#she laughed and said that’s fine if you care

[ellieputellas]

fine line | paige bueckers x reader

Your brother’s best friend Paige Bueckers has hated you for as long as you can remember but when a game of Truth or Dare stirs something neither of you could ignore, the fine line between loathing and lust begins to blur. — inspired by welcome to the party tags: smut (18+), brothersbestfriend!Paige, mean!Paige, Paige and reader grew up together / hating each other for no reason, enemies-to-??? + this is my first paige fanfic so pls be nice </3, didn’t proofread… contains: femme!reader, making out, slight teasing, fingering r!receiving, cunnilingus r!receiving, drunk sex, alcohol use, foul language, toxic portrayal, has a slightly longer lead up to the smut | 7.3k words

Paige couldn't tell why she hated your guts. She just knew she hated you from the moment she met you. 

When you met, you were eight and she was ten. She was your brother's best friend growing up. That meant she was always at your house — shooting hoops or playing video games with your brother. She loved hanging out with your brother and she loved bumming out in your house but she also never liked it whenever you were in the house too.

It wasn’t even like you were an annoying kid.  You were never too loud or annoying like other younger kids. You mostly kept to yourself, often reading novels or locked up in your room. You only interacted with Paige during dinners and on rare occasions, your brother would ask you to hang with them. But still, Paige hated you.

She hated the sickeningly sweet body spray you wore… the kind that reminded her of cheap scented erasers. She hated the little bows you clipped into your hair and the stack of kitschy bracelets you made jingling on your wrists. She hated the way you’d often hum to songs from Barbie movies. But most of all, she hated your laugh. It just seemed too melodic and rehearsed to her. It felt fake. 

Even as you grew up and ditched the bows and Barbie obsessions, Paige found new reasons to dislike you.  

She hated how you traded your frilly dresses for cropped tops and short skirts, how your outfits clung a little too well. Whenever you left the house in one of your skimpy outfits, Paige would glance at your brother and scoff, “You’re really letting her go out like that?” even if your brother couldn't care less.

She hated the stories she heard in high school too. You were always being pursued by loser douchebags. Every time someone mentioned your name, she'd roll her eyes and mercilessly insult whichever guy was interested in you. She found it irritating how you even bothered to entertain such losers.

But when she found out that girls were also growing interested in you and that you had expressed possibly being queer, the intensity of her hatred reached a new level. She didn’t know why, but the idea of it just frustrated her to no end. She reacted worse about her teammates liking you than she did about the ugly, loser guys you were entertaining. It pissed her off so much that she even wondered, just for a second, if she might be homophobic. (She wasn’t. She just hated you. At least, that’s what she told herself.)

Paige never bothered hiding her disdain. If you said anything, even something innocuous, she’d roll her eyes or glare at you like you’d just sprouted a second head. When you passed her in the hallways and offered her a polite smile, she responded with a scowl. Her favourite thing to pick apart though was your wardrobe. She often made snide comments about your “desperate” and “slutty” outfits, as if you were constantly fishing for attention, even when your clothes were perfectly normal.

Her animosity became so unbearable that you stopped trying to get along with her. Any attempt at civility was met with such blatant hostility that you decided avoiding her altogether was your best option. That was easier to do when Paige and your brother went to college. Your brother went to UCLA while Paige headed to UCONN, which meant that you didn't have to put up with the blonde menace anymore.

When it was your turn to choose a college, you stayed close to home in Minnesota, a decision that came with an unexpected side effect: witnessing Paige become a household name in your city. She wasn’t just your brother’s annoying best friend anymore; she was a bona fide hometown hero. Everyone knew her name, and they weren’t shy about their excitement when she came back to visit.

Before the holidays, your brother and his friend group decided to meet and hang out during the winter break. To make things even more interesting, your brother decided to host a party for their homecoming.

You didn’t mind. Your parents were off in Europe celebrating their anniversary, and the house felt too big and too quiet when it was just you. Besides, you got along well with your brother’s friends. They were friendly, funny, and easy to get along with.

Well, all of them except Paige.

“Bean, did you grow taller since the last time I saw you?” Luke teased, grinning as he used the childhood nickname he’d given you back when you were the smallest kid in your class. Before you could respond, he wrapped his arms around you and lifted you off the ground slightly.

You laughed, swatting at his shoulder. “Luke, it’s been six months and no, I didn’t magically grow taller.” You rolled your eyes but couldn’t help smiling. “I missed you, though! Please tell me you brought some In-N-Out back for me?”

He snorted, setting you back down. “Seriously? You think I’m gonna shove greasy burgers into my suitcase?” He shook his head, amused. “I told you, Bean, you’ve gotta visit California. You’d love it. We’ll hit up In-N-Out, Disneyland, all that fun shit.”

You nodded with a soft smile. “Yeah, I know. It’s just… things have been crazy,” you admitted. “Sophomore year is no joke. I’m drowning in schoolwork. It’s such a hassle”

“I can’t believe my baby sister is in her sophomore year of university.” He pouted and pinched your cheek. You rolled your eyes and swatted his hand away. “Look at you, all grown up and girl-bossing and shit.”

You snorted. “Please, I’m just trying to survive.” You responded. “Meanwhile, you seem to be living your best life in California. Is senior year treating you right?”

Luke and you exchanged college stories – his frat life, life in California, and your lack of a dating life contrasted by his seemingly unending roster. Even though you were both in college, some things stayed the same: he was still the social butterfly while you mostly still kept to yourself. 

“I’m so jealous,” you groaned as he launched into yet another story about a girl he dated. “I want to get into the dating scene so bad, but it’s just… frustrating. Like, why does nobody seem hot to me anymore? Am I turning asexual or something?”

Luke chuckled, leaning back in his seat. “No surprise there. Pretty sure you broke half my friend group’s hearts back in high school.” He smirked.  “Not that I ever minded… those dumbasses needed some humbling anyway.”

You laughed and shook your head. “Might suck seeing all the guys who crushed on you at the party later,” he commented. “Or… it might be pretty entertaining.”

You gave him a pointed look, but the corner of your mouth twitched. “That aside, I am excited to see your friends again,” you admitted, your smile faltering slightly. “Except… Paige.”

He laughed. “You might be the only one who isn’t excited to see Paige. Everyone’s geeking over seeing her again,” he responded, referencing Paige’s rise to fame. “I still don’t get why you two loathe each other.”

“Ask her that.” You groaned. “I guess I’ll just avoid her like I always used to do.”

You underestimated your ability to ignore Paige. The moment you spotted her, you couldn’t help but become hyper-aware of her presence. She still looked like she did before – the same tall, blonde menace you grew up with – but she looked more mature, more self-assured. Paige had never been awkward or insecure, but now she carried an undeniable confidence that felt almost magnetic.

You were already dressed for the party — a cute denim skirt, a cropped shirt, and sneakers. The outfit struck a balance between casual and flirty, one that usually earned you compliments. But not from Paige. When her eyes landed on you, she gave you that familiar annoyed look, the one that always seemed to come with judgment.

Paige was sitting with your brother, already helping with the table setup. When you passed her, she let out a snarky chuckle.

“Did your sister forget her manners or something?” she quipped, referring to you not bothering to greet her. Your brother sighed and shot you a look, clearly tired of the back-and-forth between the two of you.

You paused and turned to look at her. Paige was dressed in a casual hoodie and pants, exuding an effortlessness that somehow felt intimidating. Her tousled blonde hair framing her sharp features only added to her annoyingly attractive presence. Heat crept up your ears as you quickly averted your gaze and mumbled a small “hey”  before focusing on setting up the snack bowls.

Her gaze swept over your outfit, pausing at the sliver of skin revealed by your cropped shirt. She rolled her eyes, trying to seem unimpressed. “Is that a kid’s shirt? That thing’s way too small for you,” she commented. “Looks like you raided a Baby Gap.”

Luke elbowed Paige, giving her a look of disapproval. “Be nice, blondie.” He reprimanded. “You’d think college would have matured your ass enough to stop picking on my sister.”

Paige rolled her eyes, her annoyance barely concealed as she continued setting up the cups. But she was clearly distracted, her gaze flicking toward you more often than she liked. No matter how hard she tried, her gaze always seemed to find you. She couldn’t help it. You had changed so much since high school, and it was driving her crazy.

No matter how hard she tried to deny it, Paige had always known you were attractive; there was no point pretending otherwise, especially when all her friends had crushed on you at some point.

But now, it was different. You weren’t just pretty anymore; you were so fucking hot to her.

Your cheeks had lost their softness, replaced by sharper angles that gave your face a more mature, striking look. And your body… Paige cursed herself for letting her thoughts wander there. Your legs looked impossibly long, and your waist… she shook her head, refusing to dwell on it.

She clenched her jaw, trying to focus on the task at hand but to no avail. When you reached up to grab something from the counter, her eyes betrayed her. They darted back to you, tracing the small glimpse of skin revealed by your cropped shirt. Her throat went dry, and she gritted her teeth, frustrated at herself for looking.

God, why does she have to wear such tiny fucking shirts? She thought to herself. So fucking annoying.

Paige fumbled with the bottle in her hand, using it as an excuse to keep busy. But even that distraction didn’t hold for long. Every time your mini skirt lifted a bit whenever you’d reach something or you bit your lip whenever deep in thought, her resolve crumbled a little more. No matter how much she tried to act indifferent, her gaze kept drifting back to you.

It went on throughout the night. Paige would be catching up with old friends, playing drinking games, or basking in the praise for her performance at UCONN, but whenever you were nearby, she couldn’t focus. She’d watch you laughing — the same melodic, carefree laugh that she always hated — and it only frustrated her more. Her fingers tightened around her beer bottle, almost like she was trying to keep control of her temper. When you danced, she couldn’t help but make a snarky comment to her friends about how silly you looked, but no one paid her any attention. She was the only one hyper-fixated on every small movement you made.

There was no reason for her to hate you now – she never had one in the first place – but she still could not help but be consumed by the irritation you stirred in her.

While Paige was getting a drink, her high school friend Derek approached with a cheeky grin, obviously tipsy already. “Paige, you have to join Truth or Dare,” he chuckled. “We need you in on this.”

She gave him a skeptical look. “Truth or Dare? We in fucking high school or something?” She chuckled, remembering all the times they played the game in high school with cheap liquor Derek’s older brother bought them.

“C’mon, we’re all here so might as well live like high schoolers again,” Derek said, ruffling his brown hair. “Don’t go all Hollywood on us, P. Just ‘cause you’re a basketball star doesn’t mean you can’t be one of us.”

Paige let out a small laugh, rolling her eyes. “Fine, fine. I’m in.” She sighed but couldn’t help the grin that spread across her face as she followed him into the living room. The house was packed, and they had to weave through the crowd. Paige found herself laughing, feeling nostalgic for all the times your brother held parties growing up. But that smile was quickly wiped off her face when she sat down on the carpeted floor of the living room and saw you sitting directly in front of her. She clenched her jaw.

You uncomfortably shifted in your seat, biting your lip as you tried to avert her gaze. Why can’t she act civil or normal for just a second?

The game started slow – drinking challenges, goofy tasks like smelling each other’s feet—but as the night wore on and the group got drunker, things got more playful. You were having fun, but it took a lot of effort to not acknowledge Paige’s piercing gaze every time she glanced your way.

Then suddenly, it was her turn.

The blonde chuckled, shaking her head. “Uh, truth, I guess.”

“Lame as fuck,” your brother commented with a slight slur in his speech. “Since when did Paige Bueckers chicken out of a dare?”

Paige rolled her eyes, leaning back. “I’m not sniffing anyone’s armpit, okay?” she laughed. “You guys can bully me all you want, but I’m sticking with truth.”

The room erupted with questions, eager to get the inside scoop on the UCONN star. Even the non-participants hanging around the edges of the living room jumped in with their questions. 

“Any celebrities slide into your DMs?” 

“Have you ever slept with a teammate?” 

“How much do you earn in a year?”

The questions kept coming with no sign of stopping soon; each question seemed more intriguing to the group than the last, making it harder for them to settle on one.. You gulped the last of your drink that had been swirling at the bottom of your cup, the horrible jungle juice mix burning as it slid down your throat. Your cheeks grew warm as you felt a surge of liquid courage.

You took one deep breath before you straightened up your posture and asked loudly, “Why do you hate me?”

A sudden silence fell over the room. The usual hum of chatter disappeared, leaving an eerie quiet. Then came the murmured “oohs” from the group, everyone fully aware of the tension between you two. They’d seen the subtle tension in the past, the way Paige’s eyes would narrow when you were around, but no one ever quite understood why. Your brother’s friends adored you with most of them even getting crushes on you. So, the question lingered: what was it about you that had Paige so irritated?

Paige’s smirk widened, but it looked more tongue-in-cheek. “I’m not answering that,” she shook her head firmly, looking away from you.

“Why?” you jeered, your confidence spiking. “Scared you’d have to admit you’ve been a bully all along?”

The crowd erupted in surprised laughter, clearly shocked by your sudden shift in attitude. You weren’t known for being confrontational, but the alcohol was making you bold. Your brother sighed, exasperated. “Alright, alright, no need to dig up old drama. Let’s just have some fun.”

But you weren’t letting it go. You locked eyes with your brother and shook your head at him, then turned back to Paige. “No, Luke. I need Paige to answer.”

Paige shot you an incredulous look. “You seriously want me to waste my turn on this? This is so dumb…” She tried to play it off but she was obviously getting riled up.

The crowd paused, muttering about what else to ask but you needed her to answer. “Why? What are you hiding, Paige?” You taunted, feeling your ears burn up. “Scared to admit that maybe you just hated me all along because you had a crush on me?”

Your words were meant to be playful, teasing, but something about them struck a nerve. Paige’s cheeks flushed, and her jaw tightened. The group took notice, sensing the tension. They started to tease her for it, but Paige was having none of it.

“Fine, I’ll answer,” she snapped, her voice biting. “I hate you because of how big-headed you are. You think everyone wants you — you even think I want you. You’re always sauntering around, being cute to everyone. It just pisses me off. You think you’re so hot but you just look like you’re making a fool out of yourself. Sorry to end your delusions right here but I don’t want you. I doubt anyone here actually does. Frankly, I wouldn’t touch you even if we were the last two people on earth. “

The room went silent for a moment before the sound of sharp exhales and hushed whispers filled the air. Your face flushed red, the embarrassment mixing with the sting of her words. You had expected a teasing response, not that.

Your brother hushed everyone and urged the game to move on, shooting you an apologetic look. “Alright, let’s keep it moving,” he said. 

The game went on but you were still pissed off and fixated on her answer. Several people had their turns but you were too distracted to focus on whatever anyone was doing. The alcohol didn’t help either; if anything, it just intensified your emotions.

Derek must have noticed your agitation because he slid over and handed you a fresh drink, then settled right back beside Paige. You chugged the drink, hoping the alcohol would numb whatever you were feeling.

“Bean, it’s your turn.” One of your brother’s friends nudged you, using the nickname they’d all called you growing up. You sighed and shrugged. You didn’t want to choose truth; honestly, you’d rather drink a shot out of someone’s dirty belly button than answer a question involving Paige.

“Dare,” you said flatly with a shrug.

Everyone seemed disappointed. It seemed like not all of your brother’s friends were over their crush on you like he had predicted; they all wanted to find out who you liked most between them, hoping they’d still have a chance at possibly rekindling a spark.

Derek cleared his throat, drawing everyone’s attention. “I dare you…” he grinned mischievously, “To kiss your brother’s hottest friend.”

Your brother groaned, visibly uncomfortable. “Ew, I don’t wanna see that.” 

“Then cover your eyes, fool,” someone chimed in, making everyone laugh.

You glanced around the circle, scanning the faces. Your brother’s friends were, without a doubt, attractive. After all, they were a popular group growing up. But none of them sparked any real interest in you.

You thoroughly looked at the circle of your brother’s friends. A lot of them were actually good-looking. Peter, with his striking blue eyes and dark hair, was the one everyone had a crush on growing up – especially during the era when everyone was obsessed with Logan Lerman – but he just didn’t seem like your type. Tanner was the typical heartthrob jock type but his muscles were too much for your taste. Bethany had also pursued you in high school. You always thought she was kinda cute but you were never actually interested.  Then you looked at Derek who always gave a cute puppy boy energy. You never really felt bad rejecting your brother’s friends – a lot of them needed serious humbling – except for Derek. He was always the nicest one among all of them. You bit your lip, scanning the circle once more.

But then, your eyes shifted to Paige.

She was sitting across from you, still wearing that scowl, the one that made her look like she was constantly annoyed by you. She took another swig of her beer, clearly uninterested in the game, but something about her caught your eye. Even though she drove you insane, there was no denying her looks.  

Whenever she was around the house growing up, you always felt yourself flush and grow hyperaware of your actions. When she made snarky comments about your slutty outfits, sometimes you couldn’t help but feel pride knowing she was riled up by seeing your body. Even looking at her now made your cheeks flush a bit. You thought maybe it was the annoyance you felt for her but something about her made your heart race in a different way, different from anger.

Then it hit you… is Paige my brother’s hottest friend?

Her eyes, which had been darting around the group, suddenly locked with yours. Her face froze, and you could see something shift behind her eyes. You gave her a small smile, subtle but playful enough for her to notice. She didn’t give anything back – not a scowl or a mutter or even an annoyed look. Paige just stared at you, startled by your fixated gaze.

You slid forward, crawling towards her slowly, the crowd howling in amusement at the unexpected twist. When you stopped right in front of Paige, kneeling in the space in front of her with a playful smirk, she didn’t move. She seemed frozen, the usual fire in her eyes replaced with something unreadable. You bit your lip, deciding to take it a step further.

With a sudden boldness, you reached up and grabbed the collar of her hoodie, pulling her closer to you. The audience’s teasing faded into the background as you closed the space between you. The air felt heavy as you inched closer to her, lips so close that you could feel her heavy breath graze your lips. Paige’s eyes fluttered as she fought to hold onto her usual defiance against you. Her mind screamed at her to push you away, to give you a disgusted look and say something demeaning and rude enough to kill your spirit but she couldn’t bring herself to do so.

Your lips were practically grazing against each other. Paige’s eyes were slowly fluttering, almost closed. Just at the moment that Paige looked like she was about to give in, you pulled back abruptly, your voice low and teasing. 

“In your dreams, Buckets.”

Paige blinked, stunned, as she pulled back with a look of confusion flashing across her face. You gave her a mischievous grin, watching her process what just happened. Before she could react, you quickly turned toward Derek, who had been watching the scene unfold with a mix of amusement and surprise.

Without hesitation, you grabbed him by the shirt and pulled him into a kiss right in front of Paige. Derek’s eyes widened in shock, too flustered to even respond as you kissed him. Your eyes stayed locked on Paige the entire time, a smirk playing on your lips as you pulled away from Derek.

The crowd howled, amused by what just unfolded in front of their eyes. You made your way back to your seat, playfully wiping your lips with your fingertips as you gave a small eyebrow raise and smirk to Paige who look flustered.

“Bro, look at how red Derek is,” Tanner commented, teasing his friend who was growing shy at the attention.

Your brother laughed. “Now, why does Paige look even redder than Derek?”

Everyone turned their attention to the blonde who looked positively pissed off but undeniably flushed. The group proceeded to tease Paige who had lost all her effortlessly chill demeanour and who couldn’t even make a quip back to all her friends teasing her. She just rolled her eyes and sipped more of her drink.

You got her back and you knew it. You won this time.

The game ended later on and everyone dispersed to play other games or drink some more. After the game, poor Derek had been trying to chat you up only for you to politely decline his advances again. You never really liked him. You just wanted to piss Paige off and he was the most convenient option.

After successfully shrugging off the boy, you decided that you had enough of that night, settling on having one last drink before turning in.

As tou made your way to the kitchen, you caught a glimpse of Paige, hanging around near the counter and chatting up a shorter girl you couldn’t recognize. Paige was smiling drunkenly at the girl as she used one hand to hold the girl’s waist. You rolled your eyes and scoffed as you passed by them, heading to the cooler to fish out a beer.

Paige’s ears rang when she heard you scoff. She turned around and furrowed her eyebrows together to look at you. “What’s your problem?”

You turned to look at her and frowned. “What? I can’t get a drink at my own home now?”

She chuckled dryly. “No, I’m talking about that little scoff when you passed me.” She stepped closer to you, almost forgetting about the girl she was chatting up. “Don’t tell me you’re jealous? I know you got a huge crush on me but —”

“Good night, Paige,” you dismissed her with a sharp tone, grabbing your beer. You shot her a dismissive look before brushing past her. It was almost three in the morning, and between the alcohol and exhaustion, you didn’t have the energy to keep bickering with her.

 You took a long swig of your drink as you headed upstairs, the weight of the day pulling you toward your bed. As much as you enjoyed seeing Paige pissed off, tonight wasn’t the night. Besides, you didn’t hate her… well, not enough to waste what little energy you had left.

Paige, however, wasn’t about to let it go. She was practically fuming as she watched you leave, sauntering across the crowd and up the stairs. Her jaw tightened. She hated how nonchalant you seemed, how you dismissed her so easily. She’d wanted you to fight back, to stay and argue with her, to match her energy. Instead, you left her hanging.

She took a sharp swig of her drink. “Hold this,” she muttered to the girl who had been chattering her ear off for the past hour, shoving her beer into her hands without waiting for a response. “I need to go to the bathroom.”

She wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but her feet carried her toward the stairs before she could stop herself. Navigating the house was second nature; it was all still so familiar. The creaky seventh step, the faint scuff marks on the wall, even the patched-up spot in the hallway from the time Luke drunkenly pushed his head through the plaster. So, even if she was plastered, making her way to you was easy. She was convinced she could even do it blindfolded.

When she finally reached your room, she hesitated for only a moment before turning the knob. Unlocked. Typical.

It was dim in your room. All you had on were the fairy lights you had set up in your room from your teenage years. When you heard the faint creak of the door, you quickly grabbed your discarded shirt to cover yourself.

“What the fuck?” you blurted, your voice sharp and unsteady. “Get out!”

You looked over your shoulder, expecting to see your brother or a random drunk. Instead, you saw Paige, standing by your door with a smirk on her face. She didn’t answer right away, instead closing the door behind her with a soft click. Her movements were slow, deliberate. You could tell by her gait and her demeanour that she was drunk. 

“Door unlocked, shirt off,” she commented as she continued to slowly walk to you. “Expecting Derek already?”

Your brows furrowed. “What?” you muttered, too tired and tipsy to process her words.

She took another step closer, and then another, her smirk widening. “You look disappointed to see me.” She mumbled. “Just thought you might be expecting someone else.”

“Paige,” you warned, clutching the shirt tighter against your chest. “What are you—”

Before you could finish, she was right in front of you, so close you could feel the heat radiating off her. When you tried to step back, your legs hit the edge of the bed, trapping you.

“God, look at you,” she murmured, her voice low and almost reverent, though her expression was anything but. “I fucking hate that face.”

Her eyes roamed over you, lingering on your collarbones, your bare shoulders. She tilted her head, studying you as if she was a predator ready to pounce on her prey. The smirk on her face grew. You gave her a confused look.

“Don’t look at me like you don’t want this,” she said, her voice dropping. “Like you didn’t want me to follow you up here.”

You shook your head, trying to clear the haze. “You’re drunk. Just… go back to the party, Paige.”

