#she wouldn’t miss them as much and they wouldn’t miss her

[whereisloe]

my angel ໒꒱

“come from way above” ❀ sevika x reader 𓆝. 𓆟

Got this idea while writing a Silco fic and realized not enough people are writing for this fine ass woman OHMYGOF

I miss my wife, tails. i miss her a lot.

“This doesn’t hurt, does it?” you’d ask as you treated Sevika’s wound, carefully watching every faint expression on her face as you did so. She only grunted in response before letting her head fall into her hand. Considering the positions you both assumed, the woman had been towering over you as you sat comfortably between her legs dressing her abdominal wound. “Aaw , we’re almost done. Just keep being good for me, yeah?” You’d tease with a passive pat to her thigh as you prepped yourself to wrap her waist.

“Shut up” She’d force through a wince as you applied pressure to the deep cut, wrapping it as you did so. “You talk too much”

Once you finished the wrap your hands were quick to roam. Snaking up her chest, and latching onto her neck as you pulled your lips onto her jaw. “Keep getting hurt like this and I might just have to give Silco a little visit for all the trouble he keeps putting you through” Sevika scoffed, half-amused at your wit as she leaned back into the chair. “That man would eat you alive, sweetheart” The petname came off more condescending than endearing as Sevika undermined your words, even brushing off the genuine concern behind the joke with a bittersweet smirk.

“Oh, you promise?” Now it was your turn to laugh as you watched that smirk wipe clean off her face when her expression grew darker. You ignored her very obvious mood change and continued cleaning up your gear. “Y’know, maybe I could get you that pay raise. What do you think?” You’d stand from your crouched position and slowly spin around, flaunting your body at the woman. You even grabbed her rugged hand and bring it to your hip as you knelt into the seat of the chair that had been exposed between her legs.

“Hilarious.” She wouldn’t even half mind you as her hand quickly replaced your hip with a cigar. You rolled your eyes at her passiveness before returning to the ground to clean up your mess. At some point you even walked away allowing Sevika to smoke in peace as you cleaned your equipment.

Once you reentered the room, you’d find Sevika casually reclined on your couch with an unlit cigar still hanging out the side of her mouth. As you got closer her eyes locked on to you, roaming you up and down but once they reached your face, they softened. Just two gentle, big eyes admiring from a distance as you admired back. You were snapped out of your trance when she threw a lighter at you. You caught the metal with ease and examined it. “You forgot to light me” She said plainly, attempting to hide the sentiment she held toward the action. It was reminiscent of the first time the two of you met outside a brothel. Long story short, Sevika was quick to describe you as a huge distraction to her mission that day despite your short interaction that even you barely remembered.

“How cruel of me” You knelt down in front of the couch, now back to admiring your partner from below as her half lidded eyes met your wide ones. Her hand, rough as it was, gently held your cheek as her thumb brushed over your bottom lip. You felt yourself melt into her warm palm as the contrast between her calloused hand and your plush skin sent chills down your skin. You sparked the lighter twice before bringing it to the end of Sevika’s cigar.

She watched you. Allowing the flame to illuminate your soft expressions, and in her eyes, manipulating your features. Making you resemble yourself that night many years ago. She wasn’t any less taken by your more aged features if anything she appreciated them. Glad to see you grow older alongside her than having to admire your beauty from an ageless photo. You would notice her unwavering stare once you tossed the lighter aside and decided to make brief conversation. “You know, I don’t remember much of the first time we met” Sevika took a puff of her cigar before nodding urging you to continue. “But I remember without a doubt the second time”

“I’d be more concerned if you didn’t” She chuckled under her breath as the memories came flooding in. You took note of her already flaking cigar as she held it between her two fingers. Quickly, you placed your ceramic tray gently to her stomach just in time to catch the ash. “That guy had a lot of nerve putting his hands on you, you’re lucky I was there. Otherwise, who knows the things he would’ve did—” Sevika cursed at the thought.

“Well, you were there and I am forever grateful for you,” your voice was low as you rub senseless shapes across her wrist with the pad of your thumb. “my angel” the words were hushed as you kissed the base of her palm, then her wrist, down her arm, and back up her shoulder until you reached her nape where you took a moment. In this time, you pushed yourself onto her, feeling her shift to a more seated position to accommodate for you, you straddle her hips as you tossed your arms carelessly over her shoulders. The ceramic tray had fallen out from under you meeting the concrete with a shattering sound as the shards dispersed. “Damn it” You sighed as you began shifting away from your partner only for her to rest a heavy hand on your waist.

“I’ll clean it, later” Sevika gently guided you back into herself only to latch onto your neck. A shaky breath left your agape lips as you laid helplessly above Sevika. The heat in your cheeks only spread as she shamelessly left those sticky love bites all over your neck.

The sounds that fell from your lips only further egged her on as she found herself getting lower and her hand higher as it slid up your stomach. Eventually, you grew fed up with her slow teasing and brought your fingertips to the seams of your shirt and watched as Sevika’s gaze grew harsh with anticipation. You were ready to lift the cloth but quickly felt your blood run cold as three heavy knocked fell against your front door. You practically jumped out your skin as Sevika scowled at the source of the noise. “Fuck, I’ll get it” You held a hand over your heart as your slowly opened the door, meeting the eyes of a man who seemed to be one of Silco’s goons.

“Sevika, boss needs ya” The man completely disregarded you. You huffed under your breath and glanced up noticing how she was already behind you, prying the door further open. “Gotchu, now get the hell out of here before somebody sees you” Sevika’s voice was cold and harsh as she talked with the man, her tone almost foreign to you as you waited behind the door for Sevika to finish. Once she did, the door was shut with a frustrated grunt as she leant up against the door contemplating her next move.

“You need me to kill him?” From behind, you brought both your arms around her, pressing your face against her shoulder, you felt her laugh. “I’m sure you could.” She turned around and pressed a brief kiss to your temple. “Drinks on me next date to make up for this”

“Drinks are always on you” Your thumbs rubbed anxiously against her waist as you become increasingly aware of how much you hated when she left.

“Guess I need to stop fucking up, then” She gave your cheek on last stroke before turning to leave only to be stopped when you grabbed her mech hand. “You’re off to a bad start if you’re just gonna leave like that” You pulled yourself into her chest, standing on your toes as your lips locked with hers. Moving in tandem, Sevika fell against the door as you cupped her face in your palms and grew warm as her hand fell on the small of your back. Toward the end of your kiss you felt that warm, genuine smile of hers form against your lips as you fell back onto your heels.

“Be sure to fly back home to me, my angel”

god punishes me by making my wives fictional :( also have yall read that hexstrap fic??? sevika please just the tip 🙏😩

[azzifuddslover]

off the court

paige bueckers x azzi fudd

themes: jealousy, angst, pining

word count: 3.1k

tw: alcohol use, swearing

a/n: hii my lovely’s! i honestly dk how i feel about this chapter, but i hope u guys enjoy it regardless. also please ignore the shift from past to present tense 😭 i realized i fucked it up like mid way thru but oh well! the movies i mentioned are also so good GO WATCH EM. and if u cant tell i love blushing i find it so cutesy. ALSO ONE SHOT IDEAS PLEASEEEEE. anyway, enjoy and hope y’all have a good week!

CHAPTER THREE

paige has a problem. it wasn’t that her aim was off, causing her to miss shot after shot. it wasn’t that her coach was yelling at her to get her head in the game. no, it wasn’t any of that. it was the fact paige couldn’t stop thinking about the curly brunette, even if her life depended on it.

ever since practice a few days ago, when azzi’s body was flush against hers, azzi had owned paige’s mind. and since her head is elsewhere, she failed to focus on everything else, especially basketball.

“what’s wrong with you?” nika asks paige, confused as to why her game was off, which is extremely rare for her.

without basketball, paige had nothing. basketball gave paige life, ever since a young age. even after trying other sports, her heart was always set on basketball. so when paige’s game had been acting up, it made her teammates, as well as coaches, confused.

paige glances at nika, “what? nothing.”

nika gave paige a don’t bullshit me look, “paige, cmon. you’ve been missing shots all day. something’s gotta be up.”

paige didn’t, wouldn’t tell nika about paige’s tiny issue. “i don’t know. bad day, i guess.”

“well get your shit together. we need you for tomorrow’s game.”

paige looks over at azzi, who was on the opposite side of the gym with caroline, “don’t worry, i will.”

later that night, paige was already laying in bed when her phone buzzes. it was a text from aubrey, asking the team group chat if anyone wanted to hang.

dorka, paige’s roommate, was already quietly sleeping on the opposite side of the room. paige looks at the time, 9:41 pm; she figured hanging out with her friends wasn’t the worst idea.

paige soon arrives at aubrey’s dorm. she opens the door to find a variety of her teammates; nika was seated on aubrey’s bed along with aubrey, lou was on the floor, while azzi and caroline were on jana’s bed, who wasn’t present.

fuck. of course azzi would show up, despite it being late at night. it was as if azzi somehow knew paige had been thinking about her- appearing just to torment her.

the two met eyes, paige held eye contact a tad longer than she normally would. heat creeped up azzi’s neck.

since there wasn’t much room on either beds, paige slumps against the bed azzi was sitting on.

“so what were y’all doing before i came in?” paige questions her teammates.

“trying to decide on a movie, but nobody is agreeing,” nika replies, annoyance in her voice.

“i say we watch she’s the man, but everyone here doesn’t have good taste, so nobody agrees with me,” aubrey says, rolling her eyes.

paige turns her head up to azzi, “what was your suggestion?”

azzi was caught off guard by paige’s question, “uh, i said about time.”

“oh my god, i love that movie. i agree with azzi,” paige announces.

azzi was shocked, to say the least. she never imagined a world where paige would agree with her.

they settle on about time. nika grabbed a few snacks and passed them around, while lou brought a few drinks in from the tiny kitchen.

a couple minutes into the film, paige grew uncomfortable with her spot on the ground. azzi noticed it by the constant shifting she had been doing. azzi reaches down to tap paige’s shoulder.

“you can come up here if you’re uncomfortable,” azzi whispers so the others wouldn’t be disturbed, while softly patting the spot next to her on the bed.

paige notices that her and carol had already shifted down, making room for paige. her lips curled into a small smile.

without a second thought, paige lifts from the floor and gently sets herself next to azzi, thighs nearly touching.

“thanks,” paige whispers. azzi simply nodded her head.

throughout the movie, paige’s thigh would occasionally graze azzi’s, sending butterflies to her stomach. there was a spark between the two, surely azzi felt it too.

caroline passes a bag of popcorn over to azzi, who instantly begins consuming it.

“can i have some?” paige questions lightly so she didn’t cause distractions for the others.

“of course,” azzi smiles, placing the popcorn in the middle of them.

their hands would graze while both going for the popcorn, paige let her touch linger longer than she should. she knew better. but her secret azzi fudd obsession got the better of her.

“sorry,” paige mutters, pulling her hand away after embarrassment covered her features.

“i don’t mind,” azzi looks at paige, a soft expression on her face.

paige had always been beautiful to azzi, but in this lighting, in aubrey’s small dorm, sitting on the same bed, mere inches apart, paige looked unreal. her blonde hair was the perfect kind of messy, lips were light pink, eyes so blue that they were practically transparent. paige’s cheeks flush at azzi’s eyes solely focused on her.

“okay guys! i’m exhausted, i’ll see y’all tomorrow,” nika jumps up from her spot, causing heads to look over at her.

paige and azzi took their attention away from each other, despite it being the hardest thing paige had to do.

“yeah, i should go too,” azzi agrees, beginning to move off the bed.

“same,” paige says, also moving from her spot.

the three say their goodbyes before leaving out aubrey’s dorm door. during the short walk down the hallway, the girls discuss their excitement for the first game of the season. they came to the end of the hall, where they could go either left, right, or continue straight. nika headed straight, off to her room. paige was going left, while azzi was going right. but both didn’t make any hints to move yet.

paige leans against the wall, azzi mimics her by doing the same on the opposite wall. a small smile crept onto her lips.

“you ready for tomorrow’s game?” paige questions the younger girl.

“beyond ready,” azzi’s smile only grows. she’s been waiting for this moment since before she could remember; her very first game in college basketball.

“you better be. i’m definitely gonna need you,” paige says without thinking. her eyes widen at her use of i’m. “we, i mean.”

azzi’s cheeks redden at paige’s comment about her needing azzi. not the team- her, accident or not.

“are you ready? you seemed kinda distracted at practice,” azzi brings up.

“i’m fine,” paige says harsher than she meant.

not wanting to deal with paige’s attitude, azzi sighs, “alright. see you tomorrow.”

paige desperately wanted azzi to stay with her. she wanted to grab her by the hand and pull her close; but she knew she couldn’t do that.

“yeah, see ya.”

the next morning, paige immediately shuts down any azzi thoughts from the previous day. she needs to focus on the game. it was the first of the season, and she eagerly wanted to make it a good one.

she brushes her teeth, washes her face, dresses herself, as dorka did the same.

“ready for this, p?” dorka smiles, excitement buzzing off her tall frame.

“always,” she matches her smile.

the two girls grab their bags and head down to the dining hall to grab some breakfast. nika, aubrey, jana, lou, carol and azzi were already seated and eating away.

paige prepares her meal before taking the spot besides jana, directly across from none other than azzi. they quickly lock eyes before looking away equally as quickly.

the team discusses plays they wanted to run in the upcoming game, all participating and giving suggestions. they soon finish eating before heading down to the gym for some smaller workouts, to get somewhat warmed up.

paige was still struggling to make her shots that she’d normally be making. when azzi notices, she casually walks over.

“can i suggest something?” azzi asks.

paige looks over at her, “hm?”

azzi strolls closer to the older girl, close enough to where paige felt her breath on

the back of her neck.

“what are you doing?” paige asks, breathlessly.

azzi places her hand on paige’s, adjusting it to where she liked. she then moves her elbow, “fixing your form.”

once azzi was done, paige shoots the ball, and is surprised to see it actually go through the basket.

“thanks, i guess,” paige grins.

the two girls continue shooting, getting their reps in when the time came to begin actual warm ups.

the game was about to begin; paige, nika, aubrey, azzi and jana were the starting 5. azzi feels an intense amount of pressure to do well, since she’s the only freshmen starting tonight.

the five girls huddle together, wide grins on their smiles, beyond ready to get this season going. paige speaks words of encouragement to her teammates as they all get into position.

uconn was up by 31 points, azzi having 19 while paige has 21.

paige runs the ball up the court, eyeing each teammate of hers. she passes the ball over to nika, who throws it over to azzi. she effortlessly makes the open 3, causing loud roars from the uconn student section.

the team was on a 9-0 run in the third quarter when paige sprints near half court and collides with a member from the other team.

azzi watches it happen and rushes over a little too quickly, for someone who claimed to hate her. azzi appears in front of the older girl, who was lying on the floor face up, and gently places her hands on her knees.

“are you okay?” azzi asks, worry laced in her tone.

paige was silent for a moment, still dazed by the impact. but when she glanced up at the brunette, a sense of calm quickly washed over her.

“yeah,” she answers, grabbing azzi’s hands that were being held out to her.

their hands held onto one another’s a moment too long. their bodies were slightly touching; neither made any movements.

it wasn’t until coach auriemma yelled at them did either of the girls make a move. paige was substituted for ashlynn to rest, and eventually, azzi was also subbed out for caroline to give other players a chance to play, as they were dominating the opposing team.

azzi settles down next to paige, the only spot open on the bench. their thighs were full on touching since the seats were so tight.

azzi rests her elbows on her knees before turning to paige, “you sure you’re okay? that fall looked like it hurt.”

paige smiles at azzi’s worry, “why? do you care or something?” she teases.

azzi’s face lit up with red, “um, no. of course not.”

paige lets out a soft chuckle before playfully pushing the brunette’s face, who who responds with a wide grin, dimples and all.

paige matches her smile with one of her own. god. she was otherworldly.

“you’re so fucking pretty,” paige mumbles, barely audible for azzi to hear, while dropping her heads, wrapping her arms under.

“sorry, what’d you say?”

“nothing,” paige replies, definitely not repeating her words.

the game ends, the teams high five one another before heading to the locker rooms.

“guys, since we played so well today, we should definitely celebrate,” jana suggests.

“what are you thinking?” nika asks, a smile tugging at her lips.

“ted’s, of course,” she laughs, “is everyone good with 7?”

each team member agree to meet at ted’s, the bar most uconn students attended, around 7. paige was buzzing at the idea of a dirty shirley temple, desperately needing one to get her mind off someone.

paige showered, applied light makeup, and picked out a comfortable but nice outfit.

around 6:55, paige leaves her apartment with dorka at her side, heading to ted’s.

the bar was absolutely packed with uconn students as well as the women’s basketball team. nika was talking to the bartender, aubrey was laughing at something jana said, while azzi was throwing back a shot.

the air seemed to shift when paige’s gaze lands on the young brunette. her heart instantly quickens as she took in her outfit. a light purple tank top that fit her in all the right places, paired with jean shorts that were doing wonders for her ass. her curls were down, slightly messy but in the most beautiful way possible.

making eye contact with paige causes azzi’s breath to hitch. heat floods her cheeks as she remembers the moments between them from earlier today.

stepping closer to the bar, paige lowers herself into an open seat, directly across from azzi who was completely surrounded by teammates. dorka took the spot next to her while lou made herself over to the two girls.

“dorka! p!” lou greets them, clearly already drunk.

“hey lou lou,” dorka smiles at her friend.

paige waves over the bartender, “can i please have a dirty shirley temple?”

the bartender nods, immediately reaching for a glass. paige was dying for a drink in her hand to take her mind off everything and everyone.

the shirley burns her throat as she took several gulps, downing nearly half the glass.

