#silver lining I'll have them put the light up in the family room at the same time which has a cathedral ceiling

[randomactsofpigeon]

Definitely did not spend two hours putting up a fan that I expected to take thirty minutes only to have it not work when we were done.

[elphiej]

Be My Light - Chapter 10: An Act of Trust

*Genre: Mafia, Angst, Slow burn, eventual smut

*Warnings: Mentions of drugs, language, anxiety

Authors Note: How has it been so long? It's been a bit of a tough time but I have returned to my happy place. I hope you enjoy this look into the Magic Shop. I copy and paste the Tag List, so for those who no longer wish to be in it, I completely understand. Please just message me and I'll remove you. For any new interested readers who would like to be apart of the Tag List, same thing. Please just be patient with me. I'm on new any depressants and will be trying my very best to keep up with this. No matter what, I will never stop this fic and I will try my best to make any wait worth it. Feel free to drop a like, comment, or anything. Also posted on AO3 under the same name, Enjoy!

Tag list: Tag list: @lolalalooo, @bangtan-sonyeonddaeng, @barbikatherine,  @mrsfortune1306, @lovesick-heart0, @iamnamjoonsbxtch, @deathkat657, @deeepvibes, @sugamonster22, @weiinihao, @hemmofluke, @rainbow-zebra-unicorns, @joyfullyobsessed-blog, @elvencantation, @thefreddieman, @whateveritis616, @crewzie-chan, @wyomingphantom, @killbillv1, @kyrah-williams, @utterlynutters, @ot7jellostan, @zahraaelamira, @shesaysweirdthings, @toriluvsfics, @emu007, @zae007live​

Chapter 10: An Act of Trust.

            This is incredible, you found yourself repeating as you followed Taehyung through the Magic Shop.

            The mansion was the prime example of the phrase ‘never judge a book by its cover’. Though, if you were being completely honest, Bangtan had shown many examples of that phrase the more you were around them. Where the outside of the Magic Shop was foreboding, broken, and cold, the inside was warm, modern, and inviting. And so well maintained. For a group of young men, the place was immaculate. You thought back to when Jin and Jungkook had cleaned your apartment on the first night and decided that you really shouldn’t be surprised. As you looked about the passing rooms, they were beautifully decorated in a modern style that really complimented everyone and the structure.

            Taehyung had, first, led you down the spiral staircase under the front foyer into what you assumed were the old service areas. Now, it was an expansive garage lined with a vast variety of vehicles. You recognized the truck that Jin had driven you home in, the silver sports car that Taehyung had picked you up in that first day, and the town car that you had just been in. Heuning Kai waved at the two of you from his place by the town car, polishing it to look as new. You looked down the rows in awe. As you took in the fleet of cars, you started to understand that you had vastly underestimated how much money Bangtan must have had. But were all of these bought or were they spoils of the job? Or were some of them stolen? You were really trying not to think so poorly of your hosts, but could it really be helped?

            “Nice, huh?” Taehyung crossed his arms with pride as he leaned against a very nice looking black two-door car. He nodded over towards the familiar pickup truck. “That was the first truck we bought back in the early days. We lived off of cheap ramen and stolen veggies, but it was worth it. Jin put a lot of hardware into it over the years. He stayed up a lot of nights reading mechanic books to make it work for us. Now we’re able to hire mechanics who will follow whatever design and dream he can think up to help us. Like bulletproof glass and exteriors, homing beacons, storage and seats that fold down so we can use the space for anything. They, even, have this feature that sends an alert to all of our phones if the vehicle’s ever in an accident so we can get to each other.”

            “I suppose Jin thought of everything, didn’t he?”

            “Yeah,” Taehyung smiled a huge boxy grin. “Jin-hyung is all about keeping us safe. He’s like the mom of our family. He’s always taken such good care of us.”

            As your eyes roamed across the row of vehicles, your eyes caught sight of a sleek, black motorcycle in the farthest corner of the garage. You had always wanted to ride on one ever since one of Amber’s friends came by the hospital to show his new one off. But you had always been too scared to ask to ride along; working in the ER would do that to a person.

            “Like that? That’s Jungkookie’s, He always wanted one. And Yoongi-hyung and Jiminie bought it for him as a graduation present to encourage him to finish school. He was so excited when he went to go pick it out. It’s his favorite thing. Seems like you like it too. I’m sure if you ask him, he’d take you on a ride. As long as he doesn’t combust from shyness. I’d suggest you wait until you’ve been around him more before you ask him.”

            “Oh no,” you said, turning back towards Tae. “I don’t think that would be very smart. Do you know how many cases in my ER are from motorcycle accidents? I wouldn’t dream of it.” You were sure by the look on Taehyung’s face that he could hear the disappointment in your tone as you tried to fool yourself.

            He smiled. “You know that is the same argument that Jin-hyung said when it was brought home. But I know I have a picture of them riding on it together.”

            Taehyung, then, led you out of the garage. As you ascended the spiral stairs back into the front foyer, you were taken down the hallway where Namjoon had appeared towards the kitchen. The hallway was lined with what looked like framed family portraits of Bangtan throughout the years. There were some of them all together dressed all nice, and a few of them in random units posed in fun ways. It was interesting to see how they grew and changed over the years. But it was, also, sad to see how young they were. You paused in front of what appeared to be their first family photo. Where the other photos were in suits or business casual attire, their first picture looked as if they had watched too many hip-hop music videos. Dressed in fake basketball jerseys and hats, or in layered phony designer shirts and too much eyeliner, they looks so young and inexperienced. You almost didn’t recognize Namjoon with his crazy hair and dark glasses, or Jimin with his very tanned skin and shaggy black hair. And Jungkook looked like he had barely started puberty with his round doe-eyes. It really made you wonder what could cause such young kids to turn to gang life. Yoongi and Namjoon you understood since Yoongi had explained his side to you. But were all their stories the same? You had to figure out how to ask them.

       The kitchen looked like it belonged to a showroom with top-of-the-line appliances set against stunning marble counter tops. You imagined this is what a world class chef would want. It was beyond clean and spacious with a large capacity refrigerator and freezer, a fully stocked wine cabinet that almost reached the ceiling, a huge stove and dual ovens, and a large island that could be used for anything. Off the main part, set against a large set of windows that overlooked a courtyard in the middle of the Magic Shop, was a cozy breakfast nook and a fully stocked coffee bar that could meet the needs of the pickiest of coffee drinkers. There were a few different machines for different types of coffee, syrups, stirrers, and different sugars. The enticing smell of whatever Namjoon had made still permeated the room.

            The only thing that was missing was the staff to man such a space. Perhaps they had the morning off?

            Taehyung opened up the fully stocked cabinets, pantry, and fridge to show off their contents and told you to that you would help yourself to anything whenever you wanted.

            “We always make extra so you can have whatever. Or, if you would rather cook something for yourself, by all means. But since one of us will be with you, we may offer to do it.”

            “You all cook?” You remembered the amount of food Jin had ordered the first night for you and figured that’s what they did regularly.

            “Some of us do,” he remarked with a shrug. “Namjoon-hyung can only really make coffee. And my skills are a bit limited. But the others are really good at it. We always leave leftovers if we are out late on missions for the other. We try to have family dinner when we are all together. And we talked about letting you come too, since you’ll be here for a while. If you want, that is. But trust me, you’re gonna want to.”

            “So, you make your own food? I would expect a place like this would come with a fleet of cooks since you all would be…busy.”

            Taehyung laughed. “You would think so. But we are pretty self-sufficient. Other than our hired Army, we don’t really have a staff full time. I mean, there are two mechanics that come to tune up the cars every month, a couple ladies who come in to do a deep clean every three months or so, and Jin brings in a couple helpers once in a while when he’s stuck in whatever he’s working on. But that’s only a very few very trusted people. They’re all older locals though who we’ve helped over the years, so we know they won’t betray us. It’s just safer if we keep it low. When we bring in new people, it’s blind like how we did with you. Not that we don’t trust you. I mean…” Taehyung started trying to figure out how to better explain it.

            “It’s alright. I understand. I am a stranger to you guys. Despite how many card games I’ve beat you at or coffee dates you take me on.” You smiled as your little joke seemed to ease the tension. “It makes sense really. It’s better to be cautious. If anything happens to me, I wouldn’t be able to say anything even if I could.”

            “Hey,” Tae brought his hand to your shoulder, face very serious, “nothing is going to hurt you here. I trust you. Call it my superpower, but I can read people really well. All the years on the street do that to a person. You are a good person. Otherwise, we would have blindfolded you before you stepped out of the car. Everyone agreed to welcome you in our home not just because of all you’ve done for Hyung. We could have just set you up in a safe house if I thought you were up to something.”

            You were sure he was being genuine with you. He did seem like he was going very beyond the bare minimum he needed to do had it been some other person. You knew he was trying to make you feel safe and comfortable in this whole situation. They were doing so much for you, you just needed to allow yourself to relax and not think about all the other things. You tried to ignore the dark cloud that kept coming up the second you started to forget their profession and focus on the person.

            From the kitchen, you were lead to the outside courtyard. It must have been intended to be a beautiful event space in its conception. There were moss covered statues, an elegant fountain surrounded by ivy covered iron benches, and beautiful plants that brought so much color to the space. Above, there was a façade that looked like a tapered roof covered in ripped tarps that Tae explained let in a lot of light and rain but kept anyone or thing from seeing inside. Bangtan had really thought of everything to keep the Magic Shop secret. Across the courtyard and through another door, you were shown an impressive gym with an attached studio that Taehyung explained was used for combat training, dance practice, or anything they wanted. Next to that was a shower, steam room, and a large indoor swimming pool. All of which was fair game for you to use if you wanted to.

            After that, the excited man showed you what he deemed ‘the living space’. Up the stairs to the second floor, there was a massive formal dining room, a small library that you really wanted to explore, a small infirmary, a game room, and some office used for whatever they wanted to work on privately. He pointed to another staircase and mentioned that some of their bedrooms were up on the third floor and so were Namjoon’s and Yoongi’s personal workspaces. Jin’s workspace was in the basement, while Jungkook’s room and personal gaming room was on the attic floor with Taehyung’s art studio. There was so much space in this house that you began to wonder if there was a map so you wouldn’t get lost. Before you could try to remember how to get back to the last room, you found yourself in an expansive living room. You figured this may be where you’d be spending a majority of your time. The room was open design with a massive L-shaped couch that seemed like it could fit more than seven, sleek coffee tables, two elegant armchairs with oversized ottomans, and a few beanbag chairs stacked in a corner. Mounted to the wall was a huge flat screen television and on either side of it where towering shelves full of movies, tv series, music, and video games to last a lifetime. There were multiple gaming consoles stacked neatly on top. And on the far wall, there was a small mini fridge, a cupboard with snacks, and a small bar. It was homely and comfortable.

            “We spend a lot of our down time together in here,” Taehyung said, smiling at your awed expression. “It’s probably one of my favorite rooms, besides my bedroom.”

            “I can see why. It has pretty much everything in here. It’s bigger than my apartment. Well, this house is so large it’s a wonder how you can find anyone in here. I still haven’t seen Jimin, Jungkook, or Jin. I feel like I could walk right past them in here and never know it.”

            “Well, Jin is on the basement level working on something. We won’t need to go down there. There is nothing there that’d interest you. Honestly, it’s a bit more confusing to get down there anyway so just try to stay on the first two floors. But. he’ll come up for lunch in a while. Since I didn’t see Jungkook in here or the gym, my guess is that he is probably still in his room. He was up late last night playing video games and is most likely still sleeping. But if ever in doubt, always start looking for him in the gym or where his games are. As for Jimin, I’m not sure where he is. He was excited for you to come to the Magic Shop. I thought he would meet us in the front or outside. That was his plan anyway. Something might have come up. I’m sure we’ll see him at lunch. Oh yeah, there’s someone else I want you to meet. Now, where is he?”

            Suddenly, while you were distracted by some of the framed, less staged photos on the wall, something small and fuzzy ran across your foot. You shrieked and it took everything in your body to keep from kicking at whatever it was as you fell back into one of the armchairs. Taehyung let out a loud laugh that filled the space and had him holding his sides.

            “Tannie! There’s my baby boy.” You turned over the chair to watch him stoop over and pick up a small black and brown Pomeranian puppy. The puppy yipped happily and gave his owner sloppy kisses that Tae returned. “I was wondering where you had gotten off too. Such a silly boy. You shouldn’t scare our guest like that. She’s a nice girl, the one I told you about. Say you’re sorry.”          

            The puppy let out a big yawn. You weren’t sure if that was the apology Taehyung was expecting.

            “Sorry, I didn’t mean to react like that. I’ve been a bit jumpier than usual. I wasn’t expecting such a tiny thing to come running at me. You guys never mentioned that you had a dog.”

            “I didn’t? That doesn’t sound like me. I could have sworn I had talked about him a few times back in the hospital.” If you were honest, he might have. But there were plenty of times when you were fighting your many battles about trusting them that you tuned out most of the conversations. “This is Yeontan. He’s only eight months old. You don’t mind dogs, do you?”

            “No, I like all animals. He’s very cute,” you pushed off from the chair and stepped a bit closer. When Taehyung held the small dog out to you, you reached over and lightly scratched him behind his fuzzy ear. Yeontan let out a happy noise and licked your hand. You laugh a bit. “He’s so sweet. But I’ll be honest. I would never have suspected someone like you to have such a tiny dog.”

            “Oh, sure. I get that. Jungkookie keeps saying we should get a Doberman as a guard dog. That would definitely fit our image better. But I could never replace Tannie. He’s all mine.” Taehyung hugged the puppy close, and it warmed your heart. “I’ve always wanted a little dog ever since I was a kid. But a bad home life made it difficult. But all the guys pulled together and helped me get this little guy as a present. And I sold a few pieces in order to save up for classes so I could better take care of him. I wanted to be the best owner for him.”

            The way that Taehyung spoke and interacted with the dog was such a juxtaposition to the wicked mafia persona you had figured hid beneath. It was so cute that you could only wonder if someone would ever treat you with the same amount of affection. Had you not known about that side of his life, you’d swear he was just this lovable guy with a large heart. Though, something he had said gave you pause.

            “Save up? I feel like you all have more money than I can even imagine. I mean,” you made a grand gesture to the room, “why would you need to save up for anything?”

            “I’m sure it seems that way. Sure, we’re pretty well off. But when we first started, we were so poor, we didn’t have enough money to eat. We stole from the gas station just to eat once a day. And when we started out, we were nobodies, so it wasn’t like we were making anything. Whatever we did earn from gang activities went to important things like medicine and renting a room for the night, so we didn’t have to sleep on the street. Then, it went towards necessities, like weapons for protection or clothes so we wouldn’t freeze in the winter. Or bail when we got caught by the police. So, to ensure we would be able to make it and not be picked off by the other gangs, we got day jobs. Namjoon worked the gas station we stole from to make it up to the old man who owned it, Yoongi-hyung was a delivery boy, and Hobi-hyung and Jimin worked at a dance studio. Kookie and I found ways to help. The only one who had any money was Jin-hyung. His family was loaded. When I first met Jin-hyung, before I met the others, he was a student, and I was a street kid just trying not to go home. I saw him at a bus stop I used to tag all the time. He said my work was cool and just like a puppy, I started hanging around him. He fed me and even tried to teach me what he was learning since I dropped out. Then we met the others and Jin-hyung was using his money to help us. But when his father learned who he was hanging around, he cut him off. Until he was able to black mail his father.”

            “But,” Taehyung continued, seeing how off topic he was getting, “the point was, we always had other ways to get money that weren’t gang related. Even now, as big as we are, we still have little side jobs we do. It breaks up the monotony and gives us a little bit of an escape. What we earn from gang activities belongs to Bangtan; the upkeep of the house, paying Army, hospital bills, and our equipment. Anything we earn from our side hustle is ours for our own pleasure. That dance studio that Jimin and Hobi-hyung worked at, they now own. Jungkookie competes in videogame competitions and films himself playing games on the internet. Jin continues his family business, without his actual family. And Namjoon-hyung and Yoongi-hyung did music underground back in the day before all the gang stuff, and they still do. They write and produce demos and sell them. You’ve probably heard a few of their stuff. And we all help them sometimes. We joke that if we weren’t in this line of work, we’d probably be a world-renowned band. Funny huh?”

            Wow, you thought as you tried to process what he had just told you. There is so much more to these guys than I thought. How can they be this down to earth?

            “And what do you do?”

            “I told you that I used to be a street artist, right? Nothing too special; just tagging and doing funny graffiti. But the others really inspired me to keep going. Hell, Namjoon got arrested with me when I was attempting to improve some offensive street art someone left outside one of our favorite places just because he wanted to see me improve myself. Now, I’ve moved to a bunch of different mediums; I’ve tried charcoal, photography, drawing, and painting. I took all of those pictures,” he said pointing to the walls. “It’s pretty easy to find a muse when you have a great support system. Here let me show you some of my pieces.” He took your hand and led you out of the living room with a bounce in his step.

            He took you up the stairs and to his art room. You were fairly positive that this was not supposed to be part of the tour since this was where their more private spaces were. But the look on Tae’s face when he showed you his art room was enough to show you that he was very excited to show off his work to you. The room had hardwood floors and walls covered with different sizes of framed pictures of different famous artists that he admired. The room was loaded with supplies like stacks of canvases, drawing supplies and paints, different cameras, and drop clothes to protect the floor. There was a small couch and chairs that you recognized from some of the family portraits. He went over to a desk and grabbed a book. It was labeled Vante, which you remember used to be his street artist name before he shortened it to V for his gang related work. He flipped through the book and handed it to you when he found what he was looking for. There were pictures of different art pieces he had made. Each page had photos of the progression and the finished product with handwritten notes next to it as to when it was sold and for how much. The numbers made your eyes widen. There were things that you would expect to see in a museum. You were speech-less.

            He grabbed your hand once again and led you out of the studio and into the hallway. There were some more pieces hanging throughout the hallways, those he wouldn’t part with. There was one that was so breathtaking; it was a black and gray background, with a single light source from up center. In the center of the spotlight was a dancer clad in white, whose body was carved through shadows and face shown pale in the light, eyes closed in a serene way as if he was lost in the music you couldn’t hear. His arm was extended up to the light like a ballet dancer, so graceful. His hair, a steely blue, and the gathering shadows accentuate his sharp yet delicate features. And the more you looked at it, the more you began to realize that you had seen this person before.

            It was Jimin.

            As you were led to more art pieces, you started to realize that Taehyung had used Bangtan in many of them. They were breath taking. Not only were they all so good-looking, but the way Taehyung painted or photographed them made them look otherworldly. Near the end of a staircase that would lead to the top floor back to the floor some of their bedrooms could be found on, you found yourself stopped in front of what you came to realize was your favorite. It was a black and white photo made to look like a painting. There were seven people in front of a white background that looked like hands reaching out for each other. Five of the seven were leaning on each other, hunched over in a dramatic way. In the center were the final two, both with their arm up, one reaching for the sky and the other grasping the first wrist afraid to slip and let go. It was so simple yet complex, so artistic. You weren’t sure how long you were staring at it until Taehyung’s voice cut through your thoughts.

            “I was commissioned to make this for someone. But when it was done, I couldn’t part with it. The others loved it too. They hated that I was supposed to sell it to someone who wouldn’t understand it. So, Yoongi-hyung paid the commissioner for it, three times what he was going to pay me for it. Said he didn’t care how much the man wanted for it. It meant so much to us that it was priceless. Yoongi-hyung says it’s his favorite. I think it’s yours too.”

            “It’s so beautiful. You are truly an amazing artist.”

            “I have some great muses.”

            Taehyung and you stood there in silence a bit more before the silence was broken by someone coming out of one of the rooms. It was Hoseok. He looked a bit disheveled and breathless as if he had just run a mile, hair no longer sleek and tidy. He closed the door softly and turned with a grin, licking his lips in some sort of victory. He clapped his hands together and started down the hall with a hop in his step.

            He froze when he saw the two of you looking at him. “Umm...” he started nervously, “what are you two doing up here?”

            Oh right, I’m probably not meant to be up here. That’s why he’s confused. You turned your eyes back to the floor and your shoulders started to hunch. You didn’t want to intrude on their space. You were just following Taehyung and thought it was okay. But it would seem like not everyone was alright with his idea.

            Tae noticed the change in your posture and was having none of that, especially after he worked so hard to get you out of your shell to begin with. “I told you I was going to show her around the house. I was showing Y/N some of my artwork in my studio and figured I would show off the good ones. She really likes this one. I can’t say I blame her.”

            Hobi looked over at the painting. “Oh yeah, it is pretty. But don’t you have a copy of it in your phone you could have shown her? I thought we were just gonna keep it to the ground floors until Namjoon-.”

            “I’m sorry,” you said, arms wrapping around yourself in a nervous way. “I’m not trying to intrude. I wouldn’t have come up here unless Taehyung had brought me.”

            Hoseok noticed the way your hand clenched at your clothes and how you didn’t look at him in the face. And suddenly, he felt bad. “Shit, I didn’t mean it like that. I was just surprised. We normally don’t have people up here. I wasn’t expecting you. I don’t care if you come up here. Just as long as you don’t go into any rooms without permission.”

            “Well, of course she won’t, hyung. You see how nervous she is just at the thought of intruding. I just didn’t want her sitting in one room all day. Jeez, she’ll probably be hanging on the first two floors anyways. That’s where all the fun is.”

            Hobi threw his hands up in defeat. “Alright, Taehyungie, I get it. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by it. Y/N, I’m sorry. I was just surprised. It’s been a long morning.” You nodded your head in confirmation.

            “Now to a better point. What were you doing?” Taehyung fixed his hyung with an accusing look and a smirk from behind you. As if I can’t guess.

            Hobi frowned back at Taehyung before pushing his hand through his hair to tidy himself back up. “I was making sure Hyung went to rest and not back to work. You know how Yoongi-hyung can be when he’s away from his screens. He took some convincing but he’s asleep now in his room. And I,” he fished a key from the pocket of his jeans, “stole the key to the Genius Lab so he won’t be tempted to sneak in and work. He should be out for a few hours. He may skip lunch for now, but I’ll make sure he eats before he needs to have his next dosage for you.” He smiled brightly at you. “So, what do you think of the Magic Shop?”

            “It’s incredible. You guys must have really worked hard to make it so beautiful.”

            “Yeah, it took a few years to get right. But it’s been such a great sanctuary for us. Tell you what, I need to go into town for a bit. I’m sure Taehyung has told you about the dance studio if he’s showing off all his side work. I need to pick up Jimin. He apparently was called in this morning to help with some minor things but he’s not feeling too well to drive back alone. But when I get home, I’ll show you something we’ve been working on with the kids in our class. It’s really fun. Then we can all have lunch.” Hobi moved past you two, making sure to greet Tannie with a series of silly voices and pets.

            Taehyung gave his hyung a confused look. “Is Minnie okay?”

            “Yeah, he’s fine. It’s just about the end of the month. I’m sure he’s gonna try to push it off again.” Realization dawned on Taehyung and he smacked his head for overlooking it with everything going on. You didn’t ask what they meant since it really wasn’t your business. Perhaps it was just some stress related thing that focused on his time of the month. You were sure with everything going on, Bangtan must push themselves too far and that leads to poor health. If Jimin was sick, you would be happy to check him out since you were there to be an in-home care. It would give you something else to focus on. The two said goodbye and Hobi dashed down the stairs.

            “Come on, let’s take Tannie out in the courtyard and I’ll show you some more of pieces on the way.

            You happily followed him, chasing after the positive feeling you had earlier. Your anxieties had been growing more difficult to contain. It must be because you weren’t taking your medicine. You were hoping Dr. Na would have been helpful in finding out what it was so you could get back on track. But with everything that happened back at the hospital, you hadn’t been so lucky. You didn’t even turn in the script he had given you for a mild antianxiety medication to take in its place because you were still so mad at him and hurt. And yet, here you were with the people who ruined him for you, acting like they were your friend. All these feelings and emotions were confusing.

            As you arrived back on the second floor and at the landing of the familiar staircase, you both could hear someone walking around, pacing by the sounds of it. At first, you thought it was Hoseok again, but Namjoon’s voice could be heard just a harsh whisper. Whoever he was talking to, he was not happy about something.

            “I can’t believe you are trying to blow me off right now. How is that fair? My family needs security. Didn’t you say it would only take you a few hours? I know I got the dates mixed up but that shouldn’t matter to you. If you haven’t noticed, my family’s been in a bit of chaos recently and you were supposed to help ease some of my tension with information. At least tell me what you do have. What do you mean you aren’t done with your initial check? Why isn’t it done? I’m sure you’re busy, but you owe me!” The closer the two of you got to the stairs, the more you could pick up the frustration in Namjoon’s voice. He walked from a hallway near the bottom of the stairs, phone raised to his ear. He had changed from his morning clothes into a pair of jeans and a blue sweater, something more presentable. He didn’t seem aware of the two of you, so engrossed with his conversation. His eyes were narrow behind his glasses. He was agitated in a way you hadn’t seen since he saved you from Choi the first time. And you were not a fan of seeing him angry. “You said you’d come today and now you’re flaking out on me when I need you? That’s really great, Jackson. No, I am not overreacting. I trusted my gut to a point, but I need hard facts here. I needed them yesterday. Just go with it? Jackson, they’re in my house now, and you’re telling me to go with it?! No, two days is not okay! Don’t make me chase you down, you son of a bitch.” He let out a growl that didn’t fit with his current image. Taehyung didn’t like how mad his leader was getting. The younger knew full well what Namjoon was so angry about and he wished he hadn’t used a flighty character like Jackson to do something Tae could have easily done. But he knew that Namjoon needed an outsider’s opinion. “Fucking fine, how long? You better be here in two days or so help me…,” he let the person on the other end of the phone fill in the blank before he ended the call with a huff.