Paige didn’t budge. Instead, her hand slid to your waist, her touch firm but not rough, pulling you closer. “You’re drunk too, babe.” Paige cooed as she pushed her body against yours, closing the space between you two. “I saw the way you looked at me earlier. The way you grabbed me. You want this.”

You tried pushing her away but she stayed put. She was way stronger than you were. “Fuck off, Paige.”

“Now, I didn’t like that trick you played with Derek,” You shivered as she traced the contours of your back with her cold fingertips. “You had me thinking that you really wanted him…”

Paige leaned forward to plant a tender kiss on your neck, just underneath your ear. “But then I saw the look in your eyes when you were teasing me… and no one can feign lust like that.” She whispered before planting another kiss a little lower down your neck, closer to your collarbone. “You can’t deny it.”

You tried to push Paige feebly but her grip was tight on you. She chuckled at your lame attempt. “If you don’t want me, just say so and I’ll fuck off.” She moved away from your neck and flashed a serious look at you, tilting your head up so that you would be looking her in the eyes.

Her lips curled into a small smirk, waiting for you to say something. “But we both know you won’t say that.” 

“I know you want me to make you feel good.” She leaned forward, closer to your ear again. Her breath tickled your neck. “And I can make you feel good. I’m so fucking sure of that.”

Her closeness, the warmth of her breath against the crook of your ear, the intoxicating smell of her perfume – it was driving you insane. Paige looked at you, waiting for you to give in. She leaned in even closer causing you to gasp as your eyes fluttered. Yet, you said nothing still.

“Fucking knew it.”

And just like that, Paige was pulling you close, crashing your lips together. She grabbed your shirt from your hands and discarded it, freeing your hands so you could hold on to her as you kissed her with reciprocated hunger and desperation. Paige impatiently guided you to your bed, crawling on top of you, not allowing her lips to leave yours. 

You’ve kissed a few people before but no one kissed like Paige. She kissed like she was devouring you, desperate and needy. Her lips were constantly battling against yours as if wanting to assert her dominance over you.

Overwhelmed by the intensity of it all, you gasped for air. Paige’s lips then took refuge from your lips to your delicate neck. You moaned as her lips wrapped around the edge of your collarbones, sucking and biting them with her warm mouth. There was no doubt that she left a mark.

Her hands made their way to your chest, cupping you with her long fingers. She hummed under her breath as she pulled away from you. She bit her lip as she looked at the soft flesh in between her hands, squeezing them slightly. Paige sighed. “Fuck, they’re prettier than I imagined.” 

She leaned forward, wrapping a mouth around your erect nipple. You moaned as soon as you felt the warmth of her mouth wrapped around you as she started sucking. She kept a hand on the other breast, using her fingers to alternate between rubbing and pinching them. It felt so good that you were unconsciously grinding your core against the knee she slotted in between your legs.

“F-fuck, Paige,” you breathed out at the feeling. “Feels so good…”

She chuckled at your reaction, clearly amused by your reaction. You moaned again as soon as her tongue pressed against your nipple, drawing circles with the tip. 

Her free hand moved down and gripped your waist, holding you down as you squirmed with pleasure underneath her. Soon, her hand found its way under your skirt, pressing her fingers against your core. You could feel her mouth curl up into a smile against your chest. 

“Wet already? And for me?” She chuckled. “Thought you hated my guts.”

You moaned under your breath as she pressed two fingers firmly against your clothed wetness. “You’re so fucking annoying,” she mumbled before capturing your breast with her mouth again. “Makes me wanna fuck you even more.”

You whimpered as you felt two of her fingers rub circles against your clothed, throbbing cunt. You felt conflicted and confused. Paige always disliked you; she was always rude and crass towards you.

Yet, here she was, just a thin fabric away from taking you completely.

“You want more, babe?” She moved her mouth nearer to your ear, planting kisses on your jawline. “Tell me you want me… as much as I want you.”

Before you could even respond, she pressed harder against you, causing you to moan out loud. You furrowed your eyebrows together, overwhelmed by the sensation. You nodded your head as you bit your lower lip.

“Use your words, baby.” Her breath warm against your ear.

“Paige, I w-want — fuck!” Her fingers pressed harder against your clit, sending a small wave of pleasure, enough to distract you.

“Come on, you can do it…” She teased. “Beg for me.”

“Paige, please… I want you. Please.” You begged immediately, whimpering under your breath. You fluttered your eyes and bit your lower lip as you stared up at the blonde girl with her half-lidded eyes and eager lips. “I want you, Paige.”

She smiled, pleased by your reaction. Seeing you that desperate for her and hearing you say those words… it felt a thousand times better than the time she made you cry when she pulled on your pigtails. A million times better than seeing you get riled up when she made snarky comments. Infinitely better than fucking any other girl ever. 

“Please, Paige… please, baby. I need you.” Your voice came out so soft and needy that it practically trembled. The sweetness of it made Paige freeze for a moment, her jaw tightening. Normally, she’d crack a joke or tease you for acting so cutesy, but now? Now it just drove her feral.

She leaned in, brushing her lips against your jaw in a fleeting kiss before sliding your soaked underwear down in one swift motion. A shiver ran through you as the cool air met your bare skin, quickly replaced by the overwhelming heat of her touch. You silently thanked the loud music thumping and the sound of the drunken chatter downstairs, masking the sound that escaped your lips when Paige slipped two of her fingers inside you.

Her fingers were much longer than yours, reaching way deeper than you ever could with your own fingers. The sensation of her digits burying deep inside and the feeling of her weight on top of you — it had you grabbing onto her wide shoulders, burying your face in the crook of her neck as she relentlessly pounded into you. You wrapped your legs around her, holding on tightly as if she was a lifeline

"God, you're so fucking wet," Paige growled, her voice low and rough. She bit her lip, watching the way your hips bucked against her hand without any restraint. "Look at you. Grinding on me like this. Fucking desperate, aren't you?"

You felt your cheeks burn as she said it. The feeling of humiliation and arousal swirled in your body, leaving you breathless. You tightened your hold around her neck, moaning into her skin. 

“Fuck, you really must be a slut,” Paige said through gritted teeth, her tone teasing but sharp. “This fucking wet and submissive for someone you don’t even like? I make you feel that good, huh?”

You ignored her, continuing to savor the feeling of her fingers curling in with every thrust. ButPaige grew frustrated as you failed to answer her questions.

“Fucking answer me.” She said through gritted teeth as she began to fuck you even deeper, slamming her fingers from the knuckles to the tips with every thrust.

Her words pushed you off the edge, groaning as she said it. It wasn’t just arousal; it was frustration. You were enjoying having her touch you like that but Paige always had to be Paige. She always knew how to fuck up a perfectly good moment with her big mouth.

“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” you spat out shakily, trying to catch your breath as her fingers plowed you. “S-so fucking obnoxious.”

Paige's lips curved into a wicked smirk, her fingers not slowing down for a second. "Yeah? Keep running that mouth, baby," she taunted, her voice dripping with arrogance. "I fucking dare you.”

Just as your lips parted again, Paige pressed harder against you, now pressing her thumb on your clit as she continued to curl her fingers inside you. Her lips found their way back to your neck, wrapping her mouth around the tender flesh before eagerly sucking. You let out a loud moan as you felt her teeth slowly sink into your flesh. Not hard enough to break skin but hard enough to leave a nasty bruise.

“Paige!” Her name slipped out of your mouth loudly before you could even think about it. “Fuck!”

Her chest grew warm at the sound of her name coming out of your mouth. She inched away from you again, looking at you vulnerable under her touch. She bit her lip as her eyes looked at your face. That fucking pretty face. 

“Say my name again,” She ordered in a quiet, low tone. “I want to hear you say it.”

Your eyes fluttered open, slightly glazed. Your lips curled in between your teeth as you saw the hunger in Paige’s eyes. 

“C’mon, baby.” She whispered, pressing a kiss on your cheek. “I’ll make you feel even better if you do.”

A shaky breath escaped your lips as you furrowed your eyebrows together once more, still overwhelmed by the sensation of her touch. Growing impatient, she pulled out her fingers before roughly inserting them back inside of you, curling them inward to press against your most sensitive spot.

You moaned out, arching your hips causing her fingers to bury themselves deeper into your g-spot. “Paige!”

“Good girl.” She smirked before swiftly moving down you, slotting her head in between your legs. She wasted no time, sticking her tongue inside your wet folds.

The slick and warm sensation caused you to arch your back, pressing yourself against her. You cursed out loud as you felt her move her tongue inside you. Your hands gripped her head, pushing her closer to your warmth.

“God yes, keep fucking me with your tongue, please.” You gyrated your hips against her mouth, practically riding her face.

Paige slowly moved up, taking her tongue out from inside of you before wrapping her mouth around your clit. Her mouth was impatient, sucking and flicking her tongue against you with a relentless hunger. She hummed against your core, obviously pleased with your reaction.

You barely had time to completely adjust to the new sensation of her mouth on you. Paige was already teasing your entrance with her fingertips again, getting them wet with your slick. She hummed in delight as she felt more of your nectar drip from your core as she continued to use her tongue to draw shapes against your clit. 

A whispered chain of incoherent curse words and please’s escaped your lips as you felt her finger enter you at an excruciatingly slow pace. You reached your hands down, trying to grab her own to shove it back in you already but Paige refused to let you get what you wanted that easily.

You whimpered as soon as Paige inserted two of her fingers inside you again. The joint sensation of her digits filling you and her warm mouth pleasuring your clit was enough to drive you absolutely insane. The blonde girl moved with such precision and skill; it felt like she already memorized how to make you feel good without having done so before.

Paige practically moaned feeling your walls clench around her and her face get even more soaked with your slick. It didn’t help that such sweet moans and whimpers filled the room, causing her to feel even more aroused. She pushed against the hood of your clit with her mouth, allowing her tongue better access to lick the most sensitive parts of your clit.

It didn’t take long until you were feeling the pleasure inside you build up, working towards the peak. It felt like every muscle in your body was contracting and tense as Paige picked up the pace with both her fingers and her tongue.

“Fuck!” You moaned out as the sensation grew more and more intense. “Paige, I’m going to — I’m gonna —”

Before you could even finish your sentence, you stiffened up before melting into your bed as the waves of pleasure rippled through your body. Your brain felt empty, devoid and incapable of thought as you allowed yourself to enjoy the feeling. You were already drunk a while ago but now, you felt completely and utterly intoxicated with pleasure.

You couldn’t think, couldn’t even move. You felt frozen until Paige collapsed onto the bed beside you, the mattress dipping under her weight. Her chest rose and fell in rhythm with yours, both of you still catching your breath. For a moment, the room was quiet except for the muffled music from downstairs and the sound of your heart pounding in your ears.

You turned your head to look at her. The soft glow of the lights traced her profile, highlighting the sharp lines of her jaw and the curve of her lips. The way the warm light caressed her pale skin made your chest tighten. You swallowed hard, trying to make sense of what just happened, of how everything between you had unravelled so quickly.

“Paige, why did—”

“No,” she interrupted, dismissing your question before you even had the chance to answer it. The words hung heavy in the air as she stared straight ahead at the ceiling. Her lips parted like she wanted to say more, but instead, she let out a shaky breath. 

Finally, she turned her head, her eyes locking onto yours. “I don’t wanna talk about it right now.”

You blinked, confused. “Oh…”

Paige closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply. You could see it — how the realization of what just happened was crashing down on her, the same way it was on you. The heat, the urgency, the way you’d both given in so completely to something unspoken—it was all so raw, so real. It was as if you both were sobering up.

“I don’t wanna talk about it,” she repeated, but it sounded more like she was convincing herself than you. Her voice cracked slightly. “This never happened.”

Her words hit you like a slap in the face. You stared at her, searching her face for any sign of hesitation, for something that might soften the blow. But she didn’t waver.

“Okay,” you finally said, your voice barely audible. You nodded, more to yourself than to her. “It never happened.”

The silence between you was deafening. You both stayed like that, lying side by side, staring at each other without speaking. You tried to study her face, her microexpressions… but there was nothing you could decipher. It seemed like she set her walls back up as soon as she could. 

Eventually, Paige sat up, her movements slow and deliberate. She reached for her phone which she accidentally dropped on the floor earlier, the faint glow from the screen lighting her face for a moment. She didn’t look back as she stood up and made her way to the door.

The door clicked shut behind her, and you let out a long, unsteady breath. You stared at the ceiling, feeling an unfamiliar, icky feeling settle into your chest. The horrible sensation started to spread and fester inside of you like a parasite or a disease.

You knew you fucked up, allowing all of that to happen. But what could you do about it now? It was done and no amount of regret could undo it. There was a line you two never seemed to cross but now… you just erased that line altogether.

You took a deep breath and sighed. “Fuck.”

a/n: i’m back from my long break! still having a major writer’s block so no futfem or alexia fanfics yet. idk why but writing this paige fic is surely helping me get back into writing in general. this is my first time writing for a non-football player and mostly a result of me getting a crush on her after my other friends started making me watch her play lmao. idk if i will write more for her soon since i’m not really an avid basketball fan but who knows?

not sure if there'll be a part 2 but just in case, i'll add it to the masterlist!

[scoupsakakitty]

Hii hello, can i request like svt fem 14th member like, they are on nana tour and since cheol can't come he ask na pd to take a good care of the reader yk since she's the only fem member, she's most likely the people (men and women) to look at and the members became protective yk what i mean? But the reader doesn't notice that people are turning their heads towards her because she is clueless af 😭🫶🏻

All Eyes on You | Seventeen x 14th Member | fluff

“Y/N-ah,” Jeonghan’s soft voice called from the seat in front of you. He turned around and gave you a pointed look. “Try to rest. Tomorrow’s going to be hectic.”

You smiled and nodded. “I’m fine, Jeonghan oppa. Don’t worry.”

Jeonghan raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further. You knew the members always looked out for you, but since this was your first major world tour as the group’s 14th and only female member, their protectiveness had been ramped up to the max.

The next day at the venue, the energy was electric. Fans were already lining up outside, and the backstage hallways were a bustling maze of staff members, equipment, and sound checks. You didn’t notice it at first, but every time you walked past, people would pause. Heads turned, conversations halted, and eyes followed you.

You remained oblivious, too busy focusing on remembering stage cues and the jam packed schedule ahead. But your members noticed.

“Y/N, don’t go off by yourself,” Mingyu said suddenly, appearing by your side as you headed toward the catering table.

“I was just grabbing water,” you said, confused by his sudden appearance.

“I’ll get it for you,” Mingyu insisted, already turning toward the table.

You blinked but shrugged it off. Mingyu was naturally caring, so you didn’t think much of it.

However, it didn’t stop there. During soundcheck, Seungkwan and Dino flanked you like bodyguards, while Woozi stood close by, glaring at anyone who lingered in your direction for too long. You didn’t understand what was happening.

It wasn’t until Vernon leaned over during lunch and muttered, “That guy’s staring again,” that you started to notice.

“Who?” you asked, genuinely confused.

Vernon nodded discreetly toward a staff member at the far end of the room. You turned to look, but the man quickly looked away.

“I think you’re imagining things,” you said with a small laugh, brushing it off. “People aren’t staring at me.”

“They are,” Vernon replied bluntly.

Still, you didn’t give it much thought. Being the only girl in a group of twelve guys naturally drew some attention, right? That had to be it.

But as the day progressed, you couldn’t help but notice your members acting strangely. Jun casually stepped in front of a group of staff members when you passed by, blocking their view. Joshua and Hoshi stood on either side of you during rehearsals, while DK carried your bag even though it was practically empty.

By the end of the day, you couldn’t hold back anymore.

“Okay, what’s going on?” you asked during dinner, looking around the table.

The members exchanged glances, as if silently debating who would answer. Finally, Jeonghan sighed.

“Y/N,” he began, “you don’t realize it, but people… stare at you. A lot.”

You frowned. “What? No, they don’t.”

“They do,” Seungkwan said, nodding firmly. “Everywhere we go, people can’t take their eyes off you.”

“Men, women, staff, fans,” Minghao added, ticking them off on his fingers.

“But why?” you asked, genuinely perplexed.

The table fell silent for a moment before Joshua spoke up gently. “Because you’re beautiful, Y/N. And you don’t even notice it.”

Your face flushed. “That’s not—”

“It is true,” Dino interrupted. “You just don’t pay attention because you’re too focused on other things.”

You glanced around the table, the warmth of their words sinking in. It felt strange to think of yourself that way, but the sincerity in their eyes made it hard to argue.

“You guys don’t need to be so protective, though,” you said softly.

“Of course we do,” Mingyu replied immediately. “It’s our job to look after you.”

“And it’s not just about the staring,” Woozi added. “We want to make sure you feel safe, no matter what.”

Their protectiveness, which had initially felt overbearing, suddenly made sense. You realized how much they cared not just as bandmates, but as family.

“Thanks, guys,” you said, smiling.

“Always,” Seungcheol’s voice chimed in through the group chat. Though he couldn’t join this leg of the tour due to his injury, the leader had been keeping tabs on everything from afar.

As the members laughed and teased you, the warmth in your chest grew. Being the only girl in Seventeen came with its challenges, but with twelve brothers by your side, you knew you were never alone.

————————————————————————————-

[lovecla]

MAKE IT TO THE MORNING ; JACK HUGHES

PAIR jack hughes x fem!reader

SUMMARY being jack hughes’ girlfriend comes with a lot of hardships— but in the mornings, you realize it is all worth it.

WARNINGS unedited, p in v, unprotected sex, oral sex (f. receiving), rough sex, p slapping, cockwarming, dirty talk, jack is lowkey a little shit, reader loves him tho, inspired by the song “make it to the morning” by partynextdoor. freaky af!!!

WORD COUNT 2,3k

FROM ME TO YOU a little late (literally, it’s like 3am for me), but this is my thank you gift for you guys because today i woke up with 700 of you!! i’m still too in shock to say anything besides thank you so much. i was celebrating 600 followers like a month ago and now this. i’ll keep working hard to give you guys good content <3 ily and pls enjoy

𖧷

don't scream or shout, i'm workin' my way down

girl, you gettin' loud, now put it in yo' mouth

THE SOUND of your heels clicking against the marble floor were enough to piss anyone off. It was annoying, repetitive and even you were starting to get tired of the little tec tec sound, but you couldn’t stop.

Dating Jack Rowden Hughes was not for the weak. And you knew that, more than anyone else. Being his girlfriend of three years— the longest time he has ever been in a relationship, mind you—, you knew that the prize was good, but the job of keeping it was tiring.

You stared at him across the room, talking to some random fans who definitely didn’t know what being a fan was, since they were all over him, with their hands on his arms and shoulders.

He eyed you from time to time, blue eyes making it hard for you to stay one hundred percent mad at him— truthfully, you knew that all it would take for you to forgive him for his playboy behaviour would be a single kiss and an aggressive make out session.

“It isn’t so fun watching from here, huh?” Quinn’s new fling, or whatever the girl standing beside you was, said, approaching you quietly. “Trust me, I know how it feels.”

You hummed, not engaging with her. You knew Jack wouldn’t actually do anything, but still, it didn’t feel nice to get painted as the dumb girlfriend who has to watch her famous boyfriend laugh and take pictures with hundreds of girls while she stands in the back.

“I’m lucky my Quinn isn’t as nearly as talkative as he is,” she continues, despite your silence. “But you know, Jack is everyone’s favorite.”

You turned your head to the side, watching the girl next to you eye Jack the same way she eyed Quinn, hungry and suggestive, and that was enough for you.

“Sorry,” you interrupted, putting your wine glass down— it had been empty for at least ten minutes— and smiling apologetically. “I have a terrible headache, so I think it’s time for me to head out.”

“Oh, sorry to hear that,” she pouts, and you can feel your eyes twitch. “It is pretty late too, so you must be tired.”

“Mhm.” You nod, looking at your phone. 3:46a.m.

“Do you want me to call Jacky?” She asks, expectantly, and the way she says his name makes you want to smash her face against the crumbles of cake sitting on the buffet table.

“No, no, it’s fine, don’t worry,” you play dumb. “It was nice seeing you…”

You forgot her name. It was probably something like Olivia or Madeline, but still. You didn’t remember.

“It was nice seeing you, too!” She says, apparently clueless to your lack of memory— and interest. “I’ll text you later so we can talk more.”

“Sure thing, yeah.” You walk towards Jack with long, careful steps. “Hey, babe.”

His eyes are on you immediately, his hair moving around with his abrupt move. He smiles, stepping out of the little circle the girls had made around him to wrap his arms around you.

“If it isn’t my favorite girl,” he says. “Hi, baby.”

You can feel the girls’ eyes on you, burning your skin like the fictional fairies’ whenever they touch iron. It is a feeling you are used to already, but you feel yourself shivering either way.

“Can we go?” You ask, bluntly ignoring the other women there. “It’s late.”

“Yeah, we can,” he nods, turning his head back to his little girl group before smiling at them. “See ya, ladies.”

See ya, ladies?

“Bye, Jack.”

“You’re the best!”

“See ya next time!”

You can’t hide your pout on your way home— you don’t even try to. You have your arms crossed in front of your chest as you sit in the front seat of Jack’s absurdly expensive car, listening to the quiet hum of his air conditioner and the annoying noise whenever he turns on the turn signal.

“You’re not mad… are you?”

His voice is tentative, almost as if he’s scared of asking the question.

“Are you kidding me? You spent half of that ridiculous party talking to women. Tell me I can’t be mad about that.” You hiss back, not looking at him. You know there are high chances of you folding bad if you do.

“Baby, I already told you, it’s all business,” he says, once again, because he has, indeed, told you that several times before. “I can’t have them saying I’m a rude guy, can I?”

“Sometimes I can’t believe the shit you say,” you scoff. “You literally told a reporter to fuck himself last week, on live. Talk about being a nice guy now, Jack.”

“Come on, you’re not being fair!” He exclaims, and you can hear the pout on his voice. “He talked shit about you. He was lucky I didn’t punch him in the face.”

You rolled your eyes, biting your lips to hide your smile.

Little does Jack know you jumped out of the couch when you saw the transmission and giggled while you sent texts to your best friend about how you would have to be the mother of his children.

You stayed silent, looking at the dark streets, briefly forgetting about your anger to notice how beautiful your city is. There weren't many people in the streets at that hour— it was summer, yes, but it was almost four a.m and it was still Monday, and a lot of people were still working.

When you got to your and Jack’s apartment— a two bedroom penthouse with plenty of space and a kitchen you still fell in love with every time you looked at it— you didn’t waste time before heading to the guest bathroom shower, a clear sign that you didn’t want Jack to join you, which you knew pissed him off.

You were quick even though you weren’t sleepy, washing the soap off your body under the lukewarm water; happy because it was your favorite scent.

You got out of the stall, opening the bathroom door after you wrapped the towel around your body, deciding to change inside your bedroom.

Or at least that’s what you thought you would do.

“Y/n.” Jack calls you, sitting on top of the bed.

“Fuck, Jack,” you grunt. “You scared me.”

“I can’t have you mad at me, baby,” he says, getting up and walking towards you, only stopping when your covered chest is touching his. “You know those women mean nothing.”

“Jack,” you sigh. “We’ve been here before. You can’t just say that every time you flirt with other women.”