“calm down there, p,” dorka laughs at paige’s urgency to consume the drink as fast as possible.

“just thirsty,” paige replies.

after finishing her second shirley temple is when she noticed a tall man talking to azzi. her azzi. her fists clench at her sides as she throws a glare their way.

the man then lowers himself into the open seat next to her while casually shifting close, making their faces mere inches apart. azzi fidgets with her fingers, suddenly nervous from the attention.

paige presses her lips in a line to hold back her growing anger that was screaming to come out. all she wanted to do was walk over there and take what’s hers.

paige orders several more drinks, shots, whatever she could to hopefully get rid of the scene in front of her.

when a piece of azzi’s hair falls in front of her face, the man reaches out and brushes it behind her ear. his hand lingers for a moment too long, only causing paige to become more aggravated.

azzi laughs at something he said and paige decides she’s had enough. although she was completely aware she shouldn’t be doing this, she was supposed to hate azzi, she couldn’t help herself. she clutches her drink tightly in her grasp, a idea trickling in her head, and marches over there.

azzi almost instantly spots the blonde moving towards her at a rapid pace. her eyes widen when paige accidentally trips, spilling her drink all over the man.

satisfaction covered paige’s features, proud of her doing.

“jesus fucking christ!” he yelps, quickly jumping up from his position next to azzi.

“i am so sorry,” paige pretends to be genuine and concerned, even though herself and azzi knew it was complete bullshit.

the man grabs napkins, desperately trying to pat himself down, but ultimately failing. he walks away without as much as a glance back at the curly brunette, who continues to remain silent.

“did you seriously have to do that?” azzi questions paige, annoyance on her face.

“it was an accident, azzi,” paige sighs.

“sure it was,” azzi mutters as she grips her drink.

“it was,” paige replies defensively.

paige allows herself to sit where the man once was, feeling the air grow electric with the two being so close. azzi looks almost shaken by their close proximity, her eyes roaming paige’s body.

“paigey!” nika slurs, suddenly grabbing paige’s shoulders.

paige turns to her friend who was beaming, “what’s up nik?”

“oh my goodness, you totally missed it…” nika rants on and on about the hot bartender who was totally checking her out.

“i’ll be back,” nika grins as she jogs off to talk with the bartender once again.

“at least she’s getting some action,” azzi says, rolling her eyes.

“oh my god, i am so sorry i ruined the two minute conversation you had with some idiot. if you’re so interested in him, then be my guest; go find the fucker.”

“maybe i will,” azzi bites out, getting up from her spot and taking off towards the crowd.

it shocks paige that azzi actually went through with it- disappoints her, too. did she genuinely like the guy?

regretting her words, paige follows azzi’s trail, quickly catching up to the freshmen. she grabs her arm, making her twist around to face her.

“please, wait,” paige slurs in her drunken state.

“what do you want?” azzi questions, desperate to know paige’s intentions.

“you,” paige whispers, so quietly azzi can barely make it out.

“speak up, paige,” azzi replies, annoyed.

“please don’t go after him.”

azzi’s eyes crinkle, “and why not? you’re not my keeper.”

paige rests her hands on either one of azzi’s hips, uncontrollably pulling the younger girl closer.

“i know. i know,” she whispers, “just stay. stay here with me.”

azzi was taken aback from paige’s soft tone and sweet words. it was unlike paige to be like this to azzi, so azzi pieced together she must be drunk out of her mind.

“you’re drunk, paige,” azzi says.

“i’m sober enough,” paige’s lips turn up as she moves her hands to azzi’s face.

with her face in her hands, paige rests her forehead against the curly brunette’s, while her gaze drops down to her full, pink lips.

“what are you doing, paige?”

paige closes her eyes, not wanting to think about everything wrong with what she was doing and how it’d be like tomorrow.

“i don’t know. fuck, i don’t know. i just want to be close to you,” she whispers.

azzi gently places her hands on paige’s waist, pulling the older girl impossibly closer.

“fuck, az,” paige mutters, “i can’t stop thinking about you.”

paige was all azzi could hear, despite the loud crowd and blasting music around her. and her words meant everything.

“no matter how hard i try, you’re always there. you with your perfect curls and cute ass dimples,” paige smiles, twisting with a singular curl with her finger.

“oh yeah?” azzi matches the grin.

“yeah,” paige says, gaze focused on her lips.

right as paige leans in, azzi suddenly jerks back, her eyes wide with panic.

“p- paige, no. you’re drunk. you’ll regret it tomorrow,” she stutters, frantically stepping out of paige’s touch.

paige reaches out for azzi’s frame, “no i won’t.”

practically tripping over herself, azzi rushes over to her previous seat with paige right on her heels. she grabs her belongings before giving a lone glance back at the blonde; she was breathing hard, hands slightly shaking, with a disappointed yet shameful expression on her face.

azzi turns away and is gone before paige had the time to blink.

“god fucking dammit,” paige mutters to herself, ashamed of her actions that caused azzi to run off.

paige finds an open spot at the bar and orders yet another round of shots, not caring about the concerned looks she was receiving from her teammates.

paige swallows shot after shot, trying to drown her sorrows and any lingering thoughts of azzi. of course she had to ruin whatever was happening between them. of course.

“paige, don’t you think that’s enough for tonight?” aubrey cautiously questions her friend.

paige drunkenly chuckles, “not even close,” throwing back another burning shot.

[littlespoonevan]

Would love to hear more about the Miss Congeniality Au!

ahhh miss congeniality au, my beloved!!!! 💖💗💞💕🩷❤️ truly, truly, truly i feel like this au could be so much FUN if i could find the discipline and motivation to just sit down and write it lmao. but i will say i v much enjoyed fitting all the pieces together for this snippet so here's hoping it awakens something in me askdjhf

i hope you like it 🥰

~

Eddie never imagined becoming a special agent. Then again, he never imagined becoming a single dad either.

But FBI work actually keeps him chained to a desk a hell of a lot more than regular police work used to and the pay’s better.

He’s regretting that decision right about now.

“Eddie, it has to be you.”

He pinches the bridge of his nose, quickening his step even as Chimney continues to keep pace with him.

“It absolutely doesn’t, Chim.”

“The whole office agrees-“

Eddie stops short, whirling around. “Just because the little simulation version of me you drew up on the computer had an eight-pack-“

“My computer does not lie, Diaz-“

“I don’t have time,” Eddie cuts in. “I can’t be away from Chris that long.”

“It’s one week. Less, if you do your job right.”

Eddie makes a face.

It’s the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. A charity firefighter competition that he really thinks sounds a hell of a lot like a beauty pageant. Sure, there’s obstacle courses and stuff to complete but he’s not sure what a speedo competition has to do with being a competent firefighter. The cause is noble, he guesses, but there has to be a better way to raise money than deciding who’s the most specialist firefighter in all of Los Angeles.

Especially when the host – Captain Bobby Nash – is the target of a bomb threat.

It wouldn’t even have landed on their desk if not for the fact that three people with ties to Bobby Nash and the LAFD had received bombs in the mail over the last two weeks.

Athena thinks their best chance to take down the mail bomber is to have someone on the inside, to infiltrate the competition and investigate the contestants while also being the FBI’s eyes and ears throughout the week.

Hen and Chim, of course, volunteered Eddie for the job.

“I don’t like undercover work.” It’s an oversimplified version of the truth – that Eddie hates having to perform for an extended period of time and that this competition sounds like his own personal version of hell. Also, as much as he knows he’s in good shape, he doesn’t actually want people ogling his body for a week straight.

Chim gives him an incredibly unsympathetic clap on the shoulder. “Just use those big, brown eyes of yours and wow the judges with your salsa skills and no one will be any the wiser.”

Eddie opens his mouth to argue back when another voice cuts through their conversation.

“She said yes!”

He and Chimney both look up to find Hen running towards them, a beaming grin on her face. “Athena said yes! Better start practicing your poses, Firefighter Diaz.”

Well, shit.

-

Captain Bobby Nash has got a made-for-TV smile that has Eddie understanding why he got the hosting gig over every other fire captain in LA.

“Special Agent Grant,” he says, shaking Athena’s hand with a warmth to his expression that Eddie doesn’t expect.

Athena clearly doesn’t expect it either because she clears her throat as she pulls her hand back. “Captain Nash. This is Agent Diaz.”

Nash redirects his attention to Eddie, extending his hand once again. “Great to meet you. And please, call me Bobby.”

“You too,” Eddie says, flashing a polite smile and following Athena’s lead to take a seat in front of Bobby’s desk.

“So I take it there’s been some progress in the case?” Bobby asks, settling into his chair.

Athena purses her lips, exchanging a look with Eddie. “Not as much as we’d like. Given that we still don’t have a trace on the letter the bomber sent and the LAFD’s reluctance to cancel the competition, we’ve decided to send one of our agents in undercover.”

Bobby’s eyes immediately flick to Eddie and Eddie feels the ridiculous urge to straighten his posture. “I’m guessing that’s where you come in, Agent Diaz?”

“Not that we want to undermine the integrity of the competition but it will be imperative that Eddie makes it to the final,” Athena says. “It’s the best chance we have of catching the bomber if we can’t determine a suspect before then.”

Bobby leans back in his chair, regarding them both with an unreadable expression. Finally, he cracks a smile. “Well, he certainly looks the part.”

“He gets that a lot,” Athena snorts and Eddie ducks his head to hide the heat in his cheeks. It’s bad enough when it’s Hen and Chim ribbing him; he didn’t actually think Athena ever overheard them.

“Which firehouse is he representing though?” Bobby asks. “All of the contestants have already been chosen.”

Without missing a beat, Athena hands over a file that Eddie knows contains the fake details of his new identity. “Apparently the 133’s entry came down with an awful bout of food poisoning.”

Bobby accepts the manila folder with a faint smirk. “Well, that’s a shame.”

-

“Diaz. Diaz, do you read me? Over.”

Eddie rolls his eyes as he steps onto the bus ready to ship the contestants to the opening luncheon. “Yes, Chim,” he mutters under his breath. “I can hear you; stop yelling.”

“Remember to smile, Eddie.” That’s Hen.

How Athena thought they were the two best suited to oversee this, he’ll never understand.

He scans the length of the bus, looking for an empty seat. The whole place is overrun with burly men in too tight t-shirts talking animatedly to each other. It takes him a second to realise one of the men in question is waving at him.

He’s got curly hair and a golden retriever-esque eagerness to his smile. “Edmundo?” he asks. “From the 133, right?”

Eddie clears his throat and rearranges his face into a smile as he makes his way to the empty seat. Though calling it an empty seat feels generous when the firefighter all but shoves himself against the window to make room.

“How’d you know who I was?” he asks, genuinely curious. They only finalised the details of Eddie’s position in the competition yesterday and they made sure to leave any of his information off the official competition website.

“Oh I did a little deep dive on the other contestants but you were the only one who didn’t have a picture so I figured it had to be you.” He shrugs with an affable charm before offering Eddie a hand. “I’m Evan Buckley, with the 118. Everyone calls me Buck though.”

“He’s cute,” Hen says in his ear.

“Like a puppy,” Chim adds.

Eddie ignores them and shakes his hand. “Uh, you can call me Eddie,” he greets. Changing his last name was necessary; he refuses to go by Edmundo for the next week. It’s only then that he clocks the station number Buck said. “You’re part of Nash’s team.”

“Yeah,” Buck says, beaming with pride. “Bobby’s the best captain ever. You know some of these guys have it out for me because they think he’s gonna play favourites even though he’s not a judge. He’s just the host. But whatever, it’s not a big deal.”

The dejected look that creeps onto Buck’s face suggests it very much is a big deal even if he won’t admit it. Eddie feels a pang of sympathy. The guy seems harmless, even with all the rippling muscles. Then again, he’s not surprised a competition this testosterone-fuelled has people acting territorial.

“They just want an excuse for when you beat them in the first round,” Eddie says, mostly to fill the silence but also to get this Buck guy to stop looking so downtrodden.

He definitely doesn’t expect the way Buck’s whole face lights up in awe.

“You think I’ve got a shot at making it to the finals?”

The earnest hopefulness in Buck’s voice catches Eddie off guard and Hen and Chimney in his ear don’t help.

“Aww Eddie’s making friends!”

“Forget friends! Eddie, he’s cute; keep flirting with him.”

Eddie bites down on the urge to tell them to fuck off and makes himself smile at Buck instead. “’Course you do. Some of these guys are lucky they even made it this far.”

Truthfully, Eddie hasn’t even taken the time to look at anyone else on the bus all that much yet but the words tumble out of his mouth without permission. And in the face of Buck’s delighted grin, he can’t find it in himself to take them back.

“Thanks, man,” Buck says bashfully. “Hey, you have anyone to share a room with at the hotel yet?”

“Please tell me there’s only gonna be one bed,” Hen squawks gleefully in his ear.

“Uh I don’t know. Are they assigned or-?”

“They figured since most of us know each other we could pair up however we want but- um…” Buck trails off, making it clear no one has offered to share with him and well, it seems like he knows a lot about the other contestants. That could be good for Eddie. To get information and close the case. Obviously.

“Yeah, man. We can share.”

“Awesome!” Buck declares, slumping more comfortably in his seat and bumping his shoulder –probably accidentally – against Eddie’s. The bus gets moving then and Eddie takes the opportunity to scope out some of the other contestants.

It’s unlikely their suspect is another firefighter but not impossible.

“So how come I’ve never seen you at a scene before?”

Eddie blinks, redirecting his attention to Buck who’s looking at him curiously.

“Oh uh, I just transferred in the last couple of months.”

“From where?” Buck’s expression doesn’t look suspicious and Eddie has to remind himself not every conversation with a stranger needs to be an interrogation.

“Um, El Paso,” he says, immediately cringing on the inside. This man does not need to know any of his real life personal details.

But Buck only smiles again. “Cool. I’ll have to look out for you on calls from now on.”

And it’s not said flirtatiously or anything like that but Buck looks bashful again and Chimney is cackling his ear about how, “Eddie’s got a fan,” and Eddie’s stomach does a strange, traitorous flip.

But this is fine.

Everything is fine.

It’s just-

It’s going to be a long week.

-

[bucksboobs]

I wish BoB's could take a second and look at episodes objectively, like without the Tommy of it all. Because, watching Confessions as a fan of all the characters, was just bad. It sucked. Eddie didn't get any character growth, Maddie was doing some weird hidden pregnancy thing for some reason, they had a fucking Glee speech, Maddie made a homophobic "joke", I could go on. Like, take the shipping goggles off for a second and realize you (generally speaking), in fact, did not get what you wanted.

I’m so mad their pregnancy was unplanned again. It makes way more narrative sense for them to come to the conclusion they want more kids together without having the situation essentially forced on them.

And yeah the Eddie thing started out strong! He acknowledged his mistakes to Father Brian!!! He said what happened! And then Fr Brian is like “you should do something frivolous.” And that’s it? No follow up? Is he going to actually work on acknowledging to Chris what happened? Has he talked about The Incident with Chris at all the past three months? Is he really going to settle for going to El Paso and being a witness to his son’s life? Obviously I think the answer is supposed to be “wait and see” but there’s been so little movement on him actually acknowledging the root cause of his actions, which is the grief he has for Shannon. Do you know how easy it would be for them to have him talk to the Real Shannon (i.e. her grave)? They’ve already shown that location before! They were at the graveyard this season! Talking to Shannon’s grave about missing out on Chris’s childhood would be so much more impactful than Brad being the reason that makes Eddie decides to leave.

And the Glee speech wouldn’t be so bad if it was actually leading somewhere you know? They take pains to explain why Tommy had a comphet relationship with Abby using Glee as a metaphor for social progress and that would have been great if it lead to anything positive for Tommy like an “i love you” for instance but because it doesn’t actually let Tommy have something nice despite his past mistakes born of fear, it instead comes off as the hand of the writers reaching down to jerk off Ryan Murphy, which isn’t a good look when the show is a Ryan Murphy Production.

And everyone has said it but the fact “how many men did she turn gay?” Was the perfect set up for Buck to say he’s bisexual is just so indicative of this season’s inability to follow through on anything. You’re telling me Buck wouldn’t say “well I’m bi actually” instead of that round about “I kissed a boy” thing? Hell he could have said both things and it would have flowed better. “Well first of all I’m bi and she was gone long before I ever kissed a boy.” *cue Josh*

[demigod-shenanigans]

Okay but. Hear me out. Platonic m/f soulmates specifically in a heteronormative society.

Soulmates are understood to primarily be a romantic thing by society, because they’re meant to be the most important person in your life, and a lot of the time that person is your partner, but not always.

Reyna who grows up with Jason’s name on her wrist. Who gets through her shitty childhood partially through thinking one day she’ll meet her soulmate and he will love her and things will get better

And then she does meet him and he does love her, but it’s not how she expected it to be. He loves her, but it doesn’t seem to be in the same way she loves him.

And then even the goddess of love tells her she’ll never find love with her soulmate, and Reyna can’t help but wonder if she’s fundamentally broken in some way.

Jason who grows up just wanting to be loved, no matter in what way. Who has Reyna’s name on his wrist and is delighted when he meets her and knows they were meant to be friends. But he’s not sure he loves her in the way he’s supposed to. And he’s overjoyed that he has her, but sometimes he feels sad, because maybe that means there’s something wrong with him.

Leo and Piper who grow up with each other’s names on their wrists. Who find out during the meteor shower and kiss exactly once only for them both to immediately realize this feels off, but if that means they’re broken somehow, at least they can be broken together.

But then something shifts. Hera mixes up their memories and they no longer remember. Leo is stuck thinking his soulmate has a boyfriend, and maybe he’s one of the unlucky few people who is soulmates with someone that has a different soulmate. But then he looks at Jason and Piper together. And sure, he jealous, but it’s not Piper he wants to kiss, and he’s so confused. She’s the one who’s meant to be his soulmate. So then why does he think about what it would be like to brush his fingers through Jason’s hair?