            Taehyung took the opportunity to clear his throat to announce your presence, which startled Joon more than he would have liked. It took him a second before he let his emotions slip back behind the mask of a calm leader you had come to expect. You were aware that Tae was standing closer to you than before, like he was securing your place next to him.

            “Everything ok, hyung?”

            “Yeah, sorry, didn’t see you there. How much did you hear?”

            “Just you getting mad. But don’t worry, it’s all good.” You gather that Taehyung knew exactly what Namjoon was wanting from this Jackson person but didn’t want to explain it to you. He grabbed your hand with his free one and pulled you down the stairs. “Y/N got to meet Tannie. We know how much he doesn’t like new people and, guess what, he likes her. How great is that? He never likes people other than you guys so quickly. He must know she’s a good person.”

            You weren’t sure what else that was supposed mean, but it made the wheels in Namjoon’s head start to turn. Was that conversation about you? Did he not trust you in his home? Then why had they discussed bringing you here? He had hesitated back when Taehyung had mentioned showing you around the house. You knew they wanted to be careful, but wasn’t it their idea to bring you in? Why would he be so concerned now? You remember that he was supposed to talk to you about it before bringing you here but had forgotten. Was it more than just easing you into this that he wanted to talk about? Maybe this was a mistake? Or were you just overthinking things again?

            “Well, I’m taking Y/N to the courtyard. Don’t let Jackson mess you up. You’re smarter than him anyways. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

            You started to follow Taehyung back down the hall. As you passed, you could tell that Namjoon was struggling with something. If it was about you, you wanted to tell him that you would do whatever made them more comfortable, even if that meant staying in one place like you wanted to with Hoseok. But Taehyung took your hand again and gave it a squeeze, like he knew you were overthinking things again. “Wait a second,” Namjoon said, voice sounding like he had come to a firm decision.

            The two of you stopped and looked back at Bangtan’s leader. He took a deep breath. “Y/N, I’m glad you’re here. And I mean it when I say welcome to our home. This is a bit new for us but considering the circumstances, this is the best option. Jin and I had been talking before about what happens when you come here, and both agree that we want you to be comfortable and not worried about anything. So, that being said, we came to an agreement about something very important. And I’ll let you decide what happens here. I know you said you want us to keep the darker side of our work away from you, and we have tried to respect that as much as possible. Being in our home may make that a bit more challenging. But we are still willing to do that if you want us to. But if you want, this may make being here a whole lot easier and may clear up some of those hesitations about us you may have,”

            You were willing to listen to what he had to say. “What is it?”

            “Yeah, hyung,” Taehyung said, tentatively, unsure of where this was going. “What do you mean? I don’t think we’ve talked about whatever this is.”

            “We haven’t Tae. But Jin-hyung and I talked about it before and based on some gut feelings, this may be for the best for everyone. But it ultimately falls on Y/N to decide. Jin would like to say ‘hello’ to you. He’s in his lab.”

            “Lab?” You had heard them mention a lab many times but you didn’t think that’s what it was. But by the way that Taehyung reacted to and, and how he had mentioned how you wouldn’t want to go down there, made you realize this was more than that.

            “Namjoon-hyung, are you sure about that?”

            He waved Taehyung off. “Like I said, this may make things for you much easier to understand and take some fear of us away. But if you prefer, we can just ignore it fully. But if you are willing, Jin-hyung would like to show you something in his lab. Jin-hyung does a lot of research and is working on something very important that may change how you see us. But it’s important. But if you don’t want to, I’ll understand, and we’ll keep pretending like nothing has changed. I give you control.”

            You hadn’t had much control over the life you could remember. Leaving your ex and choosing to help Bangtan was really the first taste of control you had, and it was still scary. Maybe being in the dark was a good option. But them allowing you to have a say really meant a lot to you. The fear of what you would find out started to be outweighed by the prospect of clarity. But what if they were wrong? Was it better to stay in the dark? You started to wring your hands together. You had already started to change your view of them since Yoongi had talked about his past and Taehyung had showed you things you would have never thought you’d come to see from them. Was that enough to trust that Namjoon was doing what he thought was best? Looking into his eyes, you saw only patience as he allowed you time to process all the thoughts and feelings.

            You took a deep breath. “I hope this goes the way you planned.”

                                       ****************************

            As you followed in step behind Namjoon and Taehyung, with Yeontan held comfortably in the younger’s hand, in a darkened tunnel, you were really hoping that this would go the way Namjoon had hoped. They had taken you from the front foyer where you had started and down the same hall that led to the kitchen. You had been so had been so distracted by the pictures on the wall that you hadn’t noticed that there was an arched door to the left just before you reached the end of the hall. Namjoon pressed his thumb against a scanner on the doorknob and the sound of multiple heavy locks snapped open echoed against the walls. The door swung open to a granite stairway that was dimly lit. Namjoon had explained that this used to take guests down to the old train platform before they renovated it. When they had first taken residence, it had been so ill-kempt and dilapidated that they worried the tunnels would collapse. Most of the platforms and tunnels had been sealed and closed off. And a few that were in good condition were converted into something useful. But the biggest had been designated as Jin’s personal work area. At the bottom of the staircase, you could see the old remnants of the old train tunnels and platforms. The tunnel was dimly lit but you could still see the curve of the arched ceiling, the old support beams, the drop off from the platform to the old rail ways. Claustrophobia started to tighten its fingers around your throat, and your fingers tightened around the strap of your bag in some way to ground yourself. You were sure that anyone who had stumbled into here would have found it abandoned and unsafe. Which, in hindsight, was probably what Bangtan wanted. But you reminded yourself that they wouldn’t put you in danger. And this was supposed to help you.

            Ahead of you, Taehyung and Namjoon were whispering to each other. You were trying not to eavesdrop, but you did catch that Tae seemed worried about this plan. At least he was trying to keep his promise to you and keep you away from things like this. You really did appreciate that and found yourself believing that he really was your friend here. This was a very big deviation from the plan that the two of you had agreed upon a few weeks ago. But something in the way that you caught Namjoon’s plea for the younger to trust him made you want to believe that this was to make everything better. You understood that this was a very big step for them and something that would probably never be taken into consideration. So, this had mean more than you anticipated. You didn’t want to try to imagine what you were being led to. Could it be a scare tactic to make sure you didn’t talk, or something to bribe you? Neither of those fit with the way that Namjoon had presented the option to come down here and you wanted to believe that Taehyung wouldn’t allow it. You took a deep breath to try to refocus your mind on anything else.

            After a bit, as you started to wonder if there was ever an end to this dark tunnel, you could just make out the bricked-up wall that blocked the rest of the way. It was a dead-end, complete with road blockers covered in an inch of dust, caution tape that looked ancient, and crumbling stones. Another façade. Namjoon reached out to one of the broken bricks and pulled it down like it was a lever, which it was, as a door clicked. The door of bricks slid open like some secret passageway in a spy movie revealing a thick wall of steel and a flood of bright light illuminated your shocked face.

            You felt like Alice after she fell down the rabbit hole as you stepped from the dark granite onto sterile white tile. How could you still be in the same place? Taehyung had called it a basement workshop and Namjoon had called it a lab, but this was beyond what you could have imagined based on those descriptions. It was like you had stepped into some blockbuster superhero’s hideaway. The lab was large, larger than the pharmaceutical one at Mercy. There seemed to be sections where different projects were being handled. Stainless steel tables were covered with different lab equipment that looked familiar, vials filled with many different liquids and powders, microscopes of varying sizes and usages, chemical analyzers, and centrifuges of the highest quality. On a wall, there were many canisters of different drugs based on the labels you could make out, many of them you had used in the hospital.  Two people in white lab coats were noting some results of something in a petri dish that you were sure you didn’t want to know what it was. Looking behind the amount of lab equipment, there was a small medical area that looked like a walk-in clinic you had visited once before coming to Central. There was an exam table, stretcher, enough emergency medical supplies that made you feel like you were back in the ER. If they had all of this at their disposal, they surely didn’t really need you around. You remembered Jin had once mentioned he had medical training and took care of the others, but you assumed it was first aid training and not actual medical training.

            On the other side of the room, as clean and as well organized as the lab and medical area, was another workshop that was dedicated to all sorts of different tools and weapons of their trade. There were blueprints for a variety of items pinned to a board with notes and arrows all around them. There were multiple wide touch screens with information and numbers, molds and mockups, knives, guns, and other weapons in different ranges of finishes. You could see three or four dummies that looked as if they had been very well used. One had a vest on with bullet holes in it, another had slashes and stab marks that you dared not think about. Further back, there was what appeared to be a small shooting target lined with thick glass that you assumed was bulletproof to protect the workers. There was another person in a white lab coat and goggles who was working intently on piecing together a handgun. And in the very center of the room, sat a huge computer with four different large, active screens, was Jin. He was dressed sharply, as he always was, complete with a stark white lab coat. A pair of round silver glasses slid down his nose as he scribbled something on a notepad while looked at something dissolving in a yellow liquid. He looked like some handsome yet mad scientist at work. The glow of the screens cast a pale pallor on his skin and you could see a tiredness on his drawn features. Whatever he was working on, he must have been at it for a while, or was stressing him out a bit.

            “Did I somehow stumble into the Batcave?”

            “Feels like that sometimes. Jin-hyung’s like the Korean Bruce Wayne isn’t he,” Taehyung laughed.

            “I think he’d prefer Tony Stark,” Namjoon remarked.

            “Aren’t they the same thing,” you asked.

            “I’ll ignore that since you’re cute, Darling,” Jin called out, never looking from the liquid in the beaker in his hand. “But there is a preferrable difference.”

            Yeontan started squirming in Taehyung’s arms until he was placed on the tile and ran to Jin’s side. The tiny puppy jumped, trying to climb up into his lap, crying out for more attention.

            “Aish,” Jin exclaimed, dropping the beaker on the table, thankfully not breaking. “Taehyung why is Yeontan in my lab?! We talked about this.”

            “But he missed his Uncle Jin so much,” Taehyung smirked.

            Jin rolled his eyes as he scooped up the puppy and made his way over to the three of you. He handed the puppy back to Taehyung after scratching the pup’s tiny head. “Just keep an eye on him. I don’t want to think of what he could get into.” He turned his attention to you, flashing you a warm smile. “Welcome to my lab, Y/N. I’m so glad you decided to join us down here. I promise that you won’t regret it. I was hoping to meet you when you first got here but I’ve been quite busy. I trust Taehyung has shown you the house. Though,” he fixed the younger with a sideways glance, “I see he didn’t show you where to put your stuff down and has made you carry it all this way. I know I have taught you better manners than that.”

            “No, he’s been such a good host. I just never set it down. Actually, it’s been nice to hang onto,” you explained, saving Taehyung from whatever tongue lashing he was about to receive. “It gives my nervous hands something to do.”

            “Ah, well, we do know a bit about anxiety and habits here. Do whatever you need to feel comfortable.” He dusted off his hands and slipped his glasses into the top pocket of his lab coat.

            Up close, Jin looked just as amazing as always. Your hands tightened around the strap of your bag again, just to keep from getting overwhelmed. This was going to be a normal occurrence if they were all going to be here with you. His pink hair was combed back from his face as if he had ran his fingers through it many times while working. He was wearing a white button up shirt with a grey sweater vest, dark trousers, and polished shoes. Somehow, he always looked like he was modeling for something. Though, you did notice a bit of bruising peeking out on his collarbone.

            “Are you okay? It looks like you had some issues with CrossFit too.”

            Jin looked at you with a look of utter confusion. “CrossFit?”

            You nodded. “Yes, Namjoon has one too. He said he got it from doing CrossFit with you. I hope it doesn’t hurt too much.”

            Jin’s eye were drawn behind you to his members, who were silently trying to communicate without drawing your attention. Joon was pointing to the mark on his own neck before making a pleading motion with his hands. Taehyung was trying to communicate their intention with his eyes as much as possible.

            “Oh yeah,” Jin said, slowly, realization striking him before he slid back into his trained persona so not to arise any suspicion from you. “CrossFit. Right. Well, you know how it goes. He crossed me so I did what I saw fit.” From behind you, Namjoon seemed to choke on air and Taehyung tried his best to stifle a laugh. You turned around to see what was going on, completely confused and clearly missing something. But Jin turned your attention back to him. “Don’t worry about me, Darling. My perfect skin may be marred for the moment but I will survive. But thank you for your concern.”

            “Well, it is sort of my job. Though based on what I see, you really don’t need me.”

            “Nonsense! You are a professional, and we could definitely use someone with your delicate touch. Whatever you may need, you can just ask. And if I don’t have it, I will get it for you faster than any hospital could. I know many higher ups in all the companies in the country and they would leap at the chance to get in my good graces.”

            Suddenly, a loud bang ricocheted off the wall and made you scream and drop your bag, spilling its contents all over the floor. Bangtan only moved from your scream. Jin’s hands came up to grasp your shoulders, steadying you and trying to reassure you of your safety. He bend down so he was able to look into your eyes and whispered assurances that you were alright. From behind Jin, the young man who had been dealing with the handgun had finished piecing it together and fired a shot at the target. He looked over at you with a surprised look on his face, not realizing someone new was in the room. Taehyung had already crossed the room and snatched the gun from the younger’s hands and stowing it away. He gave Soobin a pointed look that spoke volumes. Namjoon had stoop down to start retrieving your bag. 

            “Soobin,” Jin yelled over his shoulder, “you didn’t think to look up before you shot that? Or at least put a silencer on it?”

            “I’m sorry, sir,” the youth replied. “I’m really sorry ma’am.” He scrambled away from the work bench and over to you all to assist Namjoon in locating all of your items.

            “I’m sorry, Darling, I really didn’t want something to scare you. My intention was to make this less scary for you. Here, come sit over here. Take a deep breath for me. Taehyung, can you go get her some water? Take another deep breath, Darling. Yes, just like that.”

            “This was a mistake,” you said between breaths, alternating between wringing and shaking your hands to try get the tremors to stop. Your voice was cracking as you tried to keep from crying out of sheer panic. “I shouldn’t have agreed to come in here. Why did you think this would be a good idea? What was the point? To scare me into keeping your secrets?

            “Absolutely not. We would never want to put you through that. We trust that you won’t say anything. This was to shed some light on what we’re actually doing here.”

            Taehyung appeared next to you with a bottle of water, which you graciously took and swallowed half the bottle.

            “Hyungs,” he pleaded, “maybe this wasn’t such a good idea after all. We wanted her to be comfortable and she asked us to hide this part of us as much as possible.”

            “And we did,” Jin agreed. “Y/N, we tried. And it was easier when it was just going from your place to the hospital and back. But with you being in our house, unless we lock you up in the living room, it’s going to be hard for you not to see some aspect of our work. That’s why Joon and I had this conversation. We thought that after all the time we spent making this relationship with you that you’d trust us enough. And we thought if you saw what we are working on down here, it might clear the air and ease some of these anxieties that still plague you. But we’ve taken an unexpected turn. Just try to relax. You’re still shaking.”

            “I wish I had taken Doctor Na’s offer for some new anti-anxiety medication,” you muttered to yourself, remembering his suggestion in the stairwell. You had a feeling your anxieties were just going to get worse.

            You looked over as Namjoon came to the desk with your bag, all its contents gathered back inside. All except a familiar clear bottle. Your old medication that you had forgotten was in there since the night Doctor Na had followed you into the stairwell after you saw the exchange of U4-1A. The familiar want you felt then of wanting to down that last pill in the bottle and escape world came back. But you didn’t take it then, you didn’t need it now. You wanted nothing to do with that past life anymore. Hell, you only wanted to know what it was so you could find an alternative that wouldn’t remind you of Daniel. But the temptation was strong as Namjoon held it out for you.

            “This is yours, right,” he questioned. “I found it rolled under a table. And it doesn’t look like anything Jin-hyung’s been working on.”

            “It’s mine,” you said as you took it from him. “It’s old medication from my ex-…um, I mean, from my accident. I ran out and Doctor Na was trying to figure out what it was since the label’s been lost. But our hospital pharmacy couldn’t identify it. I forgot to clean out my bag with…everything going on.”

            “May I?” Jin held out his hand for the bottle. You shrugged, handing it to him. He dumped the pill into his palm and started to examine it with the same focused intensity as he had earlier. He made a face. “A generic white pill with no discernable characteristics. And you don’t remember its name?”

            “I don’t remember ever hearing it. I started taking it after I woke up from my accident. The nurse or my ex would just bring it to me. And then, Daniel would get it refilled after that since I couldn’t drive. When I came to Central, I only had what was left in the bottle and had to space it out. I haven’t taken it for a couple weeks now. It’s probably why my anxiety is really bad.”

            “I can find out what it is for you. I guarantee I’ll have more success than some basic pharmacist fresh out of school. I’ve some connections I can talk with to help me analyze it. And,” Jin held up a hand to silence the protest you were about to pose, “these connections are not gang related. Before I became estranged from my family, I was the second heir to the largest pharmaceutical company in all the country. Despite my father’s best efforts, I was very friendly and charming with our specialists and made plenty of valuable connections to help me in the future. So, if anyone can figure out what this is, it’s me.”

            You were stunned into silence. You remember him mentioning medical training and about his father pushing for a different career, but you never imagined he was a part of the Kim Pharmaceutical dynasty. Of course, you had heard of them; all the hospitals pharmacies in the city were stocked with their products, and every doctor read their research reports and trail information. They beat out every other company when it came to advancements in health services. And they were close to celebrity status amongst the papers. You recalled overhearing some pharmacy interns at lunch talking about them. They mentioned that the company was ran by the Senior Mr. Kim, who had been married twice after his first wife passed, leaving him with two sons to take over the company in the next few decades. The oldest was always showing up in the papers. And the second son was said to be away at some foreign school. Which, now knowing that Jin was the second son, was much better for their publicity than saying ‘a part of the most notorious drug dealing, ruthless Mafia families’. You remembered that night in your apartment when Jin had mentioned blackmailing his father for access to his assets. And, looking around at the lab, it seemed to have paid off well.

            As you let the information settle in your mind, you realized that your hands had stopped shaking and your breathing had evened back out. They had successfully distracted you from your panic so your mind could recenter. Well, you recalled, they did say that they had experience with anxiety.

            “Come on, Y/N,” Taehyung said, gently, “let’s head back upstairs. We’ll find something normal to distract ourselves until the others are ready for lunch.”

            “Alright,” you said with a deep sigh, “but, before I have another panic attack here, what was so important that I had to come down here? Just tell me. Please.”

            “Ah, of course,” Jin said, reaching over to a drawer and pulling out a small clear container. Inside, you could see several small, heart -shaped, pink tablets, no bigger than a breath mint. You had seen the news, read the papers, heard the doctors talking about it. That was U4-1A, Euphoria. When the first few cases had started coming into your ER, you were told to check and see if they had those heart-shaped pills on them, though you had never seen them. The distinct pink color was, also, a dead giveaway; it was the same color the user’s irises turned when they were high on the addictively deadly substance. The few times you had been in the room with some of the addicts that Doctor Na was working with, you recalled a rose-colored ring on the edges of their eyes that seemed so unnatural. Your stomach twisted at the thought of Henry taking the drug from Namjoon when he was supposed to be helping people. He couldn’t even deny it. “You know what this is?”

            “Why the hell would you show that to me?! I asked for one thing. I could look past some things, try to ignore things. Like I could ignore the amount of money coming and going. I could ignore the weapons, or any other reminders. But I asked specificity for this not be mentioned.”

            “Darling,” Jin chided in an amused tone, “I just asked what this was.”

            “Are you fucking for real? It’s Euphoria…”

            “Wrong,” Jin interrupted as he reached out and tapped you on the nose, completely taking you off guard and disarming you. “This isn’t Euphoria, or U4-1A. This is Euphoric. U4-1C.”

            Never heard of that. “Okay. So, what? It’s a knock off?”

            Jin looked offended. “A knock off. My dear, like me, it’s an original that others fail to compare to. It is the only one of its kind and so important to the work we do here. And before you insinuate, no, it is not what started this addict epidemic. The ones who have that despicable honor are Ji and the Royals. This” he held it up to you again so you could see it was more closely shaped like a triangle, “is my solution to it. For the past five or six years now, I have been secretly working on a counter agent to make that horrid drug obsolete and save the people who either willing or unwilling were made to take it. This is going to be the antidote. It’s not finished fully. I haven’t been able to fully identify the exact formula the Royals use. And it’s not an instant cure. But introducing this to someone going through withdrawals, instead of to induce a sexual release, the addict would just need to exert themselves another way, like exercise or something else that released the pleasure signal in the brain. It takes a lot of time and constant dosing but I’ve gotten it to where after so long it can be tapered off from every day to once a month, and soon only once every other month. I am making a cure. And we pass it out to those in need. That’s what I wanted you to see. That we aren’t the bad guys. Well… at least not for this.”

            You let his words absorb and you felt like you had been doused with cold water. So, when Hwasa cornered Namjoon in the hallway of the hospital and took something from his pocket and mentioned ‘someone will find your kindness absolutely… euphoric’, she was taking an antidote to someone addict to U4-1A? That means…what Namjoon had given Henry, what Henry had used for his patients, what he couldn’t talk about was that he was accepting a possible progressive treatment for the poor souls in the hospital. He was, indeed, a good person. And you had thought the worst of him. Any time he tried to talk to you, you’d run in the other direction. You blocked his number and deleted any trace in your phone. You had thrown away everything because you didn’t want to believe him when he had begged you to trust him. 

            “Oh my god,” was all you could say as your head fell into your hands. “I have made a total ass of myself.” Was there a chance Henry would listen to your apology after all of that?

            “You see,” Taehyung said, “I told you we knew the damage Euphoria does to people. We’ve been trying to fight this.”

            “Why didn’t you tell me sooner? Like that night in the car?”       

            “It’s still a work in progress and a secret,” Namjoon said. “Only a few gangs that have proven trustworthy know we supply it. And they distribute it within their own territory. Or, in the case of your doctor friend, those who did us a great service. We did intimidate him into silence. Which was what you must have seen. Can’t say I blame you for what you thought based on what it looked like. He’d get more if he stayed silent. We don’t want our name attached to it just yet. The Royals already want us dead based on our past with them and our part in the Great War. If they knew what Jin-hyung was doing, it would a bigger target on our backs. But once it’s completely finished, then we’ll openly distribute it to the hospitals and clinics. But we hope that you understand the importance of this secret for us. It’s more than just our lives at risk if the wrong people get word of it. And if Choi already thinks that you’re with us, imagine how much worse it will be when he finds out that we are destroying yet another income for them. Do you understand, Y/N?”

            “This whole time, you’ve been doing a great feat and I’ve been so focused on the rumors. You really are the good guys trying to help?”

            “We’re really good at hiding ourselves. We’ve had years of practice showing the persona we want people to believe.

            “Yeah,” Taehyung said with a cheeky grin, “I mean look at Namjoon-hyung. He puts on a persona that he’s smooth when, in reality, he’s a giant dork who breaks everything he touches.”

            “I’ll break you, you fucking brat.”

            Jin reached out and knocked both of them upside the head. “Language!”

            And you laughed. You laughed without the weight of anxiety or fear weighing you down. For the first time, you felt like you were truly safe.

                                                    ****************************

            The next couple of days went by in a pleasant way, falling into a simple routine that you started to look forward to. One of them would pick you up in the morning, making sure to stop by Holli’s Café for a morning caffeine fix, before taking different ways to the Magic Shop that ensured you were still none-the-wiser as to how to get there. Once there, you would find Yoongi either waiting in the kitchen for you or in the expansive gym where you would start with his rehabilitation exercises after you checked and redressed his wounded shoulder. Now that Yoongi was home, there was a difference from the person at the hospital. He was still quiet but much more open to conversations and approachable. The conversations between the two of you were deep and easy like the ones you had with Amber. And you looked forward to them. There was one time you had made a stupid joke that had made him laugh freely. And that felt like a simple accomplishment that warmed you up. And you couldn’t help but find his laugh adorable. One morning, he brought you to his ‘Genius Lab’. According to the others, it was incredibly rare that he even mentioned his safe haven to outsiders, let alone let them see it. But he had made an exception for you.

            The Genius Lab was more like an office where Yoongi spent a good deal of time juggling between work, reflection, and solitude when the world became too much. The space suited his style; grey walls with dark accents and floors, a sleek black desk with three large monitors and computer equipment. Opposite the desk was a long black leather couch that looked quite comfortable. And the room was completely soundproof. When he had brought you into the Genius Lab, he showed off some of his work. You watched as he pulled up different views of various streets all over Central, some storefronts where he pointed out Bangtan’s hired help stationed out front, and the exteriors of the hospital popped up on the screens. You were very thankful that they were still monitoring your workplace. Yoongi tapped on a few keys and different angles of your apartment appeared across the screens, both outside and inside. He played back your morning; Hobi pulling up in a nondescript black car, him swaying to the music in his earpiece as he rode the elevator up, to letting himself into your apartment and waiting for you with Holli’s coffee in his hand. You remembered Taehyung telling you about the cameras they put in your apartment that first morning. While you thought it would be more invasive, you found comfort in his watchfulness.

