you went out of your way to find me. That’s not…” Her voice was muffled by the sound of the water rushing against the Sea Wall. “That doesn’t happen in real life. To me.”

Quinn stared at her, seemingly taking in every inch of her face, and she could only imagine the expression she was making. If she looked as pathetic as she felt, she would need to make sure she never saw him again.

“It’s happening to you.” he stressed. “Today was… Today… I’d like today to be every day.”

She had so many things she wanted to say but no ability to make them come out of her mouth. She felt no less pathetic than she did a moment earlier, though she did feel a little more hopeful. It had been a good day, even if confusing, and she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t been wanting something similar since they first met years prior.

“Why don’t you believe me?”

“Because you’re Quinn Hughes? Because you’re the Captain of the Vancouver Canucks? We’ve just spent the entire day with your ass being kissed—you could have your pick of any woman in Vancouver. We’ve been friends for like, what? Three years now and you’ve never—”

“I am now. I don’t want anybody else. I want you. It’s always been you.”

i would very much love to hear your thoughts if you have any, and would love if you'd reblog and share it with some more people <3

[alphajocklover]

As a kid, I watched a film that had these big cavemen tie a nerd to a pole before he was saved by his archaeologist friends. Since then, the idea of a bunch of cavemen taking a nerd to physically turn him into one of them while forcefully dumbing him down makes me so aroused. Too bad it didn't even happen in the movie, let alone real life...

‘Neanderthals!’ has been one of Terrance’s favorite movies since he was a kid, which made most of his friends very confused. A lot of them couldn’t figure out why he liked it so much. Terrance was the founder, president, and only member of his high school's movie club, the volunteer movie reviewer for his college newspaper, and generally the biggest movie buff that most people ever got to meet, but his favorite movie, out of all of the choices, was a C-list kids movie where a bunch of teen archeologist unfreeze three real cavemen who were stuck in an iceberg, and have to deal with their shenanigans. It was nothing special, just a lame kids movie that wasn’t even bad enough to be funny. None of his fellow movie buffs could figure out why you loved it so much, but the answer was surprisingly simple: that movie was Terrence’s sexual awakening. Watching the trio of muscular, hairy cavemen tie up a 15 year old nerd (who was played by a 19 year old actor for some reason) and dance around him ritually woke something up inside of him. He seriously thought for a moment that he was going to watch the nerd be turned into a caveman, and that fleeting thought has stuck in his mind for years like an itch he couldn’t scratch. He became fascinated with the idea of caveman transformations, and had watched the movie dozens of times over the years. Terrance had seen it so much he thought he knew everything about his favorite movie at this point, that he had every scene, every fact memorized. Until he heard about the missing scenes.

Like many small movies, the fanbase for it was incredibly small, but dedicated. It had one small reddit page, with about 7 people who regularly posted on it regularly, Terrance among them. Things were usually pretty calm there, until one day a newcomer to the forum reported that they had found a copy of the movie with deleted scenes. At first Terrance thought it had to be a scam, but the anonymous fan claimed he’d send a copy of the deleted scenes in the mail, for free, and Terrance accepted. He doubted the guy was trying to hack him with a DVD or something, so even though Terrance wasn’t expecting much, he gave the stranger his address (the address of a PO box. He wouldn’t give your address to a stranger, he was horny not crazy). He was shocked when he actually got the DVD as promised, and even more surprised when He put it on. As it blared to life, he immediately recognized the opening! It really was ‘Neanderthals!’ Or at least a version of it! The sender seemed to have cut out most of the scenes that were the same, leaving only the missing scenes and the opening left. Terrance watched in awe, laughing at the bloopers and making notes on the different scenes that were left out. Then, finally, they got to the scene you had been hoping for. 

It started out mostly the same as it did in the original movie, with one of the teen archeologists, Hal the stereotypical nerd, being kidnapped by the three cavemen, who danced around a fire as he was tied to a nearby pole. But soon the scene changed, and unlike in the original, the cavemen turned their attention to their captive. One of the cavemen, the one who gets redeemed toward the end of the movie and marries one of the main character Moms (like I said this was a weird movie), went up to Hal and rubbed some colored mud on his face, making distinct ritualistic markings. Terrance felt warm excitement come over him as he watched the three cavemen chant and dance wildly, and watched as what he always wanted to happen happened. Hal’s skin tanned slightly and his hair grew longer, wilder and dirtier. Terrance watched, entranced, as his muscles grew beefy and defined, practically able to feel the warmth coming from the fire as you did. He could see the actor's eyes glaze over as his brain seemed to melt and devolve, and could practically feel the dumb guffaw he made echo in your ears as his face became more gruff and his intelligence drained. This was exactly what Terrance had always wanted, what Terrance had been dreaming of seeing for years! Terrance’s itch was finally being scratched, and it felt so good. Terrance felt so good. Terrance felt great! Terrance felt… horny! He practically tore off his clothing, struggling with the buttons for some reason, and began to pull at his cock. He felt himself laugh dumbly and began to mutter.

“Terry is so… horny… Terry wants… pussy!” Terrance said, despite having been gay mere moments before. He laughed dumbly as the remains of his clothing magically transformed, becoming a loincloth. Terry continued to jerk his now growing cock as his changes finalized. Terrance was gone, replaced with Terry, a dumb, buff caveman, and all Terry wanted to do was to find a cave girl to plow.

**hey there! First time doing a caveman TF. Found it very hot (but also hard to find pictures for). Hope you guys liked it!**

[bemusedlybespectacled]

Question: I enjoyed s1 OF OFMD, but for various reasons I never actually got around to watching s2 (pick up most of the plot from tumblr tho). What exactly went wrong in s2 that got so many people upset?

Oh, boy. Very long rant incoming.

So, for context, S2 had a significantly smaller budget, which necessitated moving the filming location to union-unfriendly New Zealand, reducing the number of actors/number of appearances of established actors, and cutting down the number of episodes from 10 to 8. In a show where each episode is only about half an hour long, that last one alone was enough to seriously hamper any character development or plot. I am very comfortable putting the vast majority of the blame on HBO because of these financial decisions.