Piper who doesn’t properly remember wilderness school but does realize her love for Leo isn’t what it’s supposed to be. She loves him so much, but she’s not in love with him like she should be. But surely Hera and her mom put her with Jason for a reason. Maybe there was a mistake with her tattoo. Maybe she was supposed to have Jason’s name written on her wrist. Maybe she’s not broken.

Except Jason’s tattoo says Reyna. And it’s clear that he misses whoever Reyna is. He says he doesn’t think he liked her like that, but she’s his soulmate, so surely he does. The name is burnt into Piper’s mind before they ever meet.

And when they do, she wants to hate Reyna. Wants to hate her for what it will mean for her relationship with Jason that Reyna exists. Wants to hate her for being proof that there is something fundamentally wrong with Piper.

But Reyna is beautiful and strong and a natural leader. Jason is lucky to have a soulmate that awesome. (And sometimes Piper kind of wishes Reyna was her soulmate instead of Jason’s.)

Reyna who wants to hate Piper because she’s the girlfriend of the guy who was supposed to be her soulmate. Who might be the reason Aphrodite looked at her and said she wouldn’t find love where she wanted or expected. But Piper is gorgeous and brave and stubborn, and Reyna doesn’t hate her. Sometimes she thinks it might be the opposite. Sometimes she wonders if that’s what her prophecy meant.

Jason who is loved in so many different ways after a lifetime’s worth of feeling unloved. Who is so confused how romantic love is supposed to feel in comparison to platonic love. Who loved Reyna and Piper but never like he was supposed to.

Who holds Leo in his arms and wonders if that’s what home feels like.

It’s Leo who figures it out eventually. He’s venting to Hazel about the whole situation after the incident with Nemesis and Hazel looks at him dumbfounded because “what gave you the idea soulmates had to be romantic??”

“Please tell me one example where it isn’t. You can’t.”

And Hazel just stares at him, then slowly rolls up her sleeve to show Leo the name on her wrist is literally her brother’s (which makes a lot of sense because obviously without Nico she wouldn’t even be alive right now. He changed her life in a way no one else could have)

And. Yeah. That one is kind of hard to argue with

And there’s nothing wrong with the way any of them love each other. They’re not what society expects soulmates to look like. But they’re all so very loved, and being loved platonically isn’t less valuable than being loved romantically just because it’s different. It’s not what they expected looking at the names on their wrists for the first time. But it’s still love, and maybe that’s the only thing that matters.

[daisymbin]

Hi belle can I request 22. "you were my first love—you still are." Of second chance romance with Joshua. I feel like reading second chances are like a tales that always end in a happy ending ❤️.

hi lovely!!! of course you can! & yes... but honestly I think I'm addicted to thrill at the start of a second chance romance because its always exhilarating yet terrifying 😬

request your own: full prompt list!

check out my masterlist! // shua's m.list

second chance prompt #22: "you were my first love—you still are."

it was supposed to be a fun night. a few drinks, some dinner, the three of you just laughing and letting loose. chan, mingyu, and you had been out for a while now, but as the night wore on, the fun started to fade.

you hadn’t realized how much you were drinking at first, but as the alcohol hit you, it blurred your thoughts and made your heart ache.

your mind wouldn’t stop going back to joshua—joshua, joshua, joshua. the love you had for him. the love you still had for him.

the way he smiled at you. the way he’d look at you like you were the only one in the room.

you missed him.

“hey, you okay?” mingyu asked, his voice cutting through the fog in your head.

you blinked at him, not quite able to focus. your eyes were heavy, your chest tight. “i miss him,” you whispered, more to yourself than to anyone.

chan and mingyu exchanged a worried glance, both of them knowing exactly who you were talking about. they had been trying to keep you distracted all night, but it was clear you were spiraling.

“come on,” chan said softly, trying to get your attention. “let’s get you home, okay?”

but you just shook your head, tears welling up in your eyes. “no… i can’t go home. not without him.”

mingyu, despite his large frame, was surprisingly gentle. he leaned down to help you up, but you flinched away from him, your body swaying.

“come on,” mingyu coaxed, his deep voice comforting. “we need to get you home.”

but you weren’t having it. you shook your head stubbornly. “no, i need him,” you slurred, clutching at your chest as if it would ease the ache there. “only joshua.”

chan sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “this isn’t going anywhere. i’m calling him.”

the moment chan dialed joshua’s number, you stiffened, your gaze sharpening, even though you were beyond tipsy.

“joshua…” you muttered under your breath, your heart pounding.

it didn’t take long for joshua to pick up.

“hello?” his voice came through, the usual warmth in his tone immediately replaced by concern when he heard the situation.

“hyung, can you come?” mingyu said, his voice surprisingly tense for someone usually so laid-back. “(y/n)’s a mess. she won’t let us take her home.”

there was a long pause on the other end of the line. “what happened?”

“she’s drunk off her ass and crying over you,” chan explained. “we can’t get her to leave until she sees you. we’re at that bar near the corner. please, hurry.”

joshua didn’t waste another second. “i’m on my way.”

when joshua arrived, he found you, a sobbing mess, crumpled against the bar counter. mingyu and chan had both tried to console you, but you were inconsolable.

the moment you saw joshua walk through the door, your eyes widened. for a second, it felt like a dream.

your face, already flushed from crying, broke into a small, relieved smile. “shua…” you whispered, your voice raw and barely audible over the sounds of the bar.

you wobbled to your feet, and despite your blurry vision, you flung yourself into his arms.

joshua caught you instantly, his arms wrapping around you tightly, feeling the weight of your sadness. his heart broke as he felt how fragile you were in his embrace, how lost you looked.

“you’re finally here,” you mumbled, barely coherent, your voice trembling as you clung to him. “i waited for you…”

joshua’s heart ached at your words. you didn’t mean for him to hear, but he did. and it tore him apart.

“hey, hey, i’m here now,” joshua whispered, gently brushing a strand of hair from your face, his hands soft against your skin. “it’s okay. i’m here, sweetheart.”

but before he could say anything else, your body went limp, your eyes fluttering shut as you passed out in his arms.

“sweetheart?” joshua called softly, but you were already passed out.

“oh boy,” mingyu muttered under his breath.

joshua face set with determination, “get the car ready. i’ll carry her.”

as he carefully scooped you up in his arms, joshua couldn’t help but scold chan and mingyu. “i can’t believe you two let her drink this much. she’s been sobbing all night, and you didn’t stop her?”

mingyu looked guilty, rubbing the back of his neck. “we tried, but—”

“don’t,” joshua cut him off, shaking his head. “just get the car.”

when joshua reached your apartment, he carried you inside, his heart still heavy with everything you had said. he laid you gently on your bed, tucking you under the covers.

but you stirred, a soft, drowsy whimper escaping you as you reached for him. you clung to his sweatshirt, your fingers weak but desperate.

“shua,” you whispered, your voice trembling.

"you can let go sweetheart, you're home now." he says as he patted your head softly.

“if i let go… you’ll leave me, right? forever?”

joshua felt a tightness in his chest as he watched you, your tear-streaked face filled with so much pain, so much fear of losing him.

he sat down next to you, gently brushing your hair away from your face. “i’m not going anywhere. i’m not leaving you,” he whispered, his voice filled with so much tenderness.

“promise?” you asked, your eyes barely open, looking up at him with hope.

joshua’s heart broke at how vulnerable you were, how badly you needed reassurance. how badly you needed his reassurance.

he didn’t say “yes.” instead, he spoke the words he had been holding back for so long.

“you were my first love,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “you still are. i would do anything for you.”

your breath hitched at his words, and for the first time that night, you finally felt a weight lift from your chest.

joshua stayed by your side, his hand gently stroking your hair as you drifted into a peaceful sleep. and now you're finally home, you're safe. he is here, and he isn't going anywhere.

[butlervibesonly]

𝐴𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛'𝑠 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 || Austin Butler

• Summary : Y/n and Austin are invited to birthday party of one of his friend's baby, and who would have thought Austin will catch a huge baby fever by watching his love Y/n play with kids?

• Pairing : Austin Butler x female! reader

• Warnings : fluff, if we count baby fever?

• Note : I don't know much about Austin's friends so the one mentioned in this fic is all made up by me!! As I respect their privacy or don't want to spread misinformations this is all FICTION! (name is mentioned by ★ if there is a friend named by the same name I choose it's complete coincidence)

You absolutely love any kind of gatherings, whether it's family gathering, or simple friend gathering, but you never knew how much you adored birthday gathering until today.

Austin and you are invited to the birthday party of his friend's daughter, who is already one year old. Time flies so fast – when she was born you rarely saw each other because of your or Austin's busy schedule, but neither you or Austin would miss her 1st birthday.

You and Austin arrived at James' (★) place seeing everyone already being in the garden. The garden is a colorful explosion of pastel balloons, streamers, and an adorable banner that read "Happy birthday, Lily!". You couldn't help but gasp at the beautiful decorations. "I can't believe she's already one year old!" you smile at Austin who smiles back at you, leaving his hand on your back.

"Look who it is!" James pulls both of you in hug. "Hey, buddy!" Austin pats his back, all happy that he sees him. "Nice to see you again, Lily is looking forward to see you!" James smiled.

Your eyes immediately landed on Lily, perched in a playpen and clothed in a tiny pink dress. "Oh my gosh," you whisper, clutching Austin's arm. "She’s so tiny and cute! Look at her little cheeks!" James picks up Lily from playpen.

"We have some gift for birthday girl." Austin smiles, handing Lily a cute stuffed bear. Lily makes some cute noises, grabbing it from Austin. "Thanks, guys. Y/n, do you want to hold her?" James asks.

Without hesitation, you approach James, holding out your hands to Lily. Lily stares at you with big, curious eyes before offering a toothless grin that totally melts you heart on the spot. "Hi, birthday girl! Aren't you just the sweetest?"

Lily seems to agree, because she reaches out, wiggling her chubby little fingers, grabbing your face. You immediately tighten your arms around her, carefully holding her.

"Well, she might not let you go now," James teases, and Austin chuckles.

"I wouldn’t mind," you reply with a laugh, gently bouncing Lily. She giggles and you can't help but cuddle that little girl. You play with her, 'talk with her' as she mumbles some sweet baby noise.

Austin is already sitting with others by the table, arms crossed, but he doesn't pay attention to them – he watches you with a smile that grows wider by every second. There is something about the way you interact with Lily— your gentle touches, the way you talk to her as if she is the only thing that matters. It is adorable, heartwarming, and undeniably stirring something deep inside him.

For a moment, it's almost as if Austin shifts into future, imagining you with your own baby. Something he can't deny is the fact that you'll be an amazing mom to his kids one day. He actually can't wait to start a little family on his own.

"You’re staring, man," James teases, sidling up beside him.

"Can you blame me?" Austin replies, his voice soft. James smirkes knowingly. "That look on your face says one thing and one thing only—baby fever."

Austin scoffs, though his cheeks flushes. "I’m just admiring how great she is with kids, y'know," he tries to hide his true baby fever. "The way she can handle stuff, make Lily laugh..."

"Sure you are," James nudges him. "You’re already picturing a little one of your own, aren’t you?"

Austin opens his mouth to retort, but the sight of you planting a playful kiss on Lily's forehead stopped him. The baby squealed, clapping her tiny hands, and you laughed.

"Alright, maybe a little," he admitts sheepishly. "Don’t worry, you’ve got my vote," James pats him on the back. Austin smiles again, watching the both of you again.

As you're finally free you sit down beside Austin, joining others. During the day Austin is quiet, mostly smiling softly watching you. He touches your hand, kissing you softly.

"What's going, Butler?" you ask, teasing him. A grin appears on his face, tucking a hair behind your ear. "Mmm.. nothing." he looks away, trying to avoid eye contact as he's clearly lying.

"Come on, I know you're lying, Aus,"

"You'll be a wonderful mom one day."

His words surprise you. You and Austin have barely spoken about starting a family, but that seems very different in this moment. "Austin Butler, is that a baby fever I see on you?"

"I guess." he kisses you passionately. There's no doubt you've chosen the best man to be dad of your kids.

[yhwhsdaughter]

Jinx x Fem! Reader (platonic)

Jinx could count on one hand the number of people who would help her braid this ridiculously long hair.

You were amongst them.

And that’s what you were currently doing, for as much as Silco loved Jinx, even he was glad to pass the time consuming task to you.

Metal music blasted in the background as your fingers moved deftly, passing one long stand over the other to create her signature braids. Brushing it was tedious enough, but somehow you liked doing it.

Multitasking kept your thoughts occupied from worst things. That didn’t mean you wouldn’t complain about it though. “Gosh, your hair is so long, my fingers are cramping.”

As if to prove your point, you gently tugged at a strand causing Jinx to groan before laughing and semi turning to whack your crossed legs.

“You wanted to help, sunshine.”

“Got me there~”

With a shrug, you continued, tongue sticking out in concentration which was a bit hard because Jinx kept nodding her head to the music.

“Jinx—”

“Sunshine” she mocked.

You’d huff, straightening her head forward, causing a tug war between you two.

Eventually, with enough trouble, you finished, swinging the last braid aside. Standing, you groaned, feeling the ache in your back and legs that had fallen asleep midway through.

Jinx admired her hair in a small mirror, grinning, “Nicely done, (Name).”

You took the adulation, proud of your handiwork, now in display on Jinx’s head.

After a much needed break, you swiveled Jinx to face you, demanding her hands. When she saw you cringe, she scoffed, flicking your forehead and crossed her arms, a subtle pout on her lips.

“What?” as if she dared you to audibly diss her.

“Nothing~!” you puckered your lips, shrugging innocently.

Despite her huffs, Jinx relinquished her fingernails to your care, watching you painting them. You didn’t say anything, but you could feel her burning gaze.

Your hands were steady, applying a fresh coat to her nails, blowing on them softly to speed up the drying process.

Jinx would never say this, because she might just die of embarrassment and partly worried that you might tease her, but she deeply appreciated how you fussed over her.

Being herself, she didn’t have friends, not really.. so the fact that you’d come here just to do this—well, she was touched.

Also, Jinx couldn’t really be worried too much about this stuff either so it was handy to have someone who did.

—

In memory of Jinx’s long luscious locks, you will be missed.

[swan-and-bolts]

Maybe it wasn’t the time to make jokes, with how his attempts have not lightened the conversation at all.

His mouth opened to respond, but shut once more.

He let Anya take his arm, offering it for whenever she needed. Really, if she wanted to hold his hand while they walked to find the two missing men, he would have no complaints. If she needed it, he would keep it offered. Hell if she asked, he’d carry her.

“Captain mentioned something, believe it or not.” He answered, giving a light scoff. “Said something about needing to take Jimmy to a Medical, because he might have underlying injuries. Not that I cared, would’ve been easier to chuck it into a cryopod and be done with it.” He briefly paused, cleared his throat and continued. “He said Doctor Joyce, which is Odessa from memory. So we get to where her Medical is, we might find them there.”

Would they still be there? He wouldn’t know. It’s a lead, at least.

“So, yeah. They might be at Medical, hopefully with Jimmy still sedated.” He debated on getting a weapon, just in case, but that felt a bit much.

this thread is getting too long so it’s branching off time <3

”Stay still— Wait— please stay still—“ Anya begs as she tries to hold Jimmy down to the bed, but she knows well, by now, that nothing could be easy for her.

He falls and she can’t catch him, she can’t even bring herself to try. Blood trickles to the floor in scattered drops as he drags himself back up, towards Curly, and for a moment she watches in fear of what he might do.

But he only cries and mutters things she can’t even begin to make sense of, and for a moment, Anya is still, only watching as he weeps to his Captain.

Then she sees more blood trickling onto the floor, and remembers she has a job to do. She grabs a roll of bandages from the cabinet, but hesitates to get any closer than she has to. She looks back at Swansea, then at Jimmy and Curly, then at the bandages in her hands. Once again, she’s useless.

She takes a tentative step forward, then another, then slowly reaches for Jimmy’s shoulder, “I- You’re bleeding,” She tries, wondering if he can even hear her, “I need to take care of that.”

( @swan-and-bolts @curlygrant44 @cptjimmy yall lmk if anything needs changed!!)

[acute-crashout-jeyuso]

Sacrifices/ BTR Book 2: a Jhea fanfic.

Chapter 16: Valentine’s Day

February 14th, 2025 5:48PM

Liv finished adding the final touches to Rhea’s makeup, the soft glow of the light purple glitter highlighting her eyes. She smiled at the transformation, the face of her best friend illuminated with joy. Rhea sat back, admiring the work in the mirror.

“I haven’t done your makeup in so long,” Liv remarked, looking at Rhea with a proud grin.

“I missed it,” Rhea replied, her voice soft as she took in the sight of her reflection.

Liv chuckled. “Remember when I fixed your black lipstick when we got tossed out of the ring?” she asked, leaning in closer to ensure everything was perfect.

Rhea smiled, her eyes filled with nostalgia. “Yeah, you saved me. You’ve always had my back,” she said with a playful grin. “You know… if I didn’t retire, I wouldn’t have minded continuing to put you over.”

Liv stopped for a second, her eyes meeting Rhea’s through the mirror. “Rhea…” she began, her voice quiet.

Rhea turned her head slightly, meeting her best friend’s gaze. “You deserve it so much,” she said. “I love that you and Dom are dominating right now. You two have earned it.”

Liv smiled, feeling a surge of warmth in her chest. She stood up and wrapped her arms around Rhea. “I love you so much, girl,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Rhea hugged her back tightly. “I do too, times 10,” she whispered back. “Now let’s finish before Jey has an aneurysm from us lagging.”