“I wasn’t—” he starts, but interrupts himself mid sentence. “You’re making shit up.”

“Am I?” You ask, holding the towel tighter. “You damn well I’m not.”

“Listen,” he says. “I’m not proud with the way I acted but I already told you—”

“It’s all business. I know, you know, we all know.” You roll your eyes, stepping back and moving forward so you can leave the room. His hand finds your waist almost immediately, locking you in place. “Jack—”

“You’re so full of complaints, baby,” he whispers. “Every time we go out you complain about something.”

“I wouldn’t complain if you didn’t give me reasons to.”

He clicks his tongue, running his fingers over your naked arms. You shiver slightly, hoping he doesn’t see it. “You want more?”

“More what?” You ask, furrowing your eyebrows.

“More reasons to complain,” he continues, chuckling as he lowers his head and hides it in the crook of your neck, inhaling deeply. “Real reasons to complain.”

“Wha—”

“Because I’ll give them to you, if you want to,” he licks your skin, and you can feel yourself start to malfunction. He’s a little shit, you think, as you slowly start to give in. He’s a little shit and I’m in love with him. “Or I can keep your mouth full so you can’t complain anymore.”

He stands up straight again, staring at you while his fingers move to where you were holding your towel.

“What’s your pick, baby?” He whispers, removing your grip from the soft fabric around your body, letting it fall on the floor, like a puddle of water on your feet.

You’re fully naked, and he can’t even pretend he’s not looking— he is. He always is.

Jack kisses you with hungry, tender lips. He holds your neck while he licks your lips with his tongue, hot and messy. He tastes like beer and you hate it, but you cannot get enough.

You wrap your own arms around his neck, holding him so close to you you could feel his heartbeat. Kissing him never got old, and if you were to write down your top ten favorite things about Jack Hughes, his kiss would definitely be number one.

You breathe in his scent, your favorite ever since you met him, and you can feel your legs start to give in, just like the rest of your body. It’s late at night, almost morning, your body can’t keep up with your mind and you want to tell Jack to fuck off.

Yet.

“Come on, baby,” he whispers against your lips, as he guides you to the bed, laying you down with your hips on the edge of it. “Let me give you something to make noise about.”

That’s the only warning you get before he gets his knees on the floor and separates your legs, leaving you open and exposed. You feel his fingers spreading your lips open, and when his tongue finds its way to your clit, all of your previous complaints are gone.

You close your legs around his neck, holding him in place, while he puts on a show for you, his fingers tracing the wetness pouring out of you.

You let out a soft moan, holding his hair with your hands, not bothering to be gentle. His tongue found your clit again, rubbing it in slow, circular motions.

“Jack.”

You trash under him as he flicked your sensitive nub with his mouth, the wet noises making you want to disappear. Jack always seemed pleased to go down on you, but you still aren’t used to this fact about him.

“So sweet, baby,” he murmurs, the vibrations of his words sending shivers down your spine, as he dives in again.

He has you curling your toes and arching your back, moaning his name loud and proud, but still, he doesn’t stop. He slides his arms under your thighs, holding you in place by gripping your waist, hard.

He has you coming in under five minutes— it’s a shame it’s over so soon, but what can you do, really. He looks up at you between your thighs, and the sight alone has you moaning, desperate for something else.

You pull his hair, gently, signaling to him that you wanted him up, closer to you, and so he does. He kisses you again, and you get to taste yourself on his lips, moaning loudly inside his mouth when you feel his dick trapped between his body and yours.

“Jack,” you whisper again, placing both of your hands on his cheeks. “I need you.”

“Yeah. I can see that.” He says, chuckling as he gets off you and removes the rest of his clothes.

He slides inside you with no hesitation or whatsoever, knowing too well that your inside’s have his print all over it. You both moan loudly, louder than you should be moaning at four something in the morning, but you can deal with the complaint letter later.

He holds your legs together, pressing them against your chest, almost folding you in half. He is being rough, something you absolutely want to kill him for, but you let yourself enjoy the roughness for a moment; you can scold him later.

You can feel him deeper now, as your body gets dragged up and down against the mattress, making you want to scream.

“You’re wet,” he says through his teeth and you can tell he’s also giving in. “Y/n, fuck.”

You’re clenching around his length as he strokes your G spot, dragging his dick against your walls, once again making sure you can take everything he gives you.

“Harder.” You hear someone ask, probably yourself, and you also hear his low chuckle. “Not enough.”

“Still complaining?” He asks, but doesn’t give you time to answer. Instead, he removes his right hand from your waist and does the one thing he knows it will have you drooling and begging under him.

He slaps your pussy. The wet, loud sound that fills the room makes you squirm, unconsciously trying to remove yourself from his hold. But he’s stronger, always has been.

“Take it, baby.”

He then slaps you again, and again, and so many times you stop counting. The feeling of his cock throbbing inside you, and his rough slaps against your clit is enough to make you come, leaving you almost lifeless under him.

“Good girl, Y/n,” he says, kissing your lips, briefly. “I’m gonna come, fuck.”

“Inside, please,” you hear yourself mumbling, and you’re not even sure if Jack hears it.

“What was that, baby?” He asks, his thrusts getting sloppy.

“Inside?”

“Fuck,” he curses. “I’m—”

He cums inside you, the familiar feeling making you sigh with bliss. You are both panting, the room smells of sweat, alcohol and sex, and you swear you can see the sun start to rise through the bedroom’s floor to ceiling windows.

You’re just about to tell Jack you want to go to sleep when you feel him start to pull out, which has you protesting, immediately.

“No, I— sleep inside, please?”

His blue eyes are staring down at you, and now, there’s a hint of a smile plastered on his face. He nods once, manhandling you around until you’re under the sheets, with your back glued to his chest, and his length still nestled inside you.

“Well, if you’re still mad at me,” he whispers. “At least we made it to the morning, huh?”

“Shut up,” you whisper back, barely hiding your smile. “If you keep talking, there won’t be any other morning.”

He laughs, kissing the top of your head. “Very well, then.”

𖧷

NHL MASTERLIST. JACK HUGHES MASTERLIST

[skzhua]

episode 1.

MASTERLIST

pairing: XO, Kitty's Min Ho x Female reader

genre: Fluff, angst, exes-to-lovers, slow burn, coming-of-age.

word count: 5.5k (not proofread yet!)

warnings: Cursing, post-breakup feelings.

summary: the first day back, and you already find yourself into a whirlwind of emotions, mainly caused by one guy you had been dreading to see for weeks.

note: Bold - Korean, Italic - Over the phone

(let me know by filling the form in my bio if you want to be added to the taglist!)

The holiday season was, by far, the time of the year you were the happiest. The music, the activities, the food, the people you'd spend that time with... That was the problem this year.

Getting to know Min Ho's mother was a blessing in itself. She welcomed you in her home with open arms — although she wasn't home often — and was nothing but a sweetheart to you. While the first days you spent in L.A. were close to what some would call the dream, you didn't love it so much. The people, who were far too superficial to your liking, and the house — being seven times bigger than your place in Korea — were two factors that totally removed the holiday spirit.

The third one would be Min Ho.

"Are you here yet?" you heard from your phone.

Three weeks had gone by since the incident, which meant that school was starting again. In your opinion, the winter break should have lasted much longer than this. Not only because you were dreading the amount of schoolwork you would get, but also because you knew there would be faces you just weren't ready to see again.

"I just got in the taxi," you chuckled as an answer. "Did you save me a bed?"

"I did, but your room won't be with me and Juliana," Yuri informed you, a glint of guilt in her voice.

"Don't worry, as long as we have a dorm together."

You kept chatting for a bit until the car pulled in front of KISS. Your aunt turned around to face you from the driving seat, and you could see the worry on her face. While she had made sure to take care of you the best she could, you weren't doing any better. You knew she couldn't help but feel like it was her fault.

"Who was it?" she asked.

"Yuri."

"I'm glad she is around. At least, you'll have someone to lean on."

You scoffed. "I don't need a babysitter or a daily therapist."

"Just," she breathed out. "Try to enjoy yourself. Like before, don't hesitate to stop by my office if you need anything. Your uncle is also there if you-"

"Thanks," you said dryly, hurrying yourself to get out the car.

It felt both strange and familiar being back here. With a sigh, you gathered your luggage and began to head towards the entrance. It wasn't long until you were engulfed into a hug, one so warm that it wasn't hard to guess who it was.

"Get off," you whined jokingly.

"I didn't see you for a month, let me be clingy for a day, will you?" Q argued as he let go. "Did you get taller?"

You rolled your eyes. "A month isn't that long!"

"Can you just let me be sweet and tell you I missed you? Jeez, I forgot how grumpy you could be..."

You smacked his arm lightly, finally letting a laugh out. "Fine, I did miss you too."

"Knew it," he smiled satisfactorily. His eyes were quick to shift from you to something behind you — or rather someone. "Look who's back!"

Turning around, it took you a second to spot Kitty discuss with Professor Lee — now Principal Lee for obvious reasons — and Alex. Q didn't skip a beat in abandoning you to run towards Kitty. In his defence, he was most likely the one who was most excited to see Kitty when it was made known that Yuri brought her back to KISS. You wouldn't admit it out-loud but she truly was one of the few people you were looking forward to see again.

"Holy shit! There's my chaos queen!" Q almost screamed before hugging Kitty, definitely tighter than with you.

Kitty squealed as they reunited. "Dude, I'm so happy to see you!"

"Me too," he squealed back.

This was definitely a show for you to see as you slowly made your way to join the pair. Kitty finally saw you and hugged you just about the same, blabbering about how she couldn't believe she was back to see Q and you again. The excitement in her died down quickly, though, as she remembered she was next to Principal Lee.

"Also, so happy to share with you both how serious I'm going to take my classes this year at KISS."

You held back a giggle. "Right, yes!"

"That's literally what we've been saying this whole time," Q added, playing along.

A call interrupted Principal Lee's watch party which allowed both of your friends to squeal once more, much to your ears' demise.

"We have so much to talk-" Kitty began to say, only for Alex to cut the conversation short.

"Dad's been feeling a little bit stressed," he informed, something you found so odd to come out of his mouth. "I've been staying with him over the break. We're in, like, some hilarious buddy comedy."

As much as you appreciated Alex, you wanted nothing more but to be elsewhere at this exact moment. Not that you weren't glad he was getting to spend time with his father, but the way he was telling you about it was almost... cringe? (No, it definitely was.)

"Alex!" Principal Lee called out.

"Yeah, I'm coming! I'd better go," he said as he began to walk away. "Kitty, I'm really happy you're back."

Kitty responded with a warm smile. "Thanks. Me too."

Once Alex left, Q helped Kitty get her luggage while you tried to somehow make your two traveling bags work, stacking one on top of another.

"You okay there, Y/N?" Kitty laughed.

"Maybe I need a hand?" you smiled awkwardly, looking at Q specifically.

"Give me your bag already."

The three of you finally walked into the campus, as many other students did the same. The breath smelled like home, but the ambiance had a twinge of foreign energy. Maybe they changed the decoration. Maybe you had to get used to seeing younger new students everywhere. Maybe there was a little something you were still not ready to confront and being back didn't help...

"Crap, I wanted to ask Lee about that Simon guy from my mom's letter," Kitty said, disappointed a bit.

"You have all semester to find Simon," Q stated.

Kitty shook her head. "No, I am done wasting time. At home everyone was asking me questions. Lara Jean, Margot and even Peter because he practically lives at our house on school breaks."

And that was also what you did for an entire week of your school break. You won't do the same mistake again, that's for sure.

"They wanted to know what I learned about my mom," she continued. "How my Korean was... And I realized, I hadn't really learn anything about my mom. Like, not actually. And I almost flunked out. My Hangul sucks... So this semester, it's Kitty 2.0. I'm living in a single, I'm going to be single."

You really did forget how much of a yapper she was. It might be annoying at times but you were thankful she was there to fill in the lack of interaction on your part. For some reason, the ground was much more interesting, so were the trees. Since when were there that many trees on campus? Were they always there?

"I think it's kind of a shame to be swearing off love right after you discover you're bi," Q sighed.

"No, I didn't say I'd be a monk, okay?" Kitty defended. "I want to try dating girls."

Well, that was always an option for you to discover too, if some things were to happen. By things, you meant one, really.

"But maybe someone outside my direct friend group. Less potential for drama."

Sometimes, it is worth it to listen entirely to what Kitty had to say. Most of the time, her struggles didn't apply to you. On that case, however, this was a good plan: not date in your friend group. Easy, no? You won't do the mistake again.

"But," Q sighed again. "Can you really be over Yuri already? I mean, she got you back into KISS."

"Lara Jean convinced me to write a goodbye letter to Yuri," Kitty answered, as if she had been prepared for any scenario. You wished she could give you some of that energy. "Just like she did for all the boys she loved. And I brought that letter with me so I can reread it in case I find myself slipping into old habits. You know that you can write one for Florian, and you can write one for Min Ho."

You raised an eyebrow as to tell her you would never, but this was something to consider. At this point, if it wasn't obvious already, you were doing everything you could to forget about your ex-boyfriend.

Q, as for him, shook his head. "Actually, Florian made it really easy to get over him by being a lying, cheating dumbass that almost cost Dae his scholarship."

"You did the right thing, turning him in," Kitty said with an approving nod.

"I also didn't mean to trigger an investigation that caused a bunch of other students to be expelled too," Q said along with a chuckle to hide his discomfort. "I guess we're both chaos queens."

"Clearly, Y/N isn't."

You shot your head up at the mention of your name, looking at the two in confusion. "Sorry, what?"

"Are you alright? You've been awfully quiet," Kitty asked, concern in her voice.

"I-" you began only for Q to cut you off.

"Oh, look. There are the boys," he gestured right in front of you three. "Dae! Min Ho!"

The said-boys had just picked their coffee order as they spotted Q calling them out, spotting Kitty and you as well in the process. Suddenly, it felt like the entire world stopped, but not in a good way. For what felt like minutes, Min Ho and you held eye contact. You tried to decipher what his eyes were telling you; was he sad? Mad? Scared? You weren't sure. He had always been good at hiding how he was truly feeling. What you knew was that you certainly weren't feeling so good. Seeing him after things fell apart was like a knife stabbing you in an already opened wound. At the same time, your body was almost being pulled to his... You wondered if he was feeling the same.

You saw him gulp before he broke your staring session, pulling Dae away from your sight with him. It was a matter of seconds before you couldn't see either of them.

"That was weird, right?" Q said, confusion spread onto his face. "What was that about?"

"Oh, they probably just didn't see us," Kitty tried to shrug it off but Q didn't buy it.

"No, they definitely saw us."

"I'll go find my room," you muttered, wanting nothing but to leave.

"Yeah, I'll do the same! I'll see you at the assembly."

He gave you both a look but didn't insist on it. "All right," he sighed, giving you back your bag.

"Thank you," you smiled as you and Kitty change directions, now walking towards the girls dormitories.

"You saved me, there," Kitty thanked you.

"Saved us both, you mean," you corrected.

"Right, I keep forgetting. It's just, it was going so well between you two. It's still surreal to me that it didn't work out."

You scoffed. "Blame Min Ho for that."

"I just wish you didn't have to go through this alone."

"I'm fine, I promise," you lied, though she probably could tell you were hiding your pain.

"If you need anything, my door is always open! Speaking of..." she said as you arrived at her dorm.

As soon as she tapped her key card on the sensor, the door flew open, revealing Yuri in all of her glory. You quickly put two and two together, concluding this was also your dorm and that you would share it with Kitty, Yuri and Juliana. That's something you were comfortable with. As for Kitty, her face told you she didn't have the same thoughts as you.

"Kitty, I missed you so much!" Yuri exclaimed, hugging her tightly at the same time. "And Y/N!" she said, hugging you too. "You've been sobbing on your own for too long. I was starting to think you wouldn't show up."

You laughed slightly. "It's good to see you, Yuri."

She went for another hug with Kitty, who told her she missed her just the same while her face remained as shocked.

"I thought about you all break, and I was so excited you were coming back," Yuri said.

"Me too," Kitty answered. "And I only got to come back because of you."

"And now," she started, looking at the two of you. "We get to live together?" she said with amazement, earning a confused look frim Kitty.

"What? I signed up for a single. There must be a mistake."

"This is not a mistake. This is fate," Yuri affirmed with conviction.

"What's that about fate?" someone behind Yuri, who could only be Juliana, asked.

"Hey, Kitty. I'm Juliana. Oh, hey, Y/N'" she waved at you before focusing back on Kitty. "It's nice to finally met the girl that helped me and Yuri get back together."

Yuri agreed happily. "Can you believe this? The four of us are roomates? A dream come true. Especially with you," she nudged your arm. "It'll do you some good, I promise."

"Thanks, Yuri," you said gratefully. "Shall we come in?"

"Oh my, yes, of course!" Yuri exclaimed before making way for you and Kitty to come inside.

The dorm was slightly different than last year. While all the furniture looked rather similar, the arrangement of the rooms were different. There was a room with two beds, which was obviously taken by the couple given their clothes were already in the process of being transferred into the closets. The other room had a bunk bed and a single on on the other side of the room. With the number of students increasing each year, it made sense that the room had an additional resident.

As you settled slowly but surely, you all refrouped around the kitchen counter, taking the moment to, again, rejoice about your reunion.

"Wow! This... I didn't... Wow!" Kitty stammered and it took everything in you to not react to her clumsy behaviour

"I think Kitty's at a loss for words," Juliana chuckled and you allowed yourself to copy her.

"I had no idea you were staying on campus this semester," Kitty said to Yuri.

"Oh. Last-minute decision. I had to get out of my parents' place," she sighed, pouring herself some tea in the process. "Bad vibes there... They're getting divorced."

"What?" Kitty exclaimed.

You made your way around the kitchen counter, putting your hand on your friend's shoulder. "I'm so sorry! You should have told me, I would have been there for you."

She shrugged. "It's fine, you weren't exactly able to help be with it, anyway... Honestly, it should have happened years ago. Now, my mom's in Thailand, off the grid at some wellness center, rejuvenating."

There was a small knot forming in your guts as the guilt for not being as available as usual spread in you. Nonetheless, she did send a smirk your way as to show she wasn't that mad. A relief.

"But let's talk about how much fun we're gonna have living together! I can't wait for you three to get to know each other." she said enthusiastically before turning to her girlfriend.

Kitty's emotions were very clear in her face. Panic, discomfort, and hurt. To save her from making it even more obvious to the girls about her crush, you nudged her arm which seemed to bring her back from her headspace.

"Hello?" a voice called out at the entrance. Seconds later, a girl walked in, bringing with her a few suitcases. "Hi, I'm Stella. Stella Cho. Give me one second... This place is like twelve times bigger than my old school," she muttered as she caught her breath.

You exchanged looks with Kitty before focusing back on the girl.

"And, here is the last roomate," you greeted her kindly. "I'm Y/N. And this is Juliana, her girlfriend Yuri-"

"Wow," she breathed out, looking at the couple. "They let you guys live together?"

Yuri shook her head. "They don't know. If they did, they wouldn't let us live together."

"And there's a rumor going around that they're implementing room checks every single night, so we have to be extra careful," Juliana added.

"Well, my lips are sealed!"

"Oh, and I'm Kitty," your friend pitched in. "You can bunk with me and Y/N."

"Oh, cool! Um, can one of you show me how to get to the administration office? I still have to register‐"

"Yes, I can show you. Right now," Kitty offered, a bit too fast in your opinion. "If you don't sign up ASAP, you'll end up with the worst professors, so let's go."

"Wait, wait," Yuri stopped them."Before you go, we are planning a fun group barbecue dinner tonight, on me. Are you guys in? 7:00 p.m.?"

"Of course I'm in," you cheered.

Stella's eyes grew bigger, so did her smile. "Are you kidding? I would love that."

"Uh..." Kitty started and you knew it would be, yet, another poor attempt at excusing herself. "Dang. I wish I could, but I promised my sisters that I would FaceTime them and tell them about the first day back, so..."

Juliana's eyebrow went up. "Won't it be like 2:00 a.m. in Portland?"

Kitty smiled awkwardly. "Indeed, it will be. Yes. Good point. Well, I'm... I'm in. " She turned to Stella, pushing her towards the door. "Let's leave right now."

"They're in," Juliana repeated before walking up to the refrigerator.

Yuri gave you a look. "Is she okay?"

You shrugged. "Kitty? She's always like that."

"I guess I just forgot. She didn't exactly reach out to me during the break. Speaking of which, you also sort of disappeared after the break up."

Your shoulders dropped. "I don't want to get into it."

"You've been saying this for a month! I really think talking about what happened to a friend will help you deal with your emotions."

Something you noticed since the previous semester was that you struggled much more with opening up than you thought. With Min Ho, you started to think you could finally reveal yourself fully to people. However, he quickly made you move three steps back from the improvement you made. Especially in terms of your parents.

"He cheated?"

A small laugh left your lips. "He did not. He... He crashed out, basically."

"In English, please! I want to help too," Juliana joined in, already chewing her granola bar.

You took a deep breath before jumping into the story of how things unfolded. "The first two or three days were fine. I was mostly staying at the house, to be honest. Min Ho was out clubbing, that night. I didn't go, I was too tired. His mom had just left for some meeting and she still wasn't back. Anyway, when he got back, I don't know what took over him. He said some unclear stuff about me ruining everything." You stopped for a second to recollect your emotions as you felt the tears at the brim of your eyes. "He blamed me for his mom leaving him again. When I tried to resonate with him, he burst out by saying I couldn't understand him since I didn't have parents."

Yuri took your hand, rubbing the top of it with her thumb. "Y/N, I'm so sorry."

"I didn't even wait until morning to leave. I packed, booked a last-minute flight, and left." You paused. "What hurt the most is that he didn't even apologize. And he didn't try to stop me from leaving. It's like he had no remorse."

"It's Min Ho," Juliana said. "He has no consideration for people other than himself."

"I would argue with that," Yuri disagreed. "But yes, this was a dick move."

You could feel your breath get caught in your throat, which was a sign for you to stop talking about it. "Anyway, should we go to the assembly? We wouldn't want to be late."

And with that, you picked up your purse and headed straight out of the dorm, leaving the two girls with nothing but worry about you.

"Students, please take your seats so we can begin!" Principal Lim spoke up on stage, waiting a few seconds for students to quiet down. "Thank you. Students, faculty, and distinguished board of directors, welcome to spring semester at the Korean Independent School of Seoul..."

"How long is this going to last?" Juliana whined.

"Knowing him, hours probably," you answered only to be responded by a groan. "Complain all you want but I haven't seen the one person I'm avoiding, so I'm pretty glad we're in it for hours."

"You're unbelievable."

"I'd take this over facing Min Ho any day."

Yuri sent a look your way. "You do know you will have to face him one way or another, right?"

"And I'll do everything to push that moment as far as I can."

"Well..."

You knew that tone too well. "Yuri," you said in a warning voice.

"He'll be there tonight..."

"Yuri," you repeated, a bit louder this time.

"I didn't know he was that much of a jerk to you!"

You crossed your arms on your chest, not wanting to continue this conversation. It was evident that what happened would affect the friend group. You just didn't expect it to be so soon. And, of course, who were you to make your friends choose between Min Ho and you? After all, you hadn't reacted so well to Min Ho's outburst. As much as he insulted you, you had your fair share of names you called him: spoiled, entitled, narcissist, obnoxious, fake... You hadn't been much of an angel either.