The short version is that Jenkins et. al. needed to address and build on the problems left hanging in S1 while also getting the characters to the end of their character trajectories in case there was no S3 while also leaving room for additional episodes in case there was a S3, in a grand total of four hours, and failed.

The long version is that there were a bunch of what I'd consider small problems in isolation that came together and exploded in the S2 finale.

The reduced cast necessitated breaking up the crew (ex: having Swede marry Jackie and stay on land with her, so they don't need to pay Nat Faxon for all eight episodes) and not spending as much time on their relationships as S1 did.

The reduced time meant that the entire season was rushed (in contrast to S1, which takes place over at least several weeks if not months, most of S2 takes place in roughly five days), leading both to a lot of telling rather than showing (because they don't have time to show you), including vital character and relationship development.

This includes:

Having the Kraken half of the crew beat Ed to death after months of being abused by him – abuse that is clearly shown to have given them PTSD and a well-justified fear and hatred of him – only for them to be okay with him two in-universe days later;

On that note, having Stede dismiss the crew's concerns about Ed because he loves him and also we only have three more episodes left to fit in everything so we need to get over it really fast, even though Stede is supposed to be well-meaning and caring (even if he's not good at it all the time);

Resolving the issue of Stede abandoning Ed in one day, then having them "go slowly" in their relationship for two days and then have some spur-of-the-moment sex, and then the next afternoon have them break up over their diverging career aspirations, and then the day after that resolve that problem and retire on land while the rest of the crew sails off into the sunset;

Stede becoming a fantastic pirate captain over the course of one day, becoming wildly popular in the piracy world two days later, and then deciding the day after that to never be a captain again because he is retiring with Ed;

Having Ed and Stede decide to retire together as what is implied to be the end point of their relationship arc, when none of Stede's issues from S1, like his poor self-esteem, have been so much as mentioned by anyone, implying that he's either magically gotten over them or they don't matter all that much, actually, even though they were the catalyst for basically everything he did in S1;

Ed having two separate character crises – "I am an unlovable person" and "I want to do something with my life other than piracy" – not spending a lot of time on either one, having moments that clearly indicate he is still working on both problems and they have not been resolved, and then apparently having them both be resolved in the final episode despite nothing occurring to actually make that happen, and in regards to the latter, despite the story actively undermining it by repeatedly showing he can't do anything other than piracy;

Related to the above, Ed ending the series as allegedly being loved by the crew as a family (thus solving Crisis #1) despite this never actually being shown, demonstrated, or even fucking alluded to onscreen. If anything, it shows the exact opposite.

This last point is especially galling to me because of what is probably the most divisive issue in the fandom right now: killing off Izzy Hands after giving him seven episodes of character development.

The show begins with the Kraken crew clearly trying to use the skills they learned as part of Stede's crew to cope with their incredibly shitty situation and care for each other, which includes Izzy. Izzy, on his end, tries to protect the crew and speak up for them, which results in him being repeatedly hurt (both implicitly, as Ed at one point says "that's another toe" in response to Izzy advocating for the crew and we later see he's missing more than one toe already, and explicitly, as Ed shoots him in the fucking leg in front of the crew when he stands up for them).

This camaraderie is shown again and again and again. Frenchie, Jim, and Archie take care of Izzy while his leg is infected, at risk to their own lives. Izzy's misery over losing his leg is what unites the PTSD-ridden Kraken crew and the well-meaning-but-ignorant-of-PTSD marooned crew, who are initially at odds, to make him a new prosthetic leg. Izzy gives Lucius advice about forgiving Ed. Izzy is introduced to drag and opens up enough to sing at a crew party, and the whole crew is having fun together while Ed and Stede are in their cabin having sex for the first time. Izzy gives Stede pirate captain lessons and bonds with him when Ed leaves him. Izzy provokes the season's villain into focusing on him and then gives a big speech about how piracy is about belonging to something, giving the rest of the crew time to try to escape.

Recall that Season 1 had some pretty well-established universe rules, one of which was that it runs on Muppet physics/magical realism. People can jump off yardarms, hit the side on the way down, and be perfectly fine. People can get stabbed in the liver and it's totally okay because it's probably not that important, and even can stay pinned to a mast all night that way with only mild discomfort. Buttons can talk to birds and see long distances without a spyglass and put hexes on people. Good people can be hurt (Stede is stabbed repeatedly), bad people can die (the Badmintons, Geraldo), but no one we care about is ever killed.

This is repeated in Season 2: Ed is beaten into a coma with a cannonball and wakes up like Sleeping Beauty after a spirit journey, with no injuries to his face or body. Buttons turns into a seagull after spending an episode doing a magic ritual and is never seen again (because they couldn't keep paying Ewen Bremner due to the budget cuts). Jackie microdoses her husbands with poison to build up their immunity, so that she can later pull a Dread Pirate Westley and poison the British with shared drinks.

So: in the finale, the villain of the season is taken hostage by the pirates (for reasons? unclear how that fits in the plan), happens to have a gun on him (no one checked??), shoots Izzy on the right side and then leaves with no repercussions. The entire crew stands around silently doing nothing while Ed cries over Izzy and tells him that he's his only family.

And Izzy fucking Hands, the guy who just spent eight episodes bonding with and protecting everyone, uses his last words to reassure Ed that him becoming Blackbeard/the Kraken was Izzy's fault and that the crew is Ed's family and they all love him. No one else says anything to Izzy or tries to comfort him or help him in any way.

I repeat: in a show predicated on the idea that bullies and bigots die stupid deaths while queer people and POC are basically magic, a show that was praised for being kind to queer people by not making them worry about their faves suffering or dying, a show founded on the strength of the relationships between the characters, the guy who went through a season-long arc of learning to embrace his pirate found family and his own queerness is shot for stupid reasons on the side we're told isn't important and dies while everyone just stands there. His last words are about the whole crew loving Ed when the only person that the whole crew has loved all season is him.