As if on cue, Jey’s voice echoed from the doorway. “I love you, Rhea, but the limo will literally be here any minute.”

Liv shot a quick glance toward him before rolling her eyes playfully. “Alright, hold on!” she called, grabbing the final touch: a clear pink lip gloss. She applied it carefully to Rhea’s lips, making sure it was perfect.

Jey sighed, but he couldn’t hide the fondness in his voice. “Dom’s waiting on you Liv.”

Liv smirked, applying the gloss. “I know, I know, I know, I’m ready,” she said, giving Rhea one last smile. She looked up and winked. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this.”

Suddenly, the sound of a car horn blared from outside. Jey’s eyes widened. He pulled out his phone, quickly glancing at the message from Jeremiah. “Babe. The limo’s here!”

Rhea stood, grabbing her purse and making her way to the door. “I know! I’m going!” she said, feeling the rush of excitement take over her.

She hugged Liv tightly. “Make sure Jeyce and Jaciyah are in their rooms before you two go! And check on them if you come back before us!”

Liv waved her off. “Go, go, go!” she urged with a grin. “We got it!”

Rhea took a step back and blew a kiss to both of them before heading out the door. Jey stood in the hallway, ready to usher her out the door as they both made their way toward the waiting limo. Liv quickly ran to check on the kids, a sense of responsibility kicking in.

As Rhea stepped into the limo, her heart raced with anticipation for the night ahead. She felt the weight of everything that had happened, everything that was yet to come—but for now, she was living in the moment. With Jey by her side, and the night filled with endless possibilities, she was ready to enjoy what life had in store.

The limo's soft hum and the city lights flickering outside faded into the background as Jey's attention was entirely on Rhea as the drive progressed. His eyes traced the elegant curve of her neck, the way the black leather dress molded to her body, accentuating her every movement.

It was a striking vision-Rhea, effortlessly beautiful, glowing in the dim light of the limo.

The way the fabric hugged her frame was nothing short of breathtaking, making her appear as if she belonged in a dream.

Jey's heart ached with the deep, unspoken love he had for her, something he had never imagined feeling so intensely for anyone. He admired her strength, her grace, and the quiet way she carried herself, especially now as she was navigating this new chapter of their lives-pregnant with their child. Though her belly had yet to show the signs of it, he could see how her body had subtly shifted, a reminder of the new life they were about to welcome. His eyes softened, a mixture of awe and pride swelling inside him.

Rhea shifted in her seat, sensing Jey's gaze on her. She turned to meet his eyes, her lips curling into a teasing smile. "Are you still there?" she asked softly, her voice filled with warmth, as if she knew exactly what was running through his mind.

Jey's heart skipped a beat at the sound of her voice, the playful tone grounding him in the moment. He reached out without a second thought, pulling her gently toward him, and their lips met in a slow, lingering kiss. It wasn't just a kiss—it was a conversation, a silent exchange that said everything words could never capture. In that one moment, Jey felt the depth of his emotions-how much he cherished her, how much he needed her, and how unbelievably lucky he was to share this life with her.

Pulling back slightly, he let his forehead rest against hers, his breath mingling with hers.

His voice was hushed, reverent. "I don't know how l'm so lucky to have you in my life," he confessed, his heart laid bare in those simple words. His fingers lightly brushed against her arm, tracing the soft curve of her skin. He had everything he could ever want— her love, their child on the way, and the promise of a future they would build together.

Rhea's heart swelled, her chest tightening at the tenderness in his words. It was moments like this-so raw and pure-that made her fall in love with him all over again. Her gaze softened as she smiled, eyes brimming with affection. "Joshua... I love you so much," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Every word felt like a vow, a testament to all the struggles they'd faced and the love that had blossomed between them, stronger than anything she had ever imagined.

Jey's heart pounded in his chest as she spoke, her words wrapping around him like a warm embrace. He leaned in, unable to resist the pull between them. His kiss this time was deeper, more urgent, as if he needed to remind her of the depth of his feelings-how much she meant to him, how she had transformed his life in ways he couldn't express.

As his hands roamed over her skin, the soft warmth of her body against his sent a wave of emotion rushing through him. Her skin was like butter-so soft, so delicate-and it felt as though everything inside him was awakening to the touch. He could feel the way she responded to him, her body leaning into his as they kissed, her hands threading through his hair, pulling him closer. It was as though the entire world outside didn't exist anymore-there was only the two of them, wrapped up in each other, in their love.

For a moment, everything was still. Rhea's breath hitched, and her pulse quickened at the way Jey's hands caressed her, at the way he made her feel like she was the only one who mattered. She had never felt so seen, so loved, so cherished. Her heart raced with the certainty that this-right here, right now— was everything she had ever dreamed of.

She had found her person, and in his arms, she felt invincible. There was a peace between them, a quiet understanding that no matter what challenges they faced, no matter how their lives would change with the new addition they were expecting, they had each other. And that was enough.

"I love you, Joshua," she murmured, her voice a soft promise.

Jey kissed her again, this time slower, savoring the moment, knowing deep down that these moments-these quiet, tender exchanges-were the ones he would treasure forever. His hands cupped her face, as if trying to imprint the feeling of her into his very soul. "I love you more, Demi," he whispered back, his heart swelling with emotion. As the limo continued to glide through the streets, the world outside felt miles away.

The limo eventually slowed to a smooth stop in front of Table 104, a sophisticated restaurant known for its exquisite ambiance and attention to detail. The driver stepped out, rounded the vehicle, and opened the door with a slight bow. Jey exited first, offering his hand to Rhea as she stepped out gracefully. The evening breeze was cool, carrying a faint scent of salt from the nearby ocean.

Hand in hand, the couple entered the restaurant, where the soft hum of conversation and clinking glassware filled the air. A hostess greeted them warmly at the podium.

“Good evening, welcome to Table 104,” she said with a smile. “Do you have a reservation?”

Jey nodded confidently. “Yes, reservation for two under Fatu.”

The hostess spoke into her headset, her voice polite and efficient. Moments later, the restaurant manager appeared, dressed impeccably in a tailored suit. His demeanor exuded professionalism, but his smile was warm and inviting.

“Mr. and Mrs. Fatu,” the manager greeted, extending a hand toward Jey before gesturing toward Rhea, who blushed at the manager calling her Mrs. “please, follow me.”

Jey and Rhea followed him down a dimly lit hallway, their footsteps muffled by the plush carpeting. The manager opened a set of double doors, revealing a private dining room that looked like a scene from a romantic dream. Endless arrangements of flowers adorned the room, cascading over the edges of tables, lining the walls, and filling the air with their intoxicating fragrance. The centerpiece was a single round table draped in white linen, illuminated by the soft glow of a crystal chandelier overhead.

Rhea’s hand instinctively tightened around Jey’s as she took in the breathtaking display. She turned to him, her eyes shining with emotion. “It looks just like…” Her voice trailed off as her gaze swept across the room.

Jey smiled, leaning in close. “Just like in The Great Gatsby, babe,” he finished for her, his voice soft but filled with pride.

Rhea’s heart swelled as she turned toward him and kissed him gently, her hand brushing against his cheek. “You never stop amazing me, Joshua.”

The manager discreetly cleared his throat, guiding them to their table. He pulled out Rhea’s chair first, ensuring she was seated comfortably before gesturing for Jey to sit across from her. Once they were settled, he spoke with genuine care.

“Your personal server will be with you momentarily. And mam’,” he added, addressing Rhea with a smile, “your fiancé informed us of your exciting news, so we’ve taken extra precautions. All cooking utensils, pans, and oils used for your meal tonight have been meticulously prepared to avoid any cross-contamination, particularly with seafood containing mercury.”

Rhea’s expression softened with gratitude. “Thank you so much,” she said sincerely.

The manager inclined his head. “It’s our pleasure. Please enjoy your evening,” he said before leaving them in privacy.

Rhea looked across the table at Jey, her fingers tracing the edge of the fine crystal glass in front of her. “You told them about the pregnancy?” she asked, her voice filled with both surprise and admiration.

Jey shrugged modestly, though the grin on his face gave him away. “Of course I did. You and the baby come first, always.”

Rhea’s heart swelled as she leaned across the table and took his hand in hers. “You’re incredible, you know that?”

Jey chuckled softly, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. “I’m just trying to keep up with you, babe.”

—

Meanwhile, on the waterfront, Dom had his hands gently covering Liv’s eyes, guiding her carefully along the dock. The soft lapping of waves against the wooden planks filled the air, along with the distant sound of seagulls. Liv giggled nervously.

“Dom,” she said, her tone half-warning, half-laughing, “if you push me in the water, I swear I’ll—”

Before she could finish, Dom removed his hands and said with a wide grin, “Surprise.”

Liv blinked as her vision adjusted, her jaw dropping at the sight before her. Anchored at the edge of the dock was an elegant, fully lit private yacht. The sleek vessel was adorned with delicate fairy lights, and on the deck, a waiting staff stood dressed in crisp uniforms, ready to welcome them aboard. The setting sun cast a warm golden glow over the scene, and the faint sound of soft music floated through the air.

Liv turned back to Dom, her eyes wide with delight. “A private dinner on a boat?” she exclaimed, barely containing her excitement.

Dom smirked, a spark of pride glinting in his eyes. Before he could respond, Liv let out an excited squeal and launched herself into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist as she peppered kisses all over his face.

“You’re the best!” she said breathlessly, pulling back just enough to beam at him. “My daddy Dom!”

Dom laughed, his hands steadying her against him. “Only the best for my girl,” he said, his voice warm and filled with affection.

Liv kissed him again, this time more deeply, before hopping back down and grabbing his hand. Her infectious smile hadn’t faded as she tugged him toward the boat, practically skipping. “Come on! Let’s get on this thing before I pass out from excitement!”

Dom chuckled, letting her pull him along. As they reached the edge of the dock, a member of the staff extended a hand to help Liv up the short gangplank. She stepped aboard the yacht with Dom following close behind, his hand never leaving hers.

The deck was set up with a single, exquisitely decorated table for two, complete with candles flickering in glass lanterns, an array of flowers, and a chilled bottle of champagne in an ice bucket. The warm ambiance was perfect, and Liv couldn’t stop taking it all in, spinning around to see every detail.

“This is…wow,” Liv said softly, her eyes sparkling as she turned to face Dom. “You really went all out, huh?”

Dom shrugged, a modest grin on his face. “You deserve it. I wanted to make tonight special for you.”

Liv stepped closer, wrapping her arms around his neck as she looked up at him with a tenderness that made his heart melt. “You make every night special, Dom,” she said, her voice filled with happiness.

Dom leaned down, pressing a kiss to her forehead before pulling her into a warm embrace. “Then let’s make tonight unforgettable.”

As they settled at their table, the yacht’s engine purred to life, and the boat began to glide smoothly out onto the water. The city skyline shimmered in the distance, and the stars slowly began to emerge overhead, setting the perfect stage for their evening.

—

After Rhea and Jey had left, and after Liv did her final check-in with Jaciyah and Jeyce, the house fell into a calm stillness. Jeyce waited patiently until he was sure Liv and Dom had left for their evening plans. Once the coast was clear, he quietly opened his closet and pulled out the outfit Dom and Jeremiah picked out for him.

Jeyce grinned to himself as he got dressed, his heart racing with a mixture of excitement and nerves. At twelve years old, this was the first time he had planned something like this—a secret dance with Demi.

After fixing his collar in the mirror, Jeyce grabbed his laptop and checked the time. Just as he did, an instant message from Demi popped up on the screen:

“Come over! He just left!”

Jeyce’s grin widened. He quickly glanced out his window, spotting Jeremiah doing his final patrol around the property. Timing was everything. Once Jeremiah rounded the far corner of the house, Jeyce swung his leg out the window and climbed down the trellis, his movements quiet and practiced. Landing softly on the ground, he crouched for a moment to make sure no one had heard him.

Sticking to the shadows and avoiding the security cameras, Jeyce snuck around the side of the house, careful not to alert his uncles, who were chatting animatedly near the edge of the property. He made his way to the lowest part of the perimeter gate, where he had stashed a step stool earlier that day. With a quick climb, he was over the gate and on the other side, his heart pounding with exhilaration.

As soon as he was a safe distance away from the house, Jeyce straightened his shirt, smoothed his hair, and started walking casually down the trail toward Demi’s house. Along the way, he spotted a bush of vibrant yellow roses blooming in front of a neighbor’s yard. The sight sparked an idea. He glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then carefully plucked one of the flowers by the stem. It wasn’t perfect, but it was something.

Flower in hand, Jeyce arrived at Demi’s house a few minutes later and knocked on her door. He tried to play it cool, but his palms were sweating, and his heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest.

When the door opened, Jeyce froze. Demi stood in front of him, looking stunning in a black dress that shimmered softly under the porch light. Her hair thrown in a braid and her makeup was subtle, only some eyeliner and mascara but to Jeyce, she looked like a real-life princess.

He swallowed hard and held out the yellow rose. “Uh, this is for you,” he said, his voice cracking slightly.

Demi’s eyes lit up as she took the rose with a warm smile. “Thank you, Jeyce,” she said, her voice kind and full of affection. “You look so handsome.”

Jeyce felt his face heat up. “You look… really pretty,” he managed to say, his voice emitting a small stutter.

Demi held Jeyce’s hand with a playful grin, pulling him inside her house. The warm light from the living room filled the space, giving it a cozy, intimate feel. She quickly pushed the coffee table to the side, clearing a spot for the two of them to move around. With a glance at Jeyce, she smiled and hit play on the stereo. The soft, familiar strum of “There Is a Light That Never Goes Out” by The Smiths filled the room.

Jeyce’s eyes lit up when the first few notes played, and he laughed nervously, but Demi only encouraged him with a wink.

“Ready?” she asked, her voice light with excitement.

Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Jeyce into the center of the room, their hands still clasped tightly. Instead of swaying, the two of them started to move with the beat, their bodies responding instinctively to the music. Demi laughed as she spun in a circle, pulling Jeyce along with her. He stumbled a bit but quickly found his balance, matching her energy.

“Like this!” Demi said, making exaggerated dance moves, her arms flailing in the air. Jeyce couldn’t help but laugh, his nervousness fading as he mirrored her actions, adding a few wild moves of his own. He twirled and dipped, feeling a sense of freedom that made his heart race with excitement.

They moved across the floor, laughing loudly as they danced out of sync with each other but still in tune with the rhythm of the song. Demi jumped up and down, pulling Jeyce to do the same. His laughter grew as he jumped along, completely caught up in the moment.

“You’re not bad at this!” Jeyce teased, grinning as Demi did a playful spin, her hair flying out behind her.

Demi grinned back, her eyes sparkling. “I’m a pro,” she joked, giving him a quick wink before they both broke into another round of ridiculous dancing, kicking their feet and swaying their arms with abandon.

Jeyce’s chest ached from laughing so hard. There was something freeing about this, something so simple and carefree that he couldn’t help but feel a rush of joy. It was like the whole world had disappeared, and there was just him and Demi, laughing, dancing, and having fun together.

At one point, Jeyce broke into a little slide across the floor, his arms outstretched like he was gliding on ice. Demi followed with a dramatic twirl, spinning into a series of jumps that made Jeyce laugh even harder. They were a blur of movement, their bodies working together in perfect chaos.

The song played on, its mellow tone mixing with their wild energy. They were dancing without a care, the music wrapping around them like a thread that bound them together in the moment. Jeyce never wanted it to end. It felt like they were the only two people in the world, and for a moment, nothing else mattered but their laughter and the fun they were having.

Demi caught her breath, her arms still moving to the beat as she looked at Jeyce. “You’re not so bad yourself!” she said between laughs.

Jeyce flashed her a grin, his face flushed but his spirit high. “I think I’m getting the hang of it!” he said, doing a goofy little dance move that made them both giggle uncontrollably.

And in that moment, dancing with Demi, everything felt just right.

—

As Jey and Rhea finished the last bite of their dinner, the server returned with a tray holding a delicate dessert, a small smile on their face. “Monsieur and Madame,” the server announced, “I present you our award-winning cannoli. Enjoy.”

Rhea’s eyes lit up as she took the first bite, savoring the rich sweetness of the filling and the delicate crunch of the shell. “This is amazing,” she said, her voice full of appreciation.

Jey took a bite as well, wiping a small amount of powdered sugar from his hands. “We’re definitely learning how to make these,” he said with a grin. “These are too good to not be in our kitchen.”

They both continued to savor the cannoli, exchanging playful glances between bites, both wrapped up in the intimacy of the moment. The dessert, just like the dinner, had been nothing short of perfect, and it was only made better by the soft ambiance of the private room around them.

As they finished the dessert, the door to their room opened once again, and the manager walked in, leading a woman with an elegant harp. The woman gently set the harp down and adjusted her music stand. The manager turned to Jey with a smile. “Mr. Fatu, your request is here,” he said.

Jey nodded in appreciation, smiling as he stood up from his seat. “Thank you,” he said softly.

He then looked at Rhea, his eyes full of love and a touch of mischief. “Join me in creating another memory?” he asked, his voice low and inviting.

Rhea’s heart fluttered as she gazed at him, then at the harpist, who had begun to play a soft, melodic tune. She smiled and nodded, feeling her pulse quicken in anticipation.

Jey extended his hand to her, and she took it without hesitation. They stepped into the center of the room, their movements fluid and synchronized, as if they had been dancing to this song for years.

The enchanting melody of "Young and Beautiful" by Lana Del Rey began to fill the space, and Rhea's heart skipped a beat. This was their song, the one that had come to symbolize so many moments between them.

As they began to sway together, Rhea rested her head against Jey’s chest, her eyes closing as she let the music wrap around them. The gentle strums of the harp were like whispers between their souls, each note pulling them closer together. Jey’s hand was warm on her back, guiding her in the dance, his other hand holding hers with a tenderness that made her feel cherished.