"Moving on to point number four," Lee continued as you focused back on his announcement. "Nightly curfew checks for all dormitory students."

Your two friends grunted at the statement, rolling their eyes as well. Their annoyance did not last long as club music began to blast within the entire auditorium before the lights shut off. The doors suddenly flew open revealing Young Moon, also famously known as your ex-boyfriend's father. With back up dancers following him, he trotted all the way to the stage with a confidence that Min Ho definitely inherited. An entrance that was television worthy let's say.

"Are you ready, Korean Independent School of Seoul?"

Choreography, flashy smiles, interaction with the crowd... You were starting to wonder if you were at school or at a concert for a second. A few more dance moves, and the music finally died down, leaving a stressed Principal Lee on stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Mr. Moon spoke in the microphone. "It is time to shoot for the moon and..."

"Lang amongst the stars!" the majority of the students continued in shouts.

"You heard it here first," he kept talking. "Moon Management is launching a performing arts program that will make your school the envy of the entire world. And just maybe one of you will be my next superstar."

The crowd cheered once more. Meanwhile, to say you were thrilled would be a lie. Min Ho told you how his father really was. This, it was for show and show only. Looking around at the students who were screaming still, your heart stopped when you saw him again, leaning on a wall at the back of the room. His face had no expression, meaning he was deeply unimpressed with how his father was acting on the other side of the auditorium. He hadn't changed much, you noticed. His hair still fell perfectly on his face; his jawline was still sharper than a knife; his lips seemed even softer than you remembered it... You looked elsewhere before your body would do something out of your control, like walk up to him.

"I'm thinking this blazer," Kitty showed you.

"Cute," you smiled.

Stella, for her part, took a crocheted sweater out of her suitcase. "And I think this is cute, no?"

"With the dress, it's perfect," you approved but Stella could only frown.

"Are you not coming?"

You shrugged. "I don't know. It's been a pretty long day."

Your friend, stubborn like she is, shook her head in disapproval before pulling out a knitted cropped shirt with elongated black pants from the drawer you had previously filled that morning. "You're coming with us, and you're wearing this."

"I love you, and I like your enthusiasm, but no."

"Y/N, it's my second chance at studying here. If I can finally be with all my friends again on the first day, I want you there with me. It won't be the same otherwise."

Her little pouty face was enough for you to suck it up and agree to come along.

An hour later, and the five roommates were walking together to the barbecue restaurant that Yuri picked out. In the end, Kitty was right and taking some fresh air with your friends was probably what you needed. And so what if you met Min Ho? You could always ignore him.

"Kitty!"

All of your eyes turned to the voice and you found Dae. As sweet-looking as he is, he happily hugged Kitty before finally seeing you were there too, embracing you as well.

"It's so good to see you," Kitty exclaimed, all giddy and shit. "I'm so sorry we didn't get a chance to talk earlier."

"Right, speaking of which..." he started and then turned to you. "Can you do me a favor?"

"Me?" you asked, mostly surprised.

"I know I'm asking a lot of you, but can you talk to Min Ho?"

"Dae-"

"He's mad that his dad is here, but I feel like he's also upset about... you know. I think he wants to go over what happened with you, but he's not brave enough to do so. Besides, I feel like he is still upset because of me. I went a bit crazy accusing him and I hate thinking it might have ruined our, but also your relationship."

"You had nothing to do with it, I promise. And..." You stopped to glance at him for a moment. "I'll talk to him."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

Him and Kitty didn't waste a second to leave you some space as they joined your other friends who were already chatting in front of the restaurant's door. You broke your focus on them to bring it to the back of Min Ho's head. Fiddling with your fingers, you hesitated. But then, you couldn't let Dae down. And maybe you couldn't let yourself get away from the opportunity to speak on the fact.

"Min Ho!"

As soon as he turned around, it was that same feeling you'd been having every time you saw his face today. As much as you wanted to hate him, you couldn't. Not only that, but his perfect features reminded of better days, something you were still secretly holding onto.

"Walk with me?"

As soon as the words left your mouth, a small smile appeared on his face. Silently, he left the others to join your side and you began to stroll around mindlessly. It reminded you a little too much of other nights like these. You hoped he could see how much energy you were putting into not accidentally grabbing his hand.

"I-" he tried to say but stopped himself. "When you left, there was this voice in my head telling me to go after you."

"But you didn't."

He let a breath out. "I didn't think you'd want to talk after-"

"I know," you exhaled. "But I wanted you to. And when you didn't even try to stop me, let alone apologize, it... It broke my heart ten times more."

"I don't want to hear it... How much I hurt you, I mean. I was an idiot, I was drunk, and I was mad at life."

"As you always are, just saying."

He rolled his eyes but you both found the humor in it as small smiles appeared on your faces. "I'm truly sorry about what I said. I did not mean any of it."

"And I'm sorry for accusing you of being things that you aren't. Clearly, I was mad at life too."

"You were mad at me," he corrected.

"That's what I'm saying, yeah."

A blush appeared on his cheeks. Oh, how much you missed having this much effect on him.

"I'm not saying I want this to-"

"Of course not-"

"I still think you're an ass."

"And I still think you're annoying."

"It was a way for the universe to tell us this was not worth it."

"Yeah, who were we to think it would work out in the first place?"

"We were idiots."

"Yeah."

A silence settled between the two of you. For a minute or so, neither looked at each other and you even thought he didn't allow himself to breathe so he wouldn't make a sound. Finally, you decided to speak up.

"But you did smile," you said in the smallest voice possible.

"I'm sorry?" he leaned down to hear you better.

"When I implied just now that you were my life, you smiled. So, why did you if you supposedly believe we were stupid to think we were a match?" you asked in a challenging voice.

You could see in his eyes that it awoke something in him, a playful side of him that you hadn't seen in what felt like years.

"That was a grimace, puppy."

You shut your eyes in annoyance. "Oh gosh, you're still as much of a dick as I remember."

He smirked. "You remember my dick, uh?"

"Moon Min Ho, I swear to God, I will-"

"Guys?" You fucking thanked Dae mentally. "Our table's ready." He looked between you two, unsure if your conversation had turned on the negative or positive side. "All good?"

"Yeah," Min Ho answered. "Just telling Y/N how happy I am I won't have to be her servant by making her coffee every morning again."

You shook your head in disapproval. "Hmm, and I was telling him how great it is to not be living with a control freak who protects his skin care products like it's his children."

Dae laughed, seeing it was pure harmless bickering. "I see."

He went in, and the two of you followed behind closely. Yuri made the reservation, meaning there was more than enough room to fit the entire group. You were about 10 people in total and, in all honesty, it felt great to not be alone for once. Sure, one of the people was your ex, but at least you cleared the air a bit. As you sat down, you introduced Stella to Min Ho, figuring she would appreciate not getting left out for being the new girl. The three of you chattered for a while and it was incredible to you how you were so at ease with Min Ho around compared to earlier that day.

Yuri then made a toast, stopping everyone from talking. "Thank you for coming, everyone. I hope you all had a great break. Mine was kind of a mixed bag, to be honest." All of your breaks were one hell of a ride, you thought. " But the thing that kept me going was knowing that, no matter how messed up my family is, and they can be very very messed up..." This earned a mutual chuckle. "They're not my only family. I made a little family of my own here last semester. So this dinner is really to say thank you to all of you here. Cheers!"

You collectively clang your glasses together, and it took you no time to dig in your plates. You hadn't had bibimbap in a while so you didn't stop yourself from stuffing your mouth.

"Want mine?" Min Ho offered, almost in a mocking way.

"You've seen me in worse states," you grumbled, food still in your mouth.

"No really," he insisted, putting the one he grabbed for himself in front of you. "Take it."

"Y/N?"

Your head shot from your phone to Stella. "Oh, hey Stella! What's up?"

"I noticed how you tried to make me feel included with introducing to people, like Min Ho. You two are friends, right?"

"More or less..." you answered carefully, unsure on where this was going.

She took a step closer, eyes on the floor. "Well, I think he's really cute, and we were talking a lot at dinner and... I think I'm gonna ask him out!"

taglist: @melonshifts | @nanaspalette | @soobin-chois | @lenilla15  | @purplelandsworld | @smugrogerina | @jaehyunicecream | @thesassy-mia | @chaotic-world-of-the-j | @classicroyalty | @kpopsstuffs | @tinyelfperson | @yukichan67  | @moonminji | @sweetbokji | @walkietalkie333

Copyright © 2025 skzhua. All rights reserved.

[mapis-putellas]

𝑱𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔/𝑳.𝑾ä𝒍𝒕𝒊

Lia tried not to let it bother her. Really, she did. But every time she watched Grace orbit around you like a lovesick puppy, it made her jaw clench just a little tighter.

It had started innocently enough when Grace joined the team. A new centre-back to partner you in Leah’s absence, someone young, eager, and determined to prove herself. That was fine. Good, even. Lia wanted Arsenal to be strong. She wanted you to have a solid partnership at the back. But then it became obvious that Grace’s admiration for you wasn’t just about football.

It was the way she always stood a little too close. The way she laughed at things you said that weren’t even remotely funny. The way she miraculously ended up next to you at every meal, every gym session, every bus ride. The way she touched your arm during conversations, like she had any right.

And you? You didn’t even notice. Completely and utterly oblivious.

It was actually Beth who called it first, nudging Lia during training one afternoon as you and Grace ran through defensive drills together.

“Someone’s got a little crush,” Beth murmured, smirking.

Lia huffed. “Ja. I noticed.”

Beth snorted. “Reckon you should be worried?”

Lia shot her a glare. “No.”

Beth laughed. “Alright, alright. Just checking.”

Later, in the changing room, Lia let out a frustrated sigh, flopping onto the bench next to Leah. “She follows her everywhere.”

Leah, busy untying her boots, glanced up. “Grace?”

Lia rolled her eyes. “Of course, Grace.”

Leah chuckled, shaking her head. “Mate, you’ve got nothing to worry about.”

Beth, sitting across from them, leaned forward. “She’s right. That one only has eyes for you.”

Lia groaned. “I know, I know. But it is still annoying. She touches her all the time. And she laughs too much.”

Beth grinned. “Laughs too much?”

“Yes,” Lia huffed. “She is not that funny.” You were, but only she was allowed to laugh at your jokes.

Leah patted Lia’s knee. “You’re cute when you’re jealous.”

Lia scowled. “I am not jealous.”

“Of course not,” Beth said, grinning. “You’re just… passionately observant.”

Lia muttered something in German under her breath that made Beth burst out laughing.

*

Then came match day. It was a tough game, one where you’d been throwing your body into challenges left and right, unwilling to let anything past you. Lia had always admired that about you, the way you played with so much heart. But sometimes, your bravery made her stomach twist with worry.

And then it happened.

One bad landing. One sickening crack.

Lia’s heart stopped as you crumpled to the ground, clutching your ankle. She was up off the bench in an instant, watching as the medics ran onto the pitch. Your face was contorted in pain, and Lia could see the way you were trying not to cry.

“Scheisse,” Lia muttered, pressing her hands to her temples.

Beth was next to her, squeezing her arm. “She’ll be okay.”

Lia barely heard her. All she could do was watch as you were stretchered off, disappearing down the tunnel.

The rest of the match was a blur. Arsenal won, but Lia couldn’t have cared less. The second the final whistle blew, she was up, grabbing her stuff and heading straight for the hospital.

She wasn’t the only one with that idea.

When she arrived, still in her training gear, she was met with an unwelcome sight; Grace. Sitting at your bedside like she belonged there, her hand dangerously close to yours.

Lia’s hands clenched into fists. She took a deep breath, forcing herself to stay calm. Then she stepped into the room.

Just as she did, your eyes fluttered open, hazy from the pain meds, and Lia’s heart clenched at how small you looked in the hospital bed. But before she could say anything, your voice, slurred and dreamy, broke the silence.

“Lia?”

Grace stiffened. Lia smirked.

“Ja, schatz,” she murmured, stepping forward.

You turned your head toward the sound of her voice, your pupils blown wide. Then you grinned, reaching out clumsily. “Hi baby cakes.”

Lia’s brows shot up, and Beth would never let her live down the way her ears went pink.

Grace looked like she’d swallowed a lemon. “I-I just came to check on her.”

Lia crossed her arms. “No need. I am here now.”

Grace swallowed. “I was just-“

“You need to stop,” Lia cut in, her tone sharp. “She is taken. And you need to stop following her around like a lost puppy.”

Grace’s face went red, her mouth opening and closing like she wanted to argue but couldn’t find the words. Lia didn’t give her the chance.

“She is mine,” Lia said, her accent thick with emotion. “And she does not even see you like that.”

Grace exhaled sharply, looking away. After a long moment, she muttered, “I’m sorry,” before quickly excusing herself from the room.

Lia barely spared her a glance, already turning her attention back to you. You, meanwhile, were still grinning at her like she was the best thing you’d ever seen.

“Sexy Swiss,” you whispered, giggling.

Lia sighed, sitting carefully on the edge of the bed. “How much pain medicine did they give you?”

You blinked at her. “Dunno.” Then, suddenly, your eyes filled with tears. “I missed you.”

Lia softened instantly. She reached out, brushing your hair back gently. “I am here now, liebling.”

You sniffled, reaching for her clumsily. “C’mere.”

Lia chuckled, carefully shifting and leaning down so you could wrap your arms around her. You clung to her like she was your lifeline, mumbling something about how good she smelled as you buried your face into her neck.

She pressed a soft kiss to your temple, her heart full. “Ich liebe dich,” she whispered.

You hummed, already half-asleep again. “Love you too, sexy Swiss.”

*

Tags:

@ceesimz @marysfics @girlgenius1111 @codiemarin @simp4panos @silentwolfsstuff @goldenempyrean @xxnaiaxx @liloandstitchstan @ktgoodmorning @chelseacult

[daryltwdixon]

Summary: fluffy, domestic grumpy Joel drabble—he finds you after a trail ride with Ellie, acting all huffy like you were gone for days instead of a few hours. But for all his grumbling, he can’t seem to keep his hands off you, sneaking in every touch he can while you untack your horse.

I had this dream last night and after getting done with my morning shift at the barn (yes im a tried and true horse girl) I had to get home to write it asap. I really hope you guys don't mind my random stream of consciousness fluff ideas because I don't plan on stopping

The sun was dipping behind the mountains when you and Ellie rode back into Jackson, the warm glow stretching long shadows across the main road. The ride had been good—brisk air, the scent of pine, the rhythmic drum of hooves against the dirt. Ellie had been chatty, as always, rambling about how she totally could’ve shot that deer quicker if you’d just let her.

You laughed, nudging your horse forward as the gates swung open, and right there—like he had been waiting, though he’d never admit it—was Joel.

His arms were crossed, his mouth set in that usual line of perpetual disapproval, but the second his eyes landed on you, something softened. It was quick, a flash of warmth before he scowled at Ellie instead. “Took you long enough,” he grumbled.

Ellie huffed as she swung off her horse. “We weren’t exactly in a hurry, old man.”

“Obviously,” he muttered, though his gaze flicked back to you, sweeping over you like he was checking for any sign of trouble.

You grinned as you slid off your horse, your boots hitting the ground. Before you could even brush the dust off your pants, Joel was there, his hands bracketing your waist as he pulled you in. His lips pressed firm against yours, warm, familiar, and entirely unapologetic despite the fact that Ellie was loudly gagging in the background.

“Oh my God, can you guys not?” she groaned, dragging her horse toward the stables.

Joel ignored her, his thumb tracing along your cheek as he reluctantly pulled away, his voice gruff but low just for you. “Go get cleaned up. I got the horse.”

You tilted your head at him with a teasing smile pulling at your lips. “I'm perfectly capable to untack my own horse,”

Joel exhaled through his nose, already shaking his head. “Never said you weren't.”

“But I want to.” You met his gaze, steady and unwavering, knowing exactly how this would go.

He held your stare, jaw ticking, that stubborn streak flaring like he was about to tell you to get your ass home. But you saw it—the way his resolve crumbled almost immediately. Joel never really fought you on anything, not when you looked at him like that, not when he’d do just about anything to make you happy.

With a sigh, he muttered, “Stubborn woman,” before stepping back and nodding toward the stable. “Fine. But you brush 'em down. My back ain't gonna put up with that tonight.”

You beamed, looping your arm through his as you led your horse inside, and though he grumbled about how he was too old for this, you saw the way his fingers lingered against yours, like he had missed you the entire time you were gone.

The scent of hay and leather wrapped around you like something familiar and safe as you entered the stables with your horse in tow. Ellie was already tending to Shimmer, loudly talking about how next time she’d take you to a cool spot by the creek she found, but you weren’t paying her much mind. Joel was right behind you, keeping close, as if he still wasn’t convinced you’d made it back in one piece.

You pulled your saddle off and hoisted it over the railing, rolling your shoulders to ease the weight. Joel moved beside you, unclipping the bridle from your horse, his touch careful as he slipped the worn leather over her ears. “Good boy,” he muttered under his breath, rubbing a rough palm against the gelding’s neck. His hand brushed against yours as he stepped past, slow and deliberate, like he was making sure you felt it.

It was such a small touch, but it sent warmth curling up your spine.

“You do the brushin',” he murmured, voice low beside you. “I’ll put this away.”

You huffed a soft laugh. “Delegating, huh?”

“Yeah,” he said, deadpan, though the corner of his mouth twitched. “Gotta keep you in line somehow.”

You shot him an unimpressed look. “Oh, that’s what this is? You think you’re in charge?”

Joel gave a low huff, shaking his head as he passed behind you, his hand dragging slow along your waist. “Ain’t no thinkin’ about it, sweetheart.”

You smirked, brushing your horse with a little extra purpose. “Mm-hmm. Keep telling yourself that, Miller.”

That earned you a sharp look, but it didn’t have a single ounce of bite. He moved past you, close enough that his palm landed at your lower back, just for a moment, a quick press of warmth before he was gone. Always touching, always making sure you were there, close enough to reach.

You picked up the brush and started working through your horse’s coat, sweeping in long, even strokes while it grazed on its hay. Joel returned a moment later, settling in the stall, already working the leather cleaner into the seat of the saddle on the railing. But every time you passed near him—every time you shifted to reach another spot—his hands found you. A steadying palm on your hip. A slow drag along the small of your back. Fingers curling at your elbow, thumb smoothing over the inside of your wrist. You wondered if he was even trying to help or just wanted to stare.

“Y’know,” you mused, keeping your tone casual even as heat bloomed under every touch, “you could help.”

“I am helpin’,” he said, completely serious. “Cleanin' yer damn tack. Supervisin’.”

You shot him a look. “Uh-huh.”

Joel exhaled a slow breath, like you were really putting him through it, and finally relented. He stepped behind you, so close his chest pressed against your back as he reached around you to grab another brush. Instead of moving away, he stayed there, caging you in with warm, steady hands.

“Like this,” he murmured, guiding your hand with his own, their weight pressing down together against the horse’s coat.

You swallowed hard, heart knocking against your ribs. “You think I don’t know how to brush a horse, Miller?”

He smirked, his breath warm against the side of your face. “Just makin’ sure.”

You scoffed, but your voice came out softer than you meant it to. He was teasing you, but you could feel the way he lingered, the way he soaked up every second of being this close, like he’d been waiting for it.

Ellie made a disgusted noise from across the aisle. “Are you guys seriously flirting while brushing a horse?”

Joel barely even glanced her way. “Go home, Ellie.”

She groaned, muttering something about old people being gross as she grabbed her stuff and left. But you barely noticed. Joel’s hand was still over yours, fingers brushing slow circles into your skin, like he had no intention of letting go.

“You miss me that much?” you teased, leaning into him just a little.

Joel grunted, pressing a kiss against the top of your head before stepping away to put the brush back. “Every damn minute.”

Your stomach flipped at that, at the gruff honesty of it, no hesitation in his voice. You watched as he opened the stall door, letting your horse into the pasture for the night, his movements slow, easy—so at home here, so at home with you.

When he turned back, his hand slipped around your waist, pulling you gently from the stall. “C’mon, sweetheart,” he murmured, his voice softer now. “Let’s go eat.”

You exhaled with a smile, warmth curling through your chest. “Fine. I’m starved.” You hesitated for just a second, then reached for his hand, fingers slotting between his as you squeezed. “And, Joel?”

He glanced down at you, his grip instinctively tightening. “Yeah?”

Your smile turned softer, quieter. “I missed you too.”

Joel didn’t say anything, but his hand slid from your waist up to the back of your neck, tilting your face up to lean into you. He kissed you slow, deliberate—like it wasn’t enough to just hear it, like he needed you to feel it. Needed to remind you, in the only way he really knew how, just how much you meant to him.

Joel Miller was never a man of many words, but the way he held you, the way he kissed you in moments like this...it said more than words ever could.

[cheeseatlantic]

ph my gyatt we having new simon bunny dad series request by yhe LOVELY bunnybeaches !!

BUNNY LOVE 1/6

You stepped into the living room, a carrier in your hands, your excitement barely contained. The fluffy little bunny inside had been a spur-of-the-moment decision at the shelter, and you couldn’t wait to introduce your new companion to Simon. You had no doubt he’d come around eventually; he just needed some time.

But when you set the carrier down on the floor, Simon immediately stiffened at the sight of it. He was sitting on the couch, his usual scowl deepening as his eyes flicked from the carrier to you.

“What’s that?” His voice was gruff, but you could hear the edge of annoyance already creeping in.

You grinned, crouching down to open the carrier. “Surprise!”

Out hopped your little bunny, a tiny, soft ball of fluff with the most adorable twitching nose. The rabbit sniffed around and hopped cautiously toward the carpet.

Simon’s eyes narrowed, and you could almost see the muscle in his jaw tighten. “You’re not serious,” he muttered.

You laughed, kneeling down to pet the bunny, who was now hopping around curiously, utterly unaware of the tension between you and Simon.

“Come on, Simon. Meet my new friend.” You smiled at Simon, teasing him gently. “She’s really sweet.”

“I don’t like rabbits,” he grumbled, crossing his arms and looking away like he couldn’t be bothered. “They’re too small. Too fragile. And they chew on everything. What if it ruins the furniture?”

You rolled your eyes, petting the bunny’s soft fur. “She’s not going to ruin anything, Simon. Relax.”

He sighed deeply, running a hand over his face. “Fine. But don’t expect me to—”

Before he could finish, the bunny scurried toward him, ears twitching as she hopped right up to his boots, her little nose sniffing his foot. Simon froze, staring at the rabbit like it might bite him.

Your grin widened. “I think she likes you.”

Simon’s lips tightened, but you could see a flicker of something softer in his eyes as he glanced down at the bunny. She was cute, and even Simon wasn’t immune to that kind of thing.

“No,” he muttered. “I’m not doing this.”

But as the bunny’s soft paws brushed against his boot again, he slowly crouched down—far slower than necessary—and gave the little creature a careful pet. His touch was light, hesitant at first, but as the bunny nuzzled into his hand, Simon’s scowl softened ever so slightly.

You caught the little glance he shot you from the corner of your eye—something that looked like guilt or reluctance. You raised an eyebrow, but didn’t say anything, watching as he tentatively pet the bunny again.

It didn’t take long for Simon’s resistance to crack.