            This morning had started as usual; Jin had come to pick you up this time to bring you to the Magic Shop. The only one you hadn’t seen since arriving at the Magic Shop was Jimin. He hadn’t appeared at lunch the first day as you expected. You shrugged it off, remembering that Hobi had mentioned he hadn’t been feeling well. But you still hadn’t seen or heard from him. The drive over to the Magic Shop was as winding and secretive as always. Though they had started going in a different way. From the street, it looked as if he had pulled up to an abandoned auto mechanic gas station in the lower section of town. At the touch of a button on the dashboard, a spray-painted door rolled open to a dark tunnel that ended at the parking level of the Magic Shop. You wanted to question how the construction worked or how it had remained secret but decided against it.

            As you ascended the spiral staircase after Jin, that was where the morning took an unusual turn.

            When you stepped into the large front foyer, you were greeted by the sounds of a struggle. Instinctually, you grabbed ahold of Jin’s arm and hid behind his broad shoulders, causing him to chuckle at the cute action. Coming through the front door was a blindfolded man being dragged in by both arms by Yeonjun and another hired staff member. He was yelling all sorts of vulgarities and kicking out in many directions, like he was throwing a tantrum and not trying to escape.

            “Motherfucker! I told you to stop manhandling me like this! You know who I am? I will mess you up!”

            “Such dramatics,” Jin bemused, “He acts like he hasn’t gone through this before. Yeonjun, did he cause you a lot of trouble?”

            “Sir,” Yeonjun snapped to attention, still keeping his captive held tightly. “He tried to give us the slip. We met him at the appointed time but he tried to run. Even tried to jump out of the car.”

            Jin tsked. “Jackson, so disappointing. I thought we had a better relationship than that.”

            “Jin,” Jackson called out, head snapping in different directions to try and focus on him from behind the blindfold, “buddy, come on. I got the times mixed up and your boy jumped on me. Can we take this stupid blindfold off? I thought we’d be past this.”

            “Jackson, you are like a rash; unwanted, hard to deal with, and annoying.”

            “Damn, that hurt.” Yeonjun shoved Jackson forward, causing the man to stumble freely. He ripped the blindfold off his face and turned back to the younger, fist clenched. “Fucking punk, I’ll wipe that fucking smile off your prepubescent face!”

            “Jackson,” Jin said in a commanding tone that in any other situation would be attractive. Stop it, you mentally screamed. “Refrain from threatening my employee in my home before I let him show you why he’s one of our best. Be a good boy and mind your manners. I’ll go get Namjoon to deal with you. Yeonjun, just make sure he stays here and doesn’t try to slip something into his pocket again. I’ll be right back.” Jackson snorted and rolled his eyes as he straightened himself out. Jin turned around to you, taking your hand and giving it a squeeze. “I’ll be back in a moment, Darling. Don’t worry, Jackson is like a tiny dog; he’s all bark and nothing else, and easy to kick.” Jin’s eye flicked up towards the corner of the room with a sharp look before he turned back to you with a smile. That was weird. “Yoongi-ah should be here soon. Just hang tight and introduce yourself if you want to. And if Jackson does anything ungentlemanly, just tell Yeonjun and he’ll make him regret it.”

            Before you could beg to just run upstairs, Jin patted you on the shoulder and disappeared. You had to remember that Bangtan would never leave you in any danger since they were bound to protect you. You remembered hearing Namjoon mention Jackson’s name before and figured they wouldn’t bring someone into their home that was a danger. You looked over to Jackson. The man’s dual toned hair was messy from his struggling. He pulled a pair of sunglasses from his baggy pants pocket and pushed them up onto his head, like a makeshift headband.

            Then, he noticed you. And you felt like you were a mouse caught in a snake’s site. A cool smile smoothed across his lips as he made his way over to you.

            “Well, look at you. I’ve never seen you around here before. What’s a cute, little thing like you doing here? I’m Jackson. You need anything, I’m the one who will know how and where to find it. Individual contractor. Know-it-all extraordinaire. Master of the Silver Tongues.” He offered his hand out for yours.

            “Um, hi, I’m Y/N.” You hesitated to shake his hand.

            “So, what are you? You’re too cute to be related to any of them. You look far too meek to be one of us. And I’d hope you have better taste than to be trying to date one of these losers when someone like me exists. I can tell you, you can do better. I’ve known these guys for a long time. Trust me, they’ve got odd taste that would disagree with such a cute mouse like you.”

            You retracted your hand. Jackson started to circle you, eyeing you up and down. It wasn’t threatening but you kept your eyes on him. Yeonjun gave you a look but you waved him off for the moment. You could handle yourself.

            “I’m a nurse. I’m assisting them after an incident.”

            “Ooh a nurse? What luck, I’m in need of some attention after all that rough housing.” He winked. “Oh, shit, wait, you’re the one that ran into the gun fight? And took out one of the Royal’s guys? I heard he’s still recovering from severe concussion. Mad respect, sweetheart.”

            “How do you know about that?”

            “I make it my business to know things. That’s how I make a living. And why I’m in such demand. Word of what you did has made its rounds through many circuits. Though, I’ll be honest, I’d never be able to put your face to it. And that’s a good thing in this world. Though, if you want to be extra safe from the bad guys, you may want to reconsider who you’re staying with.”

             “What do you mean by that?” You turned to follow his eyes as he kept circling you. “Bangtan seems to be taking good care of me. And I don’t mean anything by this, but I haven’t heard anything about you until now.”

            “Isn’t that the point? I’m good at staying secret, keeping things secret. And they’re so high profile, it would be easy to find you if they slipped up. There are some things that can’t be bought from me. Like a cute, little mouse. And if I wanted to keep someone safe, I’d make sure no one ever found them. Especially, if they are as interesting as you.”

            “I’m interesting?”

            “How could you not be? You’re so innocent, so different from all the other people I’ve ever met. You just want to help, didn’t know what you were running into. And now you’re stuck, hiding from the mean world that is trying to punish your good deed. I mean, I’ve been their friend for years and I can’t say I’d run into a fight with Choi to save someone he’s trying to kill. So yeah, you’re the most interesting person in the world. And I’d love to get to know you better. Maybe you’ll let me take you out sometime to prove I’m a better waste of your time.”

            “And what makes you think I’d be okay with that?”

            “Well, I can give you a hundred reasons to leave these losers behind.” He stopped circling and leaned in so his nose was only a breath away from yours. “But I’m the only one that you need.”

            Unbeknownst to Jackson, Yoongi had appeared at the top of the staircase as Jackson started circling you. He watched the interaction with a scowl on his face. He descended the stairs with a ghostly quiet until he was right behind the rogue. You noticed him as Jackson had stopped to lean towards you and your breath caught in your throat. He looked mad, a fierce protectiveness was present in his dark eyes. He appeared at the right moment. Then, you realized. Yoongi had cameras in the Magic shop, he had mentioned it. And the look Jin had given to the wall that you didn’t understand must have been to one of Yoongi’s cameras that he was watching for when you had arrived as he had done before. They were still watching out for you. He stood so close to Jackson that you wondered how the other hadn’t sensed him yet, his face right next to his shoulder and gaze boring a hole in Jackson’s head. Jackson noticed that you were no longer paying him the attention he wanted and turned his eyes towards the directions yours were on. And he jumped as if he had just been electrocuted, putting some distance between him and the death glare he was receiving. 

            “Fucking hell, you bastard! Put a bell on your fucking neck! Damn, you scared the shit out of me!”

            “Good,” Yoongi said as he kept his eyes trained on Jackson. “Leave her alone, Jackson. She’s got enough problems without you trying to weasel your way into her bed.”

            “You wound me, Suga. I was just introducing myself to the lucky lady who is now one of the most famous women in our field.”

            “I said,” he took a step closer to him, and despite his arm still in a sling, he looked as if he was about to use it on Jackson, “leave her alone.”

            “Wow, back down, tiger. Sheesh, didn’t think you’d be so concerned about someone like her. Don’t you have your hands full already? Or are you just greedy? Or are you guys taking turns?”

            “Jackson!”

            Namjoon’s voice echoed against the walls. You looked up to the second floor where RM was leaning on the banister overlooking the foyer with Jin by his side glaring down at Jackson. RM looked as annoyed as his voice let on. He was all business with no sign of the calm Namjoon you had been seeing around the Magic Shop. With a power that befitted the Leader of Bangtan, he signaled for Suga to stand down and motioned for Jackson to follow him. With a final look and wink from Jackson to you, he flipped Yoongi off and made for the stairs. Suga, silently, watched him go, making mental notes for the future before he reached back and took your hand in his. You jumped, slightly. He hadn’t been physical with you like the others had, holding your hands, giving you a hug or playful shove. There was always a bit of distance, aside from the medical side of things.

            “Come on, Y/N. Let’s get out of here.”

            He had led you upstairs, asking if you were alright. While Jackson was a lot, it wasn’t something you couldn’t have handled. But you thanked him anyways for stepping in. It felt nice to have someone be so protective of you, something you weren’t so used to. He started leading you up towards the direction of the Genius Lab, where he insisted you stay until Jackson was gone, since it was secure and private, instead of the normal spaces you tended to occupy. Thankfully, the physical therapy you needed to do with Yoongi didn’t require much space and you carried all the equipment you needed in your bag. You figured Yoongi was not a fan of Jackson normally, remembering the disdain in his voice when Joon had mentioned him back at the hospital before. You were sure that Jackson’s display back in the foyer only made that worse and he wanted to keep an eye on when he left.

            As you made it to the floor, Yoongi stopped. “I almost forgot. I need to check on something real quick. Can you remember how to get to the Genius Lab?”

            “I think so. Do you need help?”

            “No. I just need to check on Jimin. I won’t be long.”

            “Is he alright? Is he still not feeling well? I can take a look if you need me to. That’s kind of my whole thing.”

            He gave your hand a squeeze as a little chuckle sat in his throat. “No, it’s nothing you need to worry about right now. He’s coming down with something but is putting off taking his medicine as long as he can. He’s being stubborn. Gets it from me, probably. I’m just making sure he’s still in his room resting. I’ll only be a moment. I promise. Here, this is my key to the Lab. Let yourself in and lock it. I use my code on the door. Not that I think Jackson will know where my office is but just to be safe.”

            Some part of you hated when he let go of your hand to head down the other side of the hall. You had to take a few breaths to let your professional masks fall back into place. You wished your emotions would settle. But being around someone as cute and protective had you feeling a certain way. A way which, you reminded yourself, you shouldn’t be feeling. You were hired to help him heal, not to let a crush develop. You really needed to get a grip. Yet, you couldn’t stop yourself from smiling as you made your way down the hall.

            However, after a few steps and turns, you had lied when you thought you could find the Genius Lab on your own. The only places you knew how to get to without much assistance was the kitchen, gym, and the family room. You had only been to the Genuis Lab once and you racked your brain for any distinguishing details that would help you find it again. What picture was near the door? What color was the door? Was the one with frosted glass or was that Taehyung’s art studio? You could just stand still and wait for Yoongi to come back and find you. Or you could text him that you were going to back to the foyer. Or text one of the others for help? Joon was busy with Jackson, and you weren’t sure where Jin went after that. Jimin, of course, was sick and shouldn’t be disturbed. And you wanted Yoongi to focus on Jimin and not you getting lost. You sent a text to Taehyung, hoping he wasn’t too busy to help you with what he was up to in town. You walked further down the hall only to stop and turn around after not recognizing anything.

            Wait, was this the same place you had started? Why must this place be so confusing?

            Your phone buzzed. You looked down at Taehyung’s text.

      TaeTae: I really got to make you a map LOL.

       TaeTae: Do you remember how to find the stairs? Get back there and look for your favorite painting of mine. The G.L is two doors down from that.

       TaeTae: If you can’t find it, I’m sure he’ll find you with the cameras. Sorry, I’m at a meeting right now.

            You could do this. Just find the stairs. Though that was easier said than done now that you had gotten all turned around. You’re sure Taehyung would make a joke out of this if you were ever found. After another turn, you did see a picture that seemed familiar and went down that direction. As you kept walking, you started to hear voices. At least that was a start. Once you found the source, you could orient yourself or ask for help. You followed the voices, and as they got louder, you recognized RM’s tone and regretted your discussion, not wanting to interrupt. That, and you were sure Yoongi didn’t want you near Jackson again so soon. But as you were about to turn back, their conversation caught your attention.

            “Haven’t I been super helpful to ya’ll? Who was the one who gave you that info about the Royals showing up?”

            “You, also, neglected to tell us that Choi was going to be there. And that is how Suga got hurt.”

            “An oversight. That must have changed at the last minute. I can’t be a mind reader.”

            “Even though you market yourself as one?”

            “Ok, true. But you of all people should know that they don’t do what they say. Regardless, I told you about the Ateez pirates. I said they were up to something interesting. You should trust me by now. I got the information. I may be an independent player in this game, but I like you guys. That’s why I keep my ears open for you. And, I haven’t spilled anything of yours.”

            “That’s because I don’t let you get anything worth spilling.”

            “Ouch, you wound me, bro. I thought we were closer than that.”

            Before you could help yourself, you found yourself stopped outside of Namjoon’s office. The door was barely cracked, but enough for you to see a bit inside. Namjoon’s office was much different from Yoongi’s; it was a large room with warm hardwood against velvety walls that declared power, with bookcases lining the grand walls. Thick hard-covered books filled the shelves like an extensive library. Seated at an opulent and ornate desk in a high wing backed chair was RM, his fingers threaded together and pressed against his lips as he peered sharply at Jackson. Jackson sat relaxed in a smaller, less comfortable chair. They were bathed in the crackling light of a roaring fire from the Victorian style fireplace that sat across from them. This was what you expected of a Mafia leader.

            “I don’t appreciate you making my second so upset. He’s supposed to be recovering. Something he wouldn’t have to be doing had you had better information. Maybe I should start going to someone else.”

            Jackson scuffed. “As if anyone could do what I do. Besides, I feel like you would have done it by now if there was anyone else. And if that asshole wasn’t so easily riled up he would be fine. I was just saying ‘hello’ to her. And trying to figure her out. She’s quite a surprise Joon.”

            “We are trying to keep her safe. That includes from you, Jackson. She’s a civilian who got caught up in the worst way. We just got her to relax around us. I’d thank you to not undo what I’ve been working hard to do.”

            “I hear you. Glad you took my advice to just go with it. I told you nothing bad would happen. I mean, what did you just say? ‘She’s a civilian’. I truly doubted she would be any problems.”

            “No thanks to you.” Joon leaned further in his chair, his dragon eyes glowing in the fire light. “I’ve been patient, Jackson. More than I should be given what I am dealing with here. Now, you are going to tell me what I asked you to find out for me before I let Suga do what he wanted to do.”

            “Damn, for someone who said it’s all business, you’re really pushing it here.”

            “Jackson,” you could tell that Namjoon’s patience was wearing thin. What was he so determined to know? Was it something to do with Choi or the Royals?

            “Man, look. I can find information about anyone. With just their name, I can tell you if they had late fees from their elementary school library or how many days their mother spent in the hospital recovering from birth.”   

            “And yet, it has taken you over a week to get back to me. Either you are slipping or you are full of shit.”

            “Or you’re dealing with a ghost.” Jackson reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a small notepad. “Everything I found fits on two pages of this little flip pad. Even the most basic civilian fills half of the pages. But this Y/N girl is either that most boring person in the entire world or she’s a ghost.”

            Wait, he was here about you? Namjoon was looking for information about you? You thought you had been very open with them about anything they had asked you. He had asked you to trust him, but he didn’t trust you. He had hired Jackson to dig up anything on you that he could. He was nervous when you had first come to the Magic Shop but you thought you had worked past that. Hadn’t the time they had spent with you beforehand been enough to prove that you meant no harm to them or else why would he ask you to come here? You knew you shouldn’t listen to any of this, but you couldn’t move. You sunk to the ground and leaned against the wall, listening.

            “What are you talking about?”

            Jackson tossed the pad over to him to see for himself. “I mean, this girl has nothing before two years ago. All I could find is that she currently works at Central Mercy as an ER Nurse, she lives in a shitty apartment that’s overpriced for that part of town. Before that, there isn’t much. I found her college she attended for her expedited nursing degree where she got high marks. Her father worked for different police forces as a high up desk jockey, meaning she moved a lot so there isn’t much in regard to early years. But nothing else. Everything starts about two years ago. I was able to find a news article about a car accident that listed her as a passenger, so her amnesia story checks out as far as that. Can’t said I ever heard of someone using amnesia as a cover, but fuck if it wouldn’t be good. Father died and there was no mother listed on any paperwork. Father’s file is just as blank. Just he was basic cop who sat at a desk. After the accident, her only known address was some small studio in her name that was set up by the rehab she was assigned to by some Doctor Sung, who died a year after from a heart attack. Found all his files but it’s nothing interesting. She did some reception job for a clinic before she came here that was a nonprofit for student nurses and that had nothing useful other than what I already had. But that’s all. No ties anywhere, no real records until recently. Either she’s got the most boring, nonspecial life I’ve ever seen, or her life’s been invented by some crazy mastermind. And I’m leaning towards the first one, man. This girl is boring and is nothing in the grand scheme of things. And that’s the truth. The most interesting thing was meeting you guys. She’s harmless. She’s no threat to anyone except maybe herself with that stupid heroic shit. So, you worried for nothing. Your family is safe, just like I said it would be.”

            “How can that be all?” Namjoon seemed disappointed. “You’re telling me that there was no other information? How can someone’s life just go back two years? You must have missed something.”

            “I don’t miss shit. Listen, I know this isn’t what you want to hear, but that’s all there is. Her old man must have been from some off the grid town beforehand and didn’t leave footprints. She’s a nobody. She’s barely worth the time I spent looking for her.  So, stop worrying about her like she’s gonna turn into some problem. And if she does, you can kill her easily enough. Hell, there are seven of you, should be easy.”

            You couldn’t stop the gasp that escaped your lips. Namjoon’s eyes snapped towards the door, knowing full well that he had been caught. He rose from the desk and crossed the room, opening the door to find you rooted in place against the wall, eyes cast down with tears welling in the corners. It wasn’t just from the threat of being killed by the people you were supposed to trust, or the harsh words that Jackson had said about you. But it was the fact that you weren’t trusted. You were not granted the same thing he had begged you to do for them. And that hurt just as much.

            “Oh shit,” Jackson said with a hint of glee. “Little mouse likes to sneak around, huh? I can see why you didn’t want to trust her. Seems like she’ll get herself killed before too long.”

            “Jackson,” RM roared causing you to shrink further into yourself and the tears to flow freely. Namjoon looked down at you, instantly regretting his tone. He had messed up and he knew that. Moving carefully, he held his hand out to you in a silent plea to take it. Feeling like there was no other choice, you let him pull you up to your feet and into his office. Daring to look at his face, you didn’t see anger or any dangerous threat that you feared for your eavesdropping. You saw remorse and sympathy. He led you towards the fireplace where there were two large armchairs facing each other with a side table full of half-read books. He motioned you to sit before he turned back to Jackson. He took out his phone and sent a quick message. Within a moment, Yeonjun appeared in the door. “That’s enough, Jackson. Thank you for your help. But I need to talk to Y/N. Yeonjun will take you back where he found you. You know the drill.”

            “Wow, fastest visit ever. Am I at least getting paid?” Namjoon shot him a look that made him jump and scurry over to the door. “Don’t look so sad, sweetheart. I’m sure he isn’t going to kill you. Let me know if you want to take me up on my offer.”

            Yeonjun grabbed Jackson by the collar and dragged him out, shutting the door behind him, leaving you alone with Namjoon and the crackling fire. You thought back to when he had saved you when Choi had you cornered in the hospital hall, how good natured he had been with you, how he had been so open with you before he even knew anything more about you. He had been the one pushing for you to trust them and be comfortable with them. He had wanted you to come to the Magic Shop, was planning on telling you before he got busy. But was it all a ruse to get you to follow along? A handkerchief was pushed into your hands and Joon took a seat in the opposite armchair.

            “Y/N, I’m sorry you heard that.” He was sorry? Was he going to reprimand you for eavesdropping? Or tell you that all this was a farce that he was going to drop and forget this life debt he kept pushing? “I was hoping to have talked to him before you ever got here. Just for some extra assurance before we moved forward. I didn’t want you to ever hear that. Jackson can say things harsher than he means. I asked him to do a more detailed background check than I had already done, just to ensure I had all the facts.” He flinched when your breath hitch as more tears fell. He started to reach out his hand to try and comfort you but thought better of it. “I promise, I didn’t mean anything by it. I just needed to be completely sure that we were all going to be safe.”

            “I wouldn’t have hurt any of you. I can barely handle myself, let alone do anything to you all,” you cried. “Why would I put myself in this situation? I tried to get away from all of this but you kept me here. I would have told you all of that stuff. It’s all I know about myself since the accident. I have nothing to hide from anyone. I promise I have only told you the truth.”

            “I know you have. I’m sure you would have told me everything freely. I fucked up. I can’t say I’m sorry enough.”

            “Was he right? Are you going to kill me? Because I seem like a made-up person? Because I don’t have a past?”

            “No!” Namjoon rose from his seat and knelt down in front of you, finding your eyes and begging for your attention. “I would never do that. I promised to protect you. And I would do that whether you owed us a life debt or not. This life I’ve been living for the past twelve years has made me question so much about people. I’ve been lied to so many times that it fucks up your mind. Bangtan is my family and it’s my responsibility to protect them. When I met you, I instantly felt like I could trust you. I could see that you were a good person. But we had been fooled by someone we thought we could instantly trust before and I got nervous. But the more we spent with you, I knew it was different. But there was this little part of me that still worried. So, I looked into you after that first day. That’s why I introduced us as Bangtan to you. The others agreed because they saw what I saw in you. We've all been jaded by this life but something in you broke through all of our hesitations. We all think you are a good person and that you wouldn’t do anything to hurt us. Once we got you to see what we really were, I thought this would be easier on all fronts.”

            “You asked me to trust you but you couldn’t do the same for me?”

            “I know. It’s been so long since I could really trust someone. Look at Jackson. Okay, bad example. But I’ve known Jackson almost as long as I’ve known the others. But I still need to keep him at arm’s length or watch what I say around him. It’s different with you. I want to trust you, I do. I just needed to be extra sure that I was doing the right thing. I truly mean that.”

            You sat in silence for a long while as your breath evened out and your tears ceased. You could understand his hesitation. How could he be sure that you weren’t lying? It made sense, but hearing Jackson’s words, imagining that’s how they saw you, it was hard. But you had been so back and forth with their trust, too.

            “I really wish we could just start over.”

 “What do you want to know?” You took a deep breath and leaned back into the armchair. “What else do you need to hear? You want to be sure? Ask away. I only know so much. You guys have asked me to trust you and you told me things that would be helpful. I will try to do the same so we can share a common ground. Maybe one day I’ll know more and I can tell you more. But I can tell you what I can.”

            “It’s fine, Y/N. You don’t need to do that. I trust you.” He stood up and moved towards his desk. But you grabbed his hand, steeling yourself to open up as much as you could. He could sense your determination and returned to the armchair. “Just tell me whatever you’re comfortable with.”

            “I never really talk about this. It’s hard to talk about. But I can confirm that what Jackson said was all true. It’s actually pretty much all I know for myself. My first actual memory is waking up in a small hospital room in so much pain. There was a man sitting next to me that I didn’t remember. He was my friend, he showed me pictures of us at school. His name was Daniel. I don’t know his last name, I never asked or remembered it. He’s the one who told me about the accident. My father’s car was hit from the side and flipped. He didn’t make it. Daniel spent weeks by my side as I recovered. Dr. Sung was this older doctor who watched over me and helped me recover. Once I was moved to his rehab, Dr. Sung prescribed me all these different treatments but my memories never came back. Daniel brought me my old schoolwork, my old journals, anything that could help me find myself. But there wasn’t much. Jackson said something about us moving a lot. After a year, I could recall little things about places I believe I lived. But there was never anything concrete. No friends or family reached out. Daniel told me that it was just me and dad. He had never heard us talk about anyone else. I guess we didn’t stay long in places. After I was released from the rehab, Daniel and I moved into this small apartment that was far away from everything. The rehab set it up to help me adjust to the world. But I was like a zombie, depressed, broken. After six months, I started trying to get better, start over. Daniel and I started dating, I found a job that was walking distance from my place. All my medical training came back over time. Just not anything else. And that was my life for almost two years. But, almost five months ago, Daniel and I split up and I came to Central to get away from all the unpleasantness. I’d prefer not to go into that if that’s alright. We weren’t good together anymore. Since I’ve been away, I’ve started remembering little flashes of things that don’t make a lot of sense. Amber thinks it’s because I’m away from the trauma. I don’t even know if I want to remember anymore. But if I remember anything more, I promise I’ll tell you once I figure it all out.”

            Namjoon reached out and took your hand. “It’s okay. Thank you for sharing that with me. I promise to be more upfront about any questions I have. I trust you.”

            “I trust you, too.”

[blueywrites]

you mentioned r yesterday and her age in comparison to Eddie. Can you tell us what she is like other than her age?