Rhea smiled softly, her fingers lightly tracing the fabric of Jey’s shirt. She could feel the rhythm of his heart, steady and strong. They moved as one, their problems in the outside world fading until it was just them, the music, and the feeling of being completely in sync.

Jey leaned down slightly, his lips brushing against her ear. “You’re perfect, you know that?” he whispered, the words only meant for her.

Rhea couldn’t help but smile, her heart swelling with emotion. “I love you..” she murmured, the words as natural as breathing.

He smiled back, his lips brushing against her forehead as they continued to sway in the soft glow of the room, “I love you always..” the harp’s music echoing around them like a dream. This was a moment neither of them would forget, a moment of peace and connection in the middle of the chaos of their lives.

As the song came to an end, Jey pulled back slightly, his hands still on Rhea’s waist as he looked at her. He could see the joy in her eyes, the happiness that only came when they were together.

“Another perfect memory,” he said softly, his voice filled with contentment.

Rhea smiled up at him, her heart full. “Another perfect memory,” she agreed.

—

Back To The Old House by The Smiths played softly in the background, the calm melodies contrasting sharply with the tension building between Demi and Jeyce. After a two hours of dancing and talking, they had finally sat down on the couch, both feeling content but exhausted. The night had been fun, and Jeyce couldn’t help but smile as he looked at Demi.

“I really loved spending time with you tonight,” Jeyce said, his voice sincere. He didn’t know how to explain how much it meant to him. She was someone special, and tonight had felt like something out of a dream.

Demi’s smile was warm and genuine. “I loved it too,” she replied, her eyes meeting his. There was a softness to her gaze that made Jeyce’s heart flutter. They sat in silence for a moment, enjoying the comfort of each other’s presence.

They leaned in gently, almost instinctively, their faces drawing closer. It felt natural, the space between them shrinking until their lips finally met. The kiss was a soft, hesitant peck, but it lingered longer than either of them had expected. Neither of them pulled away, as if time itself had slowed down for that one perfect moment. Jeyce felt the warmth of her lips against his, and it was everything he had imagined. Demi’s hands rested on his shoulders, both of them holding on to the moment as if it were a secret that only they shared.

But before Jeyce could move his lips, a loud voice erupted, breaking the spell.

“Demetria Bartley!”

Both Jeyce and Demi jerked apart, their eyes wide in shock. Neither had heard the door open, but now there stood Mr. Bartley, fuming with anger. Demi’s face went pale, and panic rushed through her. Her heart pounded in her chest as her father walked toward them, his fury evident in his every step.

“Dad!” Demi said, her voice shaky. She tried to explain, but Mr. Bartley wasn’t listening. In an instant, he pulled Demi away from Jeyce, his grip firm and angry.

Jeyce stood up quickly, his voice trembling as he tried to defend himself. “We didn’t do anything! We were just—”

“Go to your room, now!” Mr. Bartley snapped at Demi, cutting Jeyce off with a cold tone. He didn’t wait for Demi to respond; his anger had already taken over, and he wasn’t about to let his daughter get away with what he thought was inappropriate behavior.

Demi, still in shock, looked at Jeyce with a mix of fear and apology in her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something but hesitated, knowing there was nothing she could do in that moment. Reluctantly, she walked toward her room, her head down.

Jeyce felt his heart sink. This was all happening so fast. He had just shared a special moment with Demi, and now it was being torn away from him. He looked at Mr. Bartley, who was glaring at him as he turned toward the door.

“Come on,” Mr. Bartley ordered, his voice laced with anger. “I’m taking you to your parents.”

Jeyce nodded silently, his stomach twisting. He didn’t know what was going to happen next, but he followed Mr. Bartley out of the house. His mind raced, his thoughts jumbled. He wished he could have stayed with Demi, but now everything had been ruined.

As they reached the car, Mr. Bartley started questioning him. “Where are your parents, anyway? Do they know you’re sneaking around in my house?”

Jeyce swallowed, trying to keep his voice steady. “No, sir. They’re out.”

Mr. Bartley huffed, clearly not satisfied with the answer. “Is there anyone at your house?”

Jeyce hesitated, then replied, “My three uncles.”

Mr. Bartley frowned at that. “Did you get their permission?”

“No, sir,” Jeyce answered, his voice showing his fear.

They drove in silence for a while, the tension thick between them. Jeyce could feel his palms sweating, anxiety gnawing at him. The house he lived in was vast and imposing, surrounded by a gated property, but it had never felt more like a prison than now. Jeyce watched as Mr. Bartley pulled up to the gate, taking in the surroundings. Despite his anger, there was a slight shift in his demeanor, as if he was momentarily impressed by the size of the estate.

“Nice house, kid,” Mr. Bartley muttered, his tone softer now but still tinged with irritation.

Jeyce’s eyes flicked toward the gate as he spotted Jeremiah walking along the edge of the property. “That’s my uncle Jeremiah,” Jeyce said, trying to stay calm and keep the conversation from escalating.

Mr. Bartley gave a brief nod but didn’t respond. The tension in the air was thick as he parked the car, and Jeyce could feel his stomach churn with unease.

As they got out of the car, Mr. Bartley’s frustration hadn’t waned. Jeremiah approached the gate and saw Jeyce. Mr. Bartley looked at Jeremiah, his tone clipped and demanding. “I want to speak to Jeyce’s father. Now.”

Jeyce’s heart raced as they walked toward the front gate. This wasn’t how he imagined his night would end. His thoughts flickered to Demi, and a part of him felt desperate to see her again, to explain everything to her father. But for now, all he could do was follow Mr. Bartley and hope that the consequences wouldn’t be as bad as he feared.

—

Jey and Rhea were lost in each other's arms, the warmth of their bodies pressing together in the back of the limo. The atmosphere between them was electric, the chemistry undeniable after a perfect night filled with laughter, romance, and memories. Their lips met once more in a heated kiss, the moment stretching out, making everything else fade into the background.

Jey deepened the kiss, his hands moving to Rhea's back, pulling her closer. It felt like the world had stopped, and all that mattered was them, locked in a perfect embrace.

“God I could feel you..” Rhea murmured as she felt Jey’s member against her. Jey broke the kiss and he pulled her to straddle him. Jey kissed her neck and Rhea moaned as he began to suck on it, attempting to leave a love mark. “Im not wearing any underwear..” Jey pulled back and he said, “You are so fucking naughty..” They kissed once more, their needs urgent, but just as Jey was about to extend the moment further, the sudden vibration of his phone broke through the haze of desire.

Jey pulled back reluctantly, looking down at his phone, and saw that it was Jeremiah calling. He let out a quiet groan, frustrated that the night was about to take a turn. Still, he managed to kiss Rhea's forehead gently before answering the call.

"Hold on, babe," Jey murmured, his voice still thick with the aftermath of their kiss. Rhea nodded, wiping her lips with a playful smile as she got off of Jey, watching him with a mixture of curiosity and amusement.

Jey answered the phone quickly. "Jeremiah, what's going on?"

Jeremiah's voice came through with urgency.

"Jey, it's bad. Jeyce sneaked out. He was at Demi's, and they-"

Jey's heart skipped a beat. "What happened?" he asked, his voice tight.

"He was caught kissing Demi by her dad. Now Demi's dad is demanding to speak with you," Jeremiah explained, his words tumbling out. "He's pissed, Jey. He wants you here now."

Jey took a deep breath, his mind racing.

"Alright, I'm on my way. Let him in, I'll be there in about ten minutes. Don't let Demi's dad leave."

He ended the call and leaned back into the seat, running a hand through his hair, trying to collect his thoughts. The last thing he wanted was to be dragged into a confrontation, especially not after such a perfect evening with Rhea.

"What am I gonna do with this kid?" Jey muttered to himself, shaking his head in frustration. He glanced over at Rhea, who was watching him intently, a raised eyebrow signaling her curiosity.

Rhea reached over and placed a comforting hand on his leg. "You'll figure it out," she said softly, her voice calm but full of understanding. "You always do."

Jey let out a heavy sigh, his mind spinning as he thought about Jeyce. The kid was growing up too fast, and sometimes it felt like he was taking unnecessary risks. It wasn't the first time Jeyce had done something impulsive, but this-this was different.

Kissing Demi, sneaking out, getting caught by her father... things were getting complicated.

"I just don't get it," Jey said, rubbing his temples. "He's a kid, but he's—." Rhea cut Jey off by placing two fingers on Jey’s lips. “Baby.. don’t stress yourself out right now.. let’s get through the talk with Demi’s dad and we will figure out what’s next..”

"Alright, let's do it..”

After some time, the limo smoothly pulled into the driveway, the gravel crunching beneath the tires. Jey leaned forward, glancing out the window. As the vehicle came to a halt, he noticed a black Camaro parked by the gates, its sleek lines unmistakable. That has to be Demi’s dad’s car, Jey thought, his jaw tightening. He was about to walk into a tense situation, and he had no idea what to expect.

The driver opened the door for Rhea, who stepped out first, adjusting Jey’s jacket that he had took just in case, with a small smile of reassurance. Jey followed, stepping into the cool night air, scanning the surroundings. The lights from the house illuminated the driveway, and in the distance, he saw the familiar shapes of his cousins—Jeremiah, Jeremy, and Jesse—standing in the living room, their posture rigid, as if they had been waiting for him. Jey and Rhea entered the house and walked into their living room, Jey’s eyes flicked to the small figure of Jeyce sitting on the couch, head down, clearly feeling the weight of the situation. But there was someone else in the room.

A tall man, covered in tattoos, stood just behind Jeyce, his presence imposing. He had a dark look in his eyes, and his stance spoke volumes. The man took a step forward as Jey approached and extended a hand, his voice deep as he introduced himself.

“Dacre Victor Bartley,” the man said firmly, his handshake strong. “And you must be Mr. Fatu.”

Jey, looking the man over for a moment, nodded, returning the handshake with equal firmness. “You can call me Joshua,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “First, let me apologize for my son’s actions. I, nor his mom or his bonus mother, have raised him like this.”

Dacre’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression unreadable. He glanced around at the room, then looked back at Jey. “I’m divorced as well,” Dacre said, his voice lowering a bit. “I was actually on a date, came home early to check on Demetria, and found them kissing on my couch.”

Jey nodded, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him. He had tried his best to raise Jeyce right, but this was a situation where no amount of good intentions seemed to fix the damage.

“I’m very sorry,” Jey replied, his voice steady but regretful. “He was on punishment for fighting earlier, and he will be punished more for this. It won’t happen again.”

Dacre considered Jey’s words for a moment, his posture softening slightly. “I know,” he said, his eyes softening just a fraction. “My daughter said your boy stood up for her. I respect that. I don’t tolerate disrespect, though, and what I saw on that couch is not acceptable.”

Jey nodded in understanding. This wasn’t about the kiss so much as the respect they needed to show each other’s families. He could appreciate Dacre’s stance, but he also understood his own son had crossed a line.

“I’m keeping my daughter away from your boy for a bit,” Dacre continued, his voice firm but not angry. “She’s never done anything like this, and I don’t want her making these kinds of decisions again.”

Joshua took a deep breath, processing the man’s words. “That’s fine,” he said, his tone even. “I respect your decision.”

Dacre nodded once more, then looked at Jey with a more neutral expression. “I think that’s all for now,” Dacre said, his voice not quite as harsh. “We all have to make sure our kids understand the consequences of their actions.”

Jey didn’t respond immediately, letting the silence linger for a moment as he glanced at his son, still sitting on the couch with his head down. The weight of the moment was heavy, but Jey knew it wasn’t over yet. There was still more to be done, lessons to be learned on both sides. He turned back to Dacre.

“I’ll take care of it,” Jey said, his voice carrying an air of finality. “Thank you for bringing this to my attention.”

Dacre gave a short nod and, after a moment of eye contact, turned to leave. He gave a curt glance to Jeyce before walking out the door, heading to his car without another word.

Jey stood there for a moment, processing everything. His jaw clenched, and he let out a quiet sigh before he turned to his brothers. They didn’t need to say anything—he could see the concern in their eyes, feel the tension in the room.

He looked at Jeyce. “Come on,” he said softly, his tone firm yet fatherly. “Let’s talk.”

[sandraharissa]

The thing they did with Silco about forgiveness and letting go was so stupid. And unfortunately Vander’s letter is a part of that. Like I wanna like it for zaundads reasons but I just can’t, it’s all so hollow.

Cos like, s1a1 Silco already forgave Vander in his own way, right? Otherwise he wouldn’t approach him and be invested in Vander joining him, right? “as time passed so did my hate” anyone?

Same with Jinx. These were never characters who were portrayed as ppl who simply needed to learn to forgive. They actually forgive very easily and freely in s1. When reuniting with Vi, Jinx is immediately happy to see her, before Vi ever has the chance to explain anything. It didn’t matter, maybe Vi did abandon her but what matters is that she’s back now. Vander did try to drown him but maybe they can fix things. This is how much they wanna make amends with their family. And it’s not just them. Vander seemingly immediately forgave Silco for killing Benzo, like he’s not mad at him at all for that in ep 3.

Like yes, Silco would never forgive Piltover and Vander and Vi were kinda framed as the ‘topside’ in the relationships but that metaphor never quite worked all the way through cos they’re not topside, they’re zaunites too. They’re family and so they get second chances easily. (That’s why I thought it was a good idea to elevate Cait as maybe even more of a rival to Jinx than Vi was, getting a Jinx vs Vi+Cait conflict, where Vi and Cait together represent Piltover, the ‘dictator’ + the peacekeeper/status quo enforcer that’s kinda in the middle)

Man, I miss how in s1 we had real conflicts (e.g. ideological) and not just misunderstandings that could be easily fixed with a poorly written letter. And so the only reason the plot happened is miscommunication ig. Like, just read the god damned letter Silco lol.

[fanfic-enthusiast]

Just Try Your Best (GGG Fic)

“NO I DON'T WANNA!!” 

The shriek was so loud it rustled Cobigail out a nap in her leaves with a jolt. “LEAVE ME ALONE!!!” 

Before Cobigail could take a look herself a little girl came bolting into the closet where her domain resided. The girl was red in the face with her brows scrunched up and immediately sat down where she was with her arms crossed, grumbling to herself, completely oblivious to where she ran off to it seemed. A prime target for a prank. Quietly, carefully, Cobigail leaned over her and threw out her hands while making her signature scary face. 

“BOO!!!” The little girl screamed and covered her eyes with her hands. 

“Ahaha! Gotcha good! Well hello little thing. Hope I didn’t spook you too much?”

After realizing she was ok she carefully parted her fingers to look upon the cheeky prankster of a harvest god. 

“Noooooo.”

“Heh, well aren’t you a brave one! Not many your age can say they barely jumped at a prank from me. What’s your name kiddo?” “Parri…” “Well lovely to meet you Parri. Say what brings you to my humble abode.”

“I just wanted to get away from my teacher.” the little girl, Parri, crossed her arms again and furrowed her brow.

“Oh? Why is that? I thought she was nice.” 

“It’s cause she wants me to sing a stupid song with the rest of my class. And I don’t wanna.” 

She stomped her foot and threw her arms in the air in a little tantrum. Cobigail cocked her head a little and put her hands where her hips would be… if she had them.

“Now wait a minute little lady. A stupid song? I know plenty of songs, but I can’t really think of a stupid one.” 

Parri groaned and frowned harder, “You wouldn’t get it. I hate singing, I hate being here, and my teacher is mean to try and make me sing in some concert I don’t even want to be a part of.” 

A flash of memory comes through of similar kids not wanting to take part in shows or community gatherings. A sudden change in their excitement to be on stage, glee to anger. Rarely was it a genuine loss of enjoyment for music but rather something a little more, some problem outside the classroom in their lives. The part of Cobigail that remembers teaching kids like this knew that behavior all too well. 

She shrank down as much as she could and leaned over, to try and be closer to the little girl’s level. 

“Hey now, I’m sure you don’t mean all of that.”

“Yeah well I do.” 

“What specifically don’t you like about singing with your class?” 

“Um… the… crowd, and the song is bad. Like… slow.” she fumbled around for the right words but eventually fell quiet, caught red handed in her fib.

“Parri, I promise you can tell me what’s bothering you. I won’t tell a soul. The concert’s here are for the community and are a way to bring everyone together, doesn’t that sound fun?” “...” Parri looked away from Cobigail down at her feet. “My momma can’t come to the concert tomorrow… and I don't know anyone else here. I’m gonna be all alone. I d-dont wanna perform alone.” 

Cobigail’s gaze softened and she gently put a large finger on the child’s shoulder. “And you’re afraid?” 

Parri nodded, her big eyes welled with tears threatening to break and pour over her little cheeks. Without warning she pulls herself around and holds onto Cobigail’s hand, thankfully missing the thorns on her arm and starts to cry. “W-w-we j-just m-m-moved. And I-I d-dont have f-f-friends here.” 

How long had it been since someone cried to her like this or looked to her for comfort? 

“Shhh… There there. It's alright. Let it out.” Cobigail soothed while carefully stroking her hair with another hand, she was so small, last time she did something like this she was sure the child was bigger in her grasp. Probably squeezing her waist while she stroked their hair and tried to calm them down, being a supportive presence in their lives. 

What did she do back then?

A memory of holding a crying child to her came forth, they had lost a pet recently and the grief was still fresh on their mind. She held them close apologizing to them and while they cried in her arms she started humming, something slow. She didn’t remember the name. 

She came back to the present as Parri hugged her finger tighter and buried her face into it. While Cobigail held her and gently hummed what bits of the song she could recall and made up the rest. Parri cried for a while, until the sobs trailed off to small snotty sniffles. 

“Do you feel a little better?” Cobigail asked.