Anyway, never mind all that, let's cut to Lucius and Pete getting married and Stede and Ed retiring!

Complicating all this is that people who liked Izzy (or even said anything insufficiently mean about Izzy) were harassed for months in between seasons with insults, slurs, and actual fucking death threats. Izzy's growth was kind of a vindication for liking him: it meant that, despite all the harassment, we were right to like him and care about him as a character. Even people who didn't like him initially started to like him during Season 2.

And then he dies, and now there's a bunch of people saying that Izzy fans are big whiny babies who can't handle fictional death, and actually his death was so meaningful and beautiful and the only logical end to his arc, and it can't be bad writing because people die in real life all the time, and also he admitted he fed Ed's darkness so actually he was a terrible person all along anyway and they were right to hate him (and his fans)!

So, yeah, there are a lot of reasons why it's so hated, and I'm probably only addressing the problems of the pro-Izzy people (from what I can tell, BlackBonnet shippers who don't like Izzy think Ed and Stede's relationship is fine and dandy, but I'm sure that there are other criticisms they have that I have not addressed). I'm not even addressing the issues with Jim and Oluwande's relationship this season (and whooo boy are there issues).

It wasn't a universally bad season. There were episodes I really loved and still do. But the finale was a train wreck, and because it was a train wreck, a lot of people are looking back at what happened before the wreck and realizing that, oh, the train lost its brakes and steering because of the budget cuts and the engineers kept throwing fuel in the engine to make it go faster, and huh, now that I think of it, that part earlier in the trip was really wobbly but I didn't pay much attention to it at the time because I was sure the engineers had everything covered.

[loverofwomenswrongs]

hi I got an idea for Florence and reader. They're both actors. Reader and Flo are filming a movie together. It's period wlw drama (with good ending of course). And at the end of the filming there is wrap party and Y/n confesses to Flo that she fell in love with her.

I hope you enjoy this, as much as I did writing it... I'm not an expert, but I am quite proud of how it turned out. Also, English is not my first language so bare with me if there's any mistakes!!!

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BEHIND THE CAMERAS

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Paring: Florence Pugh x fem!reader (R is taller than Florence in this)

Elisabeth is Y/n's charater, and Amy is Florence's one

Words: 1.8K

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Y/n would be lying if she said she wasn’t nervous. After months of filming, the last scene of their film finally had to take place. She didn’t know what she was most nervous of, the pressure of having to nail the last take or having to kiss her co-star. Who she may or may not have a crush on, but that wasn’t the point.

Working with Florence has been one of the biggest opportunities she was ever given. The British actress not only was amazingly talented, but she also was the kindest person Y/n had ever met. Florence was a caring person, always making sure all her co-worker were fine, helping whenever they needed, and always with a smile on her face. So, yeah, Y/n, wasn’t surprised she had fallen for her.

After getting ready, she headed to the set: an enormous ballroom, beautifully decorated, with gold accents, a huge amount of flowers, and full of people dressed in gorgeous gowns. She was admiring the room, so she didn’t notice the person that stood beside her until they spoke, “Don’t you look beautiful?”

That voice had Y/n immediately flustered, she would recognize that voice anywhere, and not just because they had spent months together. She turned to see Florence, and suddenly she forgot how to breathe. The blonde actress was wearing a black dress, with gold accents, her hair tied up in a big bun, and almost invisible makeup on her face.

“That’s rich coming from you, you look stunning, Florence” The blonde actress smiled shyly at the compliment. Both girls kept complimenting the decorations and the set, until the director called them to start filming.

Once in place, one in front of the other, they smiled reassuringly at each other. “Are you ready to do this?”

“You know I’m always ready”

******

As soon as she saw Amy enter the room, Elisabeth ran out to the gardens. She had been trying to avoid her for so long, crying herself to sleep, convincing herself it was the best, even though she felt like she was dying inside. However, as soon as the blonde girl saw her, she followed her.

“Eli, please stop!” Amy shouted, in a whisper, when they arrived at the furthest corner of that huge garden.

“I really do not want to talk to you, leave me alone please” She said while she kept walking in another direction, not really conscious of where she was headed.

“Why don't you want to listen to me? What have I done to hurt you so much?” Amy knew she sounded desperate, but she really wanted to understand why her best friend (if you could call them that) was avoiding them. 

“Seriously? You don’t recall how you told me I was the only one who had a problem? Don’t you remember how you kissed me, and ran away the second we separated?” Elisabeth was mad that her friend (again, if you could call them that) was actually oblivious about what had happened. So she shouted, pointing at both of them, as Amy’s eyes widened.

“Be quiet! Anyone could hear us!” She was scared of someone finding them, hearing their conversation, and that only infuriated Elisabeth more.

“You think I’m not afraid of them finding out? Believe me, I am, but at least I’m not a coward who runs from her feelings” Tears at this point were unstoppable, but neither really cared. 

“Of course I know you are afraid too” Amy tried to step closer, but the taller girl took a step back, trying to keep their distance. 

“Then why do you keep running away from me? Tell me, because I really want to understand”

“Because I’m afraid of losing you!” She finally shouted, exposing her real fears. She had admitted them to herself a while ago, but she never had the courage to say it out loud. 

“What?” Elisabeth was not expecting that. She thought it was because she was scared of being left out, of stopping being part of the society. She knew how much Amy enjoyed the dresses, the balls, the richness. 

“I’m afraid that if they find us out, they will take you or me away, that they will keep us apart… I am not sure if I would survive it. So yes, I ran, although not because I don’t want to be with you, but I’d much rather see you in a ball on the other side of the room, catching your glances, than never see those eyes, those lips and your smile again. I love you so much, that I would rather you be mad at me, than to never see you again” Amy finally could hold her love’s hands, looking into her eyes, trying to put as much emotion she could in them. Trying to get the girl she loved back in her life.