Sure, nonny! But I'll let R do the talking for me 😉

an excerpt from chapter one of I Will Wait

writers: @abibliophobiaa, @breddiemunson, @myosotisa, @fracturedarkness, @blue-mossbird

Carver Distilleries was not your ideal job, but it was the job you acquired shortly after a brief stint as an administrative assistant for a local community college. The company touted a prolific background of over thirty years in business and you jumped at the prospect. It had been straightforward enough most days. The phones rang around the clock and you handled the calls as expected, passed them off to their proper channels, and made sure the son of the CEO was happy at all times. 

Jason Carver was, to put it lightly, the devil’s incarnate. Most days you wondered if he’d been placed in this life for the sole purpose of bringing suffering to all those around him, with a pitchfork in one hand and tail swishing behind him as he stomped through the halls of the building. 

You couldn’t recall off the top of your head a day wherein he had ever been happy. Shockingly so for someone born from wealth and thrusted into the limelight, silver spoon in mouth at birth. Jason was proof that money hardly ever solved all problems.

He reigned as the crowned Prince of the company, his father’s shining star, who never raised his finger to do anything. For years, he rode on the back of his father’s coattails and treated those around them like they were beneath him, nose always upturned, sneer firmly planted on his face. 

That evening you were already overwhelmed. There was an issue down in the marketing department regarding a mix-up in schedules, leaving the Carver’s seated next to a family they didn’t particularly have positive dealings with at an upcoming gala. To add to the rising tension, Jason sent you on an errand to retrieve his requested cappuccino. Light foam, two sugars, extra hot. When you’d returned, he was still in a meeting with some of his fathers business executives, hidden behind a glass door. You left the cup for him there, as requested of you, and rushed back to the front desk just as Mr. Steve Harrington walked into the building. 

He’d come in looking like any other businessman you’d seen grace the building in the past. Perfectly tailored suit and tie, briefcase in hand, hair coiffed neatly atop his head. Steve Harrington, though young, harnessed a professionalism about him that Jason Carver lacked. There were no sneers aimed your way as he approached the desk and greeted you pleasantly, nor did he scoff at the hand you’d extended in greeting, welcoming him with a soft thanks. 

“Mr. Carver is just finishing up another meeting and will be out to retrieve you,” you advise him, walking out from behind your desk. “Would you like coffee, water…tea?”

“I’m okay, thank you,” he says, holding his briefcase tighter within his palm as he makes his way over to the small couch positioned across from you, nestled beside a potted plant. You retreated back to your desk as he pulled a phone from his pocket, voice rising just enough to ask, “Do you happen to have—”

“What is this?!” Jason’s voice boomed from down the hall. 

A loud thump echoed from his office, likely from something he’d tossed off his desk in frustration, and you knew well enough to duck behind the covering of your work space. You frantically thumbed the spacebar on your computer to bring it back to life, assuring everyone in your vicinity that you appeared occupied as a shock of blonde hair filled your peripheral. He’d burst into the room with the dejected coffee in hand, hair strewn about messily atop, eyes narrowed in heedless anger. 

Your eyes flickered to the cup, then settled back on the opened email on your desktop computer. The subject line held a request for a flower arrangement you were set to purchase for Jason’s fiancé, Chrissy, because he couldn’t be bothered to do it himself. 

You let out a soft sigh and explained, “It’s the coffee you asked for.”

His nostrils flared like a bull, the embers burning behind his eyes glowing brighter. “I know it’s the coffee I asked for. I don't pay you to answer me with that sarcastic bullshit—”

“Mr. Carver—” The rise of your voice caught you both off guard, only further angering him. 

His eyes narrowed, brows knitted tight across the middle of his forehead, vein pulsing against taut skin growing redder by the second. “I asked for a cappuccino with light foam, two sugars, and asked that you make sure it’s extra hot. This isn’t extra hot. This isn’t even warm. It’s cold.”

“Yes, Mr. Carver. It was hot when I left it on your desk two hours ago. Would you like me to go and get you another one?” You try your best to retain a neutral tone. You’re aware of Steve’s eyes trailing along both your forms, interrupted from his own work by your increasingly heated argument. 

He barked out an incredulous laugh, head shaking. “No, I don't want you to get me another coffee. You should have known my meeting would run long and planned accordingly. I don’t know where you get the nerve to talk to me like you are when you seem to have forgotten you are no more than a rece—”

“Mr. Carver.” You both paused at the finality of your tone, throat filled with the bitter taste of the degradation he attempted to throw your way. “Your two thirty meeting for the Tennessee Maple Whiskey commercial is here.”

He clicked his tongue, shooting a glower your way. You already anticipated a meeting in his office later wherein he reminded you of all the reasons why your behavior was unacceptable and why you were lucky to still have a position at Carver Distilleries. 

“Fine. Mr. Harrington, give me one moment and I will call you back into my office. I just need to finish running something by my father. As for you—” His eyes darted back to your form. “—I will deal with you later.”

You exhaled a heavy sigh of relief as the blonde haired man sauntered back down the hall, leaving you to the comfort of your generally quiet front desk. Steve still lingered there, one hand curled around his phone, the other lifting the briefcase he held off his lap to set it in the seat beside him. You watched as he rose to his feet and dropped his phone within his pocket, gliding over to your desk with a small white card in hand. 

You didn’t need to read the words there to know what he’d slid across your desk. It was an instantaneous understanding, the knowledge of a new opportunity, of a way out from beneath the weight of the man who wanted nothing more than to rule with an iron fist and remind others that they were all beneath him. 

He glanced briefly down the hall to ensure no one was listening and leveled his gaze with yours, voice a quieted whisper as he said, “You work well under pressure. Carver is…well, Carver’s an ass. I can offer you more money, if you happen to be looking for another job. You could travel the world working for me instead of sitting behind this desk. Let me know.” 

[dazaiandhislovelybandages]

𝔄 𝔫𝔬𝔱 𝔰𝔬 𝔫𝔬𝔯𝔪𝔞𝔩 𝔪𝔞𝔯𝔯𝔦𝔞𝔤𝔢 𝔭𝔯𝔬𝔭𝔬𝔰𝔞𝔩

Pairings: Shinichiro x f!reader

Warnings: mentions of Shin getting beaten up by some twelve year olds, mentions of injuries and blood, implied that the reader was also in a gang, a bit of trauma dumping well reader has some family issues,

Description: in which Shinichiro wants to propose to you but is terribly insecure and it shows

A/n: can we not talk about how I am trying to make this look aesthetic but I am just useless?

It was around 4:30 am when you woke up on an empty bed. You were pretty sure Shinichiro had fallen asleep next to you last night after your movie marathon. Thinking that he might have gone to the toilet, you closed your eyes ready to fall asleep again but the sound of the door of your bedroom opening made you slightly turn you head and try to look at the intrudor.

"Shin…?" You asked but no response. You felt something dripping down your hand the moment whoever had entered the room made a move to go back to the side of the bed that faced the wall. It was Shinichiro. You knew it from the tobacco smell.

"Shh, everything is okay angel, go to sleep."

You gave him a glare even though you were fully aware that due to the darkness of the room, he wouldn't be able to see it. You stood up from the bed and turned the lights on after locking the door. And there layed a fully wounded Shinichiro. Immediately, you looked down on your hand and saw that the drops were blood that had come from his nose.

"Why did you turn the lights on?"

"What the fuck happened?" You ignored his question while trying to keep you voice as low as possible.

Shinichiro let out a nervous chuckle. "You see...I wanted to take something from Akashi's house, so I went there but the thing is that there were a bunch of dudes that heard us talking about you and they insulted you so I beat them up."

"You beat them up or the opposite?"

"You know what they say…behind a very strong Black Dragon…”

“Stands another. And another. And another. And another until you come at the end of the line because they all need to protect your weak ass.” He laughed at the comment before letting out a sigh. He knew that there was no malice in your words, besides, him being a bit too weak when it came to fighting was a common inside joke.

“They beat me up for starting the fight and Akashi beat them up for beating me up."

You shook your head in denial before heading to the bathroom to get the first aid kit. You carefully sat next to Shinichiro and pushed his bangs up to have a clearer view of his forehead which seemed to be fine. His right eye was a bit swollen and his nose was bleeding but apart from those injuries his head was okay. The real deal were the bruises on his stomach since you had never taken care of such injuries before neither on yourself nor on others.

"What did you want at Akashi's house in the middle of the night anyway?" You asked him, placing the first aid kit on the floor next to the bed as soon as you were finished with tending his wounds, you would take it back in the morning. Turning off the main light, leaving only the fairy lights on the headboard of your bed on, you laid beside him.

"Ugh…" He sighed and moved you closer to him. "I wanted it to be way better than this but here we are." Shinichiro searched through the pockets of his pants until he pulled something out. With the hand that wasn't holding whatever he had got from Akashi he took your right hand and opened your palm before putting the thing in it.

"I couldn't afford a better one but I promise that I'll buy you a more expensive one in the future." Judging from the tone of his voice he genuinely felt embarrassed for whatever he had bought you.

A ring. A ring was what you saw when you opened your fist. A plain delicate silver ring. It was so simple yet so beautiful. If Shinichiro hadn't decided to speak there would have been a long, long silence.

"Marry me?" He had said it so casually as if it was nothing, as if he was asking you whether you had eaten breakfast, but you could see he was trembling.

You had heard countless stories of people in which their partners would propose and the other person would tear up. Your mother had told you the same thing had happened to her when your dad had proposed. You would always place those stories in the wide category of bullshit because you had an idea of what your parent’s wedding was like. Naturally, all good things would come to an end. After experiencing what those couples had experienced when it came to the proposal, you realised it was for the most part still bullshit. Sure, yes, you were moved by his action, but you didn't cry. There was no reason for you to cry.

"Say Shin." You looked up at him, trying to adjust in the position you were sitting at, him behind you with your back against his chest and his back against the headboard. You heard him humming, a signal that you should continue. "You know...I should have told you sooner but I don't like weddings so what if we did something else instead?"

"What are you mumbling there, angel?" His grip on your waist tightened as he let out a barely audible giggle. You hadn’t realised you were the one trembling now.

"I don’t like weddings.” Shinichiro softly made you turn your head and look at him.

“Why?”

“Let’s say it's because of my parents and leave it there. I’ll tell you the rest another day.”

"I was thinking of holding a very small wedding. The ideal would be me, you, Manjiro, Emma, my grandpa, maybe the guys and whoever you want."

"It sounds lovely but it is still a wedding…"

You felt like you were breaking his heart. He had gotten out of his way to buy you a wedding ring yet you refused to marry him. Was it because of your parent’s relationship? Yes but was it just that or the wedding as a…thing? You didn’t know but the idea of it scared the fuck out of you. You didn’t want Shinichiro and you to end up like your parents even though there was obviously no possibility of something like that happening.

"What if we just exchanged rings at the end of a family dinner?” You nodded. “We’ll do that then.” He patted your head.

"Izana...?"

"I will take him out for a ride. I would give everything for him to actually be there but...you know how things are."

"Yeah…" you didn't know what to say. Izana was a special case and from all those things you had learnt these past few months about him, it was indeed too risky for Shinichiro to invite him to the dinner.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking that's all."

"About Izana?"

"Sort of…"

"I reassure you that he will be okay, don't stress your head over this."

"You're worried about him too, aren't you?"

"Yes." Shinichiro said after letting out a chuckle. "Let's go to sleep, baby. C'mon." He patted your stomach before turning you both to the side.

You would have to wake up again at 7 to go to work so that meant 2,30 hours of sleep. Did you sleep during those hours? No. Maybe it was because you had started becoming more and more aware of the small conversation with Shinichiro, more and more aware of the fact that you were actually going to get married sooner or later. Or as close to being married as possible. Or maybe it was because you wanted to rush to your friends in Osaka to tell them the news.

"Breakfast is ready." Emma opened the door, peeking inside.

"We'll be there." You smiled at her and turned around to look at Shinichiro. Surprisingly enough, he was already awake.

"Did you sleep?"

"Not really." The smile on his lips was a tired one.

"You…" you hit him lightly. "You should have told me. I wasn't asleep either." You sighed and stood up to go and have breakfast.

Emma was more cheerful than usual. Mikey seemed to be quite angry. Their grandpa, on the other hand, was in his own little world, reading his newspaper while drinking his morning coffee. None of them seemed to notice Shinichiro's black eye and if they had, they didn't say anything.

"What happened?" Shinichiro ruffled Mikey's hair and the little one suckled even more.

"Emma put my blanket on the washing machine."

"Thank god. It was all dirty and shit, you haven't washed it since you were six Manjiro. And now you are twelve."

Shinichiro sat next to you on the table as Emma placed all the dishes in front of you. She was always the one to cook for her family. And truth be told, her cooking was amazing.

As per usual, after breakfast you and Shinichiro got ready for your respective jobs. However, since today was the start of summer break everyone had different plans. Emma would stay home with her grandpa and Mikey was planning to go with his friends for a walk. He had formed the gang he was talking about despite his brother’s refusals.

Once you finished work, at 3 pm, you went to the local KFC and bought some chicken nuggets for you and Shinichiro to eat, before heading to his store. Shinichiro, though, was not alone.

"Hello." You greeted Shinichiro and his best friends and ex Black Dragons founding members. "I brought food."

"Isn't my angel amazing?" Shinichiro asked Akashi after he immediately stood up to take the takeout from your hands. Akashi nodded his head in agreement. All this time, Shinichiro was eyeing Wakasa, his other friend. He had told you about him, how he was always stealing the girls he used to have a crush on and how everyone liked him.

"Two seventeen year olds won't steal your girlfriend, Shin." Keizou rolled his eyes.

“Two seventeen year old won’t, but this motherfucker over here…”

“If I wanted your girl I would have taken her already.” Wakasa rolled his lollipop stick in his mouth.

“Shinichiro would have beaten you black and blue.” Akashi laughed. “And here he is now…getting married.”

“Let's start from the fact that he finally found a girlfriend.” Keizou added.

“Twenty one confessions.” you laughed, gaining an angry stare from Shinichiro.

“You mean twenty one rejections.” Wakasa corrected you and the four of you bursted out laughing. Shinichiro rolled his eyes and sat back on his stool to continue working on the motorcycle in front of him.

“By the way, why was the ring at your place?” You asked Akashi.

“Motherfucker thought you would find it. Senju saw it though and freaked out, she kept asking me if I was the one getting married.” The long haired male brushed it off and scratched his face right above the vertical scar on his left eye. You had no idea how it had gotten there. “Not to mention how your boyfriend tried to beat two seventeen year olds up because he thought they were talking about you. If I hadn't stepped in he would have most probably ended up in the hospital.”

“Wait, hold on.” you turned to look at Shinichiro. “You never told me they were seventeen.” you face-palmed. “You're embarrassing me Shin.” You rolled your eyes.

Two hours later, Shinichiro closed the shop. Him, Akashi and you headed towards your home where Mikey, Haru, Draken, Baji, Emma and Senju were playing. You had learnt from Shinichiro that Akashi was Senju and Haru's older brother.

You found them eating watermelon while sitting in the backyard. You sat at the edge of the wooden balcony that was slightly raised from the ground.

“So yeah Akashi.” Shinichiro spoke loudly, making sure that his siblings, especially Mikey, could hear him. “Two twelve year olds won't steal my wife.” He smirked and waited for a reaction from his own younger brother.

" What?" Mikey almost dropped the food and ran towards you. "No, no, no. (Y/n). Why him? His farts stink, he doesn't know how to fight and...ugh...I wanted it to be me."

"Mikey." Draken said. "Stop throwing a tantrum and bring the food here."

"Ken-chin." Mikey faked a cry and went to sit back down the moment Emma came to congratulate you, taking a seat between you and her brother.

A few minutes later Mikey had long forgotten about the marriage and was happily fighting with Draken and Baji while Haru and Senju watched. The moment Akashi and Shinichiro finished their conversation about the new generation of the Black Dragons, Senju and Haru ran towards their brother because they knew it was time to leave. So did Baji and Draken, who would be going to Baji's house alone.

Emma and Mikey were too tired from the games so they both had a bath and went to sleep. Their grandpa was sitting inside enjoying a slice of watermelon while watching TV. So yes, everything was peaceful and everyone was happy. Everyone except Shinichiro.

"So…why are you sulking?" You closed the door of your bedroom and waited for an answer. He had grown awfully quiet after closing the shop. Shinichiro definitely took his time to answer.

“Are you really embarrassed by me?”

He finally turned around and sat at the edge of the bed. He had changed into a white t-shirt and some grey sweatpants almost ready to go to bed. And I say almost because Shinichiro always slept in his boxers.

“Of course no, why would…” you walked towards him and that was when it hit you. He thought you had said that back in his shop seriously. You chuckled and took a seat on his lap, wrapping your legs around his waist and your arms around his neck. “I didn't mean that, Shin. Yes, it was weird that you just randomly tried to fight two strangers but no, I am not embarrassed.”

“And you won't leave me for Wakasa?” He placed a hand on your left thigh as the other one hugged your waist.

“You're being ridiculous. Waka isn't even my type.”

“Wakasa is everyone's type.”

“You're sulking as if you're twelve. I'm not leaving you, ever.” you got off his lap and got under the covers. Shinichiro made it his mission to bring you as close to him as possible and when he managed that you were basically on top of him.

“Sorry about earlier.” He mumbled and allowed you to readjust by cuddling up next to him with your head on his chest. You watched as he reached to grab his cigarette pack.

“Quit it already Shin. It's not good.” you tried to take the cigarette from his hands but it was hopeless so you just opened the window above the bed.

“This is how I imagine us in our 70s.” He exhaled the smoke.

“You have imagined us as old people?” He hummed in response. “Fine, tell me…how will we be?”

“I'll still be fixing my motorcycle because I need it to be perfect. You will be playing your guitar next to me. Maybe we'll have a kid, I don't know.”

“I'll still be playing the guitar?” You got on top of him.

“Yes, that song you played for me yesterday. You'll be playing that one.” You had played I remember you by Skid Row yesterday purely because you were bored. He just happened to be in the room. You had no idea why he had been so amazed by the sight.

“And? What else?”

“I don't know, it's your turn.”

“Your plans stop there? Damn. Well um…I…have no idea as well.” you plopped on the bed next to him. “But if I were to choose, I would choose a quiet life in the city.”

“A quiet life means no Mikey.” He laughed.

“Shin no.” I joined him.

A/n: I know this sucks, so cut me some slack please

[chatmeow9]

Liveblogging The Owl House finale!

(I'll put a break here, this gets pretty long)

Immediately picking up from the previous episode, everyone gets abducted by ribbons (puppet strings? The Collector does has an affinity for puppets)

King's Dad?!?!

Luz is wearing Belos' Season 2 attire. The palace is similar but instead of a gold/black colour scheme, it's white/silver.

What's up with the giant heart in the throne room? Was that ever explained? Is it the Titan's heart, despite the rest of him being skeletal??

THAT'S NOT AMITY!

Back-to-back nightmare sequences (presumably) Can the Collector manipulate dreams?

Bill's completely blacked-out eyes are kinda freaking me out.

Witch's Battle! We've come full circle baby!

So they did get collected, and it is a nightmare. Also, weirdly, Hunter didn't have any strings around him like the other three until they all got yoinked away again.

"Get over here you witch." They knew exactly what they were doing with that line

Belos didn't know King is a Titan. I guess there was no way/reason for him to know.

Yep that smile definitely doesn't look completely unhinged.

OOOO psychic battle between Raine and Belos

The puppets! They're alive!!

Pac-man, marbles, and Jenga. how would the Collector know about these very human games? They don't have the excuse of being an extra-dimensional entity, they've been trapped in a disc for thousands of years

Aw, they are trying! In their own sort of twisted way of course.

The Collector's backstory is actually kinda sad. They really are just a child. I feel like if the series hadn't gotten chopped The Archivists could've been a bigger bad than Belos

... what vessel? That's concerning

It IS the Titan's/island's heart! Despite Raine's best efforts Belos barely got through, AGAIN.

Light Glyph. Light Glyph. Light Glyph. Light Glyph. The most pivotal Glyph Luz learned

Collector continues to be unhinged in the most terrifying and hilarious way.

Belos has officially gone full Kaijuu. The spread is different than his usual green goop with eyes it's more... radioactive mutated vegetation?

if the very evil ""man"" could be defeated with the power of fwendship I think that would've happened by now.

Oof. That question about Collector not knowing/understanding mortality comes back huh.

Some of the lights in boxes we've seen in the in-between were people's souls, then?

King's Dad! Also the figure we saw at the beginning of the last episode! A bathrobe, Bad Girl Coven tee (lmao), and pj pants with the glyphs on them

Luz now literally has the blessing of the Titan.

Like mother, like daughter lol

Is Belos pulling a Toffee and draining/corrupting all magic in the realm?

Twinkly magical girl Luz!

I guess not, since glyphs still work

The Collector doing ONE good thing after tormenting the denizens of the Boiling Isles for months

Raine's still alive. I partly would've figured they've gotten grown/gooped over

She couldn't think of anything to say upon her return but monologs as she's ripping Belos out of the heart

She's not buying your shit Phillip

I was kinda hoping Hunter would've got the final blow, catharsis and all that

Bread puns run in King's family

I just noticed that Titan!Luz had a fang on the opposite side as Eda

The Archives kinda look like a crown on top of the Titan's skull

Aww everyone gets their families back, but... Hunter doesn't have a family unless he's adopted by Darius or Eda or someone (It's Darius)

Of COURSE those three would want the throne

Time skip Luz is going to the BI for college (how would that work if she has no magic and glyphs don't work anymore?)

"Luz, you saw them last week" lmao

Vee's still living with Camilla even though it technically is safe for her to return?

Ah, the kid's hideout has been made into a permanent portal

Awww they made a grave marker for Flapjack!

Marthamule has an actual mustache now

Lilith has control of her curse and can do a harpy thing like Eda

Amity's got a pirate look going on now

They removed the Coven sigils! Darius is both super excited and also trying to play it cool

Oh, that's what Raine's palasman is, I don't think we've seen it before.

University of Wild Magic and Eda's headmistress

It's wholesome in it's own Boiling Isles way

King can do glyphs!

Last minute forth wall break?

(I accidentally placed a poll here so I'm just rolling with it)

[deputygonebye]

@depictedblue asked: are you… laughing at me?

Pride and Prejudice (2005) Prompts.

Remuneration that took to a form other than coin, not made of silver or gold, meaningless change that was once called dimes, pay for all the loss and missed opportunity. Chances that had been ruthlessly stolen, the last sort of happiness that Shane could dare say was his own. A small sliver of heaven that was bestowed - recompense for the otherwise criminal bastard - a memory that could never be erased. Sprawled across carpet, stationed in the living room, accompanied by laughter and giggles that sounded so sweet. Surrounded by colorful crayons, cardboard box rested close by, white paper that was decorated in swirls and jagged lines, a sunflower and open field. A collaboration that didn't yet have a name, the combined efforts of two made into one. Judith and Cassie; the best of friends despite the years between them. Despite the years that had kept Cassie and Shane apart.

Shane had made no effort to keep her hidden. Would never dream to do so, for all the problems that had taken hold of he and Lori, of he and Rick, Judith was never a mistake. Brown eyes and thick hair; the love of her father's life, the person who gave reason to survive another day. Judith was adored. Cherished, protected beyond all costs, spoiled with what could be gifted. Shane loved her. Loved her more than all the stars in the sky, tried to be the best he could, what he, himself, had not found in a father. Never to be compared to Jonathan, would've rather died, Shane did everything for Judith. Lived and breathed for her sake, Cassie returned to him made it all complete. All the heartache, the grief over what had been he and Lori. What he had thought was true, love so raw and vulnerable, unmatched once Cassie came back to him, her lips delicate in kiss. Loss and gain; his child and sweetheart with him, Shane's dreams come alive.

Unbeknownst to they, soles light along the floor as feet stepped, Cassie assisting Judith with the drawing of what seemed to be a dog, Shane watched. Smiled bright - the lines by his eyes strong - laughed despite the best of effort not to. Distracted from the pain of his nose, the burn that came from hitting his face against a piece of lumber, the challenge of rebuilding Alexandria, he found joy.

"No, Cassie. I would never!" Shane replied in mock defense, the failure of being caught too apparent. "Just admirin' the view is all. Say, what you ladies up to? Makin' art?"

Shane crept nearer, crouched down low so he, too, was on the carpet, a kneel, kissed the top of Judith's head then Cassie's lips, a lingering affection that he savored devilishly.

Shane said once he broke free, a 'hello, baby' still fresh on his tongue. "Lookin' good, Judy. I like that sun there. You make that for me, sweetheart, or what? And Cassie... love that dog. You know, I always wanted a dog. Grandma Jean never let me have one. Said they were too much work and that I was trouble enough. Guess I get one now, huh? You girls put your names on there, I'll stick it on the fridge when you're done. Think we could use some art on there, don't you, Cas? Somethin' from our family."

[casspurrjoybell-30]

Cry Me A River - Chapter 3 - Part 2

*Warning Adult Content*

Not Alone

'What if the guy, Dane, from earlier tries to... No, I can't even think about it.

I shivered at the thought.

'Happy thoughts, happy thoughts.'

'I wonder what my mate's doing right now'.