She felt the little girl nod against her finger. 

“I know you said you're scared of performing alone. But you are braver than you think Parri. And you won’t be alone, this will be a good chance to get to know other people in the community… other kids like you.” 

“W-what if I mess up the song and they make fun of me?”

“You wouldn’t be the first person to make a mistake, Parri.” Cobigail laughed a little, “Oh boy. One time I missed a whole line of a song when I was little you know. Some time around your age I think.”

“What happened?” “Well I sure was embarrassed but no one laughed or made fun of it. The show went on and people congratulated me on the performance.”

“Even when you messed up?”

“Yes, cause I kept singing and finished the show. They were proud of me for doing my best.” Cobigail carefully brushed a bit of hair out of Parri’s face with a smile. “And I think even if you mess up a little, people will be proud of you too, just for trying.”

“You think so?”

“I know so, I bet you will even make some friends too. Wouldn’t that be nice?” 

“Yeah…” Parri nodded a little. “I still dont wanna go alone though… I wish my mom could come but she works...”

After a moment of thinking Parri looked up at her, still holding onto her finger. “Can you come? Please.” 

Cobigail thought for a moment, “... Parri, I will see your show. You may not see me, but I will be cheering you on, don't worry.” 

“Promise?” 

“I promise.” 

“Pinky promise.” 

“Hehe kid, my pinky is bigger than your whole body!”

“Oh. Well then, cross your heart?”

“Cross my heart, and hope to fly, stick a corn cob in my eye. Bleh!” 

She made a silly face while miming poking herself in the eye and Parri giggled from where she sat in Cobigail’s hand. 

“See, look at you smilin’ away! Make sure you wear one for the show ok. I’ll be watching!” 

“Ok ok! I will.”

“Good, I know you're goin’ to do great. Now you should probably go back to class, the day is nearly over and I’m sure your teacher is worried.” 

She carefully placed Parri back on the soft cloud floor so she could leave.

“Ok, miss. Thank you for making me feel better.” 

“Of course, always happy to help whenever you need. Oh, one last thing.” 

“Yeah?”

“BOO!” 

“AH!!! Hehehe!!!!! Boo!” “Ha!! Great job!” and with that Parri was sent off back to her classroom through the closet door. 

True to her word, it was the end of the class day and the teacher was very worried about how long Parri spent in the closet with their god. (Only a little worried about whether or not the girl was eaten though, and more so worried about what to tell her mother if she was.)

When the next day rolled around and towards the evening when the shadows were long. The kids from the small choir school in Milldread gathered in the center of town to sing a few songs, to show the community what they learned so far in the year. 

As the performance went on from where Parri stood amongst her classmates scanning the crowd she could see the figure of Cobigail above her altar watched from a distance, like another member of the audience. 

And when the songs were sung and the people clapped, a wind rustled the arms of the figure making it look as if she was doing the same. Congratulating this little girl for doing her very best.

[sleepyparalysisdmon]

2 Minus 1 - Act Three

Seungcheol is doing good without you. Really good, in fact! He’s got a great job, has his own apartment, and has many friends surrounding him. He’s even done some dating in the three years that you’ve been gone. On some blissful days, you don’t even cross his mind. But when you reappear in his life, he has to come to terms with the fact that he might not be doing as good as he thought he was. 

Genres: ANGST with a little bit of fluff here and there. One suggestive scene (minors, use caution). 

Word count: 7.7k

Requested? Yes!

You can find the series masterlist here.

Minghao’s throwing a New Year’s Eve party. Seungcheol seemed to have found out last because it’s you that asks him if he’s going when you both step out for lunch a couple days before. Instead of going back to his office, he stops into his team’s office, hanging over Minghao’s cubicle wall. “When were you going to tell me you were throwing a New Year’s Eve party? Is this your way of telling me I’m not invited?”

“Huh?” Minghao mumbles, still typing up something. “Oh, yeah. It was kind of a spur of the moment thing. Didn’t get a chance to send a message about it yet.” Seungcheol sort of accepts this answer because things have been pretty busy around here in preparation for the new year. New budget means new plans and new goals, along with a renewed push from leadership to break records. There’s been a lot of pressure to start out the year on the right foot. 

Still, Seungcheol pouts a bit. “And Y/N knew before I did?”

“Oh, yeah. I ran into her in the elevator yesterday and mentioned it. Stop being a big baby,” Minghao says, totally unsympathetic. 

“Y/N is coming?” Chan pipes up from his cubicle, sounding excited. He rolls his chair into the aisle, running into Seungkwan when he does the same thing. They both groan and start pushing each other. The rest of them ignore the scuffle.

“Yes,” Minghao says shortly, turning to Seungcheol. “I assume you’ll be there since you’re attached to her hip.”

He doesn’t miss the sly look that all four of his friends give him at the mention. “Not sure what that’s supposed to mean. I thought you wanted me to get along with her.”

“As just a friend?” Vernon poses. 

Seungcheol stalls out for a second, blinking. “Yeah, of course. Why do you ask?”

“Well, that’s a good thing, I guess. She asked if I minded if she brings a friend of hers. Someone from law school, or something. He’s in town for the holidays,” Minghao explains and Seungcheol can see clear as day that this is bait. Still, he can’t seem to help how his jaw clenches. 

“Did she happen to mention his name?”

“Jeonghan, something or other. It’s a law school friend, you wouldn’t know him right?” 

He knows they’re continuing to bait him. She’s a friend and this is a person he doesn’t know, so what’s the big deal? Seungcheol can’t help the curse he mutters. “No, I know Jeonghan. He’s from here, we went to school with him. And they dated while they were in California, apparently.”

An ‘oooo’ echoes throughout the office, then a cackle or two. They all look like they need bags of popcorn with how entertained they look at his suffering. “Oh no,” Seungkwan cries out in faux sympathy. “Cheol, what are you going to do? Her exboyfriend came all the way here to see her.”

“He didn’t come here just to see her,” Seungcheol defends, fists tightening on the wall of Minghao’s cubicle. “I just said he’s from here. He’s here to see family first, surely.”

“And run to see his ex before he goes back home? Maybe get a New Year’s Kiss from her?” Chan wiggles an eyebrow. The thought makes Seungcheol’s blood boil. He’d intentionally avoided spending much time thinking about you with Jeonghan. He knew you had kind of made the poor guy’s dreams come true by dating him. 

“Oh my god, look how red he’s getting,” Seungkwan chortles. 

Minghao turns to give them a warning look, though he sort of looks entertained too. He glances back to Seungcheol. “Don't pop a vein. You look pretty jealous for someone that fell apart when he found out she worked here.”

“I’m not jealous,” he insists stubbornly. Not a single one of them buy it and he huffs. “Get back to work. We have things due at the end of the day.”

He is not jealous. He is not jealous. He is not jealous! It becomes his mantra the whole afternoon as he tries to get through his to-do list.

~

He is not jealous. He is not jealous. He is not jealous!

He chants it to himself in his head when he knocks on your door. Jeonghan opens the door with a wide grin. “Hey, Seungcheol. It’s been a while,” he says letting him in. Seungcheol had always liked Jeonghan in high school. He was funny, a little bit of a troublemaker, but also seemed to be incredibly intelligent, judging by how he was always in the running for top of the class. He tries to be warm, but Jeonghan looks far too comfortable in your apartment. He wonders if Jeonghan stayed here for a couple days while in town. He wonders where he slept - was it the guest bedroom or somewhere else?

“Yeah, it has. How have you been?” He sits with Jeonghan in the living room, doing small talk. They’re interrupted by a yell from the hallway. 

“Hannie, who are you talking to?” 

“Seungcheol,” Jeonghan shouts back. 

“Oh!” You shout. “Hi Cheol. I promise I’m almost ready.”

“Yeah right,” Jeonghan mumbles. “I’ve never seen her be ready on time.”

This does make Seungcheol snort. “Never.”

Jeonghan gives him a curious look. “How are things going there? Between you two, I mean. She was pretty anxious about running into you.”

The question gives Seungcheol pause for so many reasons. So many, in fact that it makes him shake his head confused. “You want to hear how things are going with your ex?”

Jeonghan raises an eyebrow, entertained. “Yes. Do you want to hear how things are going with your ex?” That question makes him grit his teeth and Jeonghan spots it, chuckling. “Yeah, that tracks. But yes, I want to know that things are going well between you two, no matter what it’s defined as.”

Seungcheol’s jaw is tight. “We’re fine. We always will be.”

He hates how Jeonghan leans back, feet propped up on your coffee table, sipping his drink like he owns the place. Like he has Seungcheol right where he wants him. “Uh huh. So no plans to rekindle anything then? Just going back to friends?” 

“Yes,” Seungcheol grinds out. “Have you always been this nosy?”

Jeonghan laughs. “Maybe not, but I’m invested when it comes to Y/N. The consequences of dating for a few years, I suppose.”

Seungcheol’s breath catches. When you said you had dated Jeonghan for a while, he was picturing a few months, not years. He doesn’t know why you didn’t just tell him the actual timeframe, but then he thinks better of it. If he’s not handling it well now, then he wouldn’t have handled it well a while back either.

Finally, Seungcheol decides he sort of hates Jeonghan - not him as a person necessarily, but because you sort of made a home with him in California for three years. Enough for Jeonghan to come see you when he���s in town. He wishes there was even a tinge of bitterness between you and Jeonghan post breakup.

“So, what? You've come to visit and get back together?” He can’t really hide his own bitterness. “How’s that going to work when you both live across the world from each other?”

Jeonghan shrugs casually. “Distance wouldn't be an issue for me personally, but I’m actually looking for jobs here.”

He doesn’t get a chance to reply because he’s spiraling a bit and you’re rushing into the room, dressed to the nines and it’s all so distracting. “I’m ready! Let’s go!” You yell, shoving your feet in heels and grabbing a coat while Seungcheol and Jeonghan trail behind you. You chatter enough for everyone on the way to Minghao’s and when he leads you both into his friend’s apartment, he goes straight to the alcohol. He feels sick to his stomach before the first sip, but he needs the distraction from thinking about Jeonghan moving back and moving in with you next door and having to see you two together all the time. 

He’d have to move and probably quit his job. And maybe leave the face of the earth.

~

Jeonghan knows quite a few people here tonight, but he still stays glued to you. It’s nice, really. You’ve settled in and have gotten comfortable with the way things are since moving back, but Jeonghan is an extra slice of familiarity that comforts you, if only for a couple days before he has to fly back. 

It’s not like you two haven’t talked nearly every week since you moved, but there are so many things that you both seem to want to talk about now that you’re face to face. You missed him, and you missed Joshua, who you can get decent updates on now that Jeonghan is in front of you. Joshua has scheduled to take the bar exam and has been studying night and day, ignoring pretty much everyone since graduation. Jeonghan says he pops in every few days to get him to come up for air. 

You’ve told him about your job, which you feel pretty neutral about it. Like Seungcheol, Jeonghan assures you that it’s okay to just have a job now and not a career, and that the degree wasn’t wasted if you don’t take the bar and practice law. He even discourages it because even though he hasn’t hit the books as hard as Joshua has, he says it’s still miserable.

He’s also incredibly nosy about how things are going with Seungcheol. When you told him about your first run in and subsequent birthday parties, he’d chuckled and told you it was only a matter of time. You can’t share mutual friends for your whole lives and never see each other. But he flat out cackled when you told him that you’d unknowingly accepted a job at the same company that he worked for. Jeonghan reveals that he knew that all along and you wished you could strangle him through the screen. You even threaten to get on a plane to do it in person. He just rolled his eyes and said, “What? You don’t check LinkedIn from time to time? I knew the company you accepted the role from sounded familiar so I checked.” He was still more entertained when you told him who your new neighbor was and made some joke about fate.

In the present, Jeonghan’s grinning over his glass at you in the corner of the room. “Someone hates me, I think. I’m getting a death glare.”

You raise an eyebrow. “Like it’s hard to hate you?” He shoves you lightly. “But who?”

Jeonghan snorts. “Who do you think? The most jealous person I think I’ve ever met.” He gestures across the room and it’s not hard to figure out who he’s talking about. Seungcheol looks pissed, but you’re confused because for the life of you you can’t figure out why he’d be pissed at you or Jeonghan. You thought things were good between you and Seungcheol now, especially after he said he didn’t hate you on Christmas just a week ago. He really looks like that could have been a lie right now.

“But why? He’s not entertained anything more than friendship, and even then that was like pulling teeth at first,” you sigh, looking down into your glass.

Jeonghan sighs lovingly. “Oh, honey. I love you so much, you know that, right?” You nod when it seems he actually wants an answer. “But sometimes, you’re incredibly dense. Don’t worry, I’ll fix it.”

Your eyes widen, hair standing on end. This doesn’t sound like a ‘spilled coffee on your laptop but here take mine’ kind of fix. The look on his face makes you nervous. “What are you planning, Yoon Jeonghan?”

He looks mildly entertained at your threatening tone before turning serious. “Do you trust me?” You stare up at him, blinking. “I need an answer to that. I can fix this but it might get worse before it gets better.”

“Define ‘fix’. And what are you fixing exactly?” You press.

“You and Seungcheol. It’s time to do something about this, but my methods might be unorthodox and you need to roll with it if it will work.”

Jeonghan has never led you astray and you do trust him implicitly. You glance to Seungcheol, who still looks angry, before looking back up at Jeonghan, huffing. “What did you have in mind?”

Minghao is coming around with flutes of champagne. The ball drop is queued up on the TV with the countdown ticking. You both take glasses from Minghao, setting your other ones to the side. “I promise it will be okay,” Jeonghan says evasively. It makes your anxiety spike.

“Hannie, please tell me what you’re planning.”

People are starting to countdown and he has to lean in close to your ear so you can hear him. “I’m going to help you make him jealous.”

You blanch, pulling away from him to give him a look. “What?!”

He’s pulling you back to him, hand now on the small of your back. “Just trust me. He’s holding back right now, but once all of that anger comes out I think he’ll be more upfront about his feelings. Namely that he’s not over you. You want that, don’t you?”

You think fast in seconds. You don’t like the pressure of the countdown. You do want to rekindle things with Seungcheol if he’d ever let you. You’d never really wanted it to end in the first place but it seemed inevitable at the time. And now he’s been a lock box for pretty much everything that isn’t professional as coworkers or casual as friends. He treats you like he wasn’t your best friend for years and it stings. He treats you like he wasn’t totally in love with you while dating, just as you were with him, and that stings even more. You want him back. 

The countdown has hit ten and you lean in to Jeonghan’s ear. “You’re sure this will work? How sure?”

“99% sure.”

“Okay, then. Don’t make me hate you.”

Jeonghan chuckles and his lips are on yours when the ball drops. 

~

It becomes apparent at approximately 11am on January 2nd that you should have doubted Jeonghan’s little plan. You have a meeting with Seungcheol's department to wrap up the contract revisions and Mrs. Jang and Seokmin have let you take the lead on it. It becomes clear within the first five minutes of the meeting that you’ve done something wrong.

Or everything wrong, really.

Seungcheol is cold, even flat out rude to you as you present the revisions, explaining the logic behind some of the changes. Nothing is good enough and he’s brutal about correcting your work in front of everyone. Minghao tries to delicately step in and get you back on track on some of the things you’ve done, but if he disagrees with the things he doesn’t speak up on, he doesn’t say so. Everyone’s uncomfortable and you close out the meeting as smoothly as possible, letting them know that you’ll make the revisions they mentioned and send out an updated version later today for review. 

In the elevator, Mrs. Jang kindly says that you did well and you’ll get better with those little things with time. You’re thankful that she’s not disappointed or upset with some of the mistakes you’ve made, and that she’s giving you grace to fix it. But still, you’re itching to go somewhere and cry because Seungcheol’s never treated you like that.

Seokmin seems to sense it because he’s handing you your coat as soon as you get back into your shared office. “Let’s go for a long lunch.” He doesn’t really leave room for an argument, and even threatens to go into the women’s restroom to get you if you take too long on your way out of the building. He promises he'll close the office door later this afternoon if you still wanted to cry.

At the restraurant down the street, he orders food before sitting back and sighing. “That was rough. How are you feeling?”

“Pretty fucking fragile,” you bite, trying to blink back your tears. You do not want to cry in this restaurant right now. You’re almost angry at how emotional of a reaction you’re having.

Seokmin looks sympathetic. “I’ll say. That must be the ‘unpleasantness’ some people alluded to before. What even prompted that? I thought things were going well there.”

You put your head in your hands, sighing. “My stupidity prompted it.” 

“What? What could you have possibly done to deserve that?” Seokmin cries out. You explain everything - Jeonghan, and your relationship back in California, and his bright idea on New Year’s. Seokmin hums, nodding his head with a deep sigh. “Okay, yeah. That might have been stupid.”

You groan, interrupted by the waiter bringing you and Seokmin your food. “It made sense at the time. And it’s not like Jeonghan doesn’t know Seungcheol. They might not have been super close, but Jeonghan’s usually pretty good at reading people and I trusted his assumption.”

“Eat,” Seokmin nudges, handing you chopsticks. “And his assumption was what? That Seungcheol would snap and confess his feelings?”

“Something like that,” you answer weakly. “Seems like it backfired. Yet another thing I’ve ruined.”

“Nuh uh,” Seokmin says automatically, waving his chopsticks at you. “Stop saying you ruin things. Ruining implies you can’t fix it.”

“And you think I can fix this? This felt pretty far gone before I made this most recent bad decision.”

Seokmin’s insistent though. “Going to law school abroad wasn’t a bad decision. Did it hurt? Probably. But stop acting like doing something for yourself ruins everything.” He pops a bite of chicken into his mouth, chewing and swallowing before continuing. “Besides, I’m not doubting your trust in Jeonghan’s theory. Some people respond to jealousy… It just seems like it will get worse before it ever gets better.”