By the next morning, you came downstairs to find the bunny happily snuggled on the couch with Simon. She was nestled against his chest, her soft little body rising and falling with every gentle breath he took. His large hand was cradling her, carefully stroking her fur, and for a moment, he looked completely relaxed—completely unbothered by the small, fluffy creature in his arms.

You couldn’t help the amused chuckle that escaped your lips.

“Are you… spoiling my rabbit?” you asked, leaning against the doorframe, crossing your arms.

Simon didn’t look up, but the slight flush creeping up his neck betrayed him. He cleared his throat, eyes flicking to you, still not acknowledging the bunny nestled in his lap. “She’s… she’s quiet,” he muttered. “Keeps to herself. Not as bad as I thought.”

You tilted your head, giving him a knowing smile. “I see, so it’s not that bad?”

“Mm,” he grunted, eyes shifting downward at the bunny’s twitching nose. “Not really.”

You raised an eyebrow, stepping into the room. “And you’re just… holding her because she’s quiet?”

“Yeah,” he said quickly, shifting his grip a little, but the softness in his movements told a different story. “She’s… well, she’s not so bad. Quiet and calm. Doesn’t bother me.”

The bunny gave a soft squeak, and Simon’s fingers immediately stilled. You caught the way his gaze softened as he continued to pet her, the stubbornness melting away more each time she nuzzled into his chest.

“Okay, but you’re not spoiling her, right?” You grinned, teasing him now that he was caught.

He glanced up at you again, his eyes hardening like he was trying to stay firm. “I’m not spoiling her,” he muttered, though his voice was softer than usual. “She’s just… easy to look after. Doesn’t demand much.”

You snorted, sitting beside him on the couch. “Right. Doesn’t demand much.” You glanced at the bunny, now snuggled up and completely at ease in his arms. “Seems to me like you’re doing the spoiling.”

Simon didn’t reply at first, and you almost thought you’d won when he finally grumbled, “She’s just… easier to look after than you sometimes.”

You raised an eyebrow, but before you could retort, he sighed, his grip tightening just a little around the bunny. “But don’t get used to this,” he added, trying to sound serious. “I’m not going to let her make me soft.”

You smirked, leaning in just a little closer. “Right. Sure...”

For a moment, you watched him, and you could see it—despite his attempts to hide it, the way his eyes softened each time the bunny nuzzled against him, the gentle way he petted her, even how he kept her in his lap like she was the most precious thing in the world.

“Simon,” you said softly, “you love her, don’t you?”

He shot you a quick, almost panicked look. “I—I don’t love her. She’s just… she’s quiet. Keeps to herself.”

You laughed, the sound light and teasing. “Sure, Si. Whatever you say.”

Simon huffed but didn’t argue. The truth was clear in the way he adored the bunny, even if he refused to admit it. And as you sat there beside him, watching him spoil her with every gentle pet and soft touch, you couldn’t help but smile.

Yeah, maybe your little bunny had won him over—and maybe, just maybe, Simon loved her more than he’d ever admit.

shoutout hophop for being the inspo everyone thank hophop

[grifffins]

🔮 The Fool’s Journey (Into Trouble) 🔮 | Ch. 5

Lilia Calderu x fem!reader

summary: A matchmaking event, a reckless plan, and a game that cuts a little too deep—because playing with fire always has consequences

wc: 8.3k (Chapter 5/?)

a/n: I'm reading all the reviews you're leaving, and it's filling me with so much joy, seriously, thank you so much! I promise I'll eventually get around to replying to them all, but for now, just know that I've seen them, I appreciate every single one, and they are absolutely fuelling me to get these chapters out faster. If I had to stare at this chapter any longer, I was genuinely going to throw myself off a cliff, so here it is before I lose my mind. I don’t know, I hope you like it!

And just a heads-up—ratings have officially gone up 🔥 y'all better handle this with care.

Ch. 4 ch. 6

also on ao3

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………

The next few weeks flew by in a blur of routine and mild frustration. I’d gotten used to maneuvering on crutches though not without my fair share of near-disasters and before long, I was downgraded to a boot. A clunky, annoying boot, but it was better than nothing. And now, I was almost out of it, counting down the days until I could finally move like a normal person again.

Lilia had been... Lilia. Ever present, always hovering just enough to make sure I wasn’t doing anything too reckless, but never crossing the line into anything that could be considered more. There were lingering touches, soft smiles, and the occasional meaningful glance, but nothing had really progressed.

And, honestly? That was fine.

Mostly.

Between the shop being surprisingly busy and my friends constantly roping me into their latest schemes, fundraisers, work drama, and questionable life choices. I barely had time to dwell on it. I liked keeping busy, helping where I could, and throwing myself into distraction after distraction. It was easier than thinking about how much I wanted Lilia but didn’t know how to move things forward.

Some days, it felt like we were stuck in this comfortable, frustrating limbo. We'd laugh, we’d bicker, we'd work side by side in the shop, but there was always this invisible line neither of us was willing to cross.

Still, things were good.

Lilia was still a mystery I was determined to solve, even if she sometimes acted like an impenetrable fortress. But there were moments, tiny cracks in the walls she put up. The way she’d refill my tea without asking, or how she’d linger at the end of my shift, pretending to read while really just making sure I got home safely. The way she’d watch me when she thought I wasn’t looking, like she was thinking about something.

And those moments? They were enough to keep me going. For now.

One afternoon, as I hobbled around the shop stocking shelves, I sighed dramatically. "Lilia, please, I cannot wait to be out of this boot. I feel like Frankenstein’s monster."

Lilia smirked from behind the counter, flipping through an old grimoire. "You only have to wait till this afternoon."

I shot her a glare. "Rude."

She chuckled, but there was that usual softness behind it, the kind that made my heart skip a little. "You'll be back to your reckless self soon enough. I'm sure I'll regret it."

I grinned. "Oh, you will. First thing I'm doing is dancing barefoot on the counter just to spite you."

Lilia rolled her eyes but didn't argue. Instead, she just said, "I'll keep the first aid kit ready."

I snorted, limping toward the register. "You should always have that thing on standby with me around."

"Trust me," she said dryly. "I do."

The bell above the shop door jingled, and before I could process it, Jen and Agatha waltzed in like they owned the place.

"Y/n!" Jen beamed. "Still hobbling around, I see."

Agatha leaned on the counter, eyeing Lilia with that devilish glint in her eye. "And, you're still under Lilia's watchful eye, huh?"

Lilia arched a brow. "You say that like it's a bad thing."

Jen smirked at me. "Oh, it's not a bad thing at all."

I groaned. "Guys, please."

Agatha ignored me, grinning. "Anyway, y/n, you up for helping me with something later?"

I sighed, already knowing I was about to get roped into something ridiculous. "What is it this time?"

Jen wiggled her brows. "Oh, you know, just a little... matchmaking event."

I blinked. "No."

Lilia, to my absolute horror, looked very interested. "Matchmaking?"

Agatha smirked. "Yeah. You in?"

Lilia, without missing a beat, looked directly at me and said, "I think y/n should go."

My jaw dropped. "What?!"

Lilia’s lips curled into that maddening smirk. "It could be... fun."

I groaned, slamming my head onto the counter. "I hate all of you."

Lilia just sipped her tea, looking far too pleased with herself. "You'll survive, baby."

“What exactly is a matchmaking event?”

Jen leaned against the counter, grinning like the devil she clearly was. "Oh, y/n," she purred, eyes sparkling with mischief. "A matchmaking event is exactly what it sounds like."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "And why, exactly, do you think I need to attend one?"

Agatha smirked, completely ignoring my very valid concern. "It's a charity event, actually. Think of it like speed dating, but fancier, cocktails, music, a little light mingling." She waved a hand dramatically. "People will bid on dates, there'll be matchmaking games, the whole romantic shebang."

I groaned. "You have to be kidding me."

Billy, who had apparently appeared out of thin air (or just snuck in without me noticing), clapped his hands together. "Oh no, she's not kidding, and I am so excited for this."

Lilia, who had been sipping her tea silently this whole time, finally spoke up, eyes fixed on me in that infuriatingly calm way she had. "I think it’s an excellent idea."

I gaped at her. "Et tu, Lilia?!"

She shrugged, setting her cup down with a smirk. "You did say you were bored."

Agatha nodded sagely. "Exactly! And what better way to pass the time than by meeting some... interesting people?"

I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "Oh my God, no. I am not getting auctioned off to the highest bidder like a damn prize goat."

Jen laughed. "Oh, come on. It’s for charity! Think of it as... networking."

Billy wiggled his brows. "With benefits."

Lilia quirked an eyebrow, but there was something sharp in her eyes now, something that made my stomach flip. "You never know, y/n," she said smoothly, "maybe you'll find someone... intriguing."

I stared at her, heat rising to my cheeks. Was she actually encouraging this?

I pointed an accusing finger at the coven. "You’re all just doing this to watch me suffer, aren’t you?"

Agatha grinned. "Absolutely."

Billy winked. "One hundred percent."

Jen shrugged. "You should be used to it by now."

I sighed, sinking onto the nearest chair. "This is actually my worst nightmare."

Lilia, standing far too composed and far too smug, leaned against the counter. "You'll do fine, baby."

And the way she said it, soft, teasing, but with just enough of an edge, made me wonder if she was enjoying this a little too much.

I stared at Lilia for a long moment, watching the way she casually sipped her tea, completely unbothered by the absolute chaos the coven was throwing at me. Mixed signals? Oh, she was full of them. She’d spent weeks hovering, making sure I didn’t overdo it, looking after me with a quiet protectiveness, and now she was totally fine with me flirting with other people?

Okay, Lilia.

Fine. If she wanted to play it cool, I could play it colder.

With a wicked smirk, I crossed my arms and leaned back into my chair. "Alright," I said, shrugging. "I'll do it."

The coven exploded.

"YES!" Billy practically fist-pumped.

Jen beamed. "Oh, this is going to be so good."

Agatha cackled. "I knew you'd come around."

But I didn’t take my eyes off Lilia, watching for any flicker of emotion behind that carefully composed exterior of hers. She raised a brow, looking mildly impressed but ultimately unfazed. “Good for you,” she said, nodding. “You’ll enjoy yourself.”

I wanted to scream.

Instead, I smiled sweetly. “Yeah, maybe I’ll meet someone intriguing, like you said.”

Lilia’s lips twitched, but she didn’t rise to the bait. “Perhaps.”

Ugh.

I was going to do this. Not because I wanted to, but because if Lilia was going to keep up this whole mysterious and unattainable older woman thing, then I was going to make her watch me flirt with someone else.

By the time I got back from the hospital that evening, boot-free and feeling like I had reclaimed my dignity, I was on a mission.

I went all out.

I pulled out one of my best dresses, the kind that hugged in all the right places, paired it with strappy low heels— I wasn’t about to push my luck after just recovering from a broken leg — and topped it all off with red lipstick. My hair was styled to perfection. 

I looked in the mirror and grinned. Damn, I missed dressing up.

Before I left, I snapped a quick selfie and sent it to the group chat.

Me: Ready to break hearts tonight.

Billy responded instantly.

Billy: BABE. I AM DEAD.

Jen: GIRL, THEY WON'T SURVIVE YOU.

Agatha: Show Lilia. Right now.

I rolled my eyes, typing back.

Me: No way. Let her suffer.

I grabbed my clutch, took one last glance in the mirror, and smirked.

Lilia Calderu had no idea what she was in for.

I arrived at the venue, the heels clicking confidently against the pavement as I made my way inside. The place was fancier than I expected, soft lighting, elegant decor, and the kind of crowd that screamed money meets desperation.

I spotted Agatha immediately, standing near the bar with a drink in hand, watching me approach with an impressed smirk. Her eyes swept over me from head to toe, and she let out a low whistle. “Damn, y/n. If I weren’t rooting for Lilia, I’d bid on you myself.”

I rolled my eyes, planting myself in front of her. “Alright, what do I need to do?” I asked, folding my arms.

Agatha grinned wickedly. “Eager, are we?”

I sighed, eyeing the bustling room. “Let’s just say I’ve been encouraged.”

She chuckled, handing me a glass of champagne like she hadn’t practically dragged me here. “Alright, here’s how it works. There are three... let’s call them options.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Go on.”

Agatha held up a perfectly manicured finger. “Option one—the bidding auction. People bid for a date with you.”

I groaned. “Hard pass.”

Ignoring me, she lifted a second finger. “Option two—the matchmaking questionnaire. You fill it out, they set you up with someone they think is compatible.”

I stared at her. “Do I look like someone who’s here for a deep connection?”

Agatha smirked. “No, you look like someone here to make a certain divination witch jealous as hell.”

I didn’t deny it. “And option three?”

Agatha smirked, holding up the final finger. “And then there’s option three... mingling, flirting, working the room.” She gestured grandly at the crowd. “And, honestly, that’s where you shine.”

I sighed, taking a slow sip of champagne. “And which one exactly do you want me to do?”

Agatha’s grin stretched impossibly wider. “Oh, baby, I didn’t bring you here to find your soulmate.” She winked. “I brought you here to make Lilia Calderu jealous as hell. So, option three it is.”

I arched a brow. “And if she doesn’t show up?”

Agatha shrugged. “Then at least you’ll have some fun and free champagne.”

I sighed, finishing my drink. “Fine. Let’s do this.”

Agatha grinned, looping her arm through mine. “That’s the spirit. Now, go mingle. And remember, eye contact, light touches, and laugh at everything.”

I groaned but let her pull me toward the crowd. This was going to be... interesting.

I took a deep breath, rolling my shoulders back and putting on my most dazzling smile. If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right.

Armed with another glass of champagne and Agatha’s ridiculous advice bouncing around in my head, I stepped into the crowd, letting myself glide from conversation to conversation. I laughed, I touched arms lightly, I made just enough eye contact to keep people interested without giving too much away.

And through it all, one thought lingered in the back of my mind.

Please show up, Lilia.

I scanned the room subtly, pretending to be fully invested in whatever some guy in a ridiculous suit was rambling about, but my heart wasn’t in it. I could feel the absence of her. Could feel the weight of her not being here.

The evening dragged on, and despite the flattering attention I was getting, more than I knew what to do with, there was an ache in my chest that wouldn’t quite go away.

I found myself standing near a group of women, effortlessly charming my way through another conversation, when I caught myself staring toward the entrance for the millionth time.

Nothing.

I sighed internally, feeling my excitement wane just a little.

But just as I turned back to my conversation, I caught a shift in the air. A presence.

And then I saw her.

Lilia Calderu, standing in the doorway like she owned the place, dressed in a simple but devastatingly effective black dress, nothing overly elegant, just effortlessly put together, the fabric skimming her figure in a way that made my mouth go dry. Her dark curls were loosely pinned up, a few strands escaping to frame her face, and those brown eyes of hers scanned the room with sharp intent, missing nothing.

My heart stopped.

She looked... incredible.

Her gaze locked onto me almost instantly, and I saw the way her eyes flickered over my dress, my posture, the easy way I was leaning against the table with a glass of champagne in hand and a smile that may have been a little too smug.

For a second, I thought she might turn around and leave, but instead, she walked in with the kind of calm, deliberate grace that made my stomach twist into knots.

Agatha, appearing by my side out of nowhere, whispered, “And there she is.”

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. “I thought she wasn’t coming.”

Agatha smirked. “She didn’t think she was coming. But then she realised she couldn’t let you have all the fun without her.”

I watched as Lilia made her way through the crowd, her expression unreadable, but her eyes, her eyes, never left me.

I forced myself to smirk, turning back to the group I was talking to, making a show of tossing my hair over my shoulder and laughing lightly at something someone said. But my heart was pounding.

Lilia Calderu was here. And she was watching me.

Game on.

I took a slow sip of my champagne, letting the bubbles fizz on my tongue as I kept my posture relaxed, my smile effortlessly charming. I could feel her gaze burning into me from across the room, sharp and assessing, but I didn’t look her way, not yet.

If she wanted to watch, I’d give her a damn show.

“So, y/n,” the woman beside me purred, leaning in just a little too close. “You never told me what you do for a living.”

I smiled, tilting my head coyly. “Oh, you know... a little bit of everything,” I said smoothly, trailing a finger along the rim of my glass. “Keeps life interesting.”

I swore I could hear Lilia’s scoff from across the room, and it took everything in me not to grin.

Agatha, who was lingering nearby, nudged me under the table with her foot. “Subtle,” she whispered, her tone practically dripping with glee. “She’s watching you like a hawk.”

I shrugged, pretending to be unaffected. “Let her.”

I felt her familiar presence before I even saw her. Lilia’s energy was intense, heavy and magnetic, drawing people in without her even trying. And then, just as I was laughing at something unremarkable, I saw her appear at the edge of my vision, standing beside the group with her arms crossed, a neutral expression on her face.

But her eyes? Her eyes told an entirely different story.

They flicked from the woman leaning too close to me, to my lips, and then, finally, locked onto mine.

I arched an eyebrow, feigning innocence. “Lilia,” I greeted, taking another slow sip. “Didn’t expect to see you here.”

She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving into that maddeningly subtle smirk. “Neither did I.”

Agatha, not missing a beat, grinned and chimed in. “Lilia! Finally decided to join the fun?”

Lilia’s gaze didn’t leave mine as she responded, “I suppose someone had to keep an eye on y/n.”

“Oh, I think I’m doing just fine on my own,” I shot back, playful but pointed.

Lilia’s lips twitched. “So I see.” Her gaze dragged over me, slowly, taking in every inch of my dress, my posture, the way I was standing just close enough to the woman next to me to imply interest.

I held her gaze, my heart racing. “You know, you could’ve just stayed home,” I teased, my voice dropping just a bit. “No need to check up on me.”

Lilia stepped closer, leaning in just enough that I could catch the faint scent of her perfume. “Maybe I just wanted to watch?”

I swallowed, my bravado slipping just slightly.

Agatha, watching the exchange like it was the best thing to ever happen to her, nudged me again and whispered, just for me to hear, “You’re losing, babe.”

I straightened up, regaining my composure, and smirked at Lilia. “Well, since you’re here... maybe I should introduce you to some people.” I gestured to the woman beside me, who looked suddenly very interested in this new development. “This is—”

But before I could finish, Lilia reached out, tucking a stray strand of hair behind my ear, her fingers lingering a second too long. The touch sent a shiver down my spine.

“Enjoy yourself, baby,” she murmured, her voice low and full of something I couldn’t quite place. “Don’t let me stop you.”

And with that, she stepped back, leaving me absolutely reeling.

Agatha burst into laughter. “Oh my God, she is so playing you.”

I clenched my jaw, staring at Lilia’s retreating figure as she casually wandered toward the bar, looking as cool and composed as ever.

Oh, hell no.

I was not about to let Lilia Calderu waltz in here, throw me off my game with a well-timed smirk and a touch that lingered just enough to make my brain short-circuit. If she thought she could walk away with the upper hand, she had another thing coming.

I plastered on my best grin and turned back to the woman next to me, who was still watching the whole exchange with keen interest. “Sorry about that,” I said smoothly, letting my fingers graze lightly over the rim of my glass. “Old friend.”

Lilia, who had just reached the bar, tilted her head slightly at my words, clearly listening in.

The woman smiled, intrigued. “Old friends who stare at you like they’d rather eat you alive?”

I laughed, but it wasn’t entirely fake. “She’s... complicated.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lilia's shoulders tense slightly. Gotcha.

Agatha, still lingering with a devilish glint in her eye, whispered in my ear, “Atta girl. Make her work for it.”

With renewed confidence, I turned my full attention to my current company, leaning in just enough to make it seem like I was entirely absorbed in our conversation. I laughed at all the right moments, let my hand casually brush against hers, and even threw in a little coy lip bite for good measure.

And Lilia saw every second of it.

I could practically feel her eyes on me, dark and heavy, her carefully composed façade slipping by degrees.

When I dared a glance her way, I caught her watching with that unreadable expression, cool, detached, but with a flicker of something darker beneath. Jealousy? Annoyance? I wasn’t sure, but I liked it.

Still, she didn’t approach.

Fine. If she wanted to play it that way, I’d push a little harder.

I tilted my head back, laughing at something the woman said, making sure my posture screamed confidence, my neck arched just enough to be noticeable. And then, as casually as I could manage, I said loudly enough for Lilia to hear, “You know, I was a little nervous about coming tonight, but... I think I’m really enjoying myself.”

From across the room, I saw Lilia’s grip tighten around her glass.

Agatha, ever the enabler, had appeared at the bar, bit back a grin and leaned against the bar near Lilia. “So, Lilia,” she said innocently, “what brings you here tonight? Surely not jealousy?”

Lilia’s eyes flickered with something sharp, but she simply took a sip of her drink, her voice smooth as silk. “Just making sure y/n doesn’t get herself into too much trouble.”

“Oh, I think she’s handling herself just fine,” Agatha teased, shooting me a wink.

I smirked, running a hand down my hip and throwing Lilia a pointed glance before turning back to my conversation.

But before I could say another word, Lilia appeared at my side, moving silently and suddenly. Her presence was commanding, and I felt it in every nerve of my body.

“Y/n,” she said smoothly, her voice velvety and low. “A word?”

The woman next to me raised an eyebrow. “Oh,” she said, clearly amused. “I think I’ll leave you to it.”

I swallowed, my heart pounding, but I kept my smirk firmly in place. “Of course, Lilia.”

She led me away from the crowd, her hand resting lightly on my lower back, just enough to own the situation, just enough to remind me exactly who I was dealing with.

Once we were in a quieter corner, she turned to face me, crossing her arms and raising a brow. “Having fun?”

I shrugged, playing it cool. “I was.”

Lilia’s lips twitched, but her gaze sharpened, laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “You’re walking a fine line, baby.”

I tilted my head, stepping closer, pushing just enough. “Maybe I like the edge.”

Her eyes darkened, and for the first time all night, I wondered if I’d pushed too far. But instead of pulling away, she leaned in, her breath warm against my ear, sending shivers straight down my spine.

“Careful,” she murmured, voice low and dangerously smooth. “You might find yourself wanting something you can’t have.”

I swallowed hard, fighting to keep my cool. “Maybe I’m tired of waiting.”

Lilia’s expression remained unreadable, her head tilting just slightly.  “Getting ahead of yourself, baby.”

I exhaled sharply, biting back the urge to roll my eyes. “And you love dragging this out, don’t you?”

She made a soft, thoughtful sound, her gaze sweeping over me like she was deciding just how much she wanted to let me have. “Mmm. Maybe. Or maybe you’re seeing something that isn’t there.”

Heat curled in my stomach, frustration and want tangled together, her eyes flicked down to my lips for half a second, just long enough for me to notice, but before I could say anything, she let out a slow, almost teasing sigh and stepped back, putting space between us. “Go on, baby. Enjoy your night.”

And with that, she turned and walked away, leaving me reeling.

Agatha appeared at my side almost immediately. “So... that looked intense.”

I took a deep breath, my heart racing. “I think I might be losing.”

And honestly? I didn’t want to play this game anymore.

Agatha grinned. “No, babe. You’re both losing.”

I groaned. “Great.”

I huffed, crossing my arms tightly over my chest as I watched Lilia disappear back into the crowd with that same frustrating grace she always carried. I turned to Agatha, my lips pursed in irritation. “You know what? I don’t want to do this matchmaking thing.”