“You love me?” Elisabeth's mind was racing, trying to comprehend everything she had been told. Amy loved her, she was afraid of losing her. Elisabeth loved her too. “I love you too”

They pressed their heads together, when rain started to fall. Both girls smiled, as their breaths mixed up, feeling each other's heat in their hands. They didn’t care they were getting wet, they just cared for one another. “Please, let me kiss you?” The blonde girl asked, not knowing how long she could hold herself back.

Instead of answering, Elisabeth connected their lips, both girls whimpering at the feeling. It had been a while since their last kiss, and they hadn’t realized how much they needed to feel each other. The rain was pouring at this point, but both girls kept kissing, wrapped in the other’s arms.

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“Cut! Girls, you can stop now!”

Florence and Y/n looked confused around them, not knowing what was happening. Soon they realized that the director had been yelling at them to stop for a while. As some people of the crew wrapped them in towels (they also noticed that they were soaking wet), the director approached them. 

“That was perfect, we got it in just one take, good job! We can call it a day, go change, and we’ll see you tonight at the wrap party! Excellent job, seriously!” As both girls muttered a small thank you, they looked at each other quickly, cheeks completely blushed.

“So I guess I’ll see you tonight” Florence said, and before she left, she left a quick peck on Y/n’s cheek. The latter stood there until someone from her team pulled her to take her to the trailer, so she could get change. 

******

“Can you stop moving? Why are you so nervous?” Hailee had been watching her friend pacing since they arrived at the party, and she was getting frustrated. 

“I’m not nervous” Y/n really tried to play it cool, knowing that her friend wouldn’t believe a word she said. 

“Yeah sure… What has got you like this?”

Rather than getting an answer, Hailee saw the answer with her own eyes. Florence was approaching them, making Y/n stop moving the second she laid eyes on her co-star. The blonde girl looked breathtaking; she was wearing a lilac two-piece set, blue flowers as a pattern. The top was a corset with a very low neckline, and the bottom was a tight mini skirt. 

“Hi! You both look amazing! Hailee, it's been a while, hasn’t it?” Florence greeted them with a huge smile, trying to not stare at Y/n for too long. Her co-star was wearing a black suit, the blazer having a low cut, exposing a black bralette. 

“Do you want a drink? The usual?” Was the only thing Y/n managed to say, trying to not make a fool of herself. The blonde actress was there for that, though.

“I’ll take it, but first come dance with me please?” Y/n wasn’t going to say no, but she wouldn’t have been able to even if she wanted, because Florence was already dragging her to the dance floor. The taller girl managed to send Hailee a glance, and she only found that her friend was sending her two thumbs up, and a smirk.

The place the production team found was huge, and even then, the place was packed. Friends, family from the cast and the production team were there, so there were a lot of people. 

Florence managed to place them almost in the middle of the dance floor, quickly wrapping her arm around Y/n neck, as soon as they stopped walking. The taller actress, as an instinct, placed her hand on the blonde actress’ waist. Soon, both girls set into the rhythm of the music, moving in tune.

Bodies everywhere, dancing and drinking, and the moment they locked eyes they seemed to disappear. Florence smiled at her friend, playing with the small hair that slipped out the ponytail she was wearing. Y/n thumbs caressing the skin between the skirt and corset let visible with Florence’s moves. 

Y/n stared at her co-star as they started to get closer, “Can we go to a more private place? I need to talk to you” Her mouth moved faster than her brain, because those words came out before she could stop them. Only waiting for a nod, Y/n took Florence’s hand, and took her to a corner decorated with some neon lights.

When they got there, the blonde girl leaned back so she was resting against the wall as she saw how Y/n started pacing. She decided not to push her, so she waited until the taller actress was ready; thankfully, she didn’t have to wait more than a few seconds. 

“So… I kinda like you! I mean, like like you. I know this is weird, and maybe I could’ve waited so we weren’t at the wrap party of our film, but you looked so stunning, and then you took me to dance, and your eyes, your hands on my neck… I just needed to tell you, and it’s okay if you don’t like me back, because that would be totally normal… You know what? I’m gonna leave, I’m sorry if I made you uncom-” A soft finger touched her lips, making her shut up. With her rambling, she hadn’t noticed Florence approaching her with a funny smirk on her lips. 

Y/n instantly relaxed, and looked at Florence with confusion. “What are you doing?”

The blonde actress rested her forehead against her co-star’s, remembering for a short moment their characters. “I really like you too”

And that was all it took for them to kiss. Y/n pressed Florence against the wall, lips fighting against each other, trying to put all their emotions on their kiss. After a while, they pulled apart to catch their breaths, still smiling. 

“Are you sure you want this?” The taller asked, shyness taking over her again. 

Florence softly laughed and pecked the other girl’s lips. “I’m sure as long as I have you”

[mellowwillowy]

“𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫, 𝐦𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥, 𝐰𝐡𝐨’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐚𝐥𝐥?”

𝐇𝐞 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬, 𝐚 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐞𝐧𝐯𝐲.

𝐘𝐚𝐧! 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐀𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐱 𝐆𝐍! 𝐒𝐭𝐮𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: You were never well-fared of things related to acting, let alone theatrics although the same couldn't be said about your housewarden, a man of fair beauty who obsessed over your existence as though you were the divined beauty that he has always sought to be. Soon, he will let everyone acknowledge you the moment you step onto the theatre stage. You, as his snow white who he shall now curse to death for as an eternalized beauty.

CW: Reader wore a gown (Snow White, duh), death, and Improvised Snow White's tale.

Yes, the fairest one of all, the man worthy of everyone's awe and adoration, Vil Schoenheit. The man who bathed you in his endless love despite the harsh way he presented himself to you.

✼ It truly is no surprise that, as an actor, he ought to ensure that his beauty is free from anything that will tarnish it. So you bet all the skincare routines he has will be forced upon you as well. Not only that, he has to ensure both his and your hair are always in peak condition, silky smooth and untangled.

✼ From the way he combs through your hair, he relishes in the same scent you both shared from the same ridiculously expensive shampoo and conditioner to the liquid soap that was sucked into your skin pore, ensuring it remained pristinely clean and free from any blemishes.