You play with your food, moving it around on the plate. “Yeah, Jeonghan said something like that. I just expected some silent treatment or something. Not to be berated in a work meeting.”

“Yeah, I’m sure he’s hearing about that as we speak.” You give Seokmin a look and he chuckles, raising an eyebrow. “His team loves you. They did not look happy about his behavior. Not sure it will change anything, but this does seem like a problem between you and Seungcheol, rather than a problem with your work itself. I’ve made the same mistakes you did.”

You groan. “And to think he’s my neighbor. I can’t even escape it at home.”

Seokmin’s choking on his food. “He’s your neighbor?!” 

“Oh,” you start. “Yeah, did I forget to mention that?”

When he’s no longer choking, he shakes his head. “That’s it, you’re paying this time. I know it was my turn and I was going to be nice because you’ve had a rough morning, but you better have your wallet ready because I’m ordering egg rolls to go.”

You get scolded all afternoon about keeping secrets from your only favorite office mate.

~

Seungcheol huffs from behind his monitor. He’s sent a message in the team group chat and it’s starting to look like he’s talking to himself as he scrolls through the recent chat history. He sends something, be it a task or a request for a status update, and he gets the shortest responses possible. Usually a thumbs up emoji, but sometimes a short answer if an explanation is required. Sometimes, it’s nothing at all. They’re doing the work, but it’s clear they’re mad. They have been since earlier this week. 

Seungcheol isn’t proud of himself for how he handled that meeting with you earlier this week. He didn’t stick around afterwards because he could tell his team was disappointed. But they usually aren’t shy about telling him their problems, even with him. The silence is deafening and he knows he’s fucked up.

Minghao comes in to drop off a stack of papers and looks like he’s trying to exit quickly, but Seungcheol stops him. “What’s this?” 

Minghao spins in the doorway. “Financials for last quarter. I need your signature on it before I can ship it off to Budgets.”

“Oh,” Seungcheol mumbles. “I’ll just do it right now.” He grabs a pen and starts skimming, but Minghao cuts him off.

“Actually, do it later. I’m not ready to be berated for my work right now.”

Seungcheol pauses and purses his lips, placing the report and the pen back down. “Why would I do that? Your work is usually flawless. That’s why you’re the team lead.”

“I don’t know,” Minghao drawls coldly. “You can be pretty brutal it seems.” 

Seungcheol bites the inside of his cheek. “Is that why you guys have been dodging me all week?” To his credit, Minghao doesn’t deny it and that’s answer enough. Seungcheol sighs. “Was it that bad?”

“Bad? I’m sure she ran off to cry after the meeting. I think even I would have had an emotional reaction,” Minghao says bluntly. The knife twists in Seungcheol’s chest. He was so angry, and still is, that he hadn’t been thinking about your reaction. Minghao’s sighing, coming back in to sit down. “I thought you could be civil. What the hell happened to that?”

“I don’t know,” Seungcheol mumbles. He certainly does know, but he’s not brave enough to say it, lest he piss off his friends even more.

Still, Minghao scoffs. “Look. I saw her and Jeonghan on New Year’s. It really is okay if you just admit that you’re jealous. I’d even sympathize with you on it. You bottling things up is 90% of the problem here.”

Stubbornly, Seungcheol shakes his head. He doesn’t know why the word ‘jealous’ made him flip a switch so fast, but he’s back to being angry. “I’m not jealous. I did what you said and I tried to salvage some sort of friendship, but it’s hard to watch your ex with someone else. That’s not jealousy though. That’s me trying to accept the fact that things are different.”

“And your acceptance of these changes means ripping her apart in a professional setting?” Seungcheol doesn’t really have a response. No matter how he felt in the moment, he was embarrassed that he acted so unprofessionally. Minghao shakes his head. “I told you up front, you should just tell her you’re angry. Admit it and you’ll feel a lot lighter.”

“Why would she want to hear about that? I mean, who knows what’s going on with her and Jeonghan? He said he’s looking for jobs here.”

“And none of that might matter if you just admit how you feel,” Minghao insists. Seungcheol’s phone rings and Minghao stands up. “Take it. I’ve said all I can say now.”

~

It’s Saturday morning and your phone has gone off no less than ten times since 8am. You know who it is but you’ve been letting it ring. But after you’re ripped from sleep for the eleventh time, you’re starting to lose patience. You switch off the sound, turning on vibration. But the buzzing across your nightstand is just as obnoxious and by the thirteenth call, you’re snatching up your phone. “What?” You snap.

“Oh, so you aren’t dead!” Jeonghan cheers. 

“Nope, not dead. Just mad,” you bite, burying yourself back into the covers. 

“Uh huh, I kind of figured that out when you ignored everything I sent the whole week,” Jeonghan smarts. “Now are you going to tell me what’s wrong so I can fix it?”

You snort. “No, I will not let you fix anything else for a while.”

“Ah,” Jeonghan’s voice lifts and it irritates you. “Well I did tell you it could get worse before it gets better.” You’re silent, and his voice turns gentle. “Come on. Tell Hannie about it.”

“No. You need to be going to bed,” you insist, thinking of the time difference. Mad as you are, he needs his sleep.

“And I haven’t been able to do much of that, what with my best friend ignoring me. Now, help me so I can help you.”

You sigh. “Hold on. Let me get coffee and switch to FaceTime.” Once dressed with a coffee mug in hand in front of your computer, you rant. It feels never ending and it brings you to tears. All of the frustration of the last week, and really the last few months of living here, are boiling over and you feel like you could sob. 

To his credit, Jeonghan looks sympathetic. He usually prevents these crying jags before they start, but he can’t really do that oceans away. “I’m sorry, honey. I did say it could get worse before it gets better, but I was genuinely hoping it would never get that bad. I kind of just wanted him to spit it out, you know?” He sighs, watching you rub your watery eyes. “Have you seen or talked to him since then?”

You scoff. “No. Thankfully, there haven’t been any more meetings and I’ve managed to avoid him at home too. I’ve been going in early and staying late, if only so he doesn’t feel compelled to give me a ride or anything.” You snort at the thought. “Not that he would do that right now, I think.”

“I don’t know that I’d go that far,” Jeonghan trails off. “You know, you could just ask what his deal is? At least, he wouldn’t be holding back because he thinks you don’t want to hear it.” He hesitates for a beat. “You do want to hear it, right?”

You sigh, swirling your now-cold coffee. “I don’t know. Who knows what he might have to say? Maybe it’s better if we just stick to being coworkers. Maybe we can manage that one day.”

“I’m sure,” Jeonghan says confidently. “But don’t be shy about clearing the air for everything else if he gives an opening. You’ll both feel better for it, I think.” Then he’s holding up his phone. “Now, play me back in Words with Friends. Our game is about to expire! You can’t ignore me like this!”

~

The following week, Seungcheol stays late to wrap up some things. It’s 7pm before he finally stands to stretch, grabbing his coat and logging out of his computer. He looks at his phone on the way to the elevator and mumbles a curse. He’s got multiple notifications about a winter storm that’s rolling in, well, right now. He’s relieved he drove today, but it seems it doesn’t matter because road conditions seem to be a problem at the rate that the snow is coming down. 

He steps into the elevator when it arrives and presses for the first floor, going back to his phone. He’s surprised when the elevator stops almost immediately on the tenth floor. He bites back a sigh when it’s you of all people waiting for it. You look like you might back away and not get in the elevator with him, but he waves you in impatiently. You come in, finding the opposite corner in silence. It’s crushing and uncomfortable. 

On the first floor, he lets you step out first and even gets the door for you at the main exit. Outside, he’s ready to hustle to the parking garage because he had every reason to be concerned about the road conditions and doesn't want to dally. But you haven’t moved and it makes him bite back a curse. He doesn’t want to offer you a ride but it would be beyond rude not too. Plus, if Wonwoo or Mingyu knew he didn’t, he’d never hear the end of it. 

Seungcheol huffs irritably. “Come on.” You give him a confused look. “You’re not walking home. Come on before I change my mind.”

The only indication that you follow is the soft click of your heels behind him up into the parking garage. You don’t say anything as you climb into the passenger seat of his car, placing your bag in the floor. Seungcheol blasts the heat and pulls out of the space. The street is slick and he white knuckles it the whole way home as he drives around a number of accidents. You’re still silent, up until he pulls into his reserved spot in the parking garage at home. 

“Thank you,” you mumble softly. 

Seungcheol is tired in every sense of the word - mentally, physically, emotionally. So he mumbles back, “For what?” He rubs his eyes during the beat of silence that you let pass.

“For the ride. For making sure we got home safe.”

He’s exhausted by your constant thanks lately. ‘Thanks for asking.’ ‘Thanks for the help.’ ‘Thanks for the ride.’ It’d never occurred to him that you didn’t say it much before, but now it drives him up the wall that you do say it. “Why wouldn’t I do that?” He huffs tiredly. 

You hesitate again. “Because you hate me. It seems like it, anyway. You’re a good person for doing those things even if you feel that way, Cheol.”

His blood his boiling through the exhaustion and it occurs to him that this is a perfect opportunity to unload like Minghao has been encouraging him to do for months, so he does. His hand falls from his face, landing in his lap with a hard slap. He snaps his head to you sharply. “You know, yeah. I do hate you.” He watches how your perfectly guarded expression falls, but he’s on a roll already. “I do hate you. You make yourself a fixture in my life for over two decades. You let me in after I pined for you for years. You show me what it’s like to be loved by you. And then you rip it all away and move across the world like it all meant nothing.” His elbow lands on the door frame so he can lean into his hand in frustration. “And then you waltz back in like it’s no big deal and I can’t seem to get rid of you now because you’re everywhere. If I don’t see you at work or at home or with family and friends, I still hear about you. And I was doing good without any of that! I was happy again after you ripped my fucking heart out, and now I have to see you every goddamn day. So yeah. I do hate you.”

A thing about you that he should have remembered is that you have a temper to match his. You look livid now. “First of all, Choi Seungcheol, you act like you pined alone all that time. You know you didn’t. And you’re apparently still bitter that I did something for myself for once, rather than for you. I bent over backwards for everyone for years - taking care of my brothers and Mingyu, trying to be the perfect eldest daughter for my parents, and feeding your massive fucking ego. I needed to go explore that opportunity for myself for once but you didn’t have to leave my life because of it. The phone works both ways, asshole. I may have physically left, but you’re the one that ended all communication in the first place. Second of all, I didn’t come back for you! At least, not entirely! It’s not all about you! So you can keep being happy and pretend that I don’t exist if that’s what you prefer. Because I hate you too. I hate that I still want you even though I don’t even recognize you anymore sometimes.” 

Seungcheol scoffs heatedly. “Yeah, you wanted me enough to move on to Jeonghan as soon as you got to California. And you really wanted me on New Year’s while you were making out with him in the corner. Tell me, why did you even bother breaking up with him? Or is that just what you do? You seem rather good at it, two for two. And he’s still clinging on to your every word even though you left him, but that won’t be me.”

Your jaw drops briefly before you snap it back up sharply, eyes fiery. “You know what? Jeonghan was wrong about you. He’s been encouraging me this whole time to find a way to fix things with you, but I won’t be doing that anymore. You can watch me leave all over again.” You swing the car door open, lucky that there’s no car next to you to ding up, and slam it closed hard, marching into the apartment building. Seungcheol sits in the car for who knows how long until he realizes he shouldn’t let the car run inside the parking garage like this. He wanders into his own apartment and doesn’t see or hear from you the rest of the night. 

~

The snow comes down hard throughout the night and the city can barely keep up with it. Leadership in the office send out an email blast early the next day after your fight with Seungcheol saying that the offices will be closed. You enjoy the day off by going back to sleep to try to mend your broken heart. Around noon, you take a long shower and pile up on the couch with some hot chocolate to watch TV. As luck, or the lack of rather, would have it, the power cuts off within the first episode.

You curse out loud, clumsily dropping your mug onto the coffee table. It’s still bright out given that it’s midday, but the dark corners of your apartment unnerve you. You feel childish for it, but you don’t like the dark. It’s something you’ve never grown out of. Even in your mid to late twenties, you still like to sleep with the TV on at night if only to chase away the bad dreams. 

You think about who to call. It’s not a problem right now while it’s still light out, but if the power is still out when it’s dark out, you’ll be one big ball of anxiety. But you think better of calling anyone. You need to save your phone battery and you don’t want anyone out on the road to come and get you. Not your parents. Not Wonwoo or Mingyu. None of your other friends. Seungcheol has about twenty feet to travel, but reaching out to him is out of the question and it wouldn’t matter anyway because his apartment is just as dark as yours. You take some medicine that you rarely have to touch for anxiety anymore and plop down on the couch next to the window with a book to try to pass the time. You’ll cross that bridge when you get to it. 

It’s somewhere around 5:30pm when the light is beginning to dwindle. You’re trying to get through this last chapter when there’s a knock on your door. It startles you because the silence had your ears ringing all day, and you put your hand to your chest, book forgotten. Hesitantly, you stand up and go to the door, looking through the peep hole. However, it’s dark in the hall because there are no windows (not that they would have helped much now). 

“Who is it?” You call out, checking the lock. 

“It’s me,” a masculine voice says from the other side. You want to beat your head against the door because the voice is unmistakable. 

“Go away, Seungcheol. I’m fine,” you call out.

“Prove it,” he challenges. He knows he’s won by challenging you like that, but he has the good sense to not look overly pleased by it when you do open the door. In the dim light, he actually looks concerned. “I called and texted to check on you.”

You fold your arms across your chest. “Well, I’m fine. Just reading.” Never mind that you had no idea he reached out.

“Well, your reading session is limited with the daylight fading. So get some stuff and come over to mine,” he says impatiently. 

You blanch. “Uh, why would I do that? You hate me, remember?”

In the darkness, you see him squeeze his eyes shut, looking frustrated. “Come on, Y/N. I’m trying to do something nice here,” he nearly begs. “You don’t like the dark, but at least you don’t have to be here alone. Plus, I got food and have some portable chargers for our phones.” 

“I thought you didn’t want to see me anymore,” you bite. You’re aware that you might be acting like a bit of a bitch, especially since he’s extending some kind of olive branch in the moment, but you’re still incredibly bitter about how the conversation last night ended. 

Seungcheol huffs, impatience bleeding out of him. “Y/N, that was me asking nicely. I’ll just throw you over my shoulder. You know that. Don’t test me.”

You know his threat is real, but you don’t budge. “When did you become so fucking hot and cold?” You hiss. “You hate me, and now you aren’t accepting no for an answer. Pick a lane, Seungcheol.”

“And you have yet to tell me no. You’ve just sassed, throwing things I said yesterday back in my face. So what will it be?” He snaps. 

“I don’t understand you!” You groan. “You are so fucking frustrating, Choi Seungcheol.”

He hums, looking resigned. “So be it.” Then he’s barreling into the doorway, scooping you up over his shoulder. He grabs your phone off the coffee table, stuffing it in his pocket, grabbing your keys off the hook to lock the door behind you both on the way out. What little kicking and screaming you do is over fast because you know him better than to think it will work. Your arms stay crossed when he puts you back on the ground inside his own apartment, totally unfazed by your glare. “Make yourself comfortable,” he says, handing you your phone. 

He walks farther into the apartment and you whirl around to bite back at him, but you’re surprised at the sight in the living room. Candles are lit all over the room. He does have dinner - bags of takeout that are still steaming on the coffee table. And there are many blankets on the couch. The portable chargers he mentioned are also on the coffee table, along with a few different cords. It’s… cozy, like you two are having a sleepover, something you’ve done more times than you can count. 

Seungcheol’s sitting on the couch now, splitting the takeout boxes up. He puts a few boxes in front of the spot next to him along with some chopsticks. “Broccoli beef. Come on.”

He doesn’t ask if it’s still your favorite, and your stomach grumbles loudly, so you sigh, joining him on the couch in silence. You both eat and nearly an hour passes before either of you say anything. 

You’re leaning back into the corner of the couch with one of the blankets up to your neck, staring at the wall ahead. “I don’t get you,” you mumble.

“I know,” he says softly, lacking any heat. It makes you tear up and you feel stupid for it. Still, you sniffle and you know he knows what it means. But he stays planted on his corner of the couch, matching your pose.

“I feel like I’ll never be able to get it right with you now. Not as coworkers. Not as friends. Not as anything more,” you mumble. “I don’t even know which one I’m supposed to try to get right, but I feel like I’ll always ruin everything anyway.”

Seungcheol is quiet for a long time and you almost forget you’re carrying a conversation until he speaks up again. “I don’t hate you. I should have never said that. What I meant is that sometimes I wish I did. I feel like I’m 22 all over again, getting my heart ripped out when you’re around.” You feel your chin tremble a bit at his words. “I shouldn’t have made that your problem though. Not the way I have lately anyway.”

“You know I didn’t leave without any guilt, right? Because I was drowning in it for a long time. I'm sorry for how I left things.” 

“I know,” Seungcheol whispers, sitting up to look at you. You sit up, matching his pose. “You were right last night. You needed to go to do something for yourself for once. I’m sorry my ego got in the way. I was thinking about the loss that I was about to experience and I was selfish.”

You take a deep breath, never really expecting to get an apology of any sort from him. “You had every right to be upset. I just… wanted you to be happy for me. Someday, anyway.”

“And I am,” he says solidly. “I am happy for you. That you went to the program that you wanted. That you moved back. That you might fix things with Jeonghan. I really am.”

You can’t help but give him a quizzical look. “Jeonghan? What does he have to do with this?”

Seungcheol gives you a matching quizzical look. “I… was under the impression that you guys might be getting back together. After New Year’s and all.”

You chuckle, putting your hands over your face. “Oh, yeah. That.”