I went off into my own train of thought, thinking up little scenarios of what my mate could be doing, horseback riding, picking flowers, laughing with friends and family.

Being happy.

Tears began to prickle against my eyes.

I lifted a single finger, brushing against my lids before they could fall.

'My mate, I wonder if he's thinking about me like I'm thinking of him.'

'I wonder if he cares for me as I care for him.'

Even without meeting him I knew that I already loved him.

Even if he might never come to love me.

I wondered if we would ever meet. If I would die before getting to hear him utter my name, even if in rejection.

I only hoped for my mate to be a male.

After all, I had never been attracted to any other but males.

The Goddess would never be so cruel as to force me to live my life with one I wasn't attracted to.

In class when all the boys would be looking at the girls, I would be looking at them.

When all the boys would be looking up the girls' skirts I would be watching them from the sidelines, not having an interest in what could possibly be underneath all the silk and threads.

Rather, I'd be looking forward to recess when the boys would be taking off their shirts while playing ball outside.

I always wondered if that was one of the reasons why my father hated me.

If he'd realized without my knowledge of my preference.

'I guess I'll never know now.'

I let out a humorless laugh as I peered down at my untouched food.

I could see bits of mold crawling up the edges of the bread.

'Did they expect us to eat this?'

I looked around and saw no remains of the previously given out food.

'I guess that answers that question.'

"If you take off the ends it's semi-edible," I turned to a smiling Alice.

'How can she smile in a place like this?'

As if reading my mind she said...

"Being upset and sad about the situation we were all put into won't make the situation any better. You have to find the silver lining in everything."

"What's the silver lining in this?" I asked incredulously.

"Well," she said motioning to the food in front of me.

"We have food..."

"Inedible food," I interrupted her.

"What else?" I asked eagerly.

"Well, we have water to drink, a place to sleep," I arched a brow.

"I never said a nice place to sleep," she laughed lightly.

"And we have each other."

"Each other," I repeated.

Her eyes brightened as she smiled warmly at me.

I smiled back, though with less comfort.

I wasn't quite used to using such muscles.

"You're much prettier when you smile," she said.

"I'm not pretty."

She raised her eyebrow,

"Oh, and who said that?"

"Everyone."

"Who's everyone?"

"The boys in school, neighbors, my father..."

"They said that to your face?"

"No, they told father."

"Sounds like your father made it all up."

She grumbled while crossing her arms.

I shook my head,

"No, I've seen my own reflection I'm aware of what I look like."

I said with a sad smile.

"Apparently not because you," she pointed at me.

"Are gorgeous."

I shook my head.

She's just trying to be nice.

"I'm serious, when I first saw you I thought you were a girl until you opened your mouth and realized your voice was far too deep to be that of a girl's."

I shook my head again.

"I'm serious, River, look at the water."

'The water.'

She motioned to the bowl in front of me.

I looked down, coming face to face with myself.

I know what I look like, looking at myself wasn't going to change my opinion of myself.

My skin was far too pale, competing with even the ghosts present in the room.

My hair far too light and my eyes...

'Blue. How strange.'

'I can't remember the last time they weren't a dull grey.'

"Do you see now?" Alice asked with crossed arms.

"What I see is a boy whose skin is too pale to call alive, hair too light to be considered blond and eyes too pale to be considered a color," I replied monotonously.

"I'm aware of what I look like."

"No, you don't because do you know what I see?"

I shook my head.

"I see a boy with gorgeous, light blond hair, sparkling sky blue eyes, and skin so fair you appear like a porcelain doll."

'A porcelain doll? They make dolls out of porcelain? Isn't that too... breakable?'

"Well?"

"Hmm?"

"What are you thinking?"

"That your taste in beauty is deranged."

She slapped her hand against her head.

"I don't understand you."

"The feeling's mutual," I laughed lightly, cupping my mouth.

She burst out laughing, causing me to jump,

"I like you." she said with a wide smile.

"I-I l-like you too," I stuttered back shyly.

I felt a blush make its way across my face as she smiled warmly at me.

[mengyan]

now i see in technicolour

OR, we always talk about julia’s favourite colour being red, but what about carmen’s favourite colour?

-

“Well,” Carmen laughs, a bit surprised from the question. “Apart from red, you mean?”

“Yeah,” you reply, curious. “Do you not have another?”

Carmen looks deep in thought, genuinely pondering it, then—

“It’s definitely not green, I can tell you that,” she snorts. You give her a pointed look, and she waves a hand dismissively, as if to say fine, I'll stop messing around.

Carmen takes a deep breath and straightens, and you watch as her eyes begin to shine.

“I suppose it depends,” she begins, starting to pace around the rooftop she dropped you both on. “I could give you a different answer every day, but ultimately…”

“I do love red. But not in the way you think, not just because it’s in my clothes and the coat and hat I wear every day. I like the softer shades, too, faded out so they’re almost pink but not quite, flushing the tips of ears or painting rosy cheeks. I like it in dark crimson, the near-black tone glimmering in the shape of a carved ruby, set on the center of a golden band. I like it in sunsets, blood-orange and melting into the moon, or tinting the skies on train rides to India.”

“Orange isn’t half-bad either,” she continues. “You can find it in the tangy-citrus sweetness dripping from the edges of a sinking misshapen pie, or when you’re riding on the back of a wagon to pick pumpkins from farm patches in the fall. It’s the colour of leaf piles that we build for Scarlett to jump into, and it’s the colour that blurs past my vision when she throws them at us in some made-up game. Our home glows orange in the winter, warm from the fireplace, and the flickering light is the most mesmerizing thing you’ve ever seen.”

“Yellow’s next in the rainbow, and while it isn’t my favourite, I still love it for its simplicity. It’s bright sunshine on summer days, melting the ice cubes in our freshly made lemonade. It’s the colour of royal crowns we prevent from being stolen, the light streaming through bell tower windows, or the colour of happy-faced emojis blowing virtual kisses when one of us has to arrive somewhere late. It’s in the corner of crayon drawings of family, depicting the sun and its rays, and they’re stuck with pride onto our kitchen fridge.”

“I already said I don’t like green,” Carmen says next, and you nod in understanding. “But that doesn’t mean I can’t respect it. It’s the colour of the dirt-grass stains on Scarlett's overalls when she has a field day at the playground- I told Jules we should’ve gotten black ones to hide them,” she chuckles.

“It’s the viridescent glow of Christmas lights purchased from Party City, strung around the tree at night, in a never-ending pattern of the shades of a traffic light. We all know that green also signals the meaning of “go”, and every time I see it on the street, I know I’m one block closer to home.”

Carmen pauses, and then she somehow gets brighter, her eyes crinkling at the corners in happiness as she introduces the next colour.

“Oh, we’re on blue,” she breathes, stopping her pacing and placing a hand on her heart. After a second or two, her right hand moves down to brush over her left hand, where a sapphire-embedded band of silver sits on her ring finger.

“Blue is... everything. It’s... God, I can’t even- blue is like magic, you know? It’s in the sky where we point out funny clouds or constellations from. It’s in gas-fueled fire on the stove where dinner is about to get spectacularly burned- by me, of course, Jules could never. Even Scarlett cooks better than me,” Carmen says fondly.

“It’s in plastic butterfly hairclips and off-key renditions of Cookie Monster sing-a-longs on YouTube that Scarlett is scarily obsessed with. It’s in the deep navy of suit jackets and thin-rimmed glasses, or when the light of a streetlamp hits a specific angle and it tinges the edges of short-trimmed hair.”

Carmen starts to rattle off more things one by one, all the while never losing the beam of her smile. “You can see cobalt in the ripped denim of cuffed jeans, cyan in the ridiculously tacky stuffed bloblike animal that Scarlett insists on calling her best friend, or cerulean in the salty sea of beaches when we go on vacation. Baby blue is in the hand-knit mittens we put on Scarlett when it snows, or there’s the smidge of Aegean lining the thread on the inside of her hat.”

“You’re making it sound like blue is your favourite colour by knowing all those shades,” you cut in, your tone teasing. Carmen just shrugs coyly as she answers.

“Maybe it is,” she says. “But like I said, they all are. I'd talk about black, grey, white- and all the shades of colours in between- if I could, but we’d be here for quite a while. Plus, I still have one more to go.”

“Right,” you hum. “Purple. Or indigo and violet, if you’re fancy.”

“Exactly. Have you ever been to Milan?” Carmen asks suddenly, but she doesn’t give you the time to respond, barreling onward. “Well, I attended a fashion week event there once for a caper, and that was the second time I saw Jules. The spotlights made the entire room bask in a haze of dreamy violet, which was the perfect vibe for a fashion showing, in my opinion. Anyway, I dragged her up on stage with me by the hand to help me with the caper, and she’d gone along with it, no questions asked. Then I put her in charge of things, and she’d gotten the gowns to safety with Zack and Ivy while I took care of the mind-controlled models.”

You raise an eyebrow. “You put her in charge of things during your second meeting?”

Carmen doesn’t even hesitate. “I always knew I could trust her.”

A beat of comfortable silence settles, before a phone that isn’t yours pings with a notification. Carmen clears her throat and looks at you, an apologetic expression on her face.

“Sorry, I have a date with my wife to catch,” she grins, firing off a text message back that no doubt consists of the virtual kisses she mentioned earlier. She turns to leave and throws a wink over her shoulder, getting ready to activate her glider. 

“I hope I answered your question properly!” she shouts. “I trust you’ll find your own way home?”

You most definitely will end up getting lost, considering this is a rooftop in the middle of nowhere, but you don’t say that, content to just let Carmen go and see her wife and kid. “I have it handled.”

And so, with a smile and two finger salute, you watch the Crimson Ghost disappear into the night, leaving you with a rainbow kaleidoscope of answers and a full heart.

[aries-rising-on-an-aquarius-tide]

Evocations: XIV (b)

Alexandra knew that she was being overly stubborn, even for herself, who normally operated at extremely stubborn as a default. She wasn't completely sure why, either. Why now? Why this case? Perhaps she was just determined to maintain a degree of normalcy as the days wound down towards the evening she had planned to propose.

Or, perhaps she simply couldn't handle it when evil men operated with impunity.

Either way, when Zapata and his attorney turned down the deal she'd been told to offer, Alex had refused another opportunity to drop the case. That night at home, she ducked out up to the roof to smoke, and to figure out her next move.

She was asking Olivia to marry her in two days. Counting the stars between drags, Alex wished fervently for luck to be on her side for just a little longer.

By the time she headed back downstairs, her high was pleasantly heavy, and calm. Liv had bought herself a new dress for the upcoming dinner, and Alex found her in the bathroom wearing it, trying out makeup and hairstyles to go with it. Alex leaned in the doorway, staring, smiling softly at the elegant brunette, who had styled her hair back away from her forehead. She was applying lipstick in the mirror, and there were silver and pearl drop earrings sparkling at her ears.

"What're you staring at?" Liv teased, blotting the lipstick and turning to face Alex.

The rest of my life, Alexandra thought to herself. She shrugged, stood up straighter. "The new dress is lovely." Then she chuckled at the indignant look that crossed Olivia's face. "Buut . . . " Alex drawled, stepping toward her, "it's nothing compared to the stunning brunette inside it."

Liv grinned, pointed to her face. "What do you think?"

"I think you're incredible." Alex pulled Liv by the waist against her and placed a kiss to her throat. "Can I take this dress off you, now?"

"Mmm," Liv hummed, flushing with goosebumps, "I think I could be persuaded," she giggled.

.

.

Tim Donovan was dead.

Alexandra was still shaking when she and Olivia locked their apartment door behind them, leaving their protective detail outside in the hall.

"I'm going to call and check on your mother," Liv told her.

Nodding faintly, Alex walked away down the hall toward their bedroom. Flicking on the light, she walked straight to the closet and leaned into its depths, reaching for the spot where she had hid the engagement ring. From the moment she had said, "No, I want to go home now," she had wanted to get the ring in her hand.

Her fingers closed over the ring box, small, solid, a tangible piece of her life as yet untouched by the Zapata case's violence.

Alex pocketed the ring box in her jacket, then wandered back out into the apartment, finally sitting on the sofa, where she let Sky High crawl into her lap. Olivia was checking the window locks one by one as she spoke with Darcie, and snippets of sentences would drift by where Alex sat:

"She's with me, now . . . yes, an armed guard. Twenty-four seven, yeah . . . "

Alex stroked Sky's fur, her ears still ringing from the bomb blast, the places where bruises would come in already aching warmly.

"Yes, I promise you she's fine. I'll have her call you in the morning. Ok. Love you, too, Darcie. Goodnight."

Olivia sat alongside Alex, and Sky excitedly jumped at her, trying to kiss her face. Liv stroked a hand over Alex's hair. "How are you doing?"

Alex just shook her head and looked at her hands, her eyes full with unshed tears.

"Let me run you a bath," Liv suggested softly.

"He had two kids, Olivia."

"This is not your fault, Alex."

"Bullshit it's not!" she choked out, "I could have dropped it half a dozen times in the last week!" Olivia took a breath to try again, but Alexandra was fully sobbing, so instead she folded her into her arms and let her cry, while Sky High sat with them, trying to help.

Bit by bit, Liv managed to get her to let her push her jacket from her shoulders, getting her up from the sofa and leading her in the direction of the bathroom.

She took a warm cloth to the grime and small cuts on her face and arms, before helping her strip off her clothes. In the bedroom, she kept one eye on Alex as they both put on pyjamas and then got into bed. Sky quietly curled up between their feet below.

"You're safe here," Liv told her softly, taking Alexandra's hand beneath the blankets.

But Alex was still thinking about how stubborn she had been every step of the way. About Donovan's sincere eyes as he told her he didn't want her to worry. Then Agent Hammond screaming at her, telling her she had been careless.

"Liv?" she whispered.

"Yes?"

"Can you hold me, please?"

Liv curled into the faintly trembling blonde, settling her weight onto her, giving her something to ground herself with. Alexandra's blue eyes stared into the darkness, wondering just how far they would fall before everything was all over.

In the living room, tossed over the back of the couch was her jacket, where deep in the pocket the pear-cut diamond ring waited to reflect the light.

.

.

"Alex, we can't always win," Elliot said gently.

"But that's just it. Even when we win, we don't."

To Olivia, it felt like they were having the Gardner case discussion, all over again. Except this time, the futility and the helplessness had magnified outward to the entire squad.

While Elliot went to settle the tab, Liv made another attempt to convince Alexandra to stay at 'her' place. In their two years together, Olivia had continued to insist on keeping her old apartment, and now she seemed to think it would be safer than the one they shared. Alex flatly refused, not willing to let the cartel take more from her than they already had.

In the pocket of the jacket she slung over her shoulder, the ring box was tucked away, burning a hole. They would have been at dinner right now, if the Special Victims Unit wasn't worried for her life. She could have been on one knee as they spoke, instead of heading out the door of the cop bar into the cool Fall night.

Soon, she told herself. She faced Olivia on the sidewalk, thinking of the dress that Liv would wear for the dinner, how she had stripped it from her and made breathless love.

Then there was the sound of bullets.

Then darkness.

Liv scrambled to Alexandra's still body. "Alex?No. No, no, no, no, no, no. No, no, no," she chanted the syllable again and again to ward off the nauseating panic. "Somebody call an ambulance! Call 911 now!" she screamed. She pushed down desperately on the bleeding wound, continuing to talk to her as though her voice could stop the bleeding.

"Alex? It's okay, Alex. Alex, look at me. It's okay, sweetie. Stay with me. Stay with me. Stay with me, Alex . . . " she begged, "They're coming right now. You're gonna be okay. Alex, you're gonna be okay. Look at me! You're gonna be just fine, you're gonna be just fine. Now, just stay with me." Olivia's breath was heaving into and from her lungs in hot, disbelieving pants as she continued to repeat herself, saying her name like it was the key to a prayer: "Alex, Alex, Alex, Alex. It's okay. Look at me!"

.

.

The night had become a kaleidoscope of colors: the ink black sky, the flash of red and blue lights, the white-hot panic in the center of Olivia's chest.

The crimson spill of Alex's hot blood between Liv's fingers and over her hands.

When Elliot finally pulled his partner up and away from Cabot's body to let the EMTs work on her, the world spun out from under her. She stumbled in his hold, and he quickly tightened his arms, holding her up.

They followed the ambulance to the hospital, where Alexandra was whisked off to a trauma room to where neither Elliot nor Olivia could follow. The two women were not legally bound in any decision-making sense, and it slammed a heavy door in the brunette's face.

Elliot called Kathy to tell her where he was, then stayed with Liv, sitting quietly on the hard plastic waiting room seats. His hope was that she would nod off and rest before there was any news, but Olivia was like a raging bull, alert and breathing rapidly as she paced the length of the seating over and over. Sometimes she gnawed at her fingers, other times she stopped as if she would be able to hear in the direction Alex had been taken if she strained hard enough.

After more than two hours had crawled past, a doctor came padding toward them silently. The question she asked when she stopped in front of the detectives was, "Does Ms. Cabot have any family?"

"Yes. Her parents," Liv answered immediately.

"We'll need their contact information," the doctor replied.

"She's our ADA, doctor," Elliot said, flashing his badge from his hip. "Can you tell us anything about her condition?"

The doctor's mouth pressed into a grim line, then said, "I'm sorry, but Ms. Cabot didn't survive her injuries."

The kaleidoscope turned, turned, turned again and Olivia dropped heavily onto the nearest seat. Blinking rapidly she fought off the feeling that she was going to faint, trying to focus on the sensation of her breathing.

She couldn't seem to feel her heart beating at all.

[itsmoonphobic]

𝐓𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤. ☾︎

𝑁𝑒𝑤 𝑄𝑢𝑒𝑠𝑡!: 𝑀𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟,𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑢𝑛𝑏𝑒𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑐𝑜𝑚𝑒.

-> For my friends [a group of losers :)] Thank you,it's been a hell of a run,but all good things must come to an end one day. I will come visit soon,until then: I'll be lurking somewhere in the shadows. ☁️

"𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒏'𝒕 𝒃𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒏𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓,𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒚 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒐 𝒐𝒏." ❥︎

moon's time on mcytblr election server: 10/12/2020 - 05/17/2021 ❣︎

He felt cold.It had been so long since he felt this cold.His head was clouded,throbbing with regret and guilt of the things he said.It felt like somebody was constantly ripping his mind apart,putting it back together and taking it apart all over again.His hands shook, pale fingertips tracing his black gloves aimlessly and blue eyes shining brightly under the dark indigo sky. Moon ruffled his wings,cupping his back with the furred leather in an attempt to comfort himself and calm down his beating heart. The hollow bones hummed,crisp wind gliding over their shells and further cold nestling into his veins. No clouds were on the canvas above him,only little shimmering freckles splattered across the deep colored tarp. Moon cocked his head to the side,observant orbs gliding over the stretching landscape ahead of him. The tavern was close now,the phantom hybrid could pick up the faint chatter of people,gentle strumming of guitars,and soft ballads. The lights of houses,vibrant mosaic windows of the church he remembered visiting as a child. Moon breathed deeply,closing his eyes and nuzzling his face further into the black mask covering his nose.

His thoughts continue to buzz. He missed them. He hurt them. The young hybrid would never forgive himself for making his family and friends cry,no matter how many times they reassured him they weren't upset. Was he being selfish? He shook his head, black hair messily falling over his eyes,he brushed the strands away with the back of his hand. Teeth gritting and nose scrunching up in the process,his hair was a disaster - just like the rest of him. The assassin sighed,dropping his shoulders and retracting his wings under his black robe. They felt heavy,he didn't want to fly tonight,flying was considered a award and Moon definitely didn't deserve one after what he did tonight.The black haired hybrid rubbed at his eyes tiredly,everything felt wrong.His ears perked up at the far dong of the city bells,it ringed too loud for his liking. His sensitive senses were overwhelmed by every little noise surrounding him. Bugs and mice crawling over the moist grass under him,bubbling brooks and croaking frogs sitting by the flowing water of the river close by.

Moon clasped his hands over his pointed ears,taking a moment to calm himself and cool down. He couldn't keep this behavior up,it was unnatural for him to act like this - act so vulnerable. He hated this side of him,he wanted to cut it off with one of his blades, throw it away and never have to experience it again. Though,like most things are in life,it wasn't that simple. He would pull his knees to his chest,curl his tail around them,drape his wings over his shoulders and turn into a ball of his own fears and worries. Moon dropped his hands down abruptly,eyes filling up with tears and glazing over his blue eyes. Near. Near would hug him. They would open their arms and wait for Moon to accept their embrace himself,not wanting to push the unstable hybrid further by ambushing him with physical affection. Moon's lips quirked up - the motion so small that not even he himself seemed to catch up to it. He will miss that. He will miss it alot.

Moon cracked his neck,straightened his back and rolled his wrists. He needed to keep moving for tonight,he knew a place he could spend the night and in reality it didn't matter when he would arrive there,but his head is pounding and his thighs are aching. He just wanted to eat,drink some hot beverage and sleep. He slid his tounge over his canines,propping his hands on his knees and jumping off of the branch he was settled on. His black combat boots landed soundlessly on the furry moss,it felt nice. After a moment of processing and calculating the route that would lead him to the tavern the fastest,the hybrid was on his feet and running away into the night - his slender form blending perfectly into the shadows.

•

To say Moon was happy to be in the town center again would be a big fucking lie. It was loud,crowded and the smells were intense. Being a ghost story amongst the lands was making his problems only worse,he couldn't stroll carelessly down the brick concrete path,he needed to hide. His black hood covered his head,a shadow casted over his face and keeping him anonymous to the world. He watched the people casually,pings of jealousy climbing along his brain like wines on trees. Little kids were dragging their friends along,enthusiastic hands grabbing eachother's limbs.Their laughter and giggles filled his ears and his eyes furrowed in annoyance.The image of Violet and Rib popped up in his head. Two overly irritating brats that only seemed to get on Moon's nerves whenever he arrived at the guild. Yet the hybrid smirked fondly,he adored the two like his own siblings and would kill anyone who even dared to look at the them the wrong way. It sparked a flame of protectiveness in him that Moon never knew he could have over a pair of bothersome kids.

Moon's head peeked up behind the alleyway,his eyes cold. He scanned the crowd,spotting the tucked away motel in a corner. It wasn't far now,he just needed to successfully navigate his way though the ocean of people. The assasin pushed his back away from uncomfortable surface behind him and looked at it with disgust,middle finger flying up. Moon's hands pulled his hood down futher,extra precautions to keep himself safe. With one final sigh of uncertainty the hybrid collected all of his confidence that seemed to dissapear under all the stress,and headed towards the oak wooden doors. Focusing perfectly still,trying his hardest not to pry his eyes away from his goal and get distracted by the shiny jewelry and crystals being sold all around him. Kiosks lined the streets,both sides filled with diverted goodies that he just wanted to touch and maybe even slip them into his pockets unknowingly.

He had money,golden coins and silver medals. But the thrill of stealing was just so much more fulfilling. He knew it was morally wrong,blinking away the fact that he was a trained killer,but it didn't bother him in the slightest,Moon stopped thinking about morals a long time ago.He shook his head once again,stomach growling loudly under piles of felt and cloth. He cringed,grabbing his belly irritatingly - a pathetic attempt to stop his hunger.His throat burned,a dry wasteland dancing over his tounge. Thankfully Moon made his way over to his sanctuary for the night without problems. His feet stopped automatically infront of the small timber doors leading into the pub,cracks and ripped bark decorated the pale wood. The phantom hybrid pushed against the doors lightly,opening them in a swift motion.

Immediately the smell of cheese,dried ham,honey and bread filled his nostrils. Rum and beer,wine and herbal teas. Smoked salmon pomegranate and roasted oranges. He picked up many fragrances. And he enjoyed them to the fullest, some were stronger than others but he couldn't deny they were pleasant. Bright eyes inspected the large citadel.Dark spruce tables and chairs,cussions made of cotton,soft wool and silk. His fingers twitched,he knew they were soft,he wanted to lay his head on them and breathe in the smell of lavender and mothballs. An image flashed again. Goose used to give him scented candles to help him fall asleep. They were nice to him,they always helped around the guild. He would give them lettuce and greens in return as a thank you.Moon pushed them aside,he needed to focus on the task at hand,getting his hands on some proper food to satisfy his empty stomach.

He dragged his feet across the dirty floor,boards creaking loudly under his heavy steps.The sound attracting curious faces. Silence overtook the room slowly,the sound awfully loud. Moon didn't react,he knew they were directed at him. He could feel more and more sets of eyes settle on his form,unnerving shivers traveling along his spine. His wings shuffled quickly - defense mechanism. Puzzled murmurs filled the space of the bar,the people clearly confused about the mysterious stranger. Moon was pretty sure he looked like death itself at the moment,dark clothes covering his body,knives rattling threateningly,face completely redacted. He didn't spare any of them a glance,knowing how they would react. Fear and commotion was the last thing he wanted to cause with his presence.

'For the love of god I just want to eat some fuckin' food in peace'

With long but slow strides Moon made his way over to the bar. His thoughts from earlier in the forest slowly creepin back into his brain and biting at his cold pricked skin. Goosebumps tenderly rose over his arms and collarbone,he felt them tingle. It almost made him stop in his tracks but he kept pushing his tired feet towards the chair. He gripped the smooth wooden object rougher than intended and a soft 'sorry' brushed past his lips. The bartender stiffened,eyes widening for a brief second before collecting herself again. Moon eyed her carefully under his hood. Her skin was peachy tanned,blonde curly hair pulled up in a simple bun,eyes the color of his birth stone,Peridot. She didn't seem to catch his piercing eyes,instead shakingly grabbing one of the clean glasses and drying them off. Her back was turned to him,but he easily noticed the way she would throw a sneaky look at him over her shoulder. He took in her white dress,spiraling designs flowing over her waist,colorful flowers sprawled down her chest.