✼ Not only that, but your attire will also be tailored to fit you, no suit nor dress would be too tight or loose as it would wrap your body beautifully. The laced corset that you should wear would never be too tight or too loose and the color of the outfits would be hand-picked by the man himself as he chose the shade that would compliment your skin tone well.

✼ His hand will always be on your back should he see you stand or sit in such unsightly posture. Straighten it up for him immediately unless you want to hear him lecture you about how one should carry oneself again~

✼ Should you ever have trouble sleeping, he will gladly accompany you as he sits next to your bed, his manicured hand holding yours while he serenades an old lullaby you are familiar with. What you don't know is that he does not leave immediately the moment you fall asleep, no no, he takes his sweet time relishing himself in your beauty... wait, is that a very teenie tiny blemish on your skin? How could he fail to notice that? He has to fix this ASAP!

✼ Hm? You found his shoes beautiful? Would you like to try it on? Oh no... it's too scary to be this tall! 13cm is a bit too much for you to take! No wonder he looks so poised and elegant... the secret lies in these babies!

"You don't seriously think these shoes contribute 90% to my beauty right?" Vil frowned as he watched your face contorted from awe to pale white the moment he voiced your thoughts. "Surely you know this better than anyone, even if you wear these shoes, it won't do much but show everyone just how much of a clown you are should you walk with a slouched back!"

✼ What? Sweets? Snacks? No no no, you've had your fair share of it already. You ought to cut all those unhealthy stuff and maintain a perfect diet for your sake (and his). Do you dislike it? What a shame, you still have to eat it nonetheless.

Another thing he likes to do about this is to use your dislikes as a form of punishment which you call “starved to death”. Your plate will be filled with all sorts of inedible foods for your mouth. Nonetheless, an apple will always be tolerable.

✼ He will be your dance coach, he will be your singing coach, he will be your lecturer for the classes you fail to grasp. He will be the person who you rely on in everything, he wishes to be acknowledged by you deep down in his heart after all.

✼ He will be the dorm leader you look up to and to be the person you look for should you ever be troubled by anything. Pesky students, who won’t stop bothering you? He knows his way to silence them with his sharp razored words that make them rethink their whole life.

✼ Remember, Vil is a man of fame and so you should watch how you act around him unless you want nasty rumors to circulate around you. He will sometimes post a subtle relationship type of post with you (your identity hidden as a secret lest his fans come at you like rabid mutts)

"So... I'm going to take the role of the princess? Didn't you give that role to Epel previously?"

The blonde man scoffed at your statement, "He was a suitable candidate, posing a breathtakingly feminine beauty that could even fool the Great Sevens, even so, he was never the embodiment of what I'd call to be 'feminine'"

The said subject mumbled under his breath, "You talk as though the other one is feminine enough for this role, I could barely feel any of the maiden-like aura from them."

Vil shot him a questioning look, his eyebrow raised, and challenged the other to talk again.

“Don’t you want to be the princess instead, Vil? Playing the role of a heroine would be a pleasant change for you no?” You offered thoughtfully. Surely he fits this role more than you could ever, heck, you are a bit hesitant in accepting this idea.

"I am perfectly pleased with my role as the Evil Queen, no need to fret over me."

The week went on with dread, you were never familiar with the acting world, let alone acting properly! But Vil was very adamant about you having to partake in this show, 'It shall be your first debut on the theatre stage' he quoted despite you only seeing this as a school event.

Days passed and you dreaded the idea of going to the rehearsal spot again upon finishing class. Even your fellow pretty friend couldn't stop bitching about how he hated the idea of being forced to take the role of one of the seven dwarves!

"Oh, believe me, you are doing way better than I do! Even Vil praises you for being able to pinpoint all the script's lines perfectly!" You raised your eyebrows at his statement, "All I did was serenade along, you should do that too y'know? Theatre is the place where you are supposed to sing out the heart of the character."

The two of you stopped walking as he tilted his head, questioning, "Like an opera?"

"No, that's a whole different level. I didn't mean to sing it out literally, I meant to... how do I word it..."

-

And so here you two were, standing in front of your housewarden as you waited for his response to Epel's question. He took his time, contemplating how to word it out as well.

"A long time ago, I had a Master who told me that the reason why we serenade on stage was because we had to express how the character felt thoroughly..." (AN: Master here stands for Mentor.)

"Uhm yeah, we knew that but is that all?"

"... Well, I mean yes, it's not like we are performing an opera... but... argh! Even I didn't get it okay? Now, off you two go! I want everyone to not make a single mistake! Tomorrow is our big day!" He blurted out as he shooed the two of you away.

Like the noisy ducklings you two were, you grumbled as though you were quaking like Donald Duck.

"Kinda weird seeing you dressed in a gown though, perhaps you should have just asked them to tailor you a suit because god does it blind me when you are dressed like a maiden."

At his statement, you rolled your eyes. You were glad enough that this all-boys school tolerated the eye-opening of a beauty standard.

"Even so, I'm surprised Senior didn't want to take the role of the charming prince." "Why so?" "Uh, I mean, he gets to kiss you and stuff! Maybe even take after the real version of the story and..."

At that, you immediately pinched his lip shut and walked toward your supposed practice spot. Tomorrow is D-day and you can't help but feel giddy at the idea of being able to act on the same stage with everyone despite not being familiar with the world of acting.

Everything went on smoothly as expected. No one screwed up. It's all perfect yet the Evil Queen couldn't rest easy, Vil couldn't rest easy. With how long and heavy the gown is, the tiara that decorated his beautiful updo and kept hair, he strode onto the stage and spoke toward the mirror.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?"

And the mirror should reply, “Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land,” or so she expected.

“Snow White, O Queen, is the fairest of them all.”

As though the Evil Queen was struck by lightning, he balled his trembling fist while contemplating whether he should break this mirror right on.

He has always lived in the shadow of those prominent figures, an actor who was praised for his fair beauty and kindness and his Master who was praised for their exceptional beauty and talent in the world of theatre.