“Have I misunderstood?” Seungcheol asks, confusion obvious.

“No, I guess that was the entire point. I’m not proud of it at all, but Jeonghan seemed to think that it would rile you up.” Seungcheol looks irritated even in the darkness, so you tack on an honest apology. 

“So you wanted me to be jealous?” He grinds out.

“No,” you quickly say. “I just wanted anything from you, honestly. There were a lot of things unspoken between us and I didn’t know how to get them out into the open.”

Seungcheol crooks his finger at you and you’re really helpless to not follow the instruction. You push off your blanket and sit on the cushion next to him. His finger finds your chin, holding it gently. “Well, it worked. I was jealous. Still am.” 

“Oh?” You mumble, wide eyed. There’s something about his intensity that makes you feel both shy and excited at the same time. He was somewhat possessive in the past, and it’s a little thrilling to know that he still might feel that way about you. 

He’s getting closer, creeping into your space. “I kind of hate him, actually. Wish you’d never given him a chance, because he’ll always rub it in my face.” His hand wanders from your chin, up your cheek, pushing your hair back. The touch is soft and makes you want to fold right away. It’s really totally unfair how much power he has over you. You’re reduced to a little hum in acknowledgement and he continues. “Wish you’d forget about him. I’d make you if you’d let me.”

The words spill out fast. “I’d let you do whatever.”

In the darkness, you can see Seungcheol’s eyes flare before he’s breathing a long sigh. His fingers in your hair tug lightly, pulling your head to the side. He’s crowding you, other hand wrapping around to your back, lips finding your neck delicately. Your hands find his chest, clinging to his hoodie. “I missed you.” 

The words make your eyes well up again, despite how his hand is crawling up the back of your sweatshirt and his lips are trailing up and down to the spots he knows you like. “I missed you too.”

The crack in your voice makes him lift up to meet your eyes. “If we go here again, I need you to be all in like I am. Are you?” You think he might be tearing up too, but you can’t be sure. 

“Yeah, Cheol,” you say, hands crawling up from his chest into his hair. “I’m all in.”

“Oh, thank god,” he groans, slamming his body into yours, lips finding yours. You both fall back onto the couch together and in a lot of ways it feels like you never left.

~

“You’re late.”

Minghao tries to look upset as Seungcheol rushes into the conference room for their team meeting. Luckily, Seungcheol’s supervisor isn’t in this one, just Seungcheol and his team. The others try to match the annoyance, but it doesn’t stick. They haven’t been good about looking annoyed with him in weeks. 

“Sorry, got a late start this morning,” Seungcheol excuses, pulling out his notebook and pen. 

“Date night on a Wednesday?” Seungkwan teases. “Come on, we have things to do. Save it for Friday.”

“No, Friday’s still date night. Who knows what kept him up late last night?” Chan says, though he wiggles his eyebrows suggestively. Seungcheol throws one of the thin coasters on the table in his direction.

“Let’s keep it professional, please,” Seungcheol says, hoping it comes out as a demand, but he knows it's more of a plea.

“Uh huh. Professional like making out with Y/N in your office in the middle of the day?” Seungkwan bites back. 

“Oh man, that was traumatizing,” Vernon chuckles. 

“He has glass doors, you think he’d be more aware of his surroundings,” Chan tacks on.

They’d known the day that everyone came back after the snow storm that something had changed and they’d refused to leave his office until they found out what it was. Seungcheol shouldn’t have been astonished by it, but they started trading money in front of him when he announced that he was official with you (again). Apparently, his behavior in meetings wasn’t the only bet they’d made. Minghao pocketed a pretty generous amount of money and was once again unfazed at the threat of going to HR. His exact words were, “okay, fire me.”

Seungcheol wouldn’t be doing that. 

But since then, they hadn’t let him breathe about much of anything. He takes two minutes extra for lunch? Must have stopped to see you. Lingers after a meeting? It’s only because you were in that meeting. Running late like today? Must be your fault. 

Still, Seungcheol is flushing about the fact that he was caught with you in his office last week, so he brings the meeting to order. He knows he’s only delaying the inevitable, but he can force them to stay on topic for the hour so he’ll do that. 

You miss each other most of the day between meetings and such, and he meets you at your office door at exactly 5pm, leaning against the door frame. You grin at him, pulling on your coat. “Hi,” you say, leaning up to kiss him. 

He pulls you in for one more. “Hi. Busy day?”

You sigh. “Yeah, what about you? Didn’t see you much.”

Seungcheol nods. “Yeah, I know. I was booked most of the day. But they can’t keep me here anymore,” he insists. 

You giggle, before looking a little pensive. “Are you sure you’re okay with just going home today?”

Seungcheol nods automatically. “Of course. I’m fine with a night in.”

“If you’re sure,” you say, but a pout has settled on your lips that he just has to kiss. 

“Stop. Pouting is my job. But really, I don’t mind. We can always go out another night.”

“If you insist,” you sigh, leading him to the elevators. 

Later that night, he’s got you curled up into his side. You both rarely sleep alone anymore. It’s all too easy to just run to the other’s apartment when it's time for bed, if you weren't together already. He debates on mentioning moving in together to save the money, but it feels too soon, so he bites his tongue. 

“Thank you for the night in,” you mumble sleepily. He’s surprised because he thought you were asleep already, but he presses a kiss to your head. 

“Of course, baby. Happy Valentine’s Day.” 

You don’t say it back, but he’ll forgive you because you really are asleep now. He whispers a little ‘I love you’ just for good measure. 

[avonne-writes]

Bucky's relationship with his mom

Re: this post

They're really close. Back when Bucky's father was still in their life, the man often left them alone due to "business trips", and whenever he missed his father, Bucky clung even tighter to his mom. Unintentionally, she also filled her own loneliness with his presence, thus creating a bond that's a little too tight actually.

Bucky constantly overshares with his mom. Until his relationship with Gale gets serious, he always tells her everything. All the little details of his life. This is not completely healthy because he’s doing it partially to keep her attention on him at all times. He’s scared of losing her too (we can see this mentioned in Leaving).

As Gale's role gets more significant in his life, Bucky starts to pull back a bit and build the same tight attachment with Gale instead. He doesn’t know how to build any boundaries. If Gale wants to know something, he’ll share, and the same goes for his mom.

During high school, Bucky actively turns to his mom for comfort a lot of times. She completely babies him when he's distressed and he finds comfort in that. The dynamic resembles a 5-year-old with his mom. Bucky wouldn’t hesitate to cry during these conversations.

During college, Gale realizes that Bucky’s problems don’t stop at his fear of abandonment and the messed-up situation with his dad. He’s the one who notices that Bucky is way too attached to his mom and that he doesn’t have boundaries with her. Some time later, Gale also realizes that Bucky built a similar issue of no boundaries between him and Gale.

Gale talks to Bucky about his relationship with Georgia. This is a really difficult conversation. Bucky is defensive, but when Gale keeps pushing, he gets quiet and depressed. Eventually, he does admit that perhaps Gale is right. Together, they come up with a vague starting plan to improve things.

As Bucky starts to develop a healthier bond with both his mom and Gale, his anxiety levels decrease and he finally begins to believe that yes, his mom is a constant and she won’t leave him, and the same goes for Gale.

This all goes on at the same time as Bucky getting closure on the situation with his father. So you can see that Bucky goes through a lot of personal development during college. All this contributes both to the fact that he manages to let Gale go to Switzerland and then to the big fight they have at 30. Without the bundaries and sense of stability Gale helped him build, Bucky wouldn’t have been able to express how much he wants kids.

[lady-ashfade]

Mha Characters; Waitress/Waiter Au!!

´*: ･ﾟ⋆˒ Characters: Izuku Midoriya, Katsuki Bakugo

WARNINGS: Waitress au, cute, I love this job but it sucks, smoking[Bakugo and you]

GENRA: Hcs/Concepts

Izuku Midoriya

He’s the type of co worker to be the helper if you need it, like working twice as hard along side of you. Not the half ass ones. Will sweep so hard and quickly- “Just trying to get us home as soon a possible.”

You honestly are jealous of his people skills, he smiles and it’s like money just appears in his pockets. He barely messes up, and some of the times he is even getting the plates off of the tables you are to busy to get.

“I can’t believe it’s so dead in here,” you whisper as you look around at the empty tables, only one table in the past hour.

“I enjoy it, gives us a break.” Izuku leans on the counter, sighing as he relaxes himself.

you stare at him. he is so pretty, uncanny how one person could be so perfect. You often find yourself messaging him, using random things for excuses to, and when you are paired together it makes the night so much easier.

You blink twice before looking away quickly to not get caught, clearing you throat before make sure everything is straightened and in place. “I didn’t know Superman needed a break.”

Izuku titled his head and opened his eyes, giving you a questionable look, “Superman?”

“You are unstoppable, Izuku. Honestly sometimes I swear you are too good at your job, makes the rest of us look like newbies.” you chuckle and grab the check for the table.

“So you think I’m charming?” He teases with a blush creep on his cheeks.

“Nauseously so,” you walk away with a giggle.

Katsuki Bakugo

You trained him, or at least partially. You have been there since a teen, and he joined when he entered college. He had no people skills, and even though he has grown he still gets prissy with costumers.

You still find yourself pushing him aside and talking to his table, then going up to him and yelling at him. But he makes it up with cleaning, like I mean he can carry so much and it’s so helpful.

Maybe you forget what comes on a meal, he will just walk by and say it, and walks back off. You write a order wrong? “Dumb ass, it doesn’t come with onions” since he knows the kitchen well, you are trying to get him to work back there.

“What the hell was that?” You shout as you push the door open, the cold air hitting you hard. Katsuki is leaning on the hard wall, a cigarette in his hand.

“She was a bitch, who yells at their waiter/ress for things you have no control over?” you groan at his words and glare at him.

“Katsuki, I can handle them. I’ve worked here a lot longer then you. Not only will you get in trouble later, i could also get in trouble. I appreciate you trying to help, but we can’t cuss at costumers.”

“I got it, don’t worry about getting in trouble. I will gladly get fired for cussing her out,”

You slap his shoulder, “I wouldn’t let you get fired, because I’ll miss you too bad.” You smile slightly up at him.

He chuckles deeply and rolls his eyes, “Yelling at me, then tell him you’ll miss me…You’re so confusing sometimes.”

you swipe the cigarette from his hands and take a drag of it, feeling the intoxication and burning, “Not exactly you, more like how much plates you can carry. My own personal bus boy.”

[ryuichirou]

are any of the twst girlies embarassed of their tits? wether it's because they're too small or too big or too generally existing?

Continuing with our boob special weekend lol Let’s talk about them some more. Thank you once again for the most important prompts in the world, Anon!

For those who missed it, yesterday we talked about twst girlies’ attitude towards their partner’s boobs. And also, a while ago we had a post in which I talked about boob hcs in general… In the latter one I briefly talked about the girlies’ relationships with their own boobs, so this time I’ll try not to write too much (a task that is Ryu going to fail in 3, 2…)

Riddle – when she isn’t focusing on it, she isn’t insecure about it, but when people (mostly Ace or Floyd) tease her about it, she gets very defensive and says that her breasts are not done growing yet. I guess she does have a complex … she fits into the trope of flat girl being jealous of bigger girls too nicely. Maybe it’s because the Queen of Hearts was quite a busty woman herself.

Ace – she isn’t embarrassed at all, she actually considers herself lucky because her boobs aren’t really big and don’t bother her at all, but she also isn’t really flat. The existence of boobs doesn’t bother her either. Of course, that doesn’t mean that she won’t compare her size to Deuce’s all the time.

Deuce – for the most part she forgets about them and isn’t super bothered, even though wearing a bra feels like a chore for her sometimes, since she used to not wear it for a long time. Her breasts also get pretty tender during a certain time of the month, and it makes running more difficult, but that’s about the only complain that she has.

Trey – she isn’t really insecure; her breasts began to rapidly grow when she was pretty young, so she is used to being a big girl. They do get in the way sometimes though, especially in the kitchen (which is annoying) or in the lab (which is dangerous), so if asked, Trey would say that she would actually like to have smaller boobs. She also gets a big embarrassed when others comment on it.

Cater – she is pretty comfy! Sometimes she makes jokes about wanting to be bigger, being jealous of Trey and stuff like that, but she really feels pretty okay with her boobs being medium-sized (closer to smaller ones).

Leona – not really insecure, but kind of inconvenienced. She doesn’t like wearing bras, and she is pretty big+her nipples are dark, so it’s pretty obvious that she doesn’t. It’s not like she cares about what other think of her, of course… one thing that she hates it when she falls asleep in a bad position and squishes her boob. Ouch.

Ruggie – oh she’s very okay with where she’s at, she’s happy that she never really had to buy herself a bra, and that her boobs are so small she pretty much forgets she has them. There’s never been a moment in Ruggie’s life when she was upset about having small tits.

Jack – she is both one of the biggest and the most physically active girls of the cast, so she would love to have smaller breasts. It’s pretty okay when she’s skiing or snowboarding because the layers of clothes compress her boobs very neatly, but when she’s running, she is having a very hard time. She has to get special types of sports bra, otherwise she wouldn’t really be able to run… In her ideal world, she is a B, in reality though, she is at least a D and growing.

Azul – there are moments when she is annoyed with her boobs, and she complains about them being big on a very rare occasion, but in general she enjoys being between C and D (she should be more of a C but I keep drawing her significantly bigger lol). She thinks that her boobs are one of her many assets and she is proud of this asset. A girl with a face this cute and boobs this nice can’t be not-trustworthy, right? She also puts them on a table when she works a lot, but that’s just a habit.

Jade – having big boobs isn’t something unusual for a mermaid, but having them underwater and on land makes a lot of difference because gravity and all. Plus, she and her sister are pretty big even by mermaids’ standards… so she is inconvenienced sometimes, but not too much. For the most part she doesn’t care. Her boobs do bother her when she is hiking though, she can't help but feel it would be much easier to walk, climb and even wear her backpack if she had boobs that are somewhat smaller than her enormous ones.

Floyd – she is way more inconvenienced than Jade, and the only one in the Octa-trio who actually complains about her boobs enough to ask for Azul to make a potion to make them smaller. But then she changes her mind and decides against it. She is very active, and she hates bras, so her boobs either bounce around too strongly or jump out of her shirt, and both are kind of bad. For the most part because everyone is acting so weird about it… it’s their problem though, not Floyd’s.

Kalim – happy girl, not a care in the world. She is also on a bigger side (similar to Azul), and it never really concerned her in any way. Of course it bounces a lot when she dances, but it’s like she isn’t even aware of that or really doesn’t care. She is pretty comfortable in her own skin!

Jamil – she is also perfectly fine, actually. When she was younger, she was kind of annoyed with Kalim’s boobs suddenly growing bigger when hers were much smaller, but she doesn’t care anymore; having smaller ones is more convenient anyways.

Vil – pretty comfortable, doesn’t really have any insecurities about it: she finds her small breasts aesthetically pleasing, plus it really works with her overall androgynous aesthetics. There are some clothes and looks she’d like to wear that are better for big-chested girls though, but it’s okay, even if it doesn’t look good on her, she knows someone who would look good wearing it.

Rook – she used to be very disconnected with her big boobs when she was younger because it actually caused a lot of discomfort to her during her hunts; she used to tie them up with bandages or pieces of cloth; she remembers being jealous of her brothers because they could run around the jungle topless and she couldn’t. But that was before; she is very comfortable with herself now and actually has a lot of appreciation of her breasts: Vil helped her to pick up proper underwear and support for them, and helped her a lot in general.

Epel – she hates her boobs, even though they aren’t even that big, but that’s already too big for her. Plus, they’re kind of round and perky, and she always feels like everyone’s looking at them (they’re not, no one’s looking). She is jealous of Ruggie…

Idia – for the most part she is very pleased with being one of the flattest girls in cast. There are so many headaches related to boobs, and she feels like she is excused from that annoying conversation entirely. She finds some comfort in deciding pretty early on in her life that she would never be busty and sexy and desirable (as if any of that has anything to do with having big boobs). Sometimes she thinks about what it would be like to have bigger boobs, but stops herself from thinking about it.

Ortho – ironically I think AI!Ortho would care about it more than real!Ortho. Real!Ortho is a little bit bigger than Idia, but she is pretty tomboyish and doesn’t really care about boobs at all (only other people’s boobs…). AI!Ortho, however, feels like this isn’t fair sometimes, and acts like a capricious child that wants something she isn’t really supposed to have. But overall, she just wants to be cute, so…

Lilia – the proudest flat girl in the world. Even more proud and even more flat than Idia lol Yeah there was never a moment in her life when she doubted herself because of that, even when she was mistaken for a boy. She has unshakable confidence and love for herself.

Silver – there are times when her boobs are in the way, but as long as she wears a proper bra or ties them up, it’s not an issue. She used to be a little concerned when she noticed that her boobs are growing (because Sebek’s didn’t start growing yet, and Lilia is completely flat), but that moment of panic was pretty short. She isn’t super big, but a bit bigger than Ace and Deuce, and she is pretty okay in her own skin.

Sebek – she is somewhat inconvenienced, and she also ties everything up when she’s training, but she also learned to live with her big boobs. She never felt like getting rid of them or never wanted to have them smaller; she is actually kind of proud of herself even though it is a pain in the ass to do everything that she does to keep them both healthy and not in the way of her activities. Horse-riding is especially difficult to her though, the bounce is too much sometimes.

Malleus – even though she is inconvenienced with how big and heavy they are, and with how much extra attention she needs sometimes because of them, she is pleased with her boobs in the same ways he is pleased with her horns, wings and tail – all of it is an indication of her being a Draconia. But also, when she gets tired of her big ones, she could just temporarily make them into smaller ones with magic! Just like she does with her tail and wings.