Moon breathed. It was hard,exhausting just to take a small huff of air and release it again. He kept the warm air inside longer than expected and huffed it out tardily. His head was still hurting like a bitch,like somebody breaking his shull open with their bare fists. Another imagine crossed his mind. The cozy atmosphere and smells of the motel made him recall buried memories,times when he felt warm and safe. The hybrid dropped his head tiredly,rubbing his face exhaustingly.He pulled at his mask warily,giving it a second thought before finally deciding on not caring any longer. He needed to relax,needed to feel human. His hood stayed up. Songs started playing again in the background,the aura in the pub returning to the one he felt when he entered through the doors.

It was nice. He would occasionally pick up on a few cautious looks but his body was too tired to react. His elbow rested on the desk infront of him,his other hand flying to his knife holder instinctively. Empty. He fumbled with the holsters hastily,sharp blades touching his exposed fingers,but one spot -his favorite spot- was empty. Where the fu- oh.

<- memory lane ->

"Vibes."

The owner of the name looked at the black haired assassin expectedly. Their big grey eyes lightning up with curiosity,soft dimples sneaking onto their face. Moon smiled fondly at his friend, tenderly taking their hand in his - never breaking eye contact. Vibes watched cautiously as the hybrid reached towards his ribs, guiding his gloved hand towards his knife holders. Vibes gasped, breath cutting short as they observed what Moon was holding out towards them. Soft yet fond whispers were heard behind them,yet both of them chose to ignore them and focus on the special moment being shared between them.

"I need you to take care of something very important for me while I'm gone okay?"

The silver blade reflected gleamingly under the torches and chandelier of the guild citadel. Sharp edges and curved points. Tiny,barely visible if not payed enough attention to,engraved lettering on the shiny metal.

Simon.

Vibes' eyes glanced up at Moon contentedly,their grin further widening as the realization finally fully hit them. The masked assasin flicked their forehead playfully,Vibes letting out a small 'oof' at the impact of Moon's slender finger against their skin.The phantom hybrid smirked teasingly,ruffling their hair warmly.His ego tugging harshly at his heart strings in the process. He pushed the feeling far away,concentrating on making his last visit a memorable one. His lips returned to their usual bored line,sharp canines peaking over ever so slightly.

Vibes stopped messaging their now reddened skin and patiently waited for Moon to continue. Said hybrid once again held out his palm,this time however the blade was weightlessly resting upon it. Unsure hands reached out towards the sharp weapon,grey eyes beaming up at the phantom. Moon understood the wordless question: 'Are you sure about this?'

"Go ahead."

Moon couldn't help it,for the hundredth time that night he smiled. He watched as Vibes dragged their finger pads,nails and palms over the knife. Taking in the weapon from every angle in awe.They stopped their movements,locking eyes with Moon once again:

"I'll take good care of him!"

Moon rested his hand on their shoulder,their marigold hoodie crinkling under its weight. He breathed.

"He's in good hands."

<- end of memory lane ->

Right. He gave Simon to Vibes. Moon once again couldn't help but feel the threat of a smile ghost over his lips - Vibes. They were a good friend,somebody he got along with from the moment he joined their little group. His trust in them grew over the months, everyone probably saw it coming that Simon would end up theirs.

"Moon?"

The hybrid's eyes shot up,a little too fast to be considered normal, at the mention of his name. Hands flying to grip his knives and wings threatening to escape under his robes. The moment he caught the female's eyes he stopped in his tracks.

Des.

He relaxed,falling back into his chair. He calmed down the rushing of blood in his ears,head thundering at the combination. His pale eyes watched as the giddy female propped both of her elbows down on the wooden bar table and she comfortably rested her chin on her crossed hands. Her brown hair was disheveled,soft hazel eyes searching for his blue ones. Her freckles dotted over her milky skin as always,a big contrast to his paper white color.She wore her simple white button up,few of them popped open to expose he collarbone,denim overalls keeping it in place.The last time Moon saw her she wore the exact same outfit and the hybrid really started to think that she either didn't own any other ones or that it was simply put her favorite.

She reminded him of Clove. He missed them the most- the two of them had their fair share of memories and even though they still send eachother letters every day,he misses their personal conversations. He left only a few hours ago but it felt like he was gone for months,years,decades. Clove was nice. Moon's eyes filled with a thin cover of salty tears,blinking them away swiftly before they could spill over. Clove and him used to go on walks together, they would talk about all the stupid and useless shit that came to mind,he liked their company.

They would bail him out of time out and sometimes even drag his ass in there themselves.He breathed.

"My,my - look what the cat dragged in." Des didn't even make any effort to hide her surprised and teasing tone while she threw her question at him.Moon shifted slightly in his seat,wings lowering back to their natural pressed form.He slid his mask off of his face, blinking dull up at her. She noticed his unsure movements. Not wanting to further rile him up,Des dropped the joking manner and instead happily asked him what he wanted to order.

"The usual please."

Des smiled,nodding her head at him sharply before turning away and beginning to prepare him his food and drink. Caramel glazed aprikot cheesecake and Strawberry citrus tea,Moon's favorite.The young hybrid had found his way into her hub for many years now and she knew him like the back of her hand. He used to arrive regularly,once or twice a week. She knew the assassin wasn't really able to settle down without bounty hunters being on his tail and searching the whole town when people would say they spotted the infamous 'Nighchaser' running through the streets. But things changed when Moon only started arriving once per month,his attitude along with his hair being well taken care of. She had asked him where he spent his time and he always replied the same:

"With a group of morons."

Des knew,of course she did. She knew the young hybrid found a place where he actually liked going back to,she figured he had people waiting for him back there,somewhere. Time passed and she watched him grow up,bringing back more and more stories from this mysterious place where he stayed at and introducing her to new people everytime he stopped by on his travels. He grew on her and Des knew that whoever those people were,they made Moon feel happy and that's what mattered the most.

Her hands gripped the porcelain plate gingerly,petite hands cartying the sweet goodness over to the tired assassin. She noticed his dark bags the moment he placed down his mask.They were a stark contrast to the color of his skin,ghostly pale. She didn't comment on it,she simply placed down his meal and watched as he stared at it hungrily. Moon gave a low hum of appreciation and started to dig into his food.

•

"So", Des started,Moon watched as she washed off the last of his dirty dishes and placed them organized on the counter above her, "where are you heading to this time?" Moon glanced at his hands, his thumbs twirling around eachother,fidgeting quickly while he thought about his answer.

"I don't know." He had told her truthfully,shoulders shrugging. Becouse honestly? He really had no clue where to go from here. His decision to move on and explore the world by himself was abrupt and sudden but he knew it was right,he knew his friends and family weren't mad at him but he was still angry at himself for leaving them behind. He loved them but he also knew he had to take care of himself. He wanted to scream,cry and rip his hair out becouse he felt like absolute shit. All of his worries and guilt that were lingering at the back of his head now came rushing in and they uncomfortably sat atop of his shoulders. He just wanted to sleep and let the darkness consume him so he could shut off everything around him.He breathed.

He missed them alot. Fox,even if he wanted to bash their head in most of the time made him smile. Dis,his grandma was a kind soul, she was always nice to him even if she did get on his nerves. He knew many people,he still knows them and he will keep it that way till the day he dies,he will carry their names in his head into his grave. Moon shuddered a breath,slowly getting up from his chair, interrupting Des before she could question him further:

"I'll head off for tonight,thanks for the food." With a small wave of his hand,Moon grabbed his bag and climed up the staircase, red rugs removing any trace he stepped on them , where he knew a soft bed filled with blankets and warm milk with honeycomb waited for him.

"Anytime little one." Des smiled.

•

Dropelts of water fell from his hair,the smell of tulips and eucalyptus danced in the air,flushing delicately against his torso. The room was quiet,windows wide open letting him hear the hushed howls of wolves and crickets chirping,moths gliding with the cool summer wind.Moon tangled his hands into his wet hair, fingers untangling his wild locks.His eyes closed as he slowly massaged his scapl,nails ever so slightly scratching the sensitive skin on his head.He had changed his clothes,neatly piling them up on the rocking chair in the far left corner of the small room. His tail swung carelessly behind him,the bones rattling against the wooden floor. He hid away his wings,laying his bare back against the soft,fresh bed covers. Blankets and pillows drowning him in the best way possible. He sighed contently,looking out towards the clear sky and resting his gaze on the moon.

In that moment the phantom hybrid smiled,a tear slipping quietly down his cheek. His hand came up to brush it away - but they kept coming back no matter how many times he wiped them off. The assasin draped the covers over his chest,muscles relaxing into the soft material almost instantly. His head cooled down and for the first time that night Moon breathed properly.

He breathed,closing his eyes and finally got the rest he wanted.

He loved his friends to the moon and back. ♡

<- Author's note ->

Hi. This is a little something I wrote for my dear friends over on the mcytblr election server. You guys changed my life these past months and I can't thank you enough for that. I needed to take a rest,move on and chase my dreams - no matter how cheesy that sounds we simply ignore it. I love you all so much and I will definitely,not only visit,but return one day to tell you all about how crazy the world gets out there.

Love you idiots :)

[Ps: Story is set in my personal AU of the discord - I didn't manage to personally mention all people individually so bare with me: You all are important to me <3]

[dalishkadan]

wip wednesday

thank you @a11sha11fade for the tag! i'll tag @thedashingcaptainweird, @warpedlegacy, and @dreadfutures if y'all wanna do it. no pressure. :)

here's a little bit of the second chapter of my satinalia fic (a little longer excerpt than what i shared in a server) and i'm trying really hard to finish this!

-----

Even in the dim light afforded from the fire, she could see the line of his body shake as he quietly laughed. “On my honour as scion of House Pavus - for whatever that’s worth these days, anyway - I solemnly swear that I will not allow anyone to put you in a floofy dress.”

Whether Dorian had anything to do with it or not, she would never know, but the dress was indeed not floofy.

Katrin would never admit it, but she actually quite liked it. It was long and sleek and the top layer of material shimmered with a silver sheen that, if she was more sentimental for the holidays, she would have thought of as magical. It was still nice, though, she considered, as Lottie, her personal handmaiden since she’d been made Inquisitor, helped lace up the back for her. Her shoulders and decolletage were bared, the material wrapping around her chest and, to the casual eye, cinched and kept in place by a ring brooch that featured a horse design, a reference to her family crest. It was a subtle nod to her roots, low key enough that it didn’t bother her, as anyone who didn’t know noble heraldry would just think it a lovely pin. Two armbands held lengths of sheer material that could have been a train had they been allowed to flow freely, but after the near-disaster at Halamshiral, Lottie wisely affixed them to the armbands to instead give the idea of sleeves … or at least, that was Katrin’s best guess. Fashion wasn’t exactly her forte. Clean and not too many holes were her standards for dress. Standing there before the mirror as her handmaiden and several servants fussed over her, however, she had to admit that it had a lovely effect.

Really, she was happiest that she wouldn’t have to wait to be announced, like at winter palace. Even so, a similar thread of anxiety wrapped around her throat, making her pause to take several long, deep breaths as she stood just outside the door to the Hall. At the Empress’ own ball, she’d almost froze on the steps, and it was only by virtue of a gentle, subtle shove on Leliana’s end that she’d even been able to walk the length of the room. While she knew that this would be nothing like that, she couldn’t help but remember how it felt to have all those eyes on her, watching, examining her for any weakness to callously exploit in their game. And here, there was no one to give her that push.

At least, not until she heard a footfall behind her, and then she turned and found herself frozen for an entirely different reason. Krem had just walked into the small foyer of the apartment wing of Skyhold, broad hands adjusting the fit of his long, dark overcoat, oblivious to her presence until he looked up and he, too, stopped dead in his tracks. She barely noticed his pause, however, too caught up in noticing all the little details, like the subtle brocade of his vest and the delicate silver embroidery along his cuffs and lapels, a detail that, Katrin realised, coordinated well with her dress. His polished boots practically shone in the candle light, his trousers fitting closely to his well-muscled legs, and she could feel her cheeks begin to heat as her eyes swept upward and she saw his gaze fixed on her.

The way he looked at her, some might call it worship, but Katrin abhorred that term. Worship to her meant loud, boastful, public proclamations full of false piety and lies, a gesture made to make the worshipper look good rather than elevate the object of said worship. No, this was different, it was quiet and sincere, reverent, like a prayer said alone in the depths of a cave. It was real, so real her heart felt as if it might burst in that moment as he stepped toward her, a smile tugging softly at the far corners of his lips.

He spoke softly, but his voice might as well have been thunder as he murmured, “You look beautiful.”

Katrin’s cheeks were practically ablaze as she smiled, suddenly unable to meet his gaze anymore as she replied, “Ye look quite handsome, yerself. Dorian’s gonna have competition for best looking Tevinter of the night.”

Krem snorted as he moved closer. “Oh he can have the title of prettiest ‘Vint if he wants it, so long as I have you.” Holding the crook of his arm out, he offered, “May I escort you in, Your Worship?”

If anyone - literally, anyone - else referred to her with that title, she would have sighed tiredly if not outright rolled her eyes. But from Krem, it sounded like it actually meant something, something very important and special, and so her smile only widened as she slipped her hand onto his arm. “Please.”

[itsadamcole]

under the mistletoe

fem!reader x nick jackson

reader and Nick have had feelings for each other for years, and neither have admitted it. Until the two find themselves under the mistletoe ... “did you just kiss me?”

word count: 3k+

warnings: fluffy, nick being cute. a little bit of drinking

— day 5. let’s gooo —

masterlist || request an imagine here

***

You're on the phone with your best friend as you get dressed to go to his house for the annual Jackson Christmas party.

It's a party that Matt and Nick Jackson throw every year, and you've gone every year since they started throwing the party. Their family is invited. Both their families, their blood family and their wrestling family.

You've known Matt and Nick Jackson since June 2016, when the three of you were in Ring of Honor together. You signed with ROH and the first people you met were Matt, Nick, Kenny Omega, Adam Cole, Adam Page, and Cody Rhodes while they were backstage waiting for their segment to start. Kenny wasn't in Bullet Club yet but he was good friends with everyone in the group. Nick was the first person in the group to talk to you.

"Hey, I've never seen you around here," Nick said to you. "You new?"

You smiled and teased him saying, "Maybe. Who's asking? I'm not talking to someone important, am I?"

"You're only talking to a member of the greatest faction in ROH history," Nick said, teasing you back. "Nick Jackson, former ROH World Tag Team Champion." He held out his hand and you shook it.

Smiling, you said, "Y/N L/N, former NWA World Women's Champion."

And that was the beginning of a friendship that's lasted almost five years. You've become close to Nick, Matt, Kenny, Cole, Page, and Cody. You were thinking about forming a new faction with them before Cole left ROH in 2017 to go to NXT. Then the Young Bucks, Kenny, Adam Page, and Cody all signed to AEW. You joined them in AEW, where you're the number one contender for Hikaru Shida's AEW Women's World Championship.

Nick, who's on the phone with you now, asks, "What color are you wearing tonight? It's for science class."

Laughing, you say, "You haven't had a science class in years. Silver, by the way." You're tying the halter top of your dress behind your neck.

The dress you're wearing is silver, obviously. From the waist up is tight, hugging your muscular figure. There's a sparkly design on the top and the neck dips down, revealing the smallest amount of cleavage. The ties to tie the halter top are made of sheer silver fabric. The skirt flares out and ends right above your knees. The whole dress is satin.

"Gotcha," Nick says. "So I'll wear a black suit with a silver tie."

Since you've been invited to the annual Jackson Christmas party, you and Nick have always found some way to match each other while matching that year's theme. This year is formal attire, meaning the women wear dresses and the men wear suits or at least a tie. Last year was ugly sweaters, so you and Nick wore matching ugly Christmas sweaters.

You do your makeup at your desk. Your phone sits on speaker as you do a silver smokey eye look with a dark red lip.

A door opens on the other line and Matt, Nick's older brother, says, "Let me guess. Y/N is wearing something silver."

Nick laughs and says, "Maybe. She's on the phone."

Matt says, "Hi, Y/N. You on your way yet?"

"I'm finishing up my makeup then I am leaving," you giggle. "You two won't have to go much longer without seeing me."

Nick says, "Hurry up, Y/N.

"Makeup is art, Mr. Jackson. It takes more than a few minutes to do," you say, smiling. "I'll be there in a few minutes."

Your best friend laughs and says, "Well, you're only like five minutes away so I expect to see you in about ten."

Finally finishing your makeup, you say, "Make that seven. I'm leaving in two minutes. See you soon."

"Bye, Y/N," Nick says, hanging up the phone.

Just the thought of seeing Nick in a suit makes the butterflies flutter in your stomach. Nick has always looked handsome in a suit and it's honestly making you very excited that you get to see him in a suit tonight, especially in a suit with a tie that matches your dress.

After putting on a pair of three-inch heels, you take your phone and clutch before leaving your penthouse apartment just outside of Jacksonville. The Young Bucks don't live that far away. They don't live together because they have their own families but they live close together too. Within a block or two of each other. You live about three miles away. It's a five-minute drive so you get in your 2-year-old Toyota Corolla and drive to Nick's house.

The drive is extremely short as you try and calm your nerves. You're excited to see Nick but you're nervous about what he'll think of the dress.

You've had feelings for Nick for years. You've never told him. You know he doesn't feel the same way about you. He's had girlfriends, quite a few over the past four years, so if he had any feelings for you then he'd have told you by now.

After you get out of the car, after parking it in the driveway of Nick's house, you walk up to his front door. You knock and wait for someone to open the door.

Matt answers the door. He wears a crazy Christmas suit. You laugh. "Look at you," you say. "Does Dana mind the crazy outfit?"

"She offered to take care of the kids this year at our place," he says. "So she has no idea until someone posts a picture on Instagram or any other social media."

Laughing again, you walk inside.

Matt closes the door behind you and yells, "Nick! Your girlfriend is here!"

Nick calls, "Mel's here?"

You raise your eyebrows at Nick's brother and ask, "Who's Mel?"

"This girl that Nick's talking to," Matt says. "Don't tell Dana but she's kinda hot."

You feel your heart sink into your stomach and all you can say is, "Oh."

Nick walks into the living room and Matt's eyes widen. You blink at Matt as Nick says, "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long, Y/N. Cole and his boys are on their way. Kenny, Page, and Cody are already drinking all my alcohol in the kitchen. Everyone else will be here shortly."

You look over at Nick and smile. He looks really hot in that suit. He smiles at you. "You look good in the silver tie," you say, trying not to let what Matt said affect you. "Matches me."

Nick laughs and says, "That is kind of the point. We always match."

He hugs you and presses a kiss to the top of your head. Matt looks between the two of you before he says, "I'm gonna make sure that Kenny, Page, and Cody are doing okay." He leaves.

You watch Matt walk away and Nick asks, "What's up with him? He always stays and talks.

"Don't know," you say. "Anyway, I was told that you were talking to someone. Who is she? Tell me!"

Nick laughs and says, "Her name is Mel. She's nice, and hot. I just don't know how I feel about her."

"I should meet her," you say. "The best friend always meets the new girlfriend first."

Nick laughs again and says, "Yeah, that's true."

Matt calls from the kitchen, "Y/N! Come here!"

"I'll be right back," you say to Nick before walking off to the kitchen.

In the kitchen are Matt, Kenny, Adam Page, Cody, and Brandi Rhodes. You approach the group and ask, "Yes?"

The older Jackson says, "So, tell me something, Y/N. How long have you had some kind of feelings for my brother?"

You blink at Matt and say, "I don't."

"That's such bull," Kenny says. "I see it. The rest of us see it."

Matt says, "When I told you about Mel, all you said was 'oh' and your face just completely fell, Y/N."

You cross your arms over your chest and say, "That doesn't mean that I have feelings for him, Matt."

Cody asks, "You haven't told him, have you?"

You shake your head, defeated. Everyone already knows so you say, "Any time I try or I get the chance to, he tells me he's talking to someone new. He has no idea."

Matt says, "Tonight's the night. I know it is."

You start to walk away, wanting to be done with this conversation, and say, "Yeah, right."

You approach Nick in the living room talking to Adam Cole and his Undisputed Era boys. Nick looks over at you and smiles. "Hey," he says. "What did Matt want?"

"He wanted my opinion on the gift he got you for tonight," you lie.

Cole says, "I hope you gave a good opinion on what Matt got his brother." The group kind of laughs.

You smile and say, "I definitely did." There's a knock on the door. "I'll go get that. You guys keep this conversation going."

Nick goes back to talking to the boys and you go answer the door.

When you answer the door, you're greeted by a beautiful girl with long brown hair and hazel eyes. She's wearing a red satin strapless dress. It's short. The skirt ends about halfway down her thighs.

"Hi," she says cheerfully. "I'm Mel. Is Nick Jackson here?"

You give her a kind smile and say, "Yeah. He's in the living room. Silver tie."

She thanks you and walks inside. You shut the door and watch as she embraces Nick, hugging him and kissing him.

After watching that, you walk into the kitchen, rejoining Matt, Kenny, Page, Cody, and Brandi. "I need a drink," you announce. "Like pronto."

Page says, "I can help with that."

More and more people make their way into the house. The lights all come on and Christmas music is being played from a stereo in the living room.

Wrestlers from AEW, WWE, ROH, and other promotions all attend the party. Members of Nick and Matt's family attend as well.

It's about nine, and the party has been going for about two hours now. You're standing in the doorway of the kitchen from the dining room. People are scattered all throughout the house but these two rooms are the least crowded.

You watch Nick and his new girlfriend as they laugh and talk in the kitchen. You sip your drink and can't help but be a little jealous.

While you've been distancing yourself from Nick, he's also made no efforts to talk to you.

Matt walks up and stands beside you as you take a sip of your class of whiskey. "I hope you realize that you're standing under the mistletoe," he says. You glance up and take another sip.

"Well, look at that," you say. "I'm under the mistletoe with no one to kiss."

Both of you laugh and Matt says, "Well, there's one person we both know you'd rather be standing under the mistletoe with. I think he name starts with N and ends with a K."

You sigh at the mention of Nick and say, "He hasn't even tried to talk to me. Like, I might be keeping my distance a bit but he hasn't even checked in on me like he usually does. And we're matching." You pout.

An idea pops into Matt's mind and he says, "I'll be right back." He walks into the kitchen. You watch as he says something to Nick and Mel then leads Mel away. Nick approaches you.

"Hey," he says, leaning against the doorframe opposite you. "You doing okay? I know we haven't been talking as much as we normally do at these thing."

You force a smile and say, "I'm doing fine. I've just been kind of hanging around with Brandi, Britt, and Marina."

Nick smiles and says, "Well, Mel's been wanting for formally meet you. I've been telling her stories about our promos and the they wanted us to be in rival factions in ROH. Plus, I've been kind of introducing her to a lot of people here since she doesn't really know a lot of people. I hope you understand that since you know a lot of people."

That's true and a very valid excuse. You can't complain about that. That thought never even crossed your mind. Mel isn't a wrestler like the other girls that Nick has dated. She may know names but has never met anyone here.

"Yeah," you say. "Of course I understand. I know a lot of people and I'm friends with a lot of people here."

Your best friend says, "I knew you'd understand. Now, how about we go meet Mel. How does that sound?"

You nod, glancing above you at the mistletoe.

Nick starts to walk away. The alcohol you've been drinking gives you enough courage to say, "Hey, Nick? Wait a second."

He turns and looks back at you. You grab his hand and pull him back under the mistletoe. "What's up?" he asks.

Before you can talk yourself out of it, you get on your toes and kiss Nick. Your lips brush against his, unsure of the kiss. You gain some courage and kiss him harder.

The kiss lasts for about two seconds before Nick pulls back. Your eyes search his for any emotion as he asks, "Did you just kiss me?"

"Mistletoe," is all you say. "Look up."

Your best friend looks up and spots the mistletoe. He smiles and says, "Oh."

Anxiety starts to rise within you as you meet Nick's eyes. He leans down and his lips meet yours. You're confused but you kiss him back.

Nick's hands move so they're on your cheeks, cupping your face. You grab a fistful of Nick's suit jacket and he presses you against the doorframe.

Your lips move slowly against Nick's, enjoying the moment. Your heart races in your chest as you realize that this is actually happening. This is a real thing now. Everything you've felt for Nick coming out into the open.

There's a whistle and you look into the kitchen, seeing Kenny, Adam Page, Cody, Brandi, and Britt looking at you and Nick.

"I, um," you stammer. "I need to go get some fresh air." You leave the house from the back door. You step out onto the back deck, which is lit up by a few string of lights above the deck.

You lean against the railing and look out over the backyard. There's a pool and a wrestling ring. A forrest sits beyond the backyard.

You kissed Nick and he kissed you. He kissed back. He's talking to someone and he kissed you while Mel was in the other room.

The door opens behind you and you look back to see Nick. You sigh and say, "I overstepped my boundaries. I know that. I'm sorry."