Agatha, ever perceptive, didn’t even argue. She just sipped her drink and gave me a knowing nod. “Of course, no problem.”

I blinked. “Wait, seriously?”

She smirked, leaning against the bar. “I know when you’ve had enough, y/n. And right now, you look like you're two seconds away from murdering someone.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair, suddenly feeling the weight of the evening pressing down on me. “Yeah, I think I just... I need to go home.”

Agatha nodded, patting my arm. “Good call. Go home, take a bubble bath, and—”

“Eat my feelings?”

Agatha grinned. “Exactly.”

I gave her a small smile, grateful she wasn’t pushing. “Thanks, Aggie.”

She winked. “Don’t worry, babe. We’ll gossip later.”

I nodded, weaving my way through the crowd, ignoring the curious glances and the lingering presence of Lilia somewhere in the room.

By the time I stepped outside, the cool night air hit my skin, and I let out a long breath. The tension that had been building inside me all evening eased slightly, but the frustration was still simmering beneath the surface.

Because despite everything, the flirting, the teasing, the stupid mixed signals, Lilia still managed to keep me at arm's length. And I was tired of playing the waiting game.

As I made my way home, heels clicking against the pavement, I couldn't help but feel like I had just walked away from a fight I wasn't even sure I wanted to win anymore.

I made it home, kicking off my heels the second I stepped through the door. The silence of my apartment felt jarring after the noise and chaos of the event, but it was exactly what I needed. No prying eyes, no teasing coven, and most importantly, no Lilia.

I sighed, rubbing my temples as I walked into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and downing it in one go. The adrenaline from earlier was fading, leaving me feeling tired, annoyed, and... a little disappointed.

The evening had started off fun, with the whole “make Lilia jealous” plan in full swing. But somewhere along the way, it had stopped being about teasing her and started feeling like something else. Something heavier.

I wanted her to chase me. I wanted her to want me.

But instead, she just kept pulling back, staying in that frustrating space of almost.

I flopped onto the couch, staring up at the ceiling, letting my thoughts spiral.

Maybe she really doesn’t feel the same way.

Maybe the age gap is too much for her.

Maybe I’m just a fun distraction to her.

I groaned, tossing a pillow over my face. “Ugh, stupid.”

Just as I was debating whether to text Agatha and unload my feelings, my phone buzzed against my thigh.

I grabbed it, half expecting it to be one of my friends checking in, but my breath caught when I saw the name on the screen.

Lilia.

I stared at it for a beat, my thumb hovering over the screen.

Was she going to scold me for leaving early? Check on me? Or just... toy with me some more?

Taking a deep breath, I swiped to answer. “Hello?”

There was a pause, then Lilia’s voice, soft and measured. “You left.”

I blinked, sitting up straighter. “Yeah, I did. I wasn’t feeling it anymore.”

Another pause. “I see.”

I rolled my eyes. “Did you call just to state the obvious, Lilia?”

She hummed, and I could practically hear the smirk in her voice. “Maybe.”

I rubbed my forehead. “Lilia.”

She sighed, and for a moment, I thought she might actually say something real. But then—

“I wanted to make sure you got home safely.”

My heart did that stupid little flutter thing, but I pushed it down, forcing a casual tone. “I’m fine. I always am.”

There was silence on the other end, and for a second, I thought maybe she’d hung up. But then—

“I shouldn’t have encouraged you to go,” she admitted quietly.

I swallowed, surprised by the sudden shift in her tone. “Why did you?”

She didn’t answer right away, and when she did, it was softer than I expected. “Because I wanted to see what you’d do.”

I clenched my jaw, feeling frustration bubble up again. “And? Did you enjoy the show?”

Lilia exhaled, something close to a chuckle, but there was an edge to it. “More than I should have.”

My grip tightened on the phone. “You’re infuriating, you know that?”

Another pause. “So I’ve been told.”

I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “Go to bed, Lilia.”

“You too, baby,” she murmured, and before I could come up with a snarky response, the call ended.

My heart pounding, frustration and something else, something deeper, swirling in my chest.

I stared at my phone for all of ten seconds before I muttered, "No, fuck this." Without thinking any further, I tapped Lilia’s number and called her back.

She answered almost immediately, her voice a little softer, maybe a little surprised. “y/n?”

“You’re confusing,” I blurted out, pacing back and forth in my living room, frustration bubbling over. “You are so confusing, Lilia.”

Silence.

I didn’t care, I was on a roll now. “You flirt with me, you pull away, you get all soft and caring, and then you act like none of it happened. And I keep trying to play it cool, keep waiting for you to make up your damn mind, but you never do.”

She didn’t say a word, and I wasn’t stopping.

“And fuck you and this whole age gap excuse, because that’s what it is now, Lilia. It’s an excuse. You keep telling yourself that’s the problem, but it’s not. You flirt with me, you want me, and then you shut me out like it never happened. I’m tired, Lilia. I’m so tired.”

I paused, breathing hard, and then it hit me. My eyes widened as I blurted, “And you never even gave me my underwear back!”

I was hysterical. 

I could hear Lilia inhale sharply on the other end, and for a second, I thought she might say something, anything. But all I got was silence.

And that silence was worse than if she’d yelled at me.

I swallowed hard, my anger deflating into something... heavier. More raw. My voice softened, and I rubbed a hand over my face. “I’m sorry,” I muttered, feeling the weight of it settle in my chest. “I shouldn’t be yelling at you.”

Still, she said nothing, and it was starting to hurt more than I thought it could.

I took a shaky breath. “I’m done, Lilia. I can’t take any more.” My throat tightened, and I blinked back the sting in my eyes. “It hurts too much.”

For a long moment, there was only the sound of my breathing and the faint static of the line. Then, finally, Lilia’s voice came through, so quiet I almost didn’t hear it.

“Y/n...”

I squeezed my eyes shut. “Don’t.”

Another pause. Then she sighed, long and slow, like she was carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders. “I never meant to hurt you.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “Yeah, well... you did.”

Silence again, and I could almost imagine her, standing in her shop, looking down at the floor with that troubled frown she always wore when she was thinking too hard.

After another beat, she said, “I—” but she cut herself off, like she couldn’t finish the sentence.

I shook my head, wiping at my eyes. “Lilia, I can’t do this anymore. Not unless you actually want me. Not unless you’re willing to admit it.”

There was a pause. Then, finally, so quietly it nearly shattered me, she said, “I do.”

I froze, my heart slamming in my chest. “What?”

“I do,” Lilia repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. “I just... I didn’t know how to.”

I swallowed hard, my chest tightening. “Then why are you pushing me away?”

There was a long silence before she finally admitted, “Because I’m scared.”

I felt something shift inside me, my anger melting into something softer. “Scared of what?”

Lilia sighed again, and this time, she sounded... tired. Vulnerable. “Of how much I want you.”

My lips parted, my throat suddenly dry. “Then stop running,” I said softly. “Please, Lilia. Just... stop.”

She was quiet for another long moment, and then— “Come over.”

My breath hitched. “What?”

“Come over,” she said again, a little stronger this time. “Now.”

I hesitated, my heart pounding. “Lilia, are you sure—”

“Yes,” she interrupted. “Please.”

And just like that, I didn’t even hesitate. I grabbed my coat, shoved my feet into my shoes, and bolted out the door, my heart pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat. The night air was cool against my skin, but I barely registered it, I was too focused on getting to Lilia.

The drive to her shop felt endless, every red light an eternity, every turn slower than I wanted. My fingers tapped anxiously against the wheel, my thoughts racing.

She admitted it.

She finally admitted it.

But what did that mean? What was waiting for me when I got there?

By the time I pulled up outside her shop, I was a mess of nerves, my stomach churning with anticipation and something I couldn’t quite name. I parked and sat there for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, trying to collect myself.

Come over, she’d said. Not “we need to talk,” not “I need to explain.” Just... come over.

I swallowed, took a deep breath, and stepped out of the car. The street was quiet this time of night, the shop windows dark except for the faint glow of a single light inside.

I knocked, and almost immediately, the door creaked open.

Lilia stood there, looking... different. Her usual confidence wasn’t as sharp around the edges tonight. Her hair was loose, curling naturally around her face, and she had changed into casual wear, soft sweater and leggings, barefoot.

Her dark eyes searched mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything.

I exhaled shakily. “Hi.”

“Hi,” she replied softly, stepping aside to let me in.

The familiar scent of her shop, incense, old books, and something distinctly her washed over me as I walked inside. She closed the door behind me, and the quiet settled around us like a heavy weight.

I turned to face her, my heart still racing. “I meant what I said, Lilia. I can’t do this anymore if you don’t—”

“I know,” she interrupted, her voice thick with something I couldn’t quite place. “I know, baby.”

The sound of her calling me that made my knees weak.

I swallowed. “Then why—”

Lilia took a slow step forward, her eyes locked onto mine. “Because I’ve spent a long time being careful, y/n. Too careful.”

I didn’t move, didn’t speak. I just let her talk.

“I told myself I couldn’t do this,” she continued, her voice quiet but sure. “That you deserved someone... younger. Someone with fewer complications. Someone who wouldn’t keep you waiting.”

I blinked, my throat tightening. “Lilia...”

She stepped closer, and this time, she reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over my wrist. “But you’re right. The age gap, the excuses... they’re just that. Excuses.”

I felt something break inside me, my breath hitching. “Then stop making them.”

Lilia looked at me, really looked at me, and I could see the struggle in her eyes, the hesitation, the longing, the fear. But then, with a slow, deliberate movement, she cupped my face in her hands, her thumb grazing lightly over my cheek.

“I’m done,” she whispered. “No more excuses.”

I barely had time to react before she kissed me.

Soft at first, hesitant, but then I melted into it, my hands gripping her waist as I kissed her back with everything I’d been holding in for weeks, months.

Lilia pressed closer, her body warm against mine, and I felt her exhale shakily into my mouth, like she was finally letting go of all the barriers she’d built between us. Like she wanted this just as badly as I did.

I pulled back just enough to catch my breath, my forehead resting against hers. “Took you long enough,” I whispered, my lips curling into a smile.

Lilia chuckled, her fingers still ghosting over my jaw, thumb tracing my lower lip. “I know, baby. I know.”

And for the first time in weeks, I felt like I could finally breathe.

But Lilia barely gives me a second to recover before she’s grabbing my hand and pulling me through the shop, her grip firm, her steps hurried, almost reckless. I can barely keep up, my heart racing, my body already aching for her before we even make it to her bedroom.

And then I’m there, being pushed back onto the bed, the mattress bouncing beneath me as I look up at her, chest rising and falling rapidly.

She’s standing over me, eyes dark and burning with something dangerous, something I’ve been craving for so long. 

I moan, unabashedly, because fuck, she’s so hot.  The way she looks at me like she’s about to devour me whole, like she’s going to ruin me, like I’m something she’s been starving for.

And then she starts stripping, slowly, painfully slow, slowly, deliberately, eyes locked onto mine the entire time. Teasing me with every inch of skin she reveals. She peels her sweater over her head, her curls tumbling loose, and I watch, breathless, as she undoes the clasp of her bra with deliberate precision, letting it fall to the floor, her smirk growing the longer I stare. Her hands move lower, hooking into the waistband of her leggings, sliding them down her hips with an agonising pace. She steps out of them with ease. My pulse pounds in my ears as she takes her time, dragging it out, knowing exactly what she’s doing to me, letting the last of her clothes slip from her body until she’s completely bare, standing before me in nothing but those dark eyes and the wicked smirk playing on her lips, and I’m left staring, aching.  

I can’t take it.

I stand up, lurch forward, hands reaching for her, closing the space between us, my hands immediately on her body, kissing every inch of skin I can reach her collarbone, her shoulders, the curve of her neck. My hands roam over her bare back, pressing her closer, needing to feel her. My teeth scrape over the pulse hammering at her throat, and I hear her breath hitch.

Lilia moans, her fingers tangling in my hair, tugging me even closer, and I can feel the heat radiating off her. I trail kisses down, across her chest, down her stomach, dragging my nails lightly, down her ribs just to make her gasp, desperate to taste her, to make up for all the time we’ve wasted.

I want her. I want to wreck her, hear her fall apart beneath me.

But Lilia has other plans.

With a low growl, she shoves me back onto the bed, straddling me before I can even react. Her body pins mine against the mattress, a delicious weight that has me gasping. She tugs my dress up, her hands rough and impatient as she drags it over my head and tosses it aside. A shiver runs through me as her fingers hook into the waistband of my panties, and without thinking, my hips lift to help her slip them off.

And then she does the same to me. Lilia’s lips are everywhere, hot, demanding, claiming me in a way that’s anything but soft. It’s hard, it’s raw, it’s pent up tension that’s been building for weeks, and it’s so damn good, and I can feel it in every press of her teeth, every bite of her nails against my thighs.

She kisses me like she’s making up for lost time, her hands gripping my hips tightly, grinding down against me, slow and deliberate, teasing me with the friction, with enough force to leave bruises in the morning. My nails rake down her back, desperate, needy, and she loves it, moaning into my mouth as she deepens the kiss.

We don’t stop.

There’s no hesitation, no second guessing, just heat and need and the overwhelming feeling of finally having what we both wanted.

I gasp as Lilia's hands roam lower, her touch possessive, her mouth following her hands, unrelenting, claiming every inch of me. She grips my thighs, spreading me open, pressing teasing kisses along my inner thigh, slow, deliberate, making me squirm.

She pauses just above where I need her, her breath warm against me, teasing, torturous. And when she finally looks up at me, her lips just barely brushing my skin, her eyes are dark, lips slick, pupils blown wide with hunger. She smirks.

“Took me long enough, huh?” she murmurs against my skin.

I can’t even answer, just nod breathlessly.

Lilia’s mouth is on me before I can even process it, her hands pressing my thighs apart with a hunger that makes my head spin. She doesn’t tease. She doesn’t drag it out. She takes. 

She devours me like she’s starving, like she’s been holding back for too long and refuses to do it a second longer. Her tongue moves with precision, slow at first, savoring, before she licks deeper, pressing her mouth against me with a hunger that has my head spinning. She flicks her tongue, dragging it over me just right, and I sob, my body jerking beneath her. 

Her fingers slide through slick heat, teasing, testing, until—

I gasp, my back arching off the bed as she pushes in, stretching me, filling me in a way that has me gasping for air.

She’s ruthless, curling her fingers just right, stroking deep, pushing, pulling, setting a pace that leaves no room for mercy.

“Do you have any idea what you’ve been doing to me, baby?” she moans against me, the vibrations sending a shiver up my spine. Her fingers don’t slow, thrusting into me hard, fast, each stroke deliberate and punishing. “The things I’ve thought about... every time you walked into the shop in those little skirts, every time you teased me?”

I whimper, my hands clutching the sheets, head thrown back in pure bliss.

She bites the inside of my thigh, and I cry out. “Those panties you left behind,” she breathes, her voice thick with lust, “I couldn’t stop thinking about them. About you. About what it’d feel like to have you.”

A desperate moan rips from my throat, my body trembling under her touch. “Lilia... please.” My hips lifting, chasing her, needing more. She hums, low and indulgent, before finally sliding another finger inside me, stretching me open, pushing deeper, pressing her palm against me just enough to make me whine. My hands clutch at the sheets, my body burning, every nerve ending sparking.

“I should’ve done this sooner,” her tongue circling me in slow, teasing strokes, drawing me apart piece by piece. “Had you like this ages ago. Been wanting to hear these sounds from you for weeks”

Her fingers press against that perfect spot inside me, and I choke out a sob.

She licks deeper, pressing her tongue flat against me before sucking lightly, and I jerk, crying out.

“Want to hear you cum for me,” Lilia purrs, her voice dark and commanding,  before she sucks harder, her fingers thrusting into me faster, curling deep, coaxing me higher. “Come on, baby. Let me hear it.”

And I do.

The pleasure crashes through me like a tidal wave, my body shaking, moaning her name over and over as I fall apart beneath her touch. Lilia doesn’t stop, doesn’t let up until I’m completely wrecked, panting, and twitching from the aftershocks.

She finally pulls back, pressing a final, lingering kiss against me, her breath warm and heavy.

“Good girl,” she murmurs, pressing a kiss to my stomach, her voice full of praise that makes me shiver all over again. “You did so well for me.”

I can barely respond, my limbs boneless, my mind hazy. But I know one thing for sure, I want more.

It takes me a moment to come back down, my body still trembling, my breaths ragged and uneven. Lilia watches me with dark, satisfied eyes, her smirk smug and dripping with confidence. Her fingers still teasing lazy circles on my thigh like she’s enjoying the way I twitch under her touch.

But I’m not done with her, not by a long shot.

Before she can even process it, I flip us over, pressing her into the mattress with a wicked grin. Her eyes widen, but there’s no surprise, just anticipation, hunger.

“Fuck.” The word comes out in a breath, barely a sound, but enough for her to hear.

She hums, amused, her nails skimming over my arms as if daring me to continue.

My fingers trail lower, slipping between her thighs, and I pause, my breath catching as I feel how absolutely soaked she is. The realisation sends a shiver through me, and I can’t help the smirk that tugs at my lips.

I pull back slightly, looking at her properly now, taking in the way her lips are parted, her pupils blown wide, her body already straining toward me.

“Oh,” I breathe, teasing my fingers against her, dragging them slowly to feel every bit of her need. “You don’t need any help, do you?”

Lilia’s breath hitches, her hips twitching beneath my touch, but she doesn’t answer, just watches me with dark, half-lidded eyes, her lips parted in anticipation. Fixes me with a look that makes my stomach flip.

It’s daring. A challenge. Like she’s waiting to see what I’ll do next.

“Fuck,” I say again, letting out another slow breath, pressing a little firmer, feeling how she responds so easily. “You really have been waiting for this,” I murmur, my voice dark, satisfied. “Haven’t you?”

She parts her lips to respond, but I don’t give her the chance.

I sink my fingers into her, slow at first, teasing, stretching her open, feeling the way her body clenches around me. 

And then I push in deeper, hard, and she gasps, her back arching, her fingers digging into my shoulders..

I don’t go slow. I don’t tease. I take her hard and rough, my fingers moving with purpose, curling inside her in a way that has her moaning instantly.

Lilia’s hands grasp at my shoulders, her nails scratching, dragging down my back, and I lower my mouth to her breasts, sucking one of her nipples between my lips. I swirl my tongue around it, biting down just enough to make her cry out, and it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.

“Fuck, y/n,” she moans, her hips bucking up against my hand, her thighs trembling around me.

I smirk against her skin, flicking my tongue over the hardened peak before moving to the other, lavishing it with the same rough attention while my fingers pump into her relentlessly.

She’s so wet, so tight around my fingers, and it doesn’t take much before I feel her start to tighten around me, her walls fluttering, her breath coming out in broken gasps.

“So, you’ve been thinking about this for a while, huh?” I murmur against her chest, my voice dripping with satisfaction. “Thinking about how I’d feel inside you?”

She groans, her back arching as she gasps, “Yes... yes... fuck.”

I grin wickedly, increasing the pace, curling my fingers just right until she’s on the edge, her breath coming in short, desperate pants. “Come on, Lilia,” I whisper against her skin, sucking hard on her nipple as I thrust into her with delicious precision. 

“Let me hear you.”

And she does.

Lilia spasms around me, her moan breaking apart into something raw and desperate, her entire body trembling beneath me as she comes undone, gasping my name like it’s the only thing she knows.

I watch her fall apart, mesmerised, drinking in every twitch, every gasp, every sharp intake of breath, and it’s the most intoxicating thing I’ve ever seen. 

My fingers slow, riding out her high as I press soft kisses along her collarbone.

Her breathing is ragged, a deep flush crawling up her chest, sweat slicking her skin, and she lets out a soft, breathy laugh, pulling me against her, her fingers tangling in my hair. “I should hate how smug you look right now,” she murmurs, voice thick and shaky.

I smirk, kissing along her jaw. “You love it.”

She hums, her lips ghosting over my temple as her breath steadies, her fingers tracing lazy patterns on my back. 

After the intensity of it all, after the heat, the moans, and the desperate need finally sated, we collapse into the sheets, bodies still humming with the aftershocks.

Lilia sighs softly against my hair,  her arm draped lazily over my waist, her chest rising and falling steadily beneath me, and I feel her hand lazily tracing circles on my back. 

I shift slightly, my leg sliding between hers, my fingers still ghosting over her skin, unable to stop touching her even in the aftermath.

Her skin is warm, still damp from sweat, her breathing slow and steady.

“Comfortable?” she murmurs, voice low and raspy, and I can hear the lingering amusement in it.

I nuzzle against her neck, pressing a lazy kiss to her collarbone. “Very.” My voice is heavy with sleep, and I can feel the exhaustion creeping in, but I don’t want to move. “You?”

She hums, her lips pressing against my temple in a slow, lingering kiss. “Mm. I could get used to this.”

My heart stutters at that, but I don’t say anything, just smile against her skin, letting myself bask in the warmth of her.

Minutes pass, maybe hours, time feels irrelevant when I’m wrapped around her like this. Lilia strokes her fingers through my hair absentmindedly, and I can feel her breathing slowing, the tension that always seems to cling to her finally easing away.

I sigh, letting my eyes flutter shut, my body melting against hers. “Don’t retreat in the morning,” I mumble sleepily, barely coherent, but needing to say it.

She chuckles softly, the sound vibrating through me. “I won’t, baby.”

And that’s enough for me. With her promise lingering in the air between us, I drift off, feeling safe, sated, and completely tangled in her. Tangled in her warmth, in her scent, in the quiet hum of her presence.

[imtryingbuck]

Sunset

~ gif not mine credit to owner ~

Pairing: Bucky Barnes x fem!Reader

Summary: one final sunset for his love.

Word count: 1,221

Warnings: angst. cancer. death of main character!

A/N: please don’t read this if you’re uncomfortable with the warnings!

Masterlist

“Come on love” Bucky chuckled as he walks into the bedroom.

“I’m coming hold on”

“Well don’t you look beautiful on this fine morning”

He’s always thought she was beautiful right from the moment he bumped into her at the coffee shop, spluttering out apologies already making his way to the counter to get her a fresh drink.

Every other day they would bump into each other, as the months passed with them making small talk he gained the courage to ask her on a date, he honestly had never been more happier in his life when she said yes.

Bucky’s heart nearly exploded when she opened her front door the night of their first date. The dress she wore fit her perfectly, emphasised her curves. For the first time in what felt like centuries he had laughed and wore a genuine smile, he truly felt like the luckiest man in the world just because he had her by his side.

The team had terrorised him when he came back with the largest smile they had ever seen on his face. Did he care? Nope.

After six dates he asked her to be his girlfriend, she said yes. Three years into the relationship he got down on one knee and asked her to marry him, she said yes. The day of the wedding he promised her that he would be by her side through the good and the bad, through sickness and in health. Promised her that he would always love her until he took his last breath.

“Stop flirting with Mr Barnes”

“I can’t help it Mrs Barnes”

“C-can you help me with my head wrap? My fingers won’t work with me today” She asks him.

“Of course my love”

Y/n had become ill a few weeks before their one year anniversary and at first she thought she was pregnant, excitingly she brought a pregnancy test just for it to say negative. It crushed her heart as they were trying to have a baby.