He could understand how she felt, and so he serenaded, expressing how she felt so well that he knew, he had long embodied the wicked heart of the Evil Queen. Envy painted his tinted eyes as the scene changed into you and the seven dwarves, living oh so merrily after the huntsman was enraptured by your beauty and tricked her into eating a boar's lungs and liver.

A laced corset that Vil had always ensured to hug your figure in a way that didn't suffocate you, turned into a deadly weapon in the hand of the Evil Queen.

"Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?"

And the mirror should reply, “Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land,” or so she expected.

“Snow White, O Queen, is the fairest of them all.”

Then, the lovely moment in which Vil would always comb your hair and untangle any tangled hair, turned into an attempt of murder with the comb stuck on your tangled hair.

And the Evil Queen would pose the same question again.

“Snow White, O Queen, is the fairest of them all.”

It's ironic, really. No matter how hard he worked for everything, he knew he could never surpass these two prominent figures. And desperate was him.

You hated it whenever he 'starved you to death', as the only edible thing you could eat was the red apple. You hated it because it was unfulfilling and not because he had poisoned it with the potion he handcrafted. In the hand of the Evil Queen, it turned into a deadly weapon.

And the Evil Queen would pose the same question again.

“Thou, O Queen, art the fairest in the land.”

The world's most beautiful phenomenal actor, the fairest one of all, you, his subject of awe and love, the Master of the Theater, or so people refer to you.

"Schoenheit, what did I tell you about encapturing the audience's heart with your voice and not just flatly reenacting the script?"

The boy looked as though he was about to cry but he knew well that emotion was never even once written in the script. As much as he respected you, he was still a boy of heart who was ready to have his heart shattered.

"I need to speak as though I am serenading, Master. That way, the audience could understand the turmoil of my heart." "Correct, now, reenact it again. Unless I have acknowledged you, you are to be forbidden from telling people that I am your master. O how shameful it would be for me to be acknowledged by a speck of dust!"

The boy took mental note of how easy it was for you to speak in such a serenading tune and tried to continue where you left off,

"This one dared not to humiliate his Master with his incompetence! This one would rather have his lip sewn tightly to ease his Master that no such deranged words would slip out!"

You raised an eyebrow at his reply, patting his blonde hair, "There, it's not even that hard. Come now, let's get back to line 324."

The practice went on as the boy tried his best to amaze his mentor who was guiding him like a lion to its cub. He would strive to be better with each day as he pictured his gleaming future in which he would acknowledged by the public for how exceptionally talented he was as an actor. And amidst that, he would proudly let the world know that you were the one who had assisted him to reach the summit of his fame.

"That is all, the rehearsal is dismissed," You clapped your hands, signaling to the other, "You are free to go, Schoenheit. Remember, our rehearsal tomorrow, at 2 PM sharp. Am I to be understood?" "Understood, Master!"

Vil did not have to be reminded when he should come back as he had memorized everything by heart! Only 4 days left before his first debut on the theatre stage, yes, his first debut in which people would see him not from the screen of television but thoroughly directly as he was shone by the stage light.

The role he was fit to be was one he wished for, the role of a princess. Nonetheless, he wished that his Master could have taken this role for themself as he had long used to the villainous role he was forced to take. But who was he to complain anymore when his mentor praised him for how befitting he was as a heroine?

The days went on with a strict lecture, no sugar would ever coat your guidance for him and he was not upset about it at all. Instead, he thanked you for being blunt about everything. But one thing for sure was that no other mentor was allowed to be as strict as you to him, or else he would never pay heed to their words at all.

"Tomorrow is your big day, a shame you couldn't hand me an invitation." You chuckled as you helped him walk down the stage's stairs, your gloved hand cold compared to the boy's warm hand.

"But Master will be there behind and on the stage to watch me right?" "Of course, I have waited for your debut for as long as I can remember. This would be the last masterpiece to ever be carved in the history of this very theater and me after all."

Something didn't sit right, your gloved hand that was leading him down felt as though you were dragging him away from something, away from the stage.

"Uhm... will I be as good as you have praised me tomorrow? What if I... fail..." "Nonsense. That would never happen, not in my wake."

Your voice was stern and quick enough to silence him yet your hand was still holding his gently.

Snow white was silent, dead silent. She was sleeping oh so peacefully after she took a bite of the apple. The dwarves were mourning, placing her resting figure inside the glass coffin for nature to bask in her beauty, for the birds to sing songs, for the deers to sleep right next to it, and for the charmed prince to kiss her awake.

Naturally, the Snow White woke up, and the happily ever after ending was supposed to show up after it reached the climax, the Evil Queen had been punished. But not in his wake.

An improvisation?

"You! I will never rest easy for as long as you exist. Even if these legs failed to stride for a dance, even if this face failed to uphold the immense beauty, even if this body rots beneath the soil that was trampled by pebble-like mortals, I will never, ever, acknowledge you, to be the fairest of them all!"

Instead of watching the Evil Queen dance in tears and horror, the Evil Queen strode toward you, Vil strode toward you with his hand bent forward toward you. The heels that clack in beat with the music played on stage, the furrowed eyebrows, and the glint of despair in his eyes spoke everything.

Was he speaking to you?

"For you, will never be the fairest one of all unless you are dead!"

An improvisation.

It was a prop knife but it did well in splattering red paint that replicated blood. The knife was plunged right into where your heart would be, the apple to your soul. The actors were clearly taken aback by this, their genuine reactions perfected this whole scene.

And you who were never familiar with the acting world, were quick enough to improvise this.

"Alas, you and I are now walking hand in hand toward the underworld O' you Wicked Queen, should your words remain true, I shall still be the fairest one of all even in our death!"

Tears flowed out of Vil's eyes, this is not what she wanted, this is what I wanted.

The audiences were whispering amongst themselves in disbelief, the faes that were watching this were even taken aback by the show. Contrary to the dull fairy tale they had heard, this had taken a sharp turn into something more... beautiful?