It's quiet until Nick says, "She left. Mel, I mean. I told her that it was nice to know her and that she's a nice girl, but I also told her that I think I have feelings for someone else."

You raise your eyebrows and you turn around. Nick's about five feet away from you. "So you gave her the speech," you say, teasing Nick.

He laughs and says, "I gave her the speech, yeah." You smile. "Now, here I am. Finally telling you how I feel about you. I like you, Y/N. I have for years. All those girls, I was with them to maybe distract myself from you because you're too damn good for me and I know you don't have feelings for me."

You smile and get flustered as you say, "I never said that I don't have feelings for you, Nick. Actually, it's the opposite. I've liked you since pretty much the day we met. I was almost jealous of all those girls you were talking to or dated. Scratch that, I was jealous of all those girls you talked to or dated because I wish I was them."

A wide smile forms on Nick's lips and he says, "All this time, I could have asked you out and been with you but instead I dated around."

You giggle, "You should have talked to me."

Nick walks up to you and says, "I really should have."

His hands cup your face and he pulls you into a passionate kiss. You smile into the kiss and put your hands on Nick's chest. He smiles against your lips as he slowly pulls back from the kiss.

Your eyes meet Nick's and he asks, "What does this mean for us? We'll never be the same after tonight."

"I want you," you say, staring up at Nick. "Do you want me?"

Nick smiles and nods. "Yeah, I do," he says. "I really want you."

Smiling, you say, "Then I'm yours. All yours. I've always been yours, Nick."

He leans down and kisses you again. His arms wrap around your waist and he lifts you up, spinning you around with your lips on his. You giggle into the kiss.

"Holy shit," you hear from the sliding back door. "It looks like it finally happened."

Nick pulls back and looks behind you. You turn around, standing beside Nick. His left arm is around your shoulder.

Matt, Kenny, Adam Page, Cody, Brandi, Adam Cole, and Britt all stand at the door. Matt has a huge smile on his face. "It did finally happen, didn't it?" the older Jackson asks.

You look up at Nick and he nods. "It finally happened," he says, looking down at you.

"Thank God," Kenny says. "It's about time. We all knew this would happen eventually and it finally freaking happened."

Nick's cheeks get red and you smile. "Guys, stop," you giggle. "Nick's getting all flustered."

Matt smiles and says, "Aw. Nicky's blushing."

You look up at Nick and you say, "It's kind of cute."

His cheeks get even more red and he tries to hide. You reach up and wrap your arms around his neck, and he hides his face in yours. The group laughs and you walk inside, rejoining the party.

[natural-namjoon]

𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧

Seonghwa fluff, very mild smut.

Very mild, just making out and heavy groping that's pretty much it.

“Blaze it up and we'll be cruisin'

With the top down

Rev up the engine we'll be cruisin'

Watch it go down

Get in my truck and I'll be ridin'

With my top down

With my top down

My top down”   

The sun shone brightly as you drove your old truck down the Hot Arizona highway, leaving Phoenix. Your new destination was Los Angeles. Having lived the nomad lifestyle ever since you got out of high school, you were always on the road jumping from city to city, working odd jobs to keep some money in your pocket and once you felt you spent enough time in one place you’d pack up your few belongings and head out to a new place. You had called phoenix your home for 6 months, staying longer than usual because the hotel job you had paid pretty well and you were able to save up a bit of money for yourself, but the dry heat finally got to you and you decided to leave, randomly picking LA for your next destination. 

In 3 hours you found yourself crossing state lines, passing a sign welcoming you to the golden state. It only took another 3 hours to find your way in between the sprawling buildings of the city of angels. You had found a random gas station and decided to refill your tank and grab a snack for yourself. After getting gas and doing a little search on your phone you found a decently clean 3-star hotel to stay in, after booking and confirming your stay you decided to check-in and freshen up. The vibes of the big city were buzzing in your veins and you felt like going out and seeing the sights. After a quick shower, you threw on a cute black slip dress that flattered your curves along with some strappy sandals. Looking out your hotel window you could see the shoreline in the distance, the sun would be setting pretty soon and you’d never seen the west coast before so off you went.

 It felt so freeing to you and it was one of the reasons for living the way you did. Going from place to place, the vibe of each place was different and unique and it energized your soul every time you were able to breathe in the air of a new place filled with new people and experiences. It took a bit of time to make your way to the beach because of the ungodly traffic but you made it just as the sun was setting. There were lots of people on the beach, children and families laughing and playing. Feeling self-conscious,you decided to wait and people-watch from one of the many restaurants that lined the beach and boardwalk. You ducked into this goofy themed crab restaurant and you found a seat at the window so you could watch the sunset over the water. 

You sat and just got lost in your thoughts, thinking of home and how long it's been since you spent any quality time with your friends and family let alone someone of the opposite gender. Your lifestyle was lonely and you knew that before you even had left, spending 2- 4 months in each city didn’t really allow for serious relationships, and yeah, you had a couple of hook-ups but those were few and far in between. Overall you were about as unserviced as your truck which was bad in both aspects but you loved the adventure your lifestyle brought and it was easier that way. 

During your inner monologue, you didn’t hear someone come up and start talking nor did you hear the second or third time he tried to get your attention so it was after the light touch to your shoulder that had you jumping out of your skin. That you realized a waiter had come to your lone table. 

“Sorry didn’t mean to scare you, were you wanting to order something?” you looked up to the waiter. The first thing you noticed was the goofy looking bright red cartoon crab that was plastered on his snapback hat. Your eyes traveled down and then you really saw him, 

‘Holy shit he’s hot.’ you thought to yourself, he had a jawline that could cut diamond and plump lips and gorgeous soft brown eyes, you could also see dark brown hair peeking out under his cap. To cover up your awkward silence and blatant staring you coughed and nodded like a dummy,

“I- um yeah i'll take water for now and-” you quickly glanced at the front of the menu and pointed at a picture of something that looked like fried chicken pieces with fries. “ and that…” you prayed he was just some random worker who didn’t care or notice your awkwardness. 

The most gorgeous smile slowly formed on his face followed by a deep chuckle, you couldn’t help the deep embarrassment you felt as he laughed at you. He cleared his throat,

“Alright sounds good, so that will be one order of the fried shrimp and chips and water, got it.” He started to scribble in his little notepad and he reached down to grab your menu but you kept your hand on it 

“No- um…..actually not that-” again your embarrassment had your face inflamed. “I’m allergic to seafood,” you said in a quiet voice, there was a moment of complete silence between the two of you until he busted out laughing, it was a hearty, real laugh, a part of your brain noticed how beautiful his laugh was but the bigger part of your brain was in error mode. All you could do was put your head down as he laughed at your obvious incompetence. Suddenly he reached down and gently touched your hand with his as his laughter died down. He shook his head,

“I’m sorry I’m not laughing AT you, it's just funny, you're allergic to seafood yet the first restaurant you picked has a giant crab on the front.” another round of giggles left him as he leaned on the table. You couldn’t help but laugh too at the stupid situation you put yourself in.

“ I know, I wasn’t really thinking, I just wanted to find a place to watch the sunset.” you gestured to the large window that framed your table, he looked from the shoreline to you, he felt something fluttering in his chest, he obviously noticed how pretty you were and the dress you had on hugged you in all the right places. He smirked then cleared his throat, getting your attention from the seaside view.

“I’m Seonghwa by the way.” he reached his hand out and you took it shyly, his hand was big but soft and his fingers were long and elegant looking adorned with silver rings.

“I’m (Y/N)” you said with a smile. He smiled back.

“Let me make you a deal, You hang here, and I'll go find you something you can actually eat without dying. Deal?” He winked and you could feel your arms losing circulation. All you could do was nod and he flashed a brilliant smile.

“Ok, hang tight (Y/N)” he turned and made his way to the back of the restaurant. You took a deep breath to steady your heart, you decided then and there that night you might act up and see where the night leads you and Seonghwa. Hopefully, it was your hotel room. After about 4 minutes an older waitress came over and put a fancy looking orange and pink cocktail in front of you, 

“Oh, I’m sorry, I ordered water” in the same moment the sentence left your mouth she also put a crisp glass of water down in front of you, then she leaned down closer to you

“It’s from pretty boy back there” You both turned to the restaurant bar where Seonghwa stood behind it, waving in your direction. The waitress waggled her eyebrows at you then sauntered off with a cheeky grin.

You looked down to the bright drink and after a small sniff, you noticed it smelled really sweet and fruity, so it must not be that bad. You took a small sip and the tropical citrus flavor danced on your tongue, it didn’t even taste like alcohol. It was dangerous. Alone again you let your mind wander as you watched each family pack up and start leaving the beach, as it got darker the beach became more and more sparse. 30 minutes had passed and after people-watching you hadn’t realized you’d finished your cocktail and it was the smell of food that brought you out of your trance. You turned to find Seonghwa setting a large plate of Chicken strips and fries down in front of you. You were warm from the alcohol and starving.

“Whoa” was all you said as you looked up at him. You noticed he was dressed differently, his goofy hat and apron were gone and now covering his black work polo was a jean jacket and his hair had been slicked back. Hot damn he looked delicious. He smiled down at you then took a seat opposite of you.

“ Yeah ‘whoa’ is right, for a seafood restaurant their chicken strips are amazing, but I did have to fight the chef to make enough for two adults because these usually come in kids meals.” he rambled as he took a chicken strip off the plate and started eating. You just stared blankly at him, confused as to what was happening, He just looked back at you expecting an answer.

“Um… what’s happening here?” you asked and he chuckled again

“ My shift just ended and you told me you’d stay here while I find food for you, this was the deal” he explained taking another bite.

“But I only had to wait UNTIL you got me food, by law I can leave and take these to go” you pulled the plate closer to you, teasing him. He scoffed then quickly reached over and grabbed another tender before you could pull the plate farther away from him.

“Hey!” you laughed shielding your food. He laughed with you. 

“ Actually I wanted you to stay so I could hear your story” he explained sincerely.

“What makes you think I have a story?” you asked, taking a bite of chicken, holy shit the chicken was heavenly. He shrugged,

“Tourists always come to the beach first and usually they wander in here cause we’re right by the entrance to the beach.”

“What makes you think that’s what I did?” he piqued your curiosity

“Because, that’s what I did when I first got here, and that’s how I got this job.” He grabbed a couple of fries, popping them in his mouth. “although I walked in here because I actually like seafood” he teased you laughing as he got another tender from your shared plate. You laughed with him shaking your head.

“Shut up, it was an honest mistake, what restaurant has ONLY seafood except for on the kid’s menu, I’m going to complain to the manager” You joked and he snorted.

“Wouldn't be the first time. Anyways so, where are you from and what brings you to this godforsaken city” he said the last part a little bitterly. You were taken aback by his words, 

“What do you mean so far this city has been beautiful. Lots of people, but beautiful.” He chewed silently pondering your words. After he swallowed his bite he sighed

“I thought the same thing before I got jumped one night on my way home from work. Took my wallet and cell but not before I got a blade in my ribs.” He explained darkly, not meeting your eyes. You sat speechlessly, what do you say to that?

“No I-I get it...before I came here I was in Phoenix Arizona, some co-workers and I went out one night, I got separated from them and a man snuck up on me, held a gun to my head and made me hand over my bag. Thank god my car keys had been in my pocket, but I remember feeling so helpless and scared.” You told him, taking a sip of water, feeling the buzz of the alcohol leaving you. Both of you were silent, Seonghwa was mentally kicking himself for bringing the mood down, he hadn’t meant too but he had hoped his story could be one of caution to you but all he did was make you relive a bad memory. He sighed and signaled for one of the waitresses to come over. He ordered another cocktail and she was back with it in a couple minutes. He took the glass and slid it over to you,

“Sorry, I killed the mood I wasn’t trying to get you down.” you smiled at him, grateful for the offer but you had to decline, you still had to drive yourself back to your hotel room.

“I’ll drive you,” he offered immediately. You raised an eyebrow and he laughed

“I won’t try anything. I have to work an early shift anyways so I can’t have too much fun, I'll just catch a bus from your place once you're safe inside.”

You felt your heart warm, he was really sweet. You somehow had the luck to run into him on your first day there, you decided if he couldn’t have too much fun, then a little bit of fun would go a long way. You leaned down and took a big sip of the cocktail, but made a face as the burning taste of vodka overpowered the sugar and fruity taste,

“Oooh this one is strong” you voice came out hoarse as you choked and he laughed

“Yeah I’m the only one who can make this drink the right way, it’s kind of my specialty” he examined the glass absently

“What’s the drink called? I’ve never had it before,” you asked taking another small sip,

He looked up and met your eyes, there was something dark in his soft brown eyes, a kind of mischief that made your stomach flip

“Sex on the beach,” he said softly in his deep voice, keeping direct eye contact with you. You breathed out slowly and without breaking the eye contact you responded 

“your specialty is sex on the beach?” you asked, your voice small. He smirked, finally breaking eye contact as he reached down his fingers tracing the lines on the top of your hands. 

“Something like that.” 

Suddenly you didn't care about seeing the beach, You took another big drink of your liquid courage, managing to not make a gross face this time and you looked at him,

“How about instead of escorting me home, maybe you can take me into the city? Cruise around, show me the city lights and nightlife, you don’t have to go home right this instant?” you asked leaning forward giving him puppy dog eyes hoping he’d accept. 

He laughed at your eagerness, after a quick check of his phone he accepted and you smiled feeling victorious.

Quickly getting up and packaging your food to go you went to pay for the food but he just grabbed your arm and led you out the door. 

“Wait, this is stealing,” you said bluntly feeling buzzed.

“I’m an assistant manager, it’s on me.” He responded cooly 

“Oh excuse me I didn’t know I was hanging with a High Roller” you teased. He laughed as you guys came to the parking lot of the beach, there weren’t many cars and your old red Dodge Dakota truck stood out lonely in a far corner. You beckoned for him to follow as you stumbled over to your trusty vehicle. Once you got to the truck you tossed him the keys,

“This is not the car I expected you to have” he laughed unlocking the door.

“Yup i've had this old girl for years, i  saw her in a used car lot and had to have her.” you climbed in the passenger seat and tossed the bag of food in the back seat. 

One you both were in and buckled up he laughed

“So you're just a young pretty girl that drives an old beat up truck that's probably older than you?” he  laughed again turning to you

“I know it's weird right…” you turned to him trying to look intimidating

“You know this could all be a ruse, I could be luring you to the back alleys of the city to kill you and keep your head in my fridge.

After a beat you realized how weird that really sounded and you silently cursed the alcohol for making you so loose lipped. 

Luckily Seonghwa wasn't fazed as he burst out laughing then turned to you and cocked his eyebrow

“Is that a threat or a promise??” he giggled and started the truck, you thanked the heavens he was so easygoing. 

“Wanna know the main reason I wanted this truck?” you asked him, reaching across him to a switch near the drivers door, noting how good he smelled while you did it, and flipped a small switch. There was a groaning and whining noise then the whole top of your truck moved and folded back on itself and after a moment you were both sitting with the salty sea air around you. 

“ WHAT? This is so COOL!” he exclaimed looking like a kid with a new toy “I didn't know that convertible trucks existed!!” he was laughing in excitement and you laughed with him. 

“Lets fuckin go then!” he yelled and revved the engine and soon you guys were on the road headed for downtown L.A.

In no time you both were cruising with the top down, enjoying the nightlife, the city was so big and there were so many people out shopping, and eating and there were a lot of people performing and busking on the sides of the roads. It was all so magical and you felt so exhilarated, In all honesty there wasn't anything about L.A that you had not seen in other big cities, but this city had one thing the others didn't, and that was Seonghwa. Having someone with you to experience things with, made a world of a difference. Every so often when you'd get excited and would point and laugh and sit with amazement he would always look at you with the softest eyes and he looked upon you with this kind of adoration that you had never seen someone look at you with. He would tell you stories of his first experiences with the various locations you guys passed by and he had you laughing and every so often he would rest his hand on your thigh absentmindedly, not in a creepy way, but in a way that felt familiar, like he'd done it a thousand times. His hand was a comfortable warmth on your cool skin and it felt right being there with him, everything about him was perfect.

After a bit of driving he started to head to where he lived, you had offered to drop him off as the night had grown long and he had gotten a few phone calls from his roommates asking when he'd be home so unfortunately he had to head home and you were sobered up enough to drive finally. He pulled into the driveway and parked, not before putting the top back up. There was a silence in the car, neither of you wanted to end the night, but Seonghwa had responsibilities and he had to sleep because he had to open up at work the next day. 

After a bit of silence he reached over again and gently put his hand on your knee, you placed your smaller hand on his,

“Well, (Y/N) i'm glad you stumbled into my restaurant today, this is the most fun i've had with another person in a long time.” he smiled at you, eyes running over your body as his thumb drew circles on your knee. You had heard what he said, and you wanted to respond with something sweet and wholesome but all you could focus on was his lips and his hand on your skin. With the hand that was placed on his you grabbed his wrist and slowly pulled his hand up higher on your thigh pushing back the fabric of your dress until he was a inch away from your center. You felt him tense up and your breathing got heavy as you watched him and waited for him to do something,

“(Y/N)...” he breathed out, voice deep and filled with lust as he stared at the spot his hand was in and were it was going, he gave your thigh a test squeeze, 

“Seonghwa..” you didn't mean for your voice to come out as a small moan but the anticipation and sexual tension was becoming too much for you. Suddenly Seonghwa leaned down and pressed his lips against yours, you immediately opened your mouth to deepen the kiss further, frantically unbuckling your seat belt so you could climb over onto his lap. Without breaking the kiss you settled onto his lap and his hands were all over you. Your brain was a deep fog, there was nothing you could think other than the feeling of his soft lips on yours and the feeling of his big hands as he squeezed your ass. You slipped your hands under his shirt wanting to feel more of him, he broke the kiss only to swiftly remove his jacket and polo shirt. You took a moment to marvel at his body, he was leaned and chiseled, not too much muscle but there were abs and broad shoulders, this man was like a drug, everything he did and everything about him was so intoxicating. You ran your hands up and down his chest and down his back as he pulled you closer, you  noticed a hardnessed pressed against your lower parts and you smiled in the kiss, feeling how hard he got and all you guys were doing was kissing. Ever so slowly you pressed your hips down harder onto his crotch and started grinding, he broke the kiss as his head fell back and a groan escaped his lips,

“Oh my god (Y/N) fuck..” you took that as a sigh to grind your hips harder onto his erection, causing more intense friction on your clit, both of you held each other, a moaning and whining mess. You absently thought about how hot and bothered you were getting with your clothes on, you couldn't wait to get them off. You went to kiss him again, tongue exploring as he grasped your hips harshly, trying to slow your movements because your makeout session was getting really intense really fast.

You were about to pull back and ask if they should go back to your hotel room for more privacy when there was a loud rapping at the driver side window, you let out a surprised squeak as you moved to cover any exposed parts. Both you and Seonghwa turned and standing on the other side of the window was a tall man, he looked young like you guys and he had peach colored messy hair and various stains on his oversized sweater. 

“Yuhno What the Fuck???” Seonghwa said incredulously, The man named Yuhno gestured for him to roll the window down, after the glass was no longer between them Seonghwa snapped at the taller man

“ Yuhno I said I'd be home soon, I was kind of in the middle of something.” he lectured, angrily pulling his shirt back on.

“Yeah I can see that, and as much as hate to cockblock you and this lovely lady-” he looked over at you and waved cutely, all you could do was laugh and wave back embarrassed. “But Wooyoung and Mingi duct taped Hongjoong to the wall and they won't let me get him down, San wont stop crying because he was trying to do a trick off the counter and dropped half our plates. I tried to get Jongho and Yeosang to help but they went into their rooms and refused to come out.” Yuhno explained in the most calm way possible. Seonghwa just silently sat for a moment and sighed,

“The one day you all have a day off while I have to work late and of course there is pure chaos, just- go get Hongjoong down and I'll be inside in a second.” Yuhno just nodded and after waving at you again he hurried back to the shared house. Seonghwa just sighed and rubbed his eyes tiredly,

“ Are these your roommates or do you have kids I don't know about?” Seonghwa let out a genuine laugh then he looked tiredly at you,

“Im sorry, my roommates are a bit…. Eccentric.” he said the last word slowly. You giggled, then leaned over and gave him a small peck on his lips. He pressed his forehead to yours and sat for a moment, basking in your scent. Then with another defeated sigh he climbed out and you slid into the driver seat behind him. He closed your door and leaned in the open window pressing another quick kiss to your lips, the longing in his eyes almost made you want to cry as it mirrored your own longing. He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to you and you realized it was your phone, 

“Don't be mad but I put my number in your phone” he chuckled

“When did you get my phone?!” you asked genuinely surprised he just chuckled and tucked a strand of hair behind your ear. 

“I have my ways, I just want to make sure I’ll get to see you again.” he said the last part as a question

“Of course” you said softly cupping his cheek to emphasize your adoration. He didn't make any move to leave your side until there was a loud crashing and incoherent yelling from the inside of the house. 

“I gotta go,” he shot you an apologetic smile and turned and jogged up to the front door. As he pulled open the door you could hear high pitched laughter and other sounds of ruckus happening in the house.

“Wooyoung!” he barked as he slammed the door behind him followed by a high pitched scream you could hear from inside your truck.

 You looked down at the new contact in your phone under the name Seonghwa and smiled. The whole drive home you had butterflies as you thought about your day and the amazing man you spent part of it with. You'd never experienced anything like this before all the other times you were with a guy it was a hookup and you never really saw the men again, but you knew without a doubt you wanted to see Seonghwa over and over again. 

“Coming to L.A. was a good choice after all” you said to yourself as you made your way back to your hotel “ I think that I might stay”

[kozutenshi]

Sugawara cleared his throat as he sat in front of you. The library was peacefully quiet except for the occasional footsteps and the sound of the keys of the keyboard being pressed. Taking his notes out, he greeted a soft "good morning" to you as he smiled.

You smiled at him back and returned his greeting before focusing down on your own notes. At least, trying to.

His eyes scanned through his notes, if possible, all too graceful. The highlighted words caught your eyes, all uniform in a pastel green. His notes were organized, at least from what you see.

The best thing is, you need them.

"Your notes are pretty." He looked up to find you staring at his notes curiously, before handing one of his notebooks to you. "Don't kid me, y/n. You need notes on English, don't you?" You only chuckled at his implication, not even trying to deny it. "Thank you Koushi! I'll return it later?"

Your chuckle rang through his mind, a fond look making its way to his face before smiling brightly. "No problem n/n."

MANANG BIDAY

— An Ilocano folk song written around the Spanish Period passed down orally through the different ages.

— The song is about a courtship tradition called harana, serenade in English. The courting man can go alone or with company to support him. He will have to not only court the partner they want but also the whole family.

— The song is sung by the man who is courting their beloved, telling the lady named Biday to look out from her window. The lady responds back, and the song is somewhat lika poetic, musical conversation.

— Though harana isn't popular nowadays, Manang Biday is still sung and learned by students along with other folk songs.

NOTE: Song featured is when you're ready by shawn mendes!

"This is rather awkward."

Sugawara had his arms wrapped around you as his teammates gawked or stared blankly, dumbfounded at the sight of you. Though it may look like an innocent hug, it was surprising. Not only that, but, the fact that Sugawara had recovered over his daze faster than them, showing you off to them as his girlfriend.

Even your face warmed up as he met your eyes and felt his fingers intertwine with yours. Hinata jumped happily, Tsukishima wincing at the ray of sunshine's gesture.

Too bright for him.

Asahi and Daichi congratulated the two of you with soft smiles as Nishinoya dragged your boyfriend towards Tanaka and Hinata's direction.

"How did it happen, Y/N-senpai?" Yachi curiously asked you, a slight blush on her cheeks. Recalling what had happened, it made you chuckle in both happiness and embarrassment.

Their footsteps were muffled by the grass as he finds himself in your front yard with his juniors. Shifting nervously he hummed to calm his nerves. "Alright. Let's do it."

"Maybe I had too many drinks, but that's just what i needed."

With Tsukishima on the guitar and Yamaguchi on the beats, Sugawara felt like all of their secret practices paid off as they played their instruments wonderfully.

Open the damned window, he thought as he sang.

"Don't know why i tried, cause aint nobody like you. Familiar disappointment every single time I do."

The song came to you muffled by your closed window, the chill seeping through the cracks slightly.

"Baby tell me when you're ready, I'm waiting."

You opened your window hurriedly as he smiled up at you, happy that you finally opened your window. Your family gathered in the living room as they hurriedly and giddily witnessed the man serenade you, his sweet smile enchanting them easily.

Whirling towards you, your friends who were over for a study session dragged you downstairs as they cheered at you, telling you to "go for it" and "approach him!" as they reacted to every slight movement as "cute!" or even, "ah, young love."

The man only smiled bigger as he sees you at the front door standing. The chill was starting to seep through your clothes but you didn't care. Your focus was only towards the man with his lovely voice, as if coaxing you to look at him with the lines on his mouth beautifully falling. His eyes never left yours, making your face warm up with the attention he's giving.

The evening complimented him, the soft lights making his gray hair shine metallically. His eyes looked even softer, even warmer. They reminded you of the warm summer's morning rays, something out of place but perfectly needed against the chill of the night. Everything about him made you swoon.

He looked perfect.

"And if I have to, I'll wait forever."

He started walking towards your direction, only to stop singing as he introduced himself to your family. This made them excited, all too happy even, as they encouraged him to finish the song.