The night of their anniversary Bucky and Y/n were in a restaurant when she ran off to the bathroom to be sick, she had been gone for over ten minutes before Bucky flagged down a waitress and asked her to check on his wife. The waitress nodded politely and went off in the direction of the bathrooms less than two minutes later she came rushing back out, her face was pale and he grew scared.

Rushing into the bathroom he found his wife on the floor with blood on her face and in the toilet. His heart stopped. When the ambulance arrived they rushed her off to the hospital. Their family arrive shortly after Bucky had rang them. They had never heard him sound so broken or scared.

Four days after their anniversary the doctor told her that she had a brain tumour, that sadly it wasn’t removable, that they could slow it down with treatment. Y/n just nodded and smiled whilst Bucky was frozen.

They dealt with her diagnosis differently. Bucky became distant from not only her but from every one. Y/n tried to make the most of a terrible situation, she had even asked Bucky if he wanted to divorce so that he wouldn’t be held down by the burden of her illness, that had snapped him out of his mind. He swore over and over that she wasn’t a burden, that he was trying to get her help, that he was trying to fix this.

He hated that she had just accepted her fate, when she told him that she hadn’t and that she was scared to die but it wasn’t going to change the outcome.

When her hair started to fall out he kept reminding her that she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. Then the day came where she had enough of her hair falling out so she asked Bucky if he would shave it all off, and he did. The teams jaws dropped when they walked into the common room, Wanda had to run out after a few minutes of them being there, she knew her friend was dying but seeing her hair no longer there she just couldn’t stop the heavy flow of tears.

“It’s not too tight is it?” He asked as soon as he was done wrapping the head wrap.

“Nope, thank you Buck”

“You’re welcome my love, are you sure you’re up to this? It’s okay if you’re not everyone will understand.”

“I want to, it’d be nice to get the wind going through my long luxurious hair” she chuckles.

“So luxurious” he winks.

Some days were good but others were really bad. When she told Bucky that she wanted to stop her treatment he tried to get her to change her mind but when she cried that the treatment wasn’t working and was hurting her, he said okay. He didn’t want her in anymore pain and if that meant that the time he had left with her shortened then so be it.

On the days that were good she wouldn’t stop smiling or laughing, dancing along to whatever song Sam or Peter was playing. She took long walks around the compound, her and Bucky would have passionate love making. She was happy.

On the bad days she wouldn’t be able to get out of bed, being sick constantly and having accidents in bed. It took it out of her just walking from their bed to the bathroom. Tony had gotten her a wheelchair so she didn’t have to stay cooped up in their suite, she didn’t want it at first but soon felt guilty that Bucky had to carry her around. There was no more smiling or laughing coming from her, there was no more long walks unless Bucky asked if she wanted to go out in her wheelchair - sometimes she felt a little strong to do it other times she didn’t. No love making happened. She was miserable.

Today was the first day in over three weeks that she felt strong enough to go out. Y/n begged Bucky to let her go to the beach, once the team found out they wanted to go too. More the merrier she said.

“Promise me you’ll tell me you want to come back won’t you?”

“I promise handsome. Come on everyone’s probably waiting”

Laughter echoed the secluded beach, the lunch Wanda and Pepper had made was ate, they all built sandcastles with Vision being the judge.

Bucky and Y/n watched as their family splashed each other in the water, laughing at Sam when Steve snuck up behind him and dunked him under the water.

As the time wore on Sam and Nat built a small fire pit for them sit around sharing memories from their lives, drinks were shared.

“I love you James, always” she whispered.

“I love you Y/n, always” he whispered back, placing a lingering kiss on the side of her head.

Y/n was in between Bucky’s warm embrace as the sun started to set.

Steve was the first one to notice. Tears already falling from his eyes.

One by one they sat crying silently as Bucky clung on to his love tighter than ever.

He looked up to the sky, smiling softly.

“Goodnight my love, I’ll see you soon”

Tags: @imcinnamoons | @pigeonmama | @capsbestgirl77

[prettygirl-gabi]

Chapter 28: Family Ties and Fresh Beginnings

Rating: General Audiences

Warning: none

Paring: Paige Bueckers x !photographer fem reader

Fandom: Women's basketball

Summary: meeting the fam and Aubrey’s back after 381 days on the bench....

Welcome to the chapter 28 of Through The Lens. I hope you all enjoy and there is more to come...stay tuned my loveies!! 🏀💕📸

Reader’s POV

The car ride to Minnesota was filled with soft music and Paige’s occasional humming. I had been nervous about meeting her dad, Bob, her stepmom, her stepbrother, and especially her little brother, Drew. Paige had assured me they’d love me, but the fluttering in my stomach wasn’t listening.

“You’re going to be fine,” Paige said, reaching over to give my hand a comforting squeeze. “Drew’s going to adore you.”

I smiled nervously. “You sure about that?”

“Positive.”

When we arrived, Bob greeted us with a warm hug and a wide grin. Drew was shy at first, hiding behind their dad, but it didn’t take long for him to warm up.

“Hi, Drew,” I said, crouching to his level. “I’m Y/N. Your sister’s friend.”

Drew peeked up at Paige, who gave him a wink. Then he looked back at me, eyes sparkling.

“Do you like LEGOs?” he asked.

“I love LEGOs,” I replied, grinning.

He gasped. “Really? Can we build something?”

“Of course!”

Paige laughed as Drew grabbed my hand and pulled me toward the living room. “Told you he’d love you,” she whispered as I passed.

Paige’s POV

Watching Y/N and Drew bond melted my heart. Drew was usually pretty reserved around new people, but he was already chatting away with her like they’d known each other forever.

“She’s great with him,” my dad said, coming to stand beside me.

“She’s great, period,” I replied, smiling.

Reader’s POV

Later that night, after dinner, Bob sat us down in the living room. Drew was asleep on my lap, his tiny hands clutching my shirt.

“Paige, Y/N,” Bob started, his tone serious but kind. “I can see how much you two care about each other. It’s obvious in the way you look at one another.”

I glanced at Paige, who gave me a reassuring smile.

“But love isn’t always easy,” Bob continued. “You’ll face challenges, especially with the paths you’ve chosen. Paige, your basketball career will take you all over the country, and Y/N, your work will demand so much of your time and energy.”

I nodded, understanding where he was coming from.

“If you really love each other as deeply as you say you do, you’ll overcome anything. But it’ll take work—communication, patience, and trust.”

“We know,” Paige said, her voice steady. “We’ve talked about it, and we’re ready to face whatever comes our way.”

Bob smiled. “That’s all I needed to hear.”

Sunday rolled around quicker than I anticipated, and the gym buzzed with excitement. The possibility of Aubrey Griffin returning to the court after her long recovery had everyone hyped.

During the press availability before the game, Paige, Azzi, and Coach Geno fielded questions from reporters. I stood at the back of the room, my camera in hand, capturing the moment.

“Aubrey’s been working hard,” Geno said. “There’s a good chance she’ll see some action today. It’s been a long road, but she’s ready.”

Paige chimed in, “Having Aubrey back would be huge for us. She’s a fighter, and we’ve all missed her energy on the court.”

I couldn’t help but smile. Paige’s confidence in her team—and in herself—was one of the things I loved most about her.

The energy in the arena was electric as UConn took the court against Seton Hall. The crowd roared when Aubrey jogged onto the court in her uniform for the first time in over a year.

I positioned myself near the baseline, capturing every moment. Paige was in her element, leading the team with precision and grace.

At one point, she glanced my way, a small smile tugging at her lips. It was a brief moment, but it was enough to make my heart flutter.

After the game—a solid win for UConn—96-36, waited for Paige outside the locker room. She emerged, her hair damp and her face glowing.

“Great game, Bueckers,” I said, nudging her playfully.

She grinned. “Thanks, but I think I owe part of that win to you.”

“Me? What did I do?”

“You’re my lucky charm,” she said, wrapping an arm around my waist.

I laughed, leaning into her. “You’re so cheesy.”

“Yeah, yeah but you love my cheesyness.”

She wasn’t wrong.

That night, as we lay in her dorm, Paige turned to me, her expression soft.

“Did my dad scare you the other night?” she asked.

“No,” I said honestly. “He just reminded me how important it is to keep working at this—at us.”

Paige smiled, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “We’ve got this, Y/N. No matter what.”

“I know,” I whispered, closing the distance between us.

In that moment, with her arms around me and the world outside forgotten, I knew we could handle anything together.

---

■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■

-Thank You For Reading!🩵🩶

-prettygirl-gabi🎀✨️

Tag list: @sayurireidotcom , @astroeliza , @paxaz535 , @0phantom0 , @starlighttsv , @authentic-girl03 , @sevyscoven .... (more to be added)

[heliosunny]

If that okay, can I please get yandere The Herta x reader x Ruan Mein (poly headcanon)

I have a whole plot for a fic. Maybe i'll give some headcanons in the near future.

Yandere!The Herta x Reader x Yandere!Ruan Mei

Herta has found a way to stop time around a living person, keeping them in a state of eternal beauty. Ruan Mei, on the other hand, has found a way to slow biological processes to an unnatural degree. The problem? You are the test subject.

The sterile chill of Herta Space Station was an ever-present reminder of the artificial world you had become trapped in. A cold, lifeless place where the pursuit of knowledge outweighed the warmth of human connection.

And yet, despite the vastness of the station, you felt suffocated.

Two pairs of eyes—one sharp and calculating, the other deceptively soft—never left you.

Herta sat at the edge of a console, swinging her legs lazily as she gazed at you. Boredom, as she often claimed, was the only reason she paid attention to you.

Across the room, Ruan Mei hummed softly as she adjusted a set of data on her floating screen. Unlike Herta, her smile was warm, almost gentle, but the way she looked at you like you were a rare, fragile specimen—sent a shiver down your spine.

You were their test subject and you had no way out.

“You should be honored” Herta said matter-of-factly, hopping down from the console. Her boots made no sound against the pristine floor as she approached you. “I don’t usually care about humans, but you… you are an exception.”

Your breath hitched as she reached out, cool fingers tracing the side of your face with a detached curiosity. “Such a fragile existence” she mused. “But don’t worry. I’ll preserve you. You won’t have to wither away like the others.”

From behind, you felt Ruan Mei’s presence before she even spoke. A gentle hand slid over your shoulder, pulling you into an almost comforting embrace. “Herta’s methods are too harsh, don’t you think?” Ruan Mei whispered near your ear, her voice honeyed, but laced with something darker. “Freezing you like one of her dolls? That’s too cruel… I would never treat you so coldly.”

“You’re lying” you said, barely above a whisper.

Ruan Mei laughed softly, fingers stroking your hair as if you were a cherished pet. “Oh, I would never lie to you.” She tilted her head. “I simply want to preserve you properly. A slow, careful process… where you remain alive, untouched by time. Isn’t that better?”

Herta sighed dramatically. “You’re going to ruin my fun, Ruan Mei.” She leaned against a terminal, arms crossed. “If I freeze them now, they’ll be perfectly unchanging. They’ll be mine forever.”

“But they won’t be able to feel, Herta” Ruan Mei countered, her fingers tightening ever so slightly in your hair. “What’s the point of preserving something if it loses its warmth?” She turned her gaze back to you, her smile deepening. “You don’t want that, do you?”

You swallowed hard. Both options were cages, just in different forms.

Herta tapped her chin. “Fine. I’ll let them keep their warmth…” Her lips curled into a smirk. “But only if they stay still.”

You didn’t get the chance to react before a chilling sensation crawled up your legs. Your muscles stiffened, a numbing cold locking your limbs in place. Panic surged through you as you tried to move, but your body refused to respond.

Ruan Mei tsked, kneeling beside you. “Herta, that’s cheating.” She ran her fingers over your frozen arm, sighing. “You always want to break your toys too quickly.”

“They’ll still be aware” Herta said, shrugging. “I’m not completely heartless.”

You gasped as warmth slowly returned to your fingers which is Ruan Mei’s doing. Her methods were different. Instead of outright freezing you, she manipulated your biology, altering the very essence of your body to prolong its state.

Neither option was mercy.

“You’ll belong to one of us in the end” Ruan Mei whispered, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “So be good and choose wisely, dear.”

Your heart pounded as both women loomed over you.

You had to leave.

Your hands trembled as you slowly sat up on the research table, muscles aching from the forced stillness. Across the room, Herta and Ruan Mei were distracted- arguing, again.

“Y/n keeps resisting” Ruan Mei sighed, running a hand through her long hair. “If you keep pushing too hard, she’ll break.”

Herta, as always, looked unimpressed. “They should be grateful. I’m offering them something no other human could achieve—perfection.” She turned, glancing at you. “And yet, they keep struggling. Honestly, it’s annoying.”

This was your chance.

You exhaled softly before moving. With quiet steps, you pushed off the table, heading toward the exit. You had no plan, only instinct.

Just a little further...

“Ah-ah.”

A sudden weight pulled at your wrist, stopping you mid-step. Ruan Mei’s fingers curled gently around you, deceptively soft, like silk tightening into steel.

She sighed, her voice laced with amusement. “Where do you think you’re going, dear?”

You didn’t answer. You rarely did. Words were wasted on them. Instead, you yanked your arm back, hard.

For a split second, Ruan Mei’s eyes widened, surprised by your defiance. You twisted, shoving against her, forcing her grip to loosen. It worked—barely. You broke free, stumbling backward.

Herta tilted her head, intrigued. “Oh? Finally showing some fight?”

You ignored her, making a break for the door. Just a few more steps. Just a little... Something cold is approaching

Not the air, not fear, but Herta’s power. It wrapped around your body like invisible chains, locking your movements in place.

You clenched your teeth, muscles burning as you fought against it. Move. Move. MOVE.

Herta sighed. “Tsk. You’re being difficult.” She flicked her fingers, tightening the hold. “Why do you keep running? There’s no escape.”

Your breathing was uneven, but you still managed a glare.

Ruan Mei chuckled, stepping closer. “You’re so stubborn.” She brushed her fingers along your jaw, tilting your face toward her. “But I know, deep down, you care for us. That’s why you won’t say it outright… You don’t want to hurt our feelings, right?”

Your lips pressed into a thin line.

She wasn’t completely wrong.

Despite everything, despite the cage they forced you into—some part of you still cared. It made it harder to fight, harder to hurt them. And they knew that.

Herta sighed, lowering her hand. The freezing hold on your body vanished, sending you collapsing to your knees.

“You’re interesting” she muttered. “Annoying, but interesting.”

The cold grip of Herta’s power had left, but the phantom sensation still clung to your limbs like frostbite. Your body ached from the strain, yet you refused to show it.

Ruan Mei’s fingers remained against your cheek, her touch deceptively warm. “You’re so tense” she murmured, tilting her head. “Are you afraid of us?”

There was no point in answering. They'll do as they pleased anyway.

Your silence made Ruan Mei smile, as if she found your resistance adorable. “Oh, dear, we’re not your enemies” she crooned. “You’re just confused.”

Herta scoffed from behind. “They’re not confused. They just don’t appreciate what we’re doing for them.”

Your fingers twitched against the cold floor.

What you’re doing for me?

Your lips parted slightly, but no words escaped. You weren’t one for talking, and even if you were, what could you possibly say that would change their minds?

So, instead, you acted. Your body surged forward. Not toward Herta or Ruan Mei, but toward the small, sharp scalpel lying on the nearby counter.

Ruan Mei gasped, momentarily caught off guard by your sudden movement. Herta’s eyes flickered with intrigue, her hand rising just a fraction.

You snatched the scalpel in a tight grip, pivoting swiftly.

Ruan Mei’s expression faltered for the first time. “You wouldn’t.”

You would.

The small blade pressed lightly against your own neck—just enough to break the skin. A thin line of warmth dripped down your collarbone.

If they wouldn’t let you go… then you would take the one thing they refused to control. Your own life.

For the first time, true panic flashed in Ruan Mei’s eyes. “No—! Stop, dear, please.”

Herta’s entire body stiffened. “You’re being unreasonable” she muttered, but there was something off in her voice. Frustration? Fear?

Your grip on the scalpel remained firm. You weren’t bluffing.

For the first time, they had lost control.

The realization made your heart pound—not from fear, but from hope.

“I—” Ruan Mei swallowed hard, taking a step closer. “Put it down, sweetheart. Please.” Her voice, usually laced with amusement, now trembled. “We just want to protect you. You matter to us.”

You didn’t react. You just pressed the blade slightly deeper.

A small sound escaped Ruan Mei. “No, no, no—” She reached for you, panic overriding her usual grace. “Let me help, love—”

That moment of desperation—that single second of hesitation—was all you needed. With your free hand, you snatched the vial from the counter beside you, a small, forgotten bottle of one of Ruan Mei’s biological solutions. You didn’t know what it did. You didn’t care. With a swift motion, you threw it to the ground.

The glass shattered. A thick, burning chemical filled the air.

Ruan Mei gasped, stumbling back as the fumes stung her eyes. Herta hissed, raising an arm to shield her face. You ran.

Your legs screamed in protest, but you forced them forward, through the haze, through the pain—toward the exit.

Your chance. Your only chance.

But your body froze mid-step, a suffocating cold locking your limbs in place.

Herta’s voice was eerily calm. “You just had to make things difficult, didn’t you?”

Ruan Mei coughed behind her, her voice trembling. “Darling… why would you do that?” Her tone was no longer sweet. It was shaken. Frightened.

Your chest rose and fell rapidly, your breath shallow. So close. You had been so, so close.

Tears pricked Ruan Mei’s eyes, but her lips curved into something unnerving. “You almost broke my heart...” she whispered, stepping forward.

Herta clicked her tongue. “We’ll have to restrain them better next time.”

Your vision blurred as the ice tightened around you, swallowing you whole.

You were no longer sure how much time had passed.

The constant experiments, the whispered reassurances, the subtle shifts in your body, it had all blurred into something… different. Your thoughts weren’t as sharp as before. Most important of all, you stopped trying to escape. Not because you didn’t want to. But because… the thought of leaving felt wrong.

You hated how your hands no longer trembled when Herta ran cold fingers through your hair. You hated how your body no longer flinched when Ruan Mei pressed a kiss against your temple, murmuring praises.

You hated that when they told you to sit still, you obeyed.

You hated that you couldn’t tell if it was by choice anymore.

The incident was insignificant.

Ruan Mei had been handling a delicate set of biological samples when a sudden alert blared through the lab, startling her just enough for a sharp glass vial to shatter against her palm.

A thin line of red trickled down her fingers.

You moved on instinct. Your hands reached for hers before you could stop them. Gently—almost tenderly, you turned her palm upward, examining the wound.

“…Oh?”

Ruan Mei blinked, momentarily caught off guard.

You didn’t speak. You rarely did. Instead, you reached for a nearby cloth, pressing it against the cut with practiced care. The warmth of her skin against yours was unsettlingly familiar.

She let you.

Herta, watching from the side, smirked. “How interesting.”

You didn’t react. You focused, wrapping Ruan Mei’s hand with slow, steady movements. Your fingers trembled slightly, but not from fear.

It was muscle memory.

The act of caring, of tending to wounds, it had always been a part of you. Even now, even after everything, that part remained.

Ruan Mei chuckled, breaking the silence. “My, my… you really are sweet, aren’t you?”

Your hands froze for a fraction of a second.

Then—warm fingers brushed against your cheek.

You flinched.

Ruan Mei’s smile deepened. “How adorable.”

Herta swung her legs over the console, tilting her head. “It seems all that time adjusting you has finally paid off.”

A chill ran down your spine.

Ruan Mei giggled, curling her now-bandaged fingers around your own. “You didn’t even think before tending to me, dear.” Her voice was honeyed.

Your heart pounded.

No...no, no, no.

This wasn’t right.

This wasn’t you.

But as Ruan Mei leaned in, her lips ghosting over your forehead, and as Herta smirked knowingly, you knew it was too late.

[scoupsakakitty]

Chapter 2: Cracks in the Foundation

Y/n knew something was wrong when Se-Hun didn’t reply the next day or the day after that. She stared at her phone in the back of the van as they drove to another schedule, her heart heavy. The distance between them felt bigger than ever, and she couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe… maybe they weren’t the same as they used to be.

“Hey, stop overthinking,” Dino said from beside her, nudging her gently. He always seemed to notice when she was in her head too much.

She forced a small smile. “I’m not.”

“You totally are,” he said, smirking. “It’s written all over your face.”

“Let her overthink,” Mingyu teased from the front seat, turning around to face them. “She’s probably planning how to outshine all of us at the next performance.”

The teasing brought a small laugh out of her, but it didn’t ease the weight in her chest.————————————————————————————-The rest of the day passed in a blur of rehearsals and photoshoots. Y/n pushed herself to stay focused, ignoring the ache in her heart. But during one of their breaks, she found herself scrolling through old messages with Se-Hun.

There were so many moments when he used to check on her, ask her about her day, or send her small notes of encouragement before a big performance. But now… those messages felt like a distant memory.

“Everything okay?” a voice asked.

Startled, she looked up to see Scoups standing a few feet away, holding a water bottle. His tone was calm, but his eyes held the same careful concern she’d seen the night before.

“Yeah,” she said quickly, locking her phone and stuffing it into her pocket. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t push. Instead, he held out the water bottle. “You’ve been working hard. Don’t forget to take care of yourself.”

She hesitated before taking it, mumbling a quiet, “Thanks.”

As he walked away, she felt a strange sense of comfort. Scoups didn’t say much, but his presence always felt steady like an anchor in the chaos of their lives.————————————————————————————-That evening, as they returned to the dorms, y/n was greeted by the sight of the other members sprawled across the living room. Someone had already ordered food, and the smell of fried chicken filled the air.

“Y/n, come eat!” Hoshi called, waving a drumstick in the air.

She smiled and joined them, sitting between Dino and Mingyu again. The conversation was loud and chaotic, as always, but it felt good. For a moment, she could forget about everything else.

Until her phone buzzed.

Her stomach tightened as she picked it up, only to see another short message from Se-Hun:

Sorry, can’t talk this week. Hope everything’s okay on your end.

She stared at the screen, her appetite disappearing.

“Bad news?” Dino asked, leaning over to peek at her phone.

She quickly locked it. “No, just… something personal.”

He frowned but didn’t say more, respecting her space.————————————————————————————-Later that night, y/n found herself alone in the practice room again. She couldn’t sleep, and dancing was the only thing that ever seemed to clear her mind.

She put on a slow track, something softer than their usual upbeat routines, and let herself move freely. Her steps weren’t polished or perfect, but they felt real an expression of everything she couldn’t put into words.

Halfway through the song, she heard the door open behind her. Startled, she turned to see Scoups standing there, his arms crossed.

“Couldn’t sleep?” he asked.

She shook her head, a little embarrassed to be caught. “I just needed to clear my head.”

He nodded, stepping further into the room. “Mind if I join?”

Y/n blinked, surprised. “You dance when you can’t sleep?”

He laughed softly. “Don’t look so shocked. I’m not as bad as you think.”

They spent the next hour moving to the music, not talking much but sharing the space. Scoups wasn’t the best dancer, but there was something calming about his presence. For the first time in days, y/n felt herself relax.

As the music faded, they both sat down on the floor, catching their breath.

“You’re carrying a lot right now,” he said quietly.

Y/n froze. She didn’t know how to respond to that didn’t even know how he always seemed to see through her so easily.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle,” she said finally, though her voice lacked confidence.