Pettiness would be what Vil was trying to embody. Envy had long tinted his sight and what more could damage him? Should he live in the shadows of these two figures forever? Should he live in your shadow forever?

He'd rather die with your dead shadow, together, hand in hand as the pair of the fairest one of all, marching toward the underworld.

"Alas, that would be a better outcome than having to live in the shadow of a naive girl like you." His hands held your face gently before forcing you into a waltz of death.

The boy was horrified but the princess was not. The Evil Queen was dancing in pain and horror. He knew. He knew how there were nails in the shoes you were wearing.

"You! I will never rest easy for as long as you exist. Even if these legs failed to stride for a dance, even if this face failed to uphold the immense beauty, even if this body rots beneath the soil that was trampled by pebble-like mortals, I will never, ever, acknowledge you, to be the fairest of them all!"

Blood dripped out of your torn lip as you twirled beautifully, the black gown complimented the Evil Queen's beauty really well. He wanted to scream and call off the whole show, but the boy dared not to make such a hasty decision.

This is his first debut and your last show, how could he possibly gather himself to do that? This is your last masterpiece and should he ever do something that would destroy your final piece, he'd rather sew his lip tight with the corset lace.

Everyone on the stage dared not to say anything, either out of obliviousness or fear of the Master of the Theatre's wrath. The director could only frown as she directed the other crews.

"You shall be the fairest one of all in life but never in death!"

With that, you spread both your arms upward and fell limp onto the ground. Even until the end, the Evil Queen remained wicked and petty, her eyes tinted in Envy.

The audience clapped their hands out of awe and whistles could be heard as they threw roses toward the stage. But you never woke up.

Roses that were supposed to flatter you turned into a burial rose.

The director instructed the curtain to be lowered down, skipping through the casts thanking the audience. It raised questions but one of them voiced any discontent as they were pleased that yet another beautiful piece had been carried.

"The Master's death should not be leaked until at least one week has passed, this was their last wish. For the crowd to converse about this before they realized their effort in presenting this tale." She said as she felt the veins on your wrists and neck.

The boy was scared that he would be scolded by you if he did this but he was way more scared about the idea of you dying so he laid his ear on top of your chest.

... no heartbeat was heard.

True to your words, this truly was your last masterpiece. "This would be the last masterpiece to ever be carved in the history of this very theater and me after all."

The public was horrified by this news and split into two parties. Party that did not accept your way of dancing with nailed shoes and a party that respected your effort and courageous display, embodying the pain that was felt by the Evil Queen and facing death head-on as you delivered your final masterpiece.

And among the party was Vil Schoenheit, drowned in awe and adoration. He finally understood why you were referred to as Master of the Theatre. He finally understood why you chose to serenade. As you deliver your last lines, he remembered it.

Just like the siren you were, you enraptured everyone with your voice. It took people time to finally realize that despite the pain you were feeling, you still managed to deliver the lines without any trouble.

"I need to speak as though I am serenading, Master. That way, the audience could understand the turmoil of my heart."

Yet why could no one hear a sliver of your turmoil? All they could hear was the disdaining Evil Queen's curses and the proud Master of the Theatre, the you who were proud in yourself.

Vil was proud of himself for delivering such a spectacular piece. To direct all the casts with this sudden improvisation in order to perfect this piece, he did something that he could pride himself on.

And that was to bow down toward the audience, hand in hand with you as roses were thrown onto the stage. It truly was a shame he couldn't bow down on his first debut.

The shock of all the casts was not something he could polish in such a short time, and the you who were pushed to perfect this whole improvisation was not something he could polish in any time. It almost felt as though he was seeing his Master again. (Again, Master here stands for Mentor if you forgot)

"Why did you do that?" You pulled him backstage, your warm hand holding his gloved hand down from the stairs. You were dragging him away from the stage.

"... Because this is your first debut."

At that quote you rolled your eyes, "Take off your shoes, now."

Ah, so you really had keen eyes. Vil had always been a man who took great care of any details finely. But surely a wound on his soles wouldn't be a trouble for as long as he is not modeling something that shows his soles.

This disciple takes his Master's teachings to heart after all.

[anonymousredactedconfessions]

People getting defensive over certain characters that the fanon collectively decided were a specific POC race need to relax. The amount of diversity and racial representation that this fandom expects to come directly from one random white guy is actually kind of wild.

No, someone drawing fan art of Huxley as white (or just any non-black race) isn't "colonizing" him. All of the characters are up to interpretation, but I've seen people get bashed when they draw them a certain way that goes against fanon consensus on their race. As though they were white-washing an established black character (they aren't).

As a POC (mixed, hispanic/pacific islander) I don't depend on a fucking boyfriend ASMR channel run by a white guy for racial representation. Seriously. It's one white person playing the role every character. Even his script writing is going to be informed by his (white) lived experience and have a certain subconscious slant to it. I don't need to be represented by a white actor, I don't WANT to be represented by a white actor. I don't want scripts for characters that were never even intended to represent me get propped up as representation. I don't know why so much of the fandom is so insistent on hammering in that certain characters HAVE to be POC.

Leave fan artists alone, let them draw the characters however they like. Let people face claim whoever they want. It makes no sense that a community this small and this niche has this much drama over totally imagined things.

.

[kumabeom]

saudade love 🫧

episode three : that’s my girl, y’know what i mean ?

synopsis : actress!yn and actor!soobin are forced by their companies to date as a publicity stunt to promote their latest releases. however what’s to happen when yn and soobin spend more and more time together even though yn’s closest friend is keeping secrets.

you place your phone down on your bed, mattress underneath you. a tiny sigh leaving your mouth, completely shy from your interaction with soobin, even if it was through a text. you were completely procrastinating the meeting with soobin. you took a look in the mirror, wondering if there was a way you could look a little less messy without being too obvious that you were fixing yourself up. surely soobin wouldn’t mind.

the two of you were currently in a roommate situation as your company was completely sold on making this look like it was genuinely a romantic relationship between the two of you. soobin would have to see you multiple times in the morning before any of the glam was even done. certainly he wouldn’t mind if you looked a little messy.. you opened your bedroom door, catching soobin right outside your door, his fist up in the air as if he was just about to knock.