"Yeah you know that we fit together," he sang as he took your hand. "I know your heart like the back of my hand."

Solely singing to you now, the acoustics accompanied the wispiness of his voice, creating an enchanting vibe. The man only squeezed your hand before kissing its knuckles as he finished the song.

"Even ten years from now, if you haven't found somebody I promise i'll be around. Tell me when you're ready, I'm waiting, I'm waiting."

He said his goodbyes as you tried to take in what he had done. A serenade in front of your family, not just small flirtations and random visits. Your mind was racing, trying to think of something to explain it, but the only thing on your mind was one valid reason:

He was serious.

"Chase him!" Your family insisted as they pushed you towards their retreating figures.

Sugawara only smiled at his juniors who looked at him curiously questions in their eyes.

"Why did you do it?" "Why didn't you wait for their answer?" "Don't you think it would be better if we stayed?" Their eyes seemed to say this questions, but the only thing he gave them is a 'thank you'. The juniors didn't question their senior, opting to find their way to their own houses as they bid their goodbyes at the fork on the road.

"Koushi!" Your voice made his eyes widen, the duo that was with him stopping at a good distance to watch the scene. You caught sight of his gray turned silver hair under the streetlight, the coldness of the wind making you regret not bringing a jacket in a hurry. You slowed down as you got closer to him before wordlessly pecking his cheek. Blush dusted his face, visible even in the dark. "Y/n-" you cut him off through leaning on his shoulder sheepishly, embarrassment flooding your senses.

Admitting feelings never really got easy.

"I like you too." Sugawara relaxed as he hears your words, releasing a breath of relief. "I like you too, Koushi," you repeated. Your heartbeat pounded fast as he puts a hand on your shoulder, detaching you from him. You were confused, before he pressed a kiss on your forehead, taking you in his arms properly.

Warmth flooded your veins, and you were right; he felt like a home in a summer morning. Comforting and cozy. His heart likewise was loud as you listened to its beats.

"Then, we kind of just.. got together." Yachi's eyes, along with Noya, Hinata and Tanaka, sparkled in happiness. The two of you had told the same story, only in both your perspectives, but hearing the roar of the boys made you laugh as Sugawara sheepishly smiled at you.

Yachi strayed back to her duties as a club manager as you found yourself sitting with Sugawara on the floor. The two of you watched Tanaka approach Kiyoko saying, "If I serenade you, will you marry me?" which Kiyoko gave a firm no to. Sharing laughter, you leaned on Sugawara as he presses a small kiss on your temple, before helping Daichi put the team in order.

TRAVELLERS: @akasuns @doodleniella @kenmaki @lyzzklm @mfcassandra @oikaw-ugh @seijohlogy @thesecondapplepienation

[pixiegrl]

I'll Give You The Best Years

Luke and Ashton get their backyard wedding

Hello hello everyone. I’m back with Part 29 (WHAT) of Lingerie Sos. Originally, this was supposed to be part 3 of what was a three part series. As you can see, the series has evolved since September, but this was always the build up for the series. Luke and Ashton get married. They deserve a happy ending. As always, thanks to Amanda for the constant love and support I really love you and thank you for being my friend even when my brain is being not great. Please enjoy this little slice into Lashton’s life

on ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29889180

Luke’s been sitting at the vanity table for the last 30 minutes. They’re supposed to be getting ready to get married. Ashton’s downstairs, trying to wrangle Petunia, Moose, South, Duke and Penny (Sierra and KayKay’s dog) into their own little floral collars. They’ve set up the deck chairs and a pseudo altar outside to make the wedding look official. Ashton’s already wearing his dress shirt and pants. Everything else is ready to go, wedding ready to start. By all means, Luke should be ready. However, they are not. 

Luke’s sitting at the vanity table, squeezing their fingers into the edge of the bench and trying to breath. It’s really hitting them that they’re getting married. Luke’s logically known this the whole time, but it suddenly feels all too real that it’s happening. That once Luke walks down the aisle and Calum says the words, Luke and Ashton will be married. They’ll be bound together. It’s everything Luke’s ever wanted, but it doesn’t make them any less nervous to be taking such a big step.

Luke’s barely started their makeup. There’s foundation on and that’s where Luke had frozen and stopped. They already have their jewelry on, small little star earrings to go with the clip Luke’s already put in their curls, heart charm necklace sitting in the hollow of their throat. Luke’s already put the dress on, lingerie peeking out. There’s just one last step to finishing their makeup and then they can put on their heels and finally go downstairs.

Luke’s just...having a moment. It’s suddenly hitting them that they’re getting married. Luke’s never considering marrying anyone else, it’s always been Ashton. Sure, Luke dated other people before and such, but ever since they realized they liked boys too, it’s always been Ashton Luke pictured marrying. Luke’s family has always considered Ashton part of their family and vice versa with the Irwins. When Luke had told their family that Ashton proposed, no one ever said they were too young or that it was too soon. It’s almost as if everyone else just knew that marriage was the next natural step for them. That as soon as Luke and Ashton had announced they were together, everyone just placed bets on when, not if, they would get married. Michael used to call them an old married couple all the time, even before they were together. Luke’s thought more concretely about marrying Ashton practically since they officially became partners, pictured a whole life with Ashton, living out their dreams and growing old together. It’s just finally hitting Luke that it’s happening. They’re going to walk downstairs and officially marry Ashton and that’s it. The rest of their lives begin, which has always been their dream. Luke’s just...having a moment to process all of that. 

There’s a knock on the door. 

“Lu?” Michael asks, voice hesitant. 

“Yeah?”  

“Can I come in? You’re supposed to be done here,” Michael says. Luke mumbles some answer that must be close enough to yes for Michael. Luke glances up, sees Michael entering the room. He looks nice, wearing the black lace crop top, red silk bra underneath matching the red plaid miniskirt, black fishnets, and combat boots, smudgy black eyeliner around his eyes. Michael looks soft and punk and Luke’s trying to focus on him, map the way Michael looks while he crosses the room, so Luke doesn’t have to focus on their panic.

“Hey,” Michael says, face worried as he sits on the vanity bench next to Luke. He wraps an arm around Luke, pulling them close to his body. Luke curls into Michael, taking deep breaths.

“Hey,” they whisper back softly. Luke’s happy they haven’t gotten to their makeup yet as they rub their face into Michael’s shoulder.

“What’s the matter?”

“Just nervous.”

“What about?”

“Everything. I’m 24, Ashton’s 26. Are we moving too fast Mikey? Should we wait? Is it too soon?”

“Lu, you and Ashton are perfect for each other. You’re so perfect for each other it’s actually sickening. You guys are soulmates. It’s so clear that you two love each other so completely I’ve never seen two people so wonderfully matched. Ashton would walk to the ends of the Earth for you and you would do the same for him. Do you love him?”

“With my whole heart.”

“And do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?”

“Obviously.”

“Then why wait? Seems silly to waste any time when you’re sure,” Michael says. Luke glances up at Michael.

“You think?”

“I know. You two are perfect together. Might as well make it official,” Michael says. He takes Luke’s face in his hands, kissing their forehead. Luke giggles, tightness in their chest loosening at the reassurance.

“Thanks Michael.”

“You’re welcome. Now, I think it’s time to put your makeup on. You’re supposed to be getting married. Can’t keep the groom waiting,” Michael says, bopping Luke’s nose. They laugh, batting Michael’s hand away. Michael sticks his tongue out. 

It’s easy after that for Luke to put the powder on, the champagne eyeshadow, blue eyeliner, pink lipstick, painting their cheeks and collarbone with highlighter. Luke smiles at Michael in the mirror when Michael steals a tube of red lipstick to use, pressing a red lipped kiss to Luke’s shoulder, marking it. Luke laughs, giddy and happy. Michael smiles back, bumping his shoulder against Luke’s. Luke can hear music filtering through the bedroom door, the sounds of Ashton laughing with Sierra and KayKay, dogs barking. 

“Are you ready?” Michael asks. 

“Yeah.”

“Let me tell everyone so they can get ready and then I’ll come back for you,” Michael says. Luke nods, watching in the mirror as Michael leaves. Luke stands, taking a deep breath and smoothing the skirt of their dress out. Luke grabs their heels, sliding their feet into them and taking one final look in the mirror. 

Luke has to admit they look good. The dress is off the shoulder and a sheer, champagne colored fabric, covered in blue and silver stars. There’s a slit in the long flowing tulle skirt, just high enough to see the top of Luke’s stockings, the line of the blue garter belt. The corset style top frames the pale blue satin bra and panty set Luke’s wearing, matching the blue heels. They tried to get all the proper wedding things. The dress is something new, the lingerie and heels something blue, the sparkly star clips in Luke’s curls borrowed from KayKay for that piece and the heart charm necklace and bracelet something old. Luke feels perfect, every inch of them ready to get married. 

“Everyone’s ready Luke,” Michael says, popping his head into the door. Luke smiles, turning to Michael. 

“Okay. I’m ready,” Luke says, holding their hand out to Michael. He grins taking it, pulling Luke close and linking their elbows. Michael pulls out the bouquet of blue and purple hydrangeas from behind his back, giving them to Luke. They take them, grasping them with both hands. 

“Let’s get you a husband,” Michael says, voice soft and tender. Luke smiles, letting Michael lead the way down the stairs. 

It’s only once Luke hits the bottom of the stairs, letting Michael guide them both to the open sliding door that leads to the backyard that they think they might cry. The atlar they’ve crafted for the day sits next to the pool, weather warm enough for them to do this outdoors. They’ve dragged some of the chairs that usually sit around the table on their deck for Sierra, KayKay and Michael to use so that they are in front of the altar. It’s simple and full of love. Calum’s standing at the makeshift arch they’ve created from flowers, papers in hand, grinning. Someone’s managed to convince the dogs to sit still by the chairs, even though KayKay’s holding Penny in their arms, grinning. Luke’s trying to take it all in, squeezing Michael’s arm, but as soon as their eyes land on Ashton, it’s all they can focus on. 

He’s standing next to Calum in his suit pants and a red shirt, hair perfectly styled back. Ashton’s dimples are creasing his cheeks and his eyes light up when he sees Luke standing in the doorway. He makes an aborted movement to reach a hand out to Luke, hand hovering midair for Luke to join him. Luke knows him well enough to see the slight shake to Ashton’s hand, the way he swallows looking at Luke standing there. Luke’s relieved they’re doing this now, in front of their friends, can get the nerves and anxieties and fear out of the way now so no one starts crying in front of their families later. Luke can already feel the tears at the back of their eyes, the overwhelming certainty that this is everything Luke’s ever wanted.

“Aren’t you supposed to have music to walk down the aisle to?” Michael teases. Luke stifles a laugh into the flowers, mood broken by Michael’s grin, face lit up. Sierra answers the question by pulling her phone out and playing Best Years. It’s strange, hearing their own voice played back to them, lightening the mood as the rest of the guys laugh. It’s as good as any song to walk down the aisle to, just another addition to their makeshift day of love, a special personal touch.

Michael takes the first step forward, Luke following suit as they cross the short distance from the sliding door to the altar. It’s over faster than Luke was expecting, Ashton within reach, fingertips brushing against Luke’s when Luke reaches out to take their hand, ground themselves in the moment. Ashton’s hand is warm to the touch, a little shaky in Luke’s grip, but his smile is pure and full of open adoration. 

“Let me give you away,” Michael says, tugging Luke back to him lightly. Michael pulls Luke into his arms, wrapping them into a hug, pressing a soft kiss to their cheek. Luke wraps their free arm around Michael’s shoulders, squeezing lightly. 

“Love you Lu,” Michael whispers into Luke’s ear. Luke whispers it back, feels the tears prickling at the corner of their eyes, lump in their throat. Michael pulls back, eyes twinkling with happiness and love. He takes the flowers from Luke, blowing him a kiss as he goes back to sit in one of the chairs.

Ashton waits no time, grabbing onto Luke’s free hand and pulling Luke in front of him to stand. Luke interlaces their fingers, letting Ashton rub his thumb along the back of their hands, smile watery. Luke can already feel the tears threatening to spill over, staring into Ashton’s hazel golden eyes. 

“Beloved pets and the people who drove them here. We are gathered here today to watch Luke and Ashton get married. They’ve been in love since they met and Michael and I have had to suffer through years of them mooning over each other before they got it together. If there was ever a case for soulmates, it would be these two. As long as they stop making out on the tour bus, I’m happy to marry them into domestic bliss to live out their old married couple days. Now, I believe Ashton and Luke have a few words to say,” Calum says. Luke’s somewhere between laughing at Calum and anxious at hearing what Ashton has to say, how he could possibly sum up their love.

“Lu, sweetheart, I spent ages trying to wrap my head around what I wanted to say to sum up our love. I can’t possibly do that, but I’m going to try. I’ve known you were it for me the moment you smiled at me the first day of band practice. You used to take my hand backstage before shows and squeeze it, claiming it was for you even though I knew you were doing it because I was nervous. You’ve always been able to read me, known exactly what I needed and how to help me. No matter how good or how bad I’m doing, you’ve always known what to do, what I need. You’ve never backed down from challenging me to be the best version of myself. I want to spend the rest of my life seeing you smile, hearing you laugh. I’ve watched you grow so much over the last year and I’m so happy and blessed to be a part of it, to be a part of your life. You make me feel unbelievably loved and wonderful everyday. You’ve allowed me to grow as a person too, to be the person you need in your life. I want to spend the rest of my life doing the same for you. I’m honored that you’ve chosen to have me in your life in this way. I love you in more ways than I can put into words. I just...I love you and I can’t wait to be your husband,” Ashton says. His eyes are watering and he’s holding his hands out for Luke’s. Luke takes them, swallowing down on their own tears, trying to hold on long enough to say their own vows. 

“I’m not sure how I can possibly top what you’ve already said, but I’m going to try. Ash, darling, it’s silly and cliche, but I had a crush on you since the day at the movie theater. I thought I would never see you again, but then you walked into band practice as our new drummer and I knew it was fate pushing us together. It took us a while to get here, but I’ve loved you for so long and I love you so much it comes as easily as breathing to me. You’ve always made me feel cherished and special. No matter how bad I get, the mood I’m in, you’ve always been there for you. You know what to say to make me feel better and even when it’s hard, you never back down from trying. I’ve never felt anything but loved when I’m with you. You’ve helped me to explore myself, to become more comfortable in the person I am. You’re my rock, my support system, my love. I can’t put it all into words how much I love and cherish you, how happy I am to have you in my life, to have you as my person. I promise to love you forever and ever with every part of my being. I want to share every moment with you. I love you,” Luke says, choking out the last words, vision blurred from the tears they know are falling. Ashton’s no better, tears fully running down his cheeks, smiling around it as he wipes his eyes. He leans over, wiping at Luke’s cheeks, pressing a soft kiss to each. Luke grabs his wrists, squeezing lightly before letting go. 

“I think this is where you exchange rings,” Calum prompts. Luke glances at him, sees the tears at the corner of Calum’s eyes. Luke laughs, a little wet, vision blurred at the corners from the tears. Ashton laughs, wiping his eyes. He digs into his pocket, pulling out the ring box. He pops it open, displaying the two golden bands inside. Luke holds their hand out, letting Ashton slide the ring onto their left hand. Luke does the same, taking out the matching ring and sliding it onto Ashton’s rings. Ashton slides the box back into his pocket, hands shaking as he takes Luke’s hands in his.

“By other power vested in me and this minister license I got online from the state of California, I now pronounce you married. I know you’re going to kiss whether or not I give you permission, so you may now kiss,” Calum says, waving his hand, eyes crinkled with a smile. Ashton wastes no time, pulling Luke to him, one hand cupping their jaw, the other wrapped around their waist. Ashton presses a sloppy kiss to Luke’s lips, grinning too hard for it to land and noses bumping. Luke laughs, digging their fingers into Ashton’s hair and smiling into the kiss, letting Ashton dip them backwards slightly. Michael wolf whistles, Sierra and KayKay laughing over dogs barking. Luke pulls back, gazing into Ashton’s eyes.

“I love you,” Luke whispers.

“Forever and ever,” Ashton whispers back, swooping in for another kiss.

“Break it up you crazy kids. I want food,” Michael laughs. Luke grins, lets Ashton right them again on the ground, fingers interlaced. It feels freeing, standing here with Ashton, knowing that he’s Luke’s husband, that it’s real and official and true.

Ashton doesn’t let Luke get caught in their head for long, pulling them back into the kitchen. Ashton ordered dinner for tonight, some simple dish of chicken and pasta, so Calum would have something to eat and it would be less work for Ashton to do, since all he had to do was heat it up. Ashton goes about the kitchen, taking the sauce off the stove and taking the chicken out of the oven. Luke helps, grabbing the pasta to start mixing it with the sauce. It’s an easy dance after that, dishing out the food onto the plates and pouring out water for everyone to drink. 

“It’s a free for all. You get to grab your own dishes,” Ashton says, waving his arms once everything has been plated.

“I’m writing a bad review. Terrible services,” Michael says, laughing with Ashton flips him the bird. They all grab their plates, carrying everything outside to the table they’ve set up, dragging the chairs back around the table. They all sit down, conversation flowing easily around their meal, Ashton ribbing Michael and Calum about being the next couple to get engaged now.

“Wait! We brought dessert,” KayKay says once they finish eating, taking Sierra’s hand and tugging her inside to the kitchen. Michael follows after them, clearly going to help them grab the dishes, shooing Ashton when he tries to follow them to help. There’s the vague sound of cabinets banging, Ashton wincing at the idea that they’re messing up his kitchen, Calum giggling.

“Our gift to you,” Sierra says, coming back out. She’s holding a beautiful cake in her hands, two layers covered in white icing and delicate blue flowers. She places it on the table, smiling. Luke blinks back tears, overwhelmed by love, reaching out to pull Sierra and KayKay into a hug, kissing them both on the cheek. Michael produces the knife, handing it over to Ashton. They go through the tradition, cutting the cake and feeding each other a bite of it around their smiles. Luke thinks their cakes might never stop hurting from how much they’re smiling today, brimming over with love and happiness.

At some point, Michael manages to find a speaker for them to hook a phone up to for music. Sierra demands Ashton and Luke get to have a first dance, like she isn’t gazing at KayKay for the same reason. It doesn’t take much to convince Ashton anyway, grabbing Michael’s phone and pulling up a song. He grabs Luke’s hand, pulling them into his arms, hand around their waist and holding onto their hand as the opening notes of Can’t Help Falling In Love play through the speaker. 

“I can’t believe you trust me not to step on your feet,” Ashton whispers, face pressed against Luke’s cheek. Luke smiles, lets Ashton spin them lightly.

“I’m the one in heels. If anything you should be worried about me,” Luke says, stumbling a little when Ashton takes a step forward, forcing Luke to step back in surprise to keep up.

“We should take dance lessons before the big wedding,” Ashton chuckles, dodging Luke’s misstep, feet bumping against each other. Luke giggles as they spin their way through a dance, small steps contained to avoid injury. The song fades out, Ashton pulling Luke into a kiss, fingers tangled into Luke’s curls. The next song comes on, something more upbeat and Michael cuts in, pulling Luke into their own dance, Calum dragging Ashton away. It’s easy and fun, letting their small group of friends pull them into silly, easy dancing, dogs running around at their heels, begging to be included. Luke picks Petunia up, dancing around with her, pressing a kiss to her head when she snuffles in confusion, accepting the affection.

Eventually, it starts to get darker outside, sun setting and painting the world in reds and purples and oranges, swirls of colors against a darkening sky. It makes the world feel special, magical, on fire. They start to gather everything up, taking the plates and leftover food into the kitchen. Luke takes the opportunity to kick their heels off, leave them on the stairs to take some of the pressure off their feet from standing all day. 

Ashton shows Sierra and KayKay to the door, thanking them for coming, pressing kisses to their cheeks and petting Penny goodbye. Calum’s trying to wrangle South and Moose out the door, while Michael holds Duke in one arm. He’s got Petunia’s leash in the other, trying to hold her bag over his shoulder. Since Luke and Ashton are going on a mini honeymoon tomorrow night, they wanted Petunia to stay with the guys while they were out. She doesn’t seem to mind, sniffing at Michael’s legs and wagging her tail. 

Michael leans over, pressing a kiss to Luke’s cheek. 

“Congrats Lu. Always knew if it was any of us, it would be you two. Soulmates and all,” he says. The smile creases the corner of his eyes, making him look soft and young. Luke smiles back, pressing kisses to Michael’s cheeks in response, trying to hold back their tears. They help Michael to the door, Calum grabbing the bag and helping to the car. 

Ashton closes the door behind them, turning to face Luke and grinning, interlacing their fingers. 

“We deserve leftover cake,” he says, tugging on Luke to take him to the kitchen. Ashton makes his way over to the cake, leaving Luke in the entryway. 

Ashton pops the top off the cake container, opening up the drawer to grab two forks from it. He holds one out to Luke, grinning. Luke crosses the kitchen threshold, hand on the counter to push themselves up to sit on the edge and take pressure off their feet. Ashton reads Luke’s body language, grabbing hold of Luke’s waist and lifting them up easily, setting them on the edge. Luke smiles, soft and sleepy, shifting back lightly and grabbing the fork from Ashton. It feels illicit, taking forkfuls from the cake itself, letting Ashton feed some of it to them and vice versa.

Luke sits on the countertop, swinging their stockinged feet back and forth, stabbing the cake with a fork and taking a bite. Ashton’s slumped against the counter, elbow touching Luke’s thigh, as he takes another bite of the cake. His shirt is unbuttoned halfway down his chest, curls falling in his face. He catches Luke staring, tilting his head up, reaching out for Luke. They meet him halfway, ducking their head to press a kiss to Ashton’s lips. Ashton smiles into it, capturing Luke’s left hand in his and running his finger over Luke’s wedding band. 

“I love you,” Luke whispers into the space between them when they separate. Luke grabs onto Ashton’s left hand, tracing patterns into his palm, running their fingertips along Ashton’s matching band. Ashton lifts Luke’s hand to his lips, kissing the back of their hand. Luke giggles. Ashton drops the fork on the cake tray. Luke follows suit, grabbing onto Ashton’s hands.

“I love you darling,” Ashton whispers back. Luke tugs Ashton between their legs, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, letting Ashton run his hands up their thighs, squeezing lightly. Luke drapes their arms around Ashton’s shoulders squeezing. They still have to clean up, put the cake away, get ready for their honeymoon trip tomorrow. But right here, wrapped up in Ashton’s arms, trading kisses in the kitchen, Luke doesn’t want to go anywhere else. It’s sweet and it’s perfect, kissing Ashton, whispering words of love and affection, declarations to have and to hold on their lips. Luke’s never been happier, more sure of themselves. This is where they’re meant to be forever, wrapped up in Ashton’s love forevermore.

[deputygonebye]

@xgoldxnhour asked: “dance with me.”

Vinyl disc spun around and around, an old record supported by an even elder record player. What had once been considered an odd piece, a collector item that brought character and charm to their home, a bit of history not completely destroyed by the battles of the past, filled the Walsh family residence with music. Soft and simple, a country melody that accompanied slow song. Perfect for dancing, El only needed to say the word and Shane was up, upon his feet from his place on the sofa, living room coffee table moved out of the way and record player grabbed for. Far from the dance halls that they used to venture to, that little space in the living room was as grand as any. Dreamlike - untouched by the hands of time and the cold fingers of grief - a piece of heaven that could be claimed as their own. Small turntable positioned just right; on the coffee table that had been lifted, its needle adjusted to the farthest groove, static voice and gentle guitar strum played through slightly abused speakers.

Name of the song uncertain, just as was so for the featured musician who sang, it didn't matter once Shane took Eloise into his embrace, pulled her close and put one hand to her hip. The other gone to grasp her own - their fingers laced together, two halves that made a whole. Parallels uncanny, there was more gray to his hairs, then. More lines across his forehead, nearest his mouth, the light freckles that dashed across the bridge of his nose. Hands that had been scarred; marked by more than the actions of his own person, the consequences that only Shane could bestow. Some of Eloise's gold had turned to silver. Styled above her shoulders, her countenance daubed by motherhood and survival, her blues persuasive. She was no longer the woman that Shane once knew. Changed - so much like he - but familiar, nonetheless. Beloved still, still his girl, his love, the most wonderful thing to have ever happened to him. Eloise held so close, Shane guided their dance together, but they both knew that it was the heart, their hearts, that counseled their waltz pace.

Eyes gazed down onto her, contentment within those browns, Shane reminisced. "Remember the first time I took you dancin'? We went down to that little hall just outside of King County. I'll tell you what, for a girl raised outside of the Southern United States, you sure did have some good moves, El. Impressed the hell out of me, left me needin' a drink or two to refresh before the night was over!"

From one foot to the other, a sway between them, the dance continued. Followed the rhythm of the music - smooth basslines - the distance between Eloise and Shane that grew lesser, until they were pressed together, the arm around Eloise looped around her entire middle.

"Kiss me, baby." Shane commanded, though the order was far from a demand and rather an actual plea. A prayer from husband onto wife; devotion that conquered all.

Their love sealed through kiss, Shane whispered against Eloise, the plush of her mouth and the taste of her lip balm, a miracle found amongst the rubble of a rundown supermarket, oranges and cream.

"I love you, Eloise Walsh. I love you so much."