Scoups didn’t push. He just gave her that small, reassuring smile that made her chest feel a little less heavy.

“Just remember,” he said, standing up and offering her a hand, “you don’t have to handle everything alone.”

She took his hand, letting him pull her to her feet. For a moment, she held onto it longer than she needed to, finding comfort in his steady grip.

“Thanks,” she said softly.————————————————————————————-The morning routine in the Seventeen dorms was as chaotic as ever. Members stumbled out of their rooms, hair sticking out in every direction, while Mingyu tried to cook breakfast and half-burned the toast. Y/n sat at the dining table, staring at her untouched bowl of cereal.

“Yah, Mingyu, stop burning everything!” Jeonghan groaned, waving a towel at the smoky kitchen.

“I’m not burning it—it’s just… toasted extra,” Mingyu argued, pulling out a piece of bread that was more charcoal than food.

The chaos brought a small smile to y/n’s face, but it quickly faded when her phone buzzed again. Her heart leapt for a moment, but when she saw the notification, it wasn’t Se-Hun. Just a reminder of the group’s schedule for the day.

“Y/n, you okay?” Dino asked, plopping down next to her with a plate of scrambled eggs.

“Yeah,” she said quickly, forcing a smile. “Just tired.”

“You’ve been tired a lot lately,” he said, narrowing his eyes suspiciously. “Are you sure you’re not sick or something?”

“I’m fine, really,” she insisted.

Before Dino could question her further, Scoups walked into the room, looking surprisingly alert for someone who barely slept. His gaze flickered to y/n for a brief moment, and she swore she saw a hint of concern in his eyes before he looked away.

“We’re leaving in thirty minutes,” he announced to the room. “Don’t be late.”————————————————————————————-The day’s schedule was packed. Dance rehearsals in the morning, followed by vocal training, then a fitting session for their upcoming concert in Japan. Y/n barely had time to think, which was a blessing.

But during lunch, the group gathered in the company’s lounge, and the conversation turned to relationships.

“So, y/n,” Hoshi said, grinning as he leaned over the table, “how’s your boyfriend doing? What’s his name again… Se-Hun?”

Y/n froze, her chopsticks hovering in midair. “He’s… fine,” she said quickly, trying to sound casual.

“Are you sure? You don’t talk about him much anymore,” Vernon said, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s because she’s busy, duh,” Dino cut in, throwing a protective arm around her shoulders. “She’s got us to take care of, right, y/n?”

She laughed awkwardly, grateful for the save, but Scoups’ quiet gaze lingered on her from across the table. She avoided his eyes, focusing on her food instead.————————————————————————————-Later that evening, after they returned to the dorms, y/n found herself in her room, staring at the ceiling. She couldn’t stop replaying the conversation at lunch in her mind. Were the others noticing the cracks in her relationship with Se-Hun? Did they think something was wrong?

Her phone buzzed, and for the hundredth time that day, she grabbed it, hoping it was him.

It wasn’t.

Instead, it was a photo notification. She opened it, and her breath caught. It was an image of Se-Hun… with another girl. They were sitting in a café, leaning close to each other, laughing.

Her heart pounded as she stared at the photo. She recognized the girl he’d mentioned her once before, said she was a study partner. But this? This looked like more than studying.

She sat up quickly, her pulse racing. Without thinking, she pressed his number and hit “call.”

The phone rang twice before he picked up. His voice sounded distracted. “What’s wrong, y/n? I’m in the middle of studying.”

Her grip tightened around her phone. “I got a picture of you with some girl. Who is she?”

There was a pause on his end. “What picture? What are you talking about?”

“You’re at a café with her,” she said, her voice rising slightly. “She’s leaning in like—like you’re on a date or something. What is this, Se-Hun?”

He sighed audibly. “That’s So-Yeon. She’s my study partner. We’ve been preparing for exams together. You’re overreacting.”

“Overreacting?” y/n repeated, her tone sharp. “Do you even realize how this looks? People are sending me pictures, asking questions—”

“Y/n,” he interrupted firmly, “she’s just a friend. You need to calm down. I don’t have time for this right now.”

“Calm down?” she snapped, her voice louder now. “How am I supposed to feel calm when I barely hear from you, and then I see this?”

His tone softened slightly, though it still held frustration. “Listen, I know it’s been hard. But you’ve got to trust me. I’m with you—not her, not anyone else.”

The words should’ve reassured her, but something about the way he said them felt distant, hollow. Still, she bit back her next argument. “Fine. Go back to your studying.”

“Goodnight, y/n,” he said before hanging up.

She stared at her phone, feeling the anger fade into exhaustion.

The knock on her door startled her. “It’s open,” she called out, quickly locking her phone and shoving it under her pillow.

Scoups walked in, his expression calm but curious. “You missed dinner.”

“I wasn’t hungry,” she said quietly.

He didn’t say anything, just stood there for a moment before sitting on the edge of her bed.

“You’ve been distracted lately,” he said. It wasn’t a question it was a fact.

“I’m fine,” she lied, avoiding his gaze.

“Y/n,” he said softly, leaning forward slightly, “you don’t have to tell me what’s going on, but don’t shut yourself out. We’re a team. We’re here for you.”

His words hit her harder than she expected. She felt a lump rise in her throat and quickly looked away, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall.

“Thanks,” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Scoups nodded, standing up. “Get some rest. We’ve got a big day tomorrow.”

As he left, y/n let out a shaky breath. His presence had a strange way of grounding her, even when her world felt like it was falling apart.————————————————————————————-The next day, the group was back in the practice room, running through their choreography for the Japan concert. Y/n was struggling to stay focused. Her mind kept drifting back to the photo, to Se-Hun, to the girl.

“Y/n, focus!” Hoshi called, clapping his hands.

“Sorry,” she mumbled, shaking her head and forcing herself back into the routine.

But it happened again and again. Her timing was off, her moves sloppy. By the third mistake, Scoups called for a break.

“Y/n, can I talk to you?” he said, motioning for her to step aside.

The others gave her sympathetic looks as she followed him to the corner of the room.

“What’s going on?” Scoups asked, his tone firm but not unkind.

“I’m just tired,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

“Don’t give me that,” he said. “This isn’t like you. If something’s wrong, you need to tell me.”

Her chest tightened, and she looked away, biting her lip. “It’s… personal.”

Scoups sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I get it. But you can’t let it affect your performance. The team’s counting on you.”

“I know,” she whispered.

As he walked away, y/n felt a pang of guilt. She hated letting the team down, but she couldn’t bring herself to tell him the truth not yet.————————————————————————————-That evening, she stood on the dorm’s balcony, staring out at the city lights. The photo of Se-Hun and the girl was burned into her mind. She wanted answers, but more than that, she wanted things to go back to the way they used to be.

He studied her for a moment before nodding. “Alright. Take a minute to pull yourself together. Then let’s try again.”

Her phone buzzed in her hand. It was a message from Se-Hun.

We need to talk.

Her heart sank.

Reminder ~ If you have to fight for love, it’s not real love. Remember to love yourself first.

[aeoredellia]

NOT THAT HE CARES | Katsuki Bakugo

Bakugo never wanted to be here. The bass is too loud, the air is thick with sweat and alcohol, and the entire place reeks of bad decisions. But you—you—had convinced him to come.

“Just for a little while,” you had pleaded, tugging at his sleeve with that damn smile of yours.

“Please?” He had rolled his eyes, muttered whatever, and somehow ended up here—leaning against the wall not too far away, arms crossed, watching you with a scowl as you laughed way too much at something your friend just said.

It was fine at first. You stuck to a couple of drinks, stayed close to your friends, nothing he needed to interfere with. But now? Now you’re swaying slightly, eyes glassy, your grin too loose. Your friends aren’t any better—one of them is barely holding themselves up, the other is too busy flirting to care what’s happening around them.

And then, of course, some asshole decides to make things worse.Bakugo notices him immediately. A guy—tall, shady asshole, dressed like he thinks he’s hot shit—zeroing in on you like you’re easy prey. He watches as the guy sidles up next to you, leans in too close, and whispers something in your ear.

You blink at him, swaying slightly. “Huh?”The guy chuckles, placing a hand on your lower back. “How about we get out of here, yeah?”Bakugo doesn’t think. He moves.In an instant, he’s at your side, stepping between you and shoving the guy a great distance from you.

“Back up!” The guy blinks, taking a step back. “Whoa, chill, man. Just making sure they’re okay.”he holds his hands up “she’s fine.” His voice is cold, sharp. “And she’s leaving dip shit.”

The guy hesitates, looking between you and Bakugo like he’s deciding whether it’s worth the trouble. But one look at Bakugo’s clenched fists and deadly glare, and he backs off with a scoff, muttering something about people being too uptight.

Bakugo ignores him, turning back to you. “We’re goin’.”You pout. “But—”“No buts.” He grabs your wrist, steady but firm. “You’re done.”You mumble something incoherent but don’t resist as he leads you through the crowd. Your friends barely notice you leaving, too caught up in their own mess.Idiots.

The night air is sharp against his skin as he helps you into his car. You fumble with the seatbelt, and with an irritated sigh, he leans over, buckling it for you.“You’re bossy,” you mumble, blinking up at him.

“And you’re a damn lightweight,” he shoots back, shutting the door before walking around to the driver’s side.The drive is quiet. You’re half-asleep against the window, lips slightly parted, cheeks flushed from the alcohol. He glances at you, then sighs, grabbing a bottle of water from the cupholder.

“Drink.”You blink at it, sluggish. “Why?”“So you don’t feel like complete shit tomorrow.”

A slow, sleepy smile spreads across your lips. “You do care.”His hands tighten around the wheel. “Tch. Shut up.”Still, you take a few sips, mumbling a quiet thank you before closing your eyes again.By the time he pulls up to your place, you’re barely awake. He gets out, opens your door, and sighs when you don’t move.

“Oi.” He nudges your arm. Nothing.With a grunt, he unbuckles your seatbelt and scoops you into his arms, carrying you inside like it’s second nature.

Your breath is warm against his neck as he unlocks your door.“…Bakugo?” Your voice is barely above a whisper.

He exhales through his nose. “What?”

“…You’re really warm.”His face heats up, but he doesn’t acknowledge it.

“Yeah, yeah. Just go to sleep.”And maybe, just maybe, as he tucks you into bed and watches the slow rise and fall of your chest, he finally admits—just to himself—that you might be the only person in the world he’d ever do this for.Not that he cares.(Of course he does.)

[nopointic]

my adventures with being asexual and getting my tubes removed as a 33 year old virgin in a red state in 2025

my gynecologist is so funny and sweet because i'm asexual and he remembers that, but he always brings up birth control and safe sex by habit and i dutifully nod along. and he's like awww yeah you're ASEXUAL now but in the future???? you might wanna??? and i'm like hmmmm maybe???? but better safe than sorry!!! and we smile and laugh but there is an understanding of something bigger. we're not naive. we live in a red state. women's rights and health care are being stripped every fucking day. i am young. i am not married. i am asking for something that doctors usually just turn down immediately.

and then we go on to continue to plan for my surgery for getting my tubes removed and it's so fucking funny to me.

he's like, ok so no babies. no babies!!!!! but maybe one day you might want sex! i dunno. but no babies for sure! and i'm like yep!!!!! he gets me! this was easier coming out the closet to him than my parents. my parents still do not comprehend that i am asexual. to them it's me saying odd phrases and a just a phase. i am 33 and have never dated or even kissed someone. i openly gag dramatically when someone brings up sex on a tv show. i'm like YUCK 🤢. could NOT be me. we all laugh but they still think it's me bullshitting i guess. asexual? what does that even MEAN? they just say ok and move along.

meanwhile the nurses and medical assistants are SO confused on me not being on ANY birth control. because they always ask and i say, nah, i'm not taking any. AND THEY LOOK AT ME IN HORROR. and then i say, i'm ABSTINENT. and one lady was like?????? i said I DO NOT HAVE SEX MA'AM. and she was honest to god still confused????

but my gyno is like, yes, she is ASEXUAL duh, she doesn't have sex. and he smiles and moves along.

the funniest shit!!!!!

but i am forever grateful he's so normal about me being asexual. because even my therapist was like, um it's because of your parents bad marriage and you were abused and you don't know for sure it could be a hormonal problem blah blah blah and i told my gyno and he bless his heart went, ok. that's what YOU choose right? you're FINE with that? and i said yeah. and he said cool. that's YOUR decision and you don't have to do anything you don't want. and we then went on to discuss my medical problems. (i have a shit ton)

but yeah. some people think being asexual is something that needs to be fixed immediately and i'm glad my gyno, this one in a million white guy who reminds me of steve rogers aka captain america, just went ok, cool.

sexuality is fluid. he never says oh you'll change your mind in a condescending way. he doesn't ask me why i don't want sex. he just wants me to be ok with my choices and make sure i don't have a baby if i do not want a baby. because shit happens. sadly that is the plain truth. bad things happen like rape and he's like, you don't want kids ever? i'm gonna make sure that stays true. he is so real for that.

even though i am asexual and i don't have sex.

i lucked up in finding a gyno in a red state that cares so deeply about my body and my decisions. i wish everyone had that.

anyways shout out to my gyno going you're asexual?! and then always smiling and saying, yes, you're asexual but NO KIDS RIGHT! 😂😂😂😂😂😂 nah, no kids. team no kids for life. thank you!

oh and virginity is a social construct ya know.

not wanting sex is not the end of the world.

and i can only imagine what my fellow lesbians go through at the gyno. like. the nurse nearly had a fit when i said i don't use any contraceptives. she really hit me with the SO HOW ARE YOU NOT GETTING PREGNANT HUH?

i don't have sex babes.

oh and yes i've gotten the "but you're pretty" lines too. not sure what the fuck being pretty and rocking cute clothes got to do with me being asexual but go off!

[resident-idiot-simp]

Vanessa's co-workers POV

(x)

@shy-canadian-snowflake had somewhat similar conversation about this with him so kudos for that lol

Vanessa was well known at the office for being blunt and honest to the point of hilarity. She would tell you what she thought with no care of how you felt about it. She also had some borderline insane stories she would share that she didn't seem to think much about.

One off comment too that would bring people up short because….what?!

Things like getting kidnapped and held hostage by a maniac, or being shot and almost dying because she was with the wrong person.

She talked about hanging out with mutants which some people in the office had problems with. Vanessa just asked those who scoffed if they had an issue with it and to speak up if they did. Vanessa didn't take very kindly to anyone talking bad about mutants. People suspected it was probably a personal thing and wondered who exactly in her close family was one.

That question was answered one day if she was leaving with everyone else. A man in a hood and sunglasses was lingering around the exit and a lot of people were nervous. Vanessa wasn't however as she lit up when she saw the figure.

“Wade!” She called and the huge man looked up and smiled. His face was shadowed but from what they could see it was just scar tissue. Vanessa ran to the figure and the man opened his arms for her easily.

“Hey Nessa, how was work?” The man asked his voice chipper as he placed an obnoxious kiss on the top of her head which caused Vanessa to giggle. The other workers were just staring in confusion.

“Fine, I didn't know you would be here today.” Vanessa said with her hands on her hips after she pecked him on the cheek.

The man, Wade, sighed obnoxiously, “What, I can't surprise my best friend by walking her back to her apartment after treating her to dinner?” He asked, faking as much offense as he can manage.

“Just us?” She asked as she crossed her arms.

The others watched the interaction like a tennis match.

“Everyone else is busy besides we've not had dinner together in a while. Unless of course it offends your delicate sensibilities.” Wade shot back and Vanessa just laughed.

“Fine but I have to tell Dermot.” She says and the man shrugs easily, “Of course I'd be worried if I were him. Hell you know how I was with you, still am even.” He agreed.

“Oh I know I was engaged to you for a long time.” She shot back and he just laughed.

Everyone shared wide eyed looks at that. Vanessa had mentioned having an ex fiance and this was apparently him.

“Are you going to look like a creep the whole time?” She asked him as she pulled out her phone. He just shrugged, “Don't want to scare anyone.” He said softly and Vanessa rolled her eyes, “Yes because someone as big as you wearing what you are isn't terrifying.” She sassed back.

Wade just sighed dramatically and took off the glass and hood. “Happy?” He asked, his voice tense as he looked at the others still watching. He was covered in scars but that isn't what caused the others to come up short. No what caused that was the fact that was fucking Deadpool.

Everyone looked to one another alarmed but Deadpo-Wade just ignored them as he looked back at a smiling Vanessa. “There's the man I know, come on I'll call on the way, when are we eating?” She asked as she started walking and Wade hurried to catch up cursing as he went.

The next day the office was abuzzed with questions. She answered some of them and ignored others. She had been with Wade before he was Deadpool and then after. They had split on good terms and had just grown apart romantically, but she still said they considered themselves best friends.

Her new boyfriend didn't care they were close because he trusted her and also not that it mattered but Wade had another partner now anyways. They were really close sure, but they didn't have any romantic feelings.

When asked about Wade's new partner she just shrugged and said they'd meet them eventually.

It was a few weeks later when they did in fact meet the partner. They were all leaving and there was a motorcycle idling outside. A man was leaning next to it in flannel jeans and a leather jacket. Vanessa had just smiled when she saw him, “Logan good to see you.” She called as she walked over to him.

He smiled and showed off too sharp teeth, “Hey Ness.” He greets easily as he gives her a hug and rubs his face on her. She giggles and wacks him lightly, “That shit tickles asshole.” She grouches.

He rolls his eyes at that. Vanessa graciously ignores it, “How's Wade?” She asked and the man just groaned. “Obnoxious as always but fine, he's at Sister Margaret's collecting money for a job we did.” He explained as he took off his jacket and handed it to Vanessa who put it on.

It swallowed her completely but she didn't seem to mind. Logan got onto the motorcycle and Vanessa was quick to join him wrapping her arms around his waist. They were off moments later leaving the stunned group to share shock looks.

“W-was that the Wolverine?” Someone asked in complete shock. “I think it was.” Another answered in a whisper.

Vanessa had been questioned about Logan and had admitted that yes he was Wade's new partner. She didn't explain more than that no matter how many times they asked.

It was another month before anything else interesting happened. That being a young lady who showed up. She had asked for Vanessa and it didn't take long for Vanessa to come and see what she wanted.

“Laura hey I didn't expect to see you here. Are you okay? What happened?” Vanessa asked as she approached and looked the girl over. She allows Vanessa to look her over but reassures that she's fine and nothing happened.

“Just wanted to know if I could hang here until you get done. Papá and Pop are being obnoxious and are probably going to fight and I personally don't want to see the aftermath.” She explained and Vanessa had just laughed, “I'm sure it will be fine we've only got an hour left.” Vanessa told her.

A few people shared worried looks but figured if it was really bad they wouldn't be laughing about it. Laura was a kind young lady who seemed out of her depth with her sounding and stuck close to Vanessa. Laura looked almost identical to Logan which didn't go unnoticed but people refrained from commenting about it.

Laura didn't cause any issues and even helped Vanessa with a few things before the day's end. Vanessa thanked her for the help and she smiled happily showing off familiar too sharp teeth. They left together and it was Monday before they got answers.

As they suspected Laura was Logan's daughter and thus Wade's too. Vanessa explained she was really happy for Wade because he'd always wanted a kid. Apparently he was amazing with Laura which most people were dubious at but no one said anything.

Vanessa never became less mysterious if anything it was the opposite. The more they learn the more questions they had.

Tags: @twoarrsandonesea

Added stuff and posted it to ao3

[alittlegiraffe]

Title: 5 Times Marshall Made You Jealous (+1 Time You Made Him Jealous)

1. The Time with the Interviewer

Marshall had always been charming in interviews, but this one? This one was testing your patience.

The interviewer—a stunning woman with legs for days—was laughing a little too hard at his jokes, touching his arm a little too often. And Marshall? He wasn’t exactly pushing her away.

You sat off to the side, arms crossed, tapping your foot. When he finally wrapped up and walked over, grinning like he hadn’t just been flirting on live TV, you gave him a pointed look.

“What?” he asked, smirking.

You rolled your eyes. “Nothing.”

He chuckled, wrapping an arm around your waist. “You jealous?”

“No,” you lied.

“You so are,” he teased, kissing your temple. And, damn it, you let him win.

2. The Time He Took a Fan Pic a Little Too Close

You loved how much he appreciated his fans. But when a gorgeous woman wrapped her arms around him, leaning into him like she belonged there while he smiled like he wasn’t even thinking about it? Yeah, that stung a little.

The worst part? You saw the picture on Twitter before he even mentioned it.

“So, anything you wanna tell me?” you asked later, holding up your phone.

He glanced at the screen, then at you, before sighing. “It was just a picture.”

“She was all over you, Marshall.”

He stepped closer, wrapping his arms around you. “I didn’t even notice. The only person I care about is you.”

Damn it. He always knew exactly what to say.

3. The Time with Rihanna

You trusted Marshall. You did. But watching him perform with Rihanna? Watching them vibe on stage, their chemistry so effortless? That messed with your head a little.

You didn’t say anything at first. But later that night, he caught you staring at your drink, jaw tight.

“What’s up?”

“Nothing.”

He raised a brow. “This isn’t about the performance, is it?”

You scoffed. “No.”

He grinned. “You sure?”

“…Shut up.”

Marshall just laughed, pulling you into him. “You’re the only one I want, you know that?”

You did. But it still felt good to hear.

4. The Time His Ex Called

Marshall rarely talked about his exes, which was fine by you. But when one of them called out of nowhere, your stomach twisted.

He answered, his voice neutral, but you couldn’t help but listen in. She was laughing, reminiscing, and while he wasn’t exactly feeding into it, he wasn’t shutting it down either.

When he hung up, you raised an eyebrow. “So, we’re taking calls from exes now?”

He sighed, running a hand over his face. “It was nothing.”

“Didn’t sound like nothing.”

He stepped closer, tilting your chin up. “You seriously think I’d ever go back to that?”

You sighed. “No.”

“Then c’mere,” he murmured, pulling you into a slow, lingering kiss.

Fine. You’d let it slide. This time.

5. The Time He Got a Little Too Cozy with a Music Video Model

Marshall had warned you about the video shoot. Said it was all acting, that you had nothing to worry about. But watching him with his hands on some model’s waist, his lips way too close to hers? Yeah, that was pushing it.

You didn’t say anything at first. You just went quiet.

He noticed.

“You mad?” he asked later, sliding onto the couch beside you.

“No.”

“Liar.”

You shot him a glare. “I know it’s just work, but did you have to look at her like that?”

He smirked. “What, like this?” He gave you the same sultry look from the video, and you groaned, shoving his face away.

“I hate you.”

“No, you don’t,” he said, kissing your cheek. “C’mon, baby. You know it’s only you.”

Damn it. He was way too good at this.

+1. The Time You Made Him Jealous

It happened completely by accident.

You were out with some mutual friends, and one of the guys—a friend of a friend—was making you laugh. You weren’t even flirting, but Marshall? He was glowering from across the room, his jaw tight, his grip on his drink almost painful.

When you caught his stare, you smirked.

He narrowed his eyes. Two could play this game.

Later, as soon as you were alone, he caged you against the wall, his hands gripping your waist. “You think that’s funny?”

You bit your lip. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

His eyes darkened. “Oh, you know.”

Then he kissed you—hard, possessive, like he had something to prove.

Not that you were complaining.