“oh ! i was coming over because i wasn’t sure if i made you uncomfortable by inviting you over.. i just wanted to make sure you were okay..?” soobin asked, his hand coming to the back of his neck, scratching some non-existent itch. you put a smile on your face, a simple gesture.

“i’m okay ! i was just putting some stuff away before going. but now that you’re here, do you want to come in ?” soobin just nodded, making his way into your room. silently standing by a bookshelf, watching as you closed the door behind him. “you can take a seat wherever you’d like.” the awkward silence was so overwhelming, the two of you hadn’t been in a room alone ever since the filming of saudade love and that was just to practice a few lines together.

soobin planted himself right on your bed, watching your wandering body grab a piece of paper and a pencil. soobin’s mind couldn’t help but wonder what exactly you were planning on doing. you took a seat directly next to soobin, using a notebook as a sturdy top to write on. you couldn’t help but panic a little, even throughout all the intimate moments the two of you shared due to your job. however, none of that was able to stop your current feelings, the way your heart began to race, fingers beginning to fidget around with your paper.

“what’s your ideal date ?” you ask, throat nearly stopping you in the middle of your sentence. your shy gaze turning towards the attractive man in front of you. his hair recently dyed brown, a light hazel-like brown. a cute grin overtaking his face, as he begins to think about what situation he would love to find himself in with his future lover.

“ideal date..?” soobin took the question rather seriously, not catching sight of your questionable and shy demeanor. eyebrow raised, as he brought a hand next to his body, leaning his weight onto the single arm.

“our first date ?” you repeat the question, getting an affirmative hum from the interviewer, who claimed to hate bringing up the question, but couldn’t help but ask it anyways. “our first date was actually a movie night between the two of us. we spent the night at soobin’s apartment, we couldn’t really go out much or we would risk getting caught.. that was back when we were worried the company wouldn’t support us.. but they came around eventually.”

soobin sent you a genuine tiny smile, before budging into the conversation. “it seems kinda ridiculous, but a small little movie night can do a ton for two people looking for something. most people don’t like movie dates because you can’t really talk during the movie, but i love to use movie dates as an excuse to just admire my lover.” soobin admits, cheeks painted pink due the truth behind his statement.

“that’s cute, and can we ask which movie it was to get the two of you another chance at a second date?” the interviewer asked, his own eyes showing pure interest in the conversation, however you knew better. they’re an interviewer of course they’re pros at showing pure interest, even when they completely bored out of their minds.

“what’s your favorite movie ?” you question, receiving a response from soobin in quicker than a second. his eyes brightening, as he was about to talk about something that he absolutely couldn’t wait to talk about.

“definitely the notebook !” his eyes sparkling with the light and the pure interest of the topic of the conversation. you couldn’t help but smile at the pleasure of seeing the man in front of you so happy. “what about yours ?”

“umm.. i don’t know, i never really watched movies a ton..” soobin’s eyebrows furrowed, feeling a tad bit insulted by your statement. however, his curiosity was immediately perked. “in all honesty, i rarely watched any of my own works..”

“have you watched any of mine ?” his curiousity ended up winning, resulting in his question being asked. for some reason, soobin had always perked your interests. you weren’t sure if it was the kind of work he did or not. but something about him was different from other actors, which always caused you to see his most recent works. and you never regretted it, soobin was an actor that you could proudly say that you looked up to. his dedication to his job was noticeable, even before he agreed to taking the role of being your fake boyfriend.

“i.. i have. but that’s about it..” soobin would’ve used this to boost his ego and show off to his friends that THE yn was a fan of his career, and that they were all wrong in claiming that he never stood a chance. but, soobin couldn’t help but feel flattered and proud. the way that he took the compliment was completely different to what he would’ve taken it if it was from someone else. like he thought earlier, he would’ve used this opportunity to brag.. but he didn’t, he didn’t even think about beomgyu or taehyun.. even huening kai, who joined in on the mass ‘bullying’. “i really like your works, i don’t know if it’s the genre you specialize in but it’s really.. inspiring ? i don’t know, something about makes me want to go audition to the nearest role possible.”

“thank you,” soobin says after letting out a small giggle, “but why don’t you watch anything of yours, aren’t you ever curious about the finished product?” soobin raises a brow followed by his question. he was always one to genuinely watch his own stuff after all the editing and production was over, so he wondered why you never took a look and reviewed your own work.

“i don’t know, i just don’t ever think there’s a need to see my own work if i know that my opinion on how it turned out isn’t going to matter in the end. we’re in an industry full of nothing but critique, i also just don’t see a need to develop an attachment to something that is going to be replaced..”

soobin hummed, understanding the concept behind your thoughts. but he couldn’t agree with your opinion. he wondered why you even became an actor if you had such feelings towards the entertainment industry.

“i see where you’re coming from.. like sure the public isn’t always going to talk about saudade love, and you’re eventually going to move on from this and find another gig… but it’s all about the impact we’re making and the effect it has on others. some people are going to keep coming back to this movie. and think about it, this is a first… at least for me it is.. i’ve never been in a relationship like this before.. i feel like promoting for saudade love will be a bunch of fun.. are you free tonight ?”

“yeah, i am..”

“great ! would you like to watch ‘the notebook’ with me..”

heart beating.

cheeks reddening.

completely moonstruck.

he had you. from step one, he had you.

the minute he walked through the door and into the meeting room.. he had you.

absolutely wrapped around his finger.

“of course.” your eyes blinking every second to check if you were dreaming or not. yeonjun was right, there was no way you were going to get through this promotion stunt without something going on.

soobin was just everything.

he was kind, genuine. talented.

shit- even the shape of his lips were kissable, not to mention glossy and pink. there was no way you were going to get through this stunt without letting some of your feelings out.

“of course the notebook..” you say, a grin appearing on your face. “it was an improbable romance.”

©️kumabeom

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